Vol 4 Chapter 4 (1/2)

Firill and I, the two of us, alking in town before dawn

Although the air was very chilly, it was not a problem as ere fully prepared for the cold Firill was dressed in a very wara thick jacket with a scarf

Our destination was a plaza that overlooked the entire waterfall—The location of the final shon against Hraesvelgr

We alking to the waterfall from the palace on foot

”Will they attack?”

Firill exhaled white breath, lowering her voice to ask me

”If they know about the dragoncolor They'll definitely cor's arrival”

I insertedup at the cloudy sky Judging froht snow soon

”If nothing happens This would just be an ordinary date, right?”

”If that's the case, it'd still be nice”

”Yeah, I guess”

Firill chuckled lightly and nodded in agreement

”Mononobe-kun”

”Yes?”

”If it's a date Let's hold hands”

Firill drew out her hand from her coat pocket and said that to me

”Eh? N-No, umm”

I frantically looked around

Since Kili herself was also NIFL's target, we left Kili in the palace, but the others atching us from afar I asked them to protect Firill from a distance in case a battle broke out and not to worry about covering me

Iris was a theaze

”You refuse?”

Seeing e in Firill's eyes, I had no choice but to give up resisting I exhaled

”It's not that I refuse, but Your hand will get cold”

”Then let's do this”

Firill reached into ers with mine

”H-Hey”

”Now this is very warm”

Blushi+ng slightly, she smiled

”Urgh”

Feeling very embarrassed, I looked away

The ht was gradually fading

”This is my first date with a boy”

”That's because you're a princess”

”Yes Since you invited me, a princess, out on a date, Mononobe-kun Do you have the resolve to become a prince?”

Firill cocked her head and smiled mischievously while she asked me

”What—A-A prince?”

Speaking of which, I recalled her saying so similar last time On that occasion, she had said: ”Do not fall for me unless you have the resolve to be a prince”

”You don't?”

Firill gripped my hand harder in my pocket and leaned herself over her soft bosom made contact with my arm

”F-Firill”

Not knohich part of what she said was serious, I felt rather troubled

”Perhaps this ht be the last chance Even if it's just for now, if you'll be lad”

Firill rested her head againstvoice

Hearing her say that, I noticed she was si afraid

”It's not the last I will absolutely find a solution, so don't go talking like a defeatist”

I gripped her hand in return and declared forcefully

”Yeah You're right, I'es will really be fine, but”

Firill azed at me quietly

”Right now, Mononobe-kun, you'rethe same expression as Grandfather”

”Same expression?”

”The expression of deciding to protect It's also an expression thatprotected However, it's also very one-sided in feeling That's the kind of expression it is”

Firill's gaze did not leave my face while she spoke

””

Realizing hts had been read, I looked away, silent

”For ?”

”—Nothingwhat I can”

”Really? I guess I've failed to convey e to you, just like with Grandfather”

Firill spoke sorrowfully White breath dispersed in the wind

””

I responded with silence again, because I had no idea what to say

”It's okay, I understand Right now, I'll let you protect me one-sidedly, but if I survive today as a hue”

”Huh?”

I was surprised by this unexpected stateaze staring straight at me

”I will take one-sided revenge on you Prepare yourself”

Firill s manner

Although cold sweat slid downthat she was still able to consider the future

Even though forto be a day of hardshi+p

prick

I suddenly felt goosebumps form on my neck

Like being pricked by a pin, I sensed sharp and subtle killing intent

I instantly switched my consciousness to awaken the monster of my subconscious, deep ininside me

The line of killing intent was not directed towards me but to Firill

Anti-materiel armor—Damascus 09P

Clang—!

I used a s Firill between her eyes

”Eh!?”

Seeing sparks scatter before her eyes, Firill was surprised

”Don't worry, I'll end this soon”

To reassure Firill, I sently

”Oh O-Okay”

Firill nodded, her cheeks reddening slightly

Then I stepped forward and turned aze towards where the bullet came from

He eed from around a corner ahead

Thesilver armor under a coat—Hreidmar A hard luster could be seen under the hood He was approaching us As expected, Major Lokiin color

Yesterday, he had overwhelht now I did not think I would lose

There was no longer any hesitation inmyself, none of that mattered anymore

Surely, it was because I was going to lose so very important next

I feared forgetting, fearing to the point of not knohat to do To think that I still had this much emotions of fear left in my heart

Coe was nothing to be afraid of

My consciousness was sharper and clearer than ever

Behind , the air currents around her, the sharp gazes directed in this direction from various places, the faint sounds of the waterfall far away, the flapping of birds' wings across the sky—

Including the sixth sense, all ofh I ruled the world

”As long as I'le hair of Firill's If you co methods to stop you”

I declared quietly while Hreid intent

As though replaying what happened yesterday, he threw a knife from within his coat without any preparatory motion

But in my current state, I could easily predict hismy body

While twistingknife

Anti-armor weapon—Enlil

Then usingdown ar a vibration bullet at him

However, he predicted the bullet's trajectory, dodged the bullet and closed in on me

I saw hiun from inside his coat

But before he could pull the trigger, I threw the knife at the muzzle

As the gunshot rang out, an earsplitting metallic sound was heard all around

After clashi+ng with the bullet, the knife spun up into the air

Then caunshot and mine overlapped

Against his bullet, I used a vibration bullet this ti his bullet trajectory into account was a piece of cake

Then two impacts were heard The first ca his bullet The second caht to strike his gun

The gun in Hreid Transmitted to his body, the vibrations made him lose balance in his posture

Without , I fired the rest of Enlil's bullets at his body froe

Therepeatedly

Striking him, the vibration bullets ripped his coat and caused hireatly

An ordinary person would have fainted fro been hit by

This was not soh willpower or deterhly refined round

But he could not be unharmed after all For an instant, his movements halted

That was enough His life was in o of that opening Opening its jaws, it buried its fangs into him

Anti-materiel weapon—Ishtar

I tossed Enlil away and used transmutation to create an anti-

Goodbye, Hreidmar

I bid hihts

I knew neither his true name, his appearance, nor his voice But in my heart, I deeply carved the appearance of thisthat I used to watch him intently, the first human to be killed by me

I pressed this large gun against Hreider without hesitation

The heavy gunshot ruh exploding, but—

—Boom!

White s stea force

”Gah!?'

Finding o of Ishtar and pulled away frorenade hidden on his body

I definitely felt from my hand that I had shot hi on guard against a counterattack until the smoke cleared

In this quiet town at dawn, cold wind blew, revealing Hreidure

He was lying on the ground, completely motionless

Perhaps due to the explosion just now, the front of the armor had cracked wide open from inside

”?”

Feeling soht, I approached him cautiously, then—I saw that the armored outfit was empty

”He escaped?”

Witnessing that scene, Iin the s out from there was a bit difficult

Nevertheless—I could not think of any other possibility apart from that It was not like the armor could have been empty from the start

Given it was Hreid for hi Since he had definitely suffered a severe injury, I should be able to conclude that he was routed

”Phew”

Although this was in hindsight, I breathed a slight sigh of relief that I could take care of things without killing anyone

The only issue left was—

”Sleipnir! I know you guys are here!”

I yelled at theme from various places with their presences concealed

If I believed what John had said, they were in charge of surveillance and clean up, which hy they had not taken action so far But I had no idea what orders they were given in the event that Hreidmar was defeated

”Just as you can see, I defeated Hreid and retreat!”

I indicated at Hreidmar's armored outfit with my arm then continued:

”If your target is also Firill, then I won't show any ”

Saying that, I walked over to Firill

”Mononobe-kun, thank you for protecting me, umm You're very cool”

Staring at ht trance, Firill thanked me

”It's too early for thanks The real battle is only beginning now”

Saying that, I started walking with Firill towards our destination, the waterfall

Even if Sleipnir continued to observe without attacking, I still intended to eliminate their coainst Hraesvelgr, I et rid of all uncertain factors here

I advanced without lowering uard

After walking for a while, I looked back Hreidone and Sleipnir's presence had vanished

It looked like they had retreated

Then that left only one thing to do

Na of r, that was all

Part 2

The sun appeared froe The clouds in the sky turned froht rays lengthened the shadows under our feet, adding rich colors to the large a from the lake

From the center of the plaza, some distance away, I watched the Great Waterfall of Erlia, ru today as before

By my side were Firill, Mitsuki and Iris

Lisa, Ariella, Ren and Tia were stationed on the edges of the plaza as though surrounding us

Since the surrounding roads had been sealed off, there were no other people in sight

”It will be soon”

Checking Firill's dragon e was about to complete, Mitsuki murmured nervously Since ere farther away from the waterfall than last ti volume

”Yeah”

Ti near—the moment to end ” memories in my mind that I did not want to lose, I nodded at Mitsuki

Myto Midgard—If possible, I did not want to forget any of this

”Don't worry, Mononobe”

Ih she understood everything and smiled at me

Seeing her smile, I felt my shoulders relax a little Indeed—No matter what I lost, Iris will surely remember it for me

Seeing us gazing into each other's eyes, Mitsuki coughed lightly

”Aher enters visual range, Nii-san will attack with the 'trur cannot be defeated completely, everyone will join into attack—Is this sequence correct?”

”Yes”

”Then oneIf this plan fails, then what?”

Mitsuki askedon a bench in the plaza

”Well”

I was speechless for a moment Unlike last time with Iris, Mitsuki had not pleaded with me, ”it would be better to kill her rather than let her becoon” In the event that the worst-case scenario arrived, what did Firill hope to do—I still did not know

I looked at Firill Exhaling lightly, she answered

”I don't want to die”

”Firill-san, are you fine with turning into a dragon?”

Mitsuki asked in a cautious tone

”Frankly speaking, I do feel that beco However—Mitsuki, and Lisa too, you probably won't allow it, right?”

””

Mitsuki replied with silence and a pained expression

”Hence, rather thanh I don't want to die I'd hate for things to end up like with Miyako, forcing you and the others to suffer all this time”

shi+noht the Kraken's eye and got turned into a dragon Due to guilt fro Miyako personally, Mitsuki had suffered deeply the whole tions was one of her ways of atonement

Probably because she had watched Mitsuki suffer since a long tio, Firill took out a combat knife from her coat's inside pocket

”That's Hreidmar's—”

I was surprised to see the knife Firill was holding After I used Hreidmar's knife to block a bullet, I had no idea where it had flown off

”I picked it up just now”

Firill s the back of the blade

I reflexively reached out, trying to take the knife froht of resolve in her eyes, I stopped

”I absolutely won't let you use that thing”

I clenchedmy voice out, I told her

”Yes”

Firill gripped the knife's hilt tightly and nodded

”Ah—”

At this moment, she showed a painful expression

”Firill-chan, what's wrong?”

Iris frantically asked her Firill groaned while pressing her hand on her shoulder's dragon mark

”It's hot”

”S-Show me!”

Mitsuki frantically pulled her collar to check the dragon loith yellow radiance completely beyond what it was earlier

”The dragon r is co”

Mitsuki reported to nal to everyone in the corners of the plaza

Hence, Lisa and the others summoned their fictional armaments and looked at the sky

”Iris, I' on you”

I looked up at the cloudy sky and extended my hand towards Iris

Although it was unknohat kind of data I could obtain froon weapons I had used before,dark matter from someone else

Since Firill must act appropriately at the criticalme with dark matter

However, Iris stared at my hand then shook her head to refuse

”Mononobe, I feel that it's better for Mitsuki-chan to do it this time”

”Huh?”

”Mitsuki-chan, even while transferring dark ht? So please, could you take my place?”

Without waiting for my answer, Iris said to Mitsuki

”Why so suddenly—”

”Please, if it's with you, Mitsuki-chan, it'll definitely succeed!”

Seeing Iris so serious, Mitsuki reluctantly nodded

”If you say so Fine Then please go to Firill-san's side and accompany her, Iris-san”

Mitsuki held ht

Since I had grown taller, Mitsuki's hand felt s

Just by holding hands, many memories awakened in a chain reaction This was proof of the tiether

Even if sootten, we shared ether as family

She was always playing the role of the warmth closest to me, the voice most familiar to my ears

With just that, I felt I could face any trial, no matter what, but—

Iris had yield the spot by hts, I looked at Iris

Meeting htly at me

”Do your best, Mononobe As long as you hold hands, you won't lose it, right?”

”Iris”

Iris probably asked Mitsuki to switch so that I would forget the least about Mitsuki

Feeling her thoughts and wishes, I shi+fted aze back into the sky

—Thank you