Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 5 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Unreturned Memories

Part 1

"Nii-san, wake up! Nii-san!"

Calling me loudly, someone was shaking my body, rousing my consciousness from deep sleep.

When I woke to a start, before my eyes was a familiar face.

A beautiful girl with gorgeous long black hair. Currently, she was pouting childishly. Rather than beautiful, cute would probably be a better description.

She—Mononobe Mitsuki—was my younger sister. Despite having no blood relations, we apparently lived together since childhood as family.

The reason why this sounded so vague was because it was purely knowledge. I lack the basis to support this knowledge... Memories.

I had now lost my memories from when Mitsuki and I were family in the past. To download data on the lost weapon for fighting Hraesvelgr, the price I paid was overwriting all memories prior to three years ago.

Hence, right in front of my face, glaring at me, she was nothing more than just a beautiful girl.

My heart raced. Unable to stare at her eyes directly from up close, I avoided eye contact.

"G-Good morning, Mitsuki."

I greeted her hoarsely.

"Do not give me 'good morning'! It is past 7am, you know? Hurry, get changed and come to the dining hall."

I found the alarm clock next to my pillow by touch and checked the time.

"Oh... I'm so sorry."

Normally, I got up at 6:30am but I seemed to have forgotten to set my alarm.

I frantically tried to get up but I felt a sharp pain when I applied force on my left hand.

"Ow..."

I frowned and drew out my left hand from under the covers, only to see a new swelling near the dragon mark on the back of my left hand.

"This is—"

I remember something similar happening before. Not long after defeating "White" Leviathan, a scar had appeared next to my dragon mark, then after that—I became able to create antigravitational matter.

"Nii-san, what is with that wound?"

However, Mitsuki peered at my left hand, purely worried about me.

"I probably scratched it on something while I was asleep. This isn't anything serious, so don't worry. It'll heal up soon on its own."

Perhaps I might be able to perform new transmutations. Although this was possible, since there was no proof, I simply glossed over it randomly for now. First, I should confer with Principal Charlotte B. Lord since she had suspected a causal link between scars on the dragon mark and obtaining powers.

"No! What if it gets infected? I will bring the first aid kit. Please wait, Nii-san."

Saying that, Mitsuki frantically rushed out of the room without waiting for my answer, apparently forgetting that she was still angry a moment ago.

Left alone in the room, I exhaled.

It was the third day after returning from the Principality of Erlia with the intense showdown against "Yellow" Hraesvelgr.

Finally free of battle fatigue and jet lag, my body had returned to normal.

But I was still unused to playing the role of Mitsuki's older brother properly.

I had not lost my memories at Midgard, so I knew how to get along with Mitsuki. But even so, my acting was still poor.

Mitsuki treated me as family and would interact with me at this kind of distance, but it troubled me and made me involuntarily nervous.

I had considered coming clean to her.

Seeing as I did not consider Mitsuki family on an emotional level, I should not be feeling excessive fear towards hurting her with the truth.

But in actual fact, I could not say it no matter what. Whenever I wanted to bring it up to her, I found myself unable to make a sound.

It was almost like the real me was holding me by the throat, telling me "don't hurt Mitsuki."

Hence, I was still playing the role of Mitsuki's older brother—while simultaneously tormented with the guilt of continued deceit.

Soon after, Mitsuki returned to the room and placed the first aid kit on the bed.

"Then I shall treat it for you, Nii-san. Please hold out your left hand."

"O-Okay."

As soon as I extended my left hand, Mitsuki grabbed it without hesitation. The feeling of her hand, a size smaller than mine, was making my heart race. Nervousness froze my body.

"It might sting a little, so please endure it."

"Ow!"

I made a small groan reflexively when the antiseptic was applied to the wound. Mitsuki immediately held my hand firmly and smiled gently at me.

"Do not worry, it will be done in a second."

As though coaxing a child, Mitsuki then wiped the antiseptic with cotton and applied a large band-aid to the wound.

"Okay, finished."

Mitsuki released my hand and ended the treatment.

"—Thank you."

"Not at all, you are welcome."

Mitsuki answered with a delighted smile.

"It feels like... you're very happy."

Feeling strange, I asked her. Mitsuki widened her eyes and showed surprise on her face.

"Is that how I look?"

"Yeah."

"Then perhaps it is because—It has been a while since I finally got the chance to look after you, Nii-san. Because lately, you seem to be helping me all the time."

Mitsuki scratched her face, seemingly quite embarrassed and turned her back to me.

"Well then, Nii-san, get changed quickly and come to the dining hall, because I would like to eat breakfast together with you."

Saying that, Mitsuki left the room without looking back.

"Got it, I'm freshen up and get changed as fast as I can."

Touching the band-aid Mitsuki had applied for me, playing the role of her older brother, I replied.

Twenty-five years ago, the first dragon suddenly appeared in the sky above Japan—"Black" Vritra.

Causing massive calamity while moving across the world, Vritra had vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

And starting from that point in time, children possessing the same ability as Vritra's began to be born among humans.

These children were known as Ds.

Just by thinking silently, these Ds were able to generate dark matter that could be transmuted into all kinds of substances. Currently, they were gathered to live at Midgard, an island far south of Japan with a diameter of several kilometers.

But three years ago, instead of Midgard, it was the military organization NIFL, in charge of handling dragon-related matters, that took me in.

I went through combat training at NIFL to become a member of the special forces team Sleipnir. Then for the next three years, I fought as a soldier on various battlefields. One day, I was suddenly reassigned to Midgard, and now, I was studying at the Academy like all the other Ds.

Indeed—Midgard was the self-governed educational institute of the Ds. Since Ds lost their powers after getting pregnant or reaching the age of twenty or so, all Ds at Midgard were at an age meant to attend school.

Life was very fulfilling and full of fun, going to school with people of the same generation. However, if there was one thing I felt unaccustomed to, it was the fact that there were no boys apart from me.

Although the reason was unknown, all Ds were born female. Currently I was the lone exception as a male D with the power to generate dark matter.

Hence, after Mitsuki and I left the dorm and started on our way to school, we became surrounded by school girls when reached the intersection where the road forked off to the girls dormitories.

When I first arrived in Midgard, the girls would stare at me from afar, making me feel very uncomfortable. But after returning from the Principality of Erlia, the situation got uncomfortable in a different sense.

"Kyah—!"

When Mitsuki and I appeared before the commuting school girls, they instantly screamed and cheered.

I jumped in fright instantly while Mitsuki calmly greeted them "Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning!"

Immediately the surrounding girls replied in unison.

Everyone stopped and gazed intently at us. Walking side by side with Mitsuki, I felt uncomfortable all over.

"What's with this situation..."

Hearing my quiet mutterings, Mitsuki looked up and said to me:

"This is the way things are. Because Brynhildr Class is currently regarded as the equivalent of heroes in Midgard."

"What heroes? That's way too exaggerated."

Hearing my answer, Mitsuki exhaled in exasperation.

"You are lacking in self-awareness, Nii-san. In anti-dragon combat so far, Brynhildr Class has always served as the mainstay of our forces. Apart from that, last time, we even defeated Hraesvelgr which was thought to be 'impossible to defeat by group tactics alone,' so being the center of attention is only natural."

"Hmm... Is that the way it works?"

Hraesvelgr was recognized as the hardest foe to deal with. For people to rejoice and feel particularly relieved after finding out that such a dragon had been vanquished, that I could sympathize. When Basilisk was defeated, everyone was ecstatic too.

But I got the feeling that this type of attention was different from last time's.

"But in your case, Nii-san, rather than a hero, it would be better to say you are seen as a prince."

"P-Prince?"

Hearing this term that suited me poorly, I felt quite troubled.

"This stems mostly from your relationship with Firill-san. Ever since returning to Midgard, rumor has it that she talked to many people about you, Nii-san, saying that you are like her Prince Charming—"

For some reason, Mitsuki's tone of voice was somewhat displeased.

Firill was my classmate who got targeted by Hraesvelgr. She was also a princess from the Principality of Erlia. I paid a heavy price to obtain victory in the fight to protect her.

"What Prince Charming, that's even more embarrassing than a hero..."

"However, Nii-san, you look very happy despite your claims on the contrary."

Mitsuki glared coldly and me then murmured quietly:

"...At this rate, someone might violate the rule against inappropriate interactions between the genders. I must pay more attention."

"Huh? Did you say something?"

"—Please pay it no mind. I was simply talking to myself."

Mitsuki replied coldly then quickened her pace.

I tried to ignore the surrounding gazes as much as possible and followed Mitsuki.

"Umm! G-Good morning!"

Along the way, several school girls greeted me. Seeing their eyes flash with excitement, I replied despite feeling troubled.

"Oh, good morning."

"...!"

Immediately, the girls blushed intensely and ran away. This situation repeated itself many times, but for some reason, Mitsuki's mood got increasingly worse.

"Nii-san, surely you must be happy to be so popular, but do not get carried away and disrupt public morals, okay?"

Mitsuki looked up to glare at me and warned.

"I-I know."

Oppressed by her inexplicably intimidating vigor, I nodded involuntarily. Perhaps feeling the tense atmosphere exuded by Mitsuki, fewer students came to talk to me after that.

However, there were also people who would not need to worry about that, namely, our classmates who belonged to Brynhildr Class.

"Oh, it's Yuu and Mitsuki!"

A joyful voice sounded from ahead.

Coming into view in front of us were some of our classmates. Since Mitsuki and I were walking rapidly, we soon caught up to them.

"Good morning, Yuu! Mitsuki!"

The first to notice us was a young girl. She greeted us energetically. Between the strands of her pale hair, which looked pink under the light, two red horns protruded.

This girl was named Tia Lightning. Roughly two months ago, she had gotten out of the dragon-worshiping cult, the Sons of Muspell, taken into custody and sent to Midgard here. Her horns were not decorations but real horns conferred to her through the biogenic transmutation of dark matter by Kili Surtr Muspelheim, the leader of the Sons of Muspell.

Then the other girls in Tia's company greeted us too.

"Good morning, both of you."

Turning around with fluttering long blonde hair was Lisa Highwalker.

Despite her strict attitude towards me, she was a girl who helped others generously and was very considerate for her friends. It would not be a stretch to say that Brynhildr Class was united with her as the center.

"Good morning, Mitsuki, Mononobe-kun."

"Mm."

Next to greet us were the tomboyish Ariella Lu and the reticent redhaired Ren Miyazawa.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning."

Mitsuki and I waved our hands in response.

However, there was one last person present—Firill Crest—holding a paperback in her hand. Instead of greeting us, she silently approached me.

"Firill?"

I looked at Firill doubtfully, only to see her close up her paperback, spread her arms and approach me with a hug.

"What!?"

Hidden under her uniform, two massive bulges pressed against me. That soft sensation was making my face heat up.

Watching from a distance, there was a commotion among girls.

"...Good morning, Mononobe-kun."

Standing on tiptoe, Firill whispered in my ear. Feeling her breath against my ear, my heart jumped intensely.

"Wait, Firill-san! What are you doing suddenly!?"

Mitsuki screamed.

"I'm not doing anything. This is just a hug. An ordinary method of greeting, filled with love."

However, Firill answered nonchalantly in a calm tone of voice.

Despite hearing noisy screams and cheering in the surroundings, she seemed completely unfazed.

"L-Love?"

Intimidated by her forcefulness, Mitsuki could not help but falter.

"It's so unfair that Firill gets a hug! Tia wanna hug too!"

Tia circled around behind me and hugged me from behind. Sandwiched between the two girls, I could not move.

Despite her young age, Tia's body still had feminine curves, no matter how small, and the softness unique to girls. Surrounded by the two girls' body warmth and fragrance, I could not help but feel dizzy.

"Even Tia-san too! Even if it is a greeting, this excessive intimacy is forbidden in public. It is detrimental to public morals!"

Red in the face, Mitsuki forced the two girls to separate from me.

"Mitsuki so stingy!"

Tia grumbled unhappily while Firill backed away obediently.

"Sorry, then I'll pick somewhere without people next time."

However, Firill left behind those words when she returned to Lisa's side.

"That is even more unacceptable!"

Mitsuki yelled angrily, glaring at me with her face blushing to her ears.

"Nii-san, stop letting others have their way with you. Fewer problems would arise if only you could pay more attention."

"I-I'll be more careful."

Intimidated by Mitsuki, I could only nod.

"—Putting that aside, I wonder what's up with Iris? Why hasn't she appeared..."

To change the subject, I looked for the girl who was not here. Including me, Brynhildr Class had a total of eight students. One person was still missing—Iris Freyja.

"Speaking of Iris-san, she overslept. We decided to leave for school first because she did not leave her room and it was getting late."

Lisa sighed while answering me.

"I see... But anyway, I guess she's always like this."

Iris was a bit airheaded, often oversleeping or forgetting things.

"Had I not roused you from bed, Nii-san, you would have overslept too."

Hearing Mitsuki murmur that softly, Lisa looked at me in amazement.

"Don't tell me that you require Mitsuki-san to rouse you from bed every day?"

"N-Not every day. It's just once in a while when I oversleep."

"If you rely on Mitsuki-san to wake you up, that means the same thing. Goodness gracious... If you are still dependent on your younger sister, that means you are not a full-fledged man, got that? Look, your hair is sticking up a bit."

Saying that, Lisa smoothed my hair in a natural motion.

Seeing me and Lisa close together, surrounding girls screamed "kyah!" instantly again. Hearing the screams, Lisa instantly became self-aware and rapidly left me with her face bright red.

"W-What did you make me do!?"

"You're asking me? ...Lisa, you touched my hair on your own."

Feeling a bit shaken inside, I gave a matter-of-fact counterargument.

Watching our interactions, Firill smiled warmly and placed her hand on Lisa's shoulder.

"I understand how you feel, Lisa. Mononobe-kun is clearly so handsome, but he doesn't put up his guard against others. It makes you want to look after him, right?"

"Indeed, perhaps there is that side to him... Wrong, I am simply agreeing with what you said about him lacking vigilance! I don't find him handsome at all!"

Pointing at me with her finger, Lisa spoke in rapid fire.

Then as though trying to hide her reddened face, she turned her back to me and strode off to school.

"Time to go, everyone. If we keep chatting here, all of us will be late."

"Oh, wait for me, Lisa."

Firill ran after Lisa and we followed.

Watching us from afar, the other girls cheered and screamed noisily while resuming on their way.

Looking around, I found that the bystander crowd had increased a lot without me noticing.

I normally only had contact with my classmates, but whenever I was surrounded by girls from other homerooms like this, I got overwhelmed by the totally one-sided gender ratio.

Fortunately, class sizes were less than ten people in Midgard's system. I could not help but feel thankful for this bit of good luck.

Part 5

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