Unlimited Fafnir:Volume 9 Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Reversed Athena

Part 1

While others were feeling a strong quake, Ariella Lu was alone in the room, looking at the screen of her portable terminal.

The rest of the girls were gathered in the living room. From behind the door, she could hear their panicking voices.

However, Ariella did not move. Looking at the terminal's screen, she sighed slightly.

With no reception here, the terminal could not perform its duties as a communications device. She could only use it to read data that had been stored beforehand.

In front of Ariella's eyes was a call history of repeated incoming calls starting from a week ago. Since the caller's identity was masked, the number was unknown and all that was recorded were the times of the calls.

Like the earlier quake, these calls were warning signs of the imminent end to everything.

Presently, the end moment was arriving.

She knew this. She already knew this.

"I was so happy."

Ariella murmured softly in apparent resignation.

To her, everyday life was something that must come to an end.

What she had lost in the beginning was an everyday life surrounded by warm family despite a lack of material wealth.

Losing their lives in a civil war, her family's souls had been gluttonously devoured by Hraesvelgr.

Without anywhere to go, Ariella had been taken in by the church she used to go to. However, instead of attending mass, she would always stare off into the sky from the bell tower.

Knowing that her parents had not been "summoned to heaven," she found prayer to be meaningless.

—What should I do for everyone?

Staring at the sky where Hraesvelgr had flown away, Ariella had asked herself countless times.

What occupied her heart was anger towards the unreasonable and hatred for Hraesvelgr.

However, it was impossible to seek revenge against a dragon unless war ended.

Even so, Ariella's ill-defined enmity did not disappear. Soon, she joined an organization of dragon-haters.

What should she do? ...She did not know, but she definitely wanted companions.

People who shared the same feelings as her.

That wish for companions was soon fulfilled.

However, the organization did not have the power to fight dragons. All it did was come into conflict with dragon-worshipng cults and oppose mafias that secretly exploited Ds. They also spread word about the dangers of the Ds who were campaigning for the restoration of their human rights—In other words, what the organization fought were humans.

But inside an organization whose solidarity was rock solid, founded upon similar pasts and ideology between members, Ariella did not feel lonely there.

There were many boys and girls her age or younger. Ariella felt she had found her new family there. Furthermore, it was during training when Ariella became aware of her previously undiscovered talents.

—I'm suited to fighting. Too suited.

Realizing this aspect of hers, she trained and controlled it. She now had a role to play within the organization.

It felt unimaginably fulfilling to have something that needed to be done and was within one's own power. She was also glad that playing an active role would lead the younger children to treat her as a hero.

But these days suddenly came to an end.

The power to generate dark matter, regarded with enmity by the organization, had awakened in Ariella herself.

A cursed destiny. She hated her own body and power.

Children, formerly close to her, would throw rocks at her. She understood that her everyday life at the organization was ruined.

When the organization began to discuss her execution, she accepted everything in resignation.

But in the end, the cash-strapped organization sold Ariella off through underground channels. Money had won out over emotions and righteous cause.

She had been sold to a research lab in Japan. Told that it was a man who engaged in illegal research with Ds, Ariella prepared herself to be dissected to pieces.

But contrary to what Ariella expected, this researcher—Miyazawa Kenya—treated Ariella courteously. Beyond examining her, he only asked her to take care of his daughter Ren.

"Ren was like an unfriendly cat back then..."

Thinking back to those times, Ariella immersed herself in nostalgia.

She did not respond no matter how Ariella tried to strike up conversation, putting Ariella at an impasse. But then she spontaneously started calling Ariella "Onee-chan" and admiring her.

The days from then on had been very happy, never want for lack of money for the first time in her life.

However, this life did not last long. Due to Ren becoming a D too, the distorted family life ended.

No—It was Ariella herself who had ended it herself.

To prevent Ren from becoming the subject of experiments, she sought the police for protection and blew the whistle on Miyazawa Kenya.

Then the next part of her everyday life had lasted until now.

Days spent with fellow Ds at Midgard.

"I was so happy..."

Saying the same words again as the beginning, Ariella stood up.

Noticing the earlier shaking, Ren and him were going to return.

There should have been enough time for talking—Ren would have conveyed her feelings to him sufficiently.

This was the only things she was honestly worried about.

To spend her remaining time with her "younger sister," Ariella slowly walked to the living room.

Part 2

"...Neither Shinomiya-sensei nor Maika-san have come."

Sitting in the living room sofa, Lisa murmured with worry at the ceiling.

"With no reception on the terminals, there's no way to confirm the situation outside..."

I stood with my back against the wall, looking at my terminal that could not communicate. Deep underground of Midgard, calls could not made here. Without cable facilities linked to the surface, we were completely isolated on the information front.

"N-NIFL is invading?"

Iris walked back and forth between everyone in worry.

A few hours had passed since the intense shaking. After dinner, all of us had gathered in the living room.

"—Perhaps. If that is true, then they won't have the leisure to visit us."

Drinking black tea at the table, Firill agreed with Iris.

"We knew that an inspection was coming sooner or later. There's no need to panic."

Idly braiding Vritra's hair to play with, Kili spoke as though the situation did not involve her.

"Conflict within the same species, how meaningless..."

Vritra shrugged philosophically despite the fact that her hair was being played with.

"Truly meaningless..."

Tia, who had been in low spirits the whole time, nodded from her seat next to Lisa.

"Should we go confirm the situation?"

Clutching my clothing tightly, Ren suggested to our group.

"—No, I believe it is not time for reckless action. We should watch a little longer."

Sitting on a cushion, Mitsuki offered her opinion, but compared to what she said, I felt more concerned by her slightly lethargic look.

"Mitsuki, are you okay?"

"Oh, yes. I just feel a bit... hot. I must have spent too much time in the bath."

Blushing slightly, Mitsuki replied to me.

This had started ever since she returned from the hot spring yesterday. Although it seemed like she was feeling faint from the bath, I was still a bit worried whether or not this was an effect brought by the transformation.

"If you feel any worse, be honest and tell us, okay? Mitsuki, you're always pushing yourself too hard."

"—Nowhere as bad as you, Nii-san. However... I understand."

Pouting slightly, Mitsuki nodded. Then Shion separated from Jeanne uncharacteristically and stared at Mitsuki's face.

"aRe YoU reALly oKaY?"

"Oh... I am fine. Thank you for worrying."

Mitsuki was slightly surprised but happily touched Shion's cheek. It was possible that she saw a shadow of Shinomiya Miyako in Shion's voice and facial expressions.

"...thAnK goodness."

Shion smiled slightly, apparently knowing what Mitsuki had felt. Then Shion returned to Jeanne's side and sat on her lap.

Jeanne watched Shion tenderly and returned to the conversation that had gone on a bit of a tangent.

"—I also believe it is too early for action. We should stay vigilant for now. There are two paths into this cavern... It would be best to take turns keeping watch throughout the night."

Hearing Jeanne give a practical opinion like a soldier, I nodded too.

"That's right. But the ones on watch should be limited to those who are able to engage humans in combat. Jeanne and I—also Kili, can I ask you to help?"

"Eh— What a pain. And it's like a steam cooker outside..."

Retorting, Kili frowned overtly.

"Don't be like that. Please."

However, I bowed my head to her and did not give up, causing her to sigh deeply and slump her shoulders.

"—Got it, okay. But you'll have to reward me later."

Kili looked at me seductively and accepted the job of keeping watch. However, Lisa blushed and looked at Kili.

"R-Reward—What kind of reward do you intend to exact from him!?"

"That would be a secret. If you're jealous, why don't you try asking him for a reward too? We are all his mates... I will turn a blind eye if it's just something on that level."

In response to Kili's joke, Lisa yelled with her face red.

"Please get off your high horse! I am simply stopping you from doing inappropriate things!"

"Sure sure. Do your best."

Having made a move without Lisa's knowledge the night before, Kili answered in a laid back manner.

"Hmm... I shall have you regret underestimating me."

Kili and Lisa glared at each other.

At this moment, Ariella spoke up for the first time.

"If we're alternating shifts, you need one more person. I'll do it."

Rising from her chair, Ariella stood between Lisa and Kili as though to stop them from staring at each other. Apparently recalling what had happened last night, Kili looked displeased.

"Taking on troublesome tasks on your own initiative, how meddlesome you are. Oh well—You're even more capable than Jeanne-chan. I don't mind."

Despite sarcastic words, Kili accepted Ariella as a candidate. Jeanne pretended not to care.

"No wait, Ariella's dragon mark is colored. If she gets captured by NIFL in that state..."

However, I was quite hesitant to endanger Ariella in her current state.

"Don't worry, Mononobe-kun. It's not like we're going above ground. We're just watching near the entrances. There's not much difference in risk."

Ariella evaded my worries and replied in a relaxed voice.

"...I got it. But don't overdo it, okay?"

Since she had a good point, I reluctantly nodded. Despite the subtle unease in my heart, it was also true that I had no one else I could ask. Judging from Ariella's combat abilities that I had witnessed a number of times, she would be capable of delaying NIFL's soldiers.

"Onii-chan..."

Ren tugged my sleeve, looking like she had something to say. She probably wanted me to hurry and have my discussion with Ariella.

I nodded at Ren, gently stroking her head to reassure her.

"Mm..."

Making an expression that read "very well," Ren closed her eyes partially.

According to the sequence decided through rock-paper-scissors, Ariella was next with Tia last.

From what I heard from Mitsuki, the two of them had intentionally chosen the last spots.

Even if they had doubts or worries, I had already decided what I must do.

—The power to protect them all... and the reason to do so, that was what I wanted.

Confirming my own wish that I had confirmed thanks to Ren, I firmed my determination to confront the last two girls.

Part 3

Back to Chapter 3

Return to Main Page

Forward to Epilogue