Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 7 Episode 4 (section)

===Part 9===

「……Shit-! I expected it but, to be unable to move by this much!」

Lisha muttered in irritation while galring at the countless Abyss dancing in the sky.

The Sanctuary Knight Order protecting the holy capital as well as Lisha and co the members from new kingdom were forced into a hard battle that surpassed their expectation.

They made it in time with the rescue of the believers who were swallowed by the avalanche that Drakkhen caused, but the sticky new type Abyss──Chaff Slime was mixed in large amount inside that snow.

They clung at the armor’s joint parts and propulsion device, lowering each part’s movement and performance drastically.

This was the result from prioritizing the rescue of the people even knowing that it was Drakkhen’s trap, but she didn’t regret it.

But, the time to truly pay the compensation for it would be from here on.

「GISHAAAaAAH……!」

A Chimera gliding in the air to attack was intercepted by the Lightning Lance of Celis who was wearing Lindwurm.

The attack from the lance that was tinged with powerful electricity burned the winged beast Abyss──but, that attack which originally should be able to pierce the core in a single attack and finished it off ended with only stabbing the enemy’s muscle chest slightly.

「GISHAAAAAAAAAA!」

Naturally, the efficiency of evasion and defense against the counterattack of that Abyss that couldn’t be defeated was also limited.

Celis immediately used her lance as shield and dodged the claw, but she was unable to neutralize the impact completely and it pierced her armor, running through her body.

In the case that the offensive aspect was weakened, the stamina of the user was shaved off more than the Drag-Ride’s performance.

The majority of Drag-Knights of the theocracy who got showered with Chaff Slime had their armor dispelled due to exhaustion and the encroachment, the number of people who could fight was decreasing in accelerated speed.

Even Celis who was several times more trained than ordinary people was breathing hard, that was why Lisha and Philuffy were already at the state of maintaining their armor with only their willpower.

It was only Yoruka whose figure couldn’t be found anywhere right after she didn’t comply with Lisha’s demand.

「That damned ero woman, just what is she thinking…….!?」

Was she heading alone to old sanctuary site to protect Lux, or was she going to defeat the commander of the enemy, Drakkhen? It was unclear what she was doing, but at present they could expect nothing from her.

「Lizsharte. Do you still have spare strength to exert your full power?」

Celis asked Lisha like that while staring at her with a grave expression before her eyes.

It seemed that the Abyss was finally completely annihilated, but they were replaced by the Drag-Knights of Dragon Marauder who were gradually tightening the encirclement.

The enemy’s Wyvern force that numbered more than ten was lining up in the sky above at long distance. They were readying their Cannon and began simultaneous bombardment toward the cathedral.

「Shit-! The really are easy to understand bunches!」

Lisha spontaneously clicked her tongue. Philuffy beside her also nodded and replied.

「My Anchor too, cannot reach in that range.」

The tactic of the Dragon Marauder was thorough.

They wouldn’t enter the range of the throwing weapon Legion possessed by Lisha’s Tiamat or the wire weapon Pile Anchor that Philuffy’s Typhoon handled no matter what.

The strength of the Cannon would be dampened if they fired from too far, but it seemed even that had been taken into consideration.

「──But, they also shouldn’t be able to approach carelessly. It’s as though the enemies other than Wyvern cannot be seen at all.」

Celis glared sharply to the front amidst the Cannon attack that was fired continuously.

Even if they covered for the nobles gathered inside the cathedral, it would be a losing battle due to the Chaff Slime sticking on them making their energy consumption even more intense.

Thus, they were aiming the instant Lisha and others became impatient and came forward. Even Lisha and others had guessed enemy’s intention.

If they flew carelessly, most likely they would receive concentrated fire from Drakes hiding on the ground waiting for chance.

The Wyrms would also charging forward at the same time launching an attack.

The current Lisha and co couldn’t breakthrough this encirclement.

Inside the half-destroyed cathedral, a lot of wounded and scared noble believers were clamoring.

They had no time for hesitation.

If the encirclement by enemy force was completed, they would be annihilated by all out bombardment.

「──Lizsharte, I’ll leave the command to you. I will go to buy time.」

Celis suddenly told Lisha that and stepped forward.

「Wa, wait! Don’t make rushed decision! Perhaps there is still another way!」

Even while saying that, she gritted her teeth from being unable to think a valid idea.

In the end, was it just as Yoruka said, that they should abandon this country’s people and fought?

She didn’t want to think that her judgment that she made as the princess of the new kingdom doing the best that she could do was mistaken.

But, she didn’t want to have someone else to shoulder the burden that resulted from her judgment.

When Lisha was casting her eyes down unable to say anything, Celis silently turned her face to her and showed a smile.

「It’s not like I’m planning to die, so worrying is not permitted. Also──those caustic words you told to Yoruka just now were splendid. They were words worthy of the princess of the new kingdom.」

「-……!?」

Lisha held her breath, right after that Celis’s Lindwurm soared to the sky.

「As expected, it’s heavy.」

It wasn’t just the movement restriction from the liquid Abyss made from mineral matter──the Chaff Slime, the additional weight was also weighing her down.

Celis gave up shaking off the slime with force. She could only finish off the enemy using the minimum movement.

「Here she come──fire-!」

Just like they predicted, the force of Wyrms and Drakes at the ground hiding in the cover of building around the cathedral was showering her with concentrated Cannon fire.

「……Divine Gate.」

Celis activated the Divine Raiment of Lindwurm in anticipation of that.

She was able to instantly teleport within the territory of light.

Chaff Slime was clinging on her, but she was stlll barely able to fly along with it.

But, when she was evading, the other ground force immediately repeated two, three shots of Cannon.

「So I still cannot reach with this……」

Although the encirclement was tightened, there was no enemy within the range that Lindwurm’s attack could reach just by teleporting once.

There was a need to remake the territory of light to fly until that range using Divine Gate, but as expected the enemy wouldn’t let her by concentrating their aim at her.

It was a torrent of shockwave that even reached dozens. Even so the girl didn’t waver and flew. The men in the enemy force shuddered witnessing that.

「Chih! This woman, is she really the same Drag-Knight like us!? She should be weakened already!」

Celis suppress the number of bullet hitting her to the minimum, and finally she broke through the storm of concentrated fire.

And then, the tip of the lance she thrust pierced the armor of Dragon Marauder’s Wyvern in the sky.

Finally, the first enemy Drag-Knight was destroyed.

But, the Wyverns at the surrounding who saw that switched their armament into Breath Gun for close range and aimed to stop her movement with barrage of bullets.

「It’s imprudent but, how splendid. As expected from the legendary mercenary.」

She even felt admiration to the thoroughness of the enemy force’s tactic and the height of their proficiency.

She had polished her strength, but this was a feat that she who was unable to lead other people couldn’t possibly do.

Because rather than forcing hardship or burden to other people, it was easier for her to take them upon herself.

But──,

「It’s something I want to attempt to challenge if I come back alive. I want to give proper guidance to my juniors for sure this time, that’s why──」

Celis smiled. She disturbed the encirclement of Wyverns and carried out suicidal attack until she ran out of strength.

「──I’ll also go soon, please take care of the rest, princess.」

A few seconds after Celis started charging toward the Dragon Marauder, Philuffy too told Lisha with an indifferent tone.

「Even you, what are you thinking airhead girl! What are you going to do running ahead when your Drag-Ride isn’t flying type! There is no enemy in the firing range of your Typhoon──you’ll only get surrounded and then shot down!」

With the ground where it was hard to move because of the avalanche and the movement that dulled due to Chaff Slime, she was just a shooting target.

Thus Lisha tried to stop her in panic, but Philuffy quietly shook her head.

「It’s not that, perhaps. Something is coming.」

「……What are you saying!?」

「Something else than this slime……something is strange, it has been gathering since just now.」

Philuffy turned her gaze forward with a glance.

Then, another slime with different color than Chaff Slime that had muddy black color──a slime with dull ocher color was moving.

「Another slime Abyss huh? But, if it’s just that I’ll deal with it right──」

「Don’t shoot. ……My nose can smell it, even from here, oil smell.」

「Smell, you say……? Don’t tell me──」

Philuffy nodded expressionlessly.

Different from the Wyvern force, she thought it was strange that the Dragon Marauders on the ground didn’t come rushing, but looking carefully it was the reverse.

The Wyrm force on the ground that was approaching was slowly loosening the encirclement and began to retreat.

It was to attract attention to the Drag-Ride, while the slimes that smell like oil were advancing without being noticed.

It didn’t take much imagination to think about what the new slime could do.

「Dragon Marauder’s division commander Drakkhen……, how outrageous!」

Lisha reflexively bit her fingernail. Philuffy silently advanced forward then.

「If they are allowed to get near further than this, even the cathedral will be blown away. That’s why, I’m going.」

「……Philuffy.」

Lisha muttered shortly.

She understood that in this situation, there was no other way than that.

「But, it looks like the oily slime might end with just this. So, take care of the rest.」

Right after saying that with a serious face, Philuffy drove her Typhoon and charged toward the Wyrm force in front without stopping.

Instantly, the enemy army backed away in hurry and aimed the cannon muzzle toward the ground.

There was still some distance until the cathedral, but they intended to explode the slime to avoid getting mixed up into it.

「Biting Flare」

That moment, Philuffy also activated Typhoon’s special armament.

The energy from the armored arm was accumulated, then she grasped the ground in front of her and exploded it.

Right after that, the grey colored slime also caught fire, and explosion blast and flash covered the visibility of the whole place.

「-……!」

Philuffy held her ground even now while she was swallowed by intense blast and flame.

She endured using strengthened endurance and barrier that was the characteristic of the land battle type Divine Drag-Ride Typhoon.

「──Charge-! Suppress the cathedral using this chance!」

Right after the explosion settled, the Wyrm and Drake force of Dragon Marauder assaulted.

Everyone of them were holding close range weapon, they charged forward without stopping with the intention to squash the resistance.

Celis and Philuffy couldn’t move properly anymore. They were barely escaping while luring the enemy, but they were mostly unable to attack.

Because the enemy understood that, they too didn’t split too much of their number to pursue the two.

Behind there was only the cathedral that almost collapsed, the noble believers, and then the Drag-Knights of Sanctuary Knight Order who couldn’t even use their Drag-Ride properly.

Lisha who was in a desperate situation that was driven into corner could hear communication from Dragon Voice.

『How is your well-being, Lisha-san?』

『-……!? This ero woman, where have you been until now!? Eee, in the first place, right now isn’t the time──』

『Is that so? That’s unfortunate. Even though I finally finished laying out trap around the whole area of cathedral──』

『What……?』

『It’s from the pillar in front of the cathedral until the spot 10 ml from there. Can you lure the enemy there?』

『You──. No, got it.』

Lisha didn’t understand so far until the specific of what Yoruka was planning.

But, this girl who was towering above other only in her fighting ability was estimating that there was a chance to bring down the force of Dragon Marauder.

Right now, there was no other option except betting in that.

「GOOO-! It doesn’t matter even if the archbishop is killed! All troops charge!」

The Dragon Marauders on the ground approached loudly. Lisha resolved herself, then she pulled out Tiamat’s Sword Device and took the standard stance.

「──Sanctuary Knight Orderm pray to the god later! The last defense is starting from here!」

And then, she called out to the friendly troops at the back who were making expression of despair with their whole body wounded all over.

「I’ll wage war on you Drakkhen! With the way of my own style, as the princess of the new kingdom!」

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