Chapter 21

Chapter 3 The Cataclysmic Secondary Pillar 1 Alma Conturo immediately reacted to the siren going off. Bolting from her seat, she was out of the mess hall before anyone else. She was small and slender, but she never skipped out on training runs, and her speed was not to be trifled with. She was running at full tilt to take down more enemies faster than anyone else— It was often missed due to her childish appearance and usual flat tone, but Alma was particularly motivated to fight the pillars, even among all the Valkyries in Sigrdrifa. In fact, Alma thought of her Deus ex Machina’s overkill offensive power as a manifestation of her rage at the pillars. The reason she had become a Valkyrie was the not-unusual desire for revenge. But in her case, unlike Lisbeth, what she had lost was not family or a homeland. She wanted revenge for a friend from school. A friend whom she had not spoken with much, whom she had never once hung out with outside of school. Just a friend from a school where she had studied abroad. A school filled with totally normal boys and girls who spent their days thinking about their studies and clubs and sports and first loves. With the disastrous appearance of the pillars, those schoolmates had had their youth utterly and mercilessly shattered and ruined. The only reason Alma had not died herself was because her small size had allowed her to fit snugly into the very back of the gymnasium’s storage room, and that little corner of the building just so happened not to get squashed. It was nothing but random chance. And that random chance had been the line separating life and death, leaving Alma Conturo as the only survivor. At the time, she had been grateful to her friend, who had pushed her all the way to the back, since she was so small. But she was also bitter about being the only one to make it out alive. She didn’t fight out of gratitude to that friend, though. Nor was it because of a grudge at being the sole survivor. Alma fought because that precious time of her life had been stolen from her. She had chosen to keep her distance from her cheerful schoolmates, and she had chosen to not join in when they invited her into their circles. Alma had liked her schoolmates. She liked watching them enjoy themselves. She had prayed from her little corner of the classroom that they would have a happy future. But that simple little prayer had been shredded in the explosions and screams that split the air that day. She still remembered those sounds, along with the pain in her heart. That was why Alma Conturo fought. “Alma!” “You’re late, Leili.” She was climbing into her flight suit by the time Leili finally reached the changing room. Alma grabbed her aviator hat and left the room as Leili panted. “I’m going ahead—since Rusalka and Natalie aren’t here.” Lisbeth was also gone on the mission, but that did not mean as much to Alma. Alma struggled with how to interact with Leili, Lisbeth, and the newer Valkyries. It had been like that with her classmates, too, but Alma generally didn’t like getting too close with anyone. It was less about her comfort level with any given person and more just outright evasion of intimacy. In that sense, her relationship with Natalie was special. Thinking back on it, Natalie had aggressively made a point of closing the gap between the two of them from the first time they met. And the way she went about shrinking that distance between her and Alma was unique and, put bluntly, unpleasant. She would inconsiderately try to get close; she refused to listen at all when Alma tried to keep her at a distance; and she was always doing things for Alma whether she asked for it or not. For Alma, who preferred not to get pulled into a boisterous group and just keep people and their matters at a distance, Natalie’s attitude was the ultimate annoyance. But— “It’s too late now.” She didn’t have a reason to push her away, and not hearing her scolding voice anymore would feel wrong. When Sigrdrifa was formed and Natalie was selected as the executive officer of the squadron, she worked earnestly day in and day out. And since arriving at Holm base, she had redoubled her efforts. And lately she had gotten even more annoying about telling off Alma and Shannon about their improper lifestyles. It made everything feel weird to not have her or Rusalka around— “—You’ve got a pretty gentle look on your face, Alma.” “—Ngh.” Alma stopped, and her eyes widened at the unexpected voice and unexpected presence. As she was going through the passage into the hangar, a person—no, a god—was standing there. “O-Odin…?” “You know there’s no harm in being a little bit more respectful with the way you address me. If anything, I’d like you to call me Father…but there aren’t really many of my daughters willing to do that.” Rattling off that comment, the handsome young boy in casual attire—Odin—shrugged. From the way he suddenly appeared and the mysterious aura around him, it was immediately clear he was the real Odin. What Alma didn’t understand was why he was there and why he had called out to her. “What? Ask me whatever you like. I’m happy to try to answer whatever questions my beloved daughter might have.” “…I don’t have time now. Pillars just appeared…” “Ahhh, that’s right. Unfortunately, we’re always stuck responding to them whenever they show up. I can’t really say it’s good to always be yielding the initiative to them, but…that will only be the case for a little while longer.” Odin slowly shook his head as he said something Alma couldn’t even begin to comprehend. But she had no desire to press him on that point. Right now, she didn’t want to waste a single second climbing into her plane and start fighting the pillars. It was not just because she struggled to deal with Odin. She had sort of instinctively realized it herself. The reason Rusalka and Natalie were both on a secret mission had something to do with the god standing before her. “Without Rusalka and Natalie here now, you and Shannon are the most experienced girls. It’s natural to get motivated in a situation like that. I’ll be counting on you.” As if acknowledging that feeling, Odin smiled as he responded. Alma gulped at his gentle smile, forcing herself to respond. “I understand… So may I…?” “Of course, that’s your job. I just wanted to give you a little encouragement. Your efforts have been spectacular. You might just become a very special girl.” “” She could not tell what Odin was trying to say with his dramatic euphemisms. But deciding to take that as permission to break off conversation, Alma bowed to Odin and was about to start running again when— “—The decisive moment draws near. Do not make the wrong choice, Sveið. For the sake of your beloved friend.” There was an odd weight to his words, and Alma glanced back at Odin as she ran. But the god who had been there just moments before was there no more. “Alma! Apologies for my delay!” Alma frowned at seeing Odin had disappeared as Leili rushed up, having finally gotten changed. She would not deny feeling indignant that Odin had stolen so much time that Leili had managed to catch up to her, but— “Alma?” “…It’s nothing. Let’s go.” Alma shook her head as Leili responded with a hearty “yes, ma’am!” while following after her. As she led her junior into the hangar, Alma’s lips moved softly. “—Sveið…” She murmured the word she had never heard before that Odin had left her with in his parting message. For some reason, it stuck in her ears, and she was filled with unanswerable questions as she ran. “” As they entered the hangar, she immediately raced to her trusty plane, which was already prepped and ready to fly. Slipping herself into the notably large plane, she took her place in the cockpit, which sat higher than a two-story building. Leili and Shannon and the rest of the squadron all finished the preparations for their Deus ex Machinas, too. All that was left was the men who would fly into the skies together with the Valkyries— “—Repeat! All non-Valkyrie pilots, immediately cease takeoff preparations!” “What…?” There was a hint of unease in the operator’s voice that came over the speakers. It was not just Alma—everyone in the hangar and the rest of the base stopped what they were doing at the sudden message. What in the world had happened? The answer soon came from a different voice. It was Alejandro Ostley, the commander of Holm base and the commander of the Sigrdrifa task force. Alejandro was always brimming with confidence, but for once, his voice was stiff and tense. And the reason was— “Warning—the enemy has been identified as the secondary pillar code-named Mistletoe.” “” “I repeat, the enemy is Mistletoe. No one other than Valkyries should enter its range. Even the briefest exposure will result in transformation.” 2 “It’s begun.” Rusalka murmured this as the ceiling of the narrow passage sprinkled bits of dirt and rubble down on them. They were deep below a solid layer of ground as the battle with the pillars intensified. They could feel the tremors and hear the faint sounds of combat in the distance as they made their way through a dark underground passage that had lain abandoned for decades. While staying vigilant against collapses originating from above or below, they carefully made their way forward. Perhaps because of their slow advance, Natalie looked up with a forlorn expression. “Will Alma and Shannon be okay without me or you, Major…?” “You shouldn’t be overprotective. Neither of them is a rookie anymore. Shannon has a mentality well suited to leading a flight. As for Alma…well, her personality and her plane are not really suited for that.” Shannon had a knack for striking a good balance, so if she was flying, then there was not too much reason to worry about the squadron. And Alejandro’s leadership could be relied on, too. The only question mark was— “…What…?” “No, I was just wondering whether Leili will be able to fight at her peak without you there, Lisbeth.” “What? What, without me? I’m sure she’ll be glad not having me around.” “I wouldn’t be so sure of that. When you spend so long worrying about someone, it can throw you off when they’re suddenly not around. Speaking from personal experience.” Natalie touched her chest as if dwelling on something. In her case, it was probably Alma and Shannon whom she worried about most. Then again, she was constantly worrying about other people, so there were plenty of possibilities. “You act like it has nothing to do with you, but you were on that list, too, until quite recently, Major.” “…I’m sorry for worrying you back then, Natalie.” Rusalka still couldn’t begin to pay back Natalie and the others for all they had done for her before Sigrdrifa had been formed. As they were talking, Claudia murmured in amazement as she watched from outside the circle of conversation. “—You are quite composed, considering our situation…” She was carrying her sleeping sister while wearing the safety helmet that Rusalka had brought with her. But there was no exhaustion in her eyes. Instead, there was a familiar emotion in her gaze—envy. “The battle between your allies and the pillars is happening aboveground, right? And yet, the three of you are so calm. Is it because you simply trust them that much?” “Ha! It’s not anything that… Mrgh!” “Yes, yes indeed! The Valkyries fighting out there are from our squadron. It’s the strongest squadron in all of Europe—no, the entire world.” Natalie covered Lisbeth’s mouth as she gave her appraisal of Sigrdrifa. The world’s strongest was a bit of a heavy title to bear, but all things considered, it was correct. Naturally, that was only true because Amy was no longer flying. “The world’s strongest…” “Ummm, from your response, do you perchance have an interest in Valkyries?” Claudia averted her eyes at Natalie’s pointed question. A few moments of silence followed before she slowly started to respond. “I do. I feel indignant, too. There hasn’t been a night I haven’t questioned whether it was right for me to keep running away when so many people were out there fighting.” “Huh? Whaddaya mean? In that case, why not just volunteer?” “…Were it not for Father’s last words, I’m sure I would have.” Lisbeth’s cheeks twisted as Claudia responded quietly. The other Valkyries glanced at one another as they recalled the conversation from before Shirin fell asleep. Then Rusalka decided to speak up. “You said the reason you refused our request was because of your father’s final words, but…” “As Shiri mentioned before… To the best of our ability, we are trying to live in accordance with his wishes. That’s why.” Claudia looked at the three of them. “I can’t—” “It’s just ‘to the best of our ability,’ though, right? If you want to do something, why not just do it?” As Claudia tried to reject them, Lisbeth interrupted. She looked away in annoyance, focusing her attention on the path they had come down. “I can understand wanting to do what your dad asked. But you’re the one living your life. You should be making your own choices.” “…You mentioned you lost your family, but…” “What would they think if they knew I was fighting? No clue. Even in a dream, I doubt my parents or my brother would have been able to imagine me like this. But I’m the one who decided to fight. Me.” The intensity gradually increased as Lisbeth’s words grew more forceful. But her intense position wasn’t simply due to the pure quest for revenge that had led many Valkyries to take up arms and fight back. Lisbeth was not fighting for her family or because she hated the pillars. She was fighting to fill the gaping hole in her heart. “You think I’ll let those pillars sully my family’s memory any more than they already have?” Lives were lost. As far as Lisbeth was concerned, that was all there was to say. But she refused to let them steal anything else. Her revenge was keeping the pillars from being connected to her family any more than they already were. That was how Lisbeth Crown chose to live as a Valkyrie. “…I should apologize.” “Huh?” After hearing Lisbeth’s story, Claudia gave an unexpected response. Lisbeth was left in shock as Claudia looked her in the eyes. “I mistook you to be far more thoughtless than that.” “You call that an apology?!” “I intended it as an apology…” “Agh, fine. I got it. I’ll just count the thought, then.” Lisbeth waved her hand, accepting Claudia’s apology. She had finally learned how to deal with Claudia, who clearly bore her no malice. “If it’s not too rude, may I ask why it is you fight?” Perhaps because Lisbeth’s story had left a deep impression on her, Claudia turned her interest to Rusalka and Natalie. Considering Odin’s request, Rusalka thought about picking something that sounded good, but— “I was a soldier before the war with the pillars began. This is just an extension of that for me…” “Major…don’t you think there’s a little bit more you could share?” “I’m not good at spinning tales or telling stories. It would be dishonest to why I serve.” And also because she didn’t want to be even slightly insincere. It almost felt like Claudia was peering right into her heart with her straightforward gaze. It was eerily similar to what it had been like to be face-to-face with Amy—in that regard at least, the similarity extended beyond just appearances. “If the major is going to be like that, then I suppose my situation would be the one most comparable to your concerns. My father and indeed my whole family were dead set against me becoming a Valkyrie.” Natalie sighed a little before picking up where Rusalka had trailed off. She lowered her green eyes as she twirled her finger in her red hair. “I come from a distinguished family, and they were strongly against their only child becoming a Valkyrie. They were insistent that there were any number of other ways in which I could contribute to humanity.” “I think it’s only natural your family would feel that way. So then, why?” Claudia asked. “Shame.” “Shame…” Claudia’s brow arched at Natalie’s simple answer. Natalie’s gaze was focused forward, but her mind was elsewhere—on the other side of the ceiling, where her comrades were fighting. “Shame is what led me to this place. A belief that merely averting one’s eyes to an ability to fight out of personal concern is something wholly different from the agony experienced by those who are truly powerless and lack any means to fight.” “” “That is simply my opinion, however.” Natalie did not intend to force her values onto Claudia, who had fallen silent. She would not berate someone who was in a different position from herself or label them a coward or shameless. She simply hadn’t been able to endure the shame she had personally felt. That was all. “But all three of you are of the same opinion.” “What? How the hell do you figure that…?” All Lisbeth had heard was totally different stories. “—All of you decided for yourselves.” To kill enemies out of duty as a soldier, out of a sense of shame—they all had their own words to describe their motivation, but even so. Claudia was right: They all had that one thing in common. In the most important sense, they had not become Valkyries—they had chosen to be Valkyries, and they continued to choose to fly and fight at every opportunity. “Whatever the decision, we will respect your choice.” “You have my gratitude.” Claudia nodded deeply at Rusalka’s words. There was nothing else to say beyond that, at least not to the extent that Rusalka could bring herself to. The twins would have to talk among themselves and Alejandro and the IPO. “—Hey! There’s the exit!” As Rusalka was thinking that, Lisbeth’s triumphant shout reached her ears. There was a door partially hidden by soil at the end of the passage, where she was pointing. Hidden from the outside and abandoned for so long, it was well within expectations that it might be blocked by collapsed dirt, but— “—I’ll break through.” With that, Rusalka stepped forward, and she unleashed a heavy kick against the door. When she struck the steel door with the bottom of her heavy boots, the door warped from the impact. A ray of light shone in from the outside where the door had pulled away from the frame. For the first time in a long time, fresh air poured in from outside. “Whoa… That’s the major’s gorilla kick for you…!” “We can hear you, Lisbeth! Please stop treating the major like a gorilla! And do gorillas even kick?!” “Calm down, both of you. You can save the debates for whether I’m a gorilla or not for afterward.” Rusalka put her subordinates’ debate aside for the moment. The door had not fully given in from a single kick. Rusalka was steadying herself for a second kick when— “No, please feel free to continue!” Another pair of legs moved in front of Rusalka, and a long leg thrust into the warped door. Claudia’s kick delivered a monstrous amount of energy even as she stood there carrying her sister. With that single blow, the door that had stood vigil for all those decades finally gave up the ghost, earning an honorary double promotion for falling in the line of duty. The door flew open from the kick, letting in sunlight and a breeze. Relishing their first taste of fresh air in quite a while, they started to leave the tunnel— “—!” The moment they stepped out into the light, they were greeted by a cool forest breeze and a thunderous explosion right overhead. Looking up, they could see a familiar spectacle unfolding in the sky. In the distance, on the other side of the forest, was a column of light and lots of small pillars flitting all around it. And dancing through the sky, taking those pillars on, was Sigrdrifa. And facing them head-on was— “—Major! You mustn’t!” The moment her eyes focused on the scene, Rusalka’s body was forcefully pulled backward— No, it was not just Rusalka; it was Lisbeth and the Brafford sisters, too. And the one who had pulled them was Natalie, who had been the first to grasp what was going on in the sky. She had grabbed Rusalka and the rest by the arms and shoulders and forcibly dragged them back into the tunnel. Lisbeth started to complain about it just as a flash of light scorched the skies. The blinding light washed out the entrance to the tunnel as well as the entire forest itself. 3 The cataclysmic secondary pillar, Mistletoe. Its existence was first confirmed immediately after the original Sigrdrifa, built around the First, was wiped out, when all humanity had faced their darkest hour. Having lost their strongest weapon against the pillars, that secondary started rampaging across the lands, causing massive damage wherever it went, adding insult and further injury to an already grievous wound. After that, the third generation of Valkyries was deployed after a basic crash course training, allowing humanity to just barely hold the line. During that ensuing chaos, Mistletoe disappeared, and sightings of the infamous secondary had ceased for several months. But reports of sightings began again in the Schleswig region, and the newly formed Sigrdrifa had been ordered to relocate there to take it out. And— “—Major Evereska! Can you hear this, Major?!” Light blinded her as the shock wave rattled her, almost wrenching her consciousness from her. Rusalka blinked over and over, but the world was still white as she reached her hand to her back, groping for the satellite phone before finally getting ahold of it. The voice she heard was different from the previous one, but it was a familiar voice—her personal operator. “…This is Evereska. I can hear you, Michelle.” “—! Are you uninjured, Major?” “That’s probably a little debatable. It seems a stray shot landed near the underground bunker, considering the entrance was blown away.” She still couldn’t see properly, but from the ringing in her ears, she could guess what had happened. If they hadn’t managed to get the door open before the attack, it was likely the tunnel would have completely collapsed and they would have been buried alive. They had been lucky. “I can guess what you are thinking, but I have a critical warning. Please do not leave the underground tunnel. Sigrdrifa is currently engaging an enemy.” “—Mistletoe, right?” Because of the blinding flash of light, her vision still hadn’t recovered. But from the whirling wind and the tremors she could feel from the ground, it was clear the battle was still ongoing. And it was also clear that Michelle gasped slightly at that response. “If they are fighting Mistletoe, then that means the only ones who are flying…” “Lieutenant Shannon Stewart is in command with a deployment consisting of only Valkyries. Deus ex Machinas with their divine blessing are the only things that can enter its area of effect… Anyone else would be transformed.” There was disgust in Michelle’s voice, and Rusalka’s expression tensed. Mistletoe was known as a cataclysmic secondary. It was horrifically powerful in its fighting capabilities as well, but what really set it apart was its terrible ability. Regions under the control of pillars had their very life force robbed by a draining effect. Both plants and animals would die, leaving only a barren wasteland. But those under Mistletoe’s influence had a different fate. That frightening effect was why it had been code-named after a parasitic plant. “—Transformation.” In a barren wasteland, Mistletoe alone would grow trees. In other words— “Beings who come under the influence of its attack lose their human form and are transformed into trees.” That was the unique ability of the pillar known as Mistletoe. In the past, when its existence was first confirmed, an entire town had fallen under its influence, and thousands of people had been helplessly transformed into trees. In the following days, a soldier sent to investigate confirmed the presence of trees wearing clothes, which led to them discovering Mistletoe’s ability. “But Lord Odin’s blessing protects us even from that…” “That’s why it has just barely been possible to confront it with a force of only Valkyries. However, there is no data on what could happen to Valkyries lacking the protection of their Deus ex Machinas. If at all possible, Major, you should…” “We can’t afford to keep hiding down here, either. There’s no telling when the tunnel might cave in, so we have to get ourselves to safety. And also…” Her eyes were finally starting to adjust again, and her vision was returning. She had been saved by Natalie’s quick reaction. She looked around her gradually clearing field of view for Natalie as she thought to herself about how well she always kept track of her surroundings, when— “…Natalie…?” She couldn’t see her inside the half-collapsed underground tunnel. There was only Lisbeth, leaning up against the wall, and Claudia, crouching down and cradling her sister. “Major? I can’t see yet. What did HQ want?” “” “Major?” Rusalka did not immediately respond to Lisbeth’s question. She was quietly looking around, moving one foot after the other and putting her hand to the metal door, which had swung closed. It was easy to push open again after having broken through it once before. And on the other side— “—Natalie.” Her voice was hoarse as she saw a single ring of white flowers swaying in the breeze outside the entrance to the tunnel. They were dignified and in full bloom. Beautiful in the same noble way that— “W-wait, no way…” Looking out from behind Rusalka, Lisbeth was stunned by the same sight that had greeted Rusalka. And Claudia looked just as shocked when she spotted the white flowers, too. The flowers were what remained of the beautiful and proud Natalie Ch— “—Of course not! What are you thinking?!” “Ugyaaaa?!” There was a sound of foliage parting as the red-haired girl appeared from the overgrowth behind them. Hearing that, Lisbeth suddenly screamed. “Wh-what…?” Natalie recoiled. “You don’t have to let out such an adorable scream…” “D-don’t scare me like that! Makin’ us think that—!” “You mistook me for flowers because I jumped into the foliage for cover! I’m obviously the victim here!” As Natalie and Lisbeth went at it, Claudia seemed unsure whether to be relieved or exasperated. And Rusalka was neither as she put her hand to Natalie’s forehead. “M-Major…?!” “Are you okay, Natalie?” “Y-yes, ma’am. Of course. That attack was nothing.” “—That’s good.” Natalie’s cheeks flushed slightly as she nodded. Rusalka breathed a sigh of relief. Then she turned her attention back to the phone she had left unattended. “Apologies for the confusion. My subordinates and the targets are all safe as well. However, the underground tunnel can no longer serve as reliable shelter. Requesting instructions.” “—Roger. I’ll plot an extraction route using your GPS signature. Just a moment.” Rusalka gestured for Natalie and the rest to crouch down as she received Michelle’s forceful response. And then she saw Mistletoe and Sigrdrifa, who were still fighting overhead. An ominous amalgamation of enormous trees.