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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 3 Chapter 1

2020-05-17T07:08:41Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 1 - The Invading Basilisk==

===Part 1===

Somehow, I found myself having trouble breathing. My body was unable to move.

Every breath I took came with a whiff of fragrance.

Although smothered, it did not feel unpleasant at all. With that kind of unbelievable feeling, I opened my eyes slightly.

Then I was so surprised that I even forgot to breathe.

...!?

In front of my eyes was pale skin. Tender as a newborn baby's, skin giving off a fragrant scent—A voluptuous bust was covering my face.

"Mmm... Mononobe..."

Someone was calling my name lightly next to my ear. It seemed like someone was hugging me.

As for that someone—I was 80-90% sure it was Iris.

Without looking at her face, I could instantly tell from her voice.

Iris Freyja was my classmate in Brynhildr Class, a beautiful maiden with sparkling silver hair.

She was also the only person who had given me the taste of a kiss.

But that was like a reward gift—Although Iris and I were good friends, it was not the kind of relationship where we could be locked passionately in an embrace like this in bed.

Hence, my mind was in turmoil. Despite trying to figure out the situation, I could not think properly.

Iris' bodily scent and soft bosom were blanking out my mind.

"Ah... Mononobe... Mmm..."

Hearing Iris' voice next to my ear, my back shuddered.

It felt like someone was using her fingers to comb my hair. Iris was apparently awake.

Then I heard the sound of someone sniffing.

"Mononobe's smell, sure enough... it's so soothing..."

Iris buried her face in my hair, exhaling hot breath.

I shifted my gaze to confirm. Although Iris had her top unbuttoned, she essentially still had her clothes on. She was wearing her school uniform.

My view was dominated by Iris' chest, which prevented me from acquiring more detailed information. But as my brain started to operate after waking up, I recalled that this was a sickroom in the medical building rather than my own room.

I was injured during the battle five days earlier—in other words, "Blue" Hekatonkheir and Kili's attack on Midgard, which was why I was currently under treatment in the medical building.

Although the more heavily injured left shoulder still could not move, the fever arising from my wounds had subsided. Starting today, I could attend classes. Hence, I was scheduled to be discharged today if there were no problems.

"...Mononobe will feel soothed too, right... Hugging you like this... You'll forget your pain and suffering, right...?"

Iris hugged my head tightly, burying the tip of my nose in her cleavage. It felt very soft, warm, and comfortable—even though I was almost about to suffocate.

I heard the beat of Iris' heart. Or was this my own heartbeat?

"Don't worry, Mononobe... You won't have nightmares as long as someone is by your side... Because I didn't have nightmares that time."

Iris was probably talking about the time when "White" Leviathan had targeted her. To help her feel at ease, I had lent my back for her to lean on.

—Maybe I was having a nightmare earlier.

Although I had no recollection of it, that was probably the case. Now that the painkiller's effect had subsided, my left shoulder was hurting. It did not come as a surprise that I would have nightmares in such a state.

I guessed that Iris was doing this to put me at ease. After figuring out the reason, I was no longer panicking but that still did not change the situation.

Or perhaps, now that I had less to think about and occupy my mind, I became even more strongly conscious of Iris' body warmth.

Iris relaxed her embrace slightly, murmuring softly to herself:

"However... For some reason, even though my emotions are clearly calm... my body is getting hot—something seems to be tugging at my heart... even though it didn't happen before... it doesn't feel right somehow... so weird... hmm—"

Iris' exhaled breaths were hot. She moved, causing our bodies, in close contact, to touch and rub against each other, forcing me to hold my breath for several seconds. Had I not done that, I might have succumbed to an indescribable impulse.

"Ah... Mmm... Mononobe..."

Iris moved restlessly, calling my name in a somewhat lamenting manner.

Iris' heart had been beating fast since a while ago. My heart was beating madly too.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I lost self-control. But under such conditions, even if I told her I had already woken up, I had a feeling that it would still bring about something irrevocable.

"Ya... Mmm..."

Iris exhaled hot breath and sandwiched my face between her soft breasts. I understood that there was no time to lose, so I called upon my inexperienced "acting skills."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 021.jpg|thumb]]

"Ooh..."

I deliberately groaned as a hint to Iris that I was about to wake up.

"Hyah!?"

Iris immediately screamed and released my head. Normally speaking, I should have woken up from her cry but I continued to pretend I was still asleep.

"Hmm..."

"M-Mononobe, don't wake up yet! Don't wake up!"

Iris frantically climbed off the bed. As reluctant as I was to leave her body warmth, I did not try to make her stay. Then after counting thirty seconds silently in my mind, I opened my eyes lightly with caution.

"G-Good morning, Mononobe!"

Iris was sitting in a chair next to the bed, smiling stiffly as she greeted me. Her face was still flushed red but I deliberately pretended not to notice and responded:

"Good morning, Iris, why did you come here this early in the morning...?"

Seeing that her unbuttoned top was already fixed up, I secretly felt relieved and asked her that. At the moment, the digital clock on the side of the sickbed read 6am.

"Oh, umm, Mononobe, you're going to class starting today, right? So I wanted to welcome you back!"

"Welcome me back... I'm happy you're doing that but isn't it a bit too early?"

Although Iris' busty embrace had swept all sense of drowsiness from me, I would normally be asleep at this hour.

"Oh, right, actually I was planning to wake you up later. So... I'm sorry. If you're still sleepy, you can continue sleeping, you know?"

Iris spoke apologetically.

"It's okay, I feel particularly energized waking up today so I'm not sleepy. This is probably because—I had a good dream."

"I-I see!"

Iris replied happily, a smile blooming on her face.

It was probably thanks to Iris that I did not remember the contents of my nightmare. Surely, it was Iris' heartbeat and body warmth that had driven away my feelings of suffering.

But since I could not thank her directly while feigning ignorance, my only choice was to tell a little lie and say I had a good dream.

No, in actual fact after waking up, I really did enjoy a wonderful dream.

I could not help but recall Iris' snow-white skin, so I hastily shook my head to drive those thoughts away.

"Mononobe, what's with you? Do you know that your face is very red?"

Despite her own red face, Iris asked me with puzzlement.

I suppressed the urge to retort, avoided eye contact and said "it's nothing."

"Really? Then since you have to get up, Mononobe, why don't I help you change? Your left arm can't move, so it must be inconvenient, right?"

Iris stood up from her seat and brought over the school uniform that was hanging in the closet. My sister Mitsuki had brought this uniform from the dorm for me yesterday.

"Sure, that'd be a great help—"

However, I stopped mid-sentence. I discovered there would be a serious problem if she helped me to change.

"—No wait, forget it! I can get changed on my own!"

Not only had I just woken up, I had also viewed Iris' tender skin up close immediately after waking up. How could I calm down immediately? If I undressed under such conditions, things would be extremely bad.

"Jeez, Mononobe, you're a patient. You're not allowed to act polite towards me. If you move forcefully, your wound might open up."

Iris had a very good point. Unless I told her the real reason, she was probably not going to be dissuaded. But that would only make the mood turn embarrassing. This was foreseeable too.

"T-That's right, but... there might be an examination in the morning, so it's fine to get changed after that..."

Since I could not find an excuse, I tried to stall for time so that I could calm down first.

"Oh, I asked the nurse about that already. She said you just need to make a visit to the infirmary before going to class. Also, I heard that breakfast will be served at the school cafeteria, so let's go together after you're done changing."

Iris smiled with 100% benevolent intentions. Given her carelessness, this was quite well thought out of her, but it mercilessly sealed off my avenues of escape.

"No, but..."

Just as I was breaking out in cold sweat, thinking of excuses, Iris peered at my face as though she figured out something.

"Mononobe, don't tell me... you're shy about getting undressed by me?"

"Urgh..."

Iris was not far from the truth, rendering me speechless. Immediately, she made an expression as though a great idea had occurred to her and chuckled.

"I see, so Mononobe gets shy too! I was so embarrassed when you saw me naked, Mononobe, with this we'll be even."

Perhaps as revenge for that time, Iris gleefully reached towards my clothing.

"H-Hey, wait! Wait first, just a short while!"

"No, don't move recklessly or it'll affect your injuries, okay? Don't move."

Iris climbed onto the bed and pinned me down lightly. Then straddling directly me like that, she began to unbutton my light-green hospital gown.

"H-Hey!?"

"Fufu, it feels like you're a bit cute today, Mononobe, hmm... Weird? What is this...? It feels like something's poking my bum—"

"!?"

Just as the situation turned desperate, the sickroom's door was opened loudly.

"Ah! What are you doing, Iris!?"

The petite little girl with horns on her head entered the room and yelled loudly.

Saying she had horns on her head was not a metaphor for anger. Rather, it was a true description of her appearance. A D named Tia Lightning. Her age would put her in elementary school, but due to various reasons, she had transferred into Brynhildr Class where I studied.

Shaking her beautiful fluttering hair, which looked pink in the light, Tia rushed over to the side of my bed.

"Yuu will become Tia's husband! S-So, not allowed to do dirty things with anyone apart from the wife!"

Tia climbed on the bed and pushed aside Iris, who was straddling me.

"W-We're not doing anything dirty. I just wanted to help Mononobe get changed!"

Iris exchanged glares with Tia across me, but her face was still blushing.

Because she realized what the scene looked like to others, with her straddling and undressing me.

"Then Tia will help Yuu change too! Because taking care of the husband is the wife's job!!"

"You haven't married Monobe, Tia, so you don't have that kind of priority! So first come first served. I tried very hard today to get up early!"

Refusing to back down against the aggressive Tia, Iris retorted and argued.

I could almost see sparks flying between them. No, there really could be sparks because Tia had a bad habit. Whenever she got emotional, she would subconsciously generate dark matter, converting it into electrical currents.

"......"

Without interjecting thoughtlessly, I quietly watched them argue.

Normally, I would have intervened to stop them, but right now, what I needed most was time.

After roughly ten minutes, Iris and Tia finally reached an agreement. They would cooperate and take turns to assist me in changing.

During those ten minutes, I finally managed to settle down.

===Part 2===

Twenty-five years ago, the first dragon—"Black" Vritra—made its appearance in the sky above Japan.

Ever since, children possessing the same power as Vritra—the Ds with the ability to generate dark matter—were born among humans. The tropical island where they were gathered was Midgard here.

When Midgard was first established, it leaned heavily towards a detention facility in purpose, but now, it had become a self-governed organization with massive influence over the world.

There was extremely high economic value in the ability to transmute dark matter into any substance. Hence, Ds contributed to society by using their powers to undertake jobs to produce rare resources.

However, Midgard also had an undisclosed function. Namely, to intercept and defeat dragons that were attacking in search of ''mates''.

Targeted Ds would turn into the same type of dragon when they came into contact with the dragon targeting them. Currently a target, Tia Lightning was sitting on my lap.

The red dragon—"Red" Basilisk—had chosen Tia and was apparently crossing the African continent right now in pursuit of her. However, there was an ocean between Midgard and the continent, hence, it was still unknown whether Basilisk would cross the ocean, seeing as its body structure was not suited to swimming.

"Here, say ah—"

Sitting sideways on my lap—more precisely, on my thigh—Tia was bringing a sandwich towards me with an innocent and pure smile on her face.

She looked completely carefree but until five days ago, she had been insisting she was a dragon, thus raising a huge wall between herself and the other Ds.

But in response to her classmates' gentle treatment, Tia had by her own will rejected Kili, the leader of the dragon worshiping cult the Sons of Muspell, thus choosing to live with us as a human. That was why she was staying here now.

Initially, Tia had refused to leave my side but because I was hospitalized, she was currently living with her classmate Lisa in the student dormitories.

"Yuu, hurry up."

Asking me to indulge her, Tia urged me to open my mouth. Although she was now getting along well with others, she still did not change her tendency to make me dote on her. Although I had suggested to her that I hope she would not sit on my lap anymore, Tia insisted that she could hold herself back during class but I had to obey her now.

"...Can't be helped."

I gave up resisting and obediently bit the sandwich.

We were currently in the cafeteria on the ground floor of the catering building. Of course, there were other people watching and this sort of behavior was very embarrassing, but if I declined, Tia and Iris might start arguing again.

In the sickroom earlier, Tia and Iris had reached a consensus to take turns helping me change. But they continued to "care" for me even while we were traveling to the cafeteria.

"Mononobe, it's my turn next."

Sitting on my right, Iris leaned closer and presented me with a sandwich. As a side note, Tia was feeding me an egg sandwich while Iris was holding a tuna sandwich.

My right hand could move normally so it made me feel bad that I even needed help to eat meals. Nevertheless, when I voiced my view, Iris' answer was "this has nothing to do with that."

"...Thanks."

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I bit Iris' sandwich as well.

"Ehehe!"

Iris' face relaxed and she made a happy expression. Feeling unable to look her in the eye, I chewed the sandwich while my gaze kept wandering.

"Hurry hurry, eat Tia's too."

Seeing this, Tia impatiently extended her sandwich again.

Under their urging, I ate their sandwiches in alternate bites. However, eating sandwiches alone made me start to feel thirsty.

But because the sandwiches were delivered to my mouth without pause, I could not find the chance to speak for a long time.

"—Tia-san, Iris-san, this cannot be called care, you know?"

Immediately, a voice was heard with sighing tones.

I turned my head to look at the source, instantly making eye contact with a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Gulp... Good morning, Lisa."

I hastily swallowed the sandwich in my mouth and greeted my classmate, Lisa Highwalker. Lisa tossed her long blonde hair and answered me with a scowl.

"Good morning. How exalted your position must be, to have two girls serving you so early in the morning."

Hearing Lisa's sarcastic tone, I frantically explained myself.

"No, I didn't ask them to serve me. They're trying to help me in my injured state—"

"Oh, is that so? But do you truly need the assistance?"

"Well..."

If it was just eating, I could manage without their help, so I fell speechless.

"Letting others help unnecessarily is tantamount to asking them to serve you. Also, Tia-san and Iris-san—The two of you have erred to an absurd extent."

"Kyah!?"

"...Lisa so scary."

Hearing Lisa's harsh tone of voice, Iris and Tia shrank their shoulders in fright.

"Did you know that excessive care may sometimes burden the receiver? You two should try to think from his perspective and only assist him on necessary tasks."

After saying that, Lisa took a cup of water that was on the table and presented it to me.

"...You are thirsty, am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks."

I thanked her and took the cup with my left hand, then drank the entire cup.

"Mononobe Yuu, you must decide for yourself the occasion when you need to ask for help. If it is something truly necessary, I will assist you with my full power too."

Despite turning her head away fiercely, Lisa made me that kind of offer.

Stunned, Iris and Tia stared at Lisa.

"Lisa-chan is so cool..."

Iris murmured with eyes of worship.

"Lisa is amazing..."

Tia offered her a gaze of respect.

"I-I simply said something that was a matter of fact."

Seeing Lisa explain modestly in embarrassment, I also praised her.

"Lisa really is a good woman indeed."

On further thought, it was quite unnatural for Lisa to appear on campus early in the morning. Perhaps she had come to school this early for the sake of helping me resume school life.

"Y-You are saying that again! Is making me the brunt of your jokes that amusing!?"

Instantly gone red in the face, Lisa glared at me viciously.

"No, I'm not joking about you. It's just that I couldn't think of any other way of putting it."

"Then my wish is that you could study seriously and learn more vocabulary."

Arms crossed, Lisa replied unhappily but her cheeks remained red.

Seeing that kind of reaction from her, I could not help but smile. This time, I really wanted to play a joke on her.

But just as I was about to tease her, there was suddenly a quiet commotion coming from the lounge where the vending machine was located. Noticing unusual vibes in the voices, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Did something happen?"

Intrigued, Iris asked quietly.

There were staff having breakfast in the cafeteria like us and they also looked towards the lounge, unsure what had happened. Things like "hey, come over here" and "what's going on..." could be heard from the lounge.

"Yuu... Tia has a bad feeling about this."

Tia clutched my uniform tightly with a worried look.

Only then did I remember that apart from the vending machine, there was also a satellite television in the lounge as well.

"Let us head over to verify what happened."

Saying that, Lisa urged us to move.

Hence, The four of us went to the lounge and saw many staff with their eyes fixated on the television. Shown on the screen was the overhead view of a coast somewhere.

"What..."

Seeing that screen, I was instantly speechless.

One type of news had absolutely first priority no matter which country in the world.

Namely, news regarding dragons that moved around on whim without regard for national borders, the disasters they caused, as well as disaster predictions.

Currently airing were images from news linked to a dragon disaster.

But this was a type of dragon disaster I had never seen before.

The sea had a patch of it dyed pure white. Judging from the map on the right of the screen, the scene was near the equator on the African continent, a place where the ocean could not possibly freeze.

In fact, whether the words on the screen or what the newscaster reported, neither indicated that the ocean was exhibiting a freezing phenomenon.

What the news reported was—

Moving across the African continent, after reaching the coast, Basilisk had turned the surrounding seawater into salt completely.

===Part 3===

"I believe many of you have already learned through the media that Basilisk has finally begun to cross the sea."

Standing on the podium, announcing gravely was my little sister, who was simultaneously the student council president of Midgard ''Academy''—Mononobe Mitsuki. Despite her short stature, one did not get any impression of unreliability from her. A sense of solemnity could be felt from her tense expression.

"Believed to be unable to swim on grounds of its bodily structure, Basilisk is turning seawater into salt. Rather than taking the land route of the Eurasian continent, it is advancing towards Midgard along the shortest distance. Roughly one month from now, it will have crossed the Indian Ocean, passing the Indonesian archipelago to reach us."

A slight clamor arose between the students after listening to Mitsuki.

The first day I returned to school, the timetable was suddenly changed to hold an impromptu full-school assembly. Mitsuki was originally visiting me frequently at the sickroom, but today was the only day when she did not appear, probably because of the Basilisk incident. Also, the assembly was taking place in the sports ground instead of the usual gym.

When the clock tower was destroyed by Hekatonkheir the other day, its debris had apparently struck the gym's roof directly. Hence, the gym was currently barred from usage. Looking around me, I could see the lower half of the slanted, collapsed, and bifurcated clock tower.

"However, this development is within our expectations. Midgard and NIFL have independently planned operations capable of dealing lethal damage to Basilisk and made preparations. We have sufficient chances of victory."

Perhaps to encourage everyone, Mitsuki declared firmly, causing many students to nod in response with determined expressions. Since recent lessons involved training under the assumption of fighting Basilisk, everyone had a certain level of confidence and preparedness. There was no gloomy mood like for Leviathan's attack.

"Detailed plans will be explained to members selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Please prepare yourselves, everyone."

After announcing the necessary facts concisely, Mitsuki descended from the podium.

Although noon had not arrived yet, the sun was already shining intensely. Perhaps Mitsuki had judged that a long speech in tropical Midgard would be a bad idea.

After a teacher went on the podium to make a few announcements, the full-school assembly was dismissed.

"After hearing Mitsuki-chan's speech, it really feels like there won't be a problem."

Walking side by side with me, Iris spoke.

"Mitsuki so cool, as expected of Yuu's little sister."

On my other side, Tia also praised Mitsuki.

"...Yeah."

Although I concurred with them, I was feeling uneasy inside.

I felt the same thing when Leviathan invaded. When fighting dragons, Mitsuki's mindset was likewise troubling.

Just now, although she had urged everyone to prepare themselves mentally, in Mitsuki's case, it seemed like she had prepared too much. In other words, I felt that she seemed to be leaving no margin to spare mentally.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend in the past. She had also said that she was continuing to battle in order to atone for that crime.

Hence, I had also vowed to put everything on the line to terminate her battle.

Even if Mitsuki did not want me to help, I had no intention of going against my vow.

—If Mitsuki does anything reckless, I must stop her.

I was thinking over these matters while returning to our classroom—Brynhildr Class. In the 3x3 arrangement of seats, I was sitting in the back row in the center, flanked by Iris and Mitsuki.

Earlier, Tia had kept treating my lap as her seat but now, she was sitting in the seat in front of me. Turning her head back, her gaze seemed to be asking me, "Is Tia obedient?"

"Very obedient."

I caressed her head. Tia showed a contented smile and turned to face the front.

Sitting on her two sides were the red-haired prodigy, Ren Miyazawa, and the tomboy, Ariella Lu. Tia naturally began to chat with them. Watching this from behind, I knew she had no more problems. I could finally relax. Tia was already getting along as a member of Brynhildr Class.

Seated in the front row were Lisa and the bibliophile who was always reading, Firill Crest. The seat between them was empty. Before I transferred in, the entire middle column was unused, but now, that seat was the only ''opening'' left in the Brynhildr Class.

At this moment, the door opened. Homeroom teacher Shinomiya-sensei and Mitsuki entered together.

Seeing the one empty seat that was now emphasized, what would Mitsuki think? I was quite curious about this.

Student No. 4, Shinomiya Miyako, was Shinomiya-sensei's little sister and also Mitsuki's best friend.

Were she still alive, all the seats in the classroom would be filled.

"—Please be quiet, everyone. Homeroom time still has not ended, so please listen to a few words from me."

Mitsuki stood at the lectern and swept her gaze across us while she spoke. Everyone stopped chatting and directed their gaze at Mitsuki.

On the other hand, Shinomiya-sensei was sitting in the chair next to the lectern, using the register book in her hand to fan herself.

"The members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad for this operation will be centered on our Brynhildr Class. Most likely, every member of the class will be selected. Hence, I will first tell you about the operation's key points."

Almost everyone...? In other words, everyone apart from Tia who was being targeted by Basilisk?

I found it a bit strange but did not interrupt, deciding to listen to Mitsuki first.

"Basilisk fires red beams from its eyes, using the light to turn the target of its ''gaze'' into stone, dust, or salt. The range approaches five kilometers, which is why we cannot fight it directly but must find cover to block its line of sight. However, there are objects for cover on the sea. Consequently, Midgard has decided that the most effective tactic is to lure Basilisk to a desert island in neighboring waters, then blow Basilisk to smithereens together with the island."

Hearing that, Ariella raised her hand to ask a question.

"You mentioned luring Basilisk, but how?"

"Tia-san will be transported to that island temporarily. Because Basilisk's target is Tia-san, it will surely head towards the island. Naturally, before Basilisk arrives, we will let Tia-san retreat."

"Oh, that sounds like it'll work."

Putting down her hand, Ariella seemed to accept the answer. It felt like she had expected this answer more or less.

Then Firill raised her hand and asked Mitsuki:

"...What are the chances that the island will be flattened by Basilisk as soon as it enters visual range?"

"According to data collected so far, even when Basilisk turns vegetation impeding its advance into dust, the landscape remains unaltered. Or rather, even after getting exposed to the red beams, the land does not show significant changes."

"...Now that is quite unbelievable. So Basilisk's red beam is not purely a high firepower attack?"

After listening to Firill, Mitsuki nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. Although there have been various theories regarding Basilisk's ability, abundant data has been obtained from the current incident. Hence, we are currently drawing deductions to narrow down the overall direction. Before the operation is put into action, it should be possible to put forward a more accurate theory."

Basilisk's ability was not fully analyzed yet, it seemed. For one thing, it had stayed in the desert for the past twenty years or so since it appeared, hence a lack of data was very normal.

Prior to this, Basilisk was a dragon that caused no problems unless one approached it. Of course, the country where Basilisk made its residence had things tough, but nothing happened as long as one kept their distance. But precisely because nothing happened, no data was gathered about the dragon, and now, that was the price paid.

All the anti-Basilisk training conducted so far was probably based on the assumption that Basilisk would not leave the desert.

I had to take a test where I had to attack and pierce diamond from a distance of a hundred meters. But now, it was obvious that getting that close to Basilisk was impossible no matter what. The drills on close-range combat probably assumed the battlefield would be the desert with things like sand dunes for cover.

"—Anyone have other questions?"

Mitsuki swept her gaze across us and asked.

Since no one else seemed to have one, I decided to pose the question that had bothered me from the start.

"I do."

I raised my right arm. Mitsuki turned her gaze at me.

"Go ahead, Nii-san."

"Just now, Mitsuki, you mentioned that almost every member of Brynhildr Class will be selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad, which means someone will be excluded?"

At first, I thought Tia would stay behind but according to Mitsuki, she was the center of the operation and absolutely indispensable. This meant that there was someone else who would be excluded.

"Well, although it has not been confirmed yet... I intend to have you stay behind, Nii-san."

"What... Me? Why?"

I asked in surprise.

"Obvious, is it not? Because you are a patient."

"No, wait a sec, there's almost a month until the battle against Basilisk, right? Before that, my wounds would have healed. Taking part in the operation shouldn't be a problem."

I hastily objected but Mitsuki sighed with an exasperated look on her face.

"What would be the point of straining yourself to take part? What this operation requires is high offensive power. Although you possess anti-dragon weapons, Nii-san, you also mentioned before that they cannot be used from unstable positions such as ships or in the air, right?"

"That's... true, yeah."

Countered so completely, I began to stammer.

The anti-dragon weapons I created by borrowing other people's dark matter were only parts from the lost weapon known as Marduk. Hence, there were many incomplete functions. If standing somewhere unstable, I had no confidence I could aim accurately. In addition, I had no idea whether my foothold would be able to withstand the recoil.

"When destroying Basilisk together with the island, of course the attacks will be launched from a ship. Hence, there is no need for you, Nii-san. Furthermore, Lisa-san is enough as the candidate to look after Tia-san."

"Hmm..."

Mitsuki's argument was perfectly logical, but I could not bring myself to agree candidly. If she were to do anything reckless, I needed to be at her side to stop her.

I racked my brain, trying to think of an excuse to use.

Was there no place for me to contribute to the operation? If I could suggest something impossible to replace, something that only I could do—

It suddenly occurred to me. Apart from constructing lost weapons, there was currently one other thing only I could achieve.

"—No, Mitsuki, I believe there is value in bringing me along."

"Eh...?"

"You saw it, right? I created antigravitational matter during the battle against Hekatonkheir. In an emergency, this power might prove to be a useful trump card."

I did not know why I suddenly gained the ability to create antigravitational matter. Before "Green" Yggdrasil urged me to, I never even considered whether it was possible for me to do that kind of thing.

Although this type of uniqueness of unknown origin felt eerie, I was exploiting this fact on purpose right now.

"So, Mitsuki, let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad. When there's a need to adjust battle plans, it's better to have an extra option, right?"

Despite my arguments, Mitsuki still frowned and made a stern expression.

"I understand what you are trying to say, Nii-san, but unknown powers cannot count as an option. Currently, information regarding that ostensibly antigravitational matter is too lacking. And that is still because... Nii-san, you refuse to disclose."

Mitsuki's tone sounded sulking when she added the final sentence.

"It's not because I don't want to say anything, but I don't know anything about it."

"In that case, such a power cannot be relied on."

Mitsuki spoke in a strong tone of voice. She seemed to be getting stubborn, but Shinomiya-sensei intervened.

"Calm down, Mononobe Mitsuki. If information is lacking, how about gathering information as a next step? Besides, we intended to have him examined once he recovers."

"Examined?"

Hearing my doubtful tone, Shinomiya-sensei turned her head to face me.

"Yes, Mononobe Yuu. The higher-ups are very interested in how you successfully created antigravitational matter, hence they would like you to let us investigate and analyze that new substance."

After slightly thinking over what Shinomiya-sensei said, I asked her:

"If the outcome of the examination discovers that antigravitational matter is useful... Will you let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad?"

"We want to raise chances of success too, so even if it's 1%, as long as it seems useful, we will naturally allow you to join."

Hearing this, Mitsuki yelled at Shinomiya-sensei in a rare display.

"Shinomiya-sensei!"

"This is a logical decision. You will be the one suffering in regret if the operation fails because you refuse the best options on account of personal feelings."

Shinomiya-sensei persuaded Mitsuki in a calm tone of voice.

"......I understand."

After several seconds of silence, Mitsuki reluctantly nodded. Then she glared at me silently. But rather than angry, her expression seemed more like she was fearing something.

===Part 4===

The examination occurred that day after school, in a special training site underground.

Unlike the one normally used for special ability practicals, there were all sorts of devices on the walls, resembling measuring instruments. There was a large glass window near the ceiling with women in lab coats walking around on the other side. That was probably the monitoring room where they analyzed all sorts of data.

Shinomiya-sensei, Mitsuki, and I were the only ones in the training site. None of the other classmates were present. Apparently, since all data gathered from this point onwards would be top secret, ordinary students were barred from entering.

To be honest, I had no confidence whether I could create antigravitational matter again. After all, I did not even know how to transmute it from dark matter. Neither could I simulate it in my mind.

Nevertheless, my worries proved to be unnecessary.

Because my dark matter would automatically metamorphosize as soon as I wanted to create antigravitational matter.

Thus, antigravitational matter would appear in my hand effortlessly.

My attempts had already reached double digits but I still had not failed even once.

"...Very well, Mononobe Yuu, start again from the beginning."

"Yes."

I followed Shinomiya-sensei's orders and generated dark matter in my right hand.

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Then maintaining its nature as dark matter, I simply altered its form into a large-caliber ornamental gun.

After many attempts, I found out something. Namely, compared to direction conversion from dark matter, it was easier to control minute transmutations through a fictional armament.

I looked ahead to see small red bricks, roughly 10 cm in size, scattered across the training site's white floor. This was to make the effects of antigravitational matter more visually distinct.

I aimed at the floor thirty or forty meters away and said quietly:

"Antigravity."

This was the name of Leviathan's ability. This was a suitable name for picturing the substance to be created.

I transmitted the image and pulled the trigger.

A bullet of dark matter shot out, turning into antigravitational matter at the spot where I had aimed. While white light shone, the surrounding red bricks floated up as though they were in water.

Although the wave of floating bricks flowed over here, they stopped just as they were about to reach my feet.

The white glow lasted for roughly ten seconds before vanishing. Then the floating bricks also fell to the floor again.

"Hmm... One shot's worth is enough to neutralize gravity within a radius of roughly thirty meters. The duration is approximately ten seconds. Considering that a full-powered shot can take effect in a radius of a hundred meters for thirty seconds, this figure could be considered reasonable."

Standing in the back, Shinomiya-sensei offered her opinion.

"For the second shot, try converting to antigravitational matter with a higher density."

"Yes."

I nodded. Aiming for the same spot as the first shot, I fired the bullet.

Immediately, white light brighter than before was shot out. The surrounding bricks flew away in a radial pattern.

"...By increasing the density, it will apparently produce a strong repulsive field. But both the range and duration of effect are less than one tenth of earlier."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice was heard from behind.

Siegfried could fire three bullets of dark matter at most. For the final shot, I created relatively low-density antigravitational matter. As expected, the range and duration increased, but the only effect was weight reduction to some extent.

Thus, after I tested all the possible modes I could think of, the examination finally ended.

"I'm at my limit..."

Transmuting dark matter strained the mind and tired the body.

Having created antigravitational matter persistently, I leaned against the wall in exhaustion and sat on the ground.

"Good work, Mononobe Yuu, thank you for your cooperation."

Shinomiya-sensei praised me during my state of fatigue. Her gaze fell upon the screen of a portal terminal.

"...So what's the conclusion about the Dragon Subjugation Squad thing?"

I asked her while catching my breath.

"There's no need to make a hasty conclusion. Data analysis is not complete yet. But personally, I think there is no liability in taking you along because the repulsive field can serve as a defense measure that does not depend on physical barriers."

Replying that to me, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the monitoring room.

Left behind, I looked timidly at Mitsuki standing next to me. Whether during the examination or after I came over to her side, she had remained silent. It made me a bit afraid.

"...How lovely, Nii-san."

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she finally spoke. But whether her tone of voice or expression, both gave off an air of displeasure.

"Are you that against my participation in the operation?"

"If it's only as a precautionary measure for emergencies... I have no wish of bringing you in your injured state to a dangerous location just for the sake of such an ambiguous reason."

"I'm very glad you're worried about me, but I have to go no matter what. Personal feelings aside, there shouldn't be any drawback to have additional backup personnel."

I asserted but after hearing me say that, Mitsuki shook her head gravely.

"No, there is a drawback. Suppose the operation were to fail and develop into the worst-case scenario—There will be one more person dead. This situation is different from the time with Leviathan."

"...Compared to Leviathan, isn't Basilisk easier to defeat?"

Mitsuki's words filled me with doubt, so I asked.

Back when Leviathan was invading, Mitsuki mentioned that Leviathan was considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they were to handle. Then that meant Basilisk should be easier to handle than Leviathan, right?

"Indeed, Leviathan was a dragon that was extremely difficult to attack... Even to the point of impossibility. Compared to that, in terms of being able to devise an attack plan, Basilisk is much easier than Leviathan. But on the matter of risk during battle, the two cannot be compared."

"...Risk?"

I repeated like a parrot. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes, Basilisk's red beams fly towards the target at light speed, which of course means it is impossible to evade after seeing it. Since a direct confrontation is equivalent to suicide, the risk is much higher when standing on the frontline, which is why I did not wish to take you along, seeing as you are irrelevant to the details of the operation..."

Mitsuki answered unhappily. Then lowering her head, she continued:

"If this operation fails, as long as you stay in Midgard, perhaps a new battle plan could be devised using antigravitational matter, so as to make a comeback. But if you came along with us, Nii-san, it would be a totally meaningless sacrifice if you got killed without doing anything."

"But it's possible that everyone gets saved because I'm there."

"True, but..."

Despite acknowledging my point, Mitsuki sounded quite disapproving in tone. Nevertheless, she did not argue further. She probably thought that a dispute about possibilities would lead nowhere.

—But that being said, I never knew that the operation this time was so dangerous.

Now I could understand why Mitsuki was so overly tense. Because her judgment could decide other people's survival, no wonder she was putting so much pressure on herself.

Precisely because of that... I must stay by her side after all.

But even if this topic continued, clearly it would only make the mood worse. Hence, I tried to find a different topic of conversation. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Mitsuki secretly glanced at me sideways to see my reaction.

For siblings, this unnatural silence persisted quite a while on this rare occasion.

The awkward atmosphere was making me anxious, so I said half-heartedly:

"M-Mitsuki, why did I gain the ability to make antigravitational matter?"

"W-Who knows? If you do not know, Nii-san, I cannot possibly know either. However... Although I was quite surprised initially, it is possible that your situation might be the same as mine back then."

"Your situation back then?"

Not understanding what she meant, I asked.

Then another voice entered our conversation.

"—Meaning that you are not the first person to emulate a dragon's ability."

I took a closer look and discovered that the principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart, were also present.

The principal walked over, her long blonde hair fluttering lightly, and stopped next to my collapsed state. Still the same as always, she looked like a teenaged girl. She would definitely be mistaken for a student if she were to wear the uniform. But she was undoubtedly Midgard's chief administrator.

Mica-san was dressed as a maid as usual while the principal had a lab coat over casual clothing.

"...Principal, were you watching while I was being examined?"

The principal nodded at my question.

"Yeah, in the monitoring room. Say, how much longer are you going to lie there? Do you really want to see my underwear that much?"

"Eh? N-No, sorry..."

I frantically stood up. Although the principal's lab coat had a long hem, the skirt underneath was especially short. From my position, her underwear was almost visible.

"I apologize for my brother's indiscretion."

Mitsuki glared at me coldly before bowing her head to apologize to the principal.

"It's fine, don't let it bother you. Because I can understand the feelings of finding girls' underwear attractive."

"...Huh?"

Seeing Mitsuki's shocked expression, the principal deliberately.

"Cough, nothing much, I accidentally spoke from the heart, that's all."

"...Principal, no second chances."

Mica-san's smile felt extraordinarily scary. Cold sweat appeared on the principal's forehead as she turned her gaze to me.

"B-Back to the main topic. Judging from the situation just now, you evidently have no idea what was the impetus that allowed Ds to create mithril or antimatter, right?"

"Impetus... Huh? I definitely never heard about it."

I only knew that these two substances were considered ultimate offense and defense.

"Speaking of which, neither mithril nor antimatter could be created by anyone in the beginning. But after the battle against the dragon capable of manipulating those two substances—'Purple' Kraken—someone capable of emulating the antimatter projectile appeared about the Ds."

"Isn't that..."

I looked at Mitsuki.

"Indeed, it was your sister. And after the Kraken was vanquished, Ds capable of transmuting mithril successfully appeared one after another."

"Is that true, Mitsuki?"

I asked Mitsuki for confirmation. Perhaps because the subject brought up the Kraken battle, Mitsuki's expression was a bit dark.

"Yes, it is true. Without conscious intent, I successfully emulated the Kraken's antimatter projectile."

Mitsuki answered but it seemed like she could offer no further explanation to that.

I finally understood what she meant by "the same." The situation was the same for Mitsuki and me, who suddenly became able to create antigravitational matter.

Seeing me taken back by surprise, the principal continued to explain.

"In other words, the reason why you are able to create antigravitational matter, the key trigger could very well be the battle against Leviathan, or related to its defeat. But why this happens, the most fundamental reason still eludes understanding, that's all."

The principal smiled wryly and made a slight shrug.

"Uh, but that's the key..."

"Don't put it that way. Just knowing that there's precedent should be enough to reassure you, right? Now, you'll neither feel arrogant for being special nor need to fear that you're heretical."

"Well, that's true."

After nodding to concur, I suddenly thought—

Did the principal come here for the purpose of encouraging me?

"Although you had to undergo careful examination, with this, you won't need to be treated as a lab rat from now on. But just like your sister, you might need to shoulder a little more responsibility."

The principal's blue eyes stared at me while she smiled suggestively.

"I'm actually getting what I want if this allows me to help Mitsuki or friends in need."

"...An excellent mindset. Then do your best."

Nodding with satisfaction, the principal turned around.

"Let's get going, Mica."

"Yes."

The two of them started making their way to the elevator, but along the way, the principal looked back.

"Ahhh, I just remembered. By the way, all Ds could be considered humans who had stolen Vritra's ability. Fufu, if you look at it from those dragons' perspective, humans are actually the robbers who are stealing their special rights successively, striking fear into their hearts."

The principal smiled happily.

"So there's no need for you to hold back. If Basilisk has any ability to steal, go ahead and steal it. Because you are the dragons' hunters, not their prey."

After encouraging us in this manner, the principal departed with Mica-san for real. Her powerful presence did not match her petite stature. Ultimately, the title of Midgard's chief administrator was not just for show.

"...Who is she actually? Mitsuki, do you know anything about her?"

Watching the principal's back, I asked Mitsuki.

"No, I have no idea either, but I have heard rumors... It was all thanks to her that Midgard was able to gain independence to become an autonomous educational institute, thus rapidly expanding its influence over the world."

"The mystery deepens... And her age is unknown."

"This is only hearsay, but reportedly, she has been on this island ever since the inception of Midgard..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I could not help but show a stiff expression.

"Y-You're kidding, right? Because wouldn't that make her—"

I almost blurted out the age I guessed but hastily swallowed my words.

Because I felt an inexplicable chill run along my spine, similar to when I sensed life-threatening danger on the battlefield. Clearly, the principal could not hear our conversation, but my instincts rejected such a notion.

"...No, we'd better not pry unnecessarily."

In the end, for the sake of self-preservation, I deliberately said those words.

===Part 5===

Two days after I was examined, the participants in the operation were officially announced.

A total of twenty, of which eight were students from Brynhildr Class. Luckily, my name was included.

Considering the scale of the operation, this headcount was smaller than I had imagined. This was probably the result of trying to minimize risk to prevent the worst-case scenario.

On the day it was announced, we were briefed officially and informed of the planned itinerary.

To lure Basilisk, Brynhildr Class was apparently heading first to the uninhabited island.

Then the next day, after rushed preparations, we were already on the ship.

"Mononobe, look, Midgard became so small!"

Pointing at the island in the distance, Iris spoke excitedly.

"...Viewing that island from outside, the feeling is quite strange."

I could not help but feel poignantly how small our world was as Ds.

The sky and the sea stretched limitlessly. The tiny island floating alone between the sky and the sea was Midgard where we had been staying just earlier.

The students of Brynhildr Class boarded the ship today and set sail for the uninhabited island where Basilisk was to be lured. This ship was a transport ship that Midgard used to move supplies and did not have any weaponry.

A request to NIFL could probably get them to lend us a much faster battleship, but that would give them an excuse to interfere in our operation. As the commander of this operation, Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite wary of NIFL's interference.

Due to NIFL sending a team to infiltrate Midgard during Leviathan's invasion, a vast gulf had apparently arisen between the two sides. Although I felt uneasy about how the two sides could not cooperate, at least it was better than them trying to get in each other's way.

—I hoped this would not develop into a conflict between humans.

While staring out blankly towards Midgard as it gradually disappeared over the horizon, I thought to myself. Compared to dragons, I was more adept at fighting humans, but I did not like to do that.

"Oh, Mononobe! Isn't that a dolphin?"

Rocking my shoulder, Iris pointed diagonally behind the ship. There was a school of dolphins swimming as though they were chasing the ship. Slicing through the water surface with their dorsal fins, they sometimes jumped skillfully using their speed, tracing out beautiful curves.

But compared to dolphins, the side view of Iris' elated face attracted my eyes more.

"...Is there something stuck to my face?"

Noticing my gaze, Iris cocked her head and asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, no—I was just thinking you seem quite happy."

"Yes, I'm very happy! It feels like all of us are going on a trip together, I'm so excited!"

Iris replied, smiling happily as though she believed that from the bottom of her heart.

But... I knew, I had heard Iris say so herself in the past.

Iris had apparently encountered a dragon disaster while on a ship journey with her family. Due to Leviathan passing by, the passenger ship was sunk, killing Iris' family.

"...You aren't forcing yourself, are you?"

Because of that, I was quite concerned and asked her.

"Forcing? Oh—Mononobe, don't tell me you're worried about me because we're traveling on a ship?"

"Well... I am, a bit."

I scratched my cheek and nodded to admit it but Iris beamed happily.

"Thank you, Mononobe. But it doesn't bother me at all, because in the end, a lot of happy things happened on the family trip... Those are very precious memories to me... That's why, even though the ending is so sad, it didn't make me hate ship journeys."

I was stunned to hear her talking so matter-of-factly.

Normally speaking, it would not be surprising to develop mental trauma towards ship travel because of this, but Iris called it her precious memories very calmly.

"You're always full of surprises, Iris."

I smiled wryly and said to her. Iris had a careless personality, often made mistakes and used to lament how weak she was, but I considered her true character to have far more inner strength than me.

"Hmmhmm, because I'm not a girl who can be judged by common sense."

Iris proudly puffed out her chest.

"Yeah, like making everything explode no matter what you're transmuting. That's really far too mysterious."

"W-What's wrong with that!? Even if it's still a mystery, at least we've found a way to make use of it, that's why I'm able to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad like this!"

"Yeah, but—One day eventually, I will unravel that mystery, because I'd like to know you better, Iris."

Only after saying this without thinking did I realize in alarm that it almost sounded like I was courting her.

Despite showing a surprised look initially, Iris' face gradually grew red.

"U-Umm, m-me too..."

As though trying to muster courage, Iris stared into my eyes.

Her cherry lips kept trembling while she continued in a hoarse voice:

"...If it's you, Mononobe, umm... I want you to know me better too."

Towards the end, her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"What—"

This unexpected development halted my thoughts. I did not know how to continue.

Seeing my entire body freeze Iris tilted her head somewhat uneasily.

"Mononobe...? Don't tell me you didn't hear... me?"

"N-No, I heard you..."

Hearing me answer, Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, uh... Can I tell you now?"

Iris asked me softly in a stammer.

"T-Tell me what...?"

"Basically... Many things. As long as it's something you want to know, Mononobe, anything at all."

Very shyly, Iris answered while fidgeting.

"By saying it could be anything at all, you're actually making it harder for me..."

I scratched my head and replied. Iris looked up at me and asked hesitantly:

"If you can't think of something on the spot, then... Wanna visit my cabin? This isn't a place to talk secrets anyway..."

Making such a suggestion with blushing cheeks, Iris looked incredibly attractive, forcing me to gulp.

"Well, Iris, if you're okay with it—"

Dizzy from the mood, I was almost about to agree when I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I hastily stopped talking.

"Yuu! Tia took a tour of the deck and came back!"

I took a closer look to see Tia running here, out of breath. She had been very excited ever since she boarded the transport ship, running all over the place the whole time.

Although she should have been transported by ship when she first came to Midgard, she most likely did not have the freedom to tour around at the time.

"Yuu, let's explore the inside of the ship next?"

"Hold on, Tia. Iris and I are currently—"

With Tia pulling my right hand, I asked Iris "What now?" with a gaze.

"Oh, it's okay, go explore with Tia. The thing with me... Umm, it doesn't have to be right now."

Iris shyly saw me and Tia off. What she meant by that was asking me to come find her at her cabin later. Since inappropriate interaction between the genders was prohibited, I was definitely not going to do anything bad, but even so, I still felt my heart rate rising.

"Yuu, let's go this way to have a look!"

Tia held my right hand tightly and walked rapidly. The deck of the transport ship was very spacious. Several cranes were installed for moving shipping containers.

There was a female member of the crew operating the cranes nearby. Most likely just like the staff at Midgard, the crew of this ship were also all female.

Entering the ship and advancing along the corridor, we came to a spacious lounge. This seemed to be a leisure space for the crew. There were vending machines along the wall along with a self-serve cafeteria, although it was currently closed.

In a corner of the lounge, I saw classmates sprawled on a table.

They were Firill and Ren.

Firill had a paperback in one hand while her entire body was limp. On the other hand, Ren had a hand on her laptop while her body kept trembling.

"W-What's with you two!?"

Surprised, Tia ran towards them.

Firill's body shook then she turned her pallid face towards us.

"...I feel terrible."

Then she described her condition while in suffering.

"...Mm."

Ren also looked up unsteadily, nodding once to concur, then sprawled on the table again.

"Yuu, oh no! They're both sick!"

Tia frantically tugged my sleeve, so I worriedly inquired of them.

"Hey, what the heck's going on? You two were fine earlier when you boarded the ship, weren't you?"

Firill and Ren turned their pale faces towards me.

"I was reading a book when the world started spinning before my eyes..."

"Mm..."

Firill pointed at the paperback in her hand while Ren pointed at her laptop. With that, I figured out the situation. To put Tia at ease, I placed my hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Tia. They're just seasick."

"Seasick?"

"Yeah, because it's different on a ship. Unlike land, it's always in a rocking state. Some people feel unwell because of that."

After explaining to Tia, I looked at Firill and Ren in exasperation.

"—Say, this is also because you two started reading a book and using the computer despite being unused to ships, you know?"

It was easy to get seasick when doing those things to begin with. That was really obvious, so they were reaping what they sowed.

"But... I really want to read, the culprit will be exposed in just a bit..."

Firill seemed to be reading a mystery novel. Despite her pallid demeanor, she still insisted on reading further.

"Doing that will only make the seasick symptoms worse. Sheesh... I'm confiscating this book for now."

Exasperated, I could only take away the book from Firill's hand.

"Ah!? G-Give it back..."

"I'll return it as soon as your seasick symptoms get better. At this rate, you won't even be able to eat your meals. You'll get sick for real."

"Ooh... I never knew you're this kind of person..."

She glared resentfully at me. Although I felt guilty to some extent, I must not give the book back to Firill in her current state.

Seeing this, Ren hid her laptop underneath her body while watching me with wary eyes.

"Mm!"

Ren waved her hand to shoo me away, but like Firill, her face was pale.

"No, I'm not planning to forcibly confiscate your computer as well, Ren. As long as you rest in your cabin and don't strain to use the computer, I won't do anything."

"...Mm."

Hearing me say that, Ren seemed reassured, nodding frequently.

"Really? You're a good kid, Ren. Are you able to return to your cabin on your own?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and petted Ren's head.

"Mm..."

Despite pouting with displeasure, Ren nodded lightly in acknowledgment.

"Then you two should rest properly."

"Once you get well, play with Tia again!"

Tia and I said goodbye to Firill and Ren then continued our exploration of the ship's interior.

We randomly turned a corner then advanced deeper, but encountered a flight of stairs.

Going down a level would take us to a series of cabins where we were staying. I had gone down to have a look once when moving luggage onto the ship. Perhaps designed with the expectation that VIPs might travel on it, even though it was not a passenger ship, the cabins assigned to us were still quite comfortable. The girls' cabins were near the prow side, while mine was in a corner towards the aft. Despite being on the same level, they were quite far apart.

One more level down should be the storage and engine rooms.

As for going up, I had not tried it yet, but ascending the stairs would probably get us to the bridge.

"Which way do we go?"

Hearing me ask that, Tia thought for a while then pointed up.

"Up is better."

"Got it."

Although we might not be allowed into the bridge, I still accompanied Tia on her adventure, to go everywhere as long as it was open to us.

Tia and I followed the metal staircase that was painted white. Immediately, we heard faint sounds of voices coming from above. With every step we took, the voices grew louder.

Although the words could not be heard, judging from the tone, it seemed to be some kind of dispute, and they were familiar voices.

"...Lisa and Mitsuki's voices."

Tia pulled my hand and quickened her pace. Thinking something had happened, I ran up the stairs too.

After going up two levels, I could hear the voices clearly. Reading the sign located at the landing, this was a level used for a conference room and other purposes.

"—And that is why I still cannot forgive you even now!"

"It matters not to me that you cannot forgive me, because what I had done was unforgivable!"

Lisa and Mitsuki's voices were coming from around the corner. I could also see Ariella hiding in the corner, peering at the situation in the corridor.

Ariella showed a troubled expression immediately after discovering us.

"Oh, it's you guys? Uh, just as you can hear, Mitsuki and Lisa are occupied right now. You'd better come back later if you need to find them for something."

"Lisa and Mitsuki are fighting? You're not stopping them?"

Tia asked Ariella in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I'd like to stop them but it doesn't seem like a problem I can just butt in."

Ariella sighed and shrugged, looking very helpless.

Tia and I did not know what had happened between them, so we listened carefully to the arguing voices.

"—Mitsuki-san, are you insisting that you will shoulder everything alone, be it the crime of killing Miyako-san or the responsibility of atoning for that?"

"Of course that is what I believe. I have no wish to push my responsibilities on others!"

"Hmph, what pretty-sounding words. But no one will understand you and no one will follow you so long as you continue to monopolize that kind of resolve. Aren't there many things that you ought to confront bravely?"

"I-I am confronting bravely—"

"Do not say such words lightly when you clearly have not tried to obtain my forgiveness!"

"!"

Lisa's shout caused Mitsuki to swallow the remainder of what she was going to say.

I peered discreetly around the corner. Lisa had her arms crossed before her chest, standing with her feet apart. On the other hand, Mitsuki was in front of her, head lowered, shoulders shaking nonstop.

"Lisa... is very angry."

Similarly poking her head out, Tia under me remarked quietly.

Just as Tia described, Lisa was exuding anger that I had never seen before. Although I had incurred Lisa's wrath many times before, no occasion could compare to how angry Lisa was right now.

The dispute seemed to have started because of the subject of Shinomiya Miyako. Thus I can understand why Ariella could not interrupt. Because someone trying to intervene without knowing the details would only make matters worse.

I did not know much either.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend Shinomiya Miyako whereas Lisa still could not forgive this act. Lisa had also said before that she still could not approve even though she knew it was unavoidable.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 069.jpg|thumb]]

"Mitsuki-san, could you say something?"

Lisa asked the silent Mitsuki.

"......!"

But Mitsuki turned around to leave as though fleeing, unable to say a single word in return.

Seeing Mitsuki coming towards us, we frantically leaned our backs against the wall. Luckily, Mitsuki walked past us to the other end of the corridor without noticing us. Noticing that she seemed to be crying, I wondered whether I should chase after her or not.

"The people over there, how much longer are you going to hide?"

But just as I was hesitating, I heard Lisa yelled in our direction. Although Mitsuki had not noticed us, Lisa had discovered us out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry, I originally did not mean to eavesdrop..."

Ariella walked out apologetically. Tia and I followed.

"Sorry, it was because I heard voices."

"Because Tia heard angry voices, Tia was very worried..."

Seeing me and Tia apologize, Lisa sighed.

"Sigh, more eavesdroppers come out, one after another... Never mind, it's fine even if you overheard. Since we chose to converse in the corridor, I am in no position to blame you for eavesdropping.

Lisa spoke wearily then gazed in the direction where Mitsuki had fled.

"...However, if possible, I hope all of you will pretend you did not hear the earlier conversation. If you are worrying about Mitsuki-san, there is no need. Because once the evening meeting starts, she will appear as though nothing had happened, as usual like every other time..."

Hearing Lisa's bitter tone of voice, I asked her:

"As usual like every other time... Do you fight like this often?"

"Occasionally. The last time I argued with her was when Leviathan approached. We got into a dispute over interception matters and it developed into a fight like just now. The same goes for this time, it was originally just a discussion on future plans..."

I heard Lisa saying "why did it end up like this?" quietly followed by a deep sigh.

"That's—"

On reflex, I wanted to say "because you still refuse to forgive Mitsuki, Lisa" but stopped myself. Because even if I accused Lisa, it would only make things more complicated. I noticed that Mitsuki's tears seemed to have made me lose my cool.

"...If you have something to say, I hope you can finish what you started out to say. Nevertheless, I can probably imagine the gist of it."

After speaking harshly to me like that, Lisa walked past us and went up the stairs.

In the end, I watched Lisa leave without being able to say a single word.

After Lisa was out of sight, Ariella relaxed her shoulders and said:

"Even though it's just the beginning, it feels like there are tough times ahead. Although given their personalities, they're still going to perform their duties properly... But it still doesn't feel reassuring."

Tia also concurred with a worried face.

"Yeah... It's not good to keep fighting. Tia wishes they could make up."

"...That's right."

As much as I agreed with Tia, I also understood that it was no easy task. This problem was quite deep-rooted because Mitsuki and Lisa's dispute had persisted all the way from two years ago ever since Shinomiya Miyako's passing.

It looked like I should not go chasing after Mitsuki either. If I made things worse, it might make prevent Mitsuki from even feigning "things as normal."

But I did not think that maintaining the status quo was the right answer either.

—I really want to find a way to mediate this.

In any case, I should try finding a solution.

Because if those two could reconcile, perhaps it could also eliminate Mitsuki's insecurities.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 3 Chapter 1

2020-05-17T06:57:32Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 4 */

==Chapter 1 - The Invading Basilisk==

===Part 1===

Somehow, I found myself having trouble breathing. My body was unable to move.

Every breath I took came with a whiff of fragrance.

Although smothered, it did not feel unpleasant at all. With that kind of unbelievable feeling, I opened my eyes slightly.

Then I was so surprised that I even forgot to breathe.

...!?

In front of my eyes was pale skin. Tender as a newborn baby's, skin giving off a fragrant scent—A voluptuous bust was covering my face.

"Mmm... Mononobe..."

Someone was calling my name lightly next to my ear. It seemed like someone was hugging me.

As for that someone—I was 80-90% sure it was Iris.

Without looking at her face, I could instantly tell from her voice.

Iris Freyja was my classmate in Brynhildr Class, a beautiful maiden with sparkling silver hair.

She was also the only person who had given me the taste of a kiss.

But that was like a reward gift—Although Iris and I were good friends, it was not the kind of relationship where we could be locked passionately in an embrace like this in bed.

Hence, my mind was in turmoil. Despite trying to figure out the situation, I could not think properly.

Iris' bodily scent and soft bosom were blanking out my mind.

"Ah... Mononobe... Mmm..."

Hearing Iris' voice next to my ear, my back shuddered.

It felt like someone was using her fingers to comb my hair. Iris was apparently awake.

Then I heard the sound of someone sniffing.

"Mononobe's smell, sure enough... it's so soothing..."

Iris buried her face in my hair, exhaling hot breath.

I shifted my gaze to confirm. Although Iris had her top unbuttoned, she essentially still had her clothes on. She was wearing her school uniform.

My view was dominated by Iris' chest, which prevented me from acquiring more detailed information. But as my brain started to operate after waking up, I recalled that this was a sickroom in the medical building rather than my own room.

I was injured during the battle five days earlier—in other words, "Blue" Hekatonkheir and Kili's attack on Midgard, which was why I was currently under treatment in the medical building.

Although the more heavily injured left shoulder still could not move, the fever arising from my wounds had subsided. Starting today, I could attend classes. Hence, I was scheduled to be discharged today if there were no problems.

"...Mononobe will feel soothed too, right... Hugging you like this... You'll forget your pain and suffering, right...?"

Iris hugged my head tightly, burying the tip of my nose in her cleavage. It felt very soft, warm, and comfortable—even though I was almost about to suffocate.

I heard the beat of Iris' heart. Or was this my own heartbeat?

"Don't worry, Mononobe... You won't have nightmares as long as someone is by your side... Because I didn't have nightmares that time."

Iris was probably talking about the time when "White" Leviathan had targeted her. To help her feel at ease, I had lent my back for her to lean on.

—Maybe I was having a nightmare earlier.

Although I had no recollection of it, that was probably the case. Now that the painkiller's effect had subsided, my left shoulder was hurting. It did not come as a surprise that I would have nightmares in such a state.

I guessed that Iris was doing this to put me at ease. After figuring out the reason, I was no longer panicking but that still did not change the situation.

Or perhaps, now that I had less to think about and occupy my mind, I became even more strongly conscious of Iris' body warmth.

Iris relaxed her embrace slightly, murmuring softly to herself:

"However... For some reason, even though my emotions are clearly calm... my body is getting hot—something seems to be tugging at my heart... even though it didn't happen before... it doesn't feel right somehow... so weird... hmm—"

Iris' exhaled breaths were hot. She moved, causing our bodies, in close contact, to touch and rub against each other, forcing me to hold my breath for several seconds. Had I not done that, I might have succumbed to an indescribable impulse.

"Ah... Mmm... Mononobe..."

Iris moved restlessly, calling my name in a somewhat lamenting manner.

Iris' heart had been beating fast since a while ago. My heart was beating madly too.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I lost self-control. But under such conditions, even if I told her I had already woken up, I had a feeling that it would still bring about something irrevocable.

"Ya... Mmm..."

Iris exhaled hot breath and sandwiched my face between her soft breasts. I understood that there was no time to lose, so I called upon my inexperienced "acting skills."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 021.jpg|thumb]]

"Ooh..."

I deliberately groaned as a hint to Iris that I was about to wake up.

"Hyah!?"

Iris immediately screamed and released my head. Normally speaking, I should have woken up from her cry but I continued to pretend I was still asleep.

"Hmm..."

"M-Mononobe, don't wake up yet! Don't wake up!"

Iris frantically climbed off the bed. As reluctant as I was to leave her body warmth, I did not try to make her stay. Then after counting thirty seconds silently in my mind, I opened my eyes lightly with caution.

"G-Good morning, Mononobe!"

Iris was sitting in a chair next to the bed, smiling stiffly as she greeted me. Her face was still flushed red but I deliberately pretended not to notice and responded:

"Good morning, Iris, why did you come here this early in the morning...?"

Seeing that her unbuttoned top was already fixed up, I secretly felt relieved and asked her that. At the moment, the digital clock on the side of the sickbed read 6am.

"Oh, umm, Mononobe, you're going to class starting today, right? So I wanted to welcome you back!"

"Welcome me back... I'm happy you're doing that but isn't it a bit too early?"

Although Iris' busty embrace had swept all sense of drowsiness from me, I would normally be asleep at this hour.

"Oh, right, actually I was planning to wake you up later. So... I'm sorry. If you're still sleepy, you can continue sleeping, you know?"

Iris spoke apologetically.

"It's okay, I feel particularly energized waking up today so I'm not sleepy. This is probably because—I had a good dream."

"I-I see!"

Iris replied happily, a smile blooming on her face.

It was probably thanks to Iris that I did not remember the contents of my nightmare. Surely, it was Iris' heartbeat and body warmth that had driven away my feelings of suffering.

But since I could not thank her directly while feigning ignorance, my only choice was to tell a little lie and say I had a good dream.

No, in actual fact after waking up, I really did enjoy a wonderful dream.

I could not help but recall Iris' snow-white skin, so I hastily shook my head to drive those thoughts away.

"Mononobe, what's with you? Do you know that your face is very red?"

Despite her own red face, Iris asked me with puzzlement.

I suppressed the urge to retort, avoided eye contact and said "it's nothing."

"Really? Then since you have to get up, Mononobe, why don't I help you change? Your left arm can't move, so it must be inconvenient, right?"

Iris stood up from her seat and brought over the school uniform that was hanging in the closet. My sister Mitsuki had brought this uniform from the dorm for me yesterday.

"Sure, that'd be a great help—"

However, I stopped mid-sentence. I discovered there would be a serious problem if she helped me to change.

"—No wait, forget it! I can get changed on my own!"

Not only had I just woken up, I had also viewed Iris' tender skin up close immediately after waking up. How could I calm down immediately? If I undressed under such conditions, things would be extremely bad.

"Jeez, Mononobe, you're a patient. You're not allowed to act polite towards me. If you move forcefully, your wound might open up."

Iris had a very good point. Unless I told her the real reason, she was probably not going to be dissuaded. But that would only make the mood turn embarrassing. This was foreseeable too.

"T-That's right, but... there might be an examination in the morning, so it's fine to get changed after that..."

Since I could not find an excuse, I tried to stall for time so that I could calm down first.

"Oh, I asked the nurse about that already. She said you just need to make a visit to the infirmary before going to class. Also, I heard that breakfast will be served at the school cafeteria, so let's go together after you're done changing."

Iris smiled with 100% benevolent intentions. Given her carelessness, this was quite well thought out of her, but it mercilessly sealed off my avenues of escape.

"No, but..."

Just as I was breaking out in cold sweat, thinking of excuses, Iris peered at my face as though she figured out something.

"Mononobe, don't tell me... you're shy about getting undressed by me?"

"Urgh..."

Iris was not far from the truth, rendering me speechless. Immediately, she made an expression as though a great idea had occurred to her and chuckled.

"I see, so Mononobe gets shy too! I was so embarrassed when you saw me naked, Mononobe, with this we'll be even."

Perhaps as revenge for that time, Iris gleefully reached towards my clothing.

"H-Hey, wait! Wait first, just a short while!"

"No, don't move recklessly or it'll affect your injuries, okay? Don't move."

Iris climbed onto the bed and pinned me down lightly. Then straddling directly me like that, she began to unbutton my light-green hospital gown.

"H-Hey!?"

"Fufu, it feels like you're a bit cute today, Mononobe, hmm... Weird? What is this...? It feels like something's poking my bum—"

"!?"

Just as the situation turned desperate, the sickroom's door was opened loudly.

"Ah! What are you doing, Iris!?"

The petite little girl with horns on her head entered the room and yelled loudly.

Saying she had horns on her head was not a metaphor for anger. Rather, it was a true description of her appearance. A D named Tia Lightning. Her age would put her in elementary school, but due to various reasons, she had transferred into Brynhildr Class where I studied.

Shaking her beautiful fluttering hair, which looked pink in the light, Tia rushed over to the side of my bed.

"Yuu will become Tia's husband! S-So, not allowed to do dirty things with anyone apart from the wife!"

Tia climbed on the bed and pushed aside Iris, who was straddling me.

"W-We're not doing anything dirty. I just wanted to help Mononobe get changed!"

Iris exchanged glares with Tia across me, but her face was still blushing.

Because she realized what the scene looked like to others, with her straddling and undressing me.

"Then Tia will help Yuu change too! Because taking care of the husband is the wife's job!!"

"You haven't married Monobe, Tia, so you don't have that kind of priority! So first come first served. I tried very hard today to get up early!"

Refusing to back down against the aggressive Tia, Iris retorted and argued.

I could almost see sparks flying between them. No, there really could be sparks because Tia had a bad habit. Whenever she got emotional, she would subconsciously generate dark matter, converting it into electrical currents.

"......"

Without interjecting thoughtlessly, I quietly watched them argue.

Normally, I would have intervened to stop them, but right now, what I needed most was time.

After roughly ten minutes, Iris and Tia finally reached an agreement. They would cooperate and take turns to assist me in changing.

During those ten minutes, I finally managed to settle down.

===Part 2===

Twenty-five years ago, the first dragon—"Black" Vritra—made its appearance in the sky above Japan.

Ever since, children possessing the same power as Vritra—the Ds with the ability to generate dark matter—were born among humans. The tropical island where they were gathered was Midgard here.

When Midgard was first established, it leaned heavily towards a detention facility in purpose, but now, it had become a self-governed organization with massive influence over the world.

There was extremely high economic value in the ability to transmute dark matter into any substance. Hence, Ds contributed to society by using their powers to undertake jobs to produce rare resources.

However, Midgard also had an undisclosed function. Namely, to intercept and defeat dragons that were attacking in search of ''mates''.

Targeted Ds would turn into the same type of dragon when they came into contact with the dragon targeting them. Currently a target, Tia Lightning was sitting on my lap.

The red dragon—"Red" Basilisk—had chosen Tia and was apparently crossing the African continent right now in pursuit of her. However, there was an ocean between Midgard and the continent, hence, it was still unknown whether Basilisk would cross the ocean, seeing as its body structure was not suited to swimming.

"Here, say ah—"

Sitting sideways on my lap—more precisely, on my thigh—Tia was bringing a sandwich towards me with an innocent and pure smile on her face.

She looked completely carefree but until five days ago, she had been insisting she was a dragon, thus raising a huge wall between herself and the other Ds.

But in response to her classmates' gentle treatment, Tia had by her own will rejected Kili, the leader of the dragon worshiping cult the Sons of Muspell, thus choosing to live with us as a human. That was why she was staying here now.

Initially, Tia had refused to leave my side but because I was hospitalized, she was currently living with her classmate Lisa in the student dormitories.

"Yuu, hurry up."

Asking me to indulge her, Tia urged me to open my mouth. Although she was now getting along well with others, she still did not change her tendency to make me dote on her. Although I had suggested to her that I hope she would not sit on my lap anymore, Tia insisted that she could hold herself back during class but I had to obey her now.

"...Can't be helped."

I gave up resisting and obediently bit the sandwich.

We were currently in the cafeteria on the ground floor of the catering building. Of course, there were other people watching and this sort of behavior was very embarrassing, but if I declined, Tia and Iris might start arguing again.

In the sickroom earlier, Tia and Iris had reached a consensus to take turns helping me change. But they continued to "care" for me even while we were traveling to the cafeteria.

"Mononobe, it's my turn next."

Sitting on my right, Iris leaned closer and presented me with a sandwich. As a side note, Tia was feeding me an egg sandwich while Iris was holding a tuna sandwich.

My right hand could move normally so it made me feel bad that I even needed help to eat meals. Nevertheless, when I voiced my view, Iris' answer was "this has nothing to do with that."

"...Thanks."

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I bit Iris' sandwich as well.

"Ehehe!"

Iris' face relaxed and she made a happy expression. Feeling unable to look her in the eye, I chewed the sandwich while my gaze kept wandering.

"Hurry hurry, eat Tia's too."

Seeing this, Tia impatiently extended her sandwich again.

Under their urging, I ate their sandwiches in alternate bites. However, eating sandwiches alone made me start to feel thirsty.

But because the sandwiches were delivered to my mouth without pause, I could not find the chance to speak for a long time.

"—Tia-san, Iris-san, this cannot be called care, you know?"

Immediately, a voice was heard with sighing tones.

I turned my head to look at the source, instantly making eye contact with a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Gulp... Good morning, Lisa."

I hastily swallowed the sandwich in my mouth and greeted my classmate, Lisa Highwalker. Lisa tossed her long blonde hair and answered me with a scowl.

"Good morning. How exalted your position must be, to have two girls serving you so early in the morning."

Hearing Lisa's sarcastic tone, I frantically explained myself.

"No, I didn't ask them to serve me. They're trying to help me in my injured state—"

"Oh, is that so? But do you truly need the assistance?"

"Well..."

If it was just eating, I could manage without their help, so I fell speechless.

"Letting others help unnecessarily is tantamount to asking them to serve you. Also, Tia-san and Iris-san—The two of you have erred to an absurd extent."

"Kyah!?"

"...Lisa so scary."

Hearing Lisa's harsh tone of voice, Iris and Tia shrank their shoulders in fright.

"Did you know that excessive care may sometimes burden the receiver? You two should try to think from his perspective and only assist him on necessary tasks."

After saying that, Lisa took a cup of water that was on the table and presented it to me.

"...You are thirsty, am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks."

I thanked her and took the cup with my left hand, then drank the entire cup.

"Mononobe Yuu, you must decide for yourself the occasion when you need to ask for help. If it is something truly necessary, I will assist you with my full power too."

Despite turning her head away fiercely, Lisa made me that kind of offer.

Stunned, Iris and Tia stared at Lisa.

"Lisa-chan is so cool..."

Iris murmured with eyes of worship.

"Lisa is amazing..."

Tia offered her a gaze of respect.

"I-I simply said something that was a matter of fact."

Seeing Lisa explain modestly in embarrassment, I also praised her.

"Lisa really is a good woman indeed."

On further thought, it was quite unnatural for Lisa to appear on campus early in the morning. Perhaps she had come to school this early for the sake of helping me resume school life.

"Y-You are saying that again! Is making me the brunt of your jokes that amusing!?"

Instantly gone red in the face, Lisa glared at me viciously.

"No, I'm not joking about you. It's just that I couldn't think of any other way of putting it."

"Then my wish is that you could study seriously and learn more vocabulary."

Arms crossed, Lisa replied unhappily but her cheeks remained red.

Seeing that kind of reaction from her, I could not help but smile. This time, I really wanted to play a joke on her.

But just as I was about to tease her, there was suddenly a quiet commotion coming from the lounge where the vending machine was located. Noticing unusual vibes in the voices, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Did something happen?"

Intrigued, Iris asked quietly.

There were staff having breakfast in the cafeteria like us and they also looked towards the lounge, unsure what had happened. Things like "hey, come over here" and "what's going on..." could be heard from the lounge.

"Yuu... Tia has a bad feeling about this."

Tia clutched my uniform tightly with a worried look.

Only then did I remember that apart from the vending machine, there was also a satellite television in the lounge as well.

"Let us head over to verify what happened."

Saying that, Lisa urged us to move.

Hence, The four of us went to the lounge and saw many staff with their eyes fixated on the television. Shown on the screen was the overhead view of a coast somewhere.

"What..."

Seeing that screen, I was instantly speechless.

One type of news had absolutely first priority no matter which country in the world.

Namely, news regarding dragons that moved around on whim without regard for national borders, the disasters they caused, as well as disaster predictions.

Currently airing were images from news linked to a dragon disaster.

But this was a type of dragon disaster I had never seen before.

The sea had a patch of it dyed pure white. Judging from the map on the right of the screen, the scene was near the equator on the African continent, a place where the ocean could not possibly freeze.

In fact, whether the words on the screen or what the newscaster reported, neither indicated that the ocean was exhibiting a freezing phenomenon.

What the news reported was—

Moving across the African continent, after reaching the coast, Basilisk had turned the surrounding seawater into salt completely.

===Part 3===

"I believe many of you have already learned through the media that Basilisk has finally begun to cross the sea."

Standing on the podium, announcing gravely was my little sister, who was simultaneously the student council president of Midgard ''Academy''—Mononobe Mitsuki. Despite her short stature, one did not get any impression of unreliability from her. A sense of solemnity could be felt from her tense expression.

"Believed to be unable to swim on grounds of its bodily structure, Basilisk is turning seawater into salt. Rather than taking the land route of the Eurasian continent, it is advancing towards Midgard along the shortest distance. Roughly one month from now, it will have crossed the Indian Ocean, passing the Indonesian archipelago to reach us."

A slight clamor arose between the students after listening to Mitsuki.

The first day I returned to school, the timetable was suddenly changed to hold an impromptu full-school assembly. Mitsuki was originally visiting me frequently at the sickroom, but today was the only day when she did not appear, probably because of the Basilisk incident. Also, the assembly was taking place in the sports ground instead of the usual gym.

When the clock tower was destroyed by Hekatonkheir the other day, its debris had apparently struck the gym's roof directly. Hence, the gym was currently barred from usage. Looking around me, I could see the lower half of the slanted, collapsed, and bifurcated clock tower.

"However, this development is within our expectations. Midgard and NIFL have independently planned operations capable of dealing lethal damage to Basilisk and made preparations. We have sufficient chances of victory."

Perhaps to encourage everyone, Mitsuki declared firmly, causing many students to nod in response with determined expressions. Since recent lessons involved training under the assumption of fighting Basilisk, everyone had a certain level of confidence and preparedness. There was no gloomy mood like for Leviathan's attack.

"Detailed plans will be explained to members selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Please prepare yourselves, everyone."

After announcing the necessary facts concisely, Mitsuki descended from the podium.

Although noon had not arrived yet, the sun was already shining intensely. Perhaps Mitsuki had judged that a long speech in tropical Midgard would be a bad idea.

After a teacher went on the podium to make a few announcements, the full-school assembly was dismissed.

"After hearing Mitsuki-chan's speech, it really feels like there won't be a problem."

Walking side by side with me, Iris spoke.

"Mitsuki so cool, as expected of Yuu's little sister."

On my other side, Tia also praised Mitsuki.

"...Yeah."

Although I concurred with them, I was feeling uneasy inside.

I felt the same thing when Leviathan invaded. When fighting dragons, Mitsuki's mindset was likewise troubling.

Just now, although she had urged everyone to prepare themselves mentally, in Mitsuki's case, it seemed like she had prepared too much. In other words, I felt that she seemed to be leaving no margin to spare mentally.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend in the past. She had also said that she was continuing to battle in order to atone for that crime.

Hence, I had also vowed to put everything on the line to terminate her battle.

Even if Mitsuki did not want me to help, I had no intention of going against my vow.

—If Mitsuki does anything reckless, I must stop her.

I was thinking over these matters while returning to our classroom—Brynhildr Class. In the 3x3 arrangement of seats, I was sitting in the back row in the center, flanked by Iris and Mitsuki.

Earlier, Tia had kept treating my lap as her seat but now, she was sitting in the seat in front of me. Turning her head back, her gaze seemed to be asking me, "Is Tia obedient?"

"Very obedient."

I caressed her head. Tia showed a contented smile and turned to face the front.

Sitting on her two sides were the red-haired prodigy, Ren Miyazawa, and the tomboy, Ariella Lu. Tia naturally began to chat with them. Watching this from behind, I knew she had no more problems. I could finally relax. Tia was already getting along as a member of Brynhildr Class.

Seated in the front row were Lisa and the bibliophile who was always reading, Firill Crest. The seat between them was empty. Before I transferred in, the entire middle column was unused, but now, that seat was the only ''opening'' left in the Brynhildr Class.

At this moment, the door opened. Homeroom teacher Shinomiya-sensei and Mitsuki entered together.

Seeing the one empty seat that was now emphasized, what would Mitsuki think? I was quite curious about this.

Student No. 4, Shinomiya Miyako, was Shinomiya-sensei's little sister and also Mitsuki's best friend.

Were she still alive, all the seats in the classroom would be filled.

"—Please be quiet, everyone. Homeroom time still has not ended, so please listen to a few words from me."

Mitsuki stood at the lectern and swept her gaze across us while she spoke. Everyone stopped chatting and directed their gaze at Mitsuki.

On the other hand, Shinomiya-sensei was sitting in the chair next to the lectern, using the register book in her hand to fan herself.

"The members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad for this operation will be centered on our Brynhildr Class. Most likely, every member of the class will be selected. Hence, I will first tell you about the operation's key points."

Almost everyone...? In other words, everyone apart from Tia who was being targeted by Basilisk?

I found it a bit strange but did not interrupt, deciding to listen to Mitsuki first.

"Basilisk fires red beams from its eyes, using the light to turn the target of its ''gaze'' into stone, dust, or salt. The range approaches five kilometers, which is why we cannot fight it directly but must find cover to block its line of sight. However, there are objects for cover on the sea. Consequently, Midgard has decided that the most effective tactic is to lure Basilisk to a desert island in neighboring waters, then blow Basilisk to smithereens together with the island."

Hearing that, Ariella raised her hand to ask a question.

"You mentioned luring Basilisk, but how?"

"Tia-san will be transported to that island temporarily. Because Basilisk's target is Tia-san, it will surely head towards the island. Naturally, before Basilisk arrives, we will let Tia-san retreat."

"Oh, that sounds like it'll work."

Putting down her hand, Ariella seemed to accept the answer. It felt like she had expected this answer more or less.

Then Firill raised her hand and asked Mitsuki:

"...What are the chances that the island will be flattened by Basilisk as soon as it enters visual range?"

"According to data collected so far, even when Basilisk turns vegetation impeding its advance into dust, the landscape remains unaltered. Or rather, even after getting exposed to the red beams, the land does not show significant changes."

"...Now that is quite unbelievable. So Basilisk's red beam is not purely a high firepower attack?"

After listening to Firill, Mitsuki nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. Although there have been various theories regarding Basilisk's ability, abundant data has been obtained from the current incident. Hence, we are currently drawing deductions to narrow down the overall direction. Before the operation is put into action, it should be possible to put forward a more accurate theory."

Basilisk's ability was not fully analyzed yet, it seemed. For one thing, it had stayed in the desert for the past twenty years or so since it appeared, hence a lack of data was very normal.

Prior to this, Basilisk was a dragon that caused no problems unless one approached it. Of course, the country where Basilisk made its residence had things tough, but nothing happened as long as one kept their distance. But precisely because nothing happened, no data was gathered about the dragon, and now, that was the price paid.

All the anti-Basilisk training conducted so far was probably based on the assumption that Basilisk would not leave the desert.

I had to take a test where I had to attack and pierce diamond from a distance of a hundred meters. But now, it was obvious that getting that close to Basilisk was impossible no matter what. The drills on close-range combat probably assumed the battlefield would be the desert with things like sand dunes for cover.

"—Anyone have other questions?"

Mitsuki swept her gaze across us and asked.

Since no one else seemed to have one, I decided to pose the question that had bothered me from the start.

"I do."

I raised my right arm. Mitsuki turned her gaze at me.

"Go ahead, Nii-san."

"Just now, Mitsuki, you mentioned that almost every member of Brynhildr Class will be selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad, which means someone will be excluded?"

At first, I thought Tia would stay behind but according to Mitsuki, she was the center of the operation and absolutely indispensable. This meant that there was someone else who would be excluded.

"Well, although it has not been confirmed yet... I intend to have you stay behind, Nii-san."

"What... Me? Why?"

I asked in surprise.

"Obvious, is it not? Because you are a patient."

"No, wait a sec, there's almost a month until the battle against Basilisk, right? Before that, my wounds would have healed. Taking part in the operation shouldn't be a problem."

I hastily objected but Mitsuki sighed with an exasperated look on her face.

"What would be the point of straining yourself to take part? What this operation requires is high offensive power. Although you possess anti-dragon weapons, Nii-san, you also mentioned before that they cannot be used from unstable positions such as ships or in the air, right?"

"That's... true, yeah."

Countered so completely, I began to stammer.

The anti-dragon weapons I created by borrowing other people's dark matter were only parts from the lost weapon known as Marduk. Hence, there were many incomplete functions. If standing somewhere unstable, I had no confidence I could aim accurately. In addition, I had no idea whether my foothold would be able to withstand the recoil.

"When destroying Basilisk together with the island, of course the attacks will be launched from a ship. Hence, there is no need for you, Nii-san. Furthermore, Lisa-san is enough as the candidate to look after Tia-san."

"Hmm..."

Mitsuki's argument was perfectly logical, but I could not bring myself to agree candidly. If she were to do anything reckless, I needed to be at her side to stop her.

I racked my brain, trying to think of an excuse to use.

Was there no place for me to contribute to the operation? If I could suggest something impossible to replace, something that only I could do—

It suddenly occurred to me. Apart from constructing lost weapons, there was currently one other thing only I could achieve.

"—No, Mitsuki, I believe there is value in bringing me along."

"Eh...?"

"You saw it, right? I created antigravitational matter during the battle against Hekatonkheir. In an emergency, this power might prove to be a useful trump card."

I did not know why I suddenly gained the ability to create antigravitational matter. Before "Green" Yggdrasil urged me to, I never even considered whether it was possible for me to do that kind of thing.

Although this type of uniqueness of unknown origin felt eerie, I was exploiting this fact on purpose right now.

"So, Mitsuki, let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad. When there's a need to adjust battle plans, it's better to have an extra option, right?"

Despite my arguments, Mitsuki still frowned and made a stern expression.

"I understand what you are trying to say, Nii-san, but unknown powers cannot count as an option. Currently, information regarding that ostensibly antigravitational matter is too lacking. And that is still because... Nii-san, you refuse to disclose."

Mitsuki's tone sounded sulking when she added the final sentence.

"It's not because I don't want to say anything, but I don't know anything about it."

"In that case, such a power cannot be relied on."

Mitsuki spoke in a strong tone of voice. She seemed to be getting stubborn, but Shinomiya-sensei intervened.

"Calm down, Mononobe Mitsuki. If information is lacking, how about gathering information as a next step? Besides, we intended to have him examined once he recovers."

"Examined?"

Hearing my doubtful tone, Shinomiya-sensei turned her head to face me.

"Yes, Mononobe Yuu. The higher-ups are very interested in how you successfully created antigravitational matter, hence they would like you to let us investigate and analyze that new substance."

After slightly thinking over what Shinomiya-sensei said, I asked her:

"If the outcome of the examination discovers that antigravitational matter is useful... Will you let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad?"

"We want to raise chances of success too, so even if it's 1%, as long as it seems useful, we will naturally allow you to join."

Hearing this, Mitsuki yelled at Shinomiya-sensei in a rare display.

"Shinomiya-sensei!"

"This is a logical decision. You will be the one suffering in regret if the operation fails because you refuse the best options on account of personal feelings."

Shinomiya-sensei persuaded Mitsuki in a calm tone of voice.

"......I understand."

After several seconds of silence, Mitsuki reluctantly nodded. Then she glared at me silently. But rather than angry, her expression seemed more like she was fearing something.

===Part 4===

The examination occurred that day after school, in a special training site underground.

Unlike the one normally used for special ability practicals, there were all sorts of devices on the walls, resembling measuring instruments. There was a large glass window near the ceiling with women in lab coats walking around on the other side. That was probably the monitoring room where they analyzed all sorts of data.

Shinomiya-sensei, Mitsuki, and I were the only ones in the training site. None of the other classmates were present. Apparently, since all data gathered from this point onwards would be top secret, ordinary students were barred from entering.

To be honest, I had no confidence whether I could create antigravitational matter again. After all, I did not even know how to transmute it from dark matter. Neither could I simulate it in my mind.

Nevertheless, my worries proved to be unnecessary.

Because my dark matter would automatically metamorphosize as soon as I wanted to create antigravitational matter.

Thus, antigravitational matter would appear in my hand effortlessly.

My attempts had already reached double digits but I still had not failed even once.

"...Very well, Mononobe Yuu, start again from the beginning."

"Yes."

I followed Shinomiya-sensei's orders and generated dark matter in my right hand.

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Then maintaining its nature as dark matter, I simply altered its form into a large-caliber ornamental gun.

After many attempts, I found out something. Namely, compared to direction conversion from dark matter, it was easier to control minute transmutations through a fictional armament.

I looked ahead to see small red bricks, roughly 10 cm in size, scattered across the training site's white floor. This was to make the effects of antigravitational matter more visually distinct.

I aimed at the floor thirty or forty meters away and said quietly:

"Antigravity."

This was the name of Leviathan's ability. This was a suitable name for picturing the substance to be created.

I transmitted the image and pulled the trigger.

A bullet of dark matter shot out, turning into antigravitational matter at the spot where I had aimed. While white light shone, the surrounding red bricks floated up as though they were in water.

Although the wave of floating bricks flowed over here, they stopped just as they were about to reach my feet.

The white glow lasted for roughly ten seconds before vanishing. Then the floating bricks also fell to the floor again.

"Hmm... One shot's worth is enough to neutralize gravity within a radius of roughly thirty meters. The duration is approximately ten seconds. Considering that a full-powered shot can take effect in a radius of a hundred meters for thirty seconds, this figure could be considered reasonable."

Standing in the back, Shinomiya-sensei offered her opinion.

"For the second shot, try converting to antigravitational matter with a higher density."

"Yes."

I nodded. Aiming for the same spot as the first shot, I fired the bullet.

Immediately, white light brighter than before was shot out. The surrounding bricks flew away in a radial pattern.

"...By increasing the density, it will apparently produce a strong repulsive field. But both the range and duration of effect are less than one tenth of earlier."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice was heard from behind.

Siegfried could fire three bullets of dark matter at most. For the final shot, I created relatively low-density antigravitational matter. As expected, the range and duration increased, but the only effect was weight reduction to some extent.

Thus, after I tested all the possible modes I could think of, the examination finally ended.

"I'm at my limit..."

Transmuting dark matter strained the mind and tired the body.

Having created antigravitational matter persistently, I leaned against the wall in exhaustion and sat on the ground.

"Good work, Mononobe Yuu, thank you for your cooperation."

Shinomiya-sensei praised me during my state of fatigue. Her gaze fell upon the screen of a portal terminal.

"...So what's the conclusion about the Dragon Subjugation Squad thing?"

I asked her while catching my breath.

"There's no need to make a hasty conclusion. Data analysis is not complete yet. But personally, I think there is no liability in taking you along because the repulsive field can serve as a defense measure that does not depend on physical barriers."

Replying that to me, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the monitoring room.

Left behind, I looked timidly at Mitsuki standing next to me. Whether during the examination or after I came over to her side, she had remained silent. It made me a bit afraid.

"...How lovely, Nii-san."

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she finally spoke. But whether her tone of voice or expression, both gave off an air of displeasure.

"Are you that against my participation in the operation?"

"If it's only as a precautionary measure for emergencies... I have no wish of bringing you in your injured state to a dangerous location just for the sake of such an ambiguous reason."

"I'm very glad you're worried about me, but I have to go no matter what. Personal feelings aside, there shouldn't be any drawback to have additional backup personnel."

I asserted but after hearing me say that, Mitsuki shook her head gravely.

"No, there is a drawback. Suppose the operation were to fail and develop into the worst-case scenario—There will be one more person dead. This situation is different from the time with Leviathan."

"...Compared to Leviathan, isn't Basilisk easier to defeat?"

Mitsuki's words filled me with doubt, so I asked.

Back when Leviathan was invading, Mitsuki mentioned that Leviathan was considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they were to handle. Then that meant Basilisk should be easier to handle than Leviathan, right?

"Indeed, Leviathan was a dragon that was extremely difficult to attack... Even to the point of impossibility. Compared to that, in terms of being able to devise an attack plan, Basilisk is much easier than Leviathan. But on the matter of risk during battle, the two cannot be compared."

"...Risk?"

I repeated like a parrot. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes, Basilisk's red beams fly towards the target at light speed, which of course means it is impossible to evade after seeing it. Since a direct confrontation is equivalent to suicide, the risk is much higher when standing on the frontline, which is why I did not wish to take you along, seeing as you are irrelevant to the details of the operation..."

Mitsuki answered unhappily. Then lowering her head, she continued:

"If this operation fails, as long as you stay in Midgard, perhaps a new battle plan could be devised using antigravitational matter, so as to make a comeback. But if you came along with us, Nii-san, it would be a totally meaningless sacrifice if you got killed without doing anything."

"But it's possible that everyone gets saved because I'm there."

"True, but..."

Despite acknowledging my point, Mitsuki sounded quite disapproving in tone. Nevertheless, she did not argue further. She probably thought that a dispute about possibilities would lead nowhere.

—But that being said, I never knew that the operation this time was so dangerous.

Now I could understand why Mitsuki was so overly tense. Because her judgment could decide other people's survival, no wonder she was putting so much pressure on herself.

Precisely because of that... I must stay by her side after all.

But even if this topic continued, clearly it would only make the mood worse. Hence, I tried to find a different topic of conversation. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Mitsuki secretly glanced at me sideways to see my reaction.

For siblings, this unnatural silence persisted quite a while on this rare occasion.

The awkward atmosphere was making me anxious, so I said half-heartedly:

"M-Mitsuki, why did I gain the ability to make antigravitational matter?"

"W-Who knows? If you do not know, Nii-san, I cannot possibly know either. However... Although I was quite surprised initially, it is possible that your situation might be the same as mine back then."

"Your situation back then?"

Not understanding what she meant, I asked.

Then another voice entered our conversation.

"—Meaning that you are not the first person to emulate a dragon's ability."

I took a closer look and discovered that the principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart, were also present.

The principal walked over, her long blonde hair fluttering lightly, and stopped next to my collapsed state. Still the same as always, she looked like a teenaged girl. She would definitely be mistaken for a student if she were to wear the uniform. But she was undoubtedly Midgard's chief administrator.

Mica-san was dressed as a maid as usual while the principal had a lab coat over casual clothing.

"...Principal, were you watching while I was being examined?"

The principal nodded at my question.

"Yeah, in the monitoring room. Say, how much longer are you going to lie there? Do you really want to see my underwear that much?"

"Eh? N-No, sorry..."

I frantically stood up. Although the principal's lab coat had a long hem, the skirt underneath was especially short. From my position, her underwear was almost visible.

"I apologize for my brother's indiscretion."

Mitsuki glared at me coldly before bowing her head to apologize to the principal.

"It's fine, don't let it bother you. Because I can understand the feelings of finding girls' underwear attractive."

"...Huh?"

Seeing Mitsuki's shocked expression, the principal deliberately.

"Cough, nothing much, I accidentally spoke from the heart, that's all."

"...Principal, no second chances."

Mica-san's smile felt extraordinarily scary. Cold sweat appeared on the principal's forehead as she turned her gaze to me.

"B-Back to the main topic. Judging from the situation just now, you evidently have no idea what was the impetus that allowed Ds to create mithril or antimatter, right?"

"Impetus... Huh? I definitely never heard about it."

I only knew that these two substances were considered ultimate offense and defense.

"Speaking of which, neither mithril nor antimatter could be created by anyone in the beginning. But after the battle against the dragon capable of manipulating those two substances—'Purple' Kraken—someone capable of emulating the antimatter projectile appeared about the Ds."

"Isn't that..."

I looked at Mitsuki.

"Indeed, it was your sister. And after the Kraken was vanquished, Ds capable of transmuting mithril successfully appeared one after another."

"Is that true, Mitsuki?"

I asked Mitsuki for confirmation. Perhaps because the subject brought up the Kraken battle, Mitsuki's expression was a bit dark.

"Yes, it is true. Without conscious intent, I successfully emulated the Kraken's antimatter projectile."

Mitsuki answered but it seemed like she could offer no further explanation to that.

I finally understood what she meant by "the same." The situation was the same for Mitsuki and me, who suddenly became able to create antigravitational matter.

Seeing me taken back by surprise, the principal continued to explain.

"In other words, the reason why you are able to create antigravitational matter, the key trigger could very well be the battle against Leviathan, or related to its defeat. But why this happens, the most fundamental reason still eludes understanding, that's all."

The principal smiled wryly and made a slight shrug.

"Uh, but that's the key..."

"Don't put it that way. Just knowing that there's precedent should be enough to reassure you, right? Now, you'll neither feel arrogant for being special nor need to fear that you're heretical."

"Well, that's true."

After nodding to concur, I suddenly thought—

Did the principal come here for the purpose of encouraging me?

"Although you had to undergo careful examination, with this, you won't need to be treated as a lab rat from now on. But just like your sister, you might need to shoulder a little more responsibility."

The principal's blue eyes stared at me while she smiled suggestively.

"I'm actually getting what I want if this allows me to help Mitsuki or friends in need."

"...An excellent mindset. Then do your best."

Nodding with satisfaction, the principal turned around.

"Let's get going, Mica."

"Yes."

The two of them started making their way to the elevator, but along the way, the principal looked back.

"Ahhh, I just remembered. By the way, all Ds could be considered humans who had stolen Vritra's ability. Fufu, if you look at it from those dragons' perspective, humans are actually the robbers who are stealing their special rights successively, striking fear into their hearts."

The principal smiled happily.

"So there's no need for you to hold back. If Basilisk has any ability to steal, go ahead and steal it. Because you are the dragons' hunters, not their prey."

After encouraging us in this manner, the principal departed with Mica-san for real. Her powerful presence did not match her petite stature. Ultimately, the title of Midgard's chief administrator was not just for show.

"...Who is she actually? Mitsuki, do you know anything about her?"

Watching the principal's back, I asked Mitsuki.

"No, I have no idea either, but I have heard rumors... It was all thanks to her that Midgard was able to gain independence to become an autonomous educational institute, thus rapidly expanding its influence over the world."

"The mystery deepens... And her age is unknown."

"This is only hearsay, but reportedly, she has been on this island ever since the inception of Midgard..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I could not help but show a stiff expression.

"Y-You're kidding, right? Because wouldn't that make her—"

I almost blurted out the age I guessed but hastily swallowed my words.

Because I felt an inexplicable chill run along my spine, similar to when I sensed life-threatening danger on the battlefield. Clearly, the principal could not hear our conversation, but my instincts rejected such a notion.

"...No, we'd better not pry unnecessarily."

In the end, for the sake of self-preservation, I deliberately said those words.

===Part 5===

Two days after I was examined, the participants in the operation were officially announced.

A total of twenty, of which eight were students from Brynhildr Class. Luckily, my name was included.

Considering the scale of the operation, this headcount was smaller than I had imagined. This was probably the result of trying to minimize risk to prevent the worst-case scenario.

On the day it was announced, we were briefed officially and informed of the planned itinerary.

To lure Basilisk, Brynhildr Class was apparently heading first to the uninhabited island.

Then the next day, after rushed preparations, we were already on the ship.

"Mononobe, look, Midgard became so small!"

Pointing at the island in the distance, Iris spoke excitedly.

"...Viewing that island from outside, the feeling is quite strange."

I could not help but feel poignantly how small our world was as Ds.

The sky and the sea stretched limitlessly. The tiny island floating alone between the sky and the sea was Midgard where we had been staying just earlier.

The students of Brynhildr Class boarded the ship today and set sail for the uninhabited island where Basilisk was to be lured. This ship was a transport ship that Midgard used to move supplies and did not have any weaponry.

A request to NIFL could probably get them to lend us a much faster battleship, but that would give them an excuse to interfere in our operation. As the commander of this operation, Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite wary of NIFL's interference.

Due to NIFL sending a team to infiltrate Midgard during Leviathan's invasion, a vast gulf had apparently arose between the two sides. Although I felt uneasy about how the two sides could not cooperate, at least it was better than them trying to get in each other's way.

—I hoped this would not develop into a conflict between humans.

While staring out blankly towards Midgard as it gradually disappeared over the horizon, I thought to myself. Compared to dragons, I was more adept at fighting humans, but I did not like to do that.

"Oh, Mononobe! Isn't that a dolphin?"

Rocking my shoulder, Iris pointed diagonally behind the ship. There was a school of dolphins swimming as though they were chasing the ship. Slicing through the water surface with their dorsal fins, they sometimes jumped skillfully using their speed, tracing out beautiful curves.

But compared to dolphins, the side view of Iris' elated face attracted my eyes more.

"...Is there something stuck to my face?"

Noticing my gaze, Iris cocked her head and asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, no—I was just thinking you seem quite happy."

"Yes, I'm very happy! It feels like all of us are going on a trip together, I'm so excited!"

Iris replied, smiling happily as though she believed that from the bottom of her heart.

But... I knew, I had heard Iris say so herself in the past.

Iris had apparently encountered a dragon disaster while on a ship journey with her family. Due to Leviathan passing by, the passenger ship was sunk, killing Iris' family.

"...You aren't forcing yourself, are you?"

Because of that, I was quite concerned and asked her.

"Forcing? Oh—Mononobe, don't tell me you're worried about me because we're traveling on a ship?"

"Well... I am, a bit."

I scratched my cheek and nodded to admit it but Iris beamed happily.

"Thank you, Mononobe. But it doesn't bother me at all, because in the end, a lot of happy thing happened on the family trip... Those are very precious memories to me... That's why, even though the ending is so sad, it didn't make me hate ship journeys."

I was stunned to hear her talking so matter-of-factly.

Normally speaking, it would not be surprising to develop mental trauma towards ship travel because of this, but Iris called it her precious memories very calmly.

"You're always full of surprises, Iris."

I smiled wryly and said to her. Iris had a careless personality, often made mistakes and used to lament how weak she was, but I considered her true character to have far more inner strength than me.

"Hmmhmm, because I'm not a girl who can be judged by common sense."

Iris proudly puffed out her chest.

"Yeah, like making everything explode no matter what you're transmuting. That's really far too mysterious."

"W-What's wrong with that!? Even if it's still a mystery, at least we've found a way to make use of it, that's why I'm able to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad like this!"

"Yeah, but—One day eventually, I will unravel that mystery, because I'd like to know you better, Iris."

Only after saying this without thinking did I realize in alarm that it almost sounded like I was courting her.

Despite showing a surprised look initially, Iris' face gradually grew red.

"U-Umm, m-me too..."

As though trying to muster courage, Iris stared into my eyes.

Her cherry lips kept trembling while she continued in a hoarse voice:

"...If it's you, Mononobe, umm... I want you to know me better too."

Towards the end, her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"What—"

This unexpected development halted my thoughts. I did not know how to continue.

Seeing my entire body freeze Iris tilted her head somewhat uneasily.

"Mononobe...? Don't tell me you didn't hear... me?"

"N-No, I heard you..."

Hearing me answer, Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, uh... Can I tell you now?"

Iris asked me softly in a stammer.

"T-Tell me what...?"

"Basically... Many things. As long as it's something you want to know, Mononobe, anything at all."

Very shyly, Iris answered while fidgeting.

"By saying it could be anything at all, you're actually making it harder for me..."

I scratched my head and replied. Iris looked up at me and asked hesitantly:

"If you can't think of something on the spot, then... Wanna visit my cabin? This isn't a place to talk secrets anyway..."

Making such a suggestion with blushing cheeks, Iris looked incredibly attractive, forcing me to gulp.

"Well, Iris, if you're okay with it—"

Dizzy from the mood, I was almost about to agree when I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I hastily stopped talking.

"Yuu! Tia took a tour of the deck and came back!"

I took a closer look to see Tia running here, out of breath. She had been very excited ever since she boarded the transport ship, running all over the place the whole time.

Although she should have been transported by ship when she first came to Midgard, she most likely did not have the freedom to tour around at the time.

"Yuu, let's explore the inside of the ship next?"

"Hold on, Tia. Iris and I are currently—"

With Tia pulling my right hand, I asked Iris "What now?" with a gaze.

"Oh, it's okay, go explore with Tia. The thing with me... Umm, it doesn't have to be right now."

Iris shyly saw me and Tia off. What she meant by that was asking me to come find her at her cabin later. Since inappropriate interaction between the genders was prohibited, I was definitely not going to do anything bad, but even so, I still felt my heart rate rising.

"Yuu, let's go this way to have a look!"

Tia held my right hand tightly and walked rapidly. The deck of the transport ship was very spacious. Several cranes were installed for moving shipping containers.

There was a female member of the crew operating the cranes nearby. Most likely just like the staff at Midgard, the crew of this ship were also all female.

Entering the ship and advancing along the corridor, we came to a spacious lounge. This seemed to be a leisure space for the crew. There were vending machines along the wall along with a self-served cafeteria, although it was currently closed.

In a corner of the lounge, I saw classmates sprawled on a table.

They were Firill and Ren.

Firill had a paperback in one hand while her entire body was limp. On the other hand, Ren had a hand on her laptop while her body kept trembling.

"W-What's with you two!?"

Surprised, Tia ran towards them.

Firill's body shook then she turned her pallid face towards us.

"...I feel terrible."

Then she described her condition while in suffering.

"...Mm."

Ren also looked up unsteadily, nodding once to concur, then sprawled on the table again.

"Yuu, oh no! They're both sick!"

Tia frantically tugged my sleeve, so I worriedly inquired of them.

"Hey, what the heck's going on? You two were fine earlier when you boarded the ship, weren't you?"

Firill and Ren turned their pale faces towards me.

"I was reading a book when the world started spinning before my eyes..."

"Mm..."

Firill pointed at the paperback in her hand while Ren pointed at her laptop. With that, I figured out the situation. To put Tia at ease, I placed my hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Tia. They're just seasick."

"Seasick?"

"Yeah, because it's different on a ship. Unlike land, it's always in a rocking state. Some people feel unwell because of that."

After explaining to Tia, I looked at Firill and Ren in exasperation.

"—Say, this is also because you two started reading a book and using the computer despite being unused to ships, you know?"

It was easy to get seasick when doing those things to begin with. That was really obvious, so they were reaping what they sowed.

"But... I really want to read, the culprit will be exposed in just a bit..."

Firill seemed to be reading a mystery novel. Despite her pallid demeanor, she still insisted on reading further.

"Doing that will only make the seasick symptoms worse. Sheesh... I'm confiscating this book for now."

Exasperated, I could only take away the book from Firill's hand.

"Ah!? G-Give it back..."

"I'll return it as soon as your seasick symptoms get better. At this rate, you won't even be able to eat your meals. You'll get sick for real."

"Ooh... I never knew you're this kind of person..."

She glared resentfully at me. Although I felt guilty to some extent, I must not give the book back to Firill in her current state.

Seeing this, Ren hid her laptop underneath her body while watching me with wary eyes.

"Mm!"

Ren waved her hand to shoo me away, but like Firill, her face was pale.

"No, I'm not planning to forcibly confiscate your computer as well, Ren. As long as you rest in your cabin and don't strain to use the computer, I won't do anything."

"...Mm."

Hearing me say that, Ren seemed reassured, nodding frequently.

"Really? You're a good kid, Ren. Are you able to return to your cabin on your own?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and petted Ren's head.

"Mm..."

Despite pouting with displeasure, Ren nodded lightly in acknowledgement.

"Then you two should rest properly."

"Once you get well, play with Tia again!"

Tia and I said goodbye to Firill and Ren then continued our exploration of the ship's interior.

We randomly turned a corner then advanced deeper, but encountered a flight of stairs.

Going down a level would take us to a series of cabins where we were staying. I had gone down to have a look once when moving luggage onto the ship. Perhaps designed with the expectation that VIPs might travel on it, even though it was not a passenger ship, the cabins assigned to us were still quite comfortable. The girls' cabins were near the prow side, while mine was in a corner towards the aft. Despite being on the same level, they were quite far apart.

One more level down should be the storage and engine rooms.

As for going up, I had not tried it yet, but ascending the stairs would probably get us to the bridge.

"Which way do we go?"

Hearing me ask that, Tia thought for a while then pointed up.

"Up is better."

"Got it."

Although we might not be allowed into the bridge, I still accompanied Tia on her adventure, to go everywhere as long as it was open to us.

Tia and I followed the metal staircase that was painted white. Immediately, we heard faint sounds of voices coming from above. With every step we took, the voices grew louder.

Although the words could not be heard, judging from the tone, it seemed to be some kind of dispute, and they were familiar voices.

"...Lisa and Mitsuki's voices."

Tia pulled my hand and quickened her pace. Thinking something had happened, I ran up the stairs too.

After going up two levels, I could heard the voices clearly. Reading the sign located at the landing, this was a level used for a conference room and other purposes.

"—And that is why I still cannot forgive you even now!"

"It matters not to me that you cannot forgive me, because what I had done was unforgivable!"

Lisa and Mitsuki's voices were coming from around the corner. I could also see Ariella hiding in the corner, peering at the situation in the corridor.

Ariella showed a troubled expression immediately after discovering us.

"Oh, it's you guys? Uh, just as you can hear, Mitsuki and Lisa are occupied right now. You'd better come back later if you need to find them for something."

"Lisa and Mitsuki are fighting? You're not stopping them?"

Tia asked Ariella in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I'd like to stop them but it doesn't seem like a problem I can just butt in."

Ariella sighed and shrugged, looking very helpless.

Tia and I did not know what had happened between them, so we listened carefully to the arguing voices.

"—Mitsuki-san, are you insisting that you will shoulder everything alone, be it the crime of killing Miyako-san or the responsibility of atoning for that?"

"Of course that is what I believe. I have no wish to push my responsibilities on others!"

"Hmph, what pretty sounding words. But no one will understand you and no one will follow you so long as you continue to monopolize that kind of resolve. Aren't there many things that you ought to confront bravely?"

"I-I am confronting bravely—"

"Do not say such words lightly when you clearly have not tried to obtain my forgiveness!"

"!"

Lisa's shout caused Mitsuki to swallow the remainder of what she was going to say.

I peered discreetly around the corner. Lisa had her arms crossed before her chest, standing with her feet apart. On the other hand, Mitsuki was in front of her, head lowered, shoulders shaking nonstop.

"Lisa... is very angry."

Similarly poking her head out, Tia under me remarked quietly.

Just as Tia described, Lisa was exuding anger that I had never seen before. Although I had incurred Lisa's wrath many times before, no occasion could compare to how angry Lisa was right now.

The dispute seemed to have started because of the subject of Shinomiya Miyako. This I can understand why Ariella could not interrupt. Because someone trying to intervene without knowing the details would only make matters worse.

I did not know much either.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend Shinomiya Miyako whereas Lisa still could not forgive this act. Lisa had also said before that she still could not approve even though she knew it was unavoidable.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 069.jpg|thumb]]

"Mitsuki-san, could you say something?"

Lisa asked the silent Mitsuki.

"......!"

But Mitsuki turned around to leave as though fleeing, unable to say a single word in return.

Seeing Mitsuki coming towards us, we frantically leaned our backs against the wall. Luckily, Mitsuki walked past us to the other end of the corridor without noticing us. Noticing that she seemed to be crying, I wondered whether I should chase after her or not.

"The people over there, how much longer are you going to hide?"

But just as I was hesitating, I heard Lisa yelled in our direction. Although Mitsuki had not noticed us, Lisa had discovered us out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry, I originally did not mean to eavesdrop..."

Ariella walked out apologetically. Tia and I followed.

"Sorry, it was because I heard voices."

"Because Tia heard angry voices, Tia was very worried..."

Seeing me and Tia apologize, Lisa sighed.

"Sigh, more eavesdroppers come out, one after another... Never mind, it's fine even if you overheard. Since we chose to converse in the corridor, I am in no position to blame you for eavesdropping.

Lisa spoke wearily then gazed in the direction where Mitsuki had fled.

"...However, if possible, I hope all of you will pretend you did not hear the earlier conversation. If you are worrying about Mitsuki-san, there is no need. Because once the evening meeting starts, she will appear as though nothing had happened, as usual like every other time..."

Hearing Lisa's bitter tone of voice, I asked her:

"As usual like every other time... Do you fight like this often?"

"Occasionally. The last time I argued with her was when Leviathan approached. We got into a dispute over interception matters and it developed into a fight like just now. The same goes for this time, it was originally just a discussion on future plans..."

I heard lisa saying "why did it end up like this?" quietly followed by a deep sigh.

"That's—"

On reflex, I wanted to say "because you still refuse to forgive Mitsuki, Lisa" but stopped myself. Because even if I accused Lisa, it would only make things more complicated. I noticed that Mitsuki's tears seemed to have made me lose my cool.

"...If you have something to say, I hope you can finish what you started out to say. Nevertheless, I can probably imagine the gist of it."

After speaking harshly to me like that, Lisa walked past us and went up the stairs.

In the end, I watched Lisa leave without being able to say a single word.

After Lisa was out of sight, Ariella relaxed her shoulders and said:

"Even though it's just the beginning, it feels like there are tough times ahead. Although given their personalities, they're still going to perform their duties properly... But it still doesn't feel reassuring."

Tia also concurred with a worried face.

"Yeah... It's not good to keep fighting. Tia wishes they could make up."

"...That's right."

As much as I agreed with Tia, I also understood that it was no easy task. This problem was quite deep-rooted, because Mitsuki and Lisa's dispute had persisted all the way from two years ago ever since Shinomiya Miyako's passing.

It looked like I should not go chasing after Mitsuki either. If I made things worse, it might make prevent Mitsuki from even feigning "things as normal."

But I did not think that maintaining the status quo was the right answer either.

—I really want to find a way to mediate this.

In any case, I should try finding a solution.

Because if those two could reconcile, perhaps it could also eliminate Mitsuki's insecurities.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 3 Chapter 1

2020-05-17T06:49:21Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 1 - The Invading Basilisk==

===Part 1===

Somehow, I found myself having trouble breathing. My body was unable to move.

Every breath I took came with a whiff of fragrance.

Although smothered, it did not feel unpleasant at all. With that kind of unbelievable feeling, I opened my eyes slightly.

Then I was so surprised that I even forgot to breathe.

...!?

In front of my eyes was pale skin. Tender as a newborn baby's, skin giving off a fragrant scent—A voluptuous bust was covering my face.

"Mmm... Mononobe..."

Someone was calling my name lightly next to my ear. It seemed like someone was hugging me.

As for that someone—I was 80-90% sure it was Iris.

Without looking at her face, I could instantly tell from her voice.

Iris Freyja was my classmate in Brynhildr Class, a beautiful maiden with sparkling silver hair.

She was also the only person who had given me the taste of a kiss.

But that was like a reward gift—Although Iris and I were good friends, it was not the kind of relationship where we could be locked passionately in an embrace like this in bed.

Hence, my mind was in turmoil. Despite trying to figure out the situation, I could not think properly.

Iris' bodily scent and soft bosom were blanking out my mind.

"Ah... Mononobe... Mmm..."

Hearing Iris' voice next to my ear, my back shuddered.

It felt like someone was using her fingers to comb my hair. Iris was apparently awake.

Then I heard the sound of someone sniffing.

"Mononobe's smell, sure enough... it's so soothing..."

Iris buried her face in my hair, exhaling hot breath.

I shifted my gaze to confirm. Although Iris had her top unbuttoned, she essentially still had her clothes on. She was wearing her school uniform.

My view was dominated by Iris' chest, which prevented me from acquiring more detailed information. But as my brain started to operate after waking up, I recalled that this was a sickroom in the medical building rather than my own room.

I was injured during the battle five days earlier—in other words, "Blue" Hekatonkheir and Kili's attack on Midgard, which was why I was currently under treatment in the medical building.

Although the more heavily injured left shoulder still could not move, the fever arising from my wounds had subsided. Starting today, I could attend classes. Hence, I was scheduled to be discharged today if there were no problems.

"...Mononobe will feel soothed too, right... Hugging you like this... You'll forget your pain and suffering, right...?"

Iris hugged my head tightly, burying the tip of my nose in her cleavage. It felt very soft, warm, and comfortable—even though I was almost about to suffocate.

I heard the beat of Iris' heart. Or was this my own heartbeat?

"Don't worry, Mononobe... You won't have nightmares as long as someone is by your side... Because I didn't have nightmares that time."

Iris was probably talking about the time when "White" Leviathan had targeted her. To help her feel at ease, I had lent my back for her to lean on.

—Maybe I was having a nightmare earlier.

Although I had no recollection of it, that was probably the case. Now that the painkiller's effect had subsided, my left shoulder was hurting. It did not come as a surprise that I would have nightmares in such a state.

I guessed that Iris was doing this to put me at ease. After figuring out the reason, I was no longer panicking but that still did not change the situation.

Or perhaps, now that I had less to think about and occupy my mind, I became even more strongly conscious of Iris' body warmth.

Iris relaxed her embrace slightly, murmuring softly to herself:

"However... For some reason, even though my emotions are clearly calm... my body is getting hot—something seems to be tugging at my heart... even though it didn't happen before... it doesn't feel right somehow... so weird... hmm—"

Iris' exhaled breaths were hot. She moved, causing our bodies, in close contact, to touch and rub against each other, forcing me to hold my breath for several seconds. Had I not done that, I might have succumbed to an indescribable impulse.

"Ah... Mmm... Mononobe..."

Iris moved restlessly, calling my name in a somewhat lamenting manner.

Iris' heart had been beating fast since a while ago. My heart was beating madly too.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I lost self-control. But under such conditions, even if I told her I had already woken up, I had a feeling that it would still bring about something irrevocable.

"Ya... Mmm..."

Iris exhaled hot breath and sandwiched my face between her soft breasts. I understood that there was no time to lose, so I called upon my inexperienced "acting skills."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 021.jpg|thumb]]

"Ooh..."

I deliberately groaned as a hint to Iris that I was about to wake up.

"Hyah!?"

Iris immediately screamed and released my head. Normally speaking, I should have woken up from her cry but I continued to pretend I was still asleep.

"Hmm..."

"M-Mononobe, don't wake up yet! Don't wake up!"

Iris frantically climbed off the bed. As reluctant as I was to leave her body warmth, I did not try to make her stay. Then after counting thirty seconds silently in my mind, I opened my eyes lightly with caution.

"G-Good morning, Mononobe!"

Iris was sitting in a chair next to the bed, smiling stiffly as she greeted me. Her face was still flushed red but I deliberately pretended not to notice and responded:

"Good morning, Iris, why did you come here this early in the morning...?"

Seeing that her unbuttoned top was already fixed up, I secretly felt relieved and asked her that. At the moment, the digital clock on the side of the sickbed read 6am.

"Oh, umm, Mononobe, you're going to class starting today, right? So I wanted to welcome you back!"

"Welcome me back... I'm happy you're doing that but isn't it a bit too early?"

Although Iris' busty embrace had swept all sense of drowsiness from me, I would normally be asleep at this hour.

"Oh, right, actually I was planning to wake you up later. So... I'm sorry. If you're still sleepy, you can continue sleeping, you know?"

Iris spoke apologetically.

"It's okay, I feel particularly energized waking up today so I'm not sleepy. This is probably because—I had a good dream."

"I-I see!"

Iris replied happily, a smile blooming on her face.

It was probably thanks to Iris that I did not remember the contents of my nightmare. Surely, it was Iris' heartbeat and body warmth that had driven away my feelings of suffering.

But since I could not thank her directly while feigning ignorance, my only choice was to tell a little lie and say I had a good dream.

No, in actual fact after waking up, I really did enjoy a wonderful dream.

I could not help but recall Iris' snow-white skin, so I hastily shook my head to drive those thoughts away.

"Mononobe, what's with you? Do you know that your face is very red?"

Despite her own red face, Iris asked me with puzzlement.

I suppressed the urge to retort, avoided eye contact and said "it's nothing."

"Really? Then since you have to get up, Mononobe, why don't I help you change? Your left arm can't move, so it must be inconvenient, right?"

Iris stood up from her seat and brought over the school uniform that was hanging in the closet. My sister Mitsuki had brought this uniform from the dorm for me yesterday.

"Sure, that'd be a great help—"

However, I stopped mid-sentence. I discovered there would be a serious problem if she helped me to change.

"—No wait, forget it! I can get changed on my own!"

Not only had I just woken up, I had also viewed Iris' tender skin up close immediately after waking up. How could I calm down immediately? If I undressed under such conditions, things would be extremely bad.

"Jeez, Mononobe, you're a patient. You're not allowed to act polite towards me. If you move forcefully, your wound might open up."

Iris had a very good point. Unless I told her the real reason, she was probably not going to be dissuaded. But that would only make the mood turn embarrassing. This was foreseeable too.

"T-That's right, but... there might be an examination in the morning, so it's fine to get changed after that..."

Since I could not find an excuse, I tried to stall for time so that I could calm down first.

"Oh, I asked the nurse about that already. She said you just need to make a visit to the infirmary before going to class. Also, I heard that breakfast will be served at the school cafeteria, so let's go together after you're done changing."

Iris smiled with 100% benevolent intentions. Given her carelessness, this was quite well thought out of her, but it mercilessly sealed off my avenues of escape.

"No, but..."

Just as I was breaking out in cold sweat, thinking of excuses, Iris peered at my face as though she figured out something.

"Mononobe, don't tell me... you're shy about getting undressed by me?"

"Urgh..."

Iris was not far from the truth, rendering me speechless. Immediately, she made an expression as though a great idea had occurred to her and chuckled.

"I see, so Mononobe gets shy too! I was so embarrassed when you saw me naked, Mononobe, with this we'll be even."

Perhaps as revenge for that time, Iris gleefully reached towards my clothing.

"H-Hey, wait! Wait first, just a short while!"

"No, don't move recklessly or it'll affect your injuries, okay? Don't move."

Iris climbed onto the bed and pinned me down lightly. Then straddling directly me like that, she began to unbutton my light-green hospital gown.

"H-Hey!?"

"Fufu, it feels like you're a bit cute today, Mononobe, hmm... Weird? What is this...? It feels like something's poking my bum—"

"!?"

Just as the situation turned desperate, the sickroom's door was opened loudly.

"Ah! What are you doing, Iris!?"

The petite little girl with horns on her head entered the room and yelled loudly.

Saying she had horns on her head was not a metaphor for anger. Rather, it was a true description of her appearance. A D named Tia Lightning. Her age would put her in elementary school, but due to various reasons, she had transferred into Brynhildr Class where I studied.

Shaking her beautiful fluttering hair, which looked pink in the light, Tia rushed over to the side of my bed.

"Yuu will become Tia's husband! S-So, not allowed to do dirty things with anyone apart from the wife!"

Tia climbed on the bed and pushed aside Iris, who was straddling me.

"W-We're not doing anything dirty. I just wanted to help Mononobe get changed!"

Iris exchanged glares with Tia across me, but her face was still blushing.

Because she realized what the scene looked like to others, with her straddling and undressing me.

"Then Tia will help Yuu change too! Because taking care of the husband is the wife's job!!"

"You haven't married Monobe, Tia, so you don't have that kind of priority! So first come first served. I tried very hard today to get up early!"

Refusing to back down against the aggressive Tia, Iris retorted and argued.

I could almost see sparks flying between them. No, there really could be sparks because Tia had a bad habit. Whenever she got emotional, she would subconsciously generate dark matter, converting it into electrical currents.

"......"

Without interjecting thoughtlessly, I quietly watched them argue.

Normally, I would have intervened to stop them, but right now, what I needed most was time.

After roughly ten minutes, Iris and Tia finally reached an agreement. They would cooperate and take turns to assist me in changing.

During those ten minutes, I finally managed to settle down.

===Part 2===

Twenty-five years ago, the first dragon—"Black" Vritra—made its appearance in the sky above Japan.

Ever since, children possessing the same power as Vritra—the Ds with the ability to generate dark matter—were born among humans. The tropical island where they were gathered was Midgard here.

When Midgard was first established, it leaned heavily towards a detention facility in purpose, but now, it had become a self-governed organization with massive influence over the world.

There was extremely high economic value in the ability to transmute dark matter into any substance. Hence, Ds contributed to society by using their powers to undertake jobs to produce rare resources.

However, Midgard also had an undisclosed function. Namely, to intercept and defeat dragons that were attacking in search of ''mates''.

Targeted Ds would turn into the same type of dragon when they came into contact with the dragon targeting them. Currently a target, Tia Lightning was sitting on my lap.

The red dragon—"Red" Basilisk—had chosen Tia and was apparently crossing the African continent right now in pursuit of her. However, there was an ocean between Midgard and the continent, hence, it was still unknown whether Basilisk would cross the ocean, seeing as its body structure was not suited to swimming.

"Here, say ah—"

Sitting sideways on my lap—more precisely, on my thigh—Tia was bringing a sandwich towards me with an innocent and pure smile on her face.

She looked completely carefree but until five days ago, she had been insisting she was a dragon, thus raising a huge wall between herself and the other Ds.

But in response to her classmates' gentle treatment, Tia had by her own will rejected Kili, the leader of the dragon worshiping cult the Sons of Muspell, thus choosing to live with us as a human. That was why she was staying here now.

Initially, Tia had refused to leave my side but because I was hospitalized, she was currently living with her classmate Lisa in the student dormitories.

"Yuu, hurry up."

Asking me to indulge her, Tia urged me to open my mouth. Although she was now getting along well with others, she still did not change her tendency to make me dote on her. Although I had suggested to her that I hope she would not sit on my lap anymore, Tia insisted that she could hold herself back during class but I had to obey her now.

"...Can't be helped."

I gave up resisting and obediently bit the sandwich.

We were currently in the cafeteria on the ground floor of the catering building. Of course, there were other people watching and this sort of behavior was very embarrassing, but if I declined, Tia and Iris might start arguing again.

In the sickroom earlier, Tia and Iris had reached a consensus to take turns helping me change. But they continued to "care" for me even while we were traveling to the cafeteria.

"Mononobe, it's my turn next."

Sitting on my right, Iris leaned closer and presented me with a sandwich. As a side note, Tia was feeding me an egg sandwich while Iris was holding a tuna sandwich.

My right hand could move normally so it made me feel bad that I even needed help to eat meals. Nevertheless, when I voiced my view, Iris' answer was "this has nothing to do with that."

"...Thanks."

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I bit Iris' sandwich as well.

"Ehehe!"

Iris' face relaxed and she made a happy expression. Feeling unable to look her in the eye, I chewed the sandwich while my gaze kept wandering.

"Hurry hurry, eat Tia's too."

Seeing this, Tia impatiently extended her sandwich again.

Under their urging, I ate their sandwiches in alternate bites. However, eating sandwiches alone made me start to feel thirsty.

But because the sandwiches were delivered to my mouth without pause, I could not find the chance to speak for a long time.

"—Tia-san, Iris-san, this cannot be called care, you know?"

Immediately, a voice was heard with sighing tones.

I turned my head to look at the source, instantly making eye contact with a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Gulp... Good morning, Lisa."

I hastily swallowed the sandwich in my mouth and greeted my classmate, Lisa Highwalker. Lisa tossed her long blonde hair and answered me with a scowl.

"Good morning. How exalted your position must be, to have two girls serving you so early in the morning."

Hearing Lisa's sarcastic tone, I frantically explained myself.

"No, I didn't ask them to serve me. They're trying to help me in my injured state—"

"Oh, is that so? But do you truly need the assistance?"

"Well..."

If it was just eating, I could manage without their help, so I fell speechless.

"Letting others help unnecessarily is tantamount to asking them to serve you. Also, Tia-san and Iris-san—The two of you have erred to an absurd extent."

"Kyah!?"

"...Lisa so scary."

Hearing Lisa's harsh tone of voice, Iris and Tia shrank their shoulders in fright.

"Did you know that excessive care may sometimes burden the receiver? You two should try to think from his perspective and only assist him on necessary tasks."

After saying that, Lisa took a cup of water that was on the table and presented it to me.

"...You are thirsty, am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks."

I thanked her and took the cup with my left hand, then drank the entire cup.

"Mononobe Yuu, you must decide for yourself the occasion when you need to ask for help. If it is something truly necessary, I will assist you with my full power too."

Despite turning her head away fiercely, Lisa made me that kind of offer.

Stunned, Iris and Tia stared at Lisa.

"Lisa-chan is so cool..."

Iris murmured with eyes of worship.

"Lisa is amazing..."

Tia offered her a gaze of respect.

"I-I simply said something that was a matter of fact."

Seeing Lisa explain modestly in embarrassment, I also praised her.

"Lisa really is a good woman indeed."

On further thought, it was quite unnatural for Lisa to appear on campus early in the morning. Perhaps she had come to school this early for the sake of helping me resume school life.

"Y-You are saying that again! Is making me the brunt of your jokes that amusing!?"

Instantly gone red in the face, Lisa glared at me viciously.

"No, I'm not joking about you. It's just that I couldn't think of any other way of putting it."

"Then my wish is that you could study seriously and learn more vocabulary."

Arms crossed, Lisa replied unhappily but her cheeks remained red.

Seeing that kind of reaction from her, I could not help but smile. This time, I really wanted to play a joke on her.

But just as I was about to tease her, there was suddenly a quiet commotion coming from the lounge where the vending machine was located. Noticing unusual vibes in the voices, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Did something happen?"

Intrigued, Iris asked quietly.

There were staff having breakfast in the cafeteria like us and they also looked towards the lounge, unsure what had happened. Things like "hey, come over here" and "what's going on..." could be heard from the lounge.

"Yuu... Tia has a bad feeling about this."

Tia clutched my uniform tightly with a worried look.

Only then did I remember that apart from the vending machine, there was also a satellite television in the lounge as well.

"Let us head over to verify what happened."

Saying that, Lisa urged us to move.

Hence, The four of us went to the lounge and saw many staff with their eyes fixated on the television. Shown on the screen was the overhead view of a coast somewhere.

"What..."

Seeing that screen, I was instantly speechless.

One type of news had absolutely first priority no matter which country in the world.

Namely, news regarding dragons that moved around on whim without regard for national borders, the disasters they caused, as well as disaster predictions.

Currently airing were images from news linked to a dragon disaster.

But this was a type of dragon disaster I had never seen before.

The sea had a patch of it dyed pure white. Judging from the map on the right of the screen, the scene was near the equator on the African continent, a place where the ocean could not possibly freeze.

In fact, whether the words on the screen or what the newscaster reported, neither indicated that the ocean was exhibiting a freezing phenomenon.

What the news reported was—

Moving across the African continent, after reaching the coast, Basilisk had turned the surrounding seawater into salt completely.

===Part 3===

"I believe many of you have already learned through the media that Basilisk has finally begun to cross the sea."

Standing on the podium, announcing gravely was my little sister, who was simultaneously the student council president of Midgard ''Academy''—Mononobe Mitsuki. Despite her short stature, one did not get any impression of unreliability from her. A sense of solemnity could be felt from her tense expression.

"Believed to be unable to swim on grounds of its bodily structure, Basilisk is turning seawater into salt. Rather than taking the land route of the Eurasian continent, it is advancing towards Midgard along the shortest distance. Roughly one month from now, it will have crossed the Indian Ocean, passing the Indonesian archipelago to reach us."

A slight clamor arose between the students after listening to Mitsuki.

The first day I returned to school, the timetable was suddenly changed to hold an impromptu full-school assembly. Mitsuki was originally visiting me frequently at the sickroom, but today was the only day when she did not appear, probably because of the Basilisk incident. Also, the assembly was taking place in the sports ground instead of the usual gym.

When the clock tower was destroyed by Hekatonkheir the other day, its debris had apparently struck the gym's roof directly. Hence, the gym was currently barred from usage. Looking around me, I could see the lower half of the slanted, collapsed, and bifurcated clock tower.

"However, this development is within our expectations. Midgard and NIFL have independently planned operations capable of dealing lethal damage to Basilisk and made preparations. We have sufficient chances of victory."

Perhaps to encourage everyone, Mitsuki declared firmly, causing many students to nod in response with determined expressions. Since recent lessons involved training under the assumption of fighting Basilisk, everyone had a certain level of confidence and preparedness. There was no gloomy mood like for Leviathan's attack.

"Detailed plans will be explained to members selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Please prepare yourselves, everyone."

After announcing the necessary facts concisely, Mitsuki descended from the podium.

Although noon had not arrived yet, the sun was already shining intensely. Perhaps Mitsuki had judged that a long speech in tropical Midgard would be a bad idea.

After a teacher went on the podium to make a few announcements, the full-school assembly was dismissed.

"After hearing Mitsuki-chan's speech, it really feels like there won't be a problem."

Walking side by side with me, Iris spoke.

"Mitsuki so cool, as expected of Yuu's little sister."

On my other side, Tia also praised Mitsuki.

"...Yeah."

Although I concurred with them, I was feeling uneasy inside.

I felt the same thing when Leviathan invaded. When fighting dragons, Mitsuki's mindset was likewise troubling.

Just now, although she had urged everyone to prepare themselves mentally, in Mitsuki's case, it seemed like she had prepared too much. In other words, I felt that she seemed to be leaving no margin to spare mentally.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend in the past. She had also said that she was continuing to battle in order to atone for that crime.

Hence, I had also vowed to put everything on the line to terminate her battle.

Even if Mitsuki did not want me to help, I had no intention of going against my vow.

—If Mitsuki does anything reckless, I must stop her.

I was thinking over these matters while returning to our classroom—Brynhildr Class. In the 3x3 arrangement of seats, I was sitting in the back row in the center, flanked by Iris and Mitsuki.

Earlier, Tia had kept treating my lap as her seat but now, she was sitting in the seat in front of me. Turning her head back, her gaze seemed to be asking me, "Is Tia obedient?"

"Very obedient."

I caressed her head. Tia showed a contented smile and turned to face the front.

Sitting on her two sides were the red-haired prodigy, Ren Miyazawa, and the tomboy, Ariella Lu. Tia naturally began to chat with them. Watching this from behind, I knew she had no more problems. I could finally relax. Tia was already getting along as a member of Brynhildr Class.

Seated in the front row were Lisa and the bibliophile who was always reading, Firill Crest. The seat between them was empty. Before I transferred in, the entire middle column was unused, but now, that seat was the only ''opening'' left in the Brynhildr Class.

At this moment, the door opened. Homeroom teacher Shinomiya-sensei and Mitsuki entered together.

Seeing the one empty seat that was now emphasized, what would Mitsuki think? I was quite curious about this.

Student No. 4, Shinomiya Miyako, was Shinomiya-sensei's little sister and also Mitsuki's best friend.

Were she still alive, all the seats in the classroom would be filled.

"—Please be quiet, everyone. Homeroom time still has not ended, so please listen to a few words from me."

Mitsuki stood at the lectern and swept her gaze across us while she spoke. Everyone stopped chatting and directed their gaze at Mitsuki.

On the other hand, Shinomiya-sensei was sitting in the chair next to the lectern, using the register book in her hand to fan herself.

"The members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad for this operation will be centered on our Brynhildr Class. Most likely, every member of the class will be selected. Hence, I will first tell you about the operation's key points."

Almost everyone...? In other words, everyone apart from Tia who was being targeted by Basilisk?

I found it a bit strange but did not interrupt, deciding to listen to Mitsuki first.

"Basilisk fires red beams from its eyes, using the light to turn the target of its ''gaze'' into stone, dust, or salt. The range approaches five kilometers, which is why we cannot fight it directly but must find cover to block its line of sight. However, there are objects for cover on the sea. Consequently, Midgard has decided that the most effective tactic is to lure Basilisk to a desert island in neighboring waters, then blow Basilisk to smithereens together with the island."

Hearing that, Ariella raised her hand to ask a question.

"You mentioned luring Basilisk, but how?"

"Tia-san will be transported to that island temporarily. Because Basilisk's target is Tia-san, it will surely head towards the island. Naturally, before Basilisk arrives, we will let Tia-san retreat."

"Oh, that sounds like it'll work."

Putting down her hand, Ariella seemed to accept the answer. It felt like she had expected this answer more or less.

Then Firill raised her hand and asked Mitsuki:

"...What are the chances that the island will be flattened by Basilisk as soon as it enters visual range?"

"According to data collected so far, even when Basilisk turns vegetation impeding its advance into dust, the landscape remains unaltered. Or rather, even after getting exposed to the red beams, the land does not show significant changes."

"...Now that is quite unbelievable. So Basilisk's red beam is not purely a high firepower attack?"

After listening to Firill, Mitsuki nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. Although there have been various theories regarding Basilisk's ability, abundant data has been obtained from the current incident. Hence, we are currently drawing deductions to narrow down the overall direction. Before the operation is put into action, it should be possible to put forward a more accurate theory."

Basilisk's ability was not fully analyzed yet, it seemed. For one thing, it had stayed in the desert for the past twenty years or so since it appeared, hence a lack of data was very normal.

Prior to this, Basilisk was a dragon that caused no problems unless one approached it. Of course, the country where Basilisk made its residence had things tough, but nothing happened as long as one kept their distance. But precisely because nothing happened, no data was gathered about the dragon, and now, that was the price paid.

All the anti-Basilisk training conducted so far was probably based on the assumption that Basilisk would not leave the desert.

I had to take a test where I had to attack and pierce diamond from a distance of a hundred meters. But now, it was obvious that getting that close to Basilisk was impossible no matter what. The drills on close-range combat probably assumed the battlefield would be the desert with things like sand dunes for cover.

"—Anyone have other questions?"

Mitsuki swept her gaze across us and asked.

Since no one else seemed to have one, I decided to pose the question that had bothered me from the start.

"I do."

I raised my right arm. Mitsuki turned her gaze at me.

"Go ahead, Nii-san."

"Just now, Mitsuki, you mentioned that almost every member of Brynhildr Class will be selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad, which means someone will be excluded?"

At first, I thought Tia would stay behind but according to Mitsuki, she was the center of the operation and absolutely indispensable. This meant that there was someone else who would be excluded.

"Well, although it has not been confirmed yet... I intend to have you stay behind, Nii-san."

"What... Me? Why?"

I asked in surprise.

"Obvious, is it not? Because you are a patient."

"No, wait a sec, there's almost a month until the battle against Basilisk, right? Before that, my wounds would have healed. Taking part in the operation shouldn't be a problem."

I hastily objected but Mitsuki sighed with an exasperated look on her face.

"What would be the point of straining yourself to take part? What this operation requires is high offensive power. Although you possess anti-dragon weapons, Nii-san, you also mentioned before that they cannot be used from unstable positions such as ships or in the air, right?"

"That's... true, yeah."

Countered so completely, I began to stammer.

The anti-dragon weapons I created by borrowing other people's dark matter were only parts from the lost weapon known as Marduk. Hence, there were many incomplete functions. If standing somewhere unstable, I had no confidence I could aim accurately. In addition, I had no idea whether my foothold would be able to withstand the recoil.

"When destroying Basilisk together with the island, of course the attacks will be launched from a ship. Hence, there is no need for you, Nii-san. Furthermore, Lisa-san is enough as the candidate to look after Tia-san."

"Hmm..."

Mitsuki's argument was perfectly logical, but I could not bring myself to agree candidly. If she were to do anything reckless, I needed to be at her side to stop her.

I racked my brain, trying to think of an excuse to use.

Was there no place for me to contribute to the operation? If I could suggest something impossible to replace, something that only I could do—

It suddenly occurred to me. Apart from constructing lost weapons, there was currently one other thing only I could achieve.

"—No, Mitsuki, I believe there is value in bringing me along."

"Eh...?"

"You saw it, right? I created antigravitational matter during the battle against Hekatonkheir. In an emergency, this power might prove to be a useful trump card."

I did not know why I suddenly gained the ability to create antigravitational matter. Before "Green" Yggdrasil urged me to, I never even considered whether it was possible for me to do that kind of thing.

Although this type of uniqueness of unknown origin felt eerie, I was exploiting this fact on purpose right now.

"So, Mitsuki, let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad. When there's a need to adjust battle plans, it's better to have an extra option, right?"

Despite my arguments, Mitsuki still frowned and made a stern expression.

"I understand what you are trying to say, Nii-san, but unknown powers cannot count as an option. Currently, information regarding that ostensibly antigravitational matter is too lacking. And that is still because... Nii-san, you refuse to disclose."

Mitsuki's tone sounded sulking when she added the final sentence.

"It's not because I don't want to say anything, but I don't know anything about it."

"In that case, such a power cannot be relied on."

Mitsuki spoke in a strong tone of voice. She seemed to be getting stubborn, but Shinomiya-sensei intervened.

"Calm down, Mononobe Mitsuki. If information is lacking, how about gathering information as a next step? Besides, we intended to have him examined once he recovers."

"Examined?"

Hearing my doubtful tone, Shinomiya-sensei turned her head to face me.

"Yes, Mononobe Yuu. The higher-ups are very interested in how you successfully created antigravitational matter, hence they would like you to let us investigate and analyze that new substance."

After slightly thinking over what Shinomiya-sensei said, I asked her:

"If the outcome of the examination discovers that antigravitational matter is useful... Will you let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad?"

"We want to raise chances of success too, so even if it's 1%, as long as it seems useful, we will naturally allow you to join."

Hearing this, Mitsuki yelled at Shinomiya-sensei in a rare display.

"Shinomiya-sensei!"

"This is a logical decision. You will be the one suffering in regret if the operation fails because you refuse the best options on account of personal feelings."

Shinomiya-sensei persuaded Mitsuki in a calm tone of voice.

"......I understand."

After several seconds of silence, Mitsuki reluctantly nodded. Then she glared at me silently. But rather than angry, her expression seemed more like she was fearing something.

===Part 4===

The examination occurred that day after school, in a special training site underground.

Unlike the one normally used for special ability practicals, there were all sorts of devices on the walls, resembling measuring instruments. There was a large glass window near the ceiling with women in lab coats walking around on the other side. That was probably the monitoring room where they analyzed all sorts of data.

Shinomiya-sensei, Mitsuki and I were the only ones in the training site. None of the other classmates were present. Apparently, since all data gathered from this point onwards would be top secret, ordinary students were barred from entering.

To be honest, I had no confidence whether I could create antigravitational matter again. After all, I did not even know how to transmute it from dark matter. Neither could I simulate it in my mind.

Nevertheless, my worries proved to be unnecessary.

Because my dark matter would automatically metamorphosize as soon as I wanted to create antigravitational matter.

Thus, antigravitational matter would appear in my hand effortlessly.

My attempts had already reached double digits but I still had not failed even once.

"...Very well, Mononobe Yuu, start again from the beginning."

"Yes."

I followed Shinomiya-sensei's orders and generated dark matter in my right hand.

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Then maintaining its nature as dark matter, I simply altered its form into a large-caliber ornamental gun.

After many attempts, I found out something. Namely, compared to direction conversion from dark matter, it was easier to control minute transmutations through a fictional armament.

I looked ahead to see small red bricks, roughly 10 cm in size, scattered across the training site's white floor. This was to make the effects of antigravitational matter more visually distinct.

I aimed at the floor thirty or forty meters away and said quietly:

"Antigravity."

This was the name of Leviathan's ability. This was a suitable name for picturing the substance to be created.

I transmitted the image and pulled the trigger.

A bullet of dark matter shot out, turning into antigravitational matter at the spot where I had aimed. While white light shone, the surrounding red bricks floated up as though they were in water.

Although the wave of floating bricks flowed over here, they stopped just as they were about to reach my feet.

The white glow lasted for roughly ten seconds before vanishing. Then the floating bricks also fell to the floor again.

"Hmm... One shot's worth is enough to neutralize gravity within a radius of roughly thirty meters. The duration is approximately ten seconds. Considering that a full-powered shot can take effect in a radius of a hundred meters for thirty seconds, this figure could be considered reasonable."

Standing in the back, Shinomiya-sensei offered her opinion.

"For the second shot, try converting to antigravitational matter with a higher density."

"Yes."

I nodded. Aiming for the same spot as the first shot, I fired the bullet.

Immediately, white light brighter than before was shot out. The surrounding bricks flew away in a radial pattern.

"...By increasing the density, it will apparently produce a strong repulsive field. But both the range and duration of effect are less than one tenth of earlier."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice was heard from behind.

Siegfried could fire three bullets of dark matter at most. For the final shot, I created relatively low-density antigravitational matter. As expected, the range and duration increased, but the only effect was weight reduction to some extent.

Thus, after I tested all the possible modes I could think of, the examination finally ended.

"I'm at my limit..."

Transmuting dark matter strained the mind and tired the body.

Having created antigravitational matter persistently, I leaned against the wall in exhaustion and sat on the ground.

"Good work, Mononobe Yuu, thank you for your cooperation."

Shinomiya-sensei praised me during my state of fatigue. Her gaze fell upon the screen of a portal terminal.

"...So what's the conclusion about the Dragon Subjugation Squad thing?"

I asked her while catching my breath.

"There's no need to make a hasty conclusion. Data analysis is not complete yet. But personally, I think there is no liability in taking you along, because the repulsive field can serve as a defense measure that does not depend on physical barriers."

Replying that to me, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the monitoring room.

Left behind, I looked timidly at Mitsuki standing next to me. Whether during the examination or after I came over to her side, she had remained silent. It made me a bit afraid.

"...How lovely, Nii-san."

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she finally spoke. But whether her tone of voice or expression, both gave off an air of displeasure.

"Are you that against my participation in the operation?"

"If it's only as a precautionary measure for emergencies... I have no wish of bringing you in your injured state to a dangerous location just for the sake of such an ambiguous reason."

"I'm very glad you're worried about me, but I have to go no matter what. Personal feelings aside, there shouldn't be any drawback to have additional backup personnel."

I asserted but after hearing me say that, Mitsuki shook her head gravely.

"No, there is a drawback. Suppose the operation were to fail and develop into the worst-case scenario—There will be one more person dead. This situation is different from the time with Leviathan."

"...Compared to Leviathan, isn't Basilisk easier to defeat?"

Mitsuki's words filled me with doubt, so I asked.

Back when Leviathan was invading, Mitsuki mentioned that Leviathan was considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they were to handle. Then that meant Basilisk should be easier to handle than Leviathan, right?

"Indeed, Leviathan was a dragon that was extremely difficult to attack... Even to the point of impossibility. Compared to that, in terms of being able to devise an attack plan, Basilisk is much easier than Leviathan. But on the matter of risk during battle, the two cannot be compared."

"...Risk?"

I repeated like a parrot. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes, Basilisk's red beams fly towards the target at light speed, which of course means it is impossible to evade after seeing it. Since a direct confrontation is equivalent to suicide, the risk is much higher when standing on the frontline, which is why I did not wish to take you along, seeing as you are irrelevant to the details of the operation..."

Mitsuki answered unhappily. Then lowering her head, she continued:

"If this operation fails, as long as you stay in Midgard, perhaps a new battle plan could be devised using antigravitational matter, so as to make a comeback. But if you came along with us, Nii-san, it would be a totally meaningless sacrifice if you got killed without doing anything."

"But it's possible that everyone gets saved because I'm there."

"True, but..."

Despite acknowledging my point, Mitsuki sounded quite disapproving in tone. Nevertheless, she did not argue further. She probably thought that a dispute about possibilities would lead nowhere.

—But that being said, I never knew that the operation this time was so dangerous.

Now I could understand why Mitsuki was so overly tense. Because her judgment could decide other people's survival, no wonder she was putting so much pressure on herself.

Precisely because of that... I must stay by her side after all.

But even if this topic continued, clearly it would only make the mood worse. Hence, I tried to find a different topic of conversation. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Mitsuki secretly glanced at me sideways to see my reaction.

For siblings, this unnatural silence persisted quite a while on this rare occasion.

The awkward atmosphere was making me anxious, so I said half-heartedly:

"M-Mitsuki, why did I gain the ability to make antigravitational matter?"

"W-Who knows? If you do not know, Nii-san, I cannot possibly know either. However... Although I was quite surprised initially, it is possible that your situation might be the same as mine back then."

"Your situation back then?"

Not understanding what she meant, I asked.

Then another voice entered our conversation.

"—Meaning that you are not the first person to emulate a dragon's ability."

I took a closer look and discovered that the principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart, were also present.

The principal walked over, her long blonde hair fluttering lightly, and stopped next to my collapsed state. Still the same as always, she looked like a teenaged girl. She would definitely be mistaken for a student if she were to wear the uniform. But she was undoubtedly Midgard's chief administrator.

Mica-san was dressed as a maid as usual while the principal had a lab coat over casual clothing.

"...Principal, were you watching while I was being examined?"

The principal nodded at my question.

"Yeah, in the monitoring room. Say, how much longer are you going to lie there? Do you really want to see my underwear that much?"

"Eh? N-No, sorry..."

I frantically stood up. Although the principal's lab coat had a long hem, the skirt underneath was especially short. From my position, her underwear was almost visible.

"I apologize for my brother's indiscretion."

Mitsuki glared at me coldly before bowing her head to apologize to the principal.

"It's fine, don't let it bother you. Because I can understand the feelings of finding girls' underwear attractive."

"...Huh?"

Seeing Mitsuki's shocked expression, the principal deliberately.

"Cough, nothing much, I accidentally spoke from the heart, that's all."

"...Principal, no second chances."

Mica-san's smile felt extraordinarily scary. Cold sweat appeared on the principal's forehead as she turned her gaze to me.

"B-Back to the main topic. Judging from the situation just now, you evidently have no idea what was the impetus that allowed Ds to create mithril or antimatter, right?"

"Impetus... Huh? I definitely never heard about it."

I only knew that these two substances were considered ultimate offense and defense.

"Speaking of which, neither mithril nor antimatter could be created by anyone in the beginning. But after the battle against the dragon capable of manipulating those two substances—'Purple' Kraken—someone capable of emulating the antimatter projectile appeared about the Ds."

"Isn't that..."

I looked at Mitsuki.

"Indeed, it was your sister. An after the Kraken was vanquished, Ds capable of transmuting mithril successfully appeared one after another."

"Is that true, Mitsuki?"

I asked Mitsuki for confirmation. Perhaps because the subject brought up the Kraken battle, Mitsuki's expression was a bit dark.

"Yes, it is true. Without conscious intent, I successfully emulated the Kraken's antimatter projectile."

Mitsuki answered but it seemed like she could offer no further explanation to that.

I finally understood what she meant by "the same." The situation was the same for Mitsuki and me, who suddenly became able to create antigravitational matter.

Seeing me taken back by surprise, the principal continued to explain.

"In other words, the reason why you are able to create antigravitational matter, the key trigger could very well be the battle against Leviathan, or related to its defeat. But why this happens, the most fundamental reason still eludes understanding, that's all."

The principal smiled wryly and made a slight shrug.

"Uh, but that's the key..."

"Don't put it that way. Just knowing that there's precedent should be enough to reassure you, right? Now, you'll neither feel arrogant for being special nor need to fear that you're heretical."

"Well, that's true."

After nodding to concur, I suddenly thought—

Did the principal come here for the purpose of encouraging me?

"Although you had to undergo careful examination, with this, you won't need to be treated as a lab rat from now on. But just like your sister, you might need to shoulder a little more responsibility."

The principal's blue eyes stared at me while she smiled suggestively.

"I'm actually getting what I want if this allows me to help Mitsuki or friends in need."

"...An excellent mindset. Then do your best."

Nodding with satisfaction, the principal turned around.

"Let's get going, Mica."

"Yes."

The two of them started making their way to the elevator, but along the way, the principal looked back.

"Ahhh, I just remembered. By the way, all Ds could be considered humans who had stolen Vritra's ability. Fufu, if you look at it from those dragons' perspective, humans are actually the robbers who are stealing their special rights successively, striking fear into their hearts."

The principal smiled happily.

"So there's no need for you to hold back. If Basilisk has any ability to steal, go ahead and steal it. Because you are the dragons' hunters, not their prey."

After encouraging us in this manner, the principal departed with Mica-san for real. Her powerful presence did not match her petite stature. Ultimately, the title of Midgard's chief administrator was not just for show.

"...Who is she actually? Mitsuki, do you know anything about her?"

Watching the principal's back, I asked Mitsuki.

"No, I have no idea either, but I have heard rumors... It was all thanks to her that Midgard was able to gain independence to become an autonomous educational institute, thus rapidly expanding its influence over the world."

"The mystery deepens... And her age is unknown."

"This is only hearsay, but reportedly, she has been on this island ever since the inception of Midgard..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I could not help but show a stiff expression.

"Y-You're kidding, right? Because wouldn't that make her—"

I almost blurted out the age I guessed but hastily swallowed my words.

Because I felt an inexplicable chill run along my spine, similar to when I sensed life threatening danger on the battlefield. Clearly the principal could not hear our conversation, but my instincts rejected such a notion.

"...No, we'd better not pry unnecessarily."

In the end, for the sake of self-preservation, I deliberately said those words.

===Part 5===

Two days after I was examined, the participants in the operation were officially announced.

A total of twenty, of which eight were students from Brynhildr Class. Luckily, my name was included.

Considering the scale of the operation, this headcount was smaller than I had imagined. This was probably the result of trying to minimize risk to prevent the worst-case scenario.

On the day it was announced, we were briefed officially and informed of the planned itinerary.

To lure Basilisk, Brynhildr Class was apparently heading first to the uninhabited island.

Then the next day, after rushed preparations, we were already on the ship.

"Mononobe, look, Midgard became so small!"

Pointing at the island in the distance, Iris spoke excitedly.

"...Viewing that island from outside, the feeling is quite strange."

I could not help but feel poignantly how small our world was as Ds.

The sky and the sea stretched limitlessly. The tiny island floating alone between the sky and the sea was Midgard where we had been staying just earlier.

The students of Brynhildr Class boarded the ship today and set sail for the uninhabited island where Basilisk was to be lured. This ship was a transport ship that Midgard used to move supplies and did not have any weaponry.

A request to NIFL could probably get them to lend us a much faster battleship, but that would give them an excuse to interfere in our operation. As the commander of this operation, Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite wary of NIFL's interference.

Due to NIFL sending a team to infiltrate Midgard during Leviathan's invasion, a vast gulf had apparently arose between the two sides. Although I felt uneasy about how the two sides could not cooperate, at least it was better than them trying to get in each other's way.

—I hoped this would not develop into a conflict between humans.

While staring out blankly towards Midgard as it gradually disappeared over the horizon, I thought to myself. Compared to dragons, I was more adept at fighting humans, but I did not like to do that.

"Oh, Mononobe! Isn't that a dolphin?"

Rocking my shoulder, Iris pointed diagonally behind the ship. There was a school of dolphins swimming as though they were chasing the ship. Slicing through the water surface with their dorsal fins, they sometimes jumped skillfully using their speed, tracing out beautiful curves.

But compared to dolphins, the side view of Iris' elated face attracted my eyes more.

"...Is there something stuck to my face?"

Noticing my gaze, Iris cocked her head and asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, no—I was just thinking you seem quite happy."

"Yes, I'm very happy! It feels like all of us are going on a trip together, I'm so excited!"

Iris replied, smiling happily as though she believed that from the bottom of her heart.

But... I knew, I had heard Iris say so herself in the past.

Iris had apparently encountered a dragon disaster while on a ship journey with her family. Due to Leviathan passing by, the passenger ship was sunk, killing Iris' family.

"...You aren't forcing yourself, are you?"

Because of that, I was quite concerned and asked her.

"Forcing? Oh—Mononobe, don't tell me you're worried about me because we're traveling on a ship?"

"Well... I am, a bit."

I scratched my cheek and nodded to admit it but Iris beamed happily.

"Thank you, Mononobe. But it doesn't bother me at all, because in the end, a lot of happy thing happened on the family trip... Those are very precious memories to me... That's why, even though the ending is so sad, it didn't make me hate ship journeys."

I was stunned to hear her talking so matter-of-factly.

Normally speaking, it would not be surprising to develop mental trauma towards ship travel because of this, but Iris called it her precious memories very calmly.

"You're always full of surprises, Iris."

I smiled wryly and said to her. Iris had a careless personality, often made mistakes and used to lament how weak she was, but I considered her true character to have far more inner strength than me.

"Hmmhmm, because I'm not a girl who can be judged by common sense."

Iris proudly puffed out her chest.

"Yeah, like making everything explode no matter what you're transmuting. That's really far too mysterious."

"W-What's wrong with that!? Even if it's still a mystery, at least we've found a way to make use of it, that's why I'm able to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad like this!"

"Yeah, but—One day eventually, I will unravel that mystery, because I'd like to know you better, Iris."

Only after saying this without thinking did I realize in alarm that it almost sounded like I was courting her.

Despite showing a surprised look initially, Iris' face gradually grew red.

"U-Umm, m-me too..."

As though trying to muster courage, Iris stared into my eyes.

Her cherry lips kept trembling while she continued in a hoarse voice:

"...If it's you, Mononobe, umm... I want you to know me better too."

Towards the end, her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"What—"

This unexpected development halted my thoughts. I did not know how to continue.

Seeing my entire body freeze Iris tilted her head somewhat uneasily.

"Mononobe...? Don't tell me you didn't hear... me?"

"N-No, I heard you..."

Hearing me answer, Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, uh... Can I tell you now?"

Iris asked me softly in a stammer.

"T-Tell me what...?"

"Basically... Many things. As long as it's something you want to know, Mononobe, anything at all."

Very shyly, Iris answered while fidgeting.

"By saying it could be anything at all, you're actually making it harder for me..."

I scratched my head and replied. Iris looked up at me and asked hesitantly:

"If you can't think of something on the spot, then... Wanna visit my cabin? This isn't a place to talk secrets anyway..."

Making such a suggestion with blushing cheeks, Iris looked incredibly attractive, forcing me to gulp.

"Well, Iris, if you're okay with it—"

Dizzy from the mood, I was almost about to agree when I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I hastily stopped talking.

"Yuu! Tia took a tour of the deck and came back!"

I took a closer look to see Tia running here, out of breath. She had been very excited ever since she boarded the transport ship, running all over the place the whole time.

Although she should have been transported by ship when she first came to Midgard, she most likely did not have the freedom to tour around at the time.

"Yuu, let's explore the inside of the ship next?"

"Hold on, Tia. Iris and I are currently—"

With Tia pulling my right hand, I asked Iris "What now?" with a gaze.

"Oh, it's okay, go explore with Tia. The thing with me... Umm, it doesn't have to be right now."

Iris shyly saw me and Tia off. What she meant by that was asking me to come find her at her cabin later. Since inappropriate interaction between the genders was prohibited, I was definitely not going to do anything bad, but even so, I still felt my heart rate rising.

"Yuu, let's go this way to have a look!"

Tia held my right hand tightly and walked rapidly. The deck of the transport ship was very spacious. Several cranes were installed for moving shipping containers.

There was a female member of the crew operating the cranes nearby. Most likely just like the staff at Midgard, the crew of this ship were also all female.

Entering the ship and advancing along the corridor, we came to a spacious lounge. This seemed to be a leisure space for the crew. There were vending machines along the wall along with a self-served cafeteria, although it was currently closed.

In a corner of the lounge, I saw classmates sprawled on a table.

They were Firill and Ren.

Firill had a paperback in one hand while her entire body was limp. On the other hand, Ren had a hand on her laptop while her body kept trembling.

"W-What's with you two!?"

Surprised, Tia ran towards them.

Firill's body shook then she turned her pallid face towards us.

"...I feel terrible."

Then she described her condition while in suffering.

"...Mm."

Ren also looked up unsteadily, nodding once to concur, then sprawled on the table again.

"Yuu, oh no! They're both sick!"

Tia frantically tugged my sleeve, so I worriedly inquired of them.

"Hey, what the heck's going on? You two were fine earlier when you boarded the ship, weren't you?"

Firill and Ren turned their pale faces towards me.

"I was reading a book when the world started spinning before my eyes..."

"Mm..."

Firill pointed at the paperback in her hand while Ren pointed at her laptop. With that, I figured out the situation. To put Tia at ease, I placed my hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Tia. They're just seasick."

"Seasick?"

"Yeah, because it's different on a ship. Unlike land, it's always in a rocking state. Some people feel unwell because of that."

After explaining to Tia, I looked at Firill and Ren in exasperation.

"—Say, this is also because you two started reading a book and using the computer despite being unused to ships, you know?"

It was easy to get seasick when doing those things to begin with. That was really obvious, so they were reaping what they sowed.

"But... I really want to read, the culprit will be exposed in just a bit..."

Firill seemed to be reading a mystery novel. Despite her pallid demeanor, she still insisted on reading further.

"Doing that will only make the seasick symptoms worse. Sheesh... I'm confiscating this book for now."

Exasperated, I could only take away the book from Firill's hand.

"Ah!? G-Give it back..."

"I'll return it as soon as your seasick symptoms get better. At this rate, you won't even be able to eat your meals. You'll get sick for real."

"Ooh... I never knew you're this kind of person..."

She glared resentfully at me. Although I felt guilty to some extent, I must not give the book back to Firill in her current state.

Seeing this, Ren hid her laptop underneath her body while watching me with wary eyes.

"Mm!"

Ren waved her hand to shoo me away, but like Firill, her face was pale.

"No, I'm not planning to forcibly confiscate your computer as well, Ren. As long as you rest in your cabin and don't strain to use the computer, I won't do anything."

"...Mm."

Hearing me say that, Ren seemed reassured, nodding frequently.

"Really? You're a good kid, Ren. Are you able to return to your cabin on your own?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and petted Ren's head.

"Mm..."

Despite pouting with displeasure, Ren nodded lightly in acknowledgement.

"Then you two should rest properly."

"Once you get well, play with Tia again!"

Tia and I said goodbye to Firill and Ren then continued our exploration of the ship's interior.

We randomly turned a corner then advanced deeper, but encountered a flight of stairs.

Going down a level would take us to a series of cabins where we were staying. I had gone down to have a look once when moving luggage onto the ship. Perhaps designed with the expectation that VIPs might travel on it, even though it was not a passenger ship, the cabins assigned to us were still quite comfortable. The girls' cabins were near the prow side, while mine was in a corner towards the aft. Despite being on the same level, they were quite far apart.

One more level down should be the storage and engine rooms.

As for going up, I had not tried it yet, but ascending the stairs would probably get us to the bridge.

"Which way do we go?"

Hearing me ask that, Tia thought for a while then pointed up.

"Up is better."

"Got it."

Although we might not be allowed into the bridge, I still accompanied Tia on her adventure, to go everywhere as long as it was open to us.

Tia and I followed the metal staircase that was painted white. Immediately, we heard faint sounds of voices coming from above. With every step we took, the voices grew louder.

Although the words could not be heard, judging from the tone, it seemed to be some kind of dispute, and they were familiar voices.

"...Lisa and Mitsuki's voices."

Tia pulled my hand and quickened her pace. Thinking something had happened, I ran up the stairs too.

After going up two levels, I could heard the voices clearly. Reading the sign located at the landing, this was a level used for a conference room and other purposes.

"—And that is why I still cannot forgive you even now!"

"It matters not to me that you cannot forgive me, because what I had done was unforgivable!"

Lisa and Mitsuki's voices were coming from around the corner. I could also see Ariella hiding in the corner, peering at the situation in the corridor.

Ariella showed a troubled expression immediately after discovering us.

"Oh, it's you guys? Uh, just as you can hear, Mitsuki and Lisa are occupied right now. You'd better come back later if you need to find them for something."

"Lisa and Mitsuki are fighting? You're not stopping them?"

Tia asked Ariella in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I'd like to stop them but it doesn't seem like a problem I can just butt in."

Ariella sighed and shrugged, looking very helpless.

Tia and I did not know what had happened between them, so we listened carefully to the arguing voices.

"—Mitsuki-san, are you insisting that you will shoulder everything alone, be it the crime of killing Miyako-san or the responsibility of atoning for that?"

"Of course that is what I believe. I have no wish to push my responsibilities on others!"

"Hmph, what pretty sounding words. But no one will understand you and no one will follow you so long as you continue to monopolize that kind of resolve. Aren't there many things that you ought to confront bravely?"

"I-I am confronting bravely—"

"Do not say such words lightly when you clearly have not tried to obtain my forgiveness!"

"!"

Lisa's shout caused Mitsuki to swallow the remainder of what she was going to say.

I peered discreetly around the corner. Lisa had her arms crossed before her chest, standing with her feet apart. On the other hand, Mitsuki was in front of her, head lowered, shoulders shaking nonstop.

"Lisa... is very angry."

Similarly poking her head out, Tia under me remarked quietly.

Just as Tia described, Lisa was exuding anger that I had never seen before. Although I had incurred Lisa's wrath many times before, no occasion could compare to how angry Lisa was right now.

The dispute seemed to have started because of the subject of Shinomiya Miyako. This I can understand why Ariella could not interrupt. Because someone trying to intervene without knowing the details would only make matters worse.

I did not know much either.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend Shinomiya Miyako whereas Lisa still could not forgive this act. Lisa had also said before that she still could not approve even though she knew it was unavoidable.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 069.jpg|thumb]]

"Mitsuki-san, could you say something?"

Lisa asked the silent Mitsuki.

"......!"

But Mitsuki turned around to leave as though fleeing, unable to say a single word in return.

Seeing Mitsuki coming towards us, we frantically leaned our backs against the wall. Luckily, Mitsuki walked past us to the other end of the corridor without noticing us. Noticing that she seemed to be crying, I wondered whether I should chase after her or not.

"The people over there, how much longer are you going to hide?"

But just as I was hesitating, I heard Lisa yelled in our direction. Although Mitsuki had not noticed us, Lisa had discovered us out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry, I originally did not mean to eavesdrop..."

Ariella walked out apologetically. Tia and I followed.

"Sorry, it was because I heard voices."

"Because Tia heard angry voices, Tia was very worried..."

Seeing me and Tia apologize, Lisa sighed.

"Sigh, more eavesdroppers come out, one after another... Never mind, it's fine even if you overheard. Since we chose to converse in the corridor, I am in no position to blame you for eavesdropping.

Lisa spoke wearily then gazed in the direction where Mitsuki had fled.

"...However, if possible, I hope all of you will pretend you did not hear the earlier conversation. If you are worrying about Mitsuki-san, there is no need. Because once the evening meeting starts, she will appear as though nothing had happened, as usual like every other time..."

Hearing Lisa's bitter tone of voice, I asked her:

"As usual like every other time... Do you fight like this often?"

"Occasionally. The last time I argued with her was when Leviathan approached. We got into a dispute over interception matters and it developed into a fight like just now. The same goes for this time, it was originally just a discussion on future plans..."

I heard lisa saying "why did it end up like this?" quietly followed by a deep sigh.

"That's—"

On reflex, I wanted to say "because you still refuse to forgive Mitsuki, Lisa" but stopped myself. Because even if I accused Lisa, it would only make things more complicated. I noticed that Mitsuki's tears seemed to have made me lose my cool.

"...If you have something to say, I hope you can finish what you started out to say. Nevertheless, I can probably imagine the gist of it."

After speaking harshly to me like that, Lisa walked past us and went up the stairs.

In the end, I watched Lisa leave without being able to say a single word.

After Lisa was out of sight, Ariella relaxed her shoulders and said:

"Even though it's just the beginning, it feels like there are tough times ahead. Although given their personalities, they're still going to perform their duties properly... But it still doesn't feel reassuring."

Tia also concurred with a worried face.

"Yeah... It's not good to keep fighting. Tia wishes they could make up."

"...That's right."

As much as I agreed with Tia, I also understood that it was no easy task. This problem was quite deep-rooted, because Mitsuki and Lisa's dispute had persisted all the way from two years ago ever since Shinomiya Miyako's passing.

It looked like I should not go chasing after Mitsuki either. If I made things worse, it might make prevent Mitsuki from even feigning "things as normal."

But I did not think that maintaining the status quo was the right answer either.

—I really want to find a way to mediate this.

In any case, I should try finding a solution.

Because if those two could reconcile, perhaps it could also eliminate Mitsuki's insecurities.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 3 Chapter 1

2020-05-17T06:38:53Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 1 - The Invading Basilisk==

===Part 1===

Somehow, I found myself having trouble breathing. My body was unable to move.

Every breath I took came with a whiff of fragrance.

Although smothered, it did not feel unpleasant at all. With that kind of unbelievable feeling, I opened my eyes slightly.

Then I was so surprised that I even forgot to breathe.

...!?

In front of my eyes was pale skin. Tender as a newborn baby's, skin giving off a fragrant scent—A voluptuous bust was covering my face.

"Mmm... Mononobe..."

Someone was calling my name lightly next to my ear. It seemed like someone was hugging me.

As for that someone—I was 80-90% sure it was Iris.

Without looking at her face, I could instantly tell from her voice.

Iris Freyja was my classmate in Brynhildr Class, a beautiful maiden with sparkling silver hair.

She was also the only person who had given me the taste of a kiss.

But that was like a reward gift—Although Iris and I were good friends, it was not the kind of relationship where we could be locked passionately in an embrace like this in bed.

Hence, my mind was in turmoil. Despite trying to figure out the situation, I could not think properly.

Iris' bodily scent and soft bosom were blanking out my mind.

"Ah... Mononobe... Mmm..."

Hearing Iris' voice next to my ear, my back shuddered.

It felt like someone was using her fingers to comb my hair. Iris was apparently awake.

Then I heard the sound of someone sniffing.

"Mononobe's smell, sure enough... it's so soothing..."

Iris buried her face in my hair, exhaling hot breath.

I shifted my gaze to confirm. Although Iris had her top unbuttoned, she essentially still had her clothes on. She was wearing her school uniform.

My view was dominated by Iris' chest, which prevented me from acquiring more detailed information. But as my brain started to operate after waking up, I recalled that this was a sickroom in the medical building rather than my own room.

I was injured during the battle five days earlier—in other words, "Blue" Hekatonkheir and Kili's attack on Midgard, which was why I was currently under treatment in the medical building.

Although the more heavily injured left shoulder still could not move, the fever arising from my wounds had subsided. Starting today, I could attend classes. Hence, I was scheduled to be discharged today if there were no problems.

"...Mononobe will feel soothed too, right... Hugging you like this... You'll forget your pain and suffering, right...?"

Iris hugged my head tightly, burying the tip of my nose in her cleavage. It felt very soft, warm, and comfortable—even though I was almost about to suffocate.

I heard the beat of Iris' heart. Or was this my own heartbeat?

"Don't worry, Mononobe... You won't have nightmares as long as someone is by your side... Because I didn't have nightmares that time."

Iris was probably talking about the time when "White" Leviathan had targeted her. To help her feel at ease, I had lent my back for her to lean on.

—Maybe I was having a nightmare earlier.

Although I had no recollection of it, that was probably the case. Now that the painkiller's effect had subsided, my left shoulder was hurting. It did not come as a surprise that I would have nightmares in such a state.

I guessed that Iris was doing this to put me at ease. After figuring out the reason, I was no longer panicking but that still did not change the situation.

Or perhaps, now that I had less to think about and occupy my mind, I became even more strongly conscious of Iris' body warmth.

Iris relaxed her embrace slightly, murmuring softly to herself:

"However... For some reason, even though my emotions are clearly calm... my body is getting hot—something seems to be tugging at my heart... even though it didn't happen before... it doesn't feel right somehow... so weird... hmm—"

Iris' exhaled breaths were hot. She moved, causing our bodies, in close contact, to touch and rub against each other, forcing me to hold my breath for several seconds. Had I not done that, I might have succumbed to an indescribable impulse.

"Ah... Mmm... Mononobe..."

Iris moved restlessly, calling my name in a somewhat lamenting manner.

Iris' heart had been beating fast since a while ago. My heart was beating madly too.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I lost self-control. But under such conditions, even if I told her I had already woken up, I had a feeling that it would still bring about something irrevocable.

"Ya... Mmm..."

Iris exhaled hot breath and sandwiched my face between her soft breasts. I understood that there was no time to lose, so I called upon my inexperienced "acting skills."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 021.jpg|thumb]]

"Ooh..."

I deliberately groaned as a hint to Iris that I was about to wake up.

"Hyah!?"

Iris immediately screamed and released my head. Normally speaking, I should have woken up from her cry but I continued to pretend I was still asleep.

"Hmm..."

"M-Mononobe, don't wake up yet! Don't wake up!"

Iris frantically climbed off the bed. As reluctant as I was to leave her body warmth, I did not try to make her stay. Then after counting thirty seconds silently in my mind, I opened my eyes lightly with caution.

"G-Good morning, Mononobe!"

Iris was sitting in a chair next to the bed, smiling stiffly as she greeted me. Her face was still flushed red but I deliberately pretended not to notice and responded:

"Good morning, Iris, why did you come here this early in the morning...?"

Seeing that her unbuttoned top was already fixed up, I secretly felt relieved and asked her that. At the moment, the digital clock on the side of the sickbed read 6am.

"Oh, umm, Mononobe, you're going to class starting today, right? So I wanted to welcome you back!"

"Welcome me back... I'm happy you're doing that but isn't it a bit too early?"

Although Iris' busty embrace had swept all sense of drowsiness from me, I would normally be asleep at this hour.

"Oh, right, actually I was planning to wake you up later. So... I'm sorry. If you're still sleepy, you can continue sleeping, you know?"

Iris spoke apologetically.

"It's okay, I feel particularly energized waking up today so I'm not sleepy. This is probably because—I had a good dream."

"I-I see!"

Iris replied happily, a smile blooming on her face.

It was probably thanks to Iris that I did not remember the contents of my nightmare. Surely, it was Iris' heartbeat and body warmth that had driven away my feelings of suffering.

But since I could not thank her directly while feigning ignorance, my only choice was to tell a little lie and say I had a good dream.

No, in actual fact after waking up, I really did enjoy a wonderful dream.

I could not help but recall Iris' snow-white skin, so I hastily shook my head to drive those thoughts away.

"Mononobe, what's with you? Do you know that your face is very red?"

Despite her own red face, Iris asked me with puzzlement.

I suppressed the urge to retort, avoided eye contact and said "it's nothing."

"Really? Then since you have to get up, Mononobe, why don't I help you change? Your left arm can't move, so it must be inconvenient, right?"

Iris stood up from her seat and brought over the school uniform that was hanging in the closet. My sister Mitsuki had brought this uniform from the dorm for me yesterday.

"Sure, that'd be a great help—"

However, I stopped mid-sentence. I discovered there would be a serious problem if she helped me to change.

"—No wait, forget it! I can get changed on my own!"

Not only had I just woken up, I had also viewed Iris' tender skin up close immediately after waking up. How could I calm down immediately? If I undressed under such conditions, things would be extremely bad.

"Jeez, Mononobe, you're a patient. You're not allowed to act polite towards me. If you move forcefully, your wound might open up."

Iris had a very good point. Unless I told her the real reason, she was probably not going to be dissuaded. But that would only make the mood turn embarrassing. This was foreseeable too.

"T-That's right, but... there might be an examination in the morning, so it's fine to get changed after that..."

Since I could not find an excuse, I tried to stall for time so that I could calm down first.

"Oh, I asked the nurse about that already. She said you just need to make a visit to the infirmary before going to class. Also, I heard that breakfast will be served at the school cafeteria, so let's go together after you're done changing."

Iris smiled with 100% benevolent intentions. Given her carelessness, this was quite well thought out of her, but it mercilessly sealed off my avenues of escape.

"No, but..."

Just as I was breaking out in cold sweat, thinking of excuses, Iris peered at my face as though she figured out something.

"Mononobe, don't tell me... you're shy about getting undressed by me?"

"Urgh..."

Iris was not far from the truth, rendering me speechless. Immediately, she made an expression as though a great idea had occurred to her and chuckled.

"I see, so Mononobe gets shy too! I was so embarrassed when you saw me naked, Mononobe, with this we'll be even."

Perhaps as revenge for that time, Iris gleefully reached towards my clothing.

"H-Hey, wait! Wait first, just a short while!"

"No, don't move recklessly or it'll affect your injuries, okay? Don't move."

Iris climbed onto the bed and pinned me down lightly. Then straddling directly me like that, she began to unbutton my light-green hospital gown.

"H-Hey!?"

"Fufu, it feels like you're a bit cute today, Mononobe, hmm... Weird? What is this...? It feels like something's poking my bum—"

"!?"

Just as the situation turned desperate, the sickroom's door was opened loudly.

"Ah! What are you doing, Iris!?"

The petite little girl with horns on her head entered the room and yelled loudly.

Saying she had horns on her head was not a metaphor for anger. Rather, it was a true description of her appearance. A D named Tia Lightning. Her age would put her in elementary school, but due to various reasons, she had transferred into Brynhildr Class where I studied.

Shaking her beautiful fluttering hair, which looked pink in the light, Tia rushed over to the side of my bed.

"Yuu will become Tia's husband! S-So, not allowed to do dirty things with anyone apart from the wife!"

Tia climbed on the bed and pushed aside Iris, who was straddling me.

"W-We're not doing anything dirty. I just wanted to help Mononobe get changed!"

Iris exchanged glares with Tia across me, but her face was still blushing.

Because she realized what the scene looked like to others, with her straddling and undressing me.

"Then Tia will help Yuu change too! Because taking care of the husband is the wife's job!!"

"You haven't married Monobe, Tia, so you don't have that kind of priority! So first come first served. I tried very hard today to get up early!"

Refusing to back down against the aggressive Tia, Iris retorted and argued.

I could almost see sparks flying between them. No, there really could be sparks because Tia had a bad habit. Whenever she got emotional, she would subconsciously generate dark matter, converting it into electrical currents.

"......"

Without interjecting thoughtlessly, I quietly watched them argue.

Normally, I would have intervened to stop them, but right now, what I needed most was time.

After roughly ten minutes, Iris and Tia finally reached an agreement. They would cooperate and take turns to assist me in changing.

During those ten minutes, I finally managed to settle down.

===Part 2===

Twenty-five years ago, the first dragon—"Black" Vritra—made its appearance in the sky above Japan.

Ever since, children possessing the same power as Vritra—the Ds with the ability to generate dark matter—were born among humans. The tropical island where they were gathered was Midgard here.

When Midgard was first established, it leaned heavily towards a detention facility in purpose, but now, it had become a self-governed organization with massive influence over the world.

There was extremely high economic value in the ability to transmute dark matter into any substance. Hence, Ds contributed to society by using their powers to undertake jobs to produce rare resources.

However, Midgard also had an undisclosed function. Namely, to intercept and defeat dragons that were attacking in search of ''mates''.

Targeted Ds would turn into the same type of dragon when they came into contact with the dragon targeting them. Currently a target, Tia Lightning was sitting on my lap.

The red dragon—"Red" Basilisk—had chosen Tia and was apparently crossing the African continent right now in pursuit of her. However, there was an ocean between Midgard and the continent, hence, it was still unknown whether Basilisk would cross the ocean, seeing as its body structure was not suited to swimming.

"Here, say ah—"

Sitting sideways on my lap—more precisely, on my thigh—Tia was bringing a sandwich towards me with an innocent and pure smile on her face.

She looked completely carefree but until five days ago, she had been insisting she was a dragon, thus raising a huge wall between herself and the other Ds.

But in response to her classmates' gentle treatment, Tia had by her own will rejected Kili, the leader of the dragon worshiping cult the Sons of Muspell, thus choosing to live with us as a human. That was why she was staying here now.

Initially, Tia had refused to leave my side but because I was hospitalized, she was currently living with her classmate Lisa in the student dormitories.

"Yuu, hurry up."

Asking me to indulge her, Tia urged me to open my mouth. Although she was now getting along well with others, she still did not change her tendency to make me dote on her. Although I had suggested to her that I hope she would not sit on my lap anymore, Tia insisted that she could hold herself back during class but I had to obey her now.

"...Can't be helped."

I gave up resisting and obediently bit the sandwich.

We were currently in the cafeteria on the ground floor of the catering building. Of course, there were other people watching and this sort of behavior was very embarrassing, but if I declined, Tia and Iris might start arguing again.

In the sickroom earlier, Tia and Iris had reached a consensus to take turns helping me change. But they continued to "care" for me even while we were traveling to the cafeteria.

"Mononobe, it's my turn next."

Sitting on my right, Iris leaned closer and presented me with a sandwich. As a side note, Tia was feeding me an egg sandwich while Iris was holding a tuna sandwich.

My right hand could move normally so it made me feel bad that I even needed help to eat meals. Nevertheless, when I voiced my view, Iris' answer was "this has nothing to do with that."

"...Thanks."

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I bit Iris' sandwich as well.

"Ehehe!"

Iris' face relaxed and she made a happy expression. Feeling unable to look her in the eye, I chewed the sandwich while my gaze kept wandering.

"Hurry hurry, eat Tia's too."

Seeing this, Tia impatiently extended her sandwich again.

Under their urging, I ate their sandwiches in alternate bites. However, eating sandwiches alone made me start to feel thirsty.

But because the sandwiches were delivered to my mouth without pause, I could not find the chance to speak for a long time.

"—Tia-san, Iris-san, this cannot be called care, you know?"

Immediately, a voice was heard with sighing tones.

I turned my head to look at the source, instantly making eye contact with a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Gulp... Good morning, Lisa."

I hastily swallowed the sandwich in my mouth and greeted my classmate, Lisa Highwalker. Lisa tossed her long blonde hair and answered me with a scowl.

"Good morning. How exalted your position must be, to have two girls serving you so early in the morning."

Hearing Lisa's sarcastic tone, I frantically explained myself.

"No, I didn't ask them to serve me. They're trying to help me in my injured state—"

"Oh, is that so? But do you truly need the assistance?"

"Well..."

If it was just eating, I could manage without their help, so I fell speechless.

"Letting others help unnecessarily is tantamount to asking them to serve you. Also, Tia-san and Iris-san—The two of you have erred to an absurd extent."

"Kyah!?"

"...Lisa so scary."

Hearing Lisa's harsh tone of voice, Iris and Tia shrank their shoulders in fright.

"Did you know that excessive care may sometimes burden the receiver? You two should try to think from his perspective and only assist him on necessary tasks."

After saying that, Lisa took a cup of water that was on the table and presented it to me.

"...You are thirsty, am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks."

I thanked her and took the cup with my left hand, then drank the entire cup.

"Mononobe Yuu, you must decide for yourself the occasion when you need to ask for help. If it is something truly necessary, I will assist you with my full power too."

Despite turning her head away fiercely, Lisa made me that kind of offer.

Stunned, Iris and Tia stared at Lisa.

"Lisa-chan is so cool..."

Iris murmured with eyes of worship.

"Lisa is amazing..."

Tia offered her a gaze of respect.

"I-I simply said something that was a matter of fact."

Seeing Lisa explain modestly in embarrassment, I also praised her.

"Lisa really is a good woman indeed."

On further thought, it was quite unnatural for Lisa to appear on campus early in the morning. Perhaps she had come to school this early for the sake of helping me resume school life.

"Y-You are saying that again! Is making me the brunt of your jokes that amusing!?"

Instantly gone red in the face, Lisa glared at me viciously.

"No, I'm not joking about you. It's just that I couldn't think of any other way of putting it."

"Then my wish is that you could study seriously and learn more vocabulary."

Arms crossed, Lisa replied unhappily but her cheeks remained red.

Seeing that kind of reaction from her, I could not help but smile. This time, I really wanted to play a joke on her.

But just as I was about to tease her, there was suddenly a quiet commotion coming from the lounge where the vending machine was located. Noticing unusual vibes in the voices, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Did something happen?"

Intrigued, Iris asked quietly.

There were staff having breakfast in the cafeteria like us and they also looked towards the lounge, unsure what had happened. Things like "hey, come over here" and "what's going on..." could be heard from the lounge.

"Yuu... Tia has a bad feeling about this."

Tia clutched my uniform tightly with a worried look.

Only then did I remember that apart from the vending machine, there was also a satellite television in the lounge as well.

"Let us head over to verify what happened."

Saying that, Lisa urged us to move.

Hence, The four of us went to the lounge and saw many staff with their eyes fixated on the television. Shown on the screen was the overhead view of a coast somewhere.

"What..."

Seeing that screen, I was instantly speechless.

One type of news had absolutely first priority no matter which country in the world.

Namely, news regarding dragons that moved around on whim without regard for national borders, the disasters they caused, as well as disaster predictions.

Currently airing were images from news linked to a dragon disaster.

But this was a type of dragon disaster I had never seen before.

The sea had a patch of it dyed pure white. Judging from the map on the right of the screen, the scene was near the equator on the African continent, a place where the ocean could not possibly freeze.

In fact, whether the words on the screen or what the newscaster reported, neither indicated that the ocean was exhibiting a freezing phenomenon.

What the news reported was—

Moving across the African continent, after reaching the coast, Basilisk had turned the surrounding seawater into salt completely.

===Part 3===

"I believe many of you have already learned through the media that Basilisk has finally begun to cross the sea."

Standing on the podium, announcing gravely was my little sister, who was simultaneously the student council president of Midgard ''Academy''—Mononobe Mitsuki. Despite her short stature, one did not get any impression of unreliability from her. A sense of solemnity could be felt from her tense expression.

"Believed to be unable to swim on grounds of its bodily structure, Basilisk is turning seawater into salt. Rather than taking the land route of the Eurasian continent, it is advancing towards Midgard along the shortest distance. Roughly one month from now, it will have crossed the Indian Ocean, passing the Indonesian archipelago to reach us."

A slight clamor arose between the students after listening to Mitsuki.

The first day I returned to school, the timetable was suddenly changed to hold an impromptu full-school assembly. Mitsuki was originally visiting me frequently at the sickroom, but today was the only day when she did not appear, probably because of the Basilisk incident. Also, the assembly was taking place in the sports ground instead of the usual gym.

When the clock tower was destroyed by Hekatonkheir the other day, its debris had apparently struck the gym's roof directly. Hence, the gym was currently barred from usage. Looking around me, I could see the lower half of the slanted, collapsed and bifurcated clock tower.

"However, this development is within our expectations. Midgard and NIFL has independently planned operations capable of dealing lethal damage to Basilisk and made preparations. We have sufficient chances of victory."

Perhaps to encourage everyone, Mitsuki declared firmly, causing many students to nod in response with determined expressions. Since recent lessons involved training under the assumption of fighting Basilisk, everyone had a certain level of confidence and preparedness. There was no gloomy mood like for Leviathan's attack.

"Detailed plans will be explained to members selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Please prepare yourselves, everyone."

After announcing the necessary facts concisely, Mitsuki descended from the podium.

Although noon had not arrived yet, the sun was already shining intensely. Perhaps Mitsuki had judged that a long speech in tropical Midgard would be a bad idea.

After a teacher went on the podium to make a few announcements, the full-school assembly was dismissed.

"After hearing Mitsuki-chan's speech, it really feels like there won't be problem."

Walking side by side with me, Iris spoke.

"Mitsuki so cool, as expected of Yuu's little sister."

On my other side, Tia also praised Mitsuki.

"...Yeah."

Although I concurred with them, I was feeling uneasy inside.

I felt the same thing when Leviathan invaded. When fighting dragons, Mitsuki's mindset was likewise troubling.

Just now, although she had urged everyone to prepare themselves mentally, in Mitsuki's case, it seemed like she had prepared too much. In other words, I felt that she seemed to be leaving no margin to spare mentally.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend in the past. She had also said that she was continuing to battle in order to atone for that crime.

Hence, I had also vowed to put everything on the line to terminate her battle.

Even if Mitsuki did not want me to help, I had no intention of going against my vow.

—If Mitsuki does anything reckless, I must stop her.

I was thinking over these matters while returning to our classroom—Brynhildr Class. In the 3x3 arrangement of seats, I was sitting in the back row in the center, flanked by Iris and Mitsuki.

Earlier, Tia had kept treating my lap as her seat but now, she was sitting in the seat in front of me. Turning her head back, her gaze seemed to be asking me, "Is Tia obedient?"

"Very obedient."

I caressed her head. Tia showed a contented smile and turned to face the front.

Sitting on her two sides were the red-haired prodigy, Ren Miyazawa, and the tomboy, Ariella Lu. Tia naturally began to chat with them. Watching this from behind, I knew she had no more problems. I could finally relax. Tia was already getting along as a member of Brynhildr Class.

Seated in the front row were Lisa and the bibliophile who was always reading, Firill Crest. The seat between them was empty. Before I transferred in, the entire middle column was unused, but now, that seat was the only ''opening'' left in the Brynhildr Class.

At this moment, the door opened. Homeroom teacher Shinomiya-sensei and Mitsuki entered together.

Seeing the one empty seat that was now emphasized, what would Mitsuki think? I was quite curious about this.

Student No. 4, Shinomiya Miyako, was Shinomiya-sensei's little sister and also Mitsuki's best friend.

Were she still alive, all the seats in the classroom would be filled.

"—Please be quiet, everyone. Homeroom time still has not ended, so please listen to a few words from me."

Mitsuki stood at the lectern and swept her gaze across us while she spoke. Everyone stopped chatting and directed their gaze at Mitsuki.

On the other hand, Shinomiya-sensei was sitting in the chair next to the lectern, using the register book in her hand to fan herself.

"The members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad for this operation will be centered on our Brynhildr Class. Most likely, every member of the class will be selected. Hence, I will first tell you about the operation's key points."

Almost everyone...? In other words, everyone apart from Tia who was being targeted by Basilisk?

I found it a bit strange but did not interrupt, deciding to listen to Mitsuki first.

"Basilisk fires red beams from its eyes, using the light to turn the target of its ''gaze'' into stone, dust or salt. The range approaches five kilometers, which is why we cannot fight it directly but must find cover to block its line of sight. However, there are objects for cover on the sea. Consequently, Midgard has decided that the most effective tactic is to lure Basilisk to a desert island in neighboring waters, then blow Basilisk to smithereens together with the island."

Hearing that, Ariella raised her hand to ask a question.

"You mentioned luring Basilisk, but how?"

"Tia-san will be transported to that island temporarily. Because Basilisk's target is Tia-san, it will surely head towards the island. Naturally, before Basilisk arrives, we will let Tia-san retreat."

"Oh, that sounds like it'll work."

Putting down her hand, Ariella seemed to accept the answer. It felt like she had expected this answer more or less.

Then Firill raised her hand and asked Mitsuki:

"...What are chances that the island will be flattened by Basilisk as soon as it enters visual range?"

"According to data collected so far, even when Basilisk turns vegetable impeding its advance into dust, the landscape remains unaltered. Or rather, even after getting exposed to the red beams, the land does not show significant changes."

"...Now that is quite unbelievable. So Basilisk's red beam is not purely a high firepower attack?"

After listening to Firill, Mitsuki nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. Although there have been various theories regarding Basilisk's ability, abundant data has been obtained from the current incident. Hence, we are currently drawing deductions to narrow down the overall direction. Before the operation is put into action, it should be possible to put forward a more accurate theory."

Basilisk's ability was not fully analyzed yet, it seemed. For one thing, it had stayed in the desert for the past twenty years or so since it appeared, hence a lack of data was very normal.

Prior to this, Basilisk was a dragon that caused no problems unless one approached it. Of course, the country where Basilisk made its residence had things tough, but nothing happened as long as one kept their distance. But precisely because nothing happened, no data was gathered about the dragon, and now, that was the price paid.

All the anti-Basilisk training conducted so far were probably based on the assumption of that Basilisk would not leave the desert.

I had to take a test where I had to attack and pierce diamond from a distance of a hundred meters. But now, it was obvious that getting that close to Basilisk was impossible no matter what. The drills on close range combat probably assumed the battlefield would be the desert with things like sand dunes for cover.

"—Anyone have other questions?"

Mitsuki swept her gaze across us and asked.

Since no one else seemed to have one, I decided to pose the question that had bothered me from the start.

"I do."

I raised my right arm. Mitsuki turned her gaze at me.

"Go ahead, Nii-san."

"Just now, Mitsuki, you mentioned that almost every member of Brynhildr Class will be selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad, which means someone will be excluded?"

At first, I thought Tia would stay behind but according to Mitsuki, she was the center of the operation and absolutely indispensable. This meant that there was someone else who would be excluded.

"Well, although it has not been confirmed yet... I intend to have you stay behind, Nii-san."

"What... Me? Why?"

I asked in surprise.

"Obvious, is it not? Because you are a patient."

"No, wait a sec, there's almost a month until the battle against Basilisk, right? Before that, my wounds would have healed. Taking part in the operation shouldn't be a problem."

I hastily objected but Mitsuki sighed with an exasperated look on her face.

"What would be the point of straining yourself to take part? What this operation requires is high offensive power. Although you possess anti-dragon weapons, Nii-san, you also mentioned before that they cannot be used from unstable positions such as ships or in the air, right?"

"That's... true, yeah."

Countered so completely, I began to stammer.

The anti-dragon weapons I created by borrowing other people's dark matter were only parts from the lost weapon known as Marduk. Hence, there were many incomplete functions. If standing somewhere unstable, I had no confidence I could aim accurately. In addition, I had no idea whether my foothold would be able to withstand the recoil.

"When destroying Basilisk together with the island, of course the attacks will be launched from a ship. Hence, there is no need for you, Nii-san. Furthermore, Lisa-san is enough as the candidate to look after Tia-san."

"Hmm..."

Mitsuki's argument was perfectly logical, but I could not bring myself to agree candidly. If she were to do anything reckless, I needed to be at her side to stop her.

I racked my brain, trying to think of an excuse to use.

Was there no place for me to contribute in the operation? If I could suggest something impossible to replace, something that only I could do—

It suddenly occurred to me. Apart from constructing lost weapons, there was currently one other thing only I could achieve.

"—No, Mitsuki, I believe there is value in bringing me along."

"Eh...?"

"You saw it, right? I created antigravitational matter during the battle against Hekatonkheir. In an emergency, this power might prove to be a useful trump card."

I did not know why I suddenly gained the ability to create antigravitational matter. Before "Green" Yggdrasil urged me to, I never even considered whether it was possible for me to do that kind of thing.

Although this type of uniqueness of unknown origin felt eerie, I was exploiting this fact on purpose right now.

"So, Mitsuki, let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad. When there's a need to adjust battle plans, it's better to have an extra option, right?"

Despite my arguments, Mitsuki still frowned and made a stern expression.

"I understand what you are trying to say, Nii-san, but unknown powers cannot count as an option. Currently, information regarding that ostensibly antigravitational matter is too lacking. And that is still because... Nii-san, you refuse to disclose."

Mitsuki's tone sounded sulking when she added the final sentence.

"It's not because I don't want to say anything, but I don't know anything about it."

"In that case, such a power cannot be relied on."

Mitsuki spoke in a strong tone of voice. She seemed to be getting stubborn, but Shinomiya-sensei intervened.

"Calm down, Mononobe Mitsuki. If information is lacking, how about gathering information as a next step? Besides, we intended to have him examined once he recovers."

"Examined?"

Hearing my doubtful tone, Shinomiya-sensei turned her head to face me.

"Yes, Mononobe Yuu. The higher-ups are very interested in how you successfully created antigravitational matter, hence they would like you to let us investigate and analyze that new substance."

After slightly thinking over what Shinomiya-sensei said, I asked her:

"If the outcome of the examination discovers that antigravitational matter is useful... Will you let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad?"

"We want to raise chances of success too, so even if it's 1%, as long as it seems useful, we will naturally allow you to join."

Hearing this, Mitsuki yelled at Shinomiya-sensei in a rare display.

"Shinomiya-sensei!"

"This is a logical decision. You will be the one suffering in regret if the operation fails because you refuse the best options on account of personal feelings."

Shinomiya-sensei persuaded Mitsuki in a calm tone of voice.

"......I understand."

After several seconds of silence, Mitsuki reluctantly nodded. Then she glared at me silently. But rather than angry, her expression seemed more like she was fearing something.

===Part 4===

The examination occurred that day after school, in a special training site underground.

Unlike the one normally used for special ability practicals, there were all sorts of devices on the walls, resembling measuring instruments. There was a large glass window near the ceiling with women in lab coats walking around on the other side. That was probably the monitoring room where they analyzed all sorts of data.

Shinomiya-sensei, Mitsuki and I were the only ones in the training site. None of the other classmates were present. Apparently, since all data gathered from this point onwards would be top secret, ordinary students were barred from entering.

To be honest, I had no confidence whether I could create antigravitational matter again. After all, I did not even know how to transmute it from dark matter. Neither could I simulate it in my mind.

Nevertheless, my worries proved to be unnecessary.

Because my dark matter would automatically metamorphosize as soon as I wanted to create antigravitational matter.

Thus, antigravitational matter would appear in my hand effortlessly.

My attempts had already reached double digits but I still had not failed even once.

"...Very well, Mononobe Yuu, start again from the beginning."

"Yes."

I followed Shinomiya-sensei's orders and generated dark matter in my right hand.

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Then maintaining its nature as dark matter, I simply altered its form into a large-caliber ornamental gun.

After many attempts, I found out something. Namely, compared to direction conversion from dark matter, it was easier to control minute transmutations through a fictional armament.

I looked ahead to see small red bricks, roughly 10 cm in size, scattered across the training site's white floor. This was to make the effects of antigravitational matter more visually distinct.

I aimed at the floor thirty or forty meters away and said quietly:

"Antigravity."

This was the name of Leviathan's ability. This was a suitable name for picturing the substance to be created.

I transmitted the image and pulled the trigger.

A bullet of dark matter shot out, turning into antigravitational matter at the spot where I had aimed. While white light shone, the surrounding red bricks floated up as though they were in water.

Although the wave of floating bricks flowed over here, they stopped just as they were about to reach my feet.

The white glow lasted for roughly ten seconds before vanishing. Then the floating bricks also fell to the floor again.

"Hmm... One shot's worth is enough to neutralize gravity within a radius of roughly thirty meters. The duration is approximately ten seconds. Considering that a full-powered shot can take effect in a radius of a hundred meters for thirty seconds, this figure could be considered reasonable."

Standing in the back, Shinomiya-sensei offered her opinion.

"For the second shot, try converting to antigravitational matter with a higher density."

"Yes."

I nodded. Aiming for the same spot as the first shot, I fired the bullet.

Immediately, white light brighter than before was shot out. The surrounding bricks flew away in a radial pattern.

"...By increasing the density, it will apparently produce a strong repulsive field. But both the range and duration of effect are less than one tenth of earlier."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice was heard from behind.

Siegfried could fire three bullets of dark matter at most. For the final shot, I created relatively low-density antigravitational matter. As expected, the range and duration increased, but the only effect was weight reduction to some extent.

Thus, after I tested all the possible modes I could think of, the examination finally ended.

"I'm at my limit..."

Transmuting dark matter strained the mind and tired the body.

Having created antigravitational matter persistently, I leaned against the wall in exhaustion and sat on the ground.

"Good work, Mononobe Yuu, thank you for your cooperation."

Shinomiya-sensei praised me during my state of fatigue. Her gaze fell upon the screen of a portal terminal.

"...So what's the conclusion about the Dragon Subjugation Squad thing?"

I asked her while catching my breath.

"There's no need to make a hasty conclusion. Data analysis is not complete yet. But personally, I think there is no liability in taking you along, because the repulsive field can serve as a defense measure that does not depend on physical barriers."

Replying that to me, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the monitoring room.

Left behind, I looked timidly at Mitsuki standing next to me. Whether during the examination or after I came over to her side, she had remained silent. It made me a bit afraid.

"...How lovely, Nii-san."

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she finally spoke. But whether her tone of voice or expression, both gave off an air of displeasure.

"Are you that against my participation in the operation?"

"If it's only as a precautionary measure for emergencies... I have no wish of bringing you in your injured state to a dangerous location just for the sake of such an ambiguous reason."

"I'm very glad you're worried about me, but I have to go no matter what. Personal feelings aside, there shouldn't be any drawback to have additional backup personnel."

I asserted but after hearing me say that, Mitsuki shook her head gravely.

"No, there is a drawback. Suppose the operation were to fail and develop into the worst-case scenario—There will be one more person dead. This situation is different from the time with Leviathan."

"...Compared to Leviathan, isn't Basilisk easier to defeat?"

Mitsuki's words filled me with doubt, so I asked.

Back when Leviathan was invading, Mitsuki mentioned that Leviathan was considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they were to handle. Then that meant Basilisk should be easier to handle than Leviathan, right?

"Indeed, Leviathan was a dragon that was extremely difficult to attack... Even to the point of impossibility. Compared to that, in terms of being able to devise an attack plan, Basilisk is much easier than Leviathan. But on the matter of risk during battle, the two cannot be compared."

"...Risk?"

I repeated like a parrot. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes, Basilisk's red beams fly towards the target at light speed, which of course means it is impossible to evade after seeing it. Since a direct confrontation is equivalent to suicide, the risk is much higher when standing on the frontline, which is why I did not wish to take you along, seeing as you are irrelevant to the details of the operation..."

Mitsuki answered unhappily. Then lowering her head, she continued:

"If this operation fails, as long as you stay in Midgard, perhaps a new battle plan could be devised using antigravitational matter, so as to make a comeback. But if you came along with us, Nii-san, it would be a totally meaningless sacrifice if you got killed without doing anything."

"But it's possible that everyone gets saved because I'm there."

"True, but..."

Despite acknowledging my point, Mitsuki sounded quite disapproving in tone. Nevertheless, she did not argue further. She probably thought that a dispute about possibilities would lead nowhere.

—But that being said, I never knew that the operation this time was so dangerous.

Now I could understand why Mitsuki was so overly tense. Because her judgment could decide other people's survival, no wonder she was putting so much pressure on herself.

Precisely because of that... I must stay by her side after all.

But even if this topic continued, clearly it would only make the mood worse. Hence, I tried to find a different topic of conversation. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Mitsuki secretly glanced at me sideways to see my reaction.

For siblings, this unnatural silence persisted quite a while on this rare occasion.

The awkward atmosphere was making me anxious, so I said half-heartedly:

"M-Mitsuki, why did I gain the ability to make antigravitational matter?"

"W-Who knows? If you do not know, Nii-san, I cannot possibly know either. However... Although I was quite surprised initially, it is possible that your situation might be the same as mine back then."

"Your situation back then?"

Not understanding what she meant, I asked.

Then another voice entered our conversation.

"—Meaning that you are not the first person to emulate a dragon's ability."

I took a closer look and discovered that the principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart, were also present.

The principal walked over, her long blonde hair fluttering lightly, and stopped next to my collapsed state. Still the same as always, she looked like a teenaged girl. She would definitely be mistaken for a student if she were to wear the uniform. But she was undoubtedly Midgard's chief administrator.

Mica-san was dressed as a maid as usual while the principal had a lab coat over casual clothing.

"...Principal, were you watching while I was being examined?"

The principal nodded at my question.

"Yeah, in the monitoring room. Say, how much longer are you going to lie there? Do you really want to see my underwear that much?"

"Eh? N-No, sorry..."

I frantically stood up. Although the principal's lab coat had a long hem, the skirt underneath was especially short. From my position, her underwear was almost visible.

"I apologize for my brother's indiscretion."

Mitsuki glared at me coldly before bowing her head to apologize to the principal.

"It's fine, don't let it bother you. Because I can understand the feelings of finding girls' underwear attractive."

"...Huh?"

Seeing Mitsuki's shocked expression, the principal deliberately.

"Cough, nothing much, I accidentally spoke from the heart, that's all."

"...Principal, no second chances."

Mica-san's smile felt extraordinarily scary. Cold sweat appeared on the principal's forehead as she turned her gaze to me.

"B-Back to the main topic. Judging from the situation just now, you evidently have no idea what was the impetus that allowed Ds to create mithril or antimatter, right?"

"Impetus... Huh? I definitely never heard about it."

I only knew that these two substances were considered ultimate offense and defense.

"Speaking of which, neither mithril nor antimatter could be created by anyone in the beginning. But after the battle against the dragon capable of manipulating those two substances—'Purple' Kraken—someone capable of emulating the antimatter projectile appeared about the Ds."

"Isn't that..."

I looked at Mitsuki.

"Indeed, it was your sister. An after the Kraken was vanquished, Ds capable of transmuting mithril successfully appeared one after another."

"Is that true, Mitsuki?"

I asked Mitsuki for confirmation. Perhaps because the subject brought up the Kraken battle, Mitsuki's expression was a bit dark.

"Yes, it is true. Without conscious intent, I successfully emulated the Kraken's antimatter projectile."

Mitsuki answered but it seemed like she could offer no further explanation to that.

I finally understood what she meant by "the same." The situation was the same for Mitsuki and me, who suddenly became able to create antigravitational matter.

Seeing me taken back by surprise, the principal continued to explain.

"In other words, the reason why you are able to create antigravitational matter, the key trigger could very well be the battle against Leviathan, or related to its defeat. But why this happens, the most fundamental reason still eludes understanding, that's all."

The principal smiled wryly and made a slight shrug.

"Uh, but that's the key..."

"Don't put it that way. Just knowing that there's precedent should be enough to reassure you, right? Now, you'll neither feel arrogant for being special nor need to fear that you're heretical."

"Well, that's true."

After nodding to concur, I suddenly thought—

Did the principal come here for the purpose of encouraging me?

"Although you had to undergo careful examination, with this, you won't need to be treated as a lab rat from now on. But just like your sister, you might need to shoulder a little more responsibility."

The principal's blue eyes stared at me while she smiled suggestively.

"I'm actually getting what I want if this allows me to help Mitsuki or friends in need."

"...An excellent mindset. Then do your best."

Nodding with satisfaction, the principal turned around.

"Let's get going, Mica."

"Yes."

The two of them started making their way to the elevator, but along the way, the principal looked back.

"Ahhh, I just remembered. By the way, all Ds could be considered humans who had stolen Vritra's ability. Fufu, if you look at it from those dragons' perspective, humans are actually the robbers who are stealing their special rights successively, striking fear into their hearts."

The principal smiled happily.

"So there's no need for you to hold back. If Basilisk has any ability to steal, go ahead and steal it. Because you are the dragons' hunters, not their prey."

After encouraging us in this manner, the principal departed with Mica-san for real. Her powerful presence did not match her petite stature. Ultimately, the title of Midgard's chief administrator was not just for show.

"...Who is she actually? Mitsuki, do you know anything about her?"

Watching the principal's back, I asked Mitsuki.

"No, I have no idea either, but I have heard rumors... It was all thanks to her that Midgard was able to gain independence to become an autonomous educational institute, thus rapidly expanding its influence over the world."

"The mystery deepens... And her age is unknown."

"This is only hearsay, but reportedly, she has been on this island ever since the inception of Midgard..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I could not help but show a stiff expression.

"Y-You're kidding, right? Because wouldn't that make her—"

I almost blurted out the age I guessed but hastily swallowed my words.

Because I felt an inexplicable chill run along my spine, similar to when I sensed life threatening danger on the battlefield. Clearly the principal could not hear our conversation, but my instincts rejected such a notion.

"...No, we'd better not pry unnecessarily."

In the end, for the sake of self-preservation, I deliberately said those words.

===Part 5===

Two days after I was examined, the participants in the operation were officially announced.

A total of twenty, of which eight were students from Brynhildr Class. Luckily, my name was included.

Considering the scale of the operation, this headcount was smaller than I had imagined. This was probably the result of trying to minimize risk to prevent the worst-case scenario.

On the day it was announced, we were briefed officially and informed of the planned itinerary.

To lure Basilisk, Brynhildr Class was apparently heading first to the uninhabited island.

Then the next day, after rushed preparations, we were already on the ship.

"Mononobe, look, Midgard became so small!"

Pointing at the island in the distance, Iris spoke excitedly.

"...Viewing that island from outside, the feeling is quite strange."

I could not help but feel poignantly how small our world was as Ds.

The sky and the sea stretched limitlessly. The tiny island floating alone between the sky and the sea was Midgard where we had been staying just earlier.

The students of Brynhildr Class boarded the ship today and set sail for the uninhabited island where Basilisk was to be lured. This ship was a transport ship that Midgard used to move supplies and did not have any weaponry.

A request to NIFL could probably get them to lend us a much faster battleship, but that would give them an excuse to interfere in our operation. As the commander of this operation, Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite wary of NIFL's interference.

Due to NIFL sending a team to infiltrate Midgard during Leviathan's invasion, a vast gulf had apparently arose between the two sides. Although I felt uneasy about how the two sides could not cooperate, at least it was better than them trying to get in each other's way.

—I hoped this would not develop into a conflict between humans.

While staring out blankly towards Midgard as it gradually disappeared over the horizon, I thought to myself. Compared to dragons, I was more adept at fighting humans, but I did not like to do that.

"Oh, Mononobe! Isn't that a dolphin?"

Rocking my shoulder, Iris pointed diagonally behind the ship. There was a school of dolphins swimming as though they were chasing the ship. Slicing through the water surface with their dorsal fins, they sometimes jumped skillfully using their speed, tracing out beautiful curves.

But compared to dolphins, the side view of Iris' elated face attracted my eyes more.

"...Is there something stuck to my face?"

Noticing my gaze, Iris cocked her head and asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, no—I was just thinking you seem quite happy."

"Yes, I'm very happy! It feels like all of us are going on a trip together, I'm so excited!"

Iris replied, smiling happily as though she believed that from the bottom of her heart.

But... I knew, I had heard Iris say so herself in the past.

Iris had apparently encountered a dragon disaster while on a ship journey with her family. Due to Leviathan passing by, the passenger ship was sunk, killing Iris' family.

"...You aren't forcing yourself, are you?"

Because of that, I was quite concerned and asked her.

"Forcing? Oh—Mononobe, don't tell me you're worried about me because we're traveling on a ship?"

"Well... I am, a bit."

I scratched my cheek and nodded to admit it but Iris beamed happily.

"Thank you, Mononobe. But it doesn't bother me at all, because in the end, a lot of happy thing happened on the family trip... Those are very precious memories to me... That's why, even though the ending is so sad, it didn't make me hate ship journeys."

I was stunned to hear her talking so matter-of-factly.

Normally speaking, it would not be surprising to develop mental trauma towards ship travel because of this, but Iris called it her precious memories very calmly.

"You're always full of surprises, Iris."

I smiled wryly and said to her. Iris had a careless personality, often made mistakes and used to lament how weak she was, but I considered her true character to have far more inner strength than me.

"Hmmhmm, because I'm not a girl who can be judged by common sense."

Iris proudly puffed out her chest.

"Yeah, like making everything explode no matter what you're transmuting. That's really far too mysterious."

"W-What's wrong with that!? Even if it's still a mystery, at least we've found a way to make use of it, that's why I'm able to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad like this!"

"Yeah, but—One day eventually, I will unravel that mystery, because I'd like to know you better, Iris."

Only after saying this without thinking did I realize in alarm that it almost sounded like I was courting her.

Despite showing a surprised look initially, Iris' face gradually grew red.

"U-Umm, m-me too..."

As though trying to muster courage, Iris stared into my eyes.

Her cherry lips kept trembling while she continued in a hoarse voice:

"...If it's you, Mononobe, umm... I want you to know me better too."

Towards the end, her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"What—"

This unexpected development halted my thoughts. I did not know how to continue.

Seeing my entire body freeze Iris tilted her head somewhat uneasily.

"Mononobe...? Don't tell me you didn't hear... me?"

"N-No, I heard you..."

Hearing me answer, Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, uh... Can I tell you now?"

Iris asked me softly in a stammer.

"T-Tell me what...?"

"Basically... Many things. As long as it's something you want to know, Mononobe, anything at all."

Very shyly, Iris answered while fidgeting.

"By saying it could be anything at all, you're actually making it harder for me..."

I scratched my head and replied. Iris looked up at me and asked hesitantly:

"If you can't think of something on the spot, then... Wanna visit my cabin? This isn't a place to talk secrets anyway..."

Making such a suggestion with blushing cheeks, Iris looked incredibly attractive, forcing me to gulp.

"Well, Iris, if you're okay with it—"

Dizzy from the mood, I was almost about to agree when I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I hastily stopped talking.

"Yuu! Tia took a tour of the deck and came back!"

I took a closer look to see Tia running here, out of breath. She had been very excited ever since she boarded the transport ship, running all over the place the whole time.

Although she should have been transported by ship when she first came to Midgard, she most likely did not have the freedom to tour around at the time.

"Yuu, let's explore the inside of the ship next?"

"Hold on, Tia. Iris and I are currently—"

With Tia pulling my right hand, I asked Iris "What now?" with a gaze.

"Oh, it's okay, go explore with Tia. The thing with me... Umm, it doesn't have to be right now."

Iris shyly saw me and Tia off. What she meant by that was asking me to come find her at her cabin later. Since inappropriate interaction between the genders was prohibited, I was definitely not going to do anything bad, but even so, I still felt my heart rate rising.

"Yuu, let's go this way to have a look!"

Tia held my right hand tightly and walked rapidly. The deck of the transport ship was very spacious. Several cranes were installed for moving shipping containers.

There was a female member of the crew operating the cranes nearby. Most likely just like the staff at Midgard, the crew of this ship were also all female.

Entering the ship and advancing along the corridor, we came to a spacious lounge. This seemed to be a leisure space for the crew. There were vending machines along the wall along with a self-served cafeteria, although it was currently closed.

In a corner of the lounge, I saw classmates sprawled on a table.

They were Firill and Ren.

Firill had a paperback in one hand while her entire body was limp. On the other hand, Ren had a hand on her laptop while her body kept trembling.

"W-What's with you two!?"

Surprised, Tia ran towards them.

Firill's body shook then she turned her pallid face towards us.

"...I feel terrible."

Then she described her condition while in suffering.

"...Mm."

Ren also looked up unsteadily, nodding once to concur, then sprawled on the table again.

"Yuu, oh no! They're both sick!"

Tia frantically tugged my sleeve, so I worriedly inquired of them.

"Hey, what the heck's going on? You two were fine earlier when you boarded the ship, weren't you?"

Firill and Ren turned their pale faces towards me.

"I was reading a book when the world started spinning before my eyes..."

"Mm..."

Firill pointed at the paperback in her hand while Ren pointed at her laptop. With that, I figured out the situation. To put Tia at ease, I placed my hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Tia. They're just seasick."

"Seasick?"

"Yeah, because it's different on a ship. Unlike land, it's always in a rocking state. Some people feel unwell because of that."

After explaining to Tia, I looked at Firill and Ren in exasperation.

"—Say, this is also because you two started reading a book and using the computer despite being unused to ships, you know?"

It was easy to get seasick when doing those things to begin with. That was really obvious, so they were reaping what they sowed.

"But... I really want to read, the culprit will be exposed in just a bit..."

Firill seemed to be reading a mystery novel. Despite her pallid demeanor, she still insisted on reading further.

"Doing that will only make the seasick symptoms worse. Sheesh... I'm confiscating this book for now."

Exasperated, I could only take away the book from Firill's hand.

"Ah!? G-Give it back..."

"I'll return it as soon as your seasick symptoms get better. At this rate, you won't even be able to eat your meals. You'll get sick for real."

"Ooh... I never knew you're this kind of person..."

She glared resentfully at me. Although I felt guilty to some extent, I must not give the book back to Firill in her current state.

Seeing this, Ren hid her laptop underneath her body while watching me with wary eyes.

"Mm!"

Ren waved her hand to shoo me away, but like Firill, her face was pale.

"No, I'm not planning to forcibly confiscate your computer as well, Ren. As long as you rest in your cabin and don't strain to use the computer, I won't do anything."

"...Mm."

Hearing me say that, Ren seemed reassured, nodding frequently.

"Really? You're a good kid, Ren. Are you able to return to your cabin on your own?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and petted Ren's head.

"Mm..."

Despite pouting with displeasure, Ren nodded lightly in acknowledgement.

"Then you two should rest properly."

"Once you get well, play with Tia again!"

Tia and I said goodbye to Firill and Ren then continued our exploration of the ship's interior.

We randomly turned a corner then advanced deeper, but encountered a flight of stairs.

Going down a level would take us to a series of cabins where we were staying. I had gone down to have a look once when moving luggage onto the ship. Perhaps designed with the expectation that VIPs might travel on it, even though it was not a passenger ship, the cabins assigned to us were still quite comfortable. The girls' cabins were near the prow side, while mine was in a corner towards the aft. Despite being on the same level, they were quite far apart.

One more level down should be the storage and engine rooms.

As for going up, I had not tried it yet, but ascending the stairs would probably get us to the bridge.

"Which way do we go?"

Hearing me ask that, Tia thought for a while then pointed up.

"Up is better."

"Got it."

Although we might not be allowed into the bridge, I still accompanied Tia on her adventure, to go everywhere as long as it was open to us.

Tia and I followed the metal staircase that was painted white. Immediately, we heard faint sounds of voices coming from above. With every step we took, the voices grew louder.

Although the words could not be heard, judging from the tone, it seemed to be some kind of dispute, and they were familiar voices.

"...Lisa and Mitsuki's voices."

Tia pulled my hand and quickened her pace. Thinking something had happened, I ran up the stairs too.

After going up two levels, I could heard the voices clearly. Reading the sign located at the landing, this was a level used for a conference room and other purposes.

"—And that is why I still cannot forgive you even now!"

"It matters not to me that you cannot forgive me, because what I had done was unforgivable!"

Lisa and Mitsuki's voices were coming from around the corner. I could also see Ariella hiding in the corner, peering at the situation in the corridor.

Ariella showed a troubled expression immediately after discovering us.

"Oh, it's you guys? Uh, just as you can hear, Mitsuki and Lisa are occupied right now. You'd better come back later if you need to find them for something."

"Lisa and Mitsuki are fighting? You're not stopping them?"

Tia asked Ariella in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I'd like to stop them but it doesn't seem like a problem I can just butt in."

Ariella sighed and shrugged, looking very helpless.

Tia and I did not know what had happened between them, so we listened carefully to the arguing voices.

"—Mitsuki-san, are you insisting that you will shoulder everything alone, be it the crime of killing Miyako-san or the responsibility of atoning for that?"

"Of course that is what I believe. I have no wish to push my responsibilities on others!"

"Hmph, what pretty sounding words. But no one will understand you and no one will follow you so long as you continue to monopolize that kind of resolve. Aren't there many things that you ought to confront bravely?"

"I-I am confronting bravely—"

"Do not say such words lightly when you clearly have not tried to obtain my forgiveness!"

"!"

Lisa's shout caused Mitsuki to swallow the remainder of what she was going to say.

I peered discreetly around the corner. Lisa had her arms crossed before her chest, standing with her feet apart. On the other hand, Mitsuki was in front of her, head lowered, shoulders shaking nonstop.

"Lisa... is very angry."

Similarly poking her head out, Tia under me remarked quietly.

Just as Tia described, Lisa was exuding anger that I had never seen before. Although I had incurred Lisa's wrath many times before, no occasion could compare to how angry Lisa was right now.

The dispute seemed to have started because of the subject of Shinomiya Miyako. This I can understand why Ariella could not interrupt. Because someone trying to intervene without knowing the details would only make matters worse.

I did not know much either.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend Shinomiya Miyako whereas Lisa still could not forgive this act. Lisa had also said before that she still could not approve even though she knew it was unavoidable.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 069.jpg|thumb]]

"Mitsuki-san, could you say something?"

Lisa asked the silent Mitsuki.

"......!"

But Mitsuki turned around to leave as though fleeing, unable to say a single word in return.

Seeing Mitsuki coming towards us, we frantically leaned our backs against the wall. Luckily, Mitsuki walked past us to the other end of the corridor without noticing us. Noticing that she seemed to be crying, I wondered whether I should chase after her or not.

"The people over there, how much longer are you going to hide?"

But just as I was hesitating, I heard Lisa yelled in our direction. Although Mitsuki had not noticed us, Lisa had discovered us out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry, I originally did not mean to eavesdrop..."

Ariella walked out apologetically. Tia and I followed.

"Sorry, it was because I heard voices."

"Because Tia heard angry voices, Tia was very worried..."

Seeing me and Tia apologize, Lisa sighed.

"Sigh, more eavesdroppers come out, one after another... Never mind, it's fine even if you overheard. Since we chose to converse in the corridor, I am in no position to blame you for eavesdropping.

Lisa spoke wearily then gazed in the direction where Mitsuki had fled.

"...However, if possible, I hope all of you will pretend you did not hear the earlier conversation. If you are worrying about Mitsuki-san, there is no need. Because once the evening meeting starts, she will appear as though nothing had happened, as usual like every other time..."

Hearing Lisa's bitter tone of voice, I asked her:

"As usual like every other time... Do you fight like this often?"

"Occasionally. The last time I argued with her was when Leviathan approached. We got into a dispute over interception matters and it developed into a fight like just now. The same goes for this time, it was originally just a discussion on future plans..."

I heard lisa saying "why did it end up like this?" quietly followed by a deep sigh.

"That's—"

On reflex, I wanted to say "because you still refuse to forgive Mitsuki, Lisa" but stopped myself. Because even if I accused Lisa, it would only make things more complicated. I noticed that Mitsuki's tears seemed to have made me lose my cool.

"...If you have something to say, I hope you can finish what you started out to say. Nevertheless, I can probably imagine the gist of it."

After speaking harshly to me like that, Lisa walked past us and went up the stairs.

In the end, I watched Lisa leave without being able to say a single word.

After Lisa was out of sight, Ariella relaxed her shoulders and said:

"Even though it's just the beginning, it feels like there are tough times ahead. Although given their personalities, they're still going to perform their duties properly... But it still doesn't feel reassuring."

Tia also concurred with a worried face.

"Yeah... It's not good to keep fighting. Tia wishes they could make up."

"...That's right."

As much as I agreed with Tia, I also understood that it was no easy task. This problem was quite deep-rooted, because Mitsuki and Lisa's dispute had persisted all the way from two years ago ever since Shinomiya Miyako's passing.

It looked like I should not go chasing after Mitsuki either. If I made things worse, it might make prevent Mitsuki from even feigning "things as normal."

But I did not think that maintaining the status quo was the right answer either.

—I really want to find a way to mediate this.

In any case, I should try finding a solution.

Because if those two could reconcile, perhaps it could also eliminate Mitsuki's insecurities.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 3 Chapter 1

2020-05-17T06:34:25Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 1 */

==Chapter 1 - The Invading Basilisk==

===Part 1===

Somehow, I found myself having trouble breathing. My body was unable to move.

Every breath I took came with a whiff of fragrance.

Although smothered, it did not feel unpleasant at all. With that kind of unbelievable feeling, I opened my eyes slightly.

Then I was so surprised that I even forgot to breathe.

...!?

In front of my eyes was pale skin. Tender as a newborn baby's, skin giving off a fragrant scent—A voluptuous bust was covering my face.

"Mmm... Mononobe..."

Someone was calling my name lightly next to my ear. It seemed like someone was hugging me.

As for that someone—I was 80-90% sure it was Iris.

Without looking at her face, I could instantly tell from her voice.

Iris Freyja was my classmate in Brynhildr Class, a beautiful maiden with sparkling silver hair.

She was also the only person who had given me the taste of a kiss.

But that was like a reward gift—Although Iris and I were good friends, it was not the kind of relationship where we could be locked passionately in an embrace like this in bed.

Hence, my mind was in turmoil. Despite trying to figure out the situation, I could not think properly.

Iris' bodily scent and soft bosom were blanking out my mind.

"Ah... Mononobe... Mmm..."

Hearing Iris' voice next to my ear, my back shuddered.

It felt like someone was using her fingers to comb my hair. Iris was apparently awake.

Then I heard the sound of someone sniffing.

"Mononobe's smell, sure enough... it's so soothing..."

Iris buried her face in my hair, exhaling hot breath.

I shifted my gaze to confirm. Although Iris had her top unbuttoned, she essentially still had her clothes on. She was wearing her school uniform.

My view was dominated by Iris' chest, which prevented me from acquiring more detailed information. But as my brain started to operate after waking up, I recalled that this was a sickroom in the medical building rather than my own room.

I was injured during the battle five days earlier—in other words, "Blue" Hekatonkheir and Kili's attack on Midgard, which was why I was currently under treatment in the medical building.

Although the more heavily injured left shoulder still could not move, the fever arising from my wounds had subsided. Starting today, I could attend classes. Hence, I was scheduled to be discharged today if there were no problems.

"...Mononobe will feel soothed too, right... Hugging you like this... You'll forget your pain and suffering, right...?"

Iris hugged my head tightly, burying the tip of my nose in her cleavage. It felt very soft, warm, and comfortable—even though I was almost about to suffocate.

I heard the beat of Iris' heart. Or was this my own heartbeat?

"Don't worry, Mononobe... You won't have nightmares as long as someone is by your side... Because I didn't have nightmares that time."

Iris was probably talking about the time when "White" Leviathan had targeted her. To help her feel at ease, I had lent my back for her to lean on.

—Maybe I was having a nightmare earlier.

Although I had no recollection of it, that was probably the case. Now that the painkiller's effect had subsided, my left shoulder was hurting. It did not come as a surprise that I would have nightmares in such a state.

I guessed that Iris was doing this to put me at ease. After figuring out the reason, I was no longer panicking but that still did not change the situation.

Or perhaps, now that I had less to think about and occupy my mind, I became even more strongly conscious of Iris' body warmth.

Iris relaxed her embrace slightly, murmuring softly to herself:

"However... For some reason, even though my emotions are clearly calm... my body is getting hot—something seems to be tugging at my heart... even though it didn't happen before... it doesn't feel right somehow... so weird... hmm—"

Iris' exhaled breaths were hot. She moved, causing our bodies, in close contact, to touch and rub against each other, forcing me to hold my breath for several seconds. Had I not done that, I might have succumbed to an indescribable impulse.

"Ah... Mmm... Mononobe..."

Iris moved restlessly, calling my name in a somewhat lamenting manner.

Iris' heart had been beating fast since a while ago. My heart was beating madly too.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before I lost self-control. But under such conditions, even if I told her I had already woken up, I had a feeling that it would still bring about something irrevocable.

"Ya... Mmm..."

Iris exhaled hot breath and sandwiched my face between her soft breasts. I understood that there was no time to lose, so I called upon my inexperienced "acting skills."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 021.jpg|thumb]]

"Ooh..."

I deliberately groaned as a hint to Iris that I was about to wake up.

"Hyah!?"

Iris immediately screamed and released my head. Normally speaking, I should have woken up from her cry but I continued to pretend I was still asleep.

"Hmm..."

"M-Mononobe, don't wake up yet! Don't wake up!"

Iris frantically climbed off the bed. As reluctant as I was to leave her body warmth, I did not try to make her stay. Then after counting thirty seconds silently in my mind, I opened my eyes lightly with caution.

"G-Good morning, Mononobe!"

Iris was sitting in a chair next to the bed, smiling stiffly as she greeted me. Her face was still flushed red but I deliberately pretended not to notice and responded:

"Good morning, Iris, why did you come here this early in the morning...?"

Seeing that her unbuttoned top was already fixed up, I secretly felt relieved and asked her that. At the moment, the digital clock on the side of the sickbed read 6am.

"Oh, umm, Mononobe, you're going to class starting today, right? So I wanted to welcome you back!"

"Welcome me back... I'm happy you're doing that but isn't it a bit too early?"

Although Iris' busty embrace had swept all sense of drowsiness from me, I would normally be asleep at this hour.

"Oh, right, actually I was planning to wake you up later. So... I'm sorry. If you're still sleepy, you can continue sleeping, you know?"

Iris spoke apologetically.

"It's okay, I feel particularly energized waking up today so I'm not sleepy. This is probably because—I had a good dream."

"I-I see!"

Iris replied happily, a smile blooming on her face.

It was probably thanks to Iris that I did not remember the contents of my nightmare. Surely, it was Iris' heartbeat and body warmth that had driven away my feelings of suffering.

But since I could not thank her directly while feigning ignorance, my only choice was to tell a little lie and say I had a good dream.

No, in actual fact after waking up, I really did enjoy a wonderful dream.

I could not help but recall Iris' snow-white skin, so I hastily shook my head to drive those thoughts away.

"Mononobe, what's with you? Do you know that your face is very red?"

Despite her own red face, Iris asked me with puzzlement.

I suppressed the urge to retort, avoided eye contact and said "it's nothing."

"Really? Then since you have to get up, Mononobe, why don't I help you change? Your left arm can't move, so it must be inconvenient, right?"

Iris stood up from her seat and brought over the school uniform that was hanging in the closet. My sister Mitsuki had brought this uniform from the dorm for me yesterday.

"Sure, that'd be a great help—"

However, I stopped mid-sentence. I discovered there would be a serious problem if she helped me to change.

"—No wait, forget it! I can get changed on my own!"

Not only had I just woken up, I had also viewed Iris' tender skin up close immediately after waking up. How could I calm down immediately? If I undressed under such conditions, things would be extremely bad.

"Jeez, Mononobe, you're a patient. You're not allowed to act polite towards me. If you move forcefully, your wound might open up."

Iris had a very good point. Unless I told her the real reason, she was probably not going to be dissuaded. But that would only make the mood turn embarrassing. This was foreseeable too.

"T-That's right, but... there might be an examination in the morning, so it's fine to get changed after that..."

Since I could not find an excuse, I tried to stall for time so that I could calm down first.

"Oh, I asked the nurse about that already. She said you just need to make a visit to the infirmary before going to class. Also, I heard that breakfast will be served at the school cafeteria, so let's go together after you're done changing."

Iris smiled with 100% benevolent intentions. Given her carelessness, this was quite well thought out of her, but it mercilessly sealed off my avenues of escape.

"No, but..."

Just as I was breaking out in cold sweat, thinking of excuses, Iris peered at my face as though she figured out something.

"Mononobe, don't tell me... you're shy about getting undressed by me?"

"Urgh..."

Iris was not far from the truth, rendering me speechless. Immediately, she made an expression as though a great idea had occurred to her and chuckled.

"I see, so Mononobe gets shy too! I was so embarrassed when you saw me naked, Mononobe, with this we'll be even."

Perhaps as revenge for that time, Iris gleefully reached towards my clothing.

"H-Hey, wait! Wait first, just a short while!"

"No, don't move recklessly or it'll affect your injuries, okay? Don't move."

Iris climbed onto the bed and pinned me down lightly. Then straddling directly me like that, she began to unbutton my light-green hospital gown.

"H-Hey!?"

"Fufu, it feels like you're a bit cute today, Mononobe, hmm... Weird? What is this...? It feels like something's poking my bum—"

"!?"

Just as the situation turned desperate, the sickroom's door was opened loudly.

"Ah! What are you doing, Iris!?"

The petite little girl with horns on her head entered the room and yelled loudly.

Saying she had horns on her head was not a metaphor for anger. Rather, it was a true description of her appearance. A D named Tia Lightning. Her age would put her in elementary school, but due to various reasons, she had transferred into Brynhildr Class where I studied.

Shaking her beautiful fluttering hair, which looked pink in the light, Tia rushed over to the side of my bed.

"Yuu will become Tia's husband! S-So, not allowed to do dirty things with anyone apart from the wife!"

Tia climbed on the bed and pushed aside Iris, who was straddling me.

"W-We're not doing anything dirty. I just wanted to help Mononobe get changed!"

Iris exchanged glares with Tia across me, but her face was still blushing.

Because she realized what the scene looked like to others, with her straddling and undressing me.

"Then Tia will help Yuu change too! Because taking care of the husband is the wife's job!!"

"You haven't married Monobe, Tia, so you don't have that kind of priority! So first come first served. I tried very hard today to get up early!"

Refusing to back down against the aggressive Tia, Iris retorted and argued.

I could almost see sparks flying between them. No, there really could be sparks because Tia had a bad habit. Whenever she got emotional, she would subconsciously generate dark matter, converting it into electrical currents.

"......"

Without interjecting thoughtlessly, I quietly watched them argue.

Normally, I would have intervened to stop them, but right now, what I needed most was time.

After roughly ten minutes, Iris and Tia finally reached an agreement. They would cooperate and take turns to assist me in changing.

During those ten minutes, I finally managed to settle down.

===Part 2===

Twenty-five years ago, the first dragon—"Black" Vritra—made its appearance in the sky above Japan.

Ever since, children possessing the same power as Vritra—the Ds with the ability to generate dark matter—were born among humans. The tropical island where they were gathered was Midgard here.

When Midgard was first established, it leaned heavily towards a detention facility in purpose, but now, it had become a self-governed organization with massive influence over the world.

There was extremely high economic value in the ability to transmute dark matter into any substance. Hence, Ds contributed to society by using their powers to undertake jobs to produce rare resources.

However, Midgard also had an undisclosed function. Namely, to intercept and defeat dragons that were attacking in search of ''mates''.

Targeted Ds would turn into the same type of dragon when they came into contact with the dragon targeting them. Currently a target, Tia Lightning was sitting on my lap.

The red dragon—"Red" Basilisk—had chosen Tia and was apparently crossing the African continent right now in pursuit of her. However, there was an ocean between Midgard and the continent, hence, it was still unknown whether Basilisk would cross the ocean, seeing as its body structure was not suited to swimming.

"Here, say ah—"

Sitting sideways on my lap—more precisely, on my thigh—Tia was bringing a sandwich towards me with an innocent and pure smile on her face.

She looked completely carefree but until five days ago, she had been insisting she was a dragon, thus raising a huge wall between herself and the other Ds.

But in response to her classmates' gentle treatment, Tia had by her own will rejected Kili, the leader of the dragon worshiping cult the Sons of Muspell, thus choosing to live with us as a human. That was why she was staying here now.

Initially, Tia had refused to leave my side but because I was hospitalized, she was currently living with her classmate Lisa in the student dormitories.

"Yuu, hurry up."

Asking me to indulge her, Tia urged me to open my mouth. Although she was now getting along well with others, she still did not change her tendency to make me dote on her. Although I had suggested to her that I hope she would not sit on my lap anymore, Tia insisted that she could hold herself back during class but I had to obey her now.

"...Can't be helped."

I gave up resisting and obediently bit the sandwich.

We were currently in the cafeteria on the ground floor of the catering building. Of course there were other people watching and this sort of behavior was very embarrassing, but if I declined, Tia and Iris might start arguing again.

In the sickroom earlier, Tia and Iris had reached a consensus to take turns helping me change. But they continued to "care" for me even while we were traveling to the cafeteria.

"Mononobe, it's my turn next."

Sitting on my right, Iris leaned closer and presented me with a sandwich. As a side note, Tia was feeding me an egg sandwich while Iris was holding a tuna sandwich.

My right hand could move normally so it made me feel bad that I even needed help to eat meals. Nevertheless, when I voiced my view, Iris' answer was "this has nothing to do with that."

"...Thanks."

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, I bit Iris' sandwich as well.

"Ehehe!"

Iris' face relaxed and she made a happy expression. Feeling unable to look her in the eye, I chewed the sandwich while my gaze kept wandering.

"Hurry hurry, eat Tia's too."

Seeing this, Tia impatiently extended her sandwich again.

Under their urging, I ate their sandwiches in alternate bites. However, eating sandwiches alone made me start to feel thirsty.

But because the sandwiches were delivered to my mouth without pause, I could not find the chance to speak for a long time.

"—Tia-san, Iris-san, this cannot be called care, you know?"

Immediately, a voice was heard with sighing tones.

I turned my head to look at the source, instantly making eye contact with a pair of clear blue eyes.

"Gulp... Good morning, Lisa."

I hastily swallowed the sandwich in my mouth and greeted my classmate, Lisa Highwalker. Lisa tossed her long blonde hair and answered me with a scowl.

"Good morning. How exalted your position must be, to have two girls serving you so early in the morning."

Hearing Lisa's sarcastic tone, I frantically explained myself.

"No, I didn't ask them to serve me. They're trying to help me in my injured state—"

"Oh, is that so? But do you truly need the assistance?"

"Well..."

If it was just eating, I could manage without their help, so I fell speechless.

"Letting others help unnecessarily is tantamount to asking them to serve you. Also, Tia-san and Iris-san—The two of you have erred to an absurd extent."

"Kyah!?"

"...Lisa so scary."

Hearing Lisa's harsh tone of voice, Iris and Tia shrank their shoulders in fright.

"Did you know that excessive care may sometimes burden the receiver? You two should try to think from his perspective and only assist him on necessary tasks."

After saying that, Lisa took a cup of water that was on the table and presented it to me.

"...You are thirsty, am I correct?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks."

I thanked her and took the cup with my left hand, then drank the entire cup.

"Mononobe Yuu, you must decide for yourself the occasion when you need to ask for help. If it is something truly necessary, I will assist you with my full power too."

Despite turning her head away fiercely, Lisa made me that kind of offer.

Stunned, Iris and Tia stared at Lisa.

"Lisa-chan is so cool..."

Iris murmured with eyes of worship.

"Lisa is amazing..."

Tia offered her a gaze of respect.

"I-I simply said something that was a matter of fact."

Seeing Lisa explain modestly in embarrassment, I also praised her.

"Lisa really is a good woman indeed."

On further thought, it was quite unnatural for Lisa to appear on campus early in the morning. Perhaps she had come to school this early for the sake of helping me resume school life.

"Y-You are saying that again! Is making me the brunt of your jokes that amusing!?"

Instantly gone red in the face, Lisa glared at me viciously.

"No, I'm not joking about you. It's just that I couldn't think of any other way of putting it."

"Then my wish is that you could study seriously and learn more vocabulary."

Arms crossed, Lisa replied unhappily but her cheeks remained red.

Seeing that kind of reaction from her, I could not help but smile. This time, I really wanted to play a joke on her.

But just as I was about to tease her, there was suddenly a quiet commotion coming from the lounge where the vending machine was located. Noticing unusual vibes in the voices, everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Did something happen?"

Intrigued, Iris asked quietly.

There were staff having breakfast in the cafeteria like us and they also looked towards the lounge, unsure what had happened. Things like "hey, come over here" and "what's going on..." could be heard from the lounge.

"Yuu... Tia has a bad feeling about this."

Tia clutched my uniform tightly with a worried look.

Only then did I remember that apart from the vending machine, there was also a satellite television in the lounge as well.

"Let us head over to verify what happened."

Saying that, Lisa urged us to move.

Hence, The four of us went to the lounge and saw many staff with their eyes fixated on the television. Shown on the screen was the overhead view of a coast somewhere.

"What..."

Seeing that screen, I was instantly speechless.

One type of news had absolutely first priority no matter which country in the world.

Namely, news regarding dragons that moved around on whim without regard for national borders, the disasters they caused, as well as disaster predictions.

Currently airing were images from news linked to a dragon disaster.

But this was a type of dragon disaster I had never seen before.

The sea had a patch of it dyed pure white. Judging from the map on the right of the screen, the scene was near the equator on the African continent, a place where the ocean could not possibly freeze.

In fact, whether the words on screen or what the newscaster reported, neither indicated that the ocean was exhibiting a freezing phenomenon.

What the news reported was—

Moving across the African continent, after reaching the coast, Basilisk had turned the surrounding seawater into salt completely.

===Part 3===

"I believe many of you have already learned through the media that Basilisk has finally begun to cross the sea."

Standing on the podium, announcing gravely was my little sister, who was simultaneously the student council president of Midgard ''Academy''—Mononobe Mitsuki. Despite her short stature, one did not get any impression of unreliability from her. A sense of solemnity could be felt from her tense expression.

"Believed to be unable to swim on grounds of its bodily structure, Basilisk is turning seawater into salt. Rather than taking the land route of the Eurasian continent, it is advancing towards Midgard along the shortest distance. Roughly one month from now, it will have crossed the Indian Ocean, passing the Indonesian archipelago to reach us."

A slight clamor arose between the students after listening to Mitsuki.

The first day I returned to school, the timetable was suddenly changed to hold an impromptu full-school assembly. Mitsuki was originally visiting me frequently at the sickroom, but today was the only day when she did not appear, probably because of the Basilisk incident. Also, the assembly was taking place in the sports ground instead of the usual gym.

When the clock tower was destroyed by Hekatonkheir the other day, its debris had apparently struck the gym's roof directly. Hence, the gym was currently barred from usage. Looking around me, I could see the lower half of the slanted, collapsed and bifurcated clock tower.

"However, this development is within our expectations. Midgard and NIFL has independently planned operations capable of dealing lethal damage to Basilisk and made preparations. We have sufficient chances of victory."

Perhaps to encourage everyone, Mitsuki declared firmly, causing many students to nod in response with determined expressions. Since recent lessons involved training under the assumption of fighting Basilisk, everyone had a certain level of confidence and preparedness. There was no gloomy mood like for Leviathan's attack.

"Detailed plans will be explained to members selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Please prepare yourselves, everyone."

After announcing the necessary facts concisely, Mitsuki descended from the podium.

Although noon had not arrived yet, the sun was already shining intensely. Perhaps Mitsuki had judged that a long speech in tropical Midgard would be a bad idea.

After a teacher went on the podium to make a few announcements, the full-school assembly was dismissed.

"After hearing Mitsuki-chan's speech, it really feels like there won't be problem."

Walking side by side with me, Iris spoke.

"Mitsuki so cool, as expected of Yuu's little sister."

On my other side, Tia also praised Mitsuki.

"...Yeah."

Although I concurred with them, I was feeling uneasy inside.

I felt the same thing when Leviathan invaded. When fighting dragons, Mitsuki's mindset was likewise troubling.

Just now, although she had urged everyone to prepare themselves mentally, in Mitsuki's case, it seemed like she had prepared too much. In other words, I felt that she seemed to be leaving no margin to spare mentally.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend in the past. She had also said that she was continuing to battle in order to atone for that crime.

Hence, I had also vowed to put everything on the line to terminate her battle.

Even if Mitsuki did not want me to help, I had no intention of going against my vow.

—If Mitsuki does anything reckless, I must stop her.

I was thinking over these matters while returning to our classroom—Brynhildr Class. In the 3x3 arrangement of seats, I was sitting in the back row in the center, flanked by Iris and Mitsuki.

Earlier, Tia had kept treating my lap as her seat but now, she was sitting in the seat in front of me. Turning her head back, her gaze seemed to be asking me, "Is Tia obedient?"

"Very obedient."

I caressed her head. Tia showed a contented smile and turned to face the front.

Sitting on her two sides were the red-haired prodigy, Ren Miyazawa, and the tomboy, Ariella Lu. Tia naturally began to chat with them. Watching this from behind, I knew she had no more problems. I could finally relax. Tia was already getting along as a member of Brynhildr Class.

Seated in the front row were Lisa and the bibliophile who was always reading, Firill Crest. The seat between them was empty. Before I transferred in, the entire middle column was unused, but now, that seat was the only ''opening'' left in the Brynhildr Class.

At this moment, the door opened. Homeroom teacher Shinomiya-sensei and Mitsuki entered together.

Seeing the one empty seat that was now emphasized, what would Mitsuki think? I was quite curious about this.

Student No. 4, Shinomiya Miyako, was Shinomiya-sensei's little sister and also Mitsuki's best friend.

Were she still alive, all the seats in the classroom would be filled.

"—Please be quiet, everyone. Homeroom time still has not ended, so please listen to a few words from me."

Mitsuki stood at the lectern and swept her gaze across us while she spoke. Everyone stopped chatting and directed their gaze at Mitsuki.

On the other hand, Shinomiya-sensei was sitting in the chair next to the lectern, using the register book in her hand to fan herself.

"The members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad for this operation will be centered on our Brynhildr Class. Most likely, every member of the class will be selected. Hence, I will first tell you about the operation's key points."

Almost everyone...? In other words, everyone apart from Tia who was being targeted by Basilisk?

I found it a bit strange but did not interrupt, deciding to listen to Mitsuki first.

"Basilisk fires red beams from its eyes, using the light to turn the target of its ''gaze'' into stone, dust or salt. The range approaches five kilometers, which is why we cannot fight it directly but must find cover to block its line of sight. However, there are objects for cover on the sea. Consequently, Midgard has decided that the most effective tactic is to lure Basilisk to a desert island in neighboring waters, then blow Basilisk to smithereens together with the island."

Hearing that, Ariella raised her hand to ask a question.

"You mentioned luring Basilisk, but how?"

"Tia-san will be transported to that island temporarily. Because Basilisk's target is Tia-san, it will surely head towards the island. Naturally, before Basilisk arrives, we will let Tia-san retreat."

"Oh, that sounds like it'll work."

Putting down her hand, Ariella seemed to accept the answer. It felt like she had expected this answer more or less.

Then Firill raised her hand and asked Mitsuki:

"...What are chances that the island will be flattened by Basilisk as soon as it enters visual range?"

"According to data collected so far, even when Basilisk turns vegetable impeding its advance into dust, the landscape remains unaltered. Or rather, even after getting exposed to the red beams, the land does not show significant changes."

"...Now that is quite unbelievable. So Basilisk's red beam is not purely a high firepower attack?"

After listening to Firill, Mitsuki nodded solemnly.

"Indeed. Although there have been various theories regarding Basilisk's ability, abundant data has been obtained from the current incident. Hence, we are currently drawing deductions to narrow down the overall direction. Before the operation is put into action, it should be possible to put forward a more accurate theory."

Basilisk's ability was not fully analyzed yet, it seemed. For one thing, it had stayed in the desert for the past twenty years or so since it appeared, hence a lack of data was very normal.

Prior to this, Basilisk was a dragon that caused no problems unless one approached it. Of course, the country where Basilisk made its residence had things tough, but nothing happened as long as one kept their distance. But precisely because nothing happened, no data was gathered about the dragon, and now, that was the price paid.

All the anti-Basilisk training conducted so far were probably based on the assumption of that Basilisk would not leave the desert.

I had to take a test where I had to attack and pierce diamond from a distance of a hundred meters. But now, it was obvious that getting that close to Basilisk was impossible no matter what. The drills on close range combat probably assumed the battlefield would be the desert with things like sand dunes for cover.

"—Anyone have other questions?"

Mitsuki swept her gaze across us and asked.

Since no one else seemed to have one, I decided to pose the question that had bothered me from the start.

"I do."

I raised my right arm. Mitsuki turned her gaze at me.

"Go ahead, Nii-san."

"Just now, Mitsuki, you mentioned that almost every member of Brynhildr Class will be selected for the Dragon Subjugation Squad, which means someone will be excluded?"

At first, I thought Tia would stay behind but according to Mitsuki, she was the center of the operation and absolutely indispensable. This meant that there was someone else who would be excluded.

"Well, although it has not been confirmed yet... I intend to have you stay behind, Nii-san."

"What... Me? Why?"

I asked in surprise.

"Obvious, is it not? Because you are a patient."

"No, wait a sec, there's almost a month until the battle against Basilisk, right? Before that, my wounds would have healed. Taking part in the operation shouldn't be a problem."

I hastily objected but Mitsuki sighed with an exasperated look on her face.

"What would be the point of straining yourself to take part? What this operation requires is high offensive power. Although you possess anti-dragon weapons, Nii-san, you also mentioned before that they cannot be used from unstable positions such as ships or in the air, right?"

"That's... true, yeah."

Countered so completely, I began to stammer.

The anti-dragon weapons I created by borrowing other people's dark matter were only parts from the lost weapon known as Marduk. Hence, there were many incomplete functions. If standing somewhere unstable, I had no confidence I could aim accurately. In addition, I had no idea whether my foothold would be able to withstand the recoil.

"When destroying Basilisk together with the island, of course the attacks will be launched from a ship. Hence, there is no need for you, Nii-san. Furthermore, Lisa-san is enough as the candidate to look after Tia-san."

"Hmm..."

Mitsuki's argument was perfectly logical, but I could not bring myself to agree candidly. If she were to do anything reckless, I needed to be at her side to stop her.

I racked my brain, trying to think of an excuse to use.

Was there no place for me to contribute in the operation? If I could suggest something impossible to replace, something that only I could do—

It suddenly occurred to me. Apart from constructing lost weapons, there was currently one other thing only I could achieve.

"—No, Mitsuki, I believe there is value in bringing me along."

"Eh...?"

"You saw it, right? I created antigravitational matter during the battle against Hekatonkheir. In an emergency, this power might prove to be a useful trump card."

I did not know why I suddenly gained the ability to create antigravitational matter. Before "Green" Yggdrasil urged me to, I never even considered whether it was possible for me to do that kind of thing.

Although this type of uniqueness of unknown origin felt eerie, I was exploiting this fact on purpose right now.

"So, Mitsuki, let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad. When there's a need to adjust battle plans, it's better to have an extra option, right?"

Despite my arguments, Mitsuki still frowned and made a stern expression.

"I understand what you are trying to say, Nii-san, but unknown powers cannot count as an option. Currently, information regarding that ostensibly antigravitational matter is too lacking. And that is still because... Nii-san, you refuse to disclose."

Mitsuki's tone sounded sulking when she added the final sentence.

"It's not because I don't want to say anything, but I don't know anything about it."

"In that case, such a power cannot be relied on."

Mitsuki spoke in a strong tone of voice. She seemed to be getting stubborn, but Shinomiya-sensei intervened.

"Calm down, Mononobe Mitsuki. If information is lacking, how about gathering information as a next step? Besides, we intended to have him examined once he recovers."

"Examined?"

Hearing my doubtful tone, Shinomiya-sensei turned her head to face me.

"Yes, Mononobe Yuu. The higher-ups are very interested in how you successfully created antigravitational matter, hence they would like you to let us investigate and analyze that new substance."

After slightly thinking over what Shinomiya-sensei said, I asked her:

"If the outcome of the examination discovers that antigravitational matter is useful... Will you let me join the Dragon Subjugation Squad?"

"We want to raise chances of success too, so even if it's 1%, as long as it seems useful, we will naturally allow you to join."

Hearing this, Mitsuki yelled at Shinomiya-sensei in a rare display.

"Shinomiya-sensei!"

"This is a logical decision. You will be the one suffering in regret if the operation fails because you refuse the best options on account of personal feelings."

Shinomiya-sensei persuaded Mitsuki in a calm tone of voice.

"......I understand."

After several seconds of silence, Mitsuki reluctantly nodded. Then she glared at me silently. But rather than angry, her expression seemed more like she was fearing something.

===Part 4===

The examination occurred that day after school, in a special training site underground.

Unlike the one normally used for special ability practicals, there were all sorts of devices on the walls, resembling measuring instruments. There was a large glass window near the ceiling with women in lab coats walking around on the other side. That was probably the monitoring room where they analyzed all sorts of data.

Shinomiya-sensei, Mitsuki and I were the only ones in the training site. None of the other classmates were present. Apparently, since all data gathered from this point onwards would be top secret, ordinary students were barred from entering.

To be honest, I had no confidence whether I could create antigravitational matter again. After all, I did not even know how to transmute it from dark matter. Neither could I simulate it in my mind.

Nevertheless, my worries proved to be unnecessary.

Because my dark matter would automatically metamorphosize as soon as I wanted to create antigravitational matter.

Thus, antigravitational matter would appear in my hand effortlessly.

My attempts had already reached double digits but I still had not failed even once.

"...Very well, Mononobe Yuu, start again from the beginning."

"Yes."

I followed Shinomiya-sensei's orders and generated dark matter in my right hand.

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Then maintaining its nature as dark matter, I simply altered its form into a large-caliber ornamental gun.

After many attempts, I found out something. Namely, compared to direction conversion from dark matter, it was easier to control minute transmutations through a fictional armament.

I looked ahead to see small red bricks, roughly 10 cm in size, scattered across the training site's white floor. This was to make the effects of antigravitational matter more visually distinct.

I aimed at the floor thirty or forty meters away and said quietly:

"Antigravity."

This was the name of Leviathan's ability. This was a suitable name for picturing the substance to be created.

I transmitted the image and pulled the trigger.

A bullet of dark matter shot out, turning into antigravitational matter at the spot where I had aimed. While white light shone, the surrounding red bricks floated up as though they were in water.

Although the wave of floating bricks flowed over here, they stopped just as they were about to reach my feet.

The white glow lasted for roughly ten seconds before vanishing. Then the floating bricks also fell to the floor again.

"Hmm... One shot's worth is enough to neutralize gravity within a radius of roughly thirty meters. The duration is approximately ten seconds. Considering that a full-powered shot can take effect in a radius of a hundred meters for thirty seconds, this figure could be considered reasonable."

Standing in the back, Shinomiya-sensei offered her opinion.

"For the second shot, try converting to antigravitational matter with a higher density."

"Yes."

I nodded. Aiming for the same spot as the first shot, I fired the bullet.

Immediately, white light brighter than before was shot out. The surrounding bricks flew away in a radial pattern.

"...By increasing the density, it will apparently produce a strong repulsive field. But both the range and duration of effect are less than one tenth of earlier."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice was heard from behind.

Siegfried could fire three bullets of dark matter at most. For the final shot, I created relatively low-density antigravitational matter. As expected, the range and duration increased, but the only effect was weight reduction to some extent.

Thus, after I tested all the possible modes I could think of, the examination finally ended.

"I'm at my limit..."

Transmuting dark matter strained the mind and tired the body.

Having created antigravitational matter persistently, I leaned against the wall in exhaustion and sat on the ground.

"Good work, Mononobe Yuu, thank you for your cooperation."

Shinomiya-sensei praised me during my state of fatigue. Her gaze fell upon the screen of a portal terminal.

"...So what's the conclusion about the Dragon Subjugation Squad thing?"

I asked her while catching my breath.

"There's no need to make a hasty conclusion. Data analysis is not complete yet. But personally, I think there is no liability in taking you along, because the repulsive field can serve as a defense measure that does not depend on physical barriers."

Replying that to me, Shinomiya-sensei walked over to the monitoring room.

Left behind, I looked timidly at Mitsuki standing next to me. Whether during the examination or after I came over to her side, she had remained silent. It made me a bit afraid.

"...How lovely, Nii-san."

Perhaps noticing my gaze, she finally spoke. But whether her tone of voice or expression, both gave off an air of displeasure.

"Are you that against my participation in the operation?"

"If it's only as a precautionary measure for emergencies... I have no wish of bringing you in your injured state to a dangerous location just for the sake of such an ambiguous reason."

"I'm very glad you're worried about me, but I have to go no matter what. Personal feelings aside, there shouldn't be any drawback to have additional backup personnel."

I asserted but after hearing me say that, Mitsuki shook her head gravely.

"No, there is a drawback. Suppose the operation were to fail and develop into the worst-case scenario—There will be one more person dead. This situation is different from the time with Leviathan."

"...Compared to Leviathan, isn't Basilisk easier to defeat?"

Mitsuki's words filled me with doubt, so I asked.

Back when Leviathan was invading, Mitsuki mentioned that Leviathan was considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they were to handle. Then that meant Basilisk should be easier to handle than Leviathan, right?

"Indeed, Leviathan was a dragon that was extremely difficult to attack... Even to the point of impossibility. Compared to that, in terms of being able to devise an attack plan, Basilisk is much easier than Leviathan. But on the matter of risk during battle, the two cannot be compared."

"...Risk?"

I repeated like a parrot. Mitsuki nodded.

"Yes, Basilisk's red beams fly towards the target at light speed, which of course means it is impossible to evade after seeing it. Since a direct confrontation is equivalent to suicide, the risk is much higher when standing on the frontline, which is why I did not wish to take you along, seeing as you are irrelevant to the details of the operation..."

Mitsuki answered unhappily. Then lowering her head, she continued:

"If this operation fails, as long as you stay in Midgard, perhaps a new battle plan could be devised using antigravitational matter, so as to make a comeback. But if you came along with us, Nii-san, it would be a totally meaningless sacrifice if you got killed without doing anything."

"But it's possible that everyone gets saved because I'm there."

"True, but..."

Despite acknowledging my point, Mitsuki sounded quite disapproving in tone. Nevertheless, she did not argue further. She probably thought that a dispute about possibilities would lead nowhere.

—But that being said, I never knew that the operation this time was so dangerous.

Now I could understand why Mitsuki was so overly tense. Because her judgment could decide other people's survival, no wonder she was putting so much pressure on herself.

Precisely because of that... I must stay by her side after all.

But even if this topic continued, clearly it would only make the mood worse. Hence, I tried to find a different topic of conversation. Perhaps thinking the same thing, Mitsuki secretly glanced at me sideways to see my reaction.

For siblings, this unnatural silence persisted quite a while on this rare occasion.

The awkward atmosphere was making me anxious, so I said half-heartedly:

"M-Mitsuki, why did I gain the ability to make antigravitational matter?"

"W-Who knows? If you do not know, Nii-san, I cannot possibly know either. However... Although I was quite surprised initially, it is possible that your situation might be the same as mine back then."

"Your situation back then?"

Not understanding what she meant, I asked.

Then another voice entered our conversation.

"—Meaning that you are not the first person to emulate a dragon's ability."

I took a closer look and discovered that the principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart, were also present.

The principal walked over, her long blonde hair fluttering lightly, and stopped next to my collapsed state. Still the same as always, she looked like a teenaged girl. She would definitely be mistaken for a student if she were to wear the uniform. But she was undoubtedly Midgard's chief administrator.

Mica-san was dressed as a maid as usual while the principal had a lab coat over casual clothing.

"...Principal, were you watching while I was being examined?"

The principal nodded at my question.

"Yeah, in the monitoring room. Say, how much longer are you going to lie there? Do you really want to see my underwear that much?"

"Eh? N-No, sorry..."

I frantically stood up. Although the principal's lab coat had a long hem, the skirt underneath was especially short. From my position, her underwear was almost visible.

"I apologize for my brother's indiscretion."

Mitsuki glared at me coldly before bowing her head to apologize to the principal.

"It's fine, don't let it bother you. Because I can understand the feelings of finding girls' underwear attractive."

"...Huh?"

Seeing Mitsuki's shocked expression, the principal deliberately.

"Cough, nothing much, I accidentally spoke from the heart, that's all."

"...Principal, no second chances."

Mica-san's smile felt extraordinarily scary. Cold sweat appeared on the principal's forehead as she turned her gaze to me.

"B-Back to the main topic. Judging from the situation just now, you evidently have no idea what was the impetus that allowed Ds to create mithril or antimatter, right?"

"Impetus... Huh? I definitely never heard about it."

I only knew that these two substances were considered ultimate offense and defense.

"Speaking of which, neither mithril nor antimatter could be created by anyone in the beginning. But after the battle against the dragon capable of manipulating those two substances—'Purple' Kraken—someone capable of emulating the antimatter projectile appeared about the Ds."

"Isn't that..."

I looked at Mitsuki.

"Indeed, it was your sister. An after the Kraken was vanquished, Ds capable of transmuting mithril successfully appeared one after another."

"Is that true, Mitsuki?"

I asked Mitsuki for confirmation. Perhaps because the subject brought up the Kraken battle, Mitsuki's expression was a bit dark.

"Yes, it is true. Without conscious intent, I successfully emulated the Kraken's antimatter projectile."

Mitsuki answered but it seemed like she could offer no further explanation to that.

I finally understood what she meant by "the same." The situation was the same for Mitsuki and me, who suddenly became able to create antigravitational matter.

Seeing me taken back by surprise, the principal continued to explain.

"In other words, the reason why you are able to create antigravitational matter, the key trigger could very well be the battle against Leviathan, or related to its defeat. But why this happens, the most fundamental reason still eludes understanding, that's all."

The principal smiled wryly and made a slight shrug.

"Uh, but that's the key..."

"Don't put it that way. Just knowing that there's precedent should be enough to reassure you, right? Now, you'll neither feel arrogant for being special nor need to fear that you're heretical."

"Well, that's true."

After nodding to concur, I suddenly thought—

Did the principal come here for the purpose of encouraging me?

"Although you had to undergo careful examination, with this, you won't need to be treated as a lab rat from now on. But just like your sister, you might need to shoulder a little more responsibility."

The principal's blue eyes stared at me while she smiled suggestively.

"I'm actually getting what I want if this allows me to help Mitsuki or friends in need."

"...An excellent mindset. Then do your best."

Nodding with satisfaction, the principal turned around.

"Let's get going, Mica."

"Yes."

The two of them started making their way to the elevator, but along the way, the principal looked back.

"Ahhh, I just remembered. By the way, all Ds could be considered humans who had stolen Vritra's ability. Fufu, if you look at it from those dragons' perspective, humans are actually the robbers who are stealing their special rights successively, striking fear into their hearts."

The principal smiled happily.

"So there's no need for you to hold back. If Basilisk has any ability to steal, go ahead and steal it. Because you are the dragons' hunters, not their prey."

After encouraging us in this manner, the principal departed with Mica-san for real. Her powerful presence did not match her petite stature. Ultimately, the title of Midgard's chief administrator was not just for show.

"...Who is she actually? Mitsuki, do you know anything about her?"

Watching the principal's back, I asked Mitsuki.

"No, I have no idea either, but I have heard rumors... It was all thanks to her that Midgard was able to gain independence to become an autonomous educational institute, thus rapidly expanding its influence over the world."

"The mystery deepens... And her age is unknown."

"This is only hearsay, but reportedly, she has been on this island ever since the inception of Midgard..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I could not help but show a stiff expression.

"Y-You're kidding, right? Because wouldn't that make her—"

I almost blurted out the age I guessed but hastily swallowed my words.

Because I felt an inexplicable chill run along my spine, similar to when I sensed life threatening danger on the battlefield. Clearly the principal could not hear our conversation, but my instincts rejected such a notion.

"...No, we'd better not pry unnecessarily."

In the end, for the sake of self-preservation, I deliberately said those words.

===Part 5===

Two days after I was examined, the participants in the operation were officially announced.

A total of twenty, of which eight were students from Brynhildr Class. Luckily, my name was included.

Considering the scale of the operation, this headcount was smaller than I had imagined. This was probably the result of trying to minimize risk to prevent the worst-case scenario.

On the day it was announced, we were briefed officially and informed of the planned itinerary.

To lure Basilisk, Brynhildr Class was apparently heading first to the uninhabited island.

Then the next day, after rushed preparations, we were already on the ship.

"Mononobe, look, Midgard became so small!"

Pointing at the island in the distance, Iris spoke excitedly.

"...Viewing that island from outside, the feeling is quite strange."

I could not help but feel poignantly how small our world was as Ds.

The sky and the sea stretched limitlessly. The tiny island floating alone between the sky and the sea was Midgard where we had been staying just earlier.

The students of Brynhildr Class boarded the ship today and set sail for the uninhabited island where Basilisk was to be lured. This ship was a transport ship that Midgard used to move supplies and did not have any weaponry.

A request to NIFL could probably get them to lend us a much faster battleship, but that would give them an excuse to interfere in our operation. As the commander of this operation, Shinomiya-sensei seemed quite wary of NIFL's interference.

Due to NIFL sending a team to infiltrate Midgard during Leviathan's invasion, a vast gulf had apparently arose between the two sides. Although I felt uneasy about how the two sides could not cooperate, at least it was better than them trying to get in each other's way.

—I hoped this would not develop into a conflict between humans.

While staring out blankly towards Midgard as it gradually disappeared over the horizon, I thought to myself. Compared to dragons, I was more adept at fighting humans, but I did not like to do that.

"Oh, Mononobe! Isn't that a dolphin?"

Rocking my shoulder, Iris pointed diagonally behind the ship. There was a school of dolphins swimming as though they were chasing the ship. Slicing through the water surface with their dorsal fins, they sometimes jumped skillfully using their speed, tracing out beautiful curves.

But compared to dolphins, the side view of Iris' elated face attracted my eyes more.

"...Is there something stuck to my face?"

Noticing my gaze, Iris cocked her head and asked in puzzlement.

"Oh, no—I was just thinking you seem quite happy."

"Yes, I'm very happy! It feels like all of us are going on a trip together, I'm so excited!"

Iris replied, smiling happily as though she believed that from the bottom of her heart.

But... I knew, I had heard Iris say so herself in the past.

Iris had apparently encountered a dragon disaster while on a ship journey with her family. Due to Leviathan passing by, the passenger ship was sunk, killing Iris' family.

"...You aren't forcing yourself, are you?"

Because of that, I was quite concerned and asked her.

"Forcing? Oh—Mononobe, don't tell me you're worried about me because we're traveling on a ship?"

"Well... I am, a bit."

I scratched my cheek and nodded to admit it but Iris beamed happily.

"Thank you, Mononobe. But it doesn't bother me at all, because in the end, a lot of happy thing happened on the family trip... Those are very precious memories to me... That's why, even though the ending is so sad, it didn't make me hate ship journeys."

I was stunned to hear her talking so matter-of-factly.

Normally speaking, it would not be surprising to develop mental trauma towards ship travel because of this, but Iris called it her precious memories very calmly.

"You're always full of surprises, Iris."

I smiled wryly and said to her. Iris had a careless personality, often made mistakes and used to lament how weak she was, but I considered her true character to have far more inner strength than me.

"Hmmhmm, because I'm not a girl who can be judged by common sense."

Iris proudly puffed out her chest.

"Yeah, like making everything explode no matter what you're transmuting. That's really far too mysterious."

"W-What's wrong with that!? Even if it's still a mystery, at least we've found a way to make use of it, that's why I'm able to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad like this!"

"Yeah, but—One day eventually, I will unravel that mystery, because I'd like to know you better, Iris."

Only after saying this without thinking did I realize in alarm that it almost sounded like I was courting her.

Despite showing a surprised look initially, Iris' face gradually grew red.

"U-Umm, m-me too..."

As though trying to muster courage, Iris stared into my eyes.

Her cherry lips kept trembling while she continued in a hoarse voice:

"...If it's you, Mononobe, umm... I want you to know me better too."

Towards the end, her voice was as quiet as a whisper.

"What—"

This unexpected development halted my thoughts. I did not know how to continue.

Seeing my entire body freeze Iris tilted her head somewhat uneasily.

"Mononobe...? Don't tell me you didn't hear... me?"

"N-No, I heard you..."

Hearing me answer, Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then, uh... Can I tell you now?"

Iris asked me softly in a stammer.

"T-Tell me what...?"

"Basically... Many things. As long as it's something you want to know, Mononobe, anything at all."

Very shyly, Iris answered while fidgeting.

"By saying it could be anything at all, you're actually making it harder for me..."

I scratched my head and replied. Iris looked up at me and asked hesitantly:

"If you can't think of something on the spot, then... Wanna visit my cabin? This isn't a place to talk secrets anyway..."

Making such a suggestion with blushing cheeks, Iris looked incredibly attractive, forcing me to gulp.

"Well, Iris, if you're okay with it—"

Dizzy from the mood, I was almost about to agree when I heard rapid footsteps approaching. I hastily stopped talking.

"Yuu! Tia took a tour of the deck and came back!"

I took a closer look to see Tia running here, out of breath. She had been very excited ever since she boarded the transport ship, running all over the place the whole time.

Although she should have been transported by ship when she first came to Midgard, she most likely did not have the freedom to tour around at the time.

"Yuu, let's explore the inside of the ship next?"

"Hold on, Tia. Iris and I are currently—"

With Tia pulling my right hand, I asked Iris "What now?" with a gaze.

"Oh, it's okay, go explore with Tia. The thing with me... Umm, it doesn't have to be right now."

Iris shyly saw me and Tia off. What she meant by that was asking me to come find her at her cabin later. Since inappropriate interaction between the genders was prohibited, I was definitely not going to do anything bad, but even so, I still felt my heart rate rising.

"Yuu, let's go this way to have a look!"

Tia held my right hand tightly and walked rapidly. The deck of the transport ship was very spacious. Several cranes were installed for moving shipping containers.

There was a female member of the crew operating the cranes nearby. Most likely just like the staff at Midgard, the crew of this ship were also all female.

Entering the ship and advancing along the corridor, we came to a spacious lounge. This seemed to be a leisure space for the crew. There were vending machines along the wall along with a self-served cafeteria, although it was currently closed.

In a corner of the lounge, I saw classmates sprawled on a table.

They were Firill and Ren.

Firill had a paperback in one hand while her entire body was limp. On the other hand, Ren had a hand on her laptop while her body kept trembling.

"W-What's with you two!?"

Surprised, Tia ran towards them.

Firill's body shook then she turned her pallid face towards us.

"...I feel terrible."

Then she described her condition while in suffering.

"...Mm."

Ren also looked up unsteadily, nodding once to concur, then sprawled on the table again.

"Yuu, oh no! They're both sick!"

Tia frantically tugged my sleeve, so I worriedly inquired of them.

"Hey, what the heck's going on? You two were fine earlier when you boarded the ship, weren't you?"

Firill and Ren turned their pale faces towards me.

"I was reading a book when the world started spinning before my eyes..."

"Mm..."

Firill pointed at the paperback in her hand while Ren pointed at her laptop. With that, I figured out the situation. To put Tia at ease, I placed my hand on her head.

"Don't worry, Tia. They're just seasick."

"Seasick?"

"Yeah, because it's different on a ship. Unlike land, it's always in a rocking state. Some people feel unwell because of that."

After explaining to Tia, I looked at Firill and Ren in exasperation.

"—Say, this is also because you two started reading a book and using the computer despite being unused to ships, you know?"

It was easy to get seasick when doing those things to begin with. That was really obvious, so they were reaping what they sowed.

"But... I really want to read, the culprit will be exposed in just a bit..."

Firill seemed to be reading a mystery novel. Despite her pallid demeanor, she still insisted on reading further.

"Doing that will only make the seasick symptoms worse. Sheesh... I'm confiscating this book for now."

Exasperated, I could only take away the book from Firill's hand.

"Ah!? G-Give it back..."

"I'll return it as soon as your seasick symptoms get better. At this rate, you won't even be able to eat your meals. You'll get sick for real."

"Ooh... I never knew you're this kind of person..."

She glared resentfully at me. Although I felt guilty to some extent, I must not give the book back to Firill in her current state.

Seeing this, Ren hid her laptop underneath her body while watching me with wary eyes.

"Mm!"

Ren waved her hand to shoo me away, but like Firill, her face was pale.

"No, I'm not planning to forcibly confiscate your computer as well, Ren. As long as you rest in your cabin and don't strain to use the computer, I won't do anything."

"...Mm."

Hearing me say that, Ren seemed reassured, nodding frequently.

"Really? You're a good kid, Ren. Are you able to return to your cabin on your own?"

I breathed a sigh of relief and petted Ren's head.

"Mm..."

Despite pouting with displeasure, Ren nodded lightly in acknowledgement.

"Then you two should rest properly."

"Once you get well, play with Tia again!"

Tia and I said goodbye to Firill and Ren then continued our exploration of the ship's interior.

We randomly turned a corner then advanced deeper, but encountered a flight of stairs.

Going down a level would take us to a series of cabins where we were staying. I had gone down to have a look once when moving luggage onto the ship. Perhaps designed with the expectation that VIPs might travel on it, even though it was not a passenger ship, the cabins assigned to us were still quite comfortable. The girls' cabins were near the prow side, while mine was in a corner towards the aft. Despite being on the same level, they were quite far apart.

One more level down should be the storage and engine rooms.

As for going up, I had not tried it yet, but ascending the stairs would probably get us to the bridge.

"Which way do we go?"

Hearing me ask that, Tia thought for a while then pointed up.

"Up is better."

"Got it."

Although we might not be allowed into the bridge, I still accompanied Tia on her adventure, to go everywhere as long as it was open to us.

Tia and I followed the metal staircase that was painted white. Immediately, we heard faint sounds of voices coming from above. With every step we took, the voices grew louder.

Although the words could not be heard, judging from the tone, it seemed to be some kind of dispute, and they were familiar voices.

"...Lisa and Mitsuki's voices."

Tia pulled my hand and quickened her pace. Thinking something had happened, I ran up the stairs too.

After going up two levels, I could heard the voices clearly. Reading the sign located at the landing, this was a level used for a conference room and other purposes.

"—And that is why I still cannot forgive you even now!"

"It matters not to me that you cannot forgive me, because what I had done was unforgivable!"

Lisa and Mitsuki's voices were coming from around the corner. I could also see Ariella hiding in the corner, peering at the situation in the corridor.

Ariella showed a troubled expression immediately after discovering us.

"Oh, it's you guys? Uh, just as you can hear, Mitsuki and Lisa are occupied right now. You'd better come back later if you need to find them for something."

"Lisa and Mitsuki are fighting? You're not stopping them?"

Tia asked Ariella in a slightly accusatory tone.

"I'd like to stop them but it doesn't seem like a problem I can just butt in."

Ariella sighed and shrugged, looking very helpless.

Tia and I did not know what had happened between them, so we listened carefully to the arguing voices.

"—Mitsuki-san, are you insisting that you will shoulder everything alone, be it the crime of killing Miyako-san or the responsibility of atoning for that?"

"Of course that is what I believe. I have no wish to push my responsibilities on others!"

"Hmph, what pretty sounding words. But no one will understand you and no one will follow you so long as you continue to monopolize that kind of resolve. Aren't there many things that you ought to confront bravely?"

"I-I am confronting bravely—"

"Do not say such words lightly when you clearly have not tried to obtain my forgiveness!"

"!"

Lisa's shout caused Mitsuki to swallow the remainder of what she was going to say.

I peered discreetly around the corner. Lisa had her arms crossed before her chest, standing with her feet apart. On the other hand, Mitsuki was in front of her, head lowered, shoulders shaking nonstop.

"Lisa... is very angry."

Similarly poking her head out, Tia under me remarked quietly.

Just as Tia described, Lisa was exuding anger that I had never seen before. Although I had incurred Lisa's wrath many times before, no occasion could compare to how angry Lisa was right now.

The dispute seemed to have started because of the subject of Shinomiya Miyako. This I can understand why Ariella could not interrupt. Because someone trying to intervene without knowing the details would only make matters worse.

I did not know much either.

Mitsuki had personally killed her dragonified best friend Shinomiya Miyako whereas Lisa still could not forgive this act. Lisa had also said before that she still could not approve even though she knew it was unavoidable.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 069.jpg|thumb]]

"Mitsuki-san, could you say something?"

Lisa asked the silent Mitsuki.

"......!"

But Mitsuki turned around to leave as though fleeing, unable to say a single word in return.

Seeing Mitsuki coming towards us, we frantically leaned our backs against the wall. Luckily, Mitsuki walked past us to the other end of the corridor without noticing us. Noticing that she seemed to be crying, I wondered whether I should chase after her or not.

"The people over there, how much longer are you going to hide?"

But just as I was hesitating, I heard Lisa yelled in our direction. Although Mitsuki had not noticed us, Lisa had discovered us out of the corner of her eye.

"Sorry, I originally did not mean to eavesdrop..."

Ariella walked out apologetically. Tia and I followed.

"Sorry, it was because I heard voices."

"Because Tia heard angry voices, Tia was very worried..."

Seeing me and Tia apologize, Lisa sighed.

"Sigh, more eavesdroppers come out, one after another... Never mind, it's fine even if you overheard. Since we chose to converse in the corridor, I am in no position to blame you for eavesdropping.

Lisa spoke wearily then gazed in the direction where Mitsuki had fled.

"...However, if possible, I hope all of you will pretend you did not hear the earlier conversation. If you are worrying about Mitsuki-san, there is no need. Because once the evening meeting starts, she will appear as though nothing had happened, as usual like every other time..."

Hearing Lisa's bitter tone of voice, I asked her:

"As usual like every other time... Do you fight like this often?"

"Occasionally. The last time I argued with her was when Leviathan approached. We got into a dispute over interception matters and it developed into a fight like just now. The same goes for this time, it was originally just a discussion on future plans..."

I heard lisa saying "why did it end up like this?" quietly followed by a deep sigh.

"That's—"

On reflex, I wanted to say "because you still refuse to forgive Mitsuki, Lisa" but stopped myself. Because even if I accused Lisa, it would only make things more complicated. I noticed that Mitsuki's tears seemed to have made me lose my cool.

"...If you have something to say, I hope you can finish what you started out to say. Nevertheless, I can probably imagine the gist of it."

After speaking harshly to me like that, Lisa walked past us and went up the stairs.

In the end, I watched Lisa leave without being able to say a single word.

After Lisa was out of sight, Ariella relaxed her shoulders and said:

"Even though it's just the beginning, it feels like there are tough times ahead. Although given their personalities, they're still going to perform their duties properly... But it still doesn't feel reassuring."

Tia also concurred with a worried face.

"Yeah... It's not good to keep fighting. Tia wishes they could make up."

"...That's right."

As much as I agreed with Tia, I also understood that it was no easy task. This problem was quite deep-rooted, because Mitsuki and Lisa's dispute had persisted all the way from two years ago ever since Shinomiya Miyako's passing.

It looked like I should not go chasing after Mitsuki either. If I made things worse, it might make prevent Mitsuki from even feigning "things as normal."

But I did not think that maintaining the status quo was the right answer either.

—I really want to find a way to mediate this.

In any case, I should try finding a solution.

Because if those two could reconcile, perhaps it could also eliminate Mitsuki's insecurities.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Chapter 2|Chapter 2]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 3 Prologue

2020-05-17T06:23:01Z

Nikkivicious: /* Prologue */

==Prologue==

The sea was getting ravaged.

Countless tentacles were gradually turning the sea's navy-blue surface silver.

A giant purple eyeball was visible at the center of the radiating tentacles.

It was a strangely shaped and powerful creature.

One of the monsters under the umbrella term "dragon."

The purple dragon—"Purple" Kraken.

Swinging like whips, its serpentine tentacles were made of mithril, the hardest alloy theoretically. In addition, the antimatter projectiles shot from the purple eyeball were capable of destroying any kind of matter.

Hence, simultaneously equipped with ultimate offense and defense, "Absolute" was the name given to its powers.

"The same... as that time."

Watching from the air afar as the invading Kraken advanced towards Midgard, fourteen-year-old Mitsuki remarked quietly.

The "Blue" Hekatonkheir she saw in the past had crushed the land and trampled the neighboring town. So-called dragons were capable of destroying the world simply through their existence.

Looking at the sea surface afar, invaded by those silver tentacles, Mitsuki thought to herself.

"Don't space out, Mitsuki."

Immediately, she heard a voice beside her. In that instant, Mitsuki lost balance while she was hovering in the air by using her fictional armament to transmute air.

"H-Hey Miyako, don't get so close! Our wind will interfere with each other. You almost made me fall!"

Mitsuki hastily recovered her center of gravity and grumbled at the girl who had approached her.

"Oh sorry about that, Mitsuki, your flying skills are still a bit inexperienced."

The girl scratched her head and apologized. She was Shinomiya Miyako who had transferred into Midgard almost at the same time as Mitsuki. She was both Mitsuki's roommate and best friend, the only person whom Mitsuki did not use polite language to speak to.

With gorgeous shoulder-length black hair, Shinomiya Miyako was a girl who was aptly described as a "Yamato Nadeshiko" or idealized Japanese woman. Furthermore, her fictional armament was shaped as a naginata, further reinforcing that image.

Capable of learning everything and anything effortlessly, she was far more skilled than Mitsuki at transmuting air to fly. Despite her jealousy towards a best friend who was like this, Mitsuki still respected and admired her.

"You two over there, cut the chit-chat! The enemy is at hand!"

The captain, Shinomiya Haruka, scolded Mitsuki and Miyako for having a private conversation.

"...Onee-chan is angry."

Miyako stuck her tongue out mischievously and remarked with a smile. She was Haruka's little sister. Compared to the straitlaced Haruka, Miyako always maintained a calm mood capable of joking around. Hence, the two sisters could be described as polar opposites in personality. However, they were quite alike in appearance, especially in facial resemblance, from the same mold, one could say.

"Thanks, Miyako."

Mitsuki thanked Miyako quietly. Seeing Mitsuki stunned by the Kraken's intimidating sight, Miyako must have been trying to ease her nervousness.

"Hmm? Why are you thanking me?"

Miyako smiled to cover up then formed her dark matter into a naginata—the night-slicing blade, Kusanagi—and pointed it at the Kraken in the distance.

"...Let's do our best, Mitsuki. To protect Midgard—To protect our home."

Despite the smile on her face, Miyako spoke to Mitsuki solemnly.

"...Yes."

Mitsuki's expression tensed and she nodded.

Even now, having reached the age of sixteen, Mitsuki could still clearly remember Miyako's smile from that time.

The scene was branded deeply on the back of her eyes.

Just by closing her eyes, she could recall it any time.

Because—what Mitsuki had seen was her best friend's final smile.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v03 015.jpg|thumb]]
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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Illustrations|Illustrations]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_3_Chapter 1|Chapter 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Epilogue

2020-05-17T06:17:49Z

Nikkivicious: /* Epilogue */

==Epilogue==

I opened my eyes to see a ceiling of pure white. An antiseptic smell brushed lightly against my nose.

—This place is...?

I wanted to get up but a wave of intense pain from my left shoulder forced me to stop moving. As soon as I became aware of pain, in addition to my left shoulder, even my right shoulder and the palm of my right hand were also aching.

The parts in pain seemed to be bandaged. As soon as I exerted force, I would feel resistance.

I could hear someone breathing in deep sleep nearby.

Hence, I turned my head to check out my surroundings.

This was apparently a sickroom. I was lying on a bed. On my bed's two sides were respectively Iris and Tia. Sitting on pipe chairs, the two of them were asleep, sprawled on the sickbed's sheets.

But perhaps sensing my body's minor movements, Tia's shoulder twitched.

"Yuu! You woke up!?"

Tia suddenly looked up and leaned forward on the bed as though she was going to on top of me.

"Y-Yeah, I just woke up."

Hearing my somewhat flustered answer, Tia had tears welling up in her eyes.

"So glad... Tia was wondering what to do if Yuu didn't wake up..."

"That's way too exaggerated. I'm not so weak that I'd die from this little bit of injury."

I answered with a wry smile.

Actually, I wanted to wipe her tears away but such a delicate motion was not possible with both hands wrapped in bandages.

"But Lisa recovered so quickly... yet Yuu did not wake up for so long..."

"I see... So Lisa's injuries were very light... That's good to know."

Because I had witnessed her smashing hard in the wall, I was quite relieved to know she was fine.

This implied how sturdy the barrier of wind that Lisa had deployed was. Added to the fact that she was clearly unversed in anti-personnel combat, Lisa's abilities were truly astounding for her to be able to protect Tia singlehandedly before I hurried to the scene.

—Had it not been for Lisa's efforts, Kili would have taken Tia away already. I really had to thank her.

"Yuu... Thank you."

For some reason, Tia thanked me.

"Eh? Why so suddenly?"

Not understanding why she thanked me suddenly, I asked, perplexed.

"Because Yuu fought for Tia. Tia has already thanked Lisa and the others and also borrowed Mitsuki's communicator to thank other people, but Tia has not... thanked Yuu yet."

"...I see now, but it's a bit too soon for thanks, you know? Because we might have to fight Basilisk next."

Although the optimistic view was that Basilisk could not traverse the ocean to here, but things were probably not going to be that easy. Kili had intended to take Tia away to avoid a battle between the Ds and Basilisk, so even if separated by the sea, Basilisk was still advancing towards Midgard.

"Yeah... But because of that, Tia feels that thanks is even more required."

Precisely because Tia had chosen the same way of life as us, she understood how many people were devoting their full efforts for her sake. She wanted to express her thanks as one of us.

I moved my body. The left hand seemed to be a lost cause, but my right hand could barely manage some movement.

"—You're a good girl, Tia."

I used my bandaged right hand to clumsily stroke Tia's head. Because my right hand only suffered minor burns, it did not hurt very much even when I used it to touch Tia.

"Ahaha, it tickles."

Tia moved her head and rubbed her horn against my hand.

"Mm... Yuu's hand is so big..."

Like a cat, Tia purred and brought her face up close.

Looking at my face at close range, Tia moved her tiny lips and whispered.

"Yuu... Tia really loves Yuu, so let's get married, okay?"

"What... W-Wait! What are you suddenly talking about—"

The sudden proposal made me panic.

"Not sudden at all. Tia has said all along that Tia will become Yuu's wife. Although that was speaking as a dragon before... But this time, Tia wants to marry Yuu as a human. Do you dislike it?"

"R-Rather than dislike, that's not the issue here—"

I was quite shaken. At this moment, Tia brought her face even closer.

"...Let's seal the oath with a kiss."

"Slow down, slow down! I said before, right? According to human rules, we haven't reached the age to get married yet! So you must calm down!"

I frantically said to Tia.

"...Tia can't marry Yuu?"

Tia widened her eyes, tilting her head questioningly.

"Y-You can't, although it varies between countries... but basically, I think... it probably isn't allowed... I suppose."

Because I did not know Tia's nationality, my words showed a tone of uncertainty but I tried my hardest to persuade her.

"Then it can't be helped..."

Tia sighed with a regretful expression. Having chosen to live as a human, Tia seemed like she planned to obey the rules for sure.

—Tia still needed time.

Initially, she wanted to marry me because Kili had indoctrinated her with the notion that "you were born to marry a dragon."

Her intense obsession also came as an exaggerated reaction to the fear of not wanting to be alone. As long as she became closer friends with everyone, that kind of obsession would gradually weaken, so Tia needed time to re-examine her own feelings.

But after listening to my explanation, Tia, who should have accepted my viewpoint already, somehow brought her face even closer.

"...Then an engagement now is fine."

"Huh?"

Smooch, Tia's soft lips kissed me on the cheek. Then she separated very quickly.

"Then we are fiances now."

Tia smiled happily.

On the other hand, I stared blankly while holding my hand against my cheek.

I was not shocked by how sudden it happened rather it was the word fiance that inexplicably evoked nostalgia in me.

For some reason, Mitsuki's face surface in my mind for an instant.

Tia's bold behavior and that strange sense of deja vu made me feel quite troubled.

Frozen on the spot like that, I pondered how to answer... Suddenly, I felt my mattress shake.

Getting a bad feeling, I turned to face the other side of my bed, only to meet the gaze of Iris who had a stiff smile on her face. She had apparently woken up without me realizing it.

"H-Hold on! Tia-chan! W-What did you just do!?"

Iris asked in shrill voice.

"What else, a kiss of engagement! Because it's an engagement, it's a kiss on the cheek. After marriage, it'll be a kiss on the lips."

"W-W-W-W-W-What—N-No!"

Iris yelled with her face all red.

"No 'no.' Tia already kissed, so you're too late."

"I-If it's kissing, I've kissed him too!"

"Ehhh!?"

Hearing what Iris said, Tia showed a shocked expression. Also feeling frantic from her sudden declaration, I could not help but interrupt their conversation."

"H-Hey Iris! Now's not the time to be talking about this—"

"But... If I don't bring it up, doesn't that make you Tia-chan's fiance, Mononobe?"

Iris glared at me tearfully, making me flustered.

"No, Tia just doesn't understand about engagements and marriages. No, rather... W-Why do you need to compete with her on this?"

With an uneasy feeling, I asked her hesitantly.

"Eh? U-Umm well..."

Iris blushed and awkwardly lowered her head. An embarrassing atmosphere settled in between Iris and me.

"Hmph! Yuu, turn over here!"

But Tia grabbed my face and forced me to turn and face her direction.

"Oh, don't force him! Mononobe is a patient!"

Saying that, Iris turned my head back to its original position.

"Towards Tia, Yuu will definitely be more lively!"

Then Tia pulled my head again.

"Jeez, I already said no!"

Pouting, Iris hugged my head and resisted.

"Hey, t-this is really uncomfortable!"

Her soft bosom was pressing on my face, almost suffocating me. The warmth and fragrance of her skin was making me dizzy.

Then with Tia and Iris grabbing my head, they glared at each other across the sickbed.

"Even if Iris got engaged to Yuu first, Tia won't lose to you!"

"Ehhh? Does it count as engaged for me too? U-Umm... I'm not ready yet..."

Hearing Tia say that, Iris got very awkward. With her frequently glancing in my direction, things were gradually going out of control. Just at this moment, I heard the sound of the sickroom's door getting opened.

"What are you arguing about? There are patients in other sickrooms, so will you all be quiet please."

These stern words caused Tia and Iris to shut their mouths.

I turned my head toward the entrance, only to see Lisa standing there. Behind her was Mitsuki, Firill, Ren and Ariella too.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 261.jpg|thumb]]

"Oh, Lisa... Sorry."

Tia suddenly became obedient. Leaving me, she apologized to Lisa.

"I'm sorry too."

Iris also bowed her head and apologized guiltily.

"It is wonderful that you two understand, but I guessed it was most likely because he had awakened. Well then—How are you feeling, Mononobe Yuu?"

I saw Lisa tossing her hair while she asked me cordially.

"...My left arm can't move at the moment but the rest seems okay."

"I see... Then you must be facing numerous inconveniences. If you run into any trouble here on, tell me any time and I will do my best to help."

"Huh...?"

Hearing words that seemed too gentle for Lisa, I could not help but make an awkward sound.

"What's the matter? Did I say something weird?"

"No... Nothing, umm, thank you."

"Not at all. Mutual assistance during trouble is the proper thing to do."

Lisa nodded matter-of-factly.

Right, that was simply the kind of person Lisa was. Stepping up for the sake of friends, taking care of the injured and those in trouble. She was the kind of person who could do those things matter-of-factly.

"I really have to thank you. Lisa, you're probably the best 'good woman' I've ever met."

"What... W-What do you mean by that? I won't forgive you if it is sexual harassment, got that?"

Lisa went red in the face and glared at me with an angry expression.

"Hmm? Oh, I was just purely praising your character... Meaning that you're someone worthy of respect. However... Even in the sense of being a ''beauty'', I think you're a good woman too, you know?"

I thought praising her personality alone would be rude, so I added my honest thoughts as well.

"<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>!?"

Lisa's face grew increasingly red. I thought she was going to scold me but Lisa turned around just like that and walked rapidly out of the sickroom.

"...Nice."

For some reason, Firill made the thumbs-up at me then went to chase Lisa.

"Mononobe-kun... You need to take responsibility for your words, okay?"

"Mm!"

Ariella spoke with exasperation while Ren kept nodding on the side.

Then the two of them followed Firill out of the room, leaving Mitsuki, Iris and Tia.

"So Mononobe... likes Lisa-chan's type..."

"Ooh... Tia can't match Lisa."

Iris and Tia looked disheartened for some reason and kept murmuring to themselves. Meanwhile, Mitsuki watched me coldly. Coughing twice at this moment, she spoke to Iris and Tia.

"—Excuse me, but I currently have important matters to discuss with Nii-san. Since it involves classified military information, could you two please go away for a while?"

"Yes..."

"Got it..."

Iris and Tia answered listlessly then obediently exited the sickroom. With only the two of us left, Mitsuki sat down on Iris' original seat and stared at my face.

"...Although I also respect Lisa-san's character, I still consider what you said just now to be sexual harassment."

With her index finger pressing my forehead, Mitsuki spoke.

"Urgh... I'll apologize to Lisa later, so could you let me off on the reflection essay?"

"—What am I going to do with you? Since you are a patient, Nii-san, I shall turn a blind eye for today. Were you in good health, Nii-san, I would have subjected you to the punishment of a forehead flick."

Tapping my forehead lightly with her index finger, Mitsuki glared at me slightly.

"...Thank you for your kindness. Then what's this important matter? And you said it involves classified military information..."

"Basically an aftermath report and simple questioning. But looking ahead, it might be information that will end up being classified, so I asked them to leave."

Saying that, Mitsuki glanced at the sickroom's door.

"No one is eavesdropping."

I searched for presences then told Mitsuki.

"...Is that so? Then let us begin with the aftermath report. The casualties in this incident number twelve injured, of which two of them are Nii-san and Lisa-san. The remaining ten are clock tower staff. Fortunately, all ten of them were in the lower levels of the clock tower, hence there were no deaths."

"Thank goodness... It's fortunate that the principal and Mica-san weren't in the principal's office."

"Yes. Regarding the temporarily halted Midgardsormr, it has resumed operation once control was passed to the second command center. As for Hekatonkheir, we have confirmed that in the instant it appeared in Midgard, it had also vanished suddenly from Siberia, the place where we had been keeping track of its location."

Mitsuki explained fluently to me. I asked her:

"So that means that it warped over here from Siberia?"

"...No idea because there were no previous reports of it having such a power. Also, Hekatonkheir's resurrection is still unconfirmed and awaiting further investigation. However, the issue is—about you, Nii-san."

"About me?"

"Yes—Cancelling gravity temporarily... What was that Leviathan-esque power? From what I saw, Nii-san, it seemed as though you had made antigravitational matter..."

What Mitsuki wanted to ask about was how I used gravitational interference to stop Hekatonkheir's attack. But to be honest, I had no idea either why I could do that kind of thing. I had simply uttered the word 'antigravity' while urged by Yggdrasil.

"No, for no particular reason... I thought I might be able to do it, but ended up doing it for real..."

Hence, all I could do was answer ambiguously.

"I cannot believe you are saying that you were able to do it with no particular reason, that is truly troubling! Regarding the anti-dragon weapons, it has occurred to me that given my position, it would probably be best that I do not find out... But no matter what, Nii-san, you are hiding far too many things, aren't you?"

It seemed as though she was venting all the displeasure she had accumulated so far. Mitsuki approached me with great intensity in tone.

We were already so close together that our noses were almost touching. Since I was lying in bed, I could not back away.

"...Sorry, Mitsuki, I'm definitely hiding things from you. But I really have no idea about the antigravitational matter."

"I see... Nii-san, so you insist on refusing to tell me?"

Mitsuki angrily glared at me from up close.

"No, like I said, I really—"

"In that case, you absolutely must answer the next question!"

"Huh?"

Mitsuki spoke up with a gaze even more serious than previous.

"Nii-san... Is it true that you and Iris-san kissed?"

"What, y-you heard that too?"

My voice went involuntarily hoarse.

"...You were probably not searching for presences then. I was outside the door the whole time."

"U-Umm... Don't tell me that Lisa and the others also...?"

"No, by the time Lisa-san and the others arrived, I had already been standing there a while because I missed the opportunity to enter the room... Hence, only I heard the part about the kiss."

Hearing her answer, I was slightly relieved, but Mitsuki overhearing it was still a terrible situation.

—Huh? Why was I so shaken?

Aversion to writing repentance essays was admittedly one of the reasons, but that could not explain why I was panicking so much.

"No, that's umm... I guess she wanted to reward me for the battle against Leviathan? Probably something like that..."

"In other words, you two really kissed?"

"Urgh... Y-Yeah."

I gave up resisting and nodded in admission, prompting Mitsuki to exhale deeply.

"...I see."

Without being angry, Mitsuki withdrew her face from me. She seemed tired. Leaning her back against the chair, Mitsuki looked much more petite than usual.

"Mitsuki?"

Worried about her, I called her name. Mitsuki immediately made a seemingly forced smile and said:

"You have apparently received Tia-san's kiss on engagement on your cheek too, but that was done by a child, so I shall not pursue the matter. However, please handle Iris-san's kiss with upfront honesty, okay? Otherwise, I shall regard your motives as impure and punish you to write repentance essays."

Despite her cheerful tone, her voice was trembling slightly.

"Okay... I understand."

Despite feeling troubled, I still nodded.

"Nevertheless, I must apologize too. I will apologize to Iris-san together with you, Nii-san."

Hearing Mitsuki speak in a tone of self-deprecation, I instantly frowned.

"Why?"

"Because... For Iris-san, it must have been her first kiss, but Nii-san, your first kiss was—with me..."

"Eh—"

Hearing that, my mind went blank because that kind of memory did not exist in my mind. Most likely, during the deal with Yggdrasil, it had vanished due to the download of weapon data. I felt pain in my chest... I became strongly aware of the emptiness left in my heart due to the loss of the promise.

"...As in Tia-san's case, it was something done by a child after all. Whether the kiss from back then or the promise in the past, please pretend they never happened. Please forget them."

Even though she was speaking to me with a sad look on her face, those memories no longer existed, yet—

I subconsciously reached out with my right hand and gripped Mitsuki's arm firmly.

"Nii-san...?"

"...I won't forget."

I pulled the troubled Mitsuki in front of my chest and tried hard to squeeze a voice out from my throat.

"..."

"I won't forget."

Although it was already a lost memory—Precisely because of that, I won't forget this fact. I won't forget the fact that I had forgotten.

To prevent Mitsuki from showing sadness on her face, I was willing to do anything.

Even if something did not exist, I will still insist it did.

"Clearly when it already... does not matter."

Despite saying that, Mitsuki still clutched my clothing and pressed her forehead against my chest.

"How could it not matter? Even if lying, you're not allowed to tell me to pretend that memories never happened."

I hugged Mitsuki tightly with my right arm and spoke in a strong tone of voice. Precisely because memories had disappeared from my mind, I wanted Mitsuki to remember them more. I did not want her to think they were redundant memories.

"But Nii-san... I do not want to obstruct you and Iris-san."

"Come on, you, no matter what happens here on, I can never think of you as an obstruction, Mitsuki."

I said with exasperation from the bottom of my heart.

"...Seriously? I will not be a burden for you, Nii-san?"

"No, it's the opposite. I'm always in the position of burdening you. It's all thanks to you that I was able to transfer to Midgard, I... I've worried the whole time whether I caused you trouble."

"No way... I do not find it troublesome at all... To be able to see your face every day, to be able to hear your voice every day... To be able to touch you whenever I wish to touch you... This is already enough to satisfy me."

Mitsuki touched my body gently and exhaled slightly.

"What do you mean, you're satisfied...? Feel free to do make even more willful demands, okay? As long as it's in my power, I will do anything for you."

But after hearing what I said, Mitsuki shook her head.

"...No, I cannot be so reliant on you, Nii-san. I am Midgard's student council president and captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad."

After saying that, Mitsuki looked up. Although her eyes were moist, no tears had fallen. Together at a distance where we could feel each other's breathing, we gazed at each other.

"I know there are responsibilities you must bear given your position, but—"

"That is not all. Due to my willfulness, I rendered your gesture moot, Nii-san. I have no right to ask you to indulge me."

"What are you referring to?"

I did not quite understand what she meant, so I asked. Mitsuki smiled wryly.

"Three years ago. You claimed the battle against Hekatonkheir as your doing alone, so as to protect my town and daily life. But what I truly wanted to protect was every day I spend together with you, Nii-san. Watching that peaceful town... All it did was increase my loneliness."

"Mitsuki..."

"That was why I could not bear your absence... I wanted to see you, Nii-san, to hear your voice again no matter what... That was why I followed."

Mitsuki looked away and confessed shyly.

"Mitsuki... You outed yourself as a D?"

"Yes... because I came to Midgard only to see you, Nii-san, but you were not here. Honestly, I... am always making mistakes."

Unable to bear Mitsuki's self-deprecating smile, I spoke up.

"Mitsuki, didn't you get me reassigned to Midgard? It's all thanks to you that we can be reunited like this."

"But your three years will not come back. And my authority was acquired by committing an irredeemable crime. It is absolutely not something to be proud of."

Irredeemable crime—That probably referred to killing her dragonified best friend in the Kraken battle two years ago.

"...Mitsuki, you are completely correct. I won't force you to be proud of it, but you don't have to regret it either."

"At all times, Nii-san... You are always so kind, but I cannot indulge myself like that."

Mitsuki pushed my chest lightly and separated herself.

"To atone for my crime, I shall continue to fight relentlessly. Satisfaction is an extravagant wish that I dare not hope for. The childhood wish... can remain unactualized. It does not matter."

Mitsuki finished in a tone of suppressed emotions while smiling sorrowfully.

Seeing that kind of smile, I felt an intense impulse surge from the bottom of my heart.

"—How could it not matter?"

"Huh?"

Mitsuki widened her eyes in surprise. Following that impulse, I had sat up forcibly. Despite the sharp pain centered on my left shoulder, I gritted my teeth and did not scream.

"N-Nii-san!? You cannot get out of bed yet!"

Mitsuki frantically tried to stop me but I grabbed her shoulder instead, to convey my feelings to her.

"Mitsuki, if you can only forgive yourself by devoting yourself to battles... Then I will put everything on the line to terminate those kinds of battles."

"Nii-san...?"

"Listen carefully, Mitsuki. I will never—abandon your happiness."

Looking Mitsuki in the eye, I asserted strongly. Mitsuki gasped lightly with tears in her eyes, but before the tears could fall from her eyes, she wiped them with her hand.

"Seriously... Nii-san is seriously..."

While grumbling, Mitsuki leaned her face towards me. Our foreheads touched together.

Then smiling faintly, she continued in a gentle voice:

"—Nii-san, you are so hardheaded."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 274-275.jpg|thumb]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2020-05-17T06:03:52Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 4 - Red-Winged Tiamat==

===Part 1===

"Mitsuki!"

I rushed into Mitsuki's room on the second floor of the dorm. Everyone had already changed into their uniforms and were gathered next to the window.

"Shh!"

Iris brought her finger to her lip and shushed me. Upon closer examination, I saw Mitsuki urgently calling somewhere on her portable terminal.

"—Please respond ASAP! Command center! Shinomiya-sensei! Please respond!"

Despite Mitsuki's desperate cries, no one answered. Mitsuki finally gave up, disconnected the call and turned around to face us.

"Everyone—Just as you can see, this is an emergency. Central command is demolished and we cannot expect backup support. Hence, our countermeasures shall be centered around ourselves, is that alright?"

"Of course! Mitsuki-san, issue orders now."

Lisa replied to Mitsuki while the others nodded with tense expressions to concur.

As official members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, they were all wearing tiny communicators on their heads.

"Well then, Ariella-san, please head to the girls dormitories and take charge of directing the scene. After confirming whether there is someone whose dragon mark has changed color, gather the Dragon Subjugation Squad. As for ordinary students, have them head to the underground shelter. If anyone is discovered with a dragon mark that has changed color, please send her to the shelter to be isolated then call me."

"Got it, I'm heading off immediately."

Ariella manifested her fictional armament then enveloping herself in wind, she flew off in the night sky.

"Firill-san and Ren-san, stay on standby in the air above Hekatonkheir to await my instructions to attack."

"...Understood."

"Mm."

Firill and Ren manifested their fictional armaments and flew out of the window.

"Nii-san and Iris-san, please come with me. We will approach Hekatonkheir via the ground."

"Understood."

"Yes, got it!"

Iris and I nodded but the unmentioned Tia and Lisa spoke up.

"Yuu... Are you leaving?"

"Hold on, Mitsuki-san! Did you forget me?"

Tia gazed at me with an uneasy expression while Lisa questioned Mitsuki.

"Lisa-san, you are responsible for guarding Tia-san. Attacking Hekatonkheir requires Nii-san's power no matter what, but we cannot send Tia-san to the frontline. Consequently, I hope you can stay by her side, Lisa-san, having gained Tia-san's trust."

"B-But..."

"Although it should be Basilisk that has its eyes set on Tia-san, we cannot completely rule out the possibility of Hekatonkheir targeting Tia-san too. As a precaution, we need someone who can be adaptable in emergencies. I am counting on you, Lisa-san."

Mitsuki bowed her head to request the hesitating Lisa. Seeing her like that, Lisa sighed.

"...Fine, I understand. I accept the mission. Tia-san, we will watch over the house together."

Lisa bent down in front of Tia and said to her gently.

"B-But Yuu..."

"Don't worry about him. No matter how you look, he doesn't seem like someone who will die that easily. Trusting a man and seeing him off is part of a woman's fortitude, you know?"

"A woman's fortitude?"

Not quite understanding what the words meant, Tia titled her head in puzzlement.

"Perhaps you can call it the qualities of a virtuous wife. You have no cause for worry, because you will not be alone."

Lisa held her hand and Tia's face relaxed slightly. She was probably scared of being left alone like the time she lost her parents. That was why she refused to leave me so adamantly in the beginning. But now, apart from me, there was someone else who could accompany her.

"Lisa will stay with Tia... together?"

"Yes, we will stay together."

Seeing Lisa nod in agreement, Tia turned her gaze to me.

"...Got it, Tia is a virtuous wife, so Tia will wait for husband to come home. Yuu... You must return no matter what, okay?"

Tia spoke to me with serious eyes.

"Yeah, I'll definitely return."

I rubbed Tia's head and agreed to her demand.

"—Then let us depart, Nii-san and Iris-san."

Mitsuki hurried us.

Thus, to handle a dragon's surprise attack, an internal defense battle took place on the island, the first crisis of this sort since Midgard's inception.

===Part 2===

We ran along the road leading from the dorm to the school campus.

Mitsuki's dorm was located on the southwest side of the island while Hekatonkheir was on the east. Even though Hekatonkheir was still quite far away, it was impossible to capture a complete view of its figure. After all, its size was too extraordinary, allowing it to reach the school campus in the middle of the island just by bending over and extending its hand.

"It hasn't moved after breaking the clock tower. What's with it?"

Iris ran while voicing her doubts.

Indeed, after doing that, Hekatonkheir had stood in the same spot without moving.

Neither walking nor destroying.

"Pondering a dragon's actions is futile, because we do not even understand why they are moving about all over the world. Hence, there is no way for us to understand its reason for not moving."

Mitsuki answered bitterly.

She was probably recalling about three years ago. Back then, we were wondering: why here? Why was Hekatonkheir advancing towards our town...?

"But since it stopped, that's a good thing for us. We'll find a way to take care of it now. You brought me because you intend to drive it away like three years ago, right?"

"Yes, that anti-dragon weapon you used in the past, Nii-san... Please lend me that power."

Mitsuki nodded to confirm my question.

Three years ago, I obtained power at a great price, destroying Hekatonkheir temporarily. Although it could not kill the dragon completely, as long as we used the same method, surviving this crisis should be quite probable.

"It's just that... Midgard will suffer severe damage if we shoot from here, you know? A bit of carelessness and we might end up flattening half the island."

"I know, which is why I intend to push Hekatonkheir into the sea first."

Mitsuki's plan was very appropriate but there was a problem.

"Is it even possible... to push that thing?"

I muttered while I looked at Hekatonkheir's figure, covering the eastern sky.

The mass difference was too great. Besides, the fact that such a gigantic body could walk on two legs was in itself quite abnormal. According to the data I saw at NIFL, Hekatonkheir was quite light in weight relative to its physique... But even so, humans still could not compare to it. Furthermore, Hekatonkheir's characteristic was the power of immortality. No matter what damage was done to it, that thing would immediately recover.

In fact, three years ago, Mitsuki still failed to stop Hekatonkheir no matter how hard she tried.

"Worry not, because unlike three years ago, we have reliable comrades now."

Mitsuki replied confidently then looked at Iris.

"Eh? M-Me?"

"Yes, right now, Firill-san and Ren-san are on standby in the air. Ariella-san will also bring the Dragon Subjugation Squad over soon. Since we have so many people, we will surely succeed."

Mitsuki declared firmly and Iris nodded with a blush.

"Y-Yes... That's right, I will do my best!"

Mitsuki was running ahead of us. When she reached the fork in the road leading to the girls' dormitories, she stopped.

This location happened to be the spot where Hekatonkheir could be viewed across the school campus.

"If we attack from this direction, we should be able to push Hekatonkheir towards the eastern shore. Iris-san, are you ready?"

"Yes—Caduceus!"

Iris manifested her fictional armament and stared at the giant on the other side.

"Nii-san, please remain on standby until you are ready. Firill-san, Ren-san, can you hear me?"

Mitsuki pressed the switch on the small communicator on her head, calling to the pair that was supposed to be in the air.

'...I hear you.'

'Mm.'

"You two coordinate with us and simultaneously attack Hekatonkheir from the west. Counting down! Nine!"

Mitsuki started to count down while manifesting in her left hand the fictional armament of a bow—Brionac. Then she nocked an arrow of dark matter with her right hand.

"Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—!"

At zero, the girls all attacked at the same time.

"Second Arrow—Night Blaze!"

"O holy silver, explode!"

'...Flare Burst Quintet.'

'Mm!'

Stacked together, the four girls' attacks caused a giant explosion in front of Hekatonkheir. A mixture of red and white light blew way the canopy of night briefly, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day.

Several seconds later, the blast pressure reached us. To avoid getting blown away by the hot wind, I stood my ground firmly while narrowing my eyes, confirming the outcome of the attack.

After the bright light subsided, what appeared was Hekatonkheir with large holes gouged out of various parts of its body. The entire right arm was gone from the shoulder down. Compared to Leviathan from the previous battle, Hekatonkheir was incomparably fragile, however—

"Eh...?"

Iris exclaimed in surprise. It was only natural for her to be taken aback if it was her first time seeing it.

As though rewinding time, Hekatonkheir's wounds healed up within the blink of an eye. Rather than regenerate, it would be better to call it restored. That was how outrageous a power it was.

Recovering its original appearance in merely a few seconds, Hekatonkheir seemed as though nothing had happened, towering under the starry sky, it had not been pushed back by a single step.

"...Its body is more fragile than imagined. All impacts were absorbed. Next time, suppress your firepower to a lower level."

Mitsuki called to everyone with a solemn look but Iris made a troubled expression.

"Mitsuki-chan, since attacks will work, why not attack even harder to destroy it in one fell swoop?"

"Be that as it may, the result is the same. NIFL used thermobaric and nuclear attacks in the past and succeeded in destroying its entire body all at once... But before long, Hekatonkheir revived again. The only exception was that time three years ago... Only Nii-san's trump card has the potential."

Mitsuki spoke calmly and drew her bow again.

Thus, the attacks resumed. As for me, I waited behind Mitsuki and Iris, waiting for the time for me to enter the stage.

However, attacks that were too strong would repeat the same mistake as earlier, while attacks that were too weak would be unable to move Hekatonkheir's gigantic body.

The only saving grace was that Hekatonkheir did not move at all.

It made no signs to strike back no matter how many attacks it suffered. Perhaps because it was immortal, it did not need to react to danger... Still, I felt that something was not right.

The fact that Hekatonkheir had attacked the clock tower without hesitation, paralyzing Midgard's functionality in a precise and effective manner... It was almost as though it knew that the clock tower was the central core.

Although Mitsuki believed that pondering a dragon's actions was futile, supposing Hekatonkheir was thinking... Then there might be meaning behind why it was not moving. Either its goal had already been achieved or there was no reason to take action.

I felt inexplicably unsettled in my chest, unable to calm down. It felt like I had somehow missed something.

And from just now, I was having this sense of deja vu.

An easily penetrated body, instantaneous recovery... That scene was overlapping with previous images. But rather than from three years ago, it was a recent memory—

"Now everyone, transmute maximum volume of air! We will use wind to push Hekatonkheir to that side!"

Under Mitsuki's command, everyone created raging winds.

Hekatonkheir's upper body shook slightly. The wind's wake caused the surrounding trees to rustle. Carrying leaves, the raging winds blew all over the place.

However, the wind produced by the four girls did not seem powerful enough. Hekatonkheir remained standing where it was.

"Hmm... Looks like reinforcements might be necessary."

Mitsuki murmured in chagrin. But the wind just now made me figure out why the situation felt so familiar.

What surfaced in my mind was the red dragon, glaring at us from above, surrounded by a swirling storm—

"Right, this is very similar to that time..."

"Huh?"

Reacting to what I blurted out, Iris looked at me.

"This is very similar to Tia when she went out of control and became a dragon. A body composed from a fictional armament will immediately restore its form even after getting cut up. That scene overlaps inexplicably well with how Hekatonkheir restores itself."

Hearing me say that, a troubled expression surfaced on Iris' face.

"Mononobe, are you saying... that Hekatonkheir is someone's fictional armament?"

"Well..."

Now that she pointed it out, I realized how absurd my suggestion was.

Then Mitsuki interrupted.

"Impossible. Creating such a gigantic fictional armament is impossible. Even Ren-san, believed to have the greatest dark matter generating capacity to date, she cannot achieve the amount necessary to form Hekatonkheir at all."

"...You're right. I knew my idea was too absurd."

However, many things would make sense if one thought of Hekatonkheir as a fictional armament.

Appearing in Midgard without anyone noticing. Attacking as though it knew that the clock tower was Midgard's central core.

No matter which one, if one were to assume that Hekatonkheir was fictional armament created by someone, then it would all be explained. Just by transmuting its surface and limbs, it would be able to walk on the ground and destroy buildings with its arms. If the majority of its body was weightless dark matter, then it made sense how such a gigantic body could walk on two legs.

No—Hold on, following that assumption, it meant that the culprit was a human... a D?

At this time, I could only think of one person, and that person's aim was to—

"!?"

Realizing the enemy's goal in alarm, I looked back in the dorm's direction.

The explosion occurred within my view after that.

===Part 3===

I dashed as fast as I could, my feet striking the ground with full force.

Even forgetting to breathe, I raced along the road back to the dormitory. Black smoke, billowing into the starry sky, entered my view. I drove my legs to move furiously.

After I started sprinting, I immediately heard Mitsuki call out to stop me, but I had no time to attend to her.

By merely the difference of a second, it could mean the boundary of life and death for someone.

Honed on the battlefield, my instincts told me that was what the current situation was like.

I also understood clearly the risks involved in deserting my post, being the trump card for taking care of Hekatonkheir. Also, there was no concrete proof that the giant was a fictional armament.

But I followed my own instincts. What I should be fighting now was not Hekatonkheir. Tia and Lisa could very well be the ones facing the greatest crisis.

I could now see Mitsuki's dorm ahead. The smoke seemed to be rising from the back of the building.

Hence, I circled around to the back of the dorm. In the instant just as I turned the corner, I felt a blast of hot wind.

"Kuh..."

Sensing danger, I halted and swiftly checked out my surroundings.

The thick black smoke was rising out from Mitsuki's room. An explosion had apparently occurred. Even the surrounding walls were scorched black.

The spacious lawn in the backyard had tongues of flame flickering all over the place. Part of the grass had been burnt away completely, exposing the soil beneath.

Over there were three girls.

One was Lisa with Gungnir in hand. Her clothing was burnt and blackened while there was even bleeding on her forehead. To protect Tia behind her, Lisa seemed to have deployed a shield of air, with strong wind swirling in the surroundings.

Tia was hugging her own trembling body, staring at the girl facing off against Lisa.

Even confronted with the tip of Gungnir, the girl was still smiling.

Tied up, her long black hair was swaying in the hot wind. The lenses of her glasses reflected blazing flames.

I recognized her.

Tachikawa Honoka.

She was the girl who had transferred into Midgard together with Tia. I had talked to her a number of times and became familiar with her. Not long ago, we had just corresponded through email.

Why was Honoka here?

The question occupied my mind but as a soldier, I was already calmly analyzing the situation and reached the conclusion.

—No need to think of a reason. She is the enemy.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v02_209.jpg|thumb]]

Enemy... Honoka? No, wait a sec, it was too early to decide that. Because she already counted as a friend to me and was also someone I originally wanted to help as much as I could...

Honoka glanced at me, a smile appearing on the corners of her lips.

"Fufu, because it took some time, he ended up coming. I can't be bothered to hold back anymore."

Her tone of voice made her sound like a different person. I saw Honoka clap her hands at Lisa.

Instantly, a foreboding feeling rushed along my spine.

—Act quickly! Otherwise, Lisa will be killed!

My instincts shouted, dispelling my hesitation.

Anti-personnel weapon—AT Nergal!

I used transmutation to create an anti-personnel projectile-based electroshock gun then pulled the trigger at Honoka.

A small explosion occurred in front of Honoka with a bang. Only shortly did I realize that the fired bullet had vaporized. At the same time, Nergal felt scorching hot in my right hand.

"Gah...!?"

I frantically released Nergal and jumped backwards.

Nergal became deformed as though it was candy. Heated red-hot, the gunpowder inside exploded.

—What? What did she do?

Aware of slight burns on my right hand, I gazed at Honoka at the same time.

"I can't believe you fired a gun so suddenly. How mean. But that was the correct decision. Had your reaction been slightly slower, her pretty face would have been wrecked."

Honoka chuckled as though she found it amusing. Hearing her say that, Lisa yelled angrily:

"Don't you get too arrogant. Likewise, I have not gone all out yet. But I have resolved myself now—Pierce, flare!!"

Lisa shot a wide laser beam from the tip of her spear towards Honoka. This attack, capable of penetrating a giant block of diamond in an instant, was not a move to use against a human. A direct hit would mean melting, even to the point of becoming unrecognizable.

However, that powerful attack did not touch Honoka. The laser's trajectory was mysteriously bent in the middle, flying off somewhere else.

I felt the surrounding air temperature rise even further. The rising hot air was making the image of Honoka's figure waver. Perhaps she was using this heat to create a lens of air, bending the laser.

"What..."

Lisa exclaimed in surprise while Honoka stared at her coldly.

"You... are truly a nuisance."

Boom, without any warning, an explosion suddenly happened next to Lisa.

"Kyah!?"

Lisa was blown away by the blast, smashing into the dorm's wall. Thanks to her shield of wind, she could avoid a direct impact, but with her back leaning against the wall, she slowly collapsed. The fictional armament in her hand also vanished.

"Lisa!"

Tia screamed and ran towards Lisa. Although I wanted to rush over immediately to help, I could not move.

Honoka was looking at me. My instincts told me that the instant my focus was distracted, it would become a lethal mistake.

"Now we can finally talk in peace... Yuu-san."

Honoka called my name sarcastically.

Parched from the hot air, I wetted the interior of my mouth with saliva and asked in a stiff tone of voice:

"Honoka... Why are you doing this? Is Tia your target?"

"Yes, indeed. I will be taking Tia to Basilisk."

Hearing her reply, I gritted my teeth.

"...In other words, Honoka, you are a member of the Sons of Muspell?"

"Oh~ It seems that you expected us to make a move, judging from your wording. In that case, I don't need to introduce myself again, right?"

Honoka asked in a testing manner. Hearing that, I figured out who she was.

Since Honoka was a D and belonged to the Sons of Muspell, there was only one person meeting all the criteria.

"Are you... Kili Surtr Muspelheim?"

Although her appearance was completely different from the girl in the photo sent by Major Loki, I could not think of anyone else matching the criteria.

"Bingo. But that was just a randomly chosen name, so it's perfectly fine for you to call me Honoka too, okay?"

"Forgive me for declining. I won't call you with a friend's name."

"Really...? What a shame. I really like this name of Honoka."

Honoka—No, Kili smiled with a bit of apparent sadness. She threw away the glasses she was wearing.

Fallen on the ground, the glasses gradually twisted in shape and melted. Those lenses were probably purely cosmetic. Even after taking the glasses off, she still looked completely different from the Kili in the photo.

"Who could have expected you to infiltrate us as a transfer student, how on earth did you do it? NIFL should have acquired your biometric data... Even if you disguised yourself, your identity would have been exposed in an examination, right?"

Hearing me say that, Kili scoffed as though finding it ludicrous:

"Ha, something like an examination can be easily handled. Whether blood or DNA, just use dark matter to create counterfeits."

"What... How could such complicated transmutations be possible—"

"It is possible. Just as Tia's horns are also my present to her."

Kili explained simply and easily, which meant that—

"...Tia did not make herself look like that?"

I felt emotions of anger rush out from the depths of my heart.

"Of course, how could Tia possibly have accomplished it? Besides, given the specs of the human brain, it is impossible to fully handle the massive amount of information required for biogenic transmutation."

"Haha... You almost sound like you're saying you're not human."

I ridiculed her sarcastically but Kili nodded her head seriously.

"Indeed, because I am a dragon. This human appearance is just a disguise. Just by using biogenic transmutation, I can change my appearance and face any time I want. To find Tia who had been taken away by NIFL, I believed the simplest and fastest way was to turn myself into someone else and get sent to Midgard."

"...A dragon huh?"

I gritted my teeth. Because of that sentence, I understood that she was the culprit who had twisted Tia's mindset.

Kili had probably been active while changing her appearance constantly. No wonder NIFL was unable to get a grasp on her information. Whether the appearance captured in that photo in her profile or her face as Tachikawa Honoka, all were surely fake disguises.

"Jeez, could you not make such a scary face? I've no intention of fighting you. Had I wanted to kill you, I would've done so long ago. I just want to take Tia away."

Saying that, Kili turned her gaze to Tia. However, Tia did not notice and kept trying to call Lisa.

"However... I never expected her to change so much in merely two days. Until recently, she was still my very obedient student."

"So you're the one who taught Tia..."

I muttered bitterly. While tutoring Tia with her homework, I had concluded that Tia probably had a good teacher. But I was totally mistaken. What she had given to Tia was the most awful education to make her into a dragon.

"Yes, that's right. I found Tia in Midgard as expected. Since that child did not recognize her disguised teacher, I greedily thought I'd investigate the internal secrets of Midgard... But I was wrong. I shouldn't have spent extra time on that."

I recalled how Honoka was staring at the school map on the first day of transferring in. That was Kili trying to memorize information about the enemy camp.

Speaking of which, Tia had said something about not wanting to go near her. Even without knowing her true identity, Tia perhaps instinctively feared her.

"Also, I almost killed a classmate. So many setbacks."

Kili turned her gaze back to me, shrugged and spoke.

"Almost killed, you say... Don't tell me that the transmutation accident you mentioned at the infirmary was..."

"Yes, someone bad-mouthed Tia and I accidentally lost my temper. Tia's value far surpasses that of ordinary Ds. She is excellent talent who might become Basilisk's mate... That girl really did not know her place."

Kili spoke with a cold expresion.

"—In other words, your regrets back then were all lies. Someone like you... I'll never hand Tia over to you. I'm not going to let Tia become a real dragon!"

"Fufu, you're really stubborn about Tia, aren't you? The blonde girl was also desperately trying to protect her... It feels like she has too many burdens. Why don't I lighten things for her?"

Saying that, Kili's dark gaze turned towards Lisa.

"Stop!"

I frantically called out. Kili immediately narrowed her eyes in joy.

"...Just kidding. If I attacked her now, wouldn't Tia next to her get caught in the crossfire? You're so amusing. Talking to you is never a bore."

—Liar. This girl acted according to whim. She really would have done it.

My back was drenched from cold sweat. Currently, I seemed to be feeling fear—fear that Lisa would die.

Three years ago, the price I paid for power was that my emotion of fear had become very diluted. And the crisis before my eyes was enough to summon that minor sense of fear.

The murderous intent I had sensed at the beach last time probably came from Kili. That time, Kili was surely watching us from somewhere.

"Phew..."

To calm my mind, I exhaled deeply. I noticed my breathing had become rather irregular just now.

I never knew that a friend coming to danger... would make me lose composure to such an extent.

Perhaps I had not lost my sense of fear to begin with. It was just that due to a large part of my memories getting eaten away, it shook my confidence in asserting I was Mononobe Yuu, hence I could not feel any value in myself.

Precisely because of that... Now that I had obtained things of value, that was why I felt fear.

"—Kili, make one false move and I'll kill you."

To protect precious people, I quietly declared.

I did not even know my opponent's method of attacking. To perform transmutation, generating dark matter was a necessary step, but Kili was able to cause explosions without any preparatory motion.

No wonder Major Loki said she was stronger than me. The opponent was undoubtedly more powerful than me, but if I intended to kill her, it would be a separate matter—

"Fufu... How scary. But by this point, I can't back down either."

Despite facing my murderous intent head on, Kili still smiled confidently.

"What's the meaning in letting Tia become Basilisk's mate?"

"Rather than meaning, it'd be better to call it using the right person for the right job. That's the only use for Ds."

"I can't believe you said... use?"

She was virtually treating Tia as an object. It made me agitated in tone.

"Because Tia has talent, I originally looked forward to her other potential... But judging from the current situation, that potential is tiny beyond measure. In that case, turning her into another Basilisk would be the best use of resources."

Resources... I realized that Kili merely viewed Tia as material for making a dragon.

Human words were not going to reach Kili.

Although I did not know why she wanted to increase the number of dragons, I believed with certainty that she and I were irreconcilable enemies.

To protect Tia from her evil grasp, if I must do that no matter what—

"Enough, I get it. I will stop you... Even if it means I must kill you."

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Holding the ornamental gun formed from dark matter in my hand, I treated Kili as a target for slaughter. I awakened the being slumbering in my subconscious, gradually turning myself into a monster.

Redundant thoughts vanished. My mind became clear. My sharpened senses transmitted information to my brain that I previously did not feel.

A feeling of omnipotence as though everything was in my grasp, it heightened my emotions.

"I really had no intention of fighting you... Very well, try killing me. If you kill me, I'll stop."

Kili grinned and responded like that.

Instantly, I felt the surrounding air temperature rise all at once.

"!?"

Just as I jumped to the right, an explosion happened. Accompanied with flames, the shockwave struck my entire body. I took a defensive posture and hit the ground, rolling on scorched bushes.

Very likely, she had used transmutation to create some kind of flammable material.

The information sent by Major Loki said that Kili used flames to attack. Judging from the current situation, this info was correct.

However, using transmutation would require the generation of dark matter the instant before attacking. Yet I did not see her doing so. It puzzled me greatly.

"To think you just declared so forcefully, yet now you're in such an awkward state."

Sensing her pursuit, I aimed Siegfried at the ground and fired.

"Nitro Bullet!"

I created a large volume of nitrogen to produce a gust of wind. I thought that using noncombustible nitrogen would blow away the elements of fire that Kili might be creating, but—

Whoosh, a violent sense of heat and pain attacked my right shoulder. Feeling flesh getting seared, I frantically escaped.

Since it was emergency evasion, I had accidentally stepped into the downwind part of burning bushes. Enveloped in rising black smoke, I covered my nostrils and mouth with my left hand. To prevent my fictional weapon from getting consumed through contact with smoke, I used my body as a shield.

—No, what Kili created was not flammable matter.

I understood that my prediction was wrong.

Considering I was getting scorched without an explosion, the attack's main vector was intangible heat itself.

She was most likely transmuting dark matter directly into thermal energy. Although it was a high-level technique, this type of skill was not beyond common sense in the same way as biogenic transmutation.

That explosion was quite probably the result of the produced heat causing oxygen to react.

Even after solving one mystery—The greatest problem still remained.

Since Kili's dark matter could not be seen, it was impossible to predict where attacks would come from. Unless this mechanism was figured out, even approaching Kili was impossible.

I racked my brain amid smoke, but during that time, Kili did not attack for some reason.

"Aren't you going to kill me? Come, do it now."

Despite taunting me, she did not attack further.

—What's with her?

Inside smoke, due to the interference of particles, dark matter would get consumed at a faster rate. But if a larger amount of dark matter was generated in the beginning, it would be enough to attack. However, I still had yet to see her dark matter even once.

No, wait... If it was purely invisible—

A possibility surfaced in my mind.

—Worth a shot!

While rushing out of the smoke, I used all the remaining dark matter in Siegfried and poured it into the bullet, firing it.

"Smoke Bullet!"

Instantly, the surroundings became shrouded by pure white smoke. My fictional armament disappeared from my hand. Since it could not be sustained inside smoke anyway, vanishing did not matter.

Racing through a world covered in white smoke, I charged straight at Kili.

I did not encounter any intercepting attack arising from the transmutation of heat.

My guess turned out to be correct.

Kili was probably generating dark matter in sizes smaller than the eye could see, spreading that dark matter in the area. Although I did not know how wide the area was, it could be described as Kili's zone of control. I was at her mercy as long as I was within that zone, which was why she could be that confident.

But tiny the dark matter may be, this also had a weakness as a result. Small pieces of dark matter would vanish just from being covered by light smoke like this.

"You saw through my realm of calamitous flame, Muspelheim—I'm impressed. How about this move then?"

On the other side of the smoke, Kili apparently laughed.

I instantly felt my hairs stand on end. Instinct told me this was leading to death. I instantly dug my heels in the ground for emergency braking.

Many dark particles appeared in the white smoke.

It was as though black snow was floating up from the ground.

This time, while shrouded in white smoke, Kili was spreading out dark matter that was large enough not to be eliminated by the smoke.

I had stepped into a world of black snow. This was a realm that I could not escape even if I saw it.

Anti-explosive armor—Uruk 73E!

I hit the ground in desperation and formed a shield to cover myself. This was the only method of handling an omnidirectional attack using my meager generating capacity.

However, red light caused the shield to crack.

"...!?"

First came a thunderous noise, then heat and force that shook my entire body. Unable to understand what had happened, I rolled on the ground, tasting fresh blood and soil in my mouth. Then intense pain rocked my brain.

My entire body felt scorched and painful. I could no longer tell where I was wounded, but at least I was still alive.

—Move if you're still alive! Stopping means dying!

I spurred myself to get up and check out the situation. I was apparently blown far away by the explosion, distancing me from Kili. The dark matter enveloping Kili's surroundings did not reach my location.

With exception, all Ds had limits to their dark matter generating capacity. If every particle increased in size, that Muspelheim ability she mentioned would cover a smaller area.

I wanted to enter a combat stance but discovered that my left arm could not move. Taking a closer look, I found a fragment of my shield stabbed into my shoulder. The bleeding flowed along my arm and dripped on the ground.

In the distance, Tia seemed to be yelling something, but the explosion had disabled my ears, preventing me from hearing clearly.

Kili also made an expression certain of victory as though saying something, but I still could not hear. Neither was there any need for me to listen.

—Because I was about to kill her next.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

My irregular breathing echoed in the depths of my ears, sounding very vague and unclear.

The intense pain centered on my shoulder was preventing my mind from operating smoothly.

The harder it was to think, the more the emptiness in my mind spread. Some kind of existence was gradually expanding its borders.

"Huff....... Huff...... Hah....... Hah......"

The interval between breaths lengthened, exhaling became acute, inhaling became silent.

The monster of the unconscious did not miss the opening when my consciousness grew faint, gradually taking control of my body. From my fingertips to the beating of my heart, everything fell under its control, switching me with a different being.

"———..."

Finally taking a deep breath, then it stopped.

I was no longer myself at this point.

He started to walk slowly towards Kili. Gradually, he accelerated. Every time the tip of the foot kicked the ground, he increased his speed slightly.

An expression of surprise surfaced on Kili's face.

Simply by stepping in the domain shrouded in black snow, the outcome would be the same as previously. This was obvious.

However, a certain existence that was not me was completely unfazed, approaching the prey head on.

All I could feel was heat scorching my left hand. Rather than originating from my wounded shoulder, the back of my hand felt scorched as though by fire.

I did not know the reason. Neither could I think.

However, the Fafnir currently in control of my power should understand everything.

Surely after understanding, he must have chosen the simplest way to kill Kili then put it into action.

—Running began.

He invaded Kili's Muspelheim at top speed.

Kili yelled out with a nervous expression. Instantly, the view was covered by red flames. The atmosphere was set aflame from the thermal energy transmuted from dark matter.

However... He did not stop.

Fafnir broke through the blazing fire and ran along the ground.

I felt neither pain nor scorching heat.

Were my senses numb? Or did I turn into a monster unfazed by explosions? My current self could not understand either.

I could see a small white light flashing in my view, but I had no idea what it meant.

Kili's expression was full of shock.

"WHY!?"

Due to closing the distance, I only heard sound for the first time.

As though responding to her, Fafnir roared.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Language no longer had meaning, what it needed was sharp fangs for hunting prey.

Roaring, he used his right hand to draw out a shield fragment that was stabbed in the left shoulder. Blood instantly splattered around from the bleeding wound.

"Muspelheim!"

Kili extended her palm, firing a red flash of light.

That was probably the attack that had broken my anti-explosive armor just now.

Nevertheless, Fafnir did not take any evasive action. Instead, he casually swung his right arm.

With a faint flash of white light, the scenery was distorted for a brief instant.

Immediately, the red light's trajectory became mysteriously bent, flying off in another direction.

"Could that power actually be that of 'White'—"

Baring its fangs, Fafnir closed in on the bewildered Kili.

Then swinging the sharp fragment, all covered in fresh blood—

...Honoka...!

—I stabbed the fragment's sharp edge deeply into Kili's body.

My right hand could feel the sensation of slicing through flesh.

"Cough..."

Kili spat blood, splattering on my face. Having recovered control from Fafnir, I felt an unpleasant stickiness and moistness from the warmth of life and the smell of fresh blood.

"Cough, cough... Cough...... Fu... Fufu... Liar."

Blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, Kili laughed.

"..."

I did not answer. Simply feeling the temperature of the blood flowing from Kili's abdomen, I cursed my naivete.

"Clearly saying you were going to kill me... yet you avoided vitals in the final moment... Why?"

"...My hand slipped. Even if it's not a vital, this is already a severe injury. If it's not treated immediately, you'll die from blood loss. So—Surrender."

My instincts told me I should kill Kili now.

Even so, I still stopped Fafnir at the crucial moment, that was because... I recalled Honoka's smile. Despite knowing clearly it was fake, I could not erase my feelings from that time.

"Fufu... How kind of you. But your kindness is meaningless, because even if you were to pierce my heart, the result doesn't change."

Kili whispered in my ear then shoved me away. Next, she reached out and grabbed the shield fragment embedded in her abdomen.

"Hold on! If you pull it out, the bleeding will—"

I called out to stop her, but Kili pulled out the fragment without heeding me. Blood gushed out from the wound, dripping audibly on the ground forming a dark red stain.

But the instant black masses of dark matter appeared in the wound's surroundings, the bleeding immediately stopped. After Kili wiped the blood stains away, there was no wound there anymore, only pale skin.

"No way..."

Seeing me surprised, Kili shrugged.

"How is it? This is what biogenic transmutation is about. If you want to kill me, you have to aim here."

Kili tapped her head with her fingertip and smiled faintly.

"Damn it!"

I had to start all over again. With unsteady steps, I back away.

"You don't need to be so flustered. If possible, I'd like to take Tia away peacefully, but it looks like time's up."

Looking at me in my combat stance, Kili smiled wryly.

"Making such a big scene... How dare you talk about peace. Also... Time's up? What the heck do you mean by time's up?"

Not understanding what she meant, I stayed on guard and asked:

"Despite how I may look to you... I do want to keep harm to the Ds to a minimum. But due to your meddling, she seems to have lost patience."

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>——...!

No sooner had Kili spoke than the ground immediately shook. I looked up to see Hekatonkheir, originally motionless, starting to turn its body towards us.

"...Hekatonkheir—"

"I told her I'll be the one to secure Tia and asked her to wait there, but looks like she decided to take action herself. Prepare yourselves—She's not going to be as nice as me, okay?"

She? Asked her to wait...?

"...What's your relationship with Hekatonkheir? That thing... Isn't it your fictional armament?"

Looking at the blue phosphorescent giant, I asked Kili.

I had speculated that Hekatonkheir might be someone's fictional armament and the enemy's target was Tia. However, judging from what she just said, it sounded like Hekatonkheir was not under Kili's control at least.

"Fufu—How could that be possible? Even if it's me, I can't create a fictional armament that large. No, rather... In fact, I've already told you lots about her, you know?"

"Already... told me?"

"You don't get it? How slow."

Kili laughed in mockery.

Was she avoiding the topic? Or was she speaking the truth? I could not tell.

But judging from the way things looked, it would be better to regard Hekatonkheir as a dragon, probably.

RUMBLE!

Then Midgard shook again, because Hekatonkheir started walking, and it was in our direction—

That scene forced me to recall from three years ago, the scene of Hekatonkheir advancing towards our town. The footsteps of destruction were heard mercilessly. The closer that gigantic body approached, the narrower the night sky seemed.

...In the end, that thing must still be defeated?

Just as my attention was drawn to Hekatonkheir, Kili turned her gaze to Tia.

"—I will ask you one last time."

Tia was hugging the unconscious Lisa while watching our battle. At this moment, her shoulders shook.

Most likely in Tia's heart, the fear of Kili's power was already deeprooted. Seeing Tia unable to even respond, Kili asked her:

"Are you willing to become Basilisk's mate? For everyone, no matter whom... Even for you, it would be a happy choice."

...!

Stop talking crap—Just as I was about to yell that, Tia answered quietly.

"...No."

Kili frowned.

"By this point, you still want to live as a human? Don't be silly, you're already a dragon. There's no way you can mingle among humans. Your parents originally planned to—"

"Tia doesn't get it! Tia doesn't get something so difficult! Tia only doesn't want to separate from Yuu and Lisa!"

Hugging the injured Lisa tightly, Tia yelled loudly.

Perhaps woken up by her voice, Lisa opened one eye.

"...Tia... -san?"

"Everyone is so warm... These are Tia's happiest times ever... So Tia wants to stay here! And Tia wants to be Yuu's wife! Compared to Basilisk, Tia super super super loves Yuu!!"

Tia...

Hearing the expression of her sincere feelings, too direct for comfort, I felt my face heat up.

Confronted with Tia's upfront will of rejection, Kili stared silently at her then sighed deeply.

"Really...? How unfortunate. My action was really taken in your interests."

"You're saying it was for us? Attacking Midgard, hurting Lisa, how dare you say something like that?"

Hearing Kili's presumptuous claim, I could not help but protest.

"Once Basilisk lands, the disaster will definitely surpass this. Everything will return to dust, leaving no survivors. That was why I wanted to take Tia over to Basilisk before all the Ds perish, and in a much gentler way than her's."

Speaking in a serious tone, Kili glanced up at Hekatonkheir. She sounded like she was worrying about us, but I could feel that she was still simply treating Ds as resources.

"Mind your own business. We will defeat Basilisk and protect Tia."

"In that case, you have to find a way to handle her first. I'll be leaving before I get trampled in the chaos. After all, it's almost time for Midgardsormr to restart from a different circuit after it was temporarily disabled when the core was damaged."

After saying that, Kili flew up into the sky, her entire body wrapped in flame. Rather than using air, she was flying by jet propulsion through the transmutation of combustion.

Looking down at us from the air, Kili continued:

"A word of advice, she—mother—isn't going to listen to pleas for mercy."

Mother...?

Speaking of which, Honoka had said that she and her mother traveled all over the world. Her email also said that her mother would be visiting Midgard in the near future, but I never expected she was referring to Hekatonkheir.

Seeing Kili gradually rise in height, I asked her:

"Kili... Who the heck are you?"

Capable of using biogenic transmutation, impossible to handle by the human brain, calling Hekatonkheir mother, this girl—I really did not think she was an ordinary D.

"God knows who I am? If it's okay with you, can I ask you to decide?"

"...Meaning you don't intend to answer?"

"I have no intention of avoiding the subject... Whatever, I'm off now—If the same miracle happens as three years ago, we shall meet again."

Saying that, Kili immediately rose in the starry sky, leaving a red trail.

Kili knew about my battle against Hekatonkheir three years ago?

Many questions occupied my heart.

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>—...!

However, but my consciousness was pulled back to reality by the giant footsteps that sounded even nearer than just now.

Swaying its giant body, Hekatonkheir approached step by step. Although blindingly bright explosions kept occurring in its surroundings, Hekatonkheir did not stop walking. Most likely, the assembled Dragon Subjugation Squad was trying to push it towards the sea.

If what Kili said was true, Hekatonkheir's goal was also to capture Tia.

The original plan was probably to have Hekatonhheir destroy the core facilities to draw everyone's attention, thus allowing Kili to seize the opportunity to take Tia away while Midgardsormr was paralyzed.

However, due to interference from Lisa and me, Hekatonkheir was taking matters into its own hands now.

But... With such a huge body, how was it going to capture Tia who was even smaller than its finger?

"Nii-san!"

Hearing Mitsuki's voice, I looked in her direction.

I saw Mitsuki and Iris appear from the side of the dorm, running towards us.

"Sorry, I arrived late because I was issuing orders to the gathered Dragon Subjugation Squad. Are you guys alright?"

"...I'm alright. You should check Lisa's condition first."

I tore off a sleeve that was already tattered. Biting the cloth's edge, I wrapped it around the wound. Although the cut was deep, it was fine as long as I stopped the bleeding first.

"Lisa-chan, are you okay!?"

Iris knelt down next to Lisa and asked with worry.

"This bit of injury is nothing. Rather than being concerned with me, we must find a way to handle that..."

Lisa stood up unsteadily and looked up at the approaching Hekatonkheir.

Our gazes were all fixed upon the blue giant.

"All members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad are in position. Although our pace was disrupted slightly by Hekatonkheir beginning to move suddenly... As long as we time things right, we will surely push it back this time. Everyone, please lend me your assistance."

Mitsuki called out to us."

"Yes, of course."

"Yup! Feel free to give orders, Mitsuki-chan!"

Iris and I nodded.

"I can still fight."

Lisa manifested her fictional armament in her hand again and smiled with determination.

"Tia will... fight too."

Tia's voice was heard. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Can you? If you lose control again, let alone help, you may end up dragging everyone down."

Lisa bluntly stated the unease in everyone's heart.

"—Yes, no problem. Even though Tia has horns and might not be human anymore, even so... Tia still wants to stay with Yuu and Lisa. Tia wants to live the same way as everyone!"

Tia made her stance clear.

Even though she could not change her existence, she still could choose her way of living.

By her own will, Tia was choosing to walk into the future together with us.

"I understand. Then as comrades—We shall fight our hardest."

Lisa made a gentle expression and extended her hand. All smiles, Tia held her hand tightly.

Having checked their condition, Mitsuki pressed her communicator and issued orders to everyone.

"—Well then, everyone, please follow my countdown. All units perform air transmutation of maximum scale. Please aim for the stomach, the center of gravity! Counting down! Nine!!"

Following Mitsuki's orders, Iris and Lisa raised their fictional armaments.

Tia also generated dark matter in the surroundings to form her fictional armament.

Appearing in the same manner as last time, the dark matter gathered around Tia, but the outline sculpted was different.

What appeared was a giant pair of wings, shining with red light.

In a human's form with dragon's wings sprouted from her back, Tia even gave off a holy impression.

If seeking power, it was inevitable that Tia would choose something whose appearance approached that of dragons. But no one would blame her, because in spite of that, Tia still said that she was going to live as a human, like us.

"Seven, six, five—"

During the countdown, I concentrated and waited for the opportunity for me to make a move.

Perhaps noticing that something was unusual because the attacks stopped suddenly, Hekatonkheir raised its giant right hand.

But it was fine, there was quite a bit of distance. It was unable to attack our location.

That was what things should have been like—

But the sky turned dark and the stars suddenly went out of sight, because something dark—blocked them.

"Eh?"

A giant palm was over our heads by the time we realized.

Resembling a drawing with perspective errors, Hekatonkheir's arm was extending unnaturally.

Wait—It was extending!?

There was no precedent of Hekatonkheir changing its body shape before but dragons were unknown existences to begin with. There was nothing surprising even if they possessed previously unconfirmed abilities.

Perhaps due to conservation of mass, the arm became thinner as it extended. Even so, the palm was still too gigantic to escape. As though compressing the atmosphere, it descended.

"Hey—Tia's here too, you know!?"

I looked up at the palm and yelled loudly but it could not possibly understand me.

And even if Hekatonkheir's movements were delicate even to pick up only Tia, those of us in the surroundings would surely get flattened.

"Switch target to right arm! Countdown cancelled! Attack directly!!"

Deciding that there was no time for the countdown to finish, Mitsuki swiftly yelled out.

"O gale, explode!"

Iris caused compressed air to explode.

"Make haste, spear of wind!"

Lisa shot out concentrated wind.

"Fly!!"

Tia spread her red wings and started a storm.

The entire island shook intensely. The massive amount of air produced by everyone deflected Hekatonkheir's right hand upwards.

However, Hekatonkheir then extended its left hand towards us.

The sky was blotted by a blue palm again.

Because everyone had just fired attacks at full power, very few people had the energy to attack again.

Only Mitsuki and Lisa were able to attack a second time immediately.

"Lisa-san, take care of the left hand by destroying it! Please use your strongest attack!"

"Understood!"

Mitsuki nocked an arrow of dark matter onto the iridescent bow whereas Lisa aimed her golden spear at the sky.

"Terminating Arrow—Last Quark!"

"Pierce, divine spear!!"

Mitsuki and Lisa's attack turned the sky white, vaporizing Hekatonkheir's left arm. The attack's destructive power was astounding. The expanding beam of light even swallowed Hekatonkheir's main body.

When the wind and light from the blast subsided, the only parts of Hekatonkheir remaining were the right arm in the air and the lower half in the distance.

The lower half's outline began to collapse, breaking up and disappearing like bubbles.

After that, the remaining right arm expanded and Hekatonkheir was instantly restored.

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>——...

Shaking the ground, Hekatonkheir landed next to us.

"Kyah!?"

The intense shock and wind caused Mitsuki and the others to fall down. Unable to maintain balance, I knelt on my knees.

Due to being too close, even if I looked up, I could only see up to its waist.

Also, the restored left hand was approaching us.

Its movements were far too quick. Now driven by a goal, Hekatonkheir had turned to an enemy even more formidable than three years ago.

What should we do...!?

Due to falling down, everyone had released their fictional weapons. At this rate, everyone will—!

"...!"

I raised my arm to generate all the dark matter at my disposal.

But I stopped my motion at this time. My thoughts halted.

I could not think of any solution. Game over was fast approaching. There was no time to construct an anti-dragon weapon.

—Tell me! Fafnir! Tell me how to kill this thing!

I yelled in my heart, but the slumbering monster of the unconscious did not respond.

Actually, I knew long ago that Fafnir was purely a trump card against humans. It was useless against dragons.

However...

—Neun, request activation—

I heard a mechanical voice in my head.

Yggdrasil... Huh?

The voice belonged to "Green" Yggdrasil, the one I made a deal with three years ago to defeat Hekatonkheir. In a robotic voice devoid of emotion, Yggdrasil spoke on its own to me.

—By exterminating Vier, Leviathan, authority inherited. Request activation, Code Vier. Request activation, antigravity—

"Anti... gravity?"

It was the power of repulsive fields possessed by Leviathan—

The instant I uttered that word, the dragon mark on my left hand heated up and gave off pure white light. That glow was the same light as what I saw in the battle against Kili after handing my body over to Fafnir.

—Crack!

White cracks appeared in the mass of dark matter generated in front of my left hand. With a resounding crunch, like breaking a shell, the dark matter turned from black to white.

In that instant, I felt my entire body enveloped in a floating feeling.

"Kyah!?"

I heard Iris scream and looked back to see everyone in the surroundings floating in the air. Fallen leaves on the ground were also floating lightly as though in water.

More unbelievably, Hekatonkheir's hand, originally directly above, also stopped falling, remaining in midair. Even Hekatonkheir's gigantic body was hovering slightly.

"Nii-san... Could that actually be... antigravitational matter...?"

Looking at the white sphere in my hand, Mitsuki asked in surprise.

But even if she asked me, I had no idea.

However, I had felt the same scorching on the back of my left hand when fighting Kili. Fafnir had deflected her attack matter-of-factly, if that was antigravity—the result of a repulsive field—it basically made sense.

But I had no concrete evidence and there was no time to explain either.

What was important right now was not to miss this excellent opportunity.

The white sphere produced from dark matter gradually shrunk. Suppose the current phenomenon was going to stop when this thing disappeared, we had to hurry and act.

"Mitsuki! Anyway, let's use this opportunity to attack again!"

"—I understand, all units prepare the next attack! Target is the center of the chest! Counting down! Five!"

Mitsuki instantly resumed an expression as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain and issued orders to everyone.

Hence, while floating in an unstable posture, everyone manifested their fictional armaments anew and aimed at the floating Hekatonkheir.

"Four, three, two, one—Attack!"

Wind from various locations on the island gathered together and struck Hekatonkheir directly in the chest In a state of weightlessness, Hekatonkheir's upper body tilted back greatly from the impact. The gigantic body flew high in the sky.

Then the white sphere finally vanished and gravity returned to normal in the surroundings.

"Kyah!?"

Just as Iris and the girls fell on their bottoms, I landed on my feet and looked up into the sky.

That gigantic Hekatonkheir was knocked flying to an unbelievable height. At this rate, it was probably going to fall into the sea as we hoped, but the resulting impact would be hard to estimate. What was certain was that the resulting tidal wave would be disastrous for Midgard. In that case—

"Tia, lend me your strength. I will destroy that thing in the air."

Saying that, I extended my left hand to Tia.

"Just by... holding hands?"

"Yes, I'm counting on you."

I nodded affirmatively. Tia's little fingers interlocked with mine and held my hand tightly.

"Tia is Yuu's wife... so Tia will work hard with husband."

"Thank you, Tia, then let's blow that thing away!"

I extended my right palm sideways and let the blueprint in my mind flow into the generated dark matter.

Tia's fictional armament, the red wings, turned into tiny particles, mixing together with my dark matter.

"Anti-dragon armament—Marduk!"

The constructed turret was a lost weapon from a pre-civilization that existed long ago.

But this was only one part of the enormous weapon known as Marduk. During the battle against Leviathan, it was Marduk's main cannon that had inflicted the decisive blow. Right now, I was making the weapon of extermination that had destroyed that thing three years ago too. Having obtained additional data, I now knew its name—

"—Special artillery, Megiddo!!"

The giant barrel took form through transmutation. Its external appearance had what seemed like strange geometric patterns, giving off an impression different from other civilizations. Due to it being only one part of a gigantic weapon, after all, its structure was incomplete. There were exposed wires and pipes all over the place. It would break from just one shot.

However, one shot was all that was needed.

While I stared at the Hekatonkheir floating in the starry sky, the turret connected to my mind moved automatically, aiming at the giant whose flying trajectory gradually turned to descent.

"Let's do it—"

"Okay!"

Hearing me shout, Tia responded. Dark matter was transmitted through our tightly connected hands. I turned it into the bullet's energy—

"—FIRE!!"

I fired Megiddo's boundary-incinerating blue flames.

A bullet shining with blue light was sucked straight into Hekatonkheir's body... Then a massive explosion swallowed even the giant's body.

The scene was like a blue sun had suddenly appeared in the night sky.

Because it was too bright, it caused the stars to disappear from the sky, even making distinct shadows on the ground.

Then the blue light dimmed. When darkness returned to the world of night, the giant blotting the sky had disappeared completely.

"How are things...?"

I looked into the sky for a while then checked the surroundings, observing the situation.

Hekatonkheir was an immortal monster, which was why I could not lower my guard immediately.

But just like three years ago, no matter how long I waited, the blue giant did not reappear. With peace returned to the night forest, the sounds of bugs calling gradually began.

"Hekatonkheir... was defeated?"

Tia looked up at me and asked.

"Yeah... Looks like it was defeated."

I spoke hesitantly and Mitsuki nodded in agreement.

"Usually it would have resurrected by this time. Considering the case three years ago, the chances of completely defeating Hekatonkheir are extremely slim, but in any case, we seem to have succeeded in driving it away from Midgard."

"Wonderful! We won!"

Iris cheered and the tense atmosphere finally eased up.

"Goodness gracious... It made us expend so much effort."

Lisa was apparently at her limit. As her knees gave way, she sat down on a bush.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Lisa!"

Tia and I rushed over to her side and steadied her.

"...No need to worry about me, rather... The color in your face is looking quite terrible."

Lisa looked up at me and smiled wryly.

Speaking of which, I felt my vision shake. I touched my left shoulder to discover the cloth wrapped around the wound completely wet. Perhaps I had lost too much blood.

Seeing the way we looked, Mitsuki instantly called somewhere through her communicator.

"—Second command center, please respond. Is anyone there? Please respond—Oh... Shinomiya-sensei, so you are safe and sound. This is Mononobe Mitsuki, there are two wounded here—Please send paramedics as soon as possible."

Wonderful... So Shinomiya-sensei was safe.

Hearing the news, I breathed a sigh of relief. Because the clock tower was destroyed, I had been worrying the whole time.

But who knew where the principal's office, located at the top of the clock tower, had flown after getting struck by Hekatonkheir's swipe. If the principal and Mica-san were there—

I was filled with gloom. But just at this moment, the surrounding bushes rustled and a golden head poked out.

"Curses! What a tragic occurrence! Ahhh... My, my room... My treasured collection... Unforgivable, unforgivable! That blue puppet!"

Muttering to herself in an angry tone was the principal of indeterminate age. All covered in dirt with her clothing tattered, but she did not seem harmed.

"Charlotte-sama, that was because you built your personal room in that sort of place on purpose. As the saying goes, a certain type of person and smoke both prefer high places. It is very true."

Behind the principal, out appeared a woman in a maid uniform—Mica-san. Her clothing had holes all over the place but she looked very energetic.

Discovering us, the two of them walked over.

"Wow, you guys are fine too. How wonderful, I was worried about you."

"No, that's our line... I can't believe you stayed safe. Weren't you at the principal's office at the time?"

I asked in surprise.

"Hmph, something of that level's not going to—Mmmph!"

The principal puffed out her chest and nodded but Mica-san muffled her from behind.

"Indeed, Charlotte-sama and I happened to go out together for a stroll in the night. What a close call."

Smiling, Mica-san answered.

"O-Oh... I see, that's wonderful."

They had apparently emerged from the bushes opposite to the school campus' direction, but confronted with Mica-san's intimidating aura, I could only nod and concur.

But they could not possibly be unharmed if they really were in the office that was sent flying. Perhaps they had escaped into the jungle then gotten lost.

"Eh..."

Perhaps because I relaxed all at once after confirming that everyone I was worrying about was safe, I felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

"H-Hey, what are you doing!?"

I was originally supporting Lisa but ended up leaning on her unknowingly. Boing, my face became surrounded by something big and soft.

"Oh no, Yuu! Don't cheat!"

Although I heard Tia's voice, my body could no longer exert any force.

"Seriously... I only permit you specially just this once."

I heard Lisa's quiet whispers by my ear while my head was caressed gently.

Embraced by a sensation of comfort, I fell into deep sleep—

===Part 4===

In the sky dozens of kilometers away from Midgard, Kili Surtr Muspelheim was watching the blue light shining in the distance.

"What is this? Mother, you were defeated."

With a hand to her mouth, Kili smiled in delight.

"To think that flame has transcended the boundary again... Sure enough, what happened three years ago was not a miracle. Mother must be in pain on the other side, ahhh, serves her right."

Perhaps feeling excited, Kili spun in circles and danced in the night sky before laughing sonorously.

"This is the outcome when you interfere without permission. If only you had refrained from unnecessary meddling, I would have found a chance to bring Tia out... Looks like you really are rather anxious."

Kili flew nimbly through the air and murmured. She looked back towards Midgard, which had sunk beneath the horizon, and smiled, partially closing her eyes.

"However, with this, mother and I are out of options. Regardless which side wins, they or Basilisk, the initial plan will fail. When that time comes, you will no longer be able to hide, right? Perhaps they might discover Hekatonkheir's true nature soon."

Kili untied her hair, allowing it to flutter apart in the wind. As though talking to someone, she said:

"...No matter what the outcome, mother will probably lament the heavy losses. But as long as he wins, I shall profit, because—"

Saying that, Kili pressed her hand on her abdomen.

Lovingly caressing the spot where his fang had struck, Kili smiled.

"—Perhaps he might be a dragon worthy enough to be my partner."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v02_252.jpg|thumb]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2020-05-17T05:39:53Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 4 - Red-Winged Tiamat==

===Part 1===

"Mitsuki!"

I rushed into Mitsuki's room on the second floor of the dorm. Everyone had already changed into their uniforms and were gathered next to the window.

"Shh!"

Iris brought her finger to her lip and shushed me. Upon closer examination, I saw Mitsuki urgently calling somewhere on her portable terminal.

"—Please respond ASAP! Command center! Shinomiya-sensei! Please respond!"

Despite Mitsuki's desperate cries, no one answered. Mitsuki finally gave up, disconnected the call and turned around to face us.

"Everyone—Just as you can see, this is an emergency. Central command is demolished and we cannot expect backup support. Hence, our countermeasures shall be centered around ourselves, is that alright?"

"Of course! Mitsuki-san, issue orders now."

Lisa replied to Mitsuki while the others nodded with tense expressions to concur.

As official members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, they were all wearing tiny communicators on their heads.

"Well then, Ariella-san, please head to the girls dormitories and take charge of directing the scene. After confirming whether there is someone whose dragon mark has changed color, gather the Dragon Subjugation Squad. As for ordinary students, have them head to the underground shelter. If anyone is discovered with a dragon mark that has changed color, please send her to the shelter to be isolated then call me."

"Got it, I'm heading off immediately."

Ariella manifested her fictional armament then enveloping herself in wind, she flew off in the night sky.

"Firill-san and Ren-san, stay on standby in the air above Hekatonkheir to await my instructions to attack."

"...Understood."

"Mm."

Firill and Ren manifested their fictional armaments and flew out of the window.

"Nii-san and Iris-san, please come with me. We will approach Hekatonkheir via the ground."

"Understood."

"Yes, got it!"

Iris and I nodded but the unmentioned Tia and Lisa spoke up.

"Yuu... Are you leaving?"

"Hold on, Mitsuki-san! Did you forget me?"

Tia gazed at me with an uneasy expression while Lisa questioned Mitsuki.

"Lisa-san, you are responsible for guarding Tia-san. Attacking Hekatonkheir requires Nii-san's power no matter what, but we cannot send Tia-san to the frontline. Consequently, I hope you can stay by her side, Lisa-san, having gained Tia-san's trust."

"B-But..."

"Although it should be Basilisk that has its eyes set on Tia-san, we cannot completely rule out the possibility of Hekatonkheir targeting Tia-san too. As a precaution, we need someone who can be adaptable in emergencies. I am counting on you, Lisa-san."

Mitsuki bowed her head to request the hesitating Lisa. Seeing her like that, Lisa sighed.

"...Fine, I understand. I accept the mission. Tia-san, we will watch over the house together."

Lisa bent down in front of Tia and said to her gently.

"B-But Yuu..."

"Don't worry about him. No matter how you look, he doesn't seem like someone who will die that easily. Trusting a man and seeing him off is part of a woman's fortitude, you know?"

"A woman's fortitude?"

Not quite understanding what the words meant, Tia titled her head in puzzlement.

"Perhaps you can call it the qualities of a virtuous wife. You have no cause for worry, because you will not be alone."

Lisa held her hand and Tia's face relaxed slightly. She was probably scared of being left alone like the time she lost her parents. That was why she refused to leave me so adamantly in the beginning. But now, apart from me, there was someone else who could accompany her.

"Lisa will stay with Tia... together?"

"Yes, we will stay together."

Seeing Lisa nod in agreement, Tia turned her gaze to me.

"...Got it, Tia is a virtuous wife, so Tia will wait for husband to come home. Yuu... You must return no matter what, okay?"

Tia spoke to me with serious eyes.

"Yeah, I'll definitely return."

I rubbed Tia's head and agreed to her demand.

"—Then let us depart, Nii-san and Iris-san."

Mitsuki hurried us.

Thus, to handle a dragon's surprise attack, an internal defense battle took place on the island, the first crisis of this sort since Midgard's inception.

===Part 2===

We ran along the road leading from the dorm to the school campus.

Mitsuki's dorm was located on the southwest side of the island while Hekatonkheir was on the east. Even though Hekatonkheir was still quite far away, it was impossible to capture a complete view of its figure. After all, its size was too extraordinary, allowing it to reach the school campus in the middle of the island just by bending over and extending its hand.

"It hasn't moved after breaking the clock tower. What's with it?"

Iris ran while voicing her doubts.

Indeed, after doing that, Hekatonkheir had stood in the same spot without moving.

Neither walking nor destroying.

"Pondering a dragon's actions is futile, because we do not even understand why they are moving about all over the world. Hence, there is no way for us to understand its reason for not moving."

Mitsuki answered bitterly.

She was probably recalling about three years ago. Back then, we were wondering: why here? Why was Hekatonkheir advancing towards our town...?

"But since it stopped, that's a good thing for us. We'll find a way to take care of it now. You brought me because you intend to drive it away like three years ago, right?"

"Yes, that anti-dragon weapon you used in the past, Nii-san... Please lend me that power."

Mitsuki nodded to confirm my question.

Three years ago, I obtained power at a great price, destroying Hekatonkheir temporarily. Although it could not kill the dragon completely, as long as we used the same method, surviving this crisis should be quite probable.

"It's just that... Midgard will suffer severe damage if we shoot from here, you know? A bit of carelessness and we might end up flattening half the island."

"I know, which is why I intend to push Hekatonkheir into the sea first."

Mitsuki's plan was very appropriate but there was a problem.

"Is it even possible... to push that thing?"

I muttered while I looked at Hekatonkheir's figure, covering the eastern sky.

The mass difference was too great. Besides, the fact that such a gigantic body could walk on two legs was in itself quite abnormal. According to the data I saw at NIFL, Hekatonkheir was quite light in weight relative to its physique... But even so, humans still could not compare to it. Furthermore, Hekatonkheir's characteristic was the power of immortality. No matter what damage was done to it, that thing would immediately recover.

In fact, three years ago, Mitsuki still failed to stop Hekatonkheir no matter how hard she tried.

"Worry not, because unlike three years ago, we have reliable comrades now."

Mitsuki replied confidently then looked at Iris.

"Eh? M-Me?"

"Yes, right now, Firill-san and Ren-san are on standby in the air. Ariella-san will also bring the Dragon Subjugation Squad over soon. Since we have so many people, we will surely succeed."

Mitsuki declared firmly and Iris nodded with a blush.

"Y-Yes... That's right, I will do my best!"

Mitsuki was running ahead of us. When she reached the fork in the road leading to the girls' dormitories, she stopped.

This location happened to be the spot where Hekatonkheir could be viewed across the school campus.

"If we attack from this direction, we should be able to push Hekatonkheir towards the eastern shore. Iris-san, are you ready?"

"Yes—Caduceus!"

Iris manifested her fictional armament and stared at the giant on the other side.

"Nii-san, please remain on standby until you are ready. Firill-san, Ren-san, can you hear me?"

Mitsuki pressed the switch on the small communicator on her head, calling to the pair that was supposed to be in the air.

'...I hear you.'

'Mm.'

"You two coordinate with us and simultaneously attack Hekatonkheir from the west. Counting down! Nine!"

Mitsuki started to count down while manifesting in her left hand the fictional armament of a bow—Brionac. Then she nocked an arrow of dark matter with her right hand.

"Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—!"

At zero, the girls all attacked at the same time.

"Second Arrow—Night Blaze!"

"O holy silver, explode!"

'...Flare Burst Quintet.'

'Mm!'

Stacked together, the four girls' attacks caused a giant explosion in front of Hekatonkheir. A mixture of red and white light blew way the canopy of night briefly, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day.

Several seconds later, the blast pressure reached us. To avoid getting blown away by the hot wind, I stood my ground firmly while narrowing my eyes, confirming the outcome of the attack.

After the bright light subsided, what appeared was Hekatonkheir with large holes gouged out of various parts of its body. The entire right arm was gone from the shoulder down. Compared to Leviathan from the previous battle, Hekatonkheir was incomparably fragile, however—

"Eh...?"

Iris exclaimed in surprise. It was only natural for her to be taken aback if it was her first time seeing it.

As though rewinding time, Hekatonkheir's wounds healed up within the blink of an eye. Rather than regenerate, it would be better to call it restored. That was how outrageous a power it was.

Recovering its original appearance in merely a few seconds, Hekatonkheir seemed as though nothing had happened, towering under the starry sky, it had not been pushed back by a single step.

"...Its body is more fragile than imagined. All impacts were absorbed. Next time, suppress your firepower to a lower level."

Mitsuki called to everyone with a solemn look but Iris made a troubled expression.

"Mitsuki-chan, since attacks will work, why not attack even harder to destroy it in one fell swoop?"

"Be that as it may, the result is the same. NIFL used thermobaric and nuclear attacks in the past and succeeded in destroying its entire body all at once... But before long, Hekatonkheir revived again. The only exception was that time three years ago... Only Nii-san's trump card has the potential."

Mitsuki spoke calmly and drew her bow again.

Thus, the attacks resumed. As for me, I waited behind Mitsuki and Iris, waiting for the time for me to enter the stage.

However, attacks that were too strong would repeat the same mistake as earlier, while attacks that were too weak would be unable to move Hekatonkheir's gigantic body.

The only saving grace was that Hekatonkheir did not move at all.

It made no signs to strike back no matter how many attacks it suffered. Perhaps because it was immortal, it did not need to react to danger... Still, I felt that something was not right.

The fact that Hekatonkheir had attacked the clock tower without hesitation, paralyzing Midgard's functionality in a precise and effective manner... It was almost as though it knew that the clock tower was the central core.

Although Mitsuki believed that pondering a dragon's actions was futile, supposing Hekatonkheir was thinking... Then there might be meaning behind why it was not moving. Either its goal had already been achieved or there was no reason to take action.

I felt inexplicably unsettled in my chest, unable to calm down. It felt like I had somehow missed something.

And from just now, I was having this sense of deja vu.

An easily penetrated body, instantaneous recovery... That scene was overlapping with previous images. But rather than from three years ago, it was a recent memory—

"Now everyone, transmute maximum volume of air! We will use wind to push Hekatonkheir to that side!"

Under Mitsuki's command, everyone created raging winds.

Hekatonkheir's upper body shook slightly. The wind's wake caused the surrounding trees to rustle. Carrying leaves, the raging winds blew all over the place.

However, the wind produced by the four girls did not seem powerful enough. Hekatonkheir remained standing where it was.

"Hmm... Looks like reinforcements might be necessary."

Mitsuki murmured in chagrin. But the wind just now made me figure out why the situation felt so familiar.

What surfaced in my mind was the red dragon, glaring at us from above, surrounded by a swirling storm—

"Right, this is very similar to that time..."

"Huh?"

Reacting to what I blurted out, Iris looked at me.

"This is very similar to Tia when she went out of control and became a dragon. A body composed from a fictional armament will immediately restore its form even after getting cut up. That scene overlaps inexplicably well with how Hekatonkheir restores itself."

Hearing me say that, a troubled expression surfaced on Iris' face.

"Mononobe, are you saying... that Hekatonkheir is someone's fictional armament?"

"Well..."

Now that she pointed it out, I realized how absurd my suggestion was.

Then Mitsuki interrupted.

"Impossible. Creating such a gigantic fictional armament is impossible. Even Ren-san, believed to have the greatest dark matter generating capacity to date, she cannot achieve the amount necessary to form Hekatonkheir at all."

"...You're right. I knew my idea was too absurd."

However, many things would make sense if one thought of Hekatonkheir as a fictional armament.

Appearing in Midgard without anyone noticing. Attacking as though it knew that the clock tower was Midgard's central core.

No matter which one, if one were to assume that Hekatonkheir was fictional armament created by someone, then it would all be explained. Just by transmuting its surface and limbs, it would be able to walk on the ground and destroy buildings with its arms. If the majority of its body was weightless dark matter, then it made sense how such a gigantic body could walk on two legs.

No—Hold on, following that assumption, it meant that the culprit was a human... a D?

At this time, I could only think of one person, and that person's aim was to—

"!?"

Realizing the enemy's goal in alarm, I looked back in the dorm's direction.

The explosion occurred within my view after that.

===Part 3===

I dashed as fast as I could, my feet striking the ground with full force.

Even forgetting to breathe, I raced along the road back to the dormitory. Black smoke, billowing into the starry sky, entered my view. I drove my legs to move furiously.

After I started sprinting, I immediately heard Mitsuki call out to stop me, but I had no time to attend to her.

By merely the difference of a second, it could mean the boundary of life and death for someone.

Honed on the battlefield, my instincts told me that was what the current situation was like.

I also understood clearly the risks involved in deserting my post, being the trump card for taking care of Hekatonkheir. Also, there was no concrete proof that the giant was a fictional armament.

But I followed my own instincts. What I should be fighting now was not Hekatonkheir. Tia and Lisa could very well be the ones facing the greatest crisis.

I could now see Mitsuki's dorm ahead. The smoke seemed to be rising from the back of the building.

Hence, I circled around to the back of the dorm. In the instant just as I turned the corner, I felt a blast of hot wind.

"Kuh..."

Sensing danger, I halted and swiftly checked out my surroundings.

The thick black smoke was rising out from Mitsuki's room. An explosion had apparently occurred. Even the surrounding walls were scorched black.

The spacious lawn in the backyard had tongues of flame flickering all over the place. Part of the grass had been burnt away completely, exposing the soil beneath.

Over there were three girls.

One was Lisa with Gungnir in hand. Her clothing was burnt and blackened while there was even bleeding on her forehead. To protect Tia behind her, Lisa seemed to have deployed a shield of air, with strong wind swirling in the surroundings.

Tia was hugging her own trembling body, staring at the girl facing off against Lisa.

Even confronted with the tip of Gungnir, the girl was still smiling.

Tied up, her long black hair was swaying in the hot wind. The lenses of her glasses reflected blazing flames.

I recognized her.

Tachikawa Honoka.

She was the girl who had transferred into Midgard together with Tia. I had talked to her a number of times and became familiar with her. Not long ago, we had just corresponded through email.

Why was Honoka here?

The question occupied my mind but as a soldier, I was already calmly analyzing the situation and reached the conclusion.

—No need to think of a reason. She is the enemy.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v02_209.jpg|thumb]]

Enemy... Honoka? No, wait a sec, it was too early to decide that. Because she already counted as a friend to me and was also someone I originally wanted to help as much as I could...

Honoka glanced at me, a smile appearing on the corners of her lips.

"Fufu, because it took some time, he ended up coming. I can't be bothered to hold back anymore."

Her tone of voice made her sound like a different person. I saw Honoka clap her hands at Lisa.

Instantly, a foreboding feeling rushed along my spine.

—Act quickly! Otherwise, Lisa will be killed!

My instincts shouted, dispelling my hesitation.

Anti-personnel weapon—AT Nergal!

I used transmutation to create an anti-personnel projectile-based electroshock gun then pulled the trigger at Honoka.

A small explosion occurred in front of Honoka with a bang. Only shortly did I realize that the fired bullet had vaporized. At the same time, Nergal felt scorching hot in my right hand.

"Gah...!?"

I frantically released Nergal and jumped backwards.

Nergal became deformed as though it was candy. Heated red-hot, the gunpowder inside exploded.

—What? What did she do?

Aware of slight burns on my right hand, I gazed at Honoka at the same time.

"I can't believe you fired a gun so suddenly. How mean. But that was the correct decision. Had your reaction been slightly slower, her pretty face would have been wrecked."

Honoka chuckled as though she found it amusing. Hearing her say that, Lisa yelled angrily:

"Don't you get too arrogant. Likewise, I have not gone all out yet. But I have resolved myself now—Pierce, flare!!"

Lisa shot a wide laser beam from the tip of her spear towards Honoka. This attack, capable of penetrating a giant block of diamond in an instant, was not a move to use against a human. A direct hit would mean melting, even to the point of becoming unrecognizable.

However, that powerful attack did not touch Honoka. The laser's trajectory was mysteriously bent in the middle, flying off somewhere else.

I felt the surrounding air temperature rise even further. The rising hot air was making the image of Honoka's figure waver. Perhaps she was using this heat to create a lens of air, bending the laser.

"What..."

Lisa exclaimed in surprise while Honoka stared at her coldly.

"You... are truly a nuisance."

Boom, without any warning, an explosion suddenly happened next to Lisa.

"Kyah!?"

Lisa was blown away by the blast, smashing into the dorm's wall. Thanks to her shield of wind, she could avoid a direct impact, but with her back leaning against the wall, she slowly collapsed. The fictional armament in her hand also vanished.

"Lisa!"

Tia screamed and ran towards Lisa. Although I wanted to rush over immediately to help, I could not move.

Honoka was looking at me. My instincts told me that the instant my focus was distracted, it would become a lethal mistake.

"Now we can finally talk in peace... Yuu-san."

Honoka called my name sarcastically.

Parched from the hot air, I wetted the interior of my mouth with saliva and asked in a stiff tone of voice:

"Honoka... Why are you doing this? Is Tia your target?"

"Yes, indeed. I will be taking Tia to Basilisk."

Hearing her reply, I gritted my teeth.

"...In other words, Honoka, you are a member of the Sons of Muspell?"

"Oh~ It seems that you expected us to make a move, judging from your wording. In that case, I don't need to introduce myself again, right?"

Honoka asked in a testing manner. Hearing that, I figured out who she was.

Since Honoka was a D and belonged to the Sons of Muspell, there was only one person meeting all the criteria.

"Are you... Kili Surtr Muspelheim?"

Although her appearance was completely different from the girl in the photo sent by Major Loki, I could not think of anyone else matching the criteria.

"Bingo. But that was just a randomly chosen name, so it's perfectly fine for you to call me Honoka too, okay?"

"Forgive me for declining. I won't call you with a friend's name."

"Really...? What a shame. I really like this name of Honoka."

Honoka—No, Kili smiled with a bit of apparent sadness. She threw away the glasses she was wearing.

Fallen on the ground, the glasses gradually twisted in shape and melted. Those lenses were probably purely cosmetic. Even after taking the glasses off, she still looked completely different from the Kili in the photo.

"Who could have expected you to infiltrate us as a transfer student, how on earth did you do it? NIFL should have acquired your biometric data... Even if you disguised yourself, your identity would have been exposed in an examination, right?"

Hearing me say that, Kili scoffed as though finding it ludicrous:

"Ha, something like an examination can be easily handled. Whether blood or DNA, just use dark matter to create counterfeits."

"What... How could such complicated transmutations be possible—"

"It is possible. Just as Tia's horns are also my present to her."

Kili explained simply and easily, which meant that—

"...Tia did not make herself look like that?"

I felt emotions of anger rush out from the depths of my heart.

"Of course, how could Tia possibly have accomplished it? Besides, given the specs of the human brain, it is impossible to fully handle the massive amount of information required for biogenic transmutation."

"Haha... You almost sound like you're saying you're not human."

I ridiculed her sarcastically but Kili nodded her head seriously.

"Indeed, because I am a dragon. This human appearance is just a disguise. Just by using biogenic transmutation, I can change my appearance and face any time I want. To find Tia who had been taken away by NIFL, I believed the simplest and fastest way was to turn myself into someone else and get sent to Midgard."

"...A dragon huh?"

I gritted my teeth. Because of that sentence, I understood that she was the culprit who had twisted Tia's mindset.

Kili had probably been active while changing her appearance constantly. No wonder NIFL was unable to get a grasp on her information. Whether the appearance captured in that photo in her profile or her face as Tachikawa Honoka, all were surely fake disguises.

"Jeez, could you not make such a scary face? I've no intention of fighting you. Had I wanted to kill you, I would've done so long ago. I just want to take Tia away."

Saying that, Kili turned her gaze to Tia. However, Tia did not notice and kept trying to call Lisa.

"However... I never expected her to change so much in merely two days. Until recently, she was still my very obedient student."

"So you're the one who taught Tia..."

I muttered bitterly. While tutoring Tia with her homework, I had concluded that Tia probably had a good teacher. But I was totally mistaken. What she had given to Tia was the most awful education to make her into a dragon.

"Yes, that's right. I found Tia in Midgard as expected. Since that child did not recognize her disguised teacher, I greedily thought I'd investigate the internal secrets of Midgard... But I was wrong. I shouldn't have spent extra time on that."

I recalled how Honoka was staring at the school map on the first day of transferring in. That was Kili trying to memorize information about the enemy camp.

Speaking of which, Tia had said something about not wanting to go near her. Even without knowing her true identity, Tia perhaps instinctively feared her.

"Also, I almost killed a classmate. So many setbacks."

Kili turned her gaze back to me, shrugged and spoke.

"Almost killed, you say... Don't tell me that the transmutation accident you mentioned at the infirmary was..."

"Yes, someone bad-mouthed Tia and I accidentally lost my temper. Tia's value far surpasses that of ordinary Ds. She is excellent talent who might become Basilisk's mate... That girl really did not know her place."

Kili spoke with a cold expresion.

"—In other words, your regrets back then were all lies. Someone like you... I'll never hand Tia over to you. I'm not going to let Tia become a real dragon!"

"Fufu, you're really stubborn about Tia, aren't you? The blonde girl was also desperately trying to protect her... It feels like she has too many burdens. Why don't I lighten things for her?"

Saying that, Kili's dark gaze turned towards Lisa.

"Stop!"

I frantically called out. Kili immediately narrowed her eyes in joy.

"...Just kidding. If I attacked her now, wouldn't Tia next to her get caught in the crossfire? You're so amusing. Talking to you is never a bore."

—Liar. This girl acted according to whim. She really would have done it.

My back was drenched from cold sweat. Currently, I seemed to be feeling fear—fear that Lisa would die.

Three years ago, the price I paid for power was that my emotion of fear had become very diluted. And the crisis before my eyes was enough to summon that minor sense of fear.

The murderous intent I had sensed at the beach last time probably came from Kili. That time, Kili was surely watching us from somewhere.

"Phew..."

To calm my mind, I exhaled deeply. I noticed my breathing had become rather irregular just now.

I never knew that a friend coming to danger... would make me lose composure to such an extent.

Perhaps I had not lost my sense of fear to begin with. It was just that due to a large part of my memories getting eaten away, it shook my confidence in asserting I was Mononobe Yuu, hence I could not feel any value in myself.

Precisely because of that... Now that I had obtained things of value, that was why I felt fear.

"—Kili, make one false move and I'll kill you."

To protect precious people, I quietly declared.

I did not even know my opponent's method of attacking. To perform transmutation, generating dark matter was a necessary step, but Kili was able to cause explosions without any preparatory motion.

No wonder Major Loki said she was stronger than me. The opponent was undoubtedly more powerful than me, but if I intended to kill her, it would be a separate matter—

"Fufu... How scary. But by this point, I can't back down either."

Despite facing my murderous intent head on, Kili still smiled confidently.

"What's the meaning in letting Tia become Basilisk's mate?"

"Rather than meaning, it'd be better to call it using the right person for the right job. That's the only use for Ds."

"I can't believe you said... use?"

She was virtually treating Tia as an object. It made me agitated in tone.

"Because Tia has talent, I originally looked forward to her other potential... But judging from the current situation, that potential is tiny beyond measure. In that case, turning her into another Basilisk would be the best use of resources."

Resources... I realized that Kili merely viewed Tia as material for making a dragon.

Human words were not going to reach Kili.

Although I did not know why she wanted to increase the number of dragons, I believed with certainty that she and I were irreconcilable enemies.

To protect Tia from her evil grasp, if I must do that no matter what—

"Enough, I get it. I will stop you... Even if it means I must kill you."

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Holding the ornamental gun formed from dark matter in my hand, I treated Kili as a target for slaughter. I awakened the being slumbering in my subconscious, gradually turning myself into a monster.

Redundant thoughts vanished. My mind became clear. My sharpened senses transmitted information to my brain that I previously did not feel.

A feeling of omnipotence as though everything was in my grasp, it heightened my emotions.

"I really had no intention of fighting you... Very well, try killing me. If you kill me, I'll stop."

Kili grinned and responded like that.

Instantly, I felt the surrounding air temperature rise all at once.

"!?"

Just as I jumped to the right, an explosion happened. Accompanied with flames, the shockwave struck my entire body. I took a defensive posture and hit the ground, rolling on scorched bushes.

Very likely, she had used transmutation to create some kind of flammable material.

The information sent by Major Loki said that Kili used flames to attack. Judging from the current situation, this info was correct.

However, using transmutation would require the generation of dark matter the instant before attacking. Yet I did not see her doing so. It puzzled me greatly.

"To think you just declared so forcefully, yet now you're in such an awkward state."

Sensing her pursuit, I aimed Siegfried at the ground and fired.

"Nitro Bullet!"

I created a large volume of nitrogen to produce a gust of wind. I thought that using noncombustible nitrogen would blow away the elements of fire that Kili might be creating, but—

Whoosh, a violent sense of heat and pain attacked my right shoulder. Feeling flesh getting seared, I frantically escaped.

Since it was emergency evasion, I had accidentally stepped into the downwind part of burning bushes. Enveloped in rising black smoke, I covered my nostrils and mouth with my left hand. To prevent my fictional weapon from getting consumed through contact with smoke, I used my body as a shield.

—No, what Kili created was not flammable matter.

I understood that my prediction was wrong.

Considering I was getting scorched without an explosion, the attack's main vector was intangible heat itself.

She was most likely transmuting dark matter directly into thermal energy. Although it was a high-level technique, this type of skill was not beyond common sense in the same way as biogenic transmutation.

That explosion was quite probably the result of the produced heat causing oxygen to react.

Even after solving one mystery—The greatest problem still remained.

Since Kili's dark matter could not be seen, it was impossible to predict where attacks would come from. Unless this mechanism was figured out, even approaching Kili was impossible.

I racked my brain amid smoke, but during that time, Kili did not attack for some reason.

"Aren't you going to kill me? Come, do it now."

Despite taunting me, she did not attack further.

—What's with her?

Inside smoke, due to the interference of particles, dark matter would get consumed at a faster rate. But if a larger amount of dark matter was generated in the beginning, it would be enough to attack. However, I still had yet to see her dark matter even once.

No, wait... If it was purely invisible—

A possibility surfaced in my mind.

—Worth a shot!

While rushing out of the smoke, I used all the remaining dark matter in Siegfried and poured it into the bullet, firing it.

"Smoke Bullet!"

Instantly, the surroundings became shrouded by pure white smoke. My fictional armament disappeared from my hand. Since it could not be sustained inside smoke anyway, vanishing did not matter.

Racing through a world covered in white smoke, I charged straight at Kili.

I did not encounter any intercepting attack arising from the transmutation of heat.

My guess turned out to be correct.

Kili was probably generating dark matter in sizes smaller than the eye could see, spreading that dark matter in the area. Although I did not know how wide the area was, it could be described as Kili's zone of control. I was at her mercy as long as I was within that zone, which was why she could be that confident.

But tiny the dark matter may be, this also had a weakness as a result. Small pieces of dark matter would vanish just from being covered by light smoke like this.

"You saw through my realm of calamitous flame, Muspelheim—I'm impressed. How about this move then?"

On the other side of the smoke, Kili apparently laughed.

I instantly felt my hairs stand on end. Instinct told me this was leading to death. I instantly dug my heels in the ground for emergency braking.

Many dark particles appeared in the white smoke.

It was as though black snow was floating up from the ground.

This time, while shrouded in white smoke, Kili was spreading out dark matter that was large enough not to be eliminated by the smoke.

I had stepped into a world of black snow. This was a realm that I could not escape even if I saw it.

Anti-explosive armor—Uruk 73E!

I hit the ground in desperation and formed a shield to cover myself. This was the only method of handling an omnidirectional attack using my meager generating capacity.

However, red light caused the shield to crack.

"...!?"

First came a thunderous noise, then heat and force that shook my entire body. Unable to understand what had happened, I rolled on the ground, tasting fresh blood and soil in my mouth. Then intense pain rocked my brain.

My entire body felt scorched and painful. I could no longer tell where I was wounded, but at least I was still alive.

—Move if you're still alive! Stopping means dying!

I spurred myself to get up and check out the situation. I was apparently blown far away by the explosion, distancing me from Kili. The dark matter enveloping Kili's surroundings did not reach my location.

With exception, all Ds had limits to their dark matter generating capacity. If every particle increased in size, that Muspelheim ability she mentioned would cover a smaller area.

I wanted to enter a combat stance but discovered that my left arm could not move. Taking a closer look, I found a fragment of my shield stabbed into my shoulder. The bleeding flowed along my arm and dripped on the ground.

In the distance, Tia seemed to be yelling something, but the explosion had disabled my ears, preventing me from hearing clearly.

Kili also made an expression certain of victory as though saying something, but I still could not hear. Neither was there any need for me to listen.

—Because I was about to kill her next.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

My irregular breathing echoed in the depths of my ears, sounding very vague and unclear.

The intense pain centered on my shoulder was preventing my mind from operating smoothly.

The harder it was to think, the more the emptiness in my mind spread. Some kind of existence was gradually expanding its borders.

"Huff....... Huff...... Hah....... Hah......"

The interval between breaths lengthened, exhaling became acute, inhaling became silent.

The monster of the unconscious did not miss the opening when my consciousness grew faint, gradually taking control of my body. From my fingertips to the beating of my heart, everything fell under its control, switching me with a different being.

"———..."

Finally taking a deep breath, then it stopped.

I was no longer myself at this point.

He started to walk slowly towards Kili. Gradually, he accelerated. Every time the tip of the foot kicked the ground, he increased his speed slightly.

An expression of surprise surfaced on Kili's face.

Simply by stepping in the domain shrouded in black snow, the outcome would be the same as previously. This was obvious.

However, a certain existence that was not me was completely unfazed, approaching the prey head on.

All I could feel was heat scorching my left hand. Rather than originating from my wounded shoulder, the back of my hand felt scorched as though by fire.

I did not know the reason. Neither could I think.

However, the Fafnir currently in control of my power should understand everything.

Surely after understanding, he must have chosen the simplest way to kill Kili then put it into action.

—Running began.

He invaded Kili's Muspelheim at top speed.

Kili yelled out with a nervous expression. Instantly, the view was covered by red flames. The atmosphere was set aflame from the thermal energy transmuted from dark matter.

However... He did not stop.

Fafnir broke through the blazing fire and ran along the ground.

I felt neither pain nor scorching heat.

Were my senses numb? Or did I turn into a monster unfazed by explosions? My current self could not understand either.

I could see a small white light flashing in my view, but I had no idea what it meant.

Kili's expression was full of shock.

"WHY!?"

Due to closing the distance, I only heard sound for the first time.

As though responding to her, Fafnir roared.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Language no longer had meaning, what it needed was sharp fangs for hunting prey.

Roaring, he used his right hand to draw out a shield fragment that was stabbed in the left shoulder. Blood instantly splattered around from the bleeding wound.

"Muspelheim!"

Kili extended her palm, firing a red flash of light.

That was probably the attack that had broken my anti-explosive armor just now.

Nevertheless, Fafnir did not take any evasive action. Instead, he casually swung his right arm.

With a faint flash of white light, the scenery was distorted for a brief instant.

Immediately, the red light's trajectory became mysteriously bent, flying off in another direction.

"Could that power actually be that of 'White'—"

Baring its fangs, Fafnir closed in on the bewildered Kili.

Then swinging the sharp fragment, all covered in fresh blood—

...Honoka...!

—I stabbed the fragment's sharp edge deeply into Kili's body.

My right hand could feel the sensation of slicing through flesh.

"Cough..."

Kili spat blood, splattering on my face. Having recovered control from Fafnir, I felt an unpleasant stickiness and moistness from the warmth of life and the smell of fresh blood.

"Cough, cough... Cough...... Fu... Fufu... Liar."

Blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, Kili laughed.

"..."

I did not answer. Simply feeling the temperature of the blood flowing from Kili's abdomen, I cursed my naivete.

"Clearly saying you were going to kill me... yet you avoided vitals in the final moment... Why?"

"...My hand slipped. Even if it's not a vital, this is already a severe injury. If it's not treated immediately, you'll die from blood loss. So—Surrender."

My instincts told me I should kill Kili now.

Even so, I still stopped Fafnir at the crucial moment, that was because... I recalled Honoka's smile. Despite knowing clearly it was fake, I could not erase my feelings from that time.

"Fufu... How kind of you. But your kindness is meaningless, because even if you were to pierce my heart, the result doesn't change."

Kili whispered in my ear then shoved me away. Next, she reached out and grabbed the shield fragment embedded in her abdomen.

"Hold on! If you pull it out, the bleeding will—"

I called out to stop her, but Kili pulled out the fragment without heeding me. Blood gushed out from the wound, dripping audibly on the ground forming a dark red stain.

But the instant black masses of dark matter appeared in the wound's surroundings, the bleeding immediately stopped. After Kili wiped the blood stains away, there was no wound there anymore, only pale skin.

"No way..."

Seeing me surprised, Kili shrugged.

"How is it? This is what biogenic transmutation is about. If you want to kill me, you have to aim here."

Kili tapped her head with her fingertip and smiled faintly.

"Damn it!"

I had to start all over again. With unsteady steps, I back away.

"You don't need to be so flustered. If possible, I'd like to take Tia away peacefully, but it looks like time's up."

Looking at me in my combat stance, Kili smiled wryly.

"Making such a big scene... How dare you talk about peace. Also... Time's up? What the heck do you mean by time's up?"

Not understanding what she meant, I stayed on guard and asked:

"Despite how I may look to you... I do want to keep harm to the Ds to a minimum. But due to your meddling, she seems to have lost patience."

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>——...!

No sooner had Kili spoke than the ground immediately shook. I looked up to see Hekatonkheir, originally motionless, starting to turn its body towards us.

"...Hekatonkheir—"

"I told her I'll be the one to secure Tia and asked her to wait there, but looks like she decided to take action herself. Prepare yourselves—She's not going to be as nice as me, okay?"

She? Asked her to wait...?

"...What's your relationship with Hekatonkheir? That thing... Isn't it your fictional armament?"

Looking at the blue phosphorescent giant, I asked Kili.

I had speculated that Hekatonkheir might be someone's fictional armament and the enemy's target was Tia. However, judging from what she just said, it sounded like Hekatonkheir was not under Kili's control at least.

"Fufu—How could that be possible? Even if it's me, I can't create a fictional armament that large. No, rather... In fact, I've already told you lots about her, you know?"

"Already... told me?"

"You don't get it? How slow."

Kili laughed in mockery.

Was she avoiding the topic? Or was she speaking the truth? I could not tell.

But judging from the way things looked, it would be better to regard Hekatonkheir as a dragon, probably.

RUMBLE!

Then Midgard shook again, because Hekatonkheir started walking, and it was in our direction—

That scene forced me to recall from three years ago, the scene of Hekatonkheir advancing towards our town. The footsteps of destruction were heard mercilessly. The closer that gigantic body approached, the narrower the night sky seemed.

...In the end, that thing must still be defeated?

Just as my attention was drawn to Hekatonkheir, Kili turned her gaze to Tia.

"—I will ask you one last time."

Tia was hugging the unconscious Lisa while watching our battle. At this moment, her shoulders shook.

Most likely in Tia's heart, the fear of Kili's power was already deeprooted. Seeing Tia unable to even respond, Kili asked her:

"Are you willing to become Basilisk's mate? For everyone, no matter whom... Even for you, it would be a happy choice."

...!

Stop talking crap—Just as I was about to yell that, Tia answered quietly.

"...No."

Kili frowned.

"By this point, you still want to live as a human? Don't be silly, you're already a dragon. There's no way you can mingle among humans. Your parents originally planned to—"

"Tia doesn't get it! Tia doesn't get something so difficult! Tia only doesn't want to separate from Yuu and Lisa!"

Hugging the injured Lisa tightly, Tia yelled loudly.

Perhaps woken up by her voice, Lisa opened one eye.

"...Tia... -san?"

"Everyone is so warm... These are Tia's happiest times ever... So Tia wants to stay here! And Tia wants to be Yuu's wife! Compared to Basilisk, Tia super super super loves Yuu!!"

Tia...

Hearing the expression of her sincere feelings, too direct for comfort, I felt my face heat up.

Confronted with Tia's upfront will of rejection, Kili stared silently at her then sighed deeply.

"Really...? How unfortunate. My action was really taken in your interests."

"You're saying it was for us? Attacking Midgard, hurting Lisa, how dare you say something like that?"

Hearing Kili's presumptuous claim, I could not help but protest.

"Once Basilisk lands, the disaster will definitely surpass this. Everything will return to dust, leaving no survivors. That was why I wanted to take Tia over to Basilisk before all the Ds perish, and in much gentler way than hers."

Speaking in a serious tone, Kili glanced up at Hekatonkheir. She sounded like she was worrying about us, but I could feel that she was still simply treating Ds as resources.

"Mind your own business. We will defeat Basilisk and protect Tia."

"In that case, you have to find a way to handle her first. I'll be leaving before I get trampled in the chaos. After all, it's almost time for Midgardsormr to restart from a different circuit after it was temporarily disabled when the core was damaged."

After saying that, Kili flew up into the sky, her entire body wrapped in flame. Rather than using air, she was flying by jet propulsion through the transmutation of combustion.

Looking down at us from the air, Kili continued:

"A word of advice, she—mother—isn't going to listen to pleas for mercy."

Mother...?

Speaking of which, Honoka had said that she and her mother traveled all over the world. Her email also said that her mother would be visiting Midgard in the near future, but I never expected she was referring to Hekatonkheir.

Seeing Kili gradually rise in height, I asked her:

"Kili... Who the heck are you?"

Capable of using biogenic transmutation, impossible to handle by the human brain, calling Hekatonkheir mother, this girl—I really did not think she was an ordinary D.

"God knows who I am? If it's okay with you, can I ask you to decide?"

"...Meaning you don't intend to answer?"

"I have no intention of avoiding the subject... Whatever, I'm off now—If the same miracle happens as three years ago, we shall meet again."

Saying that, Kili immediately rose in the starry sky, leaving a red trail.

Kili knew about my battle against Hekatonkheir three years ago?

Many questions occupied my heart.

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>—...!

However, but my consciousness was pulled back to reality by the giant footsteps that sounded even nearer than just now.

Swaying its giant body, Hekatonkheir approached step by step. Although blindingly bright explosions kept occurring in its surroundings, Hekatonkheir did not stop walking. Most likely, the assembled Dragon Subjugation Squad was trying to push it towards the sea.

If what Kili said was true, Hekatonkheir's goal was also to capture Tia.

The original plan was probably to have Hekatonhheir destroy the core facilities to draw everyone's attention, thus allowing Kili to seize the opportunity to take Tia away while Midgardsormr was paralyzed.

However, due to interference from Lisa and me, Hekatonkheir was taking matters into its own hands now.

But... With such a huge body, how was it going to capture Tia who was even smaller than its finger?

"Nii-san!"

Hearing Mitsuki's voice, I looked in her direction.

I saw Mitsuki and Iris appear from the side of the dorm, running towards us.

"Sorry, I arrived late because I was issuing orders to the gathered Dragon Subjugation Squad. Are you guys alright?"

"...I'm alright. You should check Lisa's condition first."

I tore off a sleeve that was already tattered. Biting the cloth's edge, I wrapped it around the wound. Although the cut was deep, it was fine as long as I stopped the bleeding first.

"Lisa-chan, are you okay!?"

Iris knelt down next to Lisa and asked with worry.

"This bit of injury is nothing. Rather than being concerned with me, we must find a way to handle that..."

Lisa stood up unsteadily and looked up at the approaching Hekatonkheir.

Our gazes were all fixed upon the blue giant.

"All members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad are in position. Although our pace was disrupted slightly by Hekatonkheir beginning to move suddenly... As long as we time things right, we will surely push it back this time. Everyone, please lend me your assistance."

Mitsuki called out to us."

"Yes, of course."

"Yup! Feel free to give orders, Mitsuki-chan!"

Iris and I nodded.

"I can still fight."

Lisa manifested her fictional armament in her hand again and smiled with determination.

"Tia will... fight too."

Tia's voice was heard. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Can you? If you lose control again, let alone help, you may end up dragging everyone down."

Lisa bluntly stated the unease in everyone's heart.

"—Yes, no problem. Even though Tia has horns and might not be human anymore, even so... Tia still wants to stay with Yuu and Lisa. Tia wants to live the same way as everyone!"

Tia made her stance clear.

Even though she could not change her existence, she still could choose her way of living.

By her own will, Tia was choosing to walk into the future together with us.

"I understand. Then as comrades—We shall fight our hardest."

Lisa made a gentle expression and extended her hand. All smiles, Tia held her hand tightly.

Having checked their condition, Mitsuki pressed her communicator and issued orders to everyone.

"—Well then, everyone, please follow my countdown. All units perform air transmutation of maximum scale. Please aim for the stomach, the center of gravity! Counting down! Nine!!"

Following Mitsuki's orders, Iris and Lisa raised their fictional armaments.

Tia also generated dark matter in the surroundings to form her fictional armament.

Appearing in the same manner as last time, the dark matter gathered around Tia, but the outline sculpted was different.

What appeared was a giant pair of wings, shining with red light.

In a human's form with dragon's wings sprouted from her back, Tia even gave off a holy impression.

If seeking power, it was inevitable that Tia would choose something whose appearance approached that of dragons. But no one would blame her because in spite of that, Tia still said that she was going to live as a human like us.

"Seven, six, five—"

During the countdown, I concentrated and waited for the opportunity for me to make a move.

Perhaps noticing that something was unusual because the attacks stopped suddenly, Hekatonkheir raised its giant right hand.

But it was fine, there was quite a bit of distance. It was unable to attack our location.

That was what things should have been like—

But the sky turned dark and the stars suddenly went out of sight, because something dark—blocked them.

"Eh?"

A giant palm was over our heads by the time we realized.

Resembling a drawing with perspective errors, Hekatonkheir's arm was extending unnaturally.

Wait—It was extending!?

There was no precedent of Hekatonkheir changing its body shape before but dragons were unknown existences to begin with. There was nothing surprising even if they possessed previously unconfirmed abilities.

Perhaps due to conservation of mass, the arm became thinner as it extended. Even so, the palm was still too gigantic to escape. As though compressing the atmosphere, it descended.

"Hey—Tia's here too, you know!?"

I looked up at the palm and yelled loudly but it could not possibly understand me.

And even if Hekatonkheir's movements were delicate even to pick up only Tia, those of us in the surroundings would surely get flattened.

"Switch target to right arm! Countdown cancelled! Attack directly!!"

Deciding that there was no time for the countdown to finish, Mitsuki swiftly yelled out.

"O gale, explode!"

Iris caused compressed air to explode.

"Make haste, spear of wind!"

Lisa shot out concentrated wind.

"Fly!!"

Tia spread her red wings and started a storm.

The entire island shook intensely. The massive amount of air produced by everyone deflected Hekatonkheir's right hand upwards.

However, Hekatonkheir then extended its left hand towards us.

The sky was blotted by a blue palm again.

Because everyone had just fired attacks at full power, very few people had the energy to attack again.

Only Mitsuki and Lisa were able to attack a second time immediately.

"Lisa-san, take care of the left hand by destroying it! Please use your strongest attack!"

"Understood!"

Mitsuki nocked an arrow of dark matter onto the iridescent bow whereas Lisa aimed her golden spear at the sky.

"Terminating Arrow—Last Quark!"

"Pierce, divine spear!!"

Mitsuki and Lisa's attack turned the sky white, vaporizing Hekatonkheir's left arm. The attack's destructive power was astounding. The expanding beam of light even swallowed Hekatonkheir's main body.

When the wind and light from the blast subsided, the only parts of Hekatonkheir remaining were the right arm in the air and the lower half in the distance.

The lower half's outline began to collapse, breaking up and disappearing like bubbles.

After that, the remaining right arm expanded and Hekatonkheir was instantly restored.

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>——...

Shaking the ground, Hekatonkheir landed next to us.

"Kyah!?"

The intense shock and wind caused Mitsuki and the others to fall down. Unable to maintain balance, I knelt on my knees.

Due to being too close, even if I looked up, I could only see up to its waist.

Also, the restored left hand was approaching us.

Its movements were far too quick. Now driven by a goal, Hekatonkheir had turned to an enemy even more formidable than three years ago.

What should we do...!?

Due to falling down, everyone had released their fictional weapons. At this rate, everyone will—!

"...!"

I raised my arm to generate all the dark matter at my disposal.

But I stopped my motion at this time. My thoughts halted.

I could not think of any solution. Game over was fast approaching. There was no time to construct an anti-dragon weapon.

—Tell me! Fafnir! Tell me how to kill this thing!

I yelled in my heart, but the slumbering monster of the unconscious did not respond.

Actually, I knew long ago that Fafnir was purely a trump card against humans. It was useless against dragons.

However...

—Neun, request activation—

I heard a mechanical voice in my head.

Yggdrasil... Huh?

The voice belonged to "Green" Yggdrasil, the one I made a deal with three years ago to defeat Hekatonkheir. In a robotic voice devoid of emotion, Yggdrasil spoke on its own to me.

—By exterminating Vier, Leviathan, authority inherited. Request activation, Code Vier. Request activation, antigravity—

"Anti... gravity?"

It was the power of repulsive fields possessed by Leviathan—

The instant I uttered that word, the dragon mark on my left hand heated up and gave off pure white light. That glow was the same light as what I saw in the battle against Kili after handing my body over to Fafnir.

—Crack!

White cracks appeared in the mass of dark matter generated in front of my left hand. With a resounding crunch, like breaking a shell, the dark matter turned from black to white.

In that instant, I felt my entire body enveloped in a floating feeling.

"Kyah!?"

I heard Iris scream and looked back to see everyone in the surroundings floating in the air. Fallen leaves on the ground were also floating lightly as though in water.

More unbelievably, Hekatonkheir's hand, originally directly above, also stopped falling, remaining in midair. Even Hekatonkheir's gigantic body was hovering slightly.

"Nii-san... Could that actually be... antigravitional matter...?"

Looking at the white sphere in my hand, Mitsuki asked in surprise.

But even if she asked me, I had no idea.

However, I had felt the same scorching on the back of my left hand when fighting Kili. Fafnir had deflected her attack matter-of-factly, if that was antigravity—the result of a repulsive field—it basically made sense.

But I had no concrete evidence and there was no time to explain either.

What was important right now was not to miss this excellent opportunity.

The white sphere produced from dark matter gradually shrunk. Suppose the current phenomenon was going to stop when this thing disappeared, we had to hurry and act.

"Mitsuki! Anyway, let's use this opportunity to attack again!"

"—I understand, all units prepare the next attack! Target is the center of the chest! Counting down! Five!"

Mitsuki instantly resumed an expression as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain and issued orders to everyone.

Hence, while floating in an unstable posture, everyone manifested their fictional armaments anew and aimed at the floating Hekatonkheir.

"Four, three, two, one—Attack!"

Wind from various locations on the island gathered together and struck Hekatonkheir directly in the chest In a state of weightlessness, Hekatonkheir's upper body tilted back greatly from the impact. The gigantic body flew high in the sky.

Then the white sphere finally vanished and gravity returned to normal in the surroundings.

"Kyah!?"

Just as Iris and the girls fell on their bottoms, I landed on my feet and looked up into the sky.

That gigantic Hekatonkheir was knocked flying to an unbelievable height. At this rate, it was probably going to fall into the sea as we hoped, but the resulting impact would be hard to estimate. What was certain was that the resulting tidal wave would be disastrous for Midgard. In that case—

"Tia, lend me your strength. I will destroy that thing in the air."

Saying that, I extended my left hand to Tia.

"Just by... holding hands?"

"Yes, I'm counting on you."

I nodded affirmatively. Tia's little fingers interlocked with mine and held my hand tightly.

"Tia is Yuu's wife... so Tia will work hard with husband."

"Thank you, Tia, then let's blow that thing away!"

I extended my right palm sideways and let the blueprint in my mind flow into the generated dark matter.

Tia's fictional armament, the red wings, turned into tiny particles, mixing together with my dark matter.

"Anti-dragon armament—Marduk!"

The constructed turret was a lost weapon from a pre-civilization that existed long ago.

But this was only one part of the enormous weapon known as Marduk. During the battle against Leviathan, it was Marduk's main cannon that had inflicted the decisive blow. Right now, I was making the weapon of extermination that had destroyed that thing three years ago too. Having obtained additional data, I now knew its name—

"—Special artillery, Megiddo!!"

The giant barrel took form through transmutation. Its external appearance had what seemed like strange geometric patterns, giving off an impression different from other civilizations. Due to it being only one part of a gigantic weapon, after all, its structure was incomplete. There were exposed wires and pipes all over the place. It would break from just one shot.

However, one shot was all that was needed.

While I stared at the Hekatonkheir floating in the starry sky, the turret connected to my mind moved automatically, aiming at the giant whose flying trajectory gradually turned to descent.

"Let's do it—"

"Okay!"

Hearing me shout, Tia responded. Dark matter was transmitted through our tightly connected hands. I turned it into the bullet's energy—

"—FIRE!!"

I fired Megiddo's boundary-incinerating blue flames.

A bullet shining with blue light was sucked straight into Hekatonkheir's body... Then a massive explosion swallowed even the giant's body.

The scene was like a blue sun had suddenly appeared in the night sky.

Because it was too bright, it caused the stars to disappear from the sky, even making distinct shadows on the ground.

Then the blue light dimmed. When darkness returned to the world of night, the giant blotting the sky had disappeared completely.

"How are things...?"

I looked into the sky for a while then checked the surroundings, observing the situation.

Hekatonkheir was an immortal monster, which was why I could not lower my guard immediately.

But just like three years ago, no matter how long I waited, the blue giant did not reappear. With peace returned to the night forest, the sounds of bugs calling gradually began.

"Hekatonkheir... was defeated?"

Tia looked up at me and asked.

"Yeah... Looks like it was defeated."

I spoke hesitantly and Mitsuki nodded in agreement.

"Usually it would have resurrected by this time. Considering the case three years ago, the chances of completely defeating Hekatonkheir are extremely slim but in any case, we seem to have succeeded in driving it away from Midgard."

"Wonderful! We won!"

Iris cheered and the tense atmosphere finally eased up.

"Goodness gracious... It made us expend so much effort."

Lisa was apparently at her limit. As her knees gave way, she sat down on a bush.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Lisa!"

Tia and I rushed over to her side and steadied her.

"...No need to worry about me, rather... The color in your face is looking quite terrible."

Lisa looked up at me and smiled wryly.

Speaking of which, I felt my vision shake. I touched my left shoulder to discover the cloth wrapped around the wound completely wet. Perhaps I had lost too much blood.

Seeing the way we looked, Mitsuki instantly called somewhere through her communicator.

"—Second command center, please respond. Is anyone there? Please respond—Oh... Shinomiya-sensei, so you are safe and sound. This is Mononobe Mitsuki, there are two wounded here—Please send paramedics as soon as possible."

Wonderful... So Shinomiya-sensei was safe.

Hearing the news, I breathed a sigh of relief. Beause the clock tower was destroyed, I had been worrying the whole time.

But who knew where the principal's office, located at the top of the clock tower, had flown after getting struck by Hekatonkheir's swipe. If the principal and Mica-san were there—

I was filled with gloom. But just at this moment, the surrounding bushes rustled and a golden head poked out.

"Curses! What a tragic occurrence! Ahhh... My, my room... My treasured collection... Unforgivable, unforgivable! That blue puppet!"

Muttering to herself in an angry tone was the principal of indeterminate age. All covered in dirt with her clothing tattered, but she did not seem harmed.

"Charlotte-sama, that was because you built your personal room in that sort of place on purpose. As the saying goes, a certain type of person and smoke both prefer high places. It is very true."

Behind the principal, out appeared a woman in a maid uniform—Mica-san. Her clothing had holes all over the place but she looked very energetic.

Discovering us, the two of them walked over.

"Wow, you guys are fine too. How wonderful, I was worried about you."

"No, that's our line... I can't believe you stayed safe. Weren't you at the principal's office at the time?"

I asked in surprise.

"Hmph, something of that level's not going to—Mmmph!"

The principal puffed out her chest and nodded but Mica-san muffled her from behind.

"Indeed, Charlotte-sama and I happened to go out together for a stroll in the night. What a close call."

Smiling, Mica-san answered.

"O-Oh... I see, that's wonderful."

They had apparently emerged from the bushes opposite to the school campus' direction, but confronted with Mica-san's intimidating aura, I could only nod and concur.

But if they not possibly be unharmed if they really were in the office that was sent flying. Perhaps they had escaped into the jungle then gotten lost.

"Eh..."

Perhaps because I relaxed all at once after confirming that everyone I was worrying about was safe, I felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

"H-Hey, what are you doing!?"

I was originally supporting Lisa but ended up leaning on her unknowingly. Boing, my face became surrounded by something big and soft.

"Oh no, Yuu! Don't cheat!"

Although I heard Tia's voice, my body could no longer exert any force.

"Seriously... I only permit you specially just this once."

I heard Lisa's quiet whispers by my ear while my head was caressed gently.

Embraced by a sensation of comfort, I fell into deep sleep—

===Part 4===

In the sky dozens of kilometers away from Midgard, Kili Surtr Muspelheim was watching the blue light shining in the distance.

"What is this? Mother, you were defeated."

With a hand to her mouth, Kili smiled in delight.

"To think that flame has transcended the boundary again... Sure enough, what happened three years ago was not a miracle. Mother must be in pain on the other side, ahhh, serves her right."

Perhaps feeling excited, Kili spun in circles and danced in the night sky before laughing sonorously.

"This is the outcome when you interfere without permission. If only you had refrained from unnecessary meddling, I would have found a chance to bring Tia out... Looks like you really are rather anxious."

Kili flew nimbly through the air and murmured. She looked back towards Midgard, which had sunk beneath the horizon, and smiled, partially closing her eyes.

"However, with this, mother and I are out of options. Regardless which side wins, they or Basilisk, the initial plan will fail. When that time comes, you will no longer be able to hide, right? Perhaps they might discover Hekatonkheir's true nature soon."

Kili untied her hair, allowing it to flutter apart in the wind. As though talking to someone, she said:

"...No matter what the outcome, mother will probably lament the heavy losses. But as long as he wins, I shall profit, because—"

Saying that, Kili pressed her hand on her abdomen.

Lovingly caressing the spot where his fang had struck, Kili smiled.

"—Perhaps he might be a dragon worthy enough to be my partner."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v02_252.jpg|thumb]]
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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 4

2020-05-17T05:35:18Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 1 */

==Chapter 4 - Red-Winged Tiamat==

===Part 1===

"Mitsuki!"

I rushed into Mitsuki's room on the second floor of the dorm. Everyone had already changed into their uniforms and were gathered next to the window.

"Shh!"

Iris brought her finger to her lip and shushed me. Upon closer examination, I saw Mitsuki urgently calling somewhere on her portable terminal.

"—Please respond ASAP! Command center! Shinomiya-sensei! Please respond!"

Despite Mitsuki's desperate cries, no one answered. Mitsuki finally gave up, disconnected the call and turned around to face us.

"Everyone—Just as you can see, this is an emergency. Central command is demolished and we cannot expect backup support. Hence, our countermeasures shall be centered around ourselves, is that alright?"

"Of course! Mitsuki-san, issue orders now."

Lisa replied to Mitsuki while the others nodded with tense expressions to concur.

As official members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, they were all wearing tiny communicators on their heads.

"Well then, Ariella-san, please head to the girls dormitories and take charge of directing the scene. After confirming whether there is someone whose dragon mark has changed color, gather the Dragon Subjugation Squad. As for ordinary students, have them head to the underground shelter. If anyone is discovered with a dragon mark that has changed color, please send her to the shelter to be isolated then call me."

"Got it, I'm heading off immediately."

Ariella manifested her fictional armament then enveloping herself in wind, she flew off in the night sky.

"Firill-san and Ren-san, stay on standby in the air above Hekatonkheir to await my instructions to attack."

"...Understood."

"Mm."

Firill and Ren manifested their fictional armaments and flew out of the window.

"Nii-san and Iris-san, please come with me. We will approach Hekatonkheir via the ground."

"Understood."

"Yes, got it!"

Iris and I nodded but the unmentioned Tia and Lisa spoke up.

"Yuu... Are you leaving?"

"Hold on, Mitsuki-san! Did you forget me?"

Tia gazed at me with an uneasy expression while Lisa questioned Mitsuki.

"Lisa-san, you are responsible for guarding Tia-san. Attacking Hekatonkheir requires Nii-san's power no matter what, but we cannot send Tia-san to the frontline. Consequently, I hope you can stay by her side, Lisa-san, having gained Tia-san's trust."

"B-But..."

"Although it should be Basilisk that has its eyes set on Tia-san, we cannot completely rule out the possibility of Hekatonkheir targeting Tia-san too. As a precaution, we need someone who can be adaptable in emergencies. I am counting on you, Lisa-san."

Mitsuki bowed her head to request the hesitating Lisa. Seeing her like that, Lisa sighed.

"...Fine, I understand. I accept the mission. Tia-san, we will watch over the house together."

Lisa bent down in front of Tia and said to her gently.

"B-But Yuu..."

"Don't worry about him. No matter how you look, he doesn't seem like someone who will die that easily. Trusting a man and seeing him off is part of a woman's fortitude, you know?"

"A woman's fortitude?"

Not quite understanding what the words meant, Tia titled her head in puzzlement.

"Perhaps you can call it the qualities of a virtuous wife. You have no cause for worry, because you will not be alone."

Lisa held her hand and Tia's face relaxed slightly. She was probably scared of being left alone like the time she lost her parents. That was why she refused to leave me so adamantly in the beginning. But now, apart from me, there was someone else who could accompany her.

"Lisa will stay with Tia... together?"

"Yes, we will stay together."

Seeing Lisa nod in agreement, Tia turned her gaze to me.

"...Got it, Tia is a virtuous wife, so Tia will wait for husband to come home. Yuu... You must return no matter what, okay?"

Tia spoke to me with serious eyes.

"Yeah, I'll definitely return."

I rubbed Tia's head and agreed to her demand.

"—Then let us depart, Nii-san and Iris-san."

Mitsuki hurried us.

Thus, to handle a dragon's surprise attack, an internal defense battle took place on the island, the first crisis of this sort since Midgard's inception.

===Part 2===

We ran along the road leading from the dorm to the school campus.

Mitsuki's dorm was located on the southwest side of the island while Hekatonkheir was on the east. Even though Hekatonkheir was still quite far away, it was impossible to capture a complete view of its figure. After all, its size was too extraordinary, allowing it to reach the school campus in the middle of the island just by bending over and extending its hand.

"It hasn't moved after breaking the clock tower. What's with it?"

Iris ran while voicing her doubts.

Indeed, after doing that, Hekatonkheir had stood in the same spot without moving.

Neither walking nor destroying.

"Pondering a dragon's actions is futile, because we do not even understand why they are moving about all over the world. Hence, there is no way for us to understand its reason for not moving."

Mitsuki answered bitterly.

She was probably recalling about three years ago. Back then, we were wondering: why here? Why was Hekatonkheir advancing towards our town...?

"But since it stopped, that's a good thing for us. We'll find a way to take care of it now. You brought me because you intend to drive it away like three years ago, right?"

"Yes, that anti-dragon weapon you used in the past, Nii-san... Please lend me that power."

Mitsuki nodded to confirm my question.

Three years ago, I obtained power at a great price, destroying Hekatonkheir temporarily. Although it could not kill the dragon completely, as long as we used the same method, surviving this crisis should be quite probable.

"It's just that... Midgard will suffer severe damage if we shoot from here, you know? A bit of carelessness and we might end up flattening half the island."

"I know, which is why I intend to push Hekatonkheir into the sea first."

Mitsuki's plan was very appropriate but there was a problem.

"Is it even possible... to push that thing?"

I muttered while I looked at Hekatonkheir's figure, covering the eastern sky.

The mass difference was too great. Besides, the fact that such a gigantic body could walk on two legs was in itself quite abnormal. According to the data I saw at NIFL, Hekatonkheir was quite light in weight relative to its physique... But even so, humans still could not compare to it. Furthermore, Hekatonkheir's characteristic was the power of immortality. No matter what damage was done to it, that thing would immediately recover.

In fact, three years ago, Mitsuki still failed to stop Hekatonkheir no matter how hard she tried.

"Worry not, because unlike three years ago, we have reliable comrades now."

Mitsuki replied confidently then looked at Iris.

"Eh? M-Me?"

"Yes, right now, Firill-san and Ren-san are on standby in the air. Ariella-san will also bring the Dragon Subjugation Squad over soon. Since we have so many people, we will surely succeed."

Mitsuki declared firmly and Iris nodded with a blush.

"Y-Yes... That's right, I will do my best!"

Mitsuki was running ahead of us. When she reached the fork in the road leading to the girls dormitories, she stopped.

This location happened to be the spot where Hekatonkheir could be viewed across the school campus.

"If we attack from this direction, we should be able to push Hekatonkheir towards the eastern shore. Iris-san, are you ready?"

"Yes—Caduceus!"

Iris manifested her fictional armament and stared at the giant on the other side.

"Nii-san, please remain on standby until you are ready. Firill-san, Ren-san, can you hear me?"

Mituski pressed the switch on the small communicator on her head, calling to the pair that was supposed to be in the air.

'...I hear you.'

'Mm.'

"You two coordinate with us and simultaneously attack Hekatonkheir from the west. Counting down! Nine!"

Mitsuki started to count down while manifesting in her left hand the fictional armament of a bow—Brionac. Then she nocked an arrow of dark matter with her right hand.

"Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one—!"

At zero, the girls all attacked at the same time.

"Second Arrow—Night Blaze!"

"O holy silver, explode!"

'...Flare Burst Quintet.'

'Mm!'

Stacked together, the four girls' attacks caused a giant explosion in front of Hekatonkheir. A mixture of red and white light blew way the canopy of night briefly, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as day.

Several seconds later, the blast pressure reached us. To avoid getting blown away by the hot wind, I stood my ground firmly while narrowing my eyes, confirming the outcome of the attack.

After the bright light subsided, what appeared was Hekatonkheir with large holes gouged out of various parts of its body. The entire right arm was gone from the shoulder down. Compared to Leviathan from the previous battle, Hekatonkheir was incomparably fragile, however—

"Eh...?"

Iris exclaimed in surprise. It was only natural for her to be taken aback if it was her first time seeing it.

As though rewinding time, Hekatonkheir's wounds healed up within the blink of an eye. Rather than regenerate, it would be better to call it restored. That was how outrageous a power it was.

Recovering its original appearance in merely a few seconds, Hekatonkheir seemed as though nothing had happened, towering under the starry sky, it had not been pushed back by a single step.

"...Its body is more fragile than imagined. All impacts were absorbed. Next time, suppress your firepower to a lower level."

Mitsuki called to everyone with a solemn look but Iris made a troubled expression.

"Mitsuki-chan, since attacks will work, why not attack even harder to destroy it in one fell swoop?"

"Be that as it may, the result is the same. NIFL used thermobaric and nuclear attacks in the past and succeeded in destroying its entire body all at once... But before long, Hekatonkheir revived again. The only exception was that time three years ago... Only Nii-san's trump card has the potential."

Mitsuki spoke calmly and drew her bow again.

Thus, the attacks resumed. As for me, I waited behind Mitsuki and Iris, waiting for the time for me to enter the stage.

However, attacks that were too strong would repeat the same mistake as earlier, while attacks that were too weak would be unable to move Hekatonkheir's gigantic body.

The only saving grace was that Hekatonkheir did not move at all.

It made no signs to strike back no matter how many attacks it suffered. Perhaps because it was immortal, it did not need to react to danger... Still, I felt that something was not right.

The fact that Hekatonkheir had attacked the clock tower without hesitation, paralyzing Midgard's functionality in a precise and effective manner... It was almost as though it knew that the clock tower was the central core.

Although Mitsuki believed that pondering a dragon's actions was futile, supposing Hekatonkheir was thinking... Then there might be meaning behind why it was not moving. Either its goal had already been achieved or there was no reason to take action.

I felt inexplicably unsettled in my chest, unable to calm down. It felt like I had somehow missed something.

And from just now, I was having this sense of deja vu.

An easily penetrated body, instantaneous recovery... That scene was overlapping with previous images. But rather than from three years ago, it was a recent memory—

"Now everyone, transmute maximum volume of air! We will use wind to push Hekatonkheir to that side!"

Under Mitsuki's command, everyone created raging winds.

Hekatonkheir's upper body shook slightly. The wind's wake caused the surrounding trees to rustle. Carrying leaves, the raging winds blew all over the place.

However, the wind produced by the four girls did not seem powerful enough. Hekatonkheir remained standing where it was.

"Hmm... Looks like reinforcements might be necessary."

Mituski murmured in chagrin. But the wind just now made me figure out why the situation felt so familiar.

What surfaced in my mind was the red dragon, glaring at us from above, surrounded by a swirling storm—

"Right, this is very similar to that time..."

"Huh?"

Reacting to what I blurted out, Iris looked at me.

"This is very similar to Tia when she went out of control and became a dragon. A body composed from a fictional armament will immediately restore its form even after getting cut up. That scene overlaps inexplicably well with how Hekatonkheir restores itself."

Hearing me say that, a troubled expression surfaced on Iris' face.

"Mononobe, are you saying... that Hekatonkheir is someone's fictional armament?"

"Well..."

Now that she pointed it out, I realized how absurd my suggestion was.

Then Mitsuki interrupted.

"Impossible. Creating such a gigantic fictional armament is impossible. Even Ren-san, believed to have the greatest dark matter generating capacity to date, she cannot achieve the amount necessary to form Hekatonkheir at all."

"...You're right. I knew my idea was too absurd."

However, many things would make sense if one thought of Hekatonkheir as a fictional armament.

Appearing in Midgard without anyone noticing. Attacking as though it knew that the clock tower was Midgard's central core.

No matter which one, if one were to assume that Hekatonkheir was fictional armament created by someone, then it would all be explained. Just by transmuting its surface and limbs, it would be able to walk on the ground and destroy buildings with its arms. If the majority of its body was weightless dark matter, then it made sense how such a gigantic body could walk on two legs.

No—Hold on, following that assumption, it meant that the culprit was a human... a D?

At this time, I could only think of one person, and that person's aim was to—

"!?"

Realizing the enemy's goal in alarm, I looked back in the dorm's direction.

The explosion occurred within my view after that.

===Part 3===

I dashed as fast as I could, my feet striking the ground with full force.

Even forgetting to breathe, I raced along the road back to the dormitory. Black smoke, billowing into the starry sky, entered my view. I drove my legs to move furiously.

After I started sprinting, I immediately heard Mitsuki call out to stop me, but I had no time to attend to her.

By merely the difference of a second, it could mean the boundary of life and death for someone.

Honed on the battlefield, my instincts told me that was what the current situation was like.

I also understood clearly the risks involved in deserting my post, being the trump card for taking care of Hekatonkheir. Also, there was no concrete proof that the giant was a fictional armament.

But I followed my own instincts. What I should be fighting now was not Hekatonkheir. Tia and Lisa could very well be the ones facing the greatest crisis.

I could now see Mitsuki's dorm ahead. The smoke seemed to be rising from the back of the building.

Hence, I circled around to the back of the dorm. In the instant just as I turned the corner, I felt a blast of hot wind.

"Kuh..."

Sensing danger, I halted and swiftly checked out my surroundings.

The thick black smoke was rising out from Mitsuki's room. An explosion had apparently occurred. Even the surrounding walls were scorched black.

The spacious lawn in the backyard had tongues of flame flickering all over the place. Part of the grass had been burnt away completely, exposing the soil beneath.

Over there were three girls.

One was Lisa with Gungnir in hand. Her clothing was burnt and blackened while there was even bleeding on her forehead. To protect Tia behind her, Lisa seemed to have deployed a shield of air, with strong wind swirling in the surroundings.

Tia was hugging her own trembling body, staring at the girl facing off against Lisa.

Even confronted with the tip of Gungnir, the girl was still smiling.

Tied up, her long black hair was swaying in the hot wind. The lenses of her glasses reflected blazing flames.

I recognized her.

Tachikawa Honoka.

She was the girl who had transferred into Midgard together with Tia. I had talked to her a number of times and became familiar with her. Not long ago, we had just corresponded through email.

Why was Honoka here?

The question occupied my mind but as a soldier, I was already calmly analyzing the situation and reached the conclusion.

—No need to think of a reason. She is the enemy.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v02_209.jpg|thumb]]

Enemy... Honoka? No, wait a sec, it was too early to decide that. Because she already counted as a friend to me and was also someone I originally wanted to help as much as I could...

Honoka glanced at me, a smile appearing on the corners of her lips.

"Fufu, because it took some time, he ended up coming. I can't be bothered to hold back anymore."

Her tone of voice made her sound like a different person. I saw Honoka clap her hands at Lisa.

Instantly, a foreboding feeling rushed along my spine.

—Act quickly! Otherwise, Lisa will be killed!

My instincts shouted, dispelling my hesitation.

Anti-personnel weapon—AT Nergal!

I used transmutation to create an anti-personnel projectile-based electroshock gun then pulled the trigger at Honoka.

A small explosion occurred in front of Honoka with a bang. Only shortly did I realize that the fired bullet had vaporized. At the same time, Nergal felt scorching hot in my right hand.

"Gah...!?"

I frantically released Nergal and jumped backwards.

Nergal became deformed as though it was candy. Heated red-hot, the gunpowder inside exploded.

—What? What did she do?

Aware of slight burns on my right hand, I gazed at Honoka at the same time.

"I can't believe you fired a gun so suddenly. How mean. But that was the correct decision. Had your reaction been slightly slower, her pretty face would have been wrecked."

Honoka chuckled as though she found it amusing. Hearing her say that, Lisa yelled angrily:

"Don't you get too arrogant. Likewise, I have not gone all out yet. But I have resolved myself now—Pierce, flare!!"

Lisa shot a wide laser beam from the tip of her spear towards Honoka. This attack, capable of penetrating a giant block of diamond in an instant, was not a move to use against a human. A direct hit would mean melting, even to the point of becoming unrecognizable.

However, that powerful attack did not touch Honoka. The laser's trajectory was mysteriously bent in the middle, flying off somewhere else.

I felt the surrounding air temperature rise even further. The rising hot air was making the image of Honoka's figure waver. Perhaps she was using this heat to create a lens of air, bending the laser.

"What..."

Lisa exclaimed in surprise while Honoka stared at her coldly.

"You... are truly a nuisance."

Boom, without any warning, an explosion suddenly happened next to Lisa.

"Kyah!?"

Lisa was blown away by the blast, smashing into the dorm's wall. Thanks to her shield of wind, she could avoid a direct impact, but with her back leaning against the wall, she slowly collapsed. The fictional armament in her hand also vanished.

"Lisa!"

Tia screamed and ran towards Lisa. Although I wanted to rush over immediately to help, I could not move.

Honoka was looking at me. My instincts told me that the instant my focus was distracted, it would become a lethal mistake.

"Now we can finally talk in peace... Yuu-san."

Honoka called my name sarcastically.

Parched from the hot air, I wetted the interior of my mouth with saliva and asked in a stiff tone of voice:

"Honoka... Why are you doing this? Is Tia your target?"

"Yes, indeed. I will be taking Tia to Basilisk."

Hearing her reply, I gritted my teeth.

"...In other words, Honoka, you are a member of the Sons of Muspell?"

"Oh~ It seems that you expected us to make a move, judging from your wording. In that case, I don't need to introduce myself again, right?"

Honoka asked in a testing manner. Hearing that, I figured out who she was.

Since Honoka was a D and belonged to the Sons of Muspell, there was only one person meeting all the criteria.

"Are you... Kili Surtr Muspelheim?"

Although her appearance was completely different from the girl in the photo sent by Major Loki, I could not think of anyone else matching the criteria.

"Bingo. But that was just a randomly chosen name, so it's perfectly fine for you to call me Honoka too, okay?"

"Forgive me for declining. I won't call you with a friend's name."

"Really...? What a shame. I really like this name of Honoka."

Honoka—No, Kili smiled with a bit of apparent sadness. She threw away the glasses she was wearing.

Fallen on the ground, the glasses gradually twisted in shape and melted. Those lenses were probably purely cosmetic. Even after taking the glasses off, she still looked completely different from the Kili in the photo.

"Who could have expected you to infiltrate us as a transfer student, how on earth did you do it? NIFL should have acquired your biometric data... Even if you disguised yourself, your identity would have been exposed in an examination, right?"

Hearing me say that, Kili scoffed as though finding it ludicrous:

"Ha, something like an examination can be easily handled. Whether blood or DNA, just use dark matter to create counterfeits."

"What... How could such complicated transmutations be possible—"

"It is possible. Just as Tia's horns are also my present to her."

Kili explained simply and easily, which meant that—

"...Tia did not make herself look like that?"

I felt emotions of anger rush out from the depths of my heart.

"Of course, how could Tia possibly have accomplished it? Besides, given the specs of the human brain, it is impossible to fully handle the massive amount of information required for biogenic transmutation."

"Haha... You almost sound like you're saying you're not human."

I ridiculed her sarcastically but Kili nodded her head seriously.

"Indeed, because I am a dragon. This human appearance is just a disguise. Just by using biogenic transmutation, I can change my appearance and face any time I want. To find Tia who had been taken away by NIFL, I believed the simplest and fastest way was to turn myself into someone else and get sent to Midgard."

"...A dragon huh?"

I gritted my teeth. Because of that sentence, I understood that she was the culprit who had twisted Tia's mindset.

Kili had probably been active while changing her appearance constantly. No wonder NIFL was unable to get a grasp on her information. Whether the appearance captured in that photo in her profile or her face as Tachikawa Honoka, all were surely fake disguises.

"Jeez, could you not make such a scary face? I've no intention of fighting you. Had I wanted to kill you, I would've done so long ago. I just want to take Tia away."

Saying that, Kili turned her gaze to Tia. However, Tia did not notice and kept trying to call Lisa.

"However... I never expected her to change so much in merely two days. Until recently, she was still my very obedient student."

"So you're the one who taught Tia..."

I muttered bitterly. While tutoring Tia with her homework, I had concluded that Tia probably had a good teacher. But I was totally mistaken. What she had given to Tia was the most awful education to make her into a dragon.

"Yes, that's right. I found Tia in Midgard as expected. Since that child did not recognize her disguised teacher, I greedily thought I'd investigate the internal secrets of Midgard... But I was wrong. I shouldn't have spent extra time on that."

I recalled how Honoka was staring at the school map on the first day of transferring in. That was Kili trying to memorize information about the enemy camp.

Speaking of which, Tia had said something about not wanting to go near her. Even without knowing her true identity, Tia perhaps instinctively feared her.

"Also, I almost killed a classmate. So many setbacks."

Kili turned her gaze back to me, shrugged and spoke.

"Almost killed, you say... Don't tell me that the transmutation accident you mentioned at the infirmary was..."

"Yes, someone bad-mouthed Tia and I accidentally lost my temper. Tia's value far surpasses that of ordinary Ds. She is excellent talent who might become Basilisk's mate... That girl really did not know her place."

Kili spoke with a cold expresion.

"—In other words, your regrets back then were all lies. Someone like you... I'll never hand Tia over to you. I'm not going to let Tia become a real dragon!"

"Fufu, you're really stubborn about Tia, aren't you? The blonde girl was also desperately trying to protect her... It feels like she has too many burdens. Why don't I lighten things for her?"

Saying that, Kili's dark gaze turned towards Lisa.

"Stop!"

I frantically called out. Kili immediately narrowed her eyes in joy.

"...Just kidding. If I attacked her now, wouldn't Tia next to her get caught in the crossfire? You're so amusing. Talking to you is never a bore."

—Liar. This girl acted according to whim. She really would have done it.

My back was drenched from cold sweat. Currently, I seemed to be feeling fear—fear that Lisa would die.

Three years ago, the price I paid for power was that my emotion of fear had become very diluted. And the crisis before my eyes was enough to summon that minor sense of fear.

The murderous intent I had sensed at the beach last time probably came from Kili. That time, Kili was surely watching us from somewhere.

"Phew..."

To calm my mind, I exhaled deeply. I noticed my breathing had become rather irregular just now.

I never knew that a friend coming to danger... would make me lose composure to such an extent.

Perhaps I had not lost my sense of fear to begin with. It was just that due to a large part of my memories getting eaten away, it shook my confidence in asserting I was Mononobe Yuu, hence I could not feel any value in myself.

Precisely because of that... Now that I had obtained things of value, that was why I felt fear.

"—Kili, make one false move and I'll kill you."

To protect precious people, I quietly declared.

I did not even know my opponent's method of attacking. To perform transmutation, generating dark matter was a necessary step, but Kili was able to cause explosions without any preparatory motion.

No wonder Major Loki said she was stronger than me. The opponent was undoubtedly more powerful than me, but if I intended to kill her, it would be a separate matter—

"Fufu... How scary. But by this point, I can't back down either."

Despite facing my murderous intent head on, Kili still smiled confidently.

"What's the meaning in letting Tia become Basilisk's mate?"

"Rather than meaning, it'd be better to call it using the right person for the right job. That's the only use for Ds."

"I can't believe you said... use?"

She was virtually treating Tia as an object. It made me agitated in tone.

"Because Tia has talent, I originally looked forward to her other potential... But judging from the current situation, that potential is tiny beyond measure. In that case, turning her into another Basilisk would be the best use of resources."

Resources... I realized that Kili merely viewed Tia as material for making a dragon.

Human words were not going to reach Kili.

Although I did not know why she wanted to increase the number of dragons, I believed with certainty that she and I were irreconcilable enemies.

To protect Tia from her evil grasp, if I must do that no matter what—

"Enough, I get it. I will stop you... Even if it means I must kill you."

—Fictional armament, Siegfried.

Holding the ornamental gun formed from dark matter in my hand, I treated Kili as a target for slaughter. I awakened the being slumbering in my subconscious, gradually turning myself into a monster.

Redundant thoughts vanished. My mind became clear. My sharpened senses transmitted information to my brain that I previously did not feel.

A feeling of omnipotence as though everything was in my grasp, it heightened my emotions.

"I really had no intention of fighting you... Very well, try killing me. If you kill me, I'll stop."

Kili grinned and responded like that.

Instantly, I felt the surrounding air temperature rise all at once.

"!?"

Just as I jumped to the right, an explosion happened. Accompanied with flames, the shockwave struck my entire body. I took a defensive posture and hit the ground, rolling on scorched bushes.

Very likely, she had used transmutation to create some kind of flammable material.

The information sent by Major Loki said that Kili used flames to attack. Judging from the current situation, this info was correct.

However, using transmutation would require the generation of dark matter the instant before attacking. Yet I did not see her doing so. It puzzled me greatly.

"To think you just declared so forcefully, yet now you're in such an awkward state."

Sensing her pursuit, I aimed Siegfried at the ground and fired.

"Nitro Bullet!"

I created a large volume of nitrogen to produce a gust of wind. I thought that using noncombustible nitrogen would blow away the elements of fire that Kili might be creating, but—

Whoosh, a violent sense of heat and pain attacked my right shoulder. Feeling flesh getting seared, I frantically escaped.

Since it was emergency evasion, I had accidentally stepped into the downwind part of burning bushes. Enveloped in rising black smoke, I covered my nostrils and mouth with my left hand. To prevent my fictional weapon from getting consumed through contact with smoke, I used my body as a shield.

—No, what Kili created was not flammable matter.

I understood that my prediction was wrong.

Considering I was getting scorched without an explosion, the attack's main vector was intangible heat itself.

She was most likely transmuting dark matter directly into thermal energy. Although it was a high-level technique, this type of skill was not beyond common sense in the same way as biogenic transmutation.

That explosion was quite probably the result of the produced heat causing oxygen to react.

Even after solving one mystery—The greatest problem still remained.

Since Kili's dark matter could not be seen, it was impossible to predict where attacks would come from. Unless this mechanism was figured out, even approaching Kili was impossible.

I racked my brain amid smoke, but during that time, Kili did not attack for some reason.

"Aren't you going to kill me? Come, do it now."

Despite taunting me, she did not attack further.

—What's with her?

Inside smoke, due to the interference of particles, dark matter would get consumed at a faster rate. But if a larger amount of dark matter was generated in the beginning, it would be enough to attack. However, I still had yet to see her dark matter even once.

No, wait... If it was purely invisible—

A possibility surfaced in my mind.

—Worth a shot!

While rushing out of the smoke, I used all the remaining dark matter in Siegfried and poured it into the bullet, firing it.

"Smoke Bullet!"

Instantly, the surroundings became shrouded by pure white smoke. My fictional armament disappeared from my hand. Since it could not be sustained inside smoke anyway, vanishing did not matter.

Racing through a world covered in white smoke, I charged straight at Kili.

I did not encounter any intercepting attack arising from the transmutation of heat.

My guess turned out to be correct.

Kili was probably generating dark matter in sizes smaller than the eye could see, spreading that dark matter in the area. Although I did not know how wide the area was, it could be described as Kili's zone of control. I was at her mercy as long as I was within that zone, which was why she could be that confident.

But tiny the dark matter may be, this also had a weakness as a result. Small pieces of dark matter would vanish just from being covered by light smoke like this.

"You saw through my realm of calamitous flame, Muspelheim—I'm impressed. How about this move then?"

On the other side of the smoke, Kili apparently laughed.

I instantly felt my hairs stand on end. Instinct told me this was leading to death. I instantly dug my heels in the ground for emergency braking.

Many dark particles appeared in the white smoke.

It was as though black snow was floating up from the ground.

This time, while shrouded in white smoke, Kili was spreading out dark matter that was large enough not to be eliminated by the smoke.

I had stepped into a world of black snow. This was a realm that I could not escape even if I saw it.

Anti-explosive armor—Uruk 73E!

I hit the ground in desperation and formed a shield to cover myself. This was the only method of handling an omnidirectional attack using my meager generating capacity.

However, red light caused the shield to crack.

"...!?"

First came a thunderous noise, then heat and force that shook my entire body. Unable to understand what had happened, I rolled on the ground, tasting fresh blood and soil in my mouth. Then intense pain rocked my brain.

My entire body felt scorched and painful. I could no longer tell where I was wounded, but at least I was still alive.

—Move if you're still alive! Stopping means dying!

I spurred myself to get up and check out the situation. I was apparently blown far away by the explosion, distancing me from Kili. The dark matter enveloping Kili's surroundings did not reach my location.

With exception, all Ds had limits to their dark matter generating capacity. If every particle increased in size, that Muspelheim ability she mentioned would cover a smaller area.

I wanted to enter a combat stance but discovered that my left arm could not move. Taking a closer look, I found a fragment of my shield stabbed into my shoulder. The bleeding flowed along my arm and dripped on the ground.

In the distance, Tia seemed to be yelling something, but the explosion had disabled my ears, preventing me from hearing clearly.

Kili also made an expression certain of victory as though saying something, but I still could not hear. Neither was there any need for me to listen.

—Because I was about to kill her next.

"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

My irregular breathing echoed in the depths of my ears, sounding very vague and unclear.

The intense pain centered on my shoulder was preventing my mind from operating smoothly.

The harder it was to think, the more the emptiness in my mind spread. Some kind of existence was gradually expanding its borders.

"Huff....... Huff...... Hah....... Hah......"

The interval between breaths lengthened, exhaling became acute, inhaling became silent.

The monster of the unconscious did not miss the opening when my consciousness grew faint, gradually taking control of my body. From my fingertips to the beating of my heart, everything fell under its control, switching me with a different being.

"———..."

Finally taking a deep breath, then it stopped.

I was no longer myself at this point.

He started to walk slowly towards Kili. Gradually, he accelerated. Every time the tip of the foot kicked the ground, he increased his speed slightly.

An expression of surprise surfaced on Kili's face.

Simply by stepping in the domain shrouded in black snow, the outcome would be the same as previously. This was obvious.

However, a certain existence that was not me was completely unfazed, approaching the prey head on.

All I could feel was heat scorching my left hand. Rather than originating from my wounded shoulder, the back of my hand felt scorched as though by fire.

I did not know the reason. Neither could I think.

However, the Fafnir currently in control of my power should understand everything.

Surely after understanding, he must have chosen the simplest way to kill Kili then put it into action.

—Running began.

He invaded Kili's Muspelheim at top speed.

Kili yelled out with a nervous expression. Instantly, the view was covered by red flames. The atmosphere was set aflame from the thermal energy transmuted from dark matter.

However... He did not stop.

Fafnir broke through the blazing fire and ran along the ground.

I felt neither pain nor scorching heat.

Were my senses numb? Or did I turn into a monster unfazed by explosions? My current self could not understand either.

I could see a small white light flashing in my view, but I had no idea what it meant.

Kili's expression was full of shock.

"WHY!?"

Due to closing the distance, I only heard sound for the first time.

As though responding to her, Fafnir roared.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Language no longer had meaning, what it needed was sharp fangs for hunting prey.

Roaring, he used his right hand to draw out a shield fragment that was stabbed in the left shoulder. Blood instantly splattered around from the bleeding wound.

"Muspelheim!"

Kili extended her palm, firing a red flash of light.

That was probably the attack that had broken my anti-explosive armor just now.

Nevertheless, Fafnir did not take any evasive action. Instead, he casually swung his right arm.

With a faint flash of white light, the scenery was distorted for a brief instant.

Immediately, the red light's trajectory became mysteriously bent, flying off in another direction.

"Could that power actually be that of 'White'—"

Baring its fangs, Fafnir closed in on the bewildered Kili.

Then swinging the sharp fragment, all covered in fresh blood—

...Honoka...!

—I stabbed the fragment's sharp edge deeply into Kili's body.

My right hand could feel the sensation of slicing through flesh.

"Cough..."

Kili spat blood, splattering on my face. Having recovered control from Fafnir, I felt an unpleasant stickiness and moistness from the warmth of life and the smell of fresh blood.

"Cough, cough... Cough...... Fu... Fufu... Liar."

Blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, Kili laughed.

"..."

I did not answer. Simply feeling the temperature of the blood flowing from Kili's abdomen, I cursed my naivete.

"Clearly saying you were going to kill me... yet you avoided vitals in the final moment... Why?"

"...My hand slipped. Even if it's not a vital, this is already a severe injury. If it's not treated immediately, you'll die from blood loss. So—Surrender."

My instincts told me I should kill Kili now.

Even so, I still stopped Fafnir at the crucial moment, that was because... I recalled Honoka's smile. Despite knowing clearly it was fake, I could not erase my feelings from that time.

"Fufu... How kind of you. But your kindness is meaningless, because even if you were to pierce my heart, the result doesn't change."

Kili whispered in my ear then shoved me away. Next, she reached out and grabbed the shield fragment embedded in her abdomen.

"Hold on! If you pull it out, the bleeding will—"

I called out to stop her, but Kili pulled out the fragment without heeding me. Blood gushed out from the wound, dripping audibly on the ground forming a dark red stain.

But the instant black masses of dark matter appeared in the wound's surroundings, the bleeding immediately stopped. After Kili wiped the blood stains away, there was no wound there anymore, only pale skin.

"No way..."

Seeing me surprised, Kili shrugged.

"How is it? This is what biogenic transmutation is about. If you want to kill me, you have to aim here."

Kili tapped her head with her fingertip and smiled faintly.

"Damn it!"

I had to start all over again. With unsteady steps, I back away.

"You don't need to be so flustered. If possible, I'd like to take Tia away peacefully, but it looks like time's up."

Looking at me in my combat stance, Kili smiled wryly.

"Making such a big scene... How dare you talk about peace. Also... Time's up? What the heck do you mean by time's up?"

Not understanding what she meant, I stayed on guard and asked:

"Despite how I may look to you... I do want to keep harm to the Ds to a minimum. But due to your meddling, she seems to have lost patience."

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>——...!

No sooner had Kili spoke than the ground immediately shook. I looked up to see Hekatonkheir, originally motionless, starting to turn its body towards us.

"...Hekatonkheir—"

"I told her I'll be the one to secure Tia and asked her to wait there, but looks like she decided to take action herself. Prepare yourselves—She's not going to be as nice as me, okay?"

She? Asked her to wait...?

"...What's your relationship with Hekatonkheir? That thing... Isn't it your fictional armament?"

Looking at the blue phosphorescent giant, I asked Kili.

I had speculated that Hekatonkheir might be someone's fictional armament and the enemy's target was Tia. However, judging from what she just said, it sounded like Hekatonkheir was not under Kili's control at least.

"Fufu—How could that be possible? Even if it's me, I can't create a fictional armament that large. No, rather... In fact, I've already told you lots about her, you know?"

"Already... told me?"

"You don't get it? How slow."

Kili laughed in mockery.

Was she avoiding the topic? Or was she speaking the truth? I could not tell.

But judging from the way things looked, it would be better to regard Hekatonkheir as a dragon, probably.

RUMBLE!

Then Midgard shook again, because Hekatonkheir started walking, and it was in our direction—

That scene forced me to recall from three years ago, the scene of Hekatonkheir advancing towards our town. The footsteps of destruction were heard mercilessly. The closer that gigantic body approached, the narrower the night sky seemed.

...In the end, that thing must still be defeated?

Just as my attention was drawn to Hekatonkheir, Kili turned her gaze to Tia.

"—I will ask you one last time."

Tia was hugging the unconscious Lisa while watching our battle. At this moment, her shoulders shook.

Most likely in Tia's heart, the fear of Kili's power was already deeprooted. Seeing Tia unable to even respond, Kili asked her:

"Are you willing to become Basilisk's mate? For everyone, no matter whom... Even for you, it would be a happy choice."

...!

Stop talking crap—Just as I was about to yell that, Tia answered quietly.

"...No."

Kili frowned.

"By this point, you still want to live as a human? Don't be silly, you're already a dragon. There's no way you can mingle among humans. Your parents originally planned to—"

"Tia doesn't get it! Tia doesn't get something so difficult! Tia only doesn't want to separate from Yuu and Lisa!"

Hugging the injured Lisa tightly, Tia yelled loudly.

Perhaps woken up by her voice, Lisa opened one eye.

"...Tia... -san?"

"Everyone is so warm... These are Tia's happiest times ever... So Tia wants to stay here! And Tia wants to be Yuu's wife! Compared to Basilisk, Tia super super super loves Yuu!!"

Tia...

Hearing the expression of her sincere feelings, too direct for comfort, I felt my face heat up.

Confronted with Tia's upfront will of rejection, Kili stared silently at her then sighed deeply.

"Really...? How unfortunate. My action was really taken in your interests."

"You're saying it was for us? Attacking Midgard, hurting Lisa, how dare you say something like that?"

Hearing Kili's presumptuous claim, I could not help but protest.

"Once Basilisk lands, the disaster will definitely surpass this. Everything will return to dust, leaving no survivors. That was why I wanted to take Tia over to Basilisk before all the Ds perish, and in much gentler way than hers."

Speaking in a serious tone, Kili glanced up at Hekatonkheir. She sounded like she was worrying about us, but I could feel that she was still simply treating Ds as resources.

"Mind your own business. We will defeat Basilisk and protect Tia."

"In that case, you have to find a way to handle her first. I'll be leaving before I get trampled in the chaos. After all, it's almost time for Midgardsormr to restart from a different circuit after it was temporarily disabled when the core was damaged."

After saying that, Kili flew up into the sky, her entire body wrapped in flame. Rather than using air, she was flying by jet propulsion through the transmutation of combustion.

Looking down at us from the air, Kili continued:

"A word of advice, she—mother—isn't going to listen to pleas for mercy."

Mother...?

Speaking of which, Honoka had said that she and her mother traveled all over the world. Her email also said that her mother would be visiting Midgard in the near future, but I never expected she was referring to Hekatonkheir.

Seeing Kili gradually rise in height, I asked her:

"Kili... Who the heck are you?"

Capable of using biogenic transmutation, impossible to handle by the human brain, calling Hekatonkheir mother, this girl—I really did not think she was an ordinary D.

"God knows who I am? If it's okay with you, can I ask you to decide?"

"...Meaning you don't intend to answer?"

"I have no intention of avoiding the subject... Whatever, I'm off now—If the same miracle happens as three years ago, we shall meet again."

Saying that, Kili immediately rose in the starry sky, leaving a red trail.

Kili knew about my battle against Hekatonkheir three years ago?

Many questions occupied my heart.

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>—...!

However, but my consciousness was pulled back to reality by the giant footsteps that sounded even nearer than just now.

Swaying its giant body, Hekatonkheir approached step by step. Although blindingly bright explosions kept occurring in its surroundings, Hekatonkheir did not stop walking. Most likely, the assembled Dragon Subjugation Squad was trying to push it towards the sea.

If what Kili said was true, Hekatonkheir's goal was also to capture Tia.

The original plan was probably to have Hekatonhheir destroy the core facilities to draw everyone's attention, thus allowing Kili to seize the opportunity to take Tia away while Midgardsormr was paralyzed.

However, due to interference from Lisa and me, Hekatonkheir was taking matters into its own hands now.

But... With such a huge body, how was it going to capture Tia who was even smaller than its finger?

"Nii-san!"

Hearing Mitsuki's voice, I looked in her direction.

I saw Mitsuki and Iris appear from the side of the dorm, running towards us.

"Sorry, I arrived late because I was issuing orders to the gathered Dragon Subjugation Squad. Are you guys alright?"

"...I'm alright. You should check Lisa's condition first."

I tore off a sleeve that was already tattered. Biting the cloth's edge, I wrapped it around the wound. Although the cut was deep, it was fine as long as I stopped the bleeding first.

"Lisa-chan, are you okay!?"

Iris knelt down next to Lisa and asked with worry.

"This bit of injury is nothing. Rather than being concerned with me, we must find a way to handle that..."

Lisa stood up unsteadily and looked up at the approaching Hekatonkheir.

Our gazes were all fixed upon the blue giant.

"All members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad are in position. Although our pace was disrupted slightly by Hekatonkheir beginning to move suddenly... As long as we time things right, we will surely push it back this time. Everyone, please lend me your assistance."

Mitsuki called out to us."

"Yes, of course."

"Yup! Feel free to give orders, Mitsuki-chan!"

Iris and I nodded.

"I can still fight."

Lisa manifested her fictional armament in her hand again and smiled with determination.

"Tia will... fight too."

Tia's voice was heard. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Can you? If you lose control again, let alone help, you may end up dragging everyone down."

Lisa bluntly stated the unease in everyone's heart.

"—Yes, no problem. Even though Tia has horns and might not be human anymore, even so... Tia still wants to stay with Yuu and Lisa. Tia wants to live the same way as everyone!"

Tia made her stance clear.

Even though she could not change her existence, she still could choose her way of living.

By her own will, Tia was choosing to walk into the future together with us.

"I understand. Then as comrades—We shall fight our hardest."

Lisa made a gentle expression and extended her hand. All smiles, Tia held her hand tightly.

Having checked their condition, Mitsuki pressed her communicator and issued orders to everyone.

"—Well then, everyone, please follow my countdown. All units perform air transmutation of maximum scale. Please aim for the stomach, the center of gravity! Counting down! Nine!!"

Following Mitsuki's orders, Iris and Lisa raised their fictional armaments.

Tia also generated dark matter in the surroundings to form her fictional armament.

Appearing in the same manner as last time, the dark matter gathered around Tia, but the outline sculpted was different.

What appeared was a giant pair of wings, shining with red light.

In a human's form with dragon's wings sprouted from her back, Tia even gave off a holy impression.

If seeking power, it was inevitable that Tia would choose something whose appearance approached that of dragons. But no one would blame her because in spite of that, Tia still said that she was going to live as a human like us.

"Seven, six, five—"

During the countdown, I concentrated and waited for the opportunity for me to make a move.

Perhaps noticing that something was unusual because the attacks stopped suddenly, Hekatonkheir raised its giant right hand.

But it was fine, there was quite a bit of distance. It was unable to attack our location.

That was what things should have been like—

But the sky turned dark and the stars suddenly went out of sight, because something dark—blocked them.

"Eh?"

A giant palm was over our heads by the time we realized.

Resembling a drawing with perspective errors, Hekatonkheir's arm was extending unnaturally.

Wait—It was extending!?

There was no precedent of Hekatonkheir changing its body shape before but dragons were unknown existences to begin with. There was nothing surprising even if they possessed previously unconfirmed abilities.

Perhaps due to conservation of mass, the arm became thinner as it extended. Even so, the palm was still too gigantic to escape. As though compressing the atmosphere, it descended.

"Hey—Tia's here too, you know!?"

I looked up at the palm and yelled loudly but it could not possibly understand me.

And even if Hekatonkheir's movements were delicate even to pick up only Tia, those of us in the surroundings would surely get flattened.

"Switch target to right arm! Countdown cancelled! Attack directly!!"

Deciding that there was no time for the countdown to finish, Mitsuki swiftly yelled out.

"O gale, explode!"

Iris caused compressed air to explode.

"Make haste, spear of wind!"

Lisa shot out concentrated wind.

"Fly!!"

Tia spread her red wings and started a storm.

The entire island shook intensely. The massive amount of air produced by everyone deflected Hekatonkheir's right hand upwards.

However, Hekatonkheir then extended its left hand towards us.

The sky was blotted by a blue palm again.

Because everyone had just fired attacks at full power, very few people had the energy to attack again.

Only Mitsuki and Lisa were able to attack a second time immediately.

"Lisa-san, take care of the left hand by destroying it! Please use your strongest attack!"

"Understood!"

Mitsuki nocked an arrow of dark matter onto the iridescent bow whereas Lisa aimed her golden spear at the sky.

"Terminating Arrow—Last Quark!"

"Pierce, divine spear!!"

Mitsuki and Lisa's attack turned the sky white, vaporizing Hekatonkheir's left arm. The attack's destructive power was astounding. The expanding beam of light even swallowed Hekatonkheir's main body.

When the wind and light from the blast subsided, the only parts of Hekatonkheir remaining were the right arm in the air and the lower half in the distance.

The lower half's outline began to collapse, breaking up and disappearing like bubbles.

After that, the remaining right arm expanded and Hekatonkheir was instantly restored.

RUMBLE<nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>——...

Shaking the ground, Hekatonkheir landed next to us.

"Kyah!?"

The intense shock and wind caused Mitsuki and the others to fall down. Unable to maintain balance, I knelt on my knees.

Due to being too close, even if I looked up, I could only see up to its waist.

Also, the restored left hand was approaching us.

Its movements were far too quick. Now driven by a goal, Hekatonkheir had turned to an enemy even more formidable than three years ago.

What should we do...!?

Due to falling down, everyone had released their fictional weapons. At this rate, everyone will—!

"...!"

I raised my arm to generate all the dark matter at my disposal.

But I stopped my motion at this time. My thoughts halted.

I could not think of any solution. Game over was fast approaching. There was no time to construct an anti-dragon weapon.

—Tell me! Fafnir! Tell me how to kill this thing!

I yelled in my heart, but the slumbering monster of the unconscious did not respond.

Actually, I knew long ago that Fafnir was purely a trump card against humans. It was useless against dragons.

However...

—Neun, request activation—

I heard a mechanical voice in my head.

Yggdrasil... Huh?

The voice belonged to "Green" Yggdrasil, the one I made a deal with three years ago to defeat Hekatonkheir. In a robotic voice devoid of emotion, Yggdrasil spoke on its own to me.

—By exterminating Vier, Leviathan, authority inherited. Request activation, Code Vier. Request activation, antigravity—

"Anti... gravity?"

It was the power of repulsive fields possessed by Leviathan—

The instant I uttered that word, the dragon mark on my left hand heated up and gave off pure white light. That glow was the same light as what I saw in the battle against Kili after handing my body over to Fafnir.

—Crack!

White cracks appeared in the mass of dark matter generated in front of my left hand. With a resounding crunch, like breaking a shell, the dark matter turned from black to white.

In that instant, I felt my entire body enveloped in a floating feeling.

"Kyah!?"

I heard Iris scream and looked back to see everyone in the surroundings floating in the air. Fallen leaves on the ground were also floating lightly as though in water.

More unbelievably, Hekatonkheir's hand, originally directly above, also stopped falling, remaining in midair. Even Hekatonkheir's gigantic body was hovering slightly.

"Nii-san... Could that actually be... antigravitional matter...?"

Looking at the white sphere in my hand, Mitsuki asked in surprise.

But even if she asked me, I had no idea.

However, I had felt the same scorching on the back of my left hand when fighting Kili. Fafnir had deflected her attack matter-of-factly, if that was antigravity—the result of a repulsive field—it basically made sense.

But I had no concrete evidence and there was no time to explain either.

What was important right now was not to miss this excellent opportunity.

The white sphere produced from dark matter gradually shrunk. Suppose the current phenomenon was going to stop when this thing disappeared, we had to hurry and act.

"Mitsuki! Anyway, let's use this opportunity to attack again!"

"—I understand, all units prepare the next attack! Target is the center of the chest! Counting down! Five!"

Mitsuki instantly resumed an expression as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain and issued orders to everyone.

Hence, while floating in an unstable posture, everyone manifested their fictional armaments anew and aimed at the floating Hekatonkheir.

"Four, three, two, one—Attack!"

Wind from various locations on the island gathered together and struck Hekatonkheir directly in the chest In a state of weightlessness, Hekatonkheir's upper body tilted back greatly from the impact. The gigantic body flew high in the sky.

Then the white sphere finally vanished and gravity returned to normal in the surroundings.

"Kyah!?"

Just as Iris and the girls fell on their bottoms, I landed on my feet and looked up into the sky.

That gigantic Hekatonkheir was knocked flying to an unbelievable height. At this rate, it was probably going to fall into the sea as we hoped, but the resulting impact would be hard to estimate. What was certain was that the resulting tidal wave would be disastrous for Midgard. In that case—

"Tia, lend me your strength. I will destroy that thing in the air."

Saying that, I extended my left hand to Tia.

"Just by... holding hands?"

"Yes, I'm counting on you."

I nodded affirmatively. Tia's little fingers interlocked with mine and held my hand tightly.

"Tia is Yuu's wife... so Tia will work hard with husband."

"Thank you, Tia, then let's blow that thing away!"

I extended my right palm sideways and let the blueprint in my mind flow into the generated dark matter.

Tia's fictional armament, the red wings, turned into tiny particles, mixing together with my dark matter.

"Anti-dragon armament—Marduk!"

The constructed turret was a lost weapon from a pre-civilization that existed long ago.

But this was only one part of the enormous weapon known as Marduk. During the battle against Leviathan, it was Marduk's main cannon that had inflicted the decisive blow. Right now, I was making the weapon of extermination that had destroyed that thing three years ago too. Having obtained additional data, I now knew its name—

"—Special artillery, Megiddo!!"

The giant barrel took form through transmutation. Its external appearance had what seemed like strange geometric patterns, giving off an impression different from other civilizations. Due to it being only one part of a gigantic weapon, after all, its structure was incomplete. There were exposed wires and pipes all over the place. It would break from just one shot.

However, one shot was all that was needed.

While I stared at the Hekatonkheir floating in the starry sky, the turret connected to my mind moved automatically, aiming at the giant whose flying trajectory gradually turned to descent.

"Let's do it—"

"Okay!"

Hearing me shout, Tia responded. Dark matter was transmitted through our tightly connected hands. I turned it into the bullet's energy—

"—FIRE!!"

I fired Megiddo's boundary-incinerating blue flames.

A bullet shining with blue light was sucked straight into Hekatonkheir's body... Then a massive explosion swallowed even the giant's body.

The scene was like a blue sun had suddenly appeared in the night sky.

Because it was too bright, it caused the stars to disappear from the sky, even making distinct shadows on the ground.

Then the blue light dimmed. When darkness returned to the world of night, the giant blotting the sky had disappeared completely.

"How are things...?"

I looked into the sky for a while then checked the surroundings, observing the situation.

Hekatonkheir was an immortal monster, which was why I could not lower my guard immediately.

But just like three years ago, no matter how long I waited, the blue giant did not reappear. With peace returned to the night forest, the sounds of bugs calling gradually began.

"Hekatonkheir... was defeated?"

Tia looked up at me and asked.

"Yeah... Looks like it was defeated."

I spoke hesitantly and Mitsuki nodded in agreement.

"Usually it would have resurrected by this time. Considering the case three years ago, the chances of completely defeating Hekatonkheir are extremely slim but in any case, we seem to have succeeded in driving it away from Midgard."

"Wonderful! We won!"

Iris cheered and the tense atmosphere finally eased up.

"Goodness gracious... It made us expend so much effort."

Lisa was apparently at her limit. As her knees gave way, she sat down on a bush.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Lisa!"

Tia and I rushed over to her side and steadied her.

"...No need to worry about me, rather... The color in your face is looking quite terrible."

Lisa looked up at me and smiled wryly.

Speaking of which, I felt my vision shake. I touched my left shoulder to discover the cloth wrapped around the wound completely wet. Perhaps I had lost too much blood.

Seeing the way we looked, Mitsuki instantly called somewhere through her communicator.

"—Second command center, please respond. Is anyone there? Please respond—Oh... Shinomiya-sensei, so you are safe and sound. This is Mononobe Mitsuki, there are two wounded here—Please send paramedics as soon as possible."

Wonderful... So Shinomiya-sensei was safe.

Hearing the news, I breathed a sigh of relief. Beause the clock tower was destroyed, I had been worrying the whole time.

But who knew where the principal's office, located at the top of the clock tower, had flown after getting struck by Hekatonkheir's swipe. If the principal and Mica-san were there—

I was filled with gloom. But just at this moment, the surrounding bushes rustled and a golden head poked out.

"Curses! What a tragic occurrence! Ahhh... My, my room... My treasured collection... Unforgivable, unforgivable! That blue puppet!"

Muttering to herself in an angry tone was the principal of indeterminate age. All covered in dirt with her clothing tattered, but she did not seem harmed.

"Charlotte-sama, that was because you built your personal room in that sort of place on purpose. As the saying goes, a certain type of person and smoke both prefer high places. It is very true."

Behind the principal, out appeared a woman in a maid uniform—Mica-san. Her clothing had holes all over the place but she looked very energetic.

Discovering us, the two of them walked over.

"Wow, you guys are fine too. How wonderful, I was worried about you."

"No, that's our line... I can't believe you stayed safe. Weren't you at the principal's office at the time?"

I asked in surprise.

"Hmph, something of that level's not going to—Mmmph!"

The principal puffed out her chest and nodded but Mica-san muffled her from behind.

"Indeed, Charlotte-sama and I happened to go out together for a stroll in the night. What a close call."

Smiling, Mica-san answered.

"O-Oh... I see, that's wonderful."

They had apparently emerged from the bushes opposite to the school campus' direction, but confronted with Mica-san's intimidating aura, I could only nod and concur.

But if they not possibly be unharmed if they really were in the office that was sent flying. Perhaps they had escaped into the jungle then gotten lost.

"Eh..."

Perhaps because I relaxed all at once after confirming that everyone I was worrying about was safe, I felt a sudden wave of dizziness.

"H-Hey, what are you doing!?"

I was originally supporting Lisa but ended up leaning on her unknowingly. Boing, my face became surrounded by something big and soft.

"Oh no, Yuu! Don't cheat!"

Although I heard Tia's voice, my body could no longer exert any force.

"Seriously... I only permit you specially just this once."

I heard Lisa's quiet whispers by my ear while my head was caressed gently.

Embraced by a sensation of comfort, I fell into deep sleep—

===Part 4===

In the sky dozens of kilometers away from Midgard, Kili Surtr Muspelheim was watching the blue light shining in the distance.

"What is this? Mother, you were defeated."

With a hand to her mouth, Kili smiled in delight.

"To think that flame has transcended the boundary again... Sure enough, what happened three years ago was not a miracle. Mother must be in pain on the other side, ahhh, serves her right."

Perhaps feeling excited, Kili spun in circles and danced in the night sky before laughing sonorously.

"This is the outcome when you interfere without permission. If only you had refrained from unnecessary meddling, I would have found a chance to bring Tia out... Looks like you really are rather anxious."

Kili flew nimbly through the air and murmured. She looked back towards Midgard, which had sunk beneath the horizon, and smiled, partially closing her eyes.

"However, with this, mother and I are out of options. Regardless which side wins, they or Basilisk, the initial plan will fail. When that time comes, you will no longer be able to hide, right? Perhaps they might discover Hekatonkheir's true nature soon."

Kili untied her hair, allowing it to flutter apart in the wind. As though talking to someone, she said:

"...No matter what the outcome, mother will probably lament the heavy losses. But as long as he wins, I shall profit, because—"

Saying that, Kili pressed her hand on her abdomen.

Lovingly caressing the spot where his fang had struck, Kili smiled.

"—Perhaps he might be a dragon worthy enough to be my partner."
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T05:33:05Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 6 */

==Chapter 3 - Calamitous Flames of Muspelheim==

===Part 1===

The girl stared blankly, sitting collapsed in front of a pile of white ash.

Without crying audibly, her tears flowed nonstop.

The home where she had been living happily had turned into ash completely. On the floor were fragments of window glass that had melted then solidified into round shapes.

Black smoke was billowing from the fields whose harvest were originally looked forward to.

—The happiness she had finally obtained... The happiness which that person had given her, all of it disappeared.

Filled with irrepressible sorrow, the girl could only shed tears nonstop.

"You don't need to be sad, because ''it'' was not real."

This was what the fire witch, responsible for everything, told the girl. With icy eyes, she looked down at the white ash on the ground. Then fluttering her smoking black coat, she walked towards the despairing girl.

"Not... real?"

Not understanding, the girl asked hoarsely. The hot air in the surroundings was making her mouth dry.

"Yes, because you're not human. Abandon all that old and fake stuff to become the real you. Oh right—Let me give you a new name."

Saying that, the witch placed her hand on the girl's head. Frightened, the girl huddled herself in fear.

"From now on, you will be called Tia. Tia as in ''Tiamat'', the name of the silver dragon that Marduk vanquished in the past. You have great potential and will surely become something worthy of that name."

Written off as not human, receiving the name of Tia, the girl trembled and asked the witch:

"...What am I?"

"Tia, you are a ''dragon''."

Hearing the girl's question, the witch replied in a forceful tone of voice.

"Dragon..."

"Indeed, and our mother is 'Black' Vritra. You have not lost anything. Even now, our mother continues to watch over us."

The girl widened her eyes.

"...Mama?"

"Yes, as a ''dragon'', Tia, you are not alone, because you have a mother and many sisters."

Feeling a sense of solitude impossible to bury, the girl could only rely on the witch's whispers.

Even though she knew it was wrong—

===Part 2===

Having deployed a dragon-shaped fictional armament, Tia's gigantic body was making the spacious underground training site look like a cramped cage. Hovering in midair, the massive body had a destructive storm swirling around it.

Countless lightning strikes were tearing into the training site's inner walls. The fierce wind was sealing our movements.

Just as Lisa lost balance from the strong wind, a bolt of lightning descended upon her.

"Lisa!"

I was nearby so I slammed myself against Lisa to help her evade the lightning. Immediately finding my face buried in a soft sensation, making me unable to breathe, I moved my head. A sweet fragrance instantly filled my nostrils. Even my ears heard a seductive voice.

"Mmm.... No... M-Mononobe Yuu! W-Where, where do you think you're touching!?"

"Oh... S-Sorry!"

Realizing I had my face in Lisa's voluptuous bosom, I frantically separated from her.

"N-Normally speaking, I would have punished you mercilessly by now, understand? However... Since you seem to have rescued me this time, I shan't pursue the matter... Thank you."

Blushing, Lisa thanked me quietly.

"Wow, Lisa thanking me, it's gonna rain today, no wait... A storm is already blowing."

To prevent myself from getting blown away by the strong wind, I lowered my posture while looking up at Tia who had become the eye of the storm.

"...What on earth is happening? That dragon is Tia-san... isn't it?"

"Yeah, it must be Tia's fictional armament. If by tracing out the 'outline of the mind,' Tia created that kind of fictional armament... Then perhaps she totally believes she's a dragon right now."

When I thought of it that way, it could explain why she suddenly went out of control.

"I-If that is the case, we must hurry to bring her back to normal!"

"Yeah—But how to get close...?"

Raging wind and lightning were ravaging the surroundings. On the other hand, Tia was hovering ten-odd meters above the floor.

"Mononobe!"

Just as I was wondering how to approach Tia, I heard Iris' voice. At the same time, the wind blowing us suddenly stopped.

I looked back to see Iris and Firill. Since they were training relatively nearer to us, they had come over to assist us.

Firill lifted the fictional grimoire shaped from her dark matter. She probably performed air transmutation to create a barrier of wind.

No longer suffering from the storm's pressure, I now had the luxury of observing my surroundings. I could see Mitsuki, Ren and Ariella gathered around Shinomiya-sensei next to wall on the far end. From what I could see, they were probably using transmuted air to neutralize the wind like Firill. Since they were too far away, it was impossible to join forces with them.

"...Are you two alright?"

Firill asked us.

"Yeah, we're alright but... Tia's a messy situation. Can you two help me?"

"...Sure."

Firill nodded.

"Yes, of course! Mononobe, what should I do?"

Iris nodded vigorously and sought my directions.

"Firill, try to expand the wind barrier as much as possible. And Iris, I want you to make explosions to divert Tia's attention."

"Got it, I'll try!"

Saying that, Iris manifested her fictional armament—Caduceus.

"—Mononobe Yuu, then I shall be heading over to Tia-san."

Raising her Gungnir, Lisa turned her gaze to Tia above.

"No wait, it's better if I reached to Tia."

"True that may be... But can you fly?"

Lisa looked at me uneasily. The method of using wind to fly required created a huge amount of air through transmutation.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low compared to everyone else, which meant I could not use that method. However—

"If it's just that kind of height, I'll manage. Lisa, could you please create lightning rods in the surroundings to divert the lightning?"

"...No helping it, leave it to me—Rise, towers of steel!"

Four masses of dark matter were ejected by Lisa's Gungnir, turning into four steel rods in the air, then embedded themselves into the ground as though surrounding Tia's position.

The random lightning strikes gathered towards the four lightning rods.

"My turn!"

Iris pointed Caduceus' tip at Tia and started concentrating.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

As though surrounding Tia, dark matter manifested in multiple spots.

"Iris, don't hurt Tia."

"I know—O raindrops, scatter!"

Transmuted into water, the dark matter all exploded together.

Iris possessed the special talent that made everything explode no matter what she transmuted. Furthermore, she had high-level spatial awareness, allowing her to aim at the target without deviation. Hence, the accompanied steam explosion did not harm Tia directly.

Ruoooooooooooooooooooooo!

Frightened by the explosions, Tia used the dragon's stout limbs, formed from dark matter, to attack the steam shrouding her. But the limbs were worn down instead upon contact with the steam.

Eroded, the limbs rapidly recovered but it made me certain that this was just a dragon in nothing but appearance only. Before undergoing transmutation, dark matter was extremely fragile, vanishing whenever it touched matter apart from the person who had summoned it. In that case, touching Tia who was supposed to be inside should not be that difficult.

"Firill, just try your best... Help me to open up a path!"

After saying that, I instantly rushed towards Tia.

"Understood—Air Road."

I heard Firill's voice behind me. Then a favorable wind propelled me from behind. Firill's wind ran past me and helped me to block the raging wind coming from Tia. Meanwhile, Tia's attention was caught by the explosions so she did not notice me approaching.

While running, I concentrated my mind to manifest my fictional armament.

"Siegfried."

Appearing in my right hand was a mass of dark matter shaped like a large-caliber ornamental gun.

By using this fictional armament, I could fire dark matter as bullets, allowing me to perform powerful transmutations three times. After using three shots' worth, the fictional armament would disappear, but manifesting it again would create a huge opening, hence—

—I have to finish this in three shots.

Without slowing down, I pointed the muzzle at Tia above and pulled the trigger without aiming carefully.

"Smoke Bullet."

The fired bullet transmuted into tiny particles of dust and air. The red dragon was instantly engulfed by the puff of smoke. The countless dust particles wore away the dark matter, peeling off Tia's outer garment of a dragon for a brief instant.

—I see her!

As soon as the storm blew the smoke away, the dark matter dragon would revive again, but I had already captured Tia's location in my sight.

The left breast... The heart's location!

Arriving under Tia, I stopped running. This time, I aimed precisely and shot the ground.

"Air Bullet!"

Transmuted into a large volume of air, the dark matter struck the ground and exploded, blowing me towards the sky.

In this manner, I charged into the dragon's interior. Although my view turned completely red, there was no tactile sensation or feeling of resistance. Prior to transmutation, dark matter was equivalent to not existing and could not impede my advance.

"Tia!"

I yelled while reaching out with my empty left hand. My aim had not deviated, as long as I reached enough height, this hand should be able to touch—

After my fingertip felt a tiny sensation, I found Tia in front of my eyes. Her eyes were blank and did not reflect anything. As expected, she was not conscious.

Perhaps we were... the culprits for turning Tia, who believed she was a dragon, into a real dragon.

"Pull yourself together! Tia!!"

I yelled loudly while embracing her with my left arm.

"—Ehhh? Yuu...?"

The light returned to Tia's eyes as she called my name.

Then holding Tia in my arm, I started to fall, traveling through the dragon's body.

Seeing the ground gradually approaching, I aimed Siegfried downwards. This was the last shot.

"—Air Pressure Bullet!"

I used an explosion of air to cancel the falling impact. Landing lightly, I immediately check Tia's condition.

"Are you okay, Tia?"

"..."

Having regained consciousness just now, Tia still did not respond. She had fainted, her limp body leaning against me.

Due to manifesting such a gigantic fictional armament and performing large-scale transmutations continuously, her mind and body must be thoroughly exhausted.

"Mononobe!"

Iris and Lisa ran over to me. From the distance, Mitsuki and the others also hurried to our side.

The classmates all showed worried expressions. But amidst all this, only Shinomiya-sensei was watching us with a harsh gaze.

Seeing Shinomiya-sensei's expression, I knew that time was short.

Turning my gaze to Tia, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion—I steeled my determination to face off against the monster invading her heart.

===Part 3===

Although Tia had gone on a rampage, greatly damaging the training site, luckily, no one was injured.

Also because Mitsuki and I tried our hardest to intercede on her behalf, Tia's punishment was withheld for now.

However, Shinomiya-sensei also warned us that there would be no second chances.

—After all, the training site was damaged to the point that it required repairs before it could be used again.

Carrying Tia on my back, I went to the infirmary. Along the way, I recalled the pitiful condition of the training site, damaged from floor to ceiling by lightning.

Due to the severe damage caused to the facilities, the entire incident might have to be reported to Midgard's superior organization, Asgard. If further damage occurred, Asgard would definitely punish Tia.

—I need to have a proper discussion with her after she wakes up.

In order to help Tia become a member of Midgard, to become a fellow classmate in the truest sense, I had to make her a human.

I walked through the quiet corridor to arrive in front of the infirmary's door.

"Pardon the intrusion."

I opened the horizontally sliding door with a clatter, only to see that the person inside was not the school nurse who had looked after me on a number of occasions.

"...Eh?"

Staring at me in surprise was the girl who had chatted with me yesterday—Tachikawa Honoka. Dressed in gym clothes, she was sitting in a chair with her top lifted up, in the middle of sterilizing a wound on her flank.

"Kyah!?"

Honoka straightened her lifted top and turned her back to me. Originally frozen from excessive surprise, I also came back to my senses as a result of her scream.

"Oh... Umm, sorry! I'll wait outside."

Carrying Tia on my back, I was about to shut the door when Honoka frantically called to me.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san on your back is not feeling well, right? N-No need to mind me... Please come in."

"...Are you fine with it? Then pardon... the intrusion, okay?"

I felt as though someone had invited me into their bedroom. Stepping into the infirmary, I went to the innermost bed and unloaded the sleeping Tia from my back. Laying her out gently on the bed, I put a blanket on her before turning to face Honoka.

"Uh, looks like there's no one else here... Where did the nurse go?"

"Oh, the nurse is over at the clinic because there was someone with more serious injuries than me. She is currently treating that person."

"Serious injuries? Was there some kind of accident?"

Honoka's arms and legs had several pieces of gauze stuck to them. Before I arrived at the infirmary, she was already treating her own wounds.

"...Actually, I failed a transmutation during a practical. That's also why my classmate became injured."

She was referring to the student being treated at the clinic?

Honoka's class was apparently having a practical lesson at a different training site than ours.

"I see, although everyone makes mistakes... It must feel pretty bad that you hurt others."

"Yes... I will apologize to her properly afterwards. Whether or not she will forgive me, I don't know."

"That's true, no matter what the outcome, I think that's the best way to go about it."

Hearing me say that, Honoka smiled wryly.

"...You really aren't one to hand out comforting words, Yuu-san."

"Sorry, although I know that I should be encouraging you."

"No, compared to people who comfort others irresponsibly, I prefer someone like you."

I felt embarrassed by her description and scratched my face, looking away.

"—But anyway, even if there are other people injured, is it okay for the nurse to leave you alone, Honoka? I don't think there's a shortage of manpower..."

Although the school nurse was the only medical professional on duty, there should be other specialized doctors who were on call. To ensure the Ds' health, Midgard had a comprehensive medical care system.

"No, this really isn't anything serious... I offered to do the dressings myself because it's just putting on gauze after sterilizing."

Saying that, Honoka showed me the bottle of antiseptic liquid and gauze in her hands.

"But from what I saw just now, your wound is somewhere hard for your hand to reach, right?"

When she was sterilizing her flank just now, it looked like she was twisting her body in quite a forced posture.

"That's true... Some places are harder... Oh right, if it's okay with you... Could you help me?"

"Eh? M-Me?"

I widened my eyes greatly upon hearing these surprising words.

"Yes, on my back... Even if it's just this part."

Saying that, Honoka pulled her gym t-shirt up sightly.

My attention was drawn to her snow-white skin.

"Sure... If you don't mind."

Despite feeling troubled, I still approached her. I had learned first aid for the most part at NIFL. There was no need to falter at dressing a wound of this level.

"Then I'll apply the antiseptic. Are you really fine with this?"

Receiving the antiseptic and the gauze, I confirmed with her again. If things turned into sexual harassment after the fact, it would be too much to swallow.

"I'm counting on you, please... be gentle."

"O-Okay... Got it."

I gulped and nodded.

I walked over to the back of Honoka, who was sitting in a chair, and knelt down to treat her.

"...Mmm, ahh..."

Perhaps feeling some stinging, Honoka emitted inexplicably seductive moans. To distract myself as much as possible, I made conversation with her.

"Speaking of which, Honoka, you were discovered in the towns ahead of Basilisk's route of advance, right? You're Japanese no matter how I look, so why were you in that kind of place?"

I asked the question that had occurred to me during the full-school assembly. Honoka answered while enduring the stinging from her wound.

"My mother... Mmm... is someone who travels the world... Ah... As for me, I visit various places together with my mother."

"What an accomplished mother... Do you feel lonely, suddenly separated from her?"

"No... Our relationship is quite cold because I don't have a father or relatives... Mmm... In a certain sense, we stayed together because of circumstances, so it actually relieves me to become independent."

Honoka's reply was very calm and did not sound like a brave front.

"...That's so strong of you. Okay, dressing is done."

I examined the sterilized wound then applied the gauze, ending the treatment.

"Thank you, Yuu-san."

After Straightening out her clothing, Honoka thanked me.

"It was nothing. Well... Although it's embarrassing to say this, but from now on, you don't need to be so polite when asking friends for help."

"Friends... huh?"

Honoka's face looked like she had heard something unexpected. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Yeah, that's what I think. If you feel that I'm forcing things too much, then I apologize."

"No, nothing of that sort. I... am extremely glad."

Honoka smiled and shook her head.

"Great, then let's look after each other from now on."

"V-Very well, me too... Let's look after each other. S-So... I'd like to head over to the clinic to see how my classmate is doing."

Honoka lowered her head and bowed, then a little frantically, she walked to the infirmary's exit.

"Sure, see you."

I waved a hand in response. Honoka partially closed her eyes and smiled.

"Great—hope to talk to you again, then I'm off..."

She closed the door and the room suddenly turned silent.

—Hope?

Rather than waiting for chance encounters, perhaps I should write emails to her proactively.

Injuring a classmate might have repercussions for her. Although I might not be able to help much, it would be good for her to have someone to confide in at least. As her friend, I wanted to help her as much as possible.

Thinking about this kind of thing, I turned my gaze to the bed.

Tia was still sound asleep.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

But at this moment, the terminal for the infirmary's internal line played a ringtone and the call lamp kept flashing.

"...Should I answer?"

I hesitated and looked at the infirmary's door. The school nurse did not look like she was returning yet.

—Maybe it might be for me.

I had reported to Shinomiya-sensei that I was taking Tia to the infirmary. Thinking it could be something to inform me, I pressed the pick up button on the screen despite my hesitation.

With an electronic sound, the screen immediately switched.

Then a face appeared on the screen, but it was someone I totally did not expect.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"...Major Loki?"

His name flew out of my mouth. It was the man who had been my direct commanding officer at NIFL.

On the other end, NIFL stared at me with his slender eyes. A gentle smile surfaced on his face.

'Until just now, I was still having a discussion with Colonel Shinomiya. Then I asked her to connect my call over to your end. Because I didn't even get a chance to talk to you during the personnel reassignment, I've been wanting to find a chance to chat with you.'

"Huh...? If it's chatting, last time—"

'What are you talking about, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe? Ever since you transferred to Midgard, this is my first time speaking to you, isn't it?'

Hearing him say that, I remembered this was a public ine.

When Leviathan was attacking, Major Loki had exploited the opening in Midgardsormr switching to interception mode and secretly contacted me through my personal terminal. This was to talk about things that must not reach Midgard's ears, because he wanted me to kill the D whose dragon mark had changed color.

"Right... Yeah, Major Loki, because I feel that working under you was only recently, I made a mistake."

Left without a choice, I could only go along with him. If any problems arose from what I said arbitrarily, it would turn into Mitsuki's responsibility because she was the one supervising me.

'Haha, me too. Clearly you're no longer my subordinate, but I still worry about you. I've got something to tell you. Want to hear it?'

"Yes... What is it?"

Staring at Major Loki's fake smile, I nodded. Since it was something that could be said on a public line, it should not be something dangerous like last time.

'The dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell, is apparently plotting to recover Tia Lightning. Although I've already asked Midgard to pay more attention, you be careful too.'

The Sons of Muspell... was the name of the organization that had effectively kept Tia under house arrest in the past. If they knew about the dragonification of Ds, it was not difficult to understand why they wanted to retrieve Tia, but—

"Recover...? From Midgard here? I think they'll get eliminated by Midgardsormr the instant they approach, right...?"

'Yes, Midgard's defenses are impregnable. But supplies and personnel need to enter and exit. Although there are stringent checks, it is not entirely impossible to get through. And this time, beyond a doubt... Kili will make a move too."

The smile vanished from Major Loki's face this time.

"That Kili huh..."

Kili Surtr Muspelheim. The leader of the Sons of Muspell, she was also a D deemed a disaster... Although I did not think she could penetrate Midgardsormr, she was quite a strong threat indeed.

'Kili is very strong, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the information we received this time, alerting us that the Sons of Muspell had a D in their compound, NIFL mobilized all deployable forces. But the result was that Kili singlehandedly suppressed the majority.'

"The Sons of Muspell, are they doing this knowing that Ds will dragonify..."

'Arrested cultists did not seem to be in the know, but at least we can conclude that Kili knows. At the time, Tia Lightning was apparently just moved there from another facility. They probably intended to hand her to Basilisk as its mate instead of waiting for it to visit.'

In other words, Tia was originally in the process of being transported as a live sacrifice. If NIFL had acted slightly later, the second Basilisk would surely have been born.

"If they'll go so far to increase the number of dragons... I guess it's impossible they'll give up so easily."

'Indeed, Kili will definitely take some kind of action. If she infiltrates Midgard, a great disaster can be predicted. Please do not lower your guard at all. Considering that even Sleipnir could not handle her, she is probably stronger than you as you are right now.'

"...!"

I gasped. Major Loki had attempted to raise me as monster stronger than anyone else. Precisely because these words came from his mouth, I could understand how abnormal this D called Kili was.

'If possible, I'd really like to send out Sleipnir but Midgard won't allow NIFL to interfere that easily. Hence, if anything happens, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, I place my hopes you alone.'

"Clearly when Kili is stronger than me... You still have hopes for me?"

'Yes, even so, you are the only one who might be able to kill her. If there are people and things around you that you wish to protect, please abandon your silly obstinacy. This is my honest advice to you.'

Major Loki spoke to me with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"...I'll bear that in mind."

It felt like my heart was being squeezed. I forced my voice out to respond.

'You would do well to remember that. Oh right, although this is pure just in case, I will send to your terminal all accumulated information regarding Kili to this date. Read over it when you have time.'

"Sure, thank you... for doing so much for me."

'You're welcome, I did this willingly. Also, Basilisk is still crossing the African continent. Things were sudden with Leviathan and NIFL was in chaos, but this time, we have plenty of time so you don't need to worry about unnecessary things.'

Major Loki spoke suggestively. Last time, NIFL had sent a team to kill Iris. He was probably hinting that no such operation would happen yet for now.

But in that case, the murderous intent I sensed last time was...

"...I got it."

Although there were still things that bothered me, I nodded for now in response.

'Then it's time I excused myself. Hope to talk to you again—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Major Loki smiled sarcastically then the call disconnected, turning the screen black.

"Kili huh..."

I uttered her name softly in my mouth. During training, she was often used as an imaginary enemy, hence I had no hesitation towards fighting, however—

"Yuu...?"

Just as I was staring at the pictureless screen, lost in thought, I suddenly heard a voice from behind.

"Tia, you woke up?"

Perhaps my conversation with Major Loki had woken her up. Tia had sat up in bed, looking at me with a troubled look.

"Why is... Tia in this kind of place? Tia should be with Yuu training just now..."

"—So you don't remember? Including this, I need to have a chat with you next, but this isn't a good place to talk. Let's go to the beach, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia showed an expression of joy.

"Yes, Tia wants to see the sea with Yuu again."

Although the notion of bringing gloom to that smiling face pained my heart, I still took Tia by the hand as she ran towards it.

The husband and the dragon's wife.

This ill-matched game of playing house—It was probably about to end soon.

===Part 4===

Tia and I first went made a trip to the classroom. After changing into our uniforms, we left the campus with our school bags.

Other people might be busy with handling the training site's aftermath. They were not in the classroom.

Since the practicals in the afternoon had been suspended due to the damaged training site, there were no more lessons today. Like yesterday, we walked along the path to the dorm, descended to the beach and took off our shoes.

"Wow, it feels like the sea can be seen clearer than yesterday."

Peering at the seawater from the water's edge, Tia jumped around, grinning from ear to ear. We visited yesterday near dusk, so the impression given off by the sea was probably quite different compared to the daytime.

The waves produced white spray, gently caressing our ankles.

Watching Tia stepping on the waves, I quietly asked her:

"Tia, compared to yesterday, do you like Lisa and the others more?"

"Y-Yes, Tia knows they're good people now."

Tia answered a bit embarrassedly. With Firill's manga as a trigger, through chatting with everyone in the class, her wariness had decreased somewhat compared to yesterday.

"However, just now, Tia... you almost injured Lisa, you know?"

"...Eh?"

Widening her eyes, Tia showed surprise on her face.

"Tia, you wanted to make a fictional armament but ended up in the form of a dragon and caused mass destruction. The training site is now all torn up by the storm and lightning strikes."

"N-No way... Tia did that—"

In a trembling voice, Tia shook her head in disbelief.

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. At the time, you weren't in a normal mental state, but it doesn't change the fact that you endangered Lisa and the others. So Tia, I hope you'll apologize to the others and promise you'll never do that again."

I bent down to speak at Tia's eye level.

"G-Got it! Tia will apologize! Let's go find everyone!"

Tia frantically pulled my hand. Like Honoka earlier whom I met at the infirmary, Tia was regretting her failure.

"...You're a good girl after all, Tia. But if things do not change, you won't be able to keep that promise. You'll probably repeat your mistakes, as long as you continue—to believe you are a dragon."

"Eh... What do you mean by believe? Tia really is a dragon. Aren't Yuu and everyone dragons too?"

Tia answered with surprise. However, I could see slight wavering in her eyes.

"No, we're humans."

"Why... Why does even Yuu say something so mean? We are dragons! Having this kind of power is the proof!"

Tia generated dark matter in the surroundings, transmuting it into electrical currents. Sparks flew with a sizzling sound. However, I stared into Tia's eyes squarely without backing down.

"Indeed, perhaps there's that interpretation too. Then I'll put things another way. At least for the Ds residing in Midgard, we are all living as humans."

"Living... as humans?"

"Yeah, so as long you insist on living as a dragon, Tia, we won't be able to coexist."

Tia widened her eyes.

"That means... We can't be together?"

"That's right, so that I hope, Tia... you can be human."

I proposed the only necessary condition for Tia to become part of the family that was Brynhildr Class.

"No... Because Tia is a dragon... With these kinds of horns, Tia is already not human..."

Touching her red horns, Tia rejected my proposal.

"It's fine if you have horns. To me, Tia, you're a cute girl and I think it's the same for Lisa and the rest.

"But, but..."

I explained to her gently but Tia kept shaking her head.

"Why do you want to be a dragon so much, Tia? Please tell me, what on earth happened after we separated in that warzone? What happened to the parents who were with you back then?"

"Tia has no papa and mama, they were... fakes."

Like last evening, Tia looked down with a stiff expression.

"Then I hope you can tell me about the fake papa and mama."

I placed my hand on Tia's face and slowly lifted her head, meeting her gaze up close

Her silence persisted a while. Only the sound of waves were heard reguarly.

Tia's red eyes moistened and her cheeks blushed

"...Yuu wants to know about Tia that much?"

"Yes, because I want to be with you too, that's why I want to know.

Hearing my answer, Tia gulped then quietly began:

"...After being saved by Yuu, Tia and they went to live in another country."

What she meant by "they" was probably her parents. Refusing to call them papa and mama, Tia continued:

"They become more gentle than before. Even if Tia did not use power, they still smiled at Tia. Working outside in the fields was hard work, but happy too. But everything... house, fields or them... One day, they suddenly burned up and disappeared."

"Burned up... Was it a fire?"

"No, not a fire. What Tia met was—Kili."

"...!"

Hearing that name, my face froze.

—I never expected to hear Kili's name here too.

Tia had been imprisoned by the Sons of Muspell, hence it was not surprising that she had met the cult's leader Kili. However, I never thought Kili was the one who had deprived Tia of her parents and her home.

"Kili told Tia they were not real, so Tia did not lose anything. Tia is a dragon and has a real mama—'Black' Vritra. The many Ds in the world... are Tia's sisters. That's what she told Tia."

After listening to Tia, I finally understood what she was running away from.

To escape the truth of her parents' death, Tia had no choice but to rely on Kili's words.

As soon as she admitted she was human, she had to accept the loss of her parents. In such a state, ordinary persuasion was not going to work on Tia. Trying to reason with her would lead to nowhere.

"—Thank you for telling me, Tia."

I thanked Tia and stroked her head lightly.

"Yuu understands... what Tia thinks?"

"Yeah... I understand clearly now. I won't say your thinking is wrong anymore."

"Wonderful..."

Tia looked relieved, but I immediately said:

"But I must correct what Kili said. As long as you're living as a dragon, Tia, you'll never be sisters with the Ds who are living as humans, you'll never be family with me, Lisa and the others."

"Eh—?"

Tia's expression instantly froze.

"This might be an unfair way of putting it, but please understand. At this rate, you won't be able to get what you want. Tia, I hope you'll choose to be human."

I could not refute Tia's belief. Even if I forcibly laid out the truth in front of her eyes, without the mental preparation to accept it, she would only end up mind broken. As a result, I could only hint towards future gains and losses and ask her to make a choice.

"Choose...? Tia doesn't quite get... what Yuu is saying."

"...True. I guess it's not something that can be explained clearly with words. In that case, I'll show you. I'll show you what you can do to become human."

After saying that, I took out my portable terminal.

"What are you doing?"

Tia asked uneasily. I smiled and answered her:

"It's still early and there are no lessons. Let's have fun with everyone next. If I say it's for Tia, I'm guessing all our classmates will gather."

"Why...? Didn't Tia do awful things to everyone? Isn't Lisa angry?"

"She'll come even if she's angry. Because all of us wants to become family with you, Tia."

Listening to my answer, Tia widened her eyes, rooted to the spot in a daze for a moment.

===Part 5===

After I emailed Iris and Mitsuki, asking them to let everyone else know, we returned to the dorm and changed into our swimwear. According to Mitsuki's response, they were going to come over in an hour's time.

I heard there was a set of beach gear in the dorm's storeroom, so Tia and I brought out a sun umbrella and plastic mats.

"Tia caused everyone trouble, so Tia has to work hard."

Dressed in a school swimsuit, Tia still tried her hardest to move one of the larger mats despite doing it unsteadily.

With preparations basically complete. I was giving Tia swimming lessons in the shallows when the first classmate arrived.

"Mononobe!"

Iris ran over while waving, dressed in a white bikini. With every step she ran, that lovely bosom would bounce accordingly.

"Wow..."

I felt my heart flutter, worrying whether that swimsuit, tied by flimsy strings, would stay on.

Iris arrived in front of us and twirled around to show us. With her silver hair fluttering, bathed under the sunlight, her pale complexion looked extremely dazzling.

"How is it? I lost my previous swimsuit, so I bought a new one!"

"...Looks amazing. Speaking of which, Iris, the first time we met, you said your swimsuit got washed away."

I thought back to my first encounter with Iris. Thanks to that—No wait, unfortunately due to that—I saw Iris' naked body and got attacked by her.

"Yeah, but in the end, I still couldn't find it—No wait, s-stop thinking about that time, you're embarrassing me..."

Iris blushed and shielded her bosom with her arms. But that posture of hers made me even more conscious of her. Mesmerized by the sight of Iris in her white swimsuit, it took me a while before I could mutter:

"—Iris really is so pretty."

Whether back then or right now, Iris was so beautiful that I could say such words naturally.

"Wha... W-W-W-What... If you suddenly say something like that to me, I'll..."

Iris blushed all the way to her neck and sat down on the beach all of a sudden.

"H-Hey, are you okay?"

Worried, I extended my hand but Tia circled around in front of me as though trying to block me.

"Yuu, what about Tia? How's Tia's swimsuit?"

"Hmm? Yeah, you're very cute, Tia."

I answered honestly but for some reason, she pouted and glared at Iris unhappily.

"Tia finally... gets it, you—Iris—are Tia's rival!"

Confronted with Tia's pointing finger, Iris cocked her head in surprise and puzzlement.

"Rivals? Me and you, Tia?"

"That's right, Tia... won't lose to you!"

"I don't quite get it, but you want to compete against me, right? Well... Okay, how about we play the stick-in-the-sand game?"

Smiling, Iris gathered sand to make a small mound.

"Stick-in-the-sand?"

"Yes. You play this game by making a mound of sand like this... Then put on a stick on top. We take turns digging the mound and whoever makes the stick fall over loses."

Iris picked up a twig that had fallen by the water's edge and planted it on top of the sand before explaining the rules to Tia.

"G-Got it, Tia accepts... this match."

Tia nodded with a serious expression then started playing the game with Iris.

It felt like they had totally strayed from the original point, but I watched them play without interrupting.

At this time, Lisa, Firill, Ariella and Ren arrived as well.

"As reluctant as I am to let you see my swimsuit, I still forced myself to come."

Wearing a mature-looking black swimsuit, Lisa tossed her hair as she spoke to me.

"...Despite what you said, I think you were selecting your swimsuit very seriously."

Firill quipped quietly. She was dressed in a two-piece blue swimsuit.

"B-Because sun protection is a nuisance and I don't often go to the beach, that was why I had to agonize over which swimsuit to wear! I-I was certainly not concerned about Mononobe Yuu's gaze, got that?"

Lisa frantically explained herself to Firill.

Both girls had bigger busts than Iris and their swimsuits made their cleavage visible. That overwhelming volume, normally hidden under their uniforms, was currently shaking the core of my brain.

"Haha—Lisa is not upfront as usual. With a man's gaze present, anyone would care more or less."

Speaking wryly was Ariella in a tropical print swimsuit. Wearing a one-piece frilly swimsuit, Ren was hiding behind her.

"...Mm."

Like a small animal, Ren stared warily at me. Faced with such strong thoughts, I felt quite uncomfortable too.

"Uh... Everyone looks great in their swimsuit."

To soothe the indescribably tense atmosphere, I offered my comment. It was not a lie, because objectively speaking, all the girls in Brynhildr Class were very attractive... To the point that I had no idea where I should be looking.

"O-Of course! I know without needing you to tell me."

Lisa scowled and turned her head away to respond.

"...Thank you for your praise."

Firill thanked me without changing expressions.

"Umm, t-there's no need to... flatter me."

Ariella was normally calm and rational, but would lose composure as soon as anyone praised her. Her gaze drifted all over the place aimlessly.

"......Mm."

The shy Ren was blushing, hiding completely behind Ariella.

"...Nii-san, what you said just now could almost be construed as sexual harassment."

Last to appear was Mitsuki, staring coldly at me.

She apparently made a trip back to the dorm. There was an inflated beach ball in her hand.

"What!? That counted as sexual harassment? I was only offering my opinion?"

"It depends on the situation. Seeing as you made Ren-san so embarrassed, there is nothing you can say against allegations of sexual harassment."

"Well... I guess I'd better keep quiet about your swimsuit, right, Mitsuki?"

I checked out my sister's swimsuit and spoke. Although it was a one-piece, the back was exposed quite boldly. It looked quite sexy from behind.

"......No, I will not feel embarrassment from what you say, Nii-san, so please feel free to say whatever pleases you."

Mitsuki gave an unnatural pause before answering indifferently.

"Really? Then here goes—It looks great on you. Also, the back is a bit sexy."

"..."

Mitsuki glared sharply then pulled my ear without saying a word.

"Hey... Ow! That hurts!"

"...Nii-san, even when you are talking to your sister, you should pay a little attention to your choice of words, shouldn't you?"

"But you said I could say whatever pleases me!?"

I grumbled at her but Mitsuki retorted with her face red.

"That was built upon the assumption of minimum manners!"

Just as we were arguing like this, I suddenly heard Tia scream.

"Ahhh! No, don't fall down!"

I looked in Tia and Iris' direction in surprise, only to see an irregular mound of sand collapse together with the stick.

"Hmph, I won!"

Iris made a victory sign with her hand while Tia slumped her shoulders in dejection. But she immediately looked up and begged to challenge Iris again.

"One more time! Another game!"

"Sure, I'll accept no matter how many times you challenge me. But since everyone has arrived, let's play a different game this time."

Saying that, Iris gestured towards Lisa and the rest with her eyes to Tia.

"Oh..."

It seemed like Tia only noticed now that everyone had gathered.

Patting off the sand stuck to her knees, Tia stood up. Then nervously, she peered at Lisa's face.

"What's the matter? Did something stick to my face?"

Lisa asked her in puzzlement. She did not seem angry at Tia at all.

Seeing her like that, Tia forcefully bowed her head with tears in the corners of her eyes.

"S-Sorry! Tia heard from Yuu, that Tia... did something awful to Lisa... S-So... Sorry!!"

"Oh, you are bothered by what happened earlier."

Lisa seemed to understand the situation. Nodding, she walked over to Tia.

"...Lisa?"

Tia showed a timid expression while looking up at Lisa's face.

"I understand now, then I shall punish you."

Saying that, Lisa raised her hand slowly then gave Tia's head a knock.

"Ow!"

Tia immediately held her head and squatted down.

"H-Hey Lisa, there's no need to go so far—Are you actually angry with her?"

I frantically asked her but Lisa shook her head in denial.

"No, I am not angry at all. However... Punishment is necessary for those seeking atonement. Before she gets consumed by guilt, her wrongdoing must be settled first."

For some reason, Lisa glanced at Mitsuki momentarily before answering in a calm voice.

"Owie..."

Tia was rubbing her head where Lisa's fist had struck her. Tearfully, she looked at Lisa.

"That goes without saying. Punishments are meant to hurt in the first place. But with this, Tia-san, you have atoned for your mistakes. You don't need to feel guilty anymore for what happened. Whether myself or everyone else, we are all fine with it. Am I right?"

Lisa sought agreement from the group. Everyone nodded in response.

"...So that is how things stand."

Lisa smiled gently and hugged Tia to her chest.

"Mmgg..."

"I believe I did control my strength. Does it still hurt? Perhaps I used too much force."

Stroking Tia's head, Lisa remarked with worry.

"...No, it doesn't hurt anymore, Lisa... Thank you."

Burying her face in the bountiful bosom, Tia thanked Lisa quietly.

"Since we've made up, let's all play beach volleyball together!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 179.jpg|thumb]]

Seeing things reach a conclusion, Iris suggested energetically.

"We weren't fighting to begin with... Fine, whatever."

Lisa nodded despite sighing then released Tia from her embrace.

"...Feels like mama."

Tia murmured in a slight daze.

"Then let us gather in a circle and toss the ball. Oh, just that whenever Nii-san's name is called, he must receive the ball no matter where it goes, or else be subjected to punishment."

Holding the beach ball, Mitsuki added a super harsh rule.

"H-Hey, what am I the only one with that restriction!?"

"Because you went through harsh training at NIFL, Nii-san. Without such a handicap, there will not be any tension for you, right?"

Probably still holding a grudge about the swimsuit comment, Mitsuki replied with animosity.

"It's not like I need tension... Fine, I get it, let's go with that rule."

Frankly speaking, I intentionally took on her taunting and accepted the rule because I was confident.

But I soon realized that I was too naive.

"Ah... The first star is out."

Buried in the sand, I was looking up at the red sky. The sun was approaching the horizon in the west. The blue of night was starting to spread from the eastern sky.

My body felt extremely heavy.

Due to everyone enjoying themselves at my expense during the game of volleyball, I had to rush all over the place, reaching my limit no matter how good my stamina. Plus the fact that Lisa and Firill's chests were bouncing even more intensely than the ball, it was hard for me to focus. In the end, I missed a ball and was punished by burial in the sand. Unable to move, I was listening to everyone's voices in the distance.

"Good, good, well done. You are swimming quite well now."

"Really? Tia learned how to swim now?"

Lisa and Tia's conversation reached me. The two of them seemed to be getting along really well.

"Eh!? My swimsuit... Where's my swimsuit!?"

I heard Iris' frantic voice. She had apparently lost her swimsuit again, but since I could not get up, I was unable to see what she looked like.

"...Iris-san, please pull yourself together. Is this it?"

I heard Mitsuki's voice of resignation. Apparently, she had found Iris' swimsuit.

The sound of flickering pages could be heard nearby.

Because Firill was reading a book under the sun umbrella.

"—Your turn, Ren."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were playing stick-in-the-sand using the sand on top of me.

I was quite grateful that the sand over me was gradually decreasing, but it felt quite ticklish to be touched indirectly like that.

Peaceful times passed in this way until the sky filled up with stars. At this moment, I noticed three sets of footsteps approaching. Due to habits formed during my time at NIFL, I could discern the physique of people from the sound of their footfall.

—Two adults and a child... apparently carrying something heavy.

Hence, I turned my head and waited for the new arrivals to enter my view.

The three of them were all known to me. One was Shinomiya-sensei while unbelievably, the other two were... The principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart-san.

Apparently, the footsteps I mistook for a child's belonged to the principal. Dressed in a white sundress, the principal's age could not be determined from appearance. No one would raise any doubts even she were to be described as a student in Midgard.

"I can't believe you guys are having so much fun. Let me join in too."

Coming over to my side, the principal looked down at me who was buried in the sand. I suspected that Mitsuki had informed Shinomiya-sensei before coming here and the news must have reached the principal and Mica-san.

"...You want to be buried too, principal?"

"Of course not! I want to frolic with pure maidens in their swimsuits too!"

"I can feel a generation gap when you phrase it like that."

I gave my honest opinion but the principal removed her sandal, stepped on me and twisted my head with her toes.

"Shut up or I'll step on you."

"You're already stepping on me!"

I turned my face and yelled in order to avoid the principal's bare foot.

Nearby, Ren and Ariella watched our behavior with blank expressions.

The principal's sudden appearance probably troubled them.

"Hmph, I won't ask you guys to join me without a reason. I come with gifts. Mica and Haruka, begin the preparations."

"Yes, affirmative."

Still dressed as a maid, Mica-san swiftly began to put together the objects she was carrying in her arms.

"...I am not your servant."

Shinomiya-sensei sighed and placed down on the plastic mat the bag she had brought. From the bag, she took out meat and vegetables.

"Principal... What the heck are you doing?"

Hearing the question, the principal smiled proudly.

"Don't you get it just by seeing? Speaking of beach activities at night, of course there's barbecue!"

"Barbecue!? That's awesome!!"

Iris cheered from the distance. Since the sun had already set, I was thinking it was almost time for us to go our separate ways, but it looked like the party was just about to begin.

Finally liberated from imprisonment under the sand, I joined everyone around the barbecue grill.

"Fufufu..."

Eating only meat, the principal lustfully oogled the girls in swimsuits.

"I don't suppose your only goal here is to see everyone in their swimsuit, right?"

I asked in exasperation.

"Of course it is. Got a problem with that?"

"...Well, I think there are many problems with that."

Seeing the principal nod and admit openly, I could not help but sigh.

"Hmph, it's true that admiring swimsuits is my biggest goal... But checking out her condition is also part of the reason."

The principal shifted her gaze towards Tia across the grill and whispered.

"Tia, she's... probably fine. I think she will surely choose to be human."

Likewise, I whispered in reply.

"Hold on, Tia-san, you must eat your vegetables."

"Oh no, don't put the green pepper there!"

Seeing Lisa place a green pepper on her plate, Tia lost composure. Judging from the way they got along together, I felt that there would be no problem anymore.

"Choose...? Yes, even if she is a true dragon, if she lives as a human, she could become human. I too believe that how she lives her life... is far more important than what she is."

Narrowing her eyes, the principal spoke as though saying a prayer.

"...Principal?"

"Fufu, I accidentally said something that doesn't fit my image. Putting that aside, how's your wound from earlier?"

"Wound? Oh, the one on my left hand... The wound already healed, but the scar did not go away..."

The memory of her licking my wound flashed in my mind, making me answer a little nervously.

The mark left behind by that red swelling on the back of my left hand felt like an additional line had been added to my dragon mark.

"I see... It really did turn out like this."

The principal nodded with a look of comprehension. Speaking of which, back when she saw the wound, she apparently said the scar would never go away.

"Just by looking at the wound, you could tell it would leave a scar?"

"Only if examined carefully."

Saying that, the principal licked the grease sticking around her mouth. That motion seemed extraordinarily seductive, forcing me to gulp.

"—Charlotte-sama, please do not joke with students at their expense."

At this moment, Mica-san appeared and used her chopsticks to stuff a piece of green pepper into the principal's mouth.

"M-Mmmph! S-Stop it right now! Mica! I-I hate green peppers!"

"Please do not be picky with food in front of students. How would a picky principal serve as a role model for students?"

As though suffering karmic retribution for eating only meat the whole time, the principal was forced to eat vegetables.

Seeing her like that, everyone laughed out loud.

"Ahahahaha!"

Tia also laughed very happily.

Hearing her laughter, I felt my gaze drawn to the breakwater's direction.

Actually, I had emailed Honoka to invite her when I heard we were starting a barbecue.

She would probably feel intimidated to suddenly join an event where everyone else was part of Brynhildr Class. But taking advantage of the principal's presence, it should make things easier.

—If she came, I wanted to introduce her to everyone.

But it did not look like Honoka was coming.

She was probably busy due to the accident during the practical. Or after injuring her classmate, she felt an aversion against lively events.

—I wouldn't want to make her feel troubled. I'll just email her again later.

Deciding that in my mind, I turned my attention to the laughing crowd again—

===Part 6===

After the barbecue, the teachers gathered up the equipment and left. The members of Brynhildr Class all shifted locations to Mitsuki's dorm.

Lisa and the others had apparently gotten permission from Shinomiya-sensei to stay over at Mitsuki's dorm.

The girls were apparently planning to have pajamas party in Mitsuki's room, but I could not possibly join in as a guy after all, so after showering, I changed into a t-shirt and lay down alone in my own bed.

Tia was not in the room either. She had gone to Mitsuki's room with the others. Probably after everything that had happened today, she had started trusting her classmates from Brynhildr Class.

...Or rather, I should say it was thanks to Lisa.

When about to separate from me, Tia looked uneasy but she followed obediently after Lisa held her hand. They looked like mother and daughter, bringing a smile to my face.

As soon as I lay down, my eyelids instantly felt heavy.

Although I wanted to fall asleep just like that, I wanted to email Honoka before that. Hence, I picked up my portable terminal. But when I checked the screen, there were two emails that had arrived at some point. One was Honoka's reply while the other was sent by Major Loki. Speaking of which, Major Loki had mentioned he was going to send me data on Kili.

I opened Honoka's email first.

'I am so sorry I can't join you even though you went out of your way to invite me. Because I suddenly received a call from my mother, I missed the chance to meet up with you. My mother says she is worried whether I can live properly on my own. Looks like I am not that trusted.'

I read her email and keyed in my response.

'Don't worry about it since it was a sudden invitation without warning. Your own business is more important. Making calls to Midgard from outside requires going through convoluted procedures, but your mother still called you. She must be a good mother.'

Honoka had previously described their relationship as cold but in fact, she was probably close with her mother. I felt a bit relieved while sending my email. Then a reply came back quickly.

'Thank you for understanding but my mother still says things on her own without allowing any argument. Oh, speaking of which, I told her about you, Yuu-san, and she is very interested in you. She might be visiting Midgard in the near future, so please do your best then.'

Visiting Midgard...?

This was not a place that even a D's family could enter so easily. Honoka's mother was apparently active all over the world... Perhaps she was actually a person of quite substantial position.

Hence, I replied 'If possible, please have her show some mercy? Anyway, goodnight.'

—Okay, let me read Major Loki's email next.

I tensed up and opened the email. There were no contents apart from an attachment file.

I decompressed the data and opened it. What appeared was a profile with a photo included.

—So this is Kili?

It was most likely taken on a battlefield. The photo showed a girl standing in the middle of blazing flames.

She had slightly tanned skin and long black hair. Although her facial features were quite exquisite, her gaze was very sharp. Wearing a smoking black cape, her entire body gave off vibes of danger.

When told about Kili in the past, there was never such a vivid photo. Since NIFL had apparently fought Kili while taking Tia into custody, perhaps this was taken during that time.

—Kili Surtr Muspelheim. Female. Roughly 160cm in height. Age unknown. Weight unknown... Nationality and family background unknown too... Since three years ago, she started being active as the leader of the dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell. There are over three hundred terrorist incidents regarded as related to her. Reports indicate that she can incinerate people and objects without touching them. Very likely a D specializing in the transmutation of flames. Already deemed a disaster without concrete evidence...

Despite the full efforts of NIFL's intelligence agency, the amount of corroborated data was exceedingly small. Although there was an abundance of information noted with indeterminate veracity, it was all data that was hard to believe directly.

—By conservative estimates, suspected murder count is a hundred thousand people. Within a single night, wiping out a town stationed with a regiment of a thousand troops. A sniper located a kilometer away was burned to death by her before he could pull the trigger. Wide area bombing was used, expecting her death to be assured, but she was later confirmed to be still alive. Often appearing in towns after "Blue" Hekatonkheir had passed through...

"Is she even human...?"

I could not help but blurt out.

Even if Kili was a D, I doubted she could do all these things.

It would be more probable if she was the eighth dragon instead.

"But... Oh right, she is living as a dragon right now."

Kili was the culprit who had indoctrinated Tia with the concept that Ds were dragons. Suppose Kili also believed she was a dragon, then perhaps she had become something even more of a dragon than a dragon. If this was the appearance of a D who had chosen to be a dragon—

"I absolutely won't let Tia become like her."

With firm resolve, I muttered. Then lying on the bed again, I looked up at the ceiling at Mitsuki's room above, I could hear faint sounds from their voices and footsteps.

—Whether from Basilisk or Kili, I will protect Tia.

Vowing in my heart, I then closed my eyes.

Drowsiness attacked again. My thought gradually grew hazy and my consciousness left me.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

A massive low rumbling made me open my eyes. The room kept shaking, the desk lamp fell from the desk, causing an acute crash.

"What...!?"

I sat up to a start but the shaking soon stopped. The alarm clock next to my pillow read 2am. I had fallen asleep without realizing it.

—This was no earthquake. There was a loud noise... The shaking was caused by some kind of impact just now.

I immediately concluded that because I had experienced identical sounds and shaking before.

But this could not possibly be the same situation. That thing could not possibly be here.

"..."

Nevertheless, my palms were wet with sweat. Saliva was building up in my mouth. With a gulp, I swallowed it.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, pulling the curtains open forcefully.

On the other side of the jungle behind the dorm, under the starry night sky, part of the jungle had been cut down unnaturally.

The night sky's dark blue was blotted by a certain gigantic shadow.

Faintly blue in phosphorescence, the shadow shook its humongous body.

As for what thing I was witnessing—I knew very well.

"The blue dragon—'Blue' Hekatonkheir..."

Blankly, I could only recite in a hoarse voice the name of the being that was towering over the night sky. Right there was the monster that had tried to trample the town where Mitsuki and I lived.

Hekatonkheir's entire body was covered with blue scales. Whenever its body moved, geometric patterns could be seen blinking and flashing. Without any facial features, the head only had a huge horn, upright as though rushing towards the sky.

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!

Finally, the siren at the clock tower sounded.

This meant that Midgard did not become aware of this situation until now.

"What the heck... Why didn't anyone notice?"

Midgard was defended by the concentric layered defense system, Midgardsormr. How on earth did Hekatonkheir infiltrate Midgard without being discovered? No matter what, I could not think of the reason.

But appearing before us was neither Basilisk nor Kili but an unexpected crisis. This was absolutely certain.

Accompanied by the siren, the clock tower was gradually retracted into the ground.

However, Hekatonkheir bent down slowly and reached out with its long right arm.

The gigantic hand reached above the school campus and swept sideways.

CRASH—!!

The violent sound of breakage was heard.

Originally in the process of descent, the clock tower had its upper half chopped off. The remaining lower half also collapsed.

The siren stopped. Deformed by the impact, the clock tower's lower portion also stopped moving.

"Ah—"

I listened to the cry from my own throat as though I was completely detached.

The clock tower was where Midgard's important facilities and the emergency command center were gathered, and even the principal's office was on the top floor of the upper half that was sent flying just now...

The faces of the principal and Mica-san, who had just parted ways with me earlier, flashed in my mind.

"Grrr..."

Gritting my teeth, I rushed out of the room—
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T05:28:07Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 3 - Calamitous Flames of Muspelheim==

===Part 1===

The girl stared blankly, sitting collapsed in front of a pile of white ash.

Without crying audibly, her tears flowed nonstop.

The home where she had been living happily had turned into ash completely. On the floor were fragments of window glass that had melted then solidified into round shapes.

Black smoke was billowing from the fields whose harvest were originally looked forward to.

—The happiness she had finally obtained... The happiness which that person had given her, all of it disappeared.

Filled with irrepressible sorrow, the girl could only shed tears nonstop.

"You don't need to be sad, because ''it'' was not real."

This was what the fire witch, responsible for everything, told the girl. With icy eyes, she looked down at the white ash on the ground. Then fluttering her smoking black coat, she walked towards the despairing girl.

"Not... real?"

Not understanding, the girl asked hoarsely. The hot air in the surroundings was making her mouth dry.

"Yes, because you're not human. Abandon all that old and fake stuff to become the real you. Oh right—Let me give you a new name."

Saying that, the witch placed her hand on the girl's head. Frightened, the girl huddled herself in fear.

"From now on, you will be called Tia. Tia as in ''Tiamat'', the name of the silver dragon that Marduk vanquished in the past. You have great potential and will surely become something worthy of that name."

Written off as not human, receiving the name of Tia, the girl trembled and asked the witch:

"...What am I?"

"Tia, you are a ''dragon''."

Hearing the girl's question, the witch replied in a forceful tone of voice.

"Dragon..."

"Indeed, and our mother is 'Black' Vritra. You have not lost anything. Even now, our mother continues to watch over us."

The girl widened her eyes.

"...Mama?"

"Yes, as a ''dragon'', Tia, you are not alone, because you have a mother and many sisters."

Feeling a sense of solitude impossible to bury, the girl could only rely on the witch's whispers.

Even though she knew it was wrong—

===Part 2===

Having deployed a dragon-shaped fictional armament, Tia's gigantic body was making the spacious underground training site look like a cramped cage. Hovering in midair, the massive body had a destructive storm swirling around it.

Countless lightning strikes were tearing into the training site's inner walls. The fierce wind was sealing our movements.

Just as Lisa lost balance from the strong wind, a bolt of lightning descended upon her.

"Lisa!"

I was nearby so I slammed myself against Lisa to help her evade the lightning. Immediately finding my face buried in a soft sensation, making me unable to breathe, I moved my head. A sweet fragrance instantly filled my nostrils. Even my ears heard a seductive voice.

"Mmm.... No... M-Mononobe Yuu! W-Where, where do you think you're touching!?"

"Oh... S-Sorry!"

Realizing I had my face in Lisa's voluptuous bosom, I frantically separated from her.

"N-Normally speaking, I would have punished you mercilessly by now, understand? However... Since you seem to have rescued me this time, I shan't pursue the matter... Thank you."

Blushing, Lisa thanked me quietly.

"Wow, Lisa thanking me, it's gonna rain today, no wait... A storm is already blowing."

To prevent myself from getting blown away by the strong wind, I lowered my posture while looking up at Tia who had become the eye of the storm.

"...What on earth is happening? That dragon is Tia-san... isn't it?"

"Yeah, it must be Tia's fictional armament. If by tracing out the 'outline of the mind,' Tia created that kind of fictional armament... Then perhaps she totally believes she's a dragon right now."

When I thought of it that way, it could explain why she suddenly went out of control.

"I-If that is the case, we must hurry to bring her back to normal!"

"Yeah—But how to get close...?"

Raging wind and lightning were ravaging the surroundings. On the other hand, Tia was hovering ten-odd meters above the floor.

"Mononobe!"

Just as I was wondering how to approach Tia, I heard Iris' voice. At the same time, the wind blowing us suddenly stopped.

I looked back to see Iris and Firill. Since they were training relatively nearer to us, they had come over to assist us.

Firill lifted the fictional grimoire shaped from her dark matter. She probably performed air transmutation to create a barrier of wind.

No longer suffering from the storm's pressure, I now had the luxury of observing my surroundings. I could see Mitsuki, Ren and Ariella gathered around Shinomiya-sensei next to wall on the far end. From what I could see, they were probably using transmuted air to neutralize the wind like Firill. Since they were too far away, it was impossible to join forces with them.

"...Are you two alright?"

Firill asked us.

"Yeah, we're alright but... Tia's a messy situation. Can you two help me?"

"...Sure."

Firill nodded.

"Yes, of course! Mononobe, what should I do?"

Iris nodded vigorously and sought my directions.

"Firill, try to expand the wind barrier as much as possible. And Iris, I want you to make explosions to divert Tia's attention."

"Got it, I'll try!"

Saying that, Iris manifested her fictional armament—Caduceus.

"—Mononobe Yuu, then I shall be heading over to Tia-san."

Raising her Gungnir, Lisa turned her gaze to Tia above.

"No wait, it's better if I reached to Tia."

"True that may be... But can you fly?"

Lisa looked at me uneasily. The method of using wind to fly required created a huge amount of air through transmutation.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low compared to everyone else, which meant I could not use that method. However—

"If it's just that kind of height, I'll manage. Lisa, could you please create lightning rods in the surroundings to divert the lightning?"

"...No helping it, leave it to me—Rise, towers of steel!"

Four masses of dark matter were ejected by Lisa's Gungnir, turning into four steel rods in the air, then embedded themselves into the ground as though surrounding Tia's position.

The random lightning strikes gathered towards the four lightning rods.

"My turn!"

Iris pointed Caduceus' tip at Tia and started concentrating.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

As though surrounding Tia, dark matter manifested in multiple spots.

"Iris, don't hurt Tia."

"I know—O raindrops, scatter!"

Transmuted into water, the dark matter all exploded together.

Iris possessed the special talent that made everything explode no matter what she transmuted. Furthermore, she had high-level spatial awareness, allowing her to aim at the target without deviation. Hence, the accompanied steam explosion did not harm Tia directly.

Ruoooooooooooooooooooooo!

Frightened by the explosions, Tia used the dragon's stout limbs, formed from dark matter, to attack the steam shrouding her. But the limbs were worn down instead upon contact with the steam.

Eroded, the limbs rapidly recovered but it made me certain that this was just a dragon in nothing but appearance only. Before undergoing transmutation, dark matter was extremely fragile, vanishing whenever it touched matter apart from the person who had summoned it. In that case, touching Tia who was supposed to be inside should not be that difficult.

"Firill, just try your best... Help me to open up a path!"

After saying that, I instantly rushed towards Tia.

"Understood—Air Road."

I heard Firill's voice behind me. Then a favorable wind propelled me from behind. Firill's wind ran past me and helped me to block the raging wind coming from Tia. Meanwhile, Tia's attention was caught by the explosions so she did not notice me approaching.

While running, I concentrated my mind to manifest my fictional armament.

"Siegfried."

Appearing in my right hand was a mass of dark matter shaped like a large-caliber ornamental gun.

By using this fictional armament, I could fire dark matter as bullets, allowing me to perform powerful transmutations three times. After using three shots' worth, the fictional armament would disappear, but manifesting it again would create a huge opening, hence—

—I have to finish this in three shots.

Without slowing down, I pointed the muzzle at Tia above and pulled the trigger without aiming carefully.

"Smoke Bullet."

The fired bullet transmuted into tiny particles of dust and air. The red dragon was instantly engulfed by the puff of smoke. The countless dust particles wore away the dark matter, peeling off Tia's outer garment of a dragon for a brief instant.

—I see her!

As soon as the storm blew the smoke away, the dark matter dragon would revive again, but I had already captured Tia's location in my sight.

The left breast... The heart's location!

Arriving under Tia, I stopped running. This time, I aimed precisely and shot the ground.

"Air Bullet!"

Transmuted into a large volume of air, the dark matter struck the ground and exploded, blowing me towards the sky.

In this manner, I charged into the dragon's interior. Although my view turned completely red, there was no tactile sensation or feeling of resistance. Prior to transmutation, dark matter was equivalent to not existing and could not impede my advance.

"Tia!"

I yelled while reaching out with my empty left hand. My aim had not deviated, as long as I reached enough height, this hand should be able to touch—

After my fingertip felt a tiny sensation, I found Tia in front of my eyes. Her eyes were blank and did not reflect anything. As expected, she was not conscious.

Perhaps we were... the culprits for turning Tia, who believed she was a dragon, into a real dragon.

"Pull yourself together! Tia!!"

I yelled loudly while embracing her with my left arm.

"—Ehhh? Yuu...?"

The light returned to Tia's eyes as she called my name.

Then holding Tia in my arm, I started to fall, traveling through the dragon's body.

Seeing the ground gradually approaching, I aimed Siegfried downwards. This was the last shot.

"—Air Pressure Bullet!"

I used an explosion of air to cancel the falling impact. Landing lightly, I immediately check Tia's condition.

"Are you okay, Tia?"

"..."

Having regained consciousness just now, Tia still did not respond. She had fainted, her limp body leaning against me.

Due to manifesting such a gigantic fictional armament and performing large-scale transmutations continuously, her mind and body must be thoroughly exhausted.

"Mononobe!"

Iris and Lisa ran over to me. From the distance, Mitsuki and the others also hurried to our side.

The classmates all showed worried expressions. But amidst all this, only Shinomiya-sensei was watching us with a harsh gaze.

Seeing Shinomiya-sensei's expression, I knew that time was short.

Turning my gaze to Tia, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion—I steeled my determination to face off against the monster invading her heart.

===Part 3===

Although Tia had gone on a rampage, greatly damaging the training site, luckily, no one was injured.

Also because Mitsuki and I tried our hardest to intercede on her behalf, Tia's punishment was withheld for now.

However, Shinomiya-sensei also warned us that there would be no second chances.

—After all, the training site was damaged to the point that it required repairs before it could be used again.

Carrying Tia on my back, I went to the infirmary. Along the way, I recalled the pitiful condition of the training site, damaged from floor to ceiling by lightning.

Due to the severe damage caused to the facilities, the entire incident might have to be reported to Midgard's superior organization, Asgard. If further damage occurred, Asgard would definitely punish Tia.

—I need to have a proper discussion with her after she wakes up.

In order to help Tia become a member of Midgard, to become a fellow classmate in the truest sense, I had to make her a human.

I walked through the quiet corridor to arrive in front of the infirmary's door.

"Pardon the intrusion."

I opened the horizontally sliding door with a clatter, only to see that the person inside was not the school nurse who had looked after me on a number of occasions.

"...Eh?"

Staring at me in surprise was the girl who had chatted with me yesterday—Tachikawa Honoka. Dressed in gym clothes, she was sitting in a chair with her top lifted up, in the middle of sterilizing a wound on her flank.

"Kyah!?"

Honoka straightened her lifted top and turned her back to me. Originally frozen from excessive surprise, I also came back to my senses as a result of her scream.

"Oh... Umm, sorry! I'll wait outside."

Carrying Tia on my back, I was about to shut the door when Honoka frantically called to me.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san on your back is not feeling well, right? N-No need to mind me... Please come in."

"...Are you fine with it? Then pardon... the intrusion, okay?"

I felt as though someone had invited me into their bedroom. Stepping into the infirmary, I went to the innermost bed and unloaded the sleeping Tia from my back. Laying her out gently on the bed, I put a blanket on her before turning to face Honoka.

"Uh, looks like there's no one else here... Where did the nurse go?"

"Oh, the nurse is over at the clinic because there was someone with more serious injuries than me. She is currently treating that person."

"Serious injuries? Was there some kind of accident?"

Honoka's arms and legs had several pieces of gauze stuck to them. Before I arrived at the infirmary, she was already treating her own wounds.

"...Actually, I failed a transmutation during a practical. That's also why my classmate became injured."

She was referring to the student being treated at the clinic?

Honoka's class was apparently having a practical lesson at a different training site than ours.

"I see, although everyone makes mistakes... It must feel pretty bad that you hurt others."

"Yes... I will apologize to her properly afterwards. Whether or not she will forgive me, I don't know."

"That's true, no matter what the outcome, I think that's the best way to go about it."

Hearing me say that, Honoka smiled wryly.

"...You really aren't one to hand out comforting words, Yuu-san."

"Sorry, although I know that I should be encouraging you."

"No, compared to people who comfort others irresponsibly, I prefer someone like you."

I felt embarrassed by her description and scratched my face, looking away.

"—But anyway, even if there are other people injured, is it okay for the nurse to leave you alone, Honoka? I don't think there's a shortage of manpower..."

Although the school nurse was the only medical professional on duty, there should be other specialized doctors who were on call. To ensure the Ds' health, Midgard had a comprehensive medical care system.

"No, this really isn't anything serious... I offered to do the dressings myself because it's just putting on gauze after sterilizing."

Saying that, Honoka showed me the bottle of antiseptic liquid and gauze in her hands.

"But from what I saw just now, your wound is somewhere hard for your hand to reach, right?"

When she was sterilizing her flank just now, it looked like she was twisting her body in quite a forced posture.

"That's true... Some places are harder... Oh right, if it's okay with you... Could you help me?"

"Eh? M-Me?"

I widened my eyes greatly upon hearing these surprising words.

"Yes, on my back... Even if it's just this part."

Saying that, Honoka pulled her gym t-shirt up sightly.

My attention was drawn to her snow-white skin.

"Sure... If you don't mind."

Despite feeling troubled, I still approached her. I had learned first aid for the most part at NIFL. There was no need to falter at dressing a wound of this level.

"Then I'll apply the antiseptic. Are you really fine with this?"

Receiving the antiseptic and the gauze, I confirmed with her again. If things turned into sexual harassment after the fact, it would be too much to swallow.

"I'm counting on you, please... be gentle."

"O-Okay... Got it."

I gulped and nodded.

I walked over to the back of Honoka, who was sitting in a chair, and knelt down to treat her.

"...Mmm, ahh..."

Perhaps feeling some stinging, Honoka emitted inexplicably seductive moans. To distract myself as much as possible, I made conversation with her.

"Speaking of which, Honoka, you were discovered in the towns ahead of Basilisk's route of advance, right? You're Japanese no matter how I look, so why were you in that kind of place?"

I asked the question that had occurred to me during the full-school assembly. Honoka answered while enduring the stinging from her wound.

"My mother... Mmm... is someone who travels the world... Ah... As for me, I visit various places together with my mother."

"What an accomplished mother... Do you feel lonely, suddenly separated from her?"

"No... Our relationship is quite cold because I don't have a father or relatives... Mmm... In a certain sense, we stayed together because of circumstances, so it actually relieves me to become independent."

Honoka's reply was very calm and did not sound like a brave front.

"...That's so strong of you. Okay, dressing is done."

I examined the sterilized wound then applied the gauze, ending the treatment.

"Thank you, Yuu-san."

After Straightening out her clothing, Honoka thanked me.

"It was nothing. Well... Although it's embarrassing to say this, but from now on, you don't need to be so polite when asking friends for help."

"Friends... huh?"

Honoka's face looked like she had heard something unexpected. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Yeah, that's what I think. If you feel that I'm forcing things too much, then I apologize."

"No, nothing of that sort. I... am extremely glad."

Honoka smiled and shook her head.

"Great, then let's look after each other from now on."

"V-Very well, me too... Let's look after each other. S-So... I'd like to head over to the clinic to see how my classmate is doing."

Honoka lowered her head and bowed, then a little frantically, she walked to the infirmary's exit.

"Sure, see you."

I waved a hand in response. Honoka partially closed her eyes and smiled.

"Great—hope to talk to you again, then I'm off..."

She closed the door and the room suddenly turned silent.

—Hope?

Rather than waiting for chance encounters, perhaps I should write emails to her proactively.

Injuring a classmate might have repercussions for her. Although I might not be able to help much, it would be good for her to have someone to confide in at least. As her friend, I wanted to help her as much as possible.

Thinking about this kind of thing, I turned my gaze to the bed.

Tia was still sound asleep.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

But at this moment, the terminal for the infirmary's internal line played a ringtone and the call lamp kept flashing.

"...Should I answer?"

I hesitated and looked at the infirmary's door. The school nurse did not look like she was returning yet.

—Maybe it might be for me.

I had reported to Shinomiya-sensei that I was taking Tia to the infirmary. Thinking it could be something to inform me, I pressed the pick up button on the screen despite my hesitation.

With an electronic sound, the screen immediately switched.

Then a face appeared on the screen, but it was someone I totally did not expect.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"...Major Loki?"

His name flew out of my mouth. It was the man who had been my direct commanding officer at NIFL.

On the other end, NIFL stared at me with his slender eyes. A gentle smile surfaced on his face.

'Until just now, I was still having a discussion with Colonel Shinomiya. Then I asked her to connect my call over to your end. Because I didn't even get a chance to talk to you during the personnel reassignment, I've been wanting to find a chance to chat with you.'

"Huh...? If it's chatting, last time—"

'What are you talking about, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe? Ever since you transferred to Midgard, this is my first time speaking to you, isn't it?'

Hearing him say that, I remembered this was a public ine.

When Leviathan was attacking, Major Loki had exploited the opening in Midgardsormr switching to interception mode and secretly contacted me through my personal terminal. This was to talk about things that must not reach Midgard's ears, because he wanted me to kill the D whose dragon mark had changed color.

"Right... Yeah, Major Loki, because I feel that working under you was only recently, I made a mistake."

Left without a choice, I could only go along with him. If any problems arose from what I said arbitrarily, it would turn into Mitsuki's responsibility because she was the one supervising me.

'Haha, me too. Clearly you're no longer my subordinate, but I still worry about you. I've got something to tell you. Want to hear it?'

"Yes... What is it?"

Staring at Major Loki's fake smile, I nodded. Since it was something that could be said on a public line, it should not be something dangerous like last time.

'The dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell, is apparently plotting to recover Tia Lightning. Although I've already asked Midgard to pay more attention, you be careful too.'

The Sons of Muspell... was the name of the organization that had effectively kept Tia under house arrest in the past. If they knew about the dragonification of Ds, it was not difficult to understand why they wanted to retrieve Tia, but—

"Recover...? From Midgard here? I think they'll get eliminated by Midgardsormr the instant they approach, right...?"

'Yes, Midgard's defenses are impregnable. But supplies and personnel need to enter and exit. Although there are stringent checks, it is not entirely impossible to get through. And this time, beyond a doubt... Kili will make a move too."

The smile vanished from Major Loki's face this time.

"That Kili huh..."

Kili Surtr Muspelheim. The leader of the Sons of Muspell, she was also a D deemed a disaster... Although I did not think she could penetrate Midgardsormr, she was quite a strong threat indeed.

'Kili is very strong, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the information we received this time, alerting us that the Sons of Muspell had a D in their compound, NIFL mobilized all deployable forces. But the result was that Kili singlehandedly suppressed the majority.'

"The Sons of Muspell, are they doing this knowing that Ds will dragonify..."

'Arrested cultists did not seem to be in the know, but at least we can conclude that Kili knows. At the time, Tia Lightning was apparently just moved there from another facility. They probably intended to hand her to Basilisk as its mate instead of waiting for it to visit.'

In other words, Tia was originally in the process of being transported as a live sacrifice. If NIFL had acted slightly later, the second Basilisk would surely have been born.

"If they'll go so far to increase the number of dragons... I guess it's impossible they'll give up so easily."

'Indeed, Kili will definitely take some kind of action. If she infiltrates Midgard, a great disaster can be predicted. Please do not lower your guard at all. Considering that even Sleipnir could not handle her, she is probably stronger than you as you are right now.'

"...!"

I gasped. Major Loki had attempted to raise me as monster stronger than anyone else. Precisely because these words came from his mouth, I could understand how abnormal this D called Kili was.

'If possible, I'd really like to send out Sleipnir but Midgard won't allow NIFL to interfere that easily. Hence, if anything happens, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, I place my hopes you alone.'

"Clearly when Kili is stronger than me... You still have hopes for me?"

'Yes, even so, you are the only one who might be able to kill her. If there are people and things around you that you wish to protect, please abandon your silly obstinacy. This is my honest advice to you.'

Major Loki spoke to me with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"...I'll bear that in mind."

It felt like my heart was being squeezed. I forced my voice out to respond.

'You would do well to remember that. Oh right, although this is pure just in case, I will send to your terminal all accumulated information regarding Kili to this date. Read over it when you have time.'

"Sure, thank you... for doing so much for me."

'You're welcome, I did this willingly. Also, Basilisk is still crossing the African continent. Things were sudden with Leviathan and NIFL was in chaos, but this time, we have plenty of time so you don't need to worry about unnecessary things.'

Major Loki spoke suggestively. Last time, NIFL had sent a team to kill Iris. He was probably hinting that no such operation would happen yet for now.

But in that case, the murderous intent I sensed last time was...

"...I got it."

Although there were still things that bothered me, I nodded for now in response.

'Then it's time I excused myself. Hope to talk to you again—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Major Loki smiled sarcastically then the call disconnected, turning the screen black.

"Kili huh..."

I uttered her name softly in my mouth. During training, she was often used as an imaginary enemy, hence I had no hesitation towards fighting, however—

"Yuu...?"

Just as I was staring at the pictureless screen, lost in thought, I suddenly heard a voice from behind.

"Tia, you woke up?"

Perhaps my conversation with Major Loki had woken her up. Tia had sat up in bed, looking at me with a troubled look.

"Why is... Tia in this kind of place? Tia should be with Yuu training just now..."

"—So you don't remember? Including this, I need to have a chat with you next, but this isn't a good place to talk. Let's go to the beach, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia showed an expression of joy.

"Yes, Tia wants to see the sea with Yuu again."

Although the notion of bringing gloom to that smiling face pained my heart, I still took Tia by the hand as she ran towards it.

The husband and the dragon's wife.

This ill-matched game of playing house—It was probably about to end soon.

===Part 4===

Tia and I first went made a trip to the classroom. After changing into our uniforms, we left the campus with our school bags.

Other people might be busy with handling the training site's aftermath. They were not in the classroom.

Since the practicals in the afternoon had been suspended due to the damaged training site, there were no more lessons today. Like yesterday, we walked along the path to the dorm, descended to the beach and took off our shoes.

"Wow, it feels like the sea can be seen clearer than yesterday."

Peering at the seawater from the water's edge, Tia jumped around, grinning from ear to ear. We visited yesterday near dusk, so the impression given off by the sea was probably quite different compared to the daytime.

The waves produced white spray, gently caressing our ankles.

Watching Tia stepping on the waves, I quietly asked her:

"Tia, compared to yesterday, do you like Lisa and the others more?"

"Y-Yes, Tia knows they're good people now."

Tia answered a bit embarrassedly. With Firill's manga as a trigger, through chatting with everyone in the class, her wariness had decreased somewhat compared to yesterday.

"However, just now, Tia... you almost injured Lisa, you know?"

"...Eh?"

Widening her eyes, Tia showed surprise on her face.

"Tia, you wanted to make a fictional armament but ended up in the form of a dragon and caused mass destruction. The training site is now all torn up by the storm and lightning strikes."

"N-No way... Tia did that—"

In a trembling voice, Tia shook her head in disbelief.

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. At the time, you weren't in a normal mental state, but it doesn't change the fact that you endangered Lisa and the others. So Tia, I hope you'll apologize to the others and promise you'll never do that again."

I bent down to speak at Tia's eye level.

"G-Got it! Tia will apologize! Let's go find everyone!"

Tia frantically pulled my hand. Like Honoka earlier whom I met at the infirmary, Tia was regretting her failure.

"...You're a good girl after all, Tia. But if things do not change, you won't be able to keep that promise. You'll probably repeat your mistakes, as long as you continue—to believe you are a dragon."

"Eh... What do you mean by believe? Tia really is a dragon. Aren't Yuu and everyone dragons too?"

Tia answered with surprise. However, I could see slight wavering in her eyes.

"No, we're humans."

"Why... Why does even Yuu say something so mean? We are dragons! Having this kind of power is the proof!"

Tia generated dark matter in the surroundings, transmuting it into electrical currents. Sparks flew with a sizzling sound. However, I stared into Tia's eyes squarely without backing down.

"Indeed, perhaps there's that interpretation too. Then I'll put things another way. At least for the Ds residing in Midgard, we are all living as humans."

"Living... as humans?"

"Yeah, so as long you insist on living as a dragon, Tia, we won't be able to coexist."

Tia widened her eyes.

"That means... We can't be together?"

"That's right, so that I hope, Tia... you can be human."

I proposed the only necessary condition for Tia to become part of the family that was Brynhildr Class.

"No... Because Tia is a dragon... With these kinds of horns, Tia is already not human..."

Touching her red horns, Tia rejected my proposal.

"It's fine if you have horns. To me, Tia, you're a cute girl and I think it's the same for Lisa and the rest.

"But, but..."

I explained to her gently but Tia kept shaking her head.

"Why do you want to be a dragon so much, Tia? Please tell me, what on earth happened after we separated in that warzone? What happened to the parents who were with you back then?"

"Tia has no papa and mama, they were... fakes."

Like last evening, Tia looked down with a stiff expression.

"Then I hope you can tell me about the fake papa and mama."

I placed my hand on Tia's face and slowly lifted her head, meeting her gaze up close

Her silence persisted a while. Only the sound of waves were heard reguarly.

Tia's red eyes moistened and her cheeks blushed

"...Yuu wants to know about Tia that much?"

"Yes, because I want to be with you too, that's why I want to know.

Hearing my answer, Tia gulped then quietly began:

"...After being saved by Yuu, Tia and they went to live in another country."

What she meant by "they" was probably her parents. Refusing to call them papa and mama, Tia continued:

"They become more gentle than before. Even if Tia did not use power, they still smiled at Tia. Working outside in the fields was hard work, but happy too. But everything... house, fields or them... One day, they suddenly burned up and disappeared."

"Burned up... Was it a fire?"

"No, not a fire. What Tia met was—Kili."

"...!"

Hearing that name, my face froze.

—I never expected to hear Kili's name here too.

Tia had been imprisoned by the Sons of Muspell, hence it was not surprising that she had met the cult's leader Kili. However, I never thought Kili was the one who had deprived Tia of her parents and her home.

"Kili told Tia they were not real, so Tia did not lose anything. Tia is a dragon and has a real mama—'Black' Vritra. The many Ds in the world... are Tia's sisters. That's what she told Tia."

After listening to Tia, I finally understood what she was running away from.

To escape the truth of her parents' death, Tia had no choice but to rely on Kili's words.

As soon as she admitted she was human, she had to accept the loss of her parents. In such a state, ordinary persuasion was not going to work on Tia. Trying to reason with her would lead to nowhere.

"—Thank you for telling me, Tia."

I thanked Tia and stroked her head lightly.

"Yuu understands... what Tia thinks?"

"Yeah... I understand clearly now. I won't say your thinking is wrong anymore."

"Wonderful..."

Tia looked relieved, but I immediately said:

"But I must correct what Kili said. As long as you're living as a dragon, Tia, you'll never be sisters with the Ds who are living as humans, you'll never be family with me, Lisa and the others."

"Eh—?"

Tia's expression instantly froze.

"This might be an unfair way of putting it, but please understand. At this rate, you won't be able to get what you want. Tia, I hope you'll choose to be human."

I could not refute Tia's belief. Even if I forcibly laid out the truth in front of her eyes, without the mental preparation to accept it, she would only end up mind broken. As a result, I could only hint towards future gains and losses and ask her to make a choice.

"Choose...? Tia doesn't quite get... what Yuu is saying."

"...True. I guess it's not something that can be explained clearly with words. In that case, I'll show you. I'll show you what you can do to become human."

After saying that, I took out my portable terminal.

"What are you doing?"

Tia asked uneasily. I smiled and answered her:

"It's still early and there are no lessons. Let's have fun with everyone next. If I say it's for Tia, I'm guessing all our classmates will gather."

"Why...? Didn't Tia do awful things to everyone? Isn't Lisa angry?"

"She'll come even if she's angry. Because all of us wants to become family with you, Tia."

Listening to my answer, Tia widened her eyes, rooted to the spot in a daze for a moment.

===Part 5===

After I emailed Iris and Mitsuki, asking them to let everyone else know, we returned to the dorm and changed into our swimwear. According to Mitsuki's response, they were going to come over in an hour's time.

I heard there was a set of beach gear in the dorm's storeroom, so Tia and I brought out a sun umbrella and plastic mats.

"Tia caused everyone trouble, so Tia has to work hard."

Dressed in a school swimsuit, Tia still tried her hardest to move one of the larger mats despite doing it unsteadily.

With preparations basically complete. I was giving Tia swimming lessons in the shallows when the first classmate arrived.

"Mononobe!"

Iris ran over while waving, dressed in a white bikini. With every step she ran, that lovely bosom would bounce accordingly.

"Wow..."

I felt my heart flutter, worrying whether that swimsuit, tied by flimsy strings, would stay on.

Iris arrived in front of us and twirled around to show us. With her silver hair fluttering, bathed under the sunlight, her pale complexion looked extremely dazzling.

"How is it? I lost my previous swimsuit, so I bought a new one!"

"...Looks amazing. Speaking of which, Iris, the first time we met, you said your swimsuit got washed away."

I thought back to my first encounter with Iris. Thanks to that—No wait, unfortunately due to that—I saw Iris' naked body and got attacked by her.

"Yeah, but in the end, I still couldn't find it—No wait, s-stop thinking about that time, you're embarrassing me..."

Iris blushed and shielded her bosom with her arms. But that posture of hers made me even more conscious of her. Mesmerized by the sight of Iris in her white swimsuit, it took me a while before I could mutter:

"—Iris really is so pretty."

Whether back then or right now, Iris was so beautiful that I could say such words naturally.

"Wha... W-W-W-What... If you suddenly say something like that to me, I'll..."

Iris blushed all the way to her neck and sat down on the beach all of a sudden.

"H-Hey, are you okay?"

Worried, I extended my hand but Tia circled around in front of me as though trying to block me.

"Yuu, what about Tia? How's Tia's swimsuit?"

"Hmm? Yeah, you're very cute, Tia."

I answered honestly but for some reason, she pouted and glared at Iris unhappily.

"Tia finally... gets it, you—Iris—are Tia's rival!"

Confronted with Tia's pointing finger, Iris cocked her head in surprise and puzzlement.

"Rivals? Me and you, Tia?"

"That's right, Tia... won't lose to you!"

"I don't quite get it, but you want to compete against me, right? Well... Okay, how about we play the stick-in-the-sand game?"

Smiling, Iris gathered sand to make a small mound.

"Stick-in-the-sand?"

"Yes. You play this game by making a mound of sand like this... Then put on a stick on top. We take turns digging the mound and whoever makes the stick fall over loses."

Iris picked up a twig that had fallen by the water's edge and planted it on top of the sand before explaining the rules to Tia.

"G-Got it, Tia accepts... this match."

Tia nodded with a serious expression then started playing the game with Iris.

It felt like they had totally strayed from the original point, but I watched them play without interrupting.

At this time, Lisa, Firill, Ariella and Ren arrived as well.

"As reluctant as I am to let you see my swimsuit, I still forced myself to come."

Wearing a mature-looking black swimsuit, Lisa tossed her hair as she spoke to me.

"...Despite what you said, I think you were selecting your swimsuit very seriously."

Firill quipped quietly. She was dressed in a two-piece blue swimsuit.

"B-Because sun protection is a nuisance and I don't often go to the beach, that was why I had to agonize over which swimsuit to wear! I-I was certainly not concerned about Mononobe Yuu's gaze, got that?"

Lisa frantically explained herself to Firill.

Both girls had bigger busts than Iris and their swimsuits made their cleavage visible. That overwhelming volume, normally hidden under their uniforms, was currently shaking the core of my brain.

"Haha—Lisa is not upfront as usual. With a man's gaze present, anyone would care more or less."

Speaking wryly was Ariella in a tropical print swimsuit. Wearing a one-piece frilly swimsuit, Ren was hiding behind her.

"...Mm."

Like a small animal, Ren stared warily at me. Faced with such strong thoughts, I felt quite uncomfortable too.

"Uh... Everyone looks great in their swimsuit."

To soothe the indescribably tense atmosphere, I offered my comment. It was not a lie, because objectively speaking, all the girls in Brynhildr Class were very attractive... To the point that I had no idea where I should be looking.

"O-Of course! I know without needing you to tell me."

Lisa scowled and turned her head away to respond.

"...Thank you for your praise."

Firill thanked me without changing expressions.

"Umm, t-there's no need to... flatter me."

Ariella was normally calm and rational, but would lose composure as soon as anyone praised her. Her gaze drifted all over the place aimlessly.

"......Mm."

The shy Ren was blushing, hiding completely behind Ariella.

"...Nii-san, what you said just now could almost be construed as sexual harassment."

Last to appear was Mitsuki, staring coldly at me.

She apparently made a trip back to the dorm. There was an inflated beach ball in her hand.

"What!? That counted as sexual harassment? I was only offering my opinion?"

"It depends on the situation. Seeing as you made Ren-san so embarrassed, there is nothing you can say against allegations of sexual harassment."

"Well... I guess I'd better keep quiet about your swimsuit, right, Mitsuki?"

I checked out my sister's swimsuit and spoke. Although it was a one-piece, the back was exposed quite boldly. It looked quite sexy from behind.

"......No, I will not feel embarrassment from what you say, Nii-san, so please feel free to say whatever pleases you."

Mitsuki gave an unnatural pause before answering indifferently.

"Really? Then here goes—It looks great on you. Also, the back is a bit sexy."

"..."

Mitsuki glared sharply then pulled my ear without saying a word.

"Hey... Ow! That hurts!"

"...Nii-san, even when you are talking to your sister, you should pay a little attention to your choice of words, shouldn't you?"

"But you said I could say whatever pleases me!?"

I grumbled at her but Mitsuki retorted with her face red.

"That was built upon the assumption of minimum manners!"

Just as we were arguing like this, I suddenly heard Tia scream.

"Ahhh! No, don't fall down!"

I looked in Tia and Iris' direction in surprise, only to see an irregular mound of sand collapse together with the stick.

"Hmph, I won!"

Iris made a victory sign with her hand while Tia slumped her shoulders in dejection. But she immediately looked up and begged to challenge Iris again.

"One more time! Another game!"

"Sure, I'll accept no matter how many times you challenge me. But since everyone has arrived, let's play a different game this time."

Saying that, Iris gestured towards Lisa and the rest with her eyes to Tia.

"Oh..."

It seemed like Tia only noticed now that everyone had gathered.

Patting off the sand stuck to her knees, Tia stood up. Then nervously, she peered at Lisa's face.

"What's the matter? Did something stick to my face?"

Lisa asked her in puzzlement. She did not seem angry at Tia at all.

Seeing her like that, Tia forcefully bowed her head with tears in the corners of her eyes.

"S-Sorry! Tia heard from Yuu, that Tia... did something awful to Lisa... S-So... Sorry!!"

"Oh, you are bothered by what happened earlier."

Lisa seemed to understand the situation. Nodding, she walked over to Tia.

"...Lisa?"

Tia showed a timid expression while looking up at Lisa's face.

"I understand now, then I shall punish you."

Saying that, Lisa raised her hand slowly then gave Tia's head a knock.

"Ow!"

Tia immediately held her head and squatted down.

"H-Hey Lisa, there's no need to go so far—Are you actually angry with her?"

I frantically asked her but Lisa shook her head in denial.

"No, I am not angry at all. However... Punishment is necessary for those seeking atonement. Before she gets consumed by guilt, her wrongdoing must be settled first."

For some reason, Lisa glanced at Mitsuki momentarily before answering in a calm voice.

"Owie..."

Tia was rubbing her head where Lisa's fist had struck her. Tearfully, she looked at Lisa.

"That goes without saying. Punishments are meant to hurt in the first place. But with this, Tia-san, you have atoned for your mistakes. You don't need to feel guilty anymore for what happened. Whether myself or everyone else, we are all fine with it. Am I right?"

Lisa sought agreement from the group. Everyone nodded in response.

"...So that is how things stand."

Lisa smiled gently and hugged Tia to her chest.

"Mmgg..."

"I believe I did control my strength. Does it still hurt? Perhaps I used too much force."

Stroking Tia's head, Lisa remarked with worry.

"...No, it doesn't hurt anymore, Lisa... Thank you."

Burying her face in the bountiful bosom, Tia thanked Lisa quietly.

"Since we've made up, let's all play beach volleyball together!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 179.jpg|thumb]]

Seeing things reach a conclusion, Iris suggested energetically.

"We weren't fighting to begin with... Fine, whatever."

Lisa nodded despite sighing then released Tia from her embrace.

"...Feels like mama."

Tia murmured in a slight daze.

"Then let us gather in a circle and toss the ball. Oh, just that whenever Nii-san's name is called, he must receive the ball no matter where it goes, or else be subjected to punishment."

Holding the beach ball, Mitsuki added a super harsh rule.

"H-Hey, what am I the only one with that restriction!?"

"Because you went through harsh training at NIFL, Nii-san. Without such a handicap, there will not be any tension for you, right?"

Probably still holding a grudge about the swimsuit comment, Mitsuki replied with animosity.

"It's not like I need tension... Fine, I get it, let's go with that rule."

Frankly speaking, I intentionally took on her taunting and accepted the rule because I was confident.

But I soon realized that I was too naive.

"Ah... The first star is out."

Buried in the sand, I was looking up at the red sky. The sun was approaching the horizon in the west. The blue of night was starting to spread from the eastern sky.

My body felt extremely heavy.

Due to everyone enjoying themselves at my expense during the game of volleyball, I had to rush all over the place, reaching my limit no matter how good my stamina. Plus the fact that Lisa and Firill's chests were bouncing even more intensely than the ball, it was hard for me to focus. In the end, I missed a ball and was punished by burial in the sand. Unable to move, I was listening to everyone's voices in the distance.

"Good, good, well done. You are swimming quite well now."

"Really? Tia learned how to swim now?"

Lisa and Tia's conversation reached me. The two of them seemed to be getting along really well.

"Eh!? My swimsuit... Where's my swimsuit!?"

I heard Iris' frantic voice. She had apparently lost her swimsuit again, but since I could not get up, I was unable to see what she looked like.

"...Iris-san, please pull yourself together. Is this it?"

I heard Mitsuki's voice of resignation. Apparently, she had found Iris' swimsuit.

The sound of flickering pages could be heard nearby.

Because Firill was reading a book under the sun umbrella.

"—Your turn, Ren."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were playing stick-in-the-sand using the sand on top of me.

I was quite grateful that the sand over me was gradually decreasing, but it felt quite ticklish to be touched indirectly like that.

Peaceful times passed in this way until the sky filled up with stars. At this moment, I noticed three sets of footsteps approaching. Due to habits formed during my time at NIFL, I could discern the physique of people from the sound of their footfall.

—Two adults and a child... apparently carrying something heavy.

Hence, I turned my head and waited for the new arrivals to enter my view.

The three of them were all known to me. One was Shinomiya-sensei while unbelievably, the other two were... The principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart-san.

Apparently, the footsteps I mistook for a child's belonged to the principal. Dressed in a white sundress, the principal's age could not be determined from appearance. No one would raise any doubts even she were to be described as a student in Midgard.

"I can't believe you guys are having so much fun. Let me join in too."

Coming over to my side, the principal looked down at me who was buried in the sand. I suspected that Mitsuki had informed Shinomiya-sensei before coming here and the news must have reached the principal and Mica-san.

"...You want to be buried too, principal?"

"Of course not! I want to frolic with pure maidens in their swimsuits too!"

"I can feel a generation gap when you phrase it like that."

I gave my honest opinion but the principal removed her sandal, stepped on me and twisted my head with her toes.

"Shut up or I'll step on you."

"You're already stepping on me!"

I turned my face and yelled in order to avoid the principal's bare foot.

Nearby, Ren and Ariella watched our behavior with blank expressions.

The principal's sudden appearance probably troubled them.

"Hmph, I won't ask you guys to join me without a reason. I come with gifts. Mica and Haruka, begin the preparations."

"Yes, affirmative."

Still dressed as a maid, Mica-san swiftly began to put together the objects she was carrying in her arms.

"...I am not your servant."

Shinomiya-sensei sighed and placed down on the plastic mat the bag she had brought. From the bag, she took out meat and vegetables.

"Principal... What the heck are you doing?"

Hearing the question, the principal smiled proudly.

"Don't you get it just by seeing? Speaking of beach activities at night, of course there's barbecue!"

"Barbecue!? That's awesome!!"

Iris cheered from the distance. Since the sun had already set, I was thinking it was almost time for us to go our separate ways, but it looked like the party was just about to begin.

Finally liberated from imprisonment under the sand, I joined everyone around the barbecue grill.

"Fufufu..."

Eating only meat, the principal lustfully oogled the girls in swimsuits.

"I don't suppose your only goal here is to see everyone in their swimsuit, right?"

I asked in exasperation.

"Of course it is. Got a problem with that?"

"...Well, I think there are many problems with that."

Seeing the principal nod and admit openly, I could not help but sigh.

"Hmph, it's true that admiring swimsuits is my biggest goal... But checking out her condition is also part of the reason."

The principal shifted her gaze towards Tia across the grill and whispered.

"Tia, she's... probably fine. I think she will surely choose to be human."

Likewise, I whispered in reply.

"Hold on, Tia-san, you must eat your vegetables."

"Oh no, don't put the green pepper there!"

Seeing Lisa place a green pepper on her plate, Tia lost composure. Judging from the way they got along together, I felt that there would be no problem anymore.

"Choose...? Yes, even if she is a true dragon, if she lives as a human, she could become human. I too believe that how she lives her life... is far more important than what she is."

Narrowing her eyes, the principal spoke as though saying a prayer.

"...Principal?"

"Fufu, I accidentally said something that doesn't fit my image. Putting that aside, how's your wound from earlier?"

"Wound? Oh, the one on my left hand... The wound already healed, but the scar did not go away..."

The memory of her licking my wound flashed in my mind, making me answer a little nervously.

The mark left behind by that red swelling on the back of my left hand felt like an additional line had been added to my dragon mark.

"I see... It really did turn out like this."

The principal nodded with a look of comprehension. Speaking of which, back when she saw the wound, she apparently said the scar would never go away.

"Just by looking at the wound, you could tell it would leave a scar?"

"Only if examined carefully."

Saying that, the principal licked the grease sticking around her mouth. That motion seemed extraordinarily seductive, forcing me to gulp.

"—Charlotte-sama, please do not joke with students at their expense."

At this moment, Mica-san appeared and used her chopsticks to stuff a piece of green pepper into the principal's mouth.

"M-Mmmph! S-Stop it right now! Mica! I-I hate green peppers!"

"Please do not be picky with food in front of students. How would a picky principal serve as a role model for students?"

As though suffering karmic retribution for eating only meat the whole time, the principal was forced to eat vegetables.

Seeing her like that, everyone laughed out loud.

"Ahahahaha!"

Tia also laughed very happily.

Hearing her laughter, I felt my gaze drawn to the breakwater's direction.

Actually, I had emailed Honoka to invite her when I heard we were starting a barbecue.

She would probably feel intimidated to suddenly join an event where everyone else was part of Brynhildr Class. But taking advantage of the principal's presence, it should make things easier.

—If she came, I wanted to introduce her to everyone.

But it did not look like Honoka was coming.

She was probably busy due to the accident during the practical. Or after injuring her classmate, she felt an aversion against lively events.

—I wouldn't want to make her feel troubled. I'll just email her again later.

Deciding that in my mind, I turned my attention to the laughing crowd again—

===Part 6===

After the barbecue, the teachers gathered up the equipment and left. The members of Brynhildr Class all shifted locations to Mitsuki's dorm.

Lisa and the others had apparently gotten permission from Shinomiya-sensei to stay over at Mitsuki's dorm.

The girls were apparently planning to have pajamas party in Mitsuki's room, but I could not possibly join in as a guy after all, so after showering, I changed into a t-shirt and lay down alone in my own bed.

Tia was not in the room either. She had gone to Mitsuki's room with the others. Probably after everything that had happened today, she had started trusting her classmates from Brynhildr Class.

...Or rather, I should say it was thanks to Lisa.

When about to separate from me, Tia looked uneasy but she followed obediently after Lisa held her hand. They looked like mother and daughter, bringing a smile to my face.

As soon as I lay down, my eyelids instantly felt heavy.

Although I wanted to fall asleep just like that, I wanted to email Honoka before that. Hence, I picked up my portable terminal. But when I checked the screen, there were two emails that had arrived at some point. One was Honoka's reply while the other was sent by Major Loki. Speaking of which, Major Loki had mentioned he was going to send me data on Kili.

I opened Honoka's email first.

'I am so sorry I can't join you even though you went out of your way to invite me. Because I suddenly received a call from my mother, I missed the chance to meet up with you. My mother says she is worried whether I can live properly on my own. Looks like I am not that trusted.'

I read her email and keyed in my response.

'Don't worry about it since it was a sudden invitation without warning. Your own business is more important. Making calls to Midgard from outside requires going through convoluted procedures, but your mother still called you. She must be a good mother.'

Honoka had previously described their relationship as cold but in fact, she was probably close with her mother. I felt a bit relieved while sending my email. Then a reply came back quickly.

'Thank you for understanding but my mother still says things on her own without allowing any argument. Oh, speaking of which, I told her about you, Yuu-san, and she is very interested in you. She might be visiting Midgard in the near future, so please do your best then.'

Visiting Midgard...?

This was not a place that even a D's family could enter so easily. Honoka's mother was apparently active all over the world... Perhaps she was actually a person of quite substantial position.

Hence, I replied 'If possible, please have her show some mercy? Anyway, goodnight.'

—Okay, let me read Major Loki's email next.

I tensed up and opened the email. There were no contents apart from an attachment file.

I decompressed the data and opened it. What appeared was a profile with a photo included.

—So this is Kili?

It was most likely taken on a battlefield. The photo showed a girl standing in the middle of blazing flames.

She had slightly tanned skin and long black hair. Although her facial features were quite exquisite, her gaze was very sharp. Wearing a smoking black cape, her entire body gave off vibes of danger.

When told about Kili in the past, there was never such a vivid photo. Since NIFL had apparently fought Kili while taking Tia into custody, perhaps this was taken during that time.

—Kili Surtr Muspelheim. Female. Roughly 160cm in height. Age unknown. Weight unknown... Nationality and family background unknown too... Since three years ago, she started being active as the leader of the dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell. There are over three hundred terrorist incidents regarded as related to her. Reports indicate that she can incinerate people and objects without touching them. Very likely a D specializing in the transmutation of flames. Already deemed a disaster without concrete evidence...

Despite the full efforts of NIFL's intelligence agency, the amount of corroborated data was exceedingly small. Although there was an abundance of information noted with indeterminate veracity, it was all data that was hard to believe directly.

—By conservative estimates, suspected murder count is a hundred thousand people. Within a single night, wiping out a town stationed with a regiment of a thousand troops. A sniper located a kilometer away was burned to death by her before he could pull the trigger. Wide area bombing was used, expecting her death to be assured, but she was later confirmed to be still alive. Often appearing in towns after "Blue" Hekatonkheir had passed through...

"Is she even human...?"

I could not help but blurt out.

Even if Kili was a D, I doubted she could do all these things.

It would be more probable if she was the eighth dragon instead.

"But... Oh right, she is living as a dragon right now."

Kili was the culprit who had indoctrinated Tia with the concept that Ds were dragons. Suppose Kili also believed she was a dragon, then perhaps she had become something even more of a dragon than a dragon. If this was the appearance of a D who had chosen to be a dragon—

"I absolutely won't let Tia become like her."

With firm resolve, I muttered. Then lying on the bed again, I looked up at the ceiling From Mitsuki's room above, I could hear faint sounds from their voices and footsteps.

—Whether from Basilisk or Kili, I will protect Tia.

Vowing in my heart, I then closed my eyes.

Drowsiness attacked again. My thought gradually grew hazy and my consciousness left me.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

A massive low rumbling made me open my eyes. The room kept shaking, the desk lamp fell from the desk, causing an acute crash.

"What...!?"

I sat up to a start but the shaking soon stopped. The alarm clock next to my pillow read 2am. I had fallen asleep without realizing it.

—This was no earthquake. There was a loud noise... The shaking was caused by some kind of impact just now.

I immediately concluded that because I had experienced identical sounds and shaking before.

But this could not possibly be the same situation. That thing could not possibly be here.

"..."

Nevertheless, my palms were wet with sweat. Saliva was building up in my mouth. With a gulp, I swallowed it.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, pulling the curtains open forcefully.

On the other side of the jungle behind the dorm, under the starry night sky, part of the jungle had been cut down unnaturally.

The night sky's dark blue was blotted by a certain gigantic shadow.

Faintly blue in phosphorescence, the shadow shook its humongous body.

As for what thing I was witnessing—I knew very well.

"The blue dragon—'Blue' Hekatonkheir..."

Blankly, I could only recite in a hoarse voice the name of the being that was towering over the night sky. Right there was the monster that had tried to trample the town where Mitsuki and I lived.

Hekatonkheir's entire body was covered with blue scales. Whenever its body moved, geometric patterns could be seen blinking and flashing. Without any facial features, the head only had a huge horn, upright as though rushing towards the sky.

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!

Finally, the siren at the clock tower sounded.

This meant that Midgard did not become aware of this situation until now.

"What the heck... Why didn't anyone notice?"

Midgard was defended by the concentric layered defense system, Midgardsormr. How on earth did Hekatonkheir infiltrate Midgard without being discovered? No matter what, I could not think of the reason.

But appearing before us was neither Basilisk nor Kili but an unexpected crisis. This was absolutely certain.

Accompanied by the siren, the clock tower was gradually retracted into the ground.

However, Hekatonkheir bent down slowly and reached out with its long right arm.

The gigantic hand reached above the school campus and swept sideways.

CRASH—!!

The violent sound of breakage was heard.

Originally in the process of descent, the clock tower had its upper half chopped off. The remaining lower half also collapsed.

The siren stopped. Deformed by the impact, the clock tower's lower portion also stopped moving.

"Ah—"

I listened to the cry from my own throat as though I was completely detached.

The clock tower was where Midgard's important facilities and the emergency command center were gathered, and even the principal's office was on the top floor of the upper half that was sent flying just now...

The faces of the principal and Mica-san, who had just parted ways with me earlier, flashed in my mind.

"Grrr..."

Gritting my teeth, I rushed out of the room—
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T05:16:31Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 3 - Calamitous Flames of Muspelheim==

===Part 1===

The girl stared blankly, sitting collapsed in front of a pile of white ash.

Without crying audibly, her tears flowed nonstop.

The home where she had been living happily had turned into ash completely. On the floor were fragments of window glass that had melted then solidified into round shapes.

Black smoke was billowing from the fields whose harvest were originally looked forward to.

—The happiness she had finally obtained... The happiness which that person had given her, all of it disappeared.

Filled with irrepressible sorrow, the girl could only shed tears nonstop.

"You don't need to be sad, because ''it'' was not real."

This was what the fire witch, responsible for everything, told the girl. With icy eyes, she looked down at the white ash on the ground. Then fluttering her smoking black coat, she walked towards the despairing girl.

"Not... real?"

Not understanding, the girl asked hoarsely. The hot air in the surroundings was making her mouth dry.

"Yes, because you're not human. Abandon all that old and fake stuff to become the real you. Oh right—Let me give you a new name."

Saying that, the witch placed her hand on the girl's head. Frightened, the girl huddled herself in fear.

"From now on, you will be called Tia. Tia as in ''Tiamat'', the name of the silver dragon that Marduk vanquished in the past. You have great potential and will surely become something worthy of that name."

Written off as not human, receiving the name of Tia, the girl trembled and asked the witch:

"...What am I?"

"Tia, you are a ''dragon''."

Hearing the girl's question, the witch replied in a forceful tone of voice.

"Dragon..."

"Indeed, and our mother is 'Black' Vritra. You have not lost anything. Even now, our mother continues to watch over us."

The girl widened her eyes.

"...Mama?"

"Yes, as a ''dragon'', Tia, you are not alone, because you have a mother and many sisters."

Feeling a sense of solitude impossible to bury, the girl could only rely on the witch's whispers.

Even though she knew it was wrong—

===Part 2===

Having deployed a dragon-shaped fictional armament, Tia's gigantic body was making the spacious underground training site look like a cramped cage. Hovering in midair, the massive body had a destructive storm swirling around it.

Countless lightning strikes were tearing into the training site's inner walls. The fierce wind was sealing our movements.

Just as Lisa lost balance from the strong wind, a bolt of lightning descended upon her.

"Lisa!"

I was nearby so I slammed myself against Lisa to help her evade the lightning. Immediately finding my face buried in a soft sensation, making me unable to breathe, I moved my head. A sweet fragrance instantly filled my nostrils. Even my ears heard a seductive voice.

"Mmm.... No... M-Mononobe Yuu! W-Where, where do you think you're touching!?"

"Oh... S-Sorry!"

Realizing I had my face in Lisa's voluptuous bosom, I frantically separated from her.

"N-Normally speaking, I would have punished you mercilessly by now, understand? However... Since you seem to have rescued me this time, I shan't pursue the matter... Thank you."

Blushing, Lisa thanked me quietly.

"Wow, Lisa thanking me, it's gonna rain today, no wait... A storm is already blowing."

To prevent myself from getting blown away by the strong wind, I lowered my posture while looking up at Tia who had become the eye of the storm.

"...What on earth is happening? That dragon is Tia-san... isn't it?"

"Yeah, it must be Tia's fictional armament. If by tracing out the 'outline of the mind,' Tia created that kind of fictional armament... Then perhaps she totally believes she's a dragon right now."

When I thought of it that way, it could explain why she suddenly went out of control.

"I-If that is the case, we must hurry to bring her back to normal!"

"Yeah—But how to get close...?"

Raging wind and lightning were ravaging the surroundings. On the other hand, Tia was hovering ten-odd meters above the floor.

"Mononobe!"

Just as I was wondering how to approach Tia, I heard Iris' voice. At the same time, the wind blowing us suddenly stopped.

I looked back to see Iris and Firill. Since they were training relatively nearer to us, they had come over to assist us.

Firill lifted the fictional grimoire shaped from her dark matter. She probably performed air transmutation to create a barrier of wind.

No longer suffering from the storm's pressure, I now had the luxury of observing my surroundings. I could see Mitsuki, Ren and Ariella gathered around Shinomiya-sensei next to wall on the far end. From what I could see, they were probably using transmuted air to neutralize the wind like Firill. Since they were too far away, it was impossible to join forces with them.

"...Are you two alright?"

Firill asked us.

"Yeah, we're alright but... Tia's a messy situation. Can you two help me?"

"...Sure."

Firill nodded.

"Yes, of course! Mononobe, what should I do?"

Iris nodded vigorously and sought my directions.

"Firill, try to expand the wind barrier as much as possible. And Iris, I want you to make explosions to divert Tia's attention."

"Got it, I'll try!"

Saying that, Iris manifested her fictional armament—Caduceus.

"—Mononobe Yuu, then I shall be heading over to Tia-san."

Raising her Gungnir, Lisa turned her gaze to Tia above.

"No wait, it's better if I reached to Tia."

"True that may be... But can you fly?"

Lisa looked at me uneasily. The method of using wind to fly required created a huge amount of air through transmutation.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low compared to everyone else, which meant I could not use that method. However—

"If it's just that kind of height, I'll manage. Lisa, could you please create lightning rods in the surroundings to divert the lightning?"

"...No helping it, leave it to me—Rise, towers of steel!"

Four masses of dark matter were ejected by Lisa's Gungnir, turning into four steel rods in the air, then embedded themselves into the ground as though surrounding Tia's position.

The random lightning strikes gathered towards the four lightning rods.

"My turn!"

Iris pointed Caduceus' tip at Tia and started concentrating.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

As though surrounding Tia, dark matter manifested in multiple spots.

"Iris, don't hurt Tia."

"I know—O raindrops, scatter!"

Transmuted into water, the dark matter all exploded together.

Iris possessed the special talent that made everything explode no matter what she transmuted. Furthermore, she had high-level spatial awareness, allowing her to aim at the target without deviation. Hence, the accompanied steam explosion did not harm Tia directly.

Ruoooooooooooooooooooooo!

Frightened by the explosions, Tia used the dragon's stout limbs, formed from dark matter, to attack the steam shrouding her. But the limbs were worn down instead upon contact with the steam.

Eroded, the limbs rapidly recovered but it made me certain that this was just a dragon in nothing but appearance only. Before undergoing transmutation, dark matter was extremely fragile, vanishing whenever it touched matter apart from the person who had summoned it. In that case, touching Tia who was supposed to be inside should not be that difficult.

"Firill, just try your best... Help me to open up a path!"

After saying that, I instantly rushed towards Tia.

"Understood—Air Road."

I heard Firill's voice behind me. Then a favorable wind propelled me from behind. Firill's wind ran past me and helped me to block the raging wind coming from Tia. Meanwhile, Tia's attention was caught by the explosions so she did not notice me approaching.

While running, I concentrated my mind to manifest my fictional armament.

"Siegfried."

Appearing in my right hand was a mass of dark matter shaped like a large-caliber ornamental gun.

By using this fictional armament, I could fire dark matter as bullets, allowing me to perform powerful transmutations three times. After using three shots' worth, the fictional armament would disappear, but manifesting it again would create a huge opening, hence—

—I have to finish this in three shots.

Without slowing down, I pointed the muzzle at Tia above and pulled the trigger without aiming carefully.

"Smoke Bullet."

The fired bullet transmuted into tiny particles of dust and air. The red dragon was instantly engulfed by the puff of smoke. The countless dust particles wore away the dark matter, peeling off Tia's outer garment of a dragon for a brief instant.

—I see her!

As soon as the storm blew the smoke away, the dark matter dragon would revive again, but I had already captured Tia's location in my sight.

The left breast... The heart's location!

Arriving under Tia, I stopped running. This time, I aimed precisely and shot the ground.

"Air Bullet!"

Transmuted into a large volume of air, the dark matter struck the ground and exploded, blowing me towards the sky.

In this manner, I charged into the dragon's interior. Although my view turned completely red, there was no tactile sensation or feeling of resistance. Prior to transmutation, dark matter was equivalent to not existing and could not impede my advance.

"Tia!"

I yelled while reaching out with my empty left hand. My aim had not deviated, as long as I reached enough height, this hand should be able to touch—

After my fingertip felt a tiny sensation, I found Tia in front of my eyes. Her eyes were blank and did not reflect anything. As expected, she was not conscious.

Perhaps we were... the culprits for turning Tia, who believed she was a dragon, into a real dragon.

"Pull yourself together! Tia!!"

I yelled loudly while embracing her with my left arm.

"—Ehhh? Yuu...?"

The light returned to Tia's eyes as she called my name.

Then holding Tia in my arm, I started to fall, traveling through the dragon's body.

Seeing the ground gradually approaching, I aimed Siegfried downwards. This was the last shot.

"—Air Pressure Bullet!"

I used an explosion of air to cancel the falling impact. Landing lightly, I immediately check Tia's condition.

"Are you okay, Tia?"

"..."

Having regained consciousness just now, Tia still did not respond. She had fainted, her limp body leaning against me.

Due to manifesting such a gigantic fictional armament and performing large-scale transmutations continuously, her mind and body must be thoroughly exhausted.

"Mononobe!"

Iris and Lisa ran over to me. From the distance, Mitsuki and the others also hurried to our side.

The classmates all showed worried expressions. But amidst all this, only Shinomiya-sensei was watching us with a harsh gaze.

Seeing Shinomiya-sensei's expression, I knew that time was short.

Turning my gaze to Tia, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion—I steeled my determination to face off against the monster invading her heart.

===Part 3===

Although Tia had gone on a rampage, greatly damaging the training site, luckily, no one was injured.

Also because Mitsuki and I tried our hardest to intercede on her behalf, Tia's punishment was withheld for now.

However, Shinomiya-sensei also warned us that there would be no second chances.

—After all, the training site was damaged to the point that it required repairs before it could be used again.

Carrying Tia on my back, I went to the infirmary. Along the way, I recalled the pitiful condition of the training site, damaged from floor to ceiling by lightning.

Due to the severe damage caused to the facilities, the entire incident might have to be reported to Midgard's superior organization, Asgard. If further damage occurred, Asgard would definitely punish Tia.

—I need to have a proper discussion with her after she wakes up.

In order to help Tia become a member of Midgard, to become a fellow classmate in the truest sense, I had to make her a human.

I walked through the quiet corridor to arrive in front of the infirmary's door.

"Pardon the intrusion."

I opened the horizontally sliding door with a clatter, only to see that the person inside was not the school nurse who had looked after me on a number of occasions.

"...Eh?"

Staring at me in surprise was the girl who had chatted with me yesterday—Tachikawa Honoka. Dressed in gym clothes, she was sitting in a chair with her top lifted up, in the middle of sterilizing a wound on her flank.

"Kyah!?"

Honoka straightened her lifted top and turned her back to me. Originally frozen from excessive surprise, I also came back to my senses as a result of her scream.

"Oh... Umm, sorry! I'll wait outside."

Carrying Tia on my back, I was about to shut the door when Honoka frantically called to me.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san on your back is not feeling well, right? N-No need to mind me... Please come in."

"...Are you fine with it? Then pardon... the intrusion, okay?"

I felt as though someone had invited me into their bedroom. Stepping into the infirmary, I went to the innermost bed and unloaded the sleeping Tia from my back. Laying her out gently on the bed, I put a blanket on her before turning to face Honoka.

"Uh, looks like there's no one else here... Where did the nurse go?"

"Oh, the nurse is over at the clinic because there was someone with more serious injuries than me. She is currently treating that person."

"Serious injuries? Was there some kind of accident?"

Honoka's arms and legs had several pieces of gauze stuck to them. Before I arrived at the infirmary, she was already treating her own wounds.

"...Actually, I failed a transmutation during a practical. That's also why my classmate became injured."

She was referring to the student being treated at the clinic?

Honoka's class was apparently having a practical lesson at a different training site than ours.

"I see, although everyone makes mistakes... It must feel pretty bad that you hurt others."

"Yes... I will apologize to her properly afterwards. Whether or not she will forgive me, I don't know."

"That's true, no matter what the outcome, I think that's the best way to go about it."

Hearing me say that, Honoka smiled wryly.

"...You really aren't one to hand out comforting words, Yuu-san."

"Sorry, although I know that I should be encouraging you."

"No, compared to people who comfort others irresponsibly, I prefer someone like you."

I felt embarrassed by her description and scratched my face, looking away.

"—But anyway, even if there are other people injured, is it okay for the nurse to leave you alone, Honoka? I don't think there's a shortage of manpower..."

Although the school nurse was the only medical professional on duty, there should be other specialized doctors who were on call. To ensure the Ds' health, Midgard had a comprehensive medical care system.

"No, this really isn't anything serious... I offered to do the dressings myself because it's just putting on gauze after sterilizing."

Saying that, Honoka showed me the bottle of antiseptic liquid and gauze in her hands.

"But from what I saw just now, your wound is somewhere hard for your hand to reach, right?"

When she was sterilizing her flank just now, it looked like she was twisting her body in quite a forced posture.

"That's true... Some places are harder... Oh right, if it's okay with you... Could you help me?"

"Eh? M-Me?"

I widened my eyes greatly upon hearing these surprising words.

"Yes, on my back... Even if it's just this part."

Saying that, Honoka pulled her gym t-shirt up sightly.

My attention was drawn to her snow-white skin.

"Sure... If you don't mind."

Despite feeling troubled, I still approached her. I had learned first aid for the most part at NIFL. There was no need to falter at dressing a wound of this level.

"Then I'll apply the antiseptic. Are you really fine with this?"

Receiving the antiseptic and the gauze, I confirmed with her again. If things turned into sexual harassment after the fact, it would be too much to swallow.

"I'm counting on you, please... be gentle."

"O-Okay... Got it."

I gulped and nodded.

I walked over to the back of Honoka, who was sitting in a chair, and knelt down to treat her.

"...Mmm, ahh..."

Perhaps feeling some stinging, Honoka emitted inexplicably seductive moans. To distract myself as much as possible, I made conversation with her.

"Speaking of which, Honoka, you were discovered in the towns ahead of Basilisk's route of advance, right? You're Japanese no matter how I look, so why were you in that kind of place?"

I asked the question that had occurred to me during the full-school assembly. Honoka answered while enduring the stinging from her wound.

"My mother... Mmm... is someone who travels the world... Ah... As for me, I visit various places together with my mother."

"What an accomplished mother... Do you feel lonely, suddenly separated from her?"

"No... Our relationship is quite cold because I don't have a father or relatives... Mmm... In a certain sense, we stayed together because of circumstances, so it actually relieves me to become independent."

Honoka's reply was very calm and did not sound like a brave front.

"...That's so strong of you. Okay, dressing is done."

I examined the sterilized wound then applied the gauze, ending the treatment.

"Thank you, Yuu-san."

After Straightening out her clothing, Honoka thanked me.

"It was nothing. Well... Although it's embarrassing to say this, but from now on, you don't need to be so polite when asking friends for help."

"Friends... huh?"

Honoka's face looked like she had heard something unexpected. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Yeah, that's what I think. If you feel that I'm forcing things too much, then I apologize."

"No, nothing of that sort. I... am extremely glad."

Honoka smiled and shook her head.

"Great, then let's look after each other from now on."

"V-Very well, me too... Let's look after each other. S-So... I'd like to head over to the clinic to see how my classmate is doing."

Honoka lowered her head and bowed, then a little frantically, she walked to the infirmary's exit.

"Sure, see you."

I waved a hand in response. Honoka partially closed her eyes and smiled.

"Great—hope to talk to you again, then I'm off..."

She closed the door and the room suddenly turned silent.

—Hope?

Rather than waiting for chance encounters, perhaps I should write emails to her proactively.

Injuring a classmate might have repercussions for her. Although I might not be able to help much, it would be good for her to have someone to confide in at least. As her friend, I wanted to help her as much as possible.

Thinking about this kind of thing, I turned my gaze to the bed.

Tia was still sound asleep.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

But at this moment, the terminal for the infirmary's internal line played a ringtone and the call lamp kept flashing.

"...Should I answer?"

I hesitated and looked at the infirmary's door. The school nurse did not look like she was returning yet.

—Maybe it might be for me.

I had reported to Shinomiya-sensei that I was taking Tia to the infirmary. Thinking it could be something to inform me, I pressed the pick up button on the screen despite my hesitation.

With an electronic sound, the screen immediately switched.

Then a face appeared on the screen, but it was someone I totally did not expect.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"...Major Loki?"

His name flew out of my mouth. It was the man who had been my direct commanding officer at NIFL.

On the other end, NIFL stared at me with his slender eyes. A gentle smile surfaced on his face.

'Until just now, I was still having a discussion with Colonel Shinomiya. Then I asked her to connect my call over to your end. Because I didn't even get a chance to talk to you during the personnel reassignment, I've been wanting to find a chance to chat with you.'

"Huh...? If it's chatting, last time—"

'What are you talking about, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe? Ever since you transferred to Midgard, this is my first time speaking to you, isn't it?'

Hearing him say that, I remembered this was a public ine.

When Leviathan was attacking, Major Loki had exploited the opening in Midgardsormr switching to interception mode and secretly contacted me through my personal terminal. This was to talk about things that must not reach Midgard's ears, because he wanted me to kill the D whose dragon mark had changed color.

"Right... Yeah, Major Loki, because I feel that working under you was only recently, I made a mistake."

Left without a choice, I could only go along with him. If any problems arose from what I said arbitrarily, it would turn into Mitsuki's responsibility because she was the one supervising me.

'Haha, me too. Clearly you're no longer my subordinate, but I still worry about you. I've got something to tell you. Want to hear it?'

"Yes... What is it?"

Staring at Major Loki's fake smile, I nodded. Since it was something that could be said on a public line, it should not be something dangerous like last time.

'The dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell, is apparently plotting to recover Tia Lightning. Although I've already asked Midgard to pay more attention, you be careful too.'

The Sons of Muspell... was the name of the organization that had effectively kept Tia under house arrest in the past. If they knew about the dragonification of Ds, it was not difficult to understand why they wanted to retrieve Tia, but—

"Recover...? From Midgard here? I think they'll get eliminated by Midgardsormr the instant they approach, right...?"

'Yes, Midgard's defenses are impregnable. But supplies and personnel need to enter and exit. Although there are stringent checks, it is not entirely impossible to get through. And this time, beyond a doubt... Kili will make a move too."

The smile vanished from Major Loki's face this time.

"That Kili huh..."

Kili Surtr Muspelheim. The leader of the Sons of Muspell, she was also a D deemed a disaster... Although I did not think she could penetrate Midgardsormr, she was quite a strong threat indeed.

'Kili is very strong, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the information we received this time, alerting us that the Sons of Muspell had a D in their compound, NIFL mobilized all deployable forces. But the result was that Kili singlehandedly suppressed the majority.'

"The Sons of Muspell, are they doing this knowing that Ds will dragonify..."

'Arrested cultists did not seem to be in the know, but at least we can conclude that Kili knows. At the time, Tia Lightning was apparently just moved there from another facility. They probably intended to hand her to Basilisk as its mate instead of waiting for it to visit.'

In other words, Tia was originally in the process of being transported as a live sacrifice. If NIFL had acted slightly later, the second Basilisk would surely have been born.

"If they'll go so far to increase the number of dragons... I guess it's impossible they'll give up so easily."

'Indeed, Kili will definitely take some kind of action. If she infiltrates Midgard, a great disaster can be predicted. Please do not lower your guard at all. Considering that even Sleipnir could not handle her, she is probably stronger than you as you are right now.'

"...!"

I gasped. Major Loki had attempted to raise me as monster stronger than anyone else. Precisely because these words came from his mouth, I could understand how abnormal this D called Kili was.

'If possible, I'd really like to send out Sleipnir but Midgard won't allow NIFL to interfere that easily. Hence, if anything happens, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, I place my hopes you alone.'

"Clearly when Kili is stronger than me... You still have hopes for me?"

'Yes, even so, you are the only one who might be able to kill her. If there are people and things around you that you wish to protect, please abandon your silly obstinacy. This is my honest advice to you.'

Major Loki spoke to me with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"...I'll bear that in mind."

It felt like my heart was being squeezed. I forced my voice out to respond.

'You would do well to remember that. Oh right, although this is pure just in case, I will send to your terminal all accumulated information regarding Kili to this date. Read over it when you have time.'

"Sure, thank you... for doing so much for me."

'You're welcome, I did this willingly. Also, Basilisk is still crossing the African continent. Things were sudden with Leviathan and NIFL was in chaos, but this time, we have plenty of time so you don't need to worry about unnecessary things.'

Major Loki spoke suggestively. Last time, NIFL had sent a team to kill Iris. He was probably hinting that no such operation would happen yet for now.

But in that case, the murderous intent I sensed last time was...

"...I got it."

Although there were still things that bothered me, I nodded for now in response.

'Then it's time I excused myself. Hope to talk to you again—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Major Loki smiled sarcastically then the call disconnected, turning the screen black.

"Kili huh..."

I uttered her name softly in my mouth. During training, she was often used as an imaginary enemy, hence I had no hesitation towards fighting, however—

"Yuu...?"

Just as I was staring at the pictureless screen, lost in thought, I suddenly heard a voice from behind.

"Tia, you woke up?"

Perhaps my conversation with Major Loki had woken her up. Tia had sat up in bed, looking at me with a troubled look.

"Why is... Tia in this kind of place? Tia should be with Yuu training just now..."

"—So you don't remember? Including this, I need to have a chat with you next, but this isn't a good place to talk. Let's go to the beach, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia showed an expression of joy.

"Yes, Tia wants to see the sea with Yuu again."

Although the notion of bringing gloom to that smiling face pained my heart, I still took Tia by the hand as she ran towards it.

The husband and the dragon's wife.

This ill-matched game of playing house—It was probably about to end soon.

===Part 4===

Tia and I first went made a trip to the classroom. After changing into our uniforms, we left the campus with our school bags.

Other people might be busy with handling the training site's aftermath. They were not in the classroom.

Since the practicals in the afternoon had been suspended due to the damaged training site, there were no more lessons today. Like yesterday, we walked along the path to the dorm, descended to the beach and took off our shoes.

"Wow, it feels like the sea can be seen clearer than yesterday."

Peering at the seawater from the water's edge, Tia jumped around, grinning from ear to ear. We visited yesterday near dusk, so the impression given off by the sea was probably quite different compared to the daytime.

The waves produced white spray, gently caressing our ankles.

Watching Tia stepping on the waves, I quietly asked her:

"Tia, compared to yesterday, do you like Lisa and the others more?"

"Y-Yes, Tia knows they're good people now."

Tia answered a bit embarrassedly. With Firill's manga as a trigger, through chatting with everyone in the class, her wariness had decreased somewhat compared to yesterday.

"However, just now, Tia... you almost injured Lisa, you know?"

"...Eh?"

Widening her eyes, Tia showed surprise on her face.

"Tia, you wanted to make a fictional armament but ended up in the form of a dragon and caused mass destruction. The training site is now all torn up by the storm and lightning strikes."

"N-No way... Tia did that—"

In a trembling voice, Tia shook her head in disbelief.

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. At the time, you weren't in a normal mental state, but it doesn't change the fact that you endangered Lisa and the others. So Tia, I hope you'll apologize to the others and promise you'll never do that again."

I bent down to speak at Tia's eye level.

"G-Got it! Tia will apologize! Let's go find everyone!"

Tia frantically pulled my hand. Like Honoka earlier whom I met at the infirmary, Tia was regretting her failure.

"...You're a good girl after all, Tia. But if things do not change, you won't be able to keep that promise. You'll probably repeat your mistakes, as long as you continue—to believe you are a dragon."

"Eh... What do you mean by believe? Tia really is a dragon. Aren't Yuu and everyone dragons too?"

Tia answered with surprise. However, I could see slight wavering in her eyes.

"No, we're humans."

"Why... Why does even Yuu say something so mean? We are dragons! Having this kind of power is the proof!"

Tia generated dark matter in the surroundings, transmuting it into electrical currents. Sparks flew with a sizzling sound. However, I stared into Tia's eyes squarely without backing down.

"Indeed, perhaps there's that interpretation too. Then I'll put things another way. At least for the Ds residing in Midgard, we are all living as humans."

"Living... as humans?"

"Yeah, so as long you insist on living as a dragon, Tia, we won't be able to coexist."

Tia widened her eyes.

"That means... We can't be together?"

"That's right, so that I hope, Tia... you can be human."

I proposed the only necessary condition for Tia to become part of the family that was Brynhildr Class.

"No... Because Tia is a dragon... With these kinds of horns, Tia is already not human..."

Touching her red horns, Tia rejected my proposal.

"It's fine if you have horns. To me, Tia, you're a cute girl and I think it's the same for Lisa and the rest.

"But, but..."

I explained to her gently but Tia kept shaking her head.

"Why do you want to be a dragon so much, Tia? Please tell me, what on earth happened after we separated in that warzone? What happened to the parents who were with you back then?"

"Tia has no papa and mama, they were... fakes."

Like last evening, Tia looked down with a stiff expression.

"Then I hope you can tell me about the fake papa and mama."

I placed my hand on Tia's face and slowly lifted her head, meeting her gaze up close

Her silence persisted a while. Only the sound of waves were heard reguarly.

Tia's red eyes moistened and her cheeks blushed

"...Yuu wants to know about Tia that much?"

"Yes, because I want to be with you too, that's why I want to know.

Hearing my answer, Tia gulped then quietly began:

"...After being saved by Yuu, Tia and they went to live in another country."

What she meant by "they" was probably her parents. Refusing to call them papa and mama, Tia continued:

"They become more gentle than before. Even if Tia did not use power, they still smiled at Tia. Working outside in the fields was hard work, but happy too. But everything... house, fields or them... One day, they suddenly burned up and disappeared."

"Burned up... Was it a fire?"

"No, not a fire. What Tia met was—Kili."

"...!"

Hearing that name, my face froze.

—I never expected to hear Kili's name here too.

Tia had been imprisoned by the Sons of Muspell, hence it was not surprising that she had met the cult's leader Kili. However, I never thought Kili was the one who had deprived Tia of her parents and her home.

"Kili told Tia they were not real, so Tia did not lose anything. Tia is a dragon and has a real mama—'Black' Vritra. The many Ds in the world... are Tia's sisters. That's what she told Tia."

After listening to Tia, I finally understood what she was running away from.

To escape the truth of her parents' death, Tia had no choice but to rely on Kili's words.

As soon as she admitted she was human, she had to accept the loss of her parents. In such a state, ordinary persuasion was not going to work on Tia. Trying to reason with her would lead to nowhere.

"—Thank you for telling me, Tia."

I thanked Tia and stroked her head lightly.

"Yuu understands... what Tia thinks?"

"Yeah... I understand clearly now. I won't say your thinking is wrong anymore."

"Wonderful..."

Tia looked relieved, but I immediately said:

"But I must correct what Kili said. As long as you're living as a dragon, Tia, you'll never be sisters with the Ds who are living as humans, you'll never be family with me, Lisa and the others."

"Eh—?"

Tia's expression instantly froze.

"This might be an unfair way of putting it, but please understand. At this rate, you won't be able to get what you want. Tia, I hope you'll choose to be human."

I could not refute Tia's belief. Even if I forcibly laid out the truth in front of her eyes, without the mental preparation to accept it, she would only end up mind broken. As a result, I could only hint towards future gains and losses and ask her to make a choice.

"Choose...? Tia doesn't quite get... what Yuu is saying."

"...True. I guess it's not something that can be explained clearly with words. In that case, I'll show you. I'll show you what you can do to become human."

After saying that, I took out my portable terminal.

"What are you doing?"

Tia asked uneasily. I smiled and answered her:

"It's still early and there are no lessons. Let's have fun with everyone next. If I say it's for Tia, I'm guessing all our classmates will gather."

"Why...? Didn't Tia do awful things to everyone? Isn't Lisa angry?"

"She'll come even if she's angry. Because all of us wants to become family with you, Tia."

Listening to my answer, Tia widened her eyes, rooted to the spot in a daze for a moment.

===Part 5===

After I emailed Iris and Mitsuki, asking them to let everyone else know, we returned to the dorm and changed into our swimwear. According to Mitsuki's response, they were going to come over in an hour's time.

I heard there was a set of beach gear in the dorm's storeroom, so Tia and I brought out a sun umbrella and plastic mats.

"Tia caused everyone trouble, so Tia has to work hard."

Dressed in a school swimsuit, Tia still tried her hardest to move one of the larger mats despite doing it unsteadily.

With preparations basically complete. I was giving Tia swimming lessons in the shallows when the first classmate arrived.

"Mononobe!"

Iris ran over while waving, dressed in a white bikini. With every step she ran, that lovely bosom would bounce accordingly.

"Wow..."

I felt my heart flutter, worrying whether that swimsuit, tied by flimsy strings, would stay on.

Iris arrived in front of us and twirled around to show us. With her silver hair fluttering, bathed under the sunlight, her pale complexion looked extremely dazzling.

"How is it? I lost my previous swimsuit, so I bought a new one!"

"...Looks amazing. Speaking of which, Iris, the first time we met, you said your swimsuit got washed away."

I thought back to my first encounter with Iris. Thanks to that—No wait, unfortunately due to that—I saw Iris' naked body and got attacked by her.

"Yeah, but in the end, I still couldn't find it—No wait, s-stop thinking about that time, you're embarrassing me..."

Iris blushed and shielded her bosom with her arms. But that posture of hers made me even more conscious of her. Mesmerized by the sight of Iris in her white swimsuit, it took me a while before I could mutter:

"—Iris really is so pretty."

Whether back then or right now, Iris was so beautiful that I could say such words naturally.

"Wha... W-W-W-What... If you suddenly say something like that to me, I'll..."

Iris blushed all the way to her neck and sat down on the beach all of a sudden.

"H-Hey, are you okay?"

Worried, I extended my hand but Tia circled around in front of me as though trying to block me.

"Yuu, what about Tia? How's Tia's swimsuit?"

"Hmm? Yeah, you're very cute, Tia."

I answered honestly but for some reason, she pouted and glared at Iris unhappily.

"Tia finally... gets it, you—Iris—are Tia's rival!"

Confronted with Tia's pointing finger, Iris cocked her head in surprise and puzzlement.

"Rivals? Me and you, Tia?"

"That's right, Tia... won't lose to you!"

"I don't quite get it, but you want to compete against me, right? Well... Okay, how about we play the stick-in-the-sand game?"

Smiling, Iris gathered sand to make a small mound.

"Stick-in-the-sand?"

"Yes. You play this game by making a mound of sand like this... Then put on a stick on top. We take turns digging the mound and whoever makes the stick fall over loses."

Iris picked up a twig that had fallen by the water's edge and planted it on top of the sand before explaining the rules to Tia.

"G-Got it, Tia accepts... this match."

Tia nodded with a serious expression then started playing the game with Iris.

It felt like they had totally strayed from the original point, but I watched them play without interrupting.

At this time, Lisa, Firill, Ariella and Ren arrived as well.

"As reluctant as I am to let you see my swimsuit, I still forced myself to come."

Wearing a mature-looking black swimsuit, Lisa tossed her hair as she spoke to me.

"...Despite what you said, I think you were selecting your swimsuit very seriously."

Firill quipped quietly. She was dressed in a two-piece blue swimsuit.

"B-Because sun protection is a nuisance and I don't often go to the beach, that was why I had to agonize over which swimsuit to wear! I-I was certainly not concerned about Mononobe Yuu's gaze, got that?"

Lisa frantically explained herself to Firill.

Both girls had bigger busts than Iris and their swimsuits made their cleavage visible. That overwhelming volume, normally hidden under their uniforms, was currently shaking the core of my brain.

"Haha—Lisa is not upfront as usual. With a man's gaze present, anyone would care more or less."

Speaking wryly was Ariella in a tropical print swimsuit. Wearing a one-piece frilly swimsuit, Ren was hiding behind her.

"...Mm."

Like a small animal, Ren stared warily at me. Faced with such strong thoughts, I felt quite uncomfortable too.

"Uh... Everyone looks great in their swimsuit."

To soothe the indescribably tense atmosphere, I offered my comment. It was not a lie, because objectively speaking, all the girls in Brynhildr Class were very attractive... To the point that I had no idea where I should be looking.

"O-Of course! I know without needing you to tell me."

Lisa scowled and turned her head away to respond.

"...Thank you for your praise."

Firill thanked me without changing expressions.

"Umm, t-there's no need to... flatter me."

Ariella was normally calm and rational, but would lose composure as soon as anyone praised her. Her gaze drifted all over the place aimlessly.

"......Mm."

The shy Ren was blushing, hiding completely behind Ariella.

"...Nii-san, what you said just now could almost be construed as sexual harassment."

Last to appear was Mitsuki, staring coldly at me.

She apparently made a trip back to the dorm. There was an inflated beach ball in her hand.

"What!? That counted as sexual harassment? I was only offering my opinion?"

"It depends on the situation. Seeing as you made Ren-san so embarrassed, there is nothing you can say against allegations of sexual harassment."

"Well... I guess I'd better keep quiet about your swimsuit, right, Mitsuki?"

I checked out my sister's swimsuit and spoke. Although it was a one-piece, the back was exposed quite boldly. It looked quite sexy from behind.

"......No, I will not feel embarrassment from what you say, Nii-san, so please feel free to say whatever pleases you."

Mitsuki gave an unnatural pause before answering indifferently.

"Really? Then here goes—It looks great on you. Also, the back is a bit sexy."

"......"

Mitsuki glared sharply then pulled my ear without saying a word.

"Hey... Ow! That hurts!"

"...Nii-san, even when you are talking to your sister, you should pay a little attention to your choice of words, shouldn't you?"

"But you said I could say whatever pleases me!?"

I grumbled at her but Mitsuki retorted with her face red.

"That was built upon the assumption of minimum manners!"

Just as we were arguing like this, I suddenly heard Tia scream.

"Ahhh! No, don't fall down!"

I looked in Tia and Iris' direction in surprise, only to see an irregular mound of sand collapse together with the stick.

"Hmph, I won!"

Iris made a victory sign with her hand while Tia slumped her shoulders in dejection. But she immediately looked up and begged to challenge Iris again.

"One more time! Another game!"

"Sure, I'll accept no matter how many times you challenge me. But since everyone has arrived, let's play a different game this time."

Saying that, Iris gestured towards Lisa and the rest with her eyes to Tia.

"Oh..."

It seemed like Tia only noticed now that everyone had gathered.

Patting off the sand stuck to her knees, Tia stood up. Then nervously, she peered at Lisa's face.

"What's the matter? Did something stick to my face?"

Lisa asked her in puzzlement. She did not seem angry at Tia at all.

Seeing her like that, Tia forcefully bowed her head with tears in the corners of her eyes.

"S-Sorry! Tia heard from Yuu, that Tia... did something awful to Lisa... S-So... Sorry!!"

"Oh, you are bothered by what happened earlier."

Lisa seemed to understand the situation. Nodding, she walked over to Tia.

"...Lisa?"

Tia showed a timid expression while looking up at Lisa's face.

"I understand now, then I shall punish you."

Saying that, Lisa raised her hand slowly then gave Tia's head a knock.

"Ow!"

Tia immediately held her head and squatted down.

"H-Hey Lisa, there's no need to go so far—Are you actually angry with her?"

I frantically asked her but Lisa shook her head in denial.

"No, I am not angry at all. However... Punishment is necessary for those seeking atonement. Before she gets consumed by guilt, her wrongdoing must be settled first."

For some reason, Lisa glanced at Mitsuki momentarily before answering in a calm voice.

"Owie..."

Tia was rubbing her head where Lisa's fist had struck her. Tearfully, she looked at Lisa.

"That goes without saying. Punishments are meant to hurt in the first place. But with this, Tia-san, you have atoned for your mistakes. You don't need to feel guilty anymore for what happened. Whether myself or everyone else, we are all fine with it. Am I right?"

Lisa sought agreement from the group. Everyone nodded in response.

"...So that is how things stand."

Lisa smiled gently and hugged Tia to her chest.

"Mmgg..."

"I believe I did control my strength. Does it still hurt? Perhaps I used too much force."

Stroking Tia's head, Lisa remarked with worry.

"...No, it doesn't hurt anymore, Lisa... Thank you."

Burying her face in the bountiful bosom, Tia thanked Lisa quietly.

"Since we've made up, let's all play beach volleyball together!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 179.jpg|thumb]]

Seeing things reach a conclusion, Iris suggested energetically.

"We weren't fighting to begin with... Fine, whatever."

Lisa nodded despite sighing then released Tia from her embrace.

"...Feels like mama."

Tia murmured in a slight daze.

"Then let us gather in a circle and toss the ball. Oh, just that whenever Nii-san's name is called, he must receive the ball no matter where it goes, or else be subjected to punishment."

Holding the beach ball, Mitsuki added a super harsh rule.

"H-Hey, what am I the only one with that restriction!?"

"Because you went through harsh training at NIFL, Nii-san. Without such a handicap, there will not be any tension for you, right?"

Probably still holding a grudge about the swimsuit comment, Mitsuki replied with animosity.

"It's not like I need tension... Fine, I get it, let's go with that rule."

Frankly speaking, I intentionally took on her taunting and accepted the rule because I was confident.

But I soon realized that I was too naive.

"Ah... The first star is out."

Buried in the sand, I was looking up at the red sky. The sun was approaching the horizon in the west. The blue of night was starting to spread from the eastern sky.

My body felt extremely heavy.

Due to everyone enjoying themselves at my expense during the game of volleyball, I had to rush all over the place, reaching my limit no matter how good my stamina. Plus the fact that Lisa and Firill's chests were bouncing even more intensely than the ball, it was hard for me to focus. In the end, I missed a ball and was punished by burial in the sand. Unable to move, I was listening to everyone's voices in the distance.

"Good, good, well done. You are swimming quite well now."

"Really? Tia learned how to swim now?"

Lisa and Tia's conversation reached me. The two of them seemed to be getting along really well.

"Eh!? My swimsuit... Where's my swimsuit!?"

I heard Iris' frantic voice. She had apparently lost her swimsuit again, but since I could not get up, I was unable to see what she looked like.

"...Iris-san, please pull yourself together. Is this it?"

I heard Mitsuki's voice of resignation. Apparently, she had found Iris' swimsuit.

The sound of flickering pages could be heard nearby.

Because Firill was reading a book under the sun umbrella.

"—Your turn, Ren."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were playing stick-in-the-sand using the sand on top of me.

I was quite grateful that the sand over me was gradually decreasing, but it felt quite ticklish to be touched indirectly like that.

Peaceful times passed in this way until the sky filled up with stars. At this moment, I noticed three sets of footsteps approaching. Due to habits formed during my time at NIFL, I could discern the physique of people from the sound of their footfall.

—Two adults and a child... apparently carrying something heavy.

Hence, I turned my head and waited for the new arrivals to enter my view.

The three of them were all known to me. One was Shinomiya-sensei while unbelievably, the other two were... The principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart-san.

Apparently, the footsteps I mistook for a child's belonged to the principal. Dressed in a white sundress, the principal's age could not be determined from appearance. No one would raise any doubts even she were to be described as a student in Midgard.

"I can't believe you guys are having so much fun. Let me join in too."

Coming over to my side, the principal looked down at me who was buried in the sand. I suspected that Mitsuki had informed Shinomiya-sensei before coming here and the news must have reached the principal and Mica-san.

"...You want to buried too, principal?"

"Of course not! I want to frolic with pure maidens in their swimsuits too!"

"I can feel a generation gap when you phrase it like that."

I gave my honest opinion but the principal removed her sandal, stepped on me and twisted my head with her toes.

"Shut up or I'll step on you."

"You're already stepping on me!"

I turned my face and yelled in order to avoid the principal's bare foot.

Nearby, Ren and Ariella watched our behavior with blank expressions.

The principal's sudden appearance probably troubled them.

"Hmph, I won't ask you guys to join me without a reason. I come with gifts. Mica and Haruka, begin the preparations."

"Yes, affirmative."

Still dressed as a maid, Mica-san swiftly began to put together the objects she was carrying in her arms.

"...I am not your servant."

Shinomiya-sensei sighed and placed down on the plastic mat the bag she had brought. From the bag, she took out meat and vegetables.

"Principal... What the heck are you doing?"

Hearing the question, the principal smiled proudly.

"Don't you get it just by seeing? Speaking of beach activities at night, of course there's barbecue!"

"Barbecue!? That's awesome!!"

Iris cheered from the distance. Since the sun had already set, I was thinking it was almost time for us to go our separate ways, but it looked like the party was just about to begin.

Finally liberated from imprisonment under the sand, I joined everyone around the barbecue grill.

"Fufufu..."

Eating only meat, the principal lustfully oogled the girls in swimsuits.

"I don't suppose your only goal here is to see everyone in their swimsuit, right?"

I asked in exasperation.

"Of course it is. Got a problem with that?"

"...Well, I think there are many problems with that."

Seeing the principal nod and admit openly, I could not help but sigh.

"Hmph, it's true that admiring swimsuits is my biggest goal... But checking out her condition is also part of the reason."

The principal shifted her gaze towards Tia across the grill and whispered.

"Tia, she's... probably fine. I think she will surely choose to be human."

Likewise, I whispered in reply.

"Hold on, Tia-san, you must eat your vegetables."

"Oh no, don't put the green pepper there!"

Seeing Lisa place a green pepper on her plate, Tia lost composure. Judging from the way they got along together, I felt that there would be no problem anymore.

"Choose...? Yes, even if she is a true dragon, if she lives as a human, she could become human. I too believe that how she lives her life... is far more important than what she is."

Narrowing her eyes, the principal spoke as though saying a prayer.

"...Principal?"

"Fufu, I accidentally said something that doesn't fit my image. Putting that aside, how's your wound from earlier?"

"Wound? Oh, the one on my left hand... The wound already healed, but the scar did not go away..."

The memory of her licking my wound flashed in my mind, making me answer a little nervously.

The mark left behind by that red swelling on the back of my left hand felt like an additional line had been added to my dragon mark.

"I see... It really did turn out like this."

The principal nodded with a look of comprehension. Speaking of which, back when she saw the wound, she apparently said the scar would never go away.

"Just by looking at the wound, you could tell it would leave a scar?"

"Only if examined carefully."

Saying that, the principal licked the grease sticking around her mouth. That motion seemed extraordinarily seductive, forcing me to gulp.

"—Charlotte-sama, please do not joke with students at their expense."

At this moment, Mica-san appeared and used her chopsticks to stuff a piece of green pepper into the principal's mouth.

"M-Mmmph! S-Stop it right now! Mica! I-I hate green peppers!"

"Please do not be picky with food in front of students. How would a picky principal serve as a role model for students?"

As though suffering karmic retribution for eating only meat the whole time, the principal was forced to eat vegetables.

Seeing her like that, everyone laughed out loud.

"Ahahahaha!"

Tia also laughed very happily.

Hearing her laughter, I felt my gaze drawn to the breakwater's direction.

Actually, I had emailed Honoka to invite her when I heard we were starting a barbecue.

She would probably feel intimidated to suddenly join an event where everyone else was part of Brynhildr Class. But taking advantage of the principal's presence, it should make things easier.

—If she came, I wanted to introduce her to everyone.

But it did not look like Honoka was coming.

She was probably busy due to the accident during the practical. Or after injuring her classmate, she felt an aversion against lively events.

—I wouldn't want to make her feel troubled. I'll just email her again later.

Deciding that in my mind, I turned my attention to the laughing crowd again—

===Part 6===

After the barbecue, the teachers gathered up the equipment and left. The members of Brynhildr Class all shifted locations to Mitsuki's dorm.

Lisa and the others had apparently gotten permission from Shinomiya-sensei to stay over at Mitsuki's dorm.

The girls were apparently planning to have pajamas party in Mitsuki's room, but I could not possibly join in as a guy after all, so after showering, I changed into a t-shirt and lay down alone in my own bed.

Tia was not in the room either. She had gone to Mitsuki's room with the others. Probably after everything that had happened today, she had started trusting her classmates from Brynhildr Class.

...Or rather, I should say it was thanks to Lisa.

When about to separate from me, Tia looked uneasy but she followed obediently after Lisa held her hand. They looked like mother and daughter, bringing a smile to my face.

As soon as I lay down, my eyelids instantly felt heavy.

Although I wanted to fall asleep just like that, I wanted to email Honoka before that. Hence, I picked up my portable terminal. But when I checked the screen, there were two emails that had arrived at some point. One was Honoka's reply while the other was sent by Major Loki. Speaking of which, Major Loki had mentioned he was going to send me data on Kili.

I opened Honoka's email first.

'I am so sorry I can't join you even though you went out of your way to invite me. Because I suddenly received a call from my mother, I missed the chance to meet up with you. My mother says she is worried whether I can live properly on my own. Looks like I am not that trusted.'

I read her email and keyed in my response.

'Don't worry about it since it was a sudden invitation without warning. Your own business is more important. Making calls to Midgard from outside requires going through convoluted procedures, but your mother still called you. She must be a good mother.'

Honoka had previously described their relationship as cold but in fact, she was probably close with her mother. I felt a bit relieved while sending my email. Then a reply came back quickly.

'Thank you for understanding but my mother still says things on her own without allowing any argument. Oh, speaking of which, I told her about you, Yuu-san, and she is very interested in you. She might be visiting Midgard in the near future, so please do your best then.'

Visiting Midgard...?

This was not a place that even a D's family could enter so easily. Honoka's mother was apparently active all over the world... Perhaps she was actually a person of quite substantial position.

Hence, I replied 'If possible, please have her show some mercy? Anyway, goodnight.'

—Okay, let me read Major Loki's email next.

I tensed up and opened the email. There were no contents apart from an attachment file.

I decompressed the data and opened it. What appeared was a profile with a photo included.

—So this is Kili?

It was most likely taken on a battlefield. The photo showed a girl standing in the middle of blazing flames.

She had slightly tanned skin and long black hair. Although her facial features were quite exquisite, her gaze was very sharp. Wearing a smoking black cape, her entire body gave off vibes of danger.

When told about Kili in the past, there was never such a vivid photo. Since NIFL had apparently fought Kili while taking Tia into custody, perhaps this was taken during that time.

—Kili Surtr Muspelheim. Female. Roughly 160cm in height. Age unknown. Weight unknown... Nationality and family background unknown too... Since three years ago, she started being active as the leader of the dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell. There are over three hundred terrorist incidents regarded as related to her. Reports indicate that she can incinerate people and objects without touching them. Very likely a D specializing in the transmutation of flames. Already deemed a disaster without concrete evidence...

Despite the full efforts of NIFL's intelligence agency, the amount of corroborated data was exceedingly small. Although there was an abundance of information noted with indeterminate veracity, it was all data that was hard to believe directly.

—By conservative estimates, suspected murder count is a hundred thousand people. Within a single night, wiping out a town stationed with a regiment of a thousand troops. A sniper located a kilometer away was burned to death by her before he could pull the trigger. Wide area bombing was used, expecting her death to be assured, but she was later confirmed to be still alive. Often appearing in towns after "Blue" Hekatonkheir had passed through...

"Is she even human...?"

I could not help but blurt out.

Even if Kili was a D, I doubted she could do all these things.

It would be more probable if she was the eighth dragon instead.

"But... Oh right, she is living as a dragon right now."

Kili was the culprit who had indoctrinated Tia with the concept that Ds were dragons. Suppose Kili also believed she was a dragon, then perhaps she had become something even more of a dragon than a dragon. If this was the appearance of a D who had chosen to be a dragon—

"I absolutely won't let Tia become like her."

With firm resolve, I muttered. Then lying on the bed again, I looked up at the ceiling From Mitsuki's room above, I could hear faint sounds from their voices and footsteps.

—Whether from Basilisk or Kili, I will protect Tia.

Vowing in my heart, I then closed my eyes.

Drowsiness attacked again. My thought gradually grew hazy and my consciousness left me.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

A massive low rumbling made me open my eyes. The room kept shaking, the desk lamp fell from the desk, causing an acute crash.

"What...!?"

I sat up to a start but the shaking soon stopped. The alarm clock next to my pillow read 2am. I had fallen asleep without realizing it.

—This was no earthquake. There was a loud noise... The shaking was caused by some kind of impact just now.

I immediately concluded that because I had experienced identical sounds and shaking before.

But this could not possibly be the same situation. That thing could not possibly be here.

"..."

Nevertheless, my palms were wet with sweat. Saliva was building up in my mouth. With a gulp, I swallowed it.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, pulling the curtains open forcefully.

On the other side of the jungle behind the dorm, under the starry night sky, part of the jungle had been cut down unnaturally.

The night sky's dark blue was blotted by a certain gigantic shadow.

Faintly blue in phosphorescence, the shadow shook its humongous body.

As for what thing I was witnessing—I knew very well.

"The blue dragon—'Blue' Hekatonkheir..."

Blankly, I could only recite in a hoarse voice the name of the being that was towering over the night sky. Right there was the monster that had tried to trample the town where Mitsuki and I lived.

Hekatonkheir's entire body was covered with blue scales. Whenever its body moved, geometric patterns could be seen blinking and flashing. Without any facial features, the head only had a huge horn, upright as though rushing towards the sky.

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!

Finally, the siren at the clock tower sounded.

This meant that Midgard did not become aware of this situation until now.

"What the heck... Why didn't anyone notice?"

Midgard was defended by the concentric layered defense system, Midgardsormr. How on earth did Hekatonkheir infiltrate Midgard without being discovered? No matter what, I could not think of the reason.

But appearing before us was neither Basilisk nor Kili but an unexpected crisis. This was absolutely certain.

Accompanied by the siren, the clock tower was gradually retracted into the ground.

However, Hekatonkheir bent down slowly and reached out with its long right arm.

The gigantic hand reached above the school campus and swept sideways.

CRASH—!!

The violent sound of breakage was heard.

Originally in the process of descent, the clock tower had its upper half chopped off. The remaining lower half also collapsed.

The siren stopped. Deformed by the impact, the clock tower's lower portion also stopped moving.

"Ah—"

I listened to the cry from my own throat as though I was completely detached.

The clock tower was where Midgard's important facilities and the emergency command center were gathered, and even the principal's office was on the top floor of the upper half that was sent flying just now...

The faces of the principal and Mica-san, who had just parted ways with me earlier, flashed in my mind.

"Grrr..."

Gritting my teeth, I rushed out of the room—
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T05:09:05Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 3 - Calamitous Flames of Muspelheim==

===Part 1===

The girl stared blankly, sitting collapsed in front of a pile of white ash.

Without crying audibly, her tears flowed nonstop.

The home where she had been living happily had turned into ash completely. On the floor were fragments of window glass that had melted then solidified into round shapes.

Black smoke was billowing from the fields whose harvest were originally looked forward to.

—The happiness she had finally obtained... The happiness which that person had given her, all of it disappeared.

Filled with irrepressible sorrow, the girl could only shed tears nonstop.

"You don't need to be sad, because ''it'' was not real."

This was what the fire witch, responsible for everything, told the girl. With icy eyes, she looked down at the white ash on the ground. Then fluttering her smoking black coat, she walked towards the despairing girl.

"Not... real?"

Not understanding, the girl asked hoarsely. The hot air in the surroundings was making her mouth dry.

"Yes, because you're not human. Abandon all that old and fake stuff to become the real you. Oh right—Let me give you a new name."

Saying that, the witch placed her hand on the girl's head. Frightened, the girl huddled herself in fear.

"From now on, you will be called Tia. Tia as in ''Tiamat'', the name of the silver dragon that Marduk vanquished in the past. You have great potential and will surely become something worthy of that name."

Written off as not human, receiving the name of Tia, the girl trembled and asked the witch:

"...What am I?"

"Tia, you are a ''dragon''."

Hearing the girl's question, the witch replied in a forceful tone of voice.

"Dragon..."

"Indeed, and our mother is 'Black' Vritra. You have not lost anything. Even now, our mother continues to watch over us."

The girl widened her eyes.

"...Mama?"

"Yes, as a ''dragon'', Tia, you are not alone, because you have a mother and many sisters."

Feeling a sense of solitude impossible to bury, the girl could only rely on the witch's whispers.

Even though she knew it was wrong—

===Part 2===

Having deployed a dragon-shaped fictional armament, Tia's gigantic body was making the spacious underground training site look like a cramped cage. Hovering in midair, the massive body had a destructive storm swirling around it.

Countless lightning strikes were tearing into the training site's inner walls. The fierce wind was sealing our movements.

Just as Lisa lost balance from the strong wind, a bolt of lightning descended upon her.

"Lisa!"

I was nearby so I slammed myself against Lisa to help her evade the lightning. Immediately finding my face buried in a soft sensation, making me unable to breathe, I moved my head. A sweet fragrance instantly filled my nostrils. Even my ears heard a seductive voice.

"Mmm.... No... M-Mononobe Yuu! W-Where, where do you think you're touching!?"

"Oh... S-Sorry!"

Realizing I had my face in Lisa's voluptuous bosom, I frantically separated from her.

"N-Normally speaking, I would have punished you mercilessly by now, understand? However... Since you seem to have rescued me this time, I shan't pursue the matter... Thank you."

Blushing, Lisa thanked me quietly.

"Wow, Lisa thanking me, it's gonna rain today, no wait... A storm is already blowing."

To prevent myself from getting blown away by the strong wind, I lowered my posture while looking up at Tia who had become the eye of the storm.

"...What on earth is happening? That dragon is Tia-san... isn't it?"

"Yeah, it must be Tia's fictional armament. If by tracing out the 'outline of the mind,' Tia created that kind of fictional armament... Then perhaps she totally believes she's a dragon right now."

When I thought of it that way, it could explain why she suddenly went out of control.

"I-If that is the case, we must hurry to bring her back to normal!"

"Yeah—But how to get close...?"

Raging wind and lightning were ravaging the surroundings. On the other hand, Tia was hovering ten-odd meters above the floor.

"Mononobe!"

Just as I was wondering how to approach Tia, I heard Iris' voice. At the same time, the wind blowing us suddenly stopped.

I looked back to see Iris and Firill. Since they were training relatively nearer to us, they had come over to assist us.

Firill lifted the fictional grimoire shaped from her dark matter. She probably performed air transmutation to create a barrier of wind.

No longer suffering from the storm's pressure, I now had the luxury of observing my surroundings. I could see Mitsuki, Ren and Ariella gathered around Shinomiya-sensei next to wall on the far end. From what I could see, they were probably using transmuted air to neutralize the wind like Firill. Since they were too far away, it was impossible to join forces with them.

"...Are you two alright?"

Firill asked us.

"Yeah, we're alright but... Tia's a messy situation. Can you two help me?"

"...Sure."

Firill nodded.

"Yes, of course! Mononobe, what should I do?"

Iris nodded vigorously and sought my directions.

"Firill, try to expand the wind barrier as much as possible. And Iris, I want you to make explosions to divert Tia's attention."

"Got it, I'll try!"

Saying that, Iris manifested her fictional armament—Caduceus.

"—Mononobe Yuu, then I shall be heading over to Tia-san."

Raising her Gungnir, Lisa turned her gaze to Tia above.

"No wait, it's better if I reached to Tia."

"True that may be... But can you fly?"

Lisa looked at me uneasily. The method of using wind to fly required created a huge amount of air through transmutation.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low compared to everyone else, which meant I could not use that method. However—

"If it's just that kind of height, I'll manage. Lisa, could you please create lightning rods in the surroundings to divert the lightning?"

"...No helping it, leave it to me—Rise, towers of steel!"

Four masses of dark matter were ejected by Lisa's Gungnir, turning into four steel rods in the air, then embedded themselves into the ground as though surrounding Tia's position.

The random lightning strikes gathered towards the four lightning rods.

"My turn!"

Iris pointed Caduceus' tip at Tia and started concentrating.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

As though surrounding Tia, dark matter manifested in multiple spots.

"Iris, don't hurt Tia."

"I know—O raindrops, scatter!"

Transmuted into water, the dark matter all exploded together.

Iris possessed the special talent that made everything explode no matter what she transmuted. Furthermore, she had high-level spatial awareness, allowing her to aim at the target without deviation. Hence, the accompanied steam explosion did not harm Tia directly.

Ruoooooooooooooooooooooo!

Frightened by the explosions, Tia used the dragon's stout limbs, formed from dark matter, to attack the steam shrouding her. But the limbs were worn down instead upon contact with the steam.

Eroded, the limbs rapidly recovered but it made me certain that this was just a dragon in nothing but appearance only. Before undergoing transmutation, dark matter was extremely fragile, vanishing whenever it touched matter apart from the person who had summoned it. In that case, touching Tia who was supposed to be inside should not be that difficult.

"Firill, just try your best... Help me to open up a path!"

After saying that, I instantly rushed towards Tia.

"Understood—Air Road."

I heard Firill's voice behind me. Then a favorable wind propelled me from behind. Firill's wind ran past me and helped me to block the raging wind coming from Tia. Meanwhile, Tia's attention was caught by the explosions so she did not notice me approaching.

While running, I concentrated my mind to manifest my fictional armament.

"Siegfried."

Appearing in my right hand was a mass of dark matter shaped like a large-caliber ornamental gun.

By using this fictional armament, I could fire dark matter as bullets, allowing me to perform powerful transmutations three times. After using three shots' worth, the fictional armament would disappear, but manifesting it again would create a huge opening, hence—

—I have to finish this in three shots.

Without slowing down, I pointed the muzzle at Tia above and pulled the trigger without aiming carefully.

"Smoke Bullet."

The fired bullet transmuted into tiny particles of dust and air. The red dragon was instantly engulfed by the puff of smoke. The countless dust particles wore away the dark matter, peeling off Tia's outer garment of a dragon for a brief instant.

—I see her!

As soon as the storm blew the smoke away, the dark matter dragon would revive again, but I had already captured Tia's location in my sight.

The left breast... The heart's location!

Arriving under Tia, I stopped running. This time, I aimed precisely and shot the ground.

"Air Bullet!"

Transmuted into a large volume of air, the dark matter struck the ground and exploded, blowing me towards the sky.

In this manner, I charged into the dragon's interior. Although my view turned completely red, there was no tactile sensation or feeling of resistance. Prior to transmutation, dark matter was equivalent to not existing and could not impede my advance.

"Tia!"

I yelled while reaching out with my empty left hand. My aim had not deviated, as long as I reached enough height, this hand should be able to touch—

After my fingertip felt a tiny sensation, I found Tia in front of my eyes. Her eyes were blank and did not reflect anything. As expected, she was not conscious.

Perhaps we were... the culprits for turning Tia, who believed she was a dragon, into a real dragon.

"Pull yourself together! Tia!!"

I yelled loudly while embracing her with my left arm.

"—Ehhh? Yuu...?"

The light returned to Tia's eyes as she called my name.

Then holding Tia in my arm, I started to fall, traveling through the dragon's body.

Seeing the ground gradually approaching, I aimed Siegfried downwards. This was the last shot.

"—Air Pressure Bullet!"

I used an explosion of air to cancel the falling impact. Landing lightly, I immediately check Tia's condition.

"Are you okay, Tia?"

"..."

Having regained consciousness just now, Tia still did not respond. She had fainted, her limp body leaning against me.

Due to manifesting such a gigantic fictional armament and performing large-scale transmutations continuously, her mind and body must be thoroughly exhausted.

"Mononobe!"

Iris and Lisa ran over to me. From the distance, Mitsuki and the others also hurried to our side.

The classmates all showed worried expressions. But amidst all this, only Shinomiya-sensei was watching us with a harsh gaze.

Seeing Shinomiya-sensei's expression, I knew that time was short.

Turning my gaze to Tia, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion—I steeled my determination to face off against the monster invading her heart.

===Part 3===

Although Tia had gone on a rampage, greatly damaging the training site, luckily, no one was injured.

Also because Mitsuki and I tried our hardest to intercede on her behalf, Tia's punishment was withheld for now.

However, Shinomiya-sensei also warned us that there would be no second chances.

—After all, the training site was damaged to the point that it required repairs before it could be used again.

Carrying Tia on my back, I went to the infirmary. Along the way, I recalled the pitiful condition of the training site, damaged from floor to ceiling by lightning.

Due to the severe damage caused to the facilities, the entire incident might have to be reported to Midgard's superior organization, Asgard. If further damage occurred, Asgard would definitely punish Tia.

—I need to have a proper discussion with her after she wakes up.

In order to help Tia become a member of Midgard, to become a fellow classmate in the truest sense, I had to make her a human.

I walked through the quiet corridor to arrive in front of the infirmary's door.

"Pardon the intrusion."

I opened the horizontally sliding door with a clatter, only to see that the person inside was not the school nurse who had looked after me on a number of occasions.

"...Eh?"

Staring at me in surprise was the girl who had chatted with me yesterday—Tachikawa Honoka. Dressed in gym clothes, she was sitting in a chair with her top lifted up, in the middle of sterilizing a wound on her flank.

"Kyah!?"

Honoka straightened her lifted top and turned her back to me. Originally frozen from excessive surprise, I also came back to my senses as a result of her scream.

"Oh... Umm, sorry! I'll wait outside."

Carrying Tia on my back, I was about to shut the door when Honoka frantically called to me.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san on your back is not feeling well, right? N-No need to mind me... Please come in."

"...Are you fine with it? Then pardon... the intrusion, okay?"

I felt as though someone had invited me into their bedroom. Stepping into the infirmary, I went to the innermost bed and unloaded the sleeping Tia from my back. Laying her out gently on the bed, I put a blanket on her before turning to face Honoka.

"Uh, looks like there's no one else here... Where did the nurse go?"

"Oh, the nurse is over at the clinic because there was someone with more serious injuries than me. She is currently treating that person."

"Serious injuries? Was there some kind of accident?"

Honoka's arms and legs had several pieces of gauze stuck to them. Before I arrived at the infirmary, she was already treating her own wounds.

"...Actually, I failed a transmutation during a practical. That's also why my classmate became injured."

She was referring to the student being treated at the clinic?

Honoka's class was apparently having a practical lesson at a different training site than ours.

"I see, although everyone makes mistakes... It must feel pretty bad that you hurt others."

"Yes... I will apologize to her properly afterwards. Whether or not she will forgive me, I don't know."

"That's true, no matter what the outcome, I think that's the best way to go about it."

Hearing me say that, Honoka smiled wryly.

"...You really aren't one to hand out comforting words, Yuu-san."

"Sorry, although I know that I should be encouraging you."

"No, compared to people who comfort others irresponsibly, I prefer someone like you."

I felt embarrassed by her description and scratched my face, looking away.

"—But anyway, even if there are other people injured, is it okay for the nurse to leave you alone, Honoka? I don't think there's a shortage of manpower..."

Although the school nurse was the only medical professional on duty, there should be other specialized doctors who were on call. To ensure the Ds' health, Midgard had a comprehensive medical care system.

"No, this really isn't anything serious... I offered to do the dressings myself because it's just putting on gauze after sterilizing."

Saying that, Honoka showed me the bottle of antiseptic liquid and gauze in her hands.

"But from what I saw just now, your wound is somewhere hard for your hand to reach, right?"

When she was sterilizing her flank just now, it looked like she was twisting her body in quite a forced posture.

"That's true... Some places are harder... Oh right, if it's okay with you... Could you help me?"

"Eh? M-Me?"

I widened my eyes greatly upon hearing these surprising words.

"Yes, on my back... Even if it's just this part."

Saying that, Honoka pulled her gym t-shirt up sightly.

My attention was drawn to her snow-white skin.

"Sure... If you don't mind."

Despite feeling troubled, I still approached her. I had learned first aid for the most part at NIFL. There was no need to falter at dressing a wound of this level.

"Then I'll apply the antiseptic. Are you really fine with this?"

Receiving the antiseptic and the gauze, I confirmed with her again. If things turned into sexual harassment after the fact, it would be too much to swallow.

"I'm counting on you, please... be gentle."

"O-Okay... Got it."

I gulped and nodded.

I walked over to the back of Honoka, who was sitting in a chair, and knelt down to treat her.

"...Mmm, ahh..."

Perhaps feeling some stinging, Honoka emitted inexplicably seductive moans. To distract myself as much as possible, I made conversation with her.

"Speaking of which, Honoka, you were discovered in the towns ahead of Basilisk's route of advance, right? You're Japanese no matter how I look, so why were you in that kind of place?"

I asked the question that had occurred to me during the full-school assembly. Honoka answered while enduring the stinging from her wound.

"My mother... Mmm... is someone who travels the world... Ah... As for me, I visit various places together with my mother."

"What an accomplished mother... Do you feel lonely, suddenly separated from her?"

"No... Our relationship is quite cold because I don't have a father or relatives... Mmm... In a certain sense, we stayed together because of circumstances, so it actually relieves me to become independent."

Honoka's reply was very calm and did not sound like a brave front.

"...That's so strong of you. Okay, dressing is done."

I examined the sterilized wound then applied the gauze, ending the treatment.

"Thank you, Yuu-san."

After Straightening out her clothing, Honoka thanked me.

"It was nothing. Well... Although it's embarrassing to say this, but from now on, you don't need to be so polite when asking friends for help."

"Friends... huh?"

Honoka's face looked like she had heard something unexpected. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Yeah, that's what I think. If you feel that I'm forcing things too much, then I apologize."

"No, nothing of that sort. I... am extremely glad."

Honoka smiled and shook her head.

"Great, then let's look after each other from now on."

"V-Very well, me too... Let's look after each other. S-So... I'd like to head over to the clinic to see how my classmate is doing."

Honoka lowered her head and bowed, then a little frantically, she walked to the infirmary's exit.

"Sure, see you."

I waved a hand in response. Honoka partially closed her eyes and smiled.

"Great—hope to talk to you again, then I'm off..."

She closed the door and the room suddenly turned silent.

—Hope?

Rather than waiting for chance encounters, perhaps I should write emails to her proactively.

Injuring a classmate might have repercussions for her. Although I might not be able to help much, it would be good for her to have someone to confide in at least. As her friend, I wanted to help her as much as possible.

Thinking about this kind of thing, I turned my gaze to the bed.

Tia was still sound asleep.

Zzzzzzzzzzz!

But at this moment, the terminal for the infirmary's internal line played a ringtone and the call lamp kept flashing.

"...Should I answer?"

I hesitated and looked at the infirmary's door. The school nurse did not look like she was returning yet.

—Maybe it might be for me.

I had reported to Shinomiya-sensei that I was taking Tia to the infirmary. Thinking it could be something to inform me, I pressed the pick up button on the screen despite my hesitation.

With an electronic sound, the screen immediately switched.

Then a face appeared on the screen, but it was someone I totally did not expect.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"...Major Loki?"

His name flew out of my mouth. It was the man who had been my direct commanding officer at NIFL.

On the other end, NIFL stared at me with his slender eyes. A gentle smile surfaced on his face.

'Until just now, I was still having a discussion with Colonel Shinomiya. Then I asked her to connect my call over to your end. Because I didn't even get a chance to talk to you during the personnel reassignment, I've been wanting to find a chance to chat with you.'

"Huh...? If it's chatting, last time—"

'What are you talking about, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe? Ever since you transferred to Midgard, this is my first time speaking to you, isn't it?'

Hearing him say that, I remembered this was a public ine.

When Leviathan was attacking, Major Loki had exploited the opening in Midgardsormr switching to interception mode and secretly contacted me through my personal terminal. This was to talk about things that must not reach Midgard's ears, because he wanted me to kill the D whose dragon mark had changed color.

"Right... Yeah, Major Loki, because I feel that working under you was only recently, I made a mistake."

Left without a choice, I could only go along with him. If any problems arose from what I said arbitrarily, it would turn into Mitsuki's responsibility because she was the one supervising me.

'Haha, me too. Clearly you're no longer my subordinate, but I still worry about you. I've got something to tell you. Want to hear it?'

"Yes... What is it?"

Staring at Major Loki's fake smile, I nodded. Since it was something that could be said on a public line, it should not be something dangerous like last time.

'The dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell, is apparently plotting to recover Tia Lightning. Although I've already asked Midgard to pay more attention, you be careful too.'

The Sons of Muspell... was the name of the organization that had effectively kept Tia under house arrest in the past. If they knew about the dragonification of Ds, it was not difficult to understand why they wanted to retrieve Tia, but—

"Recover...? From Midgard here? I think they'll get eliminated by Midgardsormr the instant they approach, right...?"

'Yes, Midgard's defenses are impregnable. But supplies and personnel need to enter and exit. Although there are stringent checks, it is not entirely impossible to get through. And this time, beyond a doubt... Kili will make a move too."

The smile vanished from Major Loki's face this time.

"That Kili huh..."

Kili Surtr Muspelheim. The leader of the Sons of Muspell, she was also a D deemed a disaster... Although I did not think she could penetrate Midgardsormr, she was quite a strong threat indeed.

'Kili is very strong, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Due to the information we received this time, alerting us that the Sons of Muspell had a D in their compound, NIFL mobilized all deployable forces. But the result was that Kili singlehandedly suppressed the majority.'

"The Sons of Muspell, are they doing this knowing that Ds will dragonify..."

'Arrested cultists did not seem to be in the know, but at least we can conclude that Kili knows. At the time, Tia Lightning was apparently just moved there from another facility. They probably intended to hand her to Basilisk as its mate instead of waiting for it to visit.'

In other words, Tia was originally in the process of being transported as a live sacrifice. If NIFL had acted slightly later, the second Basilisk would surely have been born.

"If they'll go so far to increase the number of dragons... I guess it's impossible they'll give up so easily."

'Indeed, Kili will definitely take some kind of action. If she infiltrates Midgard, a great disaster can be predicted. Please do not lower your guard at all. Considering that even Sleipnir could not handle her, she is probably stronger than you as you are right now.'

"...!"

I gasped. Major Loki had attempted to raise me as monster stronger than anyone else. Precisely because these words came from his mouth, I could understand how abnormal this D called Kili was.

'If possible, I'd really like to send out Sleipnir but Midgard won't allow NIFL to interfere that easily. Hence, if anything happens, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, I place my hopes you alone.'

"Clearly when Kili is stronger than me... You still have hopes for me?"

'Yes, even so, you are the only one who might be able to kill her. If there are people and things around you that you wish to protect, please abandon your silly obstinacy. This is my honest advice to you.'

Major Loki spoke to me with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"...I'll bear that in mind."

It felt like my heart was being squeezed. I forced my voice out to respond.

'You would do well to remember that. Oh right, although this is pure just in case, I will send to your terminal all accumulated information regarding Kili to this date. Read over it when you have time.'

"Sure, thank you... for doing so much for me."

'You're welcome, I did this willingly. Also, Basilisk is still crossing the African continent. Things were sudden with Leviathan and NIFL was in chaos, but this time, we have plenty of time so you don't need to worry about unnecessary things.'

Major Loki spoke suggestively. Last time, NIFL had sent a team to kill Iris. He was probably hinting that no such operation would happen yet for now.

But in that case, the murderous intent I sensed last time was...

"...I got it."

Although there were still things that bothered me, I nodded for now in response.

'Then it's time I excused myself. Hope to talk to you again—2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Major Loki smiled sarcastically then the call disconnected, turning the screen black.

"Kili huh..."

I uttered her name softly in my mouth. During training, she was often used as an imaginary enemy, hence I had no hesitation towards fighting, however—

"Yuu...?"

Just as I was staring at the pictureless screen, lost in thought, I suddenly heard a voice from behind.

"Tia, you woke up?"

Perhaps my conversation with Major Loki had woken her up. Tia had sat up in bed, looking at me with a troubled look.

"Why is... Tia in this kind of place? Tia should be with Yuu training just now..."

"—So you don't remember? Including this, I need to have a chat with you next, but this isn't a good place to talk. Let's go to the beach, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia showed an expression of joy.

"Yes, Tia wants to see the sea with Yuu again."

Although the notion of bringing gloom to that smiling face pained my heart, I still took Tia by the hand as she ran towards.

The husband and the dragon's wife.

This ill-matched game of playing house—It was probably about to end soon.

===Part 4===

Tia and I first went made a trip to the classroom. After changing into our uniforms, we left the campus with our school bags.

Other people might be busy with handling the training site's aftermath. They were not in the classroom.

Since the practicals in the afternoon had been suspended due to the damaged training site, there were no more lessons today. Like yesterday, we walked along the path to the dorm, descended to the beach and took off our shoes.

"Wow, it feels like the sea can be seen clearer than yesterday."

Peering at the seawater from the water's edge, Tia jumped around, grinning from ear to ear. We visited yesterday near dusk, so the impression given off by the sea was probably quite different compared to the daytime.

The waves produced white spray, gently caressing our ankles.

Watching Tia stepping on the waves, I quietly asked her:

"Tia, compared to yesterday, do you like Lisa and the others more?"

"Y-Yes, Tia knows they're good people now."

Tia answered a bit embarrassedly. With Firill's manga as a trigger, through chatting with everyone in the class, her wariness had decreased somewhat compared to yesterday.

"However, just now, Tia... you almost injured Lisa, you know?"

"...Eh?"

Widening her eyes, Tia showed surprise on her face.

"Tia, you wanted to make a fictional armament but ended up in the form of a dragon and caused mass destruction. The training site is now all torn up by the storm and lightning strikes."

"N-No way... Tia did that—"

In a trembling voice, Tia shook her head in disbelief.

"I know you didn't do it on purpose. At the time, you weren't in a normal mental state, but it doesn't change the fact that you endangered Lisa and the others. So Tia, I hope you'll apologize to the others and promise you'll never do that again."

I bent down to speak at Tia's eye level.

"G-Got it! Tia will apologize! Let's go find everyone!"

Tia frantically pulled my hand. Like Honoka earlier whom I met at the infirmary, Tia was regretting her failure.

"...You're a good girl after all, Tia. But if things do not change, you won't be able to keep that promise. You'll probably repeat your mistakes, as long as you continue—to believe you are a dragon."

"Eh... What do you mean by believe? Tia really is a dragon. Aren't Yuu and everyone dragons too?"

Tia answered with surprise. However, I could see slight wavering in her eyes.

"No, we're humans."

"Why... Why does even Yuu say something so mean? We are dragons! Having this kind of power is the proof!"

Tia generated dark matter in the surroundings, transmuting it into electrical currents. Sparks flew with a sizzling sound. However, I stared into Tia's eyes squarely without backing down.

"Indeed, perhaps there's that interpretation too. Then I'll put things another way. At least for the Ds residing in Midgard, we are all living as humans."

"Living... as humans?"

"Yeah, so as long you insist on living as a dragon, Tia, we won't be able to coexist."

Tia widened her eyes.

"That means... We can't be together?"

"That's right, so that I hope, Tia... you can be human."

I proposed the only necessary condition for Tia to become part of the family that was Brynhildr Class.

"No... Because Tia is a dragon... With these kinds of horns, Tia is already not human..."

Touching her red horns, Tia rejected my proposal.

"It's fine if you have horns. To me, Tia, you're a cute girl and I think it's the same for Lisa and the rest.

"But, but..."

I explained to her gently but Tia kept shaking her head.

"Why do you want to be a dragon so much, Tia? Please tell me, what on earth happened after we separated in that warzone? What happened to the parents who were with you back then?"

"Tia has no papa and mama, they were... fakes."

Like last evening, Tia looked down with a stiff expression.

"Then I hope you can tell me about the fake papa and mama."

I placed my hand on Tia's face and slowly lifted her head, meeting her gaze up close

Her silence persisted a while. Only the sound of waves were heard reguarly.

Tia's red eyes moistened and her cheeks blushed

"...Yuu wants to know about Tia that much?"

"Yes, because I want to be with you too, that's why I want to know.

Hearing my answer, Tia gulped then quietly began:

"...After being saved by Yuu, Tia and they went to live in another country."

What she meant by "they" was probably her parents. Refusing to call them papa and mama, Tia continued:

"They become more gentle than before. Even if Tia did not use power, they still smiled at Tia. Working outside in the fields was hard work, but happy too. But everything... house, fields or them... One day, they suddenly burned up and disappeared."

"Burned up... Was it a fire?"

"No, not a fire. What Tia met was—Kili."

"...!"

Hearing that name, my face froze.

—I never expected to hear Kili's name here too.

Tia had been imprisoned by the Sons of Muspell, hence it was not surprising that she had met the cult's leader Kili. However, I never thought Kili was the one who had deprived Tia of her parents and her home.

"Kili told Tia they were not real, so Tia did not lose anything. Tia is a dragon and has a real mama—'Black' Vritra. The many Ds in the world... are Tia's sisters. That's what she told Tia."

After listening to Tia, I finally understood what she was running away from.

To escape the truth of her parents' death, Tia had no choice but to rely on Kili's words.

As soon as she admitted she was human, she had to accept the loss of her parents. In such a state, ordinary persuasion was not going to work on Tia. Trying to reason with her would lead to nowhere.

"—Thank you for telling me, Tia."

I thanked Tia and stroked her head lightly.

"Yuu understands... what Tia thinks?"

"Yeah... I understand clearly now. I won't say your thinking is wrong anymore."

"Wonderful..."

Tia looked relieved, but I immediately said:

"But I must correct what Kili said. As long as you're living as a dragon, Tia, you'll never be sisters with the Ds who are living as humans, you'll never be family with me, Lisa and the others."

"Eh—?"

Tia's expression instantly froze.

"This might be an unfair way of putting it, but please understand. At this rate, you won't be able to get what you want. Tia, I hope you'll choose to be human."

I could not refute Tia's belief. Even if I forcibly laid out the truth in front of her eyes, without the mental preparation to accept it, she would only end up mind broken. As a result, I could only hint towards future gains and losses and ask her to make a choice.

"Choose...? Tia doesn't quite get... what Yuu is saying."

"...True. I guess it's not something that can be explained clearly with words. In that case, I'll show you. I'll show you what you can do to become human."

After saying that, I took out my portable terminal.

"What are you doing?"

Tia asked uneasily. I smiled and answered her:

"It's still early and there are no lessons. Let's have fun with everyone next. If I say it's for Tia, I'm guessing all our classmates will gather."

"Why...? Didn't Tia do awful things to everyone? Isn't Lisa angry?"

"She'll come even if she's angry. Because all of us wants to become family with you, Tia."

Listening to my answer, Tia widened her eyes, rooted to the spot in a daze for a moment.

===Part 5===

After I emailed Iris and Mitsuki, asking them to let everyone else know, we returned to the dorm and changed into our swimwear. According to Mitsuki's response, they were going to come over in an hour's time.

I heard there was a set of beach gear in the dorm's storeroom, so Tia and I brought out a sun umbrella and plastic mats.

"Tia caused everyone trouble, so Tia has to work hard."

Dressed in a school swimsuit, Tia still tried her hardest to move one of the larger mats despite doing it unsteadily.

With preparations basically complete. I was giving Tia swimming lessons in the shallows when the first classmate arrived.

"Mononobe!"

Iris ran over while waving, dressed in a white bikini. With every step she ran, that lovely bosom would bounce accordingly.

"Wow..."

I felt my heart flutter, worrying whether that swimsuit, tied by flimsy strings, would stay on.

Iris arrived in front of us and twirled around to show us. With her silver hair fluttering, bathed under the sunlight, her pale complexion looked extremely dazzling.

"How is it? I lost my previous swimsuit, so I bought a new one!"

"...Looks amazing. Speaking of which, Iris, the first time we met, you said your swimsuit got washed away."

I thought back to my first encounter with Iris. Thanks to that—No wait, unfortunately due to that—I saw Iris' naked body and got attacked by her.

"Yeah, but in the end, I still couldn't find it—No wait, s-stop thinking about that time, you're embarrassing me..."

Iris blushed and shielded her bosom with her arms. But that posture of hers made me even more conscious of her. Mesmerized by the sight of Iris in her white swimsuit, it took me a while before I could mutter:

"—Iris really is so pretty."

Whether back then or right now, Iris was so beautiful that I could say such words naturally.

"Wha... W-W-W-What... If you suddenly say something like that to me, I'll..."

Iris blushed all the way to her neck and sat down on the beach all of a sudden.

"H-Hey, are you okay?"

Worried, I extended my hand but Tia circled around in front of me as though trying to block me.

"Yuu, what about Tia? How's Tia's swimsuit?"

"Hmm? Yeah, you're very cute, Tia."

I answered honestly but for some reason, she pouted and glared at Iris unhappily.

"Tia finally... gets it, you—Iris—are Tia's rival!"

Confronted with Tia's pointing finger, Iris cocked her head in surprise and puzzlement.

"Rivals? Me and you, Tia?"

"That's right, Tia... won't lose to you!"

"I don't quite get it, but you want to compete against me, right? Well... Okay, how about we play the stick-in-the-sand game?"

Smiling, Iris gathered sand to make a small mound.

"Stick-in-the-sand?"

"Yes. You play this game by making a mound of sand like this... Then put on a stick on top. We take turns digging the mound and whoever makes the stick fall over loses."

Iris picked up a twig that had fallen by the water's edge and planted it on top of the sand before explaining the rules to Tia.

"G-Got it, Tia accepts... this match."

Tia nodded with a serious expression then started playing the game with Iris.

It felt like they had totally strayed from the original point, but I watched them play without interrupting.

At this time, Lisa, Firill, Ariella and Ren arrived as well.

"As reluctant as I am to let you see my swimsuit, I still forced myself to come."

Wearing a mature-looking black swimsuit, Lisa tossed her hair as she spoke to me.

"...Despite what you said, I think you were selecting your swimsuit very seriously."

Firill quipped quietly. She was dressed in a two-piece blue swimsuit.

"B-Because sun protection is a nuisance and I don't often go to the beach, that was why I had to agonize over which swimsuit to wear! I-I was certainly not concerned about Mononobe Yuu's gaze, got that?"

Lisa frantically explained herself to Firill.

Both girls had bigger busts than Iris and their swimsuits made their cleavage visible. That overwhelming volume, normally hidden under their uniforms, was currently shaking the core of my brain.

"Haha—Lisa is not upfront as usual. With a man's gaze present, anyone would care more or less."

Speaking wryly was Ariella in a tropical print swimsuit. Wearing a one-piece frilly swimsuit, Ren was hiding behind her.

"...Mm."

Like a small animal, Ren stared warily at me. Faced with such strong thoughts, I felt quite uncomfortable too.

"Uh... Everyone looks great in their swimsuit."

To soothe the indescribably tense atmosphere, I offered my comment. It was not a lie, because objectively speaking, all the girls in Brynhildr Class were very attractive... To the point that I had no idea where I should be looking.

"O-Of course! I know without needing you to tell me."

Lisa scowled and turned her head away to respond.

"...Thank you for your praise."

Firill thanked me without changing expressions.

"Umm, t-there's no need to... flatter me."

Ariella was normally calm and rational, but would lose composure as soon as anyone praised her. Her gaze drifted all over the place aimlessly.

"......Mm."

The shy Ren was blushing, hiding completely behind Ariella.

"...Nii-san, what you said just now could almost be construed as sexual harassment."

Last to appear was Mitsuki, staring coldly at me.

She apparently made a trip back to the dorm. There was an inflated beach ball in her hand.

"What!? That counted as sexual harassment? I was only offering my opinion?"

"It depends on the situation. Seeing as you made Ren-san so embarrassed, there is nothing you can say against allegations of sexual harassment."

"Well... I guess I'd better keep quiet about your swimsuit, right, Mitsuki?"

I checked out my sister's swimsuit and spoke. Although it was a one-piece, the back was exposed quite boldly. It looked quite sexy from behind.

"......No, I will not feel embarrassment from what you say, Nii-san, so please feel free to say whatever pleases you."

Mitsuki gave an unnatural pause before answering indifferently.

"Really? Then here goes—It looks great on you. Also, the back is a bit sexy."

"......"

Mitsuki glared sharply then pulled my ear without saying a word.

"Hey... Ow! That hurts!"

"...Nii-san, even when you are talking to your sister, you should pay a little attention to your choice of words, shouldn't you?"

"But you said I could say whatever pleases me!?"

I grumbled at her but Mitsuki retorted with her face red.

"That was built upon the assumption of minimum manners!"

Just as we were arguing like this, I suddenly heard Tia scream.

"Ahhh! No, don't fall down!"

I looked in Tia and Iris' direction in surprise, only to see an irregular mound of sand collapse together with the stick.

"Hmph, I won!"

Iris made a victory sign with her hand while Tia slumped her shoulders in dejection. But she immediately looked up and begged to challenge Iris again.

"One more time! Another game!"

"Sure, I'll accept no matter how many times you challenge me. But since everyone has arrived, let's play a different game this time."

Saying that, Iris gestured towards Lisa and the rest with her eyes to Tia.

"Oh..."

It seemed like Tia only noticed now that everyone had gathered.

Patting off the sand stuck to her knees, Tia stood up. Then nervously, she peered at Lisa's face.

"What's the matter? Did something stick to my face?"

Lisa asked her in puzzlement. She did not seem angry at Tia at all.

Seeing her like that, Tia forcefully bowed her head with tears in the corners of her eyes.

"S-Sorry! Tia heard from Yuu, that Tia... did something awful to Lisa... S-So... Sorry!!"

"Oh, you are bothered by what happened earlier."

Lisa seemed to understand the situation. Nodding, she walked over to Tia.

"...Lisa?"

Tia showed a timid expression while looking up at Lisa's face.

"I understand now, then I shall punish you."

Saying that, Lisa raised her hand slowly then gave Tia's head a knock.

"Ow!"

Tia immediately held her head and squatted down.

"H-Hey Lisa, there's no need to go so far—Are you actually angry with her?"

I frantically asked her but Lisa shook her head in denial.

"No, I am not angry at all. However... Punishment is necessary for those seeking atonement. Before she gets consumed by guilt, her wrongdoing must be settled first."

For some reason, Lisa glanced at Mitsuki momentarily before answering in a calm voice.

"Owie..."

Tia was rubbing her head where Lisa's fist had struck her. Tearfully, she looked at Lisa.

"That goes without saying. Punishments are meant to hurt in the first place. But with this, Tia-san, you have atoned for your mistakes. You don't need to feel guilty anymore for what happened. Whether myself or everyone else, we are all fine with it. Am I right?"

Lisa sought agreement from the group. Everyone nodded in response.

"...So that is how things stand."

Lisa smiled gently and hugged Tia to her chest.

"Mmgg..."

"I believe I did control my strength. Does it still hurt? Perhaps I used too much force."

Stroking Tia's head, Lisa remarked with worry.

"...No, it doesn't hurt anymore, Lisa... Thank you."

Burying her face in the bountiful bosom, Tia thanked Lisa quietly.

"Since we've made up, let's all play beach volleyball together!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 179.jpg|thumb]]

Seeing things reach a conclusion, Iris suggested energetically.

"We weren't fighting to begin with... Fine, whatever."

Lisa nodded despite sighing then released Tia from her embrace.

"...Feels like mama."

Tia murmured in a slight daze.

"Then let us gather in a circle and toss the ball. Oh, just that whenever Nii-san's name is called, he must receive the ball no matter where it goes, or else be subjected to punishment."

Holding the beach ball, Mitsuki added a super harsh rule.

"H-Hey, what am I the only one with that restriction!?"

"Because you went through harsh training at NIFL, Nii-san. Without such a handicap, there will not be any tension for you, right?"

Probably still holding a grudge about the swimsuit comment, Mitsuki replied with animosity.

"It's not like I need tension... Fine, I get it, let's go with that rule."

Frankly speaking, I intentionally took on her taunting and accepted the rule because I was confident.

But I soon realized that I was too naive.

"Ah... The first star is out."

Buried in the sand, I was looking up at the red sky. The sun was approaching the horizon in the west. The blue of night was starting to spread from the eastern sky.

My body felt extremely heavy.

Due to everyone enjoying themselves at my expense during the game of volleyball, I had to rush all over the place, reaching my limit no matter how good my stamina. Plus the fact that Lisa and Firill's chests were bouncing even more intensely than the ball, it was hard for me to focus. In the end, I missed a ball and was punished by burial in the sand. Unable to move, I was listening to everyone's voices in the distance.

"Good, good, well done. You are swimming quite well now."

"Really? Tia learned how to swim now?"

Lisa and Tia's conversation reached me. The two of them seemed to be getting along really well.

"Eh!? My swimsuit... Where's my swimsuit!?"

I heard Iris' frantic voice. She had apparently lost her swimsuit again, but since I could not get up, I was unable to see what she looked like.

"...Iris-san, please pull yourself together. Is this it?"

I heard Mitsuki's voice of resignation. Apparently, she had found Iris' swimsuit.

The sound of flickering pages could be heard nearby.

Because Firill was reading a book under the sun umbrella.

"—Your turn, Ren."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were playing stick-in-the-sand using the sand on top of me.

I was quite grateful that the sand over me was gradually decreasing, but it felt quite ticklish to be touched indirectly like that.

Peaceful times passed in this way until the sky filled up with stars. At this moment, I noticed three sets of footsteps approaching. Due to habits formed during my time at NIFL, I could discern the physique of people from the sound of their footfall.

—Two adults and a child... apparently carrying something heavy.

Hence, I turned my head and waited for the new arrivals to enter my view.

The three of them were all known to me. One was Shinomiya-sensei while unbelievably, the other two were... The principal, Charlotte B. Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart-san.

Apparently, the footsteps I mistook for a child's belonged to the principal. Dressed in a white sundress, the principal's age could not be determined from appearance. No one would raise any doubts even she were to be described as a student in Midgard.

"I can't believe you guys are having so much fun. Let me join in too."

Coming over to my side, the principal looked down at me who was buried in the sand. I suspected that Mitsuki had informed Shinomiya-sensei before coming here and the news must have reached the principal and Mica-san.

"...You want to buried too, principal?"

"Of course not! I want to frolic with pure maidens in their swimsuits too!"

"I can feel a generation gap when you phrase it like that."

I gave my honest opinion but the principal removed her sandal, stepped on me and twisted my head with her toes.

"Shut up or I'll step on you."

"You're already stepping on me!"

I turned my face and yelled in order to avoid the principal's bare foot.

Nearby, Ren and Ariella watched our behavior with blank expressions.

The principal's sudden appearance probably troubled them.

"Hmph, I won't ask you guys to join me without a reason. I come with gifts. Mica and Haruka, begin the preparations."

"Yes, affirmative."

Still dressed as a maid, Mica-san swiftly began to put together the objects she was carrying in her arms.

"...I am not your servant."

Shinomiya-sensei sighed and placed down on the plastic mat the bag she had brought. From the bag, she took out meat and vegetables.

"Principal... What the heck are you doing?"

Hearing the question, the principal smiled proudly.

"Don't you get it just by seeing? Speaking of beach activities at night, of course there's barbecue!"

"Barbecue!? That's awesome!!"

Iris cheered from the distance. Since the sun had already set, I was thinking it was almost time for us to go our separate ways, but it looked like the party was just about to begin.

Finally liberated from imprisonment under the sand, I joined everyone around the barbecue grill.

"Fufufu..."

Eating only meat, the principal lustfully oogled the girls in swimsuits.

"I don't suppose your only goal here is to see everyone in their swimsuit, right?"

I asked in exasperation.

"Of course it is. Got a problem with that?"

"...Well, I think there are many problems with that."

Seeing the principal nod and admit openly, I could not help but sigh.

"Hmph, it's true that admiring swimsuits is my biggest goal... But checking out her condition is also part of the reason."

The principal shifted her gaze towards Tia across the grill and whispered.

"Tia, she's... probably fine. I think she will surely choose to be human."

Likewise, I whispered in reply.

"Hold on, Tia-san, you must eat your vegetables."

"Oh no, don't put the green pepper there!"

Seeing Lisa place a green pepper on her plate, Tia lost composure. Judging from the way they got along together, I felt that there would be no problem anymore.

"Choose...? Yes, even if she is a true dragon, if she lives as a human, she could become human. I too believe that how she lives her life... is far more important than what she is."

Narrowing her eyes, the principal spoke as though saying a prayer.

"...Principal?"

"Fufu, I accidentally said something that doesn't fit my image. Putting that aside, how's your wound from earlier?"

"Wound? Oh, the one on my left hand... The wound already healed, but the scar did not go away..."

The memory of her licking my wound flashed in my mind, making me answer a little nervously.

The mark left behind by that red swelling on the back of my left hand felt like an additional line had been added to my dragon mark.

"I see... It really did turn out like this."

The principal nodded with a look of comprehension. Speaking of which, back when she saw the wound, she apparently said the scar would never go away.

"Just by looking at the wound, you could tell it would leave a scar?"

"Only if examined carefully."

Saying that, the principal licked the grease sticking around her mouth. That motion seemed extraordinarily seductive, forcing me to gulp.

"—Charlotte-sama, please do not joke with students at their expense."

At this moment, Mica-san appeared and used her chopsticks to stuff a piece of green pepper into the principal's mouth.

"M-Mmmph! S-Stop it right now! Mica! I-I hate green peppers!"

"Please do not be picky with food in front of students. How would a picky principal serve as a role model for students?"

As though suffering karmic retribution for eating only meat the whole time, the principal was forced to eat vegetables.

Seeing her like that, everyone laughed out loud.

"Ahahahaha!"

Tia also laughed very happily.

Hearing her laughter, I felt my gaze drawn to the breakwater's direction.

Actually, I had emailed Honoka to invite her when I heard we were starting a barbecue.

She would probably feel intimidated to suddenly join an event where everyone else was part of Brynhildr Class. But taking advantage of the principal's presence, it should make things easier.

—If she came, I wanted to introduce her to everyone.

But it did not look like Honoka was coming.

She was probably busy due to the accident during the practical. Or after injuring her classmate, she felt an aversion against lively events.

—I wouldn't want to make her feel troubled. I'll just email her again later.

Deciding that in my mind, I turned my attention to the laughing crowd again—

===Part 6===

After the barbecue, the teachers gathered up the equipment and left. The members of Brynhildr Class all shifted locations to Mitsuki's dorm.

Lisa and the others had apparently gotten permission from Shinomiya-sensei to stay over at Mitsuki's dorm.

The girls were apparently planning to have pajamas party in Mitsuki's room, but I could not possibly join in as a guy after all, so after showering, I changed into a t-shirt and lay down alone in my own bed.

Tia was not in the room either. She had gone to Mitsuki's room with the others. Probably after everything that had happened today, she had started trusting her classmates from Brynhildr Class.

...Or rather, I should say it was thanks to Lisa.

When about to separate from me, Tia looked uneasy but she followed obediently after Lisa held her hand. They looked like mother and daughter, bringing a smile to my face.

As soon as I lay down, my eyelids instantly felt heavy.

Although I wanted to fall asleep just like that, I wanted to email Honoka before that. Hence, I picked up my portable terminal. But when I checked the screen, there were two emails that had arrived at some point. One was Honoka's reply while the other was sent by Major Loki. Speaking of which, Major Loki had mentioned he was going to send me data on Kili.

I opened Honoka's email first.

'I am so sorry I can't join you even though you went out of your way to invite me. Because I suddenly received a call from my mother, I missed the chance to meet up with you. My mother says she is worried whether I can live properly on my own. Looks like I am not that trusted.'

I read her email and keyed in my response.

'Don't worry about it since it was a sudden invitation without warning. Your own business is more important. Making calls to Midgard from outside requires going through convoluted procedures, but your mother still called you. She must be a good mother.'

Honoka had previously described their relationship as cold but in fact, she was probably close with her mother. I felt a bit relieved while sending my email. Then a reply came back quickly.

'Thank you for understanding but my mother still says things on her own without allowing any argument. Oh, speaking of which, I told her about you, Yuu-san, and she is very interested in you. She might be visiting Midgard in the near future, so please do your best then.'

Visiting Midgard...?

This was not a place that even a D's family could enter so easily. Honoka's mother was apparently active all over the world... Perhaps she was actually a person of quite substantial position.

Hence, I replied 'If possible, please have her show some mercy? Anyway, goodnight.'

—Okay, let me read Major Loki's email next.

I tensed up and opened the email. There were no contents apart from an attachment file.

I decompressed the data and opened it. What appeared was a profile with a photo included.

—So this is Kili?

It was most likely taken on a battlefield. The photo showed a girl standing in the middle of blazing flames.

She had slightly tanned skin and long black hair. Although her facial features were quite exquisite, her gaze was very sharp. Wearing a smoking black cape, her entire body gave off vibes of danger.

When told about Kili in the past, there was never such a vivid photo. Since NIFL had apparently fought Kili while taking Tia into custody, perhaps this was taken during that time.

—Kili Surtr Muspelheim. Female. Roughly 160cm in height. Age unknown. Weight unknown... Nationality and family background unknown too... Since three years ago, she started being active as the leader of the dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell. There are over three hundred terrorist incidents regarded as related to her. Reports indicate that she can incinerate people and objects without touching them. Very likely a D specializing in the transmutation of flames. Already deemed a disaster without concrete evidence...

Despite the full efforts of NIFL's intelligence agency, the amount of corroborated data was exceedingly small. Although there was an abundance of information noted with indeterminate veracity, it was all data that was hard to believe directly.

—By conservative estimates, suspected murder count is a hundred thousand people. Within a single night, wiping out a town stationed with a regiment of a thousand troops. A sniper located a kilometer away was burned to death by her before he could pull the trigger. Wide area bombing was used, expecting her death to be assured, but she was later confirmed to be still alive. Often appearing in towns after "Blue" Hekatonkheir had passed through...

"Is she even human...?"

I could not help but blurt out.

Even if Kili was a D, I doubted she could do all these things.

It would be more probable if she was the eighth dragon instead.

"But... Oh right, she is living as a dragon right now."

Kili was the culprit who had indoctrinated Tia with the concept that Ds were dragons. Suppose Kili also believed she was a dragon, then perhaps she had become something even more of a dragon than a dragon. If this was the appearance of a D who had chosen to be a dragon—

"I absolutely won't let Tia become like her."

With firm resolve, I muttered. Then lying on the bed again, I looked up at the ceiling From Mitsuki's room above, I could hear faint sounds from their voices and footsteps.

—Whether from Basilisk or Kili, I will protect Tia.

Vowing in my heart, I then closed my eyes.

Drowsiness attacked again. My thought gradually grew hazy and my consciousness left me.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

A massive low rumbling made me open my eyes. The room kept shaking, the desk lamp fell from the desk, causing an acute crash.

"What...!?"

I sat up to a start but the shaking soon stopped. The alarm clock next to my pillow read 2am. I had fallen asleep without realizing it.

—This was no earthquake. There was a loud noise... The shaking was caused by some kind of impact just now.

I immediately concluded that because I had experienced identical sounds and shaking before.

But this could not possibly be the same situation. That thing could not possibly be here.

"..."

Nevertheless, my palms were wet with sweat. Saliva was building up in my mouth. With a gulp, I swallowed it.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, pulling the curtains open forcefully.

On the other side of the jungle behind the dorm, under the starry night sky, part of the jungle had been cut down unnaturally.

The night sky's dark blue was blotted by a certain gigantic shadow.

Faintly blue in phosphorescence, the shadow shook its humongous body.

As for what thing I was witnessing—I knew very well.

"The blue dragon—'Blue' Hekatonkheir..."

Blankly, I could only recite in a hoarse voice the name of the being that was towering over the night sky. Right there was the monster that had tried to trample the town where Mitsuki and I lived.

Hekatonkheir's entire body was covered with blue scales. Whenever its body moved, geometric patterns could be seen blinking and flashing. Without any facial features, the head only had a huge horn, upright as though rushing towards the sky.

Woooooooooooooooooooooo!

Finally, the siren at the clock tower sounded.

This meant that Midgard did not become aware of this situation until now.

"What the heck... Why didn't anyone notice?"

Midgard was defended by the concentric layered defense system, Midgardsormr. How on earth did Hekatonkheir infiltrate Midgard without being discovered? No matter what, I could not think of the reason.

But appearing before us was neither Basilisk nor Kili but an unexpected crisis. This was absolutely certain.

Accompanied by the siren, the clock tower was gradually retracted into the ground.

However, Hekatonkheir bent down slowly and reached out with its long right arm.

The gigantic hand reached above the school campus and swept sideways.

CRASH—!!

The violent sound of breakage was heard.

Originally in the process of descent, the clock tower had its upper half chopped off. The remaining lower half also collapsed.

The siren stopped. Deformed by the impact, the clock tower's lower portion also stopped moving.

"Ah—"

I listened to the cry from my own throat as though I was completely detached.

The clock tower was where Midgard's important facilities and the emergency command center were gathered, and even the principal's office was on the top floor of the upper half that was sent flying just now...

The faces of the principal and Mica-san, who had just parted ways with me earlier, flashed in my mind.

"Grrr..."

Gritting my teeth, I rushed out of the room—
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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T04:58:29Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 4 */

==Chapter 2 - Innocent Pursuit==

===Part 1===

"—Due to the fact that Tia Lightning refuses adamantly to separate from Mononobe Yuu, she will be taken in by this Brynhildr Class. Please get along with her from now on."

After the full-school assembly ended, Shinomiya-sensei made this announcement in a business-like manner during homeroom.

Tia and I were standing at the lectern together because Tia refused to leave me no matter what. Right now, Tia was hugging my arm with her eyes partially closed and happiness written all over her face.

This girl wouldn't be—the D whom I saved in the past, would she?

From her reaction that seemed like she had seen me before, as well as my nagging feeling of familiarity, this possibility was quite likely. But I had no proof and could not ask in front of everyone either.

If my hunch was correct and the matter of letting a D go free came to light, this would endanger Mitsuki's position in addition to mine.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san should be of an age that belongs in elementary level education, right? I doubt she can keep up with our curriculum."

Lisa asked Shinomiya-sensei with a troubled look.

"That's true indeed... But her declaration, appearance and offensive attitude has made many students afraid. Even if she were to be forced together with other Ds in her age group, it's probably impossible for them to get along peacefully. In that case, leaving her to Mononobe Yuu, the only one whom she opens her heart to, is the better solution."

—Leaving her to me?

I had a bad feeling about the way she phrased that.

"So here is how it goes, Mononobe Yuu. You will be in charge of her education. Basic studies, common sense, rules for living in Midgard, you will teach all of that to her."

"What...? I-I'm gonna teach her? I only arrived in Midgard a month ago myself, you know?"

I argued anxiously but Shinomiya-sensei's tone of voice forbade me from refusing.

"Ask other people if you run into difficulties. You may regard this as a mission associated with the anti-Basilisk battle. If she causes serious trouble in Midgard, then the only option would be to hand her over to NIFL. What this means... You probably understand."

Ds must be appropriately managed under Midgard in order for their human rights to be recognized officially. Getting exiled from Midgard would be equivalent to being deemed a disaster, which meant that NIFL was going to dispose of her mercilessly in order to take care of the current incident.

Just like when Leviathan attacked, they intended to kill Iris whose dragon mark had changed color.

"...I got it. Although I'm not confident, I'll try my best."

For a newbie like me, the responsibilities of this mission were way too heavy.

But I could not leave the young Tia to her own devices. And for some reason, she harbored strong affection for me. My heart was not cold enough to be able to mercilessly ignore a girl like that.

"Hmm? Are you done talking?"

Tia looked up at me and asked. Despite it being a conversation about her, she paid almost no attention to it.

"Yeah, from now on, Tia, you're classmates with us."

"Really? Then we can be together all the time here! Where is Yuu's seat?"

"Huh? Middle seat on the last row—"

I pointed at the last row of the 3x3 arrangement of seats—The spot sandwiched between Mitsuki and Iris.

By the way, although I feigned ignorance the whole time, the two of them had been staring daggers at me since a while ago. Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be reprimanding me while Iris was pouting unhappily, glaring at me.

"Then Tia will sit there too!"

Saying that, Tia pulled my arm.

"You want to sit there...? If you want the back row no matter what, I'll swap places with you."

"No, Yuu just sit here. Come, sit down."

"...?"

At Tia's urging, I sat down in my own seat.

"Fufu, then Tia will sit down too."

Tia sat down on my lap with a plop.

"H-Hey?"

"So comfy."

Ignoring my distress, Tia leaned her back against me.

At this moment, Iris suddenly stood up from her seat. Probably reaching the end of her patience, she said to Tia:

"Hey Tia-chan! You'll get in Mononobe's way if you sit there. You should sit in an empty seat!"

"Muu... Who is this Onee-chan?"

"I am Iris Freyja, Mononobe's... friend!"

Iris introduced herself proudly but Tia retorted without getting intimidated.

"If you are his friend, Tia hopes you can read the mood better. Sticking your nose into a husband and wife's problem is meddling, right?"

"H-Husband and wife... Didn't you just meet Mononobe, Tia-chan!? It's me who's been close to Mononobe the whole time!"

"Wrong, Tia and Yuu were tied together by the red string of fate a long time ago. No one can break us up."

Saying that, Tia changed her posture. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she hugged me tightly.

"T-Tia, wait... This is very uncomfortable."

Previously, I always treated her as a child and acted generously, but with such intimate contact, I could not help but waver a bit. Feeling her delicate, petite, and lightweight figure and her soft skin, I was forced to become aware that, even at this kind of age, she was already a girl. The fragrance drifting from Tia's beautiful hair was tickling my nasal cavity.

"—Tia-san, sitting in your own seat to attend class is a rule of this school's. Please follow it."

Mitsuki's acute voice was heard at this time. Iris instantly brightened up at the arrival of reinforcements.

Tia pouted unhappily and turned her gaze to Mitsuki.

"Again, you... will say mean things to Tia?"

Tia seemed to be holding a grudge about what happened at the full-school assembly.

"I am not being mean. I am simply bringing up the rules. Please do not cause Nii-san trouble."

"Nii-san? You're not Yuu's family, are you?"

Tia blinked in surprise.

"Right, I am Mononobe Mitsuki, Nii-san's younger sister."

"Aha... Then Tia has to get along with you, because the husband's little sister is Tia's little sister."

Tia put away her defiance and smiled at Mitsuki.

"...I do not recall having an older sister younger than I am."

"Hmm, then you can be the older sister, or do you want to be the mother-in-law?"

"We are not playing house here, please do not randomly reassign roles, seriously... Sensei, could you tell her off?"

With an exasperated look, Mitsuki sighed and sought help from Shinomiya-sensei.

"Yes... You are right, rules must be followed, but I fear that trying to make her understand this principle right now would be very difficult. Hence, please tolerate her actions for now as long as lessons are not disrupted."

"No way..."

Mitsuki and Iris both made speechless expressions then Tia raised her arms to cheer in joy.

"Awesome! Then Tia will stay quiet. A good wife doesn't make trouble for the husband."

Tia resumed her earlier posture and sat properly on my lap. With that, as long as she did not move about, I was able to look in front and manage to follow the lesson

However, Shinomiya-sensei cast her sharp gaze at me and said:

"Mononobe Yuu, let me state for the record. Her special treatment is only limited to today. You have to settle this before tomorrow."

"Ehhh!?"

In other words, I had to make Tia obey school rules within today?

"Ehehe!"

Tia showed a joyful expression while her legs swayed nonstop.

I looked down at Tia, my self-proclaimed wife. This was a mission harder than imagined, totally putting me at a loss of what to do.

===Part 2===

After that, Tia still refused to leave for even an instant.

During homeroom, Lisa and the others introduced themselves but Tia was uninterested, simply looking up at my face.

"M-Mononobe Yuu... I shan't lose to you!"

This provoked a weird sense of competition in Lisa—

"...Lolicon?"

Firill was inspired with unsavory doubts about me.

"Only Mononobe-kun gets to talk to her, so unfair."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were looking at me with displeasure in their eyes. Particularly Ren, whose age was closest to Tia, she had kept glancing secretly at Tia ever since class started, quite curious about her.

"Tia, why don't you talk to everyone a bit."

I encouraged her but Tia shook her head and refused.

"No need, if Tia had to talk, talking with Yuu is better."

It looked I was the only thing that mattered in her red eyes. Anyway, I had no idea how to persuade Tia unless I got to know her as a person. Hence, I decided to let Tia do as she pleased for the first day, the only time for special treatment.

"Hwah..."

Keeping her promise in class, Tia sat quietly on my lap. Although she yawned in apparently boredom many times, even sleeping very soundly during fourth period, she did not seem to be a child who could not be reasoned with.

During the lunch break, we went to the cafeteria together as a class, sitting around a table as before.

"Here, husband, say ah—"

But most troublingly, Tia continued to sit on my lap just as in the classroom. She was extending a spoonful of vegetable curry towards me. The gazes from not only my classmates but also girls in the surroundings were making me uncomfortable.

"...Yuu?"

Due to Tia's uneasy look, I had no choice but to eat the vegetable curry. Then I heard whispers all around. Bothered by the surrounding gazes, I almost could not taste the curry's spiciness.

"Fufu, we are like newlyweds."

Tia smiled happily and ate a mouthful of vegetable curry too.

Going with this situation, I was probably going to be labeled a lolicon tomorrow.

But to me, it simply felt like accompanying her to play house like a children.

Although she insisted she was the wife, I felt that it would be more accurate to call her a very spoiled younger sister.

"Tia, you've got stuff next to your mouth."

After thinking of it that way, I stopped feeling particularly bothered. In a natural manner, I used a tissue to wipe Tia's mouth.

"Aww... Thanks."

Tia thanked me somewhat shyly. From the eyes of an older brother, I found that behavior of hers to be very cute.

If the one sitting on my lap making me dote on her was Iris instead, I probably would not be able to remain calm like this.

Thinking that, I looked forward, only to see Iris glaring at me with a pout.

"Only Tia-chan can do that... Too unfair."

Clutching her fork, stabbed in the pasta with tomato sauce, Iris spoke in a low voice.

"U-Unfair? What's unfair?"

"I'm clearly your friend, Mononobe... Compared to Tia-chan, we should be closer... But I never got to do the say 'ah—' thing, so I have to do it too!"

Saying that, Iris wrapped pasta around her fork and extended it before me.

"A-Ah..."

With cheeks blushing, Iris spoke in a trembling voice.

I felt my heart starting to race.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 083.jpg|thumb]]

"H-Hey, Iris..."

"...Mononobe, hurry, this is very embarrassing."

Seeing her plead tearfully, I opened my mouth despite the hesitation in my heart, but—

With a metallic clang, Iris' fork was deflected by Tia's spoon.

"Yuu is Tia's husband. You're not allowed to do that."

"I can, because Mononobe is my friend!"

Iris' gaze turned sharp. As though about to have a fencing match, she entered a pose with her fork, still with pasta wrapped around it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sensing danger, I yelled at her but Iris made a thrust with her fork.

"Eat this!"

"You wish!"

Tia used her spoon to defend again, but Iris' first strike was a feint. Stopping her fork halfway, she evaded the timing of Tia's parry. Getting past the spoon, she shoved the pasta into my mouth.

"Mmggg!"

The flavor of tomato sauce instantly spread in my mouth. While the fork was drawn out, the pasta was left in my mouth.

"Success!"

Iris cheered and made a victory pose.

"Oh no, husband is having an affair!"

Tia screamed in shock. Her voice echoed throughout the entire cafeteria. All the students present were looking in our direction.

"...Knock it off, you two. Be quiet in public areas."

Mitsuki spoke in a voice filled with rage.

Iris instantly shuddered then scratched her head apologetically.

"Oh, s-sorry, Mitsuki-chan... I was too impulsive."

"Tia was clearly not at fault..."

Despite muttering in her mouth, Tia settled down. Because Mitsuki was my sister, Tia cared about how she was viewed.

"Phew... Mitsuki, thanks—"

I was just about to thank her when I saw Mitsuki's extremely displeased look, forcing me to grind to a halt mid-sentence.

"—Nii-san is an idiot."

After saying that quietly, Mitsuki turned her head away.

Lisa and the others all showed exasperation on the their faces. In the end, the meal ended under an indescribable atmosphere.

And after that, there were problems aplenty.

Using the remainder of the lunch break, we took Tia around to get to know the campus. At the clock tower, I was just about to go to the washroom when Tia wanted to go with me, thus causing a dispute for a while.

Persuaded by Mitsuki, Tia finally agreed to let go of my hand, but she kept yelling "Yuu, are you there?" from outside, giving me no peace while I did my business.

—As a side note, inside Midgard, there were only two washrooms I could use. As Midgard's core area, the clock tower would have occasional visitors from outside, hence male washrooms were available for visitors to use. The other one was the toilet in my own room at the dorm.

Later on during afternoon class time, Tia wanted to go to the washroom this time, intending to drag me to the female washroom.

I patiently convinced her, finally reaching a compromise where I waited outside while repeatedly responding to her calls.

In this manner, today's classes ended while feeling several times longer than usual.

But my mission was just beginning here.

"—Mononobe Yuu, I will let Tia Lightning live in Mononobe Mitsuki's dorm like you. Take good care of her."

During homeroom before dismissal, that was what Shinomiya-sensei said. I was in charge of educating Tia. After school, I had to oversee her studies and Tia refused to leave me, so this could be considered an appropriate arrangement.

Although Mitsuki's expression seemed quite unconvinced, she still agreed reluctantly.

"Nii-san, I still have student council work to do, so please return first. Although you will be alone with Tia-san temporarily... Under no circumstances should you do anything violating public morals."

"...I know. Could you believe in your brother a bit?"

I nodded with a wry smile and exited the classroom with Tia.

Using her tiny right hand, Tia held my left hand tightly.

Accommodating Tia's pace, I slowly made my way to the building entrance, but just as we reached the first floor's entrance, I noticed a student standing still in front of the school map.

It was a very obedient-looking girl, wearing glasses, with long black hair in a braid.

—Eh? I remember that girl... the one who transferred together with Tia—

"Yuu?"

Seeing me stop walking, Tia looked at me in surprise.

"Sorry, Tia, come with me for a bit."

Holding Tia's hand, I approached the girl.

If she was facing any trouble, I should help her, right? This was the spirit behind Midgard's founding. This was what I learned from Lisa and the others during the battle against Leviathan.

"—What's wrong?"

I asked her from behind.

"...Eh? Oh—"

She looked back, widening her eyes greatly after seeing me. Perhaps she was startled because I was a man.

To avoid making her unwary unnecessarily, I smiled and talked to her.

"I remember you just transferred in today, right? Tachikawa... What was it again?"

To be honest, because Tia caused me such a great shock, I had little recollection of her, even her name was fuzzy.

"Uh—Right, I am Tachikawa Honoka, you are... Mononobe Yuu, right?"

She nodded and asked in a confirming tone of voice.

"You know about me?"

"Because you are the only male in the academy, I soon heard rumors about you. And I saw you this morning at the full-school assembly."

Speaking of which, this morning I had rushed up to the podium to stop Tia who was acting emotionally unstable. Since I had done something so conspicuous, no matter where I went, there were always people talking about the topic of me and Tia. With that, whether she wanted to or not, she would surely hear my name.

"...Then we can skip the introductions. Tia, you know her already, right?"

I motioned with my eyes, to introduce her to Tia, but for some reason, Tia hugged my waist tightly and glared at her silently.

"Right, although I saw her for the first time at the full-school assembly, I still have not greeted her... But I did hear the student council president's introduction."

Saying that, she lowered her head and bowed to us.

"Yuu-san, Tia-san, pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, likewise here."

I smiled in response but Tia scowled and refused to answer.

"Sorry, how should I say this...? Apart from me, Tia pretty much treats everyone like this."

I frantically explained for Tia, but she smiled gently and said:

"No problem, I don't mind."

"Thanks, that would be a great help—Tachikawa."

"Just call me Honoka. I'll address you by name too."

She replied in a relaxed tone of voice.

"O-Okay... Got it, Honoka."

Slightly nervously, I changed my way of addressing her. Although she seemed introverted in appearance, her personality might turn out to be more approachable than expected.

"So, what are you doing here, Honoka? If there's anywhere you want to go, I can lead the way."

I looked at the map that Honoka had been staring at.

"No, it's okay. I was just trying to memorize all the locations because I'll be living here from now on."

"I see, so you're not lost. That's great. Sorry for disturbing you."

I should have minded my own business. I scratched my head.

"Nothing of that sort, I'm happy that you talked to me. Even just knowing that you are such a friendly person counts as a kind of encouragement to me here on."

Although Honoka thanked me, what she said made me a bit concerned. Thinking more carefully, taking her around to familiarize with the campus should be what her classmates would do first. Perhaps there was not anyone friendly in the class she was assigned to.

"...If you have any difficulties, you can find me any time. I'll tell you my email address."

"Oh... Thank you."

Honoka smiled radiantly. After exchanging addresses, we bid her goodbye and walked out of the building.

During that time, Tia's expression remained quite unhappy. She gripped my hand tightly.

"You're both transfer students, so why don't you try to get along with her? I think you'll surely become friends."

I said that to her while walking towards the school gates, but Tia shook her head.

"No, Tia doesn't want to be near her."

"Doesn't want to be near..."

Compared to Lisa or the others, Tia was expressing a clearer attitude of rejection, baffling me.

"And Tia is angry with Yuu too. A married person should not hit on girls."

"H-Hit on? No, that wasn't what was happening just now."

Suddenly exchanging email addresses might seem like hitting on a girl, but the only reason why I told Honoka my address was purely because I worried about her.

"...Honestly not hitting on her?"

"Honestly."

"Okay... Then Tia won't be angry."

Tia's displeased look changed to reveal all smiles.

Seeing her mood improve, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although we were not a real couple and I was not obliged to explain to her, it made me feel uncomfortable to be saddled with a trumped up charge for no reason.

Then we passed through the school gates and headed to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

Although we attracted the gaze of female students along the way, after entering the road leading to the dorm, no one was in sight anymore.

We held hands and walked on the road along the beach. That alone was enough to make Tia smile contentedly. Bathed under the setting sun's rays, both her hair and her horns shone with red light.

—Tia Lightning huh...

Having accompanied her the whole day, I came to understand one thing clearly. She extremely hated separating from me.

Almost like a lost child.

She looked like a child who was finally reunited with parents, refusing to separate again no matter what. Most likely, Tia's affection towards me was neither infatuation nor love, but an expression of emotions from the fear of separation.

Although that was possible, the correct answer could only be known by asking directly.

There were many things I wanted to ask but among them, what I needed to confirm most—the question I had held back all this time to avoid giving Mitsuki trouble—I finally inquired of Tia at this time.

"Say, Tia, have we met somewhere before?"

"Eh—Yuu doesn't remember?"

Tia asked as though she was struck by a blow. It looked like we really did meet before.

"Don't tell me... you're the D whom I saved on in a warzone before?"

I voiced my guess.

Before coming to Midgard, I had only met two Ds. One was Mitsuki, the other was the young girl I saved in a warzone without knowing her name. Hence, it was very likely that the girl was Tia.

However, since she was a D, she could also be someone I got involved with unknowingly, hence I was not confident.

"Oh, phew, good... Yuu didn't forget."

Tia seemed relieved. I had guessed correctly, apparently.

—Lucky I did not confirm in front of others.

Letting a discovered D go free was a complete breach of military discipline.

Apart from that, because Basilisk's target was Tia, it had caused NIFL to expend a lot of effort.

I had no intention of fleeing from those responsibilities but I did not want to cause a situation that would cause Mitsuki problems.

"So you really are the girl from that time... You seemed to have changed."

The girl in my hazy memories was even younger and did not have horns like these.

"Really? Did Tia become more cute?"

She looked at me with excited eyes. I nodded in embarrassment.

"Yeah..."

Because the shock was too great, it was easy for the horns to steal the spotlight, but objectively speaking, Tia was a cute girl. In two or three years, she would surely become even more beautiful.

"Tia is—a cute girl, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I think."

I answered her question that seemed to be seeking confirmation, but for some reason, Tia made a sad face.

"Thanks... I knew that if it's Yuu, you'd say that again. Tia is so happy, but... It's wrong."

"It's wrong?"

I did not understand what was going on, so I asked her. But looking at me, Tia's eyes were emotionless, as though her earlier childishness was a lie.

"Tia is a dragon, not a girl."

I instantly felt a chill along my back. In the depths of those red eyes, I saw a dark color akin to that of dried blood.

"..."

I reflexively tried to tell her no but held my tongue before it came out. Even if I unilaterally refuted Tia's assertion, it would only end up the same as what happened at the assembly.

This was most likely Tia's berserk button. If I had to touch it, I would best wait for the next opportunity.

First, I should carefully find out—Why did she believe so strongly that she was a dragon?

"...So to you, am I a dragon too?"

"Yes, all Ds are dragons."

Spreading her arms, Tia said that.

"Why... do you think that?"

"Because we have the same power as dragons, we are the children of dragons, isn't this logical?"

We definitely possessed the same power as the black dragon—"Black Vritra"—the ability to generate dark matter. Because Ds were the same as dragons, they must be rejected—There were many radical organizations pushing such beliefs. Was Tia influenced by that kind of thinking?

"No, but you have human parents, right?"

I had seen her parents when saving her in a warzone. I thought that afterward, they should be living together as a family of three.

"......Tia has no human papa or mama."

But Tia refuted me with an emotionless expression and voice.

"No? But back then—"

I frowned and asked but I felt mild trembling on my hand, forcing me to stop mid-sentence.

I had apparently broached a very sensitive issue again.

"Yuu, don't talk about that—Tia wants to touch the seawater."

Just as I was hesitating how to continue the conversation, Tia smiled innocently and changed the subject.

Tia pointed at the vast beach beyond the breakwater, pulling me, wanting to go there.

"...Okay, let's go down the stairs over there."

I gave up on the spot asking about her father and mother and took Tia down to the white beach.

I'll have to find a chance to ask again later.

"Wow..."

As soon as she reached the water's edge, Tia instantly squatted down and dipped her left hand into the waves rushing onto the shore. I also squatted beside her and watched her scoop up seawater with her tiny hand.

"You've never been to a beach, Tia?"

"No, Tia originally lived in a place without a sea. And after coming to this island, Tia could only look from a distance."

Saying that, Tia licked her fingertip, moistened by seawater.

"Ah... It's really so salty!"

Tia seemed quite moved and yelled excitedly. How should I say it? Looking at her like that, I could not help but smile.

—I can't force this child to make that kind of expression.

When insisting she was a dragon, insisting she had no parents, Tia's face lost all emotion.

Tia's issues seemed so much bigger than imagined but I decided in my heart to help her resolve them bit by bit.

This started as a mission forced upon me by someone else, but after knowing she was the D that I had met in a warzone, I could not stay uninvolved anymore because I had to take serious responsibility for her.

If I had sent Tia to Midgard when we first met, at least she would not have ended up with this dragon girl appearance.

With my unoccupied right hand, I tried to touch Tia's horn.

"Kyah... It tickles."

Tia made a startled sound and huddled herself.

"Your horn has feeling too...?"

It really was like a part of the body. I could not help but gasp.

"Yes, it's very sensitive too, so Tia doesn't like others touching it... But it's okay if it's the husband."

Tia put her hand on my hand that was touching her horn, smiling shyly.

That sincere affection made my cheeks heat up involuntarily.

But just at that moment—I felt all my hairs stand on end.

"!"

Feeling a sharp gaze of murderous intent, I forcefully spun around.

Switching my consciousness to combat mode, I picked up Tia in one arm and extended my right arm forward to create the dark matter required for a shield.

However... I could not see any enemy in the direction I felt the gaze. There was only the breakwater and coconut trees swaying in the wind.

I sharpened my senses even more and searched for human presences, but there seemed to be no one nearby.

Hence, I lowered my vigilance and put my hand down.

—Was it my imagination?

Midgardsormr was already restored. It was impossible for NIFL to infiltrate again like last time.

Inside Midgard here, there should not be anyone who intended to resolve the situation by killing Tia.

Judging from this situation, anyone would say it was my imagination no matter who I asked.

But I had survived battlefields all this time through my senses. My instincts told me that it was too early to dismiss that murderous intent as imagination.

—Things had become not very peaceful.

In another sense, I must not leave Tia now.

"Yuu..."

Just as I scanned the surroundings with my gaze, lost in thought, Tia called my face with her face gone red. Speaking of which, in order to protect from enemy attacks, I was hugging her forcefully. Hence, I hastily relaxed my force.

"Sorry Tia, does it feel very uncomfortable?"

"N-No, Tia is fine, but sorry, Tia doesn't know what to do next."

Tia apologized.

"What do you mean by... what to do next?"

"Eh...? Next up is that thing husbands and wives do together, right? Although it's so sudden, Tia was frightened, Tia is prepared now."

"What—"

Realizing Tia had a huge misunderstanding, I could not find words to speak for a while.

"But Tia... knows nothing about that kind of thing. Tia is a failure of a wife. So... Husband needs to teach Tia. No matter what needs to be done, Tia will work as hard as possible."

Tia looked at me with moistened eyes, gripping my uniform tightly.

"Hey, no, it's wrong! I didn't mean that just now... B-Because there was a big wave, I was worried you'd get swept away, that's why—"

I would scare Tia if I brought up the murderous intent honestly, so I stammered a random excuse.

"...Really? Then Yuu was protecting Tia! Thank you, Yuu!"

The straightforward Tia believed me and thanked me with a pure smile. Although I found my reason quite contrived, she showed no signs of doubting.

Did Tia trust me so much because I saved her in a warzone? Or simply because I was a male D?

Still with no idea where Tia's affection for me came from, I could only turn my gaze away with an unsettled feeling, looking at the horizon where the sun was setting—

===Part 3===

As soon as we returned to the dorm, I decided to begin tutoring Tia.

I had already gotten materials appropriate for Tia's level from Shinomiya-sensei, so I took Tia to my room and placed the textbooks and notebooks on the desk.

Elementary school curriculum apparently aimed to teach students how to write by hand, so materials were paper-based. For me who usually relied on a portable terminal during lessons, the touch of paper and pencil felt very nostalgic.

"...You really have to sit here after all."

Seeing Tia sit on my lap matter-of-factly, I could not help but sigh.

"Yes, because Tia is the wife."

Tia turned herself and looked up at me, smiling with a nod.

"...Normally speaking, even married couples don't stick together like this twenty-four hours a day."

"Other people are other people, we are us. Also, we are newlyweds."

"No, now that you mentioned it, I don't recall us getting married."

I pointed out the most fundamental point.

"Ehhhh?"

Tia showed surprise.

Did I bring it up too rashly? I could not help but feel frantic, but she immediately smiled.

"Now that you mention it, we... still haven't held the wedding! Yuu, when will it be held?"

"W-When... First of all, Tia, we can't marry at our age, right?"

"Human rules have nothing to do with us, because we are dragons."

Refuted by these unexpected words, I was speechless for a while.

No good, human logic did not work on Tia.

I had to get her to attend class normally by tomorrow. What should I do?

"......Tia, about this issue, let's discuss it later. Now's the time to be studying. Come, open the textbook."

After thinking for a while, in the end, I could only postpone the issue to resolve later.

"Eh... Then it's a promise? We will decide on the wedding date properly, okay?"

"If possible, I'd like to start the discussion from an earlier stage than that..."

Let alone changing her mind, I felt that I was the one being gradually forced into a corner.

While thinking of ways to reverse the current situation, I started teaching Tia.

As soon as she focused on studying, Tia became an excellent student. Reading passages from the text, she would ask whenever she did not understand any part, instantly absorbing the knowledge.

On the topic of languages, she was capable of using three languages, including Japanese, on the level of everyday conversation.

—It looked like she had a good teacher in the past.

Considering Tia's appearance, it was quite unlikely she was attending a normal school, but Tia was no less educated than peers from the same age group.

I originally thought that since her way of speaking Japanese was very child-like, her mental age was probably very childish too, but perhaps it was the opposite.

The tutoring went very smoothly. By dinner time, we had already finished what was planned for today.

At 7pm, Mitsuki had returned home and came to call us. We had dinner together in the dining hall.

"...Tia-san's education seems to be going poorly."

Seeing Tia treat my lap as her designated seat, Mitsuki remarked with disappointment.

"No, academics-wise, it's going very smoothly... It's just that teaching her to follow rules is very hard."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki sighed.

"I understand. Then I shall take over education regarding rules, because I am the student council president, I cannot allow Tia-san to do as she pleases."

Thus, after dinner, Mitsuki started to educate Tia in my room.

However—

"...That is why, Tia-san, by living a rule-abiding life at Midgard, only through that will the world recognize our existence—"

"That is something humans decided on their own. Tia is a dragon, it has nothing to do with Tia."

"..."

Confronted with Tia's dragon logic for who knew how many times, Mitsuki slumped her shoulders in dejection.

"I now understand your hardship very well, Nii-san."

Mitsuki showed an exhausted expression to me, who had become Tia's chair.

"I know right? No matter how we try to make her accept rules, it just doesn't work."

I remarked with a wry smile, feeling as though I had finally gained a comrade.

"She is truly a formidable opponent... Time sure flies. It is already past 9pm. Time to take a bath and clear our minds slightly."

Saying that, Mitsuki got up from her seat, but froze after hearing Tia's next comment.

"Then Tia will have a bath with Yuu!"

"This came after all..."

Pressing her hand to her forehead, Mitsuki murmured quietly.

"Tia, I'm begging, could you take a bath alone? Like going to the washroom, I'll wait outside."

I tried to ask her as gently as possible but Tia shook her head forcefully.

"No! Tia wants to have a bath with Yuu! The husband has to be with the wife at all times!"

"...Why do you hate separating from me so much, Tia? I'm not going away, you know?"

I steeled myself and tried asking, prompting Tia to show a gloomy expression.

"No... If Tia is not at your side, you'll disappear for sure."

"Disappear?"

"..."

I did not quite understand what she meant, so I repeated the same word as a question, but Tia kept her lips shut tight and refused to answer.

Silently, she gripped my clothing, refusing to budge even if the sky were to come crashing down.

"Understood, then it cannot be helped..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I jumped in surprise.

"Eh? No way? You allow it?"

I really could not believe that Mitsuki, the student council president, would permit a mixed-gender bath. When the fact that Iris helped scrubbed my back came to light, I was punished to write a huge number of repentance essays.

"Yes, but on one condition. I basically predicted this, hence I came prepared. Please wait a moment, Nii-san."

Saying that, Mitsuki left the room and soon returned with certain articles in her arms.

"What's that...?"

I pointed at what Mitsuki had brought and asked.

"Swimsuits and pajamas."

Mitsuki answered with a serious face. Figuring out what she meant, I frowned.

"......Swimsuits make it okay?"

This was quite a huge compromise on Mitsuki's part, I thought, so I confirmed with her.

"The swimsuits are school prescribed, so just think of it as entering a hot spring and there should not be a problem with public morals. H-However, because I am responsible for supervising, I must be present too."

Blushing, Mitsuki said something even more unexpected.

"What... You're taking a bath with us too, Mitsuki?"

"—Is there any problem? Do you prefer to be alone with Tia-san, enjoying a lovey-dovey bathtime together?"

"H-How could I possibly think that!?"

I frantically denied. However—I somehow could not stay calm as soon as the thought of taking a bath with Mitsuki crossed my mind. Mitsuki was my sister, so there should be no reason to be so concerned.

"In that case, there is no problem, right? I will enter the bath with Nii-san too."

...With Nii-san?

The central topic should be Tia, so her way of putting it made me feel a sense of dissonance. But due to Mitsuki's intimidating gaze, I nodded in agreement without pointing it out.

"G-Got it..."

"Very well, bath time it is."

Mitsuki declared with elation. Somehow, she sounded inexplicably happy.

Perhaps she was remembering things from childhood.

—Eh? However... Did I ever take baths with Mitsuki before?

If we were siblings, bathing together as children should be quite normal.

But no matter how hard I thought, I still could not find memories of that sort—

"Sure enough, three people in a bath is very crowded..."

Having changed into a school swimsuit, Mitsuki surveyed the bathroom and remarked. The form-fitting navy-blue swimsuit served as a perfect foil to emphasize Mitsuki's snow-white complexion and slender figure.

"This is a swimsuit...? So tight, it feels weird."

Tia seemed like she had never worn one before. With curiosity, she pulled at her shoulder strap.

What drew my gaze was the red dragon mark on Tia's thigh.

—Once targeted by Basilisk, the dragon mark would turn red.

It was white in Iris' case, which seemed to imply that the D's symptoms would vary depending on the dragon.

"...Nii-san, your gaze is very suspicious."

Just as I was staring at Tia's dragon mark, Mitsuki pulled me by the ear.

Naturally, I was wearing swimming trunks. It felt quite out of place to be wearing swimsuits in a bathroom, but perhaps due to the presence of two girls, there seemed to be a sweet fragrance drifting in the air.

This was a single room's bathroom, hence it was never designed to accommodate multiple people bathing in the first place. With three people inside, there was no space left for rinsing oneself. Mitsuki seemed to realize the same thing while staring at the cramped bathroom with a troubled look.

"Three people rinsing together seems too hard. Nii-san, please enter the tub first. We will switch later."

"Understood."

I poured hot water over myself to briefly wash away the sweat before stepping into the tub. Then I soaked myself up to the shoulders. As a result, the water level rose to almost overflowing.

"Ah, Tia wants a soak too!"

I finally had some space to myself but Tia jumped into the tub. With a massive splash, hot water spilled all over the floor.

"Hey, Tia-san, what are you doing!? You have to rinse your body together with me first!"

Hearing Mitsuki scold her, Tia pouted.

"No, Tia has to be with Yuu."

Saying that, Tia leaned herself against me in the tub.

"T-Tia, don't lean in so close."

The sensation of soft skin, transmitted through the swimsuit, was making me waver.

And left behind, Mitsuki stood there stunned for a moment before speaking in a determined voice:

"In that case... I shall join in too."

"Eh? H-Hey?"

Mitsuki forced herself into the tub. Naturally, since this was not meant to be a bathtub for three, it became extremely crowded. Everyone was pressed together while the tub's hot water flowed out.

Feeling something soft against my shoulder, I hastily changed my posture, but this time, my knee went between Mitsuki's thighs.

"Ah... N-Nii-san... Not there, please."

"S-Sorry."

Every move of the body caused friction between skin and swimsuits.

"Mm..."

Mitsuki exhaled hot breath.

"Ehehe, husband!"

Tia happily leaned herself against me.

Unable to move, I could only surrender to the two of them.

"Three people is too much of a stretch. Could one of you please go out?"

"No, Tia will not leave Yuu."

Tia wrapped her slender arms around me.

"...If Tia-san will not go out, I shall not leave either, because I am in charge of supervising... By the way, you two are leaning too close together."

Mitsuki kept pushing her body over, trying to get between me and Tia.

Her swimsuit slid down slightly, exposing the valley between her petite yet beautifully shaped breasts.

"Jeez, don't get in the way."

Tia resisted intensely, hugging me even tighter. This scene in the narrow bathtub was almost like a game of sardines-in-the-box.

"I-If you two aren't going out, I'm leaving."

To me, they were Tia, who was just a child, and Mitsuki, my younger sister.

I originally thought that I would not feel especially conscious like with Iris... But I found it unbearable. Despite soaking in the hot water only for so short a time, my face was already too hot to bear.

"No! The husband cannot run away and leave the wife behind!"

But Tia pounced on me, refusing to let me escape.

"Tia-san will follow you if you leave, Nii-san, so the situation will remain the same. If you are leaving the tub, Nii-san, please wait until you warm up more. If either of you were to catch a cold, I would be to blame for failure in management."

Saying that, Mitsuki grabbed my arm to keep me here.

My body was already burning but Mitsuki's words and gaze had a kind power impossible to resist. Reluctantly, I sat down in the bathtub.

Then after roughly ten minutes—until the happy and excited Tia went dizzy from the heat—I kept enduring, left with no choice but to keep my mind blank to prevent unwanted thoughts.

"She is sleeping so soundly."

Looking at Tia lying on my bed in pajamas, sound asleep, Mitsuki smiled.

"...Now I'm finally liberated."

I exhaled deeply, collapsing completely in the chair in front of the desk.

"You worked hard, Nii-san."

Mitsuki praised me with a wry smile then sat down on the bed's edge.

After the bath, we changed into our respective pajamas and drank cold drinks to soothe our throats... By the time we realized, Tia had already started nodding off drowsily .

Anyway, we laid her out on my bed and she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

"But the mission failed. In the end, I still haven't convinced her."

Most likely in class tomorrow, Tia was still planning to sit on my lap.

"Likewise, I have failed to teach Tia-san to abide by rules. I shall explain to Shinomiya-sensei tomorrow to ask for an extension."

"Thank you, Mitsuki, then I'm saved. However... Unless we find a way to resolve the problem of Tia believing herself to be a dragon, it's probably a waste of effort no matter how much time we spend trying to convince her."

Rules decided by humans were irrelevant to dragons—These words rendered all arguments moot.

"...To be honest, I did not expect her to be such a stubborn child at all. I was told that she did not resist at all, no matter when NIFL took her into custody or when she was transported to Midgard to be examined. Always expressionless, she listened obediently to others."

"That's such a far cry from right now."

Tia's face was always busy making all kinds of expressions. While spinning in circles because of her, I could hardly imagine such a description applying to her.

"Yes, like a completely different person compared to what we saw of her during the full-school assembly. In the beginning, I thought she was a reticent and obedient child..."

"In other words, your 'Ds are human' assertion was something Tia found intolerable, to the point of causing a drastic change in personality. Mitsuki, do you know what kind of environment Tia lived in previously?"

Mitsuki glanced at Tia after hearing my question.

"—Before lessons ended, I asked Shinomiya-sensei to tell me in as much detail as possible. Tia-san seems to be sleeping soundly, so it should be fine to discuss the matter now. Because there are things I would be reluctant for her to hear."

Hearing her say that, I frowned.

"Did Tia have some kind of traumatic experience?"

Tia's belief had similarities with D-rejecting organizations. I was worried whether she might have been captured by that type of organization at one point.

However, Mitsuki shook her head slowly.

"—No, it happens to be the opposite. Tia-san used to be worshiped."

"Worshiped?"

"Reportedly, when NIFL's team discovered Tia-san, it was in a military vehicle belonging to the dragon worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell."

Hearing that name, I could not help but gasp.

"The Sons of Muspell... Isn't that the world's most vicious terrorist organization?"

So-called dragon cultists were polar opposites in ideology compared to D-rejecting organizations. They revered and worshiped dragons, the monsters transcending human wisdom, as gods. In a certain sense, it was only inevitable for new religions like this to arise in a world threatened by dragons.

So-called worship was a method to escape from absolute fear. Believing themselves to be apostles of dragons, it provided them with mental stability.

Out of the dragon cults of this sort, the Sons of Muspell was the largest sect and was the most radical in their thinking. They launched terrorist attacks against countries and organizations that attempted to defeat dragons, obstructing them persistently. Naturally, Asgard and NIFL were also targets for them.

"Did you ever come across the Sons of Muspell, Nii-san?"

Perhaps sensing something from my bitter tone, Mitsuki asked me hesitantly.

"...Yeah, because they would sneak into countries where dragon disasters had occurred, trying to gain followers, so it was inevitable that they came into conflict with NIFL. I have received orders in the past to immediately eliminate the D who is their leader as soon as she is discovered."

"Eh...? Their leader is a D."

Seeing Mitsuki's eyes widened from surprise, I explained to her.

"This was not disclosed publicly, but the leader of the Sons of Muspell is a D who had been deemed a disaster. Her name is Kili Surtr Muspelheim. She has killed far more humans than the dragons and is feared as a ''witch'' in NIFL. However, I've never met her."

If I met her, it would definitely turn into a killed or be killed situation. The reason why I could keep my hands clean was also because I had never encountered her.

"No way... To think a D was leading a terrorist organization."

Mitsuki's voice trembled, greatly shaken.

"The Ds' position in society would probably be endangered if this comes to light. That's why Midgard and other benefactor countries have engaged in information control. It's normal that you haven't heard of it."

"...But why would a D want to worship dragons? They are clearly our enemies."

Mitsuki asked in puzzlement.

"The dragonification of Ds is top secret, right? So they simply don't know about this... Or even after knowing it, they still want to become dragons."

"The former I could understand... But it is the latter, I find it incomprehensible."

"Well, who can understand how terrorists think? However... Judging from Tia's behavior, it's very likely that their organization knows about dragonification."

Tia said she was born to be a dragon's wife.

Those words probably did not mean marrying a male D like me, but referred to being a real dragon's mate like for Basilisk for example.

To increase the number of dragons, dragon cultists had indoctrinated Tia like that. Things made sense if that was the case.

"So the reason why Tia-san insists she is a dragon is because of that...?"

"Hard to say...? How should I put this? Because I don't think Tia is the kind of person who believes everything others say without question."

When tutoring her today, I came to understand that Tia was a smart child who always took initiative to ask questions about what she did not understand, trying to comprehend them. Always seeking knowledge with basis, would she unquestioningly accept those absurd teachings of dragon cultists?

"Indeed... The impression I gather from Tia-san is that she was forced to convince herself to believe rather than sincerely believing she is a dragon."

—Convinced herself to believe... huh?

Indeed, throwing a tantrum in response to allegations was evidence of uncertainty in one's heart.

Humans sometimes worshiped things as gods, even when they were monsters like dragons, trying to believe the impossible. If Tia was believing herself to be a dragon in order to maintain mental stability... Then by doing this, what was she running away from?

"Mitsuki, were her parents by her side when they found Tia?"

I asked because I recalled what happened at the beach. Tia seemed to react quite strongly to the subject of her parents. Perhaps that might have something to do with Tia's condition.

"I have no idea. At least according to what I heard, there was no information regarding Tia-san's parents."

"I see... Then I guess I'll have to ask her directly."

I looked at Tia's sleeping face and said.

"She is already asleep now, so ask her tomorrow. Well then, it is time for us to sleep too."

Saying that, Mitsuki lay down next to Tia.

"Huh...? You're sleeping here too, Mitsuki?"

Seeing Mitsuki lying down in an unguarded state, I asked her in surprise.

"It is probably a bad idea to separating Tia-san from you while she is asleep. But that being said, I cannot allow the two of you to be alone."

"No, but this bed is too small for three people to sleep in."

"...What are you talking about? Nii-san, you are sleeping on the floor. Please head over to the unused room next door to move the bedding over. Nii-san, you really have been lacking in delicacy lately."

Rebutted with her cold gaze, I felt my cheeks grow hot.

Because the three of us had bathed together, I mistakenly thought that the bed needed to be shared between the three of us too.

"I-I know, I was just kidding."

I frantically explained myself then headed out to move the futon over.

"...Nii-san in the past would have suggested this kind of thing himself—"

Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard Mitsuki's murmurs to herself, lingering in my ear the whole time.

Had I really changed?

However, I had no way of telling whether the "past" Mitsuki mentioned was referring to three years ago or three weeks ago, before the battle against Leviathan?

===Part 4===

"...Nii-san, are you asleep?"

Inside the dark room, I heard Mitsuki's quiet whispering.

I had the futon laid out on the floor and had closed my eyes originally. I immediately fought off my drowsiness and opened my eyelids.

"...Not yet."

I answered briefly. I could not see Mitsuki on the bed from my position. Faint breathing noises from sleeping could be heard, probably Tia's.

"The last time we slept in the same room like this, who knows how many years ago it was...?"

Mitsuki voice entered my ear, reminiscing about the past.

"I don't know either... Probably when we were small."

Unable to recall something so far back, I could only answer ambiguously.

"Yes... Because our rooms were separate. Perhaps... even earlier than that promise."

—Promise?

Not knowing what she was referring to, I frowned.

Mitsuki had brought up "that promise" so matter-of-factly just now. By the tone of her voice, she believed ''I would understand just from her saying that''.

However... Why did I feel so troubled?

Just as I was struggling to find an answer, Mitsuki continued:

"Nii-san... Tia-san calling you husband makes you happy, right?"

"What...? How could that be true!?"

I denied frantically. I could not accept that even my younger sister suspected me of being a lolicon.

"Really...? The way I see it, Nii-san, you do not seem too opposed to it, right?"

"Come on, you..."

"Fufu, just kidding. Nii-san... the one you like is Iris-san, am I correct?"

Hearing what Mitsuki said, I felt my heart jump intensely.

"W-Why are you bringing up Iris now?

"No? Nii-san, you seem very conscious of Iris-san..."

Realizing she had seen through me long ago, I felt my blood rush to my face.

"No umm... Because a lot of things happened... I became a bit conscious of her... But it's not like what you think, Mitsuki."

Although for Iris, it was a show of gratitude, of course losing my first kiss to her made me conscious of her. But apart from that, I was not quite sure—At least, not quite sure yet.

"...I understand, let us assume that is the case for now. However... Please do not forget that inappropriate interactions between genders are strictly forbidden, okay?"

"Got it..."

I was quite relieved that she did not pursue the matter deeply. But after that, Mitsuki added something surprising.

"Still... If there is nothing inappropriate, it is fine."

"...Huh?"

I asked in surprise.

"Midgard does not forbid dating, so there is no need to hide your feelings, Nii-san, and no need to... feel bound by that promise."

Her voice sounded full of sorrow.

"..."

I could only stay silent, unable to say a word. I did not understand what Mitsuki was talking about.

No matter how I thought about it, I still could not understand what "that promise" referred to, so I was unable to answer.

So I did lose something?

I could not look away anymore. Clenching my fist, I accepted reality.

Three years ago, the price I paid for obtaining power was losing many memories... Even so, things about Mitsuki were the only memories I did not forget.

Three weeks ago, when connecting to Yggdrasil again during the battle against Leviathan, I also believed that I would not forget my memories with Mitsuki.

Although my childhood memories were fuzzy, I optimistically assumed this went for everyone.

But I had probably lost very precious memories.

The promise brought up by Mitsuki unsuspectingly, convinced that I knew what she was talking about, could not possibly be the kind of promise that would be accidentally forgotten.

"...Sorry, Nii-san, for talking for so long..."

Mitsuki apologized to me with wryness in her voice.

"No..."

I answered briefly in a hoarse voice. That was all I could manage.

"...Goodnight."

"...Yeah, g'night."

I suppressed my feelings and answered her. After the conversation ended, the dark room returned to silence.

—Things had gone beyond recovery. Back when I sought new power, I should have prepared myself that it could turn out like this.

Hence, what I must do was prevent Mitsuki from discovering I had lost memories, prevent her from feeling she was to blame, prevent her from feeling sad, prevent her from showing suffering on her face—

Warning myself that, I closed my eyes.

Hoping for sleep to ease the pain in my chest, I allowed my consciousness to gradually sink into the abyss.

However—my day of spinning around in circles because of Tia had not ended yet.

Late that night, I was roused by yelling.

"Where!? Where is Yuu!?"

"Calm down! Please calm down, Tia-san!"

Light kept flashing in the room with popping sounds. I frantically jumped up to see Tia on the bed in a panic. Bubbles of dark matter were surging forth, turning into electrical currents, sparking everywhere.

"Tia!"

"Ah—"

As soon as I called her name, Tia instantly stopped.

The flow of dark matter halted and the intense lightning also ceased. I stood up and turned on the room's light.

"Yuu!"

Tia pounced on me from the bed. I caught her tiny body.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Tia thought... Even Yuu disappeared."

Tia rested her forehead against my chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Phew... I was thinking something might have happened."

Perhaps relieved, Mitsuki sat down on the bed, exhaling deeply.

"Tia, I'm here, so it's okay."

I gently stroked the two horns on her head to soothe her emotions.

I never expected her to panic so much just because she could not see me when she woke up. It looked like not moving her while she was sleeping was correct, but this reaction was way too sensitive.

"Yuu... Yuu... Yuu!"

Tia kept calling my name. I patted her on the shoulder and said to her slowly:

"Tia, what's making you so afraid? You refuse to leave me because you're afraid I'll disappear, right?"

"..."

Tia looked up but kept her lips shut tightly, refusing to say a single word.

"Please answer me. I'm worried about you, Tia."

I stared directly into her eyes and spoke to her. The very depths of her red eyes wavering, Tia spoke with trembling lips:

"...Yes, because Tia doesn't want Yuu to disappear... So Tia will protect Yuu."

"Protect? Tia, you want to protect me?"

Hearing something unexpected, I asked in surprise.

Tia nodded lightly in confirmation.

"Precious things must be protected personally, once they disappear... It's too late, impossible to get back no matter what."

Impossible to get back after disappearing. Too late.

Tia's words shook my heart. I realized there was a gap in my heart from losing that promise with Mitsuki.

—This girl had lost something precious, just like me.

"I see... I finally understand you a bit, Tia. Thank you for protecting me, but you're mistaken on a few counts."

"Mistaken...?"

Tia made a surprised face and cocked her head in puzzlement.

Now was the chance to persuade her. Since I knew what motivated Tia's actions, it was easy to think of solutions.

"Yes, I'm not so weak that I need you to protect me, Tia. I can protect my own life."

"But... No matter how strong you are, there might be even stronger enemies. That's why if Tia is protecting you, it will be safer."

"Well, that's not wrong..."

Tia's logic was correct. Looking at me, Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be saying: Nii-san, what are you doing?

Originally I thought that I could reassure her by proving I was not weak, but it looked like I had to change the conversation's direction.

"...But Tia, now that you mention it, no one will attack me here in Midgard. So there's no need for you to protect me so desperately."

There was nothing threatening my life. Rather, it was Tia who had people after her life. I recalled the feeling of murderous intent at the beach and continued my attempt to persuade her.

"Who knows. Perhaps some people pretend to be good kids but are actually planning bad things."

She was using correct logic to reply to me again. But this time, I did not back down.

"That's right, I can't say for certain there are no bad people, but Mitsuki and Iris are different. Even if it's just the classmates in our homeroom, could you please trust them?"

"...Can't do it. Maybe Mitsuki... But Tia doesn't know what other people are thinking."

Tia shook her head with a stiff expression and refused.

"In that case, you need to make friends with them until you understand them. If you can trust all of us, then you can relax in the classroom and the dorm."

"Make friends...?"

"Yeah, so tomorrow, try talking more to everyone, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia asked very uneasily:

"...Yuu trusts everyone?"

"I trust them. Iris is a very honest and upstanding person. Lisa and the others are people who step forward to fight for their friends. At least, I don't feel wary of them."

When Iris was targeted by Leviathan, Lisa and the others had fought to protect her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. They had said that classmates in the same homeroom were family and truly cared about her from the bottom of their hearts.

On the battlefield, humans would show their true nature. Precisely because of that, I did not doubt the truthfulness of what I witness on battlefields.

"If I become friends with everyone, Yuu will be happy?"

"Yes, I'll be very happy."

"...Got it, since Yuu... the husband says so, Tia will try it. Because Tia... hopes to make Yuu happy."

Tia answered quietly.

I could not help but exchange gazes with Mitsuki.

"Finally a step forward."

Mitsuki remarked with relief.

"Yeah... By the way, Mitsuki, is there practical training tomorrow?"

"Yes, third and fourth periods are for practicing normal powers, while the afternoon is a special joint drill in preparation for the battle against Basilisk. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much, I think that practicals are different from lectures and there will be more chances to interact with everyone. Since there are that many practical lessons, it's perfect. Tia—tomorrow will be very fun for sure."

I said that and smiled to Tia.

"Fun..."

Tia's face showed inability to understand what I said. Head tilted, she yawned. She was probably sleepy again.

Then we switched off the light and went to bed again. However, it would be bad if Tia panicked again so I slept on the bed this time.

Squeezing onto the cramped bed with my back to them, I closed my eyes while feeling Mitsuki and Tia's breathing nearby.

===Part 5===

The next morning, the three of us went to school. Just as we opened the door to the classroom...

"G-Good morning..."

I gave Tia's back a push and she greeted quietly.

Inside the classroom, Firill and Ariella turned their gazes to Tia. The others had yet to arrive.

"......Good morning."

Firill closed the paperback in her hand and responded with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Good morning, what a wonderful morning it is. I'm so happy that you greeted us on your own."

Ariella responded with a cheerful smile.

Feeling those two's gazes, Tia hid behind my back, unsure what to do.

But this was quite good for a start. Mitsuki and I also greeted them good morning then walked to our seats.

As soon as I sat down, Tia immediately took her seat on my lap.

"Yuu... Did Tia do well?"

"Yeah, very well, amazing."

I praised Tia and stroked her head.

"Ehehe..."

Tia closed her eyes happily. Before she got along with everyone in harmony, this state seemed like it was going to persist.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and pondered excuses to convince Shinomiya-sensei. Just at that moment, I noticed that Firill, whose seat was in the front row, was searching through her desk drawer.

Looking at her, I wondered what was up. But Firill took out a book from her desk then walked over to us.

"Excuse me..."

Rather than me, Firill was looking at Tia while talking to her softly.

"W-What?"

Tia replied nervously. Firill presented the book in her hand. A pretty girl was illustrated with delicate strokes on the cover. It seemed to be shoujo manga from Japan. Although Firill gave the impression of reading difficult novels all the time, it looked like manga was also in her strike zone.

"Here... I'm lending this to you, because I think that during class time... You're probably very bored."

"Is this really okay?"

"Yes... This manga is very interesting... I hope you'll have a look, Tia-san."

Tia looked alternately between Firill's face and the manga, then accepted the book timidly.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 131.jpg|thumb]]

"...Later."

After handing the book to her, Firill simply returned to her seat while Tia looked down at the manga's cover with a perplexed look on her face.

Regarding Tia's special treatment, thanks to Mitsuki speaking on my behalf, Shinomiya-sensei agreed readily. Perhaps she already knew that a limit of one day was too difficult, but used this method on purpose to encourage me.

However, only Iris was unhappy, glaring at me from her seat as my neighbor.

"...Mononobe is my friend, right? We are the closest, right?"

Iris pouted and asked me.

"Well... That's true, I guess."

I scratched my cheek and concurred.

Excluding my younger sister Mitsuki as an exception, Iris was my closest friend indeed.

"In that case, I hope you'll let me sit on your lap too, Mononobe."

"Well—Absolutely not!"

The wonderful fantasy surfaced in my mind, making me hesitate for a brief moment, but I shook my head in refusal.

"Ehhh!? Why not?"

"Iris, you're not a child."

"...Mononobe is so stingy."

Iris sulked and turned towards the window. She was probably trying hard to express her anger but that pouting face looked very cute from the side. If a girl like that sat on my lap, I had no confidence I could stay sane. I really hoped that Iris could be more aware of how attractive she was.

I sighed and observed Tia.

Were it yesterday, Tia probably would have complained about the dialogue just now, but she was currently silently reading the manga Firill had lent her.

Based on what I sneaked a peek from behind, it seemed to be a lighthearted romance manga with comedic elements.

After class started, Tia continued to read the manga with full focus, occasionally shaking as though suppressing laughter. Apart from that, she behaved very well the whole time, but as soon as she finished the manga, she started becoming restless.

Then when first period finished, Tia pulled my hand and walked over to Firill's seat.

"Here, thank you."

Tia timidly extended the manga she had borrowed.

"...What are your thoughts?"

Accepting the manga, Firill asked. Tia answered with a blush:

"Great read! Tia is reading this kind of book for the first time!"

"...Really? That's wonderful."

Firill relaxed her expression slightly.

"But it ended in the middle, what a shame..."

"...It hasn't ended yet. Do you want to read the continuation?"

Hearing that, Tia's face became radiant.

"Really!? There's a continuation? Tia really wants to read it!"

Firill took out the second volume of the same series from her desk and handed it to Tia.

"...Here, this is Volume 2. Volume 3 and beyond are in my dorm room... I'll bring them tomorrow."

"Thank you! Uh... Firill?"

"...Sure, you're welcome."

Hearing Tia call her name for the first time, Firil smiled gently and nodded at her.

Listening to Tia and Firill conversing, the other classmates gathered around.

"Oh, you're reading that manga too? I asked Firill to lend it to me before, it's great. Especially later when the protagonist—Mmmph!"

"Mm!!"

Ariella was about to give a spoiler when Ren covered her mouth, stopping her.

"Seriously... Ariella-san, you really need to learn to show some tact."

Lisa remarked with exasperation.

Then gathered around Tia, the girls began to chat enthusiastically about things related to manga. Tia originally seemed afraid, but gradually joined in with excitement.

I was ignored on the side but did not feel offended at all. Just seeing Tia chatting happily with everyone made me satisfied.

—Simply by not rejecting others, she made such a huge change.

Tia was not taking active steps yet but unlike me, who had transferred in as a man, Lisa and the others wanted to accept Tia proactively.

At this rate, she was going to quickly become a part of the class.

—Or rather, judging from this situation, I could tell how wary they were of me in the beginning.

Although it could not be helped, but this difference in treatment demoralized me somewhat.

Thus, Tia spent the second period reading manga as well. Third period was a practical conducted at a training site, requiring us to change to gym clothes. It was the same vast underground space used for the Basilisk battle test.

Due to everyone having different areas of specialty, this was essentially a time for individual training, but Tia had to begin with the basics first.

"Tia-san's instruction must not be left to Mononobe Yuu who only transferred in recently. Hence, I shall teach her personally."

While everyone scattered in the training site to start training, only Lisa walked towards us, volunteering to be the teacher.

"T-Thank you... Lisa."

Perhaps thanks to the manga giving them a chance to chat for a bit earlier, Tia called her name directly and thanked her.

"Lisa, I'm counting on you."

Tia refused to leave me, so naturally, I had to join in the lesson with her.

"...Although I have no intention of looking after you as well, this cannot be helped. First of all, I shall teach you the key principles to making a fictional armament."

"Fictional armament?"

Tia widened her eyes, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"To perform transmutation more precisely and efficiently, we have to shape the dark matter into a weapon. This is my fictional armament—Gungnir."

Lisa extended her palm. Immediately, a golden spear manifested out of thin air. Instead of generating dark matter then altering its form, it seemed like she had generated dark matter directly in the spear's shape, technique that required substantial mastery.

"Dark matter is strongly affected by the human will. This spear can be considered my feelings during battle, the ultimate spear that can pierce and destroy all enemies—Hence, its attacks are the strongest, of course! Through this chain of imagination, you can increase the power of your attacks."

Holding the spear, Lisa entered a stance and said.

—Feelings during battle huh...

This explanation was very apt, perhaps I could use it for reference when making fictional armaments from now on.

"But this is merely the stage before battle. If you obsess over altering the dark matter's shape, transmutation would occur at that point in time. Hence, what you should imagine is the outline of the mind, rather than dark matter, to meticulously create your own form in battle."

"Own form in battle... But Tia has never used a spear or a sword and don't know what to use for a weapon."

Tia stared at her palms and murmured.

"This does not require martial arts experience. Just imagine yourself in a stronger form. First of all, please generate dark matter while imagining yourself wielding the strongest power. With that, the dark matter will naturally take form."

Tia nodded after hearing Lisa's suggestion.

"Okay.. Tia will try!"

Tia closed her eyes and began to focus. Numerous bubbles of dark matter manifested in her surroundings.

However, I should have noticed at this time. Just by thinking carefully about what kind of girl Tia was, I should have been able to predict what was going to happen next.

Tia's dark matter gathered together piece by piece, gradually forming a massive clump.

"That's the way, slowly, carefully, no need to rush."

Lisa watched Tia while speaking to her. But when the expanding clump of dark matter gathered around Tia's body, Lisa frowned in surprise.

—I thought things were finally on track. Optimistically, I thought that once Tia got along with everyone, soon enough, she would be fine even if separated from me, be it in the classroom or the dorm.

But the root issue had not been resolved.

There was a decisive gulf between Tia and us that needed to be bridged.

Tia believed she was a dragon, not a human.

With such a belief, what would result from her attempt to create a fictional armament—we totally failed to consider that.

The black bubbles of dark matter finally surrounded Tia's entire body.

"What... T-Tia-san?"

Seeing an even larger mass of dark matter, Lisa stepped back. I simply stared at the scene in shock, no knowing what was happening.

Raging winds were blowing with Tia in the center. Continuing to expand, the dark matter floated into the air.

Originally black spheres, the dark matter gradually distorted in outline and changed shape.

The spreading wings seemed to cover our heads, while there was a long tail extending out.

A tall body, almost reaching the ceiling of the training site, dozens of meters tall.

That kind of figure—A dragon's.

It did not seem to be a materialized dragon. Its outline was shifting unsteadily like a mirage.

However, minor transmutation had occurred on the surface. The dragon's entire body shone with red light.

Only then did I realize that this was Tia's fictional armament.

It was what Tia imagined as her fierce self, her strongest form.

"...Tia?"

I transmuted dark matter into wind and yelled at the red dragon floating in the air.

The dragon turned its gaze towards me.

Ruooooooooooooooooooooo!

The loud roaring reverberated throughout the training site. Then immediately, a thunderstorm swept through the entire surroundings.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T04:53:45Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 2 - Innocent Pursuit==

===Part 1===

"—Due to the fact that Tia Lightning refuses adamantly to separate from Mononobe Yuu, she will be taken in by this Brynhildr Class. Please get along with her from now on."

After the full-school assembly ended, Shinomiya-sensei made this announcement in a business-like manner during homeroom.

Tia and I were standing at the lectern together because Tia refused to leave me no matter what. Right now, Tia was hugging my arm with her eyes partially closed and happiness written all over her face.

This girl wouldn't be—the D whom I saved in the past, would she?

From her reaction that seemed like she had seen me before, as well as my nagging feeling of familiarity, this possibility was quite likely. But I had no proof and could not ask in front of everyone either.

If my hunch was correct and the matter of letting a D go free came to light, this would endanger Mitsuki's position in addition to mine.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san should be of an age that belongs in elementary level education, right? I doubt she can keep up with our curriculum."

Lisa asked Shinomiya-sensei with a troubled look.

"That's true indeed... But her declaration, appearance and offensive attitude has made many students afraid. Even if she were to be forced together with other Ds in her age group, it's probably impossible for them to get along peacefully. In that case, leaving her to Mononobe Yuu, the only one whom she opens her heart to, is the better solution."

—Leaving her to me?

I had a bad feeling about the way she phrased that.

"So here is how it goes, Mononobe Yuu. You will be in charge of her education. Basic studies, common sense, rules for living in Midgard, you will teach all of that to her."

"What...? I-I'm gonna teach her? I only arrived in Midgard a month ago myself, you know?"

I argued anxiously but Shinomiya-sensei's tone of voice forbade me from refusing.

"Ask other people if you run into difficulties. You may regard this as a mission associated with the anti-Basilisk battle. If she causes serious trouble in Midgard, then the only option would be to hand her over to NIFL. What this means... You probably understand."

Ds must be appropriately managed under Midgard in order for their human rights to be recognized officially. Getting exiled from Midgard would be equivalent to being deemed a disaster, which meant that NIFL was going to dispose of her mercilessly in order to take care of the current incident.

Just like when Leviathan attacked, they intended to kill Iris whose dragon mark had changed color.

"...I got it. Although I'm not confident, I'll try my best."

For a newbie like me, the responsibilities of this mission were way too heavy.

But I could not leave the young Tia to her own devices. And for some reason, she harbored strong affection for me. My heart was not cold enough to be able to mercilessly ignore a girl like that.

"Hmm? Are you done talking?"

Tia looked up at me and asked. Despite it being a conversation about her, she paid almost no attention to it.

"Yeah, from now on, Tia, you're classmates with us."

"Really? Then we can be together all the time here! Where is Yuu's seat?"

"Huh? Middle seat on the last row—"

I pointed at the last row of the 3x3 arrangement of seats—The spot sandwiched between Mitsuki and Iris.

By the way, although I feigned ignorance the whole time, the two of them had been staring daggers at me since a while ago. Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be reprimanding me while Iris was pouting unhappily, glaring at me.

"Then Tia will sit there too!"

Saying that, Tia pulled my arm.

"You want to sit there...? If you want the back row no matter what, I'll swap places with you."

"No, Yuu just sit here. Come, sit down."

"...?"

At Tia's urging, I sat down in my own seat.

"Fufu, then Tia will sit down too."

Tia sat down on my lap with a plop.

"H-Hey?"

"So comfy."

Ignoring my distress, Tia leaned her back against me.

At this moment, Iris suddenly stood up from her seat. Probably reaching the end of her patience, she said to Tia:

"Hey Tia-chan! You'll get in Mononobe's way if you sit there. You should sit in an empty seat!"

"Muu... Who is this Onee-chan?"

"I am Iris Freyja, Mononobe's... friend!"

Iris introduced herself proudly but Tia retorted without getting intimidated.

"If you are his friend, Tia hopes you can read the mood better. Sticking your nose into a husband and wife's problem is meddling, right?"

"H-Husband and wife... Didn't you just meet Mononobe, Tia-chan!? It's me who's been close to Mononobe the whole time!"

"Wrong, Tia and Yuu were tied together by the red string of fate a long time ago. No one can break us up."

Saying that, Tia changed her posture. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she hugged me tightly.

"T-Tia, wait... This is very uncomfortable."

Previously, I always treated her as a child and acted generously, but with such intimate contact, I could not help but waver a bit. Feeling her delicate, petite, and lightweight figure and her soft skin, I was forced to become aware that, even at this kind of age, she was already a girl. The fragrance drifting from Tia's beautiful hair was tickling my nasal cavity.

"—Tia-san, sitting in your own seat to attend class is a rule of this school's. Please follow it."

Mitsuki's acute voice was heard at this time. Iris instantly brightened up at the arrival of reinforcements.

Tia pouted unhappily and turned her gaze to Mitsuki.

"Again, you... will say mean things to Tia?"

Tia seemed to be holding a grudge about what happened at the full-school assembly.

"I am not being mean. I am simply bringing up the rules. Please do not cause Nii-san trouble."

"Nii-san? You're not Yuu's family, are you?"

Tia blinked in surprise.

"Right, I am Mononobe Mitsuki, Nii-san's younger sister."

"Aha... Then Tia has to get along with you, because the husband's little sister is Tia's little sister."

Tia put away her defiance and smiled at Mitsuki.

"...I do not recall having an older sister younger than I am."

"Hmm, then you can be the older sister, or do you want to be the mother-in-law?"

"We are not playing house here, please do not randomly reassign roles, seriously... Sensei, could you tell her off?"

With an exasperated look, Mitsuki sighed and sought help from Shinomiya-sensei.

"Yes... You are right, rules must be followed, but I fear that trying to make her understand this principle right now would be very difficult. Hence, please tolerate her actions for now as long as lessons are not disrupted."

"No way..."

Mitsuki and Iris both made speechless expressions then Tia raised her arms to cheer in joy.

"Awesome! Then Tia will stay quiet. A good wife doesn't make trouble for the husband."

Tia resumed her earlier posture and sat properly on my lap. With that, as long as she did not move about, I was able to look in front and manage to follow the lesson

However, Shinomiya-sensei cast her sharp gaze at me and said:

"Mononobe Yuu, let me state for the record. Her special treatment is only limited to today. You have to settle this before tomorrow."

"Ehhh!?"

In other words, I had to make Tia obey school rules within today?

"Ehehe!"

Tia showed a joyful expression while her legs swayed nonstop.

I looked down at Tia, my self-proclaimed wife. This was a mission harder than imagined, totally putting me at a loss of what to do.

===Part 2===

After that, Tia still refused to leave for even an instant.

During homeroom, Lisa and the others introduced themselves but Tia was uninterested, simply looking up at my face.

"M-Mononobe Yuu... I shan't lose to you!"

This provoked a weird sense of competition in Lisa—

"...Lolicon?"

Firill was inspired with unsavory doubts about me.

"Only Mononobe-kun gets to talk to her, so unfair."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were looking at me with displeasure in their eyes. Particularly Ren, whose age was closest to Tia, she had kept glancing secretly at Tia ever since class started, quite curious about her.

"Tia, why don't you talk to everyone a bit."

I encouraged her but Tia shook her head and refused.

"No need, if Tia had to talk, talking with Yuu is better."

It looked I was the only thing that mattered in her red eyes. Anyway, I had no idea how to persuade Tia unless I got to know her as a person. Hence, I decided to let Tia do as she pleased for the first day, the only time for special treatment.

"Hwah..."

Keeping her promise in class, Tia sat quietly on my lap. Although she yawned in apparently boredom many times, even sleeping very soundly during fourth period, she did not seem to be a child who could not be reasoned with.

During the lunch break, we went to the cafeteria together as a class, sitting around a table as before.

"Here, husband, say ah—"

But most troublingly, Tia continued to sit on my lap just as in the classroom. She was extending a spoonful of vegetable curry towards me. The gazes from not only my classmates but also girls in the surroundings were making me uncomfortable.

"...Yuu?"

Due to Tia's uneasy look, I had no choice but to eat the vegetable curry. Then I heard whispers all around. Bothered by the surrounding gazes, I almost could not taste the curry's spiciness.

"Fufu, we are like newlyweds."

Tia smiled happily and ate a mouthful of vegetable curry too.

Going with this situation, I was probably going to be labeled a lolicon tomorrow.

But to me, it simply felt like accompanying her to play house like a children.

Although she insisted she was the wife, I felt that it would be more accurate to call her a very spoiled younger sister.

"Tia, you've got stuff next to your mouth."

After thinking of it that way, I stopped feeling particularly bothered. In a natural manner, I used a tissue to wipe Tia's mouth.

"Aww... Thanks."

Tia thanked me somewhat shyly. From the eyes of an older brother, I found that behavior of hers to be very cute.

If the one sitting on my lap making me dote on her was Iris instead, I probably would not be able to remain calm like this.

Thinking that, I looked forward, only to see Iris glaring at me with a pout.

"Only Tia-chan can do that... Too unfair."

Clutching her fork, stabbed in the pasta with tomato sauce, Iris spoke in a low voice.

"U-Unfair? What's unfair?"

"I'm clearly your friend, Mononobe... Compared to Tia-chan, we should be closer... But I never got to do the say 'ah—' thing, so I have to do it too!"

Saying that, Iris wrapped pasta around her fork and extended it before me.

"A-Ah..."

With cheeks blushing, Iris spoke in a trembling voice.

I felt my heart starting to race.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 083.jpg|thumb]]

"H-Hey, Iris..."

"...Mononobe, hurry, this is very embarrassing."

Seeing her plead tearfully, I opened my mouth despite the hesitation in my heart, but—

With a metallic clang, Iris' fork was deflected by Tia's spoon.

"Yuu is Tia's husband. You're not allowed to do that."

"I can, because Mononobe is my friend!"

Iris' gaze turned sharp. As though about to have a fencing match, she entered a pose with her fork, still with pasta wrapped around it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sensing danger, I yelled at her but Iris made a thrust with her fork.

"Eat this!"

"You wish!"

Tia used her spoon to defend again, but Iris' first strike was a feint. Stopping her fork halfway, she evaded the timing of Tia's parry. Getting past the spoon, she shoved the pasta into my mouth.

"Mmggg!"

The flavor of tomato sauce instantly spread in my mouth. While the fork was drawn out, the pasta was left in my mouth.

"Success!"

Iris cheered and made a victory pose.

"Oh no, husband is having an affair!"

Tia screamed in shock. Her voice echoed throughout the entire cafeteria. All the students present were looking in our direction.

"...Knock it off, you two. Be quiet in public areas."

Mitsuki spoke in a voice filled with rage.

Iris instantly shuddered then scratched her head apologetically.

"Oh, s-sorry, Mitsuki-chan... I was too impulsive."

"Tia was clearly not at fault..."

Despite muttering in her mouth, Tia settled down. Because Mitsuki was my sister, Tia cared about how she was viewed.

"Phew... Mitsuki, thanks—"

I was just about to thank her when I saw Mitsuki's extremely displeased look, forcing me to grind to a halt mid-sentence.

"—Nii-san is an idiot."

After saying that quietly, Mitsuki turned her head away.

Lisa and the others all showed exasperation on the their faces. In the end, the meal ended under an indescribable atmosphere.

And after that, there were problems aplenty.

Using the remainder of the lunch break, we took Tia around to get to know the campus. At the clock tower, I was just about to go to the washroom when Tia wanted to go with me, thus causing a dispute for a while.

Persuaded by Mitsuki, Tia finally agreed to let go of my hand, but she kept yelling "Yuu, are you there?" from outside, giving me no peace while I did my business.

—As a side note, inside Midgard, there were only two washrooms I could use. As Midgard's core area, the clock tower would have occasional visitors from outside, hence male washrooms were available for visitors to use. The other one was the toilet in my own room at the dorm.

Later on during afternoon class time, Tia wanted to go to the washroom this time, intending to drag me to the female washroom.

I patiently convinced her, finally reaching a compromise where I waited outside while repeatedly responding to her calls.

In this manner, today's classes ended while feeling several times longer than usual.

But my mission was just beginning here.

"—Mononobe Yuu, I will let Tia Lightning live in Mononobe Mitsuki's dorm like you. Take good care of her."

During homeroom before dismissal, that was what Shinomiya-sensei said. I was in charge of educating Tia. After school, I had to oversee her studies and Tia refused to leave me, so this could be considered an appropriate arrangement.

Although Mitsuki's expression seemed quite unconvinced, she still agreed reluctantly.

"Nii-san, I still have student council work to do, so please return first. Although you will be alone with Tia-san temporarily... Under no circumstances should you do anything violating public morals."

"...I know. Could you believe in your brother a bit?"

I nodded with a wry smile and exited the classroom with Tia.

Using her tiny right hand, Tia held my left hand tightly.

Accommodating Tia's pace, I slowly made my way to the building entrance, but just as we reached the first floor's entrance, I noticed a student standing still in front of the school map.

It was a very obedient-looking girl, wearing glasses, with long black hair in a braid.

—Eh? I remember that girl... the one who transferred together with Tia—

"Yuu?"

Seeing me stop walking, Tia looked at me in surprise.

"Sorry, Tia, come with me for a bit."

Holding Tia's hand, I approached the girl.

If she was facing any trouble, I should help her, right? This was the spirit behind Midgard's founding. This was what I learned from Lisa and the others during the battle against Leviathan.

"—What's wrong?"

I asked her from behind.

"...Eh? Oh—"

She looked back, widening her eyes greatly after seeing me. Perhaps she was startled because I was a man.

To avoid making her unwary unnecessarily, I smiled and talked to her.

"I remember you just transferred in today, right? Tachikawa... What was it again?"

To be honest, because Tia caused me such a great shock, I had little recollection of her, even her name was fuzzy.

"Uh—Right, I am Tachikawa Honoka, you are... Mononobe Yuu, right?"

She nodded and asked in a confirming tone of voice.

"You know about me?"

"Because you are the only male in the academy, I soon heard rumors about you. And I saw you this morning at the full-school assembly."

Speaking of which, this morning I had rushed up to the podium to stop Tia who was acting emotionally unstable. Since I had done something so conspicuous, no matter where I went, there were always people talking about the topic of me and Tia. With that, whether she wanted to or not, she would surely hear my name.

"...Then we can skip the introductions. Tia, you know her already, right?"

I motioned with my eyes, to introduce her to Tia, but for some reason, Tia hugged my waist tightly and glared at her silently.

"Right, although I saw her for the first time at the full-school assembly, I still have not greeted her... But I did hear the student council president's introduction."

Saying that, she lowered her head and bowed to us.

"Yuu-san, Tia-san, pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, likewise here."

I smiled in response but Tia scowled and refused to answer.

"Sorry, how should I say this...? Apart from me, Tia pretty much treats everyone like this."

I frantically explained for Tia, but she smiled gently and said:

"No problem, I don't mind."

"Thanks, that would be a great help—Tachikawa."

"Just call me Honoka. I'll address you by name too."

She replied in a relaxed tone of voice.

"O-Okay... Got it, Honoka."

Slightly nervously, I changed my way of addressing her. Although she seemed introverted in appearance, her personality might turn out to be more approachable than expected.

"So, what are you doing here, Honoka? If there's anywhere you want to go, I can lead the way."

I looked at the map that Honoka had been staring at.

"No, it's okay. I was just trying to memorize all the locations because I'll be living here from now on."

"I see, so you're not lost. That's great. Sorry for disturbing you."

I should have minded my own business. I scratched my head.

"Nothing of that sort, I'm happy that you talked to me. Even just knowing that you are such a friendly person counts as a kind of encouragement to me here on."

Although Honoka thanked me, what she said made me a bit concerned. Thinking more carefully, taking her around to familiarize with the campus should be what her classmates would do first. Perhaps there was not anyone friendly in the class she was assigned to.

"...If you have any difficulties, you can find me any time. I'll tell you my email address."

"Oh... Thank you."

Honoka smiled radiantly. After exchanging addresses, we bid her goodbye and walked out of the building.

During that time, Tia's expression remained quite unhappy. She gripped my hand tightly.

"You're both transfer students, so why don't you try to get along with her? I think you'll surely become friends."

I said that to her while walking towards the school gates, but Tia shook her head.

"No, Tia doesn't want to be near her."

"Doesn't want to be near..."

Compared to Lisa or the others, Tia was expressing a clearer attitude of rejection, baffling me.

"And Tia is angry with Yuu too. A married person should not hit on girls."

"H-Hit on? No, that wasn't what was happening just now."

Suddenly exchanging email addresses might seem like hitting on a girl, but the only reason why I told Honoka my address was purely because I worried about her.

"...Honestly not hitting on her?"

"Honestly."

"Okay... Then Tia won't be angry."

Tia's displeased look changed to reveal all smiles.

Seeing her mood improve, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although we were not a real couple and I was not obliged to explain to her, it made me feel uncomfortable to be saddled with a trumped up charge for no reason.

Then we passed through the school gates and headed to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

Although we attracted the gaze of female students along the way, after entering the road leading to the dorm, no one was in sight anymore.

We held hands and walked on the road along the beach. That alone was enough to make Tia smile contentedly. Bathed under the setting sun's rays, both her hair and her horns shone with red light.

—Tia Lightning huh...

Having accompanied her the whole day, I came to understand one thing clearly. She extremely hated separating from me.

Almost like a lost child.

She looked like a child who was finally reunited with parents, refusing to separate again no matter what. Most likely, Tia's affection towards me was neither infatuation nor love, but an expression of emotions from the fear of separation.

Although that was possible, the correct answer could only be known by asking directly.

There were many things I wanted to ask but among them, what I needed to confirm most—the question I had held back all this time to avoid giving Mitsuki trouble—I finally inquired of Tia at this time.

"Say, Tia, have we met somewhere before?"

"Eh—Yuu doesn't remember?"

Tia asked as though she was struck by a blow. It looked like we really did meet before.

"Don't tell me... you're the D whom I saved on in a warzone before?"

I voiced my guess.

Before coming to Midgard, I had only met two Ds. One was Mitsuki, the other was the young girl I saved in a warzone without knowing her name. Hence, it was very likely that the girl was Tia.

However, since she was a D, she could also be someone I got involved with unknowingly, hence I was not confident.

"Oh, phew, good... Yuu didn't forget."

Tia seemed relieved. I had guessed correctly, apparently.

—Lucky I did not confirm in front of others.

Letting a discovered D go free was a complete breach of military discipline.

Apart from that, because Basilisk's target was Tia, it had caused NIFL to expend a lot of effort.

I had no intention of fleeing from those responsibilities but I did not want to cause a situation that would cause Mitsuki problems.

"So you really are the girl from that time... You seemed to have changed."

The girl in my hazy memories was even younger and did not have horns like these.

"Really? Did Tia become more cute?"

She looked at me with excited eyes. I nodded in embarrassment.

"Yeah..."

Because the shock was too great, it was easy for the horns to steal the spotlight, but objectively speaking, Tia was a cute girl. In two or three years, she would surely become even more beautiful.

"Tia is—a cute girl, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I think."

I answered her question that seemed to be seeking confirmation, but for some reason, Tia made a sad face.

"Thanks... I knew that if it's Yuu, you'd say that again. Tia is so happy, but... It's wrong."

"It's wrong?"

I did not understand what was going on, so I asked her. But looking at me, Tia's eyes were emotionless, as though her earlier childishness was a lie.

"Tia is a dragon, not a girl."

I instantly felt a chill along my back. In the depths of those red eyes, I saw a dark color akin to that of dried blood.

"..."

I reflexively tried to tell her no but held my tongue before it came out. Even if I unilaterally refuted Tia's assertion, it would only end up the same as what happened at the assembly.

This was most likely Tia's berserk button. If I had to touch it, I would best wait for the next opportunity.

First, I should carefully find out—Why did she believe so strongly that she was a dragon?

"...So to you, am I a dragon too?"

"Yes, all Ds are dragons."

Spreading her arms, Tia said that.

"Why... do you think that?"

"Because we have the same power as dragons, we are the children of dragons, isn't this logical?"

We definitely possessed the same power as the black dragon—"Black Vritra"—the ability to generate dark matter. Because Ds were the same as dragons, they must be rejected—There were many radical organizations pushing such beliefs. Was Tia influenced by that kind of thinking?

"No, but you have human parents, right?"

I had seen her parents when saving her in a warzone. I thought that afterward, they should be living together as a family of three.

"......Tia has no human papa or mama."

But Tia refuted me with an emotionless expression and voice.

"No? But back then—"

I frowned and asked but I felt mild trembling on my hand, forcing me to stop mid-sentence.

I had apparently broached a very sensitive issue again.

"Yuu, don't talk about that—Tia wants to touch the seawater."

Just as I was hesitating how to continue the conversation, Tia smiled innocently and changed the subject.

Tia pointed at the vast beach beyond the breakwater, pulling me, wanting to go there.

"...Okay, let's go down the stairs over there."

I gave up on the spot asking about her father and mother and took Tia down to the white beach.

I'll have to find a chance to ask again later.

"Wow..."

As soon as she reached the water's edge, Tia instantly squatted down and dipped her left hand into the waves rushing onto the shore. I also squatted beside her and watched her scoop up seawater with her tiny hand.

"You've never been to a beach, Tia?"

"No, Tia originally lived in a place without a sea. And after coming to this island, Tia could only look from a distance."

Saying that, Tia licked her fingertip, moistened by seawater.

"Ah... It's really so salty!"

Tia seemed quite moved and yelled excitedly. How should I say it? Looking at her like that, I could not help but smile.

—I can't force this child to make that kind of expression.

When insisting she was a dragon, insisting she had no parents, Tia's face lost all emotion.

Tia's issues seemed so much bigger than imagined but I decided in my heart to help her resolve them bit by bit.

This started as a mission forced upon me by someone else, but after knowing she was the D that I had met in a warzone, I could not stay uninvolved anymore because I had to take serious responsibility for her.

If I had sent Tia to Midgard when we first met, at least she would not have ended up with this dragon girl appearance.

With my unoccupied right hand, I tried to touch Tia's horn.

"Kyah... It tickles."

Tia made a startled sound and huddled herself.

"Your horn has feeling too...?"

It really was like a part of the body. I could not help but gasp.

"Yes, it's very sensitive too, so Tia doesn't like others touching it... But it's okay if it's the husband."

Tia put her hand on my hand that was touching her horn, smiling shyly.

That sincere affection made my cheeks heat up involuntarily.

But just at that moment—I felt all my hairs stand on end.

"!"

Feeling a sharp gaze of murderous intent, I forcefully spun around.

Switching my consciousness to combat mode, I picked up Tia in one arm and extended my right arm forward to create the dark matter required for a shield.

However... I could not see any enemy in the direction I felt the gaze. There was only the breakwater and coconut trees swaying in the wind.

I sharpened my senses even more and searched for human presences, but there seemed to be no one nearby.

Hence, I lowered my vigilance and put my hand down.

—Was it my imagination?

Midgardsormr was already restored. It was impossible for NIFL to infiltrate again like last time.

Inside Midgard here, there should not be anyone who intended to resolve the situation by killing Tia.

Judging from this situation, anyone would say it was my imagination no matter who I asked.

But I had survived battlefields all this time through my senses. My instincts told me that it was too early to dismiss that murderous intent as imagination.

—Things had become not very peaceful.

In another sense, I must not leave Tia now.

"Yuu..."

Just as I scanned the surroundings with my gaze, lost in thought, Tia called my face with her face gone red. Speaking of which, in order to protect from enemy attacks, I was hugging her forcefully. Hence, I hastily relaxed my force.

"Sorry Tia, does it feel very uncomfortable?"

"N-No, Tia is fine, but sorry, Tia doesn't know what to do next."

Tia apologized.

"What do you mean by... what to do next?"

"Eh...? Next up is that thing husbands and wives do together, right? Although it's so sudden, Tia was frightened, Tia is prepared now."

"What—"

Realizing Tia had a huge misunderstanding, I could not find words to speak for a while.

"But Tia... knows nothing about that kind of thing. Tia is a failure of a wife. So... Husband needs to teach Tia. No matter what needs to be done, Tia will work as hard as possible."

Tia looked at me with moistened eyes, gripping my uniform tightly.

"Hey, no, it's wrong! I didn't mean that just now... B-Because there was a big wave, I was worried you'd get swept away, that's why—"

I would scare Tia if I brought up the murderous intent honestly, so I stammered a random excuse.

"...Really? Then Yuu was protecting Tia! Thank you, Yuu!"

The straightforward Tia believed me and thanked me with a pure smile. Although I found my reason quite contrived, she showed no signs of doubting.

Did Tia trust me so much because I saved her in a warzone? Or simply because I was a male D?

Still with no idea where Tia's affection for me came from, I could only turn my gaze away with an unsettled feeling, looking at the horizon where the sun was setting—

===Part 3===

As soon as we returned to the dorm, I decided to begin tutoring Tia.

I had already gotten materials appropriate for Tia's level from Shinomiya-sensei, so I took Tia to my room and placed the textbooks and notebooks on the desk.

Elementary school curriculum apparently aimed to teach students how to write by hand, so materials were paper-based. For me who usually relied on a portable terminal during lessons, the touch of paper and pencil felt very nostalgic.

"...You really have to sit here after all."

Seeing Tia sit on my lap matter-of-factly, I could not help but sigh.

"Yes, because Tia is the wife."

Tia turned herself and looked up at me, smiling with a nod.

"...Normally speaking, even married couples don't stick together like this twenty-four hours a day."

"Other people are other people, we are us. Also, we are newlyweds."

"No, now that you mentioned it, I don't recall us getting married."

I pointed out the most fundamental point.

"Ehhhh?"

Tia showed surprise.

Did I bring it up too rashly? I could not help but feel frantic, but she immediately smiled.

"Now that you mention it, we... still haven't held the wedding! Yuu, when will it be held?"

"W-When... First of all, Tia, we can't marry at our age, right?"

"Human rules have nothing to do with us, because we are dragons."

Refuted by these unexpected words, I was speechless for a while.

No good, human logic did not work on Tia.

I had to get her to attend class normally by tomorrow. What should I do?

"......Tia, about this issue, let's discuss it later. Now's the time to be studying. Come, open the textbook."

After thinking for a while, in the end, I could only postpone the issue to resolve later.

"Eh... Then it's a promise? We will decide on the wedding date properly, okay?"

"If possible, I'd like to start the discussion from an earlier stage than that..."

Let alone changing her mind, I felt that I was the one being gradually forced into a corner.

While thinking of ways to reverse the current situation, I started teaching Tia.

As soon as she focused on studying, Tia became an excellent student. Reading passages from the text, she would ask whenever she did not understand any part, instantly absorbing the knowledge.

On the topic of languages, she was capable of using three languages, including Japanese, on the level of everyday conversation.

—It looked like she had a good teacher in the past.

Considering Tia's appearance, it was quite unlikely she was attending a normal school, but Tia was no less educated than peers from the same age group.

I originally thought that since her way of speaking Japanese was very child-like, her mental age was probably very childish too, but perhaps it was the opposite.

The tutoring went very smoothly. By dinner time, we had already finished what was planned for today.

At 7pm, Mitsuki had returned home and came to call us. We had dinner together in the dining hall.

"...Tia-san's education seems to be going poorly."

Seeing Tia treat my lap as her designated seat, Mitsuki remarked with disappointment.

"No, academics-wise, it's going very smoothly... It's just that teaching her to follow rules is very hard."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki sighed.

"I understand. Then I shall take over education regarding rules, because I am the student council president, I cannot allow Tia-san to do as she pleases."

Thus, after dinner, Mitsuki started to educate Tia in my room.

However—

"...That is why, Tia-san, by living a rule-abiding life at Midgard, only through that will the world recognize our existence—"

"That is something humans decided on their own. Tia is a dragon, it has nothing to do with Tia."

"..."

Confronted with Tia's dragon logic for who knew how many times, Mitsuki slumped her shoulders in dejection.

"I now understand your hardship very well, Nii-san."

Mitsuki showed an exhausted expression to me, who had become Tia's chair.

"I know right? No matter how we try to make her accept rules, it just doesn't work."

I remarked with a wry smile, feeling as though I had finally gained a comrade.

"She is truly a formidable opponent... Time sure flies. It is already past 9pm. Time to take a bath and clear our minds slightly."

Saying that, Mitsuki got up from her seat, but froze after hearing Tia's next comment.

"Then Tia will have a bath with Yuu!"

"This came after all..."

Pressing her hand to her forehead, Mitsuki murmured quietly.

"Tia, I'm begging, could you take a bath alone? Like going to the washroom, I'll wait outside."

I tried to ask her as gently as possible but Tia shook her head forcefully.

"No! Tia wants to have a bath with Yuu! The husband has to be with the wife at all times!"

"...Why do you hate separating from me so much, Tia? I'm not going away, you know?"

I steeled myself and tried asking, prompting Tia to show a gloomy expression.

"No... If Tia is not at your side, you'll disappear for sure."

"Disappear?"

"..."

I did not quite understand what she meant, so I repeated the same word as a question, but Tia kept her lips shut tight and refused to answer.

Silently, she gripped my clothing, refusing to budge even if the sky were to come crashing down.

"Understood, then it cannot be helped..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I jumped in surprise.

"Eh? No way? You allow it?"

I really could not believe that Mitsuki, the student council president, would permit a mixed-gender bath. When the fact that Iris helped scrubbed my back came to light, I was punished to write a huge number of repentance essays.

"Yes, but on one condition. I basically predicted this, hence I came prepared. Please wait a moment, Nii-san."

Saying that, Mitsuki left the room and soon returned with certain articles in her arms.

"What's that...?"

I pointed at what Mitsuki had brought and asked.

"Swimsuits and pajamas."

Mitsuki answered with a serious face. Figuring out what she meant, I frowned.

"......Swimsuits make it okay?"

This was quite a huge compromise on Mitsuki's part, I thought, so I confirmed with her.

"The swimsuits are school prescribed, so just think of it as entering a hot spring and there should not be a problem with public morals. H-However, because I am responsible for supervising, I must be present too."

Blushing, Mitsuki said something even more unexpected.

"What... You're taking a bath with us too, Mitsuki?"

"—Is there any problem? Do you prefer to be alone with Tia-san, enjoying a lovey-dovey bathtime together?"

"H-How could I possibly think that!?"

I frantically denied. However—I somehow could not stay calm as soon as the thought of taking a bath with Mitsuki crossed my mind. Mitsuki was my sister, so there should be no reason to be so concerned.

"In that case, there is no problem, right? I will enter the bath with Nii-san too."

...With Nii-san?

The central topic should be Tia, so her way of putting it made me feel a sense of dissonance. But due to Mitsuki's intimidating gaze, I nodded in agreement without pointing it out.

"G-Got it..."

"Very well, bath time it is."

Mitsuki declared with elation. Somehow, she sounded inexplicably happy.

Perhaps she was remembering things from childhood.

—Eh? However... Did I ever take baths with Mitsuki before?

If we were siblings, bathing together as children should be quite normal.

But no matter how hard I thought, I still could not find memories of that sort—

"Sure enough, three people in a bath is very crowded..."

Having changed into a school swimsuit, Mitsuki surveyed the bathroom and remarked. The form-fitting navy-blue swimsuit served as a perfect foil to emphasize Mitsuki's snow-white complexion and slender figure.

"This is a swimsuit...? So tight, it feels weird."

Tia seemed like she had never worn one before. With curiosity, she pulled at her shoulder strap.

What drew my gaze was the red dragon mark on Tia's thigh.

—Once targeted by Basilisk, the dragon mark would turn red.

It was white in Iris' case, which seemed to imply that the D's symptoms would vary depending on the dragon.

"...Nii-san, your gaze is very suspicious."

Just as I was staring at Tia's dragon mark, Mitsuki pulled me by the ear.

Naturally, I was wearing swimming trunks. It felt quite out of place to be wearing swimsuits in a bathroom, but perhaps due to the presence of two girls, there seemed to be a sweet fragrance drifting in the air.

This was a single room's bathroom, hence it was never designed to accommodate multiple people bathing in the first place. With three people inside, there was no space left for rinsing oneself. Mitsuki seemed to realize the same thing while staring at the cramped bathroom with a troubled look.

"Three people rinsing together seems too hard. Nii-san, please enter the tub first. We will switch later."

"Understood."

I poured hot water over myself to briefly wash away the sweat before stepping into the tub. Then I soaked myself up to the shoulders. As a result, the water level rose to almost overflowing.

"Ah, Tia wants a soak too!"

I finally had some space to myself but Tia jumped into the tub. With a massive splash, hot water spilled all over the floor.

"Hey, Tia-san, what are you doing!? You have to rinse your body together with me first!"

Hearing Mitsuki scold her, Tia pouted.

"No, Tia has to be with Yuu."

Saying that, Tia leaned herself against me in the tub.

"T-Tia, don't lean in so close."

The sensation of soft skin, transmitted through the swimsuit, was making me waver.

And left behind, Mitsuki stood there stunned for a moment before speaking in a determined voice:

"In that case... I shall join in too."

"Eh? H-Hey?"

Mitsuki forced herself into the tub. Naturally, since this was not meant to be a bathtub for three, it became extremely crowded. Everyone was pressed together while the tub's hot water flowed out.

Feeling something soft against my shoulder, I hastily changed my posture, but this time, my knee went between Mitsuki's thighs.

"Ah... N-Nii-san... Not there, please."

"S-Sorry."

Every move of the body caused friction between skin and swimsuits.

"Mm..."

Mitsuki exhaled hot breath.

"Ehehe, husband!"

Tia happily leaned herself against me.

Unable to move, I could only surrender to the two of them.

"Three people is too much of a stretch. Could one of you please go out?"

"No, Tia will not leave Yuu."

Tia wrapped her slender arms around me.

"...If Tia-san will not go out, I shall not leave either, because I am in charge of supervising... By the way, you two are leaning too close together."

Mitsuki kept pushing her body over, trying to get between me and Tia.

Her swimsuit slid down slightly, exposing the valley between her petite yet beautifully shaped breasts.

"Jeez, don't get in the way."

Tia resisted intensely, hugging me even tighter. This scene in the narrow bathtub was almost like a game of sardines-in-the-box.

"I-If you two aren't going out, I'm leaving."

To me, they were Tia, who was just a child, and Mitsuki, my younger sister.

I originally thought that I would not feel especially conscious like with Iris... But I found it unbearable. Despite soaking in the hot water only for so short a time, my face was already too hot to bear.

"No! The husband cannot run away and leave the wife behind!"

But Tia pounced on me, refusing to let me escape.

"Tia-san will follow you if you leave, Nii-san, so the situation will remain the same. If you are leaving the tub, Nii-san, please wait until you warm up more. If either of you were to catch a cold, I would be to blame for failure in management."

Saying that, Mitsuki grabbed my arm to keep me here.

My body was already burning but Mitsuki's words and gaze had a kind power impossible to resist. Reluctantly, I sat down in the bathtub.

Then after roughly ten minutes—until the happy and excited Tia went dizzy from the heat—I kept enduring, left with no choice but to keep my mind blank to prevent unwanted thoughts.

"She is sleeping so soundly."

Looking at Tia lying on my bed in pajamas, sound asleep, Mitsuki smiled.

"...Now I'm finally liberated."

I exhaled deeply, collapsing completely in the chair in front of the desk.

"You worked hard, Nii-san."

Mitsuki praised me with a wry smile then sat down on the bed's edge.

After the bath, we changed into our respective pajamas and drank cold drinks to soothe our throats... By the time we realized, Tia had already started nodding off drowsily .

Anyway, we laid her out on my bed and she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

"But the mission failed. In the end, I still haven't convinced her."

Most likely in class tomorrow, Tia was still planning to sit on my lap.

"Likewise, I have failed to teach Tia-san to abide by rules. I shall explain to Shinomiya-sensei tomorrow to ask for an extension."

"Thank you, Mitsuki, then I'm saved. However... Unless we find a way to resolve the problem of Tia believing herself to be a dragon, it's probably a waste of effort no matter how much time we spend trying to convince her."

Rules decided by humans were irrelevant to dragons—These words rendered all arguments moot.

"...To be honest, I did not expect her to be such a stubborn child at all. I was told that she did not resist at all, no matter when NIFL took her into custody or when she was transported to Midgard to be examined. Always expressionless, she listened obediently to others."

"That's such a far cry from right now."

Tia's face was always busy making all kinds of expressions. While spinning in circles because of her, I could hardly imagine such a description applying to her.

"Yes, like a completely different person compared to what we saw of her during the full-school assembly. In the beginning, I thought she was a reticent and obedient child..."

"In other words, your 'Ds are human' assertion was something Tia found intolerable, to the point of causing a drastic change in personality. Mitsuki, do you know what kind of environment Tia lived in previously?"

Mitsuki glanced at Tia after hearing my question.

"—Before lessons ended, I asked Shinomiya-sensei to tell me in as much detail as possible. Tia-san seems to be sleeping soundly, so it should be fine to discuss the matter now. Because there are things I would be reluctant for her to hear."

Hearing her say that, I frowned.

"Did Tia have some kind of traumatic experience?"

Tia's belief had similarities with D-rejecting organizations. I was worried whether she might have been captured by that type of organization at one point.

However, Mitsuki shook her head slowly.

"—No, it happens to be the opposite. Tia-san used to be worshiped."

"Worshiped?"

"Reportedly, when NIFL's team discovered Tia-san, it was in a military vehicle belonging to the dragon worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell."

Hearing that name, I could not help but gasp.

"The Sons of Muspell... Isn't that the world's most vicious terrorist organization?"

So-called dragon cultists were polar opposites in ideology compared to D-rejecting organizations. They revered and worshiped dragons, the monsters transcending human wisdom, as gods. In a certain sense, it was only inevitable for new religions like this to arise in a world threatened by dragons.

So-called worship was a method to escape from absolute fear. Believing themselves to be apostles of dragons, it provided them with mental stability.

Out of the dragon cults of this sort, the Sons of Muspell was the largest sect and was the most radical in their thinking. They launched terrorist attacks against countries and organizations that attempted to defeat dragons, obstructing them persistently. Naturally, Asgard and NIFL were also targets for them.

"Did you ever come across the Sons of Muspell, Nii-san?"

Perhaps sensing something from my bitter tone, Mitsuki asked me hesitantly.

"...Yeah, because they would sneak into countries where dragon disasters had occurred, trying to gain followers, so it was inevitable that they came into conflict with NIFL. I have received orders in the past to immediately eliminate the D who is their leader as soon as she is discovered."

"Eh...? Their leader is a D."

Seeing Mitsuki's eyes widened from surprise, I explained to her.

"This was not disclosed publicly, but the leader of the Sons of Muspell is a D who had been deemed a disaster. Her name is Kili Surtr Muspelheim. She has killed far more humans than the dragons and is feared as a ''witch'' in NIFL. However, I've never met her."

If I met her, it would definitely turn into a killed or be killed situation. The reason why I could keep my hands clean was also because I had never encountered her.

"No way... To think a D was leading a terrorist organization."

Mitsuki's voice trembled, greatly shaken.

"The Ds' position in society would probably be endangered if this comes to light. That's why Midgard and other benefactor countries have engaged in information control. It's normal that you haven't heard of it."

"...But why would a D want to worship dragons? They are clearly our enemies."

Mitsuki asked in puzzlement.

"The dragonification of Ds is top secret, right? So they simply don't know about this... Or even after knowing it, they still want to become dragons."

"The former I could understand... But it is the latter, I find it incomprehensible."

"Well, who can understand how terrorists think? However... Judging from Tia's behavior, it's very likely that their organization knows about dragonification."

Tia said she was born to be a dragon's wife.

Those words probably did not mean marrying a male D like me, but referred to being a real dragon's mate like for Basilisk for example.

To increase the number of dragons, dragon cultists had indoctrinated Tia like that. Things made sense if that was the case.

"So the reason why Tia-san insists she is a dragon is because of that...?"

"Hard to say...? How should I put this? Because I don't think Tia is the kind of person who believes everything others say without question."

When tutoring her today, I came to understand that Tia was a smart child who always took initiative to ask questions about what she did not understand, trying to comprehend them. Always seeking knowledge with basis, would she unquestioningly accept those absurd teachings of dragon cultists?

"Indeed... The impression I gather from Tia-san is that she was forced to convince herself to believe rather than sincerely believing she is a dragon."

—Convinced herself to believe... huh?

Indeed, throwing a tantrum in response to allegations was evidence of uncertainty in one's heart.

Humans sometimes worshiped things as gods, even when they were monsters like dragons, trying to believe the impossible. If Tia was believing herself to be a dragon in order to maintain mental stability... Then by doing this, what was she running away from?

"Mitsuki, were her parents by her side when they found Tia?"

I asked because I recalled what happened at the beach. Tia seemed to react quite strongly to the subject of her parents. Perhaps that might have something to do with Tia's condition.

"I have no idea. At least according to what I heard, there was no information regarding Tia-san's parents."

"I see... Then I guess I'll have to ask her directly."

I looked at Tia's sleeping face and said.

"She is already asleep now, so ask her tomorrow. Well then, it is time for us to sleep too."

Saying that, Mitsuki lay down next to Tia.

"Huh...? You're sleeping here too, Mitsuki?"

Seeing Mitsuki lying down in an unguarded state, I asked her in surprise.

"It is probably a bad idea to separating Tia-san from you while she is asleep. But that being said, I cannot allow the two of you to be alone."

"No, but this bed is too small for three people to sleep in."

"...What are you talking about? Nii-san, you are sleeping on the floor. Please head over to the unused room next door to move the bedding over. Nii-san, you really have been lacking in delicacy lately."

Rebutted with her cold gaze, I felt my cheeks grow hot.

Because the three of us had bathed together, I mistakenly thought that the bed needed to be shared between the three of us too.

"I-I know, I was just kidding."

I frantically explained myself then headed out to move the futon over.

"...Nii-san in the past would have suggested this kind of thing himself—"

Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard Mitsuki's murmurs to herself, lingering in my ear the whole time.

Had I really changed?

However, I had no way of telling whether the "past" Mitsuki mentioned was referring to three years ago or three weeks ago, before the battle against Leviathan?

===Part 4===

"...Nii-san, are you asleep?"

Inside the dark room, I heard Mitsuki's quiet whispering.

I had the futon laid out on the floor and had closed my eyes originally. I immediately fought off my drowsiness and opened my eyelids.

"...Not yet."

I answered briefly. I could not see Mitsuki on the bed from my position. Faint breathing noises from sleeping could be heard, probably Tia's.

"The last time we slept in the same room like this, who knows how many years ago it was...?"

Mitsuki voice entered my ear, reminiscing about the past.

"I don't know either... Probably when we were small."

Unable to recall something so far back, I could only answer ambiguously.

"Yes... Because our rooms were separate. Perhaps... even earlier than that promise."

—Promise?

Not knowing what she was referring to, I frowned.

Mitsuki had brought up "that promise" so matter-of-factly just now. By the tone of her voice, she believed ''I would understand just from her saying that''.

However... Why did I feel so troubled?

Just as I was struggling to find an answer, Mitsuki continued:

"Nii-san... Tia-san calling you husband makes you happy, right?"

"What...? How could that be true!?"

I denied frantically. I could not accept that even my younger sister suspected me of being a lolicon.

"Really...? The way I see it, Nii-san, you do not seem too opposed to it, right?"

"Come on, you..."

"Fufu, just kidding. Nii-san... the one you like is Iris-san, am I correct?"

Hearing what Mitsuki said, I felt my heart jump intensely.

"W-Why are you bringing up Iris now?

"No? Nii-san, you seem very conscious of Iris-san..."

Realizing she had seen through me long ago, I felt my blood rush to my face.

"No umm... Because a lot of things happened... I became a bit conscious of her... But it's not like what you think, Mitsuki."

Although for Iris, it was a show of gratitude, of course losing my first kiss to her made me conscious of her. But apart from that, I was not quite sure—At least, not quite sure yet.

"...I understand, let us assume that is the case for now. However... Please do not forget that inappropriate interactions between genders are strictly forbidden, okay?"

"Got it..."

I was quite relieved that she did not pursue the matter deeply. But after that, Mitsuki added something surprising.

"Still... If there is nothing inappropriate, it is fine."

"...Huh?"

I asked in surprise.

"Midgard does not forbid dating, so there is no need to hide your feelings, Nii-san, and no need to... feel bound by that promise."

Her voice sounded full of sorrow.

"......"

I could only stay silent, unable to say a word. I did not understand what Mitsuki was talking about.

No matter how I thought about it, I still could not understand what "that promise" referred to, so I was unable to answer.

So I did lose something?

I could not look away anymore. Clenching my fist, I accepted reality.

Three years ago, the price I paid for obtaining power was losing many memories... Even so, things about Mitsuki were the only memories I did not forget.

Three weeks ago, when connecting to Yggdrasil again during the battle against Leviathan, I also believed that I would not forget my memories with Mitsuki.

Although my childhood memories were fuzzy, I optimistically assumed this went for everyone.

But I had probably lost very precious memories.

The promise brought up by Mitsuki unsuspectingly, convinced that I knew what she was talking about, could not possibly be the kind of promise that would be accidentally forgotten.

"...Sorry, Nii-san, for talking for so long..."

Mitsuki apologized to me with wryness in her voice.

"No..."

I answered briefly in a hoarse voice. That was all I could manage.

"...Goodnight."

"...Yeah, g'night."

I suppressed my feelings and answered her. After the conversation ended, the dark room returned to silence.

—Things had gone beyond recovery. Back when I sought new power, I should have prepared myself that it could turn out like this.

Hence, what I must do was prevent Mitsuki from discovering I had lost memories, prevent her from feeling she was to blame, prevent her from feeling sad, prevent her from showing suffering on her face—

Warning myself that, I closed my eyes.

Hoping for sleep to ease the pain in my chest, I allowed my consciousness to gradually sink into the abyss.

However—my day of spinning around in circles because of Tia had not ended yet.

Late that night, I was roused by yelling.

"Where!? Where is Yuu!?"

"Calm down! Please calm down, Tia-san!"

Light kept flashing in the room with popping sounds. I frantically jumped up to see Tia on the bed in a panic. Bubbles of dark matter were surging forth, turning into electrical currents, sparking everywhere.

"Tia!"

"Ah—"

As soon as I called her name, Tia instantly stopped.

The flow of dark matter halted and the intense lightning also ceased. I stood up and turned on the room's light.

"Yuu!"

Tia pounced on me from the bed. I caught her tiny body.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Tia thought... Even Yuu disappeared."

Tia rested her forehead against my chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Phew... I was thinking something might have happened."

Perhaps relieved, Mitsuki sat down on the bed, exhaling deeply.

"Tia, I'm here, so it's okay."

I gently stroked the two horns on her head to soothe her emotions.

I never expected her to panic so much just because she could not see me when she woke up. It looked like not moving her while she was sleeping was correct, but this reaction was way too sensitive.

"Yuu... Yuu... Yuu!"

Tia kept calling my name. I patted her on the shoulder and said to her slowly:

"Tia, what's making you so afraid? You refuse to leave me because you're afraid I'll disappear, right?"

"......"

Tia looked up but kept her lips shut tightly, refusing to say a single word.

"Please answer me. I'm worried about you, Tia."

I stared directly into her eyes and spoke to her. The very depths of her red eyes wavering, Tia spoke with trembling lips:

"...Yes, because Tia doesn't want Yuu to disappear... So Tia will protect Yuu."

"Protect? Tia, you want to protect me?"

Hearing something unexpected, I asked in surprise.

Tia nodded lightly in confirmation.

"Precious things must be protected personally, once they disappear... It's too late, impossible to get back no matter what."

Impossible to get back after disappearing. Too late.

Tia's words shook my heart. I realized there was a gap in my heart from losing that promise with Mitsuki.

—This girl had lost something precious, just like me.

"I see... I finally understand you a bit, Tia. Thank you for protecting me, but you're mistaken on a few counts."

"Mistaken...?"

Tia made a surprised face and cocked her head in puzzlement.

Now was the chance to persuade her. Since I knew what motivated Tia's actions, it was easy to think of solutions.

"Yes, I'm not so weak that I need you to protect me, Tia. I can protect my own life."

"But... No matter how strong you are, there might be even stronger enemies. That's why if Tia is protecting you, it will be safer."

"Well, that's not wrong..."

Tia's logic was correct. Looking at me, Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be saying: Nii-san, what are you doing?

Originally I thought that I could reassure her by proving I was not weak, but it looked like I had to change the conversation's direction.

"...But Tia, now that you mention it, no one will attack me here in Midgard. So there's no need for you to protect me so desperately."

There was nothing threatening my life. Rather, it was Tia who had people after her life. I recalled the feeling of murderous intent at the beach and continued my attempt to persuade her.

"Who knows. Perhaps some people pretend to be good kids but are actually planning bad things."

She was using correct logic to reply to me again. But this time, I did not back down.

"That's right, I can't say for certain there are no bad people, but Mitsuki and Iris are different. Even if it's just the classmates in our homeroom, could you please trust them?"

"...Can't do it. Maybe Mitsuki... But Tia doesn't know what other people are thinking."

Tia shook her head with a stiff expression and refused.

"In that case, you need to make friends with them until you understand them. If you can trust all of us, then you can relax in the classroom and the dorm."

"Make friends...?"

"Yeah, so tomorrow, try talking more to everyone, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia asked very uneasily:

"...Yuu trusts everyone?"

"I trust them. Iris is a very honest and upstanding person. Lisa and the others are people who step forward to fight for their friends. At least, I don't feel wary of them."

When Iris was targeted by Leviathan, Lisa and the others had fought to protect her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. They had said that classmates in the same homeroom were family and truly cared about her from the bottom of their hearts.

On the battlefield, humans would show their true nature. Precisely because of that, I did not doubt the truthfulness of what I witness on battlefields.

"If I become friends with everyone, Yuu will be happy?"

"Yes, I'll be very happy."

"...Got it, since Yuu... the husband says so, Tia will try it. Because Tia... hopes to make Yuu happy."

Tia answered quietly.

I could not help but exchange gazes with Mitsuki.

"Finally a step forward."

Mitsuki remarked with relief.

"Yeah... By the way, Mitsuki, is there practical training tomorrow?"

"Yes, third and fourth periods are for practicing normal powers, while the afternoon is a special joint drill in preparation for the battle against Basilisk. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much, I think that practicals are different from lectures and there will be more chances to interact with everyone. Since there are that many practical lessons, it's perfect. Tia—tomorrow will be very fun for sure."

I said that and smiled to Tia.

"Fun..."

Tia's face showed inability to understand what I said. Head tilted, she yawned. She was probably sleepy again.

Then we switched off the light and went to bed again. However, it would be bad if Tia panicked again so I slept on the bed this time.

Squeezing onto the cramped bed with my back to them, I closed my eyes while feeling Mitsuki and Tia's breathing nearby.

===Part 5===

The next morning, the three of us went to school. Just as we opened the door to the classroom...

"G-Good morning..."

I gave Tia's back a push and she greeted quietly.

Inside the classroom, Firill and Ariella turned their gazes to Tia. The others had yet to arrive.

"......Good morning."

Firill closed the paperback in her hand and responded with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Good morning, what a wonderful morning it is. I'm so happy that you greeted us on your own."

Ariella responded with a cheerful smile.

Feeling those two's gazes, Tia hid behind my back, unsure what to do.

But this was quite good for a start. Mitsuki and I also greeted them good morning then walked to our seats.

As soon as I sat down, Tia immediately took her seat on my lap.

"Yuu... Did Tia do well?"

"Yeah, very well, amazing."

I praised Tia and stroked her head.

"Ehehe..."

Tia closed her eyes happily. Before she got along with everyone in harmony, this state seemed like it was going to persist.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and pondered excuses to convince Shinomiya-sensei. Just at that moment, I noticed that Firill, whose seat was in the front row, was searching through her desk drawer.

Looking at her, I wondered what was up. But Firill took out a book from her desk then walked over to us.

"Excuse me..."

Rather than me, Firill was looking at Tia while talking to her softly.

"W-What?"

Tia replied nervously. Firill presented the book in her hand. A pretty girl was illustrated with delicate strokes on the cover. It seemed to be shoujo manga from Japan. Although Firill gave the impression of reading difficult novels all the time, it looked like manga was also in her strike zone.

"Here... I'm lending this to you, because I think that during class time... You're probably very bored."

"Is this really okay?"

"Yes... This manga is very interesting... I hope you'll have a look, Tia-san."

Tia looked alternately between Firill's face and the manga, then accepted the book timidly.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 131.jpg|thumb]]

"...Later."

After handing the book to her, Firill simply returned to her seat while Tia looked down at the manga's cover with a perplexed look on her face.

Regarding Tia's special treatment, thanks to Mitsuki speaking on my behalf, Shinomiya-sensei agreed readily. Perhaps she already knew that a limit of one day was too difficult, but used this method on purpose to encourage me.

However, only Iris was unhappy, glaring at me from her seat as my neighbor.

"...Mononobe is my friend, right? We are the closest, right?"

Iris pouted and asked me.

"Well... That's true, I guess."

I scratched my cheek and concurred.

Excluding my younger sister Mitsuki as an exception, Iris was my closest friend indeed.

"In that case, I hope you'll let me sit on your lap too, Mononobe."

"Well—Absolutely not!"

The wonderful fantasy surfaced in my mind, making me hesitate for a brief moment, but I shook my head in refusal.

"Ehhh!? Why not?"

"Iris, you're not a child."

"...Mononobe is so stingy."

Iris sulked and turned towards the window. She was probably trying hard to express her anger but that pouting face looked very cute from the side. If a girl like that sat on my lap, I had no confidence I could stay sane. I really hoped that Iris could be more aware of how attractive she was.

I sighed and observed Tia.

Were it yesterday, Tia probably would have complained about the dialogue just now, but she was currently silently reading the manga Firill had lent her.

Based on what I sneaked a peek from behind, it seemed to be a lighthearted romance manga with comedic elements.

After class started, Tia continued to read the manga with full focus, occasionally shaking as though suppressing laughter. Apart from that, she behaved very well the whole time, but as soon as she finished the manga, she started becoming restless.

Then when first period finished, Tia pulled my hand and walked over to Firill's seat.

"Here, thank you."

Tia timidly extended the manga she had borrowed.

"...What are your thoughts?"

Accepting the manga, Firill asked. Tia answered with a blush:

"Great read! Tia is reading this kind of book for the first time!"

"...Really? That's wonderful."

Firill relaxed her expression slightly.

"But it ended in the middle, what a shame..."

"...It hasn't ended yet. Do you want to read the continuation?"

Hearing that, Tia's face became radiant.

"Really!? There's a continuation? Tia really wants to read it!"

Firill took out the second volume of the same series from her desk and handed it to Tia.

"...Here, this is Volume 2. Volume 3 and beyond are in my dorm room... I'll bring them tomorrow."

"Thank you! Uh... Firill?"

"...Sure, you're welcome."

Hearing Tia call her name for the first time, Firil smiled gently and nodded at her.

Listening to Tia and Firill conversing, the other classmates gathered around.

"Oh, you're reading that manga too? I asked Firill to lend it to me before, it's great. Especially later when the protagonist—Mmmph!"

"Mm!!"

Ariella was about to give a spoiler when Ren covered her mouth, stopping her.

"Seriously... Ariella-san, you really need to learn to show some tact."

Lisa remarked with exasperation.

Then gathered around Tia, the girls began to chat enthusiastically about things related to manga. Tia originally seemed afraid, but gradually joined in with excitement.

I was ignored on the side but did not feel offended at all. Just seeing Tia chatting happily with everyone made me satisfied.

—Simply by not rejecting others, she made such a huge change.

Tia was not taking active steps yet but unlike me, who had transferred in as a man, Lisa and the others wanted to accept Tia proactively.

At this rate, she was going to quickly become a part of the class.

—Or rather, judging from this situation, I could tell how wary they were of me in the beginning.

Although it could not be helped, but this difference in treatment demoralized me somewhat.

Thus, Tia spent the second period reading manga as well. Third period was a practical conducted at a training site, requiring us to change to gym clothes. It was the same vast underground space used for the Basilisk battle test.

Due to everyone having different areas of specialty, this was essentially a time for individual training, but Tia had to begin with the basics first.

"Tia-san's instruction must not be left to Mononobe Yuu who only transferred in recently. Hence, I shall teach her personally."

While everyone scattered in the training site to start training, only Lisa walked towards us, volunteering to be the teacher.

"T-Thank you... Lisa."

Perhaps thanks to the manga giving them a chance to chat for a bit earlier, Tia called her name directly and thanked her.

"Lisa, I'm counting on you."

Tia refused to leave me, so naturally, I had to join in the lesson with her.

"...Although I have no intention of looking after you as well, this cannot be helped. First of all, I shall teach you the key principles to making a fictional armament."

"Fictional armament?"

Tia widened her eyes, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"To perform transmutation more precisely and efficiently, we have to shape the dark matter into a weapon. This is my fictional armament—Gungnir."

Lisa extended her palm. Immediately, a golden spear manifested out of thin air. Instead of generating dark matter then altering its form, it seemed like she had generated dark matter directly in the spear's shape, technique that required substantial mastery.

"Dark matter is strongly affected by the human will. This spear can be considered my feelings during battle, the ultimate spear that can pierce and destroy all enemies—Hence, its attacks are the strongest, of course! Through this chain of imagination, you can increase the power of your attacks."

Holding the spear, Lisa entered a stance and said.

—Feelings during battle huh...

This explanation was very apt, perhaps I could use it for reference when making fictional armaments from now on.

"But this is merely the stage before battle. If you obsess over altering the dark matter's shape, transmutation would occur at that point in time. Hence, what you should imagine is the outline of the mind, rather than dark matter, to meticulously create your own form in battle."

"Own form in battle... But Tia has never used a spear or a sword and don't know what to use for a weapon."

Tia stared at her palms and murmured.

"This does not require martial arts experience. Just imagine yourself in a stronger form. First of all, please generate dark matter while imagining yourself wielding the strongest power. With that, the dark matter will naturally take form."

Tia nodded after hearing Lisa's suggestion.

"Okay.. Tia will try!"

Tia closed her eyes and began to focus. Numerous bubbles of dark matter manifested in her surroundings.

However, I should have noticed at this time. Just by thinking carefully about what kind of girl Tia was, I should have been able to predict what was going to happen next.

Tia's dark matter gathered together piece by piece, gradually forming a massive clump.

"That's the way, slowly, carefully, no need to rush."

Lisa watched Tia while speaking to her. But when the expanding clump of dark matter gathered around Tia's body, Lisa frowned in surprise.

—I thought things were finally on track. Optimistically, I thought that once Tia got along with everyone, soon enough, she would be fine even if separated from me, be it in the classroom or the dorm.

But the root issue had not been resolved.

There was a decisive gulf between Tia and us that needed to be bridged.

Tia believed she was a dragon, not a human.

With such a belief, what would result from her attempt to create a fictional armament—we totally failed to consider that.

The black bubbles of dark matter finally surrounded Tia's entire body.

"What... T-Tia-san?"

Seeing an even larger mass of dark matter, Lisa stepped back. I simply stared at the scene in shock, no knowing what was happening.

Raging winds were blowing with Tia in the center. Continuing to expand, the dark matter floated into the air.

Originally black spheres, the dark matter gradually distorted in outline and changed shape.

The spreading wings seemed to cover our heads, while there was a long tail extending out.

A tall body, almost reaching the ceiling of the training site, dozens of meters tall.

That kind of figure—A dragon's.

It did not seem to be a materialized dragon. Its outline was shifting unsteadily like a mirage.

However, minor transmutation had occurred on the surface. The dragon's entire body shone with red light.

Only then did I realize that this was Tia's fictional armament.

It was what Tia imagined as her fierce self, her strongest form.

"...Tia?"

I transmuted dark matter into wind and yelled at the red dragon floating in the air.

The dragon turned its gaze towards me.

Ruooooooooooooooooooooo!

The loud roaring reverberated throughout the training site. Then immediately, a thunderstorm swept through the entire surroundings.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_1|Chapter 1]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T04:43:11Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 2 - Innocent Pursuit==

===Part 1===

"—Due to the fact that Tia Lightning refuses adamantly to separate from Mononobe Yuu, she will be taken in by this Brynhildr Class. Please get along with her from now on."

After the full-school assembly ended, Shinomiya-sensei made this announcement in a business-like manner during homeroom.

Tia and I were standing at the lectern together because Tia refused to leave me no matter what. Right now, Tia was hugging my arm with her eyes partially closed and happiness written all over her face.

This girl wouldn't be—the D whom I saved in the past, would she?

From her reaction that seemed like she had seen me before, as well as my nagging feeling of familiarity, this possibility was quite likely. But I had no proof and could not ask in front of everyone either.

If my hunch was correct and the matter of letting a D go free came to light, this would endanger Mitsuki's position in addition to mine.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san should be of an age that belongs in elementary level education, right? I doubt she can keep up with our curriculum."

Lisa asked Shinomiya-sensei with a troubled look.

"That's true indeed... But her declaration, appearance and offensive attitude has made many students afraid. Even if she were to be forced together with other Ds in her age group, it's probably impossible for them to get along peacefully. In that case, leaving her to Mononobe Yuu, the only one whom she opens her heart to, is the better solution."

—Leaving her to me?

I had a bad feeling about the way she phrased that.

"So here is how it goes, Mononobe Yuu. You will be in charge of her education. Basic studies, common sense, rules for living in Midgard, you will teach all of that to her."

"What...? I-I'm gonna teach her? I only arrived in Midgard a month ago myself, you know?"

I argued anxiously but Shinomiya-sensei's tone of voice forbade me from refusing.

"Ask other people if you run into difficulties. You may regard this as a mission associated with the anti-Basilisk battle. If she causes serious trouble in Midgard, then the only option would be to hand her over to NIFL. What this means... You probably understand."

Ds must be appropriately managed under Midgard in order for their human rights to be recognized officially. Getting exiled from Midgard would be equivalent to being deemed a disaster, which meant that NIFL was going to dispose of her mercilessly in order to take care of the current incident.

Just like when Leviathan attacked, they intended to kill Iris whose dragon mark had changed color.

"...I got it. Although I'm not confident, I'll try my best."

For a newbie like me, the responsibilities of this mission were way too heavy.

But I could not leave the young Tia to her own devices. And for some reason, she harbored strong affection for me. My heart was not cold enough to be able to mercilessly ignore a girl like that.

"Hmm? Are you done talking?"

Tia looked up at me and asked. Despite it being a conversation about her, she paid almost no attention to it.

"Yeah, from now on, Tia, you're classmates with us."

"Really? Then we can be together all the time here! Where is Yuu's seat?"

"Huh? Middle seat on the last row—"

I pointed at the last row of the 3x3 arrangement of seats—The spot sandwiched between Mitsuki and Iris.

By the way, although I feigned ignorance the whole time, the two of them had been staring daggers at me since a while ago. Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be reprimanding me while Iris was pouting unhappily, glaring at me.

"Then Tia will sit there too!"

Saying that, Tia pulled my arm.

"You want to sit there...? If you want the back row no matter what, I'll swap places with you."

"No, Yuu just sit here. Come, sit down."

"...?"

At Tia's urging, I sat down in my own seat.

"Fufu, then Tia will sit down too."

Tia sat down on my lap with a plop.

"H-Hey?"

"So comfy."

Ignoring my distress, Tia leaned her back against me.

At this moment, Iris suddenly stood up from her seat. Probably reaching the end of her patience, she said to Tia:

"Hey Tia-chan! You'll get in Mononobe's way if you sit there. You should sit in an empty seat!"

"Muu... Who is this Onee-chan?"

"I am Iris Freyja, Mononobe's... friend!"

Iris introduced herself proudly but Tia retorted without getting intimidated.

"If you are his friend, Tia hopes you can read the mood better. Sticking your nose into a husband and wife's problem is meddling, right?"

"H-Husband and wife... Didn't you just meet Mononobe, Tia-chan!? It's me who's been close to Mononobe the whole time!"

"Wrong, Tia and Yuu were tied together by the red string of fate a long time ago. No one can break us up."

Saying that, Tia changed her posture. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she hugged me tightly.

"T-Tia, wait... This is very uncomfortable."

Previously, I always treated her as a child and acted generously, but with such intimate contact, I could not help but waver a bit. Feeling her delicate, petite, and lightweight figure and her soft skin, I was forced to become aware that, even at this kind of age, she was already a girl. The fragrance drifting from Tia's beautiful hair was tickling my nasal cavity.

"—Tia-san, sitting in your own seat to attend class is a rule of this school's. Please follow it."

Mitsuki's acute voice was heard at this time. Iris instantly brightened up at the arrival of reinforcements.

Tia pouted unhappily and turned her gaze to Mitsuki.

"Again, you... will say mean things to Tia?"

Tia seemed to be holding a grudge about what happened at the full-school assembly.

"I am not being mean. I am simply bringing up the rules. Please do not cause Nii-san trouble."

"Nii-san? You're not Yuu's family, are you?"

Tia blinked in surprise.

"Right, I am Mononobe Mitsuki, Nii-san's younger sister."

"Aha... Then Tia has to get along with you, because the husband's little sister is Tia's little sister."

Tia put away her defiance and smiled at Mitsuki.

"...I do not recall having an older sister younger than I am."

"Hmm, then you can be the older sister, or do you want to be the mother-in-law?"

"We are not playing house here, please do not randomly reassign roles, seriously... Sensei, could you tell her off?"

With an exasperated look, Mitsuki sighed and sought help from Shinomiya-sensei.

"Yes... You are right, rules must be followed, but I fear that trying to make her understand this principle right now would be very difficult. Hence, please tolerate her actions for now as long as lessons are not disrupted."

"No way..."

Mitsuki and Iris both made speechless expressions then Tia raised her arms to cheer in joy.

"Awesome! Then Tia will stay quiet. A good wife doesn't make trouble for the husband."

Tia resumed her earlier posture and sat properly on my lap. With that, as long as she did not move about, I was able to look in front and manage to follow the lesson

However, Shinomiya-sensei cast her sharp gaze at me and said:

"Mononobe Yuu, let me state for the record. Her special treatment is only limited to today. You have to settle this before tomorrow."

"Ehhh!?"

In other words, I had to make Tia obey school rules within today?

"Ehehe!"

Tia showed a joyful expression while her legs swayed nonstop.

I looked down at Tia, my self-proclaimed wife. This was a mission harder than imagined, totally putting me at a loss of what to do.

===Part 2===

After that, Tia still refused to leave for even an instant.

During homeroom, Lisa and the others introduced themselves but Tia was uninterested, simply looking up at my face.

"M-Mononobe Yuu... I shan't lose to you!"

This provoked a weird sense of competition in Lisa—

"...Lolicon?"

Firill was inspired with unsavory doubts about me.

"Only Mononobe-kun gets to talk to her, so unfair."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were looking at me with displeasure in their eyes. Particularly Ren, whose age was closest to Tia, she had kept glancing secretly at Tia ever since class started, quite curious about her.

"Tia, why don't you talk to everyone a bit."

I encouraged her but Tia shook her head and refused.

"No need, if Tia had to talk, talking with Yuu is better."

It looked I was the only thing that mattered in her red eyes. Anyway, I had no idea how to persuade Tia unless I got to know her as a person. Hence, I decided to let Tia do as she pleased for the first day, the only time for special treatment.

"Hwah..."

Keeping her promise in class, Tia sat quietly on my lap. Although she yawned in apparently boredom many times, even sleeping very soundly during fourth period, she did not seem to be a child who could not be reasoned with.

During the lunch break, we went to the cafeteria together as a class, sitting around a table as before.

"Here, husband, say ah—"

But most troublingly, Tia continued to sit on my lap just as in the classroom. She was extending a spoonful of vegetable curry towards me. The gazes from not only my classmates but also girls in the surroundings were making me uncomfortable.

"...Yuu?"

Due to Tia's uneasy look, I had no choice but to eat the vegetable curry. Then I heard whispers all around. Bothered by the surrounding gazes, I almost could not taste the curry's spiciness.

"Fufu, we are like newlyweds."

Tia smiled happily and ate a mouthful of vegetable curry too.

Going with this situation, I was probably going to be labeled a lolicon tomorrow.

But to me, it simply felt like accompanying her to play house like a children.

Although she insisted she was the wife, I felt that it would be more accurate to call her a very spoiled younger sister.

"Tia, you've got stuff next to your mouth."

After thinking of it that way, I stopped feeling particularly bothered. In a natural manner, I used a tissue to wipe Tia's mouth.

"Aww... Thanks."

Tia thanked me somewhat shyly. From the eyes of an older brother, I found that behavior of hers to be very cute.

If the one sitting on my lap making me dote on her was Iris instead, I probably would not be able to remain calm like this.

Thinking that, I looked forward, only to see Iris glaring at me with a pout.

"Only Tia-chan can do that... Too unfair."

Clutching her fork, stabbed in the pasta with tomato sauce, Iris spoke in a low voice.

"U-Unfair? What's unfair?"

"I'm clearly your friend, Mononobe... Compared to Tia-chan, we should be closer... But I never got to do the say 'ah—' thing, so I have to do it too!"

Saying that, Iris wrapped pasta around her fork and extended it before me.

"A-Ah..."

With cheeks blushing, Iris spoke in a trembling voice.

I felt my heart starting to race.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 083.jpg|thumb]]

"H-Hey, Iris..."

"...Mononobe, hurry, this is very embarrassing."

Seeing her plead tearfully, I opened my mouth despite the hesitation in my heart, but—

With a metallic clang, Iris' fork was deflected by Tia's spoon.

"Yuu is Tia's husband. You're not allowed to do that."

"I can, because Mononobe is my friend!"

Iris' gaze turned sharp. As though about to have a fencing match, she entered a pose with her fork, still with pasta wrapped around it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sensing danger, I yelled at her but Iris made a thrust with her fork.

"Eat this!"

"You wish!"

Tia used her spoon to defend again, but Iris' first strike was a feint. Stopping her fork halfway, she evaded the timing of Tia's parry. Getting past the spoon, she shoved the pasta into my mouth.

"Mmggg!"

The flavor of tomato sauce instantly spread in my mouth. While the fork was drawn out, the pasta was left in my mouth.

"Success!"

Iris cheered and made a victory pose.

"Oh no, husband is having an affair!"

Tia screamed in shock. Her voice echoed throughout the entire cafeteria. All the students present were looking in our direction.

"...Knock it off, you two. Be quiet in public areas."

Mitsuki spoke in a voice filled with rage.

Iris instantly shuddered then scratched her head apologetically.

"Oh, s-sorry, Mitsuki-chan... I was too impulsive."

"Tia was clearly not at fault..."

Despite muttering in her mouth, Tia settled down. Because Mitsuki was my sister, Tia cared about how she was viewed.

"Phew... Mitsuki, thanks—"

I was just about to thank her when I saw Mitsuki's extremely displeased look, forcing me to grind to a halt mid-sentence.

"—Nii-san is an idiot."

After saying that quietly, Mitsuki turned her head away.

Lisa and the others all showed exasperation on the their faces. In the end, the meal ended under an indescribable atmosphere.

And after that, there were problems aplenty.

Using the remainder of the lunch break, we took Tia around to get to know the campus. At the clock tower, I was just about to go to the washroom when Tia wanted to go with me, thus causing a dispute for a while.

Persuaded by Mitsuki, Tia finally agreed to let go of my hand, but she kept yelling "Yuu, are you there?" from outside, giving me no peace while I did my business.

—As a side note, inside Midgard, there were only two washrooms I could use. As Midgard's core area, the clock tower would have occasional visitors from outside, hence male washrooms were available for visitors to use. The other one was the toilet in my own room at the dorm.

Later on during afternoon class time, Tia wanted to go to the washroom this time, intending to drag me to the female washroom.

I patiently convinced her, finally reaching a compromise where I waited outside while repeatedly responding to her calls.

In this manner, today's classes ended while feeling several times longer than usual.

But my mission was just beginning here.

"—Mononobe Yuu, I will let Tia Lightning live in Mononobe Mitsuki's dorm like you. Take good care of her."

During homeroom before dismissal, that was what Shinomiya-sensei said. I was in charge of educating Tia. After school, I had to oversee her studies and Tia refused to leave me, so this could be considered an appropriate arrangement.

Although Mitsuki's expression seemed quite unconvinced, she still agreed reluctantly.

"Nii-san, I still have student council work to do, so please return first. Although you will be alone with Tia-san temporarily... Under no circumstances should you do anything violating public morals."

"...I know. Could you believe in your brother a bit?"

I nodded with a wry smile and exited the classroom with Tia.

Using her tiny right hand, Tia held my left hand tightly.

Accommodating Tia's pace, I slowly made my way to the building entrance, but just as we reached the first floor's entrance, I noticed a student standing still in front of the school map.

It was a very obedient-looking girl, wearing glasses, with long black hair in a braid.

—Eh? I remember that girl... the one who transferred together with Tia—

"Yuu?"

Seeing me stop walking, Tia looked at me in surprise.

"Sorry, Tia, come with me for a bit."

Holding Tia's hand, I approached the girl.

If she was facing any trouble, I should help her, right? This was the spirit behind Midgard's founding. This was what I learned from Lisa and the others during the battle against Leviathan.

"—What's wrong?"

I asked her from behind.

"...Eh? Oh—"

She looked back, widening her eyes greatly after seeing me. Perhaps she was startled because I was a man.

To avoid making her unwary unnecessarily, I smiled and talked to her.

"I remember you just transferred in today, right? Tachikawa... What was it again?"

To be honest, because Tia caused me such a great shock, I had little recollection of her, even her name was fuzzy.

"Uh—Right, I am Tachikawa Honoka, you are... Mononobe Yuu, right?"

She nodded and asked in a confirming tone of voice.

"You know about me?"

"Because you are the only male in the academy, I soon heard rumors about you. And I saw you this morning at the full-school assembly."

Speaking of which, this morning I had rushed up to the podium to stop Tia who was acting emotionally unstable. Since I had done something so conspicuous, no matter where I went, there were always people talking about the topic of me and Tia. With that, whether she wanted to or not, she would surely hear my name.

"...Then we can skip the introductions. Tia, you know her already, right?"

I motioned with my eyes, to introduce her to Tia, but for some reason, Tia hugged my waist tightly and glared at her silently.

"Right, although I saw her for the first time at the full-school assembly, I still have not greeted her... But I did hear the student council president's introduction."

Saying that, she lowered her head and bowed to us.

"Yuu-san, Tia-san, pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, likewise here."

I smiled in response but Tia scowled and refused to answer.

"Sorry, how should I say this...? Apart from me, Tia pretty much treats everyone like this."

I frantically explained for Tia, but she smiled gently and said:

"No problem, I don't mind."

"Thanks, that would be a great help—Tachikawa."

"Just call me Honoka. I'll address you by name too."

She replied in a relaxed tone of voice.

"O-Okay... Got it, Honoka."

Slightly nervously, I changed my way of addressing her. Although she seemed introverted in appearance, her personality might turn out to be more approachable than expected.

"So, what are you doing here, Honoka? If there's anywhere you want to go, I can lead the way."

I looked at the map that Honoka had been staring at.

"No, it's okay. I was just trying to memorize all the locations because I'll be living here from now on."

"I see, so you're not lost. That's great. Sorry for disturbing you."

I should have minded my own business. I scratched my head.

"Nothing of that sort, I'm happy that you talked to me. Even just knowing that you are such a friendly person counts as a kind of encouragement to me here on."

Although Honoka thanked me, what she said made me a bit concerned. Thinking more carefully, taking her around to familiarize with the campus should be what her classmates would do first. Perhaps there was not anyone friendly in the class she was assigned to.

"...If you have any difficulties, you can find me any time. I'll tell you my email address."

"Oh... Thank you."

Honoka smiled radiantly. After exchanging addresses, we bid her goodbye and walked out of the building.

During that time, Tia's expression remained quite unhappy. She gripped my hand tightly.

"You're both transfer students, so why don't you try to get along with her? I think you'll surely become friends."

I said that to her while walking towards the school gates, but Tia shook her head.

"No, Tia doesn't want to be near her."

"Doesn't want to be near..."

Compared to Lisa or the others, Tia was expressing a clearer attitude of rejection, baffling me.

"And Tia is angry with Yuu too. A married person should not hit on girls."

"H-Hit on? No, that wasn't what was happening just now."

Suddenly exchanging email addresses might seem like hitting on a girl, but the only reason why I told Honoka my address was purely because I worried about her.

"...Honestly not hitting on her?"

"Honestly."

"Okay... Then Tia won't be angry."

Tia's displeased look changed to reveal all smiles.

Seeing her mood improve, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although we were not a real couple and I was not obliged to explain to her, it made me feel uncomfortable to be saddled with a trumped up charge for no reason.

Then we passed through the school gates and headed to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

Although we attracted the gaze of female students along the way, after entering the road leading to the dorm, no one was in sight anymore.

We held hands and walked on the road along the beach. That alone was enough to make Tia smile contentedly. Bathed under the setting sun's rays, both her hair and her horns shone with red light.

—Tia Lightning huh...

Having accompanied her the whole day, I came to understand one thing clearly. She extremely hated separating from me.

Almost like a lost child.

She looked like a child who was finally reunited with parents, refusing to separate again no matter what. Most likely, Tia's affection towards me was neither infatuation nor love, but an expression of emotions from the fear of separation.

Although that was possible, the correct answer could only be known by asking directly.

There were many things I wanted to ask but among them, what I needed to confirm most—the question I had held back all this time to avoid giving Mitsuki trouble—I finally inquired of Tia at this time.

"Say, Tia, have we met somewhere before?"

"Eh—Yuu doesn't remember?"

Tia asked as though she was struck by a blow. It looked like we really did meet before.

"Don't tell me... you're the D whom I saved on in a warzone before?"

I voiced my guess.

Before coming to Midgard, I had only met two Ds. One was Mitsuki, the other was the young girl I saved in a warzone without knowing her name. Hence, it was very likely that the girl was Tia.

However, since she was a D, she could also be someone I got involved with unknowingly, hence I was not confident.

"Oh, phew, good... Yuu didn't forget."

Tia seemed relieved. I had guessed correctly, apparently.

—Lucky I did not confirm in front of others.

Letting a discovered D go free was a complete breach of military discipline.

Apart from that, because Basilisk's target was Tia, it had caused NIFL to expend a lot of effort.

I had no intention of fleeing from those responsibilities but I did not want to cause a situation that would cause Mitsuki problems.

"So you really are the girl from that time... You seemed to have changed."

The girl in my hazy memories was even younger and did not have horns like these.

"Really? Did Tia become more cute?"

She looked at me with excited eyes. I nodded in embarrassment.

"Yeah..."

Because the shock was too great, it was easy for the horns to steal the spotlight, but objectively speaking, Tia was a cute girl. In two or three years, she would surely become even more beautiful.

"Tia is—a cute girl, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I think."

I answered her question that seemed to be seeking confirmation, but for some reason, Tia made a sad face.

"Thanks... I knew that if it's Yuu, you'd say that again. Tia is so happy, but... It's wrong."

"It's wrong?"

I did not understand what was going on, so I asked her. But looking at me, Tia's eyes were emotionless, as though her earlier childishness was a lie.

"Tia is a dragon, not a girl."

I instantly felt a chill along my back. In the depths of those red eyes, I saw a dark color akin to that of dried blood.

"..."

I reflexively tried to tell her no but held my tongue before it came out. Even if I unilaterally refuted Tia's assertion, it would only end up the same as what happened at the assembly.

This was most likely Tia's berserk button. If I had to touch it, I would best wait for the next opportunity.

First, I should carefully find out—Why did she believe so strongly that she was a dragon?

"...So to you, am I a dragon too?"

"Yes, all Ds are dragons."

Spreading her arms, Tia said that.

"Why... do you think that?"

"Because we have the same power as dragons, we are the children of dragons, isn't this logical?"

We definitely possessed the same power as the black dragon—"Black Vritra"—the ability to generate dark matter. Because Ds were the same as dragons, they must be rejected—There were many radical organizations pushing such beliefs. Was Tia influenced by that kind of thinking?

"No, but you have human parents, right?"

I had seen her parents when saving her in a warzone. I thought that afterward, they should be living together as a family of three.

"......Tia has no human papa or mama."

But Tia refuted me with an emotionless expression and voice.

"No? But back then—"

I frowned and asked but I felt mild trembling on my hand, forcing me to stop mid-sentence.

I had apparently broached a very sensitive issue again.

"Yuu, don't talk about that—Tia wants to touch the seawater."

Just as I was hesitating how to continue the conversation, Tia smiled innocently and changed the subject.

Tia pointed at the vast beach beyond the breakwater, pulling me, wanting to go there.

"...Okay, let's go down the stairs over there."

I gave up on the spot asking about her father and mother and took Tia down to the white beach.

I'll have to find a chance to ask again later.

"Wow..."

As soon as she reached the water's edge, Tia instantly squatted down and dipped her left hand into the waves rushing onto the shore. I also squatted beside her and watched her scoop up seawater with her tiny hand.

"You've never been to a beach, Tia?"

"No, Tia originally lived in a place without a sea. And after coming to this island, Tia could only look from a distance."

Saying that, Tia licked her fingertip, moistened by seawater.

"Ah... It's really so salty!"

Tia seemed quite moved and yelled excitedly. How should I say it? Looking at her like that, I could not help but smile.

—I can't force this child to make that kind of expression.

When insisting she was a dragon, insisting she had no parents, Tia's face lost all emotion.

Tia's issues seemed so much bigger than imagined but I decided in my heart to help her resolve them bit by bit.

This started as a mission forced upon me by someone else, but after knowing she was the D that I had met in a warzone, I could not stay uninvolved anymore because I had to take serious responsibility for her.

If I had sent Tia to Midgard when we first met, at least she would not have ended up with this dragon girl appearance.

With my unoccupied right hand, I tried to touch Tia's horn.

"Kyah... It tickles."

Tia made a startled sound and huddled herself.

"Your horn has feeling too...?"

It really was like a part of the body. I could not help but gasp.

"Yes, it's very sensitive too, so Tia doesn't like others touching it... But it's okay if it's the husband."

Tia put her hand on my hand that was touching her horn, smiling shyly.

That sincere affection made my cheeks heat up involuntarily.

But just at that moment—I felt all my hairs stand on end.

"!"

Feeling a sharp gaze of murderous intent, I forcefully spun around.

Switching my consciousness to combat mode, I picked up Tia in one arm and extended my right arm forward to create the dark matter required for a shield.

However... I could not see any enemy in the direction I felt the gaze. There was only the breakwater and coconut trees swaying in the wind.

I sharpened my senses even more and searched for human presences, but there seemed to be no one nearby.

Hence, I lowered my vigilance and put my hand down.

—Was it my imagination?

Midgardsormr was already restored. It was impossible for NIFL to infiltrate again like last time.

Inside Midgard here, there should not be anyone who intended to resolve the situation by killing Tia.

Judging from this situation, anyone would say it was my imagination no matter who I asked.

But I had survived battlefields all this time through my senses. My instincts told me that it was too early to dismiss that murderous intent as imagination.

—Things had become not very peaceful.

In another sense, I must not leave Tia now.

"Yuu..."

Just as I scanned the surroundings with my gaze, lost in thought, Tia called my face with her face gone red. Speaking of which, in order to protect from enemy attacks, I was hugging her forcefully. Hence, I hastily relaxed my force.

"Sorry Tia, does it feel very uncomfortable?"

"N-No, Tia is fine, but sorry, Tia doesn't know what to do next."

Tia apologized.

"What do you mean by... what to do next?"

"Eh...? Next up is that thing husbands and wives do together, right? Although it's so sudden, Tia was frightened, Tia is prepared now."

"What—"

Realizing Tia had a huge misunderstanding, I could not find words to speak for a while.

"But Tia... knows nothing about that kind of thing. Tia is a failure of a wife. So... Husband needs to teach Tia. No matter what needs to be done, Tia will work as hard as possible."

Tia looked at me with moistened eyes, gripping my uniform tightly.

"Hey, no, it's wrong! I didn't mean that just now... B-Because there was a big wave, I was worried you'd get swept away, that's why—"

I would scare Tia if I brought up the murderous intent honestly, so I stammered a random excuse.

"...Really? Then Yuu was protecting Tia! Thank you, Yuu!"

The straightforward Tia believed me and thanked me with a pure smile. Although I found my reason quite contrived, she showed no signs of doubting.

Did Tia trust me so much because I saved her in a warzone? Or simply because I was a male D?

Still with no idea where Tia's affection for me came from, I could only turn my gaze away with an unsettled feeling, looking at the horizon where the sun was setting—

===Part 3===

As soon as we returned to the dorm, I decided to begin tutoring Tia.

I had already gotten materials appropriate for Tia's level from Shinomiya-sensei, so I took Tia to my room and placed the textbooks and notebooks on the desk.

Elementary school curriculum apparently aimed to teach students how to write by hand, so materials were paper-based. For me who usually relied on a portable terminal during lessons, the touch of paper and pencil felt very nostalgic.

"...You really have to sit here after all."

Seeing Tia sit on my lap matter-of-factly, I could not help but sigh.

"Yes, because Tia is the wife."

Tia turned herself and looked up at me, smiling with a nod.

"...Normally speaking, even married couples don't stick together like this twenty-four hours a day."

"Other people are other people, we are us. Also, we are newlyweds."

"No, now that you mentioned it, I don't recall us getting married."

I pointed out the most fundamental point.

"Ehhhh?"

Tia showed surprise.

Did I bring it up too rashly? I could not help but feel frantic, but she immediately smiled.

"Now that you mention it, we... still haven't held the wedding! Yuu, when will it be held?"

"W-When... First of all, Tia, we can't marry at our age, right?"

"Human rules have nothing to do with us, because we are dragons."

Refuted by these unexpected words, I was speechless for a while.

No good, human logic did not work on Tia.

I had to get her to attend class normally by tomorrow. What should I do?

"......Tia, about this issue, let's discuss it later. Now's the time to be studying. Come, open the textbook."

After thinking for a while, in the end, I could only postpone the issue to resolve later.

"Eh... Then it's a promise? We will decide on the wedding date properly, okay?"

"If possible, I'd like to start the discussion from an earlier stage than that..."

Let alone changing her mind, I felt that I was the one being gradually forced into a corner.

While thinking of ways to reverse the current situation, I started teaching Tia.

As soon as she focused on studying, Tia became an excellent student. Reading passages from the text, she would ask whenever she did not understand any part, instantly absorbing the knowledge.

On the topic of languages, she was capable of using three languages, including Japanese, on the level of everyday conversation.

—It looked like she had a good teacher in the past.

Considering Tia's appearance, it was quite unlikely she was attending a normal school, but Tia was no less educated than peers from the same age group.

I originally thought that since her way of speaking Japanese was very child-like, her mental age was probably very childish too, but perhaps it was the opposite.

The tutoring went very smoothly. By dinner time, we had already finished what was planned for today.

At 7pm, Mitsuki had returned home and came to call us. We had dinner together in the dining hall.

"...Tia-san's education seems to be going poorly."

Seeing Tia treat my lap as her designated seat, Mitsuki remarked with disappointment.

"No, academics-wise, it's going very smoothly... It's just that teaching her to follow rules is very hard."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki sighed.

"I understand. Then I shall take over education regarding rules, because I am the student council president, I cannot allow Tia-san to do as she pleases."

Thus, after dinner, Mitsuki started to educate Tia in my room.

However—

"...That is why, Tia-san, by living a rule-abiding life at Midgard, only through that will the world recognize our existence—"

"That is something humans decided on their own. Tia is a dragon, it has nothing to do with Tia."

"......"

Confronted with Tia's dragon logic for who knew how many times, Mitsuki slumped her shoulders in dejection.

"I now understand your hardship very well, Nii-san."

Mitsuki showed an exhausted expression to me, who had become Tia's chair.

"I know right? No matter how we try to make her accept rules, it just doesn't work."

I remarked with a wry smile, feeling as though I had finally gained a comrade.

"She is truly a formidable opponent... Time sure flies. It is already past 9pm. Time to take a bath and clear our minds slightly."

Saying that, Mitsuki got up from her seat, but froze after hearing Tia's next comment.

"Then Tia will have a bath with Yuu!"

"This came after all..."

Pressing her hand to her forehead, Mitsuki murmured quietly.

"Tia, I'm begging, could you take a bath alone? Like going to the washroom, I'll wait outside."

I tried to ask her as gently as possible but Tia shook her head forcefully.

"No! Tia wants to have a bath with Yuu! The husband has to be with the wife at all times!"

"...Why do you hate separating from me so much, Tia? I'm not going away, you know?"

I steeled myself and tried asking, prompting Tia to show a gloomy expression.

"No... If Tia is not at your side, you'll disappear for sure."

"Disappear?"

"..."

I did not quite understand what she meant, so I repeated the same word as a question, but Tia kept her lips shut tight and refused to answer.

Silently, she gripped my clothing, refusing to budge even if the sky were to come crashing down.

"Understood, then it cannot be helped..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I jumped in surprise.

"Eh? No way? You allow it?"

I really could not believe that Mitsuki, the student council president, would permit a mixed gender bath. When the fact that Iris helped scrubbed my back came to light, I was punished to write a huge number of repentance essays.

"Yes, but on one condition. I basically predicted this, hence I came prepared. Please wait a moment, Nii-san."

Saying that, Mitsuki left the room and soon returned with certain articles in her arms.

"What's that...?"

I pointed at what Mitsuki had brought and asked.

"Swimsuits and pajamas."

Mitsuki answered with a serious face. Figuring out what she meant, I frowned.

"......Swimsuits make it okay?"

This was quite a huge compromise on Mitsuki's part, I thought, so I confirmed with her.

"The swimsuits are school prescribed, so just think of it as entering a hot spring and there should not be a problem with public morals. H-However, because I am responsible for supervising, I must be present too."

Blushing, Mitsuki said something even more unexpected.

"What... You're taking a bath with us too, Mitsuki?"

"—Is there any problem? Do you prefer to be alone with Tia-san, enjoying a lovey-dovey bathtime together?"

"H-How could I possibly think that!?"

I frantically denied. However—I somehow could not stay calm as soon as the thought of taking a bath with Mitsuki crossed my mind. Mitsuki was my sister, so there should be no reason to be so concerned.

"In that case, there is no problem, right? I will enter the bath with Nii-san too."

...With Nii-san?

The central topic should be Tia, so her way of putting it made me feel a sense of dissonance. But due to Mitsuki's intimidating gaze, I nodded in agreement without pointing it out.

"G-Got it..."

"Very well, bath time it is."

Mitsuki declared with elation. Somehow, she sounded inexplicably happy.

Perhaps she was remembering things from childhood.

—Eh? However... Did I ever take baths with Mitsuki before?

If we were siblings, bathing together as children should be quite normal.

But no matter how hard I thought, I still could not find memories of that sort—

"Sure enough, three people in a bath is very crowded..."

Having changed into a school swimsuit, Mitsuki surveyed the bathroom and remarked. The form-fitting navy-blue swimsuit served as a perfect foil to emphasize Mitsuki's snow-white complexion and slender figure.

"This is a swimsuit...? So tight, it feels weird."

Tia seemed like she had never worn one before. With curiosity, she pulled at her shoulder strap.

What drew my gaze was the red dragon mark on Tia's thigh.

—Once targeted by Basilisk, the dragon mark would turn red.

It was white in Iris' case, which seemed to imply that the D's symptoms would vary depending on the dragon.

"...Nii-san, your gaze is very suspicious."

Just as I was staring at Tia's dragon mark, Mitsuki pulled me by the ear.

Naturally, I was wearing swimming trunks. It felt quite out of place to be wearing swimsuits in a bathroom, but perhaps due to the presence of two girls, there seemed to be a sweet fragrance drifting in the air.

This was a single room's bathroom, hence it was never designed to accommodate multiple people bathing in the first place. With three people inside, there was no space left for rinsing oneself. Mitsuki seemed to realize the same thing while staring at the cramped bathroom with a troubled look.

"Three people rinsing together seems too hard. Nii-san, please enter the tub first. We will switch later."

"Understood."

I poured hot water over myself to briefly wash away the sweat before stepping into the tub. Then I soaked myself up to the shoulders. As a result, the water level rose to almost overflowing.

"Ah, Tia wants a soak too!"

I finally had some space to myself but Tia jumped into the tub. With a massive splash, hot water spilled all over the floor.

"Hey, Tia-san, what are you doing!? You have to rinse your body together with me first!"

Hearing Mitsuki scold her, Tia pouted.

"No, Tia has to be with Yuu."

Saying that, Tia leaned herself against me in the tub.

"T-Tia, don't lean in so close."

The sensation of soft skin, transmitted through the swimsuit, was making me waver.

And left behind, Mitsuki stood there stunned for a moment before speaking in a determined voice:

"In that case... I shall join in too."

"Eh? H-Hey?"

Mitsuki forced herself into the tub. Naturally, since this was not meant to be a bathtub for three, it became extremely crowded. Everyone was pressed together while the tub's hot water flowed out.

Feeling something soft against my shoulder, I hastily changed my posture, but this time, my knee went between Mitsuki's thighs.

"Ah... N-Nii-san... Not there, please."

"S-Sorry."

Every move of the body caused friction between skin and swimsuits.

"Mm..."

Mitsuki exhaled hot breath.

"Ehehe, husband!"

Tia happily leaned herself against me.

Unable to move, I could only surrender to the two of them.

"Three people is too much of a stretch. Could one of you please go out?"

"No, Tia will not leave Yuu."

Tia wrapped her slender arms around me.

"...If Tia-san will not go out, I shall not leave either, because I am in charge of supervising... By the way, you two are leaning too close together."

Mitsuki kept pushing her body over, trying to get between me and Tia.

Her swimsuit slid down slightly, exposing the valley between her petite yet beautifully shaped breasts.

"Jeez, don't get in the way."

Tia resisted intensely, hugging me even tighter. This scene in the narrow bathtub was almost like a game of sardines-in-the-box.

"I-If you two aren't going out, I'm leaving."

To me, they were Tia, who was just a child, and Mitsuki, my younger sister.

I originally thought that I would not feel especially conscious like with Iris... But I found it unbearable. Despite soaking in the hot water only for so short a time, my face was already too hot to bear.

"No! The husband cannot run away and leave the wife behind!"

But Tia pounced on me, refusing to let me escape.

"Tia-san will follow you if you leave, Nii-san, so the situation will remain the same. If you are leaving the tub, Nii-san, please wait until you warm up more. If either of you were to catch a cold, I would be to blame for failure in management."

Saying that, Mitsuki grabbed my arm to keep me here.

My body was already burning but Mitsuki's words and gaze had a kind power impossible to resist. Reluctantly, I sat down in the bathtub.

Then after roughly ten minutes—until the happy and excited Tia went dizzy from the heat—I kept enduring, left with no choice but to keep my mind blank to prevent unwanted thoughts.

"She is sleeping so soundly."

Looking at Tia lying on my bed in pajamas, sound asleep, Mitsuki smiled.

"...Now I'm finally liberated."

I exhaled deeply, collapsing completely in the chair in front of the desk.

"You worked hard, Nii-san."

Mitsuki praised me with a wry smile then sat down on the bed's edge.

After the bath, we changed into our respective pajamas and drank cold drinks to soothe our throats... By the time we realized, Tia had already started nodding off drowsily .

Anyway, we laid her out on my bed and she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

"But the mission failed. In the end, I still haven't convinced her."

Most likely in class tomorrow, Tia was still planning to sit on my lap.

"Likewise, I have failed to teach Tia-san to abide by rules. I shall explain to Shinomiya-sensei tomorrow to ask for an extension."

"Thank you, Mitsuki, then I'm saved. However... Unless we find a way to resolve the problem of Tia believing herself to be a dragon, it's probably a waste of effort no matter how much time we spend trying to convince her."

Rules decided by humans were irrelevant to dragons—These words rendered all arguments moot.

"...To be honest, I did not expect her to be such a stubborn child at all. I was told that she did not resist at all, no matter when NIFL took her into custody or when she was transported to Midgard to be examined. Always expressionless, she listened obediently to others."

"That's such a far cry from right now."

Tia's face was always busy making all kinds of expressions. While spinning in circles because of her, I could hardly imagine such a description applying to her.

"Yes, like a completely different person compared to what we saw of her during the full-school assembly. In the beginning, I thought she was reticent and obedient child..."

"In other words, your 'Ds are human' assertion was something Tia found intolerable, to the point of causing a drastic change in personality. Mitsuki, do you know what kind of environment Tia lived in previously?"

Mitsuki glanced at Tia after hearing my question.

"—Before lessons ended, I asked Shinomiya-sensei to tell me in as much detail as possible. Tia-san seems to be sleeping soundly, so it should be fine to discuss the matter now. Because there are things I would be reluctant for her to hear."

Hearing her say that, I frowned.

"Did Tia have some kind of traumatic experience?"

Tia's belief had similarities with D-rejecting organizations. I was worried whether she might have been captured by that type of organization at one point.

However, Mitsuki shook her head slowly.

"—No, it happens to be the opposite. Tia-san used to be worshiped."

"Worshiped?"

"Reportedly, when NIFL's team discovered Tia-san, it was in a military vehicle belonging to the dragon worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell."

Hearing that name, I could not help but gasp.

"The Sons of Muspell... Isn't that the world's most vicious terrorist organization?"

So-called dragon cultists were polar opposites in ideology compared to D-rejecting organizations. They revered and worshiped dragons, the monsters transcending human wisdom, as gods. In a certain sense, it was only inevitable for new religions like this to arise in a world threatened by dragons.

So-called worship was a method to escape from absolute fear. Believing themselves to be apostles of dragons, it provided them with mental stability.

Out of the dragon cults of this sort, the Sons of Muspell was the largest sect and was the most radical in their thinking. They launched terrorist attacks against countries and organizations that attempted to defeat dragons, obstructing them persistently. Naturally, Asgard and NIFL were also targets for them.

"Did you ever come across the Sons of Muspell, Nii-san?"

Perhaps sensing something from my bitter tone, Mitsuki asked me hesitantly.

"...Yeah, because they would sneak into countries where dragon disasters had occurred, trying to gain followers, so it was inevitable that they came into conflict with NIFL. I have received orders in the past to immediately eliminate the D who is their leader as soon as she is discovered."

"Eh...? Their leader is a D."

Seeing Mitsuki's eyes widened from surprise, I explained to her.

"This was not disclosed publicly, but the leader of the Sons of Muspell is a D who had been deemed a disaster. Her name is Kili Surtr Muspelheim. She has killed far more humans than the dragons and is feared as a ''witch'' in NIFL. However, I've never met her."

If I met her, it would definitely turn into a killed or be killed situation. The reason why I could keep my hands clean was also because I had never encountered her.

"No way... To think a D was leading a terrorist organization."

Mitsuki's voice trembled, greatly shaken.

"The Ds' position in society would probably be endangered if this comes to light. That's why Midgard and other benefactor countries have engaged in information control. It's normal that you haven't heard of it."

"...But why would a D want to worship dragons? They are clearly our enemies."

Mitsuki asked in puzzlement.

"The dragonification of Ds is top secret, right? So they simply don't know about this... Or even after knowing it, they still want to become dragons."

"The former I could understand... But it is the latter, I find it incomprehensible."

"Well, who can understand how terrorists think? However... Judging from Tia's behavior, it's very likely that their organization knows about dragonification."

Tia said she was born to be a dragon's wife.

Those words probably did not mean marrying a male D like me, but referred to being a real dragon's mate like for Basilisk for example.

To increase the number of dragons, dragon cultists had indoctrinated Tia like that. Things made sense if that was the case.

"So the reason why Tia-san insists she is a dragon is because of that...?"

"Hard to say...? How should I put this? Because I don't think Tia is the kind of person who believes everything others say without question."

When tutoring her today, I came to understand that Tia was a smart child who always took initiative to ask questions about what she did not understand, trying to comprehend them. Always seeking knowledge with basis, would she unquestioningly accept those absurd teachings of dragon cultists?

"Indeed... The impression I gather from Tia-san is that she was forced to convince herself to believe rather than sincerely believing she is a dragon."

—Convince herself to believe... huh?

Indeed, throwing a tantrum in response to allegations was evidence of uncertainty in one's heart.

Humans sometimes worshiped things as gods, even when they were monsters like dragons, trying to believe the impossible. If Tia was believing herself to be a dragon in order to maintain mental stability... Then by doing this, what was she running away from?

"Mitsuki, were her parents by her side when they found Tia?"

I asked because I recalled what happened at the beach. Tia seemed to react quite strongly to the subject of her parents. Perhaps that might have something to do with Tia's condition.

"I have no idea. At least according to what I heard, there was no information regarding Tia-san's parents."

"I see... Then I guess I'll have to ask her directly."

I looked at Tia's sleeping face and said.

"She is already asleep now, so ask her tomorrow. Well then, it is time for us to sleep too."

Saying that, Mitsuki lay down next to Tia.

"Huh...? You're sleeping here too, Mitsuki?"

Seeing Mitsuki lying down in an unguarded state, I asked her in surprise.

"It is probably a bad idea to separating Tia-san from you while she is asleep. But that being said, I cannot allow the two of you to be alone."

"No, but this bed is too small for three people to sleep in."

"...What are you talking about? Nii-san, you are sleeping on the floor. Please head over to the unused room next door to move the bedding over. Nii-san, you really have been lacking in delicacy lately."

Rebutted with her cold gaze, I felt my cheeks grow hot.

Because the three of us had bathed together, I mistakenly thought that the bed needed to be shared between the three of us too.

"I-I know, I was just kidding."

I frantically explained myself then headed out to move the futon over.

"...Nii-san in the past would have suggested this kind of thing himself—"

Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard Mitsuki's murmurs to herself, lingering in my ear the whole time.

Had I really changed?

However, I had no way of telling whether the "past" Mitsuki mentioned was referring to three years ago or three weeks ago, before the battle against Leviathan?

===Part 4===

"...Nii-san, are you asleep?"

Inside the dark room, I heard Mitsuki's quiet whispering.

I had the futon laid out on the floor and had closed my eyes originally. I immediately fought off my drowsiness and opened my eyelids.

"...Not yet."

I answered briefly. I could not see Mitsuki on the bed from my position. Faint breathing noises from sleeping could be heard, probably Tia's.

"The last time we slept in the same room like this, who knows how many years ago it was...?"

Mitsuki voice entered my ear, reminiscing about the past.

"I don't know either... Probably when we were small."

Unable to recall something so far back, I could only answer ambiguously.

"Yes... Because our rooms were separate. Perhaps... even earlier than that promise."

—Promise?

Not knowing what she was referring to, I frowned.

Mitsuki had brought up "that promise" so matter-of-factly just now. By the tone of her voice, she believed ''I would understand just from her saying that''.

However... Why did I feel so troubled?

Just as I was struggling to find an answer, Mitsuki continued:

"Nii-san... Tia-san calling you husband makes you happy, right?"

"What...? How could that be true!?"

I denied frantically. I could not accept that even my younger sister suspected me of being a lolicon.

"Really...? The way I see it, Nii-san, you do not seem too opposed to it, right?"

"Come on, you..."

"Fufu, just kidding. Nii-san... the one you like is Iris-san, am I correct?"

Hearing what Mitsuki said, I felt my heart jump intensely.

"W-Why are you bringing up Iris now?

"No? Nii-san, you seem very conscious of Iris-san..."

Realizing she had seen through me long ago, I felt my blood rush to my face.

"No umm... Because a lot of things happened... I became a bit conscious of her... But it's not like what you think, Mitsuki."

Although for Iris, it was a show of gratitude, of course losing my first kiss to her made me conscious of her. But apart from that, I was not quite sure—At least, not quite sure yet.

"...I understand, let us assume that is the case for now. However... Please do not forget that inappropriate interactions between genders are strictly forbidden, okay?"

"Got it..."

I was quite relieved that she did not pursue the matter deeply. But after that, Mitsuki added something surprising.

"Still... If there is nothing inappropriate, it is fine."

"...Huh?"

I asked in surprise.

"Midgard does not forbid dating, so there is no need to hide your feelings, Nii-san, and no need to... feel bound by that promise."

Her voice sounded full of sorrow.

"......"

I could only stay silent, unable to say a word. I did not understand what Mitsuki was talking about.

No matter how I thought about it, I still could not understand what "that promise" referred to, so I was unable to answer.

So I did lose something?

I could not look away anymore. Clenching my fist, I accepted reality.

Three years ago, the price I paid for obtaining power was losing many memories... Even so, things about Mitsuki were the only memories I did not forget.

Three weeks ago, when connecting to Yggdrasil again during the battle against Leviathan, I also believed that I would not forget my memories with Mitsuki.

Although my childhood memories were fuzzy, I optimistically assumed this went for everyone.

But I had probably lost very precious memories.

The promise brought up by Mitsuki unsuspectingly, convinced that I knew what she was talking about, could not possibly be the kind of promise that would be accidentally forgotten.

"...Sorry, Nii-san, for talking for so long..."

Mitsuki apologized to me with wryness in her voice.

"No..."

I answered briefly in a hoarse voice. That was all I could manage.

"...Goodnight."

"...Yeah, g'night."

I suppressed my feelings and answered her. After the conversation ended, the dark room returned to silence.

—Things had gone beyond recovery. Back when I sought new power, I should have prepared myself that it could turn out like this.

Hence, what I must do was prevent Mitsuki from discovering I had lost memories, prevent her from feeling she was to blame, prevent her from feeling sad, prevent her from showing suffering on her face—

Warning myself that, I closed my eyes.

Hoping for sleep to ease the pain in my chest, I allowed my consciousness to gradually sink into the abyss.

However—my day of spinning around in circles because of Tia had not ended yet.

Late that night, I was roused by yelling.

"Where!? Where is Yuu!?"

"Calm down! Please calm down, Tia-san!"

Light kept flashing in the room with popping sounds. I frantically jumped up to see Tia on the bed in a panic. Bubbles of dark matter were surging forth, turning into electrical currents, sparking everywhere.

"Tia!"

"Ah—"

As soon as I called her name, Tia instantly stopped.

The flow of dark matter halted and the intense lightning also ceased. I stood up and turned on the room's light.

"Yuu!"

Tia pounced on me from the bed. I caught her tiny body.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Tia thought... Even Yuu disappeared."

Tia rested her forehead against my chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Phew... I was thinking something might have happened."

Perhaps relieved, Mitsuki sat down on the bed, exhaling deeply.

"Tia, I'm here, so it's okay."

I gently stroked the two horns on her head to soothe her emotions.

I never expected her to panic so much just because she could not see me when she woke up. It looked like not moving her while she was sleeping was correct, but this reaction was way too sensitive.

"Yuu... Yuu... Yuu!"

Tia kept calling my name. I patted her on the shoulder and said to her slowly:

"Tia, what's making you so afraid? You refuse to leave me because you're afraid I'll disappear, right?"

"......"

Tia looked up but kept her lips shut tightly, refusing to say a single word.

"Please answer me. I'm worried about you, Tia."

I stared directly into her eyes and spoke to her. The very depths of her red eyes wavering, Tia spoke with trembling lips:

"...Yes, because Tia doesn't want Yuu to disappear... So Tia will protect Yuu."

"Protect? Tia, you want to protect me?"

Hearing something unexpected, I asked in surprise.

Tia nodded lightly in confirmation.

"Precious things must be protected personally, once they disappear... It's too late, impossible to get back no matter what."

Impossible to get back after disappearing. Too late.

Tia's words shook my heart. I realized there was a gap in my heart from losing that promise with Mitsuki.

—This girl had lost something precious, just like me.

"I see... I finally understand you a bit, Tia. Thank you for protecting me, but you're mistaken on a few counts."

"Mistaken...?"

Tia made a surprised face and cocked her head in puzzlement.

Now was the chance to persuade her. Since I knew what motivated Tia's actions, it was easy to think of solutions.

"Yes, I'm not so weak that I need you to protect me, Tia. I can protect my own life."

"But... No matter how strong you are, there might be even stronger enemies. That's why if Tia is protecting you, it will be safer."

"Well, that's not wrong..."

Tia's logic was correct. Looking at me, Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be saying: Nii-san, what are you doing?

Originally I thought that I could reassure her by proving I was not weak, but it looked like I had to change the conversation's direction.

"...But Tia, now that you mention it, no one will attack me here in Midgard. So there's no need for you to protect me so desperately."

There was nothing threatening my life. Rather, it was Tia who had people after her life. I recalled the feeling of murderous intent at the beach and continued my attempt to persuade her.

"Who knows. Perhaps some people pretend to be good kids but are actually planning bad things."

She was using correct logic to reply to me again. But this time, I did not back down.

"That's right, I can't say for certain there are no bad people, but Mitsuki and Iris are different. Even if it's just the classmates in our homeroom, could you please trust them?"

"...Can't do it. Maybe Mitsuki... But Tia doesn't know what other people are thinking."

Tia shook her head with a stiff expression and refused.

"In that case, you need to make friends with them until you understand them. If you can trust all of us, then you can relax in the classroom and the dorm."

"Make friends...?"

"Yeah, so tomorrow, try talking more to everyone, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia asked very uneasily:

"...Yuu trusts everyone?"

"I trust them. Iris is a very honest and upstanding person. Lisa and the others are people who step forward to fight for their friends. At least, I don't feel wary of them."

When Iris was targeted by Leviathan, Lisa and the others had fought to protect her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. They had said that classmates in the same homeroom were family and truly cared about her from the bottom of their hearts.

On the battlefield, humans would show their true nature. Precisely because of that, I did not doubt the truthfulness of what I witness on battlefields.

"If I become friends with everyone, Yuu will be happy?"

"Yes, I'll be very happy."

"...Got it, since Yuu... the husband says so, Tia will try it. Because Tia... hopes to make Yuu happy."

Tia answered quietly.

I could not help but exchange gazes with Mitsuki.

"Finally a step forward."

Mitsuki remarked with relief.

"Yeah... By the way, Mitsuki, is there practical training tomorrow?"

"Yes, third and fourth periods are for practicing normal powers, while the afternoon is a special joint drill in preparation for the battle against Basilisk. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much, I think that practicals are different from lectures and there will be more chances to interact with everyone. Since there are that many practical lessons, it's perfect. Tia—tomorrow will be very fun for sure."

I said that and smiled to Tia.

"Fun..."

Tia's face showed inability to understand what I said. Head tilted, she yawned. She was probably sleepy again.

Then we switched off the light and went to bed again. However, it would be bad if Tia panicked again so I slept on the bed this time.

Squeezing onto the cramped bed with my back to them, I closed my eyes while feeling Mitsuki and Tia's breathing nearby.

===Part 5===

The next morning, the three of us went to school. Just as we opened the door to the classroom...

"G-Good morning..."

I gave Tia's back a push and she greeted quietly.

Inside the classroom, Firill and Ariella turned their gazes to Tia. The others had yet to arrive.

"......Good morning."

Firill closed the paperback in her hand and responded with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Good morning, what a wonderful morning it is. I'm so happy that you greeted us on your own."

Ariella responded with a cheerful smile.

Feeling those two's gazes, Tia hid behind my back, unsure what to do.

But this was quite good for a start. Mitsuki and I also greeted them good morning then walked to our seats.

As soon as I sat down, Tia immediately took her seat on my lap.

"Yuu... Did Tia do well?"

"Yeah, very well, amazing."

I praised Tia and stroked her head.

"Ehehe..."

Tia closed her eyes happily. Before she got along with everyone in harmony, this state seemed like it was going to persist.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and pondered excuses to convince Shinomiya-sensei. Just at that moment, I noticed that Firill, whose seat was in the front row, was searching through her desk drawer.

Looking at her, I wondered what was up. But Firill took out a book from her desk then walked over to us.

"Excuse me..."

Rather than me, Firill was looking at Tia while talking to her softly.

"W-What?"

Tia replied nervously. Firill presented the book in her hand. A pretty girl was illustrated with delicate strokes on the cover. It seemed to be shoujo manga from Japan. Although Firill gave the impression of reading difficult novels all the time, it looked like manga was also in her strike zone.

"Here... I'm lending this to you, because I think that during class time... You're probably very bored."

"Is this really okay?"

"Yes... This manga is very interesting... I hope you'll have a look, Tia-san."

Tia looked alternately between Firill's face and the manga, then accepted the book timidly.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 131.jpg|thumb]]

"...Later."

After handing the book to her, Firill simply returned to her seat while Tia looked down at the manga's cover with a perplexed look on her face.

Regarding Tia's special treatment, thanks to Mitsuki speaking on my behalf, Shinomiya-sensei agreed readily. Perhaps she already knew that a limit of one day was too difficult, but used this method on purpose to encourage me.

However, only Iris was unhappy, glaring at me from her seat as my neighbor.

"...Mononobe is my friend, right? We are the closest, right?"

Iris pouted and asked me.

"Well... That's true, I guess."

I scratched my cheek and concurred.

Excluding my younger sister Mitsuki as an exception, Iris was my closest friend indeed.

"In that case, I hope you'll let me sit on your lap too, Mononobe."

"Well—Absolutely not!"

The wonderful fantasy surfaced in my mind, making me hesitate for a brief moment, but I shook my head in refusal.

"Ehhh!? Why not?"

"Iris, you're not a child."

"...Mononobe is so stingy."

Iris sulked and turned towards the window. She was probably trying hard to express her anger but that pouting face looked very cute from the side. If a girl like that sat on my lap, I had no confidence I could stay sane. I really hoped that Iris could be more aware of how attractive she was.

I sighed and observed Tia.

Were it yesterday, Tia probably would have complained about the dialogue just now, but she was currently silently reading the manga Firill had lent her.

Based on what I sneaked a peek from behind, it seemed to be a lighthearted romance manga with comedic elements.

After class started, Tia continued to read the manga with full focus, occasionally shaking as though suppressing laughter. Apart from that, she behaved very well the whole time, but as soon as she finished the manga, she started becoming restless.

Then when first period finished, Tia pulled my hand and walked over to Firill's seat.

"Here, thank you."

Tia timidly extended the manga she had borrowed.

"...What are your thoughts?"

Accepting the manga, Firill asked. Tia answered with a blush:

"Great read! Tia is reading this kind of book for the first time!"

"...Really? That's wonderful."

Firill relaxed her expression slightly.

"But it ended in the middle, what a shame..."

"...It hasn't ended yet. Do you want to read the continuation?"

Hearing that, Tia's face became radiant.

"Really!? There's a continuation? Tia really wants to read it!"

Firill took out the second volume of the same series from her desk and handed it to Tia.

"...Here, this is Volume 2. Volume 3 and beyond are in my dorm room... I'll bring them tomorrow."

"Thank you! Uh... Firill?"

"...Sure, you're welcome."

Hearing Tia call her name for the first time, Firil smiled gently and nodded at her.

Listening to Tia and Firill conversing, the other classmates gathered around.

"Oh, you're reading that manga too? I asked Firill to lend it to me before, it's great. Especially later when the protagonist—Mmmph!"

"Mm!!"

Ariella was about to give a spoiler when Ren covered her mouth, stopping her.

"Seriously... Ariella-san, you really need to learn to show some tact."

Lisa remarked with exasperation.

Then gathered around Tia, the girls began to chat enthusiastically about things related to manga. Tia originally seemed afraid, but gradually joined in with excitement.

I was ignored on the side but did not feel offended at all. Just seeing Tia chatting happily with everyone made me satisfied.

—Simply by not rejecting others, she made such a huge change.

Tia was not taking active steps yet but unlike me, who had transferred in as a man, Lisa and the others wanted to accept Tia proactively.

At this rate, she was going to quickly become a part of the class.

—Or rather, judging from this situation, I could tell how wary they were of me in the beginning.

Although it could not be helped, but this difference in treatment demoralized me somewhat.

Thus, Tia spent the second period reading manga as well. Third period was a practical conducted at a training site, requiring us to change to gym clothes. It was the same vast underground space used for the Basilisk battle test.

Due to everyone having different areas of specialty, this was essentially a time for individual training, but Tia had to begin with the basics first.

"Tia-san's instruction must not be left to Mononobe Yuu who only transferred in recently. Hence, I shall teach her personally."

While everyone scattered in the training site to start training, only Lisa walked towards us, volunteering to be the teacher.

"T-Thank you... Lisa."

Perhaps thanks to the manga giving them a chance to chat for a bit earlier, Tia called her name directly and thanked her.

"Lisa, I'm counting on you."

Tia refused to leave me, so naturally, I had to join in the lesson with her.

"...Although I have no intention of looking after you as well, this cannot be helped. First of all, I shall teach you the key principles to making a fictional armament."

"Fictional armament?"

Tia widened her eyes, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"To perform transmutation more precisely and efficiently, we have to shape the dark matter into a weapon. This is my fictional armament—Gungnir."

Lisa extended her palm. Immediately, a golden spear manifested out of thin air. Instead of generating dark matter then altering its form, it seemed like she had generated dark matter directly in the spear's shape, technique that required substantial mastery.

"Dark matter is strongly affected by the human will. This spear can be considered my feelings during battle, the ultimate spear that can pierce and destroy all enemies—Hence, its attacks are the strongest, of course! Through this chain of imagination, you can increase the power of your attacks."

Holding the spear, Lisa entered a stance and said.

—Feelings during battle huh...

This explanation was very apt, perhaps I could use it for reference when making fictional armaments from now on.

"But this is merely the stage before battle. If you obsess over altering the dark matter's shape, transmutation would occur at that point in time. Hence, what you should imagine is the outline of the mind, rather than dark matter, to meticulously create your own form in battle."

"Own form in battle... But Tia has never used a spear or a sword and don't know what to use for a weapon."

Tia stared at her palms and murmured.

"This does not require martial arts experience. Just imagine yourself in a stronger form. First of all, please generate dark matter while imagining yourself wielding the strongest power. With that, the dark matter will naturally take form."

Tia nodded after hearing Lisa's suggestion.

"Okay.. Tia will try!"

Tia closed her eyes and began to focus. Numerous bubbles of dark matter manifested in her surroundings.

However, I should have noticed at this time. Just by thinking carefully about what kind of girl Tia was, I should have been able to predict what was going to happen next.

Tia's dark matter gathered together piece by piece, gradually forming a massive clump.

"That's the way, slowly, carefully, no need to rush."

Lisa watched Tia while speaking to her. But when the expanding clump of dark matter gathered around Tia's body, Lisa frowned in surprise.

—I thought things were finally on track. Optimistically, I thought that once Tia got along with everyone, soon enough, she would be fine even if separated from me, be it in the classroom or the dorm.

But the root issue had not been resolved.

There was a decisive gulf between Tia and us that needed to be bridged.

Tia believed she was a dragon, not a human.

With such a belief, what would result from her attempt to create a fictional armament—we totally failed to consider that.

The black bubbles of dark matter finally surrounded Tia's entire body.

"What... T-Tia-san?"

Seeing an even larger mass of dark matter, Lisa stepped back. I simply stared at the scene in shock, no knowing what was happening.

Raging winds were blowing with Tia in the center. Continuing to expand, the dark matter floated into the air.

Originally black spheres, the dark matter gradually distorted in outline and changed shape.

The spreading wings seemed to cover our heads, while there was a long tail extending out.

A tall body, almost reaching the ceiling of the training site, dozens of meters tall.

That kind of figure—A dragon's.

It did not seem to be a materialized dragon. Its outline was shifting unsteadily like a mirage.

However, minor transmutation had occurred on the surface. The dragon's entire body shone with red light.

Only then did I realize that this was Tia's fictional armament.

It was what Tia imagined as her fierce self, her strongest form.

"...Tia?"

I transmuted dark matter into wind and yelled at the red dragon floating in the air.

The dragon turned its gaze towards me.

Ruooooooooooooooooooooo!

The loud roaring reverberated throughout the training site. Then immediately, a thunderstorm swept through the entire surroundings.

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| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T04:32:35Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 1 */

==Chapter 2 - Innocent Pursuit==

===Part 1===

"—Due to the fact that Tia Lightning refuses adamantly to separate from Mononobe Yuu, she will be taken in by this Brynhildr Class. Please get along with her from now on."

After the full-school assembly ended, Shinomiya-sensei made this announcement in a business-like manner during homeroom.

Tia and I were standing at the lectern together because Tia refused to leave me no matter what. Right now, Tia was hugging my arm with her eyes partially closed and happiness written all over her face.

This girl wouldn't be—the D whom I saved in the past, would she?

From her reaction that seemed like she had seen me before, as well as my nagging feeling of familiarity, this possibility was quite likely. But I had no proof and could not ask in front of everyone either.

If my hunch was correct and the matter of letting a D go free came to light, this would endanger Mitsuki's position in addition to mine.

"H-Hold on! Tia-san should be of an age that belongs in elementary level education, right? I doubt she can keep up with our curriculum."

Lisa asked Shinomiya-sensei with a troubled look.

"That's true indeed... But her declaration, appearance and offensive attitude has made many students afraid. Even if she were to be forced together with other Ds in her age group, it's probably impossible for them to get along peacefully. In that case, leaving her to Mononobe Yuu, the only one whom she opens her heart to, is the better solution."

—Leaving her to me?

I had a bad feeling about the way she phrased that.

"So here is how it goes, Mononobe Yuu. You will be in charge of her education. Basic studies, common sense, rules for living in Midgard, you will teach all of that to her."

"What...? I-I'm gonna teach her? I only arrived in Midgard a month ago myself, you know?"

I argued anxiously but Shinomiya-sensei's tone of voice forbade me from refusing.

"Ask other people if you run into difficulties. You may regard this as a mission associated with the anti-Basilisk battle. If she causes serious trouble in Midgard, then the only option would be to hand her over to NIFL. What this means... You probably understand."

Ds must be appropriately managed under Midgard in order for their human rights to be recognized officially. Getting exiled from Midgard would be equivalent to being deemed a disaster, which meant that NIFL was going to dispose of her mercilessly in order to take care of the current incident.

Just like when Leviathan attacked, they intended to kill Iris whose dragon mark had changed color.

"...I got it. Although I'm not confident, I'll try my best."

For a newbie like me, the responsibilities of this mission were way too heavy.

But I could not leave the young Tia to her own devices. And for some reason, she harbored strong affection for me. My heart was not cold enough to be able to mercilessly ignore a girl like that.

"Hmm? Are you done talking?"

Tia looked up at me and asked. Despite it being a conversation about her, she paid almost no attention to it.

"Yeah, from now on, Tia, you're classmates with us."

"Really? Then we can be together all the time here! Where is Yuu's seat?"

"Huh? Middle seat on the last row—"

I pointed at the last row of the 3x3 arrangement of seats—The spot sandwiched between Mitsuki and Iris.

By the way, although I feigned ignorance the whole time, the two of them had been staring daggers at me since a while ago. Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be reprimanding me while Iris was pouting unhappily, glaring at me.

"Then Tia will sit there too!"

Saying that, Tia pulled my arm.

"You want to sit there...? If you want the back row no matter what, I'll swap places with you."

"No, Yuu just sit here. Come, sit down."

"...?"

At Tia's urging, I sat down in my own seat.

"Fufu, then Tia will sit down too."

Tia sat down on my lap with a plop.

"H-Hey?"

"So comfy."

Ignoring my distress, Tia leaned her back against me.

At this moment, Iris suddenly stood up from her seat. Probably reaching the end of her patience, she said to Tia:

"Hey Tia-chan! You'll get in Mononobe's way if you sit there. You should sit in an empty seat!"

"Muu... Who is this Onee-chan?"

"I am Iris Freyja, Mononobe's... friend!"

Iris introduced herself proudly but Tia retorted without getting intimidated.

"If you are his friend, Tia hopes you can read the mood better. Sticking your nose into a husband and wife's problem is meddling, right?"

"H-Husband and wife... Didn't you just meet Mononobe, Tia-chan!? It's me who's been close to Mononobe the whole time!"

"Wrong, Tia and Yuu were tied together by the red string of fate a long time ago. No one can break us up."

Saying that, Tia changed her posture. Wrapping her arms around my neck, she hugged me tightly.

"T-Tia, wait... This is very uncomfortable."

Previously, I always treated her as a child and acted generously, but with such intimate contact, I could not help but waver a bit. Feeling her delicate, petite, and lightweight figure and her soft skin, I was forced to become aware that, even at this kind of age, she was already a girl. The fragrance drifting from Tia's beautiful hair was tickling my nasal cavity.

"—Tia-san, sitting in your own seat to attend class is a rule of this school's. Please follow it."

Mitsuki's acute voice was heard at this time. Iris instantly brightened up at the arrival of reinforcements.

Tia pouted unhappily and turned her gaze to Mitsuki.

"Again, you... will say mean things to Tia?"

Tia seemed to be holding a grudge about what happened at the full-school assembly.

"I am not being mean. I am simply bringing up the rules. Please do not cause Nii-san trouble."

"Nii-san? You're not Yuu's family, are you?"

Tia blinked in surprise.

"Right, I am Mononobe Mitsuki, Nii-san's younger sister."

"Aha... Then Tia has to get along with you, because the husband's little sister is Tia's little sister."

Tia put away her defiance and smiled at Mitsuki.

"...I do not recall having an older sister younger than I am."

"Hmm, then you can be the older sister, or do you want to be the mother-in-law?"

"We are not playing house here, please do not randomly reassign roles, seriously... Sensei, could you tell her off?"

With an exasperated look, Mitsuki sighed and sought help from Shinomiya-sensei.

"Yes... You are right, rules must be followed, but I fear that trying to make her understand this principle right now would be very difficult. Hence, please tolerate her actions for now as long as lessons are not disrupted."

"No way..."

Mitsuki and Iris both made speechless expressions then Tia raised her arms to cheer in joy.

"Awesome! Then Tia will stay quiet. A good wife doesn't make trouble for the husband."

Tia resumed her earlier posture and sat properly on my lap. With that, as long as she did not move about, I was able to look in front and manage to follow the lesson

However, Shinomiya-sensei cast her sharp gaze at me and said:

"Mononobe Yuu, let me state for the record. Her special treatment is only limited to today. You have to settle this before tomorrow."

"Ehhh!?"

In other words, I had to make Tia obey school rules within today?

"Ehehe!"

Tia showed a joyful expression while her legs swayed nonstop.

I looked down at Tia, my self-proclaimed wife. This was a mission harder than imagined, totally putting me at a loss of what to do.

===Part 2===

After that, Tia still refused to leave for even an instant.

During homeroom, Lisa and the others introduced themselves but Tia was uninterested, simply looking up at my face.

"M-Mononobe Yuu... I shan't lose to you!"

This provoked a weird sense of competition in Lisa—

"...Lolicon?"

Firill was inspired with unsavory doubts about me.

"Only Mononobe-kun gets to talk to her, so unfair."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren were looking at me with displeasure in their eyes. Particularly Ren, whose age was closest to Tia, she had kept glancing secretly at Tia ever since class started, quite curious about her.

"Tia, why don't you talk to everyone a bit."

I encouraged her but Tia shook her head and refused.

"No need, if Tia had to talk, talking with Yuu is better."

It looked I was the only thing that mattered in her red eyes. Anyway, I had no idea how to persuade Tia unless I got to know her as a person. Hence, I decided to let Tia do as she pleased for the first day, the only time for special treatment.

"Hwah..."

Keeping her promise in class, Tia sat quietly on my lap. Although she yawned in apparently boredom many times, even sleeping very soundly during fourth period, she did not seem to be a child who could not be reasoned with.

During the lunch break, we went to the cafeteria together as a class, sitting around a table as before.

"Here, husband, say ah—"

But most troublingly, Tia continued to sit on my lap just as in the classroom. She was extending a spoonful of vegetable curry towards me. The gazes from not only my classmates but also girls in the surroundings were making me uncomfortable.

"...Yuu?"

Due to Tia's uneasy look, I had no choice but to eat the vegetable curry. Then I heard whispers all around. Bothered by the surrounding gazes, I almost could not taste the curry's spiciness.

"Fufu, we are like newlyweds."

Tia smiled happily and ate a mouthful of vegetable curry too.

Going with this situation, I was probably going to be labeled a lolicon tomorrow.

But to me, it simply felt like accompanying her to play house like a children.

Although she insisted she was the wife, I felt that it would be more accurate to call her a very spoiled younger sister.

"Tia, you've got stuff next to your mouth."

After thinking of it that way, I stopped feeling particularly bothered. In a natural manner, I used a tissue to wipe Tia's mouth.

"Aww... Thanks."

Tia thanked me somewhat shyly. From the eyes of an older brother, I found that behavior of hers to be very cute.

If the one sitting on my lap making me dote on her was Iris instead, I probably would not be able to remain calm like this.

Thinking that, I looked forward, only to see Iris glaring at me with a pout.

"Only Tia-chan can do that... Too unfair."

Clutching her fork, stabbed in the pasta with tomato sauce, Iris spoke in a low voice.

"U-Unfair? What's unfair?"

"I'm clearly your friend, Mononobe... Compared to Tia-chan, we should be closer... But I never got to do the say 'ah—' thing, so I have to do it too!"

Saying that, Iris wrapped pasta around her fork and extended it before me.

"A-Ah..."

With cheeks blushing, Iris spoke in a trembling voice.

I felt my heart starting to race.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 083.jpg|thumb]]

"H-Hey, Iris..."

"...Mononobe, hurry, this is very embarrassing."

Seeing her plead tearfully, I opened my mouth despite the hesitation in my heart, but—

With a metallic clang, Iris' fork was deflected by Tia's spoon.

"Yuu is Tia's husband. You're not allowed to do that."

"I can, because Mononobe is my friend!"

Iris' gaze turned sharp. As though about to have a fencing match, she entered a pose with her fork, still with pasta wrapped around it.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Sensing danger, I yelled at her but Iris made a thrust with her fork.

"Eat this!"

"You wish!"

Tia used her spoon to defend again, but Iris' first strike was a feint. Stopping her fork halfway, she evaded the timing of Tia's parry. Getting past the spoon, she shoved the pasta into my mouth.

"Mmggg!"

The flavor of tomato sauce instantly spread in my mouth. While the fork was drawn out, the pasta was left in my mouth.

"Success!"

Iris cheered and made a victory pose.

"Oh no, husband is having an affair!"

Tia screamed in shock. Her voice echoed throughout the entire cafeteria. All the students present were looking in our direction.

"...Knock it off, you two. Be quiet in public areas."

Mitsuki spoke in a voice filled with rage.

Iris instantly shuddered then scratched her head apologetically.

"Oh, s-sorry, Mitsuki-chan... I was too impulsive."

"Tia was clearly not at fault..."

Despite muttering in her mouth, Tia settled down. Because Mitsuki was my sister, Tia cared about how she was viewed.

"Phew... Mitsuki, thanks—"

I was just about to thank her when I saw Mitsuki's extremely displeased look, forcing me to grind to a halt mid-sentence.

"—Nii-san is an idiot."

After saying that quietly, Mitsuki turned her head away.

Lisa and the others all showed exasperation on the their faces. In the end, the meal ended under an indescribable atmosphere.

And after that, there were problems aplenty.

Using the remainder of the lunch break, we took Tia around to get to know the campus. At the clock tower, I was just about to go to the washroom when Tia wanted to go with me, thus causing a dispute for a while.

Persuaded by Mitsuki, Tia finally agreed to let go of my hand, but she kept holler "Yuu, are you there?" from outside, giving me no peace while I did my business.

—As a side note, inside Midgard, there were only two washrooms I could use. As Midgard's core area, the clock tower would have occasional visitors from outside, hence male washrooms were available for visitors to use. The other one was the toilet in my own room at the dorm.

Later on during afternoon class time, Tia wanted to go to the washroom this time, intending to drag me to the female washroom.

I patiently convinced her, finally reaching a compromise where I waited outside while repeatedly responding to her calls.

In this manner, today's classes ended while feeling several times longer than usual.

But my mission was just beginning here.

"—Mononobe Yuu, I will let Tia Lightning live in Mononobe Mitsuki's dorm like you. Take good care of her."

During homeroom before dismissal, that was what Shinomiya-sensei said. I was in charge of educating Tia. After school, I had to oversee her studies and Tia refused to leave me, so this could be considered an appropriate arrangement.

Although Mitsuki's expression seemed quite unconvinced, she still agreed reluctantly.

"Nii-san, I still have student council work to do, so please return first. Although you will be alone with Tia-san temporarily... Under no circumstances should you do anything violating public morals."

"...I know. Could you believe in your brother a bit?"

I nodded with a wry smile and exited the classroom with Tia.

Using her tiny right hand, Tia held my left hand tightly.

Accommodating Tia's pace, I slowly made my way to the building entrance, but just as we reached the first floor's entrance, I noticed a student standing still in front of the school map.

It was a very obedient-looking girl, wearing glasses, with long black hair in a braid.

—Eh? I remember that girl... the one who transferred together with Tia—

"Yuu?"

Seeing me stop walking, Tia looked at me in surprise.

"Sorry, Tia, come with me for a bit."

Holding Tia's hand, I approached the girl.

If she was facing any trouble, I should help her, right? This was the spirit behind Midgard's founding. This was what I learned from Lisa and the others during the battle against Leviathan.

"—What's wrong?"

I asked her from behind.

"...Eh? Oh—"

She looked back, widening her eyes greatly after seeing me. Perhaps she was startled because I was a man.

To avoid making her unwary unnecessarily, I smiled and talked to her.

"I remember you just transferred in today, right? Tachikawa... What was it again?"

To be honest, because Tia caused me such a great shock, I had little recollection of her, even her name was fuzzy.

"Uh—Right, I am Tachikawa Honoka, you are... Mononobe Yuu, right?"

She nodded and asked in a confirming tone of voice.

"You know about me?"

"Because you are the only male in the academy, I soon heard rumors about you. And I saw you this morning at the full-school assembly."

Speaking of which, this morning I had rushed up to the podium to stop Tia who was acting emotionally unstable. Since I had done something so conspicuous, no matter where I went, there were always people talking about the topic of me and Tia. With that, whether she wanted to or not, she would surely hear my name.

"...Then we can skip the introductions. Tia, you know her already, right?"

I motioned with my eyes, to introduce her to Tia, but for some reason, Tia hugged my waist tightly and glared at her silently.

"Right, although I saw her for the first time at the full-school assembly, I still have not greeted her... But I did hear the student council president's introduction."

Saying that, she lowered her head and bowed to us.

"Yuu-san, Tia-san, pleased to meet you."

"Yeah, likewise here."

I smiled in response but Tia scowled and refused to answer.

"Sorry, how should I say this...? Apart from me, Tia pretty much treats everyone like this."

I frantically explained for Tia, but she smiled gently and said:

"No problem, I don't mind."

"Thanks, that would be a great help—Tachikawa."

"Just call me Honoka. I'll address you by name too."

She replied in a relaxed tone of voice.

"O-Okay... Got it, Honoka."

Slightly nervously, I changed my way of addressing her. Although she seemed introverted in appearance, her personality might turn out to be more approachable than expected.

"So, what are you doing here, Honoka? If there's anywhere you want to go, I can lead the way."

I looked at the map that Honoka had been staring at.

"No, it's okay. I was just trying to memorize all the locations because I'll be living here from now on."

"I see, so you're not lost. That's great. Sorry for disturbing you."

I should have minded my own business. I scratched my head.

"Nothing of that sort, I'm happy that you talked to me. Even just knowing that you are such a friendly person counts as a kind of encourage to me here on."

Although Honoka thanked me, what she said made me a bit concerned. Thinking more carefully, taking her around to familiarize with the campus should be what her classmates would do first. Perhaps there was not anyone friendly in the class she was assigned to.

"...If you have any difficulties, you can find my any time. I'll tell you my email address."

"Oh... Thank you."

Honoka smiled radiantly. After exchanging addresses, we bid her goodbye and walked out of the building.

During that time, Tia's expression remained quite unhappy. She gripped my hand tightly.

"You're both transfer students, so why don't you try to get along with her? I think you'll surely become friends."

I said that to her while walking towards the school gates, but Tia shook her head.

"No, Tia doesn't want to be near her."

"Doesn't want to be near..."

Compared to Lisa or the others, Tia was expressing a clearer attitude of rejection, baffling me.

"And Tia is angry with Yuu too. A married person should not hit on girls."

"H-Hit on? No, that wasn't what was happening just now."

Suddenly exchanging email addresses might seem like hitting on a girl, but the only reason why I told Honoka my address was purely because I worried about her.

"...Honestly not hitting on her?"

"Honestly."

"Okay... Then Tia won't be angry."

Tia's displeased look changed to reveal all smiles.

Seeing her mood improve, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although we were not a real couple and I was not obliged to explain to her, it made me feel uncomfortable to be saddled with a trumped up charge for no reason.

Then we passed through the school gates and headed to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

Although we attracted the gaze of female students along the way, after entering the road leading to the dorm, no one was in sight anymore.

We held hands and walked on the road along the beach. That alone was enough to make Tia smile contentedly. Bathed under the setting sun's rays, both her hair and her horns shone with red light.

—Tia Lightning huh...

Having accompanied her the whole day, I came to understand one thing clearly. She extremely hated separating from me.

Almost like a lost child.

She looked like a child who was finally reunited with parents, refusing to separate again no matter what. Most likely, Tia's affection towards me was neither infatuation nor love, but an expression of emotions from the fear of separation.

Although that was possible, the correct answer could only be known by asking directly.

There were many things I wanted to ask but among them, what I needed to confirm most—the question I had held back all this time to avoid giving Mitsuki trouble—I finally inquired of Tia at this time.

"Say, Tia, have we met somewhere before?"

"Eh—Yuu doesn't remember?"

Tia asked as though she was struck by a blow. It looked like we really did meet before.

"Don't tell me... you're the D whom I saved on in a warzone before?"

I voiced my guess.

Before coming to Midgard, I had only met two Ds. One was Mitsuki, the other was the young girl I saved in a warzone without knowing her name. Hence, it was very likely that the girl was Tia.

However, since she was a D, she could also be someone I got involved with unknowingly, hence I was not confident.

"Oh, phew, good... Yuu didn't forget."

Tia seemed relieved. I had guessed correctly, apparently.

—Lucky I did not confirm in front of others.

Letting a discovered D go free was a complete breach of military discipline.

Apart from that, because Basilisk's target was Tia, it had caused NIFL to expend a lot of effort.

I had no intention of fleeing from those responsibilities but I did not want to cause a situation that would cause Mitsuki problems.

"So you really are the girl from that time... You seemed to have changed."

The girl in my hazy memories was even younger and did not have horns like these.

"Really? Did Tia become more cute?"

She looked at me with excited eyes. I nodded in embarrassment.

"Yeah..."

Becuase the shock was too great, it was easy for the horns to steal the spotlight, but objectively speaking, Tia was a cute girl. In two or three years, she would surely become even more beautiful.

"Tia is—a cute girl, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I think."

I answered her question that seemed to be seeking confirmation, but for some reason, Tia made a sad face.

"Thanks... I knew that if it's Yuu, you'd say that again. Tia is so happy, but... It's wrong."

"It's wrong?"

I did not understand what was going on, so I asked her. But looking at me, Tia's eyes were emotionless, as though her earlier childishness was a lie.

"Tia is a dragon, not a girl."

I instantly felt a chill along my back. In the depths of those red eyes, I saw a dark color akin to that of dried blood.

"..."

I reflexively tried to tell her no but held my tongue before it came out. Even if I unilaterally refuted Tia's assertion, it would only end up the same as what happened at the assembly.

This was most likely Tia's berserk button. If I had to touch it, I would best wait for the next opportunity.

First, I should carefully find out—Why did she believe so strongly that she was a dragon?

"...So to you, am I a dragon too?"

"Yes, all Ds are dragons."

Spreading her arms, Tia said that.

"Why... do you think that?"

"Because we have the same power as dragons, we are the children of dragons, isn't this logical?"

We definitely possessed the same power as the black dragon—"Black Vritra"—the ability to generate dark matter. Because Ds were the same as dragons, they must be rejected—There were many radical organizations pushing such beliefs. Was Tia influenced by that kind of thinking?

"No, but you have human parents, right?"

I had seen her parents when saving her in a warzone. I thought that afterwards, they should be living together as a family of three.

"......Tia has no human papa or mama."

But Tia refuted me with an emotionless expression and voice.

"No? But back then—"

I frowned and asked but I felt mild trembling on my hand, forcing me to stop mid-sentence.

I had apparently broached a very sensitive issue again.

"Yuu, don't talk about that—Tia wants to touch the seawater."

Just as I was hesitating how to continue the conversation, Tia smiled innocently and changed the subject.

Tia pointed at the vast beach beyond the breakwater, pulling me, wanting to go there.

"...Okay, let's go down the stairs over there."

I gave up on the spot asking about her father and mother and took Tia down to the white beach.

I'll have to find a chance to ask again later.

"Wow..."

As soon as she reached the water's edge, Tia instantly squatted down and dipped her left hand into the waves rushing onto the shore. I also squatted beside her and watched her scoop up seawater with her tiny hand.

"You've never been to a beach, Tia?"

"No, Tia originally lived in a place without a sea. And after coming to this island, Tia could only look from a distance."

Saying that, Tia licked her fingertip, moistened by seawater.

"Ah... It's really so salty!"

Tia seemed quite moved and yelled excitedly. How should I say it? looking at her like that, I could not help but smile.

—I can't force this child to make that kind of expression.

When insisting she was a dragon, insisting she had no parents, Tia's face lost all emotion.

Tia's issues seemed to much bigger than imagined but I decided in my heart to help her resolve them bit by bit.

This started as a mission forced upon me by someone else, but after knowing she was the D that I had met in a warzone, I could not stay uninvolved anymore because I had to take serious responsibility for her.

If I had sent Tia to Midgard when we first met, at least she would not have ended up with this dragon girl appearance.

With my unoccupied right hand, I tried to touch Tia's horn.

"Kyah... It tickles."

Tia made a startled sound and huddled herself.

"Your horn has feeling too...?"

It really was like a part of the body. I could not help but gasp.

"Yes, it's very sensitive too, so Tia doesn't like others touching it... But it's okay if it's the husband."

Tia put her hand on my hand that was touching her horn, smiling shyly.

That sincere affection made my cheeks heat up involuntarily.

But just at that moment—I felt all my hairs stand on end.

"!"

Feeling a sharp gaze of murderous intent, I forcefully spun around.

Switching my consciousness to combat mode, I picked up Tia in one arm and extended my right arm forward to create the dark matter required for a shield.

However... I could not see any enemy in the direction I felt the gaze. There was only the breakwater and coconut trees swaying in the wind.

I sharpened my senses even more and searched for human presences, but there seemed to be no one nearby.

Hence, I lowered my vigilance and put my hand down.

—Was it my imagination?

Midgardsormr was already restored. It was impossible for NIFL to infiltrate again like last time.

Inside Midgard here, there should not be anyone who intended to resolve the situation by killing Tia.

Judging from this situation, anyone would say it was my imagination no matter who I asked.

But I had survived battlefields all this time through my senses. My instincts told me that it was too early to dismiss that murderous intent as imagination.

—Things had become not very peaceful.

In another sense, I must not leave Tia now.

"Yuu..."

Just as I scanned the surroundings with my gaze, lost in thought, Tia called my face with her face gone red. Speaking of which, in order to protect from enemy attacks, I was hugging her forcefully. Hence, I hastily relaxed my force.

"Sorry Tia, does it feel very uncomfortable?"

"N-No, Tia is fine, but sorry, Tia doesn't know what to do next."

Tia apologized.

"What do you mean by... what to do next?"

"Eh...? Next up is that thing husbands and wives do together, right? Although it's so sudden, Tia was frightened, Tia is prepared now."

"What—"

Realizing Tia had a huge misunderstanding, I could not find words to speak for a while.

"But Tia... knows nothing about that kind of thing. Tia is a failure of a wife. So... Husband needs to teach Tia. No matter what needs to be done, Tia will work as hard as possible."

Tia looked at me with moistened eyes, gripping my uniform tightly.

"Hey, no, it's wrong! I didn't mean that just now... B-Because there was a big wave, I was worried you'd get swept away, that's why—"

I would scare Tia if I brought up the murderous intent honestly, so I stammered a random excuse.

"...Really? Then Yuu was protecting Tia! Thank you, Yuu!"

The straightforward Tia believed me and thanked me with a pure smile. Although I found my reason quite contrived, she showed no signs of doubting.

Did Tia trust me so much because I saved her in a warzone? Or simply because I was a male D?

Still with no idea where Tia's affection for me came from, I could only turn my gaze away with an unsettled feeling, looking at the horizon where the sun was setting—

===Part 3===

As soon as we returned to the dorm, I decided to begin tutoring Tia.

I had already gotten materials appropriate for Tia's level from Shinomiya-sensei, so I took Tia to my room and placed the textbooks and notebooks on the desk.

Elementary school curriculum apparently aimed to teach students how to write by hand, so materials were paper-based. For me who usually relied on a portable terminal during lessons, the touch of paper and pencil felt very nostalgic.

"...You really have to sit here after all."

Seeing Tia sit on my lap matter-of-factly, I could not help but sigh.

"Yes, because Tia is the wife."

Tia turned herself and looked up at me, smiling with a nod.

"...Normally speaking, even married couples don't stick together like this twenty-four hours a day."

"Other people are other people, we are us. Also, we are newlyweds."

"No, now that you mentioned it, I don't recall us getting married."

I pointed out the most fundamental point.

"Ehhhh?"

Tia showed surprise.

Did I bring it up too rashly? I could not help but feel frantic, but she immediately smiled.

"Now that you mention it, we... still haven't held the wedding! Yuu, when will it be held?"

"W-When... First of all, Tia, we can't marry at our age, right?"

"Human rules have nothing to do with us, because we are dragons."

Refuted by these unexpected words, I was speechless for a while.

No good, human logic did not work on Tia.

I had to get her to attend class normally by tomorrow. What should I do?

"......Tia, about this issue, let's discuss it later. Now's the time to be studying. Come, open the textbook."

After thinking for a while, in the end, I could only postpone the issue to resolve later.

"Eh... Then it's a promise? We will decide on the wedding date properly, okay?"

"If possible, I'd like to start the discussion from an earlier stage than that..."

Let alone changing her mind, I felt that I was the one being gradually forced into a corner.

While thinking of ways to reverse the current situation, I started teaching Tia.

As soon as she focused on studying, Tia became an excellent student. Reading passages from the text, she would ask whenever she did not understand any part, instantly absorbing the knowledge.

On the topic of languages, she was capable of using three languages, including Japanese, on the level of everyday conversation.

—It looked like she had a good teacher in the past.

Considering Tia's appearance, it was quite unlikely she was attending a normal school, but Tia was no less educated than peers from the same age group.

I originally thought that since her way of speaking Japanese was very child-like, her mental age was probably very childish too, but perhaps it was the opposite.

The tutoring went very smoothly. By dinner time, we had already finished what was planned for today.

At 7pm, Mitsuki had returned home and came to call us. We had dinner together in the dining hall.

"...Tia-san's education seems to be going poorly."

Seeing Tia treat my lap as her designated seat, Mitsuki remarked with disappointment.

"No, academics-wise, it's going very smoothly... It's just that teaching her to follow rules is very hard."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki sighed.

"I understand. Then I shall take over education regarding rules, because I am the student council president, I cannot allow Tia-san to do as she pleases."

Thus, after dinner, Mitsuki started to educate Tia in my room.

However—

"...That is why, Tia-san, by living a rule-abiding life at Midgard, only through that will the world recognize our existence—"

"That is something humans decided on their own. Tia is a dragon, it has nothing to do with Tia."

"......"

Confronted with Tia's dragon logic for who knew how many times, Mitsuki slumped her shoulders in dejection.

"I now understand your hardship very well, Nii-san."

Mitsuki showed an exhausted expression to me, who had become Tia's chair.

"I know right? No matter how we try to make her accept rules, it just doesn't work."

I remarked with a wry smile, feeling as though I had finally gained a comrade.

"She is truly a formidable opponent... Time sure flies. It is already past 9pm. Time to take a bath and clear our minds slightly."

Saying that, Mitsuki got up from her seat, but froze after hearing Tia's next comment.

"Then Tia will have a bath with Yuu!"

"This came after all..."

Pressing her hand to her forehead, Mitsuki murmured quietly.

"Tia, I'm begging, could you take a bath alone? Like going to the washroom, I'll wait outside."

I tried to ask her as gently as possible but Tia shook her head forcefully.

"No! Tia wants to have a bath with Yuu! The husband has to be with the wife at all times!"

"...Why do you hate separating from me so much, Tia? I'm not going away, you know?"

I steeled myself and tried asking, prompting Tia to show a gloomy expression.

"No... If Tia is not at your side, you'll disappear for sure."

"Disappear?"

"..."

I did not quite understand what she meant, so I repeated the same word as a question, but Tia kept her lips shut tight and refused to answer.

Silently, she gripped my clothing, refusing to budge even if the sky were to come crashing down.

"Understood, then it cannot be helped..."

Hearing Mitsuki say that, I jumped in surprise.

"Eh? No way? You allow it?"

I really could not believe that Mitsuki, the student council president, would permit a mixed gender bath. When the fact that Iris helped scrubbed my back came to light, I was punished to write a huge number of repentance essays.

"Yes, but on one condition. I basically predicted this, hence I came prepared. Please wait a moment, Nii-san."

Saying that, Mitsuki left the room and soon returned with certain articles in her arms.

"What's that...?"

I pointed at what Mitsuki had brought and asked.

"Swimsuits and pajamas."

Mitsuki answered with a serious face. Figuring out what she meant, I frowned.

"......Swimsuits make it okay?"

This was quite a huge compromise on Mitsuki's part, I thought, so I confirmed with her.

"The swimsuits are school prescribed, so just think of it as entering a hot spring and there should not be a problem with public morals. H-However, because I am responsible for supervising, I must be present too."

Blushing, Mitsuki said something even more unexpected.

"What... You're taking a bath with us too, Mitsuki?"

"—Is there any problem? Do you prefer to be alone with Tia-san, enjoying a lovey-dovey bathtime together?"

"H-How could I possibly think that!?"

I frantically denied. However—I somehow could not stay calm as soon as the thought of taking a bath with Mitsuki crossed my mind. Mitsuki was my sister, so there should be no reason to be so concerned.

"In that case, there is no problem, right? I will enter the bath with Nii-san too."

...With Nii-san?

The central topic should be Tia, so her way of putting it made me feel a sense of dissonance. But due to Mitsuki's intimidating gaze, I nodded in agreement without pointing it out.

"G-Got it..."

"Very well, bath time it is."

Mitsuki declared with elation. Somehow, she sounded inexplicably happy.

Perhaps she was remembering things from childhood.

—Eh? However... Did I ever take baths with Mitsuki before?

If we were siblings, bathing together as children should be quite normal.

But no matter how hard I thought, I still could not find memories of that sort—

"Sure enough, three people in a bath is very crowded..."

Having changed into a school swimsuit, Mitsuki surveyed the bathroom and remarked. The form-fitting navy-blue swimsuit served as a perfect foil to emphasize Mitsuki's snow-white complexion and slender figure.

"This is a swimsuit...? So tight, it feels weird."

Tia seemed like she had never worn one before. With curiosity, she pulled at her shoulder strap.

What drew my gaze was the red dragon mark on Tia's thigh.

—Once targeted by Basilisk, the dragon mark would turn red.

It was white in Iris' case, which seemed to imply that the D's symptoms would vary depending on the dragon.

"...Nii-san, your gaze is very suspicious."

Just as I was staring at Tia's dragon mark, Mitsuki pulled me by the ear.

Naturally, I was wearing swimming trunks. It felt quite out of place to be wearing swimsuits in a bathroom, but perhaps due to the presence of two girls, there seemed to be a sweet fragrance drifting in the air.

This was a single room's bathroom, hence it was never designed to accommodate multiple people bathing in the first place. With three people inside, there was no space left for rinsing oneself. Mitsuki seemed to realize the same thing while staring at the cramped bathroom with a troubled look.

"Three people rinsing together seems too hard. Nii-san, please enter the tub first. We will switch later."

"Understood."

I poured hot water over myself to briefly wash away the sweat before stepping into the tub. Then I soaked myself up to the shoulders. As a result, the water level rose to almost overflowing.

"Ah, Tia wants a soak too!"

I finally had some space to myself but Tia jumped into the tub. With a massive splash, hot water spilled all over the floor.

"Hey, Tia-san, what are you doing!? You have to rinse your body together with me first!"

Hearing Mitsuki scold her, Tia pouted.

"No, Tia has to be with Yuu."

Saying that, Tia leaned herself against me in the tub.

"T-Tia, don't lean in so close."

The sensation of soft skin, transmitted through the swimsuit, was making me waver.

And left behind, Mitsuki stood there stunned for a moment before speaking in a determined voice:

"In that case... I shall join in too."

"Eh? H-Hey?"

Mitsuki forced herself into the tub. Naturally, since this was not meant to be a bathtub for three, it became extremely crowded. Everyone was pressed together while the tub's hot water flowed out.

Feeling something soft against my shoulder, I hastily changed my posture, but this time, my knee went between Mitsuki's thighs.

"Ah... N-Nii-san... Not there, please."

"S-Sorry."

Every move of the body caused friction between skin and swimsuits.

"Mm..."

Mitsuki exhaled hot breath.

"Ehehe, husband!"

Tia happily leaned herself against me.

Unable to move, I could only surrender to the two of them.

"Three people is too much of a stretch. Could one of you please go out?"

"No, Tia will not leave Yuu."

Tia wrapped her slender arms around me.

"...If Tia-san will not go out, I shall not leave either, because I am in charge of supervising... By the way, you two are leaning too close together."

Mitsuki kept pushing her body over, trying to get between me and Tia.

Her swimsuit slid down slightly, exposing the valley between her petite yet beautifully shaped breasts.

"Jeez, don't get in the way."

Tia resisted intensely, hugging me even tighter. This scene in the narrow bathtub was almost like a game of sardines-in-the-box.

"I-If you two aren't going out, I'm leaving."

To me, they were Tia, who was just a child, and Mitsuki, my younger sister.

I originally thought that I would not feel especially conscious like with Iris... But I found it unbearable. Despite soaking in the hot water only for so short a time, my face was already too hot to bear.

"No! The husband cannot run away and leave the wife behind!"

But Tia pounced on me, refusing to let me escape.

"Tia-san will follow you if you leave, Nii-san, so the situation will remain the same. If you are leaving the tub, Nii-san, please wait until you warm up more. If either of you were to catch a cold, I would be to blame for failure in management."

Saying that, Mitsuki grabbed my arm to keep me here.

My body was already burning but Mitsuki's words and gaze had a kind power impossible to resist. Reluctantly, I sat down in the bathtub.

Then after roughly ten minutes—until the happy and excited Tia went dizzy from the heat—I kept enduring, left with no choice but to keep my mind blank to prevent unwanted thoughts.

"She is sleeping so soundly."

Looking at Tia lying on my bed in pajamas, sound asleep, Mitsuki smiled.

"...Now I'm finally liberated."

I exhaled deeply, collapsing completely in the chair in front of the desk.

"You worked hard, Nii-san."

Mitsuki praised me with a wry smile then sat down on the bed's edge.

After the bath, we changed into our respective pajamas and drank cold drinks to soothe our throats... By the time we realized, Tia had already started nodding off drowsily .

Anyway, we laid her out on my bed and she fell asleep in the blink of an eye.

"But the mission failed. In the end, I still haven't convinced her."

Most likely in class tomorrow, Tia was still planning to sit on my lap.

"Likewise, I have failed to teach Tia-san to abide by rules. I shall explain to Shinomiya-sensei tomorrow to ask for an extension."

"Thank you, Mitsuki, then I'm saved. However... Unless we find a way to resolve the problem of Tia believing herself to be a dragon, it's probably a waste of effort no matter how much time we spend trying to convince her."

Rules decided by humans were irrelevant to dragons—These words rendered all arguments moot.

"...To be honest, I did not expect her to be such a stubborn child at all. I was told that she did not resist at all, no matter when NIFL took her into custody or when she was transported to Midgard to be examined. Always expressionless, she listened obediently to others."

"That's such a far cry from right now."

Tia's face was always busy making all kinds of expressions. While spinning in circles because of her, I could hardly imagine such a description applying to her.

"Yes, like a completely different person compared to what we saw of her during the full-school assembly. In the beginning, I thought she was reticent and obedient child..."

"In other words, your 'Ds are human' assertion was something Tia found intolerable, to the point of causing a drastic change in personality. Mitsuki, do you know what kind of environment Tia lived in previously?"

Mitsuki glanced at Tia after hearing my question.

"—Before lessons ended, I asked Shinomiya-sensei to tell me in as much detail as possible. Tia-san seems to be sleeping soundly, so it should be fine to discuss the matter now. Because there are things I would be reluctant for her to hear."

Hearing her say that, I frowned.

"Did Tia have some kind of traumatic experience?"

Tia's belief had similarities with D-rejecting organizations. I was worried whether she might have been captured by that type of organization at one point.

However, Mitsuki shook her head slowly.

"—No, it happens to be the opposite. Tia-san used to be worshiped."

"Worshiped?"

"Reportedly, when NIFL's team discovered Tia-san, it was in a military vehicle belonging to the dragon worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell."

Hearing that name, I could not help but gasp.

"The Sons of Muspell... Isn't that the world's most vicious terrorist organization?"

So-called dragon cultists were polar opposites in ideology compared to D-rejecting organizations. They revered and worshiped dragons, the monsters transcending human wisdom, as gods. In a certain sense, it was only inevitable for new religions like this to arise in a world threatened by dragons.

So-called worship was a method to escape from absolute fear. Believing themselves to be apostles of dragons, it provided them with mental stability.

Out of the dragon cults of this sort, the Sons of Muspell was the largest sect and was the most radical in their thinking. They launched terrorist attacks against countries and organizations that attempted to defeat dragons, obstructing them persistently. Naturally, Asgard and NIFL were also targets for them.

"Did you ever come across the Sons of Muspell, Nii-san?"

Perhaps sensing something from my bitter tone, Mitsuki asked me hesitantly.

"...Yeah, because they would sneak into countries where dragon disasters had occurred, trying to gain followers, so it was inevitable that they came into conflict with NIFL. I have received orders in the past to immediately eliminate the D who is their leader as soon as she is discovered."

"Eh...? Their leader is a D."

Seeing Mitsuki's eyes widened from surprise, I explained to her.

"This was not disclosed publicly, but the leader of the Sons of Muspell is a D who had been deemed a disaster. Her name is Kili Surtr Muspelheim. She has killed far more humans than the dragons and is feared as a ''witch'' in NIFL. However, I've never met her."

If I met her, it would definitely turn into a killed or be killed situation. The reason why I could keep my hands clean was also because I had never encountered her.

"No way... To think a D was leading a terrorist organization."

Mitsuki's voice trembled, greatly shaken.

"The Ds' position in society would probably be endangered if this comes to light. That's why Midgard and other benefactor countries have engaged in information control. It's normal that you haven't heard of it."

"...But why would a D want to worship dragons? They are clearly our enemies."

Mitsuki asked in puzzlement.

"The dragonification of Ds is top secret, right? So they simply don't know about this... Or even after knowing it, they still want to become dragons."

"The former I could understand... But it is the latter, I find it incomprehensible."

"Well, who can understand how terrorists think? However... Judging from Tia's behavior, it's very likely that their organization knows about dragonification."

Tia said she was born to be a dragon's wife.

Those words probably did not mean marrying a male D like me, but referred to being a real dragon's mate like for Basilisk for example.

To increase the number of dragons, dragon cultists had indoctrinated Tia like that. Things made sense if that was the case.

"So the reason why Tia-san insists she is a dragon is because of that...?"

"Hard to say...? How should I put this? Because I don't think Tia is the kind of person who believes everything others say without question."

When tutoring her today, I came to understand that Tia was a smart child who always took initiative to ask questions about what she did not understand, trying to comprehend them. Always seeking knowledge with basis, would she unquestioningly accept those absurd teachings of dragon cultists?

"Indeed... The impression I gather from Tia-san is that she was forced to convince herself to believe rather than sincerely believing she is a dragon."

—Convince herself to believe... huh?

Indeed, throwing a tantrum in response to allegations was evidence of uncertainty in one's heart.

Humans sometimes worshiped things as gods, even when they were monsters like dragons, trying to believe the impossible. If Tia was believing herself to be a dragon in order to maintain mental stability... Then by doing this, what was she running away from?

"Mitsuki, were her parents by her side when they found Tia?"

I asked because I recalled what happened at the beach. Tia seemed to react quite strongly to the subject of her parents. Perhaps that might have something to do with Tia's condition.

"I have no idea. At least according to what I heard, there was no information regarding Tia-san's parents."

"I see... Then I guess I'll have to ask her directly."

I looked at Tia's sleeping face and said.

"She is already asleep now, so ask her tomorrow. Well then, it is time for us to sleep too."

Saying that, Mitsuki lay down next to Tia.

"Huh...? You're sleeping here too, Mitsuki?"

Seeing Mitsuki lying down in an unguarded state, I asked her in surprise.

"It is probably a bad idea to separating Tia-san from you while she is asleep. But that being said, I cannot allow the two of you to be alone."

"No, but this bed is too small for three people to sleep in."

"...What are you talking about? Nii-san, you are sleeping on the floor. Please head over to the unused room next door to move the bedding over. Nii-san, you really have been lacking in delicacy lately."

Rebutted with her cold gaze, I felt my cheeks grow hot.

Because the three of us had bathed together, I mistakenly thought that the bed needed to be shared between the three of us too.

"I-I know, I was just kidding."

I frantically explained myself then headed out to move the futon over.

"...Nii-san in the past would have suggested this kind of thing himself—"

Just as I was about to leave the room, I heard Mitsuki's murmurs to herself, lingering in my ear the whole time.

Had I really changed?

However, I had no way of telling whether the "past" Mitsuki mentioned was referring to three years ago or three weeks ago, before the battle against Leviathan?

===Part 4===

"...Nii-san, are you asleep?"

Inside the dark room, I heard Mitsuki's quiet whispering.

I had the futon laid out on the floor and had closed my eyes originally. I immediately fought off my drowsiness and opened my eyelids.

"...Not yet."

I answered briefly. I could not see Mitsuki on the bed from my position. Faint breathing noises from sleeping could be heard, probably Tia's.

"The last time we slept in the same room like this, who knows how many years ago it was...?"

Mitsuki voice entered my ear, reminiscing about the past.

"I don't know either... Probably when we were small."

Unable to recall something so far back, I could only answer ambiguously.

"Yes... Because our rooms were separate. Perhaps... even earlier than that promise."

—Promise?

Not knowing what she was referring to, I frowned.

Mitsuki had brought up "that promise" so matter-of-factly just now. By the tone of her voice, she believed ''I would understand just from her saying that''.

However... Why did I feel so troubled?

Just as I was struggling to find an answer, Mitsuki continued:

"Nii-san... Tia-san calling you husband makes you happy, right?"

"What...? How could that be true!?"

I denied frantically. I could not accept that even my younger sister suspected me of being a lolicon.

"Really...? The way I see it, Nii-san, you do not seem too opposed to it, right?"

"Come on, you..."

"Fufu, just kidding. Nii-san... the one you like is Iris-san, am I correct?"

Hearing what Mitsuki said, I felt my heart jump intensely.

"W-Why are you bringing up Iris now?

"No? Nii-san, you seem very conscious of Iris-san..."

Realizing she had seen through me long ago, I felt my blood rush to my face.

"No umm... Because a lot of things happened... I became a bit conscious of her... But it's not like what you think, Mitsuki."

Although for Iris, it was a show of gratitude, of course losing my first kiss to her made me conscious of her. But apart from that, I was not quite sure—At least, not quite sure yet.

"...I understand, let us assume that is the case for now. However... Please do not forget that inappropriate interactions between genders are strictly forbidden, okay?"

"Got it..."

I was quite relieved that she did not pursue the matter deeply. But after that, Mitsuki added something surprising.

"Still... If there is nothing inappropriate, it is fine."

"...Huh?"

I asked in surprise.

"Midgard does not forbid dating, so there is no need to hide your feelings, Nii-san, and no need to... feel bound by that promise."

Her voice sounded full of sorrow.

"......"

I could only stay silent, unable to say a word. I did not understand what Mitsuki was talking about.

No matter how I thought about it, I still could not understand what "that promise" referred to, so I was unable to answer.

So I did lose something?

I could not look away anymore. Clenching my fist, I accepted reality.

Three years ago, the price I paid for obtaining power was losing many memories... Even so, things about Mitsuki were the only memories I did not forget.

Three weeks ago, when connecting to Yggdrasil again during the battle against Leviathan, I also believed that I would not forget my memories with Mitsuki.

Although my childhood memories were fuzzy, I optimistically assumed this went for everyone.

But I had probably lost very precious memories.

The promise brought up by Mitsuki unsuspectingly, convinced that I knew what she was talking about, could not possibly be the kind of promise that would be accidentally forgotten.

"...Sorry, Nii-san, for talking for so long..."

Mitsuki apologized to me with wryness in her voice.

"No..."

I answered briefly in a hoarse voice. That was all I could manage.

"...Goodnight."

"...Yeah, g'night."

I suppressed my feelings and answered her. After the conversation ended, the dark room returned to silence.

—Things had gone beyond recovery. Back when I sought new power, I should have prepared myself that it could turn out like this.

Hence, what I must do was prevent Mitsuki from discovering I had lost memories, prevent her from feeling she was to blame, prevent her from feeling sad, prevent her from showing suffering on her face—

Warning myself that, I closed my eyes.

Hoping for sleep to ease the pain in my chest, I allowed my consciousness to gradually sink into the abyss.

However—my day of spinning around in circles because of Tia had not ended yet.

Late that night, I was roused by yelling.

"Where!? Where is Yuu!?"

"Calm down! Please calm down, Tia-san!"

Light kept flashing in the room with popping sounds. I frantically jumped up to see Tia on the bed in a panic. Bubbles of dark matter were surging forth, turning into electrical currents, sparking everywhere.

"Tia!"

"Ah—"

As soon as I called her name, Tia instantly stopped.

The flow of dark matter halted and the intense lightning also ceased. I stood up and turned on the room's light.

"Yuu!"

Tia pounced on me from the bed. I caught her tiny body.

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness! Tia thought... Even Yuu disappeared."

Tia rested her forehead against my chest and spoke in a trembling voice.

"Phew... I was thinking something might have happened."

Perhaps relieved, Mitsuki sat down on the bed, exhaling deeply.

"Tia, I'm here, so it's okay."

I gently stroked the two horns on her head to soothe her emotions.

I never expected her to panic so much just because she could not see me when she woke up. It looked like not moving her while she was sleeping was correct, but this reaction was way too sensitive.

"Yuu... Yuu... Yuu!"

Tia kept calling my name. I patted her on the shoulder and said to her slowly:

"Tia, what's making you so afraid? You refuse to leave me because you're afraid I'll disappear, right?"

"......"

Tia looked up but kept her lips shut tightly, refusing to say a single word.

"Please answer me. I'm worried about you, Tia."

I stared directly into her eyes and spoke to her. The very depths of her red eyes wavering, Tia spoke with trembling lips:

"...Yes, because Tia doesn't want Yuu to disappear... So Tia will protect Yuu."

"Protect? Tia, you want to protect me?"

Hearing something unexpected, I asked in surprise.

Tia nodded lightly in confirmation.

"Precious things must be protected personally, once they disappear... It's too late, impossible to get back no matter what."

Impossible to get back after disappearing. Too late.

Tia's words shook my heart. I realized there was a gap in my heart from losing that promise with Mitsuki.

—This girl had lost something precious, just like me.

"I see... I finally understand you a bit, Tia. Thank you for protecting me, but you're mistaken on a few counts."

"Mistaken...?"

Tia made a surprised face and cocked her head in puzzlement.

Now was the chance to persuade her. Since I knew what motivated Tia's actions, it was easy to think of solutions.

"Yes, I'm not so weak that I need you to protect me, Tia. I can protect my own life."

"But... No matter how strong you are, there might be even stronger enemies. That's why if Tia is protecting you, it will be safer."

"Well, that's not wrong..."

Tia's logic was correct. Looking at me, Mitsuki's eyes seemed to be saying: Nii-san, what are you doing?

Originally I thought that I could reassure her by proving I was not weak, but it looked like I had to change the conversation's direction.

"...But Tia, now that you mention it, no one will attack me here in Midgard. So there's no need for you to protect me so desperately."

There was nothing threatening my life. Rather, it was Tia who had people after her life. I recalled the feeling of murderous intent at the beach and continued my attempt to persuade her.

"Who knows. Perhaps some people pretend to be good kids but are actually planning bad things."

She was using correct logic to reply to me again. But this time, I did not back down.

"That's right, I can't say for certain there are no bad people, but Mitsuki and Iris are different. Even if it's just the classmates in our homeroom, could you please trust them?"

"...Can't do it. Maybe Mitsuki... But Tia doesn't know what other people are thinking."

Tia shook her head with a stiff expression and refused.

"In that case, you need to make friends with them until you understand them. If you can trust all of us, then you can relax in the classroom and the dorm."

"Make friends...?"

"Yeah, so tomorrow, try talking more to everyone, okay?"

Hearing my suggestion, Tia asked very uneasily:

"...Yuu trusts everyone?"

"I trust them. Iris is a very honest and upstanding person. Lisa and the others are people who step forward to fight for their friends. At least, I don't feel wary of them."

When Iris was targeted by Leviathan, Lisa and the others had fought to protect her as though it was the most natural thing in the world. They had said that classmates in the same homeroom were family and truly cared about her from the bottom of their hearts.

On the battlefield, humans would show their true nature. Precisely because of that, I did not doubt the truthfulness of what I witness on battlefields.

"If I become friends with everyone, Yuu will be happy?"

"Yes, I'll be very happy."

"...Got it, since Yuu... the husband says so, Tia will try it. Because Tia... hopes to make Yuu happy."

Tia answered quietly.

I could not help but exchange gazes with Mitsuki.

"Finally a step forward."

Mitsuki remarked with relief.

"Yeah... By the way, Mitsuki, is there practical training tomorrow?"

"Yes, third and fourth periods are for practicing normal powers, while the afternoon is a special joint drill in preparation for the battle against Basilisk. Why do you ask?"

"Nothing much, I think that practicals are different from lectures and there will be more chances to interact with everyone. Since there are that many practical lessons, it's perfect. Tia—tomorrow will be very fun for sure."

I said that and smiled to Tia.

"Fun..."

Tia's face showed inability to understand what I said. Head tilted, she yawned. She was probably sleepy again.

Then we switched off the light and went to bed again. However, it would be bad if Tia panicked again so I slept on the bed this time.

Squeezing onto the cramped bed with my back to them, I closed my eyes while feeling Mitsuki and Tia's breathing nearby.

===Part 5===

The next morning, the three of us went to school. Just as we opened the door to the classroom...

"G-Good morning..."

I gave Tia's back a push and she greeted quietly.

Inside the classroom, Firill and Ariella turned their gazes to Tia. The others had yet to arrive.

"......Good morning."

Firill closed the paperback in her hand and responded with a somewhat surprised expression.

"Good morning, what a wonderful morning it is. I'm so happy that you greeted us on your own."

Ariella responded with a cheerful smile.

Feeling those two's gazes, Tia hid behind my back, unsure what to do.

But this was quite good for a start. Mitsuki and I also greeted them good morning then walked to our seats.

As soon as I sat down, Tia immediately took her seat on my lap.

"Yuu... Did Tia do well?"

"Yeah, very well, amazing."

I praised Tia and stroked her head.

"Ehehe..."

Tia closed her eyes happily. Before she got along with everyone in harmony, this state seemed like it was going to persist.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and pondered excuses to convince Shinomiya-sensei. Just at that moment, I noticed that Firill, whose seat was in the front row, was searching through her desk drawer.

Looking at her, I wondered what was up. But Firill took out a book from her desk then walked over to us.

"Excuse me..."

Rather than me, Firill was looking at Tia while talking to her softly.

"W-What?"

Tia replied nervously. Firill presented the book in her hand. A pretty girl was illustrated with delicate strokes on the cover. It seemed to be shoujo manga from Japan. Although Firill gave the impression of reading difficult novels all the time, it looked like manga was also in her strike zone.

"Here... I'm lending this to you, because I think that during class time... You're probably very bored."

"Is this really okay?"

"Yes... This manga is very interesting... I hope you'll have a look, Tia-san."

Tia looked alternately between Firill's face and the manga, then accepted the book timidly.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 131.jpg|thumb]]

"...Later."

After handing the book to her, Firill simply returned to her seat while Tia looked down at the manga's cover with a perplexed look on her face.

Regarding Tia's special treatment, thanks to Mitsuki speaking on my behalf, Shinomiya-sensei agreed readily. Perhaps she already knew that a limit of one day was too difficult, but used this method on purpose to encourage me.

However, only Iris was unhappy, glaring at me from her seat as my neighbor.

"...Mononobe is my friend, right? We are the closest, right?"

Iris pouted and asked me.

"Well... That's true, I guess."

I scratched my cheek and concurred.

Excluding my younger sister Mitsuki as an exception, Iris was my closest friend indeed.

"In that case, I hope you'll let me sit on your lap too, Mononobe."

"Well—Absolutely not!"

The wonderful fantasy surfaced in my mind, making me hesitate for a brief moment, but I shook my head in refusal.

"Ehhh!? Why not?"

"Iris, you're not a child."

"...Mononobe is so stingy."

Iris sulked and turned towards the window. She was probably trying hard to express her anger but that pouting face looked very cute from the side. If a girl like that sat on my lap, I had no confidence I could stay sane. I really hoped that Iris could be more aware of how attractive she was.

I sighed and observed Tia.

Were it yesterday, Tia probably would have complained about the dialogue just now, but she was currently silently reading the manga Firill had lent her.

Based on what I sneaked a peek from behind, it seemed to be a lighthearted romance manga with comedic elements.

After class started, Tia continued to read the manga with full focus, occasionally shaking as though suppressing laughter. Apart from that, she behaved very well the whole time, but as soon as she finished the manga, she started becoming restless.

Then when first period finished, Tia pulled my hand and walked over to Firill's seat.

"Here, thank you."

Tia timidly extended the manga she had borrowed.

"...What are your thoughts?"

Accepting the manga, Firill asked. Tia answered with a blush:

"Great read! Tia is reading this kind of book for the first time!"

"...Really? That's wonderful."

Firill relaxed her expression slightly.

"But it ended in the middle, what a shame..."

"...It hasn't ended yet. Do you want to read the continuation?"

Hearing that, Tia's face became radiant.

"Really!? There's a continuation? Tia really wants to read it!"

Firill took out the second volume of the same series from her desk and handed it to Tia.

"...Here, this is Volume 2. Volume 3 and beyond are in my dorm room... I'll bring them tomorrow."

"Thank you! Uh... Firill?"

"...Sure, you're welcome."

Hearing Tia call her name for the first time, Firil smiled gently and nodded at her.

Listening to Tia and Firill conversing, the other classmates gathered around.

"Oh, you're reading that manga too? I asked Firill to lend it to me before, it's great. Especially later when the protagonist—Mmmph!"

"Mm!!"

Ariella was about to give a spoiler when Ren covered her mouth, stopping her.

"Seriously... Ariella-san, you really need to learn to show some tact."

Lisa remarked with exasperation.

Then gathered around Tia, the girls began to chat enthusiastically about things related to manga. Tia originally seemed afraid, but gradually joined in with excitement.

I was ignored on the side but did not feel offended at all. Just seeing Tia chatting happily with everyone made me satisfied.

—Simply by not rejecting others, she made such a huge change.

Tia was not taking active steps yet but unlike me, who had transferred in as a man, Lisa and the others wanted to accept Tia proactively.

At this rate, she was going to quickly become a part of the class.

—Or rather, judging from this situation, I could tell how wary they were of me in the beginning.

Although it could not be helped, but this difference in treatment demoralized me somewhat.

Thus, Tia spent the second period reading manga as well. Third period was a practical conducted at a training site, requiring us to change to gym clothes. It was the same vast underground space used for the Basilisk battle test.

Due to everyone having different areas of specialty, this was essentially a time for individual training, but Tia had to begin with the basics first.

"Tia-san's instruction must not be left to Mononobe Yuu who only transferred in recently. Hence, I shall teach her personally."

While everyone scattered in the training site to start training, only Lisa walked towards us, volunteering to be the teacher.

"T-Thank you... Lisa."

Perhaps thanks to the manga giving them a chance to chat for a bit earlier, Tia called her name directly and thanked her.

"Lisa, I'm counting on you."

Tia refused to leave me, so naturally, I had to join in the lesson with her.

"...Although I have no intention of looking after you as well, this cannot be helped. First of all, I shall teach you the key principles to making a fictional armament."

"Fictional armament?"

Tia widened her eyes, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"To perform transmutation more precisely and efficiently, we have to shape the dark matter into a weapon. This is my fictional armament—Gungnir."

Lisa extended her palm. Immediately, a golden spear manifested out of thin air. Instead of generating dark matter then altering its form, it seemed like she had generated dark matter directly in the spear's shape, technique that required substantial mastery.

"Dark matter is strongly affected by the human will. This spear can be considered my feelings during battle, the ultimate spear that can pierce and destroy all enemies—Hence, its attacks are the strongest, of course! Through this chain of imagination, you can increase the power of your attacks."

Holding the spear, Lisa entered a stance and said.

—Feelings during battle huh...

This explanation was very apt, perhaps I could use it for reference when making fictional armaments from now on.

"But this is merely the stage before battle. If you obsess over altering the dark matter's shape, transmutation would occur at that point in time. Hence, what you should imagine is the outline of the mind, rather than dark matter, to meticulously create your own form in battle."

"Own form in battle... But Tia has never used a spear or a sword and don't know what to use for a weapon."

Tia stared at her palms and murmured.

"This does not require martial arts experience. Just imagine yourself in a stronger form. First of all, please generate dark matter while imagining yourself wielding the strongest power. With that, the dark matter will naturally take form."

Tia nodded after hearing Lisa's suggestion.

"Okay.. Tia will try!"

Tia closed her eyes and began to focus. Numerous bubbles of dark matter manifested in her surroundings.

However, I should have noticed at this time. Just by thinking carefully about what kind of girl Tia was, I should have been able to predict what was going to happen next.

Tia's dark matter gathered together piece by piece, gradually forming a massive clump.

"That's the way, slowly, carefully, no need to rush."

Lisa watched Tia while speaking to her. But when the expanding clump of dark matter gathered around Tia's body, Lisa frowned in surprise.

—I thought things were finally on track. Optimistically, I thought that once Tia got along with everyone, soon enough, she would be fine even if separated from me, be it in the classroom or the dorm.

But the root issue had not been resolved.

There was a decisive gulf between Tia and us that needed to be bridged.

Tia believed she was a dragon, not a human.

With such a belief, what would result from her attempt to create a fictional armament—we totally failed to consider that.

The black bubbles of dark matter finally surrounded Tia's entire body.

"What... T-Tia-san?"

Seeing an even larger mass of dark matter, Lisa stepped back. I simply stared at the scene in shock, no knowing what was happening.

Raging winds were blowing with Tia in the center. Continuing to expand, the dark matter floated into the air.

Originally black spheres, the dark matter gradually distorted in outline and changed shape.

The spreading wings seemed to cover our heads, while there was a long tail extending out.

A tall body, almost reaching the ceiling of the training site, dozens of meters tall.

That kind of figure—A dragon's.

It did not seem to be a materialized dragon. Its outline was shifting unsteadily like a mirage.

However, minor transmutation had occurred on the surface. The dragon's entire body shone with red light.

Only then did I realize that this was Tia's fictional armament.

It was what Tia imagined as her fierce self, her strongest form.

"...Tia?"

I transmuted dark matter into wind and yelled at the red dragon floating in the air.

The dragon turned its gaze towards me.

Ruooooooooooooooooooooo!

The loud roaring reverberated throughout the training site. Then immediately, a thunderstorm swept through the entire surroundings.

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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 2 Chapter 1

2020-05-17T04:27:07Z

Nikkivicious: /* Chapter 1 - Tia the Dragon Girl */

==Chapter 1 - Tia the Dragon Girl==

===Part 1===

—A sharp pain.

A sharp pain ran across the back of my left hand, lifting my consciousness from the abyss of deep sleep.

Opening my eyelids, I saw dawn's rays entering through the window, shining mercilessly into my eyes, forcing me to squint.

I checked out my left hand's state, which felt like I had been bitten by a bug.

On the back of my left hand was a birthmark with a distinct shape. This dragon mark was present somewhere on the body of every person capable of generating dark matter—commonly known as Ds. Its size was directly proportional to one's dark matter generating capacity. My dragon mark was extremely small.

That tiny dragon mark was my proof as an inferior D. And next to that dragon mark, a small red swelling had appeared.

I probably bruised it accidentally while I was sleeping.

The wound was itching but I used that hand to search next to my pillow, holding back the urge to scratch it.

Touching the alarm clock with my fingertips, I brought it before my eyes to check the time.

6:10am.

Because I normally set my alarm at 6:30am, this meant that I had woken up slightly earlier than usual.

But the lingering drowsiness was not enough to make me want to lie in bed.

"...It's good to get up early once in a while."

I got off the bed and walked to the washroom, only to see my familiar face reflected in the mirror.

Perhaps due to just waking up, my eyes seemed more vicious than usual.

On the other side of the mirror, a young man was scowling and staring at me. Named Mononobe Yuu, he was sixteen years of age, ranked 2nd Lieutenant.

Arrested at the age of thirteen due to his identity as a D, he was assigned to a military organization—NIFL.

For three years, he had fought in various lands as a member of the special team Sleipnir. Finally, a month ago, he was reassigned to Midgard.

No—More accurately, he was ''transferred''.

This Midgard was a ''school'', converted from an uninhabited island far south of Japan, the self-governed educational institute of the Ds. Mononobe Yuu was currently living here as a student of Midgard Academy.

After washing my face with cold water, I felt my expression tense up.

I returned to my room and changed into the school's uniform.

—THUD!

Just as I was tightening my belt, I heard a massive crash coming from above.

"What...?"

I looked up at the ceiling and muttered. Directly above was the room my younger sister Mitsuki used.

Beginning to worry, I swiftly finished changing and exited my room, then went through the entrance hall to reach the second floor, arriving in front of Mitsuki's room.

"Hey, Mitsuki! Did something happen?"

"Eh? N-Nii-san? I-I am fine, so—kyah!?"

While hearing a scream from the other side of the door, I heard another massive crash.

"Mitsuki!?"

I instantly opened the door.

Perhaps because the entire dorm belonged to Mitsuki, she had grown a bit careless. Mitsuki frequently did not lock her door.

I rushed into the room but was met by an unexpected sight.

Underwear of all colors was scattered inside the room while my younger sister was naked, buried in a pile of underwear. A drawer from a set of drawers was overturned completely.

Mitsuki had her hand pressed against her head and looked like she was in pain. Discovering I had entered the room, she looked up.

"W-What—"

Her snow-white skin, visible between gaps in her gorgeous long black hair and the large amount of underwear, turned scarlet from embarrassment.

Mitsuki grabbed nearby underwear to cover up her petite yet beautifully shaped breasts and glared at me. But due to the pair of striped panties on her head, she did not look intimidating at all.

I crossed my arms and reconfirmed the situation in the room.

"Uh... It feels like you were trying to get underwear from the top drawer, but lost balance and overturned it? And it even happened twice?"

"W-What are you calmly analyzing the situation for!? The second time happened because just as I was putting the drawer back, Nii-san, you suddenly appeared! No, I should ask you to leave now!!"

Mitsuki, the student council president, harshly commanded me to leave, but I did not follow her orders. Instead, I approached her while she was buried in the pile of underwear.

"Sorry, Mitsuki, before I leave, let me have a look first."

"Eh...? N-Nii-san? What are you looking at—"

Mitsuki looked up at me in her naked state. I knelt down before her and lifted up her long black hair with my hand.

"Ah... Nii-san, no... Something like that—"

With her face bright red, Mitsuki shook her head slightly in refusal but did not resist in any other way.

I brought her head closer as though about to hug her head. Using my fingers to comb and push her long black hair away, I searched the beneath her hair.

"Nn... We still have not... The promise—Hold on, Nii-san..."

Mitsuki squirmed and exhaled hot breath.

As my fingers reached the minor bulge I was looking for, Mitsuki instantly shook.

"—Does it hurt? Although there's no bleeding... It's a bit swollen. Hold on, I'll get some ice."

Saying that, I separated from Mitsuki.

"...Eh? What is the meaning of this, Nii-san?"

Mitsuki looked up at me in surprise.

"What do you mean, what is the meaning of this? I was checking your injury. You bumped your head, right?"

"Right... Ah, ahhh, I see what was going on now, and I even thought—"

Mitsuki lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Thought what?"

Hearing me ask that, Mitsuki blushed so much that even her ears went red. She shook her head.

"N-Nothing at all!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v02_023.jpg|thumb]]

Sulking, Mitsuki turned her head away.

Despite her incomprehensible reaction, I still went to the kitchen to fetch an ice pack.

Twenty-five years ago, a giant creature suddenly appeared in the sky above Japan.

Simply by moving, that monster caused severe calamities. Using a supernatural power capable of conjuring matter out of thin air, the monster was able to neutralize every kind of attack the humans threw at it.

Then as though mocking the humans who resisted in desperation, the monster leisurely traveled once around the world and vanished into thin air without warning.

Thereafter, children possessing the same power as the monster became born among the humans. They were known as producers and users of dark matter, the Ds, or Type Dragon.

There was an extremely high economic value in their ability to create any type of matter arbitrarily. Reportedly, wars even broke out in the past in struggles to obtain Ds.

And during the same period while the Ds were born, new types of giant organisms appeared in the world.

These monsters with powers beyond human imagination were called dragons by the world. An international organization, Asgard, was established specifically to deal with dragons.

Asgard reorganized the United Nations troops into NIFL, a military force that could operate outside of conventional laws, trying to use military intervention to resolve various problems caused by dragons.

Due to the fact that the Ds were designated as one of the problems caused by dragons, an isolation facility was constructed on an uninhabited island near the equator, namely, Midgard in its infancy.

When it was first established, Midgard's purpose leaned closer to detainment, but as the Ds grew up and increased in number, their voices grew in strength and they finally won human rights and autonomy.

Hence, Midgard became the current state... But for some unknown reason, all humans born as Ds were female, hence, Midgard inevitably became an all-girls school.

However, I was enrolled in that kind of secret garden.

That was because I, too, possessed the power to generate dark matter.

Currently the only male D in the world, that was me—Mononobe Yuu.

Or perhaps because I was an exception, back when I was arrested three years ago, they did not send me to Midgard. Instead, I was cultivated as a soldier in NIFL.

But one month ago, I was suddenly reassigned to Midgard.

That was arranged by my younger sister Mitsuki who had amassed substantial authority in Midgard.

Ever since, I lived a school life under Mitsuki's ''supervision''.

As I was the only male in the school, to prevent problems arising because of me, Mitsuki made me live in her dorm, separate from ordinary dorms.

—Hence, walking to school like this with Mitsuki together had gradually become my daily life each morning.

"You have been acting a bit weird lately, Nii-san."

After breakfast, the two of us left the dorm together. On the way to school, Mitsuki remarked unhappily.

Because there was a long way to go before the path converged with that of ordinary dorms, no other students could be seen in our surroundings.

The road followed the breakwater on the shore, tracing out a gentle curve. The other side of the breakwater was a vast stretch of blue sea and white sands.

The only sounds were that of the waves, the coconut trees swaying in the wind, and the footsteps from Mitsuki and me.

"How am I weird?"

Since I had no clue, I asked her honestly.

Mitsuki kept switching hands to carry her schoolbag as though she could not settle down, then she looked up at me.

"How should I put this...? Recently, Nii-san, you have been acting without delicacy, such as entering my room without knocking, approaching me nonchalantly while I was naked... I believe you are acting a bit too unreserved."

"...? Siblings aren't supposed to act reserved to each other, right? Are you asking me to act more distant towards you, Mitsuki?"

Unable to understand Mitsuki's allegations, I frowned and asked.

"That is not what I mean..."

Mitsuki frantically lowered her head. She seemed unable to explain clearly.

—Was there something wrong with my behavior?

But even after thinking back to scrutinize my behavior, I still did not think I did anything wrong.

But... There was only one reason that could explain why Mitsuki had this feeling.

Two weeks ago, during the battle against the white dragon—"White" Leviathan—that was invading Midgard, I took a slight risk.

In order to break out of the crisis, I accepted ''knowledge of power'' that eroded my personality and memories.

But the most important information to me right now—everything that had happened after arriving at Midgard—I should not have forgotten any of it. I also knew clearly about my little sister Mitsuki. My memories at NIFL also remained vivid.

However, it was also possible that I was simply unaware of it. I might have ''changed in nature'' in fact.

Three years ago, apart from memories related to Mitsuki, all my other memories were eroded to oblivion. My emotion of fear had also become extremely diluted. Perhaps just like that time, the personality named Mononobe Yuu had become even more distant from me.

"...Nii-san, what is the matter with you?"

Seeing me silent, Mitsuki made a worried expression and peered at my face from below.

—No good. I can't let Mitsuki worry. Mitsuki was the one person I absolutely must not allow to find out.

Because if she knew what I had lost as the price, Mitsuki would surely blame herself.

Hence, I switched my consciousness and changed the subject cheerfully.

"Hmm? Oh, I was recalling what happened this morning. I wanted to say that you've grown quite a bit over the past three years, Mitsuki."

Immediately, Mitsuki went red in the face.

"P-Please do not reminisce about that! I-If you were to repeat the same words in school, Nii-san, I shall have to punish you for sexual harassment! You will be punished to write ten repentance essays!"

"Man... I don't ever want to write another repentance essay again. Give me a break."

Due to insubordination in the previous battle, I was punished to write almost a hundred repentance essays. To be honest, it made me suffer even more than NIFL's training.

"Then please think very carefully before you speak."

"...Affirmative, student council president. But what happened this morning really doesn't seem like a blunder you'd make, Mitsuki. Shouldn't daily necessities like underwear be kept somewhere easier to reach?"

The drawer Mitsuki had dropped on the ground was the top drawer—It was at a height that she could barely reach on tiptoe. Hence it came as no surprise that she overturned it.

"That is... a drawer I normally have no need to use. It is for keeping slightly special underwear."

"Special? So it's what people call victory underwear?"

Hearing me ask that, Mitsuki frowned.

"Another statement filled with the flavor of sexual harassment... Sigh, as much as I hate to admit it, perhaps that does come close in meaning. Because in a certain sense, it is underwear used for battle."

"Battle, you say? Against what?"

Hearing me ask with curiosity, Mitsuki answered with a slightly solemn expression.

"Although ordinary students have not been informed yet, an impromptu health examination will actually be held today. In order to maintain the integrity of the student council president's dignity after undressing, I must exercise extra caution on the matter of underwear."

Finding out about Mitsuki's secret efforts, I sighed.

"...Life must be tough being the student council president. But these random sampling health examinations... Are they frequent in Midgard?"

I still had yet to get a grasp on Midgard's common knowledge, so I asked Mitsuki this question.

"No, this is the first time."

"Is there a reason for doing this?"

I asked immediately, only to see Mitsuki nod in admission.

"—Indeed there is a reason, but I cannot reveal it yet."

Seeing her put on her student council president's face, refusing firmly to reveal the truth, it was very hard for me to pry further.

Hence, I gave up asking the reason and turned my gaze forward.

On the other side of the flourishing jungle, I could catch a glimpse of the tip of the clock tower, the school's symbol.

Feeling like something was about to happen, walking with Mitsuki side by side, I made my way along the path to the school for Ds—

===Part 2===

As soon as we reached the campus, Mitsuki told me she had something to do at the faculty office and went in the clock tower's direction alone. The clock tower was Midgard's core location. In addition to the faculty office, the command center and other important facilities were also concentrated there.

She probably had to discuss matters with the teachers regarding the impromptu health examination.

Hence, I walked over to the school building where my classroom was.

Ds in Midgard were assigned to one of nine homerooms according to age and level of knowledge. Since I was assigned to Mitsuki's Brynhildr Class, even during classes, I was constantly under Mitsuki's watchful supervision.

Brynhildr Class was located on the same floor as storerooms and unused classrooms, so there were very few people. Still, this school had pitifully few students to begin with, relative to the school's size. Despite having fewer than seventy students, the school contained as many as four classroom buildings, each three stories tall.

Although it was probably an intentional decision during construction to accommodate a continued increase in Ds... Given the current situation, even if only one classroom was occupied per floor, it still left one entire building unused.

Hence, although there were school girls all over the place on the way to school, a lively sight, as soon as one entered the school building, the surroundings became very silent.

Walking in a silent atmosphere almost like a hospital's, I discovered a girl pacing back and forth in front of Brynhildr Class. For some reason, she was holding her skirt hem tightly, fidgeting awkwardly, hesitating, and not daring to enter the classroom.

Bathed in the rays of dawn streaming in from the window, the girl had dazzling silver hair and clear, flawless snow-white skin. When standing still, she was as beautiful as a work of art. She was someone I knew quite well.

—Iris Freyja.

She was the classmate who sat on my left inside the classroom.

She was originally treated as a poorly performing student due to her inability to make good use of her powers. I, on the other hand, was like a novice in Midgard in terms of using my powers. Previously, we had trained together in preparation for a test and also joined forces to fight the invading Leviathan.

Apart from my sister Mitsuki, she was the one closest to me in school, but—

I nervously gulped.

—No good, don't be nervous, I have to stay calm.

I first took a deep breath then say greeted Iris who looked like she had not noticed me yet.

"Good morning, Iris."

"Hawah!?"

"Woah!?"

Because Iris jumped in fright, it also made me jump in fright.

Her dazzling thighs were exposed under the lightly fluttering skirt. Realizing this in alarm, Iris immediately held down her skirt hem with her face bright red.

"M-Mononobe... Did you see it?"

Iris asked in a trembling voice.

"I-I didn't see it, no, I should say that I saw nothing in the first place."

Under the pressure of Iris' gaze, I answered truthfully.

"Really? Did you really, really see nothing at all?"

But Iris persisted in her questioning relentlessly. There were tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Her snow-white complexion was also getting flush red.

Urgh...

Iris, with her full range of emotions on display like this, was extremely attractive. It made me unable to look her in the eye directly, so I could not help but shift my gaze away. This made Iris move closer to me.

"Ah, that reaction looks like you're lying! You really did see it!"

"N-No, that's not what I mean! I really didn't see it!"

I explained myself while backing away and soon hit the corridor's wall behind me. With tears in her eyes, Iris glared at me from extremely up close, cornering me completely.

I could feel Iris's breathing and her soft bosom touching me slightly.

At this moment, something recent flashed through my mind.

—Thank you, Mononobe.

Accompanied by words of thanks, what touched me were Iris' cherry lips.

Under the starry sky, a first kiss on the beach.

Probably literally what she meant, Iris only meant to thank me. Because the moment before the kiss, she also said she wanted to be friends with me, so I suppose that was an act of affection. It must be due to the kind of culture she grew up in.

However, no matter how much I used this kind of reason to persuade myself, I found myself being conscious of her at all times.

Because Iris herself treated me the same way as before, I mobilized all the self-control I had developed back in NIFL, trying to behave in a natural manner.

But with her so close right now, it was hard not to slip up.

"Mononobe, you should speak honestly, otherwise I'll feel very troubled..."

With her whispering almost clinging onto me, I felt my face starting to get hot.

"Like I said, I'm not lying! I didn't see anything! I didn't see any panties!"

I answered frantically like this but for some reason, Iris panicked even more.

"What... You did see it after all!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

I inquired of Iris because I could not understand her reaction, but tearfully, she shook her head.

"Boo-hoo... O-Of all people, I can't believe Mononobe saw it... I-I am not a pervert, okay? I am absolutely not a pervert, okay?"

"Pervert?"

Completely lost by this non sequitur, I felt baffled.

But after seeing how Iris clamped the hem of her shirt between her thighs, the way she absolutely refused to let her skirt lift up, a shocking possibility surfaced in my mind.

"—Iris, by any chance, are you ''not wearing any''?"

Iris' shoulders trembled.

"Eh, ah, n-no! I'm normally not like this, okay? It's just today that I happened to forget to wear them, okay?"

"...So you really aren't wearing any."

Seeing her still so careless, I could not help but sigh.

"Eh...? Based on how you worded that, you really didn't see just now?"

"Yeah, like I repeated so many times, I didn't see anything at all."

If I had seen it, I probably would have failed to remain calm.

"Thank goodness... No wait, this is still no good! Now you know I'm not wearing them, Mononobe!?"

Covering her face, Iris crouched down. Showing joy one moment and depression the next, she seemed quite busy.

"No, umm, this happens to everyone at least once."

With an embarrassment in my heart, I comforted Iris.

"This is already who knows how many times..."

So it was hopeless.

"......How did you get through this previously?"

"Wearing gym clothes... I can sort of get through the day. But there's neither a practical lesson on powers nor PE class today... I didn't bring my bloomers... So that's why I was hesitating whether I should make a trip back to the dorm or not."

Now I finally understood why Iris was loitering in front of the classroom.

If she went back now, she might end up late, that was why she hesitated: should she risk tardiness? Or should she spend a whole day without wearing panties, worried the whole time that she would be exposed?

But I remember that today—

"Iris, even if you will end up being late, I think it's best that you make a trip back."

I placed my hand on Iris' shoulder and said solemnly.

"W-Why?"

"I heard from Mitsuki that there's an impromptu health examination today, apparently."

Iris' face instantly turned pale.

"Mononobe! I'm going back to put on my panties!"

Iris yelled loudly, so loud that her voice echoed in the corridor. Then she suddenly stood up.

Next, holding her skirt hem down with her hands, she raced along the corridor and left.

"..."

Speechlessly, I watched her depart.

Iris had forgotten one important detail. This place was right in front of the classroom's door.

I opened the door and entered the classroom, only to see the blonde girl in the front row staring coldly at me.

My classmate, Lisa Highwalker.

She was a girl with a fierce personality. Clashing with me multiple times when I first transferred here, in the beginning, she refused to respond even when I greeted her. But right now, she finally agreed to treat me as a "probationary classmate."

"Lisa, that yell just now... Did you hear everything?"

I asked her with a wry smile surfacing on my face. Lisa pointed at me while glaring sharply.

"I can't believe you made Iris-san yell something so disgraceful... This is a failure in supervision, Mononobe Yuu!"

"Eh? That was my fault just now?"

Not expecting the finger to be pointed at me, I grew frantic.

"Naturally, keeping the clumsy Iris-san under control is your responsibility. In order to prevent her from getting ridiculed, you have to put in more thought!"

"...When did I become Iris' nanny?"

I sighed and protested in a small voice, but she ignored my complaint and called out to the other classmates. Apart from Mitsuki and Iris, all others were present.

"That is precisely why. Everyone, please pretend you never heard those disgraceful words just now. In a show of gratitude for our willingness to keep the secret, he has offered to treat us for lunch today."

Hearing her call out, the classmates reacted in their respective ways.

"...Got it."

Someone answered quietly. She was the bibliophile who spent every free moment reading books. Firill Crest.

"Mm."

Only nodding and replying with a single syllable, it was the petite and red-haired girl, Ren Miyazawa.

"Mononobe-kun's treat? I'm looking forward to it."

Smiling innocently, this tomboyish girl was Ariella Lu.

"H-Hey, how could decide on your own—"

I was frantically about to interrupt when Lisa cut me off.

"Oh my? Is there any problem?"

"Eh? Oh..."

Thinking over it calmly, it was actually not a problem, because, including me, all Ds in Midgard received an ample sum of money every month, deposited into their account for living expenses. Treating them for lunch once was not going to make my life hard.

As long as I accepted this condition, Iris would not get embarrassed and I could also have lunch with everyone. For someone like me who still had not shared a meal with Lisa and the others, this was a perfect chance to get acquainted with my classmates.

—So actually, she went through a convoluted process to invite me to join them for lunch?

On further thought, Lisa and the others did not lack cash either, so getting treated by others would offer virtually no benefit to them.

"...Got it, today's lunch will be on me. So please don't bring up Iris' disgraceful yell in front of her."

Deciding to accept Lisa's kind intentions, I nodded and agreed to her condition.

"Understood. You are fast on the uptake."

Lisa smiled with satisfaction. I leaned my face close to her ear and whispered thanks to her.

"—Thank you, Lisa."

"I-I have no idea what you mean by that. Besides, your face is too close!"

Blushing, Lisa pushed me away.

Inside this classroom, the most active in helping others, treasuring her classmates as though they were family, was this girl, Lisa Highwalker.

Despite a personality that was slightly too fierce, she was probably more kindhearted than anyone. She turned her face away unhappily.

I could only walk to my seat with a wry smile.

—How I look forward to the lunch break. I wonder if Iris will get back before class starts?

The second advanced on the clock installed over the blackboard. Mitsuki and Shinomiya-sensei, the homeroom teacher, entered the classroom three minutes before the lesson.

Then the bell rang for the start of class. I sighed. Iris did not make it after all. But just before the ringing ended, the classroom's door was opened violently.

"I-I made it..."

Panting heavily, Iris sat down unsteadily on the seat neighboring me.

As soon as she spotted my gaze, Iris made a thumbs-up and said:

"I did it! Mononobe!"

"...Yeah, good work."

Intentionally pretending not to notice the pitying gazes from Lisa and the others, I praised Iris for her hard work.

===Part 3===

"—Today, first and second periods will be altered to conduct an impromptu health examination. The examination will be carried out by homeroom. While waiting for this homeroom's turn, please remain in the classroom and do self-studying."

There was a health examination just as Mitsuki foretold. After announcing this during homeroom, Shinomiya-sensei quickly left the classroom. She seemed quite rushed.

Lisa and the other classmates looked at one another, not knowing what had happened. On the other hand, I turned my gaze to the younger sister who seemed to know the inside story, but Mitsuki feigned ignorance and started to study on her own. She looked like she did not intend to explain.

Soon after, Shinomiya-sensei returned to the classroom to announce "your turn, please head over to the infirmary."

Hence, we stood up from our seats and exited the classroom. I was just about to follow Mitsuki and the others when Shinomiya-sensei grabbed me by the collar.

"Ack... Cough, cough!"

Shinomiya-sensei looked at me in exasperation while I kept coughing.

"Mononobe Yuu, do you intend to be examined together with the girls? Boys should go this way."

Dragged by Shinomiya-sensei, I alone was taken to another place.

Passing through a connecting corridor then taking the elevator at the clock tower, Shinomiya pressed the button for the top floor. Watching the numbers fly up rapidly on the display panel, I felt my ears ring lightly.

Ding—

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Then I saw a grand and luxurious wooden door towering before me.

"Uh... This place is...?"

"Just read the door plate and you'll know, right?"

Shinomiya-sensei pointed at the door plate beside the door. It read "Principal's Office."

"Principal? Does Midgard have that kind of position...? I thought you were the highest authority in Midgard, Shinomiya-sensei."

Even during the full-school assembly held when I transferred in, I had not seen anyone resembling a principal being present. So before this, I did not even know that such a person existed.

"I am purely the battle commander during emergencies. Midgard's chief administrator is the lady inside this room."

Saying that, Shinomiya-sensei glanced at the very thick-looking door. The so-called principal was apparently a woman.

"So... Why was I taken here? Aren't we doing a health examination...?"

"Yes, of course, the purpose is for a health examination. The principal will personally conduct your examination."

Shinomiya-sensei answered with a nonchalant expression.

"The principal will personally conduct my examination? Why exactly?"

"Who knows. Probably on a whim of hers. She does not work seriously most of the time, always hiding in her room without coming out. Sometimes she might make unreasonable demands like this one, but she says she is licensed as a doctor, so you probably won't die."

Hearing Shinomiya-sensei mention ominous words nonchalantly, I began to panic.

"Is... this principal that dangerous a person?"

"This is something you can confirm with your own eyes. Because talking to her is very tiring, I shall excuse myself here. After the examination, please return directly to the classroom."

After saying that, Shinomiya-sensei gave my back a push then she walked towards the elevator to leave.

"...Eh? You want me to go inside alone?"

"Yes, good luck."

Shinomiya-sensei saluted me with a serious face then she took the elevator down for real.

Left behind, I had no choice but to knock.

"—Please come in."

Hearing a female voice respond, I cautiously opened the door.

The room's interior was even dimmer than the corridor and there was a unique smell. Perhaps incense was burning.

The top floor of the clock tower should be the best spot for natural lighting but the windows were covered by thick curtains.

There were two people in the room.

One was a young blue-eyed blonde reclining in a luxurious chair. The other was a woman dressed as a maid, standing on the side.

The girl was petite and looked even younger than me on first glance... But my battle-hardened instincts rejected such a notion.

That expression of confidence, that gaze that seemed to be scrutinizing others, that body totally relaxed—She was undoubtedly a ''seasoned veteran'' even more experienced than me. From her, I could feel calm composure akin to an old soldier waiting for retirement.

"You must be the principal, right?"

I gazed into the girl's eyes and asked.

"Wow, you have good eyes. It's been so long since I met someone for the first time without getting underestimated."

The girl smiled with delight as she spoke. She sounded different from the voice answering the door when I knocked, which meant that it was probably the maid beside her who had answered.

The girl's gaze checked me out from head to foot without reservation. Then she said:

"Just as you say, I am Midgard's chief, Charlotte B. Lord. And over here is Mica Stuart, my personal secretary."

Introduced by the girl—Principal Charlotte—the maid lowered her head and bowed to me.

"I am Mica Stuart, pleased to make your acquaintance."

"I am Mononobe Yuu, nice to meet you too..."

After introducing myself to the principal and Mica-san, I then asked:

"...So why are you taking the trouble to examine me, Principal?"

"Including staff, everyone in Midgard is female. If they accidentally go into heat after seeing a man's body, it would be a problem. Because the pure maidens gathered here are my harem!"

Spreading her arms, the principal declared loudly.

"S-Sure..."

I simply scratched my face, not knowing how to react. The principal was evidently a bit eccentric. I could sort of understand why Shinomiya-sensei wanted to avoid seeing her.

"Hence, because there's no choice, I decided to diagnose you personally."

Standing up from her chair, the principal walked towards me.

"Uh, but Principal, you and Mica-san are ladies too..."

"Hmph, don't compare Mica and me with those innocent maidens. Besides, I have no interest in men at all."

Revealing the shocking truth nonchalantly, the principal looked up at me from up close. Although she only reached my chest in height and had tender and delicate snow-white skin, judging from what she said just now, she should be older than the students.

"...May I ask your age, Principal?"

"Curious? I don't mind telling you, but you won't be able to walk out of this room, okay?"

The principal narrowed her eyes and smiled maliciously.

"Then forget it..."

"Yes, that's the smart choice."

With the corners of her lips rising, the principal grabbed my left hand.

"What are you doing—"

"So this is your dragon mark?"

The principal ignored my surprise and asked, staring at the small birthmark on the back of my left hand.

"Y-Yeah..."

My dragon mark was far smaller than other Ds. I was quite impressed that she found it, unbelievably.

"There is a wound near it. When did it appear?"

The principal pointed at the swelling next to the dragon mark.

"Oh, when I woke up this morning, somehow the wound was there... I probably scratched it somewhere."

"I see..."

Staring at my wound, the principal slowly brought her face near and planted her soft lips on the back of my hand.

"Wha..."

A warm and moist sensation caressed the wound. Seeing the blonde girl extend her red little tongue, licking the wound, I felt my spine tremble involuntarily. There was a sting on the wound accompanied by pleasurable pain, it almost made me cry out.

—Smooch.

Then the principal moved her lips away. Calmly, she observed the wound that was wetted by saliva.

"P-Principal?"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 047.jpg|thumb]]

Unable to understand the situation, I called to the principal.

"Shut up and don't move."

But the principal commanded with a forceful tone. I had no choice but to hold my tongue.

Then after several minutes, the principal finally released my left hand.

"—I understand for the most part. This is fine. This ends the examination."

"Huh...?"

I opened my mouth wide in surprise.

"What are you so shocked for? You want a super beauty like me to examine every inch of your body? But I am not obliged to service men, because this health examination is a ruse for checking the students' dragon marks."

Smiling sardonically, the principal shrugged.

"The goal is to check dragon marks...? Then you don't mean that..."

I could only think of one reason for doing that. I could not help but gasp.

"Don't panic, once the examination ends, the situation will become clear. Putting that aside—"

The principal pulled my hand and brought her face up close. Then with a mischievous smile, she said quietly to me:

"Since the examination ended so quickly... You should be quite free, right? Do you want to go on an adventure with me?"

"Adventure?"

I frowned and asked.

"Yes, since the school is currently conducting a health examination for girls, the pure and innocent girls are dressed in nothing but underwear, aren't they? How could we not go for a peek?"

"A-Are you really the principal?"

Hearing such an outrageous proposal, I blurted out a retort and forgot to use polite language.

"What, you refuse? I thought you'd understand this irrepressible urge, seeing as you are a man. Or perhaps you have no interest in women?"

"You're wrong, I am a normal male..."

"Then there's no problem, right!? Although I've never had any interest in doting on men, I've always wanted friends with similar interests! Today, let me show you an excellent peeping spot I discovered—"

Just as the principal showed excitement in her eyes, she suddenly vanished from view.

I looked up to see the secretary, Mica-san, lifting the principal up by her head, suspending her in midair.

"Charlotte-Same, do you understand your position? Please do not lead students astray."

Now that I am looking from a closer position, I discovered that Mica-san was very intimidating in various ways. Her bust was so huge that it was almost bursting out of her clothing. Her height was similar to mine, quite tall for a woman.

"L-Let me go, Mica! I-I must go on an adventure with my friend!"

Mika-san ignored the struggling principal. Smiling at me, she said:

"You may return. As for Charlotte-sama, I will watch her carefully and prevent her from doing anything improper to the students."

"O-Okay, got it."

Despite her gentle expression, I felt overwhelming pressure. Also, she had approached me just now without my sensing her presence. Through observing her center of gravity, I concluded she was most likely trained in martial arts. Mica-san was clearly no ordinary secretary.

Hence, I swiftly spun right and walked to the door.

"Mononobe Yuu."

But just as I was about to exit, the principal called to me.

I looked back to see her speaking while still suspended in the air by Mica-san.

"Your wound—It is a medal that will never disappear. Be proud of it."

Staring at my left hand, that was what the principal said to me.

—A medal... that will never disappear?

What did she mean? I gazed questioningly at the principal but she simply showed a hint of a smile on the corners of her lips with no intention of explaining more.

Thus suspended in midair, the principal was taken to the inner part of the principal's office.

—What did that mean?

With doubt in my mind, I closed the door and returned to the classroom.

===Part 4===

Apart from being a self-governed educational institute for Ds, Midgard had another undisclosed function.

Spreading out with the island as its center, Midgardsormr was one of the lines of defense for resisting dragons, thereby protecting Midgard.

This modified island was an interception stronghold designed for fighting dragons.

Lessons taught about how to use powers for fighting dragons. Outstanding students were selected to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad.

The reason why they were combat-ready to such an extent was because it was already certain that dragons would attack Midgard eventually.

Dragons would select a suitable D as their mate. The chosen D’s dragon mark would change in color. Once the D comes into contact with the dragon, the D would turn into the same type of dragon.

Although this felt unbelievable, two years ago, it was said that this phenomenon was confirmed during the battle against "Purple" Kraken.

Then two weeks earlier, after Iris' dragon mark changed color, "White" Leviathan had attacked Midgard.

"—There is a reason for this impromptu health examination."

During third period after the health examination ended, a nervous atmosphere was hanging in the classroom similar to two weeks ago.

Standing at the lectern, Shinomiya-sensei swept her gaze across us then continued.

"The dragon that we have planned continuously to vanquish—'Red' Basilisk—has already started moving from its territory in the Sahara Desert."

The classroom clamored. Apart from Mitsuki, all classmates showed surprise on their faces.

Having heard about the health examination's aim from the principal beforehand, I thought to myself, just as I suspected, now this made sense.

Apart from dragon-related matters, there was nothing much that needed to examine dragon marks.

After people's shock subsided, Shinomiya-sensei spoke:

"Ever since Basilisk appeared twenty years ago, it has never left the desert. We suspect that its unusual behavior is for the purpose of finding a mate. In order to avoid panic, we checked your dragon marks under the pretext of a health examination. And the result is—"

The air grew tense. It seemed like even Mitsuki did not know the examination result yet because she stared seriously at Shinomiya-sensei.

"—Out of all the students in Midgard, no one's dragon mark has changed color."

Phew... Sitting adjacent to me, Iris exhaled in relief.

However, Shinomiya-sensei shook her head while her expression remained solemn.

I had a bad feeling. Memories sleeping deep in my heart sounded an alarm.

"You cannot relax because this is an extremely bad result. If Basilisk's destination matches our predictions, then it is an undiscovered D who has been targeted."

Hearing Shinomiya-sensei's words and understanding the situation, Iris said frantically:

"T-Then we must protect her!"

"Yes, you are right. We will not give up on our kin. Right now, NIFL is searching towns along Basilisk's route of advance. As soon as they are found, arrangements will be made to transport discovered Ds to Midgard."

Shinomiya-sensei replied forcefully, Immediately, Lisa raised her hand to speak.

"Is there anything we can do to assist? Similar to during the Leviathan battle, if we could stall it somehow—"

"No. Basilisk is the complete opposite of Leviathan which focused the most on bolstering defenses. Of all dragons, Basilisk possesses the greatest attack power. Once you engage it in battle, there are only two options. Kill it or be killed."

"Then why not take this opportunity to kill it?"

Lisa answered defiantly. These were words stemming from competence and confidence, but Shinomiya-sensei made a troubled look.

"As much as I'd like to do that too... Our preparations are incomplete. We cannot afford to suffer painful losses due to insufficient preparation. Please understand."

"Hmm..."

Despite feeling dissatisfied, Lisa still dropped the issue.

After confirming that no one else had questions, Shinomiya-sensei spoke in a gentle tone:

"...Oh, although I've said many things to unsettle you, Midgard is in no direct danger for the time being. Before the situation changes, please carry on with your usual lives and save up your energy. That's all."

With that, we returned to daily life after finding out about the distant crisis.

However, I still felt agitated and unsettled inside my heart.

—Undiscovered Ds.

This term echoed in my mind.

During my time in NIFL, there was one time when I let a discovered D go, because she was a very young girl. I thought separating her from
her parents would be too cruel.

And back then, I did not know that Ds were targeted by dragons.

But it was that decision that led to the current situation.

—Should I have sent that child to Midgard back then...?

Looking out the window into the distant sky, I prayed that she was still living a happy life with her family.

"...I feel so nervous."

During the lunch break that day, I kept my promise and sat down at the same dining table as Lisa and the others. Unaware of how things came to be, Mitsuki and Iris were also present.

The venue was the cafeteria on the first floor of the catering building. With Brynhildr Class' entire roster gathered on this table, we were clearly the center of people's attention.

With Mitsuki being the student council president while I was a boy, it could not be helped that we attracted attention. However, many people were gazing fervently at Lisa and the others too.

Perhaps used to such an atmosphere, Mitsuki and Lisa were not bothered, looking relaxed and composed.

The table was already covered with food. Compelled by the situation, I had to treat Mitsuki and Iris as well, but seeing as I owed them many favors, I had no complaints at all.

"Mononobe, thank you for paying for lunch. But why are you treating us today?"

Despite thanking me, Iris felt perplexed and asked.

I could not possibly reveal the reason was because of Iris' disgraceful yell, so I shifted my gaze away and answered:

"Nothing much, because I've caused lots of trouble to everyone, this is a show of my gratitude."

This was not the real reason but not a lie either. I was very grateful to Lisa and the others for treating me as classmates despite my male gender. As for Mitsuki, she was looking after me on a daily basis.

"Eh? It's you who saved me many times, Mononobe. I should be the one to say thanks..."

"Hmm... How should I say this? I think I've already received too much thanks from you, Iris..."

I suppressed my embarrassment and replied.

"Received too much? What do you mean?"

But Iris widened her eyes and tilted her head in puzzlement. She had not realized the meaning behind my words completely, dealing a huge blow to me. Sure enough, from Iris' point of view, that kiss was purely just to express gratitude.

"Uh, that's, two weeks ago..."

No helping it. I had no choice but to explain to her quietly and ambiguously in a way other people would not understand. About what had happened that day, this was actually my first time bringing it up.

"Two weeks ago? Isn't that—"

Iris' face immediately heated up, becoming so red that it was almost about to smoke. She bowed her head.

"Eh? H-Hey, Iris?"

I was surprised by her unexpected reaction. With her mental circuits overheated, Iris did not respond to me at all.

"Excuse me, Nii-san, what did you just mention? If it was verbal sexual harassment, it is not permitted, you know?"

Listening intently on the side, Mitsuki glared at me.

"Mononobe Yuu, if you are shaming Iris-san again, I would have to teach you a lesson, yes?"

Lisa also stared sharply at me, questioning me.

Iris came back to her senses at this time and waved her hands frantically to deny.

"Oh, n-no! It's nothing! Mononobe didn't do anything!"

"...Then why is your face so red?"

Hearing Firill's calm observation, Iris instantly became awkward.

"Ehhhh!? Is my face that red?"

"Mm."

Ren nodded. Iris pressed her hands on her cheeks and looked at me helplessly.

"Wah, oh no, my face is so hot... W-What do I do, Mononobe?"

"E-Even if you ask me, I don't know how to answer you."

Seeing Iris' reaction, even I began to feel embarrassed.

"Eh? Even Mononobe-kun's face is going red? How suspicious."

Ariella leaned forward to observe my face.

"Y-You're overthinking things. Forget it, the food is all here, let's begin, shall we? Because time is limited for the lunch break."

I desperately tried to change the subject and Iris followed my lead.

"That's right, the food won't taste good if it goes cold, right? I-I'm so famished, I can't bear it anymore!"

She sounded like she was reciting dialogue but seeing how Iris resolutely refused to broach the subject, everyone stopped pressing the issue.

"...Since Iris-san says so, we should halt our questioning of Nii-san on this occasion. Also, we seem to have attracted many people's concerns."

Mitsuki swept her gaze across the students in the surroundings who were observing us then picked up her fork. Mitsuki's lunch was Japanese-style pasta.

I felt that she implied she would demand an explanation later, but at least the crisis seemed to be over for now.

"Then I'll start!"

Iris picked up her spoon, perhaps to hide her embarrassment, and started to eat her vegetable curry and rice with astounding vigor.

—So Iris was conscious of that too.

Glancing sideways at Iris whose face was still bright red, I delivered my sandwich to my mouth.

In other words, I was not the only person trying hard to pretend everything was normal.

Now that the thought crossed my mind, I found it difficult to calm my feelings.

"Shall we all begin as well?"

Lisa asked me.

"Yeah, sure. Please go ahead."

I nodded and everyone else started to eat.

For a while, only the sounds of utensils striking dishes could be heard. But before long, everyone began to chat naturally.

Of course, the topic was Basilisk.

"—About Basilisk starting to move. Does everyone think that its real objective is a D?"

Mitsuki asked everyone in a serious tone of voice. Lisa frowned and said:

"Judging on the basis of the time scale, I believe that it is too soon. 'Purple' Kraken and 'White' Leviathan's attacks were separated by as long as two years... But this time, only two weeks has elapsed, you know?"

Immediately, Ariella, who had been tearing her bread into pieces to eat, stopped and refuted her.

"Hmm... I think it's possible that someone somewhere had a dragon mark that changed in color. After all, this is the first time in twenty years that Basilisk left the desert, right?"

Despite showing a troubled expression in response to Ariella's opinion, Lisa still nodded in agreement.

"Indeed... There is the viewpoint that Basilisk should be judged on its own without discussing relations with other dragons. However, if its target was a D outside, then many problems could arise..."

Hearing her say that, Firill lowered her head and murmured quietly:

"...Right, those outside Midgard have not yet become our family. Besides, we have no idea whether she is someone who ought to be protected."

I could guess roughly what she meant.

In a case like this, the situation could end up very different depending on what kind of person the targeted D was.

"What do you mean? Aren't all Ds on our side?"

But Iris widened her eyes and tilted her head in puzzlement. She did not quite understand what Firill said.

Lisa and the others looked at one another with troubled looks. This was quite a sensitive issue, which was why they were hesitating on how to speak up.

Hence, I decided to explain.

"Iris, we Ds are people too. Of course, there are good people and bad people. You get this, right?"

"I-I get it..."

Seeing Iris nod, I continued.

"Although it's common for organized crime and terrorists to exploit the powers of Ds, there are occasionally Ds who take the lead to do bad things. Those Ds would be deemed disasters and become targets for elimination."

"Deemed disasters?"

It seemed like Iris was hearing about this kind of thing for the first time. This was probably the elephant in the room for Ds, or maybe it was intentionally withheld from them during class.

However, Lisa and the others seemed to be in the know, so they probably had heard rumors.

Sleipnir, which I belonged to during my time in NIFL, was designed to be a team for fighting Ds deemed as disasters. While I was still on the team, I never encountered anyone deemed a disaster but regarding matters on this front, I was probably more knowledgeable than Lisa and the rest.

"In other words, they are treated as dragons and not considered humans anymore. If the dragon is targeting someone like that, the situation will get very complicated."

"I see now... So there are people who actively decide to be disasters."

Iris said mournfully.

Back when Leviathan was targeting her, Iris had told me that she would rather die than turn into a dragon and harm everyone. Precisely because of that, she must have mixed feelings towards Ds who willingly gave up being human.

"But those people are an extremely small minority. Because by coming to Midgard, their human rights would be protected. By accepting jobs to create resources, they can legally earn more money than they could spend in a lifetime. So anyone who knows to weigh risks and benefits won't choose to become mankind's enemy."

"...Hmm, yeah. If Basilisk really is targeting a D, I hope she isn't a bad person."

Iris spoke as though saying a prayer.

I agreed completely.

If the person targeted by the dragon was a deemed disaster, she might even meet up with Basilisk after fleeing.

However... Just as Shinomiya-sensei said, right now, there was nothing we could do.

Imagining a serious incident happening somewhere far away at the moment, I prayed in my heart at the same time, hoping things would not develop into the worst-case scenario.

===Part 5===

Directly in hindsight, the worst-case scenario we were worrying about—an increase in the number of Basilisks—was finally avoided thanks to NIFL's action.

But presented before our eyes was an outcome no one predicted.

"—This time, we have new comrades joining us. After a blanket search in the towns ahead of Basilisk's advancing direction, NIFL discovered and took two Ds into protective custody."

On the Friday that happened to be one week after the health examination, a full-school assembly was held in the school gym.

Seeing Mitsuki standing there on the podium, I could not help but recall the scene when I first transferred in.

Perhaps this kind of gathering occurred whenever any newcomers arrived, so as to introduce them to the whole student body.

"Of the two, one of them has already been confirmed to have a dragon mark whose color changed. Now, it is almost completely certain that Basilisk's goal is to make contact with the D."

Listening to Mitsuki's speech, the students whispered to one another, but their gazes were not directed at Mitsuki but the newly joined Ds behind her.

"However, there is no cause for panic. Basilisk's bodily structure is unsuitable for moving in water, hence crossing the sea ought to be rather difficult. Even if Basilisk could advance in the sea as quickly as it does on land, its speed is still extremely slow. It will probably take at least a month to reach Midgard."

Mitsuki should have noticed the situation in the crowd but she continued explaining calmly.

Although I was not optimistic enough to think that things were fine with Basilisk unable to cross the sea, Midgard seemed like it might be in a safe zone.

"We have ample time to make preparations. In addition, since Basilisk is the target we have been planning to vanquish since a long time ago, so long as everyone puts in their full effort, I am certain we will be victorious!"

Mitsuki's speech was astute as ever. But given the situation today, it was hard to say that she had convinced the crowd.

As a boy, all eyes were on me when I first transferred here, but the situation now was even more severe than last time.

Because of the newcomer Ds on the podium, one of them was too unusual.

"—Then allow me to introduce the transfer students. Please step forward, the two of you."

Two transfer students walked forward as instructed.

One was a glasses-wearing girl who gave off a serious impression. Similar in age as me, she had her long black hair woven into one braid hanging behind her.

She looked like a very ordinary girl, but the problem was the other person.

All students' gazes were gathered on a little girl, probably even younger than Ren. If this was Japan, she looked like she would still be studying in elementary school.

Lacking in pigment, her pretty hair looked faintly pink due to the light. With snow-white skin and exquisite facial features, anyone would consider her a lovely young girl on these aspects alone.

However, there was one part which humans could not have.

She had two little horns, growing on the left and right sides of her head respectively.

Those horns were crimson in color. Their shape reminiscent of dragons. Under the illumination overhead, they glowed faintly.

The girl with horns on her head gazed at us with red eyes.

—Are those horns not fake?

Dragon girl. This girl's appearance could only be described with that. With gazes of curiosity and fear, the crowd was staring at her.

What on earth were those horns? Including me, all the students gathered in the gym were waiting for the explanation about her.

But instead of introducing the dragon girl first, Mitsuki pointed at the glasses-wearing girl with black hair.

"This is Tachikawa Honoka-san. I am told that her D powers only awakened recently, so please guide her generously, everyone."

"My name is Tachikawa Honoka, pleased to meet everyone."

The glasses-wearing girl—Tachikawa Honoka—took a deep bow. She looked Japanese. NIFL was searching around what was Basilisk's original territory, in other words, the region near the Sahara Desert... But there must be some reason explaining this.

In response to the applause, Tachikawa-san smiled as though feeling relieved.

Then Mitsuki finally shifted her gaze towards the horned girl.

Instantly, the applause stopped. The air went tense and even the sound of people gulping sounded extra loud.

"Next, this is Tia Lightning-san. She is the girl who has caught Basilisk's eye."

Below the podium, the crowd clamored. This girl was apparently the one whose dragon mark had changed color.

Once targeted by a dragon, a D's dragon mark would change color. Once contact was made with that dragon, the D would turn into a dragon of the same type. The girl—Tia—her appearance, did it have any relation to that phenomenon?

Most students were probably wondering that. Mitsuki seemed to understand this. Once the clamor subsided, she continued to explain:

"In order to prevent unnecessary speculation and misunderstandings, I shall tell everyone this first. There is no causal relationship between a dragon mark changing color and Tia-san's horns. After detailed inquiry and examination, we have ascertained that these horns existed before her dragon mark changed color. Created through dark matter transmutation, the horns were added postnatally. Also, no abnormalities were found in her DNA."

Hearing that, the students went into an even greater clamor.

Creating a new part connected to the body—This sounded simple.

Since dark matter could be transmuted into any substance, in theory, it was possible to perform biogenic transmutations.

However, doing it in practice was another matter.

Because a living organism's body was too complicated, it was not something that could be recreated by imagination alone.

On the first day I transferred into school, everyone was surprised by my gun creation, but the difficulty of this far exceeded that of my gun.

The surrounding students were staring at Tia in disbelief. However, I could feel that everyone's fear for the girl of unknown origins had thinned out greatly.

This was probably thanks to Mitsuki's explanation working.

Although humans felt fear towards the unknown, conversely, as long as they could understand, they would not act with unnecessary wariness.

Just a bit more and Tia would probably be accepted by this school, just like me that time.

Mitsuki continued her speech for this purpose:

"Tia-san simply possesses a rare talent. She is no different from us. We are all human, so—"

"Wrong."

However, someone interrupted Mitsuki.

The speaker was Tia. Her voice sounded like a bell, high pitched and clear.

Everyone's gaze in the gym shifted towards her.

"Uh... Tia-san, did I say something wrong?"

Mitsuki asked her with a troubled expression. Tia nodded.

"Yes, Tia isn't human."

Tia spoke in slightly choppy Japanese.

Immediately, a whispering commotion began between the students.

"N-Nothing of that sort. Tia-san, you are human!"

"No, you're wrong, Tia is—a dragon."

"What...?"

Seeing Mitsuki rendered speechless with surprise, Tia tilted her head in puzzlement.

"Why so surprised? You are clearly a D. Ds are dragons."

"Ds are dragons...? No, that is wrong, Tia-san. We are humans."

Mitsuki spoke as though teaching her, but Tia made a stiff expression.

"...Dragon, Tia is a dragon!"

Tia glared angrily at Mitsuki. Numerous particles of dark matter appeared in her surroundings like bubbles.

—Crap!

Ds from outside did not use fictional armaments. Like what I did in the past, their usual method was to transmute dark matter directly. Hence, she had entered a combat stance completely.

Tia's dark matter was probably being transmuted into electrical currents. Sparks were scattering all over the place.

Perhaps due to emotional turbulence, she had unintentionally performed an offensive transmutation.

But despite facing such a clearly dangerous situation, Mitsuki and the other students were simply stunned on the spot.

This was because Midgard did not do any training on anti-personnel combat, hence they did not know how to handle this.

—!

I rushed out of formation and ran towards Mitsuki.

"Mononobe?"

Although I heard Iris' surprised cry, I had no time to respond to her. I used my momentum to jump onto the podium, inserting myself between Mitsuki and Tia.

"Stop it! Calm down!"

Shielding Mitsuki behind me, I yelled at Tia.

"Ah..."

Immediately, the anger on Tia's face suddenly disappeared. Widening her eyes, she stared at my face and did not move. The dark matter that had been generated in a torrent all vanished into thin air.

"Hmm...? Hey, what's with you?"

Trying not to provoke her, I cautiously asked her.

"Ah—No way... To see you again here... U-Umm, are you also... Are you also a D? There are men among Ds?"

Originally stunned, Tia came back to her senses and asked me in a trembling voice. I felt that her way of questioning quite strange. Her reaction was almost like she knew me.

—Speaking of which, I might have seen this child somewhere before...

"Yeah, I'm also a D. Currently, I'm the only male D, that's all."

Unable to recall exactly, I could only reply to her question.

The instant she heard my answer, Tia smiled like a blooming flower.

"So glad... to finally see you again... You... It's you! Name! What's your name...?"

"I-I'm called Mononobe Yuu..."

"Mononobe, Yuu... Yuu... Great name. Umm... Yuu, Tia has something to tell you."

Tia stared at me with excited eyes.

Feeling that things were developing in an incomprehensible direction, I asked her:

"What... do you want to tell me?"

"Tia wants to tell you that Tia was born to become a dragon's wife!"

"A-A dragon's wife?"

I felt quite baffled by this sudden declaration.

Did she really mean that she wanted to become Basilisk's mate?

I thought if that were the case, I must do everything possible to dissuade her, but after hearing Tia's next statement, my mental circuits stopped working momentarily.

"So, from now on, Yuu will be Tia's husband!"

"What...?"

I was stunned in surprise while Tia hugged me tightly.

"Then Tia is Yuu's wife! Tia won't separate from you ever again!"

I could hear the shrill voices of girls, impossible to tell if they were cheering or screaming, as they entered an uproar together.

And because everything happened too suddenly, I could not keep up with the situation. As for the young girl hugging me tightly around the waist, I could only stare blankly at her slender shoulders and those tiny horns—
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v02 072.jpg|thumb]]

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|-
| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Prologue|Prologue]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Talk:Unlimited Fafnir

2020-05-17T03:14:58Z

Nikkivicious: /* = Adding Book 16 and Illustrations */

== Teaser ==

I'm only doing the prologue and currently have no plans at all to continue translation of this. --[[User:Jonathanasdf|jonathanasdf]] ([[User talk:Jonathanasdf|talk]]) 03:32, 5 January 2014 (CST)

== Hype me. ==

I watched the first 3 eps of the anime, and well I'm not going to review it but I didnt enjoy it, so can someone get me excited for the novel? I refuse to completely judge a series by its adaption, but I've never been so turned off by an anime. So I'd appreciate any help to motivate me to read this.

All I can tell you is the novel is much better than the anime. There is so much left out. [[User:ID not in use|ID not in use]] ([[User talk:ID not in use|talk]]) 02:42, 19 August 2015 (UTC)

== Adding Book 16 and Illustrations =

I found out that they've issued a total of 16 books, so I bought the last 4 (13/14/15/EX) to maybe (hopefully) continue the translations from midway through 13. I'm posting the info for book 16/EX, including ISBN.

--[[User:Nikkivicious|Nikkivicious]] ([[User talk:Nikkivicious|talk]]) 12:26, 16 May 2020 (CST)

== Copy Editing Volume 1 ==

I've gone through volume 1 to corrected punctuation and misspellings/duplicative words. I'll be going volume by volume over the next few days copy editing for minor mistakes like these. It's all minor changes that don't change the sentences, other than changing ex. its to it's or removing double and triple spaces in the middle of sentences where it looks like they were added accidentally.

--[[User:Nikkivicious|Nikkivicious]] ([[User talk:Nikkivicious|talk]]) 22:14, 16 May 2020 (CST)

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Afterword

2020-05-17T03:04:48Z

Nikkivicious: /* Afterword */

==Afterword==

This is Tsukasa. By the effects of a miraculous coincidence, I was given this chance to write for Kodansha Bunko.

The project planning started roughly from February then it felt like the days simply zoomed past after that.

Anyway, I just wanted to write a story featuring dragons!

It was discussing this kind of topic with my editor, with both of us exchanging many ideas, that the story's skeleton took form. With immense speed, I wrote an outline then focused singlemindedly on writing the book itself. Before I knew it, this ''Unlimited Fafnir'' series was born.

As it happened at the time, I had also moved house from Kyoto to Tokyo. Those were such hectic days but each and every day was filled with new experiences.

Whether writing a new story or starting a new life, I looked forward greatly to both of them.

Seeing the birth of characters that did not exist originally, gradually weaving a plot, that kind of excitement simply cannot be expressed in words.

In real life, I am also experiencing new things every day. Like wandering around because I couldn't find my house, trying to take a shortcut but ending up somewhere completely different, or taking a different route for a change of pace but taking a huge detour.

...Well, I suppose I simply get lost easily. I really need to fix my poor sense of direction.

Also, after moving house, something unbelievable happened.

On a certain day, I dreamed that... I was not only lost but my glasses were also broken. Standing in the streets, unable to take a step, I could only text my friends for help—This kind of terrifying dream.

However, glasses breaking doesn't happen so easily. Although it felt like an ominous premonition, I treated it as paranoia and continued with life optimistically.

But a few days later, when I was on the road, my glasses suddenly BROKE APART!

I had used those glasses since my student days, so I guess it must have reached the end of its life.

After that, I finally managed to get home on my own, but walking on unfamiliar streets, unable to to focus my vision on anything farther than a meter away, it really was quite a thrilling adventure.

Now that I think back, my glasses did exhibit some weird loosening, perhaps my body had sensed those subtle changes to warn me through a dream.

A so-called premonition might perhaps have some unexpected basis. No, I'm serious.

...Somehow, I don't have much space left to write, so let me start the acknowledgements.

Korie Riko-sensei, who draws the most awesome and beautiful illustrations for this series, I am truly grateful to you!

Iris is super cute. Although the smile on the cover is very attractive, I personally prefer the angry look on the inset page. Mitsuki and Lisa also turned out more adorable than I imagined. I am so moved!

Editor in charge, Shouji-sama, back when we first me, you were exuding such an extraordinary aura, with astounding speed, giving me precise advice, guiding the story to a higher dimension within the blink of an eye. I am truly moved to tears by your abilities. While promoting this series, you even had a website made specially for this book, I am so grateful to you. I am extremely happy and I offer you my utmost respect. Here on, please continue to look after me.

Then there is Konoe Ototsugu-sama who lent me plenty of assistance this time, everyone involved in binding, quality assurance and sales who worked dutifully for this book to be released, as well as all staff related to this series, and last but not least, all the essential readers who bought and read this book, I hereby offer you my sincere thanks!

Well then, see you next time.

Tsukasa, May 2013

==Illustrator's Afterword==
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v01_293.jpg|thumb]]
■Nice to meet you! I am Korie Riko, in charge of illustrations~ This is my first time drawing in a fantasy battle style, I'm enjoying it very much! I also look forward to the second volume♪

I really like Iris, but I also like Mitsuki-chan, oh, but Lisa-san too... (laugh)

But my true love is Yuu-kun, that's all!!!! (o∀o)

Korie Riko
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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_2_Illustrations|Volume 2]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Epilogue

2020-05-17T03:01:39Z

Nikkivicious: /* Epilogue */

==Epilogue==

I had a dream.

Drifting in the seabed of slumber where everything was ambiguous, I looked out to a scene in the distance that did not exist in memory.

"Yuu-kun, wait up!"

"You're too slow, Mitsuki!"

But Mitsuki never called me "Yuu-kun."

So this must be a fantasy created by my own mind.

Only just a dream.

"If you run so quickly, be careful not to tire out before we reach the observation platform."

Hearing a voice from behind, I looked back to see four adults with gentle smiles on their faces.

Two of them were probably my father and mother, while the remaining two... I think I've seen them before, but could not remember.

"Don't worry, this is nothing!"

I acted tough and sped up, running up the slope.

"Yuu-kun, don't leave me behind!"

Mitsuki cried out pitifully, desperately chasing after me.

In this way, we left the adults behind and reached the observation platform at the peak.

The two of us were panting heavily. Large beads of sweat seeped out from our foreheads.

There was no one in the observation platform's surroundings. Only cicadas were making a noisy racket.

"What a surprise... The buildings became so small."

I looked at the scenery over the railing and exclaimed in joy.

"Can you see our homes?"

Showing excitement in her eyes, Mitsuki searched for our home.

"Should be around there, right? See, that's the arcade in the shopping street."

"Eh... Where? I can't see it!"

Leaning against her shoulder, I pointed into the distance. Mitsuki and I carved the sight of our town into our hearts and retinas.

Mitsuki looked like she was in a good mood. Seeing her dazzling smile, the young me asked her if something good happened.

"Yeah, because I kept up with Yuu-kun today! You usually leave me behind all the time, don't you know that hurts my feelings?"

"That's because you're too slow."

"I'm not slow. I finally caught up today. From now on, we'll stay together forever and ever!"

Saying that, Mitsuki hugged my arm.

"D-Don't do that, it's very stuffy. What do you mean, stay together forever and ever? That's impossible!"

"Why is it impossible? As long as we get married, even if we turn into old people, we'll still be together forever!"

Mitsuki replied with an innocent smile.

"What are you talking about? Don't you know kids can't get married?"

"I know, that's why I'll settle for being a fiancee until we become adults."

Hearing her declare so openly, I was stunned with surprise. At this time, Mitsuki silently drew her face near.

The soft touch of lips.

"Wha..."

I was too surprised to speak.

"This is the kiss of engagement, Yuu-kun."

Blushing red, Mitsuki smiled.

Then the world went white.

The scene viewed from afar gradually drifted away.

—Ahhh, why am I having such a dream?

This kind of episode did not exist in my memory. That meant it was a dream created out of my desire.

Nevertheless... Even though it was clearly an embarrassing dream that could only be taken as a joke... Why did my chest hurt so much?

Why did I feel so much sorrow that I wanted to scream and yell?

I reached for the scenery in the dream, gradually drifting away.

But I could not touch it.

I could never touch it again.

I could not even remember what kind of dream I had dreamt.

—What on earth did I lose?

Even if I asked this question, no one would answer me.

Even if I searched, the answer would not be found.

All I knew was that this was something extremely important. Only this one fact was beyond a doubt.

—It was probably too late.

Unable to withstand the intense feeling of loss, I turned my back to my own dream.

Then I floated up from the sea of slumber.

Next... Even forgetting this incident of "having lost something," I opened my eyes.

"You finally woke up, Nii-san."

Sitting on the bed's edge, Mitsuki gazed down at me. The setting sun was shining through the window, dyeing the room a shade of red.

"...Mitsuki?"

Hearing me call her name, my younger sister showed a helpless smile.

"I know the battle yesterday exhausted you greatly, Nii-san, but there should be limits in refusing to get out of bed, you know? It is almost dinner time."

"I slept for that long...?"

I sat up in surprise.

Immediately, I felt something cold slide down my face.

"Hmm...?"

I touched it with a finger. My face was wet.

Mitsuki looked at my face worriedly.

"Nii-san... Are you crying?"

"No, the tears fell on their own... Probably because I just woke up."

I wiped the tears away with the back of my hand and smiled at Mitsuki.

"I hope so... If you find any unusual symptoms in your body, you must speak out, okay? Because you were seriously too reckless yesterday, Nii-san."

"...I know."

Seeing me nod in agreement, Mitsuki got up from the bed and walked to the door.

I should have locked the door, so Mitsuki must have entered using the master key.

But having slept for so long, it was normal for her to check up on me due to worry.

"So, Nii-san, I will be waiting for you at the dining hall."

"Yeah, I'll be there in a sec."

I watched Mitsuki exit the room after I replied.

Seeing her leave, for some reason, I felt a slight prick inside my chest.

Water dripped onto the bedsheets.

My tears still had not stopped.

<center>*</center>

'—Good job, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Believing in you turned out to be correct. Thanks to you stopping those impetuous fellows, "White" Leviathan was taken out. I am truly grateful to you now that this threat is no longer left unhandled.'

On the screen of the portable terminal, Major Loki spoke with a cheerful smile.

The venue was my room.

After having dinner with Mitsuki, I suddenly received Major Loki's call while I was resting.

Although I had plenty of complaints for him, he suddenly thanked me at the very start, making me lose my opportunity to speak.

Major Loki was always like that.

He never let the other side take control of the pace.

"Sure... Thanks."

As though I was thinking "how could you say that shamelessly," I still feigned respect on the surface and saluted him.

Major Loki must have considered both of two cases.

As long as I stayed clear of interfering, that would be best.

If I intervened, then backed into a corner, I would surely finish the job.

He must have been certain of that.

And he most likely predicted the latter to be more likely, hence he goaded someone else to take action.

The NIFL leader who had sent that team was perhaps Major Loki's rival opposing his interests. Although this incident did not get blown up into a huge deal, that person might be forced to take responsibility and lose influence.

—Supposing things happened as I imagined it was only natural that he did not send out the real Sleipnir.

Because Major Loki could not possibly send out his team on a mission that was presumed to fail.

'I believe that results are everything. No matter what the process, as long as the result approaches the best outcome, then the action you took is the correct one. As long as you maintain correctness, I will believe in you and praise you. If there's anything you want, please feel free to speak up. I will grant you a favor no matter what it is. Think of it as the reward for this job.'

"No... I don't have anything I want right now, so let me think about it."

'I see, then tell me once you've thought of something. But before long, Midgardsormr will be restored and the next time we can communicate will be another crisis. So, I'm still counting on you here on—My Fafnir."

The call ended with disturbing words.

If possible, I really did not want to see him again, but that was probably impossible.

I sighed gloomily. Just as I was about to lie down in bed, the terminal's screen indicated incoming mail.

"..."

After reading the contents, I stood up.

I had to go outside but it was near curfew time. I guess I should give Mitsuki a heads up in person before going out today.

I left my room and went up the second floor stairs.

As soon as I opened the door to the room that Mitsuki usually used, I saw Mitsuki look up from reading on the sofa, glaring at me disapprovingly.

"—I know that leaving the door unlocked is my oversight, Nii-san, but you should knock before entering, should you not?"

"Who cares? We're siblings so there's no need to be concerned about that, right?"

"...Huh?"

Mitsuki stared at me with extreme surprise.

"Hmm? Did I say something weird?"

"No... Nothing, you just feel different from before, Nii-san..."

"Really? I think I've always been like this, oh, Mitsuki—I need to go out for a bit right now."

"Going out is fine... But the curfew is 8pm, remember?"

"I know. Then I'm off."

"...Take care, Nii-san."

Until the very end, Mitsuki showed a very troubled expression but unable to figure out what was wrong no matter how much I pondered, I could only tilt my head in puzzlement.

Leaving the dorm, I looked up to see the sky filled with stars as far as the eye could see.

On a night several days before, I seemed to have gone out at this kind of hour as well.

While I was thinking this and faced forward again, I saw a shadow quivering near the door.

"What...?"

I frowned and approached, only to hear what sounded like people arguing in whispers.

"...H-Hey, could you not push? He will discover our presence!"

"...I think there's no need for us to hide."

I quietly looked outside the door to see my classmates pushing one another.

It was Lisa, Firill, Ren and Ariella. All classes were suspended today, but everyone was dressed in uniform.

"Are you looking for Mitsuki?"

I thought they probably came for school or student council business, so I asked that.

"N-No! P-Purely coincidence! We all happened to pass by during a stroll in the evening! Nothing more than that!"

Lisa glared at me, looking particularly flustered.

"...No, we came to check on your condition. Lisa invited all of us."

Firill quietly corrected Lisa.

"My condition...?"

Feeling surprised, I looked at Lisa to seek confirmation. Turning red, she looked away.

"Mm."

Ren tugged my clothing then showed me her terminal's screen.

'Mitsuki-chan contacted us to say you did not wake up the whole time.'

"O-Ohhh... Because I was totally exhausted yesterday."

After performing two transmutations beyond my own generating capacity, I was apparently quite tired out. By the time I woke up, it was already almost dinner time.

But judging from the conversation earlier, Mitsuki had wanted to rouse me from bed even earlier. In spite of that, I remained soundly asleep, which was probably why she discussed with the others.

After hearing my answer, Ren typed on the terminal then showed it to me.

'Seeing you are so lively, our visit was a waste of effort.'

"...So you were that worried about me. Thank you, everyone."

Putting my hand on Ren's head, I thanked them.

"Hua!?"

Turning bright red, Ren brushed my hand off and hid behind Ariella.

"—You really are quite thoughtless. A girl's head isn't something you touch casually."

Ariella sighed.

"Sorry, because her height is just right, I did it without thinking..."

"Without thinking huh... Whatever, Ren doesn't seem angry, so I'll let you off this time."

"...She's not angry?"

Looking at Ren's pouting face behind Ariella, I asked her that.

"She's just shy. She bites when she's angry, so be careful."

"...Got it, I'll be very careful."

I nodded respectfully. At this point, Lisa interrupted:

"Mononobe Yuu! Since we met by chance, there is something I shall tell you while I am here!"

"...You're still insisting it's by chance?"

Firill poked fun at her quietly. Lisa ignored her and continued:

"Rumor has it that yesterday's black light which halted Leviathan's movement was your doing... Is that true?"

"Oh... Yeah, well, it's true."

Judging from the fact that she called it a rumor, I guess what I did had not been publicized.

Telling the truth might lead to trouble... But I somehow felt hesitant towards lying in response to Lisa's question.

Probably because her eyes were very serious.

"So it is true... Then it cannot be helped."

Lisa crossed her arms and sighed deeply.

"Cannot be helped?"

"Indeed, your accomplishment of saving our family must be commended concretely. Hence, I hereby promote you to 'probationary classmate'!"

Pointing at me, Lisa declared.

"You said promote... Then what was I before?"

"Of course you were just an outsider!"

Seeing her assert that in such a matter-of-fact expression, I slumped my shoulders dejectedly.

"Well... Although it's better than being an outsider, so I still can't become a classmate?"

"Of course, if you thought you could become a classmate so easily, you are sorely mistaken. Please work hard!"

After saying that, Lisa turned to Firill and the others.

"Very well, everyone, let us return. The dorm supervisor will be angry if we don't hurry."

"Okay... We're of now. See you tomorrow."

Firill lowered her head and bowed to me.

Ren turned her face away while Ariella waved to me, then they walked away.

Seeing the four of them off, I then went in the opposite direction.

It felt good to be acknowledged.

While I felt my mood become relaxed, I walked along my way.

Following the same route, I came to the beach where I first met her.

The silver-haired girl who had called me out was still standing at the water's edge with her feet immersed in seawater.

A line of footprints extended from the breakwater all the way to her current location.

"—Iris."

With longer strides than the girl—Iris—I walked across the beach, calling her name.

"Mononobe... Sorry for calling you out again."

"No worries. What is it this time?"

"The same thing as last time."

Iris smiled and approached me.

"The same?"

"Yes... What we didn't finish talking about last time."

Iris nodded and gazed directly into my eyes—Then she continued and said:

"Umm... Can we be friends... Mononobe?"

Hearing this question, my mouth gaped open in surprise.

"What are you talking about? Iris, we're already friends long ago."

"Eh? No way! When did I become friends with you, Mononobe?"

"Uh, I don't know how to answer even if you ask me when... I saw you as a friend very early on!"

Hearing my answer, Iris exhaled deeply.

"Mononobe, you... always give me what I want the most, so surely, you..."

"Huh?"

Because her voice was too quiet, I could not quite catch the latter half.

"Nothing, it's nothing! Putting that aside, I have to somehow reward you this time."

With cheeks blushing red, Iris came even closer to me and made a gentle smile.

"...Thank you, Mononobe."

Standing on tiptoe, Iris approached my face.

That moment—the gentle sensation from a mere instant's contact between lips—was the first I had ever experienced in my life.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v01_288-289.jpg|thumb]]

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| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Afterword|Afterword]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2020-05-17T02:53:18Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 3 */

==Chapter 4 - Roaring Fafnir==

===Part 1===

"Stay away... Stay away..."

Mitsuki pleaded while her tiny shoulders shook.

She pleaded to the blue giant approaching from afar, the "Blue" Hekatonkheir that was trampling houses, roads, trees, cars, flattening everything underfoot.

And all I could do was watch. Even weaker than Mitsuki, I was unable to do anything.

I wanted power, the power to make Mitsuki's wish come true, the power to eliminate all hardship, the power to pummel that thing which was making Mitsuki sad!

—Neun, demand, confirm—

At this moment, I heard an emotionless voice in my mind. Crack, I saw a tiny sapling, breaking through the asphalt surface of the road to emerge.

—Circuits of omniscience, partial release, consider, aligned interests, proposal, make a deal—

What? Who the heck are you?

Fragmented words poured into my mind directly. The originally intermittent voice gradually gained fluency.

—I, am, Gaia's oldest, dragon species, Zwo. Known as Kiskanu according to Acht, or ''Yggdrasil''—

"What..."

I could not help but exclaim quietly in surprise.

Seven extraordinary organisms had suddenly appeared on Earth. According to announcements, they were monsters called dragons, the same type as what were recorded in legends. And one of them matched the name the voice just told me.

Could this be... the green dragon, "Green" Yggdrasil?

I looked downwards at the tiny sapling and felt myself shuddering.

What's going on? Is this real?

I had never heard of dragons being able to converse with humans. More importantly, whether dragons possessed that level of intellect was still unknown.

For days on end, the television had been broadcasting news about dragon disasters. They also saw dragons as monsters impossible to communicate with.

—Again, confirmation, demand consideration, make a deal with me—

A deal...? Speaking of which, I had said the same thing earlier.

What the heck are you offering me? And what price do I have to pay?

—Offer is, power. Demand is, extermination—

Extermination? Extermination of what...?

—All dragon species, apart from myself—

What...? Aren't you on the same side? You're a dragon like them, right?

—No, we are different beings. They are guardians whose missions have ended, living on without purpose, existences causing harm, existences who have outlived their usefulness, what the planet seeks is Neun—

Guardians? Harm? Neun?

Because it was too sudden, I could not even understand half of what it had said.

What I got the basic gist was only that Yggdrasil regarded other dragons as enemies. If Hekatonkheir was called our common enemy, then our interests were definitely aligned.

...Will I really obtain power if I made a deal with this thing?

Power capable of driving away that giant—

While I was lost in deep thought, the blue monster continued to lumber towards our town.

"Stay away—!!"

Mitsuki fired a full-powered strike with a scream.

Although her attack gouged a massive hole in Hekatonkheir's body, the wound recovered instantly.

No good. Hekatonkheir was immortal. No matter what damage was inflicted, it was pointless.

"...!"

Even so, Mitsuki still confronted the giant bravely.

"Mitsuki... You just don't give up, do you?"

I said calmly to her.

"How can I possibly... give up?"

Mitsuki answered in a hoarse voice.

"Why? Father and Mother have evacuated already. Everyone else has fled long ago. There's nothing left that needs to be protected at all costs like this—"

"There is! This place has our home! That town is where we were able to become family!!"

Mitsuki yelled, interrupting me.

"...Okay, I see now."

I exhaled lightly and placed my hand on Mitsuki's head.

"Nii-san?"

"Here on—Leave ''everything'' to me."

I made my decision.

—I want power. I agree to the deal!

I spoke as loudly as I could in my mind.

No matter who it was, no matter what kind of price, I cared not.

So long as it could change the fate of the town that was about to disappear, it would be enough.

—Acknowledged, connecting—

What flowed into me then was a power completely different from what I originally envisioned. With no energy included at all, it was a power that was unable to take effect independently.

It was a vast amount of information regarding power that used to exist in the past.

And at the same time, I lost many things, losing things I needed as Mononobe Yuu.

Hence, I was no longer Mononobe Yuu.

Starting from that point, I had become ''something'' different.

===Part 2===

WOOOOOOOOOOOO...

I woke up to the siren blaring. Then I immediately saw Iris' face appear before my eyes.

"Uh..."

Seeing Iris sound asleep at a distance where we could feel each other's breathing, I instantly became wide awake.

I should have had my back towards her, but unknowingly, I had turned around in my sleep somehow.

Fortunately, she was no longer clinging to me, so I left Iris and got off the bed.

Inside the room where the lights were still switched off, only the monitor glowed brightly.

The siren was not coming from the monitor but the speakers for communications.

This was a warning that Leviathan had approached the alert zone in the waters.

On screen, the battle was finally beginning.

Just outside Midgardsormr, NIFL's battleships were blocking Leviathan's path. A giant silhouette could be seen in the sea. It looked like it was swimming at a shallower depth compared to yesterday.

Pillars of water rose in its surroundings.

"Torpedoes...?"

Attacks were apparently starting at last.

In the next instant, a hole opened up in the sea.

It was Leviathan's ability—Antigravity. The power to push away and reject everything.

Pushed away, the seawater formed giant waves, striking and sinking many ships.

Judging from the fact that the ships appeared to be pea-sized in comparison, that hole's diameter reached almost ten kilometers. Then a giant creature surfaced from that hole.

"That's... 'White' Leviathan."

Despite having seen it on photographs before, upon seeing a live video feed like now, I could not help but feel shocked by that overwhelming presence.

The screen had switched to an angle as though the camera was on a ship. Using an antigravity field to float into the air, Leviathan's impressive body was being filmed from below. It was so gigantic that it could not fit inside the screen. The surrounding ships looked almost like toys.

According to the speculation of scientists, this dragon might be mutated from a blue whale.

Indeed, with front flippers, tail fins and an air hole on it's back, it shared the same characteristics as marine mammals. However, it definitely did not look like the same type of creature.

Covered all over by a white outer shell, it had a giant horn on its head and rows of sharp teeth like a carnivorous predator, not something one could still consider the same species as the blue whale.

The fleet could be seen firing anti-air guns and surface-to-air missiles, but no matter what was fired, they all stopped in midair before being repelled.

Struck directly by missiles that were sent back, the ships exploded and scattered.

—I finally realized what Mitsuki meant by deflecting back.

Looking at the half-wrecked fleet, I began to think at the same time.

If one wanted to breach the repulsive field using projectiles, the only way would be to break through using massive momentum. Since the enemy's ability was already understood, NIFL must have used high-speed shells as much as possible, but to end up with this outcome... It was probably because they had yet to find out the maximum output of Leviathan's repulsive field, right?

"Did lots of people just die in the attack?

I heard a trembling voice behind me. I looked back to see Iris staring at the monitor, having just woken up.

"...It's probably okay. Because the NIFL battleships attacking on the frontlines are almost all unmanned ships controlled remotely through cloud systems."

Anti-dragon battles were essentially battles where sacrifice was inevitable. Hence, NIFL would always send out unmanned fighter jets and fleets. Hopefully, there were no human losses.

At this moment, what appeared from the satellite view was a red marker. The marker was approaching Leviathan at high speed.

"An ICBM—"

Assuming this was a weapon under NIFL's jurisdiction, I had a pretty good idea what it was.

The anti-dragon ICBM, Gáe Bolg, named after the spear used by a Celtic mythological hero, was their latest weapon. Tipped with mithril, it was able to pierce any dragon's skin to cause an explosion inside.

''Of all the weapons whose development I participated in'', this was supposed to be the most effective.

This was the manner in which I made effective use of the power I had obtained from my deal with Yggdrasil. And now, it was time for it to show results.

Gáe Bolg would use multiple boosters to accelerate during its descent to reach a final speed beyond Mach 40. It was most likely the fastest projectile weapon on Earth.

The strongest spear created by mankind was about to strike Leviathan from the air.

The video image instantly distorted while a violent explosion turned the screen white.

After a slight delay, nearby screens also turned into white images.

"What's the outcome...?"

Iris asked with worry.

"No idea. As long as it hits, any dragon should not be able to come out unscathed but—"

Even after the bright light faded, the screen was still shrouded in smoke, showing nothing.

But after a while when the smoke had dissipated, the giant white body swam out from the smoke.

The repulsive field pushed smoke away while Leviathan emerged completely unharmed.

"Why is it fine despite such a strong explosion?"

Iris groaned with disbelief.

"Whether the missile or the explosion, they were probably pushed back by the repulsive field. Judging from the aftermath with smoke everywhere, the repulsive field contracted momentarily. Just a bit more, and it could have reached the dragon's body."

Ultimately, using my power was still not enough.

Leviathan moved past NIFL's fleet to approach Midgardsormr's first defensive line.

Spread in a circle, 20m-tall cube-shaped units deployed round lens openings.

Immediately, dozens of bright light beams shot at Leviathan.

"This time... Tactical high-energy lasers."

As a laser weapon, delivery was near lightspeed, far surpassing that of Gáe Bolg, striking the instant it was shot. However, the lasers were distorted unnaturally in front of Leviathan and ended up flying past the dragon.

"M-Mononobe! What happened this time?"

Iris got off the bed, crouched down next to me and asked.

"By my guess, it probably used the repulsive field to warp space, how troublesome... It seems to adjust countermeasures depending on the situation. It probably judged the lasers as unblockable."

I had also participated in the development of tactical high-energy lasers.

Because my only friend at NIFL was in the technological development department, I would often visit during my training breaks, ''passing my knowledge'' to him discreetly.

One could say that NIFL's technology was raised by many levels using the ''knowledge of power'' I had received from Yggdrasil.

However... This weapon was not enough to defeat a dragon either.

"Ahhh... It's breaching the first defensive line."

Iris sighed with disappointment.

"No, the plan is apparently to let it pass. The Dragon Subjugation Squad is already waiting at the second defensive line."

I pointed to another screen.

In the air above the laser units, the girls were wielding their respective weapons. Lisa was in the center of the group. With her fictional armament raised—Gungnir—she said something.

Immediately, the units of the first and second defensive lines all fired lasers simultaneously.

This was a saturation attack executed from two fronts. Using spatial distortion as evasive measures would not be able to handle attacks coming from all directions.

A number of lasers struck Leviathan, causing damage for the first time. Scorching, slicing through its outer shell, the lasers left numerous burns on the surface.

However, the target was far too massive. Perhaps it was not even enough to inflict pain. Although Leviathan was injured to some extent, it still continued to advance unfazed.

Then with Lisa in the lead, the Dragon Subjugation Squad attacked.

The defense offered by spatial distortion had reached a limit. Leviathan could no longer handle all attacks. A thick beam of light released by Lisa pierced Leviathan's left flipper.

At this moment, the white monster bared its sharp teeth, reacting for the first time.

"..."

Next to me, Iris suddenly clutched her flank.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"...This is bad, it's angry... Everyone, run away—"

Through the nightgown's sheer fabric, I could see the dragon mark glowing intensely.

Around Leviathan's giant horn, the surrounding scenery became distorted.

Then Leviathan opened its massive jaws. Although I could not hear any sound from the video feed, I knew the dragon was roaring.

The sea—It split apart.

Everything along Leviathan's route of advance was sent flying away. Giant laser units broke and scattered, falling into the surrounding sea.

Originally in formation, the Dragon Subjugation Squad was also scattered in disarray.

BOOM—A low vibration also reached the shelter where we were.

Looking at the satellite view, let alone the second defensive line, even the third and final defensive lines had collapsed in some parts.

It had probably deployed a repulsive field in front of itself then shot it like a cannonball.

"This is... quite bad."

I remarked bitterly.

The attack just now clearly showed the gap in power between humans and dragons.

The Dragon Subjugation Squad gathered and attacked again. Leviathan was still quite far from Midgard.

Lisa's face was seen for an instant on the screen, showing no signs of giving up.

However, if one were to draw early conclusions based on the battle so far—

Just as I was thinking that, the shelter's speakers could be heard.

'Student No. 8 of Brynhildr Class, Mononobe Yuu—Please hurry to the command center in the clock tower. I repeat—'

Iris looked at me in surprise.

"Mononobe, they're calling for you?"

"Yeah... That's right."

An ominous feeling turned into certainty. My fears had evidently turned into reality.

"What's with you? Why are you making such a scary face...?"

"Iris, put on your uniform quickly and come to the command center with me."

I instructed her swiftly. There was probably not much time left.

"Eh? I thought I'm not supposed to leave the shelter...?"

"Ignore that, hurry! If you stay here any longer—You might be killed!"

===Part 3===

Holding Iris' hand, I ran along the corridor.

In any case, I must acquire a correct grasp of the situation first. I only hope that a certain person was not the enemy, but—

"Mononobe! Explain to me properly!"

"There's no time. Just put up with it and follow me!"

I yelled forcefully in agitation. Iris went red in the face for some reason.

"...Yes."

Iris replied politely and nodded.

Bringing Iris who had suddenly become obedient, I arrived at the clock tower. Since it was currently underground, the clock was not visible but the building had other functions.

The clock tower was currently used as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's command center.

I placed my student ID on the panel sensor in front of the command center. Probably because I was not authorized for entry, the door did not open automatically, but instead, Shinomiya-sensei's voice spoke.

'—Mononobe Yuu?'

"Yes, I was called here."

'I only summoned you. Why did you bring her along?'

My taking Iris out of the shelter seemed to have been discovered already.

"Because I believe that Iris will be at risk if she's left alone in the shelter."

'...'

Getting silence as the response, I concluded that my premonition was correct.

"—I would like to have a word with you, Shinomiya-sensei, could you please come out?"

I said that and waited for a while. Then the command center's door opened and Shinomiya-sensei walked out. With dark circles under her eyes, she probably had not slept.

"I don't have time. Please make it brief."

Shinomiya-sensei had her arms crossed before her chest while she looked at me and Iris next to me.

"Iris, cover your ears for now."

"Eh? Why?"

Iris widened her eyes in surprise. With a solemn expression, I said:

"Because I think it's best that you don't listen to this."

"...Got it."

Iris obediently covered her ears with her hands. After making sure she had done so, I exchanged gazes with Shinomiya-sensei.

"I'll ask directly. Shinomiya-sensei, did you accept NIFL's request?"

"...What are you talking about?"

After pausing for a while, that was what Shinomiya-sensei asked in return.

"I'm guessing the other side probably issued a one-sided notice that they will deploy troops to prevent the worst-case scenario, right? Deciding it was impossible to stop them, Shinomiya-sensei, to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, you tried to separate me from Iris... Am I wrong?"

"—Looks like there is no point for me to cover it up any further."

Shinomiya shook her head with a solemn expression then said:

"Indeed... I decided not to stop NIFL's action but I did not agree completely with their demands either. My additional condition was that they are forbidden to make a move before the final defensive line is breached. They would have taken forceful measures if I refused their demands outright. With that, we would have no chance of winning because we are not trained in anti-personnel combat. Hence, this is the barely acceptable compromise."

Shinomiya-sensei explained her reasons in a forceful voice.

"At the critical moment, you intend to let NIFL stain their hands, right?"

"...If someone has to do it, that would be a feasible option. Already... I don't want Mononobe Mitsuki to bear another cross."

Shinomiya-sensei lowered her head, nodding with a somber expression. Her voice seemed to carry heavy emotions.

"Bearing a cross—you mean the matter of your younger sister?"

I asked directly.

"...So you know. Indeed, turned into a Kraken, my younger sister was killed by Mononobe Mitsuki. I ordered her to do so."

Shinomiya-sensei looked up and answered with a commander's face.

"What... It was your order? Why—"

"Because I was the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain at the time and only Mononobe Mitsuki's antimatter projectile could defeat the Kraken."

Shinomiya-sensei spoke without changing expression. I could not read the emotions in the dark depths of her eyes.

Although I had heard during class that there was only one D who could create antimatter, I never expected it would be Mitsuki.

"...Mononobe Mitsuki followed my orders without saying a word. By her own hand, she killed her best friend. And this time, she intends to do the deed again. But if such a heavy burden were to be imposed upon her again... Her mind won't withstand it."

Best friend... This was my first time hearing that Shinomiya Miyako and Mitsuki had that kind of relationship.

"—Shinomiya-sensei, you accepted NIFL's request for Mitsuki's sake as well as to delay killing Iris immediately, right?"

"Although I absolutely do not consider that the best decision."

Shinomiya-sensei nodded bitterly.

"No... It's enough as long as it's not the worst. Anyway, I'm relieved that you don't seem like you're in a hurry to get rid of Iris."

"I used to be a D even though I've lost my powers. I won't treat any of my juniors lightly, no matter whom."

Shinomiya-sensei spoke in a strong and powerful tone of voice.

"I get it. Then just leave the rest to me."

"What?"

Hearing what I said, Shinomiya-sensei frowned.

"I'll drive away those interfering guys from the army. Letting Iris die as a human was the mission I accepted, so I don't intend to let anyone else have it."

"You'll drive away the army? Don't be ridiculous, what can you do as one person?"

"As long as the opponents are humans, there is nothing I can't do."

I simply said the truth. As for what expression was on my face at the time, I had no idea, but an expression of fear did flash across Shinomiya-sensei's face.

"...You..."

"An ambush is best set up as early as possible. Shinomiya-sensei, please tell me the army's route of invasion."

Iris and I were running together along an underground passage in Midgard.

"Hey Mononobe! We're heading out to defeat the people coming to kill me, is that really true?"

"Yes, the team sent by the enemy is very likely Sleipnir, the special forces under my former commanding officer Major Loki's direct command. I'm gonna drive them all away."

Although there was no concrete evidence, this possibility was the most likely seeing as a D was the target.

"Is it really okay... for me to come along?"

"That's actually the safest way. As long as you stay at my side, Iris, I won't let you die—until the moment I decide to kill you."

"Ooh... You're not allowed to say something like that!"

"Huh? Something like what?"

"What I mean is stop saying such cool things!"

Iris yelled with her face red.

The passage's wall was marked "A-6." Shinomiya-sensei said she opened this passage to the army.

I had memorized Midgard's map for the most part. Suppose the harbor and the beach were considered the front of the island, then this passage should be leading to the cliffs and rocky shore on the back of the island.

That direction happened to be nearer to the side where the final defensive line was partially damaged from Leviathan's attack.

NIFL probably intended to invade through the damaged parts of Midgardsormr. If the final defensive line had remained intact, trying to enter Midgard without permission would have been impossible even for an elite team.

There was a flight of stairs ahead in the passage. Humid wind caressed our cheeks. The partition wall for the ground level entrance had apparently been opened.

"Iris, starting now, keep walking 2m behind me."

"...Okay."

Originally following me closely, Iris did as told and kept a bit of distance.

"Hoo..."

I exhaled greatly, gradually switching away from the consciousness that had grown lax from school life.

Anti-personnel weapon—AT Nergal.

Using the dark matter extracted by my right hand to perform transmutation, I formed my familiar gun.

Holding the grip, I approached the stairs. In front of the stairs, a rectangular blue sky could be seen.

"—"

I rushed to the top of the stairs in one breath then peered at the situation outside.

There was a vast open space outside, roughly twenty meters in radius, with tropical plants growing all around, blocking visibility farther ahead. However, faint sounds of waves could be heard, so the sea should be quite close.

"Mononobe...?"

Iris climbed up the stairs, panting heavily as she called out my name.

"Don't worry, Iris, just stay there quietly and don't move. I'll take care of them soon."

I stroked Iris' beautiful hair gently then walked to the ground.

Although invisible, there were people present.

Focusing my concentration, I keenly sensed other people's gazes.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. This was murderous intent that I had forgotten for a while now.

Vision, hearing, touch. These senses gradually became clear.

As though waking up from sweet slumber, the world was gradually dyed by the vivid color of danger.

Now that I think back, when I first arrived at this island, my mood felt as though I was having a dream.

That feeling was correct. I had been sleeping, enjoying a happy dream.

But it was impossible to fight in a state of slumber.

Hence, I must wake up briefly from the comfortable dream.

I could not feel fear, because I had already lost the emotion of ''fear'' three years ago.

Only now, there was no need for me to adhere to Midgard's ways. This was a familiar battlefield for me.

The corners of my lips naturally rose.

The presences numbered one, two, three...

"...Eight people. Just as expected, it's Sleipnir."

Sleipnir was the name of the eight-legged war horse appearing in Norse mythology. NIFL's Sleipnir team was composed of eight members as the legs and one person as the head.

"I can't believe you guys have the gall to steal my prey. Have you prepared yourselves?"

My tone of voice naturally turned violent.

The pressure of a battlefield quietly made me excited.

No answer. Neither did I hear any unnatural sounds.

Just the way it should be. Because among my subordinates, there were no idiots foolish enough to answer these words.

Only murderous intent gradually grew tense. The instant of gunfire—Now was the moment!

I pointed Nergal's muzzle at the jungle and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Zzzzzzap!

"Gah!?"

A scream came from the depths of the jungle, accompanied by a popping sound.

The Nergal was a projectile-based electroshock gun.

It did not simply paralyze the target. As long as it hit, the target was almost guaranteed to faint. Even if they could wake up immediately, they would still be unable to walk for several hours. Although it was a non-lethal weapon for subduing people, it was quite a dangerous weapon.

While running towards my next prey, I generated dark matter in the magazine, transmuting bullets.

My dark matter generating capacity was far less than other Ds. Although I could not transmute more than ten kilograms of matter, below that—on the level of bullets for example—as long as my stamina permitted, I could create as many times as I wanted.

Nergal's capacity was nine shots, but as long as I was the user, there was no worry of running out of bullets.

—Over there!

I used Nergal to fire consecutively at enemy presences I sensed in the jungle, but I did not get the feeling I had hit anything.

As though chasing after my trail, shots fired from the right scarred the ground.

"Tsk!"

I returned fire to pin down the enemy while jumping into the jungle. Then I charged at the enemy who had evaded Nergal.

I saw a man dressed in camouflage gear, bullet vest, helmet and a mask, trying to fire his submachine gun at point blank range.

—Too slow!

Before the man could shoot, I kicked the submachine gun's front end upwards.

Rat-at-at-at-at—The stream of bullets struck the leaves in the tree.

I charged in front of the man who was exposing an opening, then pulled Nergal's trigger at point blank range.

"Gah..."

The man's entire body convulsed. With eyes rolled up, he fainted.

The other side did not persist in attacking. I took a closer look and saw three Sleipnir members ignoring me to head towards the entrance to the underground passage.

"—I'm really being underestimated here."

I immediately charged those men.

Clong.

Along my route of advance, a black and round object rolled out..

—A grenade.

"So... what!?"

Anti-explosive armament—Uruk 73E.

Generating dark matter underfoot, I transmuted it into part of the armor plating used by NIFL tanks.

Using guns with infinite ammunition combined with shields created from transmutation, that was my original fighting style. Because Nergal was enough for offense, I essentially used dark matter only for defense and replenishing ammunition.

Siegfried's high firepower technique was not needed against humans.

Boom—The impact and sound of the explosion erupted under the armor plating. Instantly, the world turned upside down.

The grenade's explosion had sent the armor plating into the air with me included.

However, my gaze did not leave the enemy.

While my view was upside down, I fired Nergal consecutively.

Since I was firing from midair, it was impossible to aim precisely, but I managed to hit one of the men. Dropping the gun in his hand, he also collapsed on the ground.

However, the remaining men pointed their muzzles at me while I was still in the air. I could sense five sets of murderous gazes on my body.

There were two mobile enemies in the plaza while the remainder were amidst the trees.

Of the presences in the jungle, one was positioned farther away, most likely a sniper.

Using my low generating capacity to make a shield covering all vectors of enemy attacks would lower the thickness no matter what. Too thin a barrier would get penetrated by rifle bullets.

—In that case, I only needed to defend precisely.

My accelerated consciousness and expanded senses in the battlefield were raised to an even higher level.

Switching modes in my brain, I switched to a certain being that Major Loki wanted to mold me into.

Back then, Major Loki had said:

Your talent is neither the ability to create dark matter as a male, nor making inexplicably appropriate suggestions in weaponry development. Rather—You resemble me greatly.

What he meant by that... I still did not understand, even now.

But that existence, which was gradually constructed inside me, Major Loki called it "Fafnir."

Rat-at-at-at-at—!!

Anti-materiel armor—Damascus 09P.

Multiple gunshots rang out, but I had simultaneously created five small yet thick shields of steel along the firing lines.

The bullets struck the shields exactly as though they were attracted to them.

—Ammunition replenished.

While descending, I reloaded Nergal's bullets using dark matter transmutation.

Then I fired the instant I landed. Of the two men remaining in the open space, I was aiming at the one on the right, but the other guy rushed out and got hit.

"Gah!?"

Grunting in pain, the man collapsed.

With that, only one person remained mobile in the plaza with three in the jungle.

I did not shoot but pointed Nergal's muzzle at the last person remaining in the plaza.

Judging from the way someone took a bullet for him, this guy was most likely the team captain. In that case, I might be able to use him as a hostage.

"Nobody move."

To make sure the three in the jungle heard, I yelled loudly.

"You... monster!"

The man originally wanted to aim his gun at me, but despite cursing the whole time, he stopped his motions. The attacks from the jungle also stopped.

"Hey, is that the way to speak to the former captain... Hmm? Who the heck... are you?"

His face was obscured by the mask, but the voice did not belong to anyone in Sleipnir.

"W-Who the heck are you!? What is your goal!?"

He did not recognize me...?

On further thought, they were too weak, after all.

I took another look. Their equipment was different too. Members of Sleipnir were supposed to be equipped with MP Nergal, but I could not see that kind of gun among these guys' equipment.

It looked like they were not the people sent by Major Loki.

Had he kept his promise to me? No... Judging from the number of people, eight, I could feel that this was his doing.

Most likely, he had abstained from action, instead goading someone else to do it. Major Loki was someone who was capable of doing that nonchalantly.

—However, there was meaning for me to accept Major Loki's request.

Had I refused, the team he sent to Midgard would undoubtedly be Sleipnir. With that, winning would not be this easy.

I exhaled and glared at the man who was trembling from anger.

"—Are you fine with this? If you continue to fight, more of your team will be injured, yes? There are currently four people incapacitated and four unscathed as well. If you intend to retreat with your comrades, now ought to be the limit."

"..."

"If anyone else is rendered immobile, that person will have to stay, leaving evidence behind whether dead or alive. Midgard simply decided not to interfere in NIFL's operation but did not grant you permission to come ashore. Are you really fine with letting the outside world know of this?"

"Ku..."

Still glaring at me, the man put down his gun and made a gesture with his hand.

With a rustling from the jungle, men emerged and picked up their teammates. The initial spot where I had shot with Nergal also had someone emerge with a teammate on his back.

"—Retreat."

The man in front of me issued a brief order. Picking up one of his teammates, he also disappeared among the trees.

I stayed on alert until all presences had gone afar.

Amidst the sound of waves, faint engine noises could be heard. They probably used some kind of boat to leave.

"Phew..."

I exhaled and relaxed my body, exiting combat mode, sinking the briefly awakened Fafnir into the depths of the subconscious.

"Iris, it's okay now!"

I yelled and Iris poked her head out from the underground passage entrance.

"I-I'm so glad... Mononobe, you're still alive..."

Iris ran over with tears in her eyes.

"I said I'd be fine."

"B-But... I kept hearing gunshots... I was so scared I didn't dare look out... Whenever I thought you might have been shot... I-I—"

Large droplets of tears flowed out of her eyes.

"...You're such a crybaby."

Despite feigning a look of exasperation, I actually felt slightly relieved. If she had seen me earlier, Iris might not have approached me so naturally now.

"Mononobe... Don't die, okay? Absolutely do not die, okay?"

"Come on, you should be worrying about your own life first. Although NIFL's intervention was prevented, unless Leviathan's is stopped, I'll still have to kill you, Iris."

"Yeah... I know, that's fine too. It's so weird... I'm actually not afraid of being killed."

Saying that, Iris wiped her tears away.

"Mononobe, what's left is to observe the battle against Leviathan, right? Then let's return to the shelter."

"—No, returning is useless."

"Eh? Why?"

Iris cocked her head in puzzlement.

"You saw Leviathan's powers, right? No matter how deep underground you hide, all it needs to do is approach the ground above would be easily forced apart, so returning to the shelter will only delay things slightly. Compared to doing that, even though it might bring the time limit forward, I'd like to do what I can do."

Holding Iris' hand, I walked over to the path connected to the plaza. The sound of waves became very near. Soon, we would reach a place with open visibility.

This was on a tall cliff, overlooking the sky and the sea. A line of Midgardsormr's laser units could be seen near the horizon, but a portion was broken from Leviathan's attack.

"Although out of sight, Leviathan is over there. If it breaches the final defensive line, we will intercept it here."

I pointed towards the other side of the damaged units and spoke.

"Ehhhh!? Just us? That's too difficult..."

"No, from what I saw before, Iris, your attack is the most effective against Leviathan."

"My attack...?"

"That's right, Iris, you're able to generate dark matter at specific locations. Just by creating explosives near the enemy's body, you should be able to do definite damage to it."

Causing explosions inside the enemy's body would be even better, but unfortunately, dark matter was very unstable prior to transmutation. As soon as it came into contact with matter apart from the person who generated it, the dark matter would vanish.

Just by transmuting it, dark matter could be used to create material for stopping bullets, but when maintained in the state of dark matter, it was so fragile that even collisions with nitrogen and oxygen molecules would gradually wear it away.

Hence, trying to send dark matter into Leviathan's body was impossible.

"Me... fighting Leviathan..."

"Yes, don't hold back and do it. I will also—do everything I can."

Then at this moment, a voice came from above.

"I remember you mentioning that you do not have the power to defeat Leviathan, Nii-san."

"What—Mitsuki?"

I looked up at the sky in surprise, only to see Mitsuki floating in the air. Holding a glowing fictional armament in the form of an iridescent bow, she was gazing upon us strictly.

I did not feel too surprised when watching from afar or through videos, but it still startled me to see from up close a human hovering in the air like this.

According to what Shinomiya-sensei said in class, flying was possible just by maintaining dark matter in the state of a fictional armament while intermittently transmuting air. Given the lack of dark matter at my disposal, this skill was not possible for me.

"Nii-san, why are you here? The same goes for Iris-san too... Please think about your position."

"S-Sorry, Mitsuki-chan..."

Iris apologized on reflex whereas I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Iris, you don't need to apologize. This battle concerns your life. You have the right to try your hardest to survive. We will intercept Leviathan here."

Hearing this, Mitsuki's expression grew even more serious.

"Are you... serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. Rather, why are you here, Mitsuki? Weren't you fighting alongside Lisa and the others?"

Hearing me ask that, Mitsuki clenched her fist and answered gravely.

"...The third defensive line has been breached. There is no turning back."

"What...? Mitsuki, you can shoot antimatter, right? Even that move doesn't work?"

The trump card that had defeated "Purple" Kraken in the past was one of my greatest hopes.

But Mitsuki shook her head.

"It does not. Very regrettably, after using laser attacks to bait Leviathan into distorting space, I finally landed one hit with difficulty... But the explosion was repressed by a repulsive field and could not cause serious damage."

"No way..."

My hopes were easily dashed in an instant. I could not find any words to say.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 245.jpg|thumb]]

Mitsuki gazed down at me and explained the situation calmly.

"Whether poison that would spread from a single hit or a chain of attacks, Leviathan would slice off parts of it's body to neutralize them. It is most likely using multiple repulsive fields to create spatial discontinuities to gouge it own body. Since its body is so humongous, it only results in trivial scratches."

"No other methods... are effective?"

I asked in a hoarse voice.

"Nothing comes to my mind—No. Defeating it through constant accumulation of small wounds is the only way, I think. We are currently attacking using the Dragon Subjugation Squad's full force... But chances of making it in time are very low, hence I... returned to prevent the worst-case scenario."

Mitsuki spoke in a depressing tone.

"Hey, you don't mean to say—"

"Indeed... When Leviathan breaches the final defensive line, I shall personally kill Iris-san."

Mitsuki stared at Iris with an expression like she was forcibly holding something in.

And as though trying to block her gaze, I stood in front of Iris.

"Sorry, Mitsuki, Iris has already promised me."

"Nii-san... Did you forget the condition I set out?"

Mitsuki's gaze turned sharp.

"I remember but it's Iris who entrusted her life directly to me. Even if my adorable little sister asks me, I can't hand this job to anyone else."

"A-Adorable!? T-This is not the time for saying weird things! Orders must absolutely be followed! Had you not agreed to this condition, I would not have permitted you to be Iris' bodyguard!"

Despite her blushing, Mitsuki still glared at me solemnly.

"In that case, I'll just have to do my own thing. If you're going to kill Iris, Mitsuki, I'll protect her."

"Stop saying such willful things! This is what I must do! Because my hands are already tainted!"

Mitsuki said the same thing as before but now, I already knew the reason.

"—About Shinomiya Miyako?"

"...!?"

Mitsuki gasped.

"I heard you were best friends."

"..."

Mitsuki bit her lip hard and did not answer. Although it was heartbreaking to see the suffering on Mitsuki's face, I still continued:

"What feelings you had when you killed your friend who had turned into a dragon... To be honest, it's impossible for me to imagine. But... You want to shoulder Iris' matter as well just because you killed that girl? I can't accept this kind of reason. Don't mix Shinomiya Miyako and Iris together as the same matter!"

Listening to me, Mitsuki gritted her teeth. But finally reaching the limit of her endurance, she spoke up:

"In that case... Who else should do it apart from me? This is the method I cannot accept. More importantly, Nii-san, I do not want you to be the one to kill Iris-san!"

Despite her trembling voice, that was how Mitsuki responded to me.

"I absolutely won't let you do it either, Mitsuki."

"...I have already decided, never to have regrets again like three years ago. I shall not leave anything to you again, Nii-san!"

Mitsuki and I glared at each other.

"...We're saying the same thing."

"Indeed... Viewpoints on parallel lines."

We both realized that further words were meaningless.

"Now this hasn't happened for a long time...Wanna fight?"

"...Very well."

Fictional armament—Siegfried.

I tossed the Nergal in my hand to the ground and formed a weightless ornamental gun of dark matter. Mitsuki also raised her iridescent bow.

I could not use Nergal in a fight against Mitsuki because she probably would not want to see me like that.

Hence, I was going to confront her as Mononobe Yuu of Midgard, as Mitsuki's older brother. I knew very well that Siegfried was not suitable for combat against humans, but I had no choice but to go the whole way with it.

Feeling a fight about to break out, Iris panicked.

"Mononobe and Mitsuki-chan, you can't fight! Now's not the time for that—"

"No, now's exactly the time for that."

"No, now is exactly the time for that."

Mitsuki's words and mine overlapped.

"This stubborn little sister won't be persuaded by words alone."

"Obstinate beyond hope, Nii-san refuses to listen unless I do this."

I aimed Siegfried's muzzle at Mitsuki.

Mitsuki also nocked a black arrow of dark matter on her bow.

"Mitsuki."

"What is the matter, Nii-san?"

"I've been wanting to tell you this... Your panties are showing, you know?"

"—!?"

Going red in the face, Mitsuki frantically held down the hem of her skirt.

I could not possibly miss that opening.

Siegfried was limited to a maximum of three shots of dark matter bullets. Once depleted, the fictional armament would disappear. Attacking again required Siegfried to be recreated, which would present a massive opening, hence bullets must not be wasted, however—

While building the picture in my mind, I fired a bullet filled with two shots worth of dark matter.

"Cage Bullet!"

The black bullet transmuted in front of Mitsuki, forming a small metal cage. Due to my low generating capacity, the iron bars were quite slim but at least I managed to make a cage large enough to surround Mitsuki.

Weighed down by the metal cage in addition to her own weight, Mitsuki fell to the ground, but using the wind enveloping her body, Mitsuki landed gently just as she was about to contact the ground.

"Not only staring at other's panties but also conducting a sneak attack... Your methods are truly underhanded, Nii-san. But this is not enough to catch me, you know?"

Readying her bow from inside the cage, Mitsuki called out sharply:

"Self-destruct."

The instant the small arrows struck the cage, the iron bars cracked and fell apart in pieces.

"That was a spear imbued with matter with the concept of destruction, capable of forcibly altering the state of any object it strikes. A high-level skill, but Leviathan handled it using the method of amputation."

Mitsuki explained calmly while nocking the next arrow to the bow.

In a contest of abilities as a D, I had no chance of winning.

But from the very start, I never expected the metal cage to trap Mitsuki. The point of the earlier attack was to drag her down to ground level. Because I could not do anything to her while she was flying in the air, I had to do this as the initial step of attacking, even if it meant consuming two shots worth of dark matter.

Just as I predicted, Mitsuki landed on the ground. I dashed towards her.

Mitsuki simply narrowed her eyes and spoke briefly.

"Adhesive restraint."

The fired arrow turned translucent orange mid-flight before spreading out explosively. She had most likely transmuted dark matter into an adhesive net.

Deciding it was too late to evade, I raised Siegfried.

This was the last shot.

Mitsuki was not going to give me the time to create my fictional armament again. Hence, this transmutation was going to decide the victor.

"Red Bullet!"

I pulled the trigger, transmuting all the dark matter remaining in the fictional armament. Although Siegfried vanished, taking its place was something hard gripped in my right hand.

What I had transmuted was air that had been compressed into the shape of a knife. By raising the compression ratio, the knife's tip gave off high heat, producing a red afterimage.

This principle was the same as the air bullet I used during the test, but did not require the same difficult tuning. All I needed was heat sufficient to melt through the adhesive substance.

Using the high-temperature blade of air, I sliced Mitsuki's net.

Almost virtually unimpeded, I ripped apart the net before me that was about to cover me.

Mitsuki's expression turned even more solemn.

"Nii-san, you will get hurt if you continue to resist. First arrow—Forked Wind!"

Probably deciding it was impossible to capture me without causing injury, Mitsuki's gaze changed. She looked like she intended to use her prized technique.

While Mitsuki shot the arrow, the atmosphere's flow changed. The air gradually contracted. I tried to judge their number through wind currents, but the number of contraction points were too many for me to grasp completely.

Mitsuki's move was most likely the same as mine, an attack based on compressed air.

But the difference in level was too great. Her volume of transmutation could be described as horrifying.

Countless arrows of wind approached me.

It was virtually impossible to evade attacks that were invisible in the first place. Besides, they were too numerous, there were no gaps for dodging.

Impossible for a human, but if it was Fafnir—

—Just this one instant!

"!"

I gritted my teeth and switched modes again. My consciousness accelerated while the air currents read by my skin were added to my visual data.

This time, I understood.

The fired arrows of air—I could see them.

They numbered roughly a hundred.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I dodged and squeezed past those arrows. Those I could not dodge, I severed them with my high-temperature blade.

Breaking through the curtain of projectiles head on, I approached Mitsuki.

Meanwhile, she was staring in wide-eyed surprise.

I swung the knife of air. Just as it was about to touch her, I made the knife gasify and dissipate—

—Then I applied a light chop on Mitsuki's head.

"Ow!?"

"First person to touch the other's head wins. That's the rule we agreed for our fights. Noncompliance means severing our relationship, even as siblings, do you still remember?"

"...Yes."

Mitsuki rubbed her forehead and nodded.

"Leave the matter of Iris to me."

"..."

However, she did not nod this time. Judging from Mitsuki's eyes, she was even prepared to break this fighting rule between siblings.

"It's fine if you still can't accept things. But through the fight just now, I'm sure you understand, right? Mitsuki, you can't stop me."

"That is..."

"There's no point arguing further about who's going to kill Iris. Instead, why don't we struggle and fight back to the bitter end?"

Just as I asked that, Iris exclaimed in surprise while looking in the sea's direction.

"Ah..."

Mitsuki and I followed Iris' gaze.

On the other end of the destroyed laser units, the horizon was shaking nonstop. A giant silhouette was floating there like a mirage.

Small explosions happened there with bright flashes.

"Leviathan... has finally invaded to here—"

Mitsuki groaned with a grave expression.

Perhaps it was advancing quite quickly. The figure grew huge in the blink of an eye.

Because it was too massive, it was hard to judge the distance. It's outer shell of pure white was dotted with red, probably bleeding from the wounds caused by Midgardsormr and the Dragon Subjugation Squad.

Uooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

A deep and sonorous cry reverberated everywhere. Iris was holding her flank. Even through her clothing, one could see her dragon mark glowing brightly.

"It's calling me... It's crying that it wants me—"

Perhaps resonating with Leviathan's consciousness, Iris murmured as though in a trance.

"So the theory of seeking a mate is correct."

"Yeah... Looks like it."

Iris nodded, her body trembling.

"So, what are your plans?"

"Huh?"

"Men are idiots. If you stay silent, they'll take it as a hint of acceptance and go further, you know?"

Originally distracted, Iris suddenly regained vigor in her eyes.

"...I won't forgive dragons. I can't tolerate that thing taking away all the people dear to me, even wanting to take me as well!"

Iris yelled loudly, creating her fictional armament in her right hand—Caduceus.

"Can you hit it from here?"

"Although it's quite far, I'll try! I will bombard with my maximum generating capacity!"

Pointing the staff's tip at Leviathan, Iris concentrated while chanting her usual incantation.

"Mitsuki, just to be safe, could you contact the Dragon Subjugation Squad nearby and tell them to keep their distance?"

I could only see small dots from here but numerous Ds were flying in Leviathan's surroundings. As soon as Iris attacked, they might get caught in the blast by accident.

Mitsuki nodded in agreement despite looking like she had something to say. She pressed a button on the communicator on her neck.

"—This is B3. All units retreat to Hypothetical Level A blast proximity and continue attacking from a distance."

Mitsuki issued the command. The Dragon Subjugation Squad in the distance instantly changed their movements and left Leviathan.

"Okay, Iris, do it!"

"Great! O holy silver! Explode!"

Silver-white explosions suddenly appeared near the giant body swimming in the sky afar.

Pushed by the explosive blasts, Leviathan's body tilted slightly.

"Damage report?"

Mitsuki asked through the communicator.

'—Widespread damage caused to target's left side, but apparently did not reach deep.'

I heard the voice responding on the communicator.

Mitsuki exhaled and disconnected.

"Sure enough... This happened. Leviathan can create repulsive fields inside its own body. Even explosions could detonate near the skin, the damage will not reach the important internal organs. That type of ability is truly too omnipotent."

"But this is better than attacks that don't hit. And it definitely wears down its stamina. Iris, continue attacking. As for me—I won't hold back anymore."

Saying that, I extended my left hand to Mitsuki.

"...What is it, Nii-san?"

"Lend me your power, Mitsuki. If I have to do the same thing I did three years ago, I need to borrow dark matter from another D."

"I knew it was this requirement... Three years ago, you were able to perform such a massive transmutation only because I was at your side."

While talking about this subject yesterday, Mitsuki had already guessed the requirement. She made a look as though it was all expected.

"Yes, because I can't extract enough dark matter on my own."

"Against Leviathan... It is useless, right?"

"...Probably. Even so, it's far better than giving up without trying."

I gazed into Mitsuki's eyes while I spoke.

"Nii-san... You are so unfair. You are making the same face as back then... the time when you enacted a miracle. Now you are making me want to believe you, are you not...?"

Smiling wryly, Mitsuki held my hand.

"Thank you, Mitsuki."

I thanked her then shifted somewhere slightly farther from Iris. Closing my eyes, out of all the blueprints in my mind, I picked out the one I had used three years ago.

No, calling it a blueprint would not be accurate, because this contained all sorts of information including materials and methods of usage.

—The most sharpened power, in other words, data on weapons.

That was the truth of the power I had obtained in the deal with "Green" Yggdrasil three years ago. My ability to materialize Nergal and other firearms was not the result of training but because the correct data was engraved in my mind.

But because the volume of information was far too great, it could not all fit into my memory.

Back when I was about to lose this personality of Mononobe Yuu, I had cut the link to Yggdrasil halfway through.

However—Even so, severing the link was still too late.

Scrubbed by the turbulent flow of information, I had lost several key elements as Mononobe Yuu.

I lacked the emotion of fear and lost part of my memories.

The day I arrived at Midgard, Mitsuki had advised me to contact my parents and friends, but I must not talk to them. Because as soon as we conversed, my memory loss would come to light and this would reach Mitsuki's ears eventually.

With that, Mitsuki would surely blame herself very much.

Hence, I absolutely must not let the truth come to light.

The only memories kept intact in my heart were just the ones with Mitsuki.

Hence, Mitsuki was the one person I must not allow sorrow to come to her.

"Anti-dragon armament—Marduk!"

I constructed the weapon I had shot Hekatonkheir three years ago. The blueprint was burning in my mind. Borrowing dark matter flowing into my body from Mitsuki, the giant barrow gradually took form.

Rather than cutting-edge weaponry of the modern era, this was a lost weapon from a ''pre-civilization'' that existed long ago.

I only learned after receiving this power that there once existed an era with even more advanced science and technology than the current civilization. All the weaponry data I received from Yggdrasil, including Nergal, were things that had existed in the distant past.

Hence, I participated in NIFL's weapons development. The ones adopted were the mass production models of Nergal and Ishtar, the ICBM Gáe Bolg and the tactical laser. These all made use of pre-civilization technology.

However—This Marduk was an exception, a weapon that could not be reproduced with modern science and technology no matter what.

Originally attacking continually, Iris stared in wide-eyed amazement in my direction.

The barrow, ten-odd meters long, a base with circuits and wires exposed. Even by borrowing Mitsuki's power, it was impossible to recreate completely, so only the minimum necessary components were constructed. Hence, it could only fire one shot. Because no cooling functionality was installed, the barrow would melt.

The fatigue caused by the transmutation was unprecedented. My entire body felt heavy. My vision blurred. If I could still transmute again, it would be once more at most.

Connecting the the control system to my consciousness, I glared at Leviathan. The barrow shifted slightly on its own and adjusted its aim.

"—Nii-san, please wait! To prevent it from rebounding the attack, I will bait Leviathan into distorting space first!"

Mitsuki was stunned just now too, but she suddenly came to her senses and called to the Dragon Subjugation Squad through her communicator.

"All units, pull back from the target again! B5, B6, dump matter downwards from the air with maximum generating capacity! Apply pressure to the target's handling capacity!"

'Roger that.'

'Mm.'

Hearing brief responses, I realized those were Ariella and Ren's voices.

Then giant blocks of rock and ice fell towards Leviathan but they were caught by a repulsive field, stopping in the air motionlessly.

"Spread out. B1 to the right, B2 to the left. Aim for the target's head with long-distance non-projectile attacks!"

'Understood!"

'...Roger that.'

This time, those were Lisa and Firill's voices. A thick laser beam appeared from the right side while an electrical attack appeared from the left, attacking Leviathan at the same time.

Although these attacks deviated due to spatial distortion, of course, Mitsuki discerned the laser and electrical attack's trail and said to me:

"Nii-san, now an attack from the front should not be deflected back. Please fire!"

"Okay—Fire!!"

I yelled forcefully from the bottom of my lungs.

BOOM!!

The atmosphere was distorted by the heavy cannon's rumbling. A bullet of blue-white light was fired. It was a weapon of annihilation that caused everything caught in it's blast to disintegrate on the atomic level.

In the past, Hekatonkheir had instantly turned into dust after being struck by this bullet.

Due to Hekatonkheir's trait of immortality, even though it revived several hundred kilometers away afterwards, this weapon's firepower was guaranteed.

The blue bullet flew towards Leviathan in a straight line, but the instant before striking—It's path was altered from spatial distortion, deviating to the lower left.

In that very instant, blinding blue light erupted. This was because I had adjusted the energy compression ratio while firing. Even if it failed to strike, it would still explode next to Leviathan.

The pillar of blue light devoured Leviathan.

The blocks of rock and ice made by Ariella and Ren also disappeared in the light.

Making contact with the light, a large piece of the sea surface was gouged away. The surrounding seawater evaporated from the high temperature. Like cumulonimbus clouds, thick water vapor rose upwards.

—Please, let it work!

I squinted, praying that it had destroyed Leviathan successfully.

Uoooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Angry roar was heard from the light, making me realize I had failed just when victory was in sight again.

The white monster emerged, breaking through the blue light and the cloud of water vapor. The left side of it's outer shell was almost completely blown away, exposing muscle. Even so, it's movements did not seem impeded. Swaying its body, Leviathan swam in the air, approaching the final defensive line.

No longer concerned with the intercepting lasers, it headed straight for here, where Iris was.

The lost weapon that stood as my trump card had already melted from the heat of firing into a distorted and ordinary lump of scrap metal. Although it seemed like it had damaged Leviathan to some extent, who knew how many dozens of additional shot were needed if one wanted to defeat the dragon in this manner, also... I had neither that much time nor energy.

"So in the end... It is no good."

Mitsuki murmured in despair.

Her face no longer showed the fortitude from three years ago that could be called recklessness.

Simply staring at reality, she silently gave up resistance.

If standing from the Dragon Subjugation Squad's perspective, it was necessary to recognize the current situation correctly, but the expression on Mitsuki's face filled me with sorrow.

I hoped Mitsuki could say it.

That she did not want this type of outcome.

With that, I would be able to—

"Go away... Go away! I hate... guys like you!"

At this moment, Iris' voice reached my ears.

Under despairing conditions, she was facing forward alone, continuing to fight as hard as she could.

Not giving up at all, she continued to resist.

"O holy silver! Explode! Explode! Explode—!!"

Silver-white explosions kept detonating in Leviathan's surroundings.

But it did not stop. No matter how much the surface of its body was blasted, as long as the repulsive field was present, it would not receive a lethal wound.

The image of Iris screaming and resisting desperately overlapped with my memory of Mitsuki three years ago.

Badump, I felt the depths of my heart shake.

"Ahhh... I guess there's no way I can leave her alone."

I smiled wryly and said, letting go of Mitsuki's hand.

"Nii-san?"

Mitsuki looked at me uneasily.

"—Mitsuki, no matter what happens, I will still be your brother."

I told her that, as though trying to carve these words into my heart.

"Nii-san, what on earth are you talking about...? Why are you mentioning something so obvious?"

"You're right, this is obvious. Because it's obvious, that's why I... must never forget."

Despite having lost the feeling of fear, my body was trembling.

I smiled at Mitsuki then walked over to Iris' side.

"...Mononobe?"

Iris stopped moving her hand to attack relentlessly then looked at me with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Iris, can I borrow your power this time?"

"Mononobe... You're still not killing me?"

"Yes, according to our promise, even if I really have to kill you, Iris, it's when all else fails, right?"

"Right now... Isn't that time yet?"

Iris asked with a tearful smile.

"No, not yet, I still have things I can do!"

I held Iris' right hand tightly with my left hand.

Then I glared at Leviathan which had arrived above the final defensive line.

I searched for the circuits I had severed in the past, the circuits I had severed to protect myself.

Continue the deal, Yggdrasil, we must defeat the dragon this time!

—Reconnection, acknowledged—

I heard a faint voice. It was Yggdrasil's emotionless voice from three years ago.

Hence, I followed the voice and connected the threads of my consciousness to that place.

Then the interrupted flow of information started up again and I searched it for weapons to break out of the current predicament.

I felt a splitting headache.

A massive amount of information was devouring my consciousness.

I had no idea what I would lose this time, what I would forget, and whether I would remain as myself.

Even so, possibilities only existed inside this information!

"Ugh..."

The burgeoning volume of information poured into my brain. My head felt as though it was about to explode.

But amidst all that, I was able to catch glimpses of what I sought.

It was information that could supplement the data of Marduk, the anti-dragon armament. Only then did I find out that the cannon I had materialized was merely one part of it.

So Marduk was incomplete—

But I was at my limit. My consciousness started to grow hazy.

—Disconnect!

I severed the circuits before I lost consciousness. Although it was impossible to contain all of Marduk's information, I managed to secure the necessary portion.

I began to ask myself, in exchange for the obtained information, what have I lost?

I remember about Iris beside me. I was fighting to protect her.

I remember about Mitsuki, standing slightly farther from us. My real sister beyond a doubt. Ever since the past which I could not recall, we grew up together. Separated for the past three years, we finally reunited here at Midgard.

Then hovering in the sky, the white dragon—Leviathan—was the enemy that must be defeated.

No problem, I remembered everything essential right now.

I had not lost the reason for fighting.

Then extending my right arm sideways, I called out the name of what I wanted to create.

"Marduk, ''main cannon''—Babel!!"

Using the dark matter flowing to me from Iris, I constructed a giant turret again.

But the shape was different from earlier. The transmutation performed this time was another part from the supplemented blueprint of Marduk. The barrel was split into two with a lens-like device in the middle. Considering my remaining stamina, this was my last transmutation. Failure would be the end.

Uoooooooooooooooooooo!

Perhaps seeing the pre-civilization weapon aimed at it, Leviathan roared deeply.

"This must succeed no matter what—FIRE!!"

A black torrent was shot out, seeming as though it would push the target into darkness, this endless darkness expanded drastically, even to the point of enveloping Leviathan's gigantic body.

The black-looking portion was not matter but a spatial discontinuity that even light was devoured, a supergravitational singularity.

Babel was a weapon that tore space to crush everything existing within the range of its attack.

However, the realm of darkness, which was meant to devour the target instantly to lock it away, still remained in an open state.

Uooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

Leviathan screamed.

It was using antigravity to oppose supergravity.

Insufficient output. Overloaded, the barrel was suffering small-scale explosions all over the place.

—I knew it already. Even this would still be unable to succeed.

If this weapon could defeat dragons, then the old civilization would have persisted to the present day. But in the modern era, they did not exist anywhere, most likely destroyed by dragons.

Hence, it was impossible to prevail over dragon through my power.

The objective would not by achieved by this strike of mine.

"Mitsuki! Attack!!"

"...Yes!"

Mitsuki nodded in acknowledgement, creating her fictional armament in her hand.

"Brionac!"

On the brightly iridescent bow, Mitsuki nocked an arrow of dark matter.

Indeed, it would hit given the current situation. Only when supergravity and antigravity were locked in a struggle!

"Terminating Arrow—Last Quark!"

This was surely the antimatter that only Mitsuki could generate, the arrow that had slain two Krakens.

While firing that arrow, Mitsuki yelled through the communicator.

"All units—Attack!!"

The Dragon Subjugation Squad fired dozens of attacks, piercing Leviathan from the sides.

Then Mitsuki's arrow penetrated from the front.

Instantly, with a blinding explosion of pure white, Leviathan's entire body bulged from within.

"Just a bit more, Iris!!"

"Okay!"

Although Iris should be trying her hardest already, she delivered even more dark matter to me.

Using her dark matter, I patched up Babel which was nearing destruction. Prepared for the possibility that the barrel might overheat, I forced it to bring out firepower beyond its limit.

Leviathan's gigantic body, which was originally expanding, now contracted.

Compressed by the surrounding supergravity, it contracted smaller and smaller, accompanied by explosions.

Uooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Even it's roaring deathcry was dragged into the spatial discontinuity, it's voice growing progressively weaker.

After devouring the giant dragon and the antimatter explosions, the space closed up.

Almost at the same time, Babel reached its limit and collapsed with a small explosion.

Originally blotting the sky, the giant body disappeared. The vast blue sky reappeared over our heads.

"Did we... succeed?"

The first to speak was Iris.

With an expression of disbelief, she stared at the spot where Leviathan had just occupied.

"We won...?"

Still in her arrow firing posture, Mitsuki was frozen.

A warm southerly wind blew between us.

"R-Right, Iris! Show me what's under your clothing!"

Brought back to reality, I thought of a way to confirm the victory, so I set about lifting Iris' shirt.

"Kyawah!? M-Mononobe, what are you suddenly doing!? Oh, no... not somewhere so bright... Mitsuki-chan's looking too..."

"Hey, no—I just want to see your flank..."

Because Iris resisted inexplicably, twisting her body, we wrestled together, falling to the ground in a tangle.

Because Iris' shirt was lifted while she fell, the snow-white complexion of her flank became exposed.

The dragon mark, there to begin with, had returned to a flesh tone slightly darker than the surrounding skin.

"The dragon mark whose color changed has reverted... We succeeded, we really succeeded!"

I cried out with joy but suddenly realized my right hand was holding something soft.

"Umm, Mononobe... It's very embarrassing for me, don't... grope so hard."

"Ehhhh!?"

Reeling back in surprise, I unintentionally moved my hand, causing Iris to cry out in an inexplicably sexy manner.

Then I felt someone patting my shoulder from behind.

I looked back in trepidation, only to see Mitsuki smiling, looking at me.

"—Nii-san, how unbelievable that you dare to openly engage in inappropriate interactions between the genders, right in front of me, the student council president."

"No, it was an accident just now..."

"Accident? What I saw was you lunging at Iris-san, removing her clothing forcibly then groping her chest, did you not?"

"Somehow... It feels like you're making me out to be a vile irredeemable pervert by describing things that way."

"Precisely indeed, pervert Nii-san."

"Hey—OWWWWWW!"

Dragging me by the ear, Mitsuki separated me from Iris.

Blushing to her ears, Iris fixed up her clothing while watching me.

"Umm, uh... Sorry, Mononobe, if it's somewhere without other people seeing, I... Oh, right! Next time, let me help you scrub your back again!"

"Again...?"

Hearing what Iris said, Mitsuki glared at me with eyes of ice.

"Uh, this is a long story—"

"I see, then I shall listen to you properly afterwards, Nii-san. I still have plenty to say regarding your insubordination just now. Nii-san, you would do best to prepare yourself. A hundred repentance essays are inescapable."

Making a terrifying declaration with a smile, Mitsuki held my hand with a tight grip.

"I absolutely will not allow you to escape, got that—Nii-san?"

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 4

2020-05-17T02:27:15Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 2 */

==Chapter 4 - Roaring Fafnir==

===Part 1===

"Stay away... Stay away..."

Mitsuki pleaded while her tiny shoulders shook.

She pleaded to the blue giant approaching from afar, the "Blue" Hekatonkheir that was trampling houses, roads, trees, cars, flattening everything underfoot.

And all I could do was watch. Even weaker than Mitsuki, I was unable to do anything.

I wanted power, the power to make Mitsuki's wish come true, the power to eliminate all hardship, the power to pummel that thing which was making Mitsuki sad!

—Neun, demand, confirm—

At this moment, I heard an emotionless voice in my mind. Crack, I saw a tiny sapling, breaking through the asphalt surface of the road to emerge.

—Circuits of omniscience, partial release, consider, aligned interests, proposal, make a deal—

What? Who the heck are you?

Fragmented words poured into my mind directly. The originally intermittent voice gradually gained fluency.

—I, am, Gaia's oldest, dragon species, Zwo. Known as Kiskanu according to Acht, or ''Yggdrasil''—

"What..."

I could not help but exclaim quietly in surprise.

Seven extraordinary organisms had suddenly appeared on Earth. According to announcements, they were monsters called dragons, the same type as what were recorded in legends. And one of them matched the name the voice just told me.

Could this be... the green dragon, "Green" Yggdrasil?

I looked downwards at the tiny sapling and felt myself shuddering.

What's going on? Is this real?

I had never heard of dragons being able to converse with humans. More importantly, whether dragons possessed that level of intellect was still unknown.

For days on end, the television had been broadcasting news about dragon disasters. They also saw dragons as monsters impossible to communicate with.

—Again, confirmation, demand consideration, make a deal with me—

A deal...? Speaking of which, I had said the same thing earlier.

What the heck are you offering me? And what price do I have to pay?

—Offer is, power. Demand is, extermination—

Extermination? Extermination of what...?

—All dragon species, apart from myself—

What...? Aren't you on the same side? You're a dragon like them, right?

—No, we are different beings. They are guardians whose missions have ended, living on without purpose, existences causing harm, existences who have outlived their usefulness, what the planet seeks is Neun—

Guardians? Harm? Neun?

Because it was too sudden, I could not even understand half of what it had said.

What I got the basic gist was only that Yggdrasil regarded other dragons as enemies. If Hekatonkheir was called our common enemy, then our interests were definitely aligned.

...Will I really obtain power if I made a deal with this thing?

Power capable of driving away that giant—

While I was lost in deep thought, the blue monster continued to lumber towards our town.

"Stay away—!!"

Mitsuki fired a full-powered strike with a scream.

Although her attack gouged a massive hole in Hekatonkheir's body, the wound recovered instantly.

No good. Hekatonkheir was immortal. No matter what damage was inflicted, it was pointless.

"...!"

Even so, Mitsuki still confronted the giant bravely.

"Mitsuki... You just don't give up, do you?"

I said calmly to her.

"How can I possibly... give up?"

Mitsuki answered in a hoarse voice.

"Why? Father and Mother have evacuated already. Everyone else has fled long ago. There's nothing left that needs to be protected at all costs like this—"

"There is! This place has our home! That town is where we were able to become family!!"

Mitsuki yelled, interrupting me.

"...Okay, I see now."

I exhaled lightly and placed my hand on Mitsuki's head.

"Nii-san?"

"Here on—Leave ''everything'' to me."

I made my decision.

—I want power. I agree to the deal!

I spoke as loudly as I could in my mind.

No matter who it was, no matter what kind of price, I cared not.

So long as it could change the fate of the town that was about to disappear, it would be enough.

—Acknowledged, connecting—

What flowed into me then was a power completely different from what I originally envisioned. With no energy included at all, it was a power that was unable to take effect independently.

It was a vast amount of information regarding power that used to exist in the past.

And at the same time, I lost many things, losing things I needed as Mononobe Yuu.

Hence, I was no longer Mononobe Yuu.

Starting from that point, I had become ''something'' different.

===Part 2===

WOOOOOOOOOOOO...

I woke up to the siren blaring. Then I immediately saw Iris' face appear before my eyes.

"Uh..."

Seeing Iris sound asleep at a distance where we could feel each other's breathing, I instantly became wide awake.

I should have had my back towards her, but unknowingly, I had turned around in my sleep somehow.

Fortunately, she was no longer clinging to me, so I left Iris and got off the bed.

Inside the room where the lights were still switched off, only the monitor glowed brightly.

The siren was not coming from the monitor but the speakers for communications.

This was a warning that Leviathan had approached the alert zone in the waters.

On screen, the battle was finally beginning.

Just outside Midgardsormr, NIFL's battleships were blocking Leviathan's path. A giant silhouette could be seen in the sea. It looked like it was swimming at a shallower depth compared to yesterday.

Pillars of water rose in its surroundings.

"Torpedoes...?"

Attacks were apparently starting at last.

In the next instant, a hole opened up in the sea.

It was Leviathan's ability—Antigravity. The power to push away and reject everything.

Pushed away, the seawater formed giant waves, striking and sinking many ships.

Judging from the fact that the ships appeared to be pea-sized in comparison, that hole's diameter reached almost ten kilometers. Then a giant creature surfaced from that hole.

"That's... 'White' Leviathan."

Despite having seen it on photographs before, upon seeing a live video feed like now, I could not help but feel shocked by that overwhelming presence.

The screen had switched to an angle as though the camera was on a ship. Using an antigravity field to float into the air, Leviathan's impressive body was being filmed from below. It was so gigantic that it could not fit inside the screen. The surrounding ships looked almost like toys.

According to the speculation of scientists, this dragon might be mutated from a blue whale.

Indeed, with front flippers, tail fins and an air hole on it's back, it shared the same characteristics as marine mammals. However, it definitely did not look like the same type of creature.

Covered all over by a white outer shell, it had a giant horn on its head and rows of sharp teeth like a carnivorous predator, not something one could still consider the same species as the blue whale.

The fleet could be seen firing anti-air guns and surface-to-air missiles, but no matter what was fired, they all stopped in midair before being repelled.

Struck directly by missiles that were sent back, the ships exploded and scattered.

—I finally realized what Mitsuki meant by deflecting back.

Looking at the half-wrecked fleet, I began to think at the same time.

If one wanted to breach the repulsive field using projectiles, the only way would be to break through using massive momentum. Since the enemy's ability was already understood, NIFL must have used high-speed shells as much as possible, but to end up with this outcome... It was probably because they had yet to find out the maximum output of Leviathan's repulsive field, right?

"Did lots of people just die in the attack?

I heard a trembling voice behind me. I looked back to see Iris staring at the monitor, having just woken up.

"...It's probably okay. Because the NIFL battleships attacking on the frontlines are almost all unmanned ships controlled remotely through cloud systems."

Anti-dragon battles were essentially battles where sacrifice was inevitable. Hence, NIFL would always send out unmanned fighter jets and fleets. Hopefully, there were no human losses.

At this moment, what appeared from the satellite view was a red marker. The marker was approaching Leviathan at high speed.

"An ICBM—"

Assuming this was a weapon under NIFL's jurisdiction, I had a pretty good idea what it was.

The anti-dragon ICBM, Gáe Bolg, named after the spear used by a Celtic mythological hero, was their latest weapon. Tipped with mithril, it was able to pierce any dragon's skin to cause an explosion inside.

''Of all the weapons whose development I participated in'', this was supposed to be the most effective.

This was the manner in which I made effective use of the power I had obtained from my deal with Yggdrasil. And now, it was time for it to show results.

Gáe Bolg would use multiple boosters to accelerate during its descent to reach a final speed beyond Mach 40. It was most likely the fastest projectile weapon on Earth.

The strongest spear created by mankind was about to strike Leviathan from the air.

The video image instantly distorted while a violent explosion turned the screen white.

After a slight delay, nearby screens also turned into white images.

"What's the outcome...?"

Iris asked with worry.

"No idea. As long as it hits, any dragon should not be able to come out unscathed but—"

Even after the bright light faded, the screen was still shrouded in smoke, showing nothing.

But after a while when the smoke had dissipated, the giant white body swam out from the smoke.

The repulsive field pushed smoke away while Leviathan emerged completely unharmed.

"Why is it fine despite such a strong explosion?"

Iris groaned with disbelief.

"Whether the missile or the explosion, they were probably pushed back by the repulsive field. Judging from the aftermath with smoke everywhere, the repulsive field contracted momentarily. Just a bit more, and it could have reached the dragon's body."

Ultimately, using my power was still not enough.

Leviathan moved past NIFL's fleet to approach Midgardsormr's first defensive line.

Spread in a circle, 20m-tall cube-shaped units deployed round lens openings.

Immediately, dozens of bright light beams shot at Leviathan.

"This time... Tactical high-energy lasers."

As a laser weapon, delivery was near lightspeed, far surpassing that of Gáe Bolg, striking the instant it was shot. However, the lasers were distorted unnaturally in front of Leviathan and ended up flying past the dragon.

"M-Mononobe! What happened this time?"

Iris got off the bed, crouched down next to me and asked.

"By my guess, it probably used the repulsive field to warp space, how troublesome... It seems to adjust countermeasures depending on the situation. It probably judged the lasers as unblockable."

I had also participated in the development of tactical high-energy lasers.

Because my only friend at NIFL was in the technological development department, I would often visit during my training breaks, ''passing my knowledge'' to him discreetly.

One could say that NIFL's technology was raised by many levels using the ''knowledge of power'' I had received from Yggdrasil.

However... This weapon was not enough to defeat a dragon either.

"Ahhh... It's breaching the first defensive line."

Iris sighed with disappointment.

"No, the plan is apparently to let it pass. The Dragon Subjugation Squad is already waiting at the second defensive line."

I pointed to another screen.

In the air above the laser units, the girls were wielding their respective weapons. Lisa was in the center of the group. With her fictional armament raised—Gungnir—she said something.

Immediately, the units of the first and second defensive lines all fired lasers simultaneously.

This was a saturation attack executed from two fronts. Using spatial distortion as evasive measures would not be able to handle attacks coming from all directions.

A number of lasers struck Leviathan, causing damage for the first time. Scorching, slicing through its outer shell, the lasers left numerous burns on the surface.

However, the target was far too massive. Perhaps it was not even enough to inflict pain. Although Leviathan was injured to some extent, it still continued to advance unfazed.

Then with Lisa in the lead, the Dragon Subjugation Squad attacked.

The defense offered by spatial distortion had reached a limit. Leviathan could no longer handle all attacks. A thick beam of light released by Lisa pierced Leviathan's left flipper.

At this moment, the white monster bared its sharp teeth, reacting for the first time.

"..."

Next to me, Iris suddenly clutched her flank.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"...This is bad, it's angry... Everyone, run away—"

Through the nightgown's sheer fabric, I could see the dragon mark glowing intensely.

Around Leviathan's giant horn, the surrounding scenery became distorted.

Then Leviathan opened its massive jaws. Although I could not hear any sound from the video feed, I knew the dragon was roaring.

The sea—It split apart.

Everything along Leviathan's route of advance was sent flying away. Giant laser units broke and scattered, falling into the surrounding sea.

Originally in formation, the Dragon Subjugation Squad was also scattered in disarray.

BOOM—A low vibration also reached the shelter where we were.

Looking at the satellite view, let alone the second defensive line, even the third and final defensive lines had collapsed in some parts.

It had probably deployed a repulsive field in front of itself then shot it like a cannonball.

"This is... quite bad."

I remarked bitterly.

The attack just now clearly showed the gap in power between humans and dragons.

The Dragon Subjugation Squad gathered and attacked again. Leviathan was still quite far from Midgard.

Lisa's face was seen for an instant on the screen, showing no signs of giving up.

However, if one were to draw early conclusions based on the battle so far—

Just as I was thinking that, the shelter's speakers could be heard.

'Student No. 8 of Brynhildr Class, Mononobe Yuu—Please hurry to the command center in the clock tower. I repeat—'

Iris looked at me in surprise.

"Mononobe, they're calling for you?"

"Yeah... That's right."

An ominous feeling turned into certainty. My fears had evidently turned into reality.

"What's with you? Why are you making such a scary face...?"

"Iris, put on your uniform quickly and come to the command center with me."

I instructed her swiftly. There was probably not much time left.

"Eh? I thought I'm not supposed to leave the shelter...?"

"Ignore that, hurry! If you stay here any longer—You might be killed!"

===Part 3===

Holding Iris' hand, I ran along the corridor.

In any case, I must acquire a correct grasp of the situation first. I only hope that a certain person was not the enemy, but—

"Mononobe! Explain to me properly!"

"There's no time. Just put up with it and follow me!"

I yelled forcefully in agitation. Iris went red in the face for some reason.

"...Yes."

Iris replied politely and nodded.

Bringing Iris who had suddenly become obedient, I arrived at the clock tower. Since it was currently underground, the clock was not visible but the building had other functions.

The clock tower was currently used as the Dragon Subjugation Squad's command center.

I placed my student ID on the panel sensor in front of the command center. Probably because I was not authorized for entry, the door did not open automatically, but instead, Shinomiya-sensei's voice spoke.

'—Mononobe Yuu?'

"Yes, I was called here."

'I only summoned you. Why did you bring her along?'

My taking Iris out of the shelter seemed to have been discovered already.

"Because I believe that Iris will be at risk if she's left alone in the shelter."

'...'

Getting silence as the response, I concluded that my premonition was correct.

"—I would like to have a word with you, Shinomiya-sensei, could you please come out?"

I said that and waited for a while. Then the command center's door opened and Shinomiya-sensei walked out. With dark circles under her eyes, she probably had not slept.

"I don't have time. Please make it brief."

Shinomiya-sensei had her arms crossed before her chest while she looked at me and Iris next to me.

"Iris, cover your ears for now."

"Eh? Why?"

Iris widened her eyes in surprise. With a solemn expression, I said:

"Because I think it's best that you don't listen to this."

"...Got it."

Iris obediently covered her ears with her hands. After making sure she had done so, I exchanged gazes with Shinomiya-sensei.

"I'll ask directly. Shinomiya-sensei, did you accept NIFL's request?"

"...What are you talking about?"

After pausing for a while, that was what Shinomiya-sensei asked in return.

"I'm guessing the other side probably issued a one-sided notice that they will deploy troops to prevent the worst-case scenario, right? Deciding it was impossible to stop them, Shinomiya-sensei, to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, you tried to separate me from Iris... Am I wrong?"

"—Looks like there is no point for me to cover it up any further."

Shinomiya shook her head with a solemn expression then said:

"Indeed... I decided not to stop NIFL's action but I did not agree completely with their demands either. My additional condition was that they are forbidden to make a move before the final defensive line is breached. They would have taken forceful measures if I refused their demands outright. With that, we would have no chance of winning because we are not trained in anti-personnel combat. Hence, this is the barely acceptable compromise."

Shinomiya-sensei explained her reasons in a forceful voice.

"At the critical moment, you intend to let NIFL stain their hands, right?"

"...If someone has to do it, that would be a feasible option. Already... I don't want Mononobe Mitsuki to bear another cross."

Shinomiya-sensei lowered her head, nodding with a somber expression. Her voice seemed to carry heavy emotions.

"Bearing a cross—you mean the matter of your younger sister?"

I asked directly.

"...So you know. Indeed, turned into a Kraken, my younger sister was killed by Mononobe Mitsuki. I ordered her to do so."

Shinomiya-sensei looked up and answered with a commander's face.

"What... It was your order? Why—"

"Because I was the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain at the time and only Mononobe Mitsuki's antimatter projectile could defeat the Kraken."

Shinomiya-sensei spoke without changing expression. I could not read the emotions in the dark depths of her eyes.

Although I had heard during class that there was only one D who could create antimatter, I never expected it would be Mitsuki.

"...Mononobe Mitsuki followed my orders without saying a word. By her own hand, she killed her best friend. And this time, she intends to do the deed again. But if such a heavy burden were to be imposed upon her again... Her mind won't withstand it."

Best friend... This was my first time hearing that Shinomiya Miyako and Mitsuki had that kind of relationship.

"—Shinomiya-sensei, you accepted NIFL's request for Mitsuki's sake as well as to delay killing Iris immediately, right?"

"Although I absolutely do not consider that the best decision."

Shinomiya-sensei nodded bitterly.

"No... It's enough as long as it's not the worst. Anyway, I'm relieved that you don't seem like you're in a hurry to get rid of Iris."

"I used to be a D even though I've lost my powers. I won't treat any of my juniors lightly, no matter whom."

Shinomiya-sensei spoke in a strong and powerful tone of voice.

"I get it. Then just leave the rest to me."

"What?"

Hearing what I said, Shinomiya-sensei frowned.

"I'll drive away those interfering guys from the army. Letting Iris die as a human was the mission I accepted, so I don't intend to let anyone else have it."

"You'll drive away the army? Don't be ridiculous, what can you do as one person?"

"As long as the opponents are humans, there is nothing I can't do."

I simply said the truth. As for what expression was on my face at the time, I had no idea, but an expression of fear did flash across Shinomiya-sensei's face.

"...You..."

"An ambush is best set up as early as possible. Shinomiya-sensei, please tell me the army's route of invasion."

Iris and I were running together along an underground passage in Midgard.

"Hey Mononobe! We're heading out to defeat the people coming to kill me, is that really true?"

"Yes, the team sent by the enemy is very likely Sleipnir, the special forces under my former commanding officer Major Loki's direct command. I'm gonna drive them all away."

Although there was no concrete evidence, this possibility was the most likely seeing as a D was the target.

"Is it really okay... for me to come along?"

"That's actually the safest way. As long as you stay at my side, Iris, I won't let you die—until the moment I decided to kill you."

"Ooh... You're not allowed to say something like that!"

"Huh? Something like what?"

"What I mean is stop saying such cool things!"

Iris yelled with her face red.

The passage's wall was marked "A-6." Shinomiya-sensei said she opened this passage to the army.

I had memorized Midgard's map for the most part. Suppose the harbor and the beach were considered the front of the island, then this passage should be leading to the cliffs and rocky shore on the back of the island.

That direction happened to be nearer to the side where the final defensive line was partially damaged from Leviathan's attack.

NIFL probably intended to invade through the damaged parts of Midgardsormr. If the final defensive line had remained intact, trying to enter Midgard without permission would have been impossible even for an elite team.

There was a flight of stairs ahead in the passage. Humid wind caressed our cheeks. The partition wall for the ground level entrance had apparently been opened.

"Iris, starting now, keep walking 2m behind me."

"...Okay."

Originally following me closely, Iris did as told and kept a bit of distance.

"Hoo..."

I exhaled greatly, gradually switching away from the consciousness that had grown lax from school life.

Anti-personnel weapon—AT Nergal.

Using the dark matter extracted by my right hand to perform transmutation, I formed my familiar gun.

Holding the grip, I approached the stairs. In front of the stairs, a rectangular blue sky could be seen.

"—"

I rushed to the top of the stairs in one breath then peered at the situation outside.

There was a vast open space outside, roughly twenty meters in radius, with tropical plants growing all around, blocking visibility farther ahead. However, faint sounds of waves could be heard, so the sea should be quite close.

"Mononobe...?"

Iris climbed up the stairs, panting heavily as she called out my name.

"Don't worry, Iris, just stay there quietly and don't move. I'll take care of them soon."

I stroked Iris' beautiful hair gently then walked to the ground.

Although invisible, there were people present.

Focusing my concentration, I keenly sensed other people's gazes.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. This was murderous intent that I had forgotten for a while now.

Vision, hearing, touch. These senses gradually became clear.

As though waking up from sweet slumber, the world was gradually dyed by the vivid color of danger.

Now that I think back, when I first arrived at this island, my mood felt as though I was having a dream.

That feeling was correct. I had been sleeping, enjoying a happy dream.

But it was impossible to fight in a state of slumber.

Hence, I must wake up briefly from the comfortable dream.

I could not feel fear, because I had already lost the emotion of ''fear'' three years ago.

Only now, there was no need for me to adhere to Midgard's ways. This was a familiar battlefield for me.

The corners of my lips naturally rose.

The presences numbered one, two, three...

"...Eight people. Just as expected, it's Sleipnir."

Sleipnir was the name of the eight-legged war horse appearing in Norse mythology. NIFL's Sleipnir team was composed of eight members as the legs and one person as the head.

"I can't believe you guys have the gall to steal my prey. Have you prepared yourselves?"

My tone of voice naturally turned violent.

The pressure of a battlefield quietly made me excited.

No answer. Neither did I hear any unnatural sounds.

Just the way it should be. Because among my subordinates, there were no idiots foolish enough to answer these words.

Only murderous intent gradually grew tense. The instant of gunfire—Now was the moment!

I pointed Nergal's muzzle at the jungle and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Zzzzzzap!

"Gah!?"

A scream came from the depths of the jungle, accompanied by a popping sound.

The Nergal was a projectile-based electroshock gun.

It did not simply paralyze the target. As long as it hit, the target was almost guaranteed to faint. Even if they could wake up immediately, they would still be unable to walk for several hours. Although it was a non-lethal weapon for subduing people, it was quite a dangerous weapon.

While running towards my next prey, I generated dark matter in the magazine, transmuting bullets.

My dark matter generating capacity was far less than other Ds. Although I could not transmute more than ten kilograms of matter, below that—on the level of bullets for example—as long as my stamina permitted, I could create as many times as I wanted.

Nergal's capacity was nine shots, but as long as I was the user, there was no worry of running out of bullets.

—Over there!

I used Nergal to fire consecutively at enemy presences I sensed in the jungle, but I did not get the feeling I had hit anything.

As though chasing after my trail, shots fired from the right scarred the ground.

"Tsk!"

I returned fire to pin down the enemy while jumping into the jungle. Then I charged at the enemy who had evaded Nergal.

I saw a man dressed in camouflage gear, bullet vest, helmet and a mask, trying to fire his submachine gun at point blank range.

—Too slow!

Before the man could shoot, I kicked the submachine gun's front end upwards.

Rat-at-at-at-at—The stream of bullets struck the leaves in the tree.

I charged in front of the man who was exposing an opening, then pulled Nergal's trigger at point blank range.

"Gah..."

The man's entire body convulsed. With eyes rolled up, he fainted.

The other side did not persist in attacking. I took a closer look and saw three Sleipnir members ignoring me to head towards the entrance to the underground passage.

"—I'm really being underestimated here."

I immediately charged those men.

Clong.

Along my route of advance, a black and round object rolled out..

—A grenade.

"So... what!?"

Anti-explosive armament—Uruk 73E.

Generating dark matter underfoot, I transmuted it into part of the armor plating used by NIFL tanks.

Using guns with infinite ammunition combined with shields created from transmutation, that was my original fighting style. Because Nergal was enough for offense, I essentially used dark matter only for defense and replenishing ammunition.

Siegfried's high firepower technique was not needed against humans.

Boom—The impact and sound of the explosion erupted under the armor plating. Instantly, the world turned upside down.

The grenade's explosion had sent the armor plating into the air with me included.

However, my gaze did not leave the enemy.

While my view was upside down, I fired Nergal consecutively.

Since I was firing from midair, it was impossible to aim precisely, but I managed to hit one of the men. Dropping the gun in his hand, he also collapsed on the ground.

However, the remaining men pointed their muzzles at me while I was still in the air. I could sense five sets of murderous gazes on my body.

There were two mobile enemies in the plaza while the remainder were amidst the trees.

Of the presences in the jungle, one was positioned farther away, most likely a sniper.

Using my low generating capacity to make a shield covering all vectors of enemy attacks would lower the thickness no matter what. Too thin a barrier would get penetrated by rifle bullets.

—In that case, I only needed to defend precisely.

My accelerated consciousness and expanded senses in the battlefield were raised to an even higher level.

Switching modes in my brain, I switched to a certain being that Major Loki wanted to mold me into.

Back then, Major Loki had said:

Your talent is neither the ability to create dark matter as a male, nor making inexplicably appropriate suggestions in weaponry development. Rather—You resemble me greatly.

What he meant by that... I still did not understand, even now.

But that existence, which was gradually constructed inside me, Major Loki called it "Fafnir."

Rat-at-at-at-at—!!

Anti-materiel armor—Damascus 09P.

Multiple gunshots rang out, but I had simultaneously created five small yet thick shields of steel along the firing lines.

The bullets struck the shields exactly as though they were attracted to them.

—Ammunition replenished.

While descending, I reloaded Nergal's bullets using dark matter transmutation.

Then I fired the instant I landed. Of the two men remaining in the open space, I was aiming at the one on the right, but the other guy rushed out and got hit.

"Gah!?"

Grunting in pain, the man collapsed.

With that, only one person remained mobile in the plaza with three in the jungle.

I did not shoot but pointed Nergal's muzzle at the last person remaining in the plaza.

Judging from the way someone took a bullet for him, this guy was most likely the team captain. In that case, I might be able to use him as a hostage.

"Nobody move."

To make sure the three in the jungle heard, I yelled loudly.

"You... monster!"

The man originally wanted to aim his gun at me, but despite cursing the whole time, he stopped his motions. The attacks from the jungle also stopped.

"Hey, is that the way to speak to the former captain... Hmm? Who the heck... are you?"

His face was obscured by the mask, but the voice did not belong to anyone in Sleipnir.

"W-Who the heck are you!? What is your goal!?"

He did not recognize me...?

On further thought, they were too weak, after all.

I took another look. Their equipment was different too. Members of Sleipnir were supposed to be equipped with MP Nergal, but I coudl not see that kind of gun among these guys' equipment.

It looked like they were not the people sent by Major Loki.

Had he kept his promise to me? No... Judging from the number of people, eight, I could feel that this was his doing.

Most likely, he had abstained from action, instead goading someone else to do it. Major Loki was someone who was capable of doing that nonchalantly.

—However, there was meaning for me to accept Major Loki's request.

Had I refused, the team he sent to Midgard would undoubtedly be Sleipnir. With that, winning would not be this easy.

I exhaled and glared at the man who was trembling from anger.

"—Are you fine with this? If you continue to fight, more of your team will be injured, yes? There are currently four people incapacitated and four unscathed as well. If you intend to retreat with your comrades, now ought to be the limit."

"..."

"If anyone else is rendered immobile, that person will have to stay, leaving evidence behind whether dead or alive. Midgard simply decided not to interfere in NIFL's operation but did not grant you permission to come ashore. Are you really fine with letting the outside world know of this?"

"Ku..."

Still glaring at me, the man put down his gun and made a gesture with his hand.

With a rustling from the jungle, men emerged and picked up their teammates. The initial spot where I had shot with Nergal also had someone emerge with a teammate on his back.

"—Retreat."

The man in front of me issued a brief order. Picking up one of his teammates, he also disappeared among the trees.

I stayed on alert until all presences had gone afar.

Amidst the sound of waves, faint engine noises could be heard. They probably used some kind of boat to leave.

"Phew..."

I exhaled and relaxed my body, exiting combat mode, sinking the briefly awakened Fafnir into the depths of the subconscious.

"Iris, it's okay now!"

I yelled and Iris poked her head out from the underground passage entrance.

"I-I'm so glad... Mononobe, you're still alive..."

Iris ran over with tears in her eyes.

"I said I'd be fine."

"B-But... I kept hearing gunshots... I was so scared I didn't dare look out... Whenever I thought you might have been shot... I-I—"

Large droplets of tears flowed out of her eyes.

"...You're such a crybaby."

Despite feigning a look of exasperation, I actually felt slightly relieved. If she had seen me earlier, Iris might not have approached me so naturally now.

"Mononobe... Don't die, okay? Absolutely do not die, okay?"

"Come on, you should be worrying about your own life first. Although NIFL's intervention was prevented, unless Leviathan's is stopped, I'll still have to kill you, Iris."

"Yeah... I know, that's fine too. It's so weird... I'm actually not afraid of being killed."

Saying that, Iris wiped her tears away.

"Mononobe, what's left is to observe the battle against Leviathan, right? Then let's return to the shelter."

"—No, returning is useless."

"Eh? Why?"

Iris cocked her head in puzzlement.

"You saw Leviathan's powers, right? No matter how deep underground you hide, all it needs to do is approach the ground above would be easily forced apart, so returning to the shelter will only delay things slightly. Compared to doing that, even though it might bring the time limit forward, I'd like to do what I can do."

Holding Iris' hand, I walked over to the path connected to the plaza. The sound of waves became very near. Soon, we would reach a place with open visibility.

This was on a tall cliff, overlooking the sky and the sea. A line of Midgardsormr's laser units could be seen near the horizon, but a portion was broken from Leviathan's attack.

"Although out of sight, Leviathan is over there. If it breaches the final defensive line, we will intercept it here."

I pointed towards the other side of the damaged units and spoke.

"Ehhhh!? Just us? That's too difficult..."

"No, from what I saw before, Iris, your attack is the most effective against Leviathan."

"My attack...?"

"That's right, Iris, you're able to generate dark matter at specific locations. Just by creating explosives near the enemy's body, you should be able to do definite damage to it."

Causing explosions inside the enemy's body would be even better, but unfortunately, dark matter was very unstable prior to transmutation. As soon as it came into contact with matter apart from the person who generated it, the dark matter would vanish.

Just by transmuting it, dark matter could be used to create material for stopping bullets, but when maintained in the state of dark matter, it was so fragile that even collisions with nitrogen and oxygen molecules would gradually wear it away.

Hence, trying to send dark matter into Leviathan's body was impossible.

"Me... fighting Leviathan..."

"Yes, don't hold back and do it. I will also—do everything I can."

Then at this moment, a voice came from above.

"I remember you mentioning that you do not have the power to defeat Leviathan, Nii-san."

"What—Mitsuki?"

I looked up at the sky in surprise, only to see Mitsuki floating in the air. Holding a glowing fictional armament in the form of an iridescent bow, she was gazing upon us strictly.

I did not feel too surprised when watching from afar or through videos, but it still startled me to see from up close a human hovering in the air like this.

According to what Shinomiya-sensei said in class, flying was possible just by maintaining dark matter in the state of a fictional armament while intermittently transmuting air. Given the lack of dark matter at my disposal, this skill was not possible for me.

"Nii-san, why are you here? The same goes for Iris-san too... Please think about your position."

"S-Sorry, Mitsuki-chan..."

Iris apologized on reflex whereas I placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Iris, you don't need to apologize. This battle concerns your life. You have the right to try your hardest to survive. We will intercept Leviathan here."

Hearing this, Mitsuki's expression grew even more serious.

"Are you... serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. Rather, why are you here, Mitsuki? Weren't you fighting alongside Lisa and the others?"

Hearing me ask that, Mitsuki clenched her fist and answered gravely.

"...The third defensive line has been breached. There is no turning back."

"What...? Mitsuki, you can shoot antimatter, right? Even that move doesn't work?"

The trump card that had defeated "Purple" Kraken in the past was one of my greatest hopes.

But Mitsuki shook her head.

"It does not. Very regrettably, after using laser attacks to bait Leviathan into distorting space, I finally landed one hit with difficulty... But the explosion was repressed by a repulsive field and could not cause serious damage."

"No way..."

My hopes were easily dashed in an instant. I could not find any words to say.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 245.jpg|thumb]]

Mitsuki gazed down at me and explained the situation calmly.

"Whether poison that would spread from a single hit or a chain of attacks, Leviathan would slice off parts of its body to neutralize them. It is most likely using multiple repulsive fields to create spatial discontinuities to gouge it own body. Since its body is so humongous, it only results in trivial scratches."

"No other methods... are effective?"

I asked in a hoarse voice.

"Nothing comes to my mind—No. Defeating it through constant accumulation of small wounds is the only way, I think. We are currently attacking using the Dragon Subjugation Squad's full force... But chances of making it in time are very low, hence I... returned to prevent the worst-case scenario."

Mitsuki spoke in a depressing tone.

"Hey, you don't mean to say—"

"Indeed... When Leviathan breaches the final defensive line, I shall personally kill Iris-san."

Mitsuki stared at Iris with an expression like she was forcibly holding something in.

And as though trying to block her gaze, I stood in front of Iris.

"Sorry, Mitsuki, Iris has already promised me."

"Nii-san... Did you forget the condition I set out?"

Mitsuki's gaze turned sharp.

"I remember but it's Iris who entrusted her life directly to me. Even if my adorable little sister asks me, I can't hand this job to anyone else."

"A-Adorable!? T-This is not the time for saying weird things! Orders must absolutely be followed! Had you not agreed to this condition, I would not have permitted you to be Iris' bodyguard!"

Despite her blushing, Mitsuki still glared at me solemnly.

"In that case, I'll just have to do my own thing. If you're going to kill Iris, Mitsuki, I'll protect her."

"Stop saying such willful things! This is what I must do! Because my hands are already tainted!"

Mitsuki said the same thing as before but now, I already knew the reason.

"—About Shinomiya Miyako?"

"...!?"

Mitsuki gasped.

"I heard you were best friends."

"..."

Mitsuki bit her lip hard and did not answer. Although it was heartbreaking to see the suffering on Mitsuki's face, I still continued:

"What feelings you had when you killed your friend who had turned into a dragon... To be honest, it's impossible for me to imagine. But... You want to shoulder Iris' matter as well just because you killed that girl? I can't accept this kind of reason. Don't mix Shinomiya Miyako and Iris together as the same matter!"

Listening to me, Mitsuki gritted her teeth. But finally reaching the limit of her endurance, she spoke up:

"In that case... Who else should do it apart from me? This is the method I cannot accept. More importantly, Nii-san, I do not want you to be the one to kill Iris-san!"

Despite her trembling voice, that was how Mitsuki responded to me.

"I absolutely won't let you do it either, Mitsuki."

"...I have already decided, never to have regrets again like three years ago. I shall not leave anything to you again, Nii-san!"

Mitsuki and I glared at each other.

"...We're saying the same thing."

"Indeed... Viewpoints on parallel lines."

We both realized that further words were meaningless.

"Now this hasn't happened for a long time...Wanna fight?"

"...Very well."

Fictional armament—Siegfried.

I tossed the Nergal in my hand to the ground and formed a weightless ornamental gun of dark matter. Mitsuki also raised her iridescent bow.

I could not use Nergal in a fight against Mitsuki because she probably would not want to see me like that.

Hence, I was going to confront her as Mononobe Yuu of Midgard, as Mitsuki's older brother. I knew very well that Siegfried was not suitable for combat against humans, but I had no choice but to go the whole way with it.

Feeling a fight about to break out, Iris panicked.

"Mononobe and Mitsuki-chan, you can't fight! Now's not the time for that—"

"No, now's exactly the time for that."

"No, now is exactly the time for that."

Mitsuki's words and mine overlapped.

"This stubborn little sister won't be persuaded by words alone."

"Obstinate beyond hope, Nii-san refuses to listen unless I do this."

I aimed Siegfried's muzzle at Mitsuki.

Mitsuki also nocked a black arrow of dark matter on her bow.

"Mitsuki."

"What is the matter, Nii-san?"

"I've been wanting to tell you this... Your panties are showing, you know?"

"—!?"

Going red in the face, Mitsuki frantically held down the hem of her skirt.

I could not possibly miss that opening.

Siegfried was limited to a maximum of three shots of dark matter bullets. Once depleted, the fictional armament would disappear. Attacking again required Siegfried to be recreated, which would present a massive opening, hence bullets must not be wasted, however—

While building the picture in my mind, I fired a bullet filled with two shots worth of dark matter.

"Cage Bullet!"

The black bullet transmuted in front of Mitsuki, forming a small metal cage. Due to my low generating capacity, the iron bars were quite slim but at least I managed to make a cage large enough to surround Mitsuki.

Weighed down by the metal cage in addition to her own weight, Mitsuki fell to the ground, but using the wind enveloping her body, Mitsuki landed gently just as she was about to contact the ground.

"Not only staring at other's panties but also conducting a sneak attack... Your methods are truly underhanded, Nii-san. But this is not enough to catch me, you know?"

Readying her bow from inside the cage, Mitsuki called out sharply:

"Self-destruct."

The instant the small arrows struck the cage, the iron bars cracked and fell apart in pieces.

"That was a spear imbued with matter with the concept of destruction, capable of forcibly altering the state of any object it strikes. A high-level skill, but Leviathan handled it using the method of amputation."

Mitsuki explained calmly while nocking the next arrow to the bow.

In a contest of abilities as a D, I had no chance of winning.

But from the very start, I never expected the metal cage to trap Mitsuki. The point of the earlier attack was to drag her down to ground level. Because I could not do anything to her while she was flying in the air, I had to do this as the initial step of attacking, even if it meant consuming two shots worth of dark matter.

Just as I predicted, Mitsuki landed on the ground. I dashed towards her.

Mitsuki simply narrowed her eyes and spoke briefly.

"Adhesive restraint."

The fired arrow turned translucent orange mid-flight before spreading out explosively. She had most likely transmuted dark matter into an adhesive net.

Deciding it was too late to evade, I raised Siegfried.

This was the last shot.

Mitsuki was not going to give me the time to create my fictional armament again. Hence, this transmutation was going to decide the victor.

"Red Bullet!"

I pulled the trigger, transmuting all the dark matter remaining in the fictional armament. Although Siegfried vanished, taking its place was something hard gripped in my right hand.

What I had transmuted was air that had been compressed into the shape of a knife. By raising the compression ratio, the knife's tip gave off high heat, producing a red afterimage.

This principle was the same as the air bullet I used during the test, but did not require the same difficult tuning. All I needed was heat sufficient to melt through the adhesive substance.

Using the high-temperature blade of air, I sliced Mitsuki's net.

Almost virtually unimpeded, I ripped apart the net before me that was about to cover me.

Mitsuki's expression turned even more solemn.

"Nii-san, you will get hurt if you continue to resist. First arrow—Forked Wind!"

Probably deciding it was impossible to capture me without causing injury, Mitsuki's gaze changed. She looked like she intended to use her prided technique.

While Mitsuki shot the arrow, the atmosphere's flow changed. The air gradually contracted. I tried to judge their number through wind currents, but the number of contraction points were too many for me to grasp completely.

Mitsuki's move was most likely the same as mine, an attack based on compressed air.

But the difference in level was too great. Her volume of transmutation could be described as horrifying.

Countless arrows of wind approached me.

It was virtually impossible to evade attacks that were invisible in the first place. Besides, they were too numerous, there were no gaps for dodging.

Impossible for a human, but if it was Fafnir—

—Just this one instant!

"!"

I gritted my teeth and switched modes again. My consciousness accelerated while the air currents read by my skin were added to my visual data.

This time, I understood.

The fired arrows of air—I could see them.

They numbered roughly a hundred.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

I dodged and squeezed past those arrows. Those I could not dodge, I severed them with my high-temperature blade.

Breaking through the curtain of projectiles head on, I approached Mitsuki.

Meanwhile, she was staring in wide-eyed surprise.

I swung the knife of air. Just as it was about to touch her, I made the knife gasify and dissipate—

—Then I applied a light chop on Mitsuki's head.

"Ow!?"

"First person to touch the other's head wins. That's the rule we agreed for our fights. Noncompliance means severing our relationship, even as siblings, do you still remember?"

"...Yes."

Mitsuki rubbed her forehead and nodded.

"Leave the matter of Iris to me."

"..."

However, she did not nod this time. Judging from Mitsuki's eyes, she was even prepared to break this fighting rule between siblings.

"It's fine if you still can't accept things. But through the fight just now, I'm sure you understand, right? Mitsuki, you can't stop me."

"That is..."

"There's no point arguing further about who's going to kill Iris. Instead, why don't we struggle and fight back to the bitter end?"

Just as I asked that, Iris exclaimed in surprise while looking in the sea's direction.

"Ah..."

Mitsuki and I followed Iris' gaze.

On the other end of the destroyed laser units, the horizon was shaking nonstop. A giant silhouette was floating there like a mirage.

Small explosions happened there with bright flashes.

"Leviathan... has finally invaded to here—"

Mitsuki groaned with a grave expression.

Perhaps it was advancing quite quickly. The figure grew huge in the blink of an eye.

Because it was too massive, it was hard to judge the distance. Its outer shell of pure white was dotted with red, probably bleeding from the wounds caused by Midgardsormr and the Dragon Subjugation Squad.

Uooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

A deep and sonorous cry reverberated everywhere. Iris was holding her flank. Even through her clothing, one could see her dragon mark glowing brightly.

"It's calling me... It's crying that it wants me—"

Perhaps resonating with Leviathan's consciousness, Iris murmured as though in a trance.

"So the theory of seeking a mate is correct."

"Yeah... Looks like it."

Iris nodded, her body trembling.

"So, what are your plans?"

"Huh?"

"Men are idiots. If you stay silent, they'll take it as a hint of acceptance and go further, you know?"

Originally distracted, Iris suddenly regained vigor in her eyes.

"...I won't forgive dragons. I can't tolerate that thing taking away all the people dear to me, even wanting to take me as well!"

Iris yelled loudly, creating her fictional armament in her right hand—Caduceus.

"Can you hit it from here?"

"Although it's quite far, I'll try! I will bombard with my maximum generating capacity!"

Pointing the staff's tip at Leviathan, Iris concentrated while chanting her usual incantation.

"Mitsuki, just to be safe, could you contact the Dragon Subjugation Squad nearby and tell them to keep their distance?"

I could only see small dots from here but numerous Ds were flying in Leviathan's surroundings. As soon as Iris attacked, they might get caught in the blast by accident.

Mitsuki nodded in agreement despite looking like she had something to say. She pressed a button on the communicator on her neck.

"—This is B3. All units retreat to Hypothetical Level A blast proximity and continue attacking from a distance."

Mitsuki issued the command. The Dragon Subjugation Squad in the distance instantly changed their movements and left Leviathan.

"Okay, Iris, do it!"

"Great! O holy silver! Explode!"

Silver-white explosions suddenly appeared near the giant body swimming in the sky afar.

Pushed by the explosive blasts, Leviathan's body tilted slightly.

"Damage report?"

Mitsuki asked through the communicator.

'—Widespread damage caused to target's left side, but apparently did not reach deep.'

I heard the voice responding on the communicator.

Mitsuki exhaled and disconnected.

"Sure enough... This happened. Leviathan can create repulsive fields inside its own body. Even explosions could detonate near the skin, the damage will not reach the important internal organs. That type of ability is truly too omnipotent."

"But this is better than attacks that don't hit. And it definitely wears down its stamina. Iris, continue attacking. As for me—I won't hold back anymore."

Saying that, I extended my left hand to Mitsuki.

"...What is it, Nii-san?"

"Lend me your power, Mitsuki. If I have to do the same thing I did three years ago, I need to borrow dark matter from another D."

"I knew it was this requirement... Three years ago, you were able to perform such a massive transmutation only because I was at your side."

While talking about this subject yesterday, Mitsuki had already guessed the requirement. She made a look as though it was all expected.

"Yes, because I can't extract enough dark matter on my own."

"Against Leviathan... It is useless, right?"

"...Probably. Even so, it's far better than giving up without trying."

I gazed into Mitsuki's eyes while I spoke.

"Nii-san... You are so unfair. You are making the same face as back then... the time when you enacted a miracle. Now you are making me want to believe you, are you not...?"

Smiling wryly, Mitsuki held my hand.

"Thank you, Mitsuki."

I thanked her then shifted somewhere slightly farther from Iris. Closing my eyes, out of all the blueprints in my mind, I picked out the one I had used three years ago.

No, calling it a blueprint would not be accurate, because this contained all sorts of information including materials and methods of usage.

—The most sharpened power, in other words, data on weapons.

That was the truth of the power I had obtained in the deal with "Green" Yggdrasil three years ago. My ability to materialize Nergal and other firearms was not the result of training but because the correct data was engraved in my mind.

But because the volume of information was far too great, it could not all fit into my memory.

Back when I was about to lose this personality of Mononobe Yuu, I had cut the link to Yggdrasil halfway through.

However—Even so, severing the link was still too late.

Scrubbed by the turbulent flow of information, I had lost several key elements as Mononobe Yuu.

I lacked the emotion of fear and lost part of my memories.

The day I arrived at Midgard, Mitsuki had advised me to contact my parents and friends, but I must not talk to them. Because as soon as we conversed, my memory loss would come to light and this would reach Mitsuki's ears eventually.

With that, Mitsuki would surely blame herself very much.

Hence, I absolutely must not let the truth come to light.

The only memories kept intact in my heart were just the ones with Mitsuki.

Hence, Mitsuki was the one person I must not allow sorrow to come to her.

"Anti-dragon armament—Marduk!"

I constructed the weapon I had shot Hekatonkheir three years ago. The blueprint was burning in my mind. Borrowing dark matter flowing into my body from Mitsuki, the giant barrow gradually took form.

Rather than cutting-edge weaponry of the modern era, this was a lost weapon from a ''pre-civilization'' that existed long ago.

I only learned after receiving this power that there once existed an era with even more advanced science and technology than the current civilization. All the weaponry data I received from Yggdrasil, including Nergal, were things that had existed in the distant past.

Hence, I participated in NIFL's weapons development. The ones adopted were the mass production models of Nergal and Ishtar, the ICBM Gáe Bolg and the tactical laser. These all made use of pre-civilization technology.

However—This Marduk was an exception, a weapon that could not be reproduced with modern science and technology no matter what.

Originally attacking continually, Iris stared in wide-eyed amazement in my direction.

The barrow, ten-odd meters long, a base with circuits and wires exposed. Even by borrowing Mitsuki's power, it was impossible to recreate completely, so only the minimum necessary components were constructed. Hence, it could only fire one shot. Because no cooling functionality was installed, the barrow would melt.

The fatigue caused by the transmutation was unprecedented. My entire body felt heavy. My vision blurred. If I could still transmute again, it would be once more at most.

Connecting the the control system to my consciousness, I glared at Leviathan. The barrow shifted slightly on its own and adjusted its aim.

"—Nii-san, please wait! To prevent it from rebounding the attack, I will bait Leviathan into distorting space first!"

Mitsuki was stunned just now too, but she suddenly came to her senses and called to the Dragon Subjugation Squad through her communicator.

"All units, pull back from the target again! B5, B6, dump matter downwards from the air with maximum generating capacity! Apply pressure to the target's handling capacity!"

'Roger that.'

'Mm.'

Hearing brief responses, I realized those were Ariella and Ren's voices.

Then giant blocks of rock and ice fell towards Leviathan but they were caught by a repulsive field, stopping in the air motionlessly.

"Spread out. B1 to the right, B2 to the left. Aim for the target's head with long-distance non-projectile attacks!"

'Understood!"

'...Roger that.'

This time, those were Lisa and Firill's voices. A thick laser beam appeared from the right side while an electrical attack appeared from the left, attacking Leviathan at the same time.

Although these attacks deviated due to spatial distortion, of course, Mitsuki discerned the laser and electrical attack's trail and said to me:

"Nii-san, now an attack from the front should not be deflected back. Please fire!"

"Okay—Fire!!"

I yelled forcefully from the bottom of my lungs.

BOOM!!

The atmosphere was distorted by the heavy cannon's rumbling. A bullet of blue-white light was fired. It was a weapon of annihilation that caused everything caught in its blast to disintegrate on the atomic level.

In the past, Hekatonkheir had instantly turned into dust after being struck by this bullet.

Due to Hekatonkheir's trait of immortality, even though it revived several hundred kilometers away afterwards, this weapon's firepower was guaranteed.

The blue bullet flew towards Leviathan in a straight line, but the instant before striking—Its path was altered from spatial distortion, deviating to the lower left.

In that very instant, blinding blue light erupted. This was because I had adjusted the energy compression ratio while firing. Even if it failed to strike, it would still explode next to Leviathan.

The pillar of blue light devoured Leviathan.

The blocks of rock and ice made by Ariella and Ren also disappeared in the light.

Making contact with the light, a large piece of the sea surface was gouged away. The surrounding seawater evaporated from the high temperature. Like cumulonimbus clouds, thick water vapor rose upwards.

—Please, let it work!

I squinted, praying that it had destroyed Leviathan successfully.

Uoooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Angry roar was heard from the light, making me realize I had failed just when victory was in sight again.

The white monster emerged, breaking through the blue light and the cloud of water vapor. The left side of its outer shell was almost completely blown away, exposing muscle. Even so, its movements did not seem impeded. Swaying its body, Leviathan swam in the air, approaching the final defensive line.

No longer concerned with the intercepting lasers, it headed straight for here, where Iris was.

The lost weapon that stood as my trump card had already melted from the heat of firing into a distorted and ordinary lump of scrap metal. Although it seemed like it had damaged Leviathan to some extent, who knew how many dozens of additional shot were needed if one wanted to defeat the dragon in this manner, also... I had neither that much time nor energy.

"So in the end... It is no good."

Mitsuki murmured in despair.

Her face no longer showed the fortitude from three years ago that could be called recklessness.

Simply staring at reality, she silently gave up resistance.

If standing from the Dragon Subjugation Squad's perspective, it was necessary to recognize the current situation correctly, but the expression on Mitsuki's face filled me with sorrow.

I hoped Mitsuki could say it.

That she did not want this type of outcome.

With that, I would be able to—

"Go away... Go away! I hate... guys like you!"

At this moment, Iris' voice reached my ears.

Under despairing conditions, she was facing forward alone, continuing to fight as hard as she could.

Not giving up at all, she continued to resist.

"O holy silver! Explode! Explode! Explode—!!"

Silver-white explosions kept detonating in Leviathan's surroundings.

But it did not stop. No matter how much the surface of its body was blasted, as long as the repulsive field was present, it would not receive a lethal wound.

The image of Iris screaming and resisting desperately overlapped with my memory of Mitsuki three years ago.

Badump, I felt the depths of my heart shake.

"Ahhh... I guess there's no way I can leave her alone."

I smiled wryly and said, letting go of Mitsuki's hand.

"Nii-san?"

Mitsuki looked at me uneasily.

"—Mitsuki, no matter what happens, I will still be your brother."

I told her that, as though trying to carve these words into my heart.

"Nii-san, what on earth are you talking about...? Why are you mentioning something so obvious?"

"You're right, this is obvious. Because it's obvious, that's why I... must never forget."

Despite having lost the feeling of fear, my body was trembling.

I smiled at Mitsuki then walked over to Iris' side.

"...Mononobe?"

Iris stopped moving her hand to attack relentlessly then looked at me with tears brimming in her eyes.

"Iris, can I borrow your power this time?"

"Mononobe... You're still not killing me?"

"Yes, according to our promise, even if I really have to kill you, Iris, it's when all else fails, right?"

"Right now... Isn't that time yet?"

Iris asked with a tearful smile.

"No, not yet, I still have things I can do!"

I held Iris' right hand tightly with my left hand.

Then I glared at Leviathan which had arrived above the final defensive line.

I searched for the circuits I had severed in the past, the circuits I had severed to protect myself.

Continue the deal, Yggdrasil, we must defeat the dragon this time!

—Reconnection, acknowledged—

I heard a faint voice. It was Yggdrasil's emotionless voice from three years ago.

Hence, I followed the voice and connected the threads of my consciousness to that place.

Then the interrupted flow of information started up again and I searched it for weapons to break out of the current predicament.

I felt a splitting headache.

A massive amount of information was devouring my consciousness.

I had no idea what I would lose this time, what I would forget, and whether I would remain as myself.

Even so, possibilities only existed inside this information!

"Ugh..."

The burgeoning volume of information poured into my brain. My head felt as though it was about to explode.

But amidst all that, I was able to catch glimpses of what I sought.

It was information that could supplement the data of Marduk, the anti-dragon armament. Only then did I find out that the cannon I had materialized was merely one part of it.

So Marduk was incomplete—

But I was at my limit. My consciousness started to grow hazy.

—Disconnect!

I severed the circuits before I lost consciousness. Although it was impossible to contain all of Marduk's information, I managed to secure the necessary portion.

I began to ask myself, in exchange for the obtained information, what have I lost?

I remember about Iris beside me. I was fighting to protect her.

I remember about Mitsuki, standing slightly farther from us. My real sister beyond a doubt. Ever since the past which I could not recall, we grew up together. Separated for the past three years, we finally reunited here at Midgard.

Then hovering in the sky, the white dragon—Leviathan—was the enemy that must be defeated.

No problem, I remembered everything essential right now.

I had not lost the reason for fighting.

Then extending my right arm sideways, I called out the name of what I wanted to create.

"Marduk, ''main cannon''—Babel!!"

Using the dark matter flowing to me from Iris, I constructed a giant turret again.

But the shape was different from earlier. The transmutation performed this time was another part from the supplemented blueprint of Marduk. The barrel was split into two with a lens-like device in the middle. Considering my remaining stamina, this was my last transmutation. Failure would be the end.

Uoooooooooooooooooooo!

Perhaps seeing the pre-civilization weapon aimed at it, Leviathan roared deeply.

"This must succeed no matter what—FIRE!!"

A black torrent was shot out, seeming as though it would push the target into darkness, this endless darkness expanded drastically, even to the point of enveloping Leviathan's gigantic body.

The black-looking portion was not matter but a spatial discontinuity that even light was devoured, a supergravitational singularity.

Babel was a weapon that tore space to crush everything existing within the range of its attack.

However, the realm of darkness, which was meant to devour the target instantly to lock it away, still remained in an open state.

Uooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...

Leviathan screamed.

It was using antigravity to oppose supergravity.

Insufficient output. Overloaded, the barrel was suffering small-scale explosions all over the place.

—I knew it already. Even this would still be unable to succeed.

If this weapon could defeat dragons, then the old civilization would have persisted to the present day. But in the modern era, they did not exist anywhere, most likely destroyed by dragons.

Hence, it was impossible to prevail over dragon through my power.

The objective would not by achieved by this strike of mine.

"Mitsuki! Attack!!"

"...Yes!"

Mitsuki nodded in acknowledgement, creating her fictional armament in her hand.

"Brionac!"

On the brightly iridescent bow, Mitsuki nocked an arrow of dark matter.

Indeed, it would hit given the current situation. Only when supergravity and antigravity were locked in a struggle!

"Terminating Arrow—Last Quark!"

This was surely the antimatter that only Mitsuki could generate, the arrow that had slain two Krakens.

While firing that arrow, Mitsuki yelled through the communicator.

"All units—Attack!!"

The Dragon Subjugation Squad fired dozens of attacks, piercing Leviathan from the sides.

Then Mitsuki's arrow penetrated from the front.

Instantly, with a blinding explosion of pure white, Leviathan's entire body bulged from within.

"Just a bit more, Iris!!"

"Okay!"

Although Iris should be trying her hardest already, she delivered even more dark matter to me.

Using her dark matter, I patched up Babel which was nearing destruction. Prepared for the possibility that the barrel might overheat, I forced it to bring out firepower beyond its limit.

Leviathan's gigantic body, which was originally expanding, now contracted.

Compressed by the surrounding supergravity, it contracted smaller and smaller, accompanied by explosions.

Uooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!

Even its roaring deathcry was dragged into the spatial discontinuity, its voice growing progressively weaker.

After devouring the giant dragon and the antimatter explosions, the space closed up.

Almost at the same time, Babel reached its limit and collapsed with a small explosion.

Originally blotting the sky, the giant body disappeared. The vast blue sky reappeared over our heads.

"Did we... succeed?"

The first to speak was Iris.

With an expression of disbelief, she stared at the spot where Leviathan had just occupied.

"We won...?"

Still in her arrow firing posture, Mitsuki was frozen.

A warm southerly wind blew between us.

"R-Right, Iris! Show me what's under your clothing!"

Brought back to reality, I thought of a way to confirm the victory, so I set about lifting Iris' shirt.

"Kyawah!? M-Mononobe, what are you suddenly doing!? Oh, no... not somewhere so bright... Mitsuki-chan's looking too..."

"Hey, no—I just want to see your flank..."

Because Iris resisted inexplicably, twisting her body, we wrestled together, falling to the ground in a tangle.

Because Iris' shirt was lifted while she fell, the snow-white complexion of her flank became exposed.

The dragon mark, there to begin with, had returned to a flesh tone slightly darker than the surrounding skin.

"The dragon mark whose color changed has reverted... We succeeded, we really succeeded!"

I cried out with joy but suddenly realized my right hand was holding something soft.

"Umm, Mononobe... It's very embarrassing for me, don't... grope so hard."

"Ehhhh!?"

Reeling back in surprise, I unintentionally moved my hand, causing Iris to cry out in an inexplicably sexy manner.

Then I felt someone patting my shoulder from behind.

I looked back in trepidation, only to see Mitsuki smiling, looking at me.

"—Nii-san, how unbelievable that you dare to openly engage in inappropriate interactions between the genders, right in front of me, the student council president."

"No, it was an accident just now..."

"Accident? What I saw was you lunging at Iris-san, removing her clothing forcibly then groping her chest, did you not?"

"Somehow... It feels like you're making me out to be a vile irredeemable pervert by describing things that way."

"Precisely indeed, pervert Nii-san."

"Hey—OWWWWWW!"

Dragging me by the ear, Mitsuki separated me from Iris.

Blushing to her ears, Iris fixed up her clothing while watching me.

"Umm, uh... Sorry, Mononobe, if it's somewhere without other people seeing, I... Oh, right! Next time, let me help you scrub your back again!"

"Again...?"

Hearing what Iris said, Mitsuki glared at me with eyes of ice.

"Uh, this is a long story—"

"I see, then I shall listen to you properly afterwards, Nii-san. I still have plenty to say regarding your insubordination just now. Nii-san, you would do best to prepare yourself. A hundred repentance essays are inescapable."

Making a terrifying declaration with a smile, Mitsuki held my hand with a tight grip.

"I absolutely will not allow you to escape, got that—Nii-san?"

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Epilogue|Epilogue]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T02:12:58Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 3 - "White" Leviathan==

===Part 1===

I defied the destiny he had decided for me.

No matter what kind of battlefield I was sent to, I always accomplished the mission without killing anyone.

Perhaps it was like acting obstinately out of spite. Normal common sense and morals would easily crumble against the education I received. In order to protect my beliefs that must not be compromised, relying on logic and conscience was not enough.

I did not want to become the type of person he hoped for. I wanted to continue being Mitsuki's brother. Feelings of this sort supported my obstinacy.

However, no matter how much I struggled, I always felt a premonition that everything would end up in futility.

He did not reprimand me for my persistent resistance. As long as I produced satisfactory results, he even praised me.

Hence, I knew clearly that I was still under his control.

Even if I still managed to keep my hands untainted, from past to present, the day for my hands to be tainted would inevitably arrive.

So long as I continued to fight under NIFL, that destiny was impossible to change.

It was ultimately just a matter of time.

I was sent to battlefields that were countries where public order had broken down due to dragons passing through. Those kinds of places were mostly in civil war to begin with.

Using dragons as excuses, NIFL kept intervening in regional conflicts.

Brothers-in-arms fighting alongside me gradually increased, their numbers finally settled at eight.

They were young men brought from other places, each possessing their own outstanding talents.

Named Sleipnir, my team galloped on numerous battlefields.

According to ''him'', there was apparently an intended enemy we were meant to fight. Putting down guerilla groups was just practice before the real battle. Nevertheless, we were still risking our lives all the time.

In a world where life and death were thinly divided, how much longer could I act obstinately out of spite?

Was defiance more important than my own life?

These thoughts always occupied my mind during fighting.

Also, I was probably still going to turn into a killer in emergency situations. Somewhere in my heart, the notion of giving up had already manifested.

Because I had already become a person who could actually kill provided I wanted to.

I had already been remade into that kind of person.

My trigger finger no longer trembled from my conscience's reprimands. Neither did it hesitate in pity for the target.

Before arriving at NIFL, I had already lost my sense of fear.

I possessed all the requirements to become a killer.

Ironically, the reason why I had the luxury of acting out of spite was because he had made me strong.

Purely because I was not strained, I had the luxury of choosing whether to kill or not, hence I chose not to kill.

Once that slack was lost, my resistance was probably going to end.

That was what I originally thought, but—

"I won't lose!"

The day I was liberated from NIFL, I met the strongest human out of all the opponents I had faced so far—a D—and fought her.

She was actually not that dangerous a person, but from my perspective in ignorance, she was a monster with firepower surpassing tanks.

To eliminate the lethal threat, my body moved on its own. Faster than my thoughts, subconscious intent to kill had already sprung into action in advance.

But that was not my first time encountering a life threatening crisis. Even when faced with a gun in front of my face, I had always handled situations calmly in composure.

The reason why I lost that composure so easily that time... was most likely because she was a D.

Encountering the intended enemy, the monster growing inside me bared its fangs on its own.

But I used my willpower to stop the swing of my arm.

I defied the reason of my own existence.

I chose not to kill her.

I made that choice successfully.

Hence, I owed her a debt impossible to repay.

Because she—Iris—proved that my spite-fueled obstinacy was more important than my own life.

===Part 2===

The day the test ended, dinner was a bit different from usual.

"This is—?"

After the dishes were cleared off the table and I saw the food brought by the housework robot, I asked Mitsuki who was sitting opposite me across the table.

"Is it not obvious? This is dessert!"

"Dessert? Why just today..."

Baked pudding topped with cream. Bits of chocolate were even sprinkled beautifully over it. Looking at this dessert, I inquired of her.

"Although you only qualified as backup, this is to reward you for passing, Nii-san, because I believe that hard work should be commended."

Without looking at me, Mitsuki answered in an indifferent tone of voice.

"Uh, it looks really tasty. Thank you very much... Did you actually make this for me, Mitsuki?"

"W-What, what makes you think that?"

The fork fell from Mitsuki's hand. Unable to hide her shaken heart, she asked me.

"Lisa mentioned it. She said you make lovely sweets, so I wondered whether this was your creation too."

"U-Umm..."

"Judging from your reaction, I guess I'm right?"

"...Yes."

Mitsuki huddled herself and admitted in a small voice.

"Then why not say that from the start? I am very grateful to you."

"Because... It would be very embarrassing if it failed to suit your tastes, Nii-san. Also, I would not hear an honest opinion."

Mitsuki looked away and said with her face red.

"Sheesh... I thought you'd grown braver after becoming the student council president, but you're still so timid on weird issues."

Laughing wryly, I scooped a spoonful of the dessert and tasted it. The gentle and sweet flavor immediately started spreading from the tip of my tongue.

"—Mmm, super good."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, and the entire schools students have already recognized your skills, right? I think you could be more confident."

"If the person before me says it does not taste good, the opinion of the majority will be completely meaningless."

Mitsuki asserted with a serious expression.

"...I think I'm starting to understand why you're able to become the student council president."

Exhaling in exclamation, I finished all of the dessert.

"—Thanks for the treat. Dessert was lovely. Thank you, Mitsuki."

"Great, you are welcome."

At this moment, the expression on Mitsuki's face reminded of three years ago—that extremely natural and incomparably relaxed smile.

After the meal, I returned to my room to find the lamp on my portable terminal flashing.

Looking at it, I found an email from Iris. This portable terminal was capable of voice calls and email, but the only contacts I had so far were limited to Mituski and Iris.

'I'm waiting for you at the beach.'

That was all she wrote.

I looked at the time displayed on the edge of the portable terminal's screen.

"7:27pm huh... Curfew starts at 8pm so I guess it's fine."

Taking the portable terminal, I left the room, walking while writing an email to Mitsuki.

'I'm going out for a bit. Back by 8pm.'

Because Mitsuki would probably check the dorm's entry and exit records, I thought I had better inform her.

I left the dorm and walked on the road along the shore.

Without any basis at all, I felt that she was probably waiting for me at the place where we first met. Because time was limited, I quickened my pace to hurry on my way.

Countless stars were twinkling in the deep-blue night sky. Waves kept surging and retreating, as though caressing the white beach, playing a regular song of the sea.

My intuition was apparently correct. Iris was standing at the place where our eyes first met. Although she was in uniform, she had taken off her shoes and stockings to go barefoot.

With the waves breaking over the snow-white complexion of those beautiful feet, Iris was staring at the sea surface afar.

I walked over the sand to approach her, resulting in rustling footsteps. Hearing my footsteps, Iris turned her head in my direction.

"Oh... Mononobe, you came."

"Yeah, because your email said you're waiting for me."

I stopped several meters in front of Iris and replied.

"Sorry for calling you out at this hour. Did Mitsuki-chan get angry?"

"I'm supposed to be able to go out before 8pm... But she might be angry when I get back."

"Fufu, because Mitsuki-chan is very strict!"

Seeing Iris' smile, I felt my heart pounding. Bathed under starlight, the silver-haired girl was giving off an even more otherworldly sense of beauty than usual.

"...Then why did you want to see me?"

I asked her while being aware of the nervousness in my voice.

"Oh, umm, first is, umm... I want to thank you, Mononobe."

"If it's thanks, you already thanked me countless times after the test. It's more than enough. Besides, I didn't do anything that needs you to thank me like that."

"You're wrong! If it weren't for you, Mononobe, I definitely would have failed again, so—Thank you!"

Iris bowed her head forcefully to thank me, her long silver hair spreading out in the air.

"I simply trained together with you... Fine, you're welcome."

Further refusal would just be a waste of time, so I candidly accepted her thanks.

"U-Umm, then... I've got something to ask you, Mononobe... Can I?"

Iris looked up stiffly and asked in trepidation.

"I don't mind..."

I nodded and Iris approached me.

"Mononobe, why did you help me?"

"Huh?"

"Being so considerate of me, working hard with me seriously, Mononobe, you're the first person to do that. Everyone else in the class hold themselves and others to strict standards, so I can't rely on them... Although Mitsuki-chan looks after me frequently, I think that's because she's the student council president."

Iris approached me even closer, almost to the point of touching me.

"So, I wanna know... how you feel, Mononobe."

Seeing her gaze at me from so close, I felt my heart beat even faster.

"T-That's because..."

"Because...?"

"Probably because... you're very similar to how Mitsuki was in the past."

I said one of the reasons.

The debt I felt on my own was just my personal feelings after all. If I had to explain it to her, that meant bringing up things from my NIFL days, so I was not going to say much on that front.

"I'm similar to Mitsuki-chan? No way, I'm completely unlike Mitsuki-chan!"

"She used to have similarities with you, Iris, and right now, she is still working as hard as she can, just like you, so... I think that's why I can't leave you to your own devices."

Hearing my answer, Iris looked down and murmured quietly.

"I see... So that's the case, it's a bit unfortunate. But... it's fine, I just have to start trying hard now."

"Iris?"

I called to her because I could not hear her clearly. Iris instantly looked up forcefully.

"Mononobe!"

"W-What?"

"Listen here, I... want to get closer to you, Mononobe, s-so umm... If you don't mind, I want to be frie—"

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

Just as Iris was speaking, a loud siren was suddenly heard all around.

'Emergency warning, emergency warning—Level C alert, Type White. I repeat, Level C alert, Type White!'

The announcement explained the key points of the warning.

"Type White—that's 'White' Leviathan, right...? Is a Level C alert very urgent?"

I asked but Iris did not seem like she heard me.

"Leviathan..."

She said the dragon's name with a stiff expression.

Right—Iris had lost her family due to a dragon disaster caused by Leviathan.

'The Dragon Subjugation Squad, students selected by the Midgard Defense Department, please man your stations. Prepare to standby for combat operations. All other students and staff, please return to your quarters or the nearest evacuation shelter, especially those currently at shore areas, please evacuate as quickly as possible.'

"Hey, the announcer is telling us to evacuate!"

"...That dragon... is nearby..."

"Pull yourself together! Anyway, we need to get out of here first!"

Iris was in a trance. I grabbed her hand and pulled up up to the breakwater.

A deep noise and vibrations could be felt underfoot.

Looking out at sea, giant rectangular objects surfaced one after another from the originally peaceful sea. Then these objects formed a circle as though surrounding this island.

The displaced seawater formed big waves, rushing up the beach. Smashing against the breakwater, the waves broke into white spray.

"Could that be... Midgardsormr?"

"That's right. What's visible from here is just part of the final defensive line... The first to third defensive lines are farther out at sea."

Probably returning to her senses finally, Iris answered me calmly.

"Iris, you're okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry for spacing out... We have to hurry and find shelter or else we'll cause other people trouble."

After speaking with a serious face, Iris put on the shoes she had placed on the breakwater before hand, then looked up into the night sky.

Uniformed girls holding weapons were passing overhead, flying towards the sea.

This was probably the Dragon Subjugation Squad selected by Midgard Defense Department. By generating wind, they were flying in the sky at high speed.

"That's true, we'll only get in their way if we stay here."

"Right, let's head back to the dorms immediately—Ooh..."

Iris was just about to break into a run when she suddenly knelt down with her hand on her stomach.

"Hey... What happened to you!?"

"A-A sudden stomach ache... Ahaha, maybe I ate too much to celebrate passing the test... Oh... It's gradually getting better..."

Despite the cold sweat already appearing on her forehead, Iris still stood up.

"...Can you walk?"

"No problem... Let's run, Mononobe!"

It seemed to be a momentary stomach ache. Iris took my hand and began to walk briskly.

Iris had to make her way to the shared dormitories located near the school so we separated along the way and I returned to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

"Mitsuki, are you here?"

I called out from the entrance hall, but no one answered. Mitsuki was apparently the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain, so she had probably mobilized already.

Although I was curious about the situation outside, I could not ask her through email because it would obstruct her work. Hence, I decided to wait quietly and returned to my room.

Unable to settle down, I started wanting to find a book to read. The instant I touched the portable terminal, a ringtone was suddenly heard.

I initially thought it was Mitsuki, but the screen did not display the caller's number. No matter how long I waited, the ringing showed no signs of stopping, so I hesitantly pressed the button to take the call.

Immediately, an image with static appeared on the screen to show a young man in military uniform, grinning.

That smile made me feel a chill from the bottom of my heart.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"Major Loki... Why—"

I uttered his name in a hoarse voice.

Major Loki Jotunheim—The person who used to be my direct superior until recently.

This man, who could be considered the mastermind behind NIFL, why—

'Well, I wanted to call you earlier... But Midgardsormr's defensive line includes many barriers on electronic communications too. If it weren't for the current battle situation, communicating without Midgard's knowledge would be impossible. Sorry for calling late.'

"Calling late... I wasn't waiting for a call from a guy like you—"

'A guy? In just a brief week, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, have you forgotten how to address your former commanding officer?'

Narrow eyes stared straight at me from the screen. Just by doing that, he made me feel like I was pulled back to the past, pulled back to those long, dark days when I was working under him.

"...My apologies, Major Loki."

'Now that's more like it. Still, I can hardly blame you for growing lax. Compared to NIFL, Midgard is like paradise. It's only inevitable that you would be affected, given your ''incompleteness''. Seriously... It is truly unfortunate that I couldn't ''finish you up'' in the end."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 157.jpg|thumb]]

"You called me... Why?"

'Oh right, I almost went on a tangent. It's like this, I have a favor to ask of you.'

"A favor?"

'Our positions no longer allow me to command you, so this is a favor. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, you already know that Ds can turn into dragons, right? This is top secret at NIFL but it should be something that all Midgard students are privy to.'

Smiling artificially, Major Loki asked me.

"...Yes, if a D makes contact with a dragon after her dragon mark changes color, she will turn into the same type of dragon. Are you referring to this phenomenon?"

'Indeed, how terrifying. To think that such monsters could multiply, a most frightful notion chilling to the bone. An outcome that must be prevented at all costs, do you not agree?'

"Y-Yes... Of course."

Despite a foreboding feeling, I still concurred.

'But despite its crucial position, Midgard has not perfected its handling of this matter. After confirming that a dragon mark had changed in color, they send the subject to an underground bunker for isolation, then have other Ds intercept the dragon. This is the tactic they have chosen.'

"That kind of tactic... What's wrong with it?"

'Are you playing dumb? It should be quite clear to you. The most effective countermeasure is to kill the D whose dragon mark has changed in color.'

The chill given off from Major Loki's inexorably cold eyes almost seemed to freeze my heart.

"...No one can support that, whether on grounds of human rights or the social value of Ds. One D's death is a massive loss to the world."

Besides, who would be capable of making that kind of proposal?

Despite the threat of dragons, the world continued to develop slowly, maintaining some measure of peace. It was all thanks to these Ds bolstering energy resources.

'But I believe that the economic and human losses arising from an increase in dragons would dwarf the benefits. But just as you say, it is true that such a method won't be supported by the majority. Because the world fears offending the Ds while the Ds won't abandon one of their own. After all, any one of them could be the next victim.'

"Then—"

'Hence, someone needs to act in secret.'

Major Loki interrupted me, his eyes fixed upon me.

"You're not ordering me, by any chance?"

'Not an order. I am simply asking you to accept the mission as a favor to me. Your reassignment to Midgard was completely unexpected, but I already had prior plans to have someone infiltrate. If you could take on this mission, it saves a lot of work. Don't worry, all you need to do is kill one D if an emergency arises.'

"Please don't... make it sound so easy."

I gritted my teeth and glared at Major Loki.

'It is very easy, at least to the 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe I cultivated. Whether Ds or anyone else, as long as the opponent is human, you won't lose, because you are the strongest Fafnir from our Sleipnir."

"..."

I could not say anything. Major Loki's words were just a curse, not praise.

'You don't have to answer immediately. But if your assistance cannot be secured, I might have to resort to less efficient means, which might cause unnecessary collateral damage. So please consider the matter carefully.'

Zzzt. The call disconnected and the screen went black.

Leaning myself against the back of the chair, I looked up at the ceiling.

The siren still continued to blare.

===Part 3===

The alert of an approaching dragon was finally lifted about three hours later.

But late night arrived and Mitsuki still did not return. The next time I saw her was already the full-school assembly the next morning.

"I believe that everyone should know already that at 7:41pm last night, there was a Level C alert situation. The approaching dragon is 'White' Leviathan that circles the Pacific Ocean along a fixed route. But this time, it has deviated from that route to trespass Midgard's warning zone."

Standing on the podium, Mitsuki explained the situation. This was probably part of the student council president's job.

"Leviathan stayed roughly three hours in the warning zone but returned to its original route without reaching the first defensive line. These irregular exceptions seem to occur once in a while. A year ago, a passenger ship was sunk due to this reason."

A year ago... Ship... Would that be the dragon disaster that Iris had been caught up in?

Looking at silver hair, I wondered to myself. Since students were lined up according to their Student No., Iris was in front of me.

Iris did not react to what Mitsuki had just said. With her hand on her stomach, perhaps that stomach ache from yesterday was still persisting.

"If Leviathan attacks, it will be quite an arduous battle. Leviathan is considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they are to handle. Wielding the power of universal repulsion known as antigravity, Leviathan presents a great challenge, be it approaching or attacking its body. However—"

Mitsuki leaned forward and slowly swept her gaze over all the students of the school.

"Even if one of you were to attract Leviathan, causing it to attack, the Dragon Subjugation Squad will still fight fearlessly. We will not abandon you no matter what. Consequently, if any of you feel that your dragon mark has changed, please do not hesitate. Step forward and let us know. I will put my life on the line to protect you."

Mitsuki declared clearly. Strong conviction could be felt from her words. It was not simply a sense of obligation.

Thunderous applause started up.

However, Iris did not clap even though she had felt moved by Mitsuki's previous speech. Her slender shoulders were shivering while she had her head lowered.

"Eh, where's Iris?"

After the assembly, I returned to the classroom to find Iris missing.

"Who knows? She was apparently feeling unwell, so she probably went to the infirmary, right?"

Lisa's gaze met mine while she answered with displeasure.

"Oh, you also noticed Iris didn't look her usual self, Lisa?"

"Of course. Rather, you seem quite concerned about about Iris-san. You wouldn't be harboring ulterior motives, would you?"

Lisa gazed at me with eyes of suspicion.

"Just like you, Lisa, I'm simply worried about her."

"What... I-I am not—"

At a loss for words, Lisa looked away.

Just at this moment, Mitsuki entered the classroom. I decided to ask her about Iris' whereabouts.

"Iris is missing. Did you hear anything, Mitsuki?"

"No, I have not..."

If Iris had gone to the infirmary, she should have asked me or Mitsuki to tell the teacher. My heart began to grow inexplicably uneasy.

"I'll go look for her. Tell the teacher for me, okay?"

"Hey wait, Nii-san!"

Leaving behind Mitsuki who called me frantically, I entered the corridor. Next period was about to begin and there were almost no students out in the hallways.

I made my way quickly to the infirmary first. I knew where to go because I brought Iris there last time when she fainted from the explosion. Reaching the adjacent building, I went to the corner of the first floor and opened the door marked "Infirmary," but Iris was not there.

"Sheesh... Where did she go?"

Did her stomach ache hurt so much that she could not move? I tried searching along the path to the gym but still could not find her.

"Maybe... in a washroom?"

If she was in a washroom, there was nothing I could do. It was also possible that my worries were unnecessary. I decided to return to the classroom first so I turned back from the gym.

There was a corridor linking the gym and the school building. From there I could see tropical flowers blooming in the courtyard. Just as I shifted my gaze upwards, I suddenly discovered a figure on the school building's roof.

"What...?"

A strong breeze was blowing beautiful silver hair. The girl was quietly staring at the ground below.

Seeing her like that, I instantly felt the surge of an ominous feeling. Immediately, I sprinted.

Dashing into the school building, I rushed up the stairs and smashed myself against the door to reach the roof.

The loud crash caused the silver-haired girl, leaning against the roof railing, to look back.

"Mononobe?"

"Sure enough, it's you, Iris..."

Iris's eyes were wide open. Looking at her, I sighed. When I saw her just now, for just an instant, I thought she was going to jump, but I suppose I was worrying too much.

"Why did you come here?"

"I want to ask you the same question. It's almost class time, you know?"

"I... will skip next period."

Iris smiled wryly and sat down on the concrete. Her hand was still pressed against her stomach.

"What exactly is the matter?"

"I need time to calm down."

On closer examination, what Iris was holding was her flank. I recalled her nude body and its snow-white complexion that I saw by chance the first time we met. Speaking of which, her dragon mark happened to be near that spot—

"...Iris, do you have a stomach ache?"

"..."

"If you don't mind, could you show me where you're hurting?"

"Mononobe, you're so perverted."

Iris huddled her body and glared at me.

"Oh, no, you misunderstand me."

I was trying to find an excuse when Iris chuckled then exhaled gravely.

"—I know. Sorry for saying something malicious like this."

Iris pulled up her uniform to expose her abdomen.

My heart instantly raced like mad. My gaze getting drawn to Iris' skin was admittedly one of the reasons, but the bigger reason was surprise. The dragon mark branded on Iris' flank was shining with faint silver-white light.

"That... Starting when—"

"I only discovered it this morning, but I think it already started changing last night."

Iris spoke in monotone.

"You still haven't told anyone?"

"...I haven't."

Iris nodded with a gloomy expression.

"Why? Mitsuki said she absolutely won't abandon anyone. She'll put her life on the line to protect you!"

"That's why I didn't confess. 'White' Leviathan is one of the dragons for which there are no effective countermeasures, but if for my sake... if everyone has to fight for the sake of protecting someone like me, is it really okay...?"

Iris gazed out into the distance on the other side of the railing.

"No way—Are you planning to jump off the building to commit suicide before the situation reaches that point?"

I grabbed Iris' shoulder and pulled her back, because I feared what she might do if I did not hold her tightly.

But Iris smiled wryly and shook her head.

"I thought of that too... But I'm too scared, can't do it. I'm not a girl with that kind of mental strength."

"...Thank goodness you're a coward, Iris."

"Jeez, what do you mean by that!?"

Iris pouted.

"Even if you kill yourself now, it's possible that another D might get targeted soon enough. That wouldn't accomplish anything except postponing the problem. Unless the dragon is defeated, it doesn't solve the problem at the root."

—The most effective countermeasure is to kill the D whose dragon mark has changed in color.

Major Loki's words flashed through my mind.

It definitely could resolve a crisis momentarily. In terms of preventing the worst-case scenario, this might be the safest method. However, if this were to be repeated, all the Ds would go extinct eventually.

"Yeah... I know that too but even so, I'm still afraid."

"You don't believe in Mitsuki and the others?"

"That's not it... I'm afraid of the fact that I won't be able to kill myself. Once the final defensive line is breached, when we really are out of options... Unable to commit suicide, I'll surely become a dragon. In that event, I'll harm everyone! I don't want that... Anything but that..."

Irisi hugged me, speaking words from the heart. Precisely because she felt such a strong sense of duty towards fighting dragons, she was this scared of becoming a dragon disaster herself.

—Someone needs to act in secret.

Major Loki's voice sounded deep in my ear again.

No matter what, the world could not run normally unless someone did the dirty work. It felt very paradoxical, but it was the truth.

The people of Midgard were not stupid. Despite what she said, Mitsuki had probably prepared a last resort to use for emergencies.

If that was the case, there should not a problem with me taking on that job. At the same time, I could also restrain Major Loki, to prevent him from unnecessarily interfering.

"Don't worry, Iris, you absolutely won't turn into a dragon."

I committed my determination and hugged Iris tightly.

"Eh...?"

Indeed, now was the time to return my debt.

Iris had proven my obstinacy, telling me that even if I had to weigh my own life against it, I was still capable of choosing not to kill.

That time, because I was facing Iris, that was probably why I managed to regain self-control.

Because I was attracted to her beauty in the instant of our encounter, that was why I could regard her as just a girl instead of a D.

It made me feel that I would rather die than kill her.

Hence—

"If the situation worsens so much that we're out of options, I will do it—I will kill you, Iris."

I made my choice by my own will again.

If it was for Iris' sake, I will kill Iris.

I will put the obstinacy, which I had adhered to for the past three years, on the line.

To this date, I had avoid tainting my hands, but it was only for the sake of guarding my heart.

Iris' wish of not wanting to harm others was far more noble than mine.

And I wanted to help her achieve her wish.

"Mononobe, you...?"

"Yes, so you can relax and let Mitsuki's team protect you for now. Until the final moment arrives, I absolutely won't give up either."

I gently stroked her soft, silver hair and replied. Iris looked up with moistened eyes at me.

"Can I... believe you?"

"Leave it to me. Although I've kept quiet about it so far, I'm actually the world's strongest assassin—The candidate for that."

Hearing me say that, Iris was stunned for a moment before her lips curled lightly to smile.

"Fufu—You must be kidding!"

After that, I accompanied Iris back to the classroom and explained the situation to Mitsuki.

Then Mitsuki immediately declared a Level A alert state of emergency.

===Part 4===

On this liberating island in the south with beautiful weather, the atmosphere and scenery changed dramatically. The windows in buildings had shutters lowered to defend against shockwaves. Normally kept underground, anti-air weapon stations popped out all over the island.

The concentric defense system of Midgardsormr had entered interception mode completely. Its intimidating formation had the entire horizon covered.

In contrast, the school disappeared. The school building and the clock tower, where the most important facilities were located, were all hidden underground, sealed inside partitions made of mithril.

Entering school premises required passing through underground passages connected to the various dormitories and emergency. It was only today that I finally learned that Mitsuki's personal dorm also had an entrance to an underground passage.

"So late..."

I was sitting on the stairwell at the entrance hall, staring at the ajar door in the wall beside me, leading to the underground passage.

It was currently 2am. I would normally be asleep so my eyelids felt very heavy.

I could hear faint sounds of airplanes outside. These were probably reconnaissance planes patrolling in Midgard's surroundings.

While I was half asleep, the door leading underground opened on its own with an electronic sound.

"Welcome back, Mitsuki."

I called to my sister whose face showed exhaustion.

"...!? N-Nii-san? Please do not startle me. Have you not gone to bed?"

Staring at me, Mistuki seemed seriously surprised.

"I was waiting for you, Mitsuki. Are preparations complete to intercept Leviathan?"

After I asked, Mitsuki replied with seriousness returned to her face:

"Although it is not perfect by any stretch... Leviathan has entered its route circling the Pacific Ocean. It is expected to approach again thirty-three hours from now. Before that, we should be able to reach full readiness."

Thirty-three hours later...

I repeated it silently in mind in order to commit this information to memory. Then I asked another question:

"So... How's Iris?"

"She had been receiving body checkups and diagnoses until just now. After all, she is the first person to have her dragon mark change color in the past two years, so there is a dearth of information. Being targeted by a dragon is very terrifying, but Iris-san has been cooperating with us without panicking at all."

It was most likely because Iris had already resolved herself. If that was the case, I had better keep my promise.

"Mitsuki, what should I do?"

"Nii-san... because you only passed as a reserve member in the Basilisk drill, you will not be summoned for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Presumably, you will be asked to stay on standby in shelter like ordinary students."

Nothing to do, in other words? In that case, perfect.

"If that's the case... Can you assign a job for me, who has nothing to do?"

"A job?"

"Yes, as Iris' bodyguard."

I made this demand which I would have found it impossible to bring up in the classroom with everyone present.

Mitsuki frowned in surprise.

"The Dragon Subjugation Squad is fighting to protect Iris-san. Your participation is not needed, Nii-san."

"That's against dragons as opponents, right? By bodyguard, I mean protecting Iris from threats other than dragons."

Hearing what I said, Mitsuki's expression instantly froze. She seemed to understand immediately.

"You are saying... that someone might target Iris-san's life?"

"At least NIFL doesn't trust Midgard. They might interfere unnecessarily."

Mituski narrowed her eyes after hearing what I said.

"Judging from your tone, Nii-san, you seem to have some kind of concrete evidence?"

"Yesterday, my commanding officer at NIFL, Major Loki, contacted me."

"What..."

Mitsuki gasped in surprise.

"The Major has apparently made up his mind to prevent an increase in dragons. Just by assigning me as Iris' bodyguard, NIFL will be reassured to some extent."

"In other words, at a critical moment, Nii-san, they will have you kill Iris-san?"

Mitsuki stared at me with eyes of determination.

"Yes, ''but that critical moment will be decided by me''. Until then, I will not allow anyone to kill Iris, no one at all."

I took on Mitsuki's gaze directly and answered her that way.

"...Your description makes yourself sound like the grim reaper, Nii-san."

"Yeah... But in a certain sense, that's precisely my ''original job''. Mitsuki, you're probably aware given your position, right? Although I was never deployed in an actual operation of that sort... The reason why Sleipnir, the team I used to be part of, was established, it's real purpose was to target Ds who've been deemed as disasters, to assass—"

"Enough!"

Mitsuki cried out loudly to interrupt me.

"...Please say no more. I wish to hear none of that from your own mouth especially. Nii-san, please remain the Nii-san I know."

With tears glimmering in her eyes, Mitsuki pleaded to me.

"Mitsuki..."

"Regarding the bodyguard matter... I permit your request, because it seems to be the only way right now to keep NIFL restrained, but I have one condition."

"Condition?"

Seeing Mitsuki's gloomy eyes, I asked uneasily.

"If the situation reaches the point when Iris-san's dragonification is truly unavoidable—I shall do it then."

"What... No way! I can't let you do that kind of thing, Mitsuki!"

I yelled frantically but Mitsuki smiled wearily and shook her head.

"—It is fine, because my hands are already tainted."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Two years ago, the one who killed the fellow D who had turned into a dragon... That was me."

After saying that, Mitsuki walked past me and swiftly went up the stairs.

By the time I regained my senses from the shock and looked back, Mitsuki was already out of sight—

'—Really, you will accept this mission? That's really great help for me. And to think you've already secured the job as bodyguard to the target, you really work fast. I'm so fortunate to have such an outstanding subordinate like you. Ahhh, but you're not my subordinate anymore.'

Hahaha, Major Loki laughed superficially. Ignoring him, I continued.

"Anyway, because of that, please don't interfere anymore. I will definitely accomplish the mission."

'Very well, I understand. I will not do anything to obstruct you. Well then—I trust you, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Zzzzt, the call disconnected.

"There is no one least suited to speaking the word 'trust' than you."

Muttering sardonically to myself, I laid myself on the bed.

After the conversation with Mitsuki ended, I returned to my room to get ready for bed, but as though aiming for this opportunity, Major Loki called at this time.

Because I already decided there was a need to contact him again, this timing turned out just right, except it felt a little terrifying.

"I can't lower my guard..."

Looking up at the ceiling, I spoke.

Mitsuki's words were also occupying my mind the whole time.

Just like I had gone through great changes over the past three years, Mitsuki must have experienced a lot.

Although no matter what things had happened, no matter what sins she was shouldering, I had no intention of handing Iris over to Mitsuki.

I had said to Iris: Leave it to me.

And three years ago, I had also said to Mitsuki: Leave everything to me.

I will not break... that promise.

===Part 5===

The next day, I went to school through the underground passage from the dormitory.

That being said, given the current emergency, lessons were naturally suspended at school. Walking through quiet and deserted hallways, I took the elevator and pressed the button at the bottom.

After experiencing the long descent, I finally reached the shelter that was located even deeper than training site number three. In front of a door in the corridor ahead, I could see a blonde girl standing there.

"It seems it's true that you will be in charge of monitoring Iris-san."

The girl—Lisa—looked at me with disdain.

"I'm not monitoring her, just a bodyguard. Have you accompanied Iris all this time since yesterday?"

My question prompted Lisa to puff out her chest and nod.

"Because we are classmates. When a classmate is in need, extending a helping hand is only natural."

"I see, you are considerate for your friends after all, Lisa."

"W-What do you mean by after all!? What do you know about me anyway!?"

Lisa glared at me with her face red.

"We've spoken so many times, it's only natural I'll gain a certain level of understanding. Right now, you're staying by her side because you're worried about Iris, right?"

"...For people like us who are living outside, separated from parents, classmates are equivalent to family. How could I not worry about her?"

Lisa shifted her gaze away, murmuring her answer quietly.

"Since you care about her so much, why not treat her more gently day to day...? Iris is always hard on herself for being called a poorly performing student."

Lisa whimpered "ooh..." then shook her head forcefully as though pulling herself together before glaring at me again.

"T-Those known as older sisters often act strict towards their younger sisters! Only family members can speak their minds without reservation, right?"

Her allegation made me think inside.

Indeed, gentle treatment was not the only expression of love and care. Iris was probably able to work so hard because someone existed to point out her flaws mercilessly.

"...I guess. Perhaps it's better if you continue with what you're doing, Lisa. Now that I think about it, you're quite an excellent older sister."

"Y-You will not gain anything from flattering me!"

Perhaps out of embarrassment, Lisa was speaking in a shrill voice.

"I'm not looking to gain anything either."

I shook my head wryly.

"That better be the case. Oh, just for the record, I still have not acknowledge you as a member of the class, so familial affection does not apply to you. Please do not forget that."

"—Got it. Anyway, I'll take your place from now on. You haven't slept since yesterday, right? It's best that you rest in preparation for battle."

Hearing me, Lisa made a displeased look.

"I will do that without needing you to tell me. Frankly speaking, although you do not reassure me, you do get along with her the best. I suppose Iris-san will have an easier time staying calm with you by her side."

After saying that, Lisa left towards the elevator.

But I suddenly remembered something and called to her.

"—Lisa, do you know about the Kraken battle two years ago?"

"Of course I do. I was fighting on the frontlines then."

Lisa stopped before the elevator and answered without looking back.

"The one who defeated Kraken was... Mitsuki, right?"

"Yes, indeed. Mitsuki-san shot and killed two Krakens. Through her accomplishments from that time, she rose to her current position."

I felt that Lisa's tone of voice had become stiff.

"It sounds like you don't approve?"

"—I approved because there was no other choice back then. But emotions are a separate matter. I cannot forgive Mitsuki-san who has murdered family."

"Family...?"

"Oh dear, so your knowledge is limited. Two years ago, the one who was turned into a dragon was Student No. 4 of Brynhildr Class, Shinomiya Miyako. She was Shinomiya-sensei's younger sister."

Lisa spoke in a calm tone of voice, then entered the elevator. Without looking back, she said:

"Then I shall leave Iris-san in your hands."

The elevator doors then shut. Just as I was stunned on the spot, I heard a door open. The door behind me had opened.

"Mononobe..."

Seeing Iris dressed in a flimsy nightgown, I instantly felt my heart rate rise.

"I-Iris, you heard everything?"

"Yeah... I was waiting to thank Lisa-san, because she treated me so nicely yesterday, but I couldn't find a chance to interrupt—"

Scratching her head, Iris smiled wryly.

"You already knew about what we mentioned just now?"

"I've only heard others talk about it, because I only came to Midgard a year ago... By then, Mitsuki-chan was already the student council president."

"I see now... But let's put that aside. If you just got out of bed, get changed first. Otherwise, I won't know where to look."

The fabric of Iris' nightgown was very sheer and offered faint glimpses of her body's curves.

"...It's a bit embarrassing, but I'm okay with it if it's you, Mononobe. Don't mind it. Come in."

"You're asking me not to mind—Hey, hold on!?"

Iris grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room. The interior was bigger than I imagined. Because it was a shelter, I originally thought it would be more plain, but it felt no different from the dormitory rooms.

Inside the room was a very comfortable looking bed, a desk with a breakfast tray on it, and a large closet. There was also a door that seemed to lead to the toilet and bathroom.

There were no windows after all, but instead, there was a large monitor installed on the wall. The screen was divided into multiple screens, displaying the situation around Midgard.

"Come, Mononobe, sit down here."

Iris plopped herself on the bed and patted the spot next to her.

"...Sit there?"

"Yes."

Iris nodded with a serious expression, so I nervously sat down beside her.

Then Iris leaned herself against me and hugged my arm.

I could feel my arm surrounded by a soft sensation.

"H-Hey?"

"—Let me stay like this for a while. There will be more tests starting noon again, so let me lean against you until then..."

Hearing the words Iris squeezed out desperately, I exhaled. Although Mitsuki had mentioned earlier that Iris had cooperated calmly, she would still feel afraid and uneasy, right?

If doing this could give her a bit of strength, then I'll let her lean like this for now without making a fuss.

To prevent my imagination from getting carried away, I turned my attention to the island scenery shown on the screens.

One view seemed to be taken by a satellite from above. It showed Midgardsormr surrounding the island in four layers. Many ships could be seen outside of the first defensive line. Those were probably NIFL's battleships and carriers.

Other images showed the girls of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, patrolling the island's airspace. Firill, Ren and Ariella could be seen among them.

"Oh!"

Seeing something inappropriate, I could not help but cry out.

"You saw... Firill's panties, didn't you?"

Perhaps following my gaze to see the same view, Iris remarked quietly.

"N-No, but it's an image shown on screen, so it can't be helped. Rather, it's weird to be flying in the air while wearing a skirt, right?"

"Sure enough, guys are happy to see panties, right?"

Iris looked up at me and asked.

"What...? No way... how could that be possible!?"

"Ah, you looked away! Sure enough, you enjoy it, right?"

Iris leaned against me even more, forcing her gaze to meet mine.

"Doesn't the way you put it make me out to be a pervert!? Rather than enjoy, it's just a feeling of slightly profiting."

"Meaning that... You enjoy it a lot?"

"Urgh..."

Under her cold gaze, I could not speak for a while.

Staring at me like that for a while, Iris then asked in a barely audible voice:

"...Mononobe, will you be happy to see my panties too?"

"W-What are you saying so suddenly—"

Ignoring my panic, Iris continued with a blush:

"If you like it, Mononobe, I could show you? Because I've always wanted to... thank you."

Saying that, Iris lifted the hem of her nightgown.

My gaze was uncontrollably drawn to her.

Eh? Hey, hold on—

I gasped. My heart raced. I subconsciously gulped.

The hem was gradually lifted. I could not tear my eyes off that gradually exposed snow-white skin.

Iris' fingers trembled lightly. With her face bright red, she pulled the nightgown's hem even higher.

Her thighs, looking so soft and seductive, kept shaking my rationality. Finally, her nightgown was lifted up to near the base of the thigh.

Any further lifting and I would really see—

"Y-You don't need to thank me like that!"

Coming to my senses at the last second, I held Iris' hand down.

"Mononobe... You don't want to see mine?"

Iris was asking with a displeased look.

"It's not a matter of whether I want to see or not. What I mean is you shouldn't do something like that so lightly. Man are far more dangerous creatures than you can imagine, Iris."

"...I am not doing this lightly. I had to gather a lot of courage to speak my mind."

"That's even worse. You have to treasure yourself more."

Perhaps Iris simply wanted to show me, but that would awaken even stronger desire. If I were to lose to desire, I would be sent to a tribunal meeting. But enduring on, refusing to succumb to desire was also quite painful. If following either path led to hell, then turning back would be the correct decision.

"Oooh, Mononobe, you're so malicious."

"I didn't say that because I'm malicious..."

I scratched my head, out of ideas. Right now, I was mustering all my effort to suppress my impulse. I was not confident I could withstand further stimulation.

I turned my attention back to the monitor, but things would be bad if I saw something I should not again, so I fixed my gaze on the screen that displayed the sea.

"I clearly wanted to reward you, Mononobe..."

Iris was murmuring in her lips, leaning her body against me. Through the sheer fabric, her body warmth was transmitting to me distinctly.

I looked for conversation topics to change the subject.

"I-Iris, what's that one screen that's showing the sea surface? The image seems to be moving, so it's not a fixed camera right—"

I rapidly asked Iris but her face instantly became shrouded in gloom.

"Oh... That seems to be the one monitoring Leviathan. Because the dragon can't be seen deep in the sea, it's right there—under the seawater."

I realized I had changed the subject to something bad.

"...Sorry, I made you feel worse."

"No. It's okay, because by doing this, I'll cheer up soon enough."

Smiling, Iris hugged my arm even tighter—

Just as Iris mentioned, when it was almost noon, a school nurse arrived.

Iris had changed into her school uniform. I accompanied her to the examination room but since I could not go in after all, I stood outside the door, waiting for the examination to end.

This was originally the first floor of the school building, but since it was now underground, all the windows were covered by metal shutters.

Because I had nothing to do, I generated some dark matter and practiced altering it's form to pass time.

"I knew it, I'm still not used to guns weighing this light..."

I sighed and crushed the dark matter in Siegfried's form inside my hand. Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Someone was walking from the other end of the corridor. With long flowing hair, head raised, chest out, walking in a very prim and proper manner, she was—

"Mitsuki."

As soon as I called out to her, Mitsuki instantly stopped. This was our first time meeting since last night. I recalled what Lisa had said about what happened two years ago.

"Nii-san..."

"You need me for something?"

"...Yes, although I actually wish to avoid broaching this topic."

Mitsuki nodded with a gloomy expression.

"It's best to get unpleasant things over with quickly, right?"

I urged her by using a tone of levity.

"Good point... Well then, I have several questions for you, Nii-san. Did you use your full ability during the test last time?"

"Of course I did, Mitsuki. You saw during my training, right? You should know that's my limit."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki continued to ask:

"So, according to your methods... Nii-san, without using fictional armaments, can you easily crush that block of diamond?"

"...No, I think I already demonstrated in the first training session. My method is to use an anti-materiel rifle and that's the most effective means."

I knew roughly what Mitsuki wanted to ask about.

So I prepared myself and waited for her to ask.

"Well then... Three years ago, Nii-san, how did you repel Hekatonkheir? Can you no longer accomplish the same thing?"

"..."

Finally. Ever since my reunion with Mitsuki, I expected to be asked this question eventually.

That day, I challenged "Blue" Hekatonkheir in order to defend the town—

"If possible, I have no wish to dig up what happened then. I would like to keep that incident buried in my heart too. You would probably be forced into an even more awkward position if that incident came to light. Because what you did that time was so unusual, a miracle so unbelievable, Nii-san, but..."

Mitsuki continued with a leader-like expression.

"As captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, I must maintain a grasp on all currently available combat potential. If incorrectly used or managed, strong powers have the potential to hurt oneself instead. I am very afraid, unsure of what you might do next, Nii-san, so—"

"I understand... I'll answer you honestly."

Because Mitsuki looked extremely sad, I interrupted her and nodded.

"...Sorry, Nii-san."

"No need to apologize, you're just doing what you have to do as the captain. About your question just now, my answer is no. Currently, I'm unable to singlehandedly repeat what happened three years ago."

"Unable to singlehandedly... Is that so? I see now. I can probably imagine the usage condition required back then."

Mitsuki said with a somewhat enlightened expression.

"That's so fast. But even if that condition is fulfilled, I probably still can't defeat Leviathan. That's what my power is like."

Three years ago, I ultimately failed to kill Hekatonkheir. Despite the heavy price I paid, it was still beyond me.

Precisely because of that, I found Mitsuki to be an extremely dazzling sight. Because destroying a dragon was a power that I could never possess, no matter how many more heavy prices I paid, I would still be inferior to Mitsuki.

"...I understand now. You have said enough."

Mitsuki exhaled lightly and nodded. Then she gazed into my eyes.

"If I raised your hopes up... I'm sorry. But even if I can't defeat a dragon, I might be able to help in some way. Because that power needs a stable footing, it can't be used from the air or on a ship. Because of that, even if I can participate in attacking, I think it'll have to be near the final defensive line—"

"No, there is no need, Nii-san, you only need to focus on protecting Iris-san. My goal was to ask you to avoid using that power as much as you can if concealing it was your original intention."

Mitsuki's response greatly surprised me. I thought she was hoping my power could defeat Leviathan.

"If I used my power... will something bad happen?"

"Yes, if I remember correctly, three years ago, Nii-san, what you used was a firearm-like weapon. If that type of weapon were to be used carelessly, not only will it fail to defeat Leviathan... Worse comes to worst, it might end up deflecting back."

"Deflecting back?"

"...You will understand once the battle begins. Please watch the screens in the shelter carefully."

Mitsuki turned her back to me after speaking.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, because I still have a pile of work to do."

"I see... Don't strain yourself too much."

I actually wanted to ask about the girl named Shinomiya Miyako, but I could not bear adding more to Mitsuki's mental burden, so I swallowed my words.

"This I cannot agree. If I do not strain myself now, when else? I have promised to everyone at the full-school assembly—I will put my life on the line."

Rather than a sense of mission, her expression seemed to carry resolve of a more heavier nature. After saying this, she headed down a dark corridor to leave on the other side.

Unable to say another word, I could only see her off, watching that slender back that was shouldering so much.

"Ah, so tired..."

After the tests, Iris came to my side and stretched.

"Good work. Let's go back to the shelter for dinner."

Iris naturally put her arm around mine. While trying my best not to think about her body warmth, I walked over towards the elevator.

Then at the school building's entrance hall on the first floor, we met familiar faces.

"...Oh!"

The one who exclaimed softly was Firill. Ren and Ariella were by her side too.

Ariella raised her hand and spoke to us.

"You came at the right time. Because it's break time, we were thinking of heading to the shelter."

"To the shelter? Why?"

Hearing my question, Ariella frowned.

"What's so strange about visiting a classmate to see how she's doing?"

Next to her, Ren nodded frequently to concur, her red hair swaying.

"No, it's not weird at all. Sorry, I asked a pointless question."

Lisa had said that fellow classmates were equivalent to family. Ariella and the others seem to be holding the same sentiment.

Firill then approached Iris and peered at her face.

"...You look very exhausted. Are you doing okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It's just that the testing dragged on for too long, I'm hungry."

Iris answered with a nervous expression. She was probably unused to being treated so gently.

"...Really? Then please take this."

Firill handed a small bag of something to Iris. Accepting it, Iris opened it and immediately showed excitement on her face.

"Wow, it's chocolate!"

"...This is the chocolate I bought overseas through the internet, not too long ago."

"Eh? Then isn't it expensive?"

Hearing Iris, Firill nodded.

"Yes, but you can have it."

"...Thank you, Firill-chan."

Iris thanked her with tears in her eyes then Ren and Ariella also presented small gifts from the side.

Ren's was candy while Ariella's seemed to be cookies.

"Umm... Is it really okay for me to have this?"

Iris accepted them in trepidation and asked them.

"Mm."

Ren kept nodding with an expression that seemed to say "of course you can."

"I feel bad that I can only do this kind of thing for you, but tomorrow, I will fight my hardest to protect you."

Ariella spoke with a serious expression.

"Ren-san, Ariella-san... Thank you."

Iris was finally moved to tears.

"...Don't cry."

Firill passed her handkerchief to Iris.

Seeing that handkerchief, Iris found it even harder to stop her tears.

After a while, Iris finally stopped crying and everyone waved and took their leave. Watching their backs as I saw them off, I said:

"They're really great classmates."

"...Yeah."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 195.jpg|thumb]]

"Mononobe, the bathwater is ready! Let's take a bath together!"

That night, after eating dinner and the snacks from Firill and the others, Iris regained her cheerfulness and suddenly announced.

The shelter instantly fell into a brief silence, because it took me a while to understand what Iris was saying.

"...I refuse."

I exhaled greatly. Evidently, Iris had completely failed to understand what I said this morning.

"You refuse to protect me in the bathroom? I'll be afraid if I'm alone..."

"Urgh..."

Seeing her show a worried look, I felt a bit guilty, but this was a line I could not compromise.

"...I'll be in the room. Just hang in there for now."

"Aww... Fine, then let's bathe separately. Mononobe, you go first. Since we're staying in the same room, I hope you'll wash yourself very clean."

Looking slightly displeased, Iris urged me to to take a bath.

"I don't mind going first, but why me first?"

"Because if I let you go after me, you'll lick the tub I used and drink the water I washed with, right? After all, that still would make me feel... embarrassed."

"Like hell I'd do that! Are you still looking at me in that way...?"

Hearing her say that, I walked to the bathroom, feeling hurt. Taking off my uniform, I entered the bathroom naked. The tub was already filled with hot water.

I sat down on a bathing stool then poured warm water over my head. At this moment, I sensed someone's presence in the changing area's direction.

"No way..."

I had a bad feeling. Looking up, I saw a white figure behind the frosted glass.

Before I could stop her, the door slid open and Iris entered, wrapped in a towel.

"M-Mononobe! I came to help you scrub your back! It's because I still wanna repay you—"

Her slightly nervous voice was cut off mid-sentence. Seeing my completely exposed naked body, Iris had her mouth opening and closing inexplicably—

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Covering her eyes, she screamed.

"Don't go barging in without permission then scream! You've reversed our positions!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 199.jpg|thumb]]

I hastily covered up my crotch with a towel while grumbling at her.

"B-But... But..."

Her face bright red, Iris peeked at me through the gaps between her fingers.

Fidgeting awkwardly, she was rubbing her snow-white thighs together, exposed under her bath towel. That was too stimulating a sight. I hastily shifted my gaze away.

"Okay, hurry and leave. I'll shower then come out straight away."

As much as I wanted to drive her out by force, the towel I brought in was not enough to wrap around my waist, making it impossible for me to stand up.

"N-No way... I can't give up because of something like this."

Clenching her dainty fist in front of her chest, Iris shook her head.

Then mustering extraordinary willpower, she circled over to my back with stiff footsteps, then froze at this moment.

"Hey... Mononobe."

"W-What?"

I answered nervously.

"Back scrubbing... How do I scrub?"

"You... You wanted to help me scrub without knowing how?"

I asked in exasperation.

"I only heard that this kind of custom exists in Japan... I don't actually know the details. Do I just pour hot water over you?"

"Pour hot water, then use a soaped towel to scrub... I think that covers it."

"Eh!? I didn't bring additional towels! M-Must I untie this one?"

Iris was just about to untie the towel wrapped around her body.

"No need to untie! Just use your hands directly if you don't have a towel—No wait, you don't need to do this at all, now that I think about it. Get out now!"

"No need to be shy, Mononobe, because I'm not forcing myself to do something I dislike."

Saying that, Iris rubbed her hands together to make the soap lather, then started washing my back.

"Woah!?"

Feeling someone else's touch on my back was more ticklish than I imagined.

"Fufu—Mononobe, you shuddered."

Initially a bit inexperienced, she gradually grew bold. Because she seemed like she was not going to give up no matter what, I decided to indulge Iris until she was satisfied.

"Monobe, your back... is so wide."

"..."

Iris' little hands, which were scrubbing my back, made me realize again the fact that she was a ''girl''.

To be honest, it did not feel unpleasant at all, but... Suppressing instincts continuously was extremely taxing for the mind. When I promised Mitsuki I was not going to engage in inappropriate interactions between genders, I never expected this kind of predicament at all.

Rather, this could be considered "inappropriate" already, right?

Although such a thought crossed my mind, I still told myself that it should still count barely within bounds.

"It's not very visible under clothing, but your muscles are quite firm. It's unexpected."

"...Well, that's because I went through training in the army."

"Is that why? ...Training must be tough, right?"

"Yeah, I almost died."

"Thank goodness you didn't die, Mononobe."

Hearing Iris' almost nonsensical response, I could not help but smile wryly.

"What are you smiling for?"

"...It's just a bit ticklish."

"Oh, then I'll wash the front next."

Perhaps deciding that the back was washed enough, Iris circled around to my front.

"Hey, that's no good! Iris, you came to scrub my back, right? In that case, I don't need you to wash the front!"

"Consider it a freebie! A freebie! Don't be shy, Mononobe."

Iris smiled at me innocently.

"I'm not being shy... W-Washing the front yourself is part of manners!"

"Manners? It's true, I definitely haven't heard anything about a custom of washing the front..."

"That's right, the back is the only part you can entrust to others. You've heard of the saying, 'letting others cover your back,' right?"

"Y-Yeah... But it feels like you're using twisted logic..."

Iris looked up at my face from below. The cleavage visible from her bath towel was shaking my sanity.

If I allowed her wash my front in these circumstances, an irreversible situation was going to develop.

I desperately persuaded Iris, finally convincing her with much difficulty.

However, there were even harsher trials awaiting me that night.

"Mononobe... Let's sleep together tonight."

Seeing Iris invite me to bed while dressed in a sexy nightgown, I felt my consciousness leave me for an instant.

"Tonight... might be my very last, so to me, this may or may not be my final remaining time... I don't want to spend it alone."

—That was such an unfair way of putting it. How could I possibly ignore her?

But even so, I desperately tried to resist.

"Can't you ask someone else? For example, if it's Lisa—"

"I prefer you, Mononobe, I don't want anyone else! This is my request of a lifetime!"

"How can you make unreasonable demands like a child...?"

"I don't care if it's an unreasonable demand! If my life is ending tomorrow, then it's too much of a waste if I don't use up my request of a lifetime now!"

I realized what Iris was trying to convey really was "a request of a lifetime" literally.

"Why... are you choosing someone like me?"

Unable to comprehend this, I asked her.

"—Because you've treated me with kindness."

"Huh?"

"Because you've treated me with the most kindness, Mononobe. You're the first person to extend a helping hand to me. If you must ask for a reason, that's pretty much all I can answer. Is this kind of reason... not enough?"

Seeing her ask me with tears in her eyes, I could not help but take a few steps back.

"No... Nothing like that—"

"Please, I beg you, Mononobe, even if it's just lending me your back for me to lean against, aren't backs for entrusting to others?"

To think she was bringing up the excuse I had used in the bathroom, I had no choice but to surrender.

"...I got it. If showing my back to you is fine, I'll stay with you, Iris, until you fall asleep."

I prepared myself, climbed onto the bed and lay down with my back facing her.

"Thank you... Mononobe."

Iris leaned herself against me and whispered in my ear. The softness and warmth I was feeling against my back was making my consciousness boil.

Surrounded by sweet fragrance, my rationality was almost flying away. Despite the fact that we were both clearly clothed, it felt even more dangerous than in the bathroom.

"So this is your scent, Mononobe... I knew it, the real thing is better..."

Iris pressed her face against my clothing, murmuring to herself.

"...Real thing?"

"Eh? N-Nothing, d-don't mind me."

Behind me, Iris was especially flustered.

"Speaking of which, the shirt I lent you the first time we met... What happened to it?"

"Frightened!?"

"...I've never heard anyone yell 'frightened' as an exclamation before."

I smiled wryly as I spoke.

"N-No! I didn't take the shirt to sniff it, to hug against my bosom, or use it as sleepwear!"

Iris argued in quick succession to defend herself.

"...I never knew you were that perverted."

"I said I didn't do it! If you must have it back, I'll return it next time. I'll even give you special permission to sniff and lick it out of my sight."

"Like hell anyone's gonna do that! Besides, that was mine to begin with. I don't have any weird fetish of getting aroused from my own clothing that someone else had worn! Returning the shirt is only going to cause me a headache. You can have it as a gift!"

Although it was no big deal, I had no desire of wearing something that I had no idea what had been done to it.

"...Thank you! Sure enough, you're so kind, Mononobe."

"Uh, if you say I'm kind for something like this, you'll only give me a headache..."

Because what I said totally did not stem from kindness, I had no idea how to react.

"No, Mononobe... You're very kind... Extremely kind."

Saying that, Iris leaned even tighter against me. Two soft sensations could be felt pressing against my back more strongly.

"I-Iris, it's touching me! It's touching!"

Although accusing her like this did not feel proper, at this rate, my rationality really was going to reach a limit, which was why I yelled at her.

"Yeah... I know"

But Iris remained unfazed. Quietly, she spoke:

"Mononobe, there are three ways to prevent a D from turning into a dragon. The first is to defeat the dragon. The second is death. And the third is... to stop being a D."

"That's—"

I recalled the conditions Mitsuki had mentioned about Ds losing their power. Instantly, my heart rate jumped.

"That's right... Reaching twenty years old or so, or getting pregnant, that's how we become ordinary people, so—"

Iris whispered softly in my ear.

"S-So...?"

"..."

I asked her but Iris did not answer.

She simply pressed her fiery hot body tightly against me.

The sound of heartbeats seemed to be pulsating next to my ear. My mind went blank.

In this quiet room, all we could hear was each other's breathing.

Unable to say anything or do anything, I could only let time pass like this.

My sanity was getting worn away bit by bit.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 207.jpg|thumb]]

But just as I was about to reach my limit, Iris laughed from behind.

"Sorry—Saying it that way was a bit underhanded just now."

"Huh?"

"...Actually, even if Ds get pregnant, their power weakens gradually rather than losing it all at once. It takes roughly three months for a D to lose her power completely, so it's too late once you're targeted by a dragon."

"Don't say such things that'll make others misunderstand..."

I almost lost control because of that.

"Fufu, Mononobe... Your heart was beating so fast just now, because I had my ear against your back, I heard it clearly."

"...I heard your heartbeat too, Iris."

"Ehhh! No way!?"

Iris began to panic behind me.

"If you're leaning so close, of course I'll hear you. Also, if you're going to play pranks like earlier, I'm going to sleep on the floor or outside."

"Oh... S-Sorry! Mononobe, please don't go!"

Iris grabbed me desperately.

"H-Hey!"

"I'm not going to play a prank... I just wanna say... If you really want to do that, Mononobe... But halfway through, I felt afraid again."

"Oh come on... Maybe you're trying to repay me again, but that's going way too far. If an accident happened, you might lose the power to fight dragons, you know?"

Iris felt a strong sense of duty towards the matter of fighting dragons. She trained desperately to hone her power for the test. I did not want her to give up on that power so easily.

"But... If I die tomorrow, it doesn't matter..."

"Rather than thinking about the case of dying, it's more constructive if you think about the case of surviving."

"That doesn't sound like something coming from the one who promised to kill me, you know...?"

Iris spoke in a tone of disagreement.

"Yeah, on the one-in-ten-thousand chance of that happening, I will kill you before you turn into a dragon. But you've got to try thinking about the rest of the ten thousand, right?"

"The rest of the ten thousand?"

Iris did not seem to understand, so I continued:

"Suppose the total is ten thousand, after taking out that one chance, there are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety remaining, in other words, that many futures where I won't have to kill you, Iris."

"You're just playing word games."

Iris disagreed quietly.

"Really? I think that's how high the chances are. Mitsuki, with her accomplishment of having defeated dragons, is also standing on our side. You should put a bit of faith in my little sister at least."

I said cheerfully without looking back. Although half of what I said was bluffing, the remainder was serious.

I could feel Iris' arm relaxing, followed by a tiny laugh.

"Fufu—How unbelievable. After hearing that from you... Mononobe, I'm beginning to feel that perhaps you might be right."

"In that case, sleep earlier tonight. This is for the sake of tomorrow—and beyond."

I felt her nod in agreement.

"...Yeah, goodnight, Mononobe."

"Okay, goodnight—Iris."

Soon after I responded, I could hear the breathing from her sleeping soundly. Perhaps she had been unable to sleep the previous night.

Because Iris was still clinging to me tightly, I could not even get out of bed quietly.

Despite acting cool earlier, I was still bothered by the warmth and suppleness of Iris' body. It was impossible to sleep at all.

Fighting a protracted war of resistance from then on, I only fell asleep just as dawn approached.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
| Return to [[Unlimited_Fafnir|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T01:47:45Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 4 */

==Chapter 3 - "White" Leviathan==

===Part 1===

I defied the destiny he had decided for me.

No matter what kind of battlefield I was sent to, I always accomplished the mission without killing anyone.

Perhaps it was like acting obstinately out of spite. Normal common sense and morals would easily crumble against the education I received. In order to protect my beliefs that must not be compromised, relying on logic and conscience was not enough.

I did not want to become the type of person he hoped for. I wanted to continue being Mitsuki's brother. Feelings of this sort supported my obstinacy.

However, no matter how much I struggled, I always felt a premonition that everything would end up in futility.

He did not reprimand me for my persistent resistance. As long as I produced satisfactory results, he even praised me.

Hence, I knew clearly that I was still under his control.

Even if I still managed to keep my hands untainted, from past to present, the day for my hands to be tainted would inevitably arrive.

So long as I continued to fight under NIFL, that destiny was impossible to change.

It was ultimately just a matter of time.

I was sent to battlefields that were countries where public order had broken down due to dragons passing through. Those kinds of places were mostly in civil war to begin with.

Using dragons as excuses, NIFL kept intervening in regional conflicts.

Brothers-in-arms fighting alongside me gradually increased, their numbers finally settled at eight.

They were young men brought from other places, each possessing their own outstanding talents.

Named Sleipnir, my team galloped on numerous battlefields.

According to ''him'', there was apparently an intended enemy we were meant to fight. Putting down guerilla groups was just practice before the real battle. Nevertheless, we were still risking our lives all the time.

In a world where life and death were thinly divided, how much longer could I act obstinately out of spite?

Was defiance more important than my own life?

These thoughts always occupied my mind during fighting.

Also, I was probably still going to turn into a killer in emergency situations. Somewhere in my heart, the notion of giving up had already manifested.

Because I had already become a person who could actually kill provided I wanted to.

I had already been remade into that kind of person.

My trigger finger no longer trembled from my conscience's reprimands. Neither did it hesitate in pity for the target.

Before arriving at NIFL, I had already lost my sense of fear.

I possessed all the requirements to become a killer.

Ironically, the reason why I had the luxury of acting out of spite was because he had made me strong.

Purely because I was not strained, I had the luxury of choosing whether to kill or not, hence I chose not to kill.

Once that slack was lost, my resistance was probably going to end.

That was what I originally thought, but—

"I won't lose!"

The day I was liberated from NIFL, I met the strongest human out of all the opponents I had faced so far—a D—and fought her.

She was actually not that dangerous a person, but from my perspective in ignorance, she was a monster with firepower surpassing tanks.

To eliminate the lethal threat, my body moved on its own. Faster than my thoughts, subconscious intent to kill had already sprung into action in advance.

But that was not my first time encountering a life threatening crisis. Even when faced with a gun in front of my face, I had always handled situations calmly in composure.

The reason why I lost that composure so easily that time... was most likely because she was a D.

Encountering the intended enemy, the monster growing inside me bared its fangs on its own.

But I used my willpower to stop the swing of my arm.

I defied the reason of my own existence.

I chose not to kill her.

I made that choice successfully.

Hence, I owed her a debt impossible to repay.

Because she—Iris—proved that my spite-fueled obstinacy was more important than my own life.

===Part 2===

The day the test ended, dinner was a bit different from usual.

"This is—?"

After the dishes were cleared off the table and I saw the food brought by the housework robot, I asked Mitsuki who was sitting opposite me across the table.

"Is it not obvious? This is dessert!"

"Dessert? Why just today..."

Baked pudding topped with cream. Bits of chocolate were even sprinkled beautifully over it. Looking at this dessert, I inquired of her.

"Although you only qualified as backup, this is to reward you for passing, Nii-san, because I believe that hard work should be commended."

Without looking at me, Mitsuki answered in an indifferent tone of voice.

"Uh, it looks really tasty. Thank you very much... Did you actually make this for me, Mitsuki?"

"W-What, what makes you think that?"

The fork fell from Mitsuki's hand. Unable to hide her shaken heart, she asked me.

"Lisa mentioned it. She said you make lovely sweets, so I wondered whether this was your creation too."

"U-Umm..."

"Judging from your reaction, I guess I'm right?"

"...Yes."

Mitsuki huddled herself and admitted in a small voice.

"Then why not say that from the start? I am very grateful to you."

"Because... It would be very embarrassing if it failed to suit your tastes, Nii-san. Also, I would not hear an honest opinion."

Mitsuki looked away and said with her face red.

"Sheesh... I thought you'd grown braver after becoming the student council president, but you're still so timid on weird issues."

Laughing wryly, I scooped a spoonful of the dessert and tasted it. The gentle and sweet flavor immediately started spreading from the tip of my tongue.

"—Mmm, super good."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, and the entire schools students have already recognized your skills, right? I think you could be more confident."

"If the person before me says it does not taste good, the opinion of the majority will be completely meaningless."

Mitsuki asserted with a serious expression.

"...I think I'm starting to understand why you're able to become the student council president."

Exhaling in exclamation, I finished all of the dessert.

"—Thanks for the treat. Dessert was lovely. Thank you, Mitsuki."

"Great, you are welcome."

At this moment, the expression on Mitsuki's face reminded of three years ago—that extremely natural and incomparably relaxed smile.

After the meal, I returned to my room to find the lamp on my portable terminal flashing.

Looking at it, I found an email from Iris. This portable terminal was capable of voice calls and email, but the only contacts I had so far were limited to Mituski and Iris.

'I'm waiting for you at the beach.'

That was all she wrote.

I looked at the time displayed on the edge of the portable terminal's screen.

"7:27pm huh... Curfew starts at 8pm so I guess it's fine."

Taking the portable terminal, I left the room, walking while writing an email to Mitsuki.

'I'm going out for a bit. Back by 8pm.'

Because Mitsuki would probably check the dorm's entry and exit records, I thought I had better inform her.

I left the dorm and walked on the road along the shore.

Without any basis at all, I felt that she was probably waiting for me at the place where we first met. Because time was limited, I quickened my pace to hurry on my way.

Countless stars were twinkling in the deep-blue night sky. Waves kept surging and retreating, as though caressing the white beach, playing a regular song of the sea.

My intuition was apparently correct. Iris was standing at the place where our eyes first met. Although she was in uniform, she had taken off her shoes and stockings to go barefoot.

With the waves breaking over the snow-white complexion of those beautiful feet, Iris was staring at the sea surface afar.

I walked over the sand to approach her, resulting in rustling footsteps. Hearing my footsteps, Iris turned her head in my direction.

"Oh... Mononobe, you came."

"Yeah, because your email said you're waiting for me."

I stopped several meters in front of Iris and replied.

"Sorry for calling you out at this hour. Did Mitsuki-chan get angry?"

"I'm supposed to be able to go out before 8pm... But she might be angry when I get back."

"Fufu, because Mitsuki-chan is very strict!"

Seeing Iris' smile, I felt my heart pounding. Bathed under starlight, the silver-haired girl was giving off an even more otherworldly sense of beauty than usual.

"...Then why did you want to see me?"

I asked her while being aware of the nervousness in my voice.

"Oh, umm, first is, umm... I want to thank you, Mononobe."

"If it's thanks, you already thanked me countless times after the test. It's more than enough. Besides, I didn't do anything that needs you to thank me like that."

"You're wrong! If it weren't for you, Mononobe, I definitely would have failed again, so—Thank you!"

Iris bowed her head forcefully to thank me, her long silver hair spreading out in the air.

"I simply trained together with you... Fine, you're welcome."

Further refusal would just be a waste of time, so I candidly accepted her thanks.

"U-Umm, then... I've got something to ask you, Mononobe... Can I?"

Iris looked up stiffly and asked in trepidation.

"I don't mind..."

I nodded and Iris approached me.

"Mononobe, why did you help me?"

"Huh?"

"Being so considerate of me, working hard with me seriously, Mononobe, you're the first person to do that. Everyone else in the class hold themselves and others to strict standards, so I can't rely on them... Although Mitsuki-chan looks after me frequently, I think that's because she's the student council president."

Iris approached me even closer, almost to the point of touching me.

"So, I wanna know... how you feel, Mononobe."

Seeing her gaze at me from so close, I felt my heart beat even faster.

"T-That's because..."

"Because...?"

"Probably because... you're very similar to how Mitsuki was in the past."

I said one of the reasons.

The debt I felt on my own was just my personal feelings after all. If I had to explain it to her, that meant bringing up things from my NIFL days, so I was not going to say much on that front.

"I'm similar to Mitsuki-chan? No way, I'm completely unlike Mitsuki-chan!"

"She used to have similarities with you, Iris, and right now, she is still working as hard as she can, just like you, so... I think that's why I can't leave you to your own devices."

Hearing my answer, Iris looked down and murmured quietly.

"I see... So that's the case, it's a bit unfortunate. But... it's fine, I just have to start trying hard now."

"Iris?"

I called to her because I could not hear her clearly. Iris instantly looked up forcefully.

"Mononobe!"

"W-What?"

"Listen here, I... want to get closer to you, Mononobe, s-so umm... If you don't mind, I want to be frie—"

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

Just as Iris was speaking, a loud siren was suddenly heard all around.

'Emergency warning, emergency warning—Level C alert, Type White. I repeat, Level C alert, Type White!'

The announcement explained the key points of the warning.

"Type White—that's 'White' Leviathan, right...? Is a Level C alert very urgent?"

I asked but Iris did not seem like she heard me.

"Leviathan..."

She said the dragon's name with a stiff expression.

Right—Iris had lost her family due to a dragon disaster caused by Leviathan.

'The Dragon Subjugation Squad, students selected by the Midgard Defense Department, please man your stations. Prepare to standby for combat operations. All other students and staff, please return to your quarters or the nearest evacuation shelter, especially those currently at shore areas, please evacuate as quickly as possible.'

"Hey, the announcer is telling us to evacuate!"

"...That dragon... is nearby..."

"Pull yourself together! Anyway, we need to get out of here first!"

Iris was in a trance. I grabbed her hand and pulled up up to the breakwater.

A deep noise and vibrations could be felt underfoot.

Looking out at sea, giant rectangular objects surfaced one after another from the originally peaceful sea. Then these objects formed a circle as though surrounding this island.

The displaced seawater formed big waves, rushing up the beach. Smashing against the breakwater, the waves broke into white spray.

"Could that be... Midgardsormr?"

"That's right. What's visible from here is just part of the final defensive line... The first to third defensive lines are farther out at sea."

Probably returning to her senses finally, Iris answered me calmly.

"Iris, you're okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry for spacing out... We have to hurry and find shelter or else we'll cause other people trouble."

After speaking with a serious face, Iris put on the shoes she had placed on the breakwater before hand, then looked up into the night sky.

Uniformed girls holding weapons were passing overhead, flying towards the sea.

This was probably the Dragon Subjugation Squad selected by Midgard Defense Department. By generating wind, they were flying in the sky at high speed.

"That's true, we'll only get in their way if we stay here."

"Right, let's head back to the dorms immediately—Ooh..."

Iris was just about to break into a run when she suddenly knelt down with her hand on her stomach.

"Hey... What happened to you!?"

"A-A sudden stomach ache... Ahaha, maybe I ate too much to celebrate passing the test... Oh... It's gradually getting better..."

Despite the cold sweat already appearing on her forehead, Iris still stood up.

"...Can you walk?"

"No problem... Let's run, Mononobe!"

It seemed to be a momentary stomach ache. Iris took my hand and began to walk briskly.

Iris had to make her way to the shared dormitories located near the school so we separated along the way and I returned to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

"Mitsuki, are you here?"

I called out from the entrance hall, but no one answered. Mitsuki was apparently the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain, so she had probably mobilized already.

Although I was curious about the situation outside, I could not ask her through email because it would obstruct her work. Hence, I decided to wait quietly and returned to my room.

Unable to settle down, I started wanting to find a book to read. The instant I touched the portable terminal, a ringtone was suddenly heard.

I initially thought it was Mitsuki, but the screen did not display the caller's number. No matter how long I waited, the ringing showed no signs of stopping, so I hesitantly pressed the button to take the call.

Immediately, an image with static appeared on the screen to show a young man in military uniform, grinning.

That smile made me feel a chill from the bottom of my heart.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"Major Loki... Why—"

I uttered his name in a hoarse voice.

Major Loki Jotunheim—The person who used to be my direct superior until recently.

This man, who could be considered the mastermind behind NIFL, why—

'Well, I wanted to call you earlier... But Midgardsormr's defensive line includes many barriers on electronic communications too. If it weren't for the current battle situation, communicating without Midgard's knowledge would be impossible. Sorry for calling late.'

"Calling late... I wasn't waiting for a call from a guy like you—"

'A guy? In just a brief week, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, have you forgotten how to address your former commanding officer?'

Narrow eyes stared straight at me from the screen. Just by doing that, he made me feel like I was pulled back to the past, pulled back to those long, dark days when I was working under him.

"...My apologies, Major Loki."

'Now that's more like it. Still, I can hardly blame you for growing lax. Compared to NIFL, Midgard is like paradise. It's only inevitable that you would be affected, given your ''incompleteness''. Seriously... It is truly unfortunate that I couldn't ''finish you up'' in the end."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 157.jpg|thumb]]

"You called me... Why?"

'Oh right, I almost went on a tangent. It's like this, I have a favor to ask of you.'

"A favor?"

'Our positions no longer allow me to command you, so this is a favor. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, you already know that Ds can turn into dragons, right? This is top secret at NIFL but it should be something that all Midgard students are privy to.'

Smiling artificially, Major Loki asked me.

"...Yes, if a D makes contact with a dragon after her dragon mark changes color, she will turn into the same type of dragon. Are you referring to this phenomenon?"

'Indeed, how terrifying. To think that such monsters could multiply, a most frightful notion chilling to the bone. An outcome that must be prevented at all costs, do you not agree?'

"Y-Yes... Of course."

Despite a foreboding feeling, I still concurred.

'But despite its crucial position, Midgard has not perfected its handling of this matter. After confirming that a dragon mark had changed in color, they send the subject to an underground bunker for isolation, then have other Ds intercept the dragon. This is the tactic they have chosen.'

"That kind of tactic... What's wrong with it?"

'Are you playing dumb? It should be quite clear to you. The most effective countermeasure is to kill the D whose dragon mark has changed in color.'

The chill given off from Major Loki's inexorably cold eyes almost seemed to freeze my heart.

"...No one can support that, whether on grounds of human rights or the social value of Ds. One D's death is a massive loss to the world."

Besides, who would be capable of making that kind of proposal?

Despite the threat of dragons, the world continued to develop slowly, maintaining some measure of peace. It was all thanks to these Ds bolstering energy resources.

'But I believe that the economic and human losses arising from an increase in dragons would dwarf the benefits. But just as you say, it is true that such a method won't be supported by the majority. Because the world fears offending the Ds while the Ds won't abandon one of their own. After all, any one of them could be the next victim.'

"Then—"

'Hence, someone needs to act in secret.'

Major Loki interrupted me, his eyes fixed upon me.

"You're not ordering me, by any chance?"

'Not an order. I am simply asking you to accept the mission as a favor to me. Your reassignment to Midgard was completely unexpected, but I already had prior plans to have someone infiltrate. If you could take on this mission, it saves a lot of work. Don't worry, all you need to do is kill one D if an emergency arises.'

"Please don't... make it sound so easy."

I gritted my teeth and glared at Major Loki.

'It is very easy, at least to the 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe I cultivated. Whether Ds or anyone else, as long as the opponent is human, you won't lose, because you are the strongest Fafnir from our Sleipnir."

"..."

I could not say anything. Major Loki's words were just a curse, not praise.

'You don't have to answer immediately. But if your assistance cannot be secured, I might have to resort to less efficient means, which might cause unnecessary collateral damage. So please consider the matter carefully.'

Zzzt. The call disconnected and the screen went black.

Leaning myself against the back of the chair, I looked up at the ceiling.

The siren still continued to blare.

===Part 3===

The alert of an approaching dragon was finally lifted about three hours later.

But late night arrived and Mitsuki still did not return. The next time I saw her was already the full-school assembly the next morning.

"I believe that everyone should know already that at 7:41pm last night, there was a Level C alert situation. The approaching dragon is 'White' Leviathan that circles the Pacific Ocean along a fixed route. But this time, it has deviated from that route to trespass Midgard's warning zone."

Standing on the podium, Mitsuki explained the situation. This was probably part of the student council president's job.

"Leviathan stayed roughly three hours in the warning zone but returned to its original route without reaching the first defensive line. These irregular exceptions seem to occur once in a while. A year ago, a passenger ship was sunk due to this reason."

A year ago... Ship... Would that be the dragon disaster that Iris had been caught up in?

Looking at silver hair, I wondered to myself. Since students were lined up according to their Student No., Iris was in front of me.

Iris did not react to what Mitsuki had just said. With her hand on her stomach, perhaps that stomach ache from yesterday was still persisting.

"If Leviathan attacks, it will be quite an arduous battle. Leviathan is considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they are to handle. Wielding the power of universal repulsion known as antigravity, Leviathan presents a great challenge, be it approaching or attacking its body. However—"

Mitsuki leaned forward and slowly swept her gaze over all the students of the school.

"Even if one of you were to attract Leviathan, causing it to attack, the Dragon Subjugation Squad will still fight fearlessly. We will not abandon you no matter what. Consequently, if any of you feel that your dragon mark has changed, please do not hesitate. Step forward and let us know. I will put my life on the line to protect you."

Mitsuki declared clearly. Strong conviction could be felt from her words. It was not simply a sense of obligation.

Thunderous applause started up.

However, Iris did not clap even though she had felt moved by Mitsuki's previous speech. Her slender shoulders were shivering while she had her head lowered.

"Eh, where's Iris?"

After the assembly, I returned to the classroom to find Iris missing.

"Who knows? She was apparently feeling unwell, so she probably went to the infirmary, right?"

Lisa's gaze met mine while she answered with displeasure.

"Oh, you also noticed Iris didn't look her usual self, Lisa?"

"Of course. Rather, you seem quite concerned about about Iris-san. You wouldn't be harboring ulterior motives, would you?"

Lisa gazed at me with eyes of suspicion.

"Just like you, Lisa, I'm simply worried about her."

"What... I-I am not—"

At a loss for words, Lisa looked away.

Just at this moment, Mitsuki entered the classroom. I decided to ask her about Iris' whereabouts.

"Iris is missing. Did you hear anything, Mitsuki?"

"No, I have not..."

If Iris had gone to the infirmary, she should have asked me or Mitsuki to tell the teacher. My heart began to grow inexplicably uneasy.

"I'll go look for her. Tell the teacher for me, okay?"

"Hey wait, Nii-san!"

Leaving behind Mitsuki who called me frantically, I entered the corridor. Next period was about to begin and there were almost no students out in the hallways.

I made my way quickly to the infirmary first. I knew where to go because I brought Iris there last time when she fainted from the explosion. Reaching the adjacent building, I went to the corner of the first floor and opened the door marked "Infirmary," but Iris was not there.

"Sheesh... Where did she go?"

Did her stomach ache hurt so much that she could not move? I tried searching along the path to the gym but still could not find her.

"Maybe... in a washroom?"

If she was in a washroom, there was nothing I could do. It was also possible that my worries were unnecessary. I decided to return to the classroom first so I turned back from the gym.

There was a corridor linking the gym and the school building. From there I could see tropical flowers blooming in the courtyard. Just as I shifted my gaze upwards, I suddenly discovered a figure on the school building's roof.

"What...?"

A strong breeze was blowing beautiful silver hair. The girl was quietly staring at the ground below.

Seeing her like that, I instantly felt the surge of an ominous feeling. Immediately, I sprinted.

Dashing into the school building, I rushed up the stairs and smashed myself against the door to reach the roof.

The loud crash caused the silver-haired girl, leaning against the roof railing, to look back.

"Mononobe?"

"Sure enough, it's you, Iris..."

Iris's eyes were wide open. Looking at her, I sighed. When I saw her just now, for just an instant, I thought she was going to jump, but I suppose I was worrying too much.

"Why did you come here?"

"I want to ask you the same question. It's almost class time, you know?"

"I... will skip next period."

Iris smiled wryly and sat down on the concrete. Her hand was still pressed against her stomach.

"What exactly is the matter?"

"I need time to calm down."

On closer examination, what Iris was holding was her flank. I recalled her nude body and its snow-white complexion that I saw by chance the first time we met. Speaking of which, her dragon mark happened to be near that spot—

"...Iris, do you have a stomach ache?"

"..."

"If you don't mind, could you show me where you're hurting?"

"Mononobe, you're so perverted."

Iris huddled her body and glared at me.

"Oh, no, you misunderstand me."

I was trying to find an excuse when Iris chuckled then exhaled gravely.

"—I know. Sorry for saying something malicious like this."

Iris pulled up her uniform to expose her abdomen.

My heart instantly raced like mad. My gaze getting drawn to Iris' skin was admittedly one of the reasons, but the bigger reason was surprise. The dragon mark branded on Iris' flank was shining with faint silver-white light.

"That... Starting when—"

"I only discovered it this morning, but I think it already started changing last night."

Iris spoke in monotone.

"You still haven't told anyone?"

"...I haven't."

Iris nodded with a gloomy expression.

"Why? Mitsuki said she absolutely won't abandon anyone. She'll put her life on the line to protect you!"

"That's why I didn't confess. 'White' Leviathan is one of the dragons for which there are no effective countermeasures, but if for my sake... if everyone has to fight for the sake of protecting someone like me, is it really okay...?"

Iris gazed out into the distance on the other side of the railing.

"No way—Are you planning to jump off the building to commit suicide before the situation reaches that point?"

I grabbed Iris' shoulder and pulled her back, because I feared what she might do if I did not hold her tightly.

But Iris smiled wryly and shook her head.

"I thought of that too... But I'm too scared, can't do it. I'm not a girl with that kind of mental strength."

"...Thank goodness you're a coward, Iris."

"Jeez, what do you mean by that!?"

Iris pouted.

"Even if you kill yourself now, it's possible that another D might get targeted soon enough. That wouldn't accomplish anything except postponing the problem. Unless the dragon is defeated, it doesn't solve the problem at the root."

—The most effective countermeasure is to kill the D whose dragon mark has changed in color.

Major Loki's words flashed through my mind.

It definitely could resolve a crisis momentarily. In terms of preventing the worst-case scenario, this might be the safest method. However, if this were to be repeated, all the Ds would go extinct eventually.

"Yeah... I know that too but even so, I'm still afraid."

"You don't believe in Mitsuki and the others?"

"That's not it... I'm afraid of the fact that I won't be able to kill myself. Once the final defensive line is breached, when we really are out of options... Unable to commit suicide, I'll surely become a dragon. In that event, I'll harm everyone! I don't want that... Anything but that..."

Irisi hugged me, speaking words from the heart. Precisely because she felt such a strong sense of duty towards fighting dragons, she was this scared of becoming a dragon disaster herself.

—Someone needs to act in secret.

Major Loki's voice sounded deep in my ear again.

No matter what, the world could not run normally unless someone did the dirty work. It felt very paradoxical, but it was the truth.

The people of Midgard were not stupid. Despite what she said, Mitsuki had probably prepared a last resort to use for emergencies.

If that was the case, there should not a problem with me taking on that job. At the same time, I could also restrain Major Loki, to prevent him from unnecessarily interfering.

"Don't worry, Iris, you absolutely won't turn into a dragon."

I committed my determination and hugged Iris tightly.

"Eh...?"

Indeed, now was the time to return my debt.

Iris had proven my obstinacy, telling me that even if I had to weigh my own life against it, I was still capable of choosing not to kill.

That time, because I was facing Iris, that was probably why I managed to regain self-control.

Because I was attracted to her beauty in the instant of our encounter, that was why I could regard her as just a girl instead of a D.

It made me feel that I would rather die than kill her.

Hence—

"If the situation worsens so much that we're out of options, I will do it—I will kill you, Iris."

I made my choice by my own will again.

If it was for Iris' sake, I will kill Iris.

I will put the obstinacy, which I had adhered to for the past three years, on the line.

To this date, I had avoid tainting my hands, but it was only for the sake of guarding my heart.

Iris' wish of not wanting to harm others was far more noble than mine.

And I wanted to help her achieve her wish.

"Mononobe, you...?"

"Yes, so you can relax and let Mitsuki's team protect you for now. Until the final moment arrives, I absolutely won't give up either."

I gently stroked her soft, silver hair and replied. Iris looked up with moistened eyes at me.

"Can I... believe you?"

"Leave it to me. Although I've kept quiet about it so far, I'm actually the world's strongest assassin—The candidate for that."

Hearing me say that, Iris was stunned for a moment before her lips curled lightly to smile.

"Fufu—You must be kidding!"

After that, I accompanied Iris back to the classroom and explained the situation to Mitsuki.

Then Mitsuki immediately declared a Level A alert state of emergency.

===Part 4===

On this liberating island in the south with beautiful weather, the atmosphere and scenery changed dramatically. The windows in buildings had shutters lowered to defend against shockwaves. Normally kept underground, anti-air weapon stations popped out all over the island.

The concentric defense system of Midgardsormr had entered interception mode completely. Its intimidating formation had the entire horizon covered.

In contrast, the school disappeared. The school building and the clock tower, where the most important facilities were located, were all hidden underground, sealed inside partitions made of mithril.

Entering school premises required passing through underground passages connected to the various dormitories and emergency. It was only today that I finally learned that Mitsuki's personal dorm also had an entrance to an underground passage.

"So late..."

I was sitting on the stairwell at the entrance hall, staring at the ajar door in the wall beside me, leading to the underground passage.

It was currently 2am. I would normally be asleep so my eyelids felt very heavy.

I could hear faint sounds of airplanes outside. These were probably reconnaissance planes patrolling in Midgard's surroundings.

While I was half asleep, the door leading underground opened on its own with an electronic sound.

"Welcome back, Mitsuki."

I called to my sister whose face showed exhaustion.

"...!? N-Nii-san? Please do not startle me. Have you not gone to bed?"

Staring at me, Mistuki seemed seriously surprised.

"I was waiting for you, Mitsuki. Are preparations complete to intercept Leviathan?"

After I asked, Mitsuki replied with seriousness returned to her face:

"Although it is not perfect by any stretch... Leviathan has entered its route circling the Pacific Ocean. It is expected to approach again thirty-three hours from now. Before that, we should be able to reach full readiness."

Thirty-three hours later...

I repeated it silently in mind in order to commit this information to memory. Then I asked another question:

"So... How's Iris?"

"She had been receiving body checkups and diagnoses until just now. After all, she is the first person to have her dragon mark change color in the past two years, so there is a dearth of information. Being targeted by a dragon is very terrifying, but Iris-san has been cooperating with us without panicking at all."

It was most likely because Iris had already resolved herself. If that was the case, I had better keep my promise.

"Mitsuki, what should I do?"

"Nii-san... because you only passed as a reserve member in the Basilisk drill, you will not be summoned for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Presumably, you will be asked to stay on standby in shelter like ordinary students."

Nothing to do, in other words? In that case, perfect.

"If that's the case... Can you assign a job for me, who has nothing to do?"

"A job?"

"Yes, as Iris' bodyguard."

I made this demand which I would have found it impossible to bring up in the classroom with everyone present.

Mitsuki frowned in surprise.

"The Dragon Subjugation Squad is fighting to protect Iris-san. Your participation is not needed, Nii-san."

"That's against dragons as opponents, right? By bodyguard, I mean protecting Iris from threats other than dragons."

Hearing what I said, Mitsuki's expression instantly froze. She seemed to understand immediately.

"You are saying... that someone might target Iris-san's life?"

"At least NIFL doesn't trust Midgard. They might interfere unnecessarily."

Mituski narrowed her eyes after hearing what I said.

"Judging from your tone, Nii-san, you seem to have some kind of concrete evidence?"

"Yesterday, my commanding officer at NIFL, Major Loki, contacted me."

"What..."

Mitsuki gasped in surprise.

"The Major has apparently made up his mind to prevent an increase in dragons. Just by assigning me as Iris' bodyguard, NIFL will be reassured to some extent."

"In other words, at a critical moment, Nii-san, they will have you kill Iris-san?"

Mitsuki stared at me with eyes of determination.

"Yes, ''but that critical moment will be decided by me''. Until then, I will not allow anyone to kill Iris, no one at all."

I took on Mitsuki's gaze directly and answered her that way.

"...Your description makes yourself sound like the grim reaper, Nii-san."

"Yeah... But in a certain sense, that's precisely my ''original job''. Mitsuki, you're probably aware given your position, right? Although I was never deployed in an actual operation of that sort... The reason why Sleipnir, the team I used to be part of, was established, it's real purpose was to target Ds who've been deemed as disasters, to assass—"

"Enough!"

Mitsuki cried out loudly to interrupt me.

"...Please say no more. I wish to hear none of that from your own mouth especially. Nii-san, please remain the Nii-san I know."

With tears glimmering in her eyes, Mitsuki pleaded to me.

"Mitsuki..."

"Regarding the bodyguard matter... I permit your request, because it seems to be the only way right now to keep NIFL restrained, but I have one condition."

"Condition?"

Seeing Mitsuki's gloomy eyes, I asked uneasily.

"If the situation reaches the point when Iris-san's dragonification is truly unavoidable—I shall do it then."

"What... No way! I can't let you do that kind of thing, Mitsuki!"

I yelled frantically but Mitsuki smiled wearily and shook her head.

"—It is fine, because my hands are already tainted."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Two years ago, the one who killed the fellow D who had turned into a dragon... That was me."

After saying that, Mitsuki walked past me and swiftly went up the stairs.

By the time I regained my senses from the shock and looked back, Mitsuki was already out of sight—

'—Really, you will accept this mission? That's really great help for me. And to think you've already secured the job as bodyguard to the target, you really work fast. I'm so fortunate to have such an outstanding subordinate like you. Ahhh, but you're not my subordinate anymore.'

Hahaha, Major Loki laughed superficially. Ignoring him, I continued.

"Anyway, because of that, please don't interfere anymore. I will definitely accomplish the mission."

'Very well, I understand. I will not do anything to obstruct you. Well then—I trust you, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Zzzzt, the call disconnected.

"There is no one least suited to speaking the word 'trust' than you."

Muttering sardonically to myself, I laid myself on the bed.

After the conversation with Mitsuki ended, I returned to my room to get ready for bed, but as though aiming for this opportunity, Major Loki called at this time.

Because I already decided there was a need to contact him again, this timing turned out just right, except it felt a little terrifying.

"I can't lower my guard..."

Looking up at the ceiling, I spoke.

Mitsuki's words were also occupying my mind the whole time.

Just like I had gone through great changes over the past three years, Mitsuki must have experienced a lot.

Although no matter what things had happened, no matter what sins she was shouldering, I had no intention of handing Iris over to Mitsuki.

I had said to Iris: Leave it to me.

And three years ago, I had also said to Mitsuki: Leave everything to me.

I will not break... that promise.

===Part 5===

The next day, I went to school through the underground passage from the dormitory.

That being said, given the current emergency, lessons were naturally suspended at school. Walking through quiet and deserted hallways, I took the elevator and pressed the button at the bottom.

After experiencing the long descent, I finally reached the shelter that was located even deeper than training site number three. In front of a door in the corridor ahead, I could see a blonde girl standing there.

"It seems it's true that you will be in charge of monitoring Iris-san."

The girl—Lisa—looked at me with disdain.

"I'm not monitoring her, just a bodyguard. Have you accompanied Iris all this time since yesterday?"

My question prompted Lisa to puff out her chest and nod.

"Because we are classmates. When a classmate is in need, extending a helping hand is only natural."

"I see, you are considerate for your friends after all, Lisa."

"W-What do you mean by after all!? What do you know about me anyway!?"

Lisa glared at me with her face red.

"We've spoken so many times, it's only natural I'll gain a certain level of understanding. Right now, you're staying by her side because you're worried about Iris, right?"

"...For people like us who are living outside, separated from parents, classmates are equivalent to family. How could I not worry about her?"

Lisa shifted her gaze away, murmuring her answer quietly.

"Since you care about her so much, why not treat her more gently day to day...? Iris is always hard on herself for being called a poorly performing student."

Lisa whimpered "ooh..." then shook her head forcefully as though pulling herself together before glaring at me again.

"T-Those known as older sisters often act strict towards their younger sisters! Only family members can speak their minds without reservation, right?"

Her allegation made me think inside.

Indeed, gentle treatment was not the only expression of love and care. Iris was probably able to work so hard because someone existed to point out her flaws mercilessly.

"...I guess. Perhaps it's better if you continue with what you're doing, Lisa. Now that I think about it, you're quite an excellent older sister."

"Y-You will not gain anything from flattering me!"

Perhaps out of embarrassment, Lisa was speaking in a shrill voice.

"I'm not looking to gain anything either."

I shook my head wryly.

"That better be the case. Oh, just for the record, I still have not acknowledge you as a member of the class, so familial affection does not apply to you. Please do not forget that."

"—Got it. Anyway, I'll take your place from now on. You haven't slept since yesterday, right? It's best that you rest in preparation for battle."

Hearing me, Lisa made a displeased look.

"I will do that without needing you to tell me. Frankly speaking, although you do not reassure me, you do get along with her the best. I suppose Iris-san will have an easier time staying calm with you by her side."

After saying that, Lisa left towards the elevator.

But I suddenly remembered something and called to her.

"—Lisa, do you know about the Kraken battle two years ago?"

"Of course I do. I was fighting on the frontlines then."

Lisa stopped before the elevator and answered without looking back.

"The one who defeated Kraken was... Mitsuki, right?"

"Yes, indeed. Mitsuki-san shot and killed two Krakens. Through her accomplishments from that time, she rose to her current position."

I felt that Lisa's tone of voice had become stiff.

"It sounds like you don't approve?"

"—I approved because there was no other choice back then. But emotions are a separate matter. I cannot forgive Mitsuki-san who has murdered family."

"Family...?"

"Oh dear, so your knowledge is limited. Two years ago, the one who was turned into a dragon was Student No. 4 of Brynhildr Class, Shinomiya Miyako. She was Shinomiya-sensei's younger sister."

Lisa spoke in a calm tone of voice, then entered the elevator. Without looking back, she said:

"Then I shall leave Iris-san in your hands."

The elevator doors then shut. Just as I was stunned on the spot, I heard a door open. The door behind me had opened.

"Mononobe..."

Seeing Iris dressed in a flimsy nightgown, I instantly felt my heart rate rise.

"I-Iris, you heard everything?"

"Yeah... I was waiting to thank Lisa-san, because she treated me so nicely yesterday, but I couldn't find a chance to interrupt—"

Scratching her head, Iris smiled wryly.

"You already knew about what we mentioned just now?"

"I've only heard others talk about it, because I only came to Midgard a year ago... By then, Mitsuki-chan was already the student council president."

"I see now... But let's put that aside. If you just got out of bed, get changed first. Otherwise, I won't know where to look."

The fabric of Iris' nightgown was very sheer and offered faint glimpses of her body's curves.

"...It's a bit embarrassing, but I'm okay with it if it's you, Mononobe. Don't mind it. Come in."

"You're asking me not to mind—Hey, hold on!?"

Iris grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room. The interior was bigger than I imagined. Because it was a shelter, I originally thought it would be more plain, but it felt no different from the dormitory rooms.

Inside the room was a very comfortable looking bed, a desk with a breakfast tray on it, and a large closet. There was also a door that seemed to lead to the toilet and bathroom.

There were no windows after all, but instead, there was a large monitor installed on the wall. The screen was divided into multiple screens, displaying the situation around Midgard.

"Come, Mononobe, sit down here."

Iris plopped herself on the bed and patted the spot next to her.

"...Sit there?"

"Yes."

Iris nodded with a serious expression, so I nervously sat down beside her.

Then Iris leaned herself against me and hugged my arm.

I could feel my arm surrounded by a soft sensation.

"H-Hey?"

"—Let me stay like this for a while. There will be more tests starting noon again, so let me lean against you until then..."

Hearing the words Iris squeezed out desperately, I exhaled. Although Mitsuki had mentioned earlier that Iris had cooperated calmly, she would still feel afraid and uneasy, right?

If doing this could give her a bit of strength, then I'll let her lean like this for now without making a fuss.

To prevent my imagination from getting carried away, I turned my attention to the island scenery shown on the screens.

One view seemed to be taken by a satellite from above. It showed Midgardsormr surrounding the island in four layers. Many ships could be seen outside of the first defensive line. Those were probably NIFL's battleships and carriers.

Other images showed the girls of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, patrolling the island's airspace. Firill, Ren and Ariella could be seen among them.

"Oh!"

Seeing something inappropriate, I could not help but cry out.

"You saw... Firill's panties, didn't you?"

Perhaps following my gaze to see the same view, Iris remarked quietly.

"N-No, but it's an image shown on screen, so it can't be helped. Rather, it's weird to be flying in the air while wearing a skirt, right?"

"Sure enough, guys are happy to see panties, right?"

Iris looked up at me and asked.

"What...? No way... how could that be possible!?"

"Ah, you looked away! Sure enough, you enjoy it, right?"

Iris leaned against me even more, forcing her gaze to meet mine.

"Doesn't the way you put it make me out to be a pervert!? Rather than enjoy, it's just a feeling of slightly profiting."

"Meaning that... You enjoy it a lot?"

"Urgh..."

Under her cold gaze, I could not speak for a while.

Staring at me like that for a while, Iris then asked in a barely audible voice:

"...Mononobe, will you be happy to see my panties too?"

"W-What are you saying so suddenly—"

Ignoring my panic, Iris continued with a blush:

"If you like it, Mononobe, I could show you? Because I've always wanted to... thank you."

Saying that, Iris lifted the hem of her nightgown.

My gaze was uncontrollably drawn to her.

Eh? Hey, hold on—

I gasped. My heart raced. I subconsciously gulped.

The hem was gradually lifted. I could not tear my eyes off that gradually exposed snow-white skin.

Iris' fingers trembled lightly. With her face bright red, she pulled the nightgown's hem even higher.

Her thighs, looking so soft and seductive, kept shaking my rationality. Finally, her nightgown was lifted up to near the base of the thigh.

Any further lifting and I would really see—

"Y-You don't need to thank me like that!"

Coming to my senses at the last second, I held Iris' hand down.

"Mononobe... You don't want to see mine?"

Iris was asking with a displeased look.

"It's not a matter of whether I want to see or not. What I mean is you shouldn't do something like that so lightly. Man are far dangerous creatures than you can imagine, Iris."

"...I am not doing this lightly. I had to gather a lot of courage to speak my mind."

"That's even worse. You have to treasure yourself more."

Perhaps Iris simply wanted to show me, but that would awaken even stronger desire. If I were to lose to desire, I would be sent to a tribunal meeting. But enduring on, refusing to succumb to desire was also quite painful. If following either path led to hell, then turning back would be the correct decision.

"Oooh, Mononobe, you're so malicious."

"I didn't say that because I'm malicious..."

I scratched my head, out of ideas. Right now, I was mustering all my effort to suppress my impulse. I was not confident I could withstand further stimulation.

I turned my attention back to the monitor, but things would be bad if I saw something I should not again, so I fixed my gaze on the screen that displayed the sea.

"I clearly wanted to reward you, Mononobe..."

Iris was murmuring in her lips, leaning her body against me. Through the sheer fabric, her body warmth was transmitting to me distinctly.

I looked for conversation topics to change the subject.

"I-Iris, what's that one screen that's showing the sea surface? The image seems to be moving, so it's not a fixed camera right—"

I rapidly asked Iris but her face instantly became shrouded in gloom.

"Oh... That seems to be the one monitoring Leviathan. Because the dragon can't be seen deep in the sea, it's right there—under the seawater."

I realized I had changed the subject to something bad.

"...Sorry, I made you feel worse."

"No. It's okay, because by doing this, I'll cheer up soon enough."

Smiling, Iris hugged my arm even tighter—

Just as Iris mentioned, when it was almost noon, a school nurse arrived.

Iris had changed into her school uniform. I accompanied her to the examination room but since I could not go in after all, I stood outside the door, waiting for the examination to end.

This was originally the first floor of the school building, but since it was now underground, all the windows were covered by metal shutters.

Because I had nothing to do, I generated some dark matter and practiced altering its form to pass time.

"I knew it, I'm still not used to guns weighing this light..."

I sighed and crushed the dark matter in Siegfried's form inside my hand. Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Someone was walking from the other end of the corridor. With long flowing hair, head raised, chest out, walking in a very prim and proper manner, she was—

"Mitsuki."

As soon as I called out to her, Mitsuki instantly stopped. This was our first time meeting since last night. I recalled what Lisa had said about what happened two years ago.

"Nii-san..."

"You need me for something?"

"...Yes, although I actually wish to avoid broaching this topic."

Mitsuki nodded with a gloomy expression.

"It's best to get unpleasant things over with quickly, right?"

I urged her by using a tone of levity.

"Good point... Well then, I have several questions for you, Nii-san. Did you use your full ability during the test last time?"

"Of course I did, Mitsuki. You saw during my training, right? You should know that's my limit."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki continued to ask:

"So, according to your methods... Nii-san, without using fictional armaments, can you easily crush that block of diamond?"

"...No, I think I already demonstrated in the first training session. My method is to use an anti-materiel rifle and that's the most effective means."

I knew roughly what Mitsuki wanted to ask about.

So I prepared myself and waited for her to ask.

"Well then... Three years ago, Nii-san, how did you repel Hekatonkheir? Can you no longer accomplish the same thing?"

"..."

Finally. Ever since my reunion with Mitsuki, I expected to be asked this question eventually.

That day, I challenged "Blue" Hekatonkheir in order to defend the town—

"If possible, I have no wish to dig up what happened then. I would like to keep that incident buried in my heart too. You would probably be forced into an even more awkward position if that incident came to light. Because what you did that time was so unusual, a miracle so unbelievable, Nii-san, but..."

Mitsuki continued with a leader-like expression.

"As captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, I must maintain a grasp on all currently available combat potential. If incorrectly used or managed, strong powers have the potential to hurt oneself instead. I am very afraid, unsure of what you might do next, Nii-san, so—"

"I understand... I'll answer you honestly."

Because Mitsuki looked extremely sad, I interrupted her and nodded.

"...Sorry, Nii-san."

"No need to apologize, you're just doing what you have to do as the captain. About your question just now, my answer is no. Currently, I'm unable to singlehandedly repeat what happened three years ago."

"Unable to singlehandedly... Is that so? I see now. I can probably imagine the usage condition required back then."

Mitsuki said with a somewhat enlightened expression.

"That's so fast. But even if that condition is fulfilled, I probably still can't defeat Leviathan. That's what my power is like."

Three years ago, I ultimately failed to kill Hekatonkheir. Despite the heavy price I paid, it was still beyond me.

Precisely because of that, I found Mitsuki to be an extremely dazzling sight. Because destroying a dragon was a power that I could never possess, no matter how many more heavy prices I paid, I would still be inferior to Mitsuki.

"...I understand now. You have said enough."

Mitsuki exhaled lightly and nodded. Then she gazed into my eyes.

"If I raised your hopes up... I'm sorry. But even if I can't defeat a dragon, I might be able to help in some way. Because that power needs a stable footing, it can't be used from the air or on a ship. Because of that, even if I can participate in attacking, I think it'll have to be near the final defensive line—"

"No, there is no need, Nii-san, you only need to focus on protecting Iris-san. My goal was to ask you to avoid using that power as much as you can if concealing it was your original intention."

Mitsuki's response greatly surprised me. I thought she was hoping my power could defeat Leviathan.

"If I used my power... will something bad happen?"

"Yes, if I remember correctly, three years ago, Nii-san, what you used was a firearm-like weapon. If that type of weapon were to be used carelessly, not only will it fail to defeat Leviathan... Worse comes to worst, it might end up deflecting back."

"Deflecting back?"

"...You will understand once the battle begins. Please watch the screens in the shelter carefully."

Mitsuki turned her back to me after speaking.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, because I still have a pile of work to do."

"I see... Don't strain yourself too much."

I actually wanted to ask about the girl named Shinomiya Miyako, but I could not bear adding more to Mitsuki's mental burden, so I swallowed my words.

"This I cannot agree. If I do not strain myself now, when else? I have promised to everyone at the full-school assembly—I will put my life on the line."

Rather than a sense of mission, her expression seemed to carry resolve of a more heavier nature. After saying this, she headed down a dark corridor to leave on the other side.

Unable to say another word, I could only see her off, watching that slender back that was shouldering so much.

"Ah, so tired..."

After the tests, Iris came to my side and stretched.

"Good work. Let's go back to the shelter for dinner."

Iris naturally put her arm around mine. While trying my best not to think about her body warmth, I walked over towards the elevator.

Then at the school building's entrance hall on the first floor, we met familiar faces.

"...Oh!"

The one who exclaimed softly was Firill. Ren and Ariella were by her side too.

Ariella raised her hand and spoke to us.

"You came at the right time. Because it's break time, we were thinking of heading to the shelter."

"To the shelter? Why?"

Hearing my question, Ariella frowned.

"What's so strange about visiting a classmate to see how she's doing?"

Next to her, Ren nodded frequently to concur, her red hair swaying.

"No, it's not weird at all. Sorry, I asked a pointless question."

Lisa had said that fellow classmates were equivalent to family. Ariella and the others seem to be holding the same sentiment.

Firill then approached Iris and peered at her face.

"...You look very exhausted. Are you doing okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I"m fine. It's just that the testing dragged on for too long, I'm hungry."

Iris answered with a nervous expression. She was probably unused to being treated so gently.

"...Really? Then please take this."

Firill handed a small bag of something to Iris. Accepting it, Iris opened it and immediately showed excitement on her face.

"Wow, it's chocolate!"

"...This is the chocolate I bought overseas through the internet, not too long ago."

"Eh? Then isn't it expensive?"

Hearing Iris, Firill nodded.

"Yes, but you can have it."

"...Thank you, Firill-chan."

Iris thanked her with tears in her eyes then Ren and Ariella also presented small gifts from the side.

Ren's was candy while Ariella's seemed to be cookies.

"Umm... Is it really okay for me to have this?"

Iris accepted them in trepidation and asked them.

"Mm."

Ren kept nodding with an expression that seemed to say "of course you can."

"I feel bad that I can only do this kind of thing for you, but tomorrow, I will fight my hardest to protect you."

Ariella spoke with a serious expression.

"Ren-san, Ariella-san... Thank you."

Iris was finally moved to tears.

"...Don't cry."

Firill passed her handkerchief to Iris.

Seeing that handkerchief, Iris found it even harder to stop her tears.

After a while, Iris finally stopped crying and everyone waved and took their leave. Watching their backs as I saw them off, I said:

"They're really great classmates."

"...Yeah."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 195.jpg|thumb]]

"Mononobe, the bathwater is ready! Let's take a bath together!"

That night, after eating dinner and the snacks from Firill and the others, Iris regained her cheerfulness and suddenly announced.

The shelter instantly fell into a brief silence, because it took me a while to understand what Iris was saying.

"...I refuse."

I exhaled greatly. Evidently, Iris had completely failed to understand what I said this morning.

"You refuse to protect me in the bathroom? I'll be afraid if I'm alone..."

"Urgh..."

Seeing her show a worried look, I felt a bit guilty, but this was a line I could not compromise.

"...I'll be in the room. Just hang in there for now."

"Aww... Fine, then let's bathe separately. Mononobe, you go first. Since we're staying in the same room, I hope you'll wash yourself very clean."

Looking slightly displeased, Iris urged me to to take a bath.

"I don't mind going first, but why me first?"

"Because if I let you go after me, you'll lick the tub I used and drink the water I washed with, right? After all, that still would make me feel... embarrassed."

"Like hell I'd do that! Are you still looking at me in that way...?"

Hearing her say that, I walked to the bathroom, feeling hurt. Taking off my uniform, I entered the bathroom naked. The tub was already filled with hot water.

I sat down on a bathing stool then poured warm water over my head. At this moment, I sensed someone's presence in the changing area's direction.

"No way..."

I had a bad feeling. Looking up, I saw a white figure behind the frosted glass.

Before I could stop her, the door slid open and Iris entered, wrapped in a towel.

"M-Mononobe! I came to help you scrub your back! It's because I still wanna repay you—"

Her slightly nervous voice was cut off mid-sentence. Seeing my completely exposed naked body, Iris had her mouth opening and closing inexplicably—

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Covering her eyes, she screamed.

"Don't go barging in without permission then scream! You've reversed our positions!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 199.jpg|thumb]]

I hastily covered up my crotch with a towel while grumbling at her.

"B-But... But..."

Her face bright red, Iris peeked at me through the gaps between her fingers.

Fidgeting awkwardly, she was rubbing her snow-white thighs together, exposed under her bath towel. That was too stimulating a sight. I hastily shifted my gaze away.

"Okay, hurry and leave. I'll shower then come out straight away."

As much as I wanted to drive her out by force, the towel I brought in was not enough to wrap around my waist, making it impossible for me to stand up.

"N-No way... I can't give up because of something like this."

Clenching her dainty fist in front of her chest, Iris shook her head.

Then mustering extraordinary willpower, she circled over to my back with stiff footsteps, then froze at this moment.

"Hey... Mononobe."

"W-What?"

I answered nervously.

"Back scrubbing... How do I scrub?"

"You... You wanted to help me scrub without knowing how?"

I asked in exasperation.

"I only heard that this kind of custom exists in Japan... I don't actually know the details. Do I just pour hot water over you?"

"Pour hot water, then use a soaped towel to scrub... I think that covers it."

"Eh!? I didn't bring additional towels! M-Must I untie this one?"

Iris was just about to untie the towel wrapped around her body.

"No need to untie! Just use your hands directly if you don't have a towel—No wait, you don't need to do this at all, now that I think about it. Get out now!"

"No need to be shy, Mononobe, because I'm not forcing myself to do something I dislike."

Saying that, Iris rubbed her hands together to make the soap lather, then started washing my back.

"Woah!?"

Feeling someone else's touch on my back was more ticklish than I imagined.

"Fufu—Mononobe, you shuddered."

Initially a bit inexperienced, she gradually grew bold. Because she seemed like she was not going to give up no matter what, I decided to indulge Iris until she was satisfied.

"Monobe, your back... is so wide."

"..."

Iris' little hands, which were scrubbing my back, made me realize again the fact that she was a ''girl''.

To be honest, it did not feel unpleasant at all, but... Suppressing instincts continuously was extremely taxing for the mind. When I promised Mitsuki I was not going to engage in inappropriate interactions between genders, I never expected this kind of predicament at all.

Rather, this could be considered "inappropriate" already, right?

Although such a thought crossed my mind, I still told myself that it should still count barely within bounds.

"It's not very visible under clothing, but your muscles are quite firm. It's unexpected."

"...Well, that's because I went through training in the army."

"Is that why? ...Training must be tough, right?"

"Yeah, I almost died."

"Thank goodness you didn't die, Mononobe."

Hearing Iris' almost nonsensical response, I could not help but smile wryly.

"What are you smiling for?"

"...It's just a bit ticklish."

"Oh, then I'll wash the front next."

Perhaps deciding that the back was washed enough, Iris circled around to my front.

"Hey, that's no good! Iris, you came to scrub my back, right? In that case, I don't need you to wash the front!"

"Consider it a freebie! A freebie! Don't be shy, Mononobe."

Iris smiled at me innocently.

"I'm not being shy... W-Washing the front yourself is part of manners!"

"Manners? It's true, I definitely haven't heard anything about a custom of washing the front..."

"That's right, the back is the only part you can entrust to others. You've heard of the saying, 'letting others cover your back,' right?"

"Y-Yeah... But it feels like you're using twisted logic..."

Iris looked up at my face from below. The cleavage visible from her bath towel was shaking my sanity.

If I allowed her wash my front in these circumstances, an irreversible situation was going to develop.

I desperately persuaded Iris, finally convincing her with much difficulty.

However, there were even harsher trials awaiting me that night.

"Mononobe... Let's sleep together tonight."

Seeing Iris invite me to bed while dressed in a sexy nightgown, I felt my consciousness leave me for an instant.

"Tonight... might be my very last, so to me, this may or may not be my final remaining time... I don't want to spend it alone."

—That was such an unfair way of putting it. How could I possibly ignore her?

But even so, I desperately tried to resist.

"Can't you ask someone else? For example, if it's Lisa—"

"I prefer you, Mononobe, I don't want anyone else! This is my request of a lifetime!"

"How can you make unreasonable demands like a child...?"

"I don't care if it's an unreasonable demand! If my life is ending tomorrow, then it's too much of a waste if I don't use up my request of a lifetime now!"

I realized what Iris was trying to convey really was "a request of a lifetime" literally.

"Why... are you choosing someone like me?"

Unable to comprehend this, I asked her.

"—Because you've treated me with kindness."

"Huh?"

"Because you've treated me with the most kindness, Mononobe. You're the first person to extend a helping hand to me. If you must ask for a reason, that's pretty much all I can answer. Is this kind of reason... not enough?"

Seeing her ask me with tears in her eyes, I could not help but take a few steps back.

"No... Nothing like that—"

"Please, I beg you, Mononobe, even if it's just lending me your back for me to lean against, aren't backs for entrusting to others?"

To think she was bringing up the excuse I had used in the bathroom, I had no choice but to surrender.

"...I got it. If showing my back to you is fine, I'll stay with you, Iris, until you fall asleep."

I prepared myself, climbed onto the bed and lay down with my back facing her.

"Thank you... Mononobe."

Iris leaned herself against me and whispered in my ear. The softness and warmth I was feeling against my back was making my consciousness boil.

Surrounded by sweet fragrance, my rationality was almost flying away. Despite the fact that we were both clearly clothed, it felt even more dangerous than in the bathroom.

"So this is your scent, Mononobe... I knew it, the real thing is better..."

Iris pressed her face against my clothing, murmuring to herself.

"...Real thing?"

"Eh? N-Nothing, d-don't mind me."

Behind me, Iris was especially flustered.

"Speaking of which, the shirt I lent you the first time we met... What happened to it?"

"Frightened!?"

"...I've never heard anyone yell 'frightened' as an exclamation before."

I smiled wryly as I spoke.

"N-No! I didn't take the shirt to sniff it, to hug against my bosom, or use it as sleepwear!"

Iris argued in quick succession to defend herself.

"...I never knew you were that perverted."

"I said I didn't do it! If you must have it back, I'll return it next time. I'll even give you special permission to sniff and lick it out of my sight."

"Like hell anyone's gonna do that! Besides, that was mine to begin with. I don't have any weird fetish of getting aroused from my own clothing that someone else had worn! Returning the shirt is only going to cause me a headache. You can have it as a gift!"

Although it was no big deal, I had no desire of wearing something that I had no idea what had been done to it.

"...Thank you! Sure enough, you're so kind, Mononobe."

"Uh, if you say I'm kind for something like this, you'll only give me a headache..."

Because what I said totally did not stem from kindness, I had no idea how to react.

"No, Mononobe... You're very kind... Extremely kind."

Saying that, Iris leaned even tighter against me. Two soft sensations could be felt pressing against my back more strongly.

"I-Iris, it's touching me! It's touching!"

Although accusing her like this did not feel proper, at this rate, my rationality really was going to reach a limit, which was why I yelled at her.

"Yeah... I know"

But Iris remained unfazed. Quietly, she spoke:

"Mononobe, there are three ways to prevent a D from turning into a dragon. The first is to defeat the dragon. The second is death. And the third is... to stop being a D."

"That's—"

I recalled the conditions Mitsuki had mentioned about Ds losing their power. Instantly, my heart rate jumped.

"That's right... Reaching twenty years old or so, or getting pregnant, that's how we become ordinary people, so—"

Iris whispered softly in my ear.

"S-So...?"

"..."

I asked her but Iris did not answer.

She simply pressed her fiery hot body tightly against me.

The sound of heartbeats seemed to be pulsating next to my ear. My mind went blank.

In this quiet room, all we could hear was each other's breathing.

Unable to say anything or do anything, I could only let time pass like this.

My sanity was getting worn away bit by bit.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 207.jpg|thumb]]

But just as I was about to reach my limit, Iris laughed from behind.

"Sorry—Saying it that way was a bit underhanded just now."

"Huh?"

"...Actually, even if Ds get pregnant, their power weakens gradually rather than losing it all at once. It takes roughly three months for a D to lose her power completely, so it's too late once you're targeted by a dragon."

"Don't say such things that'll make others misunderstand..."

I almost lost control because of that.

"Fufu, Mononobe... Your heart was beating so fast just now, because I had my ear against your back, I heard it clearly."

"...I heard your heartbeat too, Iris."

"Ehhh! No way!?"

Iris began to panic behind me.

"If you're leaning so close, of course I'll hear you. Also, if you're going to play pranks like earlier, I'm going to sleep on the floor or outside."

"Oh... S-Sorry! Mononobe, please don't go!"

Iris grabbed me desperately.

"H-Hey!"

"I'm not going to play a prank... I just wanna say... If you really want to do that, Mononobe... But halfway through, I felt afraid again."

"Oh come on... Maybe you're trying to repay me again, but that's going way too far. If an accident happened, you might lose the power to fight dragons, you know?"

Iris felt a strong sense of duty towards the matter of fighting dragons. She trained desperately to hone her power for the test. I did not want her to give up on that power so easily.

"But... If I die tomorrow, it doesn't matter..."

"Rather than thinking about the case of dying, it's more constructive if you think about the case of surviving."

"That doesn't sound like something coming from the one who promised to kill me, you know...?"

Iris spoke in a tone of disagreement.

"Yeah, on the one-in-ten-thousand chance of that happening, I will kill you before you turn into a dragon. But you've got to try thinking about the rest of the ten thousand, right?"

"The rest of the ten thousand?"

Iris did not seem to understand, so I continued:

"Suppose the total is ten thousand, after taking out that one chance, there are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety remaining, in other words, that many futures where I won't have to kill you, Iris."

"You're just playing word games."

Iris disagreed quietly.

"Really? I think that's how high the chances are. Mitsuki, with her accomplishment of having defeated dragons, is also standing on our side. You should put a bit of faith in my little sister at least."

I said cheerfully without looking back. Although half of what I said was bluffing, the remainder was serious.

I could feel Iris' arm relaxing, followed by a tiny laugh.

"Fufu—How unbelievable. After hearing that from you... Mononobe, I'm beginning to feel that perhaps you might be right."

"In that case, sleep earlier tonight. This is for the sake of tomorrow—and beyond."

I felt her nod in agreement.

"...Yeah, goodnight, Mononobe."

"Okay, goodnight—Iris."

Soon after I responded, I could hear the breathing from her sleeping soundly. Perhaps she had been unable to sleep the previous night.

Because Iris was still clinging to me tightly, I could not even get out of bed quietly.

Despite acting cool earlier, I was still bothered by the warmth and suppleness of Iris' body. It was impossible to sleep at all.

Fighting a protracted war of resistance from then on, I only fell asleep just as dawn approached.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 3

2020-05-17T01:31:10Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 1 */

==Chapter 3 - "White" Leviathan==

===Part 1===

I defied the destiny he had decided for me.

No matter what kind of battlefield I was sent to, I always accomplished the mission without killing anyone.

Perhaps it was like acting obstinately out of spite. Normal common sense and morals would easily crumble against the education I received. In order to protect my beliefs that must not be compromised, relying on logic and conscience was not enough.

I did not want to become the type of person he hoped for. I wanted to continue being Mitsuki's brother. Feelings of this sort supported my obstinacy.

However, no matter how much I struggled, I always felt a premonition that everything would end up in futility.

He did not reprimand me for my persistent resistance. As long as I produced satisfactory results, he even praised me.

Hence, I knew clearly that I was still under his control.

Even if I still managed to keep my hands untainted, from past to present, the day for my hands to be tainted would inevitably arrive.

So long as I continued to fight under NIFL, that destiny was impossible to change.

It was ultimately just a matter of time.

I was sent to battlefields that were countries where public order had broken down due to dragons passing through. Those kinds of places were mostly in civil war to begin with.

Using dragons as excuses, NIFL kept intervening in regional conflicts.

Brothers-in-arms fighting alongside me gradually increased, their numbers finally settled at eight.

They were young men brought from other places, each possessing their own outstanding talents.

Named Sleipnir, my team galloped on numerous battlefields.

According to ''him'', there was apparently an intended enemy we were meant to fight. Putting down guerilla groups was just practice before the real battle. Nevertheless, we were still risking our lives all the time.

In a world where life and death were thinly divided, how much longer could I act obstinately out of spite?

Was defiance more important than my own life?

These thoughts always occupied my mind during fighting.

Also, I was probably still going to turn into a killer in emergency situations. Somewhere in my heart, the notion of giving up had already manifested.

Because I had already become a person who could actually kill provided I wanted to.

I had already been remade into that kind of person.

My trigger finger no longer trembled from my conscience's reprimands. Neither did it hesitate in pity for the target.

Before arriving at NIFL, I had already lost my sense of fear.

I possessed all the requirements to become a killer.

Ironically, the reason why I had the luxury of acting out of spite was because he had made me strong.

Purely because I was not strained, I had the luxury of choosing whether to kill or not, hence I chose not to kill.

Once that slack was lost, my resistance was probably going to end.

That was what I originally thought, but—

"I won't lose!"

The day I was liberated from NIFL, I met the strongest human out of all the opponents I had faced so far—a D—and fought her.

She was actually not that dangerous a person, but from my perspective in ignorance, she was a monster with firepower surpassing tanks.

To eliminate the lethal threat, my body moved on its own. Faster than my thoughts, subconscious intent to kill had already sprung into action in advance.

But that was not my first time encountering a life threatening crisis. Even when faced with a gun in front of my face, I had always handled situations calmly in composure.

The reason why I lost that composure so easily that time... was most likely because she was a D.

Encountering the intended enemy, the monster growing inside me bared its fangs on its own.

But I used my willpower to stop the swing of my arm.

I defied the reason of my own existence.

I chose not to kill her.

I made that choice successfully.

Hence, I owed her a debt impossible to repay.

Because she—Iris—proved that my spite-fueled obstinacy was more important than my own life.

===Part 2===

The day the test ended, dinner was a bit different from usual.

"This is—?"

After the dishes were cleared off the table and I saw the food brought by the housework robot, I asked Mitsuki who was sitting opposite me across the table.

"Is it not obvious? This is dessert!"

"Dessert? Why just today..."

Baked pudding topped with cream. Bits of chocolate were even sprinkled beautifully over it. Looking at this dessert, I inquired of her.

"Although you only qualified as backup, this is to reward you for passing, Nii-san, because I believe that hard work should be commended."

Without looking at me, Mitsuki answered in an indifferent tone of voice.

"Uh, it looks really tasty. Thank you very much... Did you actually make this for me, Mitsuki?"

"W-What, what makes you think that?"

The fork fell from Mitsuki's hand. Unable to hide her shaken heart, she asked me.

"Lisa mentioned it. She said you make lovely sweets, so I wondered whether this was your creation too."

"U-Umm..."

"Judging from your reaction, I guess I'm right?"

"...Yes."

Mitsuki huddled herself and admitted in a small voice.

"Then why not say that from the start? I am very grateful to you."

"Because... It would be very embarrassing if it failed to suit your tastes, Nii-san. Also, I would not hear an honest opinion."

Mitsuki looked away and said with her face red.

"Sheesh... I thought you'd grown braver after becoming the student council president, but you're still so timid on weird issues."

Laughing wryly, I scooped a spoonful of the dessert and tasted it. The gentle and sweet flavor immediately started spreading from the tip of my tongue.

"—Mmm, super good."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, and the entire schools students have already recognized your skills, right? I think you could be more confident."

"If the person before me says it does not taste good, the opinion of the majority will be completely meaningless."

Mitsuki asserted with a serious expression.

"...I think I'm starting to understand why you're able to become the student council president."

Exhaling in exclamation, I finished all of the dessert.

"—Thanks for the treat. Dessert was lovely. Thank you, Mitsuki."

"Great, you are welcome."

At this moment, the expression on Mitsuki's face reminded of three years ago—that extremely natural and incomparably relaxed smile.

After the meal, I returned to my room to find the lamp on my portable terminal flashing.

Looking at it, I found an email from Iris. This portable terminal was capable of voice calls and email, but the only contacts I had so far were limited to Mituski and Iris.

'I'm waiting for you at the beach.'

That was all she wrote.

I looked at the time displayed on the edge of the portable terminal's screen.

"7:27pm huh... Curfew starts at 8pm so I guess it's fine."

Taking the portable terminal, I left the room, walking while writing an email to Mitsuki.

'I'm going out for a bit. Back by 8pm.'

Because Mitsuki would probably check the dorm's entry and exit records, I thought I had better inform her.

I left the dorm and walked on the road along the shore.

Without any basis at all, I felt that she was probably waiting for me at the place where we first met. Because time was limited, I quickened my pace to hurry on my way.

Countless stars were twinkling in the deep-blue night sky. Waves kept surging and retreating, as though caressing the white beach, playing a regular song of the sea.

My intuition was apparently correct. Iris was standing at the place where our eyes first met. Although she was in uniform, she had taken off her shoes and stockings to go barefoot.

With the waves breaking over the snow-white complexion of those beautiful feet, Iris was staring at the sea surface afar.

I walked over the sand to approach her, resulting in rustling footsteps. Hearing my footsteps, Iris turned her head in my direction.

"Oh... Mononobe, you came."

"Yeah, because your email said you're waiting for me."

I stopped several meters in front of Iris and replied.

"Sorry for calling you out at this hour. Did Mitsuki-chan get angry?"

"I'm supposed to be able to go out before 8pm... But she might be angry when I get back."

"Fufu, because Mitsuki-chan is very strict!"

Seeing Iris' smile, I felt my heart pounding. Bathed under starlight, the silver-haired girl was giving off an even more otherworldly sense of beauty than usual.

"...Then why did you want to see me?"

I asked her while being aware of the nervousness in my voice.

"Oh, umm, first is, umm... I want to thank you, Mononobe."

"If it's thanks, you already thanked me countless times after the test. It's more than enough. Besides, I didn't do anything that needs you to thank me like that."

"You're wrong! If it weren't for you, Mononobe, I definitely would have failed again, so—Thank you!"

Iris bowed her head forcefully to thank me, her long silver hair spreading out in the air.

"I simply trained together with you... Fine, you're welcome."

Further refusal would just be a waste of time, so I candidly accepted her thanks.

"U-Umm, then... I've got something to ask you, Mononobe... Can I?"

Iris looked up stiffly and asked in trepidation.

"I don't mind..."

I nodded and Iris approached me.

"Mononobe, why did you help me?"

"Huh?"

"Being so considerate of me, working hard with me seriously, Mononobe, you're the first person to do that. Everyone else in the class hold themselves and others to strict standards, so I can't rely on them... Although Mitsuki-chan looks after me frequently, I think that's because she's the student council president."

Iris approached me even closer, almost to the point of touching me.

"So, I wanna know... how you feel, Mononobe."

Seeing her gaze at me from so close, I felt my heart beat even faster.

"T-That's because..."

"Because...?"

"Probably because... you're very similar to how Mitsuki was in the past."

I said one of the reasons.

The debt I felt on my own was just my personal feelings after all. If I had to explain it to her, that meant bringing up things from my NIFL days, so I was not going to say much on that front.

"I'm similar to Mitsuki-chan? No way, I'm completely unlike Mitsuki-chan!"

"She used to have similarities with you, Iris, and right now, she is still working as hard as she can, just like you, so... I think that's why I can't leave you to your own devices."

Hearing my answer, Iris looked down and murmured quietly.

"I see... So that's the case, it's a bit unfortunate. But... it's fine, I just have to start trying hard now."

"Iris?"

I called to her because I could not hear her clearly. Iris instantly looked up forcefully.

"Mononobe!"

"W-What?"

"Listen here, I... want to get closer to you, Mononobe, s-so umm... If you don't mind, I want to be frie—"

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

Just as Iris was speaking, a loud siren was suddenly heard all around.

'Emergency warning, emergency warning—Level C alert, Type White. I repeat, Level C alert, Type White!'

The announcement explained the key points of the warning.

"Type White—that's 'White' Leviathan, right...? Is a Level C alert very urgent?"

I asked but Iris did not seem like she heard me.

"Leviathan..."

She said the dragon's name with a stiff expression.

Right—Iris had lost her family due to a dragon disaster caused by Leviathan.

'The Dragon Subjugation Squad, students selected by the Midgard Defense Department, please man your stations. Prepare to standby for combat operations. All other students and staff, please return to your quarters or the nearest evacuation shelter, especially those currently at shore areas, please evacuate as quickly as possible.'

"Hey, the announcer is telling us to evacuate!"

"...That dragon... is nearby..."

"Pull yourself together! Anyway, we need to get out of here first!"

Iris was in a trance. I grabbed her hand and pulled up up to the breakwater.

A deep noise and vibrations could be felt underfoot.

Looking out at sea, giant rectangular objects surfaced one after another from the originally peaceful sea. Then these objects formed a circle as though surrounding this island.

The displaced seawater formed big waves, rushing up the beach. Smashing against the breakwater, the waves broke into white spray.

"Could that be... Midgardsormr?"

"That's right. What's visible from here is just part of the final defensive line... The first to third defensive lines are farther out at sea."

Probably returning to her senses finally, Iris answered me calmly.

"Iris, you're okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry for spacing out... We have to hurry and find shelter or else we'll cause other people trouble."

After speaking with a serious face, Iris put on the shoes she had placed on the breakwater before hand, then looked up into the night sky.

Uniformed girls holding weapons were passing overhead, flying towards the sea.

This was probably the Dragon Subjugation Squad selected by Midgard Defense Department. By generating wind, they were flying in the sky at high speed.

"That's true, we'll only get in their way if we stay here."

"Right, let's head back to the dorms immediately—Ooh..."

Iris was just about to break into a run when she suddenly knelt down with her hand on her stomach.

"Hey... What happened to you!?"

"A-A sudden stomach ache... Ahaha, maybe I ate too much to celebrate passing the test... Oh... It's gradually getting better..."

Despite the cold sweat already appearing on her forehead, Iris still stood up.

"...Can you walk?"

"No problem... Let's run, Mononobe!"

It seemed to be a momentary stomach ache. Iris took my hand and began to walk briskly.

Iris had to make her way to the shared dormitories located near the school so we separated along the way and I returned to Mitsuki's personal dorm.

"Mitsuki, are you here?"

I called out from the entrance hall, but no one answered. Mitsuki was apparently the Dragon Subjugation Squad's captain, so she had probably mobilized already.

Although I was curious about the situation outside, I could not ask her through email because it would obstruct her work. Hence, I decided to wait quietly and returned to my room.

Unable to settle down, I started wanting to find a book to read. The instant I touched the portable terminal, a ringtone was suddenly heard.

I initially thought it was Mitsuki, but the screen did not display the caller's number. No matter how long I waited, the ringing showed no signs of stopping, so I hesitantly pressed the button to take the call.

Immediately, an image with static appeared on the screen to show a young man in military uniform, grinning.

That smile made me feel a chill from the bottom of my heart.

'Hi, it's been a while, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

"Major Loki... Why—"

I uttered his name in a hoarse voice.

Major Loki Jotunheim—The person who used to be my direct superior until recently.

This man, who could be considered the mastermind behind NIFL, why—

'Well, I wanted to call you earlier... But Midgardsormr's defensive line includes many barriers on electronic communications too. If it weren't for the current battle situation, communicating without Midgard's knowledge would be impossible. Sorry for calling late.'

"Calling late... I wasn't waiting for a call from a guy like you—"

'A guy? In just a brief week, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, have you forgotten how to address your former commanding officer?'

Narrow eyes stared straight at me from the screen. Just by doing that, he made me feel like I was pulled back to the past, pulled back to those long, dark days when I was working under him.

"...My apologies, Major Loki."

'Now that's more like it. Still, I can hardly blame you for growing lax. Compared to NIFL, Midgard is like paradise. It's only inevitable that you would be affected, given your ''incompleteness''. Seriously... It is truly unfortunate that I couldn't ''finish you up'' in the end."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 157.jpg|thumb]]

"You called me... Why?"

'Oh right, I almost went on a tangent. It's like this, I have a favor to ask of you.'

"A favor?"

'Our positions no longer allow me to command you, so this is a favor. 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, you already know that Ds can turn into dragons, right? This is top secret at NIFL but it should be something that all Midgard students are privy to.'

Smiling artificially, Major Loki asked me.

"...Yes, if a D makes contact with a dragon after her dragon mark changes color, she will turn into the same type of dragon. Are you referring to this phenomenon?"

'Indeed, how terrifying. To think that such monsters could multiply, a most frightful notion chilling to the bone. An outcome that must be prevented at all costs, do you not agree?'

"Y-Yes... Of course."

Despite a foreboding feeling, I still concurred.

'But despite its crucial position, Midgard has not perfected its handling of this matter. After confirming that a dragon mark had changed in color, they send the subject to an underground bunker for isolation, then have other Ds intercept the dragon. This is the tactic they have chosen.'

"That kind of tactic... What's wrong with it?"

'Are you playing dumb? It should be quite clear to you. The most effective countermeasure is to kill the D whose dragon mark has changed in color.'

The chill given off from Major Loki's inexorably cold eyes almost seemed to freeze my heart.

"...No one can support that, whether on grounds of human rights or the social value of Ds. One D's death is a massive loss to the world."

Besides, who would be capable of making that kind of proposal?

Despite the threat of dragons, the world continued to develop slowly, maintaining some measure of peace. It was all thanks to these Ds bolstering energy resources.

'But I believe that the economic and human losses arising from an increase in dragons would dwarf the benefits. But just as you say, it is true that such a method won't be supported by the majority. Because the world fears offending the Ds while the Ds won't abandon one of their own. After all, any one of them could be the next victim.'

"Then—"

'Hence, someone needs to act in secret.'

Major Loki interrupted me, his eyes fixed upon me.

"You're not ordering me, by any chance?"

'Not an order. I am simply asking you to accept the mission as a favor to me. Your reassignment to Midgard was completely unexpected, but I already had prior plans to have someone infiltrate. If you could take on this mission, it saves a lot of work. Don't worry, all you need to do is kill one D if an emergency arises.'

"Please don't... make it sound so easy."

I gritted my teeth and glared at Major Loki.

'It is very easy, at least to the 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe I cultivated. Whether Ds or anyone else, as long as the opponent is human, you won't lose, because you are the strongest Fafnir from our Sleipnir."

"..."

I could not say anything. Major Loki's words were just a curse, not praise.

'You don't have to answer immediately. But if your assistance cannot be secured, I might have to resort to less efficient means, which might cause unnecessary collateral damage. So please consider the matter carefully.'

Zzzt. The call disconnected and the screen went black.

Leaning myself against the back of the chair, I looked up at the ceiling.

The siren still continued to blare.

===Part 3===

The alert of an approaching dragon was finally lifted about three hours later.

But late night arrived and Mitsuki still did not return. The next time I saw her was already the full-school assembly the next morning.

"I believe that everyone should know already that at 7:41pm last night, there was a Level C alert situation. The approaching dragon is 'White' Leviathan that circles the Pacific Ocean along a fixed route. But this time, it has deviated from that route to trespass Midgard's warning zone."

Standing on the podium, Mitsuki explained the situation. This was probably part of the student council president's job.

"Leviathan stayed roughly three hours in the warning zone but returned to its original route without reaching the first defensive line. These irregular exceptions seem to occur once in a while. A year ago, a passenger ship was sunk due to this reason."

A year ago... Ship... Would that be the dragon disaster that Iris had been caught up in?

Looking at silver hair, I wondered to myself. Since students were lined up according to their Student No., Iris was in front of me.

Iris did not react to what Mitsuki had just said. With her hand on her stomach, perhaps that stomach ache from yesterday was still persisting.

"If Leviathan attacks, it will be quite an arduous battle. Leviathan is considered second only to 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr in how troublesome they are to handle. Wielding the power of universal repulsion known as antigravity, Leviathan presents a great challenge, be it approaching or attacking its body. However—"

Mitsuki leaned forward and slowly swept her gaze over all the students of the school.

"Even if one of you were to attract Leviathan, causing it to attack, the Dragon Subjugation Squad will still fight fearlessly. We will not abandon you no matter what. Consequently, if any of you feel that your dragon mark has changed, please do not hesitate. Step forward and let us know. I will put my life on the line to protect you."

Mitsuki declared clearly. Strong conviction could be felt from her words. It was not simply a sense of obligation.

Thunderous applause started up.

However, Iris did not clap even though she had felt moved by Mitsuki's previous speech. Her slender shoulders were shivering while she had her head lowered.

"Eh, where's Iris?"

After the assembly, I returned to the classroom to find Iris missing.

"Who knows? She was apparently feeling unwell, so she probably went to the infirmary, right?"

Lisa's gaze met mine while she answered with displeasure.

"Oh, you also noticed Iris didn't look her usual self, Lisa?"

"Of course. Rather, you seem quite concerned about about Iris-san. You wouldn't be harboring ulterior motives, would you?"

Lisa gazed at me with eyes of suspicion.

"Just like you, Lisa, I'm simply worried about her."

"What... I-I am not—"

At a loss for words, Lisa looked away.

Just at this moment, Mitsuki entered the classroom. I decided to ask her about Iris' whereabouts.

"Iris is missing. Did you hear anything, Mitsuki?"

"No, I have not..."

If Iris had gone to the infirmary, she should have asked me or Mitsuki to tell the teacher. My heart began to grow inexplicably uneasy.

"I'll go look for her. Tell the teacher for me, okay?"

"Hey wait, Nii-san!"

Leaving behind Mitsuki who called me frantically, I entered the corridor. Next period was about to begin and there were almost no students out in the hallways.

I made my way quickly to the infirmary first. I knew where to go because I brought Iris there last time when she fainted from the explosion. Reaching the adjacent building, I went to the corner of the first floor and opened the door marked "Infirmary," but Iris was not there.

"Sheesh... Where did she go?"

Did her stomach ache hurt so much that she could not move? I tried searching along the path to the gym but still could not find her.

"Maybe... in a washroom?"

If she was in a washroom, there was nothing I could do. It was also possible that my worries were unnecessary. I decided to return to the classroom first so I turned back from the gym.

There was a corridor linking the gym and the school building. From there I could see tropical flowers blooming in the courtyard. Just as I shifted my gaze upwards, I suddenly discovered a figure on the school building's roof.

"What...?"

A strong breeze was blowing beautiful silver hair. The girl was quietly staring at the ground below.

Seeing her like that, I instantly felt the surge of an ominous feeling. Immediately, I sprinted.

Dashing into the school building, I rushed up the stairs and smashed myself against the door to reach the roof.

The loud crash caused the silver-haired girl, leaning against the roof railing, to look back.

"Mononobe?"

"Sure enough, it's you, Iris..."

Iris's eyes were wide open. Looking at her, I sighed. When I saw her just now, for just an instant, I thought she was going to jump, but I suppose I was worrying too much.

"Why did you come here?"

"I want to ask you the same question. It's almost class time, you know?"

"I... will skip next period."

Iris smiled wryly and sat down on the concrete. Her hand was still pressed against her stomach.

"What exactly is the matter?"

"I need time to calm down."

On closer examination, what Iris was holding was her flank. I recalled her nude body and its snow-white complexion that I saw by chance the first time we met. Speaking of which, her dragon mark happened to be near that spot—

"...Iris, do you have a stomach ache?"

"..."

"If you don't mind, could you show me where you're hurting?"

"Mononobe, you're so perverted."

Iris huddled her body and glared at me.

"Oh, no, you misunderstand me."

I was trying to find an excuse when Iris chuckled then exhaled gravely.

"—I know. Sorry for saying something malicious like this."

Iris pulled up her uniform to expose her abdomen.

My heart instantly raced like mad. My gaze getting drawn to Iris' skin was admittedly one of the reasons, but the bigger reason was surprise. The dragon mark branded on Iris' flank was shining with faint silver-white light.

"That... Starting when—"

"I only discovered it this morning, but I think it already started changing last night."

Iris spoke in monotone.

"You still haven't told anyone?"

"...I haven't."

Iris nodded with a gloomy expression.

"Why? Mitsuki said she absolutely won't abandon anyone. She'll put her life on the line to protect you!"

"That's why I didn't confess. 'White' Leviathan is one of the dragons for which there are no effective countermeasures, but if for my sake... if everyone has to fight for the sake of protecting someone like me, is it really okay...?"

Iris gazed out into the distance on the other side of the railing.

"No way—Are you planning to jump off the building to commit suicide before the situation reaches that point?"

I grabbed Iris' shoulder and pulled her back, because I feared what she might do if I did not hold her tightly.

But Iris smiled wryly and shook her head.

"I thought of that too... But I'm too scared, can't do it. I'm not a girl with that kind of mental strength."

"...Thank goodness you're a coward, Iris."

"Jeez, what do you mean by that!?"

Iris pouted.

"Even if you kill yourself now, it's possible that another D might get targeted soon enough. That wouldn't accomplish anything except postponing the problem. Unless the dragon is defeated, it doesn't solve the problem at the root."

—The most effective countermeasure is to kill the D whose dragon mark has changed in color.

Major Loki's words flashed through my mind.

It definitely could resolve a crisis momentarily. In terms of preventing the worst-case scenario, this might be the safest method. However, if this were to be repeated, all the Ds would go extinct eventually.

"Yeah... I know that too but even so, I'm still afraid."

"You don't believe in Mitsuki and the others?"

"That's not it... I'm afraid of the fact that I won't be able to kill myself. Once the final defensive line is breached, when we really are out of options... Unable to commit suicide, I'll surely become a dragon. In that event, I'll harm everyone! I don't want that... Anything but that..."

Irisi hugged me, speaking words from the heart. Precisely because she felt such a strong sense of duty towards fighting dragons, she was this scared of becoming a dragon disaster herself.

—Someone needs to act in secret.

Major Loki's voice sounded deep in my ear again.

No matter what, the world could not run normally unless someone did the dirty work. It felt very paradoxical, but it was the truth.

The people of Midgard were not stupid. Despite what she said, Mitsuki had probably prepared a last resort to use for emergencies.

If that was the case, there should not a problem with me taking on that job. At the same time, I could also restrain Major Loki, to prevent him from unnecessarily interfering.

"Don't worry, Iris, you absolutely won't turn into a dragon."

I committed my determination and hugged Iris tightly.

"Eh...?"

Indeed, now was the time to return my debt.

Iris had proven my obstinacy, telling me that even if I had to weigh my own life against it, I was still capable of choosing not to kill.

That time, because I was facing Iris, that was probably why I managed to regain self-control.

Because I was attracted to her beauty in the instant of our encounter, that was why I could regard her as just a girl instead of a D.

It made me feel that I would rather die than kill her.

Hence—

"If the situation worsens so much that we're out of options, I will do it—I will kill you, Iris."

I made my choice by my own will again.

If it was for Iris' sake, I will kill Iris.

I will put the obstinacy, which I had adhered to for the past three years, on the line.

To this date, I had avoid tainting my hands, but it was only for the sake of guarding my heart.

Iris' wish of not wanting to harm others was far more noble than mine.

And I wanted to help her achieve her wish.

"Mononobe, you...?"

"Yes, so you can relax and let Mitsuki's team protect you for now. Until the final moment arrives, I absolutely won't give up either."

I gently stroked her soft, silver hair and replied. Iris looked up with moistened eyes at me.

"Can I... believe you?"

"Leave it to me. Although I've kept quiet about it so far, I'm actually the world's strongest assassin—The candidate for that."

Hearing me say that, Iris was stunned for a moment before her lips curled lightly to smile.

"Fufu—You must be kidding!"

After that, I accompanied Iris back to the classroom and explained the situation to Mitsuki.

Then Mitsuki immediately declared a Level A alert state of emergency.

===Part 4===

On this liberating island in the south with beautiful weather, the atmosphere and scenery changed dramatically. The windows in buildings had shutters lowered to defend against shockwaves. Normally kept underground, anti-air weapon stations popped out all over the island.

The concentric defense system of Midgardsormr had entered interception mode completely. Its intimidating formation had the entire horizon covered.

In contrast, the school disappeared. The school building and the clock tower, where the most important facilities were located, were all hidden underground, sealed inside partitions made of mithril.

Entering school premises required passing through underground passages connected to the various dormitories and emergency. It was only today that I finally learned that Mitsuki's personal dorm also had an entrance to an underground passage.

"So late..."

I was sitting on the stairwell at the entrance hall, staring at the ajar door in the wall beside me, leading to the underground passage.

It was currently 2am. I would normally be asleep so my eyelids felt very heavy.

I could hear faint sounds of airplanes outside. These were probably reconnaissance planes patrolling in Midgard's surroundings.

While I was half asleep, the door leading underground opened on its own with an electronic sound.

"Welcome back, Mitsuki."

I called to my sister whose face showed exhaustion.

"...!? N-Nii-san? Please do not startle me. Have you not gone to bed?"

Staring at me, Mistuki seemed seriously surprised.

"I was waiting for you, Mitsuki. Are preparations complete to intercept Leviathan?"

After I asked, Mitsuki replied with seriousness returned to her face:

"Although it is not perfect by any stretch... Leviathan has entered its route circling the Pacific Ocean. It is expected to approach again thirty-three hours from now. Before that, we should be able to reach full readiness."

Thirty-three hours later...

I repeated it silently in mind in order to commit this information to memory. Then I asked another question:

"So... How's Iris?"

"She had been receiving body checkups and diagnoses until just now. After all, she is the first person to have her dragon mark change color in the past two years, so there is a dearth of information. Being targeted by a dragon is very terrifying, but Iris-san has been cooperating with us without panicking at all."

It was most likely because Iris had already resolved herself. If that was the case, I had better keep my promise.

"Mitsuki, what should I do?"

"Nii-san... because you only passed as a reserve member in the Basilisk drill, you will not be summoned for the Dragon Subjugation Squad. Presumably, you will be asked to stay on standby in shelter like ordinary students."

Nothing to do, in other words? In that case, perfect.

"If that's the case... Can you assign a job for me, who has nothing to do?"

"A job?"

"Yes, as Iris' bodyguard."

I made this demand which I would have found it impossible to bring up in the classroom with everyone present.

Mitsuki frowned in surprise.

"The Dragon Subjugation Squad is fighting to protect Iris-san. Your participation is not needed, Nii-san."

"That's against dragons as opponents, right? By bodyguard, I mean protecting Iris from threats other than dragons."

Hearing what I said, Mitsuki's expression instantly froze. She seemed to understand immediately.

"You are saying... that someone might target Iris-san's life?"

"At least NIFL doesn't trust Midgard. They might interfere unnecessarily."

Mituski narrowed her eyes after hearing what I said.

"Judging from your tone, Nii-san, you seem to have some kind of concrete evidence?"

"Yesterday, my commanding officer at NIFL, Major Loki, contacted me."

"What..."

Mitsuki gasped in surprise.

"The Major has apparently made up his mind to prevent an increase in dragons. Just by assigning me as Iris' bodyguard, NIFL will be reassured to some extent."

"In other words, at a critical moment, Nii-san, they will have you kill Iris-san?"

Mitsuki stared at me with eyes of determination.

"Yes, ''but that critical moment will be decided by me''. Until then, I will not allow anyone to kill Iris, no one at all."

I took on Mitsuki's gaze directly and answered her that way.

"...Your description makes yourself sound like the grim reaper, Nii-san."

"Yeah... But in a certain sense, that's precisely my ''original job''. Mitsuki, you're probably aware given your position, right? Although I was never deployed in an actual operation of that sort... The reason why Sleipnir, the team I used to be part of, was established, its real purpose was to target Ds who've been deemed as disasters, to assass—"

"Enough!"

Mitsuki cried out loudly to interrupt me.

"...Please say no more. I wish to hear none of that from your own mouth especially. Nii-san, please remain the Nii-san I know."

With tears glimmering in her eyes, Mitsuki pleaded to me.

"Mitsuki..."

"Regarding the bodyguard matter... I permit your request, because it seems to be the only way right now to keep NIFL restrained, but I have one condition."

"Condition?"

Seeing Mitsuki's gloomy eyes, I asked uneasily.

"If the situation reaches the point when Iris-san's dragonification is truly unavoidable—I shall do it then."

"What... No way! I can't let you do that kind of thing, Mitsuki!"

I yelled frantically but Mitsuki smiled wearily and shook her head.

"—It is fine, because my hands are already tainted."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Two years ago, the one who killed the fellow D who had turned into a dragon... That was me."

After saying that, Mitsuki walked past me and swiftly went up the stairs.

By the time I regained my senses from the shock and looked back, Mitsuki was already out of sight—

'—Really, you will accept this mission? That's really great help for me. And to think you've already secured the job as bodyguard to the target, you really work fast. I'm so fortunate to have such an outstanding subordinate like you. Ahhh, but you're not my subordinate anymore.'

Hahaha, Major Loki laughed superficially. Ignoring him, I continued.

"Anyway, because of that, please don't interfere anymore. I will definitely accomplish the mission."

'Very well, I understand. I will not do anything to obstruct you. Well then—I trust you, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe.'

Zzzzt, the call disconnected.

"There is no one least suited to speaking the word 'trust' than you."

Muttering sardonically to myself, I laid myself on the bed.

After the conversation with Mitsuki ended, i returned to my room to get ready for bed, but as though aiming for this opportunity, Major Loki called at this time.

Because I already decided there was a need to contact him again, this timing turned out just right, except it felt a little terrifying.

"I can't lower my guard..."

Looking up at the ceiling, I spoke.

Mitsuki's words were also occupying my mind the whole time.

Just like I had gone through great changes over the past three years, Mitsuki must have experienced a lot.

Although no matter what things had happened, no matter what sins she was shouldering, I had no intention of handing Iris over to Mitsuki.

I had said to Iris: Leave it to me.

And three years ago, I had also said to Mitsuki: Leave everything to me.

I will not break... that promise.

===Part 5===

The next day, I went to school through the underground passage from the dormitory.

That being said, given the current emergency, lessons were naturally suspended at school. Walking through quiet and deserted hallways, I took the elevator and pressed the button at the bottom.

After experiencing the long descent, I finally reached the shelter that was located even deeper than training site number three. In front of a door in the corridor ahead, I could see a blonde girl standing there.

"It seems it's true that you will be in charge of monitoring Iris-san."

The girl—Lisa—looked at me with disdain.

"I'm not monitoring her, just a bodyguard. Have you accompanied Iris all this time since yesterday?"

My question prompted Lisa to puff out her chest and nod.

"Because we are classmates. When a classmate is in need, extending a helping hand is only natural."

"I see, you are considerate for your friends after all, Lisa."

"W-What do you mean by after all!? What do you know about me anyway!?"

Lisa glared at me with her face red.

"We've spoken so many times, it's only natural I'll gain a certain level of understanding. Right now, you're staying by her side because you're worried about Iris, right?"

"...For people like us who are living outside, separated from parents, classmates are equivalent to family. How could I not worry about her?"

Lisa shifted her gaze away, murmuring her answer quietly.

"Since you care about her so much, why not treat her more gently day to day...? Iris is always hard on herself for being called a poorly performing student."

Lisa whimpered "ooh..." then shook her head forcefully as though pulling herself together before glaring at me again.

"T-Those known as older sisters often act strict towards their younger sisters! Only family members can speak their minds without reservation, right?"

Her allegation made me think inside.

Indeed, gentle treatment was not the only expression of love and care. Iris was probably able to work so hard because someone existed to point out her flaws mercilessly.

"...I guess. Perhaps it's better if you continue with what you're doing, Lisa. Now that I think about it, you're quite an excellent older sister."

"Y-You will not gain anything from flattering me!"

Perhaps out of embarrassment, Lisa was speaking in a shrill voice.

"I'm not looking to gain anything either."

I shook my head wryly.

"That better be the case. Oh, just for the record, I still have not acknowledge you as a member of the class, so familial affection does not apply to you. Please do not forget that."

"—Got it. Anyway, I'll take your place from now on. You haven't slept since yesterday, right? It's best that you rest in preparation for battle."

Hearing me, Lisa made a displeased look.

"I will do that without needing you to tell me. Frankly speaking, although you do not reassure me, you do get along with her the best. I suppose Iris-san will have an easier time staying calm with you by her side."

After saying that, Lisa left towards the elevator.

But I suddenly remembered something and called to her.

"—Lisa, do you know about the Kraken battle two years ago?"

"Of course I do. I was fighting on the frontlines then."

Lisa stopped before the elevator and answered without looking back.

"The one who defeated Kraken was... Mitsuki, right?"

"Yes, indeed. Mitsuki-san shot and killed two Krakens. Through her accomplishments from that time, she rose to her current position."

I felt that Lisa's tone of voice had become stiff.

"It sounds like you don't approve?"

"—I approved because there was no other choice back then. But emotions are a separate matter. I cannot forgive Mitsuki-san who has murdered family."

"Family...?"

"Oh dear, so your knowledge is limited. Two years ago, the one who was turned into a dragon was Student No. 4 of Brynhildr Class, Shinomiya Miyako. She was Shinomiya-sensei's younger sister."

Lisa spoke in a calm tone of voice, then entered the elevator. Without looking back, she said:

"Then I shall leave Iris-san in your hands."

The elevator doors then shut. Just as I was stunned on the spot, I heard a door open. The door behind me had opened.

"Mononobe..."

Seeing Iris dressed in a flimsy nightgown, I instantly felt my heart rate rise.

"I-Iris, you heard everything?"

"Yeah... I was waiting to thank Lisa-san, because she treated me so nicely yesterday, but I couldn't find a chance to interrupt—"

Scratching her head, Iris smiled wryly.

"You already knew about what we mentioned just now?"

"I've only heard others talk about it, because I only came to Midgard a year ago... By then, Mitsuki-chan was already the student council president."

"I see now... But let's put that aside. If you just got out of bed, get changed first. Otherwise, I won't know where to look."

The fabric of Iris' nightgown was very sheer and offered faint glimpses of her body's curves.

"...It's a bit embarrassing, but I'm okay with it if it's you, Mononobe. Don't mind it. Come in."

"You're asking me not to mind—Hey, hold on!?"

Iris grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room. The interior was bigger than I imagined. Because it was a shelter, I originally thought it would be more plain, but it felt no different from the dormitory rooms.

Inside the room was a very comfortable looking bed, a desk with a breakfast tray on it, and a large closet. There was also a door that seemed to lead to the toilet and bathroom.

There were no windows after all, but instead, there was a large monitor installed on the wall. The screen was divided into multiple screens, displaying the situation around Midgard.

"Come, Mononobe, sit down here."

Iris plopped herself on the bed and patted the spot next to her.

"...Sit there?"

"Yes."

Iris nodded with a serious expression, so I nervously sat down beside her.

Then Iris leaned herself against me and hugged my arm.

I could feel my arm surrounded by a soft sensation.

"H-Hey?"

"—Let me stay like this for a while. There will be more tests starting noon again, so let me lean against you until then..."

Hearing the words Iris squeezed out desperately, I exhaled. Although Mitsuki had mentioned earlier that Iris had cooperated calmly, she would still feel afraid and uneasy, right?

If doing this could give her a bit of strength, then I'll let her lean like this for now without making a fuss.

To prevent my imagination from getting carried away, I turned my attention to the island scenery shown on the screens.

One view seemed to be taken by a satellite from above. It showed Midgardsormr surrounding the island in four layers. Many ships could be seen outside of the first defensive line. Those were probably NIFL's battleships and carriers.

Other images showed the girls of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, patrolling the island's airspace. Firill, Ren and Ariella could be seen among them.

"Oh!"

Seeing something inappropriate, I could not help but cry out.

"You saw... Firill's panties, didn't you?"

Perhaps following my gaze to see the same view, Iris remarked quietly.

"N-No, but it's an image shown on screen, so it can't be helped. Rather, it's weird to be flying in the air while wearing a skirt, right?"

"Sure enough, guys are happy to see panties, right?"

Iris looked up at me and asked.

"What...? No way... how could that be possible!?"

"Ah, you looked away! Sure enough, you enjoy it, right?"

Iris leaned against me even more, forcing her gaze to meet mine.

"Doesn't the way you put it make me out to be a pervert!? Rather than enjoy, it's just a feeling of slightly profiting."

"Meaning that... You enjoy it a lot?"

"Urgh..."

Under her cold gaze, I could not speak for a while.

Staring at me like that for a while, Iris then asked in a barely audible voice:

"...Mononobe, will you be happy to see my panties too?"

"W-What are you saying so suddenly—"

Ignoring my panic, Iris continued with a blush:

"If you like it, Mononobe, I could show you? Because I've always wanted to... thank you."

Saying that, Iris lifted the hem of her nightgown.

My gaze was uncontrollably drawn to her.

Eh? Hey, hold on—

I gasped. My heart raced. I subconsciously gulped.

The hem was gradually lifted. I could not tear my eyes off that gradually exposed snow-white skin.

Iris' fingers trembled lightly. With her face bright red, she pulled the nightgown's hem even higher.

Her thighs, looking so soft and seductive, kept shaking my rationality. Finally, her nightgown was lifted up to near the base of the thigh.

Any further lifting and I would really see—

"Y-You don't need to thank me like that!"

Coming to my senses at the last second, I held Iris' hand down.

"Mononobe... You don't want to see mine?"

Iris was asking with a displeased look.

"It's not a matter of whether I want to see or not. What I mean is you shouldn't do something like that so lightly. Man are far dangerous creatures than you can imagine, Iris."

"...I am not doing this lightly. I had to gather a lot of courage to speak my mind."

"That's even worse. You have to treasure yourself more."

Perhaps Iris simply wanted to show me, but that would awaken even stronger desire. If I were to lose to desire, I would be sent to a tribunal meeting. But enduring on, refusing to succumb to desire was also quite painful. If following either path led to hell, then turning back would be the correct decision.

"Oooh, Mononobe, you're so malicious."

"I didn't say that because I'm malicious..."

I scratched my head, out of ideas. Right now, I was mustering all my effort to suppress my impulse. I was not confident I could withstand further stimulation.

I turned my attention back to the monitor, but things would be bad if I saw something I should not again, so I fixed my gaze on the screen that displayed the sea.

"I clearly wanted to reward you, Mononobe..."

Iris was murmuring in her lips, leaning her body against me. Through the sheer fabric, her body warmth was transmitting to me distinctly.

I looked for conversation topics to change the subject.

"I-Iris, what's that one screen that's showing the sea surface? The image seems to be moving, so it's not a fixed camera right—"

I rapidly asked Iris but her face instantly became shrouded in gloom.

"Oh... That seems to be the one monitoring Leviathan. Because the dragon can't be seen deep in the sea, it's right there—under the seawater."

I realized I had changed the subject to something bad.

"...Sorry, I made you feel worse."

"No. It's okay, because by doing this, I'll cheer up soon enough."

Smiling, Iris hugged my arm even tighter—

Just as Iris mentioned, when it was almost noon, a school nurse arrived.

Iris had changed into her school uniform. I accompanied her to the examination room but since I could not go in after all, I stood outside the door, waiting for the examination to end.

This was originally the first floor of the school building, but since it was now underground, all the windows were covered by metal shutters.

Because I had nothing to do, I generated some dark matter and practiced altering its form to pass time.

"I knew it, I'm still not used to guns weighing this light..."

I sighed and crushed the dark matter in Siegfried's form inside my hand. Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Someone was walking from the other end of the corridor. With long flowing hair, head raised, chest out, walking in a very prim and proper manner, she was—

"Mitsuki."

As soon as I called out to her, Mitsuki instantly stopped. This was our first time meeting since last night. I recalled what Lisa had said about what happened two years ago.

"Nii-san..."

"You need me for something?"

"...Yes, although I actually wish to avoid broaching this topic."

Mitsuki nodded with a gloomy expression.

"It's best to get unpleasant things over with quickly, right?"

I urged her by using a tone of levity.

"Good point... Well then, I have several questions for you, Nii-san. Did you use your full ability during the test last time?"

"Of course I did, Mitsuki. You saw during my training, right? You should know that's my limit."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki continued to ask:

"So, according to your methods... Nii-san, without using fictional armaments, can you easily crush that block of diamond?"

"...No, I think I already demonstrated in the first training session. My method is to use an anti-materiel rifle and that's the most effective means."

I knew roughly what Mitsuki wanted to ask about.

So I prepared myself and waited for her to ask.

"Well then... Three years ago, Nii-san, how did you repel Hekatonkheir? Can you no longer accomplish the same thing?"

"..."

Finally. Ever since my reunion with Mitsuki, I expected to be asked this question eventually.

That day, I challenged "Blue" Hekatonkheir in order to defend the town—

"If possible, I have no wish to dig up what happened then. I would like to keep that incident buried in my heart too. You would probably be forced into an even more awkward position if that incident came to light. Because what you did that time was so unusual, a miracle so unbelievable, Nii-san, but..."

Mitsuki continued with a leader-like expression.

"As captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, I must maintain a grasp on all currently available combat potential. If incorrectly used or managed, strong powers have the potential to hurt oneself instead. I am very afraid, unsure of what you might do next, Nii-san, so—"

"I understand... I'll answer you honestly."

Because Mitsuki looked extremely sad, I interrupted her and nodded.

"...Sorry, Nii-san."

"No need to apologize, you're just doing what you have to do as the captain. About your question just now, my answer is no. Currently, I'm unable to singlehandedly repeat what happened three years ago."

"Unable to singlehandedly... Is that so? I see now. I can probably imagine the usage condition required back then."

Mitsuki said with a somewhat enlightened expression.

"That's so fast. But even if that condition is fulfilled, I probably still can't defeat Leviathan. That's what my power is like."

Three years ago, I ultimately failed to kill Hekatonkheir. Despite the heavy price I paid, it was still beyond me.

Precisely because of that, I found Mitsuki to be an extremely dazzling sight. Because destroying a dragon was a power that I could never possess, no matter how many more heavy prices I paid, I would still be inferior to Mitsuki.

"...I understand now. You have said enough."

Mitsuki exhaled lightly and nodded. Then she gazed into my eyes.

"If I raised your hopes up... I'm sorry. But even if I can't defeat a dragon, I might be able to help in some way. Because that power needs a stable footing, it can't be used from the air or on a ship. Because of that, even if I can participate in attacking, I think it'll have to be near the final defensive line—"

"No, there is no need, Nii-san, you only need to focus on protecting Iris-san. My goal was to ask you to avoid using that power as much as you can if concealing it was your original intention."

Mitsuki's response greatly surprised me. I thought she was hoping my power could defeat Leviathan.

"If I used my power... will something bad happen?"

"Yes, if I remember correctly, three years ago, Nii-san, what you used was a firearm-like weapon. If that type of weapon were to be used carelessly, not only will it fail to defeat Leviathan... Worse comes to worst, it might end up deflecting back."

"Deflecting back?"

"...You will understand once the battle begins. Please watch the screens in the shelter carefully."

Mitsuki turned her back to me after speaking.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes, because I still have a pile of work to do."

"I see... Don't strain yourself too much."

I actually wanted to ask about the girl named Shinomiya Miyako, but I could not bear adding more to Mitsuki's mental burden, so I swallowed my words.

"This I cannot agree. If I do not strain myself now, when else? I have promised to everyone at the full-school assembly—I will put my life on the line."

Rather than a sense of mission, her expression seemed to carry resolve of a more heavier nature. After saying this, she headed down a dark corridor to leave on the other side.

Unable to say another word, I could only see her off, watching that slender back that was shouldering so much.

"Ah, so tired..."

After the tests, Iris came to my side and stretched.

"Good work. Let's go back to the shelter for dinner."

Iris naturally put her arm around mine. While trying my best not to think about her body warmth, I walked over towards the elevator.

Then at the school building's entrance hall on the first floor, we met familiar faces.

"...Oh!"

The one who exclaimed softly was Firill. Ren and Ariella were by her side too.

Ariella raised her hand and spoke to us.

"You came at the right time. Because it's break time, we were thinking of heading to the shelter."

"To the shelter? Why?"

Hearing my question, Ariella frowned.

"What's so strange about visiting a classmate to see how she's doing?"

Next to her, Ren nodded frequently to concur, her red hair swaying.

"No, it's not weird at all. Sorry, I asked a pointless question."

Lisa had said that fellow classmates were equivalent to family. Ariella and the others seem to be holding the same sentiment.

Firill then approached Iris and peered at her face.

"...You look very exhausted. Are you doing okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I"m fine. It's just that the testing dragged on for too long, I'm hungry."

Iris answered with a nervous expression. She was probably unused to being treated so gently.

"...Really? Then please take this."

Firill handed a small bag of something to Iris. Accepting it, Iris opened it and immediately showed excitement on her face.

"Wow, it's chocolate!"

"...This is the chocolate I bought overseas through the internet, not too long ago."

"Eh? Then isn't it expensive?"

Hearing Iris, Firill nodded.

"Yes, but you can have it."

"...Thank you, Firill-chan."

Iris thanked her with tears in her eyes then Ren and Ariella also presented small gifts from the side.

Ren's was candy while Ariella's seemed to be cookies.

"Umm... Is it really okay for me to have this?"

Iris accepted them in trepidation and asked them.

"Mm."

Ren kept nodding with an expression that seemed to say "of course you can."

"I feel bad that I can only do this kind of thing for you, but tomorrow, I will fight my hardest to protect you."

Ariella spoke with a serious expression.

"Ren-san, Ariella-san... Thank you."

Iris was finally moved to tears.

"...Don't cry."

Firill passed her handkerchief to Iris.

Seeing that handkerchief, Iris found it even harder to stop her tears.

After a while, Iris finally stopped crying and everyone waved and took their leave. Watching their backs as I saw them off, I said:

"They're really great classmates."

"...Yeah."
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 195.jpg|thumb]]

"Mononobe, the bathwater is ready! Let's take a bath together!"

That night, after eating dinner and the snacks from Firill and the others, Iris regained her cheerfulness and suddenly announced.

The shelter instantly fell into a brief silence, because it took me a while to understand what Iris was saying.

"...I refuse."

I exhaled greatly. Evidently, Iris had completely failed to understand what I said this morning.

"You refuse to protect me in the bathroom? I'll be afraid if I'm alone..."

"Urgh..."

Seeing her show a worried look, I felt a bit guilty, but this was a line I could not compromise.

"...I'll be in the room. Just hang in there for now."

"Aww... Fine, then let's bathe separately. Mononobe, you go first. Since we're staying in the same room, I hope you'll wash yourself very clean."

Looking slightly displeased, Iris urged me to to take a bath.

"I don't mind going first, but why me first?"

"Because if I let you go after me, you'll lick the tub I used and drink the water I washed with, right? After all, that still would make me feel... embarrassed."

"Like hell I'd do that! Are you still looking at me in that way...?"

Hearing her say that, I walked to the bathroom, feeling hurt. Taking off my uniform, I entered the bathroom naked. The tub was already filled with hot water.

I sat down on a bathing stool then poured warm water over my head. At this moment, I sensed someone's presence in the changing area's direction.

"No way..."

I had a bad feeling. Looking up, I saw a white figure behind the frosted glass.

Before I could stop her, the door slid open and Iris entered, wrapped in a towel.

"M-Mononobe! I came to help you scrub your back! It's because I still wanna repay you—"

Her slightly nervous voice was cut off mid-sentence. Seeing my completely exposed naked body, Iris had her mouth opening and closing inexplicably—

"Kyahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Covering her eyes, she screamed.

"Don't go barging in without permission then scream! You've reversed our positions!"
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 199.jpg|thumb]]

I hastily covered up my crotch with a towel while grumbling at her.

"B-But... But..."

Her face bright red, Iris peeked at me through the gaps between her fingers.

Fidgeting awkwardly, she was rubbing her snow-white thighs together, exposed under her bath towel. That was too stimulating a sight. I hastily shifted my gaze away.

"Okay, hurry and leave. I'll shower then come out straight away."

As much as I wanted to drive her out by force, the towel I brought in was not enough to wrap around my waist, making it impossible for me to stand up.

"N-No way... I can't give up because of something like this."

Clenching her dainty fist in front of her chest, Iris shook her head.

Then mustering extraordinary willpower, she circled over to my back with stiff footsteps, then froze at this moment.

"Hey... Mononobe."

"W-What?"

I answered nervously.

"Back scrubbing... How do I scrub?"

"You... You wanted to help me scrub without knowing how?"

I asked in exasperation.

"I only heard that this kind of custom exists in Japan... I don't actually know the details. Do I just pour hot water over you?"

"Pour hot water, then use a soaped towel to scrub... I think that covers it."

"Eh!? I didn't bring additional towels! M-Must I untie this one?"

Iris was just about to untie the towel wrapped around her body.

"No need to untie! Just use your hands directly if you don't have a towel—No wait, you don't need to do this at all, now that I think about it. Get out now!"

"No need to be shy, Mononobe, because I'm not forcing myself to do something I dislike."

Saying that, Iris rubbed her hands together to make the soap lather, then started washing my back.

"Woah!?"

Feeling someone else's touch on my back was more ticklish than I imagined.

"Fufu—Mononobe, you shuddered."

Initially a bit inexperienced, she gradually grew bold. Because she seemed like she was not going to give up no matter what, I decided to indulge Iris until she was satisfied.

"Monobe, your back... is so wide."

"..."

Iris' little hands, which were scrubbing my back, made me realize again the fact that she was a ''girl''.

To be honest, it did not feel unpleasant at all, but... Suppressing instincts continuously was extremely taxing for the mind. When I promised Mitsuki I was not going to engage in inappropriate interactions between genders, I never expected this kind of predicament at all.

Rather, this could be considered "inappropriate" already, right?

Although such a thought crossed my mind, I still told myself that it should still count barely within bounds.

"It's not very visible under clothing, but your muscles are quite firm. It's unexpected."

"...Well, that's because I went through training in the army."

"Is that why? ...Training must be tough, right?"

"Yeah, I almost died."

"Thank goodness you didn't die, Mononobe."

Hearing Iris' almost nonsensical response, I could not help but smile wryly.

"What are you smiling for?"

"...It's just a bit ticklish."

"Oh, then I'll wash the front next."

Perhaps deciding that the back was washed enough, Iris circled around to my front.

"Hey, that's no good! Iris, you came to scrub my back, right? In that case, I don't need you to wash the front!"

"Consider it a freebie! A freebie! Don't be shy, Mononobe."

Iris smiled at me innocently.

"I'm not being shy... W-Washing the front yourself is part of manners!"

"Manners? It's true, I definitely haven't heard anything about a custom of washing the front..."

"That's right, the back is the only part you can entrust to others. You've heard of the saying, 'letting others cover your back,' right?"

"Y-Yeah... But it feels like you're using twisted logic..."

Iris looked up at my face from below. The cleavage visible from her bath towel was shaking my sanity.

If I allowed her wash my front in these circumstances, an irreversible situation was going to develop.

I desperately persuaded Iris, finally convincing her with much difficulty.

However, there were even harsher trials awaiting me that night.

"Mononobe... Let's sleep together tonight."

Seeing Iris invite me to bed while dressed in a sexy nightgown, I felt my consciousness leave me for an instant.

"Tonight... might be my very last, so to me, this may or may not be my final remaining time... I don't want to spend it alone."

—That was such an unfair way of putting it. How could I possibly ignore her?

But even so, I desperately tried to resist.

"Can't you ask someone else? For example, if it's Lisa—"

"I prefer you, Mononobe, I don't want anyone else! This is my request of a lifetime!"

"How can you make unreasonable demands like a child...?"

"I don't care if it's an unreasonable demand! If my life is ending tomorrow, then it's too much of a waste if I don't use up my request of a lifetime now!"

I realized what Iris was trying to convey really was "a request of a lifetime" literally.

"Why... are you choosing someone like me?"

Unable to comprehend this, I asked her.

"—Because you've treated me with kindness."

"Huh?"

"Because you've treated me with the most kindness, Mononobe. You're the first person to extend a helping hand to me. If you must ask for a reason, that's pretty much all I can answer. Is this kind of reason... not enough?"

Seeing her ask me with tears in her eyes, I could not help but take a few steps back.

"No... Nothing like that—"

"Please, I beg you, Mononobe, even if it's just lending me your back for me to lean against, aren't backs for entrusting to others?"

To think she was bringing up the excuse I had used in the bathroom, I had no choice but to surrender.

"...I got it. If showing my back to you is fine, I'll stay with you, Iris, until you fall asleep."

I prepared myself, climbed onto the bed and lay down with my back facing her.

"Thank you... Mononobe."

Iris leaned herself against me and whispered in my ear. The softness and warmth I was feeling against my back was making my consciousness boil.

Surrounded by sweet fragrance, my rationality was almost flying away. Despite the fact that we were both clearly clothed, it felt even more dangerous than in the bathroom.

"So this is your scent, Mononobe... I knew it, the real thing is better..."

Iris pressed her face against my clothing, murmuring to herself.

"...Real thing?"

"Eh? N-Nothing, d-don't mind me."

Behind me, Iris was especially flustered.

"Speaking of which, the shirt I lent you the first time we met... What happened to it?"

"Frightened!?"

"...I've never heard anyone yell 'frightened' as an exclamation before."

I smiled wryly as I spoke.

"N-No! I didn't take the shirt to sniff it, to hug against my bosom, or use it as sleepwear!"

Iris argued in quick succession to defend herself.

"...I never knew you were that perverted."

"I said I didn't do it! If you must have it back, I'll return it next time. I'll even give you special permission to sniff and lick it out of my sight."

"Like hell anyone's gonna do that! Besides, that was mine to begin with. I don't have any weird fetish of getting aroused from my own clothing that someone else had worn! Returning the shirt is only going to cause me a headache. You can have it as a gift!"

Although it was no big deal, I had no desire of wearing something that I had no idea what had been done to it.

"...Thank you! Sure enough, you're so kind, Mononobe."

"Uh, if you say I'm kind for something like this, you'll only give me a headache..."

Because what I said totally did not stem from kindness, I had no idea how to react.

"No, Mononobe... You're very kind... Extremely kind."

Saying that, Iris leaned even tighter against me. Two soft sensations could be felt pressing against my back more strongly.

"I-Iris, it's touching me! It's touching!"

Although accusing her like this did not feel proper, at this rate, my rationality really was going to reach a limit, which was why I yelled at her.

"Yeah... I know"

But Iris remained unfazed. Quietly, she spoke:

"Mononobe, there are three ways to prevent a D from turning into a dragon. The first is to defeat the dragon. The second is death. And the third is... to stop being a D."

"That's—"

I recalled the conditions Mitsuki had mentioned about Ds losing their power. Instantly, my heart rate jumped.

"That's right... Reaching twenty years old or so, or getting pregnant, that's how we become ordinary people, so—"

Iris whispered softly in my ear.

"S-So...?"

"..."

I asked her but Iris did not answer.

She simply pressed her fiery hot body tightly against me.

The sound of heartbeats seemed to be pulsating next to my ear. My mind went blank.

In this quiet room, all we could hear was each other's breathing.

Unable to say anything or do anything, I could only let time pass like this.

My sanity was getting worn away bit by bit.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir v01 207.jpg|thumb]]

But just as I was about to reach my limit, Iris laughed from behind.

"Sorry—Saying it that way was a bit underhanded just now."

"Huh?"

"...Actually, even if Ds get pregnant, their power weakens gradually rather than losing it all at once. It takes roughly three months for a D to lose her power completely, so it's too late once you're targeted by a dragon."

"Don't say such things that'll make others misunderstand..."

I almost lost control because of that.

"Fufu, Mononobe... Your heart was beating so fast just now, because I had my ear against your back, I heard it clearly."

"...I heard your heartbeat too, Iris."

"Ehhh! No way!?"

Iris began to panic behind me.

"If you're leaning so close, of course I'll hear you. Also, if you're going to play pranks like earlier, I'm going to sleep on the floor or outside."

"Oh... S-Sorry! Mononobe, please don't go!"

Iris grabbed me desperately.

"H-Hey!"

"I'm not going to play a prank... I just wanna say... If you really want to do that, Mononobe... But halfway through, I felt afraid again."

"Oh come on... Maybe you're trying to repay me again, but that's going way too far. If an accident happened, you might lose the power to fight dragons, you know?"

Iris felt a strong sense of duty towards the matter of fighting dragons. She trained desperately to hone her power for the test. I did not want her to give up on that power so easily.

"But... If I die tomorrow, it doesn't matter..."

"Rather than thinking about the case of dying, it's more constructive if you think about the case of surviving."

"That doesn't sound like something coming from the one who promised to kill me, you know...?"

Iris spoke in a tone of disagreement.

"Yeah, on the one-in-ten-thousand chance of that happening, I will kill you before you turn into a dragon. But you've got to try thinking about the rest of the ten thousand, right?"

"The rest of the ten thousand?"

Iris did not seem to understand, so I continued:

"Suppose the total is ten thousand, after taking out that one chance, there are nine thousand nine hundred and ninety remaining, in other words, that many futures where I won't have to kill you, Iris."

"You're just playing word games."

Iris disagreed quietly.

"Really? I think that's how high the chances are. Mitsuki, with her accomplishment of having defeated dragons, is also standing on our side. You should put a bit of faith in my little sister at least."

I said cheerfully without looking back. Although half of what I said was bluffing, the remainder was serious.

I could feel Iris' arm relaxing, followed by a tiny laugh.

"Fufu—How unbelievable. After hearing that from you... Mononobe, I'm beginning to feel that perhaps you might be right."

"In that case, sleep earlier tonight. This is for the sake of tomorrow—and beyond."

I felt her nod in agreement.

"...Yeah, goodnight, Mononobe."

"Okay, goodnight—Iris."

Soon after I responded, I could hear the breathing from her sleeping soundly. Perhaps she had been unable to sleep the previous night.

Because Iris was still clinging to me tightly, I could not even get out of bed quietly.

Despite acting cool earlier, I was still bothered by the warmth and suppleness of Iris' body. It was impossible to sleep at all.

Fighting a protracted war of resistance from then on, I only fell asleep just as dawn approached.

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| Back to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_2|Chapter 2]]
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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_4|Chapter 4]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T01:28:30Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 6 */

==Chapter 2 - Witch of Silver Explosions==

===Part 1===

Seeing the white room, I was reminded of my first encounter with ''him''.

Yes, it was three years ago.

After I surrendered myself as a D, I was injected with some kind of drug and fell unconscious. By the time I woke up, I was in a cramped room.

The ceiling, floor and walls were all pure white. Standing in front of me was a young man in military uniform.

—Who is he? Someone I know? Or someone I just met?

I had no idea no matter how hard I thought. With one exception, everything seemed so fuzzy and unclear.

Staring at me, the man then spoke:

"...Although the cause is unknown, you happen to be broken just right. That plus your rare talent makes me like you very much."

The man's voice was very loud, strong and forceful as though he did not permit anyone to miss his words.

"How about it? Do you want to work under me? It's very meaningful work. You'll be able to save hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of people. You are definitely very suited to the job."

I was unable to answer despite being asked a question.

Because I was gagged. My arms and legs were tied up too.

Looking at me, the man smiled and extended his hand towards me. I thought he was going to take out the object stuffed in my mouth—But the man ended up grabbing me by the hair.

Forcing my head down with a push, he compelled me to nod.

"Really? So you agree? Thank you. From today onwards, you are my subordinate."

The man smiled while he spoke.

An indescribable chill instantly ran along my spine. This was not a conversation, it was merely a formality.

Only then did I finally realize that my fate had already been decided.

Coming from this man's mouth was my future, my destiny ahead.

"You'll definitely achieve it. You'll definitely become a killer who can save thousands, billions—"

===Part 2===

"Eh, where is this place?"

"Sigh... You finally woke up. It's already after school. This is the infirmary, Iris. I brought you here after you fainted."

Iris blinked and stared at the white ceiling while I explained to her.

After the explosion from the failed transmutation of mithril, Shinomiya-sensei instantly contacted the administration. A woman calling herself the school nurse soon arrived.

Although the nurse said Iris was fine without significant injury, she was still sent to rest in the infirmary just to be on the safe side. I stayed behind voluntarily to look after her.

Later on, that nurse had to go out to attend to certain matters, thus leaving Iris and me alone at the moment.

"Mononobe...? Ahhh... I messed up again, right?"

She seemed to be linking up her memories. With a gloomy expression, Iris murmured.

"Yeah, the explosion blew you away completely. A big failure that couldn't be more simple and obvious."

"You're so blunt... Shouldn't you encourage and console me at a time like this?"

Iris said with a wry smile.

"Half-assed encouragement to give you baseless hope would only make you repeat the same failure—or it could even make things worse. People who can't confront their failures tend to die early—That's what I learned at NIFL."

"Confront failures..."

"Yeah, Iris, besides, you were probably thinking you'd succeed as long as you tried hard, right?"

"H-How did you know!?"

Iris made a look surprise.

"I could tell from the way you looked before the training."

"A-Am I a big failure?"

"Yeah, you were a big failure today, Iris."

I nodded in agreement. Iris slumped her shoulders and asked again in a small voice:

"An idiot, airheaded and useless?"

"Currently speaking, perhaps there's no way you can deny these kinds of criticisms."

"Really...? Then I guess it's impossible for me to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad..."

Iris sighed heavily.

"You want to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad, Iris? But that's the most dangerous job, putting yourself on the frontlines, you know?"

"Yes... Because that's my reason for coming to Midgard."

Iris nodded to confirm then spoke as though looking out into the distance:

"I... until a year ago, I've always lived an ordinary life in the outside world. But when I was on a ship with my family, the white dragon—'White' Leviathan—happened to pass nearby... Causing our ship to sink."

"A dragon disaster huh..."

I muttered angrily. Disasters caused simply from the movement of dragons were called dragon disasters. Three years ago, Mitsuki and I had similarly encountered a dragon disaster caused by "Blue" Hekatonkheir.

"That's right... Because of the dragon disaster, everyone died. My powers awakened for the first time then... I was the sole survivor."

The smile surfaced on Iris' face did not carry her usual cheerfulness. Instead, it contained an element of self-deprecation.

"Because no one saw me use my powers at the time, I could have kept quiet and continued living outside... But I admitted my identity as a D on my own."

"...You intend to take revenge against the dragons?"

"How should I say this...? Actually, I don't have any negative obsession like hatred in my heart... But I think I must step forward to fight. It's for this reason that I survived."

Looking at me, Iris' eyes shone with strong determination.

Seeing those unwavering eyes, I could not help but gasp. Back in the past when Mitsuki declared she would protect the town, she had shown the same eyes too.

"...That means you still don't intend to give up, right?"

"Huh?"

"Although you just said that joining the Dragon Subjugation Squad is impossible, you don't intend to give up on the test, right?"

"T-That goes without saying! Even though I might still fail... I will try my hardest!"

Hearing the expected answer, I smiled.

"Like I said, just working hard isn't enough. You've got to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

"Urgh... I understand this logic, but even if I understand, I still can't do it..."

Seeing Iris disheartened, I made a decision in my heart.

"Iris, how many training sessions are there before the test?"

"Uh, I think there won't be any more chances to use training site number three... We'll just have basic training in smaller spaces from now on."

"Hmm... That's not good. We're out of options if there's no time to practice. Is self-directed practice after school allowed here?"

"Using training sites requires authorization and someone to supervise."

"Oh okay, anyway, I'll discuss with Mitsuki first. If authorization is granted, let's start training together after school starting tomorrow."

"Eh... Training together?"

Iris' mouth gaped wide in surprise.

"Yeah, today's training was forcibly interrupted. I'm a total novice in the area of fighting dragons, so I have to learn Midgard's combat methods as quickly as possible."

"Mononobe..."

Tears welled up in Iris' eyes.

"H-Hey! Why are you crying?"

"I-I dunno..."

Seeing her tears flowing nonstop, I hurried to comfort her.

But Iris simply would not stop crying for a long time...

===Part 3===

"Training after school... Is that so?"

Due to accompanying Iris the whole time until her emotions stabilized, I returned late. As soon as I got back to the dormitory, I went directly to the dining hall to pitch the afterschool training idea to Mitsuki.

It was just after 7pm. Arranged on the dining table were dishes prepared by the housework robots, but they looked untouched. Mitsuki had probably been waiting all along for my return.

"Yeah, I heard that we could practice as long as we obtained authorization."

"Indeed, such a rule exists... In any case, we should start the meal first and you can tell me about it. The food is getting cold."

Mitsuki pointed at the dinner laid out on the table.

"You're right. Sorry for making you wait. Let's begin."

"Yes, bon appetit."

Mitsuki clapped her hands together then picked up her chopsticks. While picking up food with chopsticks, I continued to converse.

"We need time to train. Iris' state is obvious from today while I don't know anything because I just transferred. At this rate, it doesn't take a genius to predict next week's test results. We won't pass."

"That is true indeed..."

For some reason, Mitsuki was reacting a bit sluggishly. Sticking her chopsticks in the roasted saury, she was half-heartedly engaged in the conversation.

Tonight's cuisine was pure Japanese style. The table was laden with my favorite dishes. If anything, Mitsuki's preference lay in western food, so she must have prepared this for me.

"So I guess we have to discuss directly with Shinomiya-sensei?"

"No, my position is sufficient to grant authorization. No need to trouble Shinomiya-sensei, but... Nii-san, why are you trying so proactively to help Iris-san?"

Mitsuki asked in a slightly sulking tone of voice.

"Do I look like I'm favoring Iris that much?"

"Yes, quite."

Mitsuki gazed at me with narrowed eyes. Her response came with no hesitation at all.

"If that's the case... I guess it's because Iris has been trying as hard as she can."

"Trying as hard as she can?"

"Yeah, someone who tries as hard as they can... It somehow feels impossible to ignore people like that."

Just like Mitsuki three years ago—

I added these words silently in my mind while smiling at Mitsuki.

"Hmm... N-Nii-san, you are too nice, but... It is commendable that you are not doing this for ulterior motives. No helping it, then I shall take on the role of supervisor—"

In the middle of Mitsuki's sentence, an alarm suddenly sounded in the surroundings.

"W-What?"

I looked out the dining hall window in surprise, only to see the academy clock tower at the island's center, flashing a red warning light.

'Emergency warning, emergency warning—Level E alert, Type Yellow. I repeat, Level E alert, Type Yellow!'

The urgent voice was coming from speakers inside the dormitory but Mitsuki did not get up from her seat. Instead, she continued her meal gracefully.

"Mitsuki, is it time to be eating leisurely now? There's an alert!"

"Yes, but the alert mentioned Type Yellow, which ought to be 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr approaching this island."

"What are you talking about!?"

"But seeing as it is Level E, that means Hraesvelgr simply brushed past the warning zone, that is all. Since Hraesvelgr flies at high-speed in the stratosphere, this type of approach happens roughly once or twice a month. Relax, it will end very soon."

No sooner had Mitsuki finished than the alert sound stopped. The red warning light also shut off.

'Target has left the warning zone. All units, please return to regular stations.'

This time, the announcer's voice was calm. I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to eat at the dining table.

"Gave me quite a fright... I thought a dragon was going to attack. It's because I heard during the daytime that dragons target this place."

"Dragons start their advance after the dragon mark of one of the Ds changes color. Currently, I have yet to receive reports of that sort."

After finishing this sentence, Mitsuki drank her miso soup and ended the meal.

I hastily shoved the rest of the food into my mouth.

"—What a wonderful meal."

"Fanksh fo' da food..."

With food in my mouth, I mumbled a response to Mitsuki.

"This is very impolite, Nii-san. Neglecting etiquette will worsen others' impressions of you, so please pay attention. Come, do over."

"—Thanks for the food."

"Pass. So, Nii-san, I shall make a trip to the school. Although nothing happened, there are aftermath matters to handle. I will take this opportunity to complete the procedure for training site usage."

"Thank you, Mitsuki!"

I stood up to thank her.

"This is not something worth thanking me for. As the student council president, it is only natural to assist students who are striving to improve."

"Even if that's the case, I'm still grateful to you."

I thanked again. Mitsuki avoided eye contact.

"I-I was interrupted just now. I am supervising to prevent you from engaging in any behavior with Iris-san that goes against public morals, Nii-san. I will watch you two carefully."

"What are you talking about? We're just training."

"Who knows if that is really the case... From what I saw, today's warm-up exercises were very suspicious already."

Mitsuki glared coldly at me.

"Ugh... Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't let that kind of thing happen again."

"Please, Nii-san. Since this is a fundamental matter but too delicate for me to bring up in front of other girls... Do know that inappropriate interaction between genders is strictly forbidden! Rather than a matter of public morals, it stems from more serious losses."

"Losses?"

"You know this, right? We Ds lose the power to create dark matter once we reach twenty years old or so—or become pregnant."

Mitsuki spoke, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"I've heard that kind of rumor before... Then it's true?"

I was surprised. Essentially, only Midgard held correct information regarding Ds. Many of the rumors circulating in the world were completely fabricated. I originally thought the pregnancy rumor was one of them.

"What...? So that is your level of knowledge? How fortunate that I decided to remind you beforehand as a precaution... If you were to take away someone's powers, Nii-san, you would probably be handed over to a tribunal meeting and sentenced to harsh punishment. Please, you must... you must pay attention."

Mitsuki glared at me harshly from extremely up close, warning me again and again.

Confronted with such pressure, I had not choice but to nod in response.

===Part 4===

Second day of my school life...

Because I was woken up by Mitsuki at 7am yesterday, I set my alarm clock for 6:30am today. Roused from bed by the noisy alarm, I washed my face and changed into uniform, then made my way to the dining hall.

"Good morning, Nii-san."

Greeting me, Mitsuki was sitting in the same seat as last night.

"Good morning..."

This feeling of family members greeting each other good morning felt quite unbelievable.

Rather than nostalgic, it felt quite new instead. That was the extent that my memories had been eroded.

After finishing the simple breakfast of only toast and salad, I picked up my school bag and exited the dormitory. Inside the bag were the portable terminal and gym clothing issued to me by the school. All the materials required for class were stored in the portable terminal, eliminating the need for textbooks.

The two of us walked on the road along the shore.

Like the first day, as soon as we went left the house, Mitsuki virtually stopped talking, hence we were essentially silent the whole time.

But incredibly, there was no feeling of awkwardness.

Looking out at sea, I could see cumulonimbus clouds rising from the horizon.

It was currently sunny but there might be showers later today.

The road took us away from the shore and as we gradually neared the center of the island, girls from other dorms began joining us on their way to school. Although hair colors and complexions varied widely, the majority of students were Asian girls.

It was said that the occurrence of Ds tended to increase the closer a location was to places where Vritra had passed through. Hence, Japan, where Vritra had first appeared, was where the greatest number of Ds had been born. It was also for this reason that Japanese was used as the lingua franca at Midgard.

"Good morning, Mitsuki-sama!"

"You're beautiful as usual today, Mitsuki-sama!"

"Your speech yesterday was so touching, Mitsuki-sama!"

Many students were greeting Mitsuki with excitement in their eyes.

"Good morning, everyone."

Mitsuki responded to them with a smile. Although I had already sensed it yesterday, Mitsuki really was quite a popular student council president.

The girls kept stealing glances at me while I walked with Mitsuki, but they hesitated and dared not talk to me. I guess it was difficult for them to relax and approach because of my male gender, but—

"Good morning to you too, Y-Yuu-sama!"

After greeting Mitsuki, one of the girls also spoke to me. It was a glasses-wearing girl who looked serious in personality.

"Oh, good morning."

Hearing my slightly nervous answer, the girl instantly fled with her face red. As soon as she met up with her friends in the distance, I could hear cries of joy along the lines of: "Kyah! I said it! I said it out loud!" "Well done, Mayumi!" "How does it feel up close!?"

Although it felt like being treated as an exotic animal, I did not feel particularly displeased.

"Nii-san, you are making a lewd expression. You wouldn't have forgotten my advice last night, have you?"

Mitsuki quietly reminded me as though reading my mind.

"I-I remember, it's just that I felt a bit happy that someone greeted me for the first time."

Inappropriate interactions between genders were forbidden. I knew that very well. But having lived in a world far from girls for so long, I simply got a little carried away from someone speaking to me. This was understandable, right?

The school's entrance resembled an automatic ticketing turnstile. I placed my student ID on the panel sensor and entered.

"Can I ask a question, Mitsuki?"

I asked her while we made our way to the classroom.

"Please go ahead, Nii-san. I can answer anything as long as it is not inane or top secret."

"...Just checking something about school life. You mentioned when you handed this student ID to me that it can be used for shopping. What's the limit?"

"Naturally, it depends on the funds in your own bank account. One difference between Midgard and most schools is that students receive a salary. Apart from minimum living expenses, students are rewarded according to their accomplishments when taking on matter creation requests or NIFL missions. All of this is deposited into personal bank accounts."

Mitsuki took out her own student ID to show me while explaining fluently.

"Learning how to transmute rare metals and energy resources is a shortcut to making money, because requests of that sort are always more numerous than can be handled. But in your case, Nii-san, I doubt there is any urgency for you to earn money that desperately. Your bank account balance can be viewed from your portable terminal. Please have a look, Nii-san."

"Oh, I'll check it out."

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and tried to check my account information.

However, the figure shown there was far bigger than I imagined.

"Eh... Is there a mistake in the number of zeroes?"

I could not help but ask Mitsuki.

"No, the figure is correct. It includes your living expenses for this month as well as your wages from the three years working at NIFL. In consideration of the hardship you went through, Nii-san, it is actually on the low side."

Mitsuki clenched her fist as though squeezing out these words took much difficulty.

Judging from the side of her face, she seemed to be desperately enduring something.

How much did Mitsuki know exactly about my three years there?

As much as I felt concerned by this question, I was unable to ask her.

Because I was afraid of the answer.

Like that, we walked in silence and reached Brynhildr Class. I was greeted by a gaze completely unlike those along the way to school.

Because the blonde girl—Lisa—suddenly glared at me.

"G-Good morning."

I tried to greet her but she went "hmph" and turned her head away.

"...Good morning."

"Hmph."

I tried again but she turned her head even farther.

"Good morning."

The third try.

"Hm—Guh..."

Lisa tried to turn her head away for the third time but suddenly choked. She had apparently forgotten that there was a limit to her neck's rotation angle.

"A-Are you trying to kill me!?"

Lisa held her neck and complained.

"No, I just wanted to greet you."

"So irritating! You ought to show consideration for my neck! No matter how many times you repeat this, I shan't greet you!"

"Why?"

Hearing my question, Lisa glared harshly at me.

"Because I still have not approved the matter of your staying at Midgard."

"...I see, then there's nothing I can do about that. Thanks."

Hearing my word of thanks, Lisa looked surprised.

"Why are you thanking me?"

'Huh? Because even though you didn't greet me, you still answered my question."

"What...? H-How dare you mock me!?"

Lisa gnashed her teeth in chagrin.

"No, it's not as extreme as mocking, right..."

"I absolutely refuse to forgive you! Remember that, Mononobe Yuu! Hmph!"

Lisa extended her finger, pointing at me, then turned her head away again.

Continuing the conversation seemed difficult, so I went over to my seat. I will try my hardest. One day, she will approve of me.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag to get ready for class. At this moment, the classroom's door opened lightly and Iris poked her head in, looking extra apprehensive than usual.

Shifting her gaze, Iris seemed to be looking for someone. When she made eye contact with me she instantly made a panicking look.

"Oh! Mononobe, g-good morning!"

For some reason, Iris' voice sounded very frantic as she greeted me. What was with her apprehensive look just now? Then I saw her coming over to me in a panic.

Perhaps she was concerned about crying yesterday but I was not so tactless as to confirm that with her.

I decided to ignore the unnecessary and responded to her greeting as though nothing had happened.

"Good morning, Iris. I've obtained authorization so we can start our special training today."

Hearing me say that, Iris blushed and nodded.

"Great! We'll do our best, Mononobe!"

Classes in the morning were no different from an ordinary school's.

Mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry taught at the level of first year high school. These were core subjects because some of the knowledge could be applied towards matter creation.

The afternoon consisted of Shinomiya-sensei teaching about subjects related to Ds, but instead of practicals, it was carried out in lecture format.

"—To accommodate our new student, we will review during the lesson. Let us begin from the theory of transmutation techniques, Firill Crest. What type of transmutation has the widest range of applications?"

Called upon, Firill stood up and replied.

"...Air. By adjusting directionality and compression ratio, air can be used for defense and movement in addition to attack."

"Excellent. The transmutation of air is accompanied by the generation of wind. With appropriate adjustments, one could even fly in the sky. For those in the vanguard, this method of flying is virtually a required method of movement—"

The teacher was talking about systematized dark matter transmutation techniques and ways to use our powers in hypothetical battles against dragons. This knowledge felt very refreshing and new to me.

"—Furthermore, there are many substances that can only be created through the transmutation of dark matter, of which mithril and antimatter are particularly useful in battle. Mithril is theoretically the hardest alloy while antimatter can be used to destroy any type of matter in an annihilation reaction. Very well, Ariella Lu, between these two substances, ultimate offense and the ultimate defense, which is stronger?"

Called upon, Ariella answered concisely:

"Antimatter."

"Indeed. This type of situation is where offense is stronger because if antimatter is used to attack, even mithril cannot withstand it. However, there is currently only one person in the Dragon Subjugation Squad who is capable of transmuting antimatter—"

In consideration of my circumstances, Shinomiya-sensei was reviewing the basics while conducting her lesson to let me understand simple key points.

Using the creation of air to fly. Powerful long range attacks.

These two were apparently the most highly prized abilities in anti-dragon combat.

In other words, next week's test involved assessing one of them: testing students' skill in long range attacks. Because the target was diamond, simply hitting it was not enough. At the same time, attacks needed firepower that would not weaken after being shot from afar.

As relief measures, the auxiliary test also involved a high-difficulty skill. If it was just making a shield, ordinary transmutation was enough, but it was a totally different matter to manifest it at a distance of 50m.

Parameters were too different from combat against humans.

By this point, I finally became painfully aware that this was training for the sake of defeating ''dragons''.

Next, after school, accompanied by Mitsuki, I went to the training site with totally tensed nerves.

Despite it being practice, Iris seemed to be nervous again.

Perhaps other homerooms had been training, a block of diamond was still located 100m out front.

"You are allowed to use this training site from 5 to 6:30pm. I have obtained authorization for today, the day after tomorrow, as well as the day before the test. A total of three days. The other days were either booked or did not fit in my schedule. For that, I am deeply apologetic."

Mitsuki bowed her head to apologize to us.

"Ehhhh!? Three days is enough for practice! Sorry, Mitsuki-chan, you're accompanying us even though you're so busy. I'm so grateful to you!"

Iris held Mitsuki's hands and thanked her with a radiant smile.

"—No, responding to the requests of students is part of the student council president's responsibilities."

Mitsuki struggled free uncomfortably and separated from Iris.

"Even so, I still thank you!"

"No need for thanks. Hurry and begin to train. Time is limited, yes?"

"R-Right! So... Then you start first, Mononobe. You didn't get to take part in the training yesterday because you were taking me to the infirmary."

"—Got it."

I nodded and stood at the marked position. Anyway, I tried using my ''past methods'' to see how far they could go, then decide on the next step based on that.

First was the construction of a barrier. As a newcomer and novice, accepting the auxiliary test would be the more appropriate choice.

Standing at the prescribed location, I created a baseball's volume of dark matter.

This black mass was not any kind of matter or phenomenon yet. According to physical definitions, it did not even count as existing.

Nevertheless, it was definitely on my palm.

Only Ds were capable of sensing their existence.

But not ordinary humans. Hence, scholars proposed a hypothesis.

Namely, the dark matter conjecture.

For example, humans were able to photograph an object from different angles using a camera. They were able to capture a three dimensional object into an arbitrary two dimensional planar photograph.

Similarly, this black substance could be transmuted into any arbitrary substance from the three dimensional world.

Hence, it was believed that this could be a higher dimensional substance—ergo, it was named dark matter.

Supposing dark matter was a fourth dimensional substance, then defining its existence would require four axes.

What would the fourth axis be? It was still currently unknown, but the most convincing suggestion was that it was something closely related to the mind.

Because dark matter's form would change according to the creator's will.

Despite having no mass, the dark matter on my hand produced a sensation.

Probably, Ds used their minds to sense dark matter.

Hence, just by adding force of willpower to the body's movements, a throw towards a location 50m away was possible!

"Y-You threw it!?"

Iris exclaimed in surprise but I ignored her. My gaze followed the black sphere closely.

I did not have the ability to generate dark matter suddenly at the far distance of 50m. Hence, I threw it then judged the distance visually. This was the best method I could currently think of.

...Slight deviation to the right.

When the sphere arrived above the marker, I transmuted the dark matter.

Voicing silently in my mind, I imposed limits on the possibilities of the dark matter that could turn into anything.

The image formed in my mind was a shield of iron. Acquiring mass, the dark matter fell almost vertically with a clang, planted on the ground.

If it were still dark matter, it would not make any sound, vanishing as soon as it touched mass. Hence, the sound of impact was evidence of transmutation.

Although it had fallen to the right of the marker, standing upright there was exactly the shield I had imagined.

However, it was only two meters in length, which was fine when fighting humans, but somewhat worrying against dragons.

Also, it was lacking in thickness. Rather than a shield of iron, it would be more apt to call it a plate of iron.

"..."

Mitsuki silently went to verify my shield. Because it was some distance away, I had nothing to do for the moment, so I turned to face Iris.

"Mononobe, that was way too..."

Iris was looking at me in exasperation.

"No good, I guess?"

"Yeah... Hmm, I think you'll get it after Mitsuki-chan explains."

Iris sighed. At this moment, Mitsuki returned with rapid footsteps.

"Nii-san."

Mitsuki stared coldly at me.

"Man... Don't make such a scary look. I did manage to make a shield."

"Yes, indeed it is a shield of iron, however—It is not only too small but also too thin. Something like that cannot be used as a shield. Added to that is the fact that throwing dark matter is a completely pointless move. It wastes too much time before transmutation completes and there was also a deviation from the target location."

"In other words, failure?"

"Indeed."

Mitsuki nodded clearly.

I guess using my usual method really did not work. Just as Mitsuki said earlier, my methods were apparently considered unorthodox in Midgard.

"Kyah! Mononobe failed too! We're comrades!"

"Don't get so happy over there!"

I retorted back at Iris who was overjoyed to find someone else in the same boat as her.

"Then next, Nii-san, please attempt to destroy the diamond, even though I have a bad feeling about this."

At Mitsuki's behest, I stood at the spot for aiming at the diamond. This time, the distance was 100m.

If attacking a target at long range, I could not think of anything apart from guns.

Anti-materiel armament—AT Ishtar.

I let the blueprint in my mind flow into the extracted dark matter, turning it into a long ranged anti-materiel weapon.

What appeared in my hand was an anti-materiel rifle similar in appearance to the Nergal.

The gun's body was longer than Nergal's. The grip was not meant to be held in one hand and the gun had to be held with the stock against the shoulder.

Although its design differed from ordinary firearms, its mass production model was also used by NIFL.

While the rifle's heavy mass weighed on my arms, my entire body instantly felt enveloped in a light sense of fatigue.

A D's ability was not an endless power.

Extracting dark matter required concentration and transmutation caused strain to the mind. Repeated use would cause extreme stress to accumulate in both the body and the mind.

"Sigh..."

I heard Mitsuki's heavy sigh from beside me.

It looked like this method was unorthodox too.

Although I felt the result was already decided, I still took a prone posture on the ground and aimed at the target. Ishtar's effective range easily exceeded a kilometer. Sniping a block of diamond 100m away was a piece of cake.

I pulled the trigger to snipe the diamond.

The gunshot echoed throughout the training site while a small amount of diamond fragments flew apart.

"How's that? It caused a bit of damage—"

I looked up at Mitsuki and inquired, but seeing her expression that read "utterly hopeless," I could not bring myself to finish my sentence.

"So wrong it is absurd, Nii-san. Lack of firepower is admittedly an issue, but if weapons were going to be used, there would be no need to deploy Ds in the first place. Just leave things to soldiers equipped with existing weapons. What we are hoping for are more practical and destructive ways of attack."

"Even if you say that... I can't think of any other ways. I can only make a shield of that size. Mitsuki, you should know the amount of dark matter I can generate each time, right?"

Although I was answering Mitsuki, Iris was the one who reacted.

"Really? How much can you generate each time, Mononobe?"

"In the case of transmutation, roughly ten kilograms after conversion. That's my limit."

"T-Ten kilograms!? Are you using the wrong unit!? Ignoring issues of control, every D without exception can make at least ten tons, you know?"

"Kilogram is the right unit. Do you wanna have a look at my dragon mark? The size of a dragon mark will change according to the ability to generate dark matter. After seeing it, you'll understand the gap between us."

With self-deprecation, I showed her the back of my left hand.

"Eh? Where is it?"

"Here... This is it."

"No way—This tiny pattern? Liar... Is yours that tiny, Mononobe? So tiny... Too tiny!"

"Stop calling me tiny! It's very hurtful!"

Her words stabbed into my heart. I cried out while enduring the mental trauma.

"I like Nii-san's dragon mark. It is like a little snake, very cute."

"Uh... Your defense actually makes me feel worse."

Mitsuki's comment made me hang my head in dejection. Iris left me on the side and walked over to the auxiliary test position.

"Iris-san, are you intending to use mithril to create a shield again?"

"Eh, that is my intention..."

Upon hearing Iris' answer, Mitsuki made a strict look. I thought she was going to tell Iris to stop, but after some consideration, Mitsuki said:

"Indeed, it would not be training if there is a fear of failure... But considering the possibility of explosions, please lower the transmutation amount as much as possible."

"O-Okay. I get it."

Hearing Mitsuki's serious suggestion, Iris nodded in agreement then manifested her staff of dark matter.

"Caduceus!"

Aiming the staff at the target, she chanted words like an incantation.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

Multiple pieces of dark matter appeared near the target marker. As before, her precision was the only thing correct.

"O holy silver, transform!"

BOOM!

Just like last time, an explosion happened in the middle of transmutation.

I knew it...

Because the result was as expected, Mitsuki and I were not surprised. Due to the smaller amounts, the air current from the explosion only managed to blow strands of hair.

"A-Ahaha... Umm, Mitsuki-chan... Can I try the attacking test too?"

Iris smiled dryly and asked Mitsuki.

"No problem... But do not perform excessively dangerous transmutations, okay?"

"Okay, no problem! Because what I'm transmuting is the safest substance, air."

Iris forced a smile and replied then moved to the marked location.

Will she be okay?

Attacking a block of diamond should be harder than making a shield.

I watched over Iris in worry.

Iris faced the diamond, raised her staff and chanted an incantation. This time, dark matter appeared in front of her staff.

She intended to accelerate the mass transmuted from dark matter to smash into the diamond, right? It would not count as an attack unless the impact was raised in such a painstaking manner.

Staring at the target, Iris called out in a shrill voice:

"O bullet of wind, crush it!"

Powerful wind began to blow in Iris' surroundings. The blowing dust made the wind's currents vaguely visible. Iris looked like she intended to fire a projectile of a massive amount of compressed air.

Diamond was surprisingly fragile against pure shock, hence this was not a bad choice. Depending on the air's compression ratio and speed, perhaps it could produce an impact capable of breaking diamond.

But things would be bad if this move failed...

Although she was using harmless air, in order to create a projectile of compressed air, she had transmuted quite a large amount, if she were to accidentally lose control—

BOOM!!

"Kyawa!?"

The foreboding feeling came true. The compressed air exploded, blowing Iris into the air.

"Iris!"

Prepared in advance, I instantly dashed towards where she was going to fall.

Arriving calmly this time, I caught the falling Iris.

"Seriously... You're always getting blown away."

I supported Iris' body with both arms and sighed.

"T-Thank you... Mononobe."

Perhaps feeling ashamed of her failure, she was blushing when she thanked me. That look of hers was especially adorable, forcing me to become aware of the current situation. Feeling Iris' body warmth and suppleness up close, it made my heart begin to pound.

"Although I expected it... You're not good at controlling the transmutation of air, right? It exploded in front of you just now, didn't it?"

"Yeah... Because air is so intangible, it's difficult to imagine... It feels like even if I want to control it, the air slips out from between my fingers... Then it explodes in a weird place."

"That's really... tough."

"It is very tough..."

We both sighed heavily.

At our first encounter at the beach, Iris was probably blown away in a similar manner.

"Nii-san, Iris-san, how much longer do you plan on sticking to each other?"

Mitsuki walked over and glared at us harshly.

"Oh..."

Iris and I looked at each other from up close then frantically separated.

"Helping each other is a good thing but please refrain from excessive skin contact."

"Y-Yes..."

"Very well, after witnessing your practice attempts, I think I can offer some advice based on what I saw."

Saying that, Mitsuki pointed at me first.

"Given Nii-san's volume of dark matter generation, making an acceptable shield is impossible. Hence, please give up on the auxiliary test."

"Man... You're totally merciless. That means I can only try the diamond breaking challenge?"

"Correct, but the use of real firearms and ammunition is forbidden. Please take the test by creating a fictional armament like the rest of us. As for the form of your armament... Right, how about a gun, since you are so adept at using guns? If you fire dark matter by picturing a bullet, your speed and accuracy should increase."

Apparently, damaging the diamond by shooting it with a gun like just now was not within assessment standards.

However, that could not be helped. If anti-materiel rifles of this level worked in actual combat, NIFL would have taken out Basilisk a long time ago.

In order to pass the test, there was no other way apart from learning effective attacks against dragons in the Midgard way of doing things.

"A fictional armament as a gun huh... I remember you said it's best to reference weapons of legend as the prototype, right? But there aren't any legends about guns, a modern weapon, are there?"

"I think not... Just interpreting it loosely is fine. Ultimately, what matters is that you do not cause accidental transmutation, so even a fictional firearm of your own creation would be fine."

"That's really vague..."

I grumbled, only to see Mitsuki's displeased look.

"Precisely because you need to make a vague fictional weapon, that is why it is better to be more vague. But for you, Nii-san, whose imagination is lacking, perhaps it might be too tall an order. Shall I help you think of one?"

"Sure... You're right, Mitsuki. Thanks."

Because I did not think I was suited to the task either, I agreed with Mitsuki's suggestion.

"Understood. Then let us first decide the name, let me think... I believe Siegfried is a very cool name."

Mitsuki gazed at me with especially excited eyes. I think I might have turned on some kind of weird switch in her.

"Siegfried, you say... I remember that's a hero's name rather than a weapon, right?"

"Although not a weapon, he is a master archer. Close enough in traits!"

"Close enough...?"

I tilted my head in puzzlement, but Mitsuki ignored me and continued:

"It is an image! Just an image! Please think of it as a powerful gun. You get too hung up on trivial details, Nii-san. Do you not find your blood boiling with excitement after hearing this name!?"

Mitsuki clenched her fist before her chest while she asserted to me forcefully.

In the end, so that was the most important point.

Mitsuki liked acting cool since a long time ago. Simply stated, she was predisposed to eighth grader syndrome and it looked like the precursor of that syndrome had been quietly growing for the past three years.

"...Got it, anyway, so let's name it Siegfried."

Under Mitsuki's hard sell, I reluctantly agreed.

"Great! I will sketch the overall shape for you later! Please use it for reference when imagining it!"

Mitsuki nodded especially happily. The way she looked still showed a little of her innocence from three years ago remaining.

Then Mitsuki came back to her senses, controlled her expression and coughed lightly.

"Ahem, so next is Iris-san."

"Yes!"

Iris instantly stood with her back very straight, waiting for Mitsuki's advice.

"Because your air projectile is too unstable, Iris-san, you should probably focus on shield construction in the auxiliary test. However... Even if you do that, it is honestly quite uncertain whether you could succeed in time for the test next week. After all, I have never heard of any precedent for explosions arising in the process of transmuting mithril."

I interjected and asked:

"Is mithril exploding that rare?"

"You can say it is impossible. Mithril is the most sturdy and stable substance. Even if the transmutation failed, the metal proportions might be wrong or changed into similar metals... Probably something along those lines. The chances of mixing an explosive substance into it are extremely low."

"In a certain sense, she is quite amazing huh..."

"Yes, perhaps it could be called a kind of talent. Although people might be better or worse at transmutation due to variations in personality or inborn disposition, since it involves one's imagination... Iris-san is the only D who causes explosions no matter what she transmutes."

Mitsuki nodded somewhat sardonically.

However, her comment brought a flash of inspiration to me.

"In short, Iris cannot do what is perfectly natural, but unintentionally achieves what other Ds can't do even if they wanted to?"

"Wah!?"

Iris looked like she was almost into tears.

"Rather than a talent... It would be better to call it a disposition that is completely opposite. If that's the case, it's probably futile no matter how much you practice something you're not suited to."

"Mononobe... You're so mean, don't put it so bluntly..."

Iris looked at me like she was about to cry.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not trying to put you down, rather, I'm praising you. Iris, you have a talent that's unique to you. Seeing as that's the case, you only need to hone that talent. There's no need to force yourself to do the same things as the other people around you."

"A talent... unique to me?"

"Yeah, Iris, instead of shield construction, you should focus on your talent—Blow up that thing."

I smiled proudly and pointed to the block of diamond.

===Part 5===

Everyday life was something that would pass day by day before you knew it, as soon as time started to flow.

Whether the tropical island scenery that I initially mistook for a parallel world, the school filled with female students, or the vibes of not fitting in the class, everything gradually became so matter-of-fact.

In just a few days, I already felt like I had been living this current life since a long time ago. The previous everyday life seemed so distant instead.

Getting up every morning at 6:30 to eat breakfast with Mitsuki then go to school, attending lessons on ordinary subjects, taking care of lunch through the snack shop or the cafeteria, attending D-related courses in the afternoon, staying after school to train on days when the training site was free.

The days passed like that and it was finally the day before the test.

Because it was a holiday today, there were no classes and the whole day could be used for training.

Under Mitsuki's supervision, Iris and I had been carrying out our final special training since morning.

"Ahhh, I'm so hungry... I can't move anymore, Mononobe..."

Using up all her physical energy on repeated transmutations, Iris was lying on the ground, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"...I'm hungry too. I'm heading to the snack shop so let me buy you something while I'm at it. What do you want?"

Left without a choice, I could only ask her proactively. Iris suddenly sat up and recited her demands.

"Yakisoba bread, curry bread, porkchop cutlet sandwich, club sandwich and a donut for dessert!"

"...That's a lot."

"Because I'm so famished!"

"I'm not responsible if you get fat."

I reminded her, causing Iris to immediately go "ooh" and fall silent.

"I-It's okay! I will work even harder to consume the calories I ate!"

"Fine. Mitsuki, how do you want to take care of lunch?"

I asked Mitsuki who seemed to be working on her portable terminal.

"Please buy me bread. Apart from curry bread, anything will do. Also, a drink."

Afraid of spicy food, Mitsuki answered without even looking at me.

"Got it, then I'll go buy the stuff."

I left them behind in the training site and took the elevator to the first floor of the school building.

The snack shop was located in the catering building linked to the school building through a corridor. To accommodate the different ethnicities and nationalities of the Ds, the catering building was divided into Japanese, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and other areas.

Arranged in the first floor of the catering building was a cafeteria as well as all kinds of vendor spaces.

After buying lunch for Iris, Mitsuki and myself, I was just about to return directly to the training site when I noticed familiar students seated inside the cafeteria.

My classmates Lisa, Firill, Ren and Ariella were sitting around the same table.

Although I felt hesitant on what I should do, presented with this rare opportunity, I walked over to them.

Though I did not expect a friendly response even if I greeted them, I knew I would never be able to get closer to my classmates if I let fear prevent me from taking steps forward.

"Uh, ''hello''~"

"...Why are you suddenly speaking in English?"

Probably having noticed my presence early on, Lisa glared viciously at me as soon as I greeted them.

"Uh, I was thinking you seem European-born, Lisa."

"You are indeed correct... But there is no need for you to think so much. That would only fill me with disgust."

"Really? Then good day to you."

"Yes, good day to you—Oh no, I greeted accidentally! You laid another trap for me!"

Lisa accused me angrily. She probably remembered her declaration to never greet me.

"Sorry, I did that on purpose just now."

I replied honestly.

"Eww! What pleasure is there in making fun of me!?"

"I'm not making fun of you. But to be honest, it makes me glad that I can talk to you."

"What..."

Lisa's face went red, her mouth opening and closing, unable to speak.

"After all, Lisa, you're the only one who answers me..."

I sighed and looked at my other classmates. Although they all saw me, none of them responded, unlike Lisa.

But I did not get disheartened here. Renewing my spirits, I said to Firill who was sitting opposite to Lisa:

"It's rare to see you girls gathered together outside of the classroom."

"...Really?"

Originally eating a sandwich, Firill paused and tilted her head in puzzlement. Her neat bangs swayed accordingly.

"Yeah, because all of you tend to leave the classroom separately during lunch breaks, right? I thought you would never do things together."

Hearing that, Firil looked at me, somewhat displeased.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v01_119.jpg|thumb]]

"...Nothing of that sort. It's very normal to have lunch together if we meet up by coincidence."

"It's coincidence?"

Firill nodded.

Someone tugged my sleeve from the side. Ren showed me her portable terminal.

'While Ariella and I were having lunch, Lisa and Firill happened to come, but we didn't call for you.'

Ren glared at me a little uneasily.

"...You're right, you didn't call for me, but there shouldn't be any problem with chatting, right? Eh? There's something on your face."

I reached out and took off the bread crumb stuck on Ren's cheek.

"!?"

Ren instantly went red in the face and shook her head, making "Mm! Mm!" growls in her mouth.

"Oh sorry, I couldn't help it..."

Accidentally doing what I used to do with Mitsuki when we were young, I apologized to Ren.

"Mm!"

Ren pouted and waved her hand to shoo me away.

"...I got it. I won't disturb your meal anymore."

I sighed but just as I turned around to leave, a unexpected voice stopped me.

"Hold on."

I looked back to see Ariella staring straight at me.

"What's up?"

"I remember you are currently doing something like special training with Iris, right?"

"Not just ''something like'' special training, but special training for real. We started this morning. I came here to buy lunch."

I showed Ariella the bag filled with bread.

"Oh... Any progress?"

"You're curious?"

I asked her in return and Ariella nodded honestly.

"Yeah. Currently, Iris might not only fail to bolster our forces but even drag us down. If her abilities have improved, I'd feel very glad."

"You don't sound very hopeful."

Hearing me, Ariella shrugged.

"Can't be helped, Iris hasn't improved at all in the past year after transferring here. I don't think a few days of special training could change her much."

"...You're so upfront with your words, Ariella."

"Are you offended?"

Ariella peered at me and asked.

"No, I'm not. I like this kind of personality."

"L-Like?"

I answered her honestly but for some reason, Ariella acted awkwardly.

"What's wrong?"

"I-Is that a confession? It's a confession, right!?"

Hearing Ariella ask me with a red face, I panicked as well.

"Huh? How did things get to that kind of topic?"

"N-No...? Y-You are such a thoughtless guy. Don't say this kind of thing lightly to girls."

Ariella glared at me with a serious look.

"Although it wasn't a confession, I didn't say it lightly either. I simply said what I actually thought. So, what I'm going to say next is serious too. Ariella, in the test tomorrow, Iris will surely surprise you. I guarantee that to all of you."

Hearing me, Lisa and the others frowned. All of them showed skepticism on their faces.

Amidst all this, Ariella was the only one laughing with delight.

"How confident you are, but I still don't believe you, so I can't believe what you just said. Tomorrow, if I find out you're not lying, I'll revise my opinion of you."

"Good, you should look forward to it."

I nodded but Lisa interrupted at this time.

"You keep talking about Iris-san, but what about yourself? Since you are doing special training, I hope you will show us some results."

"I basically have results already. I finally managed to make a fictional armament not too long ago."

Hearing my answer, Lisa only felt exasperated.

"What...? Isn't that the most basic of basics!? You are training from that level? In such a state, you can't possibly pass the test!"

"It is very difficult for sure, but I will do my best. Bye now."

I waved and left their table for real this time.

Feeling their gazes against my back, I walked out of the catering building to get back to Iris and Mitsuki.

After lunch, we resumed the special training...

===Part 6===

"Well then, let the test begin to select the Dragon Subjugation Squad for the battle against Basilisk."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice echoed in the vast underground space.

After spending a whole day on special training, I slept especially well and the next day, the test arrived in the blink of an eye.

Like last time, we were gathered in training site number three. Volunteers began the test first.

"I shall show off first."

The first to be tested was Lisa Highwalker. Tossing her long blonde hair, she walked up front.

"Watch, Mononobe Yuu! I will make you understand what is called a gap in levels!"

Perhaps thinking of yesterday's conversation, Lisa stared only at me when she spoke.

The very image of confidence, she walked over there with her chest out and head held high, arriving at the spot to target the diamond.

"Gungnir!"

Lisa's fictional armament was apparently a spear. Holding the golden shining spear at waist height, she aimed the sharp spear tip at the block of diamond.

"Here I go—Pierce, flare!"

The spear tip emitted a brilliant glow, shooting out a flash of light. The light pierced the diamond, boring a hole in the wall behind.

"A-A laser beam..."

Watching from afar, I could not help but mutter in shock. Diamond was not a particularly heat-resistant material, hence attacking with heat was a correct decision. But to instantly bore a large hole in diamond, that firepower was extraordinary.

Rather than a laser, this move would be closer to a positron cannon.

Lisa achieved the task easily and returned to the standby area proudly.

"Hmph."

Lisa leaned her back against the wall, taunting me with her gaze. Her expression seemed to be saying: Just try it if you think you can.

This competitiveness was not a bad thing. Back in my NIFL days, this was commonplace. It filled me with fighting spirit instead.

Next to be tested was the bibliophile, Firill. Gazing at the diamond with tired eyes, she raised one hand in front of her chest.

"Come—Necronomicon."

Firill shaped the dark matter into a book's form and held it on her hand. As though reciting an incantation, she said:

"Aero Blast Quartet."

I heard four consecutive sounds of heavy impacts then shattered diamond fragments scattered in the air.

It was probably four shots of extremely compressed air projectiles, aimed at the exactly same place. A truly astounding show of force.

Apparently, like Iris, she pictured magic to perform transmutation. Judging from this, so-called picturing magic seemed to offer much more freedom than using a weapon.

Then it was Ren. She apparently chose to break diamond instead of participating in the auxiliary test.

"...Mjolnir."

Ren raised her slender arm to the air and lightly spoke the name of the fictional armament to be manifested. Then a hammer several times her body size appeared in her hand.

The hammer could be seen growing gigantic in size, almost reaching the ceiling. Even though I knew in my mind that it was massless dark matter, it was still a strange scene lacking in balance.

That kind of generated volume was extraordinary. Converted into matter, let alone ten tons, it might even reach a hundred times more than that.

"Mm."

Ren then swung the enlarged hammer down. In the process of falling, the hammer grew even larger. Finally, the hammer's tip arrived on top of the diamond.

Then the hammer's tip glowed red and started to materialize. Obtaining mass, the hammer accelerated towards the diamond, drawn by gravity.

Unable to withstand that kind of shock and weight, the diamond shattered.

Ren walked back nonchalantly. Next to step up was Ariella. She walked over to the auxiliary test's position.

"Sensei, I choose this side."

Ariella informed Shinomiya-sensei of her intent to take the shield making challenge. Raising her right hand to shoulder height, she called out sharply:

"Aegis."

Dark matter instantly covered Ariella's right arm. Her fictional armament looked like a gauntlet.

"Deploy shield."

Ariella swung her right arm and yelled. Spherical dark matter instantly appeared over the marked spot 50m away. Like Iris, Ariella seemed to have excellent spatial awareness.

The dark matter gradually turned into a giant wall and not just one, it was a multi-layered structure.

Compared to the thin iron plate I created earlier, it was on a completely different level.

Ariella easily passed the test. When returning, she whispered to me:

"...Show me proof of what you said yesterday."

"Yeah."

I nodded affirmatively.

Because Mitsuki seemed to be standing in the same position as Shinomiya-sensei, supervising the test together, only Iris and I were left.

"So Iris, I'll go first?"

"Sure, good luck! Mononobe, do your best!"

With Iris' energetic blessing, I walked over to the diamond side.

"What... Are you serious?"

Lisa cried out in disbelief. She probably did not expect me to choose the more difficult side.

"I'm serious, because this is the only test which I have a chance of passing."

I smiled wryly at Lisa and answered, then stood in position.

I knew quite well this was very difficult.

But to give courage to Iris who was taking the test next, I hoped I could succeed.

"—Siegfried."

I focused to change the form of the generated dark matter.

Appearing in my right hand was a large-caliber ornamental gun.

This was the fictional armament belonging to me, based on the sketch Mitsuki had given me.

Because the gun's body seemed quite small compared to its caliber, were it a real gun, one would worry whether such a design could withstand the recoil of a shot, but since this was purely dark matter whose shape had been altered, there was no need to worry about practicality.

The gun glowed with faint phosphorescence. Although I was trying hard to keep it in the dark matter stage, due to sensing the image in my mind, the gun's body still caused some slight transmutation.

That was the reason why dark matter, which was supposed to be black, had color after being turned into fictional armaments.

Holding this Siegfried, I was finally standing at Midgard's starting line.

But this fictional armament probably could not be used in the same way as Lisa's and the other girls'.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low. To create Siegfried, I had already used almost my entire output.

Even after making their fictional armaments, Lisa and the others still had spare capacity to perform another summoning of dark matter. Consuming the dark matter in the fictional armament would be an emergency measure only used as a last resort.

But I had no choice but to use that emergency last resort. Even by keeping consumption at a minimum, including the amount used to create Siegfried, the amount of dark matter I could fire as bullets was only three shots at most. And firing consecutively was not possible either. Once consumed, even the fictional armament itself would disappear.

That meant I had to repeat the step of creating Siegfried all over again. This dead time could sometimes be fatal in real combat.

Hence, I must use these three shots of dark matter cautiously. However—

It would be pointless to save on consumption here. I had to gather all my dark matter to concentrate in one shot.

I aimed the muzzle at the block of diamond 100m away.

Even so, I did not know if this would bring the result I sought.

Although I had practiced repeatedly before the test, my success rate was below 50%.

Right now, all I could do was try my best. That was all.

Telling myself that, I started to conceptualize the image.

Then I was going to perform the initial transmutation of air.

I chose air not because it was simple but because even a dark matter generating capacity of merely ten kilograms would have a volume of over ten thousand liters once transmuted into air. By compressing that air, it was possible to obtain a massive amount of heat as well as the necessary hardness.

But that also required controlling it well—

"Air Bullet."

I spoke as though tracing out the outline of my mental image.

When performing transmutation, the step of voicing things out was not particularly required, but language would help stabilize the image. For the sake of raising the success rate as much as possible, I had to use words to describe what I was transmuting next.

I slowly increased the pressure on the trigger and transmitted the image over.

Without a sufficient compression ratio, the bullet would not bring out enough power.

Conversely, if the compression ratio was too high, particle collisions would turn the superheated air into plasma, releasing all the energy and disappearing before it struck the target.

I had always performed pure transmutation in the past, so my control of this type of thought-driven power was quite crude.

Fire.

Speaking softly in my mind, I pulled the trigger.

In that instant, the dark matter in the fictional armament was completely transmuted into a bullet of air. Siegfried vanished.

The air bullet that was fired was not supposed to be visible to the naked eye.

But my eyes captured some faint white light.

Crap, did it create plasma?

Then silence spread.

There was no sound of an air bullet striking the block of diamond. The plasmafied bullet probably had not struck the diamond.

"See, all bravado without a plan. It's not too late to start now. I believe you would be best advised to attempt the auxiliary test instead."

Lisa broke the silence and spoke as though boasting of victory.

Shinomiya-sensei nodded too and said as though trying to persuade me:

"Indeed, this test is too difficult for a novice. How about you switch to constructing a shield?"

Even if they said that, a large enough shield was impossible due to my low dark matter generating capacity. Hence, for me, that test was completely impossible to pass.

As much as I hated to admit defeat, this was the best I could do. I could only give up on the test.

"No, I have already—"

I was about to decline Shinomiya-sensei's offer of the auxiliary test.

However, Mitsuki interrupted this time.

"Excuse me, please wait a moment. I believe it is too soon to discuss results."

Mitsuki walked over to the block of diamond with clearly heard footsteps.

Seeing that, Lisa frowned and scolded her.

"Mitsuki-san, have you not given up yet? Even if he is your relative, one would be hard pressed to approve of your prejudice in favoring him."

"I am not favoring him but merely inspecting fairly."

Mitsuki walked while answering, stopping next to the diamond.

Anyone would think it was a failure from a glance, but Mitsuki seemed to have sensed something unusual.

She carefully examined the diamond then turned her head back to us and said loudly:

"Next to the hole bored by Lisa-san, I have discovered an inconspicuous but carbonized portion! Since it is found on the front and back of the diamond, it is very likely the traces left behind by the penetration of a super high-temperature object."

"What..."

Lisa exclaimed in shock but I was equally surprised.

"Oh...?"

Shinomiya-sensei's expression changed and she walked over to Mitsuki.

The two of them conversed at the diamond for a while then returned before me.

"Hmm... There is indeed a carbonized portion but there is no mark on the wall behind... The bullet probably plasmafied only during the instant of penetrating the diamond. Mononobe Yuu, was this an outcome within your expectation?"

Shinomiya-sensei directed her sharp gaze towards me.

"Huh? Oh no... I only did it by chance."

If I claimed it as my own power now, perhaps I might pass the test, but I answered honestly.

What I originally predicted was striking the diamond with the air bullet, shattering it. I did not think of using plasmafication's heat to carbonize the diamond.

Even if I was asked to do it again, due to the difficulty in adjusting the timing and compression, I would probably fail.

"Hmm, that's quite a shame. Judging purely from this one attack, this would be very intricate and efficient transmutation... The probability of causing effective damage to Basilisk is very high. But if you can't do it at will, you have not reached the level required for the Dragon Subjugation Squad."

"Then I guess I failed, after all?"

Hearing me ask that, Shinomiya-sensei crossed her arms and made a troubled look.

"Hmm... But you did succeed during the test after all. In any case, I'll pass you and have you listed as a reserve member. Although you cannot be considered combat potential right now, depending on your future growth, promoting you to take part in the battle against Basilisk is not impossible, so work hard and strive for progress."

"T-Thank you very much!"

My stiff shoulders instantly relaxed then I thanked Shinomiya-sensei.

But when I returned to the standby area, Lisa glared at me like she found things difficult to accept.

"A mere coincidence on one occasion, I shall not approve! And even if you could use that attack in a well-trained manner, the fact of your vast inferiority to me is still clearly evident!"

Lisa pointed at the diamond and declared.

The laser-bored hole was visible clearly even at this distance, but the carbonized hole was almost invisible. This indicated the gap between our firepower.

"Yeah, you girls are amazing, Lisa. I understand that clearly now, after this test. It's true that I am vastly inferior to you girls."

"M-My, you are unexpectedly honest."

Lisa showed surprise on her face as she tilted her head in puzzlement.

"I am accepting results honestly. But though I am a reserve member, since the teacher passed me, it means there are things I can accomplish. As a member of Midgard, I will work hard to assist everyone."

"Hmph... We have no need of your power! Having us is enough."

"But Shinomiya-sensei told me to work hard and improve."

Hearing that, Lisa wavered a little but immediately retorted.

"That is... merely etiquette! The teacher only said that to be considerate for Mitsuki-san's feelings!"

"Considerate for Mitsuki... There's no need, right? Shinomiya-sensei's rank is higher."

I felt speechless but Lisa puffed out her chest and asserted as though she had some kind of proof:

"She must be worried about not getting to eat Mitsuki-san's sweets again! As reluctant as I am to admit it, the sweets Mitsuki-san occasionally makes for us are quite a delicacy! Addictive with just a single bite, even Shinomiya-sensei must find it impossible to resist that kind of temptation."

"Wow... Are Mitsuki's sweets that delicious?"

This was my first time hearing of this. Because the menus were usually left to the housework robots, I did not know that Mitsuki's cooking had improved so much.

Perhaps these sweets were an important contribution to Mitsuki's overwhelming popularity.

Bribery with food... These words crossed my mind.

"Your face suggests you are thinking something rude, you know?"

"...You're overthinking things. But anyway, please confirm your allegations regarding sweets with Shinomiya-sensei herself."

Lisa's grumbling looked like it was going to continue for a long time, so I prepared to leave.

"Wait! Mononobe Yuu! I haven't finished talking yet!"

Getting rid of the persistently harassing Lisa, I returned to my original spot, only to see Iris clapping to greet me.

"Clap clap, Mononobe, congratulations!"

Seeing Iris smiling happily for me as though she had passed the test herself, I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I only passed as a reserve member. Okay, you're next, Iris."

"Y-Yes... I will do my best!"

Iris stood up and walked over to the block of diamond.

"Just do the same as during training. Give everyone a big surprise. Let them never dare call you a poorly performing student again."

"Yes!!"

Iris looked back and nodded in agreement then reached the spot to aim at the diamond.

After informing Shinomiya-sensei she was not taking the auxiliary test, she manifested her staff of dark matter.

"Caduceus!"

Iris pointed the staff's tip at the diamond then focused. Seeing that, Lisa came to talk to me.

"...Mononobe Yuu."

"What's the matter? If you still want to continue the conversation just now, I'll have to ask you to give me a break."

"No, shelve that conversation for now. What is important now is... Aren't you going to rescue Iris-san? She will surely be blown away again, won't she?"

Rather than sarcastic, her tone was more worried. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's right, it will probably be blown away—I mean the diamond."

"What... Are you serious? You heard Ariella-san yesterday at the cafeteria, didn't you? Iris-san is hopeless as a poorly performing student. Her memory is poor, she is not smart enough. No matter how hard she tries, she is just a silly kid who is wasting her effort."

Seeing that I had made no move to help Iris, Lisa frantically tried to persuade me.

"Yeah... I guess that might be true. But even while saying that, you're actually observing her quite closely."

"N-Nothing of that sort! We have been in the same class for a year already, so understanding her is only natural. Ever since transferring here, Iris-san has never succeeded in using her power before, even the most basic air bullet also—"

"What Iris wants to do is not transmuting dark matter into air."

I interrupted Lisa.

"Eh... Could it be a transmutation of even greater difficulty? That would be even more impossible!"

"Okay, just watch. You'll surely be surprised."

Saying that, I turned my gaze back to Iris.

She could be heard chanting a spell quietly.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond—"

Multiple black spheres of dark matter appeared in the diamond's surroundings. Iris' excellent spatial awareness had correct judged the distance of 100m.

Then staring at the diamond, Iris recited:

"—O holy silver, explode!"

The dark matter gathered in a point then turned into mithril shining with silver luster.

It was like how she wanted to create a shield last time. But during transmutation this time, countless bulges appeared on the mithril.

Then the entire thing expanded—It exploded.

BOOM!!

The mithril's sharp fragments were sent flying, accompanied by a silver-white explosion. Mithril of maximum hardness smashed and penetrated the diamond, causing it to break apart.

That destructive power far surpassed my plasma bullet. Because Iris had giving them directionality, the fragments only flew forward.

After the special training after school, we came to understand one thing. As long as Iris was aiming for an explosion, she could control things to a certain extent.

"What a... unique talent."

I said with a wry smile. From a dragon's standpoint, it would be like a mithril grenade suddenly appearing in front of it. This would most likely become a means of attack to inflict definite damage on dragons.

"No way... To think that Iris-san would...?"

Lisa looked at the destroyed diamond, her entire body stunned. Normally expressionless, Firill and Ren also showed surprised looks on their faces.

Ariella stood up to applaud for Iris. She had no patience for those lacking in power but conversely, she would offer her respect if one could win her approval. That seemed to be Ariella's personality.

"Iris Freyja, you pass."

Shinomiya-sensei also seemed to be in a state of surprise as she announced the test result to Iris.

Hearing this, Iris instantly had a smile all over her face. Then turning towards me, she dashed at full speed.

"H-Hey!?"

"I did it! Mononobe!!"

With momentum from her sprint, she hugged me. In order to dissipate the impact, I spun her several times, keeping my balance with much difficulty.

"What are you doing so suddenly—"

I was just about to complain when I saw Iris' face in front of my eyes. Feeling the warmth from her body, tightly pressed against me, I could not help but forget what I was going to say.

"Thank you, Mononobe... Thank you!"

Leaning her face against my chest, Iris kept thanking me.

—Was she that happy?

During this past year, Iris had always been treated as a poorly performing student. I could not imagine what it felt like. Despite a strong will to keep trying, her power did not reach standards. This chagrin was something only Iris herself could understand.

However, the emotional stress accumulated would be quite heavy.

—Anyway, I'll just wait until her emotions calm down.

Although the surrounding gazes concerned me too, I could not bring myself to push Iris away by force. I could only pat her silver hair gently and praise her for passing the test.

"Nii-san, remember what I said about refraining from excessive skin contact—"

Hurrying over, Mitsuki also sighed after seeing the way Iris looked.

"—Thirty more seconds only."

Then Mitsuki feigned indifference and said that.
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T01:12:56Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 5 */

==Chapter 2 - Witch of Silver Explosions==

===Part 1===

Seeing the white room, I was reminded of my first encounter with ''him''.

Yes, it was three years ago.

After I surrendered myself as a D, I was injected with some kind of drug and fell unconscious. By the time I woke up, I was in a cramped room.

The ceiling, floor and walls were all pure white. Standing in front of me was a young man in military uniform.

—Who is he? Someone I know? Or someone I just met?

I had no idea no matter how hard I thought. With one exception, everything seemed so fuzzy and unclear.

Staring at me, the man then spoke:

"...Although the cause is unknown, you happen to be broken just right. That plus your rare talent makes me like you very much."

The man's voice was very loud, strong and forceful as though he did not permit anyone to miss his words.

"How about it? Do you want to work under me? It's very meaningful work. You'll be able to save hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of people. You are definitely very suited to the job."

I was unable to answer despite being asked a question.

Because I was gagged. My arms and legs were tied up too.

Looking at me, the man smiled and extended his hand towards me. I thought he was going to take out the object stuffed in my mouth—But the man ended up grabbing me by the hair.

Forcing my head down with a push, he compelled me to nod.

"Really? So you agree? Thank you. From today onwards, you are my subordinate."

The man smiled while he spoke.

An indescribable chill instantly ran along my spine. This was not a conversation, it was merely a formality.

Only then did I finally realize that my fate had already been decided.

Coming from this man's mouth was my future, my destiny ahead.

"You'll definitely achieve it. You'll definitely become a killer who can save thousands, billions—"

===Part 2===

"Eh, where is this place?"

"Sigh... You finally woke up. It's already after school. This is the infirmary, Iris. I brought you here after you fainted."

Iris blinked and stared at the white ceiling while I explained to her.

After the explosion from the failed transmutation of mithril, Shinomiya-sensei instantly contacted the administration. A woman calling herself the school nurse soon arrived.

Although the nurse said Iris was fine without significant injury, she was still sent to rest in the infirmary just to be on the safe side. I stayed behind voluntarily to look after her.

Later on, that nurse had to go out to attend to certain matters, thus leaving Iris and me alone at the moment.

"Mononobe...? Ahhh... I messed up again, right?"

She seemed to be linking up her memories. With a gloomy expression, Iris murmured.

"Yeah, the explosion blew you away completely. A big failure that couldn't be more simple and obvious."

"You're so blunt... Shouldn't you encourage and console me at a time like this?"

Iris said with a wry smile.

"Half-assed encouragement to give you baseless hope would only make you repeat the same failure—or it could even make things worse. People who can't confront their failures tend to die early—That's what I learned at NIFL."

"Confront failures..."

"Yeah, Iris, besides, you were probably thinking you'd succeed as long as you tried hard, right?"

"H-How did you know!?"

Iris made a look surprise.

"I could tell from the way you looked before the training."

"A-Am I a big failure?"

"Yeah, you were a big failure today, Iris."

I nodded in agreement. Iris slumped her shoulders and asked again in a small voice:

"An idiot, airheaded and useless?"

"Currently speaking, perhaps there's no way you can deny these kinds of criticisms."

"Really...? Then I guess it's impossible for me to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad..."

Iris sighed heavily.

"You want to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad, Iris? But that's the most dangerous job, putting yourself on the frontlines, you know?"

"Yes... Because that's my reason for coming to Midgard."

Iris nodded to confirm then spoke as though looking out into the distance:

"I... until a year ago, I've always lived an ordinary life in the outside world. But when I was on a ship with my family, the white dragon—'White' Leviathan—happened to pass nearby... Causing our ship to sink."

"A dragon disaster huh..."

I muttered angrily. Disasters caused simply from the movement of dragons were called dragon disasters. Three years ago, Mitsuki and I had similarly encountered a dragon disaster caused by "Blue" Hekatonkheir.

"That's right... Because of the dragon disaster, everyone died. My powers awakened for the first time then... I was the sole survivor."

The smile surfaced on Iris' face did not carry her usual cheerfulness. Instead, it contained an element of self-deprecation.

"Because no one saw me use my powers at the time, I could have kept quiet and continued living outside... But I admitted my identity as a D on my own."

"...You intend to take revenge against the dragons?"

"How should I say this...? Actually, I don't have any negative obsession like hatred in my heart... But I think I must step forward to fight. It's for this reason that I survived."

Looking at me, Iris' eyes shone with strong determination.

Seeing those unwavering eyes, I could not help but gasp. Back in the past when Mitsuki declared she would protect the town, she had shown the same eyes too.

"...That means you still don't intend to give up, right?"

"Huh?"

"Although you just said that joining the Dragon Subjugation Squad is impossible, you don't intend to give up on the test, right?"

"T-That goes without saying! Even though I might still fail... I will try my hardest!"

Hearing the expected answer, I smiled.

"Like I said, just working hard isn't enough. You've got to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

"Urgh... I understand this logic, but even if I understand, I still can't do it..."

Seeing Iris disheartened, I made a decision in my heart.

"Iris, how many training sessions are there before the test?"

"Uh, I think there won't be any more chances to use training site number three... We'll just have basic training in smaller spaces from now on."

"Hmm... That's not good. We're out of options if there's no time to practice. Is self-directed practice after school allowed here?"

"Using training sites requires authorization and someone to supervise."

"Oh okay, anyway, I'll discuss with Mitsuki first. If authorization is granted, let's start training together after school starting tomorrow."

"Eh... Training together?"

Iris' mouth gaped wide in surprise.

"Yeah, today's training was forcibly interrupted. I'm a total novice in the area of fighting dragons, so I have to learn Midgard's combat methods as quickly as possible."

"Mononobe..."

Tears welled up in Iris' eyes.

"H-Hey! Why are you crying?"

"I-I dunno..."

Seeing her tears flowing nonstop, I hurried to comfort her.

But Iris simply would not stop crying for a long time...

===Part 3===

"Training after school... Is that so?"

Due to accompanying Iris the whole time until her emotions stabilized, I returned late. As soon as I got back to the dormitory, I went directly to the dining hall to pitch the afterschool training idea to Mitsuki.

It was just after 7pm. Arranged on the dining table were dishes prepared by the housework robots, but they looked untouched. Mitsuki had probably been waiting all along for my return.

"Yeah, I heard that we could practice as long as we obtained authorization."

"Indeed, such a rule exists... In any case, we should start the meal first and you can tell me about it. The food is getting cold."

Mitsuki pointed at the dinner laid out on the table.

"You're right. Sorry for making you wait. Let's begin."

"Yes, bon appetit."

Mitsuki clapped her hands together then picked up her chopsticks. While picking up food with chopsticks, I continued to converse.

"We need time to train. Iris' state is obvious from today while I don't know anything because I just transferred. At this rate, it doesn't take a genius to predict next week's test results. We won't pass."

"That is true indeed..."

For some reason, Mitsuki was reacting a bit sluggishly. Sticking her chopsticks in the roasted saury, she was half-heartedly engaged in the conversation.

Tonight's cuisine was pure Japanese style. The table was laden with my favorite dishes. If anything, Mitsuki's preference lay in western food, so she must have prepared this for me.

"So I guess we have to discuss directly with Shinomiya-sensei?"

"No, my position is sufficient to grant authorization. No need to trouble Shinomiya-sensei, but... Nii-san, why are you trying so proactively to help Iris-san?"

Mitsuki asked in a slightly sulking tone of voice.

"Do I look like I'm favoring Iris that much?"

"Yes, quite."

Mitsuki gazed at me with narrowed eyes. Her response came with no hesitation at all.

"If that's the case... I guess it's because Iris has been trying as hard as she can."

"Trying as hard as she can?"

"Yeah, someone who tries as hard as they can... It somehow feels impossible to ignore people like that."

Just like Mitsuki three years ago—

I added these words silently in my mind while smiling at Mitsuki.

"Hmm... N-Nii-san, you are too nice, but... It is commendable that you are not doing this for ulterior motives. No helping it, then I shall take on the role of supervisor—"

In the middle of Mitsuki's sentence, an alarm suddenly sounded in the surroundings.

"W-What?"

I looked out the dining hall window in surprise, only to see the academy clock tower at the island's center, flashing a red warning light.

'Emergency warning, emergency warning—Level E alert, Type Yellow. I repeat, Level E alert, Type Yellow!'

The urgent voice was coming from speakers inside the dormitory but Mitsuki did not get up from her seat. Instead, she continued her meal gracefully.

"Mitsuki, is it time to be eating leisurely now? There's an alert!"

"Yes, but the alert mentioned Type Yellow, which ought to be 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr approaching this island."

"What are you talking about!?"

"But seeing as it is Level E, that means Hraesvelgr simply brushed past the warning zone, that is all. Since Hraesvelgr flies at high-speed in the stratosphere, this type of approach happens roughly once or twice a month. Relax, it will end very soon."

No sooner had Mitsuki finished than the alert sound stopped. The red warning light also shut off.

'Target has left the warning zone. All units, please return to regular stations.'

This time, the announcer's voice was calm. I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to eat at the dining table.

"Gave me quite a fright... I thought a dragon was going to attack. It's because I heard during the daytime that dragons target this place."

"Dragons start their advance after the dragon mark of one of the Ds changes color. Currently, I have yet to receive reports of that sort."

After finishing this sentence, Mitsuki drank her miso soup and ended the meal.

I hastily shoved the rest of the food into my mouth.

"—What a wonderful meal."

"Fanksh fo' da food..."

With food in my mouth, I mumbled a response to Mitsuki.

"This is very impolite, Nii-san. Neglecting etiquette will worsen others' impressions of you, so please pay attention. Come, do over."

"—Thanks for the food."

"Pass. So, Nii-san, I shall make a trip to the school. Although nothing happened, there are aftermath matters to handle. I will take this opportunity to complete the procedure for training site usage."

"Thank you, Mitsuki!"

I stood up to thank her.

"This is not something worth thanking me for. As the student council president, it is only natural to assist students who are striving to improve."

"Even if that's the case, I'm still grateful to you."

I thanked again. Mitsuki avoided eye contact.

"I-I was interrupted just now. I am supervising to prevent you from engaging in any behavior with Iris-san that goes against public morals, Nii-san. I will watch you two carefully."

"What are you talking about? We're just training."

"Who knows if that is really the case... From what I saw, today's warm-up exercises were very suspicious already."

Mitsuki glared coldly at me.

"Ugh... Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't let that kind of thing happen again."

"Please, Nii-san. Since this is a fundamental matter but too delicate for me to bring up in front of other girls... Do know that inappropriate interaction between genders is strictly forbidden! Rather than a matter of public morals, it stems from more serious losses."

"Losses?"

"You know this, right? We Ds lose the power to create dark matter once we reach twenty years old or so—or become pregnant."

Mitsuki spoke, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"I've heard that kind of rumor before... Then it's true?"

I was surprised. Essentially, only Midgard held correct information regarding Ds. Many of the rumors circulating in the world were completely fabricated. I originally thought the pregnancy rumor was one of them.

"What...? So that is your level of knowledge? How fortunate that I decided to remind you beforehand as a precaution... If you were to take away someone's powers, Nii-san, you would probably be handed over to a tribunal meeting and sentenced to harsh punishment. Please, you must... you must pay attention."

Mitsuki glared at me harshly from extremely up close, warning me again and again.

Confronted with such pressure, I had not choice but to nod in response.

===Part 4===

Second day of my school life...

Because I was woken up by Mitsuki at 7am yesterday, I set my alarm clock for 6:30am today. Roused from bed by the noisy alarm, I washed my face and changed into uniform, then made my way to the dining hall.

"Good morning, Nii-san."

Greeting me, Mitsuki was sitting in the same seat as last night.

"Good morning..."

This feeling of family members greeting each other good morning felt quite unbelievable.

Rather than nostalgic, it felt quite new instead. That was the extent that my memories had been eroded.

After finishing the simple breakfast of only toast and salad, I picked up my school bag and exited the dormitory. Inside the bag were the portable terminal and gym clothing issued to me by the school. All the materials required for class were stored in the portable terminal, eliminating the need for textbooks.

The two of us walked on the road along the shore.

Like the first day, as soon as we went left the house, Mitsuki virtually stopped talking, hence we were essentially silent the whole time.

But incredibly, there was no feeling of awkwardness.

Looking out at sea, I could see cumulonimbus clouds rising from the horizon.

It was currently sunny but there might be showers later today.

The road took us away from the shore and as we gradually neared the center of the island, girls from other dorms began joining us on their way to school. Although hair colors and complexions varied widely, the majority of students were Asian girls.

It was said that the occurrence of Ds tended to increase the closer a location was to places where Vritra had passed through. Hence, Japan, where Vritra had first appeared, was where the greatest number of Ds had been born. It was also for this reason that Japanese was used as the lingua franca at Midgard.

"Good morning, Mitsuki-sama!"

"You're beautiful as usual today, Mitsuki-sama!"

"Your speech yesterday was so touching, Mitsuki-sama!"

Many students were greeting Mitsuki with excitement in their eyes.

"Good morning, everyone."

Mitsuki responded to them with a smile. Although I had already sensed it yesterday, Mitsuki really was quite a popular student council president.

The girls kept stealing glances at me while I walked with Mitsuki, but they hesitated and dared not talk to me. I guess it was difficult for them to relax and approach because of my male gender, but—

"Good morning to you too, Y-Yuu-sama!"

After greeting Mitsuki, one of the girls also spoke to me. It was a glasses-wearing girl who looked serious in personality.

"Oh, good morning."

Hearing my slightly nervous answer, the girl instantly fled with her face red. As soon as she met up with her friends in the distance, I could hear cries of joy along the lines of: "Kyah! I said it! I said it out loud!" "Well done, Mayumi!" "How does it feel up close!?"

Although it felt like being treated as an exotic animal, I did not feel particularly displeased.

"Nii-san, you are making a lewd expression. You wouldn't have forgotten my advice last night, have you?"

Mitsuki quietly reminded me as though reading my mind.

"I-I remember, it's just that I felt a bit happy that someone greeted me for the first time."

Inappropriate interactions between genders were forbidden. I knew that very well. But having lived in a world far from girls for so long, I simply got a little carried away from someone speaking to me. This was understandable, right?

The school's entrance resembled an automatic ticketing turnstile. I placed my student ID on the panel sensor and entered.

"Can I ask a question, Mitsuki?"

I asked her while we made our way to the classroom.

"Please go ahead, Nii-san. I can answer anything as long as it is not inane or top secret."

"...Just checking something about school life. You mentioned when you handed this student ID to me that it can be used for shopping. What's the limit?"

"Naturally, it depends on the funds in your own bank account. One difference between Midgard and most schools is that students receive a salary. Apart from minimum living expenses, students are rewarded according to their accomplishments when taking on matter creation requests or NIFL missions. All of this is deposited into personal bank accounts."

Mitsuki took out her own student ID to show me while explaining fluently.

"Learning how to transmute rare metals and energy resources is a shortcut to making money, because requests of that sort are always more numerous than can be handled. But in your case, Nii-san, I doubt there is any urgency for you to earn money that desperately. Your bank account balance can be viewed from your portable terminal. Please have a look, Nii-san."

"Oh, I'll check it out."

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and tried to check my account information.

However, the figure shown there was far bigger than I imagined.

"Eh... Is there a mistake in the number of zeroes?"

I could not help but ask Mitsuki.

"No, the figure is correct. It includes your living expenses for this month as well as your wages from the three years working at NIFL. In consideration of the hardship you went through, Nii-san, it is actually on the low side."

Mitsuki clenched her fist as though squeezing out these words took much difficulty.

Judging from the side of her face, she seemed to be desperately enduring something.

How much did Mitsuki know exactly about my three years there?

As much as I felt concerned by this question, I was unable to ask her.

Because I was afraid of the answer.

Like that, we walked in silence and reached Brynhildr Class. I was greeted by a gaze completely unlike those along the way to school.

Because the blonde girl—Lisa—suddenly glared at me.

"G-Good morning."

I tried to greet her but she went "hmph" and turned her head away.

"...Good morning."

"Hmph."

I tried again but she turned her head even farther.

"Good morning."

The third try.

"Hm—Guh..."

Lisa tried to turn her head away for the third time but suddenly choked. She had apparently forgotten that there was a limit to her neck's rotation angle.

"A-Are you trying to kill me!?"

Lisa held her neck and complained.

"No, I just wanted to greet you."

"So irritating! You ought to show consideration for my neck! No matter how many times you repeat this, I shan't greet you!"

"Why?"

Hearing my question, Lisa glared harshly at me.

"Because I still have not approved the matter of your staying at Midgard."

"...I see, then there's nothing I can do about that. Thanks."

Hearing my word of thanks, Lisa looked surprised.

"Why are you thanking me?"

'Huh? Because even though you didn't greet me, you still answered my question."

"What...? H-How dare you mock me!?"

Lisa gnashed her teeth in chagrin.

"No, it's not as extreme as mocking, right..."

"I absolutely refuse to forgive you! Remember that, Mononobe Yuu! Hmph!"

Lisa extended her finger, pointing at me, then turned her head away again.

Continuing the conversation seemed difficult, so I went over to my seat. I will try my hardest. One day, she will approve of me.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag to get ready for class. At this moment, the classroom's door opened lightly and Iris poked her head in, looking extra apprehensive than usual.

Shifting her gaze, Iris seemed to be looking for someone. When she made eye contact with me she instantly made a panicking look.

"Oh! Mononobe, g-good morning!"

For some reason, Iris' voice sounded very frantic as she greeted me. What was with her apprehensive look just now? Then I saw her coming over to me in a panic.

Perhaps she was concerned about crying yesterday but I was not so tactless as to confirm that with her.

I decided to ignore the unnecessary and responded to her greeting as though nothing had happened.

"Good morning, Iris. I've obtained authorization so we can start our special training today."

Hearing me say that, Iris blushed and nodded.

"Great! We'll do our best, Mononobe!"

Classes in the morning were no different from an ordinary school's.

Mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry taught at the level of first year high school. These were core subjects because some of the knowledge could be applied towards matter creation.

The afternoon consisted of Shinomiya-sensei teaching about subjects related to Ds, but instead of practicals, it was carried out in lecture format.

"—To accommodate our new student, we will review during the lesson. Let us begin from the theory of transmutation techniques, Firill Crest. What type of transmutation has the widest range of applications?"

Called upon, Firill stood up and replied.

"...Air. By adjusting directionality and compression ratio, air can be used for defense and movement in addition to attack."

"Excellent. The transmutation of air is accompanied by the generation of wind. With appropriate adjustments, one could even fly in the sky. For those in the vanguard, this method of flying is virtually a required method of movement—"

The teacher was talking about systematized dark matter transmutation techniques and ways to use our powers in hypothetical battles against dragons. This knowledge felt very refreshing and new to me.

"—Furthermore, there are many substances that can only be created through the transmutation of dark matter, of which mithril and antimatter are particularly useful in battle. Mithril is theoretically the hardest alloy while antimatter can be used to destroy any type of matter in an annihilation reaction. Very well, Ariella Lu, between these two substances, ultimate offense and the ultimate defense, which is stronger?"

Called upon, Ariella answered concisely:

"Antimatter."

"Indeed. This type of situation is where offense is stronger because if antimatter is used to attack, even mithril cannot withstand it. However, there is currently only one person in the Dragon Subjugation Squad who is capable of transmuting antimatter—"

In consideration of my circumstances, Shinomiya-sensei was reviewing the basics while conducting her lesson to let me understand simple key points.

Using the creation of air to fly. Powerful long range attacks.

These two were apparently the most highly prized abilities in anti-dragon combat.

In other words, next week's test involved assessing one of them: testing students' skill in long range attacks. Because the target was diamond, simply hitting it was not enough. At the same time, attacks needed firepower that would not weaken after being shot from afar.

As relief measures, the auxiliary test also involved a high-difficulty skill. If it was just making a shield, ordinary transmutation was enough, but it was a totally different matter to manifest it at a distance of 50m.

Parameters were too different from combat against humans.

By this point, I finally became painfully aware that this was training for the sake of defeating ''dragons''.

Next, after school, accompanied by Mitsuki, I went to the training site with totally tensed nerves.

Despite it being practice, Iris seemed to be nervous again.

Perhaps other homerooms had been training, a block of diamond was still located 100m out front.

"You are allowed to use this training site from 5 to 6:30pm. I have obtained authorization for today, the day after tomorrow, as well as the day before the test. A total of three days. The other days were either booked or did not fit in my schedule. For that, I am deeply apologetic."

Mitsuki bowed her head to apologize to us.

"Ehhhh!? Three days is enough for practice! Sorry, Mitsuki-chan, you're accompanying us even though you're so busy. I'm so grateful to you!"

Iris held Mitsuki's hands and thanked her with a radiant smile.

"—No, responding to the requests of students is part of the student council president's responsibilities."

Mitsuki struggled free uncomfortably and separated from Iris.

"Even so, I still thank you!"

"No need for thanks. Hurry and begin to train. Time is limited, yes?"

"R-Right! So... Then you start first, Mononobe. You didn't get to take part in the training yesterday because you were taking me to the infirmary."

"—Got it."

I nodded and stood at the marked position. Anyway, I tried using my ''past methods'' to see how far they could go, then decide on the next step based on that.

First was the construction of a barrier. As a newcomer and novice, accepting the auxiliary test would be the more appropriate choice.

Standing at the prescribed location, I created a baseball's volume of dark matter.

This black mass was not any kind of matter or phenomenon yet. According to physical definitions, it did not even count as existing.

Nevertheless, it was definitely on my palm.

Only Ds were capable of sensing their existence.

But not ordinary humans. Hence, scholars proposed a hypothesis.

Namely, the dark matter conjecture.

For example, humans were able to photograph an object from different angles using a camera. They were able to capture a three dimensional object into an arbitrary two dimensional planar photograph.

Similarly, this black substance could be transmuted into any arbitrary substance from the three dimensional world.

Hence, it was believed that this could be a higher dimensional substance—ergo, it was named dark matter.

Supposing dark matter was a fourth dimensional substance, then defining its existence would require four axes.

What would the fourth axis be? It was still currently unknown, but the most convincing suggestion was that it was something closely related to the mind.

Because dark matter's form would change according to the creator's will.

Despite having no mass, the dark matter on my hand produced a sensation.

Probably, Ds used their minds to sense dark matter.

Hence, just by adding force of willpower to the body's movements, a throw towards a location 50m away was possible!

"Y-You threw it!?"

Iris exclaimed in surprise but I ignored her. My gaze followed the black sphere closely.

I did not have the ability to generate dark matter suddenly at the far distance of 50m. Hence, I threw it then judged the distance visually. This was the best method I could currently think of.

...Slight deviation to the right.

When the sphere arrived above the marker, I transmuted the dark matter.

Voicing silently in my mind, I imposed limits on the possibilities of the dark matter that could turn into anything.

The image formed in my mind was a shield of iron. Acquiring mass, the dark matter fell almost vertically with a clang, planted on the ground.

If it were still dark matter, it would not make any sound, vanishing as soon as it touched mass. Hence, the sound of impact was evidence of transmutation.

Although it had fallen to the right of the marker, standing upright there was exactly the shield I had imagined.

However, it was only two meters in length, which was fine when fighting humans, but somewhat worrying against dragons.

Also, it was lacking in thickness. Rather than a shield of iron, it would be more apt to call it a plate of iron.

"..."

Mitsuki silently went to verify my shield. Because it was some distance away, I had nothing to do for the moment, so I turned to face Iris.

"Mononobe, that was way too..."

Iris was looking at me in exasperation.

"No good, I guess?"

"Yeah... Hmm, I think you'll get it after Mitsuki-chan explains."

Iris sighed. At this moment, Mitsuki returned with rapid footsteps.

"Nii-san."

Mitsuki stared coldly at me.

"Man... Don't make such a scary look. I did manage to make a shield."

"Yes, indeed it is a shield of iron, however—It is not only too small but also too thin. Something like that cannot be used as a shield. Added to that is the fact that throwing dark matter is a completely pointless move. It wastes too much time before transmutation completes and there was also a deviation from the target location."

"In other words, failure?"

"Indeed."

Mitsuki nodded clearly.

I guess using my usual method really did not work. Just as Mitsuki said earlier, my methods were apparently considered unorthodox in Midgard.

"Kyah! Mononobe failed too! We're comrades!"

"Don't get so happy over there!"

I retorted back at Iris who was overjoyed to find someone else in the same boat as her.

"Then next, Nii-san, please attempt to destroy the diamond, even though I have a bad feeling about this."

At Mitsuki's behest, I stood at the spot for aiming at the diamond. This time, the distance was 100m.

If attacking a target at long range, I could not think of anything apart from guns.

Anti-materiel armament—AT Ishtar.

I let the blueprint in my mind flow into the extracted dark matter, turning it into a long ranged anti-materiel weapon.

What appeared in my hand was an anti-materiel rifle similar in appearance to the Nergal.

The gun's body was longer than Nergal's. The grip was not meant to be held in one hand and the gun had to be held with the stock against the shoulder.

Although its design differed from ordinary firearms, its mass production model was also used by NIFL.

While the rifle's heavy mass weighed on my arms, my entire body instantly felt enveloped in a light sense of fatigue.

A D's ability was not an endless power.

Extracting dark matter required concentration and transmutation caused strain to the mind. Repeated use would cause extreme stress to accumulate in both the body and the mind.

"Sigh..."

I heard Mitsuki's heavy sigh from beside me.

It looked like this method was unorthodox too.

Although I felt the result was already decided, I still took a prone posture on the ground and aimed at the target. Ishtar's effective range easily exceeded a kilometer. Sniping a block of diamond 100m away was a piece of cake.

I pulled the trigger to snipe the diamond.

The gunshot echoed throughout the training site while a small amount of diamond fragments flew apart.

"How's that? It caused a bit of damage—"

I looked up at Mitsuki and inquired, but seeing her expression that read "utterly hopeless," I could not bring myself to finish my sentence.

"So wrong it is absurd, Nii-san. Lack of firepower is admittedly an issue, but if weapons were going to be used, there would be no need to deploy Ds in the first place. Just leave things to soldiers equipped with existing weapons. What we are hoping for are more practical and destructive ways of attack."

"Even if you say that... I can't think of any other ways. I can only make a shield of that size. Mitsuki, you should know the amount of dark matter I can generate each time, right?"

Although I was answering Mitsuki, Iris was the one who reacted.

"Really? How much can you generate each time, Mononobe?"

"In the case of transmutation, roughly ten kilograms after conversion. That's my limit."

"T-Ten kilograms!? Are you using the wrong unit!? Ignoring issues of control, every D without exception can make at least ten tons, you know?"

"Kilogram is the right unit. Do you wanna have a look at my dragon mark? The size of a dragon mark will change according to the ability to generate dark matter. After seeing it, you'll understand the gap between us."

With self-deprecation, I showed her the back of my left hand.

"Eh? Where is it?"

"Here... This is it."

"No way—This tiny pattern? Liar... Is yours that tiny, Mononobe? So tiny... Too tiny!"

"Stop calling me tiny! It's very hurtful!"

Her words stabbed into my heart. I cried out while enduring the mental trauma.

"I like Nii-san's dragon mark. It is like a little snake, very cute."

"Uh... Your defense actually makes me feel worse."

Mitsuki's comment made me hang my head in dejection. Iris left me on the side and walked over to the auxiliary test position.

"Iris-san, are you intending to use mithril to create a shield again?"

"Eh, that is my intention..."

Upon hearing Iris' answer, Mitsuki made a strict look. I thought she was going to tell Iris to stop, but after some consideration, Mitsuki said:

"Indeed, it would not be training if there is a fear of failure... But considering the possibility of explosions, please lower the transmutation amount as much as possible."

"O-Okay. I get it."

Hearing Mitsuki's serious suggestion, Iris nodded in agreement then manifested her staff of dark matter.

"Caduceus!"

Aiming the staff at the target, she chanted words like an incantation.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

Multiple pieces of dark matter appeared near the target marker. As before, her precision was the only thing correct.

"O holy silver, transform!"

BOOM!

Just like last time, an explosion happened in the middle of transmutation.

I knew it...

Because the result was as expected, Mitsuki and I were not surprised. Due to the smaller amounts, the air current from the explosion only managed to blow strands of hair.

"A-Ahaha... Umm, Mitsuki-chan... Can I try the attacking test too?"

Iris smiled dryly and asked Mitsuki.

"No problem... But do not perform excessively dangerous transmutations, okay?"

"Okay, no problem! Because what I'm transmuting is the safest substance, air."

Iris forced a smile and replied then moved to the marked location.

Will she be okay?

Attacking a block of diamond should be harder than making a shield.

I watched over Iris in worry.

Iris faced the diamond, raised her staff and chanted an incantation. This time, dark matter appeared in front of her staff.

She intended to accelerate the mass transmuted from dark matter to smash into the diamond, right? It would not count as an attack unless the impact was raised in such a painstaking manner.

Staring at the target, Iris called out in a shrill voice:

"O bullet of wind, crush it!"

Powerful wind began to blow in Iris' surroundings. The blowing dust made the wind's currents vaguely visible. Iris looked like she intended to fire a projectile of a massive amount of compressed air.

Diamond was surprisingly fragile against pure shock, hence this was not a bad choice. Depending on the air's compression ratio and speed, perhaps it could produce an impact capable of breaking diamond.

But things would be bad if this move failed...

Although she was using harmless air, in order to create a projectile of compressed air, she had transmuted quite a large amount, if she were to accidentally lose control—

BOOM!!

"Kyawa!?"

The foreboding feeling came true. The compressed air exploded, blowing Iris into the air.

"Iris!"

Prepared in advance, I instantly dashed towards where she was going to fall.

Arriving calmly this time, I caught the falling Iris.

"Seriously... You're always getting blown away."

I supported Iris' body with both arms and sighed.

"T-Thank you... Mononobe."

Perhaps feeling ashamed of her failure, she was blushing when she thanked me. That look of hers was especially adorable, forcing me to become aware of the current situation. Feeling Iris' body warmth and suppleness up close, it made my heart begin to pound.

"Although I expected it... You're not good at controlling the transmutation of air, right? It exploded in front of you just now, didn't it?"

"Yeah... Because air is so intangible, it's difficult to imagine... It feels like even if I want to control it, the air slips out from between my fingers... Then it explodes in a weird place."

"That's really... tough."

"It is very tough..."

We both sighed heavily.

At our first encounter at the beach, Iris was probably blown away in a similar manner.

"Nii-san, Iris-san, how much longer do you plan on sticking to each other?"

Mitsuki walked over and glared at us harshly.

"Oh..."

Iris and I looked at each other from up close then frantically separated.

"Helping each other is a good thing but please refrain from excessive skin contact."

"Y-Yes..."

"Very well, after witnessing your practice attempts, I think I can offer some advice based on what I saw."

Saying that, Mitsuki pointed at me first.

"Given Nii-san's volume of dark matter generation, making an acceptable shield is impossible. Hence, please give up on the auxiliary test."

"Man... You're totally merciless. That means I can only try the diamond breaking challenge?"

"Correct, but the use of real firearms and ammunition is forbidden. Please take the test by creating a fictional armament like the rest of us. As for the form of your armament... Right, how about a gun, since you are so adept at using guns? If you fire dark matter by picturing a bullet, your speed and accuracy should increase."

Apparently, damaging the diamond by shooting it with a gun like just now was not within assessment standards.

However, that could not be helped. If anti-materiel rifles of this level worked in actual combat, NIFL would have taken out Basilisk a long time ago.

In order to pass the test, there was no other way apart from learning effective attacks against dragons in the Midgard way of doing things.

"A fictional armament as a gun huh... I remember you said it's best to reference weapons of legend as the prototype, right? But there aren't any legends about guns, a modern weapon, are there?"

"I think not... Just interpreting it loosely is fine. Ultimately, what matters is that you do not cause accidental transmutation, so even a fictional firearm of your own creation would be fine."

"That's really vague..."

I grumbled, only to see Mitsuki's displeased look.

"Precisely because you need to make a vague fictional weapon, that is why it is better to be more vague. But for you, Nii-san, whose imagination is lacking, perhaps it might be too tall an order. Shall I help you think of one?"

"Sure... You're right, Mitsuki. Thanks."

Because I did not think I was suited to the task either, I agreed with Mitsuki's suggestion.

"Understood. Then let us first decide the name, let me think... I believe Siegfried is a very cool name."

Mitsuki gazed at me with especially excited eyes. I think I might have turned on some kind of weird switch in her.

"Siegfried, you say... I remember that's a hero's name rather than a weapon, right?"

"Although not a weapon, he is a master archer. Close enough in traits!"

"Close enough...?"

I tilted my head in puzzlement, but Mitsuki ignored me and continued:

"It is an image! Just an image! Please think of it as a powerful gun. You get too hung up on trivial details, Nii-san. Do you not find your blood boiling with excitement after hearing this name!?"

Mitsuki clenched her fist before her chest while she asserted to me forcefully.

In the end, so that was the most important point.

Mitsuki liked acting cool since a long time ago. Simply stated, she was predisposed to eighth grader syndrome and it looked like the precursor of that syndrome had been quietly growing for the past three years.

"...Got it, anyway, so let's name it Siegfried."

Under Mitsuki's hard sell, I reluctantly agreed.

"Great! I will sketch the overall shape for you later! Please use it for reference when imagining it!"

Mitsuki nodded especially happily. The way she looked still showed a little of her innocence from three years ago remaining.

Then Mitsuki came back to her senses, controlled her expression and coughed lightly.

"Ahem, so next is Iris-san."

"Yes!"

Iris instantly stood with her back very straight, waiting for Mitsuki's advice.

"Because your air projectile is too unstable, Iris-san, you should probably focus on shield construction in the auxiliary test. However... Even if you do that, it is honestly quite uncertain whether you could succeed in time for the test next week. After all, I have never heard of any precedent for explosions arising in the process of transmuting mithril."

I interjected and asked:

"Is mithril exploding that rare?"

"You can say it is impossible. Mithril is the most sturdy and stable substance. Even if the transmutation failed, the metal proportions might be wrong or changed into similar metals... Probably something along those lines. The chances of mixing an explosive substance into it are extremely low."

"In a certain sense, she is quite amazing huh..."

"Yes, perhaps it could be called a kind of talent. Although people might be better or worse at transmutation due to variations in personality or inborn disposition, since it involves one's imagination... Iris-san is the only D who causes explosions no matter what she transmutes."

Mitsuki nodded somewhat sardonically.

However, her comment brought a flash of inspiration to me.

"In short, Iris cannot do what is perfectly natural, but unintentionally achieves what other Ds can't do even if they wanted to?"

"Wah!?"

Iris looked like she was almost into tears.

"Rather than a talent... It would be better to call it a disposition that is completely opposite. If that's the case, it's probably futile no matter how much you practice something you're not suited to."

"Mononobe... You're so mean, don't put it so bluntly..."

Iris looked at me like she was about to cry.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not trying to put you down, rather, I'm praising you. Iris, you have a talent that's unique to you. Seeing as that's the case, you only need to hone that talent. There's no need to force yourself to do the same things as the other people around you."

"A talent... unique to me?"

"Yeah, Iris, instead of shield construction, you should focus on your talent—Blow up that thing."

I smiled proudly and pointed to the block of diamond.

===Part 5===

Everyday life was something that would pass day by day before you knew it, as soon as time started to flow.

Whether the tropical island scenery that I initially mistook for a parallel world, the school filled with female students, or the vibes of not fitting in the class, everything gradually became so matter-of-fact.

In just a few days, I already felt like I had been living this current life since a long time ago. The previous everyday life seemed so distant instead.

Getting up every morning at 6:30 to eat breakfast with Mitsuki then go to school, attending lessons on ordinary subjects, taking care of lunch through the snack shop or the cafeteria, attending D-related courses in the afternoon, staying after school to train on days when the training site was free.

The days passed like that and it was finally the day before the test.

Because it was a holiday today, there were no classes and the whole day could be used for training.

Under Mitsuki's supervision, Iris and I had been carrying out our final special training since morning.

"Ahhh, I'm so hungry... I can't move anymore, Mononobe..."

Using up all her physical energy on repeated transmutations, Iris was lying on the ground, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"...I'm hungry too. I'm heading to the snack shop so let me buy you something while I'm at it. What do you want?"

Left without a choice, I could only ask her proactively. Iris suddenly sat up and recited her demands.

"Yakisoba bread, curry bread, porkchop cutlet sandwich, club sandwich and a donut for dessert!"

"...That's a lot."

"Because I'm so famished!"

"I'm not responsible if you get fat."

I reminded her, causing Iris to immediately go "ooh" and fall silent.

"I-It's okay! I will work even harder to consume the calories I ate!"

"Fine. Mitsuki, how do you want to take care of lunch?"

I asked Mitsuki who seemed to be working on her portable terminal.

"Please buy me bread. Apart from curry bread, anything will do. Also, a drink."

Afraid of spicy food, Mitsuki answered without even looking at me.

"Got it, then I'll go buy the stuff."

I left them behind in the training site and took the elevator to the first floor of the school building.

The snack shop was located in the catering building linked to the school building through a corridor. To accommodate the different ethnicities and nationalities of the Ds, the catering building was divided into Japanese, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and other areas.

Arranged in the first floor of the catering building was a cafeteria as well as all kinds of vendor spaces.

After buying lunch for Iris, Mitsuki and myself, I was just about to return directly to the training site when I noticed familiar students seated inside the cafeteria.

My classmates Lisa, Firill, Ren and Ariella were sitting around the same table.

Although I felt hesitant on what I should do, presented with this rare opportunity, I walked over to them.

Though I did not expect a friendly response even if I greeted them, I knew I would never be able to get closer to my classmates if I let fear prevent me from taking steps forward.

"Uh, ''hello''~"

"...Why are you suddenly speaking in English?"

Probably having noticed my presence early on, Lisa glared viciously at me as soon as I greeted them.

"Uh, I was thinking you seem European-born, Lisa."

"You are indeed correct... But there is no need for you to think so much. That would only fill me with disgust."

"Really? Then good day to you."

"Yes, good day to you—Oh no, I greeted accidentally! You laid another trap for me!"

Lisa accused me angrily. She probably remembered her declaration to never greet me.

"Sorry, I did that on purpose just now."

I replied honestly.

"Eww! What pleasure is there in making fun of me!?"

"I'm not making fun of you. But to be honest, it makes me glad that I can talk to you."

"What..."

Lisa's face went red, her mouth opening and closing, unable to speak.

"After all, Lisa, you're the only one who answers me..."

I sighed and looked at my other classmates. Although they all saw me, none of them responded, unlike Lisa.

But I did not get disheartened here. Renewing my spirits, I said to Firill who was sitting opposite to Lisa:

"It's rare to see you girls gathered together outside of the classroom."

"...Really?"

Originally eating a sandwich, Firill paused and tilted her head in puzzlement. Her neat bangs swayed accordingly.

"Yeah, because all of you tend to leave the classroom separately during lunch breaks, right? I thought you would never do things together."

Hearing that, Firil looked at me, somewhat displeased.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v01_119.jpg|thumb]]

"...Nothing of that sort. It's very normal to have lunch together if we meet up by coincidence."

"It's coincidence?"

Firill nodded.

Someone tugged my sleeve from the side. Ren showed me her portable terminal.

'While Ariella and I were having lunch, Lisa and Firill happened to come, but we didn't call for you.'

Ren glared at me a little uneasily.

"...You're right, you didn't call for me, but there shouldn't be any problem with chatting, right? Eh? There's something on your face."

I reached out and took off the bread crumb stuck on Ren's cheek.

"!?"

Ren instantly went red in the face and shook her head, making "Mm! Mm!" growls in her mouth.

"Oh sorry, I couldn't help it..."

Accidentally doing what I used to do with Mitsuki when we were young, I apologized to Ren.

"Mm!"

Ren pouted and waved her hand to shoo me away.

"...I got it. I won't disturb your meal anymore."

I sighed but just as I turned around to leave, a unexpected voice stopped me.

"Hold on."

I looked back to see Ariella staring straight at me.

"What's up?"

"I remember you are currently doing something like special training with Iris, right?"

"Not just ''something like'' special training, but special training for real. We started this morning. I came here to buy lunch."

I showed Ariella the bag filled with bread.

"Oh... Any progress?"

"You're curious?"

I asked her in return and Ariella nodded honestly.

"Yeah. Currently, Iris might not only fail to bolster our forces but even drag us down. If her abilities have improved, I'd feel very glad."

"You don't sound very hopeful."

Hearing me, Ariella shrugged.

"Can't be helped, Iris hasn't improved at all in the past year after transferring here. I don't think a few days of special training could change her much."

"...You're so upfront with your words, Ariella."

"Are you offended?"

Ariella peered at me and asked.

"No, I'm not. I like this kind of personality."

"L-Like?"

I answered her honestly but for some reason, Ariella acted awkwardly.

"What's wrong?"

"I-Is that a confession? It's a confession, right!?"

Hearing Ariella ask me with a red face, I panicked as well.

"Huh? How did things get to that kind of topic?"

"N-No...? Y-You are such a thoughtless guy. Don't say this kind of thing lightly to girls."

Ariella glared at me with a serious look.

"Although it wasn't a confession, I didn't say it lightly either. I simply said what I actually thought. So, what I'm going to say next is serious too. Ariella, in the test tomorrow, Iris will surely surprise you. I guarantee that to all of you."

Hearing me, Lisa and the others frowned. All of them showed skepticism on their faces.

Amidst all this, Ariella was the only one laughing with delight.

"How confident you are, but I still don't believe you, so I can't believe what you just said. Tomorrow, if I find out you're not lying, I'll revise my opinion of you."

"Good, you should look forward to it."

I nodded but Lisa interrupted at this time.

"You keep talking about Iris-san, but what about yourself? Since you are doing special training, I hope you will show us some results."

"I basically have results already. I finally managed to make a fictional armament not too long ago."

Hearing my answer, Lisa only felt exasperated.

"What...? Isn't that the most basic of basics!? You are training from that level? In such a state, you can't possibly pass the test!"

"It is very difficult for sure, but I will do my best. Bye now."

I waved and left their table for real this time.

Feeling their gazes against my back, I walked out of the catering building to get back to Iris and Mitsuki.

After lunch, we resumed the special training...

===Part 6===

"Well then, let the test begin to select the Dragon Subjugation Squad for the battle against Basilisk."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice echoed in the vast underground space.

After spending a whole day on special training, I slept especially well and the next day, the test, arrived in the blink of an eye.

Like last time, we were gathered in training site number three. Volunteers began the test first.

"I shall show off first."

The first to be tested was Lisa Highwalker. Tossing her long blonde hair, she walked up front.

"Watch, Mononobe Yuu! I will make you understand what is called a gap in levels!"

Perhaps thinking of yesterday's conversation, Lisa stared only at me when she spoke.

The very image of confidence, she walked over there with her chest out and head held high, arriving at the spot to target the diamond.

"Gungnir!"

Lisa's fictional armament was apparently a spear. Holding the golden shining spear at waist height, she aimed the sharp spear tip at the block of diamond.

"Here I go—Pierce, flare!"

The spear tip emitted a brilliant glow, shooting out a flash of light. The light pierced the diamond, boring a hole in the wall behind.

"A-A laser beam..."

Watching from afar, I could not help but mutter in shock. Diamond was not a particularly heat-resistant material, hence attacking with heat was a correct decision. But to instantly bore a large hole in diamond, that firepower was extraordinary.

Rather than a laser, this move would be closer to a positron cannon.

Lisa achieved the task easily and returned to the standby area proudly.

"Hmph."

Lisa leaned her back against the wall, taunting me with her gaze. Her expression seemed to be saying: Just try it if you think you can.

This competitiveness was not a bad thing. Back in my NIFL days, this was commonplace. It filled me with fighting spirit instead.

Next to be tested was the bibliophile, Firill. Gazing at the diamond with tired eyes, she raised one hand in front of her chest.

"Come—Necronomicon."

Firill shaped the dark matter into a book's form and held it on her hand. As though reciting an incantation, she said:

"Aero Blast Quartet."

I heard four consecutive sounds of heavy impacts then shattered diamond fragments scattered in the air.

It was probably four shots of extremely compressed air projectiles, aimed at the exactly same place. A truly astounding show of force.

Apparently, like Iris, she pictured magic to perform transmutation. Judging from this, so-called picturing magic seemed to offer much more freedom than using a weapon.

Then it was Ren. She apparently chose to break diamond instead of participating in the auxiliary test.

"...Mjolnir."

Ren raised her slender arm to the air and lightly spoke the name of the fictional armament to be manifested. Then a hammer several times her body size appeared in her hand.

The hammer could be seen growing gigantic in size, almost reaching the ceiling. Even though I knew in my mind that it was massless dark matter, it was still a strange scene lacking in balance.

That kind of generated volume was extraordinary. Converted into matter, let alone ten tons, it might even reach a hundred times more than that.

"Mm."

Ren then swung the enlarged hammer down. In the process of falling, the hammer grew even larger. Finally, the hammer's tip arrived on top of the diamond.

Then the hammer's tip glowed red and started to materialize. Obtaining mass, the hammer accelerated towards the diamond, drawn by gravity.

Unable to withstand that kind of shock and weight, the diamond shattered.

Ren walked back nonchalantly. Next to step up was Ariella. She walked over to the auxiliary test's position.

"Sensei, I choose this side."

Ariella informed Shinomiya-sensei of her intent to take the shield making challenge. Raising her right hand to shoulder height, she called out sharply:

"Aegis."

Dark matter instantly covered Ariella's right arm. Her fictional armament looked like a gauntlet.

"Deploy shield."

Ariella swung her right arm and yelled. Spherical dark matter instantly appeared over the marked spot 50m away. Like Iris, Ariella seemed to have excellent spatial awareness.

The dark matter gradually turned into a giant wall and not just one, it was a multi-layered structure.

Compared to the thin iron plate I created earlier, it was on a completely different level.

Ariella easily passed the test. When returning, she whispered to me:

"...Show me proof of what you said yesterday."

"Yeah."

I nodded affirmatively.

Because Mitsuki seemed to be standing in the same position as Shinomiya-sensei, supervising the test together, only Iris and I were left.

"So Iris, I'll go first?"

"Sure, good luck! Mononobe, do your best!"

With Iris' energetic blessing, I walked over to the diamond side.

"What... Are you serious?"

Lisa cried out in disbelief. She probably did not expect me to choose the more difficult side.

"I'm serious, because this is the only test which I have a chance of passing."

I smiled wryly at Lisa and answered, then stood in position.

I knew quite well this was very difficult.

But to give courage to Iris who was taking the test next, I hoped I could succeed.

"—Siegfried."

I focused to change the form of the generated dark matter.

Appearing in my right hand was a large-caliber ornamental gun.

This was the fictional armament belonging to me, based on the sketch Mitsuki had given me.

Because the gun's body seemed quite small compared to its caliber, were it a real gun, one would worry whether such a design could withstand the recoil of a shot, but since this was purely dark matter whose shape had been altered, there was no need to worry about practicality.

The gun glowed with faint phosphorescence. Although I was trying hard to keep it in the dark matter stage, due to sensing the image in my mind, the gun's body still caused some slight transmutation.

That was the reason why dark matter, which was supposed to be black, had color after being turned into fictional armaments.

Holding this Siegfried, I was finally standing at Midgard's starting line.

But this fictional armament probably could not be used in the same way as Lisa's and the other girls'.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low. To create Siegfried, I had already used almost my entire output.

Even after making their fictional armaments, Lisa and the others still had spare capacity to perform another summoning of dark matter. Consuming the dark matter in the fictional armament would be an emergency measure only used as a last resort.

But I had no choice but to use that emergency last resort. Even by keeping consumption at a minimum, including the amount used to create Siegfried, the amount of dark matter I could fire as bullets was only three shots at most. And firing consecutively was not possible either. Once consumed, even the fictional armament itself would disappear.

That meant I had to repeat the step of creating Siegfried all over again. This dead time could sometimes be fatal in real combat.

Hence, I must use these three shots of dark matter cautiously. However—

It would be pointless to save on consumption here. I had to gather all my dark matter to concentrate in one shot.

I aimed the muzzle at the block of diamond 100m away.

Even so, I did not know if this would bring the result I sought.

Although I had practiced repeatedly before the test, my success rate was below 50%.

Right now, all I could do was try my best. That was all.

Telling myself that, I started to conceptualize the image.

Then I was going to perform the initial transmutation of air.

I chose air not because it was simple but because even a dark matter generating capacity of merely ten kilograms would have a volume of over ten thousand liters once transmuted into air. By compressing that air, it was possible to obtain a massive amount of heat as well as the necessary hardness.

But that also required controlling it well—

"Air Bullet."

I spoke as though tracing out the outline of my mental image.

When performing transmutation, the step of voicing things out was not particularly required, but language would help stabilize the image. For the sake of raising the success rate as much as possible, I had to use words to describe what I was transmuting next.

I slowly increased the pressure on the trigger and transmitted the image over.

Without a sufficient compression ratio, the bullet would not bring out enough power.

Conversely, if the compression ratio was too high, particle collisions would turn the superheated air into plasma, releasing all the energy and disappearing before it struck the target.

I had always performed pure transmutation in the past, so my control of this type of thought-driven power was quite crude.

Fire.

Speaking softly in my mind, I pulled the trigger.

In that instant, the dark matter in the fictional armament was completely transmuted into a bullet of air. Siegfried vanished.

The air bullet that was fired was not supposed to be visible to the naked eye.

But my eyes captured some faint white light.

Crap, did it create plasma?

Then silence spread.

There was no sound of an air bullet striking the block of diamond. The plasmafied bullet probably had not struck the diamond.

"See, all bravado without a plan. It's not too late to start now. I believe you would be best advised to attempt the auxiliary test instead."

Lisa broke the silence and spoke as though boasting of victory.

Shinomiya-sensei nodded too and said as though trying to persuade me:

"Indeed, this test is too difficult for a novice. How about you switch to constructing a shield?"

Even if they said that, a large enough shield was impossible due to my low dark matter generating capacity. Hence, for me, that test was completely impossible to pass.

As much as I hated to admit defeat, this was the best I could do. I could only give up on the test.

"No, I have already—"

I was about to decline Shinomiya-sensei's offer of the auxiliary test.

However, Mitsuki interrupted this time.

"Excuse me, please wait a moment. I believe it is too soon to discuss results."

Mitsuki walked over to the block of diamond with clearly heard footsteps.

Seeing that, Lisa frowned and scolded her.

"Mitsuki-san, have you not given up yet? Even if he is your relative, one would be hard pressed to approve of your prejudice in favoring him."

"I am not favoring him but merely inspecting fairly."

Mitsuki walked while answering, stopping next to the diamond.

Anyone would think it was a failure from a glance, but Mitsuki seemed to have sensed something unusual.

She carefully examined the diamond then turned her head back to us and said loudly:

"Next to the hole bored by Lisa-san, I have discovered an inconspicuous but carbonized portion! Since it is found on the front and back of the diamond, it is very likely the traces left behind by the penetration of a super high-temperature object."

"What..."

Lisa exclaimed in shock but I was equally surprised.

"Oh...?"

Shinomiya-sensei's expression changed and she walked over to Mitsuki.

The two of them conversed at the diamond for a while then returned before me.

"Hmm... There is indeed a carbonized portion but there is no mark on the wall behind... The bullet probably plasmafied only during the instant of penetrating the diamond. Mononobe Yuu, was this an outcome within your expectation?"

Shinomiya-sensei directed her sharp gaze towards me.

"Huh? Oh no... I only did it by chance."

If I claimed it as my own power now, perhaps I might pass the test, but I answered honestly.

What I originally predicted was striking the diamond with the air bullet, shattering it. I did not think of using plasmafication's heat to carbonize the diamond.

Even if I was asked to do it again, due to the difficulty in adjusting the timing and compression, I would probably fail.

"Hmm, that's quite a shame. Judging purely from this one attack, this would be very intricate and efficient transmutation... The probability of causing effective damage to Basilisk is very high. But if you can't do it at will, you have not reached the level required for the Dragon Subjugation Squad."

"Then I guess I failed, after all?"

Hearing me ask that, Shinomiya-sensei crossed her arms and made a troubled look.

"Hmm... But you did succeed during the test after all. In any case, I'll pass you and have you listed as a reserve member. Although you cannot be considered combat potential right now, depending on your future growth, promoting you to take part in the battle against Basilisk is not impossible, so work hard and strive for progress."

"T-Thank you very much!"

My stiff shoulders instantly relaxed then I thanked Shinomiya-sensei.

But when I returned to the standby area, Lisa glared at me like she found things difficult to accept.

"A mere coincidence on one occasion, I shall not approve! And even if you could use that attack in a well-trained manner, the fact of your vast inferiority to me is still clearly evident!"

Lisa pointed at the diamond and declared.

The laser-bored hole was visible clearly even at this distance, but the carbonized hole was almost invisible. This indicated the gap between our firepower.

"Yeah, you girls are amazing, Lisa. I understand that clearly now, after this test. It's true that I am vastly inferior to you girls."

"M-My, you are unexpectedly honest."

Lisa showed surprise on her face as she tilted her head in puzzlement.

"I am accepting results honestly. But though I am a reserve member, since the teacher passed me, it means there are things I can accomplish. As a member of Midgard, I will work hard to assist everyone."

"Hmph... We have no need of your power! Having us is enough."

"But Shinomiya-sensei told me to work hard and improve."

Hearing that, Lisa wavered a little but immediately retorted.

"That is... merely etiquette! The teacher only said that to be considerate for Mitsuki-san's feelings!"

"Considerate for Mitsuki... There's no need, right? Shinomiya-sensei's rank is higher."

I felt speechless but Lisa puffed out her chest and asserted as though she had some kind of proof:

"She must be worried about not getting to eat Mitsuki-san's sweets again! As reluctant as I am to admit it, the sweets Mitsuki-san occasionally makes for us are quite a delicacy! Addictive with just a single bite, even Shinomiya-sensei must find it impossible to resist that kind of temptation."

"Wow... Are Mitsuki's sweets that delicious?"

This was my first time hearing of this. Because the menus were usually left to the housework robots, I did not know that Mitsuki's cooking had improved so much.

Perhaps these sweets were an important contribution to Mitsuki's overwhelming popularity.

Bribery with food... These words crossed my mind.

"Your face suggests you are thinking something rude, you know?"

"...You're overthinking things. But anyway, please confirm your allegations regarding sweets with Shinomiya-sensei herself."

Lisa's grumbling looked like it was going to continue for a long time, so I prepared to leave.

"Wait! Mononobe Yuu! I haven't finished talking yet!"

Getting rid of the persistently harassing Lisa, I returned to my original spot, only to see Iris clapping to greet me.

"Clap clap, Mononobe, congratulations!"

Seeing Iris smiling happily for me as though she had passed the test herself, I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I only passed as a reserve member. Okay, you're next, Iris."

"Y-Yes... I will do my best!"

Iris stood up and walked over to the block of diamond.

"Just do the same as during training. Give everyone a big surprise. Let them never dare call you a poorly performing student again."

"Yes!!"

Iris looked back and nodded in agreement then reached the spot to aim at the diamond.

After informing Shinomiya-sensei she was not taking the auxiliary test, she manifested her staff of dark matter.

"Caduceus!"

Iris pointed the staff's tip at the diamond then focused. Seeing that, Lisa came to talk to me.

"...Mononobe Yuu."

"What's the matter? If you still want to continue the conversation just now, I'll have to ask you to give me a break."

"No, shelve that conversation for now. What is important now is... Aren't you going to rescue Iris-san? She will surely be blown away again, won't she?"

Rather than sarcastic, her tone was more worried. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's right, it will probably be blown away—I mean the diamond."

"What... Are you serious? You heard Ariella-san yesterday at the cafeteria, didn't you? Iris-san is hopeless as a poorly performing student. Her memory is poor, she is not smart enough. No matter how hard she tries, she is just a silly kid who is wasting her effort."

Seeing that I had made no move to help Iris, Lisa frantically tried to persuade me.

"Yeah... I guess that might be true. But even while saying that, you're actually observing her quite closely."

"N-Nothing of that sort! We have been in the same class for a year already, so understanding her is only natural. Ever since transferring here, Iris-san has never succeeded in using her power before, even the most basic air bullet also—"

"What Iris wants to do is not transmuting dark matter into air."

I interrupted Lisa.

"Eh... Could it be a transmutation of even greater difficulty? That would be even more impossible!"

"Okay, just watch. You'll surely be surprised."

Saying that, I turned my gaze back to Iris.

She could be heard chanting a spell quietly.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond—"

Multiple black spheres of dark matter appeared in the diamond's surroundings. Iris' excellent spatial awareness had correct judged the distance of 100m.

Then staring at the diamond, Iris recited:

"—O holy silver, explode!"

The dark matter gathered in a point then turned into mithril shining with silver luster.

It was like how she wanted to create a shield last time. But during transmutation this time, countless bulges appeared on the mithril.

Then the entire thing expanded—It exploded.

BOOM!!

The mithril's sharp fragments were sent flying, accompanied by a silver-white explosion. Mithril of maximum hardness smashed and penetrated the diamond, causing it to break apart.

That destructive power far surpassed my plasma bullet. Because Iris had giving them directionality, the fragments only flew forward.

After the special training after school, we came to understand one thing. As long as Iris was aiming for an explosion, she could control things to a certain extent.

"What a... unique talent."

I said with a wry smile. From a dragon's standpoint, it would be like a mithril grenade suddenly appearing in front of it. This would most likely become a means of attack to inflict definite damage on dragons.

"No way... To think that Iris-san would...?"

Lisa looked at the destroyed diamond, her entire body stunned. Normally expressionless, Firill and Ren also showed surprised looks on their faces.

Ariella stood up to applaud for Iris. She had no patience for those lacking in power but conversely, she would offer her respect if one could win her approval. That seemed to be Ariella's personality.

"Iris Freyja, you pass."

Shinomiya-sensei also seemed to be in a state of surprise as she announced the test result to Iris.

Hearing this, Iris instantly had a smile all over her face. Then turning towards me, she dashed at full speed.

"H-Hey!?"

"I did it! Mononobe!!"

With momentum from her sprint, she hugged me. In order to dissipate the impact, I spun her several times, keeping my balance with much difficulty.

"What are you doing so suddenly—"

I was just about to complain when I saw Iris' face in front of my eyes. Feeling the warmth from her body, tightly pressed against me, I could not help but forget what I was going to say.

"Thank you, Mononobe... Thank you!"

Leaning her face against my chest, Iris kept thanking me.

—Was she that happy?

During this past year, Iris had always been treated as a poorly performing student. I could not imagine what it felt like. Despite a strong will to keep trying, her power did not reach standards. This chagrin was something only Iris herself could understand.

However, the emotional stress accumulated would be quite heavy.

—Anyway, I'll just wait until her emotions calm down.

Although the surrounding gazes concerned me too, I could not bring myself to push Iris away by force. I could only pat her silver hair gently and praise her for passing the test.

"Nii-san, remember what I said about refraining from excessive skin contact—"

Hurrying over, Mitsuki also sighed after seeing the way Iris looked.

"—Thirty more seconds only."

Then Mitsuki feigned indifference and said that.
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| Forward to [[Unlimited_Fafnir:Volume_1_Chapter_3|Chapter 3]]
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Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 1 Chapter 2

2020-05-17T01:06:03Z

Nikkivicious: /* Part 4 */

==Chapter 2 - Witch of Silver Explosions==

===Part 1===

Seeing the white room, I was reminded of my first encounter with ''him''.

Yes, it was three years ago.

After I surrendered myself as a D, I was injected with some kind of drug and fell unconscious. By the time I woke up, I was in a cramped room.

The ceiling, floor and walls were all pure white. Standing in front of me was a young man in military uniform.

—Who is he? Someone I know? Or someone I just met?

I had no idea no matter how hard I thought. With one exception, everything seemed so fuzzy and unclear.

Staring at me, the man then spoke:

"...Although the cause is unknown, you happen to be broken just right. That plus your rare talent makes me like you very much."

The man's voice was very loud, strong and forceful as though he did not permit anyone to miss his words.

"How about it? Do you want to work under me? It's very meaningful work. You'll be able to save hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands of people. You are definitely very suited to the job."

I was unable to answer despite being asked a question.

Because I was gagged. My arms and legs were tied up too.

Looking at me, the man smiled and extended his hand towards me. I thought he was going to take out the object stuffed in my mouth—But the man ended up grabbing me by the hair.

Forcing my head down with a push, he compelled me to nod.

"Really? So you agree? Thank you. From today onwards, you are my subordinate."

The man smiled while he spoke.

An indescribable chill instantly ran along my spine. This was not a conversation, it was merely a formality.

Only then did I finally realize that my fate had already been decided.

Coming from this man's mouth was my future, my destiny ahead.

"You'll definitely achieve it. You'll definitely become a killer who can save thousands, billions—"

===Part 2===

"Eh, where is this place?"

"Sigh... You finally woke up. It's already after school. This is the infirmary, Iris. I brought you here after you fainted."

Iris blinked and stared at the white ceiling while I explained to her.

After the explosion from the failed transmutation of mithril, Shinomiya-sensei instantly contacted the administration. A woman calling herself the school nurse soon arrived.

Although the nurse said Iris was fine without significant injury, she was still sent to rest in the infirmary just to be on the safe side. I stayed behind voluntarily to look after her.

Later on, that nurse had to go out to attend to certain matters, thus leaving Iris and me alone at the moment.

"Mononobe...? Ahhh... I messed up again, right?"

She seemed to be linking up her memories. With a gloomy expression, Iris murmured.

"Yeah, the explosion blew you away completely. A big failure that couldn't be more simple and obvious."

"You're so blunt... Shouldn't you encourage and console me at a time like this?"

Iris said with a wry smile.

"Half-assed encouragement to give you baseless hope would only make you repeat the same failure—or it could even make things worse. People who can't confront their failures tend to die early—That's what I learned at NIFL."

"Confront failures..."

"Yeah, Iris, besides, you were probably thinking you'd succeed as long as you tried hard, right?"

"H-How did you know!?"

Iris made a look surprise.

"I could tell from the way you looked before the training."

"A-Am I a big failure?"

"Yeah, you were a big failure today, Iris."

I nodded in agreement. Iris slumped her shoulders and asked again in a small voice:

"An idiot, airheaded and useless?"

"Currently speaking, perhaps there's no way you can deny these kinds of criticisms."

"Really...? Then I guess it's impossible for me to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad..."

Iris sighed heavily.

"You want to join the Dragon Subjugation Squad, Iris? But that's the most dangerous job, putting yourself on the frontlines, you know?"

"Yes... Because that's my reason for coming to Midgard."

Iris nodded to confirm then spoke as though looking out into the distance:

"I... until a year ago, I've always lived an ordinary life in the outside world. But when I was on a ship with my family, the white dragon—'White' Leviathan—happened to pass nearby... Causing our ship to sink."

"A dragon disaster huh..."

I muttered angrily. Disasters caused simply from the movement of dragons were called dragon disasters. Three years ago, Mitsuki and I had similarly encountered a dragon disaster caused by "Blue" Hekatonkheir.

"That's right... Because of the dragon disaster, everyone died. My powers awakened for the first time then... I was the sole survivor."

The smile surfaced on Iris' face did not carry her usual cheerfulness. Instead, it contained an element of self-deprecation.

"Because no one saw me use my powers at the time, I could have kept quiet and continued living outside... But I admitted my identity as a D on my own."

"...You intend to take revenge against the dragons?"

"How should I say this...? Actually, I don't have any negative obsession like hatred in my heart... But I think I must step forward to fight. It's for this reason that I survived."

Looking at me, Iris' eyes shone with strong determination.

Seeing those unwavering eyes, I could not help but gasp. Back in the past when Mitsuki declared she would protect the town, she had shown the same eyes too.

"...That means you still don't intend to give up, right?"

"Huh?"

"Although you just said that joining the Dragon Subjugation Squad is impossible, you don't intend to give up on the test, right?"

"T-That goes without saying! Even though I might still fail... I will try my hardest!"

Hearing the expected answer, I smiled.

"Like I said, just working hard isn't enough. You've got to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

"Urgh... I understand this logic, but even if I understand, I still can't do it..."

Seeing Iris disheartened, I made a decision in my heart.

"Iris, how many training sessions are there before the test?"

"Uh, I think there won't be any more chances to use training site number three... We'll just have basic training in smaller spaces from now on."

"Hmm... That's not good. We're out of options if there's no time to practice. Is self-directed practice after school allowed here?"

"Using training sites requires authorization and someone to supervise."

"Oh okay, anyway, I'll discuss with Mitsuki first. If authorization is granted, let's start training together after school starting tomorrow."

"Eh... Training together?"

Iris' mouth gaped wide in surprise.

"Yeah, today's training was forcibly interrupted. I'm a total novice in the area of fighting dragons, so I have to learn Midgard's combat methods as quickly as possible."

"Mononobe..."

Tears welled up in Iris' eyes.

"H-Hey! Why are you crying?"

"I-I dunno..."

Seeing her tears flowing nonstop, I hurried to comfort her.

But Iris simply would not stop crying for a long time...

===Part 3===

"Training after school... Is that so?"

Due to accompanying Iris the whole time until her emotions stabilized, I returned late. As soon as I got back to the dormitory, I went directly to the dining hall to pitch the afterschool training idea to Mitsuki.

It was just after 7pm. Arranged on the dining table were dishes prepared by the housework robots, but they looked untouched. Mitsuki had probably been waiting all along for my return.

"Yeah, I heard that we could practice as long as we obtained authorization."

"Indeed, such a rule exists... In any case, we should start the meal first and you can tell me about it. The food is getting cold."

Mitsuki pointed at the dinner laid out on the table.

"You're right. Sorry for making you wait. Let's begin."

"Yes, bon appetit."

Mitsuki clapped her hands together then picked up her chopsticks. While picking up food with chopsticks, I continued to converse.

"We need time to train. Iris' state is obvious from today while I don't know anything because I just transferred. At this rate, it doesn't take a genius to predict next week's test results. We won't pass."

"That is true indeed..."

For some reason, Mitsuki was reacting a bit sluggishly. Sticking her chopsticks in the roasted saury, she was half-heartedly engaged in the conversation.

Tonight's cuisine was pure Japanese style. The table was laden with my favorite dishes. If anything, Mitsuki's preference lay in western food, so she must have prepared this for me.

"So I guess we have to discuss directly with Shinomiya-sensei?"

"No, my position is sufficient to grant authorization. No need to trouble Shinomiya-sensei, but... Nii-san, why are you trying so proactively to help Iris-san?"

Mitsuki asked in a slightly sulking tone of voice.

"Do I look like I'm favoring Iris that much?"

"Yes, quite."

Mitsuki gazed at me with narrowed eyes. Her response came with no hesitation at all.

"If that's the case... I guess it's because Iris has been trying as hard as she can."

"Trying as hard as she can?"

"Yeah, someone who tries as hard as they can... It somehow feels impossible to ignore people like that."

Just like Mitsuki three years ago—

I added these words silently in my mind while smiling at Mitsuki.

"Hmm... N-Nii-san, you are too nice, but... It is commendable that you are not doing this for ulterior motives. No helping it, then I shall take on the role of supervisor—"

In the middle of Mitsuki's sentence, an alarm suddenly sounded in the surroundings.

"W-What?"

I looked out the dining hall window in surprise, only to see the academy clock tower at the island's center, flashing a red warning light.

'Emergency warning, emergency warning—Level E alert, Type Yellow. I repeat, Level E alert, Type Yellow!'

The urgent voice was coming from speakers inside the dormitory but Mitsuki did not get up from her seat. Instead, she continued her meal gracefully.

"Mitsuki, is it time to be eating leisurely now? There's an alert!"

"Yes, but the alert mentioned Type Yellow, which ought to be 'Yellow' Hraesvelgr approaching this island."

"What are you talking about!?"

"But seeing as it is Level E, that means Hraesvelgr simply brushed past the warning zone, that is all. Since Hraesvelgr flies at high-speed in the stratosphere, this type of approach happens roughly once or twice a month. Relax, it will end very soon."

No sooner had Mitsuki finished than the alert sound stopped. The red warning light also shut off.

'Target has left the warning zone. All units, please return to regular stations.'

This time, the announcer's voice was calm. I breathed a sigh of relief and returned to eat at the dining table.

"Gave me quite a fright... I thought a dragon was going to attack. It's because I heard during the daytime that dragons target this place."

"Dragons start their advance after the dragon mark of one of the Ds changes color. Currently, I have yet to receive reports of that sort."

After finishing this sentence, Mitsuki drank her miso soup and ended the meal.

I hastily shoved the rest of the food into my mouth.

"—What a wonderful meal."

"Fanksh fo' da food..."

With food in my mouth, I mumbled a response to Mitsuki.

"This is very impolite, Nii-san. Neglecting etiquette will worsen others' impressions of you, so please pay attention. Come, do over."

"—Thanks for the food."

"Pass. So, Nii-san, I shall make a trip to the school. Although nothing happened, there are aftermath matters to handle. I will take this opportunity to complete the procedure for training site usage."

"Thank you, Mitsuki!"

I stood up to thank her.

"This is not something worth thanking me for. As the student council president, it is only natural to assist students who are striving to improve."

"Even if that's the case, I'm still grateful to you."

I thanked again. Mitsuki avoided eye contact.

"I-I was interrupted just now. I am supervising to prevent you from engaging in any behavior with Iris-san that goes against public morals, Nii-san. I will watch you two carefully."

"What are you talking about? We're just training."

"Who knows if that is really the case... From what I saw, today's warm-up exercises were very suspicious already."

Mitsuki glared coldly at me.

"Ugh... Don't worry, I'll be careful. I won't let that kind of thing happen again."

"Please, Nii-san. Since this is a fundamental matter but too delicate for me to bring up in front of other girls... Do know that inappropriate interaction between genders is strictly forbidden! Rather than a matter of public morals, it stems from more serious losses."

"Losses?"

"You know this, right? We Ds lose the power to create dark matter once we reach twenty years old or so—or become pregnant."

Mitsuki spoke, her cheeks reddening slightly.

"I've heard that kind of rumor before... Then it's true?"

I was surprised. Essentially, only Midgard held correct information regarding Ds. Many of the rumors circulating in the world were completely fabricated. I originally thought the pregnancy rumor was one of them.

"What...? So that is your level of knowledge? How fortunate that I decided to remind you beforehand as a precaution... If you were to take away someone's powers, Nii-san, you would probably be handed over to a tribunal meeting and sentenced to harsh punishment. Please, you must... you must pay attention."

Mitsuki glared at me harshly from extremely up close, warning me again and again.

Confronted with such pressure, I had not choice but to nod in response.

===Part 4===

Second day of my school life...

Because I was woken up by Mitsuki at 7am yesterday, I set my alarm clock for 6:30am today. Roused from bed by the noisy alarm, I washed my face and changed into uniform, then made my way to the dining hall.

"Good morning, Nii-san."

Greeting me, Mitsuki was sitting in the same seat as last night.

"Good morning..."

This feeling of family members greeting each other good morning felt quite unbelievable.

Rather than nostalgic, it felt quite new instead. That was the extent that my memories had been eroded.

After finishing the simple breakfast of only toast and salad, I picked up my school bag and exited the dormitory. Inside the bag were the portable terminal and gym clothing issued to me by the school. All the materials required for class were stored in the portable terminal, eliminating the need for textbooks.

The two of us walked on the road along the shore.

Like the first day, as soon as we went left the house, Mitsuki virtually stopped talking, hence we were essentially silent the whole time.

But incredibly, there was no feeling of awkwardness.

Looking out at sea, I could see cumulonimbus clouds rising from the horizon.

It was currently sunny but there might be showers later today.

The road took us away from the shore and as we gradually neared the center of the island, girls from other dorms began joining us on their way to school. Although hair colors and complexions varied widely, the majority of students were Asian girls.

It was said that the occurrence of Ds tended to increase the closer a location was to places where Vritra had passed through. Hence, Japan, where Vritra had first appeared, was where the greatest number of Ds had been born. It was also for this reason that Japanese was used as the lingua franca at Midgard.

"Good morning, Mitsuki-sama!"

"You're beautiful as usual today, Mitsuki-sama!"

"Your speech yesterday was so touching, Mitsuki-sama!"

Many students were greeting Mitsuki with excitement in their eyes.

"Good morning, everyone."

Mitsuki responded to them with a smile. Although I had already sensed it yesterday, Mitsuki really was quite a popular student council president.

The girls kept stealing glances at me while I walked with Mitsuki, but they hesitated and dared not talk to me. I guess it was difficult for them to relax and approach because of my male gender, but—

"Good morning to you too, Y-Yuu-sama!"

After greeting Mitsuki, one of the girls also spoke to me. It was a glasses-wearing girl who looked serious in personality.

"Oh, good morning."

Hearing my slightly nervous answer, the girl instantly fled with her face red. As soon as she met up with her friends in the distance, I could hear cries of joy along the lines of: "Kyah! I said it! I said it out loud!" "Well done, Mayumi!" "How does it feel up close!?"

Although it felt like being treated as an exotic animal, I did not feel particularly displeased.

"Nii-san, you are making a lewd expression. You wouldn't have forgotten my advice last night, have you?"

Mitsuki quietly reminded me as though reading my mind.

"I-I remember, it's just that I felt a bit happy that someone greeted me for the first time."

Inappropriate interactions between genders were forbidden. I knew that very well. But having lived in a world far from girls for so long, I simply got a little carried away from someone speaking to me. This was understandable, right?

The school's entrance resembled an automatic ticketing turnstile. I placed my student ID on the panel sensor and entered.

"Can I ask a question, Mitsuki?"

I asked her while we made our way to the classroom.

"Please go ahead, Nii-san. I can answer anything as long as it is not inane or top secret."

"...Just checking something about school life. You mentioned when you handed this student ID to me that it can be used for shopping. What's the limit?"

"Naturally, it depends on the funds in your own bank account. One difference between Midgard and most schools is that students receive a salary. Apart from minimum living expenses, students are rewarded according to their accomplishments when taking on matter creation requests or NIFL missions. All of this is deposited into personal bank accounts."

Mitsuki took out her own student ID to show me while explaining fluently.

"Learning how to transmute rare metals and energy resources is a shortcut to making money, because requests of that sort are always more numerous than can be handled. But in your case, Nii-san, I doubt there is any urgency for you to earn money that desperately. Your bank account balance can be viewed from your portable terminal. Please have a look, Nii-san."

"Oh, I'll check it out."

I took out my portable terminal from my bag and tried to check my account information.

However, the figure shown there was far bigger than I imagined.

"Eh... Is there a mistake in the number of zeroes?"

I could not help but ask Mitsuki.

"No, the figure is correct. It includes your living expenses for this month as well as your wages from the three years working at NIFL. In consideration of the hardship you went through, Nii-san, it is actually on the low side."

Mitsuki clenched her fist as though squeezing out these words took much difficulty.

Judging from the side of her face, she seemed to be desperately enduring something.

How much did Mitsuki know exactly about my three years there?

As much as I felt concerned by this question, I was unable to ask her.

Because I was afraid of the answer.

Like that, we walked in silence and reached Brynhildr Class. I was greeted by a gaze completely unlike those along the way to school.

Because the blonde girl—Lisa—suddenly glared at me.

"G-Good morning."

I tried to greet her but she went "hmph" and turned her head away.

"...Good morning."

"Hmph."

I tried again but she turned her head even farther.

"Good morning."

The third try.

"Hm—Guh..."

Lisa tried to turn her head away for the third time but suddenly choked. She had apparently forgotten that there was a limit to her neck's rotation angle.

"A-Are you trying to kill me!?"

Lisa held her neck and complained.

"No, I just wanted to greet you."

"So irritating! You ought to show consideration for my neck! No matter how many times you repeat this, I shan't greet you!"

"Why?"

Hearing my question, Lisa glared harshly at me.

"Because I still have not approved the matter of your staying at Midgard."

"...I see, then there's nothing I can do about that. Thanks."

Hearing my word of thanks, Lisa looked surprised.

"Why are you thanking me?"

'Huh? Because even though you didn't greet me, you still answered my question."

"What...? H-How dare you mock me!?"

Lisa gnashed her teeth in chagrin.

"No, it's not as extreme as mocking, right..."

"I absolutely refuse to forgive you! Remember that, Mononobe Yuu! Hmph!"

Lisa extended her finger, pointing at me, then turned her head away again.

Continuing the conversation seemed difficult, so I went over to my seat. I will try my hardest. One day, she will approve of me.

I took out my portable terminal from my bag to get ready for class. At this moment, the classroom's door opened lightly and Iris poked her head in, looking extra apprehensive than usual.

Shifting her gaze, Iris seemed to be looking for someone. When she made eye contact with me she instantly made a panicking look.

"Oh! Mononobe, g-good morning!"

For some reason, Iris' voice sounded very frantic as she greeted me. What was with her apprehensive look just now? Then I saw her coming over to me in a panic.

Perhaps she was concerned about crying yesterday but I was not so tactless as to confirm that with her.

I decided to ignore the unnecessary and responded to her greeting as though nothing had happened.

"Good morning, Iris. I've obtained authorization so we can start our special training today."

Hearing me say that, Iris blushed and nodded.

"Great! We'll do our best, Mononobe!"

Classes in the morning were no different from an ordinary school's.

Mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry taught at the level of first year high school. These were core subjects because some of the knowledge could be applied towards matter creation.

The afternoon consisted of Shinomiya-sensei teaching about subjects related to Ds, but instead of practicals, it was carried out in lecture format.

"—To accommodate our new student, we will review during the lesson. Let us begin from the theory of transmutation techniques, Firill Crest. What type of transmutation has the widest range of applications?"

Called upon, Firill stood up and replied.

"...Air. By adjusting directionality and compression ratio, air can be used for defense and movement in addition to attack."

"Excellent. The transmutation of air is accompanied by the generation of wind. With appropriate adjustments, one could even fly in the sky. For those in the vanguard, this method of flying is virtually a required method of movement—"

The teacher was talking about systematized dark matter transmutation techniques and ways to use our powers in hypothetical battles against dragons. This knowledge felt very refreshing and new to me.

"—Furthermore, there are many substances that can only be created through the transmutation of dark matter, of which mithril and antimatter are particularly useful in battle. Mithril is theoretically the hardest alloy while antimatter can be used to destroy any type of matter in an annihilation reaction. Very well, Ariella Lu, between these two substances, ultimate offense and the ultimate defense, which is stronger?"

Called upon, Ariella answered concisely:

"Antimatter."

"Indeed. This type of situation is where offense is stronger because if antimatter is used to attack, even mithril cannot withstand it. However, there is currently only one person in the Dragon Subjugation Squad who is capable of transmuting antimatter—"

In consideration of my circumstances, Shinomiya-sensei was reviewing the basics while conducting her lesson to let me understand simple key points.

Using the creation of air to fly. Powerful long range attacks.

These two were apparently the most highly prized abilities in anti-dragon combat.

In other words, next week's test involved assessing one of them: testing students' skill in long range attacks. Because the target was diamond, simply hitting it was not enough. At the same time, attacks needed firepower that would not weaken after being shot from afar.

As relief measures, the auxiliary test also involved a high-difficulty skill. If it was just making a shield, ordinary transmutation was enough, but it was a totally different matter to manifest it at a distance of 50m.

Parameters were too different from combat against humans.

By this point, I finally became painfully aware that this was training for the sake of defeating ''dragons''.

Next, after school, accompanied by Mitsuki, I went to the training site with totally tensed nerves.

Despite it being practice, Iris seemed to be nervous again.

Perhaps other homerooms had been training, a block of diamond was still located 100m out front.

"You are allowed to use this training site from 5 to 6:30pm. I have obtained authorization for today, the day after tomorrow, as well as the day before the test. A total of three days. The other days were either booked or did not fit in my schedule. For that, I am deeply apologetic."

Mitsuki bowed her head to apologize to us.

"Ehhhh!? Three days is enough for practice! Sorry, Mitsuki-chan, you're accompanying us even though you're so busy. I'm so grateful to you!"

Iris held Mitsuki's hands and thanked her with a radiant smile.

"—No, responding to the requests of students is part of the student council president's responsibilities."

Mitsuki struggled free uncomfortably and separated from Iris.

"Even so, I still thank you!"

"No need for thanks. Hurry and begin to train. Time is limited, yes?"

"R-Right! So... Then you start first, Mononobe. You didn't get to take part in the training yesterday because you were taking me to the infirmary."

"—Got it."

I nodded and stood at the marked position. Anyway, I tried using my ''past methods'' to see how far they could go, then decide on the next step based on that.

First was the construction of a barrier. As a newcomer and novice, accepting the auxiliary test would be the more appropriate choice.

Standing at the prescribed location, I created a baseball's volume of dark matter.

This black mass was not any kind of matter or phenomenon yet. According to physical definitions, it did not even count as existing.

Nevertheless, it was definitely on my palm.

Only Ds were capable of sensing their existence.

But not ordinary humans. Hence, scholars proposed a hypothesis.

Namely, the dark matter conjecture.

For example, humans were able to photograph an object from different angles using a camera. They were able to capture a three dimensional object into an arbitrary two dimensional planar photograph.

Similarly, this black substance could be transmuted into any arbitrary substance from the three dimensional world.

Hence, it was believed that this could be a higher dimensional substance—ergo, it was named dark matter.

Supposing dark matter was a fourth dimensional substance, then defining its existence would require four axes.

What would the fourth axis be? It was still currently unknown, but the most convincing suggestion was that it was something closely related to the mind.

Because dark matter's form would change according to the creator's will.

Despite having no mass, the dark matter on my hand produced a sensation.

Probably, Ds used their minds to sense dark matter.

Hence, just by adding force of willpower to the body's movements, a throw towards a location 50m away was possible!

"Y-You threw it!?"

Iris exclaimed in surprise but I ignored her. My gaze followed the black sphere closely.

I did not have the ability to generate dark matter suddenly at the far distance of 50m. Hence, I threw it then judged the distance visually. This was the best method I could currently think of.

...Slight deviation to the right.

When the sphere arrived above the marker, I transmuted the dark matter.

Voicing silently in my mind, I imposed limits on the possibilities of the dark matter that could turn into anything.

The image formed in my mind was a shield of iron. Acquiring mass, the dark matter fell almost vertically with a clang, planted on the ground.

If it were still dark matter, it would not make any sound, vanishing as soon as it touched mass. Hence, the sound of impact was evidence of transmutation.

Although it had fallen to the right of the marker, standing upright there was exactly the shield I had imagined.

However, it was only two meters in length, which was fine when fighting humans, but somewhat worrying against dragons.

Also, it was lacking in thickness. Rather than a shield of iron, it would be more apt to call it a plate of iron.

"..."

Mitsuki silently went to verify my shield. Because it was some distance away, I had nothing to do for the moment, so I turned to face Iris.

"Mononobe, that was way too..."

Iris was looking at me in exasperation.

"No good, I guess?"

"Yeah... Hmm, I think you'll get it after Mitsuki-chan explains."

Iris sighed. At this moment, Mitsuki returned with rapid footsteps.

"Nii-san."

Mitsuki stared coldly at me.

"Man... Don't make such a scary look. I did manage to make a shield."

"Yes, indeed it is a shield of iron, however—It is not only too small but also too thin. Something like that cannot be used as a shield. Added to that is the fact that throwing dark matter is a completely pointless move. It wastes too much time before transmutation completes and there was also a deviation from the target location."

"In other words, failure?"

"Indeed."

Mitsuki nodded clearly.

I guess using my usual method really did not work. Just as Mitsuki said earlier, my methods were apparently considered unorthodox in Midgard.

"Kyah! Mononobe failed too! We're comrades!"

"Don't get so happy over there!"

I retorted back at Iris who was overjoyed to find someone else in the same boat as her.

"Then next, Nii-san, please attempt to destroy the diamond, even though I have a bad feeling about this."

At Mitsuki's behest, I stood at the spot for aiming at the diamond. This time, the distance was 100m.

If attacking a target at long range, I could not think of anything apart from guns.

Anti-materiel armament—AT Ishtar.

I let the blueprint in my mind flow into the extracted dark matter, turning it into a long ranged anti-materiel weapon.

What appeared in my hand was an anti-materiel rifle similar in appearance to the Nergal.

The gun's body was longer than Nergal's. The grip was not meant to be held in one hand and the gun had to be held with the stock against the shoulder.

Although its design differed from ordinary firearms, its mass production model was also used by NIFL.

While the rifle's heavy mass weighed on my arms, my entire body instantly felt enveloped in a light sense of fatigue.

A D's ability was not an endless power.

Extracting dark matter required concentration and transmutation caused strain to the mind. Repeated use would cause extreme stress to accumulate in both the body and the mind.

"Sigh..."

I heard Mitsuki's heavy sigh from beside me.

It looked like this method was unorthodox too.

Although I felt the result was already decided, I still took a prone posture on the ground and aimed at the target. Ishtar's effective range easily exceeded a kilometer. Sniping a block of diamond 100m away was a piece of cake.

I pulled the trigger to snipe the diamond.

The gunshot echoed throughout the training site while a small amount of diamond fragments flew apart.

"How's that? It caused a bit of damage—"

I looked up at Mitsuki and inquired, but seeing her expression that read "utterly hopeless," I could not bring myself to finish my sentence.

"So wrong it is absurd, Nii-san. Lack of firepower is admittedly an issue, but if weapons were going to be used, there would be no need to deploy Ds in the first place. Just leave things to soldiers equipped with existing weapons. What we are hoping for are more practical and destructive ways of attack."

"Even if you say that... I can't think of any other ways. I can only make a shield of that size. Mitsuki, you should know the amount of dark matter I can generate each time, right?"

Although I was answering Mitsuki, Iris was the one who reacted.

"Really? How much can you generate each time, Mononobe?"

"In the case of transmutation, roughly ten kilograms after conversion. That's my limit."

"T-Ten kilograms!? Are you using the wrong unit!? Ignoring issues of control, every D without exception can make at least ten tons, you know?"

"Kilogram is the right unit. Do you wanna have a look at my dragon mark? The size of a dragon mark will change according to the ability to generate dark matter. After seeing it, you'll understand the gap between us."

With self-deprecation, I showed her the back of my left hand.

"Eh? Where is it?"

"Here... This is it."

"No way—This tiny pattern? Liar... Is yours that tiny, Mononobe? So tiny... Too tiny!"

"Stop calling me tiny! It's very hurtful!"

Her words stabbed into my heart. I cried out while enduring the mental trauma.

"I like Nii-san's dragon mark. It is like a little snake, very cute."

"Uh... Your defense actually makes me feel worse."

Mitsuki's comment made me hang my head in dejection. Iris left me on the side and walked over to the auxiliary test position.

"Iris-san, are you intending to use mithril to create a shield again?"

"Eh, that is my intention..."

Upon hearing Iris' answer, Mitsuki made a strict look. I thought she was going to tell Iris to stop, but after some consideration, Mitsuki said:

"Indeed, it would not be training if there is a fear of failure... But considering the possibility of explosions, please lower the transmutation amount as much as possible."

"O-Okay. I get it."

Hearing Mitsuki's serious suggestion, Iris nodded in agreement then manifested her staff of dark matter.

"Caduceus!"

Aiming the staff at the target, she chanted words like an incantation.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond..."

Multiple pieces of dark matter appeared near the target marker. As before, her precision was the only thing correct.

"O holy silver, transform!"

BOOM!

Just like last time, an explosion happened in the middle of transmutation.

I knew it...

Because the result was as expected, Mitsuki and I were not surprised. Due to the smaller amounts, the air current from the explosion only managed to blow strands of hair.

"A-Ahaha... Umm, Mitsuki-chan... Can I try the attacking test too?"

Iris smiled dryly and asked Mitsuki.

"No problem... But do not perform excessively dangerous transmutations, okay?"

"Okay, no problem! Because what I'm transmuting is the safest substance, air."

Iris forced a smile and replied then moved to the marked location.

Will she be okay?

Attacking a block of diamond should be harder than making a shield.

I watched over Iris in worry.

Iris faced the diamond, raised her staff and chanted an incantation. This time, dark matter appeared in front of her staff.

She intended to accelerate the mass transmuted from dark matter to smash into the diamond, right? It would not count as an attack unless the impact was raised in such a painstaking manner.

Staring at the target, Iris called out in a shrill voice:

"O bullet of wind, crush it!"

Powerful wind began to blow in Iris' surroundings. The blowing dust made the wind's currents vaguely visible. Iris looked like she intended to fire a projectile of a massive amount of compressed air.

Diamond was surprisingly fragile against pure shock, hence this was not a bad choice. Depending on the air's compression ratio and speed, perhaps it could produce an impact capable of breaking diamond.

But things would be bad if this move failed...

Although she was using harmless air, in order to create a projectile of compressed air, she had transmuted quite a large amount, if she were to accidentally lose control—

BOOM!!

"Kyawa!?"

The foreboding feeling came true. The compressed air exploded, blowing Iris into the air.

"Iris!"

Prepared in advance, I instantly dashed towards where she was going to fall.

Arriving calmly this time, I caught the falling Iris.

"Seriously... You're always getting blown away."

I supported Iris' body with both arms and sighed.

"T-Thank you... Mononobe."

Perhaps feeling ashamed of her failure, she was blushing when she thanked me. That look of hers was especially adorable, forcing me to become aware of the current situation. Feeling Iris' body warmth and suppleness up close, it made my heart begin to pound.

"Although I expected it... You're not good at controlling the transmutation of air, right? It exploded in front of you just now, didn't it?"

"Yeah... Because air is so intangible, it's difficult to imagine... It feels like even if I want to control it, the air slips out from between my fingers... Then it explodes in a weird place."

"That's really... tough."

"It is very tough..."

We both sighed heavily.

At our first encounter at the beach, Iris was probably blown away in a similar manner.

"Nii-san, Iris-san, how much longer do you plan on sticking to each other?"

Mitsuki walked over and glared at us harshly.

"Oh..."

Iris and I looked at each other from up close then frantically separated.

"Helping each other is a good thing but please refrain from excessive skin contact."

"Y-Yes..."

"Very well, after witnessing your practice attempts, I think I can offer some advice based on what I saw."

Saying that, Mitsuki pointed at me first.

"Given Nii-san's volume of dark matter generation, making an acceptable shield is impossible. Hence, please give up on the auxiliary test."

"Man... You're totally merciless. That means I can only try the diamond breaking challenge?"

"Correct, but the use of real firearms and ammunition is forbidden. Please take the test by creating a fictional armament like the rest of us. As for the form of your armament... Right, how about a gun, since you are so adept at using guns? If you fire dark matter by picturing a bullet, your speed and accuracy should increase."

Apparently, damaging the diamond by shooting it with a gun like just now was not within assessment standards.

However, that could not be helped. If anti-materiel rifles of this level worked in actual combat, NIFL would have taken out Basilisk a long time ago.

In order to pass the test, there was no other way apart from learning effective attacks against dragons in the Midgard way of doing things.

"A fictional armament as a gun huh... I remember you said it's best to reference weapons of legend as the prototype, right? But there aren't any legends about guns, a modern weapon, are there?"

"I think not... Just interpreting it loosely is fine. Ultimately, what matters is that you do not cause accidental transmutation, so even a fictional firearm of your own creation would be fine."

"That's really vague..."

I grumbled, only to see Mitsuki's displeased look.

"Precisely because you need to make a vague fictional weapon, that is why it is better to be more vague. But for you, Nii-san, whose imagination is lacking, perhaps it might be too tall an order. Shall I help you think of one?"

"Sure... You're right, Mitsuki. Thanks."

Because I did not think I was suited to the task either, I agreed with Mitsuki's suggestion.

"Understood. Then let us first decide the name, let me think... I believe Siegfried is a very cool name."

Mitsuki gazed at me with especially excited eyes. I think I might have turned on some kind of weird switch in her.

"Siegfried, you say... I remember that's a hero's name rather than a weapon, right?"

"Although not a weapon, he is a master archer. Close enough in traits!"

"Close enough...?"

I tilted my head in puzzlement, but Mitsuki ignored me and continued:

"It is an image! Just an image! Please think of it as a powerful gun. You get too hung up on trivial details, Nii-san. Do you not find your blood boiling with excitement after hearing this name!?"

Mitsuki clenched her fist before her chest while she asserted to me forcefully.

In the end, so that was the most important point.

Mitsuki liked acting cool since a long time ago. Simply stated, she was predisposed to eighth grader syndrome and it looked like the precursor of that syndrome had been quietly growing for the past three years.

"...Got it, anyway, so let's name it Siegfried."

Under Mitsuki's hard sell, I reluctantly agreed.

"Great! I will sketch the overall shape for you later! Please use it for reference when imagining it!"

Mitsuki nodded especially happily. The way she looked still showed a little of her innocence from three years ago remaining.

Then Mitsuki came back to her senses, controlled her expression and coughed lightly.

"Ahem, so next is Iris-san."

"Yes!"

Iris instantly stood with her back very straight, waiting for Mitsuki's advice.

"Because your air projectile is too unstable, Iris-san, you should probably focus on shield construction in the auxiliary test. However... Even if you do that, it is honestly quite uncertain whether you could succeed in time for the test next week. After all, I have never heard of any precedent for explosions arising in the process of transmuting mithril."

I interjected and asked:

"Is mithril exploding that rare?"

"You can say it is impossible. Mithril is the most sturdy and stable substance. Even if the transmutation failed, the metal proportions might be wrong or changed into similar metals... Probably something along those lines. The chances of mixing an explosive substance into it are extremely low."

"In a certain sense, she is quite amazing huh..."

"Yes, perhaps it could be called a kind of talent. Although people might be better or worse at transmutation due to variations in personality or inborn disposition, since it involves one's imagination... Iris-san is the only D who causes explosions no matter what she transmutes."

Mitsuki nodded somewhat sardonically.

However, her comment brought a flash of inspiration to me.

"In short, Iris cannot do what is perfectly natural, but unintentionally achieves what other Ds can't do even if they wanted to?"

"Wah!?"

Iris looked like she was almost into tears.

"Rather than a talent... It would be better to call it a disposition that is completely opposite. If that's the case, it's probably futile no matter how much you practice something you're not suited to."

"Mononobe... You're so mean, don't put it so bluntly..."

Iris looked at me like she was about to cry.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not trying to put you down, rather, I'm praising you. Iris, you have a talent that's unique to you. Seeing as that's the case, you only need to hone that talent. There's no need to force yourself to do the same things as the other people around you."

"A talent... unique to me?"

"Yeah, Iris, instead of shield construction, you should focus on your talent—Blow up that thing."

I smiled proudly and pointed to the block of diamond.

===Part 5===

Everyday life was something that would pass day by day before you knew it, as soon as time started to flow.

Whether the tropical island scenery that I initially mistook for a parallel world, the school filled with female students, or the vibes of not fitting in the class, everything gradually became so matter-of-fact.

In just a few days, I already felt like I had been living this current life since a long time ago. The previous everyday life seemed so distant instead.

Getting up every morning at 6:30 to eat breakfast with Mitsuki then go to school, attending lessons on ordinary subjects, taking care of lunch through the snack shop or the cafeteria, attending D-related courses in the afternoon, staying after school to train on days when the training site was free.

The days passed like that and it was finally the day before the test.

Because it was a holiday today, there were no classes and the whole day could be used for training.

Under Mitsuki's supervision, Iris and I had been carrying out our final special training since morning.

"Ahhh, I'm so hungry... I can't move anymore, Mononobe..."

Using up all her physical energy on repeated transmutations, Iris was lying on the ground, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

"...I'm hungry too. I'm heading to the snack shop so let me buy you something while I'm at it. What do you want?"

Left without a choice, I could only ask her proactively. Iris suddenly sat up and recited her demands.

"Yakisoba bread, curry bread, porkchop cutlet sandwich, club sandwich and a donut for dessert!"

"...That's a lot."

"Because I'm so famished!"

"I'm not responsible if you get fat."

I reminded her, causing Iris to immediately go "ooh" and fall silent.

"I-It's okay! I will work even harder to consume the calories I ate!"

"Fine. Mitsuki, how do you want to take care of lunch?"

I asked Mitsuki who seemed to be working on her portable terminal.

"Please buy me bread. Apart from curry bread, anything will do. Also, a drink."

Afraid of spicy food, Mitsuki answered without even looking at me.

"Got it, then I'll go buy the stuff."

I left them behind in the training site and took the elevator to the first floor of the school building.

The snack shop was located in the catering building linked to the school building through a corridor. To accommodate the different ethnicities and nationalities of the Ds, the catering building was divided into Japanese, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and other areas.

Arranged in the first floor of the catering building was a cafeteria as well as all kinds of vendor spaces.

After buying lunch for Iris, Mitsuki and myself, I was just about to return directly to the training site when I noticed familiar students seated inside the cafeteria.

My classmates Lisa, Firill, Ren and Ariella were sitting around the same table.

Although I felt hesitant on what I should do, presented with this rare opportunity, I walked over to them.

Though I did not expect a friendly response even if I greeted them, I knew I would never be able to get closer to my classmates if I let fear prevent me from taking steps forward.

"Uh, ''hello''~"

"...Why are you suddenly speaking in English?"

Probably having noticed my presence early on, Lisa glared viciously at me as soon as I greeted them.

"Uh, I was thinking you seem European-born, Lisa."

"You are indeed correct... But there is no need for you to think so much. That would only fill me with disgust."

"Really? Then good day to you."

"Yes, good day to you—Oh no, I greeted accidentally! You laid another trap for me!"

Lisa accused me angrily. She probably remembered her declaration to never greet me.

"Sorry, I did that on purpose just now."

I replied honestly.

"Eww! What pleasure is there in making fun of me!?"

"I'm not making fun of you. But to be honest, it makes me glad that I can talk to you."

"What..."

Lisa's face went red, her mouth opening and closing, unable to speak.

"After all, Lisa, you're the only one who answers me..."

I sighed and looked at my other classmates. Although they all saw me, none of them responded, unlike Lisa.

But I did not get disheartened here. Renewing my spirits, I said to Firill who was sitting opposite to Lisa:

"It's rare to see you girls gathered together outside of the classroom."

"...Really?"

Originally eating a sandwich, Firill paused and tilted her head in puzzlement. Her neat bangs swayed accordingly.

"Yeah, because all of you tend to leave the classroom separately during lunch breaks, right? I thought you would never do things together."

Hearing that, Firil looked at me, somewhat displeased.
[[image:UnlimitedFafnir_v01_119.jpg|thumb]]

"...Nothing of that sort. It's very normal to have lunch together if we meet up by coincidence."

"It's coincidence?"

Firill nodded.

Someone tugged my sleeve from the side. Ren showed me her portable terminal.

'While Ariella and I were having lunch, Lisa and Firill happened to come, but we didn't call for you.'

Ren glared at me a little uneasily.

"...You're right, you didn't call for me, but there shouldn't be any problem with chatting, right? Eh? There's something on your face."

I reached out and took off the bread crumb stuck on Ren's cheek.

"!?"

Ren instantly went red in the face and shook her head, making "Mm! Mm!" growls in her mouth.

"Oh sorry, I couldn't help it..."

Accidentally doing what I used to do with Mitsuki when we were young, I apologized to Ren.

"Mm!"

Ren pouted and waved her hand to shoo me away.

"...I got it. I won't disturb your meal anymore."

I sighed but just as I turned around to leave, a unexpected voice stopped me.

"Hold on."

I looked back to see Ariella staring straight at me.

"What's up?"

"I remember you are currently doing something like special training with Iris, right?"

"Not just ''something like'' special training, but special training for real. We started since this morning. I came here to buy lunch."

I showed Ariella the bag filled with bread.

"Oh... Any progress?"

"You're curious?"

I asked her in return and Ariella nodded honestly.

"Yeah. Currently, Iris might not only fail to bolster our forces but even drag us down. If her abilities have improved, I'd feel very glad."

"You don't sound very hopeful."

Hearing me, Ariella shrugged.

"Can't be helped, Iris hasn't improved at all in the past year after transferring here. I don't think a few days of special training could change her much."

"...You're so upfront with your words, Ariella."

"Are you offended?"

Ariella peered at me and asked.

"No, I'm not. I like this kind of personality."

"L-Like?"

I answered her honestly but for some reason, Ariella acted awkwardly.

"What's wrong?"

"I-Is that a confession? It's a confession, right!?"

Hearing Ariella ask me with a red face, I panicked as well.

"Huh? How did things get to that kind of topic?"

"N-No...? Y-You are such a thoughtless guy. Don't say this kind of thing lightly to girls."

Ariella glared at me with a serious look.

"Although it wasn't a confession, I didn't say it lightly either. I simply said what I actually thought. So, what I'm going to say next is serious too. Ariella, in the test tomorrow, Iris will surely surprise you. I guarantee that to all of you."

Hearing me, Lisa and the others frowned. All of them showed skepticism on their faces.

Amidst all this, Ariella was the only one laughing with delight.

"How confident you are, but I still don't believe you, so I can't believe what you just said. Tomorrow, if I find out you're not lying, I'll revise my opinion of you."

"Good, you should look forward to it."

I nodded but Lisa interrupted at this time.

"You keep talking about Iris-san, but what about yourself? Since you are doing special training, I hope you will show us some results."

"I basically have results already. I finally managed to make a fictional armament not too long ago."

Hearing my answer, Lisa only felt exasperated.

"What...? Isn't that the most basic of basics!? You are training from that level? In such a state, you can't possibly pass the test!"

"It is very difficult for sure, but I will do my best. Bye now."

I waved and left their table for real this time.

Feeling their gazes against my back, I walked out of the catering building to get back to Iris and Mitsuki.

After lunch, we resumed the special training...

===Part 6===

"Well then, let the test begin to select the Dragon Subjugation Squad for the battle against Basilisk."

Shinomiya-sensei's voice echoed in the vast underground space.

After spending a whole day on special training, I slept especially well and the next day, the test, arrived in the blink of an eye.

Like last time, we were gathered in training site number three. Volunteers began the test first.

"I shall show off first."

The first to be tested was Lisa Highwalker. Tossing her long blonde hair, she walked up front.

"Watch, Mononobe Yuu! I will make you understand what is called a gap in levels!"

Perhaps thinking of yesterday's conversation, Lisa stared only at me when she spoke.

The very image of confidence, she walked over there with her chest out and head held high, arriving at the spot to target the diamond.

"Gungnir!"

Lisa's fictional armament was apparently a spear. Holding the golden shining spear at waist height, she aimed the sharp spear tip at the block of diamond.

"Here I go—Pierce, flare!"

The spear tip emitted a brilliant glow, shooting out a flash of light. The light pierced the diamond, boring a hole in the wall behind.

"A-A laser beam..."

Watching from afar, I could not help but mutter in shock. Diamond was not a particularly heat-resistant material, hence attacking with heat was a correct decision. But to instantly bore a large hole in diamond, that firepower was extraordinary.

Rather than a laser, this move would be closer to a positron cannon.

Lisa achieved the task easily and returned to the standby area proudly.

"Hmph."

Lisa leaned her back against the wall, taunting me with her gaze. Her expression seemed to be saying: Just try it if you think you can.

This competitiveness was not a bad thing. Back in my NIFL days, this was commonplace. It filled me with fighting spirit instead.

Next to be tested was the bibliophile, Firill. Gazing at the diamond with tired eyes, she raised one hand in front of her chest.

"Come—Necronomicon."

Firill shaped the dark matter into a book's form and held it on her hand. As though reciting an incantation, she said:

"Aero Blast Quartet."

I heard four consecutive sounds of heavy impacts then shattered diamond fragments scattered in the air.

It was probably four shots of extremely compressed air projectiles, aimed at the exactly same place. A truly astounding show of force.

Apparently, like Iris, she pictured magic to perform transmutation. Judging from this, so-called picturing magic seemed to offer much more freedom than using a weapon.

Then it was Ren. She apparently chose to break diamond instead of participating in the auxiliary test.

"...Mjolnir."

Ren raised her slender arm to the air and lightly spoke the name of the fictional armament to be manifested. Then a hammer several times her body size appeared in her hand.

The hammer could be seen growing gigantic in size, almost reaching the ceiling. Even though I knew in my mind that it was massless dark matter, it was still a strange scene lacking in balance.

That kind of generated volume was extraordinary. Converted into matter, let alone ten tons, it might even reach a hundred times more than that.

"Mm."

Ren then swung the enlarged hammer down. In the process of falling, the hammer grew even larger. Finally, the hammer's tip arrived on top of the diamond.

Then the hammer's tip glowed red and started to materialize. Obtaining mass, the hammer accelerated towards the diamond, drawn by gravity.

Unable to withstand that kind of shock and weight, the diamond shattered.

Ren walked back nonchalantly. Next to step up was Ariella. She walked over to the auxiliary test's position.

"Sensei, I choose this side."

Ariella informed Shinomiya-sensei of her intent to take the shield making challenge. Raising her right hand to shoulder height, she called out sharply:

"Aegis."

Dark matter instantly covered Ariella's right arm. Her fictional armament looked like a gauntlet.

"Deploy shield."

Ariella swung her right arm and yelled. Spherical dark matter instantly appeared over the marked spot 50m away. Like Iris, Ariella seemed to have excellent spatial awareness.

The dark matter gradually turned into a giant wall and not just one, it was a multi-layered structure.

Compared to the thin iron plate I created earlier, it was on a completely different level.

Ariella easily passed the test. When returning, she whispered to me:

"...Show me proof of what you said yesterday."

"Yeah."

I nodded affirmatively.

Because Mitsuki seemed to be standing in the same position as Shinomiya-sensei, supervising the test together, only Iris and I were left.

"So Iris, I'll go first?"

"Sure, good luck! Mononobe, do your best!"

With Iris' energetic blessing, I walked over to the diamond side.

"What... Are you serious?"

Lisa cried out in disbelief. She probably did not expect me to choose the more difficult side.

"I'm serious, because this is the only test which I have a chance of passing."

I smiled wryly at Lisa and answered, then stood in position.

I knew quite well this was very difficult.

But to give courage to Iris who was taking the test next, I hoped I could succeed.

"—Siegfried."

I focused to change the form of the generated dark matter.

Appearing in my right hand was a large-caliber ornamental gun.

This was the fictional armament belonging to me, based on the sketch Mitsuki had given me.

Because the gun's body seemed quite small compared to its caliber, were it a real gun, one would worry whether such a design could withstand the recoil of a shot, but since this was purely dark matter whose shape had been altered, there was no need to worry about practicality.

The gun glowed with faint phosphorescence. Although I was trying hard to keep it in the dark matter stage, due to sensing the image in my mind, the gun's body still caused some slight transmutation.

That was the reason why dark matter, which was supposed to be black, had color after being turned into fictional armaments.

Holding this Siegfried, I was finally standing at Midgard's starting line.

But this fictional armament probably could not be used in the same way as Lisa's and the other girls'.

My dark matter generating capacity was extremely low. To create Siegfried, I had already used almost my entire output.

Even after making their fictional armaments, Lisa and the others still had spare capacity to perform another summoning of dark matter. Consuming the dark matter in the fictional armament would be an emergency measure only used as a last resort.

But I had no choice but to use that emergency last resort. Even by keeping consumption at a minimum, including the amount used to create Siegfried, the amount of dark matter I could fire as bullets was only three shots at most. And firing consecutively was not possible either. Once consumed, even the fictional armament itself would disappear.

That meant I had to repeat the step of creating Siegfried all over again. This dead time could sometimes be fatal in real combat.

Hence, I must use these three shots of dark matter cautiously. However—

It would be pointless to save on consumption here. I had to gather all my dark matter to concentrate in one shot.

I aimed the muzzle at the block of diamond 100m away.

Even so, I did not know if this would bring the result I sought.

Although I had practiced repeatedly before the test, my success rate was below 50%.

Right now, all I could do was try my best. That was all.

Telling myself that, I started to conceptualize the image.

Then I was going to perform the initial transmutation of air.

I chose air not because it was simple but because even a dark matter generating capacity of merely ten kilograms would have a volume of over ten thousand liters once transmuted into air. By compressing that air, it was possible to obtain a massive amount of heat as well as the necessary hardness.

But that also required controlling it well—

"Air Bullet."

I spoke as though tracing out the outline of my mental image.

When performing transmutation, the step of voicing things out was not particularly required, but language would help stabilize the image. For the sake of raising the success rate as much as possible, I had to use words to describe what I was transmuting next.

I slowly increased the pressure on the trigger and transmitted the image over.

Without a sufficient compression ratio, the bullet would not bring out enough power.

Conversely, if the compression ratio was too high, particle collisions would turn the superheated air into plasma, releasing all the energy and disappearing before it struck the target.

I had always performed pure transmutation in the past, so my control of this type of thought-driven power was quite crude.

Fire.

Speaking softly in my mind, I pulled the trigger.

In that instant, the dark matter in the fictional armament was completely transmuted into a bullet of air. Siegfried vanished.

The air bullet that was fired was not supposed to be visible to the naked eye.

But my eyes captured some faint white light.

Crap, did it create plasma?

Then silence spread.

There was no sound of an air bullet striking the block of diamond. The plasmafied bullet probably had not struck the diamond.

"See, all bravado without a plan. It's not too late to start now. I believe you would be best advised to attempt the auxiliary test instead."

Lisa broke the silence and spoke as though boasting of victory.

Shinomiya-sensei nodded too and said as though trying to persuade me:

"Indeed, this test is too difficult for a novice. How about you switch to constructing a shield?"

Even if they said that, a large enough shield was impossible due to my low dark matter generating capacity. Hence, for me, that test was completely impossible to pass.

As much as I hated to admit defeat, this was the best I could do. I could only give up on the test.

"No, I have already—"

I was about to decline Shinomiya-sensei's offer of the auxiliary test.

However, Mitsuki interrupted this time.

"Excuse me, please wait a moment. I believe it is too soon to discuss results."

Mitsuki walked over to the block of diamond with clearly heard footsteps.

Seeing that, Lisa frowned and scolded her.

"Mitsuki-san, have you not given up yet? Even if he is your relative, one would be hard pressed to approve of your prejudice in favoring him."

"I am not favoring him but merely inspecting fairly."

Mitsuki walked while answering, stopping next to the diamond.

Anyone would think it was a failure from a glance, but Mitsuki seemed to have sensed something unusual.

She carefully examined the diamond then turned her head back to us and said loudly:

"Next to the hole bored by Lisa-san, I have discovered an inconspicuous but carbonized portion! Since it is found on the front and back of the diamond, it is very likely the traces left behind by the penetration of a super high-temperature object."

"What..."

Lisa exclaimed in shock but I was equally surprised.

"Oh...?"

Shinomiya-sensei's expression changed and she walked over to Mitsuki.

The two of them conversed at the diamond for a while then returned before me.

"Hmm... There is indeed a carbonized portion but there is no mark on the wall behind... The bullet probably plasmafied only during the instant of penetrating the diamond. Mononobe Yuu, was this an outcome within your expectation?"

Shinomiya-sensei directed her sharp gaze towards me.

"Huh? Oh no... I only did it by chance."

If I claimed it as my own power now, perhaps I might pass the test, but I answered honestly.

What I originally predicted was striking the diamond with the air bullet, shattering it. I did not think of using plasmafication's heat to carbonize the diamond.

Even if I was asked to do it again, due to the difficulty in adjusting the timing and compression, I would probably fail.

"Hmm, that's quite a shame. Judging purely from this one attack, this would be very intricate and efficient transmutation... The probability of causing effective damage to Basilisk is very high. But if you can't do it at will, you have not reached the level required for the Dragon Subjugation Squad."

"Then I guess I failed, after all?"

Hearing me ask that, Shinomiya-sensei crossed her arms and made a troubled look.

"Hmm... But you did succeed during the test after all. In any case, I'll pass you and have you listed as a reserve member. Although you cannot be considered combat potential right now, depending on your future growth, promoting you to take part in the battle against Basilisk is not impossible, so work hard and strive for progress."

"T-Thank you very much!"

My stiff shoulders instantly relaxed then I thanked Shinomiya-sensei.

But when I returned to the standby area, Lisa glared at me like she found things difficult to accept.

"A mere coincidence on one occasion, I shall not approve! And even if you could use that attack in a well-trained manner, the fact of your vast inferiority to me is still clearly evident!"

Lisa pointed at the diamond and declared.

The laser-bored hole was visible clearly even at this distance, but the carbonized hole was almost invisible. This indicated the gap between our firepower.

"Yeah, you girls are amazing, Lisa. I understand that clearly now, after this test. It's true that I am vastly inferior to you girls."

"M-My, you are unexpectedly honest."

Lisa showed surprise on her face as she tilted her head in puzzlement.

"I am accepting results honestly. But though I am a reserve member, since the teacher passed me, it means there are things I can accomplish. As a member of Midgard, I will work hard to assist everyone."

"Hmph... We have no need of your power! Having us is enough."

"But Shinomiya-sensei told me to work hard and improve."

Hearing that, Lisa wavered a little but immediately retorted.

"That is... merely etiquette! The teacher only said that to be considerate for Mitsuki-san's feelings!"

"Considerate for Mitsuki... There's no need, right? Shinomiya-sensei's rank is higher."

I felt speechless but Lisa puffed out her chest and asserted as though she had some kind of proof:

"She must be worried about not getting to eat Mitsuki-san's sweets again! As reluctant as I am to admit it, the sweets Mitsuki-san occasionally makes for us are quite a delicacy! Addictive with just a single bite, even Shinomiya-sensei must find it impossible to resist that kind of temptation."

"Wow... Are Mitsuki's sweets that delicious?"

This was my first time hearing of this. Because the menus were usually left to the housework robots, I did not know that Mitsuki's cooking had improved so much.

Perhaps these sweets were an important contribution to Mitsuki's overwhelming popularity.

Bribery with food... These words crossed my mind.

"Your face suggests you are thinking something rude, you know?"

"...You're overthinking things. But anyway, please confirm your allegations regarding sweets with Shinomiya-sensei herself."

Lisa's grumbling looked like it was going to continue for a long time, so I prepared to leave.

"Wait! Mononobe Yuu! I haven't finished talking yet!"

Getting rid of the persistently harassing Lisa, I returned to my original spot, only to see Iris clapping to greet me.

"Clap clap, Mononobe, congratulations!"

Seeing Iris smiling happily for me as though she had passed the test herself, I suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I only passed as a reserve member. Okay, you're next, Iris."

"Y-Yes... I will do my best!"

Iris stood up and walked over to the block of diamond.

"Just do the same as during training. Give everyone a big surprise. Let them never dare call you a poorly performing student again."

"Yes!!"

Iris looked back and nodded in agreement then reached the spot to aim at the diamond.

After informing Shinomiya-sensei she was not taking the auxiliary test, she manifested her staff of dark matter.

"Caduceus!"

Iris pointed the staff's tip at the diamond then focused. Seeing that, Lisa came to talk to me.

"...Mononobe Yuu."

"What's the matter? If you still want to continue the conversation just now, I'll have to ask you to give me a break."

"No, shelve that conversation for now. What is important now is... Aren't you going to rescue Iris-san? She will surely be blown away again, won't she?"

Rather than sarcastic, her tone was more worried. I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, that's right, it will probably be blown away—I mean the diamond."

"What... Are you serious? You heard Ariella-san yesterday at the cafeteria, didn't you? Iris-san is hopeless as a poorly performing student. Her memory is poor, she is not smart enough. No matter how hard she tries, she is just a silly kid who is wasting her effort."

Seeing that I had made no move to help Iris, Lisa frantically tried to persuade me.

"Yeah... I guess that might be true. But even while saying that, you're actually observing her quite closely."

"N-Nothing of that sort! We have been in the same class for a year already, so understanding her is only natural. Ever since transferring here, Iris-san has never succeeded in using her power before, even the most basic air bullet also—"

"What Iris wants to do is not transmuting dark matter into air."

I interrupted Lisa.

"Eh... Could it be a transmutation of even greater difficulty? That would be even more impossible!"

"Okay, just watch. You'll surely be surprised."

Saying that, I turned my gaze back to Iris.

She could be heard chanting a spell quietly.

"Come, come, fragments of the Far Beyond—"

Multiple black spheres of dark matter appeared in the diamond's surroundings. Iris' excellent spatial awareness had correct judged the distance of 100m.

Then staring at the diamond, Iris recited:

"—O holy silver, explode!"

The dark matter gathered in a point then turned into mithril shining with silver luster.

It was like how she wanted to create a shield last time. But during transmutation this time, countless bulges appeared on the mithril.

Then the entire thing expanded—It exploded.

BOOM!!

The mithril's sharp fragments were sent flying, accompanied by a silver-white explosion. Mithril of maximum hardness smashed and penetrated the diamond, causing it to break apart.

That destructive power far surpassed my plasma bullet. Because Iris had giving them directionality, the fragments only flew forward.

After the special training after school, we came to understand one thing. As long as Iris was aiming for an explosion, she could control things to a certain extent.

"What a... unique talent."

I said with a wry smile. From a dragon's standpoint, it would be like a mithril grenade suddenly appearing in front of it. This would most likely become a means of attack to inflict definite damage on dragons.

"No way... To think that Iris-san would...?"

Lisa looked at the destroyed diamond, her entire body stunned. Normally expressionless, Firill and Ren also showed surprised looks on their faces.

Ariella stood up to applaud for Iris. She had no patience for those lacking in power but conversely, she would offer her respect if one could win her approval. That seemed to be Ariella's personality.

"Iris Freyja, you pass."

Shinomiya-sensei also seemed to be in a state of surprise as she announced the test result to Iris.

Hearing this, Iris instantly had a smile all over her face. Then turning towards me, she dashed at full speed.

"H-Hey!?"

"I did it! Mononobe!!"

With momentum from her sprint, she hugged me. In order to dissipate the impact, I spun her several times, keeping my balance with much difficulty.

"What are you doing so suddenly—"

I was just about to complain when I saw Iris' face in front of my eyes. Feeling the warmth from her body, tightly pressed against me, I could not help but forget what I was going to say.

"Thank you, Mononobe... Thank you!"

Leaning her face against my chest, Iris kept thanking me.

—Was she that happy?

During this past year, Iris had always been treated as a poorly performing student. I could not imagine what it felt like. Despite a strong will to keep trying, her power did not reach standards. This chagrin was something only Iris herself could understand.

However, the emotional stress accumulated would be quite heavy.

—Anyway, I'll just wait until her emotions calm down.

Although the surrounding gazes concerned me too, I could not bring myself to push Iris away by force. I could only pat her silver hair gently and praise her for passing the test.

"Nii-san, remember what I said about refraining from excessive skin contact—"

Hurrying over, Mitsuki also sighed after seeing the way Iris looked.

"—Thirty more seconds only."

Then Mitsuki feigned indifference and said that.
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