Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 10 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 3===

As we neared the front gate, we were greeted by the sight of burning red flames mixed with dust and smoke.

Explosions were heard one after another. Ariella had deployed an air barrier against the red mist, so the burning smell could not reach us—But the quantity of smoke rising into the sky was clearly unusual.

"That hue of the flames... It's the color of when the special fuel used in unmanned weaponry burns. What exploded was probably a large unmanned weapon."

I ran while telling everyone my deductions. Using her fictional armament to fly, Tia frowned.

"That probably is an unmanned weapon that Tia hacked. Tia will fly higher to confirm."

"Don't, carelessly increasing your altitude is very dangerous. If unmanned weaponry is getting destroyed, the enemy likely has high-power weapons. Everyone, focus on protecting yourself."

I called out to Mitsuki and the girls behind me while summoning Siegfried, my fictional armament in the form of an ornamental gun. Tia was the only one flying but everyone else had their respective fictional armaments wielded. The only exception was Kili who treated the surrounding space itself as a weapon.

The smoke source was outside the front gate. What appeared to be a giant plate of armor, presumably sent flying by an explosion, was embedded in the automatic security gate that we normally passed through using our portable terminals.

We cautiously went over the destroyed main gate and exited the campus.

Several multi-legged unmanned weapons were burning intensely on the road where lively crowds of students would pass through on their school commute in the mornings and evenings.

Next, three figures appeared before us. Accompanied by a large explosion, they were illuminated by the flames.

"What—"

I could not help but doubt my own eyes.

The two people standing on the left and right were soldiers clad in armored outfits, the same as the Hreidmars whom I had fought many times, but could also be humanoid drones too.

Reflecting red light from the flames, the armored soldiers were each wielding all kinds of ridiculous heavy weapons. They were surely the ones responsible for destroying the unmanned weapons.

However, the problem was the slender man flanked by the two armored soldiers.

Dispatching Hreidmars and unmanned weaponry was foreseeable to a certain extent, but I never expected "him" to head to the frontline himself—

"Major Loki..."

When I called out his name, he—Major Loki—grinned. Although it was too far for voices to be heard, he must have read my lips.

"Heh... So that's him? I feel a different vibe from him compared to our conversation over the communicator. He doesn't seem like the type to be on the frontlines..."

By my side, Ariella showed a slightly doubtful look.

It seemed like she was getting the same feeling as me. However, having worked with him for so long, what I felt was not limited to a sense of dissonance. There was also a terrifying feeling somewhat different from before.

Something... was off.

Leading two armored soldiers, Major Loki was giving off an extremely fearsome aura. What intimidated me was surely more than the frightening and terrifying feeling coming from him.

A lethal situation that my current self was unable to oppose, my instincts warned intensely.

"Nii-san, what is the matter? Although the enemy is equipped with heavy weaponry, there are only three of them. At this distance, we can deploy barriers while overwhelming them unilaterally."

Controlling her voice, Mitsuki sought my opinion.

It was indeed as she described. With a sufficiently wide open space, Ds were able to make full use of their powers. Bombarding enemies from this distance without approaching recklessly would be the best tactic. Since Major Loki's objective was to kill Charlotte, there was no point in wasting words with him now.

However—Despite knowing all this, I could not issue the order.

My heart was filled with a sense of foreboding that something irrevocable might happen if we made a move carelessly.

"Mononobe?"

Iris and the girls looked at me in puzzlement but I remained stuck in hesitation.

"Yuu—Tia's is coming."

At this moment, hovering overhead, Tia whispered quietly to me.

Although I could not understand what she meant, soon enough—I figured it out after seeing the multi-legged unmanned weapon rushing out from the side of the main road. She was referring to the unmanned weapon she had hacked.

However, the soldiers equipped with heavy weapons and armor did not move. Neither did Major Loki show any intent to evade the unmanned weapon charging at him. He simply looked at it in irritation.

—BOOM!!

Instantly, without any prior warning, the unmanned weapon exploded.

"What...?"

I totally had no idea what happened. No one had attacked, yet this powerful weapon was suddenly rendered into wreckage.

"Tia-san, do you know what happened?"

Lisa asked Tia who had the unmanned weapon under her control, but Tia shook her head in shock.

"Dunno... It suddenly exploded."

"It's almost like my Muspelheim... But it's not. He shouldn't be a D and in this dusty environment, tiny particles of dark matter cannot be sustained at all."

Kili looked gravely at the destroyed unmanned weapon and Major Loki. Everyone else had trouble hiding their surprise but another scene took place to further deepen our puzzlement.

One of the armored soldiers suddenly lost strength in his knees and collapsed on the ground.

"What's with... that guy?"

Firill murmured in doubt.

"...Was he injured by shrapnel from the explosion?"

Ren brought up the most likely possibility but I had seen clearly that the armored soldiers were unharmed.

Watching us react, Major Loki smiled with delight. Then he walked slowly towards us.

"Nii-san!"

Mitsuki pleaded with me again to issue orders. There was no time for hesitation.

"I'll go. Before we find out what Major Loki—that man, in other words—has done, don't any of you make a move."

I ordered the girls in forceful tone of voice then started walking forward.

"Wait, Mononobe-kun. If you do this in this kind of situation, he'll surely—"

Ariella stopped me frantically but I shook my head lightly.

"...I know. But that's why I must go."

The fact that he was standing in Charlotte's red mist without behind controlled stood as evidence that he was no ordinary person. In other words, it was very likely that Major Loki also possessed Code Lost.

I walked forward while paying attention to the armored soldier behind Major Loki. The other armored soldier remained collapsed on the ground, unmoving.

Major Loki halted when our separation had shrunk to five meters. I stopped accordingly and stood face to face with him.

"Hello, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe."

Major Loki spoke with his usual tone and expression but there was something different about his gaze towards me. Until now, he had looked at me as though facing livestock—a downward gaze—together with a sense of pity towards one of his own. But now, his eyes contained cold mercilessness as though looking at prey he was about to hunt.

"Major Loki..."

I focused my mind to prevent my wavering from causing my fictional armament to disappear. At the same time, I stared at Major Loki.

"I already know of Sleipnir's defeat, but never did I expect her to show up with you. Sleipnir is supposed to be impossible to stop by any means except killing them."

Major Loki glanced behind me and smiled. He was probably looking at Ariella.

"2nd Lieutenant Mononobe choosing to stay on Gray's side, defeating Sleipnir then showing up to obstruct me—Under such conditions, you were supposed to be filled with murderous rage towards me due to being forced to dispose of Ariella Lu by your own hand."

With an expression conveying his surprise at the unexpected turn of events, he shrugged.

"Do you... wish to exact revenge from me?"

Informed of Major Loki's intent, I asked cautiously.

"No—It simply saves me a bit of effort. Besides, it allowed me to talk to you. If anything, I might say that this current meeting is what I hoped for."

"By this point, what is there for us to discuss?"

Our positions were in complete opposition, which meant that there should be no point in negotiating. Although that was what I thought, Major Loki nodded.

"Indeed, ''this is the end'', which is why I have things to tell you. Relax, this isn't my last wish. I don't do useless stuff like that. What I'm about to say is for insurance. For the sake of leaving a complete successor behind regardless of fate's machinations."

"Successor?"

When I frowned and repeated what Major Loki said, he nodded deeply.

"Indeed, the successor of the clear dragon—'Colorless' Fafnir—is essential to the current world."

"..."

This was what Charlotte had told me, the name of the dragon holding "the power born to kill humanity."

"Judging from this reaction of yours, you've already heard the gist from Gray. That makes things easy. Fafnir is the name of the one who scrapped the killing authority. The being capable of killing even the immortal Gray. In the past, that was what my father called it."

"The one who assassinated Charl's father... I heard that NIFL treats him as a 'hero.'"

"—Indeed. And hopes were placed in me as the 'son of the hero.' I received the best education and greedily absorbed knowledge and skills, distinguishing myself with various accomplishments. And I intended to respond to their expectations, but... I lacked the most crucial talent."

Major Loki continued in self-deprecation.

"The day my father died, I was still in my mother's womb... ''and did not inherit the authority''."

"Huh—"

His unexpected words made me exclaim in surprise.

Was my reaction exactly the same as what Major Loki predicted? He laughed sarcastically.

"Knowing the truth of the expectations laid upon me as I entered NIFL, yet aware that I lacked the essential talent, for the very first time, I was confronted with my own powerlessness and what was impossible for me."

"Major Loki doesn't have an authority..."

Still in doubt, I muttered in surprise. Although this was only natural upon further thought, for someone like me who never thought of him as "powerless," this was a shocking truth.

Just as Ariella had pointed out earlier, there was no reason for him to hold back combat potential in reserve. If Major Loki possessed the same kind of potent power wielded by Sleipnir and Hreidmar, he could have finished the job on his own.

Hence, it was only logical that he did not possess Code Lost.

No... But that was only up until now. Why was he here currently—standing calmly without being controlled by the red mist of blood?

This contradiction troubled me. Major Loki spoke in delight while the corners of his mouth twisted in a grin.

"Are you that surprised? Then my acting skills must be too good. From the start, I was a weakling inferior to you. Hence, I gathered people who possessed power and focused on conducting research. This was to investigate as much as possible about the Gray I had to defeat."

Major Loki looked up at the red mist and asked me:

"2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, before Gray exerted control—Did you know about that authority's true nature?"

"No..."

I shook my head. Ariella had said that Charlotte's power was not dominance but possibly "something else"—But what exactly, I had not heard. Mica-san had also glossed over the issue.

However, Major Loki seemed to have obtained the answer. Without any uncertainty, he spoke.

"The authority of the gray dragon—the 'Gray' Vampire—is an authority born for the sake of ''uniting the human race into one being''."

"...Unite? What the heck are you talking about?"

Unable to understand him, I frowned.

"Is it hard to understand? ...Then let me use the word 'assimilate.' Using Gray's bodily fluids as a medium, synchronizing oneself with others to exert control, thereby conferring immortality upon others at the same time. In a certain sense, isn't that making them a part of Gray?"

"That's..."

I was rendered speechless. Indeed, dominance was also about making others belong to you, turning them into a part of you. Taking into account what had been said just now, it was now possible to explain why accepting her bodily fluids would heal wounds.

"Since it is an authority born for the sake of uniting the human race into one being, this power was entrusted to one person. And precisely because he understood this point, the previous Gray had exerted dominance at a minimum level, limiting it to key individuals in power. However, once the authority goes out of control, this is the result."

Major Loki gestured towards Midgard, covered in the red mist of blood.

"When the authority is activated fully, all humans apart from Gray will lose their minds, turned into cells with collective immortality. Ultimately, ''both authorities'', bestowed for the sake of delivering the world from mankind's hands, exist to kill humans."

With hostility towards the world, Major Loki spoke with displeasure.

"...Even if what you say is true, Charl didn't use her power that way. Right now, she's still hanging on to control it. That's why, no matter what you say... I won't become Charl's enemy. If Charl is going to walk down a wrong path, I will correct her as a friend. Of course, ''killing her is not an option''."

I deliberately avoided using polite language and retorted against Major Loki in a forceful tone of voice.

Major Loki proceeded to smile with a sigh.

"Hoo—by now, I don't think I can still appease you either. Neither do I believe that Gray would be stupid enough to let her authority go out of control intentionally. What makes me reject Gray's existence is not because of the authority she holds but the fact that she imposes a state of peace on the world."

"Because armies are not needed without war...?"

When I voiced my speculation, Major Loki shrugged in exasperation.

"It's certainly not a cost and benefit calculation. If Gray's dominance is established, there won't be any lives lost due to war. On the other hand, ''those whose lives cannot be extended except by fighting will end up dead''. This is undoubtedly the dragon disaster caused by the gray dragon."

Did he think this explanation was enough? Major Loki stared at me.

"Don't tell me... it's because dragon disasters must be stopped? As NIFL's responsibility, that's why—"

"Somewhat different from NIFL's responsibility, I simply believe this is a 'hero's duty.' You may laugh at me, but I truly intend to be a 'hero,' unlike my father who had failed to actualize it—To become a genuine 'hero' instead of being an exploited tool."

After Major Loki said all this with eyes of firm determination, he waved his hand at the armored soldier behind him.

"What are you planning—"

I readied a stance warily but Major Loki simply knocked on the head of the armored soldier who was standing still on the side and issued a brief command.

"Remove."

Next, the armored soldier tossed away the heavy weaponry in his hands then operated his headgear to remove the helmet.

The face of a man in his late thirties was revealed. Although he was different from Hreidmar in that his interior was not hollow, the man's gaze was blank and unfocused.

After glancing coldly at him, Major Loki returned his gaze to me.

"However, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, I lack the necessary power to be a 'hero'—the authority required to exterminate Gray. Hence, I have gathered potential holders from around the world. This guy is one of them—a mass murderer on death row from a certain country."

Major Loki placed his hand on the man's shoulder and spoke.

"So this man... has Code Lost?"

Skeptically, I looked at this sorry excuse for a man. His condition was similar to Ariella and Sleipnir when they were fighting me earlier, except that the heavy killing intent had not manifested in him.

"Indeed, that being said—his authority is very diluted. As its name implies, the scrapped authority is an abandoned power. The first Fafnir did not use that power even once, hence the authority has not manifested in full. After his death, the authority was inherited by others, spread in a weakened form. No longer worthy of being called an authority, consisting only of lingering fragments... Something that should be called the scrapped factor. From other people's view, these holders are simply too talented at murder."

After saying that, Major Loki gestured with his gaze towards the man who was standing perfectly still.

"This amount of the scrapped factor is nowhere capable of killing Gray. The special qualities of a so-called authority cannot be breached except by someone holding at least as much of the scrapped quantity as my father did. Hence, I researched the succession rules of authorities and methods for distilling the factor. Death row prisoners like this guy is what I used to carry out my experiments. As for the resultant existence—I'm sure you know very well."

At Major Loki's prodding, I spoke hesitantly.

"...Hreidmar?"

Unable to think of anything, I said the name of the armored soldier that was the prototype of "Fafnir."

"Indeed. Those who have inherited the scrapped factor from multiple people are the Hreidmars. However, the physical body ends up getting transformed by the excess scrapped factor, resulting in an unstable form that cannot be sustained without wearing an armored outfit."

Major Loki shrugged and deliberately looked behind me.

"After that, I conducted research on collective application of the scrapped factor by having it spread over multiple holders. The completed product is Sleipnir with the inclusion of Ariella Lu. However—along the way, I discovered the rare vessel that is you."

An intense chill ran down my spine. I felt a foreboding sense of ''what had been done to me''—

"No way, me too..."

"Indeed. You might not have noticed, but your body has inherited the scrapped factor many times. Guiding the inheritance of authorities is very simple. Priority in authority succession is decided by the depth of karma. Although the blood relationship of parent and child is a very deep one, the strongest karmic relationship is formed between 'the killer and the killed.'"

"The killer and the killed..."

For sure, we had inherited authorities after killing dragons. The one to take a life and the one whose life was taken—The creation of this strong karmic relationship was presumably what had guided us to inherit authorities.

"Consequently, the probability of succession is dramatically increased by blood relations and the killer-victim connection. The most efficient method was to have test subjects drink your blood laced with poison."

"What..."

I could not help but hold down my empty right hand. Major Loki's calamitous experiment made me breathe irregularly.

—How many people's lives had been used to cultivate my "Fafnir"?

While I was feeling dizzy from the sacrificed lives, Major Loki motioned to the man on the side and smiled cruelly.

"No need to be so shocked about all this. All the people used for experimenting had been sentenced to death. Dead men walking. Furthermore, you showed no signs of transformation despite obtaining the factor comparable to Hreidmar's amount. Hence, I believe you are precisely the one compatible with Fafnir. However—You chose to take Gray's side."

Major Loki sighed and stared at me.

"Oh well, this was foreseeable too. Although my expectations were betrayed, the plan remains flawless. The only surprise was that you stopped Sleipnir without killing them. Perhaps because of that, ''I inherited their scrapped factor instead of you''."

"—So in the end, Major Loki, you took the authority..."

I had already guessed when I saw that he had not fallen under Charlotte's control.

"Sleipnir had taken medication made from my father's blood because I knew that his blood, from Fafnir's direct descendant, could activate the scrapped factor. The karma of this blood is probably what allowed me to become the prioritized successor. Truly... unexpected. To think that I had already made preparations to fight you assuming your inheritance of Sleipnir's factor—"

"What... do you mean?"

A loathsome premonition rose in my heart. I now knew the true identity of the capsule Ariella had swallowed, but my failing to inherit her factor was something unforeseen?

In that case, what exactly had Major Loki done as preparations—

"About a hundred people."

"...Huh?"

"That is the number of scrapped factor holders required ''to compete with you'' after your presumed acquisition of Sleipnir's factor. Just now, I executed the remaining hundred or so test subjects, using poison mixed with my blood."

Major Loki laughed heartily, holding his chest with his hand.

"Don't tell me—"

He had used the same method as what he did to guide the scrapped factor to my body. In that case, right now, he was—

"Indeed, what I have inherited is the factor from them. Hence, I have Sleipnir's factor added as well. To be honest, I had worried whether I might turn into a gas like Hreidmar, but it looks like my capacity as Fafnir's direct descendant is greater than I imagined."

He raised his hand and pointed his fingertip at the armored soldier.

"As a result, I've obtained power beyond expectation. The power I can use right now is infinitely close to the original Code Lost."

All my hair stood on end. Although Major Loki was carrying a gun, he did not draw it out. He simply pointed the finger of his empty hand at the man.

Feeling a premonition that he was going to do something dangerous, I yelled out.

"Stop—"

However, he swung his hand a moment before I called out to stop him.

Nothing changed. The man remained standing there, his glazed eyes staring at the sky.

But why was I trembling with my back breaking out in cold sweat, the pounding of my heart echoing in my ears?

"Just now, I imagined the manner of this man's death."

Was this the reason? Loki's voice, speaking these words calmly, sounded as though it had been transmitted from afar.

"..."

I could not understand what sort of actual effect this would do. I looked back at Major Loki. He smiled and continued explaining.

"Behind me, the unmanned weapon is still burning intensely, right? A large explosion will happen there, producing a piece of shrapnel to pierce his neck vertebra. Oh right, it won't happen until five seconds or so later."

Turning around to motion towards the burning remains of an unmanned weapon, Major Loki began a countdown.

"Three, two, one—"

—Boom!

At the end of the countdown, his words instantly turned into reality.

"Gah, hah—"

Standing still, the man made a sound from his mouth for the first time. However, it was the sound of a life extinguished.

A piece of sharp metal fragment had pierced the man's throat. Flying due to the explosion, the metal shrapnel had accurately penetrated the man's neck vertebra from behind.

Thud, the man collapsed on the ground. Behind me, Iris and the girls began to clamor as a result of witnessing this scene. Someone screamed.

Major Loki looked down coldly at the man who had died on the spot. With a completely unemotional voice, he said quietly:

"Hoo... Considering his crimes, this death is a bit too comfortable. But anyway, I suppose this is a reward for his cooperation in my experiments until now."

—Incomprehensible. What Major Loki had done was totally incomprehensible.

Using a time bomb would allow the explosion to occur at a predicted time, but the trajectories of flying shrapnel should be impossible to control.

"How did he die—No, he was killed... right?"

I asked in confusion. Major Loki nodded.

"Indeed. Just now was undoubtedly a demonstration of ''murder'' according to my will. Achieving quantum resonance by using the shared characteristic of 'humanity'—using the state of synchronization to cause limited interference in the law of causality—this is the true form of the 'lethal gold' held by Fafnir 'the embracer,' the true nature of Code Lost. Although everything until this point was theoretical, it is finally proven now that the power has fallen into my hands."

"Resonance... Law of causality...?"

I frowned at the incomprehensible explanation.

"—It must be difficult for you. Simply stated, it is the power ''to twist a human's fate, thereby forcing certain death upon that person''... Such is the nature of the scrapped authority."

Major Loki spoke casually but this was absolutely not something that could be accepted so easily.

"This ridiculous nonsense—"

"2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, what are you so surprised about? You've been using this power to survive all this time. ''Never losing against human opponents, no enemy you cannot kill''... If such absolutes existed for certain, isn't that equivalent to deciding your opponent's fate?"

"—"

No words to refute him. When giving up myself to "Fafnir," I felt as though victory was guaranteed. Multiple pathways leading to the opponent's death would appear in my mind, extending all the way to the very end.

"When interference in causality is weakened, it requires the user to add in killing behavior to guide 'the possibility of death.' Imagining the opponent's death, twisting fate—Then ensuring it."

"The same happened to that armored soldier... too?"

Speechless, I asked Major Loki.

"Yes, I used him in order to destroy the unmanned weapon. I roped the unmanned weapon into the causality of his death."

"What... I can't believe you can go so far—"

Code Lost's power had completely surpassed my imagination. No, it was Major Loki's ''application'' of it that had transcended conventional rules.

Killing a person just to destroy an unmanned weapon—No ordinary person would think of that.

"Well then, we have chatted long enough... However, let me tell you something essential."

Looking at me in my surprise and confusion, Major Loki narrowed his slender eyes.

It felt like being doused with a bucket of cold water. My thoughts were reset. Warnings from my instincts blared in the depths of my ears.

Ensuring death simply through imagination—If this was true, then timing or the like would be irrelevant.

At any point in time recognized by Major Loki, fate was practically held in his hands. What could one do in such a situation?

"Hoo—Relax, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. My Code Lost is still incomplete. It's no easy task for me to kill you, who wields the power to interfere in causality, only second to mine, and that immortal Gray. I've already tried it many times but failed in every case."

"...You already made a move huh."

I whispered painfully. Considering the possibility of death encountered when I came here, a terrible chill went through my body.

"Unconfirmable causality means that all endings have a chance to exist, no matter what kind. That's why I need insurance. It won't do unless you develop a deep understanding of  Code Lost. This is to ensure that I can become the 'hero' in all possible futures."

"What... is the meaning of this...?"

The air was filled with tension. However, Major Loki answered me in a cold voice and expression.

"There is no need for you to know at the moment. Recall this and think carefully if you happen to kill me."

Saying that, he took out a gun from the inside of his military uniform. Instead of the mass-produced Nergal used by NIFL, it was an old-style revolver seldom seen on the battlefield nowadays.

"Mononobe!"

"Nii-san!"

"Yuu!"

Seeing Major Loki draw a gun, the girls called my name from behind.

But at that moment, I was the first to realize what I should be doing. After learning of Major Loki's power, I should have yelled this instantly.

"Hurry and run, everyone! Immediately—get away as far from here as possible!"

I roared with all my strength without turning my head back, staring at Major Loki the whole time.

"Mononobe-kun, but—"

"Onii-chan—"

Firill and Ren questioned this sudden order but I ignored them and repeated myself.

"Hurry—I'm begging you, run away! Run away quickly!!"

Charlotte and I were the only ones whom Major Loki could not kill by imagination. The exceptions did not include Iris or the girls. They should have noticed upon listening to me. Right now, they were in a situation where their lives could be taken any moment.

"...Let us be on our way, everyone!"

"Our presence will get in Mononobe-kun's way! Let's hurry!"

After Lisa and Ariella urged them, I heard the sound of them running. 

"Yuu—You're not allowed to die!"

Mixed amidst the receding footsteps, Kili's message reached my ears.

Looking past me at the escaping girls, Major Loki smiled wryly.

"How regrettable. Code Lost has no concept of distance. Running anywhere makes no difference."

"...Are you using them as hostages?"

I glared at Major Loki and asked.

"No, that's pointless. Seeing as you are so smart, you probably know that I intend to execute them regardless, right?"

He had a point. I did not believe at all that Major Loki would spare them. Sleipnir was a unit existing for the purpose of hunting Ds. Now that I thought about it, Major Loki's hostility was not only directed at Charlotte but also all Ds.

Hence, precisely because I understood this, the cruel smile on Major Loki's face made my entire body tremble.

Rather than threatening them, he intended to follow the worst-case scenario.

"As a result, I will dispose of them first—Let their death cries serve as the signal for us to start 'killing each other.'"

"——!"

The instant I heard him, I raised Siegfried without hesitation and fired a bullet of dark matter.

"Plasma Bullet!"

I did not have luxury of waiting for him to speak. I must not give him any time to think.

Using my fastest transmutation, I attacked his heart directly by generating a bullet that a human could neither block nor evade.

However, the diamond-piercing bullet failed to interrupt his talking and thinking.

"What..."

I looked in shock at the unharmed Major Loki. Tearing through the darkness of night, the glowing bullet's trail disappeared behind him instead of striking him.

It missed—

A shot fired with lucidity at full concentration without hesitation at merely a distance of five meters—

"Nowhere good enough, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe. Currently, the gap in our causality interference power is far too great, have you forgotten? All phenomena involving random fluctuations will proceed in my favor. In other words, at this distance, ''the only possibility for your bullets is to miss''. In addition—"

The corners of Major Loki's lips sneered.

"—During the time you are firing this completely pointless bullet, I can ''think things slowly at my leisure''."

"No way..."

My mind went blank. A sense of despair rose up from underfoot.

My throat became parched, to the point that I did not know how to breathe. Irregular breathing affected my thoughts while my shaken heart caused my Siegfried-wielding hand to tremble nonstop.


"The deaths of all those girls are sealed."


Major Loki's calm and cruel voice delivered to my ears words I refused to believe.

I felt as though my body was sliced myriad times.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Roaring like a beast, I kicked the ground and charged.

Using the remainder of my dark matter, I created a steel knife. If bullets were blocked by the wall named probability, then my only recourse was to deliver "death" directly by these hands of mine.

"Fufu—As expected, you instinctively chose the best option."

With a confident expression, Major Loki raised his revolver at me.

Within my accelerated consciousness, I saw the line of murderous intent. Predicting the trajectory, I blocked the bullet with my knife.

Clang!!

With a high-pitched ringing and heavy impact, the blade shattered and flew apart.

The blade, which should have been strong enough, was shattered the instant the bullet struck. This was not because the bullet's power exceeded my expectations. I knew this from the sensation of the impact.

Most likely, he had "coincidentally" hit the knife's most fragile point.

"Gah—"

I felt a sharp pain in my right leg. A fragment of the broken blade had stabbed me in the leg. This was probably due to causality unfolding in Major Loki's favor too.

However, none of that mattered to me. There was no time to be intimidated by pain nor fearful of overwhelming odds.

Fight—kill—in order to ''protect'' the ones dearest to me!

I closed in and used my bare hand to grab the broken blade stuck in my leg. Drawing out the fragment, I stabbed at my opponent.

However, Major Loki took half a step back and evaded my attack with minimum motion. Although I immediately followed up with a backhanded strike, it missed as well.

"Indeed—Although death is sealed, it still has not arrived yet at this moment. If you were to kill me this instant, the one who has warped causality, perhaps those girls might still live."

Major Loki dodged my attacks while telling me this in a detached manner as though talking about someone else.

"——Tsk!!"

I transmuted a new knife and threw the broken blade at Major Loki's throat.

However, the blade brushed past his neck even though we were clearly less than a meter apart, flying behind him.

"Nevertheless... only ten seconds remain."

With these words, Major Loki pulled his revolver's trigger. I twisted my body to evade. The bullet's trajectory could be predicted. However, a vivid red splattered on the side of my vision. Part of the muscle on my upper arm had been gouged.

My attacks could not land yet his attacks were unavoidable.

This was presumably caused by the difference in quantity of the scrapped factor held by each of us.

Be that as it may, I must bridge the gap. Unless I rejected fate within the next ten seconds, I was going to lose the ones dearest to me.

Iris, Mitsuki, Tia, Lisa, Firill, Ren, Ariella, Kili... They were all going to die.

I refused to acknowledge it. Absolutely forbidden. This sort of future, this kind of existence that would bring about the worst outcome!

Disallowed. Must be destroyed. Must be killed.

I will—kill. Kill him!

Filled with murderous intent, my mind began to meld with "Fafnir."

But despite the acceleration of the mind and the sharpening of my senses, that former sense of omnipotence did not surface.

Predictions failing, attacks being read. In this back and forth process, I was gradually cornered.

Summoned dark matter was shot by the revolver the instant of generation, thus putting a seal on transmutation.

"Six, five—"

Major Loki counted down calmly while evading my attacks. Bit by bit, the revolver's bullets were shaving away my flesh.

Although I barely managed to avoid critical injuries, my injured body was bleeding profusely. My movements were gradually growing sluggish.

"Three, two—"

Was this it? Was this everything? Was this the best that "Fafnir," the monster occupying my heart, could do!?

If it was still not enough, I could hand over everything of mine, whatever it took. Hence—Devour this guy before my eyes!!

The only thing left was the knife in my hand.

Using this one and only fang, I will take my enemy's life. I no longer cared what was going to happen to me. Even mutual annihilation was fine.

So long as this blade met its mark, all else could—

BANG!!

A gunshot and heavy metallic sound was heard. Sent flying from my hand, the knife spun through the air.

Raising the smoking revolver, Major Loki announced calmly to me.

"—Zero."

My vision turned dark. My thoughts and heart were completely frozen.

This word declared the end to everything. A voice implying my loss of everything.

Too late. Failed to hit. Failed to protect—

Emotionally, I could not accept. But rationality forced me to confront reality.

"Ah..."

Within my heart, filled with despair, only murderous intent remained impossible to dispel, expanding and overflowing still.

Despite having lost the ones dearest to me, my body continued to fight as before.

"Gahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

Hatred and anger erupted. I thrust a knifehanded strike at Major Loki's eyeball.

"Now that's what I'm talking about, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe—True killing intent painted completely with hatred and vengeance."

With a smile of contentment, he dodged my attack and aimed the revolver at me.

"—I've been waiting for this moment. To inherit your scrapped factor in its most activated state."

The gunshot shook the air—I felt a violent impact against the left side of my chest.

"Gah..."

The instant I noticed my heart had been struck, all sensory perception left me. My consciousness fell into a deep abyss of darkness.