Only 2 days left until the core meltdown



　Ever since he was a child, Ei Hino had a unique temperament compared to other boys of his age.
　He has the temperament of a mastermind who does not like to be the main character. He is the type of personality that prefers to run things well in the palm of his hand. The reason for this is that he was influenced by the characters in the special effects TV shows he often liked to watch. Anyway, Ei liked to be in the number two position, the protagonist's sidekick position, and he liked to act like it.
　Boys like this are often pranksters and acquire a trickster's position. In fact, Ei also had that kind of temperament. He was serious at heart and had a strong sense of justice, so that side of him didn't come forward too often, but at the core, he was much the same. Ei liked to set up the main role and then stand behind it and do what he wanted.

　He had a childhood friend, by the way, who was just perfect for satisfying his own needs.

　Soraki Kyousuke was the type of boy who was simple and unquestioning, even as a child. He wasn't one to insist on being the star of the show himself, either, but he did so when he had to. He was taller than most boys his age from then on, yet he was a laid-back kid who was not intimidated in any way.
　Kyousuke was the perfect partner for Ei. He followed what Ei said as a rule and often rebelled against him. His overly good-natured nature often frustrated the calculating and resourcefulness of his mind, but for all that, Kyousuke was the ideal friend. Even during playdates at the kindergarten, Ei always made Kyousuke the star of the show, and behind his back, he enjoyed taking control of the scenario every time.

　In Ei's eyes, Kyousuke was a bit of a dumb kid who didn't know how to doubt people.

　After all, he was a child. Not that he was clearly aware of it. However, if one were to speak in the language of an adult, Ei recognized Kyousuke as such.
　Basically, Ei was the master and Kyousuke was the follower. It was a relationship that was cleverly hidden to the extent that the adults around him had to observe carefully to notice it. However, perhaps Kyousuke didn't even realize that he was the subordinate, and he never voiced any complaints to Ei.

　It was shortly after they had entered elementary school that their relationship had clearly changed.



　Ei had just heard that Kyosuke's house had caught fire when he was pondering the brilliant plan he had for himself.

　The time was winter. It was time to hold a fireworks display. It was just a trivial joke between children.
　When Ei was playing at Kyosuke's house, he noticed the fireworks set that he had failed to use up in the summer. They decided to use them to play with. Kyousuke argued that it was dangerous to use the fire in a place where no adults were around and that he should at least get approval from one of his parents, but Ei's lips twitched in frustration.

　'Kyousuke, you always do that. Say that adults are adults. We're kids now, but we won't always be kids. It's very scary to grow up without an adult to help you. You should be able to handle fire by yourself, at least.

　When Ei argued tersely, Kyousuke agreed that's how it should be.

　In the end, Ei was just a little unhappy that Kyousuke was trying to control him with his righteous argument.
　It wasn't like he was that resistant to having adult eyes on him to play with fireworks in winter. Well, there was a little bit of anxiety about handling the fire on our own, and it would be better to have a parent chaperone after all, or so I thought realistically.

　I was just in the middle of thinking about that when I heard that there was a fire at Kyousuke's house.

　Still in his pajamas with his favorite hero printed on them, Ei was taken by his mother to Kyousuke's house. The firefighters had just rescued a young boy from the burning house. Kyousuke was unconscious in his arms, and his parents arrived shortly afterwards, carrying him out.

　The entire second floor of the house is burned down by the fire. In the end, the only person who survives is Kyousuke. His parents died of poisoning from inhaling the smoke deeply. His lungs were also burned.
　The fire started in a room on the second floor that was used as a storage room. The newspaper reported that the lighter probably ignited the surrounding combustible materials. There was no one in the room where the fire started, but it is unlikely to be arson due to its location. There was nothing suspicious about it, and in the end, it was dismissed as an unfortunate accident.

　Kyosuke had been severely embarrassed day after day, but one day he told Ei, who came to visit him.

　I started the fire," he told her when she came to visit him.

　He had found a lighter in a storage room and was "playing" with it, putting it on and off. The lighter fell out of Kyosuke's hand as he stumbled in the room with many things and ignited the surroundings. So far, so good, as reported. It was beyond the knowledge of Ei and the others at the time, but it was winter, the air was dry, and there were many flammable materials around, so the fire had spread quickly.
　Kyousuke thought his parents would be angry if they found out, so he tried to put out the fire on his own. But again, he didn't have the proper knowledge or strength, and the fire eventually spread throughout the room, and it didn't take much time to get to the other rooms on the second floor, the bedroom and the study. Eventually, Kyousuke passed out. It was because he inhaled the gas.
　At that point, Kyousuke said, his parents must have been on the first floor. So, he said, he didn't know directly why his parents had died. However, both Ei and Kyousuke had a vague idea. Kyousuke's parents had gone upstairs to save Kyousuke, and they had died doing so. It wasn't in the room where the fire had started that Kyousuke had been rescued, and the three family members had been carried out at about the same time. The burns seen on Kyousuke's body were minor; those of his parents were much worse than those of Kyousuke.

　And Ei noticed another thing. Given Kyousuke's personality, he would never think of putting out the fire alone 'because he thought he would be angry'. He was an honourable student to the point of being troublesome. If he thought he had done something wrong, he could immediately tell an adult about it.

　You could at least learn to handle fire yourself.

　Perhaps Kyousuke had taken those words from Ei to heart and made things worse.
　Until then, Kyousuke had been obedient to Ei. There was even a hint of fear of being disappointed. That was satisfying to Ei, but his emotions were reversed after that day. He didn't even blame Ei, but instead just felt ashamed of himself as he stared blankly out the window.

　Since then, Kyosuke and Ei have continued to have a somewhat warped and unhealthy relationship as best friends.

　Kyousuke has always been empty and devoid of initiative, while Ei has continued to affirm him, even as he nagged and chided him.



　When the Great Transition occurred off the coast of Albadamba, Ei had hoped to break this blockage.
　Maybe that was why he was sent to that place alone.

　The Central Empire, the one with the greatest power in this world, this continent. If he could sneak into the heart of it, he would be able to save all of his classmates in the second year and fourth class. If that was Kyousuke's desire, he would make it happen.
　He didn't intend to cheaply embellish it with words like "atonement". But Ei couldn't think of any other way to do it. And, dare I say it, in order to atone for that sin, he added several more sins to his list. He cut down on the small in order to get the large. This choice was one that he thought Kyousuke would never be able to make. But it was the most practical means Ei could think of.

　If Kyousuke despised him as a result of that, it was inevitable.

　And that's fine with me.

　That's what I should have thought.

　That's what I should have thought.



Good morning, Ackee.

　When Ei woke up, Melodious called out to him.

　Ei and Melodious had been camping in the field for the past few days, but for the first time in a long time, they were able to take up lodging in a human village.
　However, Ei's body is still unstable and dangerous. The barrier made of miasma (an underworld miasma) created by Merodias prevented the so-called radiation leak. Hearing the rumor that an invisible poison is leaking out of the black armor, the knights of the kingdom of Verneus, who were on escort, were also in a cold sweat.

''You still look as awake as ever, don't you?
I don't have a face.

　Ei's reply to the swallowing voice of the underworld hero, Ei's reply was trenchantly hard. Hearing that line, Melodious gave a small shrug. Then, he quickly raised his voice.

Jji-sama!　Silver Wolf Dragon Jiji-sama!　Ackee, I'm awake!

　He shouted.

　Ei knew who it was referring to. There was no reply to Melodious's voice, but soon a single shadow appeared in the room as a silver wind swirled around the room.
　This is a small wooden house, but every single appearance is ostentatious. The knights of Vernetus shook their shoulders with a jolt.

　Silver scales that reflected the moonlight. Blue and gold twin eyes with intelligent light. There was a dragonborn there with its pupils split wide open vertically. What made him different from the dragonmen Ei was familiar with was his bushy mane and beard, and the loose robes that covered his entire body.

　He was one of the oldest members of the Imperial Clockboard Alliance (Dial Knights). One O'clock Seat (One O'clock) "Silver Wolf Dragon" Anthrox.

　This was Ei's first time facing him in person like this.

''Ho........''

　As soon as Anslok looked at Ei from the front, he said.

'You have a good eye.'
I don't have eyes.

　Although somewhat confused, he told them once and for all.

　Although Ei has joined the substantial Imperial Clockboard Alliance as an irregular number, it is largely a dictated decision by Ranwald Gaudin. As for the approval of Ansloch and the other old members, it's completely ex post facto.
　The significance of Anslock's visit to this Verneus was significant. "The fact that the Silver Wolf Dragon (He), Giant Heaven, Imperial Blade, and others are directly sitting up, that's how close they are to the decision-making body of the Empire. It means the part is moving. Even the Verneus Royal Family, which was able to prod Merodias and Ei's demands, could not be indefensible if they went to Anselok in person. And in fact, his visit has moved the knights directly under the Verneus Kingdom.

I can't even joke about it. You have a character that is going to have a hard time. ''Second chamberlain?''
Really.

　When he was dismissed from the conversation, Melodious shrugged his shoulders. Anslok narrowed his eyes, then turned to Ei again.

'Well, Hino Akira,'

　His voice was only calm, but unlike the one Melodious used to call Ei, it was filled with a thorough detachment.

''Unlike Lord Sixth Hour, I do not recognize you as a member of the Imperial Clockwork Alliance. Do you know why?
Well that's because I'm not a part of it.
That's a good answer, depending on how you look at it.

　With a chuckle, Anslock strokes his beard.

'Maybe it's because I'm an old man, but it's because I'm obsessed with the way the Imperial Clockwork Alliance is. A sort of sense of belonging, you might say. To you, though, it might make feudalism, like the Central Empire, seem archaic.

　You know a lot, Ei thought.

''Pledging allegiance to His Holiness the Emperor and bringing prosperity to the Empire is the true state of the Imperial Clockwork Alliance. ''I'll make sure of that, but you don't have the will to do so. You are merely using us for your own purposes.
What do you mean by that?

　Ei was slightly irritated by Anselok's words.
　Did he come all the way here to tell you that you are not one of us? This old man.

What I'm saying is exactly what I'm saying. You used us and we'll use you. I wanted to make sure that we were clear on that.
.........
And you're in a very precarious position right now. There's not much we know about your abilities, but we still understand that you are in great danger right now.
Do you think I'm off the case?
Hmm....

　Anslok let out a sigh that was neither an affirmation nor a denial, and he still stroked his goatee and turned his nose to the ceiling with his eyes closed.

　Ei fumbled with what it meant for him to come here and talk to her in person. He had no idea what the point of going to the trouble of talking about their principles or reaffirming the current situation was. And, again, Ei had no idea what the point of keeping silent was.
　The silence was long. To a dragonborn who lived in eternity, or maybe this seemingly eternal silence was just a few moments of contemplation, though.

''I suppose so.''

　Anslock's words were an affirmation.

"I'm not going to let you face them now. If that happens, you will be in an unknown amount of danger, should your powers run amok.
That wasn't the deal.

　Ei bit out.

'The deal was supposed to be that I would guarantee their safety in exchange for my cooperation with you guys. That.....
Nothing has changed.

　In a voice that was only mild, Anslock shook his head.

"We'll keep them safe," he says. We'll make sure they're safe, and that's exactly what you're going to help us do. "And that's why you're going to "cooperate" with us, by staying here, resting, and staying out of our way. Is that clear?
....................

　Ei felt his own emotions run high. His body burst into flames all at once, and flames erupted from the slit in his black armor. The knights of Verneus who were on guard groaned.

''I meant to say it in a less irritating way, but...''

　Anslok said, and still stroked his own beard again.

'I give you my word. Their safety will be assured. But in light of the precariousness of your condition, and the conditions under which it is accelerating this time, I still can't let you go to them.

　The old dragon man's words were only relaxed, as if he was admonishing us.

''Why do you......... No, let's not ask this question.

　The silver wolf dragon Anthrock would not throw any more words at Ei. Melodious and he had disappeared from Ei's presence before he knew it.

　He was right. He was absolutely right.
　The only person who was abnormal was me. More than anything else, he had already been prepared to walk this path from the moment he had decided to walk this path. "I knew that I might never have to face them again. That's why it was out of line to rebel and bite them here.

　What am I going to do when I see them again in the first place?

　An excuse? An apology? Or a reprimand?

　Ei Hino was aware that the more his emotions rose, the more his own needs flared up, burned, melted, and changed to the point where he could no longer retain his original form.



'My liver is indeed cold,'

　As they walked down the hallway, Anthrox sighed.

'You were going to explode if you said it badly. 'Ack.'

　Right next to him, Melodious counters with an open mind.

　"What kind of danger could occur if the Black Sun, Hino Ei, were to go out of control? We have the calculated data at hand.
　The words "nuclear fusion" and "nuclear fission" were not familiar to Anselok and the others. However, as long as they trusted the formula that had been extrapolated from the few documents that had been brought in from another world, it was clear that Akira Hino's outburst would induce damage comparable to that of a large-scale destruction spell. The amount of heat released was more than enough to swallow an entire city or mountain. This phenomenon was dubbed the "Meltdown".

　Anslok and his friends are in a not so large city in the mountains of Verneus. The knights' staging area is being used as a base of operations.
　In this city, whose main source of revenue is from hot spring tourism and other activities, many of its residents had welcomed the arrival of the Imperial Clockwork Alliance, but at the same time, they hadn't heard anything about the bombs they had brought with them. Of course, they didn't know that this entire city could be reduced to ashes if Ei went out of control and a meltdown occurred.

　It's possible that a meltdown could have occurred due to the failure of the earlier negotiations. In preparation for that, Melodious was standing by. If it came down to it, she was going to release the maximum amount of underworld miasma (underworld miasma) in her body to cause counter-annihilation and minimize the damage.

　That's what Anslok meant when he said that he had a 'cold heart'.

　As for the location of Ei Hino's internment, it resulted in repeated negotiations with the Verneus royal family, but as a result, they settled on this city. There were several reasons why we didn't choose a location in the mountains where there would be no damage even if a meltdown occurred.

　First of all, in Vernetus, which required a volcanic belt that stretched across the entire territory, there were only a few areas that would not be affected by a large-scale energy runaway. Even if this city were to be blown up in its entirety, it is unlikely to affect the volcanic activity in Verneus.
　Secondly, the large number of people who live here makes it difficult for "them" to do anything about it. This was Ansloch's suggestion.

　Melodious says that there is already a net of watchful eyes in the entire Verneus Kingdom. She has spent a lot of time pretending not to notice it, but it's possible that the network of mycelium, plants, and other things are probably sending simple information to one place in a centralized location.
　In other words, they know almost everything that's going on with Ei. They have the risk of losing control of Ei if they're not careful.

　And as long as Melodious and Philhana are to be believed, they are extremely conscientious. They don't like the idea of many innocent residents becoming collateral damage as a result of Ei's outburst. As long as they keep Ei here, they should not come here head-on.

''So what are you going to do about it, Jiji-sama?''
I'm pretty torn on that one.

　Anslok stroked his own beard.

'Because I don't much like the way it appeals to force. I suppose it's more efficient.'
Do you want to negotiate?
We'll see if there's room.

　As far as the story goes, the situation has become quite complicated. I found it quite surprising that even that thoughtful Filhana is resorting to violent measures. For that reason, the problem is deeply rooted. We don't know if they will listen to us when we say we will protect them.
　It was also unknown what kind of action they would take against us.

''Of course, in the end, they will choose the one that is beneficial to the Empire. What they will do with Hino is the focus.''
If I try to see you, will you stop me by force?
'It has to be done. I'm against letting them meet with Hino.
That's, uh...

　Melodious pretended to think for a moment as Anslok nodded vigorously. Then, fearfully, he asked

'Does that mean Ackie will never see a friend for the rest of her life?
I'm sorry for them.

　Anslok nodded.

'Unless you can find a way to break the runaway state, yes.




Only one day left until the core meltdown




　By the time Kyousuke and the others returned, the base had become even more robust in its protection. All of them are preparing for the battle and are modestly training. Although they seem to be well prepared for battle, head-on collision is not a good idea considering the number of enemies in any case. For now, Kyousuke and Rin decided to get into a strategy meeting with Goubayashi and the others.
　The behemoth that Kyousuke and the others were using as a footman seemed to miss Hanazono quite a bit, and was taken in front of her, snapping like a puppy in front of her. I was afraid that the tomatoes were taking over my consciousness completely, but I didn't pursue it any further.

　For the past two days or so, there has been no movement on the Empire's part. At the moment, we know that Ei and the other Imperial Clockwork Alliance (Dial Knights) seem to be languishing in a city within Vernetus. The city was located in the mountains, far from the royal capital, and seemed to be a small but reasonably lively place. This was quite troubling to Kyousuke and the others.

'As expected of a place, it's hard to attack a place.
"Mm.

　Kyousuke muttered, looking at the location shown on the map. Goubayashi nodded at that.

　If they attacked the city at this point, they would involve completely unrelated people in the war, and that was not their intention. But at the same time, the fact that Ei, who was in an unstable state, was in the middle of the city was also close to the worst of the situation. Ei was now a radiation-spreading entity, and his instability threatened to cause his abilities to run amok. In the end, I feel that the fact that they sensed Ei's whereabouts and left him unattended is moving in a bad direction.
　What Kyousuke and his team should do is to pull Ei away from that town, but I can't think of a very realistic plan. This is because it's impossible to know what kind of chance Ei, who is in an unstable state, will have to go out of control.

''Well it seems to me that you're proceeding on the premise that Hino will go out of control.

　Goubayashi looked at the map, then turned his gaze to Kyousuke.

''........Is there no way to stop it, per se?''
I don't know. I don't think so.

　Kyousuke simply replies.

'There are too many things that both me and Ei have been ignoring to put the relationship back together peacefully. It's half my fault that Ei is about to spiral out of control, and half his fault, and there's probably no way to do anything about it other than to let it blow up once.
That's a nuclear reactor.

　Goubayashi's voice was sharp and heavy.

'I'm not a science guy, and I'm not an expert on physics. How much heat and shock waves would a runaway fire field unleash? I don't know how much heat and shock waves a runaway firefield can give off, how much radiation it can contaminate the land, how much damage it can cause. There's no telling how much damage that will do.
Yeah.

　Kyousuke scratched his head and replied vaguely.

　No matter how many safeguards are taken, the radiation contamination is the only thing that can be done about it, and there's nothing that can be done about it. And it will take hundreds of years to be cleaned up.
　The act of weighing something on a scale is something Kyousuke is terribly bad at. Nevertheless, he wanted to help Ei somehow, and he wanted to release those unstable, fluctuating emotions. You can't afford it," he said, "but still, I don't want to leave Ei in this state.

Well.

　Rin, who had been silent until then, interrupted me.

''If we want to bring Hino-kun home, it's something we'll have to do eventually, right?
.........

　Goubayashi closes his eyes quietly with his mouth wide knotted.

''Well I'm not sure I'm convinced.
Neither did I.

　After all, that's part of what I have to say.

　It's something that I've vaguely come to understand. Even that desire to return to the world safely with all of our classmates is already becoming unattainable at no cost. It's not a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one. There was that aspect in the Knight's Kingdom, in Albadamba, and in the Adventurer's Autonomous Territory.
　However, we can't deny what we've done up to this point, and in order to do so, we have to tread through and tolerate the damage that is being sprinkled around us.

　Of course, there is no such thing as a human life that can be trampled on for no reason at all.

I want to reduce the amount of human suffering caused by contact with Ei to zero.
I don't think it's going to happen.
I agree with you, but if you don't want to reduce it to zero, it will only increase.

　It's difficult to move Ei from the city. Then, the only way to do it is to move the residents. So the residents could be forced to leave the city and their hometown could be burned to the ground.

I'd still like to keep him from running off as much as possible.
Of course.

　If we're going to drive the residents out of the city, it would be quicker to attack the city as a swarm of monsters. The problem is that there are three members of the Imperial Clockwork Alliance over there. Anslok, Melodious Killer, and Lee Shenfu. In taking on these, Kyousuke couldn't be expected to be a force to be reckoned with, so he would have a very difficult time.
　The question is what do they think they are doing based in a small town like that? If they are non-humans who don't even consider human life as human life, and intend to use the city itself as a shield, then it must be said that the operation will be quite difficult.

　The Silver Wolf Dragon Anthrock is said to be an elder figure in the Imperial Clockwork Alliance. If that's the case, is it okay to expect a somewhat rational side?

''As for the rest, it's the 'Underworld Beast Brave'

　Kyousuke mumbled as he looked at the map.

'I only remember that we got pushed down in a split second, what do you think?'
How is that about his character?

　Goubayasi showed a look of annoyance, which was unusual for him.
　It's a good thing that you have a lot of experience in fighting the underworld heroic Melodious Killer. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what to do with the miasma.

''I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm sure she's not mild-mannered, but that's all.''
Well....

　The only thing I would say is that Melodious had a friendly attitude towards Filhana. Even as Kyousuke, it's hard to imagine that Filhana Granbana is a bad person. With a similar mentality, one could only hope that she had a similar mentality, but even so, one should not be optimistic.

　After all, does this mean that we have to go on the offensive after considering the possibility of being taken as a shield against the city's residents?

''Uh-uh-uh........!

　In the past, all of his actions have been on the receiving end, and this time he had a hard time going on the offensive.
　Waiting for the other side to make a move is out of the question. Ei is in a situation where we don't know when he will go out of control, and it's quite painful for them to know where this base is in the first place. In the end, they would have no choice but to strike out, against the three Imperial Clockwork Alliance. As much as possible, in a way that causes no damage.

　Right now, the Imperial side is accompanied by the Verneus Kingdom. Because of that, we can't expect any relief from Giant Mama.

　Think about the forces in this base. What's the best move we can make?

What do you think about using the mushroom haze's ability to create a substance with hallucinogenic properties to create this kind of.......?
Is it best to manipulate the city's residents into evacuating them?
''And then there's the fisher sister's songs and stuff. We'll just have to use our mental manipulation abilities in this area to move it around, but....

　It's more practical than attacking the city and evacuating them, but even then, if the Empire uses their lives as a shield, the inhabitants will not be spared.
　If that happens, Sarutoyo will have to get them to work with them as well, in order to give direction to the chemicals in the Mushigasa shimeji and the songs of the Uozumi Masuyo. From here, we'll have to pull out Kyousuke further, and the remaining faces will be engaged with the Imperial Clockwork Alliance, I guess. It's not like they're going to seriously crush them, but at the very least they need to stall them while Kyousuke talks to Ei.

''It's a Kitkitsu strategy, right?''

　Rin said.

'It can't be helped. That's the way I chose to go.'

　Gowbayasi said.

'Don't bother me, Gowbayasi,'
It's fine. I'm used to cleaning up Ryuzaki's mess.

　Kyousuke's relationship with Ryuzaki and Goubayashi mirrors the relationship between himself and Ei.
　They were very similar, but still different. The sense of trust that seemed to exist between them seemed to waver between them. In the end, neither he nor Ei trusted each other enough to remain unshaken until they were separated for a long time.

　I would like to believe that it is not too late to mend the crumbling bond between us.

　But at the same time, Kyousuke vaguely felt that this might be the last chance to do so.




---And soon, night would come.

---The core would melt down in 0 days.