Baka-Tsuki - User contributions [en]

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 8 Epilogue

2015-08-21T10:52:44Z

88.165.50.187: added another forgotten "mark"

==Epilogue==

Batabatabatabata—

A low and heavy sound... The noise of propeller blades. feeling minor vibrations from under my body, I opened my eyes to see a ceiling of metal. I seemed to be lying on a spacious seat.

Next to my pillow was a black-haired woman in a suit. She was Shinomiya Haruka, Midgard's commander as well as the homeroom teacher of Brynhildr Class.

She smiled gently when she saw me wake up.

"—So you have woken, Mononobe Yuu?"

I looked up blankly at Shinomiya-sensei's face, unable to comprehend the situation, because she was no longer supposed to be in this world.

"Is this a dream... No, is this heaven?"

Half-seriously, I thought I had died just like that, so I asked her this question.

"Haha, indeed, we are currently in the sky—But that's a bit different from heaven."

Finding it funny, she laughed then motioned to the window with her gaze. What I saw on the other side was endless blue.

I sat up and peered out the window, only to see a carpet of velvety clouds below. We seemed to be flying at quite a high altitude right now.

"This is the interior of a large helicopter. We are on our way back to Midgard."

"Huh...?"

On our way back to Midgard? Hearing such down-to-earth words, I was slightly taken aback.

"What's the matter? Do your injuries hurt? Although necessary treatment has been applied, if the pain is severe, you could take some painkillers—"

Saying that, Shinomiya-sensei took out the medical kit from under her seat. I shook my head frantically.

"N-No, my wounds—although they hurt a bit, it's not impossible to bear. Rather... Shinomiya-sensei, are you really Shinomiya-sensei?"

"...? What are you talking about? Just as you can see, I am myself. Did you hit your head somewhere?"

Shinomiya-sensei examined my face in worry and reached out to feel my forehead. That warm and soft palm made my heart race—The warmth of life from her hand made me gasp.

"Why... Shinomiya-sensei, back then, you definitely—"

Skewered in the torso by Kraken Zwei, Shinomiya-sensei had definitely stopped breathing. It was a fatal wound, impossible to cure.

"Ahhh. I see now—No wonder you look like you've seen a ghost. Don't worry, I am assuredly alive."

Shinomiya-sensei figured out my question and smiled gently at me.

"B-But..."

I looked at her abdomen, which did not seem to be bandaged. So this was a dream after all?

"Well, to be honest—I originally didn't think I'd survive a large hole in my body either. However, the principal's blood turned out to be more potent than I imagined."

"The principal's... blood?"

I frowned, unsure what was going on.

"She—Charlotte B. Lord—is no ordinary human. You know this already, right?"

Immediately, Shinomiya-sensei looked at me with a solemn expression.

"Y-Yes, she is the gray dragon—'Gray' Vampire..."

Given Shinomiya-sensei's position, it would be only natural for her to know, but I still answered nervously.

"Indeed. Through her bodily fluids as a medium, she can invoke many powers, such as healing wounds or exerting control... She should have looked after you previously too."

Indeed, I had received the principal's aid to heal the injuries caused by Yggdrasil's clone and to prevent me from coming under Yggdrasil's control.

"And in my case, I am a special follower whose body has taken in her blood directly. Upon becoming Midgard's commander, she and I entered a blood pact."

"Taken in her blood... In other words, that's—"

I finally understood why Shinomiya-sensei had survived.

"Yes. Although not to the point of the principal's eternal youth and longevity, my ability to heal greatly surpasses normal people. I survived this time thanks to that."

Hearing her say that, I was finally able to accept the current situation as reality.

It was neither my wishful dream nor heaven. Instead, we were definitely alive, talking to each other.

"...!"

Wanting to confirm that Shinomiya-sensei definitely existed, I clasped her hand tightly with both hands.

Soft and warm, it was a beautiful woman's palm, slightly smaller than mine.

"H-Hey, Mononobe Yuu, a man should not hold a woman's hand so lightly—"

Blushing, Shinomiya-sensei was flustered in a rare display. Her voice heightened a bit in pitch.

She was definitely alive, showing an expression I had never known, and definitely not an inhabitant of my dreams.

"Thank goodness... I'm so glad..."

Holding her hand tightly, I lowered my head with tears spilling out, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You really are—too kind."

Shinomiya-sensei smiled wryly as she spoke, using her other hand to gently stroke my hair.

"However, you do not need to worry about me. Show those girls, who've been worrying about you the whole time, how healthy you are."

Saying that, Shinomiya-sensei gently struggled free of my grasp and stood up.

She approached the room's partition and slid a metal window sideways. Behind it was a glass window but I could see what lay behind it.

The girls were sitting in opposite facing seats. The members of Brynhildr Class, Kili, Vritra, Jeanne, and a young girl who resembled Shinomiya-sensei—

"Everyone, Mononobe Yuu has awoke."

Shinomiya-sensei called to the other side of the window, immediately causing a clamor to spread.

"Really!? Mononobe woke up!?"

Iris and the girls all rushed to the side of the window. I was relieved to see Lisa and the others, who had lost contact during the battle, were there. Meanwhile, I also noticed something strange about my situation.

Taking a closer look, I saw that there many small round holes in the window to allow conversation.

A narrow room, a sturdy looking steel door, a window to allow talking without going out—This was virtually a jail cell.

"Nii-san!"

However, my doubts instantly dispersed upon hearing my younger sister's voice.

"Mitsuki, you woke up!?"

I approached the window too to confirm the sight of Mitsuki, safe and sound. Having slept continuously for several days, her face looked healthy in color.

"Yes... Not too long ago. Nii-san, you are always so reckless... I was honestly so worried. Also—"

After wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, Mitsuki pressed her hand against the back of neck, which was the location of her dragon mark. Upon closer examination, I noticed that the others were also holding parts of their body with mixed expressions.

Blushing faintly, Firill had her hand on her left shoulder. Ariella was holding her lower abdomen with slight displeasure. Ren had her hand on her chest area solemnly. Tia was holding her thigh with a smile all over her face. Lisa had her hand on bottom, her face gone bright red.

Everyone was covering the respective location of their dragon mark.

"What's wrong? Did something unusual happen to the dragon marks?"

I asked, only to see Iris standing up, pouting.

"How can you ask what's wrong when this is all your fault, Mononobe? I thought you were just two-timing between me and Zwei-chan, but it turns out you didn't stop there and went for everyone—Mononobe, you're so unfaithful..."

She glared at me coldly, but I did not know what had happened.

"Captain... This is something that not even I can't defend you."

Holding the young girl's hand, Jeanne approached, sighing as she spoke.

"Even you too, Jeanne—By the way, that child is Kraken Zwei... Right? Is this okay—for her to be with everyone?"

"Yes, she listens to me obediently now. Come, Zwei, say hello."

Urged by Jeanne, the purple-haired girl took a step forward and bowed as a greeting.

"—hEl-Lo."

Although a bit stiffly, Kraken Zwei greeted me in Japanese. Watching her do that, Jeanne looked proud as though something good had happened. Shinomiya-sensei was also by my side, smiled gently at Kraken Zwei.

Lots of things had probably happened while I was asleep, but it looked like there was nothing to worry about.

"Look, she has learned how to greet others. This child will be going to Midgard as a D, rather than as a dragon. With nowhere for me to go, I will come along as well. That's basically it."

Jeanne scratched her head, then as though she suddenly remembered, pointed at Kili and Vritra behind her.

"Oh, those two are coming along too."

"Putting aside the restrained Vritra... I'm surprised Kili is willing to come with us."

I looked at her in surprise. Last time when she had sought Midgard's aid, Kili had vanished in the end. But this time, why—

Seeing my expression, Kili smiled with joy and approached the window. Quietly, she whispered:

"It's only natural that I follow you, Yuu. Because right now—I am your mate."

"Huh...?"

I was perplexed, only to see Kili raise her right hand, presenting it before me. The dragon mark appearing on the back of her hand—had turned blue.

"—!"

I gasped in surprise.

"Not just Kili! Tia too!"

Tia lifted her skirt slightly to show me the dragon mark on her thigh. Likewise, its color was—bright blue.

"Don't tell me—it's the same for everyone?"

I frantically looked at the others in turn.

"Yes, me too."

With her hand on her shoulder, Firill nodded.

"Yeah, same here."

"Mm..."

Ariella and Ren nodded in confirmation with their hands on their respective dragon marks.

"—The same goes for me. Umm, although I cannot show you here... My dragon mark has turned blue too."

With her hand on her bottom, Lisa glared at me, blushing to her ears. Then Mitsuki lifted her hair and showed me her neck.

"My dragon mark too... has been dyed with your color, Nii-san."

"Even Mitsuki..."

Unable to understand the situation immediately, I stood stunned on the spot.

Then Shinomiya-sensei patted me on the shoulder.

"—I have already heard Iris Freyja's account of how Kraken Zwei turned back to human. She said that by marking her—turning her into your mate—you had turned her into a human like yourself."

"Y-Yes... But that's purely speculation."

Unable to control the faltering in my heart, I confirmed what Shinomiya-sensei had brought up.

"Simultaneous to when you marked Iris Freyja and Kraken Zwei, the sniping team headed by Lisa Highwalker also had their dragon marks turned blue, apparently. Even Ariella Lu and the others, who were farther away in position, also had their dragon marks turn from purple to blue."

"What... The area of effect was so wide..."

Iris was the only one I had marked by my own volition. I originally thought that Kraken Zwei's dragon mark had changed color simply from being caught in the wake next to Iris—But never did I expect even Lisa and the rest of the girls to be affected.

"After you made contact with Iris Freyja and Kraken Zwei, the colors of their dragon marks had vanished. Their bodies also so no anomalous symptoms. However, since your effect on those whose dragon marks had changed color is as yet uncertain, you will be placed in isolation for now."

Shinomiya-sensei calmly explained the situation to me.

"Oh... So that's why I was sleeping in what looks like a jail cell."

I commented after figuring out the situation. Shinomiya-sensei made an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, I do not wish to subject you to imprisonment... when clearly you are—my niece's savior."

"No, please don't feel bothered. I believe your judgment is correct, Shinomiya-sensei, because I also don't understand what happened—or what I've done."

I laughed wryly and turned my gaze to the dragon mark on my left hand.

Perhaps reacting to the girls' dragon marks, mine was showing a slight color of blue.

By turning Iris and Kraken Zwei into "my kind," that did not necessarily mean they had become human. It was impossible to predict what effects there might be from now on.

"Personally, I'd like to touch Yuu as soon as possible—to let him turn me into his real mate. I'll simply break this window."

However, Kili shrugged nonchalantly and stared at the window half-seriously.

"Kili-san, please do not act on impulse and cause destruction. I am the one... who wants to confirm Nii-san's safety directly."

While warning Kili, Mitsuki also showed impatience. Seeing this situation, Iris huddled herself apologetically.

"Y-You're right. Sorry... Mitsuki-chan."

"Why is it you, instead of Kili-san, who is apologizing to me, Iris-san?

"B-Because... I touched Mononobe first... Actually you should be first, Mitsuki-chan—No, you should be the only one..."

Iris looked down and placed her hand over her dragon mark on her flank.

"Iris-san, here you go with such words again... I have repeated myself many times already, Nii-san and Iris-san will—

"N-No! Mononobe and Mitsuki will—"

Iris and Mitsuki started to repeat a dispute as before.

"H-Hey, you two—"

I frantically tried to stop them, but with the window and wall in the way, I could only shout at them.

"Hey, Mononobe-kun."

Firill quickly approached the window and called to me quietly.

"By marking me... It means that you have resolved yourself properly to become a prince, right?"

"Uhh..."

I was rendered speechless by her serious gaze. Even though it was unintentional, the fact I marked her was the truth, so I could not deny it.

"Wait, Firill, I feel sorry for Mononobe-kun if you force him like that."

However, overhearing the conversation, Ariella came over and defended me.

"Mm... Onii-chan feels troubled."

Ren also joined in the rescue from behind Ariella.

"Oh... Then you two don't need Mononobe-kun to take responsibility for you?"

Nevertheless, Firill grinned malevolently and asked, causing the two girls to act awkwardly.

"No, umm... I'd also... hope he'd take a bit of responsibility."

"No problem... Onii-chan is a responsible man."

Ariella scratched her face in embarrassment whereas Ren looked me with eyes filled with trust.

"That's right! Yuu will take Tia as wife! Right, husband?"

Even Tia joined in at this time. Everyone's gaze gathered on me.

"Uh, umm..."

The pressure from everyone was making me break out in cold sweat. At this moment, Lisa pointed at me through the window and declared as though pouring fuel on the fire.

"Mononobe Yuu! I will have you know that I intend for you to take responsibility for marking me! With this... blue bottom, how do you expect me to get married!?"

"I-I understand. Responsibility aside, I'll definitely find a solution for the bottom problem no matter what!"

I frantically nodded and agreed. For some reason, Lisa's face remained red.

"D-Do not use such a weird description!"

"But Lisa, you're the one who brought it up, right!?"

While we were talking noisily like this, Iris and Mitsuki, who were arguing in the background, looked over to us in surprise.

"Hey... Mitsuki-chan, this doesn't feel like the time for us to be yielding to each other..."

"My sentiments precisely... Iris-san. At this rate, things might develop into a bad direction."

After such an exchange, the two girls laughed at the same time.

"Ahaha... What are we doing?"

"Fufu—Indeed. To think that we were trying to decide on our own... like fools."

A murky situation with an unknown future ahead of us.

However, for some reason, after seeing Iris and Mitsuki laughing like that, I could not help but smile, feeling that things were not so bad right now.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v08 247.jpg|thumb]]

<center>*</center>

That night—inside the large transport helicopter heading to Midgard—the task that Tia Lightning had been carrying out cautiously so far, ''synchronization with Yggdrasil'', was finally complete.

Sitting in their seats, everyone else was asleep, leaning on one another's shoulder. Despite resting her head against Lisa next to her, Tia opened her eyes slightly and started to search for information.

"Black" Vritra had come to seek negotiations, even at the cost of taking on human form. Tia searched, wanting to know why.

Data... Searching—

With the sound of sparks, lightning flashed around Tia's horns.

Throwing herself into an overwhelming flood of information, she searched for necessary information—Disconcerting information.

—Dragon... Gaia—infinite prison of realms... Counterdragons—

Eight past calamities—crises of destruction—

The flood of information, flowing in the form of electronic signals, projected images of calamities in Tia's mind.

Images of destruction were gradually built.

First was the infernal realm bringing lives to an end. The First Dragon—"Hell" Gehenna.

Next was the visitor transcending infinity. The Second Dragon—"Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis.

Third was the twilight devouring the gods. The Third Dragon—"True Obliteration" Ragnarok.

Fourth was the unstoppable quaking. The Fourth Dragon—"Heavy Tremor" Nova.

Fifth was absolute life of singular completion. The Fifth Dragon—"Eternal Longevity" Bahamat.

Sixth was chaos of indeterminacy. The Sixth Dragon—"Anomalous Dawn" Nyarlathotep.

Seventh was a surging swell of violence. The Seventh Dragon—"Disasterification" Apocalypse.

Eighth was wisdom that had returned. The Eighth Dragon—"Transcendent Soul" Humanoid.

Then, future destruction... A promised conclusion—

The Ninth Dragon—!

"!!"

After comprehending everything, Tia opened her eyes.

Then she noticed the presence of the girl sitting opposite her, staring at her the entire time.

The black-haired girl whose body was imprisoned by a plant's vine—Vritra—spoke to her in a solemn tone of voice.

"'Tis apparent... Thou hast finally grasped the situation."

Tia nodded silently. She could not speak because the truth was too shocking.

As though reading Tia's mind, Vritra continued:

"Yes—Time is in short supply."

Residing in the girl's eyes was despair towards the inescapable future.

"Very soon, all life on Gaia shall face extinction—Destroyed by a ''true dragon''."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v08 250-251.jpg|thumb]]

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_8_Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 8 Epilogue

2015-08-21T09:18:35Z

88.165.50.187: added a missing word

==Epilogue==

Batabatabatabata—

A low and heavy sound... The noise of propeller blades. feeling minor vibrations from under my body, I opened my eyes to see a ceiling of metal. I seemed to be lying on a spacious seat.

Next to my pillow was a black-haired woman in a suit. She was Shinomiya Haruka, Midgard's commander as well as the homeroom teacher of Brynhildr Class.

She smiled gently when she saw me wake up.

"—So you have woken, Mononobe Yuu?"

I looked up blankly at Shinomiya-sensei's face, unable to comprehend the situation, because she was no longer supposed to be in this world.

"Is this a dream... No, is this heaven?"

Half-seriously, I thought I had died just like that, so I asked her this question.

"Haha, indeed, we are currently in the sky—But that's a bit different from heaven."

Finding it funny, she laughed then motioned to the window with her gaze. What I saw on the other side was endless blue.

I sat up and peered out the window, only to see a carpet of velvety clouds below. We seemed to be flying at quite a high altitude right now.

"This is the interior of a large helicopter. We are on our way back to Midgard."

"Huh...?"

On our way back to Midgard? Hearing such down-to-earth words, I was slightly taken aback.

"What's the matter? Do your injuries hurt? Although necessary treatment has been applied, if the pain is severe, you could take some painkillers—"

Saying that, Shinomiya-sensei took out the medical kit from under her seat. I shook my head frantically.

"N-No, my wounds—although they hurt a bit, it's not impossible to bear. Rather... Shinomiya-sensei, are you really Shinomiya-sensei?"

"...? What are you talking about? Just as you can see, I am myself. Did you hit your head somewhere?"

Shinomiya-sensei examined my face in worry and reached out to feel my forehead. That warm and soft palm made my heart race—The warmth of life from her hand made me gasp.

"Why... Shinomiya-sensei, back then, you definitely—"

Skewered in the torso by Kraken Zwei, Shinomiya-sensei had definitely stopped breathing. It was a fatal wound, impossible to cure.

"Ahhh. I see now—No wonder you look like you've seen a ghost. Don't worry, I am assuredly alive."

Shinomiya-sensei figured out my question and smiled gently at me.

"B-But..."

I looked at her abdomen, which did not seem to be bandaged. So this was a dream after all?

"Well, to be honest—I originally didn't think I'd survive a large hole in my body either. However, the principal's blood turned out to be more potent than I imagined."

"The principal's... blood?"

I frowned, unsure what was going on.

"She—Charlotte B. Lord—is no ordinary human. You know this already, right?"

Immediately, Shinomiya-sensei looked at me with a solemn expression.

"Y-Yes, she is the gray dragon—'Gray' Vampire..."

Given Shinomiya-sensei's position, it would be only natural for her to know, but I still answered nervously.

"Indeed. Through her bodily fluids as a medium, she can invoke many powers, such as healing wounds or exerting control... She should have looked after you previously too."

Indeed, I had received the principal's aid to heal the injuries caused by Yggdrasil's clone and to prevent me from coming under Yggdrasil's control.

"And in my case, I am a special follower whose body has taken in her blood directly. Upon becoming Midgard's commander, she and I entered a blood pact."

"Taken in her blood... In other words, that's—"

I finally understood why Shinomiya-sensei had survived.

"Yes. Although not to the point of the principal's eternal youth and longevity, my ability to heal greatly surpasses normal people. I survived this time thanks to that."

Hearing her say that, I was finally able to accept the current situation as reality.

It was neither my wishful dream nor heaven. Instead, we were definitely alive, talking to each other.

"...!"

Wanting to confirm that Shinomiya-sensei definitely existed, I clasped her hand tightly with both hands.

Soft and warm, it was a beautiful woman's palm, slightly smaller than mine.

"H-Hey, Mononobe Yuu, a man should not hold a woman's hand so lightly—"

Blushing, Shinomiya-sensei was flustered in a rare display. Her voice heightened a bit in pitch.

She was definitely alive, showing an expression I had never known, and definitely not an inhabitant of my dreams.

"Thank goodness... I'm so glad..."

Holding her hand tightly, I lowered my head with tears spilling out, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You really are—too kind."

Shinomiya-sensei smiled wryly as she spoke, using her other hand to gently stroke my hair.

"However, you do not need to worry about me. Show those girls, who've been worrying about you the whole time, how healthy you are."

Saying that, Shinomiya-sensei gently struggled free of my grasp and stood up.

She approached the room's partition and slid a metal window sideways. Behind it was a glass window but I could see what lay behind it.

The girls were sitting in opposite facing seats. The members of Brynhildr Class, Kili, Vritra, Jeanne, and a young girl who resembled Shinomiya-sensei—

"Everyone, Mononobe Yuu has awoke."

Shinomiya-sensei called to the other side of the window, immediately causing a clamor to spread.

"Really!? Mononobe woke up!?"

Iris and the girls all rushed to the side of the window. I was relieved to see Lisa and the others, who had lost contact during the battle, were there. Meanwhile, I also noticed something strange about my situation.

Taking a closer look, I saw that there many small round holes in the window to allow conversation.

A narrow room, a sturdy looking steel door, a window to allow talking without going out—This was virtually a jail cell.

"Nii-san!"

However, my doubts instantly dispersed upon hearing my younger sister's voice.

"Mitsuki, you woke up!?"

I approached the window too to confirm the sight of Mitsuki, safe and sound. Having slept continuously for several days, her face looked healthy in color.

"Yes... Not too long ago. Nii-san, you are always so reckless... I was honestly so worried. Also—"

After wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, Mitsuki pressed her hand against the back of neck, which was the location of her dragon mark. Upon closer examination, I noticed that the others were also holding parts of their body with mixed expressions.

Blushing faintly, Firill had her hand on her left shoulder. Ariella was holding her lower abdomen with slight displeasure. Ren had her hand on her chest area solemnly. Tia was holding her thigh with a smile all over her face. Lisa had her hand on bottom, her face gone bright red.

Everyone was covering the respective location of their dragon mark.

"What's wrong? Did something unusual happen to the dragon marks?"

I asked, only to see Iris standing up, pouting.

"How can you ask what's wrong when this is all your fault, Mononobe? I thought you were just two-timing between me and Zwei-chan, but it turns out you didn't stop there and went for everyone—Mononobe, you're so unfaithful..."

She glared at me coldly, but I did not know what had happened.

"Captain... This is something that not even I can't defend you."

Holding the young girl's hand, Jeanne approached, sighing as she spoke.

"Even you too, Jeanne—By the way, that child is Kraken Zwei... Right? Is this okay—for her to be with everyone?"

"Yes, she listens to me obediently now. Come, Zwei, say hello."

Urged by Jeanne, the purple-haired girl took a step forward and bowed as a greeting.

"—hEl-Lo."

Although a bit stiffly, Kraken Zwei greeted me in Japanese. Watching her do that, Jeanne looked proud as though something good had happened. Shinomiya-sensei was also by my side, smiled gently at Kraken Zwei.

Lots of things had probably happened while I was asleep, but it looked like there was nothing to worry about.

"Look, she has learned how to greet others. This child will be going to Midgard as a D, rather than as a dragon. With nowhere for me to go, I will come along as well. That's basically it."

Jeanne scratched her head, then as though she suddenly remembered, pointed at Kili and Vritra behind her.

"Oh, those two are coming along too."

"Putting aside the restrained Vritra... I'm surprised Kili is willing to come with us."

I looked at her in surprise. Last time when she had sought Midgard's aid, Kili had vanished in the end. But this time, why—

Seeing my expression, Kili smiled with joy and approached the window. Quietly, she whispered:

"It's only natural that I follow you, Yuu. Because right now—I am your mate."

"Huh...?"

I was perplexed, only to see Kili raise her right hand, presenting it before me. The dragon mark appearing on the back of her hand—had turned blue.

"—!"

I gasped in surprise.

"Not just Kili! Tia too!"

Tia lifted her skirt slightly to show me the dragon mark on her thigh. Likewise, its color was—bright blue.

"Don't tell me—it's the same for everyone?"

I frantically looked at the others in turn.

"Yes, me too."

With her hand on her shoulder, Firill nodded.

"Yeah, same here."

"Mm..."

Ariella and Ren nodded in confirmation with their hands on their respective dragon marks.

"—The same goes for me. Umm, although I cannot show you here... My dragon mark has turned blue too."

With her hand on her bottom, Lisa glared at me, blushing to her ears. Then Mitsuki lifted her hair and showed me her neck.

"My dragon mark too... has been dyed with your color, Nii-san."

"Even Mitsuki..."

Unable to understand the situation immediately, I stood stunned on the spot.

Then Shinomiya-sensei patted me on the shoulder.

"—I have already heard Iris Freyja's account of how Kraken Zwei turned back to human. She said that by marking her—turning her into your mate—you had turned her into a human like yourself."

"Y-Yes... But that's purely speculation."

Unable to control the faltering in my heart, I confirmed what Shinomiya-sensei had brought up.

"Simultaneous to when you marked Iris Freyja and Kraken Zwei, the sniping team headed by Lisa Highwalker also had their dragon marks turned blue, apparently. Even Ariella Lu and the others, who were farther away in position, also had their dragon marks turn from purple to blue."

"What... The area of effect was so wide..."

Iris was the only one I had marked by my own volition. I originally thought that Kraken Zwei's dragon mark had changed color simply from being caught in the wake next to Iris—But never did I expect even Lisa and the rest of the girls to be affected.

"After you made contact with Iris Freyja and Kraken Zwei, the colors of their dragon marks had vanished. Their bodies also so no anomalous symptoms. However, since your effect on those whose dragon marks had changed color is as yet uncertain, you will be placed in isolation for now."

Shinomiya-sensei calmly explained the situation to me.

"Oh... So that's why I was sleeping in what looks like a jail cell."

I commented after figuring out the situation. Shinomiya-sensei made an apologetic expression.

"Sorry, I do not wish to subject you to imprisonment... when clearly you are—my niece's savior."

"No, please don't feel bothered. I believe your judgment is correct, Shinomiya-sensei, because I also don't understand what happened—or what I've done."

I laughed wryly and turned my gaze to the dragon on my left hand.

Perhaps reacting to the girls' dragon marks, mine was showing a slight color of blue.

By turning Iris and Kraken Zwei into "my kind," that did not necessarily mean they had become human. It was impossible to predict what effects there might be from now on.

"Personally, I'd like to touch Yuu as soon as possible—to let him turn me into his real mate. I'll simply break this window."

However, Kili shrugged nonchalantly and stared at the window half-seriously.

"Kili-san, please do not act on impulse and cause destruction. I am the one... who wants to confirm Nii-san's safety directly."

While warning Kili, Mitsuki also showed impatience. Seeing this situation, Iris huddled herself apologetically.

"Y-You're right. Sorry... Mitsuki-chan."

"Why is it you, instead of Kili-san, who is apologizing to me, Iris-san?

"B-Because... I touched Mononobe first... Actually you should be first, Mitsuki-chan—No, you should be the only one..."

Iris looked down and placed her hand over her dragon mark on her flank.

"Iris-san, here you go with such words again... I have repeated myself many times already, Nii-san and Iris-san will—

"N-No! Mononobe and Mitsuki will—"

Iris and Mitsuki started to repeat a dispute as before.

"H-Hey, you two—"

I frantically tried to stop them, but with the window and wall in the way, I could only shout at them.

"Hey, Mononobe-kun."

Firill quickly approached the window and called to me quietly.

"By marking me... It means that you have resolved yourself properly to become a prince, right?"

"Uhh..."

I was rendered speechless by her serious gaze. Even though it was unintentional, the fact I marked her was the truth, so I could not deny it.

"Wait, Firill, I feel sorry for Mononobe-kun if you force him like that."

However, overhearing the conversation, Ariella came over and defended me.

"Mm... Onii-chan feels troubled."

Ren also joined in the rescue from behind Ariella.

"Oh... Then you two don't need Mononobe-kun to take responsibility for you?"

Nevertheless, Firill grinned malevolently and asked, causing the two girls to act awkwardly.

"No, umm... I'd also... hope he'd take a bit of responsibility."

"No problem... Onii-chan is a responsible man."

Ariella scratched her face in embarrassment whereas Ren looked me with eyes filled with trust.

"That's right! Yuu will take Tia as wife! Right, husband?"

Even Tia joined in at this time. Everyone's gaze gathered on me.

"Uh, umm..."

The pressure from everyone was making me break out in cold sweat. At this moment, Lisa pointed at me through the window and declared as though pouring fuel on the fire.

"Mononobe Yuu! I will have you know that I intend for you to take responsibility for marking me! With this... blue bottom, how do you expect me to get married!?"

"I-I understand. Responsibility aside, I'll definitely find a solution for the bottom problem no matter what!"

I frantically nodded and agreed. For some reason, Lisa's face remained red.

"D-Do not use such a weird description!"

"But Lisa, you're the one who brought it up, right!?"

While we were talking noisily like this, Iris and Mitsuki, who were arguing in the background, looked over to us in surprise.

"Hey... Mitsuki-chan, this doesn't feel like the time for us to be yielding to each other..."

"My sentiments precisely... Iris-san. At this rate, things might develop into a bad direction."

After such an exchange, the two girls laughed at the same time.

"Ahaha... What are we doing?"

"Fufu—Indeed. To think that we were trying to decide on our own... like fools."

A murky situation with an unknown future ahead of us.

However, for some reason, after seeing Iris and Mitsuki laughing like that, I could not help but smile, feeling that things were not so bad right now.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v08 247.jpg|thumb]]

<center>*</center>

That night—inside the large transport helicopter heading to Midgard—the task that Tia Lightning had been carrying out cautiously so far, ''synchronization with Yggdrasil'', was finally complete.

Sitting in their seats, everyone else was asleep, leaning on one another's shoulder. Despite resting her head against Lisa next to her, Tia opened her eyes slightly and started to search for information.

"Black" Vritra had come to seek negotiations, even at the cost of taking on human form. Tia searched, wanting to know why.

Data... Searching—

With the sound of sparks, lightning flashed around Tia's horns.

Throwing herself into an overwhelming flood of information, she searched for necessary information—Disconcerting information.

—Dragon... Gaia—infinite prison of realms... Counterdragons—

Eight past calamities—crises of destruction—

The flood of information, flowing in the form of electronic signals, projected images of calamities in Tia's mind.

Images of destruction were gradually built.

First was the infernal realm bringing lives to an end. The First Dragon—"Hell" Gehenna.

Next was the visitor transcending infinity. The Second Dragon—"Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis.

Third was the twilight devouring the gods. The Third Dragon—"True Obliteration" Ragnarok.

Fourth was the unstoppable quaking. The Fourth Dragon—"Heavy Tremor" Nova.

Fifth was absolute life of singular completion. The Fifth Dragon—"Eternal Longevity" Bahamat.

Sixth was chaos of indeterminacy. The Sixth Dragon—"Anomalous Dawn" Nyarlathotep.

Seventh was a surging swell of violence. The Seventh Dragon—"Disasterification" Apocalypse.

Eighth was wisdom that had returned. The Eighth Dragon—"Transcendent Soul" Humanoid.

Then, future destruction... A promised conclusion—

The Ninth Dragon—!

"!!"

After comprehending everything, Tia opened her eyes.

Then she noticed the presence of the girl sitting opposite her, staring at her the entire time.

The black-haired girl whose body was imprisoned by a plant's vine—Vritra—spoke to her in a solemn tone of voice.

"'Tis apparent... Thou hast finally grasped the situation."

Tia nodded silently. She could not speak because the truth was too shocking.

As though reading Tia's mind, Vritra continued:

"Yes—Time is in short supply."

Residing in the girl's eyes was despair towards the inescapable future.

"Very soon, all life on Gaia shall face extinction—Destroyed by a ''true dragon''."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v08 250-251.jpg|thumb]]

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_8_Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 8 Afterword|Afterword]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou:Volume 3 Chapter 5

2015-06-26T11:49:08Z

88.165.50.187: added a missing space

==Chapter 5 – The Faceless God==

===Part 1===

“Eei, can one really stay in house arrest like this!? What’s with this riot!? What the hell is the current president of the Sword Division’s student council doing!!”

Kanae who leaped outside from the student dormitory was yelling her lung out while making her small statured body hop around.

The surrounding students who were running about to escape stared in amazement looking at Kanae’s figure.

“Ka, kaichou…!”

“Not kaichou! Right now I’m just a Storm Cat. Call me Kana-nyan.”

“Ka, Kana-nyan…”

“Nya―☆ What is happening with this? Explain the situation.”

The female student that Kanae inquired explained as best as she could even while in a state of confusion.

“That, illegal magicians are come invading inside the ground, here and there are destroyed by magic…their chanting speed are staggering, their chanting are not stopping even when they are cut by sword, it's uncontrollable….”

“Illegal magicians? Not the Magic Division? Unknown enemy…? Do they have some connection with the person who tried to trap Nii-sama? Oi, where are their location?”

The moment Kanae asked, “DON!” the sound of explosions and buildings crumbling down deafened their ears.

“…I don’t even need to ask, huh. Thank you, if I’m not mistaken…first year class two Iijima!”

“Y, you know my name!?”

“Be careful and escape okay! Nya―☆”

Leaving behind a strangely cute voice, Kanae dashed away.

“…Can I say that Kana-nyan-senpai is reliable? But she really does bring quiet a relief though.”

The student that was left behind mysteriously recovered her calm and whispered.

Kanae’s beloved Sword Division was destroyed into a mere shadow of its former self.

The school building that was made from wood was burned down by magic, becoming a pitch black fire-devastated area. It seems the fire was not spreading most likely because of Kohaku and her comrade using the Battou Kaikon of the Sacred Treasures that possessed power over water like [Murasame] and [Sukehiro] to work in extinguishing the fire.

Moreover the mist was enshrouding the height of the people just right, concealing the figures of the escaping students. There was no mistake that this unnatural mist was the smoke screen magic of mist that was the specialty of Liz Liza-sensei.

But was she approaching the limit of her magic power, the mist was starting to thin out.

Kanae first thought whether she ought to rescue the students who were collapsing in magic intoxication, but someone had already performed the rescue inside the mist. Inside the mist that was already in the process of clearing up, she couldn’t find a figure of casualty anywhere.

The worst situation was avoided due to the correct judgment.

And then Kanae discovered the figures of the enemies.

Ten silver-haired magicians covered in masks were forming a column of a line to the side, they were advancing while pouring magic on any noticeable humans.

Regarding that there was a group that was pouring attack using Sacred Treasures. It was Kohaku’s crew.

“But…that is not really a fight.”

Kanae whispered in bitter voice.

―Kohaku and the others' forte was really not effective against the enemy.

The strong point of Kohaku’s party that equipped the Sacred Treasures was fast rotation of long-range attack. Its might was decidedly inferior compared to Summoning Magic but, Battou Kaikon was able to invoke magic without chanting spell.

Therefore Kohaku and her group would obstruct the opponent’s spell chanting with swift attacks and overcame the resistance one-sidedly, that’s how their tactic should be happening. But that kind of tactic was not applying to the enemies in front of their eyes.

There were two miscalculations.

First, the cycle of the masked magicians' spell chanting were abnormally fast.

No, the speed of their spell chanting might not be actually that fast. But from what Kanae saw, she had a hunch that those guys were chanting four kinds of magic all at once. That was not a joke.

And then one more miscalculation, even when the masked magicians got hit by Kohaku and the others’ attacks, their concentration toward spell chanting were not cut off at all. Rather than saying their concentration were uninterrupted, it looked like they didn’t think of anything at all, an eerie sight.

As a result, Kohaku and her group were soaking the masked magicians’ magic one after another. They couldn’t prevent the opponents’ chanting at all, that’s why if they were not a [swordsman that could evade Summoning Magic] then they would not be able to fight at all. That was the limit of relying on just the strength of the Sacred Treasure.

If it was not a fighter around the level of Kohaku, Kanae, or Iori, then they wouldn’t be able to make a dent to this formidable enemy.

“Move back! The only one who can become their opponent is only this one!!”

Finally Kohaku ordered her comrades to retreat with expression of grief. She made a tragic judgment that her fighting alone was a better way.

“Geez…what kind of pitiful face are you making, student council president!”

“Ka…Kanae-kaichou!?”

Kaane overtook Kohaku who was exercising long-range attack, approaching the masked magicians like a gale.

“The president is you! I am Kana-nyan!! Nya―a!!”

Kanae evaded all the magic that came flying with paper-thin distance, then she started hacking to pieces with her two katana like she was dancing.

“Kaichou…no, Kana-nyan-senpai!”

Kohaku helplessly accepted the weird given name and yelled.

“Please be careful! Those guys magic power are unusually massive, no matter how many times Kana-nyan-senpai keep cutting with those small katana it won’t make any damage…!”

“I know!” Kanae yelled back.

“The thing that we should do is to buy time! Until Nii-sama and Otonashi Kaguya comes…we have to hold back the damage to the Sword Division as low as possible!”

===Part 2===

Kazuki and the others finally escaped from the underground facility.

When they leaped out of the underground hurriedly, the grounds of the Magic Division was enveloped in a strange silence. As though all students were finished taking refuge….

From the other side in the Sword Division, sounds of buildings being destroyed and the stir the escaping people made could be heard.

“Don’t tell me…the Magic Division left the Sword Division alone and is taking refuge!? Even though those Quad-core Magica are not an opponent that could be defeated without the whole students of the Magic Division grouping up!!”

Mio raised her voice as if she couldn’t believe it.

“…This is the work of Naiara-whatchallit-pu. That guy probably returned to the appearance of Headmaster Otonashi and put out an instruction for the students of the Magic Division to take refuge.”

Using the appearance of Headmaster Otonashi to control the nucleus of the Magic Division, what a Diva that likes to maneuver secretly.

There was no doubt that the one who tricked him into all those false crimes was that guy.

That jet black Naiara-whatchallit-pu…!

“Kazuki…it’s Naiaratoteph.”

Koyuki gave a tsukkomi toward Kazuki calmly.

“Anyway let’s hurry!”

Kazuki and the others ran to the direction of the sounds. Vast magic power was blowing violently like a storm.

When they leaped over the pitch-black burned down area of the carbonized wooden school building and finally arrived at the battlefield, over there was Kanae and Kohaku who were fighting as the opponents of the ten Quad-core Magica.

Especially Kohaku who was markedly damaged from the magic that she couldn’t dodge.

The moment Kazuki and the others finally came, the shrouding mist cleared up completely.

“Kanae! Kohaku! Are you guys okay!?”

“Kazuki! So you return from the underground safely!”

“Nii-sama!?”

Kohaku and Kanae were both turning around to his direction.

Kanae’s cheeks flushed in the blink of eye, her eyes started to glitter like a shining star.

“Ni – i – sa – ma~~!! ♥♥♥!! Meeting Nii-sama after so long, Kanae with the force of a cat at full speed is nya nya nya nya~~~~~n!!”

While screaming, Kanae dashed fiercely to Kazuki with a force that left behind afterimages.

“Fast!? Even compared to that time…!” Kohaku shuddered after seeing that speed.

“Nii-sama Nii-sama Nii-sama~!! Pleaseee give me a kiss of reunion!!”

Kanae came hugging him with the force of a tackle.

“Idiot, what are you doing in the middle of battle!”

Kazuki stretched apart Kanae’s mochi-like cheeks with a ‘GUII~’<ref>SFX of stretching things</ref>.

“Funyaaaaaaa!” Kanae raised a shriek happily.

At that time a huge ball of fire came flying.

“…Look out!”

Kazuki held Kanae in a princess-carry and leaped to the side.

“The long awaited Nii-sama’s princess carry! Kanae…has no regret already even if I die nyan…”

“Cut it out!”

As expected Kazuki raised his voice and scolded Kanae. This was completely not the situation to joke around.

“Everyone, let’s form the Heaven and Earth Formation! Me, Kanae, and Kohaku will cut into them! I will become the shield as best as possible, everyone else will attack with magic from behind!”

“Understood!” “Okay desu!” “I understand.”

Mio, Lotte, and Koyuki began chanting spell at the same time.

While Kazuki sensed the torrent of magic power at his back, he plunged into the column of the Quad-core Magica.

He had to draw the magic at him as best as he could!

“O will of the god of the whirling sky! Assemble in my hand, lend me the authority of judgment! O radiance of the divine right of the King, become a dazzling brilliance bow drawn to its limit! {{furigana|Lightning Line|Thunder God Bow}}!”

A dignified voice was audible from somewhere―several streak of lightning pierced the Quad-core Magica.

This magic is…!

“Hoshikaze-senpai!”

“Hayashizaki-kun! …Did you find it, the clue?”

Hoshikazi-senpai slipped through the rain of magic with lightning speed utilizing Ride Lightning, rushing over to Kazuki’s side. This person's battle power was first rank as expected.

“…Yes! Sorry to make you worry.”

Without asking for the particulars, Hoshikaze-senpai smiled and said “Is that so” with just that.

“This, I’m returning it.”

The item she handed over was Kazuki’s beloved katana, Doufuu. After handing over the katana, senpai carried a different katana that she used at the time of practicing with Kazuki.

“…What in the world are those enemies?” Senpai inquired.

“Those are, artificially strengthened magicians that had been experimented on. Their personality had been destroyed, there is no way to save them anymore than to defeat them.”

Hoshikaze-senpai’s expression darkened. Senpai was a kind person after all. But in this situation there was nothing more they could do.

“Understood. So there is no other way than to fight, right?”

When Kazuki nodded, Hoshikaze-senpai negated her pained expression and chanted the magic “Storm Fort!”. The Quad-core Magica launched their magic over here but all of it were sent flying by the storm. If they attacked based on compatible element, the wind would probably be pierced, but as the compensation of having their personality abolished, they didn’t have that much intelligence left.

Inside that wind…Hoshikaze-senpai kneaded up an enormous magic power!

“Know the rage of the god with this thunderous roar of the sacred flame! Every howl of the sky reside in this hand, bring down the hammer and break the world! One blow to destroy the world! {{furigana|Yagrush|Sky Drum Pressing Lightning Hammer}}!!”

The wind ceased. In the hand of Hoshikaze-senpai, a large hammer was gripped tightly.

That was…Baal’s level 8! A distant height magic that Kazuki and others still couldn’t chant!

When Hoshikaze-senpai held that hammer aloft to the sky, it raised a boisterous noise and dark clouds covered the sky.

Hoshikaze-senpai ran, not to the whole group of the Quad-core Magica itself, but to the middle point between two Quad-core Magica. Over there, she raised the large hammer overhead.

“I will end this painlessly at the very least…!!”

Along with a yell of fighting spirit, she swung down the hammer at the point where there was nobody.

At that moment, countless flashes of lightning that blinded the eyes poured down from the dark clouds in the sky.

Raging sound of lightning reverberated, all of the world was shaking loosely with the thunderous roar and earthquake!

Nothing could be seen from the light and the cloud of dust―when all of those cleared up, a huge crater was formed at the point where Hoshikaze-senpai hammered the ground, the two Quad-core Magica that were located at the both side of the point exhausted all of their defensive magic power and collapsed. Those two elves both together with just one hit was…

“Nii-sama…that person, she tried to smash Torazou with that at the inter-division match, right?”

Kanae whispered while drawing back.

…Let’s absolutely not make Hoshikaze-senpai mad shall we.

“Let’s get going rapidly!”

Hoshikaze-senpai began to chant her next magic. Even while chanting she ran around with lightning speed, hitting ceaselessly with the Lighning Line, she couldn’t be targeted by the opponents' magic.

“…Kenki Tensei! Thy name is…Ooishi Susumu! Go!”

Even more phantom dashed into the battlefield holding a long katana in his hand.

“Thy name is…Otani Nobutomo! Go!”

One more phantom ran at full speed holding a wooden sword.

“Thy name is…Shimada Toranosuke! Go!”

The owner of the voice was Kazuha-senpai. The same when she was fighting Kazuki, it seems the limit of the phantoms this magic could summon were three bodies. Right now the three master swordsmen that were summoned to this place were master fencer in Bakumatsu era.

“Mikohime-sama!? …You can’t, senpai mustn’t use magic in the place where people are watching!!”

Kohaku raised a voice tinged with a shriek.

“Don’t say stupid things! Even though that shameless man over there is also fighting, there is no way I could just sit quietly in this emergency situation!!”

“GUWAHHAHHA! Kazuha, looks like this battle is not a place you can joke around, you mustn’t try to do close-quarter combat, you understand!!”

At Kazuha-senpai’s side, Futsunushi no Kami’s avatar who was in the role of overseer was floating.

“Uuu…I know! Don’t laugh! Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Rain of Sacred Treasures poured incessantly to the Quad-core Magica who just stood stock still like scarecrows because of their lack of war instinct.

At that interval, Mio and Lotte and Koyuki fired their magic too.

The trend was determined. The battlefield was blanketed with blue light of magic power, displaying the damage of the Quad-core Magica.

Even though they were Quad-core Magica, but they were defeated one after another.

Kanae and Kohaku were no longer needed to act as the vanguard, they watched over the situation attentively.

“That is Nii-sama’s Heaven and Earth Formation, Kohaku.”

“…”

At the side of the proudly looking Kanae, Kohaku kept silent with expression as if she was chewing a bitter bug.

Kazuki looked at those two with a sidelong glance, he once again thought curiously about what was going on between the two of them.

But that was for another time…with all these comrades, they could stop the Quad-core Magica!!

===Part 3===

“Please wait a little bit, Beatrix-sama, Damian-sama, Eleonora-sama.”

Headmaster Otonashi lowered his head respectfully to the three Einherjar that appeared at the staff room.

“…The battlefield is waiting for me you know?”

Beatrix floated a smile with broad grin. Those cheeks were blushing like a maiden in love.

“Beatrix~, do you really need all three of us heree~. For this kind of school you seee~”

The small statured girl called Damian talked while showing a ridicule on her face.

The magic power of females were higher compared to males, in the current era where many females were far better at battle prowess than male, the number of females that were named with male name were not few.

“Three people are still not really enough you know, Damian. After all our opponent is a {{furigana|King|Basileus}}. Actually we should bring not only three but come here with even more numbers but, since this is a sudden request.”

“For the captain to lose…maybe there is some mistake.”

Eleonora who was a lady with tall stature body that was long, slender, and well proportioned, whispered expressionlessly.

“This me without doubt had lost, Erii. If the one that beat me is just a normal student then my stock will fall sharply. I guarantee that boy is not just a normal opponent.”

“I’ll buy it~, that free-falling stock, I’m going to buy it for sure~. And then I will be promoted to captain.”

Damian raised a laughing voice ‘kekeke’. Her tone was vulgar but she had a high-pitched voice like a child.

A confused atmosphere flowed in the staff room because of the three visitors.

“Fathe…Headmaster.”

Kaguya who was in standby in that place cut into the conversation.

“The report that the attack had already been resolved should have come in already, shouldn’t it?”

The report that the situation had been resolved with the unknown enemies exterminated to the last had already come to the staff room. However Headmaster Otonashi shook his head.

“What are you saying? These girls came to capture the illegal magician and Charlotte.”

The illegal magician being talked here was referring to the matter of Hayashizaki Kazuki.

“Oi, how about making that Ojou-chan help too huh~. …Or rather that Ojou-chan is quite strong right? I can feel her presence is not normal ze~”

Damian poured her sight to Kaguya, Headmaster Otonashi nodded his head toward her question.

“Of course, Damian-sama. Kaguya…you understand.”

After being made sure by Headmaster Otonashi, Kaguya felt like her head was lolling.

Along with the haziness from the lolling in her head, her own emotion felt like it was going far away….

“…Yes.” Kaguya replied with her emotion very far apart from her.

“Yosh, me and <Damian of Sword>, <Eleonora of Shield> will stand as the vanguard. The daughter of Headmaster Otonashi will provide support from the rear guard. I’ve heard that you are not just an average student, I have expectation on you, okay. Rather I want to try to fight you or so, fufufu!”

Beatrix unintentionally leaked out a laugh like a kid waiting for her treasured holiday.

“…Lad, this is my Heaven and Earth Formation!”

===Part 4===

No matter how high their magic power were, to not defend or dodge at all were the fatal weak points of the Quad-core Magica. Rather it could even be seen as their wish to be completely liberated that they accepted all the attacks.

After Kazuki and his party held the initiative, the Quad-core Magica were defeated one after another.

“Hooray, we protected the Sword Division! Kazu-nii!”

“We did it, as expected of Nii-sama! Please give a reward kiss for me doing my best!!”

Mio and Kanae came hugging Kazuki.

“…You two, it looks like it’s still too early to be happy.”

Kazuki brushed aside the cheek of his childhood friend and step-sister who used every chances to try to have skinships with serious expression. “Munyu” “Funya” Both of them leaked out a voice free from all worry.

Kazuki sensed the magic power that came approaching them.

That was a magic power he was familiar with.

“You solved this wonderfully. You haven’t used up all your strength against the small fishes in the opening performance right, lad.”

A voice that reminded one of steel even though it was of a female, could be heard.

From the opposite side of the school building wreckage and sand dust that told the after-story of a fierce battle, a familiar woman in armor appeared.

…Einherjar! So these guys finally came in this kind of timing!

“I missed you so lad…no, Kazuki! How about we meet our affection blade to blade again!!”

“Beatrix!”

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.03 201.jpg|thumb]]

At both her side, two more armored soldier were waiting.

“Da-mia-n hee-re. Nice to meet you.”

A short girl, an Einherjar with appearance and voice that looked and sounded like a cheeky child introduced herself with the middle finger of both her hands pointed up.

“Is there any need to introduce oneself to the opponent that we will fight after this? …Eleonora. Best regards.”

One more person. The tall statured Einherjar continued with her self-introduction. She was a female with gentle eyes but, she was not supposed to be an average magician.

There was no mistake that these girls were called here by Headmaster Otonashi― Naiarlatoteph.

Kazuki realized all of Naiarlatoteph’s contrivance. After dealing with Kazuki and Lotte in this place, there was no doubt that he plans to blame the turmoil the Quad-core Magica caused as the work of [the unknown Diva Hayashiki Kazuki was contracted with].

In the rear of the Einherjar, Kaguya-senpai was also waiting in standby.

“Kaguya! …You understand that this situation is suspicious right!? Even so you still plan to stand at that side!?”

Hoshikaze-senpai shouted.

“I am...Otouto-kun have to…”

Kaguya-senpai who was wrapped in her Magic Dress casted her eyes down with a mournful face.

“Hayashizaki-kun’s case might be over with just transferring to the Sword Division but, Lotte won’t be able to escape with this situation you know!?”

Hoshikaze-senpai raised her voice to try to persuade Kaguya-senpai. Hoshikaze-senpai was still in the wrong impression that Kazuki would end up transferring to the Sword Division. However even if that would happen, Lotte’s life was still in serious threat.

In the previous fight, Kaguya-senpai was still fighting with her own will. But the script Kaguya-senpai assumed at that time had already changed into something impossible to realize. If the situation kept like this then Lotte’s life absolutely won’t be able to be saved anymore.

Kaguya-senpai distorted her expression from getting stuck in the dilemma between her sense of responsibility and emotion.

“Don’t listen to them. You understand, Kaguya. You as the strongest magician, just enjoy fighting the strongest magic swordsman.”

In Kaguya-senpai’s side, Headmaster Otonashi whispered to Kaguya-senpai. Magic power was generated from that whisper.

“Accept this as you are…{{furigana|Sanity Down|Oracle of Ecstasy}}!”

Naiarlatoteph’s characteristic magic!?

At that instant, from the eyes of Kaguya-senpai―the color of emotion vanished.

The one who noticed this magic phenomenon was only Kazuki who reinforced his senses. Beatrix’s group didn’t even turn back to the situation behind them.

“I am…the strongest magician, so…I have to do this!”

Kaguya-senpai said so expressionlessly.

What were left inside Kaguya-senpai right now was just the logic and responsibility that Headmaster Otonashi planted, and then―the craving of her own self somewhere in her heart, nothing but to fight a stronger person.

…Nothing else could be done other than to fight senpai!

Senpai’s heart had been already chained by that evil god long before she met me.

I will defeat senpai, and liberate her from that evil god!

Kazuki glared at the enemy alertly while calling out his [comrades] at his back.

“…Everyone, if it us then we can win! Those Einherjar are not a big deal. After all the strongest class from the Magic Division and the Sword Division had also gathered in this side.”

In front of the mighty enemy called Einherjar, Kazuki encouraged his withering comrades.

“Kanae, cooperate with Kohaku and stop Beatrix in the middle. Her physical strength and reflexes are reinforced. The only one who can dodge her attack is only you of Hayashizaki-syle.”

Kazuki glanced back to the back and handed over Raikiri to Kanae.

“If that girl is covering her sword with lightning, use this Sacred Treasure.”

In pure skill of Kenjutsu, Kanae was equal with Kazuki. She should be able to buy time against Beatrix as her opponent if she received magic support.

“Understood, Nii-sama.”

“Mio, you are going to attack from behind with magic. …Barrett could be blocked by the shield. However Mio is supposed to always continue growing.”

Only by saying that, Mio understood everything Kazuki wanted to say and nodded.

“…That’s only natural. Don’t look down on a rank A.”

Whether Kanae could stop Beatrix or not depended on Mio’s support.

This time Kazuki was talking to Hoshikaze-senpai.

“The one most reliable among us is senpai. The Einherjar are all-purpose Magica Stigma who can even perform close-quarter combat skillfully, but if it is senpai who can use Ride Lightning then senpai should be able to exchange swords with them.”

“Okay, leave it to me! After all I’m a senior as your friend. It’s okay to rely on me as much as you like!”

Hoshikaze-senpai replied back happily. That brightness of her gave some encouragement to Kazuki.

“Koyuki…Koyuki is not alone anymore. Not fighting as solo, but cooperate with your comrade and fight.”

When he looked over his shoulder with a glance, Koyuki made a meek face from Kazuki’s words.

“…To trust other people than Kazuki, it’s scary.”

Kazuki felt happy from those words, but he shook his head.

“Even more than alone, you can be far stronger by cooperating with everyone. Absolutely. You won’t be betrayed by anyone here.”

Koyuki nodded deeply.

“Lotte will take the role of search-and-destroy using your level 5 magic, aim for those who try to chant high level magic.”

“Okay desu!”

“For Kazuha-senpai…sorry to drag you into this…”

“Hn, even I can read the general mood. You were falsely accused by those guys, right? I can’t tolerate shameless guys but, against cowardly guys, I also hate them.”

“Kazuha-senpai needs to avoid close-quarter combat as much as possible, please support the comrade who is in a pinch from the rear.”

“Youu…I don’t want to accept the instruction of someone like you but…I will recognize that instruction as right!!”

At the end of his line of sight, Beatrix was sending a heated gaze eagerly, but Kazuki ignored that and stared at Kaguya-senpai directly.

“I will fight Kaguya-senpai.”

There was nothing that could be done if magic came flying from Kaguya-senpai in the rear with vanguards as powerful as the Einherjar. Someone has to hold back the magic of Kaguya-senpai.

{Aren’t you behaving more like a king here?}

Inside his head Leme was coming to talk.

There was no intention like that. …It’s only that he wanted to liberate Kaguya-senpai with his own hands!

Kazuki resolved himself, he faced the enemy and took a step. That was the trigger of the battle.

“Fufufu! This is the continuation from the fight before, Kazuki!! …I will do a good fight, welcoming a good death, wishing to participate in even more fight in the heaven! The divine protection of color of the blood in my pupils! Berserk!!”

The red-pupil mad soldier Beatrix was coming to welcome Kazuki passionately.

“…There is no free time to accompany you! Stop the step of the hated enemy, hasten the step of the chosen person…. O divine protection of mermaid, grant me the blade to dance on top of the ice! Moves in the Field!”

While Kazuki ran to the enemy formation, he activated the magic he became able to use from his bond with Koyuki.

The surface of the battlefield was frozen in a blink of eye. It was a magic that exhibited heavy effect to the Einherjar whose core was close-quarter combat.

Beatrix’s feet slipped on the ice surface―there Kazuki accelerated and slipped through from the side using ice-skating boots. Beatrix saw off Kazuki’s back in astonished expression.

Keeping that momentum, Kazuki went to slash Kaguya-senpai.

“What the…is this the taste of unrequited love…? Fufufu, so even I have some maiden heart left inside.”

“Beatrix-taichou<ref>Captain, or more accurately commanding officer</ref>, you are a little odd zee!?”

Damian entered a tsukkomi to Beatrix who said an incomprehensible thing.

“…We act in accordance of Hodur’s wish, I entrust my body to the exaltation of battle! The war fire of violent emotion running in the fat and blood on my sword!! {{furigana|Stories Flame|Merit of the Slaughterer}}!”

Damian drew out her sword and invoked her magic. The sword in her hand was enveloped with fierce fire.

“It’s sooo depressing! Melt all of this!!”

Damian stabbed the sword of flame into the ground. Thereupon, the flame residing in the sword was transmitted in a wave motion, the frozen surface of the ground was melted in the time it took to say ‘ah’.

“Good job, Damian! With this I can chase Kazuki!!”

Beatrix’s eyes that were full with obsession chased Kazuki’s back.

―At that time, the shadow of a black cat had already drew close to Beatrix.

“I won’t let you get close to Nii-sama! This damn stalker!!”

Kanae poured on slashes of kodachi to Beatrix.

Beatrix avoided all of those with superhuman reflexes.

“Fufufu…I wonder if I should make a greeting to his family first! Glad to meet you and please take care of me!!”

Kanae Foresighted Beatrix’s counter attack and avoided it completely with agile motion.

After the offense and defense in the place of the greeting ended, Kanae and Beatrix squared against each other.

There Damian attempted to provide assistance. But a streak of lightning came flying as if to held her back. Hoshikaze Hikaru was setting up a bow of lighting and aimed at Damian.

“I won’t let you be a hindrance to Kanae-san. I will pin you down by myself.”

“{{furigana|Classe|Heee}}! An immature ass of a student dare to say such a cheeky line! I’ll make that pretty face messed uppppppp!”

Damian headed to Hikaru while brandishing her flame sword.

Damian had gone from that place. Kanae and Beatrix clashed against each other. Kanae evaded Beatrix’s attack lightly and loosely then she counter-attacked with her kodachi. Beatrix dodged the kodachi again with her superhuman reflexes.

“You are even faster than Kazuki huh! But I’m going to accelerate even more you know!? O divine protection of military man, double the {{furigana|Megin|divine power}} whirling in my body! Dashing to endless fight as the will of the god, in this body! …Megingjord!”

A glittering light was raining down from the sky heading to Beatrix, Beatrix’s whole body carried on even more strength. Even faster, even stronger, she came swinging her sword to Kanae.

Kanae crossed both her kodachi and blocked the strong sword coming down.

“Hayashizaki-style two-swords art, Wind God’s Instant Positioning!”

Before Kanae was outpushed by Beatrix’s strength, she twisted the crossed kodachi suddenly and forcefully. Rotating her body, she redirected Beatrix’s sword to the wrong direction.

Beatrix’s posture was broken. Kanae turned in a circle like a spinning top and visited Beatrix a slash after a full rotation. With her reinforced body balance, Beatrix righted her disordered stance forcefully and dodged Kanae’s kodachi. However her movement was a dodging technique of heavy work, it caused unnaturalness in her stance.

“Now, Kohaku!” Kanae yelled.

Not letting Beatrix’s gap get away, Kohaku came charging.

“This guy’s weapon is reflexes! Use that Sacred Treasure the moment I did it!!”

Toward that hint Kanae provided, Kohaku immediately responded.

From the seven Sacred Treasures she owned, Kohaku drew the one for the use of close-quarter combat from her hip.

“Run O beam of light, <Mikadzuki Munechika>! Battou Kaikon―Getsuei no Tachi!!”

That Battou Kaikon reversed the cause and effect, the moment the hand grasped the sword, a slash had already occurred.

It might be possible for Hayashizaki-style with Foresight as its forte, but by no means it was a technique that could be seen through by reflexes alone.

Kanae repelled Beatrix’s attack with Instant Positioning and protected Kohaku.

“I will redirect this guy’s strength and created an opportunity! Match your breath with me!”

“…Yes! Kana-nyan-senpai!”

Recognizing the strength of these two, Beatrix’s expression did a complete change.

―They can’t be make light of. These guys are master hands that can’t be killed instantly.

Thereupon, the summoning magic that was aimed at her right at this moment was becoming a problem. Concentrating only at the swordsmen would land you through bitter experience, this was the tactic of Japan’s Knight Order that was called [Heaven and Earth Formation].

Beatrix had already comprehended that tactic.

Right, she already understood the tactic. …Like who it was that she need to target first.

Beatrix’s eyes sipped away from Kanae and Kohaku, and caught the sight of Mio.

This flame magician, as long as she had this flame protection shield, <Svalinn>, then she was an opponent of little importance.

First she would deal with that girl!

“You see, I’m not someone foolhardy to the point that I will go nuts to fight only the opponent in front of my eyes…I’m going to ignore you bastards! First is you!”

Beatrix ignored Kanae and Kohaku and dashed to Mio like a meteor. She shook off Kanae and Kohaku in one breath. They couldn’t pursue Beatrix in pure speed.

As for Mio, she faced Beatrix with determination.

I’m waiting for you to do that, that was what Mio whispered inside her mouth.

…This guy was thinking of me as a drag. She knew that I’m someone that couldn’t do anything if she managed to get near. She was thinking that I had no way to do anything as long as she had that flame shield.

This guy's current action, I don’t need to be Kazuki to Foresight what she is going to do.

That was why Mio didn’t chant any superfluous magic, she was chanting the greatest magic she could chant and waiting in preparation for the moment Beatrix was heading to her.

“Just try to defend this with your shield if you really can defend it…!”

In front of a formidable enemy, Mio floated a smile that would make one shudder.

Just like what Lotte said, I am someone who can display my brightness against a formidable enemy!

The straight line distance that was connecting Mio and Beatrix was ran through by Beatrix in just an instant. Beforehand, Mio had already prepared a trap at the distance of that straight line.

Moving the oxygen using Psychokinesis, she heightened the concentration of oxygen at the zone of that straight line.

On top of which―she fired!

“O bird of paradise where the light of the heaven is residing in that body, answer my accusation and reduce to ashes the sin on the earth! Israel Judgment!!”

Heat ray was fired right from the front of the charging Beatrix.

The quality of the magic was different from Barrett. The beam was flying with the speed of light.

Against that, even with Beatrix’s reflexes it was impossible to defend with a shield.

What was going on at this moment was something that was impossible to comprehend for Beatrix.

Beatrix who was inside the highly concentrated oxygen that had a highly combustible property was fired with an ultra-heat laser. The oxygen was bursting out all at once in a raging flame explosion!

It was a level 6 magic even at the best of time but, with the application of common magic Mio used however, that magic could be bragged to fire a destructive power equal to magic in the level 7 or 8.

Due to the tremendous impact of her smashed magic, Beatrix was blown away to a far distance and crashed into the wreckage of the school building.

While getting buried in the wreckage, Beatrix directed an expression as if to said that she couldn’t believe it to Mio.

Seeing that expression, Mio drowned out her inferiority complex and puffed her chest haughtily.

“Fufun. Because Kazu-nii had already said that the guy who challenge the same opponent in the same way as in the previous fight is an idiot! That brain tissue of yours, it is made from muscle isn’t it?”

Hoshikaze Hikaru was challenging Damian into an one-to-one fight.

“The destiny of all creation are inside the great celestial sphere…O binding of the constellation, suspend the motion of the sky! {{furigana|Horoscope Stasis|Star Gauze Sky Prison}}!”

Hikaru was chanting her magic, countless stars were floating around Damian’s body. In the space between the stars, lines were running like a constellation, the lines of light restrained Damian into immobility.

This restraint magic that can even seal dragons couldn’t be escaped using human’s physical strength.

“Annoyiiiiing! We are Hodur’s, negate all obstacles toward the sacred battle and distribute the divine protection of Norn to us! {{furigana|Norngjord|Belt of Victory of the Three Goddess}}!”

Damian’s body was wrapped in flaring strong light, right at that moment the lines of light disappeared.

Right now she didn’t break the restraint with brute force. The opponent was chanting a purge magic.

―If Hikaru doesn’t make any strange mistake then you are about as strong as me you know?

While Hikaru remembered some words Kaguya had said to her once, she decided to progress the battle calmly. She tended to lose her temper, however if she fought calmly then she should be able to compete against this tough enemy.

And then I will take back Kaguya together with Hayashizaki-kun!

“Lightning Line!”

Hikaru fired the Summoning Magic she chanted while Damian was restrained to her direction.

“GAA!”

Damian leaked out a scream, she was taken aback by the impact of the smashed magic.

“You shitty bastaard! …Blessing of immortality slipped through this hand O mistletoe of disaster, malice and misunderstanding is received in the tail and feathers, shooting to death the son of god! {{furigana|Mistilteinn|Bow of Mistletoe}}!”

Bow and arrow was created in Damian’s both hands, quickly she fired the arrow.

Mistilteinn―the bow and arrow of mistletoe that pierced the son of god Baldur in the Norse Mythology.

The Diva that Damian was a believer for was the blind god, Hodur. In the Norse Mythology, holding the bow and arrow and the magic sword of mistletoe in hand he was the Diva that would unroll the fight of destiny with Baldur.

“Storm Fort!”

Hikaru chanted defensive magic of wind. However {{furigana|Damian’s arrow|Mistilteinn}} slipped through and pierced Hikaru. The blue defensive magic power was smashed.

Something like bow and arrow was a projectile weapon that was supposed to be blown away by wind. Despite the attribute superiority that was supposed to be there, this arrow slipped through the defensive magic and came flying. Probably, this bow and arrow possessed the power to make every defense powerless. Identical with the legend where it shot Baldur to death.

Hikaru judged that challenging her in close-quarter combat was a good plan and she stepped forward.

At the same time Damian was also selecting for close-quarter combat.

“Ride Lightning!”

“Stories Flame!”

Hikaru and Damian were invoking magic for close-quarter combat use at the same time.

Hikaru’s body accelerated. Damian’s sword was entangled with strong flames.

Using the super high-speed kenjutsu she learned from Kazuki, Hikaru slashed Damian without permitting any defense or evasion.

Damian swung the western sword that was clad in flame of karma. Hikaru dodged it with the use of skillful agility, but she couldn’t dodge everything repeatedly and received a large damage from the hit she got.

The offense and defense of Hikaru that shredded minutely small damages and Damian that inflicted large damage in one shot, if it was seen comprehensively they were even.

Hikaru thought―she had confidence in her concentration toward spells. It seemed the opponent couldn’t chant in this exchange. I’m going to chant a high level magic during these exchanges of slashes and decide the victory and defeat right away!

Damian thought―this son of a bitch, is she thinking that she is even with me? Waving around her sword desperately like a stupid idiot, while this side was already chanting high level magic during the fight, I’m going to make you know your place!

And then during the exchange of close-quarter combat, both of them invoked magic at the same time.

“Know the rage of god with this sacred flame’s thunderous roar! All the howl of the sky reside in this hand, bring down the world destroying hammer! Break the world with one attack! Yagrush!!”

“The sword clutched in this hand turn the blessing into curse of malice! While wishing for the rebirth in time, this hand sever the son of god’s immortal thread of life! {{furigana|Mistilteinn II|Annihilation Divine Sword}}!”

The aria of both of them were Sacred Treasures creation magic.

Both of them opened their eyes wide in astonishment and surprise. And then they thought of the same thing―simultaneous strike is bad! If I got hit with that magic power, I’m going to be sorry!

Weapon and weapon clashed, the fight entered into a contest of strength.

Both of the weapons clashed against each other like they were drawing in their opponent.

What Hikaru held in her hand was the hammer of lightning that the highest god of ancient Phoenicia, Baal held in his left hand. The name of Baal represented the sound of lightning, this weapon could be said to be the synonym of Baal.

What Damian held in her hand was the magic sword of instant death that could murder even god. Mistilteinn that severed the life of Baldur was told in legend as bow and arrow and also as a cursed magic sword.

Colossal lightning was converging in the striking part of Hikaru’s large hammer, Damian’s large sword was clad in black aura like a dark cloud, devouring that lightning greedily and extinguishing it.

Lightning and curse were negating each other―hammer and sword were using up their strength to the end and vanished together.

…It’s a draw!

Both of them took a distance simultaneously, they set up their original weapon respectively again.

“Strong! As expected of Einherjar!”

“You bastaaaard, what the hell are you doing giving a praise so haughtily while looking down at me! You think you are equal with this me!? {{furigana| Scheiße|Shit}}! {{furigana| Scheiße|Stop bullshitting me}}! {{furigana| Scheiße|I’ll fucking kill you}}!”

They are even but, it was fine even if the victory or defeat hadn’t been decided yet. Her objective was to wait for Hayashizaki-kun to liberate Kaguya. …With that point of thought, Hikaru had far more leeway compared to Damian.

Beatrix and Damian were able to be shut out skillfully.

The remaining problem was the Einherjar called Eleonora.

“Soaring wings, glaring eyes, invading word-destroying conflagration―manifest the authority of the god right here, as the agent of the civilization charge ahead deeper and deeper! {{furigana|Deep Striker|Deep Invasion Armament}}!!”

Lotte invoked Prometheus’s level 5 magic.

The armament this magic summoned covered Lotte’s shoulders until her back completely, a multi-purpose large-type thruster system. It was installed with arms container and enemy searching unit.

The thruster unit spewed out flame, Lotte soared into the far high-altitude sky forcefully.

Search-and-Destroy mission―the special role she received from Kazuki that was neither vanguard or rearguard, Lotte thought of it proudly.

Lotte equipped the enemy searching unit on her head. Across the goggle, the magic power swirling in the battlefield was visualized and displayed.

Her role was to sense the enemy who attempted to chant high level magic like Mjollnir and ran a disturbance.

Using the enemy searching unit she observed the magic power, the state of the enemy from the sky, and choose the person that was kneading huge amount of magic power to attack. That was what Kazuki requested from her, [Search-and Destroy Mission].

Lotte was glaring at the battlefield from the sky.

Beatrix was in the state where she couldn’t produce large magic power thanks to Kanae and Mio’s great efforts.

Damian brought forth a huge magic power, but Hoshikaze-senpai also produce the magic power equal with her opponent, it was an even battle. The target was not these two.

Lotte directed her caution to the remaining sole Einherhar, Eleonora.

―At the surface Koyuki was confronting Eleonora.

“We are Ægir‘s, lend me the fear of the unknown bottom of the ocean! The raging waves toying the small people, to me…. {{furigana|Himinglæva|The Sea That Reflects the Light of the Sky}}!”

“O water surface that sway from my singing voice, manipulate the small wave and gathered them into large tsunami! Coming from beyond and washed away to far away…Tidal Wave!”

The Diva that Eleonora was a believer of was the sea god of the Norse Mythology, Ægir.

Koyuki too simultaneously drew out the power of the sea.

Eleonora and Koyuki both summoned enormous sea waters. Both of them controlled the sea waters and crashed the tsunami against each other. Tsunami and tsunami were colliding and smashed against each other violently.

At the same time with that Koyuki was chanting her spell.

“Glacier Wind!”

“Tenkuu Battou Rengehou!!”

Not only Koyuki, matching her, Kazuha was also raining down countless Sacred Treasures.

“{{furigana|Hefring|Highly Surging Wave}}!”

When Eleonora gave that command, the sea water Eleonora summoned was manipulated according to her will, becoming a gigantic wall. It obstructed Koyuki’s chilly wind, freezing the surface of the ocean water but it didn’t reach Eleonora.

The Sacred Treasures that Kazuha summoned were caught up in the sea water too and their momentum were killed.

“{{furigana|Unnr|Striking Wave}}!”

When Eleonora commanded it, the lump of sea water was torn off to pieces and turned into water bullets flying at Koyuki.

“O rejection of absolute zero, protect my body and become the armor of isolation! {{furigana|Freeze Barrier|Water Chamber Barrier}}!”

Koyuki immediately froze all the bullets using defensive magic, making them ineffective.

“…Unnr!”

Eleonora’s offense was not stopping at just once. The water bullets were coming consecutively.

Koyuki couldn’t make it in time with her defensive magic at that moment. At that time, the phantoms of the swordsmen that Kazuha summoned covered Koyuki and were exterminated. …She was helped by her comrade!

It was impossible for Koyuki to not recognize the excellent skill the opponent had in manipulating sea.

However, Kazuki said to her to not fight solo. There was no need to harbor any sense of defeat. It was fine to cooperate with this senpai from the Sword Division called Kazuha to defeat this enemy.

While Eleonora was protected by a body of sea water that could made offense and defense, she began to chant high level spell.

“When the opponent’s sea got hit it was scattered, we are going to shave it all! Let’s speed up our attack!”

Koyuki lined her soldier with Kazuha and called out.

“I know even if you don’t say it!”

Kazuha too was creating Sacred Treasures one after another and rained them down. However even with the two of them they couldn’t break Eleonora’s wall of sea. If it kept like this then the she would finish chanting the high level magic first.

―The flying Lotte decided her target of attack at that moment.

“Blitzkrieg!”

Using Prometheus’s level 4 magic, Lotte equipped a lance on her left hand.

[[image:Magika No Kenshi To Shoukan Maou Vol.03 217.jpg|thumb]]

To further support the impact of the charge, the thruster system’s weapon container was opening, a machine arm was fixed on Lotte’s left arm.

With the lance positioned firmly, the thruster unit spouted up fire with its energy in full throttle. Lotte swooped down while her body was receiving that fierce acceleration. Exceeding mach speed, Lotte’s defensive magic power was removing the air resistance. Not even noticing such trivial thing, she changed into an enormous meteorite.

“Prometheus…{{furigana|Blitzkrieg|Blitzkrieg tactics}}!”

Eleonora noticed it and looked up to the sky. And then when the approaching enormous weapon entered her eyes, she became lost for words.

Aiming for a part of the sea wall that Koyuki and Kazuha’s magic whittled off and became thinner, Lotte’s spear pierced through. While the heat of the electricity evaporated the sea, the super accelerated enormous mass smashed down the barrier of sea water in one attack. Even after piercing through everything, Lotte’s charge didn’t lose its momentum. The violent lance charge blew away Eleonora to the wreckage of the school building a few dozens meters away.

“Mission complete desu!”

Eleonora was crashing into the rubble, when she sensed that the spell Eleonora chanted was breaking, the shortstop Lotte left behind a happy voice and withdrew back to the sky.

“Kaguya-senpai, please return back to your sanity!”

“Sanity? I am sane though.”

Toward Kazuki’s shouts, a flat voice like a plastic came back.

…It’s no good. Headmaster Otonashi was also like this but, the human’s mind that Naiarlatoteph made abnormal with his magic didn’t have any symptom of self-awareness at all.

The Kaguya-senpai that he dearly missed was so coldhearted like a completely different person.

Kazuki made up his resolution to fight, preparing his katana her ran ahead.

Right now in this situation it was fine even if he ignored Nairlatoteph. In front of German’s Einherjar, the guy was supposed to be unable to reveal his true color.

Those Einherjar were pinned down by his comrade.

No one was obstructing him, he could confront Kaguya-senpai alone.

“O shapeless mute shadow, become a fish swimming in the darkness filled with obstructive thoughts. Origin of nightmare, materialism vicissitudes, respond to terror and hope and eat…Deep Specter!”

Kaguya-senpai summoned a Deep Specter.

The shadow under Kazuki’s feet shined with the violet color of magic power and turned three dimensional like it was swelling up. It was a shadow monster possessing a big mouth like a shark, it opened its big mouth and came to bite Kazuki.

However the shadow monster was so to speak a lump of magic power. Kazuki was able to Foresight its movement.

Slipping through the attack of the shadow monster, he drew near Kaguya-senpai!

“Not hesitating even though cursing thee also hurt me…shared pain is my joy! Cry and scream toward the mirror projection! Suicide Black!”

Kaguya-senpai was covered with dark haze. If this haze was faced with an attack, that attack’s [pain] would be reflected entirely to the attacker as if that attack reached the flesh body.

Kazuki unhesitatingly drew out his Iai.

‘ZUBAA’ The slash scraped off Kaguya-senpai’s magic power. [Suicide Black] didn’t have any substantial protection effect. However to Kazuki who swung his sword down, the illusion of pain was sent back to him.

Kazuki was hallucinating the pain of his own Iai draw cutting his own belly diagonally up to his chest.

An intense pain of steel blade digging into his internal organ. It felt completely like his inside was scorched.

Kazuki immediately shut out his sense of pain using the Trance that he learned from Lotte. The sharp pain was dulled like it was wrapped by a silk floss, decreasing to the degree he could endure.

There is no way I’ll lose to this kind of pain…!

Kazuki paid no concern to the pain and let loose a second slash. A diagonal slash starting from Kaguya-senpai’s shoulder scraped off her magic power. Kazuki received even more hallucination of pain but the pain was abating and he endured. Endure!

“O God of Death’s whispering voice that awaited the visitor for a long time, resound deeply and widely, dye the dream with agony! Resound o evil voice of sadism! Ultra Violence!!”

With fast chanting, Kaguya-senpai was singing the magic for doubling the sensation of pain.

This was the devilish combination that Kaguya-senpai and Asmodeus took pride in.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

Kazuki screamed in a loud voice. Endure it. He was able to stick to his sanity thanks to Lotte.

In the previous fight the tremendous pain was doubled. But this time what was doubled was only the reduced pain in the degree that he could endure. Just barely, it was really just barely that he could endure.

“O desire lurking in the sea of the heart, passing through the sinful flesh this hand reach out that hand! O avatar of violation, entangle according to my desire! Desire Tentacle!”

From the shadow under Kazuki’s feet, this time tentacles were created and reaching out. Capturing the opponent who was in agony then after sealing his movement she would chant high level magic. That was Kaguya-senpai’s basic tactic.

But the me right now still can endure the pain! Possessing the will of steel, Kazuki Foresighted the timing of the tentacles creation, dodged, and then he cut away the tentacles.

At that moment the Deep Specter came to assault him. While enduring the intense pain, Kazuki must also deal with the monster of shadow. This guy’s attack was…physical attack!

“Seusenhofer!”

Kazuki blocked the bite of the monster with heavy armor. Most of the armor’s part was broken apart with one attack, but Kazuki was mostly unharmed.

“Barrett!”

The flame bullet dug into the monster, the monster was destroyed with the addition of multiple layers of slashes.

Using that opportunity, Kaguya-senpai was chanting her spell.

Judging from the scale of the magic power―a large-scale offense magic. A magic of Asmodeus that he had never seen until now. Probably it was around the border of level 4 or 5. Its attribute was…freezing!

Even if he attacked with sword right now, he wouldn’t make it in time to obstruct the spell chanting of that Kaguya-senpai!

Then he would weather it using defensive magic! …Using defensive magic that had good affinity against freezing attribute!

“Blooming flower of blood tearing apart the skin, eternally echoing scream…sinking the betrayer, awaken the hell right here! {{furigana|Cocytus|Grand Lotus Freezing Hell}}!”

“Freeze Barrier!”

The space that surrounded Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai was wrapped in pure white cold wave. If this cold wave touched human skin, the skin would immediately get torn apart from the cold bite, making red flower blooming in profusion inside this white space.

However Kazuki’s whole body was enveloped by the mermaid’s divine protection toward cold attribute.

As expected it couldn’t protect from Kaguya-senpai’s offense magic completely, the Freeze Barrier was soon smashed up, but Kazuki managed to reduce the damage from cold drastically.

“…Even though this wide-scale magic with no place to escape was my only counter-measure against Otouto-kun and Kana-chan.”

Hayashizaki–style was able to Foresight all uncomplicated offense magic and dodged them. However large-scale offense magic that you couldn’t evade even if you try was Hayashizaki-style’s natural enemy.

However the current Kazuki was not just a swordsman. He was a magic swordsman.

“Not only sword but also Foresighting magic, then choosing defensive magic with superior attribute to use. I see, so this is magic swordsman, Hayashizaki Kazuki’s new possibility…”

Kaguya-senpai whispered admiringly. This was something that could only exist solely due to the presences of Hayashizaki-style’s Foresight and {{furigana|Basilleus Goetia|King of Solomon 72 Pillar Omni-magic}}.

“Senpai’s offensive magic was prevented completely!”

Kazuki proclaimed such while slashing with his katana. However Kazuki too, since the opponent’s body was covered with Suicide Black, he couldn’t use a powerful offensive magic.

Using katana he could only whittle off Kaguya-senpai’s magic power little by little.

And then Kaguya-senpai kept chanting her spell in defiance of some of the impact of the smashed magic.

“Five stars shining in the interstice of life and death, around around pillaged by the whim of the god of death, become the clay doll of unspeakable misery! …{{furigana|Near-death Roulette|Neighboring Death Extreme Ring}}!!”

Summoning the human’s five-senses stealing sycthe, Kaguya-senpai aimed for the timing of simultaneous striking when she swung the sycthe. Kazuki dodged with paper-thin difference, only his own katana that manage to hit senpai.

While enduring the hallucination of agony, dodging the sycthe that he absolutely mustn’t get hit with was an extremely difficult work. His mental strength was grinded down steadily.

“Deep Specter!”

Even during those exchanges Kaguya-senpai summoned the Deep Specter again. Not only the scythe, Kazuki must also escape from the assault of this shadow monster.

“My wicked thought is filled with curses, I beseech for thy agony…. I have no shame of my wicked thought! Feel Pain!”

A bullet of curse flew at Kazuki!

This bullet too, if he couldn’t avoid it then the illusionary pain would be doubled by Ultra Violence!

While enduring the illusionary pain, dodge…dodge…dodge! Everything were dodged with paper-thin gap.

He never fought a Magica Stigma as strong as Kaguya-senpai in a one-on-one fight like this. Even the attack of the scythe, even the assault of the monster, if he got hit by even one it would became a fatal wound.

On top of the thin ice where not even slight mistake was allowed, Kazuki continued to dance.

Even so if he didn’t defeat Kaguya-senpai, there would be no chance of victory in this state of battle!

“It’s useless. Senpai’s attack…all had been sealed.”

What supported Kazuki that continued to dodge using his sharpened concentration was only a single determination.

That was a certain single―faith.

“All had been sealed?”

Setting up her scythe, Kaguya-senpai talked expressionlessly.

“…Even though I have Guernica?”

Asmodeus’s level 9 magic, Guernica. If the opponent was not in the class of materialized Diva then the hated opponent would die instantly without question, a flame of hell.

The strongest magic that propped up senpai as the strongest. A magic that represented senpai. Yes, as long as the opponent couldn’t deal with this magic somehow or other, no matter how much the opponent elaborated counter-measures against her other magic he wouldn’t be able to win against Kaguya-senpai. However―

“Senpai’s Guernica won’t work against me though.”

“Why?”

“I like senpai, and senpai also like me. The illusionary pain is scary. That senses-stealing scythe is also scary. The Deep Specter is scary too. However from the start I didn’t fear senpai’s flame of hatred for even a little bit.”

[Compared to the period when you couldn’t believe in Amasaki Mio’s positivity level, you have grown considerably.]

Leme’s telepathy echoed inside his head.

Kazuki remembered that time when Mio was dying inside his arms. Not believing in the feeling of the other party and because of that he hurt his very important person, he didn’t want to do that.

“…I wonder if it’s not just too much hubris.”

Kaguya-senpai whose emotion was sealed by Naiarlatoteph’s magic directed a cold voice to Kazuki.

“I couldn’t use Guernica against Otouto-kun you said? I am not that sweet you know?”

“Wrong, senpai is a kind person.”

From here on is not a fight between me and Kaguya-senpai.

It is a fight between Naiarlatoteph’s mind manipulation and the strength of the bonds between me and senpai.

“I…must defeat you. There is no other method left to defeat you other then the very best. …I have no hesitation.”

Senpai started to chant a long spell.

“Then I’m going to…accept everything of Kaguya-senpai as you are right now.”

Kazuki sheathed his katana, he awaited Kaguya-senpai’s magic while striking a daunting pose.

The time flowed in an instant and an eternity. He could hear the sound of fighting of Beatrix and Mio and all the other, but even all of that gradually moved far away from his consciousness, Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai was shut inside the silence.

Kazuki’s mind recalled his memories with Kaguya-senpai. Kaguya-senpai who kindly came to him who was assaulted with feeling of alienation in the Magic Division. The sweet aroma that tickled his reasoning when she embraced him. Kaguya-senpai who was embarrassed with her Magic Dress. Tempting Kazuki due to Asmodeus’s side effect and then crying in shame from the embarrassment, that kind of senpai.

I…love Kaguya-senpai!

Inside the time when they looked hard at each other, the magic was finally invoked.

“O chest scorching thought, paint the scene of hell in this world…thy are the demon king of wicked desire, o incarnation of deep-seated delusion inviting tragedy, following this wish…paint out the world. Guernica!”

…There was no uneasiness whatsoever! Kazuki awaited with conviction.

At Kaguya-senpai’s side, Asmodues was floating.

“This is baad, Kaguya.”

“…Eh?”

“There is no feeling like that inside you, y’know?”

Leaving behind those words to the dumbfounded Kaguya-senpai, Asmodeus vanished.

And then nothing happened.

Color of surprise mixed out into Kaguya-senpai’s face who was expressionless throughout all of this.

“That kind of…why…”

While whispering, a crack entered that expressionless face. [Emotion] was invading Kaguya-senpai’s mask. Like she was being released from the hypnotism.

“Why, I cannot fight like this…?”

Kaguya-senpai murmured like she couldn’t believe it herself.

The shock finally came this late. At this late hour, evidently senpai had understood this situation that she had left herself behind.

“Why am I…fighting Otouto-kun?”

The flame of hell burned using Kaguya-senpai’s hostility as fuel. If Kaguya-senpai harbored even a little bit of hostility, then it would be just like when Kaya’s life was stolen before, where something like going easy or control couldn’t be done.

But conversely if she couldn’t find any hostility even after turning her heart upside down at every nook and corner, the flame of hell wouldn’t come out. Identical with how flame was not going to burn if there was no oxygen.

It was absurd in the first place, Kazuki thought. The current Kaguya-senpai who held fabricated sense of duty with her emotion suppressed by magic, how would she chant something like an offense magic that was fueled by emotion?

The backlash from doing an absurd thing that ended in failure woke up Kaguya-senpai from her hypnotism to reality.

For Kaguya-senpai to fight despite holding not even a little bit of hostility, that realization opened her eyes.

Color returned to Kaguya-senpai’s pupils.

“Even though I don’t want to do this kind of thing…why…”

The fake sense of duty was peeled off, what was laid bare were intense regret and feeling of guilt.

The original emotion of the kind Kaguya-senpai was overflowing all at once.

“Even though I don’t like that kind of thing …why did I such thing without mercy, there is no reason I can do that…why…Why!?”

In the sadness and confusion, Kaguya-senpai raised a voice that was tinged with shriek.

Sensing that Kaguya-senpai had no will to fight anymore, Kazuki approached near senpai. Kaguya-senpai twitched in fright and looked hard at Kazuki.

“O, Otouto-kun…I…did a really cruel thing…”

Senpai’s voice was trembling pitifully.

“Senpai, haven’t I said it too before? I like senpai very much. I won’t turn to hate senpai just because of something like this so, please look forward and don’t cry okay?”

Kazuki said so to anticipate Kaguya-senpai from crying, but in the blink of eye tears were pooling in senpai’s eyes.

“Sorry…I’m sorry…!”

“I said it’s okay to not apologize already.”

Kazuki hugged Kaguya-senpai who was bursting into tears.

“I, no more…I don’t want to do something like this anymore-…!”

“Senpai was seeing a bad dream. But it’s okay already. Just like how senpai protected me who is the kouhai, from now on I will protect senpai too.”

“But, even though, I am the student council president…”

“Even if senpai is the student council president, it’s okay to not bear the burden just by yourself alone.”

“But, I am the strongest magician after all…”

“Right now, I had already beaten senpai .”

“Is it…okay for me to rely on Otouto-kun…?”

“Because I like senpai very much.”

Those words didn’t lose its glow no matter how many times he said it.

With each single word, Kazuki unraveled the things that were binding Kaguya-senpai’s heart.

Kaguya-senpai hugged Kazuki back. He could feel the dearly missed sweet aroma and the soft sensation.

Kazuki brushed senpai’s head comfortingly.

“…It feels go~od.”

Senpai let out a voice ecstatically.

“I already…want to become Otouto-kun’s little sister…”

Released from the heavy pressure, somehow Kaguya-senpai let out a strange talk.

A large heart mark came flying, the fight between Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai was over.

===Part 5===

“Wai, you, what the hell is thatttttttttttttttt!?”

Damian who saw Kazuki and Kaguya-senpai hugging each other raised a shriek.

“Wait right theree! When I thought why there was no backing at all from the rear, it turn out that you bastard is changing to enemy’s side huuh! What are you bastards doing hugging each otheer! Rather than {{furigana|changing sides|netokaeru}}, isn’t this {{furigana|stealing lover|netorare}} huuh!?”

Losing the rear guard was something that couldn’t become a joke, the Einherjar were forced into bitter fights.

“Beatrix-taichou…let’s retreat for the moment.”

Eleonora adviced Beatrix. Even her expression was pronounced with the fatigue from battle.

“Elii…but I haven’t crossed sword yet with Kazuki. On the contrary it seems seeing that situation only make my chest burning with jealousy.”

“Please stop rushing ahead because of your personal feelings.”

Eleonora flatly scolded Beatrix who was the only one full of energy.

“Although we were given this chance by this sudden contact, the members that could move were only three people, however this opponent is not someone we can against without plan. Even the student council president who was supposed to give support is hugging the enemy for some reason, in the end the way things are going it doesn’t looks good. In the worst situation it’s possible that this might be a trap from that Headmaster Otonashi.”

“Mu…? When you said it it’s true that the wind direction is strange.”

Beatrix made a face as if she was biting a bitter bug.

At the other side Kanae and the others were thinking that if the fight was over already then just get lost already, they were watching what decision the Einherjar would made. The other two were anyway, but Beatrix was still hadn’t got really serious while Kanae and the others’s nerves were worn down from the intense battle.

“Even at the best of times, our position are delicate.”

This was not their homeland. Pushed by that fact, Beatrix shouted out.

“Yosh, Einherjar is to make a retreat! …Kazuki, the next time we meet we are going to cross<ref>The word that was used here is actually maguwau, which have the meaning of sexual intercourse</ref> sword for sure okay!!”

“Oi, that handsome woman over theree ! Just remember this you bastaard!”

Damina gave Hoshikaze-senpai a middle finger.

“As magician of Diva that is similarly manipulating sea, I’ll give the silver girl some respect.”

Eleonora too praised Koyuki even while she was colored with exhaustion.

Beatrix lifted up Damian and Eleonora who were like that with both hand, “HAHAHAHAHA!” and then while laughing loudly without any meaning, that body with high physical ability dashed in full strength and retreated.

The Einherjar were gone before they could even say ‘ah’.

“…We won?”

Kazuha-senpai murmured with tired voice that told the story of the hard battle she had with Eleonora.

However Kazuha-senpai still hadn’t known about the true enemy.

Without even any reprieve to bask themselves in the aftertaste of victory, Kazuki directed his sight to Headmaster Otonashi―Naiarlatoteph while still hugging Kaguya-senpai.

“Naiarlatoteph. Your soldiers were weak.”

“What did you say?”

The figure of Headmaster Otonashi twitched his eyebrows.

“The Quad-core Magica who lost their ego didn’t even have any tactics, once they got attacked they just focused at one direction while their surroundings done them in. Even those Einherjar that received your request didn’t really try to fight really seriously. Even if you create a strong magician artificially, if they are not tied with strong ties with each other then they are nothing more than a disorderly mob. From the very beginning they were not an enemy of our Heaven and Earth Formation.”

“…The likes of human got too carried away…is that all that you are going to said to this me?”

There was no meaning to hide his true identity anymore with the Einherjar gone, muddy black magic power was seething from the figure of Headmaster Otonashi. There was no wind blowing, and even though there was not any fluctuation in the atmosphere, like there were many small shredding happening on the world itself, Kazuki could feel a sensation of ‘biribiri’ on his skin.

“Tou-san<ref>Father</ref>…?”

Kaguya-senpai separated her body from Kazuki, she doubted her own eyes looking at the transformation in front of her. Senpai still hadn’t known that her father had been hijacked by a Diva.

“Otonashi Tsukikurou! You bastard…what the hell is going on with this circumstances!”

From the shadow of the demolished school building, the figure of Board Chairman Amasaki appeared in a stagger.

“…Tou-san!?”

Mio cried out looking at the figure of the person who shouldn’t be in this battlefield.

Even Naiarlatoteph that assumed the appearance of Headmaster Otonashi stared at the entrance of that personage with surprised looks.

He had peeped at the situation all along, he probably made his appearance because he thought that the fight had been over.

Was Board Chairman Amasaki Mio’s step-father…! Kazuki was surprised against that fact in this late hour.

“The Summoning Magic those suspicious illegal magicians used were Solomon 72 Pillar’s! What is the meaning of this!?”

“Hohou, so you noticed that.”

“That’s…they were humans who had stigma transplanting operation performed on them, am I right? You bastard, I thought that you had established the stigmata transplanting operation without anyone noticing, but…don’t tell me that you performed human experiment using stigmata that you took out from students…for a teacher who was supposed to protect the students…”

Board Chairman Amasaki yelled as if he couldn’t believe his own deduction with a look that looked like the truth was gnawing at his own sanity. The wrinkles-covered face of the old man was warped to its limit.

“…I never thought that you could finally reach the truth by your own power. What a great achievement, old man.”

With a whizzing sound, something was flying from the cuff of Headmaster Otonashi’s suits.

No, that was not something flying. It was something that stretched.

Headmaster Otonashi’s right arm became a long tentacle, it pierced the chest of Board Chairman Amasaki.

“Gah!?”

Board Chairman Amasaki’s eyes opened wide without understanding what just happened, then he fell down.

‘shuru’, the tentacle was pulled back to the cuff of the suits.

“Tou-san!”

Mio was dashing hurriedly to the collapsed Board Chairman.

“…O pure fire of reincarnation, burn the surface of the life while the inside bud in rebirth…{{furigana|Anti-Aging|Fire of Life Circle}}!”

Mio held her hands out to the wound opening, from there a small flame burn into existence, the wound opening that was touched by the flame was closed up little by little and the bleeding was stopped.

“…Is that Phoenix’s healing magic? Well, no matter, rather than that old man, first I’m going to slaughter all of you in this place.”

The body of Headmaster Otonashi began to warp due to an enormous magic power.

Kazuki was dumbfounded from the sudden happening, however he immediately recovered himself in rage.

“Everyone…! This is the last, we are going to defeat this guy!”

“Don’t get carried away for the like of you human…I’m going to teach you the true madness!”

Naiarlatoteph exposed his true form…!

The wriggling flesh swelled out, the suits burst open.

What burst out from that suits was countless tentacles. The flat black head was located at the top, looking completely like an octopus with the tentacles that grew all over, the evil god with atypical appearance revealed his appearance in front of Kazuki and the others.

However that figure was not as overwhelming in magic power and sense of intimidation compared to when Loki materialized.

“Kazuki…at the Cthulhu Mythos that I know about, the being that is called evil god is not an existence like that.”

Koyuki who got close to Kazuki’s side said so.

“The evil god of Cthulhu Mythos symbolized the horror of the vast universe, an existence that transcended people’s awareness. It is said that there is no way for people to not go crazy the moment they see it. Compared with that, this Naiarlatoteph is [shoddy]. He couldn’t embody the true essence of Cthulhu.”

“That guy said before that Cthulhu Mythos was weakened.”

Nothing was understood about what kind of existence Diva was in this world, however….

Cthulhu Mythos was special.

“Yes. That’s surely why he only use the power to manipulate human’s mind and secret maneuver. Undoubtedly he is not an opponent that deserved to be feared when opposed directly from the front like this. If it’s us, then we are going to win without doubt!”

Koyuki asserted in a strong will that was rare for her.

“…You bastards, the likes of human such as you all are still planning to mock me even now!?”

Together with the indignant words, Naiarlatoteph’s tentacles were crawling like worms. Kazuki cut apart the tentacles that were directed at Koyuki and came stretching. That attack became the opening curtain of the final decisive battle.

“We are going, everyone!”

While taking the position of Heaven and Earth Formation, the swordsmen came out to the front and drew their swords, the Magica Stigma were starting their chanting from the rear.

“All of you bastards cannot use the power of your Divas!”

The black face at the gigantic summit of Naiarlatoteph was yelling, invoking his characteristic magic.

“{{furigana|Psycho Noise|Madness Heartbeat}}!”

A sound that made the scratching of glass’s surface sound lukewarm resounded in their surrounding, it felt like their brain were scraped off grindingly.

The magic power that were collected amidst the spell chanting were dispersed like mist. They couldn’t concentrate at all in chanting.

“Guh…what a Diva that made nuisance to the neighbors! If this the case then this one is going to make an octopus sashimi!!”

While warping her expression from the unpleasant sound, Kohaku swung her Sacred Treasure and went to cut the tentacles. However Naiarlatoteph’s gigantic magic power that was said to be weakened, with attacks from the like of katana, it only received damage to the degree where the end was not in sight.

“Kazu-nii…hurry, erase this sound!!”

Mio raised a scream, her tears spilled without stopping. Mio didn’t participate in the battle anymore and she was attending constantly on Board Chairman Amasaki’s healing. But because of Naiarlatoteph’s obstruction magic, Mio couldn’t maintain her healing magic, the mouth of the wound opened again and the bleeding was starting again relentlessly.

The old man who didn’t have any magic didn’t have much time left.

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Raising roaring voice that made the earth rumbling, Naiarlatoteph regenerated the tentacles that were slashed by the swordsmen. And then the swordsmen were hit hardly by an amount of tentacles that were impossible to avoid.

“Otouto-kun…if it’s me, I cannot be lead astray by this sound anymore. I don’t want to lose to this guy anymore.”

Approaching Kazuki’s side, Kaguya-senpai talked.

However her face that seemed to look like she was seeing awfully ephemeral dream when he saw it from the side made Kazuki hesitated to rely on senpai.

“Senpai…but that enemy is…”

“It’s okay. …I understand properly that that thing is not Otou-san anymore. I’m not fighting because some sense of duty like [Unless I beat that guy], I’m fighting [because that guy cannot be forgiven].”

With eyes that were filled to the brim with sorrow, senpai glared up to the black face of Naiarlatoteph.

“Otou-san…I, like the name Kaguya that you gave me very much. Like the whole starry sky and aurora<ref>Kaguya’s name is written with kanji of shine and night</ref>, Otou-san named me like this because of your wish for me to become a lovely girl, isn’t that right? You are not a kind father at all, but…since when you had change completely like this?”

In the middle of the evil sound’s ringing, Kaguya-senpai chanted her spell alone crestfallenly.

The avatar of Asmodeus was floating at her side. The witch in black clothes faced Kaguya with eyes full of affection.

“…Isn’t this the first time you fight with just your own honest feeling ehh, my cute Kaguya. Then I guess I’ll give you a reward.”

“Asmodeus?”

“Having able to use my ten characteristic magic skillfully, this is a magic that’s beyond all of those. You often give complaints such as that all my magic is a little difficult to use as attack magic, or something like it left bad impression among other things, aren’t you? I will give you something better after this, you will see. By combining my magic power and your form, we will invoke a Union Magic. Your only own Original One that even the King-sama cannot copy. With your thought, give shape to the illusion and crashed it into that guy. Come, sing it.”

The light of the magic power that surrounded Kaguya-senpai changed from violet color to a noble silver color that resemble the light of the stars.

“I won’t let you!”

The scattered evil sounds that enveloped the surrounding completely were given directionality by Naiarlatoteph’s will and converged on Kaguya-senpai. However Kaguya-senpai was completely unperturbed against the evil sounds that had been compressed several times over, her face that looked ephemeral when he saw it from the side now looked firm with strong core inside―.

That spell was finished chanting speedily.

“O darkness of mind that contain the eternal cycle of life and death! O seven stars that shined inside it! Reveal the microcosm of heaven and earth’s creation show the whereabouts of human!! …{{furigana|Galaxy|Shining Night}}!”

Geometry pattern of light spread out in radial wave around Kaguya-senpai. The space that was sketched was shifted into alternate space in reversal.

The vicinity became a pitch black darkness with Kaguya-senpai as the center, countless lights shined in the surrounding.

“Power of universe!?”

Even Naiarlatoteph’s gigantic body was drifting in the dark empty space. Kaguya-senpai who reigned in the center of the alternate world shined brilliantly like a sun, everything of that universe’s scene bared their fang toward Naiarlatoteph.

“Im, impossible…this is the power that is supposed to be ours…!”

Sun’s wind―wind of corona gas that surpassed one million degree rained down on Naiarlatoteph and burned him down thoroughly.

Cosmic ray―the high energy radiation that was usually absorbed by the atmosphere rained down directly on Naiarlatoteph and burned him to nothing.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! THE STAR! THE STAR!”

In accordance with Kaguya-senpai’s will, countless meteors rained down on Naiarlatoteph. Irrational destruction pulverized the gigantic body, its dust was scattered in the darkness of space.

Once again the geometrical pattern radiated out, the space was returning to the original world.

The evil god of Cthulhu had disappeared from there, what was left behind in that place was Headmaster Otonashi who was collapsing spread-eagled.

Kaguya-senpai approached Headmaster Otonashi slowly and leaned over, holding up his upper body with her arms.

And then she hung her head down for a while.

“Th, that guy was defeated…with that one attack!?”

The evil sound stopped, Mio who had finished the emergency treatment for the Board Chairman stood up.

“Tou-san…I had thought that this wouldn’t end with his heart safe, but…”

Kaguya-senpai once again lowered down Headmaster Otonashi that she held up to the ground, then she turned to Kazuki who was standing up.

“Otouto-kun…if you said that you had gave me your forgiveness, then I won’t say any apology anymore. Otouto-kun…welcome home.”

There were still sad things, but with relieved expression that looked like she had put down her heavy burden, Kaguya-senpai came and embraced Kazuki.

“Senpai really so soon like this…”

Kazuki became overwhelmed from Kaguya-senpai’s skinship.

“Kazuki-! We did it!”

And then naturally Mio, from there Lotte and Kanae too came and clung to Kazuki jostling him around.

After happiness welled up inside Koyuki, immediately it cooled down and she felt uneasiness creeping up in her heart.

Looking at Kazuki who was getting intimate with various girls, added with that sight Koyuki was not able to keep her courage. And then uneasiness came creeping inside her.

It was just the two of them in that underground for a long time.

However when we came up to the surface, is he already stop paying attention to me, that was the feeling that she had.

It was inevitable for Koyuki to think that she was an existence that had no value when compared to the other girls even now.

However she herself had conveyed to Kazuki that she loved him. She had already laid bare the weak part of her heart. Because of that, even now she felt unsure like her weak heart was smashed apart.

Koyuki felt a strong self-disgust toward herself that was separated by a step from the place of blessing.

{―So you denied your own self.}

There was a voice.

Suddenly black color was spreading inside her heart. Even though she didn’t imagine anything, but inside that darkness, three burning eyeballs opened glaringly by their own accord and pierced Koyuki with a sharp look.

“A…” Koyuki leaked out her voice in fear of the unknown.

{―I’m going to take that opening in your ego! With my characteristic magic! {{furigana|Arkham Drive|Darkness Illusions – Limit Saturation}}!!”

―From the scream that Koyuki raised, Kazuki and the others turned to look at the girl that was in the place a step apart from them.

Something…they felt a vast magic power exploding inside the girl.

The girl’s body distorted flabbily―that form stabilized into different shape.

Koyuki was changing in appearance. The silver hair changed into pitch-black hair, the skin color was changing into dark brown skin that was near black.

Black Koyuki―no, it’s different.

“Beforehand…I flung a part of magic power through the Astrum toward [the human with the weakest heart]. I am the faceless god…having the same face no matter to what extent I was split up….When I was about to be exterminated, a part of me, a seed, was planted inside this young girl…!”

“You are…Naiarlatoteph!”

“I lost the majority of my original magic power, but…With this elf’s flesh and magic power I’ll show you the real power of Cthulhu! Even the power of Solomon 72 Pillar, I will use them as a parasite for sure!!”

The black Koyuki produced magic power with chanting speed that was different from human.

Kazuki Foresighted that magic power―a large scale offense magic that manipulated cold.

He was trying to invoke Vepar’s greatest magic. Caught in an instant of hesitation from how the flesh body of Koyuki was stolen, the whole member in this place might receive fatal damage.

Even Kazuki at this time couldn’t think of a method to deal with this development immediately.

However in this place there was only one person, one human that was not agitated by the situation at all and kept their calm.

“…I become the miko of sword. Rock cleaved, root cleaved, sin cut apart, that virtuous sword of crushing evil is right now in this hand! Draw sword, Futsu no Mitama!!”

Kazuha-senpai who was not particularly attached emotionally to Koyuki created the tangible god of sword as Sacred Treasure while keeping her complete calm.

“Hayashizaki, you use this guy!”

The spirit sword that she summoned herself , she threw it toward Kazuki.

“If it’s while the flesh and the spirit haven’t become familiar yet, you can sever it!”

The moment he grasped the sword, Kazuki closed the distance according to his swordsman’s instinct and swung the sword down to the black Koyuki. Streak of light ran. Just on the verge when the trigger of Vepar’s greatest magic was almost pulled, the spirit body that possessed Koyuki’s flesh body was severed from her and blown away.

Koyuki’s flesh body returned to the usual pure white girl and she fell down.

Even while getting blown away, the form of black Koyuki remained.

Kazuki immediately held up the dead tired white Koyuki.

“To be chased out from the flesh body…what is that sword!? I see, the preserved stigmata confirmation system, the stigmata other than Solomon 72 Pillar…! This time as well, how far this miscalculation is going to reach!!?”

Black Koyuki―Naiarlatoteph was still retaining his substantial body.

On the other hand there was no presence of magic power at all from the body of Koyuki.

All of Koyuki’s magic power was carried away by Naiarlatoteph, he used that magic power to maintain the substantial body in the mimicry of Koyuki. However the stolen magic power was consumed just for him to exist, that body was in the process of breaking down little by little.

“Before I vanished…King of Solomon! As long as I kill you, the slaughter will…!”

With the face that was warped in bloodcurling hatred that Koyuki would absolutely never made, the breaking down black Koyuki spin a spell. Kaguya-senpai cut in front of Kazuki who held Koyuki in his arms.

“Watch out! Otouto-kun!!”

“Under the freezing evil emptiness, O time, stop…freeze the fate of all that dwell in material world, break that foundation with freezing hammer! {{furigana|Diamond Dust – Absolute Zero|Ice Flower Decay}}!”

The mermaid Diva Vepar’s ultimate magic was invoked.

From the palm that black Koyuki thrust out, minus 273 °C wind and block of ices flew at Kaguya-senpai.

Receiving the absolute zero with that body, the Prima Material that made up Kaguya-senpai’s body were suspended without limit, losing its elasticity, and then she was fired with many piles of pebble bullets. All material that received impact under super low temperature will become broken down in small pieces easily.

Huge blue defensive magic power was smashed up. Against the composite attack of the cold of absolute zero and absolute destruction…Kaguya-senpai stuck it out till the end with all the defensive magic power that she had.

“Suicide Black!”

“What!?”

And then she reflected that pain back.

Black Koyuki was having a flesh body being the case, she writhed in agony under that pain.

“…Ultra Violence!!”

That pain was further doubled, Kaguya-senpai was staggering and collapsed from magic intoxication.

“Kaguya-senpai!”

“…Otouto-kun, please take care of Koyuki-chan. Because with only me, I couldn’t save Koyuki-chan from loneliness…”

Kazuki turned back to Koyuki who he held in his arms. The girl’s consciousness was returning, she was looking at the collapsing Kaguya-senpai with scared-looking eyes. And then she looked at the black Koyuki that came out from inside herself.

Kazuki had a feeling that he understood why during that great joy of victory Naiarlatoteph could take advantage of Koyuki’s heart.

“Kazuki, forgive me, I….I…!”

The face of the girl who hated it so much to cause trouble to other people was dyed in despair of self-hatred.

“You don’ t need to apologize. I just…want to give Koyuki a peace of mind.”

Kazuki embraced Koyuki with all his strength, then he joined together that lips with his own lips.

With the intention of conveying the warmth, with the intention to create a definite bond, he kissed her.

Kazuki’s heart and Koyuki’s heart were tied strongly.

“K, kiss…? To something like me…”

When their lips separated, the face of Koyuki who was always pretending to be expressionless obstinately turned red in bewitchment. Kazuki thought that cuteness of her was lovely. Not only the mutual certainty between their heart, Kazuki also felt a strong magic circuit was forming between them.

“Everything is okay already.”

After lightly stroking Koyuki’s head, Kazuki stood up and faced the black Koyuki.

He was going to destroy this enemy and erased Koyuki’s guilt!

“You bastards…how dare you, to inflict human pain to this me…!”

Naiarlatoteph that was poured with unimaginable agony from [the pain when the whole body was breaking down inside the absolute zero] that was [doubled] recovered his battle stance with bloodshot eyes.

And then he began to chant his spell.

Kazuki too had already started his spell. In his side the mermaid Vepar was summoned substantially.

“The other side too is using precisely the same magic that was copied from me. However from the beginning that’s just a fake. No, that man’s everything is a fake power. You understand that right, O King?”

I know. Thereupon this time for sure I’m going to exterminate that Diva with certainty.

The two people in confrontation invoked their magic at the same time.

“”Diamond Dust – Absolute Zero!””

The fierce blowing wind and ice rocks rivaled each other.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“W, what…I’m being pushed back!?”

The violent stream of cold and ice was gradually being pushed toward Naiarlatoteph, that black flesh body took hard hits severely. Gigantic defensive magic power was smashed apart. However even so the evil god still hadn’t been exterminated.

Kazuki drove the Futsu no Mitama in his hand.

Inside a moment where everything seems to be stopped, Kazuki raised the sword overhead.

While his flesh body was gradually breaking down, Naiarlatoteph raised a scream of hatred.

“Impossible…this kind of stupid happening! Who do you think I am?<ref>Not the mighty Kamina-sama or Anti-spiral that’s for sure</ref> I am…the mighty Faceless God!!”

This guy is an evil god that made prey of other people’s ego to amass his power!

“There is no way I’m going to lose by a power that was earned from denying other people! My power is my bonds! If you are the Faceless God, then…I’m going to become the King of Bonds!!”

Naiarlatotephs remaining dregs, not to mention in this world, there was not even a fragment that remained in the Astrum. Kazuki pierced the Futsu no Mitama to the flesh body of the black Koyuki that was in the process of crumbling down in tatter.

Light was flashing brightly from the slashed flesh—the evil god was exterminated without any trace left.

Board Chairman Amasaki who avoid the lost of his life watched every part that happened from the beginning to the end.

“Come on…Kazuki is not a bad guy right? He is not something like an illegal magician at all. He is the man that I chose after all!”

Beside the Board Chairman, Mio puffed her chest while bragging about Kazuki that he loved with bright face.

“Your chosen man you said…then don’t tell me, are you going out with that man?”

“Eh, going out? Su, such thing like going out is…no but the relation about me with Kazu-nii…however…”

Mio’s face was boiling and turned bright red from the sudden question, she was twisting her body and fidgeting around. From there she looked like she remembered something, then she held her lips back and “Ehehehehe” grinned widely.

Board Chairman Amasaki who was still lying down on the ground looked up at Mio’s state in discomfort, from there he turned his sight to Kazuki. Kazuki was surrounded by his comrades blessings.

Board Chairman Amasaki released his stern expression and released a deep breath in deep exhaustion.

“Certainly you seem to have a discerning eye. Tsukikurou and I too, we had misunderstood since who know when. Looks like we didn’t see the things what we ought to see…”

<noinclude>
==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 5 Chapter 2

2015-05-09T01:14:41Z

88.165.50.187: changed to a word which makes more sense

==Chapter 2 - Bubble Engagement==

===Part 1===

Crossing the ocean, crushing the land, the blue monster advanced forward.

Its gigantic body, towering into the clouds, almost seemed to intimidate the sky itself.

It was called the blue dragon—"Blue" Hekatonkheir.

Recovering no matter how many times it was attacked, reappearing even if its entire body was destroyed, Hekatonkheir was known as the "Undead."

Now that everyone know how pointless it was to get in its way, even countries with combat ability would not wish to oppose it.

After fighting long and hard, humans learned from experience. The wisest way to deal with Hekatonkheir was to avoid its travel route and wait for it to leave.

Hence, the blue monster continued walking on its way without meeting any obstructions.

Simply moving in a straightly, ignoring mountains, rivers and oceans, it kept advancing.

Hekatonkheir's direction was headed towards the green dragon in a faraway land—"Green" Yggdrasil.

Certain people found its route of advance quite unusual.

After all, despite leaving tracks all over the world, Hekatonkheir had never made contact with another dragon, not even once.

But even after someone discovered that Hekatonkheir was behaving differently from before, they did not know what might result.

Thus, without anyone realizing what Hekatonkheir's objective was, that moment was approaching second by second.

===Part 2===

Having decided what kind of shop we were going to open for the school festival, Brynhildr Class went to work on preparations.

As representatives, Lisa and I stayed after school in the classroom to discuss details in the planning.

"—So the school festival will be held for two days."

I looked at the school festival schedule and spoke. The school festival's dates were set on a Saturday and Sunday roughly a month from now.

"Yes, so two days' worth of ingredients need to be prepared. Furthermore, manpower should be assigned according to Day 1 and Day 2 so that everyone gets a day of free time, how's that?"

Sitting opposite me across the desk, Lisa recorded our discussion while offering her ideas.

"I think it's a good idea. Everyone wants to check out what the other homerooms are doing. Then we need to scale the teahouse so that it can be operated smoothly by four people."

Brynhildr Class had eight students, just the right number for four people to a group.

"Yes, but Mitsuki-san will be busy with student council affairs. I don't expect her to be able to say with us the whole time. The executive committee members will have to assist on this front."

"Understood. So it's best to divide groups after listening to everyone's opinions. They'll surely want to be free if their parents are coming on a certain day."

Shinomiya-sensei had mentioned about inviting parents. My father and mother might be coming too.

I started feeling down as soon as this crossed my mind.

In my current state, I could not even recall their voices. If possible, I did not want to meet them.

"...Yes, let's do that."

But after hearing my answer, Lisa sounded slightly gloomy, so I asked:

"Oh... Are your parents unable to come, Lisa?"

"No, they will definitely come, because they are major sponsors of Midgard as well."

Lisa sighed and answered. For some reason, she did not seem happy at all.

"Major sponsors... Just as I thought, Lisa, your family is very rich."

I already knew that she frequented high society, but this was my first time hearing that her parents were major sponsors of Midgard.

"Rich huh? Judging by your description, you do not know about the Highwalker Group."

Staring at me, Lisa looked totally exasperated.

"Huh? Is it that famous?"

"It is a business conglomerate in Western Europe with numerous subsidiaries. I thought you were intentionally feigning ignorance all along..."

"Haha... Sorry, I simply didn't know. How should I say this? My earlier life was too far removed from that kind of world."

Hearing me explain, she shook her head in disbelief.

"I remember you said you were from NIFL, didn't you? Let me state for the record, the Highwalker Group's ties with NIFL are far more intimate than those between it and Midgard, you know?"

"R-Really?"

Getting a feeling like I was cornered, I asked in return.

"Under the Group, there are industries in military production. The majority of weapons used by NIFL were manufactured in the Group's factories."

"—Then without knowing it, I've been enjoying your Group's care."

Although I could use transmutation to create Nergal and other firearms, other equipment such as flashbang grenades or tear gas were all standard-issued supplies. It felt quite strange to learn that those supplies were all manufactured by Lisa's family business.

"So that is how it is... But there's nothing glorious about being arms dealers."

Lisa remarked with a complicated expression. It seemed like she had many misgivings about the family business.

"Life must be tough for an heiress of that kind of corporate group."

"Indeed, it is surely a hundred times tougher than you imagined."

Lisa shrugged and smiled wryly. She was probably not exaggerating.

"...You don't seem too happy about your parents visiting. Are you on bad terms with them?"

"No, we are on excellent terms as family, but right now, due to certain reasons, I am reluctant to meet them. That's all."

"I see, then it's similar to me."

I felt an inexplicable sense of camaraderie and accidentally blurted it out. It was too late by the time I realized in alarm.

"You don't want to meet your parents either?"

Lisa asked me in a probing manner.

"Oh... Umm, it's because I've got reasons too."

"Would it be related to the matter of discussion that you mentioned yesterday?"

Lisa raised a sharp question, forcing me to break out in cold sweat.

"Uh..."

"Then I seemed to have guessed correctly. If it is troubling you to the point of wishing to avoid your parents, I am willing to hear you out. Please don't be shy and tell me as much as you can."

Lisa leaned forward, bringing her face closer to mine. Under the gaze of those gemstone-like eyes, I forgot to breathe for a moment.

"—No, it's fine."

I was almost about to confess everything but I managed to shake my head and decline.

"Hmph... Do you mean to say that I cannot be relied on?"

"That's not it. It's just that you have your own troubles, right? I can't burden you with my troubles when I clearly know that."

Lisa would definitely dedicate her full effort in trying to help me find solutions. Precisely because of that, I must not confer with her when she was facing her own troubles right now.

"You don't need to mind my affairs."

"—But I do mind. Asking me not to mind is impossible."

I stared into Lisa's eyes and answered.

"What..."

Lisa's face went red. She looked very awkward.

"It's the same for you, Lisa. If you have any troubles, feel free to discuss with me. I'll do my best to help you."

"T-That is why I said don't mind my affairs! It has nothing to do with you!"

"Maybe you're right, but don't tell me there's absolutely nothing I can do to help?"

Questioned by me, Lisa seemed to let her gaze wander indecisively.

"Well... No, even if there was, your matter is more important at the moment."

"No, Lisa, your troubles are equally important to me."

Precisely because I saw Iris fall ill from straining herself, I absolutely refused to compromise on this point.

"How obstinate..."

"The same goes for both of us."

We faced off for a while then Lisa sighed as though giving up.

"—Fine, I shall compromise."

"Compromise?"

"Yes, I'll first have you help resolve my problem. Then with that, you can discuss your problem without reservations, right?"

Lisa stared at me with widened eyes. Confronted with her extraordinary pressure, I could only nod hesitantly.

"Well, I guess that sounds about right. But even though I said I'll help you... Is what's troubling you something within my power to help?"

"Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, I just realized that it is something that can be resolve simply with your assistance, despite my extreme reluctance, that's all."

For some reason, Lisa was answering with anger in her voice. Her face also seemed a bit red.

"—Understood. Then please tell me what I need to do."

Preparing myself to do anything that was asked, I urged Lisa.

"Ooh..."

However, Lisa blushed, glared at me but did not say a single word.

"Lisa?"

Hearing me call her name, Lisa's shoulder shook.

"U-Umm... Let me be clear, I have no other intentions, got that? Also, if you're unwilling, you are allowed to decline."

Wringing her hands several times, fidgeting restlessly, Lisa issued a prior declaration first.

"I don't plan on refusing no matter what you'll have me do, because it's your request, Lisa."

"Ooh..."

Lisa's face went even redder. Was her request something so embarrassing?

"Then I-I shall start?"

"Yes."

I nodded clearly and waited for Lisa to speak.

After several deep breaths, Lisa said in a trembling voice:

"M-Mononobe Yuu... May I ask you to be my b-boyfriend?"

===Part 3===

During the lunch break the next day, Iris and I had bought bread and drinks at the snack shop and were having lunch at the benches on the roof. Due to strong sunlight, very few students had lunch outdoors so the roof was empty.

Naturally, I chose to eat at a deserted location so that I could explain to Iris about the favor Lisa was asking me to do.

I summed up yesterday's conversation and nervously told Iris that Lisa had asked if I could be her boyfriend.

In that instant, the melon bread in her hand dropped to the floor.

"O-Oh~ So Lisa-chan confessed to you."

"No, it's not a confession—"

"Then Mononobe... H-How did you answer?"

I frantically explained but Iris interrupted me, questioning me in a strong tone of voice.

"—I haven't given my reply yet."

"Then what are you planning to do?"

Iris asked me immediately.

"If possible, I want to accept her request."

I told Iris my intentions.

From the very start, I intended to agree to Lisa's request no matter it was, just that because its nature came completely unexpected and I needed to discuss with Iris first, so I asked Lisa to give me one day to consider.

"—Eh? Is that really okay when you clearly insisted on not hurting Mitsuki-chan? Although you forgot, Mononobe, you and Mitsuki-chan promised during your childhood to marry each other in the future, you know?"

"It's okay. As long as the whole story is explained to Mitsuki, she'll surely understand."

Hearing me say that, Iris showed a shocked look then slumped her shoulders dejectedly.

"I see... So you already like Lisa that much, Mononobe. In that case, not getting your memories back will probably be happiest for you, Mononobe. Ahahaha, I... totally wasted my efforts."

With tears in the corners of her yes, Iris laughed feebly.

"W-Wait, don't jump to conclusions! This isn't about liking or confessions at all! I'm acting as Lisa's boyfriend for just one day!"

"...Eh? Just one day?"

Iris stared in surprise with her mouth open.

"Lisa asked me to pretend to be her boyfriend when her parents visit for the school festival."

Like Iris, I almost got the wrong idea in the beginning, but Lisa explained: "Although I said boyfriend, it's actually just ''an act''."

"Pretending to be a couple... Why?"

Still stunned, Iris asked me.

"She hasn't told me the reason. If I refused, she probably wouldn't want me to pry too deeply into her problem. But even if I accepted, all I'm doing is ''an act''. Just by doing that, I'll apparently resolve Lisa's troubles."

"I-I see now..."

Iris remarked in relief.

"But since we have to pretend to be a couple... If that's not okay with you, I intend to refuse. Then I'll just have to get the story out of Lisa somehow and find another solution."

"Mononobe..."

Tears fell from Iris' eyes.

"Woah! W-What's wrong?"

"You're so considerate of my feelings... I'm so happy, because I thought you didn't love me anymore, Mononobe."

"Nothing like that at all. Sorry for giving you the wrong idea from the way I worded things just now."

I placed my hand on her cheek and wiped her tears away with my thumb.

"...If you'll give me half of your yakisoba bread, Mononobe, I'll forgive you."

Looking at her melon bread that had fallen on the floor, Iris chuckled.

"Got it."

Taking my hand off Iris' cheek, I tore my yakisoba bread into two and gave her half.

"Great—Now I forgive you."

Iris wiped her tears on her uniform sleeves and began to take large bites of my yakisoba bread.

Then after a while, she said quietly:

"If it's just one day... Sure."

"You're not forcing yourself?"

The first to finish eating my bread, I was looking up at the blue sky. Then I looked at Iris.

"Yeah, because Lisa is in trouble, Mononobe, you must help her."

"...Got it."

"I'm counting on you, oh, but—"

After I nodded, Iris smiled and brought her face up close.

"I-Iris?"

Just as I faltered, Iris touched my cheek lightly with her lips and tongue then withdrew.

"Your face doesn't look good with bits of seaweed stuck there."

Iris spoke with a blush. Seeing her like that, I felt my face heat up too.

"What... I-In that case, you could've just told me."

"True, but I wanted to do it just now."

Iris scratched her face shyly then spoke somewhat hastily.

"Next period is homeroom time, right? Are we going to discuss the school festival again?"

"Yeah. First, we'll announce what Lisa and I were discussing after school yesterday, then we'll decide on the detailed menu and how we're going to assign essential tasks here on."

Hearing me say that, Iris cocked her head in puzzlement.

"Assigning tasks huh... If I get assigned to cooking, that means I'll need to practice, right?"

"Yeah, probably."

I nodded affirmatively while thinking I might need to ask Mitsuki to instruct the class on cooking.

"If I cooked something, Mononobe, will you taste test it for me?"

"Of course."

"Really!? Then it's a promise, okay?"

Iris said happily, showing a smile even more lively than usual.

===Part 4===

During homeroom that day, the Japanese teahouse's refreshments menu was decided to offer a set meal of grilled fish, rice, miso soup and tamagoyaki. As for drinks, apart from green tea, black tea and other choices were included.

Although uniforms were going to be kimonos, instead of ordering pre-made ones, we would make them ourselves.

Hence, in preparation for the upcoming school festival, our essential tasks were cooking practice and costume making.

As the executive committee members, our first step was to hurry with writing orders for the required cooking ingredients and fabric.

"How many forms exactly does it take..."

Seeing the thick pile of paperwork on the desk, I could not help but grumble.

Every item purchased required detailed specifications and an explanation on its purpose. Apart from that, due to providing information to multiple agencies, it required filling out several forms that were almost identical.

It would be much easier if this could be done on the computer, but these documents were required to be filled in by hand. Purchasing and other important procedures related to outside of Midgard apparently accepted only documents of this type.

This was most likely because they needed proof that Ds were handling the procedures themselves.

"If you have the time to gripe, you might as well do the work. Time is precious."

Sitting on the neighboring seat, Lisa was working silently and gave me a vicious glare.

"I know... But no matter how I rush, I'm not going to finish before school closes."

"If you're not going to finish, please take it home and continue to work. Ordered supplies need two weeks to arrive, so the application needs to be made as early as possible."

"S-So it takes that long..."

Since I had never applied for deliveries from the outside world before, I was quite surprised when Lisa told me that. Food ingredients were less of an issue, but costume making could not begin until the fabric arrived.

"—Understood, I'll get them all written by tonight no matter what."

Now that I knew that any delays would add pressures to work times, I could not afford to be sluggish.

I focused on filling in the forms and moved my pen rapidly.

My efforts were rewarded at least. By the time the setting sun's rays streamed in through the window, less than half the paperwork remained.

It was almost time for school to close. If I took the rest back to fill in at the dorm, I should be able to finish within today.

"Phew..."

Finally seeing the finish line in sight, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, there would be no time left to discuss unless I brought up the "fake couple" matter.

I glanced at Lisa to see what she was doing, but ended up meeting her gaze.

Lisa was also looking at me. She frantically faced forward as a result.

Clearly our work had reached the point where we could call it a day for now.

"Say, Lisa, about yesterday's topic—"

I intended to give a reply to her request from yesterday, so I spoke to Lisa.

"!? Y-Yes."

Lisa's body froze while she returned her gaze to my direction. From the way she looked, perhaps she had been looking for an opportuty to talk about yesterday's topic.

"Lisa, I will accept your request."

"Y-You will?"

Lisa confirmed with me a bit nervously.

"Yeah. Just by pretending to be a couple for one day, your troubles will be resolved, right?"

"—Yes. By doing this, I should be able to get through this occasion."

"Can you tell me the whole story?"

Before knowing whether I was going to accept or not, Lisa refused to tell me the story behind the request. But now that I had agreed to play the part of Lisa's boyfriend, I had to acquire a definite grasp on the situation.

Lisa nodded lightly and spoke with a gloomy expression.

"Actually, my parents demanded a long time ago that I had to hurry and choose a fiance."

"A fiance?"

"Yes, this is the destiny that comes with being born as an heiress, no—More accurately, it was determined even before birth. I heard that back when I was still in my mother's womb, many people wanted to arrange engagements with me already."

"What... That's abnormal, before you're born..."

Hearing me exclaim in surprise, Lisa smiled wryly.

"It is nothing rare in families wielding vast amounts of authority and wealth. I believe my father and mother already count as parents who give their children a fair amount of freedom."

I recalled what she had said about not being on poor terms with her parents.

"Then as long as you ask, Lisa, they should give you the freedom to choose your husband, right?"

"—Of course I've asked already, and my parents gave me the freedom to choose a suitor from among candidates they've approved."

Lisa remarked sarcastically.

"No, I don't think that's freedom at all..."

"Perhaps, but my parents believe that such freedom is sufficient."

Lisa's voice showed weariness.

Most likely, this was something she had discuss with her parents many times already.

However, Lisa had not succeeded in expanding the freedom offered by her parents, which was why she was troubled right now.

"Then in that case, if I pretend to be your boyfriend... How does that help?"

To be honest, I really did not think Lisa's parents would approve of me.

"They can't possibly acknowledge you as my prospective husband. Precisely because of that, I'm asking you to do this."

"What do you mean?"

I frowned, unable to understand Lisa's intent.

"On this occasion, my parents will probably demand that I pick a fiance, because the candidates cannot keep waiting forever. But so long as I tell them I have a boyfriend, my parents would probably back down on their own without saying anything."

"Really? I think they might say: 'This kind of guy is no good! Break up with him!'"

I acted out my impression of an obstinate father, but Lisa smiled wryly.

"My parents aren't the stupid and emotional type. They know clearly that they cannot interfere forcibly while I am currently a D."

"Yeah... No matter how much they oppose you going out with me, as long as we're still in Midgard, they can't pull us apart."

"Indeed, they are very smart and gentle, parents who are considerate for their child. While I am in Midgard, they won't question my games of youth."

Conveying resignation in her words, Lisa laughed.

"You said while you're in Midgard... Then what about afterwards?"

"—You have no need to be concerned with what comes after. So long as I am temporarily liberated from the pressure of selecting a fiance, that is enough."

Lisa extended her hand towards me without answering my question.

"Well then, Mononobe Yuu, this is the true story. May I ask you to play the role of my boyfriend? Please relax, things will definitely not develop into actually marrying me."

Some parts still worried me but regardless of the true story, I had already made my decision in my heart.

"...I understand. I accept the request."

I nodded, reached out and held Lisa's hand.

"Thank you, then this resolves my troubles. Now it's your turn."

Holding my hand firmly, Lisa stared at me with a serious expression.

Just as she said, it was my turn to discuss the matter of my memories, but—

The bell rang to urge all students to leave the school.

"There's no time today, let's talk about it next time. Mine is a long story."

"...No helping it."

Lisa sighed and released my hand reluctantly.

We packed our things rapidly and left the classroom together.

"I must hand in the application forms early tomorrow. Please arrive earlier to school tomorrow. I won't accept tardiness from you, got that?"

"Understood, I'll set my alarm clock half an hour earlier than usual."

"Oh my? You made a mistake, right? Shouldn't you say you'll ask Mitsuki-san to wake you up earlier?"

"Come on... I normally get up on my own. It's only when I oversleep that Mitsuki wakes me up."

While carrying this kind of conversation, we walked along the deserted corridor.

Our footsteps and voices sounded especially loud.

After the conversation ended, we descended the stairs silently.

"Mononobe Yuu—I have a question."

Along the way, Lisa broke the silence and asked in an especially cautious manner.

"Question?"

"Yes, although you've accepted my request... How exactly do you intend to play the part of my boyfriend?"

"Huh? Well, umm—"

I was at a loss for words. My gaze wandered.

Indeed, on further thought, I did not know what to do.

"How unreliable..."

"W-Well, we just have to act lovey-dovey in front of them, that's enough, right?"

Lisa glared at me coldly so I had no choice but to give a vague answer.

"What do you mean by lovey-dovey? You have to be more specific or else I won't understand."

"How should I put it? Like hugging and exchanging sweet words, something like that."

I racked my brain desperately to give examples of acting lovey-dovey.

"Speaking of which... When the actual occasion arrives, will you be able to do those things suddenly?"

Prompted by Lisa's question, I tried to run a simulation in my mind.

'Lisa, you're so adorable.'

'No, you're so handsome.'

Imagining Lisa and I, locked in embrace, flirting with each other—I could not help but clutch my head.

"...I can't do it."

It was way too embarrassing. Just imagining it was already unbearable.

Even if I knew it was an act, I did not think I could do it.

"I know, right? I can't do it either. So it looks like—practicing might be necessary."

"Practicing?"

"Yes, practicing to look like a convincing couple."

Lisa was originally a body's width away from me. After saying that, she came close and wrapped her arm around mine.

Feeling my elbow touch Lisa's voluptuous bust, my heart pounded intensely.

"H-Hey, your chest..."

"I know. Don't lose composure. This sort of distance is very normal for a couple. This is supposed to be even easier than a hug."

"But you're going red too, Lisa."

"T-That is due to the setting sun!"

However, Lisa's arm was trembling faintly. I could feel that she was very nervous.

If Lisa's parents were to see us as we were now, they would not think we were going out.

"Pretending to be a couple is harder than I thought."

"...I-Indeed, me aside, you are totally off."

Lisa's blushing face looked down. Nodding in agreement, she then continued in a hoarse voice:

"Umm... The day after tomorrow is Saturday, a holiday. Do you have any plans?"

"Huh? If there's no work related to the school festival, I should be free."

"Oh, don't worry on that front. So long as the applications are handed in, there is nothing urgent at the moment."

Lisa seemed to breathe a sigh of relief while she spoke, but I did not understand what she was getting at.

"Are we doing something the day after tomorrow?"

Hearing my question, Lisa spoke with a solemn expression:

"To ensure that we definitely look like a convincing couple when the time comes, we must focus on special training! You will accompany me for the entire day after tomorrow. I will also listen properly to your matter then."

===Part 5===

After staying up all night to get things done, I successfully handed in the application forms the next day. Then the following day after that, I was at the seashore some distance away from Mitsuki's dorm.

Sitting on a breakwater under the shade of coconut trees, I stared out blankly into the distant horizon.

Although noon had not arrived yet, the sun was shining fiercely. Since it was a holiday, I left the house casually dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and pants. Even so, my forehead was still sweating.

Today was designated by Lisa as a day of "special training." Leaving the dorm slightly early, I waited for her arrival.

At the appointed time, I heard footsteps approaching.

On this seaside road that traced out a gentle curve, Lisa appeared. As soon as I saw her attire, my breath was taken away.

Lisa was wearing a sunhat with a white sundress that exposed her shoulders.

Currently, she exuded an air like a sheltered young lady on a summer vacation. This dreamy sense of beauty was in stark contrast to her usual forceful impression, forcing me to stare in mesmerization for a while.

"—Thank you for waiting. T-Then off we go."

Carrying a basket, Lisa spoke to me nervously.

"O-Okay."

My answering voice also seemed quite stiff.

As soon as I stood up, Lisa immediately took my arm in an inexperienced manner. Perhaps because the fabric of her clothing was thinner than last time, the softness of her bosom felt even more distinct than before.

"S-So we have to walk arm in arm after all?"

"Of course, because today's objective is to grow accustomed to behavior as befits a couple. By the way—before that, shouldn't you be saying something first?"

Red in the face, Lisa stared coldly at me.

—Oh.

Figuring out her demand, I gulped and spoke up:

"The dress suits you a lot. You look very pretty in it."

"Ooh..."

Hearing me say that, Lisa immediately blushed red to her ears and turned her head away.

"—I-Indeed, that is correct. Although it is very ordinary flattery, I shall give you a passing grade for that."

"No, it wasn't flattery. I seriously think so, you know?"

"<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>! Enough!"

Lisa spoke sharply then pulled my arm forcefully.

"G-Go this way, I shall take to my specially treasured location. It is a place where virtually no student in the Academy knows of."

"A special secret place? I'm looking forward to it."

I followed her directions and walked with her.

I could not help but recall dancing at a ball in the Principality of Erlia when Lisa's soft bosom had made contact with me as well. My heart pounded uncontrollably.

Whenever I took a step, my elbow would feel an extremely elastic sensation. I tried my hardest to ignore that feeling and turned my gaze to the nearby scenery.

The seaside walking path was laid with asphalt along the island's edge, tracing out gentle curves. On the other side of the breakwater, a white beach and blue ocean stretched as far as the eye could see.

—I remember I first met Iris somewhere around here.

When I was thinking about this, Lisa pinched me in the arm.

"W-What are you doing?"

"—Nothing much, except I got a vague sense that you seem to be thinking about something completely irrelevant. It doesn't count as practicing unless you pay proper attention to me."

Lisa glared at me sideways, her cheeks still blushing red.

"You want me to pay attention to you... But I won't be able to stay calm like that."

"Do you really understand? There is no need to stay calm. Do you think there are any couples who engage in lovey-dovey behavior calmly?'

"...No, I guess."

I answered after thinking briefly. Indeed, that would not be classified as a couple.

"Unless we can act natural while staying conscious of each other, we won't look like a couple. Please get used to this."

"Aren't you setting the bar too high?"

I doubted if there was a need to be so thorough, but Lisa shook her head in disagreement.

"No, my parents won't be deceived unless we go that far. So let us do our best. I-I feel embarrassed too..."

Perhaps due to nervousness, Lisa's arm was trembling faintly.

Indeed, since Lisa was pushing her so much already, I must not lose to her.

"—Got it, then let's do our best."

To calm down the trembling Lisa, I smiled at her.

"Oh...... V-Very well."

Lisa paused for a moment then as though regaining her senses, she nodded and agreed.

In this manner, we kept walking along the road that followed the island's outline.

The shore became more and more rocky while the road gradually went uphill.

Before long, we had gotten quite far from sea level. The coastline in this area were all towering cliffs.

Since I had memorized Midgard's overall layout, taking a guess from our walking distance, we had probably circled halfway around the island.

From what I could see, there were no buildings in the surroundings. The inland side consisted of a dense jungle.

"—Here it is."

However, Lisa stopped walking in this place where there was nothing.

"Huh? I don't suppose we're entering the jungle?"

"No, look down the cliff."

Lisa approached an unfenced part of the cliff side and urged me to look down.

I did as she instructed, leaned over the fencing and looked down the cliff.

The fringing reef jutted high above the sea surface. These rocks enclosed a portion of the sea to form a small inlet. The inner edge of the inlet was a beach where gentle waves broke over it.

"Wow... That kind of place is normally quite difficult to find."

"And that is why it is a specially treasured location. Come, we will descend."

"Descend... But there's no path?"

Seeing me looking around in puzzlement, Lisa smiled wryly.

"If there's no path, just fly down. It is within our power as Ds. Could you please hold this for a moment?"

Lisa handed me the basket she was carrying, then pushed her empty hand forward.

"—Gungnir!"

Accompanied by a stern shout, Lisa's fictional armament manifested. Holding the golden spear composed of dark matter, she point at the basket in my hand.

"Do not drop that basket no matter what, understood? Then off we go."

Lisa took me arm in arm and we floated into the air together, By transmuting dark matter into air, she created air currents to fly.

Due to my extremely low dark matter generating capacity, I could not achieve such a skill, hence I still had not gotten used to this floating feeling yet.

I hugged the basket tightly to prevent it from falling, then waited for the brief flying journey to end.

"There—We have arrived."

The feeling of sand underfoot was accompanied by Lisa's voice. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I looked across the inlet.

This place was wider than my first impression. The cliff side slanted greatly inwards near the bottom, which was why this place was hard to see from above.

"It feels like a secret base."

"Well, that is true indeed, because this is a secret location that only Ds capable of flight may enter."

"You can't get here by boat?"

"No, there are many fringing reefs nearby, preventing boats from approaching. Due to turbulent waves outside of the inlet, swimming here is also very dangerous."

Lisa answered me while using her fictional armament to transmute a vinyl sheet to spread on the beach. Then she snatched the basket from my hand.

"...What's inside the basket?"

"I'm not telling yet. You'll find out later. Please focus on the special training right now. Since there is no fear of being seen by others here, we can do embarrassing thing as much as required."

"E-Embarrassing things?"

Lisa's wording caused my imagination to go wild. My face involuntarily heated up.

"I meant nothing weird by that, okay?! Please do not get the wrong idea!"

"I-I know... Then what kind of special training is next?"

Hearing me ask that, Lisa placed the basket on the vinyl sheet and took off her hat.

"Speaking of what could be done here, there's only one thing, right?"

Blushing intensely, Lisa untied the shoulder strap of her dress.

As she pulled the neckline of her dress open, pale skin and her cleavage instantly entered my view.

"Huh? W-What are you doing—"

"Do you even need to ask? Y-You too, strip now."

"Strip!?"

Lisa kept stealing glances at me. Shyly, she clutched the hem of her sundress. Hesitantly, she gradually lifted up her skirt.

Seeing those very soft-looking thighs gradually exposed, I could not help but gulp.

"Q-Quit staring at me! Arghhh, goodness gracious... Stripping slowly feels even more embarrassing. In that case, I'll simply do it in one fell swoop!"

"Wait—"

Then Lisa removed her dress in one breath—revealing a dazzling swimsuit look before my eyes.

"Huh...?"

I involuntarily made a stupid sound while Lisa stared at me in amazement.

"Why are you so surprised? I must have emailed you yesterday, telling you to put on swimwear before coming here, right?"

"Oh... Now that you mention it, that's true."

My brain was totally sluggish due to nervousness, even to the point of forgetting I had come here wearing swimwear underneath. I guess Lisa was occupying so much of my attention that I had forgotten everything else.

Hence, I hastily took off my clothing while checking out Lisa's swimsuit look.

Her black swimsuit was extremely skimpy. Her voluptuous breasts almost looked like they were going to pop out.

"That swimsuit looks really good on you. I can't described it very well—Anyway, it's very attractive."

Before I got reminded this time, I hastily took initiative and stammered in praise of Lisa's swimsuit.

"T-Thank you for the compliment..."

Even so, I suppose I managed to get a passing grade on this. Shyly shielding her chest with her arms, Lisa thanked me.

Thus, we stared at each other's swimwear.

Due to Lisa fidgeting awkwardly, her bosom, impossible to hide, was wobbling intensely.

It looked extraordinarily sexy, making my heart accelerate to an insane degree.

"Next comes swimming, right?"

Since Lisa did not speak for a long time, I took initiative to ask.

If this continued, with us face to face in our swimwear, my emotions were about to get abnormal.

"N-No, swimming alone would not count as special training. We need to frolic on the beach like a couple. Hence—This comes first."

Saying that, Lisa handed a small tube to me.

"Sunscreen?"

An idea occurred to me as I read out the words on the tube, then I looked at Lisa

"—You seem to understand. S-So, please do the honors."

Lisa nodded with a blush then lay down forward on the vinyl sheet.

The beautiful lines from her waist to her buttocks entered my view. Holding sunscreen in my hand, I froze.

"What's the matter? Hurry, no need to be shy. I have prepared myself already."

"O-Okay."

Hurried by Lisa, I nervously knelt down beside her.

Seeing the pale and flawless skin before me, I gulped involuntarily.

"You only need to apply it on my back. I've done the rest of my body already."

"—Got it."

Squeezing sunscreen onto my palm I cautiously touched Lisa's back.

"Hyah!"

Lisa cried out and her body shook.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, I simply cried out reflexively."

"Then I'll keep going."

Touching Lisa's back, I smoothed out the sunscreen.

My heart accelerated on its own while I was feeling Lisa's warm and smooth skin directly.

"Mmm... Ah... I-It tickles a bit."

Lisa emitted exceptionally sexy sounds, making it impossible for me to calm down.

Perhaps because of that, I applied too much force and my hand slipped on the sunscreen, accidentally touching Lisa's wonderfully shaped bottom. Immediately, my palm felt a soft sensation almost like touching breasts.

"Hyau!? W-Where do you think you're groping!?"

Lisa jumped up and glared at me, her face red to her ears.

"S-Sorry, my hand slipped."

"...Honestly?"

"I'm not lying, please believe me."

I explained desperately then Lisa exhaled deeply.

"I understand—I shall assume it is so. And if we were a couple, that level of skin contact is only normal. We will enter the next stage."

Lisa grabbed my arm and went towards the sea.

Accompanied by splashing sounds, we entered the shallows to ankle depth, then Lisa released me and said:

"I've heard that couples would play around on the beach by splashing each other. We will put that into action right now. Mononobe Yuu, please get ready."

"Huh? O-Okay."

Urged by Lisa, I bent down and dipped my hands into the water.

"—Let us begin, take that!"

Scooping up seawater, Lisa threw water at me.

"T-Take that."

I imitated Lisa and splashed water at her.

However, after repeating the same action roughly five times, Lisa cocked her head incredulously.

"It does not feel particularly fun... Is there something we're doing wrong?"

"No, but if you ask that, I'd feel very troubled too."

I looked away and changed the subject.

I could not bring myself to say that Lisa's motions were causing her bosom to bounce, in combination with her wet body, I was staring in a trance.

"Hmm~ Perhaps we need to think outside the box a little. But even so, what other ways are there...?"

Saying that, Lisa crossed her arms and contemplated.

Seeing Lisa ponder silently, always treating everything so seriously without exception, I could not help but smile wryly.

"—Have you been here many times, Lisa?"

"Huh? Y-Yes, I come here every now and then for a change of pace..."

"Then can you tell me what do you usually do for fun where you're here, Lisa? Couples pretty much share their joys, right?"

Hearing me say that, Lisa gasped as though feeling impressed for an instant, then she immediately regained her senses and pointed at me with her finger.

"I-I know that too! However... Surely you cannot understand my manner of entertainment."

"How can we know if we don't try it? What needs to be done? Tell me."

After I asked her repeatedly, Lisa spoke hesitantly.

"...Just floating, that's all."

"Floating?"

"Relaxing on the sea, just floating on your back, doing nothing. Since the waters are calm inside the inlet, there's no worry of being washed out to sea."

"—Got it, let's do it together."

Taking Lisa by the arm, I headed for the sea.

"A-Are you really fine with it? Are you really fine with floating on the water until you're tired of it?"

"Don't worry, I don't dislike doing nothing."

Going slightly farther, our feet could no longer reach the bottom, so Lisa and I swam to the center of the inlet.

"I always float around here, but I still don't think it feels couple-like..."

"Then let's hold hands. That way, we won't drift apart and it's more couple-like."

I held Lisa's hand and floated on my back. By relaxing all unnecessary tension and controlling the balance properly, I wouldn't sink.

"F-For a suggestion from you, this is pretty smart."

Lisa clumsily gripped my hand in return and floated beside me.

What entered my eyes was a clear blue color.

The sky dominated my entire view.

I could see clouds drift by, slowly changing shape.

Holding hands with Lisa, I felt her body warmth pass to me.

"Oh—So this is the kind of feeling you enjoy, Lisa."

Completely relaxed, I remarked.

Due to the water's high temperature, it felt like being soaked in warm water.

"To think you are capable of understanding the merits of this... How surprising."

Lisa's reply did not sound as stiff as before.

Without any particular reason, I looked in Lisa's direction, only to see her facing me as well.

Our gazes met. She chuckled "fufu" then smiled faintly.

A smile surfaced naturally on my face too.

—What joy.

It was clearly nothing more than just floating, but that was what I truly felt.

This was the first time ever that I felt so close to Lisa.

In this manner, we floated on the sea, even forgetting the passage of time.

But before either of us got bored or exhausted, the end came.

Rumble, a cute stomach sound reached my ears amidst the sound of waves.

I looked to the side and saw Lisa holding her stomach, her face gone red.

"T-Time for lunch. In fact, I made sandwiches."

Lisa spoke rapidly to me as though trying to cover things up.

"—So that's what the basket contained."

"Indeed that it is the case. You should gratefully try out my personal cooking."

===Part 6===

"Come, bon appetit."

Sitting on the vinyl sheet, Lisa nervously opened the basket.

Inside were crooked looking sandwiches and a small water bottle.

"How should I put this...? The sandwiches look really handmade."

"No need to force yourself to search for words of praise. I'm aware that they don't look good. I've never cooked before so this cannot be helped. Come—This is black tea."

Lisa spoke sulkily then poured black tea from the water bottle into a cup.

"Thanks, then I'll begin."

Taking a crooked looking sandwich, I brought it to my mouth."

"...How is the taste?"

Lisa gulped and observed my reaction.

I had picked a tuna salad sandwich. The instant I took a bite, the fresh juices of vegetables and the savory richness of tuna expanded in my mouth.

"It's good."

I said my words almost subconsciously, then stuffed the entire sandwich in my mouth.

"You're not just... being polite?"

"No, it really does taste good. If it's this kind of food, I can eat an unlimited amount of it."

I replied while picking up a second and a third sandwich.

"Really...? Then my efforts are rewarded."

Lisa seemed to sigh in relief and started eating a sandwich too.

"It tastes so good even though you're clearly a beginner. I think you're amazing."

"Because it's just ordinary sandwiches. Anyone can make them taste good by following a recipe."

Lisa turned the head away coldly and replied, but I could sense her joy vaguely from the mood.

Having spent some time together on the sea just now, it seemed Lisa and I had grown much closer than before.

There were also egg sandwiches, fruit sandwiches and others. While we tried out all sorts of flavors, the basket soon became empty before we knew it.

"Hoo~ I'm so full. It's great stuff."

Finishing Lisa's sandwiches, I thanked her.

"I'm glad you're satisfied."

"Now all you need to improve is the appearance."

"—I will hone my culinary skills from now on. Seriously, could you keep that comment to yourself?"

Lisa pouted mildly then started tidying up.

Putting the water bottle and the cups back into the basket, she closed the lid. Watching her, I asked about what was next.

"Then what's next? Want to go for a brief swim to help digestion?"

Immediately, Lisa placed the basket on the vinyl sheet's edge and said solemnly:

"We could do that—But personally, I'd like to hear about your matter now."

Lisa moved closer, shoulder to shoulder with me, then drawing her knees up to her chest, she stared at me. With our bare shoulders touching, I felt my heart speed up.

"My matter?"

"Indeed, I would like to know what is troubling you."

Hearing her say that, I understood she wanted me to explain what I wanted to discuss with her.

"...It's better to save it for later. If I brought it up now, it'll probably ruin the mood and put an end to our special training."

Since what I wanted to discuss was quite a grave matter, it would surely disrupt the current atmosphere if I told her.

However, Lisa shook her head.

"No—Since it is troubling you that seriously, then I must ask you to tell me now all the more. I will listen to your troubles as if I were your lover."

Lisa urged me in a sincere tone of voice.

From her words, I could hear that she truly cared about me. I felt my heart wavering inside.

Most likely from the very start, Lisa was treating this as part of the special training, intending to hear my troubles.

I had said earlier that we had to share joys to look like a couple, then as a couple, it was only natural to share each other's troubles as well.

If Lisa believed that this was a necessary process in order to act more like a couple, I probably should not be too apprehensive.

"So, a lot of the story might be shocking to you... But please hear me out."

"Very well, leave it to me. I shall take on all of your troubles."

Lisa thumped her chest and promised. Seeing that massive bosom wobble intensely, I frantically looked away while starting to confess my secret to her.

Three years ago, I had made a deal with Yggdrasil in order to repel Hekatonkheir that was invading my homeland, thus obtaining data on pre-civilization weapons, most prominently the anti-dragon armaments.

But in exchange, I lost a portion of my memories.

Then during the respective battles against Leviathan and Hrasvelegr, I had sought new power in the same way, losing more of my memories—

I recounted everything in order.

Lisa's face went pale initially and asked me question many times, but later on, she could not say a single word.

The expression on her face resembled not only anger but also sorrow. Staring at me, she listened silently to me.

"—And this is how I can no longer recall any of the past beyond three years ago."

I told her the current state of affairs then voiced my current feelings.

"Initially, I thought it was a price I had to pay to obtain power, so previously, I had already given up on the memories. But Iris, the only one who knows about this, vowed to help me recover my memories no matter what... I've then decided to do everything I can, so—"

"...So that is why you sought me to discuss this."

Lisa finished my sentence.

Her voice was clearly filled with anger.

Despite feeling myself cower for an instant, I still nodded and admitted it.

"That's right."

—Smack!

I felt an impact on my left cheek. Lisa had slapped me.

Normally, I might have dodged reflexively.

But seeing the tears flowing of Lisa's eyes, I could not move at all.

"In any case—whether as lovers or classmates, I have judged this as the appropriate response."

Holding the hand that had slapped me tightly against her chest, Lisa quietly told me.

"...Yeah, I think you're right."

Feeling the numbing pain on my left cheek, I nodded and agreed with Lisa.

"Although Mitsuki-san, who shoulders many mental burdens alone, is also quite a nuisance—Your problem is even worse than hers! Deciding on your own to pay a price, deciding on your own to protect us, deciding on your own to suffer alone... How can you be so selfish!?"

Lisa scolded me harshly, but tears were flowing from her eyes.

"—Sorry."

"Rather than apologize, why didn't you ask for my advice earlier!? At least if you had confessed to me before the Hraesvelgr battle, there might have been another solution, more or less..."

Lisa showed chagrin on her face while her shoulders kept shaking.

"Sorry, it's not that I don't trust you, Lisa, but I absolutely don't want Mitsuki to know... That's why I couldn't speak out lightly."

I apologized to her again.

"If Mitsuki-san learns of this, she will surely be more angry and saddened than me—and hurt far deeper. But even so, I would think that she still hopes you will confess everything to her."

Lisa spoke bitterly then glared at me.

"—Lisa, you think that I should tell Mitsuki too?"

"If I had accepted your request for a discussion as your classmate, I might have insisted on that already. However, I am currently taking the standpoint of your girlfriend... Hence, I will respect your wishes."

Although Lisa did not seem like she accepted my way of doing things, she still said that to me.

"Thank you, Lisa."

"It is too early for thanks. I still haven't offered any suggestions about what you came to me to discuss. Frankly speaking, I never expected such a difficult problem."

Lisa exhaled as though to calm down her turbulent emotions and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand.

I felt sincerely grateful to Lisa whose eyes had reddened slightly from crying.

"Goodness gracious... It would be troubling if you were satisfied with this. Since you are relying on me, you must set your goal higher. Although it might not be possible immediately, I will try to find clues to help recover your memories, even if it means exhausting all possibilities."

After declaring that, Lisa changed postures, from having her knees drawn to her chest to sitting formally in seiza.

"So—In any case, you should lie down on my lap."

'Huh? W-Why do I have to do that?"

I was troubled to hear such a sudden suggestion. I kept looking back and forth between her pale thighs and her face.

"Just now, I was scolding you as your lover, so next, I will console you. Now then, hurry and lie down."

Lisa pulled my shoulders and had me lie down on the ground with my head on her lap.

The soft feeling of her thighs and the bodily fragrance from her skin was making my heart pound intensely.

Looking up, the majority of my view was dominated by her bosom that was slightly squeezed by her swimsuit.

"Uh... L-Lisa?"

I called her name anxiously. A warm hand immediately rested gently on my forehead.

"Even at the cost of sacrificing precious things, you decided to protect us—I am truly grateful to you. Although it is impossible to call what you did correct... Without you, I might have lost precious family already."

Lisa stroked my head while thanking me in a gentle tone of voice.

"You must be... suffering. Because you've worked so hard from the past all the way to the present, so even if it's just for now, please allow your body and mind to rest. I will stay here by your side."

"Oh..."

Her words permeated into the depths of my heart. I could feel the anxiety sticking to the bottom of my heart gradually disappear.

Lisa stroked my head. Her hand was making me so comfortable that I had to close my eyes.

"You can sleep if you wish. Right now, there is no one in this world who treasures you more than me, your lover, so please rest assured and leave everything to me."

Guiding me like a lullaby, Lisa's gentle words made me fall asleep naturally.

Thus, I slept peacefully on her lap. By the time I woke up, it was already dusk.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v05 131.jpg|thumb]]

"—Sorry, I slept too soundly. Your legs must be numb and it was probably quite boring for you."

Along the way back, I apologized to Lisa who was walking by my side.

Back when I came to, she beamed at me and said "good morning" with a smile. As a result, I accidentally missed the timing to apologize to her.

"I switched postures several times in the process, so I didn't get numb. Also, there were many things to contemplate, so I didn't feel bored either."

Back to her hat and white sundress getup, Lisa replied while facing forward. And of course, I was back in my shirt and pants instead of walking in swimwear.

"Were you thinking of what I discussed with you?"

"Yes, and there was also watching your sleeping face. I don't think I can ever tire of it, you know?"

While walking arm in arm with me as when we started the day, Lisa smiled mischievously with her other hand carrying the empty basket.

"Does my face look that weird?"

"Rather than weird, it would be more apt to call it childish. It's almost like Tia's when she is taking afternoon naps, very adorable."

"Urgh."

I felt extremely embarrassed at the thought that I had shown such a vulnerable expression.

"Fufu, perhaps I should take a photo if there is a chance next time."

"Please, anything but that."

While we were chatting like that, we reached the spot where we met up by the time we realized.

Lisa swiftly released my arm and separated from me.

I felt a little unsettled that Lisa's body warmth, which had accompanied me for the whole day, had left me.

"—This ends today's special training. Thank you for accompanying me."

"Oh no, I'm the one who needs to thank you."

Seeing Lisa thank me solemnly, I scratched my head and responded. Since I was only sleeping for the second half, I felt quite bad about that.

"On my end, I seem to have acquired a grasp on behavior expected of couples. How about you?"

"Well, lemme see... Walking arm in arm naturally on the way back, I think it's progress."

Hearing my reply, Lisa nodded with satisfaction.

"Judging from the way things look, there shouldn't be a problem. Do not forget this kind of feeling. We will continue to practice."

"Huh? More practice?"

"Naturally, we must not get complacent before the real event. Nevertheless, we will probably be using pockets of free time in between preparing for the school festival to revise a bit of what we did today, so it won't take up your time."

Lisa replied confidently with her head high then said with a serious expression:

"In fact, I originally intended to have more training, but right now, your matter is more important. In any case, I will use the weekend to put together all known information regarding Yggdrasil. I believe that dragon still holds the key."

"Yeah, I'll review the lecture notes from all the lessons so far."

Indeed, researching the other party would a basic thing to do, yet until now, I never even thought of investigating Yggdrasil.

Or rather—For some reason, I did not want to investigate.

Perhaps just as Iris pointed out, my trust in Yggdrasil had gotten to ''an unnatural extent''.

—Suspicion, unnecessary.

"...?"

I seemed to hear a tiny voice, so I looked around but there was no one else along the seashore path or on the beach.

"What's the matter?"

Lisa asked curiously.

"No, nothing, I guess it was my imagination."

"...Is that so? Then I shall take my leave here. See you in school on Monday."

"Yeah, see you."

Lisa turned around and left after I replied.

I watched her depart until she vanished on the far end of the road that traced out gentle curves, then started walking to return to Mitsuki's dorm.

But in that instant, my vision suddenly shook.

—Rectification.

"Gah..."

A moment's dizziness.

I steadied my footing immediately and did not allow myself to fall.

Was it the result of sleeping outdoors? I shook my head.

—Huh? Speaking of which, I think I was planning to do something when I get back...

I seemed to have something to investigate, but could not recall what it was.

Whatever, it was probably nothing important. Without dwelling on it deeply, I stopped thinking about it.

===Part 7===

On the Monday after Lisa's special training, Brynhildr Class officially began to work in preparation for the the school festival.

That being said, since the ordered supplies had not arrived, costume making could not begin yet.

Hence, the first thing to do was cooking practice—

"I-I'm going to cut it now? Can I cut it like this?"

Holding a kitchen knife unsteadily, Iris asked Mitsuki who was supervising everyone.

"Ahhh, wait! Did I not mention that the hand keeping the food stationary needs to be closed, held like a cat's paw!?"

Mitsuki corrected Iris with great alarm on her face.

"Tia will add the seaweed!"

"Stop! Too much! It expands suddenly in hot water, so just a little is enough!"

This time, Mitsuki was stopping Tia's actions.

What could I say? Watching the girls was making me gradually unsure of the outcome.

We were gathered in the home economics classroom to use fourth period's homeroom time for practice, trying out simple Japanese dishes. Any ingredients or equipment we lacked was taken from Mitsuki's dorm.

Mitsuki was the only one versed in Japanese cooking, so she had to walk around busily between the whole class.

Apart from Mitsuki, Ariella was apparently the only one with plenty of cooking experience. Although NIFL's survival training had taught me how to prepare wild game when hunting, my experience in normal cooking was virtually nil. But in spite of that, my skills still came in handy.

"Mononobe-kun... You're very fast at cutting."

"Mm."

While I was cutting ingredients without taking, Firill and Ren, working next to me, watched with impressed eyes.

"Because I'm very used to working with blades, but I know nothing about seasonings, so I need to count on Mitsuki for that."

Seasonings in survival cooking was basically using spices to cover up gamey flavors, which was quite primitive and could not be used in delicate Japanese cooking.

"I'm done over here."

Ariella, who had been working on the opposite kitchen table, spoke to us.

"Phew... This is exhausting."

Finishing her work with Ariella's assistance, Lisa wiped sweat off her brow.

Thus, we finally finished before fourth period ended. Then we all started to eat when the lunch bell rang.

The menu consisted of plain rice, miso soup, tamagoyaki and grilled fish.

"Mononobe! I'm the one who cut up the turnip in the miso soup!"

"Tia added in the miso and the seaweed!"

Iris and Tia stared excitedly as they watched me pick up a bowl of miso soup.

"—Thanks for the food."

At their urging, I tried the miso soup first.

But in that instant, an unexpected taste of sweetness made me choke accidentally.

"C-Cough, c-cough... W-What's with this sweet miso soup...?"

Hearing me say that, Iris cocked her head in puzzlement.

"Eh? Did I put in too much sugar at the end?"

"I-Iris-san, I never gave any instruction of that sort in the first place!"

Mitsuki confirmed the taste frantically then questioned Iris.

"Because I thought it tasted a bit salty, I thought I could use sugar to adjust."

"In a case like this, just add water to dilute the flavor—"

Hearing Iris' answer, Mitsuki brought her palm to her forehead and sighed.

"Sheesh, Iris! Don't do things without asking!"

"S-Sorry..."

Even Tia was angry at her. Iris slumped her shoulders dejectedly.

"Haha..."

Just as I laughed wryly at their interactions, someone patted me on the shoulder from the side.

"Mononobe-kun, try mine... for a change of taste."

I looked back to see Firill bringing a piece of tamagoyaki, cut to bite size, to my mouth using her chopsticks.

"H-Hey—Oomph."

Before I could answer, the approaching tamagoyaki was shoved into my mouth.

Initially, it tasted like ordinary egg, but when I bit into it, an intense bitterness instantly expanded in my mouth.

"...So bitter."

I gave my thoughts honestly, immediately prompting a surprised look on Firill.

"Eh? I heard it tastes better a bit charred, so I fried one side thoroughly..."

"You fried it for too long. Look, the inside has turned black, hasn't it?"

I pointed at the remainder of the tamagoyaki on Firill's plate. Since the charred side was rolled on the inside, it looked normal at first glance, but the burnt portion could be seen from the cross-section.

"Cooking is so deep... Ah, it's bitter."

Firill tried a bite herself and made a bitter look.

Thus, the first cooking practice concluded with many lingering issues.

The only saving grace was that the plain rice and grilled fish were successfully prepared, but that was only because they were Mitsuki and Ariella's responsibility.

If assigned to Iris or the others, failures might very well have resulted.

—Next time during practice, I'll need to watch everyone carefully.

After forcing myself to finish the sweet miso soup and bitter tamagoyaki, I secretly vowed to myself.

"Looks like we all need to practice cooking more, me included."

After school, Lisa remarked while preparing a report on today's activities. A band-aid was wrapped around her fingertip—She had cut herself when chopping ingredients.

"Yeah, because we're low on manpower... If possible, I hope everyone can get familiar with every job."

While feeling conscious of Lisa's warmth from our shoulder contact, I nodded in agreement.

Putting our desks together, we were working side by side with our shoulders touching.

The only people staying behind in the classroom were Lisa and I as members of the festival executive committee.

With a low student population to begin with, the school became silent as soon as lessons were over, hence writing with a pen sounded especially loud.

"...But by the way, leaning so close together does make it difficult to write."

Lisa remarked, feeling cramped.

Due to being so close together, we had bumped into each other's arm several times already.

"In that case, shouldn't we separate a bit?"

"No. To prevent us from forgetting the feeling during special training the other day, we must keep a proper distance as lovers as much possible when we are alone."

Despite blushing mildly, Lisa refused to separate.

"It's a bit late by now for me to ask, but you don't dislike this?"

I tried to ask her a question that had also occurred to me during the special training.

"Dislike what?"

"Well, I was thinking... even if it's for delaying engagement matters, isn't it quite an ordeal if you have to pretend to be a couple with a guy you don't like?"

Perhaps I was not being clear enough, so I explained further.

"Y-You have no need to worry about that sort of thing. I do this for myself."

"But... Sure, if it's just for a day, but we're going to keep doing this until the school festival, right? If you're forcing yourself, you definitely won't make it to the end."

The school festival workload was only going to increase, but adding mental stress unnecessarily for the sake of lovers training made me worry if it was a bad idea.

"No—I am not forcing myself."

However, Lisa was answering with a displeased expression.

"Really?"

"Really! There are many things I wish to th-thank you for... I also believe that you are not without aspects worthy of respect, so I don't d-dislike you."

Lisa stared at her paperwork while speaking.

"Huh? You mean—"

"Ah! D-Don't get the wrong idea, okay? I am simply saying that I don't dislike you, which doesn't mean I like you!"

Blushing intensely, Lisa waved her hands and added a clarification.

"I-I get it."

"Hoo, goodness gracious... Now isn't the time for you to be worrying about others, is it? Please prioritize your own memories."

Lisa sighed in exasperation and stopped what she was doing.

Then putting her paperwork on the side, she took out her portable terminal from her bag.

"—Just as I mentioned the day before yesterday, I researched Yggdrasil as much as possible. Including unconfirmed reports, I've picked out all the information that intrigues me."

"Now that you mention it, you said to start with investigating Yggdrasil. Oh... I originally planned to look things up, but totally forgot."

Realizing how forgetful and careless I was, I could not help but scratch my head.

Why would I neglect something so important?

"Could you at least show some crisis awareness for your own affairs? Whatever, even if you investigated, I expect nothing more than what was taught in class."

Lisa seemed like she had not expected anything from me to begin with. Shrugging, she called up Yggdrasil's information on the screen.

First to be seen was a photo of a gigantic, strangely shaped tree.

"This is a picture of Yggdrasil?"

I confirmed with Lisa.

"Yes, this the clearest of all recent photographs. Just as you can see, Yggdrasil resembles a tree in appearance, but unlike ordinary plants, it can move on root-like feet. Growing approximate twenty meters a year, its height currently approaches 500 meters."

Lisa nodded affirmatively the started explaining.

"It initially appeared in a Norwegian mountain range then moved south slowly. Currently, it has stopped on the border between Denmark and Germany. Furthermore, Yggdrasil was designated a dragon twenty years ago, but some say that it actually appeared not long after Vritra went missing. However, since there are no concrete records, the veracity of this is open to question."

"Not long after Vritra went missing... Meaning before the birth of the Ds, right? This is my first time to hear this."

I answered in surprise.

"Disregarding whether the report is real or not, there is no question that someone has proposed that idea. Back then, there were apparently rumors among the locals about a gigantic tree that suddenly appeared. Reportedly, it never moved until Leviathan and other dragons started to become active, which is probably why it wasn't designated a dragon until later."

"If that report is real—It means that Yggdrasil must be driven by different motives compared to the other dragons after all."

Vritra had appeared twenty-five years ago. Afterwards, Ds began to be born among humans and as though in response, the dragons made their appearance... Judging by this sequence, the explanation, that the dragons awakened in search of Ds as mates, would hold.

But if Yggdrasil had appeared before the birth of Ds, then very naturally, one would conclude that its goal was not to find a D for a mate.

"According to what you said, Yggdrasil seeks the extermination of all other dragons, right?"

"Yeah, that's definitely what Yggdrasil said."

"If that were to be the case, the report on the timing of its appearance becomes slightly more believable. However, this is merely unconfirmed intel, hence making deductions on such a foundation is very risky. For now, please listen to the other information I have researched."

Lisa switched screens to show the next page.

"Three large-scale attacks have been launched at Yggdrasil to date. On every occasion, they failed due to ''weapons malfunctioning''."

"Weapons malfunctioning? Not attacks having no effect or getting defended against?"

"Indeed. According to reports, all tanks and aircraft entering Yggdrasil's range would behave abnormally without exception. Even missiles launched from a distance would fly off in the wrong direction."

After listening to Lisa's explanation, I crossed my arms and pondered.

"If it's electronics going haywire, I think the reason might be a strong magnetic field..."

"Indeed, a strong magnetic field was apparently measured in Yggdrasil's vicinity. However, what acted erratically was not only computer-controlled weapons but everything powered by electricity."

"Electricity..."

Hearing this, I was reminded of something.

I was reminded of the data transmitted to me from Yggdrasil. In other words, that data was also—

"The following is my hypothesis. Perhaps Yggdrasil might possess a power related to electricity. The weapons data you've said to have received so far, and what is known as information recorded in the brain, are in other words, ''electric signals''."

It looked like Lisa had thought of the same thing as me.

"Yeah, I think that's very likely."

I nodded and agreed with Lisa. Immediately, she looked at me worriedly.

"May I... confirm something with you?"

"What is it?"

"Are you always connected to Yggdrasil?"

Lisa asked me cautiously. I could read from her eyes slight nervousness and wariness.

"No. If I call to it in my mind, Yggdrasil reacts, but it's only when receiving data that I feel there's a connection."

"Reacting when you call huh? In that case, it means that you might be under surveillance. But if you are not always connected to Yggdrasil... It's a relief for now."

Lisa breathed a sigh of relief but I did not understand what she was worried about.

"If I'm always connected to Yggdrasil, will something bad happen?"

"Certainly. Suppose it keeps sending electric signals to you persistently—In the worst-case scenario, Yggdrasil might seize control of your body. Please don't summon Yggdrasil lightly from now on."

"I-I got it."

Confronted with a possibility that never occurred to me, I nodded to promise her.

But regarding the transmission of information, I was always able to terminate it by my own will, so it seemed to me that Lisa was being paranoid.

During the first deal, Yggdrasil had sought my consent too. In other words, Yggdrasil did not have any coercive power to ignore my will when transmitting information.

"—Please be careful, okay? In any case, this is the information I have gathered this time. From now on, I will search for ways to recover your memories while working on the assumption that you are under Yggdrasil's electrical interference."

"Great, thank you, Lisa. I will put some serious thought into it too."

Hearing me say that, Lisa glared at me.

"Being motivated is very good and all, but since we have no idea whether Yggdrasil is friend or foe, we will leave direct negotiations as the last resort. Please do not take matters into your own hand."

"...Understood."

Reminded by Lisa, I nodded.

But thinking in hindsight, perhaps we should not have left it as a last resort for later.

Because two weeks later—"Green" Yggdrasil would ''vanish'' off the face of the Earth.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_5_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_5_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2015-04-30T16:22:48Z

88.165.50.187: added missing letter

==Chapter 2 - Innocent Pursuit==

===Part 1===

"—Due to the fact that Tia Lightning refuses adamantly to separate from Mononobe Yuu, she will be taken in by this Brynhildr Class. Please get along with her from now on."

After the full-school assembly ended, Shinomiya-sensei made this announcement in a business-like manner during homeroom.

Tia and I were standing at the lectern together because Tia refused to leave me no matter what. Right now, Tia was hugging my arm with her eyes partially closed and happiness written all over her face.

This girl wouldn't be—the D whom I saved in the past, would she?

From her reaction that seemed like she had seen me before, as well as my nagging feeling of familiarity, this possibility was quite likely. But I had no proof and could not ask in front of everyone either.

If my hunch was correct and the matter of letting a D go free came to light, this would endanger Mitsuki's position in addition to mine.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san should be of an age that belongs in elementary level education, right? I doubt she can keep up with our curriculum."

Lisa asked Shinomiya-sensei with a troubled look.

"That's true indeed... But her declaration, appearance and offensive attitude has made many students afraid. Even if she were to be forced together with other Ds in her age group, it's probably impossible for them to get along peacefully. In that case, leaving her to Mononobe Yuu, the only one whom she opens her heart to, is the better solution."

—Leaving her to me?

I had a bad feeling about the way she phrased that.

"So here is how it goes, Mononobe Yuu. You will be in charge of her education. Basic studies, common sense, rules for living in Midgard, you will teach all of that to her."

"What...? I-I'm gonna teach her? I only arrived in Midgard a month myself, you know?"

I argued anxiously but Shinomiya-sensei's tone of voice forbade me from refusing.

"Ask other people if you run into difficulties. You may regard this as a mission associated with the anti-Basilisk battle. If she causes serious trouble in Midgard, then the only option would be to hand her over to NIFL. What this means... You probably understand."

Ds must be appropriately managed under Midgard in order for their human rights to be recognized officially. Getting exiled from Midgard would be equivalent to being deemed a disaster, which meant that NIFL was going to dispose of her mercilessly in order to take care of the current incident.

Just like when Leviathan attacked, they intended to kill Iris whose dragon mark had changed color.

"......I got it. Although I'm not confident, I'll try my best."

For a newbie like me, the responsibilities of this mission were way too heavy.

But I could not leave the young Tia to her own devices. And for some reason, she harbored strong affection for me. My heart was not cold enough to be able to mercilessly ignore a girl like that.

"Hmm? Are you done talking?"

Tia looked up at me and asked. Despite it being a conversation about her, she paid almost no attention to it.

"Yeah, from now on, Tia, you're classmates with us."

"Really? Then we can be together all the time here! Where is Yuu's seat?"

"Huh? Middle seat on the last row—"

I pointed at the last row of the 3x3 arrangement of seats—The spot sandwiched between Mitsuki and Iris.

By the way, although I feigned ignorance the whole time, the two of them had been staring daggers at me since a while ago. Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be reprimanding me while Iris was pouting unhappily, glaring at me.

"Then Tia will sit there too!"

Saying that, Tia pulled my arm.

"You want to sit there...? If you want the back row no matter what, I'll swap places with you."

"No, Yuu just sit here. Come, sit down."

"...?"

At Tia's urging, I sat down on my own seat.

"Fufu, then Tia will sit down too."

Tia sat down on my lap with a plop.

"H-Hey?"

"So comfy."

Ignoring my distress, Tia leaned her back against me.

At this moment, Iris suddenly stood up from her seat. Probably reaching the end of her patience, she said to Tia:

"Hey Tia-chan! You'll get in Mononobe's way if you sit there. You should sit in an empty seat!"

"Muu... Who is this Onee-chan?"

"I am Iris Freyja, Mononobe's... friend!"

Iris introduced herself proudly but Tia retorted without getting intimidated.

"If you are his friend, Tia hopes you can read the mood better. Sticking your nose into a husband and wife's problem is meddling, right?"

"H-Husband and wife... Didn't you just meet Mononobe, Tia-chan!? It's me who's been close to Mononobe the whole time!"

"Wrong, Tia and Yuu were tied together by the red string of fate a long time ago. No one can break us up."

Saying that, Tia changed her posture. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she hugged me tightly.

"T-Tia, wait... This is very uncomfortable."

Previously, I always treated her as a child and acted generously, but with such intimate contact, I could not help but waver a bit. Feeling her delicate, petite and lightweight figure and her soft skin, I was forced to become aware that, even at this kind of age, she was already a girl. The fragrance drifting from Tia's beautiful hair was tickling my nasal cavity.

"—Tia-san, sitting in your own seat to attend class is a rule of this school's. Please follow it."

Mitsuki's acute voice was heard at this time. Iris instantly brightened up at the arrival of reinforcements.

Tia pouted unhappily and turned her gaze to Mitsuki.

"Again, you... will say mean things to Tia?"

Tia seemed to be holding a grudge about what happened at the full-school assembly.

"I am not being mean. I am simply bringing up the rules. Please do not cause Nii-san trouble."

"Nii-san? You're not Yuu's family, are you?"

Tia blinked in surprise.

"Right, I am Mononobe Mitsuki, Nii-san's younger sister."

"Aha... Then Tia has to get along with you, because the husband's little sister is Tia's little sister."

Tia put away her defiance and smiled at Mitsuki.

"...I do not recall having an older sister younger than I am."

"Hmm, then you can be the older sister, or do you want to be the mother-in-law?"

"We are not playing house here, please do not randomly reassign roles, seriously... Sensei, could you tell her off?"

With an exasperated look, Mitsuki sighed and sought help from Shinomiya-sensei.

"Yes... You are right, rules must be followed, but I fear that trying to make her understand this principle right now would be very difficult. Hence, please tolerate her actions for now as long as lessons are not disrupted."

"No way..."

Mitsuki and Iris both made speechless expressions then Tia raised her arms to cheer in joy.

"Awesome! Then Tia will stay quiet. A good wife doesn't make trouble for the husband."

Tia resumed her earlier posture and sat properly on my lap. With that, as long as she did not move about, I was able to look in front and manage to follow the lesson

However, Shinomiya-sensei cast her sharp gaze at me and said:

"Mononobe Yuu, let me state for the record. Her special treatment is only limited to today. You have to settle this before tomorrow."

"Ehhh!?"

In other words, I had to make Tia obey school rules within today?

"Ehehe!"

Tia showed a joyful expression while her legs swayed nonstop.

I looked down at Tia, my self-proclaimed wife. This was a mission harder than imagined, totally putting me at a loss what to do.

===Part 2===

After that, Tia still refused to leave for even an instant.

During homeroom, Lisa and the others introduced themselves but Tia was uninterested, simply looking up at my face.

"M-Mononobe Yuu... I shan't lose to you!"

This provoked a weird sense of competition in Lisa—

"...Lolicon?"

Firill was inspired with unsavory doubts about me.

"Only Mononobe-kun gets to talk to her, so unfair."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were looking at me with displeasure in their eyes. Particularly Ren, whose age was closest to Tia, she had kept glancing secretly at Tia ever since class started, quite curious about her.

"Tia, why don't you talk to everyone a bit."

I encouraged her but Tia shook her head and refused.

"No need, if Tia had to talk, talking with Yuu is better."

It looked I was the only thing that mattered in her red eyes. Anyway, I had no idea how to persuade Tia unless I got to know her as a person. Hence, I decided to let Tia do as she pleased for the first day, the only time for special treatment.

"Hwah..."

Keeping her promise in class, Tia sat quietly on my lap. Although she yawned in apparently boredom many times, even sleeping very soundly during fourth period, she did not seem to be a child who could not be reasoned with.

During the lunch break, we went to the cafeteria together as a class, sitting around a table as before.

"Here, husband, say ah—"

But most troublingly, Tia continued to sit on my lap just as in the classroom. She was extending a spoonful of vegetable curry towards me. The gazes from not only my classmates but also girls in the surroundings were making me uncomfortable.

"...Yuu?"

Due to Tia's uneasy look, I had no choice but to eat the vegetable curry. Then I heard whispers all around. Bothered by the surrounding gazes, I almost could not taste the curry's spiciness.

"Fufu, we are like newlyweds."

Tia smiled happily and ate a mouthful of vegetable curry too.

Going with this situation, I was probably going to be labeled a lolicon tomorrow.

But to me, it simply felt like accompanying her to play house like a children.

Although she insisted she was the wife, I felt that it would be more accurate to call her a very spoiled younger sister.

"Tia, you've got stuff next to your mouth."

After thinking of it that way, I stopped feeling particularly bothered. In a natural manner, I used a tissue to wipe Tia's mouth.

"Aww... Thanks."

Tia thanked me somewhat shyly. From the eyes of an older brother, I found that behavior of hers to be very cute.

If the one sitting on my lap making me dote on her was Iris instead, I probably would not be able to remain calm like this.

Thinking that, I looked forward, only to see Iris glaring at me with a pout.

"Only Tia-chan can do that... Too unfair."

Clutching her fork, stabbed in the pasta with tomato sauce, Iris spoke in a low voice.

"U-Unfair? What's unfair?"

"I'm clearly your friend, Mononobe... Compared to Tia-chan, we should be closer... But I never got to do the say 'ah—' thing, so I have to do it too!"

Saying that, Iris wrapped pasta around her fork and extended it before me.

"A-Ah..."

With cheeks blushing, Iris spoke in a trembling voice.

I felt my heart starting to race.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 083.jpg|thumb]]

"H-Hey, Iris..."

"...Mononobe, hurry, this is very embarrassing."

Seeing her plead tearfully, I opened my mouth despite the hesitation in my heart, but—

With a metallic clang, Iris' fork was deflected by Tia's spoon.

"Yuu is Tia's husband. You're not allowed to do that."

"I can, because Mononobe is my friend!"

Iris' gaze turned sharp. As though about to have a fencing match, she entered a pose with her fork, still with pasta wrapped around it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sensing danger, I yelled at her but Iris made a thrust with her fork.

"Eat this!"

"You wish!"

Tia used her spoon to defend again, but Iris' first strike was a feint. Stopping her fork halfway, she evaded the timing of Tia's parry. Getting past the spoon, she shoved the pasta into my mouth.

"Mmggg!"

The flavor of tomato sauce instantly spread in my mouth. While the fork was drawn out, the pasta was left in my mouth.

"Success!"

Iris cheered and made a victory pose.

"Oh no, husband is having an affair!"

Tia screamed in shock. Her voice echoed throughout the entire cafeteria. All the students present were looking in our direction.

"...Knock it off, you two. Be quiet in public areas."

Mitsuki spoke in a voice filled with rage.

Iris instantly shuddered then scratched her head apologetically.

"Oh, s-sorry, Mitsuki-chan... I was too impulsive."

"Tia was clearly not at fault..."

Despite muttering in her mouth, Tia settled down. Because Mitsuki was my sister, Tia cared about how she was viewed.

"Phew... Mitsuki, thanks—"

I was just about to thank her when I saw Mitsuki's extremely displeased look, forcing me to grind to a halt mid-sentence.

"—Nii-san is an idiot."

After saying that quietly, Mitsuki turned her head away.

Lisa and the others all showed exasperation on the their faces. In the end, the meal ended under an indescribable atmosphere.

And after that, there were problems aplenty.

Using the remainder of the lunch break, we took Tia around to get to know the campus. At the clock tower, I was just about to go to the washroom when Tia wanted to go with me, thus causing a dispute for a while.

Persuaded by Mitsuki, Tia finally agreed to let go of my hand, but she kept holler "Yuu, are you there?" from outside, giving me no peace while I did my business.

—As a side note, inside Midgard, there were only two washrooms I could use. As Midgard's core area, the clock tower would have occasional visitors from outside, hence male washrooms were available for visitors to use. The other one was the toilet in my own room at the dorm.

Later on during afternoon class time, Tia wanted to go to the washroom this time, intending to drag me to the female washroom.

I patiently convinced her, finally reaching a compromise where I waited outside while repeatedly responding to her calls.

In this manner, today's classes ended while feeling several times longer than usual.

But my mission was just beginning here.

"—Mononobe Yuu, I will let Tia Lightning live in Mononobe Mitsuki's dorm like you. Take good care of her."

During homeroom before dismissal, that was what Shinomiya-sensei said. I was in charge of educating Tia. After school, I had to oversee her studies and Tia refused to leave me, so this could be considered an appropriate arrangement.

Although Mitsuki's expression seemed quite unconvinced, she still agreed reluctantly.

"Nii-san, I still have student council work to do, so please return first. Although you will be alone with Tia-san temporarily... Under no circumstances should you do anything violating public morals."

"...I know. Could you believe in your brother a bit?"

I nodded with a wry smile and exited the classroom with Tia.

Using her tiny right hand, Tia held my left hand tightly.

Accommodating Tia's pace, I slowly made my way to the building entrance, but just as we reached the first floor's entrance, I noticed a student standing still in front of the school map.

It was a very obedient-looking girl, wearing glasses, with long black hair in a braid.

—Eh? I remember that girl... the one who transferred together with Tia—

"Yuu?"

Seeing me stop walking, Tia looked at me in surprise.

"Sorry, Tia, come with me for a bit."

Holding Tia's hand, I approached the girl.

If she was facing any trouble, I should help her, right? This was the spirit behind Midgard's founding. This was what I learned from Lisa and the others during the battle against Leviathan.

"—What's wrong?"

I asked her from behind.

"...Eh? Oh—"

She looked back, widening her eyes greatly after seeing me. Perhaps she was startled because I was a man.

To avoid making her unwary unnecessarily, I smiled and talked to her.

"I remember you just transferred in today, right? Tachikawa... What was it again?"

To be honest, because Tia caused me such a great shock, I had little recollection of her, even her name was fuzzy.

"Uh—Right, I am Tachikawa Honoka, you are... Mononobe Yuu, right?"

She nodded and asked in a confirming tone of voice.

"You know about me?"

"Because you are the only male in the academy, I soon heard rumors about you. And I saw you this morning at the full-school assembly."

Speaking of which, this morning I had rushed up to the podium to stop Tia who was acting emotionally unstable. Since I had done something so conspicuous, no matter where I went, there were always people talking about the topic of me and Tia. With that, whether she wanted to or not, she would surely hear my name.

"...Then we can skip the introductions. Tia, you know her already, right?"

I motioned with my eyes, to introduce her to Tia, but for some reason, Tia hugged my waist tightly and glared at her silently.

"Right, although I saw her for the first time at the full-school assembly, I still have not greeted her... But I did hear the student body president's introduction."

Saying that, she lowered her head and bowed to us.

"Yuu-san, Tia-san, pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, likewise here."

I smiled in response but Tia scowled and refused to answer.

"Sorry, how should I say this...? Apart from me, Tia pretty much treats everyone like this."

I frantically explained for Tia, but she smiled gently and said:

"No problem, I don't mind."

"Thanks, that would be a great help—Tachikawa."

"Just call me Honoka. I'll address you by name too."

She replied in a relaxed tone of voice.

"O-Okay... Got it, Honoka."

Slightly nervously, I changed my way of addressing her. Although she seemed introverted in appearance, her personality might turn out to be more approachable than expected.

"So, what are you doing here, Honoka? If there's anywhere you want to go, I can lead the way."

I looked at the map that Honoka had been staring at.

"No, it's okay. I was just trying to memorize all the locations because I'll be living here from now on."

"I see, so you're not lost. That's great. Sorry for disturbing you."

I should have minded my own business. I scratched my head.

"Nothing of that sort, I'm happy that you talked to me. Even just knowing that you are such a friendly person counts as a kind of encourage to me here on."

Although Honoka thanked me, what she said made me a bit concerned. Thinking more carefully, taking her around to familiarize with the campus should be what her classmates would do first. Perhaps there was not anyone friendly in the class she was assigned to.

"...If you have any difficulties, you can find my any time. I'll tell you my email address."

"Oh... Thank you."

Honoka smiled radiantly. After exchanging addresses, we bid her goodbye and walked out of the building.

During that time, Tia's expression remained quite unhappy. She gripped my hand tightly.

"You're both transfer students, so why don't you try to get along with her? I think you'll surely become friends."

I said that to her while walking towards the school gates, but Tia shook her head.

"No, Tia doesn't want to be near her."

"Doesn't want to be near..."

Compared to Lisa or the others, Tia was expressing a clearer attitude of rejection, baffling me.

"And Tia is angry with Yuu too. A married person should not hit on girls."

"H-Hit on? No, that wasn't what was happening just now."

Suddenly exchanging email addresses might seem like hitting on a girl, but the only reason why I told Honoka my address was purely because I worried about her.

"...Honestly not hitting on her?"

"Honestly."

"Okay... Then Tia won't be angry."

Tia's displeased look changed to reveal all smiles.

Seeing her mood improve, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although we were not a real couple and I was not obliged to explain to her, it made me feel uncomfortable to be saddled with a trumped up charge for no reason.

Then we passed through the school gates and headed to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

Although we attracted the gaze of female students along the way, after entering the road leading to the dorm, no one was in sight anymore.

We held hands and walked on the road along the beach. That alone was enough to make Tia smile contentedly. Bathed under the setting sun's rays, both her hair and her horns shone with red light.

—Tia Lightning huh...

Having accompanied her the whole day, I came to understand one thing clearly. She extremely hated separating from me.

Almost like a lost child.

She looked like a child who was finally reunited with parents, refusing to separate again no matter what. Most likely, Tia's affection towards me was neither infatuation nor love, but an expression of emotions from the fear of separation.

Although that was possible, the correct answer could only be known by asking directly.

There were many things I wanted to ask but among them, what I needed to confirm most—the question I had held back all this time to avoid giving Mitsuki trouble—I finally inquired of Tia at this time.

"Say, Tia, have we met somewhere before?"

"Eh—Yuu doesn't remember?"

Tia asked as though she was struck by a blow. It looked like we really did meet before.

"Don't tell me... you're the D whom I saved on in a warzone before?"

I voiced my guess.

Before coming to Midgard, I had only met two Ds. One was Mitsuki, the other was the young girl I saved in a warzone without knowing her name. Hence, it was very likely that the girl was Tia.

However, since she was a D, she could also be someone I got involved with unknowingly, hence I was not confident.

"Oh, phew, good... Yuu didn't forget."

Tia seemed relieved. I had guessed correctly, apparently.

—Lucky I did not confirm in front of others.

Letting a discovered D go free was a complete breach of military discipline.

Apart from that, because Basilisk's target was Tia, it had caused NIFL to expend a lot of effort.

I had no intention of fleeing from those responsibilities but I did not want to cause a situation that would cause Mitsuki problems.

"So you really are the girl from that time... You seemed to have changed."

The girl in my hazy memories was even younger and did not have horns like these.

"Really? Did Tia become more cute?"

She looked at me with excited eyes. I nodded in embarrassment.

"Yeah..."

Becuase the shock was too great, it was easy for the horns to steal the spotlight, but objectively speaking, Tia was a cute girl. In two or three years, she would surely become even more beautiful.

"Tia is—a cute girl, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I think."

I answered her question that seemed to be seeking confirmation, but for some reason, Tia made a sad face.

"Thanks... I knew that if it's Yuu, you'd say that again. Tia is so happy, but... It's wrong."

"It's wrong?"

I did not understand what was going on, so I asked her. But looking at me, Tia's eyes were emotionless, as though her earlier childishness was a lie.

"Tia is a dragon, not a girl."

I instantly felt a chill along my back. In the depths of those red eyes, I saw a dark color akin to that of dried blood.

"..."

I reflexively tried to tell her no but held my tongue before it came out. Even if I unilaterally refuted Tia's assertion, it would only end up the same as what happened at the assembly.

This was most likely Tia's berserk button. If I had to touch it, I would best wait for the next opportunity.

First, I should carefully find out—Why did she believe so strongly that she was a dragon?

"...So to you, am I a dragon too?"

"Yes, all Ds are dragons."

Spreading her arms, Tia said that.

"Why... do you think that?"

"Because we have the same power as dragons, we are the children of dragons, isn't this logical?"

We definitely possessed the same power as the black dragon—"Black Vritra"—the ability to generate dark matter. Because Ds were the same as dragons, they must be rejected—There were many radical organizations pushing such beliefs. Was Tia influenced by that kind of thinking?

"No, but you have human parents, right?"

I had seen her parents when saving her in a warzone. I thought that afterwards, they should be living together as a family of three.

"......Tia has no human papa or mama."

But Tia refuted me with an emotionless expression and voice.

"No? But back then—"

I frowned and asked but I felt mild trembling on my hand, forcing me to stop mid-sentence.

I had apparently broached a very sensitive issue again.

"Yuu, don't talk about that—Tia wants to touch the seawater."

Just as I was hesitating how to continue the conversation, Tia smiled innocently and changed the subject.

Tia pointed at the vast beach beyond the breakwater, pulling me, wanting to go there.

"...Okay, let's go down the stairs over there."

I gave up on the spot asking about her father and mother and took Tia down to the white beach.

I'll have to find a chance to ask again later.

"Wow..."

As soon as she reached the water's edge, Tia instantly squatted down and dipped her left hand into the waves rushing onto the shore. I also squatted beside her and watched her scoop up seawater with her tiny hand.

"You've never been to a beach, Tia?"

"No, Tia originally lived in a place without a sea. And after coming to this island, Tia could only look from a distance."

Saying that, Tia licked her fingertip, moistened by seawater.

"Ah... It's really so salty!"

Tia seemed quite moved and yelled excitedly. How should I say it? looking at her like that, I could not help but smile.

—I can't force this child to make that kind of expression.

When insisting she was a dragon, insisting she had no parents, Tia's face lost all emotion.

Tia's issues seemed to much bigger than imagined but I decided in my heart to help her resolve them bit by bit.

This started as a mission forced upon me by someone else, but after knowing she was the D that I had met in a warzone, I could not stay uninvolved anymore because I had to take serious responsibility for her.

If I had sent Tia to Midgard when we first met, at least she would not have ended up with this dragon girl appearance.

With my unoccupied right hand, I tried to touch Tia's horn.

"Kyah... It tickles."

Tia made a startled sound and huddled herself.

"Your horn has feeling too...?"

It really was like a part of the body. I could not help but gasp.

"Yes, it's very sensitive too, so Tia doesn't like others touching it... But it's okay if it's the husband."

Tia put her hand on my hand that was touching her horn, smiling shyly.

That sincere affection made my cheeks heat up involuntarily.

But just at that moment—I felt all my hairs stand on end.

"!"

Feeling a sharp gaze of murderous intent, I forcefully spun around.

Switching my consciousness to combat mode, I picked up Tia in one arm and extended my right arm forward to create the dark matter required for a shield.

However... I could not see any enemy in the direction I felt the gaze. There was only the breakwater and coconut trees swaying in the wind.

I sharpened my senses even more and searched for human presences, but there seemed to be no one nearby.

Hence, I lowered my vigilance and put my hand down.

—Was it my imagination?

Midgardsormr was already restored. It was impossible for NIFL to infiltrate again like last time.

Inside Midgard here, there should not be anyone who intended to resolve the situation by killing Tia.

Judging from this situation, anyone would say it was my imagination no matter who I asked.

But I had survived battlefields all this time through my senses. My instincts told me that it was too early to dismiss that murderous intent as imagination.

—Things had become not very peaceful.

In another sense, I must not leave Tia now.

"Yuu..."

Just as I scanned the surroundings with my gaze, lost in thought, Tia called my face with her face gone red. Speaking of which, in order to protect from enemy attacks, I was hugging her forcefully. Hence, I hastily relaxed my force.

"Sorry Tia, does it feel very uncomfortable?"

"N-No, Tia is fine, but sorry, Tia doesn't know what to do next."

Tia apologized.

"What do you mean by... what to do next?"

"Eh...? Next up is that thing husbands and wives do together, right? Although it's so sudden, Tia was frightened, Tia is prepared now."

"What—"

Realizing Tia had a huge misunderstanding, I could not find words to speak for a while.

"But Tia... knows nothing about that kind of thing. Tia is a failure of a wife. So... Husband needs to teach Tia. No matter what needs to be done, Tia will work as hard as possible."

Tia looked at me with moistened eyes, gripping my uniform tightly.

"Hey, no, it's wrong! I didn't mean that just now... B-Because there was a big wave, I was worried you'd get swept away, that's why—"

I would scare Tia if I brought up the murderous intent honestly, so I stammered a random excuse.

"...Really? Then Yuu was protecting Tia! Thank you, Yuu!"

The straightforward Tia believed me and thanked me with a pure smile. Although I found my reason quite contrived, she showed no signs of doubting.

Did Tia trust me so much because I saved her in a warzone? Or simply because I was a male D?

Still with no idea where Tia's affection for me came from, I could only turn my gaze away with an unsettled feeling, looking at the horizon where the sun was setting—

===Part 3===

As soon as we returned to the dorm, I decided to begin tutoring Tia.

I had already gotten materials appropriate for Tia's level from Shinomiya-sensei, so I took Tia to my room and placed the textbooks and notebooks on the desk.

Elementary school curriculum apparently aimed to teach students how to write by hand, so materials were paper-based. For me who usually relied on a portable terminal during lessons, the touch of paper and pencil felt very nostalgic.

"...You really have to sit here after all."

Seeing Tia sit on my lap matter-of-factly, I could not help but sigh.

"Yes, because Tia is the wife."

Tia turned herself and looked up at me, smiling with a nod.

"...Normally speaking, even married couples don't stick together like this twenty-four hours a day."

"Other people are other people, we are us. Also, we are newlyweds."

"No, now that you mentioned it, I don't recall us getting married."

I pointed out the most fundamental point.

"Ehhhh?"

Tia showed surprise.

Did I bring it up too rashly? I could not help but feel frantic, but she immediately smiled.

"Now that you mention it, we... still haven't held the wedding! Yuu, when will it be held?"

"W-When... First of all, Tia, we can't marry at our age, right?"

"Human rules have nothing to do with us, because we are dragons."

Refuted by these unexpected words, I was speechless for a while.

No good, human logic did not work on Tia.

I had to get her to attend class normally by tomorrow. What should I do?

"......Tia, about this issue, let's discuss it later. Now's the time to be studying. Come, open the textbook."

After thinking for a while, in the end, I could only postpone the issue to resolve later.

"Eh... Then it's a promise? We will decide on the wedding date properly, okay?"

"If possible, I'd like to start the discussion from an earlier stage than that..."

Let alone changing her mind, I felt that I was the one being gradually forced into a corner.

While thinking of ways to reverse the current situation, I started teaching Tia.

As soon as she focused on studying, Tia became an excellent student. Reading passages from the text, she would ask whenever she did not understand any part, instantly absorbing the knowledge.

On the topic of languages, she was capable of using three languages, including Japanese, on the level of everyday conversation.

—It looked like she had a good teacher in the past.

Considering Tia's appearance, it was quite unlikely she was attending a normal school, but Tia was no less educated than peers from the same age group.

I originally thought that since her way of speaking Japanese was very child-like, her mental age was probably very childish too, but perhaps it was the opposite.

The tutoring went very smoothly. By dinner time, we had already finished what was planned for today.

At 7pm, Mitsuki had returned home and came to call us. We had dinner together in the dining hall.

"...Tia-san's education seems to be going poorly."

Seeing Tia treat my lap as her designated seat, Mitsuki remarked with disappointment.

"No, academics-wise, it's going very smoothly... It's just that teaching her to follow rules is very hard."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki sighed.

"I understand. Then I shall take over education regarding rules, because I am the student body president, I cannot allow Tia-san to do as she pleases."

Thus, after dinner, Mitsuki started to educate Tia in my room.

However—

"...That is why, Tia-san, by living a rule-abiding life at Midgard, only through that will the world recognize our existence—"

"That is something humans decided on their own. Tia is a dragon, it has nothing to do with Tia."

"......"

Confronted with Tia's dragon logic for who knew how many times, Mitsuki slumped her shoulders in dejection.

"I now understand your hardship very well, Nii-san."

Mitsuki showed an exhausted expression to me, who had become Tia's chair.

"I know right? No matter how we try to make her accept rules, it just doesn't work."

I remarked with a wry smile, feeling as though I had finally gained a comrade.

"She is truly a formidable opponent... Time sure flies. It is already past 9pm. Time to take a bath and clear our minds slightly."

Saying that, Mitsuki got up from her seat, but froze after hearing Tia's next comment.

"Then Tia will have a bath with Yuu!"

"This came after all..."

Pressing her hand to her forehead, Mitsuki murmured quietly.

"Tia, I'm begging, could you take a bath alone? Like going to the washroom, I'll wait outside."

I tried to ask her as gently as possible but Tia shook her head forcefully.

"No! Tia wants to have a bath with Yuu! The husband has to be with the wife at all times!"

"...Why do you hate separating from me so much, Tia? I'm not going away, you know?"

I steeled myself and tried asking, prompting Tia to show a gloomy expression.

"No... If Tia is not at your side, you'll disappear for sure."

"Disappear?"

"..."

I did not quite understand what she meant, so I repeated the same word as a question, but Tia kept her lips shut tight and refused to answer.

Silently, she gripped my clothing, refusing to budge even if the sky were to come crashing down.

"Understood, then it cannot be helped..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I jumped in surprise.

"Eh? No way? You allow it?"

I really could not believe that Mitsuki, the student body president, would permit a mixed gender bath. When the fact that Iris helped scrubbed my back came to light, I was punished to write a huge number of repentance essays.

"Yes, but on one condition. I basically predicted this, hence I came prepared. Please wait a moment, Nii-san."

Saying that, Mitsuki left the room and soon returned with certain articles in her arms.

"What's that...?"

I pointed at what Mitsuki had brought and asked.

"Swimsuits and pajamas."

Mitsuki answered with a serious face. Figuring out what she meant, I frowned.

"......Swimsuits make it okay?"

This was quite a huge compromise on Mitsuki's part, I thought, so I confirmed with her.

"The swimsuits are school prescribed, so just think of it as entering a hot spring and there should not be a problem with public morals. H-However, because I am responsible for supervising, I must be present too."

Blushing, Mitsuki said something even more unexpected.

"What... You're taking a bath with us too, Mitsuki?"

"—Is there any problem? Do you prefer to be alone with Tia-san, enjoying a lovey-dovey bathtime together?"

"H-How could I possibly think that!?"

I frantically denied. However—I somehow could not stay calm as soon as the thought of taking a bath with Mitsuki crossed my mind. Mitsuki was my sister, so there should be no reason to be so concerned.

"In that case, there is no problem, right? I will enter the bath with Nii-san too."

...With Nii-san?

The central topic should be Tia, so her way of putting it made me feel a sense of dissonance. But due to Mitsuki's intimidating gaze, I nodded in agreement without pointing it out.

"G-Got it..."

"Very well, bath time it is."

Mitsuki declared with elation. Somehow, she sounded inexplicably happy.

Perhaps she was remembering things from childhood.

—Eh? However... Did I ever take baths with Mitsuki before?

If we were siblings, bathing together as children should be quite normal.

But no matter how hard I thought, I still could not find memories of that sort—

"Sure enough, three people in a bath is very crowded..."

Having changed into a school swimsuit, Mitsuki surveyed the bathroom and remarked. The form-fitting navy-blue swimsuit served as a perfect foil to emphasize Mitsuki's snow-white complexion and slender figure.

"This is a swimsuit...? So tight, it feels weird."

Tia seemed like she had never worn one before. With curiosity, she pulled at her shoulder strap.

What drew my gaze was the red dragon mark on Tia's thigh.

—Once targeted by Basilisk, the dragon mark would turn red.

It was white in Iris' case, which seemed to imply that the D's symptoms would vary depending on the dragon.

"...Nii-san, your gaze is very suspicious."

Just as I was staring at Tia's dragon mark, Mitsuki pulled me by the ear.

Naturally, I was wearing swimming trunks. It felt quite out of place to be wearing swimsuits in a bathroom, but perhaps due to the presence of two girls, there seemed to be a sweet fragrance drifting in the air.

This was a single room's bathroom, hence it was never designed to accommodate multiple people bathing in the first place. With three people inside, there was no space left for rinsing oneself. Mitsuki seemed to realize the same thing while staring at the cramped bathroom with a troubled look.

"Three people rinsing together seems too hard. Nii-san, please enter the tub first. We will switch later."

"Understood."

I poured hot water over myself to briefly wash away the sweat before stepping into the tub. Then I soaked myself up to the shoulders. As a result, the water level rose to almost overflowing.

"Ah, Tia wants a soak too!"

I finally had some space to myself but Tia jumped into the tub. With a massive splash, hot water spilled all over the floor.

"Hey, Tia-san, what are you doing!? You have to rinse your body together with me first!"

Hearing Mitsuki scold her, Tia pouted.

"No, Tia has to be with Yuu."

Saying that, Tia leaned herself against me in the tub.

"T-Tia, don't lean in so close."

The sensation of soft skin, transmitted through the swimsuit, was making me waver.

And left behind, Mitsuki stood there stunned for a moment before speaking in a determined voice:

"In that case... I shall join in too."

"Eh? H-Hey?"

Mitsuki forced herself into the tub. Naturally, since this was not meant to be a bathtub for three, it became extremely crowded. Everyone was pressed together while the tub's hot water flowed out.

Feeling something soft against my shoulder, I hastily changed my posture, but this time, my knee went between Mitsuki's thighs.

"Ah... N-Nii-san... Not there, please."

"S-Sorry."

Every move of the body caused friction between skin and swimsuits.

"Mm..."

Mitsuki exhaled hot breath.

"Ehehe, husband!"

Tia happily leaned herself against me.

Unable to move, I could only surrender to the two of them.

"Three people is too much of a stretch. Could one of you please go out?"

"No, Tia will not leave Yuu."

Tia wrapped her slender arms around me.

"...If Tia-san will not go out, I shall not leave either, because I am in charge of supervising... By the way, you two are leaning too close together."

Mitsuki kept pushing her body over, trying to get between me and Tia.

Her swimsuit slid down slightly, exposing the valley between her petite yet beautifully shaped breasts.

"Jeez, don't get in the way."

Tia resisted intensely, hugging me even tighter. This scene in the narrow bathtub was almost like a game of sardines-in-the-box.

"I-If you two aren't going out, I'm leaving."

To me, they were Tia, who was just a child, and Mitsuki, my younger sister.

I originally thought that I would not feel especially conscious like with Iris... But I found it unbearable. Despite soaking in the hot water only for so short a time, my face was already too hot to bear.

"No! The husband cannot run away and leave the wife behind!"

But Tia pounced on me, refusing to let me escape.

"Tia-san will follow you if you leave, Nii-san, so the situation will remain the same. If you are leaving the tub, Nii-san, please wait until you warm up more. If either of you were to catch a cold, I would be to blame for failure in management."

Saying that, Mitsuki grabbed my arm to keep me here.

My body was already burning but Mitsuki's words and gaze had a kind power impossible to resist. Reluctantly, I sat down in the bathtub.

Then after roughly ten minutes—until the happy and excited Tia went dizzy from the heat—I kept enduring, left with no choice but to keep my mind blank to prevent unwanted thoughts.

"She is sleeping so soundly."

Looking at Tia lying on my bed in pajamas, sound asleep, Mitsuki smiled.

"...Now I'm finally liberated."

I exhaled deeply, collapsing completely in the chair in front of the desk.

"You worked hard, Nii-san."

Mitsuki praised me with a wry smile then sat down on the bed's edge.

After the bath, we changed into our respective pajamas and drank cold drinks to soothe our throats... By the time we realized, Tia had already started nodding off drowsily .

Anyway, we laid her out on my bed and she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

"But the mission failed. In the end, I still haven't convinced her."

Most likely in class tomorrow, Tia was still planning to sit on my lap.

"Likewise, I have failed to teach Tia-san to abide by rules. I shall explain to Shinomiya-sensei tomorrow to ask for an extension."

"Thank you, Mitsuki, then I'm saved. However... Unless we find a way to resolve the problem of Tia believing herself to be a dragon, it's probably a waste of effort no matter how much time we spend trying to convince her."

Rules decided by humans were irrelevant to dragons—These words rendered all arguments moot.

"...To be honest, I did not expect her to be such a stubborn child at all. I was told that she did not resist at all, no matter when NIFL took her into custody or when she was transported to Midgard to be examined. Always expressionless, she listened obediently to others."

"That's such a far cry from right now."

Tia's face was always busy making all kinds of expressions. While spinning in circles because of her, I could hardly imagine such a description applying to her.

"Yes, like a completely person compared to what we saw of her during the full-school assembly. In the beginning, I thought she was reticent and obedient child..."

"In other words, your 'Ds are human' assertion was something Tia found intolerable, to the point of causing a drastic change in personality. Mitsuki, do you know what kind of environment Tia lived in previously?"

Mitsuki glanced at Tia after hearing my question.

"—Before lessons ended, I asked Shinomiya-sensei to tell me in as much detail as possible. Tia-san seems to be sleeping soundly, so it should be fine to discuss the matter now. Because there are things I would be reluctant for her to hear."

Hearing her say that, I frowned.

"Did Tia have some kind of traumatic experience?"

Tia's belief had similarities with D-rejecting organizations. I was worried whether she might have been captured by that type of organization at one point.

However, Mitsuki shook her head slowly.

"—No, it happens to be the opposite. Tia-san used to be worshiped."

"Worshiped?"

"Reportedly, when NIFL's team discovered Tia-san, it was in a military vehicle belonging to the dragon worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell."

Hearing that name, I could not help but gasp.

"The Sons of Muspell... Isn't that the world's most vicious terrorist organization?"

So-called dragon cultists were polar opposites in ideology compared to D-rejecting organizations. They revered and worshiped dragons, the monsters transcending human wisdom, as gods. In a certain sense, it was only inevitable for new religions like this to arise in a world threatened by dragons.

So-called worship was a method to escape from absolute fear. Believing themselves to be apostles of dragons, it provided them with mental stability.

Out of the dragon cults of this sort, the Sons of Muspell was the largest sect and was the most radical in their thinking. They launched terrorist attacks against countries and organizations that attempted to defeat dragons, obstructing them persistently. Naturally, Asgard and NIFL were also targets for them.

"Did you ever come across the Sons of Muspell, Nii-san?"

Perhaps sensing something from my bitter tone, Mitsuki asked me hesitantly.

"...Yeah, because they would sneak into countries where dragon disasters had occurred, trying to gain followers, so it was inevitable that they came into conflict with NIFL. I have received orders in the past to immediately eliminate the D who is their leader as soon as she is discovered."

"Eh...? Their leader is a D."

Seeing Mitsuki's eyes widened from surprise, I explained to her.

"This was not disclosed publicly, but the leader of the Sons of Muspell is a D who had been deemed a disaster. Her name is Kili Surtr Muspelheim. She has killed far more humans than the dragons and is feared as a ''witch'' in NIFL. However, I've never met her."

If I met her, it would definitely turn into a killed or be killed situation. The reason why I could keep my hands clean was also because I had never encountered her.

"No way... To think a D was leading a terrorist organization."

Mitsuki's voice trembled, greatly shaken.

"The Ds' position in society would probably be endangered if this comes to light. That's why Midgard and other benefactor countries have engaged in information control. It's normal that you haven't heard of it."

"...But why would a D want to worship dragons? They are clearly our enemies."

Mitsuki asked in puzzlement.

"The dragonification of Ds is top secret, right? So they simply don't know about this... Or even after knowing it, they still want to become dragons."

"The former I could understand... But it is the latter, I find it incomprehensible."

"Well, who can understand how terrorists think? However... Judging from Tia's behavior, it's very likely that their organization knows about dragonification."

Tia said she was born to be a dragon's wife.

Those words probably did not mean marrying a male D like me, but referred to being a real dragon's mate like for Basilisk for example.

To increase the number of dragons, dragon cultists had indoctrinated Tia like that. Things made sense if that was the case.

"So the reason why Tia-san insists she is a dragon is because of that...?"

"Hard to say...? How should I put this? Because I don't think Tia is the kind of person who believes everything others say without question."

When tutoring her today, I came to understand that Tia was a smart child who always took initiative to ask questions about what she did not understand, trying to comprehend them. Always seeking knowledge with basis, would she unquestioningly accept those absurd teachings of dragon cultists?

"Indeed... The impression I gather from Tia-san is that she was forced to convince herself to believe rather than sincerely believing she is a dragon."

—Convince herself to believe... huh?

Indeed, throwing a tantrum in response to allegations was evidence of uncertainty in one's heart.

Humans sometimes worshiped things as gods, even when they were monsters like dragons, trying to believe the impossible. If Tia was believing herself to be a dragon in order to maintain mental stability... Then by doing this, what was she running away from?

"Mitsuki, were her parents by her side when they found Tia?"

I asked because I recalled what happened at the beach. Tia seemed to react quite strongly to the subject of her parents. Perhaps that might have something to do with Tia's condition.

"I have no idea. At least according to what I heard, there was no information regarding Tia-san's parents."

"I see... Then I guess I'll have to ask her directly."

I looked at Tia's sleeping face and said.

"She is already asleep now, so ask her tomorrow. Well then, it is time for us to sleep too."

Saying that, Mitsuki lay down next to Tia.

"Huh...? You're sleeping here too, Mitsuki?"

Seeing Mitsuki lying down in an unguarded state, I asked her in surprise.

"It is probably a bad idea to separating Tia-san from you while she is asleep. But that being said, I cannot allow the two of you to be alone."

"No, but this bed is too small for three people to sleep in."

"...What are you talking about? Nii-san, you are sleeping on the floor. Please head over to the unused room next door to move the bedding over. Nii-san, you really have been lacking in delicacy lately."

Rebutted with her cold gaze, I felt my cheeks grow hot.

Because the three of us had bathed together, I mistakenly thought that the bed needed to be shared between the three of us too.

"I-I know, I was just kidding."

I frantically explained myself then headed out to move the futon over.

"...Nii-san in the past would have suggested this kind of thing himself—"

Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard Mitsuki's murmurs to herself, lingering in my ear the whole time.

Had I really changed?

However, I had no way of telling whether the "past" Mitsuki mentioned was referring to three years ago or three weeks ago, before the battle against Leviathan?

===Part 4===

"...Nii-san, are you asleep?"

Inside the dark room, I heard Mitsuki's quiet whispering.

I had the futon laid out on the floor and had closed my eyes originally. I immediately fought off my drowsiness and opened my eyelids.

"...Not yet."

I answered briefly. I could not see Mitsuki on the bed from my position. Faint breathing noises from sleeping could be heard, probably Tia's.

"The last time we slept in the same room like this, who knows how many years ago it was...?"

Mitsuki voice entered my ear, reminiscing about the past.

"I don't know either... Probably when we were small."

Unable to recall something so far back, I could only answer ambiguously.

"Yes... Because our rooms were separate. Perhaps... even earlier than that promise."

—Promise?

Not knowing what she was referring to, I frowned.

Mitsuki had brought up "that promise" so matter-of-factly just now. By the tone of her voice, she believed ''I would understand just from her saying that''.

However... Why did I feel so troubled?

Just as I was struggling to find an answer, Mitsuki continued:

"Nii-san... Tia-san calling you husband makes you happy, right?"

"What...? How could that be true!?"

I denied frantically. I could not accept that even my younger sister suspected me of being a lolicon.

"Really...? The way I see it, Nii-san, you do not seem too opposed to it, right?"

"Come on, you..."

"Fufu, just kidding. Nii-san... the one you like is Iris-san, am I correct?"

Hearing what Mitsuki said, I felt my heart jump intensely.

"W-Why are you bringing up Iris now?

"No? Nii-san, you seem very conscious of Iris-san..."

Realizing she had seen through me long ago, I felt my blood rush to my face.

"No umm... Because a lot of things happened... I became a bit conscious of her... But it's not like what you think, Mitsuki."

Although for Iris, it was a show of gratitude, of course losing my first kiss to her made me conscious of her. But apart from that, I was not quite sure—At least, not quite sure yet.

"...I understand, let us assume that is the case for now. However... Please do not forget that inappropriate interactions between genders are strictly forbidden, okay?"

"Got it..."

I was quite relieved that she did not pursue the matter deeply. But after that, Mitsuki added something surprising.

"Still... If there is nothing inappropriate, it is fine."

"...Huh?"

I asked in surprise.

"Midgard does not forbid dating, so there is no need to hide your feelings, Nii-san, and no need to... feel bound by that promise."

Her voice sounded full of sorrow.

"......"

I could only stay silent, unable to say a word. I did not understand what Mitsuki was talking about.

No matter how I thought about it, I still could not understand what "that promise" referred to, so I was unable to answer.

So I did lose something?

I could not look away anymore. Clenching my fist, I accepted reality.

Three years ago, the price I paid for obtaining power was losing many memories... Even so, things about Mitsuki were the only memories I did not forget.

Three weeks ago, when connecting to Yggdrasil again during the battle against Leviathan, I also believed that I would not forget my memories with Mitsuki.

Although my childhood memories were fuzzy, I optimistically assumed this went for everyone.

But I had probably lost very precious memories.

The promise brought up by Mitsuki unsuspectingly, convinced that I knew what she was talking about, could not possibly be the kind of promise that would be accidentally forgotten.

"...Sorry, Nii-san, for talking for so long..."

Mitsuki apologized to me with wryness in her voice.

"No..."

I answered briefly in a hoarse voice. That was all I could manage.

"...Goodnight."

"...Yeah, g'night."

I suppressed my feelings and answered her. After the conversation ended, the dark room returned to silence.

—Things had gone beyond recovery. Back when I sought new power, I should have prepared myself that it could turn out like this.

Hence, what I must do was prevent Mitsuki from discovering I had lost memories, prevent her from feeling she was to blame, prevent her from feeling sad, prevent her from showing suffering on her face—

Warning myself that, I closed my eyes.

Hoping for sleep to ease the pain in my chest, I allowed my consciousness to gradually sink into the abyss.

However—my day of spinning around in circles because of Tia had not ended yet.

Late that night, I was roused by yelling.

"Where!? Where is Yuu!?"

"Calm down! Please calm down, Tia-san!"

Light kept flashing in the room with popping sounds. I frantically jumped up to see Tia on the bed in a panic. Bubbles of dark matter were surging forth, turning into electrical currents, sparking everywhere.

"Tia!"

"Ah—"

As soon as I called her name, Tia instantly stopped.

The flow of dark matter halted and the intense lightning also ceased. I stood up and turned on the room's light.

"Yuu!"

Tia pounced on me from the bed. I caught her tiny body.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Tia thought... Even Yuu disappeared."

Tia rested her forehead against my chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Phew... I was thinking something might have happened."

Perhaps relieved, Mitsuki sat down on the bed, exhaling deeply.

"Tia, I'm here, so it's okay."

I gently stroked the two horns on her head to soothe her emotions.

I never expected her to panic so much just because she could not see me when she woke up. It looked like not moving her while she was sleeping was correct, but this reaction was way too sensitive.

"Yuu... Yuu... Yuu!"

Tia kept calling my name. I patted her on the shoulder and said to her slowly:

"Tia, what's making you so afraid? You refuse to leave me because you're afraid I'll disappear, right?"

"......"

Tia looked up but kept her lips shut tightly, refusing to say a single word.

"Please answer me. I'm worried about you, Tia."

I stared directly into her eyes and spoke to her. The very depths of her red eyes wavering, Tia spoke with trembling lips:

"...Yes, because Tia doesn't want Yuu to disappear... So Tia will protect Yuu."

"Protect? Tia, you want to protect me?"

Hearing something unexpected, I asked in surprise.

Tia nodded lightly in confirmation.

"Precious things must be protected personally, once they disappear... It's too late, impossible to get back no matter what."

Impossible to get back after disappearing. Too late.

Tia's words shook my heart. I realized there was a gap in my heart from losing that promise with Mitsuki.

—This girl had lost something precious, just like me.

"I see... I finally understand you a bit, Tia. Thank you for protecting me, but you're mistaken on a few counts."

"Mistaken...?"

Tia made a surprised face and cocked her head in puzzlement.

Now was the chance to persuade her. Since I knew what motivated Tia's actions, it was easy to think of solutions.

"Yes, I'm not so weak that I need you to protect me, Tia. I can protect my own life."

"But... No matter how strong you are, there might be even stronger enemies. That's why if Tia is protecting you, it will be safer."

"Well, that's not wrong..."

Tia's logic was correct. Looking at me, Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be saying: Nii-san, what are you doing?

Originally I thought that I could reassure her by proving I was not weak, but it looked like I had to change the conversation's direction.

"...But Tia, now that you mention it, no one will attack me here in Midgard. So there's no need for you to protect me so desperately."

There was nothing threatening my life. Rather, it was Tia who had people after her life. I recalled the feeling of murderous intent at the beach and continued my attempt to persuade her.

"Who knows. Perhaps some people pretend to be good kids but are actually planning bad things."

She was using correct logic to reply to me again. But this time, I did not back down.

"That's right, I can't say for certain there are no bad people, but Mitsuki and Iris are different. Even if it's just the classmates in our homeroom, could you please trust them?"

"...Can't do it. Maybe Mitsuki... But Tia doesn't know what other people are thinking."

Tia shook her head with a stiff expression and refused.

"In that case, you need to make friends with them until you understand them. If you can trust all of us, then you can relax in the classroom and the dorm."

"Make friends...?"

"Yeah, so tomorrow, try talking more to everyone, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia asked very uneasily:

"...Yuu trusts everyone?"

"I trust them. Iris is a very honest and upstanding person. Lisa and the others are people who step forward to fight for their friends. At least, I don't feel wary of them."

When Iris was targeted by Leviathan, Lisa and the others had fought to protect her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. They had said that classmates in the same homeroom were family and truly cared about her from the bottom of their hearts.

On the battlefield, humans would show their true nature. Precisely because of that, I did not doubt the truthfulness of what I witness on battlefields.

"If I become friends with everyone, Yuu will be happy?"

"Yes, I'll be very happy."

"...Got it, since Yuu... the husband says so, Tia will try it. Because Tia... hopes to make Yuu happy."

Tia answered quietly.

I could not help but exchange gazes with Mitsuki.

"Finally a step forward."

Mitsuki remarked with relief.

"Yeah... By the way, Mitsuki, is there practical training tomorrow?"

"Yes, third and fourth periods are for practicing normal powers, while the afternoon is a special joint drill in preparation for the battle against Basilisk. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much, I think that practicals are different from lectures and there will be more chances to interact with everyone. Since there are that many practical lessons, it's perfect. Tia—tomorrow will be very fun for sure."

I said that and smiled to Tia.

"Fun..."

Tia's face showed inability to understand what I said. Head tilted, she yawned. She was probably sleepy again.

Then we switched off the light and went to bed again. However, it would be bad if Tia panicked again so I slept on the bed this time.

Squeezing onto the cramped bed with my back to them, I closed my eyes while feeling Mitsuki and Tia's breathing nearby.

===Part 5===

The next morning, the three of us went to school. Just as we opened the door to the classroom...

"G-Good morning..."

I gave Tia's back a push and she greeted quietly.

Inside the classroom, Firill and Ariella turned their gazes to Tia. The others had yet to arrive.

"......Good morning."

Firill closed the paperback in her hand and responded with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Good morning, what a wonderful morning it is. I'm so happy that you greeted us on your own."

Ariella responded with a cheerful smile.

Feeling those two's gazes, Tia hid behind my back, unsure what to do.

But this was quite good for a start. Mitsuki and I also greeted them good morning then walked to our seats.

As soon as I sat down, Tia immediately took her seat on my lap.

"Yuu... Did Tia do well?"

"Yeah, very well, amazing."

I praised Tia and stroked her head.

"Ehehe..."

Tia closed her eyes happily. Before she got along with everyone in harmony, this state seemed like it was going to persist.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and pondered excuses to convince Shinomiya-sensei. Just at that moment, I noticed that Firill, whose seat was in the front row, was searching through her desk drawer.

Looking at her, I wondered what was up. But Firill took out a book from her desk then walked over to us.

"Excuse me..."

Rather than me, Firill was looking at Tia while talking to her softly.

"W-What?"

Tia replied nervously. Firill presented the book in her hand. A pretty girl was illustrated with delicate strokes on the cover. It seemed to be shoujo manga from Japan. Although Firill gave the impression of reading difficult novels all the time, it looked like manga was also in her strike zone.

"Here... I'm lending this to you, because I think that during class time... You're probably very bored."

"Is this really okay?"

"Yes... This manga is very interesting... I hope you'll have a look, Tia-san."

Tia looked alternately between Firill's face and the manga, then accepted the book timidly.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 131.jpg|thumb]]

"...Later."

After handing the book to her, Firill simply returned to her seat while Tia looked down at the manga's cover with a perplexed look on her face.

Regarding Tia's special treatment, thanks to Mitsuki speaking on my behalf, Shinomiya-sensei agreed readily. Perhaps she already knew that a limit of one day was too difficult, but used this method on purpose to encourage me.

However, only Iris was unhappy, glaring at me from her seat as my neighbor.

"...Mononobe is my friend, right? We are the closest, right?"

Iris pouted and asked me.

"Well... That's true, I guess."

I scratched my cheek and concurred.

Excluding my younger sister Mitsuki as an exception, Iris was my closest friend indeed.

"In that case, I hope you'll let me sit on your lap too, Mononobe."

"Well—Absolutely not!"

The wonderful fantasy surfaced in my mind, making me hesitate for a brief moment, but I shook my head in refusal.

"Ehhh!? Why not?"

"Iris, you're not a child."

"...Mononobe is so stingy."

Iris sulked and turned towards the window. She was probably trying hard to express her anger but that pouting face looked very cute from the side. If a girl like that sat on my lap, I had no confidence I could stay sane. I really hoped that Iris could be more aware of how attractive she was.

I sighed and observed Tia.

Were it yesterday, Tia probably would have complained about the dialogue just now, but she was currently silently reading the manga Firill had lent her.

Based on what I sneaked a peek from behind, it seemed to be a lighthearted romance manga with comedic elements.

After class started, Tia continued to read the manga with full focus, occasionally shaking as though suppressing laughter. Apart from that, she behaved very well the whole time, but as soon as she finished the manga, she started becoming restless.

Then when first period finished, Tia pulled my hand and walked over to Firill's seat.

"Here, thank you."

Tia timidly extended the manga she had borrowed.

"...What are your thoughts?"

Accepting the manga, Firill asked. Tia answered with a blush:

"Great read! Tia is reading this kind of book for the first time!"

"...Really? That's wonderful."

Firill relaxed her expression slightly.

"But it ended in the middle, what a shame..."

"...It hasn't ended yet. Do you want to read the continuation?"

Hearing that, Tia's face became radiant.

"Really!? There's a continuation? Tia really wants to read it!"

Firill took out the second volume of the same series from her desk and handed it to Tia.

"...Here, this is Volume 2. Volume 3 and beyond are in my dorm room... I'll bring them tomorrow."

"Thank you! Uh... Firill?"

"...Sure, you're welcome."

Hearing Tia call her name for the first time, Firil smiled gently and nodded at her.

Listening to Tia and Firill conversing, the other classmates gathered around.

"Oh, you're reading that manga too? I asked Firill to lend it to me before, it's great. Especially later when the protagonist—Mmmph!"

"Mm!!"

Ariella was about to give a spoiler when Ren covered her mouth, stopping her.

"Seriously... Ariella-san, you really need to learn to show some tact."

Lisa remarked with exasperation.

Then gathered around Tia, the girls began to chat enthusiastically about things related to manga. Tia originally seemed afraid, but gradually joined in with excitement.

I was ignored on the side but did not feel offended at all. Just seeing Tia chatting happily with everyone made me satisfied.

—Simply by not rejecting others, she made such a huge change.

Tia was not taking active steps yet but unlike me, who had transferred in as a man, Lisa and the others wanted to accept Tia proactively.

At this rate, she was going to quickly become a part of the class.

—Or rather, judging from this situation, I could tell how wary they were of me in the beginning.

Although it could not be helped, but this difference in treatment demoralized me somewhat.

Thus, Tia spent the second period reading manga as well. Third period was a practical conducted at a training site, requiring us to change to gym clothes. It was the same vast underground space used for the Basilisk battle test.

Due to everyone having different areas of specialty, this was essentially a time for individual training, but Tia had to begin with the basics first.

"Tia-san's instruction must not be left to Mononobe Yuu who only transferred in recently. Hence, I shall teach her personally."

While everyone scattered in the training site to start training, only Lisa walked towards us, volunteering to be the teacher.

"T-Thank you... Lisa."

Perhaps thanks to the manga giving them a chance to chat for a bit earlier, Tia called her name directly and thanked her.

"Lisa, I'm counting on you."

Tia refused to leave me, so naturally, I had to join in the lesson with her.

"...Although I have no intention of looking after you as well, this cannot be helped. First of all, I shall teach you the key principles to making a fictional armament."

"Fictional armament?"

Tia widened her eyes, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"To perform transmutation more precisely and efficiently, we have to shape the dark matter into a weapon. This is my fictional armament—Gungnir."

Lisa extended her palm. Immediately, a golden spear manifested out of thin air. Instead of generating dark matter then altering its form, it seemed like she had generated dark matter directly in the spear's shape, technique that required substantial mastery.

"Dark matter is strongly affected by the human will. This spear can be considered my feelings during battle, the ultimate spear that can pierce and destroy all enemies—Hence, its attacks are the strongest, of course! Through this chain of imagination, you can increase the power of your attacks."

Holding the spear, Lisa entered a stance and said.

—Feelings during battle huh...

This explanation was very apt, perhaps I could use it for reference when making fictional armaments from now on.

"But this is merely the stage before battle. If you obsess over altering the dark matter's shape, transmutation would occur at that point in time. Hence, what you should imagine is the outline of the mind, rather than dark matter, to meticulously create your own form in battle."

"Own form in battle... But Tia has never used a spear or a sword and don't know what to use for a weapon."

Tia stared at her palms and murmured.

"This does not require martial arts experience. Just imagine yourself in a stronger form. First of all, please generate dark matter while imagining yourself wielding the strongest power. With that, the dark matter will naturally take form."

Tia nodded after hearing Lisa's suggestion.

"Okay.. Tia will try!"

Tia closed her eyes and began to focus. Numerous bubbles of dark matter manifested in her surroundings.

However, I should have noticed at this time. Just by thinking carefully about what kind of girl Tia was, I should have been able to predict what was going to happen next.

Tia's dark matter gathered together piece by piece, gradually forming a massive clump.

"That's the way, slowly, carefully, no need to rush."

Lisa watched Tia while speaking to her. But when the expanding clump of dark matter gathered around Tia's body, Lisa frowned in surprise.

—I thought things were finally on track. Optimistically, I thought that once Tia got along with everyone, soon enough, she would be fine even if separated from me, be it in the classroom or the dorm.

But the root issue had not been resolved.

There was a decisive gulf between Tia and us that needed to be bridged.

Tia believed she was a dragon, not a human.

With such a belief, what would result from her attempt to create a fictional armament—we totally failed to consider that.

The black bubbles of dark matter finally surrounded Tia's entire body.

"What... T-Tia-san?"

Seeing an even larger mass of dark matter, Lisa stepped back. I simply stared at the scene in shock, no knowing what was happening.

Raging winds were blowing with Tia in the center. Continuing to expand, the dark matter floated into the air.

Originally black spheres, the dark matter gradually distorted in outline and changed shape.

The spreading wings seemed to cover our heads, while there was a long tail extending out.

A tall body, almost reaching the ceiling of the training site, dozens of meters tall.

That kind of figure—A dragon's.

It did not seem to be a materialized dragon. Its outline was shifting unsteadily like a mirage.

However, minor transmutation had occurred on the surface. The dragon's entire body shone with red light.

Only then did I realize that this was Tia's fictional armament.

It was what Tia imagined as her fierce self, her strongest form.

"...Tia?"

I transmuted dark matter into wind and yelled at the red dragon floating in the air.

The dragon turned its gaze towards me.

Ruooooooooooooooooooooo!

The loud roaring reverberated throughout the training site. Then immediately, a thunderstorm swept through the entire surroundings.

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