Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 4 Episode 2 (section)

===Part 9===

*splash*

Such sound of water hit the ears the moment they came to.

After a lapse of awareness that was only for a few seconds, when they noticed, Lux and the others were standing in a dim place.

There wasn’t any cover or anything nearby. Humid air was filling the surroundings.

The surrounding was dim, there were only bluish white strange lights that dotted the surrounding bit by bit.

「……-!?」

The ground was bobbing up and down, and also perhaps when they were taken in the air above the deck was also brought in together with them, because the peculiar smell of the seashore stabbed the nose.

(Besides, what’s this? This presence……)

There was one more thing, a disquieting presence of something that Lux sensed. He quickly moved to the side of Airi who wasn’t wearing any protection.

「Noct, can you do it?」

When Sharis raised a tensed voice inside the dim space,

「Yes, my lord. Confirming the reaction of Abyss organisms using the <Drake>, please wait for a bit.」

Noct and the other members who were wearing the special type Drag-Ride, <Drake>, were carrying out enemy searches and confirmed the safety of the surroundings.

After that, when each Drag-Ride turned on their search lights, the surrounding was illuminated brightly and the sight inside the ship became clear.

Syvalles’s members who had secured their field of vision were about to let out a sigh of relieve, it was then──

「Eh──!?」

「Wa, wait, just what is…… this?」

The eyes of the girls were opened wide in surprise, and their bodies that were clad with armor were trembling.

Lux also felt the same, but he immediately changed his thought.

「What, is this……?」

Lisha who confirmed her vicinity a bit delayed knitted her brows after seeing that sight.

Destruction.

There were depressions here and there, a large amount of inorganic substance smashed and scattered apart.

Due to the countless rubble with incomprehensible shape, there wasn’t even any place for their feet to step on.

「According to the document, this space is called the lounge. For now it looks like we have accomplished our first objective of entering safely.」

Airi looked around timidly while informing the others of that.

The structure of the third Ruin, the Ark, was comparatively easy to understand.

The only facts that had been proven was that this Ruin was divided into eleven levels, that there were stairs that continued to the next level located at the bow and the stern of the ship, and , from the investigations, the floor where they were transported onto from the deck was numbered as the first floor, while the lower floors after it were numbered as the second floor, and so on.

Although there should also be a lot of fork roads midway, there was basically stairs that connected to the upper and lower level on each floor.

「It’s great that all of us are safe, headmaster.」

Dobar and his private force called out to them from a slight distance away.

「It seems that the traces of fighting in the ancient times remain here. Let us both be careful.」

「Yes, may fortune be with you.」

After Relie returned a smile. Dobar bowed with「Well then」 and left with his men.

Similarly, Lux and the others who confirmed the presence and safety of all their members also started their march.

In order to shoulder the role of exploration, enemy search, and lighting the path, two <Drakes> and three other Drag-Rides were kept as they were, while the remaining members desummoned their armor.

This was a method to preserve their stamina while marching in shifts.

「Well, I understand that this is a safe plan but, how should I say it, this is really sluggish ain’t it, going slowly like this.」

Tillfur who was wearing a <Wyrm> was grumbling from the tediousness.

Her job was to remove the rubble using her Drag-Ride’s power and secure the route, but it seemed she was tired of that and felt annoyed.

「It can’t be helped. There is a chance that the Abyss or traps are hidden under the rubble.」

Sharis immediately soothed her. Noct also sent a glance to Tillfur.

「Yes. The <Drake> is recording the shortest route that has been confirmed as safe, so when we come here next time all of us will be able to wear our Drag-Rides and advance several dozen times faster.」

「We are moving to the stern from the first floor’s lounge. There are several areas midway, but a lot of the walls are destroyed, so the path became hard to comprehend.」

Airi who was memorizing the Ruin’s information sometimes gave an explanation while she was moving her legs.

And then, Lux was worried about Philuffy who was walking beside him.

「Philuffy. Is your body all right? You aren’t tired?」

「Yes.」

The answer from Philuffy that was said with her usual expressionless face was hard to read whether she was saying the truth or not.

After they walked forward silently, at the stern of the first floor──they found the stairs that continued to the second floor and they went down.

Even though the level change, the scenery was basically unchanged.

The bluish white lighting, the dimness of the area, and the dreadful trace of destruction were also the same as before.

Marquis Dobar said that it was the traces of a battle from the ancient times but──

「Lux-kun, did you notice? This trace of destruction.」

「Yes……. Somehow, but──it looks new doesn’t it?」

Lux nodded in return towards the whisper of Krulcifer who was walking beside him.

Lisha who was walking in the lead heard that and she turned around.

「What is it?」

「Don’t mind us. Right now it’s still just conjecture.」

「Don’t leave me in suspense like that! You made me excessively curious here you know!?」

Lisha spontaneously flared up at Krulcifer, it was then,

「Everyone, please stop.」

Airi’s voice that was tinged with nervousness made everyone hold their breaths.

「This is……?」

When the light from Noct’s <Drake> shined forward, there was a huge space before their eyes.

The surrounding was covered with something that looked like hard glass, with a half-dome ceiling.

It was a boundary that displayed that from here on ahead was a completely different domain.

「What’s this? Is it a room or something?」

「This is a section that is called a Biome Sphere. It looks like it’s running an independent ecosystem, as though it’s a natural forest. Although……」

Airi was explaining with an ancient text in one hand, however at the end her words turned ambiguous.

The answer was apparent from a glimpse.

「Looks like there was a really fierce battle in the past. Besides, it seems that the functions of the Ruin that maintained this ecosystem are completely suspended.」

When Krulcifer whispered so, Lisha also nodded and she raised her voice.

「Noct, can you see any signs of enemies nearby?」

「No. I had increased my enemy search range to maximum since some time ago, but there is no presence of the Abyss. The force of Marquis Dobar is located around 300 mel ahead on a different route.」

「Looks like they are advancing quickly, but I think we can overtake them soon.」

Relie who heard that let out a sigh of relieve,

「But, from here on is where it really starts.」

She stared at the Biome Sphere spreading before their eyes and continued with that sentence.

The devastated state of the ecosystem increased the complexity of the path. Added with the rock, soil, and the uneven ground, it was like there was a natural labyrinth blocking the way of intruders.

And then, the vegetation that were growing densely and abundantly turned into a shade. They couldn’t even see several dozen mel ahead of them.

「Looks like it will take time to search for the correct path from here on ahead. If there is no signs of the Abyss, I think that we should split to search though──」

「Guess so. Then for now let’s split into a team of three or four people and begin exploring in four directions. If anyone finds something, send contact using Dragon Voice. Okay?」

Relie agreed with Krulcifer’s suggestion and the members formed their own teams.

Their grouping was decided beforehand based on the number of people. Lux, Noct, and Airi were in one group.

「Take care of me, Noct.」

「Yes. I judged that being grouped with Lux-san is a really fortunate event. It’s me that should ask you to take care of me.」

Noct bowed with a bob of her head, her expression calm as usual.

Lux was wearing a <Wyvern> while Noct was wearing a <Drake>. They advanced ahead in order to guard Airi.

Lux was the eldest person present, so he took a deep breath to fire himself up, it was then,

「Nii-san. Please don’t lay your hand on my roommate too just because there is no one else around okay?」

「No, why are you talking as though I’m always wooing girls!?」

「Yes. I understand Airi’s feeling that is worried that your brother might be taken from you by everyone, but I judge that your statement just now was only a needless anxiety.」

「Wai-…… please don’t say something strange so suddenly Noct!」

Not minding Airi who was unusually flustered, Noct continued.

「Surely Lux-san is not seeing me as a girl. I’m someone who is expected to serve the Baltshift family after I graduate. Something like love is inconsequential, but for me to be outside being a target of love already at this age, is a bit depressing. Haa……」

She sounded a bit like she was reading in monotone, but it was also rare for Noct to talk in pessimism like that, so Lux got driven by guilt.

「Tha, that’s not true. I think that Noct is also really cute……」

「……Is that so? Then more specifically, from Lux-san’s point of view, which part of me is charming?」

「E, err, that……. Well, the line from your collarbone until your chest, is really──」

「Nii-san……do you remember what I just talked about?」

When Lux said that while looking at Noct in her suit, Airi retorted with a chilly expression.

「Yes. I think that Lux-san ought to be a bit more careful when dealing with females. That way of praising that feels indecent, Lux-san might get accused as someone obscene and get tricked by someone because of it.」

「Even though I did my best to give praise, you are picking faults in it, and on top of that you also tricked me-!?」

Lux plainly felt shocked from being toyed around by a girl who was his junior and he hung his head down.

Beside him Airi was,

「I’m relieved in a sense. Usually Nii-san was praised to the sky of how cool you are, but as I thought Nii-san is someone like this in truth.」

Like that, she was somewhat in acceptance.

(Fo, for some reason I’m feeling very vexed……-! She is hitting right on the mark……)

Lux was anguished so inside his heart, it was then,

「…………」

He noticed Noct was watching over Airi who was walking beside her with a small smile on her lips.

『Can we talk for a bit?』

『……? What business do you have, to use Dragon Voice at this kind of distance?』

The Dragon Voice was a communication method through the medium of a Drag-Ride.

When Lux sent a Dragon Voice limited to Noct beside him, she sent back a questioning voice to him.

『Don’t tell me, Lux-san is going to secretly send me an obscene verbal abuse that you cannot say in front of Airi──!』

『That’s not it-!? Just how indecent of a person am I!?』

『Yes. I know. Lux-san is quite an indecent person despite your face that looks harmless, but I don’t think that you have that kind of guts.』

『…………』

As always it felt like he was being toyed around by Noct, but he somehow endured it and continued his words.

『That……thank you. You were intentionally making cheerful talk for the sake of Airi who is uneasy because this is her first time exploring a Ruin, right?』

Thereupon, Noct showed an amazed face for a moment as though she was taken by surprise, but,

『No. That’s not it. I was merely wanting to make fun of Lux-san. That’s why, I think there isn’t any need for me to be thanked.』

Her expression immediately returned to her usual composed face and she answered like that.

Even so Lux said his thanks with a smile.

『It’s really a big help, Noct.』

That Noct was denying her consideration towards Airi must be because of her pride as someone who descended from a lineage of family attendants.

Covering up for the master and guest without being noticed was the family precept of Noct’s family. It was something that Lux remembered hearing from Tillfur who was also of the Triad.

『I only need to be appreciated by my master, so it’s unnecessary for Lux-san to be concerned for me.』

Noct replied like that through the Dragon Voice with her usual calm tone.

『I see.』

『──But, a part of me that is outside my position, feels just a bit happy hearing those words.』

But, she gave such response to Lux while showing a faint smile.

『If Lux-san becomes my employer, it looks like it will be difficult to act in a casual manner doesn’t it?』

『Eh……?』

『I’m joking. Rather than that──』

Suddenly the presence of Noct who was walking beside him changed.

「Please stop, both of you.」

Noct used her physical voice this time to let out a voice that was tinged with tension.

Airi backed away while Lux readied his blade and stepped forward, then,

「It’s not an Abyss…… but, under the rubble a few hundred mel ahead from here, there is a human-like shape present there. There is no heat or movement reaction, perhaps it’s some kind of trap…… it can also be something like that.」

「Got it. I’ll go look.」

Lux didn’t wait for any reply and flew his <Wyvern>.

If it was by any chance a corpse, he didn’t want to show it to Airi, but──

「……-!?」

Lux who lifted up the huge rubble doubted his eyes reflexively.

That human shape which was laying down on the ground was beautiful.

It was a green haired girl wearing a dress with strange silver lines. She was lying down as though she was sleeping.

She looked like she was around eleven or twelve years old, her figure was young and petite.

Her well-ordered features, combined with her silently closed pair of eyes made Lux vaguely feel a mystique atmosphere from the girl.

Of course, her clothes and skin were dirtied with mud, showing how long the years had passed for the girl, even so she looked so beautiful it was unthinkable that she had died.

And then there was a mechanical decoration that was designed like bunny ears on her small head.

「Is everything all right, Lux-san?」

While Lux was staring at the girl half in a daze, Noct and Airi caught up with him.

「This is……!? This child, what on earth──」

As expected, even Airi seemed to have no clue, she was speechless after catching the sight of the girl.

Under the bluish white lighting that was like the moonlight, that place was filled with silence for a while, but,

「Noct, is Krulcifer-san’s group nearby?」

「There is reaction in the location 200 mel from here. It seems she is not wearing <Fafnir>, but it’s possible to contact her if I send a Dragon Voice to a member in her group.」

「Thank you. Can you call her for me?」

「Roger. ──But, why her?」

Noct was having a bit of doubt even while she was quickly taking action. To that Lux,

「Just a bit of something……」

He returned an ambiguous reply.

<Fafnir> came flying in less than a minute after Noct sent the communication.

Perhaps it should be said as expected from a user of a Divine Drag-Ride, she came flying in at high speed through a dark path where the ceiling was low and trees and rocks were lined up.

「You said that you found something mysterious but, what is it I wonder?」

As soon as Krulcifer who finally arrived saw it, her usual cool voice vanished.

「This is……. No, this child is?」

「We don’t know. But, I thought that if it’s Krulcifer-san who has seen the Ruin in Ymir, then you might know something……」

「…………」

Krulcifer stiffened with her gaze still fixed seriously on the girl.

Her reaction was understandable, Lux thought.

For Krulcifer whose origin was from a Ruin, this girl might be her brethren that she was unable to find throughout all these long years.

This was her first time seeing with her own eyes that body existing for real.

「Even the ancient text I am translating doesn’t record the existence of someone like this. What do you think, Krulcifer-san?」

Airi who had been pondering until now seemed to grow restless and asked that.

「It’s dangerous.」

Suddenly such whisper leaked out from Krulcifer’s mouth.

「The two of you, can you join up with the group I was with before? There is a chance you can get entangled into danger by staying here.」

「Eh……?」

Krulcifer’s face returned to her usual expression. Her long beautiful hair shook and she continued.

「In the past, I heard about a story that there might be a human shaped trap in the Ruin of Ymir. I’ll try to examine this girl right now, but if a battle ensues, it will be difficult to protect you.」

「……I understand.」

Having been told that, Airi left that place together with Noct even though she looked reluctant.

After the figure of the two completely vanished, Lux raised his face.

「Krulcifer-san. What you said just now──」

「Yes, of course it’s a lie.」

Krulcifer said nonchalantly.

She was a girl who originated from a Ruin. She was someone who was standing in a peculiar position. Her true identity couldn’t be exposed that lightly toward anyone.

If that secret was leaked out from somewhere, then fellows who would try to use her existence would appear and she would be aimed at, just like how Lux’s secret as the Black Hero was.

He didn’t think that Airi and Noct would blab, but there was also a precedent like the existence of Saniya in Syvalles, so they couldn’t let their guard down.

「Sorry. Even though I need to pay attention to something like this.」

Lux thought so and he tried to apologize, but then,

「Don’t worry about it. Rather than that, this child……isn’t a human is she?」

「Eh……?」

Krulcifer told the perplexed Lux with her usual calm and collected expression.

「Of course, she is also not an Abyss. I cannot think of any adequate definition but──」

Krulcifer was caressing the girl’s cheek while talking ambiguously. Right after that, the little girl’s golden eyes opened with a snap.

 

『Supervisor’s living reaction is confirmed. System reboot.』

 

It was an inorganic voice that resembled a heavy metallic sound.

At the same time the dress with strange silver lines running through it fluttered and the girl got up.

「-……!?」

Lux and Krulcifer who were wearing Drag-Rides reflexively took a distance quickly. They readied their respective weapons.

When they directed the greatest vigilance towards the standing up girl,

「……Eh?」

The girl turned her head left and right restlessly, she was staring at Lux and Krulcifer, then at the completely devastated sight of the surroundings, after that──

*bam*

Suddenly the girl fell prostate on the ground.

「I’m sorry. Looks like no one is calling for me here……. Good night.」

「Wait a second!? Why are you collapsing again!?」

「I, I wish you won’t misunderstand, I don’t have any memory at all regarding this disastrous scene. But still, I have a hunch that this is surely not my fault, so if possible I want to beg to not get disposed of, but just a program correction is─……」

「……She is suddenly starting to shift responsibility. Just who in the world is this girl?」

Krulcifer turned towards the girl with a questioning expression, then,

「Eh……? By any chance, you don’t know about me, XferKey’s Supervisor-sama?」

The girl said an incomprehensible thing like that.

「I don’t know. More importantly, what are you? Your name?」

「This is, my deepest apologies. My name is La Cruche. The Gear LeaderController of this Ark. To explain it in an easier to understand term, I am the personification of the system that is governing this facility──an existence that everyone calls an Automaton. Pleased to make your acquaintance from here on.」

She bowed reverently like a maid that was serving her master.

Judging from her behavior, it seemed that the relatives of Krulcifer were in the positions as the ones who managed the Ruin.

The system’s Automaton that remained inside the Ruin.

Until now they had never heard of such an existence in the history of any country.

If this girl’s words were the truth, then this might be the first contact with someone who knew about the history of the ancient era.

「Lux-kun. Perhaps, we are──」

「Yes……」

Lux also understood the meaning of Krulcifer’s anxious voice.

The moment he realized that, Lux’s heart was also pounding fiercely.

The existence of the Ruins that were mostly wrapped in mystery until now, that mystery might be solved in its entirety right now in this place.

「Then you, you know about everything of the ancient era?」

Krulcifer’s impatient voice shook the forest’s air.

「…………」

A moment later, the Automaton who introduced herself as La Cruche tilted her head and made a thinking posture.

「Regarding my memory of the past, my deepest apology but──」

Amidst the fierce tension where one hesitated to even breath.

「……It looks like I overslept too much that I seriously forget it. Really, sorry.」

The machine girl said so with a slightly apologetic look, she then bowed her head down.

「…………」

「…………」

「Aah, I beg of you, don’t look at me with those kinds of eyes. Also please don’t scrap me. I really don’t remember anything. It appears that because of this unknown incident, my memory data was completely blown away temporarily, it’s true!」

[[File:Saijaku 012.jpg|thumb|right]]

La Cruche desperately made excuses after seeing Krulcifer’s chilly gaze.

They didn’t really understand, but it seemed this girl also had a personality, or the concept to protect herself at the very least.

「We don’t have any such intention, but we want to question you a little.」

After letting out a little sigh, Krulcifer questioned La Cruche, and La Cruche answered her.

First, the girl was the Gear Leader of the Ark and an Automaton. She was connected to the central of this Ruin and it was possible for her to manage the Ruin.

She recognized Krulcifer as a XferKey’s Supervisor that was the constructor of the Ruin, and she was intending to obey Krulcifer’s will and command.

And then the last, because of the impact from the incident that occurred in this Ruin in the past, La Cruche confessed that it seemed she lost her past memory.

「Forgive me. Originally as the Gear Leader, I should be able to connect to the central right away if the main unit is safe, and from there it’s possible to recover my memory but……」

The girl exaggeratedly prostrated herself and apologized.

「I can mostly imagine the cause. Most likely it’s the same cause that made this room dimly lighted like this, the majority of the Ark’s functions right now are being suspended, is that it?」

「Tha, that’s right. As expected from Xfer-sama. You are not only beautiful, but you are also really wise.」

La Cruche’s rabbit-like ears were moving twitchily and she jumped on the spot.

Krulcifer who saw that made a slightly wry smile and she patted the girl’s head.

「I don’t need flattery. I still don’t understand what kind of relationship ought to exist between us, but you can talk to me more casually you know?」

「Those words are too good for me. Then, while presumptuous of me, I wish to express an advice so that you can become more beautiful. Xfer-sama is a bit too thin. I think that if you eat a bit more meat, then a part of that humble body of yours might be improved──」

La Cruche spoke with a cheerful smile, but it felt like the air suddenly froze and cracked.

「………… Come to think of it, in the end you don’t know about anything essential don’t you? In other words even if you are destroyed here, it won’t be any inconvenience for us──is my understanding correct?」

「My, my deepest apologies-!? I only have this one personality, so if it’s possible that I can receive mercy──」

(S, so, Krulcifer-san is actually bothered about that……)

Seeing the chilly smile Krulcifer displayed, Lux swore inside his heart to absolutely not touch on this kind of topic with her.

「And, what should we do to restore that thing you called the central system?」

「Ye, yes. By going to the control room area and have Xfer-sama authenticate there, it’s possible to give out the restoration command after that.」

「Where is that place called the control room area located?」

Lux held his breath while waiting for the answer that Krulcifer asked dispassionately.

「Everything is located right before the deepest level of the Ark in the underground eleventh level, the tenth level──if we can go there, we will understand everything.」

La Cruche reverently bowed her head and declared.