Vol 10 Chapter 3 (2/2)
”Is it hard to understand? Then letGray's bodily fluids as aoneself with others to exert control, thereby conferring immortality upon others at the sa them a part of Gray?”
”That's”
I was rendered speechless Indeed, do the into account what had been said just now, it was now possible to explain why accepting her bodily fluids would heal wounds
”Since it is an authority born for the sake of uniting the hu, this poas entrusted to one person And precisely because he understood this point, the previous Gray had exerted do it to key individuals in power However, once the authority goes out of control, this is the result”
Major Loki gestured towards Midgard, covered in the red mist of blood
”When the authority is activated fully, all humans apart from Gray will lose their minds, turned into cells with collective immortality Ulti the world from mankind's hands, exist to kill humans”
With hostility towards the world, Major Loki spoke with displeasure
”Even if what you say is true, Charl didn't use her power that way Right now, she's still hanging on to control it That's why, no matter what you say I won't beco path, I will correct her as a friend Of course, killing her is not an option”
I deliberately avoided using polite language and retorted against Major Loki in a forceful tone of voice
Major Loki proceeded to sh
”Hoo—by now, I don't think I can still appease you either Neither do I believe that Gray would be stupid enough to let her authority go out of control intentionally What makes me reject Gray's existence is not because of the authority she holds but the fact that she imposes a state of peace on the world”
”Because armies are not needed without war?”
When I voiced ed in exasperation
”It's certainly not a cost and benefit calculation If Gray's dominance is established, there won't be any lives lost due to war On the other hand, those whose lives cannot be extended except by fighting will end up dead This is undoubtedly the dragon disaster caused by the gray dragon”
Did he think this explanation was enough? Major Loki stared at me
”Don't tell on disasters must be stopped? As NIFL's responsibility, that's why—”
”Somewhat different from NIFL's responsibility, I sih at me, but I truly intend to be a 'hero,' unlike enuine 'hero' instead of being an exploited tool”
After Major Loki said all this with eyes of firm determination, he waved his hand at the armored soldier behind him
”What are you planning—”
I readied a stance warily but Major Loki simply knocked on the head of the ar still on the side and issued a brief command
”Remove”
Next, the armored soldier tossed away the heavy weaponry in his hands then operated his headgear to remove the helmet
The face of a h he was different from Hreidaze was blank and unfocused
After glancing coldly at hiaze to me
”However, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, I lack the necessary power to be a 'hero'—the authority required to exterathered potential holders frouy is one of them—a mass murderer on death row from a certain country”
Major Loki placed his hand on the man's shoulder and spoke
”So this man has Code Lost?”
Skeptically, I looked at this sorry excuse for a man His condition was siintent had not manifested in him
”Indeed, that being said—his authority is very diluted As its name implies, the scrapped authority is an abandoned power The first Fafnir did not use that power even once, hence the authority has not manifested in full After his death, the authority was inherited by others, spread in a weakened for only of lingering frag that should be called the scrapped factor From other people's view, these holders are simply too talented at murder”
After saying that, Major Loki gestured with his gaze towards theperfectly still
”This a Gray The special qualities of a so-called authority cannot be breached except by so at least as much of the scrapped quantity as my father did Hence, I researched the succession rules of authorities andthe factor Death row prisoners like this guy is what I used to carry out my experiments As for the resultant existence—I'm sure you know very well”
At Major Loki's prodding, I spoke hesitantly
”Hreidmar?”
Unable to think of anything, I said the name of the armored soldier that was the prototype of ”Fafnir”
”Indeed Those who have inherited the scrapped factor from multiple people are the Hreid transfor in an unstable for an armored outfit”
Major Loki shrugged and deliberately looked behind me
”After that, I conducted research on collective application of the scrapped factor by having it spread over multiple holders The completed product is Sleipnir with the inclusion of Ariella Lu However—along the way, I discovered the rare vessel that is you”
An intense chill ran downsense of what had been done to me—
”No way, me too”
”Indeed You ht not have noticed, but your body has inherited the scrapped factorthe inheritance of authorities is very simple Priority in authority succession is decided by the depth of karh the blood relationshi+p of parent and child is a very deep one, the strongest karmic relationshi+p is formed between 'the killer and the killed'”
”The killer and the killed”
For sure, we had inherited authorities after killing dragons The one to take a life and the one whose life was taken—The creation of this strong karuided us to inherit authorities
”Consequently, the probability of succession is dramatically increased by blood relations and the killer-victim connection The most efficient method was to have test subjects drink your blood laced with poison”
”What”
I could not help but hold down ht hand Major Loki's calaularly
—How many people's lives had been used to cultivate my ”Fafnir”?
While I was feeling dizzy from the sacrificed lives, Major Loki motioned to the man on the side and smiled cruelly
”No need to be so shocked about all this All the people used for experi Further the factor comparable to Hreidmar's amount Hence, I believe you are precisely the one compatible with Fafnir However—You chose to take Gray's side”
Major Loki sighed and stared at me
”Oh well, this was foreseeable too Although my expectations were betrayed, the plan remains flawless The only surprise was that you stopped Sleipnir without killing them Perhaps because of that, I inherited their scrapped factor instead of you”
”—So in the end, Major Loki, you took the authority”
I had already guessed when I saw that he had not fallen under Charlotte's control
”Sleipnir had taken medication made from my father's blood because I knew that his blood, from Fafnir's direct descendant, could activate the scrapped factor The karma of this blood is probably what allowed me to become the prioritized successor Truly unexpected To think that I had alreadyyour inheritance of Sleipnir's factor—”
”What do you mean?”
A loathsome premonition rose in my heart I no the true identity of the capsule Ariella had sed, butunforeseen?
In that case, what exactly had Major Loki done as preparations—
”About a hundred people”
”Huh?”
”That is the number of scrapped factor holders required to compete with you after your presumed acquisition of Sleipnir's factor Just now, I executed the re poison mixed with my blood”
Major Loki laughed heartily, holding his chest with his hand
”Don't tell me—”
He had used the sauide the scrapped factor to ht now, he was—
”Indeed, what I have inherited is the factor from them Hence, I have Sleipnir's factor added as well To be honest, I had worried whether I as like Hreidmar, but it looks like reater than I iined”
He raised his hand and pointed his fingertip at the armored soldier
”As a result, I've obtained power beyond expectation The power I can use right now is infinitely close to the original Code Lost”
All un, he did not draw it out He sier of his empty hand at the man
Feeling a preerous, I yelled out
”Stop—”
However, he swung his hand a moment before I called out to stop him
Nothing changed Theat the sky
But as I tre ofin my ears?
”Just now, I iined the manner of this man's death”
Was this the reason? Loki's voice, speaking these words calh it had been transmitted from afar
””
I could not understand what sort of actual effect this would do I looked back at Major Loki He s
”Behind ht? A large explosion will happen there, producing a piece of shrapnel to pierce his neck vertebra Oh right, it won't happen until five seconds or so later”
Turning around torean a countdown
”Three, two, one—”
—Boom!
At the end of the countdown, his words instantly turned into reality
”Gah, hah—”
Standing still, the man made a sound from his mouth for the first tiuished
A piece of sharpdue to the explosion, the metal shrapnel had accurately penetrated the man's neck vertebra from behind
Thud, the an to cla this scene Someone screamed
Major Loki looked down coldly at the man who had died on the spot With a completely unemotional voice, he said quietly:
”Hoo Considering his crimes, this death is a bit too comfortable But anyway, I suppose this is a reward for his cooperation in my experiments until now”
—Incomprehensible What Major Loki had done was totally incomprehensible
Using a time bomb would allow the explosion to occur at a predicted ti shrapnel should be impossible to control
”How did he die—No, he was killed right?”
I asked in confusion Major Loki nodded
”Indeed Just noas undoubtedly a de quantu the shared characteristic of 'hu the state of synchronization to cause limited interference in the law of causality—this is the true forold' held by Fafnir 'the eh everything until this point was theoretical, it is finally proven now that the power has fallen into my hands”
”Resonance Law of causality?”
I frowned at the incomprehensible explanation
”—It must be difficult for you Simply stated, it is the power to twist a hu certain death upon that person Such is the nature of the scrapped authority”
Major Loki spoke casually but this was absolutely not so that could be accepted so easily
”This ridiculous nonsense—”
”2nd Lieutenant Mononobe, what are you so surprised about? You've been using this power to survive all this tiainst human opponents, no enemy you cannot kill If such absolutes existed for certain, isn't that equivalent to deciding your opponent's fate?”
”—”
No words to refute hih victory was guaranteed Multiple pathways leading to the opponent's death would appear inall the way to the very end
”When interference in causality is weakened, it requires the user to add in killing behavior to guide 'the possibility of death' I it”
”The same happened to that armored soldier too?”
Speechless, I asked Major Loki
”Yes, I used him in order to destroy the unmanned weapon I roped the unmanned weapon into the causality of his death”
”What I can't believe you can go so far—”
Code Lost's power had coination No, it was Major Loki's application of it that had transcended conventional rules
Killing a person just to destroy an unmanned weapon—No ordinary person would think of that
”Well then, we have chatted long enough However, letessential”
Looking at me in my surprise and confusion, Major Loki narrowed his slender eyes
It felt like being doused with a bucket of cold water My thoughts were reset Warnings from my instincts blared in the depths of my ears
Ensuring death si or the like would be irrelevant
At any point in tinized by Major Loki, fate was practically held in his hands What could one do in such a situation?
”Hoo—Relax, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe My Code Lost is still incomplete It's no easy task for me to kill you, ields the power to interfere in causality, only second to mine, and that immortal Gray I've already tried it many times but failed in every case”
”You already made a move huh”
I whispered painfully Considering the possibility of death encountered when I cah my body
”Unconfirs have a chance to exist, no matter what kind That's why I need insurance It won't do unless you develop a deep understanding of Code Lost This is to ensure that I can become the 'hero' in all possible futures”
”What is theof this?”
The air was filled with tension However, Major Loki answered me in a cold voice and expression
”There is no need for you to know at the moment Recall this and think carefully if you happen to kill me”
Saying that, he took out a gun from the inside of his al used by NIFL, it was an old-style revolver seldom seen on the battlefield nowadays
”Mononobe!”
”Nii-san!”
”Yuu!”
Seeing Major Loki draw a gun, the girls called my name from behind
But at thatAfter learning of Major Loki's power, I should have yelled this instantly
”Hurry and run, everyone! Iet away as far from here as possible!”
I roared with allat Major Loki the whole time
”Mononobe-kun, but—”
”Onii-chan—”
Firill and Ren questioned this sudden order but I ignored them and repeated myself
”Hurry—I' you, run away! Run away quickly!!”
Charlotte and I were the only ones whoination The exceptions did not include Iris or the girls They should have noticed upon listening to ht now, they were in a situation where their lives could be taken any moment
”Let us be on our way, everyone!”
”Our presence will get in Mononobe-kun's way! Let's hurry!”
After Lisa and Ariella urged the
”Yuu—You're not allowed to die!”
Mixed ae reached my ears
Looking past irls, Major Loki smiled wryly
”How regrettable Code Lost has no concept of distance Running anywhere makes no difference”
”Are you using thees?”
I glared at Major Loki and asked
”No, that's pointless Seeing as you are so sardless, right?”
He had a point I did not believe at all that Major Loki would spare the Ds Now that I thought about it, Major Loki's hostility was not only directed at Charlotte but also all Ds
Hence, precisely because I understood this, the cruel smile on Major Loki's face made my entire body tremble
Rather than threatening them, he intended to follow the worst-case scenario
”As a result, I will dispose of thenal for us to start 'killing each other'”
”——!”
The instant I heard hifried without hesitation and fired a bullet of dark matter
”Plasma Bullet!”
I did not have luxury of waiting for hiive him any time to think
Using my fastest trans a bullet that a human could neither block nor evade
However, the dia and thinking
”What”
I looked in shock at the unharlowing bullet's trail disappeared behind hi him
It missed—
A shot fired with lucidity at full concentration without hesitation at merely a distance of five meters—
”Nowhere good enough, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe Currently, the gap in our causality interference power is far too great, have you forgotten? All pheno random fluctuations will proceed in my favor In other words, at this distance, the only possibility for your bullets is to miss In addition—”
The corners of Major Loki's lips sneered
”—During the ti this cos slowly at my leisure”
”No way”
My mind went blank A sense of despair rose up from underfoot
My throat became parched, to the point that I did not kno to breathe Irregular breathing affectedhand to tremble nonstop
”The deaths of all those girls are sealed”
Major Loki's calm and cruel voice delivered to my ears words I refused to believe
I felt as though my body was sliced myriad times
”Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
Roaring like a beast, I kicked the ground and charged
Using the remainder of my dark matter, I created a steel knife If bullets were blocked by the wall named probability, then my only recourse was to deliver ”death” directly by these hands of mine
”Fufu—As expected, you instinctively chose the best option”
With a confident expression, Major Loki raised his revolver at me
Within my accelerated consciousness, I saw the line ofthe trajectory, I blocked the bullet with my knife
Clang!!
With a high-pitched ringing and heavy impact, the blade shattered and flew apart
The blade, which should have been strong enough, was shattered the instant the bullet struck This was not because the bullet's power exceeded my expectations I knew this from the sensation of the impact
Most likely, he had ”coincidentally” hit the knife's ile point
”Gah—”
I felt a sharp pain inThis was probably due to causality unfolding in Major Loki's favor too
However, none of that mattered to me There was no ti odds
Fight—kill—in order to protect the ones dearest to me!
I closed in and usedout the fragment, I stabbed at my opponent
However, Major Loki took half a step back and evaded h I immediately followed up with a backhanded strike, it missed as well
”Indeed—Although death is sealed, it still has not arrived yet at this moment If you were to kill me this instant, the one who has warped causality, perhaps those girls ht still live”
Major Loki dodged h talking about someone else
”——Tsk!!”
I transmuted a new knife and threw the broken blade at Major Loki's throat
However, the blade brushed past his neck even though ere clearly less than abehind him
”Nevertheless only ten seconds remain”
With these words, Major Loki pulled his revolver's trigger I twisted my body to evade The bullet's trajectory could be predicted However, a vivid red splattered on the side of ed
My attacks could not land yet his attacks were unavoidable
This was presumably caused by the difference in quantity of the scrapped factor held by each of us
Be that as it ap Unless I rejected fate within the next ten seconds, I was going to lose the ones dearest to me
Iris, Mitsuki, Tia, Lisa, Firill, Ren, Ariella, Kili They were all going to die
I refused to acknowledge it Absolutely forbidden This sort of future, this kind of existence that would bring about the worst outcome!
Disallowed Must be destroyed Must be killed
I will—kill Kill him!
Filled with an to meld with ”Fafnir”
But despite the acceleration of theof my senses, that former sense of omnipotence did not surface
Predictions failing, attacks being read In this back and forth process, I was gradually cornered
Sueneration, thus putting a seal on transmutation
”Six, five—”
Major Loki counted down cal my attacks Bit by bit, the revolver's bullets were shaving away my flesh
Although I barely ed to avoid critical injuries, radually growing sluggish
”Three, two—”
Was this it? Was this everything? Was this the best that ”Fafnir,” themy heart, could do!?
If it was still not enough, I could hand over everything of uy before my eyes!!
The only thing left was the knife in my hand
Using this one and only fang, I will taketo happen to me Even mutual annihilation was fine
So long as this blade met its mark, all else could—
BANG!!
A gunshot and heavyfroh the air
Raising the s revolver, Major Loki announced calmly to me
”—Zero”
My vision turned dark My thoughts and heart were completely frozen
This word declared the end to everything A voice i
Too late Failed to hit Failed to protect—
Emotionally, I could not accept But rationality forced me to confront reality
”Ah”
Within my heart, filled with despair, onlyand overflowing still
Despite having lost the ones dearest to ht as before
”Gahhhhhhhhhhh!!”
Hatred and anger erupted I thrust a knifehanded strike at Major Loki's eyeball
”Now that's what I' intent painted coeance”
With a sed my attack and aimed the revolver at me
”—I've been waiting for this moment To inherit your scrapped factor in its most activated state”
The gunshot shook the air—I felt a violent iainst the left side of my chest
”Gah”
The instant I noticed my heart had been struck, all sensory perception left me My consciousness fell into a deep abyss of darkness
Part 4
Throb, throb—
Why? My heartbeat was still clearly audible The heart, which should have been destroyed, continued to puh my entire body
I felt as though I was looking at the water surface froed deeply, all I could see was blue darkness
However, there was sound—a heartbeat and so
'—What a disappointing ending, 2nd Lieutenant Mononobe'
Ripples appeared on the water surface I heard Major Loki's voice from the abyss
Was this a dream? A kind of kaleidoscopic flashback seen before one's death?
Although the thought crossed ht a sense of reality
I was still alive, it told me fervently
Then this voice was also reality Itin the present
'I ht you that the iht was an error in judgment'
Major Loki's voice was heard again
I felt bothered by a certain part of what he said
Asking thement?
What did he —It would be troublesoirls' situation
'However Now that I've inherited your scrapped factor, lies will also become truths The sequence was merely reversed'
While he continued to speak, throb—A loud and intense beat of the heart
Lies will also become truths—
Lies? In other words In other words, everyone was still alive?
Despite the lack of concrete evidence, there were grounds to believe so It was possible that his words were a hallucination, but still
Those girls, having becoainst, it was possible that they could avoid getting slaughtered by Code Lost's iination
Throb, throb
However If I died If this beating stopped, Major Loki's poould strengthen further Once he got closer to the complete Code Lost, he would probably be able to kill Charlotte and the girls for real
In that case, I o of this heartbeat
I feared that Major Loki would notice immediately that he had yet to inherit the authority The fact that —
Even so, I still had not found a way to win Standing up would only end up reenacting the previous scene
What should I do? The power of ”Fafnir” could not touch hiap in the quantity of the scrapped factor we each possessed Both coincidence and fate were standing on Major Loki's side
No—Then as I still alive? Why on earth was
The beating sound grew clearer and clearer
Throb, throb—
The sound was co there
That was
Following the light, I swahtness erupted instantly in s like stars
This place, could it be—
With a particular type of premonition, I reached the source of the heartbeat sounds What I saw there were golden particles vibrating along with the pulse
Right, this here the mental conversation had taken place between Ariella andreenerated from that time
They were still in my body huh?
What the Ether Wind enveloped was probably my heart
The human heart was located in the left chest rather than inside the brain Hence, that hy people placed their hand on their chest as a gesture to indicate themselves—To express I am ”here”
In other words, Ether Wind rehest, had protected the heart organ Probably so like that
It was practically a miracle—No, wait There were no miracles in front of Major Loki Probabilities were all skewed in his favor and phenomena would not be affected by uncertainties—Unless ”inevitable,” developments could not possibly unfold in my favor
Besides, the fact that instantly disappearing Ether Wind had lingered in my body was in itself abnormal
Then why—?
With questions, I extended olden particles flew and scattered, accompanied by an intense pulse
The light in the darkness gradually weakened Watching it vanish—I noticed
Wrong These particles were not reenerated
Flashes of insight for speed
—Right, Hraesvelgr's authority had always been here