Chapter 59

The dragon medium they originally owned that was now in the Galerie’s custody—Sui Narusawa. “Miyabi, what is your endgame?! You have no reason to help Ganzheit, do you?!” Yahiro yelled in disappointment. “I’m sorry.” She looked at him and softly shook her head. Then she kicked the catwalk with her left leg and jumped. She leaped far higher than any human could, crossing above the wrecked facilities and disappearing into the flames. “Let us meet again. If you survive until then, that is.” Miyabi’s last words echoed in Yahiro’s ear. He looked down at the burning factory, frozen and in silence. 3 Liu Ryland headed to the Nagoya Station through the VIP route, for the sake of getting on Melora Electronics’ armored train: the T-Bullet. “Apologies, Chairman. We let Rosetta Berith get away.” A man in combat uniform waiting by the station’s entrance bowed his head at the sight of Liu. He was the commander of Melora’s PMC division and Liu’s bodyguard. His uniform was stained in blood, and he had a fresh wound on his cheek, a consequence of Rosetta Berith’s counterattack. “What are our losses?” Liu asked calmly. He was not disappointed. He already expected them to be unable to take Rosetta down. “Eight gravely wounded, six without hope of recovery.” “Our elite couldn’t take on that combat doll, eh? No wonder it is House Berith’s pride and joy, I suppose. Truly regrettable that we couldn’t join forces with the Galerie.” Liu sighed self-deprecatingly and pursed his lips in discontentment. Their conversation was too short-lived, but still enough to see how exceptional Rosetta Berith was. Galerie Berith’s other pawns, while few, were also outstanding. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to topple the Nagoya Station Fortress so easily, even with the help of the Moujuu. Had he gotten them to collaborate, then surely Liu’s plans of getting ahead of Ganzheit and ruling the world after the new genocide would have gone smoothly. No use crying over spilled milk, though. Liu gave up on that and switched gears. As CEO of one of the biggest corporations in the world, he knew how important it was to cut one’s losses. He had no hesitation in doing away with what did not benefit him. Even if it was Galerie Berith. Or the Nagoya Station Fortress. “Liu Ryland…” Someone called his name as he walked the stairs toward the platform; an exhausted voice like that of someone in their deathbed. “Well, well, Chief. What brings you here all alone?” Liu smiled as he turned to look at the worn-out Chief Executive Zeming Hou. The pudgy man almost fell down the stairs as Liu drew closer to him. “Mr. Liu! What is this disaster?! What is happening?!” “It seems like Moujuu have appeared in the artificial Relict factory,” Liu Ryland flatly responded, coldly glancing down at a confused Hou. “Moujuu?!” Hou’s face was overcome with indignation. The chief executive of the fortress finally realized what was going on in his command post. “Is it that woman?! The dragon medium brought the Moujuu?! Wh-what about Shangxiao Xia?! What is the Relict squad doing?!” “Calm down, Chief,” Liu chastised him as his bodyguards took Hou away. The Relict factory was wrecked, and the Nagoya Station Fortress would collapse any moment. There was no utility in Zeming Hou anymore. However, his title remained useful. Liu calculated everything while staring at a wailing Hou. “Mr. Liu! What should I do?!” “There are too many Moujuu. Now that they’ve entered the fortress, it’ll be impossible to eradicate them.” “Impossible… But then the fortress…” “It should be abandoned. That’s the wisest,” Liu said, devoid of emotion. Zeming Hou twisted his face in despair. “You’re telling me…to forsake the fortress and run?!” “So long as we retain the original Relict Regalia, we can build another factory, and another fortress. What’s the issue?” “But…they wouldn’t let me! Who knows what the mainland will do to me if we lose the fortress…” “I see. That’s unfortunate, Chief. Now then, I must go.” Liu smiled, cold and cruel. Zeming Hou yelled as Liu turned his back on him. “Liu Ryland… You’ll betray me?! You’ll betray the Chinese Federation?!” “Betray? We were only business partners.” “Call all the Relict Deservers back! Have them wipe out the Moujuu!” “What if I said no?” “S-seize him! That’s your chief’s order!” Hou yelled at the soldiers guarding the platform. Yet the soldiers only looked at each other in confusion. As an administrative official, Zeming Hou had no direct authority over the army. “Catch them all. Kill them if you must. Liu Ryland is a national enemy!” “Good grief. Now that is unfair.” Liu chuckled before glancing at his operators. The guards nodded back and drew their guns. The Relict Deserver handguns. Crimson flashes swept the platform, burning the standing soldiers to a crisp. “What…? Why do you…have the Relict Regalia…?” Zeming Hou took a step back, eyes wide in bewilderment; he was shocked to learn the PMC operators were armed with Relicts. “Melora Electronics is in charge of manufacturing the artificial Relicts, after all. Is it that surprising that we would have our hands on a Relict or two that you weren’t aware of?” Liu shrugged. “Besides, all Relict troops are on my side. Naturally. It wasn’t the CFA, much less you, Chief, who gave them their power. It was my Melora Electronics.” “Wha…? This can’t…” Hou’s face turned pale as the operators aimed their guns at him. He did away with any shame and pride and knelt in place and begged for dear life. “W-wait, Mr. Liu! I was wrong. I’ll help you. The Chinese Federation will support you all the way, so please…” “The chief executive of the SAR fell at the hands of the Moujuu. Don’t worry, Chief. You have no need to fear the mainland’s retribution.” “D-don’t, Mr. Liu! Please! No…!” His scream was cut off as a crimson flash pierced his chest. The operator silently opened the handgun’s breech and ejected the artificial Relict that had lost its glow. The inferior Relict could not stand the use of the Regalia, and had to be replaced periodically. Liu inexpressively observed the motion while thinking about the room for improvement. Hou’s corpse was no longer in his attention. The fire in the factory caused by the Moujuu was already spreading throughout the residential area of the Nagoya Station Fortress. They lacked the facilities to put out a fire on this scale, all because Chief Executive Zeming Hou appropriated the funds for himself. He only reaped what he sowed, but even if they had sufficient facilities, it was doubtful that they would be able to withstand the Moujuu attack. This fortress was fated to fall the moment they stalled Galerie Berith and the fire dragon’s medium—Iroha Mamana. “Hey, General. Made you wait?” A soldier in an officer’s uniform came from the opposite side just before Liu was about to get on the armored train. The tall soldier carried Ayaho Sashou, unconscious, on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. So he actually completed his mission to retrieve Vanagloria’s Relict Regalia. “You’re just in time, Shangxiao Xia.” Liu smiled in satisfaction. “Sorry about that. I was not expecting the Lazarus to come crawling back from the Ploutonion.” Xia apologized with uncharacteristically sincerity. Liu raised his eyebrows at the news. “They’re back from the Ploutonion? They’re monsters even beyond our expectations.” “Yup. That’s why the fortress is like that now. Sorry about your factory, too,” Xia said with pity as he stared in the direction of the wrecked factory. Liu simply shook his head. No one expected that the Lazarus could survive even the Ploutonion. It would be unfair to criticize Xia for it. “It stings, but there is nothing that can be done. Let’s be glad we got a better look at the Lazarus’s powers. Either way, we got Vanagloria’s Relict.” “Yeah.” “A perfect Relict, Deserver included. This will be far more valuable than the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi we couldn’t even activate. It will be worth the sacrifices.” Liu Ryland smiled complacently as he checked unconscious Ayaho’s right hand. Xia nodded before pointing at the armored train’s door. “All right. Let’s get away from here, then. Before the Lazarus comes after us.” “Yes, indeed. This land is no longer of use.” Liu Ryland got on the T-Bullet as Xia and his Relict Deservers followed. The silver train, ready to go, roared its high-power diesel engines and slowly left the crumbling Nagoya Station Fortress behind. 4 The Moujuu that charged into the Nagoya Station Fortress with Yahiro’s group totaled sixty. Thanks in part to walls being demolished from the inside, the number grew with time. However, they were comparatively peaceful Moujuu, perhaps satisfied that the artificial Relict factory was already destroyed. A sizeable fraction of them were already heading back home, following Iroha’s instructions. The only thing in the way were the Chinese Federal Army’s soldiers guarding the fortress. They attacked the Moujuu without question the moment they were in their sights. “Stop, don’t shoot! Stop! Don’t shoot them!” Iroha yelled at the firing soldiers, but her voice was drowned out by the gunfire. The Moujuu naturally countered in self-defense. Mutual slaughter between Moujuu and humans. A senseless war. “Why…? They have no reason to attack people anymore…!” “The soldiers don’t know anything—the Moujuu are nothing but a source of fear for them. And the Moujuu won’t let themselves get killed,” Yahiro muttered as he held up Iroha, who had gone pale. Agitated by the smell of blood, the Moujuu escaped from Iroha’s control. Even with that aside, her power didn’t have its full effect due to the dragon factor remnant. “Waon, we must go. We have to protect the civilians.” “Sad to say goodbye, but the time has come.” Zhu and Feng said as they prepared to part ways with Iroha. The battle between Moujuu and soldiers didn’t look like it would end anytime soon, and the damage was spreading to the residential zones. The aforementioned pair wanted to go keep control of the situation. “Protecting this place is our duty, so don’t worry about us and go on. We will tell the soldiers to stop fighting.” “Just let me hold your hand before I go!” “…Thank you, guys. Stay safe.” Iroha kept her distress down and shook their hands. The CFA, its line of command crumbled, had little chance of eradicating the Moujuu. The safest choice was to avoid combat and let them go back to their colony. But that wasn’t Iroha’s job. Only Zhu and Feng, as fellow members of the CFA, could convince the soldiers. “Let’s go, Yahiro. I’m worried about Sui, too.” Iroha raised her head, setting her doubts aside. Yahiro nodded and stood before her, prepared to dash, but Giuli stopped him. “Wait, Yahiro!” “Giuli…?!” A rain of bullets hit the ground at his feet. Yahiro raised his head in shock and saw the soldiers glaring at Iroha with bare hostility. “Galerie Berith’s dragon medium!” “It’s her! She’s controlling the Moujuu, telling them to attack the base!” The soldiers fired at her in a frenzy. Iroha stood frozen in shock while Yahiro just barely covered for her with gritted teeth. “This is not the time for humans to be killing each other…!” “Indeed. How dreadful is a man overcome with fear.” The cold voice of a girl echoed alongside gunfire, and the soldiers dropped their guns, their dominant arms shot. Yahiro’s jaw dropped as Rosé, wearing a lavish party dress, appeared before his eyes. “Rosé?!” “Where’d you get that dress?! It’s adorable!” Iroha huffed in excitement. Meanwhile, Wei and his subordinates suppressed the confused soldiers, opening a safe path to the station. Rosé put her gun down upon seeing that and looked around. Then, as she confirmed Giuli’s presence, she sighed in relief. “You’re okay, Giuli…!” “Gee, you’re such a worrywart, Rosy.” Giuli carefully caressed her little sister’s head after her unusual show of emotion. As coolheaded as she was, Rosé sure was fond of her sister. “So, what’s the situation?” Giuli asked while heading quickly toward the station. Rosé, already calm and collected, replied, “Melora attacked the Yáo Guāng Xīng.” “They’re after Ayaho’s Relict? Just as we thought.” “Josh’s team should be enough against Melora’s operators. I can’t imagine the CFA has the spare manpower to help them,” Rosé said, uncharacteristically optimistic, perhaps not wanting to worry Giuli. “No, Rosé. They’re not up against Melora. They have a dragon medium,” Yahiro responded quickly and irritated. “A dragon medium?” Rosé narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “We met Miyabi at the Relict factory. Ganzheit hired her to retrieve the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.” “…And there are more dragon mediums than her?” “Yes. They must be after…” “Sui Narusawa.” A shadow cast in Rosé’s expression. The next moment, Yahiro raised his head with a jolt, feeling a swelling dragon aura. “Run!” “Get back!” Iroha and Yahiro yelled at the same time. Giuli, Rosé, and the Galerie operators did as told without asking questions. Then the station’s ceiling collapsed. Liquefied concrete fell from the stairs, pushed by an invisible wall. It was like looking at cold lava. “This Regalia…! Hisaki Minato?!” Yahiro dodged the molten concrete as he ran up to the platform. There awaited a young man in a black hoodie holding a long sword. Luxuria’s Lazarus—Hisaki Minato. He held a white-haired girl in his left arm, sleeping like a doll. “Mr. Nathan!” “Iroha Mamana… You’re back.” The Black man facing Hisaki turned around at Iroha’s call, his voice turning a tad cheerful. His right arm was stained with fresh blood. He had been fighting Hisaki to stop him from taking Sui. “Narusawa.” Hisaki raised his sword in high alert at their arrival, clearly prepared to fight them for Sui. “Let her go, Minato!” Yahiro, too, unsheathed his sword. Then part of the platform transformed into a toxic-purple marsh, blocking his way. Yahiro tried to burn away the mud, but his purifying flames were too slow. The two Regalia clashed. “Nina…?!” Iroha shook her head in confusion at the sight of Nina Himekawa beside Hisaki. “Heeey! Long time no see. How’ve you been?” Nina smiled amicably at her without remorse. Iroha gasped at her attitude. “Nina, why?! What do you want to do, taking Sui?!” “I couuuld explain it to you, but then again, should you be wasting time talking to uuus?” “What do you mean by that?” Iroha was perplexed. Then a shrill childish voice echoed: “Iroha! Please, help…!” “Rinka?!” Iroha grimaced as she looked in the direction of the voice. Rinka was crouched down right beside the broken Yáo Guāng Xīng, tending to her brother’s bleeding forehead. “Ren?! Is he hurt?!” “Ren’s fine…! You have to save Ayaho!” “Wha…?!” “You’re taking Ayaho, too?!” Yahiro’s whole body shivered with anger as he glared at Hisaki. Hisaki stared back inexpressively. He was not going to make excuses. “It was Jiguan Xia, Yahiro. He took Ayaho,” Josh corrected Yahiro’s misunderstanding. Yahiro, while confused by the news, understood. He knew Jiguan Xia was after Vanagloria’s Relict, and it explained Ayaho’s absence. “Sorry, Lady, Princess. I couldn’t protect her.” “No, you did well simply keeping everyone alive against the Relict Deservers,” Rosé responded calmly to Josh’s apology. Even with Nathan’s help, they were up against a battalion of Relict Deservers. Not to mention Lazarus Hisaki, who was a completely unexpected adversary. The team protecting the Yáo Guāng Xīng did a good enough job. “Jiguan Xia is working for Melora Electronics. You should hurry after them, or it’ll be too late!” Nina rushed them, glancing at the stopped silver train on the other platform. The armored train roared its engines, ready for departure, and began slowly moving. They were about to abandon the collapsing Nagoya Station Fortress and save just themselves. “Why are you taking Sui, Nina?” Yahiro asked, his voice low. Nina gave him a sudden serious look. “Did you meet the ancient dragon?” “What?” Her question caught him off guard. Even Iroha froze up at the sound of it. “You entered the ancient Ploutonion, didn’t you? Didn’t you peer into the dragon’s memories?” “Did you…see that, too?” Iroha asked, voice trembling. The image of the girl in the white darkness came to mind, as did the sight of that unfamiliar Japan in the so-called Reiwa era. Perhaps Nina and Hisaki didn’t see that exact same scene, but clearly they knew something they didn’t. “What’s the ancient dragon have to do with you taking Sui…?” Yahiro questioned her, pushed by irrational concern. Nina only grinned. “Wait, for the Ploutonion…?! You’re taking her to make her open more of them?” “Mmhmmm… But it’s nothing you need to worry about. We made a promise, didn’t we?” Nina said, her tone appropriately mature. Yahiro was overwhelmed, if only a little. “…Promise?” “Yes. That we would help you kill Sui. We’re only making good on that promise. So don’t you worry, and go after Ayahooo.” The moment Nina said that, Hisaki unleashed his Regalia. The platform floor turned into a swamp and blew a sinister green mist, taking away Yahiro’s sight. By the time the putrid-smelling haze had cleared up, Nina and Hisaki were nowhere to be found. The armored train ran away with Ayaho, too, as though laughing in the faces of Yahiro and Iroha, who could only stand and watch, aghast. 5 “Yahiro…” Rinka was the first one to break the silence. After staring at Yahiro with pleading eyes, she looked at the departing silver train. Her expression begged him to get her sister back, but she couldn’t say it out loud. “Let’s go, Giuli,” Yahiro said as he sheathed his uchigatana. “Melora’s armored train left. We must follow them now or we won’t be able to get Ayaho back.” “Yahiro?!” Iroha’s eyes grew wide in shock. Pursuing Melora to get Ayaho back meant letting Nina and Hisaki take Sui. “If we lose Sui, we might not be able to turn the Japanese people back. Are you sure?” Giuli warned. Rosé, too, gave him a condemning glance. “B-but who knows what they’ll do to Ayaho…?!” Rinka insisted, her voice weak. The rest of the kids had the same look in their eyes, although they said nothing. Yet the person who one would expect to agree with Yahiro quicker than anyone else remained silent. It took a while before Iroha nodded, resolute. “Thank you, Yahiro, for caring about Ayaho.” “…Iroha?” He furrowed his brow at the look of her smile. That was not the reaction he was expecting. “I should respond in kind.” Yahiro remained confused while Iroha clung to him and reached her lips to his ear. Then, with a loud chomp, she bit it. “Oww!” Yahiro yelped in pain. Rinka, Josh, Wei, the twins, and even Nathan dropped their jaws in bewilderment. “What the hell’re you doing at a time like this?!” Yahiro glared at Iroha, holding his ear. The bite left a mark, and it was bleeding. She nearly tore it off. Even a Lazarus felt pain. And minor wounds that did not affect his life healed as slowly as a regular person’s. Yet Iroha showed no remorse as she puffed out her chest and said: “Just a little tender nibbling!” “T-tender…?” Yahiro parroted in astonishment. Rinka immediately covered her face. “Iroha… You’re not supposed to actually bite him…” “Wha?! Really?!” she replied in shock, then straightened her back under Yahiro’s reproaching glare. “Erm, anyway, I did it precisely because of the situation. Getting you marked like this will let you use the Regalia while away from me for a while, right?” “…What?” It took him a bit to realize that she intended to split up. Iroha smiled a bit smugly at his surprised reaction. “You don’t have to choose who to save. You’re not alone anymore. I’ll go get Sui, so you take care of Ayaho.” “Wait! Why’re you going for Sui? Go save Ayaho!” “We’re just saving each other’s sisters. It’s only fair, right? And if I leave you to follow Sui alone, you very well might just let her die,” she answered obstinately. The logic was somewhat forced, but he couldn’t entirely deny it. It was true that he had asked Nina to help him kill Sui. “I mean, what can you even do against Minato and Nina all alone?!” “I’m not alone. I’ve got Nuemaru,” she said while picking the white Moujuu up from the floor. “That makes no real difference!” Yahiro was beyond baffled and beginning to feel nauseous. Nuemaru was Iroha’s trusted companion, but it was not a Grade IV super Moujuu or anything. Iroha’s Regalia was purification, and she was not suited for combat, personality-wise. Letting her go after Nina would only get her beaten in retaliation. And yet… “No, splitting up is not so bad an idea.” “Nathan?” Yahiro’s eyes grew wide as he heard a shocking source of agreement for Iroha. Nathan looked at them with his usual cool gaze. “I will go retrieve Ayaho Sashou. You and Iroha Mamana go take Sui Narusawa back.” “…You’re going for Ayaho? You expect us to trust you?” Yahiro glared at him with suspicion. He needed Sui in order to bring the Japanese people back, and had already fought Hisaki Minato to protect her. Meanwhile, he had no reason to protect Ayaho. Vanagloria’s Regalia was worthless to him. It wasn’t motive enough for him to risk his life, even if it was part of a deal. “I cannot promise I will get her back to you, but you can hope for me to stall Melora. My Relict is perfect for the job,” he said while holding his left shoulder. Yahiro had no idea where his confidence came from, but it didn’t look like he was lying. “I trust him. He’s never lied to us.” Iroha grabbed Yahiro’s arm. Yahiro sighed quietly. She cared for her sister more than anyone else. Yahiro couldn’t say no when she already decided to trust Nathan with her. “Can you do it, Giuli, Rosé?” “How can I say no?” “We cannot allow them to get away with it, for the sake of our reputation.” The Berith twins nodded simultaneously. Sure enough, Melora had unilaterally picked a fight with the Galerie. Wrecking the Relict factory wasn’t enough to get them even. Josh and the veteran operators also seemed to think the same, as they looked highly motivated. “Rinka, take care of everyone. We’ll get back to you as soon as we get Sui,” Iroha said with a firm smile. Rinka nodded in relief at the sight of Iroha’s usual baseless self-confidence. “I trust you, sister.” 6 The rotor on a military helicopter began spinning on the rooftop of the Nagoya Station Fortress government office. In its cabin were Nina and Hisaki. As well as Sui Narusawa, sleeping like a corpse. Miyabi Maisaka, who had accompanied them, was to leave separately. She would take the Relict Regalia to Ganzheit on her own. Ganzheit did not like dragon mediums gathering, on principle. Their caution was not without reason, considering the nature of the dragon mediums. They feared the world could end unexpectedly. “Cannon fire? Galerie Berith…,” Hisaki muttered, staring out the window beside Nina. Galerie Berith’s armored train was escaping the Nagoya Station Fortress by destroying the walls with its cannons. Apparently, they had explosives set up by the gate, anticipating the need to open their way forcefully. The veteran PMC sure was well-prepared. The next moment, the armored train’s cannons began firing warning shots at their helicopter. They were not close enough for them to land a hit, but flying away amid the thick hail of bullets was impossible. Unable to take off, the chopper had no choice but to hover just above the rooftop. “Doooesn’t look like they’re just doing it to annoy us.” Nina shook her head regretfully. The Galerie didn’t need to attack them if they were pursuing Melora’s train. Cannon shells were not cheap. These warning shots meant that they had not given up on taking Sui Narusawa back. Then a boy and a girl riding a giant white Moujuu appeared on the rooftop, confirming her suspicions. “Nuemaru! Get them!” Iroha pointed at the chopper as she ordered the Moujuu. The white beast’s fur stood on end as bluish-white lightning enveloped its giant form. A thunder blast shook the helicopter violently. The chopper itself resisted the shock, equipped with the appropriate countermeasures, but the engine stalled. No longer able to hover, it made an emergency landing right there at the heliport. “Can you still get it to flyyy?” Nina asked the pilot. “I’ll reboot the engine. Give me some time,” he answered frantically. The cockpit was dyed red by flashing warning lights as grating alarms blared. The lightning damaged the chopper’s wiring heavily; it wouldn’t be able to take off for a while. “You heard him, Hisaki.” “Got it, Nina.” Hisaki forced open the locked hatch and jumped out of the chopper. Yahiro Narusawa, too, jumped off the Moujuu, grabbing his sword’s hilt. “Nina! Give Sui back!” Iroha called, still riding the Moujuu. Nina sat down on the helicopter’s step and took a hand to her forehead, troubled. “Mmm, this I did not expeeect… We weren’t supposed to fight you heeere.” “Then give us Sui back and join hands with us! The Moujuu are human! The Japanese people haven’t died out yet!” Yahiro yelled at her, his glare set on Hisaki. Nina looked at Yahiro serenely, then blinked in confusion. “The Moujuu are humans? So what?” “Nina…?” “You knew all along?” Iroha and Yahiro grunted in agitation. Nina stared at them and tilted her head, not realizing why they were shocked. “Anyone with a brain could reach that conclusion. Intel gathering and analysis is the basic of basics, you knooow?” “Then…!” “So, you want to change the Moujuu back into people, and then what? You think everyone lives happily ever after?” Nina asked coolly. Her remark put them at a loss for words. In truth, they realized. Even if the Moujuufied survivors were turned back, multiple times more people were already dead. The cities’ infrastructure was in shambles; who knew if they could rebuild everything? There was no guarantee that the armies of the world currently occupying the land would pull out willingly. Turning the Japanese people back solved nothing. If anything, it only brought further tragedy. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going along with your shallow plans, mmmkay?” “All right, we have no time to waste trying to convince you…” Yahiro gave in as he unsheathed his sword. Nina’s take likely was not wrong. But even so, that was no reason for them to give up on turning back the Japanese. And it did not justify Nina taking Sui away.