Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 7 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 6===

"—I am terribly sorry."

Back to the NIFL base, Mitsuki bowed her head deeply and apologized to Shinomiya-sensei.

The air was tense inside the dark operations room whose only illumination came from the monitors.

"No, you are not at fault. I didn't expect Kraken Zwei to resemble a human to such an unbelievable extent and for her face to be so similar to Miyako's... It is only natural you were unable to fire."

Shinomiya-sensei did not blame Mitsuki. She was looking at Kraken Zwei's appearance on the monitor.

Possessing hair of mithril she could control at will, she was the hybrid child between the Kraken and a D. Despite having the appearance of a young girl, she was a dragon that could even control dark matter as well.

Whether Mitsuki, as Shinomiya Miyako's best friend, or Shinomiya-sensei, her elder sister, neither of them could sever their ties so easily.

"But if only I had fired antimatter at the time... Kraken Zwei would have been taken out effortlessly—"

Her body shaking, Mitsuki bit her lip hard.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. We have already succeeded in sealing her movements with everyone's help. According to the results of NIFL's monitoring, Kraken Zwei seems to be showing no movements at the bottom of the hole. Even if she must be defeated sooner or later, we have ample time to strategize."

"That's right! Mitsuki-chan, you don't need to force yourself anymore!"

Iris clenched her fist tightly before her chest, speaking to Mitsuki in a strong tone of voice.

"Iris-san..."

"Mitsuki-chan, you should have a good rest first. Your face really looks unwell."

Just as Iris pointed out, Mitsuki's face was pallid and she looked like she was going to collapse any moment. Shinomiya-sensei agreed with Iris after looking at Mitsuki's face.

"She's right. Go rest. There is a nap room opposite from this room."

"But regarding our next move, as the captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, I must—"

"Mononobe Mitsuki, this is an order."

Mitsuki tried to argue but Shinomiya-sensei interrupted her with a commanding tone of voice.

"...Yes ma'am."

Reluctantly, Mitsuki could only nod affirmatively. With unsteady footsteps, she exited the operations room.

"Shinomiya-sensei..."

Unable to leave Mitsuki alone the way she was right now, I spoke up. Immediately, Shinomiya-sensei's expression showed comprehension of what I wanted to say. She nodded and motioned to the operations room's door with her eyes.

"Mononobe Yuu, you will stay at your sister's side for now."

"Thank you. Understood."

I followed her orders, only to see Ariella and the rest of the girls staring at me seriously.

"I've never seen Mitsuki like this. She might become unable to fight again if she isn't consoled properly at this time. Mononobe-kun, you must help her well."

"Onii-chan... Mitsuki is in your hands."

I nodded silently in response to Ariella and Ren.

"Mitsuki-chan definitely needs you... Mononobe, so you have to support her properly."

With slight sadness in her smile, Iris gave my back a push.

—Iris.

She probably had misgivings against fighting a dragon that had kept a human appearance, but even so, she still prioritized Mitsuki and me.

"Yeah... Don't overdo things yourself either, Iris."

After some hesitation, all I could say were such ordinary words of encouragement.

"Very well!"

Even so, Iris still smiled happily. Feeling a sharp pain in my heart, I walked out of the operations room.

I did not see Mitsuki in the corridor. She had probably entered the nap room.

Thinking that to myself, I opened the door to the room opposite the operations room but it was totally dark inside.

"Mitsuki?"

"—Nii-san?"

I felt relieved to hear her answer. Switching on the light, I walked over to the direction of her voice. Inside an area isolated behind curtains, I found Mitsuki sitting on the bed.

"Are you about to sleep? If that's the case, I'll switch off the light—"

I asked but MItsuki slowly shook her head.

"No... I cannot sleep right now, so there is no need to switch off the light. Nii-san... Did you come over because you are worried about me?"

Mitsuki smiled wryly and asked me with self-deprecation in her tone.

"Yeah."

"I am truly sorry... for causing you trouble, Nii-san. I must not act like this. Clearly I... resolved myself already..."

Mitsuki gripped the sheets on the mattress and looked down in chagrin.

"Hesitating in that kind of situation is only natural when you're human. Even if you possess the same power as a dragon, you don't have to change your mind into a monster too."

"But..."

"So-called resolve basically means giving up on something. There's nothing wrong with that and it's essential sometimes... But there are things that must not be cast away."

I spoke quietly while placing my hand on Mitsuki's head.

"I am currently thankful—Mitsuki, that you did not shoot earlier."

"Eh?"

Mitsuki stared at me, dumbfounded.

"Had you shot antimatter at the time, Mitsuki... You'd probably be in a nervous breakdown right now, and definitely broken to an irreparable degree."

To confirm whether Mitsuki's mind was not broken, I gently caressed her head.

"Mitsuki, you don't need to fight Kraken Zwei anymore. No, I won't let you fight."

"Nii-san... But—"

"No 'buts' so quit complaining. This is what I've decided as your ''brother''."

I ruffled Mitsuki's hair brusquely and took my hand off her head.

"...Do not suddenly go abusing a brother's authority just because your memories recovered slightly."

Mitsuki fixed her tousled hair while pouting unhappily.

"Say no more, just leave the rest to me. Even if we must fight her again, Iris, the rest of the class and I will find a way."

Mitsuki's shoulders shook when I mentioned Iris' name.

"I seem to be... shoving hardship on Iris-san all the time."

"It's not like that. Iris is taking on the task on her own will."

I corrected Mitsuki and she immediately made a wry smile.

"Indeed... The same applies to the matter of Nii-san. She decided Nii-san's feelings on her own, trying to yield Nii-san to me... Actually, she is clearly suffering greatly."

Mitsuki sighed deeply and stared at me with serious eyes.

"Please worry more about Iris-san than me, Nii-san. Because Iris-san is the one you love, Nii-san."

"...Mitsuki, you're the one who's deciding my feelings on your own."

Despite feeling aware of the wavering in the depths of my heart, I still retorted against Mitsuki.

"Looks like, Nii-san, you do not understand your own feelings. That way, you will not be able to protect Iris-san, you know?"

After saying that, Mitsuki stood up from the edge of the bed.

"...Mitsuki?"

She was glaring at me within a breath's range, making me feel troubled.

"Nii-san... Please kiss me."

"Huh?"

I was frozen in surprise. Before my eyes, Mitsuki closed her eyes and tilted her face upwards slightly.

"Nii-san, you will understand if you do it. Because right now, you already know what it feels like to kiss the one you love."

Mitsuki had witness my kiss with Iris, which was why she was saying this now...

"No way, asking me to kiss for the sake of comparing—"

"Please do not escape! I beg you, Nii-san..."

Mitsuki spoke to me in a pleading tone of voice. Hearing her words, I understood that Mitsuki had mustered all her courage. To her, this was surely something essential.

I stared at Mitsuki's face, waiting to be kissed. Her cheeks were blushing, slight tears seeped out of her tightly shut eyes, her cherry lips looked so soft with fiery breath escaping from between them. The sight was causing my heart to race.

"...As you wish."

So far, no matter when, I always responded to Mitsuki's demands. Three years ago, it was for Mitsuki's sake that I had fought Hekatonkheir.

Hence, I was going to respond to her this time too.

...Even if that kind of outcome was not what Mitsuki desired.

I drew my face near, closing the distance between me and Mitsuki. My heart was brimming with the feelings accumulated from our time as childhood friends, as family.

The moment before our lips touched, I understood. I treasured Mitsuki even more than my own life.

To confirm feelings that went beyond that, I was about to kiss Mitsuki.

I could hear the sound of my heartbeat from the depths of my body. Mitsuki's warm breath was reaching my face.

On Mitsuki's long eyelashes were glinting tears.

Closing in enough such that all I could see was her face, I closed my eyes too.

What remained was simply... closing the residual gap between us.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v07 219.jpg|thumb]]

—Purururururu.

However, a ringtone sounded from the side of the bed, dumping cold water on the heightened atmosphere.

Mitsuki and I opened our eyes in surprise.

"Eh... Kyah!?"

Seeing my face right before her eyes, Mitsuki went bright red. Leaning backwards, she fell on the bed entirely.

"Seems like an incoming call."

With embarrassed feelings, I pointed at Mitsuki's portable terminal on the bed.

"Y-Yes. Please bear with me for a moment. Oh... It is from Lisa-san."

Mitsuki answered in a stiff tone of voice then pressed the button on the terminal to pick up the call. Immediately, Lisa's face came on the screen.

'Mitsuki-san, bad news! Vritra is heading your way!'

Without any introductory explanation, Lisa spoke anxiously.

What—!?

My heart was beating intensely.

"Eh? Vritra...?"

Mitsuki showed a grave expression while she asked Lisa.

'Her target is you, Mitsuki-san! Please take precautions immediately!'

"You are saying her target is me...? Why? Even if Vritra were to act, her target ought to be Kili-san who has caught Kraken Zwei's eye—"

Mitsuki asked, perplexed.

We had already expected to some extent that Vritra might make some kind of move.

Hence that was why we had left Tia behind to monitor her. In front of Tia, Vritra could not use dark matter freely. Tia had said that she was able to steal dark matter just like Yggdrasil.

Furthermore, Kili herself was not an easy opponent.

Hence, I originally thought that Kili would be fine, but never did I expect Vritra to target Mitsuki—

'...Rather than handing a mate over, Vritra is apparently prioritizing the protection of the juvenile Kraken. Hence, that is why she is targeting you, Mitsuki-san, given your ability to generate antimatter!'

"In other words, we have no means of taking down Kraken Zwei once I am gone... That seems to be what she is thinking."

'Right, that is what I fear. Tia-san and Firill-san are currently chasing after—'

Mid-sentence, there was a massive rumbling and the building shook violently.

It was no earthquake. That was the sound of an explosion just now.

'...Looks like she has arrived.'

Right after Lisa remarked with a bitter expression, a loud siren began blaring in the NIFL base—

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