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

===Part 18===

On the other balcony of Gigas’s left shoulder that was several times larger than a large type warship──

There Lux and Yoruka’s duel was unfolding.

Every single one of the high speed slashes that were unleashed in rapid succession aimed at the vital spots. Even Lux found it difficult to defend.

In addition, the Divine Raiment of Yato no Kami that Yoruka wore──the Spell Code that could steal control from other Drag-Rides, it would be strengthened in its controlling strength and the span of time it stole control in proportion to the length of time it touched the opponent.

Not to speak of locking swords for several seconds, even being touched by Yato no Kami would invite danger.

Furthermore, even when Lux tried to use Quick Shot using the reinforcement of time compression from Bahamut’s Reload on Fire, he was unable to predict Yoruka’s attack’s preparatory movement at all.

Quick Shot would decelerate the time of one’s own body by several times first before activating, because of that at the beginning it would leave an opening. It couldn’t be used without being able to see through the opponent’s attack’s preliminary movement first.

Right now Lux was still able to continue defending against Yoruka’s attack just barely, but that was the best that he could do.

「As expected from Aruji-sama. This is the first time there was someone who could evade my sword this long. But──」

The slash of Yoruka who was showing a composed smile increased further in speed and weight.

「Is it fine like this? The current Aruji-sama doesn’t have that much time left until you cannot fight anymore correct?」

「Kuh……!?」

Yoruka’s tone that sounded like she had seen through him caused Lux to feel impatient.

The operation time limit of Bahamut was approaching moment by moment even while they were doing this.

Yoruka’s exquisite swordsmanship wasn’t something he could ascertain in this short time.

Therefore Lux resolved to throw away safety.

「Then──I’ll make you let me pass.」

The moment Lux declared, Bahamut’s great sword drew a slashing line with speed that te eye couldn’t follow.

It was the super speed activation for one action only by completely harmonizing body control operation and mind control operation──Quick Draw.

The attack that came from the Drag-Ride control technique that Lux devised in the past, when it hit the shoulder of Yato no Kami──that instantaneous attack clashed with the slash Yoruka unleashed and fierce sounds and sparks scattered.

「Wha-……!?」

Lux who saw that was shocked. He quickly flew backwards and took some distance.

Quick Draw’s attack shouldn’t be able to get overtaken by a normal Drag-Ride operation even when they reacted.

That movement that he had seen only once before at Cross Field was as expected──

「Truly splendid Aruji-sama. It’s only to be expected from someone who had devised this hidden technique as well as the remaining other two earlier than me isn’t it?」

「Eh……?」

Yoruka suddenly showed an innocent smile and told Lux so.

「The great figure who was the youngest Drag-Knight of the Arcadia Empire and devised special control techniques that ought to even be called as three types of hidden techniques. The true identity of that person wasn’t known until now but──I can understand with this.」

「…………」

Lux was speechless hearing those matter-of–fact words.

If Yoruka was speaking the truth, then she too was also able to use the three hidden techniques just like Lux.

(──No good. This girl’s strength far surpasses my imagination.)

But, there was no time for him to hesitate.

Lux kept taking distance while concentrating his mind. He readied his great sword.

The second hidden technique──Recoil Burst.

By creating a contradiction of holding down a full power body control operation with mind control operation that was focused into one point, this hidden technique of destruction would unleash an attack that was impossible to control from an intentional rampage.

The armor’s Mythrildite raised a strange creaking sound. That sound could be heard from Bahamut and Yato no Kami.

(──Yoruka is also doing Recoil Burst!? Is she planning for both of us taking each other down simultaneously!?)

*giggle* A small chuckle leaked out from Yoruka’s mouth. Right after that, the blades of both sides that were unleashed as though there was an explosion behind them crossed while grazing each other.

The slash was unleashed so that both sides would dodge just barely, but that terrific might blew away both Drag-Rides just from the shockwave of the aftermath.

「Ku……aa!」

Lux endured the recoil from the attack that was strengthened until more than ten times while rushing so as to not miss that opening.

The third hidden technique, End Action.

It was a special move where a Drag-Knight could infinitely launch consecutive attacks without end by alternately stacking operation command of body control operation and mind control operation that was independent from each other. Lux executed the technique with the resolve to decide the match before Yato no Kami’s Spell Code was activated , but──

「My──so this time it’s a contest of endurance?」

The slashes that were unleashed without pause over and over were all returned blow by blow with exactly the same sword speed by Yoruka too.

Upper slash, low slash, thrust, return slash, repel, dodge, parry.

The sharpness of the sword flashes was gradually increasing, accelerating in high speed as though all the other awareness was cut loose.

When more than a hundred slashes were crossed and repelled in the span of a few seconds, their arms and legs finally stopped.

「Haa, haa……haa……!」

「Haa, a……haa……」

Because they were unleashing slashes without any pause in a state of not breathing, they both ran out of breath and stopped moving.

「──It’s not so easy to defeat you Aruji-sama. There were several chances if I aimed for a simultaneous defeat but…… I too still cannot die.」

Yoruka smiled with her shoulders heaving up and down. Her breathing was rough without even any composure to hide her exhaustion.

Lux who was similarly lacking the composure had a question coming to his mind after hearing those words and he asked back.

「……What do you, mean?」

「Because after this, I have to raise Aruji-sama’s younger sister to become a king in Aruji-sama’s place.」

Yoruka said that with a matter-of-fact tone.

She said that if Lux died, she would raise Airi who would be the last remaining bloodline of the Old Empire as king.

「……Why are you that fixated on the Old Empire? No matter because you promised──」

「……How about we have a bit of a talk about the past?」

Yoruka said that and started talking quietly about it.

「Just as I said before this, I am a defective article. I didn’t have a human heart since I was born. A heartless doll that lacked humanity. Even when my father told me that and cut off our familial relationship, I didn’t feel a single thing.」

Yoruka who was the princess of the nation of Koto and her younger twin brother.

Her little brother was sickly but a person of character, in contrast to him Yoruka continued to instinctually kill the hostiles who attacked her and she was avoided by all her surroundings.

「It was only my sickly little brother who was concerned for me who was shunned by everyone in the castle. Inside the castle that was like a rubbish heap where every single person only thought of kicking down another person, it was only my little brother who tried to become a splendid lord. He even spoke that he would surely protect me who wasn’t understood by anyone──」

Lux wondered why.

Yoruka’s little brother whose face he didn’t even know, he felt the same as Lux who tried to change the Old Empire from the inside.

「We swore. My little brother would become a splendid lord. And I would become a servant who devotes my loyalty to my little brother who would succeed the throne. Both of us would risk our lives to protect the other, and persisted on our respective paths until the end. And then──」

Yoruka suddenly put her breathing in order, twisted half her body, and readied her katana shaped Blade in middle stance.

「Now then, let’s end this soon. Next I will display my own personal sword. This left eye──that has been strengthened from having the operation called 『Baptism』conducted on it, enabled this technique──」

The pupil of Yoruka’s left eye suddenly opened and it was tinged with bewitching purple light.

Lux put up his guard against the uncommon presence, but right at that moment, it happened.

*zagu-!*

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v5 03.jpg|thumb|right]]

「Wha──!?」

When Lux heard the sharp sound of slicing wind, he was already cut.

Bahamut’s barrier that was deployed before his eye was slightly torn, a part of his armor was broken, and an impact pierced Lux’s body.

「Instant Strike──perhaps that’s how I should name it? It doesn’t has that much power, but if it’s a Drag-Ride that only has average armor then it will take only one strike you know?」

「U…… kuh!?」

Lux immediately took distance from Yoruka and grasped the situation.

(……Just now, what did she do!?)

The speed of the Blade that Yoruka slashed was indeed fast.

But, its speed was obviously inferior to his hidden technique Quick Draw, and her swordsmanship just now also wasn’t particularly unusual.

And yet, it was as though Lux was unable to see that slash that should be extremely simple.

「Human, cannot do something like being conscious of the unconscious.」

Yoruka talked matter-of-factly while closing the distance.

The pupil of her left eye stayed open while shining blazingly with mysterious light, a gruesome smile surfaced on her face.

When Lux noticed, he was receiving the second attack.

Lux concentrated trying to at least ascertain that sword flash, but he was unable to.

「What is called consciousness is the same as breathing. No matter how much someone tried to focus, there surely will be an instant where they paused. If I attack at that moment──it will feel like the attack is visible but the opponent won’t be able to react.」

「Gu, ah……!」

Lux received the slashes Yoruka unleashed one after another and his Drag-Ride’s output was rapidly decreasing.

The moment his balance suddenly broke, Yoruka unleashed a slash as though she was aiming for that and he received it in full. He was sent flying.

(Damn, it……!)

「When using Aruji-sama’s hidden techniques and Instant Strike, I need to focus so I cannot use my Divine Raiment but──the attack just now was different you know?」

「Ku, a……!」

Mysteriously shining cursed pattern was surfacing on Bahamut’s armor.

Due to the ability of Yato no Kami’s Divine Raiment, Spell Code, Bahamut’s control was taken away.

The power of that Divine Raiment gave stronger domination the longer the opponent was touched, but facing against an opponent as skilled as Yoruka, even a single second of opening would be fatal.

Bahamut’s movement stopped and even the barrier deployment was dispelled.

The instant Lux became completely defenseless, Yoruka swung up her Blade with a smile.

「-……!?」

(──She got me)

That moment when Lux resolved himself, Yoruka’s sword quickly moved. With his gaze kept facing the front, two throwing weapons flying from behind him deflected that attack.

Right after Lux noticed that it was the cover fire from Lisha’s fired Legion──

「Uwah!?」

Two more Legions hit Bahamut’s shoulders and blew Lux backward.

「I see, so that’s her aim.」

Right after Yoruka smiled, the effect of Spell Code was dispelled because a distance was opened from her.

『Get a hold of yourself Lux! Why are you having trouble facing against that kind of person!』

The Dragon Voice from Lisha became blurred from the middle.

Looking there, far away at the other side of Gigas, Lisha was receiving fierce attacks from Hayes who was wearing Nidhogg.