Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 13 Episode 4 (section)

===Part 9===
When the silver door was opened, the silver haired girl wearing a crown lifted her face.

「I have returned, Listelka-sama.」

「Thank you for your hard work Mishis. It seems that you have also defeated the revived Sacred Eclipse safely. Good work.」

In order to return to the Heaven Palace that was floating above the old castle, Mishis didn’t use the land battle type Azi Dahaka, but switched to a strengthened type general purpose Drag-Ride Ex Wyvern and went back.

She was obstructed from erasing her target, the remaining combat force of the New Kingdom, because of the Sacred Eclipse that Aeril lured.

「It is my delight to serve. But, I failed to finish those Syvalles lot. They are more skilled than I imagined.」

Mishis reported with her expression that was like an iron mask without a single twitch of her eyebrow.

But, Listelka shook her pure white hair in a good mood and smiled tolerantly.

「My my, there is no need to respect the enemy’s honor here. Something like an enemy that can match you, the strongest Key’s Supervisor who was lauded as the Anti Drag-Knight, didn’t exist from the start in this world.」

「No, the greatest cause of my victory was because those two hid their injury and fought while suppressing their fatigue. Even if I used Azi Dahaka in perfect condition, the next battle won’t go so simply like this time.」

Mishis admonished herself with calmness to the end.

The result ended with an overwhelming victory for Mishis, but the real strength of Celis and Philuffy were also immeasurable.

The maid estimated that if the battle was brought into a decisive battle of a brief duration, there was a possibility that they could instead prepare a countermeasure.

「How careful. But, it’s really reliable for my attendant. After all, my excellent and reassuring little sister had left just now──」

Listelka smiled looking somewhat lonely.

Mishis was already told the information that Aeril was rebelling.

「Does your highness really have no intention to bring back the second imperial princess?」

「I really want to do that if we have the leeway for it though.」

Listelka sighed with a troubled expression.

If someone who didn’t know anything about her saw it, then it would look like the figure of an older sister who was actually worried about her little sister even though she had been betrayed.

But, the maid who had served her for a long time knew that there was a completely different emotion within her words.

「I wish we can capture her alive and put her into custody. Like that I will be able make her brain dead. At the very least I will be able to retrieve her ovum and make use of her as a flesh puppet. If not, she won’t be useful for the Lords from here on. There are also other preserved genes remaining, but there is almost no gene of the Arcadia Empire’s pure lineage.」

「────」

That attitude which only thought of even her true blood relative as nothing more than a tool to revive the empire.

Mishis even felt fright seeing the face of Listelka who was speaking that calmly.

(However, perhaps that is only natural……)

The clan that reigned at the top of this world for a long time.

They hated the act of 『betrayal』 that became the cause of their destruction more than anything.

Similarly, Mishis also didn’t harbor any doubt towards her master’s decision.

As the Lord’s {{furigana|servant|partner}}, she had flawless education given to her to devote her everything for her master which was the only one protecting the {{furigana|Key’s Supervisor|Xfer}}.

She was a maid of steel that suppressed her own emotions.

Even if Aeril was one of the Lords, if it was Listelka’s order then she would take care of her.

「However, the attack just now, could it be──」

「Yeah, it was my doing, Mishis.」

The maid noticed a presence from behind her and turned around.

There a man with silver hair and grey eyes was standing.

Although he gave a vaguely rough impression to those who looked at him, he was a youth that let out an aristocratic atmosphere. Fugil Arcadia was standing there.

He had already dispelled the Drag-Ride he was wearing, but it was him who destroyed the chapel just now by Listelka’s instruction.

On Listelka’s head, the electronic terminal with golden geometrical patterns on it, the 『Crown』 was placed.

It was a support tool to connect even deeper to Avalon’s system, and it was also the controller of this Heaven Palace.

She grasped the battle situation of various places, and also observed Aeril’s exploration of Avalon from here, but as expected it seemed the burden to her mind and body was considerable because she was taking it off.

「You have destroyed the chapel where the Seven Dragon Paladins were placed, just as I wished. I appreciate your efforts, Fugil.」

Listelka thanked not with a face of an imperial princess, but she spoke with an intimate tone that was vaguely like a maiden.

In contrast, Fugil only kept showing a composed smile and lightly nodded in response.

「I didn’t want to have you who are my knight to sortie, but this time there was no time after all. But──wasn’t your condition superb just now?」

Listelka gave a praise that was filled with anticipation.

But, Fugil only showed a slight smile without change and quietly denied it.

「Certainly, the function of the special armament worked quite well. But I believe it’s still difficult to call it as flawless. There was no definite feedback from that attack.」

「My? Fugil is really too modest. If that chapel was destroyed by one attack, then I believe it’s powerful enough though──」

Listelka put her hands together and talked in delight, but Fugil made a cynical smile.

「It was easier to manage those lot by quarantining them. Such thought was a mistake──no, should I call it a slight slackness. This isn’t Lux’s strategy. But there is someone among my little brother’s subordinates who can execute such plan.」

「……? What are you saying, Fugil?」

Listelka tilted her head and asked, but Fugil was silent. He only responded with a smile.

「More importantly, I believe it’s necessary to deal with Lux Arcadia and the others who returned to the back of the old castle. The world alliance has already retreated, but in any case when they escaped back to their base, they won’t be able to escape from the fortress where the kings of all the countries have gathered. They will surely be crushed by the seven Ragnarok.」

Saying that, Mishis glanced at Fugil.

Rather than her who was exhausted from the battle against Sacred Eclipse or calling back Hayes who was watching over the battle in the frontline, she was thinking that perhaps they should send this man to subjugate Lux and his group.

But, the maid’s plan didn’t reach her master Listelka.

「Fugil has his duty to guard me, so I cannot send him. There is still some remnants of Dragon Marauder in the old castle correct? Let’s have them intercept that group. Let’s also control the remaining Abyss with horn flute.」

「…………」

Listelka who possessed a strong suspicion of others put absolute trust in Fugil because of nothing more than him saving her life once.

More than several hundred years ago──

Listelka and the others, the imperial family who met the rebellion of the family of traitors tried to hide in the Ruin Ark along with few attendants and slept there.

But, along with the flow of time, the descendants of the enemy, the royalties of the Arcadia Empire sniffed out that location. They invaded and were about to kill everyone, it was then that Fugil saved them. That was the reason for her trust.

Furthermore, after that, Fugil destroyed his own empire, and now──with his cooperation, the Ruins were captured and they were able to come this far.

Mishis who woke up after that had been told many times about that sequence of events from the girl who was her master.

Thus, Listelka saw Fugil as a hero, at the same time she was directing her good will towards him that was the same like love.

Mishis had no intention to voice an objection to her master’s feelings.

However in Mishis’s point of view, Fugil wasn’t looking at them.

No──perhaps.

Right after the maid was absorbed in such thought, the Heaven Palace moved and slowly flew in the sky.

When she looked, Listelka was wearing the Crown controller once more and sat down on the throne.

「Either way, it will be fine to leave Lux and the others to be dealt with later. Let’s head to their fortress with this Heaven Palace. The representatives of all countries seem to be all present there, so let’s enjoy their moment of death.」

「Understood.」

Mishis nodded. Then a frame of light was projected on the metallic wall before her.

The image reflected there was right below the floating Heaven Palace──the trace of rampage of the revived seven Abyss that was left behind.

The ruins of buildings that were turned grey without any color.

The structures remaining in the castle town of the abandoned capital Guernica were tragically smashed apart. The Drag-Knights’ blood was dying the area as though the old wound of the city was gouged open.

More than half of the elite force couldn’t escape and almost all of them ended up dead, on the other hand all the Ragnarok had not a single scratch.

「I thought they would be lacking in strength because they had just been revived, but looks like it was just my needless anxiety.」

「I believe the situation of the battle also had a large influence on it. Most likely they were completely helpless in a situation where they were ambushed by seven Ragnarok and surrounded from all sides.」

Even if the enemies were the chosen elites, soldiers without Divine Drag-Rides fundamentally fought with group tactics in battle formation.

When their formation crumbled from the unexpected surprise attack and their force was scattered, annihilation was inevitable.

「──But, it’s strange that only half of them died. Even though I thought that they wouldn’t even try to escape.」

It seemed Listelka couldn’t be convinced even by that overwhelming result. She tilted her head in bewilderment.

Then through her Crown, a Dragon Voice from her little sister Hayes came.

『How is your mood, Onee-sama?』

「The number of the dead is lacking there, Hayes. Even though the Ragnarok aren’t wounded, how did they manage to escape?」

『That’s the problem. That woman who we were on guard the most showed up.』

「──That woman?」

Listelka directed the sight of Heaven Palace from looking at directly below to turn to the front.

There, the sight of just a single Drag-Knight facing all seven Ragnarok could be seen.

Armor of deep darkness color and four legs──Yato no Kami. Wearing it was Kirihime Yoruka.

「I see. So the person we have been waiting for has come.」

But, regardless of the appearance of a powerful enemy, Listelka showed a shadowed gaze and smiled.

「──The Ragnarok absolutely won’t be brought down with just her alone. With this the last possibility of the enemy turning the tables will also be crushed.」

Even though Yoruka was facing seven Ragnarok simultaneously, her movement wasn’t offensive at the least.

She maintained a distance that wasn’t too close or too far, luring the enemy’s focus into herself and dodged the attacks. And then──she was gradually retreating towards the fortress.

Even Ragnarok fundamentally possessed the same nature as an Abyss.

In other words, bestial instinct──their principle was to prioritize aiming at someone who was nearby or attacking them.

There, Yoruka attracted the attention of the Ragnarok, saving the remaining force of around five hundred Drag-Knights and secured their escape route.

Listelka’s scheme to gather up the enemy force and annihilating them in one go was mostly obstructed by the appearance of Yoruka.

Even so the Lord’s imperial princess acted with composure.

「This is the best development I could ask for. After all, with the Seven Dragon Paladins and the world alliance army crushed, for me she is the biggest remaining threat. Sending Hayes and you to get rid of her will also be fine, but it’s great that we can confirm her existence clearly here.」

‘But’──Listelka paused her words for a moment, then she tilted her head and a question emerged in her mind.

「This is a bit strange. She is someone who swore loyalty to that Lux Arcadia. I thought that she would completely ignored the like of the alliance army and dash straight to her master’s predicament though.」

Even though she was monitoring the front of the old castle from the Heaven Palace and placed Hayes there as defense in order to stop her.

「Indeed.」

Mishis also nodded at her master’s murmur. Then a communication through Dragon Voice from Hayes who was observing the battle situation below came.

『Oi Onee-sama. If it’s an answer, I got it yeah. Try looking to the front a bit more.』

「…………?」

Prompted by Hayes, Listelka turned the sight of Heaven Palace to the front through the Crown she was wearing.

Slightly ahead of the present location.

There was the figure of a silver haired girl in front of the fortress, gazing at the advancing Ragnarok with a nervous look.

「Airi Arcadia. Why is she there? Don’t tell me──」

『Yeah, they had seen it through most likely. That to go to the deepest part of Avalon, the blood of an Arcadia is needed for the confirmation. The confirmation will go through even with that girl if she comes to here. But, it was fine and all coming here to save her lord, but that woman was surprised at the unexpected Ragnarok’s appearance, and she switched to buy time to protect her other master, the little sister.』

「That girl is also an imperial family member of the Arcadia Empire that she is serving. What’s more that girl is necessary for the confirmation to control Avalon, so she is forced to protect her──so that’s how it is.」

Listelka chuckled in understanding.

If all the pieces the enemy was holding became clear, there wasn’t anything more to fear.

They would crush the enemy’s focal point here, and at the end they would get rid of Aeril along with Lux and his group.

With that it would be over.

She would make her return to the world once more with this hand.

「Then──let’s teach her. The opposition of a bug, no matter how hard, is something meaningless.」