Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 6 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 4===

Gathered around Lisa, who was carrying Tia in her arms, we flew through the night sky.

Yggdrasil's branches were growing at a frightening rate in front of us.

Although it was impossible to measure the exact interference range, the area under the branches was most likely its territory.

We cautiously lowered our altitude and rushed into Yggdrasil's interference range.

—No change.

Having confirmed there was no interference in our fictional armaments or any signs of impedance to transmutation, we increased our altitude and flying speed. The sky glowed white faintly. Dawn seemed to be approaching.

Flying in the lead while carrying Iris in her arms was Mitsuki. Holding the rear was Ren, transporting me, with Kili flying by our side.

"How unexpected. I can't believe you came along, Kili."

Flying in the sky with Ren holding my hand, I spoke to Kili beside me.

"Let me enjoy the show to the very end since I'm already here. Of course, I won't just watch. I'll offer a helping hand and won't drag you down, so relax."

"I don't doubt your abilities, but I'll be watching you to see if you have any ulterior motives."

I declared to Kili that I refused to trust her.

"Fufu, I don't mind. That means you'll have your eyes focused on me."

Kili smiled confidently.

"...!"

Her smile was inexplicably dazzling and stunning, rendering me speechless for a moment. Sure enough, this girl was not easy to deal with.

"However, you should probably focus your attention on Yggdrasil rather than me. Once it realizes its interference over dark matter isn't working, it will surely take other measures."

Just as Kili reminded me to pay attention, Mitsuki yelled from the front:

"Heads up, Yggdrasil's branches are showing changes! Be careful, everyone!"

I hastily looked up to notice that we were already under a canopy made from Yggdrasil's branches.

These capillary-like branches blotted the sky, writhing in a sinister and spooky manner. Numerous branches, as sharp as spears, were attacking our position.

"All units deploy shields! We will break through by force!"

Mitsuki commanded in a sharp voice.

"Looks like it's my turn."

Kili grinned proudly and raised one hand to the sky.

"—Such flammable-looking branches won't even manage to enter my Muspelheim."

The approaching branches suddenly caught fire, burning into tiny particles of ash.

She had most likely deployed an invisible barrier of high temperature in the air.

Mitsuki and the girls also deployed barriers of wind, but all the branches were burnt to ash before reaching them.

Under the gradually brightening sky, the outlines of Mount Fuji's tall appearance and the towering Yggdrasil were gradually coming into view.

"Target confirmed! Once we pass over Mount Fuji, our distance to the target will be 10 kilometers or so—Sniping distance. Iris-san, show time for you!"

"Yeah!"

Iris nodded in response to Mitsuki.

"Once we pass Mount Fuji, Lisa-san, Iris-san and I shall attack the main body in full force while trying to get even closer. Firill-san and Ariella-san, continue to deploy shields. Nii-san and Ren-san will prepare to scatter Ether Wind after the main body is destroyed!"

"Yes!"

I answered and made eye contact with Ren, exchanging nods in acknowledgement.

"Huh? What about me?"

Without being called on, Kili asked, prompting Mitsuki to reply in a cold voice:

"If you wish to help, please participate in attacking."

"Oh dear, it feels like you're not expecting much of me?"

Kili grumbled with dissatisfaction.

Immediately, Iris, who was carried by Mitsuki, looked back and smiled cheerfully at Kili.

"It's not like that, Kili-chan, let's do our best together!"

"...Y-You're really good at getting others caught in your pace. Fine, whatever. Having created this chance for Tia, even without being told, I seriously intend to go on a rampage."

Kili spoke with violence in her eyes.

The snowtop of Mount Fuji was before us, but the branches suddenly stopped attacking.

Just as it seemed like Yggdrasil had given up on obstructing us with branches, Lisa yelled acutely.

"Look quickly! Yggdrasil's shape—"

Located on the far side, Yggdrasil's towering trunk was gradually expanding unnaturally in the middle.

Then bizarre and thick branches were forced out from the bulging portion.

The sun seemed to rise at last and the sky brightened all at once. Behind us, the sun's rays from the east were making us slightly dizzy.

"Everyone! Go down rapidly right now!"

Just at this moment, I heard Tia shout anxiously.

"Yggdrasil's target is Tia!"

Hearing Tia's urgent voice, everyone lowered their flying altitude without fully understanding what was going on.

In the next instant, a flash of blinding light rushed past us above.

"W-What was that!?"

Firill cried out in surprise.

"No idea, it seems like something flew out from Yggdrasil..."

Ariella had not figured out the situation either.

"Dodge quickly! It's aiming again!"

Tia yelled again.

"Descend further!"

Mitsuki instantly ordered us.

After we obeyed, another flash of light passed over us.

"That light... Its speed... The power of electrical interference—It might be an object shot at high-speed using electromagnetic induction."

Flying ahead, Mitsuki said in a stiff tone of voice.

"Isn't that a railgun!? Isn't it impossible to dodge if something like that is aiming at us!?"

Lisa yelled anxiously but Kili interjected confident after hearing her:

"—Don't worry. Tia noticed the attacks in advance, twice already, right? Tia, did you feel anything?"

Tia nodded lightly at Kili's question.

"Yes, there's a dangerous feeling."

"I knew it. Tia's horns are also quite sensitive towards external electromagnetic waves. Although it wasn't an ability by deliberate design, as long as we have Tia, we should be able to dodge."

After Kili said that, Tia made an alarmed expression and yelled:

"It's coming again!"

"All units dodge right!"

Mitsuki instantly commanded.

I could see a glowing ball shot out from the branches protruding from Yggdrasil's trunk.

Just as I was thinking that, a blinding light flashed past our left.

As Lisa said, it would be impossible to dodge visually.

But such a powerful attack could very well get me caught up in it too. Yggdrasil seemed quite shaken when harming me in Midgard. Although the reason was unknown, it looked like it wanted to obtain me intact.

Nevertheless, Yggdrasil seemed to be prioritizing the elimination of Tia over ensuring my safety. Perhaps that was how much of a threat it viewed Tia.

"It's not over!"

We listened to Tia's directions and steadily closed in on Yggdrasil while evading the railgun shots.

Finally, we passed over Mount Fuji's peak.

The railgun shots we dodged dug up the side of Mount Fuji. Amidst the cloud of dust and debris, Mitsuki issued orders.

"Begin the attack on Yggdrasil's main body! If the main body is like a CPU, damaging it ought to lower Yggdrasil's computation power. This might be able to dampen its unrestricted growth and regeneration."

"Understood!"

In charge of attacking, Iris and Lisa responded.

Kili also went "got it" and went up to the front with a fearless smile.

Mitsuki raised Brionac. Holding onto Mitsuki's waist with her right arm, Iris raised her left hand.

"Come, come, fragments of time—"

Iris murmured like praying then generated a red glow in her hand immediately. The words she uttered served as an incantation to focus her mind. She had apparently made changes in order to use Catastrophe.

"—Caduceus Catastrophe!"

With a shout, the red glow turned into the shape of a staff. At first glance, it seemed to be a fictional armament of a different color, but most likely, no dark matter had been used.

It was definitely what Iris had used at Midgard last time, a staff formed from concentrating the light of Catastrophe.

"Iris-san, please attack after me!"

While Iris was preparing, Mitsuki aimed at Yggdrasil and fired the first shot.

"Terminating Arrow—Last Quark!"

Mitsuki fired an antimatter arrow that had eliminated several dragons to date.

But as though to block the arrow's advance, the branches spread above came down, entangling one another, forming a wall.

Mitsuki's arrow caused a giant explosion upon contact with that wall, destroying the branches. However, due to the distance, the antimatter explosion did not reach Yggdrasil's main body.

The branches forming the canopy came down to attack us from overhead. However, they were deflected by Firill and Ariella's barriers. But during this time, branches formed a new wall in front of Yggdrasil.

"Our attacks won't be able to reach the main body if it bolsters its defenses like this!"

Lisa raised Gungnir and shouted.

"Don't worry, Lisa-chan, I'll eliminate them all!"

Pointing the tip of her red staff towards Yggdrasil, Iris shouted acutely:

"Catastrophe, actualize!"

The red light of Catastrophe pierced the dawn sky.

An attack of red light, rivaling Basilisk's, devoured the wall of branches that Yggdrasil had weaved, instantly weathering it away into dust.

Without weakening, the light struck the railgun's discharge port directly.

The longer the duration of exposure, the more time was stolen. Slicing through Yggdrasil's gigantic tree trunk, Iris' beam pierced straight through.

The original location of the discharge port was turned into a giant hole.

"Pierce, flare!"

Seizing the chance, Lisa fired her specialty, the positron cannon, from the tip of her spear. Her attack made a direct hit on the top part of Yggdrasil—the base of the branches.

Severed from the main body, the branches instantly stopped moving and started to fall gradually towards the ground.

Passing through gaps in the falling branches, we increased our altitude and got within Yggdrasil's vicinity. In front of our eyes was a towering gigantic tree that was way too enormous.

"My turn."

Completely fearless, Kili raised her right hand towards the sky.

"—Laevateinn."

Extending a scarlet flash of light towards the sky, Kili swung that flash down like a sword.

The sword of flashing light left a trail on the morning clouds in the sky.

Chopping Yggdrasil's main body vertically, the light sliced into the center of the tree trunk, causing a large explosion. That shockwave caused Yggdrasil's trunk to split apart left and right.

"This time, I will strike the target."

Aiming at the crack in Yggdrasil caused by Kili's attack, Mitsuki released another antimatter arrow.

The pure white light of annihilation erupted from the inside of the trunk. The internally detonated explosion caused Yggdrasil's body to expand greatly. Losing balance, the body gradually collapsed under its own weight.

"It is almost time. Descend to the ground, scatter Ether Wind and attack Yggdrasil's mind using the anti-dragon armament."

Seeing Yggdrasil collapsing, Mitsuki gave orders.

Ren would no longer be able to fly once she passed all her dark matter to me. Furthermore, the anti-dragon armaments had to be secured on the ground for support, which necessitated landing.

"Onii-chan...!"

"Yes, let's start."

Ren held my hand tightly and I gripped back in return.

Unless I followed up on the attack, all we had accomplished was merely destroying Yggdrasil's body. Sooner or later, it would transfer its core to somewhere else.

Hence, before that could happen, we must drag on ''the contents'' to destroy it after obliterating the main body.

Finding a location with good visibility, we landed at a lakeside near Yggdrasil.

Everyone scattered to protect Ren and me. Helped by Tia who was in charge of preventing Yggdrasil's interference, I generated dark matter.

"Fictional armament—Siegfried."

I created the fictional armament shaped like an ornamental gun.

Then Ren placed her hand on Siegfried.

"I will only think about you, Onii-chan, and you will only think about me. That way, I'll definitely be able to give all of it to you."

"—Got it."

While I nodded in response, Ren's dark matter poured in.

It was a massive amount that I had never succeeded in controlling before.

However, my fictional armament expanded in volume in a stable manner without its shape going into disarray.

By thinking of each other strongly, we caused our dark matter to merge without problems.

It felt like Ren's mind was naturally permeating into mine.

My fictional armament grew to several dozens of meters in size within the blink of an eye.

Ordinary matter of that size would be almost impossible to balance or support. But the dark matter forming fictional armaments had the property of responding to thoughts and had no weight.

Consequently, I could support it with no effort, simply by thinking silently in my mind, the enlarged Siegfried remained in midair. Thanks to the electromagnetic barrier Tia deployed for us, the dark matter would not get stolen.

Responding to my will, Siegfried pointed its muzzle towards Yggdrasil.

While aiming, I compressed the dark matter pouring in from Ren inside the fictional armament.

"Onii-chan, just a bit more."

"...Got it."

I focused my mind, not letting the fictional armament collapse.

The fictional armament showed a hint of red color. Perhaps this was the color of Ren's thoughts.

"—This is everything."

Then Ren's dark matter was all poured into my fictional armament.

I turned all that dark matter into a single bullet.

Transmuted into golden particles that caused souls to materialize—

"Ether Bullet!!"

The fictional armament vanished the moment the bullet was shot.

The golden bullet, with everything of Ren's and mine poured in, shot high into the sky. Giving off intense brightness, it then exploded.

Instantly, the sky's color turned from pale blue to a dazzling golden.

Glittering brightly, the radiant particles drifted down from the sky.

It was finer than snow—Like golden diamond dust.

Descending from the sky, the Ether Wind gradually covered Yggdrasil's collapsing main body.

"How is it...?"

I observed the situation with bated breath.

If Director Miyazawa's predictions were true, then Yggdrasil's mind ought to manifest.

Amidst the drifting brightness, an outline gradually surfaced.

A scene just as hoped, but—

"This is... impossible."

Ariella muttered blankly.

The others gasped in surprise.

I did not make a sound, simply shocked by the sight before my eyes—

Yggdrasil's soul was gradually materializing as though flooding out of its collapsed body.

It was an outline of a giant tree, whose branches extended to the other side of the horizon, completely blotting the sky.

Its size was not merely 5000 meters, but much more gigantic.

Seeing its outline cut off unnaturally, I could tell that what the Ether Wind caused to manifest was merely a small portion of the whole.

This gigantic soul, how do we destroy it?

Only then did I realize we were too naive.

Yggdrasil's true nature was a network built from all the plants in the world. On further thought, it would not be strange even if its soul was on the scale of the Earth.

Just as all members of Brynhildr Class were stunned. Kili quietly looked up at Yggdrasil and turned towards me.

"Yuu? Aren't you going to fight? You're destroying that thing, right?"

"—!"

Her words prompted me to regain my senses.

Indeed... By this point, there was no choice but to do it. This was surely Yggdrasil's core without a doubt.

No matter how despaired, for the sake of everyone who had brought me here, I must not give up!

"—Ren, I'm going to borrow dark matter from you again, to construct an anti-dragon armament this time."

"Mm!"

Ren's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. She gripped my right hand firmly.

"Anti-dragon armament Marduk—Psionic multi-barreled cannon, Noah!"

I transmuted the dark matter flowing from Ren into a pre-civilization weapon.

Performing transmutation using blueprints in the mind was much easier than making a fictional armament.

A double-barreled turret appeared on a rotating artillery platform. With a design of glowing lines carved on its surface, the multi-barreled cannon was linked to my consciousness, aimed at Yggdrasil.

As a weapon that amplified and shot out the gunner's thoughts, Noah was effective against spirit bodies which did not interact with ordinary matter. This was already proven during the battle against Hraesvelgr.

—I will defeat you. I won't become your possession!

"Fire!"

Turning strong willpower into energy, Noah's multi-barreled turret fired two shells.

The shells struck the materialized spirit body, causing golden particles to fly into the air.

However, Yggdrasil's spirit body was far too humongous. These tiny shells did not produce much trace of destruction.

"—Fire! Fire! Fire!"

Even so, I still fired relentlessly.

But the more I repeated, the more I realized that my attacks were equivalent to a toy gun against Yggdrasil's spirit body whose size was extraordinary.

Even if I were to shoot dozens, thousands of times, I did not think I would succeed in destroying it.

My consciousness gradually grew hazy because the more I shot, the more mental energy was consumed. Even if I increased the number of  turrets like during the battle against Hraesvelgr, it was pointless because my mind's energy was limited as the source.

"Fire—Huff, huff, huff..."

After who knew how many shots had been fired, I breathed heavily. My vision was blurred from the sweat entering my eyes. I could see Yggdrasil's spirit body standing upright, completely unshaken.

"Damn... it..."

There was no time left.

The Ether Wind scattered earlier was fading bit by bit.

"Onii-chan..."

Ren looked up at me with worry.

"I'm fine... I can still shoot."

I feigned vitality and forced myself to answer, then glared at Yggdrasil's spirit body that had appeared due to the golden particles.

I must endure... As the only one capable of attacking spirit bodies, I could not rely on the others.

I had relied so much on them beforehand, so I must accomplish this—

But my knees gave way.

My body was about to fall over forwards.

I slowly approached the ground... But stopped just before my face smashed the ground.

"Huh...?"

I came to my senses only to find Mitsuki, Iris and Tia's face before me.

"Nii-san, are you okay!?"

"Mononobe!"

"Yuu!"

The three voices sustained my consciousness that was about to be cut off.

"—Thank you all."

I thanked them and got up, but this time, I fell backwards.

However, warm hands caught me this time too.

"Goodness gracious, get a grip on yourself and stand properly."

"Do your best, Mononobe-kun."

"Mononobe-kun, hang in there."

Lisa, Firill and Ariella supported my body from behind.

"Sorry. Thanks."

I thanked them. Standing in the distance all alone, Kili asked me:

"Yuu, are you at your limit?"

"No... Not yet. I feel power surging from within."

This was not pretense. I really did feel I could continue to fight fiercely.

My heart felt very warm and it seemed like the mental energy I had depleted had recovered a little.

However, this was surely just my own wishful thinking.

Thoughts or mental energy could not be transferred to others like dark matter.

—When this thought crossed my mind, a question occurred to me.

Really... Is that true?

Who decided that mental energy could not be transmitted? When was it proven?

Through training with Ren, I found out that dark matter from other people consisted of fragments of the mind—fragments of thoughts and feelings.

The transfer of dark matter was equivalent to sending your thoughts to someone. To sustain the psionic multi-barreled cannon, Ren's dark matter continued to flow.

Was dark matter really the only thing Ren was giving me?

Those hands, tightly held together, supporting my heart, perhaps that kind of power would—

"Everyone, can I ask you for a favor?"

I asked the girls.

"What is it? I am willing to do anything in my power for you, Nii-san!"

Mitsuki instantly answered and the others urged me to tell them.

"I hope you will transmit your ''thoughts'' to me using the same principles as dark matter transfer."

I did not know if this would actually pass mental energy over. Even if it could, it would probably serve as merely psychological consolation.

But in order to fight to the very end, I sought everyone's power.

"Thoughts...?"

Iris widened her eyes, cocking her head in puzzlement.

"Yes, lend me your thoughts... the power of your heart and soul."

"—I understand. Just thoughts and feelings, isn't that right?"

Lisa nodded, applying force through her hand that was supporting my back.

"Mononobe-kun... I will think of you as strongly as I can."

Gripping my shoulder firmly, Firill spoke.

"I will cheer for you, Mononobe-kun."

Ariella said while touching my back.

My heart began to warm up. Everyone's thoughts were making me happy. My mind gradually felt satisfied.

Was this mental energy flowing in? Or simply the effect of receiving encouragement? I did not know actually.

But my originally sapped strength surged again, this was the truth.

I slowly took the power received from everyone and poured it into Noah. The lines carved all over the multi-barreled cannon began to glow with dazzling light.

"Tia is always always thinking of Yuu!"

"Nii-san, please accept my thoughts!"

Tia and Mitsuki pressed their hands on my chest, praying strongly.

Then Iris placed her hands on top of theirs.

"Mononobe—"

Iris simply called my name and smiled faintly.

But I could feel it. I could feel Iris' thoughts. I could feel intense feelings that made my chest hot.

Not only Iris but Tia and Mitsuki's emotions and words were giving me power.

The multi-barreled cannon, which converted mental energy into shells, rumbled, giving off light that shone all around.

"Onii-chan...... Don't lose!"

Gripping my right hand tightly, Ren cried out as hard as she could.

Ren's thought flowed into me together with her dark matter.

I could feel the unprecedented power of thoughts, dense and fierce, gradually growing stronger inside the anti-dragon armament.

Everything was poured into this one attack.

Let me fire the thoughts and feelings of insignificant humans towards Yggdrasil.

Let it know that we are living with such fiery emotions in our hearts.

"We're doing it, everyone."

"Yes!"

The girls responded to my call.

Then in unison, we fired our thoughts.

"FIRE!"

An intense glow expanded from the two muzzles, shooting at the sky. While firing, the psionic multi-barreled cannon exploded from within and collapsed.

The two balls of light melded together, forming a gigantic shell, striking Yggdrasil's spirit body.

Immediately exploding with blinding light, golden particles then scattered all over the sky.

The atmosphere shook slightly. The outline of Yggdrasil composed of Ether Wind shook for an instant.

Once the particles scattered and disappeared in the air, I could see a massive hole opened up in the center of Yggdrasil's spirit body.

However, the spirit body showed no signs of overall collapse.

"Damn it! This didn't work either..."

I said with frustration.

"Onii-chan... One more time."

Ren pulled my hand. She did not show any signs of giving up in her expression.

"—Yeah, until it's destroyed, we'll shoot no matter how many times it takes."

I nodded and prepared to construct the anti-dragon armament again, but Kili stopped me.

"No, this is good enough."

Kili approached me and smiled with satisfaction.

"Enough...? Yggdrasil's core consciousness isn't destroyed though."

"But damage has been inflicted, so next is your job—Tia."

Kili patted Tia, who had been lending me power, on the shoulder and said to her.

"Tia's job?"

Tia widened her eyes and stared at Kili.

"You should be able to hear it, right? Yggdrasil's screaming."

"...Yeah, but it's a mess. Can't hear what it's saying."

"That is evidence that the core's functionality is damaged. Given now, Tia, you'll surely prevail over Yggdrasil."

Kili grinned and continued.

"Your pair of horns is not simply for defending against Yggdrasil's interference. It is a weapon existing for the sake of devouring Yggdrasil, a power to enable you to become a dragon."

"The horns are a weapon... Become a dragon—"

Tia touched the horns on her head, apparently thinking of something.

"Against Yggdrasil that's trying to take Yuu's place, just do the same thing to it. Tia, you have that power."

"—Yeah!"

Tia nodded. Looking like she understood what she must do, she constructed her wing-shaped fictional armament on her back.

"Hey Tia!"

Before I could stop her, Tia had already flown into the sky, heading for Yggdrasil.

"Kili, what are you planning to have Tia do!?"

I glared at Kili and asked her what was going on.

"I simply presented a choice. Everything is Tia's own decision. Don't belittle her resolve."

Glared back by her with such intense emotions, I could not help but gasp.

"Mind your own business and quietly watch Tia's battle."

Kili spoke in a sharp tone of voice to stop Lisa and the others from chasing after Tia.

"You will soon know what Tia is about to do."

Staring at Tia in flight, Kili spoke quietly.

Tia arrived at Yggdrasil's spirit body then jumped into the hole I had punctured.

Several seconds later, blindingly bright lightning erupted with Yggdrasil as the center.