Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 10 Chapter 1

After opening countless partitions, we finally reached the elevator.

Was it due to the defense emergency? With doors shut, the elevator was not operational. However, this was also resolved by having Tia hack the system. We got into the cramped elevator car and made our way to the clock tower's top floor.

"Is the principal... still in her usual room?"

Iris murmured worriedly.

"It's possible that she went elsewhere... But anyway, let's check first."

Although I felt that she should be in her office or personal room, it was also possible for her to be at the command center or the underground shelter. Considering our objective of finding the principal before Ariella did, checking the principal's office first was the best option.

"We might suddenly encounter NIFL's forces and Ariella-san. Please prepare yourselves to fight, everyone."

After Mitsuki reminded in a sharp tone of voice, everyone generated their respective fictional armaments.

"—AT Nergal."

Considering this was going to be anti-personnel combat, I used transmutation to create a projectile-based electroshock gun instead of a fictional armament.

Holding the gun's solid grip with both hands, I waited for the moment for us to arrive at the top floor.

With a light electronic sound, the elevator stopped.

"I will generate an air barrier."

Firill took a step forward and placed her hand on her book-shaped fictional armament.

"Generating air in a narrow space will increase air pressure dramatically. Please construct the barrier concurrent with the door's opening."

"Yes, I understand."

Firill nodded to acknowledge Mitsuki's reminder. The moment the elevator doors opened, intense wind blew. This was probably the barrier Firill erected by generating a large volume of air.

At the same time, I raised Nergal in case enemies appeared. However, there were no signs of anyone on the other side of the elevator doors.

"We worried needlessly..."

After Lisa murmured while looking down the empty corridor, Firill lowered her hand in relief. Was it because the barrier was released? The wind suddenly stopped.

"—Let's go."

I took the lead and walked out of the elevator, then stopped in front of the principal's office at the end of the corridor

There were no signs of a prior battle nearby. Neither was there any killing intent coming from the room. Concluding that NIFL had yet to reach this place, I cautiously knocked the door.

"Charl, it's me."

I waited for the other side to respond.

"....."

Some kind of weak voice seemed to answer, but I could not hear it clearly. Furthermore, I could hear what appeared to be moaning sounds mixed in there, causing anxiety to sprout spontaneously in my heart.

"Hmm—I'm coming in."

Announcing one-sidedly, I opened the door and was met by a strong smell of blood. The red scene before my eyes stunned me.

Charlotte was sitting in her chair as usual in the back of her office. However, there was a knife stabbed in her chest. The blood pouring out was dyeing her lab coat red.

Blood was spreading on the floor, producing a massive pool of blood. It was hard to imagine that such a volume had bled from her slender body.

"Principal!?"

Mitsuki suddenly called out. On the other hand, Iris and Firill simply stood there without saying a word.

"—Don't look!"

Lisa covered Tia and Ren's eyes. Jeanne also led Shion away to stand in the back of our group.

[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v10 045.jpg|thumb]]

"Damn it!"

Gnashing my teeth, I stepped into the room.

Did I... arrive a step too late!?

Filled with anxiety, I ran over to Charlotte's side, hoping there ought to be some way to save her. However—

"...Stay away. Don't worry."

With a knife stabbed in her chest, Charlotte stopped me with her hoarse voice. Possibly because talking had caused blood to enter her windpipe, she coughed repeatedly with red droplets of blood flowing out from the corner of her mouth.

"Charl... Are you okay?"

"This isn't enough to kill me. Didn't I tell you before that I'm immortal?"

Charlotte opened her eyes, which had been shut, and smiled.

"Well... That's true indeed..."

I answered in a stutter.

I knew about Charlotte's ability. She had used it to cure me of injuries that would have taken months to recover from. As someone who had entered a blood pact with Charlotte, Shinomiya-sensei had survived a fatal wound. Charlotte herself should be even more "immortal" than that.

However, during our fight, Ariella had clearly said she was going to kill Charlotte. Not only was her combat style was overwhelming but she also seemed to possess something similar in quality to Hreidmar and "Fafnir." In addition, this forcibly imposed inspection was definitely one of Major Loki's plots.

No matter how immortal Charlotte was, there was no guarantee that she would be fine for sure.

Major Loki had ordered me to kill Charlotte... Seeing as that was his objective, it was highly likely that he had prepared multiple backup plans.

"Hmm—It looks like you came to check on me because you were truly worried about me. Thank you, my friend."

After speaking happily, Charlotte pulled out the knife from her chest. Although blood spurted out, it stopped immediately as soon as she applied pressure to the wound.

Standing behind me, Mitsuki and the girls were all holding their breath, extremely worried. Although they had previously heard that Charlotte was a dragon, it was only natural to be shocked when personally witnessing her regenerative powers.

"This knife... You stabbed yourself with it?"

It was the only conclusion based on the scene. I asked in puzzlement.

"Indeed. I needed a bit of blood."

"Blood?"

I looked at the pool of blood on the floor. Upon closer examination, I saw a hole in the floor. Flowing downwards, the blood was draining in that direction.

"My authority takes effect by using bodily fluids as a medium. Consequently, I need a large amount of fresh blood in order to use my ability on a massive scale."

"...I get the reason. But isn't there any other way? Even if it'll heal, it hurts like hell, right?"

Recalling how painful Charlotte looked earlier, I frowned.

"It definitely hurts, but this is the quickest method. My body will recover instantly even if wounded. Well, I guess it looks like I'm forcibly getting the blood out. Now, putting that aside—"

She placed the bloodstained knife on the table and looked at Mitsuki and the girls standing at the door.

"What's the matter? The fact that all of you have come out from underground implies that something must have happened."

Mitsuki and the girls looked at one another then walked into the principal's office.

"Hmm... No, not all of you. One person is missing."

Charlotte seemed to notice Ariella's absence. She questioned me with her gaze, so I explained.

"Ariella has probably met up with NIFL's forces by now and is heading this way."

"...What is going on here?"

Charlotte's expression turned grim as I told her about what had happened.

After learning the cause of Ariella's betrayal, Charlotte crossed her arms with a serious look on her face.

"I see... That person—"

"Yeah—But to the very end, Ariella still cared for Ren. There must be a reason why she's colluding with NIFL."

I touched Ariella's ribbon in my shirt pocket through my clothing.

This ribbon was apparently her first present from Ren, which was why she had given it to me before she soiled her hands.

Although she told me to return the ribbon to Ren, I had no intention of agreeing to her request. I believed that this ribbon should be handed back to Ariella rather than being given back to Ren.

"I don't think Ariella would spread information that will endanger Ren... But it's possible for NIFL to calculate our position based on communications. That's why we all came here."

After I explained, Charlotte passed her gaze back and forth over us.

"I now know what transpired. However—This place is probably the most dangerous, you know? Selected by my friend, you all have dragon marks whose color has changed. If NIFL soldiers, ignorant of the situation, were to discover you, how might they treat you to prevent you from getting targeted by a dragon..."

"No need to worry about that. The dragon marks of everyone here have stopped changing color because we have made contact with Nii-san. Ariella-san is the only one who has yet to touch Nii-san."

After Mitsuki answered on everyone's behalf, Charlotte looked at me in wide-eyed surprise.

"M-My friend... You're amazing. I never expected so many of them were willing to accept the risks and make contact with you..."

I was slightly frightened by her intent starting.

"W-What's wrong...?"

"Nothing. This development is a result of your masculine charm. Although I still haven't discerned anything yet—Hmm, what part exactly is tugging at the heartstrings of the maidens?"

Charlotte leaned forward and examined me up close.

Her blue eyes, as beautiful as a pure fairy's, glimmered with curiosity while her expression changed.

Her breath was blowing on my face, causing my cheeks to grow hot.

"Ch-Charl, you're too close."

"Oh—S-Sorry. Went on a tangent there."

Blushing slightly, Charlotte coughed deliberately.

"Ahem... I now know that you are no longer in danger due to dragon marks changing in color—Is it really okay for them to be here, those who must not be seen by NIFL?"

Charlotte looked at Shion, Jeanne and Vritra.

Although Shion had become human, she was originally a juvenile Kraken managed under an Asgard lab. It would be nothing surprising even if NIFL demanded the extradition of Jeanne, their former member, together with Shion.

Furthermore, it would be nothing surprising to regard the matter of harboring Vritra, currently in a captive state, as a massive act of betrayal against mankind.

I was fully aware of these risks. However—

"There'll be no way to respond in an emergency if we separate the targets requiring protection. It's still better for Shion and the others to be with you, Charl."

"You wish to protect me...?"

Charlotte asked in surprise.

"Since I know you're being targeted, that goes without saying, right?"

Wondering why she was so surprised, I nodded at the same time.

Next, Charlotte sighed deeply and looked at me questioningly.

"Are you—truly sure?"

"Huh?"

I was puzzled by her solemn tone of voice.

"Ariella Lu decided to kill me even at the cost of betraying all of you. Did it occur to you that she might be fully justified?"

"......"

I could not answer immediately. Major Loki had warned me that Charlotte was about to commit a grave sin. She was apparently admitting to this herself.

Hence, I did not think that Charlotte was merely a victim. Even so—even if Charlotte was in the wrong, what I needed to do had not changed.

"They are separate matters."

Without responding directly to Charlotte's question, that was how I answered.

"Separate matters?"

"Right now, Charl, your life is being targeted, so I have to protect you. However—once I know that you're up to something bad, of course I'll do everything I can to stop you. Both are matter-of-fact actions I'd take as a friend. There's no contradiction."

That was what I told Charlotte. I was simply making my own decision from the standpoint of a friend.

Charlotte stared at me blankly for a while before smiling at me.

"Hoo—Indeed, that's the kind of person you are, my friend. It looks like I've failed to recognize that clearly."

Shrugging, she slowly stood up from her seat and raised her hand casually.

Next, ripples appeared on the surface of the pool of blood on the floor. Then the blood turned into spheres like bubbles and hovered in the air.

At the same time, as though getting washed out, the red color was being sucked away from her bloodstained lab coat.

The blood gathered on Charlotte's palm. Smaller red bubbles gathered together, expanding into a large ball of blood.

When all blood had disappeared from the floor and her clothing, a bowling ball-sized sphere of blood was formed in front of Charlotte.

Witnessing this scene, Mitsuki and the girls whispered among themselves behind me.

"This red blood is precisely my authority. Having prepared this, allow me to tell you all what I am about to do."

Following the ball of blood floating in the air, Charlotte opened a window in the office.

Outside was a sparkling starry night and Midgard in darkness.

Although I knew late night was approaching, it still felt subtly reassuring to actually see the scenery outside the window. Having spent some time underground with the sky out of sight, my sense of time had grown ambiguous

"Come to me and take a good look outside."

Charlotte reached out and called us to the window.

The Midgardsormr defense system, currently surfaced, was impossible to distinguish from the horizon due to the darkness. Apart from the illuminated campus, all other places were shrouded under the canopy of the night.

However, there were multiple weak light source in the darkness that kept flashing. Flashing light sources appeared intermittently around the school.

"Muzzle flashes from firearms... Is a battle going on?"

I gasped and asked. In response, Charlotte nodded.

"Currently, the Dragon Subjugation Squad is in charge of generating walls of air and electromagnetic barriers around various Midgard facilities to prevent NIFL's invasion. The fighting over there is taking place outside the barriers."

After Charlotte explained, Mitsuki spoke up frantically.

"The Dragon Subjugation Squad has entered the fray!? In that case, I must take charge of command as the captain—"

"Don't panic. Haruka is in command and the Dragon Subjugation Squad is only deploying barriers without fighting. These kind-hearted girls are unable to attack humans to begin with."

Charlotte smiled wryly while she spoke. However, a burning question began to spread among us.

"Then who is NIFL fighting, may I ask?"

Lisa asked on everyone's behalf. Charlotte stopped smiling and answered in a calm voice.

"''The NIFL soldiers under my control''."

"What...?"

The unexpected answer made Lisa at a loss for words. Meanwhile, Charlotte continued with a grave expression.

"NIFL broke Midgardsormr's final defense line using artillery bombardment. It was afternoon today when they executed a fully armed landing on Midgard. At the the time, I secured Midgard's right to legitimate self-defense by controlling a solider to open fire, thus refusing them entry into the school facilities. And right now, using those under my control to spread the 'infection' of my blood, roughly one third of NIFL's deployed soldiers are under my control. They're the ones currently fighting."

After listening to Charlotte, Kili remarked sarcastically with aloofness.

"Directing and acting out a script of your own to start a battle and even making them slaughter one another, how cruel of you. As expected of the dragon that rules humanity."

"—I know this not behavior befitting a human. Those who fall under my control can obtain temporary immortality, turning them into undefeatable monsters to assault their comrades. This is probably not a sight you guys can accept readily."

Charlotte spoke in self-loathing while peering at the reactions of Mitsuki and the others. Were they imagining the battles taking place in the darkness with flashes of gunfire? Everyone looked a bit timid in expression.

However, Mitsuki took a step forward as though encouraging herself and said:

"To be honest, I have no idea whether what you are doing is correct, Principal. However... We must stall for time until the inspection order is rescinded, just as we initially planned..."

Listening to Mitsuki, Charlotte shrugged slightly.

"Judging from the fact that NIFL damaged Midgardsormr to charge in, they intend to seize evidence of my being 'mankind's enemy' in order to eliminate me. Although, preparations are under way to rescind the order... Those guys are probably not going to pull back. Even if Asgard orders them to withdraw, they won't leave obediently."

"I-In that case, how do you intend to resolve this situation, Principal?"

Mitsuki asked in a panic.

Indeed, if rescinding the order was pointless, then we currently had no means of breaking out of the current predicament.

"This is war between NIFL and me. War will not end until either side has completely subjugated the other. Hence, I intend to put everyone from NIFL under my 'control,' including the fleet along the shore"

Charlotte motioned to the hovering ball of blood with her gaze and answered.

"That's why you need a large volume of blood...?"

Looking at the blood sphere and the hole in the floor where the blood had flowed, I uttered quietly in a hoarse voice.

"Yes. But this is still not enough. In other words, victory in this war depends on whether I can collect enough blood first or if NIFL arrives first. Hnece, it's time for me to start 'collecting blood' again."

Moving away from the window, Charlotte returned to her chair and picked up her knife.

"You're stabbing yourself again...?"

Seeing the knife's sharp glint, Tia asked in a trembling voice.

"loOks pAiNful..."

Shion cowered in fear behind Jeanne's back.

"Oh right—Sorry. This scene is a bit too hardcore for young girls. Those who don't want to watch should enter the inside room. Well.. That is, if you're still not afraid of me after hearing all that just now—"

Charlotte smiled in self-deprecation while looking at everyone to test our response.

Mitsuki and the girls exchanged glances in confusion before all looking in my direction.

"We will leave the decision to Nii-san's judgment. Among us, Nii-san is the one who knows you best, Principal."

Iris, Lisa and the others nodded in agreement. After deliberating in a dilemma for a while, I cautiously chose my words.

"My opinion remains the same. Charl, you just said this is a war between you and NIFL—But to us, it's a battle to save Ariella and protect you, Charl. That's why our best choice is to hide Shion and Jeanne here while the rest of us wait for Ariella."

Mitsuki smiled with satisfaction after I presented my viewpoint.

"—Our policy is thus decided. Well then, Jeanne-san and Shion-san, please enter the inner room first. Oh, Vritra-san, you too, please."

"Understood."

Carrying Shion on her back, Jeanne made her way to Charlotte's private room. Vritra looked at Charlotte as though she had something to say, but in the end, she followed Jeanne without uttering a word.

Having confirmed they had left, Mitsuki coughed and said to us.

"Now then, let us discuss our battle plan. Please do not mind us and feel free to begin your blood collection, Principal."

"W-Wait, you guys—"

Were developments unfolding unexpectedly? Charlotte stood up from her chair in puzzlement.

"Don't forget that I'm the monster that rules over mankind and uses humans as pawns. Disregarding my friend, who's a nice guy to a fault, don't any of you fear me?"

Listening to Charlotte's question, Iris and the others looked troubled. Then hesitating, they said:

"Because... You're the principal, after all."

Iris scratched her cheek and answered.

"It doesn't feel real even if I called you scary right now."

Firill replied with head tilted.

"Judging from the way you act normally, you are not someone who engages in abject villainy."

After Lisa shrugged wryly, Tia nodded in agreement.

"Tia doesn't think the principal is a bad person!"

Next, Ren concurred in a feeble voice:

"But... She apparently steals underwear."

"Well, that is as far as the worst goes."

Mitsuki added a comment that sounded quite mean.

Leaving her opinion to the end, Kili shrugged with indifference.

"Having become Yuu's mate, I am now Neun, right? There's no reason for me to fear Acht."

Neun was a reference to the ninth counterdragon that had come into existence to resist a monumental calamity. I had heard that from Tia and Vritra. The "Gray" Vampire was the counterdragon born to handle the eighth calamity, "humanity," which was why Kili was calling her Acht, or the eighth.

However, there was still no concrete evidence to prove that I was Neun—

"So this is the result of my everyday behavior huh..."

Listening to everyone, Charlotte sighed in disappointment.

"Indeed. No need to worry, we'll protect you."

Smiling wryly, I patted Charlotte on the shoulder.

"—Understood. Since you've said this much already, I will count on all of you."

Apparently freed from many mental impasses, Charlotte smiled cheerfully at us.

"Currently, NIFL has dispatched unmanned weaponry, which I cannot control. It's possible they may include units equipped with the power to break through the Dragon Subjugation Squad's barriers. Top priority must be given to preventing underground invasions, but surface defenses also need to be bolstered."

Hearing her request, Tia immediately raised her hand energetically.

"If it's machines, Tia will hack them all!"

Having seen how Tia had handled the partitions earlier, we nodded. Left to Tia, the unmanned weaponry would probably all become neutralized in a moment's time.

At this moment, Mitsuki suddenly posed a question to Tia as though it had suddenly occurred to her.

"Perhaps—in addition to the unmanned weaponry, are you able to hack the fleet surrounding Midgard?"

If that were possible, NIFL could be controlled even without Charlotte exercising her authority.

However, Tia shook her head sadly.

"Tia can only affect nearby objects using electrical interference. There is a method to increase the interference range, but..."

Tia explained in a quandary.

Speaking of which, Yggdrasil's interference range was also limited. It had expanded its interference range by extending the branches from its trunk—

"And the method is...?"

Head tilted, Firill urged Tia to continue.

"Moving Yggdrasil's CPU into a tree on Midgard and letting it grow big. That'll enable long-distance interference. But it's very time consuming and will surely cause a large commotion."

Tia frowned and explained the reason.

"That's true... If the same kind of absurd tree appeared here as in Japan, it'll undoubtedly cause misunderstandings."

Even if it could suppress NIFL for now, the world would seal away Midgard because of Yggdrasil's revival.

"Also, it'll definitely block off sunlight. I like my hair to dry naturally without using blow dryers, so it'll be a bit of a nuisance."

Iris' worries were quite off the mark.

"I could help you out if the shade causes temperatures to drop—No wait, Iris-san, now is not the appropriate time to discuss this matter, is it?"

Lisa shrugged in exasperation.

"Wow... A tsukkomi retort. Your studying of Japanese culture for Mononobe-kun's sake is bearing fruit."

Firill praised Lisa with a thumbs-up. Blushing, Lisa waved her hands.

"No... That was just unintentional—Listen here, Mononobe Yuu! Firill-san was just joking, so do not take her seriously!"

"O-Okay."

Overwhelmed by Lisa's forceful stares, I nodded.

"Off topic."

Ren reminded quietly, prompting Lisa to cough in embarrassment.

[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v10 063.jpg|thumb]]

"...Goodness gracious. My apologies for being in a bit of fluster. Summing up, expanding Tia-san's interference range would be very difficult. In that case, we will have to allow the unmanned weaponry to come close."

Forcibly returning to the subject, Lisa looked at Tia in worry. Understanding Lisa's concerns, Mitsuki nodded.

"In terms of safety considerations, Tia-san must exit the barriers in order to approach the unmanned weaponry. In that case, she will be vulnerable and we will need an extra bodyguard"

"Leave this task to me then."

Lisa volunteered to be Tia's bodyguard without any hesitation at all

"Tia is very reassured to have Lisa coming!"

Tia bounced up and down happily, but suddenly, her expression changed. I stared at her in doubt.

"Oh, but... Since you have to fight Ariella, it's better for Tia to stay with Yuu."

"Oh right—If you're there, Tia, you can obstruct Ariella's use of transmutation."

Holding my hand against the corner of my mouth, I pondered.

Tia was able to hack more than machines. Since human thoughts were transmitted using electrical signals too, she was capable of interfering in dark matter, whose generation was a product of mental resonance.

Naturally, as with machinery, there was a limit to interference range., but in an unavoidable battle against Ariella, having Tia on my side would be very advantageous.

While I was deliberating over what to do, Charlotte spoke up.

"It will take more time until NIFL reaches here from underground. Why not take as much control of the unmanned weaponry on the ground as possible first then go underground to intercept them?"

Hearing Charlotte's suggestion, Mitsuki nodded firmly.

"Indeed, that would be better. However, defenses on the ground surface must not weaken during underground transit. Who will fill the gap in defenses on the ground to take Tia's place after she departs?"

Mitsuki asked while looking at us. Next, Firill raised her dainty hand.

"Leave it to me. After all, Ariella and I were always in charge of defense."

While saying Ariella's name, Firill looked at me.

"...Mononobe-kun, I leave Ariella in your hands."

"Yes, don't worry."

I nodded solemnly at Firill.

"In that case, there will no issue on the surface... I shall take take command as the captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad as well..."

Mitsuki murmured while glancing at me sideways with blinking eyes. Seeing her like that, Lisa sighed lightly.

"Mitsuki-san, if you are worried about Mononobe Yuu, why not go along with him? The principal has handed command of the Dragon Subjugation Squad to Shinomiya-sensei, so our side will be fine."

"I, umm, well..."

Mitsuki frantically shifted her gaze back and forth between Lisa and me, then lowered her head shyly.

"...Very well, it is decided. Thank you, Lisa-san."

Mitsuki answered in a feeble voice.

"Yes. Do your best too. Well then, Tia-san and Firill-san, let us depart."

Calling the two girls, Lisa opened the window in the principal's office and walked into the balcony.

"Good luck, everyone!"

Iris waved to them. After nodding back at her, Lisa's group flew into the night sky.

After they disappeared into the darkness, Charlotte turned to look at us.

"The situation underground is under close monitoring in the command center. They will contact us as soon as NIFL trespasses into dangerous territory. Until then, you should rest in that room there and not move around for no reason."

Charlotte pointed at the room where Jeanne and the others had entered

Just as Charlotte pointed out, there was no way to decide where we should wait on standby until NIFL's invasion route was confirmed. Ariella would probably be the first to reach the clock tower. Thinking that, I replied affirmatively to Charlotte.

"—Got it. However, I've something to talk with you about, Charl."

"Something to talk about?"

Looking straight at Charlotte, who was tilting her head in surprise, I nodded firmly.