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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 4

2016-09-29T06:56:13Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 4 - Pitch-Black Disaster==

===Part 1===

The instant I opened the hatch, I almost lost balance due to a gust of strong wind. I steadied myself with a hand against the wall.

Currently, Marduk had decreased its altitude and its speed was dropping rapidly too. Hence, I decided it was possible to go outside even without an air barrier. However, this wind pressure was capable of blowing an entire person away if one were careless.

Arriving on Marduk's deck, I gripped the railing while moving towards the prow. Someone was already there.

Her shoulder-length hair and skirt swaying in the wind, she was looking down from the edge of the deck.

"—Can you see it, Firill?"

I approached her—Firill Crest—while asking in a voice loud enough to overcome the wind.

Only then did she notice and turn towards me with slight surprise. She smiled.

"Yes, I can see it. Thank you, Mononobe-kun, for making a detour to fulfill my selfish request."

"No problem, there's plenty of time before the operation starts. Furthermore, this isn't really a detour. The Principality of Erlia borders our charted course anyway."

I shook my head and asked the grateful Firill not to worry.

Indeed, Marduk was currently flying over Firill's homeland, the Principality of Erlia. Looking down from the deck, the view of a country rich with natural beauty, ringed by mountains, entered my sight.

"...It's such a tiny nation when I look down from the sky like this. But to me, it is an extremely place that I don't want to lose. That's why I wanted to confirm. What I must protect at all costs."

Firill looked out to her homeland while gripping the railing.

"Yeah—It must be extremely important to you."

Expressing determination to protect her homeland, the side of Firill's face overlapped with my memory of Mitsuki, who had defended the town where we lived in the past.

"Oh, Mononobe-kun! Look at that castle! And over there, a lake and a waterfall! Do you still remember?"

Firill pointed at the royal castle and the lake beside it.

"I didn't forget. We even danced together at the castle, and the waterfall was so loud."

My memories surfaced. This was the country where my first encounter with Hraesvelgr took place. The memories of the battle were especially vivid.

"So nostalgic... It feels like it just happened in front of me. However, this messes up the promise a little."

"Promise?"

Seeing Firill murmur in disappointment, I asked, and she smiled mischievously.

"My intention was to bring you back as my prince, Mononobe-kun, the next time I returned here."

"What—"

Firill admitted this with a blush, causing my heart to pound nonstop.

"Well, I suppose I've achieved the goal, sort of... Mononobe-kun, you said you'd take responsibility... Hmm, but you haven't fulfilled your promise properly yet. Oh, why don't we—"

After contemplating for a moment, resting the side of her face against her hand, Firill puffed out her chest as though she had thought of something.

"Mononobe-kun, this airspace belongs to the Principality of Erlia, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Shaken by her earlier words, I nodded stiffly.

"As such, I am the princess right now. Within this country, I am a super VIP."

"VIP—But isn't the Principality a democracy even though they have royalty?"

"Even so, I'm still a VIP, you know? I have clout and authority. Any objections...?"

"None at all."

"Excellent. So, the VIP—this princess—hereby commands. Mononobe-kun, kneel down before me."

With royal dignity in her countenance, Firill declared solemnly.

"Why?"

"Stop talking and just do it now."

"...Fine, I got it."

I gave up and sighed, then knelt down on one knee in front of Firill. I hastily bowed my head because kneeling down had provided me a view of the underside of the skirt billowing in the wind.

Next, in front of me while I was crouched down, Firill extended her hand.

"Kiss the back of my hand."

"K-Kiss!?"

I could not help but exclaim in hesitation. Then Firill spoke with some displeasure.

"I heard you did this with Lisa. Don't tell me... you won't do it with me? This is very important."

Her voice sounded extremely serious with mild insecurity in her expression.

Indeed, at Midgard's underground hot spring, after the comedic "transformation into my kind," I had kissed the disappointed Lisa on the back of her hand.

Being close friends with Lisa, Firill must have heard about what happened.

"—Understood."

I mustered my determination and took Firill's hand.

Since this was what she hoped, I had to grant her wish. This was out of my own volition, not responsibility for selecting her.

Her pale and slender hand was trembling lightly. Even though she was the one who had requested it, she seemed to be nervous.

This was one of Firill's traits. Hence, if anything happened, I must protect her and guide her.

"Please excuse me, Princess Firill."

I had to afford her the proper respect since she was carrying herself as royalty here. I brought my lips to make contact with her hand.

In that instant, Firll's entire body shook. Just as I withdrew my lips, she started going limp starting from her hand.

I looked up slowly and made eye contact with the blushing Firill.

However, she deliberately came up with an ostentatious speech in order to prevent her dignity as princess from crumbling.

"—I, Firill Crest, Princess of the Principality of Erlia, hereby swear upon the souls of my great ancestors, to accept this contract and take Mononobe Yuu as my lawfully wedded husband."

"Huh...?"

I stared at Firill in shock, then she repeated it again, blushing even more intensely.

"With this, Mononobe-kun, you're now my husband. My prince."

"Prince—J-Just wait a sec!"

"Of course I'm not going to wait. Even though it was simplified ceremony, what just took place was indeed a wedding. Within the Principality, it is legally binding so long as it is witnessed by a member of royalty. On this occasion, since I myself am royalty, there's no problem at all."

Firill made a thumbs-up. I hastily stood up and asked:

"What, that's a huge problem! I was totally kept in the dark, so—"

"Objection overruled. This marriage was conducted and sworn in the name of royalty. Mononobe-kun, we are now husband and wife. This is a princess' decision, so no complaining."

Firill pressed her finger to my lips to stop me from speaking, then a smile appeared on her blushing face and she hugged me from the front.

"Fufu, mission accomplished!"

"F-Firill..."

My brain's processing power could not keep up with the sudden development and the sensation of her bust.

I did not know what to do—However, Firill released the railing that she had been holding onto for support and wrapped her arms around my back, hugging me tightly, making my heart pound nonstop.

This had nothing to do with marriage or whatever. I became aware that the option of letting go of Firill never existed in my heart.

Feeling Firill's body warmth, I was thinking perhaps it really was time to take responsibility, but she left my embrace as though she had noticed something.

"—Oh, looks like my time as a princess has ended."

Looking at the ground, she said in disappointment.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

Unable to comprehend the situation, I asked.

"Now that we have crossed the mountain range, this isn't the Principality's airspace anymore. Since there isn't any contract of matrimony in writing, this marriage is only effective within the borders of the Principality. We are no longer husband and wife this moment, just classmates who are very close—Mononobe-kun. Sorry for scaring you."

Firill explained with a faint smile.

"Oh I see... You really scared me to death."

I relaxed my shoulders and exhaled deeply. Was this actually relief or dashed hopes? Even I myself could not tell.

"I wanted to make my dream come true before the next battle against Bahamut. Having a wedding after the battle felt like it'd be a dangerous flag to raise."

Firill spoke with a wry smile, but at that moment, she switched to a solemn expression and held my hand.

"However, what I said earlier was no joke. The fact that we are married in the Principality of Erlia, Mononobe-kun, is the truth, okay?"

Saying that, she raised my hand and slowly brought it close to her face.

She pressed her cherry lips against the back of my hand. Surprising me with the soft and slightly moist sensation, Firill looked up at me and smiled mischievously.

"Until the next time we visit the Principality, this secret is between only me and you, Mononobe-kun."

Then she left me and walked to the hatch.

Frozen, I watched her walking away, but just before entering the ship, she turned around and pointed at me strictly with her finger.

"Divorce or similar words are forbidden—My prince."

===Part 2===

NIFL's second defense line deployed across the waters of Norway was greater in scale than I imagined.

Around Marduk, which had landed on the sea, the fleet formed a line stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.

From the sky earlier, I had spotted aircraft carriers in the back too. It was probably from there that recon planes had been launched across the sky.

It would be no exaggeration to say that all of NIFL's remaining forces had gathered here. If the enemy broke past here, there would be no way to "protect humanity," hence this arrangement was only natural. My current location was in fact the final defense line.

And right now, Marduk and the battleship ''Naglfar'' moored close by were in a discussion about the key points of this operation.

"—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, can I trust in you?"

Standing on the deck of the ''Naglfar'', Major Loki asked me in a deep voice. Side by side, the two battleships were separated by a distance of roughly ten meters. On the edge of each battleship's deck, it was possible to convey our voices to the other side.

"Yes. Just as mentioned in the previous report, Iris has figured out the location of her authority. This time, she should be able to unleash Catastrophe on a scale required to vanquish Bahamut in one go."

"Fine, but that is not the point I am doubting. What worries me is another matter. The third eye's range is ten thousand meters—Comparable to Bahamut's body length. In other words, it is necessary to launch the attack at point blank range. Delivering her to that position would be your responsibility. What I am asking is whether you have the resolve for that."

Major Loki shook his head and stared intently at me.

The strategy meeting had concluded already. Back when we were gathered at the bridge, Iris and Vritra had said the following through the monitor.

'—I've located my authority. If I close my eyes and focus my mind on my eyes, I can feel a red light in the eye on the right. Basilisk's power is in my right eye.'

'I too have confirmed that her right eye hath exhibited a faint red glow. Currently, she ought to be capable of drawing out the power consciously. Nevertheless, firing Catastrophe directly implieth she must approach the target. The trick of generating dark matter next to the enemy and transmuting it into Catastrophe is no longer an option, understood?'

What Major Loki brought up was the issue that Vritra had raised.

In any case, we had devised the operation in spite of the risks because "there was no other way," but after the meeting, Major Loki had called me out to the deck.

It seemed like he wanted to confirm my resolve prior to the operation.

"Of course I'll be able to do it for sure. With Catastrophe, Marduk's weaponry and the Ds' powers—Getting close to Bahamut is very feasible."

"—Thanks."

I saluted Major Loki with military etiquette.

The operation that was about to start was very simple. Charge Bahamut head on and fire Catastrophe once we got close. Bahamut should have already deemed Iris and Marduk as high-priority enemies, so feints were pointless. Consequently, the approach with the highest chance of success was breaking through from the front with maximum force while conducting a saturation attack. The machine intellect Atla had also reached the same conclusion.

"I am counting on your side. In the previous engagement, our gravity cannon Babel was effective against Bahamut. The special ICBM Cocytus—Gáe Bolg with its payload replaced by cryogens—has also demonstrated effectiveness to some extent. We should be able to slow down Bahamut's movements."

Smiling confidently, Major Loki nodded and looked towards the prow—Bahamut was approaching from the northern sky.

"Probability of victory is definitely not low. No, considering the opponent is a dragon, this probability of victory might be too high. During this batttle, a means of victory was in our hands all along. This is very worth celebrating, but to me, it is a little offputting."

"...Major Loki, do you think this might be a trap?"

When I frowned and asked, he shrugged lightly.

"I didn't say that. Judging from Bahamut's actions, it doesn't have high intelligence. However, I am more wary of its actions and accompanying phenomena more than Bahamut itself. Why is it connecting the unknown territories? And why does its shadow turn into additional unknown territory? Right now, we still have no idea."

"Yeah... It bothers me a lot too."

Defeating Bahamut would not be the end of it, I told myself.

"Indeed, take care not to be caught unprepared. That being said, you have no cause to worry, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. All this time, you have been overturning the impossible. For us to be like this, or standing face to face, would've been impossible originally."

Turning his gaze back to me, Major Loki stared intently. I could not tell what he was thinking from his expression. Which side would die, or a case of mutual annihilation—The outcome of that battle was virtually preordained. It was definitely a miracle that we both survived. However...

"...It was not my own power. Kili was the one who healed you, Major Loki, and perhaps it was due to Atla that we both survived."

"Due to Atla?"

Showing complete surprise on his face, Major Loki repeated my words.

It was my first time seeing such a look on him, so I continued somewhat delightedly.

"Back then, when your plan failed, Major Loki, the ''Naglfar'' on the sea fired its main cannon at the break of dawn. However, now that I think about it, judging from the firepower, the intention was not to destroy Midgard."

While Ariella was using a gigantic shield to defend against the Naglfar's main cannon, Tia had hacked the ship to stop its attack.

The cannon was powerful, but I had doubts whether it could have destroy Midgard completely.

"From what I saw today, Atla seems to regard you with much affection, Major Loki. So back then, she might have hesitated in fear of getting you caught in the blast in case you were still alive."

At that moment, a muffled voice snarled from Major Loki's chest pocket.

"Wh__ nonsense ___ you ________!?"

"Atla denies it. Wishful thinking on your part, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe."

Major Loki tapped his pocket which probably contained his portable terminal while replying in a surprised tone of voice.

"True, I don't have concrete evidence so I could be wrong. But don't you think the impossible might've been overturned by something so ordinary?"

While nodding, I looked back into his eyes forcefully.

"—Well, I cannot deny this possibility. The impossible for you and me could be something very simple for someone else, somewhere. It is true that Atla saved me. In that case, I should thank her."

Major Loki smiled with amusement and turned away. The noisy voice coming from his pocket suddenly stopped as though in shock.

"In any case, I now know the reason I lost last time. Sure enough, talking to you is very interesting."

"Interesting... huh?"

I muttered with mixed feelings. On my end, chills were running down my spine and I was breaking out in cold sweat.

"Yes, though of course, us trying to kill each other fills me with greater elation."

Leaving behind a gaze and words that felt like they could freeze my back, Major Loki returned inside the ''Naglfar''.

"I really... don't want another go at that."

Left alone, I grumbled with a sigh, but my voice was lost in the wind. Amid the noise of waves and airplanes, my words did not reach anyone.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 200.jpg|thumb]]

===Part 3===

'Bahamut approaching combat airspace. No change in flight speed. The operation will commence as planned.'

"Understood. Marduk, enter launch mode."

Hearing Jeanne's report over the communicator, I issued a command to the ship mentally.

—Main engine, ignite. Engage drive transmission. All systems normal. Deploy main wings. Activate gravitational control devices. Commence hovering.

As Marduk rumbled, the surrounding seawater gradually sank down.

Standing on the deck of the slowly rising Marduk, I looked port side. Roughly a hundred meters away on the sea, the ''Naglfar'' also deployed its main wings.

The other side apparently possessed flight capability too, which was presumably how it had the mobility to evade Bahamut's attacks. However, the Naglfar's main wings seemed to be flywheel-mounted and perhaps had not replicated the gravitational control devices.

"All units, the operation will begin five minutes from now. Are you ready?"

Standing on the deck, I asked the girls in front of me.

Although the distribution of roles was the same as in the previous battle, the outside combat team was assembled on the deck. Since Marduk was going to charge at maximum atmospheric flight speed later, they would be left behind the moment they separated from the ship. Hence, all of them were on the deck to participate in offense and defense.

"Yeah, no problem. I've figured out my authority, so it'll work this time. And you're here too, Mononobe—I won't be afraid of turning into a dragon."

After Iris responded firmly, the others also nodded.

"We are fine too. However, something unrelated to the operation has been bothering me a while now."

Lisa looked at me suggestively, prompting Ariella and Ren to shift their gazes in surprise.

"I think I've got the same question on my mind too."

"Mm, me too."

Next, Kili looked at me with eyes of displeasure.

"Hey you, haven't you been staying too close to Yuu since earlier?"

"Eh, me?"

She was referring to Firill, who was standing next to me.

Indeed, I was very conscious of it too. As soon as we assembled on the deck, Firill had been sticking close to me.

Her matter-of-fact expression made it impossible for me to say anything, but the others apparently reached the end of their patience.

"What's the problem? It's not like we're arm in arm or hugging, right?"

Firill cocked her head in puzzlement. Seeing Firill's response, Lisa frowned in a dilemma.

"Even so, you are still standing too close to him. It is unnatural no matter how I look at it."

"There's nothing unnatural. This is a very natural distance for me and Mononobe-kun. Don't you agree...?"

After answering calmly, Firill looked up at me.

"No, well, even if you ask me, I suppose?"

Unable to understand her behavior, I gave a vague answer. This made Firill pout mildly as she grabbed my arm.

Just as I leaned over slightly, she drew her face near and whispered in my ear.

"...We are newlyweds, Mononobe-kun. This kind of distance is very normal."

"Uh—"

Firill's breath and words were making my face heat up. Feeling the piercing stares from the rest of the girls, I answered quietly.

"B-But that's within the Principality, and didn't you say to keep it a secret from everyone?"

"Yes, that's right. But the newlywed aura between us is unstoppable. For me right now, this is the natural distance. So do your best, Mononobe-kun, and keep them in the dark."

Blushing, Firill replied with a serious expression.

While we were conversing in whispers, Iris tugged at my uniform from behind.

"What are you talking about, Mononobe and Firill-chan? Why do you have to whisper?"

"W-Well, it's because—"

Racking my brain furiously, I wondered how to deceive the rest of the girls.

"Just now when we were flying over the Principality of Erlia, the subject of protecting this place came up in our conversation, so—It felt like cooperating with our hearts as one, we became closer, something like that..."

When I struggled to explain, Firill interjected after asking me to do my best earlier.

"That's right, Mononobe-kun and I are now in this together, thick and thin. We'll protect ''our country''. Like this—Hip hip hurray!"

Grabbing my hand, Firill raised her hand with full vigor.

The subtle emphasis in her statement made me panic, but Iris imitated us, apparently accepting the explanation.

"That's right! Of course I'll do my best too. Hip, hip, hurray!"

She raised her fist high.

Doubt remained on the others' faces, but they tensed their expressions after hearing the latest update through their communicators.

'Three minutes until the operation. Cocytus has been fired from a distant base. Combat team outside the ship, please deploy barriers from the deck and standby to attack.'

"—Affirmative. Gungnir!"

Lisa began to construct her fictional armament and the others also readied themselves for combat.

"Aegis—Deploy barrier."

Ariella erected an air barrier while Ren raised her hammer fictional armament.

"Mm, Mjolnir."

After summoning her grimoire fictional armament, Firill smiled at me.

"...Necronomicon. Mononobe-kun, I absolutely refuse to lose anything."

The pages of the book flipped noisily, blowing a mild gust of wind in our surroundings. This was probably to strengthen the air barrier.

Without using a fictional armament, Kili walked to the center of the deck and said quietly.

"—Muspelheim. To prevent Bahamut from spotting Iris-chan, I will use refraction of light to make it impossible to see us from outside."

There was no visible change. However, tiny particles of dark matter, too small for the naked eye to discern, had generated in the surrounding space to deploy optical camouflage.

'Do your best, everyone!'

I heard Tia's voice over the communicator. Next, Mitsuki and Shion's voices also reached my ear.

'Nii-san, everyone, I will be watching over you all from the bridge. If a situation should arise, I will rush over instantly to support you.'

'mE toO, i'Ll hElp Papa aNd eVeryOne iF anYthiNg haPpEns. hiP HiP huRrAy!'

Shion's imitation of Iris and Firill earlier made me smile.

"Yeah—Thanks a lot. Iris, are you ready?"

"Yes, no problem. Look."

When I asked, Iris nodded and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her right eye was already crimson like a ruby. A short while later, her left eye also started glowing red.

"Caduceus!"

Iris cried out sharply and her staff fictional armament manifested. Up to this point, it was the same as usual.

However, the fictional armament began to materialize, covering its surface with a layer of red diamond scales. Next, an ominous red sphere appeared on the tip of the staff.

I had seen this once before. It was the "organ" for producing maximum firepower that Iris had used when she became infinitesimally close to being a dragon during the showdown against the rampaging Kraken Zwei.

"—Third Eye of Catastrophe!"

As Iris called out, the red sphere split open to reveal a giant eyeball. Like Iris' own eyes, the eyeball was glowing with crimson light too.

This was the third eye that Iris had created. In order to maximize Catastrophe's beam, this was the trump card for eliminating Bahamut.

"Mononobe... It worked. I will fight."

Although Iris was smiling assertively, I could see scales slightly invading her hand that was holding the staff. It was possible to turn her back, but I still felt a bit worried. However, since she had demonstrated her resolve, I could not show weakness either.

"Yeah, Iris—I'm leaving you the job of delivering the fatal blow to Bahamut. We'll create the opportunity for you to launch this attack."

I nodded at Iris and looked at everyone in turn.

"When Basilisk used the third eye to fire Catastrophe, it required a recharge period before attacking again. Assuming it's the same for Iris, we can't have her firing arbitrarily. We will be the ones to handle Bahamut's attacks.

"Yes, of course. We shan't allow Iris-san to be troubled."

Lisa asserted strongly and raised her spear fictional armament. Once everyone was ready, Shinomiya-sensei spoke through the communicator.

'—As discussed during the strategy meeting, we have now confirmed two of Bahamut's attack methods. There is the heat beam discharged from the mouth as well as the firing of missile-like projectiles. Since the ''Naglfar'' managed to neutralize the heat beam by using Babel, our ship should be able to do the same. However, it is possible for Bahamut to have other aces up its sleeve. Do not be careless under any circumstances.'

"Yes ma'am."

After I replied, Shinomiya-sensei continued.

'Furthermore, optical weapons such as lasers will end up absorbed as energy before striking the target. Although point-blank explosions are able to inflict damage, the heat generated in the blasts will turn into Bahamut's nourishment, activating its metabolic functions. Please commit these two points to your memory and react flexibly. Well then—There are only thirty seconds left. The countdown will commence presently.'

The atmosphere grew tense. I stared at the northern sky.

Bahamut was not in sight yet, but we should be able to see it with a slight increase in altitude. That was how close our enemy was.

I increased the output of the main engine and waited for the moment to arrive. I could also hear the sound of the ''Naglfar'' revving up to high energy while hovering at the same height.

'Begin countdown—Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—'

An ICBM flew over in the sky. The instant it disappeared on the other side of the horizon, the start of the operation was declared.

'—Zero!'

"Main thrusters, ignite! Full speed ahead!"

With my acute shout, Marduk began to advance. The G-forces from acceleration pressed down all over my body, but the barrier of wind enveloping the deck was supporting all of us.

The missiles fired by the fleet at the second defense line were flying in front nearby.

The clouds flew back violently and the blue horizon was dyed white. Over the there, seawater was being frozen. And in the sky, a giant shadow was hovering.

'Target confirmed through optical imaging devices. ICBM right on target.'

After Jeanne's report, the ten-thousand-meter-long giant figure was surrounded by white mist from the blast. These white clouds were probably produced from the dispersing cryogens. The Cocytus modified from Gáe Bolg must have smashed into Bahamut's body and exploded without fail.

'All missiles met their mark. Bahamut's surface temperature dropping, but core energy still very high.'

This was like trying to put out a fire with cups of water, but no matter how slight the effect, it was still working. Furthermore, the first strike's objective was to obscure Bahamut's line of sight using the mist from the blast, to delay its discovery of us for as long as possible.

Bahamut emerged again, breaking through the white clouds produced by the cryogens. Marduk used this opportunity to close in according to the plan. Only thirty kilometers remained between us.

Flying next to us, the ''Naglfar'' was slightly ahead and fired a missile. This was to divert Bahamut's attention, no matter how little. Resembling Marduk in appearance, perhaps the ''Naglfar'' flying side by side could confuse Bahamut as a decoy.

'Bahamut has shot out multiple projectiles from its back! All targeting Marduk!'

But after hearing Jeanne's report, I knew the idea was too optimistic. Although Kili's optical camouflage should have prevented it from discovering Iris, Bahamut correctly identified the location of its natural enemy.

'High-energy reaction detected from Bahamut's head! Please take precautions against its heat beam!'

Even though we were fairly far away, I still could sense the brightness from Bahamut's mouth. The flying projectiles numbered two hundred. If they were to split up in the air, the quantity would be multiplied.

"Too many—Even if Mononobe-kun reduced their number like last time, they still might be too much to handle. Should I deploy a physical barrier?"

Ariella asked anxiously. The approaching projectiles looked like black stars in the blue sky.

However, I shook my head and looked at Bahamut, which was about to fire its heat beam.

"No, we'll ''blow them all away'' from this distance. Leave it to me."

Last time, Bahamut was very close and the approaching projectiles were almost flying at us from above, so I could only intercept them using Abyss. But this time, they were along ''the main cannon's line of fire''.

"Babel—Maximum output."

I infused the main cannon at the prow with energy. The lenses in the middle of the bifurcated barrel glowed with blinding light while a deep rumble resounded in the surroundings.

Until now, I had always used Marduk's weapons in independent isolation to defeat dragons, but using them that way was really overdoing it. The main cannon and the special artillery would self-destruct after a single shot, while the other weaponry also fared poorly in stability. In other words, I had not been able to draw out their full capabilities.

But this time was different.

"Energy critical. Target, the fifth dragon—'Eternal Longevity' Bahamut."

Plasma appeared between the lenses in the barrel and the noise of activation grew loud.

Directly connected to Marduk's engine, the main cannon was able to exhibit 100% firepower. Using the main cannon in isolation could not compare to this at all.

The same time as Bahamut released its heat beam, I yelled:

"—Fire!!"

The beam of black light shot from the bifurcated barrel devoured all approaching projectiles, neutralized the heat beam, and directly struck Bahamut in the distance.

Due to the spatial discontinuity created by supergravity, a pitch-black band distorted the path of light rays. From the ship's perspective, there were unnatural cracks in the surrounding scenery. Seawater swirled up against the Earth's gravity, sucked into the black light together with clouds.

It looked as though the world itself had shattered.

Bahamut's entire body discharged blue flames, trying to escape the gravitational discontinuity, but enveloped by the black beam, the right side of its body was caught, folded, and gouged out.

"So amazing..."

Next to me, Iris sighed in awe.

"Nothing less expected of Atlantis' trump card."

Kili whispered poignantly too.

Indeed, Deus Dragon Marduk was the power of the the second dragon—"Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis itself. In other words, it was a "true dragon" on the same level as Bahamut. Even in a direct confrontation, it would give its opponent a good run for its money.

After the black light vanished, Bahamut began to fall towards the frozen sea surface, having lost one third of its body size.

"Mononobe, don't tell me we already defeated it?"

Standing at the prow, Iris looked back and asked, but I smiled wryly in return.

"That would be great, but Bahamut is too big. Unless we annihilate it in one shot, it'll immediately—"

Before I could finish, Bahamut's body began to regenerate at an unbelievable rate. In mere seconds, Bahamut had already restored its original shape.

Although I knew Bahamut's rate of metabolism was enough to oppose the incomplete Catastrophe, after witnessing it with my very own eyes, a chill and cold sweat still spread across my back. Even if Marduk held the upper hand for now, winning was definitely out of the question. That was the kind of opponent we were facing.

—The only way to destroy Bahamut was to rely on Iris' authority. It would be wishful fantasy to think I could win.

Reaffirming my role, I maintained Marduk's top atmospheric flight speed.

This attack from the main cannon had bought us plenty of time. Closing in further on Bahamut, we still had roughly twenty kilometers to go.

Finished regenerating, Bahamut discharged flames from all over its body, looking like it had renewed its stance.

At that moment, flying next to us, the ''Naglfar'' released a black beam. It was the Babel Replica—a weapon that was a copy of Marduk's main cannon. Its firepower was somewhat lower than the original, but the attack damaged Bahamut's wings, causing it to fall again.

Just as Bahamut finished regenerating again, it was bathed under the second wave of attacks from the NIFL fleet behind us. The white mist from the explosion surrounded Bahamut, obscuring it from sight.

Depriving Bahamut of heat would at least slow down its regeneration rate. We could not stand idle either.

"—The main cannon cannot be fired again until the barrel cools down and the energy is recharged. I will attack with other weapons. Everyone, support me using cryogens!"

"Mm, got it. Aiming from this distance is quite hard, so spread it over a large area."

Ren was the first to nod and raise her hammer fictional armament.

Next, dark matter appeared over her head, transmuting into a white sphere. It was probably a mass of cryogenic substance.

"Mm!"

When Ren swung her fictional armament, the sphere shot out at high speed, exploding over Bahamut. The cryogenic substance rained down, further increasing the density of the white mist enveloping Bahamut.

"We're on it too!"

Ariella and the others followed up with more cryogens after Ren. While watching them, I transmitted my thoughts to Marduk's eight psionic multi-barreled cannons.

Using the coordinates shared by Jeanne to aim, Bahamut was accurately located amid the white mist—Locked on.

On top of the deck, the turrets installed at the front of Marduk swiveled and took aim at the target.

"Psionic multi-barreled cannons, Noah—Fire!"

Manifestations of mental energy, shells were shot simultaneously from all turrets. Through Marduk's system, my mental energy was greatly amplified. The rapid depletion of mental energy in the past was no longer a worry.

Leaving brightly glowing trails, the shells of light hurtled into the white mist, resulting in heavy sounds of impact.

—Confirmed hit on target. Reload.

According to information from Jeanne, the psionic multi-barreled cannons had definitely inflicted damage upon Bahamut. Then all I needed to do was follow up the attacks.

Accompanying massive explosions caused by firing special artillery, the shells formed from my mental energy were shot into the air again.

The warheads of Abyss were limited, hence they had to be saved for the right moment.

"Crash down, ice blade!"

Lisa and the others continued to spread cryogenic substances. Ten more kilometers left. Soon enough—

'Bahamut's surface temperature rising rapidly! Perhaps it is releasing energy from within! Beware!'

Before we could brace ourselves after hearing Jeanne's urgent voice, the white mist surrounding Bahamut was blown away completely.

The frozen sea surface instantly melted while a wave of shock and heat rushed towards us.

The battleship shook while the temperature on the deck began to rise in spite of the barrier protecting us. While sweating, I gasped at the sight of Bahamut's change in appearance.

Red lines resembling veins had appeared on its black surface while the flames spewing out from its body were even more intense. The missiles from NIFL and attacks from Ren and the girls were getting vaporized before they could reach the target.

However, the sea instantly froze again when Bahamut opened its jaws wide and inhaled. Glittering diamond dust also appeared in the atmosphere.

'The air temperature around the hovering Bahamut is dropping again—Yet Bahamut's surface temperature continues to rise. The outer surface is expanding... No, transforming—'

Already right in front of us, Bahamut's cataclysmic change was clear for us to see.

Bahamut's body expanded with several bizarre protrusions appearing.

"Are those... horns?"

Firill murmured but a different answer came over the communicator.

'No—Bahamut is showing a high-energy reaction inside! Those are probably ''turrets''! Warning signs of projectiles about to be fired from Bahamut's back!'

Hearing Jeanne's report, Kili's expression turned grim.

"Turrets and missiles... Weapons similar to what we have?"

After she whispered, Bahamut shot out numerous projectiles.

'Fired projectiles confirmed! Quantity... Twenty or so! In addition to our ship, the ''Naglfar'' and the NILF forces behind us are also targeted. Also confirmed, Bahamut's oral cavity and the turrets are rising in temperature! The heat beam and artillery are coming!'

"What do we do!? There's no way to shoot them all down, right?"

Staring at the trajectory of the projectiles in the air, Kili asked.

—Just as Kili had pointed out, intercepting them would be very difficult. The main cannon was not recharged yet. Catastrophe should be capable of eliminating everything in one go, but firing it would be too soon right now.

'Captain, message from the ''Naglfar''. "Never mind us," apparently!'

Without time to think deeply, I confirmed the situation and made my decision.

"Hmm—Charge ahead using defensive armaments. Girls, fortify the air barrier."

As I said that, Marduk shot out small units from beneath, deploying them in its surroundings.

Marduk still had other armaments I could use independently, this was one of them. Since there were restrictions on number of uses and active duration, and the fact that there was no data indicating it could defend against Bahamut's attacks, I had kept it in reserve until now. However, with only a few kilometers left, it was probably fine to take a gamble.

"Light shell barrier—Eden!"

I confirmed the placement of the units and shouted out the name.

Next, the units linked up using beams of light, forming a polyhedron that surrounded Marduk. With light beams as the framework, a glowing barrier enveloped the battleship.

"Wind!"

Lisa and the others generated several layers of air barriers inside. Although we could no longer attack in this state, the barriers would allow us to ignore the enemy's attacks.

'Incoming heat beam and the artillery shells!'

Bahamut released flaming orbs from all over its body while discharging a massive heat beam from its mouth. The line-of-sight attack arrived faster than the parabolic trajectory of the projectile, striking Marduk.

The barrier instantly turned pure white. However, the heat was completely blocked and I did not feel any rise in temperature.

Due to the bright light, the naked eye could not see anything, but the barrier was stopping all attacks.

Using Marduk's recon functionality, Jeanne did not lose Bahamut's location.

While the barrier was deployed, Marduk was also charging into the heat beam at maximum speed.

Flames continued to explode outside the barrier. One of the axis units was emitting a mild amount of sparks, probably struck directly by the hail of projectiles. Slightly later, a series of explosions occurred directly above the battleship, presumably due to the detonation of projectiles. I did not know how powerful it was exactly, but the increased burden caused one of the barrier units to explode internally. I instantly reassigned another unit to cover the gap, but minor cracks appeared in the light shell.

Bahamut had most likely gone all-out in this attack. There was no reason to hold back against its natural enemy.

—Hang in there a while longer!

'We are about to close in on Bahamut!'

Hearing Jeanne's voice, I yelled:

"Iris, attack as soon as you get the signal!"

"Yes!"

Answering loudly, Iris pointed her staff to the front. Merged with the staff, the third eye glowed red.

"Come, come, fragments of termination—"

While Iris was chanting, our distance to Bahamut was shrinking fast. Through my senses, I kept up-to-date the location of the giant approaching entity.

—Less than a thousand meters. Seven hundred meters—Five hundred meters—Three hundred meters—

The instant we broke a hundred meters, I shouted to Iris:

"Now!"

"O Catastrophe, actualize!!"

Accompanied by Iris' shrill voice, the third eye shot out a torrent of red light.

Stealing time from all creation, the shining light of destruction passed through the barrier in front of the ship and erased the incoming heat beam.

The instant I saw the Bahamut approaching the red light so extremely close, I was convinced of victory. However, the instant before Catastrophe reached its target, something blocked in front of Bahamut.

"What—"

Inconceivable. A silver discus had suddenly appeared before Bahamut to block Catastrophe.

"Mononobe... Oh no—That discus isn't showing signs of weathering at all! At this rate, I won't be able to hit Bahamut!"

Iris' urgent voice cleared my mind. At this rate, this was turning into a direct confrontation against the discus!

"Gah—Emergency turn! Hard right!"

Firing the auxiliary thruster on port side, I forcibly altered Marduk's course. The discus also moved as though it was the shield to protect Bahamut and continued to defend against Iris' Catastrophe.

In that case, steering Marduk to Bahamut's right flank was not going to help.

At that moment, Iris reached her limit. The instant the third eye's beam ended, the outer edge of the discus suddenly dispersed to reveal ribbon-like tentacles to attack Marduk.

—Boom!!

Accompanied by a heavy crash and impact, Marduk shook violently.

'Barrier penetrated! But no direct hit! Damage minimal!'

Although the attack breached the already damaged light shell on port side, thanks to the air barrier maintained by the girls, we had avoided a direct hit. However, next time was not going to be so lucky.

"Kyah!"

Losing balance, Iris and the girls fell over. At the same time, I fired the two special artillery without aiming.

"Megiddo—Fire!"

The explosion would turn into Bahamut's energy source, but there was no time to worry about that right now. In any case, it was imperative to restrain the unidentified discus.

The two shells of blue light shot out from the turrets produced a massive explosion in the air. The blast wind and the shockwave blew away the discus that was about to follow up on its attack.

Seizing this opportunity, Marduk secured distance against the enemy and took a wide turn. Aiming the psionic multi-barreled cannons at Bahamut and the discus, I fired shells of mental energy from the eight turrets.

The shells failed to hit the rapidly moving discus, but a few continued to pare down Bahamut's body that was damaged from the earlier explosion.

The only way to restrain Bahamut and its extremely rapid regeneration was to continue inflicting damage to it. If we could stall for long enough, the main cannon could be fired too. But—

"What the heck is that discus!? It suddenly showed up and blocked Catastrophe..."

Fallen over and crouching, Kili cried out unhappily.

The same question was on everyone's mind, but the answer was instantly revealed to us.

'Tia knows! It's in the Akashic Record. The sixth dragon—'Anomalous Dawn' Nyarlathotep!'

While continuing to fire shells of mental energy, I gasped because of Tia's revelation. Following the Bahamut the fifth dragon, the sixth dragon had appeared too, why on earth...?

At that moment, a low and sharp voice entered my ear.

'From Bahamut's shadow, inside the unknown territory.'

"—Major Loki?"

I exclaimed the name of the voice's owner in surprise.

'Apologies, due to the urgency of the situation, I had Atla patch me directly into your communications channel. The ''Naglfar'' captured the instant of the discus' appearance. It definitely flew out of the unknown territory. ''Just like Bahamut''.'

I looked around and found the ''Naglfar'' on the other side of Bahamut. The ''Naglfar'' must have steered in the opposite direction from us. It had struck the discus with missiles while surrounding Bahamut with a cloud of cryogenic substance. This was probably done to buy time for us to regroup.

"Just like Bahamut..."

'Indeed—But in that case, it should have appeared during the previous battle. According to Atla, it is very likely that the discus had been lurking in the Arctic unknown territory.'

"Hmm... Could it be that inside the four unknown territories—"

Hit by an ominous hunch, I spoke hoarsely.

'Indeed. Perhaps different dragons are lurking in them. However, we must first take care of the enemy before us. According to Atla's analysis, the discus is made of a material similar to mithril. No, since we detected virtually no degradation caused by Catastrophe, its durability must exceed mithril's. So long as that thing remains in the way, Catastrophe will not never hit Bahamut.'

After Major Loki spoke gravely, Ariella whispered from the side:

"Mithril... Speaking of which, that discus has similarities with the Kraken. It's able to extend tentacles."

Possibly hearing this, Tia spoke through the communicator.

'The Kraken was the counterdragon that evolved to defeat Nyarlathotep. It was probably during that process that it developed a similar appearance.'

"Wait—Then the Kraken's authority... We should be able to defeat Nyarlathotep with antimatter, right?"

I asked Tia solemnly.

'Yes, probably. Or rather... Apart from antimatter, there is definitely no other way of defeating it. Nyarlathotep is a metallic lifeform with no concept of lifespan—'

'Then Nii-san, allow me to fight.'

A voice filled with determination interrupted Tia on the communicator.

"Mitsuki..."

Indeed, Mitsuki's power to generate antimatter was needed here. Although I was worried about bringing her outside the ship, there was no other way. Just as I was about to consent—A young voice interjected, speaking awkwardly.

'Papa, wAit. i caN uSe anTiMatTer tOo. nO... i Am thE onLy One wHo caN uSe iT riGht.'

"What—Shion, you're going to fight too?"

I asked in confusion. Through the communicator, I heard Jeanne go "Zwei—What are you suddenly talking about!?" in a panic.

'yEs. mY auThOrity iS strOngEr. i KnOw.'

'H-Hold on! It would be too dangerous to let Shion-san fight!'

Mitsuki cried out anxiously.

'Time is running out, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the attack just now, Bahamut must have used up a great deal of its internal energy, slowing its rate of regeneration, but... Soon enough, it will finish its recovery and counterattack us.'

Major Loki urged me sharply to make a decision.

"—"

I gnashed my teeth and racked my brain momentarily before speaking.

"Shion, come to the deck."

'yEs! Papa, riGht awAy!'

'Nii-san...'

Shion replied happily, but Mitsuki called my name in protest.

"Sorry. Now that an unexpected situation has come up, I can't recklessly allow you to go out, Mitsuki."

Thinking that Neun's instinct must be driving me to prioritize Mitsuki's protection, I apologized.

'—Understood. I shall comply with your decision, Nii-san.'

The sad voice caused agony to grip my heart, but for the sake of handling the crisis at hand, I could only suppress my own feelings while asking Iris who was sitting at the prow.

"Iris, you can't use the third eye immediately, right?"

"...S-Sorry. But... I've rested a bit while everyone was talking. Just a bit longer and... Once we get near Bahamut again, I should be able to... No, I'll definitely be able to."

Holding the staff with the glowing red eyeball, she stood up unsteadily.

"I got it."

I nodded without hesitation and changed Marduk's course, putting Bahamut and Nyarlathotep directly before the ship—along the main cannon's line of fire.

Although the ''Naglfar'' continued to attack using its main cannon and cryogenic projectiles, Bahamut's regeneration was probably nearing completion. Hence, I must do it before then.

"Main cannon, Babel—Psionic multi-barreled cannons, Noah—Hyperspace reversion rocket-assisted artillery, Abyss—"

I linked my mind to these three sets of armaments and locked onto the targets. The main cannon rumbled while the lenses in the middle of the barrel glowed. The other weapons also produced deep noises of operation while waiting for the moment to unleash their power.

This was the decisive strike. There was no need to hold back.

"—Full Burst!!"

A black torrent shot out from the main cannon at the prow while the eight multi-barreled cannons fired shells of light. All remaining missiles were launched simultaneously from the pods at the back of Marduk, leaving white trails in the sky.

The silver discus—Nyarlathotep—immediately reacted, blocking the main cannon head on. Caught in the gravitational discontinuity, the discus' outline became twisted. But unbelievably, its silver body returned to its original round shape afterwards.

Impenetrable even by the main cannon... What outrageous resilience.

Nyarlathotep's durability was sickening, but my attacks were certainly not limited to just one.

While Nyarlathotep was blocking the main cannon, Noah's shells and Abyss' warheads had struck Bahamut directly.

Gouged by holes of hyperspace all over its body, the giant dragon's size was dramatically reduced.

"Now is the time—Another charge! Double deployment of Eden at the prow!"

Almost all of the barrier-generating units were overloaded, leaving only six functional. Covering the entire ship was impossible, so I erected a double layer of triangular surfaces of light in front of the ship.

"Lisa and Firill, fortify the air barrier! Ariella and Ren, you're in charge of transmuting physical barriers in response to enemy actions! Kili, defend the surface of the deck with everything you've got."

"Affirmative!"

After the girls replied, Shion opened the hatch and rushed outside.

"Papa! i wiLl taKe oUt thaT roUnd tHiNg."

"—Great, Shion. I'm counting on you. Let's fight side by side."

Picking up the running Shion in my arms, I ordered Marduk to enter maximum acceleration.

At maximum output, the thrusters propelled the ship at full speed.

Resisting the gravity cannon, Nyarlathotep noticed our actions and extended ribbon-like tentacles.

"i wOn'T loSe tO yoU..."

Shion lifted her hair to reveal the hidden left eye. Her eye was glowing purple just as it had done so back when she was Kraken Zwei. She had apparently spoken the truth when talking about being able to use the authority earlier.

"...Come, come, fragments of termination—Come, come, fragments of termination..."

Holding the red staff with both hands, Iris repeated the same same chant as though praying. The third eye at the tip of the staff glowed crimson again.

'Captain, incoming!'

Nyarlathotep attacked at high speed almost simultaneously with Jeanne's warning. The instant the light barrier cracked, the units sustaining the first barrier overloaded and exploded.

Although the second barrier layer held, but by the time we verified the situation, the tentacles were already retracted. Just now was probably a purely physical attack performed by that super durable metallic entity at hyper speed. But this single strike was already extraordinary in power.

"It's going to break through next time! We need to construct a physical barrier capable of blocking that thing's attacks!"

"Mm."

Holding Ren's hand, Ariella took a step forward. She was planning to borrow dark matter from Ren to erect an even stronger barrier.

'Incoming again!!'

While Jeanne issued the warning, Ariella shouted:

"Barrier, deploy—Seras Athena!"

Dark matter was generated on the interior face of the light barrier. Blooming like a flower, a silver-white shield was spreading out radially.

Immediately, a thunderous rumble was heard. The impact shook the ship, making us unsteady on our feet.

The remaining units were broken as the final light barrier was destroyed. Cracks also appeared on Ariella's barrier with tiny fragments crumbling off.

However, the barrier was not penetrated. On the opposite side of the collapsing barrier, Nyarlathotep and Bahamut were right in front of us—

"Iris!"

"Yeah, I'm on it—Mononobe!"

When I gave the signal, Iris replied resolutely.

"Great... Shion, I'm counting on you!"

Under the current circumstances, Nyarlathotep could not move. As soon as it dodged, Bahamut would lose protection and suffer a direct hit.

"Papa, i gOt iT!"

Shion's hair suddenly flew up while blinding light erupted from her left eye.

This was the authority inherited from the Kraken, the power known as the "Absolute."

Regardless of the level of hardness or resilience, nothing could defend against this attack as long as it was matter.

Capable of annihilating all matter, glowing antimatter surged from Shion's left eye.

"diSapPeAr!"

Her young voice was filled with fighting spirit.

The purple glowing projectile exploded silently in the air.

A flash of light imprinted on my retinas.

The released beam struck the rotating Nyarlathotep dead center.

Immediately, the discus-like entity began to expand from within. A crack formed, leaking out light, then instantly—A violent explosion engulfed the discus.

It was disappearing. Thrashing its tentacles, the sixth calamity which had threatened the world in the past was gradually devoured by the purple light.

The massive explosion at point-blank range caused Bahamut to roar in pain. The light of annihilation was also approaching us.

However—No need to fear. ''She'' was going to erase everything next.

"Now!"

"O Catastrophe, actualiiiiiiiiize!!"

Iris' stern voice resounded all around while the third eye's glow brightened from the tip of her raised staff.

Red light flooded out. The time-stealing torrent rushed at the matter-annihilating explosion and Bahamut that was on the other side.

The distant future—The termination of all creation.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Iris screamed with all her might.

Bathed in the red light, Bahamut also began to widen its jaws and roar. Blue-white light appeared from inside its mouth that was even bigger than Marduk.

It was trying to use its last strength to fire a heat beam.

However, even when putting eternal longevity on the line, it was futile in the face of termination brought by Catastrophe.

The flames of massive heat were erased by the red beam of destruction.

The ten-thousand-meter-long body collapsed, crumbled, and the roaring ended.

The giant silhouette hovering in the reddened sky grew smaller and smaller.

With the karma of time catching up to it, the fifth dragon met its demise just like that.

This was probably a reenactment of the ancient past, when Basilisk had exterminated it—

"——Huff... Huff... Huff... We did... it?"

After Catastrophe's light vanished, Iris collapsed in exhaustion and sat down on the deck.

There was nothing left in front of Marduk.

Nyarlathotep, Bahamut, and even the clouds in the sky were all gone, leaving only a clear blue sky.

'Signals lost for Bahamut and Nyarlathotep. Mission... accomplished.'

Jeanne's voice through the communicator brought me back from spacing out.

"We did it!"

Close by, Firill jumped in delight.

Just as I was feeling flustered by the two soft bulges pressing against me, Shion imitated her and hugged me.

"Papa, i... woRkeD haRd, riGht?"

"Yeah, you worked really hard."

Patting her purple-haired head, I praised Shion and she happily closed her eyes partially. Her glowing left eye had returned to normal too.

"Mononobe... What about me...?"

Sitting utterly exhausted, Iris looked longingly at me. She had let go of her staff and the scales on her hand were starting to disappear. The red color in her eyes was also fading away gradually.

"Yeah, Iris, you certainly worked hard too!"

"...Was I amazing?"

I nodded hastily but Iris did not seem satisfied.

"Yeah, very amazing."

"Fufu... Mononobe praised me."

Then Iris finally relaxed completely and laid down with her back on the deck.

"Iris-chan, you'll catch a cold if you sleep here, you know?"

Kili sighed in exasperation and the others smiled wryly. The atmosphere was very harmonious—But a sharp voice suddenly spoke through the communicator.

'2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, get away from there immediately!'

"—Major Loki?"

Major Loki spoke rapidly, surprising me.

'Look down—Something is very unusual about the shadow! You are directly over the unknown territory!'

I rushed over to looked down from the deck. The trail left behind by Bahamut on the frozen sea surface had remained even after Bahamut's destruction. And continuing forward after defeating Bahamut, Marduk had entered the sky over the shadow.

Was it due to losing its original source, Bahamut? The unknown territory's surface expanded in a terrifying manner.

"!? Thrusters, maximum output! Withdraw ASAP!"

Feeling an intense chill, I tried to escape the unknown territory but it was too late. Surging out of the shadow, the darkness spurted up like a geyser, swallowing Marduk.

The sky and the sea turned black completely. The turbulent flow of darkness swallowed the deck. Everyone's figure—including my own outline—became indiscernible. Not only vision but all other senses became dulled too. Shion and Firill, who should be next to me, could not be located either.

"Damn it—"

I reached out in the darkness, trying to invoke Neun's authority.

The back of my left hand warmed up and the tiny dragon mark surfaced. I could finally see my left hand clearly.

However, the light did not spread further. When I looked around, there was blue light shining from various locations, probably the dragon marks of my companions. Like me, they were using Neun's power to resist the darkness.

However, the light was fading away. The excess abundance of darkness was about to overwhelm the authority's light.

Yesterday and during the car accident that killed Mitsuki's parents—I had confronted the darkness on two occasions and succeeded in suppressing it. But the volume was completely different this time.

The darkness was overwhelming and our light was too weak.

"Firill, Shion, are you there?"

I called out to the two girls who were supposed to be hugging me, but there was no answer.

"Iris, Kili!"

Then I called to the two girls who should have been second nearest to me, but sure enough, there was no response either.

"Lisa, Ariella, Ren! Answer me!"

The others on the deck did not respond either. However, I could not give up. This time, I called out to people who should be at the bridge.

"Jeanne, what is the situation at the bridge? Shinomiya-sensei, are you okay? Mitsuki, Tia, Vritra—"

"Yes, I am here. Nii-san."

An answer. Just one person's.

However, this voice did not come through the communicator. It was from nearby, a voice reaching my ear directly.

"—Mitsuki, you're on the deck!?"

"...Yes. I was very worried about Shion-san, so I was staying by the hatch."

Unusually clear, Mitsuki's voice reached me.

"No—Hurry and go back! This darkness will surely get you, Mitsuki—"

"There is no place to run to. Furthermore, there is no need for me to be hiding away."

The instant I heard these confident words, a blinding light appeared amid the darkness.

It was a vivid blue light—The same as our glowing dragon marks. However, this light was strong enough to overpower the thick darkness.

Surrounded by light, Mitsuki was showing a dreamy smile.

"Mitsuki...?"

"Nii-san—I have the answers now. What exactly is Neun's authority? How exactly is Neun's authority used? Consequently, you can relax."

The blue light blew away the darkness—No, it swallowed the darkness whole.

The intense light forced me to close my eyes. By the time I opened them again... The world had regained its original color.

"What... happened?"

With a look as though she had suddenly woken up from a nightmare, Lisa murmured. The others checked their own limbs but very quickly, all gazes gathered upon Mitsuki who was standing on the deck.

"It is wonderful that all of you are fine."

Taking on everyone's gaze, Mitsuki smiled with some weariness.

'—All sensors back to normal. Captain... The unknown territory has vanished. Including the domes at the American west coast and the Arctic, as well as the shadow traced out by Bahamut, all of it—'

I heard Jeanne's shocked voice over the communicator.

Under the rays of the sun shining from the sky above, projected on the deck, Mitsuki's shadow deepened and intensified—

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 4

2016-09-28T03:18:42Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 4 - Pitch-Black Disaster==

===Part 1===

The instant I opened the hatch, I almost lost balance due to a gust of strong wind. I steadied myself with a hand against the wall.

Currently, Marduk had decreased its altitude and its speed was dropping rapidly too. Hence, I decided it was possible to go outside even without an air barrier. However, this wind pressure was capable of blowing an entire person away if one were careless.

Arriving on Marduk's deck, I gripped the railing while moving towards the prow. Someone was already there.

Her shoulder-length hair and skirt swaying in the wind, she was looking down from the edge of the deck.

"—Can you see it, Firill?"

I approached her—Firill Crest—while asking in a voice loud enough to overcome the wind.

Only then did she notice and turn towards me with slight surprise. She smiled.

"Yes, I can see it. Thank you, Mononobe-kun, for making a detour to fulfill my selfish request."

"No problem, there's plenty of time before the operation starts. Furthermore, this isn't really a detour. The Principality of Erlia borders our charted course anyway."

I shook my head and asked the grateful Firill not to worry.

Indeed, Marduk was currently flying over Firill's homeland, the Principality of Erlia. Looking down from the deck, the view of a country rich with natural beauty, ringed by mountains, entered my sight.

"...It's such a tiny nation when I look down from the sky like this. But to me, it is an extremely place that I don't want to lose. That's why I wanted to confirm. What I must protect at all costs."

Firill looked out to her homeland while gripping the railing.

"Yeah—It must be extremely important to you."

Expressing determination to protect her homeland, the side of Firill's face overlapped with my memory of Mitsuki, who had defended the town where we lived in the past.

"Oh, Mononobe-kun! Look at that castle! And over there, a lake and a waterfall! Do you still remember?"

Firill pointed at the royal castle and the lake beside it.

"I didn't forget. We even danced together at the castle, and the waterfall was so loud."

My memories surfaced. This was the country where my first encounter with Hraesvelgr took place. The memories of the battle were especially vivid.

"So nostalgic... It feels like it just happened in front of me. However, this messes up the promise a little."

"Promise?"

Seeing Firill murmur in disappointment, I asked, and she smiled mischievously.

"My intention was to bring you back as my prince, Mononobe-kun, the next time I returned here."

"What—"

Firill admitted this with a blush, causing my heart to pound nonstop.

"Well, I suppose I've achieved the goal, sort of... Mononobe-kun, you said you'd take responsibility... Hmm, but you haven't fulfilled your promise properly yet. Oh, why don't we—"

After contemplating for a moment, resting the side of her face against her hand, Firill puffed out her chest as though she had thought of something.

"Mononobe-kun, this airspace belongs to the Principality of Erlia, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Shaken by her earlier words, I nodded stiffly.

"As such, I am the princess right now. Within this country, I am a super VIP."

"VIP—But isn't the Principality a democracy even though they have royalty?"

"Even so, I'm still a VIP, you know? I have clout and authority. Any objections...?"

"None at all."

"Excellent. So, the VIP—this princess—hereby commands. Mononobe-kun, kneel down before me."

With royal dignity in her countenance, Firill declared solemnly.

"Why?"

"Stop talking and just do it now."

"...Fine, I got it."

I gave up and sighed, then knelt down on one knee in front of Firill. I hastily bowed my head because kneeling down had provided me a view of the underside of the skirt billowing in the wind.

Next, in front of me while I was crouched down, Firill extended her hand.

"Kiss the back of my hand."

"K-Kiss!?"

I could not help but exclaim in hesitation. Then Firill spoke with some displeasure.

"I heard you did this with Lisa. Don't tell me... you won't do it with me? This is very important."

Her voice sounded extremely serious with mild insecurity in her expression.

Indeed, at Midgard's underground hot spring, after the comedic "transformation into my kind," I had kissed the disappointed Lisa on the back of her hand.

Being close friends with Lisa, Firill must have heard about what happened.

"—Understood."

I mustered my determination and took Firill's hand.

Since this was what she hoped, I had to grant her wish. This was out of my own volition, not responsibility for selecting her.

Her pale and slender hand was trembling lightly. Even though she was the one who had requested it, she seemed to be nervous.

This was one of Firill's traits. Hence, if anything happened, I must protect her and guide her.

"Please excuse me, Princess Firill."

I had to afford her the proper respect since she was carrying herself as royalty here. I brought my lips to make contact with her hand.

In that instant, Firll's entire body shook. Just as I withdrew my lips, she started going limp starting from her hand.

I looked up slowly and made eye contact with the blushing Firill.

However, she deliberately came up with an ostentatious speech in order to prevent her dignity as princess from crumbling.

"—I, Firill Crest, Princess of the Principality of Erlia, hereby swear upon the souls of my great ancestors, to accept this contract and take Mononobe Yuu as my lawfully wedded husband."

"Huh...?"

I stared at Firill in shock, then she repeated it again, blushing even more intensely.

"With this, Mononobe-kun, you're now my husband. My prince."

"Prince—J-Just wait a sec!"

"Of course I'm not going to wait. Even though it was simplified ceremony, what just took place was indeed a wedding. Within the Principality, it is legally binding so long as it is witnessed by a member of royalty. On this occasion, since I myself am royalty, there's no problem at all."

Firill made a thumbs-up. I hastily stood up and asked:

"What, that's a huge problem! I was totally kept in the dark, so—"

"Objection overruled. This marriage was conducted and sworn in the name of royalty. Mononobe-kun, we are now husband and wife. This is a princess' decision, so no complaining."

Firill pressed her finger to my lips to stop me from speaking, then a smile appeared on her blushing face and she hugged me from the front.

"Fufu, mission accomplished!"

"F-Firill..."

My brain's processing power could not keep up with the sudden development and the sensation of her bust.

I did not know what to do—However, Firill released the railing that she had been holding onto for support and wrapped her arms around my back, hugging me tightly, making my heart pound nonstop.

This had nothing to do with marriage or whatever. I became aware that the option of letting go of Firill never existed in my heart.

Feeling Firill's body warmth, I was thinking perhaps it really was time to take responsibility, but she left my embrace as though she had noticed something.

"—Oh, looks like my time as a princess has ended."

Looking at the ground, she said in disappointment.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

Unable to comprehend the situation, I asked.

"Now that we have crossed the mountain range, this isn't the Principality's airspace anymore. Since there isn't any contract of matrimony in writing, this marriage is only effective within the borders of the Principality. We are no longer husband and wife this moment, just classmates who are very close—Mononobe-kun. Sorry for scaring you."

Firill explained with a faint smile.

"Oh I see... You really scared me to death."

I relaxed my shoulders and exhaled deeply. Was this actually relief or dashed hopes? Even I myself could not tell.

"I wanted to make my dream come true before the next battle against Bahamut. Having a wedding after the battle felt like it'd be a dangerous flag to raise."

Firill spoke with a wry smile, but at that moment, she switched to a solemn expression and held my hand.

"However, what I said earlier was no joke. The fact that we are married in the Principality of Erlia, Mononobe-kun, is the truth, okay?"

Saying that, she raised my hand and slowly brought it close to her face.

She pressed her cherry lips against the back of my hand. Surprising me with the soft and slightly moist sensation, Firill looked up at me and smiled mischievously.

"Until the next time we visit the Principality, this secret is between only me and you, Mononobe-kun."

Then she left me and walked to the hatch.

Frozen, I watched her walking away, but just before entering the ship, she turned around and pointed at me strictly with her finger.

"Divorce or similar words are forbidden—My prince."

===Part 2===

NIFL's second defense line deployed across the waters of Norway was greater in scale than I imagined.

Around Marduk, which had landed on the sea, the fleet formed a line stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.

From the sky earlier, I had spotted aircraft carriers in the back too. It was probably from there that recon planes had been launched across the sky.

It would be no exaggeration to say that all of NIFL's remaining forces had gathered here. If the enemy broke past here, there would be no way to "protect humanity," hence this arrangement was only natural. My current location was in fact the final defense line.

And right now, Marduk and the battleship ''Naglfar'' moored close by were in a discussion about the key points of this operation.

"—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, can I trust in you?"

Standing on the deck of the ''Naglfar'', Major Loki asked me in a deep voice. Side by side, the two battleships were separated by a distance of roughly ten meters. On the edge of each battleship's deck, it was possible to convey our voices to the other side.

"Yes. Just as mentioned in the previous report, Iris has figured out the location of her authority. This time, she should be able to unleash Catastrophe on a scale required to vanquish Bahamut in one go."

"Fine, but that is not the point I am doubting. What worries me is another matter. The third eye's range is ten thousand meters—Comparable to Bahamut's body length. In other words, it is necessary to launch the attack at point blank range. Delivering her to that position would be your responsibility. What I am asking is whether you have the resolve for that."

Major Loki shook his head and stared intently at me.

The strategy meeting had concluded already. Back when we were gathered at the bridge, Iris and Vritra had said the following through the monitor.

'—I've located my authority. If I close my eyes and focus my mind on my eyes, I can feel a red light in the eye on the right. Basilisk's power is in my right eye.'

'I too have confirmed that her right eye hath exhibited a faint red glow. Currently, she ought to be capable of drawing out the power consciously. Nevertheless, firing Catastrophe directly implieth she must approach the target. The trick of generating dark matter next to the enemy and transmuting it into Catastrophe is no longer an option, understood?'

What Major Loki brought up was the issue that Vritra had raised.

In any case, we had devised the operation in spite of the risks because "there was no other way," but after the meeting, Major Loki had called me out to the deck.

It seemed like he wanted to confirm my resolve prior to the operation.

"Of course I'll be able to do it for sure. With Catastrophe, Marduk's weaponry and the Ds' powers—Getting close to Bahamut is very feasible."

"—Thanks."

I saluted Major Loki with military etiquette.

The operation that was about to start was very simple. Charge Bahamut head on and fire Catastrophe once we got close. Bahamut should have already deemed Iris and Marduk as high-priority enemies, so feints were pointless. Consequently, the approach with the highest chance of success was breaking through from the front with maximum force while conducting a saturation attack. The machine intellect Atla had also reached the same conclusion.

"I am counting on your side. In the previous engagement, our gravity cannon Babel was effective against Bahamut. The special ICBM Cocytus—Gáe Bolg with its payload replaced by cryogens—has also demonstrated effectiveness to some extent. We should be able to slow down Bahamut's movements."

Smiling confidently, Major Loki nodded and looked towards the prow—Bahamut was approaching from the northern sky.

"Probability of victory is definitely not low. No, considering the opponent is a dragon, this probability of victory might be too high. During this batttle, a means of victory was in our hands all along. This is very worth celebrating, but to me, it is a little offputting."

"...Major Loki, do you think this might be a trap?"

When I frowned and asked, he shrugged lightly.

"I didn't say that. Judging from Bahamut's actions, it doesn't have high intelligence. However, I am more wary of its actions and accompanying phenomena more than Bahamut itself. Why is it connecting the unknown territories? And why does its shadow turn into additional unknown territory? Right now, we still have no idea."

"Yeah... It bothers me a lot too."

Defeating Bahamut would not be the end of it, I told myself.

"Indeed, take care not to be caught unprepared. That being said, you have no cause to worry, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. All this time, you have been overturning the impossible. For us to be like this, or standing face to face, would've been impossible originally."

Turning his gaze back to me, Major Loki stared intently. I could not tell what he was thinking from his expression. Which side would die, or a case of mutual annihilation—The outcome of that battle was virtually preordained. It was definitely a miracle that we both survived. However...

"...It was not my own power. Kili was the one who healed you, Major Loki, and perhaps it was due to Atla that we both survived."

"Due to Atla?"

Showing complete surprise on his face, Major Loki repeated my words.

It was my first time seeing such a look on him, so I continued somewhat delightedly.

"Back then, when your plan failed, Major Loki, the ''Naglfar'' on the sea fired its main cannon at the break of dawn. However, now that I think about it, judging from the firepower, the intention was not to destroy Midgard."

While Ariella was using a gigantic shield to defend against the Naglfar's main cannon, Tia had hacked the ship to stop its attack.

The cannon was powerful, but I had doubts whether it could have destroy Midgard completely.

"From what I saw today, Atla seems to regard you with much affection, Major Loki. So back then, she might have hesitated in fear of getting you caught in the blast in case you were still alive."

At that moment, a muffled voice snarled from Major Loki's chest pocket.

"Wh__ nonsense ___ you ________!?"

"Atla denies it. Wishful thinking on your part, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe."

Major Loki tapped his pocket which probably contained his portable terminal while replying in a surprised tone of voice.

"True, I don't have concrete evidence so I could be wrong. But don't you think the impossible might've been overturned by something so ordinary?"

While nodding, I looked back into his eyes forcefully.

"—Well, I cannot deny this possibility. The impossible for you and me could be something very simple for someone else, somewhere. It is true that Atla saved me. In that case, I should thank her."

Major Loki smiled with amusement and turned away. The noisy voice coming from his pocket suddenly stopped as though in shock.

"In any case, I now know the reason I lost last time. Sure enough, talking to you is very interesting."

"Interesting... huh?"

I muttered with mixed feelings. On my end, chills were running down my spine and I was breaking out in cold sweat.

"Yes, though of course, us trying to kill each other fills me with greater elation."

Leaving behind a gaze and words that felt like they could freeze my back, Major Loki returned inside the ''Naglfar''.

"I really... don't want another go at that."

Left alone, I grumbled with a sigh, but my voice was lost in the wind. Amid the noise of waves and airplanes, my words did not reach anyone.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 200.jpg|thumb]]

===Part 3===

'Bahamut approaching combat airspace. No change in flight speed. The operation will commence as planned.'

"Understood. Marduk, enter launch mode."

Hearing Jeanne's report over the communicator, I issued a command to the ship mentally.

—Main engine, ignite. Engage drive transmission. All systems normal. Deploy main wings. Activate gravitational control devices. Commence hovering.

As Marduk rumbled, the surrounding seawater gradually sank down.

Standing on the deck of the slowly rising Marduk, I looked port side. Roughly a hundred meters away on the sea, the ''Naglfar'' also deployed its main wings.

The other side apparently possessed flight capability too, which was presumably how it had the mobility to evade Bahamut's attacks. However, the Naglfar's main wings seemed to be flywheel-mounted and perhaps had not replicated the gravitational control devices.

"All units, the operation will begin five minutes from now. Are you ready?"

Standing on the deck, I asked the girls in front of me.

Although the distribution of roles was the same as in the previous battle, the outside combat team was assembled on the deck. Since Marduk was going to charge at maximum atmospheric flight speed later, they would be left behind the moment they separated from the ship. Hence, all of them were on the deck to participate in offense and defense.

"Yeah, no problem. I've figured out my authority, so it'll work this time. And you're here too, Mononobe—I won't be afraid of turning into a dragon."

After Iris responded firmly, the others also nodded.

"We are fine too. However, something unrelated to the operation has been bothering me a while now."

Lisa looked at me suggestively, prompting Ariella and Ren to shift their gazes in surprise.

"I think I've got the same question on my mind too."

"Mm, me too."

Next, Kili looked at me with eyes of displeasure.

"Hey you, haven't you been staying too close to Yuu since earlier?"

"Eh, me?"

She was referring to Firill, who was standing next to me.

Indeed, I was very conscious of it too. As soon as we assembled on the deck, Firill had been sticking close to me.

Her matter-of-fact expression made it impossible for me to say anything, but the others apparently reached the end of their patience.

"What's the problem? It's not like we're arm in arm or hugging, right?"

Firill cocked her head in puzzlement. Seeing Firill's response, Lisa frowned in a dilemma.

"Even so, you are still standing too close to him. It is unnatural no matter how I look at it."

"There's nothing unnatural. This is a very natural distance for me and Mononobe-kun. Don't you agree...?"

After answering calmly, Firill looked up at me.

"No, well, even if you ask me, I suppose?"

Unable to understand her behavior, I gave a vague answer. This made Firill pout mildly as she grabbed my arm.

Just as I leaned over slightly, she drew her face near and whispered in my ear.

"...We are newlyweds, Mononobe-kun. This kind of distance is very normal."

"Uh—"

Firill's breath and words were making my face heat up. Feeling the piercing stares from the rest of the girls, I answered quietly.

"B-But that's within the Principality, and didn't you say to keep it a secret from everyone?"

"Yes, that's right. But the newlywed aura between us is unstoppable. For me right now, this is the natural distance. So do your best, Mononobe-kun, and keep them in the dark."

Blushing, Firill replied with a serious expression.

While we were conversing in whispers, Iris tugged at my uniform from behind.

"What are you talking about, Mononobe and Firill-chan? Why do you have to whisper?"

"W-Well, it's because—"

Racking my brain furiously, I wondered how to deceive the rest of the girls.

"Just now when we were flying over the Principality of Erlia, the subject of protecting this place came up in our conversation, so—It felt like cooperating with our hearts as one, we became closer, something like that..."

When I struggled to explain, Firill interjected after asking me to do my best earlier.

"That's right, Mononobe-kun and I are now in this together, thick and thin. We'll protect ''our country''. Like this—Hip hip hurray!"

Grabbing my hand, Firill raised her hand with full vigor.

The subtle emphasis in her statement made me panic, but Iris imitated us, apparently accepting the explanation.

"That's right! Of course I'll do my best too. Hip, hip, hurray!"

She raised her fist high.

Doubt remained on the others' faces, but they tensed their expressions after hearing the latest update through their communicators.

'Three minutes until the operation. Cocytus has been fired from a distant base. Combat team outside the ship, please deploy barriers from the deck and standby to attack.'

"—Affirmative. Gungnir!"

Lisa began to construct her fictional armament and the others also readied themselves for combat.

"Aegis—Deploy barrier."

Ariella erected an air barrier while Ren raised her hammer fictional armament.

"Mm, Mjolnir."

After summoning her grimoire fictional armament, Firill smiled at me.

"...Necronomicon. Mononobe-kun, I absolutely refuse to lose anything."

The pages of the book flipped noisily, blowing a mild gust of wind in our surroundings. This was probably to strengthen the air barrier.

Without using a fictional armament, Kili walked to the center of the deck and said quietly.

"—Muspelheim. To prevent Bahamut from spotting Iris-chan, I will use refraction of light to make it impossible to see us from outside."

There was no visible change. However, tiny particles of dark matter, too small for the naked eye to discern, had generated in the surrounding space to deploy optical camouflage.

'Do your best, everyone!'

I heard Tia's voice over the communicator. Next, Mitsuki and Shion's voices also reached my ear.

'Nii-san, everyone, I will be watching over you all from the bridge. If a situation should arise, I will rush over instantly to support you.'

'mE toO, i'Ll hElp Papa aNd eVeryOne iF anYthiNg haPpEns. hiP HiP huRrAy!'

Shion's imitation of Iris and Firill earlier made me smile.

"Yeah—Thanks a lot. Iris, are you ready?"

"Yes, no problem. Look."

When I asked, Iris nodded and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her right eye was already crimson like a ruby. A short while later, her left eye also started glowing red.

"Caduceus!"

Iris cried out sharply and her staff fictional armament manifested. Up to this point, it was the same as usual.

However, the fictional armament began to materialize, covering its surface with a layer of red diamond scales. Next, an ominous red sphere appeared on the tip of the staff.

I had seen this once before. It was the "organ" for producing maximum firepower that Iris had used when she became infinitesimally close to being a dragon during the showdown against the rampaging Kraken Zwei.

"—Third Eye of Catastrophe!"

As Iris called out, the red sphere split open to reveal a giant eyeball. Like Iris' own eyes, the eyeball was glowing with crimson light too.

This was the third eye that Iris had created. In order to maximize Catastrophe's beam, this was the trump card for eliminating Bahamut.

"Mononobe... It worked. I will fight."

Although Iris was smiling assertively, I could see scales slightly invading her hand that was holding the staff. It was possible to turn her back, but I still felt a bit worried. However, since she had demonstrated her resolve, I could not show weakness either.

"Yeah, Iris—I'm leaving you the job of delivering the fatal blow to Bahamut. We'll create the opportunity for you to launch this attack."

I nodded at Iris and looked at everyone in turn.

"When Basilisk used the third eye to fire Catastrophe, it required a recharge period before attacking again. Assuming it's the same for Iris, we can't have her firing arbitrarily. We will be the ones to handle Bahamut's attacks.

"Yes, of course. We shan't allow Iris-san to be troubled."

Lisa asserted strongly and raised her spear fictional armament. Once everyone was ready, Shinomiya-sensei spoke through the communicator.

'—As discussed during the strategy meeting, we have now confirmed two of Bahamut's attack methods. There is the heat beam discharged from the mouth as well as the firing of missile-like projectiles. Since the ''Naglfar'' managed to neutralize the heat beam by using Babel, our ship should be able to do the same. However, it is possible for Bahamut to have other aces up its sleeve. Do not be careless under any circumstances.'

"Yes ma'am."

After I replied, Shinomiya-sensei continued.

'Furthermore, optical weapons such as lasers will end up absorbed as energy before striking the target. Although point-blank explosions are able to inflict damage, the heat generated in the blasts will turn into Bahamut's nourishment, activating its metabolic functions. Please commit these two points to your memory and react flexibly. Well then—There are only thirty seconds left. The countdown will commence presently.'

The atmosphere grew tense. I stared at the northern sky.

Bahamut was not in sight yet, but we should be able to see it with a slight increase in altitude. That was how close our enemy was.

I increased the output of the main engine and waited for the moment to arrive. I could also hear the sound of the ''Naglfar'' revving up to high energy while hovering at the same height.

'Begin countdown—Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—'

An ICBM flew over in the sky. The instant it disappeared on the other side of the horizon, the start of the operation was declared.

'—Zero!'

"Main thrusters, ignite! Full speed ahead!"

With my acute shout, Marduk began to advance. The G-forces from acceleration pressed down all over my body, but the barrier of wind enveloping the deck was supporting all of us.

The missiles fired by the fleet at the second defense line were flying in front nearby.

The clouds flew back violently and the blue horizon was dyed white. Over the there, seawater was being frozen. And in the sky, a giant shadow was hovering.

'Target confirmed through optical imaging devices. ICBM right on target.'

After Jeanne's report, the ten-thousand-meter-long giant figure was surrounded by white mist from the blast. These white clouds were probably produced from the dispersing cryogens. The Cocytus modified from Gáe Bolg must have smashed into Bahamut's body and exploded without fail.

'All missiles met their mark. Bahamut's surface temperature dropping, but core energy still very high.'

This was like trying to put out a fire with cups of water, but no matter how slight the effect, it was still working. Furthermore, the first strike's objective was to obscure Bahamut's line of sight using the mist from the blast, to delay its discovery of us for as long as possible.

Bahamut emerged again, breaking through the white clouds produced by the cryogens. Marduk used this opportunity to close in according to the plan. Only thirty kilometers remained between us.

Flying next to us, the ''Naglfar'' was slightly ahead and fired a missile. This was to divert Bahamut's attention, no matter how little. Resembling Marduk in appearance, perhaps the ''Naglfar'' flying side by side could confuse Bahamut as a decoy.

'Bahamut has shot out multiple projectiles from its back! All targeting Marduk!'

But after hearing Jeanne's report, I knew the idea was too optimistic. Although Kili's optical camouflage should have prevented it from discovering Iris, Bahamut correctly identified the location of its natural enemy.

'High-energy reaction detected from Bahamut's head! Please take precautions against its heat beam!'

Even though we were fairly far away, I still could sense the brightness from Bahamut's mouth. The flying projectiles numbered two hundred. If they were to split up in the air, the quantity would be multiplied.

"Too many—Even if Mononobe-kun reduced their number like last time, they still might be too much to handle. Should I deploy a physical barrier?"

Ariella asked anxiously. The approaching projectiles looked like black stars in the blue sky.

However, I shook my head and looked at Bahamut, which was about to fire its heat beam.

"No, we'll ''blow them all away'' from this distance. Leave it to me."

Last time, Bahamut was very close and the approaching projectiles were almost flying at us from above, so I could only intercept them using Abyss. But this time, they were along ''the main cannon's line of fire''.

"Babel—Maximum output."

I infused the main cannon at the prow with energy. The lenses in the middle of the bifurcated barrel glowed with blinding light while a deep rumble resounded in the surroundings.

Until now, I had always used Marduk's weapons in independent isolation to defeat dragons, but using them that way was really overdoing it. The main cannon and the special artillery would self-destruct after a single shot, while the other weaponry also fared poorly in stability. In other words, I had not been able to draw out their full capabilities.

But this time was different.

"Energy critical. Target, the fifth dragon—'Eternal Longevity' Bahamut."

Plasma appeared between the lenses in the barrel and the noise of activation grew loud.

Directly connected to Marduk's engine, the main cannon was able to exhibit 100% firepower. Using the main cannon in isolation could not compare to this at all.

The same time as Bahamut released its heat beam, I yelled:

"—Fire!!"

The beam of black light shot from the bifurcated barrel devoured all approaching projectiles, neutralized the heat beam, and directly struck Bahamut in the distance.

Due to the spatial discontinuity created by supergravity, a pitch-black band distorted the path of light rays. From the ship's perspective, there were unnatural cracks in the surrounding scenery. Seawater swirled up against the Earth's gravity, sucked into the black light together with clouds.

It looked as though the world itself had shattered.

Bahamut's entire body discharged blue flames, trying to escape the gravitational discontinuity, but enveloped by the black beam, the right side of its body was caught, folded, and gouged out.

"So amazing..."

Next to me, Iris sighed in awe.

"Nothing less expected of Atlantis' trump card."

Kili whispered poignantly too.

Indeed, Deus Dragon Marduk was the power of the the second dragon—"Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis itself. In other words, it was a "true dragon" on the same level as Bahamut. Even in a direct confrontation, it would give its opponent a good run for its money.

After the black light vanished, Bahamut began to fall towards the frozen sea surface, having lost one third of its body size.

"Mononobe, don't tell me we already defeated it?"

Standing at the prow, Iris looked back and asked, but I smiled wryly in return.

"That would be great, but Bahamut is too big. Unless we annihilate it in one shot, it'll immediately—"

Before I could finish, Bahamut's body began to regenerate at an unbelievable rate. In mere seconds, Bahamut had already restored its original shape.

Although I knew Bahamut's rate of metabolism was enough to oppose the incomplete Catastrophe, after witnessing it with my very own eyes, a chill and cold sweat still spread across my back. Even if Marduk held the upper hand for now, winning was definitely out of the question. That was the kind of opponent we were facing.

—The only way to destroy Bahamut was to rely on Iris' authority. It would be wishful fantasy to think I could win.

Reaffirming my role, I maintained Marduk's top atmospheric flight speed.

This attack from the main cannon had bought us plenty of time. Closing in further on Bahamut, we still had roughly twenty kilometers to go.

Finished regenerating, Bahamut discharged flames from all over its body, looking like it had renewed its stance.

At that moment, flying next to us, the ''Naglfar'' released a black beam. It was the Babel Replica—a weapon that was a copy of Marduk's main cannon. Its firepower was somewhat lower than the original, but the attack damaged Bahamut's wings, causing it to fall again.

Just as Bahamut finished regenerating again, it was bathed under the second wave of attacks from the NIFL fleet behind us. The white mist from the explosion surrounded Bahamut, obscuring it from sight.

Depriving Bahamut of heat would at least slow down its regeneration rate. We could not stand idle either.

"—The main cannon cannot be fired again until the barrel cools down and the energy is recharged. I will attack with other weapons. Everyone, support me using cryogens!"

"Mm, got it. Aiming from this distance is quite hard, so spread it over a large area."

Ren was the first to nod and raise her hammer fictional armament.

Next, dark matter appeared over her head, transmuting into a white sphere. It was probably a mass of cryogenic substance.

"Mm!"

When Ren swung her fictional armament, the sphere shot out at high speed, exploding over Bahamut. The cryogenic substance rained down, further increasing the density of the white mist enveloping Bahamut.

"We're on it too!"

Ariella and the others followed up with more cryogens after Ren. While watching them, I transmitted my thoughts to Marduk's eight psionic multi-barreled cannons.

Using the coordinates shared by Jeanne to aim, Bahamut was accurately located amid the white mist—Locked on.

On top of the deck, the turrets installed at the front of Marduk swiveled and took aim at the target.

"Psionic multi-barreled cannons, Noah—Fire!"

Manifestations of mental energy, shells were shot simultaneously from all turrets. Through Marduk's system, my mental energy was greatly amplified. The rapid depletion of mental energy in the past was no longer a worry.

Leaving brightly glowing trails, the shells of light hurtled into the white mist, resulting in heavy sounds of impact.

—Confirmed hit on target. Reload.

According to information from Jeanne, the psionic multi-barreled cannons had definitely inflicted damage upon Bahamut. Then all I needed to do was follow up the attacks.

Accompanying massive explosions caused by firing special artillery, the shells formed from my mental energy were shot into the air again.

The warheads of Abyss were limited, hence they had to be saved for the right moment.

"Crash down, ice blade!"

Lisa and the others continued to spread cryogenic substances. Ten more kilometers left. Soon enough—

'Bahamut's surface temperature rising rapidly! Perhaps it is releasing energy from within! Beware!'

Before we could brace ourselves after hearing Jeanne's urgent voice, the white mist surrounding Bahamut was blown away completely.

The frozen sea surface instantly melted while a wave of shock and heat rushed towards us.

The battleship shook while the temperature on the deck began to rise in spite of the barrier protecting us. While sweating, I gasped at the sight of Bahamut's change in appearance.

Red lines resembling veins had appeared on its black surface while the flames spewing out from its body were even more intense. The missiles from NIFL and attacks from Ren and the girls were getting vaporized before they could reach the target.

However, the sea instantly froze again when Bahamut opened its jaws wide and inhaled. Glittering diamond dust also appeared in the atmosphere.

'The air temperature around the hovering Bahamut is dropping again—Yet Bahamut's surface temperature continues to rise. The outer surface is expanding... No, transforming—'

Already right in front of us, Bahamut's cataclysmic change was clear for us to see.

Bahamut's body expanded with several bizarre protrusions appearing.

"Are those... horns?"

Firill murmured but a different answer came over the communicator.

'No—Bahamut is showing a high-energy reaction inside! Those are probably ''turrets''! Warning signs of projectiles about to be fired from Bahamut's back!'

Hearing Jeanne's report, Kili's expression turned grim.

"Turrets and missiles... Weapons similar to what we have?"

After she whispered, Bahamut shot out numerous projectiles.

'Fired projectiles confirmed! Quantity... Twenty or so! In addition to our ship, the ''Naglfar'' and the NILF forces behind us are also targeted. Also confirmed, Bahamut's oral cavity and the turrets are rising in temperature! The heat beam and artillery are coming!'

"What do we do!? There's no way to shoot them all down, right?"

Staring at the trajectory of the projectiles in the air, Kili asked.

—Just as Kili had pointed out, intercepting them would be very difficult. The main cannon was not recharged yet. Catastrophe should be capable of eliminating everything in one go, but firing it would be too soon right now.

'Captain, message from the ''Naglfar''. "Never mind us," apparently!'

Without time to think deeply, I confirmed the situation and made my decision.

"Hmm—Charge ahead using defensive armaments. Girls, fortify the air barrier."

As I said that, Marduk shot out small units from beneath, deploying them in its surroundings.

Marduk still had other armaments I could use independently, this was one of them. Since there were restrictions on number of uses and active duration, and the fact that there was no data indicating it could defend against Bahamut's attacks, I had kept it in reserve until now. However, with only a few kilometers left, it was probably fine to take a gamble.

"Light shell barrier—Eden!"

I confirmed the placement of the units and shouted out the name.

Next, the units linked up using beams of light, forming a polyhedron that surrounded Marduk. With light beams as the framework, a glowing barrier enveloped the battleship.

"Wind!"

Lisa and the others generated several layers of air barriers inside. Although we could no longer attack in this state, the barriers would allow us to ignore the enemy's attacks.

'Incoming heat beam and the artillery shells!'

Bahamut released flaming orbs from all over its body while discharging a massive heat beam from its mouth. The line-of-sight attack arrived faster than the parabolic trajectory of the projectile, striking Marduk.

The barrier instantly turned pure white. However, the heat was completely blocked and I did not feel any rise in temperature.

Due to the bright light, the naked eye could not see anything, but the barrier was stopping all attacks.

Using Marduk's recon functionality, Jeanne did not lose Bahamut's location.

While the barrier was deployed, Marduk was also charging into the heat beam at maximum speed.

Flames continued to explode outside the barrier. One of the axis units was emitting a mild amount of sparks, probably struck directly by the hail of projectiles. Slightly later, a series of explosions occurred directly above the battleship, presumably due to the detonation of projectiles. I did not know how powerful it was exactly, but the increased burden caused one of the barrier units to explode internally. I instantly reassigned another unit to cover the gap, but minor cracks appeared in the light shell.

Bahamut had most likely gone all-out in this attack. There was no reason to hold back against its natural enemy.

—Hang in there a while longer!

'We are about to close in on Bahamut!'

Hearing Jeanne's voice, I yelled:

"Iris, attack as soon as you get the signal!"

"Yes!"

Answering loudly, Iris pointed her staff to the front. Merged with the staff, the third eye glowed red.

"Come, come, fragments of termination—"

While Iris was chanting, our distance to Bahamut was shrinking fast. Through my senses, I kept up-to-date the location of the giant approaching entity.

—Less than a thousand meters. Seven hundred meters—Five hundred meters—Three hundred meters—

The instant we broke a hundred meters, I shouted to Iris:

"Now!"

"O Catastrophe, actualize!!"

Accompanied by Iris' shrill voice, the third eye shot out a torrent of red light.

Stealing time from all creation, the shining light of destruction passed through the barrier in front of the ship and erased the incoming heat beam.

The instant I saw the Bahamut approaching the red light so extremely close, I was convinced of victory. However, the instant before Catastrophe reached its target, something blocked in front of Bahamut.

"What—"

Inconceivable. A silver discus had suddenly appeared before Bahamut to block Catastrophe.

"Mononobe... Oh no—That discus isn't showing signs of weathering at all! At this rate, I won't be able to hit Bahamut!"

Iris' urgent voice cleared my mind. At this rate, this was turning into a direct confrontation against the discus!

"Gah—Emergency turn! Hard right!"

Firing the auxiliary thruster on port side, I forcibly altered Marduk's course. The discus also moved as though it was the shield to protect Bahamut and continued to defend against Iris' Catastrophe.

In that case, steering Marduk to Bahamut's right flank was not going to help.

At that moment, Iris reached her limit. The instant the third eye's beam ended, the outer edge of the discus suddenly dispersed to reveal ribbon-like tentacles to attack Marduk.

—Boom!!

Accompanied by a heavy crash and impact, Marduk shook violently.

'Barrier penetrated! But no direct hit! Damage minimal!'

Although the attack breached the already damaged light shell on port side, thanks to the air barrier maintained by the girls, we had avoided a direct hit. However, next time was not going to be so lucky.

"Kyah!"

Losing balance, Iris and the girls fell over. At the same time, I fired the two special artillery without aiming.

"Megiddo—Fire!"

The explosion would turn into Bahamut's energy source, but there was no time to worry about that right now. In any case, it was imperative to restrain the unidentified discus.

The two shells of blue light shot out from the turrets produced a massive explosion in the air. The blast wind and the shockwave blew away the discus that was about to follow up on its attack.

Seizing this opportunity, Marduk secured distance against the enemy and took a wide turn. Aiming the psionic multi-barreled cannons at Bahamut and the discus, I fired shells of mental energy from the eight turrets.

The shells failed to hit the rapidly moving discus, but a few continued to pare down Bahamut's body that was damaged from the earlier explosion.

The only way to restrain Bahamut and its extremely rapid regeneration was to continue inflicting damage to it. If we could stall for long enough, the main cannon could be fired too. But—

"What the heck is that discus!? It suddenly showed up and blocked Catastrophe..."

Fallen over and crouching, Kili cried out unhappily.

The same question was on everyone's mind, but the answer was instantly revealed to us.

'Tia knows! It's in the Akashic Record. The sixth dragon—'Anomalous Dawn' Nyarlathotep!'

While continuing to fire shells of mental energy, I gasped because of Tia's revelation. Following the Bahamut the fifth dragon, the sixth dragon had appeared too, why on earth...?

At that moment, a low and sharp voice entered my ear.

'From Bahamut's shadow, inside the unknown territory.'

"—Major Loki?"

I exclaimed the name of the voice's owner in surprise.

'Apologies, due to the urgency of the situation, I had Atla patch me directly into your communications channel. The ''Naglfar'' captured the instant of the discus' appearance. It definitely flew out of the unknown territory. ''Just like Bahamut''.'

I looked around and found the ''Naglfar'' on the other side of Bahamut. The ''Naglfar'' must have steered in the opposite direction from us. It had struck the discus with missiles while surrounding Bahamut with a cloud of cryogenic substance. This was probably done to buy time for us to regroup.

"Just like Bahamut..."

'Indeed—But in that case, it should have appeared during the previous battle. According to Atla, it is very likely that the discus had been lurking in the Arctic unknown territory.'

"Hmm... Could it be that inside the four unknown territories—"

Hit by an ominous hunch, I spoke hoarsely.

'Indeed. Perhaps different dragons are lurking in them. However, we must first take care of the enemy before us. According to Atla's analysis, the discus is made of a material similar to mithril. No, since we detected virtually no degradation caused by Catastrophe, its durability must exceed mithril's. So long as that thing remains in the way, Catastrophe will not never hit Bahamut.'

After Major Loki spoke gravely, Ariella whispered from the side:

"Mithril... Speaking of which, that discus has similarities with the Kraken. It's able to extend tentacles."

Possibly hearing this, Tia spoke through the communicator.

'The Kraken was the counterdragon that evolved to defeat Nyarlathotep. It was probably during that process that it developed a similar appearance.'

"Wait—Then the Kraken's authority... We should be able to defeat Nyarlathotep with antimatter, right?"

I asked Tia solemnly.

'Yes, probably. Or rather... Apart from antimatter, there is definitely no other way of defeating it. Nyarlathotep is a metallic lifeform with no concept of lifespan—'

'Then Nii-san, allow me to fight.'

A voice filled with determination interrupted Tia on the communicator.

"Mitsuki..."

Indeed, Mitsuki's power to generate antimatter was needed here. Although I was worried about bringing her outside the ship, there was no other way. Just as I was about to consent—A young voice interjected, speaking awkwardly.

'Papa, wAit. i caN uSe anTiMatTer tOo. nO... i Am thE onLy One wHo caN uSe iT riGht.'

"What—Shion, you're going to fight too?"

I asked in confusion. Through the communicator, I heard Jeanne go "Zwei—What are you suddenly talking about!?" in a panic.

'yEs. mY auThOrity iS strOngEr. i KnOw.'

'H-Hold on! It would be too dangerous to let Shion-san fight!'

Mitsuki cried out anxiously.

'Time is running out, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the attack just now, Bahamut must have used up a great deal of its internal energy, slowing its rate of regeneration, but... Soon enough, its will finish its recovery and counterattack us.'

Major Loki urged me sharply to make a decision.

"—"

I gnashed my teeth and racked my brain momentarily before speaking.

"Shion, come to the deck."

'yEs! Papa, riGht awAy!'

'Nii-san...'

Shion replied happily, but Mitsuki called my name in protest.

"Sorry. Now that an unexpected situation has come up, I can't recklessly allow you to go out, Mitsuki."

Thinking that Neun's instinct must be driving me to prioritize Mitsuki's protection, I apologized.

'—Understood. I shall comply with your decision, Nii-san.'

The sad voice caused agony to grip my heart, but for the sake of handling the crisis at hand, I could only suppress my own feelings while asking Iris who was sitting at the prow.

"Iris, you can't use the third eye immediately, right?"

"...S-Sorry. But... I've rested a bit while everyone was talking. Just a bit longer and... Once we get near Bahamut again, I should be able to... No, I'll definitely be able to."

Holding the staff with the glowing red eyeball, she stood up unsteadily.

"I got it."

I nodded without hesitation and changed Marduk's course, putting Bahamut and Nyarlathotep directly before the ship—along the main cannon's line of fire.

Although the ''Naglfar'' continued to attack using its main cannon and cryogenic projectiles, Bahamut's regeneration was probably nearing completion. Hence, I must do it before then.

"Main cannon, Babel—Psionic multi-barreled cannons, Noah—Hyperspace reversion rocket-assisted artillery, Abyss—"

I linked my mind to these three sets of armaments and locked onto the targets. The main cannon rumbled while the lenses in the middle of the barrel glowed. The other weapons also produced deep noises of operation while waiting for the moment to unleash their power.

This was the decisive strike. There was no need to hold back.

"—Full Burst!!"

A black torrent shot out from the main cannon at the prow while the eight multi-barreled cannons fired shells of light. All remaining missiles were launched simultaneously from the pods at the back of Marduk, leaving white trails in the sky.

The silver discus—Nyarlathotep—immediately reacted, blocking the main cannon head on. Caught in the gravitational discontinuity, the discus' outline became twisted. But unbelievably, its silver body returned to its original round shape afterwards.

Impenetrable even by the main cannon... What outrageous resilience.

Nyarlathotep's durability was sickening, but my attacks were certainly not limited to just one.

While Nyarlathotep was blocking the main cannon, Noah's shells and Abyss' warheads had struck Bahamut directly.

Gouged by holes of hyperspace all over its body, the giant dragon's size was dramatically reduced.

"Now is the time—Another charge! Double deployment of Edin at the prow!"

Almost all of the barrier-generating units were overloaded, leaving only six functional. Covering the entire ship was impossible, so I erected a double layer of triangular surfaces of light in front of the ship.

"Lisa and Firill, fortify the air barrier! Ariella and Ren, you're in charge of transmuting physical barriers in response to enemy actions! Kili, defend the surface of the deck with everything you've got."

"Affirmative!"

After the girls replied, Shion opened the hatch and rushed outside.

"Papa! i wiLl taKe oUt thaT roUnd tHiNg."

"—Great, Shion. I'm counting on you. Let's fight side by side."

Picking up the running Shion in my arms, I ordered Marduk to enter maximum acceleration.

At maximum output, the thrusters propelled the ship at full speed.

Resisting the gravity cannon, Nyarlathotep noticed our actions and extended ribbon-like tentacles.

"i wOn'T loSe tO yoU..."

Shion lifted her hair to reveal the hidden left eye. Her eye was glowing purple just as it had done so back when she was Kraken Zwei. She had apparently spoken the truth when talking about being able to use the authority earlier.

"...Come, come, fragments of termination—Come, come, fragments of termination..."

Holding the red staff with both hands, Iris repeated the same same chant as though praying. The third eye at the tip of the staff glowed crimson again.

'Captain, incoming!'

Nyarlathotep attacked at high speed almost simultaneously with Jeanne's warning. The instant the light barrier cracked, the units sustaining the first barrier overloaded and exploded.

Although the second barrier layer held, but the time we verified the situation, the tentacles were already retracted. Just now was probably a purely physical attack performed by that super durable metallic entity at hyper speed. But this single strike was already extraordinary in power.

"It's going to break through next time! We need to construct a physical barrier capable of blocking that thing's attacks!"

"Mm."

Holding Ren's hand, Ariella took a step forward. She was planning to borrow dark matter from Ren to erect an even stronger barrier.

'Incoming again!!'

While Jeanne issued the warning, Ariella shouted:

"Barrier, deploy—Seras Athena!"

Dark matter was generated on the interior face of the light barrier. Blooming like a flower, a silver-white shield was spreading out radially.

Immediately, a thunderous rumble was heard. The impact shook the ship, making us unsteady on our feet.

The remaining units were broken as the final light barrier was destroyed. Cracks also appeared on Ariella's barrier with tiny fragments crumbling off.

However, the barrier was not penetrated. On the opposite side of the collapsing barrier, Nyarlathotep and Bahamut were right in front of us—

"Iris!"

"Yeah, I'm on it—Mononobe!"

When I gave the signal, Iris replied resolutely.

"Great... Shion, I'm counting on you!"

Under the current circumstances, Nyarlathotep could not move. As soon as it dodged, Bahamut would lose protection and suffer a direct hit.

"Papa, i gOt iT!"

Shion's hair suddenly flew up while blinding light erupted from her left eye.

This was the authority inherited from the Kraken, the power known as the "Absolute."

Regardless of the level of hardness or resilience, nothing could defend against this attack as long as it was matter.

Capable of annihilating all matter, glowing antimatter surged from Shion's left eye.

"diSapPeAr!"

Her young voice was filled with fighting spirit.

The purple glowing projectile exploded silently in the air.

A flash of light imprinted on my retinas.

The released beam struck the rotating Nyarlathotep dead center.

Immediately, the discus-like entity began to expand from within. A crack formed, leaking out light, then instantly—A violent explosion engulfed the discus.

It was disappearing. Thrashing its tentacles, the sixth calamity which had threatened the world in the past was gradually devoured by the purple light.

The massive explosion at point-blank range caused Bahamut to roar in pain. The light of annihilation was also approaching us.

However—No need to fear. ''She'' was going to erase everything next.

"Now!"

"O Catastrophe, actualiiiiiiiiize!!"

Iris' stern voice resounded all around while the third eye's glow brightened from the tip of her raised staff.

Red light flooded out. The time-stealing torrent rushed at the matter-annihilating explosion and Bahamut that was on the other side.

The distant future—The termination of all creation.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Iris screamed with all her might.

Bathed in the red light, Bahamut also began to widen its jaws and roar. Blue-white light appeared from inside its mouth that was even bigger than Marduk.

It was trying to use its last strength to fire a heat beam.

However, even when putting eternal longevity on the line, it was futile in the face of termination brought by Catastrophe.

The flames of massive heat were erased by the red beam of destruction.

The ten-thousand-meter-long body collapsed, crumbled, and the roaring ended.

The giant silhouette hovering in the reddened sky grew smaller and smaller.

With the karma of time catching up to it, the fifth dragon met its demise just like that.

This was probably a reenactment of the ancient past, when Basilisk had exterminated it—

"——Huff... Huff... Huff... We did... it?"

After Catastrophe's light vanished, Iris collapsed in exhaustion and sat down on the deck.

There was nothing left in front of Marduk.

Nyarlathotep, Bahamut, and even the clouds in the sky were all gone, leaving only a clear blue sky.

'Signals lost for Bahamut and Nyarlathotep. Mission... accomplished.'

Jeanne's voice through the communicator brought me back from spacing out.

"We did it!"

Close by, Firill jumped in delight.

Just as I was feeling flustered by the two soft bulges pressing against me, Shion imitated her and hugged me.

"Papa, i... woRkeD haRd, riGht?"

"Yeah, you worked really hard."

Patting her purple-haired head, I praised Shion and she happily closed her eyes partially. Her glowing left eye had returned to normal too.

"Mononobe... What about me...?"

Sitting utterly exhausted, Iris looked longingly at me. She had let go of her staff and the scales on her hand were starting to disappear. The red color in her eyes was also fading away gradually.

"Yeah, Iris, you certainly worked hard too!"

"...Was I amazing?"

I nodded hastily but Iris did not seem satisfied.

"Yeah, very amazing."

"Fufu... Mononobe praised me."

Then Iris finally relaxed completely and laid down with her back on the deck.

"Iris-chan, you'll catch a cold if you sleep here, you know?"

Kili sighed in exasperation and the others smiled wryly. The atmosphere was very harmonious—But a sharp voice suddenly spoke through the communicator.

'2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, get away from there immediately!'

"—Major Loki?"

Major Loki spoke rapidly, surprising me.

'Look down—Something is very unusual about the shadow! You are directly over the unknown territory!'

I rushed over to looked down from the deck. The trail left behind by Bahamut on the frozen sea surface had remained even after Bahamut's destruction. And continuing forward after defeating Bahamut, Marduk had entered the sky over the shadow.

Was it due to losing its original source, Bahamut? The unknown territory's surface expanded in a terrifying manner.

"!? Thrusters, maximum output! Withdraw ASAP!"

Feeling an intense chill, I tried to escape the unknown territory but it was too late. Surging out of the shadow, the darkness spurted up like a geyser, swallowing Marduk.

The sky and the sea turned black completely. The turbulent flow of darkness swallowed the deck. Everyone's figure—including my own outline—became indiscernible. Not only vision but all other senses became dulled too. Shion and Firill, who should be next to me, could not be located either.

"Damn it—"

I reached out in the darkness, trying to invoke Neun's authority.

The back of my left hand warmed up and the tiny dragon mark surfaced. I could finally see my left hand clearly.

However, the light did not spread further. When I looked around, there was blue light shining from various locations, probably the dragon marks of my companions. Like me, they were using Neun's power to resist the darkness.

However, the light was fading away. The excess abundance of darkness was about to overwhelm the authority's light.

Yesterday and during the car accident that killed Mitsuki's parents—I had confronted the darkness on two occasions and succeeded in suppressing it. But the volume was completely different this time.

The darkness was overwhelming and our light was too weak.

"Firill, Shion, are you there?"

I called out to the two girls who were supposed to be hugging me, but there was no answer.

"Iris, Kili!"

Then I called to the two girls who should have been second nearest to me, but sure enough, there was no response either.

"Lisa, Ariella, Ren! Answer me!"

The others on the deck did not respond either. However, I could not give up. This time, I called out to people who should be at the bridge.

"Jeanne, what is the situation at the bridge? Shinomiya-sensei, are you okay? Mitsuki, Tia, Vritra—"

"Yes, I am here. Nii-san."

An answer. Just one person's.

However, this voice did not come through the communicator. It was from nearby, a voice reaching my ear directly.

"—Mitsuki, you're on the deck!?"

"...Yes. I was very worried about Shion-san, so I was staying by the hatch."

Unusually clear, Mitsuki's voice reached me.

"No—Hurry and go back! This darkness will surely get you, Mitsuki—"

"There is no place to run to. Furthermore, there is no need for me to be hiding away."

The instant I heard these confident words, a blinding light appeared amid the darkness.

It was a vivid blue light—The same as our glowing dragon marks. However, this light was strong enough to overpower the thick darkness.

Surrounded by light, Mitsuki was showing a dreamy smile.

"Mitsuki...?"

"Nii-san—I have the answers now. What exactly is Neun's authority? How exactly is Neun's authority used? Consequently, you can relax."

The blue light blew away the darkness—No, it swallowed the darkness whole.

The intense light forced me to close my eyes. By the time I opened them again... The world had regained its original color.

"What... happened?"

With a look as though she had suddenly woken up from a nightmare, Lisa murmured. The others checked their own limbs but very quickly, all gazes gathered upon Mitsuki who was standing on the deck.

"It is wonderful that all of you are fine."

Taking on everyone's gaze, Mitsuki smiled with some weariness.

'—All sensors back to normal. Captain... The unknown territory has vanished. Including the domes at the American west coast and the Arctic, as well as the shadow traced out by Bahamut, all of it—'

I heard Jeanne's shocked voice over the communicator.

Under the rays of the sun shining from the sky above, projected on the deck, Mitsuki's shadow deepened and intensified—

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 4

2016-09-27T15:43:26Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 4 - Pitch-Black Disaster==

===Part 1===

The instant I opened the hatch, I almost lost balance due to a gust of strong wind. I steadied myself with a hand against the wall.

Currently, Marduk had decreased its altitude and its speed was dropping rapidly too. Hence, I decided it was possible to go outside even without an air barrier. However, this wind pressure was capable of blowing an entire person away if one were careless.

Arriving on Marduk's deck, I gripped the railing while moving towards the prow. Someone was already there.

Her shoulder-length hair and skirt swaying in the wind, she was looking down from the edge of the deck.

"—Can you see it, Firill?"

I approached her—Firill Crest—while asking in a voice loud enough to overcome the wind.

Only then did she notice and turn towards me with slight surprise. She smiled.

"Yes, I can see it. Thank you, Mononobe-kun, for making a detour to fulfill my selfish request."

"No problem, there's plenty of time before the operation starts. Furthermore, this isn't really a detour. The Principality of Erlia borders our charted course anyway."

I shook my head and asked the grateful Firill not to worry.

Indeed, Marduk was currently flying over Firill's homeland, the Principality of Erlia. Looking down from the deck, the view of a country rich with natural beauty, ringed by mountains, entered my sight.

"...It's such a tiny nation when I look down from the sky like this. But to me, it is an extremely place that I don't want to lose. That's why I wanted to confirm. What I must protect at all costs."

Firill looked out to her homeland while gripping the railing.

"Yeah—It must be extremely important to you."

Expressing determination to protect her homeland, the side of Firill's face overlapped with my memory of Mitsuki, who had defended the town where we lived in the past.

"Oh, Mononobe-kun! Look at that castle! And over there, a lake and a waterfall! Do you still remember?"

Firill pointed at the royal castle and the lake beside it.

"I didn't forget. We even danced together at the castle, and the waterfall was so loud."

My memories surfaced. This was the country where my first encounter with Hraesvelgr took place. The memories of the battle were especially vivid.

"So nostalgic... It feels like it just happened in front of me. However, this messes up the promise a little."

"Promise?"

Seeing Firill murmur in disappointment, I asked, and she smiled mischievously.

"My intention was to bring you back as my prince, Mononobe-kun, the next time I returned here."

"What—"

Firill admitted this with a blush, causing my heart to pound nonstop.

"Well, I suppose I've achieved the goal, sort of... Mononobe-kun, you said you'd take responsibility... Hmm, but you haven't fulfilled your promise properly yet. Oh, why don't we—"

After contemplating for a moment, resting the side of her face against her hand, Firill puffed out her chest as though she had thought of something.

"Mononobe-kun, this airspace belongs to the Principality of Erlia, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, that's right."

Shaken by her earlier words, I nodded stiffly.

"As such, I am the princess right now. Within this country, I am a super VIP."

"VIP—But isn't the Principality a democracy even though they have royalty?"

"Even so, I'm still a VIP, you know? I have clout and authority. Any objections...?"

"None at all."

"Excellent. So, the VIP—this princess—hereby commands. Mononobe-kun, kneel down before me."

With royal dignity in her countenance, Firill declared solemnly.

"Why?"

"Stop talking and just do it now."

"...Fine, I got it."

I gave up and sighed, then knelt down on one knee in front of Firill. I hastily bowed my head because kneeling down had provided me a view of the underside of the skirt billowing in the wind.

Next, in front of me while I was crouched down, Firill extended her hand.

"Kiss the back of my hand."

"K-Kiss!?"

I could not help but exclaim in hesitation. Then Firill spoke with some displeasure.

"I heard you did this with Lisa. Don't tell me... you won't do it with me? This is very important."

Her voice sounded extremely serious with mild insecurity in her expression.

Indeed, at Midgard's underground hot spring, after the comedic "transformation into my kind," I had kissed the disappointed Lisa on the back of her hand.

Being close friends with Lisa, Firill must have heard about what happened.

"—Understood."

I mustered my determination and took Firill's hand.

Since this was what she hoped, I had to grant her wish. This was out of my own volition, not responsibility for selecting her.

Her pale and slender hand was trembling lightly. Even though she was the one who had requested it, she seemed to be nervous.

This was one of Firill's traits. Hence, if anything happened, I must protect her and guide her.

"Please excuse me, Princess Firill."

I had to afford her the proper respect since she was carrying herself as royalty here. I brought my lips to make contact with her hand.

In that instant, Firll's entire body shook. Just as I withdrew my lips, she started going limp starting from her hand.

I looked up slowly and made eye contact with the blushing Firill.

However, she deliberately came up with an ostentatious speech in order to prevent her dignity as princess from crumbling.

"—I, Firill Crest, Princess of the Principality of Erlia, hereby swear upon the souls of my great ancestors, to accept this contract and take Mononobe Yuu as my lawfully wedded husband."

"Huh...?"

I stared at Firill in shock, then she repeated it again, blushing even more intensely.

"With this, Mononobe-kun, you're now my husband. My prince."

"Prince—J-Just wait a sec!"

"Of course I'm not going to wait. Even though it was simplified ceremony, what just took place was indeed a wedding. Within the Principality, it is legally binding so long as it is witnessed by a member of royalty. On this occasion, since I myself am royalty, there's no problem at all."

Firill made a thumbs-up. I hastily stood up and asked:

"What, that's a huge problem! I was totally kept in the dark, so—"

"Objection overruled. This marriage was conducted and sworn in the name of royalty. Mononobe-kun, we are now husband and wife. This is a princess' decision, so no complaining."

Firill pressed her finger to my lips to stop me from speaking, then a smile appeared on her blushing face and she hugged me from the front.

"Fufu, mission accomplished!"

"F-Firill..."

My brain's processing power could not keep up with the sudden development and the sensation of her bust.

I did not know what to do—However, Firill released the railing that she had been holding onto for support and wrapped her arms around my back, hugging me tightly, making my heart pound nonstop.

This had nothing to do with marriage or whatever. I became aware that the option of letting go of Firill never existed in my heart.

Feeling Firill's body warmth, I was thinking perhaps it really was time to take responsibility, but she left my embrace as though she had noticed something.

"—Oh, looks like my time as a princess has ended."

Looking at the ground, she said in disappointment.

"Uh, what do you mean?"

Unable to comprehend the situation, I asked.

"Now that we have crossed the mountain range, this isn't the Principality's airspace anymore. Since there isn't any contract of matrimony in writing, this marriage is only effective within the borders of the Principality. We are no longer husband and wife this moment, just classmates who are very close—Mononobe-kun. Sorry for scaring you."

Firill explained with a faint smile.

"Oh I see... You really scared me to death."

I relaxed my shoulders and exhaled deeply. Was this actually relief or dashed hopes? Even I myself could not tell.

"I wanted to make my dream come true before the next battle against Bahamut. Having a wedding after the battle felt like it'd be a dangerous flag to raise."

Firill spoke with a wry smile, but at that moment, she switched to a solemn expression and held my hand.

"However, what I said earlier was no joke. The fact that we are married in the Principality of Erlia, Mononobe-kun, is the truth, okay?"

Saying that, she raised my hand and slowly brought it close to her face.

She pressed her cherry lips against the back of my hand. Surprising me with the soft and slightly moist sensation, Firill looked up at me and smiled mischievously.

"Until the next time we visit the Principality, this secret is between only me and you, Mononobe-kun."

Then she left me and walked to the hatch.

Frozen, I watched her walking away, but just before entering the ship, she turned around and pointed at me strictly with her finger.

"Divorce or similar words are forbidden—My prince."

===Part 2===

NIFL's second defense line deployed across the waters of Norway was greater in scale than I imagined.

Around Marduk, which had landed on the sea, the fleet formed a line stretching from one end of the horizon to the other.

From the sky earlier, I had spotted aircraft carriers in the back too. It was probably from there that recon planes had been launched across the sky.

It would be no exaggeration to say that all of NIFL's remaining forces had gathered here. If the enemy broke past here, there would be no way to "protect humanity," hence this arrangement was only natural. My currently location was in fact the final defense line.

And right now, Marduk and the battleship ''Naglfar'' moored close by were in a discussion about the key points of this operation.

"—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, can I trust in you?"

Standing on the deck of the ''Naglfar'', Major Loki asked me in a deep voice. Side by side, the two battleships were separated by a distance of roughly ten meters. On the edge of each battleship's deck, it was possible to convey our voices to the other side.

"Yes. Just as mentioned in the previous report, Iris has figured out the location of her authority. This time, she should be able to unleash Catastrophe on a scale required to vanquish Bahamut in one go."

"Fine, but that is not the point I am doubting. What worries me is another matter. The third eye's range is ten thousand meters—Comparable to Bahamut's body length. In other words, it is necessary to launch the attack at point blank range. Delivering her to that position would be your responsibility. What I am asking is whether you have the resolve for that."

Major Loki shook his head and stared intently at me.

The strategy meeting had concluded already. Back when we were gathered at the bridge, Iris and Vritra had said the following through the monitor.

'—I've located my authority. If I close my eyes and focus my mind on my eyes, I can feel a red light in the eye on the right. Basilisk's power is in my right eye.'

'I too have confirmed that her right eye hath exhibited a faint red glow. Currently, she ought to be capable of drawing out the power consciously. Nevertheless, firing Catastrophe directly implieth she must approach the target. The trick of generating dark matter next to the enemy and transmuting it into Catastrophe is no longer an option, understood?'

What Major Loki brought up was the issue that Vritra had raised.

In any case, we had devised the operation in spite of the risks because "there was no other way," but after the meeting, Major Loki had called me out to the deck.

It seemed like he wanted to confirm my resolve prior to the operation.

"Of course I'll be able to do it for sure. With Catastrophe, Marduk's weaponry and the Ds' powers—Getting close to Bahamut is very feasible."

"—Thanks."

I saluted Major Loki with military etiquette.

The operation that was about to start was very simple. Charge Bahamut head on and fire Catastrophe once we got close. Bahamut should have already deemed Iris and Marduk as high-priority enemies, so feints were pointless. Consequently, the approach with the highest chance of success was breaking through from the front with maximum force while conducting a saturation attack. The machine intellect Atla had also reached the same conclusion.

"I am counting on your side. In the previous engagement, our gravity cannon Babel was effective against Bahamut. The special ICBM Cocytus—Gáe Bolg with its payload replaced by cryogens—has also demonstrated effectiveness to some extent. We should be able to slow down Bahamut's movements."

Smiling confidently, Major Loki nodded and looked towards the prow—Bahamut was approaching from the northern sky.

"Probability of victory is definitely not low. No, considering the opponent is a dragon, this probability of victory might be too high. During this batttle, a means of victory was in our hands all along. This is very worth celebrating, but to me, it is a little offputting."

"...Major Loki, do you think this might be a trap?"

When I frowned and asked, he shrugged lightly.

"I didn't say that. Judging from Bahamut's actions, it doesn't have high intelligence. However, I am more wary of its actions and accompanying phenomena more than Bahamut itself. Why is it connecting the unknown territories? And why does its shadow turn into additional unknown territory? Right now, we still have no idea."

"Yeah... It bothers me a lot too."

Defeating Bahamut would not be the end of it, I told myself.

"Indeed, take care not to be caught unprepared. That being said, you have no cause to worry, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. All this time, you have been overturning the impossible. For us to be like this, or standing face to face, would've been impossible originally."

Turning his gaze back to me, Major Loki stared intently. I could not tell what he was thinking from his expression. Which side would die, or a case of mutual annihilation—The outcome of that battle was virtually preordained. It was definitely a miracle that we both survived. However...

"...It was not my own power. Kili was the one who healed you, Major Loki, and perhaps it was due to Atla that we both survived."

"Due to Atla?"

Showing complete surprise on his face, Major Loki repeated my words.

It was my first time seeing such a look on him, so I continued somewhat delightedly.

"Back then, when your plan failed, Major Loki, the ''Naglfar'' on the sea fired its main cannon at the break of dawn. However, now that I think about it, judging from the firepower, the intention was not to destroy Midgard."

While Ariella was using a gigantic shield to defend against the Naglfar's main cannon, Tia had hacked the ship to stop its attack.

The cannon was powerful, but I had doubts whether it could have destroy Midgard completely.

"From what I saw today, Atla seems to regard you with much affection, Major Loki. So back then, she might have hesitated in fear of getting you caught in the blast in case you were still alive."

At that moment, a muffled voice snarled from Major Loki's chest pocket.

"Wh__ nonsense ___ you ________!?"

"Atla denies it. Wishful thinking on your part, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe."

Major Loki tapped his pocket which probably contained his portable terminal while replying in a surprised tone of voice.

"True, I don't have concrete evidence so I could be wrong. But don't you think the impossible might've been overturned by something so ordinary?"

While nodding, I looked back into his eyes forcefully.

"—Well, I cannot deny this possibility. The impossible for you and me could be something very simple for someone else, somewhere. It is true that Atla saved me. In that case, I should thank her."

Major Loki smiled with amusement and turned away. The noisy voice coming from his pocket suddenly stopped as though in shock.

"In any case, I now know the reason I lost last time. Sure enough, talking to you is very interesting."

"Interesting... huh?"

I muttered with mixed feelings. On my end, chills were running down my spine and I was breaking out in cold sweat.

"Yes, though of course, us trying to kill each other fills me with greater elation."

Leaving behind a gaze and words that felt like they could freeze my back, Major Loki returned inside the ''Naglfar''.

"I really... don't want another go at that."

Left alone, I grumbled with a sigh, but my voice was lost in the wind. Amid the noise of waves and airplanes, my words did not reach anyone.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 200.jpg|thumb]]

===Part 3===

'Bahamut approaching combat airspace. No change in flight speed. The operation will commence as planned.'

"Understood. Marduk, enter launch mode."

Hearing Jeanne's report over the communicator, I issued a command to the ship mentally.

—Main engine, ignite. Engage drive transmission. All systems normal. Deploy main wings. Activate gravitational control devices. Commence hovering.

As Marduk rumbled, the surrounding seawater gradually sank down.

Standing on the deck of the slowly rising Marduk, I looked port side. Roughly a hundred meters away on the sea, the ''Naglfar'' also deployed its main wings.

The other side apparently possessed flight capability too, which was presumably how it had the mobility to evade Bahamut's attacks. However, the Naglfar's main wings seemed to be flywheel-mounted and perhaps had not replicated the gravitational control devices.

"All units, the operation will begin five minutes from now. Are you ready?"

Standing on the deck, I asked the girls in front of me.

Although the distribution of roles was the same as in the previous battle, the outside combat team was assembled on the deck. Since Marduk was going to charge at maximum atmospheric flight speed later, they would be left behind the moment they separated from the ship. Hence, all of them were on the deck to participate in offense and defense.

"Yeah, no problem. I've figured out my authority, so it'll work this time. And you're here too, Mononobe—I won't be afraid of turning into a dragon."

After Iris responded firmly, the others also nodded.

"We are fine too. However, something unrelated to the operation has been bothering me a while now."

Lisa looked at me suggestively, prompting Ariella and Ren to shift their gazes in surprise.

"I think I've got the same question on my mind too."

"Mm, me too."

Next, Kili looked at me with eyes of displeasure.

"Hey you, haven't you been staying too close to Yuu since earlier?"

"Eh, me?"

She was referring to Firill, who was standing next to me.

Indeed, I was very conscious of it too. As soon as we assembled on the deck, Firill had been sticking close to me.

Her matter-of-fact expression made it impossible for me to say anything, but the others apparently reached the end of their patience.

"What's the problem? It's not like we're arm in arm or hugging, right?"

Firill cocked her head in puzzlement. Seeing Firill's response, Lisa frowned in a dilemma.

"Even so, you are still standing too close to him. It is unnatural no matter how I look at it."

"There's nothing unnatural. This is a very natural distance for me and Mononobe-kun. Don't you agree...?"

After answering calmly, Firill looked up at me.

"No, well, even if you ask me, I suppose?"

Unable to understand her behavior, I gave a vague answer. This made Firill pout mildly as she grabbed my arm.

Just as I leaned over slightly, she drew her face near and whispered in my ear.

"...We are newlyweds, Mononobe-kun. This kind of distance is very normal."

"Uh—"

Firill's breath and words were making my face heat up. Feeling the piercing stares from the rest of the girls, I answered quietly.

"B-But that's within the Principality, and didn't you say to keep it a secret from everyone?"

"Yes, that's right. But the newlywed aura between us is unstoppable. For me right now, this is the natural distance. So do your best, Mononobe-kun, and keep them in the dark."

Blushing, Firill replied with a serious expression.

While we were conversing in whispers, Iris tugged at my uniform from behind.

"What are you talking about, Mononobe and Firill-chan? Why do you have to whisper?"

"W-Well, it's because—"

Racking my brain furiously, I wondered how to deceive the rest of the girls.

"Just now when we were flying over the Principality of Erlia, the subject of protecting this place came up in our conversation, so—It felt like cooperating with our hearts as one, we became closer, something like that..."

When I struggled to explain, Firill interjected after asking me to do my best earlier.

"That's right, Mononobe-kun and I are now in this together, thick and thin. We'll protect ''our country''. Like this—Hip hip hurray!"

Grabbing my hand, Firill raised her hand with full vigor.

The subtle emphasis in her statement made me panic, but Iris imitated us, apparently accepting the explanation.

"That's right! Of course I'll do my best too. Hip, hip, hurray!"

She raised her fist high.

Doubt remained on the others' faces, but they tensed their expressions after hearing the latest update through their communicators.

'Three minutes until the operation. Cocytus has been fired from a distant base. Combat team outside the ship, please deploy barriers from the deck and standby to attack.'

"—Affirmative. Gungnir!"

Lisa began to construct her fictional armament and the others also readied themselves for combat.

"Aegis—Deploy barrier."

Ariella erected an air barrier while Ren raised her hammer fictional armament.

"Mm, Mjolnir."

After summoning her grimoire fictional armament, Firill smiled at me.

"...Necronomicon. Mononobe-kun, I absolutely refuse to lose anything."

The pages of the book flipped noisily, blowing a mild gust of wind in our surroundings. This was probably to strengthen the air barrier.

Without using a fictional armament, Kili walked to the center of the deck and said quietly.

"—Muspelheim. To prevent Bahamut from spotting Iris-chan, I will use refraction of light to make it impossible to see us from outside."

There was no visible change. However, tiny particles of dark matter, too small for the naked eye to discern, had generated in the surrounding space to deploy optical camouflage.

'Do your best, everyone!'

I heard Tia's voice over the communicator. Next, Mitsuki and Shion's voices also reached my ear.

'Nii-san, everyone, I will be watching over you all from the bridge. If a situation should arise, I will rush over instantly to support you.'

'mE toO, i'Ll hElp Papa aNd eVeryOne iF anYthiNg haPpEns. hiP HiP huRrAy!'

Shion's imitation of Iris and Firill earlier made me smile.

"Yeah—Thanks a lot. Iris, are you ready?"

"Yes, no problem. Look."

When I asked, Iris nodded and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her right eye was already crimson like a ruby. A short while later, her left eye also started glowing red.

"Caduceus!"

Iris cried out sharply and her staff fictional armament manifested. Up to this point, it was the same as usual.

However, the fictional armament began to materialize, covering its surface with a layer of red diamond scales. Next, an ominous red sphere appeared on the tip of the staff.

I had seen this once before. It was the "organ" for producing maximum firepower that Iris had used when she became infinitesimally close to being a dragon during the showdown against the rampaging Kraken Zwei.

"—Third Eye of Catastrophe!"

As Iris called out, the red sphere split open to reveal a giant eyeball. Like Iris' own eyes, the eyeball was glowing with crimson light too.

This was the third eye that Iris had created. In order to maximize Catastrophe's beam, this was the trump card for eliminating Bahamut.

"Mononobe... It worked. I will fight."

Although Iris was smiling assertively, I could see scales slightly invading her hand that was holding the staff. It was possible to turn her back, but I still felt a bit worried. However, since she had demonstrated her resolve, I could not show weakness either.

"Yeah, Iris—I'm leaving you the job of delivering the fatal blow to Bahamut. We'll create the opportunity for you to launch this attack."

I nodded at Iris and looked at everyone in turn.

"When Basilisk used the third eye to fire Catastrophe, it required a recharge period before attacking again. Assuming it's the same for Iris, we can't have her firing arbitrarily. We will be the ones to handle Bahamut's attacks.

"Yes, of course. We shan't allow Iris-san to be troubled."

Lisa asserted strongly and raised her spear fictional armament. Once everyone was ready, Shinomiya-sensei spoke through the communicator.

'—As discussed during the strategy meeting, we have now confirmed two of Bahamut's attack methods. There is the heat beam discharged from the mouth as well as the firing of missile-like projectiles. Since the ''Naglfar'' managed to neutralize the heat beam by using Babel, our ship should be able to do the same. However, it is possible for Bahamut to have other aces up its sleeve. Do not be careless under any circumstances.'

"Yes ma'am."

After I replied, Shinomiya-sensei continued.

'Furthermore, optical weapons such as lasers will end up absorbed as energy before striking the target. Although point-blank explosions are able to inflict damage, the heat generated in the blasts will turn into Bahamut's nourishment, activating its metabolic functions. Please commit these two points to your memory and react flexibly. Well then—There are only thirty seconds left. The countdown will commence presently.'

The atmosphere grew tense. I stared at the northern sky.

Bahamut was not in sight yet, but we should be able to see it with a slight increase in altitude. That was how close our enemy was.

I increased the output of the main engine and waited for the moment to arrive. I could also hear the sound of the ''Naglfar'' revving up to high energy while hovering at the same height.

'Begin countdown—Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—'

An ICBM flew over in the sky. The instant it disappeared on the other side of the horizon, the start of the operation was declared.

'—Zero!'

"Main thrusters, ignite! Full speed ahead!"

With my acute shout, Marduk began to advance. The G-forces from acceleration pressed down all over my body, but the barrier of wind enveloping the deck was supporting all of us.

The missiles fired by the fleet at the second defense line were flying in front nearby.

The clouds flew back violently and the blue horizon was dyed white. Over the there, seawater was being frozen. And in the sky, a giant shadow was hovering.

'Target confirmed through optical imaging devices. ICBM right on target.'

After Jeanne's report, the ten-thousand-meter-long giant figure was surrounded by white mist from the blast. These white clouds were probably produced from the dispersing cryogens. The Cocytus modified from Gáe Bolg must have smashed into Bahamut's body and exploded without fail.

'All missiles met their mark. Bahamut's surface temperature dropping, but core energy still very high.'

This was like trying to put out a fire with cups of water, but no matter how slight the effect, it was still working. Furthermore, the first strike's objective was to obscure Bahamut's line of sight using the mist from the blast, to delay its discovery of us for as long as possible.

Bahamut emerged again, breaking through the white clouds produced by the cryogens. Marduk used this opportunity to close in according to the plan. Only thirty kilometers remained between us.

Flying next to us, the ''Naglfar'' was slightly ahead and fired a missile. This was to divert Bahamut's attention, no matter how little. Resembling Marduk in appearance, perhaps the ''Naglfar'' flying side by side could confuse Bahamut as a decoy.

'Bahamut has shot out multiple projectiles from its back! All targeting Marduk!'

But after hearing Jeanne's report, I knew the idea was too optimistic. Although Kili's optical camouflage should have prevented it from discovering Iris, Bahamut correctly identified the location of its natural enemy.

'High-energy reaction detected from Bahamut's head! Please take precautions against its heat beam!'

Even though we were fairly far away, I still could sense the brightness from Bahamut's mouth. The flying projectiles numbered two hundred. If they were to split up in the air, the quantity would be multiplied.

"Too many—Even if Mononobe-kun reduced their number like last time, they still might be too much to handle. Should I deploy a physical barrier?"

Ariella asked anxiously. The approaching projectiles looked like black stars in the blue sky.

However, I shook my head and looked at Bahamut, which was about to fire its heat beam.

"No, we'll ''blow them all away'' from this distance. Leave it to me."

Last time, Bahamut was very close and the approaching projectiles were almost flying at us from above, so I could only intercept them using Abyss. But this time, they were along ''the main cannon's line of fire''.

"Babel—Maximum output."

I infused the main cannon at the prow with energy. The lenses in the middle of the bifurcated barrel glowed with blinding light while a deep rumble resounded in the surroundings.

Until now, I had always used Marduk's weapons in independent isolation to defeat dragons, but using them that way was really overdoing it. The main cannon and the special artillery would self-destruct after a single shot, while the other weaponry also fared poorly in stability. In other words, I had not been able to draw out their full capabilities.

But this time was different.

"Energy critical. Target, the fifth dragon—'Eternal Longevity' Bahamut."

Plasma appeared between the lenses in the barrel and the noise of activation grew loud.

Directly connected to Marduk's engine, the main cannon was able to exhibit 100% firepower. Using the main cannon in isolation could not compare to this at all.

The same time as Bahamut released its heat beam, I yelled:

"—Fire!!"

The beam of black light shot from the bifurcated barrel devoured all approaching projectiles, neutralized the heat beam, and directly struck Bahamut in the distance.

Due to the spatial discontinuity created by supergravity, a pitch-black band distorted the path of light rays. From the ship's perspective, there were unnatural cracks in the surrounding scenery. Seawater swirled up against the Earth's gravity, sucked into the black light together with clouds.

It looked as though the world itself had shattered.

Bahamut's entire body discharged blue flames, trying to escape the gravitational discontinuity, but enveloped by the black beam, the right side of its body was caught, folded, and gouged out.

"So amazing..."

Next to me, Iris sighed in awe.

"Nothing less expected of Atlantis' trump card."

Kili whispered poignantly too.

Indeed, Deus Dragon Marduk was the power of the the second dragon—"Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis itself. In other words, it was a "true dragon" on the same level as Bahamut. Even in a direct confrontation, it would give its opponent a good run for its money.

After the black light vanished, Bahamut began to fall towards the frozen sea surface, having lost one third of its body size.

"Mononobe, don't tell me we already defeated it?"

Standing at the prow, Iris looked back and asked, but I smiled wryly in return.

"That would be great, but Bahamut is too big. Unless we annihilate it in one shot, it'll immediately—"

Before I could finish, Bahamut's body began to regenerate at an unbelievable rate. In mere seconds, Bahamut had already restored its original shape.

Although I knew Bahamut's rate of metabolism was enough to oppose the incomplete Catastrophe, after witnessing it with my very own eyes, a chill and cold sweat still spread across my back. Even if Marduk held the upper hand for now, winning was definitely out of the question. That was the kind of opponent we were facing.

—The only way to destroy Bahamut was to rely on Iris' authority. It would be wishful fantasy to think I could win.

Reaffirming my role, I maintained Marduk's top atmospheric flight speed.

This attack from the main cannon had bought us plenty of time. Closing in further on Bahamut, we still had roughly twenty kilometers to go.

Finished regenerating, Bahamut discharged flames from all over its body, looking like it had renewed its stance.

At that moment, flying next to us, the ''Naglfar'' released a black beam. It was the Babel Replica—a weapon that was a copy of Marduk's main cannon. Its firepower was somewhat lower than the original, but the attack damaged Bahamut's wings, causing it to fall again.

Just as Bahamut finished regenerating again, it was bathed under the second wave of attacks from the NIFL fleet behind us. The white mist from the explosion surrounded Bahamut, obscuring it from sight.

Depriving Bahamut of heat would at least slow down its regeneration rate. We could not stand idle either.

"—The main cannon cannot be fired again until the barrel cools down and the energy is recharged. I will attack with other weapons. Everyone, support me using cryogens!"

"Mm, got it. Aiming from this distance is quite hard, so spread it over a large area."

Ren was the first to nod and raise her hammer fictional armament.

Next, dark matter appeared over her head, transmuting into a white sphere. It was probably a mass of cryogenic substance.

"Mm!"

When Ren swung her fictional armament, the sphere shot out at high speed, exploding over Bahamut. The cryogenic substance rained down, further increasing the density of the white mist enveloping Bahamut.

"We're on it too!"

Ariella and the others followed up with more cryogens after Ren. While watching them, I transmitted my thoughts to Marduk's eight psionic multi-barreled cannons.

Using the coordinates shared by Jeanne to aim, Bahamut was accurately located amid the white mist—Locked on.

On top of the deck, the turrets installed at the front of Marduk swiveled and took aim at the target.

"Psionic multi-barreled cannons, Noah—Fire!"

Manifestations of mental energy, shells were shot simultaneously from all turrets. Through Marduk's system, my mental energy was greatly amplified. The rapid depletion of mental energy in the past was no longer a worry.

Leaving brightly glowing trails, the shells of light hurtled into the white mist, resulting in heavy sounds of impact.

—Confirmed hit on target. Reload.

According to information from Jeanne, the psionic multi-barreled cannons had definitely inflicted damage upon Bahamut. Then all I needed to do was follow up the attacks.

Accompanying massive explosions caused by firing special artillery, the shells formed from my mental energy were shot into the air again.

The warheads of Abyss were limited, hence they had to be saved for the right moment.

"Crash down, ice blade!"

Lisa and the others continued to spread cryogenic substances. Ten more kilometers left. Soon enough—

'Bahamut's surface temperature rising rapidly! Perhaps it is releasing energy from within! Beware!'

Before we could brace ourselves after hearing Jeanne's urgent voice, the white mist surrounding Bahamut was blown away completely.

The frozen sea surface instantly melted while a wave of shock and heat rushed towards us.

The battleship shook while the temperature on the deck began to rise in spite of the barrier protecting us. While sweating, I gasped at the sight of Bahamut's change in appearance.

Red lines resembling veins had appeared on its black surface while the flames spewing out from its body were even more intense. The missiles from NIFL and attacks from Ren and the girls were getting vaporized before they could reach the target.

However, the sea instantly froze again when Bahamut opened its jaws wide and inhaled. Glittering diamond dust also appeared in the atmosphere.

'The air temperature around the hovering Bahamut is dropping again—Yet Bahamut's surface temperature continues to rise. The outer surface is expanding... No, transforming—'

Already right in front of us, Bahamut's cataclysmic change was clear for us to see.

Bahamut's body expanded with several bizarre protrusions appearing.

"Are those... horns?"

Firill murmured but a different answer came over the communicator.

'No—Bahamut is showing a high-energy reaction inside! Those are probably ''turrets''! Warning signs of projectiles about to be fired from Bahamut's back!'

Hearing Jeanne's report, Kili's expression turned grim.

"Turrets and missiles... Weapons similar to what we have?"

After she whispered, Bahamut shot out numerous projectiles.

'Fired projectiles confirmed! Quantity... Twenty or so! In addition to our ship, the ''Naglfar'' and the NILF forces behind us are also targeted. Also confirmed, Bahamut's oral cavity and the turrets are rising in temperature! The heat beam and artillery are coming!'

"What do we do!? There's no way to shoot them all down, right?"

Staring at the trajectory of the projectiles in the air, Kili asked.

—Just as Kili had pointed out, intercepting them would be very difficult. The main cannon was not recharged yet. Catastrophe should be capable of eliminating everything in one go, but firing it would be too soon right now.

'Captain, message from the ''Naglfar''. "Never mind us," apparently!'

Without time to think deeply, I confirmed the situation and made my decision.

"Hmm—Charge ahead using defensive armaments. Girls, fortify the air barrier."

As I said that, Marduk shot out small units from beneath, deploying them in its surroundings.

Marduk still had other armaments I could use independently, this was one of them. Since there were restrictions on number of uses and active duration, and the fact that there was no data indicating it could defend against Bahamut's attacks, I had kept it in reserve until now. However, with only a few kilometers left, it was probably fine to take a gamble.

"Light shell barrier—Eden!"

I confirmed the placement of the units and shouted out the name.

Next, the units linked up using beams of light, forming a polyhedron that surrounded Marduk. With light beams as the framework, a glowing barrier enveloped the battleship.

"Wind!"

Lisa and the others generated several layers of air barriers inside. Although we could no longer attack in this state, the barriers would allow us to ignore the enemy's attacks.

'Incoming heat beam and the artillery shells!'

Bahamut released flaming orbs from all over its body while discharging a massive heat beam from its mouth. The line-of-sight attack arrived faster than the parabolic trajectory of the projectile, striking Marduk.

The barrier instantly turned pure white. However, the heat was completely blocked and I did not feel any rise in temperature.

Due to the bright light, the naked eye could not see anything, but the barrier was stopping all attacks.

Using Marduk's recon functionality, Jeanne did not lose Bahamut's location.

While the barrier was deployed, Marduk was also charging into the heat beam at maximum speed.

Flames continued to explode outside the barrier. One of the axis units was emitting a mild amount of sparks, probably struck directly by the hail of projectiles. Slightly later, a series of explosions occurred directly above the battleship, presumably due to the detonation of projectiles. I did not know how powerful it was exactly, but the increased burden caused one of the barrier units to explode internally. I instantly reassigned another unit to cover the gap, but minor cracks appeared in the light shell.

Bahamut had most likely gone all-out in this attack. There was no reason to hold back against its natural enemy.

—Hang in there a while longer!

'We are about to close in on Bahamut!'

Hearing Jeanne's voice, I yelled:

"Iris, attack as soon as you get the signal!"

"Yes!"

Answering loudly, Iris pointed her staff to the front. Merged with the staff, the third eye glowed red.

"Come, come, fragments of termination—"

While Iris was chanting, our distance to Bahamut was shrinking fast. Through my senses, I kept up-to-date the location of the giant approaching entity.

—Less than a thousand meters. Seven hundred meters—Five hundred meters—Three hundred meters—

The instant we broke a hundred meters, I shouted to Iris:

"Now!"

"O Catastrophe, actualize!!"

Accompanied by Iris' shrill voice, the third eye shot out a torrent of red light.

Stealing time from all creation, the shining light of destruction passed through the barrier in front of the ship and erased the incoming heat beam.

The instantly I saw the Bahamut approaching the red light so extremely closely, I was convinced of victory. However, the instant before Catastrophe reached its target, something blocked in front of Bahamut.

"What—"

Inconceivable. A silver discus had suddenly appeared before Bahamut to block Catastrophe.

"Mononobe... Oh no—That discus isn't showing signs of weathering at all! At this rate, I won't be able to hit Bahamut!"

Iris' urgent voice cleared my mind. At this rate, this was turning into a direct confrontation against the discus!

"Gah—Emergency turn! Hard right!"

Firing the auxiliary thruster on port side, I forcibly altered Marduk's course. The discus also moved as though it was the shield to protect Bahamut and continued to defend against Iris' Catastrophe.

In that case, steering Marduk to Bahamut's right flank was not going to help.

At that moment, Iris reached her limit. The instant the third eye's beam ended, the outer edge of the discus suddenly dispersed to reveal ribbon-like tentacles to attack Marduk.

—Boom!!

Accompanied by a heavy crash and impact, Marduk shook violently.

'Barrier penetrated! But no direct hit! Damage minimal!'

Although the attack breached the already damaged light shell on port side, thanks to the air barrier maintained by the girls, we had avoided a direct hit. However, next time was not going to be so lucky.

"Kyah!"

Losing balance, Iris and the girls fell over. At the same time, I fired the two special artillery without aiming.

"Megiddo—Fire!"

The explosion would turn into Bahamut's energy source, but there was no time to worry about that right now. In any case, it was imperative to restrain the unidentified discus.

The two shells of blue light shot out from the turrets produced a massive explosion in the air. The blast wind and the shockwave blew away the discus that was about to follow up on its attack.

Seizing this opportunity, Marduk secured distance against the enemy and took a wide turn. Aiming the psionic multi-barreled cannons at Bahamut and the discus, I fired shells of mental energy from the eight turrets.

The shells failed to hit the rapidly moving discus, but a few continued to pare down Bahamut's body that was damaged from the earlier explosion.

The only way to restrain Bahamut and its extremely rapid regeneration was to continue inflicting damage to it. If we could stall for long enough, the main cannon could be fired too. But—

"What the heck is that discus!? It suddenly showed up and blocked Catastrophe..."

Fallen over and crouching, Kili cried out unhappily.

The same question was on everyone's mind, but the answer was instantly revealed to us.

'Tia knows! It's in the Akashic Record. The sixth dragon—'Anomalous Dawn' Nyarlathotep!'

While continuing to fire shells of mental energy, I gasped because of Tia's revelation. Following the Bahamut the fifty dragon, the sixth dragon had appeared too, why on earth...?

At that moment, a low and sharp voice entered my ear.

'From Bahamut's shadow, inside the unknown territory.'

"—Major Loki?"

I exclaimed the name of the voice's owner in surprise.

'Apologies, due to the urgency of the situation, I had Atla patch me directly into your communications channel. The ''Naglfar'' captured the instant of the discus' appearance. It definitely flew out of the unknown territory. ''Just like Bahamut''.'

I looked around and found the ''Naglfar'' on the other side of Bahamut. The ''Naglfar'' must have steered in the opposite direction from us. It had struck the discus with missiles while surrounding Bahamut with a cloud of cryogenic substance. This was probably done to buy time for us to regroup.

"Just like Bahamut..."

'Indeed—But in that case, it should have appeared during the previous battle. According to Atla, it is very likely that the discus had been lurking in the Arctic unknown territory.'

"Hmm... Could it be that inside the four unknown territories—"

Hit by an ominous hunch, I spoke hoarsely.

'Indeed. Perhaps different dragons are lurking in them. However, we must first take care of the enemy before us. According to Atla's analysis, the discus is made of a material similar to mithril. No, since we detected virtually no degradation caused by Catastrophe, its durability must exceed mithril's. So long as that thing remains in the way, Catastrophe will not never hit Bahamut.'

After Major Loki spoke gravely, Ariella whispered from the side:

"Mithril... Speaking of which, that discus has similarities with the Kraken. It's able to extend tentacles."

Possibly hearing this, Tia spoke through the communicator.

'The Kraken was the counterdragon that evolved to defeat Nyarlathotep. It was probably during that process that it developed a similar appearance.'

"Wait—Then the Kraken's authority... We should be able to defeat Nyarlathotep with antimatter, right?"

I asked Tia solemnly.

'Yes, probably. Or rather... Apart from antimatter, there is definitely no other way of defeating it. Nyarlathotep is a metallic lifeform with no concept of lifespan—'

'Then Nii-san, allow me to fight.'

A voice filled with determination interrupted Tia on the communicator.

"Mitsuki..."

Indeed, Mitsuki's power to generate antimatter was needed here. Although I was worried about bringing her outside the ship, there was no other way. Just as I was about to consent—A young voice interjected, speaking awkwardly.

'Papa, wAit. i caN uSe anTiMatTer tOo. nO... i Am thE onLy One wHo caN uSe iT riGht.'

"What—Shion, you're going to fight too?"

I asked in confusion. Through the communicator, I heard Jeanne go "Zwei—What are you suddenly talking about!?" in a panic.

'yEs. mY auThOrity iS strOngEr. i KnOw.'

'H-Hold on! It would be too dangerous to let Shion-san fight!'

Mitsuki cried out anxiously.

'Time is running out, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the attack just now, Bahamut must have used up a great deal of its internal energy, slowing its rate of regeneration, but... Soon enough, its will finish its recovery and counterattack us.'

Major Loki urged me sharply to make a decision.

"—"

I gnashed my teeth and racked my brain momentarily before speaking.

"Shion, come to the deck."

'yEs! Papa, riGht awAy!'

'Nii-san...'

Shion replied happily, but Mitsuki called my name in protest.

"Sorry. Now that an unexpected situation has come up, I can't recklessly allow you to go out, Mitsuki."

Thinking that Neun's instinct must be driving me to prioritize Mitsuki's protection, I apologized.

'—Understood. I shall comply with your decision, Nii-san.'

The sad voice caused agony to grip my heart, but for the sake of handling the crisis at hand, I could only suppress my own feelings while asking Iris who was sitting at the prow.

"Iris, you can't use the third eye immediately, right?"

"...S-Sorry. But... I've rested a bit while everyone was talking. Just a bit longer and... Once we get near Bahamut again, I should be able to... No, I'll definitely be able to."

Holding the staff with the glowing red eyeball, she stood up unsteadily.

"I got it."

I nodded without hesitation and changed Marduk's course, putting Bahamut and Nyarlathotep directly before the ship—along the main cannon's line of fire.

Although the ''Naglfar'' continued to attack using its main cannon and cryogenic projectiles, Bahamut's regeneration was probably nearing completion. Hence, I must do it before then.

"Main cannon, Babel—Psionic multi-barreled cannons, Noah—Hyperspace reversion rocket-assisted artillery, Abyss—"

I linked my mind to these three sets of armaments and locked onto the targets. The main cannon rumbled while the lenses in the middle of the barrel glowed. The other weapons also produced deep noises of operation while waiting for the moment to unleash their power.

This was the decisive strike. There was no need to hold back.

"—Full Burst!!"

A black torrent shot out from the main cannon at the prow while the eight multi-barreled cannons fired shells of light. All remaining missiles were launched simultaneously from the pods at the back of Marduk, leaving white trails in the sky.

The silver discus—Nyarlathotep—immediately reacted, blocking the main cannon head on. Caught in the gravitational discontinuity, the discus' outline became twisted. But unbelievably, its silver body returned to its original round shape afterwards.

Impenetrable even by the main cannon... What outrageous resilience.

Nyarlathotep's durability was sickening, but my attacks were certainly not limited to just one.

While Nyarlathotep was blocking the main cannon, Noah's shells and Abyss' warheads had struck Bahamut directly.

Gouged by holes of hyperspace all over its body, the giant dragon's size was dramatically reduced.

"Now is the time—Another charge! Double deployment of Edin at the prow!"

Almost all of the barrier-generating units were overloaded, leaving only six functional. Covering the entire ship was impossible, so I erected a double layer of triangular surfaces of light in front of the ship.

"Lisa and Firill, fortify the air barrier! Ariella and Ren, you're in charge of transmuting physical barriers in response to enemy actions! Kili, defend the surface of the deck with everything you've got."

"Affirmative!"

After the girls replied, Shion opened the hatch and rushed outside.

"Papa! i wiLl taKe oUt thaT roUnd tHiNg."

"—Great, Shion. I'm counting on you. Let's fight side by side."

Picking up the running Shion in my arms, I ordered Marduk to enter maximum acceleration.

At maximum output, the thrusters propelled the ship at full speed.

Resisting the gravity cannon, Nyarlathotep noticed our actions and extended ribbon-like tentacles.

"i wOn'T loSe tO yoU..."

Shion lifted her hair to reveal the hidden left eye. Her eye was glowing purple just as it had done so back when she was Kraken Zwei. She had apparently spoken the truth when talking about being able to use the authority earlier.

"...Come, come, fragments of termination—Come, come, fragments of termination..."

Holding the red staff with both hands, Iris repeated the same same chant as though praying. The third eye at the tip of the staff glowed crimson again.

'Captain, incoming!'

Nyarlathotep attacked at high speed almost simultaneously with Jeanne's warning. The instant the light barrier cracked, the units sustaining the first barrier overloaded and exploded.

Although the second barrier layer held, but the time we verified the situation, the tentacles were already retracted. Just now was probably a purely physical attack performed by that super durable metallic entity at hyper speed. But this single strike was already extraordinary in power.

"It's going to break through next time! We need to construct a physical barrier capable of blocking that thing's attacks!"

"Mm."

Holding Ren's hand, Ariella took a step forward. She was planning to borrow dark matter from Ren to erect an even stronger barrier.

'Incoming again!!'

While Jeanne issued the warning, Ariella shouted:

"Barrier, deploy—Seras Athena!"

Dark matter was generated on the interior face of the light barrier. Blooming like a flower, a silver-white shield was spreading out radially.

Immediately, a thunderous rumble was heard. The impact shook the ship, making us unsteady on our feet.

The remaining units were broken as the final light barrier was destroyed. Cracks also appeared on Ariella's barrier with tiny fragments crumbling off.

However, the barrier was not penetrated. On the opposite side of the collapsing barrier, Nyarlathotep and Bahamut were right in front of us—

"Iris!"

"Yeah, I'm on it—Mononobe!"

When I gave the signal, Iris replied resolutely.

"Great... Shion, I'm counting on you!"

Under the current circumstances, Nyarlathotep could not move. As soon as it dodged, Bahamut would lose protection and suffer a direct hit.

"Papa, i gOt iT!"

Shion's hair suddenly flew up while blinding light erupted from her left eye.

This was the authority inherited from the Kraken, the power known as the "Absolute."

Regardless of the level of hardness or resilience, nothing could defend against this attack as long as it was matter.

Capable of annihilating all matter, glowing antimatter surged from Shion's left eye.

"diSapPeAr!"

Her young voice was filled with fighting spirit.

The purple glowing projectile exploded silently in the air.

A flash of light imprinted on my retinas.

The released beam struck the rotating Nyarlathotep dead center.

Immediately, the discus-like entity began to expand from within. A crack formed, leaking out light, then instantly—A violent explosion engulfed the discus.

It was disappearing. Thrashing its tentacles, the sixth calamity which had threatened the world in the past was gradually devoured by the purple light.

The massive explosion at point-blank range caused Bahamut to roar in pain. The light of annihilation was also approaching us.

However—No need to fear. ''She'' was going to erase everything next.

"Now!"

"O Catastrophe, actualiiiiiiiiize!!"

Iris' stern voice resounded all around while the third eye's glow brightened from the tip of her raised staff.

Red light flooded out. The time-stealing torrent rushed at the matter-annihilating explosion and Bahamut that was on the other side.

The distant future—The termination of all creation.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Iris screamed with all her might.

Bathed in the red light, Bahamut also began to widen its jaws and roar. Blue-white light appeared from inside its mouth that was even bigger than Marduk.

It was trying to use its last strength to fire a heat beam.

However, even when putting eternal longevity on the line, it was futile in the face of termination brought by Catastrophe.

The flames of massive heat were erased by the red beam of destruction.

The ten-thousand-meter-long body collapsed, crumbled, and the roaring ended.

The giant silhouette hovering in the reddened sky grew smaller and smaller.

With the karma of time catching up to it, the fifth dragon met its demise just like that.

This was probably a reenactment of the ancient past, when Basilisk had exterminated it—

"——Huff... Huff... Huff... We did... it?"

After Catastrophe's light vanished, Iris collapsed in exhaustion and sat down on the deck.

There was nothing left in front of Marduk.

Nyarlathotep, Bahamut, and even the clouds in the sky were all gone, leaving only a clear blue sky.

'Signals lost for Bahamut and Nyarlathotep. Mission... accomplished.'

Jeanne's voice through the communicator brought me back from spacing out.

"We did it!"

Close by, Firill jumped in delight.

Just as I was feeling flustered by the two soft bulges pressing against me, Shion imitated her and hugged me.

"Papa, i... woRkeD haRd, riGht?"

"Yeah, you worked really hard."

Patting her purple-haired head, I praised Shion and she happily closed her eyes partially. Her glowing left eye had returned to normal too.

"Mononobe... What about me...?"

Sitting utterly exhausted, Iris looked longingly at me. She had let go of her staff and the scales on her hand were starting to disappear. The red color in her eyes was also fading away gradually.

"Yeah, Iris, you certainly worked hard too!"

"...Was I amazing?"

I nodded hastily but Iris did not seem satisfied.

"Yeah, very amazing."

"Fufu... Mononobe praised me."

Then Iris finally relaxed completely and laid down with her back on the deck.

"Iris-chan, you'll catch a cold if you sleep here, you know?"

Kili sighed in exasperation and the others smiled wryly. The atmosphere was very harmonious—But a sharp voice suddenly spoke through the communicator.

'2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, get away from there immediately!'

"—Major Loki?"

Major Loki spoke rapidly, surprising me.

'Look down—Something is very unusual about the shadow! You are directly over the unknown territory!'

I rushed over to looked down from the deck. The trail left behind by Bahamut on the frozen sea surface had remained even after Bahamut's destruction. And continuing forward after defeating Bahamut, Marduk had entered the sky over the shadow.

Was it due to losing its original source, Bahamut? The unknown territory's surface expanded in a terrifying manner.

"!? Thrusters, maximum output! Withdraw ASAP!"

Feeling an intense chill, I tried to escape the unknown territory but it was too late. Surging out of the shadow, the darkness spurted up like a geyser, swallowing Marduk.

The sky and the sea turned black completely. The turbulent flow of darkness swallowed the deck. Everyone's figure—including my own outline—became indiscernible. Not only vision but all other senses became dulled too. Shion and Firill, who should be next to me, could not be located either.

"Damn it—"

I reached out in the darkness, trying to invoke Neun's authority.

The back of my left hand warmed up and the tiny dragon mark surfaced. I could finally see my left hand clearly.

However, the light did not spread further. When I looked around, there was blue light shining from various locations, probably the dragon marks of my companions. Like me, they were using Neun's power to resist the darkness.

However, the light was fading away. The excess abundance of darkness was about to overwhelm the authority's light.

Yesterday and during the car accident that killed Mitsuki's parents—I had confronted the darkness on two occasions and succeeded in suppressing it. But the volume was completely different this time.

The darkness was overwhelming and our light was too weak.

"Firill, Shion, are you there?"

I called out to the two girls who were supposed to be hugging me, but there was no answer.

"Iris, Kili!"

Then I called to the two girls who should have been second nearest to me, but sure enough, there was no response either.

"Lisa, Ariella, Ren! Answer me!"

The others on the deck did not respond either. However, I could not give up. This time, I called out to people who should be at the bridge.

"Jeanne, what is the situation at the bridge? Shinomiya-sensei, are you okay? Mitsuki, Tia, Vritra—"

"Yes, I am here. Nii-san."

An answer. Just one person's.

However, this voice did not come through the communicator. It was from nearby, a voice reaching my ear directly.

"—Mitsuki, you're on the deck!?"

"...Yes. I was very worried about Shion-san, so I was staying by the hatch."

Unusually clear, Mitsuki's voice reached me.

"No—Hurry and go back! This darkness will surely get you, Mitsuki—"

"There is no place to run to. Furthermore, there is no need for me to be hiding away."

The instant I heard these confident words, a blinding light appeared amid the darkness.

It was a vivid blue light—The same as our glowing dragon marks. However, this light was strong enough to overpower the thick darkness.

Surrounded by light, Mitsuki was showing a dreamy smile.

"Mitsuki...?"

"Nii-san—I have the answers now. What exactly is Neun's authority? How exactly is Neun's authority used? Consequently, you can relax."

The blue light blew away the darkness—No, it swallowed the darkness whole.

The intense light forced me to close my eyes. By the time I opened them again... The world had regained its original color.

"What... happened?"

With a look as though she had suddenly woken up from a nightmare, Lisa murmured. The others checked their own limbs but very quickly, all gazes gathered upon Mitsuki who was standing on the deck.

"It is wonderful that all of you are fine."

Taking on everyone's gaze, Mitsuki smiled with some weariness.

'—All sensors back to normal. Captain... The unknown territory has vanished. Including the domes at the American west coast and the Arctic, as well as the shadow traced out by Bahamut, all of it—'

I heard Jeanne's shocked voice over the communicator.

Under the rays of the sun shining from the sky above, projected on the deck, Mitsuki's shadow deepened and intensified—

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3

2016-09-25T17:23:09Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 3 - Bahamut of Eternal Longevity==

===Part 1===

On the interior side of the hatch leading to the deck, I waited for the moment to begin the operation. Was it a design consideration for space use? There was a double-door airlock chamber in front of the hatch.

Waiting beside me was Iris, with a nervous look on her face, and Kili, who was stretching with sleepy countenance.

Lisa and the others had gone to the hatches on starboard and port side, leaving only the three of us here who were heading to the deck.

"S-So... Kili-chan, you didn't get enough sleep?"

"Not really. Too much happened, so I basically didn't get to sleep."

Kili gave an ambiguous answer with a weary look.

"Looks like keeping Vritra company is a tough job."

I sympathized but Kili stared at me in disbelief.

"Oh my, how did you know my mother was the reason?"

"Uh, I didn't, but Vritra is always out of control, you know?"

Noticing my slip of the tongue, I hastily explained myself. Earlier, I had accidentally peeped on various things when I was observing the situation in the cabins, which was how I knew the hidden story. Disliking shampoo, Vritra was running all over the place, making a lot of trouble for Kili.

Would she find this odd? A chill and sweat began to spread down my back. Fortunately, Kili did not seem bothered and she nodded vigorously.

"Yes, that's true. For the sake of my mother's puny dignity, I can't give any details, but it was very tiring."

"I see... It must be tough for you, Kili-chan. Oh, what about you, Mononobe? Will Marduk stay active if you're not at the bridge?"

After listening to Kili's response, Iris asked me.

"Yeah, no problem. Thanks to Jeanne taking over recon, I'm able to focus calmly on controlling the ship. Jeanne will share necessary external information with me, and I can control Marduk like an extension of my own body, so no matter where I am, it doesn't change the precision of my control."

Just by focusing my mind on Marduk, I could find out Bahamut's current location and the situation in the surroundings.

Marduk was currently flying north over a frozen ocean. We were going to encounter Bahamut and the NIFL fleet just by continuing forward.

"There should still be some time—We are currently following Bahamut's trail, flying behind it. Once NIFL engages Bahamut in battle, I'll accelerate all at once to close in. Once visual contact is made, we'll go out."

I switched on the communicator on my ear so that everyone else could hear me.

I heard "roger that" from everyone through the earpiece but next to me, Iris sounded the most nervous.

"R-Roger, but I'm so worried. The people at NIFL..."

Seeing Iris so ill at ease, I placed my hand on her head.

"According to reports from NIFL, other than the ''Naglfar'', the only forces they are deploying are the unmanned battleships we saw during the Leviathan battle. If the line cannot be maintained, the flagship ''Naglfar'' will most likely withdraw, so don't worry."

"Really...? That's good to know."

Iris finally smiled but it was still very stiff. Next, Kili interjected in exasperation.

"Iris-chan—You've been worrying about others all the time, what about yourself? If you fail to use Catastrophe at the crucial moment, we're all in trouble, you know?"

"Eh... Oh, don't worry about that. I can generate Catastrophe, no problem. It's just that I'm a little worried since the method is not quite the same as before..."

Iris scratched her cheek and answered. I added:

"Iris used to be able to generate Catastrophe directly, but now she can't do without using dark matter as an intermediary. It's probably because I turned her back into a human I selected when she was transforming into Basilisk."

My explanation caused Kili to show overt displeasure.

"—Is this really okay? Since the generation process requires dark matter, shouldn't you make preparations like borrowing dark matter from others? In the worst-case scenario, we'll have to consider unsealing my mother..."

Kili pondered with a hand against the side of her face, but Iris hastily shook her head.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. I already found out during an examination when we returned to Midgard. Catastrophe has virtually no mass, so it's pretty much unrelated to the capacity to generate dark matter."

"Eh, that's something I didn't know. Then does that allow you to use it with greater power than before? If it's virtually massless, you can theoretically generate it without limit."

Very interested, Kili inquired of Iris.

"Hmm, how should I put it...? Rather than transmutation, to me it actually feels more like the dark matter is acting as a 'gate'... Although I don't know how much I can generate exactly, there should be a limit."

Kili shrugged at Iris who was answering with her head cocked.

"That's very wishy-washy, Iris-chan. You're the only one who can defeat Bahamut, so you've got to get your act together."

"Sob... Kili-chan, please don't put more pressure on me. Of course I'll give it my best shot."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 149.jpg|thumb]]

Confronted with Iris' tearful gaze, Kili looked away in embarrassment.

"I know you're already trying your hardest. However, this isn't something that be taken care of through vigor or determination. Putting more thought into it is necessary."

Although Kili's words were a bit blunt, Iris showed a look of comprehension.

"Ah—Hey hey, Mononobe! Just now, did you hear that just now!?"

"Huh? What about... just now?"

Puzzled, I asked her in return, causing Iris to explain with slight displeasure.

"Seriously, don't you remember? Mononobe, didn't you give me the same advice before? Back when I couldn't do transmutation properly, didn't you say that just working hard wasn't enough? I had to confront my failures, something like that."

"...Now that you mention it, I think I did."

Memories surfaced from back when we first met and I was having special practice sessions in an underground training site together with Iris who had failed the test to get into the Dragon Subjugation Squad.

"But what about it?"

Although it was very nostalgic, I had no idea why Iris meant by bringing it up.

"So it's the same as what Kili-chan said, you know?"

"Oh, okay. Yeah, pretty much."

Overwhelmed by her vigor, I could not help but nod. Then I glanced at Kili. It seemed like the conversation had lost her, leaving her with a look of puzzlement.

Thus, Iris grabbed my hand and said with a happy smile:

"It's wonderful for the advice to be the same. Kili-chan and Mononobe are a bit alike."

"...Although I'm not offended by this comparison to Yuu, I don't get why you're so happy about this."

Unable to hide her confusion, Kili sighed.

"Eh? Oh... Why am I so happy?"

Even you don't know? Iris cocked her head in puzzlement.

"—Forget it. To be honest, no matter how much time I spend with you, I still can't say I understand you."

Exhausted in mind, Kili slumped her shoulders.

To me, Iris was also "a girl who effortlessly transcended expectation," beyond the realm of my understanding. Hence, I agreed completely with Kili on this point, but since Iris would get excited again, I kept this comment to myself.

"Captain, NIFL has engaged Bahamut."

At that moment, Jeanne's report came on the communicator. Linked to Marduk, she could speak to me mentally, but in order to share information with everyone, she would stick to using the communicator as much as possible.

"I copy that. Marduk, maximum atmospheric flight speed. We will exit the ship once Jeanne gives us the signal. Don't forget to deploy the air barrier."

While increasing Marduk's speed, I called out to Iris and Kili.

Close by, Iris and Kili nodded solemnly, then the others replied they were ready.

Feeling that the distance to the fifth calamity, the fifth dragon—"Eternal Life" Bahamut—was shrinking, I melded my consciousness into all of Marduk's armaments.

===Part 2===

To delay Bahamut from noticing us for as long as possible, Marduk descended from maximum altitude to stay as close to the frozen sea surface as was feasible.

A roughly ten-kilometer-wide black line was carved on the plain of ice. This was Bahamut's flight trail. While Bahamut flew, its shadow formed an unknown territory that was eating away at the Earth's surface.

Even Marduk's radar was unable to read anything from the black line.

And flying at the limit of the extending the unknown territory was the giant dragon with outspread wings.

Standing on the deck, I stared at the target within visual range that must be destroyed.

Standing next to me, Iris and Kili were also looking at the giant dragon with bated breath.

The target was still dozens of kilometers away. However, the ten-thousand-meter-long monster, flying high in the sky, was exhibiting an even stronger presence than the moon in the noon sky right now.

The scene before my eyes was like a mirage—Completely unreal. However, that thing... Bahamut was undoubtedly there.

Given Marduk's speed, we were going to engage the enemy in a few minutes.

"Looking at it in the flesh... It seems like a small island floating in the sky."

Deploying a composite barrier of heat and air on the deck, Kili whispered poignantly. Were it not for her barrier, we would not only be blown away by the strong wind but also frozen by the extremely low temperature around us.

Lisa and the others should be standing ready on starboard and port side as ordered. Since Marduk far surpassed the speed of flying by transmutation of air, we had no alternative option for flying to the battlefield.

"Its wings are not moving at all. Discharging flames from within its body... Rather than a living organism, it's more like aircraft, right?"

Staring at Bahamut afar, Iris commented. She was holding her fictional armament, Caduceus.

"It's probably using flame jets for thrust. Like you say, Iris, it's more like an airplane. But... If it really came from outside of Earth, then it's a spaceship rather than a jet plane."

While aiming Marduk's weaponry at Bahamut, I answered Iris' question.

The target was now locked. There were weapons capable of sniping from this range. However, since Major Loki was already drawing Bahamut's attention, there was no need for us to attack before it noticed us. More importantly, we needed to allow Iris' Catastrophe to hit.

Listening to us, Kili seemed to notice a problem.

"Outside of Earth—I see, that's definitely the kind of creatures the 'true dragons' are. However, if Bahamut is a creature that feeds on heat, why would it visit Earth. Logically speaking, wouldn't it go to the Sun instead?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. In other words, its objective isn't absorbing energy...?"

Kili's observation made me tilt my head in thought but I could not figure out what else Bahamut could be aiming for. However, Iris seemed to think of something and she said to me:

"Maybe Bahamut has preferences? For example, if you give me bunch of green peppers, which I don't like, I'd rather have Mitsuki-chan's tasty sweets."

"Quality over quantity? It's not impossible."

After I commented, Kili smiled wryly and nodded.

"Fufu, that's very Iris-chan. Perhaps on this planet, there is something particularly attractive to dragons."

"Something attractive..."

These words stirred some kind of thought inside me, but an urgent voice on the communicator interrupted my thinking.

'—Engaged in battle with NIFL, Bahamut is exhibiting change. A massive amount of thermal energy is detected at its head. Currently increasing rapidly!'

The instant I looked in the direction of Marduk's course, intense light flashed through the sky.

An explosive scene occurred, almost as though the sun had risen from the north.

Orange flames scorched the far shore on the horizon with the giant dragon's black silhouette overlaid on top.

'Bahamut seems to have released a heat beam. The NIFL fleet deployed in front of Bahamut has gone missing—Most likely vaporized.'

"Tsk... Major Loki—How is the ''Naglfar''?"

'The flagship ''Naglfar'' evaded in the nick of time; it is still intact. Oh—They just contacted us. The operation will continue, just that the defense line has collapsed and it is no longer possible to halt Bahamut's advance. They will act as a diversion to confuse Bahamut.'

"Understood. Still... That firepower is quite unbelievable. This is the first time for Bahamut to execute a clear attack on its own, right?"

Watching the steam rising, I asked Jeanne.

'Indeed. The Atlantean weapons equipped on the ''Naglfar'' and the cooling projectiles used by the fleet must have been effective to some extent. Since Bahamut saw NIFL as an enemy, one could say that the operation is proceeding smoothly. We will be able to launch a heavy assault from behind with ease.'

"Yeah—But don't be careless, everyone. Tell me immediately if it shows signs of intercepting us. Iris, how much close do we need to approach for you to get into range?"

While I was issuing orders to Jeanne, I asked Iris.

"Umm... It's different from before, I no longer send out Catastrophe in a 'zap!' ...Since I'll be using dark matter to transmute from Bahamut's surroundings, distance won't matter much. Although we're still far away, I can aim as long as I can see clearly."

"Really? Then your range might be even longer than before. If that's the case, we can launch the attack first without worrying too much."

Her reply reassured me somewhat.

Iris' ability should be more restricted than before, but an advantage had arisen.

When Basilisk used Catastrophe, there was a range limit. This applied to Iris too when she fired Catastrophe directly.

But now, with the target was so gigantic and hovering in midair, it was possible to make visual confirmation from farther away and attack.

"Iris, get ready to attack. Give the signal when you feel you can attack."

"Yeah!"

Iris nodded with a tense expression then took a step forward, wielding her staff fictional armament.

"Iris-chan, don't get impatient, okay? If the first strike fails, Bahamut will surely see us as a threat and attack us. Anyway, take a deep breath and relax first."

Kili offered advice to Iris, whose entire body was tense, then patted her on the shoulder.

"Inhale... Exhale... Thanks, Kili-chan. I'm much more relaxed now."

"...Don't mention it. If you miss, we'll all be in trouble."

Kili avoided eye contact while making a harsh comment, but she frowned when her gaze met with mine.

"Yuu, do you have something to say?"

"Nope, or rather, what I wanted to say is no longer needed."

I shrugged and shook my head.

"...You're so bad."

Kili's face reddened slightly and she moved to stand a step forward. Smiling wryly, I watched the same direction as her.

After getting closer, I could see flashes of light around Bahamut intermittently. The battle continued to rage on.

Amid the tense atmosphere, we stayed wary of Bahamut while waiting for the signal.

Ten seconds, twenty seconds, thirty seconds—

Bahamut's silhouette gradually became large, bringing an increasing sense of mass. We could now recognize it as a three dimensional entity.

The heat beam discharged by the giant dragon vaporized the frozen ocean surface, causing a massive explosion. A brief moment later, the shockwave arrived, shaking Marduk slightly.

When the shaking stopped, Iris finally gave the signal.

"Mononobe, from here, I'll probably—no, I'll definitely hit it!"

"Got it! Marduk, begin deceleration. Lisa, you and the others will take care of Bahamut's attacks. Spread out from the sides of the ship."

I lowered the ship speed to stabilize its flight while issuing orders to everyone else. Since Iris was now able to attack, there was no need to continue approaching. After that, all we needed to do was use Marduk's equipment and the power of the Ds to keep Iris safe.

'—Affirmative. Off we go, everyone!'

At Lisa's signal, the girls took flight from the decelerated Marduk.

There were no changes in Bahamut's movements at the moment. It continued to attack the ''Naglfar'' and NIFL's remaining forces.

"Preparations are complete, Iris. Let us exterminate Bahamut!"

"Yeah!"

Facing forward, Iris nodded firmly then raised her staff fictional armament.

"—Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

She recited the incantation that I had heard many times before. These were words spoken for focusing one's mind.

Back when she used Catastrophe directly, her incantation was a little different. But this time, she was using the words for generating dark matter, because she needed to summon dark matter to transmute into Catastrophe.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond!"

Iris repeated the same words in a forceful tone of voice. Although unseen by the naked eye, dark matter should be generating in Bahamut's surroundings.

Next, for the sake of destroying Bahamut, Iris narrowed the infinite possibility possessed by the dark matter down to a single one.

"Catastrophe—Actualize!!"

With these words, Bahamut in the distance was enveloped in red light. This was the glow of Catastrophe.

The authority of weathering, stealing time from all creation—

Although I had worried whether it was possible to weather a ten-kilometer-long giant dragon all at once, such concerns turned out to be unnecessary.

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

A deep roar like thunder could be heard from afar. This was probably Bahamut screaming in pain.

Inside the light, Bahamut was struggling. Completely unfazed earlier during the intense battle against NIFL, the black dragon lost balance and fell from a great height.

This was surely Catastrophe taking effect. However—

"Jeanne, any change in Bahamut's size?"

I asked through the communicator.

Indeed—I could not see any signs of Catastrophe causing any change in Bahamut's size. Minor crumbling should happen if its body had been weathered, but even though tormented by the red light, Bahamut still maintained its original form.

'Although there was a momentary decrease, there is no change currently. This is just a guess, but Bahamut probably increased its rate of metabolism, growing new skin before the outer layer was weathered away.'

"Hmm... A draw between the rate of weathering and cell division. Did it develop resistance against Catastrophe—"

Hearing Jeanne's report, I could not help but gasp, but then I heard Lisa's voice.

'No, I believe the issue does not lie with Bahamut. Please examine Catastrophe's color carefully!'

"Color?"

Troubled, I looked at the red glow surrounding Bahamut. Speaking of which, something definitely felt off. It seemed different from the Catastrophe I had previously seen until now...

'—Mm. I get it. Compared to before... it's less concentrated.'

Ren's voice through the communicator made me realize it too.

"Yeah, the red hue should be more intense."

Just as I muttered, Kili cried out from close by.

"Hey, so this means Catastrophe isn't concentrated enough—In other words, the output is lacking!? Iris-chan, if this continues, you won't be able to weather Bahamut away, you know?"

Confronted with Kili's question, Iris kept her fictional armament raised at Bahamut and replied:

"Sorry... I know that... But surrounding all of Bahamut... is already putting me at my limit—"

Iris's voice sounded pained and her arm was trembling too. She was definitely doing her best already.

"Limit? Impossible. The authority you inherited from Basilisk came into existence to defeat Bahamut. In other words, you are the only one who can defeat that thing. I will cheer for you, so show me some backbone!"

"Kili-chan cheering for me... I'm so happy, but... No matter how much harder I try, I still, dunno... Also—"

At that moment, Iris stopped talking and turned to me. I could see fear in her eyes, so I rushed over to pat her on the shoulder.

"Iris..."

Should I ask her to try harder or tell her not to strain herself? Neither was the right thing to say, so I remained silent.

"Mononobe—I..."

Just as Iris was about to continue what she was saying, Jeanne's voice interrupted.

'Bahamut is about to shoot something from its back! Quantity is twenty. Aimed at us!'

I looked up to see multiple small shadows fly through the red light and rise into the sky.

'The projectiles show readings of high energy. Probably—bombs... No, missiles! Currently approaching, accelerating, too late to take evasive action!'

—Missiles? Created from inside the body?

But now was not the time to be shocked.

Jeanne shared with me what data had been captured through radar. Through my senses, I obtained the current coordinates of the incoming fast-moving missiles.

"I will intercept them! If I miss any, I'm counting on the rest of you, Lisa!"

'Affirmative!'

Hearing the replies from Lisa and the others, I used my mind to lock onto every projectile. At the same time, I connected the depths of my mind to one of Marduk's armaments, and spoke sharply:

"Hyperspace reversion rocket-assisted artillery, Abyss—Fire!!"

The missile pods at the back of Marduk opened up, launching multiple warheads into the sky.

The white exhaust streaked across the blue sky, leaving trails. The warheads rushed at the enemy projectiles. Abyss was a weapon for ripping holes in space and would have no problem detonating projectiles.

However, just before the warheads reached the targets, there was a cataclysmic development.

'—The projectiles have split! There are now forty of them!'

"Damn it!"

The instant I heard Jeanne's report, I detonated the Abyss warheads.

Multiple black punctures appeared in the sky, sucking in the projectiles that had split apart. Hyperspace that was not supposed to exist was crushed together with real space, destroying it along with the projectiles. However, several shadows passed through the gaps to fly at Marduk.

Covered in black scales like Bahamut's surface, the projectiles approached the battleship with flarebacks.

Just as Jeanne had said, these were definitely missiles.

"Thirty-six destroyed. Four intact—"

'If only four remain, leave them to us.'

Firill replied.

'Everyone, to stop them from exploding, use coolants to freeze them!'

'Mm!'

Ren and the others responded to Firill's call and took individual action to intercept the incoming flying objects.

'Freeze, ice fang!'

From the starboard, Lisa took the lead by unleashing a flash of blue-white light. The others followed and released coolants at the projectiles.

Bathed under intense cold air and extremely low-temperature matter, the projectiles were frozen, losing their flarebacks. Losing speed, the projectiles fell towards the frozen ocean surface.

But without giving us any time to catch our breath, Jeanne called out urgently again.

'Bahamut is starting to turn, apparently intending to escape Catastrophe! If Bahamut faces us squarely, there is a high probability we will be exposed to a heat beam!'

I looked in the direction the ship was advancing. Indeed, Bahamut was slowly turning.

Although Iris was trying hard, the red light had become even fainter than before. In light of that, I made decision.

"Jeanne, retreat. Lisa, you and the others return to the ship at once. We will withdraw from the battle zone with maximum speed. Also inform Major Loki—NIFL—of our decision to retreat."

'—Roger that'

Jeanne answered with frustration, but Kili did not hide her dissatisfaction.

"Are you giving up, Yuu? It's too soon to decide that Iris-chan has failed."

"We are not giving up, but simply regrouping. I believe in Iris, but right now, we need more time."

My words caused Iris' shoulder to shake. She barely squeezed out some words:

"Mononobe... Everyone... I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. Iris, you already did everything you could. You didn't fail."

After I patted her silver-haired head, Iris nodded lightly and looked down.

Given our current combat strength, we could not defeat Bahamut. Learning of this was in itself valuable intel. All we needed to do next was to figure out how to make up for what we lacked.

Standing on Marduk's deck while the ship altered its course, I stared at Bahamut afar.

Was it going to chase us? Or would it continue towards its target, the unknown territory at the Arctic?

It was anyone's guess until it happened. While urging Iris and Kili back into the ship, I continued to ponder how to defeat the giant dragon.

===Part 3===

"—Bahamut has returned to its course towards the north. No missiles are chasing us."

After everyone returned to the bridge, Jeanne's report allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief.

We managed to avoid a decisive battle. However, this meant that we could no longer prevent Bahamut from making contact with the Arctic unknown territory.

Major Loki looked grave on the ''Naglfar'', his face displayed on a monitor.

'We have no idea what will happened when Bahamut links up two unknown territories. But it should be heading to the next territory in the northern part of the African continent. We will intercept it along its route at the second defense line set up in the waters of Norway.'

Without blaming us for the failure earlier, Major Loki simply related the next plan indifferently. On the other hand, the machine intellect Atla, appearing onscreen in the form of a fairy, subjected us to verbal abuse. "You useless trash! Work harder, fools!" However, Major Loki tapped his fingers on her head on the screen to make her settle down. Perhaps it was a touchscreen on his end.

'If the second defense line were to be breached, the unknown territory would most likely devour the mainland while continuing its invasion. In that event, losses will be incalculable. No matter what, we must stop it there.'

A predicted route of Bahamut's course was shown on the monitor. One of the names there was the Principality of Erlia, Firill's homeland.

"......Of course. We will for sure."

While looking at the map, Firill whispered with determination.

'I would like you all to participate in the second defense line. Although Catastrophe cannot be used to destroy Bahamut in one strike, it is still undoubtedly the most effective means of attack. Based on the current situation, we are considering the option of using maximum firepower to pare down Bahamut's body in conjunction to exposure to Catastrophe to see if it will be effective—However, please tell us if you have a better suggestion.'

"Understood."

After I nodded, Major Loki finally showed one of his usual smiles.

'I am expecting great things from you, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. The operation will commence six hours from now, so given Marduk's speed, there is no problem. Asgard has deemed Bahamut a new dragon, so we are able to use countermeasures for dragon disasters as appropriate. Even passing over various signatory nations of the treaty will not be considered invasion of their airspace. Well then, let us meet again at the battlefield.'

"And you, rubbish tree and company! I won't forgive any of you if you fail again!"

Communications with the ''Naglfar'' terminated with Atla's voice. The bridge returned to silence for now.

I could feel everyone's gaze gathered on me, so I took a deep breath. After sweeping my gaze across the bridge once, I noticed Mitsuki and Shion's absence. They were probably on standby in a cabin, but I felt ashamed that I did not even maintain enough composure to keep track of my teammates.

—Major Loki was very calm. ''If I don't think about what needed to be done now... If I don't think about what could be done...''

"Set course for the second defense line at Norway."

After I declared briefly, Jeanne instantly responded from her seat in front of a monitor.

"Affirmative. Destination set. If we take the shortest route at cruise speed, we will be able to converge with NIFL ten minutes before the operation. Shinomiya-sensei, may I trouble you to contact the various nations along the route?"

"Very well, leave it to me."

Seeing Shinomiya-sensei nod and prepare for communications, I issued orders to the rest.

"Everyone else, please rest until we reach the destination. Iris, could you come with me?"

My words made Iris froze. She replied in a trembling voice.

"Um... I knew it, you're... mad at me, right?"

"No, I'm not. Iris, I said you didn't fail, right? I just want you to accompany me to visit Mitsuki. Tell her what it felt like when you were trying your hardest and see if the two of you can think together to come up with a better method."

I smiled wryly and shook my head.

"Together with Mitsuki-chan...?"

Surprised, Iris repeated my words.

"Yeah, in terms of using dark matter to invoke authorities, both Mitsuki and I are the same. So perhaps you might find unexpected inspiration by chatting with Mitsuki."

At that moment, Vritra interjected.

"In that case, I shall join the discussion. After observing ye battle from here, I have many thoughts."

"—Sure. Vritra, your knowledge seems quite reliable."

"Fufu, as expected of my comrade. Thou knowest the truth."

When I answered, Vritra smiled with satisfaction.

"Looks like Yuu has gradually figured out how to deal with my mother."

Watching our interactions, Kili shrugged slightly.

===Part 4===

After the team was dismissed for the time being, I went to visit Mitsuki's cabin together with Iris and Vritra.

But then, I was plunged into an unexpected situation.

"Nii-san, you truly know how to enjoy yourself."

Mitsuki was glaring down at me coldly while I was sitting on the bed.

"This isn't enjoyable for me at all..."

Feeling the weight on top of me, I replied to Mituski.

"How now? Dost thou have objections as my chair?"

Sitting on my lap, Vritra looked up at me with a scowl.

"Papa, iS It heAvY?"

Hugging my back, resting her head against my shoulder, Shion leaned in and asked.

"Mononobe... It must be tough for you."

Sitting to my left, Iris was very worried but because we were seated tightly against each other, my elbow was touching her bust. While taking care not to let that soft sensation produce a flustered expression on my face, I shook my head.

"Don't worry, well—She's not that heavy. No problem."

Left without a choice, I could only sigh in resignation.

Squeezing two people in a cabin meant for a single occupant was cramped enough already, and right now, there was a total of five of us. All kinds of outrageous behavior were only inevitable.

The only places that could be sat on were the chair and the bed. Hence, other than Mitsuki, everyone else had gathered on the bed.

"Nii-san, you are spoiling her too much. Shion-san can be overlooked, but is it really necessary to have Vritra on your lap? If it is cramped, then simply have her sit on the edge."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v12_171.jpg|thumb]]

Mitsuki pointed to my right and spoke, but Vritra shrugged.

"What art thou speaking about? Know that 'tis intentional that I conceded the space. 'Tis imperative at the moment to ensure thy mental stability. Even one such as I am considerate of such matters."

"...S-Since there is a chair, anyway, I have no need to sit on the bed..."

Looking flustered, Mitsuki declined with a blush.

"Thou wilt not sit hither? 'Tis jealousy I see in you... So be it, 'tis apparent that reading human emotions from their faces is no easy task."

Vritra crossed her arms and sighed in disappointment. Shion also inclined her little head sadly and asked, "mItSukI, yoU'Re nOt gOnnA siT?"

Seeing Shion's reaction, Mitsuki sat down on my right with a reluctant expression.

"Then I shall graciously take my seat here, or else that would be waste of your care and consideration. Furthermore... Perhaps, now is the only time when I could do this sort of thing."

Showing a lonely expression for just an instant, Mitsuki entwined her arm around my right arm and leaned against me. The warmth and fragrance of her body, as well as the softness of her skin, were making my heart pound nonstop.

"Mitsuki...?"

"Nii-san, I would like to be even closer... Would you be alright with that?"

Mitsuki looked up and asked. I instantly nodded.

"Sure, no problem. It's totally alright with me."

"—Is that so? I see. Since you say that now, Nii-san... Then the matter of not being a lie would also..."

Despite smiling, Mitsuki's expression was full of gloom. I did not completely understand her meaning either.

However, before I could ask for clarification, Mitsuki pushed the discussion forward.

"Well then, let us begin to discuss the matter of Iris-san's Catastrophe lacking sufficient firepower. I did not witness the battle against Bahamut first hand, so please explain the situation at the time to me."

Mitsuki leaned forward and spoke past me to Iris who was sandwiching me from the other side.

"Okay, umm—"

Iris proceeded to explain what happened when she invoked Catastrophe against Bahamut and I supplemented details from the side.

While we were talking, Shion yawned in boredom whereas Vritra sat quietly on my lap, swaying her legs.

After listening, Mitsuki pondered for a moment.

"...You summoned dark matter at coordinates over a wider range in order to cover Bahamut's entire body, but Catastrophe's intensity was weakened—Is that correct? Allow me to confirm, this was not due to a shortage of dark matter, was it?"

Mitsuki asked Iris solemnly.

"No, I feel that there was enough dark matter, but there's a limit to the amount that can be transmuted... Umm, like pouring furikake seasoning from a bottle, only a bit comes out with each shake, right? Like this."

Iris simulated the act of shaking furikake out of its bottle while answering.

"Although your analogy is a little odd... In any case, I understand. In other words, it is a limit unrelated to the generating capacity of dark matter. Perhaps my antimatter has the same restriction, but since I never attempted using it to the limit, I did not become aware of it. After all, even a tiny amount of antimatter would already be very dangerous... What about you, Nii-san?"

Faced with Mitsuki's question, I thought while answering.

"That's true... Whether Leviathan's antigravitational matter or Hraesvelgr's Ether Wind, I can summon them beyond my dark matter generating capacity, so I don't know if I have a limit either. However—"

"However?"

Sitting on my lap, Vritra looked up and urged me to continue.

"...There was one time when I generated Ether Wind directly. Back then, the Ether Wind enveloping me had very high density. Now that I think about it, how should I put this? I guess the only way to bring out an authority's original power is to use it without going through dark matter as an intermediary."

Recalling my battle against Major Loki, I expressed the above opinion. After finding out that Hraesvelgr's authority was residing in my heart, I was able to ''turn into Hraesvelgr'' temporarily to defeat Major Loki.

"All things considered, it means employing the same method as the real Hraesvelgr and Basilisk did... Excuse me, Nii-san. After listening to all this—I have noticed something."

Gazing squarely at my face, Mitsuki spoke.

"You noticed something?"

"Indeed. Bahamut's body length is ten kilometers—ten thousand meters, correct?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

I nodded. Mitsuki glanced at Iris and continued.

"In that case... Nii-san, do you remember the range of Basilisk's Catastrophe?"

"Well—it's been a while..."

Unable to recall it instantly, I scratched my head. Mitsuki proceeded to reveal the correct answer on my behalf.

"Normally, the Catastrophe shot out from the pair of eyes in Basilisk's head has a range of five thousand meters. The third eye on its back had a range of approximately ''ten thousand meters''."

"Ten thousand meters..."

I gasped and repeated the words that Mitsuki had given emphasis to.

"Indeed, it is identical to Bahamut's body length. If this is not coincidence—if Basilisk is the counterdragon born to vanquish Bahamut—then ''this third eye would be the organ that existed specifically for defeating Bahamut'', wouldn't it not?"

The cabin returned to silence. Messing around behind me, Shion settled down due to the mood.

"Impossible—would be a rash assertion. But if that's the case..."

Nodding stiffly, I broke the silence and looked at Iris on my left. When our gazes met, Iris shuddered and looked down.

Vritra, who had been silent so far, followed up on my comment and announced:

"Bahamut can only be defeated by Basilisk. That is to say, Iris Freyja—the one who hath inherited the authority—Thou must transform into Basilisk."

With her head low, Iris clutched my hand firmly. Vritra spoke to her:

"'Twas mine intention to share this idea with ye all, but 'tis convenient that ye reached this conclusion on your own. Nay... Thou already realized since the beginning, yes?"

When asked, Iris exhaled deeply.

"—Yeah. You're right. If I can't do it as I am now... Then it might be possible to defeat Bahamut if I transform into Basilisk."

At that moment, Iris looked up and made eye contact with me.

"But I don't know how to turn into Basilisk either... And I'm so scared of breaking out in scales all over my body like last time, becoming non-human. That's why I didn't bring it up... I'm sorry."

"It's only natural to be scared. No need to apologize. I understand very well... how you feel."

I hugged Iris around her shoulders and whispered in her ear gently.

Kraken Zwei—Back when we were fighting the one who was now Shion, I personally witnessed Iris' transformation into Basilisk. Hence, I should not blame her for cowardice.

However, Vritra broke the heavy atmosphere in apparent nonchalance.

"What, this is what thou fearest? Worry not. Even if thou transformed into Basilisk for a moment, 'tis ought to be possible to turn back."

"Eh...?"

Iris was shocked. Thumping my chest, Vritra continued:

"Verily, this man turned back to human after transforming into Hraesvelgr. Neun's authority hath the effect of maintaining one's outer form and existence, presumably. Mononobe Mitsuki, who was supposed to be progressively devoured by darkness, still maintained her existence too, hence 'twould be logical to come to propose such a conjecture."

Glancing at Mitsuki, Vitra shrugged lightly.

"Naturally, I cannot assert with absolute certainly. Unexpected results could not be ruled out. Be that as it may, so long as this man exists, 'tis possibly for him to select thee again. So long as the slightest element of a D persists, transformation into the same kind ought to be effective."

Hearing this, Iris' face finally brightened up.

"Really—I see! So it'll be definitely be fine if Mononobe's with me... Why didn't something so simple occur to me?"

Iris scratched the back of her head shyly then hugged my arm with a smile.

"H-Hey—"

Buried in Iris' soft cleavage, I was at a loss how to react, but she tightened her grip on me.

"Hmm.. I won't be scared anymore. No matter what happens... I have faith that Mononobe will save me."

Then imitating Iris, Shion hugged my neck.

"mE tOo, aS loNg as Papa iS hEre, i'M noT scAreD."

Seeing me pat Shion's hand to tell her to be more gentle, Mitsuki smiled too.

"...How true. It is all because of Nii-san that I could be who I am."

Mitsuki rested her head on my shoulder and the atmosphere in the room relaxed subtly However, one murmured comment from Iris made me realize that the problem was not completely solved yet.

"But how do I use Catastrophe like before...?"

"'Tis not something I would know."

Vritra distanced herself from the issue directly, so Iris asked me:

"So, Mononobe, how did you turn into Hraesvelgr last time?"

"I remember back then, I was just about to lose consciousness when I found myself stuck in the boundary between dreams and reality. Then I saw the Ether Wind... and noticed where Hraesvelgr's authority resides."

"Where the authority resides?"

Lost and confused, Iris tilted her head.

"Yeah, Ether Wind resides in my heart. When I realized this and used the ability consciously, I entered the same state as Hraesvelgr once did."

When living things were enveloped in Ether Wind, due to the spirit materializing inside the body, they would become immobilized. However, if the spirit could surround the body at the moment it was enveloped by Ether Wind, the body would be able to move freely.

That incredible feeling was something quite hard for me to articulate in words.

"I see... Then my power—Basilisk's—must reside somewhere."

Iris murmured then she instantly placed her hand over her eyes.

"—It's the eyes. Basilisk shot out Catastrophe from its eyes, right? Then if that's the case..."

Mitsuki nodded deeply in response.

"That sounds very likely. Since the same applies to the third eye too, the connection between Catastrophe and the eyes must be very deep."

"I know, right? But we need to confirm it in addition to speculating... Do I need to take a nap and dream like Mononobe?"

Seeing Iris say that with her arms crossed, I was a bit worried.

"No, definitely not. Falling asleep completely won't work. Close your eyes and shift your consciousness from within—Try that?"

"Yeah, I got it! Then I'll try it inside an empty cabin!"

Iris stood up from the bed and Vritra jumped down swiftly from my lap.

"In that case, I shall come along too. I shall watch to ensure thou dost not fall into slumber. 'Tis a grave matter indeed. Should thou fail to vanquish Bahamut, this planet shall meet its end before the ninth dragon's true form is elucidated."

"Thank you so much, Vritra-chan!"

Just as Iris thanked happily, an announcement was heard in the cabin.

'—Report from NIFL. Bahamut has reached the Arctic's unknown territory. No special changes at the moment. Just as predicted, Bahamut has changed its course towards the third unknown territory.'

Halfway through the announcement, Shion cried out happily, "iT's Mama's vOiCe!"

Iris tensed her expression and clenched her fist tightly before her chest.

"Along the way... is Firill-chan's homeland, right? I must succeed next time!"

"Yeah, you can do it, Iris. I'll support you with all my power."

Rather than merely consoling her, I spoke with sincere belief.

"Yes—If it is Iris-san, the outcome will surely be fine."

Perhaps in chagrin because she could not stand on the front line? Mitsuki encouraged Iris as though looking at something dazzling.

"iRiS, Do yOur bEst."

Despite not understanding the situation, Shion also cheered for Iris.

"Yes, leave it to me!"

Iris made a thumbs-up and accepted our support, then left the cabin together with Vritra.

Numerous human lives, many countries, and the Earth itself, was at stake in this battle—And it was fast approaching.

===Part 5===

After Nii-san returned to the bridge, leaving Shion and I, just the two of us, in the cabin, I—Mononobe Mitsuki—contemplated.

—The location of an authority, huh?

So far, this had never occurred to me. My authority to generate antimatter ought to be from the Kraken—no, received from Miyako, who had passed it along to me.

Indeed... Not inherited, but passed along.

After all, I was able to use antimatter before taking out the Kraken.

Just like how Nii-san had divided Code Lost and passed it along to us, Miyako must have transferred a portion of her power to me.

However, this raised a question. The ability to transfer authorities was due to our status as "mates"—because all of us shared strong bonds with Nii-san. Was there such a powerful bond between Miyako and me back then? If so, then surely it was...

Pressing my hand against the dragon mark on the back of my neck, I shook my head.

I did not know if this was the correct answer. Hence, I could only contemplate. If I did not ponder the matter at hand...

I switched mindsets and restarted my thinking.

The authorities I held numbered a total of four.

First was my ability to generate dark matter as a D. Although it felt like my own power, in reality, it was an ability arising from Vritra going around and spreading genes. I must own up to the fact that this was the authority of Vritra as a counterdragon.

Second was what I had received from Miyako, the Kraken's power. Antimatter. Like Catastrophe and dark matter, this was also an authority that had arisen to oppose a past calamity.

Third was Code Lost, which Nii-san had transferred to me. What I had received was only one part of it, so diluted that I could not even sense it myself. However, were it in its complete form, Code Lost would be a fearsome power that could twist human fates and kill humanity just through one's thoughts alone.

As for the fourth, the blue light that was sealing away the ninth calamity—

"In addition to dark matter, antimatter, and Code Lost... It is only logical that I possess an authority as Neun. If I could figure out where it is located and how to use it, I would be able to help Nii-san—"

Just as I uttered these words, organizing my thoughts as to what needed to be done at the moment, Shion-san looked up from the picture book she was reading on the bed.

"i kNow wHerE anTiMattEr is. hERe—leFt eYe."

Shion-san lifted her hair and exposed the left eye that she usually kept covered.

"Eh... Sh-Shion-san, you know this?"

"yEah, i jUsT dO."

Seeing Shion-san nod calmly, I held my breath.

—Speaking of which, Shion-san was able to use antimatter too. Well, born as Kraken Zwei, perhaps Shion-san understood her authority from the very beginning.

I covered my left eye with my hand and began to think.

—My authority ought to be here, assuming my case is the same as Shion-san's. Although Iris-san said that Basilisk's authority might be in the eyes... Perhaps it was the right eye.

"Shion-san, are you able to generate antimatter directly when you want to?

"...dUnNo. wItH Papa and Mama—and eVerYone—bY My siDe now, nO neEd to usE iT."

Seeing Shion-san a little troubled, I realized how foolish a question I had asked.

"My apologies, I asked you a weird question."

Walking over to Shion-san, I caressed her head, causing her to close her eyes partially in pleasure.

Her expression made me smile too. At the same time, I asked myself honestly.

The Kraken had released antimatter from its purple eyeball. It was related to the eye.

During the car accident in which my parents passed away, I could not see anything amid the darkness... To the point that I could not even distinguish my own being. However, upon hearing Nii-san's voice—I was able to recall myself.

In that instant, what had I seen? What had I felt?

I tried my hardest to dig up my memories, to awaken the sensations that had been carved upon my body.

"—"

A sudden shock flashed through my entire body, causing me to groan lightly.

"Oh, I see now..."

I understood everything. The location of the authority, as well as its true nature.

And I understood too, that I had become the ''true Neun'' sooner than anyone else.

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 2

2016-09-25T17:12:59Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - Atlantis the Electronic Fairy==

===Part 1===

A complicated maze of passages illuminated by milky-white lighting filled the interior of Marduk.

However, I already knew the internal layout like the back of my hand thanks to my link to Marduk. I first took everyone to the bridge in the top part of the ship's interior. Every shut door opened automatically in response to my intention to open it.

The bridge was a domed structure with a diameter of roughly ten meters. After I entered, the ceiling displayed images from all around the ship's surroundings. I took a look around and could even see Charlotte and the students at the harbor.

Everyone was exclaiming in awe and surprise. Accompanying us as Midgard's commanding officer, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the seat located at the front of the domed room.

There was one seat in the very center of the domed room with three more in front on the circular edge. This looked a bit few, but I knew clearly it was enough. This ship could be used properly even if there was only one user linked to Marduk.

"This is an Atlantean weapon, huh? Although you are able to control it without problems, Mononobe Yuu, are others capable of operating this ship? Though there is a console... I cannot read the language at all. I hope there is some kind of communications channel to ensure contact with Midgard and NIFL."

Shinomiya-sensei looked a bit troubled.

"Oh—About that..."

Although I could feel how things were used, articulating it was quite difficult. At that moment, Tia poked out her head from beside me and answered on my behalf.

"Don't worry, just let Tia do it! Leave it to Tia!"

With a flash of electricity from Tia's red horns, static appeared momentarily on the dome-shaped monitor.

"Uh... Hmm... If I copy Midgard's... Roughly like this—"

Tia murmured to herself for a while, opening a window on the monitor in front of a seat. The language on the console also turned into letters of the Latin alphabet.

"Tia tried installing an Asgard-compatible virtual OS inside the Marduk System. Will that work?"

After listening to Tia, Ren jogged over to the empty seat.

"Mm, let's confirm. It seems very interesting."

Ren looked incredibly excited as she started to operate the console.

"......Mm. Feels like it'll work. I should be able to understand the entire system by starting here. Analyzing the ship's drive system will take time... But opening up a comm channel should be instant."

Hearing Ren's reply, Shinomiya-sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent, then I would have a job to do. Leave negotiations with NIFL to me. Roughly three hours from now, NIFL's forces at the first defense line in the Arctic Ocean will begin to engage Bahamut... Will we make it in time? If not, then there is the second defense line set up in the waters of Norway—"

"It's fine, Marduk will definitely make it."

Sensing the ship's "power" as though it were my own limb, I asserted. There was enough time even if we traveled normally within the atmosphere. If necessary, we could even exit the atmosphere to fly along a ballistic trajectory.

"Very well, then let us set a course for the rendezvous point with the forces at the first defense line. The coordinates are—"

After Shinomiya-sensei gave the latitude and longitude, Ren immediately operated the console to display the map on the monitor.

From my senses, I learned that Marduk's systems understood that this was the destination.

The mild headache persisted, but my expanded consciousness filled me with a sense of omnipotence. I felt as though I was capable of anything right now.

"—Roger that. Marduk, set sail."

Sitting on the seat in the middle of the room, with the best visibility, I increased the depth of my synchronization with Marduk. As though moving my fingers, I retracted the gangway and locked the hatch. Main engine ignited—The ship moved forward dead slow.

Marduk began to launch slowly, gradually leaving the harbor.

I turned on the external sound output to speak with the people seeing us off.

"Well then—We are setting off."

Then I turned around and gestured to Iris and the girls with my hand.

After showing a look as though awakening from a dream, Iris took a deep breath and yelled.

"We're off!"

This triggered everyone else to say the usual parting pleasantries. Yet to develop a sense of belonging at Midgard, Kili and Vritra did not join in, but they did not interject either.

The bridge monitor showed the crowd, gradually receding away.

'—All of you must come back!!'

Waving her hand vigorously from the harbor, Charlotte's voice from the speaker echoed in the bridge. Then came the "safe travels" well wishes from the students to send us off.

Once I decided there was sufficient distance from the harbor, I raised the engine output and took formal control of Marduk.

On the sides of the ship, the main wings swung out, activating the gravitational control devices—

The video feed on the dome's ceiling monitor began to change. Midgard and the ocean were gradually receding away.

Even though we did not feel any shaking at all in the bridge, Marduk had taken off and was already hovering in the air.

Liberated from the constraints of gravity, the ship used its wings to stabilize itself and switched to atmospheric flight mode.

"—Off we go."

I spoke briefly.

The main engine increased in output. The main thrusters ignited. Acceleration began.

Slight vibration was felt in the bridge. Due to the rapid acceleration, the scenery flew past quickly. Centered around our flight direction, the clouds were stretched radially into thin trails.

Midgard was out of sight. What extended before our eyes was the blue of the sky and the ocean, as well as the white clouds, drawn out and receding to the back.

With the blue horizon as the destination, the ship flew. Once cruising speed in the atmosphere was reached, I stopped accelerating and leaned against the seat rest.

"Phew... Now all that's left is to fly straight towards the destination."

Persistent control would increase the burden on the mind excessively, so I reduced my synchronization with Marduk and switched to auto-pilot mode. The headache, which I had forgotten while I was concentrating, resurfaced, causing me to shake my head.

"Good work, Mononobe-kun. You really nailed that captain feel."

Firill emerged from behind my seat and laughed mischievously.

"...I'm just the pilot. Shinomiya-sensei is the captain."

I replied wryly and Shinomiya-sensei looked back.

"No, regarding this ship, you are the captain. I am just the communications officer."

"I'm the sysadmin."

Staring at the monitor, tapping away at the console, Ren remarked without turning her head.

"Then what about us?"

With nothing assigned to her currently, Iris brought a finger to the side of her mouth and cocked her head.

"Hmm... Ordinary crew, I guess?"

After Ariella spoke, Shion asked Jeanne:

"cRew? whAt DoEs cRew dO?"

"Uh, let me think... People who do all kinds of work on a ship... I suppose?"

However, Kili shrugged after listening.

"But is there any work to do here?"

"Know that I have no wish to do work."

Vritra frowned and objected to working. Looking a bit exasperated, Lisa asked me:

"I shall do everything within my ability. Mononobe Yuu, is there anything I can offer assistance with?"

"No—Not at the moment. At this speed, it will take roughly two and a half hours to reach the destination... Lisa, you girls need to rest properly in preparation for the upcoming battle. Cabins for the crew are on the left and right sides of the corridor leaving the bridge. I'll unlock them now, so all of you can pick whichever cabin you prefer."

I focused my mind and opened the doors to the various cabins.

The Atlanteans were humans too, so all essential facilities were the same. Through the data in my mind, I verified the cabin layouts. They were equipped with beds and showers.

"Understood. So much happened last night and we did not get to sleep well. Let us take a quick nap to refresh ourselves."

Lisa nodded and left the bridge with the others. Only Mitsuki remained, staring at me.

"Nii-san... What are your plans?"

"I'll stay here. I can't relax too much if I'm controlling Marduk."

"I see—Then I will share a cabin with Iris-san. It would be best for me not to be alone."

With a disappointed look, Mitsuki left the bridge. Did she intend to have a word with me? I hesitated, wondering if I should chase after her, but it felt like I'd merely repeat last night's situation if I said anything—So I stayed in my seat.

Only three people remained in the bridge. Ren who was focused on analyzing Marduk's systems, Shinomiya-sensei who was currently contacting NIFL, and myself.

"......"

Even though I could not relax too much, there was nothing in particular for me to do at the moment. Having set up Marduk to fly towards the destination at a constant speed, all I needed to do was maintain the link.

No—Perhaps I could even take a nap.

The people piloting this Marduk in the past could not have worked nonstop without sleep or rest. However, piloting information was separate from the data on the ship's structure, so it was all unknown to me. Even though I could feel how to activate Marduk, I had no idea how the pilots regulated their own conditions.

That being said, attempting to take a nap would be too dangerous. All I could do was wait for Ren's analysis to finish then see if there was some kind of manual related to that.

I suppressed a natural yawn.

Having slept on a sofa last night, I would slip into drowsiness as soon as there was nothing to do. Auto-piloting had lessened my burden, causing my headache to gradually improve. I could very well fall asleep accidentally for real.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite busy, so I was reluctant to talk to them just for a change of pace.

My only choice was to look up at the domed ceiling, gazing at the clouds, rapidly flying past.

—What might Mitsuki and Iris be chatting about?

After spacing out for a while, this thought crossed my mind.

I had told Iris everything. Spending time alone with Mitsuki in these circumstances, she might possibly panic.

Suddenly at that moment, my vision turned blurry then within the blink of an eye, the view in front of me changed completely.

—Huh?

I saw one of the cabins I had opened up for the girls just now. Inside a narrow room meant for a single occupant, there was a bed, a table and a shower compartment. Iris was sitting on the bed while Mitsuki had her laptop open at the table.

"Iris-san, you should lie down. I have slept plenty enough, so let me first take care of some student council work that had been pushed back due to the festival yesterday."

"Mitsuki-chan, even now, you're still working hard at finishing your work as the student council president? You're so amazing..."

"Not really, I am simply using work to give myself a change of pace—"

I was able to listen to their conversation.

The view point was looking down at Iris and Mitsuki from near the ceiling. But of course, I was not actually there and neither did they notice me.

—Were these images transmitted to me from Marduk?

I was currently linked to Marduk and through my senses, I was able to know the entire ship's state and method of operation.

Due to being in this state, that was probably why my curiosity about what was happening inside the ship had caused the relevant scenes to be visually projected into my mind. But in terms of the feeling, it was more like I had become an invisible ghost hovering in midair rather than merely viewing images.

This was totally voyeurism. I frantically tried to pull my consciousness back to reality but my thoughts halted when I heard something Iris said.

"Mitsuki-chan, is 'instinct' not acceptable for you?"

"Iris-san..."

Mitsuki stopped what she was doing and stared at Iris in surprise.

"Sorry... Mononobe told me."

"...Is that so?"

Iris apologized then Mitsuki bowed her head somewhat embarrassedly.

"U-Umm, this is what I think. Isn't instinct the source of all feelings, like being hungry, wanting to sleep, or liking someone? So if you say that's unacceptable, how should I put this...?"

The atmosphere grew more and more heavy as Iris continued anxiously. At this moment, Mitsuki smiled wryly and made a deep sigh.

"—Thank you for your encouragement, but this is not the same."

This was a very transparent but very sad smile.

"Not the same?"

"Indeed. Iris-san, of course I have already agonized over what you were talking about, but what makes me truly afraid is—"

Mitsuki simply bit her lip with a very pained expression and did not finish her sentence. Seeing the look on her face, Iris stood up from the bed and rushed over to her side.

"N-No more! I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan, I don't know anything..."

—Mitsuki.

I didn't know either what was tormenting Mitsuki. I had no idea at all. How truly disgraceful.

"...Do not let it bother you. If you are going to take a nap, how about a shower first?"

Mitsuki shook her head and urged Iris as though trying to change the subject.

"Sure... Oh, in that case, we might as well shower together! Mitsuki-chan, you haven't had a bath since last night, have you?"

"I have not, but showering together should not be necessary..."

Mitsuki hesitated in the face of Iris' sudden suggestion, but Iris clenched her fist and insisted vigorously.

"It is! This is definitely more fun than work! If you're going for a change of pace, then fun is obviously the answer! Come, up up up you go! I'll help you undress."

Saying that, Iris helped Mitsuki up and untied the ribbon at her collar.

"W-Wait! I can do this by myself—"

Mitsuki was very surprised, but I was equally flustered.

Although it was bad to eavesdrop up to this point, watching the rest would be truly unforgivable.

I tried to turn my attention elsewhere, which hopefully would switch the video feed.

—Another room, anywhere but here...!

Pale skin came into view with the unfastening of buttons at the collar—Just as I tried my hardest to avert my gaze, the two of them disappeared from view.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 086.jpg|thumb]]

However, I was still looking into a cabin on the ship. My consciousness was hovering near the ceiling and I could see Firill lying forward on the bed, reading a book.

"...Fufu."

Firill chuckled happily to herself while turning the pages.

It looked like my viewpoint had switched to Firill's cabin.

This was not good either. I should switch to either an unoccupied cabin or back to the bridge next.

I focused my mind, trying to switch my viewpoint to a place of my choosing. However, Firill's kicking legs entered a corner of my view.

While reading, she was slowly kicking her legs up and down alternately. With her socks taken off, her calves were making my heart race, but the thighs were even more dangerous.

Due to the movement of her legs, the hem of her skirt was lifted, almost exposing her underwear. No, if I changed the angle, perhaps I could—

—Hey, what the heck am I thinking!?

I came to my senses and suppressed inappropriate thoughts, forcibly moving my gaze away from Firill's thighs.

Next, the view changed again. Apparently, the thought of shifting my gaze away was the trigger to changing the viewpoint.

But the next one was still a cabin occupied by one of my companions.

Ariella was silently doing push-ups. Strength training, I guess.

In preparation for the imminent battle—That wasn't right. This kind of regular training had the effect of calming one's mind. I knew that all too well.

"Mmm... Hoo..."

Regular breathing noises. Sweat dripping from her brow. Heating up due to exercise, the hue of her skin looked even more seductive. I could not help but gulp.

However, just as I noticed Ariella switching from push-ups to a handstand posture, I panicked.

—H-Hey, if you go upside-down...

Just as her slender legs were about to point up to the ceiling and her skirt would flip over due to gravity, I mobilized my self-control completely and shifted my gaze.

Another change of viewpoint, but this time, I did not even get a chance to relax.

"Mama, cAn'T taKe oFf."

"Try harder, Zwei. If I always help you, then you will never learn how to unfasten your own buttons, you know?"

In the next cabin, Jeanne was watching Shion undress. Like Iris and Mitsuki, they were probably going to take a shower.

"...goT it. i'LL tRy mY BesT."

It brought a smile to one's face to see Shion doing her best to unfasten her buttons, but also made the viewer feel an urge to help her.

Jeanne must be feeling the same, she extended and retracted her hand repeatedly. In the process, she came up with an idea and hastily began to remove her uniform shirt.

"Look, Zwei. Follow what I am doing."

Saying that, Jeanne began to unbutton her shirt starting from the top.

—Hey!?

As each button was unfastened, more of her pale skin came into view, accompanied by wobbling of her bust that was tightly constrained by clothing.

After being told off by the girls previously, Jeanne stopped trying to hide the shape of her bust deliberately. However, a male uniform was still a bit too restrictive for her chest.

When the third button was undone, her cleavage became exposed and I could not help but find my gaze drawn to it.

"Uh... Like Mama..."

Shion was staring at the motions of Jeanne's hands for reference, but it was difficult for me to remain calm after watching Jeanne expose her feminine body.

—I've got to leave and switch to another room—

Using the same principle as before, I averted my gaze and consciousness. Before the next image appeared, a high-pitched voice sounded in my mind first.

"Ahh, 'tis enough! I have stated I do not need a bath!"

"No, Mother. Since you are currently unable to replace your body, you need to take proper care of your hair and skin."

A warzone of a cabin was projected into my mind. Dressed in a camisole, Vritra was running all over the place, trying to escape Kili who was trying to disrobe her by force.

"Be that as it may, I am capable of performing the task alone—"

"If I leave it to you, Mother, isn't that the same as not using shampoo?"

"It entereth mine eyes!"

One of Vritra's shoulder straps had loosened and she was running around the room in a less than presentable manner. In many ways, this was unsuitable for continued viewing. The black dragon—"Black" Vritra—Where has its fearsome aura gone off to?

—I'll pretend I never saw this.

Making my decision, I moved my gaze away from these mother-daughter interactions that brought a smile to my face.

The view switched and the two of them disappeared. This time, it was a cabin with an identical layout, but no one was there.

I sighed mentally. Finally, an unused cabin.

—Hmm?

Upon closer examination, I noticed a set of school uniform, properly folded on the bed, and there were faint water sounds and humming coming from the shower room.

"<nowiki>Why are you~~ always so~~ reckless~~</nowiki>♪"

The pitch and melody were not very accurate and the lyrics were probably improvised.

"<nowiki>I really wish~~ you could show some moderation~~ which is why I can't~~ leave you alone~~</nowiki>♪"

Did she feel inspired? The chorus part seemed to be sung in high spirits.

This voice—Lisa's. I could not be mistaken.

"<nowiki>Before I knew it, someone like you~~ has taken over an important position in my heart~~</nowiki>"

However, this was really embarrassing.

I had done something similar before, but singing in the shower was usually kept for occassions with no one else present. If someone heard me, I'd feel so embarrassed that I'd lock myself in the room for a while.

Just as I was feeling guilty, the water stopped and the shower room was opened.

My heart shook violently. Now I realized it was no time to be laid back.

White steam flowed into the room as Lisa emerged naked from the shower room—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 092.jpg|thumb]]

—S-Sorry!

Although I knew she could not hear my voice, I still apologized on reflex and closed my eyes.

The sounds vanished instantly and I knew the scene had shifted again.

I slowly and carefully opened my eyelids—those of my consciousness rather than my real ones.

However, I could not see anything.

I was surrounded by white mist and there was the sound of running water.

—Where... is this?

Just as I muttered in my heart, the mist moved—Then came a loud voice.

"Oh—Yuu, what are you doing there?"

The water stopped and the mist thinned out a bit, then Tia's figure came into view.

Obscured by the mist was her naked body. Only then did I realize I was inside the shower room.

More surprisingly, Tia was looking up at me.

—T-Tia? You can see me?

No one so far had been able to notice me as a mental projection nor hear my thoughts. However, Tia nodded matter-of-factly. As Yggdrasil's successor, Tia's ability to interfere with "information" had probably allowed her to sense my consciousness that was synchronized with Marduk.

"Of course Tia can see you. Yuu... Did you come to peek on Tia?"

Tia blushed shyly and used her hands to cover her breasts and lower abdomen.

—No, I didn't do this on purpose! It's just that after linking with Marduk, images from inside the ship have flowed automatically into my mind—

"Images from inside the ship? So Yuu not only peeked on Tia but everyone else?"

—Urgh, well, although I didn't do it on purpose, that's what it ended up being...

Unable to refute her, I admitted it. After all, it was the indelible truth that I had peeked on everyone while they were unguarded.

"Yuu, peeking is bad. Even if it wasn't on purpose, you need to be punished for doing bad things."

Tia stared at me and spoke in Lisa's tone of voice.

—Fair point.

"So, come to Tia's cabin right away, Yuu, in your real body."

—F-Fine. But how do I switch my viewpoint back?

"Tia will help you."

A flash of electricity sparked across Tia's red horns. The blinding light made me closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was already back in my seat in the bridge.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei were working at their positions in front and did not seem to have noticed my consciousness moving away.

I was slightly unsteady when I stood up. There was a sharp pain throbbing in the depths of my head.

Including the fact that I could not control my viewpoint, it looked like I had yet to master Marduk's control.

Saying I was going over to Tia, I left the bridge.

Along the sides of the passage, illuminated with milky-white light, were a series of doors. These were the cabins the girls were using.

Which one was Tia's? Although I could find out immediately by searching the interior of Marduk through my senses, this could end up turning into "voyeurism" again. Just as I was hesitating, a door opened automatically as though it had read my mind.

I approached the cabin and peered inside from the entrance.

"...Tia?"

I called her name and got a response from the shower room.

"Yuu, come in."

It looked like it was Tia's cabin. I entered as instructed and the door closed automatically.

"Uh, sorry for just now. While you were showering..."

Somewhat embarrassed, I apologized to Tia.

"Tia is not angry, after all, you are Tia's husband... But doing bad things means you have to be punished. Tia will work hard too."

From behind the door to the shower room, I could hear Tia's voice not very clearly.

In the past, Lisa had punished Tia to cleanse her of her guilt. Tia was most likely recalling that scene, which was why she was imitating Lisa.

"—Got it. Then I'm counting on you."

When answering, I prepared myself to be punched.

"Then come over to this side."

"Huh...?"

This unexpected answer made my voice go off key. I asked in puzzlement:

"Wait, Tia, aren't you in the middle of a shower?"

"Yes. Which is why Yuu will help wash Tia's hair as punishment for peeking just now. Usually, Lisa does it... But today, we are in separate cabins."

"W-Wash your hair—"

"...You can't do it?"

Tia's question interrupted my attempt to refuse.

"I can—But speaking of which, why did you pick separate cabins from Lisa?"

I needed some time to adjust my mindset, so I asked her a question.

"Well..."

From Tia's whisper, I could hear hesitation and unease.

The weakness in her voice made me realize that perhaps the reason why Tia had called me to her cabin was not only to punish me.

Last night, Tia had extracted data on the seventh dragon from Yggdrasil's Akashic Record, but due to the sudden emergence of the Bahamut, we had not had time to ask her about the result.

"Sorry, I won't complain. I'll accept your punishment, Tia."

Deciding that now was the time to be by Tia's side, I started removing my uniform.

"...Yes!"

I heard a happy voice behind the door.

After undressing completely, I took the towel that was placed in front of the shower room and wrapped it around my waist, then nervously pushed the door open.

White steam flowed out of the shower room warmly while the sound of the shower echoed throughout the entire cabin. With her hands over her privates, Tia looked up at me, blushing intensely.

"...I-I'm coming in."

"Please enter..."

Tia nodded.

I closed the door after entering. The shower room was too cramped for two people, forcing me and Tia to be in close proximity. It felt like any movement would make us touch each other.

Still running, the shower poured water over my entire body below the chest. For Tia, this height was just right, but it was too low for me.

"Yuu... Can you wash my hair?"

Fidgeting, Tia looked up and inquired with her gaze.

"—Yeah. Could you turn around?"

Although the feminine fragrance filling the shower room was making my heart race, I still nodded while maintaining a serious face and used my palm to receive some shampoo.

Tia turned around obediently. In the process, her petite shoulder touched my abdomen, causing both of us to shudder.

I convinced myself this was punishment for peeking then reached towards her blonde hair that was almost pink.

Normally tied into twintails, her hair was let down and reached waist level. Indeed, washing it herself would be quite a hassle. I now understood why Lisa helped out.

"Then let's start."

I inserted my fingers between her hair near the top of her head, gently massaging her scalp while making suds with the shampoo.

"...Fufu, this tickles a bit."

Her shoulders trembling slightly, Tia laughed.

"Does it itch anywhere?"

I asked like an owner of a hair salon.

"No, Tia's hair is washed clean every day, so it doesn't itch."

After listening to her, I continued to wash her hair carefully, but whenever my fingertips touched the red horns, Tia's voice got shrill and excited.

"Hyah!? Y-Yuu, don't touch the horns suddenly! They're very sensitive!"

Tearfully, Tia looked back and glared at me.

"Oh—I see, sorry. Then should I avoid the horns?"

"...Don't worry. Tia hopes Yuu can wash the horns clean too. As long as you're gentle... It's fine."

Making her decision, she turned her back to me again.

"Got it. Then I'll be more gentle—"

I gathered suds on my fingertips and touched Tia's red horns gently.

"Mm... Ah—"

Tia trembled and moaned, but this time, I went with the flow and continued without stopping.

"Does it tickle?"

"Oohh... I-It's okay—Ahmm... Ya... Mm..."

Tia's sweet voice echoed in the shower room, rocking my sanity greatly. I focused my mind on my fingertips to banish unnecessary thoughts.

I used the inner side of my fingers to gently rub the smooth and shiny surface of the horns while controlling my strength to scrub the interface between the scalp and the horns.

"Oh... Th-That part... Yuu... This feels so nice... Mm—"

Tia moaned in ecstasy, looking like she had gotten used to this stimulation. Her body also relaxed greatly.

It seemed that rubbing the base of the horns was quite pleasurable so I focused on cleaning it for a while. Then I combed her long hair with my fingers and carefully washed all the way to the tips. Finally, I washed off the suds and applied conditioner before rinsing with hot water—Thus I completed the punishment Tia had given me.

"Okay, it's done."

"—Tia's mind feels blank."

With blushing cheeks, Tia turned her head back then rested it against my body.

"Tia, are you okay?"

I bent down and caught Tia with my hands as she leaned back. Her petite body was warm and soft. Although there were suds lingering on her body, washed from her hair, it was not enough to cover her pale, nude body. I really had no idea where I should direct my gaze.

"...So weird. Just a shower, yet it feels like Tia soaked too long in a bath."

Tia murmured in puzzlement.

"Then let's get out soon."

I switched off the shower and was going to pick up the limp Tia in my arms, but she frantically grabbed my arm forcefully.

"Oh—Wait! Tia still wants to stay here with Yuu longer."

"W-Why?"

I did not understand so I asked for the reason. Her face all red, Tia spoke:

"...It's cramped, here... If it's here... Being close to Yuu won't be strange... Not because Tia is weak..."

Tia squeezed out these words before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Uh—"

Direct contact with tender skin made my heart jump, but I calmed down after noticing Tia's trembling.

When I asked why she had picked separate cabins with Lisa, she had acted strangely.

"...Did something happen?"

I controlled my emotions and asked in a gentle tone of voice. At the same time, I moved my hand to the back of Tia's petite back and gently patted her to soothe her.

"Yuu... Tia... did as Vritra suggested, to search the memories of Yggdrasil's predecessor—'Verdant' Kiskanu—about the seventh dragon."

Hugging me tightly, Tia whispered in my ear.

"Then you saw something scary?"

Holding her delicate and young body, I inquired, but she denied it.

"No... Nothing could be seen, total darkness."

"Total darkness?"

"Something black was spreading throughout the Earth—devouring forests and grasslands... Kiskanu became unable to think. Due to the excessive loss of plant life, not enough computational power was left. So almost no analysis and recording could be done."

Then Tia paused, hugging me tighter.

"...So scary. 'Death'... turns out to be so painful, so sad... So lonely... Tia never knew."

Hearing this, I understood why Tia was trembling.

Digging through Kiskanu's memories, Tia had experienced "death."

I had also stood on the brink of the abyss of death, but in my case, there was still a chance to return. It was impossible for me to imagine true death.

"You worked really hard."

Consolation did not seem right, so I chose to praise her effort instead.

"Yes, Tia... worked really hard. But Tia needs to continue working... continue thinking."

Tia nodded lightly then moved her body away slightly. With our noses almost touching, she looked at me squarely.

"Thinking?"

"After destroying the world, where exactly did the seventh dragon go... That pitch-black darkness—what Kiskanu called 'end matter'—what is it exactly...? Why Bahamut reappeared now of all times.. Tia must think to find answers. This is a job that only Tia can do by using Yggdrasil's Akashic Record."

Tia finished with determination but her body was still trembling a bit.

"You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"...A bit. Tia actually wants to go to Lisa and hug her tight. Lisa is so kind and will definitely ask Tia to stop straining. But... That won't do."

So this was her reason for picking a separate cabin from Lisa, huh?

Saying she was not weak earlier was definitely just putting on a brave face.

"Will you be able to hang in there?"

"Yes—Leaning close to Yuu, Tia feels warm... It's fine now. For the husband, the wife will work hard!"

With scarlet cheeks, Tia made dazzing smile. These words came from the heart instead of putting on a strong front.

Hearing these words filled with intense affection while locked in a nude embrace, I was starting to feel my cheeks heat up.

"Yuu..."

Tia drew her face near and the tips of our noses happened to touch. Then slightly shyly, she smiled. A sweet atmosphere filled the entirety of the cramped shower room and I could feel each other's heartbeats speeding up.

At that very moment, the light in the shower room suddenly flickered.

Just as Tia and I looked up in surprise, the shower suddenly poured out a lot of cold water.

"—So cold—!?"

"Kyah!? Cold!"

As we screamed, the water flow from the showerhead increased further, even causing it to fall from the hook and jump all over the place.

"Ouch!"

The jumping showerhead struck me in the forehead, making me see stars.

"Y-Yuu! Hurry and turn off the shower!"

"Yeah—But I'm pretty sure I turned it off just now—"

While dodging the showerhead that was rampaging like a snake, I adjusted the water flow and temperature.

However, the shower flow did not decrease. Smashing into the wall, it continued to spew cold water.

"Ooh... So cold."

Clinging to my back, Tia avoided the shower. The mild bulge of her bosom and tender skin was making my heart race, but this arousal was instantly put out by the water.

"...L-Let's leave first."

I gave up on shutting off the shower. Carrying Tia in one arm, I walked out of the shower room.

But in the process, I shuddered from the cold.

"S-So cold again."

Huddled in a ball, Tia commented on the cabin's condition.

Yes—The cabin's temperature was abnormally low. Did the air-conditioning malfunction? It was blowing cold air at maximum output.

The coldness seeped into my wet body, causing my teeth to chatter. I put down Tia then immediately operated the panel to control the air-conditioner, but like the shower, it did not respond.

"Yuu, the door can't open either!"

Unable to bear to cold, Tia slammed her hands against the door to the corridor and cried out anxiously.

"Could it be that... Marduk has gone out of control?"

I focused my mind and increased my synchronization with Marduk. Then I tried to use my mind directly to operate the cabin's functions.

However—I failed to convey my thoughts to the cabin facilities. It felt like something was blocking the transmission of my commands.

Next, the ship's operating system seemed to show abnormalities. The ship's body also shook heavily once.

"Sorry, Tia, it looks like I can't control Marduk. In truth, my head has been hurting and I thought I could keep it under control..."

"Got it. Then Tia will try interfering with the systems."

Tia nodded and closed her eyes to focus her mind. Electrical sparks erupted from her red horns. However, the air-conditioning did not stop and the door remained locked.

"—Something is in the way."

Tia showed a surprised look then turned her head to sweep her gaze around the room. Finally, her gaze settled on the ceiling near the air-conditioner.

"Yuu, look! Something's there!"

"...Where?"

Despite looking in the direction Tia indicated, I still could not see.

"Just like when you were peeping, Yuu, it can't be seen normally."

After hearing that, I tried using "Marduk's viewpoint" to get a grasp on the cabin situation.

I concentrated and synchronized myself with Marduk further. From overhead, I observed this room—

Then I noticed a tiny glowing dot flitting about in the cabin.

However, the glowing dot immediately vanished after leaving a bright trail.

"It noticed that we discovered it and hid. Something must have invaded Marduk's system, so it's not Yuu's fault."

Saying that, Tia quickly dried herself and put on her uniform. I picked up my clothes while trying not to look in her direction and asked:

"Invaded the system... But this is a pre-civilization weapon filled with lost technology, right? Is that even possible?"

"But it's true we've been hacked. We'll know once the culprit is caught. But it's hard unless Tia goes all-out... Yuu, you might feel numb... Okay?"

Tia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead."

Since I could not do anything, relying on Tia was the only way.

"Got it. Okay, electronic warfare—Begin."

Tia had already put on her clothes. A blinding flash of electricity was released from her horns. The electricity zapped throughout the cramped cabin. I guarded my face with my arms and held my breath. My physical body took almost no damage but the feeling of being synchronized to Marduk was numbed for an instant.

This was evidence that Tia's interference had spread throughout the ship. Most likely, Tia had held back earlier to avoid affecting my link with Marduk. The numbing feeling probably referred sensations on Marduk's side.

After subduing Yggdrasil, Tia had gained the power that Kiskanu had used to destroy "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis. This authority allowed her to control electromagnetism and dominate all kinds of "electronic information."

A forcible search through the systems of Marduk, an Atlantean weapon, would be a piece of cake for Tia.

The cabin's illumination flickered and went out.

When it brightened again, the air-conditioner stopped blowing cold air and I could hear that the water in the shower room had stopped.

"—Control over this cabin has been seized back. Yuu, if something doesn't feel right in the ship, tell Tia."

Having dressed, I nodded then checked Marduk's state as though examining my own body.

Marduk's numbed feeling, due to Tia's interference, was gradually recovering. Although a bit of numbness remained, preventing precise operation of the ship's facilities, finding irregularities was still doable.

"Considering the shaking earlier, something must be wrong with the drive system—Main mechanism normal. Others... Hmm? There's something off about the gravitational control device on the left main wing."

"Got it. It must be there!"

Tia nodded and her horns released a flash of electricity.

The blinding light made me narrow my eyes while watching her fight. I could not imagine what kind of battle was taking place inside the system. Marduk's senses were also showing localized paralysis and numbing, which told me where the electronic warfare was taking place—but I could not get a grasp on further details.

"—Cornered."

After a while, Tia smiled victoriously and held my hand.

"Yuu, go to the bridge! The culprit is over there!"

Pulling me, she walked towards the doorway and the door opened automatically.

"By over there, you mean—"

Before I understood the situation, I went with Tia to run along the corridor to the bridge.

After the door to the bridge opened, we stepped into the domed room. Shinomiya-sensei and Ren were looking up at the monitor that was filled with static.

"W-What happened? Did I press a wrong button?"

"...Doubt it. Calm down. Probably a virus or something."

Ren comforted the flustered Shinomiya-sensei. The omnidirectional monitor originally displaying optical images from outside was not only showing static but also had countless small vine-like images, crawling over the screen.

"Look, I'll catch it soon."

Tia pointed up.

I looked closely and saw a glowing ball moving rapidly on the screen, roughly the size of a baseball. The vines were chasing it.

Finally cornered, the glowing ball was entangled by the vines.

"This rubbish tree! Unhand me!"

Then a high-pitched voice sounded throughout the bridge.

The glowing sphere gradually dimmed and the true appearance of what the vines had caught was displayed on the monitor. It was a very petite girl with transparent wings sprouting from her back. Based on the displayed size, her height was around twenty centimeters.

"...A fairy?"

Ren remarked in a whisper.

Judging from the girl's height and appearance, it was quite normal to think of this description first.

"In any case, what is the current situation?"

Unable to hide the doubt on her face, Shinomiya-sensei wanted us to explain further. Tia replied:

"The virus invading Marduk and the vaccine program Tia created are being visualized on the monitor. The fairy-like thing is the virus and the vines comprise the vaccine."

"Who are you calling a virus! I am the ultimate machine intellect, created by supreme wisdom!"

The tiny fairy instantly retorted, struggling furiously to escape the vines restraining her. However, the vines showed no signs of releasing her.

"Machine intellect...? You mean AI?"

As soon as I asked my question, the fairy glared at me.

"Do not compare me to primitive artificial intelligence! I am not something created by humans! The wisdom of Atlantis was achieved through continual self-evolution of collective machines—As such, I ought to be called machine intellect, not artificial intelligence! How dare you call me a virus, that would be an insult of the most awful and most atrocious nature... Isn't the rubbish tree that destroyed my civilization an even more deplorable virus!?"

The fairy vented in a vigorous diatribe. While her voice sounded in my mind, there was information that could not be ignored.

"What... Atlantis? What rubbish tree... Don't tell me you're referring to Tia—no, Yggdrasil?"

Seeing the fairy glare at Tia with hatred, I asked cautiously, but an unexpected source gave the reply.

'Precisely, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. She hates Yggdrasil with a passion—or what used to be known as Kiskanu, I suppose. After all, it was the mortal enemy that wiped out Atlantean civilization completely.'
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 113.jpg|thumb]]

"—"

I followed the sudden sound source, which was coming from where Shinomiya-sensei was sitting, but it was not her voice. In front of her seat, there was a square window on the monitor—A man with slender eyes was smiling.

'Furthermore, she suffered during the battle last time. The firing of the battleship Naglfar's cannon was interrupted due its system getting hacked. Let it be... It was my mistake for failing to take into account that the other side possessed the holder of Yggdrasil's authority.'

"Major Loki..."

I muttered the name of the man who was smiling wryly.

He used to be my superior officer. In addition, we were opponents who had put everything on the line to kill each other. Furthermore, I had killed him with these hands of mine. Although Kili had used biogenic transmutation to save his life afterwards... The sensation of taking a life still lingered on my hands.

'Hmph... You look like you've seen a ghost, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. You can't possibly be unaware that I am alive, right?'

"I knew, but it still feels strange..."

With mixed feelings of guilt and relief, I nodded.

'Me too. Being able to see the face of one's murderer must be a rare experience. However, let us put this topic aside for now. Could you release her first? It appears that she entered your ship through the communications channel while Colonel Shinomiya and I were having a strategy discussion.'

Major Loki pointed at the screen and spoke. Although the direction was off, he was presumably referring to the fairy caught in the vines.

"Well, even if you tell me to release her..."

Slightly troubled, I exchanged eye contact with Tia beside me for a moment. Major Loki smiled.

'Relax. She won't take any action that would cause critical harm to any of you. She is well aware that your participation is necessary for the upcoming operation. It was merely mischief to give you a headache, that's all. Am I right, Atla?''

Hearing this, the fairy restrained by the vines nodded glumly.

"Precisely. Seeing the rubbish tree messing with ''my'' Marduk, I could not hold myself back momentarily and merely sought revenge... I am terribly sorry for ending up in an embarrassing position again."

She apologized honestly, making her earlier fury seem like a lie. After hearing that, Major Loki smiled at us and said:

'—So there you have it. Even with lingering hatred, she is not your enemy. Rather, it would be better to consider her a friend currently.'

Major Loki shrugged lightly and told us not to worry.

After listening to this conversation, Shinomiya-sensei sighed mildly and looked at us.

"Release that fairy-esque being. Next, we will be fighting alongside NIFL, so trust them for the time being. However, Major Loki, you are obliged to give us a proper explanation."

I complied with Shinomiya-sensei's instructions and had Tia release the vines.

"Hmph, phooey."

Regaining her freedom, the fairy made a face at us then flew back to Major Loki's side.

"Hmm... She didn't repent at all."

"Let's listen to his explanation first."

Tia pouted unhappily so I patted her on the head to appease her.

"Mm, machine intellect... Fascinating. From what she said earlier, it sounds like she's related to the civilization of Atlantis..."

Ren's eyes were glimmering with curiosity, urging Major Loki to start explaining. Then smiling suggestively, he began to recount.

'Rather than related to Atlantis, it's better to say she ''is'' Atlantis. The supreme machine intellect managing and running the lost civilization... Its name was Atlantis. She—Atla—was born from its restoration.'

"Yes, I am precisely 'Ultimate Wisdom' Atlantis!"

Moving inside the window that showed Major Loki, the fairy puffed out her chest proudly.

However, that childish behavior left us with visible doubt on our faces.

"Supreme machine intellect..."

Even said out loud, it did not feel real. Tia frowned and did not seem convinced.

"Doesn't look that amazing."

"Mm, too young for an AI that managed a civilization."

Ren agreed too. The fairy—Atla—went bright red in the face.

"How rude! Whether organic or inorganic, there exists no intellect higher than mine!"

Major Loki apparently saw Atla's furious image too and he said with a wry smile:

'—Atla is undoubtedly a very advanced intellectual entity. However, what we managed to restore was only her core. Due to damage and loss in the storage medium, memory data—the archives of Atlantis—have become incomplete. As a result, the avatar's behavior became a little cute... But her true identity is indisputably the "god of the old world." It would be best not to underestimate her.'

Although Major Loki covered for Atla, she was whispering "M-Master... calling me cute..." while twisting her body. The claim that she was "the god of the old world" was not convincing at all.

Unlike Ren, Shinomiya-sensei and I who were rendered speechless by Atla's words and behavior, only Tia showed an expression of extreme surprise.

"Storage medium—How could anything like that be left behind!? Kiskanu should've wiped out all electronic data when destroying Atlantis."

Tia asserted strongly. Yggdrasil's Akashic Record must have retained related records.

However, the confidence in Major Loki's smile did not decrease the slightest despite Tia's objections.

'What we unearthed were not magnetic storage devices but only stone tablets.'

"...Stone tablets?"

Tia frowned in surprise.

'Due to the destruction wrought by dragon disasters, a site containing Atlantean ruins was found by chance and fell under secret management by Asgard and NIFL. Preserved in the ruins were a vast number of stone tablets stacked many layers deep. A language consisting of two symbols was carved on the surface of these stone tablets.''

Hearing this, Ren spoke in comprehension.

"Two symbols... Could it be binary...? They used stone tablets to record electronic data?"

'Precisely. Most likely, Atlantis used durable media to leave behind data, believing future humans would be able to revive civilization. Since the storage medium involves neither magnetic fields nor electrical voltages, it is immune to destruction by electromagnetic interference. Of course, reading it is a challenge and it took us many long years to finally complete the data extraction. This allowed us to revive the machine intellect, which used to govern the Atlantis civilization, in the modern age.'

Although Major Loki sounded proud in his reply, I could see an element of self-deprecation in his smile.

'—That being said, there are limits as to what modern science and technology can accomplish. Through continued research and enlisting Atla's power, we finally finished an imitation of Marduk—this battleship ''Naglfar''—but it is far inferior to the genuine article you have there.'

Major Loki had just said that it was the battleship ''Naglfar'' that had fired its cannon at Midgard. Equipped with a weapon similar to Babel, it was apparently Marduk's imitation.

"Major Loki, by saying 'this battleship,' does that mean you are currently on board the ''Naglfar''?"

Major Loki nodded.

'Yes, I am standing by at the first defense line, aboard this Atlantean weapon that has just been revealed to the public. We are currently in a state of severe shortage in combat potential, so your side's participation is very heartening.'

Despite the goodwill in Major Loki's words, Atla suddenly interjected.

"Master, I believe we should take over Marduk after the rendezvous."

"What are you suddenly saying...?"

The sudden suggestion caused an uproar in Marduk's bridge.

However, Atla ignored our concerns and continued speaking to Major Loki.

"After entering the ship, I discovered that they are still unable to operate the ship well. At this rate, they are merely going to waste a treasure. I dare assert, only the King of Atlantis approved by me—you, Master—has the right to use Deus Dragon!"

'Hmph... Unable to operate the ship well? Is that true, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe?'

"......"

His sharp gaze put me at a loss for words.

'It appears that the allegations are true. However... Be that as it may, I currently do not have the authority to requisition Marduk. Still I must ask, do you have any plans to ameliorate this situation?'

Confronted with his words and gaze, testing me, my body became a bit stiff. However, realizing the risk of Major Loki seizing command of this operation at this rate, I replied assertively.

"The strain of operating the ship was higher than expected. This is the truth. However, there has been no clear signs of malfunction so far, until she—Atla—wrought her mischief."

I stared at Atla, who had forced her way into Major Loki's window, and she immediately launched a rebuttal.

"One person barely keeping things under control is limited to the current situation of normal cruising. The strain will multiply several fold when battle mode is entered. Your little brain is going to burst immediately."

Atla asserted with certainty. Then Tia pouted and glared at her.

"Tia will help if Yuu is in trouble. If it's possible to operate Marduk better, Atla can simply reveal the correct method."

"Hmph, like anyone would tell a rubbish tree."

Atla turned her face away viciously. However, Major Loki seemed to agree with Tia's opinion and nodded solemnly.

'...Fair point. Atla, if you know where the problem lies, instruct them on how to control Marduk.'

"N-No way!? If you were to pilot Marduk, Master, surely—"

Atla looked very flustered, but Major Loki shook his head and interrupted her objections.

'Atla, Marduk is not the key to this operation. Atlantean weapons are effective against Bahamut to some extent, but cannot deliver a decisive blow. As such, it does not matter who is actually piloting.'

"Muu... Understood."

Atla agreed reluctantly. However, I was more concerned by what Major Loki's words implied.

"Cannot deliver a decisive blow... How did you know that?"

'Rather than asking me, you should be asking the one connected to Yggdrasil.'

Major Loki motioned to Tia beside me.

"...Ask Tia?"

'Yes, after all, our—Atla's—analysis was based on the data salvaged from the remains of Yggdrasil scattered at Fuji's Sea of Trees.'

Hearing that they had done that secretly, I shifted my surprised gaze to Tia.

"Yes... If what appeared this time is truly Bahamut, then Marduk... No, any weapon will not be able to destroy it completely. Only Basilisk's authority—'Catastrophe'—is capable of destroying it."

Seeing Tia agree with his viewpoint, Loki nodded.

'Indeed, Atla also reached the same conclusion, which is why we sought Midgard's assistance. We know that the D targeted by Leviathan in the past, Iris Freyja, is able to use Catastrophe, though the official report only arrived just now.'

Major Loki's smiled was mixed with irony. Then he continued:

'Hence, she is the main star this time. The ship carrying her must not come to any harm. Consequently, Atla, I shall be counting on you, alright?'

Warned in this manner, Atla nodded unhappily and glared at me.

"You leave me no choice... I shall not repeat myself. Listen carefully, got that?"

"Yeah."

Seeing me nod, Atla raised two fingers of her right hand.

"Marduk's control requires at least two people as linkers. If you take charge of piloting and weapons control, leaving the enemy detection system and the rest of the functions to someone else, the problem of excessive strain should be solved."

Atla spoke very rapidly, as though trying to finish a hated job as quickly as possible. However, I noticed an unfamiliar term.

"Linker?"

"...Stop asking questions. Did I not say that I shall not repeat myself?"

"No, it'll be a problem if I don't immediately clear up the parts I don't get."

Seeing me demand an explanation, Atla sighed with displeasure.

"Pick this sort of thing up from context, will you? A linker is a pilot who performs a mental link with Marduk—Currently, this means you."

"It's true I'm synchronized with Marduk... But how do I link another person's mind with the ship's systems?"

My mind was automatically linked through the process of constructing Marduk. Although Tia could take control through hacking, we still did not know the proper means of linking to the ship.

"Good grief, asking this and that... Since Marduk's control authority lies in your hands, simply issue the order to the system through thoughts or speech and it would allow others to perform a mental link with the system."

Atla finished impatiently then flew into the background of the monitor that was showing Major Loki. Major Loki smiled wryly and shrugged.

'—So there you have it, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Unfortunately, the ''Naglfar'' does not make use of the mental link system. I cannot sympathize with your pain, but if you need a co-pilot, Jeanne Hortensia would be a candidate. She should be in your company, right?'

"Yes, but why Jeanne?"

Seeing me ask with a frown, Major Loki smiled profoundly.

'Soldiers of Atlantis all had their bodies modified on the genetic level according to their responsibilities, thereby optimizing their abilities as much as possible. In the modern world, most people with outstanding talents are their descendants. In other words, the members of Sleipnir, which one could consider a gathering of such people, should exhibit relatively good compatibility with Atlantean weapons.'

A quiet comment from Vritra suddenly surfaced in my mind.

She had said that people possessing exceptional abilities do not exist without reason—Jeanne's natural talent was possibly inherited from the Atlanteans.

"Major Loki, you assembled Sleipnir not only to conduct experiments related to Code Lost but also with the idea of using Atlantean weapons?"

Wondering how many steps Major Loki had thought ahead, I asked. However, he shook his head wryly.

'Now that would be overthinking things. First of all, powerful weaponry is not needed if one possessed Code Lost. At least from the perspective of killing humans.'

I thought back to how terrifying it was to use Code Lost in its full form, capable of killing people with just a thought, and a chill ran down my spine. Furthermore, there was a cold glint in Major Loki's eyes that caused my instincts to sound an alarm.

During the battle revolving around Code Lost, I emerged victorious over Major Loki in the end and thwarted the plan to kill Charlotte. However, he never showed a loser's attitude when interacting with me.

"Is that so...?"

Although we were currently allies, I warned myself not to lower my guard while nodding somewhat stiffly. At this moment, Major Loki slowly leaned forward to the screen.

'Hmm, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, your tone was so stiff just now. I remember you sounded much more casual during our fight.'

"Huh?"

Pointing this out unexpectedly, he caused my voice to go off pitch slightly.

Indeed, during my fight against Major Loki, I had intentionally avoided using polite language—

"Oh—Well, back then, we were enemies."

'In other words, I am currently your superior on the same side, which is why you are taking such a rigid attitude? Then that is truly a shame. I was hoping to have a candid conversation with you...'

He sighed in disappointment. I did not know how serious he was.

"...Then don't make me your enemy, okay?"

I retorted sarcastically, prompting the corners of Major Loki's lips to twist in a grin.

'At least for this operation, we are allies. Don't worry, I won't stab you in the back. Of course, I will tell Atla the same.'

"Sounds like it will be scary after the operation."

'Really? But I am really looking forward to it.'

Major Loki smiled fearlessly then turned his gaze to Shinomiya-sensei.

'—Well then, Colonel Shinomiya, for the operation's success, let us have a detailed discussion. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, kindly find a good partner before the operation begins.'

"Very well—I will take the mentioned advice for reference."

I nodded and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Sure enough, talking to Major Loki was very tiring.

I moved my gaze away from Major Loki who had started his discussion with Shinomiya-sensei and talked to Tia.

"Tia, to prevent Atla's mischief, watch over here for now. I'll go find Jeanne first."

"Yes, okay, leave it to Tia!"

Tia nodded and Ren also turned her head back from the console.

"Mm, I'll monitor the system too."

"Great, thanks a lot."

I left the scene to those two and exited the bridge.

Although I was reluctant to obey Major Loki, from the perspective of using the right person for the right job, there was no better candidate than Jeanne.

However, the problem was—

I recalled the scene of Jeanne unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her cleavage.

After peeking at that kind of scene, to be honest, I was not confident whether I could still look her in the eye.

===Part 2===

"Designate target—Jeanne Hortensia—as additional linker. Transfer control over the domains of enemy detection, communications, and information processing. However, forbid readings from occupied cabins. This applies to me as well."

I raised my hand over Jeanne's head while she was standing nervously close by and ordered Marduk verbally.

Having just taken a shower, Jeanne's face was flushed red, this combined with her moist hair was quite sexy. Although she was dressed in the male school uniform, the bulge of her chest and the after-shower fragrance were all conspiring to keep me strongly conscious of her identity as a woman.

The sight of her in underwear earlier was surfacing vaguely in my mind, so I concentrated while mentally repeating the words I was speaking.

The final command was to prevent Jeanne and I from peeking into other people's cabins. Now what happened earlier could be averted.

"—"

The illumination in the room blinked strongly once and Jeanne shuddered.

Watching her from the side, Shion asked worriedly, "Mama, aRe YoU oKaY?"

"—Yes, I am fine."

Jeanne smiled and reassured Shion then exclaimed.

"Captain... This is amazing. Through Marduk's various sensors, I can capture an endless stream of information—It is like my vision field expanded several hundred fold..."

"Does it hurt?"

Noticing that my own headache was subsiding, I asked how Jeanne felt.

Although I had succeeded in making Jeanne the second linker, she might not be able to bear the strain.

"No problem. Although the volume of information increased greatly... There isn't any fundamental change. To begin with, my eyes have always been able to see things other people could not."

I could not help but feel in awe. Although I knew Jeanne had an extraordinary pair of eyes, I never imagined it would allow her to acquire information on par with Marduk's sensors in quality. Jeanne most likely had eyes that could capture wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum and a brain capable of processing all this information.

Soldiers of Atlantis whose abilities were fully optimized for their responsibilities—Perhaps Jeanne really was one of their descendants.

"Really, then cooperate with me from now on. Jeanne, are you able to transmit information from arbitrary coordinates to me?"

"—Let me try. There is a small island fifty kilometers or so ahead. I will mark it."

Jeanne nodded and I was informed of the coordinates of the aforementioned island. With this, I could get a lock on distant enemies to attack.

However, I suddenly noticed that Jeanne's face in front of me had grown even redder.

"Hey, are you okay? Is it making you feel unwell after all—"

I frantically asked about her condition, but Jeanne suddenly came to her senses and shook her head.

"N-No! I am completely fine. It is just that..."

Mid-sentence, she looked down awkwardly for some reason.

"Just that?"

"Umm... It is like our minds are connected, Captain... It somehow fills me with joy... And elevated my temperature a little."

Jeanne explained the reason somewhat bashfully then looked up at me.

This girly behavior made my heart race. I barely maintained composure and nodded.

"I'm glad it's not making you feel unwell. However, tell me immediately if anything feels off."

"Yes, understood. I will not overextend myself and cause you trouble, Captain. Oh—"

Jeanne nodded at me then suddenly gasped and looked into the distance.

"Mama?"

Shion called out to Jeanne in puzzlement and Jeanne looked at us stiffly.

"What happened?"

"...Well, just now—through information sharing with NIFL, data was obtained from the Akashic Record... I found out details about the Bahamut situation, and the Earth's current state..."

She did not continue, at a loss for words.

"Is the situation that bad?"

Noticing the heavy atmosphere, I asked hesitantly.

"...Yes. Shinomiya-sensei should be explaining later, but Bahamut is a monster beyond imagination. Let me link my senses with yours, Captain."

As soon as Jeanne spoke, an image of Bahamut appeared in my mind. Its gigantic body was blotting out the sky and the sun, still reminiscent of Vritra. The shadow falling upon the ground turned into an unknown territory, impossible to probe or observe, and kept expanding to follow Bahamut's movement. Outside of the shadow was pure whiteness in stark contrast—A world of silver-white.

"The ground is completely covered by—ice? Has Bahamut reached the Arctic Circle?"

If that were the case, Bahamut's speed was faster than expected. I panicked a little, but Jeanne shook her head.

"No, not yet. What you are seeing now was originally a flowing ocean... However, the temperature around Bahamut is extremely low, causing even the ocean to freeze."

"Freezing... Is this Bahamut's ability?"

"Not exactly. The cold is at most a side effect. The true nature of its ability is the absorption of thermal energy. Bahamut is a creature that devours heat. Taking in heat from the surroundings, it grows, regenerates, and evolves. So long as there exists external thermal energy, it would be no exaggeration to call it immortal."

Jeanne's explanation made my forehead break out in cold sweat.

"Devouring heat... What a crazy ability. Then explosions and lasers will all become its food?"

"Yes. Precisely because of that, only Catastrophe is capable of defeating Bahamut. Its immortality is achieved through absorbing heat to fuel its metabolism whereas Catastrophe fast forwards time from the present point. When time goes by before Bahamut's cells can absorb energy for their metabolism, it results in apoptosis."

"So that's how Basilisk defeated Bahamut... No wait, since Bahamut reappeared, doesn't that mean it was never exterminated to begin with?"

When I voiced my doubt, Jeanne shook her head somewhat hesitantly.

"No—Had it not been exterminated, Bahamut would have absorbed all heat from the ground, turning Earth into a dead planet. It must have been completely annihilated at one point. However... I do not think the present Bahamut is fake either. Left unchecked, Bahamut will kill our planet, although at the present stage, the unknown territories are causing greater damage..."

"They've grown that big?"

I gulped and asked.

"The unknown territories mentioned before are black domes, and according to Marduk's sensors, there are a total of four great holes of 'nothing at all'—It might be better to describe the Earth as having four pieces gouged out of it."

Jeanne paused then sighed heavily.

"In particular, the unknown territories on the American west coast and the northern African continent have swallowed up areas of high population density. The number of victims has probably reached the tens of millions..."

"Hold on, it's too early to say that the people inside the unknown territories are dead. There must be a way to save them."

Just like how Mitsuki and I had survived inside the darkness—

After I said that with this hope in mind, Jeanne held her breath momentarily.

"—You are right, Captain. I have erred... I jumped to conclusions accidentally. Since responsibility for enemy detection and information processing has been passed to me, I should strive for correct judgment—I am truly ashamed."

Jeanne cringed and bowed her head apologetically.

"No, it's necessary to prepare for the worst too. But at the same time, it's better to keep the ideal outcome in mind. Otherwise, you could end up losing your goal."

I recalled my days as her captain and gently patted her on the head.

"...Yes."

Jeanne nodded, still looking down.

"Papa, wHat iS iDeaL?"

Shion tugged at my clothing from the side.

"It means the best-case result. First we defeat Bahamut then we find a way to take care of the unknown territories—the darkness—and save all the people who were swallowed. Then we return to Midgard safe and sound. That's the ideal outcome."

Of course, the darkness inside Mitsuki also needed to be eliminated. Once I figured out the blue light capable of suppressing "end matter"—Neun's authority—and could use it skillfully, perhaps I would find a solution that was currently out of sight.

"Oh, iDeaL, aWEsoMe!"

Shion sounded impressed and smiled happily.

Seeing her face, I smiled naturally too, but a sliver of unease flashed through my mind.

—But was this truly the ideal outcome?

For some reason, this thought surfaced, There should not be any outcome more ideal than what I had just outlined.

But somehow, I had an uncomfortable feeling as though I had overlooked something.

I persuaded myself that I was overthinking things, but still could not erase the unease adhering to my heart.

===Part 3===

"—This is all the information we have confirmed regarding Bahamut. Although the trait of heat absorption is quite challenging, there is no need for excess panic since we know that Catastrophe can defeat it. Now, we will proceed with the details of the operation."

After sweeping her gaze across each and every one of us, gathered at the bridge, Shinomiya-sensei spoke with a grave expression. Having heard the content from Jeanne earlier, I was not surprised, but the girls' expressions were relatively stiff upon learning Bahamut's ability for the first time.

"Approximately thirty minutes from now, NIFL's fleet including the ''Naglfar'' will start engaging Bahamut. However, we will not be joining the defense line. Instead, we will launch a heavy assault from behind after the fighting begins. In other words, NIFL will take on the role as bait."

The screen behind her no displayed Major Loki's face. The omni-directional monitor was filled with the color of the sky with sunlight shining from above.

"The success of this operation depends on whether we can get Catastrophe to strike the target directly. Hence, we will rely on your powers as Ds and Marduk's equipment to open a path, to get as close to Bahamut as possible for Iris Freyja to fire Catastrophe. You are the key—We are counting on you."

"Y-Yes! I will do my best!"

Iris saluted and answered in a slightly shrill voice under Shinomiya-sensei's gaze.

"Mononobe Yuu and Jeanne Hortensia will confirm Bahamut's present location while adjusting the ship's speed. Until NIFL launches their attack, do not make a move under any condition."

"Understood."

"Affirmative."

Jeanne and I expressed acknowledgement and Shinomiya-sensei continued to issue orders to the rest.

"Lisa Highwalker and Firill Crest will remain outside the ship to guard the starboard. Ariella Lu and Ren Miyazawa will be in charge of the port side's defense. Avoid using lasers or explosive transmutations when attacking. Find opportunities to conduct freezing attacks using low-temperature matter. It is very likely that stealing heat will slow down the target's movement and regeneration speed. But if necessary for opening a path, go ahead and attack with heavy firepower. Our main objective is to approach close enough to enter Catastrophe's range."

"Understood. Simply stated, we are taking the role of carrier-based aircraft."

"No problem. It's the same as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's usual work."

Lisa answered with her chest out while Firill made thumbs-up. Ariella and Ren also nodded firmly.

"There's nothing to do inside the ship, anyway. Let's go outside and raise some hell."

"Mm, adjustments to the OS are done. All that's left to do is fight."

However, Tia tilted her head curiously because she had not been named.

"Tia doesn't need to go outside?"

"You should stay at the bridge, prepared for electronic warfare. Although there has not been any reports of Bahamut being able to interfere with electronic equipment, better be safe than sorry. Furthermore... Who knows if NIFL will be our ally to the very end."

Shinomiya-sensei gave a wry smile sardonically. Stationing Tia at the bridge was mainly to defend against Atla, most likely.

Then Shinomiya-sensei's gaze shifted to Kili, who was standing behind everyone else.

"Kili Surtr Muspelheim, you will be in charge of guarding Iris Freyja. To avoid missing the opportunity to attack, Iris Freyja will remain on standby on the deck—However, it is probably impossible to stand on the ship's exterior without a barrier."

"Why do I have to do this sort of thing..."

Kili grumbled quietly in displeasure, but Iris held her hand with a radiant smile.

"I'm counting on you! With you protecting me, Kili-chan, I am reassured! Let's give it our best together!"

"—Placing such heavy trust in someone like me. Fine, since you've said this much... I will try my best without exerting myself."

Kili nodded a little helplessly.

Watching their conversation, I raised my hand.

"Hold on—I can go out to the deck too after the battle begins. I don't need to be in the bridge to control Marduk and it's better to have more people protecting Iris."

"Mononobe..."

Iris was happy to hear my suggestion.

"Good point, since you say so, then it is fine. After all, you are still Marduk's captain."

Shinomiya-sensei nodded in a slightly joking manner then said to the rest of the girls:

"Shion and Vritra will wait in the ship. Mononobe Mitsuki will be in charge of looking after them."

"Eh...?"

Mitsuki exclaimed in surprise.

Although Mitsuki was asked to look after them, this placed her in a position no different from Shion or Vritra. Rather, it was more like placing those two by Mitsuki's side on account of her condition.

"W-Wait! I need to fight too! This is no time to be holding combat potential in reserve!"

Seconds later, Mitsuki realized and suggested.

"I understand, but currently, it is very risky to let you go outside the ship. Since Bahamut is related to what is sealed within you, no one can predict what will happen if it came into contact with you."

"But—"

At a loss for words momentarily, Mitsuki looked at me for support.

She probably thought that as the "captain," I could overturn Shinomiya-sensei's decision, but...

"I'm sorry, Mitsuki, I feel the same way too. It's not that I don't want you to fight, but I hope to keep you away from danger as much as possible until the time when your power is truly needed—"

"...Enough. I understand."

Mitsuki interrupted me and turned her face away in extreme chagrin.

Just as the atmosphere in the bridge turned very awkward, Shinomiya-sensei announced in a loud and clear voice.

"Well then, everyone, prepare for battle. Those assigned outside the ship, head to the respective hatches."

Obeying orders, we made our way to the bridge's door. I looked back just as I was exiting into the corridor, only to see Mitsuki with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly.

===Part 4===

"For what purpose exactly... did I come here...?"

I—Mononobe Mitsuki—gently stroked Shion-san's fluffy hair, murmuring quietly while sitting on the bed.

My feeble and helpless voice echoed inside the cramped cabin but no one could answer me.

Sleeping on my lap was Shion-san, who had already entered the sweet realm of dreams. Vritra had stayed at the bridge, so there were only two occupants in this cabin.

Residing within me was the ninth dragon... That darkness, it was possible to suppress it using two holders of Neun's authority including myself. However, this was only currently.

Hence, Shion-san was doing her job properly even though she was sleeping. She was a mate of Nii-sans's—One of those selected by Nii-san to become Neun.

As for Vritra, whose powers were sealed, she had also stayed behind on the ship as a key individual for figuring out the darkness.

"I am the only one of no help at all..."

Gazing upon Shion's sleeping face that reminded me of my best friend, I could not help but speak in self-deprecation.

I knew that ordering me to standby here was the appropriate judgment call. Were I the commander, I would have issued the same order. I was currently akin to a bomb whose detonation could destroy the world. How could someone like me possibly be sent to the front lines?

Hence, everyone was protecting me. Nii-san and all the others were risking their lives to protect me.

I had no doubt that they were going to be victorious.

Although I told Shinomiya-sensei that it was no time to be holding combat potential in reserve, Nii-san would surely overcome all obstacles. Even if he were to fall somewhere, he would always stand up again to seize final victory.

After all, my Nii-san—Yuu-kun—has always helped me like this.

However... ''I am afraid of the arrival of that moment, even to the point of not wanting the fighting to end''.

I had never told anyone this. I will never reveal these reasons.

Iris-san had asked me whether instinct was unacceptable. She also said that ultimately, whether love or affection, everything came from instinct.

I agree. Even if Nii-san's reason for placing me first in his heart was borne by instinct, I cannot assert that it is fake. However, it is wrong. What I feared was what would come after that—

Nevertheless, I must endure this fear.

Even if there was nothing I could do, I had to pray for Nii-san's victory at least... Until that moment arrived, if I stayed by his side as much as possible—

'Are you really fine with this?'

Someone rejected my mental efforts to persuade myself.

"Eh...?"

I suddenly looked up and surveyed the cabin. Only Shion-san and I were present.

'Mitsuki, are you really fine with this?'

This was no hallucination. The voice came from my feet—from my shadow formed from the light in the ceiling. Futhermore, that voice and manner of speaking sounded very familiar.

"Miya... ko...?"

Trembling, I called out that name.

Yes—That voice just now was undoubtedly the voice of Shinomiya Miyako—My best friend who had passed away two years prior.

"Goo..."

And Miyako's daughter Shion remained asleep on my lap, apparently unaware.

I was frozen in surprise while the shadow at my feet began to quiver. The darkness undulated like waves.

Forming a blurred outline, the black shadow smiled with my best friend's face.

'I am on your side, Mitsuki. So—let's go realize your ''true wish'' together.'

My mind went blank. A moment later, wrath took over my heart.

The dragon mark on the back of my neck heated up. At the same time, the dragon mark on Shion-san's forehead glowed blue.

"The one known as the ninth dragon... I cannot believe it would stoop to such nonsense. How appalling—Shut up. Miyako is the only one allowed to smile using this face."

Following my impulse, I stomped hard on the shadow's imitation of Miyako.

A blue pulse spread in the darkness, causing Miyako's figure to gradually disappear.

"Huff... Huff..."

I panted then slowly raised my foot—My shadow had returned to its normal state.

Shion-san's dragon mark had stopped glowing and I knew that the crisis had passed.

This most likely happened because my mind had grown weak, but just as Vritra pointed out, it was still possible to suppress the darkness with two Neuns present.

I must carry myself with greater fortitude and willpower—

To encourage my unworthy self, I clenched my fist.

However, that voice remained in my ear, impossible to dispel. Again and again, again and again, her voice questioned me.

—Are you really fine with this?

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3

2016-09-22T03:22:31Z

Belatkuro:

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 2

2016-09-21T03:00:54Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - Atlantis the Electronic Fairy==

===Part 1===

A complicated maze of passages illuminated by milky-white lighting filled the interior of Marduk.

However, I already knew the internal layout like the back of my hand thanks to my link to Marduk. I first took everyone to the bridge in the top part of the ship's interior. Every shut door opened automatically in response to my intention to open it.

The bridge was a domed structure with a diameter of roughly ten meters. After I entered, the ceiling displayed images from all around the ship's surroundings. I took a look around and could even see Charlotte and the students at the harbor.

Everyone was exclaiming in awe and surprise. Accompanying us as Midgard's commanding officer, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the seat located at the front of the domed room.

There was one seat in the very center of the domed room with three more in front on the circular edge. This looked a bit few, but I knew clearly it was enough. This ship could be used properly even if there was only one user linked to Marduk.

"This is an Atlanean weapon, huh? Although you are able to control it without problems, Mononobe Yuu, are others capable of operating this ship? Though there is a console... I cannot read the language at all. I hope there is some kind of communications channel to ensure contact with Midgard and NIFL."

Shinomiya-sensei looked a bit troubled.

"Oh—About that..."

Although I could feel how things were used, articulating it was quite difficult. At that moment, Tia poked out her head from beside me and answered on my behalf.

"Don't worry, just let Tia do it! Leave it to Tia!"

With a flash of electricity from Tia's red horns, static appeared momentarily on the dome-shaped monitor.

"Uh... Hmm... If I copy Midgard's... Roughly like this—"

Tia murmured to herself for a while, opening a window on the monitor in front of a seat. The language on the console also turned into letters of the Latin alphabet.

"Tia tried installing an Asgard-compatible virtual OS inside the Marduk System. Will that work?"

After listening to Tia, Ren jogged over to the empty seat.

"Mm, let's confirm. It seems very interesting."

Ren looked incredibly excited as she started to operate the console.

"......Mm. Feels like it'll work. I should be able to understand the entire system by starting here. Analyzing the ship's drive system will take time... But opening up a comm channel should be instant."

Hearing Ren's reply, Shinomiya-sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent, then I would have a job to do. Leave negotiations with NIFL to me. Roughly three hours from now, NIFL's forces at the first defense line in the Arctic Ocean will begin to engage Bahamut... Will we make it in time? If not, then there is the second defense line set up in the waters of Norway—"

"It's fine, Marduk will definitely make it."

Sensing the ship's "power" as though it were my own limb, I asserted. There was enough time even if we traveled normally within the atmosphere. If necessary, we could even exit the atmosphere to fly along a ballistic trajectory.

"Very well, then let us set a course for the rendezvous point with the forces at the first defense line. The coordinates are—"

After Shinomiya-sensei gave the latitude and longitude, Ren immediately operated the console to display the map on the monitor.

From my senses, I learned that Marduk's systems understood that this was the destination.

The mild headache persisted, but my expanded consciousness filled me with a sense of omnipotence. I felt as though I was capable of anything right now.

"—Roger that. Marduk, set sail."

Sitting on the seat in the middle of the room, with the best visibility, I increased the depth of my synchronization with Marduk. As though moving my fingers, I retracted the gangway and locked the hatch. Main engine ignited—The ship moved forward dead slow.

Marduk began to launch slowly, gradually leaving the harbor.

I turned on the external sound output to speak with the people seeing us off.

"Well then—We are setting off."

Then I turned around and gestured to Iris and the girls with my hand.

After showing a look as though awakening from a dream, Iris took a deep breath and yelled.

"We're off!"

This triggered everyone else to say the usual parting pleasantries. Yet to develop a sense of belonging at Midgard, Kili and Vritra did not join in, but they did not interject either.

The bridge monitor showed the crowd, gradually receding away.

'—All of you must come back!!'

Waving her hand vigorously from the harbor, Charlotte's voice from the speaker echoed in the bridge. Then came the "safe travels" well wishes from the students to send us off.

Once I decided there was sufficient distance from the harbor, I raised the engine output and took formal control of Marduk.

On the sides of the ship, the main wings swung out, activating the gravitational control devices—

The video feed on the dome's ceiling monitor began to change. Midgard and the ocean were gradually receding away.

Even though we did not feel any shaking at all in the bridge, Marduk had taken off and was already hovering in the air.

Liberated from the constraints of gravity, the ship used its wings to stabilize itself and switched to atmospheric flight mode.

"—Off we go."

I spoke briefly.

The main engine increased in output. The main thrusters ignited. Acceleration began.

Slight vibration was felt in the bridge. Due to the rapid acceleration, the scenery flew past quickly. Centered around our flight direction, the clouds were stretched radially into thin trails.

Midgard was out of sight. What extended before our eyes was the blue of the sky and the ocean, as well as the white clouds, drawn out and receding to the back.

With the blue horizon as the destination, the ship flew. Once cruising speed in the atmosphere was reached, I stopped accelerating and leaned against the seat rest.

"Phew... Now all that's left is to fly straight towards the destination."

Persistent control would increase the burden on the mind excessively, so I reduced my synchronization with Marduk and switched to auto-pilot mode. The headache, which I had forgotten while I was concentrating, resurfaced, causing me to shake my head.

"Good work, Mononobe-kun. You really nailed that captain feel."

Firill emerged from behind my seat and laughed mischievously.

"...I'm just the pilot. Shinomiya-sensei is the captain."

I replied wryly and Shinomiya-sensei looked back.

"No, regarding this ship, you are the captain. I am just the communications officer."

"I'm the sysadmin."

Staring at the monitor, tapping away at the console, Ren remarked without turning her head.

"Then what about us?"

With nothing assigned to her currently, Iris brought a finger to the side of her mouth and cocked her head.

"Hmm... Ordinary crew, I guess?"

After Ariella spoke, Shion asked Jeanne:

"cRew? whAt DoEs cRew dO?"

"Uh, let me think... People who do all kinds of work on a ship... I suppose?"

However, Kili shrugged after listening.

"But is there any work to do here?"

"Know that I have no wish to do work."

Vritra frowned and objected to working. Looking a bit exasperated, Lisa asked me:

"I shall do everything within my ability. Mononobe Yuu, is there anything I can offer assistance with?"

"No—Not at the moment. At this speed, it will take roughly two and a half hours to reach the destination... Lisa, you girls need to rest properly in preparation for the upcoming battle. Cabins for the crew are on the left and right sides of the corridor leaving the bridge. I'll unlock them now, so all of you can pick whichever cabin you prefer."

I focused my mind and opened the doors to the various cabins.

The Atlanteans were humans too, so all essential facilities were the same. Through the data in my mind, I verified the cabin layouts. They were equipped with beds and showers.

"Understood. So much happened last night and we did not get to sleep well. Let us take a quick nap to refresh ourselves."

Lisa nodded and left the bridge with the others. Only Mitsuki remained, staring at me.

"Nii-san... What are your plans?"

"I'll stay here. I can't relax too much if I'm controlling Marduk."

"I see—Then I will share a cabin with Iris-san. It would be best for me not to be alone."

With a disappointed look, Mitsuki left the bridge. Did she intend to have a word with me? I hesitated, wondering if I should chase after her, but it felt like I'd merely repeat last night's situation if I said anything—So I stayed in my seat.

Only three people remained in the bridge. Ren who was focused on analyzing Marduk's systems, Shinomiya-sensei who was currently contacting NIFL, and myself.

"......"

Even though I could not relax too much, there was nothing in particular for me to do at the moment. Having set up Marduk to fly towards the destination at a constant speed, all I needed to do was maintain the link.

No—Perhaps I could even take a nap.

The people piloting this Marduk in the past could not have worked nonstop without sleep or rest. However, piloting information was separate from the data on the ship's structure, so it was all unknown to me. Even though I could feel how to activate Marduk, I had no idea how the pilots regulated their own conditions.

That being said, attempting to take a nap would be too dangerous. All I could do was wait for Ren's analysis to finish then see if there was some kind of manual related to that.

I suppressed a natural yawn.

Having slept on a sofa last night, I would slip into drowsiness as soon as there was nothing to do. Auto-piloting had lessened my burden, causing my headache to gradually improve. I could very well fall asleep accidentally for real.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite busy, so I was reluctant to talk to them just for a change of pace.

My only choice was to look up at the domed ceiling, gazing at the clouds, rapidly flying past.

—What might Mitsuki and Iris be chatting about?

After spacing out for a while, this thought crossed my mind.

I had told Iris everything. Spending time alone with Mitsuki in these circumstances, she might possibly panic.

Suddenly at that moment, my vision turned blurry then within the blink of an eye, the view in front of me changed completely.

—Huh?

I saw one of the cabins I had opened up for the girls just now. Inside a narrow room meant for a single occupant, there was a bed, a table and a shower compartment. Iris was sitting on the bed while Mitsuki had her laptop open at the table.

"Iris-san, you should lie down. I have slept plenty enough, so let me first take care of some student council work that had been pushed back due to the festival yesterday."

"Mitsuki-chan, even now, you're still working hard at finishing your work as the student council president? You're so amazing..."

"Not really, I am simply using work to give myself a change of pace—"

I was able to listen to their conversation.

The view point was looking down at Iris and Mitsuki from near the ceiling. But of course, I was not actually there and neither did they notice me.

—Were these images transmitted to me from Marduk?

I was currently linked to Marduk and through my senses, I was able to know the entire ship's state and method of operation.

Due to being in this state, that was probably why my curiosity about what was happening inside the ship had caused the relevant scenes to be visually projected into my mind. But in terms of the feeling, it was more like I had become an invisible ghost hovering in midair rather than merely viewing images.

This was totally voyeurism. I frantically tried to pull my consciousness back to reality but my thoughts halted when I heard something Iris said.

"Mitsuki-chan, is 'instinct' not acceptable for you?"

"Iris-san..."

Mitsuki stopped what she was doing and stared at Iris in surprise.

"Sorry... Mononobe told me."

"...Is that so?"

Iris apologized then Mitsuki bowed her head somewhat embarrassedly.

"U-Umm, this is what I think. Isn't instinct the source of all feelings, like being hungry, wanting to sleep, or liking someone? So if you say that's unacceptable, how should I put this...?"

The atmosphere grew more and more heavy as Iris continued anxiously. At this moment, Mitsuki smiled wryly and made a deep sigh.

"—Thank you for your encouragement, but this is not the same."

This was a very transparent but very sad smile.

"Not the same?"

"Indeed. Iris-san, of course I have already agonized over what you were talking about, but what makes me truly afraid is—"

Mitsuki simply bit her lip with a very pained expression and did not finish her sentence. Seeing the look on her face, Iris stood up from the bed and rushed over to her side.

"N-No more! I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan, I don't know anything..."

—Mitsuki.

I didn't know either what was tormenting Mitsuki. I had no idea at all. How truly disgraceful.

"...Do not let it bother you. If you are going to take a nap, how about a shower first?"

Mitsuki shook her head and urged Iris as though trying to change the subject.

"Sure... Oh, in that case, we might as well shower together! Mitsuki-chan, you haven't had a bath since last night, have you?"

"I have not, but showering together should not be necessary..."

Mitsuki hesitated in the face of Iris' sudden suggestion, but Iris clenched her fist and insisted vigorously.

"It is! This is definitely more fun than work! If you're going for a change of pace, then fun is obviously the answer! Come, up up up you go! I'll help you undress."

Saying that, Iris helped Mitsuki up and untied the ribbon at her collar.

"W-Wait! I can do this by myself—"

Mitsuki was very surprised, but I was equally flustered.

Although it was bad to eavesdrop up to this point, watching the rest would be truly unforgivable.

I tried to turn my attention elsewhere, which hopefully would switch the video feed.

—Another room, anywhere but here...!

Pale skin came into view with the unfastening of buttons at the collar—Just as I tried my hardest to avert my gaze, the two of them disappeared from view.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 086.jpg|thumb]]

However, I was still looking into a cabin on the ship. My consciousness was hovering near the ceiling and I could see Firill lying forward on the bed, reading a book.

"...Fufu."

Firill chuckled happily to herself while turning the pages.

It looked like my viewpoint had switched to Firill's cabin.

This was not good either. I should switch to either an unoccupied cabin or back to the bridge next.

I focused my mind, trying to switch my viewpoint to a place of my choosing. However, Firill's kicking legs entered a corner of my view.

While reading, she was slowly kicking her legs up and down alternately. With her socks taken off, her calves were making my heart race, but the thighs were even more dangerous.

Due to the movement of her legs, the hem of her skirt was lifted, almost exposing her underwear. No, if I changed the angle, perhaps I could—

—Hey, what the heck am I thinking!?

I came to my senses and suppressed inappropriate thoughts, forcibly moving my gaze away from Firill's thighs.

Next, the view changed again. Apparently, the thought of shifting my gaze away was the trigger to changing the viewpoint.

But the next one was still a cabin occupied by one of my companions.

Ariella was silently doing push-ups. Strength training, I guess.

In preparation for the imminent battle—That wasn't right. This kind of regular training had the effect of calming one's mind. I knew that all too well.

"Mmm... Hoo..."

Regular breathing noises. Sweat dripping from her brow. Heating up due to exercise, the hue of her skin looked even more seductive. I could not help but gulp.

However, just as I noticed Ariella switching from push-ups to a handstand posture, I panicked.

—H-Hey, if you go upside-down...

Just as her slender legs were about to point up to the ceiling and her skirt would flip over due to gravity, I mobilized my self-control completely and shifted my gaze.

Another change of viewpoint, but this time, I did not even get a chance to relax.

"Mama, cAn'T taKe oFf."

"Try harder, Zwei. If I always help you, then you will never learn how to unfasten your own buttons, you know?"

In the next cabin, Jeanne was watching Shion undress. Like Iris and Mitsuki, they were probably going to take a shower.

"...goT it. i'LL tRy mY BesT."

It brought a smile to one's face to see Shion doing her best to unfasten her buttons, but also made the viewer feel an urge to help her.

Jeanne must be feeling the same, she extended and retracted her hand repeatedly. In the process, she came up with an idea and hastily began to remove her uniform shirt.

"Look, Zwei. Follow what I am doing."

Saying that, Jeanne began to unbutton her shirt starting from the top.

—Hey!?

As each button was unfastened, more of her pale skin came into view, accompanied by wobbling of her bust that was tightly constrained by clothing.

After being told off by the girls previously, Jeanne stopped trying to hide the shape of her bust deliberately. However, a male uniform was still a bit too restrictive for her chest.

When the third button was undone, her cleavage became exposed and I could not help but find my gaze drawn to it.

"Uh... Like Mama..."

Shion was staring at the motions of Jeanne's hands for reference, but it was difficult for me to remain calm after watching Jeanne expose her feminine body.

—I've got to leave and switch to another room—

Using the same principle as before, I averted my gaze and consciousness. Before the next image appeared, a high-pitched voice sounded in my mind first.

"Ahh, 'tis enough! I have stated I do not need a bath!"

"No, Mother. Since you are currently unable to replace your body, you need to take proper care of your hair and skin."

A warzone of a cabin was projected into my mind. Dressed in a camisole, Vritra was running all over the place, trying to escape Kili who was trying to disrobe her by force.

"Be that as it may, I am capable of performing the task alone—"

"If I leave it to you, Mother, isn't that the same as not using shampoo?"

"It entereth mine eyes!"

One of Vritra's shoulder straps had loosened and she was running around the room in a less than presentable manner. In many ways, this was unsuitable for continued viewing. The black dragon—"Black" Vritra—Where has its fearsome aura gone off to?

—I'll pretend I never saw this.

Making my decision, I moved my gaze away from these mother-daughter interactions that brought a smile to my face.

The view switched and the two of them disappeared. This time, it was a cabin with an identical layout, but no one was there.

I sighed mentally. Finally, an unused cabin.

—Hmm?

Upon closer examination, I noticed a set of school uniform, properly folded on the bed, and there were faint water sounds and humming coming from the shower room.

"<nowiki>Why are you~~ always so~~ reckless~~</nowiki>♪"

The pitch and melody were not very accurate and the lyrics were probably improvised.

"<nowiki>I really wish~~ you could show some moderation~~ which is why I can't~~ leave you alone~~</nowiki>♪"

Did she feel inspired? The chorus part seemed to be sung in high spirits.

This voice—Lisa's. I could not be mistaken.

"<nowiki>Before I knew it, someone like you~~ has taken over an important position in my heart~~</nowiki>"

However, this was really embarrassing.

I had done something similar before, but singing in the shower was usually kept for occassions with no one else present. If someone heard me, I'd feel so embarrassed that I'd lock myself in the room for a while.

Just as I was feeling guilty, the water stopped and the shower room was opened.

My heart shook violently. Now I realized it was no time to be laid back.

White steam flowed into the room as Lisa emerged naked from the shower room—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 092.jpg|thumb]]

—S-Sorry!

Although I knew she could not hear my voice, I still apologized on reflex and closed my eyes.

The sounds vanished instantly and I knew the scene had shifted again.

I slowly and carefully opened my eyelids—those of my consciousness rather than my real ones.

However, I could not see anything.

I was surrounded by white mist and there was the sound of running water.

—Where... is this?

Just as I muttered in my heart, the mist moved—Then came a loud voice.

"Oh—Yuu, what are you doing there?"

The water stopped and the mist thinned out a bit, then Tia's figure came into view.

Obscured by the mist was her naked body. Only then did I realize I was inside the shower room.

More surprisingly, Tia was looking up at me.

—T-Tia? You can see me?

No one so far had been able to notice me as a mental projection nor hear my thoughts. However, Tia nodded matter-of-factly. As Yggdrasil's successor, Tia's ability to interfere with "information" had probably allowed her to sense my consciousness that was synchronized with Marduk.

"Of course Tia can see you. Yuu... Did you come to peek on Tia?"

Tia blushed shyly and used her hands to cover her breasts and lower abdomen.

—No, I didn't do this on purpose! It's just that after linking with Marduk, images from inside the ship have flowed automatically into my mind—

"Images from inside the ship? So Yuu not only peeked on Tia but everyone else?"

—Urgh, well, although I didn't do it on purpose, that's what it ended up being...

Unable to refute her, I admitted it. After all, it was the indelible truth that I had peeked on everyone while they were unguarded.

"Yuu, peeking is bad. Even if it wasn't on purpose, you need to be punished for doing bad things."

Tia stared at me and spoke in Lisa's tone of voice.

—Fair point.

"So, come to Tia's cabin right away, Yuu, in your real body."

—F-Fine. But how do I switch my viewpoint back?

"Tia will help you."

A flash of electricity sparked across Tia's red horns. The blinding light made me closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was already back in my seat in the bridge.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei were working at their positions in front and did not seem to have noticed my consciousness moving away.

I was slightly unsteady when I stood up. There was a sharp pain throbbing in the depths of my head.

Including the fact that I could not control my viewpoint, it looked like I had yet to master Marduk's control.

Saying I was going over to Tia, I left the bridge.

Along the sides of the passage, illuminated with milky-white light, were a series of doors. These were the cabins the girls were using.

Which one was Tia's? Although I could find out immediately by searching the interior of Marduk through my senses, this could end up turning into "voyeurism" again. Just as I was hesitating, a door opened automatically as though it had read my mind.

I approached the cabin and peered inside from the entrance.

"...Tia?"

I called her name and got a response from the shower room.

"Yuu, come in."

It looked like it was Tia's cabin. I entered as instructed and the door closed automatically.

"Uh, sorry for just now. While you were showering..."

Somewhat embarrassed, I apologized to Tia.

"Tia is not angry, after all, you are Tia's husband... But doing bad things means you have to be punished. Tia will work hard too."

From behind the door to the shower room, I could hear Tia's voice not very clearly.

In the past, Lisa had punished Tia to cleanse her of her guilt. Tia was most likely recalling that scene, which was why she was imitating Lisa.

"—Got it. Then I'm counting on you."

When answering, I prepared myself to be punched.

"Then come over to this side."

"Huh...?"

This unexpected answer made my voice go off key. I asked in puzzlement:

"Wait, Tia, aren't you in the middle of a shower?"

"Yes. Which is why Yuu will help wash Tia's hair as punishment for peeking just now. Usually, Lisa does it... But today, we are in separate cabins."

"W-Wash your hair—"

"...You can't do it?"

Tia's question interrupted my attempt to refuse.

"I can—But speaking of which, why did you pick separate cabins from Lisa?"

I needed some time to adjust my mindset, so I asked her a question.

"Well..."

From Tia's whisper, I could hear hesitation and unease.

The weakness in her voice made me realize that perhaps the reason why Tia had called me to her cabin was not only to punish me.

Last night, Tia had extracted data on the seventh dragon from Yggdrasil's Akashic Record, but due to the sudden emergence of the Bahamut, we had not had time to ask her about the result.

"Sorry, I won't complain. I'll accept your punishment, Tia."

Deciding that now was the time to be by Tia's side, I started removing my uniform.

"...Yes!"

I heard a happy voice behind the door.

After undressing completely, I took the towel that was placed in front of the shower room and wrapped it around my waist, then nervously pushed the door open.

White steam flowed out of the shower room warmly while the sound of the shower echoed throughout the entire cabin. With her hands over her privates, Tia looked up at me, blushing intensely.

"...I-I'm coming in."

"Please enter..."

Tia nodded.

I closed the door after entering. The shower room was too cramped for two people, forcing me and Tia to be in close proximity. It felt like any movement would make us touch each other.

Still running, the shower poured water over my entire body below the chest. For Tia, this height was just right, but it was too low for me.

"Yuu... Can you wash my hair?"

Fidgeting, Tia looked up and inquired with her gaze.

"—Yeah. Could you turn around?"

Although the feminine fragrance filling the shower room was making my heart race, I still nodded while maintaining a serious face and used my palm to receive some shampoo.

Tia turned around obediently. In the process, her petite shoulder touched my abdomen, causing both of us to shudder.

I convinced myself this was punishment for peeking then reached towards her blonde hair that was almost pink.

Normally tied into twintails, her hair was let down and reached waist level. Indeed, washing it herself would be quite a hassle. I now understood why Lisa helped out.

"Then let's start."

I inserted my fingers between her hair near the top of her head, gently massaging her scalp while making suds with the shampoo.

"...Fufu, this tickles a bit."

Her shoulders trembling slightly, Tia laughed.

"Does it itch anywhere?"

I asked like an owner of a hair salon.

"No, Tia's hair is washed clean every day, so it doesn't itch."

After listening to her, I continued to wash her hair carefully, but whenever my fingertips touched the red horns, Tia's voice got shrill and excited.

"Hyah!? Y-Yuu, don't touch the horns suddenly! They're very sensitive!"

Tearfully, Tia looked back and glared at me.

"Oh—I see, sorry. Then should I avoid the horns?"

"...Don't worry. Tia hopes Yuu can wash the horns clean too. As long as you're gentle... It's fine."

Making her decision, she turned her back to me again.

"Got it. Then I'll be more gentle—"

I gathered suds on my fingertips and touched Tia's red horns gently.

"Mm... Ah—"

Tia trembled and moaned, but this time, I went with the flow and continued without stopping.

"Does it tickle?"

"Oohh... I-It's okay—Ahmm... Ya... Mm..."

Tia's sweet voice echoed in the shower room, rocking my sanity greatly. I focused my mind on my fingertips to banish unnecessary thoughts.

I used the inner side of my fingers to gently rub the smooth and shiny surface of the horns while controlling my strength to scrub the interface between the scalp and the horns.

"Oh... Th-That part... Yuu... This feels so nice... Mm—"

Tia moaned in ecstasy, looking like she had gotten used to this stimulation. Her body also relaxed greatly.

It seemed that rubbing the base of the horns was quite pleasurable so I focused on cleaning it for a while. Then I combed her long hair with my fingers and carefully washed all the way to the tips. Finally, I washed off the suds and applied conditioner before rinsing with hot water—Thus I completed the punishment Tia had given me.

"Okay, it's done."

"—Tia's mind feels blank."

With blushing cheeks, Tia turned her head back then rested it against my body.

"Tia, are you okay?"

I bent down and caught Tia with my hands as she leaned back. Her petite body was warm and soft. Although there were suds lingering on her body, washed from her hair, it was not enough to cover her pale, nude body. I really had no idea where I should direct my gaze.

"...So weird. Just a shower, yet it feels like Tia soaked too long in a bath."

Tia murmured in puzzlement.

"Then let's get out soon."

I switched off the shower and was going to pick up the limp Tia in my arms, but she frantically grabbed my arm forcefully.

"Oh—Wait! Tia still wants to stay here with Yuu longer."

"W-Why?"

I did not understand so I asked for the reason. Her face all red, Tia spoke:

"...It's cramped, here... If it's here... Being close to Yuu won't be strange... Not because Tia is weak..."

Tia squeezed out these words before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Uh—"

Direct contact with tender skin made my heart jump, but I calmed down after noticing Tia's trembling.

When I asked why she had picked separate cabins with Lisa, she had acted strangely.

"...Did something happen?"

I controlled my emotions and asked in a gentle tone of voice. At the same time, I moved my hand to the back of Tia's petite back and gently patted her to soothe her.

"Yuu... Tia... did as Vritra suggested, to search the memories of Yggdrasil's predecessor—'Verdant' Kiskanu—about the seventh dragon."

Hugging me tightly, Tia whispered in my ear.

"Then you saw something scary?"

Holding her delicate and young body, I inquired, but she denied it.

"No... Nothing could be seen, total darkness."

"Total darkness?"

"Something black was spreading throughout the Earth—devouring forests and grasslands... Kiskanu became unable to think. Due to the excessive loss of plant life, not enough computational power was left. So almost no analysis and recording could be done."

Then Tia paused, hugging me tighter.

"...So scary. 'Death'... turns out to be so painful, so sad... So lonely... Tia never knew."

Hearing this, I understood why Tia was trembling.

Digging through Kiskanu's memories, Tia had experienced "death."

I had also stood on the brink of the abyss of death, but in my case, there was still a chance to return. It was impossible for me to imagine true death.

"You worked really hard."

Consolation did not seem right, so I chose to praise her effort instead.

"Yes, Tia... worked really hard. But Tia needs to continue working... continue thinking."

Tia nodded lightly then moved her body away slightly. With our noses almost touching, she looked at me squarely.

"Thinking?"

"After destroying the world, where exactly did the seventh dragon go... That pitch-black darkness—what Kiskanu called 'end matter'—what is it exactly...? Why Bahamut reappeared now of all times.. Tia must think to find answers. This is a job that only Tia can do by using Yggdrasil's Akashic Record."

Tia finished with determination but her body was still trembling a bit.

"You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"...A bit. Tia actually wants to go to Lisa and hug her tight. Lisa is so kind and will definitely ask Tia to stop straining. But... That won't do."

So this was her reason for picking a separate cabin from Lisa, huh?

Saying she was not weak earlier was definitely just putting on a brave face.

"Will you be able to hang in there?"

"Yes—Leaning close to Yuu, Tia feels warm... It's fine now. For the husband, the wife will work hard!"

With scarlet cheeks, Tia made dazzing smile. These words came from the heart instead of putting on a strong front.

Hearing these words filled with intense affection while locked in a nude embrace, I was starting to feel my cheeks heat up.

"Yuu..."

Tia drew her face near and the tips of our noses happened to touch. Then slightly shyly, she smiled. A sweet atmosphere filled the entirety of the cramped shower room and I could feel each other's heartbeats speeding up.

At that very moment, the light in the shower room suddenly flickered.

Just as Tia and I looked up in surprise, the shower suddenly poured out a lot of cold water.

"—So cold—!?"

"Kyah!? Cold!"

As we screamed, the water flow from the showerhead increased further, even causing it to fall from the hook and jump all over the place.

"Ouch!"

The jumping showerhead struck me in the forehead, making me see stars.

"Y-Yuu! Hurry and turn off the shower!"

"Yeah—But I'm pretty sure I turned it off just now—"

While dodging the showerhead that was rampaging like a snake, I adjusted the water flow and temperature.

However, the shower flow did not decrease. Smashing into the wall, it continued to spew cold water.

"Ooh... So cold."

Clinging to my back, Tia avoided the shower. The mild bulge of her bosom and tender skin was making my heart race, but this arousal was instantly put out by the water.

"...L-Let's leave first."

I gave up on shutting off the shower. Carrying Tia in one arm, I walked out of the shower room.

But in the process, I shuddered from the cold.

"S-So cold again."

Huddled in a ball, Tia commented on the cabin's condition.

Yes—The cabin's temperature was abnormally low. Did the air-conditioning malfunction? It was blowing cold air at maximum output.

The coldness seeped into my wet body, causing my teeth to chatter. I put down Tia then immediately operated the panel to control the air-conditioner, but like the shower, it did not respond.

"Yuu, the door can't open either!"

Unable to bear to cold, Tia slammed her hands against the door to the corridor and cried out anxiously.

"Could it be that... Marduk has gone out of control?"

I focused my mind and increased my synchronization with Marduk. Then I tried to use my mind directly to operate the cabin's functions.

However—I failed to convey my thoughts to the cabin facilities. It felt like something was blocking the transmission of my commands.

Next, the ship's operating system seemed to show abnormalities. The ship's body also shook heavily once.

"Sorry, Tia, it looks like I can't control Marduk. In truth, my head has been hurting and I thought I could keep it under control..."

"Got it. Then Tia will try interfering with the systems."

Tia nodded and closed her eyes to focus her mind. Electrical sparks erupted from her red horns. However, the air-conditioning did not stop and the door remained locked.

"—Something is in the way."

Tia showed a surprised look then turned her head to sweep her gaze around the room. Finally, her gaze settled on the ceiling near the air-conditioner.

"Yuu, look! Something's there!"

"...Where?"

Despite looking in the direction Tia indicated, I still could not see.

"Just like when you were peeping, Yuu, it can't be seen normally."

After hearing that, I tried using "Marduk's viewpoint" to get a grasp on the cabin situation.

I concentrated and synchronized myself with Marduk further. From overhead, I observed this room—

Then I noticed a tiny glowing dot flitting about in the cabin.

However, the glowing dot immediately vanished after leaving a bright trail.

"It noticed that we discovered it and hid. Something must have invaded Marduk's system, so it's not Yuu's fault."

Saying that, Tia quickly dried herself and put on her uniform. I picked up my clothes while trying not to look in her direction and asked:

"Invaded the system... But this is a pre-civilization weapon filled with lost technology, right? Is that even possible?"

"But it's true we've been hacked. We'll know once the culprit is caught. But it's hard unless Tia goes all-out... Yuu, you might feel numb... Okay?"

Tia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead."

Since I could not do anything, relying on Tia was the only way.

"Got it. Okay, electronic warfare—Begin."

Tia had already put on her clothes. A blinding flash of electricity was released from her horns. The electricity zapped throughout the cramped cabin. I guarded my face with my arms and held my breath. My physical body took almost no damage but the feeling of being synchronized to Marduk was numbed for an instant.

This was evidence that Tia's interference had spread throughout the ship. Most likely, Tia had held back earlier to avoid affecting my link with Marduk. The numbing feeling probably referred sensations on Marduk's side.

After subduing Yggdrasil, Tia had gained the power that Kiskanu had used to destroy "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis. This authority allowed her to control electromagnetism and dominate all kinds of "electronic information."

A forcible search through the systems of Marduk, an Atlantean weapon, would be a piece of cake for Tia.

The cabin's illumination flickered and went out.

When it brightened again, the air-conditioner stopped blowing cold air and I could hear that the water in the shower room had stopped.

"—Control over this cabin has been seized back. Yuu, if something doesn't feel right in the ship, tell Tia."

Having dressed, I nodded then checked Marduk's state as though examining my own body.

Marduk's numbed feeling, due to Tia's interference, was gradually recovering. Although a bit of numbness remained, preventing precise operation of the ship's facilities, finding irregularities was still doable.

"Considering the shaking earlier, something must be wrong with the drive system—Main mechanism normal. Others... Hmm? There's something off about the gravitational control device on the left main wing."

"Got it. It must be there!"

Tia nodded and her horns released a flash of electricity.

The blinding light made me narrow my eyes while watching her fight. I could not imagine what kind of battle was taking place inside the system. Marduk's senses were also showing localized paralysis and numbing, which told me where the electronic warfare was taking place—but I could not get a grasp on further details.

"—Cornered."

After a while, Tia smiled victoriously and held my hand.

"Yuu, go to the bridge! The culprit is over there!"

Pulling me, she walked towards the doorway and the door opened automatically.

"By over there, you mean—"

Before I understood the situation, I went with Tia to run along the corridor to the bridge.

After the door to the bridge opened, we stepped into the domed room. Shinomiya-sensei and Ren were looking up at the monitor that was filled with static.

"W-What happened? Did I press a wrong button?"

"...Doubt it. Calm down. Probably a virus or something."

Ren comforted the flustered Shinomiya-sensei. The omnidirectional monitor originally displaying optical images from outside was not only showing static but also had countless small vine-like images, crawling over the screen.

"Look, I'll catch it soon."

Tia pointed up.

I looked closely and saw a glowing ball moving rapidly on the screen, roughly the size of a baseball. The vines were chasing it.

Finally cornered, the glowing ball was entangled by the vines.

"This rubbish tree! Unhand me!"

Then a high-pitched voice sounded throughout the bridge.

The glowing sphere gradually dimmed and the true appearance of what the vines had caught was displayed on the monitor. It was a very petite girl with transparent wings sprouting from her back. Based on the displayed size, her height was around twenty centimeters.

"...A fairy?"

Ren remarked in a whisper.

Judging from the girl's height and appearance, it was quite normal to think of this description first.

"In any case, what is the current situation?"

Unable to hide the doubt on her face, Shinomiya-sensei wanted us to explain further. Tia replied:

"The virus invading Marduk and the vaccine program Tia created are being visualized on the monitor. The fairy-like thing is the virus and the vines comprise the vaccine."

"Who are you calling a virus! I am the ultimate machine intellect, created by supreme wisdom!"

The tiny fairy instantly retorted, struggling furiously to escape the vines restraining her. However, the vines showed no signs of releasing her.

"Machine intellect...? You mean AI?"

As soon as I asked my question, the fairy glared at me.

"Do not compare me to primitive artificial intelligence! I am not something created by humans! The wisdom of Atlantis was achieved through continual self-evolution of collective machines—As such, I ought to be called machine intellect, not artificial intelligence! How dare you call me a virus, that would be an insult of the most awful and most atrocious nature... Isn't the rubbish tree that destroyed my civilization an even more deplorable virus!?"

The fairy vented in a vigorous diatribe. While her voice sounded in my mind, there was information that could not be ignored.

"What... Atlantis? What rubbish tree... Don't tell me you're referring to Tia—no, Yggdrasil?"

Seeing the fairy glare at Tia with hatred, I asked cautiously, but an unexpected source gave the reply.

'Precisely, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. She hates Yggdrasil with a passion—or what used to be known as Kiskanu, I suppose. After all, it was the mortal enemy that wiped out Atlantean civilization completely.'
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 113.jpg|thumb]]

"—"

I followed the sudden sound source, which was coming from where Shinomiya-sensei was sitting, but it was not her voice. In front of her seat, there was a square window on the monitor—A man with slender eyes was smiling.

"Furthermore, she suffered during the battle last time. The firing of the battleship Naglfar's cannon was interrupted due its system getting hacked. Let it be... It was my mistake for failing to take into account that the other side possessed the holder of Yggdrasil's authority."

"Major Loki..."

I muttered the name of the man who was smiling wryly.

He used to be my superior officer. In addition, we were opponents who had put everything on the line to kill each other. Furthermore, I had killed him with these hands of mine. Although Kili had used biogenic transmutation to save his life afterwards... The sensation of taking a life still lingered on my hands.

'Hmph... You look like you've seen a ghost, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. You can't possibly be unaware that I am alive, right?'

"I knew, but it still feels strange..."

With mixed feelings of guilt and relief, I nodded.

'Me too. Being able to see the face of one's murderer must be a rare experience. However, let us put this topic aside for now. Could you release her first? It appears that she entered your ship through the communications channel while Colonel Shinomiya and I were having a strategy discussion.'

Major Loki pointed at the screen and spoke. Although the direction was off, he was presumably referring to the fairy caught in the vines.

"Well, even if you tell me to release her..."

Slightly troubled, I exchanged eye contact with Tia beside me for a moment. Major Loki smiled.

'Relax. She won't take any action that would cause critical harm to any of you. She is well aware that your participation is necessary for the upcoming operation. It was merely mischief to give you a headache, that's all. Am I right, Atla?''

Hearing this, the fairy restrained by the vines nodded glumly.

"Precisely. Seeing the rubbish tree messing with ''my'' Marduk, I could not hold myself back momentarily and merely sought revenge... I am terribly sorry for ending up in an embarrassing position again."

She apologized honestly, making her earlier fury seem like a lie. After hearing that, Major Loki smiled at us and said:

'—So there you have it. Even with lingering hatred, she is not your enemy. Rather, it would be better to consider her a friend currently.'

Major Loki shrugged lightly and told us not to worry.

After listening to this conversation, Shinomiya-sensei sighed mildly and looked at us.

"Release that fairy-esque being. Next, we will be fighting alongside NIFL, so trust them for the time being. However, Major Loki, you are obliged to give us a proper explanation."

I complied with Shinomiya-sensei's instructions and had Tia release the vines.

"Hmph, phooey."

Regaining her freedom, the fairy made a face at us then flew back to Major Loki's side.

"Hmm... She didn't repent at all."

"Let's listen to his explanation first."

Tia pouted unhappily so I patted her on the head to appease her.

"Mm, machine intellect... Fascinating. From what she said earlier, it sounds like she's related to the civilization of Atlantis..."

Ren's eyes were glimmering with curiosity, urging Major Loki to start explaining. Then smiling suggestively, he began to recount.

'Rather than related to Atlantis, it's better to say she ''is'' Atlantis. The supreme machine intellect managing and running the lost civilization... Its name was Atlantis. She—Atla—was born from its restoration.'

"Yes, I am precisely 'Ultimate Wisdom' Atlantis!"

Moving inside the window that showed Major Loki, the fairy puffed out her chest proudly.

However, that childish behavior left us with visible doubt on our faces.

"Supreme machine intellect..."

Even said out loud, it did not feel real. Tia frowned and did not seem convinced.

"Doesn't look that amazing."

"Mm, too young for an AI that managed a civilization."

Ren agreed too. The fairy—Atla—went bright red in the face.

"How rude! Whether organic or inorganic, there exists no intellect higher than mine!"

Major Loki apparently saw Atla's furious image too and he said with a wry smile:

'—Atla is undoubtedly a very advanced intellectual entity. However, what we managed to restore was only her core. Due to damage and loss in the storage medium, memory data—the archives of Atlantis—have become incomplete. As a result, the avatar's behavior became a little cute... But her true identity is indisputably the "god of the old world." It would be best not to underestimate her.'

Although Major Loki covered for Atla, she was whispering "M-Master... calling me cute..." while twisting her body. The claim that she was "the god of the old world" was not convincing at all.

Unlike Ren, Shinomiya-sensei and I who were rendered speechless by Atla's words and behavior, only Tia showed an expression of extreme surprise.

"Storage medium—How could anything like that be left behind!? Kiskanu should've wiped out all electronic data when destroying Atlantis."

Tia asserted strongly. Yggdrasil's Akashic Record must have retained related records.

However, the confidence in Major Loki's smile did not decrease the slightest despite Tia's objections.

'What we unearthed were not magnetic storage devices but only stone tablets.'

"...Stone tablets?"

Tia frowned in surprise.

'Due to the destruction wrought by dragon disasters, a site containing Atlantean ruins was found by chance and fell under secret management by Asgard and NIFL. Preserved in the ruins were a vast number of stone tablets stacked many layers deep. A language consisting of two symbols was carved on the surface of these stone tablets.''

Hearing this, Ren spoke in comprehension.

"Two symbols... Could it be binary...? They used stone tablets to record electronic data?"

'Precisely. Most likely, Atlantis used durable media to leave behind data, believing future humans would be able to revive civilization. Since the storage medium involves neither magnetic fields nor electrical voltages, it is immune to destruction by electromagnetic interference. Of course, reading it is a challenge and it took us many long years to finally complete the data extraction. This allowed us to revive the machine intellect, which used to govern the Atlantis civilization, in the modern age.'

Although Major Loki sounded proud in his reply, I could see an element of self-deprecation in his smile.

'—That being said, there are limits as to what modern science and technology can accomplish. Through continued research and enlisting Atla's power, we finally finished an imitation of Marduk—this battleship ''Naglfar''—but it is far inferior to the genuine article you have there.'

Major Loki had just said that it was the battleship ''Naglfar'' that had fired its cannon at Midgard. Equipped with a weapon similar to Babel, it was apparently Marduk's imitation.

"Major Loki, by saying 'this battleship,' does that mean you are currently on board the ''Naglfar''?"

Major Loki nodded.

'Yes, I am standing by at the first defense line, aboard this Atlantean weapon that has just been revealed to the public. We are currently in a state of severe shortage in combat potential, so your side's participation is very heartening.'

Despite the goodwill in Major Loki's words, Atla suddenly interjected.

"Master, I believe we should take over Marduk after the rendezvous."

"What are you suddenly saying...?"

The sudden suggestion caused an uproar in Marduk's bridge.

However, Atla ignored our concerns and continued speaking to Major Loki.

"After entering the ship, I discovered that they are still unable to operate the ship well. At this rate, they are merely going to waste a treasure. I dare assert, only the King of Atlantis approved by me—you, Master—has the right to use Deus Dragon!"

'Hmph... Unable to operate the ship well? Is that true, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe?'

"......"

His sharp gaze put me at a loss for words.

'It appears that the allegations are true. However... Be that as it may, I currently do not have the authority to requisition Marduk. Still I must ask, do you have any plans to ameliorate this situation?'

Confronted with his words and gaze, testing me, my body became a bit stiff. However, realizing the risk of Major Loki seizing command of this operation at this rate, I replied assertively.

"The strain of operating the ship was higher than expected. This is the truth. However, there has been no clear signs of malfunction so far, until she—Atla—wrought her mischief."

I stared at Atla, who had forced her way into Major Loki's window, and she immediately launched a rebuttal.

"One person barely keeping things under control is limited to the current situation of normal cruising. The strain will multiply several fold when battle mode is entered. Your little brain is going to burst immediately."

Atla asserted with certainty. Then Tia pouted and glared at her.

"Tia will help if Yuu is in trouble. If it's possible to operate Marduk better, Atla can simply reveal the correct method."

"Hmph, like anyone would tell a rubbish tree."

Atla turned her face away viciously. However, Major Loki seemed to agree with Tia's opinion and nodded solemnly.

'...Fair point. Atla, if you know where the problem lies, instruct them on how to control Marduk.'

"N-No way!? If you were to pilot Marduk, Master, surely—"

Atla looked very flustered, but Major Loki shook his head and interrupted her objections.

'Atla, Marduk is not the key to this operation. Atlantean weapons are effective against Bahamut to some extent, but cannot deliver a decisive blow. As such, it does not matter who is actually piloting.'

"Muu... Understood."

Atla agreed reluctantly. However, I was more concerned by what Major Loki's words implied.

"Cannot deliver a decisive blow... How did you know that?"

'Rather than asking me, you should be asking the one connected to Yggdrasil.'

Major Loki motioned to Tia beside me.

"...Ask Tia?"

'Yes, after all, our—Atla's—analysis was based on the data salvaged from the remains of Yggdrasil scattered at Fuji's Sea of Trees.'

Hearing that they had done that secretly, I shifted my surprised gaze to Tia.

"Yes... If what appeared this time is truly Bahamut, then Marduk... No, any weapon will not be able to destroy it completely. Only Basilisk's authority—'Catastrophe'—is capable of destroying it."

Seeing Tia agree with his viewpoint, Loki nodded.

'Indeed, Atla also reached the same conclusion, which is why we sought Midgard's assistance. We know that the D targeted by Leviathan in the past, Iris Freyja, is able to use Catastrophe, though the official report only arrived just now.'

Major Loki's smiled was mixed with irony. Then he continued:

'Hence, she is the main star this time. The ship carrying her must not come to any harm. Consequently, Atla, I shall be counting on you, alright?'

Warned in this manner, Atla nodded unhappily and glared at me.

"You leave me no choice... I shall not repeat myself. Listen carefully, got that?"

"Yeah."

Seeing me nod, Atla raised two fingers of her right hand.

"Marduk's control requires at least two people as linkers. If you take charge of piloting and weapons control, leaving the enemy detection system and the rest of the functions to someone else, the problem of excessive strain should be solved."

Atla spoke very rapidly, as though trying to finish a hated job as quickly as possible. However, I noticed an unfamiliar term.

"Linker?"

"...Stop asking questions. Did I not say that I shall not repeat myself?"

"No, it'll be a problem if I don't immediately clear up the parts I don't get."

Seeing me demand an explanation, Atla sighed with displeasure.

"Pick this sort of thing up from context, will you? A linker is a pilot who performs a mental link with Marduk—Currently, this means you."

"It's true I'm synchronized with Marduk... But how do I link another person's mind with the ship's systems?"

My mind was automatically linked through the process of constructing Marduk. Although Tia could take control through hacking, we still did not know the proper means of linking to the ship.

"Good grief, asking this and that... Since Marduk's control authority lies in your hands, simply issue the order to the system through thoughts or speech and it would allow others to perform a mental link with the system."

Atla finished impatiently then flew into the background of the monitor that was showing Major Loki. Major Loki smiled wryly and shrugged.

'—So there you have it, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Unfortunately, the ''Naglfar'' does not make use of the mental link system. I cannot sympathize with your pain, but if you need a co-pilot, Jeanne Hortensia would be a candidate. She should be in your company, right?'

"Yes, but why Jeanne?"

Seeing me ask with a frown, Major Loki smiled profoundly.

'Soldiers of Atlantis all had their bodies modified on the genetic level according to their responsibilities, thereby optimizing their abilities as much as possible. In the modern world, most people with outstanding talents are their descendants. In other words, the members of Sleipnir, which one could consider a gathering of such people, should exhibit relatively good compatibility with Atlantean weapons.'

A quiet comment from Vritra suddenly surfaced in my mind.

She had said that people possessing exceptional abilities do not exist without reason—Jeanne's natural talent was possibly inherited from the Atlanteans.

"Major Loki, you assembled Sleipnir not only to conduct experiments related to Code Lost but also with the idea of using Atlantean weapons?"

Wondering how many steps Major Loki had thought ahead, I asked. However, he shook his head wryly.

'Now that would be overthinking things. First of all, powerful weaponry is not needed if one possessed Code Lost. At least from the perspective of killing humans.'

I thought back to how terrifying it was to use Code Lost in its full form, capable of killing people with just a thought, and a chill ran down my spine. Furthermore, there was a cold glint in Major Loki's eyes that caused my instincts to sound an alarm.

During the battle revolving around Code Lost, I emerged victorious over Major Loki in the end and thwarted the plan to kill Charlotte. However, he never showed a loser's attitude when interacting with me.

"Is that so...?"

Although we were currently allies, I warned myself not to lower my guard while nodding somewhat stiffly. At this moment, Major Loki slowly leaned forward to the screen.

'Hmm, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, your tone was so stiff just now. I remember you sounded much more casual during our fight.''

"Huh?"

Pointing this out unexpectedly, he caused my voice to go off pitch slightly.

Indeed, during my fight against Major Loki, I had intentionally avoided using polite language—

"Oh—Well, back then, we were enemies."

'In other words, I am currently your superior on the same side, which is why you are taking such a rigid attitude? Then that is truly a shame. I was hoping to have a candid conversation with you...'

He sighed in disappointment. I did not know how serious he was.

"...Then don't make me your enemy, okay?"

I retorted sarcastically, prompting the corners of Major Loki's lips to twist in a grin.

'At least for this operation, we are allies. Don't worry, I won't stab you in the back. Of course, I will tell Atla the same.'

"Sounds like it will be scary after the operation."

'Really? But I am really looking forward to it.'

Major Loki smiled fearlessly then turned his gaze to Shinomiya-sensei.

'—Well then, Colonel Shinomiya, for the operation's success, let us have a detailed discussion. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, kindly find a good partner before the operation begins.'

"Very well—I will take the mentioned advice for reference."

I nodded and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Sure enough, talking to Major Loki was very tiring.

I moved my gaze away from Major Loki who had started his discussion with Shinomiya-sensei and talked to Tia.

"Tia, to prevent Atla's mischief, watch over here for now. I'll go find Jeanne first."

"Yes, okay, leave it to Tia!"

Tia nodded and Ren also turned her head back from the console.

"Mm, I'll monitor the system too."

"Great, thanks a lot."

I left the scene to those two and exited the bridge.

Although I was reluctant to obey Major Loki, from the perspective of using the right person for the right job, there was no better candidate than Jeanne.

However, the problem was—

I recalled the scene of Jeanne unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her cleavage.

After peeking at that kind of scene, to be honest, I was not confident whether I could still look her in the eye.

===Part 2===

"Designate target—Jeanne Hortensia—as additional linker. Transfer control over the domains of enemy detection, communications, and information processing. However, forbid readings from occupied cabins. This applies to me as well."

I raised my hand over Jeanne's head while she was standing nervously close by and ordered Marduk verbally.

Having just taken a shower, Jeanne's face was flushed red, this combined with her moist hair was quite sexy. Although she was dressed in the male school uniform, the bulge of her chest and the after-shower fragrance were all conspiring to keep me strongly conscious of her identity as a woman.

The sight of her in underwear earlier was surfacing vaguely in my mind, so I concentrated while mentally repeating the words I was speaking.

The final command was to prevent Jeanne and I from peeking into other people's cabins. Now what happened earlier could be averted.

"—"

The illumination in the room blinked strongly once and Jeanne shuddered.

Watching her from the side, Shion asked worriedly, "Mama, aRe YoU oKaY?"

"—Yes, I am fine."

Jeanne smiled and reassured Shion then exclaimed.

"Captain... This is amazing. Through Marduk's various sensors, I can capture an endless stream of information—It is like my vision field expanded several hundred fold..."

"Does it hurt?"

Noticing that my own headache was subsiding, I asked how Jeanne felt.

Although I had succeeded in making Jeanne the second linker, she might not be able to bear the strain.

"No problem. Although the volume of information increased greatly... There isn't any fundamental change. To begin with, my eyes have always been able to see things other people could not."

I could not help but feel in awe. Although I knew Jeanne had an extraordinary pair of eyes, I never imagined it would allow her to acquire information on par with Marduk's sensors in quality. Jeanne most likely had eyes that could capture wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum and a brain capable of processing all this information.

Soldiers of Atlantis whose abilities were fully optimized for their responsibilities—Perhaps Jeanne really was one of their descendants.

"Really, then cooperate with me from now on. Jeanne, are you able to transmit information from arbitrary coordinates to me?"

"—Let me try. There is a small island fifty kilometers or so ahead. I will mark it."

Jeanne nodded and I was informed of the coordinates of the aforementioned island. With this, I could get a lock on distant enemies to attack.

However, I suddenly noticed that Jeanne's face in front of me had grown even redder.

"Hey, are you okay? Is it making you feel unwell after all—"

I frantically asked about her condition, but Jeanne suddenly came to her senses and shook her head.

"N-No! I am completely fine. It is just that..."

Mid-sentence, she looked down awkwardly for some reason.

"Just that?"

"Umm... It is like our minds are connected, Captain... It somehow fills me with joy... And elevated my temperature a little."

Jeanne explained the reason somewhat bashfully then looked up at me.

This girly behavior made my heart race. I barely maintained composure and nodded.

"I'm glad it's not making you feel unwell. However, tell me immediately if anything feels off."

"Yes, understood. I will not overextend myself and cause you trouble, Captain. Oh—"

Jeanne nodded at me then suddenly gasped and looked into the distance.

"Mama?"

Shion called out to Jeanne in puzzlement and Jeanne looked at us stiffly.

"What happened?"

"...Well, just now—through information sharing with NIFL, data was obtained from the Akashic Record... I found out details about the Bahamut situation, and the Earth's current state..."

She did not continue, at a loss for words.

"Is the situation that bad?"

Noticing the heavy atmosphere, I asked hesitantly.

"...Yes. Shinomiya-sensei should be explaining later, but Bahamut is a monster beyond imagination. Let me link my senses with yours, Captain."

As soon as Jeanne spoke, an image of Bahamut appeared in my mind. Its gigantic body was blotting out the sky and the sun, still reminiscent of Vritra. The shadow falling upon the ground turned into an unknown territory, impossible to probe or observe, and kept expanding to follow Bahamut's movement. Outside of the shadow was pure whiteness in stark contrast—A world of silver-white.

"The ground is completely covered by—ice? Has Bahamut reached the Arctic Circle?"

If that were the case, Bahamut's speed was faster than expected. I panicked a little, but Jeanne shook her head.

"No, not yet. What you are seeing now was originally a flowing ocean... However, the temperature around Bahamut is extremely low, causing even the ocean to freeze."

"Freezing... Is this Bahamut's ability?"

"Not exactly. The cold is at most a side effect. The true nature of its ability is the absorption of thermal energy. Bahamut is a creature that devours heat. Taking in heat from the surroundings, it grows, regenerates, and evolves. So long as there exists external thermal energy, it would be no exaggeration to call it immortal."

Jeanne's explanation made my forehead break out in cold sweat.

"Devouring heat... What a crazy ability. Then explosions and lasers will all become its food?"

"Yes. Precisely because of that, only Catastrophe is capable of defeating Bahamut. Its immortality is achieved through absorbing heat to fuel its metabolism whereas Catastrophe fast forwards time from the present point. When time goes by before Bahamut's cells can absorb energy for their metabolism, it results in apoptosis."

"So that's how Basilisk defeated Bahamut... No wait, since Bahamut reappeared, doesn't that mean it was never exterminated to begin with?"

When I voiced my doubt, Jeanne shook her head somewhat hesitantly.

"No—Had it not been exterminated, Bahamut would have absorbed all heat from the ground, turning Earth into a dead planet. It must have been completely annihilated at one point. However... I do not think the present Bahamut is fake either. Left unchecked, Bahamut will kill our planet, although at the present stage, the unknown territories are causing greater damage..."

"They've grown that big?"

I gulped and asked.

"The unknown territories mentioned before are black domes, and according to Marduk's sensors, there are a total of four great holes of 'nothing at all'—It might be better to describe the Earth as having four pieces gouged out of it."

Jeanne paused then sighed heavily.

"In particular, the unknown territories on the American west coast and the northern African continent have swallowed up areas of high population density. The number of victims has probably reached the tens of millions..."

"Hold on, it's too early to say that the people inside the unknown territories are dead. There must be a way to save them."

Just like how Mitsuki and I had survived inside the darkness—

After I said that with this hope in mind, Jeanne held her breath momentarily.

"—You are right, Captain. I have erred... I jumped to conclusions accidentally. Since responsibility for enemy detection and information processing has been passed to me, I should strive for correct judgment—I am truly ashamed."

Jeanne cringed and bowed her head apologetically.

"No, it's necessary to prepare for the worst too. But at the same time, it's better to keep the ideal outcome in mind. Otherwise, you could end up losing your goal."

I recalled my days as her captain and gently patted her on the head.

"...Yes."

Jeanne nodded, still looking down.

"Papa, wHat iS iDeaL?"

Shion tugged at my clothing from the side.

"It means the best-case result. First we defeat Bahamut then we find a way to take care of the unknown territories—the darkness—and save all the people who were swallowed. Then we return to Midgard safe and sound. That's the ideal outcome."

Of course, the darkness inside Mitsuki also needed to be eliminated. Once I figured out the blue light capable of suppressing "end matter"—Neun's authority—and could use it skillfully, perhaps I would find a solution that was currently out of sight.

"Oh, iDeaL, aWEsoMe!"

Shion sounded impressed and smiled happily.

Seeing her face, I smiled naturally too, but a sliver of unease flashed through my mind.

—But was this truly the ideal outcome?

For some reason, this thought surfaced, There should not be any outcome more ideal than what I had just outlined.

But somehow, I had an uncomfortable feeling as though I had overlooked something.

I persuaded myself that I was overthinking things, but still could not erase the unease adhering to my heart.

===Part 3===

"—This is all the information we have confirmed regarding Bahamut. Although the trait of heat absorption is quite challenging, there is no need for excess panic since we know that Catastrophe can defeat it. Now, we will proceed with the details of the operation."

After sweeping her gaze across each and every one of us, gathered at the bridge, Shinomiya-sensei spoke with a grave expression. Having heard the content from Jeanne earlier, I was not surprised, but the girls' expressions were relatively stiff upon learning Bahamut's ability for the first time.

"Approximately thirty minutes from now, NIFL's fleet including the ''Naglfar'' will start engaging Bahamut. However, we will not be joining the defense line. Instead, we will launch a heavy assault from behind after the fighting begins. In other words, NIFL will take on the role as bait."

The screen behind her no displayed Major Loki's face. The omni-directional monitor was filled with the color of the sky with sunlight shining from above.

"The success of this operation depends on whether we can get Catastrophe to strike the target directly. Hence, we will rely on your powers as Ds and Marduk's equipment to open a path, to get as close to Bahamut as possible for Iris Freyja to fire Catastrophe. You are the key—We are counting on you."

"Y-Yes! I will do my best!"

Iris saluted and answered in a slightly shrill voice under Shinomiya-sensei's gaze.

"Mononobe Yuu and Jeanne Hortensia will confirm Bahamut's present location while adjusting the ship's speed. Until NIFL launches their attack, do not make a move under any condition."

"Understood."

"Affirmative."

Jeanne and I expressed acknowledgement and Shinomiya-sensei continued to issue orders to the rest.

"Lisa Highwalker and Firill Crest will remain outside the ship to guard the starboard. Ariella Lu and Ren Miyazawa will be in charge of the port side's defense. Avoid using lasers or explosive transmutations when attacking. Find opportunities to conduct freezing attacks using low-temperature matter. It is very likely that stealing heat will slow down the target's movement and regeneration speed. But if necessary for opening a path, go ahead and attack with heavy firepower. Our main objective is to approach close enough to enter Catastrophe's range."

"Understood. Simply stated, we are taking the role of carrier-based aircraft."

"No problem. It's the same as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's usual work."

Lisa answered with her chest out while Firill made thumbs-up. Ariella and Ren also nodded firmly.

"There's nothing to do inside the ship, anyway. Let's go outside and raise some hell."

"Mm, adjustments to the OS are done. All that's left to do is fight."

However, Tia tilted her head curiously because she had not been named.

"Tia doesn't need to go outside?"

"You should stay at the bridge, prepared for electronic warfare. Although there has not been any reports of Bahamut being able to interfere with electronic equipment, better be safe than sorry. Furthermore... Who knows if NIFL will be our ally to the very end."

Shinomiya-sensei gave a wry smile sardonically. Stationing Tia at the bridge was mainly to defend against Atla, most likely.

Then Shinomiya-sensei's gaze shifted to Kili, who was standing behind everyone else.

"Kili Surtr Muspelheim, you will be in charge of guarding Iris Freyja. To avoid missing the opportunity to attack, Iris Freyja will remain on standby on the deck—However, it is probably impossible to stand on the ship's exterior without a barrier."

"Why do I have to do this sort of thing..."

Kili grumbled quietly in displeasure, but Iris held her hand with a radiant smile.

"I'm counting on you! With you protecting me, Kili-chan, I am reassured! Let's give it our best together!"

"—Placing such heavy trust in someone like me. Fine, since you've said this much... I will try my best without exerting myself."

Kili nodded a little helplessly.

Watching their conversation, I raised my hand.

"Hold on—I can go out to the deck too after the battle begins. I don't need to be in the bridge to control Marduk and it's better to have more people protecting Iris."

"Mononobe..."

Iris was happy to hear my suggestion.

"Good point, since you say so, then it is fine. After all, you are still Marduk's captain."

Shinomiya-sensei nodded in a slightly joking manner then said to the rest of the girls:

"Shion and Vritra will wait in the ship. Mononobe Mitsuki will be in charge of looking after them."

"Eh...?"

Mitsuki exclaimed in surprise.

Although Mitsuki was asked to look after them, this placed her in a position no different from Shion or Vritra. Rather, it was more like placing those two by Mitsuki's side on account of her condition.

"W-Wait! I need to fight too! This is no time to be holding combat potential in reserve!"

Seconds later, Mitsuki realized and suggested.

"I understand, but currently, it is very risky to let you go outside the ship. Since Bahamut is related to what is sealed within you, no one can predict what will happen if it came into contact with you."

"But—"

At a loss for words momentarily, Mitsuki looked at me for support.

She probably thought that as the "captain," I could overturn Shinomiya-sensei's decision, but...

"I'm sorry, Mitsuki, I feel the same way too. It's not that I don't want you to fight, but I hope to keep you away from danger as much as possible until the time when your power is truly needed—"

"...Enough. I understand."

Mitsuki interrupted me and turned her face away in extreme chagrin.

Just as the atmosphere in the bridge turned very awkward, Shinomiya-sensei announced in a loud and clear voice.

"Well then, everyone, prepare for battle. Those assigned outside the ship, head to the respective hatches."

Obeying orders, we made our way to the bridge's door. I looked back just as I was exiting into the corridor, only to see Mitsuki with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly.

===Part 4===

"For what purpose exactly... did I come here...?"

I—Mononobe Mitsuki—gently stroked Shion-san's fluffy hair, murmuring quietly while sitting on the bed.

My feeble and helpless voice echoed inside the cramped cabin but no one could answer me.

Sleeping on my lap was Shion-san, who had already entered the sweet realm of dreams. Vritra had stayed at the bridge, so there were only two occupants in this cabin.

Residing within me was the ninth dragon... That darkness, it was possible to suppress it using two holders of Neun's authority including myself. However, this was only currently.

Hence, Shion-san was doing her job properly even though she was sleeping. She was a mate of Nii-sans's—One of those selected by Nii-san to become Neun.

As for Vritra, whose powers were sealed, she had also stayed behind on the ship as a key individual for figuring out the darkness.

"I am the only one of no help at all..."

Gazing upon Shion's sleeping face that reminded me of my best friend, I could not help but speak in self-deprecation.

I knew that ordering me to standby here was the appropriate judgment call. Were I the commander, I would have issued the same order. I was currently akin to a bomb whose detonation could destroy the world. How could someone like me possibly be sent to the front lines?

Hence, everyone was protecting me. Nii-san and all the others were risking their lives to protect me.

I had no doubt that they were going to be victorious.

Although I told Shinomiya-sensei that it was no time to be holding combat potential in reserve, Nii-san would surely overcome all obstacles. Even if he were to fall somewhere, he would always stand up again to seize final victory.

After all, my Nii-san—Yuu-kun—has always helped me like this.

However... ''I am afraid of the arrival of that moment, even to the point of not wanting the fighting to end''.

I had never told anyone this. I will never reveal these reasons.

Iris-san had asked me whether instinct was unacceptable. She also said that ultimately, whether love or affection, everything came from instinct.

I agree. Even if Nii-san's reason for placing me first in his heart was borne by instinct, I cannot assert that it is fake. However, it is wrong. What I feared was what would come after that—

Nevertheless, I must endure this fear.

Even if there was nothing I could do, I had to pray for Nii-san's victory at least... Until that moment arrived, if I stayed by his side as much as possible—

'Are you really fine with this?'

Someone rejected my mental efforts to persuade myself.

"Eh...?"

I suddenly looked up and surveyed the cabin. Only Shion-san and I were present.

'Mitsuki, are you really fine with this?'

This was no hallucination. The voice came from my feet—from my shadow formed from the light in the ceiling. Futhermore, that voice and manner of speaking sounded very familiar.

"Miya... ko...?"

Trembling, I called out that name.

Yes—That voice just now was undoubtedly the voice of Shinomiya Miyako—My best friend who had passed away two years prior.

"Goo..."

And Miyako's daughter Shion remained asleep on my lap, apparently unaware.

I was frozen in surprise while the shadow at my feet began to quiver. The darkness undulated like waves.

Forming a blurred outline, the black shadow smiled with my best friend's face.

'I am on your side, Mitsuki. So—let's go realize your ''true wish'' together.'

My mind went blank. A moment later, wrath took over my heart.

The dragon mark on the back of my neck heated up. At the same time, the dragon mark on Shion-san's forehead glowed blue.

"The one known as the ninth dragon... I cannot believe it would stoop to such nonsense. How appalling—Shut up. Miyako is the only one allowed to smile using this face."

Following my impulse, I stomped hard on the shadow's imitation of Miyako.

A blue pulse spread in the darkness, causing Miyako's figure to gradually disappear.

"Huff... Huff..."

I panted then slowly raised my foot—My shadow had returned to its normal state.

Shion-san's dragon mark had stopped glowing and I knew that the crisis had passed.

This most likely happened because my mind had grown weak, but just as Vritra pointed out, it was still possible to suppress the darkness with two Neuns present.

I must carry myself with greater fortitude and willpower—

To encourage my unworthy self, I clenched my fist.

However, that voice remained in my ear, impossible to dispel. Again and again, again and again, her voice questioned me.

—Are you really fine with this?

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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 2

2016-09-20T06:22:44Z

Belatkuro: for consistency of Loki's dialogues.

==Chapter 2 - Atlantis the Electronic Fairy==

===Part 1===

A complicated maze of passages illuminated by milky-white lighting filled the interior of Marduk.

However, I already knew the internal layout like the back of my hand thanks to my link to Marduk. I first took everyone to the bridge in the top part of the ship's interior. Every shut door opened automatically in response to my intention to open it.

The bridge was a domed structure with a diameter of roughly ten meters. After I entered, the ceiling displayed images from all around the ship's surroundings. I took a look around and could even see Charlotte and the students at the harbor.

Everyone was exclaiming in awe and surprise. Accompanying us as Midgard's commanding officer, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the seat located at the front of the domed room.

There was one seat in the very center of the domed room with three more in front on the circular edge. This looked a bit few, but I knew clearly it was enough. This ship could be used properly even if there was only one user linked to Marduk.

"This is an Atlanean weapon, huh? Although you are able to control it without problems, Mononobe Yuu, are others capable of operating this ship? Though there is a console... I cannot read the language at all. I hope there is some kind of communications channel to ensure contact with Midgard and NIFL."

Shinomiya-sensei looked a bit troubled.

"Oh—About that..."

Although I could feel how things were used, articulating it was quite difficult. At that moment, Tia poked out her head from beside me and answered on my behalf.

"Don't worry, just let Tia do it! Leave it to Tia!"

With a flash of electricity from Tia's red horns, static appeared momentarily on the dome-shaped monitor.

"Uh... Hmm... If I copy Midgard's... Roughly like this—"

Tia murmured to herself for a while, opening a window on the monitor in front of a seat. The language on the console also turned into letters of the Latin alphabet.

"Tia tried installing an Asgard-compatible virtual OS inside the Marduk System. Will that work?"

After listening to Tia, Ren jogged over to the empty seat.

"Mm, let's confirm. It seems very interesting."

Ren looked incredibly excited as she started to operate the console.

"......Mm. Feels like it'll work. I should be able to understand the entire system by starting here. Analyzing the ship's drive system will take time... But opening up a comm channel should be instant."

Hearing Ren's reply, Shinomiya-sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent, then I would have a job to do. Leave negotiations with NIFL to me. Roughly three hours from now, NIFL's forces at the first defense line in the Arctic Ocean will begin to engage Bahamut... Will we make it in time? If not, then there is the second defense line set up in the waters of Norway—"

"It's fine, Marduk will definitely make it."

Sensing the ship's "power" as though it were my own limb, I asserted. There was enough time even if we traveled normally within the atmosphere. If necessary, we could even exit the atmosphere to fly along a ballistic trajectory.

"Very well, then let us set a course for the rendezvous point with the forces at the first defense line. The coordinates are—"

After Shinomiya-sensei gave the latitude and longitude, Ren immediately operated the console to display the map on the monitor.

From my senses, I learned that Marduk's systems understood that this was the destination.

The mild headache persisted, but my expanded consciousness filled me with a sense of omnipotence. I felt as though I was capable of anything right now.

"—Roger that. Marduk, set sail."

Sitting on the seat in the middle of the room, with the best visibility, I increased the depth of my synchronization with Marduk. As though moving my fingers, I retracted the gangway and locked the hatch. Main engine ignited—The ship moved forward dead slow.

Marduk began to launch slowly, gradually leaving the harbor.

I turned on the external sound output to speak with the people seeing us off.

"Well then—We are setting off."

Then I turned around and gestured to Iris and the girls with my hand.

After showing a look as though awakening from a dream, Iris took a deep breath and yelled.

"We're off!"

This triggered everyone else to say the usual parting pleasantries. Yet to develop a sense of belonging at Midgard, Kili and Vritra did not join in, but they did not interject either.

The bridge monitor showed the crowd, gradually receding away.

'—All of you must come back!!'

Waving her hand vigorously from the harbor, Charlotte's voice from the speaker echoed in the bridge. Then came the "safe travels" well wishes from the students to send us off.

Once I decided there was sufficient distance from the harbor, I raised the engine output and took formal control of Marduk.

On the sides of the ship, the main wings swung out, activating the gravitational control devices—

The video feed on the dome's ceiling monitor began to change. Midgard and the ocean were gradually receding away.

Even though we did not feel any shaking at all in the bridge, Marduk had taken off and was already hovering in the air.

Liberated from the constraints of gravity, the ship used its wings to stabilize itself and switched to atmospheric flight mode.

"—Off we go."

I spoke briefly.

The main engine increased in output. The main thrusters ignited. Acceleration began.

Slight vibration was felt in the bridge. Due to the rapid acceleration, the scenery flew past quickly. Centered around our flight direction, the clouds were stretched radially into thin trails.

Midgard was out of sight. What extended before our eyes was the blue of the sky and the ocean, as well as the white clouds, drawn out and receding to the back.

With the blue horizon as the destination, the ship flew. Once cruising speed in the atmosphere was reached, I stopped accelerating and leaned against the seat rest.

"Phew... Now all that's left is to fly straight towards the destination."

Persistent control would increase the burden on the mind excessively, so I reduced my synchronization with Marduk and switched to auto-pilot mode. The headache, which I had forgotten while I was concentrating, resurfaced, causing me to shake my head.

"Good work, Mononobe-kun. You really nailed that captain feel."

Firill emerged from behind my seat and laughed mischievously.

"...I'm just the pilot. Shinomiya-sensei is the captain."

I replied wryly and Shinomiya-sensei looked back.

"No, regarding this ship, you are the captain. I am just the communications officer."

"I'm the sysadmin."

Staring at the monitor, tapping away at the console, Ren remarked without turning her head.

"Then what about us?"

With nothing assigned to her currently, Iris brought a finger to the side of her mouth and cocked her head.

"Hmm... Ordinary crew, I guess?"

After Ariella spoke, Shion asked Jeanne:

"cRew? whAt DoEs cRew dO?"

"Uh, let me think... People who do all kinds of work on a ship... I suppose?"

However, Kili shrugged after listening.

"But is there any work to do here?"

"Know that I have no wish to do work."

Vritra frowned and objected to working. Looking a bit exasperated, Lisa asked me:

"I shall do everything within my ability. Mononobe Yuu, is there anything I can offer assistance with?"

"No—Not at the moment. At this speed, it will take roughly two and a half hours to reach the destination... Lisa, you girls need to rest properly in preparation for the upcoming battle. Cabins for the crew are on the left and right sides of the corridor leaving the bridge. I'll unlock them now, so all of you can pick whichever cabin you prefer."

I focused my mind and opened the doors to the various cabins.

The Atlanteans were humans too, so all essential facilities were the same. Through the data in my mind, I verified the cabin layouts. They were equipped with beds and showers.

"Understood. So much happened last night and we did not get to sleep well. Let us take a quick nap to refresh ourselves."

Lisa nodded and left the bridge with the others. Only Mitsuki remained, staring at me.

"Nii-san... What are your plans?"

"I'll stay here. I can't relax too much if I'm controlling Marduk."

"I see—Then I will share a cabin with Iris-san. It would be best for me not to be alone."

With a disappointed look, Mitsuki left the bridge. Did she intend to have a word with me? I hesitated, wondering if I should chase after her, but it felt like I'd merely repeat last night's situation if I said anything—So I stayed in my seat.

Only three people remained in the bridge. Ren who was focused on analyzing Marduk's systems, Shinomiya-sensei who was currently contacting NIFL, and myself.

"......"

Even though I could not relax too much, there was nothing in particular for me to do at the moment. Having set up Marduk to fly towards the destination at a constant speed, all I needed to do was maintain the link.

No—Perhaps I could even take a nap.

The people piloting this Marduk in the past could not have worked nonstop without sleep or rest. However, piloting information was separate from the data on the ship's structure, so it was all unknown to me. Even though I could feel how to activate Marduk, I had no idea how the pilots regulated their own conditions.

That being said, attempting to take a nap would be too dangerous. All I could do was wait for Ren's analysis to finish then see if there was some kind of manual related to that.

I suppressed a natural yawn.

Having slept on a sofa last night, I would slip into drowsiness as soon as there was nothing to do. Auto-piloting had lessened my burden, causing my headache to gradually improve. I could very well fall asleep accidentally for real.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite busy, so I was reluctant to talk to them just for a change of pace.

My only choice was to look up at the domed ceiling, gazing at the clouds, rapidly flying past.

—What might Mitsuki and Iris be chatting about?

After spacing out for a while, this thought crossed my mind.

I had told Iris everything. Spending time alone with Mitsuki in these circumstances, she might possibly panic.

Suddenly at that moment, my vision turned blurry then within the blink of an eye, the view in front of me changed completely.

—Huh?

I saw one of the cabins I had opened up for the girls just now. Inside a narrow room meant for a single occupant, there was a bed, a table and a shower compartment. Iris was sitting on the bed while Mitsuki had her laptop open at the table.

"Iris-san, you should lie down. I have slept plenty enough, so let me first take care of some student council work that had been pushed back due to the festival yesterday."

"Mitsuki-chan, even now, you're still working hard at finishing your work as the student council president? You're so amazing..."

"Not really, I am simply using work to give myself a change of pace—"

I was able to listen to their conversation.

The view point was looking down at Iris and Mitsuki from near the ceiling. But of course, I was not actually there and neither did they notice me.

—Were these images transmitted to me from Marduk?

I was currently linked to Marduk and through my senses, I was able to know the entire ship's state and method of operation.

Due to being in this state, that was probably why my curiosity about what was happening inside the ship had caused the relevant scenes to be visually projected into my mind. But in terms of the feeling, it was more like I had become an invisible ghost hovering in midair rather than merely viewing images.

This was totally voyeurism. I frantically tried to pull my consciousness back to reality but my thoughts halted when I heard something Iris said.

"Mitsuki-chan, is 'instinct' not acceptable for you?"

"Iris-san..."

Mitsuki stopped what she was doing and stared at Iris in surprise.

"Sorry... Mononobe told me."

"...Is that so?"

Iris apologized then Mitsuki bowed her head somewhat embarrassedly.

"U-Umm, this is what I think. Isn't instinct the source of all feelings, like being hungry, wanting to sleep, or liking someone? So if you say that's unacceptable, how should I put this...?"

The atmosphere grew more and more heavy as Iris continued anxiously. At this moment, Mitsuki smiled wryly and made a deep sigh.

"—Thank you for your encouragement, but this is not the same."

This was a very transparent but very sad smile.

"Not the same?"

"Indeed. Iris-san, of course I have already agonized over what you were talking about, but what makes me truly afraid is—"

Mitsuki simply bit her lip with a very pained expression and did not finish her sentence. Seeing the look on her face, Iris stood up from the bed and rushed over to her side.

"N-No more! I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan, I don't know anything..."

—Mitsuki.

I didn't know either what was tormenting Mitsuki. I had no idea at all. How truly disgraceful.

"...Do not let it bother you. If you are going to take a nap, how about a shower first?"

Mitsuki shook her head and urged Iris as though trying to change the subject.

"Sure... Oh, in that case, we might as well shower together! Mitsuki-chan, you haven't had a bath since last night, have you?"

"I have not, but showering together should not be necessary..."

Mitsuki hesitated in the face of Iris' sudden suggestion, but Iris clenched her fist and insisted vigorously.

"It is! This is definitely more fun than work! If you're going for a change of pace, then fun is obviously the answer! Come, up up up you go! I'll help you undress."

Saying that, Iris helped Mitsuki up and untied the ribbon at her collar.

"W-Wait! I can do this by myself—"

Mitsuki was very surprised, but I was equally flustered.

Although it was bad to eavesdrop up to this point, watching the rest would be truly unforgivable.

I tried to turn my attention elsewhere, which hopefully would switch the video feed.

—Another room, anywhere but here...!

Pale skin came into view with the unfastening of buttons at the collar—Just as I tried my hardest to avert my gaze, the two of them disappeared from view.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 086.jpg|thumb]]

However, I was still looking into a cabin on the ship. My consciousness was hovering near the ceiling and I could see Firill lying forward on the bed, reading a book.

"...Fufu."

Firill chuckled happily to herself while turning the pages.

It looked like my viewpoint had switched to Firill's cabin.

This was not good either. I should switch to either an unoccupied cabin or back to the bridge next.

I focused my mind, trying to switch my viewpoint to a place of my choosing. However, Firill's kicking legs entered a corner of my view.

While reading, she was slowly kicking her legs up and down alternately. With her socks taken off, her calves were making my heart race, but the thighs were even more dangerous.

Due to the movement of her legs, the hem of her skirt was lifted, almost exposing her underwear. No, if I changed the angle, perhaps I could—

—Hey, what the heck am I thinking!?

I came to my senses and suppressed inappropriate thoughts, forcibly moving my gaze away from Firill's thighs.

Next, the view changed again. Apparently, the thought of shifting my gaze away was the trigger to changing the viewpoint.

But the next one was still a cabin occupied by one of my companions.

Ariella was silently doing push-ups. Strength training, I guess.

In preparation for the imminent battle—That wasn't right. This kind of regular training had the effect of calming one's mind. I knew that all too well.

"Mmm... Hoo..."

Regular breathing noises. Sweat dripping from her brow. Heating up due to exercise, the hue of her skin looked even more seductive. I could not help but gulp.

However, just as I noticed Ariella switching from push-ups to a handstand posture, I panicked.

—H-Hey, if you go upside-down...

Just as her slender legs were about to point up to the ceiling and her skirt would flip over due to gravity, I mobilized my self-control completely and shifted my gaze.

Another change of viewpoint, but this time, I did not even get a chance to relax.

"Mama, cAn'T taKe oFf."

"Try harder, Zwei. If I always help you, then you will never learn how to unfasten your own buttons, you know?"

In the next cabin, Jeanne was watching Shion undress. Like Iris and Mitsuki, they were probably going to take a shower.

"...goT it. i'LL tRy mY BesT."

It brought a smile to one's face to see Shion doing her best to unfasten her buttons, but also made the viewer feel an urge to help her.

Jeanne must be feeling the same, she extended and retracted her hand repeatedly. In the process, she came up with an idea and hastily began to remove her uniform shirt.

"Look, Zwei. Follow what I am doing."

Saying that, Jeanne began to unbutton her shirt starting from the top.

—Hey!?

As each button was unfastened, more of her pale skin came into view, accompanied by wobbling of her bust that was tightly constrained by clothing.

After being told off by the girls previously, Jeanne stopped trying to hide the shape of her bust deliberately. However, a male uniform was still a bit too restrictive for her chest.

When the third button was undone, her cleavage became exposed and I could not help but find my gaze drawn to it.

"Uh... Like Mama..."

Shion was staring at the motions of Jeanne's hands for reference, but it was difficult for me to remain calm after watching Jeanne expose her feminine body.

—I've got to leave and switch to another room—

Using the same principle as before, I averted my gaze and consciousness. Before the next image appeared, a high-pitched voice sounded in my mind first.

"Ahh, 'tis enough! I have stated I do not need a bath!"

"No, Mother. Since you are currently unable to replace your body, you need to take proper care of your hair and skin."

A warzone of a cabin was projected into my mind. Dressed in a camisole, Vritra was running all over the place, trying to escape Kili who was trying to disrobe her by force.

"Be that as it may, I am capable of performing the task alone—"

"If I leave it to you, Mother, isn't that the same as not using shampoo?"

"It entereth mine eyes!"

One of Vritra's shoulder straps had loosened and she was running around the room in a less than presentable manner. In many ways, this was unsuitable for continued viewing. The black dragon—"Black" Vritra—Where has its fearsome aura gone off to?

—I'll pretend I never saw this.

Making my decision, I moved my gaze away from these mother-daughter interactions that brought a smile to my face.

The view switched and the two of them disappeared. This time, it was a cabin with an identical layout, but no one was there.

I sighed mentally. Finally, an unused cabin.

—Hmm?

Upon closer examination, I noticed a set of school uniform, properly folded on the bed, and there were faint water sounds and humming coming from the shower room.

"<nowiki>Why are you~~ always so~~ reckless~~</nowiki>♪"

The pitch and melody were not very accurate and the lyrics were probably improvised.

"<nowiki>I really wish~~ you could show some moderation~~ which is why I can't~~ leave you alone~~</nowiki>♪"

Did she feel inspired? The chorus part seemed to be sung in high spirits.

This voice—Lisa's. I could not be mistaken.

"<nowiki>Before I knew it, someone like you~~ has taken over an important position in my heart~~</nowiki>"

However, this was really embarrassing.

I had done something similar before, but singing in the shower was usually kept for occassions with no one else present. If someone heard me, I'd feel so embarrassed that I'd lock myself in the room for a while.

Just as I was feeling guilty, the water stopped and the shower room was opened.

My heart shook violently. Now I realized it was no time to be laid back.

White steam flowed into the room as Lisa emerged naked from the shower room—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 092.jpg|thumb]]

—S-Sorry!

Although I knew she could not hear my voice, I still apologized on reflex and closed my eyes.

The sounds vanished instantly and I knew the scene had shifted again.

I slowly and carefully opened my eyelids—those of my consciousness rather than my real ones.

However, I could not see anything.

I was surrounded by white mist and there was the sound of running water.

—Where... is this?

Just as I muttered in my heart, the mist moved—Then came a loud voice.

"Oh—Yuu, what are you doing there?"

The water stopped and the mist thinned out a bit, then Tia's figure came into view.

Obscured by the mist was her naked body. Only then did I realize I was inside the shower room.

More surprisingly, Tia was looking up at me.

—T-Tia? You can see me?

No one so far had been able to notice me as a mental projection nor hear my thoughts. However, Tia nodded matter-of-factly. As Yggdrasil's successor, Tia's ability to interfere with "information" had probably allowed her to sense my consciousness that was synchronized with Marduk.

"Of course Tia can see you. Yuu... Did you come to peek on Tia?"

Tia blushed shyly and used her hands to cover her breasts and lower abdomen.

—No, I didn't do this on purpose! It's just that after linking with Marduk, images from inside the ship have flowed automatically into my mind—

"Images from inside the ship? So Yuu not only peeked on Tia but everyone else?"

—Urgh, well, although I didn't do it on purpose, that's what it ended up being...

Unable to refute her, I admitted it. After all, it was the indelible truth that I had peeked on everyone while they were unguarded.

"Yuu, peeking is bad. Even if it wasn't on purpose, you need to be punished for doing bad things."

Tia stared at me and spoke in Lisa's tone of voice.

—Fair point.

"So, come to Tia's cabin right away, Yuu, in your real body."

—F-Fine. But how do I switch my viewpoint back?

"Tia will help you."

A flash of electricity sparked across Tia's red horns. The blinding light made me closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was already back in my seat in the bridge.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei were working at their positions in front and did not seem to have noticed my consciousness moving away.

I was slightly unsteady when I stood up. There was a sharp pain throbbing in the depths of my head.

Including the fact that I could not control my viewpoint, it looked like I had yet to master Marduk's control.

Saying I was going over to Tia, I left the bridge.

Along the sides of the passage, illuminated with milky-white light, were a series of doors. These were the cabins the girls were using.

Which one was Tia's? Although I could find out immediately by searching the interior of Marduk through my senses, this could end up turning into "voyeurism" again. Just as I was hesitating, a door opened automatically as though it had read my mind.

I approached the cabin and peered inside from the entrance.

"...Tia?"

I called her name and got a response from the shower room.

"Yuu, come in."

It looked like it was Tia's cabin. I entered as instructed and the door closed automatically.

"Uh, sorry for just now. While you were showering..."

Somewhat embarrassed, I apologized to Tia.

"Tia is not angry, after all, you are Tia's husband... But doing bad things means you have to be punished. Tia will work hard too."

From behind the door to the shower room, I could hear Tia's voice not very clearly.

In the past, Lisa had punished Tia to cleanse her of her guilt. Tia was most likely recalling that scene, which was why she was imitating Lisa.

"—Got it. Then I'm counting on you."

When answering, I prepared myself to be punched.

"Then come over to this side."

"Huh...?"

This unexpected answer made my voice go off key. I asked in puzzlement:

"Wait, Tia, aren't you in the middle of a shower?"

"Yes. Which is why Yuu will help wash Tia's hair as punishment for peeking just now. Usually, Lisa does it... But today, we are in separate cabins."

"W-Wash your hair—"

"...You can't do it?"

Tia's question interrupted my attempt to refuse.

"I can—But speaking of which, why did you pick separate cabins from Lisa?"

I needed some time to adjust my mindset, so I asked her a question.

"Well..."

From Tia's whisper, I could hear hesitation and unease.

The weakness in her voice made me realize that perhaps the reason why Tia had called me to her cabin was not only to punish me.

Last night, Tia had extracted data on the seventh dragon from Yggdrasil's Akashic Record, but due to the sudden emergence of the Bahamut, we had not had time to ask her about the result.

"Sorry, I won't complain. I'll accept your punishment, Tia."

Deciding that now was the time to be by Tia's side, I started removing my uniform.

"...Yes!"

I heard a happy voice behind the door.

After undressing completely, I took the towel that was placed in front of the shower room and wrapped it around my waist, then nervously pushed the door open.

White steam flowed out of the shower room warmly while the sound of the shower echoed throughout the entire cabin. With her hands over her privates, Tia looked up at me, blushing intensely.

"...I-I'm coming in."

"Please enter..."

Tia nodded.

I closed the door after entering. The shower room was too cramped for two people, forcing me and Tia to be in close proximity. It felt like any movement would make us touch each other.

Still running, the shower poured water over my entire body below the chest. For Tia, this height was just right, but it was too low for me.

"Yuu... Can you wash my hair?"

Fidgeting, Tia looked up and inquired with her gaze.

"—Yeah. Could you turn around?"

Although the feminine fragrance filling the shower room was making my heart race, I still nodded while maintaining a serious face and used my palm to receive some shampoo.

Tia turned around obediently. In the process, her petite shoulder touched my abdomen, causing both of us to shudder.

I convinced myself this was punishment for peeking then reached towards her blonde hair that was almost pink.

Normally tied into twintails, her hair was let down and reached waist level. Indeed, washing it herself would be quite a hassle. I now understood why Lisa helped out.

"Then let's start."

I inserted my fingers between her hair near the top of her head, gently massaging her scalp while making suds with the shampoo.

"...Fufu, this tickles a bit."

Her shoulders trembling slightly, Tia laughed.

"Does it itch anywhere?"

I asked like an owner of a hair salon.

"No, Tia's hair is washed clean every day, so it doesn't itch."

After listening to her, I continued to wash her hair carefully, but whenever my fingertips touched the red horns, Tia's voice got shrill and excited.

"Hyah!? Y-Yuu, don't touch the horns suddenly! They're very sensitive!"

Tearfully, Tia looked back and glared at me.

"Oh—I see, sorry. Then should I avoid the horns?"

"...Don't worry. Tia hopes Yuu can wash the horns clean too. As long as you're gentle... It's fine."

Making her decision, she turned her back to me again.

"Got it. Then I'll be more gentle—"

I gathered suds on my fingertips and touched Tia's red horns gently.

"Mm... Ah—"

Tia trembled and moaned, but this time, I went with the flow and continued without stopping.

"Does it tickle?"

"Oohh... I-It's okay—Ahmm... Ya... Mm..."

Tia's sweet voice echoed in the shower room, rocking my sanity greatly. I focused my mind on my fingertips to banish unnecessary thoughts.

I used the inner side of my fingers to gently rub the smooth and shiny surface of the horns while controlling my strength to scrub the interface between the scalp and the horns.

"Oh... Th-That part... Yuu... This feels so nice... Mm—"

Tia moaned in ecstasy, looking like she had gotten used to this stimulation. Her body also relaxed greatly.

It seemed that rubbing the base of the horns was quite pleasurable so I focused on cleaning it for a while. Then I combed her long hair with my fingers and carefully washed all the way to the tips. Finally, I washed off the suds and applied conditioner before rinsing with hot water—Thus I completed the punishment Tia had given me.

"Okay, it's done."

"—Tia's mind feels blank."

With blushing cheeks, Tia turned her head back then rested it against my body.

"Tia, are you okay?"

I bent down and caught Tia with my hands as she leaned back. Her petite body was warm and soft. Although there were suds lingering on her body, washed from her hair, it was not enough to cover her pale, nude body. I really had no idea where I should direct my gaze.

"...So weird. Just a shower, yet it feels like Tia soaked too long in a bath."

Tia murmured in puzzlement.

"Then let's get out soon."

I switched off the shower and was going to pick up the limp Tia in my arms, but she frantically grabbed my arm forcefully.

"Oh—Wait! Tia still wants to stay here with Yuu longer."

"W-Why?"

I did not understand so I asked for the reason. Her face all red, Tia spoke:

"...It's cramped, here... If it's here... Being close to Yuu won't be strange... Not because Tia is weak..."

Tia squeezed out these words before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Uh—"

Direct contact with tender skin made my heart jump, but I calmed down after noticing Tia's trembling.

When I asked why she had picked separate cabins with Lisa, she had acted strangely.

"...Did something happen?"

I controlled my emotions and asked in a gentle tone of voice. At the same time, I moved my hand to the back of Tia's petite back and gently patted her to soothe her.

"Yuu... Tia... did as Vritra suggested, to search the memories of Yggdrasil's predecessor—'Verdant' Kiskanu—about the seventh dragon."

Hugging me tightly, Tia whispered in my ear.

"Then you saw something scary?"

Holding her delicate and young body, I inquired, but she denied it.

"No... Nothing could be seen, total darkness."

"Total darkness?"

"Something black was spreading throughout the Earth—devouring forests and grasslands... Kiskanu became unable to think. Due to the excessive loss of plant life, not enough computational power was left. So almost no analysis and recording could be done."

Then Tia paused, hugging me tighter.

"...So scary. 'Death'... turns out to be so painful, so sad... So lonely... Tia never knew."

Hearing this, I understood why Tia was trembling.

Digging through Kiskanu's memories, Tia had experienced "death."

I had also stood on the brink of the abyss of death, but in my case, there was still a chance to return. It was impossible for me to imagine true death.

"You worked really hard."

Consolation did not seem right, so I chose to praise her effort instead.

"Yes, Tia... worked really hard. But Tia needs to continue working... continue thinking."

Tia nodded lightly then moved her body away slightly. With our noses almost touching, she looked at me squarely.

"Thinking?"

"After destroying the world, where exactly did the seventh dragon go... That pitch-black darkness—what Kiskanu called 'end matter'—what is it exactly...? Why Bahamut reappeared now of all times.. Tia must think to find answers. This is a job that only Tia can do by using Yggdrasil's Akashic Record."

Tia finished with determination but her body was still trembling a bit.

"You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"...A bit. Tia actually wants to go to Lisa and hug her tight. Lisa is so kind and will definitely ask Tia to stop straining. But... That won't do."

So this was her reason for picking a separate cabin from Lisa, huh?

Saying she was not weak earlier was definitely just putting on a brave face.

"Will you be able to hang in there?"

"Yes—Leaning close to Yuu, Tia feels warm... It's fine now. For the husband, the wife will work hard!"

With scarlet cheeks, Tia made dazzing smile. These words came from the heart instead of putting on a strong front.

Hearing these words filled with intense affection while locked in a nude embrace, I was starting to feel my cheeks heat up.

"Yuu..."

Tia drew her face near and the tips of our noses happened to touch. Then slightly shyly, she smiled. A sweet atmosphere filled the entirety of the cramped shower room and I could feel each other's heartbeats speeding up.

At that very moment, the light in the shower room suddenly flickered.

Just as Tia and I looked up in surprise, the shower suddenly poured out a lot of cold water.

"—So cold—!?"

"Kyah!? Cold!"

As we screamed, the water flow from the showerhead increased further, even causing it to fall from the hook and jump all over the place.

"Ouch!"

The jumping showerhead struck me in the forehead, making me see stars.

"Y-Yuu! Hurry and turn off the shower!"

"Yeah—But I'm pretty sure I turned it off just now—"

While dodging the showerhead that was rampaging like a snake, I adjusted the water flow and temperature.

However, the shower flow did not decrease. Smashing into the wall, it continued to spew cold water.

"Ooh... So cold."

Clinging to my back, Tia avoided the shower. The mild bulge of her bosom and tender skin was making my heart race, but this arousal was instantly put out by the water.

"...L-Let's leave first."

I gave up on shutting off the shower. Carrying Tia in one arm, I walked out of the shower room.

But in the process, I shuddered from the cold.

"S-So cold again."

Huddled in a ball, Tia commented on the cabin's condition.

Yes—The cabin's temperature was abnormally low. Did the air-conditioning malfunction? It was blowing cold air at maximum output.

The coldness seeped into my wet body, causing my teeth to chatter. I put down Tia then immediately operated the panel to control the air-conditioner, but like the shower, it did not respond.

"Yuu, the door can't open either!"

Unable to bear to cold, Tia slammed her hands against the door to the corridor and cried out anxiously.

"Could it be that... Marduk has gone out of control?"

I focused my mind and increased my synchronization with Marduk. Then I tried to use my mind directly to operate the cabin's functions.

However—I failed to convey my thoughts to the cabin facilities. It felt like something was blocking the transmission of my commands.

Next, the ship's operating system seemed to show abnormalities. The ship's body also shook heavily once.

"Sorry, Tia, it looks like I can't control Marduk. In truth, my head has been hurting and I thought I could keep it under control..."

"Got it. Then Tia will try interfering with the systems."

Tia nodded and closed her eyes to focus her mind. Electrical sparks erupted from her red horns. However, the air-conditioning did not stop and the door remained locked.

"—Something is in the way."

Tia showed a surprised look then turned her head to sweep her gaze around the room. Finally, her gaze settled on the ceiling near the air-conditioner.

"Yuu, look! Something's there!"

"...Where?"

Despite looking in the direction Tia indicated, I still could not see.

"Just like when you were peeping, Yuu, it can't be seen normally."

After hearing that, I tried using "Marduk's viewpoint" to get a grasp on the cabin situation.

I concentrated and synchronized myself with Marduk further. From overhead, I observed this room—

Then I noticed a tiny glowing dot flitting about in the cabin.

However, the glowing dot immediately vanished after leaving a bright trail.

"It noticed that we discovered it and hid. Something must have invaded Marduk's system, so it's not Yuu's fault."

Saying that, Tia quickly dried herself and put on her uniform. I picked up my clothes while trying not to look in her direction and asked:

"Invaded the system... But this is a pre-civilization weapon filled with lost technology, right? Is that even possible?"

"But it's true we've been hacked. We'll know once the culprit is caught. But it's hard unless Tia goes all-out... Yuu, you might feel numb... Okay?"

Tia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead."

Since I could not do anything, relying on Tia was the only way.

"Got it. Okay, electronic warfare—Begin."

Tia had already put on her clothes. A blinding flash of electricity was released from her horns. The electricity zapped throughout the cramped cabin. I guarded my face with my arms and held my breath. My physical body took almost no damage but the feeling of being synchronized to Marduk was numbed for an instant.

This was evidence that Tia's interference had spread throughout the ship. Most likely, Tia had held back earlier to avoid affecting my link with Marduk. The numbing feeling probably referred sensations on Marduk's side.

After subduing Yggdrasil, Tia had gained the power that Kiskanu had used to destroy "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis. This authority allowed her to control electromagnetism and dominate all kinds of "electronic information."

A forcible search through the systems of Marduk, an Atlantean weapon, would be a piece of cake for Tia.

The cabin's illumination flickered and went out.

When it brightened again, the air-conditioner stopped blowing cold air and I could hear that the water in the shower room had stopped.

"—Control over this cabin has been seized back. Yuu, if something doesn't feel right in the ship, tell Tia."

Having dressed, I nodded then checked Marduk's state as though examining my own body.

Marduk's numbed feeling, due to Tia's interference, was gradually recovering. Although a bit of numbness remained, preventing precise operation of the ship's facilities, finding irregularities was still doable.

"Considering the shaking earlier, something must be wrong with the drive system—Main mechanism normal. Others... Hmm? There's something off about the gravitational control device on the left main wing."

"Got it. It must be there!"

Tia nodded and her horns released a flash of electricity.

The blinding light made me narrow my eyes while watching her fight. I could not imagine what kind of battle was taking place inside the system. Marduk's senses were also showing localized paralysis and numbing, which told me where the electronic warfare was taking place—but I could not get a grasp on further details.

"—Cornered."

After a while, Tia smiled victoriously and held my hand.

"Yuu, go to the bridge! The culprit is over there!"

Pulling me, she walked towards the doorway and the door opened automatically.

"By over there, you mean—"

Before I understood the situation, I went with Tia to run along the corridor to the bridge.

After the door to the bridge opened, we stepped into the domed room. Shinomiya-sensei and Ren were looking up at the monitor that was filled with static.

"W-What happened? Did I press a wrong button?"

"...Doubt it. Calm down. Probably a virus or something."

Ren comforted the flustered Shinomiya-sensei. The omnidirectional monitor originally displaying optical images from outside was not only showing static but also had countless small vine-like images, crawling over the screen.

"Look, I'll catch it soon."

Tia pointed up.

I looked closely and saw a glowing ball moving rapidly on the screen, roughly the size of a baseball. The vines were chasing it.

Finally cornered, the glowing ball was entangled by the vines.

"This rubbish tree! Unhand me!"

Then a high-pitched voice sounded throughout the bridge.

The glowing sphere gradually dimmed and the true appearance of what the vines had caught was displayed on the monitor. It was a very petite girl with transparent wings sprouting from her back. Based on the displayed size, her height was around twenty centimeters.

"...A fairy?"

Ren remarked in a whisper.

Judging from the girl's height and appearance, it was quite normal to think of this description first.

"In any case, what is the current situation?"

Unable to hide the doubt on her face, Shinomiya-sensei wanted us to explain further. Tia replied:

"The virus invading Marduk and the vaccine program Tia created are being visualized on the monitor. The fairy-like thing is the virus and the vines comprise the vaccine."

"Who are you calling a virus! I am the ultimate machine intellect, created by supreme wisdom!"

The tiny fairy instantly retorted, struggling furiously to escape the vines restraining her. However, the vines showed no signs of releasing her.

"Machine intellect...? You mean AI?"

As soon as I asked my question, the fairy glared at me.

"Do not compare me to primitive artificial intelligence! I am not something created by humans! The wisdom of Atlantis was achieved through continual self-evolution of collective machines—As such, I ought to be called machine intellect, not artificial intelligence! How dare you call me a virus, that would be an insult of the most awful and most atrocious nature... Isn't the rubbish tree that destroyed my civilization an even more deplorable virus!?"

The fairy vented in a vigorous diatribe. While her voice sounded in my mind, there was information that could not be ignored.

"What... Atlantis? What rubbish tree... Don't tell me you're referring to Tia—no, Yggdrasil?"

Seeing the fairy glare at Tia with hatred, I asked cautiously, but an unexpected source gave the reply.

'Precisely, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. She hates Yggdrasil with a passion—or what used to be known as Kiskanu, I suppose. After all, it was the mortal enemy that wiped out Atlantean civilization completely.'
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 113.jpg|thumb]]

"—"

I followed the sudden sound source, which was coming from where Shinomiya-sensei was sitting, but it was not her voice. In front of her seat, there was a square window on the monitor—A man with slender eyes was smiling.

"Furthermore, she suffered during the battle last time. The firing of the battleship Naglfar's cannon was interrupted due its system getting hacked. Let it be... It was my mistake for failing to take into account that the other side possessed the holder of Yggdrasil's authority."

"Major Loki..."

I muttered the name of the man who was smiling wryly.

He used to be my superior officer. In addition, we were opponents who had put everything on the line to kill each other. Furthermore, I had killed him with these hands of mine. Although Kili had used biogenic transmutation to save his life afterwards... The sensation of taking a life still lingered on my hands.

'Hmph... You look like you've seen a ghost, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. You can't possibly be unaware that I am alive, right?'

"I knew, but it still feels strange..."

With mixed feelings of guilt and relief, I nodded.

'Me too. Being able to see the face of one's murderer must be a rare experience. However, let us put this topic aside for now. Could you release her first? It appears that she entered your ship through the communications channel while Colonel Shinomiya and I were having a strategy discussion.'

Major Loki pointed at the screen and spoke. Although the direction was off, he was presumably referring to the fairy caught in the vines.

"Well, even if you tell me to release her..."

Slightly troubled, I exchanged eye contact with Tia beside me for a moment. Major Loki smiled.

'Relax. She won't take any action that would cause critical harm to any of you. She is well aware that your participation is necessary for the upcoming operation. It was merely mischief to give you a headache, that's all. Am I right, Atla?''

Hearing this, the fairy restrained by the vines nodded glumly.

"Precisely. Seeing the rubbish tree messing with ''my'' Marduk, I could not hold myself back momentarily and merely sought revenge... I am terribly sorry for ending up in an embarrassing position again."

She apologized honestly, making her earlier fury seem like a lie. After hearing that, Major Loki smiled at us and said:

'—So there you have it. Even with lingering hatred, she is not your enemy. Rather, it would be better to consider her a friend currently.'

Major Loki shrugged lightly and told us not to worry.

After listening to this conversation, Shinomiya-sensei sighed mildly and looked at us.

"Release that fairy-esque being. Next, we will be fighting alongside NIFL, so trust them for the time being. However, Major Loki, you are obliged to give us a proper explanation."

I complied with Shinomiya-sensei's instructions and had Tia release the vines.

"Hmph, phooey."

Regaining her freedom, the fairy made a face at us then flew back to Major Loki's side.

"Hmm... She didn't repent at all."

"Let's listen to his explanation first."

Tia pouted unhappily so I patted her on the head to appease her.

"Mm, machine intellect... Fascinating. From what she said earlier, it sounds like she's related to the civilization of Atlantis..."

Ren's eyes were glimmering with curiosity, urging Major Loki to start explaining. Then smiling suggestively, he began to recount.

'Rather than related to Atlantis, it's better to say she ''is'' Atlantis. The supreme machine intellect managing and running the lost civilization... Its name was Atlantis. She—Atla—was born from its restoration.'

"Yes, I am precisely 'Ultimate Wisdom' Atlantis!"

Moving inside the window that showed Major Loki, the fairy puffed out her chest proudly.

However, that childish behavior left us with visible doubt on our faces.

"Supreme machine intellect..."

Even said out loud, it did not feel real. Tia frowned and did not seem convinced.

"Doesn't look that amazing."

"Mm, too young for an AI that managed a civilization."

Ren agreed too. The fairy—Atla—went bright red in the face.

"How rude! Whether organic or inorganic, there exists no intellect higher than mine!"

Major Loki apparently saw Atla's furious image too and he said with a wry smile:

'—Atla is undoubtedly a very advanced intellectual entity. However, what we managed to restore was only her core. Due to damage and loss in the storage medium, memory data—the archives of Atlantis—have become incomplete. As a result, the avatar's behavior became a little cute... But her true identity is indisputably the "god of the old world." It would be best not to underestimate her.'

Although Major Loki covered for Atla, she was whispering "M-Master... calling me cute..." while twisting her body. The claim that she was "the god of the old world" was not convincing at all.

Unlike Ren, Shinomiya-sensei and I who were rendered speechless by Atla's words and behavior, only Tia showed an expression of extreme surprise.

"Storage medium—How could anything like that be left behind!? Kiskanu should've wiped out all electronic data when destroying Atlantis."

Tia asserted strongly. Yggdrasil's Akashic Record must have retained related records.

However, the confidence in Major Loki's smile did not decrease the slightest despite Tia's objections.

'What we unearthed were not magnetic storage devices but only stone tablets.'

"...Stone tablets?"

Tia frowned in surprise.

'Due to the destruction wrought by dragon disasters, a site containing Atlantean ruins was found by chance and fell under secret management by Asgard and NIFL. Preserved in the ruins were a vast number of stone tablets stacked many layers deep. A language consisting of two symbols was carved on the surface of these stone tablets.''

Hearing this, Ren spoke in comprehension.

"Two symbols... Could it be binary...? They used stone tablets to record electronic data?"

'Precisely. Most likely, Atlantis used durable media to leave behind data, believing future humans would be able to revive civilization. Since the storage medium involves neither magnetic fields nor electrical voltages, it is immune to destruction by electromagnetic interference. Of course, reading it is a challenge and it took us many long years to finally complete the data extraction. This allowed us to revive the machine intellect, which used to govern the Atlantis civilization, in the modern age.'

Although Major Loki sounded proud in his reply, I could see an element of self-deprecation in his smile.

'—That being said, there are limits as to what modern science and technology can accomplish. Through continued research and enlisting Atla's power, we finally finished an imitation of Marduk—this battleship ''Naglfar''—but it is far inferior to the genuine article you have there.'

Major Loki had just said that it was the battleship ''Naglfar'' that had fired its cannon at Midgard. Equipped with a weapon similar to Babel, it was apparently Marduk's imitation.

"Major Loki, by saying 'this battleship,' does that mean you are currently on board the ''Naglfar''?"

Major Loki nodded.

'Yes, I am standing by at the first defense line, aboard this Atlantean weapon that has just been revealed to the public. We are currently in a state of severe shortage in combat potential, so your side's participation is very heartening.'

Despite the goodwill in Major Loki's words, Atla suddenly interjected.

"Master, I believe we should take over Marduk after the rendezvous."

"What are you suddenly saying...?"

The sudden suggestion caused an uproar in Marduk's bridge.

However, Atla ignored our concerns and continued speaking to Major Loki.

"After entering the ship, I discovered that they are still unable to operate the ship well. At this rate, they are merely going to waste a treasure. I dare assert, only the King of Atlantis approved by me—you, Master—has the right to use Deus Dragon!"

'Hmph... Unable to operate the ship well? Is that true, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe?'

"......"

His sharp gaze put me at a loss for words.

'It appears that the allegations are true. However... Be that as it may, I currently do not have the authority to requisition Marduk. Still I must ask, do you have any plans to ameliorate this situation?'

Confronted with his words and gaze, testing me, my body became a bit stiff. However, realizing the risk of Major Loki seizing command of this operation at this rate, I replied assertively.

"The strain of operating the ship was higher than expected. This is the truth. However, there has been no clear signs of malfunction so far, until she—Atla—wrought her mischief."

I stared at Atla, who had forced her way into Major Loki's window, and she immediately launched a rebuttal.

"One person barely keeping things under control is limited to the current situation of normal cruising. The strain will multiply several fold when battle mode is entered. Your little brain is going to burst immediately."

Atla asserted with certainty. Then Tia pouted and glared at her.

"Tia will help if Yuu is in trouble. If it's possible to operate Marduk better, Atla can simply reveal the correct method."

"Hmph, like anyone would tell a rubbish tree."

Atla turned her face away viciously. However, Major Loki seemed to agree with Tia's opinion and nodded solemnly.

'...Fair point. Atla, if you know where the problem lies, instruct them on how to control Marduk.'

"N-No way!? If you were to pilot Marduk, Master, surely—"

Atla looked very flustered, but Major Loki shook his head and interrupted her objections.

'Atla, Marduk is not the key to this operation. Atlantean weapons are effective against Bahamut to some extent, but cannot deliver a decisive blow. As such, it does not matter who is actually piloting.'

"Muu... Understood."

Atla agreed reluctantly. However, I was more concerned by what Major Loki's words implied.

"Cannot deliver a decisive blow... How did you know that?"

'Rather than asking me, you should be asking the one connected to Yggdrasil.'

Major Loki motioned to Tia beside me.

"...Ask Tia?"

'Yes, after all, our—Atla's—analysis was based on the data salvaged from the remains of Yggdrasil scattered at Fuji's Sea of Trees.'

Hearing that they had done that secretly, I shifted my surprised gaze to Tia.

"Yes... If what appeared this time is truly Bahamut, then Marduk... No, any weapon will not be able to destroy it completely. Only Basilisk's authority—'Catastrophe'—is capable of destroying it."

Seeing Tia agree with his viewpoint, Loki nodded.

'Indeed, Atla also reached the same conclusion, which is why we sought Midgard's assistance. We know that the D targeted by Leviathan in the past, Iris Freyja, is able to use Catastrophe, though the official report only arrived just now.'

Major Loki's smiled was mixed with irony. Then he continued:

'Hence, she is the main star this time. The ship carrying her must not come to any harm. Consequently, Atla, I shall be counting on you, alright?'

Warned in this manner, Atla nodded unhappily and glared at me.

"You leave me no choice... I shall not repeat myself. Listen carefully, got that?"

"Yeah."

Seeing me nod, Atla raised two fingers of her right hand.

"Marduk's control requires at least two people as linkers. If you take charge of piloting and weapons control, leaving the enemy detection system and the rest of the functions to someone else, the problem of excessive strain should be solved."

Atla spoke very rapidly, as though trying to finish a hated job as quickly as possible. However, I noticed an unfamiliar term.

"Linker?"

"...Stop asking questions. Did I not say that I shall not repeat myself?"

"No, it'll be a problem if I don't immediately clear up the parts I don't get."

Seeing me demand an explanation, Atla sighed with displeasure.

"Pick this sort of thing up from context, will you? A linker is a pilot who performs a mental link with Marduk—Currently, this means you."

"It's true I'm synchronized with Marduk... But how do I link another person's mind with the ship's systems?"

My mind was automatically linked through the process of constructing Marduk. Although Tia could take control through hacking, we still did not know the proper means of linking to the ship.

"Good grief, asking this and that... Since Marduk's control authority lies in your hands, simply issue the order to the system through thoughts or speech and it would allow others to perform a mental link with the system."

Atla finished impatiently then flew into the background of the monitor that was showing Major Loki. Major Loki smiled wryly and shrugged.

'—So there you have it, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Unfortunately, the ''Naglfar'' does not make use of the mental link system. I cannot sympathize with your pain, but if you need a co-pilot, Jeanne Hortensia would be a candidate. She should be in your company, right?'

"Yes, but why Jeanne?"

Seeing me ask with a frown, Major Loki smiled profoundly.

'Soldiers of Atlantis all had their bodies modified on the genetic level according to their responsibilities, thereby optimizing their abilities as much as possible. In the modern world, most people with outstanding talents are their descendants. In other words, the members of Sleipnir, which one could consider a gathering of such people, should exhibit relatively good compatibility with Atlantean weapons.'

A quiet comment from Vritra suddenly surfaced in my mind.

She had said that people possessing exceptional abilities do not exist without reason—Jeanne's natural talent was possibly inherited from the Atlanteans.

"Major Loki, you assembled Sleipnir not only to conduct experiments related to Code Lost but also with the idea of using Atlantean weapons?"

Wondering how many steps Major Loki had thought ahead, I asked. However, he shook his head wryly.

'Now that would be overthinking things. First of all, powerful weaponry is not needed if one possessed Code Lost. At least from the perspective of killing humans.'

I thought back to how terrifying it was to use Code Lost in its full form, capable of killing people with just a thought, and a chill ran down my spine. Furthermore, there was a cold glint in Major Loki's eyes that caused my instincts to sound an alarm.

During the battle revolving around Code Lost, I emerged victorious over Major Loki in the end and thwarted the plan to kill Charlotte. However, he never showed a loser's attitude when interacting with me.

"Is that so...?"

Although we were currently allies, I warned myself not to lower my guard while nodding somewhat stiffly. At this moment, Major Loki slowly leaned forward to the screen.

'Hmm, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, your tone was so stiff just now. I remember you sounded much more casual during our fight.''

"Huh?"

Pointing this out unexpectedly, he caused my voice to go off pitch slightly.

Indeed, during my fight against Major Loki, I had intentionally avoided using polite language—

"Oh—Well, back then, we were enemies."

'In other words, I am currently your superior on the same side, which is why you are taking such a rigid attitude? Then that is truly a shame. I was hoping to have a candid conversation with you...'

He sighed in disappointment. I did not know how serious he was.

"...Then don't make me your enemy, okay?"

I retorted sarcastically, prompting the corners of Major Loki's lips to twist in a grin.

'At least for this operation, we are allies. Don't worry, I won't stab you in the back. Of course, I will tell Atla the same.'

"Sounds like it will be scary after the operation."

'Really? But I am really looking forward to it.'

Major Loki smiled fearlessly then turned his gaze to Shinomiya-sensei.

'—Well then, Colonel Shinomiya, for the operation's success, let us have a detailed discussion. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, kindly find a good partner before the operation begins.'

"Very well—I will take the mentioned advice for reference."

I nodded and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Sure enough, talking to Major Loki was very tiring.

I moved my gaze away from Major Loki who had started his discussion with Shinomiya-sensei and talked to Tia.

"Tia, to prevent Atla's mischief, watch over here for now. I'll go find Jeanne first."

"Yes, okay, leave it to Tia!"

Tia nodded and Ren also turned her head back from the console.

"Mm, I'll monitor the system too."

"Great, thanks a lot."

I left the scene to those two and exited the bridge.

Although I was reluctant to obey Major Loki, from the perspective of using the right person for the right job, there was no better candidate than Jeanne.

However, the problem was—

I recalled the scene of Jeanne unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her cleavage.

After peeking at that kind of scene, to be honest, I was not confident whether I could still look her in the eye.

===Part 2===

"Designate target—Jeanne Hortensia—as additional linker. Transfer control over the domains of enemy detection, communications, and information processing. However, forbid readings from occupied cabins. This applies to me as well."

I raised my hand over Jeanne's head while she was standing nervously close by and ordered Marduk verbally.

Having just taken a shower, Jeanne's face was flushed red, this combined with her moist hair was quite sexy. Although she was dressed in the male school uniform, the bulge of her chest and the after-shower fragrance were all conspiring to keep me strongly conscious of her identity as a woman.

The sight of her in underwear earlier was surfacing vaguely in my mind, so I concentrated while mentally repeating the words I was speaking.

The final command was to prevent Jeanne and I from peeking into other people's cabins. Now what happened earlier could be averted.

"—"

The illumination in the room blinked strongly once an Jeanne shuddered.

Watching her from the side, Shion asked worriedly, "Mama, aRe YoU oKaY?"

"—Yes, I am fine."

Jeanne smiled and reassured Shion then exclaimed.

"Captain... This is amazing. Through Marduk's various sensors, I can capture an endless stream of information—It is like my vision field expanded several hundred fold..."

"Does it hurt?"

Noticing that my own headache was subsiding, I asked how Jeanne felt.

Although I had succeeded in making Jeanne the second linker, she might not be able to bear the strain.

"No problem. Although the volume of information increased greatly... There isn't any fundamental change. To begin with, my eyes have always been able to see things other people could not."

I could not help but feel in awe. Although I knew Jeanne had an extraordinary pair of eyes, I never imagined it would allow her to acquire information on par with Marduk's sensors in quality. Jeanne most likely had eyes that could capture wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum and a brain capable of processing all this information.

Soldiers of Atlantis whose abilities were fully optimized for their responsibilities—Perhaps Jeanne really was one of their descendants.

"Really, then cooperate with me from now on. Jeanne, are you able to transmit information from arbitrary coordinates to me?"

"—Let me try. There is a small island fifty kilometers or so ahead. I will mark it."

Jeanne nodded and I was informed of the coordinates of the aforementioned island. With this, I could get a lock on distant enemies to attack.

However, I suddenly noticed that Jeanne's face in front of me had grown even redder.

"Hey, are you okay? Is it making you feel unwell after all—"

I frantically asked about her condition, but Jeanne suddenly came to her senses and shook her head.

"N-No! I am completely fine. It is just that..."

Mid-sentence, she looked down awkwardly for some reason.

"Just that?"

"Umm... It is like our minds are connected, Captain... It somehow fills me with joy... And elevated my temperature a little."

Jeanne explained the reason somewhat bashfully then looked up at me.

This girly behavior made my heart race. I barely maintained composure and nodded.

"I'm glad it's not making you feel unwell. However, tell me immediately if anything feels off."

"Yes, understood. I will not overextend myself and cause you trouble, Captain. Oh—"

Jeanne nodded at me then suddenly gasped and looked into the distance.

"Mama?"

Shion called out to Jeanne in puzzlement and Jeanne looked at us stiffly.

"What happened?"

"...Well, just now—through information sharing with NIFL, data was obtained from the Akashic Record... I found out details about the Bahamut situation, and the Earth's current state..."

She did not continue, at a loss for words.

"Is the situation that bad?"

Noticing the heavy atmosphere, I asked hesitantly.

"...Yes. Shinomiya-sensei should be explaining later, but Bahamut is a monster beyond imagination. Let me link my senses with yours, Captain."

As soon as Jeanne spoke, an image of Bahamut appeared in my mind. Its gigantic body was blotting out the sky and the sun, still reminiscent of Vritra. The shadow falling upon the ground turned into an unknown territory, impossible to probe or observe, and kept expanding to follow Bahamut's movement. Outside of the shadow was pure whiteness in stark contrast—A world of silver-white.

"The ground is completely covered by—ice? Has Bahamut reached the arctic circle?"

If that were the case, Bahamut's speed was faster than expected. I panicked a little, but Jeanne shook her head.

"No, not yet. What you are seeing now was originally a flowing ocean... However, the temperature around Bahamut is extremely low, causing even the ocean to freeze."

"Freezing... Is this Bahamut's ability?"

"Not exactly. The cold is at most a side effect. The true nature of its ability is the absorption of thermal energy. Bahamut is a creature that devours heat. Taking in heat from the surroundings, it grows, regenerates, and evolves. So long as there exists external thermal energy, it would be no exaggeration to call it immortal."

Jeanne's explanation made my forehead break out in cold sweat.

"Devouring heat... What a crazy ability. Then explosions and lasers will all become its food?"

"Yes. Precisely because of that, only Catastrophe is capable of defeating Bahamut. Its immortality is achieved through absorbing heat to fuel its metabolism whereas Catastrophe fast forwards time from the present point. When time goes by before Bahamut's cells can absorb energy for their metabolism, it results in apoptosis."

"So that's how Basilisk defeated Bahamut... No wait, since Bahamut reappeared, doesn't that mean it was never exterminated to begin with?"

When I voiced my doubt, Jeanne shook her head somewhat hesitantly.

"No—Had it not been exterminated, Bahamut would have absorbed all heat from the ground, turning Earth into a dead planet. It must have been completely annihilated at one point. However... I do not think the present Bahamut is fake either. Left unchecked, Bahamut will kill our planet, although at the present stage, the unknown territories are causing greater damage..."

"They've grown that big?"

I gulped and asked.

"The unknown territories mentioned before are black domes, and according to Marduk's sensors, there are a total of four great holes of 'nothing at all'—It might be better to describe the Earth as having four pieces gouges out of it."

Jeanne paused then sighed heavily.

"In particular, the unknown territories on the American west coast and the northern African continent have swallowed up areas of high population density. The number of victims has probably reached the tens of millions..."

"Hold on, it's too early to say that the people inside the unknown territories are dead. There must be a way to save them."

Just like how Mitsuki and I had survived inside the darkness—

After I said that with this hope in mind, Jeanne held her breath momentarily.

"—You are right, Captain. I have erred... I jumped to conclusions accidentally. Since responsibility for enemy detection and information processing has been passed to me, I should strive for correct judgment—I am truly ashamed."

Jeanne cringed and bowed her head apologetically.

"No, it's necessary to prepare for the worst too. But at the same time, it's better to keep the ideal outcome in mind. Otherwise, you could end up losing your goal."

I recalled my days as her captain and gently patted her on the head.

"...Yes."

Jeanne nodded, still looking down.

"Papa, wHat iS iDeaL?"

Shion tugged at my clothing from the side.

"It means the best-case result. First we defeat Bahamut then we find a way to take care of the unknown territories—the darkness—and save all the people who were swallowed. Then we return to Midgard safe and sound. That's the ideal outcome."

Of course, the darkness inside Mitsuki also needed to be eliminated. Once I figured out the blue light capable of suppressing "end matter"—Neun's authority—and could use it skillfully, perhaps I would find a solution that was currently out of sight.

"Oh, iDeaL, aWEsoMe!"

Shion sounded impressed and smiled happily.

Seeing her face, I smiled naturally too, but a sliver of unease flashed through my mind.

—But was this truly the ideal outcome?

For some reason, this thought surfaced, There should not be any outcome more ideal than what I had just outlined.

But somehow, I had an uncomfortable feeling as though I had overlooked something.

I persuaded myself that I was overthinking things, but still could not erase the unease adhering to my heart.

===Part 3===

"—This is all the information we have confirmed regarding Bahamut. Although the trait of heat absorption is quite challenging, there is no need for excess panic since we know that Catastrophe can defeat it. Now, we will proceed with the details of the operation."

After sweeping her gaze across each and every one of us, gathered at the bridge, Shinomiya-sensei spoke with a grave expression. Having heard the content from Jeanne earlier, I was not surprised, but the girls' expressions were relatively stiff upon learning Bahamut's ability for the first time.

"Approximately thirty minutes from now, NIFL's fleet including the ''Naglfar'' will start engaging Bahamut. However, we will not be joining the defense line. Instead, we will launch a heavy assault from behind after the fighting begins. In other words, NIFL will take on the role as bait."

The screen behind her no displayed Major Loki's face. The omni-directional monitor was filled with the color of the sky with sunlight shining from above.

"The success of this operation depends on whether we can get Catastrophe to strike the target directly. Hence, we will rely on your powers as Ds and Marduk's equipment to open a path, to get as close to Bahamut as possible for Iris Freyja to fire Catastrophe. You are the key—We are counting on you."

"Y-Yes! I will do my best!"

Iris saluted and answered in a slightly shrill voice under Shinomiya-sensei's gaze.

"Mononobe Yuu and Jeanne Hortensia will confirm Bahamut's present location while adjusting the ship's speed. Until NIFL launches their attack, do not make a move under any condition."

"Understood."

"Affirmative."

Jeanne and I expressed acknowledgement and Shinomiya-sensei continued to issue orders to the rest.

"Lisa Highwalker and Firill Crest will remain outside the ship to guard the starboard. Ariella Lu and Ren Miyazawa will be in charge of the port side's defense. Avoid using lasers or explosive transmutations when attacking. Find opportunities to conduct freezing attacks using low-temperature matter. It is very likely that stealing heat will slow down the target's movement and regeneration speed. But if necessary for opening a path, go head and attack with heavy firepower. Our main objective is to approach close enough to enter Catastrophe's range."

"Understood. Simply stated, we are taking the role of carrier-based aircraft."

"No problem. It's the same as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's usual work."

Lisa answered with her chest out while Firill made thumbs-up. Ariella and Ren also nodded firmly.

"There's nothing to do inside the ship, anyway. Let's go outside and raise some hell."

"Mm, adjustments to the OS are done. All that's left to do is fight."

However, Tia tilted her head curiously because she had not been named.

"Tia doesn't need to go outside?"

"You should stay at the bridge, prepared for electronic warfare. Although there has not been any reports of Bahamut being able to interfere with electronic equipment, better be safe than sorry. Furthermore... Who knows if NIFL will be our ally to the very end."

Shinomiya-sensei gave a wry smile sardonically. Stationing Tia at the bridge was mainly to defend against Atla, most likely.

Then Shinomiya-sensei's gaze shifted to Kili, who was standing behind everyone else.

"Kili Surtr Muspelheim, you will be in charge of guarding Iris Freyja. To avoid missing the opportunity to attack, Iris Freyja will remain on standby on the deck—However, it is probably impossible to stand on the ship's exterior without a barrier."

"Why do I have to do this sort of thing..."

Kili grumbled quietly in displeasure, but Iris held her hand with a radiant smile.

"I'm counting on you! With you protecting me, Kili-chan, I am reassured! Let's give it our best together!"

"—Placing such heavy trust in someone like me. Fine, since you've said this much... I will try my best without exerting myself."

Kili nodded a little helplessly.

Watching their conversation, I raised my hand.

"Hold on—I can go out to the deck too after the battle begins. I don't need to be in the bridge to control Marduk and it's better to have more people protecting Iris."

"Mononobe..."

Iris was happy to hear my suggestion.

"Good point, since you say so, then it is fine. After all, you are still Marduk's captain."

Shinomiya-sensei nodded in a slightly joking manner then said to the rest of the girls:

"Shion and Vritra will wait in the ship. Mononobe Mitsuki will be in charge of looking after them."

"Eh...?"

Mitsuki exclaimed in surprise.

Although Mitsuki was asked to look after them, this placed her in a position no different from Shion or Vritra. Rather, it was more like placing those two by Mitsuki's side on account of her condition.

"W-Wait! I need to fight too! This is no time to be holding combat potential in reserve!"

Seconds later, Mitsuki realized and suggested.

"I understand, but currently, it is very risky to let you go outside the ship. Since Bahamut is related to what is sealed within you, no one can predict what will happen if it came into contact with you."

"But—"

At a loss for words momentarily, Mitsuki looked at me for support.

She probably thought that as the "captain," I could overturn Shinomiya-sensei's decision, but...

"I'm sorry, Mitsuki, I feel the same way too. It's not that I don't want you to fight, but I hope to keep you away from danger as much as possible until the time when your power is truly needed—"

"...Enough. I understand."

Mitsuki interrupted me and turned her face away in extreme chagrin.

Just as the atmosphere in the bridge turned very awkward, Shinomiya-sensei announced in a loud and clear voice.

"Well then, everyone, prepare for battle. Those assigned outside the ship, head to the respective hatches."

Obeying orders, we made our way to the bridge's door. I looked back just as I was exiting into the corridor, only to see Mitsuki with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly.

===Part 4===

"For what purpose exactly... did I come here...?"

I—Mononobe Mitsuki—gently stroked Shion-san's fluffy hair, murmuring quietly while sitting on the bed.

My feeble and helpless voice echoed inside the cramped cabin but no one could answer me.

Sleeping on my lap was Shion-san, who had already entered the sweet realm of dreams. Vritra had stayed at the bridge, so there were only two occupants in this cabin.

Residing within me was the ninth dragon... That darkness, it was possible to suppress it using two holders of Neun's authority including myself. However, this was only currently.

Hence, Shion-san was doing her job properly even though she was sleeping. She was a mate of Nii-sans's—One of those selected by Nii-san to become Neun.

As for Vritra, whose powers were sealed, she had also stayed behind on the ship as a key individual for figuring out the darkness.

"I am the only one of no help at all..."

Gazing upon Shion's sleeping face that reminded me of my best friend, I could not help but speak in self-deprecation.

I knew that ordering me to standby here was the appropriate judgment call. Were I the commander, I would have issued the same order. I was currently akin to a bomb whose detonation could destroy the world. How could someone like me possibly be sent to the front lines?

Hence, everyone was protecting me. Nii-san and all the others were risking their lives to protect me.

I had no doubt that they were going to be victorious.

Although I told Shinomiya-sensei that it was no time to be holding combat potential in reserve, Nii-san would surely overcome all obstacles. Even if he were to fall somewhere, he would always stand up again to seize final victory.

After all, my Nii-san—Yuu-kun—has always helped me like this.

However... ''I am afraid of the arrival of that moment, even to the point of not wanting the fighting to end''.

I had never told anyone this. I will never reveal these reasons.

Iris-san had asked me whether instinct was unacceptable. She also said that ultimately, whether love or affection, everything came from instinct.

I agree. Even if Nii-san's reason for placing me first in his heart was borne by instinct, I cannot assert that it is fake. However, it is wrong. What I feared was what would come after that—

Nevertheless, I must endure this fear.

Even if there was nothing I could do, I had to pray for Nii-san's victory at least... Until that moment arrived, if I stayed by his side as much as possible—

'Are you really fine with this?'

Someone rejected my mental efforts to persuade myself.

"Eh...?"

I suddenly looked up and surveyed the cabin. Only Shion-san and I were present.

'Mitsuki, are you really fine with this?'

This was no hallucination. The voice came from my feet—from my shadow formed from the light in the ceiling. Futhermore, that voice and manner of speaking sounded very familiar.

"Miya... ko...?"

Trembling, I called out that name.

Yes—That voice just now was undoubtedly the voice of Shinomiya Miyako—My best friend who had passed away two years prior.

"Goo..."

And Miyako's daughter Shion remained asleep on my lap, apparently unaware.

I was frozen in surprise while the shadow at my feet began to quiver. The darkness undulated like waves.

Forming a blurred outline, the black shadow smiled with my best friend's face.

'I am on your side, Mitsuki. So—let's go realize your ''true wish'' together.'

My mind went blank. A moment later, wrath took over my heart.

The dragon mark on the back of my neck heated up. At the same time, the dragon mark on Shion-san's forehead glowed blue.

"The one known as the ninth dragon... I cannot believe it would stoop to such nonsense. How appalling—Shut up. Miyako is the only one allowed to smile using this face."

Following my impulse, I stomped hard on the shadow's imitation of Miyako.

A blue pulse spread in the darkness, causing Miyako's figure to gradually disappear.

"Huff... Huff..."

I panted then slowly raised my foot—My shadow had returned to its normal state.

Shion-san's dragon mark had stopped glowing and I knew that the crisis had passed.

This most likely happened because my mind had grown weak, but just as Vritra pointed out, it was still possible to suppress the darkness with two Neuns present.

I must carry myself with greater fortitude and willpower—

To encourage my unworthy self, I clenched my fist.

However, that voice remained in my ear, impossible to dispel. Again and again, again and again, her voice questioned me.

—Are you really fine with this?

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 2

2016-09-20T02:04:25Z

Belatkuro: /* Part 1 */

==Chapter 2 - Atlantis the Electronic Fairy==

===Part 1===

A complicated maze of passages illuminated by milky-white lighting filled the interior of Marduk.

However, I already knew the internal layout like the back of my hand thanks to my link to Marduk. I first took everyone to the bridge in the top part of the ship's interior. Every shut door opened automatically in response to my intention to open it.

The bridge was a domed structure with a diameter of roughly ten meters. After I entered, the ceiling displayed images from all around the ship's surroundings. I took a look around and could even see Charlotte and the students at the harbor.

Everyone was exclaiming in awe and surprise. Accompanying us as Midgard's commanding officer, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the seat located at the front of the domed room.

There was one seat in the very center of the domed room with three more in front on the circular edge. This looked a bit few, but I knew clearly it was enough. This ship could be used properly even if there was only one user linked to Marduk.

"This is an Atlanean weapon, huh? Although you are able to control it without problems, Mononobe Yuu, are others capable of operating this ship? Though there is a console... I cannot read the language at all. I hope there is some kind of communications channel to ensure contact with Midgard and NIFL."

Shinomiya-sensei looked a bit troubled.

"Oh—About that..."

Although I could feel how things were used, articulating it was quite difficult. At that moment, Tia poked out her head from beside me and answered on my behalf.

"Don't worry, just let Tia do it! Leave it to Tia!"

With a flash of electricity from Tia's red horns, static appeared momentarily on the dome-shaped monitor.

"Uh... Hmm... If I copy Midgard's... Roughly like this—"

Tia murmured to herself for a while, opening a window on the monitor in front of a seat. The language on the console also turned into letters of the Latin alphabet.

"Tia tried installing an Asgard-compatible virtual OS inside the Marduk System. Will that work?"

After listening to Tia, Ren jogged over to the empty seat.

"Mm, let's confirm. It seems very interesting."

Ren looked incredibly excited as she started to operate the console.

"......Mm. Feels like it'll work. I should be able to understand the entire system by starting here. Analyzing the ship's drive system will take time... But opening up a comm channel should be instant."

Hearing Ren's reply, Shinomiya-sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent, then I would have a job to do. Leave negotiations with NIFL to me. Roughly three hours from now, NIFL's forces at the first defense line in the Arctic Ocean will begin to engage Bahamut... Will we make it in time? If not, then there is the second defense line set up in the waters of Norway—"

"It's fine, Marduk will definitely make it."

Sensing the ship's "power" as though it were my own limb, I asserted. There was enough time even if we traveled normally within the atmosphere. If necessary, we could even exit the atmosphere to fly along a ballistic trajectory.

"Very well, then let us set a course for the rendezvous point with the forces at the first defense line. The coordinates are—"

After Shinomiya-sensei gave the latitude and longitude, Ren immediately operated the console to display the map on the monitor.

From my senses, I learned that Marduk's systems understood that this was the destination.

The mild headache persisted, but my expanded consciousness filled me with a sense of omnipotence. I felt as though I was capable of anything right now.

"—Roger that. Marduk, set sail."

Sitting on the seat in the middle of the room, with the best visibility, I increased the depth of my synchronization with Marduk. As though moving my fingers, I retracted the gangway and locked the hatch. Main engine ignited—The ship moved forward dead slow.

Marduk began to launch slowly, gradually leaving the harbor.

I turned on the external sound output to speak with the people seeing us off.

"Well then—We are setting off."

Then I turned around and gestured to Iris and the girls with my hand.

After showing a look as though awakening from a dream, Iris took a deep breath and yelled.

"We're off!"

This triggered everyone else to say the usual parting pleasantries. Yet to develop a sense of belonging at Midgard, Kili and Vritra did not join in, but they did not interject either.

The bridge monitor showed the crowd, gradually receding away.

'—All of you must come back!!'

Waving her hand vigorously from the harbor, Charlotte's voice from the speaker echoed in the bridge. Then came the "safe travels" well wishes from the students to send us off.

Once I decided there was sufficient distance from the harbor, I raised the engine output and took formal control of Marduk.

On the sides of the ship, the main wings swung out, activating the gravitational control devices—

The video feed on the dome's ceiling monitor began to change. Midgard and the ocean were gradually receding away.

Even though we did not feel any shaking at all in the bridge, Marduk had taken off and was already hovering in the air.

Liberated from the constraints of gravity, the ship used its wings to stabilize itself and switched to atmospheric flight mode.

"—Off we go."

I spoke briefly.

The main engine increased in output. The main thrusters ignited. Acceleration began.

Slight vibration was felt in the bridge. Due to the rapid acceleration, the scenery flew past quickly. Centered around our flight direction, the clouds were stretched radially into thin trails.

Midgard was out of sight. What extended before our eyes was the blue of the sky and the ocean, as well as the white clouds, drawn out and receding to the back.

With the blue horizon as the destination, the ship flew. Once cruising speed in the atmosphere was reached, I stopped accelerating and leaned against the seat rest.

"Phew... Now all that's left is to fly straight towards the destination."

Persistent control would increase the burden on the mind excessively, so I reduced my synchronization with Marduk and switched to auto-pilot mode. The headache, which I had forgotten while I was concentrating, resurfaced, causing me to shake my head.

"Good work, Mononobe-kun. You really nailed that captain feel."

Firill emerged from behind my seat and laughed mischievously.

"...I'm just the pilot. Shinomiya-sensei is the captain."

I replied wryly and Shinomiya-sensei looked back.

"No, regarding this ship, you are the captain. I am just the communications officer."

"I'm the sysadmin."

Staring at the monitor, tapping away at the console, Ren remarked without turning her head.

"Then what about us?"

With nothing assigned to her currently, Iris brought a finger to the side of her mouth and cocked her head.

"Hmm... Ordinary crew, I guess?"

After Ariella spoke, Shion asked Jeanne:

"cRew? whAt DoEs cRew dO?"

"Uh, let me think... People who do all kinds of work on a ship... I suppose?"

However, Kili shrugged after listening.

"But is there any work to do here?"

"Know that I have no wish to do work."

Vritra frowned and objected to working. Looking a bit exasperated, Lisa asked me:

"I shall do everything within my ability. Mononobe Yuu, is there anything I can offer assistance with?"

"No—Not at the moment. At this speed, it will take roughly two and a half hours to reach the destination... Lisa, you girls need to rest properly in preparation for the upcoming battle. Cabins for the crew are on the left and right sides of the corridor leaving the bridge. I'll unlock them now, so all of you can pick whichever cabin you prefer."

I focused my mind and opened the doors to the various cabins.

The Atlanteans were humans too, so all essential facilities were the same. Through the data in my mind, I verified the cabin layouts. They were equipped with beds and showers.

"Understood. So much happened last night and we did not get to sleep well. Let us take a quick nap to refresh ourselves."

Lisa nodded and left the bridge with the others. Only Mitsuki remained, staring at me.

"Nii-san... What are your plans?"

"I'll stay here. I can't relax too much if I'm controlling Marduk."

"I see—Then I will share a cabin with Iris-san. It would be best for me not to be alone."

With a disappointed look, Mitsuki left the bridge. Did she intend to have a word with me? I hesitated, wondering if I should chase after her, but it felt like I'd merely repeat last night's situation if I said anything—So I stayed in my seat.

Only three people remained in the bridge. Ren who was focused on analyzing Marduk's systems, Shinomiya-sensei who was currently contacting NIFL, and myself.

"......"

Even though I could not relax too much, there was nothing in particular for me to do at the moment. Having set up Marduk to fly towards the destination at a constant speed, all I needed to do was maintain the link.

No—Perhaps I could even take a nap.

The people piloting this Marduk in the past could not have worked nonstop without sleep or rest. However, piloting information was separate from the data on the ship's structure, so it was all unknown to me. Even though I could feel how to activate Marduk, I had no idea how the pilots regulated their own conditions.

That being said, attempting to take a nap would be too dangerous. All I could do was wait for Ren's analysis to finish then see if there was some kind of manual related to that.

I suppressed a natural yawn.

Having slept on a sofa last night, I would slip into drowsiness as soon as there was nothing to do. Auto-piloting had lessened my burden, causing my headache to gradually improve. I could very well fall asleep accidentally for real.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite busy, so I was reluctant to talk to them just for a change of pace.

My only choice was to look up at the domed ceiling, gazing at the clouds, rapidly flying past.

—What might Mitsuki and Iris be chatting about?

After spacing out for a while, this thought crossed my mind.

I had told Iris everything. Spending time alone with Mitsuki in these circumstances, she might possibly panic.

Suddenly at that moment, my vision turned blurry then within the blink of an eye, the view in front of me changed completely.

—Huh?

I saw one of the cabins I had opened up for the girls just now. Inside a narrow room meant for a single occupant, there was a bed, a table and a shower compartment. Iris was sitting on the bed while Mitsuki had her laptop open at the table.

"Iris-san, you should lie down. I have slept plenty enough, so let me first take care of some student council work that had been pushed back due to the festival yesterday."

"Mitsuki-chan, even now, you're still working hard at finishing your work as the student council president? You're so amazing..."

"Not really, I am simply using work to give myself a change of pace—"

I was able to listen to their conversation.

The view point was looking down at Iris and Mitsuki from near the ceiling. But of course, I was not actually there and neither did they notice me.

—Were these images transmitted to me from Marduk?

I was currently linked to Marduk and through my senses, I was able to know the entire ship's state and method of operation.

Due to being in this state, that was probably why my curiosity about what was happening inside the ship had caused the relevant scenes to be visually projected into my mind. But in terms of the feeling, it was more like I had become an invisible ghost hovering in midair rather than merely viewing images.

This was totally voyeurism. I frantically tried to pull my consciousness back to reality but my thoughts halted when I heard something Iris said.

"Mitsuki-chan, is 'instinct' not acceptable for you?"

"Iris-san..."

Mitsuki stopped what she was doing and stared at Iris in surprise.

"Sorry... Mononobe told me."

"...Is that so?"

Iris apologized then Mitsuki bowed her head somewhat embarrassedly.

"U-Umm, this is what I think. Isn't instinct the source of all feelings, like being hungry, wanting to sleep, or liking someone? So if you say that's unacceptable, how should I put this...?"

The atmosphere grew more and more heavy as Iris continued anxiously. At this moment, Mitsuki smiled wryly and made a deep sigh.

"—Thank you for your encouragement, but this is not the same."

This was a very transparent but very sad smile.

"Not the same?"

"Indeed. Iris-san, of course I have already agonized over what you were talking about, but what makes me truly afraid is—"

Mitsuki simply bit her lip with a very pained expression and did not finish her sentence. Seeing the look on her face, Iris stood up from the bed and rushed over to her side.

"N-No more! I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan, I don't know anything..."

—Mitsuki.

I didn't know either what was tormenting Mitsuki. I had no idea at all. How truly disgraceful.

"...Do not let it bother you. If you are going to take a nap, how about a shower first?"

Mitsuki shook her head and urged Iris as though trying to change the subject.

"Sure... Oh, in that case, we might as well shower together! Mitsuki-chan, you haven't had a bath since last night, have you?"

"I have not, but showering together should not be necessary..."

Mitsuki hesitated in the face of Iris' sudden suggestion, but Iris clenched her fist and insisted vigorously.

"It is! This is definitely more fun than work! If you're going for a change of pace, then fun is obviously the answer! Come, up up up you go! I'll help you undress."

Saying that, Iris helped Mitsuki up and untied the ribbon at her collar.

"W-Wait! I can do this by myself—"

Mitsuki was very surprised, but I was equally flustered.

Although it was bad to eavesdrop up to this point, watching the rest would be truly unforgivable.

I tried to turn my attention elsewhere, which hopefully would switch the video feed.

—Another room, anywhere but here...!

Pale skin came into view with the unfastening of buttons at the collar—Just as I tried my hardest to avert my gaze, the two of them disappeared from view.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 086.jpg|thumb]]

However, I was still looking into a cabin on the ship. My consciousness was hovering near the ceiling and I could see Firill lying forward on the bed, reading a book.

"...Fufu."

Firill chuckled happily to herself while turning the pages.

It looked like my viewpoint had switched to Firill's cabin.

This was not good either. I should switch to either an unoccupied cabin or back to the bridge next.

I focused my mind, trying to switch my viewpoint to a place of my choosing. However, Firill's kicking legs entered a corner of my view.

While reading, she was slowly kicking her legs up and down alternately. With her socks taken off, her calves were making my heart race, but the thighs were even more dangerous.

Due to the movement of her legs, the hem of her skirt was lifted, almost exposing her underwear. No, if I changed the angle, perhaps I could—

—Hey, what the heck am I thinking!?

I came to my senses and suppressed inappropriate thoughts, forcibly moving my gaze away from Firill's thighs.

Next, the view changed again. Apparently, the thought of shifting my gaze away was the trigger to changing the viewpoint.

But the next one was still a cabin occupied by one of my companions.

Ariella was silently doing push-ups. Strength training, I guess.

In preparation for the imminent battle—That wasn't right. This kind of regular training had the effect of calming one's mind. I knew that all too well.

"Mmm... Hoo..."

Regular breathing noises. Sweat dripping from her brow. Heating up due to exercise, the hue of her skin looked even more seductive. I could not help but gulp.

However, just as I noticed Ariella switching from push-ups to a handstand posture, I panicked.

—H-Hey, if you go upside-down...

Just as her slender legs were about to point up to the ceiling and her skirt would flip over due to gravity, I mobilized my self-control completely and shifted my gaze.

Another change of viewpoint, but this time, I did not even get a chance to relax.

"Mama, cAn'T taKe oFf."

"Try harder, Zwei. If I always help you, then you will never learn how to unfasten your own buttons, you know?"

In the next cabin, Jeanne was watching Shion undress. Like Iris and Mitsuki, they were probably going to take a shower.

"...goT it. i'LL tRy mY BesT."

It brought a smile to one's face to see Shion doing her best to unfasten her buttons, but also made the viewer feel an urge to help her.

Jeanne must be feeling the same, she extended and retracted her hand repeatedly. In the process, she came up with an idea and hastily began to remove her uniform shirt.

"Look, Zwei. Follow what I am doing."

Saying that, Jeanne began to unbutton her shirt starting from the top.

—Hey!?

As each button was unfastened, more of her pale skin came into view, accompanied by wobbling of her bust that was tightly constrained by clothing.

After being told off by the girls previously, Jeanne stopped trying to hide the shape of her bust deliberately. However, a male uniform was still a bit too restrictive for her chest.

When the third button was undone, her cleavage became exposed and I could not help but find my gaze drawn to it.

"Uh... Like Mama..."

Shion was staring at the motions of Jeanne's hands for reference, but it was difficult for me to remain calm after watching Jeanne expose her feminine body.

—I've got to leave and switch to another room—

Using the same principle as before, I averted my gaze and consciousness. Before the next image appeared, a high-pitched voice sounded in my mind first.

"Ahh, 'tis enough! I have stated I do not need a bath!"

"No, Mother. Since you are currently unable to replace your body, you need to take proper care of your hair and skin."

A warzone of a cabin was projected into my mind. Dressed in a camisole, Vritra was running all over the place, trying to escape Kili who was trying to disrobe her by force.

"Be that as it may, I am capable of performing the task alone—"

"If I leave it to you, Mother, isn't that the same as not using shampoo?"

"It entereth mine eyes!"

One of Vritra's shoulder straps had loosened and she was running around the room in a less than presentable manner. In many ways, this was unsuitable for continued viewing. The black dragon—"Black" Vritra—Where has its fearsome aura gone off to?

—I'll pretend I never saw this.

Making my decision, I moved my gaze away from these mother-daughter interactions that brought a smile to my face.

The view switched and the two of them disappeared. This time, it was a cabin with an identical layout, but no one was there.

I sighed mentally. Finally, an unused cabin.

—Hmm?

Upon closer examination, I noticed a set of school uniform, properly folded on the bed, and there were faint water sounds and humming coming from the shower room.

"<nowiki>Why are you~~ always so~~ reckless~~</nowiki>♪"

The pitch and melody were not very accurate and the lyrics were probably improvised.

"<nowiki>I really wish~~ you could show some moderation~~ which is why I can't~~ leave you alone~~</nowiki>♪"

Did she feel inspired? The chorus part seemed to be sung in high spirits.

This voice—Lisa's. I could not be mistaken.

"<nowiki>Before I knew it, someone like you~~ has taken over an important position in my heart~~</nowiki>"

However, this was really embarrassing.

I had done something similar before, but singing in the shower was usually kept for occassions with no one else present. If someone heard me, I'd feel so embarrassed that I'd lock myself in the room for a while.

Just as I was feeling guilty, the water stopped and the shower room was opened.

My heart shook violently. Now I realized it was no time to be laid back.

White steam flowed into the room as Lisa emerged naked from the shower room—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 092.jpg|thumb]]

—S-Sorry!

Although I knew she could not hear my voice, I still apologized on reflex and closed my eyes.

The sounds vanished instantly and I knew the scene had shifted again.

I slowly and carefully opened my eyelids—those of my consciousness rather than my real ones.

However, I could not see anything.

I was surrounded by white mist and there was the sound of running water.

—Where... is this?

Just as I muttered in my heart, the mist moved—Then came a loud voice.

"Oh—Yuu, what are you doing there?"

The water stopped and the mist thinned out a bit, then Tia's figure came into view.

Obscured by the mist was her naked body. Only then did I realize I was inside the shower room.

More surprisingly, Tia was looking up at me.

—T-Tia? You can see me?

No one so far had been able to notice me as a mental projection nor hear my thoughts. However, Tia nodded matter-of-factly. As Yggdrasil's successor, Tia's ability to interfere with "information" had probably allowed her to sense my consciousness that was synchronized with Marduk.

"Of course Tia can see you. Yuu... Did you come to peek on Tia?"

Tia blushed shyly and used her hands to cover her breasts and lower abdomen.

—No, I didn't do this on purpose! It's just that after linking with Marduk, images from inside the ship have flowed automatically into my mind—

"Images from inside the ship? So Yuu not only peeked on Tia but everyone else?"

—Urgh, well, although I didn't do it on purpose, that's what it ended up being...

Unable to refute her, I admitted it. After all, it was the indelible truth that I had peeked on everyone while they were unguarded.

"Yuu, peeking is bad. Even if it wasn't on purpose, you need to be punished for doing bad things."

Tia stared at me and spoke in Lisa's tone of voice.

—Fair point.

"So, come to Tia's cabin right away, Yuu, in your real body."

—F-Fine. But how do I switch my viewpoint back?

"Tia will help you."

A flash of electricity sparked across Tia's red horns. The blinding light made me closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was already back in my seat in the bridge.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei were working at their positions in front and did not seem to have noticed my consciousness moving away.

I was slightly unsteady when I stood up. There was a sharp pain throbbing in the depths of my head.

Including the fact that I could not control my viewpoint, it looked like I had yet to master Marduk's control.

Saying I was going over to Tia, I left the bridge.

Along the sides of the passage, illuminated with milky-white light, were a series of doors. These were the cabins the girls were using.

Which one was Tia's? Although I could find out immediately by searching the interior of Marduk through my senses, this could end up turning into "voyeurism" again. Just as I was hesitating, a door opened automatically as though it had read my mind.

I approached the cabin and peered inside from the entrance.

"...Tia?"

I called her name and got a response from the shower room.

"Yuu, come in."

It looked like it was Tia's cabin. I entered as instructed and the door closed automatically.

"Uh, sorry for just now. While you were showering..."

Somewhat embarrassed, I apologized to Tia.

"Tia is not angry, after all, you are Tia's husband... But doing bad things means you have to be punished. Tia will work hard too."

From behind the door to the shower room, I could hear Tia's voice not very clearly.

In the past, Lisa had punished Tia to cleanse her of her guilt. Tia was most likely recalling that scene, which was why she was imitating Lisa.

"—Got it. Then I'm counting on you."

When answering, I prepared myself to be punched.

"Then come over to this side."

"Huh...?"

This unexpected answer made my voice go off key. I asked in puzzlement:

"Wait, Tia, aren't you in the middle of a shower?"

"Yes. Which is why Yuu will help wash Tia's hair as punishment for peeking just now. Usually, Lisa does it... But today, we are in separate cabins."

"W-Wash your hair—"

"...You can't do it?"

Tia's question interrupted my attempt to refuse.

"I can—But speaking of which, why did you pick separate cabins from Lisa?"

I needed some time to adjust my mindset, so I asked her a question.

"Well..."

From Tia's whisper, I could hear hesitation and unease.

The weakness in her voice made me realize that perhaps the reason why Tia had called me to her cabin was not only to punish me.

Last night, Tia had extracted data on the seventh dragon from Yggdrasil's Akashic Record, but due to the sudden emergence of the Bahamut, we had not had time to ask her about the result.

"Sorry, I won't complain. I'll accept your punishment, Tia."

Deciding that now was the time to be by Tia's side, I started removing my uniform.

"...Yes!"

I heard a happy voice behind the door.

After undressing completely, I took the towel that was placed in front of the shower room and wrapped it around my waist, then nervously pushed the door open.

White steam flowed out of the shower room warmly while the sound of the shower echoed throughout the entire cabin. With her hands over her privates, Tia looked up at me, blushing intensely.

"...I-I'm coming in."

"Please enter..."

Tia nodded.

I closed the door after entering. The shower room was too cramped for two people, forcing me and Tia to be in close proximity. It felt like any movement would make us touch each other.

Still running, the shower poured water over my entire body below the chest. For Tia, this height was just right, but it was too low for me.

"Yuu... Can you wash my hair?"

Fidgeting, Tia looked up and inquired with her gaze.

"—Yeah. Could you turn around?"

Although the feminine fragrance filling the shower room was making my heart race, I still nodded while maintaining a serious face and used my palm to receive some shampoo.

Tia turned around obediently. In the process, her petite shoulder touched my abdomen, causing both of us to shudder.

I convinced myself this was punishment for peeking then reached towards her blonde hair that was almost pink.

Normally tied into twintails, her hair was let down and reached waist level. Indeed, washing it herself would be quite a hassle. I now understood why Lisa helped out.

"Then let's start."

I inserted my fingers between her hair near the top of her head, gently massaging her scalp while making suds with the shampoo.

"...Fufu, this tickles a bit."

Her shoulders trembling slightly, Tia laughed.

"Does it itch anywhere?"

I asked like an owner of a hair salon.

"No, Tia's hair is washed clean every day, so it doesn't itch."

After listening to her, I continued to wash her hair carefully, but whenever my fingertips touched the red horns, Tia's voice got shrill and excited.

"Hyah!? Y-Yuu, don't touch the horns suddenly! They're very sensitive!"

Tearfully, Tia looked back and glared at me.

"Oh—I see, sorry. Then should I avoid the horns?"

"...Don't worry. Tia hopes Yuu can wash the horns clean too. As long as you're gentle... It's fine."

Making her decision, she turned her back to me again.

"Got it. Then I'll be more gentle—"

I gathered suds on my fingertips and touched Tia's red horns gently.

"Mm... Ah—"

Tia trembled and moaned, but this time, I went with the flow and continued without stopping.

"Does it tickle?"

"Oohh... I-It's okay—Ahmm... Ya... Mm..."

Tia's sweet voice echoed in the shower room, rocking my sanity greatly. I focused my mind on my fingertips to banish unnecessary thoughts.

I used the inner side of my fingers to gently rub the smooth and shiny surface of the horns while controlling my strength to scrub the interface between the scalp and the horns.

"Oh... Th-That part... Yuu... This feels so nice... Mm—"

Tia moaned in ecstasy, looking like she had gotten used to this stimulation. Her body also relaxed greatly.

It seemed that rubbing the base of the horns was quite pleasurable so I focused on cleaning it for a while. Then I combed her long hair with my fingers and carefully washed all the way to the tips. Finally, I washed off the suds and applied conditioner before rinsing with hot water—Thus I completed the punishment Tia had given me.

"Okay, it's done."

"—Tia's mind feels blank."

With blushing cheeks, Tia turned her head back then rested it against my body.

"Tia, are you okay?"

I bent down and caught Tia with my hands as she leaned back. Her petite body was warm and soft. Although there were suds lingering on her body, washed from her hair, it was not enough to cover her pale, nude body. I really had no idea where I should direct my gaze.

"...So weird. Just a shower, yet it feels like Tia soaked too long in a bath."

Tia murmured in puzzlement.

"Then let's get out soon."

I switched off the shower and was going to pick up the limp Tia in my arms, but she frantically grabbed my arm forcefully.

"Oh—Wait! Tia still wants to stay here with Yuu longer."

"W-Why?"

I did not understand so I asked for the reason. Her face all red, Tia spoke:

"...It's cramped, here... If it's here... Being close to Yuu won't be strange... Not because Tia is weak..."

Tia squeezed out these words before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Uh—"

Direct contact with tender skin made my heart jump, but I calmed down after noticing Tia's trembling.

When I asked why she had picked separate cabins with Lisa, she had acted strangely.

"...Did something happen?"

I controlled my emotions and asked in a gentle tone of voice. At the same time, I moved my hand to the back of Tia's petite back and gently patted her to soothe her.

"Yuu... Tia... did as Vritra suggested, to search the memories of Yggdrasil's predecessor—'Verdant' Kiskanu—about the seventh dragon."

Hugging me tightly, Tia whispered in my ear.

"Then you saw something scary?"

Holding her delicate and young body, I inquired, but she denied it.

"No... Nothing could be seen, total darkness."

"Total darkness?"

"Something black was spreading throughout the Earth—devouring forests and grasslands... Kiskanu became unable to think. Due to the excessive loss of plant life, not enough computational power was left. So almost no analysis and recording could be done."

Then Tia paused, hugging me tighter.

"...So scary. 'Death'... turns out to be so painful, so sad... So lonely... Tia never knew."

Hearing this, I understood why Tia was trembling.

Digging through Kiskanu's memories, Tia had experienced "death."

I had also stood on the brink of the abyss of death, but in my case, there was still a chance to return. It was impossible for me to imagine true death.

"You worked really hard."

Consolation did not seem right, so I chose to praise her effort instead.

"Yes, Tia... worked really hard. But Tia needs to continue working... continue thinking."

Tia nodded lightly then moved her body away slightly. With our noses almost touching, she looked at me squarely.

"Thinking?"

"After destroying the world, where exactly did the seventh dragon go... That pitch-black darkness—what Kiskanu called 'end matter'—what is it exactly...? Why Bahamut reappeared now of all times.. Tia must think to find answers. This is a job that only Tia can do by using Yggdrasil's Akashic Record."

Tia finished with determination but her body was still trembling a bit.

"You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"...A bit. Tia actually wants to go to Lisa and hug her tight. Lisa is so kind and will definitely ask Tia to stop straining. But... That won't do."

So this was her reason for picking a separate cabin from Lisa, huh?

Saying she was not weak earlier was definitely just putting on a brave face.

"Will you be able to hang in there?"

"Yes—Leaning close to Yuu, Tia feels warm... It's fine now. For the husband, the wife will work hard!"

With scarlet cheeks, Tia made dazzing smile. These words came from the heart instead of putting on a strong front.

Hearing these words filled with intense affection while locked in a nude embrace, I was starting to feel my cheeks heat up.

"Yuu..."

Tia drew her face near and the tips of our noses happened to touch. Then slightly shyly, she smiled. A sweet atmosphere filled the entirety of the cramped shower room and I could feel each other's heartbeats speeding up.

At that very moment, the light in the shower room suddenly flickered.

Just as Tia and I looked up in surprise, the shower suddenly poured out a lot of cold water.

"—So cold—!?"

"Kyah!? Cold!"

As we screamed, the water flow from the showerhead increased further, even causing it to fall from the hook and jump all over the place.

"Ouch!"

The jumping showerhead struck me in the forehead, making me see stars.

"Y-Yuu! Hurry and turn off the shower!"

"Yeah—But I'm pretty sure I turned it off just now—"

While dodging the showerhead that was rampaging like a snake, I adjusted the water flow and temperature.

However, the shower flow did not decrease. Smashing into the wall, it continued to spew cold water.

"Ooh... So cold."

Clinging to my back, Tia avoided the shower. The mild bulge of her bosom and tender skin was making my heart race, but this arousal was instantly put out by the water.

"...L-Let's leave first."

I gave up on shutting off the shower. Carrying Tia in one arm, I walked out of the shower room.

But in the process, I shuddered from the cold.

"S-So cold again."

Huddled in a ball, Tia commented on the cabin's condition.

Yes—The cabin's temperature was abnormally low. Did the air-conditioning malfunction? It was blowing cold air at maximum output.

The coldness seeped into my wet body, causing my teeth to chatter. I put down Tia then immediately operated the panel to control the air-conditioner, but like the shower, it did not respond.

"Yuu, the door can't open either!"

Unable to bear to cold, Tia slammed her hands against the door to the corridor and cried out anxiously.

"Could it be that... Marduk has gone out of control?"

I focused my mind and increased my synchronization with Marduk. Then I tried to use my mind directly to operate the cabin's functions.

However—I failed to convey my thoughts to the cabin facilities. It felt like something was blocking the transmission of my commands.

Next, the ship's operating system seemed to show abnormalities. The ship's body also shook heavily once.

"Sorry, Tia, it looks like I can't control Marduk. In truth, my head has been hurting and I thought I could keep it under control..."

"Got it. Then Tia will try interfering with the systems."

Tia nodded and closed her eyes to focus her mind. Electrical sparks erupted from her red horns. However, the air-conditioning did not stop and the door remained locked.

"—Something is in the way."

Tia showed a surprised look then turned her head to sweep her gaze around the room. Finally, her gaze settled on the ceiling near the air-conditioner.

"Yuu, look! Something's there!"

"...Where?"

Despite looking in the direction Tia indicated, I still could not see.

"Just like when you were peeping, Yuu, it can't be seen normally."

After hearing that, I tried using "Marduk's viewpoint" to get a grasp on the cabin situation.

I concentrated and synchronized myself with Marduk further. From overhead, I observed this room—

Then I noticed a tiny glowing dot flitting about in the cabin.

However, the glowing dot immediately vanished after leaving a bright trail.

"It noticed that we discovered it and hid. Something must have invaded Marduk's system, so it's not Yuu's fault."

Saying that, Tia quickly dried herself and put on her uniform. I picked up my clothes while trying not to look in her direction and asked:

"Invaded the system... But this is a pre-civilization weapon filled with lost technology, right? Is that even possible?"

"But it's true we've been hacked. We'll know once the culprit is caught. But it's hard unless Tia goes all-out... Yuu, you might feel numb... Okay?"

Tia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead."

Since I could not do anything, relying on Tia was the only way.

"Got it. Okay, electronic warfare—Begin."

Tia had already put on her clothes. A blinding flash of electricity was released from her horns. The electricity zapped throughout the cramped cabin. I guarded my face with my arms and held my breath. My physical body took almost no damage but the feeling of being synchronized to Marduk was numbed for an instant.

This was evidence that Tia's interference had spread throughout the ship. Most likely, Tia had held back earlier to avoid affecting my link with Marduk. The numbing feeling probably referred sensations on Marduk's side.

After subduing Yggdrasil, Tia had gained the power that Kiskanu had used to destroy "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis. This authority allowed her to control electromagnetism and dominate all kinds of "electronic information."

A forcible search through the systems of Marduk, an Atlantean weapon, would be a piece of cake for Tia.

The cabin's illumination flickered and went out.

When it brightened again, the air-conditioner stopped blowing cold air and I could hear that the water in the shower room had stopped.

"—Control over this cabin has been seized back. Yuu, if something doesn't feel right in the ship, tell Tia."

Having dressed, I nodded then checked Marduk's state as though examining my own body.

Marduk's numbed feeling, due to Tia's interference, was gradually recovering. Although a bit of numbness remained, preventing precise operation of the ship's facilities, finding irregularities was still doable.

"Considering the shaking earlier, something must be wrong with the drive system—Main mechanism normal. Others... Hmm? There's something off about the gravitational control device on the left main wing."

"Got it. It must be there!"

Tia nodded and her horns released a flash of electricity.

The blinding light made me narrow my eyes while watching her fight. I could not imagine what kind of battle was taking place inside the system. Marduk's senses were also showing localized paralysis and numbing, which told me where the electronic warfare was taking place—but I could not get a grasp on further details.

"—Cornered."

After a while, Tia smiled victoriously and held my hand.

"Yuu, go to the bridge! The culprit is over there!"

Pulling me, she walked towards the doorway and the door opened automatically.

"By over there, you mean—"

Before I understood the situation, I went with Tia to run along the corridor to the bridge.

After the door to the bridge opened, we stepped into the domed room. Shinomiya-sensei and Ren were looking up at the monitor that was filled with static.

"W-What happened? Did I press a wrong button?"

"...Doubt it. Calm down. Probably a virus or something."

Ren comforted the flustered Shinomiya-sensei. The omnidirectional monitor originally displaying optical images from outside was not only showing static but also had countless small vine-like images, crawling over the screen.

"Look, I'll catch it soon."

Tia pointed up.

I looked closely and saw a glowing ball moving rapidly on the screen, roughly the size of a baseball. The vines were chasing it.

Finally cornered, the glowing ball was entangled by the vines.

"This rubbish tree! Unhand me!"

Then a high-pitched voice sounded throughout the bridge.

The glowing sphere gradually dimmed and the true appearance of what the vines had caught was displayed on the monitor. It was a very petite girl with transparent wings sprouting from her back. Based on the displayed size, her height was around twenty centimeters.

"...A fairy?"

Ren remarked in a whisper.

Judging from the girl's height and appearance, it was quite normal to think of this description first.

"In any case, what is the current situation?"

Unable to hide the doubt on her face, Shinomiya-sensei wanted us to explain further. Tia replied:

"The virus invading Marduk and the vaccine program Tia created are being visualized on the monitor. The fairy-like thing is the virus and the vines comprise the vaccine."

"Who are you calling a virus! I am the ultimate machine intellect, created by supreme wisdom!"

The tiny fairy instantly retorted, struggling furiously to escape the vines restraining her. However, the vines showed no signs of releasing her.

"Machine intellect...? You mean AI?"

As soon as I asked my question, the fairy glared at me.

"Do not compare me to primitive artificial intelligence! I am not something created by humans! The wisdom of Atlantis was achieved through continual self-evolution of collective machines—As such, I ought to be called machine intellect, not artificial intelligence! How dare you call me a virus, that would be an insult of the most awful and most atrocious nature... Isn't the rubbish tree that destroyed my civilization an even more deplorable virus!?"

The fairy vented in a vigorous diatribe. While her voice sounded in my mind, there was information that could not be ignored.

"What... Atlantis? What rubbish tree... Don't tell me you're referring to Tia—no, Yggdrasil?"

Seeing the fairy glare at Tia with hatred, I asked cautiously, but an unexpected source gave the reply.

'Precisely, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. She hates Yggdrasil with a passion—or what used to be known as Kiskanu, I suppose. After all, it was the mortal enemy that wiped out Atlantean civilization completely.'
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 113.jpg|thumb]]

"—"

I followed the sudden sound source, which was coming from where Shinomiya-sensei was sitting, but it was not her voice. In front of her seat, there was a square window on the monitor—A man with slender eyes was smiling.

"Furthermore, she suffered during the battle last time. The firing of the battleship Naglfar's cannon was interrupted due its system getting hacked. Let it be... It was my mistake for failing to take into account that the other side possessed the holder of Yggdrasil's authority."

"Major Loki..."

I muttered the name of the man who was smiling wryly.

He used to be my superior officer. In addition, we were opponents who had put everything on the line to kill each other. Furthermore, I had killed him with these hands of mine. Although Kili had used biogenic transmutation to save his life afterwards... The sensation of taking a life still lingered on my hands.

'Hmph... You look like you've seen a ghost, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. You can't possibly be unaware that I am alive, right?'

"I knew, but it still feels strange..."

With mixed feelings of guilt and relief, I nodded.

'Me too. Being able to see the face of one's murderer must be a rare experience. However, let us put this topic aside for now. Could you release her first? It appears that she entered your ship through the communications channel while Colonel Shinomiya and I were having a strategy discussion.'

Major Loki pointed at the screen and spoke. Although the direction was off, he was presumably referring to the fairy caught in the vines.

"Well, even if you tell me to release her..."

Slightly troubled, I exchanged eye contact with Tia beside me for a moment. Major Loki smiled.

'Relax. She won't take any action that would cause critical harm to any of you. She is well aware that your participation is necessary for the upcoming operation. It was merely mischief to give you a headache, that's all. Am I right, Atla?''

Hearing this, the fairy restrained by the vines nodded glumly.

"Precisely. Seeing the rubbish tree messing with ''my'' Marduk, I could not hold myself back momentarily and merely sought revenge... I am terribly sorry for ending up in an embarrassing position again."

She apologized honestly, making her earlier fury seem like a lie. After hearing that, Major Loki smiled at us and said:

'—So there you have it. Even with lingering hatred, she is not your enemy. Rather, it would be better to consider her a friend currently.'

Major Loki shrugged lightly and told us not to worry.

After listening to this conversation, Shinomiya-sensei sighed mildly and looked at us.

"Release that fairy-esque being. Next, we will be fighting alongside NIFL, so trust them for the time being. However, Major Loki, you are obliged to give us a proper explanation."

I complied with Shinomiya-sensei's instructions and had Tia release the vines.

"Hmph, phooey."

Regaining her freedom, the fairy made a face at us then flew back to Major Loki's side.

"Hmm... She didn't repent at all."

"Let's listen to his explanation first."

Tia pouted unhappily so I patted her on the head to appease her.

"Mm, machine intellect... Fascinating. From what she said earlier, it sounds like she's related to the civilization of Atlantis..."

Ren's eyes were glimmering with curiosity, urging Major Loki to start explaining. Then smiling suggestively, he began to recount.

"Rather than related to Atlantis, it's better to say she ''is'' Atlantis. The supreme machine intellect managing and running the lost civilization... Its name was Atlantis. She—Atla—was born from its restoration."

"Yes, I am precisely 'Ultimate Wisdom' Atlantis!"

Moving inside the window that showed Major Loki, the fairy puffed out her chest proudly.

However, that childish behavior left us with visible doubt on our faces.

"Supreme machine intellect..."

Even said out loud, it did not feel real. Tia frowned and did not seem convinced.

"Doesn't look that amazing."

"Mm, too young for an AI that managed a civilization."

Ren agreed too. The fairy—Atla—went bright red in the face.

"How rude! Whether organic or inorganic, there exists no intellect higher than mine!"

Major Loki apparently saw Atla's furious image too and he said with a wry smile:

'—Atla is undoubtedly a very advanced intellectual entity. However, what we managed to restore was only her core. Due to damage and loss in the storage medium, memory data—the archives of Atlantis—have become incomplete. As a result, the avatar's behavior became a little cute... But her true identity is indisputably the "god of the old world." It would be best not to underestimate her.'

Although Major Loki covered for Atla, she was whispering "M-Master... calling me cute..." while twisting her body. The claim that she was "the god of the old world" was not convincing at all.

Unlike Ren, Shinomiya-sensei and I who were rendered speechless by Atla's words and behavior, only Tia showed an expression of extreme surprise.

"Storage medium—How could anything like that be left behind!? Kiskanu should've wiped out all electronic data when destroying Atlantis."

Tia asserted strongly. Yggdrasil's Akashic Record must have retained related records.

However, the confidence in Major Loki's smile did not decrease the slightest despite Tia's objections.

'What we unearthed were not magnetic storage devices but only stone tablets.'

"...Stone tablets?"

Tia frowned in surprise.

'Due to the destruction wrought by dragon disasters, a site containing Atlantean ruins was found by chance and fell under secret management by Asgard and NIFL. Preserved in the ruins were a vast number of stone tablets stacked many layers deep. A language consisting of two symbols was carved on the surface of these stone tablets.''

Hearing this, Ren spoke in comprehension.

"Two symbols... Could it be binary...? They used stone tablets to record electronic data?"

'Precisely. Most likely, Atlantis used durable media to leave behind data, believing future humans would be able to revive civilization. Since the storage medium involves neither magnetic fields nor electrical voltages, it is immune to destruction by electromagnetic interference. Of course, reading it is a challenge and it took us many long years to finally complete the data extraction. This allowed us to revive the machine intellect, which used to govern the Atlantis civilization, in the modern age.'

Although Major Loki sounded proud in his reply, I could see an element of self-deprecation in his smile.

'—That being said, there are limits as to what modern science and technology can accomplish. Through continued research and enlisting Atla's power, we finally finished an imitation of Marduk—this battleship ''Naglfar''—but it is far inferior to the genuine article you have there.'

Major Loki had just said that it was the battleship ''Naglfar'' that had fired its cannon at Midgard. Equipped with a weapon similar to Babel, it was apparently Marduk's imitation.

"Major Loki, by saying 'this battleship,' does that mean you are currently on board the ''Naglfar''?"

Major Loki nodded.

'Yes, I am standing by at the first defense line, aboard this Atlantean weapon that has just been revealed to the public. We are currently in a state of severe shortage in combat potential, so your side's participation is very heartening.'

Despite the goodwill in Major Loki's words, Atla suddenly interjected.

"Master, I believe we should take over Marduk after the rendezvous."

"What are you suddenly saying...?"

The sudden suggestion caused an uproar in Marduk's bridge.

However, Atla ignored our concerns and continued speaking to Major Loki.

"After entering the ship, I discovered that they are still unable to operate the ship well. At this rate, they are merely going to waste a treasure. I dare assert, only the King of Atlantis approved by me—you, Master—has the right to use Deus Dragon!"

'Hmph... Unable to operate the ship well? Is that true, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe?'

"......"

His sharp gaze put me at a loss for words.

'It appears that the allegations are true. However... Be that as it may, I currently do not have the authority to requisition Marduk. Still I must ask, do you have any plans to ameliorate this situation?'

Confronted with his words and gaze, testing me, my body became a bit stiff. However, realizing the risk of Major Loki seizing command of this operation at this rate, I replied assertively.

"The strain of operating the ship was higher than expected. This is the truth. However, there has been no clear signs of malfunction so far, until she—Atla—wrought her mischief."

I stared at Atla, who had forced her way into Major Loki's window, and she immediately launched a rebuttal.

"One person barely keeping things under control is limited to the current situation of normal cruising. The strain will multiply several fold when battle mode is entered. Your little brain is going to burst immediately."

Atla asserted with certainty. Then Tia pouted and glared at her.

"Tia will help if Yuu is in trouble. If it's possible to operate Marduk better, Atla can simply reveal the correct method."

"Hmph, like anyone would tell a rubbish tree."

Atla turned her face away viciously. However, Major Loki seemed to agree with Tia's opinion and nodded solemnly.

"...Fair point. Atla, if you know where the problem lies, instruct them on how to control Marduk."

"N-No way!? If you were to pilot Marduk, Master, surely—"

Atla looked very flustered, but Major Loki shook his head and interrupted her objections.

"Atla, Marduk is not the key to this operation. Atlantean weapons are effective against Bahamut to some extent, but cannot deliver a decisive blow. As such, it does not matter who is actually piloting."

"Muu... Understood."

Atla agreed reluctantly. However, I was more concerned by what Major Loki's words implied.

"Cannot deliver a decisive blow... How did you know that?"

'Rather than asking me, you should be asking the one connected to Yggdrasil.'

Major Loki motioned to Tia beside me.

"...Ask Tia?"

'Yes, after all, our—Atla's—analysis was based on the data salvaged from the remains of Yggdrasil scattered at Fuji's Sea of Trees.'

Hearing that they had done that secretly, I shifted my surprised gaze to Tia.

"Yes... If what appeared this time is truly Bahamut, then Marduk... No, any weapon will not be able to destroy it completely. Only Basilisk's authority—'Catastrophe'—is capable of destroying it."

Seeing Tia agree with his viewpoint, Loki nodded.

"Indeed, Atla also reached the same conclusion, which is why we sought Midgard's assistance. We know that the D targeted by Leviathan in the past, Iris Freyja, is able to use Catastrophe, though the official report only arrived just now."

Major Loki's smiled was mixed with irony. Then he continued:

"Hence, she is the main star this time. The ship carrying her must not come to any harm. Consequently, Atla, I shall be counting on you, alright?"

Warned in this manner, Atla nodded unhappily and glared at me.

"You leave me no choice... I shall not repeat myself. Listen carefully, got that?"

"Yeah."

Seeing me nod, Atla raised two fingers of her right hand.

"Marduk's control requires at least two people as linkers. If you take charge of piloting and weapons control, leaving the enemy detection system and the rest of the functions to someone else, the problem of excessive strain should be solved."

Atla spoke very rapidly, as though trying to finish a hated job as quickly as possible. However, I noticed an unfamiliar term.

"Linker?"

"...Stop asking questions. Did I not say that I shall not repeat myself?"

"No, it'll be a problem if I don't immediately clear up the parts I don't get."

Seeing me demand an explanation, Atla sighed with displeasure.

"Pick this sort of thing up from context, will you? A linker is a pilot who performs a mental link with Marduk—Currently, this means you."

"It's true I'm synchronized with Marduk... But how do I link another person's mind with the ship's systems?"

My mind was automatically linked through the process of constructing Marduk. Although Tia could take control through hacking, we still did not know the proper means of linking to the ship.

"Good grief, asking this and that... Since Marduk's control authority lies in your hands, simply issue the order to the system through thoughts or speech and it would allow others to perform a mental link with the system."

Atla finished impatiently then flew into the background of the monitor that was showing Major Loki. Major Loki smiled wryly and shrugged.

'—So there you have it, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Unfortunately, the ''Naglfar'' does not make use of the mental link system. I cannot sympathize with your pain, but if you need a co-pilot, Jeanne Hortensia would be a candidate. She should be in your company, right?'

"Yes, but why Jeanne?"

Seeing me ask with a frown, Major Loki smiled profoundly.

'Soldiers of Atlantis all had their bodies modified on the genetic level according to their responsibilities, thereby optimizing their abilities as much as possible. In the modern world, most people with outstanding talents are their descendants. In other words, the members of Sleipnir, which one could consider a gathering of such people, should exhibit relatively good compatibility with Atlantean weapons.'

A quiet comment from Vritra suddenly surfaced in my mind.

She had said that people possessing exceptional abilities do not exist without reason—Jeanne's natural talent was possibly inherited from the Atlanteans.

"Major Loki, you assembled Sleipnir not only to conduct experiments related to Code Lost but also with the idea of using Atlantean weapons?"

Wondering how many steps Major Loki had thought ahead, I asked. However, he shook his head wryly.

'Now that would be overthinking things. First of all, powerful weaponry is not needed if one possessed Code Lost. At least from the perspective of killing humans.'

I thought back to how terrifying it was to use Code Lost in its full form, capable of killing people with just a thought, and a chill ran down my spine. Furthermore, there was a cold glint in Major Loki's eyes that caused my instincts to sound an alarm.

During the battle revolving around Code Lost, I emerged victorious over Major Loki in the end and thwarted the plan to kill Charlotte. However, he never showed a loser's attitude when interacting with me.

"Is that so...?"

Although we were currently allies, I warned myself not to lower my guard while nodding somewhat stiffly. At this moment, Major Loki slowly leaned forward to the screen.

'Hmm, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, your tone was so stiff just now. I remember you sounded much more casual during our fight.''

"Huh?"

Pointing this out unexpectedly, he caused my voice to go off pitch slightly.

Indeed, during my fight against Major Loki, I had intentionally avoided using polite language—

"Oh—Well, back then, we were enemies."

'In other words, I am currently your superior on the same side, which is why you are taking such a rigid attitude? Then that is truly a shame. I was hoping to have a candid conversation with you...'

He sighed in disappointment. I did not know how serious he was.

"...Then don't make me your enemy, okay?"

I retorted sarcastically, prompting the corners of Major Loki's lips to twist in a grin.

'At least for this operation, we are allies. Don't worry, I won't stab you in the back. Of course, I will tell Atla the same.'

"Sounds like it will be scary after the operation."

'Really? But I am really looking forward to it.'

Major Loki smiled fearlessly then turned his gaze to Shinomiya-sensei.

'—Well then, Colonel Shinomiya, for the operation's success, let us have a detailed discussion. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, kindly find a good partner before the operation begins.'

"Very well—I will take the mentioned advice for reference."

I nodded and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Sure enough, talking to Major Loki was very tiring.

I moved my gaze away from Major Loki who had started his discussion with Shinomiya-sensei and talked to Tia.

"Tia, to prevent Atla's mischief, watch over here for now. I'll go find Jeanne first."

"Yes, okay, leave it to Tia!"

Tia nodded and Ren also turned her head back from the console.

"Mm, I'll monitor the system too."

"Great, thanks a lot."

I left the scene to those two and exited the bridge.

Although I was reluctant to obey Major Loki, from the perspective of using the right person for the right job, there was no better candidate than Jeanne.

However, the problem was—

I recalled the scene of Jeanne unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her cleavage.

After peeking at that kind of scene, to be honest, I was not confident whether I could still look her in the eye.

===Part 2===

"Designate target—Jeanne Hortensia—as additional linker. Transfer control over the domains of enemy detection, communications, and information processing. However, forbid readings from occupied cabins. This applies to me as well."

I raised my hand over Jeanne's head while she was standing nervously close by and ordered Marduk verbally.

Having just taken a shower, Jeanne's face was flushed red, this combined with her moist hair was quite sexy. Although she was dressed in the male school uniform, the bulge of her chest and the after-shower fragrance were all conspiring to keep me strongly conscious of her identity as a woman.

The sight of her in underwear earlier was surfacing vaguely in my mind, so I concentrated while mentally repeating the words I was speaking.

The final command was to prevent Jeanne and I from peeking into other people's cabins. Now what happened earlier could be averted.

"—"

The illumination in the room blinked strongly once an Jeanne shuddered.

Watching her from the side, Shion asked worriedly, "Mama, aRe YoU oKaY?"

"—Yes, I am fine."

Jeanne smiled and reassured Shion then exclaimed.

"Captain... This is amazing. Through Marduk's various sensors, I can capture an endless stream of information—It is like my vision field expanded several hundred fold..."

"Does it hurt?"

Noticing that my own headache was subsiding, I asked how Jeanne felt.

Although I had succeeded in making Jeanne the second linker, she might not be able to bear the strain.

"No problem. Although the volume of information increased greatly... There isn't any fundamental change. To begin with, my eyes have always been able to see things other people could not."

I could not help but feel in awe. Although I knew Jeanne had an extraordinary pair of eyes, I never imagined it would allow her to acquire information on par with Marduk's sensors in quality. Jeanne most likely had eyes that could capture wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum and a brain capable of processing all this information.

Soldiers of Atlantis whose abilities were fully optimized for their responsibilities—Perhaps Jeanne really was one of their descendants.

"Really, then cooperate with me from now on. Jeanne, are you able to transmit information from arbitrary coordinates to me?"

"—Let me try. There is a small island fifty kilometers or so ahead. I will mark it."

Jeanne nodded and I was informed of the coordinates of the aforementioned island. With this, I could get a lock on distant enemies to attack.

However, I suddenly noticed that Jeanne's face in front of me had grown even redder.

"Hey, are you okay? Is it making you feel unwell after all—"

I frantically asked about her condition, but Jeanne suddenly came to her senses and shook her head.

"N-No! I am completely fine. It is just that..."

Mid-sentence, she looked down awkwardly for some reason.

"Just that?"

"Umm... It is like our minds are connected, Captain... It somehow fills me with joy... And elevated my temperature a little."

Jeanne explained the reason somewhat bashfully then looked up at me.

This girly behavior made my heart race. I barely maintained composure and nodded.

"I'm glad it's not making you feel unwell. However, tell me immediately if anything feels off."

"Yes, understood. I will not overextend myself and cause you trouble, Captain. Oh—"

Jeanne nodded at me then suddenly gasped and looked into the distance.

"Mama?"

Shion called out to Jeanne in puzzlement and Jeanne looked at us stiffly.

"What happened?"

"...Well, just now—through information sharing with NIFL, data was obtained from the Akashic Record... I found out details about the Bahamut situation, and the Earth's current state..."

She did not continue, at a loss for words.

"Is the situation that bad?"

Noticing the heavy atmosphere, I asked hesitantly.

"...Yes. Shinomiya-sensei should be explaining later, but Bahamut is a monster beyond imagination. Let me link my senses with yours, Captain."

As soon as Jeanne spoke, an image of Bahamut appeared in my mind. Its gigantic body was blotting out the sky and the sun, still reminiscent of Vritra. The shadow falling upon the ground turned into an unknown territory, impossible to probe or observe, and kept expanding to follow Bahamut's movement. Outside of the shadow was pure whiteness in stark contrast—A world of silver-white.

"The ground is completely covered by—ice? Has Bahamut reached the arctic circle?"

If that were the case, Bahamut's speed was faster than expected. I panicked a little, but Jeanne shook her head.

"No, not yet. What you are seeing now was originally a flowing ocean... However, the temperature around Bahamut is extremely low, causing even the ocean to freeze."

"Freezing... Is this Bahamut's ability?"

"Not exactly. The cold is at most a side effect. The true nature of its ability is the absorption of thermal energy. Bahamut is a creature that devours heat. Taking in heat from the surroundings, it grows, regenerates, and evolves. So long as there exists external thermal energy, it would be no exaggeration to call it immortal."

Jeanne's explanation made my forehead break out in cold sweat.

"Devouring heat... What a crazy ability. Then explosions and lasers will all become its food?"

"Yes. Precisely because of that, only Catastrophe is capable of defeating Bahamut. Its immortality is achieved through absorbing heat to fuel its metabolism whereas Catastrophe fast forwards time from the present point. When time goes by before Bahamut's cells can absorb energy for their metabolism, it results in apoptosis."

"So that's how Basilisk defeated Bahamut... No wait, since Bahamut reappeared, doesn't that mean it was never exterminated to begin with?"

When I voiced my doubt, Jeanne shook her head somewhat hesitantly.

"No—Had it not been exterminated, Bahamut would have absorbed all heat from the ground, turning Earth into a dead planet. It must have been completely annihilated at one point. However... I do not think the present Bahamut is fake either. Left unchecked, Bahamut will kill our planet, although at the present stage, the unknown territories are causing greater damage..."

"They've grown that big?"

I gulped and asked.

"The unknown territories mentioned before are black domes, and according to Marduk's sensors, there are a total of four great holes of 'nothing at all'—It might be better to describe the Earth as having four pieces gouges out of it."

Jeanne paused then sighed heavily.

"In particular, the unknown territories on the American west coast and the northern African continent have swallowed up areas of high population density. The number of victims has probably reached the tens of millions..."

"Hold on, it's too early to say that the people inside the unknown territories are dead. There must be a way to save them."

Just like how Mitsuki and I had survived inside the darkness—

After I said that with this hope in mind, Jeanne held her breath momentarily.

"—You are right, Captain. I have erred... I jumped to conclusions accidentally. Since responsibility for enemy detection and information processing has been passed to me, I should strive for correct judgment—I am truly ashamed."

Jeanne cringed and bowed her head apologetically.

"No, it's necessary to prepare for the worst too. But at the same time, it's better to keep the ideal outcome in mind. Otherwise, you could end up losing your goal."

I recalled my days as her captain and gently patted her on the head.

"...Yes."

Jeanne nodded, still looking down.

"Papa, wHat iS iDeaL?"

Shion tugged at my clothing from the side.

"It means the best-case result. First we defeat Bahamut then we find a way to take care of the unknown territories—the darkness—and save all the people who were swallowed. Then we return to Midgard safe and sound. That's the ideal outcome."

Of course, the darkness inside Mitsuki also needed to be eliminated. Once I figured out the blue light capable of suppressing "end matter"—Neun's authority—and could use it skillfully, perhaps I would find a solution that was currently out of sight.

"Oh, iDeaL, aWEsoMe!"

Shion sounded impressed and smiled happily.

Seeing her face, I smiled naturally too, but a sliver of unease flashed through my mind.

—But was this truly the ideal outcome?

For some reason, this thought surfaced, There should not be any outcome more ideal than what I had just outlined.

But somehow, I had an uncomfortable feeling as though I had overlooked something.

I persuaded myself that I was overthinking things, but still could not erase the unease adhering to my heart.

===Part 3===

"—This is all the information we have confirmed regarding Bahamut. Although the trait of heat absorption is quite challenging, there is no need for excess panic since we know that Catastrophe can defeat it. Now, we will proceed with the details of the operation."

After sweeping her gaze across each and every one of us, gathered at the bridge, Shinomiya-sensei spoke with a grave expression. Having heard the content from Jeanne earlier, I was not surprised, but the girls' expressions were relatively stiff upon learning Bahamut's ability for the first time.

"Approximately thirty minutes from now, NIFL's fleet including the ''Naglfar'' will start engaging Bahamut. However, we will not be joining the defense line. Instead, we will launch a heavy assault from behind after the fighting begins. In other words, NIFL will take on the role as bait."

The screen behind her no displayed Major Loki's face. The omni-directional monitor was filled with the color of the sky with sunlight shining from above.

"The success of this operation depends on whether we can get Catastrophe to strike the target directly. Hence, we will rely on your powers as Ds and Marduk's equipment to open a path, to get as close to Bahamut as possible for Iris Freyja to fire Catastrophe. You are the key—We are counting on you."

"Y-Yes! I will do my best!"

Iris saluted and answered in a slightly shrill voice under Shinomiya-sensei's gaze.

"Mononobe Yuu and Jeanne Hortensia will confirm Bahamut's present location while adjusting the ship's speed. Until NIFL launches their attack, do not make a move under any condition."

"Understood."

"Affirmative."

Jeanne and I expressed acknowledgement and Shinomiya-sensei continued to issue orders to the rest.

"Lisa Highwalker and Firill Crest will remain outside the ship to guard the starboard. Ariella Lu and Ren Miyazawa will be in charge of the port side's defense. Avoid using lasers or explosive transmutations when attacking. Find opportunities to conduct freezing attacks using low-temperature matter. It is very likely that stealing heat will slow down the target's movement and regeneration speed. But if necessary for opening a path, go head and attack with heavy firepower. Our main objective is to approach close enough to enter Catastrophe's range."

"Understood. Simply stated, we are taking the role of carrier-based aircraft."

"No problem. It's the same as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's usual work."

Lisa answered with her chest out while Firill made thumbs-up. Ariella and Ren also nodded firmly.

"There's nothing to do inside the ship, anyway. Let's go outside and raise some hell."

"Mm, adjustments to the OS are done. All that's left to do is fight."

However, Tia tilted her head curiously because she had not been named.

"Tia doesn't need to go outside?"

"You should stay at the bridge, prepared for electronic warfare. Although there has not been any reports of Bahamut being able to interfere with electronic equipment, better be safe than sorry. Furthermore... Who knows if NIFL will be our ally to the very end."

Shinomiya-sensei gave a wry smile sardonically. Stationing Tia at the bridge was mainly to defend against Atla, most likely.

Then Shinomiya-sensei's gaze shifted to Kili, who was standing behind everyone else.

"Kili Surtr Muspelheim, you will be in charge of guarding Iris Freyja. To avoid missing the opportunity to attack, Iris Freyja will remain on standby on the deck—However, it is probably impossible to stand on the ship's exterior without a barrier."

"Why do I have to do this sort of thing..."

Kili grumbled quietly in displeasure, but Iris held her hand with a radiant smile.

"I'm counting on you! With you protecting me, Kili-chan, I am reassured! Let's give it our best together!"

"—Placing such heavy trust in someone like me. Fine, since you've said this much... I will try my best without exerting myself."

Kili nodded a little helplessly.

Watching their conversation, I raised my hand.

"Hold on—I can go out to the deck too after the battle begins. I don't need to be in the bridge to control Marduk and it's better to have more people protecting Iris."

"Mononobe..."

Iris was happy to hear my suggestion.

"Good point, since you say so, then it is fine. After all, you are still Marduk's captain."

Shinomiya-sensei nodded in a slightly joking manner then said to the rest of the girls:

"Shion and Vritra will wait in the ship. Mononobe Mitsuki will be in charge of looking after them."

"Eh...?"

Mitsuki exclaimed in surprise.

Although Mitsuki was asked to look after them, this placed her in a position no different from Shion or Vritra. Rather, it was more like placing those two by Mitsuki's side on account of her condition.

"W-Wait! I need to fight too! This is no time to be holding combat potential in reserve!"

Seconds later, Mitsuki realized and suggested.

"I understand, but currently, it is very risky to let you go outside the ship. Since Bahamut is related to what is sealed within you, no one can predict what will happen if it came into contact with you."

"But—"

At a loss for words momentarily, Mitsuki looked at me for support.

She probably thought that as the "captain," I could overturn Shinomiya-sensei's decision, but...

"I'm sorry, Mitsuki, I feel the same way too. It's not that I don't want you to fight, but I hope to keep you away from danger as much as possible until the time when your power is truly needed—"

"...Enough. I understand."

Mitsuki interrupted me and turned her face away in extreme chagrin.

Just as the atmosphere in the bridge turned very awkward, Shinomiya-sensei announced in a loud and clear voice.

"Well then, everyone, prepare for battle. Those assigned outside the ship, head to the respective hatches."

Obeying orders, we made our way to the bridge's door. I looked back just as I was exiting into the corridor, only to see Mitsuki with her head down, her shoulders trembling slightly.

===Part 4===

"For what purpose exactly... did I come here...?"

I—Mononobe Mitsuki—gently stroked Shion-san's fluffy hair, murmuring quietly while sitting on the bed.

My feeble and helpless voice echoed inside the cramped cabin but no one could answer me.

Sleeping on my lap was Shion-san, who had already entered the sweet realm of dreams. Vritra had stayed at the bridge, so there were only two occupants in this cabin.

Residing within me was the ninth dragon... That darkness, it was possible to suppress it using two holders of Neun's authority including myself. However, this was only currently.

Hence, Shion-san was doing her job properly even though she was sleeping. She was a mate of Nii-sans's—One of those selected by Nii-san to become Neun.

As for Vritra, whose powers were sealed, she had also stayed behind on the ship as a key individual for figuring out the darkness.

"I am the only one of no help at all..."

Gazing upon Shion's sleeping face that reminded me of my best friend, I could not help but speak in self-deprecation.

I knew that ordering me to standby here was the appropriate judgment call. Were I the commander, I would have issued the same order. I was currently akin to a bomb whose detonation could destroy the world. How could someone like me possibly be sent to the front lines?

Hence, everyone was protecting me. Nii-san and all the others were risking their lives to protect me.

I had no doubt that they were going to be victorious.

Although I told Shinomiya-sensei that it was no time to be holding combat potential in reserve, Nii-san would surely overcome all obstacles. Even if he were to fall somewhere, he would always stand up again to seize final victory.

After all, my Nii-san—Yuu-kun—has always helped me like this.

However... ''I am afraid of the arrival of that moment, even to the point of not wanting the fighting to end''.

I had never told anyone this. I will never reveal these reasons.

Iris-san had asked me whether instinct was unacceptable. She also said that ultimately, whether love or affection, everything came from instinct.

I agree. Even if Nii-san's reason for placing me first in his heart was borne by instinct, I cannot assert that it is fake. However, it is wrong. What I feared was what would come after that—

Nevertheless, I must endure this fear.

Even if there was nothing I could do, I had to pray for Nii-san's victory at least... Until that moment arrived, if I stayed by his side as much as possible—

'Are you really fine with this?'

Someone rejected my mental efforts to persuade myself.

"Eh...?"

I suddenly looked up and surveyed the cabin. Only Shion-san and I were present.

'Mitsuki, are you really fine with this?'

This was no hallucination. The voice came from my feet—from my shadow formed from the light in the ceiling. Futhermore, that voice and manner of speaking sounded very familiar.

"Miya... ko...?"

Trembling, I called out that name.

Yes—That voice just now was undoubtedly the voice of Shinomiya Miyako—My best friend who had passed away two years prior.

"Goo..."

And Miyako's daughter Shion remained asleep on my lap, apparently unaware.

I was frozen in surprise while the shadow at my feet began to quiver. The darkness undulated like waves.

Forming a blurred outline, the black shadow smiled with my best friend's face.

'I am on your side, Mitsuki. So—let's go realize your ''true wish'' together.'

My mind went blank. A moment later, wrath took over my heart.

The dragon mark on the back of my neck heated up. At the same time, the dragon mark on Shion-san's forehead glowed blue.

"The one known as the ninth dragon... I cannot believe it would stoop to such nonsense. How appalling—Shut up. Miyako is the only one allowed to smile using this face."

Following my impulse, I stomped hard on the shadow's imitation of Miyako.

A blue pulse spread in the darkness, causing Miyako's figure to gradually disappear.

"Huff... Huff..."

I panted then slowly raised my foot—My shadow had returned to its normal state.

Shion-san's dragon mark had stopped glowing and I knew that the crisis had passed.

This most likely happened because my mind had grown weak, but just as Vritra pointed out, it was still possible to suppress the darkness with two Neuns present.

I must carry myself with greater fortitude and willpower—

To encourage my unworthy self, I clenched my fist.

However, that voice remained in my ear, impossible to dispel. Again and again, again and again, her voice questioned me.

—Are you really fine with this?

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 2

2016-09-19T09:30:13Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - Atlantis the Electronic Fairy==

===Part 1===

A complicated maze of passages illuminated by milky-white lighting filled the interior of Marduk.

However, I already knew the internal layout like the back of my hand thanks to my link to Marduk. I first took everyone to the bridge in the top part of the ship's interior. Every shut door opened automatically in response to my intention to open it.

The bridge was a domed structure with a diameter of roughly ten meters. After I entered, the ceiling displayed images from all around the ship's surroundings. I took a look around and could even see Charlotte and the students at the harbor.

Everyone was exclaiming in awe and surprise. Accompanying us as Midgard's commanding officer. Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the seat located at the front of the domed room.

There was one seat in the very center of the domed room with three more in front on the circular edge. This looked a bit few, but I knew clearly it was enough. This ship could be used properly even if there was only one user linked to Marduk.

"This is an Atlanean weapon, huh? Although you are able to control it without problems, Mononobe Yuu, are others capable of operating this ship? Though there is a console... I cannot read the language at all. I hope there is some kind of communications channel to ensure contact with Midgard and NIFL."

Shinomiya-sensei looked a bit troubled.

"Oh—About that..."

Although I could feel how things were used, articulating it was quite difficult. At that moment, Tia poked out her head from beside me and answered on my behalf.

"Don't worry, just let Tia do it! Leave it to Tia!"

With a flash of electricity from Tia's red horns, static appeared momentarily on the dome-shaped monitor.

"Uh... Hmm... If I copy Midgard's... Roughly like this—"

Tia murmured to herself for a while, opening a window on the monitor in front of a seat. The language on the console also turned into letters of the Latin alphabet.

"Tia tried installing an Asgard-compatible virtual OS inside the Marduk System. Will that work?"

After listening to Tia, Ren jogged over to the empty seat.

"Mm, let's confirm. It seems very interesting."

Ren looked incredibly excited as she started to operate the console.

"......Mm. Feels like it'll work. I should be able to understand the entire system by starting here. Analyzing the ship's drive system will take time... But opening up a comm channel should be instant."

Hearing Ren's reply, Shinomiya-sensei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Excellent, then I would have a job to do. Leave negotiations with NIFL to me. Roughly three hours from now, NIFL's forces at the first defense line in the Arctic Ocean will begin to engage Bahamut... Will we make it in time? If not, then there is the second defense line set up in the waters of Norway—"

"It's fine, Marduk will definitely make it."

Sensing the ship's "power" as though it were my own limb, I asserted. There was enough time even if we traveled normally within the atmosphere. If necessary, we could even exit the atmosphere to fly along a ballistic trajectory.

"Very well, then let us set a course for the rendezvous point with the forces at the first defense line. The coordinates are—"

After Shinomiya-sensei gave the latitude and longitude, Ren immediately operated the console to display the map on the monitor.

From my senses, I learned that Marduk's systems understood that this was the destination.

The mild headache persisted, but my expanded consciousness filled me with a sense of omnipotence. I felt as though I was capable of anything right now.

"—Roger that. Marduk, set sail."

Sitting on the seat in the middle of the room, with the best visibility, I increased the depth of my synchronization with Marduk. As though moving my fingers, I retracted the gangway and locked the hatch. Main engine ignited—The ship moved forward dead slow.

Marduk began to launch slowly, gradually leaving the harbor.

I turned on the external sound output to speak with the people seeing us off.

"Well then—We are setting off."

Then I turned around and gestured to Iris and the girls with my hand.

After showing a look as though awakening from a dream, Iris took a deep breath and yelled.

"We're off!"

This triggered everyone else to say the usual parting pleasantries. Yet to develop a sense of belonging at Midgard, Kili and Vritra did not join in, but they did not interject either.

The bridge monitor showed the crowd, gradually receding away.

'—All of you must come back!!'

Waving her hand vigorously from the harbor, Charlotte's voice from the speaker echoed in the bridge. Then came the "safe travels" well wishes from the students to send us off.

Once I decided there was sufficient distance from the harbor, I raised the engine output and took formal control of Marduk.

On the sides of the ship, the main wings swung out, activating the gravitational control devices—

The video feed on the dome's ceiling monitor began to change. Midgard and the ocean were gradually receding away.

Even though we did not feel any shaking at all in the bridge, Marduk had taken off and was already hovering in the air.

Liberated from the constraints of gravity, the ship used its wings to stabilize itself and switched to atmospheric flight mode.

"—Off we go."

I spoke briefly.

The main engine increased in output. The main thrusters ignited. Acceleration began.

Slight vibration was felt in the bridge. Due to the rapid acceleration, the scenery flew past quickly. Centered around our flight direction, the clouds were stretched radially into thin trails.

Midgard was out of sight. What extended before our eyes was the blue of the sky and the ocean, as well as the white clouds, drawn out and receding to the back.

With the blue horizon as the destination, the ship flew. Once cruising speed in the atmosphere was reached, I stopped accelerating and leaned against the seat rest.

"Phew... Now all that's left is to fly straight towards the destination."

Persistent control would increase the burden on the mind excessively, so I reduced my synchronization with Marduk and switched to auto-pilot mode. The headache, which I had forgotten while I was concentrating, resurfaced, causing me to shake my head.

"Good work, Mononobe-kun. You really nailed that captain feel."

Firill emerged from behind my seat and laughed mischievously.

"...I'm just the pilot. Shinomiya-sensei is the captain."

I replied wryly and Shinomiya-sensei looked back.

"No, regarding this ship, you are the captain. I am just the communications officer."

"I'm the sysadmin."

Staring at the monitor, tapping away at the console, Ren remarked without turning her head.

"Then what about us?"

With nothing assigned to her currently, Iris brought a finger to the side of her mouth and cocked her head.

"Hmm... Ordinary crew, I guess?"

After Ariella spoke, Shion asked Jeanne:

"cRew? whAt DoEs cRew dO?"

"Uh, let me think... People who do all kinds of work on a ship... I suppose?"

However, Kili shrugged after listening.

"But is there any work to do here?"

"Know that I have no wish to do work."

Vritra frowned and objected to working. Looking a bit exasperated, Lisa asked me:

"I shall do everything within my ability. Mononobe Yuu, is there anything I can offer assistance with?"

"No—Not at the moment. At this speed, it will take roughly two and a half hours to reach the destination... Lisa, you girls need to rest properly in preparation for the upcoming battle. Cabins for the crew are on the left and right sides of the corridor leaving the bridge. I'll unlock them now, so all of you can pick whichever cabin you prefer."

I focused my mind and opened the doors to the various cabins.

The Atlanteans were humans too, so all essential facilities were the same. Through the data in my mind, I verified the cabin layouts. They were equipped with beds and showers.

"Understood. So much happened last night and we did not get to sleep well. Let us take a quick nap to refresh ourselves."

Lisa nodded and left the bridge with the others. Only Mitsuki remained, staring at me.

"Nii-san... What are your plans?"

"I'll stay here. I can't relax too much if I'm controlling Marduk."

"I see—Then I will share a cabin with Iris-san. It would be best for me not to be alone."

With a disappointed look, Mitsuki left the bridge. Did she intend to have a word with me? I hesitated, wondering if I should chase after her, but it felt like I'd merely repeat last night's situation if I said anything—So I stayed in my seat.

Only three people remained in the bridge. Ren who was focused on analyzing Marduk's systems, Shinomiya-sensei who was currently contacting NIFL, and myself.

"......"

Even though I could not relax too much, there was nothing in particular for me to do at the moment. Having set up Marduk to fly towards the destination at a constant speed, all I needed to do was maintain the link.

No—Perhaps I could even take a nap.

The people piloting this Marduk in the past could not have worked nonstop without sleep or rest. However, piloting information was separate from the data on the ship's structure, so it was all unknown to me. Even though I could feel how to activate Marduk, I had no idea how the pilots regulated their own conditions.

That being said, attempting to take a nap would be too dangerous. All I could do was wait for Ren's analysis to finish then see if there was some kind of manual related to that.

I suppressed a natural yawn.

Having slept on a sofa last night, I would slip into drowsiness as soon as there was nothing to do. Auto-piloting had lessened my burden, causing my headache to gradually improve. I could very well fall asleep accidentally for real.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite busy, so I was reluctant to talk to them just for a change of pace.

My only choice was to look up at the domed ceiling, gazing at the clouds, rapidly flying past.

—What might Mitsuki and Iris be chatting about?

After spacing out for a while, this thought crossed my mind.

I had told Iris everything. Spending time alone with Mitsuki in these circumstances, she might possibly panic.

Suddenly at that moment, my vision turned blurry then within the blink of an eye, the view in front of me changed completely.

—Huh?

I saw one of the cabins I had opened up for the girls just now. Inside a narrow room meant for a single occupant, there was a bed, a table and a shower compartment. Iris was sitting on the bed while Mitsuki had her laptop open at the table.

"Iris-san, you should lie down. I have slept plenty enough, so let me first take care of some student council work that had been pushed back due to the festival yesterday."

"Mitsuki-chan, even now, you're still working hard at finishing your work as the student council president? You're so amazing..."

"Not really, I am simply using work to give myself a change of pace—"

I was able to listen to their conversation.

The view point was looking down at Iris and Mitsuki from near the ceiling. But of course, I was not actually there and neither did they notice me.

—Were these images transmitted to me from Marduk?

I was currently linked to Marduk and through my senses, I was able to know the entire ship's state and method of operation.

Due to being in this state, that was probably why my curiosity about what was happening inside the ship had caused the relevant scenes to be visually projected into my mind. But in terms of the feeling, it was more like I had become an invisible ghost hovering in midair rather than merely viewing images.

This was totally voyeurism. I frantically tried to pull my consciousness back to reality but my thoughts halted when I heard something Iris said.

"Mitsuki-chan, is 'instinct' not acceptable for you?"

"Iris-san..."

Mitsuki stopped what she was doing and stared at Iris in surprise.

"Sorry... Mononobe told me."

"...Is that so?"

Iris apologized then Mitsuki bowed her head somewhat embarrassedly.

"U-Umm, this is what I think. Isn't instinct the source of all feelings, like being hungry, wanting to sleep, or liking someone? So if you say that's unacceptable, how should I put this...?"

The atmosphere grew more and more heavy as Iris continued anxiously. At this moment, Mitsuki smiled wryly and made a deep sigh.

"—Thank you for your encouragement, but this is not the same."

This was a very transparent but very sad smile.

"Not the same?"

"Indeed. Iris-san, of course I have already agonized over what you were talking about, but what makes me truly afraid is—"

Mitsuki simply bit her lip with a very pained expression and did not finish her sentence. Seeing the look on her face, Iris stood up from the bed and rushed over to her side.

"N-No more! I'm sorry, Mitsuki-chan, I don't know anything..."

—Mitsuki.

I didn't know either what was tormenting Mitsuki. I had no idea at all. How truly disgraceful.

"...Do not let it bother you. If you are going to take a nap, how about a shower first?"

Mitsuki shook her head and urged Iris as though trying to change the subject.

"Sure... Oh, in that case, we might as well shower together! Mitsuki-chan, you haven't had a bath since last night, have you?"

"I have not, but showering together should not be necessary..."

Mitsuki hesitated in the face of Iris' sudden suggestion, but Iris clenched her fist and insisted vigorously.

"It is! This is definitely more fun than work! If you're going for a change of pace, then fun is obviously the answer! Come, up up up you go! I'll help you undress."

Saying that, Iris helped Mitsuki up and untied the ribbon at her collar.

"W-Wait! I can do this by myself—"

Mitsuki was very surprised, but I was equally flustered.

Although it was bad to eavesdrop up to this point, watching the rest would be truly unforgivable.

I tried to turn my attention elsewhere, which hopefully would switch the video feed.

—Another room, anywhere but here...!

Pale skin came into view with the unfastening of buttons at the collar—Just as I tried my hardest to avert my gaze, the two of them disappeared from view.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 086.jpg|thumb]]

However, I was still looking into a cabin on the ship. My consciousness was hovering near the ceiling and I could see Firill lying forward on the bed, reading a book.

"...Fufu."

Firill chuckled happily to herself while turning the pages.

It looked like my viewpoint had switched to Firill's cabin.

This was not good either. I should switch to either an unoccupied cabin or back to the bridge next.

I focused my mind, trying to switch my viewpoint to a place of my choosing. However, Firill's kicking legs entered a corner of my view.

While reading, she was slowly kicking her legs up and down alternately. With her socks taken off, her calves were making my heart race, but the thighs were even more dangerous.

Due to the movement of her legs, the hem of her skirt was lifted, almost exposing her underwear. No, if I changed the angle, perhaps I could—

—Hey, what the heck am I thinking!?

I came to my senses and suppressed inappropriate thoughts, forcibly moving my gaze away from Firill's thighs.

Next, the view changed again. Apparently, the thought of shifting my gaze away was the trigger to changing the viewpoint.

But the next one was still a cabin occupied by one of my companions.

Ariella was silently doing push-ups. Strength training, I guess.

In preparation for the imminent battle—That wasn't right. This kind of regular training had the effect of calming one's mind. I knew that all too well.

"Mmm... Hoo..."

Regular breathing noises. Sweat dripping from her brow. Heating up due to exercise, the hue of her skin looked even more seductive. I could not help but gulp.

However, just as I noticed Ariella switching from push-ups to a handstand posture, I panicked.

—H-Hey, if you go upside-down...

Just as her slender legs were about to point up to the ceiling and her skirt would flip over due to gravity, I mobilized my self-control completely and shifted my gaze.

Another change of viewpoint, but this time, I did not even get a chance to relax.

"Mama, cAn'T taKe oFf."

"Try harder, Zwei. If I always help you, then you will never learn how to unfasten your own buttons, you know?"

In the next cabin, Jeanne was watching Shion undress. Like Iris and Mitsuki, they were probably going to take a shower.

"...goT it. i'LL tRy mY BesT."

It brought a smile to one's face to see Shion doing her best to unfasten her buttons, but also made the viewer feel an urge to help her.

Jeanne must be feeling the same, she extended and retracted her hand repeatedly. In the process, she came up with an idea and hastily began to remove her uniform shirt.

"Look, Zwei. Follow what I am doing."

Saying that, Jeanne began to unbutton her shirt starting from the top.

—Hey!?

As each button was unfastened, more of her pale skin came into view, accompanied by wobbling of her bust that was tightly constrained by clothing.

After being told off by the girls previously, Jeanne stopped trying to hide the shape of her bust deliberately. However, a male uniform was still a bit too restrictive for her chest.

When the third button was undone, her cleavage became exposed and I could not help but find my gaze drawn to it.

"Uh... Like Mama..."

Shion was staring at the motions of Jeanne's hands for reference, but it was difficult for me to remain calm after watching Jeanne expose her feminine body.

—I've got to leave and switch to another room—

Using the same principle as before, I averted my gaze and consciousness. Before the next image appeared, a high-pitched voice sounded in my mind first.

"Ahh, 'tis enough! I have stated I do not need a bath!"

"No, Mother. Since you are currently unable to replace your body, you need to take proper care of your hair and skin."

A warzone of a cabin was projected into my mind. Dressed in a camisole, Vritra was running all over the place, trying to escape Kili who was trying to disrobe her by force.

"Be that as it may, I am capable of performing the task alone—"

"If I leave it to you, Mother, isn't that the same as not using shampoo?"

"It entereth mine eyes!"

One of Vritra's shoulder straps had loosened and she was running around the room in a less than presentable manner. In many ways, this was unsuitable for continued viewing. The black dragon—"Black" Vritra—Where has its fearsome aura gone off to?

—I'll pretend I never saw this.

Making my decision, I moved my gaze away from these mother-daughter interactions that brought a smile to my face.

The view switched and the two of them disappeared. This time, it was a cabin with an identical layout, but no one was there.

I sighed mentally. Finally, an unused cabin.

—Hmm?

Upon closer examination, I noticed a set of schoo uniform, properly folded on the bed, and there were faint water sounds and humming coming from the shower room.

"<nowiki>Why are you~~ always so~~ reckless~~</nowiki>♪"

The pitch and melody were not very accurate and the lyrics were probably improvised.

"<nowiki>I really wish~~ you could show some moderation~~ which is why I can't~~ leave you alone~~</nowiki>♪"

Did she feel inspired? The chorus part seemed to be sung in high spirits.

This voice—Lisa's. I could not be mistaken.

"<nowiki>Before I knew it, someone like you~~ has taken over an important position in my heart~~</nowiki>"

However, this was really embarrassing.

I had done something similar before, but singing in the shower was usually kept for occassions with no one else present. If someone heard me, I'd feel so embarrassed that I'd lock myself in the room for a while.

Just as I was feeling guilty, the water stopped and the shower room was opened.

My heart shook violently. Now I realized it was no time to be laid back.

White steam flowed into the room as Lisa emerged naked from the shower room—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 092.jpg|thumb]]

—S-Sorry!

Although I knew she could not hear my voice, I still apologized on reflex and closed my eyes.

The sounds vanished instantly and I knew the scene had shifted again.

I slowly and carefully opened my eyelids—those of my consciousness rather than my real ones.

However, I could not see anything.

I was surrounded by white mist and there was the sound of running water.

—Where... is this?

Just as I muttered in my heart, the mist moved—Then came a loud voice.

"Oh—Yuu, what are you doing there?"

The water stopped and the mist thinned out a bit, then Tia's figure came into view.

Obscured by the mist was her naked body. Only then did I realize I was inside the shower room.

More surprisingly, Tia was looking up at me.

—T-Tia? You can see me?

No one so far had been able to notice me as a mental projection nor hear my thoughts. However, Tia nodded matter-of-factly. As Yggdrasil's successor, Tia's ability to interfere with "information" had probably allowed her to sense my consciousness that was synchronized with Marduk.

"Of course Tia can see you. Yuu... Did you come to peek on Tia?"

Tia blushed shyly and used her hands to cover her breasts and lower abdomen.

—No, I didn't do this on purpose! It's just that after linking with Marduk, images from inside the ship have flowed automatically into my mind—

"Images from inside the ship? So Yuu not only peeked on Tia but everyone else?"

—Urgh, well, although I didn't do it on purpose, that's what it ended up being...

Unable to refute her, I admitted it. After all, it was the indelible truth that I had peeked on everyone while they were unguarded.

"Yuu, peeking is bad. Even if it wasn't on purpose, you need to be punished for doing bad things."

Tia stared at me and spoke in Lisa's tone of voice.

—Fair point.

"So, come to Tia's cabin right away, Yuu, in your real body."

—F-Fine. But how do I switch my viewpoint back?

"Tia will help you."

A flash of electricity sparked across Tia's red horns. The blinding light made me closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was already back in my seat in the bridge.

Ren and Shinomiya-sensei were working at their positions in front and did not seem to have noticed my consciousness moving away.

I was slightly unsteady when I stood up. There was a sharp pain throbbing in the depths of my head.

Including the fact that I could not control my viewpoint, it looked like I had yet to master Marduk's control.

Saying I was going over to Tia, I left the bridge.

Along the sides of the passage, illuminated with milky-white light, were a series of doors. These were the cabins the girls were using.

Which one was Tia's? Although I could find out immediately by searching the interior of Marduk through my senses, this could end up turning into "voyeurism" again. Just as I was hesitating, a door opened automatically as though it had read my mind.

I approached the cabin and peered inside from the entrance.

"...Tia?"

I called her name and got a response from the shower room.

"Yuu, come in."

It looked like it was Tia's cabin. I entered as instructed and the door closed automatically.

"Uh, sorry for just now. While you were showering..."

Somewhat embarrassed, I apologized to Tia.

"Tia is not angry, after all, you are Tia's husband... But doing bad things means you have to be punished. Tia will work hard too."

From behind the door to the shower room, I could hear Tia's voice not very clearly.

In the past, Lisa had punished Tia to cleanse her of her guilt. Tia was most likely recalling that scene, which was why she was imitating Lisa.

"—Got it. Then I'm counting on you."

When answering, I prepared myself to be punched.

"Then come over to this side."

"Huh...?"

This unexpected answer made my voice go off key. I asked in puzzlement:

"Wait, Tia, aren't you in the middle of a shower?"

"Yes. Which is why Yuu will help wash Tia's hair as punishment for peeking just now. Usually, Lisa does it... But today, we are in separate cabins."

"W-Wash your hair—"

"...You can't do it?"

Tia's question interrupted my attempt to refuse.

"I can—But speaking of which, why did you pick separate cabins from Lisa?"

I needed some time to adjust my mindset, so I asked her a question.

"Well..."

From Tia's whisper, I could hear hesitation and unease.

The weakness in her voice made me realize that perhaps the reason why Tia had called me to her cabin was not only to punish me.

Last night, Tia had extracted data on the seventh dragon from Yggdrasil's Akashic Record, but due to the sudden emergence of the Bahamut, we had not had time to ask her about the result.

"Sorry, I won't complain. I'll accept your punishment, Tia."

Deciding that now was the time to be by Tia's side, I started removing my uniform.

"...Yes!"

I heard a happy voice behind the door.

After undressing completely, I took the towel that was placed in front of the shower room and wrapped it around my waist, then nervously pushed the door open.

White steam flowed out of the shower room warmly while the sound of the shower echoed throughout the entire cabin. With her hands over her privates, Tia looked up at me, blushing intensely.

"...I-I'm coming in."

"Please enter..."

Tia nodded.

I closed the door after entering. The shower room was too cramped for two people, forcing me and Tia to be in close proximity. It felt like any movement would make us touch each other.

Still running, the shower poured water over my entire body below the chest. For Tia, this height was just right, but it was too low for me.

"Yuu... Can you wash my hair?"

Fidgeting, Tia looked up and inquired with her gaze.

"—Yeah. Could you turn around?"

Although the feminine fragrance filling the shower room was making my heart race, I still nodded while maintaining a serious face and used my palm to receive some shampoo.

Tia turned around obediently. In the process, her petite shoulder touched my abdomen, causing both of us to shudder.

I convinced myself this was punishment for peeking then reached towards her blonde hair that was almost pink.

Normally tied into twintails, her hair was let down and reached waist level. Indeed, washing it herself would be quite a hassle. I now understood why Lisa helped out.

"Then let's start."

I inserted my fingers between her hair near the top of her head, gently massaging her scalp while making suds with the shampoo.

"...Fufu, this tickles a bit."

Her shoulders trembling slightly, Tia laughed.

"Does it itch anywhere?"

I asked like an owner of a hair salon.

"No, Tia's hair is washed clean every day, so it doesn't itch."

After listening to her, I continued to wash her hair carefully, but whenever my fingertips touched the red horns, Tia's voice got shrill and excited.

"Hyah!? Y-Yuu, don't touch the horns suddenly! They're very sensitive!"

Tearfully, Tia looked back and glared at me.

"Oh—I see, sorry. Then should I avoid the horns?"

"...Don't worry. Tia hopes Yuu can wash the horns clean too. As long as you're gentle... It's fine."

Making her decision, she turned her back to me again.

"Got it. Then I'll be more gentle—"

I gathered suds on my fingertips and touched Tia's red horns gently.

"Mm... Ah—"

Tia trembled and moaned, but this time, I went with the flow and continued without stopping.

"Does it tickle?"

"Oohh... I-It's okay—Ahmm... Ya... Mm..."

Tia's sweet voice echoed in the shower room, rocking my sanity greatly. I focused my mind on my fingertips to banish unnecessary thoughts.

I used the inner side of my fingers to gently rub the smooth and shiny surface of the horns while controlling my strength to scrub the interface between the scalp and the horns.

"Oh... Th-That part... Yuu... This feels so nice... Mm—"

Tia moaned in ecstasy, looking like she had gotten used to this stimulation. Her body also relaxed greatly.

It seemed that rubbing the base of the horns was quite pleasurable so I focused on cleaning it for a while. Then I combed her long hair with my fingers and carefully washed all the way to the tips. Finally, I washed off the suds and applied conditioner before rinsing with hot water—Thus I completed the punishment Tia had given me.

"Okay, it's done."

"—Tia's mind feels blank."

With blushing cheeks, Tia turned her head back then rested it against my body.

"Tia, are you okay?"

I bent down and caught Tia with my hands as she leaned back. Her petite body was warm and soft. Although there were suds lingering on her body, washed from her hair, it was not enough to cover her pale, nude body. I really had no idea where I should direct my gaze.

"...So weird. Just a shower, yet it feels like Tia soaked too long in a bath."

Tia murmured in puzzlement.

"Then let's get out soon."

I switched off the shower and was going to pick up the limp Tia in my arms, but she frantically grabbed my arm forcefully.

"Oh—Wait! Tia still wants to stay here with Yuu longer."

"W-Why?"

I did not understand so I asked for the reason. Her face all red, Tia spoke:

"...It's cramped, here... If it's here... Being close to Yuu won't be strange... Not because Tia is weak..."

Tia squeezed out these words before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Uh—"

Direct contact with tender skin made my heart jump, but I calmed down after noticing Tia's trembling.

When I asked why she had picked separate cabins with Lisa, she had acted strangely.

"...Did something happen?"

I controlled my emotions and asked in a gentle tone of voice. At the same time, I moved my hand to the back of Tia's petite back and gently patted her to soothe her.

"Yuu... Tia... did as Vritra suggested, to search the memories of Yggdrasil's predecessor—'Verdant' Kiskanu—about the seventh dragon."

Hugging me tightly, Tia whispered in my ea.

"Then you saw something scary?"

Holding her delicate and young body, I inquired, but she denied it.

"No... Nothing could be seen, total darkness."

"Total darkness?"

"Something black was spreading throughout the Earth—devouring forests and grasslands... Kiskanu became unable to think. Due to the excessive loss of plant life, not enough computational power was left. So almost no analysis and recording could be done."

Then Tia paused, hugging me tighter.

"...So scary. 'Death'... turns out to be so painful, so sad... So lonely... Tia never knew."

Hearing this, I understood why Tia was trembling.

Digging through Kiskanu's memories, Tia had experienced "death."

I had also stood on the brink of the abyss of death, but in my case, there was still a chance to return. It was impossible for me to imagine true death.

"You worked really hard."

Consolation did not seem right, so I chose to praise her effort instead.

"Yes, Tia... worked really hard. But Tia needs to continue working... continue thinking."

Tia nodded lightly then moved her body away slightly. With our noses almost touching, she looked at me squarely.

"Thinking?"

"After destroying the world, where exactly did the seventh dragon go... That pitch-black darkness—what Kiskanu called 'end matter'—what is it exactly...? Why Bahamut reappeared now of all times.. Tia must think to find answers. This is a job that only Tia can do by using Yggdrasil's Akashic Record."

Tia finished with determination but her body was still trembling a bit.

"You're not overdoing it, are you?"

"...A bit. Tia actually wants to go to Lisa and hug her tight. Lisa is so kind and will definitely ask Tia to stop straining. But... That won't do."

So this was her reason for picking a separate cabin from Lisa, huh?

Saying she was not weak earlier was definitely just putting on a brave face.

"Will you be able to hang in there?"

"Yes—Leaning close to Yuu, Tia feels warm... It's fine now. For the husband, the wife will work hard!"

With scarlet cheeks, Tia made dazzing smile. These words came from the heart instead of putting on a strong front.

Hearing these words filled with intense affection while locked in a nude embrace, I was starting to feel my cheeks heat up.

"Yuu..."

Tia drew her face near and the tips of our noses happened to touch. Then slightly shyly, she smiled. A sweet atmosphere filled the entirety of the cramped shower room and I could feel each other's heartbeats speeding up.

At that very moment, the light in the shower room suddenly flickered.

Just as Tia and I looked up in surprise, the shower suddenly poured out a lot of cold water.

"—So cold—!?"

"Kyah!? Cold!"

As we screamed, the water flow from the showerhead increased further, even causing it to fall from the hook and jump all over the place.

"Ouch!"

The jumping showerhead struck me in the forehead, making me see stars.

"Y-Yuu! Hurry and turn off the shower!"

"Yeah—But I'm pretty sure I turned it off just now—"

While dodging the showerhead that was rampaging like a snake, I adjusted the water flow and temperature.

However, the shower flow did not decrease. Smashing into the wall, it continued to spew cold water.

"Ooh... So cold."

Clinging to my back, Tia avoided the shower. The mild bulge of her bosom and tender skin was making my heart race, but this arousal was instantly put out by the water.

"...L-Let's leave first."

I gave up on shutting off the shower. Carrying Tia in one arm, I walked out of the shower room.

But in the process, I shuddered from the cold.

"S-So cold again."

Huddled in a ball, Tia commented on the cabin's condition.

Yes—The cabin's temperature was abnormally low. Did the air-conditioning malfunction? It was blowing cold air at maximum output.

The coldness seeped into my wet body, causing my teeth to chatter. I put down Tia then immediately operated the panel to control the air-conditioner, but like the shower, it did not respond.

"Yuu, the door can't open either!"

Unable to bear to cold, Tia slammed her hands against the door to the corridor and cried out anxiously.

"Could it be that... Marduk has gone out of control?"

I focused my mind and increased my synchronization with Marduk. Then I tried to use my mind directly to operate the cabin's functions.

However—I failed to convey my thoughts to the cabin facilities. It felt like something was blocking the transmission of my commands.

Next, the ship's operating system seemed to show abnormalities. The ship's body also shook heavily once.

"Sorry, Tia, it looks like I can't control Marduk. In truth, my head has been hurting and I thought I could keep it under control..."

"Got it. Then Tia will try interfering with the systems."

Tia nodded and closed her eyes to focus her mind. Electrical sparks erupted from her red horns. However, the air-conditioning did not stop and the door remained locked.

"—Something is in the way."

Tia showed a surprised look then turned her head to sweep her gaze around the room. Finally, her gaze settled on the ceiling near the air-conditioner.

"Yuu, look! Something's there!"

"...Where?"

Despite looking in the direction Tia indicated, I still could not see.

"Just like when you were peeping, Yuu, it can't be seen normally."

After hearing that, I tried using "Marduk's viewpoint" to get a grasp on the cabin situation.

I concentrated and synchronized myself with Marduk further. From overhead, I observed this room—

Then I noticed a tiny glowing dot flitting about in the cabin.

However, the glowing dot immediately vanished after leaving a bright trail.

"It noticed that we discovered it and hid. Something must have invaded Marduk's system, so it's not Yuu's fault."

Saying that, Tia quickly dried herself and put on her uniform. I picked up my clothes while trying not to look in her direction and asked:

"Invaded the system... But this is a pre-civilization weapon filled with lost technology, right? Is that even possible?"

"But it's true we've been hacked. We'll know once the culprit is caught. But it's hard unless Tia goes all-out... Yuu, you might feel numb... Okay?"

Tia asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, no problem. Go ahead."

Since I could not do anything, relying on Tia was the only way.

"Got it. Okay, electronic warfare—Begin."

Tia had already put on her clothes. A blinding flash of electricity was released from her horns. The electricity zapped throughout the cramped cabin. I guarded my face with my arms and held my breath. My physical body took almost no damage but the feeling of being synchronized to Marduk was numbed for an instant.

This was evidence that Tia's interference had spread throughout the ship. Most likely, Tia had held back earlier to avoid affecting my link with Marduk. The numbing feeling probably referred sensations on Marduk's side.

After subduing Yggdrasil, Tia had gained the power that Kiskanu had used to destroy "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis. This authority allowed her to control electromagnetism and dominate all kinds of "electronic information."

A forcible search through the systems of Marduk, an Atlantean weapon, would be a piece of cake for Tia.

The cabin's illumination flickered and went out.

When it brightened again, the air-conditioner stopped blowing cold air and I could hear that the water in the shower room had stopped.

"—Control over this cabin has been seized back. Yuu, if something doesn't feel right in the ship, tell Tia."

Having dressed, I nodded then checked Marduk's state as though examining my own body.

Marduk's numbed feeling, due to Tia's interference, was gradually recovering. Although a bit of numbness remained, preventing precise operation of the ship's facilities, finding irregularities was still doable.

"Considering the shaking earlier, something must be wrong with the drive system—Main mechanism normal. Others... Hmm? There's something off about the gravitational control device on the left main wing."

"Got it. It must be there!"

Tia nodded and her horns released a flash of electricity.

The blinding light made me narrow my eyes while watching her fight. I could not imagine what kind of battle was taking place inside the system. Marduk's senses were also showing localized paralysis and numbing, which told me where the electronic warfare was taking place—but I could not get a grasp on further details.

"—Cornered."

After a while, Tia smiled victoriously and held my hand.

"Yuu, go to the bridge! The culprit is over there!"

Pulling me, she walked towards the doorway and the door opened automatically.

"By over there, you mean—"

Before I understood the situation, I went with Tia to run along the corridor to the bridge.

After the door to the bridge opened, we stepped into the domed room. Shinomiya-sensei and Ren were looking up at the monitor that was filled with static.

"W-What happened? Did I press a wrong button?"

"...Doubt it. Calm down. Probably a virus or something."

Ren comforted the flustered Shinomiya-sensei. The omnidirectional monitor originally displaying optical images from outside was not only showing static but also had countless small vine-like images, crawling over the screen.

"Look, I'll catch it soon."

Tia pointed up.

I looked closely and saw a glowing ball moving rapidly on the screen, roughly the size of a baseball. The vines were chasing it.

Finally cornered, the glowing ball was entangled by the vines.

"This rubbish tree! Unhand me!"

Then a high-pitched voice sounded throughout the bridge.

The glowing sphere gradually dimmed and the true appearance of what the vines had caught was displayed on the monitor. It was a very petite girl with transparent wings sprouting from her back. Based on the displayed size, her height was around twenty centimeters.

"...A fairy?"

Ren remarked in a whisper.

Judging from the girl's height and appearance, it was quite normal to think of this description first.

"In any case, what is the current situation?"

Unable to hide the doubt on her face, Shinomiya-sensei wanted us to explain further. Tia replied:

"The virus invading Marduk and the vaccine program Tia created are being visualized on the monitor. The fairy-like thing is the virus and the vines comprise the vaccine."

"Who are you calling a virus! I am the ultimate machine intellect, created by supreme wisdom!"

The tiny fairy instantly retorted, struggling furiously to escape the vines restraining her. However, the vines showed no signs of releasing her.

"Machine intellect...? You mean AI?"

As soon as I asked my question, the fairy glared at me.

"Do not compare me to primitive artificial intelligence! I am not something created by humans! The wisdom of Atlantis was achieved through continual self-evolution of collective machines—As such, I ought to be called machine intellect, not artificial intelligence! How dare you call me a virus, that would be an insult of the most awful and most atrocious nature... Isn't the rubbish tree that destroyed my civilization an even more deplorable virus!?"

The fairy vented in a vigorous diatribe. While her voice sounded in my mind, there was information that could not be ignored.

"What... Atlantis? What rubbish tree... Don't tell me you're referring to Tia—no, Yggdrasil?"

Seeing the fairy glare at Tia with hatred, I asked cautiously, but an unexpected source gave the reply.

'Precisely, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. She hates Yggdrasil with a passion—or what used to be known as Kiskanu, I suppose. After all, it was the mortal enemy that wiped out Atlantean civilization completely.'
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 113.jpg|thumb]]

"—"

I followed the sudden sound source, which was coming from where Shinomiya-sensei was sitting, but it was not her voice. In front of her seat, there was a square window on the monitor—A man with slender eyes was smiling.

"Furthermore, she suffered during the battle last time. The firing of the battleship Naglfar's cannon was interrupted due its system getting hacked. Let it be... It was my mistake for failing to take into account that the other side possessed the holder of Yggdrasil's authority."

"Major Loki..."

I muttered the name of the man who was smiling wryly.

He used to be my superior officer. In addition, we were opponents who had put everything on the line to kill each other. Furthermore, I had killed him with these hands of mine. Although Kili had used biogenic transmutation to save his life afterwards... The sensation of taking a life still lingered on my hands.

'Hmph... You look like you've seen a ghost, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. You can't possibly be unaware that I am alive, right?'

"I knew, but it still feels strange..."

With mixed feelings of guilt and relief, I nodded.

'Me too. Being able to see the face of one's murderer must be a rare experience. However, let us put this topic aside for now. Could you release her first? It appears that she entered your ship through the communications channel while Colonel Shinomiya and I were having a strategy discussion.'

Major Loki pointed at the screen and spoke. Although the direction was off, he was presumably referring to the fairy caught in the vines.

"Well, even if you tell me to release her..."

Slightly troubled, I exchanged eye contact with Tia beside me for a moment. Major Loki smiled.

'Relax. She won't take any action that would cause critical harm to any of you. She is well aware that your participation is necessary for the upcoming operation. It was merely mischief to give you a headache, that's all. Am I right, Atla?''

Hearing this, the fairy restrained by the vines nodded glumly.

"Precisely. Seeing the rubbish tree messing with ''my'' Marduk, I could not hold myself back momentarily and merely sought revenge... I am terribly sorry for ending up in an embarrassing position again."

She apologized honestly, making her earlier fury seem like a lie. After hearing that, Major Loki smiled at us and said:

'—So there you have it. Even with lingering hatred, she is not your enemy. Rather, it would be better to consider her a friend currently.'

Major Loki shrugged lightly and told us not to worry.

After listening to this conversation, Shinomiya-sensei sighed mildly and looked at us.

"Release that fairy-esque being. Next, we will be fighting alongside NIFL, so trust them for the time being. However, Major Loki, you are obliged to give us a proper explanation."

I complied with Shinomiya-sensei's instructions and had Tia release the vines.

"Hmph, phooey."

Regaining her freedom, the fairy made a face at us then flew back to Major Loki's side.

"Hmm... She didn't repent at all."

"Let's listen to his explanation first."

Tia pouted unhappily so I patted her on the head to appease her.

"Mm, machine intellect... Fascinating. From what she said earlier, it sounds like she's related to the civilization of Atlantis..."

Ren's eyes were glimmering with curiosity, urging Major Loki to start explaining. Then smiling suggestively, he began to recount.

"Rather than related to Atlantis, it's better to say she ''is'' Atlantis. The supreme machine intellect managing and running the lost civilization... Its name was Atlantis. She—Atla—was born from its restoration."

"Yes, I am precisely 'Ultimate Wisdom' Atlantis!"

Moving inside the window that showed Major Loki, the fairy puffed out her chest proudly.

However, that childish behavior left us with visible doubt on our faces.

"Supreme machine intellect..."

Even said out loud, it did not feel real. Tia frowned and did not seem convinced.

"Doesn't look that amazing."

"Mm, too young for an AI that managed a civilization."

Ren agreed too. The fairy—Atla—went bright red in the face.

"How rude! Whether organic or inorganic, there exists no intellect higher than mine!"

Major Loki apparently saw Atla's furious image too and he said with a wry smile:

'—Atla is undoubtedly a very advanced intellectual entity. However, what we managed to restore was only her core. Due to damage and loss in the storage medium, memory data—the archives of Atlantis—have become incomplete. As a result, the avatar's behavior became a little cute... But her true identity is indisputably the "god of the old world." It would be best not to underestimate her.'

Although Major Loki covered for Atla, she was whispering "M-Master... calling me cute..." while twisting her body. The claim that she was "the god of the old world" was not convincing at all.

Unlike Ren, Shinomiya-sensei and I who were rendered speechless by Atla's words and behavior, only Tia showed an expression of extreme surprise.

"Storage medium—How could anything like that be left behind!? Kiskanu should've wiped out all electronic data when destroying Atlantis."

Tia asserted strongly. Yggdrasil's Akashic Record must have retained related records.

However, the confidence in Major Loki's smile did not decrease the slightest despite Tia's objections.

'What we unearthed were not magnetic storage devices but only stone tablets.'

"...Stone tablets?"

Tia frowned in surprise.

'Due to the destruction wrought by dragon disasters, a site containing Atlantean ruins was found by chance and fell under secret management by Asgard and NIFL. Preserved in the ruins were a vast number of stone tablets stacked many layers deep. A language consisting of two symbols was carved on the surface of these stone tablets.''

Hearing this, Ren spoke in comprehension.

"Two symbols... Could it be binary...? They used stone tablets to record electronic data?"

'Precisely. Most likely, Atlantis used durable media to leave behind data, believing future humans would be able to revive civilization. Since the storage medium involves neither magnetic fields nor electrical voltages, it is immune to destruction by electromagnetic interference. Of course, reading it is a challenge and it took us many long years to finally complete the data extraction. This allowed us to revive the machine intellect, which used to govern the Atlantis civilization, in the modern age.'

Although Major Loki sounded proud in his reply, I could see an element of self-deprecation in his smile.

'—That being said, there are limits as to what modern science and technology can accomplish. Through continued research and enlisting Atla's power, we finally finished an imitation of Marduk—this battleship ''Naglfar''—but it is far inferior to the genuine article you have there.'

Major Loki had just said that it was the battleship ''Naglfar'' that had fired its cannon at Midgard. Equipped with a weapon similar to Babel, it was apparently Marduk's imitation.

"Major Loki, by saying 'this battleship,' does that mean you are currently on board the ''Naglfar''?"

Major Loki nodded.

'Yes, I am standing by at the first defense line, aboard this Atlantean weapon that has just been revealed to the public. We are currently in a state of severe shortage in combat potential, so your side's participation is very heartening.'

Despite the goodwill in Major Loki's words, Atla suddenly interjected.

"Master, I believe we should take over Marduk after the rendezvous."

"What are you suddenly saying...?"

The sudden suggestion caused an uproar in Marduk's bridge.

However, Atla ignored our concerns and continued speaking to Major Loki.

"After entering the ship, I discovered that they are still unable to operate the ship well. At this rate, they are merely going to waste a treasure. I dare assert, only the King of Atlantis approved by me—you, Master—has the right to use Deus Dragon!"

'Hmph... Unable to operate the ship well? Is that true, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe?'

"......"

His sharp gaze put me at a loss for words.

'It appears that the allegations are true. However... Be that as it may, I currently do not have the authority to requisition Marduk. Still I must ask, do you have any plans to ameliorate this situation?'

Confronted with his words and gaze, testing me, my body became a bit stiff. However, realizing the risk of Major Loki seizing command of this operation at this rate, I replied assertively.

"The strain of operating the ship was higher than expected. This is the truth. However, there has been no clear signs of malfunction so far, until she—Atla—wrought her mischief."

I stared at Atla, who had forced her way into Major Loki's window, and she immediately launched a rebuttal.

"One person barely keeping things under control is limited to the current situation of normal cruising. The strain will multiply several fold when battle mode is entered. Your little brain is going to burst immediately."

Atla asserted with certainty. Then Tia pouted and glared at her.

"Tia will help if Yuu is in trouble. If it's possible to operate Marduk better, Atla can simply reveal the correct method."

"Hmph, like anyone would tell a rubbish tree."

Atla turned her face away viciously. However, Major Loki seemed to agree with Tia's opinion and nodded solemnly.

"...Fair point. Atla, if you know where the problem lies, instruct them on how to control Marduk."

"N-No way!? If you were to pilot Marduk, Master, surely—"

Atla looked very flustered, but Major Loki shook his head and interrupted her objections.

"Atla, Marduk is not the key to this operation. Atlantean weapons are effective against Bahamut to some extent, but cannot deliver a decisive blow. As such, it does not matter who is actually piloting."

"Muu... Understood."

Atla agreed reluctantly. However, I was more concerned by what Major Loki's words implied.

"Cannot deliver a decisive blow... How did you know that?"

'Rather than asking me, you should be asking the one connected to Yggdrasil.'

Major Loki motioned to Tia beside me.

"...Ask Tia?"

'Yes, after all, our—Atla's—analysis was based on the data salvaged from the remains of Yggdrasil scattered at Fuji's Sea of Trees.'

Hearing that they had done that secretly, I shifted my surprised gaze to Tia.

"Yes... If what appeared this time is truly Bahamut, then Marduk... No, any weapon will not be able to destroy it completely. Only Basilisk's authority—'Catastrophe'—is capable of destroying it."

Seeing Tia agree with his viewpoint, Loki nodded.

"Indeed, Atla also reached the same conclusion, which is why we sought Midgard's assistance. We know that the D targeted by Leviathan in the past, Iris Freyja, is able to use Catastrophe, though the official report only arrived just now."

Major Loki's smiled was mixed with irony. Then he continued:

"Hence, she is the main star this time. The ship carrying her must not come to any harm. Consequently, Atla, I shall be counting on you, alright?"

Warned in this manner, Atla nodded unhappily and glared at me.

"You leave me no choice... I shall not repeat myself. Listen carefully, got that?"

"Yeah."

Seeing me nod, Atla raised two fingers of her right hand.

"Marduk's control requires at least two people as linkers. If you take charge of piloting and weapons control, leaving the enemy detection system and the rest of the functions to someone else, the problem of excessive strain should be solved."

Atla spoke very rapidly, as though trying to finish a hated job as quickly as possible. However, I noticed an unfamiliar term.

"Linker?"

"...Stop asking questions. Did I not say that I shall not repeat myself?"

"No, it'll be a problem if I don't immediately clear up the parts I don't get."

Seeing me demand an explanation, Atla sighed with displeasure.

"Pick this sort of thing up from context, will you? A linker is a pilot who performs a mental link with Marduk—Currently, this means you."

"It's true I'm synchronized with Marduk... But how do I link another person's mind with the ship's systems?"

My mind was automatically linked through the process of constructing Marduk. Although Tia could take control through hacking, we still did not know the proper means of linking to the ship.

"Good grief, asking this and that... Since Marduk's control authority lies in your hands, simply issue the order to the system through thoughts or speech and it would allow others to perform a mental link with the system."

Atla finished impatiently then flew into the background of the monitor that was showing Major Loki. Major Loki smiled wryly and shrugged.

'—So there you have it, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Unfortunately, the ''Naglfar'' does not make use of the mental link system. I cannot sympathize with your pain, but if you need a co-pilot, Jeanne Hortensia would be a candidate. She should be in your company, right?'

"Yes, but why Jeanne?"

Seeing me ask with a frown, Major Loki smiled profoundly.

'Soldiers of Atlantis all had their bodies modified on the genetic level according to their responsibilities, thereby optimizing their abilities as much as possible. In the modern world, most people with outstanding talents are their descendants. In other words, the members of Sleipnir, which one could consider a gathering of such people, should exhibit relatively good compatibility with Atlantean weapons.'

A quiet comment from Vritra suddenly surfaced in my mind.

She had said that people possessing exceptional abilities do not exist without reason—Jeanne's natural talent was possibly inherited from the Atlanteans.

"Major Loki, you assembled Sleipnir not only to conduct experiments related to Code Lost but also with the idea of using Atlantean weapons?"

Wondering how many steps Major Loki had thought ahead, I asked. However, he shook his head wryly.

'Now that would be overthinking things. First of all, powerful weaponry is not needed if one possessed Code Lost. At least from the perspective of killing humans.'

I thought back to how terrifying it was to use Code Lost in its full form, capable of killing people with just a thought, and a chill ran down my spine. Furthermore, there was a cold glint in Major Loki's eyes that caused my instincts to sound an alarm.

During the battle revolving around Code Lost, I emerged victorious over Major Loki in the end and thwarted the plan to kill Charlotte. However, he never showed a loser's attitude when interacting with me.

"Is that so...?"

Although we were currently allies, I warned myself not to lower my guard while nodding somewhat stiffly. At this moment, Major Loki slowly leaned forward to the screen.

'Hmm, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, your tone was so stiff just now. I remember you sounded much more casual during our fight.''

"Huh?"

Pointing this out unexpectedly, he caused my voice to go off pitch slightly.

Indeed, during my fight against Major Loki, I had intentionally avoided using polite language—

"Oh—Well, back then, we were enemies."

'In other words, I am currently your superior on the same side, which is why you are taking such a rigid attitude? Then that is truly a shame. I was hoping to have a candid conversation with you...'

He sighed in disappointment. I did not know how serious he was.

"...Then don't make me your enemy, okay?"

I retorted sarcastically, prompting the corners of Major Loki's lips to twist in a grin.

'At least for this operation, we are allies. Don't worry, I won't stab you in the back. Of course, I will tell Atla the same.'

"Sounds like it will be scary after the operation."

'Really? But I am really looking forward to it.'

Major Loki smiled fearlessly then turned his gaze to Shinomiya-sensei.

'—Well then, Colonel Shinomiya, for the operation's success, let us have a detailed discussion. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, kindly find a good partner before the operation begins.'

"Very well—I will take the mentioned advice for reference."

I nodded and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Sure enough, talking to Major Loki was very tiring.

I moved my gaze away from Major Loki who had started his discussion with Shinomiya-sensei and talked to Tia.

"Tia, to prevent Atla's mischief, watch over here for now. I'll go find Jeanne first."

"Yes, okay, leave it to Tia!"

Tia nodded and Ren also turned her head back from the console.

"Mm, I'll monitor the system too."

"Great, thanks a lot."

I left the scene to those two and exited the bridge.

Although I was reluctant to obey Major Loki, from the perspective of using the right person for the right job, there was no better candidate than Jeanne.

However, the problem was—

I recalled the scene of Jeanne unbuttoning her shirt and exposing her cleavage.

After peeking at that kind of scene, to be honest, I was not confident whether I could still look her in the eye.

===Part 2===

===Part 3===

===Part 4===

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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 3|Chapter 3]]
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 1

2016-09-13T15:52:05Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 1 - Marduk of Mechanized Aviation==

===Part 1===

From my—Mononobe Yuu's—perspective, Mononobe Mitsuki was someone with greater fortitude than anyone else.

Back when she lost both parents in the car accident, my young self thought thus. Had I been in her place, what would I do?

The death of parents felt totally surreal and I could not imagine how life would continue after that. However, there was no way I would be able to hang in there—That was what I felt.

However, Mitsuki somehow recovered her past smile after becoming my little sister. After developing a fear of riding cars due to the accident, Mitsuki overcame her trauma through her own efforts.

Of course, I would protect Mitsuki as her older brother, and support her—But in the majority of cases, Mitsuki would always rely on her own strength to surmount adversity.

It was the same when "Blue" Hekatonkheir approached our town.

Mitsuki went alone to stand before the dragon. I followed only because I worried about her. To fight Hekankheir—Had Mitsuki not spelled it out, such a notion would never had occurred to me.

Watching that delicate silhouette of hers from behind... Challenging a dragon hundreds, no, thousands of times bigger than herself, I could never forget that image.

Even though Mitsuki was crying, even though she was trembling, but that image of her back was the brave silhouette that I still know.

I made a transaction with Yggdrasil to fight Hekatonkheir, only because I wanted to aid Mitsuki. I simply wanted to protect what she hoped to protect, that was all.

Three years after that, I was reunited in Midgard with a Mitsuki who had grown to become even more resolute and brave.

Despite going through the tragic ordeal of killing her best friend who had turned into a dragon, she still led the Ds in battle as the captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad.

Despite her sorrow, despite her pain, she continued to stand strong stoicly.

But now—

"I am sorry... Nii-san, I am sorry—"

Lying on against my chest, Mitsuki kept apologizing. Sobbing and weeping, Mitsuki kept apologizing hoarsely—

I had never seen Mitsuki this "weak."

When Kraken Zwei, the orphaned child left behind by her best friend, showed up, Mitsuki had left the battlefield once.

But this time was different.

The pillar that had kept her going all this time had been totally demolished.

It was evident without needing to ask. Because, it was the same for me too.

—These feelings of mine, regarding Mitsuki as the one dearest to me.

They were what constituted my very being to this day.

But after Vritra informed me that these feelings stemmed from my instincts as a counterdragon, even I was plunged into confusion.

With wavering thoughts and emotions, I was unable to offer any consoling words to Mitsuki.

Acting like this... I must be an even "weaker" person than Mitsuki right now.

===Part 2===

At the dormitory where all of us lived—inside my bedroom at the far end of the corridor—There was a currently a tense atmosphere.

"Mononobe... What on earth happened?"

"Yuu, you look like you're in so much pain..."

Dressed in yukatas, Iris and Tia inquired with puzzled voices.

Midgard's principal, Charlotte, had organized a fireworks party. The staff had opened stalls for everyone to enjoy, but something had just happened. It was only natural for the girls to be confused by the pained expression on my face.

"Mononobe-kun, you clearly said you were going to meet up with us after talking to Mitsuki... But you never came."

"We were so worried about you two."

Also dressed in yukatas, Firill and Lisa spoke. Then Ariella and Ren also stared at me seriously.

"What happened to your important conversation?"

"Mm... Onii-chan, tell us."

Jeanne and Shion also went "Captain" and "Papa..." respectively, nodding to urge me to explain.

"—Looks like my mother already knows what happened."

Kili narrowed her eyes and looked at Vritra, who was beside me.

In addition to the students of Brynhildr Class, Shinomiya-sensei and Mica-san were also in my room.

They were looking in surprise at Mitsuki who was sleeping on the bed and Vritra and me, who were standing on the side. Since I had suddenly called everyone over on my portable terminal, this was only to be expected. I still had not told them the situation.

Principal Charlotte was apparently occupied so she sent Mica-san to come on her behalf.

Currently, a heavy silence shrouded the room. There was no sound outside the dorm either.

After the fireworks, night at Midgard had returned to its usual serenity.

Having enjoyed the festivities, the students began to return to the girls dorms. The stalls on the sides of the coastal road also began to pack up.

Before replying to Iris' question, I first checked on Mitsuki's condition on the bed.

Apologizing nonstop, exhausted from crying, Mitsuki had fallen asleep only just earlier. If possible, I wanted to take her somewhere else without waking her up, but for the time being, I must not leave her side.

It was impossible to know when that darkness might begin to devour Mitsuki again—

That darkness, invading Mitsuki's body and manifesting the figures of the deceased... It was something Vritra called "end matter."

Recalling that darkness that was even blacker than night, I looked up at everyone present.

"Please stay calm and listen quietly to what I have to say, so that we avoid waking up Mitsuki. First of all, this is about 'true dragons' and the ninth calamity."

Saying that, I shifted my gaze, settling on Tia. This was something I had heard from Tia and Vritra but had not informed the others. To allow everyone to comprehend Mitsuki's condition, it was necessary to start from there.

"Yuu..."

Tia called my name uneasily, probably understanding the gravity of the situation. The others also waited quietly for me to continue.

To reassure Tia, I nodded and began to speak.

Leviathan, Basilisk, Hraesvelgr, Yggdrasil, Vritra—The dragons we had fought in the past were all counterdragons, born to fight "true dragons"—great calamities on a global scale. Charlotte's Code Acht and the Code Lost held by myself, Ariella, and the others, were abilities for keeping humanity, the eighth calamity, in check—

And the next great calamity... was perhaps already imminent.

Listening to these matters, everyone began to grow restless. However, I explained to them the fact that a new authority would arise to oppose this calamity.

And the being possessing this authority was "Neun." In other words, the ninth counterdragon.

Perhaps Neun was me—Mononobe Yuu.

"True dragons and counterdragons... Even if you suddenly tell us about all this, we will only end up even more confused."

Lisa sighed with her forehead against her hand. Firill nodded too with undisguised puzzlement.

"Hmm... It feels like the subject has suddenly grown somber. Oh well, we already knew you were no ordinary D, Mononobe-kun, back when you selected us, but..."

Next, Iris cried out in a realization.

"Oh—Then when you touched us, Mononobe... turning us into ''your kind'', does that also mean we've turned into the ninth counterdragon species too?"

"Yes—Indeed 'tis so. Undoubtedly, ye could be considered Neun."

The one who answered Iris' question was not me but Vritra. Kili mocked her.

"That was my intention from the very start. I've always believed Yuu to be Neun and understood what it meant to be his mate. Mother, you were the one who refused to believe."

"...Hmm. I had my own reasons... Nevertheless, I confess that I have erred on this matter. Daughter, thy view was correct. Now, there is no longer any reason to doubt this person of being Neun."

Vritra replied to Kili in a slight sulk, then lightly tapped my arm. I was standing beside her.

Seeing this, Kili frowned.

"Since you are asserting so strongly, Mother, it means that there is 'reason' strong enough to prove this, right?"

Saying that, she looked at Mitsuki on the bed.

Judging from the situation, it was quite easy to associate this "reason" with the matter of Mitsuki.

"Mononobe-kun, you've been together with Mitsuki all this time?"

"Onii-chan... Where were you two during the fireworks?"

Looking at Mitsuki, Ariella and Ren asked me.

"I was talking to Mitsuki on the beach. At the time, a strange change suddenly occurred to Mitsuki."

I clenched my fist and answered.

Next, Shion, who was originally staying next to Jeanne, ran over to and looked up at me in worry.

"...Papa, aRe yOU oKaY?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

I unclenched my fist an patted Shion on the head.

Now was not the time to be wallowing in regret. Mitsuki was the one in true pain. What I should be doing now was to tell everyone the whole story and ask for their help so that Mitsuki could be saved.

Perhaps, these thoughts and actions came from a counterdragon's instincts... But whatever, forget it for now.

Stroking Shion's hair, I looked up and saw Shinomiya-sensei standing behind Iris and the girls.

Starting from there, I swept my gaze across Mica-san and everyone else—slowly composing my words.

"In hindsight, the ninth calamity—that "darkness"—has been lurking inside Mitsuki the whole time. And just a while ago, that darkness seeped out and almost devoured Mitsuki. Vritra called it 'end matter.'"

Everyone gasped.

In sequence, I told the speechless girls what had happened on the beach.

Suddenly in horrendous pain, Mitsuki's hand had turned ambiguous in outline and corrupted by pitch blackness. Just as the darkness was devouring Mitsuki, I touched her, causing my dragon mark to glow blue, blowing the darkness away...

"—The blue light caused Mitsuki's body to return to normal. However, the end matter scattered outside turned into pitch-black human forms, which I then ''killed'' using the power of Code Lost."

I omitted the detail that the shadows looked like Mitsuki's parents. Although I had no intention of keeping secrets... Even though Mitsuki was currently asleep, this was not something I could talk about without her presence.

And right now, what agonized Mitsuki and me the most was whether my wish to protect Mitsuki came sincerely from the heart. In other words, it was a personal issue between the two of us. Discussing this with anyone would have to be left until later.

"I definitely encountered the ninth calamity in my childhood. During that car accident which killed Mitsuki's parents—I encountered the darkness of end matter at the time. Most likely, I saved Mitsuki back then using Neun's authority, but from that point on, the darkness began to lurk inside Mitsuki."

I paused at this point. Next to me, Vritra took a step forward and said:

"According to the prophesy I received from Kiskanu—in other words, a prediction of the future—There ought to be more time before the ninth dragon's arrival. However, Mononobe Mitsuki's transformation into Neun hath ended the ninth calamity's dormancy. Judging from the effects Neun's authority was capable of producing, 'tis still possible to suppress it... Be that as it may, I cannot say for sure what will happen next. Hence, I wish to enlist assistance from all of ye, Neun's mates, and Yggdrasil's successor."

Looking at everyone in turn, Vritra finally settled her gaze firmly on Tia.

As the new core of Yggdrasil that had turned into Neun too, Tia nodded solemnly.

"Tia understands the basic situation now. But what should Tia do?"

"I hope thou couldst search the Akashic Record for as much information about the seventh dragon—'Disasterification' Apocalypse—as possible, then taking the current situation into account to produce a new prediction of the future."

After listening to Vritra's request, Tia tilted her head in puzzlement.

"...The seventh calamity? Isn't it the ninth right now?"

"Kiskanu said that the seventh calamity was a prelude to an even greater calamity. And this greater calamity is precisely the ninth dragon—Hence, 'twould be highly valuable to comprehend the seventh calamity. At the time... I evaded the seventh calamity by hiding in a higher dimension, thus surviving in my complete state, and used dark matter to restore the world after the fact. Consequently, I did not have a chance to obtain a clear view of the seventh calamity."

Saying this with a depressed expression, Vritra continued.

"However, Kiskanu was destroyed by the seventh calamity. Although my restoration of plant life gave rise to a new plant network, Yggdrasil... Its core consciousness was exceedingly obsessed with prioritizing its own survival, completely unwilling to listen to mine advice. Ostensibly, it was conquered by fear."

"Fear..."

Tia gulped and Vritra nodded solemnly.

"Indeed—Hence, I wish to know that which Kiskanu witnessed at the moment of its destruction, the true nature of the seventh calamity. If this were known, 'twould be possible to find a way to counter the ninth calamity, mayhap."

"Got it. Tia will try to contact the Akashic Record."

Tia answered with a voice of determination but next to her, Lisa showed an expression of worry.

"Tia-san, are you sure? Wouldn't there be possible danger unless you approach this cautiously?"

"Yes, so Tia wants to concentrate inside the bedroom. Also, with you accompanying Tia, if possible..."

Slightly hesitant, Tia looked up at Lisa.

"—Certainly, if I can be of assistance. I wanted to accompany you in the first place. Rest assured."

Lisa gently stroked Tia's head then looked at me.

"Mononobe Yuu, Tia-san an I shall excuse ourselves for now. Although I have yet to come to terms with the whole affair... I entrust Mitsuki-san to your care."

"Yes—I got it."

Enduring the severe pain in my heart, I agreed with Lisa.

"However, you are not allowed to be reckless."

Did Lisa feel concerned about my behavior? After giving a final reminder, she left the room with Tia.

With the shutting sound of the door, the room instantly fell silent again. Next, Iris spoke up hesitantly.

"U-Umm, is there anything we can do? How can we save Mitsuki-chan?"

"Iris, well..."

Unable to suggest any concrete action, I could only grit my teeth. How to save Mitsuki, what to do from this point onwards, I still had not come up with anything yet.

However, Vritra tugged at my clothing during my silence.

"My comrade Neun and his mates, what ye ought to do is to keep Mononobe Mitsuki company. According to what transpired earlier, including Mononobe Mitsuki herself—End matter can be suppressed so long as two possessors of Neun's authority are present. Hence, 'twould be wise if ye were to take shifts to remain by her side."

"Vritra-chan... Yes, I got it! Then let's take turns to watch over Mitsuki-chan!"

Saying that, Iris approached me.

"Let me have the first shift. Mononobe, you should take a bit of a break. You seem so tired."

Iris urged seriously but I could not bring myself to nod and agree.

"No, since I'm the only one who has actually used Neun's authority. I can't leave Mitsuki's side—"

However, the others began to speak as though to drown out my words.

"This is your room, Mononobe-kun. I think it's best if you rest on the sofa over there, since you'll be able to know immediately if anything happened."

Firill pointed to the sofa in the room. Ariella and Ren agreed.

"We'll take turns to watch Mitsuki, don't worry."

"Mm. We will first take a nap and arrange shifts to keep watch over the night."

Listening to them, Kili sighed lightly.

"No helping it... I will help out too since there's nothing for me to do until Tia finishes her task. It seems like a nice chance to chat with Yuu. Well then, Iris-chan, I'm leaving the first shift to you."

"Yes, leave it to me!"

Iris clenched her fist hard and nodded.

Thus, after Firill and the other girls left the room, Shinomiya-sensei and Mica-san also walked to the door.

"Mononobe Yuu, we shall go report the situation to the principal. Mononobe Mitsuki is supposed to be sent underground for isolation and detailed examination... However, after analyzing what was said just now, we conclude that it is not the time to separate you two. For the purpose of isolation, this dormitory is already capable of serving the same function. Please do not go out until we contact you and watch over her well."

Holding the doorknob, Shinomiya-sensei finished. Mica-san also spoke:

"Mononobe-san, we entrust her care to you. However, just as Iris-san and the others have suggested, you should rest for a while."

"Yes, I understand."

I nodded and saw the two of them off.

"Umm, Captain, Zwei is already..."

At that moment, Jeanne, who had been silent all this time, spoke timidly. Next to her, Shion was already rubbing her eyes, about to fall asleep.

"She's already sleepy, right? I'm sorry for making you two stay with us for so long. Take Shion back to your room, Jeanne."

The conversation just now was probably a bit too hard for Shion to understand. I smiled wryly.

"Roger that. Sorry... I am just an ordinary person without special powers... I cannot aid you in this matter, Captain."

"Don't worry about this kind of stuff. Jeanne, you're working hard as Shion's surrogate mother. This is an important job that no one can do but you. Everyone, including me, of course, are very grateful for that."

I thanked Jeanne apologetically. Staying in the room for the first shift, Iris also nodded vigorously.

"That's right! Jeanne-chan, you don't need to push yourself. Just think of Shion-chan."

"—Thank you. Then let's go, Zwei."

Smiling with a reassured look, Jeanne took Shion's hand.

"Yawn... Papa... gOoD niGHt."

"Yeah, goodnight."

Waving to me, Shion yawned lightly and I bade her goodnight.

After she left the room, the only ones remaining were the four of us—me, Iris, Vritra, and Mitsuki sleeping on the bed.

"An ordinary person without special powers?"

Looking at the doorway through where Jeanne had left, Vritra murmured in thought.

"You seem to be implying something."

Vritra smiled faintly when I cast a questioning look at her.

"No, what one might beg to differ would be the implication that humanity is not a special existence. A species regarded with hostility by Gaia twice, as the second and the eighth calamities, could not possibly be ordinary, could it?"

It looked like Jeanne's comment had prompted Vritra to make her point. She shrugged lightly and continued.

"—Furthermore, she definitely possesseth a pair of extraordinary ''eyes'', yes?"

"Yeah, that's true. Jeanne's eyes are definitely not ordinary."

Vritra's question made me nod stiffly.

Capable of capturing all objects within her field of view and discerning them, it would be no exaggeration to describe Jeanne as gifted. Sleipnir was a team assembled from people like her.

"The same applieth to the authorities of counterdragons—Exceptional abilities do not exist without reason. Perhaps her abilities were inherited from Atlantis or some other origin...? 'Tis this that I am curious."

Saying that, Vritra shrugged and turned her back to me.

"You're going back to your room too, Vritra?"

"Nay, I intend to have a look at Tia Lightning's condition. Though I have informed her in detail of the type of information she needeth, one would presume that the extraction of data from the Akashic Record must be difficult indeed."

Shaking her head, Vritra left my room.

Thud. After the door closed, the room suddenly became very quiet. Mitsuki was sleeping soundly, hence, it was as though Iris and I were alone together.

"Oh, umm, Iris."

Noticing I was obliged to say something to Iris, I composed my words.

"W-What is it?"

The cowardly aura emanating from me was making Iris nervous in turn. Tensing herself, she asked in response.

"......"

However, I failed to continue. My thoughts could not come together at all. Looking at Mitsuki on the bed, I sighed.

"Nothing, really. I guess I'm a bit tired."

Resting my forehead against my hand, I shook my head. Iris frowned in worry.

"Are you okay, Mononobe? I'll watch over Mitsuki-chan properly, so get some rest, Mononobe."

Saying that, she pushed me from behind, forcing me to the sofa.

"Hey—"

I reacted with a confused voice, but Iris ignored me. After sitting me on the sofa, she moved a chair to the side of the bed and sat down.

"Until Firill-chan comes for the next shift, I'll stay awake on watch for sure! So don't you worry."

Iris asserted forcefully and turned her face towards Mitsuki on the bed. Seeing Iris stare unblinkingly at Mitsuki, I smiled wryly.

"Got it, I'm counting on you, Iris. However, you might fall ill too if you push yourself too hard, so relax a bit."

"Yes, okay."

Seeing Iris start taking deep breaths, I lay down on the sofa. Only then did I notice I was still wearing a yukata. However, deciding I could change later, I switched to a more comfortable posture on the sofa.

After I reclined sideways to the right, the bed entered my view. Also dressed in a yukata, Iris was watching the sleeping Mitsuki with a serious look on her face.

Watching the side of her face, the words that I had been unable to compose earlier naturally surfaced in my mind.

Yes—This matter must be conveyed to Iris.

"Iris."

"What is it?"

After I called her name, Iris took her eyes off Mitsuki, but asked while still keeping the same posture.

"Mitsuki asked me. She wanted me to tell her the answer to the question as to who was the dearest to me. She only hoped for me to make a decision rather than a choice—That was the idea."

Without touching upon explanations about the ninth dragon, I talked about "my personal issue."

"...........To make a decision rather than a choice... I see..."

After a moment's silence, Iris repeated my words then smiled.

"Iris?"

"Oh, okay, sorry—I think I understand something. I'm sure Mitsuki-chan wanted you to be certain about not making a mistake."

Gazing at Mitsuki on the bed with gentle eyes, Iris replied.

"Mistake?"

"The current situation, our relationships, your inner self, Mononobe, she simply wanted to know how you feel without changing any of these—That's what I think. I'm the same too. I want to understand you better, Mononobe."

Iris answered with a blush, but she continued to speak while staying in her posture without making eye contact with me.

"However, I already know what Mitsuki-chan wanted to find out. Mononobe, you replied that Mitsuki-chan is the dearest to you, right?"

"......How do you know that?"

When I asked in surprise, Iris scratched her face.

"I know this much at least, because you are the one I love."

"—"

The straightforward confession caused my face to heat up.

"Mononobe, you said you loved me, right? That feeling is not a lie. I already knew when you selected me—However, if the question was who is the most important to you, Mitsuki-chan will definitely come to your mind. I feel that this is on a different level than simply liking someone."

"Iris—Looks like you know me better than myself."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 039.jpg|thumb]]

Smiling wryly, I made fun of myself.

On a different level than simply liking someone. That was definitely true.

"That's right, it's just as you said, Iris. My reply to Mitsuki was that she was the dearest to me. But that apparently stems from my instincts as Neun, the ninth counterdragon."

Covering my face with my hands, I spoke stiffly.

"Eh...?"

"That darkness—The ninth calamity is sealed inside Mitsuki. That's why I've been instinctively protecting Mitsuki, according to Vritra. Mitsuki also heard this already."

My voice trembled slightly. I recalled how Mitsuki had apologized to me endlessly.

"N-No way—"

"To be honest, I haven't put my feelings in order yet. I can't tell which emotions come from myself and which ones are out of Neun's instincts. It's precisely because I'm currently in this state that I wasn't able to say anything to Mitsuki."

I bit my lip hard as chagrin gripped my heart.

"Mononobe..."

"Sorry, I'm not asking for you to comfort or trying to discuss this with you. I'll find the answer on my own, but it's just that I feel that I must tell you about this. That's why—"

Unable to think of words to continue, I stopped there.

The room plunged into silence. After who knew how long, I heard Iris' whisper.

"Yes—I believe in you. If it's you, Mononobe, things will surely work out."

===Part 3===

Somehow, I fell asleep.

I opened my eyes, realizing after my nap.

So sleepy—I really wanted to remain in the land of dreams.

However... Strangely, my body felt heavy.

As for where this weight came from, I found ou as soon as I opened my eyes, greeted by the sight before me.

"Gu..."

A petite red-haired girl—Ren Miyazawa—was sleeping on top of me. She was curled up like a cat, soundly asleep...

Having changed, she was wearing her usual uniform instead of a yukata.

What on earth was happening? I looked waround then noticed Ariella sitting on the chair next to the bed.

Having taken over Iris' seat, Ariella had been watching the sleeping Mitsuki the whole time.

I shifted my body slightly and the sofa sank down. This sound prompted Ariella to look over.

"Oh, Mononobe-kun—You woke up. Hmm... Are you okay like that?"

Smiling wryly, Ariella rose up from her chair and came over to me. Since Ren was sleeping on me, I could not get up. Lying there on the sofa, I looked at Ariella.

"It'd be great if you could explain the current situation."

When I asked, Ariella scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"Umm... It's my turn to watch over Mitsuki and Ren came along."

"Why?"

Unable to comprehend, I asked.

"Well, Ren and I are roommates—Since I came over here, it means that Ren'd be left alone in the room, right?"

"Yeah, but what's the problem there?"

I frowned and looked up at Ariella. Then glancing at Ren, she knelt down next to me and whispered in my ear.

"I hope you'll keep this a secret... But Ren is scared of sleeping alone... She can't sleep like that."

Ariella spoke with an expression as though revealing an important secret. But for Ren, perhaps this really was strictly confidential.

"—I see, I get it now. I'll pretend I never heard the previous exchange. But I can't believe she chose to sleep on top of me out of all places."

Sighing, I looked at the soundly sleeping Ren. Inside my room, the only places to sleep comfortably were the bed and the sofa. Sleeping on me should not be very comfy.

"Ren is able to sleep anywhere as long as she's by the side of someone she finds reassuring. Your heartbeat allows her to relax and fall asleep straight away. As expected of Ren's 'Onii-chan'."

Now that she pointed it out, indeed, Ren's ear was pressed against the left side of my chest. After stroking her red hair softly, I looked at Ariella again.

"I'm glad that Ren trusts me so much, but I can no longer sleep in this posture. I'm going to yield the sofa to her, so could you pick her up gently without waking her up?"

"Got it. Leave it to me."

Ariella nodded and used her arms to pick up Ren securely. Taking the opportunity, I got off the sofa and stood up to stretch. Despite her petite size, having a person's entire weight on me still made me stiff and uncomfortable. It felt like sleep paralysis. Thinking that, I looked at Mitsuki sleeping on the bed.

"How is Mitsuki doing?"

I whispered to Ariella, who was poking Ren's cheeks while she was sleeping on the sofa.

"She woke up once when Firill was on watch, but she immediately went back to sleep without making a scene."

"She woke up once, huh—Uh, what's the time now?"

Since it was dark outside the window, I had no sense of the passage of time. I glanced at the clock, only to see the hands indicating 4am. This hour could be considered morning.

"Mononobe-kun, you slept for almost five hours. Well, I'm really glad you woke up before Kili's shift. If you were still sleeping, I'm sure she'll... Umm, do weird things."

Ariella spoke with mild blush. Perhaps she was recalling last time when Kili visited me during the night.

"No, you probably don't need to worry about that. If it's Kili, I'll definitely wake up the moment she tries to do anything."

I smiled wryly and shook my head. Ren was able to climb on top of me without waking me up because she was not someone I needed to keep my guard up against. Against anyone dangerous, I had full confidence in my ability to wake up immediately to handle the situation.

"Very well... But I get the feeling you might get swayed by the situation even if you're careful, Mononobe-kun—"

"..."

Unable to deny her words, I could not say anything.

"I said it before, Mononobe-kun, but you need to pull yourself together. Especially against Kili, you have to be more assertive."

Arms akimbo, Ariella cautioned me.

"But she's not someone who'll comply obediently, right?"

"That's where you're wrong. I think she'd go along with your demands, Mononobe-kun, if you're forceful. Rather, she'd be happy about it."

"H-Happy?"

The unexpected word left me confused. I looked at Ariella questioningly.

"She is similar to me in some ways, so I know. Kili probably likes a partner who's better and stronger than her. So on a basic level, she's a passive person, or rather, she wants to be led."

"A passive person... In other words, she's a masochist?"

I shared my view to concur with Ariella's opinion, but she instantly went red in the face.

"M-Masochist—What are you suddenly talking about!? If Kili's like that, then aren't I also... Th-That's so obscene..."

Seeing Ariella totally flustered, I hastily waved my hands.

"No, what I mean is personality tendencies—I didn't mean to say anything obscene. Ariella, haven't you ever chatted with others about whether someone looks like an S or an M?"

"...Looks like? Oh, you mean in that sense. I thought you were being serious..."

"Serious?"

Puzzled, I asked Ariella who was wiping sweat from her brow in relief, then she immediately went red and denied it.

"Nothing, nothing at all! It's true that I've discussed this with Lisa and the others in detail! Firill even brought a book with a personality quiz."

"Eh, then which one came out as the analysis result for Kili?"

Interested, I tried asking but Ariella shook her head.

"It happened before we met Kili."

"Then what about you, Ariella?"

"......M."

Looking away from me, Ariella answered in a barely audible voice.

"M-Mononobe-kun, let me be clear, it wasn't just me! Lisa and Mitsuki were M too! Also, that book itself was quite weird, its credibility—"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v12 047.jpg|thumb]]

Ariella furiously explained herself with an intense blush, causing me to relax my expression.

"—W-What are you laughing at!?"

"Sorry, but you're just so cute, Ariella."

I apologized with a wry smile, causing Ariella to hold her breath, frozen on the spot.

"C... C-C-C-Cute—Could you not... say this sort of thing... so suddenly..."

Her voice became softer and softer while she lowered her head awkwardly.

"......Sorry."

I apologized again. Since I said it unintentionally, Ariella's reaction caused me to blush instead.

"Then who tested as S, Ariella?"

At this rate, the mood was going to become very awkward, so I hastily changed the subject.

"Ah, well—It might be quite surprising, but Iris was an S."

"That's definitely surprising... But on further thought, Iris gave Kili a '-chan' honorific and completely forced Kili to go along with her pace. Perhaps, that's—"

I crossed my arms and imagined Iris as a sadist...

Picturing Iris holding a whip, laughing madly, I hastily shook my head to dispel the image.

"—Totally unsuitable."

"Hmm?"

I smiled wryly at Ariella who had reacted to my muttering.

"Don't worry about it. Oh well, anyway, I'll remember your advice to be more assertive towards Kili."

"Y-Yeah, I hope you'll achieve it for sure... Also, umm, now that you're awake, go take a bath and get changed. With you looking like that, I don't know where to look anymore... Oh, I'll keep watch over Mitsuki, so don't worry."

Saying that, Ariella pointed at me. I looked down, only to see my yukata's collar wide open.

"—Got it, I'll do that."

While fixing up my clothes, I nodded at Ariella.

However, just as I was carrying a change of clothes into the bathroom's changing area, a ringtone was suddenly heard in the room.

"S-Sorry, that's mine—"

Ariella hastily took out her portable terminal from her pocket, but this sound was coming from more than one place. From the bed where Mitsuki was sleeping, Ren's sofa, and from my breast pocket—In any case, everyone's portable terminal was ringing.

"Mm...?"

Ren rubbed her eyes drowsily and sat up.

Before I pressed the button to pick up the call, the screen turned on automatically on the terminal. Then Midgard's chief administrator, Charlotte B. Lord, appeared.

"Members of Brynhildr Class, an emergency situation has arisen."

The principal who looked like a young child was fidgeting with her blonde hair nervously, speaking in a somber voice.

'Just now, a certain someone from NIFL—a name that probably none of us wish to hear for the time being—that Loki Jotunheim has contacted us.'

"Major Loki...?"

Charlotte nodded gravely when I spoke his name quietly. Images of everyone in the conversation were displayed on the monitors in the command center.

'Indeed... In any case, all of you need to look at this.'

After she said that, the screen changed. A towering black dome under a blue sky was shown on my terminal. Since there were no objects in view for reference, I could not estimate its size, but I already knew that this was a gigantic object.

This was because it was completely unreflective and lacked three dimensionality in appearance. It seemed like a hole floating amid the surrounding scenery, completely a deep abyss of darkness... This reminded me of the "darkness" attempting to devour Mitsuki and a chill ran through my body.

"Several hours ago, this type of dome had appeared at four locations across the world. With a diameter of three hundred kilometers or so and a height of roughly fifty kilometers, these domes are exceptionally large and impossible to observe their interiors. Hence, these spaces are currently called unknown territories."

"Unknown territories..."

—''Could this be related to the "darkness" inside Mitsuki''?

It was impossible to consider them coincidences with such timing.

'Although many towns have been swallowed, no one has come out of these domes. What emerged... was only this.'

Accompanying Charlotte's narration, the screen changed to show a strange entity hovering next to a dome.

It was gigantic heart covered by a spherical network of blood vessels. This surreal scene made Ariella exclaim in a confused voice.

"What is this..."

'That was the image when the entity first emerged. Now, it has transformed to this.'

Next, the screen changed to show a gigantic black "creature." A pitch-black dragon with wings outspread, hovering in the air—

"Isn't this Vritra? No, it's probably not—"

It was quite similar to the stand-in that the black dragon had created previously.

However, Vritra was currently with us in the form of a young girl. Furthermore, the dragon in the image was far too humongous.

During class, I had seen images of Vritra's first appearance twenty-five years ago, but it should not have been this big.

'Hmm—Please wait a moment. Tia Lightning apparently has something to inform all of us.'

As Charlotte spoke, an image of Tia appeared on the bottom right corner of the screen. With Lisa and Vritra behind her, it was probably Tia's bedroom.

'Umm, Tia has something to say.'

Tia spoke solemnly, but Vritra went over her shoulder and leaned forward to interrupt.

'Make no mistake, that is not I. 'Tis the model I referenced to create the dragon stand-in of mine, although I merely read the data provided by Kiskanu, this could very well be—'

'Stop! This is Tia's turn to speak! Don't get in Tia's way!'

Shoving away the interrupting Vritra, out of the screen, Tia spoke again.

'Through the connection to the Akashic Record, Tia knows what it is. It is from long long ago... The fifth calamity that visited Earth—the fifth dragon, "Eternal Longevity" Bahamut.'

"What..."

—Not the ninth but the fifth?

The urgent and imminent calamity was the ninth while the fifth should be in the past. It was a crisis that the world was supposed to have overcome.

The unexpected words made me gasp, but Charlotte did not seem surprised on the screen, only troubled.

'How odd, this name of Bahamut is the same as the codename assigned by NIFL. Do they actually have information on the fifth calamity...?'

Charlotte voiced her doubts but no one was able to give an answer.

'Why NIFL knows about Bahamut, Tia has no idea either. However... Bahamut appearing is in itself very strange! Because Bahamut was clearly defeated by Basilisk, the holder of Code Fünf...'

The confused Tia explained the abnormality of the situation.

"By Basilisk? Then Iris, having inherited that authority—"Catastrophe"—would be able to take out that crazy huge dragon?"

Was it due to my whispered comment? Iris appeared on the bottom left of the screen. It looked like she had been sleeping until earlier since she was dressed in a flimsy negligee.

'Eh!? M-Me?'

Iris pointed to her own face in panic. However, Charlotte crossed her arms with a grave expression.

'—It would be too soon to assert that. However, it is impossible to say for certain until we see the outcome of the attempt.'

"Attempt? Then—"

When I spoke out, Charlotte nodded.

'Yes, NIFL has requested our cooperation. While Bahamut continues to move, the unknown territory is expanding at the same time. This is no time to be staying uninvolved and watching from the sidelines. Furthermore...'

She paused for a moment, then spoke again as though she had dispelled her hesitation.

'Bahamut's expected route includes many countries—including the Principality of Erlia, the homeland of one of our Ds, Firill Crest. If Bahamut were to deviate slightly from predictions, even Lisa Highwalker's homeland of England would not be spared.'

This information brought alarm to the face of Lisa, who was behind Tia. Although not shown on the screen, Firill was probably starting to worry too.

'In order to protect the homelands for these maidens, the Ds, to return to, I have accepted NIFL's request as Midgard's top command. Considering the links between this and the ninth calamity reported earlier, as well as "Catastrophe," you are the only ones capable of taking on this mission. Although it pains my heart to send you to a dangerous battlefield again... I hope all of you will aid in this endeavor.'

"Of course—Then what exactly do we have to do?"

I replied instantly and asked Charlotte for our mission. In the same room as me, Ariella and Ren also nodded without hesitation.

'...Thank you, my friend and the young maidens. You will join NIFL's defense line to intercept Bahamut together. However... There is a serious problem here.'

Charlotte thanked us but for some reason, her expression turned very grim.

"Problem?"

'We have no means of transport. Originally, we could meet up with NIFL by ship transport on the sea, which would then allow you to head to the scene by plane or helicopter. However, there is not a single NIFL ship in Midgard's surroundings at the moment. It was my demand after the battle that NIFL withdraw its forces completely... I never thought it would come to bite us in return.'

Charlotte sighed with her hand against her forehead. However, I asked:

"All we need to do is fly to where NIFL is, right? That'll greatly shorten the time until rendezvous."

'The NIFL force sent to pick you up is extremely distant. It would be too far to fly using transmutation, exhausting you greatly before the battle. However... Perhaps we have no other options.'

Charlotte was very troubled, but Tia raised her hand vigorously from the small window on the screen.

'Wait! In that case, Tia has a better idea!'

"Tia?"

I responded in surprise and Tia brought her fist to her chest and said seriously.

'Well, Tia thinks that we just need to complete Marduk together!'

"Complete Marduk, what do you mean—"

Unable to understand Tia's words, I was baffled.

Marduk was a weapon system used by Atlantis, the ancestors of mankind. In order to defeat dragons such as Leviathan and Hraesvelgr, I had used transmuted dark matter to recreate parts of Marduk.

It was true that every weapon of Marduk was very powerful, but currently, the problem was meeting up with NIFL. I could not see how these two matters were connected.

However, Tia continued to speak to Charlotte.

'Principal, please. Order all Ds to assemble at the harbor right now.'

'Sure, I can do that, but...'

Charlotte seemed worried but still nodded.

'Okay, let's all go to the harbor!'

Having obtained permission, Tia hung up without explaining in detail. On the screen with one less small window, Charlotte sighed.

'It fills me with guilt to disturb the sweet dreams of young maidens when the sun has yet to rise—But there is no other way. Let us listen to her explanation at the harbor.'

Then the portable terminal's screen went dark and my room returned to peace and quiet.

"Nii-san, stop standing there, spacing out. Hurry and get changed. Ariella-san and Ren-san, please get prepared to set off."

Surprised by the voice that broke the silence, I turned to face the bed.

Had she woken up without my noticing? Sitting up on the bed, Mitsuki was holding her portable terminal, looking at me.

"Mitsuki..."

I called out her name hoarsely.

"You woke up. Are... you fine now?"

"Mm, do you feel unwell anywhere?"

Ariella and Ren also noticed and asked Mitsuki with worry.

"Yes—I am fine. I am fully informed too. I shall... make a trip to my room first."

Saying that, Mitsuki got off the bed. Like me, she was still wearing her yukata. She was probably planning to change into her uniform in her room.

"Wait, even if you're fine right now, Mitsuki, it's best you avoid being alone."

I frantically tried to stop Mitsuki who was making her way to the door.

"...Yes, good point. Because of the ninth calamity, right...? When I woke up previously, Firill-san already told me about taking shifts to watch over me. In that case... Ariella-san and Ren-san should come with me, so no need to worry, Nii-san."

Pausing in her steps, Mitsuki spoke in an exceedingly calm voice.

This was probably the calmness she tried her hardest to feign while enduring the pain that was tearing her heart apart.

"But—"

"Nii-san, are you actually trying to watch me change? If you say yes, you will have to write a repentance essay, you know?"

Smiling weakly, Mitsuki cautioned me.

"......Understood. Okay, Ariella and Ren, I'm leaving Mitsuki in your hands."

Despite my hesitation, I nodded and entrusted Mitsuki to them.

"Got it. I'll contact you straight away if anything happens. No need to worry."

"Mm, don't worry."

Next, Mitsuki left my room, accompanied by Ariella and Ren.

I knew I ought to say something else—I knew I ought to do something. However, what exactly was it? No matter how I racked my brain, I did not know.

===Part 4===

At the break of dawn, Midgard's entire student body was gathered at the harbor. Unsure of the situation, the girls were showing apprehensive expressions towards the tense atmosphere around them.

Currently, there were no ships moored at the harbor, so the view was expansive. The orange sun was emerging from the eastern horizon, its golden glow reflecting off the clouds in the sky.

Prepared to sortie, we members of the Brynhildr Class were together with Charlotte and Shinomiya-sensei, listening to Tia while standing on the pier some distance from the other students.

"So—Marduk is actually a giant ship!"

Tia spread her slender arms forcefully to express the ship's great size.

"A ship... Speaking of which, back when we first saw NIFL's battleship, Tia-san did mention before that it felt similar to Marduk somehow."

Hearing Lisa whispering with a hand to the corner of her mouth, I remembered too.

It was during the final moments of NIFL's invasion—when we had clearly defeated Major Loki—the NIFL battleship moored at sea had switched to attack mode.

'That ship... Somehow, it feels similar.'

Tia had said so at the time. When we asked for an explanation, she had continued.

'A weapon from Atlantis... Marduk...'

Furthermore, Tia had warned that the main cannon, prepared to fire, might be Babel, a weapon from a lost civilization.

In fact, the main cannon's firepower was exceptional—While Ariella deployed a barrier, Tia hacked the ship, thus enabling us to survive the crisis.

However, it was still unknown why NIFL possessed such a battleship. During my time at NIFL, I had passed along Atlantean weapons data to my friend in the technological development department, thus allowing practical deployment of Nergal and Gáe Bolg... However, back then, I did not have data on Babel.

The anti-dragon weapons created through the transmutation of dark matter would self-destruct after use, so it would be impossible to obtain data from them.

After the battle, I wanted to inquire about this if there had been a chance to talk to Major Loki... But since no such chance came up, it remained an unanswered question in the end.

"Tia—I know that the anti-dragon armament named Marduk is part of a gigantic weapon. During my second transaction with Yggdrasil, I sensed it."

Seeking to defeat the Leviathan that was trying to turn Iris into its mate, I desired new power. Responding to my wish, Yggdrasil transmitted the data of Marduk's main cannon to me. Back then, I found out that Marduk was a weapon armed with various modes of attack.

Afterwards, Marduk's data was supplemented by two additional downloads, but still incomplete.

"—In other words, Marduk's complete form is similar to NIFL's battleship?"

I recalled the various Atlantean weapons I had made so far and asked Tia.

Main cannon—"Babel."

Special artillery—"Meggido."

Psionic multi-barreled cannon—"Noah."

Hyperspace reversion rocket-assisted artillery—"Abyss."

I still could not imagine Marduk's complete form, equipped with all these weapons.

"More amazing that that, it's a ship that can fly into space."

"S-Space?"

The sudden word shocked me, but Tia's face was serious.

"Indeed. The counterweapon mobilized to eliminate external threats to the Atlanteans regardless of any environment, that is the 'Deus Dragon,' Marduk."

"Deus Dragon... the second calamity's trump card."

Kili whispered with interest.

The Atlanteans were the ancestors of mankind and possessed superb levels of science and technology. Arriving at Earth from space, their civilization was regarded by Gaia as a threat to the planet—as the second dragon, "Ultimate Wisdom" Atlantis. "Deus Dragon" was probably a term to express the true nature of this threat.

"Yes, which is why it should be able to fly over to Bahamut immediately. But since it's so huge, it requires a great amount of dark matter. Tia doesn't know if borrowing everyone's help is enough..."

Seeing all the students gathered at the harbor, Tia said with worry.

"—Release these bonds of mine and no such problem would exist."

Vritra interrupted next. Indeed, in her case, she should be able to generate dark matter on a level far beyond us. But currently, she was unable to perform transmutation due to the vine choker Tia had made.

"Right! Let's have Vritra-chan help out too!"

Iris' face brightened up but Ariella shook her head with a reluctant expression.

"Let's not... We don't know what Vritra'd do with full ability to generate dark matter. Even if she cooperates with us now, we might end up as enemies like before if the situation changed."

Ren and Firill agreed with her.

"Mm, too big of a risk."

"I agree. We don't know if our dark matter is really insufficient either..."

Vritra shrugged in response.

"...Presently, I must fight alongside my comrade Neun—Fine, 'tis futile to demand ye to trust me."

Despite speaking as though she had not placed any hopes in the first place, Vritra acted a little like she was sulking. I patted her on the head.

"Thanks for offering to help. When we're really out of options, we'll borrow your power."

"Hmph, then ye ought not miss your chance. 'Twould be too late if ye dally."

Vritra turned her face away, speaking with slight displeasure.

"Yeah, I got it. Then we'll start constructing Marduk."

I nodded and looked at everyone.

"I can only watch this time. Zwei—please help Papa... in my place."

Not a D, Jeanne gritted her teeth and patted Shion on the arm.

"i Got iT. Papa, i'LL hElp yOu."

Shion nodded firmly and walked over to hold my hand.

"—Thanks."

I gripped Shion's hand in return then looked my silent little sister—Mitsuki.

"Mitsuki, umm..."

Unable to make eye contact with her, I could only speak while looking at her chest.

"Rest assured, I shall assist in constructing Marduk too. Also, I have not mentioned it yet, but I shall be coming along as well. Given how I must not leave your side currently, Nii-san, I have no other choice."

Just as I was struggling to find words, Mitsuki gave her reply first.

"Mitsuki..."

Indeed, after waking up, Mitsuki had neither said she was unwell nor did she cause any commotion.

However, she was definitely not herself.

She was forcing herself. She was putting on a brave face. Even without looking at her face, without listening to her voice, I could tell instantly.

However, I did not point this out to deprive her of the "fortitude" she had been desperately trying to maintain.

"Got it. Then I'm counting on you too, Mitsuki."

I nodded decisively and Mitsuki answered "yes" in relief. Next, she instantly tensed her expression and turned to the noisy students.

"Please listen to me, everyone."

All the noise instantly vanished as soon as Mituski spoke as the student council president and captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad.

Although there were girls watching her with worried gazes, there was definite trust in Mitsuki conveyed through their eyes.

"Currently, catastrophic changes have occurred all over the world. Our homelands in various countries are under threat. The giant creature known as Bahamut is the one expanding the affected areas. Brynhildr Class will be heading out to defeat this creature."

Mitsuki was facing the students and her back view was filled with intense vigor as always. However, this vigor was probably squeezed out through her desperate efforts.

"The remainder of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, please guard Midgard as best as you can. Furthermore, I have a request to make of all of you. In order to construct the ship necessary for hastening to the battlefield, we need a huge quantity of dark matter. Those willing to lend us your aid, could you kindly hold hands with people beside you to form a circle?"

Despite the sudden request, the students began to hold hands with one another without questioning.

All the hesitation on everyone's face disappeared. This was proof that each student believed that Mitsuki was pointing out the correct path.

Seeing this, Shinomiya-sensei asked Charlotte.

"Principal, how is the condition of Midgardsormr?"

"Mica is on standby in the command center. As soon as I give the order, the naval route will be secured. You will be able to set off immediately once the ship is built. If possible, I would like to accompany all of you... But I cannot break my agreement with the United Nations to remain on this island. Furthermore—since my authority is only effective against humans, I am no help to my friend."

Holding a portable terminal, Charlotte answered then looked at me.

"You must return safe and sound. This is my only request for you all."

"Yeah, it's a promise."

While we were talking, the students had already formed a circle.

"Then everyone, let us join in too."

Mitsuki urged us and I entered the circle, holding Shion by the hand.

"Tia will transmit the missing data to Yuu, so this position is essential."

Saying that, Tia took my other hand, opposite to Shion.

"Do your best, Mononobe."

Next to Tia, Iris encouraged me.

"Nii-san, please give the signal once you are ready. After that, we will start transmitting dark matter to you."

Mitsuki spoke to me from next to Shion.

I nodded at them then took a deep breath.

Jeanne, Vritra, Charlotte, and Shinomiya-sensei were watching us slightly further away.

"So, Tia—Send me Marduk's data."

"Yes, got it."

Tia's little hand began to tighten her grip while electricity sparked in the vicinity of the small red horns on her head.

In that instant, a numbing sensation moved to my brain from my hand that Tia was holding. A flash of light filled my mind, turning my view pure white. Due to the blinding feeling, I closed my eyes.

Like torrent, the surging information gradually melded together into several lines. The lines slowly came together as data of the anti-dragon armament, supplementing it to completion, illustrating a gigantic outline.

—This was Marduk.

I could not help but shudder all over.

Possessing the power to defeat hostile species for the Atlanteans on multiple occasions, its existence filled me with fear.

In order to project the form in my mind to reality, I opened my tightly shut eyes.

What appeared before me was the blue ocean under the morning sun. Watching the splashing waves on the water surface, I gave the order.

"Lend me your strength, everyone!"

"Please concentrate dark matter in Nii-san, everyone!"

Mitsuki instantly shouted to all the students.

Instantly, a flood of dark matter flowed into me, then manifested into a gigantic black sphere before my eyes.

Dark matter consisted of fragments of emotions. Everyone's feelings were flooding my mind, causing me to start losing myself.

Normally, performing transmutation in such a state would be impossible, but there was no need for me to impose control over these emotions—this dark matter.

All I needed to do was pour the blueprints in my mind into the flow, thereby giving form to the dark matter.

"Deus Dragon—Marduk!"

I conferred a name upon the burgeoning dark matter, bestowing a rightful path for the matter that held endless possibility.

"Anti-dragon armament, Full Revive!!"

The pitch-black mist of dark matter, expanding over the sea, gradually increased in density and started turning from a gas into a solid.

"...Still not enough. Everyone, please muster more!"

I performed transmutation while calling out.

If the dark matter was insufficient, then an incomplete Marduk with missing parts would be materialized. Since this was a weapon harboring massive power, incompleteness could result in a gigantic explosion.

"Mmmmmm!"

The one with the greatest generating capacity, Ren, desperately squeezed out her final strength.

Gritting their teeth, everyone else transmitted dark matter to me.

The mist of dark matter grew dense all at once.

It was here—

Feeling a concrete sensation, I accelerated the rate of transmutation, displaying the majestic appearance of the Atlantean weapon on the sea.

Solidified from mist, the entity shone with hard silver luster. Accompanied by the loud noise of waves, a gigantic battleship appeared.

The surging waves hit the breakwater, producing a splash of white spray. However, no one dodged.

Everyone was fixated on the object that had appeared before them.

Only told that they were going to build a ship, the students could not hide their surprise at all. Even having seen the construction of anti-dragon weapons up close before, Iris and the girls could only gasp, rooted to the spot.

"—What an amazing ship."

Charlotte's exclamation reached my ear.

Ship, battleship—Sure enough, such descriptions were probably the closest.

Roughly two hundred meters in length, the ship's body was covered with silver-white armor with grooves, tracing out a network of geometric patterns reminiscent of pulsating blood vessels, brightening and dimming in periodic cycles.

Protruding sharply in the front, the prow was merged with the main cannon of Babel. Split into two, its barrel featured a lens in the middle that was reflecting the morning sunlight with dazzling radiance.

Weapons were concentrated on the front of the ship's surface. Megiddo's giant barrel was installed at two locations, a total of eight of Noah's multi-barreled turrets—Aimed at the glowing morning sky, they looked especially impressive.

Behind the bridge were the missile pods of Abyss. On the two sides of the ship were variable-sweep wings, gravitational control devices used for flight.

In addition to the data stored in my mind, my senses were naturally extended, providing me with a full grasp of the entire ship's capabilities.

Just as the anti-dragon weapons created through transmutation previously were always linked to my consciousness, this ship was synchronized with me.

"So this is... Marduk."

While confounded by my suddenly expanded senses, I looked up at the Atlantean weapon that had materialized.

This was a power that did not belong to this era. Once used, it would surely become a disaster equal to the dragons.

But right now, to oppose an even greater calamity, I must control this power—

"—"

After warning myself, I felt a bone-piercing pain through my head, causing me to frown.

Sure enough, being connected to such a massive and complicated weapon was burdening my mind with even greater strain.

"Yuu?"

Noticing my symptoms, Tia looked up at me, tilting her head in worry.

"—I'm fine. Come, let's go."

I released Tia's hand and walked over to Marduk, moored against the harbor.

Although the headache persisted, I optimistically believed that I would get used to it with time. Even if the headache did not go away, what I needed to do remained the same. This was no time to show weakness.

Although the enemy before us was Bahamut, the black domes appearing all over the world were reminiscent of the ninth calamity's "darkness."

If the ninth calamity was the true culprit, losing this battle was not an option. In order to protect Mitsuki, this too was essential.

Whether instinct or otherwise, what drove my actions were these feelings.

I stopped in front of the ship and raised my hand.

"Marduk, activate."

The newborn Deus Dragon growled and awakened.

After the geometric patterns carved on the ship's body glowed brightly, one part of its external walls opened up from inside, producing a gangway leading into the ship.

I placed one foot onto the first step and turned around.

"Are we all ready?"

"Y-Yes, all okay!"

Iris replied with a nervous expression and the others nodded with resolve on their faces.

"Very well—Let's depart."

Turning forward again, I started up the gangway.

As though welcoming its passengers, Marduk's body rumbled thunderously while it started up.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_12_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 12 Chapter 1

2016-09-11T14:55:16Z

Belatkuro:

Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 6

2016-08-30T04:21:43Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 6 - Two-Headed Dog==

===Part 1===

"Morrigan, inform the defensive forces at each tutelary fort on my behalf."

After the merged divinity of the Four Gods vanished, Edward immediately issued orders.

"Tell them to keep defending their respective tutelary forts for two hours. Once this designated duration is over, each army will act at their own discretion depending on the changing circumstances."

"Affirmative."

The loyal spirit Morrigan nodded in response to Edward using the doll she was possessing.

They were on the roof of the nation-protecting keep at the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate. Edward quickly walked over to a waiting wyvern.

"Very well.. It is time to get back to square one. I will take my personal guard, the Knights of the Garter, and leave this first tutelary fort. Morrigan, you come with me too."

"Affirmative. Are you going to converge with the main force, Prince?"

"Indeed, you know me well."

Seeing the subtle expression on Morrigan's face, Edward smirked.

...Despite losing his impregnable fortress, the superior officer seemed to be in excellent spirits. Edward was thankful for the leveled playing field, allowing him to have a showdown against Tachibana Masatsugu on equal terms.

Morrigan was appalled by the Black Prince's love of battle, but felt curious about how he would command his army.

"Let us set off, Morrigan. I have brought four hundred Legions to Seiryuu Gate, with eight hundred remaining at the central command center. A total of a thousand and two hundred Legions should be plenty enough forces. The Japanese enemies must know that the black knights of the British Empire will be the ones to dominate the Hakone battlefield."

Apart from the Garter Knights, there were another hundred and fifty-odd Crusades at Seiryuu Gate.

The Black Prince ordered them to defend the tutelary fort while he took his personal guard to converge with the "central main force." He was going to launch a vicious counterattack next, to destroy the enemy armies in the four cardinal directions respectively—

This was Edward's plan. However...

"Of course, you are going to hinder me, right? Tachibana-dono..."

Leading the four hundred Legions under his direct command, the Black Prince moved towards Oowakudani—

There was another ambush force there. Eight hundred Knights of the Garter were already detected. Leading a total of a thousand and two hundred Legions, Prince Edward was setting up his position in the sky over Mount Souun—

Retainer beasts such as aquilas and yatagarasus had returned with the above reports.

Needless to say, Tachibana Masatsugu was kept informed of such intel at all times.

However, there was one matter that needed to be discussed and settled prior to entering the battlefield. It would not be wrong to call it a negotiation. In other words, a meeting with the renowned general of Japan's "ally," the Eastern Roman Empire.

The key point was how to defeat the enemy's leader, Edward the Black Prince—

Riding blue wyverns, Masatsugu and Rikka headed to the rendezvous point in the sky over Oowakudani.

After the battle at Suzaku Gate, six hundred of Masatsugu's Kanesadas remained while Rikka's hundred and fifty Kamuys were virtually unscathed.

Meanwhile, riding a silver wyvern, General Wei Qing brought roughly four hundred and fifty Centuriae.

In order to hold the Black Prince's attention at Seiryuu Gate, Wei Qing had confronted the English longbow formation head on, losing over half of his army of a thousand as a result.

The rest of the Roman and Tōkaidō forces had stayed at the four tutelary forts in the north, east, south, and west.

Those forces were currently fighting the armies left behind by Prince Edward.

Currently, the hundred and fifty Tōkaidō Legions combined with the four hundred and fifty of Rome's to give a total of a thousand and two hundred.

Given the proportions, it would not be wrong for Tōkaidō to be in command. However, if the Roman army, which had sacrificed the most so far, refused to cooperate, this battle would be extremely hard to fight—That was how the proportions worked.

While thinking over these matters, Masatsugu reached the rendezvous point in the sky over Oowakudani.

Leading his Centuriae in a spherical formation, General Wei Qing arrived from the direction of Hakone Yumoto.

"Masatsugu-dono."

"Yeah, I'm going to talk to him for a bit."

Masatsugu gave Rikka a look and left the Tōkaidō army of seven hundred and fifty Legions. Riding his wyvern alone, he approached the Roman army of four hundred and fifty. Who knew what would come out of his discussion with General Wei Qing?

The two of them met in the sky over Oowakudani.

Wei Qing said very candidly, "I am willing to cooperate with your plan, Masatsugu-dono."

"...Now that's really helpful of you to be so accommodating."

That being said, Masatsugu could not help but grumble this time.

"Since I haven't even told you the plan, aren't you agreeing too quickly?"

"Please rest assured, this is the power of my Feat of Arms."

"What?"

The ability to renact migty feats from the battlefields of one's past life—

Such was the special power of Feat of Arms. However, what kind of ability had Wei Qing invoked during this conversation? Masatsugu was greatly puzzled.

Wei Qing pointed at his own temple and explained. Normally low key, Wei Qing was speaking in a mischievous tone of voice for once.

"I have no idea whether my daily conduct resulted in karmic backlash, or I am simply afflicted with poor luck, but as a result, I am always surrounded by troubles outside of battle. Examples include unreasonable treatment from the upper class, or being forced to lead armies that are clearly weaker than the enemy..."

His words sounded like complaining, but Wei Qing's tone was filled with levity as though he were not talking about himself.

In fact, there was a gentle smile maintained on Wei Qing's face.

"Perhaps due to this, my ''intuition'' is especially sharp when it comes to matters of advance or retreat."

"Intuition?"

"Yes. My expertise lies in knowing when to advance or retreat, knowing where to move for better fortune and which positions are disadvantageous... All this is clear to me in a kind of premonition."

"You can really see that stuff?"

"This time, my intuition tells me that you hinted at is the most effective path to survival... This is precisely the effect of my Feat of Arms—Kanglong Youhui."

Wei Qing easily revealed his completely unassuming ability.

Masatsugu was very intrigued. Did this really count as a Feat of Arms?

Wei Qing smiled again and said, "There have been many eccentric people around me in the past. This includes an emperor who was a good judge of character, but had poor understanding of human hearts, the emperor's willful older sisters, obstinate generals, etc... Perhaps after being pushed around by those people for long years, I developed this kind of ability as a result."

"I see."

Masatsugu understood, but he was only half-convinced.

General Wei Qing having such an ability was probably true. Otherwise, he would not have obediently committed to Masatsugu's battle plan without knowing anything in advance.

However, a Feat of Arms purely for "improving intuition"—That was quite difficult to believe.

Masatsugu speculated that Wei Qing had exercised "temperance" in only telling part of the truth. The true effects of the Feat of Arms should be more powerful with intuition as merely the tip of the iceberg.

"General Wei Qing, if a chance arises, I'd really like to get to the 'bottom' of you some day."

"My true nature is not interesting at all. On the other hand, Tachibana-dono, your identity is far more intriguing."

"Me, you say?"

"The way you have fought your battles so far are only possible with a deep belief that your troops are the elite of the elite. Such are the types of tactics you employ, which take an excessively heavy toll on the soldiers."

"......"

"It is most likely that you hail from a strong nation, or perhaps you were a general leading heroes of the most elite sort?"

"Speaking of which, you said the troops you led were old and weak, General?"

Faced with Masatsugu's question, the handsome general smiled wryly and admitted, "Yes, the emperor assigned cavalry to me by to subjugate the equestrian Xiongnu tribes... Unfortunately, the riders and horses were all raised within Han borders. Compared to warriors who spent their entire lives riding across the steppes—The difference was as great as between heaven and earth."

In any case, the matter of command was settled with unexpected ease.

Dozens of minutes later, the two of them finally faced off against Edward the Black Prince.

"Morrigan, it is time to begin."

"As you command."

Edward had divided the Knights of the Garter into two divisions.

First of all, nine hundred of them formed a wide wall formation as the "front rank." A couple hundred meters behind, the remaining three hundred were the "back ranks."

With the black knights in the back ranks all equipped with longbows, "mode anglais" was fully prepared.

Edward himself and Morrigan were among the back ranks. The genie had switched to a doll-size simulacrum and was sitting on the Black Prince's shoulder.

Looking out at the enemy position, Edward was quite surprised.

"Drawing a diagonal line across the battlefield... An oblique formation, huh? How old-fashioned to employ the tactic of Lord Epaminondas. Hohohoho, famed generals of past and present, oriental and occidental, all use the same methods, is that it!?"

Speaking of medieval knights, the majority of them were actually uncultured brutes.

The point of promoting chivalry was to impart a system of basic morals on these unruly men who frequented battlefields. So-called knights were nowhere as elegant as imagined by modern people.

However, there was a rare exception right here.

Having received an elite education since childhood as part of the English royal family, he was instructed in courtly elegance and etiquette.

Apart from mastery in martial training and the arts of war, he was also well-versed in Latin with deep knowledge in classical Greek and Roman texts—This was what Black Prince Edward was like as a person.

Now, he noticed that Tachibana Masatsugu had recreated a famous tactic from ancient Greece.

"We are about to have a real showdown against the prince. All units, assemble into a line to create a wall."

Now consider the coalition force between the Tōkaidō Fiefdom and the Eastern Roman Empire.

They had also entered a wide wall formation like the enemy. Both sides were in the sky over Mount Souun at Hakone, forming their own respective "wall" with over a thousand Legions.

However, the coalition force's wall was very different from the British side's.

Starting from the left and moving across, there were six hundred red-purple Kanesadas, then four hundred silver Centuriae, and finally a hundred and fifty blue Kamuys.

Along the entire line, only the Kanesadas on the left were intentionally arranged in a column.

Thus, the formation became an "L" with a protrusion on the left instead of a perfect horizontal line.

█ 
█ 
█  █  █  █  █ 
█ 

The column on the left consisted of the six hundred Kanesadas.

Instead of uniform ranks, this arrangement concentrated not only manpower but also the toughest troops on the far edge in extremely deep ranks. This tactic was known as the oblique order, a type of unbalanced formation.

===Part 2===

Back to the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

The great phoenix of the Four Gods guarding this fortress was already gone.

However, the hundred-odd Crusades stationed here by the Black Prince were still around, currently fighting the coalition force of Centuriae and Kurou Hougans.

They had probably received orders to stay in the tutelary fort and continue to draw the enemy's attention.

At this rate, things should be fine.

Relieved, Shiori decided to change the subject.

"...The oblique order is an ancient Greek tactic."

The Tōkaidō side had set up a simple tent as a temporary camp on the lawn inside the tutelary fort.

Shiori was sitting on a foldable chair in the tent with a blanket over her lap. Activating the master-servant enchanted ritual had depleted her stamina greatly.

Fortunately, she remained conscious and was still able to use noetic control.

Currently, she had sent reconnaissance yatagarasu to observe the showdown between Masatsugu and the Black Prince.

The battle situation was projected into the air for a live broadcast. On the screen, Tachibana Masatsugu had ordered the Legions to enter an oblique formation.

"Back then, the mainstream tactic was to deploy troops in phalanxes with wide ranks of equal depth. However, Epaminondas, the commander of the city state Thebes, deliberately used a much deeper phalanx on the far left and succeeded in defeating a Spartan army of twice their number."

"Winning when outnumbered two to one!? That's amazing!" Hatsune's eyes glimmered brightly, very impressed. "But what I don't get is why it's a 'formation in a diagonal line'!"

"By concentrating elite troops on the left, the left side inevitably advances ahead. If the center and the right fail to keep up, the scattered forces would be subjected to either a frontal breakthrough or defeat in detail."

Consequently, the soldiers in the center and the right, which are advancing slightly slower, must follow the elite troops in the left—Shiori drew a diagonal slash in the air to explain.

"From overhead, it looks as though a diagonal line has been drawn on the battlefield from the top left to the bottom right."

"Princess, if Onii-sama knows this kind of sure-win tactic, that means he might be from ancient Greece!"

"This is undoubtedly impossible."

"Y-You don't have to reject my idea so decisively!"

"The essence of oblique order is not about 'drawing a diagonal line' but 'concentration of force on one side to be employed skillfully.' When deploying troops with this principle in mind, one would naturally choose similar formations."

After explaining the tactic in detail, Shiori added, "This has nothing to do with a commander's identity, geographic origins, or era."

"Oh I see now."

"On this occasion, it just happens to resemble oblique order, that is all."

"I get what you mean now, Princess. But from the tone in your explanations... Why do I get the feeling you already know Onii-sama's origins?"

"Is that so? I had no intention of insinuating that."

Hatsune pointed out the heart of the matter straight away, startling Shiori.

Acting as though nothing had happened, she hid her true feelings very naturally. After observing Masatsugu's behavior for a while now, Shiori had come to her own conclusion.

However, she had no evidence. It was not yet time to announce her findings at the current stage.

It was imperative to focus on the battle at hand to reach a swift conclusion, so that they could hurry to Tachibana Masatsugu's aid as early as possible—

"By the way, Hatsune, Masatsugu-sama also mentioned that your power is absolutely essential to this battle. You must prepare yourself, alright?"

"Yes, Princess!"

"I shall muster my greatest spiritual powers... to foil Prince Edward's calculations."

Shiori knew roughly what the Black Prince was thinking.

He intended to defeat the two Resurrectees of Tachibana Masatsugu and Wei Qing at the center of Hakone before moving on, successively visiting the four tutelary forts in the four cardinal directions, to defeat the Roman-Tōkaidō coalition forces.

Hence, he had ordered the Legions stationed at the various tutelary forts to stick to defense.

Conversely, Shiori's side had to do the opposite.

They must swiftly defeat the defense forces at the four tutelary forts then head over to aid the Tachibana-Wei coalition force in the center, to encircle the Black Prince—

Fujinomiya Shiori was the key to this battle plan.

Taking a deep breath, she focused her noesis again.

Back the sky over Mount Souun...

Masatsugu's Tōkaidō-Roman coalition force versus Edward's British army.

Facing each other, separated by several kilometers, the two armies finally moved forward. If they were to continue advancing like this, they would enter melee range.

Naturally, the two armies started by exchanging gunfire.

Capable of firing at a rate of ten shots per second, the bayonet rifles kept shooting, again and again.

Each side consisted of a great army, a thousand and two hundred strong. This implied a total of two thousand and four hundred rifles discharging scorching beams, producing a curtain of gunfire.

White protective barriers neutralized the endless beams.

The glow coming from both armies was precisely their means of survival. Unfortunately, many beams remained potent, striking the winged giant soldiers in their armor or body, puncturing them directly.

In this rifle showdown, the coalition force was holding a slight upper hand.

In other words, the united army of Kanesadas, Centuriae, and Kamuys were winning slightly.

The reason was simple. The three hundred Legions in the British back ranks had not participated in this contest of volley fire.

The black carcasses of the British Knights of the Garter kept crashing down one after another.

Naturally, the three hundred black knights did not remain still. They drew their bows and nocked their arrows of light, launching an archery offensive from the back.

"All archers, I am counting on you again."

Responding to Edward's command, the Garter Knights began to fire repeatedly at high speed.

Draw, nock, loose. Arrows flew with the sound of tearing wind.

Such was the nature of bows and arrows as a weapon, unlike rifles that shot with a pull of the trigger. The contraptions of modern convenience could fire at ten shots per second, while the English longbow could only reach a maximum rate of one or two arrows every ten seconds.

However, these arrows of light were capable of piercing protective barriers.

Even with their radiant glow for defense, the Legions of the coalition army could not stop the black knights' arrows.

Furthermore, the Garter Knights in the front rank had formed a "wall" to protect the three hundred black longbowmen, completely preventing the coalition army from retaliating against the back ranks.

Enabling the longbowmen to focus on firing was the essence of "mode anglais."

The marksmen in the back ranks raised their longbows at an angle to release their arrows. Tracing out parabolic trajectories, the arrows hurtled towards the coalition army's position.

One after another, many Legions, red-purple, silver-white, or blue in color, were shot down by the arrows.

They were clearly dying much faster than the British black knights. The British Empire's side was still superior in a shooting match...

However, the coalition army was not to be outdone.

Using an echelon formation, the Tōkaidō-Roman coalition's left column stood out especially.

The Kanesadas assigned to the left side were flying slightly faster than the Centuriae in the center and the Kamuys on the right.

With the left wing ahead, the entire army formed a diagonal "\" shape.

In contrast, the Garter Knights on the enemy side were in the shape of a horizontal "-" line.

In a minute or two, the front rank of the black knights were going to clash with the leading Kanesadas head on.

"Kanesadas—the two hundred of you in the front—Draw your swords and charge."

"I knew it would come to this. Focus the rain of arrows on the advance party. Do not let them succeed, or else the samurai swords will disrupt our formation."

The army of Kanesadas at the top left of the diagonal were many ranks deep.

The two hundred at the forefront accelerated and charged, causing the unit to protrude even further, closing in on the Garter Knights in one go.

The bayonet rifles in their hands all turned into the famed sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

The Kanesada unit with drawn swords must serve as the vanguard to approach and cut down the British Legions, thereby disrupting the enemy's packed formation by creating numerous dead bodies.

Once a packed formation began to break, all that was needed was to focus attacks at the breach and the formation's collapse would be inevitable.

However, arrows continue to rain down.

The longbowmen of the Garter Knights focused their fire, trying to annihilate the Kanesada vanguard that had their swords drawn. The red-purple Legions swung their Japanese swords, deflecting the rain of arrows.

Blades and arrows clashed.

Almost a month ago, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu had used the same method to defend against English longbows many times.

However, the situation today was different from last time.

"Tsk."

"Sure enough, the enemy is fatigued."

Masatsugu clicked his tongue whereas Edward grinned.

The Kanesadas' swordsmanship was clearly disorderly, lacking their original acuity.

Normally, Shinsengumi swordsmanship was capable of blocking the vast majority of arrows, but today, one out of every two arrows met their mark...

Dozens of Kanesadas crashed down from the sky, heavily damaged.

"Transporting the ''Tintagel'' was an excessive drain, huh?" Edward chuckled.

Odawara's shore was roughly sixteen or seventeen kilometers from Lake Ashi. Masatsugu had ordered his Kanesadas to fly while carrying a 183m-long large destroyer. Of course, this consumed substantial ectoplasmic fluid.

For Legions, this depletion of ectoplasmic fluid was equivalent to fatigue in humans.

No longer sharp in swordsmanship, the Kanesadas kept making mistakes they would not normally make.

"My archers, no need to pity them. Shoot with all your might."

Edward told his troops that this was the chance for victory.

The merciless rain of arrows kept slaughtering the red-purple swordsmen, inflicting substantial damage to the fatigued Kanesadas.

In the end, over half of the vanguard died before they could engage the enemy.

Even so, the echelon formation's sword-wielding vanguard finally approached the horizontal line of Garter Knights—

"All units, draw your swords. Show the enemy Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship."

In the ensuing battle, the famed blade and Hijikata Toshizō's swordsmanship were of paramount importance.

The remaining four hundred and seventy or so Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance and rushed at the British black knights, the Black Prince's personal guard.

Unexpectedly...

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it—The hundred of you engaging the red-purple Legions in the front, make use of shields."

The Black Prince recited holy words to invoke a Feat of Arms of the shield.

The Garter Knights and the katana-wielding Kanesadas clashed head on. The short inscription of "Honi soit qui mal y pense," resembling Latin, appeared on each shield wielded by the Garter Knights.

"My knights, you are protected by the insignia of the garter. Now raise your shields of justice to triump over evil!" "

The Garter Knights resisting the Kanesadas head on were one hundred out of the entire army.

Their armaments transformed from the standard bayonet rifle to ''rectangular shields''—not English longbows. The shields were almost the size of a Legion's body.

This was another of the Black Prince's trump cards and it had successfully defended against Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship before.

However, the Kanesadas had no choice but to soldier on. Masatsugu ordered them calmly, "Forget about defense—Go."

A hundred British Legions had given up their rifles for offense to raise up giant shields.

In that case, there was no need to strike a balance between offense and defense. Just attack with the strongest slash at full strength. The Kanesadas swung their swords to chop at the "black knights with raised shields"—They used the stance of ''hassou''.

The so-called hassou was a type of upper stance with the sword. Gripping the hilt, one would raise both hands to mouth level.

The vertical sword's tip would point at the sky and the clouds, thus in Tennen Rishin Style, its nickname was "the cloud-oriented sword"...

"Cut them down with all your might."

The Kanesadas kept chopping at the hundred shield-wielding Garter Knights.

They focused all their strength on their one sword strike without thinking about defense or follow up attacks.

However, the Japanese swords were almost always blocked by the shields of the holy knights. Some of the Japanese swords managed to cut into the shield's steel, but they were rare exceptions.

"Hohohoho, are samurai swords only capable of this much?"

"Try harder. You are the troops led by the man known as 'The Merciless.' If this is all you've got, watch out for the mockery you'll face in hell."

The commander of the holy knights smiled whereas the Merciless Vice-Commander calmly ordered the attack.

Responding to Masatsugu's orders, the Kanesadas lived up to their names as "demoniac children of the gods." Using hassou slashes, they attacked from behind their failed comrades or went over the heads of the troops in front of them—Fresh red-purple swordsman rushed out nonstop.

As for the Garter Knights, they raised their giant shields to cover their entire body.

The Kanesadas used their own bodies to smash into the shields or kicked to throw the British Legions off balance. Then seizing the opportunity, swordsmen from behind would rush forward, using their deadly swords to leave mortal wounds on the British Legion's body.

This method of fighting lacked the exquisite skill sought by the spirit of Japanese swordsmanship.

Instead, it more resembled "well-coordinated thugs used to street fighting in large groups."

This method of slaughtering enemies was unique to the Feat of Arms of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada inherited from the Shinsengumi Vice-Commander Hijikata Toshizō. During a chaotic battle, one could not rely exclusively on ''skillful swordsmanship''.

At the same time, this offensive was also planned by Masatsugu.

"Impressive as always, Tachibana-dono. Does the oblique formation take credit for this fierce offensive?" Edward muttered from the back of the British army.

While the soldiers in the front were locked in combat, troops in the back would rush forward to deliver a second strike, and a third, etc, fighting relentlessly to break the enemy formation—

Putting elite troops in a column with deep ranks had this effect.

And currently in a column, the katana-wielding Kanesadas had turned into a sword's tip to stab into the line of Garter Knights.

At this rate, the black knights' formation would not last for long.

However, the Black Prince had expected this as soon as he saw the enemy's oblique formation.

He said, "I knew long ago... You are a famed general capable of thrusting your samurai sword at my throat. Naturally, as a knight, I have prepared retaliatory measures as well."

Edward was flying on a wyvern mount.

He looked down at the melee battle taking place between the two armies. The Tōkaidō-Roman coalition in echelon formation was currently fighting the line of Garter Knights.

The protruding left side of the echelon formation was clashing violently with the right side of the line in a chaotic battle.

However, the other soldiers were separated by dozens to a hundred or so meters, and were exchanging gunfire without entering the chaotic battle at all.

Edward calmly observed the battle situation.

He was watching the melee contest between samurai and black knights.

Breaking through at that point would instantly overturn the battle situation—

"Upon a knight's honor... Pierce them."

The Plantagenet prince issued the order for death.

The three hundred Garter Knights in the back had been focused on firing their bows so far. Their armaments spontaneously turned back into the normal bayonet rifles.

Rising by a height of four hundred meters, they occupied the sky over the echelon formation.

The Black Prince commanded sonorously, "Knights of the Garter, charge at full speed with all your might!"

Edward had ordered a cavalry charge.

The cavalry charge was the favorite tactic of Richard the Lionheart.

Using the bayonets as "cavalry lances," the Legions flew towards the enemy at maximum speed to pierce Legion armor with the sharp blades. The impact and momentum of the charge was able to scatter the enemy. A so-called cavalry charge was to use hundreds or thousands of troops to conduct such an attack offensive—

This time, three hundred Garter Knights were used to launch a cavalry charge.

Unconcerned with harming friendly forces, Edward went as far as to issue a cruel order that attacked them as well.

The black meteors crashed towards the left wing of the echelon formation from four hundred meters above!

At the same time, Masatsugu issued a new order.

He could not help but smile when he saw that the enemy general was just as insane as he was. In a certain way, this also meant that they were truly good rivals.

"So we both came up with similar tactics..."

Immediately...

The Kanesadas and the Garter Knights that had started a melee battle, as well as the black knights charging at them, friend and foe alike—All of them were caught in an attack from the side.

This wave of attacks came from rifle fire of the hundreds of Centuriae and Kamuys on the Tōkaidō side.

===Part 3===
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===Part 4===
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===Part 5===
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</noinclude>

Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 5

2016-08-26T07:27:31Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 5 - Bloodlines of Sacred Princesses==

===Part 1===

November 22nd, Saturday.

Akigase Rikka's succession to the post of Governor General had taken place exactly a week ago.

During this time, General Wei Qing had headed out to battle, Tōkaidō's elites had gathered at the Fuji tutelary fort, and even Rindou-sensei had arrived.

As for the "Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi," Tachibana Masatsugu...

He ordered the Tōkaidō Chevaliers to attack Izu once a day.

This was the location of the Nagahama tutelary fort occupied by the Restoration Alliance. In the waters offshore of the Izu Peninsula, the British had three sister ships of the ''Tintagel'' on active duty.

Restoration Alliance Legions using that area as their base of operations were protecting the ''supply lines'' there.

Namely, the supply lines from Izu to Hakone over, sea, land, and air.

Attacking the three British vessels and the defending force occupying the Nagahama tutelary fort would affect Hakone's supply situation adversely.

For this purpose, Masatsugu had been sending hundreds of Kamuys to various parts of Izu day after day.

General Wei Qing, who was leading the Roman army, and the Kantō Fiefdom's Chevaliers were following the same strategy. Cooperating in surprising concerted attacks, they cleverly disrupted the Izu situation.

Not to be outdone, the Restoration Alliance summoned many Chevaliers to Izu to meet them in battle.

For the past week, both sides engaged in defense and offense every day.

As for today—

Masatsugu set off from the Fuji tutelary fort, but for a different purpose.

First of all, he traveled by car to the Yamanashi region under Tōkaidō jurisdiction. Then switching to helicopter at Yamanashi, he crossed the prefectural border on the east to enter Kanagawa—thus arriving at ''Odawarajou''. Furthermore, he did not go alone.

The new and beautiful Governor General, the little sister, and the noble lady liege also accompanied him.

"During the Edo period, Hakone Checkpoint was established near Lake Ashi."

Akigase Rikka and Tachibana Hatsune were listening attentively to Shiori's history lesson.

"Back then, the checkpoint was roughly four Japanese leagues from Ogawarajou, which is equivalent to sixteen or seventeen kilometers."

"That's less than a day's walk on ordinary roads."

"In practice, this required ascending the precipitous mountain paths of old Tōkaidō, which was no easy task."

"Hakone Checkpoint was a fortress during the Edo period and an inspection point with strict controls over 'the entry of firearms and the exit of women.' In other words, women from daimyo households leaving Edo and the carrying of firearms into Edo."

The current mood was laid back and casual, but it was also true that they were currently gathered at a particularly private location in Odawarajou.

The three girls were at the massive water shrine underground of the tutelary fort—In the bath there.

The decor and architectural style was reminiscent of an ancient Roman bath. The ectoplasmic fluid vat filled with blue holy water was also built from marble, giving off a solemn atmosphere.

Completely naked, the girls were soaking in the artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

The battle to capture Hakone was imminent and they were in the process of resupplying.

As an imperial princess, Shiori had decided to participate in the battle anonymously. Hence, she was also immersing herself in ectoplasmic fluid to boost her mystic powers even though she was not a Chevalier.

Unintentionally, Shiori's thoughts drifted in a certain direction.

"So these two have gotten into intimate relationships with Masatsugu-sama too..."

"? Did you say something, Your Highness?"

"N-Not at all. Nothing of consequence, please pay it no mind."

Shiori had accidentally murmured to herself.

While deflecting Rikka's curiosity with a smile, she secretly pondered.

(Perhaps too much has happened between me and Masatsugu-sama...)

Inexplicably, Shiori felt very curious about the figures of the other two girls.

Akigase Rikka was slim and trim in build.

However, she was by no means bony. Voluptuous in all the right parts as befitted a woman, the line from her bust to her waist was exquisite, bulging out and curving in appropriately, and the beauty of her form was enough to incite jealousy from any woman in the world.

Comparing herself to Rikka's figure... Shiori was a bit disheartened.

The princess had started her growth spurt at the age of fourteen, but she was never a fan of exercise. Compared to a lady Chevalier who trained diligently in martial arts, she seemed too flabby—Bluntly stated, she felt a bit "too fat."

On the other hand, Tachibana Hatsune's maturation had exceeded Shiori, the lady she served.

Even dressing in a kimono could not hide her magnificent bust.

However, Hatsune was a member of the Tachibana clan, who prided themselves on strength, after all. Frequent rowdy incidents and martial training had kept her slim in all the right places. Overall, hers was a voluptuous and undulating figure brimming with feminine beauty.

Needless to say, Hatsune's figure was the more full-bodied type.

However, Shiori was worried that such volume would better suit a man's tastes. Previously, she had read a men's magazine on a whim and one article reported the prevailing world-view of "size matters, the bigger the better."

In addition, there was another worrying element.

Compared to Rikka and Hatsune, Fujinomiya Shiori's intermediate figure was merely "half-baked"—Would this make her insufficiently attractive?

(These thoughts are totally meaningless...)

Recently, Shiori found herself inexplicably bothered by such matters. She was worrying whether Fujinomiya Shiori was lacking in attractiveness compared to the women around her.

She had never faced similar troubles before.

(Why am I agonizing over this? From an objective standpoint, I am undoubtedly a young maiden possessing beauty far beyond average norms...)

Shiori knew on a rational level, but could not stop thinking about it. This was quite a conundrum.

They were about to attack Hakone and she forced herself to banish these thoughts.

At that moment, she noticed that the two other girls had spontaneously fallen silent. Everyone was contemplating, sneaking glances at one another's figure...

"B-By the way, Princess and Rikka-sama," Hatsune hastily spoke up, "That General Wei Qing we just saw earlier... He's pretty handsome."

"I would agree, but of course, he is just not my cup of tea."

Unexpectedly, Rikka joined in on this type of frivolous conversation.

Perhaps she wanted to dispel the current awkward atmosphere too. Presented with this chance opportunity, Shiori decided to take it up.

"His elder sister was a renowned beauty who became the beloved consort of Emperor Wu, whose reign marked the pinnacle of the Han Empire. Perhaps he bears quite a facial resemblance to his sister."

The beautiful Wei Zifu had rose from being the emperor's beloved concubine to official empress.

The Wei family were originally lowly commoners. Wei Zifu worked at the household of Princess Pingyang, Emperor Wu's elder sister, which was how she found the opportunity to catch the emperor's eye.

Hers would be the quintessential tale of rags to riches, and the same applied to her younger brother too.

"Living in the remote mountains of China, tending to sheep, this young man went to the capital and began working as a laborer in the imperial palace thanks to his sister's connections. After learning of this, Emperor Wu made him a general and gave him an army of ten thousand to command."

"T-Ten thousand troops for a newcomer right off the bat!?"

"Yes. First of all, he was the younger brother of the emperor's beloved consort. Additionally, it was because the enemy consisted of Xiongnu nomadic tribes."

Shiori smiled at the sight of Hatsune's look of astonishment.

"General Wei Qing grew up relatively close to the Xiongnu sphere of influence. Furthermore, he knew many nomadic 'colleagues' from his sheep herding days—In other words, he had quite a few Xiongnu acquaintances... This also meant that he knew the ways and customs of the enemy better than anyone else."

"But even with these reasons, isn't he being favored way too much?"

"Normally speaking, people like him would only meet a tragic end, such as leading the army of ten thousand to death or fleeing back to the capital in disgrace. Surprisingly, all the other generals were defeated by the Xiongnu, but only General Wei Qing returned in triumph."

"Meaning that the aforementioned handsome guy had inborn talent as a general, to an unbelievable degree, right?" Rikka was extremely impressed.

Shiori nodded and said, "Yes, General Wei Qing would continue to distinguish himself, accumulating victories against the Xiongnu, rising to the dual posts of Chief Defense Minister and Generalissimo. However, for better or worse, his personality was extremely reserved and low key, and he stayed out of the spotlight in the army and the imperial court. I suppose one could call him a courteous and modest gentleman who treated his subordinates with kindness..."

"Your mission is as I've just explained. Do you understand?"

"...Understood."

Masatsugu confirmed repeatedly and the other party shifted her gaze in response to him.

However, the reply was weak and lacking in confidence. It was hard to say that a dialogue had been established.

The one whom Masatsugu was talking to was precisely the "shy" genie, Sakuya.

Sakuya looked like a young black-haired girl dressed as a shrine maiden. They were currently at Odagawarajou's central keep, overlooking the streets of Odagawara City and Sagami Bay.

This regional city facing the Pacific Ocean was located on the western end of the Kantō plain.

During the Sengoku period, the Houjou clan dominated the Kantō region and Odagawara was their stronghold. Like Atsumi, this historic castle town was the port city nearest to Hakone.

"Why can't you be more like that Rindou-sensei?"

"......?"

"Rather, I suppose Rindou-sensei is the exception."

The first thing Masatsugu did after arriving at this castle was establishing a tutelary pact with the underground water shrine.

The girls in his company were currently bathing to replenish ectoplasmic fluid. Masatsugu used this opportunity to talk to Sakuya, who had been brought here to undertake a certain mission. Very clearly, their dialogue was not lively at all.

"Looks like asking Rikka-dono to come along was the right decision."

Sakuya was the Suruga tutelary fort's guardian spirit. The principal image of the ifrit was still at Suruga.

They had brought Sakuya along for her to fulfill a certain mission. However, Sakuya was only willing to open her heart to long-time acquaintances. Just as Masatsugu shrugged, someone spoke to him, "You are Tachibana Masatsugu-dono, I presume?"

"And you are—General Wei Qing, right?"

This was the first encounter between these two, brought back to life from their deaths in the ancient past.

This general of the Eastern Roman Empire was a gentle-looking handsome man dressed in blue Chinese clothing. In contrast, Masatsugu was wearing his usual stiff-collar uniform with a new battle surcoat on top.

"I am counting on your support today, General Wei Qing. By the way, are you sure you don't mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"General Wei Qing, you will be serving as my support on this occasion. I feel bad about relegating you to such an unassuming role."

With Alexis Yang as the liaison, the Tōkaidō side had contacted the Roman army at Ogawarajou and the Kantō Fiefdom's castellan of Ogawara a number of times. Using the telephone or relaying messages through retainer beasts, there were many opportunities for direct communications.

Of course, the Ogawara castellan essentially agreed with everything said by the Roman side.

In actual practice, General Wei Qing was the only person whom Masatsugu needed to talk to. The battle plan the two of them devised today basically followed Masatsugu's ideas.

The was because General Wei Qing had accepted all requests made by the Tōkaidō side.

When the discussion was essentially over, Masatsugu wondered to himself. Why did General Wei Qing not raise any opposition against Tōkaidō at all?

Was he passive as a person or did he not have any plan better than Masatsugu's?

Or perhaps, he held a kind of enlightenment and confidence—He was deeply convinced of his ability to prevail over any kind of situation? For some reason, Masatsugu felt that this was the most probable.

"Hahaha, please do not let something so trivial bother you."

Masatsugu had apologized first, but General Wei Qing laughed cheerfully.

"This is actually better because I do not like excessive attention."

"It's great to hear that from you."

Looking at General Wei Qing's handsome face, gentle and smiling, Masatsugu was very certain.

Richard the Lionheart, Edward the Black Prince, and Generalissimo Caesar were all people who enjoyed being the center of attention, but this man was the complete opposite.

Perhaps because of that, Wei Qing was a famed general with unique qualities—

Masatsugu noticed General Wei Qing staring at him with curiosity.

"Is there something on my face?"

"No, actually, I have this unbelievable feeling."

The handsome Resurrectee showed an expression of nostalgia.

"When speaking to you, I get this impression... as though I am meeting someone from my homeland of the past. Excuse me for being forward, but may I inquire of your origins?"

"......"

"Born within the borders of Chinese territory—That does not seem to be the case for you. How unbelievable."

"Don't ask questions of this sort. I can't answer you."

"My apologies." General Wei Qing apologized to Masatsugu with a light smile. "I overstepped my bounds. Please forget I ever asked."

Prior to setting off to this battle, Masatsugu had received a great amount of ectoplasmic fluid.

This was owed to the three girls helping him. However, the powerful noesis emanating from him made it impossible to hide the fact that he was a Resurrectee.

Masatsugu politely declined probing attempts and General Wei Qing accepted with an open mind.

In any case, the two ancient generals were about to fight a common enemy in a joint operation.

===Part 2===

"Prince, you do not seem too trustful, right?"

The spirit Morrigan went straight to the point.

"You do not trust, the impregnability of this fortress, Hakone Checkpoint..."

"It is not as though I distrust it. I simply believe that things used by humans can likewise be taken down by humans... Wouldn't you agree?"

Edward the Black Prince sounded confident and composed in his answer.

The two of them were on the roof of the nation-protecting keep, roughly forty meters above ground. Hakone Yumoto's skies were overcast today with thick, dark clouds.

It was currently late November, on the afternoon of the 22nd. Winter was fast approaching.

Mountain wind was howling and the air was quite cold.

This location was the eastern part of Hakone Checkpoint, the first tutelary fort Seiryuu Gate—On the roof of the nation-protecting keep in the middle of the fort, Morrigan was conversing with her superior officer.

Since this area was an entrance into Hakone, the altitude was much lower than at the center.

However, the temperature today had definitely dropped substantially.

"That is why you issued the order, 'Retreat from Hakone at your own discretion.' Right?"

This was the order that Prince Edward had issued ten minutes ago.

He had discreetly relayed the order to his adjutant, Lieutenant Colonel Grayson, at the third tutelary fort Byakko Gate on the west. The pre-condition for carrying out this order was when circumstances prevented Edward from commanding the battle.

"Relax. Grayson will be fine. If deemed necessary, he will surely lead all our forces into the Izu Peninsula or the Pacific decisively."

The Black Prince was calm in tone as though he were uninvolved, even ''in the midst of battle''. Morrigan's response was equally calm.

"Battle has commenced, no more than two hours ago, right?"

"This is a necessary command since I have personally gone to the front line. Today's opponent is the Resurrectee in the Roman camp who has finally launched a counterattack... According to intelligence, he is a famed general from ancient China named Wei Qing."

Roughly two hours earlier...

Hakone's four prided tutelary forts, situated in the four cardinal directions, were attacked simultaneously.

Attacking the first tutelary fort on the east were a thousand Centuriae led by the rumored General Wei Qing.

Attacking the second tutelary fort on the south were a hundred and twenty Centuriae, also from the Roman side, together with seventy Kamuys of the "variant with elongated heads," perhaps belonging to the Kantō Fiefdom.

Attacking the third tutelary fort on the west were two hundred Tōkaidō Kamuys from Fuji.

Attacking the fourth tutelary fort on the north were a hundred and eighty Tōkaidō Kamuys from Yamanashi.

"Recon from retainer beast units and analysis by the noetics team, complete."

A sprite retainer beast happened to arrive with a message.

Morrigan used noetic waves to read its contents and reported indifferently.

"Apart from General Wei Qing's army, all others are formed from multiple Chevaliers—Mixed forces, in other words. Furthermore, none of the 'red-purple Legions' have been seen at any of the four battlefields."

"Tachibana-dono has yet to take to the field, huh?" Edward muttered to himself.

In the sky over the nation-protecting keep, a three-eyed golden dragon manifested.

This was the merged divinity of the Four Gods. Having deployed a secure noesis barrier around the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate, they were ready for anything.

As for the thousand Centuriae under General Wei Qing's command...

Looking out from the tutelary fort, the Centuriae could be seen occupying the sky in the Odagawara direction in a square wall formation.

Compared to the donut-style encirclement last time, they were slightly farther away.

"Has the enemy discerned the ifrit's weakness?"

Edward smiled fearlessly. Last time, the British side had used the Four Gods to deliver massive lightning strikes to pin down the enemy. The range of that meteorological decree only extended seventy or eighty meters outside of the noesis barrier.

Having discerned this, Wei Qing had forbidden his Legions from getting into range.

From a hundred meters away, General Wei Qing's Centuriae entered a square wall formation and attacked Seiryuu Gate's noesis barrier using volley fire.

"Open up the ''top'', Morrigan."

"Roger, that."

So far, the dome-shaped noesis barrier had covered the entire tutelary fort.

Obeying her superior's command, Morrigan disengaged the top portion of the noesis barrier. A group of Legions were looking up at the hole over their heads.

They were the four hundred Knights of the Garter that had gathered in the courtyard of the first tutelary fort.

They were all armed with longbows of steel. Wielding their bows in their left, the four hundred black knights aimed diagonally up, then nocked their arrows and drew their bows with their right.

"My loyal knights, fire English arrowheads into the Roman position!"

At the Black Prince's command, the four hundred Legions, that had turned into archers, began to shoot.

These longbowmen did not aim at specific targets. They simply fired at the "opened top of the dome" to produce a continuous outward stream of arrows of light.

Thousands of arrows of light shot into the sky then descended along parabolic trajectories.

In other words, countless arrows kept falling from the sky in a literal "rain of arrows." Furthermore, this rain of arrows consisted of deadly magic projectiles that could not be stopped by the protective barriers of Legions—

One after another, the silver Roman Legions were shot down by the arrows.

The black knights' shots did not follow straight lines and were different from pinpoint penetration.

This method relied on luck in order to strike vitals. Even so, these arrows inflicted definite damage regardless where they hit.

Even as a random curtain of projectile volleys, the killing power was still astounding.

Compared to last time, the efficiency in enemy elimination was not as superb, but still extraordinary.

This type of application was a characteristic of the English longbow formation. Making good use of secure defenses with the Archers of Crécy was Prince Edward's specialty.

"Prince, situation reports from the second, third, and fourth tutelary forts. Relying on powerful noesis barriers, every tutelary fort continues to hold against the enemy. In every battlefield, our side, the Restoration Alliance, is holding the upper hand."

Edward was the only Chevalier defending the first tutelary fort, Seiryuu Gate.

All the remaining Chevaliers had been sent to defend the other three tutelary forts. Back when the British learned that General Wei Qing was attacking Seiryuu Gate, the Black Prince had decided to defend this spot himself.

"Despite what I said earlier, the Four Gods have definitely proven to be very powerful. With the divinity stationed at Seiryuu Gate in the east, to think that it is possible to deploy equally durable noesis barriers at the tutelary forts in the west, south, and north..."

Prince Edward smiled wryly.

The merged divinity of the Four Gods was playing a key role at three other locations.

At the second tutelary fort in the south, Suzaku Gate, a giant three-eyed phoenix had manifested.

At the third tutelary fort in the west, Byakko Gate, a three-eyed tiger with golden fur had manifested.

At the fourth tutelary fort in the north, Genbu Gate, a three-eyed golden turtle with a snake for a tail had manifested.

Each divine beast was equal in power to the "three-eyed golden dragon" guarding Seiryuu Gate. This four-in-one collective entity was precisely the merged divinity of the Four Gods.

By combining the noetic energy of four ifrits, it was said that their power could be raised to the fourth power.

This was the defense concept behind the Four Gods system, but of course, its power reached only three or four fold in practice, nowhere as outrageous as raising to the fourth power. Moreover, extended usage could cause instabilities in the Hakone region's ley lines, hence it must not be overused arbitrarily...

Currently, the attackers were invading from the four cardinal directions simultaneously, hence, the power of the Four Gods was also intentionally dispersed.

This was a wise decision. Once any of the other three locations no longer needed defending, the freed up Four Gods could be temporarily "lent out" to another tutelary fort for combined defense...

Simply impregnable. This experimental fortress was truly quite astounding.

"Say, Morrigan."

"What is it? Prince."

"Wouldn't you agree that it is time for ''him'' to take action?"

"......"

"The power of the Four Gods is indisputable. However, it is ultimately a power bestowed upon this nation by Lord Tenryuu, Imperial Japan's sacred beast. Do not forget ''Eleanor's warning''."

"Of course, I have not forgotten—Prince, another message!"

A new sprite teleported next to them.

Morrigan instantly read the message brought by the small retainer beast and projected a window in midair.

Instead of showing words, the window played back a video in real time.

A gigantic object appeared, one that was very familiar to both Edward and Morrigan. But why? Why was it showing up here?

While confounded, Morrigan was filled with rage at the sight of her stolen belonging.

"I see... So such a move is possible too. It is so simple, and so ridiculous, that I never expected it. No, this method of usage is far too wasteful!"

Prince Edward suddenly laughed cheerfully.

Through astute perception, he had swiftly figured out the enemy's intent.

However, rather than "impressed," he was expressing "what the hell are they doing?" through exasperated laughter.

"In sight at last..."

Masatsugu finally arrived in the air over Hakone.

Riding a blue wyvern, he looked at the Hakone mountains beneath. A couple hundred meters ahead were the vast waters of Lake Ashi.

His ally, Akigase Rikka, was also riding a wyvern, flying beside him.

Their target was the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, located on the south shore of Lake Ashi—

"So that's the second of the Four Gods. Now that's overly grand."

"Indeed, golden objects are too ostentatious."

Rikka agreed with Masatsugu's unbiased opinion.

Hakone's second tutelary fort also featured star-shaped fortification walls

A giant phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters had appeared in the air, spreading its wings in an awe-inspiring display. There was a third eye on its forehead—The mark of Morgan le Fay.

This phoenix was the part of the Four Gods guarding Suzaku Gate.

Just as in the east, an impregnable noesis barrier was deployed around the tutelary fort.

Like at Seiryuu Gate, the ''top'' of the dome was open.

Suzaku Gate did not have Garter Knights for defense. Two hundred white British Crusades were standing ready inside.

Conversely, the attacking side consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae.

Mixed among the silver Roman Legions was a Japanese army—Seventy Kurou Hougans, the Kamuy variant with an elongated helmet resembling an ''eboshi'', a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Before Masatsugu and company sortied, Hatsune had entered Hakone first.

The Kurou Hougans and the Centuriae opened fire, slowly marching upon the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate. They were attempting to approach the enemy through low-speed flight.

The defending side relied on their secure barrier but did not neglect to strike back.

Powerful flames from the meteorological decree invoked by the British were pinning down the approaching coalition force. Whenever an opportunity arose, they sent a few dozen Crusades to fly out from the top of the dome to fire their rifles repeatedly.

The attackers was thrown into disarray by the defending side's perfectly coordinated maneuvers.

The Centuriae and the Kurou Hougans were unable to reach the noesis barrier and create a breach.

If the battle continued at this rate, the defenders were almost certainly going to win.

"It feels like I don't have any extraordinary insight about conducting sieges." Masatsugu shrugged and said, "Unlike Caesar, the siege expert, I can't think of any clever strategies. But ultimately... There's no need to demolish an entire castle in a siege. It's enough to just breach it at one location."

"Yes, which is why specialized weapons would be transported in ancient times to break fortification walls."

Rikka conversed with Masatsugu from atop their wyverns.

Ancient siege weaponry included battering rams and catapults that threw giant rocks. And since the medieval age, places around the world started using gunpowder and explosives.

"So as modern humans, we will be using this thing as a battering ram?"

As soon as Rikka murmured, ''the object'' started its attack from the sky.

Simply stated, "''a flying giant military ship'' emerged from the thick clouds, hurtling towards Suzaku Gate like a crashing meteor."

The ship's total length was 183m with a loaded displacement of 15 thousand tons.

The British destroyer with its streamlined body designed for stealth, the ''Tintagel'', finally entered the stage—

The magnificent and massive ship descended from the sky. Confronted with this dramatic catastrophe, even the three-eyed phoenix could not help but squawk.

Kwehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

The giant phoenix with a wingspan of seventy meters was originally hiding behind the noesis barrier that covered Suzaku Gate's surroundings to protect itself and the stronghold—

Now, the phoenix went through the barrier, coming ''outside'' of it.

It probably knew that emergency measures were in order. The three-eyed phoenix's gigantic body exploded with an intense blaze, turning into a humongous "firebird."

The firebird charged at the ''Tintagel'', trying to stop the ship's plunge.

However, the flying destroyer was escorted by a defending force. A hundred and fifty Kamuys were flying beside it in a spherical formation, Akigase Rikka's army.

These hundred and fifty Legions raised their rifles and shot in volleys, attacking the giant fiery phoenix with a curtain of gunfire.

The Centuriae and Kurou Hougans that had started the battle also fired in volleys to pin down the giant phoenix.

The humongous firebird was bathed in countless scorching beams and forced back momentarily.

Like crashing thunder, the large destroyer ''Tintagel'' smashed into the noesis barrier of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

===Part 3===

Weapons such as cruise missiles and ICBMs existed once.

After the conclusion of the Second World War, the US military had greatly promoted the efficacy of these weapons.

But during the practical application stage, the US military ran into substantial setbacks. This was an age when noetic disruption could easily cause destructive interference against the likes of infrared and radio waves. Projectile weapons unable to strike targets accurately without guidance—In the end, they became "useless" weapons.

Moreover, Legions had become the modern mainstay weapon.

They were able to resist "non-mystical attacks" with high probability.

Noesis barriers shared the same property. Hence, the various nations did not devote much of a budget towards missile research.

But in recent years, trends had shifted slightly.

Humans had developed a system allowing ifrits to take over the firing of missiles and the management of guidance, thereby imbuing attacks with mystical properties. The destroyer ''Tintagel'' was also equipped with such a system.

...Painstakingly, Masatsugu and company had transported the ''Tintagel'' to the sea near Ogawara City.

It would be possible to keep the ship by the shore to serve as "stationary artillery." Ogawara was only sixteen kilometers away from Lake Ashi in terms of map distance. The weapons on the destroyer could easily strike Hakone Checkpoint.

However, one would not expect mere artillery to have much of an effect against the Four Gods.

In that case—Masatsugu thought of an exceedingly simple method. He decided to ram the Four Gods using the destroyer ''Tintagel'' to see what would happen.

Needless to say...

A military ship powered by artificial ectoplasmic fluid and a fluid reactor did not have the ability to fly in the air.

"I thought this idea was beyond ridiculous when I first heard it," Rikka admitted without pretense.

"Using Legions to transport a ship—That would be too difficult. But on further thought, assuming you could summon five or six hundred Kanesadas..."

The large destroyer had flown from the Ogawara coast to Hakone at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour.

''The source of thrust was red-purple, and hundreds of them to boot''.

Every red-purple source of thrust was positioned against the hull and the sides of the ''Tintagel''.

These sources of thrust were Tachibana Masatsugu's Kamuy variant, a total of seven hundred "Kanesadas." For this day, Masatsugu had obtained a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid.

The Shinsengumi Vice-Commander's current Chevalier Strength had reached 722!

"Fortunately, this plan worked. It was not just our wishful thinking."

"Indeed, I'm relieved too."

As Kamuys, the Kanesadas were Legions with a relatively small build.

However, they were still eight-meter-tall giants, after all, and fierce winged giant soldiers to boot. They were strong enough to lift large trucks over twenty tons in weight and toss them.

Furthermore, they were able to produce thrust comparable to their arm strength—

Currently, Masatsugu and Rikka were riding wyverns, watching from the sky to see if their unusual plan would succeed.

...The ''Tintagel'' broke through the dark clouds and appeared in the sky over Hakone.

...The large destroyer began to fall, crashing towards the second tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

...The seven hundred Kanesadas separated from the ship, leaving the rest to inertia.

...Part of the defense force started to shoot, but even a screen of gunfire could not stop the military ship's plunge.

"Our naval personnel are all weeping. Their original plan was to unlock the noetic system so that they can make perpetual use of this ship to bolster their forces."

"No need to be too attached. We can just steal another one if a chance comes up."

After giving a barbarian's response, Masatsugu asked, "How is the genie doing?"

"She should be fine. Although Sakuya seems unreliable, if you give her a specified duration and ask her to work hard for ten to twenty minutes, she can deliver rather well."

"I see, that does seem to be the case."

The Tintagel's prow struck the noesis barrier, producing a thunderous crash. The golden dome of noetic energy became distorted.

The Four Gods did their best, trying to stop the massive 183m-long ship.

Immediately...

A giant explosion occurred from the prow of the ''Tintagel'' all the way to its center.

The British cutting-edge destroyer's fluid reactor had lost control, impossible to bring back to stability.

"Sakuya has succeeded in destroying the reactor core."

Rikka smiled, for she had brought Sakuya along precisely to fulfill this task.

The spirit left on the ship was probably erased in an instant. Since it was merely an avatar, it could revive itself any time as long as the principal image remained intact at Suruga.

The fierce explosion became the final straw to break the camel's back.

The ship crashed halfway through the noesis barrier, embedding itself in the tutelary fort's interior. The massive ship, 183m long, slid into the enemy position in a dramatic turn of events.

The ship's body also collided with the star-shaped perimeter wall surrounding the tutelary fort.

Needless to say, the ship smashed the wall before finally coming to a stop.

The noesis barrier had exhibited perfect defense until now. However,the barrier was shattered and broken around the hole created by the ''Tintagel'' with huge cracks forming on the golden dome.

Legions entered the cracks one after another to invade the tutelary fort's interior.

Those Legions were the coalition force formed from the Centuriae who had been attacking the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, and the Kurou Hougans led by Tachibana Hatsune.

"Masatsugu-dono, the plan has been a success of sorts."

"Thanks to everyone's help, we managed to transport the ship to Ogawara."

As mentioned previously, the map distance from Ogawara to Lake Ashi was sixteen kilometers.

Flying at a speed of sixty kilometers per hour meant traversing the distance in ten-odd minutes.

Furthermore, the ''Tintagel'' was still capable of sailing even though its noetic system was locked down by Morgan le Fay's power.

Working overtime, Tōkaidō disguised the ship's body and sailed it to Odagawara.

For this purpose, they kept attacking the Izu Peninsula and nearby waters to cause massive disruption to the Suruga Bay surveillance network, thus ensuring smooth passage. Once preparations were complete, the ''Tintagel'' passed through the surveillance network to reach the vicinity of Odagawara directly.

General Wei Qing was also acting as bait to draw the Black Prince's attention.

Only after confirming that the Black Prince and the Knights of the Garter had shown up at Seiryuu Gate did they start transporting the ''Tintagel'' by flight.

The idea itself was simple and stupid, but actually carrying it out required meticulous care.

"Now then—It is up to Her Highness and Tachibana to infiltrate and see if they can accomplish their mission successfully..." Rikka said quietly and Masatsugu nodded deeply.

Meanwhile, at the first tutelary fort, on the roof of Seiryuu Gate's nation-protecting keep...

"Tachibana-dono, do know that my side is not unprepared."

Edward the Black Prince laughed eerily.

Having witnessed Tachibana Masatsugu's bold but ridiculous ploy, the Black Prince laughed heartily. But immediately, he returned to a solemn expression. Gazing the video played by the spirit Morrigan of the battle situation at the second tutelary fort Suzaku Gate, he said, "Will your plan actually succeed?"

Edward offered taunting words to his formidable foe, who was a dozen or so kilometers away.

===Part 4===

Hakone's second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate.

Inside its star-shaped perimeter walls, Legions of three nations were fighting in a great chaotic battle.

The defenders were two hundred Crusades, mainstay Legions of the British Empire. Conversely, the attacking side invading the noesis barrier was a coalition force belonging to Rome and Japan.

The main force consisted of a hundred and twenty Centuriae, commanded by two of General Wei Qing's subordinates.

Seventy Japanese Legions were "Kurou Hougans." This team had attacked together with the silver Roman army after Tachibana Hatsune summoned them at Ogawarajou. The tops of their heads were elongated like ''eboshi'' and they wore red armor with white robes.

Legions of three nations were swinging their blades, firing their scorching beams, doing everything they could to slaughter the enemy.

Most striking of the warriors were the Kurou Hougans.

Kamuys were especially noted for their agility among Legions. However, the avatars of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune were able to move as light as a swallow in addition to their swift agility.

Jumping in a fluttering manner, the Kurou Hougans dodged the swinging blades of the Crusades repeatedly.

The agility they exhibited was akin to how Ushiwakamaru had toyed with Musashibō Benkei at Gojō Bridge. The Kurou Hougans were not only swift and nimble, with flowing footwork, but could even evade attacks from behind by jumping forward or using spectacular side steps, as though they had eyes on the back of their head.

It was hard to imagine these eight-meter-tall giants displaying such tengu-level martial arts.

When they attacked, their blades moved swiftly and sharply. Their bayonets instantly severed the Crusades' jugulars, easily penetrating the gaps in their armor.

That being said, it was hard to avoid stray shots on a chaotic battlefield.

A fair number of Kurou Hougans were hit due to bad luck or during balance recovery, and died to the blades of the Crusades.

However, these Kurou Hougans were quite a fighting force to be reckoned with, for an army belonging to a novice Chevalier.

While the Kurou Hougans were fighting bravely, their commander was accompanying the beautiful liege to sneak underground.

"Princess, we're approaching the goal!"

"I suppose there are no soldiers on guard duty, but let us proceed with caution!"

"Understood!"

Taking her personal lady-in-waiting and Chevalier Shiori had entered an underground tunnel.

Every tutelary fort was equipped with an underground water shrine and the four tutelary forts of Hakone were no exception. In case of emergencies, tunnels large enough for eight-meter-tall giant soldiers were built to allow Legions to swiftly recover from depletion of mystical power.

Of course, the tunnel went straight from ground level to the subterranean water shrine.

The two girls were each riding a Kurou Hougan. Hatsune was standing on one Kurou Hougan's shoulder while Shiori was on the other's palm.

The underground tunnel only had scattered orange lights for illumination.

The two Kurou Hougans were hovering, following the downward sloping tunnel. After a couple hundred meters, they were greeted by a wide open space.

"We reached the water shrine!" Hatsune cried out in joy.

The tunnel reached the top of the vast water shrine. Below them was a great reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid. Paths crisscrossed all over the surface like a chessboard and there was an entrance into the bath at the back.

Dozens of massive columns stood towering from the bottom of the reservoir up to the ceiling. Every column was uniform in size with a diameter of six or seven meters.

Stylistically, these giant columns were Corinthian from ancient Greek architecture.

"The ifrit protecting the tutelary fort—Its divinity baseplate is hidden inside a certain column in the water shrine. In the case of Imperial Japan, since this is always in a fixed spot, I will use noetics to search."

"Then let's go down there first, Princess!"

Hatsune directed the two Kurou Hougans to descend.

The landing spot was a path on the reservoir. The Legions instantly lowered the two girls. Just as Shiori was about to focus noesis on swiftly locating the divinity baseplate...

She sensed extremely ominous noetic waves from close by.

If one were to describe using a color, it would be "black." Shiori felt a chill down her spine. The noetic waves were filled with all sorts of negative elements—coldness, malediction, evil energy, curses.

"What is this...?"

"P-Princess!"

Just as Shiori was feeling intrigued, she heard her personal lady-in-waiting shout urgently.

Now she finally understood the noetic waves earlier were emitted at Hatsune. Shiori turned her head back, only to see the normally lively and cheerful girl standing frozen on the spot, her eyes unfocused.

Hatsune's entire body was entangled by negative noetic waves.

The one releasing these waves was a beautiful blonde maiden.

Her exquisite face was like a fairy's with an astoundingly pale complexion. Dressed in a pitch-black coat, this sort of funeral-like attire was a perfect match for her.

Rather than appearing suddenly, she had used stealth noetics to conceal herself.

The fact that Shiori had failed to sense her stood testament to her substantial prowess. The noetic waves restraining Hatsune were exuding from this young woman's body.

"Who are—"

Shiori was about to ask for her identity, but stopped halfway.

"Though I do not know your name, I presume you must be a princess of the British Empire. If necessary, I am willing to introduce myself first..."

"That would not be necessary."

The blonde's voice was crystal clear, no less exquisite than the beauty of her face.

"The British Empire has not neglected to gather intelligence. How could we possibly be unaware of Lady Fujinomiya Shiori? That being said, must I introduce myself?"

A smile bloomed on the girl's face, but there was no impression of cheerfulness.

Her essence was more akin to a mysterious bewitching rose, stars in the dark night, or faint moonlight.

"My name is Alexandrina Eleanor. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I knew it, the British Three Lions'—"

"I suppose I would be considered the daughter of the Three Lions. Pray forgive me but I cannot divulge the number of my siblings. I am quite surprised that you know of my existence, Lady Shiori."

The blonde maiden spoke cordially.

But held in her right hand was a dangerous instrument, a large-caliber revolver. This object looked extremely out of place in her pale and slender hand along with that cordial expression on her face.

The gun was aimed at Shiori's chest.

Suppressing her fear, Shiori said, "From Rikka-sama and Hatsune, I have heard about a masterful user of magic who made an appearance in Suruga..."

"You were able to guess from this scant information? You are truly as clever as they say, Lady Shiori."

Princess Eleanor smiled with delight.

Reportedly, she had easily infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort after the Restoration Alliance had started the war, using a mysterious bewitching skill to control Rikka, and even transformed in front of Hatsune to flee.

Only a royal princess would have the ability to wield special powers of this sort.

"Lady Eleanor... Did you pray to your own father for a wish? You obtained taboo powers of enchantment in exchange for your own lifespan."

The British princess smiled and did not answer.

However, Shiori's guess was current. In the present times, praying to the sacred beasts "to grant magical powers" was the only way to obtain abilities of that level.

Furthermore, this was different from a one-time wish such as praying for the descent of a Resurrectee.

How many decades of life were needed to obtain "versatile magical powers" that could be used repeatedly?

Princess Eleanor probably did not have long to live...

Even so, she maintained her sultry smile while pointing the merciless gun at Shiori. What a witch, literally.

"Are those powers the reason why you knew of my arrival?"

"What do you think? I simply felt a little sense of foreboding in my heart. A while ago, I was having a private discussion with my good brother—Prince Edward—about the most likely threats to Hakone. For example, a princess inheriting Lord Tenryuu's blood would probably be able to devise an unexpected plan."

"A little sense of foreboding, you say...?"

"Fufufufu. A woman's intuition is very terrifying, and I am a witch on top of that. When it comes to matters related to the occult or magic, my intuition is almost akin to an oracle."

"......"

"For the past few days, this sense of foreboding did not go away, which is why I tried coming to Hakone to guard the location that worried me the most—As expected, I ran into your grand arrival, Lady Shiori."

"Now that I have heard your explanation, my mood cannot be any worse."

Shiori relied on upbringing to resist the urge to click her tongue. Putting her facade aside, she spoke a few harsh words.

"Who could have thought that my plan would be foiled by a witch's intuition...?"

"Oh my, Lady Shiori, aren't you a master in mystical skills too?"

"My skills are nowhere near as underhanded as yours. Lady Eleanor, your magical powers are basically cheats in the realm of human calculation and conflict."

"That I do agree... By the way, Lady Shiori."

Click. Eleanor's thumb cocked the revolver's hammer.

"It is time for us to chat about the future. Would you and the lady knight over there be so kind as to join my side as guests? Or must I use this rather rude instrument to take you both away by coercion?"

"I am terribly sorry, but I have trouble falling asleep if I were to switch pillows."

"Please rest assured. Upon the honor of the British Empire, I promise to find bedding and a bedroom satisfactory to you. Cast aside your worries and follow me now."

Confronted with the smiling Eleanor, Shiori was in quite a conundrum.

Her bodyguard Hatsune was immobilized the whole time. So were the two accompanying Kurou Hougans. It was like they were bound and restrained.

Shiori was not confident of victory in a contest of noetics or mystical powers.

Had she no other options but to abandon her ambition and plans to follow the British princess' orders obediently...?

"I—"

Frustrated by her own helplessness, Shiori's voice was trembling.

"Fufufufu, don't kill me with laughter. You think this level of magic will allow you to take Imperial Japan's princess? Over my dead body."

Underground of the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, on the shore of Lake Ashi—

Someone who had no business coming to the water shrine had suddenly appeared. Her name was Rindou-sensei, and she was a reclusive figure of remarkable caliber, akin to Shiori's very own Zhuge Kongming, if one were to use a Three Kingdoms analogy.

===Part 5===

A few days ago, Tachibana Hatsune was lectured by someone she met for the first time, criticizing her for lacking know-how on selecting alcoholic beverages.

The trouble was that Hatsune was still a minor. She had not the slightest clue how to judge the quality of alcohol. She also did not know how drinkers thought. Hence, she decided to use the simplest solution of "outsourcing."

One after another, Hatsune phoned her Tachibana relatives who were living in the Suruga area.

"Hello, Uncle? Please send all the 'fine wine' you've got at home to the Fuji tutelary fort. The princess needs them. Don't even think about withholding the good stuff, or else I'll report you to the princess and tell her to condemn you!"

As a result, Hatsune received her alcohol the following day.

The Tachibana clan had no lack of ruffians and were hearty drinkers whose alcohol tolerance matched their martial strength and valor. The fine liquor treasured by these men was all shipped over to the Fuji tutelary fort by military transport vehicles for Hatsune.

In total, there were at least ten big crates.

This included limited-production local beers, sake of all varieties from standard up to the rare stuff of dreams, imported whiskey that would be a rarity anywhere in the world, thirty types of "Grand Vin" that had been snatched from a wealthy household's cellar, and an extremely rare collection of shouchuu. Everything was of the finest quality, coveted by discerning drinkers.

Previously, Rindou-sensei had declined Shiori's repeated invitations to come to Suruga, citing "too much of a bother" as her reason.

Precisely due to having such a personality, Rindou-sensei moved directly into the Fuji tutelary fort's barracks and "could not be bothered to leave" after seeing so much fine liquor, spending her days locked up in the barracks, savoring the alcohol alone.

After that, the day to attack Hakone arrived.

By her protege's side, Rindou-sensei paid extra attention to Shiori than usual.

Rindou-sensei had accompanied them to Ogawarajou too. Along the way, she was drinking from a stainless steel hip flask containing a phantom sake of limited availability called "Godslayer!"

The slightly tipsy mentor had stayed in the castle. She was supposed to simply see the princess off from there.

However, she unexpectedly appeared at the second tutelary fort, Suzaku Gate, to intervene between Eleanor and Shiori.

"Rindou-sensei..."

Shiori breathed a sigh of relief and called out her mentor's name.

This young girl, who looked like she belonged in elementary school, with a blue kimono and blue hair, was undoubtedly Rindou-sensei. As for her unanticipated arrival, Shiori was not surprised.

Rindou-sensei was capable of teleporting like pipe foxes or sprites if she wanted to.

Elusive and wielding powers of great potency and versatility were precisely Rindou-sensei's traits.

"Hmph."

Rindou-sensei glanced at the immobilized Hatsune and said, "Charm noesis that captures Chevaliers, turning them into servants—You are using quite an interesting technique. Nevertheless, it is useless against the princess and me, since ''we are not knights'', after all."

"You found out at a glance... Yours are truly discerning eyes of wisdom."

Eleanor smiled then acted swiftly and deftly.

She raised her right hand and suddenly shot, clearly very used to handling guns. The deadly bullet flew at Rindou-sensei's young face—

But it was deflected before it could hit.

"A noesis barrier..."

This time, it was Eleanor's turn for surprise to fill that pretty face of hers.

Rindou-sensei's petite body was glowing white faintly, and the light deflected the bullet. Furthermore, a snake was coiled around Sensei's blue kimono.

The silver-white snake flickered its tongue while atop Sensei.

The snake was two meters long with sharp eyes the color of rubies.

"A little snake that activates a noesis barrier... This pet wouldn't happen to be an ifrit, would it? From what I can see, you are something like a spirit, aren't you?"

"Hmph, stop wasting time on such inane matters."

Rindou-sensei conjured a fan into her hand as though performing a magic trick. Opening the closed fan, Rindou smiled and declared haughtily, "Though I am a very lazy person, I happen to be diligent at telling others to do my bidding. O daughter of lions, let my proxy punish you, go!"

"Good grief~ You're such a slave driver, Sensei!"

Immobilized all this time, Hatsune suddenly sprang into action.

Just now, the instant when Sensei had opened her fan forcefully, the noesis binding the novice Chevalier had vanished like a puff of smoke. This was due to Rindou-sensei's magical powers.

With a great swing of her arm, Hatsune threw something at Eleanor.

"But at least it was worth it for me to offer so much fine liquor as a gift!"

"Guh!"

Eleanor jumped away reflexively to dodge the blue object that Hatsune had thrown.

It was a blue scroll. For the sake of haste, Hatsune had thrown the physical manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation, the blue scroll, at Eleanor.

Last time, Hatsune had used the same attack to distract the witch Eleanor when she showed up at Suruga.

Unlike last time, Hatsune still had other measures available.

"Kurou!"

A winged giant soldier standing behind them also moved. One of the two Kurou Hougans. Its gigantic body, almost eight meters tall, raised its bayonet rifle with lightning speed like a tengu.

The muzzle instantly released a beam, firing ten shots in an instant.

"Father, grant me the power of your blessings!"

Just as the Kurou Hougan opened fire, Eleanor transformed into ''a black eagle''.

THe beautiful maiden swiftly turned into a bird of prey. She had used this transformation skill at Suruga too.

Eleanor flew into the air, dodging the ten consecutive flashes of light. Immediately, ten pillars of water shot up violently in the water shrine with great splashes.

The ten flashes of light had shot the water surface of the artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Turned into an eagle, Eleanor flapped her wings and soared, escaping the water shrine through the opening in the ceiling and into the underground tunnel that Shiori and her entourage had used to enter.

Only Japanese girls, utterly drenched, were left at the scene.

"That girl reacts so quickly, just like last time."

Hatsune sounded disappointed. The other party's reflexes were like a beast's. As fellow princesses who had inherited the blood of sacred beasts, Eleanor's reflexes and athletic ability was far superior to Shiori's.

"Thanks to her swift escape, we are saved."

Rindou-sensei stuck out her tongue, trying to get the last drop of liquor from her upside-down hip flask.

"To be honest, my magic is about to run out."

"Why, Sensei?"

"Without alcohol, I have neither mood nor magic. When I no longer feel tipsy, this thing will disappear too."

"...So basically, it's like the drunken fist?" Hatsune asked in puzzlement.

The silver-white snake, coiled around Rindou-sensei until now—the miniature manifestation of the ifrit Fukuryuu—vanished spontaneously.

Now that there was no one to disturb her, Shiori focused her mind to enhance her senses.

After concentrating for around sixty seconds, she noticed signs that the divinity baseplate was hidden in a certain pillar. Next, she was going to try out the enchanted ceremony Sensei had taught her.

"Gold does not fear trials of flame. Heroes do not fear trials of hardship. Abandon all hope, ye who enter this door."

Shiori recited the mantra as an imperial princess.

Today, Hakone's sky was gray and dim.

On clear days, it was possible to see Mount Fuji in the northwest, thirty kilometers away. Currently, dark clouds were shrouding the sky, with sounds of rumbling thunder.

These were warning signs of a cataclysm about to rock the heavens and the world.

The three-eyed phoenix in the air over Suzaku gate—

The eyeball on the phoenix's head was proof of Morgan le Fay's control. However, the third eye suddenly vanished, replaced by a "皇" character, which had meanings of "emperor" or "imperial."

Hakone's second ifrit had turned to the Japanese imperial family's control.

"I hereby order you, Suzaku, subordinate kin of the sacred beast, Lord Tenryuu. Take what I, Fujinomiya Shiori, say as the decree of my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, and swear absolute allegiance."

Transmitting noetic waves from the underground water shrine, Shiori commanded Suzaku.

Her body became drained and her legs lost strength. She was about to collapse and faint on the ground any moment.

This was probably the price of invoking the master-servant enchanted ritual by borrowing the mighty name of her grandfather, Lord Tenryuu. The vitality she had lost was perhaps equivalent to a year's lifespan.

...In fact.

Ever since the descent of sacred beasts upon the world, similar transactions have been taking place all over the world.

Starting from the latter half of the nineteenth century, the world underwent momentous changes. Women who had been wedded to sacred beasts, or their children who inherited the bloodlines of sacred beasts, would consume their life in exchange for obtaining mystical powers for their country.

Examples included Legions, artificial ectoplasmic fluid, ifrits, retainer beasts, noetic control, water shrines, fluid reactors...

Presently, Princess Shiori had taken control of the giant phoenix that protected Hakone.

She commanded, "O Suzaku, release all your noesis and go to sleep. I grant you special permission to give up your mission of protecting Hakone for the time being."

In the sky over Suzaku Gate, the golden phoenix howled loudly.

At the same time, its gigantic body, with a wingspan of seventy meters, released a golden aura.

This light was noetic energy, which was originally colorless and intangible. Excessively powerful noesis would exhibit color visible to the naked eye.

The golden noesis rushed into the sky that was filled with dark clouds, expanding like a display of aurora borealis.

The noesis presented to the heavens dispersed and vanished like smoke. The formerly golden phoenix changed color too, turning into a vivid fiery red.

Vermilion was precisely the rightful appearance of the ifrit Suzaku.

This change precipitated a chain reaction. Shiori spoke solemnly, "The trump card defending Hakone, the Four Gods, was born by merging the noetic energy of Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. Now that the noetic energy of one of the divinities, Suzaku's, has returned to the heavens, the Four Gods can no longer be sustained... Hakone has finally lost all its walls now."

These words constituted an oracle delivered by the Saiguu, the supreme shrine maiden of the Japanese nation.

At the first tutelary fort in the east, the three-eyed golden dragon turned back into the original Seiryuu.

At the third tutelary fort in the west, the three-eyed giant tiger with golden fur turned back into Byakko.

At the fourth tutelary fort in the north, the three-eyed golden turtle with a snake for a tail turned back into the black Genbu.

The noetic energy of the four-in-one union collapsed.

Of course, the British could no longer use ultra durable noesis barriers or meteorological decrees. The Four Gods Union had been disengaged forcibly, even making it impossible to keep the ifrits manifested.

The four ifrits vanished suddenly.

Hakone Checkpoint instantly lost its castle walls.

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| Forward to [[Chronicle_Legion:Volume_3_Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
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</noinclude>

Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 2

2016-08-06T06:29:45Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - To the East and to the West==

===Part 1===

November 8th, 0:00.

It was midnight right when the date rolled over.

Princess Shiori had gone to visit an old acquaintance.

"Our last meeting was..."

"August this year—Yes. It happened to correspond to the time when Your Highness returned from the Roman imperial capital."

"Yes, and you happened to be staying in Tokyo at the time, Akigase-sama."

This conversation was taking place at a special sickroom at the Suruga tutelary fort's medical division.

Eighteen hours earlier, Shiori had been lying on this same bed. Supplying ectoplasmic fluid for Tachibana Masatsugu for consecutive days, she had collapsed from exhaustion.

Now, her bed was being used by someone else.

Akigase Shouzan, Governor General of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom. He was Rikka's father and according to reports, he had been heavily injured at Nagoya Castle eight hours earlier.

"It is far too shameful for me to meet Your Highness in such a manner."

"Both victory and defeat are commonplace in war and injuries are often inevitable. I believe there is no shame in this." Shiori politely offered words of consolation, then changed her expression.

She smiled fearlessly and revealed the acuity of her intellect.

"It is impossible for a single fiefdom of Japan to stand against the British Empire. Any Governor General would have met the same outcome had they been in your place, Akigase-sama."

The elderly Governor General was on the bed, only managing to prop up his upper body.

He narrowed his eyes for a moment to scrutinize Shiori then smiled wryly.

"I almost thought your personality changed all of a sudden... But it turns out you had simply discarded your facade."

"Oh dear, please call it 'treating others with sincerity' instead."

Akigase Shouzan was a powerful politician and highly experienced as a judge of character.

Shiori had offered honest words to some degree, hoping to bring each other closer.

This was not to cultivate personal friendship. For a princess seeking ascension and a fiefdom's Governor General, this was simply part of their job.

"Strictly speaking, Akigase-sama, you are only to blame for one mistake."

"Waiting in vain for aid from Tōsandō and Kantō until the very end... I suppose that should be it."

"Indeed, you should have requested Eastern Rome's aid instead."

After hearing this, the elderly Governor General's wry expression lost its smile.

With a bitter face, he said, "Eastern Rome is Japan's ally, indeed, but one cannot consider them a friendly nation after all. Recklessly inviting a great army from Rome would very likely turn Tōkaidō into their dog, which was why I hoped for my compatriots in eastern Japan to extend a helping hand. All things considered, we are fellow citizens of Imperial Japan—"

"Certainly, it would be ideal to prevent Rome's participation in this situation." Shiori nodded in agreement. "The Restoration Alliance are aided by Edward the Black Prince and Richard the Lionheart, which necessitates Lord Caesar's active participation to oppose them. The problem here is that allowing Lord Caesar to join the battle would effectively make him the commander of the 'Anti-Restoration Alliance' forces—"

"Regardless of the Restoration Alliance's success or failure, Tōkaidō would end up owing him an excessively large favor."

Imperial Japan was divided into twelve provinces, ruled by the Twelve Houses as regional feudal lords. The relationship between the Japanese Empress and the houses was analogous to that "between the shogun and the various feudal clans of the Edo period."

Among the twelve, the Kantō Fiefdom held the most special position.

While serving as the protector of the imperial capital of Tokyo and the current Empress, they were also extremely wealthy economically.

And the one had Empress Teruhime and the higher-ups of the Kantō Fiefdom secretly "feeding from his hand" was none other than Generalissimo Caesar of the neighboring Eastern Roman Empire.

Akigase Shouzan had vowed to never repeat the same error as the Kantō Fiefdom.

However, the elderly Governor General now sighed in anguish.

"Lord Caesar is starting to intervene in the war, yet Japan has no one capable of relegating him to a supporting role... It would appear that Tōkaidō's futile struggle ends here."

"No, it would be impossible to relegate Lord Caesar to a supporting role."

This old man was powerful but he was not a hero of timeless transcendence.

His house and territory had fallen into an unprecedented crisis.

It was time for Shiori to deliver her feature presentation to him. Currently, there was no one in Japan in greater need of Lord Tenryuu's granddaughter and a powerful Resurrectee than him.

Shiori smiled with full confidence.

"However, as for relegating him to second billing... I do believe that such a casting would be feasible."

"Oh? Speaking of which," the Tōkaidō Governor General looked sharply at Shiori. "Lately, a familiar name has frequently come to my ears."

"Please allow me to offer a proposal, which covers this matter too. It concerns the future of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom now that it has lost Nagoya and met defeat at the hands of the Restoration Alliance..."

This was one item on the agenda during the war council this morning.

After the Roman military's Staff Officer Yang had relayed Generalissimo Caesar's intent, Shiori had devised "the next step in the plan." Rikka and Tachibana Masatsugu had agreed as well, which amounted to consensus on the Suruga side.

"How about abandoning Nagoya for the time being to pursue opportunities in the ''east''?"

"East... So 'Hakone Checkpoint' is what you are referring to?"

"Yes. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom will first make Suruga its temporary provincial capital then take back Hakone from Edward the Black Prince."

"Take back?"

"Indeed. This is also the purpose for which we are relying on your Chevaliers to head out to battle ''tonight''."

Hakone Checkpoint was an impregnable fortress. Furthermore, it was Black Prince Edward's stronghold.

Currently, the defenses at Hakone Checkpoint were far more secure than even Nagoya Castle. Akigase Shouzan widened his eyes, very surprised by the suggestion.

===Part 2===

November 8th, 00:35.

It was late night after the date had rolled over.

Headed by Tachibana Masatsugu, the Tōkaidō Chevaliers were out in the field, too busy to take a break yet.

They were headed for the regional city facing Suruga Bay—Fuji City.

This was one of the towns conquered by the Restoration Alliance a month earlier.

"I remember it was roughly ten days ago when we came here with the princess, right?"

"Yes, though last time was on the level of sneaking into someone's back yard..."

This conversation between the Tachibana siblings was taking place on a wyvern.

As the rider in charge, Masatsugu held the reins while little sister Hatsune rode behind him. Masatsugu gazed down at Fuji City's port of Tagonoura and said, "Our objective this time is to conquer this land. Let's check out what we're up against."

The Fuji tutelary fort was built as a star fort located four or five kilometers east of Tagonoura Port.

Presently, there were 242 Kamuys approaching the tutelary fort.

These 242 Legions belonged to the Tōkaidō army that Masatsugu had taken from the Suruga tutelary fort.

However, this army was composed of Kamuys, not the red-purple "Kanesadas" summoned by the amnesiac Resurrectee.

"Will the Nagoya knights be okay?" Hatsune asked in worry. "They're probably very tired. They've been fighting since daytime, then crossing mountains to escape to Suruga, and now they're on another expedition after almost no rest."

Masatsugu had decided to leave this attack on Fuji to his ''comrades''.

He had rescued ten Chevaliers from Nagoya Castle. Their names were Tana, Kamaru, Kusudou, Rio, Toraga, Sudo, Ikou, Bizen, Ayase, and Benke.

Their total Chevalier Strength was six hundred or so.

After the battle at Nagoya Castle, the majority of their Legions were dead or injured.

Fortunately, they still had 242 Kamuys in reserve when they retreated last evening. These forces were now deployed in full for retaking Fuji.

Setting off from the Suruga tutelary fort, they secretly marched underwater through Suruga Bay—

Then flying along Fuji City's coast, they launched a surprise attack on the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Relay orders to the noetic special ops team. It's our turn to use noetic disruption."

Masatsugu whispered from his saddle.

As the commander of the operation, he was observing from the back together with his little sister.

"Wireless communications and airwaves are no longer usable in Fuji City. Preparations for a surprise assault are almost in place. The rest is up to the Nagoya Chevaliers."

"The Kurou Hougans I brought could help out too..."

"No need. Wait here quietly."

"Understood~ ...Ooh, it's so nerve-racking to watch a battle from the sidelines."

Seventy Kurou Hougans were lurking in the sea as a reserve force.

Meanwhile, the 242 Nagoya Kamuys were advancing through the air in a spherical formation.

As the army approached the Fuji tutelary fort, they raised their rifles to fire in volleys. The enemy deployed a dome-shaped noesis barrier, completely enveloping the star-shaped fortress.

The Tōkaidō army's volley fire was blocked completely by the noesis barrier.

A gigantic eyeball also appeared in the sky over the tutelary fort.

With a diameter of sixty meters or so, it was "the eye of the death goddess."

"Onii-sama, look. It's that eyeball monster we encountered last time!"

"I think the ifrit is called Morgan le Fay... Probably an avatar."

The divinity's principal image was set up at Hakone.

However, Morgan le Fay's avatar was as powerful as an ordinary ifrit. Such was the astounding power wielded by the strongest guardian deity of the British Imperial Forces.

Around the giant eyeball was a defense force of 146 Crusades...

Hatsune was so nervous that she almost gasped.

"W-Which side has the upper hand!?"

The Tōkaidō army on the attacking side had 242 Legions. Numerical superiority was on their side, but after fighting intensely throughout the day, they were quite exhausted.

Against the enemy's noesis barrier, the Kamuy army changed formation.

They formed a "rectangular wall." The roughly two hundred and forty Kamuys arranged themselves into a rectangular prism—in other words, a "wall" eight Legions wide, five Legions tall, and six Legions deep.

The Tōkaidō army advanced as a wall, meanwhile continuing to fire.

They charged straight at the tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

The Restoration Alliance on the defending side first had the ifrit Morgan le Fay summon thunderclouds in the night sky. This was a mysterious power that controlled weather phenomena—The meteorological decree.

Blotting out the moon and the stars, the thunderclouds kept raining down lightning strikes.

Oddly enough, instead of targeting the Tōkaidō army's "wall in the air," the lightning struck Morgan le Fay's giant eyeball avatar.

The Tōkaidō army pressed forward, finally arriving at the tutelary fort's noesis barrier.

The dense wall of Legions versus the dome-shaped wall of noetic energy—

The two giant walls clashed directly.

Of the 242 Kamuys in the wall formation, the forty on the front face, i.e. 8 x 5, raised their bayonets to stab the noesis barrier before them.

Instantly, the barrier shook violently.

At the same time, a girl's adorable voice resounded throughout the night sky.

'Meteorological decree, activate. Shining spear... Receive the blessing of the death goddess.'

Masatsugu had recollections of this voice. It was the genie controlling Morgan le Fay.

Next, the giant eyeball in the sky released a powerful flash of lightning.

The eyeball had concentrated the previously absorbed lightning strikes into one intense attack—towards the Tōkaidō's 242 Legions.

The "wall in the sky" of 242 Kamuys shook violently.

Casualties for Legions on the outer surface of the wall were particularly severe.

Some of the Kamuys were scorched all over while others were blown back. Still others dropped their rifles or staggered unsteadily, etc...

There were also Kamuys that lost consciousness and crashed to the ground.

The British side took advantage of the chaos to attack.

146 Crusades had been waiting ready behind the giant eyeball in the air. Forty of them charged the right side of the "wall in the sky."

They were targeting the outer surface of the wall formation—in other words, the more seriously damaged Kamuys.

Confronted with this sudden assault, many of the Kamuys in the Tōkaidō army were caught unprepared and were stabbed in various vitals such as the throat, the chest, or the head.

The Crusades did not enter any formation.

Attacking swiftly with their blades, they sliced through the densely packed Kamuys.

Close to twenty of the small blue Legions died and crashed down.

After the quick assault, the Crusades rapidly retreated back to beside Morgan le Fay's giant eyeball...

Once again, the giant eyeball absorbed powerful electricity from the sky.

The enemy was planning to repeat the same offensive. Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

"I see, so this is what they're thinking."

"Onii-sama, did you figure out something?"

"Yes, our victory is assured."

"H-How so?"

"Hatsune, send a pipe fox to inform all Chevaliers in battle. The message is as follows: 'All units, keep going as-is and fight.'"

"Maintain the status quo? You're not offering strategies to handle the electrical attacks or directions to scatter and fight back!?"

"The way I see it, no need for that." Masatsugu declared firmly and explained to the surprised Hatsune.

"The enemy will not last."

Thirty minutes passed.

Morgan le Fay's eyeball repeated the same lightning attack ten times.

The Crusades also raided ten times in concert.

After every combo attack, the Tōkaidō army suffered significant damage... But currently, the battle was in favor of the samurai of Imperial Japan.

The "wall in the sky" formed from Kamuys remained intact.

Seizing opportunities to attack, the Tōkaidō army opened fire to unleash potent firepower.

The British Legions and the tutelary fort ahead had no choice but to take on this simple yet powerful attack.

The British side's noesis barrier was all riddled with countless holes and cracks, about to collapse. The defending Crusades were also down to about fifty...

"They're really going to win easily at this rate. Looks like the Nagoya knights still have enough energy to last the whole battle, despite fighting nonstop during the daytime. Their stamina is too amazing."

"Did you forget, Hatsune?" Masatsugu reminded the impressed Hatsune.

They were still riding one wyvern together. In the end, neither of them went up to the front line personally. There was no need to mobilize Hatsune's army either.

"Prior to setting off, the Nagoya Chevaliers established their tutelary pacts at Suruga and finished resupplying on ectoplasmic fluid. Doing this is enough to recover a Chevalier's stamina."

"Oh right."

Hatsune had experienced the same thing at Nagoya Castle so she immediately figured it out.

Their wyvern slowly flew towards the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Besides, the Nagoya Chevaliers are fueled by more than energy alone."

"What else is there?"

"Rage."

Masatsugu explained the battle situation while controlling the wyvern.

"They suffered a great defeat at Nagoya Castle without getting a chance to go all-out. If you give them a chance to fight after the fact, it's like dangling a carrot in front of a horse's nose. Their fighting spirit will be high, of course."

"Definitely, this could be considered a battle to regain their honor..."

"Compared to the Restoration Alliance at Fuji, the Tōkaidō side has superior numbers and morale. Even if the enemy play little tricks in this kind of situation, they still won't be able to dislodge our side's advantage."

"So that's why you told them to keep going as-is, Onii-sama!"

"Well, there was no way to issue any other order," said Masatsugu indifferently. "The Nagoya Chevaliers are too worked up. Besides, this army was assembled from ten Chevaliers in a hurry. They won't be able to properly carry out any command other than 'charge'."

"Your comment is a bit too direct here..."

"No matter how obedient Legions are, knights and generals are usually people with strong egos."

"But you're so amazing, Onii-sama. The battle really turned out as you predicted."

Hatsune praised Masatsugu with glimmering eyes.

After taking care of Richard the Lionheart, Masatsugu had said during the war council that 'Since Nagoya is going to fall anyway, we should set things up properly for today. We just might be able to retake Fuji City.'

Hence, their primary purpose in taking an expedition to Nagoya was not to support a retreat.

Instead, they were gathering up the scattered Chevaliers after their defeat so as to deploy them in the battle to recapture Fuji on the same day.

Indeed, they were starting a battle the same night as the Nagoya defeat.

This was the moment when the enemy would be the most complacent. Furthermore, Masatsugu was taking advantage of the fact that after Richard's defeat, the British were unable to fully compensate for the forces deployed in the Nagoya invasion.

"It's all thanks to defeating Richard yesterday." Masatsugu muttered. "Without that victory, the expedition to Nagoya would've been a dangerous gamble. The attack on Fuji might've been very difficult too."

"Oh right, Onii-sama, you said something weird a while ago."

Hatsune recalled the conversation from thirty minutes earlier.

"You saw through the British army's plan and even said 'So this is what they're thinking,' didn't you?"

"Seeing as the enemy did not choose the simplest and wisest course of action, I guessed that they had probably thought up some kind of smart-ass idea."

"What smart-ass idea?"

"Figure it out yourself. We'll compare notes later."

"I can't believe you won't tell me, that's so mean!"

"I'm not toying with you on purpose. We're going to be busy next."

"Like rushing into the Fuji tutelary fort?"

"That's one of the reasons, but I expect Hakone to send reinforcements soon. We need to come up with a solution."

"Just intercept them here!"

"No, fighting should be avoided if possible. I wish to enter a dialogue."

"...Dialogue?"

Hatsune tilted her head in puzzlement, unable to understand her older brother's words.

Her intelligence was still an unknown, but her instincts were very sharp and her wits were unexpectedly quick too. Soon enough, she would probably understand without needing detailed explanations.

Flying on the same wyvern mount, the two of them gazed upon Fuji City's night scenery and Suruga Bay below.

The tutelary fort was just ahead. Reflecting light from the moon and the stars, the night ocean's surface was filled with a fantastical atmosphere.

===Part 3===

A battle between the Tōkaidō army and the Restoration Alliance had broken out at the Fuji tutelary fort.

Just as victory was about to be decided, the genie Morrigan also began to retreat. Naturally, this so-called retreat did not refer to physical movement.

She summoned her consciousness back from the simulacrum stationed there as her avatar.

The spirit Morrigan's principal image was located at the impregnable fortress, Hakone Checkpoint.

Fuji City was thirty kilometers away from Hakone. After spending twenty minutes, Morrigan's consciousness finally returned.

"...What an, embarrassment."

As soon as Morrigan returned to her usual simulacrum, she could not help but grumble about the humiliation of defeat.

The intricate doll stood 150cm tall and looked like a living girl. Morrigan was sitting in a rocking chair, dressed in a sailor outfit with a beret.

"I am terribly, sorry. The Fuji tutelary fort's defense... was a failure."

"You have no need to apologize, Morrigan."

The man commonly referred to as prince replied gently.

Edward the Black Prince.

The ultimate military genius born to the English royal family in the medieval age, he was also the commander-in-chief of the British Imperial Forces stationed in Imperial Japan.

"Your role is nothing more than a castle's guardian goddess. Humans are the ones responsible for human accomplishments and failures . Responsibility for the defeat lies with Defoe and Chamberlain—the Chevaliers on the field who were commanding Legions and giving you directions."

Edward and Morrigan were currently at Hakone.

The location was a military facility near Komagadake, inside a room in the command center.

Back when this land was under the Kantō Fiefdom's control, the room was the office used by the "supreme commander of the Hakone tutelary fort." Now, it belonged to Britain and Edward the Black Prince.

The divinity baseplate of Morrigan's principal image Morgan le Fay was also housed in the command center.

Until a few dozen minutes ago, she was still possessing her avatar at the Fuji tutelary fort and participating in the defensive battle. Never did she expect failure as the outcome—

Morrigan was gnashing her teeth in chagrin.

The "prince" said to her, "Knowing you, Morrigan, I am certain you warned them prior to the battle. 'Against a numerically superior enemy, it would be wise to refrain from attacking recklessly. Focus on defense together with Morgan le Fay and wait for reinforcements from Hakone.' Right?"

"Precisely."

"However, Defoe and Chamberlain ignored your counsel."

"......"

"Since Uncle could not participate in the Nagoya invasion, we had no choice but to send experienced Chevaliers from areas adjacent to Hakone, which includes Fuji City. Taking over defense duty on their behalf, Defoe and Chamberlain are both young and inexperienced Chevaliers."

Edward closed his eyes and deduced what had transpired.

"With Chevalier Strengths around 70, ineligible as Knights of Her Majesty, they are impatient to distinguish themselves on the battlefield. Coincidentally, an army from Suruga attacked... Hence, they immediately ordered you to pin down the Tōkaidō army. Then they raided the enemy's disrupted ranks."

Edward correctly described what had happened over the course of those dozens of minutes as though he had witnessed it first hand.

"However, the enemy commander knew very well that," Edward shrugged, "as long as they calmly maintained the status quo... All they needed to do was stay in formation and handle Defoe and Chamberlain's little tricks, then victory was theirs for the taking with numerical superiority on their side."

Morrigan's doll eyes widened. Her commander's eyes of wisdom had astounded her.

As always, Edward had a full and detailed grasp of what had occurred in a distant battlefield.

"Since you know, so well... Why not send, other Chevaliers to Fuji?"

"Insufficient manpower. Besides, don't be silly." Edward sighed. "It's not like I am a prophet or have clairvoyance. How could I possibly predict everything about the enemy before the battle started?"

"Your abilities approach, clairvoyance already."

Morrigan's tone sounded more like sarcasm than praise.

She knew that this was neither magic nor extrasensory perception.

In his past life, Prince Edward had accumulated countless experience across hellish battlefields, naturally honing a sharp sense of perception.

Perhaps the enemy general tonight was equally wise and insightful?

Meanwhile, Edward fell into deep thought.

"Attacking Fuji from Suruga at this point in time. The strategic openings caused by Uncle's defeat that cannot be plugged until tomorrow or the day after..."

Analyzing the reasons for the defeat, the prince was showing signs of a smile on the corners of his mouth.

"He must be the one in command after all?"

At that moment, Morrigan sensed noetic waves.

A noetic officer had reported the arrival of a small messenger retainer beast sent from the Fuji tutelary fort and was requesting Commander-in-Chief Edward's decision.

"Prince, the Fuji tutelary fort has sent a message. 'Requesting dialogue between Hakone and Fuji'."

"Oh?"

The Black Prince smiled in amusement, sounding like a mischievous child in tone.

"Morrigan, help me dial that thing... called a fixed line telephone, is it? Call the command center at the Fuji tutelary fort. The other side will pick up right away."

"Affirmative." Morrigan nodded and did as requested by the medieval hero who was unused to operating modern contraptions.

Hakone Checkpoint and the Fuji tutelary fort.

After the British forces captured them, these two places came under the Restoration Alliance's control, and they usually kept close contact through frequent telephone calls.

Morrigan operated the telephone on the office desk.

She turned on the speaker phone and invited her boss to speak.

"Hello," Edward spoke a greeting to the phone.

'Are you there?' Soon after, a reply was heard on the speaker. Morrigan had recollections of this voice, it was Tachibana Masatsugu. She had previously encountered this Tōkaidō Chevalier in the outskirts of Fuji City.

'I was thinking—Perhaps you might come to Fuji yourself, Prince.'

"I have some important matters to handle at Hakone, but I did dispatch my personal guard. Three hundred Knights of the Garter are headed towards Fuji City."

'Meaning you won't be coming in person, Prince?'

"To be honest, I do regret my decision. I never thought you would run all the way over to Fuji."

Edward shrugged.

As soon as he received news of a "surprise attack on Fuji," he had immediately dispatched an army of black knights.

With Morgan le Fay's support on the battlefield, victory was assured even without the Black Prince's personal presence. Naturally, that only applied against ordinary enemies.

Morrigan held back her feelings of humiliation while listening to her superior's conversation.

"I heard you were quite active in Nagoya this morning too, Tachibana-dono. Appearing everywhere in less than half a day, now that is truly elusive... No."

The legendary prince smiled while he conversed with the mysterious enemy general over the phone.

"Rather, celerity is the soul of warfare, wouldn't you agree? Magnificent. Those self-proclaimed military advisers always love to pointlessly deliberate over intricate tactics or unusual strategies. Yet the vital principle of celerity is lost upon them where the swift and maneuverable triumphs over the slow and ponderous. Tachibana-dono, you are well-versed in the key principles of warfare."

'......'

"Your trap for defeating Uncle and the constant traveling for the past two days, every move of yours has been profoundly fascinating. What I truly want—"

Edward paused and switched to a provocative tone of voice.

"What I truly want is your name and to conduct a bit of research on that."

'Not at all, you praise me too much... So, what are your plans?'

"Well, I shall order my black knights to halt their march while I take to the field... A duel with you ought to be the ideal choice."

'The Lionheart last night and the Black Prince tonight. Two consecutive evenings of extravagant banquets.'

"Indeed. Last night, even though Uncle attacked in full force, you were able to achieve victory by using fewer than four hundred Legions. Such extraordinary methods."

'I was at wit's end too.'

"Quite so. However, thanks to your painstaking conservation of forces, I believe you probably hold five or six hundred red-purple swordsmen in peak condition, yes? Or perhaps, even more than that."

Morrigan widened her eyes in surprise.

The Black Prince was positing that the mysterious general, Tachibana Masatsugu, had a Chevalier Strength surpassing 1000.

Edward's own Chevalier Strength reached as high as 1256. He believed his opponent to be a famous general on the same level, a mighty hero rivaling the likes of Richard the Lionheart, Julius Caesar, or Admiral Nelson—

"Yesterday, the quantity of your Legions was unnaturally low... When I learned of that, I was wondering if you had deliberately conserved troops as a precaution in case I attacked. Would I be bragging if I said that?"

'No comment. I have only one thing to say to you.' On the other side of the call, Tachibana Masatsugu spoke indifferently, '...My side is prepared to defeat your English longbow formation at Hakone, the one we saw a few days ago.'

"Oh? My 'mode anglais'?"

'If you cannot wait, I don't mind demonstrating it at Fuji tonight.'

"Superb. My blood boils in excitement for the first time since my arrival to Japan. Since you say so, Tachibana-dono, I shall ''meet you in battle'' in perfect English style."

'It's a promise.'

"Then today's fighting shall conclude here."

'We will fight another day at Hakone.'

"Yes, this is the promise between you and me."

The conversation ended and the other side hung up.

The effect of the Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy was to switch the Garter Knights' weapons to bows to create a team of longbowmen. This Feat of Arms was virtually synonymous to the name of Prince Edward.

And defeating this formation had been brought up in this conversation between two master generals.

In other words, this was a preliminary skirmish where knightly and samurai honor were at stake.

"Perhaps... Tachibana-dono isn't actually a 'samurai'?"

Once again, his whispered comment shocked Morrigan.

Meanwhile, at the castellan's office in the Fuji tutelary fort...

Just earlier, this room had still belonged to two British Chevaliers.

Sitting on a rocking chair in the room was a doll resembling a living girl. It had the appearance of a petite Caucasian blonde beauty, dressed in a sailor outfit.

According to speculation from noetic officers, this was a genie's simulacrum.

"Hey Onii-sama."

"What's up?"

Masatsugu had just ended his conversation with Prince Edward at Hakone.

After winning the battle between Legions, taking Hatsune and ground forces along, Masatsugu had entered the Fuji tutelary fort and captured various facilities.

Securing the office took first priority.

After doing that, he had sent a message demanding to speak with Hakone.

"The Black Prince thinks you're conserving the Kanesadas... But actually, Onii-sama, you don't have many troops left, do you?"

"I don't."

Legions that fall in battle near their stronghold would resurrect in roughly a day.

"Near" specifically referred to within ten kilometers. But last night, Masatsugu had gone beyond the ten-kilometer range to engage Richard's army at Mount Satsuta.

Back then, he lost a hundred and sixty Legions whose revival would take at least a week.

''It is particularly easy to replenish troop numbers when fighting at one's stronghold.''

This was the greatest feature of home advantage.

Moreover, Masatsugu was handicapped by ''the inability to replenish ectoplasmic fluid the normal way''. At the present moment, the maximum number of Legions he could summon would be around a hundred and twenty.

"Onii-sama, it's because of your various ingenious moves that the legendary Black Prince thinks you're his equal, right? This is part of your power, I guess?" Hatsune commented poignantly. "It's just that it feels like scamming."

"Don't put it like that. There are three main points to remember when confronting a major nation's army with a smaller force. First of all, deception. Secondly, intimidation. Finally..."

"Don't tell me it's bluffing?"

"Correct. You're good at figuring this out."

"Luckily, the prince really fell for it."

"Now that's not really correct." Masatsugu told the naive little sister. "The English formation is ''actually more suited to defense than offense''. This is why he didn't take the bait when I tempted him to attack Fuji. Instead, he said he'd meet me in battle at Hakone. That was a declaration made with absolute certainty of victory."

"More suited to defense than offense?"

"That's right. Before the actual battle, I'll need to come up with a solution."

"W-What? Even the mention of a way to defeat them was a bluff?"

"Exactly. Anyway, there's no need to fight again tonight, so that's pretty good already."

"I suppose. Worry about tomorrow when tomorrow comes."

Hatsune drew upon the bold and unfettered nature unique to her clan of larger-than-life characters and agreed with Masatsugu.

Masatsugu slowly said to his little sister, "By the way, Hatsune. I've been meaning to ask you for a favor, so let me take this chance to tell you."

"What's the matter? You look so serious, you know?"

"You still remember there's a school festival to be held at the beginning of next month, right? I'm a member of the executive committee after all, and in charge of the beauty contest to boot. There aren't enough contestants and I'd like your full support..."

Hatsune stared at her older brother in rare gaze of criticism.

Masatsugu felt quite troubled and wanted to know the reason.

"What's with you?"

"We are currently fighting the Restoration Alliance. Isn't bringing up a beauty contest way too inappropriate?"

"Excessive suppression of entertainment during times like these would not be a good thing. People need to find chances to relax. The other students and I all need to take a breather."

"Onii-sama, you're really looking forward to it, aren't you...?"

"Suruga's situation will be improving now that the Tōkaidō Fiefdom has retaken Fuji City. Events like the school festival or the beauty contest should be able to proceed without problems."

"Why does it feel like you specifically recaptured Fuji City for the sake of the beauty contest?"

"......"

"O-Onii-sama!?"

Masatsugu invoked his right to silence to avoid slips of the tongue.

===Part 4===

November 12th.

Four days had gone by since the fall of Nagoya and the recapture of Fuji City.

"I'm so touched. I haven't seen shops this packed with merchandise for so long."

"Supplies are coming in every day from Yamanashi after all."

Hatsune and Masatsugu were chatting inside a supermarket in Suruga City.

The two of them had gone out for shopping.

This was a large store not far from the student dormitories. Just recently, the food and drink sections had been cleaned out with almost no merchandise at all.

Although supplies could not be considered abundant at the moment, at least half the shelf space was being occupied by merchandise.

Fresh food such as meat, vegetables, or fish, and other goods such as instant food or sweets were finally replenished.

"My days of destitution, forced to water down flour, then bake and flavor it as a substitute for snacks, has finally come to an end..."

"I can't believe you went that far."

"Man does not live on bread alone, Onii-sama."

Suruga and its surroundings had been blockaded by the Restoration Alliance for over a month.

Neither people nor goods were allowed to flow, thus interrupting all logistics. Thanks to the municipal government and the tutelary fort managing and rationing of food, crisis was narrowly averted.

After revealing she had moonlighted as a crisis pastry chef, Hatsune said solemnly, "I can't say there's an abundance of goods, but being able to shop is a good thing at least."

"Yes. The earlier situation was like those countries whose economies collapsed from hyperinflation."

This social commentary came from Okonogi Taisei's mouth.

"It's like having money but no goods to buy... I'm so touched that there's bread for sale at the school snack shop today."

Taisei was the student council vice-president and also one of Masatsugu's few friends.

Both Hatsune and the lady she served, Princess Shiori, were living in the Black Lily Dorm reserved for the princess' exclusive use. After school today, Hatsune and Masatsugu had gone shopping for dorm supplies and food.

Before returning to his home in the city, Taisei tagged along with them to stroll around.

"Masatsugu-kun, this is all thanks to you guys for taking back Fuji City."

"The many Chevaliers brought back from Nagoya are a major reason too. Now we've got a lot more troops and commanders."

West of Suruga City was Kakegawa City and its tutelary fort.

East of Suruga City was Fuji City and its tutelary fort.

For the past month, both sides had been occupied by Restoration Alliance forces. Railways leading east and west were completely shut down while roads were blocked too.

However, north of Fuji City was a usable national highway.

This highway led to Yamanashi Prefecture, which was part of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

After recapturing Fuji City, vehicles could finally come and go through the "Shizuoka to Yamanashi" route along Suruga-Fuji-Fujinomiya-Koufu.

Of course, ordinary cars were still restricted from free passage.

However, protected truck convoys transporting supplies were allowed to travel without impediment.

The various tutelary forts in Suruga, Fuji, and southern Yamanashi were responsible for protecting the truck convoys.

A defensive line had been set up by deploying the Chevaliers whom Masatsugu and company brought from Nagoya and the ones rescued from the Fuji tutelary fort last time.

"The land of Japan has mountains everywhere." Masatsugu muttered, "Hence, the first priority in ground transportation is to secure mountain routes. Regions like the plains of Kantō are actually exceptions..."

"But it's too early to celebrate the current situation, right?"

"You're right. Starting from Kakegawa, everywhere west of Suruga is within the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence. On the east, Hakone and the Izu Peninsula are also captured by the Alliance. They also have command of the sea in Suruga Bay."

Taisei was not too optimistic and Masatsugu told him the truth.

"The east and west are under enemy control. This situation hasn't changed very much."

"Yeah."

"That sounds kinda like the game Reversi. Surrounded by enemies up, down, left, right, it feels like it's almost game over."

Hatsune's comment prompted Masatsugu to nod.

"Ultimately, this is a game of capturing castles. The more tutelary forts you have, the greater the advantage. You're instantly disadvantaged if you get surrounded or caught between two fronts. It's admittedly similar to Reversi in a way."
[[image:ChronicleLegion 03 Map2.jpg|thumb]]

"It becomes very easy to understand if I use this kind of mindset... Oh right, Onii-sama." Mid-sentence, Hatsune pointed at the top shelf. "Help me get that, will you? It's a special okonomiyaki sauce that Kansai people like to use."

"This one?"

Masatsugu's height was 175cm while Hatsune was around 160cm tall.

Fulfilling his duty as a taller man, he took the required item and handed it to his little sister. Dressed in ''Haikara-san'' style, Hatsune smiled tenderly.

Watching their interactions, Taisei suddenly said, "Recently, you two have a different vibe going there."

"Eh?"

Hatsune jumped in surprise at the unexpected observation.

Taisei continued, "You seem to be closer than before. It's like you're real siblings now."

"W-Well of course. Onii-sama and I are together—uh, working hard together. For the princess and Suruga's safety, we're working our butts off."

"So your tacit understanding has improved too, I see?"

Taisei showed a look of comprehension whereas Hatsune looked extremely shy.

Listening to their conversation, Masatsugu thought to himself.

Okonogi Taisei was a high school student with handsome facial features.

However, he was a blockhead and never the subject of romantic gossip. The fact that he failed to use words like 'couple' or 'newlyweds' as description here was fully indicative of his true character.

This friend left the supermarket alone to return to his home in the city.

"Onii-sama, let's go to the tutelary fort next."

"Sure."

Left alone as a pair, the Tachibana siblings exited the store and went to the parking lot.

Getting around the Suruga suburbs was very inconvenient without your own car. This was quite different from the suburbs of Tokyo. Parked inside the parking lot was a car kept in "reserve" at the princess' personal dorm.

According to Imperial Japan's laws, sixteen was the minimum age for a driving license.

Hatsune was in charge of driving while Masatsugu sat in the front passenger seat.

"Sheesh, that Taisei-san. I can't believe he blurted out something like that. My heart almost jumped out of my mouth," Hatsune said before starting the engine.

"He just said we seem to be close, right?"

"T-True, but we have many special reasons behind that."

"And they are?"

"Think about it. Every morning lately, the two of us have been together..."

Hatsune was referring to her job of supplying ectoplasmic fluid to Tachibana Masatsugu.

This role had currently fallen upon Hatsune. Princess Shiori had secretly provided the service before, but the heavy strain had taken a toll on the princess' health.

For this purpose, Masatsugu had been going to Hatsune's personal room for the past few days.

Inside the princess' dorm, there was a bedroom used by the lady-in-waiting and bodyguard.

Every morning, Masatsugu would quietly visit her room where Hatsune had risen from bed early to engage in intimate skin contact with him, allowing him to absorb warmth and ectoplasmic fluid from her body.

Hatsune had her duties as lady-in-waiting so her mornings were quite busy.

Hence, Masatsugu always visited at around 5am while the sky was still dark. Today was no exception.

Having got up already, Hatsune was wearing just an undershirt, shyly welcoming Masatsugu's arrival.

The two of them started by drinking green tea first, sitting together on the bed's edge—

Only after chatting awkwardly for a brief while did Hatsune finally speak up timidly.

'O-Onii-sama, it's time to start...'

'Yeah.'

With Hatsune's permission, Masatsugu reached out.

He would skillfully take Hatsune into his arms without being too forceful.

'It's my fault that the princess had to endure excessive strain. I need to be careful from now on to avoid the same mistake.'

'Don't worry, my body is very healthy.'

'That's true, you've got a great body.'

'I know, right? I work out diligently.'

Hatsune had misunderstood Masatsugu's comment.

Her build was slender but the bust and hip areas were quite voluptuous.

In the beginning, woman was the sun—Hatsune's figure reminded Masatsugu of this quote. Embracing her body, he enjoyed an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

Hugging her tightly against his bosom, he could feel a clear sense of elasticity and tactile feedback.

Furthermore, Hatsune's body was always fiery hot rather than just warm.

Perhaps it was due to excellent blood circulation or her younger mental age. Recently, Masatsugu had been hugging Hatsune's body every morning.

Needless to say, their behavior was not limited to hugging alone.

Masatsugu brought his face against Hatsune's body and kissed the little sister's tender skin and neck.

'Mm, mmmmmm!'

Lovely moaning escaped from her lips.

Perhaps she was startled by Masatsugu's cold skin and the physical pleasure. However, she still accepted Masatsugu's embrace wholeheartedly...

Hatsune's undershirt opened up in front of Masatsugu.

He would enjoy the close-up view of the little sister's deep cleavage at every opportunity.

He could even remove Hatsune's undershirt. Whether to do so or not depended entirely on his choice. Initially resistant, the little sister would waver and grumble, but she probably would not refuse.

Finally, Hatsune was guaranteed to yield obediently, actively offering her tender skin to warm up Masatsugu...

However, Masatsugu did not actually do it. It would be best to save this sort of behavior until their relationship had progressed even further, such as when this maiden accepted Masatsugu's marriage proposal.

Such a moment was expected to be in the near future.

In any case, Hatsune tolerated Masatsugu's behavior, ending up disheveled and moaning. Then she would grumble quietly in a submissive voice.

'Sheesh... Onii-sama, your hands are so naughty, every time...'

With her cheeks reddened in shame, there was reproach in Hatsune's tone.

Most people probably would not find Tachibana Hatsune very feminine as a girl.

However, these expressions of hers shown only to Masatsugu were truly too innocent, adorable, and endearing.

West of Suruga City was the mountainous region formed by the adjacent peaks of Mount Udo and Mount Kunou.

Driving swiftly along the mountain road, Hatsune soon reached the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Hatsune, you have many duties in the mornings, right?"

Masatsugu spoke up from the front passenger seat. He believed that the daily resupplying of ectoplasmic fluid did not necessarily have to be done in the mornings.

"Why don't I switch to visiting your room at night from now on..."

"N-No way. If it's at night, the princess might not have gone to sleep yet. If she were to notice sounds or other signs of us doing ''that''..."

Hatsune shook her head, refusing to perform the ritual at night.

"If we're discovered, that'd be pretty embarrassing—no, it's extremely embarrassing..."

"Oh?"

"S-So that's why it has to be early morning. The princess is still sleeping at that hour."

"I see."

Speaking of which, their lady liege had a number of special powers.

Shiori's sixth sense or intuition was apparently quite sharp. Precisely because of that, she seemed more sensitive to secrets than the average person... Something like that.

Take this morning for example.

When Masatsugu was heading to the dorm entrance after leaving Hatsune's room...

He had encountered the princess by chance. She was dressed for bed in a nightgown.

'W-What is the matter, Masatsugu-dono?'

Shiori was already up at 6am.

Masatsugu did not know if she happened to have gotten up early, or if she secretly rose from bed only because she sensed something. In any case, the princess' countenance looked quite flustered.

'Why are you returning—c-correction—Why are you coming to the dormitory at this hour...?'

'I left something here.'

'Oh... I see.'

After the conversation, Shiori had hastily returned inside.

Was it possible that the princess had noticed signs of her two personal subordinates secretly sharing ectoplasmic fluid, and thus beset with mixed feelings, she was pacing back and forth inside the dorm in agitation?

This could very well be true.

"By the way, Onii-sama, I'd like to discuss the princess with you."

Unexpectedly, Hatsune brought up the lady they served.

"Recently when the princess is with us, have you noticed she's got this vibe like she wants to say something but can't? Like there's something she needs to get off her chest."

"......"

"Sometimes, she exudes this kind of 'I can't bring myself to say it despite this burning urge!' aura."

"Maybe you're not imagining things."

"I know, right!? Surely, it's because she has too many worries about the futures of Japan and Tōkaidō and it's weighing on her heart, which is why she wants to confide in us."

"Oh?"

"Onii-sama, let's work hard and help lift the princess' spirits!"

"Got it."

Tachibana Hatsune's benevolence and naivete was not quite the same as Okonogi Taisei's obliviousness.

Masatsugu found his little sister's brand of liberal-mindedness quite adorable and endearing. In contrast, their lady liege's personality was much more complicated.

Simultaneously good and evil, willing to resort to ruthless means, yet she had an innocent maidenly side to her.

Fujinomiya Shiori was smart and eloquent. There were very few matters she would have trouble broaching. Perhaps he should approach her to have a detailed discussion some time soon.

"Onii-sama, we're almost there."

But before that, Masatsugu and company had to take care of something at the Suruga tutelary fort first.

Today, they were having a "meeting" with the Governor General, Akigase Shouzan.

===Part 5===
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===Part 6===
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Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 1

2016-08-02T07:01:18Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 1 - The Fall of Nagoya Castle==

===Part 1===

November 7th, 15:45.

"Nagoya is Tōkaidō's provincial capital..."

The location was the main keep of Nagoya Castle. The man occupying the position of Governor General of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom was at the castle's highest balcony, gnashing his teeth. Slender and crane-like in appearance, he was an old man with a blazing gaze.

Dressed in a kimono with an Inverness coat, he was a man of striking impression.

"Never did I expect it would fall to an enemy of a thousand..."

Governor General Akigase Shouzan, ruler of Tōkaidō, remarked in self-mockery.

Currently, "winged giant soldiers" were fighting in the skies over Nagoya.

The invader was the Restoration Alliance. Ten Kinai Chevaliers were leading roughly five hundred Kamuys to attack in concert with the British Empire's six Knights of Her Majesty and the five hundred Crusades under their command.

A mixture of Anglo-Japanese Legions had formed a coalition force of a thousand.

In contrast, on the defending side, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had a total of sixteen Chevaliers with roughly seven hundred Kamuys.

A great battle was taking place in the sky over Nagoya between a total of seventeen hundred Legions, friend and foe combined.

"Is it impossible to oppose the British Empire when they invade in earnest?"

Akigase Shouzan muttered to himself, his voice filled with poignancy.

On the morning of November 7th, the Restoration Alliance finally started to launch a full offensive against Nagoya and its surroundings.

There were five "tutelary forts" in the region.

These tutelary forts were modernized strongholds created by repairing and remodeling ancient castles and stationing ifrits as guardian deities. The water shrines built underground allowed them to function as bases from where Chevaliers and Legions, the mainstay weapon of modern militaries, could operate.

Namely, Okazaki Castle, Kariya Castle, Kiyosu Castle, Inuyama Castle, and Nagoya Castle.

The Restoration Alliance directly attacked the defensive net formed by these five castles.

Leading five hundred Kamuys, the Kinai Fiefdom had invaded from west of Nagoya. Leading five hundred Crusades, the British Empire's six Knights of Her Majesty attacked from the east.

Nagoya was caught in the middle between the two fronts. Naturally, the enemy's ultimate target was Nagoya Castle, which was the Tōkaidō Governor General's residence and administrative center, the most vital location.

The Restoration Alliance had broken through the Tōkaidō provincial army's defenses to close in on Nagoya Castle.

However, the castles of Okazaki, Kariya, Kiyosu, and Inuyama had also sent Chevaliers leading Kamuy armies as reinforcements to rescue Nagoya Castle.

"The Crusades are truly powerful... No, it is the Knights of Her Majesty who are powerful."

The tide of battle was clear to see. Tōkaidō was obviously at a disadvantage.

"Is it all due to the difference in practical battlefield experience?"

The Restoration Alliance and the Tōkaidō provincial army had given up on formations.

The Legions were scattered about, fighting in close quarters. All over the Nagoya sky, Kamuys were getting defeated by British Crusades.

The Crusades were a size larger than the diminutive Kamuy in physique.

In terms of power output and pure combat strength alone, the Crusades were superior. Furthermore, the Knights of Her Majesty in command all had plenty of field experience and Chevalier Strengths over 90.

Imperial Japan did not have many Chevaliers capable of standing up to them.

"Inferiority in both strength and numbers, such adversity is truly impossible to overcome," Shouzan said quietly.

Also, the Charter of Chivalry imposed several restrictions on attacking civilian buildings.

When fighting in the sky over a city such as Nagoya, intentional destruction of the urban landscape below was forbidden. Indeed, ''intentional destruction''.

For the sake of argument, consider the case of a Legion that had been shot or stabbed.

Unable to sustain flight, the Legion would crash to the ground, its gigantic body and armor crushing buildings in the process. Such cases were accepted as exceptions by the Charter of Chivalry and freed of responsibility.

Currently, the falling Kamuys and Crusades were mercilessly crushing Nagoya's streets.

Fortunately, dead or injured Legions did not explode, but they were still eight-meter-tall giants after all. Their corpses weighed dozens of tons.

Many buildings were smashed by the falling Legions, possibly killing people who had not fled to underground shelters in time.

"The Knights of Her Majesty broke through our defenses, then the Kinai forces invaded... This simple approach totally relies on the British."

Akigase Shouzan scoffed in disdain.

"However, no matter what the defeated side says, it would amount to nothing more than a loser's complaints."

Both Kinai and Tōkaidō were using Kamuys, the blue Legions of Imperial Japan. When civil war broke out, it was common for the aggressor to add fabric strips or extra garments to distinguish themselves.

In this case, the Kinai Kamuys were wearing ''red scarfs''.

"What a disgrace. I failed to devise a single effective measure despite knowing of the enemy's imminent invasion. This incompetence is unacceptable."

"Your Excellency..." Nagoya's castellan bowed his head in anguish.

Shouzan continued, "The Kinai Fiefdom is backed by the British Empire, which means we need support from either Tōsandō or Kantō. However, I exhausted all manner of demands and negotiation methods and still they refused to be swayed..."

"I believe the Tōsandō Fiefdom is leaning towards the Restoration Alliance."

"This is currently unverifiable. Please watch your words."

Shouzan warned the castellan then proceeded to go on a sarcastic diatribe.

"Speaking of which, that fiefdom apparently feels dissatisfied because they received a landlocked realm of mountains back when the lands were divided among the vassals... It would come as no surprise if they actually are colluding with the Restoration Alliance in secret. As for the Kantō Fiefdom—It must be their old habit acting up again. Always sucking up to those women of the imperial palace, only wanting to leave all military matters to Rome."

"Your Excellency, you apparently need to exercise prudence in your words too..."

"Oh, indeed, let us return to the topic at hand. Well, since we cannot rely on the neighboring fiefdoms, Tōkaidō's only choice is to turn to Rome for help." Shouzan shrugged. "But asking them for aid would run the risk of making Rome our master."

"Just like how the Kinai Fiefdom is currently obeying the British military's every word... Right?"

"As dogs of Rome, those Kantō people are no better. No matter, regardless, we no longer have the luxury of waiting for reinforcements."

"All we can do is try our best and see how long we can hold." The castellan quietly expressed his determination, then said, "If only Rikka-sama were here."

"Even with her here, she can't turn the battle around on her own... Wait, I recall that she sent a letter whose contents I found rather intriguing."

Rikka was Akigase Shouzan's eldest child.

Although she was the beloved daughter born to Shouzan in his later years, she was definitely not a sheltered lady.

Matching any man in valor, Rikka was Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier and normally posted at Nagoya Castle.

Unfortunately, she was trapped by the Restoration Alliance at Suruga City, serving as the temporary castellan at the tutelary fort there.

In truth, out of Shouzan's retainers, his daughter was the most powerful warrior of them all.

The two younger brothers were no match for their eldest sister. The gap in their talent as generals was as great as between heaven and earth.

Regarding the name of "Hijikata Toshizō" mentioned by his beloved daughter—

Unfortunately, Shouzan did not have time to ponder it.

A ring was heard at the scene. A pipe fox had teleported to arrive.

The palm-size retainer beast released noetic waves to project the words of a message into the air.

'Partial destruction of noesis barrier. A force of Kamuys have invaded Nagoya Castle.'

"They are finally here...!"

Like ordinary tutelary forts, Nagoya Castle had a guardian deity stationed there.

Its name was the ifrit Nue, named after the monster that had appeared at the Emperor's residence of Seiryō-den in the past. The western equivalent in mythology would be the chimera.

The Nue featured a monkey's face, a tanuki's body, a tiger's limbs, and a tail in the shape of a snake.

This ifrit had deployed a noesis barrier to cover the castle.

This barrier was essentially the final defense line. The invading enemy's first priority would be to take over the underground water shrine and capture Governor General Akigase Shouzan.

"No need to protect me. You should go to the front line and focus on defending the castle."

"Affirmative."

Unlike his daughter, Akigase Shouzan did not possess a Chevalier's power. Instead, he left the fighting to his trusted retainers while shouldering all outcomes and responsibilities himself.

Both Shouzan and the castellan were in their late sixties, from the same generation.

Having known each other for so long, the castellan responded concisely and prepared to set off.

Before leaving, the castellan noticed an army of Legions flying at high speed towards Nagoya Castle from the east.

On a chaotic battlefield where friend and foe were mixed together, this army was packed in a wedge formation.

The orderly army was particularly conspicuous and consisted of about a hundred Legions. All of them blue samurai of Imperial Japan, they were Kamuys. But were they Kinai's or Tōkaidō's reinforcements?

"That is—Rikka-sama's army!"

The castellan yelled excitedly. His keen senses as a Chevalier had detected Rikka's noetic waves.

Shouzan hastily took out his binoculars.

Through the lenses, he observed the gradually approaching army. Standing at the head of the formation was indeed his beloved daughter. She was dressed in Imperial Japan's military uniform, riding a blue wyvern.

"Did she rush here from Suruga knowing that Nagoya is in trouble?"

Despite the female warrior's gallant arrival, Shouzan shook his head.

"What is she doing? Reinforcements of this number will not change the fate of Nagoya's fall."

Rikka's Chevalier Strength was 154, no less than any Knight of Her Majesty.

However, this quantity was still not enough to overturn the battle situation. The father frowned at his daughter's heroic but reckless act of bravery.

"Watch out, Your Excellency!"

A Crusade came flying and the castellan shouted sharply.

The Crusade raised its rifle to fire repeatedly while flying towards Shouzan's balcony. The enemy must have been drawn to the conspicuous main keep.

The scorching beams were being fired at the balcony with a rate of ten times per second.

Normally speaking, this situation would mean certain death, but fortunately, the castellan reacted appropriately.

"In the name of Zuihou, the appellation of the warrior—Assemble, Kamuys!"

The castellan swiftly summoned three Kamuys to block in front of the balcony.

Using themselves as shields, the blue samurai defended the balcony. Shot in the face and torso, the three Legions died in sacrifice, but they also raised their rifles to strike back.

One shot pierced the Crusade's throat, resulting in mutual annihilation—

The castellan had averted disaster in the nick of time. However, both the elderly decorated Chevalier and Shouzan were shocked.

"Your Excellency!?"

"Argh!?"

One of the Crusade's stray shots had struck the roof of the main keep.

A large amount of timber, tiles, and other debris was falling from the collapsing roof and onto the balcony where Shouzan and the castellan were. The two of them were buried alive under the rubble...

It was ten minutes later when they were finally rescued by the soldiers rushing to the scene.

The castellan only suffered light injuries with bruises all over him, but Shouzan was in no state to get up on his own—

===Part 2===

Slightly earlier...

"We should head to Nagoya too."

It was the morning of November 7th when Tachibana Masatsugu had asserted that.

It was 9:13am at the time. Several hours earlier, he had just defeated the thousand Legions led by King Richard the Lionheart to invade Suruga.

Today, Richard was originally supposed to attack Nagoya too.

However, the Suruga side had succeeded in provoking his passion, setting his heart ablaze. With less than half a day before the Nagoya operation, he went straight for Suruga, unable to suppress his urge to go for a "secret snack"...

The two sides had fought a nocturnal battle.

Fighting bravely throughout the night, the forces of the Suruga tutelary fort won at last.

While everyone was celebrating the hard-earned victory, they received news that "the Restoration Alliance was beginning to march on Nagoya." As soon as Masatsugu heard it, he expressed his view.

Suruga's castellan, Akigase Rikka, tilted her head in puzzlement and asked, "You mean we will go to participate in the battle at Nagoya?"

"Precisely."

"Masatsugu-dono, to be honest, there isn't any point, is there?"

All of Suruga's Chevaliers had gathered this morning for a war council.

The ones present were respectively Masatsugu, Rikka, Tachibana Hatsune, as well as the two Chevaliers from Yamanashi, Habuna and Maike, with the additional presence of Alexis Yang, the military adviser sent by the Eastern Roman Empire.

Of course, the noble princess of Imperial Japan, Fujinomiya Shiori was present too—

House Akigase's Chevalier princess address the group calmly, "Last night, we lost a great number of Legions. My Kamuys are down to a hundred or so. I suppose Masatsugu-dono's Kanesadas are not available in decent numbers either?"

"Rikka-sama," Hatsune spoke up timidly. "What you mean is going there will be useless?"

"...Something like that. Given the current circumstances, if the Restoration Alliance—or rather, the British forces—were to get serious, there is no way for us to reverse the fate of Nagoya's fall no matter how we struggle. Should any of us fall in battle, it would be far worse than losing Nagoya."

Nagoya was Akigase Rikka's hometown and Nagoya Castle was her home.

However, she spoken with great detachment to explain why they should not head to the rescue. Her extraordinary qualities as a general were what allowed her to suppress her personal feelings regarding the matter.

Hatsune looked sadly at her senior knight.

Remaining calm and indifferent, Rikka continued to analyze. "Nagoya is quite far away from Suruga. Moving across a long distance in one go will be very draining on Legions. Masatsugu-dono, why don't we observe the situation for now instead?"

Just as Masatsugu was about to reply, Shiori spoke first, "Indeed... Rikka-sama, you make a firm case."

The noble and intelligent Shiori was well-versed in politics and strategy.

The bloodline of Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast had given her a head of platinum blonde hair as well as outstanding special powers.

As a result, every Chevalier here would listen to her seriously and consider her opinion. However, Alexis Yang was staring at Shiori's pretty face in amusement.

"Suruga currently lacks usable troops, an expedition to Nagoya would impose a heavy burden on Suruga, and we do not have sufficient power to turn the tide in the overall situation. However..."

Shiori's clear eyes gazed at Masatsugu.

This was a steadfast gaze with deep faith in her subordinate's abilities.

"Masatsugu-sama, you believe that... doing so will produce definite benefits, don't you?"

"Yes, ''in order to make effective use of the opportunity before us'', we must make a trip to Nagoya."

Masatsugu's tone was calm without any zeal.

However, the word "opportunity" had caught everyone's attention. The other Chevaliers leaned forward, waiting for Masatsugu to speak.

"I see now," Alexis Yang said with delight after listening to Masatsugu's explanation. "I believe that this excellent idea is worth a try. Say, rather than an opportunity, I'd call it a challenge instead."

Several hours later, Rikka led an army of a hundred Kamuys and charged into Nagoya.

"To think he came up with something this outrageous so quickly after last night's battle..."

This morning, Masatsugu had provided a battle plan.

Rikka could not help but smile wryly at the thought of that plan. The staff officer from the Roman military was right. Making effective use of ''this shred of luck that could barely be called an opportunity'' would require a challenge as risky as walking on thin ice.

The first challenge was the expedition to Nagoya.

First of all, Rikka must sortie in secret.

The Restoration Alliance's scouts would notice if she openly marched out of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Rikka summoned a hundred Kamuys, applied stealth noetic techniques on them, then sent them underwater into Suruga Bay in batches of ten.

Flying in the sky without cover would be extremely easy for the enemy to spot.

After that, her army entered the mountains from Suruga City's outskirts and went upstream along the Abe River.

Then flying at low speed along the mountain ridge of the Southern Alps, they secretly made their way to Nagoya. Rikka accompanied them on a wyvern.

In fact, movement through deep mountains was quite draining on Legions.

The local earth spirits in the mountains would entangle Legions, trying to assimilate them into becoming "companions." Eliminating interference from earth spirits required expenditure of mystic power.

In any case, Rikka's army moved west while consuming ectoplasmic fluid.

Fortunately, Rikka was able to reach the outskirts of Nagoya without being detected by scouts or noetic reconnaissance. This was probably due to the Restoration Alliance devoting their resources to their large-scale operation.

Hence, it was around 16:00 on November 7th.

A group of Crusades had broken through Nagoya Castle's noesis barrier. At the same time, Rikka's army had also entered the battlefield.

"Avoid unnecessary fighting. We will rush straight to the castle!"

Rikka rode her wyvern and led her army personally.

Aerial fights were taking place in the sky all over the metropolis of Nagoya.

Despite their disadvantage, the Tōkaidō provincial army had held their ground against the Restoration Alliance's Kamuys and Crusades. Neither side was using formations anymore.

The Legions were skirmishing, acting according to their own judgment.

Amid this chaos, Rikka's army entered a wedge formation and flew straight for Nagoya Castle.

Doing so would inevitably stand out. Lady Chevalier Rikka was also standing gallantly at the forefront of the formation ''as a means of attracting even more attention''.

"Sing for me and let everyone know that I, Akigase Rikka, have returned to Nagoya!"

Her hundred Kamuys responded to her command and roared.

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was the War Cry, where Legions emitted shouts and mystic power from behind their masks.

As soon as the friendly forces of the Tōkaidō Kamuys and Chevaliers heard this fierce song of magical effect, they would instantly understand that House Akigase's eldest daughter had returned.

What Rikka was doing was alerting ''allies'' of her presence—

This was her true aim.

She gently kicked her wyvern's belly, ordering her mount to speed up. Having flown at low speed along the mountain ridge earlier, it had been a while since she last sliced through the wind.

The refreshing feeling made her smile. Advancing without impediment was exhilarating.

Currently, Rikka's hundred Kamuys were in a packed formation, flying through the sky as a giant wedge. Her army sliced through the battlefield and Nagoya Castle was within sight.

In order to block Rikka's army, the enemy would need to muster a packed formation too.

However, for the Crusades led by the Knights of Her Majesty, immediately organizing themselves in a formation during a chaotic battle would be quite difficult.

"My patience was worth it. This is precisely the situation I had hoped for."

Rikka grinned. She could have rushed into the battlefield earlier, but chose to bide her time instead. She was well aware that reinforcements of a mere hundred Legions would not turn the tide of battle.

Nagoya Castle—Almost there.

Rikka's conspicuous act worked. Nagoya Castle immediately disengaged the defensive noesis barrier.

"They're letting me through? Thank you so much!"

Leading a hundred Kamuys, Rikka charged into Nagoya Castle's premises.

She gazed down upon the golden carps on central keep's roof, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the government office, the Akigase residence, the majestic Japanese garden, etc. She had finally "returned home."
[[image:ChronicleLegion 03 BW01.jpg|thumb]]

The noesis barrier activated again. Rikka ordered her Legions.

"Scatter. Defeat any trespassing Crusades inside the castle. Your mission is to make a last stand and guard Nagoya Castle with your lives."

The hundred Kamuys behind her broke out of formation and scattered to look for signs of the enemies.

There were twenty-odd wyverns mixed in the group, carrying personnel with special skills, such as noetic officers, all of them brought her from Suruga intentionally.

They were tasked with an important mission too.

Rikka nodded and emitted noesis, issuing further orders to her Kamuys.

"Call out to the comrades of the Tōkaidō provincial army and have them assemble here. Summon all Legions and Chevaliers to return to the castle by my command."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The blue samurai scattered throughout the castle.

The singing from their distinctive voices, with a relaxed and pliable tone color akin to ripples on the surface of water, was gradually spreading through Nagoya City.

===Part 3===
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===Part 4===
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===Part 5===
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| Forward to [[Chronicle_Legion:Volume_3_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
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</noinclude>

Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 6

2016-08-02T05:46:22Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 6 - Battle between Lion and Hound==

===Part 1===

Legions were normally described as "winged giant soldiers."

However, they did not have true wings. Instead, they simply had "wing-like decorations" on their backs. Some Legions even lacked such decorations.

Consequently, their ability to fly had nothing to do with wings.

They simply hovered in the air, producing thrust from their bodies. Furthermore, there was a secret hidden under their feet. Their soles were capable of producing buoyancy, allowing them to use the atmosphere as a foothold, stepping on air as though it were mother earth herself.

This was why Legions were able to use swordsmanship, unarmed combat, and other martial arts in the air.

After all, these were all skills that were designed and trained with the ground in mind.

(Well, carrying out a melee battle in the air does have the drawback of having "a huge consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.")

And currently—

The two armies were in the sky over Mount Satsuta, exhibiting their respective martial arts.

Charging into the chaotic battle, Tachibana Masatsugu finally arrived before that man. Masatsugu was riding a blue wyvern of Imperial Japan while the other party was on a white wyvern of Britain.

"Wow!"

The man widened his eyes in surprise on this first encounter.

King Richard I, the Lionheart. He was the general leading a thousand Escalibors.

"I see—so ''this'' is your objective?"

"What do you mean?"

"Please, do not play dumb. You wish to have a duel with me, because winning would instantly overturn the disparity in numbers... You are an admirable samurai, good sir."

With burning eyes of fervor, Richard spoke with ecstasy in his voice.

"I am quite moved. Never did I expect in this Far East island nation to encounter a knight well-versed in the aesthetics of the duel."

"Not at all. I'm not worthy of your praise."

A somewhat crude term occurred to Masatsugu. The so-called "game brain."

Applied to Richard I, it would be the chivalry romanticism brain, perhaps? His thoughts were simplistic and he liked to interpret everything through the lens of dramatic chivalry, just as Masatsugu suspected.

'The vast majority of his behavior undoubtedly consisted of unruly whims—'

Shiori had told Masatsugu that a certain historian had made such a comment on the Lionheart.

Were someone like him not a "war genius," it would have been trivially easy for Masatsugu to win.

Meanwhile, unaware of Masatsugu's thoughts, the Lionheart said, "You must recognize my name, don't you? Samurai, introduce yourself."

"Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Acknowledged. Tachibana, huh? In that case, let us begin."

Richard raised the sword he had been using like a marshal's baton and pointed its tip at Masatsugu.

Masatsugu quietly nodded and likewise drew Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada. The two of them prepared to duel quickly and efficiently.

Indeed, a duel did not need words.

Disregarding the differences between a Japanese sword and a one-handed western sword, they were both using swords as weapons.

Both weapons were comparable in length, neither projectiles nor lances, meaning that they had to fight in close quarters...

The two of them gently kicked their wyvern's belly at the same time.

The two wyverns flapped their wings and slowly flew forward.

Their distance gradually shrank. Initially five meters... four meters, three, two, one... Finally, the blue and white wyverns were about to brush past each other.

Incidentally, both Masatsugu and Richard were wielding their swords right-handed.

Swinging their right arms at close range, their deadly blades were about to strike their opponent—In the next instant...

"Hah!"

"!"

Richard gave a mighty shout while Masatsugu remained silent.

An exchange of blows. Both riders were holding the reins in their left hand, thus leaving only their right hand available for battle. The renowned katana and the western sword collided with a mighty clang, producing a shower of sparks.

"Lionheart, you have a fine sword there."

"Hohohoho, the samurai's katana is not the only celebrated sword."

Masatsugu offered concise praise and Richard responded proudly.

When ordinary swords clashed with Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, their blades would end up severed as easily as bean curd. However, King Richard's sword had managed to block the Japanese blade.

He was probably using some kind of heirloom sword treasured by the English royal family.

The two of them exchanged another four or five blows at once.

A battle of offense and defense where both sides blocked with their sword while trying to slash the opponent using their prided blades.

The sound of blades clashing was as rhythmic as musical instruments.

Only first-rate swordsmen were capable of producing such a melody of the battlefield.

Furthermore, their wyverns were no slouches either. They glared at each other with savage demeanors, striking violently with their flapping wings. The wyverns were also pushing tightly against each other in a contest of strength like a sumo wrestling match.

...Suddenly, Richard's wyvern kicked with its right leg.

This kick fell near the waist area and Masatsugu's wyvern backed away.

The two wyverns became separated by four or five meters, interrupting the sword match. There was no way to slash each other no matter how far they stretched their arms.

"Another go?" Just as Masatsugu muttered to himself, a palm-size retainer beast appeared on his shoulder.

The messenger pipe fox had teleported here. Preparations were evidently in order. There was no more need to stall for time.

The next step was to see how much of a blaze he could light up in Richard's heart. Seeing the pipe fox scurry into his chest pocket, Masatsugu nodded to himself.

In contrast, due to the separation interrupting the fight, the Lionheart said with exasperation, "Hmph. If only I could fly on my own."

Richard grinned fearlessly while expressing his dissatisfaction.

This could not be helped. Unlike Legions, Resurrectees like Masatsugu and Richard did not have the ability to fly and could only fight by riding wyverns—Logically, that should be the case.

"What the hell!?"

However, Richard's next step surprised Masatsugu.

Noesis suddenly gathered around Richard's left arm, shimmering like a mirage, and turned into a ''gigantic left arm''. It was clearly an Escalibor's arm.

Raising his left arm, which had turned into a Legion's gigantic arm just like that, the Lionheart made a fist and attacked—

A left straight. A crimson fist of steel was heading straight for Masatsugu!

"You are wide open, Tachibana!"

"...Kanesada!"

Masatsugu hastily called the name of his Legion.

He subconsciously raised his left hand, believing that his palm would be able to stop a winged giant soldier's left straight.

Next—A giant arm also flew out from Masatsugu's palm.

It was a red-purple Legion's, a Kanesada's left arm. This arm opened its palm and firmly caught the Escalibor's deadly punch.

"I see now."

Seeing the amazing feat his left arm had accomplished, Masatsugu understood.

The first time when he saved Princess Shiori at the Suruga tutelary fort, he had stopped a falling Kamuy using his body of flesh directly, even pushing the Kamuy's heavy body away. Just as he was doing now, he had summoned a Legion ''into his body'' and used its strength to achieve that superhuman feat.

"This is a move... that virtually all modern Chevaliers are incapable of," Richard grinned.

Upon closer examination, one could see "phantoms" of Legions behind the two knights and their wyvern mounts.

The hazy outlines of two winged giant soldiers were shimmering unsteadily like mirages. The red British knight Escalibor attacked with a thrust of its fist while the red-purple samurai Kanesada raised a palm to block—

These figures had manifested after Richard and Masatsugu had merged themselves with their own Legion.

"Tachibana, sure enough... you are the same as I?"

"Sorry, I can't answer you."

"Then I shall ask you again after I seize victory, assuming you survive!"

Then the "phantom giants" disappeared.

The reckless skill of summoning a Legion within oneself was a heavy burden on one's body. It was not supposed to be used for long periods unnecessarily.

The two wyverns came close together again to put on another show of sword against katana.

However... This was not Masatsugu's ultimate goal.

As expected, Richard was an excellent fighter.

At this rate, the smaller Kanesada army would be wiped out before the duel finished.

Hence, Masatsugu allowed Richard's sweeping blow to strike him ''on purpose''.

Richard's sword sliced open Masatsugu's right flank with a splatter of blood. The wound was not shallow either.

"Guh—!"

"Kukukuku. So this is the extent of the renowned swordsmanship of the samurai!?"

"...Retreat. Move up as much as possible ''to avoid getting caught''."

In contrast to Richard's gloating triumph, Masatsugu quietly issued orders.

The blue wyvern flapped its wings and backed away before rising rapidly, speeding up to flee the scene.

Masatsugu gently touched the chest pocket of his school uniform.

"Discard your notions of fleeing. Fight me to the bitter end!"

Richard yelled in delight.

He was utterly consumed by the desire to pursue Masatsugu. In the next second, it was the Lionheart's turn to be alarmed.

"What!?"

Gunfire from the ground was attacking the Escalibors and the Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle.

In fact, Masatsugu's army were not the only Legions that had sortied from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, had also headed out to the suburbs.

Each of their Chevalier Strength was around fifty and they had summoned 150 Kamuys... Moving their forces extremely stealthily.

They did not fly in the sky over Suruga like Tachibana Masatsugu had done to draw the enemy's attention.

The trio had secretly summoned Legions at the military zone facing Suruga Bay. Under the night sky, all hundred and fifty Legions marched underwater without emerging from the sea surface. The army lurked in the shallows by the coast near the spot where Masatsugu's Kanesadas had intercepted the British army.

Naturally, they had avoided flying in the air to prevent Richard from discovering them.

This tactic was decided right from the start. They were going to head out separately from the Kanesadas, moving either through the sea or at extremely low altitudes. Then while Masatsugu was stalling for time, they would get into formation as quickly as possible...

The battlefield where two Resurrectees clashed was the sky over Mount Satsuta.

The three Chevalier's 150 Kamuys were set up in the hills of Mount Satsuta.

The goal was to deliver the first devastating blow to King Richard's army of one thousand, while helping Tachibana Masatsugu to ''escape'' as well.

"Gather together, my knights! Enter formation again!"

While Richard yelled, a number of crimson Legions were shot down again.

While Masatsugu was playing the part of a duel between generals, a volley of rifle fire emerged from the ridgeline of Mount Satsuta below.

The three Chevaliers rescued from Fuji City had entered the battle with the 150 Kamuys under their command.

Their entire army was firing from the ground at the Escalibors and Kanesadas that were locked in an aerial battle, killing them one after another. Protective barriers were having virtually no effect.

"It was worth it for me to act as bait," Masatsugu muttered while enduring the sharp pain from his flank.

The Kanesadas and the Escalibors had broken out of their packed formations to engage in a chaotic skirmish. Protective barriers were ineffective unless Legions were clustered together with friendly forces.

Under such circumstances, the thousand Legions on the British side suffered heavier losses.

There were only 360 Kamuys while the Escalibors were roughly thrice as numerous. The chances of indiscriminate gunfire hitting an Escalibor was naturally higher.

"Not quite the same as planned... But it's a good result."

Until now, Masatsugu had been doing everything he could to draw Richard's attention, thus buying plenty of time.

Playing to Richard's preferences, Masatsugu had ordered his army to draw their swords and charge the enemy, and he even played the part for a duel between generals. Naturally, the romanticism of chivalry was not his goal.

Everything was done in order to set up an ambush on the ground and lure the fierce lion into a trap.

Originally, he wanted to charge into melee when the back or the side of Richard's army presented an opening. However, that would be too much of a luxury.

Confronted with unexpected anti-air fire, the Escalibors entered a packed formation again.

The sphere finally took form. The white particles of the protective barrier glowed brightly, blocking the flashing rain of light being fired from the ground.

Seeing the British army regrouped in their defensive formation, the Legions on Mount Satsuta stopped firing en masse.

Currently, the red British Legions were down to 812 in number.

"Roughly two hundred eliminated..."

This was achieved only through the Kanesadas drawing their swords to engage the Escalibors, followed by the barrage of anti-air fire just now.

Conversely, the Kanesadas led by Masatsugu were down to 203. Of the original 360, almost half had been killed in the fighting earlier. This was the limit to what could be achieved through direct confrontational tactics.

"All units retreat. Defend me with everything you've got."

Masatsugu issued his command quietly and glanced at his wound.

The slice was not deep enough to reach internal organs, but the blood loss persisted. There were also intermittent pangs of pain. He needed first aid as quickly as possible.

The problem was that he had no time to be treated, so all he could do was ignore the wound.

In front of the injured commander, the remaining 203 Kanesadas withdrew from the sky over Mount Satsuta. Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu followed them.

In any case, they needed to do everything they could to escape to the sea—In other words, towards Suruga Bay.

The second phase of the hunt was about to begin.

===Part 2===

"Receiving such a severe wound... Looks like Onii-sama must be in a lot of pain."

Hatsune whispered anxiously.

She was currently at the nation-protecting keep in the heart of the Suruga tutelary fort. The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter tall building of red brick. A round disk at the top was not a clock but a gigantic fengshui wheel.

Hatsune had accompanied Princess Shiori to the keep's ground floor hall.

Reconnaissance was mainly conducted by retainer beasts such as yatagarasus, Mibu wolves, and wyverns. The intelligence they gathered was collated here to serve as the basis for analysis and making judgment calls.

Inside the keep were many soldiers in charge of this as well as noetic officers.

What the retainer beasts observed on the battlefield was converted into video through noetic control and replayed at various locations in the hall. Now that she had become a Chevalier, Hatsune was entitled to ask the soldiers to report or explain information to her.

However, seeing everyone so busy, she felt uncomfortable adding to their workload as a newbie.

Fully mobilizing her eyes, ears, and brain, she sought to grasp the situation. In fact, she had already gained a holistic understanding.

...Tachibana Masatsugu was on the move with 203 Kanesadas, heading to the waters of Suruga Bay.

...The 150 Kamuys entrenched in Mount Satsuta were attacking the British army to support the Kanesadas' retreat.

...Leading 812 Escalibors, Richard the Lionheart had sent 200 to land on Mount Satsuta and attack the three Chevaliers' Kamuys, meanwhile leading the remaining 612 to continue the pursuit—

"Onii-sama's retreating army only has about two hundred while the pursuing Richard has six hundred. He's still outnumbered by three to one..."

Also, Masatsugu's target was Suruga.

He had ''decided in advance'' that regardless of the path taken, his final destination was the Suruga tutelary fort.

Akigase Rikka was also ready for battle to coordinate with his arrival.

Princess Shiori had summoned the genie Sakuya and carefully explained their battle plan.

"That is all. Is there anything you don't understand?"

"No... problem, Princess, Your Highness."

The princess was sitting in a chair. Her physical condition was still poor.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, a young girl was in front of Shiori. Featuring bangs cut uniformly at eyebrow height, eight or nine years old in appearance, she was the genie Sakuya's image.

The intangible image avoided making eye contact with Shiori.

"I am about to leave the nation-protecting keep. Send a pipe fox to ask me if you encounter any difficult decisions, and I will send you instant instructions."

"Understood... Please leave it, to me," Sakuya mustered a quiet voice to answer.

She looked quite adorable but compared to Britain's Morgan le Fay, she was far too unreliable. However, what truly surprised Hatsune was what the princess had said.

"Princess, you're leaving? Where to!?"

"I need to find Masatsugu-sama. He will be returning to Suruga soon. See me off, will you?"

"Yes ma'am."

Hatsune supported Shiori, who was unsteady on her feet, and they walked out of the nation-protecting keep.

Now that they were out of the genie's earshot, Hatsune voiced what she suspected.

"Onii-sama deliberately intercepted Richard away from the tutelary fort... Princess, it's because Sakuya isn't very reliable, right?"

Martial prowess alone was not enough to make a fine Chevalier.

Hatsune needed to learn tactics, strategic vision, and methods to handle troops as quickly as possible in order to become a full-fledged Chevalier. This was why she had shared her own deductions.

"That is one of the reasons, but according to my guess..." Shiori gave an unexpected answer. "It seems that Masatsugu-sama does not like to fight on either side of siege battles."

"Huh? But didn't he succeed in defending the Suruga tutelary fort last, and at Fuji City, he was also the one who suggested a raid on the enemy fort?"

The clever princess shook her head in disagreement with Hatsune's rebuttal.

"Being able to accomplish it and liking it are separate matters... Besides, in the case of sieges... He ought to have plenty of experience."

"Onii-sama mentioned this!?"

"No, it is simply imagination on my part."

"...Princess, don't tell me you've already guessed Onii-sama's identity?"

Shiori's confident tone did not sound like simple imagination.

Hatsune asked in doubt but Shiori simply smiled ambiguously and said, "I admit that a number of ideas have occurred to me, but I have neither concrete evidence nor a certain name. I will observe for while longer before I share my thoughts with you."

While they were chatting, a gigantic white wolf came over to them.

This was a Mibu wolf that Shiori had summoned using noetic control. The massive retainer beast, as large as a horse, lay down on the ground on its own initiative.

The princess was about to straddle the wolf but her footing was unsteady.

Shiori lurched, almost falling over backwards. Hatsune hastily caught her. Looking at the face of the lady she served, she noticed the princess' pallor and abnormally hot body temperature.

Shiori was suffering from a serious fever. As her personal lady-in-waiting and knight, Hatsune made a call.

"Princess, you need to stop overexerting yourself!"

"Nonsense, this is my own decision to make..."

"No, it's the doctor's decision. And in the absence of a doctor, I'm making the decision."

"N-No, I must hurry to assist Masatsugu-sama—"

"Don't worry! I know everything about what needs to be done to help Onii-sama!"

"Eh—?"

"Rest properly and leave it all to me, Princess!"

Stopping the surprised princess, Hatsune mounted the Mibu wolf's back instead.

She patted the wolf's white neck and it immediately stood up. Her orders were very simple.

"Find Onii-sama... Tachibana Masatsugu's scent and take me there. Princess, I'll be right back!"

"H-Hold on a moment. You know everything? No way!?"

Shiori collapsed and sat on the ground. Her physical strength had reached its limit.

Then mounted on a Mibu wolf, Hatsune rode gallantly to the battlefield.

When Legions flew at top speed to charge into enemy ranks—

They almost never fired their guns. When devoting all ectoplasmic fluid to an all-out charging attack, they used the impact to stab their bayonets into the enemies' bodies.

This was the kind of charge that Richard the Lionheart had revealed at Fuji City.

The impact of a full-powered charge was astounding, capable of inflicting critical damage upon the enemy army in one strike.

This tactic recreated the "cavalry charge" of ancient battlefields.

There are some who say that the cavalry charge was a masterpiece of the battlefield.

Masatsugu had no objections to that. Indeed, it was undoubtedly a very troublesome tactic.

Heavy knights or riders equipped with armor and chain mail, riding galloping warhorses to charge into enemy ranks, stabbing with the tips of their lances during the clash.

...When a horse was galloping, its speed, momentum, and weight were all added to the power of the charging attack.

The thrusting lance could easily pierce enemy soldiers. It was also impossible for the human body to withstand the trampling from a charging horse. Most terrifying of all, this type of charge was conducted by a great force of numbers, tens, hundreds, or thousands at once.

Struck by a cavalry charge, any army would suffer substantial casualties.

Throughout the ancient and medieval ages, heavy cavalry was equal in value to the "tank of recent modern invention"—

Although this was a common view, there was a caveat. The cavalry charge was also a tactic that was difficult to use correctly.

As living creatures, horses were unable to maintain a full gallop for long periods of time. They would tire quickly.

The first priority was to conserve the horses' strength and use it at the appropriate moment. Moreover, any obstacles preventing a straight path would also cause a charge to end in failure.

Besides, horses were exorbitantly expensive and costly to feed. Keeping horses was a laborious affair.

However, once all these difficulties were surmounted to successfully execute a cavalry charge—Its power was unparalleled.

When cavalry charged into the heart of enemy's ranks at a critical moment to defeat the enemy general and the main force, all that remained would be a disorderly mob.

Even against an enemy several times one's own numbers, it was easy to take care of the scattered rabble.

The ancient king of Macedon and pioneering genius of war, Alexander the Great, was also quite accomplished in such tactics...

"No wonder a guy like Richard loves to use it so much," remarked Masatsugu satirically.

After injuring his right flank, Masatsugu first headed south, in other words, towards Suruga Bay. The battlefield of Mount Satsuta was next to the sea and Masatsugu soon arrived over the water surface.

He was currently riding a wyvern, flying over the ocean at night.

The remaining 203 Kanesadas were flying in his surroundings.

The pain was gradually subsiding from his abdominal wound and the bleeding had stopped. A Resurrectee's body was evidently resilient to a supernatural degree.

"We are the dead who have risen up from our graves... Now that I think about it, this is only to be expected."

Masatsugu surmised that perhaps he had a constitution that would not die so easily.

However, his consciousness was undoubtedly fading. Once he reached his limit, he was probably going to pass out directly.

And the "not dead person" in full health was right behind him, chasing Masatsugu's army.

"Hahahaha. I am surprised you can endure that kind of wound for so long!"

Under the Lionheart's command, 612 Escalibors pursued relentlessly.

They were charging at full speed from behind, trying to end the battle in one go.

"Charge, my Escalibors! Allow the samurai of the orient to witness our knightly ways!"

The British Legions had formed a V-shaped wedge formation, the same one that Richard had exhibited at Fuji City, a formation specialized for the cavalry charge.

Its main function was to penetrate the enemy army with its sharp tip and tear apart their formation.

"What a hot-blooded guy. As soon as I fled, he chased in delight," muttered Masatsugu quietly.

Masatsugu the chased and Richard the chaser were both going at over 500 kilometers per hour. The two armies were separated by a hundred or so meters.

As retainer beasts, wyverns were actually incapable of reaching such seeds.

A "Kanesada phantom" had appeared around Masatsugu and his wyvern mount.

Reusing the technique of summoning a Legion and merging it with his body, Masatsugu used a Kanesada's flying ability to transport himself and the wyvern.

"Kukukuku! This is my first time too, to use this method to charge alongside my Escalibors... You are truly a delightful opponent, Tachibana!"

Richard was using the same technique to fly at extreme speed.

The legendary English king had summoned a red legion's phantom to transport his flying mount.

However, the overall speed of both armies had dropped.

The airborne melee battle had consumed a large amount of ectoplasmic fluid. Following that with a full-speed escape and pursuit, both the Japanese and the British forces were exhausted. All Legions were beginning to decrease in output.

"Hohohoho, your prided fleet-footed escape is slowing down."

"The same goes for you. The Lionheart's pursuit is nothing impressive either."

Separated by substantial distance, neither side could hear each other.

However, Masatsugu could guess what the Lionheart was thinking, more or less. He muttered to himself, delivering rebuttals to the imagined words of his enemy.

Masatsugu focused and prepared his next move for the enemy.

In a situation like this, Richard the Lionheart was definitely not a man who would hold back.

"My knights, thank you for enduring so far. I hereby bestow Coeur de Lion upon you all!"

"I knew it. He's using that move!"

The pursuing 612 Escalibors released a huge quantity of mystic power.

Sensing the release, Masatsugu noticed Richard activating the Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion. Its effect was to ensure that his Legion would complete the charge even ignoring death—

So far, the Escalibors had consumed a lot of ectoplasmic fluid and their flying speed had clearly dropped.

But soon, their speed slowly increased... No, they had recovered their original speed. The Lionheart's Feat of Arms had enabled the British army to charge at peak condition.

In contrast, the Kanesadas' flying speed remained slow.

The balance was finally broken on the lead they had maintained so far in the chase.

Richard's army gradually closed in. Having escaped so far, the 203 Kanesadas were going to be caught within a few minutes, ending up in total extermination.

''All prior preparations'' would be in vain if they were to be caught.

Masatsugu hastily commanded, "Fire backwards!"

"Tsk, petty tricks!"

Masatsugu's army was originally flying while facing forwards.

Maintaining the same flying directionality and speed, the 203 Kanesadas turned around to fire. They continued to fly straight towards their destination except their bodies were facing backwards.

Of course, their rifles were aimed at the back—towards Richard's approaching army.

All the Kanesadas pulled their triggers.

The entire army directed continuous fire opposite to their flying direction. It was like stunt shooting.

The 612 British Legions closing in took on the gunfire in their wedge formation. The Kanesadas were aiming at the tip of the wedge.

...The purpose of this wave of continuous fire was not to inflict damage.

After all, blessed by Coeur de Lion's effects, they were effectively immortal until the charge was over.

However, continuous fire from the two hundred or so Kanesadas were able to suppress the charging Escalibors.

The dense curtain of gunfire worked. The wedge stopped closing in momentarily.

However, the distance to the enemy was still shrinking slowly.

The Lionheart's powerful noesis had pushed the Escalibors' strength and speed to the very maximum.

Fifty meters until the rampaging lions would catch them.

Forty meters, thirty meters, then at twenty meters—Masatsugu knew his plan was a success.

The nation-protecting keep of the Suruga tutelary fort was not far away.

...Initially, Masatsugu had retreated from the sky over Mount Satsuta then flew over Suruga Bay.

Once Richard invoked Coeur de Lion, Masatsugu turned towards Nihondaira where the Suruga tutelary fort was situated. ''He knew that the moment had arrived.''

Flying over the mountainous terrain of the military zone, Masatsugu returned to the tutelary fort at last.

"Scatter!"

"What!?"

At Masatsugu's order, the 203 Kanesadas scattered in different directions.

The Escalibors charging single-mindedly at full power did not stop. Neither were they able to stop. And right ahead in their path, a gigantic dragon was waiting for them.

It was the ifrit Seiryuu in charge of protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

===Part 3===

A magic circle, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the sky over the tutelary fort.

The magic circle was a product of oriental magic with complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters. The gigantic "dragon image," comparable to the magic circle in size, was precisely the ifrit Seiryuu.

Its serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales with two deer-like antlers on its head and stubby limbs.

The gigantic dragon image had occupied the air majestically.

Ifrits were supposed to release powerful noetic energy to create a dome-shaped noesis barrier to cover the entire tutelary fort.

But right now, Seiryuu was not using its noetic energy for defense.

Seiryuu roared fiercely and attacked the British Legions.

The image of the blue dragon opened its gigantic jaws and lunged at the 612 Escalibors that were charging at full power in a wedge formation.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

As noetic divinities, ifrits were ultimately conglomerates of noetic energy. Their gigantic bodies were not corporeal.

Hence, Seiryuu's massive jaws unleashed noetic energy which was normally used to create noesis barriers.

The surge of noetic energy turned into gigantic magic circle, glowing with divine radiance.

The British Legions crashed into the circle, head on, of course.

Formidable noetic energy had been poured into the magic circle, sufficient to serve as a tutelary fort's defensive wall, and was equivalent to a noesis barrier compressed into a round shape.

Colliding with something like this would cause massive injuries to the charging side.

The Escalibors in the tip of the wedge formation, reaching one third of the entire army, were struck by the violent armor-shattering impact, causing many of them to become dismembered or decapitated in the process.

Suffering such heavy injuries to their brain and internal organs, humans would have died on the spot.

Richard's army suffered at the hands of their excessively powerful charge. However, the heavily wounded Escalibors were undeterred.

"How interesting—"

Richard the Lionheart smiled proudly.

Together with the Escalibor phantom, he was at the very back of the wedge formation.

"According to legend, we Plantagenets are the cursed brood with the devil's blood flowing in our veins! A devil on earth... will never fear a mere dragon!"

The red wedge's tip, one third of the army, was already in a broken state.

However, the 612 Escalibors in the formation continued to charge, breaking through the magic circle of the noesis barrier.

Even the giant image of the blue dragon was almost trampled to dust.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—!

Seiryuu's scream resounded across Suruga's night sky.

Richard's army finally arrived in the sky over the tutelary fort and was about to invade the enemy base.

The remaining job was simple. He would continue to push forward and clear out the army of red-purple samurai, checkmate the soldiers defending the fort, and end the battle.

At that moment, the Lionheart frowned.

"Hmm?"

After charging at full might against the giant dragon, the 612 Escalibors rapidly lost flying speed. The effects of the Feat of Arms had ended.

Namely, the effects allowing the Legions to finish a charge even in the face of death—

Coeur de Lion's astounding and miraculous effects vanished.

Having charged at full strength and speed, the wedge formation slowed down more and more. Finally, it was no faster than a car driving along urban streets.

This was not the worst of it.

Charging the ifrit had caused severe damage to more than one third of the army.

Among them, the Escalibors with fatal injuries such as broken necks and ruptured internal organs began to crash one after another. Death had taken them long ago.

Richard shrugged and said, "Oh well, the four hundred remaining will suffice."

There were still 432 Escalibors surviving.

They would have no trouble defeating the scattered red-purple samurai that had fled or Surugu's defending forces.

"Regroup and assemble at my side."

Controlling his wyvern, Richard made his way to the center of the army that had slowed down dramatically.

The 432 Escalibors were beginning to form a sphere when they were violently attacked by focused gunfire from the side.

Imperial Japan's blue Legions, 150 Kamuys, had taken flight to enter the fray.

All troops in this corps fired in unison. Escalibors began crashing down again, the ones unlucky enough to be shot in their vitals.

"New enemies? Activate your barriers, my knights!"

Richard commanded confidently but was met by a surprising outcome.

The white particles of the 432 Escalibors' spherical formation were quite weak, roughly half as strong as usual. Too much of their ectoplasmic fluid had been consumed.

The surprised Richard instantly figured out the reason.

"Tachibana, this was your plan all along!"

The 203 red-purple Legions returned to the battlefield to support their allies.

The red-purple Legions were identical in appearance and size as the Kamuys except in color. Their special Japanese swords had also turned back into bayonet rifles. Compared to the Escalibor or the Crusade—the strong British Legions—their physique was a size smaller.

Judged according to the Lionheart's aesthetics, these troops were weak and scrawny.

Glaring sharply at the Japanese forces, Richard gnashed his teeth.

"He finally fell into the trap..."

Akigase Rikka muttered to herself, soaring the sky on her wyvern.

She was flying alone some distance from the tutelary fort. Slightly earlier, the ifrit Seiryuu had been broken, failing to block the invasion of the hundreds of Escalibors.

However, the red soldiers of this British army were crashing down one after another.

Seizing the moment when the enemy was low on ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka had ordered the 150 Kamuys she had summoned to open fire.

Furthermore, the 203 Kanesadas led by Tachibana Masatsugu had assembled on the opposite side of Rikka's army.

The two of them had the 430 or so Legions of Richard's army caught in a pincer attack. With Rikka's forces on the left and Masatsugu's forces on the right, they sprayed gunfire simultaneously.

The Suruga side had set up two crescent formations in the shape of "( )."

Richard's army was perfectly sandwiched between them.

"Do not let up on the attack. Leave them no room to breathe!"

Under attack from both sides, the Lionheart's army formed a sphere and deployed a protective barrier.

The left side of the sphere desperately returned fire against Rikka's Kamuys while the right side handled Masatsugu's Kanesadas.

The British had numbers on their side, but were stuck in a desperate predicament.

On the Suruga side, Rikka and Masatsugu's forces totaled only 350 or so.

The Escalibors' protective barrier was powered by roughly 430 Legions, normally capable of neutralizing much of the Suruga side's volleys of sweeping gunfire, but ectoplasmic fluid depletion had sharply reduced its effectiveness—

Half the shots penetrated the barrier's particles, striking Richard's army directly.

The Escalibors ended up dying and crashing one after another.

"Now, a chance for victory is in sight."

Surveying the battlefield, Rikka breathed a sigh of relief.

The theory behind Tachibana Masatsugu's trap to hunt the lion was actually quite simple.

'I will first intercept his army outside the tutelary fort and lure him to Suruga while depleting his ectoplasmic fluid. Finally, we attack him all together.'

To accomplish this, Tachibana Masatsugu had used all kinds of clever feints.

He first used samurai swordsmanship and initiated a duel to stimulate the target's combative spirit and passion, then deliberately got injured to pretend to be routed. His excitement reaching a climax, the king of knights would order his entire force to charge against Masatsugu's retreat.

Without these clever arrangements, the lion's keen nose might have smelled the presence of a trap.

Furthermore, during this process, the enemy was guaranteed to launch an overwhelming offensive. At last, while fighting on the run, Masatsugu managed to lure the enemy into attacking in full force, using a tactic that exhausted his troops the greatest.

The chase in the final stage was also part of Masatsugu's trap.

The Kanesadas and Kamuys were a size smaller than the Escalibors in physique.

Smaller builds naturally meant lighter weight. Flying at equal speed, the heavier side would exert themselves more, which meant greater consumption of ectoplasmic fluid. Rikka nodded in comprehension.

"The Kamys are smaller in build and always lose to the Crusades in contests of strength."

Using this tactic which turned the physique disadvantage around, they succeeded in dealing a heavy blow to the fierce king of of knights. Rikka felt exhilarated, but the battle still required close attention.

Only faring a little better than the British side, the Kanesadas were also depleted in ectoplasmic fluid.

Rikka began to think, assuming she were in Richard I's position—

===Part 4===

"Ugh... I think I might've overdone it."

Riding his wyvern, Masatsugu had quietly left the Kanesada army.

Currently, the red-purple Legions had joined forces with Akigase Rikka's Kamuys to hit the Lionheart's army with a pincer attack, putting them at an overwhelming advantage.

However, Masatsugu's blood loss was too severe.

His consciousness fading, he was often making mistakes in wyvern control.

By the time he realized, he was some distance from the battlefield. Just as he tightened the reins, intending to return to the battlefield, a messenger pipe fox appeared on his shoulder.

'Onii-sama, look down. Come over to me!'

"What?"

Using noetic waves, the pipe fox was transmitting Hatsune's message.

Mount Udo was below. The Suruga tutelary fort was located on the highlands formed from the two small mountains of Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. The highest peak was only three hundred meters in elevation or so.

Looking down from the air, Masatsugu immediately noticed something unusual.

It was late at night and equally dark in the low-elevation mountains. However, a faint light was moving left and right down there. Masatsugu tried to land.

As expected, it was Hatsune.

Dressed in ''Haikara-san'' style, the little sister was waving a flashlight from the ground.

Hatsune was on a military road with a giant white wolf by here side—a Mibu wolf on lying on the ground on standby. When the wyvern landed on the road, the Mibu wolf remained unperturbed. Disciplined and loyal, it had been well-trained.

Masatsugu said from the wyvern's saddle, "What now? I'm a bit busy at the moment... Rather, I will be extremely busy next."

"Richard will be targeting the Kanesadas, right?"

"Yeah, you figured it out too?"

"Of course. I'd do the same in his shoes. The Kanesadas have fought a long battle too... It's just that they're less exhausted compared to the Escalibors."

Hatsune puffed out her chest and analyzed confidently.

Even behind the kimono, the round and full bulge of her bosom was visible.

"In the worst case, all he needs to do is attack the Kanesadas in full force while ignoring Rikka-sama's energetic army. That will definitely be easier to win."

"That's correct. Good intuition."

Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

He found it difficult to imagine Hatsune becoming a master strategist. But one day, her instincts and bravery would enable her to distinguish herself on the battlefield with many glorious accomplishments.

Like King Richard the Lionheart, for example.

"If you know all that... Then you understand what you need to do?"

"Of course! Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—"

Masatsugu tested Hatsune and she immediately chanted the holy words of summoning.

The girl in the kimono released a pulse of noetic energy. Although its strength and skill could not match the likes of Edward the Black Prince, Masatsugu was dumbstruck.

The strength of Hatsune's noesis was clearly different from before.

"Assemble now, my Legions!"

Hatsune called out loudly.

The noesis she released to the air transformed into seventy-two Legions.

They resembled Kamuys but were not Kamuys. The top of their helmets were elongated like the ''eboshi'' while their armor was deep red with a white garment on top.

The red and white Kamuy variant had received the name of "Kurou Hougan" from Tachibana Hatsune.

A total of seventy-two Legions. Hatsune's power as a Chevalier had thoroughly awakened. Normally speaking, Japanese Chevaliers only had a Chevalier Strength of around 30 to 50.

With a Chevalier Strength of 72, the maiden successor of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was quite a formidable force.

Furthermore, Hatsune was still young and had room for future growth.

"Go, my Kurous. Go help Onii-sama's army to fight!"

Hatsune hastily ordered the Legions that had appeared overhead.

The seventy-two Kurou Hougans flew with agility towards the sky where joint forces of the Kamuys and the Kanesadas were fighting the Escalibors.

"Let's command from here."

There was no need to be charging on the front lines. Masatsugu decided to remain on the ground and climbed down from the saddle.

He stumbled when he stood on the ground.

"Are you okay, Onii-sama!?"

"Sort of. Don't worry, I can hold out for a while longer."

In the end, Hatsune lent a shoulder for Masatsugu to lean on and took him to the side of the military road.

Masatsugu sat down and leaned against the guard rail, finally getting a chance to rest his injured body. The rocky flying on a wyvern was physically quite draining.

Fortunately, Hatsune had brought a first aid kit.

Swiftly removing Masatsugu's jacket and stiff-collar uniform, Hatsune bared Masatsugu's upper half.

She first applied disinfecting alcohol to the wound on his flank, put on gauze, then wrapped bandages around his entire abdomen. Her movements were deft and clean.

"Nice skills. Are you experienced in treating wounds?"

"Yeah, I often got hurt along with my companions back when we were learning all kinds of things."

After giving a reply befitting a clan of larger-than-life characters, Hatsune sighed lightly and said, "Before going off to battle, Onii-sama, you said taking a hit from Richard might be a good method. I never thought you'd do it for real..."

"Simple necessity. Had I not done so, he would've been suspicious of my retreat."

As soon as the master died, the Legions under his command would become disorganized rabble.

It was very logical for a wounded Chevalier to retreat so as to avoid dying in combat.

"Besides, this is a wound with relatively few repercussions apart from blood loss at most. Anyway, it should be fine. Just give me a bit of alcohol and sew it up later, and it's all good."

"Wow, you really sound like an ancient general from the warring states. That's fantastic."

"Not like. I ''am'' an ancient general."

"That's true. O-Oh right, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu was currently leaning against the guard rail of the road.

Hatsune was sitting next to him. She suddenly looked down and stuttered in a rare moment of bashfulness.

"Actually... I promised the princess."

"You promised her what?"

"She was originally supposed to come over to help... g-give you ectoplasmic fluid. But her body is at its limit, so I came in her stead—"

"Oh?"

Usually energetic and cheerful, Hatsune was having difficulty broaching the subject.

This previously unseen side to Hatsune was utterly adorable. Masatsugu leaned forward towards her, but the abdominal wound stung, causing him to frown.

"A-Are you okay, Onii-sama...?"

"I'm fine. Say, Hatsune."

Masatsugu reached out and held his little sister's hand.

The kimono girl's shoulders shuddered. She looked so sweet and innocent. Masatsugu learned something from her reaction.

"You came to share ectoplasmic fluid with me, knowing what I did to the princess, right?"

"Um, yes... I-I came across it by chance and couldn't help overhearing..."

Hatsune was blushing to her ears in embarrassment.

She was not used to talking about scandalous topics. Considering Hatsune's pure and innocent personality... Perhaps she had no past experience in this area at all.

"Right, and you're a Chevalier now." Masatsugu whispered in Hatsune's ear. Her body stiffened increasingly.

She was very tense in both body and mind. Masatsugu did not plan on doing anything until she relaxed. Holding the little sister's hand in his cold palm, he said calmly.

"I was negligent to overlook the possibility of asking you for help. But I don't like forcing a girl to do things either."

"I-I came here to help you, so it's not forcing," Hatsune declared firmly but continued timidly, "It's just that... Umm, it's scary to commit, I've never been in a similar situation, so it feels very weird right now..."

"It's only natural for a maiden to feel this way. Don't worry about it."

"I-It's reached this stage, but now I feel... embracing a man might be too soon for me. To some extent, I feel this is something that should be done after officially going out with an eye for marriage!"

"Marriage, huh?"

"B-But don't you worry, Onii-sama!" Hatsune clenched her fist and smiled bravely. "It's common for a man and a woman to embrace each other for people like dancers or ballerinas. It's okay, I've prepared myself. It's honestly okay—"

"Meaning that it's fine as long as I marry you, right?"

"Huh?"

Masatsugu said to the surprised little sister. "The way I see it, you're not only a a suitable partner for marriage... but also a woman I admire a lot. If that's the kind of relationship you want to build, I'm willing to give it serious thought."

"W-What crazy things are you saying, Onii-sama!?"

"You're an accomplished martial artist with a brave heart. Your boundless energy, vibrant cheerfulness, and unpredictable behavior all make you very adorable to me."

"Didn't you say before that I'm not on your mind at all!?"

"Of course. But now, we're talking marriage here."

Hatsune was very flustered.

Masatsugu continued calmly, "However, if I think about you as prospects for marriage... I believe that the man who gets to spend his life with Tachibana Hatsune will be a happy man indeed."

"O-Onii-sama! Stop it with the sweet talking!"

Hatsune had relaxed her body without knowing it.

Perhaps the conversation had relieved her nervous feelings somewhat. Holding her hand the entire time, Masatsugu knew that her shoulder was no longer tense.

Looking at their hands clasped together, Hatsune lowered her head again.

She was still shy but no longer expressed resistance.

"So... What do we do next? T-Tell me, Onii-sama."

"It's hard for me to move, so could you come near me?"

"W-We're already quite close. Aren't I next to you...?"

"Come closer."

Masatsugu pulled Hatsune's hand gently and she understood his intent. Hatsune nodded and slowly approached him.

Hatsune stared into Masatsugu's eyes.

Another ten centimeters closer and Masatsugu would be able to kiss her.

They were right next to each other. This time, Masatsugu pulled her forcefully and Hatsune mustered her determination, hugging him timidly.

"Oh—"

"Hatsune, you're so warm."

Leaning against the guard rail, Masatsugu could only lift up his torso.

Hatsune was lying on top of him. Through the meisen kimono, Masatsugu could feel the little sister's voluptuousness and warmth.

"O-Onii-sama, you're so cold..."

Hatsune had undressed Masatsugu earlier to treat his wound, so she was aware of the changes in his body temperature.

Due to the heavy blood loss and having to supply the Kanesadas with ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu's body was even colder than usual.

"When sharing ectoplasmic fluid with you, the princess dresses very lightly... Is there some kind of special meaning in that?"

"Of course. Dressing lightly means it's easier for me to feel the temperature of the blood flowing under your skin and inside your body. What I need is the ectoplasmic fluid that has melded into your flesh and blood."

"I... see."

After a moment's thought, Hatsune got up.

She shyly removed her meisen kimono and hakama in front of Masatsugu, leaving only a hemp undershirt.

The white and flimsy fabric offered see-through glimpses at Hatsune's skin.

Next, she untied the string at her waist. The front of the undershirt opened up to reveal a full view of the seductive underwear beneath. Over her chest, she was wearing a special tank top-style brassiere for pairing with traditional Japanese clothing. her slim waist and pale thighs were also in display.

"Q-Quit staring, Onii-sama."

Saying that, Hatsune turned her head, too embarrassed to make eye contact.

Blushing to her ears, she approached and positioned herself on top of him again. Thanks to her undressing, Masatsugu was treated to a view of Hatsune's wonderful cleavage from up close.

"H-How is this?"

"Excellent. Sorry for the trouble."

"No, it's okay. Onii-sama, both you and the princess work hard and do everything personally. I can't lose to you."

Now that Hatsune had removed her clothing, it was easier for Masatsugu to feel her warmth.

Virtually half-naked, Hatsune was lying on top of Masatsugu, using her palms to warm his shoulders and upper arm, but his temperature still remained cold.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW09.jpg|thumb]]

Hatsune gathered her courage and hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck.

Their bodies were pressed even more tightly together. Hatsune's bountiful bust was also compressed against Masatsugu's chest.

The soft and heavy sensation was mixed with tender elasticity.

So far, Masatsugu had been enjoying this sort of intimate contact.

Now, the sensation became even clearer. Immersed in indescribable pleasure, Masatsugu absorbed the body heat she offered to him.

However, Hatsune said sadly, "S-Sorry, I'm not used to this. Am I doing it badly?"

"Not at all. What makes you think that?"

"Because your body is still so cold..."

"Don't worry, it usually takes some time."

"Really...? But if there's another way, you have to tell me, okay? After all, this is an ongoing issue and I have to work hard to learn how to help you."

"Ongoing issue?"

Hatsune had only become a Chevalier recently.

She had not replenished her ectoplasmic fluid many times so the mystic power stored in her body was quite low. Masatsugu did not want to strain her too much today—

"The princess' state of health isn't too good, right? If this is the reason for that, I have help out starting tomorrow."

"That's right. I didn't think of that."

"Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"Onii-sama, your body is warming up slightly."

"It's all thanks to you."

"Fufufufu. I'm so happy. This feeling is incredible."

Hatsune smiled tenderly, pressing her chest even more tightly against him.

This sensation provided a different kind of enjoyment from obtaining warmth. Furthermore, it felt like Hatsune, with her personality not fully matured, was acting affectionate, which Masatsugu found delightful.

"Oh right, Onii-sama. About what we were talking about earlier..."

Hatsune changed the subject.

"Didn't you mention... about going out with an eye for marriage? Can you give me some time to think over it slowly? This is our promise, okay?"

"If you say yes, I don't mind heading over to get registered tomorrow."

"C-Cut the nonsense, okay? This is for a lifetime, so it bears serious consideration! Besides, Onii-sama, you forgot the most important thing!"

"What?"

"According to family registry records, Tachibana Masatsugu hasn't reached eighteen yet. You can't get married!"

"Oh right, that's how it is with Japanese law."

Conversing with Hatsune while hugging together—

Masatsugu could feel his body gradually become burning hot.

Masatsugu was able to obtain substantial ectoplasmic fluid from the reserves provided by Hatsune's body and soul as a new Chevalier.

The Kanesadas born from Tachibana Masatsugu's noesis were heavily fatigued after the long fighting.

But now, they had gained extra strength. Masatsugu nodded contentedly, grateful for the little sister's labors.

Meanwhile, King Richard the Lionheart was on the battlefield—

"Hmm."

The battle was growing more and more intense, but he was forcing himself to relax.

Richard released the reins in his hand and cracked his neck. Then suppressing his natural fervor, he examined the current situation.

...Attacked on both sides after charging the Suruga tutelary fort, the Escalibors were down to less than two hundred and fifty.

...Somewhat annoyingly, seventy Kamuy variants with elongated heads had joined the battle.

...Both sides had given up on formations and switched to chaotic melee combat.

...Most infuriating of all were the red-purple Legions.

Tachibana Masatsugu's katana-using Legions were exhausted, faring not much better than the Escalibors. However, by some unknown trick of magic—

Just earlier, the red-purple Legions had regained their vigor.

From the corner of his eye, Richard saw another "red-purple" chop down an Escalibor with a decisive diagonal slash.

—If the red-purples were exhausted, at least there would be some chance of winning...

At this rate, going on a violent rampage with reckless abandon would only result in a futile death.

"Is it time? Hmph."

Richard was furious as soon as he imagined having to go back and face the Black Prince, lecturing him with a look of exasperation.

However, he would only have a chance to savor this displeasure if he returned alive.

"Escalibors, listen to me. You will fight to the bitter end here at this land of Suruga and sacrifice yourselves for my sake. Just leave seven of you to return with me."

Richard ordered the remaining troops to buy time while he escaped.

Having made his decision, Richard led seven Escalibors and ordered his wyvern to land in the mountainous terrain below. He was going to slip into the mountains under the cover of night to make his way to Suruga Bay. Then either flying on the sea surface or moving underwater, he would return to the Fuji tutelary fort.

"So be it. Fickle fortune decided to side against me today, that is all," said Richard quietly, gritting his teeth.

King Richard the Lionheart was a passionate and intense man. However, there were times on the battlefield when it was imperative to be calm. When time called for self-control, he was always able to control himself.

The more he held himself in check, the greater the flames that erupted in the future—

He convinced himself to maintain a calm mind for now.

"Tachibana, I will concede victory to you for today."

Saying that, Richard I left the battlefield.

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Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2016-07-27T01:59:48Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 4 - Knights of Britain==

===Part 1===

"Hohohoho, when I heard there were signs of the Tōkaidō army mobilizing at Motosu, I did not believe it was necessary to rush back."

Riding gallantly on a white wyvern, the young man was the epitome of an aristocrat.

A silver-haired handsome man. The British military officer uniform looked neat and stylish on him, while his poise and comportment conveyed natural and effortless elegance.

"Fortunately, I changed my mind. It was worth it to rush back via transport aircraft and a wyvern. I finally have a chance to meet you."

The English aristocrat looked straight at Masatsugu.

His wyvern was hovering in the air, just like the two wyverns and all Legions on the Japanese side. However, his sharp gaze was fixed only on Masatsugu.

"I apologize for my previous rudeness. My name is Edward and many people call me the Black Prince."

A smile conveying some kind of certainty appeared on the handsome face of the aristocratic Resurrectee.

"Please do introduce yourself today."

"Tachibana Masatsugu."

"I have never heard this name before. May I ask when were you born in this country?"

"Sorry, I can't answer that," Masatsugu replied indifferently. Rather than giving him a cold shoulder on purpose, Masatsugu's inborn personality was to do things at his own pace. This naturally led to a lack of enthusiasm in his tone.

In contrast, Edward smiled cheerfully.

"I understand now! Until a few days ago, I had to live my days under an alias too. I presume the case is the same for you?"

Masatsugu glanced at his companions.

Hatsune, sitting on the Kurou Hougan's shoulder, and the three Chevaliers on a wyvern were listening to the Black Prince questioningly. They did not know that Masatsugu was a Resurrectee.

As for Princess Shiori's reaction...

She was riding the same wyvern with Masatsugu, staring intently at the Black Prince.

"Very well, what I am going to say next comes from a knight's desire for a duel between warriors, rather than being 'flippant' as my guardian spirit Morrigan worded it."

Ignoring the princess' gaze, Edward spoke openly, "Ladies and gentlemen, would you be so kind as to forgive my knights for the rudeness of standing in your way?"

"Whether we forgive them or not, you're still going to block us, right?"

"Hohohoho, you are certainly quick on the uptake. How splendid."

(...Prince. Fuji City and its vicinity, is not your stronghold. Your Chevalier Strength is down to 10%. Should I send, Sir Gary to converge with you?)

This was spoken through Morgan le Fay's noetic waves.

The giant eyeball, "Morgan's Eye," which Masatsugu and company had spotted overhead, was now watching over her smirking commander-in-chief.

Edward rejected her suggestion, "Isn't my uncle currently at the Fuji tutelary fort? Assign Gary to defense. Since Tachibana-dono has made a personal appearance, it is possible the Tōkaidō army might attempt a sneak attack."

(Affirmative.)

"Tachibana-dono... Shall we begin?"

His aristocratic voice almost sounded like an invitation to Masatsugu for a game of chess.

Edward pulled back on the wyvern's reins as one would a horse, distancing himself from Masatsugu's group. Despite the casual tone of his voice, the Black Prince was leaking powerful noesis from his body and soul.

After pulling back a hundred meters, he finally unleashed burgeoning noesis!

Shiori's body also glowed golden for a few seconds.

"Hatsune, take the three Chevaliers and land. I have called for ''reinforcements'' on the ground. Use their help to escape back to Suruga as quickly as possible."

"U-Understood. What about you and Onii-sama, Princess?"

"We will follow presently. No need to worry."

Shiori commanded solemnly, preventing Hatsune from asking further questions.

Hatsune hastily directed the Kurou Hougan Legion to descend, taking along the wyvern that was carrying the three Chevaliers.

They disappeared into the Tōkaidō mountain forest below.

With only Masatsugu remaining by her side, Shiori sighed.

"Princess, personally, I hope you will escape together with them."

"If you truly believe that I am of no use, I shall comply."

Having asked unwanted bystanders to leave, Shiori was now retorting nonchalantly to Masatsugu.

Her response brought a smile to Masatsugu's face.

Should one be impressed or exasperated? As a princess, Shiori had no desire to stay in the back ranks to be protected. After comparing Masatsugu and the enemy's combat strength, she made the call to "fight alongside him." She was going to draw upon all her talents to find a way out of the predicament.

This temperament did not suit a figurehead liege, but for a comrade for realizing ambition together, it was pretty good.

"Then please keep me company for now."

"Gladly!"

Unlike these pair of liege and retainer, Edward was making battle preparations of his own.

In a sonorous voice, he commanded the noesis he had released.

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it. Gather upon my name of Edward the Black Prince to uphold knightly honor—My personal guard, the Order of the Garter!"

A pitch-black army appeared out of thin air next to Edward.

The Black Prince possessed superior Legions in the form of black Crusades while the Lionheart had his crimson knights. Edward's army numbered a round 100 here.

Chevaliers were only able to summon 10% of their limit when outside their stronghold.

In other words, summoning a hundred Legions here implied that Edward's true Chevalier Strength had exceeded 1000!

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu's army consisted of merely thirty. Not only was he facing a numerical disadvantage of more than three to one, but the enemy was also a famous military genius from English history. This battle was on a different league than the one just now.

Masatsugu kicked his wyvern lightly.

Understanding Masatsugu, the retainer beast retreated behind the Kanesadas.

Riding the same wyvern, the princess was leaning against Masatsugu's bosom. Her body was stiff from nervousness and fear.

One could hardly blame her. After all, this was her first battle.

However, the smart princess said bravely, "Masatsugu-sama, please do not worry about me. You have free rein!"

"Understood. In any case, I'll just go with the flow and do what's natural."

Masatsugu glanced secretly somewhere.

Hovering over there was a giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter. Morgan le Fay's avatar was overlooking the battlefield.

Masatsugu whispered quietly, "Achieving the objective will require quite a lot of effort."

"...Then I shall inform you when a suitable opportunity arises," Shiori replied naturally, prompting Masatsugu to gaze at her.

Due to the emergency, Masatsugu did not explain his approach in detail, but the clever princess had deduced his thoughts from his gaze and the current circumstances.

It was also possibly due to their relationship of increasing intimacy in various ways.

Embarrassed by his gaze, Shiori blushed and turned her head away.

"Masatsugu-sama, the battle has begun!"

"Excuse me."

Masatsugu ordered his thirty Kanesadas to gather into a packed sphere.

A spherical formation was not particularly interesting, but it did offer defense in all directions. Incidentally, the katanas used at Fuji City earlier had all turned back into bayonet rifles.

The effects of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms had vanished. Conversely, Edward suddenly activated his own!

"The nostalgic Battle of Crécy... It is time to relive that day's triumph. O Knights of the Garter, uphold England's pride and turn into archers!"

Of the hundred black knights, a change occurred to forty of them.

Their bayonet rifles turned into steel longbows, just as the Kanesadas could suddenly turn their weapons into the renowned blade, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

"Archers back away. Remaining knights serve as vanguard!"

The Black Prince's Legions were called Knights of the Garter.

They followed their lord's orders and changed their formation.

In front of the forty archers, the remaining sixty Garter Knights formed a packed rectangular formation in an array of ten rows by six columns.

This closer-order formation was like a "wall in the sky."

The archers in the back were shielded by the sixty Legions in the vanguard.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

The two Resurrectees gave the command simultaneously.

However, the actions taken by their respective soldiers were completely different.

In the packed sphere of the thirty Kanesadas, only the Legions on the front side fired their bayonet rifles.

The "wall in the sky" of the vanguard Garter Knights took on the barrage. However, they did not return fire, simply deploying a protective barrier to withstand the Kanesadas' shooting—

The British barrier neutralized all the heat beams from the Japanese side.

The archers at the back attacked on behalf of the unmoving "wall."

Nocking arrows of light onto the black longbows, they aimed upwards towards the sky. The released arrows traced out parabolic trajectories to attack the Kanesadas' spherical formation.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW06.jpg|thumb]]

The British and the Japanese sides kept firing.

The bayonet rifles used by the thirty Kanesadas were able to fire ten beams per second.

In comparison, the British side's forty archers fired much slower. The whole process from nocking to releasing took at least five to ten seconds. The archers were highly skilled but the speed of modern fully automatic fire was overwhelming.

However.

"O-Our side is losing in the shootout!?"

"''As suspected'', the enemy's projectiles are stronger..."

Shiori was greatly surprised whereas Masatsugu nodded. They were watching the battle between Legions from behind. The arrows of light were piercing the armor and gigantic bodies of the thirty Kanesadas up ahead of them.

The Kanesada army's protective barrier ''completely failed to defend against'' the black English longbowmen's consecutive firing.

In contrast, the beams fired by the rifles could not hit any enemies. The protective barrier of the sixty Legions in the "wall in the sky" remained secure and impregnable.

"Well, I already knew they were no ordinary bows and arrows."

Last time in Suruga, Masatsugu was almost sniped by the same kind of bow and arrow.

Now, he was able to witness the firepower he had predicted back then.

After exchanging fire for a minute or two, the Kanesadas were desperately protecting their master, making use of their helmets and various armor to block the arrows or decrease their power.

However, the rain of arrows continued to fall mercilessly upon the Kanesadas.

Seven Kanesadas had already died, either shot in the vitals through gaps in their armor or succumbing to accumulated damage. These seven crashed down from the sky just like that.

"Do you see this, Tachibana-dono? This is the prided ''mode anglais'' formation of my House of Plantagenet—English longbow tactics! How will you respond to that!?"

"I see."

The Black Prince sounded like he was exhibiting a treasure. Masatsugu replied indifferently.

"So using bows for both offense and defense roles is this so-called English style."

Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu was over a hundred meters away from Edward.

Even so, Masatsugu knew what the other side was thinking. It was probably the same for Edward. In an encounter between first-rate chess players, simply looking at the situation on the board would be enough to read each other's minds without any need for redundant conversation.

As expert tacticians, Masatsugu and Edward were on such a level.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

"Looks like we have to give up on shooting."

Masatsugu gently embraced the worried Shiori.

The two of them were riding the same wyvern. The princess' light back and body weight was leaning against Masatsugu's bosom while she was holding his left hand tightly in her hands.

She was touching her trusted knight to relieve the fear and uncertainty in her heart.

"All men draw your swords. The blades will be your ''shields''."

Feeling the princess' delicate body against him, Masatsugu issued a new command.

The rifles of the remaining twenty-three Kanesadas turned into Japanese swords again. They kept their swords vertically upright in front of their faces to guard their bodies' center line.

Namely, the vertical line passing through the forehead, the nose, the throat, the sternum, and the crotch.

Using the sword to guard the center meant that a slight movement of the wrist would be enough to parry arrows aimed at the face, the heart, or other vitals of the body.

The barrier-penetrating arrows were now blocked by Hijikata Toshizō's beloved sword.

"Hohohoho. Not a bad solution, but it is nowhere enough."

"You're right."

The Black Prince smiled while Tachibana Masatsugu remained expressionless.

The battle between Legions gradually intensified. The black archers continued to shoot repeatedly. Although the Kanesadas were using swords to guard their vitals near the center line, their bodies were still getting pierced by numerous arrows.

The most serious wounds were inflicted on the limbs, bleeding blue blood.

Ectoplasmic fluid was the energy source driving Legions. Excessive loss of ectoplasmic fluid would naturally stop movement. Another three Kanesadas fell from the sky due to excessive injuries.

At this rate, defeat was inevitable even if the rate of Legions dying had decreased.

"Charge the defending black knights. Make it quick."

Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas whose numbers had decreased sharply to twenty.

The Kanesada army executed the command dutifully. Accelerating at the "wall in the sky" formed by the sixty Garter Knights, they unleashed Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship—

Even with numerical superiority on their side, it was possible for normal Crusades to become careless and lose in this kind of situation.

However, the rifles vanished from the hands of the black knights in the "wall" ahead.

What took their place was a rectangular shield as tall as a Legion. Holding shields in both hands, the Garter Knights resisted the Shinsengumi's vicious swords.

The swordsmanship that had sliced through many a Crusade's armor could not cut through these shields!

"Shame be to him who thinks ill of it... My knights, you are protected by the insignia of the garter. Now raise your shields of justice to triump over evil!"

These were the holy words used by the Black Prince to invoke his Feat of Arms.

The short inscription of "Honi soit qui mal y pense," resembling Latin, and a cross appeared on each shield wielded by the Garter Knights.

"The power to block Hijikata Toshizō's sword... A Feat of Arms of the shield, huh?" Masatsugu muttered to himself while observing the battle from a distance.

The army of black knights were hiding behind shields. No matter how fierce, the moves of Tennen Rishin Style could not win so easily. Every free-flowing swing of the sword was deflected by a shield.

Also, while the Kanesadas were busy attacking the shield bearers...

The archers originally in the back had circled behind the army of katana-wielding Kanesadas.

Returning their longbows to bayonet rifles, they attacked the red-purple Japanese army from behind—in melee combat!

...Sandwiched front and back by the Garter Knights, the Kanesadas' defeat was sealed.

Succeeding in their pincer attack, the British Legions swung the blades of their bayonet rifles to slice, stab, skewer, and gouge the bodies of the Kanesadas.

A merciless massacre began.

"Masatsugu-sama... It is almost time..." Shiori whispered quietly at that moment.

The princess had been holding Masatsugu's hand silently the whole time, leaning against his chest. Her posture remained the same right now, but there was a kind of vibrancy in her voice that belonged to someone who had found a ray of hope.

Only nine red-purple Legions remained.

This number was sufficient. Masatsugu's cheek twitched in a smile.

"Howl, my men. The black knights are not your opponents."

Masatsugu's target was "Morgan's Eye" up high.

Compared to the super gigantic eyeball guarding the Fuji tutelary fort, this avatar was only one-tenth in size. Currently, it was watching the battlefield, bearing witness to Edward's battle.

"Take out that spirit. Do it."

The nine Kanesadas followed Masatsugu's orders and roared thunderously.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This shouting of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The fierce roaring resounded all around. Using their mouths hidden behind their masks, the Legions emitted a unique howling sound.

The War Cry produced effects of noetic disruption and could cancel out electromagnetic radiation and noetic waves.

Previously, the British Crusades had used the same tactic in their attack on Suruga.

(—Prince, reporting. Enemy, starting noetic disruption. Avatar, cannot be sustained...)

The voice reported the situation in fragments. The hovering seven or eight-meter-diameter eyeball—Morgan le Fay's manifestation—slowly vanished.

Seeing his guardian spirit defeated, Edward praised, "Oh? You still managed to blow away Morrigan in an instant despite your unfavorable situation?"

"It worked in one shot precisely because of the unfavorable situation. Otherwise, a spirit of that level isn't going to present any openings."

Edward and Masatsugu muttered simultaneously as though having a face-to-face conversation.

Masatsugu had reasoned that using noetic disruption recklessly would not achieve much.

The enemy was a spirit of the strongest class on the British side. However, no matter how powerful a spirit, it would be only natural for her concentration to slip when seeing her master winning with an overwhelming advantage.

Even if not to the point of carelessness, there would undoubtedly be a decrease in focus.

Shiori had been increasing her senses as a noetic master, looking for an opening in the opponent.

As for Masatsugu—the moment before ''landing on the ground''...

He first had the Kanesadas start a War Cry, then carrying the exhausted Shiori in his arms, he swiftly kicked his wyvern's side, ordering it to make a rapid descent.

The wyvern flapped its wings and landed in the mountain forest.

A giant white wolf was already waiting on the ground.

This was one of the Mibu wolves they had ridden to the Fuji River then dismissed back into the forest. Masatsugu quickly got off the wyvern and moved Shiori, who was unable to walk, to the Mibu wolf's back.

"We succeeded, Masatsugu-sama..."

"Yes, with that spirit gone, we won't need to worry about noetic tracking. Now we can escape deep into the mountains without having to watch our back."

Holding the feebly smiling Shiori in his arms, Masatsugu rode the Mibu wolf.

Once again, the two of them were riding the same retainer beast, except this time they were escaping on land. Hiding in the mountain forest was definitely better than flying in the air since their goal was to evade enemy pursuit.

Weaving through the trees in the mountain forest, the Mibu wolf raced as fast as the wind.

Needless to say, their destination was Suruga City.

"Thank you for your support, Princess. We couldn't have escaped otherwise."

"No... Without you in command, Masatsugu-sama, we would have been wiped out long ago... I should be the one to express gratitude..."

The brave princess had been sticking closely to Masatsugu for a reason.

While relieving her fear and uncertainty on one hand, she was also providing a small amount of ectoplasmic fluid to him through intimate contact on the other. In fact, the Garter Knights' fierce offensive had dealt a heavy blow to the Kanesadas, causing ectoplasmic fluid consumption to be much higher than usual..

Without Shiori's assistance, the Kanesadas might not have had the strength to unleash the final roar—

In any case, Masatsugu "went with the flow and did what was natural" and succeeded in upholding the principle of "escaping as quickly as possible from a battlefield of certain defeat."

"It looks like Tachibana-dono does not share the knightly ideal of putting up a manly fight. He fled with such speed and decisiveness."

On the saddle of his wvyern that was flapping its wings, Edward smiled wryly.

The last of the red-purple Legions had just been wiped out in front of his eyes.

Instantly killing nine survivors was a piece of cake. Only the Black Prince, his wyvern, and the Order of the Garter remained in the aerial battlefield.

"I could burn the whole mountain to conduct a search... but it is unlikely that he would loiter in the vicinity."

Edward looked down at the mountain forest, shrugging his shoulders.

He recalled the girl who was leaning against Tachibana Masatsugu's chest. He originally thought she was simply along the ride for some kind of reason and did not pay much attention to her—

"That girl has an air quite similar to Eleanor's. She seems to be well-versed in noetics too..."

The beautiful maiden's noble and pretty face and platinum blonde hair were very striking.

Edward decided he should investigate her background.

Tachibana Hatsune was running through the forest at full speed.

Of course, she was using a Mibu wolf to do the running, instead of running on foot.

The reinforcements Princess Shiori had mentioned before parting ways were a reference to this white mid-size retainer beast. A second Mibu wolf was carrying the three Chevaliers they had just rescued.

"I hope the princess and Onii-sama are fine..."

So far, there were no signs of the lady she served and the young man from her clan catching up.

Just as she was worrying about their safety, Hatsune sensed someone sneering behind her. She had some recollection of this very sarcastic voice.

Not too long ago, she had heard the same voice prior to activating the Feat of Arms—Kotouhihisshutsu.

...Hatsune had recalled how the voice offered to teach her a good plan. Then the principles to using that secret move had surfaced in her mind. In other words, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was giving advice again.

Hatsune focused to listen. Sure enough, the blue scroll appeared in her right hand.

"What's up, Yoshitsune-san?"

The scroll told her that her friends were out of danger... At least, that was the message Hatsune sensed.

"Really!? They still haven't shown up, and I was worried sick. This is great news!"

...Well, with that dead fish in charge, failure would come as a surprise.

"Are you talking about Onii-sama? Well, it's true that he's not a very lively person."

Talking to herself in front of a scroll was quite a bizarre scene.

However, Hatsune was not in the mood to make fun of herself, because she learned a shocking truth without any mental preparation beforehand.

...That isn't what I meant. That man and I are the same. In other words, we were awakened from our ancient deaths.

"Huh?"

Hatsune jumped in shock. ''Now'', she really doubted whether her ears were hallucinating or not.

===Part 2===

The expedition to Fuji City had unfolded with unexpected developments.

After surviving many trials, Masatsugu finally brought Shiori back to Suruga. Along the way, they met up with Hatsune and the three Chevaliers who had almost ended up as hostages. No one was left behind. Also, they had gathered quite a lot of information—

However, Akigase Rikka could not help but frown after listening to the report.

"Perhaps I should not be saying this after requesting your aid, Your Highness..."

Rikka was in the castellan's office, grumbling to Shiori and Masatsugu.

"What would we do if anything happened to our imperial princess? Please understand the importance of your safety."

"I am terribly sorry. Due to the emergency situation, I overstepped my bounds."

The scolded princess apologized obediently, demonstrating contrition in her words and behavior in a perfect performance of docility. Truly an inexperienced actress. In the end, Rikka did not pursue the matter very far.

Thanks to the princess risking herself, three Chevaliers were rescued.

The three young Chevaliers were named Habuna, Maike, and Tabi, members of the Tōkaidō provincial army stationed at Yamanashi. Each of their Chevalier Strength was about 50.

The noetic officers at the Suruga tutelary fort unsealed their Appellations for them.

"I do appreciate gaining more subordinates, who need to be looked after, in this manner. Until Nagoya issues directions, let them stay in Suruga for now."

Rikka grinned and did not complain any further about the princess' recklessness.

The three new additions to their forces also brought unexpected effects. They excitedly told their fellow soldiers in the Suruga tutelary fort about what they had seen and heard.

Namely, the conversation between Edward the Black Prince and Tachibana Masatsugu during the retreat battle.

'Until a few days ago, I had to live my days under an alias too. I presume the case is the same for you?'

The Resurrectee leading the British forces had said something profound.

Added to the original rumors about Masatsugu's identity, a "certain conviction" began to spread among the Suruga soldiers.

Indeed, everyone was deeply convinced that Tachibana Masatsugu's true identity was precisely Hijikata Toshizō.

The next day after their return from Fuji City—

Masatsugu had accompanied the princess to the tutelary fort. While they were there, they separated at some point.

While he was taking a stroll alone, the soldiers and officers' attitudes towards him was clearly more careful and polite than before. The three Chevaliers, Habuna, Maike, and Tabi even went out of their way to greet him.

At every opportunity, they would discreetly ask Masatsugu, "Tachibana-dono... You are Lord Hijikata, right?"

Every time, Masatsugu reacted indifferently.

"No." "I have no idea." "Not really." "Who knows?" "You've got the wrong guy, I think?" "Don't believe in weird rumors."

Masatsugu simply repeated denials monotonously. He could not be bothered to explain the reason.

Humans were creatures that only believed what they wanted to believe. No matter how much Masatsugu denied it, they always left with a "He is Lord Hijikata..." look on their face.

After handling these questions, Masatsugu ran into the mess hall reserved for high-ranking officers.

The restricted mess hall was only open to Chevaliers and soldiers holding the rank of field officer or above, hence there were few users. Masatsugu took a seat, hoping this should reduce the amount of hassle.

At that moment, Hatsune arrived, wearing an angry expression for once.

Masatsugu expected she had come to talk nonsense after hearing about the Hijikata Toshizō rumor.

"Whether you are really Hijikata Toshizō or not, Onii-sama, I'll save that question for another time. So the ''real Tachibana Masatsugu'' who used to play with me in childhood... He's already dead?"

Hatsune pursued the core of the matter right off the bat.

"I see... So you admitted to Hatsune regarding your identity as a Resurrectee?"

"Yes, I told her at my own discretion."

This was the next morning after he had had a good long talk with the young maiden of the Tachibana clan.

Masatsugu had come to the Black Lily Dorm, reserved exclusively for the princess, to meet his liege in the conversation lounge.

"I don't know my real name, I was summoned to the present world by the princess' divine power, the real Tachibana Masatsugu has been dead for years, etc. That was the main gist of it."

"It cannot be helped. The truth had to come out eventually."

Shiori sighed lightly.

In the past, she often drank black tea in the conversation lounge, but currently, all she had before her was a glass of water.

Suruga's food problem was getting worse with each passing day. Luxury items such as coffee, black tea, and alcoholic beverages were in scarce supply. Even the princess could not enjoy them freely.

"That explains why I have not seen her since yesterday..."

"She must be in shock, finding out her relative had died and that I'm someone unrelated."

"That would be inconvenient. It would not do to be distracted by such trivial troubles... She has so many responsibilities riding on her."

Tachibana Hatsune was Princess Shiori's lady-in-waiting, bodyguard, and Chevalier.

Of course, competence and professionalism were essential. There was nothing wrong with what Shiori had said. However, the beautiful princess added dryly, "Well, I will turn a blind eye if she wants some time to put her feelings in order. Showing a bit of leniency to subordinates is a part of employee benefits, after all."

"I see."

"Masatsugu-sama, are you smirking?"

"You are imagining things. I never knew you had a naive side too, Princess."

"Well, it was a slip of the tongue!"

Just as the liege and retainer were having this kind of conversation...

A patter of hurried footsteps approached the conversation lounge and the door was flung open forcefully. Dressed in ''Haikara-san'' style, Hatsune rushed in excitedly and said, "Princess, Onii-sama! Maybe Onii-sama's real identity is Oda Nobunaga!?"

Charging in energetically in one breath, Hatsune proposed a bold hypothesis.

After a moment of silence, Shiori remarked with slight disappointment, "...Didn't you say that she was in shock?"

"It seemed that way yesterday," Masatsugu replied expressionlessly.

In any case, they looked at Hatsune, who was acting her usual self. Shiori offered care and concern for the still cheerful girl, "So, have you put your feelings in order?"

"Oh, yes. It's sad that my distant relative had passed away, and I'd like to pay respects at his grave too. However, your ambitions come first, Princess, so it can't be helped."

"...I am certainly grateful you understand that."

"Not at all, this is the Tachibana clan's duty, after all."

The princess was quite surprised by this turn of events while Hatsune responded cheerfully.

The ability to swiftly change mindsets was a warrior's asset too. Feeling impressed instead, Masatsugu said, "Are you going to keep addressing me the same way?"

"Why not? Your name is definitely 'Tachibana Masatsugu' in the family registry. Plus changing the habit will be a pain at this point. Besides, now that I think about it..."

Hatsune lowered her voice as though whispering.

"There are many people with unknown identities among the 'aunties and uncles' who only show up to family gatherings and memorial services. Compared to those relatives, Onii-sama, my relationship with you is definitely more real and substantial. Don't worry, I'm fine."

In a certain way, this happy-go-lucky disposition was also a hero's requisite quality.

Furthermore, it was supposedly Hatsune's father in the capital Tokyo who set up Masatsugu to take over the identity of the original who had died in an accident.

"Back to the main issue here. Why can't Onii-sama's real identity be Oda Nobunaga?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Speaking of Japanese heroes, it pretty much boils down to the trio of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu, right? But Toyotomi Hideyoshi looked like a monkey while Tokugawa Ieyasu was a pudgy guy like a tanuki, so their appearances don't match Onii-sama at all. That's why I decided to place my bet on Oda Nobunaga."

"I see, that makes sense."

"Onii-sama, do you remember the Honnouji Incident?"

"Now that I think about it, I haven't visited any shrines or temples for the past two years. Maybe the memories of my death turned into mental trauma, making me avoid shrines and temples subconsciously..."

"That's what they call depth psychology, right!?"

While Hatsune and Masatsugu were discussion the new hypothesis, Shiori coughed on the side.

"Let us carefully examine this nonsen—no, bold hypothesis. Chances are 99% that the possibility of Masatsugu-sama being Lord Nobunaga is wrong."

"Oh?"

"Princess, 99% is going way overboard!"

"Lord Nobunaga was undoubtedly an excellent politician and strategist, but his abilities as a field commander are more inconclusive... Some accounts are rather suspect."

"But he won spectacular victories at Okehazama and Nagashino, right?"

While the knowledgeable princess recounted history, Hatsune tried to muster a small rebuttal.

"The depictions of battles in historical novels or dramas are almost all fake. The surprise attack on Okehazama that defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto and the three rows of cannon fire that devastated the Takeda cavalry were all fiction conjured by novelists in the Edo period."

"R-Really?"

"There is a theory that Nobunaga was marching blindly in Okehazama when he chanced upon the enemy. In hindsight, the surprise attack was simply dumb luck."

"That doesn't sound cool~"

"Which is why it was 'embellished' to become an inspiring story of valor. Besides, Lord Nobunaga is often described as an innovative and progressive genius... But in fact, he was very concerned about public opinion. A man who stuck to steady and reliable methods. There are many surviving letters that he wrote to his retainers regarding such matters. He actually had quite a thoughtful personality."

"He's not the Devil of the Sixth Heaven!?"

"When Hideyoshi's legal wife was frustrated by her husband's infidelity, he even wrote letters to comfort her... Do you understand now? Masatsugu-sama isn't someone that thoughtful."

"That's definitely true!"

"Princess, Hatsune, jumping to conclusions is not a good thing."

Offended, Masatsugu objected to Hatsune's agreement with Shiori's assertion.

"I'm actually a man who knows how to be caring and considerate. Assuming the other person is a lady, I think."

"Right, you did mention you were some kind of skirt chaser in your past life, didn't you...?"

"Huh?"

Shiori grumbled with inexplicable consternation, causing Hatsune to react in shock.

"No way! Onii-sama—You're that kind of guy!?"

"What's so surprising about that? Every guy likes attractive women."

Masatsugu's attitude was blasé as always, completely unapologetic.

Hatsune smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Onii-sama. You always looked so serious, that's why I found it surprising... Oh, Onii-sama, don't tell me I've caught your eye too?"

"Nope, I can swear to God and the High Heavens."

"Th-That's pretty rude too. I can't believe you rejected me so directly."

The Tachibana girl hung her head in dismay.

Masatsugu shrugged and said, "Don't worry, I'm talking about before. Since we're not blood related, but you're still willing to address me as your older brother, I suppose we're sworn siblings bound by destiny."

"Sworn... siblings?"

"Yeah, and I'm a guy who finds little sisters irresistible."

"Onii-sama, you shouldn't say that after delivering a touching speech!"

In the end, Hatsune easily got back into her usual stride.

Princess Shiori's immediate surroundings were still secure. However, a formidable foe was still eyeing the Suruga region. Furthermore, the Restoration Alliance had gained the exceptional carnivore known as Richard I.

Perhaps a dramatic change in the battle situation was around the corner.

Masatsugu had this sort of faint premonition.

===Part 3===

A helicopter took off from Nagoya Castle and finally arrived at the scene.

This was a special transport helicopter reserved for VIPs in the Tōkaidō Fiefdom with a capacity for seven passengers. The seats were made of real leather and the cabin's decor was very high class.

It was around 1pm.

Under the sunny sky, the noisy rotors could be heard throughout the flight.

"The tutelary fort at Higashimikawa is ablaze..." One of the passengers, a Chevalier in his late forties, said in shock.

"Higashimikawa" referred to the eastern part of the Aichi Prefecture in Tōkaidō. This tutelary fort was located in the mountains, right in the center between Toyohashi City and Gamagoori City.

It was a star fort designed with a five-pointed arrangement of fortification walls.

Standing in the center, the nation-protecting keep and various buildings were all on fire.

There were over three hundred crimson Crusades in the air above the tutelary fort.

These Crusades had come from the Hamamatsu tutelary fort on the western edge of Shizuoka Prefecture. Using overwhelming numbers, the enemy had instantly crushed the garrison at Higashimikawa.

"It's a special variant that first appeared at the Fuji tutelary fort three days ago. According to Rikka's report, the enemy Chevalier is a Resurrectee who claims to be Richard I..."

The white-haired old man frowned with resentment in his voice.

His name and title were Akigase Shouzan, Governor General of Tōkaidō.

Akigase Shouzan was dressed in a kimono with an Inverness coat. Slender and crane-like in appearance, he was glaring sharply. A sixty-eight-year-old man who made a striking impression.

Chevalier Akigase Rikka was the eldest child born to him when he was late in his years.

"So the knights of the Restoration have finally encroached upon the land of Mikawa, huh?"

Imperial Japan's military used small and mid-size retainer beasts for reconnaissance.

Of course, Akigase Shouzan could depend on reports from pipe foxes or yatagarasus, but he still chose to confirm the situation for himself at the scene.

The reason was—

Over the past two days, another three tutelary forts in eastern Aichi had fallen.

"Yesterday was Okumikawa, this morning was Atsumi... And this afternoon was Higashimikawa. They are truly doing whatever they please."

In every case, the attacks were conducted by crimson Crusades.

They were the army led by Richard I, apparently called the Escalibors.

Through the helicopter's window, Akigase Shouzan glared at the giant figures of the red knights.

His stronghold of Nagoya was very near Kinai. Going west then crossing the Kiso River would reach Kinai Fiefdom—the land ruled by the Restoration Alliance's leader.

Recklessly mobilizing Nagoya's forces would lead Kinai to attack.

Akigase Shouzan and the Kinai provincial army were restraining each other across the Kiso River. Meanwhile, he requested reinforcements from various neighboring regions such as Tōsandō, Hokuriku, and Kantō. Negotiating between various factions, he sought to regroup and launch a counterattack.

However, the results were not promising.

Perhaps, their plan was to sacrifice Tōkaidō—

"What do you mean by halting the attack for now, Edward?"

"Proper preparations are needed before these conquered tutelary forts of Okumikawa, Atsumi, and Higashimikawa can be used as bases to stage an invasion against Nagoya. A mere half a day isn't enough to complete all requisite tasks, such as having nearby residents sign written pledges to obey the Charter of Chivalry."

A few hours had gone by after Higashimikawa's fall.

The sky was dark and Edward was in the castellan's office, receiving Richard who had returned to the Hamamatsu tutelary fort in triumph. It was for this purpose that he had specially made a trip from Hakone.

The two of them were sitting on separate sofas, facing each other across the reception table.

"A lightning offensive is a good thing, but Uncle, you are causing too much destruction."

"Hmm..."

"How about resting for a week? Come with me to Hakone during this period. It will be nice to enjoy the hot springs and the autumn scenery."

"Hmph." The ancestor with title of Lionheart frowned. "It was the same thing a few days ago. I was pursuing the enemy after my victory at Fuji, but you summoned me back before I could conquer Motosu..."

"There was no need to traverse Mount Fuji to enter Yamanashi territory, after all," Edward explained with a shrug, unfazed by the angry lion. "Even if you conquered the likes of Motosu and Kouhujou, the surrounding area is mountainous and treacherous. Movement of Legions over mountains of that sort, where powerful earth spirits reside, will incur severe consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, and there are no water shrines to use in the mountains."

Daihosatsu Ridge, Yatsugatake, Okuchichibu, Okutama, Tanzawa, and others...

Edward recalled vague impressions of these geographic names. The mountainous region between Tōkaidō and Kantō was vast with numerous peaks. He had long given up on memorizing all of them.

Rather than geographic names, strategic significance was more important.

"If you try to invade Tokyo by traversing the mountains, exhausting your army in the process... You will only play into the hands of the patiently waiting Kantō Fiefdom."

"That is why I wanted to march west now."

"Yes, Uncle, if you were to take care of the provincial capital of Nagoya and deal the mortal blow to the Tōkaidō Fiefdom while I undertake preparations at Hakone to invade Kantō—That would be the ideal development."

Nagoya was both the provincial capital and the beating heart of Tōkaidō.

The Aichi Prefecture centered around this metropolis was home to a population and production capacity far surpassing Shizuoka and Yamanashi combined.

Consequently, the Tōkaidō Fiefdom had maintained ample military readiness there.

The Aichi Prefecture had a total of ten tutelary forts of which six were concentrated in Nagoya's outskirts.

"There are fifteen Chevaliers stationed in this area along with the Tōkaidō Governor General overseeing everything. Although he is not a Chevalier, I heard he is rather shrewd and experienced."

Were he a Chevalier, they would have been able to recruit him ''swiftly'' as they did with the Kinai Governor General.

Edward recalled the magical powers of Eleanor who was still in Kyoto. On the other hand, Richard snorted and scowled with displeasure again.

Then immediately, he grinned mischievously.

"Let us be honest, Edward. What you want is to leave this inferior prey of Nagoya to me so that you can have Kantō—or rather, the Roman garrison there—all to yourself, am I right?"

"That is quite a nasty way of putting things," Edward made a wry smile elegantly without confirming or denying it. "Lord Caesar is currently not in Japan... But he is ultimately a great hero. Rumor has it that he has planted a number of schemes to protect Tokyo on behalf of the weak Kantō Fiefdom and the Imperial Guard. Even the Japanese side are kept in the dark."

"Oh?"

"To attack impulsively like a lion would only end up falling into a trap. I choose to attack Kantō only because I believe I am more suited to the task. Uncle, please understand."

"Very well, but I do have a condition." Richard went straight to the chase. "From what I hear, you had yourself quite a bloody good time at Fuji. There is a bunch of interesting Chevaliers at Suruga, valiantly resisting our armies, is that correct?"

"Oh dear, Uncle, so that is what you are getting at."

This fierce ancestor was definitely a short-sighted and impulsive man.

However, Richard's nose and various instincts were exceptionally keen. He must have smelled "delicious prey" this time without even thinking deeply.

Furthermore, it was an exquisite dessert that Edward the Black Prince had specially saved for later.

"Fine, so be it. Uncle, I have ''two'' demands."

"Try me."

"The first one is very simple. Before setting off for Suruga, please conquer Nagoya first."

"What bloody rubbish is this? This hot blood of mine is about to erupt right away."

"The risks outweigh the benefits if you intentionally take a detour, only to fall into a trap. So far, the man lurking in Suruga... has yet to reveal the true extent of his powers. His hunting skills ought to be quite exceptional."

"On what grounds do you believe that?"

"A man who excels at escaping will likewise excel at trapping his enemy. In the past, I have faced a similar acquaintance."

Edward recalled his rival of old, a hero of France.

There was something about Tachibana Masatsugu that ''smelled'' similar to that man. Meanwhile, the Lionheart dismissed it with a fearless smile. Although deep thought was not his forte, he was a man of extraordinary ability.

"Then I shall attack seriously instead of savoring small bites."

"Apart from him, Suruga has other capable knights. It would be best to take caution."

"What about your second demand?"

"After conquering Suruga, please locate a beautiful princess with dazzling platinum hair. That girl could ostensibly become an interesting trump card. She has an air quite similar to Eleanor's. You will certainly recognize her on sight, Uncle."

Edward recalled the noble lady whom Tachibana Masatsugu was serving in a knightly capacity.

Her name was Fujinomiya Shiori, the shunned princess of Imperial Japan in curious circumstances.

===Part 4===

October 31.

Half a month had elapsed since the Restoration Alliance's invasion of Shizuoka.

Early this morning, a messenger pipe fox sent by Nagoya arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort, bringing news that three tutelary forts in Tōkaidō had fallen yesterday and the day before.

"This means that Nagoya's situation is getting dire just like ours?"

"Compared to Suruga, which is left alone for now, it might be more dangerous in a certain sense."

Masatsugu was accompanying Hatsune to pay respects at a tomb.

It was 2pm or so. There were no other people at the cemetery apart from them. This peaceful cemetery was located at the Abe River on the west side of Suruga and near the home of "the real Tachibana Masatsugu."

"Onii-sama... Sorry for not visiting until now. The clan's duties and service to the princess will be undertaken properly by me and this Onii-sama here. Please rest in peace."

"That's a really complicated way of putting things," Masatsugu muttered while putting his palms together in front of the tomb together with Hatsune.

Before them was a tomb marker reading "Tomb of the Tachibana Clan." Next to it was a small stone tablet inscribed with the entombed's names.

The latest name was "Tachibana Masatsugu," preceded by Masatsugu's parents, then grandparents—

"When they buried ''the real one'', they still carved his name on the stone... Fortunately, I only stole his identity but not his tombstone as well."

This was probably a tiny bit of compensation secretly provided by Hatsune's father and elders in the clan when they took the name of the young Tachibana who had died prematurely to give to an unidentified Resurrectee.

Masatsugu only noticed this thoughtfulness when he saw the stone tablet today.

After praying for "the real one," Masatsugu said, "Hatsune, please accept my thanks and apologies to the real one. If possible, please stay behind me as much as possible when on the battlefield."

"Oh my, Onii-sama, you're going to protect me?"

Hatsune sounded slightly offended, as befitted a member of a clan of heroes who prided themselves on strength.

Masatsugu shook his head. "No, what I mean is... You should observe me carefully to learn how battles are fought. Until you become full-fledged, I am willing to do what I can."

"That's cool. However, I am a bit surprised."

"Surprised?"

"I thought you'd be more of a lone wolf in combat."

"A fresh recruit can't do everything on the battlefield and needs looking after in the first place. And the one to look after Tachibana Hatsune is precisely me, Tachibana Masatsugu, that's all."

Masatsugu shared his thoughts and came to realize something.

Judging from this, back in the past, did he also follow someone to learn about how battles were fought? Probably... Yes?

Following strong, fierce, and persevering men, he had rode to the ends of the earth on many occasions—

Just as he felt certain he had lived such a life...

"Oh my? It's an alarm!?"

Hatsune jumped in fright. An alarm was blaring through the public speakers all over Suruga City, accompanied by a broadcast message urging civilians to take refuge indoors.

With tacit acknowledgement, the two of them immediately left the cemetery.

Naturally, they were not going to take shelter. Tachibana Masatsugu and Hatsune were Chevaliers defending this city.

"Onii-sama, let's hurry to the tutelary fort!"

"Hmm?"

At the cemetery parking lot, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu, but he noticed something was off.

Something was flying at high speed from south of Suruga Bay, heading straight to the center of town near the train station. A normal person's eyesight would probably mistake it for an airplane.

"A red Crusade... It's King Richard's Legion!"

They had seen this type of Crusade three days ago, but for some reason, there was only ''a single'' one flying.

Unlike the capital's city center, Suruga did not have many tall buildings. Hence, Masatsugu's excellent eyesight was able to see the red Crusade from the cemetery in the suburbs.

Another shadow in the sky also concerned him.

A wyvern was flying in front, leading the Crusade.

Masatsugu could clearly see a Chevalier riding on the wyvern.

===Part 5===

The scene changed to the imperial capital of Tokyo.

The residence of the Empress of Imperial Japan was called the "imperial palace."

Even though it was known as a castle, it was actually completely different from Japanese castles such as Nijou Castle.

Entirely in the style of a European palace, it had been built in Tokyo's Aoyama neighborhood after the Second World War. Constructed with bricks and a steel frame in an imitation of Baroque architecture, the palace was sturdy and beautiful.

The magnificent palace used a large quantity of white bricks, resulting in a stylish exterior.

Somewhere in the imperial palace was a waiting room used exclusively by military officers visiting from the Eastern Roman Empire.

There were all sorts of extravagant furnishings in the room. Most important of all, the room was equipped with a direct telephone line to Roman military facilities outside of Japan.

Currently, Alexis Yang was in the middle of using this direct line.

"No sense of crisis... That would not be a correct description."

Yang was holding the receiver in one hand, speaking in a laid back tone of voice.

He was dressed in the Eastern Roman Empire's military uniform, which was colored blue and featured a blazer-style jacket. The top two buttons of his shirt collar were unfastened and he was not wearing a tie either.

Yang had facial hair on his chin, giving him a wild look that suited his sloppy attire.

"They realize this situation needs to be handled, but have no idea what to do, which is why they procrastinate without accomplishing anything... That pretty much covers the reactions of anyone who matters in the imperial palace."

These scathing words were delivered lightly without any tone of sarcasm.

Yang was a major serving as part of the "Eastern Roman Empire's East Asian Administrative Region Military Staff." The man he was speaking to was not only the most famous person in the world but also the great hero who had founded the Empire.

'Nothing out of the ordinary. The Empress is surrounded by useless ladies-in-waiting.'

The speaker's voice was regal and majestic without sounding pretentious.

This unique diction belonged to Generalissimo Caesar of Rome.

Yang replied, "Those hags—correction, older ladies—only know how to put on airs and bully members of the same sex."

'I really wish the Imperial Guard or the Kantō Fiefdom could show a little competence.'

"Yes, I will check things out later."

Styling himself as Imperial Japan's ''patronus'', Caesar was currently absent from Japan.

A month ago, Rome and the British Empire had clashed at the island of Java. Standing by at Lantau Island in Hong Kong, Caesar had sent Staff Officer Yang to Tokyo on his behalf.

Yang was a noetic master, capable of speaking freely without fear of eavesdropping.

Techniques for sensing electromagnetic radiation and noetic waves allowed one to confirm the risk of being eavesdropped. Invoking noetic waves to cause interference would also counter every type of surveillance equipment.

"By the way, that princess whom you fancy so much—Her Highness Shiori—has been abandoned, clearly left to die without any rescue attempt... It would be scandalous if this rumor leaked out, but in any case, someone will use this opportunity to make her disappear."

'Oh? That is not very good.'

"If the British were to capture a princess of noble blood, there could spell all sorts of trouble. Japan's awareness of this is far too lax."

'How regrettable. By the way, Major Yang, regarding your new mission...'

"...A new mission?"

'The situation has changed over the past few days, hasn't it? I have devised a few countermeasures after being notified. First of all—Please infiltrate Suruga where Shiori is right now. Visit the tutelary fort that has been fighting bravely in isolation and present yourself as a military adviser.'

"...Hold on a sec. I promised my daughter I'm returning home in a week."

Yang accidentally committed a soldier's taboo of defying an order. He was already thirty-four and had a single eleven-year-old daughter in Hong Kong.

"I already bought souvenirs in Japan, like idol concert videos and a rice cooker."

'Just have them sent via air mail. I will have the staff section inform your wife.'

"She's my ex, not my wife, okay! Besides, isn't infiltration the job of the intelligence department? Those guys must have sneaked into Suruga already, right?"

The great historical hero must be snickering to himself on the other side. Alexis Yang was certain of it and tried to argue.

Caesar laughed maliciously and said, 'Your job is to make adjustments to our side's military strategy based on my wishes and local circumstances. Both the commander at Suruga and I need someone to perform this role.'

"Fine, fine. In other words, Your Excellency will not just send troops from Kantō to take back Hakone."

Yang stopped joking around and switched to a sulking tone of voice.

"You intend to negotiate with Suruga to launch an attack from west of Hakone for a pincer offensive, right? I will work hard as though my salary and pension depended on it. Currently, what Japan needs most is undoubtedly Your Excellency... Generalissimo Caesar."

'That goes without saying. Since I do wish for matters over here to be handled well, I will make adjustments.'

Even through the telephone, Caesar's voice still sounded full of vibrancy.

In any case, someone had received orders from Eastern Rome's Generalissimo and was preparing to head to Tōkaidō.
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Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 3

2016-07-25T06:16:27Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 3 - Coeur de Lion==

===Part 1===

The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a mountainous region formed from two adjacent mountains in a north-south series.

Suruga City lay to the west of these mountains while Shimizu City lay to the east. Currently, Tachibana Masatsugu and two companions were traveling in a plain-looking domestic vehicle, driving from Suruga towards Shimizu.

"So quiet..." Masatsugu muttered from the front passenger seat. He was looking out the window at the streets of Suruga.

It was 9am. Putting aside the obvious early hour, there was a lack of vibrancy. Population was sparse to begin with in this regional city, but there were no pedestrians in the outdoors. Cars were few too.

It was as though all the residents had gone on vacation—

"It's only natural, Onii-sama. Unlike our high school, many schools and businesses are on holiday. After all, you get hungry easily if you run around for no good reason," responded Hatsune from the driver's seat, dressed in her usual ''Haikara-san'' getup.

Traffic on the road was very light and Hatsune was driving quite fast. Also, she had formed her tutelary pact at the water shrine yesterday.

"The rations distributed to civilians aren't particularly generous. The tutelary fort has also requisitioned gasoline in the city. There aren't many cars moving about outdoors."

"In other words... The populace is hiding at home, holding back their anxiety and dissatisfaction, is that right?"

The beauty in the back seat concluded in her lovely voice.

This beautiful maiden was dressed neatly in a white blouse and navy-blue skirt with her platinum blonde hair tied in a ponytail with a red ribbon. She was Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Today, her striking and pretty face was adorned by a pair of glasses.

Its purpose was for camouflage. It also enhanced her vibes of "wit and intellect" compared to usual.

Furthermore, she was using an Image Disguise noetic technique, preventing those unfamiliar with her from recognizing her as the princess.

Incidentally, Masatsugu was wearing a white long-sleeved t-shirt with black pants.

With a black jacket on top, his attire was similar in color to the school uniform.

"Are you really sure, Princess? Someone as important as you has no need to risk yourself by ''leaving'' Suruga to carry out this kind of mission..."

"It is fine, because I am the only one capable of doing it," Shiori replied to Hatsune quite decisively.

"Although Suruga has the genie named Sakuya, it would be no easy task to take that insecure child outside the city. Besides, she still needs to manage the tutelary fort."

"Princess, you mentioned that she has human shyness, right?"

"And frankly speaking, I would like to leave town for a change of pace too."

"Princess, your Machiavellian tendency to ruin inspiring stories on purpose is totally awesome."

"I must thank Rikka-sama for agreeing to my suggestion too."

Masatsugu felt the same way.

If anything were to happen to the princess, responsibility would fall squarely upon Rikka as the castellan of Suruga. In spite of that, she had accepted Shiori's suggestion without the slightest hesitation.

'To think that Your Highness would be adept in noetic techniques, now that is truly living up to the name of Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There is currently no noetic master in Suruga more accomplished than you, Your Highness. Please lend us your aid.'

After Shiori revealed her own "ability," Rikka immediately gave the above response.

House Akigase's Chevalier princess prioritized expediency over playing it safe.

"Hatsune, our job is to protect the princess. If necessary, it won't be just swords. We may have to summon troops—Legions. Be prepared."

"Of course, Onii-sama!"

The novice Chevalier girl cheerfully answered Masatsugu's reminder.

Hatsune's current position was the princess' personal lady-in-waiting as well as a knight under her direct command.

...In fact, Hatsune had only inherited the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune just yesterday. When she attempted a summoning, only one Legion showed up.

Her power had not fully awakened—She was in a proto-Chevalier state.

She should be able to summon dozens of Legions once she grew accustomed to it. At present, her Chevalier Strength was tentatively "just 1."

Hatsune drove the car along a national highway, speeding through Shimizu City.

Like Suruga City, this region was also isolated like "an island on land."

There was a marked lack of vibrancy. Pedestrian and vehicle traffic was low. Continuing along the national highway, they were going to hit the Restoration Alliance's roadblock eventually.

"By the way, Hatsune, you encountered a boy during the ritual. He was Yoshitsune himself, visiting you in a dream to test your succession to Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, right?"

"I think so."

Masatsugu was immediately certain of this. Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune was the Appellation taken straight from a general's name. Prior to his amnesia, Masatsugu had returned to the human realm as a Resurrectee, but due to certain reasons, Yoshitsune had not—

Masatsugu instinctively knew this was the truth.

On the other hand, Shiori said, "Perhaps Lord Yoshitsune turned out to be an unexpectedly helpful person."

"Why do you say that? He was so violent to me~"

"Think about it, we know many anecdotes about ancient warriors, including legends whose veracity is hard to confirm... There is a story about Lord Yoshitsune, which involves Ushiwakamaru defeating Benkei at the Gojō Bridge in Kyoto. It is most likely fictional."

"Then he chose to test me at the bridge because—"

"Perhaps it was a joke on his part, since he knew that such a legend was circulating in the later world."

This was not a remote possibility. Masatsugu nodded in agreement.

Even if Yoshitsune was a genius in martial arts, how could he have won an overwhelming victory as a child against the equally rare hero, Musashibō Benkei? In this time and age when dead people could be reborn, anything could happen.

However, the legend of martial valor at Gojō Bridge definitely sounded contrived.

"Of course, it is also possible for truth to be stranger than fiction."

Shiori shrugged and ended this conversation.

The plain domestic car continued to race along smoothly with the three passengers.

Just as they crossed the Okitsu River and were about to leave Shimizu City's urban area, Hatsune stopped the car. The elevation here was relatively high.

...The car had been driving along a national highway that followed the coast of Suruga Bay.

Literally a seaside road, it almost followed the same route as the old highway of Tōkaidō in the Edo period. Steep mountain roads lay ahead while Satsuta Ridge was close by. Proceeding through the post stations of Yuijuku and Kanbarajuku, one would then reach the Fuji River.

On the other side of Fuji River was Fuji City, which was also the town where the Fuji tutelary fort was located.

The ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige had also depicted part of this scenery in ''The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō''.

This road through mountainous terrain was actually less than twenty kilometers long and quite a quick drive. However, Hatsune parked the car on the shoulder and the trio disembarked.

"We will choose the nearer side of Fuji City as our destination for now... Fuji River."

Shiori used noesis to project several visual images in the air.

They all showed wide roads in the mountains. Every location was buried under landslide debris, evidently impassable.

Shiori had sent retainer beasts for reconnaissance and used noetic control to playback what they saw.

"The situation is the same for all roads leading out of Suruga City—all outbound roads blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. At Satsuta Ridge, a little up ahead along our current road, there have been landslides. Rather than natural disasters, they were all caused by Crusades."

Next, Shiori pointed at an image of a highway toll booth.

The toll booth had an inspection checkpoint with many Caucasian British soldiers inside.

"They must have left the highways intact so that they could use them to transport supplies in the future. However, given that there are a number of strict security checkpoints and the fact that they have established naval superiority in Suruga Bay, if one wanted to enter the mountains..."

Shiori smiled sardonically.

"As soon as the Restoration Alliance's retainer beasts pick up the scent of humans, they will attack like ravenous bears."

"Princess, question here. What are the chances of getting attacked?"

"From what I have heard, the probability of encountering a retainer beast in these kinds of situations is roughly the same as monster encounters in games. In every zone, the number of retainer beasts are triple figures minimum."

"...Indeed." Masatsugu looked up in Fuji City's direction. "Three white British wyverns are flying over there."

"Eh, you can see that, Onii-sama? I can't see anything at all."

Hatsune squinted, staring intently in the same direction.

After twenty seconds, she finally gave up and said in surprise, "Come on, I tested 2.0 in visual acuity... Onii-sama, your eyesight is crazy good."

"Really? I thought this was pretty normal."

From Masatsugu's view, there were three white dots flying northeast. On closer examination, the white dots had outlines shaped like wyverns.

Ignoring their conversation, Shiori said confidently, "However, the situation would be completely different for those who are highly adept in noetic control like myself. I will come up with a solution. Hatsune, could you please prepare?"

"Roger that~"

Hatsune did as directed, taking out three slim A3-size boards and putting them on the ground.

The three boards were retainer beast talismans. Shiori touched the talismans as she did before. The retainer beast talismans activated and transformed into "wolves." They were covered in beautiful silver fur and had huge bodies as large as a horse.

Three mid-size retainer beasts—Mibu wolves—had appeared.

According to legend, Hijikata Toshizō had led a pack of these Mibu wolves, fighting across various battlefields in eastern Japan.

"Among all retainer beasts, Mibu wolves have an especially keen sense of smell. They will immediately detect any retainer beasts that approach. If we are unfortunate enough to encounter enemy retainer beasts... I will drive them away using noesis."

The three of them each rode a Mibu wolf.

The wolves began to run. They needed to head east towards the Fuji River by traversing the mountain where there were no roads. Dashing as fast as the wind, the Mibu wolves raced across slopes and mixed forest as though running on flat ground.

Occasionally, they would take a detour, probably due to detecting the scent of British retainer beasts.

Even so, it took the trio roughly two hours to reach their destination. After descending the mountain forest, there was the vast greenery of a tea plantation.

In front of them was also the clear water of the Fuji River.

The Fuji River was not massive in flow. There was plenty of gravel deposited on the shore or sandbanks.

Over in the northeastern sky was an expansive view of a sacred peak, offering the majestic scenery of Mount Fuji's snowy peak.

It looked even bigger and more impressive than the view from Suruga City.

The trio dismounted from the Mibu wolves, walking on their own feet once again.

"...Princess, isn't this inside the Restoration Alliance's sphere of influence already?"

"Indeed. However, they will not demand us to present identification unless we do anything too suspicious. Please behave as calmly as possible."

"Hmm?"

Masatsugu felt intrigued. He sensed powerful noesis coming from the far shore of the Fuji River.

He swept his gaze over the streets of Fuji City, a regional city similar to Suruga. The Fuji tutelary fort, which had been conquered by the British, was more than ten kilometers away in this direction.

"Hatsune, do you know where this weird presence is coming from?"

"Huh? Hmmm... Woah, it's amazing!"

The novice Chevalier looked at the eastern sky and instantly jumped in surprise.

Ordinary people were not very sensitive to noetic waves. After inheriting Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune successfully, Hatsune's senses were gradually augmented. This time, she and Masatsugu both detected the same thing.

Currently, powerful noesis was swirling in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

In the center of that vortex was a gigantic eyeball!

"Is that Morgan le Fay?"

"I would think so. The principal image has been transported to Hakone Checkpoint... What remains at the Fuji tutelary fort is probably her shadow," explained Shiori to Masatsugu.

The Mibu wolves they had been using for locomotion growled fiercely.

They were glaring across the Fuji River, preparing for combat. Their hostility was directed at the barrier that Morgan le Fay had deployed for repelling retainer beasts.

Mid-size or larger retainer beasts were not very affected by the barrier, but it looked like they did not feel comfortable either.

Shiori waved her hand and the three Mibu wolves ran into the mountain.

"Let us ''prepare'' immediately"

The trio walked across the tea plantation and roads on foot, heading to the Fuji River's shore.

Soon they arrived at the water's edge. Masatsugu and Hatsune worked efficiently. Using foldable shovels, they dug ten shallow holes.

Digging through the gravel on the riverbank was hard labor, but fortunately, both of them were very confident in their physical strength. The task was over quickly.

Shiori placed a retainer beast talisman into each hole. These thin rectangles were the size of cards used for writing Japanese poems. Once the talismans were placed, the two knights swiftly buried the holes.

"I beseech you to appear. May the gods be with you."

Shiori touched the buried holes and recited an incantation to complete the preparations.

"This will summon retainer beasts that won't lose to the barrier, Princess?"

"I cannot assert with certainty. The success rate is roughly 60%."

Hatsune's gaze read "eh, it's not 100%" and Shiori coughed lightly.

"It cannot be helped. This is a contest of technique to see whether the strength of my noesis can trump Morgan le Fay's influence."

"Okay."

"If the noesis I poured into a talisman is stronger, it will produce a retainer beast that will not lose to the barrier. However, since this is ultimately a barrier deployed by the best spirit of the British forces, it is hard to be optimistic here."

"So that's how it works."

"Naturally, my noetic control is first rate. If I fail here, it means that it cannot be accomplished without a team of expert masters from the Noetic Bureau."

"Taking opportunities to show off your confidence every now and then, Princess, you're so awesome♪"

While listening to the conversation between the two girls, Masatsugu realized something.

In front of them was a wide and beautiful view centered on Japan's number one sacred peak, Mount Fuji, and an army of Kamuys were flying across this view.

A couple hundred Kamuys were advancing in a spherical formation.

An army of British Legions also sortied to intercept the Kamuys.

Outnumbered by two to one by the Kamuys, these Legions were similar in appearance to the Crusade but instead of the usual white coloring, they were vivid crimson all over.

===Part 2===

King Richard I, the Lionheart.

Yesterday, after speaking with Edward the Black Prince at Nijou Castle, he immediately left Kyoto.

Taking the same combination of land and air travel as his collateral descendant had used to get to Kyoto, he arrived at the Fuji tutelary fort in Shizuoka Prefecture within the same day.

And today, Richard received the long-awaited report.

Three hundred Kamuys of the Tōkaidō provincial army were approaching the Fuji tutelary fort.

"Hohohoho. Things are unfolding according to Édoua... Edward's plan."

Richard laughed proudly to himself.

"In that case, it would make for some brief entertainment if I were to add some blood-red color to his plan. Allow Richard the Lionheart, the forefather with whom he shares a common bloodline, to do so..."

Built at the center of the Fuji tutelary fort was a nation-protecting keep just like the Suruga tutelary fort.

Richard was on the roof, admiring the view of Mount Fuji that was twenty kilometers to the north. South of this mountain was Shizuoka Prefecture while to the north was Yamanashi Prefecture. Both areas were under Tōkaidō jurisdiction.

However, Shizuoka had fallen under the control of the British armed forces.

Trying to counterattack, the Tōkaidō provincial army had mobilized three hundred Kamuys to sortie from the southernmost part of Yamanashi—the Motosu tutelary fort at Fuji Five Lakes.

The enemy contingent was flying in a packed formation, invading Fuji City from the north.

Next to Richard, a girl dressed in a sailor outfit and beret said, "The Black Prince of the British Empire, is staying at Kyoto. Looks like... this news, has succeeded in reaching the Tōkaidō higher-ups."

"The boy is having a grand time in Kyoto."

Richard laughed happily.

"After attending the ceremony in the castle yesterday, he ran off into the streets. Today, he had to go to some kind of tea party and he grumbled coyly about how tough it was to attract attention in a natural manner."

"Morrigan thinks... he actually enjoys it."

The Lionheart was talking to a doll possessed by a genie.

This was "Unit 2." Morrigan's principal image and "Unit 1" doll had stayed in Hakone. For the time being, she was transmitting noetic waves from Hakone to possess Unit 2 over here.

Furthermore, the sky over the nation-protecting keep was occupied by a gigantic eyeball and powerful noesis.

This was also left behind at Fuji by Morrigan's principal image, Morgan le Fay, to work the effect of driving away retainer beasts.

"However, it is thanks to his ploy that the old foxes of Tōkaidō have taken the bait."

Edward had intentionally strolled through Kyoto, well aware that the enemy's intelligence network extended into Kyoto, so as to feed Tōkaidō the impression that the Hakone area was weakened in defense.

Using this method, he had lured the enemy army, which had been biding their time passively, to attack.

The Black Prince had laid an extermination trap for the enemy to come on their own initiative. Since he had to go to Kyoto regardless, he took the opportunity to set up this ploy.

"How brave of the enemy to attack in glee while Edward is absent. Spirit Morrigan, analyze the enemy lineup."

"Affirmative."

Morrigan instantly executed the orders of Richard the Lionheart.

She commanded the noetic waves lingering in the air over the nation-protecting keep—i.e. the swirling noesis—to project noetic waves for enemy detection. Morgan le Fay's mystic power turned into waves, spreading throughout Fuji City.

These waves captured the Kamuy army flying in the sky over the outskirts of Fuji City.

"Enemy Kamuys... Total of 307. Chevaliers, six. Chevaliers of Yamanashi region in Tōkaidō, estimated total of ten to twelve. Almost half deployed in this operation."

"Excellent, then I shall send out half their numbers."

"One, half? Too few."

"I do not care. This is my first battle in Japan. It is imperative to let the people of Japan know that I am a brave hero who triumphs over numerical disadvantage. Assemble under my name of Richard the Lionheart—"

On the roof of the nation-protecting keep, the English king of old flapped his crimson cape.

"Granted the name of the royal sword Escalibor, my Legions!"

Numerous Legions appeared overhead of Richard and Morrigan.

They looked similar to Crusades but not exactly. The noesis of Richard's overwhelming Chevalier Strength, a prided trait, gave rise to a great army of British Legions in red.

"Now then, my knights. Soar the sky with me!"

The lion's battle began.

The enemy leader, Prince Edward, was absent from Hakone.

Tōkaidō higher-ups issued the order to use this opportunity to retake the Fuji tutelary fort. If possible, they would ride on their success to capture Hakone.

Having received these orders, six Chevaliers of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom sortied from the Motosu region in Fuji Five Lakes to enter Fuji City's airspace—This was basically the current situation.

"What!?"

The leader of the Tōkaidō force, Chevalier Ogura, was doubting his eyes. The outskirts of Fuji City consisted mostly of vast natural parks or golf courses. The 307 Kamuys were currently flying over this zone.

The six Chevaliers were also riding blue wyverns to accompany them.

The daily replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid also strengthened the bodies of Chevaliers. The cold wind blowing at an altitude of several hundred meters only felt slightly chilly to them. They were being approached by a British army.

The 150 Crusades were colored a fiery crimson.

The Japanese Chevaliers were not only surprised by the color but also the location of the encounter.

Legions only needed one day to revive when they were killed in action near the tutelary fort serving as their stronghold—

Because of that, the defending side would try as much as possible to engage the enemy near their stronghold. This was common sense in warfare. Unbelievably, this army had ventured far away from the Fuji tutelary fort to fight in the suburbs!

"What on earth is the enemy commander thinking...?"

Seeing the opponent give up home advantage on his own, Chevalier Ogura was stunned.

Was there some kind of devious ploy? Or a brainless fool who simply wanted to attract attention? There was still a kilometer between the two armies.

Soon after.

Roughly a hundred of the crimson Crusades began to accelerate fiercely, charging at the Tōkaidō army with frightening speed!

The 307 Kamuys were flying in a spherical formation, ready for combat.

Meanwhile, the red Crusade army had only sent a hundred to charge. They had formed a V-shaped wedge formation to attack an enemy three times their number.

"A fool after all!"

Chevalier Ogura cursed from his wyvern's saddle. This enemy was either a fool, or someone with excessive bravery, or a dreamer seeking romanticism in battle, or a problematic character overly confident in his talents as a general.

...However, Chevalier Ogura was not aware of the horrifying truth.

The enemy general was a monster for whom all the above applied, including the "fool" label.

"A knightly charge is the essence of war..."

The hundred Escalibors in the vanguard advanced as a "red wedge."

Riding his white wyvern, Richard watched his troops charge at the enemy while he stayed with his other fifty Legions that were hovering in the air on standby.

In front of the charging vanguard, 307 Tōkaidō Kamuys waited.

Imperial Japan's Legions were clad in blue armor and uniforms. Their figures were slim and trim, a size smaller than the imposing British Legions.

The Kamuys were too skinny, according to Richard's sensibilities...

These Kamuys entered a packed spherical formation and kept firing their bayonet rifles. The rain of flashing light attacked the Escalibors' wedge formation.

307 versus 100. Victory seemed impossible. However, the Lionheart continued to smile.

"Hohohoho. You are too careless, knights of the orient."

The moment he had ordered the hundred Escalibors to charge, Richard I was already certain of his victory. As soon as he sensed complacency in the enemy ranks, he knew he could take advantage of the Tōkaidō generals' mindset.

It was true that they had entered formation and were traveling to the battlefield, but they were still quite far from the Fuji tutelary fort.

Richard's beast-like nose had smelled the samurai's carelessness in their preconceived notion that enemies would not attack at such a distance.

"Those who cannot distinguish between confidence and carelessness are unfit to be the Lionheart's opponents..."

The Escalibors charged at the Kamuys that were waiting for them.

The two armies activated protective barriers. The glow of each barrier was proportional to the army headcount. In a shootout with rifles, Tōkaidō held an overwhelming advantage.

"Hoho, you may celebrate your advantage now, while you still can."

The particles of light around the Kamuys blocked virtually all of the British shots.

In contrast, the rain of flashing light pierced the protective barrier of the hundred Escalibors, striking their red bodies repeatedly, skewering their shoulders, abdomens, and heads.

This barrage was definitely sufficient to wipe out the charging British army.

In spite of that, the Escalibors soldiered onwards. Even with massive holes in their abdomens, amputated limbs, broken heads and helmets—

Like the living dead, the British army advanced nonstop.

Not only that, but the hundred Legions accelerated all at once as a single unit.

In merely ten-odd seconds, their charge surpassed 500 kilometers per hour. The high-speed Escalibors headed straight for the spherical formation of the 307 Kamuys.

It looked like driving a crimson wedge sharply into a gigantic blue sphere—

"O Escalibors, I shall secure victory by stepping over your glorious corpses. Battle relentlessly."

Watching his troops fight bravely, Richard's voice was warm and ecstatic.

Meanwhile, the hundred Escalibors continued to charge despite their grievous wounds. They crashed violently into the Kamuys' formation!

With rifles raised, they stabbed their bayonets into the flesh of the blue Legions.

Paired with blades, the charging attack inflicted damage on par with a one-hit kill. Over 90% of the Kamuys caught in the impact died on the spot, crashing into the ground.

Currently, the crimson wedge had succeeded in puncturing the blue sphere and was about to pierce through and out the other side.

"Hmm, only such battle spirit would be worthy as the Lionheart's Feat of Arms!"

Seeing the charge succeed, Richard was satisfied from the bottom of his heart.

Furthermore, the vanguard's offensive did not end there. Remaining neatly in a "wedge," the Escalibors turned around and rammed the Kamuys' spherical formation again.

...The same scene was reenacted.

The defending side attempted to use rapid fire to halt the enemy's charge. The attacking side soldiered on, charging at full strength.

The Japanese Legions became victims of the charge. The Tōkaidō side suffered serious casualties with blue corpses crashing into the ground one after another.

The Escalibors' second charge had succeeded. Richard nodded and said, "I see that you have made good use of Coeur de Lion granted by me!"

"Coeur de Lion" was French, meaning "Heart of the Lion" in English.

A so-called lion's heart referred to a soul of courage, fighting spirit, and indomitable perseverance. The Feat of Arms—Coeur de Lion was precisely the ability of Richard I to bestow such heroic fortitude upon his Legions.

...Invoking this Feat of Arms caused the Legions under his command to become warriors undaunted by even death itself—

Even if they died, they still charged to the bitter end.

In fact, after this attack concluded, the hundred Escalibors in the vanguard finally succumbed. The fire of life extinguished, they crashed down one after another from the air.

Pierced multiple times by the Kamuys' gunshots earlier, they were already dead to begin with.

After the fierce assault from the British army's two suicidal charges, the Tōkaidō side was down to less than a hundred Legions.

"A triumphant opening. Victory is at hand."

Richard still had fifty Legions remaining by his side.

Although he was confident he could win with these numbers, something else took greater priority.

"Gather, my royal swords. It is imperative to demonstrate a king's majesty once more."

After saying that, Richard looked southeast.

He smiled. Of the red giant winged soldiers he had summoned at the tutelary fort earlier—the remainder were approaching slowly. He had called them slightly earlier using noetic waves.

These Escalibors numbered 867.

This was undoubtedly a massive army, and he had just led 150 troops to the battlefield... Indeed, Richard I's Chevalier Strength had reached 1017!

"Next, I shall crush the enemy here with the might of a massive army. My knights, follow me!"

Richard declared majestically.

Then riding his wyvern, he personally charged at the remaining Kamuys.

The accompanying nine hundred or so Escalibors organized themselves into a spherical formation around the Lionheart, beginning to charge like a flying bullet!

"Inform the tutelary fort to send out wyvern squadrons. All Japanese Chevaliers found on the battlefield must be captured alive. I shall end this battle here!"

A sprite retainer beast left to relay his orders.

Meanwhile, the Tōkaidō remnants began to retreat and flee from the Lionheart's great army.

They ran north as fast as they could, towards Mount Fuji. It was quite commendable that even at this juncture, the Kamuys still remained in a packed sphere without breaking out of formation.

The lion did not think that it was acceptable to let the enemy go just because they numbered less than a hundred.

"Pursue them! Bite their tails!"

Richard fully unleashed a carnivorous predator's nature and hunger to hunt down the fleeing prey.

===Part 3===

"Inconceivable..."

An aerial battle between Legions was taking place over the outskirts of Fuji City.

Having witnessed the one-sided battle, Shiori was shocked. The 307 Kamuys of Tōkaidō were losing rapidly.

The surviving Kamuys and Chevaliers retreated north, towards Mount Fuji.

Over eight hundred red Legions chased them, flying off in an orderly manner.

Watching this scene, Hatsune lamented, "In the first attack, the enemy simply charged in a straight line, right? Is a direct charge that effective? Oh, it was thanks to the power of the Feat of Arms killer move, right!?"

"That's one of the reasons, but not all of it," Masatsugu realized he was almost smiling when he replied.

Laughing at an ally's defeat was not very respectable. His almost smile was unintentional. The reason for this was the fact that the enemy was overwhelmingly strong and had won through brute force by such ridiculous tactics.

The enemy must have seen through the Tōkaidō side's confidence... Or rather, carelessness.

This carelessness was what made the Japanese decide to rely on numbers to counter the charging attack. The enemy was well aware that he held the advantage in a contest of strength, which is why he had launched that reckless charge.

"That Chevalier has a very keen ''nose''."

"Nose? You mean he's got a good sense of smell?"

"Yes. By the way, Princess, do you know the name of the enemy commander?" Masatsugu first nodded at the curious Hatsune before turning to ask Shiori.

That Chevalier Strength and presence made it extremely likely he was a Resurrectee. The knowledgeable Shiori instantly gave an answer.

"A man who calls himself the Lionheart would most likely be King Richard I of medieval England. I recall that he is Prince Edward's collateral relative... five generations his senior."

Masatsugu committed the unfamiliar name to memory.

Also, the trio was currently at the shore of the Fuji River. The suburban battlefield was a couple kilometers away from them. Normally speaking, there was no way to watch the battle in detail.

However, a type of gadget allowed them to do so.

"Princess, the retainer beasts came out okay, thank goodness!"

"I did mention that the success rate exceeded 50%."

Hatsune congratulated the princess and Shiori replied proudly.

Of the ten retainer beast talismans they had prepared earlier, a little while ago, five of them transformed into Yatagarasus, materializing under buried earth.

The Yatagarasu was similar to an ordinary crow in size and appearance.

Their common appearance allowed them to infiltrate any place to carry out reconnaissance, a prized ability.

After the fighting began, Shiori hurried to send these five to the battlefield. When the Yatagarasus returned, she used noetic control to project videos of what they had seen.

The Yatagarasus were currently standing ready on the riverbank gravel.

"...Oh my? Something seems to have happened after the battle ended."

Three rectangular windows were opened in front of the princess.

The five Yatagarasus provided visual memories from different angles. Shiori was focused on one of them.

The video showed four British white wyverns flying in the air.

A Japanese blue wyvern was encircled by them, flying feebly with a soldier mounted, presumably captured and being taken away by the enemy.

Hatsune asked in puzzlement, "So that's really... a Tōkaidō Chevalier, right?"

"Yeah, captured as a hostage."

"Eh, a hostage!?"

The novice Chevalier was astonished and Masatsugu explained calmly, "Hostages have many uses... For example, the British could torture or slaughter hostages in front of the Suruga tutelary fort that they've failed to conquer so far. When our side rushes out in righteous fury, fighting to reclaim the hostages, they can just sit back and wait for us to come to them. This is one method to destroy a turtling enemy."

"Onii-sama, that's so evil!"

"According to the Charter of Chivalry in the modern world, tactics of this sort are forbidden. At least superficially. However, what Masatsugu-sama said is correct. Chevalier hostages are very effective bargaining chips in negotiations. Information can even be extracted from them... Also, they caught more than one Chevalier."

Shiori sighed and pointed at the video.

Two more Japanese Chevaliers were mounted on wyverns and being taken away.

"Capturing knights for hostages, Richard I is truly a medieval hero. Back in that age, catching knights of high nobility on the battlefield was a very distinguished feat."

"The other Chevaliers might have died or escaped..."

"Or captured somewhere else. In any case, the situation is quite bad," Shiori nodded in agreement with Masatsugu and said, "They not only lost a battle they initiated but also allowed valuable manpower to fall into the enemy's hands... If only we could rescue them."

The princess frowned as soon as she pondered the difficulty of a rescue mission.

The normally cheerful Hatsune also looked depressed.

After some contemplation of the current situation, Masatsugu slowly expressed his view.

"So, Princess, we need to act immediately."

"Eh? Act...? What are you talking about, Masatsugu-sama?"

"I mean rescuing those Chevaliers. We need to act now if we're going to do it."

Shiori was startled by the sudden suggestion. So was Hatsune.

"This type of mission gets harder as time goes by. Since we were lucky enough to be at the scene, we should make good use of this opportunity. Besides, the troublesome Lion King is away, off chasing remnants."

Masatsugu spoke in an indifferent tone lacking in fervor.

"So now is the moment. It's best to attack the tutelary fort before he returns."

"Attack!? You are going to attack the Fuji tutelary fort!?"

"Hold on! Just the two of us, Onii-sama and me!?"

Hatsune interjected in shock.

Masatsugu nodded, "Exactly."

"That's absolutely crazy. Even without that Richard guy, there will be other Chevaliers. Besides, this isn't Suruga, Onii-sama, so you won't be able to summon too many Legions, right?"

"Yeah, right now, I can use no more than twenty-four or five Kanesadas, I guess."

There was a drastic decrease in the number of Legions one could use outside their stronghold zone.

Chevalier Strength was discounted by roughly 90%. For Masatsugu, a Chevalier whose stronghold was Suruga City, the Fuji suburbs were definitely out of range.

"That's nowhere enough and all I have is one!"

"Not necessarily. This time around, we're not trying to capture a castle, so there's always a way. However, the big assumption here is that I will be relying on you to play a key role."

Masatsugu gazed at Hatsune.

"Huh?" said the puzzled girl who had just become a Chevalier yesterday.

Leaving the riverside, the trio entered Fuji City.

Their target, the Fuji tutelary fort was located in the suburbs, namely, the remote wetlands east of the city. Like the one in Suruga, the Fuji tutelary fort was built on military land far from urban areas.

Instead of going there directly, the trio first went to Tagonoura, the port facing Suruga Bay.

"Hatsune, prior to the operation, I need to make some final confirmations with Masatsugu-sama," Shiori suddenly said.

Shiori had spoken as soon as they entered a large park at the pier. The park featured large lawns, a botanical garden, and all kinds of athletic facilities.

"Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Yes, certainly."

Hatsune felt intrigued by this unexpected order but accepted it readily.

She sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy the green tea and bean jam bun she had just bought. "You can't fight battles on an empty stomach!" was what she had said earlier.

She had adjusted quickly, no longer surprised by the plan to attack the tutelary fort.

This open-mindedness and simplicity of hers could be considered Hatsune's strengths.

"The situation seems pretty stable in Fuji City."

"Yes, and we succeeded in reaching this port too."

Masatsugu and the disguised princess walked into the depths of the park together.

"A battle just happened yet people are already going out in the streets."

It was just past 2pm. Random couples and families could be seen outdoors.

It was Sunday today, at least, according to the calendar.

The two of them went to a small hill overlooking Suruga Bay. There happened to be a bench here and they took a seat.

"Well, it is understandable. The battlefield was not only far from urban areas but also took place in the mountains. The city's residents would only gather an impression that 'Legions are leaving the tutelary fort to attack somewhere'," said Shiori with a shrug.

However, stability did not equate to peace. Buses were restricted to within Fuji City while trains were stopped just ilke in Suruga.

"This stability is owed to the Charter of Chivalry, I suppose."

"You mean the rules forbidding war cruelty or harming civilians?"

"Yes. Superficially, the Charter is 'a set of rules for international engagement that protects civilians'... In truth, it also 'demands civilians to obey certain rules'."

"How so?"

"After a battle, the residents of a conquered city are not allowed to oppose the occupation force, they are obliged to provide maximum cooperation, and must not leave the city without authorization... The Charter includes these rules which civilians must abide by in order to be eligible for protection."

"...I see."

"I presume that the mayor of Fuji City must have been forced to sign a written pledge on behalf of all residents to 'obey the Charter' right from the beginning."

They had witnessed many infantry units of the Restoration Alliance on their way here.

The infantry was patrolling the city on alert. However, to avoid provoking the sentiments of the residents, the soldiers in charge of patrolling were all Japanese—i.e. Kinai troops.

Also, the infantry showed no signs of brutalizing the residents.

However, soldiers dressed in khaki combat uniforms and equipped with automatic rifles, standing next to armored vehicles, still looked quite intimidating.

"We will run into trouble if we stay in Fuji City too long. Sooner or later, a certain situation would require us to show identification. If the military discovers that we are from outside the city and have no traveling authorization, they will definitely arrest us on the spot, then all would be lost."

"You're right. Then I'd better get started."

"Y-Yes. May fortune be on your side..."

It was time to set off and Masatsugu got up from the bench. Now that Shiori had given her parting blessing, he was going to put the plan into motion—

For some reason, the princess reached out and grabbed the hem of Masatsugu's shirt.

"...Is there anything else?"

"Masatsugu-sama, please consider the significance of why I came to see you off alone!"

"Significance?"

"Y-Yes. There is no one around currently..."

Seeing the princess remonstrate him angrily while looking down shyly, Masatsugu understood. He sat back down on the bench.

"Sorry about that."

"N-No, then shall we... begin?"

There was originally a gap between them, roughly a meter. When Masatsugu sat on the bench again, this gap disapperaed. He had taken his seat right next to Shiori.

Masatsugu gazed upon the liege he served, the beautiful princess.

Shiori gazed back at him, showing some worry in her expression.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to her first, trying to relieve her tension.

They were so close together that Masatsugu could almost feel Shiori's body warmth. Shiori quietly reached out with her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's cheek.

"Masatsugu-sama, your body is still so cold..."

Shiori's voice was very quiet, only meant to be audible for the one in front of her.

"Like ice as always. Don't you feel cold yourself?"

"Not particularly. The heat from your precious blood, Princess, is plenty warm already."

"Then absorb as much as you can today. You will be heading out to battle next and need more ectoplasmic fluid..."

Tachibana Masatsugu was an amnesiac Resurrectee and unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid on his own.

However, he had the ability to steal ectoplasmic fluid from others. This was Masatsugu's Feat of Arms—a special ability to bring about impossible miracles.

He embraced the princess audaciously, burying his face against her neck.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

Shiori held Masatsugu tightly, giving herself to him.

Through their clothing, Masatsugu could feel the warmth of Shiori's tender skin as well as the undulating curves of a womanly figure.

This type of intimate contact belonged to couples, but they did not stop here.

With his face against the princess' neck, Masatsugu kissed her pale skin, absorbing mystic power and the precursor of ectoplasmic fluid from the blood flowing inside her, inherited from the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu.

"Ah... Mmm—"

The absorbed life force melded into Masatsugu's body, becoming one with him.

Vaguely sensing this phenomenon, Shiori moaned in rapture, unable to suppress her voice at all.

"Mm... Uuuunn. Ahhhh—!"

Shiori's voice grew louder and her whole body heated up and flushed red. Even so, Masatsugu's lady liege still mustered the strength to speak, "M-Masatsugu-sama. Harder... is fine too, you know?"

"No, your body won't be able to take it, Princess."

Having obtained some power, Masatsugu stopped kissing Shiori's neck.

"There are still many things you must deal with later, Princess."

"I-I suppose you are right."

Shiori was slightly out of breath. She pouted slightly unhappily.

However, she shook her head and did not insist, only saying, "Indeed, you are correct. I still have to help Hatsune and must not deplete my energy here."

"I was hoping you could stay outside the city and simply wait for our return."

This operation had been prompted by an unexpected development.

Returning the princess to Suruga should have been the first priority, so Masatsugu wanted her to stay in a safe place.

However, Shiori said nonchalantly, "No, Masatsugu-sama, your plan undoubtedly requires Hatsune's assistance, but she has only just started to master a Chevalier's power. Without my help, the plan will not succeed."

"......"

"I have mentioned before that I am delighted by opportunities to make use of my abilities."

Shiori analyzed in detail her reasons for exposing herself to risk.

Naturally, her bodyguard Masatsugu did not quite agree with her. Still, he relented. As a Resurrectee, he was here precisely to realize the abmitions of Fujinomiya Shiori.

If the princess was willing to risk her life, overprotectiveness would be putting the cart before the horse.

In any era, it was necessary to pay a price in order to realize ambition.

...After understanding Shiori's feelings, Tachibana Masatsugu left the park.

Walking alone at the pier, he soon found a suitable target.

It was an infantry patrol unit with a a British armored vehicle.

Masatsugu approached them. The plan was to raise a commotion, the bigger the better.

He recited the name of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his mind. It was the appellation of the personal sword swung by Hijikata Toshizō. A Japanese sword in its scabbard suddenly manifested in his left hand.

Successors were able to summon and dismiss the physical manifestations of Appellations at will.

The ten-odd British soldiers glared at the high schooler approaching them holding a sheathed sword in his left hand.

"Sorry," Masatsugu said to them, "I'll be going postal now on you guys from the Restoration Alliance. I will mercilessly cut down anyone who dares to stop me. Call your friends for help if you're not afraid to die."

Masatsugu slowly released noesis.

Instantly, Tachibana Masatsugu's elite troops of the "red-purple Kamuys" materialized.

A total of thirty Kanesadas. The operation to invade the Fuji tutelary fort and rescue the captured Chevaliers was officially beginning at last...

===Part 4===

Chevaliers were able to manifest armies of Legions with tangible bodies from their own noesis.

Using this ability, Chevaliers could infiltrate enemy cities or important facilities single-handedly to summon Legions to wreak malicious destruction—

Fighting war in such a dishonorable way was possible.

However, almost no one ever put it into practice. First of all, doing so would violate the Charter of Chivalry. It was also rather inefficient.

''When far away from the stronghold where the tutelary pact was established, a Chevalier was unable to summon all of their Legions.''

All Chevaliers paid close attention to this rule when going to battle.

Their Chevalier Strength was 10% when using Legions anywhere apart from their stronghold.

Furthermore, the various superpowers all placed tutelary forts near important cities to prevent terror attacks. Consequently, destruction via infiltration was very inefficient.

(One more factor was that Chevaliers belonged to the privileged class and could not be wasted on suicide missions.)

But this time, Masatsugu deliberately summoned Legions in an urban area—near a port.

Masatsugu's current Chevalier Strength was 302. Shiori had been sharing a bit of ectoplasmic fluid with him on a daily basis, plus what she gave him before the battle, finally allowing him to build up reserves to this level.

Unfortunately, summoning Legions outside of Suruga reduced their numbers to 10%—

These were the thirty that Masatsugu had summoned at Fuji City's port.

"Standby where you are and don't do anything," Masatsugu quietly ordered the Kanesadas under his command.

He did not have them fly. The red-purple Legions entered a circle formation on the ground with their bayonet rifles aimed outwards.

There was only one Kanesada inside the circle and Masatsugu was standing on its shoulder.

"A commotion seems to be starting."

Legions were roughly eight meters tall. Standing on one's shoulder would be equivalent to a third-floor balcony of an apartment building, treating him to a view of the entire harbor scenery.

Seeing the sudden appearance of winged giant soldiers, civilians fled for their lives.

People would stay indoors as much as possible during war but there were still crowds at port facilities, shops, factories, and houses.

Dozens of speakers in the city sounded an alarm.

Soldiers also fled. The unit of infantry patrol that Masatsugu provoked earlier had disappeared. Instead—

"They're here, huh?"

The Fuji tutelary fort sent out eighty-four Crusades.

The Crusades flew slowly, approaching from the western sky. The tutelary fort was west of the port, roughly one train stop away.

However, these eighty-four Crusades did not attack the Kanesadas immediately.

Their commander was aware that starting an urban battle with eyewitnesses around would run the risk of breaking the rule of "intentionally destroying civilian facilities" from the Charter of Chivalry. It would be very troublesome to handle indictments after the fact.

The enemy formed a spherical formation in the air, observing the Kanesadas for movements.

Eighty-four versus thirty was quite a big disparity in numbers.

Masatsugu watched the tutelary fort calmly—The truly troublesome enemy was there.

They were separated by four or five kilometers. Masatsugu could clearly see the vortex of noesis and the eyeball in the sky.

The eyeball was humongous, its diameter surpassing sixty meters.

This was the shadow of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, or rather, an avatar. It was said that Morgan was a goddess of death from British fay folklore.

The eyeball of the goddess, reputedly death itself, stared intently at Masatsugu's army.

This was to allow offensive or defensive measures to be taken any time if necessary.

However, the eyeball did not make a move so far, so as to avoid wasting noesis and mystic power. Britain's ifrit seemed to be quite a seasoned warrior.

What Masatsugu hoped for was precisely this confidence and composure.

"Excellent."

The British Chevalier and ifrit were both waiting for him to make a move.

Masatsugu must not act lightly. His next step was to leave things to Hatsune and see if she could seize this opportunity to complete the mission.

"Are you mentally prepared, Hatsune?"

"O-Of course, Princess!"

Princess Shiori called to Hatsune, who straightened her back.

The two of them were in a park at the port of Dagonoura which offered a view of Suruga Bay's vast waters and a near view of Mount Fuji.

This scenery was beautiful but Hatsune was in no mood to enjoy.

Her relative, Tachibana Masatsugu, had set off thirty minutes ago. According to the plan, it was time for Tachibana Hatsune to enter the battlefield for the first time. However, there were so many uncertain factors.

"But the Legions I can summon are too few—''Just one''. That's not very reassuring..."

Currently, Hatsune's tentative Chevalier Strength was "just one."

Once she became more experienced, the number of Legions would increase, allowing her actual Chevalier Strength to be known. It was true that she combat power was not very reliable at the current stage.

However, Shiori said, "Not to worry, this actually suits your mission better. Just one ''makes it harder for you to be discovered''."

In her role as strategist, Shiori was very confident, contrasting with the insecure Hatsune.

Hatsune did not know if she was trying to encourage her, or if she was actually confident of victory? Perhaps both.

"I will help you as much as possible, so just do what you can."

"Yes... Oh right, Rikka-sama will be angry later, right? After all, Princess, you are putting yourself at risk."

"That cannot be helped. We will simply have to apologize when the scolding comes."

"Got it, I will endure the scolding by your side!"

"Let us find some dirt on Rikka-sama another time. That way, we can strike back any time she nags too much."

Sometimes, Hatsune felt an urge to put away her clan's ruffian and larger-than-life ways to properly caution her lady, "Princess, you need to act more like a proper princess."

In any case, the time for the operation arrived during their conversation.

"Hatsune, proceed. Masatsugu-sama has summoned the Kanesadas!"

Shiori pointed at the sky—west of the Fuji tutelary fort.

The British army of eighty or so Crusades were flying towards the port of Dagonoura. They were advancing slowly at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour because high-speed flight would consume a lot of ectoplasmic fluid.

There was also a gigantic eyeball in the sky over the tutelary fort.

This eye, an avatar of the ifrit Morgan le Fay, released powerful noesis. Its gaze was directed at a certain corner in the port.

Masatsugu had evidently put the plan into motion. Hatsune roared, "Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune—Assemble, my Legions!"

One Legion, red and white in color, manifested.

Its appearance was basically the same as the Kamuy except with dark-red armor and a white garment on top. The top of the helmet was elongated like an ''eboshi'', a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Like the Kanesada, Hatsune's Legion, "Kurou Hougan," was a variant of the Kamuy.

"Take me and the princess and fly to the tutelary fort—In one go, Kurou!"

The soldier wearing the name of Kurou Yoshitsune reacted swiftly.

Slinging its rifle, the Legion bent down and picked up the two girls in its huge hands—

Then it flew up slowly, instantly accelerating to a hundred kilometers per hour.

The Kurou Hougan continued to speed up, heading straight for the Fuji tutelary fort.

However, it flew at a very low altitude, its feet almost about touch the roofs of two-story buildings.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW05.jpg|thumb]]

Forced to keep a low profile, Hatsune could go no higher. Masatsugu had summoned Legions in the city to act as a diversion.

He was attracting attention from enemy Chevaliers and Morgan le Fay.

This was to delay the Fuji tutelary fort from noticing the approaching Kurou Hougan for as long as possible. Otherwise, the enemy would deploy a noesis barrier in such a situation.

Once a barrier was erected around the tutelary fort, getting in would be a huge challenge.

The park at the port was only a few kilometers from the tutelary fort. At their current speed, it would take less than five minutes.

However, just as there were only a couple hundred meters left...

Morgan le Fay's eyeball suddenly swiveled and caught sight of the approaching Kurou Hougan. Then a singing voice, resembling a solemn chorus, resounded throughout the sky.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

In concert with the singing, high-density noesis coalesced in the atmosphere.

A noesis barrier gradually took form to cover the Fuji tutelary fort. Noticing the signs, Hatsune hastily yelled, "Kurou Hougan! My power—I will share my blood with you, so fly even faster!"

Instantly, Hatsune almost fainted.

The symptoms resembled anemia and was due to Hatsune's rapid depletion of the ectoplasmic fluid she had stored up from the water shrine. Next, the Kurou Hougan accelerated with explosive power.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Hatsune screamed as though riding a roller coaster.

Shiori groaned in pain from the massive g-forces. Without the protective barrier that guarded a Legion's body, the passengers' bones would probably have shattered.

In any case, during the fraction of a second before the noesis barrier could be fully deployed...

The Kurou Hougan instantly dashed into the tutelary fort.

"Are you okay, Princess!?"

"D-Don't worry. Let us hurry and begin."

The Fuji tutelary fort's layout was similar to the one at Suruga.

Its premises covered an area roughly the six of five or six Tokyo Domes, surrounded by perimeter walls in a star shape.

There was a forty-meter-tall nation-protecting keep in the center with scattered buildings and warehouses elsewhere. Directly above the nation-protecting keep was a giant hovering eyeball.

Inside the fort, the Kurou Hougan lowered Shiori and Hatsune to the ground.

"W-When Chevaliers are captured, their Appellations are sealed first," said Shiori, trying her best to hold back her nausea.

Hatsune rushed over to steady her lady.

"Hence, it is necessary to summon a large team of noetic officers to activate the sealing mechanism. Both knights and Appellations release noetic waves... If we head to a strong source of noetic waves, it is highly likely we will find the captives."

In the midst of conversation, Shiori's breathing returned to normal and her tone recovered her usual fortitude.

"However, we must not stay in the enemy base for too long. Regardless whether the search succeeds or fails, we must retreat within ten minutes. Use the talismans when the time comes."

"Don't worry, I remembered to bring them!"

Hatsune took out folded A3-size pieces of thick paper from the front of her kimono.

They were two retainer beast talismans. Since they must not be lost, Hatsune immediately returned them to her bosom. After seeing the talismans, Shiori's body glowed golden.

At the same time, there was high-pitched ringing.

This was rumored to be a phenomenon when projecting strong noetic waves. Hatsune watched in wide-eyed astonishment.

"...There is something fishy about the building in the back. Let us proceed."

"Thank you very much—Kurou!"

At Hatsune's order, the red and white Legion lifted them up to its shoulders.

Shiori was on the left while Hatsune was on the right. The Kurou Hougan jumped gracefully, clearing a distance of two hundred meters and landing in front of the building indicated by the princess without causing any tremors.

The massive Kurou Hougan Legion landed noiselessly.

Such light movements were similar to those demonstrated by the young Yoshitsune in Hatsune's dream. Despite weighing dozens of tons, the Legion was as agile as a cat.

While feeling impressed, Hatsune did not neglect to give orders.

"Open a hole in the wall to let us look inside. We need to confirm who's in there!"

There was a seven-story pitch-black building in front of them.

This style of architecture could be found in trendy office buildings downtown. However, this was a tutelary fort and all buildings were military facilities. Thus, one could damage them without holding back at all.

The Kurou Hougan delivered an acute right punch, puncturing the outer wall on the second floor.

In the face of a Legion's arm strength, steel-reinforced concrete was no different from a paper door. The Kurou Hougan withdrew its fist, leaving a giant hole in the side of the building, which provided a view of the office furniture inside.

In the same manner, the Kurou Hougan opened up additional holes in the building.

In the fourth hole, they found several men in the military uniforms of Imperial Japan.

Meanwhile, at the port of Dagonoura...

Masatsugu's thirty Kanesadas continued to face off against the eighty or so Crusades.

The army of Kanesadas continued to maintain a circle with rifles aimed outwards.

In contrast, the Crusades were diagonally above, overlooking the circle.

They were in a line formation dozens of meters in the air with rifles aimed at the Kanesadas on the ground.

"They don't dare to attack recklessly, huh...? What a great help," Masatsugu muttered to himself. The enemy's caution was in his favor.

The Crusades in the air were in a row. Behind them, riding a white wyvern was a British Chevalier. A man in his prime.

The man had his wyvern circling while he watched the Japanese Legions for movements.

Presumably, this was because Masatsugu had not ordered his Legions to attack. Since a while ago, Masatsugu had simply engaged in a profound silent demonstration.

Fighting in populous urban areas would ultimately be against the Charter of Chivalry. Hence, the British army did not dare fire first. They did not wish to actively violate the rules and sow seeds for trouble.

The result was both sides in a standstill for almost ten minutes.

Had a stalemate not occurred, Masatsugu's original plan was to hold their ground defensively to buy ten-odd minutes of time. Of course, avoiding unnecessary fighting would be more than welcome.

Just as Masatsugu was thanking his good fortune, the "eye" in the sky over the tutelary fort emitted noetic waves and singing.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......

A noesis barrier was formed presently, surrounding the entire tutelary fort. Did Hatsune and the princess enter the fort and succeed in finding the hostages?

"No matter what the result, next comes a struggle for survival."

As soon as he said that, Masatsugu heard a loud noise.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnn!

From the Fuji tutelary fort came a roar.

The sound reached the urban area near the port from the rural wetlands. A Legion was howling using its mouth behind the mask. This was called a War Cry.

This singing and shouting came from a winged giant soldier that were not human.

—When retreating from the tutelary fort, use the Kurou Hougan's voice as a signal.

Masatsugu had given this instruction to Hatsune in advance. Hearing the agreed signal, Masatsugu said quietly, "All men draw your swords. Prepare to charge."

The thirty Kanesadas immediately acted.

Their bayonet rifles—rifles outfitted with blades—instantly turned into Japanese swords. And it was a fabulously renowned sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, the personal blade of Hijikata Toshizō.

The thirty Kanesada emitted protective barrier particles from their entire bodies.

Barrier particles usually glowed white but the Kanesada's were red-purple, the same color as their armor. Moreover, the Kanesadas were exuding more than the glow of the protective barrier.

All Kanesadas were giving off frightening ''bloodlust'', determined to cut through all obstacles in their path.

This terrifying aura undoubtedly belonged to the "Merciless" Shinsengumi Vice-Commander.

"Attack!"

Masatsugu ordered his army and the Kanesadas entered the flat seigan stance.

The eighty-something Crusades on alert in the sky also deployed a protective barrier and reflexively pulled their triggers. They were probably intimidated by the katana-wielding army's bloodlust and terrifying aura.

Naturally, the Crusades were targeting the thirty Kanesadas in a circle formation on the ground.

Just as the rifles shot beams capable of vaporizing asphalt...

Masatsugu's army kicked the ground and took flight. Instead of dashing at the Crusade army in front of them, they made a detour around the enemy and continued to accelerate fiercely.

It turned out that the Kanesada army was flying to the Fuji tutelary fort at high speed!

A rain of flashing light struck the thirty Kanesadas' former location from two seconds ago.

Already firing, the Crusades were unable to track the Kanesadas with their beams in time. Masatsugu had executed a feint using bloodlust precisely to take advantage of this.

The pier at the port was less than five kilometers from the Fuji tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas flew over the city, leaving residential areas. It only took ten-odd seconds to reach the beautiful natural scenery of the wetlands.

The protective barrier around the Legions shielded Masatsugu from the effects of speed and g-forces.

"Ignore the lightning. Go straight ahead."

Along the way, the Kanesada's encountered descending lightning strikes.

A meteorological decree invoked by the ifrit Morgan le Fay.

Fortunately, the thirty Kanesadas were in a packed spherical formation. The protective barrier would be able to withstand several seconds of continuous lightning strikes.

The star-shaped walls of the tutelary fort came into sight.

However, a non-physical shield—the noesis barrier—was blocking the way. Unless the barrier was removed, there was no way to break inside the tutelary fort.

"Next task—Penetrate!"

From atop a Kanesada in the center of the spherical formation, Masatsugu issued orders to the whole army.

This was a "word of kill" ordaining certain death. First, four Kanesadas accelerated and left the spherical formation to collide with one part of the noesis barrier.

The four Kanesadas formed a row while extending their katanas with both hands.

Four katanas stabbed into the noesis barrier. The remaining twenty-five Kanesadas rushed with full momentum behind the earlier four and pushed their backs in unison. Only the Kanesada carrying Masatsugu did not take action.

This attack opened up a series of four holes in the noesis barrier.

The holes of similar size grew, finally becoming one big hole. The twenty-nine Legions under Masatsugu rushed into the tutelary fort.

The Kanesadas' katana offensive even managed to slice through a small part of an impregnable noesis barrier—

This was the power of the renowned blade Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms—Gankouken. Its effect was to bestow Legions with Hijikata Toshizō's weapon and infantry tactics for slaughtering enemies with swordsmanship.

A Kamuy-like Legion flew over to the Kanesada army that had created the huge hold.

"Onii-sama, you really came!"

The Kamuy had red armor with a white garment on top—A Kurou Hougan Legion.

Hatsune was sitting on its right shoulder. A shoulder was not a particularly stable spot, but Chevaliers and Legions were linked by mystic power, so cases of Chevaliers falling off were extremely rare.

Hatsune looked calm and composed, evidently getting used to a Chevalier's powers.

Two blue wyverns came flying from behind. Shiori had told Hatsune to bring retainer beast talismans, so the wyverns must have manifested from them.

Shiori was riding on of the wyverns which had a saddle to sit on.

The second wyvern was carrying three Japanese men dressed in uniforms of military officers. They all looked gloomy and listless, but fortunately, their lives were not in danger.

Thus, the "princess and her knights" converged successfully, exiting the noesis barrier.

"Princess, are you okay?"

"Yes, nothing to worry about. Thank you for your efforts too, Masatsugu-sama."

"What about those three?"

Masatsugu looked at the three Chevaliers who had almost become hostages.

They were young men between twenty and thirty years of age. Their names were respectively Habuna, Maike, and Tabi. The three of them thanked Masatsugu meekly. Unfortunately, their Appellations were sealed and had to be unsealed at Suruga before they could summon Kamuys again.

From his Legion's shoulder, Masatsugu jumped behind the princess, onto the wyvern she was riding.

The two of them sat on one saddle to ride the same wyvern. This was to help out Shiori who was not a skilled rider. Just as they were about to escape—

"Onii-sama, over there!"

Masatsugu looked as directed, turning his head towards the port.

The eighty-odd Crusades he had left behind were gradually approaching. Their movement speed was not high and they had already aimed their rifles at Masatsugu's group. Just as he was pondering how to escape—

Hatsune said from the Kurou Hougan's shoulder.

"Wait, leave the rest to me!"

"What did you say?"

"I feel it—Yoshitsune's Appellation says he's got a good plan."

Hatsne was not a proper Chevalier yet, but her abilities were definitely developing. Sensing that she had an idea, Masatsugu nodded and said, "Got it. Go ahead and try it out."

"Yeah, I got this!" Hatsune replied energetically then slowly lowered her voice. "...When penetrating enemy territory, know locations to avoid and identify poorly guarded lines of retreat to ensure certain escape. Charge the enemy, break their formation, take no prisoners. Behold my Feat of Arms—Kotouhisshutsu!"

As Masatsugu predicted, Hatsune was going to invoke a Feat of Arms.

After reciting a mantra that sounded like principles from a military classic, Hatsune said loudly, "Onii-sama, follow me!"

The Kurou Hougan released powerful noesis and flew west.

In front of them were the eighty-odd Crusades that Masatsugu had confronted at the pier. In spite of that, Masatsugu did as told and ordered his Legions to follow.

The thirty Kanesadas caught up with the Kurou Hougan that had moved out first.

...Immediately, the view before their eyes changed dramatically.

Spontaneously, their army had arrived in the sky over the Fuji River. It was the river they had reached a few hours ago, traveling by Mibu wolves to cross the mountains.

"What?"

The Fuji River's did not have a huge quantity of water flowing through it. Its gravelly sandbanks and shores were very striking.

The tutelary fort was roughly ten kilometers from the Fuji River. Unbelievably, their army had traversed this distance instantaneously. Furthermore, Masatsugu and the others had not experienced any sensation of "high-speed flight."

Following the Kurou Hougan, they had arrived here "just like that."

There was no feeling of speed or g-forces. The Kanesada army had not consumed any ectoplasmic fluid either.

"It appears that Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Feat of Arms..." Shiori said with surprise all over her face.

During the process, the Kanesadas and the wyverns continued to fly west—in other words, towards Suruga. They crossed the Fuji River and came to the sky over the highland forests of Mount Oomaru, Mount Kanamaru, Mount Amagoi, and Mount Arashi.

"...Can achieve instantaneous movement so long as the distance is not too great—A type of teleportation power. Perhaps it is a reenactment of the legends of the Hyodori-goe surprise assault and jumping over eight ships."

"P-P-P-P-Probably, Princess..."

Of everyone present, only Hatsune was out of breath.

She looked like she had just finished a sprinting competition. This Feat of Arms evidently took a huge toll on the Chevalier leading the army.

Hatsune was so tired that her eyes were spinning. Masatsugu ordered the Kanesadas to stopped mid-flight.

The wyverns carrying him, Shiori, and the three Chevaliers also stopped. The wyverns flapped their wings, hovering in one place in the air.

Meanwhile, the exhausted Hatsune said proudly, "A-Anyway, now that we're here, all that's left to do is run as fast as we can! Our operation was a success!"

"...No, it is still too early to say that."

Masatsugu observed Fuji City from where they had just traversed using teleportation.

Over in the air above the tutelary fort, Morgan le Fay's gigantic eye avatar remained manifested. Its gaze was directed straight at Masatsugu and company.

A Chevalier's sharp instincts informed Masatsugu.

The eyeball's noetic waves and gaze were following them relentlessly.

"Morgan le Fay has not lost our trail. It knows where we are."

"Huh!?" Hatsune exclaimed in surprise.

A "voice" was instantly heard in this airspace.

(Precisely, so... Chevaliers of Japan. I am, the genie Morrigan. The controller of the ifrit Morgan le Fay.)

It was not a real human voice but sound formed from noetic waves.

The soprano voice sounded adorable, but the tone was a bit choppy.

The source was ''overhead''. A giant eyeball, seven or eight meters in diameter, was hovering in the air above, surrounded by a powerful vortex of noetic waves.

Its appearance was very similar to the gigantic eyeball over the Fuji tutelary fort.

(Give up, on your futile escape. Even if you land, and hide in the mountains, I, the spirit Morrigan, will never lose your trail. I will definitely, catch you.)

Sure enough, nothing was ever easy on the battlefield.

Masatsugu shrugged. Whatever. In truth, he did not really care. After all, he was prepared to fight all-out to retreat. However, his brow furrowed slightly when he heard the following notice.

(Also, here is some unfortunate news, for you. Morrigan originally asked, a Chevalier at the Fuji tutelary fort... Sir Gary to pursue you. But now, another Chevalier happened to return.)

Could it be Richard the Lionheart?

Masatsugu frowned and pondered. Did the Resurrectee whose chase took him in Motosu's direction return? However, an even worse scenario overturned Masatsugu's hypothesis.

(This person has flippant tendencies despite being the commander-in-chief. This time, he will surely take care of you personally.)

"Morrigan! Don't you have anything better to say than calling me 'flippant'?"

A young voice suddenly interrupted, retorting against the comment delivered through noetic waves.

Instantly, a rider on a British white wyvern arrived. He was dressed in a black military officer's uniform. A handsome man with silver hair.

Unmistakably, he was the Chevalier whom Masatsugu had spotted from afar, the day he swore his oath of fealty to Shiori.

Masatsugu was very certain, this was none other but Edward the Black Prince himself.

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Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2016-07-23T14:39:12Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - Soldiers of Fortune==

===Part 1===

The First Expeditionary Brigade of the Far East Fleet.

These was the British Empire's armed forces led by Edward the Black Prince.

The Anglo-Japanese Restoration Alliance was formed from this brigade and Imperial Japan's Kinai Fiefdom.

The combat units attacking Tōkaidō were manned half-half by the British and the Kinai provincial army. However, the majority of Chevaliers were British and 80% of the Legions were Crusades.

Kinai knights were treated as "honored guests" and seldom sent to the battlefield.

Control was held fully in the British Empire's hands.

"There is a proverb in Japan... Lend them some eaves and they will take the main house, was it?"

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson muttered.

"The description aptly captures our relationship with the Kinai Fiefdom."

The elderly gentleman of a soldier was speaking solemnly with polite tones.

However, there was a hint of sardonic bite in his words. This old man was always sharing his cynicism with a completely straight face. Perhaps he was the role model responsible for the genie Morrigan's harsh tongue?

Edward kept his guess to himself and said, "Why not? The Kinai's top brass have accepted it too."

"Indeed, thanks to the blessings of the Three Lions and the British royal family."

"Well said. When they provide incredible and convenient miracles from time to time, we'd better perform our duties as loyal subjects to the best of our ability."

"The Kinai Governor General must have been moved by our princess' sincerity and grandeur."

With straight faces, they were exchanging false platitudes.

The young medieval prince and the elderly man of the modern twentieth century both smirked at the same time.

"Well then, Grayson, I must head over to Kyoto to cheer up our princess and handle a few sundry tasks while I am there. I am counting on you to hold the fort."

"Affirmative."

The elderly soldier accepted Edward's request like an experienced butler.

Also serving as the captain of the destroyer ''Tintagel'', Grayson was dressed in a naval officer's uniform of a white shirt and tie with black pants. However, his current assignment was not on the ship.

Instead, it was ''Hakone Checkpoint'' in the western part of Japan's Kantō region.

As the commanding officer Edward's adjutant, he must first secure their control of the Hakone area to serve as a forward operating base to advance on Tōkaidō. This was his latest job.

The purpose was to build up a foundation to support invasions into Tokyo and the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

"How will you travel to Kyoto?"

"First along the sea then entering Kinai through the Shima Peninsula."

Today was the second day after the fall of Hakone.

There was a helipad at the second tutelary fort, located south of Lake Ashi.

Hakone was originally defended by the Kantō provincial army. After conquering the tutelary forts, the British forces claimed the large transport helicopter of American make that was there. The helicopter was currently ready at the helipad.

Furthermore, British and Kinai forces had been assigned to various positions at Hakone.

The plan was to subjugate military and administrative facilities and demand civilian factions to provide "voluntary assistance."

After Edward's return, the hectic situation should subside somewhat. The capabilities of the veteran Graysan and the First Expeditionary Brigade were beyond reproach.

Their commander, the Resurrectee, still had other duties to fulfill.

Just as Edward walked to the helicopter, a young girl called out to him.

"Prince, if it pleases you, kindly take this along."

It was a blonde little girl in a sailor outfit and beret—Or rather, a doll.

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan was standing behind Grayson.

The doll stood at 150cm, roughly human in size. In her hand was a figure version of her that Edward had used during the Hakone siege.

Every time she moved her body, the joints would produce noise, hinting of her non-human identity.

"Morrigan, there is no need for you to accompany me this time."

A genie's support made everything convenient, but Edward still declined.

"You should focus on the Hakone mission."

"Not a, problem. I am a high-level spirit. Simulacra can be sent to multiple locations... Multitasking, is possible."

"I know, but playing with dolls is not my thing."

Early twenties in appearance, Edward sighed.

"If I keep bringing your small version around with me, I am afraid weird rumors will start springing up."

"Please, relax. According to research conducted by the British forces... Many adult men in Imperial Japan, enjoy this type of doll."

"I am not looking for fellow enthusiasts here!"

The spirit offered her counsel expressionlessly but Edward rebuked her and boarded the helicopter alone.

Thus an air journey began. An ancient person from the fourteenth century was sitting in a block of metal to soar the sky. To be honest, Edward found riding a wyvern to be quite similar to a horse so it did not feel weird.

That being said, mechanized locomotion was not bad too.

After all, speed was one major advantage. The transport helicopter flew from Hakone to the air over Numazu Port, passing through Suruga Bay to enter Pacific Ocean airspace.

Then the helicopter went west along Japan's island coastline.

The British armed forces had established naval superiority over virtually all of Tōkaidō's offshore region—from Nagoya and the Atsumi Peninsula to Izu and Atami.

Chances of being attacked were very low. In the event that an enemy showed up, he could simply engage using Legions.

Edward enjoyed the leisurely flight.

The seats in the transport helicopter were hard and not very comfortable. However, horse riding consumed even more energy, so taking a helicopter was still more relaxing.

They entered Kinai through the Shima Peninsula then went north, in other words, inland.

A few hours after taking off, the helicopter reached the sky over Kyoto City. Prior to Japan's name change to "Imperial Japan," Kyoto had been the ancient capital where the royal palace was located.

This was Edward's second time in Kyoto.

Before the Tōkaidō invasion operation, he had disguised himself as a foreign tourist to visit this place and hold talks with key figures in the Kinai Fiefdom.

"Kyoto is such a cramped city..."

Edward's mode of locomotion had switched from a military helicopter to a black luxury vehicle.

As before, operation of the vehicle was left to the driver. Although Edward was talented at controlling mounts such as wyverns or horses, he was not good at handling mechanical contraptions.

Fortunately, as a Resurrectee and Chevalier, he would never find himself without a driver to use.

In the afternoon of the same day, Edward was in the back seat of the luxury vehicle, a paragon of elegance as befitted his title of prince, looking out quietly at the streets of Kyoto.

"Surrounded by mountains, narrow roads. Well, I don't dislike the atmosphere."

Kyoto was rich in classic Japanese tradition, but was not a major metropolis.

Nijou Castle, constructed on Tokugawa Ieyasu's orders, had been remodeled many times over the years. Nowadays, in the twentieth century, it was being used by the Kinai Fiefdom as a "palace."

In addition, there was Kyoto Gyoen, a vast garden belonging to the imperial family.

Inside was a palace from a past age where predecessors of the imperial family had lived and old houses that served as "official residences" of the ancient privileged class, a reminder that this place used to be the political center of Japan.

Edward disembarked near Kyoto Gyoen.

He wanted to march through the streets gallantly in military uniform and relive his glorious adolescence as a knight in the past... However, he was dressed in casual clothing today.

A white shirt with black pants and a gray coat on top, rather plain in appearance.

With the British Empire's invasion of Tōkaidō under way, the position of an Englishman living in Japan would be rather awkward. Given such an environment, there was no need to go around in military uniform to attract extra attention.

Yet here in Japan, the appearance of a tall and handsome silver-haired man still made him stand out.

His conspicuousness could not be helped. Like a soldier, he walked with his head up and chest out, unfazed by the gazes of Kyoto's residents.

Soon, he reached an old-fashioned western mansion.

It was said that an American had ordered its construction in the Meiji period—during the nineteenth century.

Rather than the Kinai Fiefdom's Nijou Castle, today he was visiting a special person whose temporary residence was here. Ten-odd minutes later, Edward was in the mansion's reception room, keeping his appointment with the lady in question.

"Greetings, Princess. It is surely the blessings of the Three Lions that have allowed me the good fortune of surviving combat to meet you once again."

"No, this fortune stems from your personal capability, good brother."

The girl's blonde hair reached waist length. She was smiling elegantly.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare her delicate and lovely facial features to that of a goddess. That being said, her temperament would not match Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

Strictly speaking, she would bear a greater resemblance to Hecate, the goddess of the moon shrouded in transient darkness.

Hecate was the terrifying progenitor of black magic, an ominous deity with significance as the guardian of witches.

"It has been a while, Black Prince. I am sincerely delighted for the chance to see you again."

The beautiful Princess Eleanor greeted him.

She was wearing a one-piece dress with puffy sleeves. Fashionably black, its texture was reminiscent of a witch's black robe.

The two of them were sitting in a sofa in the reception room.

Edward went straight to the point, "I heard you were hurt. Thank goodness it was nothing serious."

"You should know that with the powers granted by my father—the sacred lion sovereign—healing minor wounds poses no challenge..."

At Edward's request, Princess Eleanor had infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort.

It had happened only five days ago, an operation aiming to recruit Chevalier Akigase Rikka, the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General, by putting a "charm curse" on her.

However, the operation failed and Akigase Rikka stabbed Eleanor with a sword, forcing her to flee for her life.

Her stabbed left shoulder already showed no signs injury, recovering in merely five short days, but Edward shook his head and said, "Princess, I am quite aware of the source of your miracles. However, we should not abuse ''powers that require a price to use''."

"Indeed, I shall take your words to heart."

Princess Eleanor nodded obediently. Smiling, she said, "However, making progress without relying on the blessings of miracles would require superior guile and competence. Good brother, I look forward to the fruits of your labors."

"Understood, I will commit this to memory," Edward replied with a wry smile to the princess who addressed him as "brother."

"First of all, I need to meet the Kinai Governor General, is that so?"

"Arrangements are all in place. I ''made'' him cancel his entire schedule for tomorrow."

"Hey, a princess of the British Empire should not be speaking like this. He is going to be the prime minister of Imperial Japan eventually, so remember your manners."

"Well... My apologies. I was imprudent." Eleanor widened her eyes ostentatiously and said mischievously, "Please forgive me for speaking so unladylike. Allow me to change my wording. Thanks to the Governor General's kindness and generosity, he is willing to set aside time to meet you, good brother."

"Now that is our good princess. Next... How to best handle the matter of reinforcements?"

Edward recalled a certain handsome man's face.

It was the young man he had spotted that night when he sent the Kinai Chevaliers to attack Suruga.

"The war effort is expected to progress mostly within expectation. I heard that negotiations with Tōsandō are in good shape. However.. Some unexpected elements have surfaced. As a precaution, it would be best to reassign a few obedient knights from Australia."

"...Why not reassign personnel from Britain?"

"I would rather not. ''That man'' happens to be sitting back home in boredom. Even now, he still cannot shake off his mindset from the medieval Crusade campaigns. He even wanted to take my spot and head to Japan personally. However, history has proven him unsuitable in the role of top commander."

Edward spoke elegantly as a knight to express some of his dissatisfaction.

"Consequently, the decision to send me was swiftly confirmed. If he were to come, it would make my job very difficult. News of this must not reach Britain. Well, I do concede that he is very charismatic as a general."

In all of English history, that man could very well be the most valorous ''king''.

The drawback was that he was hard to use.

Edward shrugged and said, "Simply stated, I would rather find an excellent hound than put a collar on a rampaging lion."

"My condolences, good brother."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Richard strongly petitioned the higher-ups in the military. The gist of it went along the lines of 'It is my greatest wish to render assistance to Edward, my kin of blood. Please be generous and understand my chivalry.' He is expected to arrive at the Port of Kobe today."

"...I was not informed of this at all."

"He rushed off and departed England during the night before the commander-in-chief—Admiral Nelson—gave authorization. This forced the higher-ups' hand, leaving them no choice but to authorize dispatching him to Japan."

"Damn them for foisting the burden of taming the lion upon me..."

Edward's noble and handsome face instantly turned gloomy.

While Black Prince Edward and Princess Eleanor were conversing...

The large British destroyer ''Camelot'' was sailing towards Osaka Bay. Measuring 180m in length, it was the sister ship of the ''Tintagel'' managed by the genie Morrigan.

This military ship was about to reach the Port of Kobe in Kinai.

Under the sunny sky, a man was standing alone on deck, enjoying the sea breeze.

His fine blond hair fluttered in the wind like a lion's mane. His muscular body was clad in Britain's black military uniform... That was not all.

On top of that, he was wearing a flashy crimson cape, giving an impression of excessive accessorizing.

"My boy Édouard... will surely be in for a big surprise when he sees me."

Laughing to himself, this man was around forty years of age. His countenance was full of majesty.

He was probably the only person in the contemporary world who would refer to the Black Prince as "Edward." Despite being the King of England in the past, he did not feel bound to using the English language or following British norms.

"Having lead an army of crusaders to besiege Acre in the past, I now head to the island nation of the Far East to demonstrate knightly justice... Oh how my blood boils in excitement."

Reciting the name of an ancient city east of the Mediterranean, he quietly ignited his battle spirit.

At the same time, his body released noesis. This vast amount expanded and naturally took physical form in the atmosphere amid the sea breeze.

An army of British Legions appeared in the sky over the destroyer ''Camelot'' as it sailed into Osaka Bay.

A total of two hundred Legions, but this was not all of them. This puny number was definitely not his limit. His Chevalier Strength was not that weak.

"O wind of the Far East, mark my words. I, Richard, shall step foot in Japan. Let the name of Coeur de Lion shake the world once more. Behold my way of life!"

His voice was filled with the elation of a narcissist.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW03.jpg|thumb]]

The two hundred Legions in the air above howled in response to their master's declaration.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

They were identical in appearance to the British mainstay legion, the Crusade.

However, the color was totally different. These Legions were crimson from head to foot. They were also equipped with bayonet rifles larger than that of typical Legions, with ornate decorations as well.

The master said to this army of crimson Crusades, "Thank you, my swords. Present to me a Feat of Arms worthy of the name of Escalibor."

In legend, King Arthur of England was served by the Knights of the Round Table.

The name Escalibor was equivalent to the "Excalibur" that appeared in the stories of King Arthur.

This man had named his Legions after the legendary king's magic sword. Known as Richard I in English history, his nickname of the Lionheart was also very famous.

Richard was a knight of outstanding martial prowess and a rare general of incomparable ferocity.

At the same time, he was the King of England in the twelfth century and the Black Prince Edward's forefather.

===Part 2===

It was precisely a week ago when the Crusades first attacked Suruga.

Seven days later, it was Friday again. During this time, Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance's military forces, preventing the flow of traffic and information.

Even so, the Suruga side sent out dozens of retainer beasts as scouts.

Isolated behind enemy lines, the Suruga tutelary fort still succeeded in obtaining limited intelligence.

"...In the end, it's all unfavorable news." Hatsune frowned and fell into deep thought.

Hakone Checkpoint had fallen the day before yesterday. The main roads and part of the railway infrastructure running from Shizuoka Prefecture to Aichi and Yamanashi had also been damaged by the Restoration Alliance's Legions, rendered unusable. Given the current situation, timely repairs would be difficult.

That was not all of the bad news.

"The effects of Hakone Checkpoint's capitulation are more severe than expected," Princess Shiori lamented the unfavorable situation, her voice beautiful as always.

The intelligent princess was accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, Hatsune, and knight, Masatsugu, at Rinzai High's open-air cafe. Noon had just gone by and school was out. Due to the unusual times they were in, all lessons were on a half-day schedule.

"Rikka-sama's father, the Tō''kai''dō Governor General... has apparently propositioned the Tō''san''dō Fiefdom to join forces in resistance and drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka and Hakone."

"The two fiefdoms are very close together geographically, after all."

Hatsune recalled a map showing the center of the islands of Japan.

Tōkaidō was the "sea road," comprising the regions of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi facing the Pacific Ocean.

Directly on top was Tōsandō, the "mountain road" of the Southern Alps covering the areas of Gifa, Nagano, Gunma, and Tochigi, the region of precipitous mountains known as as the backbone of Japan's islands.

If the "mountain and sea" fiefdoms of central Japan were to join forces and Kantō cooperated...

However, Shiori sighed repeatedly and ruled out this scenario.

"Unfortunately, Tōkaidō has not secured Tōsandō's support. I fear that the military strength demonstrated by the British in conquering Hakone within half a day, combined with signs that the western fiefdoms are not opposed to the Restoration Alliance, has prompted them to take a wait and see approach."

"Intimidated so easily, what cowards they are."

"Or rather, the British side did their part well," replied Masatsugu quietly to Hatsune's comment.

"Intimidation before and after a war is very important. It's ideal to make the opponent think that resistance is futile and provoke them to imagine what they stand to lose in defeat. Sufficient intimidation, like this instance, could cause future enemies to surrender or obey without a fight."

"Indeed, the Restoration Alliance most likely chose their targets in consideration of the publicity effect." Shiori agreed with Masatsugu's view. "They swiftly took down Shizuoka and Hakone, thus causing western Japan and Tōsandō to lean towards supporting the Alliance. Conversely, had they started out by attacking Nagoya or Tokyo—major metropolises with plenty of Chevaliers and Legions—they probably would not have obtained such impressive results."

The intelligent princess added cynically, "Of course, it is possible that the Restoration Alliance and the Tōsandō Fiefdom have a secret agreement."

"......Okay."

The elegant lady Hatsune served and the Onii-sama from the Tachibana clan were talking military strategy.

Hatsune made her decision. She did not have enough experience or insight to contribute to this discussion. In that case, she would swiftly obtain "power" by making the most of her own signature talents, making the most of the signature talents featured in the Tachibana clan with its abundance of heroes.

"Princess and Onii-sama, I have decided." Hatsune suddenly stood up, clenched her fist and declared, "Here and now, I will start the succession ritual!"

"Eh? Now? Here? Straight away?"

"Yes, there is no point hesitating any longer. A woman is measured by courage!"

"Really? Good luck then."

Contrasting with the princess' surprise, Masatsugu's attitude remained unchanged.

Hatsune could not help but grumble, "Onii-sama, can't you shed a few tears of encouragement at least?"

"You're the one carrying out the ritual after all. Whether I cry or not, the result still depends on your ability. I've got nothing to say except good luck."

"Fair enough, I got it."

Hatsune accepted it without a fuss. After all, she was born and raised in a clan filled with unruly larger-than-life characters. Even as a girl, she was deeply influenced by the clan's bold and unfettered ways.

"Then wait for me with anticipation as though you're watching a horse race!"

"Understood."

"Hatsune, even as a member of royalty, I do not have the authority to hinder another person's aspirations to become a Chevalier." Solemnity returned to Shiori's beautiful face. Gazing at Hatsune, she said, "Because it is the spirit of loyalty and righteousness of people like you that has secured the military power of the Kamuy. I feel nothing but endless gratitude for this courage... However, please allow me to issue you an unreasonable command on this occasion."

The princess sighed and said assertively, "I have no wish to become a guest at your funeral. Show me success, whatever it takes."

"Don't worry, Princess. I will carry out your command without fail!"

Of course, the ritual could not actually take place at the open-air cafe.

The school dojo happened to be free, so Hatsune decided to use it. The martial arts clubs, most notably judo and kendo, had all currently suspended their activities.

Hatune entered the dojo alone and knelt down in seiza on the tatami floor.

Her usual ''Haikara-san'' outfit consisting of meisen kimono and hakama did not look out of place in a Japanese dojo at all.

The blue scroll placed in front of her was the Tachibana clan's cherished treasure.

The manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation. Hatsune remained in seiza in front of it and took a deep breath, gazing intently at the scroll.

Her surrogate brother Masatsugu and the princess were waiting outside. She could rely on no one but herself.

"I beseech the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. Pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Imperial Japan—Show yourself and let's fight!"

Hatsune recited the oath she had learned, issuing a challenge at the end.

She forcefully grabbed the scroll in front of her and her vision went dark immediately.

...When her eyesight recovered, she was no longer in the dojo.

She was outdoors. Since there was a starry sky overhead, it was evidently the middle of the night.

"I-I'm on a bridge?"

Within an instant, Hatsune had been taken to an unfamiliar place.

Currently, Hatsune was standing on a wooden bridge over a river.

The river was not big or impressive. It was not flowing rapidly either. Most notably, the water was very clear. A boy was standing a few meters ahead of her.

The boy looked roughly twelve-years-old. The beauty of his face was breathtaking.

Like Hatsune, he was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. A kimono of the Heian period, it was commonly known as the ''kariginu'' meaning "hunting cloak," or in other words, the outfit that onmyouji would wear for ease of movement.

"It has been so long since anyone visited here..."

The boy examined Hatsune coldly.

His facial features were delicate, making him resemble a young and pretty girl at first glance. He was also very slim in build. However, no one would ever mistake him for a girl.

His voice and expression was very manly and exceptionally arrogant.

"Needless to say, you know my name, right? If you don't, I can't be bothered to tell you either."

"Ushiwakamaru..."

Hatsune said Yoshitsune's childhood name instead of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune.

According to one legend, during childhood, this hero had shown up at Gojō Bridge in Kyoto, calling himself Ushiwakamaru, and defeated Musashibō Benkei who had been on a quest to collect a thousand weapons—

Come to think of it, the river below the bridge would be the Kamogawa.

Hatsune had visited Kyoto on a school trip. She recalled scenery from the ancient city.

"You must first prove your worth if you want my help."

"My worth?"

"You pass if you defeat me... As much as I'd like to say that, it's impossible for you. Let's say you pass if you can ''catch'' me."
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW04.jpg|thumb]]

What the other party wanted was for Hatsune to demonstrate her fighting ability. Fighting was precisely one of the Tachibana clan's specialties. Just as Hatsune was about to dash forward, the pretty boy laughed proudly.

"I'll lend you this, lass. Cut me down if you can."

"Ehhh!?"

There was a tachi on the waist of the boy named Ushiwakamaru.

Its blade was over two feet long and quite curved. A Japanese sword dating to the latter years of the Heian period.

The boy grabbed the tachi whose length did not suit his small stature and tossed it to Hatsune, scabbard included. Hatsune hastily caught it in both hands.

Hatsune could feel the tachi's heavy weight on her arms.

"You're underestimating me too much... Of course, it's possible that I, Tachibana Hatsune, am no match for the peerless Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but I'm no pushover either!"

Hatsune encouraged herself with a bold declaration.

Simply facing him was enough for her to sense how difficult an opponent he was.

The boy in front of her was undoubtedly a thousand times stronger than she was. Against such an opponent, were her own martial arts really going to work?

Suppressing the uncertainty in her heart, Hatsune decided she must not lose in spirit and verbal vigor at least.

"You can use a weapon too. I won't complain."

"Don't worry, there is simply no such need. If I wanted to use one, I'd get one in an instant."

The unarmed pretty boy even scoffed in disdain.

He really seemed to be looking down at Hatsune, though he definitely had the strength to back up his attitude. Hatsune gulped nervously.

===Part 3===

Who was this pretty boy who looked like Ushiwakamaru?

Besides, where was this place? Hatsune believed that her "simple" personality, capable of easily ignoring these questions, was her strength.

A terrifying trial was about to begin. These trivial details were inconsequential.

How to teach this arrogant boy a lesson was what she really should think about.

"I'd be a disgrace to my Tachibana ancestors if I allowed this relic to remain buried in obscurity."

Hatsune drew out the tachi he had given her.

Excessive trust in the opponent's goodwill would be very dangerous, so Hatsune swung the blade to test it.

The tachi felt fine to use. For example, if the rivet securing the tang was loose, the blade could slide out of the handle during a swing. Fortunately, there were no such problems.

Hatsune raised the tachi without worry.

Pointing the sword's tip at the handsome face of Ushiwakamaru (?), she said, "Let me test how good you are."

Then Hatsune dashed rapidly at the boy.

At the same time, she executed a lethal two-handed thrust, aimed to pierce the boy's beautiful face.

The opponent had lent his own weapon to Hatsune in a show of self-confidence. As a member of the Tachibana clan, Hatsune did not have the decency to show kindness to such an arrogant enemy. Reading Hatsune's offensive, the boy backed away to evade the tachi's tip.

"I'm in no position to criticize others..." The pretty boy said with a wry smile, "For a lass, you really have quite the fierce temper."

"What are you talking about? Fights are won by preemptive strikes!"

In showdowns between master swordsmen, one seldom attacked lightly.

To avoid being counterattacked, there was a preference to let the opponent attack first, then find an opening to retaliate. This concept was known as ''go no sen'' in Japanese swordsmanship.

However, Hatsune had attacked right off the bat, everything be damned.

A lucky hit would have led to an immediate victory. This was also the principle of fighting with real swords.

"My clan hates biding time for an opening and not attacking."

"I actually agree on that point, but I think women should be a bit more demure."

"I've heard plenty of such nagging advice!"

While holding her own in the verbal exchange, Hatsune did not stop moving.

The boy had backed away and Hatsune chased after him.

Hatsune's high slash swept horizontally at the side of the boy's pretty face, but he evaded in the nick of time with a slight twist of his upper torso. Then Hatsune feigned an attack at his arm but actually executed a diagonal slash at his right shin. This strike was dodged too.

The boy moved sideways by an inch or so, once again evading with the slimmest of margins.

"Another one!"

"Hahaha. So here we have a vicious horse that kicks!"

Hatsune had switched to a low kick, intending to shatter the boy's kneecaps. The boy jumped back again, evading the kick.

So far, all her attacks had been one or two centimeters from striking the enemy.

Yet the boy was denying Hatsune success.

In addition to outstanding eyesight, he possessed animal-like speed and flexibility. Without natural talent, training alone would never attain this level of martial arts.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare his agile movements to a cat's or a monkey's. His reflexes and kinetic vision rivaled that of animals too.

"As expected of the Kurama tengu's disciple..."

As a young boy, Ushiwakamaru had mastered the arts of war under the tutelage of Kurama's great tengu.

Recalling the scene from noh theater, Hatsune used her own trump card.

Although it was not as lofty as "an ultimate secret technique," it was quite useful—

"Hiyahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh?"

The pretty boy showed a change in expression when he lightly dodged Hatsune's horizontal slash.

He finally put away his irreverent attitude. After attacking the boy in a rapid succession of left and right diagonal slashes, Hatsune switched to stabbing at his heart with a single-handed thrust.

The boy evaded all attacks deftly without complacency in his countenance.

He was no longer flaunting his confidence by dodging attacks by the slimmest of margins Instead, he maintained a distance of a few dozen centimeters to evade Hatsune's tachi.

"Your petty tricks are pretty amusing."

Glancing furtively at Hatsune's stance, the boy muttered to himself.

He was truly extraordinary to have seen through Hatsune's trick already. If Tachibana Hatsune was a sparrow chirping on a branch, he would be a phoenix soaring the sky. That was the massive disparity between them.

However, the disparity was not entirely impossible to bridge. It was too early to give up yet!

"How about this!?"

Hatsune entered a mid-level seigan stance, sweeping her sword at the boy sideways.

His defensive maneuver was even more impressive. Jumping swiftly in the air, he flew over Hatsune's slash lightly.

More unbelievably, he stepped on the tachi that was swinging towards him and leaped again from the back of the blade.

Then he ascended high into the air like a bird before somersaulting and landing behind Hatsune.

"!?"

"A pretty good idea. Too bad it doesn't work on me," said the boy casually.

Hatsune recalled a legend where Matsubayashi Henyasai, a master swordsman in the Edo period, had used a similar stunt.

Henya was a nickname that compared his speed and agility to a bat's.

"You jumped all over the place and confused that big guy Benkei too..." Hatsune sneaked a quick glance at her hands holding the tachi.

The boy had lent her a tachi with a handle measuring thirty centimeters or so. During the series of offensives earlier, Hatsune had slightly adjusted her grip's position with every strike.

"This isn't enough If even Musashibō Benkei's naginata failed to touch him."

Since the handle was thirty centimeters long, gripping the sword near the guard or towards the end would change the overall reach of the blade. Hence, Hatsune would slide along the handle before attacking, adjusting the position of her grip flexibly to make minor adjustments to the tachi's offensive reach.

This variability of ten-odd centimeters was surprisingly effective at disrupting an enemy's defensive instincts.

Experts with exceptional eyesight were especially sensitive to minute changes and thus even more easily affected. This was a practical combat technique that could only be used with a Japanese sword with a long handle.

Understanding their gap as martial artists, Hatsune licked her lips.

"Little lass, I will keep my earlier promise."

The pretty boy took out a fan from his bosom.

Rather than a metal fan with a steel frame, it was simply a Japanese paper fan. Without opening the fan, he stared at Hatsune.

"Wielding a sword against you would be a taint against my reputation. However, know that I, Kurou Yoshitsune, am on a completely different level when armed."

Finally introducing his name and title, the pretty boy ceased all movement.

With a sharp expression, the boy exuded a calm and collected aura as he observed Hatsune's every move. Hatsune was a bit miffed that all he had taken out was a fan, but there was no helping that. Kurou Hougan had decided this was "plenty enough."

"Looks like I'll have to take a gamble and go all-out in offense..." Hatsune murmured and began to strategize.

However, all she could think of was what her friends had said. Masatsugu had said the final result ultimately depended on Tachibana Hatsune's own ability. The princess had commanded her to succeed without fail. Rikka believed that what truly mattered were one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier—

"Okay!"

Having made up her mind, Hatsune straightened her back.

Then she tossed away the tachi in her hand, dropping it into the river below the bridge.

"What the heck?"

"I can find a way without relying on this kind of thing."

Furthermore, she sat down cross-legged on the ground.

"Your turn to attack. I'm not going anywhere. Bring it on any time!"

"I never thought Japan would ever produce a idiot who'd brazenly speak to me like this."

The boy showed surprise but a smug smile surfaced on the corners of his lips.

The pretty boy with the name of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune approached with agile footwork. In front of Hatsune, he swung down the fan in his right hand with lightning speed.

The fan, a handicraft of wood and paper, struck Hatsune squarely on the head.

The sound of slicing could even be heard, normally not possible with a fan.

"Owww!?"

The violent impact shook Hatsune's skull and brain, making her see stars.

Unbelievably, a paper fan could inflict such a heavy blow. Truly a wondrous feat of peerless proportions. However, Hatsune mustered a Tachibana youngster's fortitude.

Hatsune imagined the fan swung down by Kurou Hougan's right arm as a katana.

She succeeded in executing a barehanded technique for countering an armed opponent. Hatsune had reasoned that her head or face would have been the most likely targets since the enemy was attacking her with a fan while she was sitting on the ground. Determined to grab his arm even at the cost of getting hit, she simply waited for him to come to her instead.

"Yahhhhhh!"

Hatsune leaned back, pulling Kurou Yoshitsune's right arm along while scissoring her legs around his shoulder region—

The boy almost fell over forwards. Thus, Hatsune was hanging on his arm.

Suspended in midair, Hatsune naturally fell. The instant her back hit the ground, she rolled, taking Kurou Yoshitsune with her. The two of them entered a state of ground fighting.

Applying pressure to his elbow joint, Hatsune executed a flying armbar.

The Ushiwakamaru version of Kurou Yoshitsune was small in stature. Besides, a fighter from the Heian period probably would have no knowledge of a flying surprise assault from Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Hatsune's correct call had created the opening for victory. However, her attack only succeeded halfway.

"Tsk!"

Before the joint was locked completely, Kurou Yoshitsune swung his right arm vigorously.

Hatsune had almost straightened his elbow but could not budge his arm any further. Despite a boy's appearance, Kurou Yoshitsune's arm strength was extraordinary. Hatsune could not overpower him no matter how hard she tried.

However, Hatsune said proudly, "How's that? This finally counts as catching you, right!?"

"Indeed, I cannot deny that," young Kurou replied unhappily.

"Yes!"

Knowing she had succeeded, Hatsune cried out in excitement. She happened to be executing ground skills on the bridge. Releasing the boy's right arm, she extended her limbs, simply lying on the ground in a star jump posture.

Her fatigue was intense but matched equally by her sense of accomplishment.

While Hatsune was lying there grinning to herself, Kurou Yoshitsune immediately stood up.

"By the way, I can't believe you dared to take my attack."

He glared down coldly at Hatsune with words of praise.

"Of course it was scary, but this ritual is ultimately just a test."

Although there is a risk of death, it was ultimately just a test—

Hatsune recalled Akigase Rikka's advice.

"By my guess, it shouldn't be too harsh. Besides, if you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't use a fan, right?"

A paper fan could not kill, which was why Hatsune dared to take the gamble.

Seeing Hatsune lying on the ground with a silly grin, the young Kurou went "I see."

"You really are an idiot."

"Hold it right there. Aren't you being way too rude to a lady—?"

Hatsune was about to protest when she jumped in surprise.

The young Kurou walked over to a railing on the bridge and swung the fan in his right hand. Struck by the fan, the thick timber crumbled and collapsed after tiny cracks appeared.

Also the destruction was confined to just that one spot.

This attack was more powerful and shocking that its appearance had suggested.

Hatsune slowly got up, staring at the tragic state of the railing.

"......"

"Whether I'm using a fan or a twig, I can easily shatter the skull of a little lass. I deliberately held back to see what ridiculous idea you were thinking about. Lass, you managed to pique my curiosity. It counts as your win."

"R-Really?"

"On further thought, idiots are less likely to be hit by stray arrows on the battlefield."

"Th-That's definitely a discriminatory remark! Jumping to conclusions is not nice!"

"Don't be too hasty to deny it. Despite being an idiot, indeed, you do have a smart side, which makes you a capable idiot. I shall render my assistance to you for the time being. Do your best."

After mocking Hatsune, the young Kurou's body gradually grew big.

This growth was not maturation but the expansion of body size. He turned into a winged giant soldier standing eight meters tall, very similar to the appearance of the Kamuy, Imperial Japan's mainstay Legion.

Similar, but not identical—

After watching the transformation to its conclusion, Hatsune lost consciousness.

When she woke up, Tachibana Hatsune found herself lying on the tatami floor in the dojo.

She had fallen asleep unintentionally. The blue scroll still clutched in her right hand was the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation.

Furthermore, Hatsune felt it vaguely.

Inside the scroll was a strong will as well as a warrior's fierce emotions, thirsting for battle.

Inside her dream, she had met the general, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. This was proof that his mighty name had recognized the latest successor.

===Part 4===

"Present... ARMS!"

At the drill instructor's command, hundreds of soldiers performed the action neatly in unison.

They brought their light automatic rifles to a vertical position, muzzles upward, then performed the salute known as presenting arms.

This scene was taking place in the plaza within Nijou Castle, the Kinai Fiefdom's "palace."

A military band was playing a heroic melody, adding to the atmosphere of the ceremony.

The Kinai provincial army's elite guard were saluting to convey honor to a distinguished guest.

Throughout the Edo period, Nijou Castle had suffered several fires, destroying the central keep and various portions. However, reconstruction works were put into moton ten-odd years ago.

Thanks to that, today in the year 1998, one could still see Nijou Castle's full glory from the Kan'ei era.

This included the outer moat, the inner moat, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the central keep, the courtyard, etc.

However, the interior of the buildings were outfitted with elevators and other facilities, remodeled into modern style.

Edward, the main guest at the honor ceremony, said, "Japan's generous hospitality is truly not bad at all."

It was noon on the second day of his visit to Kyoto.

The central keep was located on a towering stone wall. Edward was on a balcony there.

His vantage point provided a full view of the plaza inside the castle. Every time a ceremony was held, the Kinai Fiefdom's VIPs or visiting members of the imperial family would stand on this balcony to meet the civilians and soldiers of the province.

Today, Edward was wearing the British Empire's black military uniform, unlike yesterday.

Also, Edward was standing at "the forefront" of the balcony next to the railing. The Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen, was standing a little further back.

"Sir Izumi, thank you for your warm hospitality."

"Not at all. This welcome reception is the least we could do for a knight from Britain, our ally, much less a ''legatus legionis'' from the ancient past."

Also a Chevalier, the Kinai Governor General was wearing the military officer's uniform of Imperial Japan.

In his sixties, the elderly man seemed to have kept up his martial training. Despite his advanced age, his body was quite strong and healthy. His hair was also black.

"Our nation will only have something called a future if we align our interests with Britain... One day, when the Empress at the imperial palace comes to understand this, I shall have you received as a state guest."

"Hahahaha, I will look forward to it."

The Kinai Governor General was very dignified at a glance with an imposing countenance.

Edward cordially responded to the empty promise. This old man had a reputation as a fierce general in Japan and was famous for being a militant.

...However, the British military knew the truth.

Despite his exalted position as a Chevalier, his experience in actual combat was paltry. During the current operations, he had been accompanied by bodyguard Chevaliers under the pretext of adjutants. The reputation of the fierce general was a ruse. A vain man, even his black hair was the result of hair dye.

For this kind of man to serve as the British Empire's collaborator—He was definitely a good choice to exploit.

"Thank you for looking after my brother. I, Eleanor, offer my utmost gratitude."

The princess present, Eleanor, also curtsied elegantly.

Today, she was dressed in a white formal dress, looking very pure and lovely.

If one had to answer the question of whether it looked good on her, the answer was definitively yes. However, anyone who knew of Eleanor's true nature as a ''witch'' would feel some sense of dissonance from her attire.

The Kinai Governor General evidently did not gather that impression.

"The pleasure was all mine. As a demonstration of our friendship with your nation... as well as my respect for you, none of this was any trouble on our part."

"Oh dear, you flatter me so."

"Fighting on behalf of beautiful ladies is the chivalry espoused by your nation, isn't it? Princess of Britain. As a Japanese man, I would be delighted to learning the ways of chivalry for your sake. You are a woman worthy of my devotion."

The Kinai Governor General's sycophancy did not suit his imposing countenance very well.

His eyes were fixated upon Eleanor in fascination, like a young boy infatuated with an older woman, or a medieval knight who would pledge his life to a lady.

Edward observed sharply.

The ''noesis'' released from Eleanor's back was affecting the Kinai Governor General, entangling Izumi Tenzen's body—and noetic waves—like tentacles.

The old man, despite his position and honor, was worshiping a foreign maiden.

This noetic curse was precisely the witchcraft used by Eleanor.

Finding an appropriate moment, Edward excused himself from the balcony.

Since the Kinai Governor General's mind was fixated on Eleanor, it was fine for Edward to be absent. Walking alone in the corridor of Nijou Castle's central keep, he wondered if he should go sightseeing in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, he ran in a displeased acquaintance.

"Hello Uncle, is there something upsetting you?"

"Indeed. My unhappiness is your fault, Édouard."

Edward's greeting elicited the expected response.

The other party was a man in his forties, dressed in the British military's black uniform with a red cape on top. He was Richard I, the Resurrectee who had left Britain on an expedition without permission.

"I took great pains to cross untold miles to render my assistance in battle, yet you did not even ask me to attend the ceremony... This would have been an excellent opportunity to let these orientals learn of my mighty name as the honored heroic king."

"It's better to keep a low profile so as to demonstrate valor in critical moments. I too have endured such a phase."

Richard the Lionheart was an imposing man.

However, he had a thoughtless side to him stemming from his intense urge of exhibitionism, an exaggerated sense of chivalry and romanticism, and a poet's soul in love with poetry.

Consequently, he was not suited to taking top command. Suitability as king was also tenuous too.

"Besides, Uncle, the forest has ears and the field has eyes."

Edward was quoting a proverb equivalent to the Japanese saying, "walls have ears."

"Otherwise, it would make things awkward for our British soldiers if they heard. We no longer live in an age when our ''House of Plantagenet'' ruled Great Britain. We must respect British customs and honor. Please try to shift away from ''continental'' mannerisms."

"Hmm..."

"It is time for Prince Edward and King Richard to retire."

From Richard's perspective, Edward was more like a descendant than merely someone younger in age.

Furthermore, Richard had a proud personality with a fiery temper. It would not be unexpected for someone like him to insist on his exalted position. However, the advice from someone a few generations his junior turned out to be surprisingly effective.

"Ho, since times have changed, I shall listen to you."

Richard displayed unexpected leniency towards his junior kin, the way a grandfather would indulge a grandson.

Edward nodded in response to the smiling Lionheart. He addressed him as "Uncle" merely out of convenience. Their true relationship was much more complicated than that.

Edward's ''great-grandfather's grandfather'' was Richard's younger brother.

Richard's younger brother was John Lackland, a notoriously unpopular king in the history of England. Who would have expected his bloodline to produce a number of famous kings as well as a renowned general like Edward?

"Well then, let us take up the subject of war."

Trying to keep a fierce beast like Richard restrained would not work.

Unless given chances to vent as necessary, he was going to cause fatal chaos eventually. This worry was what prompted Edward to deliberately bring up his favorite subject.

"Hohohoho, is there a battlefield worthy of my presence?"

"Indeed, there is. I have some matters to handle in Kyoto first, but over in Tōkaidō that our forces are in the process of conquering, there is a large-scale counterattack being planned against the British—"

Now that the Lionheart was here, Edward had no choice but to accept his presence and make the best use out of him.

Moreover, even if he was ill-suited as ruler or top commander, at least he was far from incompetent. So long as the lion tamer was skillful, there were no lack of ways to deploy him.

As the commander-in-chief of the British forces invading Japan, Edward said, "Right now, we are laying a trap for them. If all goes well, Uncle, I will yield to you the chance to fight at the base of Mount Fuji."

===Part 5===

"...This is basically the etiquette for establishing a pact."

Akigase Rikka was in charge of instruction.

Tachibana Hatsune was the listener. Yesterday, she had inherited Kurou Yoshitsune's Appellation to become a new Chevalier.

"In the end, there is no method better than trying it out for real. Don't think too much, just feel with your body."

"Understood. By the way, Rikka-sama, has anyone ever called you a rough-and-ready person?"

"You're very perceptive. People who served as my adjutants or staff officers have complained about the same thing. So did my younger brothers at Nagoya."

"No wonder."

The two of them were conversing in the water shrine under the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hatsune had followed Rikka underground to learn from the senior Chevalier about matters such as the tutelary pact and how to carry out the essential task of resupplying ectoplasmic fluid.

Hatsune was surrounded by a reservoir of marine-blue artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Several Greek columns stood towering from the water, contributing to a solemn atmosphere like a temple's. The water surface was criss-crossed by narrow paths.

Walking along the paths, the two of them reached the bath further inside the shrine.

Leading the way, Rikka shared her "Chevalier insights" with Hatsune. Her explanations were not detailed and always concluded with asking her to "feel with her body."

Inside the bath area was a round vat of ectoplasmic fluid similar to a swimming pool.

Rikka removed her military uniform on the side. Hatsune hastily unfastened her clothing and removed her pink kimono, hakama, and hair ribbon. At any rate, she already knew that Chevaliers had to soak themselves in ectoplasmic fluid to allow the source of mystic powers to seep into their body and soul."

"...Wow, that's pretty rough-and-ready indeed."

"Hmm? Did you just say something?"

"Nothing really, just talking to myself~"

Rikka tilted her head in puzzlement when Hatsune looked around and commented with a smile.

Hatsune had confirmed her earlier impressions again when she saw the lady Chevalier remove her military uniform and casually sent it to the floor with a swift toss. However, as one would expect of a dignified practitioner of the sword, Rikka carefully took down Onikiri Yasutsuna from her waist and lowered it to the floor.

Hatsune folded her own clothing properly and gathered in one spot.

Hatsune used to be just as rough-and-ready, but during her time in the imperial palace as a trainee, she had been forced to learn cooking, cleaning, laundry and other "necessary accomplishments." Folding clothing immediately after undressing was one of the precepts learned.

(...Incidentally, her sloppiness and unruly nature as a trainee lady-in-waiting had given the head lady-in-waiting quite a headache, almost forcing her to design a special curriculum to train Hatsune.)

In any case, the two of them stepped into the vat of ectoplasmic fluid together.

"It's so cold!"

Hatsune shrieked the moment she touched the ice-cold ectoplasmic fluid.

Fighting back tears while she endured the chill, she immersed herself in the mysterious spiritual water until shoulder-level.

...After enduring the cold in the ectoplasmic fluid for a couple minutes, Hatsune started feeling her entire body heat up. A few minutes later, her body temperature had rebounded completely.

The temperature was like dipping in hot water. Hatsune finally understood.

This heat in her body was precisely the source of miraculous powers of the mystical—

This was also the power granted to Imperial Japan by Lord Tenryuu, Princess Shiori's grandfather.

In addition to the rise in body temperature, there was also a feeling of excitement. Hatsune looked at her removed clothing. The blue scroll placed on top was the proof of the Feat of Arms she had acquired.

In that instant, she experienced auditory hallucination. It was young Kurou's arrogant voice.

The voice seemed to be howling, demanding Hatsune to give him more power and to hurry up and take him to the battlefield to slaughter enemies...

"It's about time," Rikka said slowly, also immersed in the ectoplasmic fluid. "Tachibana, form the tutelary pact like how I taught you."

"Okay... Uh, upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Suruga!"

After Hatsune finished speaking in one breath, her body began to glow faintly.

Then Hatsune noticed a great amount of mystic power flow into her through her feet—through the soles linked to Suruga's land—stunning her for a moment.

Rikka nodded at the surprised Hatsune and said, "With that, you are now a Chevalier tasked with the defense of Suruga. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, same here too!"

Hatsune replied cheerfully and relaxed her shoulders.

Earlier, she had been nervous to some extent, but now there was confidence in her heart. She absentmindedly looked at Rikka opposite her.

...Hatsune was quite intrigued. Rikka's figure was perfect. Beautiful.

Akigase Rikka's complexion was pale with a slim overall build. However, her bust and hip areas were so voluptuous that you could almost add a "bam!" sound effect. Undoubtedly, she was very buxom.

Furthermore, her waist was very narrow and sexy.

Even Hatsune could not help but sigh in envy.

(...She's so attractive, just like her personality.)

Rikka was not excessively skinny like a model.

Her body was slender while blessed with voluptuousness capable of stealing men's hearts. This kind of figure was very attractive even from the perspective of the same sex.

Furthermore, despite her rough-and-ready habits, her personality did not come across as sloppy, amazingly enough.

The reason was her dignified comportment. Presumably, this was due to the discipline and etiquette cultivated through martial arts training, the beautiful way she moved her body, and her upright posture.

In addition, she was a beautiful maiden with waist-length black hair. Flawless in appearance.

"Tachibana, you and Masatsugu-dono are not real siblings, right?"

"We're not. I don't really know the details myself, but anyway, our formal relationship is 'relatives'♪"

This description was far too sloppy and not very formal, but Hatsune did not mind.

In any case, she optimistically believed that it was fine as long as she got her message across. However, Rikka looked inexplicably troubled with a frown on her face.

"...I see, so this is the method they used to conceal his true identity? Since Tachibana isn't his real sister, perhaps..."

Hatsune could not hear clearly what Rikka was murmuring.

Then Rikka stared intently at Hatsune's body and said, "By the way, your family must have raised you well."

"Fufu, I am a well-bred lady after all♪"

"No, that's not what I meant. I am saying that you are physically very mature."

Hatsune was secretly happy that her heritage as a descendant of ''jikisan hatamoto'' was visible despite the great number of uncouth characters in the Tachibana clan when Rikka rejected her interpretation and even examined her body closely.

Indeed, Tachibana Hatsune definitely had a mature body.

Rikka was voluptuous but Hatsune's level surpassed hers.

Before entering middle school, Hatsune was already showing signs of ample maturation. This continued along, resulting in her use of G-cups at the young age of sixteen.

Rikka was probably an E. An overwhelming victory for Hatsune.

Hatsune was aware of her own figure, but there were worrying elements.

"Oh, umm, I do train diligently, but because meals and midnight snacks are so tasty, I often eat too much unintentionally. P-Please don't look too closely..."

"No need to be shy, you don't look fat at all."

While praising Hatsune, Rikka's expression was very solemn.

"My brothers back home secretly keep photobooks. Many of the photos show slender yet voluptuous women in swimsuits... Tachibana, your figure doesn't lose to them at all. In fact, you might be superior."

"R-Really?"

"Assuredly so. I search my brothers' rooms occasionally and tell them that they should openly display those photos as manly men."

Hatsune could not help but smile, but then a thought occurred to her.

So the aristocracy in Tōkaidō's ruling house also looked at that kind of stuff. Perhaps back home, Rikka-sama was the kind of sister who terrorized her younger brothers like a demon or a tyrant?

However, a maidenly expression surfaced on the face of this possibly demon-like daughter of a noble house.

"As fellow Chevaliers, I would like to confirm something with you..."

Stammering, Rikka mustered her courage to ask, "Does Hiji—Masatsugu-dono have those kinds of photobooks? Basically, does he enjoy looking at women with well-developed figures... Like yours?"

Hatsune was taken by surprise. It sounded like Rikka had said something inaudible during her slight pause, possibly "well-developed figures ''surpassing mine''... Like yours?"

In any case, Hatsune answered with uncertainty.

"That's hard to say. I've never seen any in his room. Oh right, I don't think there was anything like that in his parents' house either."

"I-I see."

"But on further thought, Onii-sama is in charge of the beauty contest for the school festival committee."

"Beauty contest!? That is so scandalous..."

"A school festival is scheduled for December, but now it's unclear whether it'll go ahead. Onii-sama sometimes mentions that he'll try his best to organize a spectacular beauty contest."

"I see... May I ask another question?"

Rikka remained worried and she asked in an especially maidenly tone of voice, "This is purely something that I must confirm as a Chevalier. Masatsugu-dono is in the personal service of Her Highness—Princess Shiori, isn't he? Would it be possible that he might... feel attracted to the beautiful princess?"

"Uh, well, Onii-sama doesn't really talk that much..."

''Does Rikka-sama actually feel...?'' Wondering that, Hatsune said, "So I don't really know. Of course, since Onii-sama is such a weirdo, he probably doesn't have such tasteful motivations..."

Hatsune answered ambivalently. Rikka looked a bit disappointed.

Seeing her senior a little depressed, Hatsune's doubts grew stronger. ''Perhaps the way she feels about Onii-sama is''—

"Rikka-sama and Onii-sama... That's impossible, right?"

"Hatsune, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Forget it♪"

This was a certain room on the top floor of a three-story building somewhere in the Suruga tutelary fort.

It was the office of the castellan, Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu was resting on the sofa for receiving guests while Hatsune, sitting next to him, was staring at his face, mumbling to herself.

Hatsune's tone sounded suspicious but what she said did not seem important.

Masatsugu decided to ignore it. The current task of the moment was to hand over congratulatory gifts to the new Chevalier who had just finished replenishing ectoplasmic fluid.

"This just arrived from the commissariat to congratulate your Chevalier Conferment."

"Eh, really!? I'm so happy. There's juice, cola, and so many snacks! Recently, it's been impossible to buy these things!"

Masatsugu pointed at the things on the reception table, causing Hatsune's eyes to glimmer.

There were cans of cold drinks and PET bottles, as well as snacks and tons of sweets such as chocolate. Maybe a child might, but one would not expect a sixteen-year-old girl to get excited over such gifts.

Sitting opposite to Masatsugu and Hatsune, Shiori smiled and said, "Food logistics in the outskirts of Suruga are now under the tutelary fort's management. This task was completed in the beginning of the week. How wonderfully efficient."

Shiori praised the castellan Rikka, who was sitting at the work desk in the back of the room.

The lady Chevalier smiled and shrugged.

"Please direct this praise to the ones in charge of the commissariat and the municipal government. I simply issued orders and left the details of execution to their discretion."

Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, preventing freedom of movement.

In other words, all logistics were interrupted. Lacking goods and support from outside, Suruga would run out of food eventually. Consequently, food had to be purchased from food companies, transportation businesses, and shops in advance then passed onto a government agency to manage.

These purchased goods, combined with army provisions in stock, became the "rations" provided to civilians.

Tutelary forts were not merely military bases—

They also stockpiled food in case of natural disasters or emergencies like now. Furthermore, the underground fluid power generation systems using artificial ectoplasmic fluid normally provided vast amounts of electricity for the surrounding area. When necessary, a certain level of regional life could be supported, centered around a tutelary fort.

"Rikka-sama, how long will supplies last under rationing?"

"Two months... according to the commissariat's estimates. But as we all know, predictions on the battlefield frequently land way off mark. Unexpected events frequently happen. Apart from that..."

Rikka answered Shiori's question with worry.

"The residents of the city are currently quite understanding... But the stress will build up and explode in some manner eventually. When that happens, voices inside Suruga will start advocating cooperation with the Restoration Alliance. How long we can maintain this 'cage'... It is quite hard to say for certain."

The budget for purchasing food was jointly funded by the tutelary fort and the municipal government.

During times of war, large quantities of military scrip would be put into circulation. Military scrip referred to substitute currency used by militaries and could be redeemed for cash value from the government.

This also meant that Suruga had to resolve its crisis while the Japanese government intact.

For civilians, the use of military scrip lacked assurance. As time dragged on, it would also become one of the factors contributing to civilian unrest.

"Umm..." Hatsune raised her hand to interrupt the conversation between the Governor General's daughter and the imperial princess.

"The Restoration Alliance hasn't attacked lately... Are they waiting for us to run out of supplies?"

"Probably. A castle whose defenses cannot be breached immediately can always be taken through strategy." Rikka clicked her tongue and said, "According to my father's messages, our negotiations with Tōsandō are not going smoothly. Besides, as things drag on, the Restoration Alliance will become more entrenched. As a result, my father has informed me that he intends to launch a counterattack from Yamanashi before the situation turns dire. We would like to coordinate with this operation from Suruga, but..."

Tōkaidō was a narrow region elongated east-west.

It was composed of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi. Of the entire Shizuoka region, Suruga was the only place yet to fall, while Yamanashi had not been touched by the Restoration Alliance yet.

However, Rikka said in frustration, "Morgan le Fay has deployed barriers around Hakone Checkpoint and the neighboring Fuji tutelary fort. It is difficult for small retainer beasts to approach for reconnaissance. The situation does not look good."

"What is Morgan le Fay?" asked Masatsugu, not recognizing the term.

Rikka smiled wryly and said, "An ifrit from Britain's Far East Fleet, and one of their finest specimens too. Neither the noetic officers currently at Suruga nor Sakuya are able to break a barrier deployed by a divinity of that class."

"Oh?"

The Suruga tutelary fort had the ifrit Seiryuu and its avatar, the spirit Sakuya.

However, the British apparently had a guardian deity surpassing them. Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

Shiori, knowledgeable in noetic techniques, fell into deep thought.

"I have a suggestion."

Then the princess proceeded to explain patiently.

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Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2016-07-23T14:09:35Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - Soldiers of Fortune==

===Part 1===

The First Expeditionary Brigade of the Far East Fleet.

These was the British Empire's armed forces led by Edward the Black Prince.

The Anglo-Japanese Restoration Alliance was formed from this brigade and Imperial Japan's Kinai Fiefdom.

The combat units attacking Tōkaidō were manned half-half by the British and the Kinai provincial army. However, the majority of Chevaliers were British and 80% of the Legions were Crusades.

Kinai knights were treated as "honored guests" and seldom sent to the battlefield.

Control was held fully in the British Empire's hands.

"There is a proverb in Japan... Lend them some eaves and they will take the main house, was it?"

Lieutenant Colonel Grayson muttered.

"The description aptly captures our relationship with the Kinai Fiefdom."

The elderly gentleman of a soldier was speaking solemnly with polite tones.

However, there was a hint of sardonic bite in his words. This old man was always sharing his cynicism with a completely straight face. Perhaps he was the role model responsible for the genie Morrigan's harsh tongue?

Edward kept his guess to himself and said, "Why not? The Kinai's top brass have accepted it too."

"Indeed, thanks to the blessings of the Three Lions and the British royal family."

"Well said. When they provide incredible and convenient miracles from time to time, we'd better perform our duties as loyal subjects to the best of our ability."

"The Kinai Governor General must have been moved by our princess' sincerity and grandeur."

With straight faces, they were exchanging false platitudes.

The young medieval prince and the elderly man of the modern twentieth century both smirked at the same time.

"Well then, Grayson, I must head over to Kyoto to cheer up our princess and handle a few sundry tasks while I am there. I am counting on you to hold the fort."

"Affirmative."

The elderly soldier accepted Edward's request like an experienced butler.

Also serving as the captain of the destroyer ''Tintagel'', Grayson was dressed in a naval officer's uniform of a white shirt and tie with black pants. However, his current assignment was not on the ship.

Instead, it was ''Hakone Checkpoint'' in the western part of Japan's Kantō region.

As the commanding officer Edward's adjutant, he must first secure their control of the Hakone area to serve as a forward operating base to advance on Tōkaidō. This was his latest job.

The purpose was to build up a foundation to support invasions into Tokyo and the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

"How will you travel to Kyoto?"

"First along the sea then entering Kinai through the Shima Peninsula."

Today was the second day after the fall of Hakone.

There was a helipad at the second tutelary fort, located south of Lake Ashi.

Hakone was originally defended by the Kantō provincial army. After conquering the tutelary forts, the British forces claimed the large transport helicopter of American make that was there. The helicopter was currently ready at the helipad.

Furthermore, British and Kinai forces had been assigned to various positions at Hakone.

The plan was to subjugate military and administrative facilities and demand civilian factions to provide "voluntary assistance."

After Edward's return, the hectic situation should subside somewhat. The capabilities of the veteran Graysan and the First Expeditionary Brigade were beyond reproach.

Their commander, the Resurrectee, still had other duties to fulfill.

Just as Edward walked to the helicopter, a young girl called out to him.

"Prince, if it pleases you, kindly take this along."

It was a blonde little girl in a sailor outfit and beret—Or rather, a doll.

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan was standing behind Grayson.

The doll stood at 150cm, roughly human in size. In her hand was a figure version of her that Edward had used during the Hakone siege.

Every time she moved her body, the joints would produce noise, hinting of her non-human identity.

"Morrigan, there is no need for you to accompany me this time."

A genie's support made everything convenient, but Edward still declined.

"You should focus on the Hakone mission."

"Not a, problem. I am a high-level spirit. Simulacra can be sent to multiple locations... Multitasking, is possible."

"I know, but playing with dolls is not my thing."

Early twenties in appearance, Edward sighed.

"If I keep bringing your small version around with me, I am afraid weird rumors will start springing up."

"Please, relax. According to research conducted by the British forces... Many adult men in Imperial Japan, enjoy this type of doll."

"I am not looking for fellow enthusiasts here!"

The spirit offered her counsel expressionlessly but Edward rebuked her and boarded the helicopter alone.

Thus an air journey began. An ancient person from the fourteenth century was sitting in a block of metal to soar the sky. To be honest, Edward found riding a wyvern to be quite similar to a horse so it did not feel weird.

That being said, mechanized locomotion was not bad too.

After all, speed was one major advantage. The transport helicopter flew from Hakone to the air over Numazu Port, passing through Suruga Bay to enter Pacific Ocean airspace.

Then the helicopter went west along Japan's island coastline.

The British armed forces had established naval superiority over virtually all of Tōkaidō's offshore region—from Nagoya and the Atsumi Peninsula to Izu and Atami.

Chances of being attacked were very low. In the event that an enemy showed up, he could simply engage using Legions.

Edward enjoyed the leisurely flight.

The seats in the transport helicopter were hard and not very comfortable. However, horse riding consumed even more energy, so taking a helicopter was still more relaxing.

They entered Kinai through the Shima Peninsula then went north, in other words, inland.

A few hours after taking off, the helicopter reached the sky over Kyoto City. Prior to Japan's name change to "Imperial Japan," Kyoto had been the ancient capital where the royal palace was located.

This was Edward's second time in Kyoto.

Before the Tōkaidō invasion operation, he had disguised himself as a foreign tourist to visit this place and hold talks with key figures in the Kinai Fiefdom.

"Kyoto is such a cramped city..."

Edward's mode of locomotion had switched from a military helicopter to a black luxury vehicle.

As before, operation of the vehicle was left to the driver. Although Edward was talented at controlling mounts such as wyverns or horses, he was not good at handling mechanical contraptions.

Fortunately, as a Resurrectee and Chevalier, he would never find himself without a driver to use.

In the afternoon of the same day, Edward was in the back seat of the luxury vehicle, a paragon of elegance as befitted his title of prince, looking out quietly at the streets of Kyoto.

"Surrounded by mountains, narrow roads. Well, I don't dislike the atmosphere."

Kyoto was rich in classic Japanese tradition, but was not a major metropolis.

Nijou Castle, constructed on Tokugawa Ieyasu's orders, had been remodeled many times over the years. Nowadays, in the twentieth century, it was being used by the Kinai Fiefdom as a "palace."

In addition, there was Kyoto Gyoen, a vast garden belonging to the imperial family.

Inside was a palace from a past age where predecessors of the imperial family had lived and old houses that served as "official residences" of the ancient privileged class, a reminder that this place used to be the political center of Japan.

Edward disembarked near Kyoto Gyoen.

He wanted to march through the streets gallantly in military uniform and relive his glorious adolescence as a knight in the past... However, he was dressed in casual clothing today.

A white shirt with black pants and a gray coat on top, rather plain in appearance.

With the British Empire's invasion of Tōkaidō under way, the position of an Englishman living in Japan would be rather awkward. Given such an environment, there was no need to go around in military uniform to attract extra attention.

Yet here in Japan, the appearance of a tall and handsome silver-haired man still made him stand out.

His conspicuousness could not be helped. Like a soldier, he walked with his head up and chest out, unfazed by the gazes of Kyoto's residents.

Soon, he reached an old-fashioned western mansion.

It was said that an American had ordered its construction in the Meiji period—during the nineteenth century.

Rather than the Kinai Fiefdom's Nijou Castle, today he was visiting a special person whose temporary residence was here. Ten-odd minutes later, Edward was in the mansion's reception room, keeping his appointment with the lady in question.

"Greetings, Princess. It is surely the blessings of the Three Lions that have allowed me the good fortune of surviving combat to meet you once again."

"No, this fortune stems from your personal capability, good brother."

The girl's blonde hair reached waist length. She was smiling elegantly.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare her delicate and lovely facial features to that of a goddess. That being said, her temperament would not match Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.

Strictly speaking, she would bear a greater resemblance to Hecate, the goddess of the moon shrouded in transient darkness.

Hecate was the terrifying progenitor of black magic, an ominous deity with significance as the guardian of witches.

"It has been a while, Black Prince. I am sincerely delighted for the chance to see you again."

The beautiful Princess Eleanor greeted him.

She was wearing a one-piece dress with puffy sleeves. Fashionably black, its texture was reminiscent of a witch's black robe.

The two of them were sitting in a sofa in the reception room.

Edward went straight to the point, "I heard you were hurt. Thank goodness it was nothing serious."

"You should know that with the powers granted by my father—the sacred lion sovereign—healing minor wounds poses no challenge..."

At Edward's request, Princess Eleanor had infiltrated the Suruga tutelary fort.

It had happened only five days ago, an operation aiming to recruit Chevalier Akigase Rikka, the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General, by putting a "charm curse" on her.

However, the operation failed and Akigase Rikka stabbed Eleanor with a sword, forcing her to flee for her life.

Her stabbed left shoulder already showed no signs injury, recovering in merely five short days, but Edward shook his head and said, "Princess, I am quite aware of the source of your miracles. However, we should not abuse ''powers that require a price to use''."

"Indeed, I shall take your words to heart."

Princess Eleanor nodded obediently. Smiling, she said, "However, making progress without relying on the blessings of miracles would require superior guile and competence. Good brother, I look forward to the fruits of your labors."

"Understood, I will commit this to memory," Edward replied with a wry smile to the princess who addressed him as "brother."

"First of all, I need to meet the Kinai Governor General, is that so?"

"Arrangements are all in place. I ''made'' him cancel his entire schedule for tomorrow."

"Hey, a princess of the British Empire should not be speaking like this. He is going to be the prime minister of Imperial Japan eventually, so remember your manners."

"Well... My apologies. I was imprudent." Eleanor widened her eyes ostentatiously and said mischievously, "Please forgive me for speaking so unladylike. Allow me to change my wording. Thanks to the Governor General's kindness and generosity, he is willing to set aside time to meet you, good brother."

"Now that is our good princess. Next... How to best handle the matter of reinforcements?"

Edward recalled a certain handsome man's face.

It was the young man he had spotted that night when he sent the Kinai Chevaliers to attack Suruga.

"The war effort is expected to progress mostly within expectation. I heard that negotiations with Tōsandō are in good shape. However.. Some unexpected elements have surfaced. As a precaution, it would be best to reassign a few obedient knights from Australia."

"...Why not reassign personnel from Britain?"

"I would rather not. ''That man'' happens to be sitting back home in boredom. Even now, he still cannot shake off his mindset from the medieval Crusade campaigns. He even wanted to take my spot and head to Japan personally. However, history has proven him unsuitable in the role of top commander."

Edward spoke elegantly as a knight to express some of his dissatisfaction.

"Consequently, the decision to send me was swiftly confirmed. If he were to come, it would make my job very difficult. News of this must not reach Britain. Well, I do concede that he is very charismatic as a general."

In all of English history, that man could very well be the most valorous ''king''.

The drawback was that he was hard to use.

Edward shrugged and said, "Simply stated, I would rather find an excellent hound than put a collar on a rampaging lion."

"My condolences, good brother."

"...What do you mean by that?"

"Richard strongly petitioned the higher-ups in the military. The gist of it went along the lines of 'It is my greatest wish to render assistance to Edward, my kin of blood. Please be generous and understand my chivalry.' He is expected to arrive at the Port of Kobe today."

"...I was not informed of this at all."

"He rushed off and departed England during the night before the commander-in-chief—Admiral Nelson—gave authorization. This forced the higher-ups' hand, leaving them no choice but to authorize dispatching him to Japan."

"Damn them for foisting the burden of taming the lion upon me..."

Edward's noble and handsome face instantly turned gloomy.

While Black Prince Edward and Princess Eleanor were conversing...

The large British destroyer ''Camelot'' was sailing towards Osaka Bay. Measuring 180m in length, it was the sister ship of the ''Tintagel'' managed by the genie Morrigan.

This military ship was about to reach the Port of Kobe in Kinai.

Under the sunny sky, a man was standing alone on deck, enjoying the sea breeze.

His fine blond hair fluttered in the wind like a lion's mane. His muscular body was clad in Britain's black military uniform... That was not all.

On top of that, he was wearing a flashy crimson cape, giving an impression of excessive accessorizing.

"My boy Édouard... will surely be in for a big surprise when he sees me."

Laughing to himself, this man was around forty years of age. His countenance was full of majesty.

He was probably the only person in the contemporary world who would refer to the Black Prince as "Edward." Despite being the King of England in the past, he did not feel bound to using the English language or following British norms.

"Having lead an army of crusaders to besiege Acre in the past, I now head to the island nation of the Far East to demonstrate knightly justice... Oh how my blood boils in excitement."

Reciting the name of an ancient city east of the Mediterranean, he quietly ignited his battle spirit.

At the same time, his body released noesis. This vast amount expanded and naturally took physical form in the atmosphere amid the sea breeze.

An army of British Legions appeared in the sky over the destroyer ''Camelot'' as it sailed into Osaka Bay.

A total of two hundred Legions, but this was not all of them. This puny number was definitely not his limit. His Chevalier Strength was not that weak.

"O wind of the Far East, mark my words. I, Richard, shall step foot in Japan. Let the name of Coeur de Lion shake the world once more. Behold my way of life!"

His voice was filled with the elation of a narcissist.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW03.jpg|thumb]]

The two hundred Legions in the air above howled in response to their master's declaration.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

They were identical in appearance to the British mainstay legion, the Crusade.

However, the color was totally different. These Legions were crimson from head to foot. They were also equipped with bayonet rifles larger than that of typical Legions, with ornate decorations as well.

The master said to this army of crimson Crusades, "Thank you, my swords. Present to me a Feat of Arms worthy of the name of Escalibor."

In legend, King Arthur of England was served by the Knights of the Round Table.

The name Escalibor was equivalent to the "Excalibur" that appeared in the stories of King Arthur.

This man had named his Legions after the legendary king's magic sword. Known as Richard I in English history, his nickname of the Lionheart was also very famous.

Richard was a knight of outstanding martial prowess and a rare general of incomparable ferocity.

At the same time, he was the King of England in the twelfth century and the Black Prince Edward's forefather.

===Part 2===

It was precisely a week ago when the Crusades first attacked Suruga.

Seven days later, it was Friday again. During this time, Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance's military forces, preventing the flow of traffic and information.

Even so, the Suruga side sent out dozens of retainer beasts as scouts.

Isolated behind enemy lines, the Suruga tutelary fort still succeeded in obtaining limited intelligence.

"...In the end, it's all unfavorable news." Hatsune frowned and fell into deep thought.

Hakone Checkpoint had fallen the day before yesterday. The main roads and part of the railway infrastructure running from Shizuoka Prefecture to Aichi and Yamanashi had also been damaged by the Restoration Alliance's Legions, rendered unusable. Given the current situation, timely repairs would be difficult.

That was not all of the bad news.

"The effects of Hakone Checkpoint's capitulation are more severe than expected," Princess Shiori lamented the unfavorable situation, her voice beautiful as always.

The intelligent princess was accompanied by her lady-in-waiting, Hatsune, and knight, Masatsugu, at Rinzai High's open-air cafe. Noon had just gone by and school was out. Due to the unusual times they were in, all lessons were on a half-day schedule.

"Rikka-sama's father, the Tō''kai''dō Governor General... has apparently propositioned the Tō''san''dō Fiefdom to join forces in resistance and drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka and Hakone."

"The two fiefdoms are very close together geographically, after all."

Hatsune recalled a map showing the center of the islands of Japan.

Tōkaidō was the "sea road," comprising the regions of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi facing the Pacific Ocean.

Directly on top was Tōsandō, the "mountain road" of the Southern Alps covering the areas of Gifa, Nagano, Gunma, and Tochigi, the region of precipitous mountains known as as the backbone of Japan's islands.

If the "mountain and sea" fiefdoms of central Japan were to join forces and Kantō cooperated...

However, Shiori sighed repeatedly and ruled out this scenario.

"Unfortunately, Tōkaidō has not secured Tōsandō's support. I fear that the military strength demonstrated by the British in conquering Hakone within half a day, combined with signs that the western fiefdoms are not opposed to the Restoration Alliance, has prompted them to take a wait and see approach."

"Intimidated so easily, what cowards they are."

"Or rather, the British side did their part well," replied Masatsugu quietly to Hatsune's comment.

"Intimidation before and after a war is very important. It's ideal to make the opponent think that resistance is futile and provoke them to imagine what they stand to lose in defeat. Sufficient intimidation, like this instance, could cause future enemies to surrender or obey without a fight."

"Indeed, the Restoration Alliance most likely chose their targets in consideration of the publicity effect." Shiori agreed with Masatsugu's view. "They swiftly took down Shizuoka and Hakone, thus causing western Japan and Tōsandō to lean towards supporting the Alliance. Conversely, had they started out by attacking Nagoya or Tokyo—major metropolises with plenty of Chevaliers and Legions—they probably would not have obtained such impressive results."

The intelligent princess added cynically, "Of course, it is possible that the Restoration Alliance and the Tōsandō Fiefdom have a secret agreement."

"......Okay."

The elegant lady Hatsune served and the Onii-sama from the Tachibana clan were talking military strategy.

Hatsune made her decision. She did not have enough experience or insight to contribute to this discussion. In that case, she would swiftly obtain "power" by making the most of her own signature talents, making the most of the signature talents featured in the Tachibana clan with its abundance of heroes.

"Princess and Onii-sama, I have decided." Hatsune suddenly stood up, clenched her fist and declared, "Here and now, I will start the succession ritual!"

"Eh? Now? Here? Straight away?"

"Yes, there is no point hesitating any longer. A woman is measured by courage!"

"Really? Good luck then."

Contrasting with the princess' surprise, Masatsugu's attitude remained unchanged.

Hatsune could not help but grumble, "Onii-sama, can't you shed a few tears of encouragement at least?"

"You're the one carrying out the ritual after all. Whether I cry or not, the result still depends on your ability. I've got nothing to say except good luck."

"Fair enough, I got it."

Hatsune accepted it without a fuss. After all, she was born and raised in a clan filled with unruly larger-than-life characters. Even as a girl, she was deeply influenced by the clan's bold and unfettered ways.

"Then wait for me with anticipation as though you're watching a horse race!"

"Understood."

"Hatsune, even as a member of royalty, I do not have the authority to hinder another person's aspirations to become a Chevalier." Solemnity returned to Shiori's beautiful face. Gazing at Hatsune, she said, "Because it is the spirit of loyalty and righteousness of people like you that has secured the military power of the Kamuy. I feel nothing but endless gratitude for this courage... However, please allow me to issue you an unreasonable command on this occasion."

The princess sighed and said assertively, "I have no wish to become a guest at your funeral. Show me success, whatever it takes."

"Don't worry, Princess. I will carry out your command without fail!"

Of course, the ritual could not actually take place at the open-air cafe.

The school dojo happened to be free, so Hatsune decided to use it. The martial arts clubs, most notably judo and kendo, had all currently suspended their activities.

Hatune entered the dojo alone and knelt down in seiza on the tatami floor.

Her usual ''Haikara-san'' outfit consisting of meisen kimono and hakama did not look out of place in a Japanese dojo at all.

The blue scroll placed in front of her was the Tachibana clan's cherished treasure.

The manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation. Hatsune remained in seiza in front of it and took a deep breath, gazing intently at the scroll.

Her surrogate brother Masatsugu and the princess were waiting outside. She could rely on no one but herself.

"I beseech the Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. Pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Imperial Japan—Show yourself and let's fight!"

Hatsune recited the oath she had learned, issuing a challenge at the end.

She forcefully grabbed the scroll in front of her and her vision went dark immediately.

...When her eyesight recovered, she was no longer in the dojo.

She was outdoors. Since there was a starry sky overhead, it was evidently the middle of the night.

"I-I'm on a bridge?"

Within an instant, Hatsune had been taken to an unfamiliar place.

Currently, Hatsune was standing on a wooden bridge over a river.

The river was not big or impressive. It was not flowing rapidly either. Most notably, the water was very clear. A boy was standing a few meters ahead of her.

The boy looked roughly twelve-years-old. The beauty of his face was breathtaking.

Like Hatsune, he was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. A kimono of the Heian period, it was commonly known as the ''kariginu'' meaning "hunting cloak," or in other words, the outfit that onmyouji would wear for ease of movement.

"It has been so long since anyone visited here..."

The boy examined Hatsune coldly.

His facial features were delicate, making him resemble a young and pretty girl at first glance. He was also very slim in build. However, no one would ever mistake him for a girl.

His voice and expression was very manly and exceptionally arrogant.

"Needless to say, you know my name, right? If you don't, I can't be bothered to tell you either."

"Ushiwakamaru..."

Hatsune said Yoshitsune's childhood name instead of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune.

According to one legend, during childhood, this hero had shown up at Gojō Bridge in Kyoto, calling himself Ushiwakamaru, and defeated Musashibō Benkei who had been on a quest to collect a thousand weapons—

Come to think of it, the river below the bridge would be the Kamogawa.

Hatsune had visited Kyoto on a school trip. She recalled scenery from the ancient city.

"You must first prove your worth if you want my help."

"My worth?"

"You pass if you defeat me... As much as I'd like to say that, it's impossible for you. Let's say you pass if you can ''catch'' me."
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW04.jpg|thumb]]

What the other party wanted was for Hatsune to demonstrate her fighting ability. Fighting was precisely one of the Tachibana clan's specialties. Just as Hatsune was about to dash forward, the pretty boy laughed proudly.

"I'll lend you this, lass. Cut me down if you can."

"Ehhh!?"

There was a tachi on the waist of the boy named Ushiwakamaru.

Its blade was over two feet long and quite curved. A Japanese sword dating to the latter years of the Heian period.

The boy grabbed the tachi whose length did not suit his small stature and tossed it to Hatsune, scabbard included. Hatsune hastily caught it in both hands.

Hatsune could feel the tachi's heavy weight on her arms.

"You're underestimating me too much... Of course, it's possible that I, Tachibana Hatsune, am no match for the peerless Minamoto no Yoshitsune, but I'm no pushover either!"

Hatsune encouraged herself with a bold declaration.

Simply facing him was enough for her to sense how difficult an opponent he was.

The boy in front of her was undoubtedly a thousand times stronger than she was. Against such an opponent, were her own martial arts really going to work?

Suppressing the uncertainty in her heart, Hatsune decided she must not lose in spirit and verbal vigor at least.

"You can use a weapon too. I won't complain."

"Don't worry, there is simply no such need. If I wanted to use one, I'd get one in an instant."

The unarmed pretty boy even scoffed in disdain.

He really seemed to be looking down at Hatsune, though he definitely had the strength to back up his attitude. Hatsune gulped nervously.

===Part 3===

Who was this pretty boy who looked like Ushiwakamaru?

Besides, where was this place? Hatsune believed that her "simple" personality, capable of easily ignoring these questions, was her strength.

A terrifying trial was about to begin. These trivial details were inconsequential.

How to teach this arrogant boy a lesson was what she really should think about.

"I'd be a disgrace to my Tachibana ancestors if I allowed this relic to remain buried in obscurity."

Hatsune drew out the tachi he had given her.

Excessive trust in the opponent's goodwill would be very dangerous, so Hatsune swung the blade to test it.

The tachi felt fine to use. For example, if the rivet securing the tang was loose, the blade could slide out of the handle during a swing. Fortunately, there were no such problems.

Hatsune raised the tachi without worry.

Pointing the sword's tip at the handsome face of Ushiwakamaru (?), she said, "Let me test how good you are."

Then Hatsune dashed rapidly at the boy.

At the same time, she executed a lethal two-handed thrust, aimed to pierce the boy's beautiful face.

The opponent had lent his own weapon to Hatsune in a show of self-confidence. As a member of the Tachibana clan, Hatsune did not have the decency to show kindness to such an arrogant enemy. Reading Hatsune's offensive, the boy backed away to evade the tachi's tip.

"I'm in no position to criticize others..." The pretty boy said with a wry smile, "For a lass, you really have quite the fierce temper."

"What are you talking about? Fights are won by preemptive strikes!"

In showdowns between master swordsmen, one seldom attacked lightly.

To avoid being counterattacked, there was a preference to let the opponent attack first, then find an opening to retaliate. This concept was known as ''go no sen'' in Japanese swordsmanship.

However, Hatsune had attacked right off the bat, everything be damned.

A lucky hit would have led to an immediate victory. This was also the principle of fighting with real swords.

"My clan hates biding time for an opening and not attacking."

"I actually agree on that point, but I think women should be a bit more demure."

"I've heard plenty of such nagging advice!"

While holding her own in the verbal exchange, Hatsune did not stop moving.

The boy had backed away and Hatsune chased after him.

Hatsune's high slash swept horizontally at the side of the boy's pretty face, but he evaded in the nick of time with a slight twist of his upper torso. Then Hatsune feigned an attack at his arm but actually executed a diagonal slash at his right shin. This strike was dodged too.

The boy moved sideways by an inch or so, once again evading with the slimmest of margins.

"Another one!"

"Hahaha. So here we have a vicious horse that kicks!"

Hatsune had switched to a low kick, intending to shatter the boy's kneecaps. The boy jumped back again, evading the kick.

So far, all her attacks had been one or two centimeters from striking the enemy.

Yet the boy was denying Hatsune success.

In addition to outstanding eyesight, he possessed animal-like speed and flexibility. Without natural talent, training alone would never attain this level of martial arts.

It would not be an exaggeration to compare his agile movements to a cat's or a monkey's. His reflexes and kinetic vision rivaled that of animals too.

"As expected of the Kurama tengu's disciple..."

As a young boy, Ushiwakamaru had mastered the arts of war under the tutelage of Kurama's great tengu.

Recalling the scene from noh theater, Hatsune used her own trump card.

Although it was not as lofty as "an ultimate secret technique," it was quite useful—

"Hiyahhhhhhhhhhh!"

"Oh?"

The pretty boy showed a change in expression when he lightly dodged Hatsune's horizontal slash.

He finally put away his irreverent attitude. After attacking the boy in a rapid succession of left and right diagonal slashes, Hatsune switched to stabbing at his heart with a single-handed thrust.

The boy evaded all attacks deftly without complacency in his countenance.

He was no longer flaunting his confidence by dodging attacks by the slimmest of margins Instead, he maintained a distance of a few dozen centimeters to evade Hatsune's tachi.

"Your petty tricks are pretty amusing."

Glancing furtively at Hatsune's stance, the boy muttered to himself.

He was truly extraordinary to have seen through Hatsune's trick already. If Tachibana Hatsune was a sparrow chirping on a branch, he would be a phoenix soaring the sky. That was the massive disparity between them.

However, the disparity was not entirely impossible to bridge. It was too early to give up yet!

"How about this!?"

Hatsune entered a mid-level seigan stance, sweeping her sword at the boy sideways.

His defensive maneuver was even more impressive. Jumping swiftly in the air, he flew over Hatsune's slash lightly.

More unbelievably, he stepped on the tachi that was swinging towards him and leaped again from the back of the blade.

Then he ascended high into the air like a bird before somersaulting and landing behind Hatsune.

"!?"

"A pretty good idea. Too bad it doesn't work on me," said the boy casually.

Hatsune recalled a legend where Matsubayashi Henyasai, a master swordsman in the Edo period, had used a similar stunt.

Henya was a nickname that compared his speed and agility to a bat's.

"You jumped all over the place and confused that big guy Benkei too..." Hatsune sneaked a quick glance at her hands holding the tachi.

The boy had lent her a tachi with a handle measuring thirty centimeters or so. During the series of offensives earlier, Hatsune had slightly adjusted her grip's position with every strike.

"This isn't enough If even Musashibō Benkei's naginata failed to touch him."

Since the handle was thirty centimeters long, gripping the sword near the guard or towards the end would change the overall reach of the blade. Hence, Hatsune would slide along the handle before attacking, adjusting the position of her grip flexibly to make minor adjustments to the tachi's offensive reach.

This variability of ten-odd centimeters was surprisingly effective at disrupting an enemy's defensive instincts.

Experts with exceptional eyesight were especially sensitive to minute changes and thus even more easily affected. This was a practical combat technique that could only be used with a Japanese sword with a long handle.

Understanding their gap as martial artists, Hatsune licked her lips.

"Little lass, I will keep my earlier promise."

The pretty boy took out a fan from his bosom.

Rather than a metal fan with a steel frame, it was simply a Japanese paper fan. Without opening the fan, he stared at Hatsune.

"Wielding a sword against you would be a taint against my reputation. However, know that I, Kurou Yoshitsune, am on a completely different level when armed."

Finally introducing his name and title, the pretty boy ceased all movement.

With a sharp expression, the boy exuded a calm and collected aura as he observed Hatsune's every move. Hatsune was a bit miffed that all he had taken out was a fan, but there was no helping that. Kurou Hougan had decided this was "plenty enough."

"Looks like I'll have to take a gamble and go all-out in offense..." Hatsune murmured and began to strategize.

However, all she could think of was what her friends had said. Masatsugu had said the final result ultimately depended on Tachibana Hatsune's own ability. The princess had commanded her to succeed without fail. Rikka believed that what truly mattered were one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier—

"Okay!"

Having made up her mind, Hatsune straightened her back.

Then she tossed away the tachi in her hand, dropping it into the river below the bridge.

"What the heck?"

"I can find a way without relying on this kind of thing."

Furthermore, she sat down cross-legged on the ground.

"Your turn to attack. I'm not going anywhere. Bring it on any time!"

"I never thought Japan would ever produce a idiot who'd brazenly speak to me like this."

The boy showed surprise but a smug smile surfaced on the corners of his lips.

The pretty boy with the name of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune approached with agile footwork. In front of Hatsune, he swung down the fan in his right hand with lightning speed.

The fan, a handicraft of wood and paper, struck Hatsune squarely on the head.

The sound of slicing could even be heard, normally not possible with a fan.

"Owww!?"

The violent impact shook Hatsune's skull and brain, making her see stars.

Unbelievably, a paper fan could inflict such a heavy blow. Truly a wondrous feat of peerless proportions. However, Hatsune mustered a Tachibana youngster's fortitude.

Hatsune imagined the fan swung down by Kurou Hougan's right arm as a katana.

She succeeded in executing a barehanded technique for countering an armed opponent. Hatsune had reasoned that her head or face would have been the most likely targets since the enemy was attacking her with a fan while she was sitting on the ground. Determined to grab his arm even at the cost of getting hit, she simply waited for him to come to her instead.

"Yahhhhhh!"

Hatsune leaned back, pulling Kurou Yoshitsune's right arm along while scissoring her legs around his shoulder region—

The boy almost fell over forwards. Thus, Hatsune was hanging on his arm.

Suspended in midair, Hatsune naturally fell. The instant her back hit the ground, she rolled, taking Kurou Yoshitsune with her. The two of them entered a state of ground fighting.

Applying pressure to his elbow joint, Hatsune executed a flying armbar.

The Ushiwakamaru version of Kurou Yoshitsune was small in stature. Besides, a fighter from the Heian period probably would have no knowledge of a flying surprise assault from Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Hatsune's correct call had created the opening for victory. However, her attack only succeeded halfway.

"Tsk!"

Before the joint was locked completely, Kurou Yoshitsune swung his right arm vigorously.

Hatsune had almost straightened his elbow but could not budge his arm any further. Despite a boy's appearance, Kurou Yoshitsune's arm strength was extraordinary. Hatsune could not overpower him no matter how hard she tried.

However, Hatsune said proudly, "How's that? This finally counts as catching you, right!?"

"Indeed, I cannot deny that," young Kurou replied unhappily.

"Yes!"

Knowing she had succeeded, Hatsune cried out in excitement. She happened to be executing ground skills on the bridge. Releasing the boy's right arm, she extended her limbs, simply lying on the ground in a star jump posture.

Her fatigue was intense but matched equally by her sense of accomplishment.

While Hatsune was lying there grinning to herself, Kurou Yoshitsune immediately stood up.

"By the way, I can't believe you dared to take my attack."

He glared down coldly at Hatsune with words of praise.

"Of course it was scary, but this ritual is ultimately just a test."

Although there is a risk of death, it was ultimately just a test—

Hatsune recalled Akigase Rikka's advice.

"By my guess, it shouldn't be too harsh. Besides, if you really wanted to kill me, you wouldn't use a fan, right?"

A paper fan could not kill, which was why Hatsune dared to take the gamble.

Seeing Hatsune lying on the ground with a silly grin, the young Kurou went "I see."

"You really are an idiot."

"Hold it right there. Aren't you being way too rude to a lady—?"

Hatsune was about to protest when she jumped in surprise.

The young Kurou walked over to a railing on the bridge and swung the fan in his right hand. Struck by the fan, the thick timber crumbled and collapsed after tiny cracks appeared.

Also the destruction was confined to just that one spot.

This attack was more powerful and shocking that its appearance had suggested.

Hatsune slowly got up, staring at the tragic state of the railing.

"......"

"Whether I'm using a fan or a twig, I can easily shatter the skull of a little lass. I deliberately held back to see what ridiculous idea you were thinking about. Lass, you managed to pique my curiosity. It counts as your win."

"R-Really?"

"On further thought, idiots are less likely to be hit by stray arrows on the battlefield."

"Th-That's definitely a discriminatory remark! Jumping to conclusions is not nice!"

"Don't be too hasty to deny it. Despite being an idiot, indeed, you do have a smart side, which makes you a capable idiot. I shall render my assistance to you for the time being. Do your best."

After mocking Hatsune, the young Kurou's body gradually grew big.

This growth was not maturation but the expansion of body size. He turned into a winged giant soldier standing eight meters tall, very similar to the appearance of the Kamuy, Imperial Japan's mainstay Legion.

Similar, but not identical—

After watching the transformation to its conclusion, Hatsune lost consciousness.

When she woke up, Tachibana Hatsune found herself lying on the tatami floor in the dojo.

She had fallen asleep unintentionally. The blue scroll still clutched in her right hand was the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation.

Furthermore, Hatsune felt it vaguely.

Inside the scroll was a strong will as well as a warrior's fierce emotions, thirsting for battle.

Inside her dream, she had met the general, Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune. This was proof that his mighty name had recognized the latest successor.

===Part 4===

"Present... ARMS!"

At the drill instructor's command, hundreds of soldiers performed the action neatly in unison.

They brought their light automatic rifles to a vertical position, muzzles upward, then performed the salute known as presenting arms.

This scene was taking place in the plaza within Nijou Castle, the Kinai Fiefdom's "palace."

A military band was playing a heroic melody, adding to the atmosphere of the ceremony.

The Kinai provincial army's elite guard were saluting to convey honor to a distinguished guest.

Throughout the Edo period, Nijou Castle had suffered several fires, destroying the central keep and various portions. However, reconstruction works were put into moton ten-odd years ago.

Thanks to that, today in the year 1998, one could still see Nijou Castle's full glory from the Kan'ei era.

This included the outer moat, the inner moat, the inner citadel, the outer citadel, the central keep, the courtyard, etc.

However, the interior of the buildings were outfitted with elevators and other facilities, remodeled into modern style.

Edward, the main guest at the honor ceremony, said, "Japan's generous hospitality is truly not bad at all."

It was noon on the second day of his visit to Kyoto.

The central keep was located on a towering stone wall. Edward was on a balcony there.

His vantage point provided a full view of the plaza inside the castle. Every time a ceremony was held, the Kinai Fiefdom's VIPs or visiting members of the imperial family would stand on this balcony to meet the civilians and soldiers of the province.

Today, Edward was wearing the British Empire's black military uniform, unlike yesterday.

Also, Edward was standing at "the forefront" of the balcony next to the railing. The Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen, was standing a little further back.

"Sir Izumi, thank you for your warm hospitality."

"Not at all. This welcome reception is the least we could do for a knight from Britain, our ally, much less a ''legatus legionis'' from the ancient past."

Also a Chevalier, the Kinai Governor General was wearing the military officer's uniform of Imperial Japan.

In his sixties, the elderly man seemed to have kept up his martial training. Despite his advanced age, his body was quite strong and healthy. His hair was also black.

"Our nation will only have something called a future if we align our interests with Britain... One day, when the Empress at the imperial palace comes to understand this, I shall have you received as a state guest."

"Hahahaha, I will look forward to it."

The Kinai Governor General was very dignified at a glance with an imposing countenance.

Edward cordially responded to the empty promise. This old man had a reputation as a fierce general in Japan and was famous for being a militant.

...However, the British military knew the truth.

Despite his exalted position as a Chevalier, his experience in actual combat was paltry. During the current operations, he had been accompanied by bodyguard Chevaliers under the pretext of adjutants. The reputation of the fierce general was a ruse. A vain man, even his black hair was the result of hair dye.

For this kind of man to serve as the British Empire's collaborator—He was definitely a good choice to exploit.

"Thank you for looking after my brother. I, Eleanor, offer my utmost gratitude."

The princess present, Eleanor, also curtsied elegantly.

Today, she was dressed in a white formal dress, looking very pure and lovely.

If one had to answer the question of whether it looked good on her, the answer was definitively yes. However, anyone who knew of Eleanor's true nature as a ''witch'' would feel some sense of dissonance from her attire.

The Kinai Governor General evidently did not gather that impression.

"The pleasure was all mine. As a demonstration of our friendship with your nation... as well as my respect for you, none of this was any trouble on our part."

"Oh dear, you flatter me so."

"Fighting on behalf of beautiful ladies is the chivalry espoused by your nation, isn't it? Princess of Britain. As a Japanese man, I would be delighted to learning the ways of chivalry for your sake. You are a woman worthy of my devotion."

The Kinai Governor General's sycophancy did not suit his imposing countenance very well.

His eyes were fixated upon Eleanor in fascination, like a young boy infatuated with an older woman, or a medieval knight who would pledge his life to a lady.

Edward observed sharply.

The ''noesis'' released from Eleanor's back was affecting the Kinai Governor General, entangling Izumi Tenzen's body—and noetic waves—like tentacles.

The old man, despite his position and honor, was worshiping a foreign maiden.

This noetic curse was precisely the witchcraft used by Eleanor.

Finding an appropriate moment, Edward excused himself from the balcony.

Since the Kinai Governor General's mind was fixated on Eleanor, it was fine for Edward to be absent. Walking alone in the corridor of Nijou Castle's central keep, he wondered if he should go sightseeing in the afternoon.

Unexpectedly, he ran in a displeased acquaintance.

"Hello Uncle, is there something upsetting you?"

"Indeed. My unhappiness is your fault, Édouard."

Edward's greeting elicited the expected response.

The other party was a man in his forties, dressed in the British military's black uniform with a red cape on top. He was Richard I, the Resurrectee who had left Britain on an expedition without permission.

"I took great pains to cross untold miles to render my assistance in battle, yet you did not even ask me to attend the ceremony... This would have been an excellent opportunity to let these orientals learn of my mighty name as the honored heroic king."

"It's better to keep a low profile so as to demonstrate valor in critical moments. I too have endured such a phase."

Richard the Lionheart was an imposing man.

However, he had a thoughtless side to him stemming from his intense urge of exhibitionism, an exaggerated sense of chivalry and romanticism, and a poet's soul in love with poetry.

Consequently, he was not suited to taking top command. Suitability as king was also tenuous too.

"Besides, Uncle, the forest has ears and the field has eyes."

Edward was quoting a proverb equivalent to the Japanese saying, "walls have ears."

"Otherwise, it would make things awkward for our British soldiers if they heard. We no longer live in an age when our ''House of Plantagenet'' ruled Great Britain. We must respect British customs and honor. Please try to shift away from ''continental'' mannerisms."

"Hmm..."

"It is time for Prince Edward and King Richard to retire."

From Richard's perspective, Edward was more like a descendant than merely someone younger in age.

Furthermore, Richard had a proud personality with a fiery temper. It would not be unexpected for someone like him to insist on his exalted position. However, the advice from someone a few generations his junior turned out to be surprisingly effective.

"Ho, since times have changed, I shall listen to you."

Richard displayed unexpected leniency towards his junior kin, the way a grandfather would indulge a grandson.

Edward nodded in response to the smiling Lionheart. He addressed him as "Uncle" merely out of convenience. Their true relationship was much more complicated than that.

Edward's ''great-grandfather's grandfather'' was Richard's younger brother.

Richard's younger brother was John Lackland, a notoriously unpopular king in the history of England. Who would have expected his bloodline to produce a number of famous kings as well as a renowned general like Edward?

"Well then, let us take up the subject of war."

Trying to keep a fierce beast like Richard restrained would not work.

Unless given chances to vent as necessary, he was going to cause fatal chaos eventually. This worry was what prompted Edward to deliberately bring up his favorite subject.

"Hohohoho, is there a battlefield worthy of my presence?"

"Indeed, there is. I have some matters to handle in Kyoto first, but over in Tōkaidō that our forces are in the process of conquering, there is a large-scale counterattack being planned against the British—"

Now that the Lionheart was here, Edward had no choice but to accept his presence and make the best use out of him.

Moreover, even if he was ill-suited as ruler or top commander, at least he was far from incompetent. So long as the lion tamer was skillful, there were no lack of ways to deploy him.

As the commander-in-chief of the British forces invading Japan, Edward said, "Right now, we are laying a trap for them. If all goes well, Uncle, I will yield to you the chance to fight at the base of Mount Fuji."

===Part 5===

"...This is basically the etiquette for establishing a pact."

Akigase Rikka was in charge of instruction.

Tachibana Hatsune was the listener. Yesterday, she had inherited Kurou Yoshitsune's Appellation to become a new Chevalier.

"In the end, there is no method better than trying it out for real. Don't think too much, just feel with your body."

"Understood. By the way, Rikka-sama, has anyone ever called you a rough-and-ready person?"

"You're very perceptive. People who served as my adjutants or staff officers have complained about the same thing. So did my younger brothers at Nagoya."

"No wonder."

The two of them were conversing in the water shrine under the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hatsune had followed Rikka underground to learn from the senior Chevalier about matters such as the tutelary pact and how to carry out the essential task of resupplying ectoplasmic fluid.

Hatsune was surrounded by a reservoir of marine-blue artificial ectoplasmic fluid.

Several Greek columns stood towering from the water, contributing to a solemn atmosphere like a temple's. The water surface was criss-crossed by narrow paths.

Walking along the paths, the two of them reached the bath further inside the shrine.

Leading the way, Rikka shared her "Chevalier insights" with Hatsune. Her explanations were not detailed and always concluded with asking her to "feel with her body."

Inside the bath area was a round vat of ectoplasmic fluid similar to a swimming pool.

Rikka removed her military uniform on the side. Hatsune hastily unfastened her clothing and removed her pink kimono, hakama, and hair ribbon. At any rate, she already knew that Chevaliers had to soak themselves in ectoplasmic fluid to allow the source of mystic powers to seep into their body and soul."

"...Wow, that's pretty rough-and-ready indeed."

"Hmm? Did you just say something?"

"Nothing really, just talking to myself~"

Rikka tilted her head in puzzlement when Hatsune looked around and commented with a smile.

Hatsune had confirmed her earlier impressions again when she saw the lady Chevalier remove her military uniform and casually sent it to the floor with a swift toss. However, as one would expect of a dignified practitioner of the sword, Rikka carefully took down Onikiri Yasutsuna from her waist and lowered it to the floor.

Hatsune folded her own clothing properly and gathered in one spot.

Hatsune used to be just as rough-and-ready, but during her time in the imperial palace as a trainee, she had been forced to learn cooking, cleaning, laundry and other "necessary accomplishments." Folding clothing immediately after undressing was one of the precepts learned.

(...Incidentally, her sloppiness and unruly nature as a trainee lady-in-waiting had given the head lady-in-waiting quite a headache, almost forcing her to design a special curriculum to train Hatsune.)

In any case, the two of them stepped into the vat of ectoplasmic fluid together.

"It's so cold!"

Hatsune shrieked the moment she touched the ice-cold ectoplasmic fluid.

Fighting back tears while she endured the chill, she immersed herself in the mysterious spiritual water until shoulder-level.

...After enduring the cold in the ectoplasmic fluid for a couple minutes, Hatsune started feeling her entire body heat up. A few minutes later, her body temperature had rebounded completely.

The temperature was like dipping in hot water. Hatsune finally understood.

This heat in her body was precisely the source of miraculous powers of the mystical—

This was also the power granted to Imperial Japan by Lord Tenryuu, Princess Shiori's grandfather.

In addition to the rise in body temperature, there was also a feeling of excitement. Hatsune looked at her removed clothing. The blue scroll placed on top was the proof of the Feat of Arms she had acquired.

In that instant, she experienced auditory hallucination. It was young Kurou's arrogant voice.

The voice seemed to be howling, demanding Hatsune to give him more power and to hurry up and take him to the battlefield to slaughter enemies...

"It's about time," Rikka said slowly, also immersed in the ectoplasmic fluid. "Tachibana, form the tutelary pact like how I taught you."

"Okay... Uh, upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Suruga!"

After Hatsune finished speaking in one breath, her body began to glow faintly.

Then Hatsune noticed a great amount of mysic power flow into her through her feet—through the soles linked to Suruga's land—stunning her for a moment.

Rikka nodded at the surprised Hatsune and said, "With that, you are now a Chevalier tasked with the defense of Suruga. I look forward to working with you."

"Yes, same here too!"

Hatsune replied cheerfully and relaxed her shoulders.

Earlier, she had been nervous to some extent, but now there was confidence in her heart. She absentmindedly looked at Rikka opposite her.

...Hatsune was quite intrigued. Rikka's figure was perfect. Beautiful.

Akigase Rikka's complexion was pale with a slim overall build. However, her bust and hip areas were so voluptuous that you could almost add a "bam!" sound effect. Undoubtedly, she was very buxom.

Furthermore, her waist was very narrow and sexy.

Even Hatsune could not help but sigh in envy.

(...She's so attractive, just like her personality.)

Rikka was not excessively skinny like a model.

Her body was slender while blessed with voluptuousness capable of stealing men's hearts. This kind of figure was very attractive even from the perspective of the same sex.

Furthermore, despite her rough-and-ready habits, her personality did not come across as sloppy, amazingly enough.

The reason was her dignified comportment. Presumably, this was due to the discipline and etiquette cultivated through martial arts training, the beautiful way she moved her body, and her upright posture.

In addition, she was a beautiful maiden with waist-length black hair. Flawless in appearance.

"Tachibana, you and Masatsugu-dono are not real siblings, right?"

"We're not. I don't really know the details myself, but anyway, our formal relationship is 'relatives'♪"

This description was far too sloppy and not very formal, but Hatsune did not mind.

In any case, she optimistically believed that it was fine as long as she got her message across. However, Rikka looked inexplicably troubled with a frown on her face.

"...I see, so this is the method they used to conceal his true identity? Since Tachibana isn't his real sister, perhaps..."

Hatsune could not hear clearly what Rikka was murmuring.

Then Rikka stared intently at Hatsune's body and said, "By the way, your family must have raised you well."

"Fufu, I am a well-bred lady after all♪"

"No, that's not what I meant. I am saying that you are physically very mature."

Hatsune was secretly happy that her heritage as a descendant of ''jikisan hatamoto'' was visible despite the great number of uncouth characters in the Tachibana clan when Rikka rejected her interpretation and even examined her body closely.

Indeed, Tachibana Hatsune definitely had a mature body.

Rikka was voluptuous but Hatsune's level surpassed hers.

Before entering middle school, Hatsune was already showing signs of ample maturation. This continued along, resulting in her use of G-cups at the young age of sixteen.

Rikka was probably an E. An overwhelming victory for Hatsune.

Hatsune was aware of her own figure, but there were worrying elements.

"Oh, umm, I do train diligently, but because meals and midnight snacks are so tasty, I often eat too much unintentionally. P-Please don't look too closely..."

"No need to be shy, you don't look fat at all."

While praising Hatsune, Rikka's expression was very solemn.

"My brothers back home secretly keep photobooks. Many of the photos show slender yet voluptuous women in swimsuits... Tachibana, your figure doesn't lose to them at all. In fact, you might be superior."

"R-Really?"

"Assuredly so. I search my brothers' rooms occasionally and tell them that they should openly display those photos as manly men."

Hatsune could not help but smile, but then a thought occurred to her.

So the aristocracy in Tōkaidō's ruling house also looked at that kind of stuff. Perhaps back home, Rikka-sama was the kind of sister who terrorized her younger brothers like a demon or a tyrant?

However, a maidenly expression surfaced on the face of this possibly demon-like daughter of a noble house.

"As fellow Chevaliers, I would like to confirm something with you..."

Stammering, Rikka mustered her courage to ask, "Does Hiji—Masatsugu-dono have those kinds of photobooks? Basically, does he enjoy looking at women with well-developed figures... Like yours?"

Hatsune was taken by surprise. It sounded like Rikka had said something inaudible during her slight pause, possibly "well-developed figures ''surpassing mine''... Like yours?"

In any case, Hatsune answered with uncertainty.

"That's hard to say. I've never seen any in his room. Oh right, I don't think there was anything like that in his parents' house either."

"I-I see."

"But on further thought, Onii-sama is in charge of the beauty contest for the school festival committee."

"Beauty contest!? That is so scandalous..."

"A school festival is scheduled for December, but now it's unclear whether it'll go ahead. Onii-sama sometimes mentions that he'll try his best to organize a spectacular beauty contest."

"I see... May I ask another question?"

Rikka remained worried and she asked in an especially maidenly tone of voice, "This is purely something that I must confirm as a Chevalier. Masatsugu-dono is in the personal service of Her Highness—Princess Shiori, isn't he? Would it be possible that he might... feel attracted to the beautiful princess?"

"Uh, well, Onii-sama doesn't really talk that much..."

''Does Rikka-sama actually feel...?'' Wondering that, Hatsune said, "So I don't really know. Of course, since Onii-sama is such a weirdo, he probably doesn't have such tasteful motivations..."

Hatsune answered ambivalently. Rikka looked a bit disappointed.

Seeing her senior a little depressed, Hatsune's doubts grew stronger. ''Perhaps the way she feels about Onii-sama is''—

"Rikka-sama and Onii-sama... That's impossible, right?"

"Hatsune, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Forget it♪"

This was a certain room on the top floor of a three-story building somewhere in the Suruga tutelary fort.

It was the office of the castellan, Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu was resting on the sofa for receiving guests while Hatsune, sitting next to him, was staring at his face, mumbling to herself.

Hatsune's tone sounded suspicious but what she said did not seem important.

Masatsugu decided to ignore it. The current task of the moment was to hand over congratulatory gifts to the new Chevalier who had just finished replenishing ectoplasmic fluid.

"This just arrived from the commissariat to congratulate your Chevalier Conferment."

"Eh, really!? I'm so happy. There's juice, cola, and so many snacks! Recently, it's been impossible to buy these things!"

Masatsugu pointed at the things on the reception table, causing Hatsune's eyes to glimmer.

There were cans of cold drinks and PET bottles, as well as snacks and tons of sweets such as chocolate. Maybe a child might, but one would not expect a sixteen-year-old girl to get excited over such gifts.

Sitting opposite to Masatsugu and Hatsune, Shiori smiled and said, "Food logistics in the outskirts of Suruga are now under the tutelary fort's management. This task was completed in the beginning of the week. How wonderfully efficient."

Shiori praised the castellan Rikka, who was sitting at the work desk in the back of the room.

The lady Chevalier smiled and shrugged.

"Please direct this praise to the ones in charge of the commissariat and the municipal government. I simply issued orders and left the details of execution to their discretion."

Suruga's surroundings were blockaded by the Restoration Alliance, preventing freedom of movement.

In other words, all logistics were interrupted. Lacking goods and support from outside, Suruga would run out of food eventually. Consequently, food had to be purchased from food companies, transportation businesses, and shops in advance then passed onto a government agency to manage.

These purchased goods, combined with army provisions in stock, became the "rations" provided to civilians.

Tutelary forts were not merely military bases—

They also stockpiled food in case of natural disasters or emergencies like now. Furthermore, the underground fluid power generation systems using artificial ectoplasmic fluid normally provided vast amounts of electricity for the surrounding area. When necessary, a certain level of regional life could be supported, centered around a tutelary fort.

"Rikka-sama, how long will supplies last under rationing?"

"Two months... according to the commissariat's estimates. But as we all know, predictions on the battlefield frequently land way off mark. Unexpected events frequently happen. Apart from that..."

Rikka answered Shiori's question with worry.

"The residents of the city are currently quite understanding... But the stress will build up and explode in some manner eventually. When that happens, voices inside Suruga will start advocating cooperation with the Restoration Alliance. How long we can maintain this 'cage'... It is quite hard to say for certain."

The budget for purchasing food was jointly funded by the tutelary fort and the municipal government.

During times of war, large quantities of military scrip would be put into circulation. Military scrip referred to substitute currency used by militaries and could be redeemed for cash value from the government.

This also meant that Suruga had to resolve its crisis while the Japanese government intact.

For civilians, the use of military scrip lacked assurance. As time dragged on, it would also become one of the factors contributing to civilian unrest.

"Umm..." Hatsune raised her hand to interrupt the conversation between the Governor General's daughter and the imperial princess.

"The Restoration Alliance hasn't attacked lately... Are they waiting for us to run out of supplies?"

"Probably. A castle whose defenses cannot be breached immediately can always be taken through strategy." Rikka clicked her tongue and said, "According to my father's messages, our negotiations with Tōsandō are not going smoothly. Besides, as things drag on, the Restoration Alliance will become more entrenched. As a result, my father has informed me that he intends to launch a counterattack from Yamanashi before the situation turns dire. We would like to coordinate with this operation from Suruga, but..."

Tōkaidō was a narrow region elongated east-west.

It was composed of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka, and Yamanashi. Of the entire Shizuoka region, Suruga was the only place yet to fall, while Yamanashi had not been touched by the Restoration Alliance yet.

However, Rikka said in frustration, "Morgan le Fay has deployed barriers around Hakone Checkpoint and the neighboring Fuji tutelary fort. It is difficult for small retainer beasts to approach for reconnaissance. The situation does not look good."

"What is Morgan le Fay?" asked Masatsugu, not recognizing the term.

Rikka smiled wryly and said, "An ifrit from Britain's Far East Fleet, and one of their finest specimens too. Neither the noetic officers currently at Suruga nor Sakuya are able to break a barrier deployed by a divinity of that class."

"Oh?"

The Suruga tutelary fort had the ifrit Seiryuu and its avatar, the spirit Sakuya.

However, the British apparently had a guardian deity surpassing them. Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

Shiori, knowledgeable in noetic techniques, fell into deep thought.

"I have a suggestion."

Then the princess proceeded to explain patiently.

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Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 1

2016-07-20T03:18:45Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 1 - Under the Black Knight's Shadow==

===Part 1===

October in the year Tenryuu 58...

It was past the middle of the month and autumn was in full swing.

People called autumn the season of appetite and the time for sports. However, enjoying these pleasures were a little difficult at Tachibana Masatsugu's current residence of Suruga City.

After all, ''enemy armies'' were occupying the "surroundings" of Suruga City.

"Taisei, how many days has it been since the British Empire's forces attacked?"

"It's the sixth day. Time sure flies, it's going to be a week soon."

Masatsugu was chatting with Okonogi Taisei, one of his few friends.

They were classmates studying in the second year of Rinzai Private High School. They had met up at the classroom of Year 2 Class 2, their homeroom.

Martial law had been proclaimed in Suruga City, yet Rinzai High decided to resume classes.

However, this did not mean their lives had returned to normal. Invading under the banner of the Restoration Alliance, the British Empire had taken over Shizuoka Prefecture using overwhelming military force.

Of the five tutelary forts in the prefecture, four had fallen.

The sole exception was this land of Suruga.

Thanks to Chevalier Akigase Rikka coming to the the Suruga tutelary fort by chance—as well as Tachibana Masatsugu's efforts—they managed to halt the Restoration Alliance's advance.

The problem was that enemy forces still remained inside Shizuoka Prefecture.

Transportation networks going in and out of Suruga City were all blockaded by the Restoration Alliance. Neither trains nor automobiles could pass through.

Suruga City and its immediate surroundings were like an isolated island on land.

Martial law had been imposed five days ago when the British attacked and still had not been lifted. Normally, education institutions would suspend classes during martial law.

However, the high school where Masatsugu and Taisei studied had classes starting again.

This had nothing to do with the noble ideals of dedication to learning or defiance against military brutality.

Since escaping Suruga was impossible, people had nothing to do. Why not round up all the students and teachers in the city and run some lessons... Purely nothing more than that.

"In the end, it feels more like we came to school to chat. Without the teachers and students who commute from outside the city, normal classes can't really proceed."

"Even if you want to kill time by watching television, there's no reception."

Noetic control techniques for causing destructive interference with electromagnetic waves, wireless communications, and noetic waves were known as "noetic disruption."

After war broke out, Suruga had been under serious noetic disruption. Phones, televisions, and other household electrical appliances could not be used.

"By the way, residents in Shizuoka Prefecture can't watch television only because the prefecture's master control is located at Suruga. Of course, it's a different matter for those who live in areas that can receive signals from Kantō or Aichi."

"Meaning that everyone is suffering because of us."

"Maybe that's also part of the Restoration Alliance's plan, to minimize the amount of unnecessary information received by residents in the prefecture—Oh, that reminds me."

Taisei suddenly changed the subject.

"For fourth period, students and teachers have to go off campus for community service."

As a side note, it was currently the break between second and third period.

The one who informed Masatsugu, Okonogi Taisei, was also the vice-president of the student council. He now spoke to ''a third person'' who had remained silent so far.

"I am terribly sorry to impose this on a knight... and Your Highness, Princess."

"Do not worry about it. This is more meaningful than idly wasting time."

Her elegant response prompted Taisei to retract his neck with a "much obliged."

Seeing her "classmate" react so timidly, the young maiden smiled and said, "We are all fellow students on a common quest for learning. There is no need to be so reserved."

"That's a fair point, but it's a bit too challenging for a commoner like me."

Despite speaking to Masatsugu as equals, Taisei acted especially respectful towards the young maiden.

This was only natural. The person before him had become a household name in Suruga City not too long ago. She was Fujinomiya Shiori the imperial princess.

Taisei and Masatsugu were conversing while standing in front of her seat.

Furthermore, this young and beautiful princess had her platinum blonde hair in a ponytail and was wearing the school blazer.

"If I remember correctly... Your Highness is sixteen, isn't that right?"

Despite saying he was going to remain reserved, Taisei actively initiated conversation with the princess.

Speaking of which, like his friend Masatsugu, Taisei was the kind of guy who marched at the beat of his own drum. Neither arrogant nor subservient, he was using polite forms without much rigor to speak to Shiori.

"That is correct."

"Then you are a second-year like us because—"

"I suppose it would count as skipping grades. Do know that I did pass the transfer exam, so skipping grades is the result based on academic results." Shiori then added mischievously, "Naturally, it was thoughtful of the school to assign me to the same homeroom as Masatsugu-sama."

"I think so too."

Technically, Fujinomiya Shiori was also a student of outstanding academic excellence.

She not only kept up with second-year courses effortlessly but also demonstrated the intellect to achieve perfect scores on minor tests and classroom participation in all subjects.

The only exception was PE class which she opted out using an excuse of "frailty in health."

...But of course, Masatsugu was aware of the truth.

There was nothing wrong with the princess' health. She boycotted PE class only because she needed to keep her top secret of "athletic ineptitude."

However, the beautiful and charming princess commented nonchalantly, "Since Suruga is currently in a crisis, perhaps I shouldn't be saying this... However, I honestly feel very happy. Ever since a long time ago, I have always wanted to experience school life like this."

She did not neglect to offer a demure smile.

She had not forgotten the ''cover story'' she had used during the interview for the news program last time. Having played the part so many times, her ability to feign docility was like second nature.

Masatsugu had heard that Shiori had skipped grades to enter university during her studies in Rome.

Enrolling in high school in Japan was to create the image of "the young and frivolous princess." In truth, the princess with ambitions to take over Japan was a diligent learner who had not only mastered all regular academic disciplines but also politics, diplomacy, history and cultural studies of various nations, and even military strategy...

Born in the right era, she would be qualified as a first-rate strategist. That was how much of an elite she was.

"By the way, Vice-President."

Since Taisei was a member of the student council, Shiori always addressed him by his title.

It was probably unintentional on her part, but there was a "princess asking a retainer's opinion on national affairs" kind of classy tone to it.

"As one might expect, there are not too many students at school."

"Many people believe it's not a time to be attending school."

The classroom was quiet and unoccupied during break.

Student numbers were low. Today's attendance was only 50%.

"The Restoration Alliance has not attacked since the night before yesterday... No one knows when the fighting will resume. I can understand their feelings of wanting to stay home."

"But you don't feel the same way, Vice-President?"

"I shoulder the responsibilities of the student council, after all. If other students are coming, I can't feign ignorance. Besides, if I go to school... Or rather, go near the dorms, there's a Lord Chevalier protecting us."

Answering the princess, Taisei glanced obliquely at Masatsugu.

"I really look forward to your power to drive away the Restoration Alliance, Masatsugu-kun."

"Certainly, I will try to the best of my meager ability..." Masatsugu answered with a shrug.

He had informed the school of his ability to control Legions and his intention to use this power to protect Suruga City.

Only by doing so did he obtain the necessary leniency afforded to "the princess' knight."

"Undeniably, there are many things in this world that are beyond my ability. Just think of me as a straw that happened to show up when everyone is drowning."

"Forget about a big ship, but at least convince us you're a lifeboat."

Taisei had readily accepted the fact that his classmate was a Chevalier.

He knew of Masatsugu's memory loss and his unusually tough fighting ability. Upon hearing of the truth, he showed a "that explains everything" kind of look.

Just as the princess, the Chevalier and the high school boy were chatting away...

"...This moment alone, there are already two Chevaliers in this school."

A stern girl's clear voice interrupted their conversation.

A black-haired beauty had arrived at the classroom, dressed in Imperial Japan's army officer uniform rather than Rinzai High's female uniform.

Taisei reeled in surprise.

The girl in military uniform continued, "Perhaps not a lifeboat, but some level of assurance could be provided."

"Oh, it's Akigase-dono."

"It has been a while, Hiji—No, Tachibana-dono. It is most wonderful to see you in good health, Your Highness."

Hanging at the black-haired girl's belt was a Japanese sword in its scabbard.

This gallant appearance belonged to the Suruga tutelary fort's current castellan, Chevalier Akigase Rikka. Masatsugu could not possibly mistake the identity of a striking beauty of her caliber.

He said, "No too long of a while, really. We met yesterday and the day before."

"I-Indeed, you are right."

Rikka panicked a little when Masatsugu reminded her.

Three nights ago, Masatsugu had defeated the Kamuys of the Restoration Alliance on her behalf. The next day, Rikka had paid a visit to thank him. The day after that, she came again to express her gratitude solemnly.

And today, Akigase Rikka was here again.

She even visited the school while class was in session, leaving her military duties behind.

Although the Suruga tutelary fort and Rinzai High were "neighbors," less than half an hour's drive apart...

Rikka's attitude was inexplicably courteous, despite her status as a fiefdom "princess." Her father was Akigase Shouzan, the Governor General ruling over Tōkaidō.

"By the way, Akigase-dono, may I ask what you're doing here today?"

"Y-Yes. Like you, Tachibana-dono, we are both Chevaliers protecting Suruga."

When speaking, Rikka avoided eye contact with Masatsugu.

"It is only right that we make the most of chances to interact and get to know each other better. Th-That is, if it is alright with you."

"Oh I see. To share insight as Chevaliers?"

"Yes, precisely, Chevaliers have plenty of insight to share."

"Is it necessary for you to come all the way to the school?"

"I-I happen to be free. I did worry about disturbing you, but I did not want to waste time, so I brazenly paid a visit."

"Akigase-dono, you're definitely the busiest person in Suruga right now."

"N-Not at all. Having received my rank from the imperial state, I am merely fulfilling my obligations. Please understand."

Rikka mustered her courage to converse with Masatsugu.

Rather than a sharing of insight between Chevaliers, this was more akin to a young maiden suppressing her bashful feelings to boldly approach "the object of her affections."

Deciding not to think too much about it, Masatsugu nodded.

Introverted sheltered young ladies were to his liking, but he also found it very cute when girls expressed their affections honestly.

No matter which kind of girl Akigase Rikka was, at least there was no doubt that she was highly attractive. Her feelings also delighted him.

Masatsugu said to her, "Sure, but let's not stand and talk in a classroom. We'll go outside."

"Y-Yes. It would be my pleasure."

"Uh, Masatsugu-kun, class will be starting in two minutes, you know?"

"Sorry, this is part of work, so help me smooth things over with the teacher."

In front of his delighted knight companion, Masatsugu asked his friend for a favor sullenly.

Meanwhile, his liege Fujinomiya Shiori revealed a momentary look of panic while listening to his conversation with Rikka. She coughed lightly and said, "Excuse me, Masatsugu-sama, please allow Hatsune to accompany you if there will be a discussion regarding Chevalier matters."

"Why is that?"
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW01.jpg|thumb]]

"Consider this, did we not mention previously... Hatsune wishes to inherit the Appellation that has been the Tachibana family's heirloom? It stands to reason that Hatsune would benefit from attending a conversation between Chevaliers. Yes, it is decided so. Besides, on further thought..."

Shiori and said in an innocent tone of voice, "I should take part in your discussion too. It is a princess' duty to respond to the loyalty shown by you knights."

"...I see."

Could the princess be jealous because he was skipping class to go on a "date"?

Musing upon this disrespectful speculation, Masatsugu agreed to Shiori's request. Surprised by the sudden development but unable to offer words of objection, Rikka had no choice but to acquiesce.

===Part 2===

"Which is why... Now is the time to take a leap, Onii-sama!"

"Hatsune, I haven't the foggiest idea where you're coming from."

Tachibana Hatsune's serious declaration was dismissed indifferently by Masatsugu.

Akigase Rikka had shown up twenty minutes earlier. Leaving Year 2 Class 2's homeroom where they were earlier, they had gone to an open-air cafe off campus, thus leading to the above exchange.

It was currently third period and there was no noise around.

Shiori and Rikka were present but Taisei did not come along.

"Actually during class today, I've been thinking about something and couldn't focus on the lesson. All things considered, Suruga currently—no, Japan currently needs a great hero like Tachibana Hatsune."

"Isn't it a bit weird to be calling yourself the great hero who slacks off in class?"

Hatsune was a student of Year 1 Class 1.

After Masatsugu went to fetch her at her classroom, this lady-in-waiting of Shiori's sat down in the open-air cafe and began to talk gibberish.

Hatsune had broached her topic too abruptly, which is why Masatsugu ridiculed her on everyone's behalf.

"By taking a leap, you mean..."

"Becoming a Chevalier, of course. I've already gotten my hands on the treasured Appellation."

"So you're very certain you'll become a hero."

"Come on, in a situation like this, a cool title is obligatory even if a little lying is in order. All I need to do after the fact is explain it was just my personal opinion, Onii-sama."

"I see."

"Those who call themselves professional creators are pretty much all like that."

"From what I've heard, people who call themselves producers are exaggerating, more often than not."

"Hatsune and Masatsugu-sama, aren't you two going on a bit of a tangent?" Shiori tactfully cautioned them to steer the conversation back on topic. "Currently in Hatsune's possession, the Tachibana clan's Kurou Hougan is the issue here."

"Indeed, indeed, you are very right, Princess."

Capable of fluently responding to her noble lady, Hatsune was truly no ordinary character.

She took out a blue scroll from her schoolbag. Believed to be the manifestation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune's Appellation, it was quite a distinguished artifact.

Furthermore, Hatsune was dressed in ''Haikara-san'' style as usual.

Meisen kimono paired with hakama and boots, an old-fashioned style of school uniform for girls.

"For the past fifty years, no one in the Tachibana clan has been able to use it... No one knows the trick to clearing the succession ritual." In a casual tone of voice, Hatsune revealed the horrifying truth. "There were seven or eight challengers over the years, but they all died during the succession ritual, so they provided no reference value at all."

"To have had so many challengers, the Tachibana clan truly lives up to its reputation as ruffians."

"For a while, it was apparently fashionable to use this trial as a coming of age ritual♪ Because of that, our clan doesn't have many young people nowadays."

"I see, that is quite fascinating," Rikka remarked poignantly after listening to the conversation between the princess and Hatsune. "This is quite similar to a certain country's hunters. It is said that they must hunt and kill a lion single-handedly before they are considered full-fledged adults."

"That's samurai spirit too, Rikka-sama," said Hatsune cheerfully to Rikka, the female hero who had become a Chevalier earlier than her. "The ancient Japanese were pretty barbaric too, like disemboweling themselves, or beheading enemy generals for trophies to claim credit in battle."

"That is true too. In fact, when I inherited Yasutsuna..."

The treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri Yasutsuna. Rikka unfastened the Appellation that was hanging on her belt in the form of a Japanese sword and stood it up on a chair.

The maiden Chevalier looked at her beloved sword and said nostalgically, "Everyone said failure in succession would lead to death—At first, I felt daunted too."

"Oh right! There's something I wanted to ask you, Rikka-sama. What did it feel like when you were inheriting an Appellation? And how did you achieve success?"

"I don't mind telling you, but it probably will not be of much help."

"Huh?"

"When inheriting a high-level Appellation such as Yasutsuna or Kurou Hougan, the trial undertaken during the ritual is unique. The will residing within the Appellation will alter the trial depending on the challenger... That is what I have learned."

After listening to Rikka's explanation, Masatsugu nodded. When inheriting Hijikata Toshizō's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, he had felt some kind of will within the sword too.

Tōkaidō's premier Chevalier, Rikka, spoke again, "All things considered... The succession ritual is no more than a beginning. What truly matters are one's battle achievements after becoming a Chevalier, and these Appellations know this all too well."

"Mm-hmm."

"Although there is a risk of death, it is ultimately just a test. Just give it your best attempt as though you were taking a bungee jump from a cliff, Tachibana."

"Understood!"

Rikka naturally called her by her family name and Hatsune replied energetically.

Their conversation style was almost like the kind you find in athletic clubs between senior and junior members. The two girls were both "fighters" accomplished in martial arts. Perhaps this made them particularly compatible on the same wavelength.

Concluding the topic with a vague appeal to the power of mind over body, Rikka then spoke grimly, "Of the many puzzling points in the current situation... There is one that I find the most concerning."

"What is it, Rikka-sama?" Shiori immediately asked in response to the lady knight's serious tone.

Rikka was sitting very straight, facing her respected princess with dignity.

"What bothers me is the girl who came over to attack me prior to attack on Suruga by the Kinai Fiefdom's Legions. She used a strange power to bewitch me—Back then, I was prepared to succumb any moment."

This incident had led to Rikka falling unconscious and Tachibana Masatsugu fighting in her stead.

"Your Highness mentioned... That she might be related to the British royal family?"

"That I cannot assert with certainty. All I can say is the likelihood is not small."

The grandchild of the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu, the princess quietly nodded.

Shiori had speculated that the blonde enchantress must have definite ties to the British forces—Perhaps she is a princess of royalty like herself.

In other words, it was possible that she belonged to the bloodline of a godlike sacred beast and possessed mystic powers.

"The method she bewitched me... was definitely a potent power akin to magic or sorcery. It would be quite a bad situation if she is able to use that technique repeatedly in succession. If important officials across Japan, or even the Empress herself at the capital, were to fall under such sorcery—"

Rikka murmured worriedly but Shiori immediately rejected the idea.

"No, I believe there is no worry of that."

"How so?"

"If such a powerful ability could be invoked at will, the British Empire would have annexed Japan long ago without needing to go to war. The dream of conquering the world would be feasible too. However, reality indicates otherwise—My guess is that there should be strict conditions to its practical use."

For example, time or date restrictions and usage conditions. Shiori raised a few possibilities and smiled at Rikka. "Why don't we think of it this way? Britain had to resort to using their treasured trump card against you, Rikka-sama... And their operation ultimately failed. Forget this threat of sorcery for the time being, I believe it is of no concern of all."

"I see, that makes plenty of sense."

The princess' clear and logical explanation was very persuasive and Rikka understood.

Smiling, she nodded and neither raised the issue of the "mysterious girl" again nor showed signs of worrying about it.

Cautious and meticulous yet sensible enough to not fall into paranoia—

This attitude was the mark of a hero's caliber. Akigase Rikka really was quite something. Masatsugu decided he had to inform her of something.

"Akigase-dono and Hatsune, there's something you must know," Masatsugu began to recount patiently.

"I never would have thought... you had lost your memory, Tachibana-dono."

In the driver's seat, holding the steering wheel, Rikka remarked in shock.

Masatsugu was sitting next to her in the front passenger seat. The lady Chevalier was driving a domestic sports car, speeding along a mountain road towards the Suruga tutelary fort. Despite her vehicle's high speed, her driving was not dangerous at all.

...Due to his memory loss, Tachibana Masatsugu was unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid using the normal method—

Just earlier, Masatsugu had explained his weakness concisely. Now, they were resuming the previous conversation while on the road because Rikka needed to return to the tutelary fort.

"I only have memories of the past two years."

"In other words, you have no recollection of your past life... or your true name?"

"That's right," Masatsugu admitted readily, further surprising Rikka.

Also, the steering wheel and seats were clearly not standard issue.

They had been modified. Rikka's car was manual transmission rather than automatic. Since the military would not provide this kind of vehicle, Masatsugu concluded it must Rikka's personal property.

He could tell that she was quite into cars.

"...However, I believe your true name is already obvious. After all, you were able to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada as familiarly as your own limbs—"

"Even so, that doesn't necessarily mean I'm ''the original owner''."

Was Masatsugu actually ''Hijikata Toshizō''?

This question was very hard to resolve. Judging from the fragments of memories Shiori showed him, the answer seemed to be no, but he could not reject it completely.

To be honest, Masatsugu did not care whether he was Hijikata Toshizō or not.

However, Akigase Rikka's affections for Tachibana Masatsugu stemmed from this possibility.

Masatsugu needed to clear up this issue with her first. Since she was his and Shiori's most dependable ally, Masatsugu did not want to hide any secrets between each other that could bite them in the future.

"Akigase-dono," Masatsugu called to Rikka in a slightly more assertive tone than normal. "From your perspective... Is my true name that important?"

"Y-Yes."

"But to me, it's unimportant. Whether my name is Hijikata or not, being able to fight by your side against invaders is already an utmost honor."

"......"

"A true hero is the most valuable companion. I am very delighted for the good fortune of meeting you."

"W-What hero? Please don't make fun of me."

"I am not joking. If I had to pick ''a comrade-in-arms and a wife'' right here, Akigase-dono, you would be my choice. That's how amazing a person you are."

"Comrade-in-arms and... wiiiiife!?"

Rikka suddenly floored the gas pedal.

The car instantly accelerated then quickly slowed down again. The moment of surprise had probably caused her to step too hard by accident. It was quite rare for the courageous Rikka to be so flustered.

"T-Tachibana-dono. B-By saying wife, aren't you taking your joke too far...!?"

"Why? Akigase-dono, you are strong, virtuous, brave, and magnanimous. I think every man would certainly want to marry such a woman."

"N-No one has ever said that to me..."

"Then the men in this country are blind."

"Tachibana-dono—"

"Masatsugu is fine."

Rikka had addressed Masatsugu by his family name, but Masatsugu said seriously, "Using my family name makes it easy to mix up with Hatsune, which is confusing. Why don't you use my first name directly? We're comrades on the battlefield, there's no need to be formal."

"Well... How about Masatsugu-dono?"

"Sure."

Comrades riding across battlefields ought to bare their souls to one another.

Committed to a relationship of honesty, Masatsugu made intermittent conversation with Rikka. Fortunately, Rikka was not opposed to it. Despite her nervousness, she responded sincerely to Masatsugu.

Putting aside the issue of Hijikata Toshizō, both sides had to get to know each other first.

Just as Masatsugu's efforts were starting to bear fruit, Shiori finally spoke after a long period of silence in the back seat.

"Y-You two seem to be having a wonderfully engaging conversation as fellow Chevaliers."

The princess' voice sounded inexplicably sarcastic.

In fact, Shiori was riding the same car to the tutelary fort. Meanwhile, Rikka replied in panic as a member of the same sex.

"I-I beg your pardon, Your Highness!"

"Relax. It is a good thing to see you two getting along so well."

The tone of sarcasm could not longer be felt from the princess' voice.

The reflection of Shiori's usual smile of "beguiling innocence" could be seen on the rear-view mirror. Perhaps Masatsugu had gotten the wrong impression—Probably?

In any case, Shiori spoke with a princess' graceful airs, "Rikka-sama, have you received orders from your father at Nagoya...?"

"Yes. Orders were relayed to the Suruga tutelary fort just this morning. Regarding this matter, I would like to have a detailed discussion with Your Highness and Hiji—Masatsugu-dono about our future plans."

With telephone and mail unavailable, communication with the outside world had to depend on retainer beasts.

The Tōkaidō Fiefdom's Governor General and his daughter Rikka had exchanged messages using the primitive magical method of "relaying orders through retainer beasts."

"By the way, Your Highness, have you received any instructions from the imperial palace at Tokyo?"

"None at all. Total silence. It could very well be that the palace hopes for me to go missing in this situation... This doesn't sound like a joke and is quite troubling, isn't it?"

Shiori shrugged and Rikka laughed boldly.

While the car took the two girls and Masatsugu up the mountain, there were no other vehicles driving along this military road given the state of martial law. The entire road was clear without impedance.

Soon enough, the car reached the premises of the tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located on Suruga City's tallest plateau, also known as Nihondaira. It used to be a famous scenic spot offering a view of Mount Fuji and Suruga Bay from afar.

There was parking space reserved for the castellan in the commissioned officers' lot.

After Rikka parked her beloved car into the reserved space, the trio walked together in the tutelary fort. Their destination was the nation-protecting keep in the center of the tutelary fort.

The nation-protecting keep was a forty-meter brick building, reminiscent of an ancient bell tower.

Along the way, many soldiers greeted them with reverent gazes or salutes. Their behavior was not entirely due to the presence of the authoritative castellan or the princess.

Masatsugu himself was also a Chevalier with an army of Legions.

Within the military, Chevaliers were afforded treatment as high-ranking officers.

Moreover, he was the one responsible for the victory a few days ago. And there was ''rumor'' too.

(Is he Hijikata-dono...?)

(I heard about that too...)

(People even say that the sword he's wearing is evidently Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada...)

The soldiers and officers whispered among themselves as Masatsugu walked by.

As expected of a military facility. Apart from Rikka, others had noticed Masatsugu controlling Legions, using Tennen Rishin Style swordsmanship, and the Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

As a result, rumors exploded.

And also thanks to that, the soldiers of Suruga treated Tachibana Masatsugu with the greatest respect.

Pondering this strange development, Masatsugu came to the nation-protecting keep's lobby. The two girls in his company began to chat about practical business.

"My father, head of the Akigase, intends to drive out the Restoration Alliance from Shizuoka by sending forces from north of Mount Fuji—Yamanashi, in other words. The first place that needs to be retaken is the Fuji tutelary fort that they are currently using as a crucial stronghold... The Fuji tutelary fort is only dozens of kilometers away from Suruga here."

"In other words... Rikka-sama, you will be supporting the operation from Suruga?"

"We also plan on coordinating with the Kantō provincial army and Eastern Rome's garrison in Japan. Naturally, my father is already making preparations on this front."

Rikka brought up the subject of military strategy matter-of-factly.

Her intention was on one hand fulfilling her duty to explain the crisis situation to the imperial princess in as much detail as possible while recognizing Shiori's valuable insight on the other.

Princess Shiori and Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

A solid relationship of cooperation had gradually developed between them.

The instant Masatsugu nodded with satisfaction, a ringing sound was heard at the scene. A palm-size white fox manifested on Rikka's shoulder.

In charge of relaying communications, the small retainer beast brought news.

"...What?"

The pipe fox had brought news that shocked Rikka greatly.

Not only Rikka but Shiori and all the soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's lobby were also shocked. Masatsugu was the only one listening to the situation report silently.

"Hakone Checkpoint—''the'' Hakone has fallen in merely half a day?"

Rikka muttered to herself, doubting her ears.

Hakone Checkpoint was reputedly Kantō's most impregnable point of strategic importance. Situated in the precipitous mountainous region of Hakone, it had tutelary forts built at four separate locations.

These four tutelary forts each had multiple Chevaliers stationed at all times.

These Chevaliers were all experienced soldiers serving the Kantō Fiefdom and had over four hundred Kamuy Legions under their command.

In addition, the four tutelary forts each had one ifrit assigned to them.

A total of four ifrits, respectively Seiryuu, Suzaku, Byakko, and Genbu. This powerful lineup protected the western part of the Kantō region, the heart of Imperial Japan.

Reportedly, Hakone's impregnable defenses were cracked by "one man's power alone."

"This means... The British Empire has a new Resurrectee?" Shiori whispered the moment she heard the man's name of "Edward."

===Part 3===

Edward the Black Prince had started his illustrious career of glorious victories at the mere age of sixteen.

That victory went down in history as the Battle of Crécy. Even today at the end of the twentieth century, it remained very well-known to war researchers.

The year 1346 CE was part of the European Middle Ages familiar to everyone.

To Edward, it was a nostalgic time of his adolescent past.

Fully educated as befitted an English prince, he honed his martial prowess and noble character as a knight, and raised his skills as a general through life on and off the battlefield—Those were the times.

Back then, England and France were at war.

This was the early stage of the so-called "Hundred Years' War." At the village of Crécy in French territory, a great battle took place to determine the fates of both nations.

The English army numbered ten thousand while the French army had forty thousand...

However, the English still won an overwhelming victory at Crécy. At the time, the English forces were headed by Edward's father, King Edward III of England (both father and son shared the same name, making it easy to mix them up).

King Edward organized his forces into three divisions to engage the French army.

Crown Prince Edward led one of the divisions and was extremely instrumental to the victory.

This battle was the prelude to a legend. The heroic saga of the young and famous general, Prince Edward, would reach its pinnacle at the ''Battle of Poitiers'' that took place ten years after Crécy.

This time as the commander-in-chief, Edward led an army of six thousand to take on a French army of thirty thousand.

The disparity in numbers was even more unfavorable than at the Battle of Crécy. Nevertheless, Edward won an equally splendid victory and even managed to capture King John II of France.

Holding the French king hostage, England profited from both a handsome ransom and an advantage in diplomatic negotiations.

Furthermore, the Anglo-French war would drag on until 1453, long after Edward had ''passed away in sickness''. The "maiden savior of France" who appeared towards the end was precisely Jeanne d'Arc.

Then time continued to march on, leading to the year 1998—

"From what I hear, that lady named Jeanne is quite popular in the modern world," said the "Black Prince" who had been reborn in the world.

In accordance with prior agreements, he would cast away the temporary alias of "Sir Black Knight" today.

"However, as an Englishman... I would like to take this chance to let everyone know that I, Edward, was in no way inferior."

This was the morning before he set off to conquer Hakone Checkpoint.

Early in the morning, he had sortied from the Fuji tutelary fort near the sacred mountain of Fuji, then marched east to assault Hakone Checkpoint—

Currently, Edweard was riding on a wyvern's back, soaring leisurely through the sky over Hakone.

In just a few short hours, he had defeated all Japanese forces in the Hakone tutelary forts. With victory firmly in his hands, he was in a very laid back mood.

The enemy consisted of five hundred Kamuys, the blue samurai of Imperial Japan.

The thousand black Legions fighting under Edward's command were Garter Knights, a superior variant of the British mainstay of the Crusade.

Edward's army had set up their formation in the sky over the vast Lake Ashi.

The four tutelary forts were respectively positioned north, east, south, and west of the lake. The first tutelary fort in the east was defended by the ifrit Seiryuu, the second tutelary fort in the south had Suzaku, the third tutelary fort in the west had Byakko, and the fourth tutelary fort in the north had Genbu. The united set of four guardian deities fought vigorously to resist the British invasion.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately no match against the thousand Knights of the Garter led by the Black Prince.

Edward's Chevalier Strength was 1256 and he summoned a full thousand to attack.

"Knights of the Garter, you have fought well. I, Edward, applaud your valor!"

Edward praised the black knights that were in formation over Lake Ashi.

Normally, the British Empire's mainstay Legion, the Crusade, was white in coloring. Edward's troops were ''pitch-black'' all over.

During the Middle Ages, Edward himself had roamed battlefields while clad in black armor.

That was how the nickname of the Black Prince came about. It was also why every Legion under his command was a black knight.

"Speaking of which, I never thought I would have a chance to fight in the Far East..."

Sharing his poignant thoughts, he looked at his prided knights.

Currently, these Legions were demonstrating his signature formation in the clear blue sky. First of all, three hundred of the thousand Legions had turned into ''archers'' and ascended in altitude.

These archers were not equipped with the standard Legion weapon of the bayonet rifle.

All three hundred archers were wielding ''longbows''. This was the new weapon granted to them by Edward's prided special ability, the Feat of Arms—Archers of Crécy.

Indeed, it was just like how the Chevalier at the Suruga tutelary fort had bestowed ''Japanese swords'' to his subordinates.

Furthermore, Edward's wyvern mount was flying gracefully, a kilometer away from his prided knights. He had determined there was no need for him to be commanding the army at the forefront.

"In the past, I have won glorious victories at the hill of Crécy and the land of Poitiers. Let the world know that Japan has now joined this list... My fate has truly been unpredictable."

After increasing their elevation, the three hundred archers remained in their position in the sky.

They were roughly four hundred meters above the surface of Lake Ashi. The remaining seven hundred Garter Knights encircled the archers.

However, their altitude was a hundred meters lower than the archers.

This situation was very similar to "setting up archers on a hill in advance while concentrating cavalry at the base to defend the entire hill."

Edward was very good at this type of "mode anglais" formation.

"Prince, there appears, to be remnants."

"Oh?"

Edward heard a warning in his ear.

There was a small doll sitting on Edward's shoulder. A young girl's voice came from its mouth.

The doll was a blonde girl dressed in a sailor outfit, small in size yet extremely intricate in construction. Possessing it was the genie Morrigan of the British armed forces.

Edward himself had also noticed the noesis. He looked at the direction he had detected it.

...South of Lake Ashi, there was a location named Hakone Pass.

Located was Hakone's second tutelary fort, a stronghold with star-shaped fortification walls, known in Imperial Japan as "Goryōkaku Fortress" style.

From the second tutelary fort, thirty-two Japanese Legions, the Kamuys, flew into the sky.

They were targeting the thousand Garter Knights in formation over Lake Ashi...

"This type of offensive is known as 'kamikaze' in Japan, isn't it?"

"Looks like it."

The commander and the genie's conversation ended here.

Unfazed, Edward had his wyvern descend. Flying swiftly over the surface of Lake Ashi, he went northeast.

In the water near the coast here was a red torii.

It was supposed to be the entrance to a Japanese Shinto shrine—Hakone Shrine—and a famous symbol.

When Edward spotted it earlier, he was drawn to the torii's exotic appeal and had decided to have a good look later.

The Black Prince was already impatient to go sightseeing. A battle erupted overhead.

...The thirty-two blue Kamuys charged in full force at the British Empire's black army.

...The Garter Knights in charge of interception was a team of roughly a hundred, on standby at low altitude.

...The two sides exchanged fire with their bayonet rifles.

...However, the archers also drew their bows at the same time. These three hundred black knights had set up their formation higher in the sky to overlook all of Hakone. The steel longbows in their left hands were extremely large, almost longer than the eight-meter height of Legions.

...Next, an arrow of light appeared simultaneously in each of the three hundred archers' right hands.

...The Kamuys locked in a shootout with the black knights at low altitude—i.e. the Kamuys whose advance was impeded—became the targets of the pitch-black archers firing in full force from a higher position.

...Like a shower of rain, the arrows of light mercilessly pierced the thirty-two Kamuys.

...Against the English arrows, the blue Japanese troop's protective barriers were as weak as paper.

...In merely a minute or two, the remnants of the Hakone defense force were all wiped out—

"There is no fun in fighting excessively weak enemies."

Edward muttered to himself, watching Imperial Japan' Legions die loyally.

He had effortlessly conquered the impregnable Hakone Checkpoint.

This was an amazing feat of victory, but Edward found little glory in it. He had simply led his army to attack the Hakone defense force, defeating them in a frontal assault, that was all.

It was merely a victory of brute force, relying on Chevalier Strength and elite troops.

Having demonstrated the capability of defeating an enemy army six times bigger than his own, the Black Prince would be embarrassed to brag about such a small victory...

As his thoughts reached this point, the legendary prince smiled wryly and said, "No, it was all thanks to God's blessing and the soldiers' valor that totaly victory was achieved. I must now praise my knights for their glorious efforts and suppress my desire for a contest of strategy."

Edward refreshed his mindset and said to the little girl spirit's simulacrum on his shoulder, "Morrigan, could you perform a search for me?"

"Please state."

"I heard that Hakone has been a popular spa area since ancient times. I'd like like to try a Japanese hot spring to erase the fatigue brought upon by battle. Help me find the hot spring with the best reputation."

"Understood. However."

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes. I would rather not, participate in... mixed bathing again."

"Hold on a second there. I swear upon my life that I am not a man who relies on a position of authority to make playthings out of young maidens. Besides, don't forget your body is a doll!"

"Objection. We high-level spirits, also have, human rights, more or less."

"Well, excuse me. Let me be clear with you. If anyone asked me if I preferred older or younger women, I definitely prefer older ladies!"

"I, see."

While Edward and his subordinate were chattering inconsequentially...

His wyvern mount was flying close to the surface of Lake Ashi. Instantly, the Black Prince keenly sensed noesis. There was faint but acute bloodlust aiming at his head.

"Please."

Edward issued a simple order.

Immediately, a Garter Knight appeared next to the flying wyvern.

From the coast of Lake Ashi flew an incoming rifle bullet. The deadly projectile fired from a sniper's rifle was blocked by the British Legion's armor.

The black Legion retaliated using its bayonet rifle.

The flash of light blasted away the mixed tenant building on the lakeside, preventing the enemy from ever following up the attack again.

Presumably, the shooter was part of Hakone's defense force and a very experienced sniper at that.

"Delighted to see me all alone, huh? ...What a mistake. Sniping never works against a powerful Chevalier."

Edward had not sensed any bloodlust or noesis until the last second.

Furthermore, the enemy had fired an accurate headshot at a flying target from across a windy lake surface.

These points added up to show that an outstanding sniper was at work. Even so, the enemy already made a mistake the moment they thought sniping would work against a Chevalier of Edward's caliber. Had the target been a Japanese Chevalier lacking in practical combat experience or greenhorns among the British knights, the story would be different...

Even if Edward was enjoying his sightseeing and looked very relaxed, instantly returning to a battlefield mindset was not difficult. That was the kind of man he was.

Also of note, the Charter of Chivalry laid down many rules forbidding armed forces from attacking civilian structures. However, civilian structures used for military objectives were considered exceptions, which was why the retaliatory shot just now was totally legitimate.

"Oh right, that katana-using Chevalier I saw at Suruga last time... He demonstrated the same ability too."

A few days ago, Edward had come across "a man that was undoubtedly a strong foe."

Recalling that brief encounter, Edward grinned fearlessly. Apart from that man, Generalissimo Caesar was going to come to Japan from the Eastern Roman Empire eventually too.

Indeed, true war had hardly begun. This was only the prelude.

===Part 4===

It was the evening after Masatsugu took a ride on Rikka's car to the Suruga tutelary fort.

He and his liege, Shiori, had returned together to the Black Lily Dorm.

Although it was called a dorm, the whole building was reserved for the princess' exclusive use. Dressed in ''Haikara-san'' style with an apron on top, Hatsune was preparing dinner.

The menu included dried horse mackerel, turnip salad, boiled hijiki, pickles, rice, and miso soup.

After the simple dinner, Masatsugu and Shiori were alone. The two of them went to the reading room, which served as a sort of small library for boarders.

However, the princess simply stared at books on the shelves without speaking the whole time.

Masatsugu broke the silence.

"Is it possible that you're upset?"

"Of course not. What reason do I have to be upset?" Shiori replied instantly.

Her speech was quite rapid with an air of displeasure. Masatsugu went "I see," shrugged and did not say anything more.

Now the princess' expression really looked unhappy.

In public, Shiori always upheld her image of the gentle princess. It was only in front of Masatsugu that she expressed her sincerest emotions, sulking or losing her temper on reflex.

"But you've been unhappy ever since we left the tutelary fort. I was wondering whether the fall of Hakone was the reason you're upset."

"Of course not." Shiori shook her head immediately. "In order for the Restoration Alliance to march into Kantō, the first choke point is Hakone. I knew the situation would inevitably turn out this way, though the unexpected speed of their offense did surprise me... But this is no cause for me to be upset."

"In other words, you are upset from other reasons? Ah."

Masatsugu figured it out. Nodding, he said, "Then you are upset because Akigase-dono and I are too close?"

"!?"

Masatsugu went straight to the point, causing the surprised Shiori to deny angrily, "Please do not suggest anything so preposterous!"

"All other reasons are unlikely. As your knight, Princess, I have been having friendly conversations with another girl to develop a relationship of mutual honesty. Witnessing that, you cannot help but feel jealous—This is the most convincing motive."

"M-Masatsugu-sama!"

"That is why you've been upset this whole time."

"You are mistaken. I have remained calm all this time!"

The shaken Shiori denied firmly. Then replied in a kind of assertive tone, completely different in attitude from her usual gentleness or feigned docilty.

"Putting this aside, Masatsugu-sama, we have yet to ''do it'' today, have we? Let us go over there."

The princess' beautiful face was blushing.

Despite the heightened emotions in her heart, her tone was still relatively calm.

The two of them went to the table in the center of the reading room. Like the ones used in the school, the table was mundane office furniture. There were four pipe chairs next to it.

Of course, this furniture was meant for boarding students to study and do homework.

Ignoring the books, Masatsugu and Shiori sat down at the table together.

Shiori quietly extended her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's left hand. Their overlapping hands were perfectly hidden under the table.

"A high school couple keeping their relationship a secret, meeting in the library for a tryst, discreetly holding hands—"

What they were doing was very similar to that.

However, this was a necessary ritual. Unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid the normal way, Tachibana Masatsugu had to rely on the mystic power found in Chevaliers or the kin of sacred beasts—

Masatsugu's body was very cold, almost akin to a state of hypothermia.

A chronic shortage of ectoplasmic fluid resulted in his body's lack of warmth. However, Shiori stroked Masatsugu's hand gently, trying to share her body warmth with him.

Doing this was effective.

The elegant and beautiful princess was transmitting warmth and mystic power through her palm.

Ever since their oath of fealty, they had been doing this secretly every day.

"On further thought, Hatsune knows about my memory loss too," Masatsugu muttered to himself. "We don't need to be secretive about this anymore."

"No! This must not be witnessed by others no matter what, it is too embarrassing..."

Shiori rejected the suggestion and bowed her head in shame.

During this time, she continued to stroke Masatsugu's hand gently. Their bodies were also leaning tightly against each other.

Undeniably, they currently looked like a very loving couple.

It came as no surprise that a maiden inexperienced in love would feel shy. Masatsugu understood the princess' misgivings and accepted her good intentions.

"Incidentally, Masatsugu-sama."
[[image:ChronicleLegion 02 BW02.jpg|thumb]]

While continuing to warm up her knight, Shiori said, "Please do not ever speak so imprudently again as you did just now. I was honestly not upset and I would like you to refrain from arbitrary speculation about my thoughts."

"Was I mistaken? Sorry about that."

The princess' stubborn response was too adorable, what was he going to do with her—?

Harboring these disrespectful thoughts, Masatsugu apologized calmly.

"By the way, regarding Hakone..."

Holding Masatsugu's hand, Shiori changed the subject.

"The serious issue here is the fall of the impregnable Hakone in less than half a day. More worrying is—"

"The enemy commander's name?"

"Yes. When it comes to the British Empire's prided Resurrectees, there is none more prominent than Admiral Horatio Nelson, who managed to corner even Emperor Napoleon of France, whose name is synonymous to hero... He is a splendid and famous commander. And here in the land of Hakone, a hero of his equal has shown up."

The young knight had led an army of pitch-black Crusades, one thousand strong.

Those Legions were reportedly known as Knights of the Garter. The Feat of Arms transforming their bayonet rifles into longbows was named after the land of Crécy.

Combining all these reports, it was not difficult to deduce their commander's identity as Edward the Black Prince.

"To be honest, I've never heard of him."

"Neither have the majority of Japanese people. Of the ones who have, most merely would have read the name in a history textbook, nothing more. However, he is a legendary hero known to everyone in England."

Shiori smiled to hide her worries and explained the origins of the one bearing that name.

"As an English prince, he defeated the armies of France many times. In the end, he succumbed to illness, dying before he could succeed to the throne..."

Masatsugu only knew the man's name and a brief profile.

However, he was certain it was ''him''. The night he repelled the Restoration Alliance, he had seen a silver-haired young man, riding a British wyvern.

The knight from that encounter must surely have been Prince Edward.

Perhaps this was a Resurrectee's instinct. Masatsugu felt inexplicably certain.

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</noinclude>

Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2016-07-19T14:16:13Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 4 - Knights and Feats of Arms (2)==

===Part 1===

"They came as expected..."

Akigase Rikka came to the pinnacle of the nation-protecting keep and looked out at the scenery of Suruga.

The Suruga tutelary fort was located at the highest elevation in the area. At its center, the nation-protecting keep stood at forty meters, providing an expansive view.

Rikka saw with her own eyes—Crusades invading from Suruga Bay in the south.

Roughly a hundred Crusades were flying towards the land in a dense sphere, about to reach the sky over the coast. The tutelary fort was located on mountainous terrain facing the bay. The enemy would arrive soon.

"I guessed they would come either today or tomorrow. Just as expected."

Rikka shrugged. The Crusades were flying over the sea at around fifty or sixty kilometers per hour.

This was low-speed flight, since in principle, they were capable of going faster. The reason for this was very simple too. This sort of low-speed flight required negligible consumption of ectoplasmic fluid, allowing them to conserve energy for an all-out battle.

"Defending the tutelary fort would be an option, but unfortunately, Sakuya is in poor condition. Proceed with arrangements."

Rikka was alone on the roof facing howling winds while conventional military forces were standing by on the outskirts of the tutelary fort. The noetic officers inside the nation-protecting keep were listening to Akigase Rikka's whispers through noetic waves while confirming the current situation.

It was precisely a knight's duty to shoulder the expectations of fellow comrades-in-arms and to respond to their feelings—

Dressed in military uniform, Rikka drew the sword at her waist and released her own noetic waves.

"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna—Assemble, my Legions!"

Rikka's powerful noetic waves radiated from the air over the nation-protecting keep.

The noesis swiftly manifested into Kamuys, bringing into the sky a blue army, ninety strong.

"Excellent."

Rikka re-sheathed her personal sword at her waist.

A famous treasured sword of Genji pedigree. Its name had been inherited by Akigase Rikka as an Appellation.

Her act of drawing out this Japanese sword was precisely the manifestation of an Appellation. Exhibiting clear curvature, the slender blade of this rare and renowned sword featured a slightly wavy temper-line. Unlike the Zuihou held by the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, Onikiri Yasutsuna remained physically by the user's side even when Legions were not being summoned. This aspect was also proof of a high-level Appellation.

"Come—''Carry'' me!"

Rikka called to the ninety Kamuys above.

One of them descended, bringing its shoulder to the nation-protecting keep's roof level. With a nimble leap, Rikka went over the rooftop railing without hesitation, landing on the right shoulder of the hovering Legion.

"We will establish a ground formation. Go."

Carrying its commander, the blue Kamuy flew south towards Suruga Bay.

The remaining eighty-nine Kamuys followed.

The commander-in-chief was leading the fight against the enemy on the front lines. Rikka could not help but smile wryly. This method of fighting resembled military chronicles dating back to the time of the Genpei era, but it was also how modern wars were fought too.

By transmitting noetic waves, Chevaliers directed their Legion armies to fight.

In fact, it was possible to control Legions under one's command from far away—for example, out of visual range.

However, doing so would render oneself vulnerable to noetic disruption. Certain forms of noetic disruption were specialized to counter noetic waves rather than electromagnetic signals. Under interference, one would run the risk of losing command of one's Legions.

"The sea breeze is cold as expected."

It was currently 15:18 with a strong breeze blowing inland from the sea..

Rikka was standing on a Legion flying at sixty kilometers per hour at an altitude of two hundred meters. Nevertheless, Rikka remained warm thanks to her own resilient body.

The vitality and physical abilities of a Chevalier was much higher than that of ordinary people.

Taking large volumes of ectoplasmic fluid into their bodies and minds, they were enhanced by mystic powers.

"Square formation. Make haste!"

Her army landed at the Suruga Bay shore.

Along the coast were military zones created from reclaimed land where various facilities of the Tōkaidō provincial army were situated.

The chosen landing spot was an open plain. The instant they landed, apart from the one carrying Rikka, all remaining eighty-nine Kamuys sprinted at top speed. Their movements were swift and nimble as their agile silhouettes would suggest.

Of course, this was a group of eight-meter-tall giants running.

With every step they took, the Suruga coast would shake and rumble. Be that as it may, the eighty-nine Kamuys ran rather swiftly.

Despite their gigantic body size and commensurate weight, their movements were not sluggish.

Just as winged birds were quick and agile even when moving on the ground, the Kamuys' movements were very dynamic with plenty of acceleration.

This was a characteristic common to Imperial Japan's blue Legions.

Agility, tireless diligence, courage—The ninety Kamuys swiftly entered an almost square formation of ten rows by nine columns.

Occupying the center of the square formation was the Kamuy carrying the commander, Rikka.

The Kamuy army raised their bayonet rifles in perfect unison.

Their muzzles were aimed at the incoming British Crusades flying over Suruga Bay.

"The Japanese Legions, called Kamuys, aren't they? Numbering ninety—The one taking over as Suruga's castellan happens to be on our level... Poor guy."

The number of invading British Crusades over Suruga Bay totaled ninety-eight.

The commander, Steven was muttering to himself while riding a white wyvern, flying together with the airborne army.

"He would've had the chance to be honored as a Knight of Her Majesty had he been born like us under Her Majesty's reign."

In the British Empire, only warriors with outstanding Chevalier Strength were eligible for the title of "Knight of Her Majesty."

Steven's Chevalier Strength was 98 while his brother-in-arms Sir Lampard's was 90. Today, they had sortied from Fuji after establishing a tutelary pact, a situation completely different from yesterday's.

It had been a while since the last time they commanded the full number of Legions supported by their Chevalier Strength.

Steven snapped his fingers to summon a small retainer beast for communications.

Unlike the pipe fox of Japan, the British armed forces used sprites, whose appearances were palm-sized maidens with butterfly wings on their backs. The sprite was fluttering delightfully in front of Steven.

"Inform Sir Lampard on my behalf, 'I will charge as the vanguard according to plan. In the event I should fail, I leave the rest in your hands.'''

The sprite nodded and disappeared.

Retainer beasts responsible for relaying messages were capable of teleporting within four or five kilometers. Retainer beasts were not as convenient as phones, but were able to substitute for wireless communications. However, small retainer beasts run the risk of dying from overexhaustion if forced to invoke this ability ten-odd times in continuous succession, hence users must pay particular attention.

"My men, the prince—Sir Black Knight—has tasked us with the glorious mission of the vanguard. I look forward to your valor in battle!" Steven rallied the Crusades under his command.

Meanwhile, Sir Lampard's army was lurking further back, standing by as a reserve unit.

They were only four kilometers from the coast where Suruga's samurai were in formation.

The ninety-eight Crusades were flying in a spherical formation.

When advancing through the air, one would arrange their Legions in a close-packed sphere to create a formation devoid of blind spots in any direction.

This was one of the basics in Legion tactics.

Serving as the commander, the Chevalier would stay in the center of the formation—the more secure position—to be able to issue the most appropriate commands to the troops at any given moment.

"Agents of Her Majesty... Crush the enemy."

As soon as Steven issued the order, the Crusades forming the front of the "sphere" aimed and fired continuously at the coast four kilometers away.

The rifles shot heat beams capable of slicing through heavy concrete.

Ninety-eight bayonet rifles were firing flashing rays at the same rate as machine guns.

Had this barrage been directed at Tokyo's city center, the clustered buildings would definitely be punctured and sliced apart like plastic. In a few short minutes, a metropolis would be rendered a tragic wasteland.

However, the Suruga army in its square formation four kilometers away remained unscathed.

"As expected, having equal numbers shooting at each other isn't going to work that easily."

Steven smile wryly. Chevaliers were able to sense everything seen and heard by the Legions under their control. These mysterious winged giant soldiers also possessed outstanding five senses far surpassing those of humans.

At his command, the Crusades observed the scene four kilometers away.

Glowing particulates—the particles of protective barriers—were suspended in the air around the Japanese Kamuys.

"The denser the formation, the greater the defensive power of Legions... Since my side's attacks are not working, it should be the same for the other party."

No sooner had Steven spoken than the enemy side counterattacked.

Staying in their square formation, the Japanese Legions pulled their triggers. Naturally, their targets were the Crusades in the air over Suruga Bay, in other words, Steven's army.

Flashing rays were shot continually as the Japanese side's anti-air fire attacked Steven's forces mercilessly.

However, the British Legions were virtually unharmed too. Around the ninety-eight Crusades, particles of protective barriers glowed as well.

The light of protective barriers had the effect of reducing enemy gunfire.

The particles from Legions of the same army would superimpose to increase their density, producing greater defensive strength. In other words, packing Legions densely in greater numbers would dramatically increase an army's overall defensive strength.

Consequently, square and spherical formations with their high density were commonly used in battles between Legions.

"Continued exchange of fire between air and land will disfavor my side. My men, let us land on the ground and switch to barbaric tactics."

Legions were winged warriors and were capable to standing on the ground with their own two feet like humans. The consumption of ectoplasmic fluid was greater when traveling through the air.

The army led by Steven was flying towards the shore.

They gradually lowered their flying altitude, preparing for a protracted battle on the ground.

Using the same formation as the enemy, Steven arranged his Legions in a ten by ten array, keeping them as densely packed together as possible even during the change in formation. While they were landing, the enemy's anti-air fire did not cease for a single moment. Thus, several unfortunate Crusades located on the fringes where the barrier's particles were weaker were shot down.

A total of four Crusades were killed in combat, pierced in vitals such as the head or the chest, thus crashing into Suruga Bay.

The remaining ninety-four remained completely unharmed.

"Now the numbers are even... No, ''my side'' holds the advantage. Let us proceed to crush them with brute force."

The Crusades landed successfully on the beach at last.

Maintaining their square formation, they marched forward neatly at the same speed.

Their targets were Suruga's Kamuy Legions, in formation one kilometer ahead.

As soon as they entered melee range, the protective barriers of both sides would neutralize each other and lose effectiveness. What followed would be slaying enemies using the bayonets on their rifles, following the way of ancient battlefields to stab and decapitate foes.

Riding his wyvern, Steven slowly circled in the air over his Crusades.

Looking at the enemy army from an overhead view, he was stunned.

"Do the descendants of samurai still believe in the blessings of divine wind and intend to attack to the bitter end?"

The Japanese Legions had changed their packed formation.

In other words, the Kamuys had abandoned the security of the high-density square formation in favor of lining themselves in a row of ninety with their bayonet rifles raised anew.

"However... Don't expect favorable divine wind to blow every time," declared Steven boldly.

Visually confirmed by the Crusades, a female knight was spotted standing sternly on the right shoulder of a Kamuy in the center of the Japanese ranks.

Taking out the Chevalier in control of the Legions would be equivalent to winning the battle.

===Part 2===

"Fire!"

At Rikka's command, the ninety Kamuys pulled their triggers simultaneously.

Their target was the formation of landed Crusades. The Kamuy's bayonet rifles flashed continuously, producing a dense barrage against the enemy.

"The other side intends to settle the battle using melee combat and won't fire back in full force. Seize this opportunity to shoot with impunity!"

Rikka rallied her troops. The Crusades were gunned down one after another.

This was the outcome of the Kamuys' change of formation. Making a single row meant putting every Legion on the front rank. Thus, the ninety Kamuys were able to focus fire on the front rank of the approaching British army.

The British Legions were in a 10x10 square formation.

The ninety Kamuys focused their firepower on the ten Crusades standing in the front rank.

These ten Crusades were now under more intense fire than the barrage earlier.

The incessant flashes attacked the British Legions' gigantic bodies dozens of times, trying to break through the weakest parts of the protective barriers. The probability of striking vitals became much higher than before.

Consequently, enemy troops in the front rank fell successively.

The Crusades in the front row also returned fire but rarely inflicted injuries on the Kamuys.

Incidentally, the Suruga army led by Rikka was not at a significant advantage either. Whenever Crusades in the front rank were taken out by the Kamuys' focus fire, Crusades from the back would immediately step forward to maintain the formation.

Under heavy fire, the British army courageously advanced without any disarray.

Initially, the two armies were separated by roughly a kilometer.

Once that separation had halved, the Crusades were whittled down to ninety from ninety-four.

When the separation halved again, there were eighty-four Crusades remaining.

The distance between the two armies was finally no more than fourteen or fifteen meters.

Almost about to enter melee range, the British Crusades were down to seventy-five while there were still eighty-eight Japanese Kamuys. Numerically speaking, the Kamuys held the advantage, but...

Riding his wyvern, circling in the air, the British Chevalier roared as though victory was firmly in his grasp.

"My men, your persistence is commendable! As agents of Her Majesty, it is now your turn to fight all-out. Crush those puny Japanese soldiers!"

The Kamuys were a size smaller than the Crusades. This difference in build could not be ignored in close quarter combat. The Kamuys were inferior in strength and there were precious few precedents where their physique disadvantage were overcome.

Rikka clicked her tongue.

"Anyone at all, take out that blabbering Knight of Her Majesty!"

The Kamuys at Rikka's side obeyed and fired. Every Legion was master of combat with first-rate expertise in marksmanship and close-range fighting. An accurate shot through the target should not be beyond them.

However, the Knight of Her Majesty flew behind the square formation of Crusades.

The barrier particles surrounding the British Legions formed an invisible shield, blocking the Kamuys' sniping offensive.

Next, the British army pressed forward. A melee battle commenced at last.

The bayonet rifle was the weapon used by Kamuys and Crusades alike. Brandishing the bayonets fitted on their long barrels, both sides stabbed at enemy Legions.

The Japanese side held superiority in numbers but the tide of battle clearly favored the British army.

First of all, the seventy-five Crusades maintained their square formation as they charged at the row of Suruga troops.

The Kamuys were arranged in a row to prioritize firepower. The Crusades charged fiercely, thrusting their bayonets to stab their enemies.

Overpowered by the British Legions' pressure and strength, Kamuys were getting skewered in their masks and necks.

Of course, a small proportion of the Japanese Kamuys did manage to evade the Crusades' bayonets and struck back. However, the enemy formation remained secure.

Brandishing their bayonets, whenever any Crusades fell in the front rank, they would be immediately replaced by Crusades from the back rows.

Ultimately, the British army continued to charge at the Japanese army with perfect retention of momentum and formation. During the time of the ancient Greeks, the mighty phalanx had dominated battlefields using the same tactics of packed formations.

In contrast, the row of Kamuys was a formation offering no thickness at all.

The paper-thin formation was about to break up, torn to shreds.

"Warriors of Her Majesty, kill the enemy Chevalier! The battle ends as soon as that person dies!"

At the British Chevalier's command, the Crusades attacked even more ferociously.

Among the row of Suruga troops, Rikka was standing on the right shoulder of the center Kamuy, facing the onslaught of dozens of British Legions.

Pressured by the enemy's charge, the Suruga formation shifted from a straight line to a V-shape instead.

The center, Rikka's position, slowly retreated, causing the formation to buckle. The nearby Kamuys fought desperately to protect their lady commander but the tide had completely turned against the Japanese side.

No more than fifty Kamuys remained out of the eighty-eight.

Defeat was all but assured at this rate. Rikka took a deep breath from her position on a Kamuy's shoulder.

"Fortunately, they fell for the trap. I am relieved."

The trenchant blade at Rikka's waist was renowned as the "oni slayer."

Smiling belligerently, she drew her personal sword. The two-feet-seven-inch blade featured a slightly wavy temper-line.

Then Rikka ''leaped'' to the ground.

"My Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... O trenchant blade of universal renown, demonstrate to the world the martial feat of oni slaying once more!"

No sooner had she spoken when a lone Crusade charged at Rikka head on.

The faltering Kamuys had mustered a circular formation to surround their lady commander and prevent the enemy from attacking her. However, the British Legions finally broke through the defensive line.

The opponent was a British giant soldier over eight meters tall.

Even the blade fitted on the bayonet rifle stood taller than Rikka's height.

With a moment's hesitation, the Crusude aimed a bayonet thrust down at Rikka. The Legion's giant body moved nimbly despite its great weight. An acute thrust.

As for Rikka...

Sweeping her Japanese sword horizontally, she parried the Crusade's bayonet strike.

Even though the opponent's weapon was bigger than Rikka, she effortlessly blocked the attack. Furthermore, the gigantic bayonet was sliced into two, sending the broken fragment flying before it fell and embedded itself into the Suruga ground.

Wielding her weapon of choice, Rikka slashed with ridiculous power.

Despite losing its blade, the Crusade was still a seasoned warrior after all.

Instead of using the bayonet, the Crusade instantly attacked with a kick, aiming for Rikka on the ground as though she were a football.

Rikka jumped in a somersault, evading the kick splendidly.

In addition to holding the ability to summon Legions, she had also attained extraordinary mastery of martial arts and physical skills.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

With a mighty shout, Rikka jumped into the air again. Stepping on the kneecap of the Crusade that had just attacked her, she jumped in front of the giant winged soldier's mask.

The treasured sword named Onikiri Yasutsuna was then stabbed into the Crusade's mask.

This strike of the sword was fatal.

The eight-meter-tall giant soldier was cut down by a 170-cm-tall girl.

"—Mibu wolf!" Rikka hastily called out after a spectacular landing.

A ''wolf'' responded to her summon, appearing out of thin air.

Featuring silver fur and a physique similar to a horse in size, this was the "Mibu wolf," a mid-size retainer beast employed by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Noetic officers observing the battle using pipe foxes had dispatched this retainer beast immediately at Rikka's command.

Rikka leaped onto the giant wolf's back. The Mibu wolf dashed across the ground.

This time, the retainer beast jumped on Rikka's behalf. Carrying the female knight with the trenchant blade, the Mibu wolf pounced at a nearby Crusade's face.

However, instead of having the wolf attacking with its teeth, Rikka swung her blade instead.

Slash. The horizontal strike sliced through the Crusade's mask, cleanly bifurcating its head.

"What a fearsome sword...!"

The British Knight of Her Majesty was stunned. He had been flying dozens of meters behind his army as though sightseeing on a wyvern tour, but was now utterly terrified. Few Chevaliers existed in the world who were capable of cutting down Legions by their own hand.

"Is that sword your Appellation—a testament to a Feat of Arms!?"

"Indeed you are correct. I, Akigase Rikka, hold the treasured sword of Genji pedigree, Onikiri no Taichi, Yasutsuna. I shall cut down mere Crusades endlessly, no matter how many you throw at me!"

The Knight of Her Majesty questioned from his wyvern mount and Rikka answered back from the giant wolf's back.

The treasured sword, Onikiri Yasutsuna. This was the title given to "the famous blade that had slain Shuten-dōji, the oni of Ooe-yama." Heroes inheriting this Appellation were able to reenact the mighty feat of slaying oni—

This was the ''Feat of Arms''—Onikiri no Tachi, which was also the secret technique conferred to Rikka by Onikiri Yasutsuna.

"My apologies, Knight of Her Majesty," caressing her beloved sword while astride her Mibu wolf, Rikka continued to speak.

"Exchanging gunfire from a distance is not my cup of tea, hence I shall win this battle as quickly as possible. By this juncture, victory undoubtedly belongs to my Kamuys."

"What did you say?"

Her bold declaration angered the British Knight of Her Majesty.

Standing before the enemy, Rikka smiled quietly with full confidence.

===Part 3===

"...The battle is unfolding as you predicted, Sir Black Knight."

The doll possessed by the genie Morrigan spoke to the one in her company.

She was riding a flying wyvern, looking at Suruga Bay below. There was another rider on the wyvern, the aristocratic Sir Black Knight who was holding the reins. Morrigan was sitting in front of him.

Flying further would take them to the zone of reclaimed land on the coast.

The British and Japanese Legions were locked in a deadly battle there and the victor was gradually emerging.

"Yet I did not want to be right. Predicting the defeat of a Knight of Her Majesty would be too inauspicious."

Sir Black Knight sighed, because he had shared an ominous prediction. When the Legions under Sir Steven first started engaging the Japanese troops in melee, the handsome aristocrat had said, "Stevie is going to lose now."

He had quietly shared this opinion despite the British army's advantageous position at the time.

Soon after, the Suruga army had made a spectacular comeback. Leading her Kamuys on the battlefield, Suruga's lady Chevalier had invoked her treasured sword's Feat of Arms to personally cut down the Crusades.

The lady Chevalier had charged straight into the enemy ranks to slay them.

Serving as her mount, the Mibu wolf retainer beast carried her as she carved her way into the Crusades' square formation—

Weaving between the densely packed British Legions, she swung her treasured sword, slicing through a Crusade's armor and vitals on every strike, inflicting heavy casualties.

This performance of an unstoppable lone rider actually persisted for merely two or three minutes.

However, once she had disrupted the British army's formation, the Kamuys launched a counterattack in one fell swoop.

Using herself as bait to divert the British army's attention for a few short minutes, the Japanese Chevalier had ordered her troops to discreetly circle around Steven's army, thus launching an assault on the back of the square formation.

After the Kamuy army started a one-sided massacre.

Crusades fell one after another while Sir Steven desperately controlled his wyvern to dodge the enemy's sniping attacks and tried to reorganize his army's formation.

"Did that treasured sword's Feat of Arms decide the battle?"

A so-called "Feat of Arms" was a supernatural technique used by Chevaliers and Resurrectees. To slay gigantic Legions by a human's hand—This was quite an incredible Feat of Arms.

Sir Black Knight shook his head and said, "If Stevie really thinks that, it means his abilities only go so far. Their fates had been sealed the moment the female knight succeeded in luring him into melee combat. Pretending to be overwhelmed by the Crusades, the enemy was actually preparing for a pincer attack."

"I, see."

Morrigan thought back to how the battle situation had developed.

The Tōkaidō army's Chevalier had lined up the Kamuys in a row to fire.

The Crusades chose to charge in a dense square formation, leading to a melee battle. Pressed by the British army, the Tōkaidō army's formation changed from a straight line to a V-shape, but then the two sides of the V circled to the back of the British army, turning into guerrilla units.

"Ultimately, it was a spectacular battle demonstrating destruction through encirclement and pincer movement. Props to the enemy commander who used this. This is enough for today, Stevie will be held accountable for his failure another time."

"May I, ask another, question?"

Sir Black Knight had expressed his admiration for the opponent in a strange manner, hence Morrigan asked him, "How did you know... the enemy commander wanted to lure our forces into melee combat?"

"Huh?"

Sir Black Knight was taken aback in surprise. This sort of expression looked very out of place on his noble and handsome face.

At a loss for words, after some contemplation, he looked up, straightened his posture and said, "It might be difficult for you to comprehend as a spirit, but matters of this sort can be understood instinctively. Like looking at the enemy army afar and sensing changes in the air, something along those lines."

"I, see."

Even among fellow humans, few would be able to agree with Sir Black Knight's explanation.

Morrigan was deeply certain of this, but her response of "I see" carried a different meaning. She was convinced that this man was a natural counter to the likes of "strategists" or "staff officers."

Sir Black Knight possessed profound mastery of strategy, tactics and the art of war, yet he did not bind himself rigidly to such knowledge.

The instincts, sensitivity, sudden inspiration, perceptiveness, judgment, and experience honed on the battlefield would turn out to be the crucial keys to victory instead during extreme circumstances—

Rather than learned through the mind, people like him were born with innate understanding of this harsh fact of reality.

Theoretical correctness did not imply victory over the enemy. On the battlefield, ''correctness was determined by victory'', in other words, ''the victor is always right''.

Those who studied the art of war as a field of research could never reach this realm.

"As expected of, a ''legatus legionis''," Morrigan praised from the bottom of her heart.

"Despite compelling arguments regarding tactics, you still fail to conceal the innate savagery in your soul... Suppose you were to proceed with irrational courses of action, I, the genie Morrigan, shall still support you wholeheartedly."

"Why does that sound like a back-handed compliment...?" said Sir Black Knight, tilting his head.

"Never mind. Although Stevie has met defeat in the vanguard battle, he has accomplished the most basic job at least. He has succeeded in wearing down the enemy's battle strength and currently has yet to be defeated completely. It is time for Lamps to enter the stage."

Immediately, Crusades flew out of the sea in the outer waters of Suruga Bay.

Using as a reference the reclaimed land where the Anglo-Japanese battle had been taking place, this was to the east. Leading ninety Legions, Sir Lampard had lurked in the sea as a reserve force and was now taking action.

The Crusades broke out of the sea surface and flew towards the Suruga tutelary fort.

Instead of reinforcing their allies, this army intended to assault and subdue the Suruga tutelary fort while the castellan was occupied with Sir Steven.

The Crusades were roughly ten kilometers away from the tutelary fort on high ground.

They could reach their destination presently without wasting ectoplasmic fluid on high-speed flight. Conversely, on the Suruga tutelary fort side—

"I remember that is Seiryuu, isn't it?" Sir Black Knight muttered to himself.

An ifrit appeared in the air over the Suruga tutelary fort.

A giant oriental dragon, reaching seventy meters in length, with a huge magic circle at its back. The translucence of its body, the color of sapphire, was an indication of its spiritual nature. The only beings capable of materializing a gigantic body of that size would be the godlike sacred beasts.

Around the tutelary fort's star-shaped walls, the surrounding space became distorted.

It was almost like a mirage phenomenon. The space around the tutelary fort was warped, causing the scenery to become blurred and twisted as though seen through desert air under the blazing sun.

Morrigan could sense powerful noetic waves inside the distorted space.

"Enemy ifrit, has deployed noesis barrier."

"According to reports, this was beyond the enemy ifrit's ability yesterday. I wonder if it has recovered? Furthermore, they even detected the noesis released by the Legions hidden in the water and immediately prepared countermeasures."

After analyzing, Sir Black Knight commented loudly, "Lamps might very well face a tough battle ahead of him."

"...It is Morrigan's opinion that, you should not be stating this, with a grin on your face."

"Uh, do not get me wrong. What I mean is this—Perhaps Britain might be willing to let me fight seeing as we are up against a castle that two Knights of Her Majesty failed to conquer."

"Please be, patient. Your knights... Please save them for, the attack on Hakone."

In fact, Morrigan had received orders to prevent the Black Knight from going out on the battlefield.

This command had come from Sir Grayson, the captain of the ''Tintagel''. As soon as the prince "participated in battle," his true name would be known to the world. This would raise Lord Caesar's curiosity and wariness.

"At the current stage, disclosure of the names, Edward the Black Prince and Knights of the Garter... will have grave effects on future strategy. Please be prudent."

Born in the medieval English royal family, a supreme military genius.

The former Plantagenet crown prince shrugged wryly and accepted Morrigan's counsel.

"I can't believe they deployed two armies, Knights of Her Majesty in level. Now that's way too generous!"

Seeing the new enemies flying towards the tutelary fort, Rikka cursed from the back of her Mibu wolf mount.

The Kamuys were still fighting the vanguard Crusades at the reclaimed land on the coast.

Rikka herself had withdrawn from the front line. The Mibu wolf remained stationary at the moment. Currently, she was back in her role as the commander, controlling the Kamuys' battle situation from the back.

While the enemy resisted valiantly, the Kamuys had them surrounded in one spot. Holding a round formation with their protective barriers deployed, the Crusades fired desperately to fight back against Rikka's army.

"Living up to the name of the Knights of Her Majesty, how resilient."

If this battle continued, wiping out the Crusades would not be a problem.

However, the British had sent another army, flying in Suruga's airspace. The enemy was clearly targeting the tutelary fort, but Rikka's army was occupied with the ground battle and could not do anything more than watch them fly by.

If Rikka were to rush over to intercept the other army at the tutelary fort now—

Then the cornered enemy vanguard would be able to catch its breath and muster its remaining forces to strike at Rikka's Kamuy army from behind. Unlike human soldiers, Legions were capable of executing extremely unreasonable battle commands.

Hence, it was imperiative to kill off enemy numbers before rushing over to aid the tutelary fort's defense.

Having made her decision, Rikka suppressed the anxiety in her heart. Riding her Mibu wolf, she watched the battle situation with arms crossed before her chest.

The genie Sakuya—the avatar of the ifrit Seiryuu—was more stable than yesterday and succeeded in having her principal image activate the noesis barrier, completing preparations for the defensive battle. Rikka had arranged for several noetic officers to assist Sakuya. Furthermore, there was ''additional insurance''.

"Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna... Assemble, my Legions."

Rikka recited the sacred words to summon Legions.

However, the location pictured in her mind was the northern plateau several kilometers away—in other words, the location of the Suruga tutelary fort. With that, her insurance was delivered to the tutelary fort at least.

"I actually wanted to use them to take care of the enemy forces here."

However, Rikka had no choice. Defense of the fort required "paper tigers" to intimidate the enemy.

She could only hope that this method would hold until she rushed back to the rescue. However, the problem was that the enemy's ambush force was led by a battle-hardened Knight of Her Majesty.

"Masatsugu-sama... Another army of Crusades!"

Shiori pointed at a certain direction in the sky.

The ifrit Seiryuu and a magic circle was occupying the sky over the Suruga tutelary fort at the plateau. A spherical formation of Crusades, almost a hundred strong, was approaching—

Masatsugu and the princess had gone outdoors together.

There was a bamboo grove nearby. They were at the courtyard of Ryouzan Manor, a secluded residence belonging to House Fujinomiya.

Slightly earlier, a pipe fox returning from the Suruga tutelary fort had informed them of the attacking Crusades as well as Chevalier Akigase Rikka's advantageous position.

"Princess, this is an excellent chance."

"Eh...?"

For a moment, Shiori did not know how to react to Masatsugu's suggestion.

She had changed out of the undershirt and back into her one-piece dress, black leggings and knee-high boots, except omitting the glasses used for camouflage.

Too rushed to dry her hair thoroughly, her platinum blonde hair still had a layer of moisture on it.

"Please tell me immediately what I should do."

"Masatsugu-sama?"

"Your wish is for me to help you take over the nation. In that case, you should be telling me what to do ''at times like these''. I want to hear you say it personally. Of course, you can feel free to say 'I am unable to make decision right now.'"

"If I really were to say that..."

Shiori smiled mischievously.

Masatsugu was satisfied with her response. Her wit and intelligence had met his expectations. Instantly discerning the intent behind Masatsugu's question, Shiori answered seriously, "Masatsugu-sama, would you stand aside and watch me die?"

"Since the Tachibana clan took care of me in the past, I'll continue to serve as your bodyguard to repay that debt."

"Then I shall pass on that option. Allow me to think for a moment first."

Although Shiori was called an imperial princess, this did not mean she was the "emperor's daughter" in modern Japan.

Imperial princess was a title referring to all princesses carrying Lord Tenryuu's bloodline. There were other imperial princesses in Japan, all with higher ranked seats at the imperial palace than Shiori's.

The self-styled ostracized "forsaken princess" said, "To begin with, the Japanese government and the Empress are under Lord Caesar's control while the regional rulers, Twelve Fiefdoms, each have their own agendas. And now, there is the Kinai Fiefdom's coup d'etat declaration and the British Empire's armed invasion and excessive interference in domestic affairs. There is no easy way out of the current upheaval no matter how much I think about it..."

Shiori shrugged while speaking in a sardonic tone.

"Without a doubt, the current Japan is literally in a state of disunity. Although I am not Liu Bei of the Three Kingdoms, it is rather easy for unassuming youngsters to make a name for themselves during times of turmoil—"

For example, young men from the impoverished countryside joining rebel armies, rising in position from soldier to general to head of state...

Such opportunities to rise above the rabble were impossible to come by during times of peace and stability. Conversely, the difficulty bar was instantly much lowered if one held military power and soldiers during times of turmoil.

The princess had swiftly grasped the key points of the question.

Masatsugu said to her, "Princess, your next decision is to choose a side to sell the favor to."

"I already have an idea regarding that. Favors can only be considered meaningful merchandise when sold to those in need. It would be pointless to sell favors to a faction that already possesses strong generals and vast armies."

"In other words, Princess?"

"The Tōkaidō Fiefdom has been forced to fight the Restoration Alliance... I wish to use this opportunity to establish closer ties to the men of influence in Tōkaidō. I will make proper use of my name and favor to turn them into my future backers or allies."

Masatsugu's cheeks twitched slightly. It was a smile.

He was aware that his expression tended to be stiff normally. Smiling was not his strong suit. Nevertheless, he did occasionally show this type of smile, except that no one around him noticed.

This time, he was smiling in celebration of Shiori making the right judgment call.

In truth, which side she had chosen to aid was unimportant. Of course, Masatsugu personally did not wish to harm Suruga's interests because his friends and acquaintances were there, but there were always ways around that.

The issue here was ''whether she had the guts to take action when confronted by an excellent opportunity right before her eyes''.

All the knowledge and strategy in the world would be meaningless if one remained indecisive in the face of opportunity.

Someone pledging to try their hardest in the future while failing to give it their best in the present would be worthy of zero credibility. Fortunately, there was no need to worry about Princess Shiori on this front.

"Masatsugu-sama, if I were to ask you to defend the Suruga tutelary fort... Would you be willing to grant my wish?"

"Consider it done."

Almost a hundred Crusades were currently advancing towards the tutelary fort on high ground.

Watching this scene from afar, Masatsugu shrugged lightly.

"I somehow feel like I can't possibly lose against enemies of that sort. There shouldn't be a problem."

"But would victory truly be possible without a single soldier under your command?"

It was Shiori's turn to test Masatsugu this time.

"A strategian once wrote, 'against any enemy, one must make thorough preparations so as to seize victory with absolute certainty, anything less would be imprudent'..."

"You need to burn that guy's books and forget what he wrote."

Masatsugu had heard these words before but he rejected the theory directly.

Incredibly, Masatsugu was able to argue military strategy extremely naturally in the same way as his body would automatically defeat opponents in brawls.

"Making preparations ahead of time to ensure victory is admittedly important, but in real warfare, the enemy will also be doing their best to calculate and prepare. And war is always accompanied by all kinds of bad luck and misfortune. It's impossible to be always fighting under conditions of assured victory."

"I see."

"I think that man's theory is pure delusion written on paper."

"So that your opinion, Masatsugu-sama? I understand!"

Smiling, Shiori nodded.

"Had any ordinary person said the same thing, I would merely consider it an excuse for insufficient preparation—However, since you are a hero who has survived countless bloodbaths in the ancient world, I shall believe you for now."

"Much obliged."

"I never expected you to accept my request so readily."

Shiori's demure expression looked extremely lovely.

If she were nothing more than a crafty girl, Masatsugu probably would not have taken an interest in her.

However, the contradictory qualities of merciless intellect and refreshing sincerity coexisted inside her. This felt particularly interesting and also provided a feeling of reliability. She was a girl harboring the commingling of not only good and evil but also purity and murkiness. And the application of such duality was required in certain positions in the world, such as politicians and kings.

Perhaps Fujinomiya Shiori might become a great figure in recorded history one day.

Harboring such thoughts, Masatsugu took this opportunity to change the subject. A subject that was quite important too.

"By the way, Princess, about the earlier promise, I'll be counting on your support in the future. You said you were willing to pay any price—including your own body as a woman, right..."

"!? A-As you wish!"

"Relax. I'm not the type who enjoys coercing girls."

Masatsugu's cheek muscles twitched again to smile at the flustered princess.

"I promise I will never do anything against your will, Princess. All I'm asking from you is a small favor at most."

"A-Alright."

"Much obliged. Well then, let's get started."

===Part 4===

Every tutelary fort in Japan was equipped with a water shrine.

Furthermore, almost every tutelary fort had an ifrit. The conscious will and avatar of this guardian deity was what was called a genie.

Hence, Sakuya's subpar condition would also cause Seiryuu's loss of performance.

Sakuya was currently at the top level of the nation-protecting keep at the Suruga tutelary fort.

More precisely, it was her projected image—the visual likeness of a young girl dressed as a shrine maiden.

The nation-protecting keep was forty meters tall. Ordinary towers would usually have an observation room at the top, but nation-protecting keeps ran contrary to that norm. The vast room at the top level was completely dark without any windows on the outer walls.

The flickering light from candles in the surroundings served to illuminate this interior space.

A magic circle was drawn on the floor of stone, identical in pattern with the seventy-meter magic circle on the ifrit Seiryuu's back. Sakuya's image was sitting on top of the magic circle.

"Naumaku sanmandabodanan beishiramandaya, sowaka. Naumakuarratannoutaratayaya, atakyarobotarayachishaya, baishiramandaya, makarajaya, yakyashachibataba, sototasoshitsurabarasowaka—"

To increase her noetic energy, the girl recited a mantra as though singing a song.

Sakuya's legs were stretched out and her sitting posture was not quite presentable. However, Sakuya's increased noetic energy took form in the air over the tutelary fort as the ifrit Seiryuu and even succeeded in deploying a noesis barrier.

The space surrounding the Suruga tutelary fort was twisting and shimmering like being seen through steaming hot air.

A "distortion" formed a physical barrier to block enemy attacks and invasions, this was the "noesis barrier." Simply by using waves of thought and turning them into physical power sufficient to defend a fortress, it was a noetic control technique of the highest rank.

Furthermore, there were ten-odd noetic officers sitting in meditation next to Sakuya.

Within the Tōkaidō provincial army, only noetic masters wore uniforms similar to monk's working clothes. To help control Seiryuu, they were focused on chanting mantras just like Sakuya.

"Crusades—One army approaching, ninety in number..."

Sakuya stopped reciting the mantra and reported the battle situation quietly.

Ninety flying British Legions had finally arrived before Seiryuu. The two sides were separated by four hundred meters, a distance where fighting could break out any moment.

The enemy's ninety Crusades stopped in the air, maintaining their spherical formation.

The front half of the Legions opened fire.

Naturally, they employed continuous fire. This wave of flashing light mercilessly barraged the noesis barrier surrounding the tutelary fort, shaking it violently through firepower and impact.

However, the firepower was insufficient to break through the castle walls of noetic energy.

Sakuya's principal image, Seiryuu, was in the air above the nation-protecting keep. Protected by the noesis barrier, there was no risk of getting shot.

"Meteorological decree, activate."

At Sakuya's command, Seiryuu roared from above the nation-protecting keep.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Thunderclouds instantly filled the sky and rained down lightning to attack the top dome of the enemy's spherical formation.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Suruga side also used continuous fire, attacking the ninety Crusades with a fierce lightning offensive—Unfortunately, they remained unharmed.

Clustered in a spherical formation, the Crusades were defended by the protective barrier's particles.

The denser a formation, the greater the defensive power of the particles. A meteorological decree did not have the firepower to breach a formation of ninety Legions.

"Stalemate... Maintain status quo for now."

Sakuya remained unfazed and continued to attack using the meteorological decree.

The current situation was proceeding according to Chevalier Akigase Rikka's battle plan as devised earlier.

Prior to Rikka's sortie, noetic officers had reported the presence of noetic waves from an unknown number of Legions in the east, probably lurking in the sea to evade noetic recon.

In response, Rikka had commanded them that in the event of an ambush, they must defend with everything they had until her return—

Rikka had issued these orders in consideration of Sakuya's subpar condition. Based on the current situation, Sakuya originally thought the plan would succeed, but before long, she sighed in disappointment.

"The paper tiger has been seen through."

The airborne Crusades stopped firing and changed formation.

Instead of using orderly formations such as squares or spheres, they were forming a rugby "scrum." Bending their postures down, the ninety Legions held onto one another's shoulders and waists to start accelerating forward!

Indeed, the enemy army intended to execute a scrum tackle.

As one unit, the ninety winged giant soldiers flew at high speed towards the noesis barrier.

Accelerating, accelerating, accelerating, accelerating. The ninety Legions' weight was multiplied by speed for a full-body impact, shaking the noesis barrier violently.

"...Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?"

Sakuya screamed.

Damage to the noesis barrier was transmitted to its creator, the ifrit Seiryuu. The aftershock also reached the avatar that was Sakuya's soul.

"Prediction. Can only endure one or two more collisions. Current situation unsustainable."

Sakuya slumped her shoulders sadly.

Thanks to Rikka consoling her this morning, she finally managed to return to her duties.

However, her subpar mental state had not improved. Genies were not simple beings and could not recover in a few short days. Activating noesis under such circumstances would not bring out their true power at all—

The Knight of Her Majesty who discerned this ought to be praised for keen vision.

Besides, the apparently barbaric yet simple tactic of "charging at high speed using ninety giants as one unit" did yield far greater impact than the continuous firing of rifles...

"It actually worked. Thank goodness."

Riding his wyvern flying mount, Lampard forced a smile.

Yesterday, Suruga's ifrit Seiryuu was clearly in poor condition. Seiryuu had currently strained to deploy a noesis barrier of unknown strength.

Struck by inspiration, Lampard decided to give it a try. He ordered his ninety Legions to charge with all their strength.

His maneuver inflicted unexpectedly heavy damage. The giant image of a blue dragon over the Suruga tutelary fort roared in pain behind the shimmering barrier. At this rate, it looked like a few more charges was all it would take to collapse the ifrit's materialization and the noesis barrier simultaneously.

Ultimately, ifrits were categorized as "conglomerates of powerful noesis."

Without a corporeal body, they were a type of "illusory" existence. Since a noesis barrier was formed by separating out a part of themselves to materialize, the barrier's collapse was equivalent to their own collapse.

"One more time, my men. I'm counting on you."

Lampard ordered his Crusades after ramming the noesis barrier.

Receiving Lampard's orders, the ninety Legions retreated a couple hundred meters nimbly while maintaining their packed formation and formed another scrum. Four of the Crusades left the cluster and came to their commander's side to serve as bodyguards.

"I don't want to disgrace myself with a serious failure in front of the Black Prince, so please make this an easy victory for me," muttered Lampard to himself.

The eighty-six Crusades were preparing to accelerate in a scrum formation when...

Dozens of blue Legions flew up from the ground.

On the mountainous region of the Suruga tutelary fort, there was a patch of greenery on a stepped hillside. These Legions had been hiding in various locations behind the stepped terrain.

"The enemy has prepared an ambush too!"

Naturally, this ambush consisted of Imperial Japan's Kamuys, numbering sixty-four in total.

The blue samurai charged swiftly at the packed formation of sixty-four Crusades. Instead of organizing themselves in a formation, the Kamuys spread themselves apart to soar the sky like birds of prey, intending to use their bayonets in close quarter combat.

"Prepare to engage!" Lampard also commanded instantly.

However, the Crusades had all put away their rifles on their backs in order to form a scrum.

They were unable to fire back immediately. Moreover, staying in a packed formation also hindered one another's evasion. The sixty-four Kamuys mercilessly attacked the immobilized Crusade army.

Swinging their blades, the blue samurai kept slicing the British Legions.

The Kamuys did not hang around the numerically superior Crusades after launching their surprise assault. After attacking, they scattered in all directions to engage in guerrilla tactics.

This momentary engagement inflicted mortal wounds on quite a few Crusades.

Twenty or so of them crashed down, having suffered stabs or slashes on their heads, necks or gaps in their armor. The eighty-six Crusades were down to sixty-five now.

The surviving British Legions hastily raised their bayonet rifles, preparing to strike back.

The sixty-four opposing Kamuys remained scattered, flying in the distance at low speed to observe the British army, biding their time for another chance to attack...

"Should we pursue? Or regroup for a frontal assault—" Lampard swiftly decided his next move.

Surveying this airspace, there were no signs of a commander leading the Kamuys. Supposing the enemy Chevalier was absent in the area rather than hiding, then he should pick a third option.

"Roar, my troops. War Cry!"

The Crusades under his command immediately obeyed.

Their fierce howling resounded across the entire Suruga. Furthermore, the howling sound boomed and echoed like thunder, persisting through time.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

This roaring of Legions was known as the War Cry.

The Legions released huge amounts of noise from beneath the masks on their faces, forming a unique song. Also, the War Cry had the effect of noetic disruption.

This time, the ones affected were the sixty-four newly arrived Kamuys.

Legions were controlled by the noetic waves of Chevaliers. Under noetic disruption, Legions become unable to receive noetic waves, thereby losing control.

The Kamuys crashed down one after another like mosquitoes that had been sprayed by pesticide.

Lampard's hunch turned out to be the correct. The enemy commander was absent after all. All a nearby Chevalier needed to do was send out noetic waves to cancel out the noetic disruption. It looked like victory was at hand—Not yet.

"Some of them are still hanging on. Japanese troops are truly persistent."

Thirty Kamuys remained in the air, flying unsteadily over the tutelary fort.

Lampard recalled the traits of Japanese Legions. Agile, diligent, brave—and loyal. Even when noetic wave reception was weakened, they continued to carry out their master's orders loyally.

"However, their defeat is only a matter of time."

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The Crusades' War Cry continued. At this rate, it would be trivial to strike down the remaining Kamuys.

Then all that remained would be to demolish the noesis barrier and take the tutelary fort...

Lampard was convinced of his victory.

Of the two Knights of Her Majesty invading today, both had a Chevalier Strength of around a hundred.

In truth, Akigase Rikka's Chevalier Strength was 154, higher than either of them. When she summoned ninety Kamuys to take on the vanguard Crusades, she still had a few dozen surplus. Conserving the remainder as a reserve unit, she had initially kept a hidden hand.

Experienced Chevaliers were able to summon Legions from some distance away.

Rikka had sent the remainder of her Kamuys to the tutelary fort to reinforce Sakuya's defense—

"The War Cry huh? Truly living up the name of the Knights of Her Majesty. He selected with such accuracy the tactic most unfavorable to my side."

Rikka clicked her tongue impatiently. She was still staying at the zone of reclaimed land on the coast of Suruga Bay.

Of the valiantly resisting British vanguard, only twenty Crusades to face off against Rikka. There were fifty-five Kamuys remaining in Rikka's unit. Both armies had taken up square formations and were exchanging fire from a slight distance. In a few more minutes, it would be Rikka's victory.

However, Rikka could hear a loud and ominous noise coming from the sky.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

The Kamuys sent to assist in the Suruga tutelary fort's defense were under the effects of noetic disruption and unable to receive Rikka's commands. Worst of all, the song was still in progress.

"Please, hang in there a while longer..."

Rikka sent noetic waves towards her subordinates in the distance, praying for them to fight to the very end.

Her noetic waves were very powerful and some of the Kamuys could still endure for a while, but one could not hope for a miracle. If only Sakuya was in prime condition, then there would be no need for her to divide her troops—

In a few minutes, Rikka would be able to rush back to the tutelary fort.

However, the problem was that her side could very well be wiped out during these few minutes.

===Part 5===

The Suruga tutelary fort was located on a plateau known as Nihondaira.

Masatsugu finally arrived near the plateau. There were sixty-odd Crusades clustered together in the air, emitting a War Cry that resounded through the heavens. Hearing the song, the Kamuys turned into an unsteady and disorganized mess. Many of them had already crashed to the ground.

The ifrit Seiryuu was also on the brink of collapse inside the barrier...

This was a battlefield and Tachibana Masatsugu had finally arrived.

"Suppose the genie was alright... Combined with Rikka-sama's own power, it would have been possible to defeat the two Knights of Her Majesty and protect the tutelary fort. But currently—"

Arriving with him to the scene, Shiori spoke with pity in her voice.

They had rushed here from the house near the student dorms, riding a Mibu wolf, the retainer beast that Shiori had summoned earlier. Mounted on the giant silver wolf, the two of them had traversed mountain paths in the most direct route with frightening speed, reaching their destination in merely ten-odd minutes.

Masatsugu was puzzled by the princess' comment.

"I believe the Chevalier defending Suruga is Akigase-dono, isn't that right? Princess, you seem to hold her in high regard, but didn't you say that Japanese Chevaliers are unreliable?"

"Rikka-sama is different. Her experience is similar to mine."

"Similar?"

"I used to study at Eastern Rome's capital, serving as a hostage in all but name. Rikka-sama was also sent to the Roman army and spent three years fighting as part of an allied contingent."

A so-called allied contingent was a tradition dating back to ancient Rome.

Shiori explained that it was a unit of troops formed by borrowing soldiers from allied tribes or nations and sending them to the front lines.

"Rikka-sama became a Chevalier at the age of thirteen and was immediately sent to fight on Rome's behalf in various battlefields. She is a battle-hardened veteran despite her young age."

"I see, so she has that kind of past."

Masatsugu understood and came up with an idea. Since she was a general whose merits were recognized by the princess, she probably would cooperate with his plan, right? Masatsugu felt this sense of anticipation.

"Princess, may I trouble you to send a message to Akigase-dono as quickly as possible?"

"It is certainly no problem since I have a pipe fox at hand... What do you wish for me to convey?"

"Very simple, tell her to do nothing—Order her Legions to cease all resistance."

"Eh!?"

"That's all I need. Then after that, I'll crush the British Empire's knights."

An astonished expression was hanging on Shiori's face. She had yet to understand Masatsugu's intent, perhaps because Masatsugu had omitted a detailed explanation in favor of saving time.

Without questioning him, she simply said, "...However, it is quite unlikely for her to accept the message as it is right now. Perhaps she might be willing to read it if sent in my name—"

Shiori simply pointed out a practical issue. She had apparently decided to place her faith in Tachibana Masatsugu.

This princess had outstanding courage despite her highborn upbringing. She did not get hung up over trivial matters. A rare talent as befitted leaders.

Due to this, Masatsugu found her endearing and likeable. Shiori pondered for a moment.

She then opened her right palm and her pipe fox appeared on it.

"Deliver a message to Chevalier Akigase on my behalf. The contents are as dictated by Masatsugu-sama just now. Sign it jointly in the name of Fujinomiya Shiori and ''Hijikata''."

The white little animal vanished into thin air after receiving the princess' orders.

While the pipe fox had gone to relay the message, Masatsugu was puzzled by what Shiori meant by Hijikata.

"Rikka-sama should be able to figure it out instantly as soon as she hears this magical name. A lie of convenience purely to handle the crisis, but it might work. By the way, Masatsugu-sama."

They had traveled here by riding a silver retainer beast, the Mibu wolf.

Walking over to the giant wolf that was about the size of a horse, Shiori retrieved the sheathed Japanese sword it was holding in its mouth.

This was something the princess had asked the Mibu wolf to carry when they left Ryouzan Manor.

Shiori presented the Japanese sword to Masatsugu.

"Please accept this. It is an heirloom passed down the Fujinomiya family—A testament to a Feat of Arms. It is a relic from a certain hero... I took this out in hopes that it could aid you, Masatsugu-sama."

"A testament to a Feat of Arms, in other words, it's an Appellation?"

Shiori nodded in affirmation and Masatsugu took it from her hand.

Instantly, Masatsugu felt an electric current rush through him as though he had been struck by lightning. His entire body kept trembling and it felt like his heart was being squeezed—

This extraordinary treasured sword was questioning Masatsugu.

It was questioning Masatsugu's body and soul, "Are you worthy of my company through life and death?"

This was a very brutal method of confirmation. The impact could very well rupture the heart of even a seasoned warrior, let alone an ordinary person. Masatsugu smiled wryly. Twitching his cheeks slightly, he shook his head. What Masatsugu implied was, ''Who do you think you're testing?''

''A trial of this level cannot best my body.''

After that, the abnormal symptoms vanished from Masatsugu's body.

The treasured sword had accepted Masatsugu. Acknowledging Masatsugu, it apologized for its rudeness.

"What a sword with a fierce temper. I like it."

"It was the personal sword belonging to a hero known as 'the merciless.' Have you already tamed it without recalling your own mighty name? ...As expected of Lord Caesar's peer."

"It's not like the lack of a name prevents me from fighting. I'll always find a solution somehow."

Shiori smiled wryly. More than praising him, there were elements of exasperation there.

Masatsugu calmly answered his lady liege as usual and looked up at the sky.

The Crusades were still singing, their War Cry resonating across the Suruga sky. Conversely, the remaining twenty or so Kamuys had stopped resisting valiantly.

One after another, they fell to the ground like wild birds that had been shot by hunting rifles.

Were they depleted of power, defeated? ...No, the "magic word" sent by the princess must have worked.

"Please wait a moment while I take care of the enemy."

Turning his back to Shiori, Masatsugu walked forward.

He was armed with nothing but a sword in his left hand—A Japanese sword in its scabbard. Apart from that, he had no other weapons.

However, this was enough to deal with an army of this size. Perhaps due to stepping into the battlefield on his own volition, by his own initiative, Masatsugu was now fully aware of how Chevaliers fought.

"Sorry, I don't have a name to summon you guys, but please help me for now."

Advancing with just a lone sword, he released noesis towards the battlefield.

Noesis—The strength of a Chevalier's thoughts was determined by all kinds of crucial factors.

Strength of personality, strength of character, mental strength, physical strength, competitiveness, composure, wrath, hatred, love, friendship, sadness, enlightenment, life experience, combat experience, charisma, etc...

The noesis released by Masatsugu was far stronger than anyone else's on this battlefield.

"Attack as soon as I give the order without the slightest delay."

After quietly issuing his order, Masatsugu looked up at the sky again.

There were sixty-five Crusades in the air. Figuring out how to use noesis, Masatsugu was able to rapidly detect the Legions' noesis, instantly obtaining a count of enemy numbers.

The sixty-five Crusades began to speed up again.

The whole army was flying straight at the noesis barrier protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

This time, the enemy did not form a rugby scrum. Wielding their rifles with bayonets raised, every Crusade was flying at maximum combat speed.

It was like a lance charge of medieval knights.

Riding war horses to charge full speed at the enemy with a thrust of a barbed cavalry lance. Even in full armor, the enemy would be pierced by the lances or killed by the collision, knight and horse altogether.

The sixty-five Crusades were planning to break the noesis barrier by using the killer move of the cavalry charge.

Masatsugu issued a concise command, "Begin."

The Legions responding to this order were on the ground rather than in the air.

They were the sixty-four Kamuys sent by Chevalier Akigase Rikka, having crashed to the ground due to the War Cry—No, that was not the only reason why they had crashed.

Chevalier Akigase had trusted the instructions sent by Masatsugu in the princess' name.

Due to the effects of noetic disruption, unable to receive their master's noetic waves, the sixty-four Kamuys ended up crashing to the ground one after another.

Sending his noetic waves to the Kamuys that had lost their commander, Masatsugu had forcibly assumed command.

This method was just as coercive as how he had ordered the Kamuy yesterday, almost like snatching by force.

The Kamuys that had been lying on the ground like corpses... They stood up like ghosts. Many of the crashed Kamuys were injured, but not enough to prevent them from fighting. Legions had very high resistance against non-mystical damage.

Kamuys were revived all over the battlefield's mountainous terrain.

Their armor and military uniforms used to be blue.

All the Kamuys were now red-purple. Every single one of them had taken on this color—This was proof that they had fallen under Masatsugu's command.

"Do it."

At Masatsugu's brief order, the sixty-four Kamuys all flew at once.

The Kamuys had taken off from different locations but they all had the same target—The sixty-five Crusades, having just charged at full strength at the Suruga tutelary fort's noesis barrier. The Kamuys were flying at them from behind.

The British Legions had executed a lance charge with all their might.

Struck in sixty-five places by this attack, the shimmering noesis barrier was greatly weakened. Parts of the scenery exhibiting no heat haze effect also became very obvious.

Moreover, Seiryuu above the tutelary fort was about to vanish.

After the Crusades' fierce attack came the onslaught of the sixty-four Kamuys that had turned red-purple.

Having just executed a strenuous offensive, the British winged soldiers were severely depleted in ectoplasmic fluid and wide open.

Seizing this opportunity, the Kamuys fired their rifles' heat beams.

Shot in the back, the sixty-five Crusades were reduced to twenty-nine in an instant.

Masatsugu had sent "that message" earlier precisely for the sake of this moment. While luring the British knight into complacency, it simultaneously ensured enough remaining troops for him to use.

"Now I owe Akigase-dono one. Thanks to her being so reasonable, I was able to win easily."

Currently, Masatsugu was looking at the sky confidently.

The "red-purple Kamuys" were preparing to tighten the net in the aerial battlefield. Closing in on the British Legions, they were going to stab the enemies in the vitals using their bayonets.

"They're on their last legs. Wipe them out in melee," Masatsugu calmly commanded.

There were only twenty-nine Crusades left. They were not only at a numerical disadvantage but also exhausted.

With the odds stacked firmly in his favor, Masatsugu ordered the sixty-four "red-purples" to charge at the battered Crusades. Victory was virtually guaranteed.

However, Masatsugu still decided to press the offensive thoroughly.

Before the enemy could muster a last stand in desperation, he would annihilate them with extreme prejudice.

"Thank you for waiting. It's finally your turn to debut."

The sheathed Japanese sword in Masatsugu's left hand was the Appellation bestowed to him by Princess Shiori.

The treasured sword hummed in resonance to respond to Masatsugu.

"My Appellation of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada... The man bearing the title of 'the merciless' once wielded you to demonstrate feats of arms to the world. Share these feats with my soldiers too."

Masatsugu chanted a certain name that had surfaced in his mind when he inherited the sword.

Then he drew it out. A great sword two feet and eight inches long. Curving gently, the blade exhibited the kind of beauty unique to Japanese swords but was not especially ornate. There was a spirit of austerity and fortitude in its appearance—craftsmanship prioritizing practical combat to forge a trenchant blade specialized for slaying enemies. The blade exuded a keen aura of sharpness.

"All Kamuys, draw your sword."

The "red-purple" army met the airborne Crusades in melee combat.

Their sixty-four weapons transformed all at once. The bayonet rifles serving as spears suddenly transformed into Japanese swords, identical to Masatsugu's Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada.

With this sword in hand, the "red-purples" fought with greater ferocity than ever before.

The sixty-four Legions under Masatsugu's command had all transformed into swordsmen like fierce demons.

Slash. Thrust. Slash. Thrust. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Thrust. Slash.

Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash. Slash—

The sixty-four Legions kept swinging their swords in the air, brutally slicing and piercing the Crusades' bodies, splattering the ectoplasmic fluid that served as blood.

Vertical slashes. Horizontal slashes. Diagonal slashes. Straight thrusts.

Every sword technique was so precise and merciless, almost to a bone-chilling degree. As though chopping vegetables, the Kamuys severed the Crusades' limbs, bodies, necks, and masks.

Some of the Crusades tried to swung their bayonets in an attempt to resist the onslaught of the Japanese swords.

However, the "red-purples" simply sliced through the rifles or the bayonet blades outright, rendering their enemies' weapons neutralized.

Against such incisive swordsmanship, protective gear was meaningless.

The Crusades' armor was sliced through like paper, completely useless.

This was totally one-sided slaughter, a massacre.

Masatsugu's Kamuys were using what appeared to be ''Tennen Rishin Style'' of the sword...

"Hmm?"

At that moment, a Crusade fell down.

The enemy crashed into the ground roughly twenty meters from Masatsugu.

A "red-purple Kamuy" had slashed a deep cut on the Legion's back, but the wound was not fatal. Furthermore, the Crusade seemed to realize Masatsugu was the commander. Unable to get up, the Legion strained to lift its upper torso, aiming its gun at Masatsugu from a prone posture.

In the next second, the trigger was pulled.

The beam of deadly light shot out, but Masatsugu ''dodged''.

In truth, his reflexes were not outrageous enough to dodge light. It was simply because the enemy had released noesis filled with bloodlust prior to attacking.

By detecting that kind of noesis, it was naturally possible to dodge the heat beams that followed in succession.

Masatsugu slowly made his way to the fallen enemy soldier.

The opponent was a Legion, a giant capable of destroying large cities and slaughtering tens of thousands of people. Nevertheless, Masatsugu's footsteps were confident and unhurried.

In the end, he had to dodge three beams before he reached the Crusade.

Lifting its upper body was already the British Legion's limit. Unable to attack Masatsugu with its gigantic body, it only had the strength to pull the trigger.

Lying on the ground, the enemy's face happened to be right in front of Masatsugu.

The Crusade was a white giant with a full height of eight meters. In terms of proportion, the head was one-eighth of the body in height. In other words, the face was close to a meter long.

The massive face was hidden under the thick helmet and a mask—

Masatsugu stabbed Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada into the enemy's forehead, easily piercing the helmet's armor.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 01 BW08.jpg|thumb]]

The pair of eyes behind the mask lost their glow and the Crusade went limp. It died.

...Masatsugu had a faint feeling that he was a warrior capable of fighting Legions in the flesh. In fact, prior to coming here, a notion had occurred to him. Even without an army to command, he did not mind personally cutting down enemies of this scale—

Currently, Masatsugu was clearly aware of his extraordinary fortitude.

Instinctively, Masatsugu was certain that other Resurrectees were the same. This was presumably a power unique to heroes reborn from the ancient past, but the ease with which he had pierced the Legion's armor was not his credit alone.

He praised Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his hand, "Your blade is very sharp."

Up in the aerial battlefield, a Crusade was slashed dead every ten seconds.

This was all due to the Japanese sword wielded by the red-purple Kamuys—the peerless sharpness of the blades. Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada hummed, asking him not to point out the obvious.

"I guess I'll simply call them 'Kanesadas' from now on."

Referring to them as "red-purple Kamuys" was a pain, so Masatsugu came up with this name on a whim.

The Crusades in the air had given up all resistance and were like lambs to the slaughter.

Taking a closer look, Masatsugu noticed that the British Empire's Chevalier on the wyvern mount had disappeared from the air at some point. Presumably, he had taken some Crusades as bodyguards and retreated.

The troops borrowed at a moment's notice had won a victory for Tachibana Masatsugu.

"What is going on with those Kamuys...?" muttered Akigase Rikka in puzzlement.

Next to the tutelary fort's noesis barrier, a group of Kamuys were dogfighting in the air.

Every Kamuy was red-purple in color. They were using Japanese swords to attack the British Legions instead of bayonet rifles.

—After defeating the vanguard Crusades at the coastal reclaimed land, Rikka had hurried back to the Suruga tutelary fort with her troops.

Leading her remaining forty-eight Kamuys, Rikka had flown across the sky over the battlefield.

Just as when she had sorties, she was standing on a Legion's shoulder. Beneath them was the mountainous region formed by Mount Kunou and Mount Udo. Dead Crusades were scattered all over the place...

They had all been killed by the army of "red-purple Kamuys."

Currently, that army was slaughtering the last remnants of the Crusades using fierce swordsmanship that would even make gods weep.

Rikka could tell that the red-purple Kamuys were using Japanese swordsmanship, and an ancient style too. As a specialist in Yagyū Shinkage Style herself, Rikka could tell from a single glance.

A commonly used stance was called the slant seigan.

Ancient sword styles called the middle stance the seigan. Standing sideways towards the opponent, one would aim the sword tip at the opponent's throat or eyes. The slant seigan was a variation of this type of stance.

With the blade slanted slightly to the left, it was also known as the suigetsu stance.

"The flat seigan..."

Among ancient schools of the sword, Tennen Rishin Style also called the slant seigan as the "flat seigan." There was no one more famous than ''a certain figure'' as a swordsman of this style. Rikka spoke his name.

"Hijikata—Toshizō."

Hijikata Toshizō was a warrior in the Bakumatsu era, serving as the vice-commander of the Shinsengumi under the Tokugawa shogunate. He was known for his brutal methods.

Indeed, he was the "Merciless Vice-Commander" of legend. During the Boshin War that began the Meiji Restoration, the defeated shogunate army retreated to Hokkaidō and Hijikata Toshizō went with them.

Hijikata Toshizō's later exploits were very well-known to history enthusiasts.

Entering an audience with Lord Tenryuu, the sacred beast that had descended upon the plains of Hokkaidō, he obtained a pack of retainer beasts, the Mibu wolves. Fighting as the commander of the shogunate troops across various battlefields with the Mibu wolves by his side, he protected Hokkaidō from the Meiji government's invasion.

The current imperial family had roots in the northern court that had fled to Hokkaidō. Consequently, after the Second World War, the name of Hijikata Toshizō came to the forefront as a hero who had protected the nation.

Furthermore, national historical novelists had written a series of masterpieces using the Shinsengumi as a theme.

"Princess, why did you mention that hero's name...?" murmured Rikka to herself. Fujinomiya Shiori's message was jointly signed with Hijikata, a name associated with the warrior who had intimate ties to Japan's sacred beast and imperial family.

Precisely because of that, Rikka had followed the instruction while half in doubt.

Currently, the army of Kamuys was using Tennen Rishin Style on a rampage, crushing the British attackers.

However, these Kamuys that had turned red-purple were Akigase Rikka's Legions originally. Contrary to Rikka's expectations, there was no response even when she transmitted noetic waves. She could not regain command of them at all.

In other words—

Someone possessing noesis surpassing hers was commanding this "red-purple" army.

Rikka's heart pounded in excitement. Japan lacked a Resurrectee of Lord Caesar or Admiral Nelson's caliber, but now, a hero who could very well overturn this disadvantage had shown up.

Besides, that hero was not only the Merciless Vice-Commander but also a famous swordsman and experienced soldier—At that moment, Rikka came to a sudden stop. She shook her head hastily to caution herself. This was no time to be concerned with such matters.

Meanwhile, the "red-purple" Kamuys had completely wiped out the army of British Legions.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 01 BW09.jpg|thumb]]
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Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2016-07-19T14:13:01Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 3 - Knights and Feats of Arms==

===Part 1===

The water shrine was located deep underground of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Inside the vast space built from stone was a pool of marine-blue holy water. With dozens of giant pillars standing inside it, there was a solemnity reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

The water shrine was an important military facility as well as a quiet sanctuary.

"It has been so long since I last visited Suruga's water shrine."

Akigase Rikka was walking alone in the water shrine. This place's abundant body of blue water was criss-crossed by a thread-like network of paths three meters wide, allowing people to walk without getting wet.

Only personnel involved with mystic powers or Legions were allowed to enter water shrines.

Most representative of them were the Chevaliers, followed by noetic masters, monks, priests, shrine maidens, alchemist guilds, researchers at noetic associations, as well as genies and retainer beasts, etc—

Rikka walked over to the "bath" in the back of the water shrine. There was no door. Inside a space roughly the size of a basketball court, there was a round pool filled with a marine-blue liquid. At the center of the pool was a fountain supplying the blue liquid.

"Let us begin..."

Rikka unfastened her clothing and removed her black military uniform as an officer of the Imperial Army.

As the princess of the Tōkaidō Fiefdom, Rikka had trained in all kinds of etiquette but never had the meticulous inclination to put her clothing away properly. Her removed garments were scattered all over the floor in a demonstration of a bold warrior's nature, roaming battlefields without concern for trivial details.

However, she did carefully set down the Japanese sword hanging at her waist.

Completely naked, Rikka entered the pool—namely, the vat of ectoplasmic fluid used for bathing.

The marine-blue liquid filling the water shrine was artificial ectoplasmic fluid. This liquid had the same composition as the blood flowing in the veins of Legions.

The vat of ectoplasmic fluid was not deep. One could sit down in the vat and the fluid would not reach the top of one's shoulders.

Rikka stretched out her limbs in the vat. There was very little flab on her well-trained body, although the soft curves of her bust and hip regions fully expressed her womanly beauty.

The cold ectoplasmic fluid was mercilessly chilling her flawless nude body.

Rikka endured the cold of soaking herself in the pool. Her body began to heat up gradually. This was the best evidence that the source of mystic powers was seeping into Akigase Rikka's body.

This ectoplasmic fluid would turn into the power source for the Kamuy army under her command.

"Ectoplasmic fluid is synthesized from the blood of the godlike sacred beasts to serve as a nourishment for beings not of this world... Knights must store ectoplasmic fluid in their bodies and souls to feed their armies—Isn't that right?"

This was what Rikka had learned about Legions through oral tradition.

Bathing in a vat of ectoplasmic fluid was like resupplying rations to feed a massive army. In addition, there was one important significance.

"...Upon my Appellation of Onikiri Yasutsuna, I pray to the local shrine of Suruga. Now that my soldiers and I have bathed in local holy water, pray grant me the authorizing seal of warfare to become the war god to defend Suruga."

Rikka shut her eyes and prayed to Suruga's water shrine.

This was to approve Akigase Rikka and her army to become guardian knights of the local land and grant them power...

Before long, Rikka's entire body was glowing with faint radiance to signify the establishment of a "contract." With this accomplished, she could now sortie any moment. Once the light subsided, she prepared to handle another unresolved problem.

"Sakuya, please come out. I am not angry at you."

Rikka called out to the genie hiding in the Suruga tutelary fort. Sakuya might not be present at the water shrine currently but she should be able to sense the noetic waves "calling" her.

"It stands to reason that you could have done better yesterday. Fortunately, I arrived in the nick of time and this tutelary fort did not fall to the enemy."

Rikka's tone was gentle as though consoling a frightened child or animal.

However, Rikka did not want to feign a sweet voice to coax others. She could not do it either. Aware of her warrior disposition, Rikka spoke rigidly, "Since the worst-case scenario was avoided and I am not a woman who nags and clings to grudges, will you please forget about yesterday? Hurry and come help me. Starting today, we will be very busy for foreseeable future."

As soon as she finished, a roughly nine-year-old girl appeared out of thin air next to the vat of ectoplasmic fluid. The young girl with shoulder-length black hair was dressed as shrine maiden, Sakuya's projected image.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 01 BW06.jpg|thumb]]

The genie's image was looking at Rikka with timid eyes with a sad look on her face.

Rikka deliberately refrained from speaking. She shrugged in an exaggerated manner to imply "what am I going to do with you?"

Immediately, a pipe fox appeared next to Sakuya with a bell's ringing sound.

Glancing at the pipe fox, the image said quietly, "The princess is coming. She wishes for you... to go upstairs."

"Really? Her Highness arrived so soon."

One night had gone by since the attack of the Crusades. It was currently 9:24am.

Reportedly, Princess Shiori happened to be at the tutelary fort yesterday. After Rikka rushed to the scene, she had returned to her temporary residence in the city, hence the two of them had missed each other. Rikka was going to meet the rumored princess at last. They also needed to discuss the current incident.

"No helping it. The situation has become very serious," murmured Rikka to herself, recalling the reports on television last night.

At 7:00pm the previous evening, the Kyoto government in the Kinai region had held a press conference.

The host was the Kinai Governor General, Izumi Tenzen. He was the premier Chevalier and ruler of Kinai, a renowned fierce general who stood on the front lines personally to lead his army of Legions.

In front of the media which included television stations, newspapers and magazines, he cursed extremely emotionally.

The target of his verbal abuse was Lord Caesar, the great generalissimo from the neighboring country and protector of Imperial Japan.

The gist of the speech was as follows:

'Lord Caesar calls himself the protector of our nation's Empress but exerts wanton control over our imperial government and the Kantō Fiefdom to interfere unjustly in our internal affairs. Expelling Lord Caesar and the Roman Army from Her Majesty's presence is the first step to rebuilding our proud nation. We pledge our lives to accomplish this monumental endeavor.'

In addition, he even said the following:

'The friend of our nation, the British Empire, agrees with us wholeheartedly.'

'I hereby declare the formation of the Restoration Alliance between the Kinai Fiefdom and the British Empire. All Fiefdoms wishing to pursue the same dream are welcome to join the alliance to save our great nation.'

'As a revolutionaries to bring about our nation's rebirth, the Restoration Alliance will presently march upon Tokyo.'

The Restoration Alliance's manifesto was instantly spread throughout Japan via airwaves.

It raised a huge uproar in the imperial palace and the National Diet Building.

The Tōkaidō region, sandwiched between Kinai and Kantō, was also the location of Rikka and the princess. The Restoration Alliance's army would inevitably pass through Tōkaidō.

"Anyway, I must have a discussion with the princess at length."

Although feared by the Empress faction, Shiori was still a legitimate princess of the imperial family.

As a knight, Rikka had no choice but to express her respect and concern. Leaving the blue ectoplasmic fluid, Rikka walked over to her military uniform that was scattered on the floor.

"Thank you for taking the trouble to come here, Your Highness, and gracing me with your presence."

Arriving at a room in the Suruga tutelary fort, Akigase Rikka bowed as soon as she saw the princess.

Shiori smiled gently in return to this young maiden who was both the Tōkaidō Governor General's daughter and a Chevalier.

"I am truly pleased that we were able to meet as scheduled today despite the current times we are in."

"Definitely," Rikka smiled wryly. Their appointment had been set for today in the first place.

Shiori was dressed in her usual blouse and skirt while Rikka had her black military uniform that was exclusive to officers.

"Is your father currently at Nagoya, Rikka-sama?"

"Yes. By the way, my father has apparently paid his respects to Your Highness before—"

"We met a few times at the capital. I have also seen him once after my return from Rome."

The two of them were sitting on sofas to talk face to face across a table for receiving guests.

This was the personal office for the castellan, in other words, the top commander in charge of a tutelary fort.

Naturally, the commander's room was furnished with elegance and majesty. Four days prior, the previous castellan whom this room belonged to had been arrested on corruption charges. He was imprisoned at the military police headquarters in the outskirts of Suruga City and his Appellation, the key for summoning Legions, was also sealed.

Yesterday, the temporary castellan had died in combat.

"Speaking of which... Rikka-sama, you are currently the Suruga tutelary fort's castellan, is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. Of course, returning to Nagoya would currently be quite a challenge. Since encountering them here counts as a sort of fate, I shall engage the Restoration Alliance for a bit."

The Chevalier princess smiled cheerfully and Shiori asked, "Then the urban areas around Suruga have been sealed off?"

"Yes, all major roads and railways have fallen under the Restoration Alliance's control."

A map of Tōkaidō was laid out on the table.

The Tōkaidō region consisted of the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Suruga City was the central metropolis of Shizuoka Prefecture.

"Apart from this place, all tutelary forts in Shizuoka have been subjugated by by the Restoration Alliance."

Rikka pointed at five locations on the map—Hamamatsu, Kakegawa, Suruga, Fuji, and Nagahama respectively.

"Suruga's previous castellan not only took bribes but even had secret dealings with agents of Britain. Had we discovered this sooner, we might have been able to discover the invasion at the earliest opportunity... However, it could have been his arrest that prompted the Restoration Alliance to act ahead of schedule," explained Rikka wryly.

Shiori said to her, "Regardless, Suruga is currently akin to an isolated island on land."

"Yes. Telephone circuits have stopped working since last night while surrounding base stations have apparently been taken over. Moreover, the whole Suruga region is under large-scale interference from noetic waves, so even wireless communications and airwaves have been very unstable."

Indeed, since late last night, television and radio signals could no longer be received.

Shiori had confirmed this too.

Rikka continued, "Getting a hold of outside information requires the use of retainer beasts to scout or pass messages. At the moment, I have dispatched roughly a hundred pipe foxes."

"Is it possible for humans to enter or leave?"

"The British forces have deployed many retainer beasts to surround Suruga. Whether taking air routes or going through the Southern Alps, there is a high risk of being detected."

"Retainer beasts... In that case, reckless escape attempts would be even more dangerous."

Shiori began to assess the situation. Shizuoka Prefecture's plains were mostly located along the shore.

Not only were urban areas concentrated there but the old highway dating before the Edo period was also built along the coast. That was why the name of Tōkaidō equated to "sea road."

The five tutelary forts of Shizuoka Prefecture were also built along the old highway or on the Pacific coast.

"As one might expect, the Restoration Alliance's army—" Shiori spoke after some contemplation, "—will be advancing east along the old highway to take over Hakone Checkpoint."

"Assuredly so. Rome has a garrison stationed in Kantō, which means that failure is all but assured unless the Restoration Alliance secures their base of operations prior to attacking."

The higher the altitude at which a Legion flew, the greater the consumption of ectoplasmic fluid.

Consequently, movement was essentially limited to low-altitude flight or sea travel while avoiding mountainous regions. (If a fight against Legions was not expected after the movement of troops, there were also cases of super high-altitude travel through the stratosphere.)

Sitting formally and upright, Rikka said solemnly, "Your Highness, now that Suruga is surrounded, the situation is quite dire. If you wish to escape to the capital, perhaps I could—"

"No need for that, but I do appreciate the gesture."

"Oh?"

The Chevalier princess narrowed her eyes with interest.

Shiori smiled and said, "I have no idea whether Suruga will be my final resting place, but I did come here with intentions to stay for the long term. Besides, those people at the capital... probably do not welcome my return."

"True."

Rikka also knew why Shiori was feared.

Just as she was smiling awkwardly and feeling ridiculous, Shiori said to her, "Rikka-sama, speaking of escaping Suruga, wouldn't it be natural for you to receive orders to escape yourself?"

Akigase Rikka's father was the Governor General of Tōkaidō, Akigase Shouzan.

He was both a man of impressive magnanimity and an experienced politician. Even disregarding their relationship of parent and child, it was possible for him to secretly order his daughter to leave Suruga, so as to prevent Tōkaidō's top Chevalier from perishing along with the Suruga tutelary fort.

Hearing Shiori's speculation, Rikka laughed candidly.

"This I cannot deny. Either way, there are ways to handle it. If my father were to send a pipe fox to issue such an order... I will simply claim that the pipe fox went missing."

"Oh dear."

Akigase Rikka was not only a mighty warrior but also a noble-minded Chevalier of utmost integrity.

Shiori smiled elegantly with other intentions in her mind. Since she had reasons preventing her from leaving this place, her only choice was to decline Rikka's kind offer. There was an issue that Shiori must take care of here.

This issue was precisely Tachibana Masatsugu. Shiori needed to clarify the relationship between him and her.

Shiori hoped for Masatsugu to be her knight, but no one could guarantee for certain that he would be willing to assist her.

Nevertheless, Shiori committed her resolve. She must accomplish this goal no matter what.

===Part 2===

"Urgh...!"

The young private first-class serving as the guide suddenly clutched his stomach and groaned in pain.

Hatsune looked him in the face and feigned concern.

"Oh my? What's the matter with you?"

"M-My stomach suddenly—Ow... Urghhhhhhh!"

"Oh no! I'll help you get medicine! Uh, should I go to a shop or the infirmary in a situation like this?"

"P-Please excuse me for a moment."

The unfortunate soldier got up from his pipe chair and fled the scene. The Tachibana youngster combo, Masatsugu and Hatsune, watched the soldier leave.

The location was the tearoom at the tutelary fort. There was plenty of natural lighting and a wide open space.

Inside there were vending machines selling drinks and cigarettes as well as several round tables for visitors to take a break. It was currently the next day after the British Legions had attacked.

Princess Shiori was visiting the tutelary fort again, this time for a meeting with Chevalier Akigase Rikka.

As her followers, Masatsugu and Hatsune came as well, but had no choice but to wait on standby during the meeting. A certain considerate military officer had sent a guide to show them around the tutelary fort.

...Naturally, now that it was the following day after the attack of the Crusades, martial law had already been imposed on the city.

In this chaotic situation, a visit from two outsiders would be tantamount to creating trouble, so the officer had sent someone to monitor them under the euphemism of "a guide."

However, Masatsugu and Hatsune had been tasked with ''secret orders'' requiring them to evade surveillance.

When Hatsune first arrived at the tearoom, she bought two paper cups of coffee from a vending machine, cheerfully offering one to the soldier as thanks for showing them around. She had secretly slipped a black pill into the cup of coffee. Accepting it gratefully, the soldier drank the tampered coffee with a smile. Presumably, Hatsune's adorable appearance combined with the rare sight of Japanese clothing in a military base had sealed the deal.

"How was that, Onii-sama? My ninja technique of the honey trap worked!"

"So that's your idea of a honey trap..."

The curves of Hatsune's bust were very obvious even under her kimono top. She puffed out her chest proudly.

Masatsugu was not having coffee. Taking a swig of drinking water, he asked Hatsune, "You gave him a laxative, right?"

"Something like that, a secret drug passed down the Tachibana family. One pill is enough to turn someone into a toilet guardian god for two hours, completely incapable of leaving."

"It does feel ninja-like when you call it a secret passed down the family."

"That goes without saying. The Tachibana clan used to be a family of master ninjas who commanded lower ninjas."

"They were like Hattori Hanzou? Our clan keeps way too many secrets."

Hatsune brought up the Tachibana family history, prompting Masatsugu to remark poignantly.

Hattori Hanzou Masanari, who had served Tokugawa Ieyasu, was not only known as the fierce general with the nickname "Hanzou the Spear" but also a master ninja. This was a very well-known legend.

"Actually, there was once a Tachibana Chevalier two generations before us."

"But our Tachibana clan leads a very low-key life nowadays."

"Can't be helped. The honored title of Chevalier is non-hereditary. However, the Appellation is still under our clan's safekeeping, so anyone who inherits it can become a Chevalier."

Hatsune pouted, somewhat annoyed.

"I heard it is quite a high-level Appellation. Anyone who fails in the succession ritual ends up dead. That's why the ritual is forbidden unless there is an emergency."

"Sorry, I don't understand what you mean by appellation or succession."

"Oh, sorry about that. A so-called Appellation refers to a universally recognized title of someone known for martial valor. Someone who inherits this title can become a Chevalier to summon Legions."

Masatsugu leaned forward, listening attentively to Hatsune's explanation, because the one who had ordered a Japanese Legion, the Kamuy, to fight yesterday was precisely Masatsugu himself.

"Most of them are named after medals. Take Japan's Imperial Army for example. The most common one is the medal named Zuihou, the Order of the Sacred Treasure. But occasionally, there are Appellations that are different. A Chevalier worthy of inheriting that kind of high-level title will be able to use amazing killer moves!"

"I see."

"However, these special inheritances are very difficult. If someone ineligible takes on the succession ritual, failure results in instant death."

"What's this so-called eligibility?"

"It's a bit ambiguous, but pretty much 'someone who is equivalent to a ton of military strength will be fine' or something along those lines."

"Military strength huh... So superior combat ability isn't enough?"

"Hmm, apart from martial prowess, you also need to be versed in military strategy, know how to raise your troops' morale, be undefeated on the battlefield, etc. These are all aspects of 'military strength.'"

Hatsune interrupted the explanation and stared straight at Masatsugu.

"Yesterday, Onii-sama, when you demonstrated supernatural strength, I thought you had inherited the Appellation at some point, the one specially kept by the Tachibana clan."

"Sorry, I have no memory of that at all," Masatsugu gave a negative answer and said, "Are there many people who fight Legions like me... using a body of flesh?"

"I've never seen it and no one in our clan has managed it before. Generally speaking, you'd definitely be flattened. Oh, however..."

Hatsune clapped her hands together and said with her eyes glimmering, "I mentioned just now that 'those with high-level Appellations' can use amazing killer moves, right? This is a rumor I heard in the imperial palace, so it's very rare."

"At least there are known cases..."

"We'll delve deeper in these matters later. Either way, Onii-sama, you're definitely no ordinary person... So, it's time for me to get going and finish the princess' command sooner."

Hatsune stood up from her seat, shaking the pipe chair.

Masatsugu's distant cousin left swiftly, still cheerful and outgoing in personality. Masatsugu also got up to take a leisurely stroll. He had to kill time while waiting for his master and Hatsune to take care of their respective business.

While walking, Masatsugu pondered what had transpired the day before.

Drawing out unusual power from within himself, he had kept himself and the princess safe.

Back then, hot blood had coursed through his body and mind. Very naturally, he figured out the origin of Legions and how to use them and was able to apply this knowledge on the spot.

When the Crusades were destroyed, the princess had asked him, 'Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened?'

'A ''legatus legionis'' at last—A true Chevalier.'

Masatsugu was unable to answer, simply confused.

After the brief battle, the feeling of blood boiling had vanished. At the same time, he also forgot how to control Legions.

In the end, Masatsugu had no way of answering Shiori's question.

However, the term "legatus legionis" had left a deep impression in his mind.

When Masatsugu asked Shiori what it meant, she responded with a smile. He presumed that smile was to hide her disappointment.

'One who keeps a legion—It is an ancient Roman term meaning legion commander.'

Legatus Legionis. Masatsugu ruminated over the term.

"Princess! I've fulfilled your instructions!"

They were on the way back from the Suruga tutelary fort.

The tutelary fort was located at the top of a mountainous region east of the city, so going back and forth required transport by car. Naturally, they were taking a car back.

The princess was riding a black domestic luxury car with Hatsune as the driver.

Sixteen was the legal age for a driving license. Masatsugu had obtained his last year. However, his distant cousin was clearly more skilled than him as a driver.

While demonstrating fancy cornering techniques on the mountain road, Hatsune said to the lady she served, "It was so much trouble you know~? Like putting on a masquerade, using a hidden key, seeking help from the old mister Tachibana who had infiltrated the place. It'd take a long time if I had to report the details of all these tasks—"

"Good work, I shall rely on you again when the next opportunity arises."

"Sob. Princess, you're too insensitive, I was trying to say what an ordeal it was for me... This sadistic disposition does feel very princess-like. At least let me brag a bit."

"Fufufufu, didn't you know that bragging about one's glorious exploits is a pleasure that belongs to the elderly♪"

Shiori was sitting leisurely in the spacious back seat all alone.

Masatsugu was in the front passenger seat, holding the hard-won fruit of Hatsune's efforts. It was a thin slab of wood the size of an A3 sheet with kanji and Sanskrit characters written in cursive with a brush. Masatsugu could only recognize the four words of "summon the great god" and the picture of a dog-like animal drawn beneath them.

Not only was this a retainer beast talisman used by noetic techniques but also a valuable military-grade item.

Today, Hatsune had "borrowed" something like this from the tutelary fort's underground storage.

"Hatsune, go for a spin inside the city before returning to the dormitory."

"Understood."

Hatsune followed the princess' instruction and turned the steering wheel.

The car drove through the neighborhoods and streets of Suruga that Masatsugu knew so well. However, there was very little traffic in every street. Most shops were also closed temporarily. All this was the due to the imposition of martial law. Most of the vehicles on the road belonged to either the Tōkaidō provincial army or the police.

Along the way, this car was stopped by soldiers and police many times too.

Fortunately, the princess had already become a celebrity known in every Suruga household. The influence and respect accorded to her as well as the calling card of ''Chevalier Akigase Rikka'' received at the tutelary fort proved to be handy in these situations. Rikka had written "please provide assistance to the princess" on the back of the card, which had a profound effect.

After that, Hatsune drove north of Suruga City.

Continuing forward along this direction would take one near the Souther Alps and Mount Ryuusou. In other words, they had gone from the countryside around a bus station to what was truly deep in the mountains.

Masatsugu looked out the window into the sky and noticed something.

Flying in the air were three wyverns, a type of retainer beast used by many countries. Their common characteristics were "a lizard-like appearance except with wings growing out of their shoulders" and "being roughly two to three times the size of a horse."

However, every country's variant of wyvern had its own unique color.

Imperial Japan's wyverns were blue. The wyverns in the air currently were white.

White was the color the British Empire's wyverns.

"So British retainer beasts have trespassed all the way here..." lamented the princess gloomily.

They were not the only car traveling on the road. Every now and then, they would see local cars driving to the urban zone adjacent to Suruga Station to seek refuge.

There were many flyers scattered on the ground.

Distributed by wyverns all over the place, the flyers were signed jointly by the British Imperial Forces and the Kinai Fiefdom.

Masatsugu's party had picked them up to read earlier. 'Residents are strongly encouraged to seek refuge in areas deemed appropriate by the Charter of Chivalry' was written on them. People living in the area had acted according to the flyer's instructions.

Masatsugu asked the princess in the back seat, "Does the Kinai Fiefdom intend to oppose the Roman army with British assistance?"

"Indeed. For the past fifty years, Japan's Chevaliers had seen very little action in the field... In contrast, Chevaliers of both the Eastern Roman Empire and the British Empire have been fighting on battlefields across the globe. Whether Chevalier Strength or experience, Japan is no match on either front."

"What is Chevalier Strength?"

"The number of Legions a Chevalier can summon at a time constitutes 'Chevalier Strength.' Chevaliers with a higher Chevalier Strength can summon a greater quantity of Legions—One could think of it as a power indicator. Take yesterday's battle for instance... Despite holding home field advantage, the Suruga side lost to the invading Crusades due to numerical inferiority."

The princess shrugged and sighed.

"The power disparity between the two armies was too obvious."

"From what I have heard, a Chevalier can use more Legions when fighting at a friendly tutelary fort."

The mystic beings, Legions, were summoned out of thin air at a Chevalier's command.

However, effects were different depending on the summoning location.

The quantity of summoned Legions would decrease drastically unless the summoning took place in a land holding powerful mystic energies known as divine precincts or sanctuaries. As nature would have it, these sanctuaries were very rare and the few that existed were located deep in the mountains or in the middle of nature, places of scant military value...

Masatsugu recalled knowledge he had heard before.

Shiori said to him, "Tutelary forts have water shrine underground—In other words, reservoirs of artificial ectoplasmic fluid. Thanks to large quantities of this mysterious liquid that 'nourishes beings not of this world,' the region surrounding a water shrine will naturally become spiritually purified—"

"Meaning that it becomes a sacred domain, right?"

After comprehending the explanation, Masatsugu was struck by another question. From his position in the front passenger seat, he somehow felt as though Shiori was staring at him continuously from the back.

===Part 3===

Masatsugu and the others returned to Rinzai High before noon.

More precisely, it was the high school's dormitories. Princess Shiori and Hatsune were both boarders.

After the princess' personal car was parked at the staff parking lot, Masatsugu and Hatsune stayed at Shiori's side while heading to the dorm.

Unlike yesterday, Shiori did not walk in the lead.

On campus, she intended to keep up her facade a the "gentle and virtuous princess."

"...Taisei?" Masatsugu asked doubtfully upon seeing Okonogi Taisei in front of the boys dorm.

Concerned about the presence of the princess, Taisei gestured with a wave of his hand, wanting have a word with Masatsugu in private.

Living in the city, Taisei was not a boarder. Besides, now that martial law was in effect, educational institutions were basically all on holiday. Masatsugu had no idea why he was here.

"Your Highness, may I have a word with my friend?"

Masatsugu glanced at Taisei before seeking permission from the princess.

"I don't mind... However, I would like to meet him too. I wish to know about the reactions of the school and the students," replied Shiori.

When Masatsugu brought Hatsune and the princess along, Taisei greeted the VIP with a look of confusion while questioning Masatsugu with a look of "What the hell is this?"

Completely unfazed, Masatsugu said, "What's up, Taisei? Didn't you want to talk to me?"

"Oh, yeah. Given these unusual times, information is hard to come by. I was thinking 'maybe Masatsugu-kun might have some legit info since his serving the princess?' to myself."

"And you came all the way to the dorm for that?"

"Yeah, I rode my bike. As a member of the student council, I'm also quite curious whether the boarding students are acting out of line. I observed the boys dorm briefly and it's pretty chaotic."

Only then did Masatsugu remember that his good friend was vice-president of the student council.

Taisei's face was handsome yet nondescript. He sighed, "Due to military's noetic disruption, it's virtually impossible to receive television and radio signals, but there are occasional images or sound. Using fragmentary information, everyone is making all kinds of speculation to make sense of the situation—or more like imagining the situation, I guess."

From what Masatsugu had heard, there once existed companies that developed pocket-size portable telephones.

However, the presence of ''noetic waves'' has become one of the reasons hindering widespread adoption of this equipment—

Noetic waves consisted of the energy of thoughts produced by retainer beasts, genies and Chevaliers. The overall term for noetic control techniques to cause destructive interference with electromagnetic waves by using powerful noetic waves was "noetic disruption."

According to a kind of urban legend, using a microwave oven next to a Chevalier will make it explode.

Ten years ago, when Lord Caesar led a thousand Legions to fight the US military stationed in Japan, electrical interference had occurred all over Japan.

Humans had yet to invent ways of producing electromagnetic waves strong enough to counter powerful noetic waves.

"Furthermore, among students from outside the city or the prefecture, there are people who plan on using unblockaded back roads to get home on bicycle."

"The act of leaving in and of itself isn't prohibited..."

"Right, when I said 'the military' just now... It's probably not the British Empire but the forces of the domestic Kinai Fiefdom, right? This isn't a foreign invasion but a rebellion or a coup d'etat, right?"

7pm last night, the Kinai Fiefdom had held a press conference.

The press conference had been held prior to the noetic disruption and could be watched on the news in Suruga City. Always keeping up with current affairs, Taisei had not missed this information.

Just as Masatsugu was about to respond to his good friend's inquires, the lady he was serving spoke up first.

Smiling gently, the princess offered a suggestion.

"Well then, since it happens to be noon... Why don't we assemble all the boarding students for a lunch gathering? It has been weighing on my conscience since yesterday that I have not formally greeted everyone upon my arrival. —Hatsune, please assist with the necessary arrangements."

"Y-Yes, Princess."

An hour later, the lunch gathering was ready.

There was a total of seventy-odd boys and girls living in the dorms. The school cafeteria was chosen as the venue because there was no space in the dorms where everyone could fit. Furthermore, Shiori made use of the school's public announcement system to invite other students and staff present to join in the lunch gathering.

Due to insufficient preparation time, the food offerings were nothing special.

Nevertheless, the fact that enough tea and rice balls could be mustered to serve so many people was all thanks to the leadership of the princess who had proposed the idea.

"My dear fellow students, would the ladies be so kind as to join me to help out in the kitchen? And gentlemen, could you kindly assist in setting up the venue. Ah yes, and could the members of the student council please come to the broadcast room—"

Her ideas were conveyed through Hatsune, Masatsugu and Taisei then executed by the community.

Shiori remembered Taisei's position in the student council, so she made her requests to the student council members at school through their vice-president (in truth, they were more like directions than requests).

Furthermore, Shiori also went to the cafeteria kitchen to make rice balls together with the girls.

The princess was not skilled in culinary arts, but conscious of her noble status, the female students quickly got along with her.

When the lunch gathering started, Shiori bowed her head to address everyone.

"Greetings, ladies and gentlemen. Suruga is currently facing a time of tribulation."

"The British forces and the Kinai Fiefdom has formed the Restoration Alliance, intending to start an insurrection against our imperial government. This is indisputable."

"However, excessive panic or wariness would only bring greater danger to yourselves."

"The Charter of Chivalry strictly forbids armed forces from attacking, plundering and intentionally harming civilians and their residential areas. This agreement, spearheaded by Emperor Karl the Great of the Chivalric King Alliance, was strongly supported by Lord Caesar and Victoria II the Queen of England, thus coming into existence as a set of international rules of engagement."

"In other words, we are protected by this charter."

"It is extremely likely that further attacks will be launched against the Suruga tutelary fort, but arbitrarily leaving the city—to head towards areas protected by the Charter of Chivalry—would actually be the most dangerous choice."

The princess explained the situation , cautioning the students against acting recklessly.

Then she smiled and said half-jokingly, "I quit school in Rome half-way and transferred to this campus... Now that I have come to Suruga, I do intend to attend school properly, all the way until I graduate. I would appreciate it if everyone could look after me, please?"

Her light-hearted words managed to dispel the nervousness in the audience, bringing waves of laughter below the stage.

After ending her speech, Shiori did not sit down. She walked throughout the venue to make friendly conversation with the students. When asked about the current commotion, she would elucidate the situation as best as she could. There was never a lack of smiles around her at any given moment.

Just before the lunch gathering was about to end, Taisei said to Masatsugu, "How amazing. With this single gathering, Her Highness has become 'the princess of the student dormitories,' acting even more reliable than the teachers or us of the student council. At this rate, she'll take over the world within the school in less than a month."

The Black Lily Dorm was assigned to the princess exclusively.

It was a double-story building constructed with a steel frame. There was a great hall, dining room, conversation lounge, rading room, etc on the ground floor with several single rooms for boarders on the second floor. The layout was the same as ordinary boys and girls dorms.

However, Black Lily Dorm clearly felt classier and cleaner.

Thanks to the remodeling work, all of the wallpaper was new. Chic furniture also made the interior very elegant.

The interior decoration alone was practically "Rokumeikan style."

After the lunch gathering, Masatsugu, Shiori and Hatsune went to the conversation lounge at Black Lily Dorm. There were three large sofas arranged around an ivory low table.

As the lady in charge, Shiori was sitting leisurely on a sofa. Standing, Masatsugu reported to the princess, "...And that's what my best friend said just now."

"Take over the world, is that so? Your friend has an amusing way with words."

Masatsugu had repeated what Taisei had said, causing Shiori to smile.

Unlike the "obedient smile aimed at the outside world" that Shiori bore during the lunch gathering, this smile conveyed a kind of irony along with strong willpower and intellect.

"However, he did put it rather well. I must become the most influential person in this school and Suruga. Otherwise, my future plans will be affected... I must first take over the world of Suruga before advancing along the goals of reigning supreme in Shizuoka Prefecture, Tōkaidō, eastern Japan, then western Japan."

"...What?"

Shiori had said several words that one would not expect from a sheltered princess.

While Masatsugu was stunned on the spot, Hatsune said excitedly, "You have to remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess has a very ambitious plan. First, she will make a name for herself and teach a lesson to the Empress faction that has been bullying her and her mother. In the future, she will become the mastermind secretly ruling all of Japan from the shadows."

"What?"

"Simply stated, our princess will take over Japan. We of the Tachibana clan are the trusted aides and spies to assist her in achieving her goals♪"

Hatsune's reveal was startling, but it was possible to find the underlying logic.

The intimate relationship between the Tachibana clan and Princess Fujinomiya Shiori was definitely quite similar to the deep bond between 'a Sengoku-era general and a secret ninja clan.'

Even the domestic helpers at Black Lily Dorm were all older women from the Tachibana clan.

Also, Hatsune had changed out of her kimono and hakama and into the school's official uniform. Seeing her dressed like that, Masatsugu was struck by a thought.

Perhaps Hatsune liked wearing the hakama out of awareness as her master's bodyguard.

After all, it was much easier to move in a hakama than a skirt. Currently, inside the dorm, the likelihood of an attack on the princess would be rather low, hence Hatsune had changed her uniform.

"...You actually pay attention to details. It's surprising."

"Onii-sama, could you not make such rude comments out of the blue?"

"Oh, sorry. Midterms are coming up and I had you pegged as the type who'd borrow notes to copy from friends and pass the exams by last-minute cramming."

"How did you know my exam strategy!?"

Naturally, given the current situation of turmoil, it was anyone's guess whether midterms would be held.

However, Masatsugu now stared at Shiori for he had a question for her.

"I now understand Your Highness' intent. The question is, why tell me? Although I'm part of the Tachibana clan, we barely know each other for a few days."

Not too too ago, Masatsugu was still an ordinary student without the slightest clue about his clan's secrets.

Besides, he had lost his memory too. It was be ill-considered for a princess to take as a trusted subordinate someone whose personality and disposition were unknown.

Shiori replied, "Indeed, there are many matters that I need to discuss with you, Masatsugu-sama, including this one. Please accompany me."

"Understood. Is this... like a private meeting?"

"No, this is an invitation to a personal ''date''," the princess responded surprisingly with a solemn expression.

Hence, Masatsugu and the princess decided to "meet up at their date."

They chose to meet in front of a convenience store near the dormitories half an hour later. This local chain had shops in the greater Suruga region, the kind that did not operate on a 24-hour basis.

Masatsugu arrived five minutes early. Immediately, someone spoke to him.

"Thank you for your patience."

He turned around to see the princess as expected. She had apparently just arrived.

Instead of her usual blouse and skirt, Shiori had changed into a one-piece dress and black leggings paired with knee-high boots. She was also wearing a pair of glasses.

Perhaps due to the glasses, she looked even smarter than usual.

"This isn't really a disguise... But a bit of preparation to avoid attention."

"Excuse me if I am being rude but this is totally not enough. Your Highness appeared on television previously and many residents have seen your face. That goes even more so for those who live in the school's vicinity."

Shiori was a very striking platinum blonde beauty.

Her presence alone already attracted plenty of attention. However, Shiori smiled nonchalantly and said, "Relax, so long as I do this..."

Instantly, Masatsugu was surprised. He seemed to hear a shrill sound from the princess' person.

"If I use noesis to disguise my image, I will not be noticed so easily. People who have only seen Fujinomiya Shiori on television will not be able to discern my identity."

"Noesis... So this is noetic control?"

"Indeed. This method has no effect against those who are familiar with me, or you and Hatsune... The Crusades yesterday also used camouflage falling under the same branch of techniques."

"Understood. Looks like I was too shallow in my thinking."

Indeed, if he examined Shiori carefully now, her face seemed slightly blurred.

Masatsugu apologized after understanding the whole story. When speaking to the princess, he always stuck to a simple and reserved manner, maintaining a "respectful attitude as though interacting with someone with seniority in martial arts."

He conversed with the princess, fully aware that elegant use of vocabulary was beyond him.

However, Shiori said to him, "Masatsugu-sama, may I issue you a ''command''?"

"As you wish."

"Please stop speaking in this manner. Just talk to me as though you were talking to Hatsune."

This unexpected command took Masatsugu aback.

"No, that would be too disrespectful—"

"As I already said... This is a command, isn't it? Now refusing a command would be truly disrespectful."

Shiori smiled mischievously.

This princess enjoyed teasing others for her amusement on occasion. Masatsugu had observed this yesterday already, so it did not surprise him, except he was unsure how to respond.

"Are you unable to follow my directions no matter what?"

"Uh."

"In that case, at least stop addressing me as 'Your Highness.' I said the same to Hatsune, that I dislike being treated with reservation."

"Understood. Then I will call you 'Princess' too."

"Please feel free to refer to yourself using the masculine pronoun."

Masatsugu contemplated for a moment. The princess had specially chosen Hatsune as her personal lady-in-waiting.

In that case, behaving more naturally would suit her tastes better. Masatsugu's ability to march at the beat of his own drum was well-known to those acquainted with him. He decided to let this aspect of his personality loose.

"Princess, where are we going today?"

"Since I called this a date earlier, Masatsugu-sama, you could take the lead and decide the entire itinerary for us, you know?"

"That'd be too heavy a responsibility for me. Please allow me to decline."

"Well."

Masatsugu's tone had shifted from before. Shiori smiled contentedly.

"Then it cannot be helped. I have an idea so please follow me."

Masatsugu went along with Shiori, but a thought immediately occurred to him.

They were being confined in a regional city under martial law, yet the princess was walking with a spring in her step. She was in quite a good mood.

What Shiori said next confirmed Masatsugu's hunch.

"Despite the current emergency, I am still rather happy."

"...How so?"

"So far, I have kept my true personality and abilities secret, to live under the guise of a harmless princess. But as soon as I attracted a little too much attention in the imperial palace, I was targeted, finally forsaken and sent to the Roman capital as a hostage."

The princess' tone of voice seemed less reserved than before.

"However, after spending a number of years to plan, I am finally about to complete preparations to strike back. I shall use Suruga as the starting point to expand my sphere of influence. Consequently, I cannot feign docility all the time as before, I must also work hard using my wits and abilities... Frankly speaking, this is actually quite delightful."

The two of them conversed while walking along a rural road. This area was near the foot of Mount Kunou, not far from the highlands.

Speakers in the city broadcasted a piece of news.

'Hello everyone, there is something I must inform all of you right now—'

It was issued by the municipal government through a female announcer. With public airwaves such as television and radio signals affected by noetic disruption, this simple means of communication was the most effective way to transmit information.

The announcement was no different in content from what Shiori had said at the lunch gathering earlier.

However, the princess' speech had struck deeper chords in people's hearts, possibly because of the leadership airs belonging to a noble princess.

"Noetic disruption persists... In other words, the British forces continue to cause interference from Suruga's outskirts."

Shiori deduced the situation after hearing the broadcast.

"Perhaps the British forces intend to resume yesterday's offensive."

"...In that case, they're still aiming to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort?"

"Yes, the British forces and the Kinai Fiefdom probably intend to use Shizuoka Prefecture as a base of operations to invade Hakone."

Shiori's accurate analysis showed that she had dappled somewhat in military strategy.

"Attacking from tutelary forts within Shizuoka Prefecture while supplied with ectoplasmic fluid from water shrines—That is the situation they wish to secure. Given that is the case, they ought to take the Fuji tutelary fort first, which is closest to Hakone, before subjugating Suruga and Nagahama near Fuji to avoid getting attacked in the rear."

Princess Shiori seemed as though she was thinking through a strategy game.

The profile of her bespectacled face looked very smart and intelligent, a style more suited to her than feigned submissive virtuousness. That was the kind of impression Masatsugu gathered from her expression.

"Princess, I don't understand Legions at all. Yet in spite of that, I managed to do that yesterday. Could it be that the term ''legatus legionis''..."

While noting the princess' beauty in his mind, Masatsugu spoke to her.

"...Does this term have some relation to Legions?"

"Well... It is to explain these matters that I invited you out today. My apologies, Masatsugu-sama. I shall be more focused on the date."

"...?"

Masatsugu was confused, unsure why the princess had bowed her head to apologize.

Besides, why did the princess insist on calling an outing with her bodyguard a "date"? Meanwhile, Shiori gazed upon Masatsugu—There was a hint of sadness in her eyes.

"Masatsugu-sama, you still do not remember, do you?"

"Remember what?"

"You still do not remember me. Long ago, we met once."

Masatsugu jumped. So it turned out he had met the princess before. If something major like this had truly happened, it must have been prior to his memory loss. However, he could not remember a thing.

"We will continue the discussion after we enter. This is the place I wished to bring you."

The two of them had been talking while they walked.

At that moment, the princess halted in front of a bamboo forest at the foot of the mountain.

Closer examination revealed a small path in the bamboo forest. Masatsugu followed Shiori into the depths where there was a serene, wooden Japanese house.

It was a small yet elegant building.

===Part 4===

The Fuji tutelary fort was located in the Ukishimagahara wetlands of Fuji City in the prefecture of Shizuoka.

Most of the area featured an abundance of nature and even the tutelary fort's surroundings were lush and verdant.

Sites for building tutelary forts would be chosen to avoid densely populated urban centers as much as possible. A low-key rural location would be a sort of second choice—

This was an unwritten rule stemming from the Charter of Chivalry ratified by various nations. With Emperor Karl the Great as the most prominent example, the Resurrectees loved engaging in the inhumane final resort of diplomacy known as "war." Hypocritical though it may be, the Charter established terms for universally approved justification for war and all nations must abide by it.

...The above were Sir Black Knight's thoughts.

He was also a Resurrectee himself, hence this was quite a pressing matter.

Currently, the Fuji tutelary fort had been taken over by a British contingent of the Restoration Alliance.

The Chevalier castellan and his officers and soldiers had fought valiantly, but had been captured and disarmed in the British victory, and were currently under close guard.

There were unfortunate casualties during the battle, but such unavoidable facts of war did not bear mentioning.

(...In fact, the true meaning of the Charter of Chivalry is to beautify the game known as war, to make it more palatable to the populace. )

Right now, Sir Black Knight was in the underground water shrine.

At this majestic reservoir of ectoplasmic fluid, dozens of pillars stood towering, creating a solemn atmosphere like an ancient Greek temple's. There was also a "bath" inside.

The architectural style of water shrines was practically universal across the globe. Sir Black Knight had seen plenty of them already.

Entering the blue liquid used for bathing, he recited words.

"May disaster strike down the wicked of heart—Upon my true name and soul, I petition the shrine of this land. Pray share the nourishment of holy water with my soldiers and recognize us as knights of the local land."

Sir Black Knight closed his eyes and prayed, his entire body glowing faintly.

Within his closed and dark field of view, a certain image surfaced.

Giant winged soldiers of black, bearing a strong resemblance to the Crusades. Their jet-black armor shone with the light of fighting spirit and glory. An army of a thousand glorious black knights—

"O Knights of the Garter, are you urging me to hurry and take to the field?"

Listening to the pleas of his army, Sir Black Knight smiled wryly and opened his eyes.

At that moment, he heard footsteps. Someone had stepped into the bath in leather boots. There was also the rustling of clothing. Presumably, the visitor had entered without undressing.

The entrance was behind Sir Black Knight. He did not know who had arrived, yet he spoke without looking back, "I am not going to say that... I forbid others to share the bath when I am using it, for that would be too boorish. I know not who you are, but I welcome you to undress and join me in here. It is nice to have bonding moments with young knights in the bath once in a while."

Knights were required to maintain composure at all times to exemplify character and principles as dictated by chivalry.

Sir Black Knight would often remind himself of this. However, he heard a "click" behind him, making him very curious what it was.

"Affirmative. As a spirit and not a Chevalier, replenishing ectoplasmic fluid at a water shrine is not quite necessary—Nevertheless, I shall comply with this command."

As soon as he heard the girl's answering voice, Sir Black Knight hastily turned his head back.

Arriving at the bath was the doll possessed by the genie Morrigan, dressed in a sailor uniform with a beret. She moved her hands to untie the scarf around her neck, producing another "click" from her joints.

"Furthermore, after this event, I shall file a report to the higher-ups—My superior has subjected me to sexual harassment. Please be forewarned."

The simulacra used by genies were expressionless for the most part, but currently, Morrigan was looking coldly at Sir Black Knight.

"Morrigan, this is not a command. It was my misunderstanding, furthermore..."

Sir Black Knight tried to keep his voice calm but still could not help but raise his voice, "You are the one who is sexually harassing others...! A female coming out here to enter a nude man's presence and even staring at me so rudely!"

"The water shrine is, a facility of particular importance. I wished to verify, by my own eyes."

"Then you could have picked another time in my absence!"

Replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid at water shrines, cold-water ablutions or purification rites were all sacred rituals.

Clothing was not allowed in the bath, hence Sir Black Knight was completely nude. He normally looked quite slim but that was purely a visual effect of his clothing. In fact, his muscular body was steeled through and through.

With his spectacular body thoroughly exposed, Sir Black Knight scolded his subordinate harshly.

"According to my search..." said the genie Morrigan's simulacrum as she walked over to Sir Black Knight.

They had already left the underground water shrine. Walking on the lawn in the Fuji tutelary fort, they were having a stroll within the premises.

"The practice of mixed baths, existed in medieval England and France too. I cannot comprehend, the reason of, your shock and alarm."

"You raise a fair point, but it is a knight's prerogative to uphold virtue and dignity—"

Just as he was about to argue back, Sir Black Knight came to a realization. Medieval England and France. These words could not have been spoken by someone ignorant of his identity.

"Morrigan, have you figured out my identity?"

"Yes, indeed... Frankly speaking, the riddle's difficulty is not high. There are plenty of hints, simply from observing your words and behavior."

"I see. I suppose that would be the drawback to leaving a name in history."

"No, I believe, it is purely the product of your imprudence."

"You seem to have a talent for biting remarks..."

"This too, is one of our English traditions."

The genie Morrigan had inherited the English customs of biting sarcasm and black humor.

Sir Black Knight deliberately looked up to hide his feelings of embarrassment. Over a hundred British Legions, the Crusades, were on standby in the sky over the Fuji tutelary fort.

Hovering motionless, holding their bayonet rifles in their right hands, they awaited further orders.

These Legions, about to march on Suruga, were commanded by the two Knights of Her Majesty, Sir Steven and Sir Lampard, whom Sir Black Knight had brought with him from England.

It was currently 14:53. The Tōkaidō sky was very clear.

"Yesterday, it was Sir Philneville who attacked Suruga. Are you, going to relieve him of his command?"

"Phil's army has not recovered its numbers yet."

Chevaliers were able to summon Legions, winged giant soldiers, out of thin air.

These mysterious beings could easily recover in a day from wounds, relying only on their innate regeneration. This may sound outrageous, but in any case, they did not need treatment or repairs.

However, the same did not apply to those incapacitated by death or severe injuries.

Critically injured Legions required one or two weeks before they could fully regenerate and return to the battlefield.

"Besides, the Akigase princess taking over as the Suruga castellan... seems to be quite a powerful warrior. According to unverified reports, her Chevalier Strength is outstanding, possibly much higher than Phil's."

"I, see," Morrigan nodded and looked up at the Crusades in the air.

The white British Legions totaled 188. Compared to yesterday, these Legions summoned by Sir Steven and Sir Lampard at the destroyer ''Tintagel'' were increased by more than double.

"Including me, Stevie and Lamps have also finished their tutelary pact at Fuji's water shrine. Currently, this Fuji tutelary fort has become our stronghold..."

The greater a sanctuary's mystic powers, the easier it was to summon large numbers of Legions.

Tutelary forts equipped with water shrines also fulfilled the conditions of a sanctuary. But since tutelary forts were also military facilities, there was no reason for such divine blessings to benefit invaders.

Hence, the "tutelary pact" was a ritual for distinguishing friend from foe.

"...Due to this rule, the way we wage war has become rather archaic." Sir Black Knight smiled wryly and said, "In the end, war has evolved back to tactics of conquering and holding fortresses to use as strongholds. Currently, I would expect the Akigase princess to be forming a new pact at the Suruga water shrine, to turn that area into her own stronghold."

"Yes, indeed. A knight is limited to one, contracted water shrine at a time."

The destroyer ''Tintagel'' was managed by Morrigan.

The ship's power source, a fluid reactor, circulated artificial ectoplasmic fluid to generate mystic powers. Consequently, the ship itself was equivalent to a sanctuary, allowing Legions to be summoned more easily than ordinary land.

However, as a "substitute," its effectiveness could not match a water shrine after all.

This was why the British forces had prioritized conquering the various tutelary forts in Shizuoka, to use them as strongholds.

"The revolution brought by firearms and gunpowder as well as the invention of flying machinery made fortifications easy to obliterate. The word 'siege warfare' disappeared from the battlefield for almost a century... However, we are once again building tutelary forts and devoting effort towards taking castles and defending our own territory."

The medieval Black Knight laughed while he spoke. It really was quite a funny matter.

"Once your principal image—the Tintagel's ifrit, Morgan le Fay—is transplanted to the Fuji tutelary fort, we will sortie along with Stevie and Lamps to witness their abilities."

"As you, wish."

The period from the nineteenth to the twentieth century...

...was a time when methods of warfare evolved rapidly.

Dramatic advances in the accuracy and ammunition capacity of firearms, the replacement of horse-drawn vehicles by automobiles, the advent of wireless technologies and the airplane, the disappearance of cavalry from the battlefield, supplanted by chariots of steel roaming across the plains.

The progress of industrial technology led to the trend of mechanization—

At the same time, the miracles brought by the sacred beasts also promoted "mystic" developments.

Radar technology first appeared during the Second World War, but fell into disuse once noetic control techniques became established. Furthermore, the bodies of Legions had the property of neutralizing radar waves, thus leading to its obsolescence in the modern world. Intelligence gathered by retainer beasts or human observation was more useful.

In addition, aircraft had failed to become the rulers of the skies.

The skies were controlled by flight-capable retainer beasts and the godlike sacred beasts. Workers in the field of aviation would always go about their days in devout fear, watching out for storms and turbulence caused by these beings on whim. One could inflict severe damage upon human aircraft simply by using noetic waves to summon flocks of birds to collide against the cockpit or engines.

It was currently the year 1998 at the end of the twentieth century, an era when mankind was no longer the lord of all creation.

===Part 5===

The house in the depths of the bamboo forest had been carefully maintained.

One could tell from a glance at the door, the entryway and the corridor. There was not the slightest speck of dust anywhere and various wooden surfaces were all polished spick and span.

The relatively small courtyard was styled like a Japanese garden.

"This Ryouzan Manor belongs to distant relatives on my father's side. Thanks to their generosity, I am free to use this place at my discretion during my stay in Suruga."

Shiori led the way, explaining the origin of this building while advancing through the corridor. Masatsugu recalled what Hatsune had said about the princess' father being former peerage who used to live in Suruga.

Moreover, Masatsugu could detect the presence of other people (probably domestic help).

However, they did not show themselves, practically like air. Masatsugu believed that they would immediately appear to respectfully carry out Shiori's commands as soon as she called for them.

The serene atmosphere of this house was definitely beyond the unrefined Tachibana clan's ability to emulate.

"This way please, Masatsugu-sama."

Masatsugu was taken to a Japanese-style room. Sitting down formally in seiza, Shiori motioned with her eyes to Masatsugu for him to take a seat in front of her. He complied as directed.

Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected a chance to converse with the princess alone in private.

"Rather than a date... This would seem more like a tryst."

"Princess, you've been using these words for romantic liaisons for a while now."

Speaking candidly, Masatsugu said to the princess who was in serious contemplation.

"Could it be that you've fallen in love with me in this short time and you're confessing to me today?"

"W-What nonsense are you speaking of!? It has only been mere days since our reunion! To develop romance on the basis of such a relationship would be too improper!"

"My bad. It's just that I happen to have heard a lot of conversations about this topic lately."

Shiori's reaction was very flustered while Masatsugu bowed his head in apology, completely unfazed.

More precisely, he had not "heard" these conversations. Instead, he had read them in romantic comedy novels targeted towards high school boys. Putting this aside, Masatsugu had another thought.

So she did have certain a side to her personality that was like a sheltered princess.

Conversely, the princess spoke with displeasure, "Good grief... I would have expected you to be a more serious person based on your appearance. I am apparently mistaken."

"Sorry about that. May I ask what my appearance is like?"

"Has no one ever told you that you have a handsome face like a celebrity?"

"Oh sure, I've heard that a few times, except they always add 'if only you had a normal personality' at the end."

"...Indeed, your cooperativeness and sensitivity are somewhat flawed," the princess quietly commented on Masatsugu, prompting him bow his head with another "sorry about that."

"However, Princess, since my looks are suited to your tastes, then I suppose your purpose of bringing me here is still to confess, right? Yet you are telling me all this because you're too embarrassed to speak up, is that it...?"

"I certainly am not thinking that!" Shiori denied vehemently then hastily lowered her voice. "N-Naturally, I am very grateful to you for saving me yesterday. To come forward to the rescue like that... My appreciation knows no bounds."

Shiori bowed her head deeply and thanked in seiza posture, even employing the respectful ritual of pressing three fingers of each hand upon the ground.

What a princess, adhering to etiquette despite her headstrong personality, thought Masatsugu. The princess lifted her head and gazed directly at Masatsugu.

Meeting her gaze squarely, Masatsugu looked back at Shiori and said, "I was simply fulfilling my duties as a bodyguard. No need to let it weigh on your mind. On the other hand, I am curious. Why does our outing today count as a 'date'?"

"Yes. My wish is for us to develop a closer relationship, Masatsugu-sama. Oh..." Shiori answered sincerely before adding in a fluster, "D-Do know that I am referring to amicable relations between a princess and her subordinate, not romance between man and woman—I wish to confirm whether we are able to cultivate the sort of candid congeniality that exists between men. That is the reason why I asked for your company. Since I have important matters to discuss, this is a 'date' with special meaning."

The princess took a breath then asserted immediately, "Masatsugu, prior to your memory loss, you were supposed to become my knight."

As one would expect, Shiori knew about Masatsugu's amnesia. Given her attention to detail, the princess could not possibly have failed to find out, hence Masatsugu was not surprised, however...

"I was to become your knight? But I'm not a Chevalier—"

"You are a Chevalier too. Like Lord Caesar and the British Empire's Admiral Nelson, you are a Resurrectee who has been reborn from the ancient world. As you may know, they are all Chevaliers with their own armies."

Shiori continued explaining. "Furthermore, they are all powerful Chevaliers without exception. There are many accomplished Chevaliers born in contemporary times... But none of them can summon more than a hundred or two hundred Legions. They are no match for the likes of Lord Caesar or Karl the Great who are able to command armies over a thousand strong."

"Speaking of which, that title you addressed me with last time..."

"Yes, the term ''legatus legionis'' signifies a 'true Chevalier,' and is a secret title for the Resurrectees, those who have returned from the land of the dead."

Shiori explained that this title was only known to royalty, politicians and soldiers.

"I was the one who asked Hatsune's father to prepare the Tachibana identity for you to avoid attracting unwarranted attention. Coincidentally, the Tachibana clan happened to have a young man who died in an accident, so we borrowed his family registration."

"...I see."

After listening carefully to the explanations, Masatsugu simply nodded and responded concisely.

Smiling with slight wryness, Shiori said, "You don't seem to be perturbed the slightest."

"I already found out yesterday that I am no ordinary person. Besides, there's no way for me to verify statements about Lord Caesar and the others, so I don't need to draw any conclusions here... That's simply the long and short of it."

Masatsugu was always calm and collected, going about at his own pace. Making the most of his natural disposition, he expressed his honest thoughts.

"Naturally, I'm quite curious how a man like me lost my memory."

"Perhaps... Your resurrection did not proceed smoothly."

"What do you mean?"

"I awakened you two years ago. More precisely, I prayed to my grandfather, Lord Tenryuu, to send me 'an ancient warrior' and he agreed to my request."

"Why did you make such a request?"

Masatsugu had heard that the godlike sacred beasts would heed requests from young maidens betrothed to them or children of their bloodline and bestow mystic powers such as Legions or retainer beasts upon them.

Lord Tenryuu's granddaughter Shiori must have invoked this sort of privilege. The question was, for what purpose?

"My goal is the same as the Kinai Fiefdom's. I wish to obtain sufficient military strength to stand up against Lord Caesar even if I cannot defeat him. Otherwise, participation in the power struggle of contemporary Japan would be impossible. I need a powerful Chevalier to fight for me, to actualize my ideals."

Fujinomiya Shiori was a sixteen-year-old princess. In other words, she was only fourteen two years ago.

What surprised Masatsugu the most today was the discovery that she had harbored such ambitions and aspirations at her young age. In front of the dumbfounded Masatsugu, Shiori bowed deeply again, bringing three fingers of each hand against the floor.

"Masatsugu-sama, I have another request."

"......"

"I would like you to lend me your aid. As for whether I am worthy, please think it through carefully before giving me your answer within the next few days. Thank you."

"This isn't an order?" asked Masatsugu in response to the princess' earnest plea.

Shiori lifted her head, nodded, and said, "Although you have lost your memory, Masatsugu-sama, you used to be a warrior with illustrious feats of arms in the past after all. Only one such as you could bear the title of ''legatus legionis''. It would be far too insolent to order a hero of such caliber."

Masatsugu now understood why Shiori had been addressing him with the "-sama" honorific since the beginning.

"What I demand is assistance rather than loyalty. In exchange for this assistance, I am willing to pay any price."

"Price?"

"Indeed. Be it status, fame or wealth, anything so long as it is within my ability to give."

Thus, Masatsugu and the princess' "date" concluded.

Deciding to continue serving as her bodyguard for now, Masatsugu prepared to depart from the elegant house together with Shiori.

"Could you wait here briefly? I need to materialize a retainer beast."

"To materialize a retainer beast? May I observe the technique?"

Noetic masters were able to materialize retainer beasts through the power of noesis. Masatsugu had only heard rumors about such techniques, so he asked to satisfy his curiosity as soon as he heard Shiori mention that she was going to do it.

For some reason, the princess was at a loss for words. After a moment's hesitation, she said awkwardly, "Well... I suppose you may. It is possible that witnessing the use of mystic powers or ectoplasmic fluid might jog your memory as it did during yesterday... This is a good opportunity."

Saying she had to prepare first, Shiori left the Japanese-style room.

She returned twenty minutes later, startling Masatsugu as soon as he saw her. The platinum blonde princess had her hair done up and was appearing before Masatsugu while dressed in nothing but a white Japanese-style undershirt.

Thanks to the princess' change of attire, Masatsugu was able confirm her perfect figure and feminine allure once again.

"Please follow me. A change of location is necessary."

Shiori cringed, perhaps embarrassed by her attire.

She walked in the lead to avoid making eye contact with Masatsugu. She brought Masatsugu to the back garden where there was an open-air bath. An elegant and classic bathtub made from Japanese cypress.

In addition, the location was surrounded by groves of bamboo, allowing one to enjoy the pleasure of bathing in a bamboo forest.

The house resembled a low-key Japanese inn to begin with, but little did Masatsugu expect it to be fully equipped with an open-air bath too. While impressed by all this, Masatsugu noticed that the bathtub was not filled with ordinary hot water.

The tub was brimming with a marine-blue liquid, as beautiful as the southern seas.

"This is called artificial ectoplasmic fluid... The same substance is also found underground of tutelary forts."

"A military resource, in other words. How did you get your hands on it?"

"Mainly through my grandfather's blessings. Artificial ectoplasmic fluid is synthesized from the precious blood granted by sacred beasts in conjunction with pure water that has spiritually cleansing properties... Small quantities of ectoplasmic fluid can also be produced using the blood of a sacred beast's daughter or granddaughter."

Chuckling with a smile, Shiori added, "In terms of blood donations, this amount would be the limit. I have no intention of depleting my own blood, hence I will not be too greedy... Masatsugu-sama, please bring that to me."

Masatsugu took the A3-size board and placed it on the floor of the bath. This board was the retainer beast talisman that Hatsune had borrowed. On its surface was a drawn animal resembling a dog as well as written kanji of "summon the great god" and various Sanskrit characters.

Shiori was kneeling next to the tub of mysterious blue liquid.

Holding a wooden bucket, she scooped up ectoplasmic fluid and doused herself on the head.

She repeated this multiple times. Even standing on the side, Masatsugu was splashed a little by flying droplets. The liquid felt quite cold. This was a cold-water ablution for purifying one's mind and body.

An acute ringing could also be heard from the princess' body.

Masatsugu instinctively understood—There was a strengthening of mystic powers.

The blue holy water was seeping into Shiori's body and mind, augmenting her noesis and mystic qualities.

"Beings meant to descend upon the world, may God be with you."

Shiori touched the "dog illustration" on the board with her moist hands. The retainer beast talisman instantly expanded, transforming the A3-size board into a gigantic wolf.

A silver wolf, almost the size of a horse, had appeared.

The silver wolf growled ferociously and instantly vanished.

"...Excuse me. I had to absorb ectoplasmic fluid and purify my body and mind first, because it has been a long while since I last summoned a Mibu wolf—"

The replenishment of ectoplasmic fluid was essential to those wielding mystic powers, such as Chevaliers and noetic masters.

Masatsugu asked Shiori, "So that wolf is called a Mibu wolf?"

"Indeed. Given the current emergency situation, I wish to have another retainer beast apart from the pipe fox, which is why I asked Hatsune to obtain it. Uh... Masatsugu-sama. C-Could you please stop staring at me...?"

"Excuse me."

The drenched undershirt was clinging tightly to the princess' body.

Shiori's curves became even more obvious than before, displaying the perfect shape of her breasts to Masatsugu. Hatsune seemed to have reached the "G" realm but the princess rivaled her, having crossed the "F" boundary...

Distracted by random thoughts, Masatsugu was just about to shift his gaze—He interrupted himself.

An idea had occurred to him by chance and now was the perfect chance to bring it up.

"Princess, you just said you're willing to pay any price within your ability to give, right?"

"Yes."

"Excuse me, but I don't think you are currently capable of paying any large reward. The status, fame and wealth you pledged... It's an empty promise at best, no different from drawing a cake to satisfy hunger."

"Well—true. You do raise a fair point."

Shiori looked up and straightened her back resolutely, accepting Masatsugu's criticism.

Such behavior was probably not intentional. Masatsugu smiled in response, thinking what an amusing person the princess was. Despite priding herself on shrewdness and political machinations, she was willing to treat "people" in earnest.

During the lunch gathering today, she actively interacted with the boarding students.

Weaving through the students on her own, she did not keep Hatsune or Masatsugu at her side. She could definitely have saved herself a lot of trouble had she brought either one of them along with her. During the date today, she had also treated him earnestly, speaking her mind without reservation, trying to win Masatsugu's approval.

Masatsugu could see the "pure" and "murky" sides of Princess Shiori.

"My hope is that you could accept redemption of your reward in the future."

"That is one solution, but Princess, there are rewards you are able to offer right away. You are a very attractive woman and satisfying me in womanly ways—"

"!?"

"—would be an option."

"I-I concede that you have a point. B-But how should I say this!?"

Shiori instantly became very flustered while she tried her hardest to feign calmness.

"I-I do know that I possess a pretty face, which ought to be quite attractive to men..."

"Do you have such self-awareness?"

"Y-Yes. It is just that, regarding love, romantic relationships, one night stands, purely physical relationships... I lack experience and comprehension in such matters, which is why I felt reluctant to offer such rewards on my own initiative."

Shiori recovered a dignified gaze and did not shy away from making eye contact with Masatsugu.

"Assuming you find me worthy, Masatsugu-sama, I-I am willing to be your lover. As a daughter of the imperial family, I might have difficulty entering an official marriage with you, but as your mistress—"

"Princess, I was only joking."

"Eh......!? Masatsugu-sama!"

Masatsugu admitted to joking with a straight face, instantly angering Shiori. Unfazed, he said, "I understand after listening to you. You are fully aware what kind of price is required to advance in a single bound—using unscrupulous methods..."

"......"

"For the sake of obtaining the trump card that is "me," you have already paid the corresponding price, haven't you?"

"Masatsugu-sama... This is not something you need to concern yourself with."

Shiori smiled faintly and did not provide any other response.

Masatsugu found it very amusing to find out that Fujinomiya Shiori was a woman of this sort. At the same time, he found himself unbelievable. For the past two years, he had never appraised other people like this before, yet now, he was able to read the princess' character very naturally.

It would appear that he must have been a soldier or a warrior in the ancient past after all.

Just as he thought that, a bell-like sound was heard at the scene, the arrival of a pipe fox. Shiori glanced at the fox's furry face and her expression turned solemn again.

"Almost a hundred Crusades are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort!?"

Evidently, the battle for Suruga was not going to be settled peacefully any time soon.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 01 BW07.jpg|thumb]]

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Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 2

2016-07-19T14:11:31Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - Invading Legions (2)==

===Part 1===

"By the way, Her Highness Shiori certainly made quite a bold move."

Akigase Rikka offered her sincere reaction.

It was the middle of October, on a sunny Friday afternoon.

Rikka was visiting Suruga's city hall, located roughly ten minutes' walking distance from Suruga Station. This building of over seventy years and featuring red glazed tiles had been constructed next to the historical site of Sunpu Castle where Tokugawa Ieyasu once lived.

Rikka had come to the mayor's office in the elegant city hall, in other words, the room of the city's highest authority.

"Even though it was a local program, to think that a princess of the imperial family dared to make a public appearance on television..."

Rikka smiled. She did not dislike the princess' style of audacity.

Her comments were made to the mayor, a dignified man in his early sixties, dressed in traditional Japanese attire of haori and hakama. On the other hand, Akigase Rikka was only seventeen years old—

Her gorgeous black hair reached waist length and she was a maiden with a lovely and dignified face.

However, her lips were shaped into a smile of resilience. Her attire was also different from the female high school students in the city. Her black military uniform was only worn by high-ranking officers in the Imperial Army and she even had a Japanese sword at her waist.

Incidentally, her excellent figure was visible even beneath the military uniform.

Her bountiful bosom was bulging generously while the round curves of her hips also indicated appropriate voluptuousness.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 01 BW04.jpg|thumb]]

"Did you watch the interview?"

Despite Rikka being young enough to be his granddaughter, the mayor spoke to her with unusual reverence in his tone.

One would hardly blame him. Rikka was the holder of two positions. First of all, she was the eldest daughter of the Tōkaidō Governor General who ruled over the three prefectures of Aichi, Shizuoka and Yamanashi. Secondly, she was a Chevalier of the Tōkaidō provincial army—

Either one of these positions would rank her above a mayor or a prefectural governor.

Facing the one who was in charge of Suruga City's administration on her father's behalf, Rikka replied, "Yes, I watched it. Her Highness is surely refreshing in her manner of doing things. I am simply pleased as part of the Twelve Houses serving the imperial family. Besides, this is just so thrilling. If those ladies-in-waiting in the Empress' service were to find out about the television program, I am certain it would vex them to no end."

Imagining the sight, Rikka laughed again.

"If Her Highness Shiori is not simply an obedient princess... Then it would seem that an audience with her would not turn out to be a boring meeting or a waste of time. It is certainly worth celebrating."

"...Akigase-sama."

The elderly mayor smiled uncomfortably and tactfully cautioned Rikka.

Seeing as she was a member of one of the Twelve Houses and also the Akigase's Chevalier princess, it was very rare for anyone to dare make such suggestions to her. Most people tended to shower her with sycophancy.

Grateful for the mayor's well-intentions, Rikka smiled wryly and swallowed the rest of her irreverent words.

Ever since the end of Second World War and Japan accepted Lord Tenryuu's protection...

The islands of Japan had been divided into twelve provinces, each ruled by a hereditary Governor General. Bluntly stated, it had returned to the Edo period's feudal clan system.

The twelve regional Governor Generals each had their respective army and Chevaliers, thus giving rise to the name of the Twelve Fiefdoms.

The Hokkaidō Fiefdom. The Ōshū Fiefdom. The Hokuriku Fiefdom. The Kantō Fiefdom. The Tōsandō Fiefdom. The Tōkaidō Fiefdom.

The Kinai Fiefdom. The Ōsaka Fiefdom. The Chūgoku Fiefdom. The Shikoku Fiefdom. The Kyūshū Fiefdom. The Okinawa Fiefdom.

Rikka was the eldest daughter of the Akigase family ruling over Tōkaidō.

"As I recall, tomorrow is when you will pay a the princess a visit, is that correct?"

"Indeed, I wish to make a trip to the tutelary fort if time permits, so as to meet with Sakuya. Her condition has not been the best for the past few months. It seems that currying her good favor might be even harder than the princess."

After the amiable conversation, Rikka put on a serious expression and said, "However... I must first speak to that man today."

"Are you referring to Kawazoe-dono? The castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort—Or rather, the ''former'' castellan. It is such a shame that he engaged in such clandestine dealings," the mayor remarked painfully.

Rikka shrugged and said, "He was an avaricious man to begin with, so taking bribes is not surprising at all. What is truly problematic is the fact that he made contact with agents of the British Empire."

The Chevalier serving as the castellan of the Suruga tutelary fort had been arrested by the military police two days ago due to allegations of corruption. Reportedly, he had accepted bribes from someone in the construction business seeking illicit gains—

It was during this case's investigation that his second crime was uncovered.

"To think that the Britain Faction has appeared in our Tōkaidō, and even a Chevalier too," the mayor sighed in dismay.

The Eastern Roman Empire and Japan had "entered an alliance" for over ten years now.

But in recent years, more and more politicians, mainly in western Japan, were advocating an alliance with "the other major power" involved in Asia, so as to cleanse Japan of Rome's influence.

This was the so-called "Britain Faction," which had many adherents in the fiefdoms of Kyūshū, Chūgoku and Shikoku.

"The fiefdoms in the west had established intimate ties with England ever since the Bakumatsu era—since the Satchō Alliance—but the same cannot be said for Tōkaidō," said Rikka with a nod.

"This is not only the place where Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was born and raised but also his long-term base of operations, as well as where he retired after stepping down as the shogun. In honor of the Tokugawa legacy, we must uphold absolute loyalty to the imperial family and demonstrate our unyielding mettle as a samurai family."

After expressing her principles as a descendant of samurai, Rikka smiled ironically.

"Regrettably, whom the current imperial family currently trusts is not us but the powerful Roman Empire."

"Akigase-sama..."

"Oh, my apologies. It is time for me to go see Kawazoe-sama."

The mayor cautioned Rikka again and she hastily took her leave.

Rikka was a Chevalier answering directly to the Tōkaidō Governor General and normally served at Nagoya.

She had come to Suruga City to meet the suspect on her father's behalf. After that, she was scheduled to have an audience with princess of rumor, Fujinomiya Shiori.

===Part 2===

After school, Masatsugu left Rinzai High with Hatsune immediately.

Riding a military truck that came to pick them up, they made their way to the Suruga tutelary fort.

The vehicle drove to the mountainous region formed from two adjacent 300m-tall hills. On the Mount Udo peak on the north side was a slightly sloping plateau known as "Nihondaira." Built on this military land and wilderness that stretched as far as the eye could see was a tutelary fort, something that could be described as a modernized "castle."

The truck finally stopped climbing the mountain and arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort.

"So this is the place huh," muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Surugu tutelary fort occupied roughly five times the area of the Tokyo Dome stadium at the imperial capital.

The fortification walls surrounding this vast area were approximately seven meters tall.

From an overhead view, the walls formed a five-pointed star, the same shape as the famous Hakodate tutelary fort bearing the name of Goryōkaku Fortress. In fact, fortification walls were completely useless in combat against flying Legions.

The most convincing explanation was... Building a fort in a magnificent star shape could serve to boast of military might.

"Let's go, Onii-sama."

Leaving the military truck, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu.

She still dressed as a student in the style of the ''Haikara-san'' manga.

Masatsugu was wearing the stiff-collar male uniform of Rinzai High. The Imperial Army and the provincial armies led by the Twelve Houses all used black stiff-collar military uniforms which were not too different from high school uniforms. Consequently, he did not look too out of place surrounded by soldiers here despite being a student.

In contrast, Hatsune was very conspicuous in her meisen kimono, hakama and boots.

The two students walked for a while and arrived at a side gate at the wall. Masatsugu was treated to quite a sight.

Standing on the two sides of the gate were two ''blue giants''.

They were eight meters tall and equipped with blue armor and military uniforms. Each of them had a white mask on their face which seemed like porcelain in texture. Their compact physique looked quite agile with excellent figures too.

The two giants were equipped with "bayonet rifles."

These were weapons consisting of a military rifle fitted with a stabbing blade, thus offering functionality as both a gun and a spear. Both giants were standing at attention with their guns in upright position.

They suddenly turned their necks, pointing their faces and gazes slightly downwards.

From behind their masks—the eyes could be seen from the eye holes, glaring sternly at the approaching Masatsugu and Hatsune.

This meant that they were alive, staying actively vigilant of their surroundings as door guards!

"So these are Japan's Legions... The type known as 'Kamuy,' right?"

Today was Masatsugu's first time seeing Legions in action.

Masatsugu's height was 175cm, roughly the distance from a giant's foot up to the knee. He was deeply impressed by the blue body standing almost eight meters tall.

"That's right. The castellan probably stationed them here. People who like to show off or keep up appearances generally do this kind of thing."

"Keep up appearances?"

"Think about it. Inexperienced recruits and visitors would all react like you, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu understood the nugget of common sense that Hatsune was imparting to him.

In the modern world, Legions were both the mainstay weapons and the decisive weapons. One would easily conclude from a moment's thought that using something like this to guard a gate would be an absolute waste. However, it definitely looked very impressive.

Hatsune seemed used to it already. Nothing less expected from a girl who had been a trainee at the imperial palace.

"Do these Legions only follow the castellan's orders?"

"Strictly speaking, yes. However, if the Chevalier serving as castellan carries out a ceremony to delegate command to genies and noetic masters, they can also issue simple orders."

There was also a human soldier posted next to the side gate as a guard.

Hatsune presented her authorization document and made cheerful conversation with him. In the meantime, Masatsugu looked up at the massive bodies of the two Legions.

The blue armor of these Kamuy were spotlessly clean, shining under the sunlight.

They were not only magnificent in appearance but also gave off an awe-inspiring vibe of seasoned veterancy. In fact, every Legion was not only tall and imposing but also a master of martial arts and marksmanship.

With a pull of the trigger, they could easily strike and kill targets several kilometers away.

Were Tachibana Masatsugu an enemy soldier attacking the tutelary fort, he would probably have been "instantly slaughtered" in a single second—

In that moment, a strange notion surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Inexplicably, Masatsugu doubted. Would he actually be "instantly slaughtered"? The Kamuy Legions in front of him were definitely powerful ''but oddly enough, he did not think he was going to lose.''

Without any grounds, Masatsugu believed... If necessary, he should have the ability to defeat these giant soldiers.

What was up with this? While Masatsugu was grappling with his puzzling thoughts, Hatsune said to him, "This way, Onii-sama."

"...Okay."

Passing through the side gate, the two of them entered the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises inside the walls were very vast. The ground was a large stretch of green lawn, making Masatsugu feel like he was visiting a golf course. However, there were surprisingly few buildings.

Masatsugu recalled one explanation he had heard. Since battles between Legions might take place within tutelary forts, important facilities were mostly built underground to minimize casualties...

Of the structures above ground, there was nothing more striking that the central "tower."

It was a tower built with red bricks, roughly forty meters tall. There was a giant round clock at the very top, reminiscent of a clock tower—Wrong.

"Isn't that what people call a fengshui wheel?"

The object at the top of the tower was not a giant clock.

A magnet was installed in the center, surrounded by multiple concentric circles. Fine lines were used to divide each ring into equal-area sections, resulting in a wheel packed with characters, symbols and terms, such as the bagua series of "qian, dui, li, zhen, xun, kan, gen, kun," the heavenly stems of "jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin" and the earthly branches of "zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai."

"I don't know the details but tutelary forts apparently need to be a sanctuary where spirits and noesis can gather easily in addition to functioning as a military base. That's why they installed something like that."

"It's definitely quite difficult to understand."

Looking at the tower with the fengshui wheel, the two of them continued.

"By the way, Hatsune, it's time you told me why the princess summoned me here... I haven't got the slightest clue."

"No, Onii-sama, you'll know when you see the princess."

Besides, why have an audience at a military facility?

Finally, Masatsugu was taken into a certain building. A one-story building constructed from steel, probably where the likes of accounting and administrative departments worked. The military staff walking past them in the corridor seemed more like government officials than "soldiers."

The two of them arrived at what appeared to be a reception room.

There was leather sofa and a classy business desk and office chair that would presumably be used by military officers normally. A beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair was sitting there.

Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform, the princess greeted Masatsugu with a smile, "Thank you for the trouble of coming all the way out here. I have heard so much about you from Hatsune and Old Man Tachibana."

"Did my relatives mention me on purpose?"

Masatsugu accidentally responded to this surprising news, but he regretted it greatly.

It was important to adhere to etiquette when conversing with nobility and the correct way would be to speak through the lady-in-waiting, Hatsune.

Although Masatsugu was bothered by his rash slip of the tongue, Shiori immediately replied, "Didn't you know? The Tachibana clan of Suruga has served House Fujinomiya ever since my mother's generation."

"First time I am hearing it."

Their gazes met. Shiori looked back at Masatsugu with a gentle smile. Her brilliant platinum blonde hair was undoubtedly the same color as Lord Tenryuu as seen on television.

"May I ask why you wanted to meet me at a military base?"

"There is a matter ill-suited to discussion within the city. Please allow me to explain later," Shiori replied gracefully, picked up a summoning bell and rang it gently.

A female soldier soon arrived from the corridor and entered through the door.

She was pushing a trolley that carried all kinds of tea ware. The princess was apparently inviting Masatsugu for tea. Standing on the side, Hatsune gestured for Masatsugu to sit on the sofa.

"Onii-sama, please be seated."

Masatsugu hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should decline, then shrugged.

After some thought, Masatsugu sat down simply. By this point, there was no point trying to be formal. After all, bridges would be crossed when he got to them. He would find a solution otherwise. Having decided so, Masatsugu sat down facing the princess who was behind the business desk.

In front of Masatsugu was a low glass table.

The young female soldier placed the teacup there and poured black tea. Then she walked to the princess' desk and likewise poured a cup of tea.

...At that very instant, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of dissonance.

Even if he was the invited guest, what logic is there in serving the high school student before the princess? Consequently, Masatsugu was able to react to the trouble coming at him immediately without warning. The teacup that the female soldier had placed on the desk—

Shiori picked it up and threw it hard.

Her target was Tachibana Masatsugu, sitting on the sofa a few meters away!

"!"

Widening his eyes, Masatsugu saw that the teacup was undoubtedly aimed at his face.

However, Masastsugu's body reacted automatically ''as usual''. His head tilted to the side by 10cm, dodging the rapidly flying cup.

The teacup passed through where his face had been moments ago.

The cup was thrown with such force that it rolled off the sofa and onto the carpet before Masatsugu could see it land.

His body moved automatically the instant he sensed danger behind him.

Indeed, someone had secretly circled behind Masatsugu's back to attack him with a wooden sword!

Masatsugu's head would have split open if he had dodged a second later. With fluid motions, Masatsugu stood up swiftly.

He turned to face the assailant behind the sofa and saw her identity clearly.

"It's you, Hatsune!"

"Impressive as always, Onii-sama!"

Wielding a wooden sword, Hatsune was standing behind the sofa.

Sixteen years of age, Tachibana Hatsune was a girl with a slender build. Currently, she was exuding an accomplished master's aura. Holding a mid-level seigan stance, she had the wooden sword's tip pointed straight at Masatsugu's face.

With brilliant footwork, Hatsune instantly closed in on him.

Attacking from the front, she swung the wooden sword with a sharp sound of slicing wind. Masatsugu hastily moved right and dodged the slash nimbly.

"Here I come again!"

Hatsune executed a fierce thrust at Masatsugu's face.

Masatsugu tilted his head to evade but a second strike immediately aimed at his throat. Masatsugu took a great jump backwards, distancing himself from his distant cousin the young swordswoman.

Hatsune seized the chance to take a great stride forward and delivered a downward diagonal slash.

Masatsugu avoided the strike deftly. Missing its target, the wooden sword proceeded with an upward diagonal slash in a fluid combination offense. Hatsune's swordsmanship was sharp and fast as the wind.

The wooden sword used by Hatsune was very short, comparable to a kodachi in length.

Swinging a massive sword like in historical dramas would easily cause damage to the ceiling or the walls. Hence, Hatsune had chosen the handy and convenient kodachi.

Impressed with such impeccable attention to detail one would not expect from a young girl, Masatsugu did his best to survive these attacks.

...Also, the female soldier who was serving tea had already left. It looked like she knew in advance this was going to happen.

Meanwhile, Hatsune entered another mid-level stance and laughed fiercely.

"Fufufufu, you can't win if all you do is run, Onii-sama!"

"Is the purpose of this farce to test my abilities?"

"Indeed, the head of the Tachibana clan has decided to select from the younger generation two bodyguards for the princess. Onii-sama, you have been chosen."

"Why me?"

"Onii-sama, the only youngsters left in our clan are you and me."

Masatsugu accepted this clear and simple reason. On further thought, all the relatives he had met for the past two years were all adults over forty.

"By the way, I really had no idea you were this amazing."

"The Tachibana clan prides itself most on strength and valor. I've trained in martial arts since childhood, whereas getting into slight trouble is regarded as part of a warrior's training, so this level of ability is only to be expected."

"Listening to your confession, I'm quite curious about how serious the troubles you got yourself into..."

"Have you had enough warming up? Okay, let's begin for real. We will decide who is the strongest of the young Tachibanas!"

Masatsugu was quite troubled to see his adorable cousin pressuring him.

"Now that puts me in a dilemma. I don't really want to hurt you."

"Ah, that's quite a lovely line, Onii-sama. It feels like a fated rival is about to release his power, what a great vibe. Attack with this sort of spirit!"

"I don't mind doing as you wish... But as I've said before, I don't have any memory of my past."

Hatsune's attitude was flippant but her abilities were the real deal.

Masatsugu spoke earnestly, "It's true that I use martial arts when I encounter danger. I suppose I must have trained in martial arts in my youth, so it became ingrained into my body. But..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had apparently learned unarmed combat and swordsmanship since childhood. At least, this was what his relatives had told him. However, for the past two years since losing his memory, he had not practiced at all.

Incredibly, he did not feel any urge to practice either.

Hence, he could not remember anything that might be considered a move or a skill in swordsmanship or unarmed combat.

He could more than handle himself if it was just resisting the opponent's attacks, however...

"When I attack—It tends to be a bit dangerous."

"You're getting more and more amazing, Onii-sama! What you're saying sounds a lot like 'Get out of my sight unless you want to die. Settle down, my left arm...!'"

Hatsune's eyes were getting excited for some reason.

Masatsugu nodded and said, "Yeah, more specifically, 'I'm gonna snatch that teapot over there to scald you with boiling water, then straddle you and beat your face to a pulp.' That's my combat style, I guess?"

"...Eh? Really?"

"The martial arts I learned before seems to be a style quite focused on real-world combat. Every strike is brutal without any holding back. If there are beer bottles nearby, I'll grab them to smash on people. When an opponent tries to stare me down, I'll suddenly headbutt him, knocking him out directly."

Back when they first entered high school, Masatsugu and Taisei had accidentally found themselves downtown at night.

Unfortunately, they encountered seven or eight low-lifes and were taken to a deserted back alley. This was when Masatsugu demonstrated how dirty a fighter he could be.

After that, Masatsugu had gotten into similar troubles a few times...

"Shouldn't you fight more honorably like in shounen manga?"

"I agree, but you don't really have any moral ground to say that when you ambushed me with a wooden sword."

"On the contrary, all the men in our Tachibana clan are superbly skilled. They'd never feel bothered by little tricks of this sort. Aren't you alive and kicking right now? B-Besides, I-I don't have a choice!"

Hatsune smiled guiltily while she spoke.

"After a discussion with the princess, I decided 'this would be more exciting,' you know? The princess consented too, so..."

"...The princess authorized this farce?"

Masatsugu frowned at the revelation of the unexpected truth.

However, on further thought, he recalled that Princess Shiori was precisely the first person to make a move. Furthermore, she had attacked with full force. Masatsugu stole a glance at the problematic character in question.

"Technically, this is a test for bodyguard aptitude."

The beautiful princess smiled tenderly at Masatsugu.

Her dignified smile conveyed elegance that was the talk of the town all over Suruga.

"An easily cleared test would be pointless. Hence, we decided to step things up a little."

Evidently, the princess was nowhere near "obedient" as her appearance would suggest—

This was Masatsugu's first glimpse at Fujinomiya Shiori's true self. She was the noble princess, the intelligent and elegant beauty, yet hidden inside her were all kinds of secret aspects...

Shiori continued to speak to the pensive Masatsugu, "That being said, this test has proceeded long enough. Tachibana-sama, you are plenty qualified to serve as my bodyguard. The last requirement is your consent."

"I see."

Having been given the right to decide, Masatsugu agreed quite readily.

"Since serving Your Highness is the business of my clan, I have no objections..."

Masatsugu did not feel any loyalty to the imperial family but he was indebted to his clan. Furthermore, he had some talents so assisting Hatsune in her work should not be a problem... Just as he made his decision, a certain notion crossed his mind. Perhaps this was an excellent chance to solve "a certain problem" too.

Masatsugu decided that he needed to review the matter properly, but unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time right now.

Unexpectedly, a siren blared at the scene to signal an emergency situation.

===Part 3===

The sudden siren sounded throughout the Suruga tutelary fort.

Fujinomiya Shiori immediately left the reception room and exited the building. Taking Tachibana Hatsune and her new subordinate, Tachibana Masatsugu, she led the way.

"Where are we going, Princess?"

"The nation-protecting keep. It is where information is pooled. We will head there to find out exactly what happened," replied Shiori to Hatsune following behind her.

"But will they be willing to tell outsiders like us...?"

"Worry not. Such matters are easy to resolve by relying on my clout—No, I will assuredly resolve it."

"As expected of the princess. A cheerful smile paired with villainous lines, it's absolutely lovely."

Shiori's words and behavior did not seem like a sheltered princess'.

Already used to it, Hatsune joked around to liven up the mood, following Shiori dutifully.

In contrast, Tachibana Masatsugu followed last, apparently not too fazed. Shiori's sudden demonstration of initiative did not raise his doubts much either.

No one knew if it was because he had a calm personality or he simply did things at his own pace. Or perhaps elements of both?

The previous scene had shown that he was no ordinary person, but that was not enough. He must awaken into one of the greatest heroes to grace the annals of history for all time.

This was also the Shiori's intent in summoning him to the tutelary fort on purpose.

To let him breathe air related to the battlefield. Perhaps it would offer him some sort of stimulation, triggering a new change within Tachibana Masatsugu—

Shiori had done this with such hopes.

In any case, Shiori led them briskly and arrived at the heart of the tutelary fort after five minutes. This was the red-brick tower standing in the center of the premises, the nation-protecting keep.

A tower roughly forty meters tall with a gigantic fengshui wheel installed at the top.

The facility itself had been built a few decades ago and was quite old in style. Shiori stepped into the ground floor hall boldly.

The multiple entrances were all open, providing free access to the ground floor.

There were fourteen or fifteen soldiers of the Tōkaidō provincial army in the hall. Noticing the platinum blonde princess, half of the soldiers saluted and cast gazes of surprise at her one after another.

Shiori originally wanted to ask for one of the officers but then it occurred to her that there should be someone higher ranked at the scene.

"Chevalier Kamamoto, may I trouble you for a moment?"

"Certainly, Princess, I am at your service."

The elderly Chevalier serving as the ''temporary'' castellan was surrounded by several of his subordinates.

These subordinates stepped back to provide a path for Shiori as soon as they saw her approach, allowing her party to reach the old man in the black officer's uniform.

"What caused the earlier siren? Please explain to me as much as is permissible."

"Pirates... apparently. The dragons at Suruga Bay are currently handling them."

"In other words, armed ships are approaching Suruga City?"

"There are no confirmed reports of ships yet, but it is very likely."

Shiori had already contacted the old man a few hours earlier to borrow a room in the tutelary fort.

As part of the privileged class, Chevaliers often turned into stubborn and arrogant old men in their advanced age. However, Old Man Kamamoto was a good-natured old man.

The elderly man's tone was cordial, probably in an attempt to reassure Princess Shiori.

"Please rest assured. I do not believe this would develop into a major incident. Please feel free to return safely to the city, Princess."

Three days earlier, the Suruga tutelary fort had lost the official serving as its castellan. The previous castellan had been arrested on charges of corruption and was currently detained at the military police headquarters in the countryside.

Taking over his duties was Chevalier Kamamoto who had retired for seven years and more.

Unless there was a shortage of personnel, the castellan of a tutelary fort must be a Chevalier—Due to this unwritten rule, a retired old man had to be recalled to take on the role for the time being.

"Pirates, is that it...?" murmured Shiori to herself.

Ten years ago, when Imperial Japan became the Eastern Rome's tributary ally...

Some soldiers had deserted the army, determined to oppose Rome to the bitter end. There were also radicals who launched terror attacks, rallying to drive Rome's advance detachment out of Japan. These people would engage in piracy on occasion when they faced shortages in funding.

Pirate ships of this sort would all be equipped with firearms and ammunition—

The coast guard deployed sea dragon ''retainer beasts'' in nearby waters to detect the smell of gunpowder as early as possible. Did a sea dragon raise the alarm this time too?

However, were the enemies really pirates? Just as Shiori pondered...

A sound resembling bells echoed in midair.

The mystic power producing this sound was not great. Shiori witnessed a white fox, roughly palm-size, on Old Man Kamamoto's shoulder.

This was the pipe fox, a small retainer beast used by the Imperial Army.

"Oh."

Old Man Kamamoto widened his eyes and the pipe fox jumped off his shoulder.

The pipe fox ran adorably to the wall where there was an unoccupied rocking chair.

Then after the pipe fox ran under the chair, a girl appeared out of thin air and onto the chair.

Dressed as a shrine maiden, the girl had bangs reaching her eyebrows and black, shoulder-length hair. Very adorable, the girl resembled a Ichimatsu doll and seemed to be eight or nine years old.

"Sakuya, do you have something to tell me?"

Old Man Kamamoto asked and the girl named Sakuya turned her head towards him.

The girl's slender figure and the outline of her shrine maiden garments were slightly blurred. Rather than a real human, she was an image projected by a spirit, a means to substitute for possessing a simulacrum.

She was probably the genie protecting the Suruga tutelary fort.

"Invading... Le... gions... Enemy, alert..."

Sakuya reported the battle situation choppily and transmitted noetic waves.

The view projected by noetic waves covered the ceiling of the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall. It was like a giant screen at at cinema.

...The overhead view showed the situation on the sea.

There were three bodies floating on the sea surface, resembling ten-meter-long sea serpents. However, the dead bodies had golden scales, which meant they were the sea dragon used by the coast guard. All three were decapitated, possibly shot dead by the enemy.

...The screen switched to a new view.

This was the surface of the distant sea, several kilometers away from the coast. There were seven or eight heads bobbing up and down, swimming towards the beach while treading water.

However, these "humanoid" entities were not humans.

Standing eight meters tall, their silhouettes greatly resembled Legions.

Furthermore, their bodies were releasing black haze, preventing a clear view to confirm their appearance...

"Right now, multiple Legions have killed three sea dragons... and are advancing towards the Suruga tutelary fort. The enemy has stealth noetic camouflage applied, type and affiliation unidentified. Also, this video was obtained through noetic techniques... from one of the coast guard's wyverns, which had witnessed the scene..."

Sakuya's image sat on the rocking chair while giving her report.

Her voice was extremely quiet and low, rather difficult to understand due to its choppiness. To Shiori's ears, it sounded like the grim reaper paying an ominous visit.

Fortification walls and moats were unable to stop flying Legions.

However, tutelary forts had modern defensive barriers to do the job instead. Like pipe foxes, these were spirits bestowed by Lord Tenryuu, and high-ranking beings at that.

"Ifrit, Seiryuu..."

When Sakuya's image spoke this name, a gigantic magic circle appeared in the sky.

A circle of blue light, seventy meters in diameter, manifested in the air over the tutelary fort. There were complicated patterns and Sanskrit characters inside it.

Behind the magic circle, an equally gigantic dragon took form.

More precisely, it was the "image of a giant dragon."

The slender and serpentine body was covered with sapphire-blue scales.

The giant dragon also had two antlers and four short limbs—The majesty of its sacred and solemn form undoubted belonged to the oriental symbol of the king, the holy beast known as the "dragon." The translucent body indicated it was a projected image.

The Suruga tutelary fort was not at a high elevation, but it was situated on a mountain peak at least.

The surrounding urban areas could see Seiryuu's image too. Urban areas neighboring the tutelary fort were already sounding the alarm to proclaim martial law.

"Legions of unidentified affiliation are advancing on the tutelary fort? Who exactly are pretending to be pirates...?" Suruga's temporary castellan, Chevalier Kamamoto, quietly muttered.

Currently, he was riding a blue wyvern and flying over the tutelary fort. The wyvern was identical to a lizard in appearance except with wings sprouting from the shoulders instead of forelimbs.

The wyvern's was more than twice as big as a purebred horse, a mid-sized retainer beast roughly four meters in length.

Mounted on the saddle, Chevalier Kamamoto said, "In the name of Zuihou, the Appellation bestowed upon us warriors of Imperial Japan—Assemble."

A round mirror appeared in the elderly knight's right hand.

The plain round mirror seemed to be polished copper and was the size of a palm. This was Zuihou, a Chevalier seal for summoning Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, as well as a glorious badge of valor.

Soaring while mounted on his wyvern, the old man released a large amount of noesis.

The noesis immediately materialized, turning into a flying army of Legions.

A total of twenty-seven Kamuys, equipped with armor and uniforms colored with the world-famous "samurai blue." All armed with the standard issue bayonet rifle, the Legions followed Old Man Kamamoto into battle.

The old Chevalier noticed the enemy approaching from the south—Suruga Bay.

"Incoming?"

The view was quite expansive from the Suruga tutelary fort on the plateau.

Suruga Bay was to the south, Shimizu Harbor was to the east while the northeast offered a magnificent view of the sacred peak, Mount Fuji. Unlike ordinary towns or locations surrounded by mountains, the geography here was very diverse.

Within this top-class view, signs of the unknown enemy army were lurking.

There were about thirty "human figures" flying in from over Suruga Bay, the enemy army hidden behind stealth noetic techniques. After being discovered by sea dragons, they had flown into the air directly.

Without organizing themselves, the "human figures" were flying in a scattered formation.

Suruga's sea and cityscape were gradually dyed red by the setting sun. It was almost sundown.

A more careful count yielded thirty-four enemies. Chevalier Kamamoto had twenty-seven Kamuys under his command. The enemy held numerical superiority but the defenders had support from the ifrit, Seiryuu.

The image of a gigantic azure dragon, with a magic circle behind its back, occupied the air over the tutelary fort.

To the south, Chevalier Kamamoto led twenty-seven Kamuys, standing by in the air.

A minute or two later, the enemy "human figures" reached the shore. Only several kilometers stood between them at the Suruga tutelary fort. At this time, Seiryuu made a move.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Seiryuu emitted a sonorous roar from its gigantic jaws.

Then the sky turned dark with a gathering of storm clouds. Lightning began to descend from above.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The dark clouds kept releasing lightning nonstop. Seiryuu had invoked a meteorological decree—This was a spiritual power to control weather phenomena, bestowed by Lord Tenryuu the sacred beast.

Struck by lightning, a certain "human figure" was blown away greatly.

However, the giant shrouded in haze did not take too much damage. Mere lightning was not enough to neutralize Legions.

The lightning turned into a continuous barrage to impede the enemy's advance. This was the purpose of the meteorological decree as a weapon.

Amid the sky filled with descending lightning, a lone "human figure" howled.

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

This was probably some kind of command.

The thirty-odd "human figures" began accelerate, moving apart from one another. Maintaining a scattered formation, they charged at high speed.

Unerringly, the enemy rushed at the Kamuy army led by Chevalier Kamamoto.

"Hmm!?"

Chevalier Kamamoto was taken by surprise. The instant they accelerated, the enemy abandoned their camouflage. Flying swiftly without fear of the lightning barrage, they were no longer an army of "human figures."

"Crusades..!"

The Crusades were larger in build than the Kamuys.

They also wore thicker armor. A refreshing white in overall coloring, they were adorned by red lines at various positions. This appearance belonged to the Crusade, the mainstay Legion of the British Imperial Forces.

"So a British knight has come to invade!?"

This was actually understandable. Imperial Japan was allied with Eastern Rome. If anyone would dare attack a Japanese tutelary fort, "the other empire" in Asia was the only logical candidate.

That being said, Chevalier Kamamoto clicked his tongue.

"The tutelary fort has yet to deploy a noesis barrier...? Right, Sakuya had mentioned her poor condition."

The enemy had launched a fierce assault in an attempt to conquer the Suruga tutelary fort.

As they called it in the olden days, a "siege battle" was about to begin. In charge of defense, the ifrit Seiryuu continued to rain down lightning in resistance, equivalent to the likes of arrows and cannons as "anti-air fire."

The problem was that without "walls," there would be no ''castle''—

Meanwhile, the Crusades continued to fly swiftly, unfazed by the lightning strikes from the sky.

They soldiered on relentlessly even when their comrades were struck directly. Advancing in a straight line, the British Legions began to use their bayonet rifles for suppressive fire. Rather than bullets, heat beams were fired from the barrels.

Dozens of flashes flew through the air as magic arrows, approaching Imperial Japan's twenty-seven Kamuys.

"Activate barriers!"

The Kamuys swiftly executed Chevalier Kamamoto's command.

Tiny lights fluttered like particulate matter, suspended in the air around the twenty-seven Kamuys.

This type of light had the effect of weakening enemy gunfire. As a result, despite sustaining some damage, Kamamoto's Kamuys were able to meet the thirty-four charging Crusades without any loss in numbers.

A melee battle unfolded in the air.

The rifle bayonets used by both sides functioned as "spears," clashing in combat through thrusts and slashes.

Like humans, the heads, chests and abdomens of Legions were vital parts. Legions injured in these areas would lose the ability to fly and crash down.

"The tide is... against my side huh?"

The Crusade was superior to the Kamuy in both physical build and strength.

The only way for Kamuys to oppose Crusades was to make use of their agility in hit-and-run tactics. But once both sides engaged in close combat with soldiers mixed together chaotically, the side with superior strength would hold absolute advantage.

No sooner had the old Chevalier spoken than a Crusade stabbed a Kamuy in the face with its bayonet and pulled the trigger directly.
[[image:ChronicleLegion 01 BW05.jpg|thumb]]

The rifle bayonet was a weapon consisting of a military rifle with a blade fitted on its front end of its barrel.

Naturally, the beam fired from the muzzle caused the Kamuy's head to explode.

Furthermore, the beam continued in a straight line, piercing a new target. Unfortunately, Chevalier Kamamoto's wyvern mount was shot.

"Ohhhhhh!?"

The beam blew away one of the wyvern's wings.

Losing the ability to fly, the wyvern fell, taking its rider along with it. The height of the fall was roughly sixty or seventy meters.

Chevalier Kamamoto crashed into a green hill. Fortunately, the wyvern's giant body helped to cushion the fall, so he survived with only a few fractures and bruises.

However—

A giant descended before Chevalier Kamamoto the survivor.

It was a Crusade, intending to assassinate Chevalier Kamamoto. The British Legion's landing caused the ground to shake and rumble. Up close, it looked as big as a three or four-story building.

The rifle bayonet in the giant's hand was roughly four meters long.

More than twice the old man's height.

Either the bayonet fitted on the gun or the beam from the muzzle could easily smash Chevalier Kamamoto to pieces. Upholding his pride as a soldier of the Imperial Army, Old Man Kamamoto spurred his injured body to stand up as quickly as possible. At the same time, he drew the 9mm semi-automatic pistol from the holster at his waist.

However, this sort of thing could not stop a gigantic Legion.

Without even using its bayonet rifle, the Crusade swung its left leg as though kicking a pebble.

This small movement struck Chevalier Kamamoto hard, kicking him into the air. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, he desperately ordered the Kamuys under his command.

He commanded the Kamuys to defend the tutelary fort to the bitter end on his behalf. This thought became the old man's final will and testament.

===Part 4===

Inside the ground floor hall of the nation-protecting keep, Masatsugu sighed.

Floating in midair, a giant window was serving as a screen, playing a certain video.

It was showing the aerial battle between Legions in the sky near the Suruga tutelary fort—An intense clash between the army of Kamuys led by Chevalier Kamamoto against the British army of Crusades.

"So one-sided..." groaned Masatsugu.

After Chevalier Kamamoto's death in battle, the Kamuys clearly became more sluggish.

Whenever the Crusades approached, the Kamuys would swing their bayonet rifles to engage. Unfortunately, they were too slow, completely failing to dodge or parry enemy attacks. Conversely, the Kamuys' attacks all missed.

Like this, it was impossible to stand up to the British army with their strength advantage.

Even so, the twenty-seven Kamuys did not give up fighting. Even though their attacks frequently missed, they persisted in firing their guns at the Crusades and stabbing with their bayonets.

Normally speaking, when a Chevalier died, the Legions under his command would disappear.

"Is it the Chevalier's final will...?" Masatsugu whispered to himself. Inexplicably, he felt a sense of certainty.

Occasionally, Legions would carry out their late master's final command as though to uphold their dying wish. This was especially true for Japan's mainstay Legion, the Kamuy, whose loyalty to commands was particularly notable.

As soon as he figured out the reason why the Kamuys were fighting relentlessly, Masatsugu felt troubled.

Tachibana Masatsugu was a student who knew nothing about Legions. He could not understand why he knew such things with certainty.

Meanwhile, another unfavorable element appeared on the battlefield.

"The dragon disappeared...?"

Masatsugu doubted his eyes. The dragonoid image of Seiryuu the guardian deity had vanished without warning from the air over the tutelary fort it had occupied until now.

The soldiers in the nation-protecting keep's hall also clamored among themselves, unable to hide their loss of composure.

One officer ran over to a corner of the hall, to where Sakuya's image had been sitting on the rocking chair.

"Sakuya-sama? What happened to you, Sakuya-sama!?"

The shrine maiden's image had disappeared, vanishing from sight the same moment as Seiryuu.

Thereafter, people began to talk all at once. Someone suggested to find a noetic master while others wanted to know what actually happend to the dragon. Chevalier Kamamoto's condition was also a focus of discussion. The scene was filled with angry shouts and orders.

Desperation to break out of the predicament had infected every officer and the soldiers under them. However, without the crucial Chevalier, it was anyone's guess how much their efforts could achieve—

"...Masatsugu-''sama'' and Hatsune, come this way."

The princess suddenly called Masatsugu and Hatsune.

Shiori walked briskly out of the hall in the nation-protecting keep and Hatsune followed decisively. Masatsugu did the same.

To be honest, this was not leadership one would expect from a sheltered princess.

Ever since the siren, Shiori had issued various precise instructions. Her obedient docility was purely a facade meant to obfuscate the world.

As soon as they left the keep, a small animal appeared on Shiori's shoulder.

It was a white fox roughly the size of a hamster, namely, the small retainer beast called the pipe fox. The spirit named Sakuya had used the same kind of animal.

Masatsugu said, "A retainer beast... Today is my first time seeing one for real."

"It is something that I asked Hatsune's father to procure for me. Keeping one around is extremely useful."

The small white animal on Shiori's shoulder exhaled through its nostrils.

Lord Tenryuu had bestowed many retainer beasts upon Imperial Japan and the pipe fox was one type. Using inborn noetic powers, they were able to serve mankind by enacting small miracles.

Like firearms, retainer beasts were only allowed to be used by military and police agencies in principle.

There were rumors of illegal retainer beasts in civilian society...

Shiori said to the mysterious little animal, "The genie of this tutelary fort... is called Sakuya, isn't she? I need to speak to her, so please locate her. You should be able to find her at the underground water shrine."

The pipe fox squealed and disappeared just like that.

It swiftly obeyed orders, leaving as suddenly as it had arrived.

"Princess, couldn't you have summoned her from where we were just now?"

"Not in front of others. I need to speak to her confidentially," replied Shiori instantly to Hatsune's question.

"That genie—seemed a bit odd."

There was a sense of certainty in the princess' tone of voice.

"A so-called genie is the will of an ifrit, something akin to an avatar. I believe that she and Seiryuu were unable to sustain their manifestations due to spiritual instabilities."

"How are you so sure?" Masatsugu could not help but interject. He was very curious about Shiori's tone of certainty.

On behalf of her master, Hatsune the lady-in-waiting puffed out her chest proudly and said, "Remember this well, Onii-sama, our princess is not only smart but also blessed with noetic aptitude. She is literally the epitome of brains and beauty, an exemplar of the Yamato Nadeshiko ideal!"

Noetic aptitude referred to the ability to sense and transmit noetic waves.

The title of noetic master was bestowed upon those who worked hard to obtain state certification. Compared to ordinary humans, these people were more able to commune with spirits and retainer beasts, which likewise specialized in noetic control.

Hatsune looked very smug, but Shiori said indifferently, "Like my hair, this sort of ability simply comes from my grandfather's bloodline. Many princesses inheriting a sacred beast's blood have aptitude for the mystical, just that my disposition is stronger."

"Amazing."

Masatsugu's ordinary praise prompted Shiori to shrug and say, "Is that so? The current Empress has rather thin dragon blood... Which is why her closest supporters have always regarded me with hostility. These people believe it is a great affront for me to bear such close resemblance to my grandfather despite belonging to a junior branch. Strictly speaking, the disadvantages are more numerous."

The princess' brilliant platinum blonde hair originated from Lord Tenryuu's bloodline.

However, the current Empress, Her Majesty Teruhime, had black hair, the same as a typical Japanese. Masatsugu now understood the reason.

Shiori continued, "Please keep this a secret for I have only told those who are close to me."

"As you command."

"Apart from noetic matters, I have also kept many other secrets. This includes my actual personality as well as the fact that I am more shrewd than most people imagine me to be."

"...Shrewd, is it?"

"Indeed. On matters of the mind, I seldom lose to anyone."

The princess' matter-of-fact expression made it sound like being shrewd was a virtue. The highly impolite word "shrew" came to Masatsugu's mind.

At that moment, a bell sound was heard.

The pipe fox that had been on Shiori's shoulder earlier appeared out of thin air. The small retainer beast had returned.

"How did it go?"

The pipe fox shook its little head.

Its lady master sighed and said in vexation, "The spirit named Sakuya... I cannot believe she closed off her heart and refused to listen to anyone. In human terms, she seems to be a very shy child. If she were to swear to secrecy, I would be willing to help her..."

Mid-sentence, the princess could no longer be heard.

A sudden crash overwhelmed her voice. Something hard and heavy collapsed, accompanied by an explosion. This was what they had heard.

The Suruga tutelary fort's star-shaped fortification walls—It had been breached at one point.

...Needless to say, the enemy Crusades were responsible.

Two Crusades kept firing their bayonet rifles from the air. Breaking past the Kamuys tasked with Old Man Kamamoto's dying wish, they charged into the tutelary fort's immediate area.

After that, the two Crusades landed inside the tutelary fort.

The heavy impact shook the ground. One of the Crusades landed on the roof of a one-story steel-frame building.

The British Legion stood over eight meters tall.

Its estimated weight of several hundred tons easily crushed the structure of steel-reinforced concrete.

Anyone inside would have died for sure. Next, the two Crusades began to spray gunfire.

The beams shot out of the muzzles in a torrent, blasting the interior of the tutelary fort.

The Crusades were not aiming in particular. Firing at a rate of ten shots per second, there was no need to aim.

The various structures inside the tutelary fort—buildings, hangars, barracks, etc were all built from steel-reinforced concrete, yet they were all pierced by the beams like styrofoam props. Blown away. Crushed. Burned. Melted. Explosions erupted.

The destructive heat beams melted and sliced through steel metal and concrete.

The was the power of the bayonet rifle.

Hatsune cried out in panic, "Princess! We have to hurry and find shelter!"

"...No, it would be safer to stay still."

Shiori looked at a certain building. It was the nation-protecting keep they had just exited.

"This tower is the core of the tutelary fort. Assuming it has concealed information inside and underground, the ifrit's principal image or a water shrine must be present. The enemy side needs to take over these facilities for their own use... Hence the Crusades will definitely not attack our position."

Shiori was right.

The two Crusades did not stop shooting but their guns were never aimed in the trio's direction at the nation-protecting keep.

Hatsune smiled and Shiori exhaled in relief. Despite speaking out to assure everyone of their safety, she could not help but feel nervous inside.

Next, the princess looked up sternly.

"Let us take this opportunity to call for reinforcements."

Shiori's entire body glowed white. It was the light of noetic power.

Ordinary people were essentially unable to sense noetic waves, but powerful noetic waves would release light, producing radiance that anyone could see—

Witnessing this rumored phenomenon, Masatsugu was deeply impressed.

"O braves who have exhausted your strength, may your courage be crowned by glory. Praise be to your courage."

The imperial princess spoke solemnly amid the white light of noesis.

Curious, Hatsune asked the Shiori, "Princess, what are you doing?"

"These Kamuys continue to fight relentlessly in honor of Kamamoto-sama's dying wish—I am gathering them to defend the tutelary fort that is about to fall to the enemy. However, I have no idea how many Kamuys will rush over here..." murmured Shiori with worry.

Indeed, the Kamuys were currently fighting valiantly against the Crusades outside the tutelary fort as well. It was anyone's guess how many Kamuys were still intact and whether they had the luxury of diverting some of their numbers back to the tutelary fort.

Surprisingly, reinforcements arrived immediately.

Firing their bayonet rifles, two Kamuys entered the premises from the tutelary fort's side gate.

"The ones guarding the gate!"

Masatsugu realized that they were the two Kamuys that had been stationed at the side gate for the purpose of prestige. Obeying their late commander's dying wish, they too had yet to disappear from the battlefield.

===Part 5===

The water shrine was located between a hundred to two hundred meters beneath the nation-protecting keep.

Compared to the nation-protecting keep's ground floor hall above the surface, the water shrine was ten times more spacious. One could call it an extremely vast space. Simply stated, it was a "wide open space enclosed in stone," built entirely from white marble.

The ceiling was very tall, at least twenty meters high.

Dozens of round pillars were distributed evenly within, every pillar identical in size with a diameter of six or seven meters. The style was reminiscent of ancient Greek temples.

There were no signs of humans in this serene environment.

Conversely, there was a great quantity of "blue water" on the ground.

As far as the eye could see, it was a marine-blue surface, similar in color to the beautiful southern seas. The water was criss-crossed by narrow pieces of stone, presumably to use as paths. They were not numerous but people could walk on them.

This place, filled with blue holy water, was a sacred temple of water.

There was one corner connected to this network of paths over the blue water surface.

A certain girl dressed as a shrine maiden was standing there, unmoving. It was the image of the genie Sakuya. However, her outline was even more blurred than before.

Her current condition was very weak, not even able to sustain a projection.

(Invading, Le, gion... Seiryuu, sustain, failure—)

Sakuya was pondering blankly.

Despite her young appearance, Sakuya was actually a genie that had lived for close to a century. Her soul had accumulated much fatigue. Her personality was also "timid" and "fragile."

For delicate girl like her, the invasion of Crusades has been a painful trial.

Coming into contact at close range with noetic waves from the fighting spirit, bloodlust and offensive intent exuding from the two Chevaliers and many Legions had subjected Sakuya's soul to severe damage, as though she had been physically attacked.

Contact with the outside world was currently a heavy burden for her.

Just now, she had driven away an unwelcome pipe fox. That being said, she still wanted to fulfill her duties.

(Attempt to re-summon Seiryuu... Failure. Calling reinforcements... Attempting noetic communication—)

Sakuya dutifully engaged in several tasks slowly.

Progress was as slow as a turtle. She patiently waited for the tasks to complete. She noticed a certain task had finished, the status of friendly forces had been verified.

(Chevalier Kamamoto... Killed in action. However, the battle continues...)

Normally speaking, when the commanding Chevalier died in battle, his Legions would also vanish completely.

However, the Kamuys were obeying the old man's final will on this occasion and refused to give up fighting.

Imperial Japan's Legion, the Kamuy, was noted for its utmost loyalty to their lords. The secret to the current inspirational story probably stemmed from these Kamuys' decades-long bonds with the elderly knight in addition to their loyal dispositions.

However, reality was harsh after all. An army that had lost its commander could not possibly be in strong position.

The Kamuys valiantly resisted the enemy's thirty-odd Crusades but that was the limit. Most likely, in a few more minutes, the army of Kamuys were going to be wiped out. Or perhaps the final will's effects would weaken and they were going to disappear on their own.

It was during these few minutes...

The situation changed. Two Crusades broke through the defensive line, freed themselves of the Kamuys obstructing them, and successfully invaded the tutelary fort.

Together with Princess Shiori and his distant cousin Hatsune, Masatsugu was within the tutelary fort's premises.

Two British Legions, Crusades, had finally descended from the sky. The Kamuys guarding the side gate had rushed over to intercept the enemy.

Imperial Japan's two blue samurai fired consecutively while approaching the Crusades.

Naturally, the British forces shot back. Both sides deployed protective barriers while exchanging fire. In terms of numbers, they were evenly matched two against two.

However, having lost their commander, the Kamuys moved sluggishly and were easily shot and killed by the Crusades.

Pierced by beams in the abdomen, they vanished like morning mist.

"Princess!? The those two gate guards were easily dispatched by the enemy!" Hatsune shrieked in alarm, but there were also others fighting against the British Legions.

Neither Chevaliers nor Legions, they were the soldiers of the Suruga tutelary fort.

Driving a number of lightly armored vehicles, they approached the two Crusades. One soldier opened the top hatch and exposed his upper torso. He was carrying an anti-tank rocket launcher on his shoulder.

This weapon fired 110mm rocket-propelled grenades, specialized for countering heavy tank armor.

Furthermore, there was a small military truck carrying a small surface-to-air missile launcher platform.

Using the weapons of conventional forces, they attempted to oppose the Legions.

Ten-odd grenades and missiles were shot in succession at the invading Crusades.

Every projectile met its mark. Explosions and shockwaves produced a raging storm to ravage the two British Legions. Unfortunately, their white armor suffered no damage at all.

Witnessing this scene, Shiori sighed, "Attacks without mystic powers have a 90% chance of having no effect. This is a property shared by all Legions. Without a massive stroke of good fortune, it is impossible to defeat them using conventional weaponry..."

After that, the sound of propellers arrived at the scene.

Two combat helicopters were flying at the Crusades in a pincer attack.

Anti-tank missile launchers were hanging beneath the helicopters, and of course, the pilots launched them, but it was pointless.

The two Crusades fired indiscriminately in merciless retribution.

Armored vehicles, trucks, and helicopters were all shot and exploded. This could not be helped. Even a tank division with heavy armor and superior firepower would not be able to handle a single Legion...

"Good heavens!"

Hatsune gasped. Fortunately, these brave soldiers did not sacrifice themselves in vain. While they were holding the Crusades' attention, another four Kamuys arrived from the sky.

Sensing Shiori's noetic waves earlier, the Kamuys had rushed to assist in defense of the tutelary fort.

The Blue Samurai and the two Crusades were no more than ten meters apart. This was a distance where the bayonet part of their weapons would play their role, engaging in close quarter combat with a clash of blades.

...However, the two Crusades were more agile than the four Kamuys.

Whenever the Crusades sung their rifles, the vicious blades fitted on the tips would tear through the Kamuys' blue armor and uniform, splattering blue blood.

Indeed, the blood coursing through the veins of Legions was blue. More precisely, it should be called ectoplasmic fluid.

This blue liquid was the source of all kinds of mystic powers, for things as small as automatons possessed by spirits or entities as large as Legions or water shrines. Such was the purpose of ectoplasmic fluid.

"Princess, Onii-sama! Look!" Hatsune pointed to one of the Crusades and yelled.

The winged giant soldier of white was holding a Kamuy by the neck with its right hand. The Kamuy was raised up and tossed far away.

The Kamuy's exhausted and giant body flew through the air under the setting sun's rays.

Following a parabolic trajectory, the eight-meter body was about to fall upon Masatsugu's group...

"Hurry and run! Immediately!"

Shiori issued orders swiftly. Hatsune and Masatsugu reacted just as quickly.

Hatsune dashed as speedily as a gazelle and was the first to escape the Legion's likely crash site. Of course, Masatsugu did not fall behind by much.

As a fellow youngster of the Tachibana clan, Masatsugu was just about to demonstrate his explosive acceleration when...

"Kyah...!"

Unexpectedly, the girl beside him fell. The ground was clearly flat with no obstacles nearby, yet the girl tripped while running, falling flat on the grassy lawn.

Masatsugu halted just as he was about to sprint.

He forcibly interrupted his dash. The gigantic Kamuy was about to hit the ground in less than five seconds.

He did not have enough time to pick up the fallen girl and run away at full speed.

"......!"

Having just been appointed as the girl's bodyguard, Masatsugu felt inclined to rescue her. Even if he were not a bodyguard, there was no way he could leave a girl to her own devices in the face of imminent death.

Based on these thoughts, his body executed a certain action, but definitely not out of pure recklessness.

He believed with certainty that he could save the girl this way and that ''he himself'' would definitely survive.

"Masatsugu-sama!?"

Masatsugu threw himself on top of the stunned Shiori.

He supported himself on his arms and legs as though performing push-ups to avoid resting his weight on the princess. Thus, Shiori was positioned in the small space between Masatsugu and the ground.

Immediately, a strong impact struck Masatsugu's back.

"Guhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The Kamuy weighed several hundred tons.

Masatsugu clenched his teeth, enduring the impact and the weight of the fallen Legion. He held on, painfully, excruciatingly... A minute or two passed. his push-ups posture did not collapse.

Weighing on Masatsugu's back was the giant's chest area.

The fallen Kamuy was lying face down.

"Masatsugu-sama, Masatsugu-sama!?"

Hearing the princess crying out anxiously under him, Masatsugu breathed a sigh of relief.

The fact that Shiori could still speak meant that she was unharmed. He noticed that Fujinomiya Shiori's surprised but beautiful face was just in front of his eyes, extremely close to him.

Now that he thought about it, this posture was like he was pinning the princess down to have his way with her.

Naturally, they were not embracing each other. Neither was he experiencing the lovely softness of a woman. Nevertheless, because they were in close proximity, Masatsugu noticed something.

Despite the princess' slim figure, she was quite mature and sexy as a woman.

The curves of her bust and hips were quite voluptuous. If she and Hatsune were to stand side by side in their swimsuits, it would definitely be a close competition.

"Masatsugu-sama... Masatsugu-sama! A-Are you unharmed!?"

"I'm fine. By the way, Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"

"P-Please proceed."

"You tripped over just as we started running... Do you happen to be very bad at sports?"

"Th-This is one of my secrets and an especially important one at that. I cannot tell you easily!"

"Since it affect my work as a bodyguard, I have to make sure. However..."

Pinned under a Legion's massive body, Masatsugu was lying on top of the imperial princess. One hour ago, never in his wildest dreams would he have expected this to happen. However, Masatsugu was calm to an unbelievable degree.

Indeed, this trivial situation was no crisis.

"No need to answer the question. I already understand from your response just now."

"What!? Oh, by the way, Masatsugu-sama, this strength of yours—"

Masatsugu did not wait for the princess to finish speaking.

Mustering all his strength, he slowly pushed himself up.

"Gu... uhh... G—uhhhhhhhhhh!"

Using his back, Masatsugu slowly lifted the several-hundred-ton Kamuy and tried to stand up from the ground.

He finally managed a half-crouching posture. Currently, Masatsugu was acting like a human industrial jack, lifting the several hundred ton weight of a Kamuy's chest by a height of eighty or ninety centimeters.

Next, he finished his action in one go.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Accompanied by a violent shout, Masatsugu straightened his posture, standing up with an imposing form.

Finally, he pushed the Kamuy off his head as though flipping a pancake on a griddle. This monstrous strength was truly ridiculous.

Spinning half a circle, the blue giant fell on the ground again.

Previously, the Kamuy was lying face down, but this time, its back hit the ground, producing a heavy impact sound at the scene.

Standing next to the Kamuy, Masatsugu relaxed his shoulders casually.

He was bleeding somewhere on the top of his head and the blood slid down his forehead. Masatsugu felt deeply impressed. To think that he only suffered this bit of injury. An ordinary human could not possibly be this strong and sturdy.

Thanks to this power, he had protected the princess. Lying on the ground, the princess looked at him blankly.

Over to the side, Hatsune was frozen on the spot. She asked Masatsugu in astonishment, "Onii-sama... Th-Thank goodness you're okay. No wait, what the heck did you just do!?"

Turning his back to the two girls, Masatsugu moved forward. A detailed discussion would have to wait until things were settled.

He slowly approached the two Crusades. Of the Kamuy that had been fighting, only one remained while the rest were all lying on the ground as corpses. (As a side note, the lone survivor was the Kamuy that had been lying on top of Masatsugu and Shiori just now.)

The white Crusades of Britain no longer had opponents to fight for a while already.

However, they halted simultaneously.

Staring at the tiny mortal, they acted as though they had met a terrifying enemy.

The Crusades lifted their rifles and aimed at Masatsugu on the ground.

Masatsugu himself walked leisurely at the Crusades and merely issued a simple order. Againt such ''small fry'', there was no need for him to get his hands dirty.

"Finish them."

The Kamuy lying on the ground behind Masatsugu reacted after almost crushing the princess and Masatsugu to death earlier. Eyes lighting up, the samurai crawled back up to its feet in fluid motions.

The Kamuy's method of getting up was reminiscent of a beast's speed and agility—

The Kamuy then flew over Masatsugu's head, charging at the two Crusades like a leopard.

Thrusting its bayonet rifle with lightning speed, the Kamuy pierced a British Legion in the chest with the blade. However, the assault was far from over.

Pulling out the bayonet rifle, the Kamuy slashed upwards at a slant.

This slash severed the other Crusade's carotid artery.

The battle had ended. The Kamuy's swift offensive struck vitals with precision, easily slaughtering the two Crusades.

"Red-purple...?" muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Kamuy following his orders had quietly changed color.

Originally blue, its armor and military uniform had turned "a shade of purple mixed with the color of blood." Neither plain nor glamorous, it was quite a striking shade of red-purple, however.

...At this moment, the loud noise of propeller blades resounded in the air over the tutelary fort.

A military helicopter had flown in from the west, flanked by ten-odd blue Kamuys. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

"It should be Rikka-sama from House Akigase. Leave the rest to her."

By the time Masatsugu noticed, Shiori had come to his side.

"Masatsugu-sama... Have you finally awakened? A ''legatus legionis'' at last—A true Chevalier."

The princess had spoken unfamiliar words.

Imperial Japan's princess was gazing at Masatsugu's face.
<noinclude>
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| Back to [[Chronicle_Legion:Volume_1_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Chronicle_Legion|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Chronicle_Legion:Volume_1_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
|}
</noinclude>

Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 1 Chapter 1

2016-07-01T05:13:07Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 1 – Ataraxia==

===Part 1===

“Kizuna, the test for today is this program.”

A long haired female displayed the content for today’s experiment on the monitor.

Kizuna nodded largely after confirming that content.

“I got it, okaa-san. I’ll work hard too today.”

“Right, you really are a good child. Do your best.”

It was a pure white experiment room where there was nothing. There his mother spent all her time doing experiments day by day.

Those experiments were about the development of a new weapon called Heart Hybrid Gear.

That weapon seemed to make use of AU’s technology, a bundle of state of the art technology.

However, Kizuna didn’t understand well just what kind of thing it was.

What he understood was that a small thing like a capsule called core was embedded inside his body through an operation. And then, with the power of that core, a cool protector like an armor and a weapon would be equipped on his body.

And then when he used that and did the experiments, his mother would be happy, that was all he understood.

“You are the only one in the world who are in possession of Heart Hybrid Gear you know? The result of this experiment will become the key to save the world.”

He was proud to be relied on by his mother.

He felt triumphant that he was the only possessor of Heart Hybrid Gear in the world.

He was happy that he was useful to his mother.

He felt a little like a hero.

――Like that, on a certain day.

“Who is that?”

A girl put on a stretcher was carried into the laboratory.

“Looks like she is a lost kid. She was discovered in Tokyo recently.”

“Hmmm.”

He wondered why was she brought here then? While he was thinking of such thing,

“That’s why, it’s fine for Kizuna to not come here anymore.”

“……eh?”

“That girl’s aptitude ability for Heart Hybrid Gear is amazingly high. With Kizuna’s spec, it’s meaningless to experiment more than this. You are not needed anymore.”

Wa,

Wait, a second.

“Good bye, Kizuna. Sayonara.”

Wait!

Okaa-san!

I, will work even harder!

――That’s why!

===Part 2===

With a gasp, Hida Kizuna’s eyes were awakened.

He reflexively looked around him, he was currently inside a train.

It was the linear motor car that moved in the underground between the megafloats. He was nodding off while sitting in it just now.

――I was seeing a dream of the past in a long while huh.

He felt worried whether he was also talking in his sleep, but there was no one boarding the train other than him.

For him to see that kind of dream…… it had been a long time since he went to the academy float, so he wondered if he was nervous.

His image which was reflected in the window was not a kid, but a face of a highschool student. The digital synergy which was located near the door was displaying the map of the Pacific Ocean. On that map there was a red dot moving.

{{furigana|Megafloat|Extra-large Floating Ocean Structure}} Japan was in the middle of sailing the Pacific Ocean. Inside the train the air conditioning was working, but recently the Megafloat was nearing the equator, so outside was humidly hot.

The float was a giant city created above the sea.

Tokyo Float, Oosaka Float, etc, each created floats of Japan’s administrative divisions were joined, becoming a giant structure that was Megafloat Japan.

That largeness, if it was compare with something of the past, it could rival the hugeness of district 23 of Tokyo, but such scale was still small compared to super large countries like America and the like. The largeness of a megafloat represented the national power of that country. Each country was wandering the seas of the world with their respective unique megafloat.

Currently the very megafloat itself was exactly the country for the countries all over the world which lost their territory, that megafloat was all the territory that they had. The crews and residents of the megafloat were all the people of the country which could be confirmed as safe in the current condition.

For the megafloats that sailed the seas throughout the world, things like territorial waters held no meaning.

World map also didn’t exist.

Everything began since the day where the world was overturned.

――The First Another Universe Conflict

Fifteen years ago, without any omen at all, without any advance notice, it happened out of nowhere.

North America, South America, Russia, China, Australia, South Africa, France, {{furigana|Entrances|Collision Surface}} towards the alternate universe were appearing. And then, magic weapons that were a fusion of magic and science appeared from those Entrances.

Now that it had come to this condition, nobody understood which side was the one that started it. But, it was an unmistakable fact that it turned into battle situation. And then the fires of war spread in the blink of an eye.

The Entrances towards the alternate universe were opened only for two weeks, but hundred of cities and fifty million people lost their lives. Mankind was completely powerless against the army of the AU.

Like that, the first contact with an alternate universe ended in the worst shape.

Moreover, it was a disappointment that they didn’t understand anything about the AU.

They only kept getting attacked by the enemy and their side was unable to attack back. Mankind was still yet to understand the objective of the people of the AU or even their appearance.

And then, half a year ago.

――The Second Another Universe Conflict occurred.

It was a conflict on a scale incomparable with the first one.

Entrances were appearing on each continent and island country, without exception. From there the magic weapons of AU were surging in with great numbers.

Mankind attempted to resist desperately, but mankind’s conventional weapons were powerless in front of the technology of AU.

The army was ruined in a flash and the world was conquered.

From the experience with the First Another Universe Conflict, each country was building a megafloat as the ark for emergency use and also as the trump card of battle. So to speak, the megafloat was the country’s backup plan. Not to mention the city function, government, economics, etc, the megafloat was equipped with all societal mechanisms, the megafloats were a miniature version of the countries.

Each country that was invaded by AU abandoned their original territory and became a mobile country wandering above the sea with their megafloat.

However, the people unable to board the megafloat were still left behind in the old territory of the country. Right now the megafloat didn’t have any means to know what happened to those people. Was everyone massacred, or perhaps they were living safely under enemy rule, they didn’t understand the situation in Japan at all.

Even if they tried to make contact, electromagnetic waves were cut off in the land and they couldn’t get any transmission.

When they approached their home country, the magic weapons and fleet of AU appeared from the Entrance, that was why the megafloat couldn’t carelessly get near even if they wanted to confirm their people’s wellbeing.

Even while the people living above the megafloat were living a peaceful life above the safe area that was the sea, they were wishing to once again take back their country, rescue the left behind people, and return home to their city and house.

The linear underground train passed through the Tokyo station.

One wouldn’t understand from the underground, but supposedly above the ground there was the station building of Tokyo station that was dismantled from the original Japan and rebuilt here. At the occasion of the construction of each floats, famous buildings from the region of each respective administration divisions were dismantled and rebuilt back on the floats to keep living the characteristic of the regions, schemes to reproduce the scenery and the likes were performed in the construction.

Outside the window suddenly became bright.

His eyes were dazzled by that brightness. He narrowed his eyes and then looked out the window, outside was an endlessly continuing blue sea that glittered from the light of the sun. White clouds floated in the transparent sky, and then the sun of southern country was shining brilliantly.

The linear train ran above the sea crossing over a long bridge.

Ahead of this bridge Kizuna could see the destination where he was going. A special float that was isolated from this Megafloat Japan.

Buildings like a protective wall encircled the surrounding. Rapid fire cannons and missiles protruded out toward every direction at 360°. The atmosphere was exactly like a fortress.

――Tactical Defense Academy Ataraxia.

It was a self-supporting float with a diameter of three kilometers, it was also one of the oldest floats.

Every region’s floats were also equipped with unmanned city defense functions, but fundamentally the defense of Megafloat Japan was shouldered by this Ataraxia.

Right after the Another Universe Conflict, this Ataraxia was the foremost line of anti-AU technology, it was a research institution that constantly developed human resources and R&D, other than university, this float was also a joint establishment with high and middle school.

His mother owned a research facility in Ataraxia, so Kizuna was also living in this float when he was small. He was chased out from the research facility seven years ago and was forced to move into Tokyo float. Though it was only for a short time, but he began to live with his big sister there just the two of them.

However his big sister too soon enrolled into Ataraxia. It made Kizuna live alone by himself.

The only ones who could enter Ataraxia were just they who received permission. Kizuna was unable to even approach near Ataraxia.

Every month there was a public advertisement being held for several dozen people to go for a field trip there, but he had never got chosen even once.

He thought that by any chance he might be excluded from the lottery since the beginning, but every month he kept applying.

Although he had sent mail several times to his mother, but he had never received any reply even once.

For a while he also had some exchanges of conversation with his big sister, but it seemed that she was busy and the two of them gradually became estranged.

And then it was yesterday night that his big sister, Hida Reiri, called him by phone after a long time.

{Kizuna?}

“Nee-chan!? It’s been a long time, you never contacted me at all but…… what are you doing right now?”

{I’m busy with my work. Rather than that, I had arranged the procedure for your admission into Ataraxia. Tomorrow, come to the reception at noon. After you take care of the enrollment procedure, report yourself to the command headquarters. You got that?}

“Ha? What are you saying so suddenly Nee-san? My grade is not that excellent you know. There is just no way I can go to Ataraxia.”

Ataraxia was a place that gathered people in order to turn them into the cornerstone of mankind in various fields. No matter how he thought about it, it was not a place he could go to.

{I have business with your Heart Hybrid Gear.}

Kizuna’s chest felt a sharp pain.

“Ahaha, Nee-san said something really nostalgic…… but, this thing is not useful you know?”

Frankly, he didn’t want to activate the thing for a second time.

He didn’t want to recall how he was being treated like an unneeded child by his mother.

Moreover, there was also one other reason.

There was a necessity to call out the name of the gear inside oneself in order to activate the Heart Hybrid Gear. That was because it was the activation code.

He didn’t want to shout out that name.

When he was a kid he didn’t mind it at all, but right now it was a keyword that he didn’t want to say overtly.

{I’ll be the one to decide whether it’s useful or not. If you got it, then do as I say. If you are late tomorrow, I’ll make public all of your embarrassing secrets. For example, when you were a child you were trying to go to toilet――}

“I, I got it! I understand!”

The linear motor car arrived at the station and Kizuna got down from the train.

‘Just what is Nee-chan thinking? No, rather than that, why did Nee-chan make that kind of call? If I remember right, I heard that Nee-chan’s work is some kind of office work though.’

By any chance, was she employed in a company related with Ataraxia?

He didn’t know what his big sister was thinking, but honestly he was reluctant to do this.

This place was a place where he had an unpleasant memory as a kid, and it was also the same float where his mother was, those facts made Kizuna’s heart become heavy.

He might encounter his mother. He wanted to meet her, but he also didn’t want to meet her.

While still harboring such contradictory feelings, he received the entrance inspection.

The inspection was to restrict people without permission to enter Ataraxia.

The reception was not human, but a three dimensional CG character. A pink haired beautiful girl was talking with a synthetic voice that sounded really close to a human voice.

“Confirmation finished. You are Hida Kizuna-san that is arranged to enroll into Tactical Defense Academy Ataraxia today correct? Age is 17 years old, is there no mistake that you will be transferred as a second year high school student?”

‘Uwaa, I’m really going to be transferred here!’

“Ye, yes. There is no mistake.”

“Welcome to Ataraxia! May luck be with you.”

After he passed the inspection and went through the gate, he was met with the grounds of Ataraxia.

“Heee…… I thought it’s going to feel savage because this place is combined with military facility, but the townscape is really beautiful and stylish instead.”

Small type electric automobiles were coming and going through the main street and students and residents were walking through the road. Digital synergies floating in the air were lining up along the sidewalk. Advertisements of products and news and the like were projected on them. These things would supposedly also get used in an emergency for urgent information and evacuation instructions.

At both sides of the sidewalk, shopping malls and cafés, brand shops, etc, various shops were standing in a row. Ataraxia fundamentally had a boarding system where all students live in dormitories, houses were also prepared for the personnel and researcher here. There was also the inspection that was performed every single time someone entered and exited, and so there was a demand for the inside of the float to provide all the necessities for living.

In order to answer that demand, all kinds of shop, medical institution, and various recreational facilities were established inside Ataraxia. Everything in here was built under the hands of first class architects, so the design here became avant-garde and futuristic.

“Hee, even chain convenient stores have cool appearances here.”

When he got attracted by the coolness and tried to enter, inside the store was flourishing with Ataraxia’s students. Everyone was talking with their friends while happily choosing lunch or snacks.

‘I wonder if right now is lunch break? Or the convenient store also doubles as the school canteen?’

There was also exciting things like cup ramen or snacks limited for Ataraxia, but he would surely have many chances to buy them in the future.

He had arrived here after much trouble, so maybe he should try looking around at other stores too? His stomach was also a little hungry.

However, whether it was café, fast food, or gyudon shop, everywhere was packed with people. Furthermore, ninety percent of the customers were wearing Ataraxia’s uniform. <ref>Gyudon – Japanese food that is a rice covered in meat and vegetable.</ref>

‘How awesome. It’s like most of the place is the cafeteria for Ataraxia.’

Kizuna thought about the fierce battle for lunch that he would have to go through starting from tomorrow.

And then while he was walking around like that, he became increasingly fond of Ataraxia.

If the facility was the best, then the shop employees were also polite and kind.

The students were also the same, looking at him who was wandering around with casual clothes, they asked him where did he come from, was something troubling him, was he looking for someone, he was being called by many people in concern.

Above all, everyone looked happy.

At the plaza of the shopping mall, there was an amateur band doing a launching concert, at the game center too there were also some guys playing games while holding bento in one hand.

In outline, this place should be a military facility, but…… in reality this place was really full of freedom.

“Wait, this is bad-! I forgot to go to the command headquarters!”

Well, if he just walked through the appropriate streets, he would surely find a building that fits the bill, there must also be some guide board around. Even if not, everyone here was kind, so it would be fine if he just asked someone for directions.

Having an idea like that, he began to walk.

――But,

“I’m lost……”

Ataraxia was wider than he thought, he couldn’t find the high school or the command headquarters anywhere. Furthermore, along with the end of the lunch break, there was no more students walking around outside.

“Or rather, where is this place?”

For some reason he was walking inside a forest.

“Why is there a forest and river inside an academy float……”

Even if he tried to go back, he already didn’t understand which direction he should go to go back.

“Am I, going to get stranded on my first day going to school and die? It’s already past the level of being idiotic like that.”

Right when he was thinking that, he walked into an open space further inside the forest.

“I did it! I finally returned to the city!”

Happiness welled up inside him and he rushed ahead.

“……-!?”

When he got out of the forest, he found a sea there.

Kizuna stopped his run so suddenly that his body pitched forward.

The spot where he was at was the brink of the float. It was like a precipice cliff, the wall of the float’s hull was continuing until far below.

The hull of the megafloat was gigantic. The height could even reach several dozen meters.

“I…… I almost died.”

But, there was something that attracted his attention even more than that.

A large type rapid fire cannon was set at the outer edge.

A girl was standing at the tip of that cannon.

Her back was facing him, her silver hair and her Ataraxia uniform were fluttering from the sea wind.

He was going to call out to her, but he hesitated.

If he called out carelessly, she might fall.

Cold sweat flowed down Kizuna’s forehead.

‘This place looked deserted. Shit, what kind of scene I’m finding here.’

Should he call for help?

Kizuna was going to step back, but he stepped on a branch lying under his feet.

The sound of the branch snapping made that girl turn to him.

“Ah……”

Kizuna’s eyes were stolen by her appearance.

‘Aah, she is not a human, she must be a CG character like the receptionist. If that’s so, then it might be normal for her to stand so calmly in a dangerous place like that’……was what he thought.

He was thinking like that because he couldn’t think that someone like her was a living human.

Long silver hair and red eyes.

Delicateness and beauty that was like precisely crafted porcelain, it was a girl that gave the impression of hardness and yet also brittleness. There was no way that this much conveniently beautiful human could exist.

Her height was normal, but her head was a little small compared to her body’s tallness. She had slender proportions to the degree that it made him worry that she would break, but her breasts were so big in imbalance with her body.

Her skin was white and smooth as if it was highlighted and looked shining. Looking at her face from the side, he couldn’t think of any other word to describe it other than a perfect beauty. Her red eyes that looked as if they were emitting light themselves were filled with sadness, it was as if her long eyelashes were hiding that sadness. That sorrowful gaze was directed at Kizuna.

Those red eyes were reflecting light in a sparkle.

Was she…… crying?

But rather than that, a girl with a beauty this transcendent was looking at him. He was monopolizing this girl’s gaze. Just that fact made him feel as if he was soaring in the sky.

Even the idols that made appearances on TV, if they were compared with the girl in front of his eyes, they were just like normal people.

This girl was like a different living being from somewhere, he could feel that difference in dimension from her.

That girl, was walking to his direction.

‘Eh? Eehh-? A, a real thing?’

She lightly jumped, passing over the bumps, and moved back from the rapid fire cannon to Ataraxia.

Her glossy pink lips were moving.

“Who are you?”

‘She talked!’

‘Err, how should I reply? My, my name? Is it fine for me to introduce my name?’

The girl knitted her eyebrows and showed a face that was seriously glaring at him.

“I wonder if you don’t have the intelligence to understand words? This is the first time I saw an animal like this……”

Just now she said something really mean to him!?

“No, I understand your words but…… I’m Hida Kizuna. Since today I attend the high school here. You are, a student here right?”

“That’s obvious isn’t it? If I’m not a student then just what do you think I am, I wonder. Someone who purposefully ordered this uniform, slipped into this place of heavy security, and stared at the scenery in this kind of place?”

“No, you don’t need to find fault in me like that……” <ref>Finding fault here in the raw is written with the kanji of ‘raising foot’. Some kind of metaphor in Japan, but in English it means finding fault.</ref>

“Finding fault? Just why in the world this me has to take the foot of someone like you? Rather it’s a different story if you are the one that cries and begs to me, saying, ‘please let me kiss your beautiful foot’.”

“I’m not begging like that at all!”

“What a dishonest man.”

What was with this girl? Even though her appearance was the most beautiful and cute he had ever seen, but he couldn’t understand her strange thought process at all. Whether she had a bad mouth or a bad personality he didn’t know.

“I am Chidorigafuchi Aine, a second year. It’s fine if you want to worship me.”

“What I’m talking about doesn’t get through to you at all! Just how does it take this much just to hear your name.”

“Rather, you should express your joy that you can hear the name of this me this easily. Now, dance the dance of joy, make this me enjoy the attraction.”

This was hopeless. Her visual appearance was the greatest, but it seemed that not getting involved with this girl was for the best. He was thinking of asking her for directions, but like this his mind would be destroyed in return for the directions he asked for.

“Ah, well, I’ll be going――”

At that time, a loud siren was resounding.

“Wh, what!?”

What kind of alarm was this? At the very least, it was certain that it was not the signal for the class starting.

Or else, was this a disaster drill?

“Evacuate to the shelter immediately.”

Aine spoke to him with a serious expression.

“This is the air raid alarm.”

Ai…… air raid, alarm?

“Tha, that’s impossible. Because, right now we are in the safe area of the Pacific Ocean you know? Those AU bunch should not have cruising range this far……”

The army of AU for some reason couldn’t advance outside a certain range from the Entrance. That was why this megafloat was created.

“But, this should not be a false alarm. The enemy has appeared, that’s a fact.”

After saying that, Aine began to strip off her clothes.

“Wha, oi! What the hell are you doing!?”

After taking off her upper wear and hung it at the nearby tree, this time she unfastened the hook of her skirt. Like that she took off her skirt and hung it at the tree like her upper wear. Wearing a panty with amazing cut, when she turned her back to him, he could see almost half her butt bared naked to him. Furthermore, the fabric was digging into the crevice, so it made him fell into an illusion as if the fabric was not hiding anything.

“……You are still in a place like this?”

Her movements stopped from a little shock.

When he saw that her cheeks were a little red, it seemed that it was not like she was not embarrassed.

“I’ve told you already to go evacuate haven’t I? You dullard.”

“You yourself, just why did you suddenly begin to strip! What are you going to do if somebody sees you!?”

“The one looking here is only you. This molester.”

While saying that, she unfastened the buttons of her white shirt.

“Turn away your eyes. If you do that then there will be no problem at all. I’m the victim who got peeped at one-sidedly, while you are the pervert who is one-sidedly peeping at me.”

“You are the pervert who is showing all this to me one-sidedly!”

But certainly if he averted his eyes right now then all this would be settled. Though he couldn’t comprehend this at all!

“If we are going by your reasoning here, then that means exhibitionism is not something obscene you know…… hey, oi!!”

Aine unhesitatingly took off her white shirt.

Kizuna tried to avert her eyes in panic, but his movements stopped in the middle.

“……?”

What could be seen under the white shirt was not brassiere.

What she was wearing under her uniform was a leotard with surface area that was extremely small.

The center of the leotard was opened, it was as if the clothes were flaunting the valley of the breasts and the navel, exposing them to the open. The cut of the crotch also had a steep angle while her sides were virtually uncovered.

It looked really erotic.

Aine’s body line became completely obvious without anything hiding it, her large breasts were shaking in jiggles following her motion taking off her clothes.

However, this leotard with high exposure rate was not something for the sake of gymnastics.

“That’s…… a pilot suit?”

“Even though you are ignorant, but you are widely knowledgeable only in female underwear aren’t you? The way you are using your head is really troubling.”

“That’s not underwear in the first place! No wait, it looks like underwear though!”

He was staring fixedly at Aine once again.

There was no mistake, this was a pilot suit.

This girl, could she be――

“Zeros!”

When Aine shouted that, glittering blue lights surged out from her.

“You-, you have done {{furigana|Core’s Install|Internal Operation}}!?”

The blue light was turning into the shape of Heart Hybrid Gear.

The created shape of the gear was equipped onto Aine as if digging into her soft body.

Armor modeled after vertebral column ran on her back as if in protection of her spine. And then, the largest thruster appeared on her bottom. This part was responsible for the majority of her propulsion force.

On the other side, the front part of the body had surprisingly few areas which were protected. There was no conspicuous armor from her neck until her thigh. However attack from the front could be confirmed by sight, so evading was easy. Moreover, there was the basic function of Heart Hybrid Gear, the {{furigana|Life Saver|Absolute Territory}} system which gave protection to the wearer.

This was a sudden talk, but Life Saver was a powerful barrier equipped on Heart Hybrid Gear.

When the blue light enveloping her four limbs was burst open, standing there was a girl equipped with a gear that combined protector and thruster. There were a lot of thrusters on her whole body, so he could guess that it was a gear with fairly high mobility.

When her silver hair was brushed off smoothly, blue particles danced in the air.

“This is…… Zeros.”

Its brilliance was beautiful, blue light was running through the sleek white armor.

It was a simple but really sharp Heart Hybrid Gear.

He thought that this beautiful gear didn’t lose to that stunningly beautiful girl possessing silver hair and red eyes.

Heart Hybrid Gear was hiding a power that greatly eclipsed mankind’s conventional weapons. It was the ultimate anti-AU weapon. Behind this technology that displayed an unrealistic performance, there was a rumor that it incorporated the technology of AU from the enemy.

But, there was one point that bothered him from the Heart Hybrid Gear in front of his eyes.

――There was no weapon.

“Can I ask you a little? Is there no weapon in that Heart Hybrid Gear?”

Her red eyes glared at him.

“Please don’t say impolite things. Of course it has proper weapons.”

What? No wait, perhaps it was an internal type weapon. So even a gear this small had the parts fitted really well.

“It’s a weapon invisible for an idiot. So you cannot see it. How pitiful.”

“Rather than calling me an idiot, the one telling that kind of story is the one that sounded like an idiot!”

“This gear is paying serious attention to its stealth.”

“A technology that make you unable to see your own weapon is just something completely meaningless!”

Aine was crouching down on the ground and then she grasped something like a handle.

What was that? He didn’t realize something like that was there at all.

When the handle was twisted, the ground opened quickly, then a metal box appeared from inside it.

“Eh-?”

Inside the box was firearms lining up in a row.

Aine took one firearm from among them. It was a 89-style pistol.

There was nothing unusual about the gun, it was just the official firearm that the Ground Self-Defense Forces utilized once.

“Yo, you…… you are, using that?”

“What is it, you have complaints?”

No, he was not complaining though.

Heart Hybrid Gear was something that had armor and weapons combined into it. Even his own gear was furnished with a beam cannon although its offensive power was low.

But, Aine’s gear was not furnished with weapons from the beginning.

“You are going to fight with that kind of weapon!? Conventional weapons are ineffective against magic weapons right?”

A ring of blue light was floating around Aine’s waist.

The Heart Hybrid Gear was raising its output. That was the sign of commencing flying.

“It’s fine already, just escape, you are going to die if you stay here.”

Leaving those words behind, Aine faced to the sea and ran, then she flew away from Ataraxia. Blue light stretched out from the thrusters on her waist and feet, flying up Aine to the sky.

“Shit-!”

Kizuna started running.

‘Her mouth was bad, but what Chidorigafuchi told me is correct.

My aptitude with Heart Hybrid Gear is low, and to begin with I haven’t trained for battle with it since I was a child. So that I won’t drag her down, I should evacuate to the shelter.

――But,

I just can’t forget Chidorigafuchi who was standing still alone with tears shining in her red eyes.’

Kizuna was walking towards the direction where Aine was heading.

His speed was gradually turning faster, before long he had started to run.

From here he couldn’t see well the sky of the city. He had to go to a more open place!

When he ran along the outer edge of Ataraxia, before long he exited the forest and came out into a wide park.

“Wha――”

A gigantic object was flying above his head where it almost grazed him. A terrific gale attacked Kizuna.

Giant!? No, that was a magic weapon!?

By crouching on the ground, he somehow endured from being blown away.

That was the magic weapon of AU! He had seen it before from a photo.

It was a mechanized giant with a total height that surpassed ten meters. Even among the magic weapons which were designed with armor impression, this one had a pair of wings that possessed flying ability, an [Albatross].

No matter how he saw it, it shouldn’t be able to fly in the sky based on aviation mechanics, but it was soaring in the sky with mobility that was even higher than an airplane. He didn’t understand at all with what kind of technology it was flying in the sky.

The technology of the AU far surpassed the common sense of mankind.

And then, after that a small shadow was passing through him in an instant.

‘Chidorigafuchi!?’

He chased the back of the figure flying past him with his eye, but the figure was gone already. When he looked up, he could see a white Heart Hybrid Gear ascending high to the sky chasing after Albatross.

Aine pulled the trigger of the type-89 gun in her hand and scattered sparks on Albatross’ back.

That was a good skill.

If this was a dogfight, then this would be Aine’s victory.

However, the armor of Albatross repelled those bullets really easily.

On the contrary Albatross stopped still in the sky and directed its bayonet towards Aine while turning its body behind. Normally, a bayonet was a rifle which had a short sword fixed on its tip, but the bayonet of AU had the shape of sword blade fused with gun grip and trigger as its handle.

When the trigger of that bayonet was pulled, the sword emitted light and a bullet of light was fired heading to Aine.

The speed of the bullet was fast. It was hard to chase it with eyes, but Aine evaded that bullet nimbly. And then she was encircling Albatross and rained bullets from all directions.

But there was no effect.

Aine threw away the magazine that had become empty and inserted a new ammo magazine.

She beautifully evaded the bullet of light that Albatross fired again then she closed the distance in one breath.

And then――

She struck.

“Wait…… eeeh-!?”

A strong punch hit Albatross’s chin, making that giant body bend backwards greatly.

‘Eh…… isn’t that attack the most effective compared to all she had done until now?’

Aine thrust the muzzle of the type-89 gun into the gap of the raised neck and pulled the trigger. She kept shooting until her ammo ran out, then Aine kicked the Albatross and took some distance.

The kicked Albatross powerlessly began to fall, after a while it exploded largely. Its scattered fragments transformed into fragments of light while raining down to the ground.

‘Amazing! She really defeated a magic weapon with a normal weapon!’

Aine descended down to the ground. Kizuna hurried on to the location where she would land in order to greet her.

“Oi, that’s amazing just now! You did it! You defeated a magic weapon from AU!”

However, Aine ignored Kizuna, she once again crouched in the corner of the park and twisted a handle of a hatch.

The box that flew out from the opened ground was lined up with firearms.

“Wait, this kind of thing is everywhere in the float!?”

“Of course. We don’t know when the enemy will come attacking after all.”

This time Aine took out an even bigger gun than the type-89. It was a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. Normally it was not something that a human could use by carrying it by hand, but this one had been forcefully remodeled so it was usable by hand. Just its main part had the total weight of nearly 40 kilo, but Aine lightly lifted it up.

“Type-89’s firepower is just too weak.”

After wrapping ammo belt on her body, she flew up to the sky once more.

Seeing off her figure, Kizuna felt like he had been left behind.

In contrast with Aine’s action which had no hesitation, Kizuna didn’t know what he should do. He was standing still in that place for a while.

――’Shouldn’t I also fight?

No, no, just what kind of impertinent thought you had, me.

With my aptitude for Heart Hybrid Gear, I cannot properly fight the enemy’, that was what his mother told him. He had beam cannon, but it was hard to break through the armor of magic weapons, and even if he could fly in the sky, he couldn’t fly while carrying something heavy.

{Kizuna, it’s pointless for human without any talent no matter how hard he works. Talent will shine if it is polished, but if there was nothing to be polished in the first place, then it won’t turn into anything.}

The words of his mother were revived in his ear.

His mother was a genius. A person that was like a mass of talent.

His mother’s last academic background was as a third year student of elementary school.

At that time she was already publishing numerous reformative papers on the internet. She had tied contracts with several corporations and research institutes as a researcher and mysterious consultants at the same time. Even with her identity unidentified at that time, her existence was like a kind of deity.

The Heart Hybrid Gear was one of the inventions of such a mother.

His big sister was also an abnormally superior person since she was a child. It was overwhelming for him to always be compared with his sister.

But, that big sister herself was always kind to Kizuna.

{Kizuna. The worth of a human is not from the height or depth of their ability. It’s a problem of how you live.}

On top of being superior, she was a really good person.

‘Among such superhuman family, how should this me that is the most average should live?’

Kizuna stared at Aine who was fighting in the sky.

Even if he couldn’t fight directly, wasn’t there still something else he could help with?

To equip his Heart Hybrid Gear, there was a need to yell that, its name.

“E……”

‘No, no, no!

Calm down, Hida Kizuna!’

Courage was necessary just to shout that name.

Of course, courage was also needed for fighting.

Courage was also needed even for facing his past where he was abandoned by his mother.

And then, it was embarrassing to speak of the code for equipping his gear.

‘Shit-! Of all things, just why did that mother of mine pick a naming like that!’

He absolutely hated that name!

When he was a child he didn’t understand its meaning and he yelled that name innocently, but then he knew the meaning of that word at a certain time and he felt greatly wounded――

“Hm? What?”

A small shaking was repeating in the ground.

The tiles covering the park were beginning to open like accordion curtains.

“Uwaa-, this is bad-!”

Kizuna started to run.

“Shit-, so this park is using interception system!”

He crossed over the road and hid in the shadow of a building nearby.

From the opened ground, a missile was fired, rising to the sky while trailing flames behind. However, there was no figure of magic weapon where the missile was going.

“Just what are they aiming at?”

Suddenly the missile exploded in the sky.

He took a deep breath and then looked up to the sky once more.

“……hm? That’s, what’s that?”

The sky where he looked up was strangely distorted when he looked carefully.

When he focused his eyes, that distortion was like something rectangle that was slim and long. It was fairly big.

No way…… was that the battleship of AU!?

Shivers ran through his back.

It was mainly rumored that the ship from AU couldn’t be discovered by radar searching. If it couldn’t be identified by eyesight on top of that, then there would be no way to hit them.

And then from that warship, new magic weapons were descending down.

The second wave of missile was further fired from the park. When he turned back, the wall of the building behind Kizuna’s back was beginning to open like a shutter.

“Oi oi! This thing is also a camouflage!?”

Megafloat was constructed with the assumption of fighting the AU. Due to that, defense systems were incorporated everywhere.

From the defense system that was camouflaged as a building, a large type particle cannon appeared.

“Aa―, I cannot keep up with this at all!”

At the same time with him sprinting away, a tremendous roar resounded from his back.

He felt severe heat at his back, but he somehow managed to not end up dead by being roasted.

He patted his chest while sighing in relief before looking for a place where he could calm down, he continued to run recklessly.

After a while, he arrived at a place where there were many warehouses lining up.

Perhaps there were stray shots hitting this place, but there were many cardboard boxes scattered around haphazardly, the snacks stored inside the boxes were scattered everywhere.

Kizuna put his hand on the wall and tried to put his breathing in order.

“Haa, haaa…… a, anyway, seems like this place is not a dummy warehouse. As expected it’s not a defense system.”

At the other side of the warehouse was immediately the sea. In the end, it seemed that he had run along the edge of Ataraxia.

He could see explosions happening in the sky far away. A red light was drawing a line, flying around in the sky.

Was that Chidorigafuchi Aine?

Suddenly, while he was thinking about such thing, a gigantic hand appeared before his eyes.

“Wha-……!?”

That hand which had sea water dripping from it caught hold of Ataraxia’s edge.

With a pull-up trick, that body showed its figure.

A giant body with horn growing on it was overflowing with sea water, a magic weapon was landing on Ataraxia.

Its total height was ten meters. A category-B magic weapon, [Viking].

Shit-! Now that it had come to this, he wouldn’t be able to escape without making some sacrifice. There was nothing to do but equipping his Heart Hybrid Gear.

It was not for fighting, but for escaping.

“E――”

At that moment, a hole opened in the Viking’s body.

‘Chidorigafuchi!?’

Thinking that, he looked for the Heart Hybrid Gear with blue light running on that white body.

However, what entered his eyes was a girl holding a katana charging here.

“Go! Blade!”

Together with that calling voice, the black haired girl moved the swords floating at the surrounding air. With agile movement, the swords flew in the air and assaulted the Viking. The Viking tried to intercept them, but the blades skewered it like a joke.

“Haaaa!”

The girl took a stance of holding her sword above her head and slashed at the Viking.

The Viking was bisected into two from its head.

The girl landed in front of Kizuna and waved her sword as if assuming a posture.

The Viking raised an explosion as if that gesture was the signal.

The splinters turned into clusters of light in the air.

‘E, eh?’

Was he, saved?

However, when that girl swung her sword, the tip was directed right at Kizuna’s nose.

“What is an ordinary student doing in this kind of place! Furthermore in casual clothing like that!”

“Eh, who, are you?”

“You don’t know about me? I am Himekawa Hayuru, a public morals committee member of Ataraxia! What year and what group of students are you!?”

“E, err, I’m a transfer student, this is my first day……”

The girl who introduced herself as Himekawa Hayuru was taken aback before she stared fixedly at Kizuna’s face.

“Then you are the new team member then! Do you have a Heart Hybrid Gear?”

Kizuna nodded his head repeatedly.

“Then, please fight together with us! Right now is an emergency situation!”

‘Eeeeeeeeeeeeee! That’s, even if you suddenly told me! No, rather please don’t expect any fighting ability from me!’

Himekawa seems to be losing her temper when Kizuna didn’t reply, she snapped at Kizuna.

“What are you doing! Please hurry! We who possess Heart Hybrid Gear are existences that should become the shield of the people! We have to become the sword of the powerless people!”

Himekawa talked passionately, but Kizuna could only feel uneasy.

That was because new magic weapons were descending down to here.

Furthermore, this time their number was many. There was ten category-C Blue Head. Also, there was even a larger group of Brigands coming down here.

Even when looking at that large group of enemies, Himekawa didn’t falter at all.

“Hmph. Again they come…… come! You too, let’s fight together!”

“No, that’s why, I――”

Blue Heads raised a tremor in the ground with their landing, they brandished their swords and headed here.

At that time, flashes and sound of shockwaves pierced the sky of the park.

Wind hole was opened in a Blue Head’s body, then it exploded greatly.

He thought that it was Himekawa launching her Blade once again, but the Blades were still floating around the back of Himekawa this time.

“Hayuru? Can you stop playing around I wonder?”

There was one more person in the air, a girl with Heart Hybrid Gear put on her body.

It was a beautiful girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

‘So this is what they mean by dynamite body’, Kizuna thought.

From her large breasts, to her waists that radically turned slim, and a butt that was stretching as if it were going to explode in a turn.

She was glamorous and gorgeous.

The gaps between her gear were shining, that luminescence which was golden in color also played a part in her gorgeous impression.

And then, the armaments which were fixed on her back and around her hips also showed the powerful fire power at her disposal.

The cannon muzzles that could possibly fired in all directions were moving separately, each of them was establishing a different target.

All of them spouted out fire all at once.

“Uwawawawawawa!”

Intense explosive sound rumbled, particle bullets were grazing Kizuna from all directions.

The shockwave from that made his body stagger.

Until the bombarding was over, he didn’t feel like he was going to stay alive.

The bombarding was over after a few seconds, the surroundings were wrapped in silence.

When he timidly observed the surroundings, the Blue Heads and Brigands had been wiped out.

‘A…… amazing.’

It was not just because the firepower was powerful. That was an accurate shooting. It looked like she was firing randomly to all directions, but not to mention himself and Himekawa, there was no damage at all even at the surrounding facility. She was attacking only aiming accurately at the magic weapons.

When the girl softly landed on the ground, she faced Himekawa and continued talking as if there was nothing.

“That’s why, it’s hard doing this alone. It’s severe doing this when Hayuru slacks off.” <ref>Yurishia had a characteristic way of talking. She often drag off the end of her sentence a little. For example ‘that’s whyy’ ‘slack offf’ like those, I wonder if I should write it like that here or it’s better to just write it normally?</ref>

Hearing those words, Hayuru stepped forward with a clink.

“Yu, Yurishia-san-! This I is a committee member of public morals! And you called me slacking off!? That’s an offensive insult! Please take your words back right now!”

Her face was bright red and she kept talking on and on.

“Araa, I wonder if I stepped on a landmine here?”

The blonde beautiful girl called Yurishia parried Himekawa’s fury with a smile.

“Rather than that, I wonder who is that boy over there―♪ Hayuru’s boyfriend?”

“Boyf……-!?”

Her face that was already too red became even redder.

“I-i-i-I, impossible-! Licentious! Filthy! In the first place even touching a boy is something that is not allowed! We, we are shouldering a lofty goal of――”

“Ok, ok, I understand. Then, let’s just clean up the descending down magic weapons. If we don’t quickly tidy this up, then not only Ataraxia, even Megafloat Japan as a whole will be sunk down you know?”

With a bright smile, she said something terrifying.

“Guh…… I, I understand. Certainly right now is not the time to argue. Let’s properly talk about this matter later on!”

The Unit at Yurishia’s back emitted light. The next instant she flew up to the sky. Her figure turned small in the blink of an eye. Himekawa also followed after her.

Kizuna was left completely by himself alone in that place.

{You too, let’s fight together!}

He recalled back Himekawa’s voice.

Even if he was told that, there were things he could do and couldn’t do.

Just as his mother told him, he couldn’t even stand at the start line if he didn’t have the talent in the first place.

When he moved his gaze to the city’s direction, Chidorigafuchi flying in the sky drawing blue tracks behind her entered his eyes.

‘Even I actually want to be like that――,’

However, Chidorigafuchi’s condition was strange.

Her movement was dull. Her nimble body movement like before this had disappeared, even the machine gun she held in her hand was hanging down heavily.

What? Just what in the world was going on?

And then finally, her movements stopped.

‘D, dangerous!’

Direct hit.

The enemy’s cannon hit Aine. Flame explosion spread in the sky like a blooming flower.

“……That’s”

Kizuna was dumbfounded.

From inside the flame, the figure of Aine with smoke trailing behind her appeared.

However, power had left her whole body, she was falling to the ground.

‘O, oi! That’s seriously bad right there!

Kizuna’s eyes wandered. His gaze roamed the sky, he was desperately looking for the Heart Hybrid Gear of Yurishia and Himekawa.

‘Save her quickly! Your comrade is in danger!’

Even when he yelled so in his heart, there was no signs of those two coming.

‘What to do?

What to do!’

{Kizuna. The worth of a human is not from the height or depth of their ability. It’s a problem of how you live.}

His sister’s words resounded in his mind.

‘That’s right isn’t it, Nee-chan. If not right here right now, then just when I’ll use it!’

Kizuna took off his jacket.

He wasn’t wearing a pilot suit, that made his affinity with the Heart Hybrid Gear even lower.

“Kuh, can’t be helped!”

In order to make up for the demerit of not wearing pilot suit even for a little, he also took off his T-shirt vigorously. When his upper body became naked, Kizuna took in a large deep breath.

“EROS!”

All over his body was wrapped in pink light.

This sensation…… how many years has it been already.

The pulsation of his heart released particles of light, those particles united and created magic armor that wrapped his body.

Kizuna put on the Heart Hybrid Gear [Eros] on his body.

On the black armor, pink streaks of luminescence were running.

When he concentrated his consciousness, he raised the output of the thruster and beads of light danced from the jet propulsion nozzle.

The sensation was not different at all with what he felt as a child.

“Okay-, I can do this!”

Kizuna flew to the sky.

With all the speed that he could muster, he headed to Aine’s falling point.

Aine’s natural falling continued, it would only take 100 meters more before she crashed.

“Make it in time!”

The yell of his heart accelerated the Heart Hybrid Gear.

Kizuna’s arms caught Aine’s body.

“I did it! E, eh?”

It was all fine that he caught the body, but he couldn’t support Aine’s weight. That was just how weak the output of Eros was.

“U, uwaaa!”

He was dropping diagonally and fell on a field that had grass growing.

He embraced Aine to protect her before he slid on the lawn.

After rolling for several tens of meters, he finally stopped.

“So…… somehow, it looks like I’m saved.”

‘So I can actually do it when I try.’

He soaked in a prideful feeling for a moment. Aine was still breathing, but she looked as if she was in a great pain.

“Oi, Chidor――gah……”

Aine was hit by enemy attacks and bore damage.

There was no problem in her Heart Hybrid Gear, but the damage to her pilot suit was great.

In other words, it was torn.

The suits already had great exposure rate in the first place, but it became even more terrible with this damage in addition. Like this he guessed that it could actually put up a challenge against a micro bikini.

Around the collarbone and around the stomach were holes opened from tears of the fabric. Like this, it was nothing more than some sorry patches that hid the breasts and nether region.

<nowiki>*</nowiki>gulp* Kizuna made a noticeable sound from his throat.

‘N, no. This is not the time to think about perverted thoughts.’

He persuaded himself like that, but he still wasn’t able to oppose the absolute eroticism of the beautiful girl.

He had seen erotic manga on the internet before, but the presence and pressure of the real thing far surpassed his imagination.

Moreover, this was a girl with transcendental beauty. Trying to resist was an impossible talk from the outset.

He barely mobilized all his remaining reasoning before talking to Aine.

“O, oi, Chidorigafuchi. You okay? Get a grip of yourself.”

There was luminescence everywhere on her body that was the proof that the Heart Hybrid Gear was operating. However, Aine’s light looked dim, it looked like the light would go out anytime.

But anyways, she was safe for the time being. However, he better bring her to a hospital as soon as possible――

At that time, in front of Kizuna’s eyes a floating window opened. Projecting monitor window in the air where there was nothing could be done by using Heart Hybrid Gear’s communication function.

“What is it, at this kind of time!”

A close-up of a beautiful woman was projected on the window.

{Kizuna. It’s me.}

“Ne-, Nee-chan!?”

The transmission was from his sister, Reiri.

“Ne, Nee-chan!? Right now, I got a serious――”

{Shut up.}

“-……!!”

He reflexively swallowed his words.

{I understand your current situation. Listen well to what I’m going to say after this. Understand?}

He didn’t know what was going on, but for the time being he nodded.

“I got it. Then, what should I do?”

{First, rub Aine’s breast.}

Kizuna reflexively held Aine’s breast.

……What?

“Uwawawaaa! Wh-, what are you making me do!”

He released his hand as if it was repelled away.

{Kizuna, do it more gently. Gently, but slowly put more strength into it, rub and wrap it in your hand.”

“No, listen! Why do I have to rub the breast of a girl that I just met for the first time!?”

{Don’t think. Feel.}

“Feel what!?”

{Aine’s heart and body. Unless you can do that, you guys will die for real.}

He could see an Albatross landing down on the roof of a nearby building.

If that thing came here, it would be seriously bad.

{Then touch Aine’s body to make sure if she has wounds or not. Look through every nook and cranny of her body.}

“A…… go, got it. If it’s something like that then……”

With trembling fingers, Kizuna touched Aine’s body.

‘Shit-, don’t get nervous.’

Kizuna was sliding his finger tips from her shoulder to her arm while looking at the girl’s reaction.

The thin glove that reached until her upper arm was torn and had holes opened in it. However, it seemed that she was not injured. The softness of her arm was directly transmitted to his hand.

“Uu……n”

“Chidorigafuchi?”

She was groaning, but it seemed that her consciousness hadn’t returned.

{Don’t mind, just continue.}

“Ah, yes. I got it.”

He ascertained other places similarly like that. From her armpit to her side, her waist, and then her thigh, her calf.

Was the body of a girl really this soft?

He thought that because they were the same human, even though they were male and female it was only their shape that was different, but it was like they were made from different raw materials.

{Open up her legs. Enter between, then pay thorough attention to her leg one by one.}

“Ri, right.”

Before he realized it, Kizuna had already become absorbed in the pleasant feeling of touching Aine’s body.

“Aa…… n, haa……”

The girl’s cheeks were colored red.

Somehow, the feeling of fondling the body of a beautiful girl earnestly was not bad.

Furthermore, in the current situation, he opened her legs and right now he was in a position between those legs where he was holding in his arm her thigh.

Suddenly he could smell a nice aroma like a flower.

He didn’t notice it in his fluster, but this was the aroma of a girl.

Her blushing face was truly bewitching.

He unintentionally gulped his saliva.

Sweat flowed down the nape of her neck.

Her breasts largely moved up and down.

And then, the tips of the breast were obviously conspicuous even more than before. It was standing up as if going against the suit, pushing up the fabric from below.

‘No, no good! My eyes cannot move!’

He put all his power to the muscle of his neck and tore away his gaze from the breasts.

Far below her breasts, there was her navel.

The navel itself was not a big deal, but the fact that the shape of the body under the suit was blatantly displayed uplifted his mind mischievously.

‘Shit-! Even though I’ve finally get away from the breast’s binding spell! What a body that I can’t let my guard down with!’

However, ahead from that area was a spot that was even more dangerous.

The triangle zone made up from the body and the thighs. For Kizuna it was an unknown territory.

The pilot suit was digging into that between, shadow and highlight were creating a valley that looked soft.

His head was dizzy from the charm of her body. The throbbing of his heart was strong, becoming faster. The desire welling up from his depths was driving his body mad, as if an unendurable pain was going to explode.

And then, pink radiant light particles were born inside Kizuna’s eyes.

A painful sounding voice leaked out from Aine’s lips.

“Nn…… haa…… an”

Aine twisted her body as if she was feeling Kizuna’s gaze on her.

At that instant, blue particles scattered from Aine’s body.

This was…… the light of Heart Hybrid Gear?

“Uu…… n”

Aine dimly opened her eyes.

Her expression was entranced, she looked completely defenseless, she was irresistibly lovely.

The moment he saw that, pink particles of light also raised from Kizuna’s body.

{Right now, Kizuna! Grab her breasts!}

When he returned to his senses in surprise, he moved faithfully following his sister’s instruction.

His hand reached out heading towards the magnificent breasts which were drawing beautiful lines.

Just how could this thing possibly draw a line this elegant?
[[File:Masou Gakuen HxH V01 08.jpg|thumb]]
It was exactly like a work that god accomplished.

He wanted to touch this miracle of god.

White, with pink tips blooming on top of the soft hills.

――Right now, that summit was conquered.

His eyes met Aine’s.

Under the silver hair, there were the red eyes.

Those eyes which were even redder than her red blushing cheeks were unfocused inside the widely opened eyelids.

“Ah……”

“Eh……”

Both of them were wordlessly staring at each other.

Shock, confusion, passion, all of those became one, making the throbbing of the heart unstoppable.

Aine’s red eyes were moist, shining sparklingly. Her pink glossy lips was slightly opening, sweet breath was leaking from there.

She was truly beautiful and lovely.

“Pretty……”

“<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>-!! !?”

Her red face became even redder to the degree as if one could hear a *puff* sound.

At the same time, the pink particles emitted from Kizuna’s body and the blue particles produced from Aine’s body mixed with each other. Belt of light was enveloping the bodies of the two.

{Success! You did well Kizuna!}

The voice of his sister was unusually excited.

“Su, success you said!?”

The light particles melted into Aine’s body. Following that, sparkling radiance was appearing inside her red eyes and power filled her eyes.

{This is {{furigana|Heart Hybrid|Union Remodelling}}.}

Aine raised her upper body. It was like she was still in a dream, her body was wavering unsteadily.

“This is…… what in the world”

She spread both her hands and stared mysteriously at the flow of light clinging around her body.

{The mixing of heart and affection. That is exactly Heart Hybrid Gear’s true ability!}

Aine was looking at Kizuna with heated eyes.

{I see. It seems that the Heart Hybrid makes her sexual desires still in a heightened state…… Kizuna, try to hit Aine’s cheek.}

“Eh!? Is it okay doing something like that?”

{If you don’t do something like that, Aine is going to coax you for even more erotic actions you know.}

Just what the hell did that mean? He couldn’t understand this at all!

“Eei, what the hell, whatever!”

Saying that, he hit her cheeks sharply with both his hands as if to restrain her head.

Thereupon, Aine’s eyes recovered their focus.

At the same time, the thruster on her elbow was gushing out light.

Aine’s shooting punch buried itself into Kizuna’s stomach.

“GUWAAAAA!”

He was lightly blown away for twenty meters and crashed into the field’s wall.

After taking a glance at Kizuna, Aine put out a floating window and checked the condition of her own gear.

“This is…… what is the meaning of this? The Hybrid Count is rising…… even though, it should have been used up already.”

{Aine. The Albatross heading to your spot is in the middle of descending. You can do it?}

A new window opened up in front of Aine’s eyes and projected Reiri’s face.

Even before Reiri’s words ended, Aine sharply directed her face to the blue sky.

The figure of the magic weapon swinging the bayonet was reflected on her red eyes. It was falling straight down with a speed that was faster than a natural fall should be.

The girl who until just now was in a condition where she had used up her strength stood up gallantly. Her white skin was shining beautifully while her red eyes were radiating luminescence.

“I’ll do it.”

Her eyes where no vitality could be felt before now changed into a gaze that possessed strong will. Several streaks of light flowed on the surface of her gear, she understood that energy was supplied to her whole body.

Aine bent her knee and dropped her body with a jerk.

The next instant, Aine’s figure disappeared. Shockwave blew through the stadium field.

‘Buha-! Wha-, what happened?’

Kizuna warded off the wind with his hand while looking up to the sky with narrowed eyes.

Like a launched rocket, Aine flew up to the sky. Ahead up there was the magic weapon possessing tremendous mass falling down.

A girl with body height of 160 cm and the magic weapon with height of ten meters clashed.

Aine should be crushed from the extreme difference in mass.

She pulled back her arm largely.

“HAAAAAAA!”

Large amount of light exploded from her elbow thruster.

With a terrific speed, Aine’s fist was buried into Albatross’ stomach.

The astounding destructive power smashed the armor into pieces.

Like that the armor warped, broke in, and the back was pierced through.

‘――What the hell, is that?’

Kizuna murmured while looking up at the Albatross which had a hole opened in its stomach and was now falling down.

“That’s absurd……”

At the other side of the hole opened in Albatross, there was a girl with silver hair.

Aine was staring at Kizuna.

Albatross’ body became fragments of light and disintegrated.

Kizuna noticed that the warship of the enemy at the back was changing its direction.

{It seems they are returning. Himekawa, Yurishia, you don’t need to pursue. Come back.}

{Aa―, geez, that’s unfortunate! As expected, a mother ship is tough!}

A new window was opened and it projected Yurishia’s sulky face.

{It can’t be helped. The majority of the enemy’s magic weapons are beaten, so let’s look at this positively.}

The relieved gentle smiling face of Himekawa was projected.

{Rather than that, what about Aine-san?}

Himekawa questioned worriedly.

“There is no problem with me.”

He could hear her natural voice rather than from the transmission device.

Aine was coming down from the sky and landed in front of Kizuna.

“Rather than that……”

And then she walked closer in front of Kizuna.

“What kind of person are you? What in the world did you do to me?”

‘Hee? Why is she asking me a question like that――wait, aahh-!’

No matter how it was the instructions of his sister, he had done erotic things like that to her while she was losing consciousness.

This was not a mere outcry about sexual harassment! If he thought carefully, wasn’t all of that already a crime!

Cold sweat came out like a waterfall.

“No, I’m just a normal transfer student…… no, it seems that today is really busy, should I excuse myself with this……”

{Wait, Kizuna.}

Reiri’s window circled and cut in front of the nose of Kizuna who was trying to leave.

{I still have business with you. Aine, take Kizuna and come to the usual place. Himekawa and Yurishia too.}

“……Roger.”

Aine answered with a dissatisfied voice and caught the nape of Kizuna’s neck.

“Wa, wait!”

“It’s fine already, just come. This is an order so it can’t be helped, I’ll guide you. It’s great isn’t it, you have made a good memory to take to the afterlife.”

“Don’t say something ominous! You, where are you planning to take me!?”

Kizuna was literally dragged away somewhere.

===Part 3===

‘――So, why am I in this kind of place?’

Kizuna was made to stand in front of the students of the whole school.

The destination where he was taken away was a large auditorium that could accommodate several thousand people.

He was made to change his clothes that had become scraps into Ataraxia’s uniform, now he was standing on the stage in a row with Aine and the others.

The seats were filled with all the students of Ataraxia gathering here. Combined with the middle school, the number of the students approached near four thousand people.

“Well then, this time the enemy’s attack has also been splendidly repelled, by the pride of our Ataraxia, the members of the Heart Hybrid Gear team [{{furigana|Amaterasu|Heaven and Earth Goddess}}]. Ladies and gentlemen, give them a grand applause!”

The inside of the building was wrapped in loud applause that could crack the building.

“Well then let’s continue, we will have some words from the principal of Ataraxia who is also our commander-in-chief.”

Someone was holding the post of the principal and commander concurrently? Just what kind of pers――,

The one who appeared from the side of the stage was, a young female.

Her long black hair fluttered while she was walking on the stage. She had a slender face and sharp almond eyes. A military uniform was fitted smartly on her body, it had a tight design that firmly clung to the body line, even the shape of her large breasts could be understood over the clothes, it was truly a sexy figure.

But, the most important thing was,

――He knew that face really too well.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Hida Reiri.”

‘Ne-! Nee-chan!?’

“Regarding the emergency situation on this occasion, the accurate actions with calmness of you ladies and gentlemen deserve praise.”

‘Just what in the world, that person is doing in that place―!? Quickly, quickly get back!’

In panic, Kizuna talked on and on at Himekawa who was standing beside him.

“Wa, wait! I don’t know the reason for this, but my Nee-chan, she is doing something like that! I’m truly sorry! We have to drag her back immediately!”

Himekawa frowned her face in wonderment.

“Err, I don’t understand what you mean. Is there something wrong with the commander giving out words in this general meeting?”

“Aah, geez, you don’t get it at all! I’m saying that person there is my Nee-chan!”

“That seems so.”

“No, that’s why――……eh?”

“I’m aware that you are the little brother of the commander.”

‘……eh!? She is joking, right?’

Putting aside the dumbfounded Kizuna, the meeting was progressing.

Reiri that was supposed to be the older sister of Kizuna spoke to the four thousand people with a dignified behavior.

“Well then, I want to introduce a new comrade in this chance. He is a transfer student but, for certain circumstances a Heart Hybrid Gear is residing in his body. Therefore, together with his enrollment, it has been decided that he will also enlist into Amaterasu.”

‘This talk…… I don’t think it’s possible but, is this talk about me?’

“Then, I’ll introduce him. High school second year first group, Hida Kizuna.”

Reiri on top of the stage reached out her hand as if inviting him.

No, that was impossible.

Kizuna made a right-about face and tried to head to the wing of the stage.

“The way is not there you know. O-ver-there.”

Yurishia stood in his way and pressed at Kizuna’s chest with her index finger.

Reluctantly he walked towards the center of the stage.

When he climbed on the stage, Reiri was there holding out her hand with a smile. He took that hand and made a handshake, the applause inside the building became even louder.

“Kizuna, you did well until here.”

Reiri talked to him in a way that was not broadcasted by the mic.

“……After this, I got a mountain of things I want to ask Nee-chan.”

Reiri laughed in a huff and once more stood in front of the mic.

“The strategy that I will explain after this will become the most important and the most prioritized strategy. And then, this new team member will shoulder the most important role in that strategy.”

The lighting on the stage dropped down a little and an image was projected on a screen.

He wondered if perhaps the data for the strategy’s outline would be projected on that screen.

The instant the image was projected, it felt like Kizuna’s breath was going to stop.

The image that was projected was the one taken when Kizuna was looking after Aine.

However, looking from just the image, there was nothing that could be seen except him carefully touching all over the body of the unconscious Aine with thoroughness.

The inside of the auditorium turned noisy.

“Wai……”

“No way, what is, this”

“Pe, pervert?”

Kizuna timidly looked at the direction of Aine and the others.

Aine’s face was pale. If this was a manga, than surely the upper half of her face would be shaded off by gradation.

‘This is baddd, she is angry! She is really angry! She is extremely angry!’

Himekawa’s mouth was half opened, she was looking up at the screen dumbfounded.

As for Yurishia, she was tilting her head as if saying ‘What is this I wonder?’

And then, the moment where Kizuna’s hand was touching Aine’s breast, the auditorium shook from screams and angry roars.

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“What the hell, is thisssssssss!”

“Don’t shit with meee! What are you doing to our goddess there!”

“How envious! That’s just too envious, die!”

Even none other than Kizuna himself was also screaming.

“STOPPPPP! STOP THIS, QUICKLY! GYAAAAA!”

“KILLLLLLL! KILL THE TRANSFER STUDENT!”

“Yo, you’re wrong! This is a mistake! This is, listen to my explanation!”

Aine was unchangingly staring fixedly at the screen.

Himekawa’s face turned red and she pressed her mouth with her hand, but before long she couldn’t hold herself back and murmured with a voice of deep resentment while her shoulders were shaking.

“Wha…… what, is this, picture. This thing, this thing”

“Err, Himekawa…… san?”

“How…… how, cowardly!”

Shout of anger pierced him.

“While other people were fighting the enemy, just what in the world were you doing-! Furthermore you did that while the other person was fainting, unbelievable! Impossible! Filthy! Disgusting! Repulsive! Indecent! You coward! Pervert!”

And then, similar vilification were mercilessly raining down on him from the audience seating.

‘Aah, why, why does it become like this!?’

“You really did it didn’t you― even though I thought you were just the typical herbivore♪”

Yurishia was making a mean smile at him.

Kizuna grasped the shoulder of Reiri while crying.

“Aah! Geez! This is all Nee-chan’s fault! You have to settle this down somehow!”

Reiri held the mic and declared.
[[File:Masou Gakuen HxH V01 09.jpg|thumb]]
“ALL STUDENTS, QUIET DOWN!”

With that thundering voice, silence returned to the auditorium.

“Listen well! This is not a joke or game or anything. This is a fully-fledged strategy. Until now even when Heart Hybrid Gear consumed their energy, there is no other method to replenish that energy except by slowly waiting for natural recovery. However, after a long time of research, we finally obtained the answer for this! That is by a man and a woman possessing Heart Hybrid Gear to join their body and heart into one and share their affection and pleasure.”

On the screen, the scene where particles of light were overflowing out from the body of Kizuna and Aine was repeated.

“By doing this, the energy of the Heart Hybrid Gear is replenished and [Heart Hybrid] becomes possible.”

Aine parted her eyes from the screen and stared fixedly at Kizuna’s person.

‘Wh, what? Just as I thought she might be really angry. Well, that’s just obvious. Aa…… how should I apologize for this to her?’

“In the image you can see that the energy of Aine’s Heart Hybrid Gear ran out, but she succeeded in doing Heart Hybrid with Kizuna. The result is just as you can see.”

The scene where Aine destroyed a magic weapon with one attack was replayed.

Certainly, her movement and power were completely different compared to before. That was the true power of Aine. Had her energy been consumed until that much before the Heart Hybrid? Or maybe by doing that right now her battery was already in a state of almost running out again.

“Listen well! In order to continue fighting the enemy from AU, from now on the members of Amaterasu are going to endeavor to replenish their energy and power up themselves!”

Reiri’s index finger was directed at Kizuna as if it would pierce through him.

“Do erotic things with this Hida Kizuna here!!”

Once again the auditorium was turned into a feverish state of pandemonium.

Himekawa snapped at Reiri.

“I, I cannot accept this! If we need to do something like making our heart as one, then it should even be fine to use other methods than this! Just why do we have to use a shameless way like that!?”

“Listen well Himekawa, love is the strongest emotion that humans possess. And then, sexual desire strongly connects two people. This is the emotion and impulse that are rooted in our instinct as a living being. There is no method more effective and stronger than this.”

“Kuh-……such, such thing”

“It’s also the same for all of you who wish to enlist into Amaterasu. Carve into your hearts that it will be indispensable to perform Heart Hybrid with Kizuna after enlisting into the team!”

“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?”

The shouts of all the students roared inside the auditorium.

“Wha, what the hell is thattt! Just how could such thing be possible!?”

The agonized screams from the male students were especially loud.

Kizuna couldn’t endure it and yelled into the mic.

“E, everyone, don’t misunderstand! I never had that kind of intention at all! Something like erotic things…… is not something that can be done with just anyone. It’s something that should be done between two people loving each other, it’s mistaken to force it due to a strategy or whatever!”

The angry roars inside the hall began once more, the commotion was pushing back like a wave to him.

‘If it keeps like this I won’t be able to stay here. At best, it will be like lying in a bed of nails, at worst, I’ll get killed. If I don’t resolve the misunderstanding somehow――’

At a great timing, the screen was projecting the scene where Kizuna was renewing his determination just before he was going to save Aine.

‘Great. If they see this scene, then there is no doubt that my feeling of just wanting to save Chidorigafuchi will be conveyed to everyone!’

“Everyone, see here! This is when I was going to save Chidorigafuchi――”

And then the Kizuna inside the scream stripped naked his upper body and yelled gallantly.

{EROS!}

“This bastardddd! Ain’t you really eager there huhhhhhh!”

“Disgusting-!”

“Unbelievable! Beast!”

“Pervert! Pervert! Pervert!”

Merciless vilification were thrown at Kizuna on the stage. It was a barrage of words.

Kizuna was burned out into pure white.

‘――It’s over…… my school life.’

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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|-
| Back to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Masou Gakuen HxH|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? Shunkashuutou: Prologue

2016-05-16T04:28:21Z

Belatkuro:

[[Image:Rokujouma Shunkashuutou Image 2.jpg|thumb]]

==Prologue==

Satomi Koutarou was extremely bad at getting up in the mornings. Even if he had an important event in the day, that wouldn’t change. That’s how Koutarou had lived until now, sleeping without regard to the surroundings or issues around him. So the sight of Koutarou and Sanae sleeping together in room 106 was a common one that put those who saw it in a pleasant mood.

“…Hey, Koutarou, wake up.”

However, there was an exception to every rule, seeing Koutarou spread-eagled, sleeping without a care was aggravating to someone who was tense in anticipation of an important event. Especially so when Koutarou was central to the event.

“Koutarou! Can’t you understand I’m telling you to wake up!? Honestly…”

Theia shook Koutarou, pulling her eyebrows together in annoyance. Today was the day she’d been waiting and waiting for, the performance of the second part of the play. So for Koutarou who was playing one of the main characters, the morning was full of work like having a final check through of the script to avoid forgetting any lines. Despite this, Koutarou was still sleeping together with Sanae, making Theia dissatisfied.

“Why you… Today’s the performance, yet you’re so carefree… what do I do?”

Theia sat next to the still sleeping Koutarou, crossed her arms and began to think of how to wake him up. If it had have been just after they met, she would have probably used weapons, or trodden on him. It had probably become shaking him with both arms after summer, and in winter, she wanted to see his sleeping face. But she couldn’t do that now, she had to wake him up somehow.

“If it’s now…”

A scene from a movie she’d once seen came to Theia’s mind, a scene full of romance where a character woke their lover with a kiss. Immediately after remembering, the actors in her mind were replaced with her and Koutarou. Theia’s cheeks were instantly dyed a deep red and she shook her head back and forth.

“I-I can’t do something like that! Wake up already! Wake up!”

To hide her embarrassment after thinking about something so daring, Theia raised her voice and started shaking Koutarou more violently.

“Nn, nnn<nowiki>~~~</nowiki>”

With that, Sanae, who had been sleeping whilst clinging on to Koutarou, let out a small sound. With the spiritual waves flowing over her changing chaotically from a slight anger, to strong affection and then to severe shyness, Sanae had woken up before Koutarou.

“Nnn<nowiki>~~~</nowiki> Theia? What are you making such a fuss over this morning?”

Sanae yawned several times as she sat up, rubbing at sleep filled eyes, she lifted her gaze sleepily to Theia.

“Ah- n-no, i-it’s nothing…”

Theia frantically searched for an excuse, she couldn’t say she’d imagined a kiss and gotten embarrassed. Fortunately, she didn’t just have an excuse, she had an actual reason.

“T-that’s right! It’s the performance today, so I wanted to wake Koutarou up! But I really can’t, so it irritated me!”

The moment she heard the word performance, Sanae suddenly woke up properly. She had worked hard as support to Koutarou so she was invested in the play. Because of that, her sleepiness vanished in an instant.

“Well, we need to hurry up and wake him up then!”

“R-right, we have a mountain of things to do.”

Rather than being suspicious of Theia, Sanae was an ally, seeing this, Theia let out a sigh of relief.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing. So then, do you have a good way to wake him up?”

“Hmm, well, you know Koutarou, he’s a Japanese man who always keeps his promises.”

Sanae said pridefully, almost like she was talking about herself. Sanae already didn’t see Koutarou as an outsider.

“I know that.”

“So, if I go and tell his mind that it’s time to get up, he’ll get up right away. Wait a minute, I’ll go and do that.”

Sanae hugged Koutarou and closed her eyes. Then, touching spirits with Koutarou, she sent a message to his mind. The wall around his heart would have interfered and made this difficult, but now there was no wall around his heart between him and her. The charm hanging from her neck amplified those bonds too, so simply sending a message was as easy as breathing.

“Ngh<nowiki>~~~</nowiki> Fuahh…”

Before long had passed, Koutarou stretched out. Feeling Koutarou wake, Sanae released him and spoke to him using her voice.

“Get up Koutarou, today’s the performance.”

“Ah, that’s right, that was today.”

After stretching and yawning, Koutarou, along with Sanae who was on top of him, got up. Sanae had been kneeling on his chest, still in the same position, she was now at eye level with Theia and flashed a prideful smile and victory sign at her.

“Mission complete♪”

“Good work.”

“Ehehehe, it was an easy job.”

Seeing the strength of Koutarou and Sanae’s bonds so clearly demonstrated had surprised her, but she soon remembered her own objective and grabbed Koutarou’s hand. She didn’t have time to worry about the little things now, the performance was drawing closer by the minute.

“Come on, Koutarou, wash your face and let’s go! We have a lot to do today!”

“I get it, I get it… Anyway, morning, Theia.”

“That’s right, morning!”

Koutarou knew what kind of time it was, so he obediently followed Theia’s grasp. From the strength in her small hand, he could feel her enthusiasm for the performance.

Koutarou was bad at getting up, but Yurika was no better. She could be woken relatively easily, but she didn’t have much willpower, so even once she was woken up, she’d soon go back to sleep. Both Koutarou and Yurika were somewhat troublesome to wake up. Often, extreme measures that would make Yurika complain were needed, like cold water or a squeaky hammer.

“Ho, It’s an easy victory today, ho-!”

“We’ve got a secret weapon from Theia-chan, ho-!”

After washing his face, whilst he was returning to the main area, the two haniwa – Karama and Koroma overtook him. They were working together to carry a small bottle. The bottle itself was clear, but the liquid inside it was a deep red, making the bottle look red. There was a white label stuck to the bottle with the product’s name written on it in red and black. The label was written in a foreign language, so Koutarou didn’t understand what it said, but he knew that it was to wake Yurika up. Koutarou soon lost interest and headed towards the dining table.

“So you’re finally done then.”

“The performance is today, so if I hadn’t washed my face properly, you’d have been angry.”

“True, so I’m not angry, this is praise.”

“Then say it a little more kindly.”

“It’s okay, I’ll be kind to you… here, Koutarou.”

“Thanks.”

It was still early, so the dining table wasn’t prepared for the meal, instead, the script that Sanae had given him was spread across the table. He was going to use the time until the meal to go over the programme again.

“Yurika-chan, wake up, ho-.”

“You can still make it in time, ho-.”

Yurika stirred, then mumbled.

“Noo… I can shtill eat…”

“There’s no choice, ho-.”

“Let’s do it, ho-.”

“Unfastening cap, ho-!”

“Bottle is in position, ho-!”

“Ngug ngug… ack, kuh, kyaaaaaaa!!”

“She’s up, ho-.”

“In one shot, ho-.”

“Geh, ack, s-spi-spicyyy!! What happened!?”

“She’s like a fish out of water, ho-.”

“Humans don’t want to be like that, ho-.”

The room had gotten a little noisy, but whilst clinging to his back, Sanae had blocked Koutarou’s ears so he could keep reading through the script in peace. If he made a mistake in the play it would cause a lot of people bother, especially his partner Harumi, so Koutarou was serious.

Kiriha and Ruth had arrived in room 106 and begun preparing breakfast. As they did, a delicious scent filled the air and it naturally became difficult to concentrate on the script. On top of that, leaving the script on the table would get in their way, so Koutarou put the Kabutonga card he’d been using as a bookmark in between the pages, and temporarily stopped looking it over.

Sanae sniffed and after a pause, said.

“It smells like traditional dashi.”

“But it doesn’t smell like miso, so I suppose it’s not miso soup.”

“Yurika, what do you think breakfast is?”

“I’m sorry, I cahn’t shmell or tashte anything right now.”

“We’re sorry, Yurika-chan, ho-.”

“We didn’t know it was that spicy, ho-.”

“You lot are being bad mannered, sit down and wait properly.”

Sanae was floating in the air with her nose twitching, Theia was lying on her stomach with her legs swaying through the air and Yurika was soothing her now cherry-red tongue with the glass of water in her hands. The three’s postures were bad, nothing like what a girl waiting for breakfast should be like.”

“Okaay.”

Sanae obediently returned to Koutarou’s side and knelt next to him, straight backed and waiting.

“I have to, at least today you have a point.”

Theia too obediently followed his words, for a while she’d been driving in how a knight acted and their manners, so if she didn’t do the same it would be setting a bad example. For the sake of the play today being a success, and to protect her own pride, she too sat down politely.

“I really can’t do it.”

“Well… I’ll let you off, Yurika. You can’t start until your tongue’s better after all.”

“Right.”

Yurika was still on the verge of tears, soothing her tongue. She was hunched over, but taking the circumstances into account, taking issue with that would be cruel. So Koutarou, whilst slightly troubled, let her off.

“We should have breakfast now.”

“Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting.”

As everyone sat themselves around the table, Kiriha and Ruth came into the room. Kiriha carrying an aluminium pot, and Ruth carrying a tray with bowls on, breakfast was ready.

“Kiriha! What’s for breakfast!?”

“Udon.”

“Udon? In the morning?”

“Your highness, we’ll need stamina for the play, so we made udon because it’s easy to digest and get energy from.”

“I see, that’s a good idea.”

“Yurika, it looks like it’s udon, isn’t that good?”

“Really!?”

Breakfast today was udon, it wasn’t a breakfast-like meal, but it was common before sports, the play would require a long time of endurance, so it was an appropriate meal. The slightly transparent tuna dashi, a product of Kiriha’s fastidiousness, put the final touched to the meal.

“Ruth, the bowls.”

“Then have these please.”

Kiriha and Ruth worked together to set the places, then Kiriha cheerfully poured the udon soup into the bowls. Koutarou could feel her femininity from that action and found himself unintentionally fixated.

''“A long time ago… mom was like this too…”''

Whilst Koutarou looked at Kiriha, he found himself remembering his mother. It had been a long time since he’d lost her, so he could only partially remember her. Kiriha now brought these parts to mind and calmed Koutarou’s feelings.

“What’s wrong, Koutarou?”

Noticing his gaze, Kiriha smiled at him whilst continuing to pour the soup.

“I just thought it looks delicious.”

“Ruth and I are confident in our meal.”

As she’d said, Kiriha closed her eyes slightly and looked at him with a confident expression, but that was only for a few seconds before she returned back to her work.

“Please eat a lot, Satomi-sama.”

Ruth placed one of the bowls that Kiriha had filled with soup in front of him. Ruth was cheerful as well, and like Kiriha seemed familial. If Kiriha had the mother role, Ruth was the capable eldest daughter. Even with the handicap of being an alien, Ruth was still more skilled at housework than Yurika or Sanae. As far as skill at housework was concerned, Ruth wouldn’t lose to Kiriha.

“Let’s eat!! Uwaa, hot!?”

“Your mouth is still swollen, of course that would happen if you just crammed hot food into it.”

“Buh I want to eat it while it’s tasty, and if I don’t, someone might take it.”

“No one’s going to take it, you idiot!”

“Yurika-chan, do you want some water, ho-?”

“I’d like some strawberry milk.”

“We don’t have any, ho-.”

Then Yurika, Sanae and Theia would be the little sisters. With Kiriha and Ruth watching over them, the three of them continued their carefree conversation.

''“I wonder when this all became normal…”''

At first, Koutarou and the Invading girls had fought, but with the passing of time, they’d come to deeper understandings of each other, from enemies to friends, and finally to something like a family. They’d understood that each with their poor points, they came together to form the pieces of a family.

''“We really didn’t get on at first… everyone was desperately trying to drive each other out…”''

Koutarou thought back on the days since he met the girls. They were extremely normal days that had piled up between them, finally making them come together.

[[Image:Rokujouma Shunkashuutou Image 12.png|thumb]]
 

<noinclude>

==Translator's Notes and References==
<references/>

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| Back to [[Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? Shunkashuutou: Illustrations|Illustrations]]
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| Forward to [[Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? Shunkashuutou: Chapter 1|Spring]]
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 1

2016-05-05T15:58:07Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 1 - Room Wars of Chaos==

===Part 1===

"Ohhh... My friend, young maidens... Do you truly intend to leave me behind...?"

Reaching out with trembling arms and a pallid demeanor, the petite blue-eyed blonde pleaded hoarsely.

At first glance, one might think she was younger than us students; however, she—Charlotte B. Lord—was actually Midgard's chief administrator.

As the principal, she occupied the clock tower's top floor with her office and private room. Along with a couple others, we members of Brynhildr Class had been hiding here the whole time until the situation settled down outside.

"We won't forget you... Principal."

The silver-haired girl, Iris Freyja, tearfully bid her goodbye.

"Tia... had a very happy time... We made wonderful memories."

The young girl with little red horns on her head, Tia Lightning, had her eyes completely wet.

"Thank you for your hospitality."

My younger sister, Mononobe Mitsuki, bowed deeply and thanked her.

"This sure brings back a lot of memories for me—It's like having a huge family. Ren, you had a good time too, right?"

Ariella Lu smiled happily. The red-haired girl next to her, Ren Miyazawa, spoke next:

"Mm... Staying up late with everyone was not bad."

Nodding, Ren seemed a little reluctant to leave.

However, the rest of us all showed a mixture of relief and exhaustion on our faces.

"Finally, we can get back to a life of routine."

Tossing her long blonde hair with her hand, Lisa Highwalker sighed.

"Yes... Although living together is fun, not having any private time is a bit tiring."

Firill Crest agreed with Lisa. She looked very sleepy and was rubbing her eyes.

"Though I have no right to complain—I believe this kind of lifestyle will lead to one's decline if continued. More importantly, it's a bad influence for Zwei's education."

The cross-dressing girl speaking in upright posture was Jeanne Hortensia. Since she was borrowing my school uniform, the sleeves were slightly long.

"bAd inFlUenCE... What does ThAt mEAn?"

The youngest of the group, the purple-haired girl Shion Zwei Shinomiya, tilted her head in puzzlement.

Next to her, Kili Surtr Muspelheim smiled with delight and said:

"I am greatly in favor of leaving this place too. It's hard to make nocturnal visits with so many people living together."

Hearing that, Jeanne explained to Shion that "bad influence refers to imitating people like her," causing Kili to grumble "how rude" to Jeanne.

"Noise is not to my liking either."

Next, the girl who looked like a smaller version of Kili—Vritra who was currently in human form—murmured.

Smiling wryly at everyone, I—Mononobe Yuu—extended my hand towards Charlotte.

"Thanks for looking after us, Charl."

Charlotte proceeded to grab my hand, looking like she was about to break into tears.

"P-Please... Don't go. If you're not here, who's going to stay up all night to play games with me—Owwwww!?"

However, Charlotte's head was pushed down before she could finish. This was the doing of her secretary standing behind her, Mica-san.

"Please do not be selfish, Charlotte-sama. NIFL has withdrawn and Midgardsormr has been repaired. There is no reason to keep everyone here any longer."

Dressed in a maid uniform, the statuesque and busty Mica-san glared at Charlotte.

"B-But I still have to supervise my friend—"

"Subjecting Mononobe-san to house arrest was to prevent him from coming into contact with those whose dragon marks had changed color. However, now that all of them have chosen to touch him, the color changes in the dragon marks have stopped. And right now, none of the other students have shown signs of their dragon marks changing color. Hence, there should not be any problem allowing him to return to school life. Furthermore, documents pertaining to this incident still require your stamp and signature, Charlotte-sama."

Showing a surprised gaze, Charlotte pouted in a sulk.

"I-It's true that they can return to school life... But there's another issue if I let them go... We still don't know what changes might happen to the young maidens..."

"In light of this issue, all of them, who had been living in the girls dormitories, will officially transfer to live in Mitsuki-san's quarters. Information control would be very difficult if anything happened while they continued living in the girls dormitories."

After saying that, Mica-san looked at me.

"Furthermore, Mononobe-san, please refrain from coming into contact with girls from other classes. In the event that you were to cause their dragon marks to change color—We would need to quarantine you again."

"—I-I understand."

I could not help but gulp in the face of Mica-san's pressure and nodded firmly. This is something I had been warned many times in detail already.

"No problem. I will make sure to keep Nii-san under my watchful eyes."

Mitsuki took a step forward and hugged my arm. Although the soft sensation against my elbow was making me flustered, Mitsuki did not seem to mind. After the transformation into my kind, we seem to have grown closer.

Seeing this situation, Iris frantically raised her hand.

"I will watch Mononobe carefully to prevent affairs!"

"Affairs..."

I was troubled already but even more dangerous comments could be heard.

"If any girl dares make a move on my Yuu, I will have her body remember the consequences. Fufu... I wonder which move should I use?"

Kili smiled coldly but Lisa immediately issued a stern warning.

"He is not yours, Kili-san. Should you dare to do anything inappropriate, you would be the one placed in isolation, understood?"

"Isolation... Do you seriously think you can deprive me of my freedom?"

Kili glared back at Lisa with a fearless expression. At that moment, Firill interjected.

"There there... You have to listen to Lisa carefully. What she said just now was out of concern for you, so please interpret it as her slowly warming up to you, Kili-chan."

Hearing that, both Lisa and Kili went red and cried out at the same time.

"Please don't add weird interpretations!"

"Don't you start calling me Kili-chan too!"

The tense atmosphere immediately turned inconclusive. Mica-san smiled wryly.

"I apologize for imposing such trouble upon you. I shall lend my assistance in the dorm moving process too."

"Definitely, moving everything will be quite a huge task—Well, I have very few belongings so I don't mind..."

Ariella glanced suggestively at Firill.

"Mm... Firill will probably need to work a hundred times harder than us."

Ren concurred. She was looking at Firill with eyes filled with pity.

"Firill's room is all books! Piled up to the ceiling!"

Tia spread her hands in a forceful gesture to indicate the vastness of Firill's book collection.

With everyone staring at her, Firill scratched her cheek while breaking out in cold sweat.

"W-Well... Bridges will be crossed when encountered."

Then she slowly approached me and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"...Mononobe-kun, I'm looking forward to your contribution."

"You're going to have me take care of it!"

Although I already expected it, I still exclaimed loudly in protest, extremely exasperated.

Despite having just survived an intense battle , it looked like my body was going to be conscripted for labor again.

''Hopefully, I won't end up with muscle pain'', I braced myself in resignation.

===Part 2===

"Phew..."

Looking up at the blue sky with scattered white clouds, I sighed.

Today the sky was clear with a very bright sun, but I avoided direct sunlight by staying in the shade of a fire escape staircase.

Although not as comfortable as being in an air-conditioned room, the breeze from the shore could still blow away the heat.

"How peaceful..."

Listening to unseen birds, I muttered poignantly.

Ever since NIFL imposed that inspection on Midgard—which could actually be called a war between the two sides—four days had passed since that major incident.

Although the landed NIFL troops withdrew after retrieving their destroyed unmanned weaponry, clear signs of battle still lingered everywhere.

But even so, Midgard had returned to peace. Compared to the time when Hekatonkheir attacked the island, things had calmed down much faster.

This was probably because the enemies were human this time, coupled with the fact that Midgard had not suffered any casualties.

Although I did not know what kind of aftermath handling and diplomatic activities Charlotte had to do specifically, the various superpowers apparently withdrew their demands to have Charlotte exert full control over human society using her authority.

Consequently, NIFL no longer had any urgency to take out Charlotte and they generously accepted Midgard's demands.

Midgard's demands mainly included compensation for the monetary damage incurred by NIFL's attack. Apart from that, there was the cessation of satellite monitoring too.

The eye in space looking down upon us from the sky should have changed its orbit already to watch a different scene.

"Oh—! Mononobe, so there you are!"

While I was looking out at the sky, I heard a voice from the landing above.

I looked up to see Iris staring down at me, slightly displeased.

"Jeez, Mononobe... Firill-chan is looking for you, y'know? Slacking off is not allowed."

Iris scolded me with arms akimbo. However, I already had an excuse prepared.

"I'm not slacking off—This is just taking a break. I did make dozens of trips between the entrance and the second floor already while carrying boxes filled with books."

I waved my exhausted arms and explained the necessity of rest to Iris.

Today, I was granted special permission to enter the girls dormitories. Since morning, I had been helping Firill move house the whole time.

Firill used her room as book storage and apparently lived in Lisa and Tia's room instead... Indeed, Firill's room was not a realm fit for human survival.

Rather than towers, the piles of books reaching the ceiling were more akin to walls that divided the cramped room into squares, turning the room into a labyrinthine space.

Although there were gaps large enough for a single person to pass through, accidentally touching a wall of books could cause a collapse, hence there was no guarantee of safety.

Gingerly as though handling explosives, I first disassembled the walls of books, packed the books into cardboard boxes, then moved them to the dorm entrance. I had done this dozens of times already—So many that I gave up counting.

To me, the only saving grace was that autonomous machines were in charge of transporting belongings from the girls dorm to Mitsuki's place. If I had to make trips to Mitsuki's dorm and back, I doubt even a week would be enough to move everything.

"Sigh... I-Is it that big of a job? It looks like it's still not over yet?"

Iris looked a bit intimidated.

"I think it's almost half done now... I should be finished by sundown or so."

"If you have the time, I'd like your assistance too... But it looks like I should hurry up with my part so that I can help you out instead."

I wanted to tell the wryly smiling Iris "that'd be a great help"—But to be honest, something else had been bothering me the whole time.

Iris was standing on the landing half a floor up—And I was looking up at her. Hence, no matter what, I would see her pale thighs between her skirt and her kneesocks. It seemed like I could even see under her skirt if I were to shift my angle.

"Umm, Iris..."

I felt guilty for staying silent, so I was going to tell Iris that she was currently standing at a bad location.

"What's wrong, Mononobe?"

However, just as Iris inclined her head in puzzlement, a gust of wind blew across the fire escape.

Her uniform skirt puffed out then the hem slowly flipped—

"Hyau!?"

Iris frantically used both hands to hold down her skirt hem. However, the pure white fabric under her skirt had already been imprinted clearly in my eyes.

Surrounded by an embarrassing and silent atmosphere, we stared at each other.

"......Mononobe, you're blushing."

Clutching her skirt hem tightly, Iris spoke quietly.

"No... You're the one who's blushing, Iris."

I was well aware that my face had gone red, but Iris also looked thoroughly red as though she had just taken a hot water bath.

"Did... you see it?"

"Well—Umm, I'm sorry."

Scratching my head, I apologized.

"Umm, you don't need to apologize..."

"...I don't?"

"No—Because it's you, Mononobe."

Seeing Iris nod shyly, I held my breath.

It was possible that my face was now redder than hers. Since it would be very embarrassing if she saw it, I pressed my hand against the side of my mouth.

"Well luckily, at least you're wearing it today."

I made a joke to regain composure. There was one time in the past when Iris had gone to school without remembering to wear panties.

"I-It's not like I forget to wear it every single day!"

Iris answered with a pout. The mood went back to normal—I smiled.

"Saying it like that makes it seem like you frequently forget."

"Ooh... You're so bad, Mononobe. The fact that you peeked at my y'know... I'm going to report it to Mitsuki-chan, got that?"

Blushing red, she stuck out the tip of her tongue and immediately opened the door to enter the building.

"Please let me off the hook."

"Fufu, just kidding. Then I'm going back first."

While Iris waved to me with a smile, I answered "okay."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v11 033.jpg|thumb]]

After seeing Iris of, I looked at the blue sky again. However, as soon as I saw a white cloud, the image of white fabric, imprinted on my retina, resurfaced in my mind, making it impossible for me to calm down.

"—Nothing else I can do. Time to head back too."

I originally wanted to take a longer break, but time was running out if getting things done before evening was the goal.

I went up the steel staircase and returned to the corridor of the second floor of the girls dorm.

My classmates from Brynhildr Class all had their rooms on this level. To observe whether their move was going well, I walked past and glanced at them.

The doors to rooms where the move was in progress were open. Cardboard boxes were piled up by the doors.

Lisa and Tia's room was already cleared out. Neither of them were in the room and were probably moving their belongings at the entrance.

Ariella and Ren were in the process of packing up a desktop computer's central processing unit. Since Ariella had mentioned that she had few belongings, it was probably Ren's.

—Sure enough, the girls with roommates were very fast at moving out.

Things were most likely okay on their end, but Iris roomed on her own.

Since she looked like she wanted help, I was very curious about her progress.

But as soon as I approached Iris' room, I instantly knew there was nothing to worry about.

"—Iris-san, you are too sloppy. Please categorize things properly and label the contents clearly on the outside of the boxes. Otherwise, it will turn into a mess when you unbox them, do you understand?"

"Umm, yes, I understand."

I could hear Mitsuki and Iris' voices from the room. I peered through the ajar door to see Mitsuki issuing directions to Iris.

It looked like she had coming over to help out Iris whose move was going slowly. Initially after making contact with me when her dragon mark was changing blue, Mitsuki had feeling unwell, but she seemed to have recovered now. In that case, I guess I did not need to help Iris.

Although I hoped for assistance with Firill's move, since Jeanne and Kili's presence had not been disclosed to ordinary students yet, I could not ask them to come to the girls dorm to help out.

I went to Firill's room again—Or rather, her book repository.

Adjacent to the door on both sides were a great number of boxes for packing books.

According to Iris, Firill was apparently looking for me. Preparing myself to face her anger, I looked into the room.

However, I was greeted by a scene that was totally off from my expectations.

Things had improved greatly from the maze of books. Standing at the doorway, I was able to see the situation in the room. Firill was sitting squarely in the center of the room, reading a book in her hand.

"Sigh..."

Sighing, I entered the room. Firill looked up at me.

"Oh, Mononobe-kun—Sheesh, where did you go?"

"...I went for a 'self-directed break.'"

"In other words, slacking off, bad guy."

Firill pouted adorably.

Next, I pointed at the paperback in her hand.

"I apologize for that—But all things considered, I'm just here to help, right? You've got to do your part too, Firill."

Firill had been reading the whole time, contributing nothing at all. As a result, my burden was greatly increased.

"Hmm... I did intend to help out properly too, you know? It's just that I somehow got sucked in when I was taking a quick flip through an old book I've read before."

"Fine, you're forbidden from flipping through books during the move."

"No way—"

Firill expressed her discontent.

"Not allowed. I'm helping out voluntarily, so you have to obey my demands too."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v11 037.jpg|thumb]]

I declared with my arms akimbo, but for some reason, Firill looked confused.

"Eh? I did intend to reward you properly, you know?"

"R-Really...?"

Surprised, I asked in response.

Speaking of rewards from Firill, what flashed through my mind was the event on the volcanic island during the punitive expedition against Basilisk. To reward me for clearing up the conflict between Mitsuki and Lisa, Firill had brought Iris and the rest of the girls into the bath while I was using the hot spring.

"Oh, Mononobe-kun... Your face is turning red. Are you looking forward to something?"

Firill looked up at me with an alluring smile.

"Uh, it's not like that—"

"—Go ahead and look forward to it, Mononobe-kun."

When I denied in fluster, Firill interrupted me with a whisper as though telling a secret.

"Uh... What on earth are you planning to do?"

"Fufu, I'm still thinking. Go ahead and tell me if you want anything. I'll do anything no matter what."

With Firill's serious gaze upon me, I could not help but feel my heart pound faster.

"Anything no matter what... I don't think you should make such a promise so lightly, right?"

I used my rationality to drive away my surging delusions and feigned a calm expression while I warned Firill.

"Don't worry. I've already thought it through properly. I said it only because it's for you, Mononobe-kun, so don't worry."

These words unsettled me, causing me to avoid her gaze.

What surfaced in my mind was still the event on the volcanic island. Back then, I was in the hot spring, hugged by Firill in the nude. Recalling that soft and elastic sensation, my thoughts were scattered all over the place.

"E-Even if you say that suddenly..."

"That's why you should give it some thought. But if you don't hurry, I'll decide on my own."

Smiling mischievously, Firill placed the book she was holding into a box. The move resumed again.

"Oh okay..."

I nodded and picked up a cardboard box filled with books.

However, due to the wavering in my heart, I accidentally tripped over some books by my feet.

"Ack—"

I lost balance slightly and my shoulder leaned into a wall. Normally, this would not be a problem, but—The wall I had leaned into was made of books, towering up to the ceiling.

The books above collapsed and came down like an avalanche.

"Woah..."

Shocked, Firill looked up at the falling books.

"Firill!"

I put down the box I was carrying and used my body to shield Firill.

Many books fell on my back. As the weight increased, I could no longer stand and ended up falling towards Firill.

Boing, the instant my face was cushioned by something soft, my vision turned completely black.

Knowing that I was buried by books, I struggled under the heavy weight.

"Mmm..."

Next, I heard a sweet voice nearby for some reason. Due to my movement, the books on top of me fell left and right, lightening the load. Thus, I was able to escape from from the weight. I pushed myself up using my arms.

After I got rid of some books on top of me, a ray of light entered—I found Firill and I gazing into each other's eyes up close.

This posture looked as though I had pinned her down on her back. And where my face had been buried was the valley in her massive bust.

"...Thank you, Mononobe-kun. Another favor I have to return."

Blushing, Firill smiled.

"No, you don't have to. It was my mistake just now... You don't owe me anything."

Conscious of my own face going red, I shook my head stiffly.

"Really? But it's a rare chance—Then I'll first return the favor of helping me put my room in order."

With slight disappointment, Firill wrapped her arms around my neck with a seductive expression.

"...Firill?"

As I looked at her in puzzlement, Firill whispered to me in a sweet voice.

"What would you like to do, Mononobe-kun? If you don't hurry up and tell me, I will give you my treasured present."

Pulled by Firill's arms, I leaned closer in her direction. However, we were not face to face. My head rested on Firill's chest with her uniform ribbon against the tip of my nose.

"Hey, what are you doing—"

"Boys enjoy burying their face between boobs, don't they? I read that from a book before."

"W-What kind of book did you read!?"

When I asked that, Firill looked a little flustered.

"N-Not the dirty type, okay? Just ordinary shounen manga. Don't get the wrong idea."

"...So reading books of that kind is embarrassing."

I smiled wryly. Due to Firill's fluster, I regained my composure a little.

"Because—I do need to maintain a princess' dignity, you know?"

"In that case, doing this would be bad, right?"

I brought up the fact that we were pressed together intimately, but she shook her head.

"This is fine, since you are my prince, Mononobe-kun. By the way... Having selected me, Mononobe-kun, you must show more princely self-awareness. You need to take responsibility properly."

Seeing her serious gaze, I could not help but fall silent.

Although I wanted to retort, that would probably prompt Firill to proceed with an unexpected counterattack.

Changing the color of the girls' dragon marks and turning them into my kind through contact, this was beyond the point of no return. Although it was an emergency situation at the time, what I did was no different from how dragons turned Ds into mates. No longer considered Ds, the girls might not lose their powers even after reaching adulthood. If things really ended up like that, it would become very difficult for them to leave Midgard. It was possible that I had already warped their lives greatly.

"Firill... Umm—"

"You don't intend to take responsibility, Mononobe-kun?"

Seeing Firill a little worried, I shook my head to reassure her.

"No, that's not true. I touched you of my own will, Firill. I will take responsibility for all problems arising from that. I will also do everything within my power."

I asserted strongly and met Firill's gaze squarely. Next, her expression turned gentle as she spoke with a giggle.

"Oh, didn't you warn against lightly claiming you'll do anything?"

"...I'm not saying this lightly either."

"Really? ...Good to know."

Firill looked reassured then hugged my face tightly.

"Mmmph! W-Wait! Although I said I'd do anything, I still haven't sorted out all kinds of circumstances, plus I still need to discuss things properly with everyone—"

Sandwiched between her warm and soft breasts, I spoke hastily. The body warmth transmitted through her uniform and the girly fragrance filling my nose were making me lose my sanity.

Firill then loosened her hug and stroked the hair on the back of my head.

"Very well. Let's conclude here for today."

"...Thanks a lot."

Filled with embarrassment, I lifted my head from Firill's chest.

"However, you might be out of pondering time, you know? Oh, there's a bump there."

Firill warned while stroking my head. The bump was probably caused by a falling book. It was slightly painful to the touch.

"What do you mean by out of time—"

"...Resolution will not wait for you. Although straightening out this room is a lot of work... True trouble will come afterwards."

Firill cocked her head with a mixture of worry and anticipation.

"Afterwards?"

"Yes, Mononobe-kun. You are about to face an important choice. However, this burden might be a bit heavy for you right now... I will be assisting you. Rest assured."

Although Firill spoke with confidence, I still felt uneasy.

"What kind of choice?"

"—Secret. Revealing it now would be unfair. However... You'll understand if you give it a little thought."

Firill only gave me a cryptic answer.

In the end, no matter how I asked after that, Firill refused to give a clear answer. I tried thinking on my own but to no avail.

However, just as she predicted, after the girls finished their move from the girls dorm—It was going to turn into a time of tribulations.

===Part 3===

"—Mononobe! You prefer me, don't you, Mononobe?"

Iris leaned forward and asked me.

"Mononobe Yuu, you said that it felt reassuring to be by my side, didn't you?"

Lisa looked at me sharply, seeking my agreement.

"Yuu is Tia's husband and must be next to Tia!"

Bouncing over to my side, Tia tugged at my clothing. On the opposite side, Ren pulled my sleeve gently.

"...Onii-chan, are I no good?"

"Mononobe-kun, I'd like to stay by your side too, if it's okay with you."

Ariella scratched her face shyly and glanced sideways at me.

"How unfortunate for you all. Yuu's side is the spot belonging to me. I won't concede it to anyone."

Kili touched my cheek from behind and declared strongly.

"Hey Kili! Get away from the Captain! That is the one spot I cannot concede to you!"

After Jeanne forcibly dragged me away from Kili, Shion trotted over to me in tiny steps.

"Papa... i wAnt To bE close To yOu."

"E-Even if you say that..."

I patted Shion's head, comforting her while looking around me.

We were at the entrance hall of Mitsuki's dorm. The girls' belongings, moved over from the girls dorm, were piled up here in a mountain.

It was currently 5pm. Streaming in from outside, the rays of dusk were casting shadows of the windows on the ground. Although we succeeded in moving the belongings before sunset... There was a tense atmosphere surrounding me right now.

Everyone was staring seriously at me. An urgent decision was thrust upon me. And what caused this was—

"Please calm down, everyone. Nii-san is caught in a dilemma too. How about following the rooming arrangement we had already assigned previously?"

Inserting herself between me and the others, Mitsuki remarked in exasperation.

Indeed—We were currently stuck in a fierce dispute over the distribution of rooms. As the master of the house, Mitsuki's intervention caused the girls to back off slightly, but Lisa immediately shook her head.

"—No, that is not agreeable at all. In the beginning, I did not object against the room assignments because it was a temporary arrangement for concealing the dragon marks whose color had changed. However, now that we have moved into your dormitory officially, Mitsuki-san, considering we will be living here for the long term, I disagree with maintaining the current rooming arrangement."

The other girls agreed with Lisa, but Mitsuki glared at them with displeasure.

"Your misgivings sound reasonable... Yet judging from the conversation between you earlier, all of you are merely contending for the room adjacent to Nii-san's, is that correct?"

"W-Well... I am simply... I am simply making this suggestion out of consideration for him. I-If... If Kili-san were to live next to him, she will surely break the wall..."

Lisa explained in a stammer, causing Kili to look offended.

"How rude. I won't be doing anything as barbaric as smashing a wall. That would prevent me from enjoying the pleasures of being neighbors. At most, I might drill a small hole."

"Drilling holes are absolutely forbidden!"

"Of course I know that... Sheesh. Can't you even take a joke?"

Covering her ears, Kili replied unhappily.

"—It certainly does not sound like a joke to me. I knew it, I should be the one to live next to Mononobe Yuu."

Lisa puffed out her chest and insisted, but Ariella and Ren objected.

"In that case, what's the difference if I took that room instead?"

"Mm!"

Iris raised her hand and added:

"I-I will protect the wall properly!"

"...Iris-san, that is not the point of contention here."

Mitsuki sighed with her palm against her forehead before saying to the rest of us:

"I understand—Regarding the matter of room assignments, let us save the discussion for another time. However, since the room adjacent to Nii-san's is causing such a heated contest, it will have to remain empty for now."

"Eh, no way..."

Iris whined unhappily and the other girls also showed dissatisfaction on their faces. They were not going to accept, apparently. Next, everyone looked at me.

I would have to be the one to make a choice if Mitsuki's decision were to be overturned without a dispute.

This was probably the "important choice" that Firill had predicted. However, this was not a question that could be answered straight away.

—By the way, didn't Firill say she was going to help me?

I glanced hopefully at her, who had kept silent so far.

Standing at the back of the group, Firill exchanged a glance with me then nodded with a smile.

"Excuse me, Mitsuki. As long as everyone stops fighting, it would not be an issue, right?"

Saying that, Firill took a step forward.

"Eh, yes... I suppose you are right."

Mitsuki nodded somewhat hesitantly.

"In that case, let's fight. The rooms will be picked based on victory rankings."

"Unacceptable—"

Just as Mitsuki's expression turned grim, Firill shook her head at her.

"I'm not talking about mock battles, but something even more fun than that."

"I see..."

Mitsuki showed an expression of comprehension after hearing Firill, but I was still left completely in the dark. However, Firill soon gave the answer.

"Yes—We will decide using a game."

===Part 4===

Everyone who was going to live in this dorm had gathered inside Mitsuki's room. Although her room was far more spacious than the ones in the girls dorm, it was still a bit cramped with ten-odd people packed inside.

"—Oh my, Mother is here too."

Seeing the presence of Vritra, who had been absent from the previous scene, Kili expressed surprise.

"Hmph, ye shall be determining residence locations. 'Tis interesting to me, more or less."

Suddenly turning her face away in a huff, Vritra was glancing at me for some reason.

"What's wrong?"

When I looked at her questioningly, Vritra glared at me with arms akimbo.

"...'Tis not like I am looking at thee, okay!?'

"But you were looking at me."

I corrected Vritra's strange declaration. Somehow, something about her choice of words seemed odd to me.

"Like I said, I was not looking at thee. I hate thee!"

"R-Really...?"

Finding Vritra's speech very odd, I stopped pursuing the matter.

—I suppose Vritra did hate me after all.

Not only did I foil her plan but also sealed away her power to keep her under house arrest. It would be only natural for her to feel that way. I averted eye contact guiltily.

"Hmm...? How odd... According to that book, 'twould arouse thy interest in me..."

However, Vritra cocked her head and murmured to herself quietly in surprise. Trying to figure if she was angry or not, I concentrated but still could not catch her words clearly.

"Mother seems to be saying something...?"

Kili looked troubled. At that moment, Mitsuki walked to the front of everyone.

"Well then, everyone, according to Firill-san's suggestion, we will be playing a game here to decide the rooming arrangements. For those who are currently living together, namely Lisa-san and Tia-san, Ariella-san and Ren-san, Jeanne-san and Shion-san, as well as Kili-san and Vritra-san, I intend to have you participate in the contest as partners in teams... Is there anyone who would like to change roommates or live alone instead?"

Mitsuki sought confirmation.

"I am fine with the current arrangement."

"Tia is okay with living with Lisa!"

Lisa and Tia answered simultaneously and smiled at each other.

"Let's continue to room together?"

"Mm... I don't want to separate from Onee-chan either."

Ariella asked and Ren nodded deeply.

"I wish to remain with Zwei too. No changes necessary."

"i wAnT tO Be wiTH... Mama."

Zwei held Jeanne's hand tightly. It was clear that she did not want to leave Jeanne.

"Well, someone has to keep an eye on Mother—Let me be the one to protect you."

"...'Tis not a choice for me regardless. Do as thou wishest."

Vritra answered Kili's teasing with displeasure.

After listening to everyone, Mitsuki nodded and continued.

"In that case, there are a total of four teams of two. Furthermore, Nii-san, myself, Iris-san and Firill-san room alone, so we will be participating individually."

However, I raised a question at this point.

"Hold on. If we're deciding on rooms, what point is there for you and I to participate? I'm fine with keeping my existing room..."

When I asked Mitsuki, she nodded with comprehension.

"If I were to win, Nii-san's room will be left unoccupied. If you were to win, Nii-san, you shall nominate someone to take the room adjacent to yours. Naturally, you may choose to leave it empty too."

"Uh..."

Hearing this, I could not help but gasp.

Then it was going to be the same as just now, right? I became painfully aware of the increasing pressure everyone was directing at me. No one was going to allow me to leave the room empty, I guess.

—I'd better lose the game as quickly as possible.

I committed my determination for defeat.

"It's ready. Let's start the game!"

After connecting the game console to the giant LCD television, Firill announced cheerfully.

Thus began the chaotic room wars.

"Simply stated, this is a variation of Double Six or Snakes and Ladders, a game that everyone knows about. You advance by casting dice with predetermined events triggering when you land on squares. This game is essentially based on luck without giving anyone an advantage. Oh of course, Tia, you're not allowed to hack the game."

Firill reminded Tia when explaining the game.

Having inherited Yggdrasil's authority, Tia was able to hack computers through electrical interference.

"Got it! Tia won't be cheating!"

Seeing Tia's matter-of-fact expression, Firill continued explaining.

"—Then there's no problem. Although it's possible to have four-player games, let's have each team play the game individually one after another to determine the rankings."

At that moment, I noticed something and asked Firill.

"Double Six is a race to the finish, right? This game will always end, right?"

Back when we were children, Mitsuki and I played a version of Double Six where we competed to see who could earn the most money. Judging from Firill's tone of voice, there did not seem to be any problems of that sort.

"Don't worry. This game does have a finish but no one can reach it in practice."

"...What do you mean by that?"

I asked with a frown. The same question seemed to appear on everyone else's face.

Next, Firill slowly took out the game software that was stored on casette tape. Judging from the faded packaging, this was an antique. On it was a difficult to read title—

"Mola?"

Reading out the title, Iris tilted her head in puzzlement.

"That's the scientific name of sunfish."

Explaining that, Firill inserted the cassette into the ancient game console and switched it on. Next, a pixelated picture of a sunfish and the title appeared, composed of large dots.

"...Compared to the games I have played with Firill-san so far, this is very old."

Seeing the flashing picture of the sunfish, Lisa murmured with interest.

"Fufu—This was created at the dawn of video games. A curious gem of which very few copies remain because it was too boring. I came across it by chance at an online auction and won the bid."

Firill recounted proudly. However, there was something I could not ignore in what she had said.

"Too boring... Is that the kind of game we want to play?"

When I asked that, Firill waggled her finger and said "you don't understand."

"Too boring is only when played alone. Things get very lively when you play this sort of game in a group."

Firill proceeded to seek agreement from Ariella nearby.

"Well—It's true. We often gather together in Lisa's room to play Firill's games back in the girls dorm... Games that look boring at a glance could actully turn out to be very fun."

"Mm... And there are many ways to enjoy games. Like naming game characters after Onii-chan."

Ren nodded to concur with Ariella.

"...Is that really okay?"

I had mixed feelings about creating clones of me elsewhere without my knowledge.

"Rest assured, Nii-san. I have been guiding 'you' properly the whole time."

Mitsuki spoke with a serious expression. She had probably been showing this look the whole time while playing games with the group.

After picturing her playing games, I was slightly relieved.

—It looked like Mitsuki had been taking breaks properly.

As student council president and captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, Mitsuki was often shouldering a heavy burden. She always looked busy and it made me worried about her.

"Mononobe-kun can't be used here on a whim, so relax. Then let's hurry and get started—Who wants to be first?"

Firill presented the controller and asked us.

"—Then I shall go first."

Mitsuki was the first to raise her hand. As a game of Double Six, the risk in playing right off the bat was very high. Even so, Mitsuki did not hesitate at all to volunteer as the first to play now.

The others intended to check what the game was like, so no one objected to Mitsuki going first.

"Okay, Mitsuki, here you go. Just select single player mode and roll the die."

"Understood."

Receiving the controller from Firill, Mitsuki sat down in front of the console and stared at the television.

Shown on the screen were the squares on the Double Six board. A small white dot was shaking at the start square.

"Is this white dot my position marker? What a plain design even for a game from the past."

"It's an egg, not a marker."

"A fish egg?"

"Yes, it represents your current state. This is a Double Six game about a sunfish's life cycle. When you advance, the egg hatches into fry before growing into young fish, maturing like that."

"...How innovative. In any case, I shall begin."

Mitsuki pressed the button to toss the die on the screen.

"Five? Not bad for an opening toss."

Mitsuki murmured after looking at the result. The white dot—the sunfish egg—advance automatically according to the die. The instant it stopped on the fifth square, the screen turned dark.

Immediately, a pixelated image appeared on the screen. It was a strangely realistic fish.

"Let me see—'A bonito has appeared. Evasion succeeds on four, five or six'...? Oh well, it means another toss of the die in any case."

After reading the message on the screen, Mitsuki pressed the button again. The die swiveled again and stopped on three.

The screen proceeded to darken again. This time, the words "Game Over" were displayed.

"Eh...?"

Mitsuki stared at the screen in shock, frozen in place.

Everyone seemed puzzled but Firill recorded something on a piece of paper in her hand without much surprise.

"Mitsuki, five squares huh..."

Hearing Firill's murmur, Mitsuki looked back hastily.

"W-Wait! Are you telling me that this is over? Umm... Isn't this Double Six? Normally speaking, you miss out a turn or return to the start, right...?"

Firill looked like she had been waiting for this reaction from Mitsuki and smiled proudly.

"Fufufu, this is the reason why this game is known as a curious gem. No second chances... A sunfish's life is over once it is eaten by a bonito. Double Six that ends with death—Mola is this type of game."

"...I feel like it does not even count as a game."

After hearing Firill's explanation, Mitsuki put down the controller, appalled.

"Too naive, Mitsuki. Perhaps that may be true at first glance, but the true value of games like Mola is in their realism."

"Realism?"

"Yes. A sunfish lays three hundred million eggs at a time, but only about one of them survives to adulthood."

"Well... I have heard of that."

Mitsuki could barely conceal the doubt on her face.

"According to the game designers of Mola, the probability of finishing this kind of Double Six game is one in three hundred million. In other words, this game completely simulates the life of a sunfish!"

Firill exclaimed loudly but the room was silent.

"Uh... It's not going to work if it lacks the fun of Double Six itself, right?"

Since no one was talking, I kept my voice lowered to make my comment.

Smiling wryly, Firill seemed to agree about the flaw of this Double Six game.

"Well, don't say it like that. Isn't it fun with everyone screaming and yelling? We also get quick outcomes."

"True... If the game drags on for too long, we'll never finish moving all the luggage tonight."

After I agreed reluctantly, Firill's expression mellowed. Then she sought the next challenger with a "Who's next!?"

"Let me go."

Jeanne instantly raised her hand.

"Mama... Do yOuR beSt!"

With Shion cheering for her, Jeanne walked over with Shion and sat down in front of the game console and picked up the controller.

"—Leave it to me. I'm sorry for everyone else but for me, this isn't a game to leave everything to fate. As long as I track the rotating die with my eyes, I'll be able to choose any outcome I want."

Jeanne spoke confidently and narrowed her eyes at the screen.

Jeanne was an outstanding sniper with excellent vision. Since her reflexes also far surpassed that of ordinary people, it was definitely possible.

"Hey Jeanne-chan, that's too unfair."

Kili gurmbled but Jeanne ignored her and started the game. She stared intently at the spinning die.

"For my sake and Zwei's, I must roll a six!"

Having said that, Jeanne pressed the button. The die read—

"O-One...? That's impossible."

Jeanne groaned with disbelief. Next to her, Firill explained:

"The spinning die is just part of the game's graphics. You can't see through the random number generation with your eyes."

"W-What did you say?"

Jeanne was rendered speechless. However, a serious event popped up on the square where she landed.

"A tuna has appeared. Evasion succeeds on five or six."

The same kind of fish graphic appeared on the screen as before, but this time, it was apparently a tuna fish.

"Hey, the evasion probability is lower than last time's!"

"Well, a tuna is bigger fish than a bonito after all."

Firill calmly replied to the complaining Jeanne.

"Damn it... Please, I must survive to advance!"

Jeanne prayed while tossing the die but the outcome was two. "Game Over" appeared again.

"Zwei... I'm sorry."

"yOu diD YoUr bEst."

Shion patted Jeanne's shoulder to comfort her disappointment.

Just as the atmosphere was turning awkward and silent, Ariella coughed and walked up.

"Well, just relax and take it on since it's a contest of pure luck. Leave it to me, Ren. I'm pretty strong when comes to confronting bad luck."

Despite saying that, Ariella did not show any arrogance on her face. She began the game.

"Mm, you'll definitely do it, Onee-chan."

Ren nodded with a trusting look, standing by Ariella's side to watch the game's outcome.

"Then I'll toss—Oh, it's one. The square with the tuna. But since it's me... Here."

She rolled a six matter-of-factly, successfully evading the tuna.

"Wow, it's the first time someone reached the second round."

Firill remarked poignantly.

"Okay, here I go again."

Ariella rolled the die again, obtaining a four this time. It was the square where Mitsuki had stopped just now.

"It's the bonito this time, but I've no intention of losing here."

Smiling confidently, Ariella rolled for evasion. She escaped the bonito successfully too.

"Amazing, Onee-chan!"

"Fufu—finding a way to survive even in the face of bad encounters. That's what it means to be a child of misfortune."

Ariella replied proudly to Ren who had exclaimed in joy. However, she accidentally pulled the controller, causing the console to choke. Suddenly, static appeared from screen while the cursor and the graphics stopped moving.

"Huh, what happened...?"

Ariella pressed the button but there was no reaction on the screen. Seeing this, Firill sighed apologetically.

"Oh dear... It hanged. It's a console dating back to that era, after all, so it's really sensitive. The slightest movement could cause it to hang. Starting over would be unfair, so this is the end for Team Ariella and Ren."

"......I'm sorry, Ren. Every time, at a critical point, I..."

Ariella slumped her shoulders but Ren shook her head.

"Don't say that. Being in first for now is good enough."

"—Thanks. Then let's pray that no one overtakes us."

Ariella encouraged Ren while moving over to a corner of the room.

Next, Lisa and Tia came over.

"What a shame, Ariella-san—Nevertheless, we will attempt to surpass your record."

"Lisa will come in first for sure!"

Strangely confident, the two of them sat down before the game console. Lisa held the controller while Tia sat down lightly on her lap.

It felt like a customary seating arrangement. I suspected that they always sat like that.

They looked exactly like a mother-daughter pair. However, I noticed Mitsuki's absence at that moment.

After searching back and forth with my eyes, I found Mitsuki sitting behind me—on the bed in the room, watching from outside the circle of spectators like me.

"...What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?"

Feeling concerned, I leaned towards Mitsuki and asked. Ever since touching me to resolve the color change in her dragon mark, Mitsuki's state of health had not been great.

However, she had rested properly in Charlotte's room after all the fighting was over and seemed like she was no longer feeling unwell.

Be that as it may, given Mitsuki's personality—Perhaps she was simply enduring it.

"Oh, do not worry—I am feeling fine. It is just that I recalled some memories from the past... It feels a little like... a dream come true."

Mitsuki scratched her cheek shyly and smiled wryly at me.

"A dream?"

"Yes—We had gathered to play like this before... But that was back when I had not located your whereabouts, Nii-san. All this time, I have prayed, hoping you could join us to play in such occasions."

Watching Lisa playing and the others gathered around her getting worked up, Mitsuki explained with nostalgia.

"Since then, so much has happened... Even including irreversible regrets... However, I feel that this moment already approaches my dream back then."

"Really...? That's wonderful."

Unable to think of anything special to say, I could only offer my thoughts. I was overjoyed to see Mitsuki looking so happy.

"Yes—Oh, it is 'Game Over' for Lisa-san and Tia-san too."

Mitsuki nodded with a smile and pointed towards the others.

"Wah... Eaten by a saury this time..."

"And we only advanced four squares..."

Tia and Lisa shrugged and yielded the stage.

"Very well, go forth, my daughter."

"It feels like you're strangely motivated, Mother. What on earth happened...?"

Next, Vritra walked over swiftly with Kili following her puzzled.

"Hmph—I simply wish to shake off the frustration of a losing streak. Thou intendest to live adjacent to him, yes? Then thou ought to do thy best."

"...I don't need to hear that from you. Although the dependence on luck pisses me off, I refuse to give up on the spot next to Yuu."

Nodding with a tensed expression, Kili sat down before the game console.

Vritra looked back, pointed at me and shouted harshly.

"Make no mistake, I have not the slightest desire to move in next to thee! It is not as though I intend to try hard for thy sake! Truly serious I am!"

"Sure, fine, got it."

I nodded at Vritra who kept nagging me.

"Yes, 'twould be meet... However, thy reaction is weaker than I expected."

For some reason, Vritra looked away with a disappointed expression towards the television.

"Everyone... is trying so hard. Nii-san, are you happy that you are so popular?"

"Not really. How should I put this...? I feel like Vritra doesn't seem to welcome me..."

With Mitsuki looking up at me, I scratched my head, not knowing what to say.

Mitsuki did not seem angry right now, but I had a feeling that irrevocable developments would unfold if I answered without thinking.

"Nii-san."

"Y-Yes?"

Seeing me respond respectfully to her, Mitsuki giggled.

"You do not need to be so worried. The question of whom you would like to live adjacent to you—I will not ask that sort of thing. I do know that you are shouldering the heavy burden of taking responsibility for all of us. However—"

Mitsuki paused there and stared at me with extraordinary seriousness.

"Just as the environment is changing in this manner, the relationship between me and you would no longer remain as it were. Hence, from now on, what kind of relationship you intend to construct with everyone... Please think carefully about it. Naturally, this includes your relationship with me."

"—I understand."

I nodded seriously while looking into Mitsuki's eyes. There was no need to hesitate or delay my response for this sort of thing.

At that moment, I heard someone shouting from the television direction.

"Jeez, what the heck!? Getting caught in an underwater volcanic eruption in the second square, what kind of sick joke is that!? It's instant death without even giving you a chance to roll! This kind of game is—"

"Wawah! Stop, Kili-chan! It's all my turn next!"

Iris pulled back the greatly upset Kili.

"Clearly it would have been possible to recreate all sorts of scenarios if living adjacent... What an incompetent daughter."

Vritra was pouting on the side with displeasure. Her words remained indecipherable but it seemed like she wanted to live next to me.

After she finished consoling Kili at last, Iris started the game. She rolled a six right off the bat.

"Wonderful! I passed Mitsuki-chan and Ariella-chan to become first!"

She cheered with her arms raised. Seeing Iris like that, Mitsuki sighed in dismay.

"—I was overtaken."

"Yeah."

"Oh well, I would simply keep the room adjacent to yours empty had I won, in any case... Whatever."

Without insisting, Mitsuki simply stated calmly.

"...But if you won, couldn't you use this chance to move to that room?"

"Yes, I could, but I am fine with living here. This room is directly above yours, Nii-san."

Mitsuki motioned to the floor suggestively with her eyes. Indeed, my room was right below.

"Mitsuki, you mean—"

I was touched by her expressing her wish to stay near me when Mitsuki instantly continued with solemnity.

"So long as I live here, I will instantly know of any commotion occurring in your room, Nii-san. Public morals are easily violated in this sort of coed housing arrangement. I will keep my eyes and ears open and observe carefully—Please be prepared."

"G-Got it."

Overwhelmed by Mitsuki's gaze, I nodded stiffly.

At that moment, Iris' mournful wail reached my ears.

"Oh, I got swallowed by a whale. That's too bad, since I actually hatched..."

It looked like it was "Game Over" for Iris too, but compared to the others, she had advanced much farther.

"Then that leaves only you and Firill-san. Nii-san, it is time for you to play, right?"

"—Yeah. I'll give it a shot as suitable."

Urged by Mitsuki, I walked over to Iris' side.

"I'm next, Iris. By the way, how many squares did you move forward?"

"...Fourteen."

"That's really—amazing."

I received the controller from Iris' hands while praising in admiration. According to what I had seen so far, reaching that point was quite difficult.

In that case, it was essentially impossible for me to win.

Just as expected, the game ended fast for me. Like Mitsuki, I was eaten by a bonito on the fifth square.

"...Nature is very cruel. Come, you're last, Firill."

Feeling like I had gotten a glimpse of the world of survival of the fittest, I called Firill.

Firill had a laptop on her lap and seemed to be running some kind of calculation, but she raised her head and stood up after hearing me.

"Okay—I've found the path to victory."

With triumphant confidence, she accepted the controller from my hand.

"...Is there a sure-win method? Nothing unfair, okay?"

Feeling a shred of suspicion, I stared at her.

"I'm not going to do anything unfair. I simply recorded everyone's playthrough and analyzed them to find ways to improve the odds. This is called orthodox methods or game strategy."

Firill replied, slightly offended.

"R-Really? Sorry I offended you but—I can't believe there's a strategy in a game that relies on luck."

"There is. The chance events in games are basically all governed by the rules of random number generation. Part of the calculation formula makes use of a value that changes every round, thus altering the result. Because of that, you can predict the result to some extent if you know what conditions appear in this random number generation. Old games are this simplistic."

"R-Random...?"

Firill's explanation basically flew over my head, but Ren, the computer expert, seemed to understand. She spoke up, rather displeased.

"Firill, this is... half cheating. It's bad manners to do it even if it's possible."

"Fufu, I beg to differ. In my opinion, anything humanly possible doesn't count as cheating. I'm simply making records then analyzing the patterns in them."

"Mm......"

Ren pouted, unconvinced.

"Jeez, don't be so angry. I'm not as smart as you, Ren, so even with data, I won't be able to figure out the exact formula. At best, what I know is that the result of the previous die roll and the duration in seconds of the current roll have an influence."

While saying that, firill started the game. She began to roll the die. The first roll was four—The square where Lisa's team had been eaten by a saury.

"See, the first roll can only be left to chance. The random number generator is reset every round, so all I can analyze are the evasion rolls. It's all over if I land on any squares with instant death. But even if that's the case my sunfish's chances of survival will increase greatly!"

Just as she claimed, Firill evaded the saury successfully.

Next, she arrived at the square with the sardine predator event. Calmly and confidently, she escaped again.

"Fufufu—I'm going to pass Iris and take the room next to Mononobe-kun's."

"Wah—Firill-chan is about to overtake me!"

Just as Iris lamented, Firill rolled a six. This placed her at the thirteenth square, one away from Iris' record.

The egg on the square had turned into a tiny fish. That was probably a sunfish fry.

However, I noticed a fundamental issue.

"Um, Firill—"

"Be quiet, Mononobe-kun, I'm currently concentrating. I need to use the data from Lisa's team here... Okay, one, two, three!"

Counting the seconds, Firill rolled the die and evaded successfully.

Next, she rolled a five.

"I did it! I'm first! The room next to Mononobe-kun's is mine!"

Firill cheered.

The fish shown on the screen was even bigger than Iris'. It was flashing on the square.

"Sighhh..."

Iris slumped her shoulders. The other girls sighed too.

"Umm, I'm sorry for interrupting your happy moment, but—"

I patted Firill on the shoulder while she was celebrating on her own.

"What's the matter, Mononobe-kun?"

When Firill turned her head back to look at me in surprise and confusion, I finished what I was trying to say earlier.

"Uh—If we move in all your belongings, Firill, your room will turn into book storage again. Back in the girls dorm, you've been using your room as a library while you stayed in Lisa's room, right?"

"Oh."

Firill exclaimed in a silly voice and froze.

"—In that case, it will be no different from leaving the room unassigned. Hence, no one will feel it is unfair. A most laudable outcome, congratulations."

Mitsuki stepped forward from the back of the group and announced with a shrug.

"That's not good at all—"

"Then will you dispose of your books?"

Mitsuki asked the complaining Firill.

"No way! These books are the absolute minimum."

"Then please resign yourself."

"Sighhhhhhhh..."

Mitsuki's declaration caused Firill to hang her head.

Thus, our little war came to an end without issue to mark the beginning of our new life.

===Part 5===

"It's been so long since I last returned to this room..."

I sat down at my desk and looked at the room emotionally.

After dinner, everyone started moving their belongings to their new rooms and I helped them out too.

However, because there was not enough time to move all the luggage, we prioritized necessities and left the rest for tomorrow. The majority of Firill's books remained in the entrance hall.

I leaned against the back rest. My entire body was fatigued and I still had to work hard tomorrow.

"Let's sleep earlier tonight."

Muttering to myself, I stood up. At that moment, I touched the table with my hand—But something felt off.

"...There's no dust accumulated."

Ever since setting off for Japan after the school festival, I had not returned to this room. Upon my return to Midgard, I had been quarantined in Charlotte's room the whole time.

Even though my room had been unoccupied for a month or so, the furniture and bed were very clean and tidy.

After looking elsewhere in the room, I discovered other things that felt odd.

There were subtle changes in the positioning of small articles. The air itself in the room felt different too.

Holding the master key, Mitsuki might have entered to clean and tidy, but if that were the case, the bed should be untouched.

Did she straighten out the sheets when coming in to clean?

Just as I cocked my head, confronted with this incomprehensible situation, I heard knocking from my door.

"Hmm...?"

When I walked to the door, wondering who it was, Vritra entered the room without permission. She was wearing a black dress.

—Speaking of which, I definitely had not locked the door.

Since I had been living in this dorm with only Mitsuki until now, I had not developed much of a habit of locking my door. This was something I must pay more attention to from now on.

"Hmph, it seemeth there are no others present."

After looking around the room, Vritra walked up to me.

"What do you want, Vritra?"

Seeing Vtritra confirm that we were alone in the room, I asked slightly warily. Vritra pouted with displeasure.

"—'Twould be thee instead. Dost thou not have reason to seek me out? I... have behaved strangely on numerous occasions, yes? Thou ought to be very curious."

"Behaved strangely...? Like glaring at me many times and suddenly losing your temper?"

After I asked in confusion, Vritra nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmph, thou noticed after all. Just like in manga—human thought processes are very simplistic. I shall make one correction. When I claimed to hate thee last time, that was not true."

"R-Really?"

"Indeed. How now? Art thou happy?"

It was a bit annoying to see Vritra ask me that while inexplicably showing a proud expression all of a sudden—Whatever, let's not make a fuss for now.

"Well... If I had to pick between happy and unhappy, I guess it's still happy. I can't help it if you dislike me, but that's quite tiring."

"Fufu, in other words, thou currently feelst gratitude and goodwill towards me. That implies a deepened relationship. In that case, thou shouldst place thy full trust in me. From this point onwards, no matter what I ask, answer honestly without question."

Vritra spoke in full confidence but I began to correct her.

"No, calling it a deepened relationship... is a bit too much."

"W-What!? Is it still insufficient!? Hmph... How unexpected. In that case, 'twould mean I must resort to more advanced methods recorded in those books..."

Vritra made a surprised look and kept murmuring to herself.

"What the heck is going on? Did something happen recently?"

I asked with a frown. However, Vritra ignored my question and instantly took off her black dress.

"Wha!?"

Vritra's sudden undressing action made me exclaim in surprise. She still had camisole under the dress, so she was not naked, but this was not a respectable appearance to be seen by others in public.

Behind the sheer fabric, I could catch faint glimpses of panties and things I was not supposed to see.

"Though circumstances force my hand, I permit thee to do unto this stand-in everything thou desirest. Come, do not hold back, touch me. Male-female intercourse is not merely reproductive behavior for ye humans but also the deepest level of interaction, is it not?"

Vritra spread her arms and stood there with a "come at me." Her attire was very dangerous, but how should I put it...? I did not feel the slightest thing that could be called arousal. Thanks to that, I was able to stay relatively calm.

"...In other words, you want us to get along better, Vritra?"

That was the conclusion I had deduced from what she had said so far.

Vritra showed an expression that seemed to read "you finally understand me" and smiled happily.

"Indeed, that is so! I wish to hold a candid discussion with thee in preparation for the arrival of the ninth calamity. This is essential."

"The ninth calamity..."

"Hast thou forgotten what Yggdrasil's successor and I have said?"

Seeing me troubled by her sudden bringing up of the matter, Vritra frowned.

"No, of course I remember. All the dragons we've been fighting so far were counterdragons that came into being in order to resist the great calamities that would mess up the world... There is a possibility that I am the ninth counterdragon—Neun. Is that right?"

While we were taking refuge underground of Midgard, I had learned about dragons from Tia and Vritra.

However, NIFL's invasion, Ariella's betrayal and the battle against Major Loki had me totally occupied with the crises at hand, pushing dragon matters off to a corner of my mind.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v11 079.jpg|thumb]]

"Indeed—I used to dismiss this possibility as very unlikely, but after witnessing thy use of Hraesvelgr's authority in battle, I have changed my mind. 'Tis likely without doubt that thou art the ninth counterdragon holding the authority for opposing the ninth calamity."

"Well... I already suspected whether I was a dragon or not back when I marked Iris and the others. However... I don't actually know much about the ninth calamity or my own authority."

After I said that while scratching my head, Vritra made a critical look.

"Thou art truly... calm."

"Hmm... Is this situation already urgent? Then I'd better call the others to discuss—"

Seeing Vritra's reaction, I made a suggestion but that made her flustered instead.

"N-Not necessary, it is not that urgent yet! Thou needst not contemplate the matter nor unsettle the others by mentioning it. Nevertheless, simply as a precaution ahead of time,, I wish to establish a relationship of trust between thee and I."

It looked like the ninth calamity was not urgent or imminent.

Relieved, I placed my hand on Vritra's head.

"—Got it. In that case, let's have a heart to heart chat."

While patting her gorgeous black hair, I smiled at her.

"Wow! It finally came to this! Fufu... How unbelievable. I wonder if my past self had felt this same sense of reliability when fighting alongside Kiskanu back then...?"

Vritra obediently allowed me to pat her head. Closing her eyes partially, she hugged me at the waist with emotion.

Two sizes smaller than Kili, Vritra had a fairly high body temperature. I could clearly feel her warmth and softness through our clothing.

"H-Hey, Vritra?"

"I felt repulsed by it earlier, but now, it feeleth that allowing thee to do as thou pleasest with this stand-in would not be unpleasant. Come, let us deepen our trusting relationship!"

"W-Wait! There's no need to go that far, is there!?"

"Still not enough. 'Twould trouble me if thou did not trust me further. Let our bare skin overlap, turning thee into my captive, then develop a strong obsession and dependence on me. With that, thou shalt never betray me."

"That's not trust! It's something else!"

I retorted while Vritra pulled me. Despite her small size, she was very strong.

Even though it was just a stand-in, this body probably had very high physical strength.

—Knock knock

At that moment, I heard another knocking at the door.

Vritra and I froze on the spot and looked towards the door.

"Are you free, Nii-san?"

It was Mitsuki's uncertain voice.

"...!?"

With Vritra in a camisole before my eyes, I instantly understood. This was undoubtedly a huge crisis.

I thought Vritra would not care about something like this, but for some reason, she seemed very agitated too, murmuring "no way, why did it have to be her in particular—" Was she worried about having to write repentance essays like Kili...?

"...Nii-san, I am coming in, alright?"

Without hearing an answer, Mitsuki announced. Just as when Vritra had entered without permission, the door was not locked.

I picked up Vritra's petite body and placed her on the bed—Then I covered her with the sheets. Next, I picked up the dress she had taken off and stuffed it under the sheets too.

"Hmm, what art thou doing—"

"Please, just keep quiet for a while."

I whispered quietly to the grumbling Vritra. To hide the bulge under the shees, I sat down on the side of the bed.

At that very moment, the door oopened and Mitsuki entered the room.

"—Oh you are here, Nii-san. Answer me, at least."

Mitsuki looked at me disapprovingly.

"Uh, sorry, I'm a bit sleepy."

"Oh... My apologies, Nii-san. Go ahead and rest while I take care of a certain matter swiftly."

After apologizing, Mitsuki entered the washroom for some reason.

What on earth was going on? I frowned.

Hidden in the bed, Vritra remained quiet obediently as I had asked.

Had things gone in the normal pattern, Vritra probably would have thrown a tantrum, then Mitsuki would scold me harshly after witnessing such a situaton but at this rate, perhaps I might be able to get through this unscathed.

Experiencing first-hand the importance of a trusting relationship, I waited for Mitsuki to take care of whatever she needed to do.

"Are you done?"

Although I was curious about what Mitsuki was doing, talking too much could increase the chances of her discovering Vritra. Hence, I asked that instead.

"Yes—Umm, Nii-san... You have not used the washroom yet after entering the room, have you?"

"No, I haven't."

I confirmed Mitsuki's query that had been asked in strong tone of voice.

"Th-Then... Has anything struck you as being out of place...?"

Fidgeting awkwardly, Mitsuki stole glances at me.

"Anything out of place? Oh—The room is spotless without a speck of dust. I'm guessing you came by to clean the room, right...?"

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki jumped then sighed deeply.

"—Since you have noticed this much, Nii-san, there is no point in keeping it a secret from you. There is probably evidence lingering on the bed too..."

"O-On the bed?"

With the subject drawn to the one location I did not want Mitsuki to investigate, I could not help but feel my heart rate accelerate. However, it looked like Vritra's presence was not going to be exposed.

"Yes... My hair, my scent or the like. There are probably lingering traces."

Blushing, Mitsuki confessed in embarrassment.

"So... Mitsuki, you mean you had been using this room?"

Figuring out what she was implying, I confirmed.

"Yes, I am sorry—While you were being quarantined, Nii-san, I felt very uneasy... Whenever I had difficulty falling asleep, I would come over to sleep in this room."

Mitsuki apologized shly and showed me what she was hiding behind her.

"...A toothbrush?"

"I came over to retrieve it when I remembered that I had left it in your washroom. But since it has come to light after all, may I continue to leave it here?"

Mitsuki looked up at me with warm eyes, asking me.

No matter how dense I was, I still understood the meaning behind this question. Mitsuki was asking for permission to sleep in my room from here onwards.

However, I did not think this sort of thing actually needed confirmatioin.

"Sure—I don't mind."

"...Thank you so much, Nii-san!"

Mitsuki's expression instantly brightened up and she walked quickly into the washroom. After putting the toothbrush away, she came up to me again.

"Well then, Nii-san, I am terribly sorry for disturbing you tonight. Please have a good rest."

"Sure, goodnight."

In a very good mood, Mitsuki answered:

"Yes—Good night to you, Nii-san."

Mitsuki bowed gently then left my room.

"Pwah!"

At the same time, Vritra poked her head out from under the sheets.

"—Sorry, Vritra. Thank you so much for staying still quietly."

"'Twas nothing. I too... must avoid perturbing that girl's emotions as much as possible."

Vritra spoke seriously. After putting on her black dress properly, she got off the bed and walked to the door.

Having braced myself for an ensuing argument, I found my prediction wrong.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes—I have accomplished mine objective tonight, in a manner of speaking. Additionally, on further thought, 'twould not be right for our relationship to deepen too much."

Looking pensive, Vritra stood at the doorway and looked back at me.

"Irregular—no, my comrade Neun. Thou must treasure thy younger sister."

Vritra's sudden comment made me very confused.

Treasure my younger sister—Mitsuki?

"What's with saying that suddenly? I'll do that even without you telling me."

I answered seriously and Vritra's expression turned slightly gentle.

"Very well."

After saying that, Vritra left my room.

Not knowing why she had said all this, I laid myself down on the bed with a frown.

Indeed, there was a sweet scent lingering on the bed. It was not mine.

But ultimately, I could not distinguish whether it was left behind by Mitsuki or Vritra.

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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 4

2016-05-05T03:23:40Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 4 - Full Moon of Heavenly Rites==

===Part 1===

On the day of the festival, many students were traveling along the coastal road during daytime, usually deserted except during commutes, which was lined with vendor stalls. They were also dressed differently from usual.

"What a great move on the principal's part, providing yukatas to all students. Everyone looks very different."

Having finished chopping some cabbage at Shinomiya-sensei's stall, Lisa looked out towards the female students in yukatas, coming to buy yakisoba.

"Yes—It doesn't feel like we're at Midgard anymore. It's really like a festival in Japan."

Likewise in charge of the stall with Lisa, I agreed while cutting carrots.

To adhere completely to a festival in Japanese style, Charl had issued a yukata to every student. Furthermore, the students could choose whatever style they preferred.

It was probably borne by Charl's personal tastes, but definitely a lot of work.

But thanks to that, the girls were all very excited. The main event of the festival was the fireworks show at night, but the seaside was already very busy.

"A Japanese festival... I have long wanted to attend one in person."

"I'll take you to one if a chance comes up. However—It'll be pretty tough."

When I smiled wryly, Lisa frowned.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I will get lost?"

"No, that's not it. You're too pretty and striking in your yukata, Lisa, so guarding you will be tough."

"Wha—"

Turning bright red, Lisa halted in her food preparation.

"P-Pretty... If only you had said this earlier—back when I first showed myself to you in the yukata. Saying it at a time like this would throw me off-balance."

Confronted with Lisa's sharp glare, I apologized frantically.

"S-Sorry about that, but I already praised your yukata look long ago..."

Like the girls, I was also wearing a yukata.

Currently at the stall, Lisa and I were the ones in charge of preparation while four others including Shinomiya-sensei and Shion were cooking and serving customers. Since the shop area was limited, we were on a shift system. The rest of the class was walking around to check out other vendors.

I was wearing a traditional navy-blue yukata for men, but girls all loved to dress up glamorously.

Lisa was wearing a wisteria yukata with floral patterns, a great match for her glittering blonde hair which had been coiled up.

"tHaNk yOu."

Bowing to customers, Shion was wearing a cute yukata with patterns of blooming pink flowers on a white background. To make up for her slight lack in height, she was standing on a stool.

The adorable Shion was stimulating the girls' maternal instincts. I heard "So cute!" many times.

Although Shinomiya-sensei was frequently distracted by Shion's cuteness, she continued to cook masterfully.

She was dressed in a yukata that was primarily blue with white flowers, exemplifying a mature and conservative style. Beneath her swaying ponytail, her neck flashed in and out of sight, making my heart pound with excitement.

Naturally, I could not voice all of these thoughts but I still expressed my honest opinion to the girls earlier.

However, Lisa did not look satisfied.

"You lumped us all together and said it looked good on us. You call that a compliment?"

"Uh... But it's too unnatural if I praised you one by one—And you girls were about to depart too. If I showed too much interest, it'd turn into sexual harassment, right?"

When I apologized, Lisa shrugged with resignation.

"Although it was an insensitive thing to say, it would still be better than no comment at all. I am glad for the fact that you take an interest in my attire. Well, getting mad or not is a separate matter."

"Why does it feel like I'm being subjected to unreasonable demands... Fine. Starting now, I'll focus on getting you not mad."

While sighing, I nodded with a wry smile.

Seeing my reaction, Lisa's eyebrow twitched slightly.

"—It appears that you have regained a little normalcy."

"Huh?"

Surprised, I looked back at Lisa. She was wearing a complicated expression.

"Recently, something has been troubling you, yes? Although I dared not ask about it earlier, has it been resolved?"

Continuing to cut cabbage, Lisa asked me.

Ever since the barbecue, I had been thinking about how to answer Mitsuki's question. However, it looked like Lisa had seen through me.

This was definitely not surprising. That was how Lisa was as a person.

"Resolved... Not yet. But I know how to handle it properly, so you don't need to worry."

I answered vaguely.

I had not been able to reach an answer before the festival. All I had done was nonstop reminiscence.

Digging deeper into the depths of the memories Tia had recovered for me—I carefully went through my memories, starting from my earliest recollections with Mitsuki and dug out every memory since then.

For memories that had faded, I would call my parents to confirm, asking them to try their best to recall and send me photos preserved in albums for me as reference material.

In this manner, I kept thinking about Mitsuki, all the way till today.

But even though I still had not found a clear answer—I should be able to speak naturally when I meet Mitsuki later.

"Is that so? Then I shan't worry. Please do your best."

Lisa smiled and spoke with reassurance. She began to cut cabbage swiftly again.

"Yes, I'll give it my best."

I smiled too and nodded, cutting carrots in sync with her rhythm—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v11 203.jpg|thumb]]

I had agreed with the girls to go check out the festival together when our shift ended.

My promised meeting with Mitsuki was last—before the fireworks. I was going to convey my answer then.

Before that, I wanted to enjoy the festival with everyone and so intended to calm my emotions—However...

"So, the winning team gets to monopolize Yuu."

"Yeah—Agreed. The team that wins the most prizes wins."

In front of the ring tossing game stall, Kili and Ariella were staring at each other.

Both of them looked good in their yukatas, but now was not the time to be praising them.

"Do not fail mine expectations, daughter."

"Good luck, Onee-chan."

The two sides had Vritra and Ren cheering for them respectively.

"Uh... Wouldn't it be better for us to stick together?"

Having walked around with these four so far, I tried to mediate.

In the beginning, the four girls were having fun together relatively peacefully, but Kili and Ariella later got into a conflict—Then it became like this.

Ariella had interfered in Kili's night visit before, which resulted in a subtle sense of competitiveness to develop between them.

"No, Yuu. We're already at the stall, so I won't give up."

"That's right, Mononobe-kun. For our sake so that the three of us can enjoy the festival together in peace, this contest is unavoidable."

In perfect agreement in a certain way, the two of them immediately rejected my suggestion.

Next, they presented cash coupons to the stall keeper.

Along with the yukatas, we had been issued cash coupons that could be used at the vendors during the festival. Normally when buying things from the cafeteria or the snack shop, we could pay by direct debit from our personal accounts through our portable terminals, but this was not available at these stalls.

Furthermore, since Midgard's Ds earned money by transmuting resources from dark matter, many of them were immensely wealthy. Unless there was some restriction imposed on sales, the merchandise could get sold out in a flash.

Since this festival was held to let the entire student body enjoy themselves, one method to prevent things from getting sold out was to institute cash coupons.

"Okay, three rings each."

Saying that, a female member of Midgard staff handed out rings to Kili and Ariella. I had seen her many times before in the command center. Although I did not know her name, I remembered she was the switchboard operator.

It looked like all of Midgard's staff really were running this festival.

"Since the type of prize doesn't matter, aiming for small prizes is fine too."

Kili confirmed the size of the rings and said quietly with a serious expression.

The prizes were each secured onto the stand and could be won by landing a ring to encircle the desired prize. Comparatively speaking, it was more likely for the rings to bounce off larger prizes.

"Although I've been to a Japanese festival with Ren before—Compared to the original stalls, these prizes are really grand."

Ariella appraised the prizes while remarking poignantly.

"Mm... So many cute ones too. That bunny... is great."

Standing straight, Ren was looking at a rabbit plushie while her eyes shone.

As pointed out by Ren, most of the prizes were cute and girly things. That selection of prizes was only natural since everyone was a girl except for me.

"Oh, do you want that, Ren? I'd really like to win it, but it's kind of big. It'd be too risky if I'm trying to win the showdown."

Seeing Ariella hesitating, I raised my hand.

"Then I'll go for the plushie."

Saying that, I handed a cash coupon to the staff and received the rings.

"—Thank you, Onii-chan."

Ren's happy gratitude was filling me up with motivation.

"Yes, leave it to me."

To be honest, I was very confident.

For someone like me with honed combat abilities, tossing an object was merely a single faceted skill. Given three chances, I could also make slight adjustments. There was no reason for me to miss.

But while I was checking the ring's weight and shape, Vritra, who was standing on Ren's other side, tugged at my yukata sleeve.

She pointed at a certain product seriously.

"I desire that."

It was a bag containing candies of different colors. It was a relatively challenging target because the ring was barely large enough to fit around it.

"Why don't you try it yourself first?"

"I have decided to use all coupons on food. I do not have any to spare on such games with uncertain prizes."

Despite Vritra's matter-of-fact declaration that only served her own interests, I still went "fine" and sighed. None of the prizes was anything I wanted. Since I had three rings, I might as well help Vritra.

"—Got it. I'll help Ren first."

"Yes. I am counting on thee, my comrade."

Since we were cooperating, Vritra haughtily tapped my arm without worry.

Next, Ariella, Kili and I stood side by side with me in the middle and started to toss rings.

"Yes!"

Ariella and Kili won small prizes of low risk.

On further thought, they were very definitely very competitive. Succeeding on the first toss was only natural.

Having no intention of losing to them, I focused my concentration and stared at the rabbit plushie intently.

I adjusted my breathing and tossed the ring like releasing a hand grenade.

Slightly off, the ring's center of gravity was unstable, wobbling while it flew, but this was within my calculations.

Having calculated the loss of distance due to the wobbling, my first toss landed over the rabbit plushie as intended.

"Wow!"

Ren cheered out loud in a rare display.

"You are all amazing."

Accepting the prize from the female staff, I handed the rabbit to Ren.

"Here you go, Ren."

"Mm... So happy. I'll... cherish this gift from Onii-chan."

Blushing, Ren hugged the rabbit plushie.

However, Vritra soon urged "next one is mine."

Smiling wryly, I attempted the second toss.

Building on my success against a high-risk target on the first toss, I did not need to be that nervous. Tossed lightly, the ring landed on the bag of candy.

"Hmm, well done."

Vritra praised my efforts haughtily as usual but seeing her relieved expression, I felt that I had nothing to be mad about.

Next to me, Kili and Ariella also succeeded on their second toss.

"You're not bad."

"—You too are better than I thought."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v11 209.jpg|thumb]]

Seing sparks fly between them, I picked up my last ring.

Since I had won Ren and Vritra's prizes, I no longer had any clear target. As a result, winning anything was fine...

However...

After scanning the stand, I noticed a Japanese style brooch in a corner of the merchandise. It was an exquisitely crafted brooch with a maple pattern.

—A brooch huh.

It would not suit me but I remembered Tia's happy face from when I gave her a brooch in the past. I tossed the ring over.

Following a trajectory even more ideal than my second toss, the ring landed accurately over the brooch.

Thus, my rings were all used up. Only Kili and Ariella's third toss was left.

After concentrating for a long while, the two girls exhaled strongly and tossed their rings at the same time.

"—Oh."

Seeing the two rings' trajectories, I could not help but cry out.

They were apparently aiming for the same target. The rings collided in midair and fell on the ground.

"Why did you get in my way!?"

Kili roared angrily and Ariella replied with raised eyebrows.

"No, you're the one who got in my way, Kili."

After glaring at each other for a while, they handed coupons to the female staff at the same time.

"Another go."

"Another go, okay?"

The second round of the contest began.

"...Looks like it'll take a while."

"I am tired."

Satisfied with their prizes, Ren and Vritra commented wearily.

Indeed, it would be very hard to reach a conclusion between Kili and Ariella. When serious, neither of them was going to make a mistake while attempting interference would only end in mutual failure.

When I saw the fifth round starting, I suggested to Ren and Vritra:

"While they're still competing, why don't we first check out the nearby stalls?"

"Mm, good idea."

"Hmm, that frankfurter stand first, yes?"

The two of them responded immediately.

Then we walked to the vendors opposite to us.

In the end, Kili and Ariella did not manage to settle who was the winner. Since the time for their shift arrived, they had no choice but to give up.

Carrying the mountain of prizes they had won, I was really glad that their shift had started before they could use up all their coupon.

===Part 2===

===Part 3===

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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 3

2016-05-01T11:40:18Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 3 - Festival of Vivid Colors==

===Part 1===

'Everyone—I'm thinking of holding a festival!'

Without any warning, this voice suddenly resounded throughout the school during lunch break.

Eating lunch at the cafeteria, we of Brynhildr Class looked up because of the familiar voice.

"It's the principal's voice..."

In the middle of eating spaghetti, Lisa paused and whispered in surprise.

"She is full of surprises as always."

"Mm... I feel trouble coming."

Ariella and Ren agreed and sighed.

The other students in the surroundings were listening to the announcement with troubled expressions.

'—The school festival held last time was aimed mainly at parties external to Midgard, but this time, the goal is to allow you all to enjoy yourselves. There must be many people who were unsettled by NIFL's inspection. This festival is being held to reward you and help you relax. As a result, preparations and operations will be undertaken by staff including myself. Students, all you need to do is wait for the festival to arrive.'

"Oh? ...It sounds like good news, quite unexpectedly. Well done for the principal."

Firill remarked poignantly while wiping the ketchup on the corner of her mouth from eating omlet rice.

'However, there are apparently students who wish to set up shop like during the school festival. In that case, all you need to do is apply for permission to open shop from your homeroom teacher. We will permit anything as long as it is nothing bizarre.'

"Wow, we're allowed to open shop? Mononobe, what should we do? Should we do it?"

Iris asked me with a sparkling expression. Very clearly, she wanted to open one.

"Hmm, what should we do...? We just went through so much trouble, so I think we should just sit back and enjoy..."

However, I shared my contrary opinion with reservations.

The commotion centered on Jeanne had died down and peaceful days had finally arrived. To be honest, I just wanted to relax and enjoy myself.

'The application deadline will be three days from now, while festivities are scheduled to begin two weeks later. Well then, everyone, please look forward to the festival!'

Charl finished in a cheerful voice when the broadcast was suddenly ended, accompanied by static.

Somehow, it felt like Charl was the one who looked forward to it the most.

"—With the preparation time being not very long, it seems it would become very hectic. Just as Nii-san said, it would be better if we do not strain ourselves to open up a shop..."

Mitsuki sipped a mouthful of miso soup and concurred.

However, Shion asked a question.

"wHaT aRe feStiVitiEs oR schOOl fEstIvals...?"

Sitting on the side, Tia started to explain to Shion like a senior mentor.

"Although Tia doesn't know what ordinary festivities are like, school festivals are very fun. We ran a Japanese teahouse last time and practiced cooking... Then we also wore pretty kimonos and many customers came... It was really amazing last time, heart-thumping exciting! Tia also checked out other homeroom's shops with Yuu and the others, it was really fun!"

Tia spread her arms and gestured to express how fun the festival was.

Hearing all this, Shion's cheeks slowly turned red and her eyes glimmered.

"amAziNg—I waNnA tRy toO."

At that moment, I noticed a change in Mitsuki's expression.

Putting down her chopsticks, Mitsuki took out a small communicator from her uniform pocket.

"Mitsuki?"

I looked at her questioningly but Mitsuki began to make a call in a stiff tone of voice.

"—Shinomiya-sensei, this is an urgent call. Yes—You are right, I am contacting you regarding that. Shinomiya-sensei.................... Is that so? Then I have something to inform you... Actually, Shion-san—"

It looked like she was calling Shinomiya-sensei.

With her hand over her mouth, Mitsuki was conversing with Shinomiya-sensei with her voice lowered.

"Why am I getting a bad feeling about this...? I hope this doesn't result in piling more trouble on top of repentance essays."

Looking at Mitsuki, Kili remarked hesitantly.

"I am very bored every day. A bit of trouble would not matter."

Vritra spooned curry while expressing her indifference.

The others looked at Mitsuki, curious about what was going to happen.

Finally finished, Mituski put down the communicator and addressed us.

"Just now, I obtained permission from Shinomiya-sensei to set up a shop. We will apparently discuss this during the self-study period in the afternoon."

Mitsuki's sudden announcement to open shop left us stunned on the spot.

The first to recover, Lisa asked Mitsuki.

"Mitsuki-san... Shouldn't we first talk about whether we are participating in the festival? And just now, you did not seem inclined towards running a shop..."

"Since Shion-san would like to run a shop, we have no choice. Let us enjoy the festival together."

After making herself clear, Mitsuki smiled at Shion.

"—yEs, iT seeMs veRy fuN."

Shion nodded happily. Her guardian, Jeanne, frantically spoke up.

"h, umm, although I'd like to fulfill Zwei's wish too—we don't have to go out of our way to set up a shop just for her sake, right? This would cause too much trouble for you all, and spoiling her too much would be bad for her future education..."

Seeing Jeanne worry about us, I was slightly surprised.

Jeanne was probably in full support of the idea, but she was also considerate of Shion and everyone else. Instead of indulging Shion indiscriminately, she was treating her with a mother's responsibility.

—Jeanne was playing the role of "Mama" dutifully.

This was something I must learn properly. Although we had no blood relation, I was Shion's "Papa" of sorts.

Mitsuki also looked a little surprised but she instantly nodded and replied.

"No problem. Although participation is organized by homeroom, it is not compulsory. Everyone aside from me may join in voluntarily, no need to worry too much."

After speaking seriously, Mitsuki looked at us seated around the dining table.

"Furthermore, I have confirmed with Shinomiya-sensei just now. It is also allowed to open a shop in cooperation with staff. We coud participate in the form of assisting Shinomiya-sensei's shop, which would greatly reduce our burden. So, everyone—I hope you will consider it carefully."

Mitsuki placed her hand on the table and gazed seriously at all of us.

Always serious and giving her full effort in all her endeavors, Mitsuki was pouring in a different kind of passion this time.

Since Jeanne had always been the one taking care of Shion, I had not noticed until now, but Mitsuki also seemed very devoted to Shion's matters.

Shion was the orphan of Shinomiya Miyako, Mitsuki's best friend.

Hence, Mitsuki would feel extra concerned about Shion's matters. However, I could sense from Mitsuki's expression more than tender affection. There was also a strong sense of responsibility.

"Shion-san, please leave everything to me."

Anyone could see that the smiling Mitsuki was very reliable.

However, compared to Jeanne who was conscious of her maternal role, Mitsuki still felt insecure regarding her own position that had yet to be defined—

===Part 2===

Just as Mitsuki had said, fifth period's self-study turned into a discussion about the upcoming festival.

Standing at the lectern, our homeroom teacher Shinomiya-sensei looked at us in our seats and said:

"Ehh... The following is information disclosed only to those involved in opening shops, so I hope all of you will maintain confidentiality—This festival will be held using Japan's fireworks celebrations as a motif."

Shinomiya-sensei explained while showing scenes from Japanese festivals and the setting off of fireworks on the classroom monitor.

Watching these, everyone went "wow" in admiration.

These scenes could be seen every year in Japan but for me, it had been a long time ago. When was the last time I ever saw fireworks—

While searching through the memories Tia had helped recover for me, the first image to surface in my mind turned out to be the side view of young Mitsuki's face instead.

It was probably the summer four years ago, a memory from when the two of us had taken a train to the neighboring town to check out a fireworks festival.

However, the side view of Mitsuki's face left a much deeper impression in my memory than the fireworks, because during that instant, illuminated by the light, she was so extremely beautiful—

Recalling the memory from that time, I looked at Mitsuki on my right.

"!?"

When our gazes suddenly met, I frantically turned to look ahead. I don't suppose Mitsuki was recalling memories from four years ago too?

Showing an overhead map of Midgard, Shinomiya-sensei continued to explain.

"—According to the plan, shops will be set up along the coastal road while fireworks will be shot from the sea surface. Since the principal insists on Japanese style, the shops will recreate the look of Japanese night market vendors. Furthermore, I will be in charge of a yakisoba stall."

The monitor showed a detailed photo of a yakisoba stall.

"...Hmm, that looks about right."

I heard Vritra's whisper.

She was always keeping a poker face but whenever food was mentioned, she would pay more attention.

"Mononobe Mitsuki has proposed helping out at my stall together with Shion. However—according to the principal's wishes, this is a festival held to reward you. If you wish to enjoy the festival from the vendor side no matter what, all you need to do is assist at my shop."

Saying that, Shinomiya-senseii looked at us.

Lisa raised her hand next and asked.

"Excuse me—what sort of assistance in particular? I have never made yakisoba before..."

"Indeed... We staff will be in charge of preparations, so all you need to do is help out at the stall on the day of the festival. Those who cannot cook can be in charge of serving customers. Shifts can also be limited to the daytime when it is the most busy. During the fireworks celebration at night, you can go and enjoy yourselves freely."

Hearing Shinomiya-sensei's reply, Lisa nodded.

"Then I have no further questions. I shall help out as well. However, since it is a rare opportunity, I would like to learn how to prepare yakisoba too."

Looking like an idea occurred to her, Shinomiya-sensei made a suggestion.

"Hmm—let us have a barbecue this coming weekend and I shall teach you how to make Shinomiya-style yakisoba. You won't be able to practice properly unless you cook on an iron griddle for real."

"Wonderful! A barbecue! It'll be the first time since Tia's arrival!"

Iris cheered and looked at me.

"—Yeah, that was the time when Charl brought barbecue stuff along."

I nodded nostalgically.

It was a special day when Tia had gotten familiar with the class for real. It felt like a really long time ago.

"Shinomiya-sensei, you must be busy currently, right?"

Mitsuki asked with concern. As the student council president, she was well aware of Shinomiya-sensei's heavy workload.

"Yes, but I believe I can still squeeze out the time. In addition, consider this a reward for your assistance."

Shinomiya-sensei smiled wryly. Next, sitting in the left seat on the front row, Firill looked back and smiled.

"In that case... Those who don't help out won't be eligible to join the barbecue. I'll help too, what about everyone else?"

"Of course I'll help."

"Mm, me too."

"Tia has decided to help from the start!"

Ariella, Ren and Tia instantly responded to Firill's question.

"Oh, me too! What about you, Mononobe?"

A moment slower, Iris raised her hand frantically then asked me.

"I'll help too—I wouldn't want to miss the barbecue."

After I nodded, everyone's gaze fell upon the remaining Jeanne, Vritra and Kili.

"Huh...? When Shion offered to help, I already decided to do it together..."

Jeanne answered blankly and Vritra nodded deeply.

"I shall offer mine assistance. I am interested in yakisoba. 'Twould be possible to replicate it perfectly using dark matter if I knew the exact cooking procedure."

Vritra replied seriously. Perhaps her failure in replicating ice cream properly last time had been bothering her a lot.

Then only Kili remained—

"Kili-chan, join us too! It'll be lonely to watch the barbecue without taking part, right?"

When Iris finished, Kili nodded lightly.

"No helping it... If Yuu's doing it, so will I. But let me make myself clear, I won't feel lonely even if my companions abandon me."

Insisting that, Kili stared at me.

"ShiNoMiya-stYle yakisoba. i WanNa leArN it."

Amidst everything, Shion quietly motivated herself and clenched her tiny fist tightly.

===Part 3===

===Part 4===

===Part 5===

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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 4|Chapter 4]]
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 2

2016-04-30T12:49:29Z

Belatkuro:

==Chapter 2 - White Knight of Elegance==

===Part 1===

"—Well then, allow me to introduce our newest students to everyone."

Presiding over the assembly proceedings, Mitsuki's voice resounded within the dimmed hall.

Standing on the stage with Mitsuki under the spotlight were ten-odd girls dressed in Midgard's uniform.

Including mine, all eyes of the students in the audience were directed at the stage in anticipation.

"This brings back memories, Mononobe."

Sitting on my right, Iris commented quietly.

"Yeah... They're the first batch of new students since Tia."

I kept my voice low and answered while looking at Tia, who was sitting on my left. Tia averted eye contact in embarrassment.

"Please don't recall what happened then. Tia caused so much trouble for everyone..."

"Yeah—But no one minds anymore."

Stroking Tia's head, I replied.

Back then, Tia considered herself a dragon and had impulsively used transmutation against Mitsuki when she denied Tia's identity as a dragon.

As a result, the majority of the students feared Tia and she was not placed into a homeroom with other girls of her age. Instead, she was assigned to Brynhildr Class where me and the others belonged. But after the Basilisk battle, Tia's interactions expanded and during the school festival, she demonstrated to me that she had made close friends.

"Hmm... Thanks. But Tia is very worried whether they'll mess up like Tia."

Tia cast a gaze of worry at the girls on the stage.

They had started introducing themselves in sequence from right to left. It was now a southeast Asian girl's turn. Since she was unable to use Midgard's lingua franca of Japanese, Mitsuki spoke on her behalf.

Including this girl, more than half of the new students were new to me.

However, I already knew the four on the left. These four stood out in many ways, attracting attention from the students as soon as they got on stage.

—Very conspicuous, as one would expect.

Like Tia, I was very worried about them.

It could very well turn into even worse chaos than Tia's time.

To prevent these four from standing out too much, Principal Charlotte had enrolled them together with the other new students whose arrival to Midgard had been delayed by NIFL's imposed inspection.

—Please, don't say anything weird.

Seeing it was ''her'' turn next, I prayed in my heart.

"—Next is Kili-san."

The instant Mitsuki spoke this name, a clamor rose up in the hall.

"Everyone must have seen it on television previously—She had sought Midgard's protection in order to defy NIFL's intervention. Due to many things happening in the Principality of Erlia, it took plenty of effort... However, I am extremely pleased for the fact that she could finally come to Midgard."

While presenting the official story for why Kili transferred, Mitsuki grimaced slightly. Well, this was only a subtle change only I could see. The other students most likely missed it.

As the student council president, she was obliged to deliver diplomatic statements to suit occasions, but this time, the "lie" was a bit big.

Kili had transferred into Midgard before under the identity of Tachikawa Honoka. The fact that Honoka and Kili were the same person was not disclosed and ordinary students probably would not question it... But to Mitsuki, she was probably having quite mixed feelings.

Refraining from reading out the full name of Kili Surtr Muspelheim was probably to prevent the audience from associating her with the dragon-worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell.

From the perspective of ordinary students, Kili was an activist against NIFL's unfair treatment of Ds.

As long as Kili maintained it, this cover story would be perfect.

"Nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Kili. I am very happy to be here at Midgard and would like to get along with all of you. However—"

Kili started with an ordinary self-introduction, but halfway through, she suddenly altered her tone.

Her exuded aura changed. After narrowing her eyes to gaze sharply at the students, she declared in an ice-cold voice:

"—You all know Mononobe Yuu, right? He is mine. If anyone dares make a move on him, I won't forgive her, got that? Please remember this well, everyone."

After issuing this warning, Kili produced a business-like smile.

The entire hall fell silent. Recovering first, Mitsuki coughed.

"Umm... Kili-san has just made some inappropriate and easily misconstrued statements and she will be properly educated afterwards. Until her twisted mindset is corrected, I shall have her write repentance essays nonstop, so please do not worry, everyone."

Mitsuki stared at Kili while speaking in a commanding tone of voice.

"Oh no... even more repentance essays!?"

Kili grumbled anxiously but Mitsuki ignored her and started to introduce the next new student.

"Next is Ritra-san. She is Kili-san's cousin. Due to the discovery of Ds, the ability to transmute matter, in the family, she has transferred in as well."

The one being introduced was the girl two sizes smaller than Kili—Vritra.

Of course, she was not a D and Ritra was an alias. However, there was no way in hell we could call her the black dragon—"Black" Vritra.

To be honest, we also had the option of keeping her in confinement, but Iris said "I'd feel so sorry for Vritra-chan if she had to watch the house alone!"

—Hence, enrolling her as a student made it easier to keep her under supervision. Thus, we transferred her into the school according to the procedure for Ds.

Bored, Vritra stretched and said:

"Yawn... Oh, hmm, I am Ritra. That is all."

As though saying that was enough of a self-introduction, she looked at Mitsuki. The students were looking at the unmotivated Vritra in puzzlement. They most likely pegged her as a different kind of weirdo compared to Kili.

Mitsuki sighed lightly and moved on to introducing the remaining two.

"Then next is the youngest student ever in Midgard's history, Shion Zwei Shinomiya-san!"

As soon as she spoke, everyone's gaze gathered on the tiny girl. This was followed by cheers of "so cute!" resounding all over the hall.

Trembling, Shion held the hand of the unintroduced girl beside her.

From appearance, Shion looked even younger than Tia, pretty much early elementary school age. However, her actual age was not so. Counting from the time when she had awakened at the Asgard lab, less than a month had passed. Although her apparent age was what was recorded in the family registry, I was pretty certain that students younger than Shion were not going to show up again.

"i am Shion Zwei Shinomiya... Nice to meet yoU all."

Nervously and politely, Shion introduced herself.

Although her Japanese lacked a little fluency and her motions were slightly stiff, this made her even more adorable to everyone. Cheers arose again. Frightened, Shion hid behind the girl next to her.

Seeing this, Mitsuki continued to explain Shion's situation.

"I believe all of you must be very curious about her family name. Shion-san is Shinomiya-sensei's relative, but due to her complicated family circumstances and the fact that her mental stability depends on staying close to her current guardian, there is some risk involved—"

Mitsuki finished slowly and came to the girl whom Shion was hugging tightly.

The hall went into a clamor again. After all, the girl on the left end was the most striking from the very beginning.

Normally speaking, Kili, who had appeared on television before, and Shion, the youngest, would attract the most attention. However, there was a great difference between this girl at the end compared to all the other girls standing on the stage.

She—''was dressed in a male uniform''.

"...Consequently, as a special exception, we have hired Shion-san's guardian as Midgard staff so that they can live together. But just as you can see, she is of the same age as we are and similarly entitled to the right of education. After careful consideration, I have authorized ''her'' enrollment in my capacity as student council president. Perhaps some of you might have doubts about a non-D becoming a student of this school, but please try to understand."

Mitsuki emphasized the word "her."

The clamor grew more and more intense, but when the introduced cross-dressing girl and Shion took a step forward, the hall quieted down.

Everyone was waiting for her to speak.

"I am Zwei's guardian—Jeanne Hortensia."

After she—Jeanne Hortensia—spoke in a dignified voice to introduce herself, the entire venue erupted with noise.

Rather than a commotion echoing throughout the hall, they were screams. However, these screams were not emitted out of fear or surprise.

I had heard such screams on television many times—Adolescent girls screaming from the bottom of their hearts at the sight of their idols.

In other words... This was what people called a fan scream.

"W-What's going on?"

I could not help but cover my ears and look around me. All the girls in the other homerooms were worked up in excitement with blushing cheeks.

Also feeling puzzled by this reaction, Jeanne hastily continued her self-introduction.

"U-Umm, I am a girl despite dressing like this! I wear a male uniform because it feels more reassuring—"

Jeanne emphasized her gender as a girl but the fan screaming grew even louder.

Yells of "so handsome!" could be heard all over the place.

"Jeanne-chan is so popular."

Seated on my right, Iris remarked poignantly.

"...Yeah. Dressed like that, Jeanne undoubtedly looks like a young and handsome man."

Platinum blonde hair, a prim and proper face, a slender physique—This appearance could easily rival that of idol celebrities.

Regardless of gender, Jeanne's "beauty" was very eye catching.

"Such a far cry from my debut."

Iris looked at me from the side while I was muttering to myself.

"Eh, Mononobe... Don't tell me you're jealous?"

"O-Of course not."

I frantically denied it. Back when I went up on the stage, the audience was eyeing me with a complicated mixture of curiosity and wariness. Fan screaming was nothing to be jealous of. Indeed, nothing to be jealous of at all.

Even so, Iris smiled and comforted me.

"Don't worry. To me, umm... You're the most handsome, Mononobe."

Seeing Iris blushing, my face turned red all at once.

Noticing that, Tia hugged my arm on the left.

"Tia thinks Yuu is the most handsome too! Tia is a good wife and will never be unfaithful! Yuu can rest assured!"

"...Th-Thank you."

I thanked Tia but her words caused my chest to tighten.

Iris and Tia were being considerate to me on their own, but I was wavering from their words and behavior. Didn't that make me unfaithful to them? Still, they permitted it.

—This was no good.

I did not know what in particular was wrong or how to rectify it.

However, feeling guilty about this, I was definitely not properly confronting the girls' feelings for me.

I must take responsibility. I must do what I can and do it well.

But when facing mutually exclusive wishes, I became lost and unable to take any action.

Hence, as I was now, my resolve was incomplete.

In all sorts of ways, I probably—I must become even stronger.

===Part 2===

"—Thus, these four will be the newest members of Brynhildr Class from now on. As mentioned before, but I will say it again, I hope everyone can get along."

Inside our classroom—Brynhildr Class' homeroom teacher, Shinomiya-sensei, was introducing the new students in front of the lectern.

Naturally, these new students were Kili, Vritra, Shion and Jeanne.

The seats in the classroom were increased to accommodate their transfer. Behind the third row in the back where Mitsuki, Iris and I were sitting, a new row was added—another three desks and chairs.

This was one less than the number of new students, but the middle seat in the front row was originally empty. With this, all the newcomers had a spot to themselves.

"Then regarding seating... It would be best for Shion to adjacent to Jeanne Hortensia, I suppose? You two should sit together in the back row."

"YeS!"

"...Affirmative."

Shion nodded very energetically. On the other hand, Jeanne nodded with a haggard expression.

Skipping past me, Shion smiled innocently.

"i siT, beHiNd Papa."

Shion took the middle seat in the back row—Behind me. At the lectern, Kili looked slightly displeased but did not say anything.

Seeing Shion's smile, Jeanne recovered somewhat.

"Captain... Everyone, I look forward to getting along with all of you from now on."

After walking unsteadily to the right seat in the back row—the one behind Mitsuki—Jeanne smiled feebly and greeted everyone.

"You seem so tired. Are you okay?"

I asked in concern and Jeanne shook her head lightly.

"...I haven't been this tired since quite a while. Ambushed by students outside the hall, I had to go all-out to shake them off."

For Jeanne, a former member of the special forces, to be this exhausted, the students ambushing her must have been very persistent and obsessive.

"Well, being popular is a good thing. The commotion should subside later."

"I hope so..."

Jeanne smiled wryly and lay down on her desk.

After looking at the two remaining seats, Shinomiya-sensei gazed sharply at Kili.

"Kili Surtr Muspelheim. Taking into account your speech at the entrance ceremony, you very evidently a problem child. Consequently, I will place you in the front row where it is easiest to monitor you."

"No. That's too far away from Yuu. I want to sit behind Iris-chan."

Ignoring Shinomiya-sensei's instruction, Kili walked to the back row.

"—Are you sure? You are free to choose defiance, but in that case, I will have to restrict your freedom and pile on a greater number of repentance essays."

"......"

Shinomiya-sensei's warning caused Kili to halt and her face began to twitch.

"Do you know how many repentance essays I've written so far?"

"I do. ''Merely'' fifty, right?"

Seeing Shinomiya-sensei's fully serious expression, Kili could only sigh deeply.

"...Fine, be that way. I got it. I'll sit here, okay?"

Kili reluctantly sat down where Shinomiya-sensei had indicated. On her left and right respectively, Lisa and Firill smiled wryly. Behind her, Tia thumped her own chest and announced, "Tia will watch with widened eyes to stop Kili from doing bad things!"

"Then I shall sit there."

The last one remaining, Vritra took the left seat in the back row without waiting for Shinomiya-sensei's instructions—The spot behind Iris.

"Welcome, Vritra-chan!"

Vritra nodded generously at Iris who was showing a carefree smile.

"...Hmm. Although I have no interest in the knowledge of ye humans, I am very looking forward to 'school life' after reading some books. 'Twould serve well to kill time."

Turning her head back, Kili shrugged with exasperation.

"Mother is arrogant as ever."

"Kili, aren't you calling the kettle black?"

However, when Tia instantly retorted, Kili showed a complicated expression.

"Tia... Aren't you being too strict towards me?"

"Because Tia will be Kili's senior starting today. Tia must look after juniors properly."

Tia puffed out her chest and replied.

"Wow, Tia is amazing."

"Mm... Good job."

Ariella and Ren praised her too, deeply impressed.

It looked like Tia took seniority very seriously. Having never considered this, I was slightly surprised.

"...I enrolled together with Tia last time."

Kili grumbled unhappily. However, since Tia was telling Shion and the others "you can rely on Senpai from now on!", she did not catch Kili's words.

"Mononobe, we have to work hard too!"

"—You're right."

I nodded in response to Iris, who was clenching her fist with heightened spirits.

Clearly, school life was going to become very lively with the addition of new classmates.

===Part 3===

Midgard's underground facilities were severely damaged during NIFL's invasion and had yet to be fully restored.

Hence, due to repairs in progress for the underground training sites, the practical lessons for periods five and six were suspended for now.

Thus, classes ended before noon on the first day school resumed—However, the end of the day brought a problem with it.

"I never expected this..."

After school in the classroom, Mitsuki sighed deeply.

"I was planning to have lunch at the cafeteria before going back, but looks like that's out of the question."

Sitting at her desk, Iris commented while rubbing her stomach.

"Well, we'll just have to eat at Mitsuki's dorm today. Showing Shion the cafeteria will have to wait until next time."

I agreed and looked at Shion sitting behind me, looking very bored.

"cAfeTEriA, quIcK."

"Sorry, Zwei, it's all my fault..."

Hearing Shion, Jeanne apologized with apparent guilt.

"Yes. It's all your fault, Jeanne-chan, so find a solution."

Kili spoke in exasperation but Ariella and Ren defended Jeanne.

"—It can't be helped. Mitsuki already threatened them with the submission of so many repentance essays and it still turned out like this."

"Mm... The crowds grow every time break comes around. At this rate, maintaining order inside the school will be very hard."

Seeing the two of them so weary, I thought back to today's commotions.

It had happened after the first period ended. A whole crowd of Jeanne's fans rushed over.

Back then, they were only shouting "Jeanne-sama!" from the window, but when second period ended, the crowd had grown further, making it difficult even to go to the washroom.

Seeing this, Mitsuki reminded the girls that making noise in the school building would be detrimental to studies, hence the girls were driven away—However, things were still not resolved.

With the sound of the door opening, Lisa, Firill and Tia entered the classroom.

"—The situation outside turns out to be the same as predicted."

"Almost the entire student body has gathered together. Unable to cause trouble inside the school building, they are probably going to do it outside."

"There will surely be a big commotion as soon as you go out!"

Hearing our reports, Jeanne slumped her shoulders.

"Why did this happen...? Don't they believe I'm a girl?"

Jeanne murmured in puzzlement and Lisa looked at her with sympathy.

"No, I believe they should know that you are a girl—"

"...What do you mean?"

Jeanne asked Lisa with a frown. Curious about Lisa's viewpoint, I also paid attention and listened.

"This students at this school have reached an age when curiosity about romance has started to develop. In other words, they cannot resist the temptations of adolescence. However, here at Midgard where almost everyone is female, there are limited targets for their fantasies."

Saying that, Lisa looked at me.

"In other words, I'm not good enough?"

When I sighed, Lisa shrugged lightly.

"On the contrary, Mononobe Yuu. Well—it would be better to say that they have difficulty wrapping their minds around 'the correct usage of Mononobe Yuu.'"

"...What are you talking about?"

Completely unable to understand what she was saying, I tilted my had. Lisa raised an index finger and began to explain like a teacher.

"I am referring to the fact that your conquest is too challenging. This is objective fact—You are the sole male in the school and with such high achievements under your belt too. Y-You, umm, you look rather attractive as well. There is even a fan club for you in school."

"R-Really...?"

Having lost a bit of confidence as a human being due to seeing Jeanne's popularity, I relaxed my expression after finding out I was validated.

"Yes... Which is why they are at a loss regarding what to do, right? Getting too involved with you could mean a dramatic change to the rest of their lives. For example—like us as we are right now."

"Hmm... I get that. I'll be careful."

I hastily nodded with solemnity when reminded by Lisa, who smiled faintly in response.

"In that case—Excellent. Well, the girls also understand that half-baked resolve is not enough to build a relationship with you. Although the fact that you selected us has not been disclosed, there is still the great risk of losing their powers from pregnancy. Besides, Mitsuki-san, and... th-the rest of us too, have been keeping a close watch over you. Approaching you is physically difficult."

Lisa spoke with a blush. Next, Firill leaned towards me and whispered.

"...Lisa is very well respected and something like the master of the girls dorm. I think the girls running amok has got something to do with Lisa moving out."

"Hold it, Firill-san! Please do not apply a description like 'master' to me!"

After hearing Firill's comment, Lisa went red and complained.

"Ahem—Anyway, the difficulty level in Jeanne-san's conquest is not as high. Although she looks like a handsome youth, since she is not the opposite sex, there is no punishment for violating the rule against inappropriate interactions between genders. Even very intimate relations... w-will not have any risk of pregnancy."

Was she picturing something? Lisa averted eye contact in embarrassment.

Hearing this, Ariella chimed in.

"Although Mitsuki and Lisa are very popular among the girls, a cross-dressing beauty is special, after all. Supply and demand has never matched up this well."

"I-I am not some kind of cross-dressing beauty... Honestly, I just feel more at ease in male clothing—"

Shaken, Jeanne explained herself. Kili casually began to tease her.

"In that case, why don't you just wear a girl's uniform? I'm sure you'll look very cute in a skirt, Jeanne-chan."

Saying that, Kili picked up the hem of her skirt. Jeanne went red and shook her head.

"I-I can't accept that kind of disgraceful attire!"

"...You do realize your comment is an insult to every girl in the school?"

Kili's surprised question prompted Jeanne to frantically apologize to Lisa and the others.

"Oh... I-I am very sorry—I just mean when I'm the one wearing it... I don't think it suits me..."

Her voice grew softer and softer and she lowered her head.

"I think you're mistaken..."

"Eh!? C-Captain—Please don't make fun of me!"

I was simply offering my honest opinion but Jeanne went red to her ears and shouted at me.

Silently listening to our conversation, Mitsuki looked at Jeanne as though making a decision.

"—No other way. To prevent Jeanne-san from being followed, please exit from the back door. It is an entrance meant for accessing the staff dorms, but if you take a long detour along the coast, you will be able to return to my dorm."

"Ehhh!? I can't go home with the Captain?"

Jeanne asked Mitsuki with an expression of shock.

"—No. If you were to be discovered, Jeanne-san, it could cause chaos. In that case, Nii-san and me aside, that would be quite dangerous for Shion-san who is still young, would it not?"

"Hmm... T-True. I understand. Let's do that."

Jeanne nodded with difficulty once Shion was brought up.

"Mama... wE haVe to seParAte?"

Shion clutched Jeanne's clothing with unease.

"...Yes. But Captain—Papa—will accompany you. Captain, I am leaving Zwei in your hands."

"Yeah, no problem. Shion—go home with P-Papa, okay?"

Still slightly reluctant to call myself 'Papa,' I nodded stiffly and extended my hand to Shion.

After hesitating between me and Jeanne for a while, Shion held my hand.

"...Papa. tOgethEr."

Her tiny hand gripped stronger than I expected, causing an emotion I had never felt before to swell up within me.

An intense desire to protect her naturally filled my heart. I suppose this was what you would call paternal instinct.

"Hmm—"

However, Iris was staring at me without saying a word.

"W-What's wrong?"

"...Nothing."

Iris put on a poker face and others reacted the same way except for Kili who leaned in and smiled mischievously at me.

"Fufu, Iris-chan and the others are jealous. You guys really look like a family."

"Wha—"

"Of course, I'm jealous too, okay? Hurry and make a baby with me."

Her smooth fingertip slid over my cheek, causing my heart rate to quicken.

However, Mitsuki stepped in between us and drove Kili away.

"Kili-san! Please distance yourself from Nii-san! We are still students and inappropriate interactions between the genders are forbidden!"

"Eh—Why?"

"There is no why!"

While this battle of words was raging, Shion gripped my hand tightly.

"Yes, what is it?"

"Papa, hOw aRE baBieS maDe?"

"......"

My thoughts froze. I stood there, unable to say anything.

Next to us, Jeanne was also rendered speechless, but as soon as she regained her senses, she directed an angry outburst at Kili.

"Hey! Kili, you are being a bad influence on Zwei!"

"What are you talking about? Can't you just teach her properly?"

"Shut up!"

Amid the commotion, I heard a tiny rumble.

Following the sound, I saw Vritra, who had not participated in the dialogue so far, rubbing her stomach.

When our eyes met, Vritra spoke to hide her surprise.

"...I care not about any of this, but could ye all hasten the journey back? I am hungry."

===Part 4===

The next day—

"Kyah, Jeanne-samaaaaa!"

"Enough of this!"

Jeanne roared while dashing desperately on the road to school. A large group of rabid fan girls were chasing after her, creating rising dust clouds.

This scene was reminiscent of a certain television show I watched long ago.

Left at the dorm entrance, we watched with sympathy as Jeanne ran away.

"It must be tough for Jeanne-chan..."

Iris murmured emotionally and Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes—But we have no choice but to let Jeanne-san go first. We have no means of driving away the students blocking the dorm entrance. Yesterday, we made use of a back entrance... But a similar solution will not work for going to school."

Mitsuki deemed this the ideal solution but Ariella had doubts.

"Eh? But all of Midgard's important facilities are linked by underground passages, right? Can't we use them?"

"Underground passages are meant for emergency use. Furthermore, they are under repairs from the damage incurred during last time's battle, so none of them are open right now."

"Hmm... Sorry for all kinds of things, I guess."

Ariella shrank away and apologized.

Durign the battle last time, Ariella had taken NIFL's side and invaded the school while destroying partitions along the underground passages.

"—Ariella-san, you have already written your repentance essays, so there is no need for further apologies. I really wish Kili-san could learn well from you."

Mitsuki looked at Kili with a wry smile.

"I have been staying up late every night writing them too! There are so many that I can't finish! At this rate, I won't ever be able to pay Yuu visits at night!"

Kili argued unhappily.

"Serves you right. Also, even once you are finished with your essays, you are not allowed to make night visits either."

Mitsuki warned solemnly then glared back sharply at Kili.

"Mama iSn't wAlkiNg wiTh mE agAin toDay..."

Holding my hand, Shion looked sadly in Jeanne's direction.

"Yeah... Well, I don't think this commotion will last too long. Just bear with it for a while."

I stroked Shion's head and said optimistically but someone tugged at my shirt hem from behind.

I looked back to see Ren looking up at me regretfully.

"Onii-chan, unfortunately—It's getting worse."

Saying that, Ren showed me the screen of her portable terminal, which had posts like "Jeanne-sama is the best!" or "Jeanne-sama is currently heading to school."

"What is this...?"

"It's an internal community site created by Midgard graduates back when they were students here. It's full of stuff about Jeanne."

Ren scrolled the screen, showing the content about Jeanne. Firill was also looking at the screen from behind us.

"—So it's true. So much activity. If this continues, rather than subsiding, things might get even more heated instead."

Hearing Firill's comment, Shion said with flowing tears, "tHIs wiLl kEeP goInG...?"

"Come on, stop saying things to make Shion worry!"

Having cared for Shion as her senior earlier, Tia scolded Firill with arms akimbo.

"S-Sorry..."

Firill apologized.

"Firill-san, you have been admonished," said Lisa while smiling wryly.

"—However, optimism isn't going to bring about a solution. We need to think of something."

Lisa spoke with a solemn expression but she simply repeated Kili's suggestion of "not wearing male clothes" from yesterday. However, Jeanne herself had resisted vehemently.

And unless a solution was found, things would probably worsen as Firill had predicted.

The net around Jeanne closed tighter day by day.

After school the second day, girls started to ambush the back door, leaving Jeanne no choice but to escape through the jungle. However, she was met by another ambush at the dorm entrance.

Jeanne's gallant escape attempts ended up increasing her popularity instead. Chasing her had turned into an event itself.

At some point, a rumor started spreading among the girls that the first person to catch her would be able to go out with her. Those who believed this started to use their D powers indiscriminately.

Against shared intel on the community site combined with the mobility of flight-capable Ds, Jeanne was definitely cornered.

Seeing the girls progress so rapidly, Mitsuki remarked with honest poignancy, "I might lose in anti-personnel combat in the future."

But for Jeanne, there was no time for poignant reactions.

On the fifth day of her transfer—Jeanne managed just barely to get home in time for dinner today.

Dragging her body, all covered with twigs and leaves, she looked rather haggard while eating dinner.

—I must do something. But... what?

Lying on my bed after dinner, I contemplated.

My room was on the far end of the corridor. Since the only adjacent room had turned into Firill's book storage, it was always quiet around this hour of the day.

Living in the floor above, Mitsuki never made any loud noises, so there was nothing to disrupt my thoughts.

—The problem was that Jeanne personally rejecting their advances had been completely futile.

Due to the collective mentality, the girls had gone out of control, ignoring Jeanne's own wishes. Persuading with logic and reason was probably out of the question.

In that case, a certain action was the only option left...

Just as my thoughts reached that point, I heard a knocking at my door.

"Who is it?"

I sat up and directed my voice at the door. Was it Vritra again?

"...Captain, it's me, Jeanne. I need to talk to you about something."

Unexpectedly, it was Jeanne's voice.

I had been thinking about her problem all this time. Since the person in question had showed up, there was no reason to reject her.

"Sure, no problem. I'll open the door for you."

I got off the bed and walked to the door. Back when it was just Mitsuki and I living in this dorm, I basically never locked the door. Since Mitsuki held the master key, locking was pointless.

However, now that the number of residents had increased all at once, with people among them whom I must be careful with—well, mainly Kili—I currently had the door locked.

"Sorry, it is already this late..."

After I opened the door, Jeanne bowed her head at me in apology. She was carefully holding a transparent plastic bag in her arms.

"No, I don't mind. But is it okay for you to leave Shion alone?"

"Zwei was already very sleepy, so I had her brush her teeth and go to bed."

"Then it should be fine. Come—please enter."

"P-Pardon the intrusion..."

Nervously, Jeanne stepped into the room.

I sat down on the edge of the bed in the back of the room. Jeanne looked around aimlessly.

"Sit over there."

I pointed at the chair by my desk.

"I-It's okay, I am fine standing here."

However, Jeanne shook her head and stood in front of me.

"Well, if that's your preference, Jeanne—What do you want to talk about? Does it have anythiing to do with what you're carrying?"

I pointed at the plastic bag that she seemed quite conscious of. Jeanne nodded.

"Yes, indeed! Actually—this was the school uniform issued to me initially."

Saying that, Jeanne took out the contents.

Indeed, it was Midgard's uniform. Furthermore, it was a female uniform.

"But I didn't wear it because it was too embarrassing... So I requested a male uniform like yours, Captain. However..."

"In order to change the current situation, you've made up your mind to wear a female uniform?"

When I asked that, Jeanne shook her head.

"Umm... No, I still haven't made up my mind, which is why I came to discuss with you, Captain... Last time when you said this uniform would look good on me... I denied it... Oh, no, I know you were joking at the time... But—"

"I wasn't joking, by the way... Why did you think I was joking?"

I frowned and asked Jeanne. I did not know the reason for her inferiority complex.

"Hmm—I've always dressed as a man and worked hard like a man... It must be very weird for someone like that to suddenly dress up as a girl, deserving of ridicule..."

Hearing that from Jeanne, I sighed deeply.

"What are you talking about? Jeanne, you're very pretty, so it won't be weird at all."

"Ah!? Very... pretty!?"

Jeanne exclaimed in surprise and her face turned bright red. Her massive reaction made me embarrassed too.

"How should I say this...? It's the objective truth. The girls like you so much."

Scratching my head, I replied apologetically.

"Ehhh!? Aren't they drawn to the manliness I've developed over the years...?"

"Uh, Jeanne... I'm sorry I have to tell you this, but—"

I told the truth to Jeanne who did not know herself.

"Back when we were working in the same team—You were a brave and intelligent subordinate. It might be okay to call this part as being like a man... But as for manliness, to be honest, you have none of that at all. You give off too strong a sense of purity."

"What—"

Speechless, Jeanne dropped the uniform in her hands. Seeing her more shocked than I expected, I hastily continued.

"N-Not being manly isn't a bad thing, right? That sense of purity lacking in men is precisely the key that makes you a handsome youth. And this aspect definitely works just as well when dressing up as an attractive woman too. You need to be confident!"

Holding Jeanne's shoulders, I tried my best to convince her.

Next, light shone from her eyes.

"...Captain, you're saying that, the way I am now... and dressed up as a woman too, would be attractive...?"

"Yes."

I looked her in the eye and nodded vigorously.

"Th-Then... Is it okay for you to look at me in female uniform and tell me if I look weird or not?"

"Of course—Eh, right here?"

I nodded on reflex then gasped.

"Yes... I will change in the washroom..."

Picking up the uniform on the ground, Jeanne peered at me face with a blush.

The atmosphere in the room turned bittersweet.

While saying "oh sure," I nodded stiffly in response.

"Please wait, Captain."

Saying that, Jeanne went into the washroom. Inside the quiet room, I could hear faint sounds from the washroom.

—What am I getting nervous for?

Sitting on the bed's edge, I scratched my head anxiously.

After what felt like an extremely long time, the washroom door opened. I could not help but straighten my back, waiting for Jeanne to emerge.

"......Jeanne?"

However, despite the opened door, she was nowhere to be seen.

"S-Sorry, I am a bit nervous... I-I am coming out now!"

Despite the determination in her voice, time went by and she still had not turned her words into action.

"............Jeanne?"

"S-Sorry! U-Umm... Could you close your eyes?"

I could not refuse this request delivered in a trembling voice.

"Sure, I got it," I said and closed my eyes.

After roughly ten seconds, I heard soft footsteps and the sound of friction in clothing.

Jeanne had finally exited the washroom, I guess. The footsteps stopped in front of me. Feeble breathing sounds could be heard clearly.

Judging from her breathing, Jeanne had never been this nervous before.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

Noting to myself how much this resembled hide-and-seek, I confirmed with Jeanne. Well—since she was moving from a hidden state to enter my presence, it would be the opposite of hide-and-seek.

"Yes, please go ahead."

Hearing Jeanne's stiff reply, I slowly opened my eyes.

Since it was sitting on the bed's edge, my vantage point was quite low. The first thing I saw was her skirt and the pale thighs extending from underneath—

"I-I can't do this after all!"

However, my vision was blocked then. Lunging forward, Jeanne covered my eyes.

"Woah!?"

With that, I was pushed back onto the bed. Pinning me down, Jeanne continued to cover my eyes with her hands.

"Ah, wawawa, w-what am I doing to the Captain—S-Sorry! I am terribly sorry!"

"I-If you really mean it, hurry and back away!"

The soft sensations coming through her clothing was undoubtedly a woman's. I was well aware that my face must be bright red.

"I-I can't! If I back away, you will see me, Captain!"

"Like I said, it will be fine!"

I grabbed Jeanne's hands and forced them away from my face.

"Wah!?"

Jeanne screamed but since her hands were in my clutches, she could not escape.

My gaze settled on Jeanne in her female uniform.

This outfit emphasized what the male uniform could not—her ample bust, narrow waist and the pale thighs exposed beneath her skirt.

"Ah, wa, wa..."

With her mouth gaping open, Jeanne's face turned pink like the color of a fully ripened peach. With her usual ponytail untied and tears welling up in her eyes, she looked exceptionally adorable.

Also—

"—See, what a pretty girl as expected."

I looked up at the panicking Jeanne and told her in reassurance.

"Huh!?"

But under these circumstances, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Jeanne's face began to boil while her tears started to fall.

"S-Sorry! I didn't mean to make you cry—"

I frantically released her hands and apologized.

"...No, th-these are... tears of joy. I am relieved... Captain, that you don't find me weird... Also, umm, it is embarrassing after all... Oh, e-excuse me!"

Jeanne wiped her tears and seemed to recover. She hastily escaped from me.

Clutching the hem of her skirt shyly, she kept apologizing with her head bowed.

"Sorry, I am so sorry! I clearly came to seek your counsel, Captain, but ended up causing so much trouble... What could I ever do to make up..."

"Don't worry about that. We're no longer superior and subordinate."

I said that but Jeanne did not accept.

"I still mind even if you say that! Please punish me—Please impose punishment upon me!"

"By punishment... You mean like getting spanked?"

Out of ideas, I joked as a test.

However, Jeanne suddenly fell silent, turning around while holding her skirt down.

"My bottom... huh. A-As you wish."

Seeing Jeanne trembling while bending over and lifting her bottom, my mind blanked out.

"N-No! That's not what I intended—!"

"Eh...!? Don't tell me you want me to roll up my skirt too!? Umm, actually, I forgot to bring female underwear... Oh no, that's wrong, I do have some prepared in my room—But right now, I'm not wearing any—"

"What..."

After learning the reason why Jeanne was holding down her skirt, I could not help but look at the boundary between her skirt and those pale thighs. Under there was—

"Umm, if it's the Captain's orders, I shall...!"

Blushing intensely, Jeanne was about to roll up her skirt.

"Stop, stop, stop! It's fine, it's fine!"

I frantically reached out to stop her.

However, while pushing down her skirt, my hand also grabbed her bottom through the fabric at the same time.

The unimaginable softness was transmitted through my hand—At the same time, Jeanne's body kept shaking.

"Mmm—C-Captain—This is kind of sudden—"

"S-Sorry!"

I mobilized the entirety of my sanity to make my hand release Jeanne's skirt.

But looking back while holding her bottom, Jeanne shook her head with a blush.

"No, I don't mind, this is punishment, so I am fine with it. Umm... Is that all?"

Looking up at me, Jeanne's eyes seemed to be hoping for something, but surely, that must have been a delusion born from my lustful thoughts.

"...Oh, yeah, that's all. So, you have to do your best tomorrow."

To put Jeanne at ease, I played my captain role and encouraged her in a firm tone of voice.

Since Jeanne called what happened a punishment, there was no need for me to go out of my way to correct her.

"Very well—I understand! Thank you very much!"

Saluting to me, Jeanne fled to the washroom, picked up her male uniform in her arms and ran out of my room.

"Phew—"

I exhaled deeply and lay down on my bed.

The soft sensation was still lingering clearly on my hand.

Despite my exhaustion, it looked like I was still going to have trouble falling asleep tonight.

While looking up at the familiar ceiling, I hoped that today's efforts could buy tomorrow's success in return.

===Part 5===

"Wow! Jeanne-chan is so cute!"

"So surprised! Tia couldn't recognize you for a moment!"

The next morning—Seeing Jeanne at the dining hall dressed in the female uniform, Iris and Tia cheered.

"A dramatic makeover—Nevertheless, it is adorable and splendid indeed."

"Unexpectedly... big."

Lisa remarked with emotion while Firill kept staring at Jeanne's chest and narrowed her eyes suggestively.

Mitsuki nodded in acknowledgement and placed her hand on her own chest.

"Yes, definitely big, so envi—C-Cough, hmm, J-Jeanne-san, binding your chest forcibly is bad for your health, you know?"

Halfway through, Mitsuki came to her senses and reminded Jeanne solemnly.

"That's true. Maybe you shouldn't bind your chest when wearing male clothes in the future."

"Mm, I agree, otherwise it's a shame."

Ariella and Ren agreed with Mitsuki's viewpoint.

"—Understood, I will take your advice to heart. So I don't look weird, right?"

Jeanne sought the opinion of the girls and spun around on the spot. My heart raced when her skirt fluttered but I would expect her to be wearing underwear properly right now.

Forgetting to wear underwear to school was probably a mistake only Iris would make.

"Yes, no problem. But Jeanne-chan, what changed your mind? You were so embarrassed previously..."

Kili asked in surprise.

"Well—Naturally, it's because I want to commute to and from school together with Zwei and the Captain. Causing commotions like this the whole time, I can't even enter the cafeteria."

"Mama..."

Jeanne smiled at Shion but she seemed quite conscious of the shortness of her skirt.

"I still feel a bit bashful... but since the Captain said it looked fine, I will surely step out and walk openly."

Jeanne looked at me with warm eyes.

"Oh? ...So Nii-san already saw Jeanne-san in this attire beforehand."

Mitsuki looked at me accusingly.

"Oh right, she showed it to me last night when we had a discussion."

With a bad feeling, I nodded stiffly. I looked at Jeanne, hoping to convey to her not to say anything unnecessary, but I had totally dug my own grave.

"Captain—Sorry for embarrassing myself before you last night."

Making eye contact with me, Jeanne apologized. Seeing this, Kili frowned lightly.

"Embarrassing yourself huh? So it appears you two were doing something together."

"It was a great failure of unspeakable proportions. However, instead of punishing me harshly, the Captain simply applied a gentle touch—or rather, a grab, before letting me off."

Blushing, Jeanne exhaled hot breath.

"What dost thou mean by 'a grab'?"

Next, Vritra, who had been eating breakfast quietly, questioned harshly.

"Well—"

"Jeanne, don't—"

I frantically tried to stop her but it was too late.

"He grabbed my bottom."

When Jeanne revealed the answer, I was bathed under the icy gazes from everyone.

"Wait, there were many reasons for that..."

"No matter what reasons you had, Nii-san, the quantity of repentance essays shall not change."

Despite my intention to explain, Mitsuki had already mercilessly ordered the submission of repentance essays.

Misunderstandings were definitely something that must be cleared up on the spot. I was made painfully aware of this lesson.

After breakfast, which felt as though I was sitting on a bed of nails, it was finally time for Jeanne to head off to school in her female uniform.

A great number of girls had gathered outside the entrance. Standing at the entrance hall, I could already hear the commotion outside.

"Well then, Captain, I will head out first to show everyone my current look."

Jeanne spoke with determination on her face

"Ah yes, good luck."

Having lost my standing completely in the earlier incident, I could only wave and see her out the door.

When the automatic door at the entrance opened, the girls' cheering flooded in.

However, the instant Jeanne stepped out the door, the cheering turned into the noise of confusion—then silence gradually spread.

Sure enough, Jeanne in female attire had delivered an intense shock to them.

Despite changing her clothing, Jeanne remained beautiful as always. Hence, she should not be mistaken for someone else. She was simply born with the requisite elements for handsome youths and beautiful maidens.

Surprised by this, the girls would soon come to realize Jeanne's true charm.

—Hmm? Uh... Was that really okay?

I discovered there was a problem in my logic somewhere.

I seemed to have missed something, but this answer was swiftly revealed too.

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! Jeanne-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

The unprecedented yelling echoed in the surroundings, shaking the air.

"Papa!?"

Frightened by the noise, Shion hugged me tightly at the waist.

Engulfed by overwhelming cheering, Jeanne was rooted to the spot in shock.

"Jeanne-sama! You changed into a girl's uniform today!"

"So beautiful! I've fallen in love with you all over again!"

"Umm, may I have a photo with you—"

"No matter which look, Jeanne-sama is always the best!"

Eyes bloodshot with excitement, the girls all pushed towards Jeanne.

"H-How did it turn out like this!?"

Kicking against the dorm wall, Jeanne jumped out, escaping the instant before the tide of girls devoured her.

"—Sorry Zwei, we can't go to school together today either!"

Yelling in despair, Jeanne ran at full speed.

"Jeanne-sama! Please wait for us—!"

Chasing after Jeanne, the girls looked completely the same as usual.

Just as I had told Jeanne last night, she was very attractive regardless which gender she dressed up as. Furthermore, the girls all knew she was female to begin with. Hence, they were not going to be disillusioned even if Jeanne were to wear female clothing. I should have thought of that.

On further thought, back when I was cross-dressing during the school festival, the girls were also inexplicably excited.

"It failed..."

Iris murmured in disappointment.

"...Mama iS gOne."

Very looking forward to today, Shion now looked like she was about to cry.

Looking at Shion, I mustered my resolve.

It was too naive to expect this commotion to end once Jeanne stopped wearing male clothing.

Frankly speaking, I had thought of another solution but I made the call on my own that there was no need to go that far. However—

"Don't worry, Shion. Mama will definitely go to school with you tomorrow."

I stroked her soft hair and declared.

"...rEaLLy?"

"Yes, I promise you."

I nodded firmly and committed myself to ending this commotion tomorrow.

===Part 6===

Roughly twenty-four hours later...

A large crowd of girls were gathered in front of the dorm like yesterday.

"Captain, you really have a solution?"

Hearing the noisy clamor outside the entrance, Jeanne asked uneasily.

Since yesterday's solution had failed miserably, Jeanne had switched back to her male uniform today. However, following Mitsuki and the others' advice, she did not bind her chest. Nevertheless, coming from inside the male uniform, the bulge of her ample bust presented an unusual sense of allure. Still, now was not the time to be faltering.

"Yes, leave it to me."

I promised firmly and walked to the automatic door together with Jeanne.

"Do your best, Mononobe!"

"Take care, Nii-san."

Iris and the girls watched over us from the entrance hall.

"Papa......"

"Don't worry, you'll definitely be able to go to school with Mama today."

I waved to the worried Shion and exited the dorm with Jeanne.

As usual, the cheering started.

However, to suppress the girls' cries of "Jeanne-sama!", I took a step forward and glared at them.

The girls suddenly stopped with hesitation on their faces.

"Oh, umm, Yuu-sama... What's the matter?"

One girl asked nervously.

Rather than fearing me, it looked more like they were unsure what to do. After making eye contact with me, all of them turned red and looked lost.

Like what Lisa had said—getting involved with me, a genuine man, required committed resolve from these girls. That was why they had pounced on Jeanne, a choice that needed neither resolve nor hesitation.

However, I had to put an end to this. Even if it brought resentment from the girls—

"Sorry, but could you stop this kind of excessive pursuit? You're really bothering Jeanne."

"N-No way... We're only—"

The girls complained but I interrupted them and announced in a forceful tone of voice.

"You have objections, right? But I will protect Jeanne from now on. Don't even think of touching even Jeanne's finger while I'm here."

Saying that, I held Jeanne's shoulder and pulled her towards me.

"C-Captain!?"

Turning red, Jeanne was very shaken, but she must endure right now.

I had to demonstrate for certain right here that approaching Jeanne meant getting involved with me. If I did that, most girls would feel afraid and that would reduce their pursuit of Jeanne.

Becoming an obstacle for them, I would be a target of contempt, right...? But it could not be avoided. Compared to my own reputation, Shion's smile was more important.

However, I noticed that the surrounding girls were acting strangely.

I expected them to direct hostility at me, but they were staring at Jeanne and me while blushing.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v11 137.jpg|thumb]]

"...Nice."

The girl directly in front of me suddenly started to murmur with a fervent expression.

Next, the other girls began to whisper with their neighbors with blushing faces.

"Yes, it's wonderful..."

"What is up with this kind of feeling...?"

"Seeing Yuu-sama and Jeanne-sama pressed together, why do I feel my chest tighten—"

"Don't you get it, everyone? This is..."

"Ehhh—No way! But definitely..."

"To be able to see this kind of scene in real life—"

The whispering gradually grew louder as the girls got excited on their own.

"H-Hey...?"

A subtle chill ran along my back. I called out in trepidation.

Next, the girls suddenly stopped. After saying "Excuse us! From now on, we'll watch over you two from afar!", they all took off together.

Left behind, Jeanne and I watched, rooted to the spot, while they departed.

"Captain, did we succeed?"

"I-I guess. But what's with this annoying premonition?"

"Hmm... I feel it too."

Then Firill, who had stayed inside the entrance hall to observe the situation, came over and patted me on the shoulder.

"You have opened a new door for everyone. Mononobe-kun plus cross-dressing Jeanne... This combination is a bit too stimulating."

"W-What door—"

Instead of answering, Firill smiled mysteriously.

"Papa! Mama!"

However, Shion hugged me from behind so I left things at that for now.

With the excited Shion holding our hands, Jeanne and I walked to school together.

Incidentally, my question would be cleared up a week later—When I found out that a self-published work based on Jeanne and me, written in aesthetic style, had leaked out.

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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 2

2016-04-28T02:32:38Z

Belatkuro:

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 11 Chapter 2

2016-04-27T02:37:04Z

Belatkuro: