Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 4 Episode 5 (section)

===Part 2===

The next day, the Ruin investigation was carried out since the morning.

They started the investigation from the stopping point at the eighth floor and hurried through the path that was almost a straight line.

Airi and Relie participated this time too. Including them there were thirteen people participating, but Philuffy was resting at the boardinghouse because her condition wasn’t well.

Fortunately, they reached safely until the tenth floor without encountering the Abyss just as expected.

While continuing to walk the corridor where unfamiliar strange objects were lining up, La Cruche suddenly stopped her legs, and then, she looked up to the ceiling with her small body.

「Everyone, thank you for accompanying me until this far. We have safely arrived at the control room area. I will open the door after this, so can I ask for a little help?」

「I’ll do it. What do I need to do?」

Krulcifer replied like that earlier than everyone and came forward.

This was something that she had arranged beforehand with La Cruche.

The cooperation of Krulcifer who was a Xfer, someone who inherited the blood of the Ruin’s supervisor, was necessary to open the door of the control room area. She wanted to hide that true identity of hers.

For that, La Cruche asked for the cooperation of 『someone』 to hide that fact.

『Xfer’s existence is confirmed. The door will open.』

The door of the control room area was opened along with the sensation of an unfamiliar inorganic voice echoing directly inside the brain.

It was a fairytale-like space that was enveloped with a faint mysterious light.

「Please wait for just a bit. I will supplement my memory and restore the Ark’s system.」

And then, La Cruche sat down on a small chair at the center of the room. At the same time, something like a helm came down from overhead and connected with her.

She slowly closed her eyes and began to concentrate her consciousness.

「If everyone has spare time, it’s fine even if you all go ahead to look at this Ruin’s deepest part you know? It looks like it will take quite a bit of time until my lost memory is restored.」

「Then we will do as you say. Airi-chan, will you come with me?」

「Ah, yes. I don’t mind but──it’s just……」

Relie immediately agreed and she was about to head to the deepest part. In contrast Airi was mumbling as though she wanted to say something. Even so she nodded.

Lux and the others also accompanied the two of them.

The distance from the tenth floor’s control room area until the deepest part was really short.

After they went down cream colored, smooth stairs, they could see the door of the deepest level.

It was a grey colored gate that was far firmer then everything until now.

「This place, so this is……」

Relie touched the solid door and muttered emotionally.

She approached the strange gem before the gate, but there wasn’t any reaction.

『……Ah, please don’t give any impact to that room over there.』

「Uwah……!?」

Lux and Lisha reacted in surprise hearing that voice that came out of nowhere.

Krulcifer calmly looked up and muttered.

「La Cruche. Is this your voice?」

『Yes master. I’m contacting you through the communication equipment and monitoring devices deployed through the Ark. The last room will need your──not that, it needs specific authentication, but as long as you have that then you’ll be able to enter inside.』

「Then, can you teach me that method?」

Relie urged from the side.

She was feigning calm, but most likely she was impatient inside.

She wanted to obtain the knowledge of the ancient era as soon as possible, decipher it, and find a method to save Philuffy.

Everyone present there gulped and held their breaths, it was then──

「Please wait!」

Suddenly Airi spoke out and broke the mood.

While everyone there held their tongues from the surprise, Airi started talking with a trembling voice.

「This morning I deciphered an ancient text──it’s a text that was newly obtained from the Garden previously. It was written there that a mobile device of a weapon that mustn’t be touched is sleeping here. About the details, even I was unable to decipher it, and it also needs confirmation from the government so I stayed quiet but……. If, this translation is correct then──」

「Don’t tell me, what destroyed the ancient era that created this Ruin was……」

Airi silently nodded at Lux’s muttering.

「Yes, it’s highly likely that it was because of that weapon. If the forbidden device sleeping at the Ruin’s deepest part is activated, we don’t know what will happen. It’s dangerous for us to decide it right now.」

「That might be so.」

Krulcifer also agreed with Airi’s fearful opinion.

「If there is a secret that important inside, then we cannot open this with our own discretion. We should send messengers to the capital and ask for the decision from above. We also have to obtain the information at the control room area from La Cruche, and then every country needs to have a discussion with each other based on that.」

「…………」

Relie’s shoulders were quaking a bit beside Krulcifer who was talking calmly.

Even Lux could understand her feelings like the back of his own hand.

Philuffy’s condition was a race against time.

Surely Relie wanted to enter this room right now without wasting time.

Lux also felt the same as her.

If the door of the deepest part wasn’t opened until the sunset of two days later──

Hayes’s words crossed through his mind.

However, he couldn’t divulge that fact right now in this place.

While Lux was feeling conflicted, Relie made a choice.

「──It can’t be helped.」

She made a gentle expression and calmly spoke.

「Certainly it will be dangerous to enter the deepest part with our current group. Let’s come back again here later. The restoration of La Cruche’s memory will also finish around that time.」

「Yes……」

Airi leaked out a relieved sigh.

With her methodical personality, originally she wouldn’t immediately speak about the content of the ancient text she deciphered, instead she would confirm it with other experts first without fail to make sure that her translation was correct, but this time the content was too risky, so that was why she was flustered like that.

They met up with the other members, and then after explaining that, they returned back to the surface.

La Cruche said that it would take half a day for her to restore all her lost memory.

And then after getting information from her, they would submit their report to the new kingdom government and wait for the next instruction regarding the Ruin investigation.

They finished talking with such conclusion.

「Come to think of it, where is that guy called Dobar or something? Even though that guy was that hasty, but we didn’t catch sight of him at all──」

Lisha said that while they were going back. Everyone exchanged opinions casually, but in the end they all returned to the surface without knowing anything.

 

At night, inside the boardinghouse after dinner it was silent as death as though the bustling atmosphere a few days ago was just a lie.

Other than the training camp, there was also the Ruin investigation and the fights against the Abyss.

More than half of the members reached their limit from the fatigue of training and investigation every day. They quickly headed to their bedroom after lightly washing off their sweat.

When Lux returned to his room, there was Airi nodding off while facing her desk.

She must be tired from the nervousness of traveling inside the Ruin in flesh without wearing protection and from her work deciphering the ancient text.

Lux carried her in his arms and moved her to the bed, then put a blanket on her.

He thought to consult her, but as expected he couldn’t involve Airi.

Philuffy was sleeping inside her room. She didn’t show any signs of waking up.

The promised date was approaching.

『Finish your investigation in two days.』

Hayes’s objective might be the activation of the forbidden device that Airi mentioned.

If he asked Krulcifer to open the last door, it was possible that the device would get stolen by Hayes, and the New Kingdom──no, the world itself would be in danger.

「──What should I do?」

Even though he wanted to save Philuffy no matter how faint the hope was──he couldn’t decide.

Perhaps what he was going to choose might become a repeat of the same mistake as that time.

Just like before, when for the sake of his wish to change the country, he caused a war and he failed.

(Even so, I──)

Lux gripped the sheath of his Sword Device hard and closed his eyes tightly, it was then,

 

「────」

 

Dread ran through him.

Even Lux didn’t understand what was going on at first, he looked at his fingertips and knees that were starting to shake, and he noticed the cause.

The night on the island that was wrapped in the roar of the sea.

A monster melted into the tranquil darkness and held its breath.

「…………」

Lux wordlessly got up and went out of the boardinghouse through the backdoor so that the other members wouldn’t find him.

He crossed through the bushes where there was no lighting and came out into an open space.

That man was standing under the brilliantly shining full moon.

「──It has been a long time, my younger brother. O the weakest hero who was defeated in a battle of ideals.」

A calm and elegant voice, and a composed bearing.

He was wearing a luxurious overcoat. Silver hair, fiercely glaring gray eyes that reminded one of a hungry beast. He was that man without a doubt.

*dokun……!*

Lux’s heart jumped, it caused a hallucination as though his blood was flowing in reverse.

The face of his only relative who understood him.

And the scorning face that was looking down on the fallen him.

The countless memories until that point flowed inside Lux’s mind in an instant──

「Fugil Arcadia……!」

He spouted those words as though they were pushed out from his lungs.

The man who was the first imperial prince of the Old Arcadia Empire, planned the coup d’etat together with Lux…… and then he was the man who betrayed Lux at the end and erased the remaining imperial family.

Lux’s longtime enemy, the older brother that he was chasing for these five years.

「……Why are you here?」

His throat felt terribly parched just from saying that short sentence.

Lux questioned with a tense voice, and at the same time he drew out Bahamut’s Sword Device.

At this distance, it was faster to directly slash at the opponent rather than summoning and deploying a Drag-Ride.

And also, there was no sign or presence of enemies in the surrounding other than Fugil.

He could take the initiative at the instant of the opening when the opponent prepared for summoning.

Lux slowly closed the distance while observing Fugil.

「Was that Heiburg’s strategist called Hayes, also instigated by you?」

「What if I say that’s true?」

Fugil showed a fearless smile and jested.

Lux didn’t overlook the instant of an opening when Fugil breathed in to reply.

「I’ll capture you.」

Lux kicked on the ground that was covered with grass while muttering that at the same time.

[[File:Saijaku 016.jpg|thumb|right]]

Lux stepped forward with a low posture. He swung his sword quickly at the same time, tripping the foot of Fugil who tried to dodge.

「Oof……!」

Fugil fell down face up. Right after that, Lux swiftly thrust the tip of his sword on Fugil’s throat.

「……I see. You intend to take me hostage to save your childhood friend by using me to bargain for her release?」

Fugil asked with a composed smile without even a twitch in his eyebrows.

Lux glared at him and silently affirmed it, then,

「Really it’s just as I expected from you, my younger brother.」

An admiring voice came from behind Lux.

「──!?」

Lux who had progressed the event calmly until now instantly opened his eyes wide in surprise.

The figure of the man who should be lying down on the ground with a sword pointed at his throat was vanishing.

When Lux turned around in panic, there was Fugil calmly standing above a low-rise hill at a slight distance away.

「Wha……!?」

(What happened!?)

Lux was confused by the impossible reality.

(I didn’t take my eyes off of him even for a moment. He also didn’t use any distraction or that my attention was diverted. And yet, how──)

「Way to go my younger brother. Amazing thought and judgment as expected. The moment you saw me, your bitter enemy, if it’s a normal person they would only stand still trying to understand the situation, but you formed several plans in merely a few moments and carried them out.」

Fugil continued his words looking like he was enjoying it happily from the bottom of his heart, along with a wicked smile on his face.

「You predicted my connection with Hayes, thought a plan to capture me to make use of me as negotiation material, and you tried to make it a reality. That was an action that was unthinkable to come from someone who had been beaten to the punch. It was also amazing how you dared not to call your Drag-Ride in order to take me by surprise.」

「…………」

With a snap, Fugil sheathed his sword while smiling.

Lux only noticed just now that the brother he was confronting had unsheathed his sword without him realizing it.

Did he overlook that because he was too flustered?

(──No, that’s not it. Fugil didn’t unsheathe his sword, I’ve no doubt about that.)

Perhaps his hand held the sword handle and moved in just an instant. But, even so what was the connection?

(No! It’s not the time to think about that right now!)

Lux aborted his thought that was starting to wander off course. He concentrated towards the phenomenon before him.

At any rate, his first attack missed and a distance was opened between them.

He could only call Bahamut.

Lux put his strength onto the button on the sword handle, and he was going to whisper the passcode, it was at that instant,

「But, unfortunately you misread the situation, my younger brother. I don’t have any worth at all as a hostage. It’s pointless to capture me.」

Fugil informed indifferently so as though to shave off Lux’s resolve.

「And then you are going to commit a great mistake. If you start to fight me here, there will be no helping your childhood friend anymore for eternity.」

「……-」

Lux’s hand stopped hearing Fugil’s extremely calm statement.

「What do you…… mean?」

「I’m trying to stop that woman called Hayes. I should be her ally, but that woman is deviating too much from our original conduct you see. It’s necessary to correct the course here. In other words it’s only in this moment right now──that my interests aligns with yours.」

「…………」

「To control that Yggdrasil──the Ragnarok’s main body, a particular requirement is necessary. The horn flute that brat is carrying is specially made, a one and only item that is called『Origin Variety』. Therefore──if you can just destroy or steal it, she won’t be able to give new instructions to the Ragnarok anymore. And then if you can just defeat the main body of Yggdrasil, you can remove the harm towards that childhood friend of yours. That’s how it is, even if, for example, the blood of the Abyss is already residing in half of her body.」

「……Do you have any proof that this isn’t your trap?」

Lux fixed his expression so that the agitation in his heart couldn’t be detected and he asked.

There was no way he could just swallow the words of his enemy Fugil, but he asked that in order to probe Fugil’s true intention.

「Unfortunately, I can only put my hope on your discernment for that. That’s including your discernment of whether I have any need to tell such lie.」

「…………」

The horn flute to use on a Ragnarok that only Hayes possessed, the Origin Variety.

Previously, when Poseidon was resurrected, Hayes was hiding inside the shadow of her robe and he couldn’t see what she was doing.

But, two days ago when Hayes showed up in front of him, the horn flute that he saw she was holding had a strange pattern engraved on it.

「──Is that, everything you want to say?」

「No, putting aside my advice, I have one thing I want to ask. Assuming that what I said was all true──do you really have the intention to save that childhood friend of yours?」

「…………」

In response to Fugil’s question, Lux met his gaze wordlessly.

「As I thought, you haven’t changed huh. You are still the same as that time, foolish and weak.」

Fugil sighed in exasperation and he looked up to empty air.

With his back still facing the deep ultramarine of the darkness, he formed a smile that could even be called as an evil countenance.

「Didn’t you notice that you too are trying to do the same thing as that woman called Relie? Saving what is important, an existence that is irreplaceable for you. Certainly it sounds nice, but in actuality doing that is a betrayal towards this country and those students. You are committing a folly that might turn you into the enemy of the world.」

「It’s evil──is that what you want to say?」

「No……」

Unexpectedly Fugil instantly denied it.

「It’s troubling because it’s not evil or anything. However, if there are a thousand people then there would be a thousand paths of justice──I don’t have any intention to speak of any tomfoolery like that.  They don’t have any awareness of good and evil, this is nothing more than them merely being in conflict regarding something that they cannot concede, only natural.」

Fugil continued so still wearing his composed smile.

「That is the nature of living things as it were. People who have been hungry in the past will try to gather more food. The weak will try to obtain even stronger power. People who have their important persons robbed from them will try to protect their important persons desperately. And then──」

Fugil peered into the eyes of Lux who was still holding up his sword and laughed.

「Someone who wasn’t loved by anyone, will try to be loved by anyone.」

「…………」

Lux didn’t reply at all towards Fugil’s words.

But, he narrowed his shadowed eyes and spoke.

「Why, did you kill all the imperial family and the army of the Old Empire that day? Your true objective──what is it?」

「The current you won’t understand even if I told you.」

Fugil replied with a tone that was mixed with a sigh.

「But, someday you will understand if you keep walking your path as it is. In the future each nation will develop even more intense conflict. The lot of the New Kingdom will approach to make use of you and your comrade’s strength. They will come to take you into their fold. They will try to lure you into a repulsive path, carrying the great cause that is no other than『To protect the New Kingdom’s peace』.」

「…………」

「You should understand before long. Just what I did on that day. Why did I make use of you. If you get involved with this country again, and yet you will still try to persist in your ideal, then──」

Fugil turned around. He tilted his head and looked back with a smile.

「You will understand that nothing exists in this world. Whether it’s your ideal, or what you want to protect, everything.」

He left behind only those words and walked away.

When Lux stepped forward to chase after him, he saw Fugil draw out his Sword Device.

The blade glistened with light, silver lines were running through it.

The sword emitted undulating faint light of seven colors.

 

「Uu…… ku……!」

 

Sharp and piercing pain instantly ran at the back of Lux’s eyes. Lux pressed his hand on his forehead and fell on one knee.

When he noticed, Fugil was vanishing like a mist.

It was as though nothing was there right from the start.

「Oooii! Lux!」

A voice came while Lux was staring at the darkness in blank amazement.

When he turned around, he saw the figure of Lisha approaching him in a run.

「Lisha, sama……」

「I finally completed it! I succeeded in the last system removal so that your Bahamut can use the awakened state! It’s thanks to the code that your little sister solved. But──」

She talked in excitement until midway before her tone became faltering.

「This thing, as I thought it’s better not to use it……. It’s a good thing that the ability can come to light but, the burden is too great. Using that with Bahamut is still──」

「Please teach me! I beg you!」

「Wah!?」

Lux took both her hands and pleaded.

The surprised Lisha was blushing while,

「Ca, calm down. Certainly it’s a failed work right now, but perhaps it will become usable depending on future improvements. That’s why, don’t be reckless. Letting you do something dangerous by yourself more than this is──」

「I beg you, Lisha-sama.」

Lux sent her a serious gaze and didn’t let go of her hands.

「A time will come where I have to use it. At this rate, it might turn into something I regret again. I──don’t want, to repeat the same thing as that time!」

「That, time……?」

When Lisha tilted her head, a strange scene was revived at the back of Lux’s mind.

 

That day when the Old Empire was finished.

Sparks danced in the sky, swarms of Drag-Rides crossed in the dark night.

And then──

 

「-……!?」

The consciousness of Lux that was receding away was called back.

The sensation of soft and smooth small hands.

In front of him Lisha was grasping back at Lux’s hands while her cheeks were slightly dyed red.

「I, I get it.」

She directed her gaze at Lux with a slightly exasperated face and puffed up cheeks.

「You won’t listen to anything once you already speak. Even though normally you are that humble…… But, the code to release Bahamut is complicated, so I have to teach you from scratch you know?」

「Thank you very much, Lisha-sama.」

「……Fuh」

Seeing Lux bowing his head really deeply, Lisha smiled with a troubled look.

──With this, the preparations were in order.

This was the only plan left that could save Philuffy within tonight.

Lux resolved himself like that in his heart. It was then that Lisha suddenly lifted up her face,

「Come to think of it, where is Relie? I was looking for her since some time ago to get the permission to use the awakened mode──」

「──」

Lux suddenly realized hearing that.

「……I’m sorry, Lisha-sama.」

And then a few second later Lux turned to face Lisha and told her with a serious expression.

「Can I ask you to contact everyone? If Relie-san cannot be found anywhere then──」

Saying that, Lux resolved himself.

It was the determination to plunge himself into the upheaval once more.

「I’ll look for her. At the deepest level of the Ruin──」