Chapter 29

“Yeah, I love you, too.” And with those last words, he disappeared beyond the door. With that, Alejandro Ostley truly vanished from the world. The name engraved on the memorial became reality, and the man who gave so much for the world even after having already died once was finally able to venture into what lay beyond. Would she be there? Would she be waiting for him? Would the siblings whose bond had been severed for a time be able to meet again? “—That was a nice good-bye.” Having seen Alejandro off, another voice called out to her. She did not have to wonder whose voice it was. The closed door opened again as Odin appeared. Rusalka was no longer surprised by the visit of a god who no longer seemed to have any reservation about seeing her on a whim. She just wiped the tears from her cheeks as she looked at him. “Thank you, Odin.” “That’s surprising. I was prepared to be berated, honestly.” Odin arched his eyebrow. Rusalka shook her head. “Not at all. Alejandro had accepted his fate. And the world would not be what it is now without him. You were right to choose him as the man to orchestrate Mistletoe’s defeat.” “It is an odd feeling to have my daughter bragging about her man to me… Still, there were other candidates besides him. But fate chose him.” “Fate…? Not you?” “—? Fate is what you call the decisions made by a god. Do you not agree?” It was a haughty and proud belief, but there was a logic to it. In a sense, it was natural to think of God’s will as fate. “Then again, you feel too human to believe that.” “I know Alejandro entrusted you with taking up his cause, but you don’t have to copy his lack of respect for me, too.” “I shall bear that in mind.” Rusalka looked at Odin as she addressed him with a formal salute. And then as she fell silent, the god’s eye narrowed. She cocked her head. “What is it?” “If you have anything you want to ask, you should do so now. Right now, I will answer most things. Even about such topics as how this world came to be.” “That’s a rather grand theme, but unfortunately it holds little interest for me. But if I may impose on you and ask…?” “Yes.” Crossing his short arms, Odin nodded. “You chose myself, Lisbeth, and Natalie to bring Claudia and Shirin under our protection.” “That’s right.” “Was that because we were the three Valkyries who were most disposable?” “” Odin fell silent at Rusalka’s question. Rusalka had always been thinking about why they had been chosen that night. And when she found out that Natalie had been afflicted by Mistletoe’s ability for weeks before that, she had finally come to an answer. “I have little in the way of abilities, Natalie didn’t have a future ahead of her, and Lisbeth was…” “Utterly lacking in any sense of cohesion. If left like that, it would surely have led to many of her allies dying. But Natalie appears to have broadened her perspective. There is no longer any fear of that.” Odin did not show any shame as he affirmed Rusalka’s guess. And she was not shocked by his response. She was a little surprised that she was not shocked by it, but that was all. “Schwertleite, Roßweiße, Sigrún, Ortlinde, Helmwige, Geirskögul, Randgríðr, Reginleif, Sveið.” “—?” Those are?” “The names granted to those among my daughters who wield a special power. Think of it like a title. In time, Claudia and those three will surely gain them as well.” Rusalka remembered a conversation she had had with Shannon before. Valkyries like Lisbeth, young and with great power, would someday be granted a name or rank befitting their abilities by Odin. That had been true. And— “—Sigrdrifa. Do you know the meaning of that name?” “…I heard it from Natalie. It is a name that refers to the eldest of the Valkyries.” “That’s right. Brynhildr…the name of my first daughter. I had always imagined I would someday call Amy that, but that chance was lost. Brynhildr will never be used. Instead, Rusalka, you are Sigrdrifa.” “” She had been told something similar by Claudia and by Natalie as well. Even God himself had acknowledged that she was befitting the role of eldest of the Valkyrie sisters. “There is no special blessing inherent to it. It is simply a name. I have no intention of spreading it around. It is simply a vow from me to you. You are befitting that name, my daughter.” “…I’ve come a long way from someone who wouldn’t be missed if she died.” “Don’t joke like that. I would much rather you not die in any operation.” With that, Odin looked at Rusalka closely. “My child, you are splendid. Fate has put you on a cruel path. But you have chosen to continue to struggle against the hardships placed before you instead of turning back. Allow me to grant you a reward.” “A reward…” “Ask whatever you like. To the extent I am able, I will grant your wish. As I am now, I lack the ability to grant something absurd, but…” “Ah, in that case, I do have a request.” Rusalka immediately had a wish, speaking up without hesitation. “Oh,” Odin remarked. “Very well, then. What is it you desire?” “Please make it so that noises from inside this room cannot be heard outside for a little while.” Odin’s eyes widened a bit at the terribly uninteresting request. Rusalka put her hand to her chest. “I’m going to cry very loudly now. I don’t want anyone to be able to hear it.” “—I understand. I shall honor your wish, my daughter.” Treating her request with earnestness and not making a joke of it, Odin solemnly snapped his fingers. And then he quietly turned around and departed through the portal he had entered. The door clicked shut. Grateful for his consideration, Rusalka sucked in a deep breath. “—Gh.” And then everything she had been holding in finally erupted. Tears poured from her eyes as thoughts of everyone who had been lost overwhelmed her. Rusalka wept. For her friends, her subordinates, her comrades. She wept and wept and wept. Crying like a child. She cried how she had been blessed to have met them. About how devastated she was having lost them. About what a large part of her life they had been to her. And she kept crying. 4 She didn’t feel like she would grow used to her new chair anytime soon. But she didn’t have the time to gradually grow accustomed to it. Even if it had been a great leap forward, humanity didn’t have the luxury to wait for their officers to gradually grow into their positions. Humanity needed them to break out of their shells as soon as possible. All the more so when it came to a commander charged with safekeeping the lives of every person on a base. “—Captain Shannon Stewart, you are hereby ordered to take command of Sigrdrifa Squadron. Henceforth, you will be in charge of leading them.” There were two Valkyries lined up in front of the base commander’s desk. They were both familiar faces, but their attitudes were different. Given how all their positions had changed, they couldn’t interact the way they used to. At the very least, that was what Rusalka cautioned herself as she sat in the base commander’s chair. “Yes, ma’am… It’s a heavy burden you just saddled me with, though.” “I believe you can handle this. Do your best.” It was a response befitting Shannon, but after Rusalka gave her a few words of encouragement, she turned her gaze to the second Valkyrie. To Alma Conturo, who was standing next to Shannon, looking terribly apathetic. “I also have something to tell you, Alma.” “…Me?” Alma responded with an emotionless voice. Ever since the battle, Alma’s heart had frozen over, and she avoided all contact with those around her. It was clear for all to see that it was rooted in the fear of losing anything else. She alone didn’t seem to realize the cause. Rusalka wasn’t sure if what she was about to say was the right thing to do for Alma, but— “Lord Odin has bestowed a reward on you for your defeat of Mistletoe—think of it like a title that is granted only to special Valkyries.” “” “Sveið. That is the name Odin has granted you.” Alma’s brow twitched when she heard that name. Perhaps she had heard it before, as indicated by her minute reaction. Having confirmed that, Rusalka took a short breath before continuing. “Also, I was the one who ordered Natalie to fly that day.” “—?!” “Major?!” Alma’s expression changed dramatically when she heard that. And Shannon reflexively addressed her by the rank she had grown accustomed to. Two very different kinds of shock filled the room. “…What do you mean?” Alma demanded. “There is nothing to explain. I merely wanted to face Mistletoe with the greatest force possible. Commander Ostley gathered Valkyries from bases all over the front, but I wanted to be prepared in the event of unforeseen circumstances. That was why I ordered Natalie’s last flight.” “—Ngh.” Rusalka deliberately kept her tone cold, and Alma’s reaction was immediate. Emotion was visibly returning to her frozen eyes. A terrible rage. Rage at Rusalka for sending Natalie to her death— “I want to be clear on that, for Commander Ostley’s sake.” “Is that all?” “…What do you mean?” “—Whatever…” Rusalka clearly narrowed her eyes as Alma averted her gaze in abject disappointment. She gave a perfunctory salute and then turned away from Rusalka and left the room. And once the door closed, separating them— “I understand what you’re trying to do, but that’s a little too tactless, Major.” “…I’m not a major anymore. I was promoted to lieutenant colonel in order to assume command of the base. You should begin to adjust yourself accordingly. And also…” “Also?” “Take care of Alma. You don’t have to worry about me.” Shannon exhaled in exasperation as Rusalka shook her head. And then she shrugged. “You know you don’t have to twist yourself up worrying about others just because you’re the oldest sister, right?” “” “If you’ll excuse me, ma’am—mine eye for thee.” Performing a Valkyrie salute, Shannon hurriedly left the room. She really was incredibly perceptive. Even if she was several years younger, Shannon saw through Rusalka’s clumsy thought process with ease. —People were much more likely to throw away their lives when they lost their attachment to everything around them and fell into despair. Emotions were necessary to continue living. Sometimes hatred could be a great teacher and grant the necessary motivation to carry on. Even if it was a lie, if that lie could be the kindling that kept Alma alive, then… “Even if you hate me, I will never hate you.” Even if Alma hated Rusalka, despised her more than anyone else, as long as that hatred was what kept her alive, then Rusalka was fine with that. Even if she had taken a step back from the front lines as a Valkyrie and assumed the position of base commander, Rusalka Evereska’s vigil was not over. It had only just begun. She had never gotten a chance to tell him directly. Rusalka had a lot to learn as she tried to fill the shoes of the great man who had been her predecessor. As she turned her thoughts to something else— —an unfamiliar horn echoed, almost seeming to shake the whole base to its foundations. A girl heard it as she walked through the hall, her shoulders squared as she swore vengeance for her friend. A girl heard it as she struggled with what to do next, worried about both her friend and her clumsy commanding officer. A girl heard it as she tried to brush her hair while thinking of a promise that she had not been able to keep. A girl heard it as she smiled awkwardly at that terrible brushing and took the comb from her friend to brush out her hair for her. And a girl heard it as she felt a mysterious twinge in her heart, unsure what to do with a room for two that she had to herself. “—Gjallarhorn.” The resounding horn of legend. Hearing it go off, Rusalka stood up. It was the tool humanity had newly acquired, signaling the opening of the next stage in their war against the invading pillars of light. The step forward that humanity had won at such a great cost— She hurriedly headed for the command post. But just before she left the room, her hand resting on the door, she glanced back at the desk. And for just a second, she saw the image of a man smiling that smile that was always so full of confidence. “I’m going now.” With that, she leaped out of the room and ran boldly through the hall as she saw everyone around the base frantically rushing to their posts. As she burst into the command post— “Status report!” “Confirmed precursor signal from a pillar! From Gjallarhorn’s response, it will appear twenty kilometers to the northwest.” “The enemy is expected to be a type-C secondary, accompanied by multiple tertiaries!” Rusalka inhaled sharply as she received the report from the operator who had already begun an analysis. Previously, they had never been able to get information like that before a pillar had appeared. Gjallarhorn would surely have a dramatic impact on the war going forward. It would make it more likely for Valkyries to survive—just like the younger sister had wished for her older sister. “Commander, the Valkyries have completed preparations to take off!” As a deep emotion gripped her heart for just a second, she received another report. On the monitor right in front of her, she saw several Deus ex Machinas lined up at the ready on the runway. Gathered by Alejandro and broken in by Rusalka, they were the world’s strongest fighting force. The squadron that would carry on the fight going forward. To win a future for humanity and so that they would live to see another day as well. “—Sigrdrifa, launch!” “—Roger!” The Valkyries responded to her order and began to leap into the air. Spreading their wings, the Valkyries took to the skies. The sky was clear and blue as far as the eye could see. The same sky that Rusalka loved and had longed to soar through from a young age. The same sky that humanity had looked up to in wonder from before the beginning of written history. That unchanging expanse that brought with it the promise of a new tomorrow. Though they had lost much, they were still bound together in pursuit of their common future. That was humanity’s unrefined, desperate way of fighting. “Let’s fight, to claim the tomorrow we all wish for.” Rusalka—the woman called Sigrdrifa by God—had made up her mind. No matter what it took, she would bring a tomorrow to every last person she could. Because that was the wish of the selfish, pitiful girl who had chosen Rusalka as her witness. She would push onward for the sake of that hope, that singular wish, so as not to bring shame to the people who had gone before her. “To find our way through the Ragnarök that lies before us.” Because that was all Rusalka Evereska could do. This was her awkward attempt at repaying the people most precious to her. 5 It was a white, white space. He walked through a vast white emptiness with no sign of any notable landmarks. Just walking forward aimlessly. But his footsteps were light. He had left everything to the person he trusted most in the world. If his footsteps weren’t light after that, then that would make his final statement a lie— “—Isn’t that reeeeally selfish, Big Brother?” All of a sudden, he heard a sweet voice. Right in front of him, there was someone standing at the end of his white path. It was a girl. She had her hands on her hips and long golden hair swaying around her childish face. “Don’t force such unreasonable demands on my Rusalka.” “…You waited for me?” “Don’t be silly. I’m not that inconsiderate. If anything, I’m an angel.” Pouting, she stuck out her tongue adorably. And then she smiled at her brother, Alejandro, who had fulfilled his duty even after death. “But knowing you, I was sure you wouldn’t go to Valhalla. That’s all!” “Yeah, I love you, too.” “Grrr! I know you pulled the same thing with Rusalka!” She puffed out her cheeks as Alejandro grinned and rested his big hand on her head. And then he kept patting her head until her mood improved. “They said I was synonymous with miracles, but…” If this was the miraculous reward awaiting him in death for all his hard work, then it wasn’t all so bad. Even though so much had slipped through his fingers, and he had been forced to leave so much more for his capable and trusty right hand to clean up… “—Thanks for all your hard work, Big Brother.” “…Ahhh, yeah…” …that one line from his beloved younger sister made it feel like it might have all been worth it. The End.