Fangs of Fenrir

by dragonliege242

When Black Vritra appeared, the event had the unforeseen side effect of destroying the veil that separated the mundane and the mystical. Now, 23 years later, Mononobe Yuu experiences firsthand the consequences of that event.

2. Chapter 1: Wrath of the Seventh

I'm back!

Let's get this started!

---

The border between Germany and Denmark. It was once a bustling area, being the only stretch of land that connected the two countries.

However, 23 years ago, it was closed down completely and the surrounding area within a 4 kilometer radius, including the airspace above, quarantined by Asgard, cutting off the two countries from each other land-wise.

Why? Because the Green Dragon, Green Yggdrasil, decided to settle down right on top of the border.

Furthermore, it released a powerful electromagnetic field, causing all electronic devices to completely fail within its boundaries.

NIFL mobilized immediately to neutralize the threat, or at least force it back into the mountains, but since vehicles could not approach it, they had to move on foot, which left them open to attacks by Yggdrasil's mobile roots, causing the deaths of dozens of soldiers.

Larger weapons with greater range like missiles inexplicably malfunctioned when they neared Yggdrasil, veering off course and missing the target completely while causing damage to the surroundings.

It was an odd occurrence, because while they were certainly more technologically advanced than normal firearms, their system wasn't anywhere near as complicated as say, an airplane's navigational and autopilot system.

Rather than just electronic devices, it appeared that anything that ran on electricity malfunctioned in Yggdrasil's vicinity.

With no ways to fight it, NIFL was forced to retreat, and humans had to abandon the border.

It was a bit hard on businesses and local tourists who frequently crossed the border, but with time, they were able to adapt using other means of transportation.

And since Yggdrasil showed no signs of moving from its position, Asgard decided to leave it alone until they had a way to deal with it.

Now, 23 years later, Yggdrasil still stood in the exact same position, now having grown to a monstrous height of 500 meters, with the range of its electromagnetic field extending to almost 2 kilometers.

There wasn't a single human in the area, with the exceptions of the few NIFL personnel who had been tasked with observing Yggdrasil.

Like every day for the past 23 years, they had nothing to report other than its growth.

However, today, there was something different about Yggdrasil, though humans would not be able to notice it.

The Green Dragon was in a slight panic.

[Error. Intrusion in Akashic Records detected. Connection terminated. Unable to trace intruder.]

[Error. Connection to Neun terminated. Unable to reestablish. Immediate ratification required. Searching Akashic Records for Neun's last known location…]

[Found. Area: Iberian Peninsula. Connecting to terminals at location…]

[Error. All terminals in vicinity have been terminated. Cause: unknown. Searching Akashic Records…]

[Found. Cause: Descent of Heretic God Gawain. Searching Akashic Records for other sightings of Neun…]

It had to hurry. The intrusion into Akashic Records, which should have been impossible, was worrying, but far more importantly, Neun had to be found immediately.

Yggdrasil needed Neun.

In order to survive the impending calamity that would soon engulf this planet.

---

"Mmm…" Mitsuki moaned as she slowly returned to consciousness.

She opened her eyes to find herself on her back, staring up at a white-tiled ceiling.

"Are you awake, Mitsuki?"

"Miyako…?" Mitsuki croaked out, her throat feeling slightly dry, as her eyes flitted to the side, where her best friend and two of their classmates were sitting, staring at her with worried expressions.

Shinomiya Haruka, Miyako's older sister and the most senior member of the Brynhildr Class was not present.

She slowly sat up in the bed she was lying in and looked around.

"This is…the infirmary? Why am I here?" Mitsuki asked in confusion, unable to remember what she had been doing before.

"You don't remember? You passed out."

"I did? Why did I…?" Mitsuki asked herself as she rubbed her aching temples.

Then, she remembered.

The news report about the emergence of a Heretic God in Spain.

The live footage of a forest being scorched by divine flames.

The knight-like Heretic God.

Her brother fighting for his life against said Heretic God.

And then…him being struck down by the Heretic God's flaming sword.

"Ugh…!" Mitsuki clapped her hands over her mouth, trying to stop the bile that had rapidly risen in her throat from spilling out.

Her brother was…her brother was…!

"Mitsuki, calm down! Your brother didn't die!" Miyako said as she rubbed a hand on Mitsuki's back in a soothing manner.

Mitsuki froze, the bile in her throat slowly falling back down, allowing her to open her mouth.

"…Really? Nii-san…is alive?" She asked weakly, pleadingly.

"As far as we know. Your brother…he managed to slay that Heretic God." Firill said with a look of awe on her face.

"Eh?" Mitsuki uttered a sound of confusion, not quite comprehending what Firill had just said.

"Your brother. He slew that Heretic God. With its own sword."

"Eh!?" Mitsuki let out the same sound, just much more shrilly as she finally processed Firill's words.

"Nii-san…killed a Heretic God!? Then, does that mean…!?"

Basically everyone on Earth knew what happened when a human managed to take a Heretic God's life.

"It has yet to be confirmed. However, we saw your brother's wounds suddenly healing after the Heretic God's body vanished. So, the chances are very high." Lisa explained, an expression not unlike Firill's on her face as well.

Heretic Gods and Dragons. They were beings possessing far more power than a human could imagine. It was the general consensus that it was impossible for a human to match up against them.

That was why Campione were such exalted existences. They were the ones who had managed to defy the laws of nature and kill a Heretic God.

"Nii-san is…a Campione…" Mitsuki muttered in shock.

What did that mean for him? Would he still be able to come to Midgard?

"Haruka-san is currently talking to the principal to get more details on what happened. The only thing we can do is wait…"

"No need for that. We're already done."

The four of them turned to look at the now open door.

A beautiful girl dressed in Midgard's uniform, with long glossy black hair tied into a ponytail and hazel eyes, exuding an aura of incredible dignity, walked in, closely followed by a petite girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a lab coat over a red dress, and a tall, voluptuous woman with short black hair and violet eyes, dressed in a maid uniform.

The first was Shinomiya Haruka, student number 9 of Brynhildr Class, the only one from the previous batch who had yet to lose her powers as a D, the current student council president of Midgard and captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad, admired by the rest of the student body, as well as Miyako's older sister by 4 years.

The second was, despite her appearance, the principal and chief administrator of Midgard, Charlotte B. Lord, who Mitsuki had met when she first arrived in Midgard and had been using her connections to help search for Yuu.

The third was Charlotte's personal aide, Mica Stuart, who had escorted Mitsuki to Midgard when she outed herself as a D.

Three of Midgard's highest authorities were here.

"I've confirmed your brother's status. As far as my contacts know, he's alive. Once it was confirmed that the Heretic God had been slain, NIFL retrieved him and had him sent over to Asgard's First Laboratory in Tokyo under the direct orders from Asgard's chief. It doesn't appear that he has regained consciousness yet. However, having slain a Heretic God and fulfilling the requirements for Pandora's ritual, your brother has likely become the Seventh Campione."

"Then…does that mean that he won't be able to come to Midgard?" Mitsuki asked fearfully.

If Yuu did not come to Midgard, then it would be 6 years before she could see him again.

Just the thought of having to go that long without seeing him was enough to drive her to the brink of absolute despair.

"I can't say with absolute certainty. However, it's a fact that he used dark matter transmutation on live TV. Even NIFL won't be able to feign ignorance. And as long as he is a D, Midgard has a claim to him. Though, I have no idea how his new status as the Seventh Campione will affect that." Charlotte replied calmly.

Mitsuki's hands clenched tightly around the bedsheets.

So, the possibility of never seeing him again for 6 years was very real?

"That's why we're heading over there now to discuss this matter personally."

Mitsuki looked back up.

"Y-You're going to Asgard personally, Principal?"

"That's right. With Mica and Haruka. Mica is my personal aide, so her coming with me is nothing out of the ordinary, and while Haruka is still a D and not normally allowed outside of Midgard until she loses her ability to generate dark matter, she's the captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad and of a similar age to your brother. I suppose Asgard is hoping that she will be able to convince him to aid their cause."

Mitsuki frowned at the odd wording, before she remembered.

While Campione were exalted, they were also feared.

They were humans that had transcended their limits, and had become as dangerous as any Heretic God or Dragon.

Asgard would surely tread lightly around her brother, treating him more like an armed nuclear warhead rather than a 14 year old boy.

But, more importantly, if they were going to meet Yuu now, then…

"Please let me come with you! I…want to see him!" Mitsuki pleaded, causing Charlotte to show an expectant expression.

"I figured you would ask that. I already got clearance for you to come along too."

Mitsuki blinked at the unexpected answer.

"Eh?"

"Well, I guess they figure that he'll be more receptive to negotiations if his little sister is present, or something along those lines. Basically, you're a bargaining chip for Asgard to gain the loyalty, or at least some form of partnership, with the new Campione." Charlotte said with an annoyed expression.

Mitsuki also felt somewhat insulted and humiliated at the thought of being treated like a convenient tool, but if it would allow her to see Yuu again…

"That doesn't matter to me. I want to see Nii-san!"

"…I see. In that case…"

"Principal, if possible, can I come along too?" Miyako interrupted and requested.

"Miyako!" Haruka immediately raised her voice in a reprimanding manner, but Charlotte silenced her with a gesture and turned to look at Miyako with a blank expression.

"Why?"

"I don't feel comfortable letting Mitsuki go if Asgard and NIFL intend to use her as a bargaining chip. Asgard aside, it's a well-known fact that NIFL in general doesn't think of us Ds as humans. They may try something more drastic. I would like to accompany Mitsuki just in case." Miyako explained.

The occupants of the room frowned at her words.

Her words held truth. NIFL was against Midgard's autonomy from the very beginning, and still is even now. There were even rumors that they filtered Ds who were entering Midgard.

The more sensible among them would probably refrain from doing anything stupid since she was Mononobe Yuu's little sister, and they did not want to risk offending the new Campione, but the more zealous and bigoted among them probably wouldn't even consider the consequences.

"Principal, in that case, please allow me to come as well."

"Me too. We can defend ourselves better if there are more of us."

"Even if you are correct, I can't have you attacking NIFL personnel no matter what the reasons are. Doing that will damage Midgard's and the Ds' reputations. I'm sure that none of you would want that. Especially you, Firill Crest, considering your grandfather, King Albert Crest, was the one who put in the most effort into restoring Ds' human rights." Charlotte rebuked their argument calmly.

All of them flinched, Firill in particular.

King Albert Crest had fought for Ds' human rights despite his terminal illness. And he was not the only one.

And they had spoken so carelessly about undoing years of their hard work and sacrifices.

Seeing that they were properly chastised, Haruka started to speak.

"Since you understand, the three of you will be remaining-"

"But since you feel so strongly about this, I will allow you to come." Charlotte interrupted her.

"Wait, Principal!?" Haruka cried out in shock.

Hadn't she just been stopping them?

"Well, it's true that if there are more of them, NIFL will be less likely to try something, since they see Ds as monsters and fear and revile them because of that. However, in the event that you really are accosted by NIFL, none of you are to do anything. Let Mica or I handle it. Understood? Intentionally or not, I cannot have any of you killing another human being."

The Ds in the room, including Haruka, froze at Charlotte's words.

That's right. While they were lawfully considered humans, it didn't change the fact that Ds possessed powers that were perfectly capable of killing an ordinary human being with ease.

If they weren't careful…

More than one of them gulped nervously.

"If you understand, then pack luggage for one day and gather at the helipad behind the clock tower in an hour's time." Charlotte concluded and left the room with Mica and Haruka.

The atmosphere remained tense even after they left, but Mitsuki hardened her resolve.

Finally…she would be able to see Yuu.

---

Yuu's eyes snapped open as his instincts screamed at him, waking him up instantly.

Murderous intent filled the room he was in, and he instinctively raised his left hand, parrying a knife aimed for his throat by knocking the hand holding it aside.

"Good to see that you're able to respond to an attack even while unconscious, Lieutenant Mononobe."

Yuu turned at the sound of the familiar voice, idly noticing that he appeared to be lying in a bed in a hospital room.

"Major Loki…what was that for?" Yuu asked as he looked at the silver-haired man with piercing blue eyes, wearing NIFL's standard formal uniform, holding a serrated knife in his hand.

He frowned when he felt a tinge of irritation and indignation, but ignored it.

"Ha ha, my apologies. I simply got tired of waiting for you to wake up, and decided to see if this whim of mine would work. I'm glad to see that it did." Loki said as he retracted his hand, a sly smile on his face.

"Can't you just be normal for once and let a patient like me rest? Especially after…"

Yuu froze while sitting up when the last thing he remembered flashed through his head.

Namely, his death match with a Heretic God.

He immediately pressed a hand against his shoulder and then his torso, the places where he had been stabbed and slashed by Gawain's flaming sword, and then at his left hand, which he had been sure looked like an incomplete wax figure after being immolated by Galatine's flames.

Plus, there was the fact that his body should have completely broken down after using power beyond his limit.

Yet, he appeared to be completely unscathed.

Had it all been some sort of delusion?

"I must say, Lieutenant Mononobe, I'm very impressed. Though I trained you as the ultimate assassin, I never once thought that you would be capable of slaying a Heretic God." Loki said with a pleased smile.

"I…really killed a Heretic God." Yuu repeated slowly, still not quite believing it himself.

The entire world's military force, including NIFL, had proven time and time again that they were no match for Dragons or Heretic Gods.

For him, a single human, to be able to slay a Heretic God…

"Wait, then does that mean…?" Yuu trailed off, but it was obvious what he was asking.

Humans who, by some quirk of circumstance, managed to slay a Heretic God invariably became…

"Well, we haven't confirmed it with absolute certainty yet, but yes. There is a good chance that you have become the Seventh Campione." Loki said with a nod, his smile never once faltering.

Yuu felt slightly faint.

He noted that even the constant dull aches and the few scars he had from Loki's harsh training had disappeared completely.

And it might just be his inner narcissist talking, but he appeared to have grown taller, and put on some muscle mass.

He had never felt better than he did right now.

One of the signs of having become a Campione is having your physical body healed and restored to its optimal condition.

So far, every sign pointed to one simple fact: he was now a Campione, a being of near absolute power.

He…had joined the ranks of the ridiculous ascended humans who were just as powerful and terrifying as any Dragon or Heretic God?

The thought…well, it was daunting to say the least.

Could he…even be considered a human anymore?

It was no secret that Campione were both revered and feared.

As the respected 19th century Italian mage, Alberto Ricardo, put it:

A Campione, a God Slayer, is a supreme being.

Since he is capable of killing a celestial being, he is able to call upon the hallowed, divine powers that Gods wield.

A Campione, a God Slayer, is a ruler.

Since he holds the power to slay a deity, he can therefore reign over all mortals on Earth.

A Campione, a God Slayer, is a devil.

For of all mortals who live in this world, none can possibly possess the power to oppose them.

And that was what Yuu was supposed to be?

Ugh, what would Mitsuki think if she found out?

What would his parents think?

That was when Yuu noticed something, and froze.

He remembered.

He remembered his parents!

Their names, their faces, their personalities, he remembered everything with incredible detail!

That couldn't be right, all of his memories other than those pertaining to Mitsuki were supposed to have been erased when he made that deal with Yggdrasil in exchange for the blueprints of a weapon capable of defeating Blue Hekatonkheir. The weapon data was just that massive.

But, he remembered regardless.

His father, Mononobe Kai, a tall Japanese man with black hair and brown eyes, an office worker, the only bread winner of the family.

His mother, Mononobe Yoshimi, a voluptuous woman of both Japanese and European descent, possessing light blue hair and blue eyes which he had inherited.

And not just his parents. He could even remember Mitsuki's late birth parents, his friends from school, the townsfolk…every memory he had lost had suddenly returned.

But…he still had the blueprints for the Anti-Dragon Armament, Marduk, in his head. Not a single detail had been forgotten.

If he could still remember that clearly…did that mean that he didn't need to lose his memories to obtain the weapon data?

In that case, why had he forgotten so many things that made up 'Mononobe Yuu'?

Had…Yggdrasil tricked him?

What did that…that…overgrown weed (why did that sound so familiar) do to him!?

His hands clenched tightly around the sheets, and he gritted his teeth as he felt anger surge to the surface.

"Ho…now that is very impressive murderous intent, Lieutenant Mononobe. It feels more like that of a wild beast's rather than something a human could project. Though, I am rather curious about who you're directing all of the murderousness at."

Yuu snapped out of it and turned to look at Loki, who looked even more pleased than before.

However, Yuu's attention was drawn to the single bead of sweat that was rolling down the major's forehead.

He…had projected so much murderous intent that he had caused the unflappable Loki to break out in nervous sweat?

Something was wrong.

He had never lost control of his emotions like that before. He always kept an iron grip on them so that he would always be able to control himself on the battlefield.

Yes, something was very, very wrong.

But, whatever it was, it would have to wait, because the door burst open with a loud bang at that moment.

"Nii-san!"

Yuu was stunned when someone flew into his arms, burying their face into his hospital gown.

He blinked as he stared down at the girl whose arms were wrapped around his waist, his gown starting to become a bit moist.

That familiar voice, that familiar manner of addressing him, this familiar shade of black hair, the familiar blue and white scrunchy on the left side of her hair, and this familiar scent…

"Mitsuki?" He realized, with no small amount of incredulity.

What was his little sister doing here…wherever here was? And what was that uniform she was wearing?

Ah, but more importantly, she was crying. He immediately placed a hand on her head and started rubbing in a placating manner.

But, that only seemed to make things worse, judging by the way her trembling suddenly increased, and the sound of her crying, though muffled because her face was pressed into his stomach, seemed to get louder.

Why was she crying? Was something wrong? Was there something causing her distress?

Yuu felt his anger resurface as he gritted his teeth.

What was it? What dared to sadden his little sister?

He would destroy it immediately.

Anyone who dared to mess with her would suffer the consequences.

Mitsuki…was his.

This time, he snapped out of it on his own.

What was that? It wasn't just anger than had boiled to the surface.

There was also a very strong sense of possessiveness.

Possessiveness over Mitsuki.

Seriously, what was going on with him?

"Nii-san…Nii-san…! It's really Nii-san…!" Mitsuki sobbed as she finally lifted her tear-stained face for him to see.

His anger evaporated immediately, replaced with his affection for her.

"Still a crybaby, I see." He smiled wryly without any heat in his words as he continued to rub his little sister's head.

"I'm not a crybaby." Mitsuki mumbled as she pressed her face back into his stomach, still seeking to be coddled some more.

Not that he minded. It had been almost a year since he last saw her.

He really had missed her.

But, his question still remained unanswered. Why was Mitsuki here?

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Mitsuki like that before."

"Yes, she is usually quite shy and reserved. It really is a surprise to see her so expressive."

"I guess she must just be that happy."

Yuu looked up again to see three more girls enter the room.

The first was a rather pretty Japanese girl with short black hair and hazel eyes, with a strange emotion in her eyes that Yuu could not identify as she looked at him.

The second was a stunning European girl with long blonde hair and reddish-purple eyes, with a pink hairband adorned with a ribbon of the same color, and a rather voluptuous figure.

The third also appeared to be European, with short purplish-silver hair and light green eyes, holding a book in her hand, and just as well-endowed as the second girl.

All three of them were wearing the same uniform as Mitsuki, and from their words, were acquainted with her as well.

Yuu was about to ask Mitsuki to explain, when three more people walked into the room.

The first was a tall Japanese girl with long black hair tied in a ponytail and hazel eyes, bearing a resemblance to the first girl from the first group as well as wearing the same uniform as them, a voluptuous woman dressed in a maid uniform with short black hair and violet eyes, and petite blonde girl with blue eyes, wearing a lab coat over a red dress.

The moment the petite girl walked in, murderous intent filled the room, causing the five identically dressed girls, including Mitsuki, to freeze when greeted by what was probably their first experience with the intent to kill, even if it didn't seem to be directed at them, originating from a no longer smiling Loki.

"I guess I should have expected you to be here, 'Gray'." He spoke in a voice that was teeming with so much hostility that Yuu had difficultly associating the man in front of him with the impression he had of Loki.

For the almost one year that Yuu had known Loki, he had never seen the major drop his smile before. He always had contingency plans for his contingency plans, never letting any situation shift against his favor.

Because he was capable of manipulating any situation to reach an outcome that was favorable, Yuu had never once seen him without a smile on his face.

Who on earth was this girl that she could cause Loki to react like this?

Said girl, as well as the maid, stared at Loki with expressions of sheer shock, looking like they had seen a ghost.

Then, a look of realization crossed the girl's face, and her expression hardened and turned to frost.

"I see. So, the one hiding the existence of the only male D in the world was you, 'son of the Hero'." The girl spoke in an arctic voice.

Yuu blinked.

They knew each other?

By the way they were speaking to each other, they definitely weren't friends. Yuu would even go so far as to say that they were longtime enemies.

But…that didn't matter to him.

The only thing that mattered was Mitsuki, who was shaking like a leaf, eyes wide with terror as her mind was on the verge of being utterly crushed under the force of Loki's sheer murderousness, pressing closer to him in some subconscious attempt to seek comfort.

He had to stop Loki.

But how?

He seriously doubted that asking politely would do anything. The major was a bit too used to getting his way for that to work.

…Come to think of it, hadn't his own murderous intent been enough to make Loki sweat just a few moments ago?

But, if he added in enough murderous intent to make Loki flinch, it would probably shatter Mitsuki's mind.

If he was going to do it…he had to direct his murderousness solely at Loki.

Yuu exhaled…and embraced the feelings of negativity he held towards Loki.

His rough treatment when they first met, he could let go of.

The hellish training he went through, he could let slide.

Even the complete isolation, unable to contact anyone he knew, he could ignore.

However, if Loki was causing Mitsuki distress, he could not be forgiven.

Yuu would kill him immediately, no matter the cost, no matter how impossible it seemed.

He allowed his heart to be consumed by those feelings of rage and hatred, directing it all towards the Major, who paused and turned to look at him.

"…Major Loki, I don't know what happened between you two, but would you mind restraining your hostility? You're making my little sister quite uncomfortable." Yuu spoke in a calm manner that belied the veiled threat in his words and the aura he was directing solely towards his commanding officer.

Loki stared at him for a moment, another bead of cold sweat forming on his brow…before he smiled.

"You really are getting closer and closer to my ideal…"

Yuu frowned when he heard Loki mutter under his breath.

He was getting closer to the way Loki wanted him to be?

Then, he was slowly losing his identity as Mononobe Yuu, Mitsuki's older brother and proclaimed fiancé?

Yuu felt even more anger surge within him.

What right did he have to try and change him!? An insect like him!?

Loki's smile widened stiffly as Yuu's directed murderous intent grew even stronger.

The major's stance relaxed as much as it could when faced with more murderous intent than a human could ever project, and his own murderousness faded, causing the five girls, who had been paralyzed by both fear and the oppressive aura, to inhale sharply and deeply.

"My my, I've shown a rather unsightly side of myself. I apologize. Lieutenant Mononobe, allow me to introduce you. This is Charlotte B. Lord, the head administrator of Midgard." Loki said as he gestured towards the girl, who was easily the shortest and youngest looking person in the room.

It wouldn't be odd for someone to think that she was still in elementary school.

Yuu was not one of them.

The moment he looked at Charlotte, he immediately knew that he was dealing with a veteran.

There was a look of confidence within her scrutinizing gaze that did not belong on a child's face, and there was also the fact that she was able to shrug off major Loki's murderous intent with seemingly no effort.

And furthermore, his instincts were telling him that he was not looking at a human.

It looked like a human, spoke like a human, and acted like a human, but every cell in his body was telling him with absolute certainty that this girl was not a human.

Did this have something to do with Loki's animosity towards her?

And in the first place, why was the principal of Midgard here?

Why was Mitsuki with her?

Yuu felt something cold form in the pit of his stomach.

"As he said, I am Charlotte B. Lord, Migard's principal and chief administrator. This is my secretary, Mica Stewart…" The childlike girl spoke, gesturing to her maid, who stepped forward.

"Pleased to meet you." Mica Stewart greeted as she bowed politely to him.

"…the student council president, and captain of the Anti-Dragon Squad, Shinomiya Haruka, possessing the nominal rank of Lieutenant Colonel…" Charlotte continued, this time gesturing to the ponytailed girl, who also bowed in greeting.

"…And along with your little sister, students from the same class in Midgard and members of the Anti-Dragon Squad, all possessing the nominal ranks of Corporal, Lisa Highwalker…"

"How do you do?" The taller blonde greeted in a formal manner.

"…Firill Crest…"

"It's a pleasure." The silver-haired girl greeted in a soft voice.

"…and Shinomiya Miyako."

"Hi~!" The last girl greeted him much more informally with an enthusiastic wave and a wide smile, shattering the solemn atmosphere that had been forming in the room.

The other students stared at her with expressions of disbelief.

But, Yuu didn't really mind. It was rather refreshing to be greeted so casually. The military was unbelievably stifling. The last time anyone had talked to him like that was almost a year ago.

He did take note of her last name, and her physical resemblance to Shinomiya Haruka. Were they sisters?

So, this meant that Mitsuki was also a student at Midgard?

Did that mean…his act back then was futile after all?

Ah, but right now, he had to return their greetings.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. Thank you for taking care of my little sister." Yuu greeted with a bow.

"So, why is Midgard's principal here?"

"I think the better question would be 'why wouldn't I be here?' After all, that death match of yours is all that every news channel in the world can talk about." Charlotte replied with a wry smile.

Yuu froze.

His battle with Gawain was broadcast worldwide on live TV?

Which meant that…Mitsuki probably saw. His sorry state, on the verge of death.

The sheer emotion with which she had greeted him suddenly made even more sense. If she had known just how close he had been to dying…

"Not only did you slay a Heretic God, by yourself, no less, you also used dark matter generation. Since you are a D, you fall under Midgard's jurisdiction, which is why we are here. Though I have no idea how your new status will affect that." Charlotte explained.

Ah, that's right. All Ds were to be transported and confined to Midgard until they reached the age of 20 and lost their ability to generate dark matter. He had forgotten, because of his own special circumstances that caused him to end up in the shadows of NIFL instead.

Yuu's eyes flitted down to the back of his left hand, where his Dragon Mark, the absolute proof of a D, was…

…Or at least, where it was supposed to be, but…

"Eh?" Yuu let out a sound of shock at what he saw.

Or rather, what he didn't see.

The noise he made did not go unnoticed by the other occupants in the room.

"Is something wrong, Lieutenant Mononobe?"

"My Dragon Mark…is gone."

The others reacted as he expected.

"What?"

Mitsuki, being the one closest to him and knowing where his Dragon Mark was supposed to be, examined his left hand as well.

"…It's true. Nii-san's Dragon Mark has completely vanished." Mitsuki confirmed with a tone and a look of disbelief.

"Interesting…did your becoming a Campione interfere with your powers as a D? Mononobe Yuu, would you mind trying to generate dark matter?" Charlotte asked him.

"S…Sure." Yuu said uncertainly.

Would it even work? Losing their Dragon Mark meant that a D no longer had the ability to generate dark matter.

Well, they wouldn't know unless he tried.

A good place to start would be to draw out his inferior maximum generating capacity, puny in comparison to most Ds.

He held a hand out, imagining them reaching into 'the world beyond the material plane', and drawing on it.

He got the shock of his life when a humongous stream of black materialized into the world, flooding the room, an amount of dark matter far greater than any he had ever managed to generate beforehand.

He hastily cut it off and mentally commanded the dark matter to dissipate, causing the black mass that had filled the room to vanish in an instant, leaving no trace of it behind.

What the hell just happened? What was that obscene amount of dark matter?

The others in the room looked very alarmed at what had just happened, but none more so than Mitsuki, who looked very shaken, and Loki, who looked mildly surprised, being the only two people in the room who knew just how inferior his generating capacity should have been.

"Lieutenant Mononobe…what was that?" Loki asked.

"I…I'm not sure what happened. I was just trying to generate my maximum capacity…"

"Then, what did you expect would happen? All Ds can generate at least 10 metric tons worth of matter post conversion…" Charlotte said exasperatedly.

"No no no, not in my case. I'm an inferior D. My maximum before this was 10 kilograms post conversion." Yuu immediately responded.

"K-Kilograms?" The blonde girl named Lisa Highwalker muttered in disbelief.

"It may be impossible to believe, but you had to be up front and squinting to be able to see my Dragon Mark, and that's only if you knew where to look. That's just how small it is."

"I can attest to that as well. I believe that there should be some photos in Lieutenant Mononobe's personnel file showing his Dragon Mark." Loki added.

"…In that case, how did you defeat the Hekatonkheir last year?" Charlotte asked bluntly.

Yuu's eyes narrowed.

How did she know about that?

"Your little sister told us that you created a massive firearm that destroyed the Hekatonkheir's entire body with a single shot. However, if your maximum capacity is only 10 kilograms, there is no way that you could have created a weapon of that scale. In that case, how did you do it?" Charlotte elaborated.

Yuu hesitated, not wanting to reveal the details of the deal he made with Yggdrasil. He seriously doubted that that would look good for him, especially with Midgard's chief administrator, the captain of the Anti-Dragon Squad, Major Loki and Mitsuki all listening.

"It's true that I could not create that weapon on my own. So, I borrowed Mitsuki's dark matter as well."

Though it was vague, they seemed to be satisfied with the answer.

It was difficult to do in reality, but it was possible for a D to borrow and convert the dark matter of another D.

It was next to impossible to do, because dark matter were brought into the physical plane by a unique D, and maintained there with their unique mind.

Unless one had an intimate understanding of the other, it was almost impossible to properly convert the dark matter of another D.

Yuu's case was an exception, because he already had the blueprints of Marduk in his head, and simply forced the conversion of dark matter using the blueprints as a filter.

If he had tried using his own imagination, there would be blanks and flaws in the process, and adding in the mental interference from another D, it would doubtlessly fail mid conversion.

But, he and Mitsuki were siblings, and childhood friends before that, having known each other all their lives, so he liked to think that they understood each other best.

"Hm…it's impossible to tell how much your dark matter generation has been altered without proper testing…How about it, Mononobe Yuu? Every bureaucrat in the world worth their salt will be clamoring to meet you soon because of your new status, but before that, will you agree to a few tests? You can even test out your new abilities as a Campione while you're at it."

Yuu thought about it.

If he was going to have to deal with politicians, it would be a good idea to know what he was capable of beforehand. It might make intimidations…negotiations easier.

But as he was about to agree, a familiar sensation settled in his stomach.

*GROOOOOWL*

Everyone else in the room stared at him when his stomach let out a loud rumbling sound.

"…I don't mind, but could I get something to eat first?"

---

A few minutes later, Loki Jotunheim, Charlotte B. Lord, Mica Stewart and Shinomiya Haruka were left alone in the room.

Mononobe Yuu had gone to the dining hall on the 10th floor, accompanied by the four students of the Brynhildr Class.

It wasn't like he was confined to the room or anything. He was already healed, and his body modified to its most perfect condition.

And even if Loki wanted to confine him, now that he was a Campione, he seriously doubted he would have the power to do it.

Mononobe Yuu…was now a slayer of Gods, not an assassin against humanity.

He had definitely strayed very far from the path that Loki had initially laid out for him.

Loki wondered if the newest God Slayer had even noticed.

Despite being in the same room as five Ds and two ordinary humans, Fafnir did not stir in the slightest.

The Fafnir that had been engraved into Mononobe Yuu's soul…it was a watered down, imperfect version of the Authority belonging to the Clear Dragon, Colorless Fafnir, Loki's distant ancestor.

An Authority that bore the singular power to utterly destroy the entire human race.

But because the original Colorless Fafnir had never used it, the original Authority broke down into many fragments, and was inherited by random humans, which was why it was called Code Lost, the scrapped Authority.

Loki had painstakingly gathered as many of the inheritors as he could, so that Mononobe Yuu could inherit the fragments from them.

He was one of the few who knew the mechanics behind the inheritance of Dragon Authorities.

As Black Vritra had demonstrated with the Ds, it was possible for the original holder of the complete Authority to pass watered down versions to others.

Following that, if the original holder had a child, they would also inherit a complete version of the Authority in the event of the parent's death.

However, this only applied if the Authority was in a complete state.

Loki had not inherited his father's portion of Colorless Fafnir's Authority because he only possessed an incomplete version, which dispersed and was inherited by other randomly selected humans after his death.

Then, there was the surefire way to inherit an Authority, whether it was complete or not.

That was to kill the holder of the Authority.

The priority in Authority inheritance was determined by a karmic relationship.

The bond between a parent and a child was indeed strong, but the strongest karma was born between 'the killer and the killed'.

Thus, to ensure that Mononobe Yuu would inherit the various scattered fragments of Fafnir's Authority, he fed the inheritors his blood, laced with lethal doses of poison.

Thanks to that, Mononobe Yuu inherited their fragments of Fafnir's Authority, which gathered and combined to slowly grow more potent and become closer to the original Authority.

The original Fafnir's Authority was simple. It manipulated the laws of causality to twist humanity's fate and lead them to their deaths simply by imagining it. At its full power, it would indiscriminately kill all of humanity simply by directing murderous intent towards a single human.

That was why, even in an incomplete form like the one that Mononobe Yuu had, it was capable of absolutely killing any human.

Which was why it was strange that it did not even so much as stir when surrounded by 7 humans.

Loki could only theorize that becoming a Campione had affected the incomplete Authority.

No, perhaps it was before that, when Mononobe Yuu fought the Heretic God.

By being exposed to copious amounts of divine power, it had mutated from its original form to that of a new unique power, one designed to kill Gods.

Rather than Fafnir, who slaughtered humans after its horde of gold, he was now…yes, he was Fenrir, the God-Slaying Wolf that even the Norse Gods feared.

Despite the loss of his most successful 'Fafnir', Loki could only feel elation.

The loss was lamentable, but Loki could just as easily create another one and eventually obtain the complete version once he had gathered enough fragments.

This turn of events was unexpected, but wonderful. If Mononobe Yuu really possessed a mutated Authority designed to kill Gods, then he was humanity's best defense against Heretic Gods.

A hero.

Loki smirked.

What a coincidence, considering that he was called 'the son of the Hero'.

"So, how were the results?"

Loki glanced at Charlotte B. Lord, who was looking at him expressionlessly.

However, even she wasn't able to hide the glint of hostility in her eyes.

It couldn't be helped.

After all, he was the son of the man who killed, and was killed by, her father.

Leonardo Blood Lord, Charlotte Blood Lord's father, the first Gray Vampire, the Eighth Dragon and officially, the only Dragon to have sided with humanity.

He and his twin brother, the original Colorless Fafnir, were born centuries ago, simultaneously obtaining Authorities meant to be used against mankind.

Fafnir gained an Authority to slaughter mankind, while Vampire gained an Authority to control mankind.

Fafnir, deeming his own power too dangerous to use, left the task to his brother, who used his Authority, Dominance, to live on beyond the normal lifespan of a human, in order to control mankind and prevent them from destroying the world.

He had even stopped the nuclear war that would have broken out in the aftermath of World War 2.

When Black Vritra appeared, he determined that he was the same type of being as it.

In other words, a Dragon.

Even so, he chose to continue to help humanity, being one of those who helped in Asgard's establishment.

However, his Authority was too dangerous. It wasn't something that could be fine-tuned so easily.

His Authority, Dominance, worked by controlling humans using his own bodily fluids as a medium, thereby conferring immortality onto them as well.

However, that was no different from turning humans into a part of him as well.

The true nature of Dominance was to completely assimilate humanity into a single being, robbing them of their own free will, turning them into existences not unlike the individual cells of a being.

Knowing that, Leonardo kept his interference to a minimum, to prevent himself from ever manifesting his Authority's full power.

20 years ago, fearing his power, a team of NIFL soldiers, led by Loki's own father, who possessed a fragment of Code Lost, attacked, killed, and was killed by, Leonardo Blood Lord, his wife, and his subordinates, all of whom possessed immortality due to taking in some of Leonardo's blood, using Code Lost's power of causality manipulation to reach an outcome where they would die in spite of that.

In the aftermath of that incident, the only survivors were Mica Stewart, the last of Leonardo's subordinates, and Charlotte B. Lord, his 13 year old daughter, who would inherit his Authority, and go on to take his place and become one of Asgard's founders.

Loki, who was born soon after that incident, was raised and received the highest possible quality of training and education from NIFL's higher ups, who had deemed his father 'the hero' and wished to turn his son into a similar weapon for them to manipulate.

Of course, soon after they discovered that he had not inherited his father's incomplete Code Lost, they scrapped their plans, allowing him much more freedom to do as he liked.

He had no intention of becoming a tool like his father had been. What he wished to become was a true 'hero', to save humanity from the monsters that threatened them.

He was very much aware that Charlotte B. Lord would not misuse her power. However, he could not accept her existence precisely because she was trying to establish peace in the world.

True, less lives would definitely be lost if all war ended, but simultaneously, those whose lives could only be saved through conflict would surely die.

That was the Dragon disaster that the Gray Vampire brought upon humanity, willingly or not.

However, he could not kill her just yet. Loathe as he was to admit it, her power was still required as long as the other Dragons still existed.

And then there were the Heretic Gods, who were infinitely more troublesome, considering that there was an endless number of them, and every single one was as dangerous as any Dragon.

Furthermore, even if they were killed, they would reform and return. It might take centuries, but they would return nonetheless.

Humanity would likely never be free from them.

That was why a protector was needed, someone capable of killing them and protecting humanity.

And it appeared that fate had seen fit to provide them with one.

Loki had no doubt that Mononobe Yuu would be powerful, even by Campione standards. After all, he now possessed a mutated Authority to kill Gods with.

Once he had gained enough experience, Heretic Gods would no longer need to be feared.

Which just left…the Dragons. If all of the Dragons could be slain, then…

Ah, but right now, he should hurry up and respond to Charlotte, shouldn't he?

"Results?" Loki inquired.

"Do not play coy with me, 'son of the hero'. Knowing you, you probably had a few tests conducted while Mononobe Yuu was unconscious. What were the results?" Charlotte B. Lord asked coldly.

Loki's eyes narrowed.

She was a sharp one, though that was to be expected.

It wasn't like he intended to hide it anyway.

"In the short time I had, I could only have a physical examination, an X-Ray and an MRI conducted. As expected, Lieutenant Mononobe's body is in perfect condition. Any imperfections that he had are now gone. Additionally, while his bone density hasn't increased, they seem much more durable than before. But, the most interesting result would be from the MRI."

"And that is?"

"Despite being unconscious at the time, his neural activity was recorded at a higher level than that of a normal, conscious human. It can be concluded that his brain's processing power has drastically increased."

Charlotte's eyes widened at the implications.

For a normal human, increased processing power was already incredible boon.

However, if a D possessed superior processing power, then…

"Well, even before this, Lieutenant Mononobe was already capable of constructing complex mechanisms like firearms. But now, with his new processing power and his seemingly increased dark matter generation capacity…biogenic transmutation may be within his reach now."

Yes, Mononobe Yuu truly was interesting.

---

"Once again, I am Mononobe Yuu. Pleased to meet you all." Yuu said as he bowed to the Midgard students.

They were seated at a table in the dining hall, waiting for their orders to arrive.

The other occupants of the room were giving them a wide berth, though whether it was because of the Ds, or because of him, Yuu did not know.

"Pleased to meet you. Once again, I am Lisa Highwalker, student number 1 of Brynhildr Class." The blonde girl named Lisa reintroduced herself.

"…Firill Crest, student number 2 of Brynhildr Class." The silver-haired girl named Firill greeted quietly like before.

"Shinomiya Miyako, student number 4 of Brynhildr Class! And also Mitsuki's best friend! Nice to meet you!" The upbeat Japanese girl said cheerfully.

Yuu felt another surge of irritation.

Mitsuki's best friend, huh?

"I want to thank all of you for taking care of my little sister. I know she can be a bit of handful at times." Yuu continued, ignoring his sudden annoyance.

"Nii-san!" Mitsuki whined in protest.

He promptly patted her on the head patronizingly, flashing a teasing smile at her, causing her to pout and turn her face away.

Not very convincing, considering she had yet to let go of his arm since they left the hospital room.

"No, it's no trouble at all, Lieutenant Mononobe. We are separated from our real families while at Midgard, so it's only natural that classmates take care of each other." The blonde girl named Lisa spoke respectfully, as though speaking to a superior.

Yuu felt a tinge of irritation (seriously, why was he so irritable) at the overly formal way she was speaking to him.

"…There's no need to be so formal, you know? I may be a Lieutenant, but Midgard students like you aren't part of the military, so there's no need to conform to hierarchy." Yuu said with a wry smile.

The three Midgard students exchanged surprised looks.

The Japanese girl, Miyako, turned back to him with a wide grin.

"Oh in that case, can I call you bro?" Miyako asked without restraint.

Everyone blinked owlishly at her.

"M-Miyako-san!" Lisa shouted in a panicked voice, turning to look at him to see his reaction.

Yuu was still staring at Miyako, not quite yet fully comprehending what she had said.

Then, his mind caught up to the present, and his lips twisted for a moment, causing Lisa and the other European girl, Firill, to flinch as he…

"Hahahaha!"

…burst into boisterous laughter?

This time, he was the one being stared at, while Miyako's grin widened further.

Finally, he stopped cracking up long enough to catch his breath.

"Well, I don't mind if you wanna call me that, but…Mitsuki might get jealous, you know?" Yuu said, returning her smile.

"Eh? No way, Mitsuki wouldn't…" Miyako laughed as she turned to look at Mitsuki, but paused when she saw Mitsuki's expression.

Namely, her angry pout.

Mitsuki's grip on his arm tightened.

"…Nii-san is my Nii-san." Mitsuki said in a very cross tone.

"C-Come on, Mitsuki…we're best friends, right? Don't be like that…"

"This and that are two completely different matters, homewrecker." Mitsuki immediately refuted her.

"Grk!" Miyako choked.

Yuu snickered at the sight.

"Nice to know that my misfortune amuses you." Miyako mumbled with a pout of her own.

Yuu smiled contently.

Mitsuki had some really good friends now.

It would be a pity if their friendship was strained because of such a trivial matter.

He leaned in to whisper into his little sister's ear.

"Don't worry, Mitsuki. Even if I get another little sister, you're still my one and only fiancée."

Mitsuki blushed madly, but smiled brightly.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily and leaned into him.

"Well, Mitsuki seems to be okay with it now, so pleased to meet you, sis."

Yuu said as he turned back to Miyako, but paused when he caught the flicker of an emotion in Miyako's gaze again, and this time, he was sure what it was.

"Oho, so she feels that way about Mitsuki, huh?"

Well, Midgard's student body and presumably the faculty were composed solely of girls. It shouldn't be a surprise that some of them might be bisexual or homosexual.

It went as soon as it came, and Miyako grinned at him.

"Yeah, me too, bro!" Miyako said, flashing a thumbs up at him.

"H-How courageous, addressing a Campione in such a familiar manner…" Lisa commented with a look of awe.

"…Miyako, you really are amazing." Firill added.

"I don't mind if you two want to do the same. It's a welcome change after spending a year in NIFL. It's unbelievably stifling." Yuu told them.

"N-No, it's fine, really!" Lisa refused politely, but hurriedly.

On the other hand, Firill seemed to be in deep thought.

"Hmm…then, do you mind if I start by calling you 'Mononobe-kun'? It's not as formal, but still polite, which is something I'm more comfortable with. Ah, but it's fine if you want to call me by my first name. I don't mind." She asked after a moment of silence.

"F-Firill-san!" Lisa exclaimed in shock.

"Sure, if that's what you want, Firill." Yuu replied.

Lisa was rendered completely speechless at this point, unable to understand what was going on.

Evidently, she had expected their meeting to go very differently.

"Lisa, since he himself said that he would prefer it if we spoke more casually, I think it would be ruder to refuse." Firill said to Lisa, whose expression became more pensive as she considered her friend's words.

"…That's true. I apologize. In that case…may I call you 'Mononobe-san'? Lisa asked, finally relenting.

Yuu still thought that it was rather formal, but it was certainly an improvement compared to 'Lieutenant Mononobe'.

He already heard enough of that from Major Loki.

"Of course, and I hope you won't mind me calling you by your first name, Lisa."

Yuu was momentarily confused when Lisa's face suddenly turned red, and she looked away in a rather flustered manner.

But, she didn't protest, so did that mean he could take that as a 'yes'?

Now that that was out of the way, Yuu opened his mouth to ask them about Midgard. He was rather curious about the academy that was built for Ds.

That was when the food arrived.

"S-Sorry for the wait!"

Yuu blinked and turned to stare at the waiter, or rather, the waiter leading a team of other waiters, all carrying a plate of food in their hands, and all looking rather terrified.

One by one, they deposited the food onto the table, quickly covering the surface with a variety of cuisines.

And just as abruptly as they had arrived, they departed.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they ran.

Not that Yuu noticed. He was too busy staring at all of the dishes on the table.

"Well, now that was impressive. With all the food we ordered, I expected them to take longer." Yuu commented as he began to dig in.

He did not notice the four Midgard students exchanging uncomfortable glances at each other before they started to eat as well.

They had a pretty good idea of what had happened. The staff was probably so terrified of not meeting the new Campione's standards that they put all other orders aside and focused solely on theirs.

It was a few minutes into eating that Lisa finally decided to ask what the four Ds had on their minds.

"Um…Mononobe-san, are you really going to eat all of that?" Lisa questioned as she gestured to the huge number of dishes covering their table.

Indeed, almost all of the food was ordered by Yuu, while the four Ds simply settled for a simple meal.

"This is definitely a lot more food than I usually eat, but…well, I'm not sure why, but I've never been hungrier than I am right now. It feels like I have to eat this much to feel full." Yuu noted as he cut into the ribeye steak in front of him, just one of the many dishes he had ordered.

He remembered that he was going to ask about Midgard, and opened his mouth again, only to be interrupted yet again.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be Lieutenant Mononobe Yuu?"

Yuu pushed down yet another surge of irritation as he turned to face the speaker.

It was a man with messy brown hair, stubble, and dressed in a wrinkled lab coat.

"Yes, I'm Mononobe Yuu. And you are?" Yuu asked as he absentmindedly extended his hand for a handshake.

"Ah, good, I've found you. I'm Miyazawa Kenya, the head researcher of Asgard's First Laboratory. I've been placed in charge of the tests that you will be undertaking later. Once you have finished your meal, could you come down to the first basement floor? That's where the tests will be conducted." He requested as he returned Yuu's gesture and shook the outstretched limb.

"The first basement floor, is it? Understood, I'll proceed there as soon as I can."

"Please do. Oh, and here's the ID card you'll need to use to get there." The researcher said as he passed the piece of plastic to Yuu.

"If you'll excuse me, I still have some more preparations to make." Kenya said as he departed.

Yuu stared at the piece of plastic in his hand in anticipation.

Just what kind of abilities did becoming a Campione grant him?

He almost couldn't wait to find out.

---

Half an hour later, Yuu found himself standing in the middle of a massive rectangular chamber, measuring more than 100mx100mx100m in dimensions.

The walls, floor and ceiling were completely covered in steel-reinforced concrete, with cameras and screens set up in various places.

At the far end of the training chamber was an observation platform, looking like it was wedged in the corner between the far wall and the ceiling.

He assumed that that was where Miyazawa Kenya, Loki, Charlotte B. Lord, the Midgard personnel and anyone one else observing was right now.

This was the training chamber located in the first basement floor.

And despite it being the highest of the underground floors, it was still very deep below the ground floor. Getting to this floor from the ground floor took the elevator almost as much time as it did to get from the 10th floor to the ground floor.

[This is a training chamber modelled after the ones in Midgard. It's built to minimize damages to the environment in the event that a D makes a mistake in the transmutation process and creates hazardous material instead. I don't how well it will be able to contain the power of a Campione's Authority, but at the very least, you should be able to let loose here without having to fear collateral damage.]

Miyazawa Kenya's voice came over the speaker.

[Well, before that, we would like to confirm the extent of the changes that have occurred in your dark matter generation. Would you mind generating the full capacity?]

"Unfortunately, I don't really know what my new limit is. Is there somewhere I can start?"

[Hm…well, the average D can produce 10 metric tons worth of dark matter post conversion. First, why not try to create a 10-ton block of iron?]

"Alright then…"

Yuu drew on his dark matter, generating what he estimated to 10 metric tons' worth, and imagining the tightly packed molecular structure of iron, changed the shape and properties of the dark matter to that of iron.

The dark matter coalesced and formed a perfect metal cube, its sides measuring just over 1 meter in length.

[Hm…10 metric tons, just as expected, and judging by the dimensions…that is indeed pure iron. Well done, Lieutenant Mononobe. How do you feel? Any signs of fatigue?]

He was probably referring to the mental strain that generating and transmuting dark matter placed on a D's brain. The more dark matter a D generated, the greater the strain. Generating their maximum capacity would naturally place the greatest strain of them, and doing it enough to render an unprepared D unconscious, and still cause great exhaustion even if it was prepared for.

Before, even generating his maximum capacity at once was tiring, which was why the fighting style that he was taught used as little dark matter as possible while still maximizing efficiency, such as transmuting bullets for a gun rather than transmuting the entire firearm every time the ammo ran out, and creating the bare minimum amount of anti-material armor to cover his vitals rather than creating a massive amount to cover his entire body.

But now, even after generating what was 1000 times his original maximum capacity…

"No, not at all." Yuu replied.

It was true. He barely felt any strain on his brain when he had generated the 10-ton block of iron. It felt like he could do this endlessly.

[Interesting…in that case, why not try transmuting a larger mass? Try creating 100 metric tons of gold. It's denser than iron, so it should take less space.]

Yuu nodded absentmindedly.

Gold was not a material he typically transmuted, since it had rather limited uses in the military.

However, it was a metal just like iron, so the process shouldn't be much different.

Picturing an identical structure as iron, but with gold atoms instead, Yuu generated 10 times as much dark matter as he did previously and changed its shape and properties to match that of gold.

Soon, a perfect golden cube, with sides measuring just over 5 meters, sat next to the iron cube.

[Are you feeling exhausted yet, Lieutenant Mononobe?]

"No, not at all."

That was starting to get odd. He barely felt a prick at the edge of his consciousness.

Just how massive was his generating capacity now?

[Very well then. Transmuting metals is rather monotonous, so why try generating air this time?]

"Air?"

[Allow me to explain.]

Miyazawa Kenya's voice was replaced by an unfamiliar one, which he presumed to belong to Shinomiya Haruka, the captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad and Midgard's student council president.

[Among the types of transmutation that a D can perform, air has the widest range of applications. By generating different quantities of air while adjusting directionality and compression ratio, it can be used for offensive, defensive and auxiliary purposes. With the right adjustments, it is even possible for a D to fly in the air, since the transmutation of air results in the generation of wind as well. All members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad are required to be able to fly using this method, as well as fire long range attacks whether in the air or on the ground.]

The information was new and interesting to him, but it was the part about flying that caught his attention.

"Flying, huh? That sounds fun." Yuu commented as he generated a sphere of dark matter in his left hand.

Air, was it? He should give it a try.

Let's see…in order to lift him up, he needed to produce a large volume of air that could overcome gravitational force…

…Nah, he was overly complicating things. Rather than trying, and likely failing calculate an exact volume of air, he just needed to feel things out with his body, and then adjust accordingly.

Ah, but to balance himself, he should be transmuting air from both hands. So, he generated a sphere of dark matter in his right hand the same size as the one in his left.

Compressing and directing the transmuted air downwards and replenishing the dark matter being used in the process, Yuu felt strong gusts at his feet, but his feet remained firmly planted on the ground.

[Well, it takes quite a good deal of training to be able to do this properly, so you probably shouldn't expect to…]

He tuned out her voice, concentrating solely on this task.

He wasn't producing enough air. Either than, or he wasn't compressing it enough.

So, he started transmuting more.

Wind howled around him as massive volumes of air was introduced into the room.

Slowly, but surely, he felt his feet lift off the floor and into the air, just a little.

He judged that it might be dangerous to keep increasing the volume of air he was transmuting, so instead of transmuting more, he kept the transmutation constant, and switched to compressing the transmuted air.

He ascended slowly and steadily as the compression ratio of the transmuted air increased, until he had reached the halfway point between the floor and the ceiling, at which he kept both the transmutation and the compression constant, allowing him to hover in place.

But, there was a problem.

Because he was generating dark matter to transmute air from his hands, he couldn't exactly hold anything in them. Namely a weapon.

Rather than from his hands…wouldn't it be easier to generate air from his center of gravity?

Generating two more spheres of dark matter, one in front of his center of gravity and the other behind, he slowly lowered the output of transmuted air from the dark matter in his hands while simultaneously increasing the output from the two new spheres to compensate.

Eventually, no more air was being transmuted from the dark matter in his hands, allowing him to dismiss them without dropping in altitude.

[W-Well done…I didn't expect you to be able to do it so easily.]

"No, this much isn't really anything to speak of. It's actually quite intuitive. But, to be able to do this while focusing on other tasks will require some more practice." Yuu spoke honestly.

The actual process of flying and maintaining wasn't all that difficult, especially for kinesthetic learners like him.

The hard part was being able to do this without exerting additional brain power on it, so that he could concentrate on doing something else while flying, like attacking.

[Pfffft…! Mitsuki, even bro managed to get the hang of it faster than you…!]

[Miyako!]

Yuu raised an eyebrow when he vaguely heard Miyako laughing, and Mitsuki protesting.

What was that about?

[An impressive display, Lieutenant Mononobe. However, that is only one of the many uses of air transmutation. Next, why don't you trying using air offensively? You've already created two targets for yourself.]

Miyazawa Kenya's voice returned.

Yuu looked down at the ground, where two blocks of different metals that he had transmuted still sat.

Using air offensively, huh?

True, highly compressed air would possess as much force as any solid projectile.

And with a D's generating capacity, it was possible to create and compress massive volumes of air.

He held a hand out towards the two blocks.

A massive sphere of dark matter appeared in front of him, and was quickly transmuted into a ball of compressed air that was shot down at the two blocks.

The malleable metals were flattened in an instant, crushed by the sheer force behind the projectile of compressed air.

[Ho…not bad at all. Well then, let's try one last thing before we move onto testing your capabilities as a Campione. Lieutenant Mononobe, please construct the weapon you used to destroy the Hekatonkheir's body.]

Yuu paused.

So, he knew about that as well, huh?

True, with his new generating capacity, he could probably construct the entirety of Marduk by himself, which was something he was unable to do back then even after borrowing Mitsuki's dark matter.

But, was it safe?

By constructing Marduk to perfection, he was basically giving NIFL a new superweapon, one that they might be tempted to use on Midgard, who they had an obviously tumultuous relationship with.

Rather than completely constructing Marduk…yes, it would be safer if he removed the cooling unit so that it could only fire one shot before the barrel melted.

With that in mind, Yuu summoned a larger quantity of dark matter than he had used so far.

He retrieved the blueprints of Marduk that was stored in his mind and used its specifications to mold the dark matter, which quickly took on the shape of a massive silver barrel, easily measuring 10 meters in length, fitted onto a rotating base.

Yuu was almost in awe at his new generating capacity. Even creating this massive weapon had barely taken a toll on him, nothing more than a brief feeling of mild weakness.

He was starting to wonder if his dark matter generation even had an upper limit anymore.

[So, this is the weapon that damaged the Hekatonkheir so badly that it took almost 3 months to reappear…How does it work, Lieutenant Mononobe?]

Yuu grimaced. He knew that question was coming.

The truth of the matter was that he had no idea.

The blueprints only told him how to make it, not how it worked. All he knew was that it would work once the bare minimum components were in place.

This meant…it was time to put his bullshitting skills to the test.

But, against a scientist, he wasn't too sure that he would be able to do it.

Thankfully, he was saved from answering when a shrill alarm rang in the testing chamber.

[What the…What's going on?]

Yuu heard Miyazawa Kenya ask over the intercom, but the familiar click of a phone told him that he was speaking to someone else.

After a few moments, he heard the phone being set down.

[We have an emergency. A tree approximately 100 meters in height has suddenly appeared near the base of Mount Fuji. And all electronic devices in its vicinity have failed completely.]

Yuu froze.

That sounded just like…

[It appears to be the Green Dragon, Green Yggdrasil.]

---

"This is the current situation. 20 minutes ago, at 1430 hours, a 100 meter tree, presumably Green Yggdrasil, appeared near the base of Mount Fuji. An electromagnetic field approximately 400 meters in radius appeared around it at the same time. It is of little concern at the moment, because the range of electromagnetic interference is too short to affect Tokyo. However, Yggdrasil appears to be slowly moving towards the city, and is estimated to arrive within 2 hours. If its electromagnetic interference reaches the city, who knows how many lives would be lost. Therefore, Yggdrasil's immediate termination is now of the highest priority." Charlotte spoke in a very professional tone unbefitting her childlike stature to the five members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad present.

Shortly after the news about Yggdrasil's sudden appearance came in, NIFL deployed immediately to deal with the situation, and since the captain and four other members of Midgard's Counter Dragon Squad happened to be present, they were brought along as well.

Yuu was technically still a member of NIFL, so he was present as well.

They had set up a command post about 2 kilometers away from the boundary of Yggdrasil's electromagnetic field, and the Midgard personnel, plus Yuu, were sitting inside a briefing room.

On the screen was a live feed of the 100 meter tree that had suddenly appeared, being broadcast by one of NIFL's unmanned drones, flying just outside the range of the tree's electromagnetic field.

Since NIFL had previously proven that they were not capable of fighting against Yggdrasil, the Dragon Subjugation Squad was placed in charge of the operation instead.

Judging from the dirty looks the NIFL personnel had shot the Ds, they had not taken that well, though they quickly fled after Yuu momentarily frowned at them.

The sudden fear of him was starting to get a little annoying.

"Principal, I'm sure everyone is curious, but…is that really Yggdrasil? Wasn't the Green Dragon supposed to be located at the border between Denmark and Germany?" Lisa asked.

True. Yggdrasil had not been reported to show any unusual activity, and this 100 meter tree had just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

If it was really Yggdrasil, it meant that the Green Dragon had somehow teleported halfway across the planet.

It had never shown any signs of possessing such an ability.

"Major Loki Jotunheim of NIFL is confirming with the NIFL personnel stationed there to confirm Yggdrasil's status. We have yet to hear from him though…"

"Sorry for the wait. I have finished speaking to the personnel that were assigned to observe Yggdrasil at the Denmark-Germany border."

All eyes turned to Loki as he stepped into the briefing room.

"And? What did they have to report?" Charlotte asked him curtly.

"…The 500 meter tree that we had known to be Yggdrasil up until now…is still there." Loki said, causing most of the occupants in the room to react with shock.

"…Then, does this mean that there are 2 Yggdrasils?" Charlotte asked calmly.

However, her words incited unease among the Midgard personnel.

There had only been one Yggdrasil up until now. What did it mean for the world if there were two?

Did that mean the other Dragons also had other members of their species out there, still undiscovered?

"That much, I cannot say conclusively. However, there was something interesting in their report. At about the same time that the 100 meter tree appeared here in Japan, the electromagnetic field around the 500 meter tree at the Denmark-Germany border suddenly diminished to the point where even NIFL's precision instruments could barely detect it."

"…So, it's basically just an ordinary tree now. Rather than there being 2 Yggdrasils, it's more like Yggdrasil's consciousness transferred from the 500 meter tree in Europe to the 100 meter tree here in Japan." Charlotte commented.

Yuu frowned as he slowly connected the dots.

Yggdrasil's ability to interfere with anything that ran on electricity, the way it downloaded Marduk's blueprints into his brain, and its 'transfer' between bodies…rather than a Dragon from legends and fantasies, Yggdrasil was more like a…

"If you'll excuse me, I have to coordinate with the rest of the NIFL personnel. Though we aren't participating in the actual operation, we still have many things to do." Loki said as he prepared to leaved, but stopped at the door for a moment.

"Also, I received a call from Director Miyazawa. It appears that the Asgard officials who came to meet Lieutenant Mononobe have arrived. They have been briefed on the situation, and have ordered us to deal with the situation as swiftly as possible." Loki said, his lips twisting into a familiar sneer, and he left.

"Hmph, easy for a bunch of pencil pushers to say. Well, whatever. Orders or no orders, right now, stopping Yggdrasil's advance is paramount. Haruka, you'll have to make do with just the five of you. Even if I could get authorization to bring the rest of the Dragon Subjugation Squad out of Midgard, it'll take too long for them to get here." Charlotte said with a snort before speaking seriously

"Understood. We will head out to confront Yggdrasil immediately." Haruka said firmly.

"If possible, would you allow me to join as well?" Yuu asked as the five Dragon Subjugation Squad members prepared to move out.

Haruka suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"I mean no offense, but you are not used to fighting as a D. Even if you came along, you might hinder our tactics instead." She said honestly.

Yuu frowned, but understood.

Rather than directly relying on dark matter to fight like Ds, he simply used dark matter to supplement the military fighting style that Loki had taught him.

It was lethal against humans, but useless against anything else.

It was probably true that he would only get in the way.

"…I understand. Good luck to all of you, and stay safe."

"Thank you." Haruka said as she walked out the door.

"There's no need to worry about us, Mononobe-san. This is what we have been training for."

"…We'll show you what we can do."

Lisa and Firill spoke with smiles to him as they left, though it seemed like they were trying to reassure themselves rather than him.

"Just sit back and watch, bro! We'll take care of this in an instant!" Miyako said cheerfully as she followed after.

Finally, Mitsuki was the only one left.

She looked at Yuu with a resolute gaze.

"Nii-san, there's no need for you to fight. Please leave everything to me. I'll show you how much stronger I have become." She said firmly and left to follow the rest.

Yuu frowned.

He was worried after all. This was probably the first time the Dragon Subjugation Squad was facing a real Dragon.

He couldn't shake the ominous premonition that something would go wrong.

But, the only thing he could do right now was watch.

And if the Ds could not handle Yggdrasil…

Yuu did not visibly react at the sudden stirring of something inside him.

Something burning hot, much like a flame.

---

Yuu quietly watched the live feed of Yggdrasil.

Now that the operation had begun, the drone had fallen back to a further distance to avoid getting caught in the Dragon Subjugation Squad's attacks.

Between the drone and the slowly moving 100 meter tree were five girls.

Haruka, Lisa, Firill, Miyako and Mitsuki, all flying in the air, about 500 meters away from the current range of Yggdrasil's electromagnetic field and a few meters off the ground, high enough to have a clear view of the mobile tree, but low enough to quickly return to the ground if they needed to.

[The operation has begun. D1, D2, D3, D4, standby!]

[Understood!]

Over the communications channel that was set up between the Dragon Subjugation Squad and the command post, Yuu heard Haruka speaking to her four subordinates in an authoritative tone, and them responding in the affirmative.

[Ama no Murakumo!]

[Gungnir!]

[…Necronomicon!]

[Brionac!]

[Kusanagi!]

All of them summoned a sphere of dark matter, which was quickly shaped and given form, and in the next moment, they were holding a variety of weapons.

Haruka held a massive katana that almost matched her height, Lisa had a spear, Firill was holding a book, Mitsuki was wielding a bow, and Miyako was brandishing a naginata.

He found it to be a rather strange sight, especially Firill's book.

Setting Mitsuki's bow aside, how were they supposed to hit Yggdrasil from a distance with those weapons?

Perhaps his confusion was obvious, because Charlotte spoke to him.

"Mononobe Yuu, do you perhaps not know about Fictional Armaments?" She asked.

He blinked at the unfamiliar term, and shook his head in reply.

"I see. Since you didn't come to Midgard, I suppose it's only natural that you wouldn't know. The Counter Dragon Squad uses dark matter to perform attacks. However, mistakes easily occur during the transmutation process if the D cannot keep their focus, which is hardly something we can expect of them if they were confronted by a Dragon. So, they mold dark matter into the shape of a weapon that they use without actually transmuting them into actual physical matter. That's what we call a Fictional Armament. This makes it easier for them to transmute attacks since the outcome will be easier to picture, like how a sword slashes, a spear pierces and a bow shoots. It's even possible to use unconventional weapons like grimoires and magic staves to picture your attacks as magic spells, much like what Firill Crest does. Furthermore, since the Fictional Armament isn't transmuted to physical matter, only the surface is partially manifested while the remaining 99% is still dark matter, which saves them the trouble of having to summon more dark matter for transmutation until that reservoir is depleted." Charlotte explained.

Yuu nodded absentmindedly, absorbing the information.

"But…what's with the ostentatious naming?"

He recognized all of the names that the five had called their weapons.

Ama no Murakumo and Kusanagi were both from Japan's mythology, so there was no way that he didn't know about them.

Gungnir was the spear belonging to the head of the Norse Gods, Odin.

Necronomicon was a grimoire that supposedly contained spells of necromancy, and was often featured in the many RPGs that Yuu used to play.

And Brionac…wasn't that the name of the spear that Gawain, or rather, Lugh wielded? The one that would become Gae Bolg when he became Cu Chulainn, and sealed away when he became Artus's subordinate in favor of his sword?

Why was it a bow?

"Oh, that? It's better for them to model their Fictional Armaments after mythological weapons, because if they base them off the real things, they may accidently fully transmute them into physical matter. That's why we generally try to keep Ds away from Heretic Gods too, especially members of the Counter Dragon Squad. It wouldn't be good if they met a Heretic God who was wielding their own version of the same mythological weapon. Transmuting a divine weapon is outside of a D's capabilities, but just the knowledge of another version of the weapon alone may interfere with their Fictional Armament's form."

Then, it was probably a better idea to not mention the Brionac he had seen in front of Mitsuki.

But, more importantly, the way that Ds fought…he needed to see this.

[Yggdrasil can extend its branches and roots to attack, and interferes with anything that utilizes electricity. Avoid close combat and electricity-based attacks and destroy Yggdrasil's body using long-ranged attacks!]

Haruka ordered as they readied their weapons.

[Pierce, Flash!]

Lisa called out, and a beam appeared from the tip of her Fictional Armament and pierced Yggdrasil's trunk, leaving a hole in its wake.

However, considering the sheer size of the trunk, she might as well have pricked it with a needle.

Yggdrasil did not seem to slow in its advance, as though it did not even notice that it had been attacked.

[…Flare Blast Quartet!]

Firill declared in the loudest voice Yuu had ever heard coming from her, and four fireballs ignited to life in front of her before being launched at Yggdrasil.

However, unlike Lisa's beam, the four fireballs failed to break through Yggdrasil's trunk, simply splashing against the wood and did not deal any noticeable damage.

[It's tough…Mitsuki, attack at the same time as me! Fourth Strike – Incendiary Burst!]

[Second Arrow – Night Blaze!]

Miyako spun her naginata above her head and swung it down with a wide arc, releasing a large stream of flames, while Mitsuki nocked an arrow that turned into a red streak as it was fired at Yggdrasil.

Both fire-based attacks struck Yggdrasil, but like Firill's fireballs, failed to break through Yggdrasil's body.

[Third Blade – Flame Streak!]

Haruka declared as she swung her katana, causing a streak of flames to fly towards Yggdrasil.

However, just like the other three fire-based attacks before it, the massive tree simply shrugged it off.

Yuu frowned. Fire-based attacks failing to burn wood…was it petrified wood?

No, that couldn't be right. Petrifaction took thousands of years to occur. Rather than it being made of petrified wood…were they simply too far away for the attacks to have any significant impact?

[All members, advance 200 meters and resume attacks!]

Haruka appeared to have come to the same conclusion that he did, and ordered them to move closer.

But, as they did, Miyako suddenly called out.

"Nee-chan, Yggdrasil is doing something!"

The 100 meter tree's appearance had suddenly changed.

Its trunk expanded unnaturally while most of its branches suddenly seemed to retract, looking like a massive bulge.

Then, a single giant branch shot out from the bulge, which shrunk the further the branch extended.

It was headed right for them.

[All members, descend!]

Haruka called out urgently, and the five of them quickly dropped in altitude, allowing the branch to pass over their heads.

It looked like they were safe, but…

*BZZZZT*

The communications channel suddenly let out loud static, while on the screen, the five Ds suddenly dropped out of the sky with panicked expressions on their faces, though their fall was thankfully broken by the foliage below them.

And their Fictional Armaments had broken down into pure dark matter and was drawn towards the branch as it retracted back to Yggdrasil's body.

"What just happened!?"

"Haruka, report! What's going on!?" Charlotte tried to make contact with Haruka, but the communications equipment just continued to release static.

"Dammit, did their headsets fail? But, they should have been outside of the range of Yggdrasil's electromagnetic field…" The principal of Midgard cursed as she tried to figure out what was going on.

"…Wait, didn't Yggdrasil shoot out a branch just now? Could that have extended the range of its electromagnetic field?" Yuu reasoned.

"…Yes, that is a possibility. To think Yggdrasil had such a power…"

"Charlotte-sama, look at Yggdrasil!" Mica called out urgently.

Both of them turned back to the screen and froze at what they saw.

Yggdrasil…was absorbing the dark matter of the five Ds and was growing larger.

"It stole their dark matter…I see, so that's what's going on. Dark matter responds to thoughts of Ds and changes shape and properties accordingly. However, thoughts can also be thought of as weak electrical signals. If Yggdrasil's ability has something to do with electricity…it might have hacked their dark matter by overriding their thoughts with its stronger electrical signals."

"Wait, then doesn't that mean…?"

"Yes. Yggdrasil…is the worst possible enemy for Ds."

Yuu turned back to the screen with an expression of horror.

Now that it was larger, having grown by almost a full 50 meters, it was moving faster than before, and the range of its electromagnetic field had likely expanded as well.

Dark matter was useless once it was in the range of Yggdrasil's electromagnetic field.

In that case, the Dragon Subjugation Squad had no means of fighting it.

They were going to be killed at this rate.

His new friends were going to die.

Mitsuki was going to die.

Yuu felt white hot anger envelop his psyche, and he rose from his seated position.

"Principal, I'll be going to save them. They don't stand a chance against Yggdrasil if it can just steal their dark matter."

"…Even if you go, what can you do? You can't use your dark matter either."

"I know. That's why I won't be fighting as a D. I'll be fighting…as a Campione." He declared.

He knew what he could do as a Campione. His instincts were basically yelling at him.

Yuu allowed the 'flame' inside of him to rise to the surface, and a stream of flames burst into life around his right hand.

They dispersed as quickly as they appeared, and in Yuu's hand was a familiar flaming western sword.

It was time to stop acting like a human.

---

Mitsuki panted heavily as she and the other members of the Dragon Subjugation Squad ran through the forest they had fallen into.

The ground beneath them trembled with great force as the Green Dragon moved as well, making their task even more difficult.

Haruka had come to the conclusion that Yggdrasil's power over electricity allowed it to hijack their dark matter, and thus, they had to put some distance between it and them before they could safely resume their attack.

Unfortunately, after using their dark matter to grow, the giant tree appeared to be moving faster than before, and was not allowing them to open up any more distance than they already had.

The wounds she had sustained from the fall were light because the foliage above had broken her fall, but they still stung as Mitsuki strained to keep up her running speed.

Her legs ached, her lungs burned. Even on pain of death, she did not know how much longer she could keep running.

Perhaps Miyako could sense Mitsuki's will wavering, because she grabbed her best friend's hand and pulled her forward.

"Come on, Mitsuki! We need to keep moving!" Miyako said urgently.

Mitsuki gritted her teeth and strained to keep up.

She dared to glance behind them, only to see the now 150 meter tall Yggdrasil getting closer and closer to them, looming threateningly over them.

It was no use, Mitsuki realized in despair. Without their dark matter, they had no hope of outrunning something that gigantic.

The distance that they covered by running as fast as they could, the Green Dragon easily matched with just one of its massive strides of its feet-like roots.

They were going to be caught if they didn't do something.

But what? Judging by the distance between them, there was no way that they had managed to escape the range of Yggdrasil's electromagnetic field.

If they tried generating dark matter now, Yggdrasil would just hijack and steal it to grow even more, causing its electromagnetic field to expand even further.

What could they possibly do? Without dark matter, they were just ordinary humans.

And ordinary humans…could not defeat Dragons.

"Kya!" Mitsuki let out a cry of shock when the foot she put forward met unexpected resistance, causing her to fall flat on her face on the forest floor.

Because she wasn't looking forward, she hadn't seen the uneven terrain that they were now traversing.

"Mitsuki!"

The others quickly rushed to help her to her feet, but even that momentary pause in their movement cost them dearly.

Immediately, the distance between Yggdrasil and them closed almost completely, and the tremors of the ground grew so great that they struggled to remain standing.

It was over.

Yggdrasil had caught up to them.

It didn't look like it was aiming for them in particular, but it was just so massive that its mere passage would crush them.

Come to think of it, it hadn't deviated from its original course towards Tokyo.

Perhaps it was a miscalculation on their part to stay in that path. If they hadn't, it might have just passed them by.

No, they had already committed errors even before that.

Brazenly challenging the Green Dragon was a mistake in itself, considering how little they actually knew about its abilities.

And the final mistake had been committed by Mitsuki herself.

Not paying attention to the path they were taking, tripping because of that, which in turn caused her comrades, her dear comrades who cared so much for her, to stop and help her, and allowed Yggdrasil to reach them.

They were going to die.

Mitsuki felt so very frustrated.

Once again, a Dragon was taking everything from her.

The Hekatonkheir had devastated her hometown, and even after it was defeated, it still managed to continue tormenting her when her brother was taken away by NIFL.

And now, almost a year later, when she had finally managed to reunite with him, Yggdrasil was going to take her and her comrades' lives?

Mitsuki was frustrated.

But, more than that, she was afraid.

It was the instinctual fear that all living creatures felt when they realized they were going to die.

She did not want to die…she didn't want to die!

"…Nii-san!"

A shadow loomed over them and grew rapidly larger as Yggdrasil lowered its feet-like roots, about to crush them.

Mitsuki's eyes automatically snapped shut as she braced for the impending pain and death.

She flinched when a loud crash reverberated through the area…but was confused when she realized that she was still very much alive, and that pain that came with being crushed by a giant tree did not come.

And was it just her, or had the temperature of the surroundings suddenly increased?

She opened her eyes, only to see what appeared to be a small flaming comet hitting Yggdrasil dead center in its trunk.

The Green Dragon's body let out a groaning sound as it toppled over backwards, shaking the earth and releasing a plume of dirt.

Whatever had struck Yggdrasil landed on the ground near them, the flames coating it slowly dissipating…

…to reveal Mononobe Yuu, holding a flaming western sword in his right hand.

The same sword she had seen the Heretic God use to wound him just yesterday.

"Nii-san…?"

But, she paid little attention to that. What really drew her notice was the look on his face.

The expression of apoplectic rage that contorted his facial features so much that she almost didn't recognize him.

An expression that would better suit a wild animal than a human.

"…All of you, please retreat back to the command post immediately. Leave everything to me."

Contrary to his expression, Yuu's voice was level and calm.

Mitsuki shuddered at the last four words in particular.

The same four words he had spoken when he defeated the Hekatonkheir…and was then taken away by NIFL.

"Y-You want us to leave you to fight alone!? You must be joking!" Lisa exclaimed.

"T-That's right, bro! Once we get out of the range of Yggdrasil's electromagnetic field, we can support you from-"

"I'm being serious." Yuu calmly interrupted Miyako.

"If you are anywhere in the vicinity…I can't guarantee you won't get caught up in my attacks."

Yuu had not raised his voice or anything, but there was a sudden intensity in his tone that made arguing impossible, causing their protests to fall silent.

"…Understood, Lieutenant Mononobe. We'll leave this to you, and return to the command post." Haruka said after a while.

The rest of them did not protest, and obediently followed her, seemingly cowed by Yuu's forcefulness.

Mitsuki trailed after them, filled with nothing but regret.

After the Hekatonkheir incident, when she came to Midgard, she vowed she would get stronger, so that she could protect what she treasured with her own two hands.

So that she would never have to burden Yuu again, she had thrown herself into training, in order to fight the loathsome existences known as Dragons.

And even after all that…she still wasn't capable of standing by his side?

It was truly…frustrating.

And she was probably not the only one who felt that way.

Painfully aware of their powerlessness, Mitsuki and the rest of the Dragon Subjugation Squad continued their interrupted retreat.

---

Yuu waited until he could no longer sense the Dragon Subjugation Squad members' presences within the range of his enhanced sixth sense's perception.

That was good. He was being serious earlier when he said that he couldn't be certain that they wouldn't get caught up in his attacks.

He was instinctively aware about how to use the Divine Authority he had usurped from Gawain. The words he needed to activate it came to him as soon as he thought about it. He knew what it did. The Authority would surely respond to his need.

However, it was precisely because the Authority was so responsive to him that he wasn't sure that he would be able to control it. Not the way he was right now.

He had desperately holding back his rage. The negativity he had felt at every little thing.

His anger towards Loki, the indignation when he deduced that Yggdrasil had deceived him, his irritation towards Miyako's and Mitsuki's status as best friends, his annoyance towards everyone's overly polite way of addressing him.

He had been suppressing all of it, and it had been working too.

Until just now, when the Dragon Subjugation Squad was almost killed by Yggdrasil.

When Mitsuki was almost killed by Yggdrasil.

The dam that had been holding back the flood of negativity began to break down at that moment, and was threatening to burst at any given time.

If he tried using his Authority at that moment, he feared that his rage would drive him into using it without restraint, and utterly destroy the surrounding area.

And the Dragon Subjugation Squad along with it.

But now that they had retreated to what he deemed to be a safe distance…

…there was no longer a need for him to hold back.

Yuu turned his full attention to Yggdrasil.

The massive tree made for an odd sight as it got up from its toppled position and stood at its full height of 150 meters.

However, it could not conceal that scorched gouge in its trunk from when Yuu had rammed into it.

The Green Dragon did not seem to notice.

Instead, its focus was on him.

[Neun, confirmed. Propose, reestablishment of connection. Consider, presence of large number of humans.]

Yuu heard Yggdrasil's cold, mechanical voice speak in his head.

It appeared to have noticed whatever it had done to him had been undone, and was now trying to regain its hold over him.

It even appeared to be threatening the lives of Tokyo's residents to force him to comply.

But, Yuu ignored it.

His focus was elsewhere.

"You worthless, overgrown weed…you dared to deceive me."

"You dared to harm my friends."

"You dared to try to kill Mitsuki!"

"Unforgiveable!"

"I won't forgive you!"

"I'll kill you!"

The dam shattered completely, and every living creature in the area shuddered as cold, intense, pitch black murderousness blanketed the surroundings.

The massive tree seemed to take several large steps back.

Yuu was now completely focused on destroying Yggdrasil.

[Neun, threat level raised. Conclusion, immediate subduing is required.]

Yggdrasil seemed to realize that Yuu was aiming to kill it, and was now responding.

Several sharp branches extended towards Yuu.

The Seventh Campione swung Galatine, releasing a stream of flames far larger than any the Dragon Subjugation Squad had been able to fire.

In the face of a divine inferno, the branches were immolated and reduced to ashes in an instant.

[Error. Divinity detected from Neun. Further analysis required.]

Yuu's eyes narrowed. So, it was able to tell that his attack possessed a divine nature?

Yggdrasil extended even more branches towards him, all of which met the same fate as the previous ones with a few swings of Galatine.

It was truly incredible. Not Galatine's power, though that was amazing in its own right.

No, it was the way that Yuu seemed to instinctively know how to wield the divine sword he had usurped from Gawain.

The best stance to hold it into to ensure that he could respond to an attack from any direction and yet show no openings. The best way to swing it to minimize the energy he used while maximizing power.

It was very much like the way Gawain wielded this sword against him.

It was as though Galatine was sharing that knowledge with him.

The fact that its attacks were not reaching him at all did not seem to deter Yggdrasil, which simply continued to attack him with its branches.

He did notice that it seemed to be getting a little shorter every time it attacked. Was it converting its trunk into branches to replace the ones he had destroyed?

However, Yuu quickly realized that that was not all there was to Yggdrasil's attack.

The ground beneath him trembled, and then shattered as massive roots shot up to wrap themselves tightly around him.

Soon, Yuu was unable to move, much less swing Galatine to break out.

He was completely trapped within the wooden cocoon Yggdrasil had spun around him.

[Neun, capture complete. Beginning analysis…]

Yuu heard Yggdrasil's cold voice again.

However, this time, there was a certain emotion in it.

Smugness.

It appeared to be feeling rather smug that it had captured him, but…

"…Do you honestly believe that this is enough to capture me?" Yuu voiced coldly.

In the next instant, waves of flames washed over the area, and the cocoon binding him was disintegrated.

Flames curled around and coated Yuu's body, but they did not burn him.

They were his flames, after all.

This was a part of the Authority he had usurped from Gawain.

If he had to give a name to it, it would be…the Sun-Blessed Knight.

As long as the sun hung in the air above, Yuu was invincible.

It was the same Authority that prevented Gawain from receiving any injuries from Yuu's attacks.

It did not even matter if he was not directly under the sun. Even if he was in a building, or underground, as long as he was in the half of the planet the sun was illuminating, this passive power would activate.

However, there was a boon if he was directly exposed to sunlight, even just a modicum of it.

Namely, he could expel divine flames from his body, like he had done just now.

It was the same power he used to coat his body in flames when he had crashed into Yggdrasil earlier.

If Yggdrasil, possessing the ability to hijack dark matter, was a D's worst enemy, then he, possessing divine flames so hot that even that enhanced wooden body was unable to avoid being burned, he was Yggdrasil's worst enemy.

[Error. Code Neun not detected from vessel. Unable to compute. Need to consider options.]

Yggdrasil completely paused in its attacks, causing Yuu some confusion.

What was it saying? What was this 'Neun' that it kept talking about? He had absolutely no idea.

However, if it wasn't going to attack, Yuu would go on the offensive instead.

Using his new physical capabilities afforded to him as a Campione, Yuu easily climbed onto Yggdrasil's massive body and started ascending.

The Green Dragon did not respond at all, completely frozen in place.

Once Yuu was near the top of the 150 meter tall tree, he leapt off and spun himself around in midair to face the Green Dragon.

He raised Galatine above his head as words of power began to spill from his mouth.

"O Immortal Sun, let your light shine down on this blade! I hereby vow, all things shall be burnt, scorched, melted and incinerated, their ashes scattered to the wind! As I raise this sword, what I bring forth is the dawn of victory!" Yuu declared.

Galatine's blade, originally already covered in flames, was suddenly surrounded by a raging inferno.

This was probably the Authority that Gawain was trying to use on him until he had interrupted the incantation by headbutting the Heretic God.

"Begone."

Yuu swung Galatine downwards, and a miniature sun exploded into existence as it crashed into the Green Dragon's body.

[Unable to sustain continued existence. Abandoning current terminal.]

Yuu vaguely heard Yggdrasil's voice speak before the sun exploded, and the area was engulfed by a nova.

---

Back at Asgard's First Laboratory, the Asgard officials who had come to meet the new Campione and find a way to force…ahem, convince him to help them, watched the live feed from the unmanned drone, utterly spellbound as the Seventh Campione made short work of one of the 7 Dragons that terrorized humanity.

They were temporarily blinded by the intense luminance that Mononobe Yuu's final attack had released, even after being filtered by the surveillance system, and when the light died down enough for them to open their eyes again, it was to be greeted by an image of utter devastation.

The earth had been gouged out, leaving a massive smoldering crater that extended almost a full kilometer in diameter.

Flames still burnt and ate away at the area, annihilating most of the forest.

It was as though divine wrath had been brought down onto the world at that location, which actually was pretty close to the truth.

And above the crater, slowly descending from the sky while still covered in flames, was the Campione in question, Mononobe Yuu.

That visage gave off an incredible impression, as though he was an angel descending from the heavens.

However, they all knew that that couldn't be further from the truth.

What they were seeing was not the work of an angel, but a devil.

A God Slaying Devil King.

Asgard was forcefully reminded of just how much power a Campione possessed.

All of their carefully thought out plans had been completely derailed with just that one incident.

They only knew one thing.

They could not afford to make an enemy out of him.

---

Back at the Denmark-Germany border, the NIFL equipment there recorded the sudden reappearance of the 500 meter tall tree's electromagnetic field, spanning 2 kilometers in radius.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone around to take note of the readings, because all of NIFL's personnel had been dispatched to destroy the colossal tree while the field was down.

Needless to say, all of them met gruesome ends as an agitated Yggdrasil absentmindedly crushed them.

As for why the Green Dragon was agitated…

[Error. Code Neun was not detected in vessel.]

[Observation: Code Neun was present in vessel during first establishment of connection.]

[Observation: Vessel shown to be able to use Divine Authorities.]

[Conclusion: Vessel has become one of the Witch's bastard children.]

[Conclusion: Vessel's ascension resulted in loss of Code Neun.]

[Conclusion: Code Neun presently possesses no holder, and can be inherited by any being that comes in contact with it.]

[Course of action determined. Locate Code Neun's location and retrieve. Searching Akashic Records for place of vessel's ascension…]

Unknown to the rest of the world, Yggdrasil ruminated, searching for its only means of survival.

---

That's the end of that!

As you can see, Yuu's personality has become slightly warped due to his becoming a Campione. I think this is only natural, Campione are extremely emotional, even when compared to humans.

Also, his dark matter generating ability has changed. As for how, it will be revealed in later chapters.

The Authority Yuu usurped from Gawain has been revealed.

Its name is Chivalrous Knight of the Sun. It's basically an Authority that is spilt into sub-Authorities.

The first is the Sun-Blessed Knight. As explained above, it's a passive Authority that, as long as Yuu is anywhere within the half of the planet that is currently being illuminated by sunlight, renders him invincible until the sun sets. And when he is directly exposed to sunlight, he can expel divine flames from his body.

The second is Galatine, of course. Like Sun-Blessed Knight, Galatine's full power is exhibited while under the sun. However, unlike Sun-Blessed Knight, Galatine can still be used when the sun has set. However, doing so will drain Yuu of his body heat, which makes it very dangerous.

Both share a common weakness. They lose their potency when not under the sun. It doesn't have to be when the sun sets and night falls. If the sun's power is blocked, the same thing will occur. Of course, because it's a Divine Authority, it isn't affected by something as mundane as clouds covering the sun. It would have to be something on the scale of a solar eclipse, or obstacles infused with divine power, such as the storm clouds that Voban's Sturm und Drang produces.

There is also a third sub-Authority, but it has yet to be revealed.

I think that's it.

I'll be taking a break for a while, maybe a month, to recharge. I have not been sleeping well lately. Plus, I have a brand new PS4 to break in.

Next chapter, when it comes, will probably be Asgard's rather pathetic attempts to negotiate with Yuu.

That's all for now. As always, please read and review, and Merry Christmas to all!