Unlimited Fafnir

Chapter 21

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Three years prior—after NIFL took me away—I became Major Loki"s subordinate and went through his "education."

It started mainly with basic physical training and language to facilitate communications with teammates on the battlefield, without actual firearm combat.

But conversely, one mandatory lesson I had each day was to watch that man fight.

The location was sometimes in a training room, sometimes on a real battlefield. I was ordered to watch how he fought the whole time.

My gaze was not allowed to shift, simply staring at him fight for hours on end. I had no idea what the point was, but could only obey.

However, even I felt rather surprised... Spending time like that did not feel like hardship for me.

His fighting style was very refined. While I watched in mesmerization, time flew by instantly.

With his entire body clad in silver armor, he effortlessly subdued the enemies blocking his path.

Even if surrounded by a large group, he would become the only person standing after several gunshots.

Racing past hails of bullets, he vanquished enemy troops without suffering a single wound.

His fighting style was as though he had perfect knowledge of human movements and bullet trajectories.

This kind of technique was not possible for humans. "What" on earth was he?

One day, I posed this question to Major Loki. For myself back then, speaking up to ask a question needed a huge amount of courage. Even so, I still asked while preparing myself to be punished.

This was proof how fascinated I was with that man"s fighting at the time.

"Let"s put it this way, he is my personal bodyguard... If you are going to develop into the real "Fafnir," then he would be Hreidmar."

Without scolding me, Major Loki replied. It was truly a strange a.n.a.logy.

The name Hreidmar belonged to the father of Fafnir in mythology. This story was something I learned about much later.

Starting from that day, my daily observation of him—Hreidmar—was cancelled. Replacing it was the beginning of combat training.

I asked Major Loki for the reason and his answer was:

"—Because the seed has already taken root inside your "gap." There is no need to watch an inferior reference anymore."

For him with such a powerful and elegant fighting style to be called an inferior reference, I found it hard to believe.

But now... Having become an existence very close to his, I now understood vaguely.

He was probably the previous "Fafnir" raised by Major Loki.Part 2

"Yuu! Time to get up! It"s morning!"

Feeling my head shaken by a shrill voice, I woke up to find Tia jumping up and down on the bed.

I think I was dreaming of the past, but listening to Tia"s voice, I gradually became unable to recall the contents of my dream.

I looked at my portable terminal next to the pillow. It was still a bit too early to get up.

"...Good morning, Tia. You"re really energetic this early in the morning."

I rubbed my eyes and sat up.

"Yeah, because Tia slept for so long and is full of energy now."

Tia had fallen asleep during the plane ride and slept all the way until the next morning. She had apparently overcome the time difference as a result.

"I"m surprised you knew... that my room was here."

"Tia tried hard to get Lisa out of bed, but Lisa told Tia the location of Yuu"s room and had Tia wake Yuu first."

—That Lisa. She told Tia to come over to me first because she wanted to sleep longer.

Despite my resentment for having my sleeping time reduced, I could not complain since Lisa had to look after Tia every day.

I gave up resisting, switched moods and got out of bed. Beyond the balcony, I could see the fountain in the courtyard, glittering under the morning sunlight.

Since the sun had set last night, I did not notice that there were many types of flowers planted in the courtyard. These were probably species suited to high alt.i.tudes. Petals of vivid hues decorated the courtyard in a colorful display.

"By the way, Tia, have you heard about today"s schedule?"

"No, not yet."

"Let me be frank—After breakfast today, we"re going sightseeing together with Kili."

"...With Kili?"

Gloom shrouded Tia"s face.

"You could stay here if you don"t want to go, you know? Besides, NIFL might be attacking too."

I made this suggestion in light of her relationship with Kili. Tia bowed her head and thought for a while before clenching her tiny fist and looking at me.

"Yuu will protect Kili?"

"Yeah."

"If that"s the case... Tia will protect Yuu, so Tia will come along too!"

Tia spoke with eyes of determination.

"...I see. Thank you."

I thanked Tia and patted her head.

"Ehehe!"

Tia smiled happily and leaned her head towards me.

But at this moment, her stomach rumbled adorably.

"...So ashamed."

Tia clutched her stomach and went red with embarra.s.sment.

She must be famished, having skipped the dinner party last night.

"You should go to the dining hall first and see if you can ask someone to prepare food for your first."

"Ah—Okay!"

Tia made an excited expression then nodded vigorously.

Thus, a brand new day started.

Today was the first day of King Albert"s three-day funeral. It was this country"s custom to see the deceased off in a lively celebration, hence, this was also the beginning of a grand festival.Part 3

After breakfast, we went sightseeing as planned.

Taking a stretch limo would attract too much attention after all, hence, we left the palace in a large van prepared by Helen-san instead.

Shinomiya-sensei was driving while Firill sat in the front pa.s.senger seat to provide directions.

Including Kili, the eight of us sat face to face in the s.p.a.cious back of the van. Instead of the formal dresses last night, Mitsuki and the girls were wearing their school uniforms with a winter jacket on top.

The atmosphere in the van could not be described as harmonious, because of Kili.

Everyone had a stiff expression because they had to stay on guard against attackers and Kili herself. Tia was particularly nervous. Sitting between Lisa and me, she was holding our hands tightly.

"—The most popular tourist attraction in the country is Erlia Castle, but since we"re going there anyway during the festival, let me take us sightseeing somewhere else."

From the front pa.s.senger seat, Firill looked back and told us.

The van was crossing a bridge over the lake while making its way towards town.

"Where are we going first?"

To slightly ease the tense atmosphere, I asked in a cheerful voice.

"...The Great Waterfall of Erlia. It"s quite spectacular."

Firill made a thumbs-up and answered. She seemed quite confident.

After crossing the bridge, the van drove on a road along the lakesh.o.r.e. The town seemed even more lively than yesterday, with many people packed in the streets.

"—How lively. You guys should enjoy the festivities and stop making such scary faces."

Looking out at the scenery the whole time, Kili turned her gaze back into the vehicle and spoke to the others.

"Now that would be a challenging demand. Have you forgotten your past deeds?"

However, Lisa retorted sarcastically.

"Speaking of which... Back when I was taking Tia away, I did fight you once. Although I had no intention of killing you, I apologize for injuring you."

"An injury of that sort is trivial. Rather than apologize, I would rather have you swear you will never betray us. Because what I fear most is my comrades coming to harm."

"Sure, I will promise you that, since right now, I have no reason to harm any of you. However... Will you really be at ease just because I said so?"

Kili answered sarcastically.

"If you responded seriously to me, perhaps I might be rea.s.sured slightly... But right now, it"s impossible."

"Really? What a shame. I thought I was very serious already. Looks like my seriousness was not conveyed to you."

Kili shrugged then turned her gaze towards Tia whose entire body was stiff.

"Tia, you can probably believe me, right? To this date, I have never harmed you, right?"

"That"s true... But you did many awful things to Tia"s loved ones."

Tia squeezed my hand and answered.

Hearing her answer, Kili swept her gaze across everyone in turn then smiled as though in resignation.

"—All of you seem to worry more about others than yourselves."

"Not merely others, but family. We worry about one another precisely because we are family."

Lisa corrected Kili.

"What strong camaraderie, I"m envious. If I made a request, may I join your circle?"

"...If that is your sincere wish, I shall consider it."

Despite glaring at Kili, Lisa gave a positive answer with a condition attached.

"You are truly nice to a fault. Given the rare opportunity I really would like to accept your benevolence, but I guess it"s impossible for me, because I am definitely different from you people. Even Tia, whom I painstakingly raised, has forsaken me."

Kili sighed and turned her gaze to Tia again.

"Frankly speaking, that was quite a blow to me, you know? Because I never expected you would change allegiance in a few short days, having believed in me and obeyed me all along."

"Ah..."

Tia widened her eyes and seemed to understand something.

"Did Tia... hurt Kili"s feelings?"

"Fufu—indeed, it does make me a little sad. Now that I think back... The reason why I gave you horns was perhaps to create an existence as close to mine as possible."

Kili shrugged and laughed in self-deprecation. Somehow, I got the feeling that Kili was speaking from the heart just now.

"U-Umm..."

Silent until now, Iris immediately spoke.

"I remember you—Iris-san, right? What is it?"

"Based on what you just said... Do you consider yourself a dragon like Tia-chan did before, Kili-chan?"

"K-Kili-chan?"

Kili was unsettled by Iris" way of addressing her, but she immediately concealed her feelings and continued.

"...Since I am seeking Midgard"s protection, I won"t call myself a dragon no matter what. But it"s a fact that I am different from you all. As to what kind of person I am, please ask him, okay?"

Saying that, Kili pointed at me.

"Ask Monon.o.be? Why?"

Iris widened her eyes in surprise, tilting her head in puzzlement.

"Because I asked him just as I was leaving Midgard. I said: "Who I am? If it"s okay with you, can I ask you to decide?""

I remembered Kili asking something like that in response to my question of who she was. At the time, I simply thought she was dodging the question, but her eyes gazing at me were very serious.

"Kili, you..."

"Judging from your reaction, it looks like I won"t get the answer yet. Fine, whatever—I will continue to wait."

Kili spoke with disappointment then shrugged.

"...What do you mean?"

With a muddled look on her face, Iris looked alternately between me and Kili.

"She insists on withholding the truth."

Lisa remarked in irritation.

Indeed, Kili seemed to be trying to deceive us with ambiguous language... But I could also feel that—It was possible that she really had no idea what words to use to describe herself.

RUMBLE—...

We were surrounded by an astounding roaring, the sound of lake water plunging dozens of meters into a river.

"So this is the Great Waterfall of Erlia..."

Drowned out by the roaring sound, my mutters failed to reach anyone"s ears.

This was an observation deck overlooking the entire waterfall. Iris and Tia were horsing around in excitement next to the railing while Ariella and Ren were using the camera functions of their portable terminals to take photos as keepsakes.

Having been confined in the palace for a while recently, Kili took a deep breath comfortably while Mitsuki and Lisa monitored her warily. Shinomiya-sensei was slightly farther away, talking to someone on the phone.

—I"ve a dam release before, but it could not compare to this.

Just as I was deeply impressed by the powerful sight of the giant waterfall, hundreds of meters wide, Firill approached me.

She was wearing a wide hat securely with a scarf covering her mouth. These efforts were probably to prevent others from recognizing her ident.i.ty, but I wondered if the disguise was actually effective.

"...Monon.o.be-kun, how is the waterfall?"

Since it was hard for our voices to reach one another if speaking normally, Firill stood on tiptoe slightly and spoke in my ear. This sort of distance, within a breath"s reach, made my heart begin to race, but I suppressed my wavering emotions then brought my lips next to Firill"s ear.

"It"s spectacular. Seeing so much water flow down, it makes me worry about the lake drying up."

"It won"t dry up because the melt.w.a.ter from the mountains flows into the lake. There is a royal cottage nearby... I like to read there a lot."

We were carrying our conversation by speaking alternately in each other"s ear. Every time we spoke, our distance would shrink and Firill"s voluptuous bust would touch my arm. Feeling that soft sensation through clothing, it made my heartbeat accelerate.

"You can read in such a noisy place?"

"I stop hearing unnecessary noise after I grow accustomed to it, which allows me to really focus. The feeling is kind of like a rainy day"s."

"I-I suppose. With so much noise, all other sounds would get drowned out."

Although I nodded to concur with what she said, I was finding it harder and harder to feign composure.

"...What"s the matter? Your face is very red, you know?"

"No, umm..."

Hearing my vague answer, Firill probably thought I failed to catch what she said. She leaned in even closer.

"Monon.o.be-kun, are you okay?"

She had her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed tightly against my arm, making my heart pound even faster. To tell her that she was too close, I brought my face next to Firill"s ear.

"—"

However, I seemed to hear a voice, so I turned my gaze towards the waterfall.

Iris, who was next to the railing with Tia to view the waterfall, was pointing her finger at me, saying something. Although I could not hear what she was saying due to the water being too loud, her face was bright red.

Seeing her like that, I finally noticed that my current posture made me look like I was just about to kiss Firill"s cheek.

Iris ran over with her face red and kept hammering her hands against my chest.

"N-No doing that in this kind of place!"

"No, you got the wrong idea!"

I shook my head and yelled.

"Monon.o.be, you"re such a jerk! What if Mitsuki-chan sees?"

"...!"

After finding out why Iris was angry, I could not help but gasp.

"...?"

Unable to understand the situation, Firill looked incredulously at Iris" interactions with me.

"Iris, calm down. I was talking to Firill like that only because the waterfall is too loud—"

To explain the situation in detail, I brought my face next to Iris" ear.

"Eh? Y-You can"t kiss me now either! Do you really... want to kiss that much?"

But she seemed to be misunderstanding my behavior again. Iris blushed all the way to her ears.

"No, like I said, that"s not what"s going on!"

"...No? Monon.o.be, you want to kiss Firill-chan... But not me?"

Iris looked at me, almost about to burst into tears.

"O-Of course not!"

Seeing me shake my head frantically in denial, Iris smiled, seemingly rea.s.sured.

"Then save it for later—You have to be patient for now, okay? So, if possible... If you don"t do that to Firill-chan... I will be very happy."

After saying that in my ear, Iris shyly covered her face in her hands and fled.

S-Save it for later...?

After hearing her say that, I could not help but wonder whether I should clear up the misunderstanding.

"Monon.o.be-kun, what was that about?"

Firill asked with her head c.o.c.ked.

"Don"t mind it. Iris just got the wrong idea."

I sighed and answered. Whatever, although it was a shame... I felt bad about exploiting Iris" misunderstanding, so I decided to explain properly to her later.

Just as I made the decision mentally, my neck suddenly trembled but not from cold.

It was a gaze, sharp and murderous in intent.

"...!"

I looked back but could not see anyone.

—That"s pretty quick.

I expected this long ago, but the enemy looked like they still intended to attack. If Sleipnir had already entered the Princ.i.p.ality of Erlia, just as Kili said, then they must be the enemy.

I did not think that they would leak murderous intent so overtly as accomplished soldiers. Hence, this was probably a greeting to me, their former captain, as well as a final warning.

No mercy if you interfered—That was probably the message.

Then I could rule out the possibility that the incoming enemy was the tall man who had almost killed Kili. Because if he really was the one I predicted, he would not do anything this naive.

Looking around, I saw Kili with a tense expression, glaring in the same direction as I did.

In fact, Kili and I were probably the only ones capable of fighting Sleipnir. It seemed like the others had virtually no experience in human combat. It was possible to defeat Sleipnir through combat methods that destroyed them together with the town, but of course, such tactics were not allowed.

—Why don"t Kili and I get this settled quickly, just the two of us?

Although I felt bad for the others, unless they possessed combat instincts allowing them to sense the murderous intent just now, I could not count them as potential combatants.

Even alone, Kili was capable of fighting Sleipnir, so with the addition of me, it should be enough.

Thinking that, I walked over to Kili. But along the way, I found one of my cla.s.smates staring in the direction of the killing intent.

"Ariella...?"

However, she soon shifted her gaze and went back to taking photos for Ren.

Perhaps she had sensed something without knowing it was dangerous.

Then sure enough, I could not get her involved.

Deciding that, I told only Kili my thoughts.Part 4

After touring the waterfall, we headed back to town, bustling as a result of the festival.

Narrower streets were turned into pedestrian areas while vendor stalls were packed along entire streets. Sounds of firecrackers or fireworks could be heard from somewhere.

Shinomiya-sensei had handed out banknotes issued by the Princ.i.p.ality of Erlia to everyone, saying "this is part of this mission"s remuneration." Hence, we were going to use the money to go shopping happily.

"Nii-san, this dagger looks cool, right?"

Mitsuki showed me an ornate dagger that she had bought at high price from a shady vendor. It felt kind of like those wooden swords you"d buy during a school trip.

"...What"s the use of buying something like that?"

"Not to be used, I will simply admire and view it. Do you not sense any dreams or adventures from the past, Nii-san?"

"Dreams or adventures from the past?"

The way I saw it, the dagger did not seem very old, but I"d better not spoil Mitsuki"s lovely dream.

"Nii-san, it looks like you have no mind for understanding dreams and adventures."

Perhaps getting no reaction from me, Mitsuki went to find Lisa and show her the dagger.

The others seemed to be purchasing all kinds of souvenirs but I only planned on buying food. Since there was no telling when we might be attacked, I did not want excess baggage.

Kili was walking in the middle of our group while Shinomiya-sensei followed next to her.

There were currently no suspicious movements nearby. Iris was the only person behaving suspiciously.

Iris was hanging out with Lisa and the others but kept glancing at me from time to time. Whenever I tried to approach her, she blushed and hid behind Lisa and the others. This kept repeating.

"Iris, about just now—"

"Oh, n-not now, Monon.o.be! You need to be patient longer!"

I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding as quickly as possible, but Iris kept saying that and avoiding me all over the place. There was no end to it.

"Yuu, are you playing tag with Iris?"

Seeing our situation, Tia asked incredulously."

"No, it"s not like that..."

I sighed and shook my head.

"Since you"re not playing with Iris, then Tia wants you to help pick souvenirs."

Saying that, Tia pulled my arm and brought me to a stall selling accessories. Fine—It looked like I"ll just have to come back to Iris" matter later, so I"ll accompany Tia to pick out souvenirs for now.

"Which is better, Yuu?"

Tia pointed at exquisitely crafted hairpins and brooches, asking for my opinion.

"Let"s see... This one suits you, right?"

After a quick look at the accessories laid out on sale, I pointed at a pink brooch in the shape of a flower.

"Ah, so cute! Tia wants to buy this one! Uh, how much—?"

"Oh, hold on, let me buy it."

"Ehhh!? Yuu wants to buy this?"

Tia asked me in shock. I replied with a wry smile.

"I"m not wearing it, what I mean is: I"m going to buy this as a gift to you, Tia."

Since I had no plans to buy souvenirs myself, there was no way I was going to use up the cash given to me, so buying a gift for Tia would be a good idea.

"Eh...?"

Just as Tia was staring speechlessly, I had already paid the vendor and received the flower brooch.

"Don"t move for the time being."

I bent down in front of Tia and pinned the brooch in front of her chest.

"Yeah, this really suits you. Tia, it"s very cute on you."

Saying that, I rubbed Tia"s head. She immediately went red in the face and looked down.

"T-Thank you... A gift from Yuu... Tia will cherish it forever and ever."

Cradling the brooch in her hands, Tia thanked me in a slightly trembling voice. Seeing her acting a bit strange, I peered at her face.

"What"s wrong?"

"Tia dosn"t know... Tia"s chest hurts despite feeling very happy. Oh... Tia will return to Lisa!"

I saw Tia leave me a little frantically, rushing towards Lisa and the others who were in front of a vendor opposite to us.

"Yuu, thank you so much!"

Tia looked back along the way and thanked me again.

Although I felt that her reaction was somehow different from usual, seeing her so happy, I thought there was probably no problem.

—My remaining money seemed enough to get another one.

Although brooches turned out to be more expensive than I imagined, my leftover money was enough to buy another accessory.

—That one seems to suit Iris.

"Please give me that one."

I bought a b.u.t.terfly-shaped hairpin and placed it in my pocket. A small accessory of this sort would be easy to carry around.

The spare change remaining in my hand would probably get spent buying food at the stalls.

Hence, I bought a skewer of deep-fried fish without thinking.

"...Wow, this tastes good."

While sweet and delicious juices were spreading in my mouth, I could not help but exclaim in praise.

I had not expected much from the taste since it was something I picked randomly, but it turned out to be quite tasty.

Then I saw Firill approach, having bought the same food as me.

"That"s probably fish that was caught in the river downstream of the waterfall we visited earlier. Since it happens to be the time of the year when fish swim upstream, the flesh is very rich and tasty."

Firill enjoyed her fish with an expression of joy.

"Wow, Firill, you even have chances to buy this kind of street food?"

"...I bought it secretly. I remember it was during Grandmother"s funeral."

Firill stared in the distance nostalgically.

"Was it this lively back then too? It totally doesn"t feel like a funeral."

Staring out at the city filled with smiles and cheering, I told her that.

"...Even so, this is still a ritual for seeing off the deceased. Putting it in j.a.panese terms, it"s a festival for seeing off souls—a konsousai, so to speak."

"Konsousai huh... Now that you mention it, there is that kind of feeling."

My country also had a custom of seeing souls off in a festival. If I think of it as holding the festival starting at the funeral stage, then there was nothing out of place.

Perhaps overhearing our conversation, Ariella, who was nearby, also joined in.

"—What a great custom. It it"s this lively, I"m sure the souls will forget their sorrow."

I could feel from Ariella"s tone of voice what seemed to be sincere feelings from the heart, so I secretly glanced at her expression.

Come to think of it, before setting off for the Princ.i.p.ality of Erlia, Ariella had mentioned seeing souls in the past. Firill also seemed to recall this. Slightly hesitantly, she inquired:

"Ariella... Do you really believe in souls?"

"Yes, I do."

Ariella a.s.serted clearly.

"Could it be that... Ariella, you can see souls?"

Firill could not help but inquire whether she had spiritual powers. Ariella"s sense of conviction was strong enough to raise this kind of question.

However, Ariella smiled wryly and shook her head.

"No, I"m not that kind of person. I just happened to be at a place where souls could be seen."

"...What happened there?"

Hearing such a strange way of putting things, Firill frowned.

Somewhat hesitantly, Ariella"s gaze wandered for a while before she asked me and Firill:

"Do you know what power the yellow dragon—"Yellow" Hraesvelgr—uses?"

"Huh...?"

Firill did not seem to understand why a dragon was suddenly brought up. She sounded puzzled.

Although I could not figure out what Ariella was getting at, I asked on behalf of the baffled Firill.

"Isn"t Hraesvelgr"s power still unknown? I"ve only heard that it"s the hardest to fight, a dragon which all attacks are ineffective against."

"—Yeah. Current science cannot explain the phenomena caused by Hraesvelgr, but anyone should be able to understand if they witnessed in person. Even if it"s impossible to a.n.a.lyze with science, you can understand it through feeling."

"Ariella... Have you seen Hraesvelgr before?"

Hearing my question, Ariella nodded.

"Yes, according to myths, Hraesvelgr is a magical bird that swallows souls—And it"s just as the legends describe. Before coming to Midgard, I lived in an unstable country. On many occasions, I witnessed Hraesvelgr materializing the souls of those who had died in war then devouring them."

"Materializing... souls?"

I don"t know if this description is correct... But that"s what it looked like to me, at least. Someone has also proposed the same hypothesis as mine. According to that person, Hraesvelgr"s ability uses ether, a medium of unconfirmed particles, to materialize souls."

Ariella stopped at this point and looked away from us. Her gaze seemed to be directed at Ren who was together with Iris and the others.

Was the subject related to Ren somehow? Although I was curious, Ariella continued before I could ask.

"—But because current science does not recognize the existence of souls, that person"s hypothesis was ridiculed. People called him a failure who had given up on scientific scrutiny to escape into the realm of the occult."

In other words, because souls could possibly exist, what appeared to be phenomena involving the materialization of souls ought to have other explanations that could be established—That was probably what the people laughing at him thought.

There was nothing intrinsically wrong with that kind of att.i.tude. Basilisk"s time-erasing ability also could not be explained fully with science. Even so, that ability interfered with the actual existing concept of time. Precisely because of that, we were able to take countermeasures against weathering, thus successfully defeating Basilisk.

However, souls were something fleeting and intangible, whose existence was not even clear. Even if something like that could explain Hraesvelgr"s ability, we could not formulate countermeasures based on that.

"Ariella—"

"No, I understand even if you don"t say it. Even if it"s a correct idea, a hypothesis that cannot be applied has no value. However—I believe what I saw were souls."

While saying this, Ariella had an unnatural smile surface on her face, like she was enduring pain and sorrow.

"...Really? In that case, I choose to believe too."

"Huh?"

"Ariella, you"re always calm and composed with accurate judgment. Compared to what was said by some scholar whom I"ve never met, I believe in your instincts more."

I shrugged and voiced a matter-of-fact conclusion.

"...Me too. Since it"s coming from you, Ariella, I believe too. I"d be skeptical if it were someone else, but you never lie, Ariella."

Firill also nodded in agreement and held Ariella"s hands.

"If souls exist, I think what I said will reach Grandfather. Thank you, Ariella."

"Ooh..."

Ariella went bright red, looking very awkward. I guess she was still the same as before, unused to receiving praise or thanks from others.

"I-I didn"t speak to be thanked! N-No need to thank me, I-I"ll be on my way!"

Ariella walked towards Ren as though she could not bear the embarra.s.sment.

Left behind, Firill and I looked at each other with a smile.

However, I noticed at this time that there was a change in the crowd. Something seemed to have happened up ahead. The people had stopped walking. The tide of people had halted.

I stood on tiptoe to check out the situation, only to see a costume parade pa.s.sing through the crossroads ahead.

Pop!

At this moment, small explosions could be heard in the adjacent alley with the rising of white smoke.

Frightened pedestrians flooded in our direction. Walking in front, Kili and Shinomiya-sensei were swallowed by the crowd.

—So the enemy is here!

This was most likely to separate Kili from us.

"Firill, you go and join Mitsuki and the others. Tell them not to move from this spot for now."

"Eh? Monon.o.be-kun... Where are you going?"

"Please, I"m counting on you!"

Without enough time to answer her, I rushed into the chaotic crowd.

Back at the waterfall, I had already told Kili concisely the enemy"s attack approach.

Namely—to move towards places with fewer people.

I forcibly pushed through the crowd and entered a small alley opposite to the smoking location.

Just as I predicted, Kili was there.

"—Aren"t you too slow? I"d feel troubled if you don"t protect me."

Kili combed her tousled hair with her hand and glared at me. There was a faint scratch on her cheek.

"You were attacked?"

"Yes, it was apparently launched during the earlier flood of people, but this level is nothing to be concerned about."

Kili moved her fingertip along the wound. Immediately, black bubbles of dark matter flowed out and erased the laceration cleanly within the blink of an eye.

"Biogenic trans.m.u.tation—Seeing it again, it"s really amazing."

"So long as I remain conscious, it"s possible to heal any wound no matter how severe. However, getting sliced by a blade still hurts, even to the point of infuriating me, making me want to burn the enemy along with everyone in the surroundings to death."

Kili"s cold and merciless gaze looked at the streets packed with people.

"...I won"t allow that."

Feeling that she was definitely not joking, I warned her seriously.

"Oh my, how scary. Sure, while you"re protecting me, I won"t do anything to anger you. Then what do we do next?"

Without showing any fear, Kili smiled with delight and asked for my future plans.

"...We will move deliberately to a place where the enemy can easily attack. Once we"re there, we"ll defeat everyone who comes attacking."

"Okay, very simple. Awesome."

Kili smiled fearlessly.

Hence, we ran deeper in the alley.

Although it was a narrow alley, it was not completely devoid of pedestrians. Running at full speed, pa.s.sing through a crowd that was heading for the main road, we searched for a deserted location.

Going against the flow of people in this manner for a while, we found a square-shaped open area in the alley. It seemed to be a plot of land left behind after a house was demolished recently.

After confirming there was no one in sight, I said to Kili.

"We"ll intercept them over there."

Anti-personnel weapon—AT Nergal.

While running, I generated dark matter and trans.m.u.ted it into a projectile-based stun gun. Holding Nergal"s familiar grip in my hand, I gradually focused.

"Understood. Attacks launched from afar can be handled by my Muspelheim. I"ll leave close-range enemies to you."

We stopped in the center of the open s.p.a.ce then turned our gaze to the dark alley where the enemy was approaching from.

"—Very well, bring it on."

As soon as Kili said that with a grin, the air temperature in the surroundings rose all at once.

Spreading out tiny dark matter in a broad area to convert into thermal energy, then using it for offense and defense, that was Kili"s "Muspelheim."

She had probably deployed a barrier of thermal energy in the surroundings as a precaution against attacks that out-ranged her.

At this moment, there was restless presence coming from the shadows in the alley. The enemy might have decided to attack. I could feel murderous intent stinging my entire body like needles.

...Only one person?

Finally getting a bead on the number of presences, I was surprised by the result.

A muzzle flash came from the depths of the dark alley.

—Sizzle!

But before the bullet could reach us, it vaporized with a red glow.

Due to the intense temperature differential in the air, the surrounding scenery was shimmering in the heat.

Unfazed, the enemy switched to fully automatic fire and shot while approaching. I was struck by the smell of melted metal.

Next, the enemy tossed a cylindrical object between firing. The object exploded in midair, producing white smoke.

The enemy had apparently figured out Muspelheim"s weakness.

Dark matter"s greatest vulnerability was interference from ordinary matter. Small particles of dark matter would easily get worn away and disappear when covered by smoke. I had tried the same method to break through Muspelheim in the past, but—

"I knew you would take countermeasures of this level."

Kili smiled confidently and dark matter appeared in the surroundings like black snow.

To prevent them from getting worn away by smoke so easily, she had enlarged the dark matter. But all Ds without exception had a limit to the amount of dark matter they could generate in one go.

Increasing the size of each piece of dark matter meant that Muspelheim"s range would shrink accordingly.

Seizing that opening, a pet.i.te figure stepped into the open s.p.a.ce. Running with a low posture as though sticking to the ground, the figure threw a machine gun at us.

As soon as the machine gun entered the range of the fluttering black snow of dark matter, it instantly burned red-hot and exploded from internal expansion.

Amidst the smoke and dust with the smell of gunpowder, the enemy held a large-caliber handgun as a replacement.

We were roughly ten meters apart. At this distance, I finally saw the opponent"s face clearly.

Platinum blonde hair fluttered amidst smoke and dust from the explosion. Those golden eyes seemed to pierce everything.

I recognized him. John Hortensia—Sleipnir"s sniper.

"!"

Realizing his intent, I extended my left palm.

By focusing my consciousness on the muzzle pointed in our direction, I predicted the bullet trajectories.

John would not normally fight on the frontlines like this. Sniping targets from the distance was his job. But in the current situation, there was no one better suited than him for breaching Kili"s Muspelheim.

While running, he kept pulling the trigger.

Instead of getting stopped by the barrier of thermal energy, the fired bullets pierced through instead.

The reason was simple. Although the air was filled with dark matter, he was aiming the bullets through the gaps between the dark matter. Kili was creating a thermal energy barrier by trans.m.u.ting dark matter, which meant vulnerable spots could be found if the positions of all dark matter were acquired from the start.

From a common sense standpoint, this was mere theoretical talk, but John"s "eyes" were capable of turning theory into practice. Now that the dark matter was large enough for the naked eye to see, he was matter-of-factly demonstrating his G.o.dly aiming skills.

Anti-materiel armor—Damascus 09P!

Knowing his intentions, I had already used trans.m.u.tation to create shields to block his bullets.

Clang—...!

Manifesting along the bullet trajectories, the heavy armor plating deflected bullets with acute metallic sounds.

"Eh...?"

Seeing bullets pa.s.s through Muspelheim, Kili exclaimed in surprise.

"I"ll take care of this guy! Kili, you guard against other attacks!"

While saying that, I shot Nergal at John. Nergal was a projectile-based high-voltage electroshock gun almost guaranteed to render the victim unconscious on contact, but John jumped backwards to dodge as though he had predicted my action.

While blocking the line of sight between John and Kili, I rushed forward. Firing Nergal, I dashed out of Muspelheim and closed in.

John frowned and fought back with gunfire.

Since Kili was behind me, I could use armor plating created from trans.m.u.tation to accurately block John"s shots. Exactly because his aim was precise, reading his bullet trajectories was quite easy. John seemed to have no intention of killing me, only aiming at my shoulders and legs.

Seeing me right before his eyes, John reached behind him with his left hand and tossed a certain black object at me.

Anti-explosive armor—Uruk 73E!

Thinking it was a grenade, I instantly deployed anti-explosive armor but what accompanied the blast was a surge of black smoke.

—Another smokescreen...!?

Covering my mouth and nose, I jumped back. Obscured by the smoke, I could not see him.

"What—Uwah!?"

I heard a cry of pain from behind the smoke, then the sound of panicking.

Then the smoke was blown away by the wind, gradually revealing a clear view of the scene.

"Huh?"

The sight rendered me speechless.

John was pinned down on the edge of the open s.p.a.ce. The one who had subdued him was my cla.s.smate—Ariella Lu.

"I"m not clear on what"s happening, but this looks like an enemy, so I captured the enemy first."

Restraining John"s joints splendidly, Ariella smiled cheerfully as usual.Part 5

"Ariella... You"re amazing. Although he"s a sniper, I can"t believe you subdued a member of special forces..."

I felt impressed from the bottom of my heart and praised Ariella who had captured John.

"Although I did sense a different impression from you compared to other girls to begin with—Your combat skills are quite superb."

Approaching from behind, Kili had her arms crossed, staring at Ariella while she spoke.

"Eh? Not really, I have just a bit of martial arts experience. I guess I haven"t grown rusty yet. Putting that aside—What are we going to do with this person?"

Ariella gestured to John with her eyes. I honestly did not think Ariella"s skills were on the level of "just a bit" but the matter of John was definitely top priority right now.

"Please keep him immobilized like this for now. I"ve got many questions for him."

"Okay, got it."

Ariella nodded in a relaxed manner. During this time, she did not loosen John"s restraints.

I bent down and spoke to John, who had his face down with an expression of chagrin.

"Long time no see, John."

"...It"s been a while, captain."

He looked up slightly and replied in what seemed to be a sulking tone.

"I"m no longer a member of Sleipnir. Isn"t it weird to call me captain?"

"No sir, you are the captain."

I remarked with a wry smile but John stubbornly insisted on addressing me as "captain" again.

"Fine, address me however you like if you say so. Let"s talk about something else. Where"s the rest of Sleipnir? Why are you the only one attacking, John?"

I raised the question that bothered me the most. If they truly intended to kill Kili, the entire team should have attacked instead.

"The others are not present because I acted alone without permission... This is insubordination."

"Insubordination? What"s going on? Did you guys receive orders to a.s.sa.s.sinate Kili, John?"

Yesterday, Major Loki had said his side would handle things. Did that not mean he was sending out Sleipnir?

"Until yesterday, that was the case indeed—But orders have changed. The major wants Sleipnir to focus on surveillance then handle the aftermath if any problems arise..."

"Surveillance and clean up... Then someone else is in charge of the actual operation?"

"Yes sir..."

John nodded affirmatively with a gloomy expression.

"...I don"t want you to fight that man, captain, which is why I wanted to eliminate Kili before then, because I essentially have a chance at victory... But why did you obstruct me, captain! That woman is a terrorist, equivalent to the public enemy of humanity!"

Despite Ariella"s restraints, John still glared at Kili with his golden eyes.

"Midgard has decided to protect Kili—simply that. Rather, what I"m asking is why are you going so far as to disobey orders, to stop me from fighting that guy?"

"...Because I believe... will be killed."

John looked away from me and answered hesitantly.

"Who will be killed?"

"—You, captain."

To me, it was quite a shocking statement.

Sleipnir"s members knew my abilities better than anyone. Precisely because they knew, that was why they acknowledged me as their captain.

"I don"t know what the others think, but even now, I still respect you, captain. I don"t want you to die here, so—"

John was worried for me. He said that guy was stronger than me.

Sure enough... It"s him?

The tall man whom Kili said had almost killed her, who felt similar to me.

"What are that guy"s characteristics?"

I asked in a dry voice.

"An unidentified man whose entire body is clad in armor. Just as we were departing for this country, Major Loki suddenly brought him. Although we attacked Kili together, because he only follows orders from the major, we were unable to coordinate on the battlefield, resulting in her escape."

John glared resentfully at Kili while replying.

"What"s that guy"s name?"

I gulped and made the final confirmation.

"—Hreidmar. That was what Major Loki called him."

After asking John the necessary questions, I confiscated his gun and released him.

"Captain... I believe that you should personally take care of that woman before that guy arrives."

He glared at Kili and warned me before disappearing into the depths of the dark alley.

"You allowed him to escape. Personally, I wanted to kill him, but you"ll stop me, right?"

"That"s right."

"What a shame. I wanted to vaporize him."

Kili shrugged and sighed.

"—Don"t say that kind of stuff again if you really intend to go to Midgard. Vaporize this if you need to vaporize something."

Saying that, I handed her my Nergal and the gun confiscated from John. Both were dangerous items inappropriate to bring back.

"You leave me no choice."

Kili took the two guns and tossed them into the air.

The guns expanded from heat and exploded like fireworks.

"Woah! Why did they explode?"

Not knowing about Kili"s Muspelheim, Ariella widened her eyes in surprise.

"Oh, just now, that"s—"

While making our way back to the main street where Firill and the others were waiting, I explained Kili"s Muspelheim to Ariella then briefly recounted what had happened.

NIFL had mobilized to eliminate Kili. The one in command was my former superior officer. Iris and the others had no experience in human combat, hence to avoid getting them caught up, I intended to take care of things with just Kili. After listening to me about all this, Ariella spoke to me, slightly angered.

"I know roughly what happened now, but I can"t approve the fact that you didn"t tell anyone about your plan. Everyone must be worried, right?"

"I know that... But I want to avoid getting the others involved in conflicts between humans as much as possible."

If I told them about the plan, Iris and the others would definitely try to help.

As much as I worried about their safety, what unsettled me more was that the powers they had trained for dragon combat were too powerful.

If they accidentally killed someone due to lack of control—As soon as this thought crossed my mind, I became unable to discuss with them.

"But... Perhaps one of them might be worried and come chasing after you like me. So your solution is still not the best."

"Yeah, I"ll apologize to everyone when we get back."

Because Ariella did chase after me in fact, I could not retort.

"Yeah, that"d be best. Umm—Umm, I"ve got a question too, about the person just now."

"You mean John?"

I asked and Ariella nodded.

"So, is John the first name?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? It"s not a nickname?"

"Yeah... But why are you asking?"

I frowned, unable to understand what Ariella was getting at.

"Hmm, it just bothers me a little..."

Ariella clutched her right hand then c.o.c.ked her head in puzzlement.

"...?"

Not knowing what was bothering her, I could not help but start to ponder.

"Monon.o.be-kun, are you close with that person?"

"Yeah, I think he"s the one who admired me the most back in Sleipnir."

"Oh, that"s right, it seems that person went as far as to disobey orders for your sake. If that"s the case, sure enough..."

"What do you mean, sure enough?"

Seeing Ariella figuring things out on her own, I asked her.

"Hmm... I don"t think this is something for me to reveal. And it"s possible I could be mistaken."

"I totally don"t get what you"re talking about..."

Seeing Ariella wave her hands with a wry smile, I could not help but sigh.

"Ahaha, if you"re curious no matter what, try asking for the real name the next time you see that person. I think everything will be all clear if you do that."

In other words, John was using a fake name? But how would Ariella know something like that?

Ariella"s reply simply baffled me.

But listening in on the side, Kili murmured with great interest:

"Oh... This seems quite amusing. Perhaps I was right not to vaporize that person."

Kili"s expression looked like she figured out something. A smile surfaced on her lips.

—What was going on?

It felt like Kili and Ariella had left me behind. While pondering the meaning of what Ariella had said, I walked but could not think of anything related to John"s name.

As soon as we got back to the main street, I could see that things had calmed down. The initial explosion was probably just a smokescreen. Although the police could be seen in the smoking alley, the townsfolk did not seem fazed at all and were still enjoying the festivities. Brynhildr Cla.s.s was a.s.sembled by the roadside.

"Oh, Nii-san!"

Mitsuki instantly ran over as soon as she spotted me.

After that, I explained what had happened—As expected, I ended up subjected to harsh lecturing.Part 6

After getting attacked, we left the scene first and returned to the palace.

Although it was slightly earlier than scheduled, since the "Konsousai" or Soul Departure Rite was starting tonight at Erlia Castle and we were going to attend the opening ceremony, we originally intended to return before evening in the first place.

Although the town was starting to liven up already, this funeral ceremony of the Soul Departure Rite apparently had its official start after sundown.

After a brief break in our rooms, we changed into clothing appropriate for the ceremony and went to Erlia Castle. This time, we took a high-cla.s.s limo.

All the girls were dressed in the same gorgeous dresses from the dinner party last night. The scene inside the car looked very glamorous.

After pa.s.sing through the castle wall"s main gate where there were many people lined up, the limo entered the heart of the castle through the western gate which seemed to be exclusive to involved parties.

"Wow..."

Pressed against the car window, Tia exclaimed in wonderment.

The castle"s spires were lit very beautifully, shrouded in an atmosphere both solemn and fantastical.

The palace was magnificent too but this place really seemed like it came from another world. It was like entering a realm of fantasy.

However, I currently could not immerse myself in such stirrings of emotion.

Although everyone was chatting with smiles, part of our attention was still diverted to vigilance against the surrounding situation.

Hreidmar. The instant I heard this name from John, I could not relax for a single moment.

Even though Mitsuki had warned me "not to take action alone again"... I was the only one capable of engaging him in battle. And this time, I was not going to enlist Kili"s aid.

"Please come this way, everyone. I will lead you to your special seating."

Led by Helen-san, we entered the castle. The stone-built interior was quite cold, honestly.

But after going up the stairs and pa.s.sing through a ma.s.sive door, the air warmed up slightly.

I could hear the noisy crowds. Over there was a viewing balcony overlooking a vast hall on the ground floor.

A ma.s.sive portrait was hanging in the deepest end of the hall. Under the portrait was a coffin covered in flowers.

"Grandfather..."

Firill murmured softly while looking at the portrait and the coffin.

So that was King Albert...?

An old man with a white beard was staring from the portrait with a sharp gaze. He looked like someone with great strength of will. I could feel from the portrait that he had certain traits sufficient to change his country and the world.

Once the hall was packed full of people, Firill"s father, Prince Alfred, ascended the stage and greeted them.

The ceremony began in a more solemn atmosphere than imagined. First, a long moment of silence was dedicated to the deceased. The originally noisy interior of the castle instantly fell silent.

Firill closed her eyes with a solemn expression on her face. Surely she was silently thinking of her grandfather. If what Ariella had said was true and souls really existed, then her prayers ought to reach her grandfather.

Following her lead, the others and I offered our silent prayers.

—If it"s thanks to you that the present Midgard came to be, I thank you wholeheartedly. Thank you for creating a home for us.

Then the silent prayers ended. Originally a bit dim, the hall"s lighting suddenly brightened. Originally on standby, the orchestra started playing gentle music.

The hall instantly turned into a party venue and people went out to dance one after another.

There seemed to be other venues inside the castle. Originally concentrated together, the crowds followed directions and gradually dispersed.

Seeing the mood change so rapidly, I felt a little troubled but I already knew that it was this country"s unique way of seeing off the deceased.

Dancing in front of the royal coffin, the people also looked a bit mournful.

"—Watching is too boring. Shall we dance too?"

Looking at the hall from the balcony, Kili asked us.

"I believe we should stay out of the spotlight... Your life is being targeted, you know?"

However, Mitsuki showed hesitation on her face.

"Don"t worry, the royal family is here, so security inside the castle is tight. And there are so many people watching. The enemy isn"t stupid enough to pick this location to make a move."

After saying that optimistically, Kili took my hand.

"Come, dance with me."

"H-Hey!?"

Kili pulled me, wanting to exit the audience seating.

"Ah! Don"t take Monon.o.be away!"

"Tia wants to dance with Yuu too!"

Iris and Tia chased after us.

"...No helping it. Lisa-san, let us go as well."

"Because we must watch her closely."

Mitsuki and Lisa sighed and walked over.

"Ren, let"s go too. There seems to be lots of good food."

"Mm."

Ariella and Ren followed.

"...I will watch from here."

However, Firill, Shinomiya-sensei and Helen-san both stayed in the audience seating area.

The majority of people present probably knew that Firill was a princess of the Princ.i.p.ality of Erlia as well as a D. If she appeared in the party and caused a commotion, then it would expose the fact that Midgard had sent Ds to receive Kili. Surely, she must have made her choice in consideration of that.

With Kili holding my hand, I was led to the hall on the ground floor.

"I don"t have any ballroom dancing experience, okay?"

"No problem. I will teach you. You"d look super lame unless you learn enough to lead those girls in a dance, right?"

Kili looked at Iris and the others who had followed us to the hall, then she immediately started to move with dance steps.

"Woah..."

I moved my feet frantically to follow her.

"Come, right foot, left foot—That"s right, very good. Now just repeat these steps."

"O-Okay."

Kili guided me very well and the step patterns turned out to be unexpectedly simple. Hence, I quickly regained composure. As long as I thought of dancing as martial arts forms, it was not too hard, actually.

After getting used to dancing, I now had the luxury of attention to spare on other things.

"...What"s the matter?"

At a distance almost close enough to kiss, Kili smiled. Beneath her black dress, her soft bosom was touching me.

The sensation was making my heart race.

Perhaps it was perfume, a flowery fragrance was rising in front of my chest, tickling my nose lightly. Inconspicuous lipstick had been put on her lips, making them look very seductive.

Due to wariness against her until now, I had not noticed particularly, but dancing with her black hair fluttering, she was extremely beautiful.

"N-Nothing."

However, I felt resistant to offering my honest thoughts, so I looked away and tried to cover things up.

"You can only look at your partner during a dance. This is manners. Don"t look away from me."

"Guh... G-Got it."

I stared straight into Kili"s black pupils. She smiled contentedly.

"Indeed, that"s the way."

With coordinated steps, we danced along with the music.

"—Yuu, what is Hreidmar?"

Kili whispered while dancing.

"It"s the name of the a.s.sa.s.sin who"s trying to take your life."

"That"s not what I mean. I am asking you what kind of existence is he?"

"Is there any point in asking that?"

Hearing my question, Kili stared into my eyes, nodded and said:

"Yes, because I want to know you better."

"Isn"t that way too selfish of you, given how much you"re hiding already?"

I frowned and answered.

"Fufu—Perhaps. Then how about this? If you tell me about Hreidmar... I could answer one question of yours."

I was surprised to hear her offering terms of exchange that were more advantageous than I expected. If one of her secrets could be revealed... Then I had no choice but to agree.

"—Got it. Hreidmar is apparently my... reference."

"Reference? In other words, your master?"

"No, it"s different from a master-apprentice relationship. I"ve never talked to Hreidmar or fought him. I simply watched his way of fighting and memorized it, that"s all."

Actually, rather than memorize, it was more like getting charmed or possessed. But this was probably a type of feeling that only I could understand.

"Oh... In other words, your ferocity comes from him?"

"Something like that. Although I"ve gone through lots of harsh combat training, I believe the way I am now stems from having watched him."

"It almost sounds like contamination."

Kili frowned and murmured, expressing the poignant feelings I had deliberately withheld.

"Yes... So that"s why Hreidmar and I possess similar traits. That"s probably the part that you found similar between me and him."

"No, you two are different. Although I described you as similar before, I can"t feel from him the kind of charm that you have."

Kili a.s.serted with an inexplicably forceful tone. Staring into my eyes, her gaze was filled with burning pa.s.sion.

"After hearing about Hreidmar, I am even more certain of it. What attracts me is a certain characteristic deeper inside of you. The ferocity residing within you, to me, it might be... a troublesome rival instead."

Kili grinned.

"A rival? What the heck kind of rival..."

"I"m not sure either, this purely a woman"s intuition. But apart from me, others already have their sights on you."

Saying that, she instantly leaned her body against me.

"So don"t lower your guard... I won"t forgive you... if you easily let yourself become someone else"s posession."

Devoured by the intense emotions residing in her words and gaze, I felt my breath taken away for a moment.

But when the music changed songs, I came back to my senses and pulled Kili towards me according to the new melody.

"—I don"t need your permission for anything. Rather, it"s time for me to ask questions."

"Oh my, you"re really leading forcefully. But following an intense lead like this is not bad either. Very well, what do you want to ask?"

Kili showed surprise on her face but soon showed a smile of delight.

"Who are you? If it"s something even you don"t know... Then tell me the reason why you don"t know."

I repeated the question I had asked her many times, but this time, I cornered her.

"Sure, this is the promise, but—"

Despite nodding in agreement, Kili struggled free from my arm.

"—There seems to be other girls in line, so I shall excuse myself for now."

Slightly farther away, Iris and Tia were glaring in our direction. Mitsuki also looked extremely displeased.

"H-Hey!"

I tried to stop Kili from leaving but she gracefully dodged my hand.

"Don"t be anxious. I will keep my promise. I"ll dance with you again later."

Smiling seductively, Kili then walked over to the tables with food.

"Yuu is so much like a prince!"

I first danced with Tia according to the orchestra"s music. Although it was tough due to o

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