<Infinite Dendrogram>

Episode XVII: Stray Sword

□ Kingdoms

It was an open land with a lonely atmosphere.

There is no building but one tablet... only a consolation tablet, even if you do your eyes on all sides.

This is the castle city of Claymill...... its site.

That [Gloria's] "Ultimate" city had all vanished.

No buildings, no inhabitants, nothing left.

The city, which has been wiped out by its inhabitants, will not be rebuilt, only the consolation tablet of the incident is placed.

Even the savepoint had already disappeared, and the operation showed that it did not see this place as a city.

The consolation tablet of the land, which was such a city, was preceded by several figures.

Seventeen. Old and young are varied and include Tian as well as < Master >.

They are the ones who once lived in this clay mill.

Those who can be described as survivors, such as those who were able to evacuate outside the power of [Gloria] and those who were accidentally in other cities.

They lived in Wang Du after the incident and also created a mutual aid association as former residents of Kremil.

Part of it is visiting Kremyr today.

In this time, the day after tomorrow the war begins. If we start a war, the outside of the city will turn into a battlefield, and Tian will not be able to come and go.

And after the battle, I don't even know if this country remains. Those who experienced the tragedy of… [Gloria] thought that they could be destroyed and die.

Therefore, I visited the grave that it might be my last chance.

It's not all about survival.

Those who do not come because they do not want to remember that event.

Those who, though still before the war, feared that the Imperial < Master > would travel outside the city.

As a result, a total of eleven people wished to visit the grave.

None of them have ever been able to visit their graves.

These men are escorted by six men led by Riser.

It is a clan that was once based in this city, asked by the Mutual Aid Society… and also a clan that has accepted a comfortable escort.

Since the current < Babylonian Combat Regiment > is a minority and not a ranker clan, many of its members cannot take part in the war.

Only the dueling six-place riser and Lang, who returned to dueling thirtieth at critical times, can participate. (also thanks to the fact that Max, who once broke him, was in a higher order)

He wanted to do what he could before the war because only a limited number of people would be able to rise to the stage of war after the war.

They themselves were also in favour of this visit to the grave.

They have also lost a number of Tian who were close to them.

The vigilance continued because they did not know when they would be raided, but they themselves also... visited for comfort.

…………

Hand flowers on consolation tablets in turn and pray to the dead in each format.

After that, each of us goes to his former home… to the place where the people who lived with him died.

By [Gloria] 's "The Ultimate" Kremil all the walls and buildings disappeared into the light, and all that remained was flattened ground. I don't even have a body.

But a city that lived for a long time. Walk in comparison to the surrounding mountains... and you will see the proximity of the house where you lived for nothing, so you will find flowers there again.

Same goes for the Babylonian Fighters. Riser walked to a place of former memories, and the four scattered on people's escorts.

So Lang and one girl remained before the consolation tablet.

"... Lady, isn't it cold?

"Daijibu"

Lang was the only one in the Battle Regiment to join in purely for an escort.

He joined the clan only after the destruction of the home base of the claymill.

This is the form in which I joined because I am now associated with the Riser who leads this Battle Regiment.

So he doesn't have any memories in this city.

But I understand that many of our members will remember it here unforgettable.

And the girl next to him doesn't go for the flowers because she doesn't know where the house is.

Still six years old or the girl there.

In a city where this object disappeared, you can't even tell where you lived at the time.

She is one of those who could have been evacuated in a critical manner.

My parents, who lived in Claymill, asked 'I want her alone to get away' and lived in the neighborhood to get me out of the city.

Only she survived as a result, and now lives under her adoptive parents in Wang Du.

This consolation was also worried by her adoptive parents, but she accompanied her with only hope.

She put her fingers together in front of the consolation tablet and still prays.

Lang, along with his submissive hippogriff, was on guard around him to protect the girl.

"... hmm?

Unexpectedly, I found something to get into the landscape.

Someone slowly approaches the consolation tablet.

"You, stay away from me!

Lang guarded the person who showed up while sheltering the girl.

He was an unrecognizable man... but he is haunted by unusual signs.

The equipment is identical to the rag cloth and also looks like the old Kasayamako.

But my eyes aren't normal any more than that.

I've never even seen Lang involved with many... there was a bottomless defect.

Dangerous, my instincts work.

Behind him like that, the girl strangely compares Lang to the man.

"The Imperial Master...!

"... No, you're not"

The man denied Lang's words.

Even against Lang pointing the weapon, there is no way for a man to take out the weapon.

There was no way to get Embrio out of the left hand crest.

"Who are you? Why are you here?

"I'm an escort! It helps protect this kid and the people who are here!

That's what Lang answered to the man's worrying question.

"Escort?... flowers. Oh. Same?"

The man, who muttered to his satisfaction, took the flowers out of the item box.

"I'm just here to help you with the flowers, too."

"What?"

"I lived in this city, too.... It was really supposed to come a little faster, but the other errands got pinched and it came late"

There seemed to be no lies in the words.

"... well, I'm sorry"

"Fine. During the war, I guess."

Lang took the girl and retreated from the front of the consolation tablet without fully breaking her guard.

The man meets and approaches the consolation tablet.

"What about you? I lived in this city. I knew a lot of people, but I don't recognize them."

"I'm Lang from the Babylonian Combat Regiment."

…………

To Lang's words, the man opened his eyes slightly.

"... I see it's been over a year internally. More faces, too."

The man made no further mention of Lang, and knelt before the consolation tablet, offering flowers.

Unexpectedly, the hand of the man who placed the flower stops.

"Oh, these flowers..."

The man caught his eye on one of the flowers that had been pointed at him.

It seemed like seeing something that couldn't possibly be.

"Why is this flower now?

"This, I gave you."

It was the girl who answered the man's question.

"You know, it's a trick, it's a trick. I want to, I want to hurt you. I gave it to my old man and my old man."

"Right.... it was."

To a man who looks like he understands, Lang doesn't know why the man cared so much about these flowers.

You saw it and took it, the man explains.

"... was once a native medicinal flower only in the mountain forests around Kremyr. One of [Gloria] 's, and I heard the forest was gone, too."

Destruction of the Ultimate and Mass Death by the Endangered Junction.

The ecosystems around the claiming mill were devastated by all the terrain.

These flowers aren't supposed to be anywhere anymore.

"My old man and my old man, they were hanging around. Lots of fun, huh? Good luck."

The girl looked like she was trying so hard to talk.

That's a little tongueless, but we both knew what she was going to say.

"Right.... your parents' flowers, precious"

"Yeah!"

Until then the girl nodded at the atmosphere and the gentle words of a different man, and Lang was a little surprised.

"... just remembered the old days"

You also guessed Lang's surprise, a man answers with a sigh.

"There were a lot of flowers in my house, too.... My wife was a [pharmacist]."

That reminds me of the old landscape...... it was a mixed voice of antiquity and remorse.

Words spoken, praying with flowers on consolation tablets.

Lang knew what that meant.

"... from the number of flowers, you're here in large numbers"

"Oh. It's Claymill's mutual aid escort. Return to the king's capital before the war starts."

"Right."

The man nods convincingly and rises.

And while slapping Lang on the shoulder - while Lang made an unresponsive move - he continued his words.

"If you decide to take on an escort and protect it... protect it,"

"... you don't have to tell me"

While suppressing his inner surprise, Lang answered that sincerely.

Lang himself is a world-class playboy, but still has the sentiment to protect the kingdom's Tian.

You were satisfied with his words. The man nodded again and took the item box out of his nostalgia.

Put it in Lang's hands.

"What's this?

"Give it to Riser, please."

That's all I'm saying, the man walks away.

Lang followed the man's back with his eyes, but when he was only blind.

The blacksmiths, whom Riser was close to, turned their flowers to the home of the former clan, and all the others had returned when some separate cases had been completed.

"Lang, was there anything unusual?

"That's about as good as bowling with the rest of the Master who came to comfort you"

"Other < Master >... What was he like?

"Eh, equipped like a rag, scared of my eyes, I used to live here."

"I lived in Claymill."

Formerly Claymill also had a savepoint and was quite a busy city.

There are many left behind.

"So my wife said [the pharmacist]"

"... what?

But if you married a wife and her wife is a [pharmacist]... there is only one person who comes to mind with Riser.

The riser retrieves the stored item from the received box.

It was a piece of paper.

'Huh...!

Reading the text, Riser distorted his face stunningly behind the mask.

"Mr. Riser, what's that?

"Clan owner's power of attorney..."

"Huh!?

What transfers owner permissions to others.

There is only one person in the world who has that of the Babylonian Combatants.

'... owner. You're back, in this world.'

A man who has waited for his return is now standing in this world.

But he said he wasn't willing to go back to the clan... the power of attorney in Riser's hands had told him.

To that...... Riser had a mixed emotion of joy and sadness.

(... now I'm still waiting in the clan)

I didn't want to go after him and look for him.

Riser knew it would make sense for him to leave without daring to see him.

So he...... decided to keep the clan and wait as before.

One day, for when he makes the decision to return.

◇ ◆ ◇

□ ■ Claymill site and western field

After breaking up with Lang, the man… Fortesla, owner of the Babylonian Combat Regiment, was walking in the wilderness without a guess.

"Master. Are you glad I didn't see the Risers?

"Oh. Rather, it's good to see him in his new face"

To the words of his < embrio >, Nailing, Fortesura replied so without looking troubled.

"Whether I ride his proposal or not. I don't have a face to match."

Fortesla said so, looking at the bracelet she was equipped with.

It was a gift from a being who gave him a certain medical examination.

Accessories that escape monitoring of managed AI… items that are not logged.

"Ride, and I'll break the thing that runs this world. If I don't get on, I'm leaving again. … Either way, there is no face to match the one who has protected the Babylonian Fighters."

"Master......"

Nailing doesn't pinch opinions on his own < master > ideas.

Because he was aware that one end of the cause he was cornered by these two choices was his own lack of power.

That's how they get silent and walk away.

But from that path, I heard a noisy engine noise.

It was a group of people traveling on magical machines, such as buggies and motorcycles.

uniformly armed and aiming for a creammill where Fortesura was until earlier.

"Hyah! Let it fly! Let it fly!

"Prey's ahead of us!

They dressed blatantly badass... a group enjoying < Infinite Dendrogram > in a direction similar to what used to be.

"Ahead lies the kingdom's duel ranker, the“ Masked Cavalry ”masked riser! We're gonna finish this before the war starts! The men of Full Metal Wolves have perished in vain! I need to sharpen that one too. I don't know what to do!

"It doesn't help you when you're at the heart of your manners to preach. It's them!

"After all, the strongest clan is us."

What they uttered was the abbreviation for the Imperial Third Clan.

< LotJ > operates within the kingdom in several partisans, like them, shredding the power of the kingdom side around.

"All right! The Babylonian Fighters are coming with Tian's escort! There are only six of us, almost twice as many to be escorted! The guys with the legs are easy to hunt!

"It's before the war, so attacking Tian doesn't make Despena! If we kill them all, if we win the war, we can get rid of them!

"Hyah! It's a one-sided game!

The point is, the plan is to take down the Risers for each Tian.

I'm not sure where they found out about the Risers' movements from, but if they keep going, they'll be exactly what they're after.

But if there is a miscalculation......

…………

On the path, there would have been a man who would have offended it.

Distant conversations lost in engine sounds were also heard with generic skills.

"... Nay"

"Yeah!"

To Fortesla's words, Nailing felt a little bright.

Even if you say you don't have a face to match, or you might be hostile in the future.

Now on this occasion, because he decided to move for his former companions.

"Hey! There's someone on the road!

"Then make way for the Empire! If you're the master of the kingdom, you can die!

Those on board set up their weapons while issuing warnings of all shapes.

But before them… Fortesura's movements, which he discovered earlier and was also superior to AGI, were a few steps ahead.

"Ower Edge. -" Sword Avalanche ""

Quietly activated are two skills.

The first skill forms an even longer and tougher blade than when fighting [Gloria] in the past.

The second skill is a continuous sword that chops everything in between the blades.

No matter what you slash, the streak of extended range doesn't destroy a single blade, - people, machines, and the ground are all finely cut.

Even if you prevent a blow with a [brooch], there's no point in a serial sword opponent.

In time, the small group was wiped out.

But only one person stayed away from that interval just before the skill was activated.

"Hugh......! Oh, shit!

A man who bounced off a buggy and escaped Fortesla's time.

Villain outfits, like the others, but if you see them, you'll notice they're using luxury bespoke.

In addition, both arms are equipped with disastrous nail armor.

"You're wiped out... My legs are gone, too, Oui. But I'm alive!

Fortesura turns her gaze to a man with a strange accent.

While switching the nailing from the paralyzed right hand to the left hand with the recoil of Sword Avalanche...... explore the man's intermission and job.

"What the hell?

The name of [Sword King] Fortesura, once given his name, is also known to the Empire.

However, the priority as information was low because he was thought to have retired.

Well, the atmosphere that wraps up with what Fortesura looks like nowadays doesn't resemble what he used to be... so I didn't notice.

…………

Activate Auver Chaser for men.

The ability to multiply the correction to a status inferior to that of the opponent reacted with SP and AGI.

Even AGI surpasses Fortesura with STR and AGI diodes.

In addition, the height of the SP beyond [Sword King], an avant-garde super position.

(AGI-type avant-garde super position...... probably a fist or scout. If you haven't been able to read who I am, there's no repulsion superposition. Boxer system. Mammalian Beast Fist Derivatives Specializing in Short-Term Fast Fights, Not Reptile Types Excellent in Long-Term Endurance Fights? No, if STR isn't beyond me...... claw fist derivation. Arm nails are not appraisable...... Arms. Judging from the shape, viral system status abnormality is granted)

Read the build from the opponent's status and gear.

A habit of battle that was repeated many times in a former duel and not forgotten even while leaving < Infinite Dendrogram >.

The data and theory used still remain in him.

"Cook! It's a big sword. Oh, it's slower than mine, huh?

([Claw Fist] 's depths are two concurrent incidental attacks, The Tigers Clutch. The superiority of the superiority is also a stream of eighty-nine. If you allow the lead, [Brooch] and life will be crushed by a series of strikes)

"I can see your attack! Anyway, I'm an associate of LotJ's, and his name is"

- The moment a man tried to state his own name, Fortesura was stepping in.

The man is imprisoned again, in between swords that should have escaped.

Retain before you move, that was Fortesla's decision.

"Domi...... Aah!?

Fortesura's steps were much faster than the man's assumptions.

Because now The Owner Chaser is activated.

The inferior AGI has received a positive 100% correction in Nailing's Ower Chaser, which evolved into the seventh form.

AGI, which was slightly above the fortesura of the STR · AGI diode type, had been pulled off in reverse.

And I can cut it off with Thunder Slash, the first knife.

Fatal injuries were avoided but thus not mitigated, while at the same time hanging on to temporary paralysis caused by electric shock.

In that gap, a serial sword, not profound, carefully killed the man's [brooch] and his life.

The quasi became a death penalty without even being able to be named.

Those who were supposed to raid the Babylonian Battlemen... were wiped out with the blade of the leader of the Battlemen.

"... your body is what you remember"

"Yeah!"

Theory of a duel that was once repeated hundreds of times in the arena.

It was moving Fortesura's body even in the first interpersonal match in a long time.

Fortesura herself had no particular emotion... but nailing was delightful.

I knew I was the master.

"... n"

Fortesura got her hand in the nostalgia and took out the comms.

It was deposited with him by someone who is currently negotiating with Fortesura in a progressive fashion.

He's the only one who calls me.

"It's me. Oh...... I know. Before this war and this is over, we will draw conclusions."

After a short call, Fortesla hung up the call.

…………

As such, Fortesla resumes her steps.

I have also completed the consolation that was the purpose for which I originally logged in, and the negotiation with the other person is still in the midst of an idea.

Without a purpose, he moves on, uncertain where to go.

Nobody knows where we're going.

To be continued