Endless Silver Machine

The hotel door is open today.

Aika stepped through the door, and a familiar fresh breath suddenly flooded into her brain.

The old man with the white beard was still sitting behind the counter, flipping through his large account book.

After Aika entered the door, he didn't even raise his head.

"Young man, are you looking for Tara?"

"Well, is Tara here today?"

The old man with the white beard just waved his hand in Aika's direction.

"She took leave to go to the market today. She may not be back until very late."

"That's it...thank you, grandpa."

"Let's see again tomorrow."

Walking ahead from the hotel is the market area. But it can be imagined how difficult it is to find a specific person in a crowded market.

Aika, who had already walked out of the hotel door, hesitated and entered the hotel again.

"If Tara comes back, please tell her to go to the tavern she went to this morning. I will wait for her there. Please."

Although the white-bearded old man's eyes never left his big ledger, Aika still bowed to him in a polite manner.

The white-bearded old man raised his head and looked at Aika with interest through the lenses of his glasses.

"Young man, you are so positive. Have you gone on a date with our Tara? Is it okay to let those two kids know?"

"No, no, no!" Aika waved her hand in panic, "I'm not talking about this aspect, I just want to ask her about some things!"

The old man smiled and nodded to show that he understood. After Aika thanked her again, she returned to the street outside the hotel.

The wind blowing between the streets and alleys today is very gentle, and it is the refreshing weather unique to early summer. There are many residents living in this town, as well as travelers who have just arrived here like Aika and others, wandering around the not-so-wide streets.

Looking at the daily scenery with warm wind, peace and tranquility in front of her, Aika thought of the three girls living in the tavern.

"We can't let them stay in the room all the time... They haven't experienced much of this town since they came here..."

Aika was talking to himself on the way back to the tavern, when a bold idea came to his mind.

…………

After returning to the tavern, Aika first told Nia and Gerry what she thought.

"It's not a big problem if you want to go out for a walk. But what about Ling and Wei Xi? The two of them are now marked by their special hair color. If someone who knows the wanted order sees it, it might cause trouble."

After listening to Aika's thoughts, Gurley pointed out the biggest problem directly.

It’s not that Aika hasn’t considered the issues Gurley pointed out before.

If he wanted to go out, Ling's hooded robe would not be too unnatural in this town full of travelers.

The wide-brimmed straw hat Wei Xi was wearing when she came here allowed her hair to be tucked into the hat, so it was not easily noticed by others.

But what Aika is focusing on now is not these, but quite the opposite.

They still have a long way to go in the future. Do they have to hide and hide like this? Why don't they have the right to walk freely under the sun?

Perhaps after doing so, there will be successive attacks from the Holy See and bounty hunters.

However, Aika hopes that everyone can smile easily instead of spending every day of their lives suppressed.

He knew that this was just his own willfulness, and that he was not strong enough to protect them.

Just when Aika was falling into a vicious cycle of self-blame, Gurley's voice seemed to have spotted the right opportunity and intervened.

"You said before that you don't understand your magic equipment at all, right?"

"Before you explained it to me, I had no idea what a magic outfit was."

Aika touched her back with her hand, and the wound torn open by the fire wolf's claws was still aching.

Despite Luoluo's diligent treatment, it will still take some time for him to fully recover.

"Although I think I have mastered the use of Fiery Eyes, it is still not enough to use it in battle. I only started to use it after leaving home."

"It is true that combat experience cannot be gained simply. Intuition and many other elements play an important role in combat."

"So when it comes to whether we can protect them..."

Gurley stared at Aika, who was not confident enough, for a while, then turned back and shouted at the top of his voice to the stairwell.

"Miss Wei Xi, please come down and help me!"

There was no response from Wei Xi on the second floor, probably because the voice was too soft to hear.

Then there was the sound of footsteps running downstairs. However, when she was about to reach the first floor, maybe because Wei Xi was too anxious, she tripped over herself and rolled directly down the stairs into the tavern lobby.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

There was a subtle atmosphere floating in the hall, and none of the four people made a sound.

After Wei Xi kept her face on the ground for a few seconds, she slowly climbed up on the ground, revealing that heartbreakingly cute smile.

"It doesn't hurt at all..."

There was a crystal teardrop hanging in the corner of her eye.

No matter how you look at it, it looks very painful...

After getting up, Wei Xi lowered her head and patted her skirt, thinking that no one would notice and quietly wiped away the tears from her eyes.

Aika decisively chose to treat this subtle atmosphere as if it didn't exist.

"What did you talk about up there?"

It was hard for him to imagine that Ling and Wei Xi could sit face to face in the room and chat calmly.

"Lolo asked me something about the Holy See. Miss Ling has been sleeping."

Aika smiled bitterly. He knew that it was impossible for Ling to fall asleep, he was just making trouble.

But judging from the fact that she didn't make a fuss, Ling's heart no longer rejects Wei Xi so much.

Ge Li walked up to Wei Xi and touched his head.

"If you are a blue-clad barrier mage, you should be able to use 'field', right?"

"Yes, yes..."

"Then please expand your 'field' here. I want to teach this kid a lesson."

"Hey, give me a lesson?"

"That's right, let me, as the eldest brother, teach you the most basic fighting skills."

"Why do you think this statement makes me feel a little bit hairy..."

Wei Xi nodded obediently. Although she was still a little reluctant to use magic at the request of others, if it was to take in her Aika and Gurli, she thought there should be no problem.

Wei Xi held her hands in front of her chest, and a magic circle as pure white as her hair spread out at her feet.

Immediately afterwards, the figures of the three of them disappeared from the place in the blink of an eye.

…………

Aika didn't even have time to blink before she was stunned by the scenery that was quickly replaced in front of her.

All the tables, chairs, and bar in the tavern disappeared, and he was now standing on a vast ice field.

In the distance are endless snow peaks, and the empty ice field is like a silver-white tablecloth.

The biting cold wind made Aika shiver.

"Miss Wei Xi, although I am very grateful for your willingness to help...but why is it such a ghost environment?"

"Because I'm used to it...I'm sorry, I'll do it again..."

"Forget it, it would be a heavy burden for you to expand the 'field' repeatedly."

Aika turned her head and saw Geli complaining loudly to Wei Xi against the cold wind.

He didn't wear a windbreaker like Aika, which could barely keep out the cold. Instead, he only wore a short-sleeved shirt and beach shorts. The howling cold wind here must be like a sharp blade to Gurley.

Looking at this incredible scene, Aika couldn't help laughing.

"I wanted to teach you patiently, but I can't stand this kind of place..." Although Gurley said this, the figure walking towards Aika didn't seem to say it so coldly, "You're obsessed with magic. Pretend to summon it.”

Aika followed Gurley's request and injected magic power into the silver-white wrist wheel on his right wrist, summoning the two silver-white twin guns.

The familiar weight returned to her hands, making Aika feel an inexplicable sense of peace of mind.

"Don't think of the magical equipment as an ordinary magic machine, but feel its mood."

"How do you feel about the magic suit?"

"Didn't you say that you naturally mastered the use of magic equipment? With the same feeling of wanting to understand the magic equipment when you first came into contact with it, you tried to establish a spiritual communication with the magic equipment. Treat the magic suit as a human being like us.”

"The feeling of seeing the Fiery Eyes for the first time..."

Aika recalled the scene when she first received the Eye of Fiery Eyes from her father.

——Please take good care of me, Fiery Eyes!

Wearing the silver-white wrist wheel excitedly on your wrist shows your infinite curiosity about the partner who will always be by your side in the future.

——Aika, do you know? Hitomi has been by your side since you were born. It's just that I didn't give her to you until now, thinking that you wouldn't have the chance to use her.

——Being together since they were born...Are Fiery Eyes family members too?

——That's right, so you have to treat her like a family member.

Although until now, Aika still can't understand what his father said at that time. But he never used Fiery Eyes as an emotionless weapon, but regarded her as another silent companion on the journey.

So, Fiery Eyes, what kind of secret do you have?

Embracing the same feeling of discovery that he felt when he first met her, Aika's magic power was like a red thread, connecting him to the silver-white guns in his hands.

Closing his eyes, his eyes fell into darkness. But at this moment, several scenes passed through my mind like fragments of memory.

——The warm sunshine, the breeze with a light fragrance...

——The cherry blossom tree in full bloom, the pale pink petals flying in the wind...

——Under the cherry blossom tree, standing with his back to Aika, a hazy petite figure...

The passing memory fragments stopped abruptly, and Aika suddenly opened her eyes and returned to reality.

There is still a snowy ice field in front of me, and the beautiful scenery in my mind seems to be just a product of fantasy.

It only lasted less than a few seconds, but it made Aika unforgettable for a long time.

There seems to be a figure of a certain girl there...

"How's it going? Do you feel anything?"

Gurley, who had been observing Aika, saw him open his eyes and asked.

"Sorry, give me a little more time!"

Aika tried again without delay, but this time she could no longer see the beautiful scenery that looked like a paradise.

"Did you see something?"

"...Nothing, just a little distracted."

Perhaps, I just saw such a scenery somewhere when I was a child. The reason why I thought about it just now was probably because I recalled the mood when I first met the Fiery Eyes, and the childhood memories reappeared in my mind.

I don’t know if Gurley believed Aika, but he didn’t continue to ask.

"It also takes time for the magic costume and the holder to get used to it. The eldest lady of the Heinz family may know the 'Light Flame Sword' better. It doesn't matter if you can't feel your magic costume yet. I’m just telling you the gist.”

"Uncle Gurley, are you also a magic equipment holder?"

"How is it possible? How can a person like me, who works in a tavern to pay off debts, be such a big shot?" Gurley laughed without restraint, "It's just that I have met other magic equipment holders before, so I know a little bit about it. . But to be honest, I have never used magic equipment, so I can only let you try it yourself."

"That's pretty awesome..."

Gurley supported his wide-brimmed leather hat, which was blown askew by the biting cold wind, and continued to instruct Aika on how to use the magic equipment.

"I said before that I wanted to establish communication with the magic suit. You should have done it, right? You just feel that there is an invisible line connecting you to the magic suit."

Aika really felt this way when she saw the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms in bloom.

Although Gurley said that he had never used magic equipment personally, he did know magic equipment better than Aika, the magic equipment holder.

"Keeping this feeling and letting the body become familiar with the existence of the magic equipment is to achieve the so-called effect of one plus one being greater than two."

"Basically no problem."

The Fiery Eyes seemed to be tailor-made for Aika, and there was no sudden feeling at all.

But I had never realized the feeling of being connected to the Fiery Eyes before. Until Gurli reminded him like this, the feeling was indeed stronger than before.

"Then try attacking that mountain with all your strength."

Aika gave all his magic power to the blazing eyes in his hands, raised his two guns and aimed at the peak of the snow-capped mountains opposite.

The moment he pulled the trigger, the silver-white magic power turned into a sharp arrow and sped towards the distant mountain peak.

The next moment, the mountain peaks shined with the same silvery white light. Then, the loud noise came belatedly, and the ice field trembled slightly.

"..."

Aika felt the vibration under her feet and couldn't say a word for a long time.

Anyone could see that the attack just now was powerful enough to shake the earth. And Aika himself, who launched this attack, felt even more remarkable.

That is the power that comes from fully trusting the Fiery Eyes, entrusting everything to her, and being tightly connected to her.

"Stop lamenting and run. There's an avalanche."

"ah?"

Gurley patted Aika hard on the shoulder, bringing his consciousness back to reality. However, Aika hasn't reacted yet.

"I said it's an avalanche! It's normal for such a violent explosion to cause an avalanche in this environment! Miss Weixi, quickly put away the 'field', we are ready to go back!"

Geli said loudly to Wei Xi who seemed to be forgotten behind him, but there was no response from Wei Xi for a while.

The two turned their heads and discovered that Wei Xi seemed to have been knocked unconscious by the violent explosion caused by Aika, and fell on the ice field.

"Hey, hey, hey! Why did you lose your chain at such a critical place!" Gurley rarely showed a truly panicked expression. "If you die here, it will be the same in reality!"

"It's all because you want me to make such a big noise in the snowy mountain area!" Aika quickly hugged Wei Xi, whose eyes were still spinning, "Don't talk so much now, and think of a way to make Wei Xi run away while running." Let’s talk after Xi wakes up!”

The two men hugged the unconscious girl and started running wildly on the ice field that was so vast that they couldn't find their bearings. Behind them, the white torrent was rapidly closing the distance.

"What's going on...Wei Xi has already fainted. The supply of magic power here has been cut off, right? Why hasn't this barrier disappeared?"

Aika was already out of breath while holding Wei Xi. Although Wei Xi's weight was light enough that he would not be a burden to Aika at all, his physical strength declined rapidly due to the influence of the ice sheet climate.

"It seems that Miss Wei Xi's magic power is too powerful. Even if there is no magic power supply, the magic power overflowing in the coma state is enough to support the 'field'. But... I can't feel the cold now. I feel cold all over after exercising. It’s getting warm.”

"What the hell are you lamenting! You will soon turn into a cold corpse buried under the snow! I said you..."

However, Gurley's expression suddenly turned serious.

"Oops, I forgot something very important..." he said solemnly, as if the joke he had just made seemed to have never existed at all, "Miss Weixi must wake up immediately. Her magic power begins to move towards the 'realm' It’s overflowing, and if this continues, the Holy See will know our location immediately.”

"Isn't this what I should have thought of from the beginning! Even if you say this now..."

Although Aika only had a partial understanding of the seriousness that Gurli mentioned, she also knew that the top priority now was to wake up Wei Xi who had fallen into a coma.

The white-haired girl in her arms suddenly twisted her body uncomfortably, and then slowly opened her eyes.

"Great! Finally woke up..."

As soon as Wei Xi opened her eyes, she met Aika's gaze.

"Woo..."

Her cheeks slowly turned red, then she closed her eyes tightly and struggled in Aika's arms.

"Hey! Don't move! Hey!"

But Wei Xi couldn't hear Aika's words in her panic.

"I told you not to move! Ah! It's very dangerous!"

Her little hand accidentally blocked Aika's sight, and Aika's steps suddenly became chaotic.

The land of ice is not suitable for running, let alone running with a girl in your arms.

"Let me go, let me go!"

Wei Xi kept hitting Aika's chest in protest, although it didn't hurt at all.

"What are you two doing? If you want to flirt, go back alive first! Put away the 'field' quickly!"

Ge Li reminded Wei Xi loudly, but things would not go as he wished.

Aika felt that it was becoming more and more difficult for her to control her body's balance, and Wei Xi in her arms was still struggling disobediently. His center of gravity shifted and he accidentally slipped and fell on the ice.

There was a soft and warm feeling under her body, and the same feeling came from her lips.

Aika opened her eyes carefully, and Wei Xi's red face was very close at hand.

A fragrance that did not belong to this ice field emanated from the pure white hair scattered on the ice field. Aika's lips were pressed against Wei Xi's hot cheek.

Wei Xi just opened her watery eyes blankly, her body and mind becoming stiff at the same time.

The two people stayed in this posture and stopped.

Gurli also stopped running and was stunned.

But the white torrent behind them did not stop, pressing down on the three of them unstoppably...

…………