Editing Masou Gakuen HxH:Volume 6 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 1===

The wasteland of rubble spreading around London. Magic weapon Albatrosses were standing there. Since the intruders they intercepted the other day after so long, they were continuing to spend their days just standing still once more.

However, this time visitors were coming not so long after the last time.

The sensor of Albatross detected enemy presence, thirty ships of Izgard’s fleet. Starting with the two thousand meter battleship which was the flagship, there were thousand meter class and five hundred meter class installed with powerful firepower, also high speed ships with fast movement were consolidating the flanks.

Currently, it was not an opponent that the magic weapon force surrounding London could do something about somehow. However, for the Albatrosses, difference of battle strength or anything wasn’t a problem. They would be vigilant if something not registered as an ally appeared, and if they were attacked they would return fire. That was the instincts programmed into theses magic weapons.

The bombing of Izgard impacted below the Albatrosses and explosion occurred. Magic power circulated in the whole body of the Albatrosses and they opened their wings together with activation sound. Curtain of sand dust rolled up from the mountain of rubble and the Albatrosses flew up. They readied their bayonets and aimed at the opponent bombarding them.

It was just like the time when the war between earth and AU was beginning.




“Albatrosses are coming! Five of them, behind them are twenty units.”

Operator’s report was resounding inside the flagship Gravel boarded. The bridge was like a lobby of a high class hotel, but it became noisy everywhere. Several operators and ten-odd leaders of every section were gathering. Every leader was moving around busily and gave out instruction for their respective post. And then Gravel was standing at the center, listening to the report.

“Yosh, launch the advance party just as planned. Aldea, Gertrude, I’ll leave this to you two.”

{Roger.}

{Leave it to us.}

Aldea and Gertrude took off from Izgard’s flagship, behind them the magic weapon force of Izgard was continuing after them, heading toward the Albatrosses. Looking at the soaring twenty five units, Aldea licked her lips.

“Fufufu, it has been a long time for an all-out battle like this……fuh, fufufufu.”

Readying her spear with both hands, she leaked out a chuckle that contained madness.

“This woman……she is really a dangerous fellow……”

Gertrude was taking a distance from Aldea with a cramped face.

“Fufuu, Gertrude-san. My bad but, I’ll take that prey.”

After saying that Aldea raised the output of her thrusters and flew out to the front of the Albatrosses in one go. She left behind the magic weapon force that originally was launched to fight as the vanguard.

“Wai! You are going too far ahead!”

In order to back Aldea, Gertrude drew out the two pistols hanging on her thighs. However Aldea was already tearing apart Albatrosses with her spear.

“Uwa! Just what’s that thing!?”

Gertrude spontaneously raised her face from looking at the cut apart Albatross that was warped into a bizarre shape. The Albatross’s body was warping with the track of the cut as the center, the armor and the mechanism inside were twisted up. And then in the next instant, a large explosion occurred. The twenty five Albatrosses were turning into fragments of light one after another.

“Come to think of it I had seen the data before……you have an ability that warps space or something.”

She recalled when they escaped from Zeltis, Aldea used that spear and escaped from Aine.

“If you keep being absentminded, I will really take them all you know?”

That smiling face was like a child when playing with a friend.

“Wai-! Just what’s with that woman. She looks really lively compared to all the time before this!”

The magic weapons deployed for surrounding London sensed the abnormality and were gathering here.

“Ahahahaha, they come, they come! One after another! Aah, I feel it.”

Aldea was lying in wait at the sky for the attacking Albatrosses, she was raising a bloodbath from every single one.

“This woman, it’s pointless no matter what I’m saying……”

Gertrude left this place to Aldea and slipped through the side of the Albatross. She hurriedly lowered her altitude and landed in the city of London. Around her was classical townscape in Victorian-style. She couldn’t see the figures of the people that were the energy source of the magic power plant. It seems that they were staying inside the houses and stores.

She didn’t understand whether it was because of the magic power plant’s timetable, or because it was the emergency behavior for when external enemy came attacking. But, it didn’t change that this was convenient.

“Magic power’s charge is OK……the bullets are enough. Then……”

Sound that was like earthquake was approaching. From the other side of the Victorian street, human-shaped magic weapons were advancing on in forces. It was the human sized magic weapon, Brigand.

The head of the Brigand running at the front row was popped off. It received Gertrude’s bullet and collapsed backwards. Another Brigand running from behind stepped on its collapsed comrade, where the remains were crushed under the feet by even more Brigands running from behind.

“This is now the battle for revenge of the sacrificed dummies for the previous diversionary tactics. Prepare yourself!”

Gertrude’s two pistols spouted fire. The advancing several hundred Brigands were shot through like jokes. Their heads and chest were shot out, the Brigands that had wind holes opened were blown away from the impact of being shot, their figures changing into fragments of light while rolling on the ground, turning into pieces.

“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-!”

The pistols in the two hands were continuing to shot bullets of light without any time to rest. Gertrude kicked a wall and jumped, then flew into the center where the enemies were crowding in. And then she rotated her body for 360 degree while rapid firing the guns. The Brigands were being taken care of like sweeping trash.

Gertrude’s surrounding suddenly turned dark, a large shadow was spreading underneath her.

“! So it comes.”

From the Entrance that was towering high at the other side of the Tower Bridge, the figure of Vatlantis’s battleship made appearance.

“This is Gertrude. Enemy’s battleship has come out from the Entrance-!”

Aldea who was defeating magic weapons at the sky received contact from Gravel.

{Aldea, retreat immediately.}

“Ee―, even though it’s the good part after this……”

Even while complaining, Aldea reluctantly withdrew from the battlefield.

Ataraxia was approaching Britain until a distance where they barely avoided being stranded and observed the fleet and magic weapons that made an appearance one after another from the Entrance.

In front of Reiri who was staring at the situation from the central control room, a communication from Gravel at the flagship entered.

{Reiri, how is the preparation of your side?}

“No worry. Rather than that quickly empty the path. You are going to sink together like this.”

Reiri pressed the switch on the console and the monitor projected Kizuna who was wearing Eros. Cables were connected throughout his body and he was settled inside a cramped place that was like a spaceship’s cockpit.

“Kizuna, can you do it?”

{Aah, no problem, I can start anytime! The order please!}

A giant screen was displaying the battleships of Vatlantis that appeared from the Entrance from bird-eye view. Reiri concentrated her nerves and stared at the screen where the battle situation kept changing moment by moment.

Her lips suddenly moved.

“Now! Fire, Kizuna!”

{Ouu!}

Magic power was flowed into the shooting device that was already filled until near full already as the last push. The magic power that was converted into electricity pulled the trigger of Ataraxia’s largest and strongest weapon.

“GOOOOOOOOOO-!”

Together with Kizuna’s yelling voice, vast amount of particles created at the deepest part of Ataraxia drove through inside the particle accelerator.

Fierce impact, and then radiance to the degree that one couldn’t look straight at it exploded, the super large particle cannon fired from the front side of Ataraxia.

The shockwave gouged out the sea surface while flying ahead. The radiance that was like the thunder of god instantly traversed above the city that had been turned into a mountain of rubble and reached London.

When the fleet of Vatlantis noticed that light, it was only after the light particles were already swallowing them. Several dozen magic weapons were instantly evaporated, the battleships had their armor torn off and explosions occurred inside. While secondary explosions were happening in succession, the battleships of Vatlantis were sinking down one after another.

Kizuna took a guts pose.

“Yosh-! We did it!”

The cannon had been powered up even more compared to the time they repelled Elma previously. Even the enemy’s fleet should be inflicted with considerable damage.

{Three enemy battleships and one aircraft carrier were shot down. About roughly one hundred and twenty magic weapons were crushed.}

Kei’s message flowed into his information terminal. Cheers were immediately raised inside Ataraxia.

“Hida-kun! You did it!”

Momo came as if leaping in to the firing cockpit.

“Aah, that was an amazing power!”

The firing cockpit where Kizuna was sitting at had an atmosphere like an airplane or spaceship simulator. There was a seat and trigger that looked like a joystick, and around it was surrounded by a lot of gauges and switches. Cables for transmitting magic power from Kizuna to Ataraxia were crammed into that cramped space. That was Ataraxia’s main cannon’s emplacement exclusive for Kizuna.

In the enormous underground tunnel created inside Ataraxia. Kizuna and the others were now in its deepest part. There was the particle generator device there, and the straight line tunnel became the particle accelerator. Inside it, several hundreds of the research department’s staff were moving around for the preparation of the next firing.

“We are going for one more shot. Is the preparation fine?”

“Wait a second! The confirmation is not over yet, so stand by there like that.”

Momo faced the nearby staff and yelled.

“Hurry with the checking of every part! Is the cooling device in full operation? The fifth sub breaks easily right? Go confirm it quickly!”

It was a facility that was this large. Personnel that reached hundreds were invested here to operate the weapon. Moreover, this was the newest experimental technology, not a technology that had been established definitely. On top of the immense preparation just for one shot, unforeseen matters often happened. Although the firing succeeded, it didn’t guarantee that the next shot could be fired without problem.

{Reiri, the movement of Vatlantis army changed. Can the second shot fire yet?}

Gravel’s communication also entered Kizuna’s floating window.

{It will take five more minutes. Can your side hold out?}

Gravel made a sober face at Reiri’s answer.

{The enemy is rushing in with battleships and aircraft carriers, so the tactic changed by sending magic weapons separately. They are not a threat but their number is a lot. The enemy that gets through can possibly head your way.}

Kizuna took off the cables from his body and got down from the firing cockpit.

“Nee-chan, I’m going out.”

{Wait, you stay there. It will be useless if you are not there when the firing preparations are finished.}

“But……”

{The magic weapons we are borrowing from Izgard are protecting Ataraxia. Don’t worry.}

Reiri said that and cut the transmission.

The monitor of Nayuta Lab projected the figures of magic weapons standing on top of Ataraxia’s defensive building. If compared to Vatlantis’s magic weapons, then the frame’s shape was like Albatross. But strangely the design was different, it gave the impression that it wasn’t as refined compared to Vatlantis’s magic weapons, it had the image like a model of several generations beforehand.

While looking at its appearance, a self-depreciating smile floated on Reiri’s face.

“Nevertheless……I never, to think that a day will come when magic weapons are protecting this Ataraxia.”

She tapped the console and gave out instructions with a dignified voice.

“From C-area to E-area, spread the barrage! They are coming!”

Exactly as Gravel predicted, the Albatrosses that broke through Izgard’s defensive line were approaching Ataraxia. Ataraxia’s defensive system aimed at the magic weapons and repeated firing. However, other than the gigantic particle cannon that was Ataraxia’s main cannon, the other weapons couldn’t raise that much accomplishment.

Looking at that, Reiri immediately gave out instruction.

“Magic weapon unit, go-!”

Izgard’s magic weapons flew up to intercept the enemy, they clashed with the Albatrosses at the sky. Even Izgard’s magic weapon that looked like old models put up a fight without pulling back a single step.

“Certainly it seems that it has inferior performance……but right now they can give us cover somehow with numbers.”

The assistance that was more reliable than she thought made Reiri patted down her chest.

It was also the same for Kizuna who was at the firing device of the main cannon.

Kizuna was in suspense staring at the monitor while still sitting inside the firing cockpit, but the magic weapons of Izgard was gradually looking reliable.

‘――That’s the spirit. Do your best there!’

Beside Kizuna who was cheering inside his heart, the window of Nayuta Lab was opening. Reiri and Kei’s talk could be heard from there.

{Kei, how many of the enemy’s magic weapons have reached Ataraxia?}

Kei displayed the map of enemy and ally forces at the monitor in answer. The lights that signified the enemies were moving around the circle that represented Ataraxia.

“Roughly twenty, thirty machines. But, on top of their many numbers their speed is also fast. Whether we can capture all the enemies or not is……}

{I see. The frame of magic weapon is big, but in the off chance that magic armor slips among them, we might overlook it.}

Kizuna also glared at the forces map, he felt anxiety of the situation worsening. Certainly the situation had mostly become a melee fight. With this surely it was difficult to accurately grasp the battle situation. While thinking of such thing, he suddenly felt a gaze and raised his head.

In front of Kizuna’s eyes, there was a girl that was sticking out like a sore thumb.

Even with the magic armor she was wearing, the painful-looking scars on her half-naked body were visible. It was like she forgot to put on her skirt, the panty at her lower body was laid bare. And then the twin swords she held at both her hands.

Kizuna’s thought petrified for an instant due to the unexpected existence.

“So you are hiding……in this kind of hole, Lemuria’s demon king.”

‘――Lunora!?’

Lunora prepared her swords and charged at him.

‘――Fast!’

The firing cockpit was bisected into two. He immediately deployed Life Saver, but protecting his body was the best he could do. Kizuna’s body that was thrown away from the cockpit fell on the floor.

“Kuh……this is bad!”

‘――If we fight here, the main cannon will become unusable. This thing is the important means to capture the AU.’

The fragments of the cockpit scattered everywhere, he recovered his stance while rolling. He fully opened his thrusters and charged at Lunora.

“Fuh!”

Heading to Lunora who was readying her swords at the front to make her counter, Kizuna manifested three layers of Life Saver.

“What!?”

“UOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

Using the Life Saver as a wall, he crashed into Lunora.

“Shit-! Something like this!”

She stabbed her twin swords, but as expected, even Lunora couldn’t easily break this wall.

‘――I’ll push her out in one go like this! I want more output!’

Parts were created from Kizuna’s back, thruster parts that looked like they were assembled by unseen hands appeared. Thanks to doing Connective Hybrid with Gravel and Aldea, his thrusters were also carrying considerably powerful propulsive force. Kizuna wrung out his whole output and dashed inside the particle accelerator in a straight line.

Lunora couldn’t move her body from the excessive acceleration G-force and got pushed out until the outside of Ataraxia.

“Yosh-!”

Kizuna pushed away his Life Saver in order to throw away Lunora’s body. Lunora held her ground in the air and glared at Kizuna with an expression of rage.

“You……!”

Kizuna hid his nervousness with a smile and declared to Lunora.

“It’s not polite to enter someone’s home as you please yeah!”

Beside Kizuna’s face, Reiri’s floating window opened.

{Kizuna! What happened?}

“Lunora appeared inside the accelerator! I’m in the middle of battle right now!”

{What!? Oi, the situation――}

Without any time to even answer Reiri, Lunora came slashing at him.

“UOO!”

The two sword attack unleashed from her both hands was trying to carve apart Kizuna with a terrific speed. The combination of the left and right swords were splendid, he could only just barely evade.

“Chih!”

He somehow took distance from Lunora.

“As expected……evading them is――guh!”

A gash entered Eros’s armor. And then blood spurted out from Kizuna’s forehead.

‘――I couldn’t evade……is it? It was just barely, even though I planned to dodge them all.’

Kizuna wiped with his hand the blood flowing from his forehead without taking off his eyes from the opponent.

Lunora lightly threw her two swords up and renewed her hold. And then she was peeking for an opening in order to bring Kizuna down for sure this time.

“Your movement……slow. You look unmoving. If you stay in the Colosseum like that……most likely you will die in a week.”

Kizuna felt a shudder against the two sword style girl in front of his eyes.

“One week huh……about how long you’ve survived in the Colosseum?”

Perhaps she recalled her past of fierce fighting. Or else, perhaps her fear of strangers didn’t change even against the opponent she was having a death match with. Lunora’s expression stiffened for a moment.

“……Five years.”

However Lunora didn’t look that much different in age with Kizuna. She said five years ago, that meant when she was around the age of an elementary student.

“Since you were that young……just why, were you made to do something like killing each other huh?”

“I wasn’t made to do it.”

Lunora displayed a smile on her lips.

“I don’t even have anywhere else to go……”

“Lunora, you――”

“Hey― Lunora! I’m also coming here!”

A carefree voice cut in.

“Ramza, so you finally arrived.”

Lunora spoke briskly like a different person.

From the sky, red hair with small red wings, a magic armor that was like a bikini armor appeared.

‘――Quartum’s Ramza!’

Kizuna clicked his tongue to the condition that further worsened.

Ramza’s strength was of unknown quantity and he didn’t understand the scope of her power. But, this girl was also one of the Quartum. There was no doubt that she was formidable. Also, in the previous battle, she was stopped from fighting by Lunora. There was high possibility that she was hiding some kind of terrifying ability.

‘――Shit-, I wanted you to at least keep this girl at bay you know, Gravel’

“I got a little held up. It’s really hard doing it while holding back you know―. Buttt……”

She looked down at Ataraxia below her with eyes that shined in expectation.

“If it’s there, it’s fine even if I get serious right?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind. But don’t force yourself. I beg you, don’t act rashly.”

“Whoohoo!”

Ramza held her tomahawk in her hand and descended to Ataraxia.

‘This is bad!’ just when his attention was taken by Ramza, the two swords were approaching before his eyes.

“GUAAAAAAAAAaah!”

Lunora’s swords smashed into Eros’s armor, Kizuna’s body that lost his posture control was falling down to Ataraxia. Kizuna dropped down on top of a car parked in a parking lot. The impact crushed the roof of the car and broke apart the glass into pieces. Kizuna’s breathing stopped for a moment from being struck.

“Gah! ……kuh”

Chasing behind Kizuna, Lunora also gently landed down on the parking lot.

“To look another way……like this, far from a week, you won’t even survive three days.”

Kizuna somehow rotated his body while coughing violently and dropped from the car to the ground. Right after that, the car he was just on at was bisected into two. The shockwave bisecting the car carved a crack at the ground and rushed right beside Kizuna. Kizuna’s cheek was cut by that shockwave, and blood flowed.

At the other side of the car that now became scrap, Lunora with a sword in both her hands dangling down was standing. Right when she was going to ready her swords again, Ramza’s carefree voice resounded.

“Hey― Lunora. Is it fine around here?”

Ramza was waving her hand at the intersection a little ahead from the parking lot.

Lunora answered without even turning back.

“Yeah, dig down to the underground from there.”

“Yo―sh, I’m doing it―!”

Ramza’s red hair was emitting light like a real flame. The surrounding trees were set on fire and blazed up, causing squall to roll up. Hot wind suddenly struck Kizuna’s face.

“Wha, what? That’s”

“That’s……Ramza’s power.”

The heat Ramza emitted distorted the armor panel of Ataraxia and began to gouge out a large hole in the ground. The lifeline pipes and cables sleeping underneath blazed, they melted and vanished.

If she released this much heat, Ramza herself shouldn’t end up safe. However looking at Ramza’s face that seemed like in a pleasant feeling, Kizuna was dumbfounded.

“Ye―p, as I thought letting out my full power feels good~. The break becomes ineffective if it runs wild though. Well I’m in good condition now, it’s going to be alright.”

She was stretching refreshingly while whispering such thing.

“Uu……shit, I cannot get near!”

He wanted to go stop her, but he couldn’t get near the really high temperature. Far from that, just by being nearby made him unable to breath. Like this, it was understandable why Lunora stopped Ramza at Zeltis.

Kizuna distanced himself for the moment. He was flying away from the intersection where Ramza was.

“This is Kizuna! Ramza is emitting high temperature trying to open a hole in Ataraxia! At this rate not only the main cannon, even Ataraxia will get destroyed!”

{What did you say? Certainly, abnormality in Ataraxia’s facility is――}

Reiri’s communication was cut off. And then an explosion occurred at the spot where Ramza was. Black smoke was rising up to the sky.

Kizuna clicked his tongue.

The cables and wireless system running inside Ataraxia seemed to be dead.

Perhaps with that high temperature, Ataraxia’s system was being destroyed from the inside.

‘――What to do to remove that girl?’

This time Lunora was hot on his heels, not even giving him any leeway to think of a countermeasure.

“Lemuria’s demon king, prepare yourself!”

Lunora was faster in speed. At this rate he would be overtaken.

“I cannot win in speed and sword fighting! Then, this!”

Kizuna spread his hands and light particles were converging between them, the light was crystallizing into the shape of a large sword and a huge sword appeared from inside, and then gun with cylinder and several cannon barrels lining up in circle shape, those two parts combined into a Sword Gatling.

“I’ll match you with firepower!”

The Sword Gatling groaned. Without any gap at all, bullets were streaming out like a waterfall. Each time a bullet impacted, a flame pillar rose up and explosion burst out. While he was repeating bombardment in pursuit of Lunora who was moving agilely, his sight was completely stolen by blast smoke.

‘――Damn it. I cannot see any……!?’

Something cold ran shudderingly on his back. That was the instinct of living things. Without turning back, he swung out his Sword Gatling using his spinal reflex.

Sharp metallic sound resounded from inside the smoke, sparks scattered. The smoke was blown away from the wind pressure, there Lunora was blocking the Sword Gatling with her right arm.

‘Gulp’, Kizuna’s throat sounded.

The heavy class Sword Gatling was defended with one hand. Lunora still had one more sword. If he was cut by the remaining sword, he would be killed. Even now that sword was going to slash at him. However, she kept her posture without moving.

Both of their nervous gazes clashed with each other.

‘――What’s wrong? Why doesn’t she attack?’

He thought doubtfully, Kizuna stared hard at Lunora’s face, wondering if he could read her thought from her expression.

At that time, a little hesitation was created inside Lunora.

‘――Ainess-sama, said not to lay a hand at the demon king Kizuna……however, I received instruction from Grace-sama and Zelsione-sama, don’t let a chance to kill go away if it comes.’

However, there was no way Kizuna could understand what was inside her mind. If she wasn’t going to attack, then it was a chance to talk. Kizuna decided that and spoke to Lunora with all his might.

“Oy, you fought at the Colosseum because you didn’t have any place to go, that’s what you said but……didn’t you have, anything like a home or a family?”

Lunora put strength into the fingers holding the sword. She was feeling like a stranger was stepping inside her room with muddy shoes. Just why she had to teach the feeling hidden inside her heart to this kind of guy?

‘――As I thought, I should prioritize Zelsione-sama’s order.’

The emotion of fury drove her to kill the opponent before her eyes. However, when she thought that this person was someone that would soon die by her hands, her feeling changed. After all this was a person that would die soon, it didn’t matter what she told him. Perhaps he would be more at ease if she talked. Such whim made her talk about her past.

“I had them, but they died. I also lost my home. For I who had nothing to depend on, I lived as a beggar.”

Kizuna was shocked that Lunora answered him honestly. He never thought that she would actually answer him.

“There was nothing that I could really wear, there wasn’t even things I could eat……but when I peeked at other people’s home, warm room, and delicious looking meals existed in excess. Even though we lived in the same world, even though right beside them there was a human that was freezing, almost dying from hunger……I was, unable to suppress my wonder about that.”

Lunora didn’t particularly show emotion and spun her words apathetically.

“At such time, the organizer of the Colosseum called out to me who was sleeping on the side of the street. It was because she needed someone to play the role of the killed one as an attraction. My first opponent, was a fat rich person with the hobby of killing children.”

“That kind of match……no, it cannot even be called a match.”

“As expected it was impossible for it to be a championship match. But, for an opening performance or filler match……there are outrageous content as many as they like. Especially in the past. And so, I was given a single shabby knife. And then I was told. [This is a death match. You can receive money if you kill your opponent. But you die if you lose].”

That was also the content that was told to Kizuna. However it was too cruel of a story for such a thing to be thrust onto a child with that kind of circumstances. Kizuna felt rage, but Lunora’s reaction was different.

“I thought, is there really such a dream-like job. I didn’t value my life, so even if I lose I won’t lose anything. Yet despite so, I can receive prize money if I win. I doubted that such a one-sidedly convenient story really existed. But it was true.”

Lunora narrowed her eyes, seemingly feeling a little nostalgic.

“The rich person wore armor while holding a large sword, everyone was thinking that I would get killed. However I, immediately understood how to kill my opponent. Avoid the sword’s large swing, use the momentum to approach near and stab the heart. It was a simple work. After killing the rich person, I got the prize money. It was the first money I obtained from working.”

“Is that so……”

She had walked such a gruesome life until now.

Kizuna once more ruminated, on the fact of Lunora’s survival of many death matches at the Colosseum, until she became called as a death god.

“After that I was picked by Zelsione-sama, and I distanced myself from the Colosseum. Zelsione-sama saved me…….Ramza is also the same.”

“That girl also originated from the Colosseum?”

“That girl was in a facility……she was a child that was supposed to be culled.”

Kizuna couldn’t reply towards that unexpected answer.

“Because of that special ability of Ramza, she was abandoned by her parents, avoided by everyone. She was unable to control her ability and even burned to the ground the facility she was held in. And then at the time when she was finally going to be disposed……the one who picked up Ramza, was also Zelsione-sama.”

“Was that how it happened……”

Inside Kizuna’s memory, there was the figure of Zelsione who liked to sadistically torment her enemy. However, it seemed that it was not everything of her.

“I’m feeling gratitude to Zelsione-sama who is valuing me. However, I don’t know any other way except killing my enemy and obtaining compensation.”

Kizuna stared fixedly at the face of Lunora who was talking indifferently.

“The food for your living, the feeling of your gratitude, repaying the favor you got, and even the charity, so you make up all of those with the blood of other people.”

Lunora’s face clouded as if she came to herself. Her face when she was being talkative was completely hidden and she returned to her usual attitude that was anxious to strangers.

“I talked too much……but it was towards someone who will die soon, so that’s fine.”

After she nodded in satisfaction, she smiled broadly to Kizuna.

“I’m glad you told me your story. But, it just gave me even more reason to not die.”

Lunora slightly knitted her eyebrows.

“……Why?”

“After hearing such an important story, there is no way I can die taking that story to my grave alone right? I’m even going to make a gathering to make you happy Lunora with everyone.”

“Wha……”

Lunora’s face became bright red. And then she immediately swung her sword. The rough attack that was unlike Lunora bisected the Sword Gatling. The rugged barrels were very easily split into two and fell to the ground.

However the careless attack that was not like her couldn’t wound Kizuna.

“You, you plan to tell people?”

“Yeah. Also, I’ve got to defeat you no matter what. In order to let you know that there is no need to die even in defeat. And then, in order to make you understand that you can live even without fighting!”

The moment he said that, he ignited his thrusters and took distance from Lunora.

“I, I won’t let you escape!”

Lunora immediately chased behind Kizuna.

In the little time before he was overtaken, he had to think of his next move.

‘――Now that the Sword Gatling isn’t working against her, what to do? What I can use is the effect from the Connective Hybrid with Gravel and Aldea. If that’s the case…….’

The memory when he fought the two of them came to the surface like a revolving lantern.

Kizuna turned at a corner and did a spin turn, stopping in place. And then he fully operated Eros’s Core and circulated magic power through his whole body.

“Here I go, just like when I defeated Gravel! Bring here the fire power to the degree that won’t even leave any place to escape for Lunora!”

Gunsword was being created at Kizuna’s back. At first it was one, and then two, and then in the blink of an eye the number was increasing to an amount that fully covered his behind.

Lunora who was turning corner chasing behind Kizuna, doubted her eyes. There was a wall of gunsword towering behind Kizuna.

‘This is bad――’, when she thought that she was already exposed to a barrage that was like a storm.

“Kuh! So this is the rumored power of the demon king!”

She knew how he made the ability of the magic knight he turned into his subordinate into his own. However, it was implausible that he could freely increase the weapon like this.

But, with this she could only believe it.

Nevertheless, even with this much power displayed to her, Lunora’s heart didn’t feel any impatience or despair. Regardless of the desperate situation, Lunora’s mind was cool, she calmly analyzed the situation. It was something that came from her experience in the Colosseum. Right now, this place was Lunora’s Colosseum.

‘――It’s fine, I can evade.’

Certainly the bombardment was fierce. However there was a fixed pattern of the bullets’ position, if she calmly dealt with it, she could evade or escape.

And then, at the same time she could also kill.

The eyesight of Lunora who had survived through the Colosseum saw through the route to evade the bullets while reaching Kizuna. Lunora took that route with all her might.

Amidst the barrage that was like a rain, she weaved through the gaps that were barely there with razor sharp movement, heading towards Kizuna. She evaded the bombardment with posture control in the measurement of millimeters, to the right, to the left, and then lowered her head, to the right. She approached Kizuna in a flash.

Kizuna’s face distorted in nervousness from not expecting it.

Lunora readied the swords in both her hands. At that time, she decided the combination to carve apart Kizuna.

Kizuna was also holding sword in his hand, but she didn’t fear it. In his right hand was gunsword, in his left hand was a spear. Both weapons couldn’t follow her speed.

Kizuna raised up his gunsword.

But, her charge was faster.

As a threat, Kizuna directed the spear at his left hand to Lunora. But she was too fast and it hit empty air. He seemed to aim at her leg, the spear’s tip gouged the ground.

His movement stopped from the spear, he seemed to plan to slash his gunsword, but it wasn’t effective at all.

Lunora leaped into Kizuna’s bosom.

He was completely late at swinging his gunsword. Far from that, the gunsword was still held aloft above.

Lunora’s two swords struck in four slashes within an instant.

Was how it was supposed to be.

The certain death four consecutive attacks cut empty air.

‘――Wha,’

Kizuna’s body became far for an instant.

‘――Why?’

The spear at Kizuna’s left hand was strangely jumping, it was then pulled out.

The ground scraped by that spear, was far.

At that time, she realized the true identity of the spear at Kizuna’s hand.

‘That is, Aldea’s,

――Space distorting, spear.’

Lunora’s body was pierced by a terrific impact.

“UOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!”

The gunsword pulverized Lunora’s magic armor [Seles]. Lunora’s body was blown away like a fired bullet, she was thrown into a building wall. The great momentum destroyed the building wall as it was and she broke through the other side while rolling.

That impact also inflicted severe damage at Lunora’s flesh. Lunora’s body that lost strength was rolling on the street like a doll rolling over. Her head was strangely calm while she was rolling.

‘Aa……I lost.

The barrage before. It didn’t have gaps. All was prepared beforehand. I who let my blood rush to my head and rush the match got wholly caught into that trap.

Also, not only Gravel, he could even make the ability of Aldea as his own at the same time.

I see, this is defeat.

This is, the power of Lemuria’s demon king――.’

Collapsing on the ground, Lunora lost consciousness.

Kizuna arrived beside her.

“Oi……you’re alive?”

Lunora didn’t reply. However she was breathing.

“I want to do first aid but……right now――”

“You’re safe!? Kizuna!”

At that time, Gravel and Aldea came down from the sky. Kizuna answered with a smile at the worried two.

“Gravel and Aldea yourself, are you guys safe?”

“Sorry, Zeltis’s garrison that appeared from the Entrance is a lot more than imagined. Because of that it took time――”

Stopping Gravel that was trying to explain the reason, Kizuna pointed at the direction where flame was rising up.

“Rather than that, I want you to do something about that somehow.”

The flame was whirling with amazing speed, turning into a globe that was shining crimson. The fierce flame and heat were melting Ataraxia’s armor, right now more than half of that figure was sinking into the ground.

Aldea was trickling down cold sweat with a cramped face.

“I don’t really want to get near that there. Just what is that?”

“That is……”

Just when Kizuna was going to talk, the flame sphere suddenly raised a flame pillar.

“-!?”

Vibtartion that shook the whole Ataraxia attacked Kizuna and the others. Flames were spouting out from the drainage of the street nearby.

“Damn it! That Ramza. She is doing as she pleases!”

“Ramza you say?”

Gravel asked in surprise.

“Yeah, in the center of that flame Ramza is――”

Flame wall was approaching in front of Kizuna who was pointing at the flame sphere.

“UOOO!?”

“KYAAA!”

“Fly!! Both of you!”

Gravel’s yell made Kizuna and Aldea fully opened their thrusters. The three flying to the sky avoided the tsunami of flame by a hairbreadth.

“Wha……what is, thattt?”

Looking from the sky, they now understood that flame tsunami was spreading to the whole of Ataraxia from Ramza’s fire globe. The diameter of the hole made by the fire globe was extending several times over and muddy flame that looked like magma was gushing forth. Surely the flame was also spreading underground. The gutter, manhole, the entrance of the underground train, and so on, flames was spurting up from the mouths that were connected to the underground.

“Shit-! That Ramza, she is getting carried away.”

Gravel asked the cursing Kizuna.

“That’s Ramza’s doing?”

“Yeah. Ramza is in the center of that. She is generating high temperature flame from her body.”

With the flame sphere as the center, cracks were running through the street. When the pavement jumped up as if exploding, steam was blowing out fiercely from inside.

“The enemy’s aim is to make Ataraxia’s main cannon powerless. But, this is not in that level. Far from the main cannon, Ataraxia itself will be melted.”

Perhaps the wiring and lifelines under Ataraxia had died, the electronic billboards displayed throughout the city shutdown all at once. The flame flowing out from the sphere blazing bright red was like water bursting out from a broken dam and invaded the town area of Ataraxia, the flame was rapidly spreading.

“Shit-! Anyway let’s try getting near. We cannot leave her alone more than this!”

“Eee―, even though it’s this hot already here, it’s insane to get near that.”

Aldea accompanied the two even while complaining. When they reached right above the globe, the heat of the flame rising from below was more than they imagined.

While sweating, Gravel murmured unable to make sense of it.

“Indeed I have heard about Ramza’s special ability. But, no matter how this is……what do you think Aldea? Have you participated in a mission together with Ramza before?”

Aldea was fanning her face with her hand while answering in fed-up.

“Let’s see. Previously, I have seen Ramza in real battle, but it didn’t get so big until this scale, this is a little……abnormal isn’t it?”

Like a sun that spouted up its prominence, flame was sometimes spouting up from the sphere. And then while the hole was increasing in diameter, the sphere was sinking into Ataraxia.

Kizuna wiped his trickling sweat.

“By any chance, did something happen to Ramza?”

He desperately thought how to resolve this, but he didn’t get any idea at all. However, suddenly something he wanted to test came to mind.

‘――If that girl is also wearing magic armor, then can I open communications with her?’

Kizuna opened a floating window and searched for communication partner around the coordinates of Ramza’s position.

“It’s not a solution but, perhaps I can persuade her. At the very least even if it’s just a clue……”

Suddenly a girl with red hair was projected in the window. That girl was surprised exaggeratedly and raised her voice.

{UWAA! That startled me―. Just when I thought who was it, I never thought that it’s from the demon king of Lemuria.}

Ramza’s way of talking was the same like when she was talking with Lunora, a bright carefree voice.

“Ramza! Just what are you planning to do!”

{Hm? It’s making this fortress powerless you know. Especially that tough particle cannon I think.}

As expected that was it. Kizuna nodded.

“At this rate, you won’t seal not only the main cannon, but this Ataraxia will sink. If that happens, a great number of lives will be lost because of your power. Can we avoid at least that somehow?”

According to Lunora’s story, in the past, disaster was brought about to people with this power as the cause. If, she had a regret about that, then possibly――,

{Hm―m……if I can, I want to do that but see……}

Ramza knitted her eyebrows looking troubled and smiled.

“Then do that! Please!”

{Ahaha, actually I too didn’t intend to make it until this showy though……}

“This isn’t something to laugh about! Then quickly――”

{Actually it is completely running wild……it’s unstoppable already.}

“Wha……”

‘――What the hell!?’

Kizuna’s mouth kept opened and he couldn’t make out a word.

{When my condition is bad, there were times when I couldn’t stop the flame. But, this is the first time it’s this bad. For some reason, it feels like I’m imprisoned inside my own flame……}

“Something, is there no way to stop this!?”

Ramza scratched her head. Sweat was trickling down her forehead, it looked like Ramza herself was feeling hot.

{It will stop if I release my magic armor but……the magic armor also doesn’t listen to what I say……I wonder if the Core itself had gotten strange from the heat? And so, my bad, but quickly evacuate the place or something. Indeed, I don’t like to kill people pointlessly.}

Ramza’s attitude that seemed to have given up already made Kizuna feel an uncomfortable feeling.

“And, when is this rampage going to end?”

{I don’t know. But, I think it’s going to stop if I die.}

What?

{Seems like, it’s getting hot that even I myself is going to get burned. At this rate will I die burning, or will I die from using up my magic power……that’s why, you can just leave me here alone.}

The communication cut off after she said that.

‘――Shit-! Running wild she said? However, it will stop if Ramza died?’

{Kizuna! Can you hear!?}

Suddenly the line with Nayuta Lab came back. However it was only voice while the image was noise.

“Nee-chan! Just now I directly heard the story from Ramza but――uoo!?”

Even looking down from the sky, he could understand that Ataraxia below him was greatly shaking. Sound of the ground rumbling was reverberating, and then that sound was rapidly getting louder.

“Don’t tell me, this is!”

Enormous explosive sound that sounded confined could be heard, shaking Ataraxia fiercely one more time. And then enormous flame spouted out from the flank.

“That’s……the area around the main cannon’s firing hole……don’t tell me……”

{It’s exactly as you imagined. Just now, the firing system of the main cannon was destroyed. With this we cannot fire the particle cannon anymore. But, Ramza’s temperature is further increasing, the damage is spreading. A few more minutes and it is going to break through Ataraxia’s bottom. We cannot even close the dividing wall anymore, the evacuation won’t make it in time too.}

“Ku……”

{Aldea, this is your turn.}

“Me? Just what are you going to make me do?”

Aldea tilted her head with a cautious voice.

{The Labyrinth Cube that imprisoned Himekawa. Use that and remove Ramza.}

Aldea lifted the corner of her mouth.

“Fufu, I see. If I lock her up, she will self-destruct by her own heat isn’t it? Well, the problem is can the Labyrinth Cube endure Ramza’s heat or not, however……there is worth in trying it.”

{Deal with Ramza no matter what! I’ll leave it to you!}

Kizuna couldn’t move when the floating window closed. He understood that they had to act quickly. However, Ramza’s history that he heard from Lunora flashed through his head.

“What’s the matter? We are going now Kizuna.”

Aldea called to Kizuna who kept floating in a daze.

“Aah, I get it.”

Aldea faced the hole the fire globe made and descended down. She was feeling as if she was descending down into the caldera of a volcano.

“U……it’s really hot here. But, if I don’t get nearer, the Labyrinth Cube cannot be linked.”

“Let’s descend a little bit more. We are plunging into the hole.”

Aldea made a dissatisfied face towards Gravel who easily said that.

“You say that easily but, we are going to get burned just by getting near you know?”

“It’s fine, just do your best. I’ll praise you later.”

“Geez―……absolutely okay?”

Aldea entered inside the hole while trying to hold her breath. After her Gravel and Kizuna followed.

The rim of the hole was shining red like magma, it was melting like gooey. And then, on their path was an object like the flame of a smelting furnace solidified round whirling. Approaching near the fire globe that was squirming like a living thing, their body temperature was becoming high, they felt the temperature increasing each time they approached for ten more centimeters. Sweat trickled from their whole body and their heads were becoming hazy.

“Geez, this is the limit!”

Aldea talked as if crying while sweating like a waterfall.

It was fifty meters from the target. If they were without their magic armor, they would have been burnt to death a long time ago. Aldea finally stopped and disassembled the six shields protecting her body.

Kizuna faced Aldea’s back and asked.

“Can you do it from this distance, Aldea?”

“I’ll do it somehow. Go-, Labyrinth Cube!”

Armor tor3 off from Aldea’s body, the cross parts changed shape. All six crosses were flying towards the ball of flame.

Aldea concentrated her mind and controlled the crosses. Sweat that was like a globe flowed down into the valley of her breasts. The cross parts configured their surfaces and created a cube. It was impossible for the thing locked inside this cube to escape. Using the power of the magic armor Zeel, it created a perfect prison by warping the space, and because it was impossible to escape, the heat energy was also locked inside the Labyrinth Cube. They would remove Ramza from Ataraxia, at the same time Ramza herself would be defeated by her own energy, it was a tactic that killed two birds with one stone.

The cross parts sunk into the flame and their figures vanished. Kizuna became anxious, if the parts melted or not. He wanted to ask the situation, but Aldea was concentrating so there was no way he could call her. Not only the heat, impatience was also gradually scorching the inside of his chest.

“I caught her!”

Suddenly Aldea yelled with a satisfied voice.

The flame globe burning below them instantly changed into a cube.

“You did it! You did really well, Aldea!”

Gravel too clenched her fist like a guts pose.

“I’m bringing it up now!”

The moment she said that, Aldea was rising through the side. The flaming cube was following her as if being pulled. Kizuna and Gravel escaped to the outside in panic. And then like that they flew through the sky in one go. At the sky where cool wind was blowing, the rectangle box of flame was floating.

“A success, huh.”

Kizuna murmured while staring at the Labyrinth Cube floating five hundred meters in the sky.

The flame was perfectly isolated, so it wasn’t hot even if he approached near. But, the cross parts composing the Labyrinth Cube were melting at the surface.

Kizuna sent a communication at Ramza inside the Labyrinth Cube. However there was no reply. But, the flame was burning meant that she was still alive.

‘――Is it really okay, to burn her to death just like this?’

He could hear Lunora’s voice inside his head once more.

{Because of that special ability of Ramza, she was abandoned by her parents, avoided by everyone. She was unable to control her ability and even burned to the ground the facility she was held in. And then, at the time when she was finally going to be disposed……the one who picked up Ramza, was also Zelsione-sama.}

“Zelsione huh……”

‘――She is quite someone.’

“A pervert though.”

Kizuna made a thin smile at his lips and then spoke to Aldea.

“……Can you release the Labyrinth Cube for me?”

Aldea tilted her head a little in puzzlement, unable to understand her ally.

“Why?”

“I’ll save Ramza.”

“Haa!? What are you saying? Even though we finally locked her up, all that hardship is going to come to nothing!”

Gravel also made a grim face.

“Besides there is no way to save her. Just how in the world are you going to rescue Ramza?”

“Ramza said before that the flame will stop if her magic armor is released. That’s why, I’ll drag out Ramza from the flame globe and rip off that girl’s magic armor by force!”

Gravel spoke to Kizuna who declared that angrily to make sure.

“Kizuna. I won’t say that it’s bad to show mercy. But, there is the risk that we will be exposed to danger once more. Do you understand that?”

“Yeah. That’s why, I’ll do it alone.”

Similar with when he defeated Lunora, Kizuna created a gunsword in his right hand, and a spear in his left hand.

Aldea sighed in amazement.

“Hey, Gravel? Looks like it pointless to say anything anymore to him.”

However Gravel crossed her arms in a state that couldn’t accept what was going on and pursed her lips in bad mood. Kizuna didn’t notice that displeasure of Gravel, he lightly swung up the weapons in his hands as if to measure the weight and fixed his grip.

“So that you won’t get swallowed, run away right after you dismantle the cube. Also, Gravel.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry but, if I fail then Ramza……could you make it easy for Ramza?”

“I refuse.”

“Eh”, Kizuna leaked out such a voice.

“No, ‘leave it to me’……isn’t that what you should say in that kind of scene?”

Gravel decisively said to Kizuna who was smiling wryly.

“You, hereafter you have to bring about a miracle in an even more difficult reality. Just something this much, should be naturally doable for you.”

His comrade in arms grinned broadly.

“Take care of this quickly.”

Kizuna didn’t answer with words, he put strength into the sword and spear he gripped in his hands and flew towards the Labyrinth Cube.

“Now Aldea!”

The Labyrinth Cube detached not even an instant after Kizuna’s voice. The parts were flicked off and the vortex of flame locked inside was spreading.

“HAA!”

Towards the flame assaulting him with explosive momentum, Kizuna swung his spear. The spear that distorted space cut open the flame. Ahead of the wrenched open space, the figure of the girl at the center of the flame was exposed.

‘――There!’

Kizuna threw away the spear and deployed Life Saver that covered his body surface. And then he flew into the chasm of the flame. The heat was terrific. His body burned, it was like he would be burned to death. Perhaps his whole body was getting burn damage. But he didn’t confirm it.

His only problem is whether his body could move or not. Anything other than that was trivial.

He lifted up his gunsword and slashed at Ramza. The more he approached near, the flame was raging even more severely. If he flew in without distorting the space, then he would surely get evaporated instantly. Fierce hot wind was blowing on his face.

“DEYAAAA!”

He swung the gunsword and smashed Ramza’s armor. Putting too much power would mangle Ramza’s body altogether. Cracks entered the armor and the surface parts broke.

The distorted space began to close.

‘――Whattt!?’

Kizuna’s body was licked by scorching hot flame.

“DAMN ITTTTTTTT!”

He also threw his gunsword and directly grasped Ramza’s armor and put the strength of his whole body. He broke the armor and tore it off. He tore off the arm part, broke the leg armor and ripped it off. He threw away the large part on her back, then he put his hand into the gap between the skin and the armor protecting her abundant chest.

“THIS BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAARD-!”

What his palm felt, was not heat but pain. And then the pain broke the limit and he felt nothing. The flame was slowly roasting his body. His throat was thirsty. His tongue became dry and the liquid of his eyeballs was evaporating.

“QUICKLY……STRIP OFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF-!!”

The chest armor broke apart, and Ramza’s abundant breasts flew out bouncingly.

At that moment, the scorching fire globe burst open like an explosion. The flame flying to all directions dispersed and the flame and heat vanished like a lie.

After that, only the cool wind of the sky was blowing. That scorching flame was just like an illusion or dream. The only thing that told him it had happened for real, was the sweat flowing down his face and the prickling pain on his skin. And then the figure of Ramza inside his arms without a single string covering her.

“Kizuna! You okay?”

Gravel and Aldea came to him in a panic.

“I’m not really……fine here.”

“What! Where, show it to me!”

Kizuna powerlessly smiled at the flustered Gravel.

“My throat is thirsty.”

“That’s-……eh?”

Gravel was staring at Kizuna for a while with a befuddled face. Before long she showed a wry smile and peered at Kizuna’s face.

“Seems like the burn is not that bad……your life also doesn’t seem to be affected.”

“Yeah, just like Gravel told me.”

“I guess. But……no matter what kind of circumstance it is, the opponent is Vatlantis’s imperial guard. Even if you left her to die, no one will blame you.”

Kizuna stared at Ramza who was sleeping like a child inside his arms.

“Maybe……but”

Kizuna smiled a little shyly.

“I got the feeling that the future me will blame me.”

Gravel nodded with closed eyes.

“Then, it can’t be helped huh.”

“But you know……it sounds good that you say you are saving her but, looking at what you did from a broad point of view, you were forcibly stripping off a girl naked with brute force……wasn’t that what happened there?”

Aldea bantered with a mean smile.

“I, idiot. There is this thing called way of speaking.”

From both sides, Gravel and Aldea supported Kizuna who was still holding Ramza and they landed on Ataraxia.

“First get a doctor to look at you, and then rest for a while. It’s rash to return to the battlefront immediately in that condition. Leave this place to us for a while. Okay?”

Gravel admonished Kizuna.

“I really want to do that……but, we are marching into Zeltis after this right, there is no free time for rest or――”

Suddenly a floating window opened in front of Kizuna’s face.

{Bo-, boss! This is really bad!}

Gertrude was projected close-up while talking with force that spit almost flew from her mouth.

{Right now we are attacking until London but, the, they came out! They came here now-!}

“Came out you say, what is it?”

{Isn’t that obvious! It’s that!}

The viewpoint of the window was rotated 180 degree.

The Entrance was reflected. There was still quite a distance. Above the Tower Bridge building that was the representative of London, was a huge rectangle towering to the sky.

“Just what are coming out……”

The image in the monitor zoomed up at the Entrance. The resolution became a little rough but he could confirm a figure of a person floating.

Aldea who was peering into the screen knitted her eyebrows.

“A person, rather, a magic armor?”

Gravel also made a doubtful face and stared at the floating window.

“However, there is only that single one. Just what is it planning?”

Cold sweat trickled down Kizuna’s cheek.

His heartbeat was beginning to throb loudly.

The magic weapons of Izgard were attacking at that silhouette. The magic weapons that looked like a brusque armored knight was swinging down their swords. But, faster than that sword could swing, the figure of the magic weapon became letters and formulas of light and flew away.

‘――Code Breaker!?’

The figure projected at the coarse image was glaring this way.

There was no way he could mistake that face.

Pink hair, red eyes. The figure of white magic armor with magic circle shining blue on the back.

“Aine!!”

Kizuna faced Gravel with a pale face.

“Gravel! Withdraw the whole army!”

However Gravel too only kept her eyes opened wide and continued to stare at that image.

“Impossible……why is Zeros here?”

Kizuna grasped the shoulder of the half dumbfounded Gravel and shook her to be awake.

“Quickly withdraw from the front line! In front of Code Breaker, magic armor and battleships are useless. If we don’t hurry, the important battle force will be annihilated!”

Gravel who returned to her senses gave out instruction to retreat from the front line in panic. Thereupon the fleet retreated while opening to the left and right to evade Aine. And then at the center, a direct path to advance straight until Ataraxia was opened. At the empty sky, Aine was slowly advancing forward while still in her standing straight posture.

Her eyes that were wrapped in grief was staring at her former home.

“Kizuna……”




While the fleet was retreating, Kizuna and the others returned to Nayuta Lab in order to the situation and countermeasure.

At the wall, the image of Aine heading towards Ataraxia was largely projected.

{There is still time before she arrives with her current speed. However, we have no way to stop her.}

Kei’s text covered the monitor. Reiri clicked her tongue while asking.

“The defense system? Can we possibly repel her?”

{The cruise mechanism is completely dead due to Ramza’s attack. The defense system is the same. The remaining reserve generator can do nothing but operate just this lab.}

Gravel murmured in frustration.

“Certainly the fleet of Vatlantis should have headed to Izgard just as planned. Yet despite so, why is Zeros here……”

Aldea also nodded with a difficult face.

“Really. This Aine, does she have some kind of special ability too I wonder?”

Kizuna was staring fixedly at the figure of Aine in the monitor while staying quiet.

‘――It’s my fault.’

At that night, Kizuna felt like he heard Aine’s voice and he replied.

That itself, was really nothing at all. He also understood that it was only his imagination. When he was replying, he was only speaking to himself.

However for the current Kizuna, it was inevitable for him to think that it was Aine who was calling for him. It was just his subjective impression, so he couldn’t speak about it. But, for some reason he felt apologetic to everyone.

Reiri looked up at the monitor in decision.

“We are abandoning Ataraxia.”

“Eh!?”

Kizuna doubted his ears.

“Throwing away Ataraxia you say?”

“In the first place if we march into the AU, Ataraxia will be just a useless object. After its great activity of being the herald of this time’s embarking, it’s fate will be only to standby here. Then, it’s not really a great change to abandon it here. Therefore, all students and personnel are to evacuate to Izgard’s flagship in haste.”

It was a shocking decision based from Reiri’s judgment.

“Forgive me for saying things as I pleased, but there is no other way. Can you allow this, Gravel?”

Gravel immediately nodded.

“Very well. We can do nothing but that right now.”

Reiri faced to Kei and gave out instruction.

“Immediately gather the leaders of each department. Because the information system is unusable, relay the evacuation order to all members by mouth. If they don’t make it in time, then I don’t mind even if they are using helicopter or boat. For the moment, after they distance themselves from Ataraxia, we will request Izgard’s ship to recover them.”

At that time, Momo rushed into the central control room.

“Ah, Hida-kun! I just finished the arrangement of your request!”

She showed a V-sign proudly while being out of breath. Kizuna raised a bright voice in an unexpected joy.

“Is that so! Nice timing. Thanks, Kurumizawa!”

Reiri crossed her arms with a face that couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

“It’s the preparation to fight Aine.”

“What!? No……anyway right now we are retreating. You to prepare for that.”

“Everyone go retreat. I will intercept Aine at Ataraxia.”

“Kizuna!”

Reiri yelled angrily with an impatient voice.

Gravel was also shaking her head in a bewildered state.

“That’s reckless. Haven’t you said it yourself Kizuna? In front of Code Breaker, battleship and magic armors are useless. Even my Zoros and your Eros will only vanish. There is no method to deal with that.”

However Kizuna smiled daringly.

“――There is.”

Gravel opened her eyes wide in surprise.

“It’s just, it’s impossible with only me. I had help from the guys of the research department and the combat department.”

Momo responded with a guts pose as if to say to leave it to her.

“Something like that is no problem at all! I already called out to everyone!”

“I don’t know whether I can win or not. But, there is a way. That’s why, I want to bet on that! And then……”

Kizuna stared fixedly at his own clenched fist.

“I’ll take back Aine for sure!”