Part 1
Night on the grasslands.
The hilly land was moistened by the torrential downpour which let nothing be heard save for the sound of water striking the grass.
"..................Haa......ah......ah......!"
Sheltis single-mindedly ran down that unbeaten path.
The cold rainfall and night wind chilled his body and he was dragging his left leg which wouldn't move due to the pain.
The bite wound from the poisonous snake had been to his left leg.
His thigh's connective muscles had suffered direct damage and it was swelling purple while the venom that had circulated throughout his body was making him feverish and causing excruciating pain. The searing pain had already caused him to lose focus and even his consciousness many times...... Even then, his feet had never stopped advancing.
Finally, light could be seen on the horizon.
"......Hah............ah............"
Sheltis could see the public road of the third living district in his blurred vision.
'You ask what I plan to do at Sophia? I'm just going to take one of the Priestesses.'
"Like I'll just......let you......Igun-I."
He steadied himself against a lightpole and fixed his ragged breathing.
──There's still time left.
Igun-I told Maha about meeting up later after he had gone to Sophia.
He had to tell them that he would be late to the gathering. That would be because infiltrating Sophia would take time.
"......Morning, huh."
It had been one night since he'd let Igun-I get away.
Sophia was protected by three folds of security: the Priestesses' barrier, a state-of-the-art security system and the Regular Guards. Even if it was a Lord of Unusual Books which had made preparations to infiltrate, it should take time.
"I have......enough time."
He calmed himself down with deep breaths. Next would be to return to level breathing──
Ring.
His fingertips at his chest touched Iris who was hanging from his neck.
"......Oh right, Iris!?"
There was no response from Iris who had turned grey.
Silent mode ── she had swapped over to focusing on calculations to maintain and mend his dual swords when they were preparing for the severe battle against Igun-I.
The password to dispel it was words that Iris herself had set.
"Ah...... Umm, 'O heartless object, prove that which cannot be seen.'" [T/N: "object" as "machine" and "that which cannot be seen" as "love".]
'────'
The center of the crystal lit up faintly, giving off a bluish light.
'Fuahhhh. Good morning, Sheltis, it's morning and you're already tired.'
"......I feel like my fatigue just went up forty percent hearing you say that."
'Is that so? All joking aside, let me confirm the current situation.'
"An explanation"
'is unnecessary. Even in silent mode, my recording functionality is still on so I understand what happened in detail. I take it we're on the return to Sophia?"
Instead of words.
Sheltis nodded wordlessly and ran down the public road of the living district.
'I'd like to confirm a thing quickly, is that okay?'
"What?"
'Firstly, your goal. The reason you're hurrying to the tower is because Igun-I said he was aiming for a Priestess. It's to counter his declaration that his target is Syun-rei.'
Sheltis naturally clenched in fist after hearing that question.
"Ymy too."
──Everything started when we infiltrated the Lords of Unusual Books' base.
A collaborative formed between Sophia and the Governmental Sector. They'd infiltrated Lagoon with the Sennenshis Leon and Horn and 'Heaven's Wheel's' Huick but their fighting force had been divided by the Lords of Unusual Books who awaited them.
......Igun-I.
......Just who is he?
The seventh Lord of Unusual Books. Because of that guy, the fact that I fell into Eden and house mateki and my relationship with Ymy...... Everything has been outed to every part of Sophia.
'The fourth Priestess, Syun-rei Pia Nucclene. Her territory arts will become a hindrance to my goals............ Ymy is last.'
What's more, that Lord of Unusual Books had said he was aiming for a Priestess of the tower. First would be Syun-rei and his final target was Ymy.
"I'll stop him for sure."
'Of course. But your own situation is also dangerous...... There's an unusual amount of heat being generated with your left thigh as the epicenter. The injection wound you got from Maha is burning up.'
"......I removed the poison."
The wound he'd gotten during the fight with Igun-I when Maha snuck up from behind. Because of the venom he'd been afflicted with by a shinryoku art-created poisonous snake, his left leg was pretty much unable to move.
'First aid is not true medical care. This is a critical situation so I won't stop you from heading to Sophia with that leg. However, there is still quite a distance to the tower. Before we arrive, you should send a message about the attack from the Lords of Unusual Books.'
"I would have done that in the first place if I could."
He patted the pocket on his jacket that held his Sophiissued badge.
"It won't connect. I also sent mails but there's no response."
I also sent mail to those concerned, Ymy and Syun-rei, Meimel and Ran, and even her partner, Leon, but there's been no response from any of them.
'Wait a moment ── I see, it's certainly there in the outbox. However, there's no recipient confirmation so it's highly likely that none of them have been read.'
"......I know."
It's not that they didn't check it, it's that they had no leeway to because of something that happened at Sophia.
'That much of the facts have been circulated. Putting aside the Priestesses and Sennenshi that knew of your circumstances, it must have been a considerable shock to everybody else.'
'In the worst case, the tower's executives are in an uproar.'
"......Sorry. This was my mistake."
The one-on-one duel with Igun-I. Iris had been focused on maintaining the dual swords. If she was supporting him as per usual, the chances of their conversation being listened in on would have dropped drastically.
'Yes. I might have been able to disrupt the listening device if I was involved. But if I had, then Igun-I would probably not have divulged Eden's secrets.'
Iris continued in a neutral and gentle tone.
'I know what you're apologizing about. It surely was a painful blow to have your secret recorded and played back at Sophia. However, in return, you learned about the truth three years ago that you didn't know about either. That is irreplaceable, important information.'
"That's......true, but"
'I consider it fifty-fifty. While important information was leaked, we were able to receive crucial information. Thus, rather than resenting that, we should consider how to remedy the situation instead.'
"......Right."
He understood the logic behind it but there was an inescapable anxiety to it.
"Thank you, I've pulled myself together."
'Glad to be of service.'
Dimly lit. He ran down the public road which was still lit up by streetlights.
──Pop.
"Oww!?"
'Sheltis, is it your leg's swelling!?'
"......No...... I......am......fine so continue."
He clamped down his dragging left thigh and clenched his teeth before once again bolting down the road.
"Were the......other members of the team alright...... I'd like you to confirm that."
He had separated from Leon, Huick, Kuro and the others in the Lords of Unusual Books' base. No, they were strong enough to escape on their own. He was still worried about Eyriey and Yuto whom he'd left behind and Horn from the separate unit.
'I understand so stop talking and just focus on running.'
"Okay."
'Stop talking.'
.....Iris is kind of acting like Ymy.
Sheltis bit back his amused laugh and looked down the road.
The third living district. Unlike the first living district which had important bases densely packed and the second living district with its developed marketplace, the third living district was a quiet and expansive housing area.
......Nobody's around. It's shockingly quiet.
......Or is it because it's so early in the morning?
If the tower was in an uproar because of the information Igun-I spread, then the living district should also be the same. He had been prepared for that so this silence was actually scary.
'Sheltis, I've managed to contact Eyriey.'
"Eyriey!? You mean I can talk to her right now!?"
'No, it's just a message. Nobody other than her has replied but it would appear that Eyriey and Yuto have safely returned at least.'
"......Thank goodness."
Those were his true thoughts. If those two had returned, the likelihood of the other members having also returned was high.
'Eyriey and Yuto are in the hotel in the tower. It's jam packed so they can't talk so they said they'll be waiting at the first living district's 'Crescent Moon Arch'.'
A monumental arch shaped like a crescent moon. It was close to Sophia so it served as a popular meet-up point in the first living district.
'The time she set is an hour from now. Can you make it?'
"I'll make it."
Sheltis wiped away his non-stop cold sweat and bit down on his lip.
Part 2Sophia floor 287.
On a floor close to the summit of the tower which extended past even the upper cloud layer──
"......Morning already?"
Ymy rested her hand on the fortified window frame and rubbed her puffy eyes.
The vestments she'd worn since yesterday were wrinkled all over and her off-gold hair which reflected the sunlight was also disheveled in places.
'Sheltis, remember. Three years ago, you were an Elite Guard and you fell into Eden instead of Ymy when you protected her.'
Igun-I had revealed Sheltis' secret to everybody in the tower. Even his relationship to her had been revealed.
The tower was in an uproar because of how much of a shock it was and she had spent a sleepless night.
"......My throat's......so dry."
She walked shakily to the living room table and poured a glass of water from the pitcher. She moistened her parched throat with the chilled water ── but she didn't drink that water.
......My stomach is knotted up painfully from the anxiety and tension.
She didn't want to eat or drink anything right now. She felt like she'd throw up whatever went into her stomach even if it was water.
──Ring.
The sound of a bell echoed in the room.
"Ymy-samaaa. I'm here like you asked─"
"Ah...... I'll open up right now! Please wait a second!"
The lamp of the door with multiple layers of security flashed.
──Authenticated──
"Hey, good morning, Ymy-sama. Cadres Guard Ishtar hereee."
The woman with a spear taller than herself strapped to her back made a cute curtsy.
She had pure white pants and a tight-fitting format coat. The tall woman also had beast skin belts wrapped around her shoulders, elbows, knees and thighs.
"Sorry...... I called you out here so early in the morning."
"No, no─ Ishtar always wakes up early. I have early morning training and I need to make breakfast for I'schan. I'm super good at early meetings."
The Cadres Guard waved her hand nonchalantly.
"So about that incident."
"Right, right. You wanted to know how things are in the tower. Well, it's not like Ymy-sama can go down to the lower floors in person. Ishtar shall tell you what she knows."
They both took a seat facing each other across the table.
"To start off, you could say it reached everybody without exception which is just a little bad."
"Just a little?"
"Mmmm, something like being enough to undermine the tower's authority from the base up?"
"! That's not just a little──"
"Now, now. Now for the details: the civilians that were uneasy after hearing the Lord of Unusual Books' broadcast have been gathered in the info lobby. The thing about 'a person housing mateki is in the tower' got exaggerated and turned into the rumor of 'Sophia was keeping it a secret from the populace that they're keeping a Yuugenshu'. The problem is that there are those in Sophia as well that are lending an ear to these rumors. Sophia's employees aren't really different from the populace."
Normally, it would be their duty to prevent these kinds of complications. But it was different this time. Even the employees were believing in the rumors and fanning the flames despite being the ones who should be putting them out.
"......It's gone that far."
"Yes, that's how much of an impact that information had. Both the things about Sheltis and the connection between Sophia and Eden. It's easy to believe because it was presented as a conversation and stated so openly."
'Sophia's highest floor is Eden's deepest. Within the tower's 291st floor, 'Paradise', there exists an invisible door which connects to Eden.'
......Not even the Priestesses could affirm the validity of that information.
But she considered what it meant if that were true. Just who is this person that knows information even the Priestesses don't?
"I think Meimel will manage to take care of it though."
"Yes, she's currently preparing for a public presentation to that end. Well, we're talking about Meimel-sama so she'll probably pull it off. But the problem starts from here on. It's about the Guards waiting on the lower floors."
That was precisely the reason she had summoned Ishtar.
The Priestesses' Guards. What did those nearest the Priestesses and those most concerned think about what they'd heard?
"Hrmmm. You should have received a report from Ran-chan yesterday."
"Somewhat...... I'm prepared."
"I think it should be the same as Ran-chan's initial report. And it's like that's come to the forefront now."
Ishtar drank some water and forced a smile.
"There's not much of a difference in reaction between the Guards and civilians. Somebody holding mateki exists and was one of the Elite Guards which are Sennenshi candidates. The current Elite Guards and Regular Guards aren't likely to stay quiet about it and there's no shortage of them that want to know the truth. It's already at the point where they're openly asking for a proper explanation."
"......I see."
"Even worse are the Cadet Guards. To be frank, it was utterly devastating. It's public knowledge that the person with mateki is named Sheltis and with the mail from before as a preface, the effect was full on."
'To everyone of Sophia──
I shall teach you a precious secret.
A Yuugenshu impersonating a Guard has snuck into your tower. I advise that you try the Priestesses' baptism arts upon every Guard in the tower.'
"Ymy-sama understands as well, right? The conversation from yesterday and that message. With this, the Cadet Guards have it in their heads that the Cadet Guard named Sheltis is carrying mateki and is actually a Yuugenshu that changed forms."
"......I believe that cannot be helped."
......Who was it really?
......And what a clever and cruel trap this was.
That message itself was a trap to lure Sheltis into the Lords of Unusual Books' base.
"At this point, he's done for as a Guard. The Cadet Guards that trained with him and those that didn't are in serious disorder. 'We were right next to him so we must have been infected with mateki too!' They're shouting that and packing into the tower's purification centers and spreading it to other people. There are a few people that are staying calm but the majority can't keep down their anxiety. It's a given since the Sennenshis that serve as the top, Leon and Horn, are MIA and in serious condition respectively. Ran-chan's glued to Meimel for security because she's smack dab in the middle of this mess. There are no more Sennenshi to serve as the last ray of hope."
"......I see."
The Sennenshi served as the pinnacle of the Guards. They were the greatest fighting force against Yuugenshu and could even be called embodiments of Sophia's will. But now that they were needed most, they had vanished.
"Right, right, speaking of Leon, how is Syun-rei-sama? From what I've heard from my subordinates, she sounds really defeated."
"......It looks like she's shut herself in her room and has been constantly looking for Leon with clairvoyance."
'Ahhhh, ah......ahhhh......no, nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!?'
......There's no way I could forget her scream from back then.
Leon had lost to the great sword-wielding Lord of Unusual Books and fallen into a waterfall basin after sustaining an injury that ran from his shoulder, through his chest and all the way down to his flank on the other side............
Missing in Action.
Syun-rei was just barely managing to keep herself together by searching for Leon. But that was approaching its limit. She had supported Hyouketsu Kyoukai for three days and taken only one day of rest but continued to use clairvoyance. Her body wouldn't be able to keep this up.
"She's weakening. The tower's employees are blowing up rumors, the Guards which should be combatting Yuugenshu are in fear of the unknown and even the Priestesses are worn out. The executives can't let this go on......"
"The executives? The management of each branch of Sophia?"
"Ah...... Nopeee, this is something else entirely."
She was being unclear to a rare degree even for her.
"Ymy-sama, do you know how many Elite Guards there are right now?"
"Eh...... Umm, I think it was fixed to five."
"The thing is, not all five of them are guaranteed to be allies of the Priestesses. There are Elite Guards whose ties are stronger to the executives than to the Priestesses, serving as 'retainers'──"
"......What does that mean?"
They have stronger ties to the executives than to the Priestesses?
"Fifty Elite Guards. In comparison, Sennenshi vary based on the number of Priestesses but there can be at most five right now. To begin with, over half of those that can become an Elite Guard are assuredly lacking naught in fighting ability, smart and good at handling things. And yet, those that aren't chosen as Sennenshi are exceedingly plentiful."
Ishtar nudged at the glass sitting atop the table. She looked distantly at the shaking water surface and continued.
"What would you do, Ymy-sama? In a competition of ability, what would you do to be chosen as a Sennenshi? When you can't see any way to do it on your own?"
"Yes, there's a method that's hard to say. You rely on others. There's no alternative. And the people that happened to strike a chord with were──"
"The executives you mentioned earlier."
"Yes. The Tower Management Bureau, the Shinryoku Theory Bureau, the General Affairs Bureau, the Mechanical Bureau, the Environmental Bureau and the Guard Regulation Bureau. These are the bureaus in Sophia. Even as a Priestess, you cannot ignore them."
That's right.
The reason the Queen and Priestesses could spend the whole year in Sophia focused on praying was because they were managing the tower.
"What Ishtar's concerned about is whether an Elite Guard tied to them will intervene if Sheltis-kun gets targeted by the tower's executives."
"......This is the first I've heard of this. About those people."
Even if the Priestesses tried to protect Sheltis, an Elite Guard connected to the executives might make something up. The problem was that it would appear to be coming from 'a Guard which protects the Priestesses' and not 'the executives'.
......As a Priestess, I can't treat the Guards' opinions lightly.
......At the very least, I need to know who they are beforehand.
"Ishtar-san, do you know who they are? Do you have any idea of which Elite Guards they might be?"
"Hrmmm. The truth is I don't really know. They're not breaking any tower regulations and there are other Elite Guards close to the executives which aren't serving as 'retainers'. I have no way of saying for sure if they are or not."
"......I see."
"Well, I have heard of a few people suspected of it."
The Cadres Guard rested her chin on her hands over the table.
"I can't say it's at the level of doubt so I'll refrain from giving their names but it's something like 'The Cat's Cradle Master', 'The Blue Doll' and 'The Library'. They're all definitive of their nicknames so if Ymy-sama were to check it out, it'd be easy to figure out?"
"O-okay! So......"
──Ring.
Before she could finish, the door bell rang again.
"Huh? Who could it be at this hour?"
"......Those footsteps just now. They're not a Guard. I think they're probably a regular employee."
Ishtar tilted her head. Perhaps it should have been expected that she would be able to hear footsteps beyond the mechanical door.
"Five thirty-seven in the morning. Ymy-sama, were you expecting somebody other than Ishtar this early?"
"No."
And if it was an employee, they would make sure to inform her beforehand. Coming unannounced and so early in the morning was unprecedented.
"......In that case, this is......their preemptive move."
"Eh?"
The Cadres Guard who had been resting her chin on her hands wordlessly stood up.
"It's the tower's executives. Whoever's on the other side of that door is here to fetch you. They're summoning Ymy-sama for testimony."
Part 3"Oiii, Sheltis! Over here, over here!"
Their eyes met and Eyriey raised her voice. The dawning sunlight pouring over the horizon lit up beneath the arch and Eyriey was there waving her hands.
"Shel-nii~!"
"Even Yuto is here!? You're up this early...... No, more importantly, I'm relieved that you're okay."
He lifted up the black-haired young girl that hugged him.
"Honestly, Sheltis! Where did you go? We had so many issues on our side! It was a hassle getting back to Orbie Clar and there was a huge fuss when we did return!"
Eyriey was in her usual beat-up overalls.
"Eh...... No, I'm more than aware of that."
"Wah, wwait a second! Now that I get a good look at you, aren't you blue in the face!? ......You're sweating unnaturally too, what happened? Are you really okay? You won't drop dead?"
'It's because he's been running around while poisoned. His blood flow sped up as a result of the exercise and the venom has likely circulated throughout his body from the wound.'
"Hah? What are you doing, you idiot! You're really going to end up like Leon if you keep that up! Do you know how Syun-rei──"
His body froze over unconsciously at Eyriey's words.
Like Leon? What's she saying about Syun-rei?
"Eyriey...... That...... What are you saying? What happened to Leon and Syun-rei?"
A shadow fell over the girl's eyes.
"Hop on. We'll talk while heading to Sophia."
She pointed at a three-wheeler vehicle and whispered in a hushed tone.
"......Leon is MIA."
"I only heard about it from Horn-onee-chan though. It sounds like she heard about it from Ymy though so it's probably true."
"──"
Seated in the back, he could tell his hand was trembling atop his lap.
......Leon, die? There's no way.
............He can't die...... That's what I'd like to believe.
'Thank you, Eyriey. I've grasped the individual situations of each member of the selection squad. Sorry to ask, but how are things at the tower? Whatever you know is fine.'
"Well, the thing is I don't really know. A bunch of important-looking people ran down the corridor when we returned in the airship, Horn-onee-chan was injured so she was taken to the medical room and Ymy and Meimel came down to floor 65...... Umm, what happened after that?"
"Eyri-nee and Yuto were called to Ymy-nee's room!"
"Ohhh, that's right. All the asking and being asked questions made me feel like my head was about to burst."
Eyriey spun her frizzy orange hair around and sighed.
"About all I understood was that Sheltis having mateki has been exposed to the people of the tower. Is that true?"
"......I wanted it to just be a lie though."
'I've forcefully broadcasted our conversation just now to every floor of the tower.'
'Arara, how terrible. It looks like your past, your relationship with Ymy and every secret you wished to keep hidden has been exposed to everybody?'
He had been prepared. That Lord of Unusual Books was flippant but he had not lied or made threats at all.
"The uproar I saw was probably part of that. Those important-looking people were shouting things like 'The mateki〰' and 'Gather the apprentice Priestesses immediately〰' rapidly. Even the middle-aged men working there stopped and gathered up. That was probably them double-checking everybody's identities."
'As expected. If that's how it was on the Mechanical Bureau's floor, the floor with the tower's executives and the Guards must be also in considerable chaos.'
What made mateki so fearsome was that it would spread by physical contact and there was no other means of curing it other than purification by shinryoku. Having a person carrying that kind of curse around in the tower would assuredly cause people fear.
'The cause of that mayhem is going to return. I wonder what kind of treatment you'll get.'
"......But nobody else can do it."
He didn't have the leeway to convince somebody about Igun-I's objective. If there was a chance of stopping him, it was Sheltis alone.
──Leon is missing. Horn is also critically wounded and Ran should be tied up acting as Meimel's escort.
──I have to protect Ymy and Syun-rei.
"Ah, I forgot to say one thing. Don't worry, Sheltis. Sophia's going through crazy turmoil but Ymy should make a move to help."
Eyriey turned around in the driver's seat.
'Hou? Did she have a good idea?'
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Sophia being in disorder is bad. That's why Ymy ordered 'For this case, we'll gather the special operatives and deal with it'. As for what the means, the Priestesses will take responsibility and personally check out each person suspected of carrying mateki. Other people will not be allowed to participate. Like that, no more excessive rumors or information will spread. Sheltis will also be spared being openly treated as a dangerous person."
"......So there was that method."
A silver lining. Due to Ymy's order, the trial to decide his punishment would be put on hold. During that time, he wouldn't be forcefully detained even if he entered or exited the tower.
──I'll also be able to deal with Igun-I.
"Eyriey, can you go faster?"
"I can─ But we're already in view."
The tower was dyed in the color of the morning sun. They circumvented the main gate which gathered civilians and tourists and headed to the personnel gate to the west.
"Sheltis, can you prep your badge?"
"Already done."
It was his employee card which registered him as a Cadet Guard of Sophia. He pushed the digital authentication portion embedded on the back of the card up to the reader──
'Warning. This ID is currently blacklisted by the Tower Administration Bureau.'
A dull alarm came together with his card being rejected.
"Eh......?"
"Mm, Sheltis, lemme see. Is there any dirt stuck on the back?"
She wiped the authentication part on the sleeve of her overalls and placed the card up against the reader again.
"Huh, it was rejected again? Sheltis, we can't use this."
"......That can't be. It was working just yesterday."
'It appears to have been blacklisted at a higher permission level. It might be a mistake.'
Iris's words muddled slightly.
'Or somebody has expressly blacklisted Sheltis' ID.'
"Eyri-nee, this thing is noisy─"
Yuto covered her ears and shook her head at the alarm that continued to ring without end.
......The authentication that worked until yesterday was rejected?
......Come to think of it, none of the messages I sent received a reply either.
"Excuse me, am I right to assume that you are the ex-Elite Guard, Captain Sheltis Magna Yehle?"
"──"
Sheltis slowly turned to face the presence that appeared behind him.
There were a total of six people. As soon as the card was rejected and the alarm rang, these Regular Guards had shown up at the gate as if they'd been waiting.
"I repeated, are you Captain Sheltis?"
The short-haired swordsman closest to him gave a slight bow of respect.
"......I am a Cadet Guard. I've never been called Captain."
Captain Sheltis. To call me that, I guess these Regular Guards have also heard my conversation with Igun-I......?
"I see. In that case, Cadet Guard Sheltis, I would like you to accompany us."
"Sorry but I'm in a hurry. I have something to report to the Priestesses."
"It won't take long."
"Every single minute is precious right now. Can it wait until after I've made my report──"
It was at this time that a new set of footsteps echoed from behind the Regular Guards he was facing.
"Oi, oi, oi, Iruleige-chan, just, how, long, do ya plan to keep that up? Jeez, ya dumbass, oi."
It was four women wearing vestments marking them as apprentice Priestesses. And right at the back, a woman pushed her way through the apprentice Priestesses and Regular Guards.
"Ah─......'zat the Sheltis-whatever-senpai? Ya don't understand when adults tell yer ass nicely that ya's a real dangerous shit so shut your ass up and follow?"
She had black hair with a single lock dyed red and tanned skin. On top of a tank top exposing her shoulders, she had her formal wear hanging without her arms in it.
──She has metal rings on all ten fingers.
──Is she a steel wire user?
"Yoo, nice to meetcha. Ex-Elite Guard senpai."
"......Who are you?"
"Nescalsia. Nescalsia di Lyfa. I've been appointed as the authority in this case by the Guard Regulation Institute and Shinryoku Theory Bureau. As you can see, I'm a steel wire user...... I happen to like my nickname, 'The Cat's Cradle Master'. Cute, ain't it?"
She walked as if kicking off the ground and stopped three steps short of him. She lifted her loosely hanging arm.
"Do it."
Immediately after, the apprentice Priestesses following right behind her started chanting all at once.
[Ema Ies ──milles-s-clar]
[Will Color Be born and sing]
[ Valen ars ──milles-s-clar]
[ Prayer King Be born and sing]
[ Clar milue ──milles-s-clar]
[ Song Mirror Be born and sing]
[ Co zahl ──milles-s-clar]
[ Breath Pulse Be born and sing]
"Wha!?"
Allowing no time to react, a dazzling blue brilliance drew out a circle surrounding them in the ground.
He crossed both arms reflexively to protect his head. As soon as his arms touched the barrier's light, the sound of burning echoed into the surroundings.
"Damage from a shinryoku barrier. It's slight but there's also white smoke coming from his body. ......I can't believe you're actually carrying mateki."
"Ya can tell jus' lookin'. It's obvious at first glance. 'Ey, senpai, no more playin' dumb. C'mon, record it."
Nescalia poked her Regular Guard subordinate's head with a sneer.
"Time is seven forty-seven. Target discovered at small gate number seven. Investigation concludes Sheltis Magna Yehle is carrying mateki. He is under arrest."
"Under arrest? Wait, what are you saying!"
Eyriey shouted at the Elite Guard who had her arms crossed.
"I heard from a Priestess that they would open a committee and check out Sheltis. That's why other people can't make a move!"
"That order was frozen not too long ago at the tower's discretion."
The one that replied was an apprentice Priestess of small stature standing to the right of Nescalsia.
"The one who gave the order, Ymy-sama, is under suspicion for her relationship with Sheltis Magna Yehle. Ymy-sama is currently at a hearing and so according to tower regulation, the order she gave has been frozen."
'This is bad. The current chaos has caused the dispute in authority between the field and management to surface in the worst possible way.' [T/N: 祭事 and 政, both read "matsurigoto". First one is basically the "performers" so the ones actually doing stuff and the second is the management, usually the government but the execs in this case.]
They weren't crumbling Sophia's defense, they were just waiting for it to self-destruct from within.
......First, push away the people around me and leave me isolated.
......It turned out just like Igun-I wanted.
"I understand the circumstances. If that's the tower's decision then I'll follow it and I won't reject an investigation. But I'd like to ask for just one thing. The third organization, the Lords of Unusual Books, are targeting a Priestess. I'd like at least two Elite Guards posted as guards for the Priestess."
"Hah? Third organization? Are you high on mateki and seeing things?"
I knew it. Information about the third organization has already been publicized to the Elite Guards but it hasn't quite spread.
"......Then one hour - no, just give me thirty minutes! I just need to talk to a Priestess or Sennenshi──"
"Right, denied."
Nescalsia stomped on the ground so hard that it felt like he would hear it shake.
"Ya don't seem ta git jus' where ya stand. See, ya migh' as well be livin' pois'n ta the Priestesses. Lettin' that kinda shit meet widda Priestess? Lettin' it talk? Ya so high on mateki that ya's gone crazy?"
"Got it? If so, move yar ass."
Each of the four apprentice Priestesses was wearing vestments with carved seals woven in, a heavily armed unit. They surrounded him from four directions with uniform movements and thrust at him with Rosarios bestowed with shinryoku.
"Sheltis!? Sheltis, are you okay? Hold on, what are you──"
"Who the fuck said ya could move, bitch!"
Twitch.
Eyriey stopped trying to run over and her shoulders quivered.
"Wh...... What...... What are you shouting for in that scary voice! Just so you know, Sheltis is ten times stronger than you if he gets serious!"
"Hehhh."
Eyriey desperately glared back at her and Nescalsia looked like she was enjoying it.
"That's impressive. I thought you'd break down crying but it looks like you have some backbone. Hey, miss, I actually said that out of kindness. This guy here is carrying something very dangerous. If you touch him, you might get infected and die, you know?"
"Th-that won't happen! I spent years with Sheltis──"
"Mm~ miss? ......Ya know what, shut up."
She snapped her fingers and the Regular Guards behind her all moved to surround Eyriey and Yuto.
"H-hey, what are you doing, you guys? ............Sheltis!"
"Shel-niii!"
They were held down and wrapped in sheets of a special fabric.
"Stop it! They have nothing to do with──"
"Ain't ya high and mighty, ya damned seed of disaster!"
──Shing.
A few reddish brown hairs were sliced to little bits and fluttered to the ground by something in the air where there should have been nothing.
"Hehhh, ya stopped jus' short."
He said nothing in response and pulled his outstretched foot back slightly. Just about at the height of his nose ── steel wires thinner than spiderwebs were criss-crossed in several layers.
If he took another step, his face would be cut to ribbons.
"Those two are 'protection targets'. We'll see if they got any of yer mateki and purify them jus' in case then let 'em go. The sheets on them ain't for restraint. It's like a gauze widdat shinryoku carved seal stuff in it."
Shuruu.
The Elite Guard reeled in the steel wires in the air with one of her fingers. Or so he thought but she suddenly glared at the apprentice Priestess beside her.
"But what's this? The plan was to restrain him with the barrier."
"R-right! But umm......it was beyond expectations......"
"You saying you couldn't suppress his mateki even with four of you? Ahh, damned pain in the ass. Don't that mean it's worse than we thought? Actually, is he seriously human? Ain't it jus' sum Yuugenshu dressed up like the Sheltis Magna Yehle that fell into Eden?"
The eyes of the Elite Guard fiddling with the metal ring on her finger suddenly turned vicious.
"Well, fine. If ya can move, then ya'll just have to haul ass yerself."
There was no time before Igun-I's attack.
If he was detained here, he would likely be interrogated and have his body examined over several days. He'd experienced it two years ago when he returned from Eden but it would probably be even larger in scale this time. Even if he wasn't in danger, there was no telling when he would be released.
......This is the worst case scenario. I can't give up here.
......If I did, I'd lose the sole way to protect Ymy and Syun-rei from Igun-I.
"What if I refuse?"
"Looks to me like yer left leg's tremblin' a little."
Nescalsia narrowed her eyes in enjoyment.
"Ya thought I wouldn't realize yer face is drained and that sweat's all greased? Don't think ya can consider goin' all out an' beatin' me."
"......I know that......even without you telling me."
No matter how much he tried, the spasms in his left leg wouldn't stop. He was on the verge of losing consciousness from the pain and fever. He didn't think he could fight her or even escape.
──I'm being forced to come along with Eyriey and Yuto as hostages.
──But if I go with them, I can't protect Ymy.
This is between a rock and a hard place. What should I do?
'Sheltis.'
Iris said in a voice quiet enough to be missed.
'Let's do as they say.'
"Iris!?"
'At present, every other course of action will work against us. Even if we flee here and Eyriey and Yuto remain safe, you can't stop Igun-I in your present condition.'
"──"
He couldn't deny that. He and Igun-I both knew that fact to a hopeless degree.
'I investigated as much as I could over these few minutes and the tower's security systems and Meimel's barrier are both operating as usual. It would not be easy for Igun-I to infiltrate. We should have faith in that and wait for the situation to turn for the better. Even if we are to take action, it should be after you recover.'
In response to those words──
Sheltis closed his eyes and breathed out into the brightening sky.
"Looks like ya've come ta terms."
Sheltis gently lowered his head in response to the Elite Guard with a cold smile.
"......I just have one request. Sometime today or tomorrow......one of the Priestesses should be approached by a raider. Anybody will do. Just relay that to all the Priestesses."
"I'll keep it in mind."
"......Please."
"Well then, senpai, let's get on with your triumphant return. Our destination is Sophia's inquiry room."
Move.
He looked away from her as she indicated that with her chin.
"............I will never give up."
"For your own sake, you shouldn't say random crap."
"──"
Urged on by the apprentice Priestesses surrounding him, Sheltis wordlessly started walking.
Part 4"Oh my, welcome back, Ymy. That was quick."
When Ymy opened the mechanical door with an electronic lock, for some reason, her senior Priestess well-known to her was standing there elegantly with a teacup in her hand.
"Ummm...... Meimel, why are you in my room?"
"Eh─ I didn't know when you would come back. I have all this free time if I'm just waiting, you see?"
The Priestess in a dress combed her emerald hair.
Meimel in Carnation ── She was Ymy's senior Priestess with beauty and talent in social skills in negotiations and conversations.
"Huh, is that my snack?"
On the table was a silver platter with a delicious-looking chocolate cake.
"Yes. It looks good so I helped myself to one."
"But I'm sure I hid it away as a reserve."
"How naïve, Ymy. It's suspicious to have a box with a handwritten memo on it that 'curry roux' hidden away in the depths of the fridge."
"......I'll make it so the box explodes if you open it next time."
But whatever.
......It's not like I had an appetite. It's better than having it rot there.
"So is the investigation over?"
"......You say that like I'm a criminal."
She didn't even have the will to sigh as she laid her head on her arms on the table.
"But they really did treat me like a criminal. They called it an investigative hearing but there were three bureau chiefs in the back and they recorded the entire conversation......"
'It's the tower's executives. Whoever's on the other side of that door is here to fetch you.'
Ishtar's prediction was on the mark.
On the other side of the door was a tower employee and several Regular Guards. "We have something we would like to discuss with Ymy-sama on floor 128, the joint conference floor. ── She was unable to refuse and was taken to floor 128 where the hearing started with no special explanation.
"Hrmmm. So what did they ask?"
"Rather than asking, it's more like they were confirming facts. Is this true? Did you know about this? Do you know why this happened?"
All of those questions pertained to Sheltis.
'Sheltis, remember. Three years ago, you were an Elite Guard and you fell into Eden instead of Ymy when you protected her.'
Was the conversation that played in the tower true?
"How did you answer them?"
"......I said that can't be."
Sheltis protected me and fell into Eden?
If that happened......there's no way I could forget. Leon also said "Sheltis fell off the edge of the Biotope".
"Were the other questions like that too?"
"Yes. Most of them were things I couldn't answer. 'Do you know why he now carries mateki after falling into Eden?' That's what I want to know."
"Hmmm. But of course, they know that he's your childhood friend, right?"
"About that......I told them truthfully that it was so."
When Sheltis returned from Eden two years ago, she was still an apprentice Priestess so there was no talk of a hearing from the executives. But now she held the position of a Priestess and her relationship with Sheltis had been exposed.
......That might be the biggest reason the executives took me to an investigative hearing.
......It's unexpected for somebody carrying mateki to be a longtime acquaintance with a Priestess.
The most dangerous person for Ymy as a Priestess supporting Hyouketsu Kyoukai was nearby. Even non-executives would want to confirm the truth.
"Fumu, fumu. Well, a Priestess is still human so they'll have childhood friends and family. But if that's the problem in this case──"
While shaving away at the cake's edge with her fork, Meimel let her sight wander through space in thought.
"Say, what about that?"
"That......"
"Come on, it's something you told me about before. The promise with him about becoming a Sennenshi. It looks like there are a lot of people curious about that part of what the Lord of Unusual Books leaked."
'Ymy would become a Priestess protecting Orbie Clar and you would protect her from Yuugenshu. You would go on to become a Sennenshi and protect her. That was the promise.'
"......They also asked me about that. Is this story true?"
"What did you say?"
It was the hardest question in the hearing that had taken over two hours. If she answered poorly, it would give the impression that that was why she had not taken on a Sennenshi for close to a year now.
"......I told them that it was like a childhood greeting."
"I see, that allows it to be taken as 'It was nothing more than a childhood joke' or 'It's a promise we've kept from childhood'. I can tell you did your best to make it ambiguous but did they take it well?"
"No, they ended up asking me many times over. But I continued to push that one point...... They left it alone because they had other questions."
"So you won through stubbornness. It's a simple method but really effective at times like──"
Ring.
The door bell chime cut off Meimel's voice.
"Pardon me, Elite Guard number seventeen Nescalsia is here to visit. Ymy-sama, may I?"
The woman's voice was husky and gave off the feeling of a sturdy boulder. Nescalsia......she had no memory of meeting her face-to-face but her nickname as an Elite Guard rang a bell.
"You can open it. It looks like it's actually her."
"You know her, Meimel?"
"Well......we've met many times."
Her senior Priestess nodded with a meaningful, strained smile.
"Go ahead."
"Excuse me. Hohhh, Meimel-sama is with you."
The Elite Guard bowed respectfully to the Priestess holding a teacup in her hand and once again turned to face Ymy.
......She's kind of scary.
She was a woman tanned to a manly degree like Ran but the section of her bangs dyed bright red and the pressure she gave off made Ymy think that.
"I will report an urgent matter. In response to the broadcast throughout Sophia, Ymy-sama requested a committee gathering at 0208 today. About this request that was frozen during Ymy-sama's hearing──"
"Yes."
"I have come to notify you that following the conclusion of your hearing, the freezing has been lifted."
It was her plan to prevent Sheltis from being one-sidedly arrested upon his return to the tower. The countermeasures for his mateki would be set by the Priestesses and apprentice Priestesses. Only specialists in mateki would discuss it and she would be able to remove outsiders starting with the executives.
......Thank goodness.
......With this, Sheltis shouldn't face persecution immediately.
"I understand. Thank you for your report."
"However, I expect the committee will be unnecessary."
"............Eh?"
For what was easily several seconds, she felt like she was solving a puzzle. Her request to gather the committee was unfrozen. But that committee was unnecessary?
"The committee is unnecessary. It can't be."
Meimel's hand holding the teacup was trembling.
"Sheltis was supposed to be handled by the committee but the executives got to him first?"
"As expected of you. It is as you surmised."
The Elite Guard's lips formed a blatant sneer.
"During the two hours Ymy-sama was in the hearing, I received a mission from the Guard Regulation Institute and Shinryoku Theory Bureau and restrained 'him'. Ymy-sama was in the hearing so she couldn't examine him. However, there was a pressing need to examine him as a holder of mateki so those in charge of the Guard Regulation Institute and Shinryoku Theory Bureau formed a separate examination team and took on his examination while Ymy-sama's committee was frozen."
"I understand. Then we will discuss his treatment later at the committee."
"That won't be happening."
"──!?"
"It is as I reported earlier. The committee's gathering will be unnecessary."
Clink...... The rings on her fingers rubbed against each other.
"It is as stated by tower regulations. In the case that there are multiple units examining one target, the rights shall be decided by vote. In the case of Sheltis Magna Yehle, our examination team has already settled the vote as well. It is listed on Sophia's public electronic documents so feel free to confirm it."
"No way!?"
......No way, the timing matches up too well.
They restrained Sheltis when he returned to the tower and even settled the vote for rights? And all of this happened while the committee's authority was frozen.
"That is the entirety of my report. May I leave?"
"I'd like to ask one thing."
Meimel raised one hand with her legs crossed.
"It's just a simple question. I'd like an immediate answer."
"What might that be?"
"So, 'Cat's Cradle Master'-san? Did you also participate in that examination team?"
──Cat's Cradle Master.
──Isn't that...... Then that means this person is............
'What Ishtar's concerned about is whether an Elite Guard tied to them will intervene if Sheltis-kun gets targeted by the tower's executives.'
"It is as you surmised. I was appointed adviser to the examination. The target is a Cadet Guard so there was also the intention of taking into consideration the Guards' opinions."
"......I see. Okay, that's all for my question."
Her senior Priestess answered with a smile as if nothing had happened.
"How about you, Ymy-sama? If there's nothing, then I will take my leave."
"Eh...... Ah, eh...... Umm."
"So it's fine. Well then──"
"Wait! I-I have something. Let me......ask my question!"
Ymy forcefully stopped Nescalsia who was about to turn away and glared her in the eyes.
"You said you restrained him."
"Yes. It was a necessary measure for something carrying mateki."
"At that time......did he say something?"
She had been doubtful the whole time. Sheltis should also have known that his conversation with the Lord of Unusual Books was leaked to Sophia.
......He would also know that he'd be restrained if he returned to the tower.
But he still came back despite knowing that. Why? It was simple: Sheltis had something he needed to convey about his battle with Igun-I.
......And it needed to be done ASAP.
......There's also a high possibility that he was wary of communications being intercepted so he didn't use his badge.
"Anything is fine, just tell me what he said."
"There must be something."
"There was nothing."
With that one phrase, the Elite Guard shook her head as if cutting away everything.
"He did not say anything. I did ask him if he had anything to tell the Priestesses. He remained silent."
"You're lying, that can't──"
Just before she was about to keep up the pursuit, somebody patted her shoulder.
"Okay, okay, that's enough. You may leave. Thanks for the report."
"Meimel!?"
"I see, then I will take my leave."
While Ymy was speechless, the steel wire-using Elite Guard left the room.
They faced each other across the table.
"......What are you doing, Meimel? Why did you stop me?"
"It's because I knew there was no point pursuing it any further."
Her senior Priestess told her calmly.
"You should also understand. The executives' intentions are clear. They moved with the intent of restraining him from the start. As soon as they put their retainer of an Elite Guard in the team, they had no thoughts of even trying to hide it. Their goal is──"
"......A repeat of two years ago."
"Right. He's a Guard they should have expelled as a threat to the tower. But he returned with the Yuugenshu Barrier Breakthrough Incident as his opportunity. They must have been waiting until they could launch another trial against him."
"But this is too much......"
We're united in our will to protect Orbie Clar.
It's just that our treatment of mateki holders is different. That tiny difference has spawned this great of a conflict.
"I wish Sheltis......had not been caught during my hearing."
"You think he was unlucky?"
"It was only two hours of time. I can't believe Sheltis came back during those two hours."
"That's wrong. It's the opposite."
"The opposite......"
"That is to say, it's not that he came back while you were in the hearing. They kept you in the hearing so the committee would be frozen until he returned. He came back two hours later so that's when your hearing ended too."
"It's tough. Leon's missing and Syun-rei is unstable. I was in the middle of preparing for tomorrow's speech. Viola's also got her hands full supporting Hyouketsu Kyoukai. You were also tied up with setting up the committee. It was a situation where nobody had time to protect somebody else......and they did a good job picking it."
Meimel sighed with a self-derisive smile on her face.
"So what do will you do?"
"What will I do......"
"At this rate, he might be expelled from the tower again."
"............I know that."
Even two years ago, he'd been expelled from Sophia. Now that his existence was known to even more people, it might not stop at just being expelled.
"A Priestess can't be bound by her personal feelings. ......I will admit that I'm a little upset about this time too though. I'm the one who sent him to the third organization's base."
True to those words, Meimel's expression was somewhat indecisive.
"Even if I ignore my feelings on the matter, his expulsion from the tower would be a hard blow. He has ability as a Guard, knowledge in opposing Yuugenshu and, more than anything, his absence in the conflict against the intensifying Lords of Unusual Books will be severe."
"......I'll think about it. About how to help Sheltis."
She bit the inside of her cheek.
He returned to the tower for the Priestesses' sake, went to the third organization's base for the Priestesses' sake and she couldn't accept that this would be his reward.
──It is a Priestess' job to respond in kind to Guards that exert their utmost for Sophia.
──This time, it's my turn to help him.