Brynhildr summoned her shield and sword. The shield was Svalinn, a shield that can withstand the heat of the sun.
She unsheathed her sword.
Fafnir shrieked once more at the sight of the sword. The blade glistened blue as Brynhildr poured mana into it.
"Exactly. You clearly remember this sword, Fáfnir. The one that vanquished you in the past. It shall be the same sword I use to cut you down here."
The dragon spewed flames at Brynhildr. With a light swing of the sword, she separated the flames.
Daren was shocked.
(She's not exactly a god but she is a deity. She's closer to humans than being a god but she's still powerful. Amazingly so.)
He thought.
"Balmung, also known as the Dragonslayer Gramr. This sword is the finality I needed."
She grinned while proudly brandishing her blade.
"Accursed Dragon Fáfnir! I shall strike you down in a single blow with this blade!"
The shieldmaiden raised her blade to the sky and discarded her shield.
Once more, Fafnir roared. This time, a magic crest appeared behind its large figure. It swirled behind Fafnir like flames.
"Impossible... How does the dragon that I summoned with True Magic know how to use it...?"
Brynhildr could not help but smile at Fafnir accepting her challenge.
"It is a shame though, for you to be summoned in such a state. I am afraid this shan't be a challenge."
Fafnir swelled its stomach and fired a laser at Brynhildr. It was a pure laser of condensed flames. It would damage Brynhildr if it made contact.
IF it made contact.
"Solveig."
With a single word and motion, Brynhildr brought down her sword with frightening speed.
It was for a second. For a mere second. For that measly second, it felt like the sun had arrived on Earth.
"Huh?"
"What happened?"
"The dragon... split into two?"
With a single swing of Balmung, Fafnir was killed without being able to scratch the shieldmaiden. Balmung ceased its blue shine as Brynhildr returned it to its sheath. The two halves of Fafnir dropped down to the streets.
"Now, to deal with you, child."
Brynhildr set her hand out. Svalinn returned to her and disappeared alongside Balmung.
"Child from the Khine Family. Tell your patriarch this."
"Why should I? We of the Six Great Noble Families are independent of the gods and deities."
He gritted his teeth backing away as the woman walked toward him.
[Know your place, child.]
A cold, cutting voice.
(Is this Authority? It's different from what Father said...)
Darren's entire body was shaking. Brynhildr's Authority had gotten to him.
[Tell the patriarch of the Khine Family to not meddle with things that should not be in this world. If he attempts to go after the World Origin, the gods will get involved.]
"Y-yes! I'll tell him! I'll be sure to tell him, in fact!"
"Good."
She said.
Brynhildr leapt from the Sendai Trust Tower onto a neighbouring rooftop. As she landed, she spotted two people.
"Hello, I am Brynhildr."
"Brynhildr?!"
They both exclaimed, surprised.
Yuma and Rika bowed.
"It is an honour to meet one such as yourself, Lady Brynhildr."
The shieldmaiden felt slightly awkward since no one had ever reacted to her announcing herself in such a way. She scratched her head with a red face.
"Oh, please do not refer to me that way. I am unworthy of it. Simply call me Brynhildr, especially since you two did your best against Fáfnir."
She praised them.
Rika laughed, amazed by Brynhildr's praise.
"You defeated the dragon in a single blow, Brynhildr. It was a wonderful display."
"Say, may I ask something of you two?"
The green-haired young man nodded while the girl was still in her fantasy land.
(Lady Eris asked me to do an errand for her as payment for that duel. Anyhow, these two look as though they are knowledgeable.)
Brynhildr glanced over at the enchanted Rika.
(I take it back, one of them does.)
"Have any of you heard of a boy who calls themself Death?"
The two looked at each other and shook their heads.
"No, we can't say we've heard of anyone like that. If there was anyone, then I'm sure we would know."
Yuma told Brynhildr.
She winced.
(Hm... Lady Eris will not be satisfied with such results...)
"Then perhaps appearance. He should be a boy of about the height of 5'9. With hair as white as snow, and eyes which are monotone. One white while another is black."
Yuma and Rika looked at each other in shock.
"Do you know anyone like that?"
"La—no, Brynhildr. The person you're talking about isn't a boy, exactly. It's an Imperi."
"Imperi?! As in the monsters?"
The two of them nodded.
"A humanoid Imperi. The first of its kind we've seen. There is another one we've seen only once."
"May I ask for the name of the humanoid Imperi? If you have its real name or a codename, by chance."
Rika grimaced at the thought of the boy with monotone eyes.
Only a select few knew that boy's true identity. Only those of the Ironhide Squad and Uriel.
"The boy's name is Ka—"
"Rika! That's classified information. We can't tell a de—"
"The boy's name is Kazuya Shiba. Everyone else knows him by the name of Alpha."
"Rika!"
"I don't know what goal Brynhildr has in mind, but is it not better if Alpha dies?!"
(Alpha... That is the name of the one that destroyed a section of Tokyo, is it not? The boy who calls himself Death was such a person? A foul evildoer. I shall ask Lady Eris about him myself.)
"Right..."
Yuma felt slightly uncomfortable.
(There are lots of people who want revenge on him. I guess it should be made public for the better. If it did get made public, the chief would be under fire, along with her father.)
He thought about the future, while Rika thought about the present.
"Thank you two for your cooperation. I hope to see you two again one day."
She said before jumping from building to building.
(Kazuya Shiba. Alpha. One day, I shall come across you and slay you myself, you fiend.)
"I should tell Lady Eris the news."
·———·
A few hours later, a report came out.
A damage report.
Isla took a look at the report itself. She frowned when she saw the results. It was the same with Aria and Shou.
"No..."
Isla muttered.
3,457 people died. These were merely confirmed deaths.
2,201 people were injured.
Those results disturbed Isla to her core.
"I can't protect people like this... Can I?"