Vol 1 Chapter 3 (2/2)
Iris' wish of not wanting to harm others was far more noble than mine
And I wanted to help her achieve her wish
”Mononobe, you?”
”Yes, so you can relax and let Mitsuki's team protect you for now Until the final ive up either”
I gently stroked her soft, silver hair and replied Iris looked up with moistened eyes at me
”Can I believe you?”
”Leave it to h I've kept quiet about it so far, I'est assassin—The candidate for that”
Hearing me say that, Iris was stunned for a htly to smile
”Fufu—You !”
After that, I accompanied Iris back to the classroom and explained the situation to Mitsuki
Then Mitsuki iency
Part 4
On this liberating island in the south with beautiful weather, the ated dras had shutters lowered to defend against shockwaves Norround, anti-air weapon stations popped out all over the island
The concentric defense systeardsor formation had the entire horizon covered
In contrast, the school disappeared The school building and the clock tohere the round, sealed inside partitions made of mithril
Entering school prees connected to the various dorency It was only today that I finally learned that Mitsuki's personal dore
”So late”
I was sitting on the stairwell at the entrance hall, staring at the ajar door in the wall beside e
It was currently 2am I would normally be asleep so my eyelids felt very heavy
I could hear faint sounds of airplanes outside These were probably reconnaissance planes patrolling in Midgard's surroundings
While I was half asleep, the door leading underground opened on its oith an electronic sound
”Welcome back, Mitsuki”
I called to my sister whose face showed exhaustion
”!? N-Nii-san? Please do not startle one to bed?”
Staring at me, Mistuki seemed seriously surprised
”I aiting for you, Mitsuki Are preparations complete to intercept Leviathan?”
After I asked, Mitsuki replied with seriousness returned to her face:
”Although it is not perfect by any stretch Leviathan has entered its route circling the Pacific Ocean It is expected to approach again thirty-three hours from now Before that, we should be able to reach full readiness”
Thirty-three hours later
I repeated it silently in mind in order to commit this information to memory Then I asked another question:
”So How's Iris?”
”She had been receiving body checkups and diagnoses until just now After all, she is the first person to have her dragon e color in the past two years, so there is a dearth of infor, but Iris-san has been cooperating with us without panicking at all”
It was most likely because Iris had already resolved herself If that was the case, I had better keep my promise
”Mitsuki, what should I do?”
”Nii-san because you only passed as a reserve member in the Basilisk drill, you will not be suation Squad Presumably, you will be asked to stay on standby in shelter like ordinary students”
Nothing to do, in other words? In that case, perfect
”If that's the case Can you assign a job forto do?”
”A job?”
”Yes, as Iris' bodyguard”
I made this de up in the classroom with everyone present
Mitsuki frowned in surprise
”The Dragon Subjugation Squad is fighting to protect Iris-san Your participation is not needed, Nii-san”
”That's against dragons as opponents, right? By bodyguard, I ons”
Hearing what I said, Mitsuki's expression instantly froze She seemed to understand immediately
”You are saying that soet Iris-san's life?”
”At least NIFL doesn't trust Midgard They ht interfere unnecessarily”
Mituski narrowed her eyes after hearing what I said
”Judging from your tone, Nii-san, you seem to have some kind of concrete evidence?”
”Yesterday,officer at NIFL, Major Loki, contacted me”
”What”
Mitsuki gasped in surprise
”The Major has apparently ons Just by assigning uard, NIFL will be reassured to some extent”
”In other words, at a critical moment, Nii-san, they will have you kill Iris-san?”
Mitsuki stared at me with eyes of determination
”Yes, but that critical moment will be decided by me Until then, I will not allow anyone to kill Iris, no one at all”
I took on Mitsuki's gaze directly and answered her that way
”Your description rim reaper, Nii-san”
”Yeah But in a certain sense, that's precisely iven your position, right? Although I was never deployed in an actual operation of that sort The reason why Sleipnir, the team I used to be part of, was established, its real purpose was to target Ds who've been deemed as disasters, to assass—”
”Enough!”
Mitsuki cried out loudly to interrupt me
”Please say no more I wish to hear none of that from your own mouth especially Nii-san, please remain the Nii-san I know”
With tears gli in her eyes, Mitsuki pleaded to me
”Mitsuki”
”Regarding the bodyguard matter I perht now to keep NIFL restrained, but I have one condition”
”Condition?”
Seeing Mitsuki's gloomy eyes, I asked uneasily
”If the situation reaches the point when Iris-san's dragonification is truly unavoidable—I shall do it then”
”What No way! I can't let you do that kind of thing, Mitsuki!”
I yelled frantically but Mitsuki smiled wearily and shook her head
”—It is fine, because my hands are already tainted”
”What do you mean by that?”
”Two years ago, the one who killed the felloho had turned into a dragon That was me”
After saying that, Mitsuki walked past me and swiftly went up the stairs
By the tiained my senses froht—
'—Really, you will accept this reat help for uard to the target, you really work fast I' subordinate like you Ahhh, but you're not my subordinate anymore'
Hahaha, Major Loki laughed superficially Ignoring him, I continued
”Anyway, because of that, please don't interfere anymore I will definitely accomplish the mission”
'Very well, I understand I will not do anything to obstruct you Well then—I trust you, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe'
Zzzzt, the call disconnected
”There is no one least suited to speaking the word 'trust' than you”
Muttering sardonically to myself, I laid myself on the bed
After the conversation with Mitsuki ended, i returned tofor this opportunity, Major Loki called at this time
Because I already decided there was a need to contact hiht, except it felt a little terrifying
”I can't lower uard”
Looking up at the ceiling, I spoke
Mitsuki's words were also occupying my mind the whole time
Just like I had gone through great changes over the past three years, Mitsuki must have experienced a lot
Although no s had happened, no , I had no intention of handing Iris over to Mitsuki
I had said to Iris: Leave it to me
And three years ago, I had also said to Mitsuki: Leave everything to me
I will not break that promise
Part 5
The next day, I went to school through the underground passage from the dormitory
That being said, given the current e through quiet and deserted hallways, I took the elevator and pressed the button at the bottom
After experiencing the long descent, I finally reached the shelter that was located even deeper than training site number three In front of a door in the corridor ahead, I could see a blonde girl standing there
”It see Iris-san”
The girl—Lisa—looked at me with disdain
”I'uard Have you accompanied Iris all this time since yesterday?”
My question prompted Lisa to puff out her chest and nod
”Because we are class hand is only natural”
”I see, you are considerate for your friends after all, Lisa”
”W-What do you mean by after all!? What do you know about me anyway!?”
Lisa glared at me with her face red
”We've spoken so ain a certain level of understanding Right now, you're staying by her side because you're worried about Iris, right?”
”For people like us who are living outside, separated from parents, classmates are equivalent to family How could I not worry about her?”
Lisa shi+fted her gaze away,her answer quietly
”Since you care about her so ently day to day? Iris is always hard on herself for being called a poorly perfor student”
Lisa whih pulling herself together before glaring at ain
”T-Those known as older sisters often act strict towards their younger sisters! Only faht?”
Her allegation made me think inside
Indeed, gentle treatment was not the only expression of love and care Iris was probably able to work so hard because someone existed to point out her flaws mercilessly
”I guess Perhaps it's better if you continue hat you're doing, Lisa Now that I think about it, you're quite an excellent older sister”
”Y-You will not gain anything fro me!”
Perhaps out of e in a shrill voice
”I' either”
I shook my head wryly
”That better be the case Oh, just for the record, I still have not acknowledge you as a member of the class, so faet that”
”—Got it Anyway, I'll take your place froht? It's best that you rest in preparation for battle”
Hearing me, Lisa made a displeased look
”I will do that without needing you to tell h you do not reassurewith her the best I suppose Iris-san will have an easier ti calm with you by her side”
After saying that, Lisa left towards the elevator
But I suddenly re and called to her
”—Lisa, do you know about the Kraken battle two years ago?”
”Of course I do I was fighting on the frontlines then”
Lisa stopped before the elevator and answered without looking back
”The one who defeated Kraken was Mitsuki, right?”
”Yes, indeed Mitsuki-san shot and killed two Krakens Through her accomplishments from that time, she rose to her current position”
I felt that Lisa's tone of voice had become stiff
”It sounds like you don't approve?”
”—I approved because there was no other choice back then But eive Mitsuki-san who has murdered family”
”Family?”
”Oh dear, so your knowledge is lion was Student No 4 of Brynhildr Class, shi+noer sister”
Lisa spoke in a cal back, she said:
”Then I shall leave Iris-san in your hands”
The elevator doors then shut Just as I was stunned on the spot, I heard a door open The door behind me had opened
”Mononobe”
Seeing Iris dressed in a fliown, I instantly felt my heart rate rise
”I-Iris, you heard everything?”
”Yeah I aiting to thank Lisa-san, because she treated me so nicely yesterday, but I couldn't find a chance to interrupt—”
Scratching her head, Iris smiled wryly
”You already knew about e mentioned just now?”
”I've only heard others talk about it, because I only cao By then, Mitsuki-chan was already the student council president”
”I see now But let's put that aside If you just got out of bed, get changed first Otherwise, I won't knohere to look”
The fabric of Iris' nightgoas very sheer and offered faint glimpses of her body's curves
”It's a bit e, but I'm okay with it if it's you, Mononobe Don't mind it Come in”
”You're asking me not to mind—Hey, hold on!?”
Iris grabbed er than I iht it would be more plain, but it felt no different from the dormitory rooms
Inside the roo bed, a desk with a breakfast tray on it, and a large closet There was also a door that seemed to lead to the toilet and bathroom
There were no s after all, but instead, there was a large monitor installed on the wall The screen was divided into ard
”Come, Mononobe, sit down here”
Iris plopped herself on the bed and patted the spot next to her
”Sit there?”
”Yes”
Iris nodded with a serious expression, so I nervously sat down beside her
Then Iris leaned herself against ed my arm
I could feel my arm surrounded by a soft sensation
”H-Hey?”
”—Let me stay like this for a while There will be ainst you until then”
Hearing the words Iris squeezed out desperately, I exhaled Although Mitsuki had mentioned earlier that Iris had cooperated calht?
If doing this could give her a bit of strength, then I'll let her lean like this for noithouta fuss
To preventcarried away, I turned my attention to the island scenery shown on the screens
One view seeardsor the island in four layers Many shi+ps could be seen outside of the first defensive line Those were probably NIFL's battleshi+ps and carriers
Other iation Squad, patrolling the island's airspace Firill, Ren and Ariella could be seen a them
”Oh!”
Seeing so inappropriate, I could not help but cry out
”You saw Firill's panties, didn't you?”
Perhaps following aze to see the same view, Iris remarked quietly
”N-No, but it's an ie shown on screen, so it can't be helped Rather, it's weird to be flying in the air while wearing a skirt, right?”
”Sure enough, guys are happy to see panties, right?”
Iris looked up at me and asked
”What? No way how could that be possible!?”
”Ah, you looked away! Sure enough, you enjoy it, right?”
Iris leaned against aze to meet mine
”Doesn't the way you put it make me out to be a pervert!? Rather than enjoy, it's just a feeling of slightly profiting”
”Meaning that You enjoy it a lot?”
”Urgh”
Under her cold gaze, I could not speak for a while
Staring at me like that for a while, Iris then asked in a barely audible voice:
”Mononobe, will you be happy to see my panties too?”
”W-What are you saying so suddenly—”
Ignoring my panic, Iris continued with a blush:
”If you like it, Mononobe, I could show you? Because I've alanted to thank you”
Saying that, Iris lifted the heown
My gaze was uncontrollably drawn to her
Eh? Hey, hold on—
I gasped My heart raced I subconsciously gulped
The heradually exposed snohite skin
Iris' fingers treown's heher
Her thighs, looking so soft and seductive, kept shaking oas lifted up to near the base of the thigh
Any further lifting and I would really see—
”Y-You don't need to thank me like that!”
Co to my senses at the last second, I held Iris' hand down
”Mononobe You don't want to see mine?”
Iris was asking with a displeased look
”It's not a matter of whether I want to see or not What I htly Man are far dangerous creatures than you can iine, Iris”
”I ae to speak my mind”
”That's even worse You have to treasure yourself more”
Perhaps Iris sier desire If I were to lose to desire, I would be sent to a tribunalto succu either path led to hell, then turning back would be the correct decision
”Oooh, Mononobe, you're so malicious”
”I didn't say that because I'm malicious”
I scratchedall my effort to suppress my impulse I was not confident I could withstand further stimulation
I turned s would be bad if I saw soaze on the screen that displayed the sea
”I clearly wanted to reward you, Mononobe”
Iris was h the sheer fabric, her body war to me distinctly
I looked for conversation topics to change the subject
”I-Iris, what's that one screen that's showing the sea surface? The iht—”
I rapidly asked Iris but her face instantly becaloom
”Oh That seeon can't be seen deep in the sea, it's right there—under the seawater”
I realized I had changed the subject to so bad
”Sorry, I made you feel worse”
”No It's okay, because by doing this, I'll cheer up soon enough”
Shter—
Just as Iris mentioned, when it was almost noon, a school nurse arrived
Iris had changed into her school uniform I accoo in after all, I stood outside the door, waiting for the examination to end
This was originally the first floor of the school building, but since it was now underground, all the ere covered by metal shutters
Because I had nothing to do, I generated so its form to pass time
”I knew it, I'ht”
I sighed and crushed the dark fried's for
So fro hair, head raised, chest out, walking in a very prim and proper manner, she was—
”Mitsuki”
As soon as I called out to her, Mitsuki instantly stopped This was our first tiht I recalled what Lisa had said about what happened two years ago
”Nii-san”
”You need ?”
”Yes, although I actually wish to avoid broaching this topic”
Mitsuki nodded with a gloomy expression
”It's best to get unpleasant things over with quickly, right?”
I urged her by using a tone of levity
”Good point Well then, I have several questions for you, Nii-san Did you use your full ability during the test last time?”
”Of course I did, Mitsuki You saw during ht? You should know that's my limit”
Hearing my answer, Mitsuki continued to ask:
”So, according to yourfictional armaments, can you easily crush that block of diamond?”
”No, I think I already de session My method is to use an anti-materiel rifle and that's the most effective means”
I knew roughly what Mitsuki wanted to ask about
So I prepared myself and waited for her to ask
”Well then Three years ago, Nii-san, how did you repel Hekatonkheir? Can you no longer acco?”
””
Finally Ever since my reunion with Mitsuki, I expected to be asked this question eventually
That day, I challenged ”Blue” Hekatonkheir in order to defend the town—
”If possible, I have no wish to dig up what happened then I would like to keep that incident buried in my heart too You would probably be forced into an even ht Because what you did that time was so unusual, a miracle so unbelievable, Nii-san, but”
Mitsuki continued with a leader-like expression
”As captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, I rasp on all currently available co powers have the potential to hurt oneself instead I aht do next, Nii-san, so—”
”I understand I'll answer you honestly”
Because Mitsuki looked extremely sad, I interrupted her and nodded
”Sorry, Nii-san”
”No need to apologize, you're just doing what you have to do as the captain About your question just now, lehandedly repeat what happened three years ago”
”Unable to singlehandedly Is that so? I see now I can probably ie condition required back then”
Mitsuki said with a sohtened expression
”That's so fast But even if that condition is fulfilled, I probably still can't defeat Leviathan That's what my power is like”
Three years ago, I ultimately failed to kill Hekatonkheir Despite the heavy price I paid, it was still beyond me
Precisely because of that, I found Mitsuki to be an extreon was a power that I could never possess, no matter how many more heavy prices I paid, I would still be inferior to Mitsuki
”I understand now You have said enough”
Mitsuki exhaled lightly and nodded Then she gazed into my eyes
”If I raised your hopes up I'ht be able to help in so, it can't be used from the air or on a shi+p Because of that, even if I can participate in attacking, I think it'll have to be near the final defensive line—”
”No, there is no need, Nii-san, you only need to focus on protecting Iris-san My goal was to ask you to avoid using that power as inal intention”
Mitsuki's response greatly surprisedmy power could defeat Leviathan
”If I usedbad happen?”
”Yes, if I reo, Nii-san, what you used was a firearm-like weapon If that type of weapon were to be used carelessly, not only will it fail to defeat Leviathan Worse co back”
”Deflecting back?”
”You will understand once the battle begins Please watch the screens in the shelter carefully”
Mitsuki turned her back to
”You're leaving?”
”Yes, because I still have a pile of work to do”
”I see Don't strain yourself too much”
I actually wanted to ask about the girl na more to Mitsuki's mental burden, so I sed my words
”This I cannot agree If I do not strain myself nohen else? I have promised to everyone at the full-school assembly—I will put my life on the line”
Rather than a sense of mission, her expression see this, she headed down a dark corridor to leave on the other side
Unable to say another word, I could only see her off, watching that slender back that was shouldering so much
”Ah, so tired”
After the tests, Iris came to my side and stretched
”Good work Let's go back to the shelter for dinner”
Iris naturally put her ar my best not to think about her body warmth, I walked over towards the elevator
Then at the school building's entrance hall on the first floor, we met familiar faces
”Oh!”
The one who exclaimed softly was Firill Ren and Ariella were by her side too
Ariella raised her hand and spoke to us
”You caht ti to the shelter”
”To the shelter? Why?”
Hearing my question, Ariella frowned
”What's so strange about visiting a class?”
Next to her, Ren nodded frequently to concur, her red hair swaying
”No, it's not weird at all Sorry, I asked a pointless question”
Lisa had said that fellow classmates were equivalent to fa the same sentiment
Firill then approached Iris and peered at her face
”You look very exhausted Are you doing okay?”
”Y-Yeah, I”, I'ry”
Iris answered with a nervous expression She was probably unused to being treated so gently
”Really? Then please take this”
Firill handed a s it, Iris opened it and immediately showed excitement on her face
”Wow, it's chocolate!”
”This is the chocolate I bought overseas through the internet, not too long ago”
”Eh? Then isn't it expensive?”
Hearing Iris, Firill nodded
”Yes, but you can have it”
”Thank you, Firill-chan”
Iris thanked her with tears in her eyes then Ren and Ariella also presented sifts from the side
Ren's was candy while Ariella's seemed to be cookies
”Umm Is it really okay for me to have this?”
Iris accepted them in trepidation and asked them
”Mm”
Ren kept nodding with an expression that seemed to say ”of course you can”
”I feel bad that I can only do this kind of thing for you, but toht my hardest to protect you”
Ariella spoke with a serious expression
”Ren-san, Ariella-san Thank you”
Iris was finally moved to tears
”Don't cry”
Firill passed her handkerchief to Iris
Seeing that handkerchief, Iris found it even harder to stop her tears
After a while, Iris finally stopped crying and everyone waved and took their leave Watching their backs as I saw them off, I said:
”They're really great classmates”
”Yeah”
”Mononobe, the bathwater is ready! Let's take a bath together!”
That night, after eating dinner and the snacks froained her cheerfulness and suddenly announced
The shelter instantly fell into a brief silence, because it took
”I refuse”
I exhaled greatly Evidently, Iris had co
”You refuse to protect me in the bathroom? I'll be afraid if I'm alone”
”Ur