Unlimited Fafnir Vol 15 Prologue

Prologue

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At the far east island country──in a small city that was located inland there, Nanato city.

The mountains that were surrounding the city were starting to change color. Cold wind blew through the roads that only had few people walking through them.

The temperature kept lowering day by day. It made the people keenly felt that winter was coming.

The people were hurried on by the cold wintry wind while preparing for winter.

Mononobe family also wasn’t an exception to that. The dining table at the living room was completely transformed into kotatsu.

「──The island where Yuu and Mitsuki stay is always warm for the whole year isn’t it? I’m jealous that they won’t need to go through winter like here……don’t you think so too, Ohagi?」

The woman──Mononobe Yuu’s mother, Mononobe Yoshimi warmed her feet that were freezing from doing kitchen work inside the kotatsu while talking to the black cat lying on her lap.

「Nyaaau」

The black cat that was named Ohagi purred shortly in agreement.

『Then, moving on to the next news.』

Following that purring, a news anchor’s voice came from the television after the commercial was over.

Mononobe Yoshimi raised her face and looked toward the television.

The screen displayed an image from satellite along with onscreen text. It was projecting a black territory that was covering the sea surface unnaturally.

『The black mist that sprang out at the west part of south Atlantic Ocean is continuing to grow larger. The countries along the coast are rushing to deal with this phenomenon──』

She listened to the news that was read up with a serious expression by the news anchor. Then she frowned anxiously.

「How scary……even though they said that the black domes before this has vanished……」

She patted Ohagi’s head while saying that.

『The dragon that appeared yesterday──named as Bahamut has been destroyed by the joint effort of NIFL and Midgard, but the relationship between that matter, the disappearance of the unknown territories, and the appearance of the black mist is unclear. There are even opinions from the experts that perhaps the operation this time might have worsened the situation. Asgard will hold a conference soon──』

The newscaster’s voice continued on.

The woman reacted to the word that was mixed in there and her hand stopped patting Ohagi.

「Midgard……」

Her expression turned cloudy. She recalled the face of her son and stepdaughter.

「Don’t tell me──there’s no way that’s the case.」

However the woman who didn’t know how special the position that they were placed on was brushed away the uneasy thought that crossed her mind.

It was then, she heard the sound of door opening from the entrance.

「Come on Ohagi, father has come home.」

The woman said that while tapping on Ohagi’s back, so it hopped down from her lap.

However the black cat who was loyal to its instinct didn’t head to the cold entrance and crawled into the warm kotatsu.

The woman smiled wryly at that and went to welcome her husband.

The voice 「I’m home」 came from the entrance.

「Dear, welcome homee」

The woman replied to her husband while opening the sliding screen of the living room to head to the corridor.

But──the uneasiness that she felt just now was holding her back and she turned back toward the television.

However the news had moved on to a bright topic within the country while the newscaster was sporting a smile that made his serious expression just now felt like a lie.

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*

Asgard’s first laboratory far east branch.

Inside the facility that was deep underground of Tokyo’s bay coast, Ren Miyazawa’s father──Miyazawa Kenya was speaking in displeasure.

「Summarize a report to be announced officially──but within an extent that won’t cause the mass to panic, huh. Good grief……they are pushing a troublesome work on me.」

The lab that was fundamentally restricted to everyone except him also had a television in it. The evening news was coincidentally being broadcasted right now.

There specialists of military and dragon matter were exchanging various opinions.

『Unknown territory……was it? The people who got swallowed by that dome were safe in the end, so perhaps the phenomenon this time also won’t become a big deal──』

『No, there is no guarantee of that. There is also information that a new dragon has appeared at the center of the black mist──』

He sent a fed up gaze toward the television before taking the remote control and lowering the volume.

However just before the volume was completely cut off, the faint conversation that reached his ear stopped his movement.

『──In my opinion, rather than the black mist, the part where NIFL and Midgard fought together against Bahamut is more concerning. If this information is true, that means “D”──underage girls were sent out to battlefield──』

『Isn’t it too late asking that at this point? They said that the other dragons were also subjugated by “D”──』

He reduced the volume to zero at that point.

And then he turned toward the computer on his desk and opened a data file.

It was the report that was sent just now from NIFL’s battleship──Naglfar that had been at the frontline of the situation.

When he flipped the pages, he could confirm the name of the people from Midgard who participated in battle.

「…………」

Ren Miyazawa.

His gaze stopped just for a moment when he found the name of his daughter, but then he immediately flipped to the next page.

The true identity of the unknown territory and the black mist, and the details about the ongoing situation right now were written there.

「End Matter came from outer space──or perhaps from “another world”……Angolmois trying to be reborn by using all lives on earth as its sustenance……those people will faint if they learn about this.」

He smiled wryly while glancing at the specialists arguing inside the television.

「But──they offered the information more honestly than I expected. Is it a repayment for my help in salvaging the data from Yggdrasil……no, that man doesn’t have that kind of emotion.」

He had only met that man and talked directly to him face to face just once but, his gaze that was sharper than a blade had left a strong impression in him.

This data was something that was sent here from him──the captain of Naglfar, Major Loki.

「In other words, it’s highly possible that even a major information like this is still not touching on the important part──well, I can guess what is it that they are hiding though.」

He muttered to himself while giving a brief look over the data.

「The methods they used isn’t mentioned at all here. How did they defeat Bahamut, how was the unknown territories eradicated, how are they planning to deal with the black mist──the essential parts are vague. I want to the reason why they are hiding it but……I might get purged if I carelessly poke my nose in this.」

He sighed and began writing up the material for the official announcement.

The sound of keyboard typing quietly echoed inside the gloomy lab──.

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*

At one of the villas of Highwalker family that dotted Europe.

The Highwalker couple had evacuated there from their main residence at England after they received the report of Bahamut’s approach. They were showing anxious expression in a room where fire was crackling in the fireplace.

The husband, Mark Highwalker had made a call to various places just now.

His wife, Linda Highwalker was joining her hands together in prayer while staring fixedly at the news program that was broadcasting through satellite, but she couldn’t hold back anymore and called out to her husband.

「Dear──you still can’t contact Lisa yet?」

Mark had just finished making a call and shook his head.

「My call can’t connect with Midgard as always. But……when I checked on my source inside NIFL, it seems that the possibility of Lisa participating in the battle against Bahamut is high as we thought.」

Linda asked back with a pale face hearing that.

「L-Lisa is safe isn’t she!?」

「There is no information that there was casualty from the battle against Bahamut. She must be safe.」

「Thank god……」

Linda patted her chest in relief, but Mark looked toward the television without taking off his grim expression. The screen was displaying the expanding black mist that was generated from the south Atlantic Ocean.

「But──looking at the situation, Lisa should be moving again to resolve the situation. We can’t feel relieved yet.」

「No way……why is Lisa……why does she have to fight?」

Mark put his hand on his wife’s shoulder to calm her down because she was starting to panic again.

「I’m also feeling the same, Linda. But……I’m also thinking this.」

Mark paused for a moment and looked toward the television that was displaying black mist.

「We should ask ourselves──is it alright that we ourselves aren’t fighting?」

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*

At Elria Principality, the palace──in the audience room where the portrait of the great previous king, Albert Crest was hanged.

Firill Crest’s father and also the current king, Alfred Crest was sighing in front of a window there.

「The chaos from Bahamut’s approach has finally settled down but……it looks like we still can’t let our guard down yet.」

He had grasped the situation in general because of his thick connection with the internal of Asgard.

「However, to think……that Firill is on board in that. Just what is she doing right now──」

He looked up to the sky from the window with a conflicted expression.

Two days ago, a giant flying battleship passed through the airspace of Elria Principality. Naturally that matter was reported to him and he confirmed the battleship passing through his country’s airspace with his own eyes. However he never even imagined that his own daughter was on board in there.

「Alfred-sama!」

A woman rushed into the audience room in a hurry there.

She was Helen Brown. Previously she served as Firill’s maid and now she was in charge of the routine tasks inside the palace.

「──What’s the matter?」

He raised his guard in case Helen came with a bad news. Helen opened her mouth without being able to hide her confusion.

「Actually, that’s……a mail was sent from Firill-sama through the emergency line of NIFL……」

「Tsu──did something happen to Firill?」

Alfred’s complexion paled and he asked back. Helen shook her head to him with a bewildered expression.

「No, the mail is for Alfred-sama but, its content is……err……allow me to read it. Cough……”Otou-sama, please teach me about the ancient marriage system of Elria Principality in detail. This is an emergency request. My future is hanging on it”……that’s what the letter said.」

Helen read the letters that were printed on a paper.

Alfred placed his hand over his forehead and sighed deeply after listening to the mail’s content.

「Really, just what in the world is that girl doing……?」

There was nobody who could answer his question. An awkward silence filled the wide audience room──.

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*

NIFL’s Middle East fourth branch.

The dragon boycotter organization that was based in this region in the past had been absorbed and a new base was created here. A lot of soldiers were being gathered in the base’s airfield.

「Lieutenant Sherry, thank you for your cooperation.」

The commanding officer of the fourth branch’s public order maintenance unit was a woman named Sherry. Kunato Ktinos who belonged to the special squad Sleipnir bowed his head to him.

「──I was given that order, so I can only follow it. But……just what is Major Loki planning to do?」

The lined up soldiers were surrounding a suspicious looking device──she asked while watching that sight.

「It’s a confidential matter. I can’t answer that question.」

Kunato whose age was still that of a young boy shook his head with a mature smile toward that question.

「Got it. I won’t pry.」

Sherry sighed and nodded before walking away from that place. She didn’t know whether this was for a mission or an experiment, but there was still time until the scheduled time for starting.

However Kunato called out to her before she left.

「Lieutenant Sherry, I heard that you were one of the leaders of the organization that Ariella Lu belonged to weren’t you?」

「…………」

Sherry stopped walking and turned around quietly.

Kunato smiled wryly seeing her stiff expression.

「Please don’t make a scary expression like that. I’m just having an idle talk. Actually I once went in a mission together with her. She was extremely skilled. She even makes me……feel ashamed at how “lacking” I am.」

「I see──」

「Oh, are you perhaps not interested with this topic?」

Sherry averted her gaze. Kunato frowned in puzzlement seeing that.

「Let me tell you this, our organization was just making use of her from the start until the end. No, that girl even now is──」

She gave him a warning with a strong tone before turning her gaze to the red roof that could be seen at the other side of the base.

That building was adjacent to this base. It was a facility where children without any relative who belonged to the dragon boycotter organization in the past were living in now.

They were going to school every day using the money that Ariella sent here.

Kunato shrugged seeing the distant look Sherry was making.

「I don’t know what kind of circumstance you guys had in the past, but to me she didn’t look like a weak person who is simply being used.」

Sherry looked at Kunato with slight surprise hearing those words.

「That’s……right. Certainly she is far stronger than me.」

Sherry’s expression relaxed and smiled slightly. She added inside her heart.

──After all the children living in that facility are being “protected” by her even now.

.

*

The southern solitary island where the “D” with ability to create Dark Matter were gathered──Midgard.

A shrill voice reverberated at the highest floor of the clock tower that was standing in the middle of it.

「What did you say!? Angolmois’s neck came attacking!?」

Midgard’s headmaster, Charlotte B Lord brought her face close to her computer’s monitor in panic.

『Yeah, we predicted that it will be twenty five more minutes till contact with the enemy. Therefore I’ll have you move up your timetable too.』

Her call partner Loki Jotunheim one-sidedly demanded to her with a businesslike tone.

「W-wait! My maneuvering to every country is still not finished yet, and I’m also still in the middle of writing the script for my speech! Can’t you retreat to buy time?」

Charlotte asked in panic.

Apocalypse factor that was the source of Neun’s power, it was mixed to all lives on earth──it also existed inside mankind.

In order to supply their “light” to Yuu and others, Charlotte was laying out groundwork to address the whole world.

『The approaching neck──Angolmois One is growing larger bit by bit as it approach. I don’t know the cause of that, but the likelihood that the enemy will grow stronger as time passed is high.』

「But──」

『If you can’t make it in time using the proper channel, we just need to use the backdoor. Currently Atla is preparing to hijack the broadcast signal. As expected it will take time to take over the broadcast of the whole world simultaneously……even so I promise you that we will make it in time before Angolmois One’s outer shell is destroyed.』

Major Loki interrupted Charlotte’s protest and narrowed his almond eyes toward Charlotte.

『You can just focus with preparing your speech. If you proclaim yourself as the king of mankind──show me how you move the people’s heart with your words, “Grey” Vampire.』

Major Loki left behind that challenging line before cutting off the link one-sidedly.

Charlotte looked dumbfounded in front of the monitor for a while, but before long the corner of her lips twisted and she clenched her fist.

And then the light of resolve was lit in her eyes and she muttered heavily.

「Challenge accepted──son of hero.」

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