Editing Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 6 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 4===

After lunch, everyone started enjoying the attractions again. Time went by in an instant when having fun.

By the time I realized, the sun was already setting in the west. The sky was starting to be dyed orange-red.

"Best not to return too late, so this will be the last ride."

Looking up at the mechanical clock in the park, Mitsuki suggested.

"If that's the case, I guess we have to ride that at the end."

Ariella pointed at the attraction whose presence surpassed even the roller coaster—The giant Ferris wheel.

Gripping my sleeve tightly, Ren nodded with excitement on her face. She looked like she had been looking forward to it for a long time.

Thus we made our way to the Ferris wheel. When we arrived right under it, I discovered that it was so huge that looking up at it hurt my neck.

Since a single car could not contain all of us, we split up into groups of four.

"Then I shall go with Mononobe Yuu, Ren-san and Ariella-san first."

Lisa suggested. Strangely enough, the remaining Mitsuki, Iris, Firill and Tia agreed obediently.

"Yes, take care!"

I felt especially strange to see Tia, who was potentially the most clingy, waving her hand without making a fuss.

When it was our turn to board the Ferris wheel, I finally understood the truth of that dissonance.

Originally supposed to follow us, Ariella and Lisa waved from outside the car.

"Eh? Why aren't you two coming?"

I asked in surprise but Ariella immediately smiled mischievously.

"You two should have fun alone at least in the end. It's about time that Ren no longer needs me by her side, right?"

"Mm! Mm!"

Ren shook her head anxiously but the park staff closed the door and the car left the ground.

Without saying a word, Lisa's face seemed to convey "do your best" while she saw us off.

"...We got tricked. They must have agreed on this beforehand."

With the two of us alone in the car, I smiled wryly at Ren who was sitting opposite me.

"Mm..."

Ren nodded with a slightly angry demeanor. As soon as she met my gaze, she hastily looked down.

The bright rays of the setting sun entered the rising Ferris wheel car.

"Are you still nervous?"

Squinting from the setting sun's brightness, I asked her. She nodded slightly in response.

"To be honest, me too."

Hearing me say that, Ren looked up slightly to show a surprised expression.

"Because I've never had the experience of riding a Ferris wheel alone with a girl. Suddenly thrust into this date-like situation, I can't stay calm after all."

"...!"

Ren went red and stiffened, apparently even more nervous.

"Oh, sorry, I made you even more nervous. But I'm very grateful to Ariella who made this opportunity for me. Given this rare chance, while the Ferris wheel completes a revolution, will you listen to me?"

I cautioned myself to be as gentle in tone as possible then asked Ren.

"......Mm."

After a brief silence, Ren nodded.

"Thank you. I think I need to say something  first... I asked Ariella to tell me many things about the past, including about you, Ren."

Ariella's experiences as Miyazawa Kenya's adopted daughter, the passing of Ren's mother, the reason why Ren no longer spoke—I knew many things one-sidedly.

I thought that it would be unfair after all.

"So this time, I'll tell you about myself. Right now, I'll tell you everything I can think of."

"...?"

Ren showed puzzlement at the way I spoke.

"Actually, I have a secret. Apart from these three—Iris, Lisa and Principal Charlotte—I've never told anyone."

Despite feeling hesitant, I still continued.

"I don't want Mitsuki to know of this no matter what... That's why I haven't told anyone else. But Ren, I'm trying to help you understand the 'current me' because I believe I need to come clean to you about everything. If I continue to hide myself, I don't think I can gain your trust no matter how much time I spend."

I gazed at Ren with a solemn expression. Perhaps feeling my determination, Ren sat up straight and looked into my eyes.

"Mm."

"Tell me"—Ren seemed to be urging me.

Then I began to recount. How I contracted with Yggdrasil three years ago to obtain pre-civilization weapons data in exchange for memories; how I was caught by NIFL after that and fought as part of the special forces team Sleipnir, how my commanding officer, Major Loki, intended to raise me as the strongest ''killer'' named "Fafnir"—

Ren focused her gaze on me while I talked nonstop.

"—Then because Mitsuki applied pressure on the higher-ups, I was reassigned to Midgard and everything after that happened as you know, Ren... The anti-dragon armaments I used during the battles against Leviathan and Hraesvelgr were downloaded from Yggdrasil using more of my memories as the price. The result is that I've lost virtually all my memories beyond three years ago."

"......"

Ren inhaled slightly, widening her eyes.

"And within the data downloaded from Yggdrasil, there's something like a computer virus. Controlled by Yggdrasil... I almost took Lisa's life. It's also my fault that Yggdrasil suddenly appeared at the school festival. You were in danger at the time too... I am truly sorry."

I bowed my head deeply to apologize to Ren. Actually not just Ren, I needed to apologize to Ariella and the other girls as well as Lisa's parents who were caught up in the incident.

However, if the outside world were to find out it was my fault, the position of Midgard and the Ds would be at risk. Since the principal covered up what happened with me, it must not be disclosed lightly.

"Currently, the principal has done a lot for me to prevent Yggdrasil from controlling me, but it's unknown how long it'd last. It's because of me that we are rushing to take down Yggdrasil. I'm very sorry for getting you and everyone else involved because of that."

The more I said, the more I became aware of how much I had deceived and kept things from others. I could not help but fall into emotions of self-loathing.

Mitsuki's face flashed in my mind. More than anyone, I had ''deceived'' her.

—I was truly a liar.

Despite owning up to everything, I did not think that Ren would trust someone like me. To be honest, even though I had revealed everything, my crimes would not disappear.

Unsure how to face Ren, I kept my head down. Then I felt an impact on the back of my head with a knock.

"...Ren?"

I looked up to see Ren glaring at me with her hand in a fist.

"Mm!"

Ren made a scolding sound and took out her portable terminal, typing swiftly then showing me:

"—You should've said so earlier. Now isn't the time to be having fun in this kind of place. Hurry and go back to practice dark matter transfer..."

I read out the words displayed. Ren kept nodding.

"You're not angry?"

I asked in surprise. Ren typed again.

—I'm angry but now isn't the time for anger.

As I read the words on the screen, my shoulders instantly relaxed.

"Thank you, Ren. You're so kind."

"...!"

I thanked her. Ren went red and looked away.

"I'd like to hurry and master dark matter transfer too, but I think just as Lisa said, right now what we need is communication. So I'd be grateful if we could talk here some more."

Our car was about to reach the highest point of the Ferris wheel, so there was still time to talk.

"...Mm."

Ren took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. While thinking, she typed on her terminal.

—I know. Ask anything you want. I will answer everything honestly.

With a serious expression, Ren raised her terminal in front of me and made this suggestion.

"So, can you tell me why you wanted to come to an amusement park?"

She refused the first time I asked, so it was probably something difficult to talk about.

But I could feel that it might be the first step to understanding Ren if this was the reason that even Ariella did not know.

Ren's expression instantly froze. Then she nodded and began typing on the terminal.

The following words were displayed on the screen facing me—

—Because I visited an amusement park with Father and Mother before and had a great time.

"So that's why..."

Normally speaking, that would not be a difficult reason to bring up, but Ren's mother had passed away and Miyazawa Kenya had now buried himself in research, neglecting Ren coldly.

If she told others the reason, she would have to confront the gap between past and present. That would make Ren suffer, which was why she refused to answer.

"What kind of person was your mother like?"

—Cheerful and bold, she often led my wimpy father around by the nose.

Reading what she typed, I could only smile wryly.

"She must be quite a spirited woman."

Hearing my comment, Ren nodded in agreement and typed her answer.

—Yes, she's a bit similar to Onee-chan.

"Onee-chan?"

I asked in puzzlement and Ren hastily typed again.

—I mean Ariella.

"Oh, I see. So you usually call Ariella Onee-chan."

"...!"

Ren immediately blushed and silently hammered my kneecap.

"No, there's nothing to be shy about. It means you think of Ariella as your real family, right?"

Hearing me ask that, Ren nodded slightly with a blush.

—Right, so Ariella is the only one I can talk to normally.

Reading the words on Ren's raised terminal, I smiled.

"I'm so jealous. If only I could be that close with you."

"......"

Hearing me say that, Ren showed a look as though she suddenly understood something. She stared at me silently.

"What's up?"

Feeling intrigued, I inquired but Ren looked down at the terminal on her hand.

Then after a minute, she slowly typed in text.

She probably had some kind of message for me, so I waited quietly for her to finish typing.

"......Mm."

Then shown on the terminal's screen was a very brief sentence that had taken her a long time to type.

—Can I call you Onii-chan?

"Huh...?"

I looked at Ren's face in surprise. Blushing to her ears, she lowered her head.

"Mm!"

But Ren did not put down her terminal. She urged me to answer.

Perhaps this was Ren trying her hardest. In that case, I had no reason to refuse.

"—Yeah, you can."

Hearing my answer, Ren hugged the terminal to her chest and looked at me with her face red.

"......"

Opening her mouth, Ren looked like she wanted to say something but could not.

Perhaps...

Seeing her like that, I noticed.

Ren had asked me "can I call you Onii-chan?" which meant that—

"...O......"

Ren's breath carried a faint voice.

"O... Oni......"

Her trembling voice was gradually weaving words.

".......Oni... Onii..."

As though exhausting her strength, the tiny voice was gradually connecting together.

Feeling her struggle and nervousness, my heart also began to beat faster and faster.

Inside the Ferris wheel car touring the sky, the atmosphere was so tense that it pricked my skin—

"...Onii, -chan."

I hear a voice so delicate it was almost covered up by the sound of wind.

In that instant, indescribable joy and embarrassment filled my heart.

"Y-Yeah."

Infected with her nervousness, I answered hoarsely.

Immediately, Ren's entire body relaxed with a look of relief on her face.

"—Onii-chan."

Then in a more natural tone of voice than before, Ren repeated the same words.

"Yeah."

I answered again, slightly recovering in composure.

Ren happily relaxed her facial expression and showed a gentle smile.

"Onii-chan."

"Yeah, I'm your older brother from now on, Ren."

"Mm."

Ren nodded, swaying her legs happily.

After that, Ren kept calling me "Onii-chan" and I answered every time in embarrassment.

"Onii-chan" were the only words Ren spoke so our interaction could not be called a conversation, but the more we repeated the exchange, the more I felt that we were growing closer.

Just as we were doing this kind of thing, the Ferris wheel finished a revolution and returned us to the ground.

"Ren."

I got off the car first and reached out to Ren.

"Mm."

Despite some hesitation, Ren held my hand instead of grabbing my sleeve this time.

Then using my hand for support, she got off the car and said with blushing cheeks:

"Onii-chan...... Thank you."
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