[Eden v1] Chapter 1: The street where the wind is born (completed)

Alright, a few things to say after completing chapter 1.

Firstly, I've merged all the 4 parts together, so that I can link it from the menu. To start reading from part 4, just search for {4}.

Secondly, the forth part has some explanations of the special terms, as to why they are named that way. Since I had explained those at the content page, I'll not bother to re-explain here. Give that a check.

Lastly, the ■ things that you will be reading are not typos or errors. They are there in the novel.

With that, enjoy.

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{1}

'Did night shift last night, catching up on my sleep. Come again later. — Sheltis'

Stuck on the door was a piece of note written in messy handwriting.

The furniture in his room consist of only a bed, table, chair, and a dresser. To put it nicely, it was neat and refreshing; to put it bluntly, it lacked any features worthy of mentioning. In a corner of such a room-

A teenage boy was snoozing in regulated breaths.

His slender arms are a little too slim for a guy, and his face looks slightly androgynous. The slightly purplish tea-red colored hair is not neat, and gives off the impression that it was casually snipped. From his height, his age is probably somewhere around sixteen or seventeen. However, he does look one or two years younger, from the way he was sleeping.

"Fu......"

It was not known if that was him sleep-taking, or simply him breathing.

Next to the bed he was sleeping on, was a folded apron hanging on the back of his chair. On the floor was a piece of paper that had fallen down, on which was written 'Duty timetable, Sheltis'.

He had forgotten to switch off the light on the ceiling, under its illumination, only the clock next to the pillow was moving along with time. Just then-

"Shel-nii, Shel-nii!"

The door of the room opened suddenly, and a young girl peeked her head inside from the corridor.

She is a young and innocent girl roughly of the age of five to six, with a pair of eyes that is filled with happiness. Her shiny smooth black hair is tied to the back in twin tails, and there is a sky-blue scarf lightly wrapped around her neck. Her looks gives one a rather lasting impression.

After staring around the room, the girl suddenly locked her sight. The place she was looking at, was the teenage boy who was still sound asleep. After looking at that scene for some time-

"...... Ah!"

The young girl clapped her hands with a mischievous smile, and rushed into the tiny room.

"Shel-nii, Shel-nii—"

She ran towards the chair next to the bed, and used it as a platform to make a jump.

Next.

"Shel-nii, time. To. Wake. Up——!"

"-Ugh?"

A dull thud.

The young girl's jump kick landed directly on the teenage boy's head.

"...... Girls are not allowed to do jump kicks."

Grabbing onto his painful head, Sheltis lifted himself out of the bed.

"Waa- this bed is awesome. The body will actually sink down?"

"That is because the bed has a memory foam material beneath it...... Wait, Yuto? Are you listening to me?"

 "Eh- But....."

The young girl named 'Yuto' stopped jumping on the bed, and lifted her head to look upwards.

"Eyri-nee said that if I do that, you will definitely wake up."

"...... I woke up in a shock. In my dream just now, the fine meadow was suddenly dyed blood-red."

"But, Shel-nii has finally woke up. Let us hurry to the plaza! Eyri-nee asked Shel-nii to go there quickly."

With his sleeves tugged endlessly, Sheltis climbed out of his bed unwillingly.

"The plaza? She's doing experiments again?"

"Mmm, the usual! Hurry hurry!"

Yuto waved her arms and urged on.

"Really, Eyriey just loves to bring me trouble......"

He took a short jacket and hung it on his shoulder. His white shirt and black shorts were what he was wearing while he was sleeping.

...... Really, there went his rest time, which was hard to come by.

After putting the fallen timetable back onto the table, Sheltis left the lounge.

Outdoor cafe 'The Two Swans <Albireo>' is located on the main street of the Second Residential Sector.

The so called 'cafe' was actually just a front, as the red tea served taste rather typical. It's a rather strange shop, as it is their hand-made cakes and the ever-changing daily set meals that are more popular with the customers.

"Chef, are you busy?"

After instructing Yuto to wait outside, Sheltis opened the backdoor of the kitchen. Together with the sounds of the automatic dishwashers working busily, came a certain scent of red tea.

"Ara, Sheltis, are you here to volunteer your help?"

In the kitchen which was rather relaxed due to being after-lunch hours, a lady with golden-hair tied up high on her head turned her head towards Sheltis.

Even then, the knife in her hand continued chopping the vegetables.

"How can that be? Oh right, can I go out for a while? Eyriey said that she will be doing some new machine testing in the plaza again."

"That's not good. If you don't go there quickly, someone will be suffering yet again. Since the machine will be out of control anyway."

The chef placed the knife on the chopping board, then crossed her arms while giving a troubled expression. Despite her being the shopkeeper of the cafe, due to her own personal interest, she preferred others to call her chef.

"Remember to come back before the break is over. The shop is lacking in manpower."

"...... You are already that busy, and yet you have time to try out new combinations?"

While watching the back of Chef, Sheltis sighed.

The kitchen was stacked with all sorts of ingredients. For the past two years being the errand-boy of the shop, Sheltis had never seen a single day with the same combination of ingredients that had been used before.

"It is not a new combination, but a 'new dish'. Fufu, please look forward to it."

Without shifting her sight, her hands began cutting the decorative fruits. In actual fact, a majority of the customers love her dishes, so that could not be helped.

"Then again, chef. What's for dinner?"

"Mumu-shellfish's Piping Hot Steak, and Jirususu-plant's Shrieking Condensed Soup."

 "Putting the names of the dishes aside, ain't those ingredients a little too disgusting?"

Those huge pink spiral shells on the chopping board were Mumu-shellfish, while the bright red plants with spikes on their stems were probably Jirususu-plant.

"Ara, you can't judge a book by its cover. They are all really tasty."

Chef covered her mouth and laughed.

"Mumu-shellfish and Jirususu-plant both contain lethal poison...... but on the account of that they are cheap."

"Chef-! Did you just say something?"

"Don't worry, I have cleared all toxins cleanly. They are absolutely safe."

"...... That dangerous smile of yours is hardly convincing."

"Also, it does not matter since the one to test for the poison is you, Sheltis."

"Me?"

Sheltis took a step back in shock. Just then, Chef had already turned her eyes towards the pot in front of her.

"Alright, stop talking about such silly stuff. Hurry up and get Eyriey back. I cannot handle everything without the help from you both."

"And here I go...... before I am forced to test for any poison."

Bidding goodbye to Chef, who was waving her hands, Sheltis left the kitchen.

{2}

—The winds were very comfortable.

A gust of wind rustled his tea-red hair, as though it was trying to give him a push from behind.

"...... Has it been two years since I have came to the living sector, away from Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>?"

Sheltis, who was standing at the side of the main street with a sense of loss, lifted his head up.

The cotton-like clouds were blown into pieces by the blowing winds, then they each flew in their own directions. Regardless of rain or shine, or even snow, there was never a single day where the streets do not have winds blowing.

That is the trait of the city- no, the continent where all humans live in.

Floating continent - Orbie Clar.

That is the name of the continent beneath their feet, and at the same time, the name of the world.

The continent floating in the skies ten-thousand meters above the everlasting frozen seas - that is what Orbie Clar, the only land where humans can live on.

No one knows how, or why, the continent floats in the sky. However, according to legends, this continent has been floating above the frozen world ever since a thousand years ago.

Since history has begun to be recorded down, humans has always been living on this piece of floating continent.

Countless floating islands around Orbie Clar have huge windmills installed on them, to harness on the endless wind energy to produce electricity.

The electricity will then be sent to Orbie Clar via electric cables from the island to the main continent.

Thus, the civilization has naturally moved itself towards the age of machinery. The bikes and cars travelling along the roads are mostly electric-powered floating vehicles, that moves while floating a few centimeters above the ground. Lifting his head towards the sky, one can see the streamlined aircraft gliding through the sky gracefully.

"...... Right, where did Yuto go?"

Hearing the sounds of footsteps behind him, Sheltis turned to his back, and saw a young girl running towards him in stumbling steps.

"Shel-nii, are you ready?"

"Mmmm, we can leave now."

Yuto firmly attached herself to Sheltis the moment he nodded.

"Shel-nii, I want that!"

The young girl was hopping about, while stretching her arms out at the same time. What did she mean? She wished to walk while holding hands at the same time? Just when Sheltis was about to ask, Yuto lifted her head and smiled.

"Yuto wants a ride."

"Ah- I see."

He knelt down, placed the girl onto his shoulders, then stood up once again.

"Waa- this is high! I am taller than Shel-nii!"

"W-Wait Yuto! Don't move about, or I can't stand steadily."

After calming down the excited girl on his shoulders, Sheltis began to walk towards the northern end of the main street.

The roads on the floating continent are nearly all paved with light greyish-green bricks. It is said that the surface, which shines in a bright silver under the rays of the sun, is being regulated by some thermostat, which gives it the ability to maintain a comfortable temperature despite the seasonal changes.

"Shel-nii, look behind you. The weather is great, and we can see the tower clearly!"

"Hmm......?"

Hearing Yuto's words, he turned his body backwards.

At a considerable distance apart from the Second Residential Sector, in the center of the floating continent-

Stood a huge white tower that goes into the into the sky.

Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>.

Built in the center of the Orbie Clar, it is the largest structure on the continent.

It is two thousand meters tall, with a total of two hundred and ninety one stories. It is a tower that stretches past the heights of the birds and the clouds, extending straight towards the skies.

"Yuto still remembers what Shel-nii had said to me. Queen-sama is at the highest story of the tower, while the level below are the five Priestess-sama!"

The Queen and the five Priestess. There is not one who lives in Orbie Clar that does not know them. That towering Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>, is a tower built specially for them.

That's right. That is because they are in charge of the 'barriers' which protects this floating continent-

"Mmm......"

"Eh? Shel-nii hates that tower? Yuto likes it a lot - its glittering look is really pretty."

"I don't hate it...... It's just that I had strong memories of there."

—Ymy, how are you doing?

Under the glaring sunlight, Sheltis narrowed his eyes and looked at the peak of the tower.

—Ever since I have came to the living sector, I understand even more strongly about the fact that humans can only live such a peaceful life on the floating continents due to the relentless hard work of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>.

"Memories? Shel-nii had been to that tower before?"

Carrying Yuto, who had her mouth wide in surprise, Sheltis shook his head while smiling with a hint of bitterness.

"That is something that happened years ago. Alright, Eyriey is still waiting for us at the plaza, right? We will be scolded by her again if we don't go there quickly."

"Ah, that's right! Shel-nii, hurry up! Run!"

"Yes yes...... Yuto, I think you have forgotten about it cleanly."

He turned back towards the direction of the plaza.

With his back against the huge tower, Sheltis began to walk.

***

"Isn't it great, Shel-nii! There are a lot of pretty flags!"

Upon reaching the plaza, Yuto began to exclaim happily.

"...... I see, the Festival of the Stars is about to approach."

After putting Yuto onto the ground, Sheltis took a look around the plaza.

Having left the man-made pavements, the huge green pasture greeted them before their eyes.

Len's Plaza-

In the huge empty space wide enough to hold a short-distance sprinting competition, the dark green turf seemed lively under the good care of the people, and children were running about bare-footed. At the sides of the plaza, were flags of different colors fluttering in the winds. Below the flags, were all sorts of simple stalls, lined up together.

The countless flags and stalls were probably in preparation for the festival that was about to be held on the plaza.

"How's it, Shel-nii? I really look forward to the festival! I heard there are lots of stalls selling things to eat!"

"...... Before that, we have something more pressing to deal with."

Sheltis crossed his arms, and looked in front of him.

A huge metallic-grey robot was chasing a teenage girl who was wearing an overalls.

"Sh...... Sheltis! Hurry up and save me——!"

That was a robot with a body full of spikes, which looked like it was made of countless thin sharp metallic needles.

Its height was about as tall as Sheltis. And it was nimbly chasing the girl who was desperately fleeing, with speed and smooth actions unlike that of a machine.

"Ah. Its actions are really smooth this time round. Eyriey must have put in quite a lot of effort, right?"

"W...... Wait, Sheltis! Now is not the time for you to be impressed............ Whoa! I-It hurts! It really hurts! Stop seeking shelter there, come and help me quick~~~~~!"

After being poked by the robot's sharp fingers in the back, Eyriey yelled while looking back.

With a pair of rich brown eyes, a small body frame with a head full of untidily cut orange hair. She is one year younger than Sheltis, and is an strange sixteen year-old teenage girl who loves to research on machines.

"Then again, it is really impressive this time. Don't you think so, Yuto?"

He looked at the young girl next to him. Yuto's eyes were sparkling brightly as well.

"Mmm. Eyri-nee is really good!"

"St..... Stop talking, hurry up and think of something~~~~"

In the mechanized Orbie Clar, exists many robots that can accurately replicate the actions of a human being. Even so, they require a certain level of technical skills to be built. Eyriey was probably the only person out of the whole floating continent who build them from scratch, purely through her personal interests.

"...... Problem is, Eyriey's machines always goes out of control unexpectedly."

After observing for a while, the machine still shown no sign of stopping.

She was always building her machines on the plaza, and they had always went out of control for some unknown reasons. The people on the plaza were thus used to such a scene, and many were even cheering on the two-man chase. There was no one who was afraid.

"Then again, what should I do? The usual?"

"Th...... That's right! Press the stop button behind that fella's back!"

"I am thinking, why didn't you make a remote control that can stop it from afar?"

"The machine lost control just when I was about to make one-"

...... I say, you should at least make the remote first.

Sheltis swallowed the words that were about to come out, and turned them into a sigh of breath.

"Whatever. Yuto, hide at somewhere first. It is dangerous here."

After Yuto had left, he walked towards the robot.

...... Things were slightly more troublesome than usual.

Even though it looked rather hilarious while chasing Eyriey, the robot had a strong engine powering its body, which was not to be ignored. After all, its power is enough to drive a metal frame weighing over a few hundred kilograms. Even a grown adult will fly quite a distance if hit by its arms.

"Alright. First......"

—*thud*. He began his run by lightly kicking off against the ground, then slowly increased his speed. The winds brushed past his ears, while the scenery flowed past him in a blur.

"Kneel down!"

Not waiting for Eyriey to do so, Sheltis' tip of the foot kicked hard against the turf.

A leap that was much higher than the height of a grown man or the robot, as though there was no gravity. Sheltis' right foot landed wickedly on the shoulders of the robot, which was about to reach Eyriey.

*creak*. The processed metal sheet bent with the sound, and the robot's posture was ruined. However, it was not stopping down. Just when Sheltis landed, the opponent's eyes locked onto him.

"Tough...... A simple kick will not make it stop?"

He twisted his body to avoid the incoming left fist, then looked at the assaulting arms that were moving at him like a pair of pincers. The huge mechanical limbs, thin as timber, were coming towards him at a blind angle from above his head......

*ta*!

A faint sound of landing. At then, onlookers who had witnessed everything from the beginning were holding their breaths. That was because the teenage boy's silhouette had blurred in an instant - in the blink of an eye, he had leaped up onto the arms of the robot.

It was all done in an instant. He would be swept away by the arm of the robot should there be any mistake. A normal person's visual acuity and reflexes, would definitely not have allowed him to do all the astounding actions.

"Oosh."

He stepped onto the shoulders of the robot after jumping from its arms, and placed his hand on its head. With that, he somersaulted once in the air, then landed on the back of the robot...... Was that the button?

He pressed on a red button protruding from its back. In an instant, the robot stopped moving.

"Right, a huge success...... Eh?"

A strange feeling flashed past his mind, causing Sheltis to blink and stay rooted on the ground.

Despite it being motionless, the robot somehow began to vibrate slightly. That was weird. Typically speaking, the stop button should have been able to stop all moving mechanisms.

"Ah, Sheltis! Hold on a second!"

Eyriey's words broke the silence.

"Please press the green button, as the red one is the emergency self-destruct button."

".................. What did you just say?"

"I said, the 'stop' button is the green one. Do not ever press on the red button."

...... What did I just press?

Sheltis said nothing, and looked at the back of the robot again.

Beneath the huge red button, stood a small green one. Upon closer inspection, the red button had 'Do not press!' written on it in untidy handwriting.

"Could it be that you had already pressed it?"

"Don't install something as dangerous as that——!"

Without any time to run, Sheltis was engulfed by the black smoke emitted from the robot.

"Really- a normal person will not press on a button as obvious as that. Red is the color of warning. Isn't that right, Yuto?"

"Yes, Eyri-nee."

Yuto and Eyriey were walking happily together hand-in-hand.

"...... Well I guess I am wrong for not confirming carefully."

After a while, Sheltis finally caught up with the two of them.

"Mmm? Ahh, don't worry. It is named as the self-destruct button, but in reality, it is just an ordinary device produces smoke."

"I don't think that's what the problem is!"

He waved his arms with force, and made a firm protest. Despite saying that, as he had immediately jumped away, his body was not blackened by the smoke.

"But still, thanks to you, I was finally saved."

With her overalls full of oil stains, Eyriey said while smiling.

"...... Upon facing that sort of smile, I really can't get mad at you."

"Mmm? Sheltis, what's wrong?"

"No, this...... is nothing."

Sheltis felt really embarrassed by her stare, and turned away subconsciously...... TThat's right, ultimately, he was being involved in things like this out of his own free will. Even though he was busy every single day, deep down it felt quite fulfilling. In the short two years since he has came to the living sector, his current lifestyle was not too bad as well.

"Speaking of that, Shel-nii is really awesome! Everyone was praising about how impressive Shel-nii was!"

What Yuto was talking about was probably what had happened at the plaza.

"Really? I thought it was something rather ordinary."

"No no, stop joking."

Eyriey shook her head.

"I am drenched in cold sweat just by thinking of myself rushing straight at a berserk robot. Its horsepower is not something to joke about. Sheltis did avoid it all right, but if you had been kicked by it, I dare not think about the consequences...... How dangerous!"

"...... Since you said so, then make a smaller robot next time. So that you will not have to worry even if it runs out of control."

Just then, Yuto prodded his back. After getting the girl to sit on his shoulders, Sheltis resumed his steps.

"What can I do? If I did not do tests on a robot of that size, I will not be able to know the actual running conditions of the moving mechanisms. But thanks to that, I can probably finish the customization of the bike before the coming weekend."

"Weekend?"

Sheltis pondered for a moment. He had no idea what it meant by Eyriey's customization of the bike. Before the weekend...... Is there something happening during then?

"You had forgotten? Didn't everyone agree on going for a barbecue this weekend?"

"Everyone?"

"That's Yuto, Eyri-nee and Shel-nii-"

Yuto, who was on his shoulders, emphasized that point by moving her legs about.

"I have not heard about it at all."

"That's strange. Yuto did not inform Sheltis about it?"

"Eryi-nee's the one who did not tell Shel-nii?"

With that, both girls gave a stunned expression at the same time. It looked like both of them had expected the other person to inform Sheltis.

"...... Whatever. Weekend, that's the day after tomorrow, right? That was quite a sudden decision - will the shop be able to cope?"

He thought about Chef, who was probably waiting for his return in the kitchen of 'The Two Swans <Albireo>'. If both himself and Eyriey were to take leave on the same day, she will be the only person left in the shop.

"Mmm, I had told her about it, so no worries. Just that Chef had said, 'Better be well prepared, upon returning back here!'."

"Chef was angry? She must have been."

"Doesn't matter. There is a saying, pain comes after gain."

Upon hearing Eyriey talking about it in such a relaxed manner, Sheltis could not help but hug his head and moaned, "My head, which was kicked by Yuto earlier, have began to hurt again."

{3}

The shining stars looked like jewels that were embedded in the night sky.

After the sun had set, when people on the streets became scarce, 'The Two Swans <Alberio>' was about to close down as well. The shop does not have a fixed time to close down. Instead, they would only do so when there are no more customers visiting them.

"No matter how mechanized we are, in the end, it is only us humans that can carry out tasks like these."

He wiped the tables on the street one by one, then proceeded to gather the fold-able chairs before shifting the tables back into the shop. It was rather time consuming, as they made up quite a number.

"Alright, it's done!"

Sheltis stopped and took a brief look at his surroundings, before lifting his head to look into the sky.

—The stars were very bright.

In the morning, the sky was clear and cloudless; at night, it was a starry sky without any obstructions.

There was not a moment where there is no winds blowing on the floating continent Orbie Clar. As such, there are rarely clouds that stayed above the lands of Orbie Clar for too long. Even though there are frequent rains throughout the year, the rains are not heavy. Even if it is to rain suddenly, one will just need to spend some time in the resting areas located throughout the living sector, and the skies will clear before they know it.

"Chef, I am done packing-"

"Thank you for your hard work, you can clock out now. Can you please help call Eyriey over?"

Chef's voice came from inside the shop.

"Mmm. Eyriey should probably be in her room now."

He cleared the cleaning cloths on the table, and walked into the shop. Moving along the passage-way for staff use, he walked towards the staff's resting quarters located at the annex.

There are a total of three people working in 'The Two Swans <Alberio>'. Aside from Chef, who is the boss as well, the other two are temporary hires. Sheltis is one of them, and his task is to mainly clean the dishes or do other things, like being a waiter.

The other temporary worker is Eyriey, who, like himself, lives at the staff's quarters.

"Eyriey, are you there?"

"Come in, the door's not locked-"

At the instance the door opened, a pungent smell of machine oil and exhaust came gushing in.

*Uonuonuon*...... the sound of exhaust akin to an insect's flapping of wings, came from the monitors located on all corners of the room, as well as the giant computers connected to them.

"Whoa! Could it be that your room has been upgraded yet again?"

Looking downwards, tens of cables entwined together on the floor.

"Ehehe, I have fixed up a new computer with my salary that I had obtained earlier. The processing speed has increased by two folds."

"...... What's the use of that?"

"Speed is what machines are all about. Isn't that much cooler!"

The teenage girl in overalls stood up from her chair, while sounding rather pleased.

"Well then, I have a good news for you, Eyriey. The dishwasher in the shop is behaving rather strangely."

"No way?"

"Also, a few buttons on the cash register are damaged, and the lights in the toilet are blinking."

"Ahh— how irritating, to pick a crucial time like this!"

Eyriey pulled her hair with a bitter face. Her job is to maintain the store's utilities. Her job scope ranged from repairs of machinery, to maintaining the interior decors. Her work load is typically small, but emergencies like that do occur occasionally.

"...... There is no choice, I'll hurry back after the repairs."

"Crucial time?"

"Mmm, this this!"

She pointed to the screen in front of them.

On the green screen, there was a complicated rectangular casing, which was drawn using a cursor.

"It's the experiment in the day. The engine driving the robot had worked really well during its operation at the plaza. I should be able to finish the final adjustments by tonight."

"You are going to install it on the transport that we are gonna use for the barbecue?"

"That's right, since it will not do if we do not utilize it fully. Just wait and see. It will be a comfortable ride."

"I'll be very happy if it does not go out of control...... Ah, speaking of that."

While sitting on the chair at the corner of the room, Sheltis thought of the young girl with her sky-blue scarf.

"Is Yuto free?"

"Mmm, she says she can go."

Though she loves to stick close to him, Yuto is neither his blood-related younger sister, nor is she a friend whom he had known for a long time. Different from the two who live in 'The Two Swans <Alberio>', it looks like Yuto has her own house to return to.

"I see......"

"What's wrong? You suddenly have that worn-out look on your face."

Eyriey crossed her arms and moved her face closer.

Facing such an innocent-looking act, Sheltis shook his head and smiled.

"No, I am just sighing. I have known Eyriey and Yuto for two years already."

It had been two years since he was forcefully brought to the Second Residential Sector. Back then, while the homeless Sheltis was wandering along the streets, he accidentally came across the notice of hiring posted by 'The Two Swans <Alberio>'. Knowing Eyriey there was the start to everything.

"Since the first time we had met, Eyriey has been interested in machines."

"Of course. Honestly though, Sheltis has really changed a lot. The first time I saw you, your expressions were so moody, it looked like you were half dead. You would not answer to anything I asked."

"...... That was because the blow of being exiled from Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> was something too huge for me."

"Exiled?"

"Ah, nothing...... I am just mumbling to myself."

—The things that had happened two years ago. Even if he was to say it right then, it would probably just come as a shock for Eyriey.

There was no need to tell anyone about the things that happened between him and Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>. As for those words which he had accidentally let slip just now, it looked like Eyriey did not manage to hear it, due to them being too soft.

"Right, why don't we change the topic."

With that, she handed a cup to Sheltis. The hot steam gave a sweet-smelling fragrance. She had added in a small amount of honey in replacement for sugar into the red tea - that is her favorite way of brewing tea.

"Hmm?"

"Sheltis, do you have a girl whom you like? I am talking about the subject of love."

At that instant, Sheltis spouted out the tea which he had just drank.

"Whoa, what's with that! The screens will be ruined by that!"

"That is because you asked such a weird question all of the sudden!"

"Really. Well, what's your answer? I am really concerned about it-"

"...... I choose to exercise my right to remain silent."

"Fufu, that reaction of yours - it means there is someone."

Seeing how Eyriey's eyes were sparkling with interest, Sheltis subconsciously shifted his sight downwards. That was not due to him being embarrassed. Rather, he himself does not know what the real answer was.

"However, I don't think we will ever get to see each other again."

"Ara. Why is that so?"

"It's complicated, so simply put...... I'll probably be giving her trouble if I am to see her now. The reason for me coming to the living sector - that is probably the biggest reason."

That's right. Perhaps, he was an unforgivable existence, even at the living sector.

—That is because, Ymy is the exact opposite of me. She is the Priestess whom everyone on the floating continent respects.

"Ohh- That girl lives in the Second Residential Sector as well?"

"No. She's in Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>."

"Mmm? So she works in that huge tower huh. A staff there?"

Eyriey's finger touched the screen in front of her.

The screen changed, and on it appeared a tall white tower.

"You can probably call her that. Though there is some minute difference. Oh right, why are you asking that all of the sudden?"

"Mmm- it's nothing much really. I guess you can say that I am curious..... Strange, why is your face red, Sheltis? Ah, could it be that Sheltis had thought that I am interested in you, and thus I was asking those things? How's that? Am I right?"

"N...... Nothing of that sort......"

Sheltis hurriedly waved both of his hands to deny it, but that only made her smile even more delightedly.

"Ahaha, did I make you misunderstand things? I am sorry, but I totally do not see Sheltis as a subject of love. It is much more interesting to research on machines instead."

"...... That sounds really cruel."

"Alright, the joke ends here. Truthfully speaking-"

Eyriey put her hands together and stretched them upwards, and put on a relaxed posture.

"I do enjoy playing with Yuto and Sheltis, you know?"

Looking at that simple smile, Sheltis was speechless for a moment. He had once again came to realize - at the living sector, there too were friends of his, who are willing to accept him with a truthful smile.

"What about Sheltis?'

After a moment of consideration - or rather, he pretended to consider.

"I don't find it bad."

"Really, then there's no problems. I really look forward to the barbecue during the weekends. Ah, Sheltis is to be in charge of the preparation of meat. It does not matter if there are less vegetables, but please get some top-quality meat!"

"...... Can I retract my statement?"

{4}

The white rays unique to the early mornings were shining softly on the turf below their feet.

The mist that lingered on the plaza was probably formed from the water vapors of rain from the previous night. The scent of the grass accompanied the damp cool air.

Len's Plaza. Despite being there only two days ago, unlike then, there was barely anyone around.

"As expected of the early mornings."

Sheltis stretched his arms and took a deep breath, then lifted his head and looked at the clock-tower located at the side of the plaza.

They were to meet at seven in the morning at the plaza. As both Yuto and Eyriey are normally punctual, both of them should be about to arrive soon- just when he was thinking of that.

A sounds of fast-paced steps echoed in the plaza.

"Shel-nii, I've made you wait!"

It was the familiar face of a girl in the age of five or six. Her neck has her usual sky blue scarf, while her clothes were a light red one-piece dress and a pair of white shoes. It looked like they were her outdoor clothes, since the colors were brighter than usual.

"Right right, where is Eyri-nee?"

Yuto raised her arms and jump about.

"I think she should be here soon...... There, here she comes."

A huge object was approaching them, together with the sharp sounds of the winds. From afar, it looked like a metallic-grey block of thing, but upon getting closer, its shape grew more apparent as well.

It was a huge electric powered vehicle.

Looking at its front, Yuto could not help but exclaimed,

"Wow...... what a huge bike!"

It was a three-wheeled electric powered vehicle, with a front wheel and two back wheels. The body of the vehicle is painted with a heavy metallic paint. Its width is wide enough to allow three grown man to sit along it side-by-side. Its height is roughly around Sheltis' shoulders.

"Sorry for making you guys wait- Good morning!"

Eyriey jumped down from the driving seat without waiting for the wheels to stop. She was still wearing that greasy overalls, but for that girl, that was the attire most suitable for her.

"Eyriey, you made this whole thing by yourself?"

"That's right! I had bought parts from the junk store, and assembled it by myself. It's really cheap!"

She proudly patted on the seats of the the vehicle. If not for him being used to the robots that Eyriey had made, Sheltis would definitely question about how complete the vehicle was.

"Then again, where are we going in that huge thing?"

"Eh? Ah, it seemed like I had forgotten to tell you about it. It's the natural park at the outskirts of the nature sector. There should not be any dangerous creatures there, no matter what happens."

From the middle of the floating continent, it is divided into three sectors in this sequence.

Firstly is the center of the continent, the huge tower that stretched straight into the skies - Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>.

Surrounding it, is the first sector, or the so called 'living sectors', where humans lived. The living sector is then again divided into the First Area, the Second Area and the Third Area, from the closest to the furthest away from the center. Though that is just something for easily locating the specific locations in the living sectors.

The next is the second sector, which is named as the 'nature sector', where the environments are controlled. Simply put, it is a man-made nature park. People will normally visit there for sight-seeing or a holiday.

Even further away, are the areas encircling the borders of the floating continent, the third sector which is named as the 'ecosystem-conservation sector <biotope>'. As people rarely set foot on there, it still retains the original state of the ecosystem. Due to the presence of many wild and dangerous creatures, one must obtain permission from Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> before they are allowed to enter the area.

—That's great. There would be no problems if it was the nature sector.

"Ah- I feel relieved. I thought we are going to the ecosystem-conservation sector <biotope>."

"That is part of the plan as well."

"...... Stop joking. There are the nests of Earth Dragons at the ecosystem-conservation sector."

"Uh- Dragon hunting sounds rather interesting."

...... I had nearly lost my life when I was sent there on a mission with Leon at the age of fourteen.

Sheltis swallowed the words back into his heart without showing any expressions.

"Forget it, in any case, let's go! Just put the stuff at the boot at the back. Done? Well then, Yuto shall take the front seat, while Sheltis shall take the back seat."

Upon her urging him, Sheltis sat on the red colored seat.

"Mmm, remember to fasten your seat-belts. Has Yuto fasten hers?"

"Done—!"

Both Yuto and Eyriey secured their seat-belts in front of their chest. Upon seeing that, Sheltis felt a chill behind his back.

...... Seat-belts? Do a three-wheeled vehicle have things like seat-belts?

"Sheltis, hurry up and fasten on yours as well, or you will be blown away."

"Blown away?"

"Because, once this thing is activated, it can reach a speed of over a hundred kilometers an hour, in a matter of six seconds."

"W...... Wait! If that is the case-"

He could not help but to jump off his seat.

The laws of the continent state that the maximum speed limit for civilian vehicles are eighty kilometers an hour. If they are traveling on the roads of the living sector, the speed is peaked at forty. If anyone is to exceed more than ten kilometers per hour over the legal speed, the automated patrols that are in the sky will sound their sirens and chase him to the world's end.

"The patrols......"

"I know that. Once they have found their prey, they will chase it at a speed of hundred-fifty kilometers an hour, right?"

"Since you know that-"

Before he had managed to finish talking, Eyriey lifted her clenched fists.

"This lovely vehicle of mine can reach a maximum speed of a hundred-eighty kilometers an hour while carrying three passengers. We can easily shake them off even if they discover us."

"Doesn't that make things worse!"

"That's how it is. Let us set off for the barbecue!"

"Yey! Move out!"

"Eh? Ehhhh? Even Yuto is joining in? R...... Right...... I have not fastened my seat-belt yet—!"

"Don't talk while we are accelerating, or you will bite your tongue."

The hissing sounds of the engine rang, and the illegally customized bike shot forward like a raging bullet. The sounds of the metallic chassis ripping through the air, together with the cheers of two young girls and Sheltis' horrified screams, rang through the plaza in the early morning.

***

In front of their eyes, laid a green world.

Different from the turfs of the plaza, various different plants of all shapes and sizes took up each and every inch of view. A forest of trees extended endlessly on their right.

From the sky came the invigorating cries of birds. On the meadows, cute animals were running about in a small groups.

—The southern side of the nature sector, Park Number Four.

"This is probably my first time here."

Grabbing onto the baggage on the back of the vehicle with one of his hands, Sheltis glanced through the surroundings.

Despite being named as a nature's park, the atmosphere there is still quite similar to that of the third sector's ecosystem-conservation sector <biotope>. The only difference is that there are no beasts there that would attack humans.

"Well, I have tried my best to go as deep as I can. We will probably not be of disturbance to anyone if we are to do our barbecue here."

"Eyri-nee, please~ let~ me~ go~?"

Eyriey had caught Yuto, who was about to run off happily.

"Yuto will have to help too. I have been driving since the morning, and my stomach's now grumbling. It's dead tiring to be driving for four consecutive hours."

"...... Out of which, three of them were us being chased by the patrols."

Sheltis opened the hand carrier while complaining.

He began to fix up the black barbecue pit, then proceeded to put in two to three items called 'fuel stones'. What was left was for him to press the fire button.

"Where's the ingredients for the barbecue?"

"All in the cooler box. Yuto, open it."

Yuto opened the blue box. Its interiors were divided into two parts, the top refrigerating cabinet for the vegetables, while the bottom was the freezer for the fishes or meat.

"Well then, since Sheltis had prepared for us some top quality meat, let us hurry up and barbecue them-"

"...... I'll say this first. I have already spent this month's pay on the things here today. Also, shouldn't we start barbecuing the vegetables first, since they take longer to cook?"

Sheltis had already half given up on whether he would get to eat anything, so instead he chose to take the initiative by placing the vegetables on the barbecue rack. If not, there would definitely be a heap of vegetables left over after that.

"Is the meat ready—?"

"Yuto, don't eat those half-cooked meat. Here, I'll give you some vegetables."

He stopped Yuto from trying to eat the meat in secret, and handed some vegetables over.

...... Weird, why did it feel so nostalgic?

Upon facing that scene, his heart was filled with an indescribable feeling for a short instant.

That's right. A long time ago, something similar had happened as well.

—Ymy, Leon and me, we had barbecued together before.

—Both of them are probably holding the highest positions in Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>...... I will have to work harder in the living sector as well.

"Ah- Shel-nii had stopped."

Upon regaining his senses-

With her left hand grabbing her plate, and her right grabbing her fork, Yuto was standing by his side waiting, and was puffing her cheeks unhappily.

"Ah, sorry. I was dazed for a moment."

He hurriedly placed the pieces of meat and vegetables onto the barbecue rack.

"Is Sheltis tired? You do go blank suddenly sometimes."

"No, nothing of that sort-"

Just when he was shaking his head at the worried Eyriey.

—*thud*!

"!"

Sheltis suddenly dropped the utensils and plate that he was holding, and quickly turned his body to face the forest behind them.

"Wa...... Wait a second! Why did you throw the vegetables and meat away!"

"Quiet."

He stared intensely into the forest, while holding Eyriey back.

—From his neck down to his spine, he felt an intense chill, as though he was stabbed by an icicle.

Could it be......

"Eyriey, there should be an electric spear on the vehicle for defensive use, right? Those assembly ones."

"Well...... There is."

"Lend me that."

After receiving the silver colored rod-shaped item, Sheltis extended it to about his own height.

Despite being called a 'spear', the front end of the rod is of a round shape, which will discharge a strong jolt of electricity at the press of a button. It is made out of a metal alloy, and are both light and tough at the same time. It is typically used by women as a defensive weapon.

...... Though it will not be of much use, it was still better than nothing.

"Ho...... Hold on Sheltis, where are you going? It's the forest over there!"

"You two wait here. I'll be right back."

Step by step, he slowly inched towards the forest.

He got past the boundary of the forest, and was walking on a path leading slightly leftwards. After advancing a few meters, he made another turn, and finally stopped in front of a huge tree.

...... This is-

Just then, came the sound of two pairs of footsteps, stepping on the dried branches.

"Hey— Sheltis, stop running off by yourself!"

Eyriey pried away the branches and walked towards him, while grabbing on to Yuto's hand.

"Wait, Eyriey. It is better if you do not get close to here."

Sheltis raised his hands up high to stop both of them from moving closer.

"......."

"Sh......Sheltis! Why have you been keeping quiet since just——!"

Having reached behind him, Eyriey lifted her head, and made an inaudible cry.

"...... What...... What is this?"

The trunk of a huge tree of over hundred years old had rotted into a purple color, and it was dead just like that.

At the tip of a thin branch was a leaf.

All of them had been dyed in a strange purple color, and were already rotten.

Not just that, the fallen leaves, the dried branches and even the soil - they were all giving off a purple mist. The decay had continued eroding into the neighboring trees.

"Purple mist...... could it be...... the work of 'that'......?"

A pale Eyriey stood rooted on the ground.

"......"

Sheltis knelt down in an attempt to touch the soil, which was gradually corroding to a purple-

"——Sheltis!"

But Eyriey had pulled him back by his shoulder.

"What are you thinking! You do know that you will get infected once you come into contact with that!"

"...... That's right, sorry."

He retracted his hand from the ground, and stared into the decaying scene. The traces on the ground were fresh. That thing appeared there probably an hour ago...... no, perhaps even closer. It may had just been a few minutes ago.

"Yuto, Eyriey. I think it is best if we leave here immediately. At a situation like this, it is much better if we leave it to the experts."

He stood up, and faced the two girls behind him.

"Experts...... People of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>?"

"Yup. Commoners who have discovered traces of 'that' should inform Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> immediately, and evacuate from the scene - Eyriey should know that well, right?"

That was the rule that everyone of the floating continent knows. Even then, there will not be any punishment should one does not plan to follow. However, no one can then guarantee their safety if they choose to do so.

"That's how it is. Alright, move quickly!"

Urging on the two frightened girls, Sheltis followed them closely from behind.

...... It should be fine doing this, right?

Currently, he does not belong to Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>, and is just a commoner, so there is no need for him to interfere with 'that'. He just need to leave the scene like everyone else.

"Come here, we should be safe for now."

Walking out of the forest and into the plains, the barbecue stand was there by itself, smoldering in smoke.

"What about the barbecue stand......?"

"It's fine leaving it there. The guards from Tenketsu Palace <Sophia> will recover it. Moreover, any items that could have been contaminated will need to be purified as well- What's wrong, Eyriey?"

Eyriey had suddenly stopped in her tracks, and was looking at Sheltis in admiration.

"No, it's just that Sheltis is quite manly sometimes."

"...... So I am just undependable normally......"

The next instance.

The cries of the birds around them died down all of the sudden.

—It's coming!

"Yuto, Eyriey! Back down now!"

At the same time when Sheltis shouted, something dashed out of the forest near to them.

Its exterior is of black-purple, 'something' which transcends all knowledge.

"Yuugenshu? It can't be...... Why does it appear at a place so close to the city!"

Upon seeing the thing that came out of the forest, Eyriey cried out loud.

'Something' that was shrouded in a thick dark-purple mist, where a single look at it could make one feel as though he would be drained away all of his energy.

One could roughly see the muscular limbs and sharp claws similar to those of a lion, from within the mist. But they had no idea if that thing was a person, a beast or a dragon. The only thing they could see clearly, was an ominous flash of blood-red light, coming out from what seemed to be the position of the eyes, on its head.

......zz......zzzz......zzzzzzzzzzz.............!

The mist-like assaulter closed in with an eerily high speed. All places that it had stepped on, regardless of plants or soil, had rapidly decayed into purple. It was a mysterious existence. No one know if it was even a living thing.

It was precisely so, that people address them as 'Yuugenshu'.

"Yuto, Eyriey, both of you, get onto the vehicle quickly!"

The Yuugenshu suddenly stopped moving. What followed-


Oe/ Dia =U xeph cley, Di shela teo phes kaon
<■ ■, ■ ...... ■ ■, ■ ■ ■ , ...... ■ ...... ■ ■> 


A strange sound rang through the meadows, a sound that makes one associate it with the word 'curse'.

The purple mist surrounding the Yuugenshu gave off light like an amethyst. Not long after, these light gradually turned into rays thinner than strands of hair.

—Mateki?

"Eyriey, run!"

"Eh?"

The rays wove themselves into a complicated spiral-shaped image, and the concentric circles were expanding outward. Eyriey was at lost on what to do, and stood rooted on the ground despite those circles expanding towards her direction.

The violet light began to intensify in color, and began to materialize-

"I'll not let you succeed!"

At that instance, Sheltis tossed out the electric spear in his hands.

*Cha*...... The sound of the spear stabbing into the soil. The thrown spear had pinned the Yuugenshuu onto the ground. The impact of the spear had actually caused the body of the Yuugenshu to be airborne for a brief moment. Due to the interference, the light that had engulfed the metal barbecue stand and was about to touch Eyriey, stopped expanding for a moment.

At the same time, the originally violet light began to materialize.

...... zz ...... zzzz............

"The barbecue stand?"

The stand, that could easily withstand temperatures of nearly a thousand degrees, disintegrated in a flash, like a pile of sand collapsing. Upon witnessing that scene, Eyriey's face turned deathly pale.

—Mateki.

That term is used specially on the special abilities unique only to Yuugenshu. Decay, poison, comatose and mental corruption- it is an energy wave that erodes and contaminates all living things and items of the floating continent. As a strange curse-like sound is given out during its activation, it has been given the name 'Mateki'.

"Eyriey, take this opportunity to start the engines!"

"...... Didn't you just defeat it?"

At the ends of Eyriey's sight, was the Yuugenshu pierced to the ground by the spear.

"An attack like that can't defeat that thing- hurry!"

Sheltis pointed towards the vehicle while he fixed his eyes on the monster with its mist. Yuugenshu are not something that can be easily defeated. In the past, they had been the things he was always fighting against, thus he knows that better than anyone else.

...... zz ...... zzzz ............ zzzzzzzzzzzz ................!

The tip of the electric spear which skewered the Yuugenshu had began to melt, and flowed onto the ground as a pool of molten metal.

What was left, was the mist monster suffering not a single scratch.

Those bright-red eyes became even fiercer, shining like blood-red rubies.


Oe/ Dia =U xeph cley, Di shela teo phes kaon
<■ ■, ■ ...... ■ ■, ■ ■ ■ , ...... ■ ...... ■ ■> 


The dark-purple mist turned into a bunch of light yet again, which then transformed into millions of thin rays. The strands of rays gathered together, and formed a huge ring on the ground.

Within the domain of the light, stood a motionless Yuto, who was looking at the light below her feet.

...... It was too late. The area of mateki was way to wide, and Yuto could not escape by herself. Just as he was thinking of all that, Sheltis had already rushed into the swirling deep-purple lights.

"Shel-nii."

"Sorry, Yuto. It may hurt a little!"

Grabbing hold on the shoulder and waist of a smiling Yuto, Sheltis lifted her up in a single breath.

"Eyriey, I'll leave Yuto to you!"

Following that, he threw Yuto towards Eyriey with all his might.

Yuto flew a parabolic path in the air, and got out of the domains of mateki.

—That will do.

At then, the light of phantom had materialized.

"Sheltis, you too-!"

Eyriey's shout was engulfed by the ear-splitting sounds of the ground cracking up.

*Boom*. With the sounds similar to the bubbling magma, the grasslands turned white in an instant. Grounds shattered, then melted into a gooey state. Regardless of living or non-living things, the mateki of Yuugenshu will cause anything on Orbie Clar to rot and be destroyed. No matter how strong the person is, once he is exposed to mateki-

Just like that, the teenage boy who risked his all to save Yuto, had no longer any way to run.

The brilliance of the dark-purple lights cause them to not be able to look at them directly. Poisonous rays that corrupt the human body and destroy every single cells in it, had engulfed the whole of the teenage boy's body.

"...... Sheltis—!"

Eyriey face was horribly pale.

There was no hope for Sheltis. No one could survive being engulfed by those poisonous rays of light.

"......... How...... How can this be......"

The situation caused the teenage girl to fall to the ground. The mist monster then locked its sight onto her.

There was no need to use its own mateki. The ground corroded by it was expanding towards the girl at a blinding pace.

In the body of mist, extend a black claw with throbbing veins-

"Don't even think of hurting them, you monster."

Just before the claw touched Eyriey, it stopped.

The teenage boy with tea-red colored hair was grabbing hold of the Yuugenshu's claws with his bare hands.

"...... Sheltis?"

Eyriey said with a trembling voice. She had just witnessed something unbelievable. The level of shock was as though she had seen someone reviving from the dead.

Yuugenshu's mateki, which destroys all trees, soil and living things within its range - despite being exposed to that sort of energy, Sheltis was still standing there fine, and was protecting her right in front of her eyes.

"Eyriey, are you alright?"

"Eh...... But...... But...... Sheltis, you......?"

"I am not afraid of Yuugenshu's mateki."

"—Eh?"

Sheltis lifted his right arm in front of Eyriey, and-

He wickedly struck onto the mist monster's body, which is full of deadly poison.

"———— Uuuuuuuuuuu!"

The Yuugenshu gave a painful howl, and jumped backwards.

What a strange sight. A monster which was not harmed even after being speared by a metal spear, actually had its mist disappeared by more than half of the original amount, after taking a single strike from the teenage boy's bare fist.

"...... That can't be? Why is it effective?"

"I had struck its core while it was distracted. A pity that I have no weapon with me, or else I could have shattered it in a single shot."

At the body of the Yuugenshu, located at the middle of its mist body, is what looks like an amethyst core. Its size varies, but most are of a size similar to that of a human fist. A Yuugenshu will disappear with the destruction of its core.


Oe/ Dia =U xeph cley, Di shela teo phes kaon
<■ ■, ■ ...... ■ ■, ■ ■ ■ , ...... ■ ...... ■ ■>


The third mateki was no longer of the barrier form, but a beam of laser after gathering and compressing the light. Evading the powerful purple beam which was obviously stronger than those of before, the young man rushed towards the Yuugenshu.

UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Yuugenshu gave off a strange roar which sounded as though it could cause their ears to burst, and lifted its clawed front limbs. At the same time, Sheltis took aim at the Yuugenshu, and threw out his fist.

The shadows of both bodies passed each other, and what followed-

*Crack...... kura....... ra..........*

The sounds of a tough ore shattering into pieces.

The cold and clear sounds, with a hint of sorrow, echoed through the meadows.

The Yuugenshu, with its core destroyed, ceased its movements, and gradually evaporated off after turning into mist.

"Sheltis, are you alright!"

"Hmm? Ahh, I am slightly hurt by its claws. Just a small scratch-"

"I'm not talking about that!"

Eyriey was pointing to the spot where the Yuugenshu had disappeared. At that place, all plants growing there had already withered, and the soil had turned purple from corruption.

"You had came into contact with Yuugenshu...... and had exposed yourself to mateki in order to protect me! We have to get to the purification center of Tenkeusu Palace <Sophia> right now! If we do not hurry, it will be too late if the contamination is to spread!"

"It is fine, there is no need to purify. What matters is that Eyriey and Yuto are alright."

"Idiot, what are you talking about-"

"No. I had said it before, Yuugenshu's mateki has no effects on my body."

At the shoulder where it was scratched by the Yuugenshu's claws, was the skin turning slightly red, but other than that, there was not a single thing to suggest that he had been contaminated.

"Your body...... no way, I have never heard anything like that. I do hear people saying, that if you have powers similar to those of the Queen and the Priestess of Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>, then you will be able to resist mateki."

"I don't belong to that group, but I am really fine. Don't worry."

Pressing onto his slightly bleeding shoulder, Sheltis gave Eyriey a smile.

That smile was not to make her feel at ease. Rather, it was due to Eyriey worrying about him.

 "...... But."

"It's really great that you both are safe. There's nothing more important than that."

That's right. That was his heartfelt truth.

Because he had successfully saved his only friends at the living sector.

—Ymy. Perhaps, returning back to your side is just an unattainable dream.

—However, I am living fine at here, so at the very least, you do not have to worry for me over at Tenketsu Palace <Sophia>.

"Urm......"

Eyriey asked in her rare hesitant tone,

"I have never taken the initiative and asked you that...... could it be, that Sheltis had fought with Yuugenshu before?"

"Well...... it's not a pleasant topic, you know."

Evading the stares of Eyriey that suggested that she wanted to press on further, Sheltis began to walk.

"Alright, in any case, let us go back first. It will be dangerous to continue staying here."