Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 6 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 3===

Blinding light and an extended scream.

"Tia!"

Ignoring Kili's deployed Muspelheim, I dashed towards Tia.

The final treatment probably ended in an instant—Kili did not stop me. After she put down her raised hand, Tia immediately collapsed on her knees.

As though sliding, I caught Tia's petite body, feeble and drained of strength.

"Stay with me! Tia!"
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I called to her but Tia seemed to have lost consciousness. No reaction. Her two red horns also showed no change in appearance.

"Tia-chan, are you okay!?"

"Tia-san!"

Iris and Mitsuki rushed forward from behind, peering at Tia's face.

Unable to leave their positions from eliminating branches, Lisa and the others looked in our direction with paled faces.

I looked up and glared at Kili.

"What happened to Tia? Did it—fail?"

"Can't tell until Tia wakes up. The completed horns have connected to Tia's brain, so as long as she is able to withstand the strain, she'll surely—"

Just as Kili spoke in a praying tone of voice, Tia stirred.

"Mm..."

A faint sound came Tia's pink lips. A spark of lightning flashed and popped near her red horns.

"Tia can hear..."

Tia spoke hoarsely while opening her eyes slightly.

"Thank goodness, you woke up."

I breathed a sigh of relief, only to see Tia staring at me.

"Tia can hear a cold voice calling Neun... Neun... Is this the voice of Yggdrasil that's troubling Yuu?"

"What...? You can hear it too, Tia?"

I asked in surprise.

Just as Tia said, Yggdrasil's voice was still sounding in my mind right now.

"Yes... So this is Yggdrasil... Yuu's enemy."

Tia spoke as though in the middle of a dream and stood up.

"Tia?"

I noticed Tia acting a bit strange and called to her but she focused her gaze westward towards Yggdrasil instead of answering. The electrical sparks scattering over Tia's head in the horns' surroundings gradually increased.

"...Stop making Yuu suffer, be quiet!!"

The instant Tia yelled, electricity exploded nearby.

"What!?"

Boom, Shinomiya-sensei's laptop exploded. The surroundings suddenly felt quiet.

"Yggdrasil's voice... disappeared?"

I muttered blankly. Yggdrasil's voice was originally loud enough to feel noisy, but now, no matter how I much I focused my mind in order to listen, I could not sense the voice anymore. The sense of dissonance in my left arm also disappeared.

"Looks like it succeeded."

While everyone was feeling troubled, Kili was the only one to show a contented look.

"What did Tia do?"

I demanded an explanation from Kili.

"—What Tia has constructed is an electromagnetic barrier that could probably block out Yggdrasil's interference completely. And if my predictions are correct, Yggdrasil is currently unable to steal Tia's dark matter. Just by maintaining this barrier, your side will be able to enter Yggdrasil's interference range."

"What... Tia is now capable of that kind of thing?"

I gasped and asked.

"Yes. Speaking of which, the reason why Yggdrasil can steal dark matter is because electrical signals simulating thoughts will have more interference strength than weak mental waves. That's why I've given Tia a renewed organ capable of outputting thoughts as electrical signals."

"Namely... those horns?"

I looked at Tia's horns, surrounded by glowing electricity.

"Also, Tia has a habit of subconsciously transmuting dark matter into electrical currents. When the dark matter is transmuted emotionally, it becomes equivalent to thoughts encoded into electrical signals. This further strengthens Tia's interference strength, repelling Yggdrasil's interference. This is the truth behind the electromagnetic barrier."

Thinking back, Tia really did have a habit of generating electrical currents when emotional. That was probably why Kili had chosen Tia.

After listening to that, Tia held her head and asked Kili:

"So... If it's Tia right now, Tia can protect Yuu and the others?"

"That's right. As long as you think intensely and generate dark matter persistently, the electromagnetic barrier will be sustained. As long as they stay inside the barrier, the dark matter of Yuu and the others will be free from interference."

"Got it... Tia will work hard."

Tia nodded and moved her hand away from her head. I saw pearl-like sweat on her head.

It was probably causing her quite a lot of strain. Bestowed with an organ that was not inborn, it was only natural for her body to have a rejection reaction.

But Tia steadied her shaking body with her legs and spread the pair of red wings that was her fictional armament.

"Yuu—Everyone follow Tia. Tia will take everyone to Yggdrasil."

Tia spoke with unshakable determination.

Will you be okay? I could only swallow these words.

Because I quickly understood that it was a meaningless question. Asking it would be a waste of time.

I could see that she was not okay at all. She was clearly forcing herself.

In reaction to becoming like this—No, she had chosen to do this.

Simply for the sake of protecting me.

Lisa silently approached Tia and hugged her.

"—I know, then I will count on you, Tia-san. However, please focus on maintaining the barrier. I will fly and carry you."

"Thank you... Lisa."

Tia dispelled her fictional armament and held onto Lisa's waist.

"...I will carry Onii-chan."

Feeling someone pull my right hand, I turned my gaze to see Ren looking up at me.

Ren's cooperation with me was the key to the next part of the plan, so it was probably better that I traveled with her.

"Okay, I'm counting on you."

I held Ren's hand. Having confirmed the situation, Mitsuki walked over to Iris and took her hand.

"Then I will be responsible for Iris-san's transport. So this is it—Shinomiya-sensei, we are setting off."

Holding the wrecked laptop in her hand, Shinomiya-sensei was looking a bit lost. Then at this time, she smiled wryly and acknowledged.

"Okay... Looks like I can't provide support anymore, so I'm leaving the rest to you. Captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad—Mononobe Mitsuki."

Shinomiya-sensei intentionally added the title when addressing Mitsuki.

Having just declared she would relinquish her duties, Mitsuki made a slightly embarrassed look before saluting with upright posture.

"Affirmative. I will fulfill my duties as the captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad."