A What-If Future
By Sugikawa. The original can be found here at pixiv!
Yggdra Unison, Yggdra's route; focuses mostly on Leon and Elena with appearances from Yggdra, Durant, and Nessiah.
The Kingdom of Fantasinia. By now, there were probably none left who knew not the name of that most vigorous fighter amongst all countries.
In the kingdom’s resistance against Bronquia, which had controlled most of the continent, they had now accumulated even more territory than the empire. But at the moment, the knights who served as the kingdom’s core defense were in a stormy kind of mood.
“Hah, and just who the hell would listen to what you’ve got to say?!”
“Leon-dono! Just why are you so uncooperative?!”
“Please stop arguing, you two…!”
On either side of a table covered in scattered tactical documents, a knight in black armor and a knight with a serious-looking face were yelling at each other. And a young assassin was fruitlessly attempting to arbitrate between them.
By now, this kind of scene was becoming commonplace; also included in that scenery were the two people who stood off to the side observing.
“U-um… shouldn’t we stop them?”
“I suppose there’s no helping it… Could I ask for you two to quiet down in the near future?”
Also seated at the strategy meeting was the princess who served as their lord. And it was the voice of the blind prophet sitting next to her that finally calmed the argument.
Still, everyone present was aware that it wouldn’t last for very long. Yggdra was finally able to speak to the two knights who were glaring at each other with grouchy expressions.
“Um, then, basically… I take it that you’re against this next plan, Leon?”
“No shit. Just who the hell’s gonna cooperate with this hypocrite?!”
Leon hmphed through his nose and turned away; the creases in Durant’s brow deepened. Elena, unable to do anything about the thunderous atmosphere, simply fidgeted.
“Honestly, I could not care less about any of that. You will move according to my directions.”
As if to proclaim that he had no interest in the others’ individual thoughts, Nessiah traced the map on the table once more with no change in his demeanor.
“The enemy will most likely advance towards us using this city road. Therefore, the princess and I will seal the path and keep them busy, and Elena will circle around and attack them from behind. The two of you will take your troops and use the mountains to execute a pincer attack on the main army from either side. Am I understood this time?”
He turned to Leon, phrasing himself so as to leave no room for the knight to consent or refuse. Nessiah’s eyes were covered by his blindfold, but even so Leon felt the strength of his stare and turned back to face the table. He locked eyes with Durant for just one moment, but looked away the next, clicking his tongue.
“Besides, I hate getting told around by you just as much! I thought you and Gulcasa were joined at the hip, you little traitor. Just what the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m not exactly here because I desire to be either, I’m sure you’re aware. I simply lost to her, and had no choice in the matter. Isn’t that the same for you? Well, I suppose you may have other reasons, but…”
So saying, Nessiah turned to face Elena. Startled by his gaze, she flinched.
“Anyhow, I’m not gonna do whatever you say. I’m gonna fight however I want to! Got it?!”
Leon shouted that violently, then stood up and cut between Nessiah and Elena, stomping off out of the room.
A flurry of sighs were released, and the meeting was calm again, if rather lonelier.
“…I wonder why he even joined our army?”
“Who knows…”
Durant murmured in a troubled-sounding voice, and Yggdra replied in the same tone. As long as you were only looking at his abilities, Leon was a powerful and reliable knight, but the battlefield was a place for united forces to clash. If things went on this way, he would surely trip them up someday.
“If he goes on being this obstinate, it may be best to simply assign a new general.”
Nessiah said this bluntly, gathering up the papers on the desk.
At those words, Elena fell into a panic. She’d finally been able to reunite with her brother. If they were separated now, who knew when they would be able to meet again.
And this was Leon. There was every possibility that he would set off on his own without saying anything to Elena, even where he was headed.
“U-um. I’m going to go search for my brother!”
Calling out nervously, Elena chased after Leon. She wasn’t certain of her ability to convince him, but she couldn’t let things end without trying.
Ever since he had joined the Royal Army, Leon’s disposition had softened, if only slightly. Elena had become an assassin with the thought that she might have to stop him by force one day, but when she had realized the possibility that she might not have to confront her brother at all, she had been overjoyed.
But that was again because her current master, Yggdra, did not desire reckless conflict.
Her brother loved fighting. If they were torn apart here, he might venture again into a place that stank of blood. And she had no idea who he would find there. He might relapse into his old cruelty.
Terrible thoughts crowded the inside of Elena’s head, but she shook them off as she arrived at Leon’s room.
“Nii-san? …Are you there?”
She called and knocked at the same time. Almost immediately, the door opened.
“…What do you want.”
She’d long since gotten used to hearing that grumpy-sounding voice. As she looked at her brother, she realized that his helmet was slightly askew. Had he put it on in a rush?
“U-um… won’t you fight like everyone planned? I think we have a better chance of winning that way…”
“Is that all you’re here to say?”
Leon asked her in a low voice. He sounded irritated, and it was all Elena could do not to give up, but at the same time she couldn’t just run away.
“At this rate, Nii-san, you could get thrown out of the army…”
“Hah, I’m fine with that. If that’s the case, I’ll be outta here like lightning. Now I think of it, goin’ over to some enemy’s side so I can murder the hell outta that hypocrite wouldn’t be so…”
“I-I don’t want that!”
Leon fell silent automatically; it was rare for his little sister to shout. The unease in his heart was faint, but it was definitely there.
Elena wasn’t sure what to say next, but she took a deep breath and stared up at Leon unwaveringly. Her body was quivering slightly from nervousness, but she stood firmly before her brother as if to proclaim that she wouldn’t get out of his way.
“You finally joined the Royal Army, and we can be together again… I don’t want to be separated from you again.”
Her voice was very weak. Leon hated hearing that voice. Every time he became conscious of the fact that he-Elena’s own brother-was making her sound like that, it was like he could feel the wall between the two of them growing taller.
But despite that.
Regardless of the fact that he was frightening her, Elena was still saying she wanted to be with him.
“……You-”
“Eh?”
“Nah, it’s nothing…”
Honestly, Leon had no idea how to face his sister.
He’d changed. In all the clamor of fighting at Gulcasa’s side, he’d thrown away things like emotion. The part of him that was Elena’s “brother” had probably already disappeared.
But, if she was still willing to call him her brother.
And, little as he wanted to admit it-as long as he still longed for that.
“Tch, there’s no helping you…”
Leon took the doorknob in hand and turned around. When Elena panicked and tried to stop him, he interrupted her, and spoke in the moment the door closed.
“Go tell Nessiah that next time I’ll do what he wants.”
“Nii-san…!”
On the other side of the door, he knew she was overjoyed. Clicking his tongue again, Leon returned to his room.
As he faced the glass, Leon saw in his reflection that his helmet was slightly askew. In the end, his sister flustered him so badly that he couldn’t even realize something like this.
Lightly straightening it, Leon wondered if the day would ever come that he could talk to his sister without his helmet on.
If he could ever face his sister honestly again. If he could ever be with her as her brother again.
The day those things would become possible surely wasn’t anywhere near, but… even so, for just a little longer… he thought that he could stay with her.
Yggdra Unison, Yggdra's route; focuses mostly on Leon and Elena with appearances from Yggdra, Durant, and Nessiah.
The Kingdom of Fantasinia. By now, there were probably none left who knew not the name of that most vigorous fighter amongst all countries.
In the kingdom’s resistance against Bronquia, which had controlled most of the continent, they had now accumulated even more territory than the empire. But at the moment, the knights who served as the kingdom’s core defense were in a stormy kind of mood.
“Hah, and just who the hell would listen to what you’ve got to say?!”
“Leon-dono! Just why are you so uncooperative?!”
“Please stop arguing, you two…!”
On either side of a table covered in scattered tactical documents, a knight in black armor and a knight with a serious-looking face were yelling at each other. And a young assassin was fruitlessly attempting to arbitrate between them.
By now, this kind of scene was becoming commonplace; also included in that scenery were the two people who stood off to the side observing.
“U-um… shouldn’t we stop them?”
“I suppose there’s no helping it… Could I ask for you two to quiet down in the near future?”
Also seated at the strategy meeting was the princess who served as their lord. And it was the voice of the blind prophet sitting next to her that finally calmed the argument.
Still, everyone present was aware that it wouldn’t last for very long. Yggdra was finally able to speak to the two knights who were glaring at each other with grouchy expressions.
“Um, then, basically… I take it that you’re against this next plan, Leon?”
“No shit. Just who the hell’s gonna cooperate with this hypocrite?!”
Leon hmphed through his nose and turned away; the creases in Durant’s brow deepened. Elena, unable to do anything about the thunderous atmosphere, simply fidgeted.
“Honestly, I could not care less about any of that. You will move according to my directions.”
As if to proclaim that he had no interest in the others’ individual thoughts, Nessiah traced the map on the table once more with no change in his demeanor.
“The enemy will most likely advance towards us using this city road. Therefore, the princess and I will seal the path and keep them busy, and Elena will circle around and attack them from behind. The two of you will take your troops and use the mountains to execute a pincer attack on the main army from either side. Am I understood this time?”
He turned to Leon, phrasing himself so as to leave no room for the knight to consent or refuse. Nessiah’s eyes were covered by his blindfold, but even so Leon felt the strength of his stare and turned back to face the table. He locked eyes with Durant for just one moment, but looked away the next, clicking his tongue.
“Besides, I hate getting told around by you just as much! I thought you and Gulcasa were joined at the hip, you little traitor. Just what the hell are you doing here?”
“I’m not exactly here because I desire to be either, I’m sure you’re aware. I simply lost to her, and had no choice in the matter. Isn’t that the same for you? Well, I suppose you may have other reasons, but…”
So saying, Nessiah turned to face Elena. Startled by his gaze, she flinched.
“Anyhow, I’m not gonna do whatever you say. I’m gonna fight however I want to! Got it?!”
Leon shouted that violently, then stood up and cut between Nessiah and Elena, stomping off out of the room.
A flurry of sighs were released, and the meeting was calm again, if rather lonelier.
“…I wonder why he even joined our army?”
“Who knows…”
Durant murmured in a troubled-sounding voice, and Yggdra replied in the same tone. As long as you were only looking at his abilities, Leon was a powerful and reliable knight, but the battlefield was a place for united forces to clash. If things went on this way, he would surely trip them up someday.
“If he goes on being this obstinate, it may be best to simply assign a new general.”
Nessiah said this bluntly, gathering up the papers on the desk.
At those words, Elena fell into a panic. She’d finally been able to reunite with her brother. If they were separated now, who knew when they would be able to meet again.
And this was Leon. There was every possibility that he would set off on his own without saying anything to Elena, even where he was headed.
“U-um. I’m going to go search for my brother!”
Calling out nervously, Elena chased after Leon. She wasn’t certain of her ability to convince him, but she couldn’t let things end without trying.
Ever since he had joined the Royal Army, Leon’s disposition had softened, if only slightly. Elena had become an assassin with the thought that she might have to stop him by force one day, but when she had realized the possibility that she might not have to confront her brother at all, she had been overjoyed.
But that was again because her current master, Yggdra, did not desire reckless conflict.
Her brother loved fighting. If they were torn apart here, he might venture again into a place that stank of blood. And she had no idea who he would find there. He might relapse into his old cruelty.
Terrible thoughts crowded the inside of Elena’s head, but she shook them off as she arrived at Leon’s room.
“Nii-san? …Are you there?”
She called and knocked at the same time. Almost immediately, the door opened.
“…What do you want.”
She’d long since gotten used to hearing that grumpy-sounding voice. As she looked at her brother, she realized that his helmet was slightly askew. Had he put it on in a rush?
“U-um… won’t you fight like everyone planned? I think we have a better chance of winning that way…”
“Is that all you’re here to say?”
Leon asked her in a low voice. He sounded irritated, and it was all Elena could do not to give up, but at the same time she couldn’t just run away.
“At this rate, Nii-san, you could get thrown out of the army…”
“Hah, I’m fine with that. If that’s the case, I’ll be outta here like lightning. Now I think of it, goin’ over to some enemy’s side so I can murder the hell outta that hypocrite wouldn’t be so…”
“I-I don’t want that!”
Leon fell silent automatically; it was rare for his little sister to shout. The unease in his heart was faint, but it was definitely there.
Elena wasn’t sure what to say next, but she took a deep breath and stared up at Leon unwaveringly. Her body was quivering slightly from nervousness, but she stood firmly before her brother as if to proclaim that she wouldn’t get out of his way.
“You finally joined the Royal Army, and we can be together again… I don’t want to be separated from you again.”
Her voice was very weak. Leon hated hearing that voice. Every time he became conscious of the fact that he-Elena’s own brother-was making her sound like that, it was like he could feel the wall between the two of them growing taller.
But despite that.
Regardless of the fact that he was frightening her, Elena was still saying she wanted to be with him.
“……You-”
“Eh?”
“Nah, it’s nothing…”
Honestly, Leon had no idea how to face his sister.
He’d changed. In all the clamor of fighting at Gulcasa’s side, he’d thrown away things like emotion. The part of him that was Elena’s “brother” had probably already disappeared.
But, if she was still willing to call him her brother.
And, little as he wanted to admit it-as long as he still longed for that.
“Tch, there’s no helping you…”
Leon took the doorknob in hand and turned around. When Elena panicked and tried to stop him, he interrupted her, and spoke in the moment the door closed.
“Go tell Nessiah that next time I’ll do what he wants.”
“Nii-san…!”
On the other side of the door, he knew she was overjoyed. Clicking his tongue again, Leon returned to his room.
As he faced the glass, Leon saw in his reflection that his helmet was slightly askew. In the end, his sister flustered him so badly that he couldn’t even realize something like this.
Lightly straightening it, Leon wondered if the day would ever come that he could talk to his sister without his helmet on.
If he could ever face his sister honestly again. If he could ever be with her as her brother again.
The day those things would become possible surely wasn’t anywhere near, but… even so, for just a little longer… he thought that he could stay with her.