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

===Part 9===

「How long  are you planning to continue running huh, Black Hero? Aren’t you going to stop me?」

Lux who was wearing a jet black Drag-Ride was being chased by Ragreed who was wearing an EX Wyvern.

After exchanging blows several times above the hidden fortress, Lux who got a part of his shoulder armor broken, escaped in a straight line towards the direction of the capital.

But, he was chased by the strengthened general purpose Drag-Ride EX Wyvern, taking along the majority of the Rebel Army being led by Ragreed and also the Abyss that already numbered more than thirty.

「Kukuku, I heard from the strategist you know? The time you can fight in that Bahamut is limited. That’s why you are trying to lure us into a place where you can get the military’s reinforcement and bring this into an advantageous situation, aren’t you?」

「…………」

「But, that’s already impossible! Try looking in front of you!」

That sight entered the eyes of Lux whose field of vision was continuously filled by the scenery flowing backwards at high speed.

Bugriser’s unit that should be preparing for interception in front of the wall had already disappeared from there.

「……-!? I see, just as I thought……」

Lux held his breath. At the same time he looked far ahead and guessed the reason why the military had abandoned their position.

The information that the fifth Ruin, Gigas, that had existed in Heiburg couldn’t be seen anymore.

His worst prediction came true.

The fifth Ruin, Gigas.

The strange looking weapon that was filled with evil omen, to accomplish destruction and atrocities, was standing as though looking down on the capital’s townscape.

(But why? Why has no report come in that it had arrived until this near!? If the Ruin was moving, the Drag-Knights at the east of the capital should have seen it and yet──)

The Gigas which should be visible even from the distance of a few kl had approached until this near. Why didn’t anyone notice? (TN: kl is kilometer and mel is meter)

『……The Drag-Knights stationed at northeast of the capital──at the fortress along the rocky mountain and sea, it seems that they are being afflicted with a headache of unknown cause. There are no abnormalities with their bodies, so it doesn’t look like it’s poison or disease though.』

Suddenly that sentence that Airi told him was replayed inside his mind.

Instantly, a prickling pain as though behind his eyes was burning ran through Lux’s head. A scene that felt like it wasn’t his own memory entered inside his mind.

 

「──I thought that you would understand if it’s you though, my younger brother.」(TN: Fugil use the word ‘kentei’ to call Lux, it’s usually a polite reference to another person’s younger brother, but here he used it to call his own younger brother. Translated literally it means wise younger brother)

A vaguely nostalgic refined noise──the voice of his eldest brother Fugil entered his ears.

A red night sky that was illuminated by blazing flames.

In front of the castle of the Arcadia Empire where whirling up fire sparks were falling down, that thing was existing.

(This place──what in the world? Is this the memory of that day, five years ago?)

Lux could affirm that this scene had happened almost without a doubt, but a violent uncomfortable feeling bewildered Lux.

Lux didn’t have any memory at all that he had exchanged this kind of conversation with Fugil.

「……We cannot do such thing. There is no way something like this can be repeated because of the convenience of the likes of me, the likes of us!」

The Lux inside the memory raised his voice, in response Fugil smiled fearlessly.

A figure wearing a strange-looking Drag-Ride he had never even seen before with a gigantic size even bigger than the castle was there at the back.

「Is that so? You should have noticed already from a long time ago. You, who were born inside that corrupted palace, living while stuck in a dilemma between the royal family and the people, if it’s you then you should have noticed the structural defect of this country──no, this world and its people.」

Fugil spoke admonishingly, also as though in conclusion.

「See, you who are purer than anyone, because you want to avert your eyes from that fact really much, you could only take on the ideal of a king that is more righteous than anyone and took refuge inside that dream. ──But Lux, you should wake up already from the dream. We should accomplish it, we ought to carry out our true mission as hero.」

「You’re wrong! There is absolutely no such thing! I……what I really wished for is──」

「──Fine. Then you can come at me.」

The Drag-Ride that was so gigantic its full figure couldn’t even be grasped from nearby was starting up with a roaring sound that shook the earth.

「You won’t lose or anything. You cannot even stand on the same stage where I fight for eternity. Therefore, there was no victory or defeat right from the start. I will take the burden of your karma. Because I am──after all.」

「-……!?」

Lux who was wearing Bahamut in Over Limit state flew towards that giant dragon.

Instantly, the scenery distorted fiercely like jelly, enveloped by light, and vanished indistinctly.

Seven Ruins. The simultaneous activation of the ArtifactsTransforming Weapons.

The transforming Drag-Ride of the end and the beginning──Uro……boros.

 

「-……!?」

Lux returned to his senses and returned his consciousness to the sight before his eyes.

Perhaps it was a happening of only one or two seconds, because the Gigas far away and Ragreed before him were in Lux’s sight the same as before.

「Now you get it? It’s over for you all. You fell into our strategist-sama’s schemes. Your body shouldn’t be in the condition to use that Bahamut for much longer right?」

「──So your aim for luring me was that?」

Lux gazed at Ragreed with chilly eyes and voice.

Lux was lured to the north hidden fortress, the New Kingdom’s army was made to fall apart──and the clincher was how he kept talking provokingly to Lux. All of those were the groundwork to make this situation.

Hayes was on guard the most against Bahamut. She guided the event into a situation where Lux had to use it and drastically stole its operation time limit.

No matter what their side tried to do, they already got cornered into a helpless situation with nothing that could be done. Hayes’s scheme tried to obtain a certain victory like that.

All of Lux’s bad premonitions were right on the mark──no, the event was transitioning into a situation that was even worse than he imagined.

Just like when Lux tried to destroy the empire in the past.

But──the present was different from the past, he now had a lot of comrades he could trust.

That was why he resolved himself. That right here, right now, once again──they would save the New Kingdom with their power.

「Ragreed Forus. You’ve resolved yourself right?」

「……What?」

Ragreed frowned towards Lux’s calm declaration.

Completely different from in the past when they were in the imperial court, Lux’s face there was hiding determination inside.

「You put your bet on Heiburg and that strategist Hayes. As for me──I’ll bet on everyone who put their trust on me, and drive away all of you.」

Right after that, the jet black Drag-Ride Lux was wearing released a vortex of shockwave using Howling Howl.

「Kuh, ─a futile act!」

But, Ragreed held his ground and pulled his Cannon’s trigger aiming at Lux’s silhouette.

The jet black armor was smashed and countless fragments danced in the air. ──But,

「This is……?」

Ragreed was bewildered because the opponent purposefully didn’t deploy their barrier and there was strangely no resistance from the hit.

When he searched for Lux’s silhouette that he lost sight of, a calm voice entered his ears from beside a nearby bell tower.

 

「──Manifest, violent dragon who devours the flesh and blood of the gods. Sever the sky of black clouds, Bahamut!」

 

「What-!?」

Ragreed raised a shocked voice hearing the muttered passcode.

Right after that, light particles converged at high speed and formed a shape. A jet black Drag-Ride was summoned once more.

The aerodynamically shaped MithrildytePhantasmal Gem Steel clad in dragon’s might manifested and emitted an ominous luster as though to display that absolute power hidden inside the frame.

「How-!? How can there be two Bahamut!?」

「──Connect – On」

The moment Lux muttered coldly, the Drag-Ride unfolded from inside and transformed into an armor that covered Lux’s body.

「What I was wearing while you were chasing after me was a mere Wyvern. It only had its armor parts adjusted and painted black.」

「Kuh……! Such thing! Impossible!?」

Yes, the true identity of the thing Lux requested of Lisha in the capital was that.

It was another Drag-Ride that was different from his original Wyvern that was tuned for defense. It was a Wyvern with its armor and barrier scraped down as low as possible to make it a light weight type that stressed in speed.

By skillfully using it properly, Ragreed’s eyes were tricked.

「Bu, bu, how can you do something like that!? In the first place you should only be preparing for the Abyss extermination! You shouldn’t know anything about our attack! And yet why──guah!」

Lux glided and took the position overhead Ragreed. He ignored the question and slashed at the EX Wyvern.

Ragreed almost crashed into the bell tower from the impact he got, yet right before he crashed, the surface of his armor shined and his trajectory was altered, preventing him from crashing.

「It wasn’t like I understood what will happen. But──I’m just planning beforehand, to at least prepare a plan that can react against anything that could happen.」

The answer for Ragreed’s question was exceedingly simple.

From the start Lux was already harboring doubt towards the existence of the deserted village where a great number of Abyss was staying, and also the very fact that the New Kingdom was able to obtain the information about it beforehand.

The enemy’s strategist Hayes also knew well about the information regarding the specifications of Over Limit.

In that case──naturally, Lux put into consideration the possibility that Hayes would put into motion a plan to exhaust him, and then Lux requested Lisha for the countermeasure against that.

「I don’t have time right now. ──But, I too still have something I want to confirm.」

Lux put energy into his great sword Chaos Brand and let out a slash with the shortest movement he could toward the unbalanced Ragreed.

He aimed at the part that was shining on the armor’s surface just now and hit it hard.

『U, aa……!』

*crackle crackle-!* After a small burst of electricity, light that looked like shining powder spilled out from the surface and a faint voice could be heard.

「So that’s the true shape of it? The thing that strengthened your Drag-Ride and assisted the control was──」

「Chih!?」

Ragreed clicked his tongue hearing Lux pointing it out.

Lux was uncertain of the full details of it, but most likely it was because of someone’s cooperation──or perhaps an old technology sleeping inside the Ruin that was applied to the EX Wyvern.

Thinking about how Hayes used the fifth Ruin to invade the royal capital, it wasn’t hard to imagine.

「Guah!?」

Lux struck down Ragreed to the ground with the returning movement of his sword.

After looking at the EX Wyvern crashing at the vicinity outside the arena, Lux landed down on the arena ring where the spectators were already starting to evacuate.

He landed facing Greifer who was standing there clad in the Divine Drag-Ride Cuelebre.

Cheers and commotion rose up seeing the intrusion of the unidentified Drag-Ride.

『Wha, what could this be!? Suddenly, a mysterious Drag-Knight landed down at the position of the New Kingdom’s side!』

The military officer clad in Drake who had the commentator’s role also raised such a surprised voice.

Because the distance from the audience seat until the center of the ring was quite far, surely almost everyone didn’t notice that it was Lux.

「Oh. To think that there would be a superb performance where you come here for me, huh.」

At the opposite side, Greifer seemed to notice that it was Lux. His mouth loosened and made a grin.

「Can you accept fighting me, right here right now?」

「Got no objection here, I don’t intend to retract my previous statement yeah? Regardless of this match’s result, we’re gonna capture the princess of you guys, then make her spit out the location of the culprit no matter what. I’m not gonna allow what happened ten years ago repeat again, when the Old Empire charged a crime on my father and killed him.」

Lux was also concerned about Lisha, but right now he had to stop this person first.

Lux stayed still on the designated position and ran his gaze around. Right outside the ring, the military officer who had the referee role was looking at Lux’s Bahamut with a bewildered face.

It was natural that he got bewildered when an unfamiliar Drag-Ride suddenly entered the ring.

Reluctantly, Lux took a small breath in order to reveal his identity, but then,

「I met him before so I remember. That guy is certainly one of the New Kingdom’s representatives. If you get it then give the starting signal quickly. It’s none other than me, the opponent──who recognizes it like that yeah?」

「──Ye, yes-!?」

Threatened by Greifer, the referee hurriedly moved to the direction of the audience seat and peeked at the complexion of the management committee members. And then, perhaps they gave him an agreeing signal because the referee immediately raised his voice.

『Then, the last battle that is today’s third battle──New Kingdom Atismata versus Vanheim Principality, the third match will begin!』

The duel between a mysterious Drag-Knight who flew down from the sky against the leader of the Vanheim Principality’s representatives, Greifer.

Inside the royal capital that was already imposing the state of high alert, at the arena that was enveloped in a bizarre atmosphere, where the spectators were starting to evacuate, the last battle of the All-Dragon Battle started.

『Battle, Start!』

The instant the referee’s voice resounded, Greifer’s Cuelebre shot off.

Its back wings spewed out air explosively, closing the distance instantly while unleashing a slash at the same time.

The moment Lux blocked it with his great sword, a Howling Howl struck at him from above his defense.

「Kuh……!」

Bahamut’s barrier blocked the impact and it was forced to back off. From above the barrier, the peculiar slash of Tail Blade paid it no mind and struck down with the momentum of a surging wave.

It was like a raging wind. It was a style of offensive tactic that forcefully robbed the opponent from any choice by constantly taking the initiative, cornering the enemy, and continued to attack without pause.

That rain of attacks that seemed sloppy from a glance increased in precision and power each time it was unleashed, cornering the enemy with certainty.

The enemy was without exaggeration a strong person. If Lux wanted to defeat this man in this current situation──there was only one way.

「Reload on Fire」

「──Photon Dive」

The moment their sword crossed, Lux’s Bahamut gushed out red light to display its Divine Raiment’s activation.

As though responding to that, Greifer also quickly invoked his Divine Raiment.

The Divine Raiment that compressed the energy and phenomenon of the first five seconds, then activating and doubling it in the later five seconds, Reload on Fire.

In contrast, Cuelebre’s Photon Dive made it so that for a few seconds when the ability was activated, all the enemy’s attack wouldn’t affect it and got deflected, so to speak it was a Divine Raiment that transformed the Drag-Ride into an invincible state.

Lux was evading Cuelebre’s slashes while carving many slashes using the blade of the great sword he wielded onto the surface of the enemy’s armor.

But, his attacks that were unleashed with the usual speed naturally didn’t get through.

In the end, even the tip of his blade was deflected and it exposed a small opening instead.

「I got you-!」

Greifer’s blade struck along with a sharp step-in.

Although Lux withdrew from the range just for an instant faster, the surface of his armor got a faint scratch.

Even so Lux didn’t show any agitation and he gazed at Greifer with an expression that showed no opening.

「That’s quite something. So this is your true strength? But in the end it’s pointless yeah? Cuelebre’s Photon Dive won’t get affected by any kind of attack. You absolutely──……-!?」

At that time when Greifer grinned proudly, something strange occurred.

*PASHI–!*

A sharp impact sound burst, and together with it countless red slash lines instantly ran through Cuelebre’s armor.

The impact energy from the Force Core that Bahamut’s Chaos Brand was filled with. The energy came into effect with delayed time difference and attacked Cuelebre right after the effect of Photon Dive cut off.

「Whattt……!?」

「The Photon Dive gave you roughly seven seconds of invincibility. Aiming at the moment it was turned off, I delayed the moment the impact of the sword I wielded reached you by using Reload on Fire’s ability.」

Lux accelerated at the same time he coldly told that, and struck Cuelebre’s torso with a full power attack where Lux put all his weight in it.

「Gu, ah……!」

The sword was swung to the end as though it was also shooting through the generated barrier altogether, sending Greifer flying to a distance far away.

Greifer crashed onto the arena’s wall and the impact made his deployed barrier to get dispelled.

With that, based on the rules, the match was decided.

『The, the representative of the Vanheim Principality had his barrier dispelled because of the damage and has become unable to fight further! The winner of the third match as well as the third battle is, the New Kingdom Atismata!』

「OOOOOOH……!」

The sudden intrusion of the black Drag-Knight and that dramatic conclusion caused the spectators of the New Kingdom who were still remaining in the middle of the evacuation to raise a stir.

Lux listened to that vaguely as though from far away while gazing at Greifer who was knocked onto the wall.

(──That was dangerous.)

Lux won his dangerous gamble and he stroke down his chest in relieve inside his heart.

The fight would undoubtedly become prolonged if he didn’t settle the match in this opening phase. If the match dragged on, it would be unclear how the outcome would turn out to be.

And then ──Lux was able to win this battle merely because of the decisive difference of information both sides possessed.

Lux knew about the trait and the Divine Raiment that Greifer’s Divine Drag-Ride Cuelebre possessed from directly crossing swords against him, while Greifer didn’t know anything about Lux’s Bahamut.

This was a victory that he wouldn’t be able to obtain without Greifer’s reckless personality and that accidental battle, but it was fine like that for now.

First was to stop the movement of Greifer and the Vanheim Principality who were in an explosive state that could rupture anytime.

The moment the first objective was cleared, Lux sent a Dragon Voice through Noct’s Drake that was limited towards several members.

『I’m sorry for saying various unreasonable things. Everyone, can I ask you to fight following the strategy I talked about just now?』

When Lux asked that question with a faint apologetic feeling in his tone, everyone’s voices immediately responded back.

『Yes, I’ll start.』(Krulcifer)

『Uh huh. Understood.』(Philuffy)

『Acknowledged, Lux.』(Celis)

『──Yes. Lux-san, please take care.』 (Noct)

「Thank you──everyone.」

Right after that, Bahamut that Lux was driving flew with explosive momentum.

And then from above the sky, he swooped down at high speed aiming towards a spot of the castle’s rear entrance that he was told about.