Vol 2 Chapter 3 (2/2)
”But, but”
I explained to her gently but Tia kept shaking her head
”Why do want to be a dragon so much, Tia? Please tell, what on earth happened after we separated in that warzone? What happened to the parents ith you back then?”
”Tia has no papa and mama, they were fakes”
Like last evening, Tia looked doith a stiff expression
”Then I hope you can tell me about the fake papa and mama”
I placedher gaze up close
Her silence persisted a while Only the sound of waves were heard reguarly
Tia's red eyes moistened and her cheeks blushed
”Yuu wants to know about Tia that much?”
”Yes, because I want to be with you too, that's why I want to know
Hearing an:
”After being saved by Yuu, Tia and they went to live in another country”
What sheto call them papa and mama, Tia continued:
”They becoentle than before Even if Tia did not use power, they still s outside in the fields was hard work, but happy too But everything house, fields or them One day, they suddenly burned up and disappeared”
”Burned up Was it a fire?”
”No, not a fire What Tia met was—Kili”
”!”
Hearing that name, my face froze
—I never expected to hear Kili's name here too
Tia had been i that she had ht Kili was the one who had deprived Tia of her parents and her home
”Kili told Tia they were not real, so Tia did not lose anything Tia is a dragon and has a real mama—'Black' Vritra The many Ds in the world are Tia's sisters That's what she told Tia”
After listening to Tia, I finally understood what she was running away from
To escape the truth of her parents' death, Tia had no choice but to rely on Kili's words
As soon as she admitted she was human, she had to accept the loss of her parents In such a state, ordinary persuasion was not going to work on Tia Trying to reason with her would lead to nowhere
”—Thank you for telling me, Tia”
I thanked Tia and stroked her head lightly
”Yuu understands what Tia thinks?”
”Yeah I understand clearly noon't say your thinking is wrong anymore”
”Wonderful”
Tia looked relieved, but I immediately said:
”But Ias a dragon, Tia, you'll never be sisters with the Ds who are living as humans, you'll never be family with me, Lisa and the others”
”Eh—?”
Tia's expression instantly froze
”Thisit, but please understand At this rate, you won't be able to get what you want Tia, I hope you'll choose to be human”
I could not refute Tia's belief Even if I forcibly laid out the truth in front of her eyes, without the mental preparation to accept it, she would only end up ains and losses and ask her to make a choice
”Choose? Tia doesn't quite get what Yuu is saying”
”True I guess it's not so that can be explained clearly ords In that case, I'll show you I'll show you what you can do to become human”
After saying that, I took out my portable terminal
”What are you doing?”
Tia asked uneasily I smiled and answered her:
”It's still early and there are no lessons Let's have fun with everyone next If I say it's for Tia, I'ather”
”Why? Didn't Tia do awful things to everyone? Isn't Lisa angry?”
”She'll cory Because all of us wants to become family with you, Tia”
Listening to my answer, Tia widened her eyes, rooted to the spot in a daze for a moment
Part 5
After I e theed into our sear According to Mitsuki's response, they were going to come over in an hour's time
I heard there was a set of beach gear in the dorht out a sun umbrella and plastic mats
”Tia caused everyone trouble, so Tia has to work hard”
Dressed in a school swierit unsteadily
With preparations basically co lessons in the shallohen the first classmate arrived
”Mononobe!”
Iris ran over while waving, dressed in a white bikini With every step she ran, that lovely bosoly
”Wow”
I feltwhether that swis, would stay on
Iris arrived in front of us and twirled around to show us With her silver hair fluttering, bathed under the sunlight, her pale co
”How is it? I lost ht a new one!”
”Looks a of which, Iris, the first tiot washed away”
I thought back to my first encounter with Iris Thanks to that—No wait, unfortunately due to that—I saw Iris' naked body and got attacked by her
”Yeah, but in the end, I still couldn't find it—No wait, s-stop thinking about that ti me”
Iris blushed and shi+elded her bosom with her arms But that posture of hers ht of Iris in her white swimsuit, it took me a while before I could mutter:
”—Iris really is so pretty”
Whether back then or right now, Iris was so beautiful that I could say such words naturally
”Wha W-W-W-What If you suddenly say so like that to me, I'll”
Iris blushed all the way to her neck and sat down on the beach all of a sudden
”H-Hey, are you okay?”
Worried, I extendedto block me
”Yuu, what about Tia? How's Tia's swimsuit?”
”Hmm? Yeah, you're very cute, Tia”
I answered honestly but for solared at Iris unhappily
”Tia finally gets it, you—Iris—are Tia's rival!”
Confronted with Tia's pointing finger, Iris cocked her head in surprise and puzzlement
”Rivals? Me and you, Tia?”
”That's right, Tia won't lose to you!”
”I don't quite get it, but you want to coht? Well Okay, how about we play the stick-in-the-sand game?”
Sathered sand to make a small mound
”Stick-in-the-sand?”
”Yes You play this ga a mound of sand like this Then put on a stick on top We take turns digging the mound and whoever makes the stick fall over loses”
Iris picked up a twig that had fallen by the water's edge and planted it on top of the sand before explaining the rules to Tia
”G-Got it, Tia accepts this match”
Tia nodded with a serious expression then started playing the game with Iris
It felt like they had totally strayed froinal point, but I watched the
At this time, Lisa, Firill, Ariella and Ren arrived as well
”As reluctant as I am to let you see my swimsuit, I still forced myself to come”
Wearing ablack swimsuit, Lisa tossed her hair as she spoke to me
”Despite what you said, I think you were selecting your swimsuit very seriously”
Firill quipped quietly She was dressed in a two-piece blue swimsuit
”B-Because sun protection is a nuisance and I don't often go to the beach, that hy I had to agonize over which swimsuit to wear! I-I was certainly not concerned about Mononobe Yuu's gaze, got that?”
Lisa frantically explained herself to Firill
Both girls had bigger busts than Iris and their swi volume, nor the core of my brain
”Haha—Lisa is not upfront as usual With a aze present, anyone would care more or less”
Speaking wryly was Ariella in a tropical print swi behind her
”Mm”
Like a s thoughts, I felt quite uncomfortable too
”Uh Everyone looks great in their swimsuit”
To soothe the indescribably tense atmosphere, I offered , all the girls in Brynhildr Class were very attractive To the point that I had no idea where I should be looking
”O-Of course! I knoithout needing you to tell me”
Lisa scowled and turned her head away to respond
”Thank you for your praise”
Firill thankedexpressions
”Umm, t-there's no need to flatter me”
Ariella was normally calm and rational, but would lose coaze drifted all over the place aimlessly
”Mm”
The shy Ren was blushi+ng, hiding completely behind Ariella
”Nii-san, what you said just now could almost be construed as sexual harassment”
Last to appear was Mitsuki, staring coldly at me
She apparently made a trip back to the dorm There was an inflated beach ball in her hand
”What!? That counted as sexual harass my opinion?”
”It depends on the situation Seeing as you ainst allegations of sexual harassment”
”Well I guess I'd better keep quiet about your swiht, Mitsuki?”
I checked out h it was a one-piece, the back was exposed quite boldly It looked quite sexy from behind
”No, I will not feel embarrassment from what you say, Nii-san, so please feel free to say whatever pleases you”
Mitsuki gave an unnatural pause before answering indifferently
”Really? Then here goes—It looks great on you Also, the back is a bit sexy”
””
Mitsuki glared sharply then pulleda word
”Hey Ow! That hurts!”
”Nii-san, even when you are talking to your sister, you should pay a little attention to your choice of words, shouldn't you?”
”But you said I could say whatever pleases me!?”
I grumbled at her but Mitsuki retorted with her face red
”That was built upon the assumption of minimum manners!”
Just as ere arguing like this, I suddenly heard Tia scream
”Ahhh! No, don't fall down!”
I looked in Tia and Iris' direction in surprise, only to see an irregular ether with the stick
”Hmph, I won!”
Iris n with her hand while Tia slumped her shoulders in dejection But she iain
”One ame!”
”Sure, I'll accept no e ame this time”
Saying that, Iris gestured towards Lisa and the rest with her eyes to Tia
”Oh”
It seeathered
Patting off the sand stuck to her knees, Tia stood up Then nervously, she peered at Lisa's face
”What's thestick to my face?”
Lisa asked her in puzzlery at Tia at all
Seeing her like that, Tia forcefully bowed her head with tears in the corners of her eyes
”S-Sorry! Tia heard fro awful to Lisa S-So Sorry!!”
”Oh, you are bothered by what happened earlier”
Lisa see, she walked over to Tia
”Lisa?”
Tia showed a ti up at Lisa's face
”I understand now, then I shall punish you”
Saying that, Lisa raised her hand slowly then gave Tia's head a knock
”Ow!”
Tia immediately held her head and squatted down
”H-Hey Lisa, there's no need to go so far—Are you actually angry with her?”
I frantically asked her but Lisa shook her head in denial
”No, I ary at all However Punishets consu must be settled first”
For solanced at Mitsukiin a calm voice
”Owie”
Tia was rubbing her head where Lisa's fist had struck her Tearfully, she looked at Lisa
”That goes without saying Punishments are meant to hurt in the first place But with this, Tia-san, you have atoned for your uilty anymore for what happened Whether ht?”
Lisa sought agreeroup Everyone nodded in response
”So that is how things stand”
Lisa sed Tia to her chest
”M”
”I believe I did control th Does it still hurt? Perhaps I used too much force”
Stroking Tia's head, Lisa remarked orry
”No, it doesn't hurt anymore, Lisa Thank you”
Burying her face in the bountiful bosom, Tia thanked Lisa quietly
”Since we've ether!”
Seeing things reach a conclusion, Iris suggested energetically
”We weren't fighting to begin with Fine, whatever”
Lisa nodded despite sighing then released Tia from her embrace
”Feels like mama”
Tia ht daze
”Then let us gather in a circle and toss the ball Oh, just that whenever Nii-san's naoes, or else be subjected to punishment”
Holding the beach ball, Mitsuki added a super harsh rule
”H-Hey, what am I the only one with that restriction!?”
”Because you went through harsh training at NIFL, Nii-san Without such a handicap, there will not be any tension for you, right?”
Probably still holding a grudge about the swimsuit comment, Mitsuki replied with animosity
”It's not like I need tension Fine, I get it, let's go with that rule”
Frankly speaking, I intentionally took on her taunting and accepted the rule because I was confident
But I soon realized that I was too naive
”Ah The first star is out”
Buried in the sand, I was looking up at the red sky The sun was approaching the horizon in the west The blue of night was starting to spread from the eastern sky
My body felt extremely heavy
Due to everyone enjoying thea ood my stamina Plus the fact that Lisa and Firill's chests were bouncing even more intensely than the ball, it was hard for me to focus In the end, I missed a ball and was punished by burial in the sand Unable toto everyone's voices in the distance
”Good, good, well done You are swi quite well now”
”Really? Tia learned how to swim now?”
Lisa and Tia's conversation reachedreally well
”Eh!? My swimsuit Where's my swimsuit!?”
I heard Iris' frantic voice She had apparently lost her swiet up, I was unable to see what she looked like
”Iris-san, please pull yourself together Is this it?”
I heard Mitsuki's voice of resignation Apparently, she had found Iris' swimsuit
The sound of flickering pages could be heard nearby
Because Firill was reading a book under the sun umbrella
”—Your turn, Ren”
”Mm”
Ariella and Ren were playing stick-in-the-sand using the sand on top of me
I was quite grateful that the sand over , but it felt quite ticklish to be touched indirectly like that
Peaceful times passed in this way until the sky filled up with stars At thisDue to habits for my time at NIFL, I could discern the physique of people from the sound of their footfall
—Two adults and a child apparently carrying so heavy
Hence, I turned my head and waited for the new arrivals to enter my view
The three of them were all known to me One was shi+nomiya-sensei while unbelievably, the other tere The principal, Charlotte B Lord, and her secretary, Mica Stuart-san
Apparently, the footsteps I ed to the principal Dressed in a white sundress, the principal's age could not be determined from appearance No one would raise any doubts even she were to be described as a student in Midgard
”I can't believe you guys are having so much fun Let me join in too”
Co over to my side, the principal looked down at me as buried in the sand I suspected that Mitsuki had infor here and the news must have reached the principal and Mica-san
”You want to buried too, principal?”
”Of course not! I want to frolic with pure maidens in their swimsuits too!”
”I can feel a generation gap when you phrase it like that”
I gave my honest opinion but the principal removed her sandal, stepped on me and twisted my head with her toes
”Shut up or I'll step on you”
”You're already stepping on me!”
I turned my face and yelled in order to avoid the principal's bare foot
Nearby, Ren and Ariella watched our behavior with blank expressions
The principal's sudden appearance probably troubled them
”Huys to join in the preparations”
”Yes, affirmative”
Still dressed as a ether the objects she was carrying in her arms
”I am not your servant”
shi+no she had brought Froetables
”Principal What the heck are you doing?”
Hearing the question, the principal smiled proudly
”Don't you get it just by seeing? Speaking of beach activities at night, of course there's barbecue!”
”Barbecue!? That's awesome!!”
Iris cheered fro it was alo our separate ways, but it looked like the party was just about to begin
Finally liberated from imprisonrill
”Fufufu”
Eating only irls in swimsuits
”I don't suppose your only goal here is to see everyone in their swiht?”
I asked in exasperation
”Of course it is Got a problem with that?”
”Well, I think there are many problems with that”
Seeing the principal nod and adh
”Hoal But checking out her condition is also part of the reason”
The principal shi+fted her gaze towards Tia across the grill and whispered
”Tia, she's probably fine I think she will surely choose to be human”
Likewise, I whispered in reply
”Hold on, Tia-san, you etables”
”Oh no, don't put the green pepper there!”
Seeing Lisa place a green pepper on her plate, Tia lost coether, I felt that there would be no problem anymore
”Choose? Yes, even if she is a true dragon, if she lives as a human, she could become human I too believe that how she lives her life is far more important than what she is”
Narrowing her eyes, the principal spoke as though saying a prayer
”Principal?”
”Fufu, I accidentally said so that aside, how's your wound from earlier?”
”Wound? Oh, the one on my left hand The wound already healed, but the scar did not go away”
Theme answer a little nervously
Theon the back of my left hand felt like an additional line had been added to on mark
”I see It really did turn out like this”
The principal nodded with a look of co of which, back when she saw the wound, she apparently said the scar would never go away
”Just by looking at the wound, you could tell it would leave a scar?”
”Only if examined carefully”
Saying that, the principal licked the grease sticking around herulp
”—Charlotte-sama, please do not joke with students at their expense”
At this moment, Mica-san appeared and used her chopsticks to stuff a piece of green pepper into the principal's mouth
”M-Mreen peppers!”
”Please do not be picky with food in front of students Hoould a picky principal serve as a role model for students?”
As though suffering kar only etables
Seeing her like that, everyone laughed out loud
”Ahahahaha!”
Tia also laughed very happily
Hearing her laughter, I felt aze drawn to the breakwater's direction
Actually, I had e a barbecue
She would probably feel intimidated to suddenly join an event where everyone else was part of Brynhildr Class But taking advantage of the principal's presence, it should s easier
—If she came, I wanted to introduce her to everyone
But it did not look like Honoka was co
She was probably busy due to the accident during the practical Or after injuring her classainst lively events
—I wouldn't want to ain later
Deciding that in ain—
Part 6
After the barbecue, the teachers gathered up the equipment and left The members of Brynhildr Class all shi+fted locations to Mitsuki's dorm
Lisa and the others had apparently gotten permission from shi+nomiya-sensei to stay over at Mitsuki's dorm
The girls were apparently planning to have pajamas party in Mitsuki's roouy after all, so after showering, I changed into a t-shi+rt and lay down alone in my own bed
Tia was not in the rooone to Mitsuki's roo that had happened today, she had started trusting her classmates from Brynhildr Class
Or rather, I should say it was thanks to Lisa
When about to separate from me, Tia looked uneasy but she followed obediently after Lisa held her hand They looked likea smile to my face
As soon as I lay down, my eyelids instantly felt heavy
Although I wanted to fall asleep just like that, I wanted to email Honoka before that Hence, I picked up my portable terminal But when I checked the screen, there were two emails that had arrived at some point One was Honoka's reply while the other was sent by Major Loki Speaking of which, Major Loki hadto send me data on Kili
I opened Honoka's email first
'I ah you went out of your way to invite me Because I suddenly received a call from my mother, I missed the chance to meet up with you My mother says she is worried whether I can live properly on my own Looks like I am not that trusted'
I read her email and keyed in my response
'Don't worry about it since it was a sudden invitation without warning Your own business is ard froh convoluted procedures, but your ood mother'
Honoka had previously described their relationshi+p as cold but in fact, she was probably close with hermy email Then a reply came back quickly
'Thank you for understanding butany argu of which, I told her about you, Yuu-san, and she is very interested in you She ard in the near future, so please do your best then'
Visiting Midgard?
This was not a place that even a D's family could enter so easily Honoka's mother was apparently active all over the world Perhaps she was actually a person of quite substantial position
Hence, I replied 'If possible, please have her show soht'
—Okay, let me read Major Loki's email next
I tensed up and opened the email There were no contents apart from an attachment file
I decompressed the data and opened it What appeared was a profile with a photo included
—So this is Kili?
It was irl standing in theflames
She had slightly tanned skin and long black hair Although her facial features were quite exquisite, her gaze was very sharp Wearing a ser
When told about Kili in the past, there was never such a vivid photo Since NIFL had apparently fought Kili while taking Tia into custody, perhaps this was taken during that time
—Kili Surtr Muspelheiht unknown Nationality and fao, she started being active as the leader of the dragon cult, the Sons of Muspell There are over three hundred terrorist incidents regarded as related to her Reports indicate that she can incinerate people and objects without touching the in the transmutation of flames Already deemed a disaster without concrete evidence
Despite the full efforts of NIFL's intelligence agency, the ah there was an abundance of information noted with indeterminate veracity, it was all data that was hard to believe directly
—By conservative estimates, suspected ht, wiping out a town stationed with a regiment of a thousand troops A sniper located a kilometer aas burned to death by her before he could pull the trigger Wide area bo her death to be assured, but she was later confir in towns after ”Blue” Hekatonkheir had passed through
”Is she even human?”
I could not help but blurt out
Even if Kili was a D, I doubted she could do all these things
It would be on instead
”But Oh right, she is living as a dragon right now”
Kili was the culprit who had indoctrinated Tia with the concept that Ds were dragons Suppose Kili also believed she was a dragon, then perhaps she had becoon If this was the appearance of a D who had chosen to be a dragon—
”I absolutely won't let Tia become like her”
With firain, I looked up at the ceiling From Mitsuki's room above, I could hear faint sounds from their voices and footsteps
—Whether from Basilisk or Kili, I will protect Tia
Vowing in my heart, I then closed my eyes
Drowsiness attacked again My thought gradually grew hazy and my consciousness left me
Then—
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
A, the desk la an acute crash
”What!?”
I sat up to a start but the shaking soon stopped The alarm clock next toit
—This was no earthquake There was a loud noise The shaking was caused by some kind of impact just now
I immediately concluded that because I had experienced identical sounds and shaking before
But this could not possibly be the sa could not po