Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 13 Chapter 1

Status: Incomplete

Chapter 1 - The Naglfar in Pursuit

Part 1

"Mitsuki, it's in sight."

With Miyako-san holding my hand, we flew at high altitude for approximately three hours.

I—Mononobe Mituski—arrived within visual confirmation of the unknown territory at North Africa.

The sun had set and countless stars were twinkling in the sky. However, a piece of the night sky had been gouged out by the top of the towering dome of "darkness" ahead.

"Already... I see, huh?"

Without assisting in flying, simply deploying an air barrier to stave off the wind, I murmured in disbelief.

The journey probably would have taken thrice as long if relying on the transmutation of air. Speaking of which, because the journey was too fast, I still had yet to prepare myself mentally.

"How about taking a break nearby?"

As though reading my mind, Miyako-san pointed at the ground. The iridescent halo over her head glowed faintly.

Even with only moonlight and starlight for illumination, it was still possible to discern the terrain to some extent.

Trees were growing sparsely on the undulating land. There was a lake further up ahead with a small vilage next to it.

Miyako-san lowered her flying speed and altitude, stopping over the village. Even though she was not pulling me, I remained floating gently in the sky.

It was like entering a zone of zero gravity. My hair and skirt were also floating on their own.

"...Good advice. Perhaps there is a 'true dragon' in that unknown territory too. Some preparation is in order."

Looking at the deserted village, I nodded. Since the unknown territory was visible from here, the villagers had presumably evacuated.

"Got it. Oh, but if you're worried about fighting, that's unnecessary."

While landing, Miyako-san smiled cheerfully. Her confidence intrigued me, so I asked:

"Why is that?"

As soon as my feet made contact with the ground, the floating feeling vanished. At the same time, the iridescent halo over Miyako-san's head disappeared too.

"This is a privilege for letting me be your ally, you know? I must have told you when we were 'negotiating,' right? There exist unknown territories you cannot reach without me."

Miyako-san spoke in a joking tone of voice and shrugged.

"Indeed you did—Although I did express my doubt."

While examining her carefully, I nodded.

This was the most important reason why I had allowed her to accompany me despite being a fake.

"Sheesh, you're so mean. I won't lie to you, Mitsuki. You'll know if you get close, but gravity around that unknown territory has multiplied several fold. The closer you get, the stronger. Near the boundary, it's a space of supergravity that'll instantly crush a human into paste."

She motioned towards the black dome in the distance and spoke seriously.

"In that case... Assuming what you say is true, then it is not the effect of end matter, since the same phenomenon did not occur at other unknown territories. Come to think of it... Could it be a 'true dragon'?"

"Yes, the power of the fourth dragon—'Heavy Tremor' Nova... Or rather, its original state."

"'Heavy Tremor' Nova..."

I repeated the name of the obstacle standing in my way. It was a being on the same level as Bahamut and Nyarlathotep, both of which had taken the whole team's combined effort to take down with difficulty. To take on such an opponent with only two people—

"Don't look so worried, Mitsuki. Didn't I say there's no need to worry about it turning into a fight? Relax, Nova won't be stopping you, Mitsuki, because I am the one who is allowing that 'frame' to return to this world."

"Huh...?"

Instantly, I looked back at her, my eyes saying "I cannot comprehend what you are talking about at all."

Seeing me puzzled, she smiled wryly and placed her hand on her chest.

"You've noticed, right? I am able to use incredible powers."

"......Yes. Without creating air through transmutation, you were flying at high speed through the sky."

I nodded stiffly and looked at her questioningly.

"Well—Rather than choosing not to create air, I cannot create it."

Seeing her smiling wryly, I was confused.

"You cannot?"

"That's right. Dark matter and end matter have very poor compatibility. A being that 'approached the end' at one point cannot use dark matter very well, seeing as dark matter is the solidification of possibility. Although I can generate it, performing transmutation is impossible. Watch—"

Giving this answer, she raised her hand and generated a baseball-sized sphere of dark matter. The dark matter's surface turned silver and started to materialize, then it started to crack—

Boom!

"Kyah!?"

Startled by the explosion during the process of transmutation, I fell backwards.

"See, this happens no matter what I try to make. It collapses in the middle of the process. I guess it's hindered by the contamination from my end matter."

The sight of her, waving away the fragments in her hand with a smile, filled me with a sense of deja vu.

—It was almost like the case with Iris-san...

Recalling the classmate who was worrying about me and offering encouragement to the very end, I felt my chest tighten. Of course, Iris-san had no relation to end matter at all, so she was simply bad at using dark matter, I suppose.

"Cough... Indeed, this definitely cannot be used to fly in the air..."

Choking from the smoke of the explosion, I commented softly.

"That's right, which is why I have to use this power to fly in the sky."

Miyako-san nodded firmly and gestured by moving her gaze upwards.

Next, an iridescent halo appeared over her head. Her slender body proceeded to slowly float into the air.

"This is the power of a "true dragon"—Nova."

"Why... are you capable of this—"

Although I had already guessed from our conversation, I still had trouble hiding my surprise. Looking at me with interest, she resumed her explanation with a carefree tone.

"Nova itself was originally something like a phenomenon. Anything can serve as its core as long as it is matter. Hence, this vessel was chosen with the added responsibility of negotiating with you, Mitsuki."

"Something like that, no way..."

I noticed my voice was trembling.

With her shoulder-length hair fluttering in the wind, the thing that had taken on Shinomiya Miyako's form told me the answer.

"Let's sum up, Mitsuki. I, Shinomiya Miyako, am currently the Fourth Dragon—'Heavy Tremor' Nova."

Part 2

Slicing through the night sky, flying past stars and clouds, the battleship advanced through the air.

On the bridge of this ship, outfitted with lost technology, I—Mononobe Yuu—looked up at the external scenery shown on a monitor.

Between gaps in the clouds flowing past, one could see countless twinkling stars with occasional fleeting glimpses of the moon.

It was currently 22:00. Counting from the time when Mitsuki flew off from Marduk, roughly four hours had elapsed.

"How does it feel, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe? To ride in my Naglfar."

Observing the bridge, sitting in the captain's seat was a man—Major Loki Jotunheim—who asked me in a smiling voice.

Indeed, instead of Marduk, my current location was inside the Naglfar, the anti-dragon battleship belonging to NIFL.

"It's much less stable than Marduk. Also, the engine noice is a bit of a bother."

I offered him my honest opinion.

Perhaps strongly affected by air currents, the ship was shaking frequently. The engine's piercing noise was also quite an ordeal for the ears. Not a pleasant ride.

"Hoho, oh well, that's only to be expected when compared to Marduk. That ship is most likely filled with technology that we of NIFL have yet to replicate. In spite of that, you still disposed of it—What a waste."

"I've said so many times already. Left alone, the engine was going to explode. The aftershock of the explosion could cause immense destruction."

Without any change in expression, I gave the superficial reason.

In reality, I did it to prevent NIFL from getting their hands on Marduk.

Although we needed "legs" to chase after Mitsuki, the Naglfar was the only surviving means of transport nearby. All other ships and aircraft had been destroyed by Bahamut's attacks.

As a result, we had requested aid from Major Loki, captain of the Naglfar, but had we left Marduk behind, NIFL would have taken it.

Were NIFL to obtain technology beyond their current level, it would probably lead to a crisis for us Ds. Consequently, I had Iris disintegrate Marduk completely using Catastrophe.

But ever since we moved to their ship, they had been showing displeasure regarding this matter. Not just Major Loki but also that machine intellect too—

"In that case, just eliminate the engine! Are you retarded?"

The bridge monitor flickered momentarily before a young girl with transparent wings appeared.

Although she looked similar to a fairy from folklore, Atla was actually the ultimate machine intellect that had been responsible for managing and running the civilization of Atlantis before it was lost. It would be no exaggeration to call her "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis.

Buried in the ruins of Atlantis, data for constructing her had been carved onto stone tablets. Using this as a foundation, NIFL had revived this machine intellect.

But apparently, only Atla's core was reconstructed due to losses in the saved data. As a result, both the virtual avatar shown on the screen and her behavior were quite childish.

"Just as a precaution. Marduk has weapons everywhere. Who knows if things could go wrong somehwere and cause explosions?"

I shrugged and brushed off Atla's accusation.

"Grrrr..."

Pouting, Atla's kept glaring at me unhappily, but I did not pay her any attention. Instead, I turned my gaze to Major Loki.

"By the way, Major Loki, are you really going to assist us without any strings attached?"

When we first made the request, he had accepted without mentioning any terms or conditions... But I had my doubts the whole time.

"Indeed. Naturally, I hoped you could have provided me with Marduk if possible, but from the start, I never intended to make this a condition. After all, you guys are the trump card for saving the world and mankind."

Major Loki nodded after smiling faintly, then continued.

"There are unknown territories remaining at North Africa and the Southern Atlantic—as well as dragons possibly hidden within them. To oppose them, your power is essential. Although we have our differences, ultimately, what matters is saving the world. I have no intention of saying useless things. Do whatever you want."

"That's very... generous of you."

Although I was grateful for what he had said, it felt quite suspicious for developments to unfold so easily. Making a deal would put me more at ease.

"I believe this is for the best. Because you defeated me. Instead of me taking command, you will surely lead us to a better result."

It would be problem otherwise—Major Loki's eyes seemed to say as he gazed at me.

In other words, so long as I continued to meet his expectations, he would continue to offer assistance generously. Despite feeling extraordinary pressure, I still nodded without hesitation.

"Very well. Of course."

After I asserted myself, Major Loki smiled with satisfaction.

At that moment, a panicking voice was heard from the monitor.

"Master! Bad news! The unknown territory in North Africa disappeared! Confirmed through satellite surveillance, the swallowed cities and people seem to be unharmed."

Hearing this, Major Loki brought his hand to the corner of his lips. I too looked in surprise at the satellite image displayed on the monitor.

Indeed, the black dome of the unknown territory was no longer there.

"Did Mitsuki do that...? But that's way too fast—"

I groaned with disbelief. She had only flown off four hours ago. Even if traveling on a supersonic jet, this was not enough time to reach the African continent.

Hearing my whisper, Major Loki spoke with a stiff expression.

"However, there is no one else capable of doing this apart from her, right? Then we should accept reality. And what we must do is alter our course. Atla—head over to the Southern Atlantic unknown territory at maximum speed."

"Affirmative, Master."

Atla bowed from the monitor.

Next, the Naglfar slowly changed course. Even from the bridge, it was possible to hear the engine noise increase.

Incidentally, the only member of NIFL on the Naglfar was Major Loki. The rest of the crew had apparently disembarked before the battle against Bahamut. Even so, controlling the ship was apparently not a problem as long as Atla was present.

"I will tell the others about this."

I turned around to head back to the cabins where my friends were resting.

"2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, it will take six hours no matter how much we hurry. You should get some rest too."

"—Yes. I understand."

Despite my impatience, I controlled my feelings and nodded. If I were to falter, everyone else would worry.

I took a deep breath to adjust my emotions. Next, I saluted Major Loki briefly then left the bridge.

Part 3

Although Major Loki was the only one remaining on the ship, the Naglfar originally had a large crew. Hence, the ship contained far more cabins than Marduk.

The captain's cabin was the only single. The rest were basically all cabins designed for four.

My companions were taking a break, settling themselves into cramped cabins featuring two sets of bunk beds each. Of course, putting everyone into one cabin would be impossible so they were distributed among three cabins. Although there were more than enough cabins for everyone to each have their own, Shinomiya-sensei advised for us to stick together as much as possible. She probably decided that being alone in our current situation could have adverse effects on our psychological states.

Listening to the the deep noise coming from the ventilator, I advanced along the corridor where exposed wires and pipes could be seen. Then I arrived in front of the cabins my companions were occupying.

Although I believed my companions would open their doors if I were to call out, it was possible they were already sleeping. In that case, it would be better to talk to them later. Thinking that, I decided to knock each door one by one.

As things stood currently, we were hurrying to an unknown territory, which was not urgent news. Top priority right now was for us to alleviate the fatigue sustained during the battle against Bahamut.

Since I had no idea how the cabins were assigned, I gently knocked on the door of the first cabin.

No response even after I waited for a while. Asleep as suspected, I suppose. Thinking that, I moved to the door of the next cabin, but there was no response either.

However, just as I was about to leave that door, I heard a tiny sound. The door opened from inside.

"Hmm...?"

Then nothing happened. Wondering what was going on, I went nearer. Suddenly, a pale arm reached out from the gap in the door, grabbing my hand and pulling me forcefully into the cabin.

It was dark in the cabin. Not yet accustomed to the darkness, my eyes could see nothing.

"Hey—"

"Quiet. Don't wake up Iris-chan or Tia."

However, I realized the identity of the perpetrator from her voice, interrupting my protests. Soon after, an outline appeared in my surroundings and I gradually became able to see the pretty face of the girl before my eyes.

"Kili, what are you trying to do?"

I lowered my voice and asked her—Kili Surtr Muspelheim.

"Very well, come over a bit."

Instead of answering my question, she pushed me from behind, directing me to the bunk bed.

There was fabric hanging on the side of the bed, preventing me from seeing past inside. When I was forced into the bed, a faint light appeared in my view.

"Oh, 'tis my comrade, yes? Perfect timing."

The light source was a light from a personal terminal. On the bed, a young girl two sizes smaller than Kili was sitting all alone. For some reason, she was holding playing cards in her hands. Cards were also scattered on the blanket.

"Vritra too... What on earth are you two doing?"

I directed my confused gaze at the one who would be considered Kili's mother—her creator, the black dragon, "Black" Vritra.

"You can tell just by looking. We're playing cards. Ever since Iris-chan and Tia went to bed, it's been us two playing, but Mother sucks, so it's not fun at all. However, she insists on playing until she wins..."

The one who answered was Kili who followed me onto the bed.

There was practically no place to move once three people were packed onto a bed meant for a single adult to lie down.

"I don't plan on playing—"

Preoccupied with Mitsuki's situation, I intended to refuse.

"Iris-chan said the same thing. That's why I want you to join."

However, Kili replied forcefully and pushed me over to Vritra's side.

"Yuu, team up with Mother. Then there will finally be some competition."

"Hmph, then I shall borrow thy lap for a while."

Vritra nimbly sat her petite body on my lap. As a result, there was slightly more space on the bed, but it also made it more difficult for me to move.

"...Are you worried?"

Resigned to my situation, I asked, causing Kili to turn her gaze away with displeasure.

"When the always overly cheerful Iris-chan is this depressed, even other people get affected. Tia is all gloomy too, so I'm just taking over some what Iris-chan normally does."

Kili started with a very firm tone of voice, but she stared me straight in the eye mid-sentence and spoke even more assertively.

"As my mate, Yuu, having a bit of time for recreation with me wouldn't be too much, right? You're going to woo your sister next, aren't you? Then you need to do your absolute best. You must make a display of what you're capable of."

"Uh, calling it wooing would be a bit..."

Although I wanted to object, I realized she was not wrong and my voice faltered.

"Well, personally, I'd prefer to have one fewer rival and I won't have to write a mountain of repentance essays anymore... But you wouldn't be the Yuu I love if you gave up on her. So I'll be generous here."

With an assertive smile, Kili picked up her cards that were on the blanket and stared at me. With her having said this much, there was no way I could run away.

"—Got it. Then let me be your opponent. We have to win, Vritra."

I placed my hand on Vritra's black-haired head and spoke. Even though we had opposing views on the matter of Mitsuki, right now I was going to help her out as partners.

"Counting on thee, my comrade. Guide me to the path of victory after twelve losses in a row."

Sitting on my lap, Vritra clenched her fist.

Based on what Kili had said just now, Vritra was not going to call it quits until she won. Then I must help her seriously.

"Now that's really losing badly. What exactly are you two playing?"

There were many ways to play cards. To lose this badly, it should be some kind of strategic game, but—

"Old maid."

Kili answered and slumped her shoulders. This was basically a game of luck, so for Vritra to lose this badly, her face must be as easy to read as an open book.

"...Vritra, there is no sure-win strategy. However, there is a way for you to counter Kili."

"What!? Thou art truly reliable as one would expect. Use it, this method."

"It's like this."

From behind, I pinched Vritra's cheeks with my fingers and pulled my hands in opposite directions sideways.

Stretching Vritra's soft face wide caused Kili, sitting opposite from us, to burst out laughing.

"H-Hoho... M-Mother, that face—"

Although she was keeping her voice down to avoid waking up Iris and Tia, Kili's shoulder heaved up and down greatly.

"C-Comwade, waat ees the meeeening of dis?"

Vritra hammered against my arms in protest, but I replied directly without loosening my grip.

"Okay, try playing in this state. You'll have a shot at victory now."

"H-Hmm—fine."

Despite her partial skepticism, Vritra still began her game of old maid.

This was nothing more than stretching Vritra's face to prevent Kili from reading her expression, while disrupting Kili's composure at the same time. In the end—Vritra won handily afterwards.

Part 4

After leaving Kili and Vritra's room, I knocked at the next door.

Immediately, I heard a soft reply and the door opened quietly. A face poked out from the dim cabin. It was Shinomiya Haruka, commander-in-chief of Midgard and homeroom teacher of my Class Brynhildr. Still dressed in her suit, she had untied her ponytail. Was it because she had relaxed part of her adult image? Under her black hair, her beautiful face seemed younger than usual.

"—So it's you, Mononobe Yuu, what is the matter?"

Rubbing her eyes, she exited her cabin and closed the door. She had asked in a lowered voice, probably to avoid waking those who were sleeping in their cabins.

"Shinomiya-sensei, I'm sorry for disturbing you this late. I wanted to report to you about the unknown territory in Northern Africa disappearing..."

I replied apologetically because Shinomiya-sensei still looked a little sleepy-eyed.

Perhaps I had woken her up. On further thought, ever since the battle against Bahamut began—no, ever since the night of the fireworks festival—Shinomiya-sensei must have been busy without a moment's rest. On board Marduk, she was the communications officer and point person for coordinating various parties. After we boarded the Naglfar, she had to handle all kinds of procedures too

"Is that so...? Mononobe Mitsuki's doing, presumably."

"Yes, most probably. The Naglfar is currently heading straight for the unknown territory in the southern Atlantic. ETA is six hours at least. Well then—I'm very sorry for disturbing your rest."

Deciding I must not talk for too long, reducing Shinomiya-sensei's time for sleep, I was going to leave immediately.

"Wait, Mononobe Yuu. Are you... holding up alright?"

However, hearing her call me back from behind, I turned around

"Although I'm a bit tired, since I'll be taking a break next, you don't need to worry."

Despite my answer, Shinomiya-sensei shook her head.

"No, I was asking about your mental state, not your physical condition."

Her sharp gaze shot at me, despite her fatigue. I understood what she was truly inquiring about.

"......About Mitsuki flying off, I am definitely quite shocked. Why hadn't I realized earlier—realized what was going through Mitsuki's mind—I feel very regretful about that. However, I don't feel lost. I've already decided what I must do."

Thanks to Iris, the words I must say to Mitsuki had surfaced in my mind. Hence, all I had to do now was focus my attention on hurrying over to Mitsuki's side.

When I voiced my current thoughts, Shinomiya-sensei smiled wryly.

"You... are very strong. Looks like I do not need to worry about you. You and I... are very different."

Saying this with self-deprecation, Shinomiya-sensei's face showed not only weariness but anguish. Seeing her expression, I noticed the pain that Shinomiya-sensei was suffering, different from mine.

"Is it about your sister—the fake Shinomiya Miyako?"

When I asked after some hesitation, she nodded weakly.

"Indeed... I gathered Marduk's external video and voice recordings. Although her complexion is darker, she is identical to Miyako in all other respects. Face, movements, voice, tone... Nothing about her seems fake to me."

"But—"

"I know. She is a being created by end matter, that I do know. However, even though my logical mind knows this, I cannot accept it emotionally. Furthermore, there is Shion. If Shion were to meet her face to face... I have been thinking plenty about matters of this sort, which is why I could not sleep at all."

Interrupting me, Shinomiya-sensei slumped her shoulders and rubbed her eyelids with her fingers.

"...Shion?"

Instead of talking about Shinomiya Miyako, I asked about Shion.

Shion could be considered Miyako's daughter. From Shion's standpoint, her position might be even more difficult than either Mitsuki's or Shinomiya-sensei's.

Hearing my question, Shinomiya-sensei glanced at the door.

"Though Jeanne Hortensia has been accompanying her the whole time, Shion has not waken up once, possibly due to extreme exhaustion from the battle. I am worried... but I also hope she could remain asleep the whole time until the current situation is resolved. Shion and that Miyako... I do not want them to meet."

"That's something I understand."

Nodding deeply, I tried to imagine.

If Shion treated that Shinomiya Miyako as her real mother, it would probably turn into quite a difficult battle. How to avoid such a situation? While I was thinking about this, Shinomiya-sensei apparently regained composure and spoke.

"...My apologies. I accidentally offloaded my worries onto you. My intention was to encourage you but this has reversed our positions. I am so useless as a teacher."

Sighing, Shinomiya-sensei smiled stiffly.

Seeing her put on a brave face, I acted reflexively.

—Pat.

"Mononobe... Yuu?"

Shinomiya-sensei stared at me with a puzzled look then her gaze shifted up. My hand was on top of her head.

"Oh, I-I wasn't thinking—"

Since I had been patting Shion and Tia on the head a lot lately, I almost did it unconsciously. The fact that Shinomiya-sensei looked younger than usual with her hair untied probably contributed too.

"A child doing this to an adult... That is not allowed."

Blushing slightly, Shinomiya-sensei reminded me. Flustered, I explained without changing posture.

"S-Sorry, but, how should I say this? Shinomiya-sensei, our ages are similar... In fact, it feels more like you're an upperclassman, so—"

"Even against upperclassman, the rudeness of this act remains unchanged. Now hurry and get your hand off."

"O-Okay."

I finally took my hand off Shinomiya-sensei's head. She coughed.

"However, I am grateful to you for worrying about me. Your hand... It is bigger than I thought."

Shinomiya-sensei gazed at my hand with interest.

"Well, I guess it's a bit bigger than a girl's..."

Thinking that my hand was not actually big, I nodded ambiguously. However, she smiled profoundly with acceptance for some reason.

"Really? I suppose that is only natural for a boy's hand. Although you surprised me, it did help to provide a change of pace. I should be able to sleep now, thank you."

The smile Shinomiya-sensei showed this time did not felt forced to me.

With her face closer to mine than usual, along with a more intimate expression, I felt my heart speed up. At the same time, I took a step back.

"That's great. Then—I'll be on my way."

"Very well. You sweated a lot today too, it would be best if you got some proper rest. If you are looking for the bathroom, it is at the end of the hallway."

After saying that, Shinomiya-sensei returned to her cabin.

I was originally planning to head directly to my own cabin—designed to fit four, but allocated solely to me, of course, because of my gender—but after hearing what Shinomiya-sensei said, I decided to take a shower first.

There had been one cabin where no one answered me, but I suppose I could tell them tomorrow morning.

The previous room apparently contained Shion and Jeanne in addition to Shinomiya-sensei, which left the quartet of Lisa, Firill, Ren and Ariella. They must be the ones occupying the first cabin.

While advancing through the corridor, I set an alarm on my portable terminal.

Since ETA was at least six hours, I set the alarm for five hours from now. All I had to do was confirm the situation after getting up then talk to Lisa's group.

—However, diverting my attention to my terminal turned out to be a mistake.

Arriving at the bathroom, I opened the door without knocking—An unexpected scene appeared before my eyes.

Four girls were inside. They were the classmates I knew so well.

—Oh right. Instead of sleeping, they had gone to shower instead.

I realized the reason why the first cabin had no answer.

Lisa Highwalker, with her brilliant blonde hair and perfect bodily proportions, was frozen on the spot, still with her hands holding her bra's clasp.

Next to her, in the middle of putting on a skirt, Firill Crest had halted her movements with her pale thighs exposed.

Ariella Lu was using a towel to dry short little Ren Miyazawa's wet red hair. The two of them stared speechlessly at me. Since they were wrapped in towels, my guess was they were not wearing underwear.

—Crap.

Although I prepared myself for screams and punishment, the girls' reaction was not what I expected.

"M-Mononobe Yuu! Entering without knocking is such a lapse in common sense! Goodness gracious... We will be dressed in a second. Turn around now."

Recovering her composure, Lisa blushed and reminded me, but her tone was more surprised than harsh.

"Mononobe-kun... It's too embarrassing if you keep staring. I'm not wearing my victory underwear right now, so..."

Firill did not really scold me. Instead, she continued dressing awkwardly. Drying Ren's hair, Ariella stared at me with her face red, but I could not feel any anger from her.

"S-So careless, Mononobe-kun! E-Even if we've bathed together before, there is still a lot of mental preparation needed... Oh, Ren, what's wrong?"

Her slender body trembling shyly, Ren extended the towel in her hand for some reason, the one she had been using to dry her hair, presenting it to me.

"...Onii-chan, dry my hair."

Saying that, Ren handed my a towel. With a pair of endearing eyes staring intently at me, I nodded.

"O-Okay."

Although my mind had yet to catch up to the situation, I accepted the towel for now. With my back to Lisa and the others, I started to rub Ren's hair.

"Mm... Feels so good."

Ren commented with satisfaction.

"Then—you girls aren't angry?"

I asked them with hesitation.

"Angry? Why?"

Ren looked up at me with confusion.

From amid the sound of fabric friction, I heard Firill's puzzled voice.

"Didn't Ariella say so just now? We've already bathed with you before. With our naked selves exposed to you, you selected us to become your mates... Our relationship with you is already unseverable. Although it's embarrassing when we're seen in the middle of changing... We won't get angry if it's you, Mononobe-kun. Don't you agree, Lisa?"

"D-Do not rope me into the conversation! It is true that we are not angry—But even so, that does not imply we permit you to watch us change any time you want! Moderation is essential even when our relationships have grown in intimacy."

After Lisa's flustered response, Ariella agreed.

"Me too. I'd have a heart attack if this happened all the time. Mononobe-kun, I hope you could pay proper attention to picking the time and place."

Although Ariella gave me a reminder, Firill laughed in amusement on the side.

"Wonderful, Mononobe-kun. It's okay as long as you pay attention to the time and place."

"Eh!? No, that's not what I meant—"

Ariella's panicked voice was accompanied by laughter from Firill and Lisa. Ren, whose hair I was drying, also shook her shoulders lightly.

However, silence immediately filled the entire space when their laughter ended.

The reason was obvious.

No one was laughing from the bottom of their heart. With one of our longtime companions missing, it felt like we had a hole in our heart even during times of joy.

Although Kili had been speaking calmly, this hole was not that easy to fill. It was probably impossible to fill unless we retrieved what was missing.

"Okay okay—No more joking around. We won't get angry at you this time, Mononobe-kun, okay?"

Finally, Ariella broke the silence, then Firill agreed.

"Yes... You've done everything you can for Mitsuki's sake. We know that."

Next, Lisa spoke with resolve.

"Our anger is all directed at Mitsuki-san currently, so we do not have any spare anger for you, Mononobe Yuu. A lesson must be taught to that child... who acted on her own again while keeping all kinds of thoughts to herself."

Ren also looked up at me and said:

"Me too... I have things to say to Mitsuki. I don't know if I can express myself well... But the message will never get across unless you speak the words."

Listening to everyone, I understood that they were being considerate for me and Mitsuki in their own ways.

The sound of clothing rustling had ended. I looked back to see that the girls were all dressed, staring at me seriously.

"Thank you, everyone—With all of you here, I'm sure Mitsuki and I will be fine. That's what I believe right now."

I spoke the words that had surfaced in my mind.

I was not the only one with words that must be conveyed to her. Noticing this, I felt my emotions relax somewhat.

Part 6

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