Layfon walked toward Queen Alsheyra. Holding the Heaven's Blade DITE, he held it out to her. "Thank you for letting me use this."

Queen Alsheyra moved her hand out to take it, but looking into Layfon's eyes, she hesitated. "Layfon, since you're here in Grendan for at least a moment, let me speak with you."

"As you wish, your Highness."

Walking off, the Heaven's Blade users all looked as they walked away from the group. Each did not seem to suspect anything, and shortly after left to carry on with their own business. Layfon followed obediently until the Queen stopped in a flowered field. Turning around, she looked at Layfon again. "Are you still not going to stay here? I know Leering would want that."

"I'm sorry but, given what I've done, I don't think it would be right."

"You know she's forgiven you? She just wants you here. And, I think you've earned the right to be a Heaven's Blade user again."

"I thank you Queen Alsheyra, but I still haven't forgiven myself. It is my shame to have betrayed my station. Even if I thought it was best, even if I just wanted to give money to the orphanage, that doesn't changed what I did. To this day, I'm still not sure of what I'm doing. I fight because I'm needed. Beyond that, I don't know what I want. Whether it's to be left alone, to be or do something, I'm unsure what it is that would make me happy. It is that indecision that shows me I haven't finished what I was meant to do in my exile. In truth, I do not know if I should even return to Zuellni."

"Layfon..." Before she could finish, a royal aide walked up to the Queen.
"Your Highness, you have some pressing matters that need to be attended to."

With an irked smile, turned to the aide trying to compose herself. "I will be a moment. Now, do not disturb me again. Is that clear?"

The aide nodded continuously and ran away quickly at hearing the anger in her voice. Layfon stood still staring at the Queen calmly as he looked out of the dome of the Regios. Noticing the barren wasteland that was outside, feeling the loneliness it stood for in his heart.

"Layfon, I understand your plight. I do. I hope that you find what you're looking for, but I hope you know that Grendan will always be your home. You're welcome whenever you're ready. And, to ensure you return, I want you to hold onto the Heaven's Blade. Is that understood, Wolfstein?"

"Thank you, Queen Alsheyra. But are you sure? Surely having only 11 of the 12 Heaven's Blade users would not be good."

"You are on an official mission, Wolfstein. You are to regain yourself, and that is an order. So, is there anything else you would like to question me about?" Her face was glaring at Layfon now. Her look was the conveyance of absolute power.

Swallowing, Layfon nodded. "Yes your Highness. Your servant shall follow this order out perfectly."

With a kind smile on her face now, she stepped closer to Layfon. "Excellent. Now, run along. But remember, you have to come home." With that declaration, Queen Alsheyra kissed Layfon on the cheek and walked away to where her aide was waiting patiently.

Layfon turned towards the bridge that would take him back to Zuellni. The two cities had merchants exchanging goods as the Military Artists kept watch, notifying the merchants the separation of the cities would be occurring in ten minutes.

Returning to Zuellni, Layfon headed straight for his room to rest for the rest of the day. Having defeated so many of the contaminated had definitely been a great victory for both Regios, but it was a very exhausting task. Walking solemnly, Layfon looked at his Psyharden DITE and Heaven's Blade, rethinking his past. He could feel the burdens each had laid before him, and he remembered how he failed to meet their expectations. Making it to the dorm, he noticed someone waiting at the front. Nina seemed to have been waiting for him for some time. Finally seeing him, she pushed off the wall and walked over to him.

"Layfon, where have you been?"

"Queen Alsheyra wanted to speak with me, so I was over in Grendan for awhile. Having you been waiting for me?"

"Well, just a little. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. It was a long battle and you took off against the flying one on your own."

"I'm alright. Just thinking a bit, that's all."

"Thinking? About what?"

"Just stuff. It's nothing that big. I'm just gonna rest for now." Layfon started walking into the dorm when he felt someone pull on his sleeve. "Nina?"

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Don't shut me out. We're close right? You should be able to talk to me about anything. Right?"

"Nina." Layfon could see the desperation in her eyes as she stood in front of him. Her hands were clenched, and her face seemed to be holding back tears. "Are you okay Nina?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine, really. But, I just want to know that you're okay. You have that look on your face like something is bothering you, but you're hiding it. I just want to help you, because you help me so much."

Layfon nodded slowly and then started walking through the dorm doors as Nina watched him leave. "Come on. We can talk better in my room."

Nina nodded and followed him quickly.

In Layfon's room, he offered Nina his desk chair while Layfon sat on the bed's edge. Pulling out his DITEs, he placed them on the bed next to him and took a long sigh before looking at Nina.

"You know that I came from Grendan, right? That I used to be one of the Heaven's Blade users and was exiled at some point?"

Nina nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"The thing is, I did something shameful. The end result wasn't shameful, but I did something that I should not have done. It resulted in my exile, and that was why I came here on a scholarship. It was the only place that would accept me based on my test scores, considering I had no intention of being in the Military Arts. I believe everything from that point, you know."

Nina continued to listen, understanding the non-specific things he was saying, hoping that he might continue to reveal what was done, or what he was going to do.

"During my time here, I was hoping to find myself and my place. To earn forgiveness for my actions, and perhaps I would get out of this indecision with myself. As it is, I don't know if I'm any closer to finding that."

"But Layfon, it hasn't been that long, has it? I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for if you just keep going. And as you move forward, it'll come to you. I'm sure of it."

"Perhaps, but Nina, I don't know if that is something I can do here. I relish the idea of being needed, of being useful to others. However, I believe that is what plagues me. To determine my self-worth through the eyes of others is what drives me. In doing so, I haven't been able to define what it is I want with life, nor does it help me to be any sort of person."

"Layfon, are you thinking of leaving?"

This time, it was Layfon that nodded. His solemn nod conveyed his sadness, though he had to let her know it was what he was thinking about. He wanted to honor their friendship at least that much, even though he knew it would be painful to do so.

Nina sat there with her mouth still open, trying to mouth what she wanted to say. She could feel tears welling in her eyes. After all they had been through, she still was not able to convey her feelings. It would have been easier if Layfon had any inkling on the feelings of others, but at it was, Layfon was the sort of earnest person who was only responsive to directness. In that regard, she was alright that he was that way, but it did not make it any easier to say how she felt about him. But still, she sat there trying to muster the courage to say something, anything to convince him to stay. And more importantly, to stay with her.

"Nina, I haven't made up my mind yet, though. It seems as though it would be better for me to leave though, but I haven't made the final decision. I just wanted you to know, because I do value our friendship. For now though, I think I'll just take a nap and see you at work later. Is that okay?"

"Sure Layfon. You must be exhausted. I'll see you later, okay?

"Sure. Later."

Now in the depths of Zuellni, Nina and Layfon were working hard cleaning up the inner workings of the Regios. For some time since Layfon came in, they worked in silence. Layfon's mind was still running through his thoughts to try and determine what the best course of action would be. Nina, looking at Layfon occasionally, was still trying to gather her courage. Her thoughts began to dwell on whether or not her confession would warrant him to stay or leave. She even began to fear if he would reject her. Over all their time together, she had to admit that this young man was like no other. To her, he was unique in every way, and it was in each way that she liked him. His attitude, strength, appearance; everything was ideal to her. She remembered when they first met, how she looked up to his strength. And even now, she would think about it and smile. But now, with all that had happened, she thought of him as more than just a friend, but as a companion she treasured.

Her thoughts began to wonder at this point. She started to think of whether his lips would be soft against her own. Or what it would feel like with his strong hands holding hers. More and more, she began to imagine being intimate with Layfon. She could feel her cheeks reddening as she began to stop working.

"Are you okay Nina?"

Jolted from her mind, Nina tripped backwards. Her broom luckily fell to her feet, but as she stumbled, Layfon caught.

"Nina?"

"Layfon! I'm sorry. I was deep in thought. Sorry about that."

"It's okay. Just be careful."

She stood again, her cheeks red with embarrassment now. She continued doing her job again, still no able to say what she wanted to Layfon. Their job continued that way until lunch.

Sitting together, Layfon sat quietly eating his food, looking out into the bowels of their city still caught in thought. Nina, slowly ate her food while looking down. The anxiety within her continued to eat at her. But, finally mustering her courage, she turned to Layfon with a serious face.

"Layfon."

Layfon snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Nina. "Yeah?"

"Don't go."

Layfon sat silently thinking Nina was going to continue. But, hearing her say that, Layfon calmed down a bit. He could see she was serious about him not leaving. But, he wasn't sure why.

"Please Layfon. I know you have your past, and I won't pry into something you don't want me to. But, I want you to stay here on Zuellni."

"Nina...thank you."

Nina calmed down a bit and gave a small smile. It felt good hearing him say that. She thought it might have been enough, until he spoke again.

"I do want to stay here. I like being here with everyone from the platoon, as well as being able to be here with everyone else. The thing is though, I think it might be something that I have to do, Nina. I hope that if I do, I can come back here. And when I do come back, I'll be here for real. Do you know what I mean?"

Nina followed each word, hoping somewhere in the speech it would be acknowledgement of her request to stay here. But, as it became that he had decided, she felt deflated. "Why Layfon? Please tell me why?"

"As it is Nina, I don't feel like I know where I want to be. Whether I belong here or Grendan, or whether I am supposed to be doing this or that. I'm happy at times, but others, I feel this emptiness. I just want to know myself better. To find that disconnection between how I am, and who I am in battle. I hope you understand, and I hope you know I will come back."

Nina could only nod. She could honestly say she didn't know, though she could suppose from the way Layfon acted that there was more to him. And as he admitted it, she could only swallow her thoughts about him, and hope in the end when he returned, he might see her differently. Hoping that the way she would see him would be the same way she looked at him.

Leaving the job, Layfon headed home. The rest of the shift ended without issue, but Nina tried to talk a little about this and that, trying to converse with him even though she was upset. Layfon felt a little guilty knowing that what he was doing was selfish, but he wanted to fill that emptiness, and try to become someone who could overcome his struggles with honor and dignity. And as he made it home, he gathered his DITEs and walked out the door with his necessities, and a single special suit he had requested.

This suit was fit to survive in the wastes, but also had composite armor to help protect him against the filth monsters. He carried his 3 DITEs, just in case. But, with his Adamant, he had Harley tweak it.

Harley was overexcited to have the chance to analyze the Heaven's Blade that Layfon was given. In doing so, he was able to unlock certain aspects of the DITE that could be transferred over. In addition, Layfon asked that his Heaven's Blade be changed into a Katana. Knowing he was leaving the protection of cities, he wanted to be able to grasp the Katana without feeling the overwhelming shame. The result of Harley's changes allowed him to have the Katana Heaven's Blade, and to upgrade his Adamant so it could now absorb a lot more Kei.

Outside of the city, he traded some of his items out and used his savings to pay for transportation outside of the Regios. It was a simple motorcycle that could traverse the treacherous terrain, but was also easy to maintain. Driving out, he looked back to the Regios and couldn't help but feel a little sad. With the sadness in mind, he felt his resolve focus on his charge. And with that, Layfon left the city, his figure fading into the horizon.