Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 6 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 7===

"—We have to do our best on our own. That guy hasn't changed at all. He actually doesn't care about Yggdrasil, I think."

After hearing from Mitsuki what happened at the examination room, Ariella spoked as though spitting.

"...Mm."

Ren also nodded faintly to express agreement.

We were currently on the eighteenth floor of the laboratory, in the guestroom assigned to Mitsuki.

Including Shinomiya-sensei, all nine of us were gathered in the room for a strategizing meeting about how to fight Yggdrasil.

"However, we have already obtained the necessary information. It is also true that what follows is our own job. Hence, let us first consider how to defeat Yggdrasil."

Calming down the furious Ariella and Ren, Mitsuki operated her tablet on a table to display Yggdrasil's image.

Sitting side by side on the single bed, the girls looked at Mitsuki.

It felt quite packed with so many people in a one-person room.

But it would be a pain to ask Miyazawa Kenya to let us use the conference room again, so we made the best of what we had and gathered in Mitsuki's room.

Standing by the window overlooking Tokyo's night scenery, I listened to Mitsuki.

"As things stand currently, eliminating Yggdrasil is almost impossible. Hence, just as Director Miyazawa proposed, instead of targeting Yggdrasil's body, destroying its mind to paralyze it would be the most effective measure. However, there are two serious questions—"

Mitsuki shifted her gaze to me and continued:

"The first is Nii-san's dark matter generating capacity, which is probably insufficient to spread enough Ether Wind to materialize Yggdrasil's soul. The other is that of range."

"Range?"

I frowned, not knowing what she meant. Miyazawa Kenya had not mentioned anything about range.

"It is said that electronics act anomalously in the area around Yggdrasil, most likely due to Yggdrasil's electrical interference. Considering what happened in Midgard, our dark matter will very likely be stolen within that interference range."

"In other words, we cannot get close..."

Mitsuki nodded at Lisa's comment.

"Yes, I intend to request for information regarding the precise interference range. But from what I have seen in reports on television, its current interference range might be around fifteen kilometers or so. Furthermore, Yggdrasil continues to grow, which means that range will expand even farther."

"T-Then that means we must attack from very far away?"

Iris asked frantically.

"Indeed. Yggdrasil is gigantic. Although we could use the same method and have Lisa-san snipe from afar as during the Basilisk battle, Nii-san has to be the one to deliver the fatal blow. Nii-san, are you capable of sniping Yggdrasil from fifteen kilometers away?"

I crossed my arms after hearing Mitsuki's question.

With detailed weapons data in my mind, I considered the specs—

"Noah, which had defeated Hraesvelgr, is not a weapon suitable for sniping, because each shot is not very high in firepower. Destroying a target would require a large number of shells. But striking from as far away as fifteen kilometers is very difficult and would lower the power as well. To be honest... It's very hard."

Mitsuki brought her hand to the side of her mouth and said:

"In that case... We must approach as near as possible. If electrical interference is the only obstacle, we will discuss with Director Miyazawa to try coming up with countermeasures."

Shinomiya-sensei spoke up.

"Let me take charge of this part. Although I am reluctant to owe them favors, I will also attempt to contact NIFL."

"Thank you, Shinomiya-sensei. Then let us focus our attention on solving the other problem."

Mitsuki thanked Shinomiya-sensei and turned her gaze to me again.

"Nii-san, please borrow dark matter from Ren-san and try to construct your fictional armament."

"Huh... Borrow from Ren?"

I looked at Ren in surprise.

"!"

As soon as we made eye contact, Ren instantly hid behind Ariella.

"Indeed, Ren-san's dark matter generating capacity is outstandingly enormous even among us. Even so, it is still unknown whether it is enough to materialize Yggdrasil's soul, but I believe that having Ren-san assist in distributing Ether Wind would be the most suitable."

"—You heard her, right? Can I ask you to assist me?"

I lowered my gaze and asked Ren. Somehow, it felt like interacting with a wild animal.

"Come on, Ren, you're not afraid of Mononobe-kun, right?"

At Ariella's urging, Ren walked over to in front of me.

"......Mm."

Then she nodded hesitantly.

"Great, let's start. Fictional armament—Siegfried."

I constructed my fictional armament of an ornamental gun as usual.

"Mm."

Ren placed her hand on Siegfried's unsteady outline.

As a result, a large amount of Ren's dark matter flowed into the fictional armament all at once.

"Guh..."

The fictional armament expanded and became distorted in shape. Unable to maintain its form, Siegfried turned into black bubbles of dark matter and disintegrated.

"—Looks like it is true what Nii-san said previously about the principles being different from weapon creation."

Observing the entire process, Mitsuki showed a troubled look on her face.

"Yeah, it's very hard after all."

I stared at my empty right hand.

"Unless you can maintain other people's dark matter in the state of a fictional armament, you will not be able to perform transmutation freely. Nii-san, please train with Ren-san to achieve fictional armament creation as quickly as possible."

"Well, even if you say that, I... Is it possible to do that in a short amount of time?"

I understood after an actual attempt. Other people's dark matter would not obey ambiguous orders. Unlike weapon blueprints in the mind, constructing a fictional armament based on imagination alone was extremely difficult.

"In the battle against Basilisk, Lisa-san successfully synchronized with Ren-san in short time, so it should not be impossible."

"That's true now that you mention it. What kind of training did Lisa do at the time?"

I asked her to see if there was some sort of trick.

"Training huh? I did practice repeatedly, but I think your issue concerns the stage before that."

Lisa shrugged and answered as though exasperated by me.

"The stage before that?"

"Dark matter from other people carry their thoughts. You might call them fragments of the mind. If you want to control Ren-san's dark matter, you must first know Ren-san herself."

"Understand Ren..."

I looked at the redhaired girl beside me. I definitely did not know her very well.

"Rather than training, it would be better to say that you and Ren-san are lacking in communication. To help you know each other better—Why don't the two of you go out together and have some fun tomorrow?"

Lisa pondered for a moment then made this suggestion.

"Mmmm!"

But Ren went red in the face and shook her head fiercely.

"Hanging out as a pair immediately is setting the bar too high."

Seeing her like that, Ariella smiled wryly.

"In any case, let us all go out together, whereupon you two can communicate as much as possible in the process, how about that?"

"......Mm."

Ren showed a hesitant look but this time, she nodded in agreement.

"Then it is decided. Is there anywhere you would like to go?"

Prompted by Lisa, Ren took out her portable terminal and typed swiftly.

"Mm."

Ren showed us the terminal.

Two words were displayed.

"Amusement park?"

I read out the words and Ren nodded in confirmation with blushing cheeks.

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