Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 12 Episode 1 (section)

===Part 2===
「The first snow will come down soon.」

The tranquil air that was cold and dry.

Airi muttered that and looked up to the sky in the courtyard of the Academy.

The sun was shining at the zenith of the sky without a single cloud.

Airi who had a white scarf wrapped around her neck was having lunch together with her big brother Lux on a bench.

「The time to sortie might come anytime, I’ve got to be careful to not catch a cold.」

Lux who was eating a hotdog beside her replied to Airi calmly like that.

「Well, please rest well for now. It will be troubling if Nii-san dies again.」

「A, ahaha……」

Lux could only smile wryly toward his little sister’s sarcastic words and reproachful gaze.

Just the other day, he acted recklessly to save Yoruka and almost died. Because of that he was thoroughly scolded. It was nostalgic.

A few days later after that.

He was called to war councils with the Seven Dragon Paladins as well as with the New Kingdom frequently. Lux was lacking sleep from making round trips between Cross Field and the royal capital so often.

Regardless of that, they were unable to find an effective means against the aforementioned traitor──Soffice Xfer.

For the time being Lux was also liberated from the war council and he was forced to wait for orders in this stalemate situation.

With how the Moon was hidden with camouflage functions, they couldn’t catch up no matter what.

Because even if the world alliance put effort to search for it, the safety of each country from Soffice’s threat couldn’t be guaranteed.

Their side wouldn’t be able to move without some amount of prospect of winning, as well as the resolve to sacrifice country and people.

It was unclear whether this was the cause or not, but the capture of the other Ruins were also stopped, so there was almost no battle occurring.

At most it was only clearing up the Abyss that came out from the Ruins and caused harm sometimes.

The ancient race, the Lords who were the owners of the Ruins previously presented three tasks  to be solved. With the case of the other day, all three had been achieved.

The seven huge crystals that were hidden inside the body of the Ragnarok──Grand Forces.

In order to stop the world destruction by Sacred Eclipse that would happen in two more months, it was necessary to reach Avalon, the legendary land where the legacy of the ancient era was sleeping.

With Soffice’s appearance, the remaining tasks had also become something clear.

When the information of the Ruins and the Ragnarok that the Lord Listelka possessed was compared with the present situation, it became like below.

–

The first Ruin – Babel──Ragnarok Metatron was destroyed, liberation complete.

The second Ruin – Dungeon──Ragnarok Fenrir was destroyed, liberation complete.

The third Ruin – Ark──Ragnarok Poseidon was destroyed, liberation complete.

The fourth Ruin – Hall──Ragnarok Deus ex Machina was living, not liberated.

The fifth Ruin – Gigas──Ragnarok Yggdrasil was destroyed, liberation complete.

The sixth Ruin – Garden──Ragnarok Iblis was living, not liberated.

The seventh Ruin – Moon──Ragnarok Phoenix already died, Ruin liberation complete.

–

And then Avalon──as long as the command to stop functions from Avalon wasn’t given to Sacred Eclipse, it was possible for it to revive no matter how many times, right now it was waiting to revive.

The remaining Ragnarok including Sacred Eclipse was three at maximum, but if it was only to obtain the Grand Force it was enough to destroy two.

If a Grand Force was installed in the Ymir Theocracy’s Hall and the New Kingdom’s Garden each, it would be fine with that and this battle would also end.

–

「On the other hand, the three tasks that the Lords presented──the discovery of the seventh Ruin, Moon, the annihilation of Dragon Marauder, and the discovery of the traitor, all of them will be resolved if that Soffice Xfer and the others are defeated, but──」

「Yes. That’s not something easy. Even the representatives of each country know that although they won’t say it out loud.」

Airi’s words that sounded like talking to herself was responded to by Lux with a complicated expression.

It wasn’t because the countries’ representatives weren’t able to think of any method to counterattack.

Although they were able to think up some ideas, it was just that they were difficult to execute.

「If we ignore the threat and launch a counterattack, it will be either the Ymir Theocracy or the New Kingdom that gets attacked.」

Airi who guessed that also leaked out a sigh that was laced with resignation.

Because the remaining Ruins that hadn’t been liberated were the New Kingdom’s Garden and the Ymir Theocracy’s Hall, it was normal to think that the Moon was hiding near one of them.

In case the world alliance ran out of patience and launched a counterattack, the attack of the Moon would be first pointed to one of the two──such possibility was high.

If they kept obeying Soffice like this, she would monopolize Avalon.

In other words, sooner or later, the time where they had to counterattack with the resolve of sacrifice would come.

「In the worst case──the Lords will bring together all the countries excluding the New Kingdom and Ymir and launch a counterattack. In that case, the New Kingdom will……」

There was a risk that they would receive the whole attack of the Moon’s main cannon, Abyss army, and two Ragnarok.

After a war council on a certain day, Lux got pointed out by Singlen of the Seven Dragon Paladins.

–

『If you swear loyalty to me, then I won’t be reluctant to settle this anytime. You staying quiet like this while watching the New Kingdom’s downfall will make the name of hero cry right?』

–

In short, if the situation stayed like this the world alliance would in time counterattack while resigning themselves about the sacrifices.

At that time it would be the New Kingdom that would become the very first target of harm.

The remaining Ruins that hadn’t been liberated were only in the New Kingdom and Ymir, so considering the convenience to install the Grand Force, there was a high chance the Moon would be hiding inside one of those countries.

Naturally, in the world alliance summit, the two countries opposed launching any assault towards the Moon.

But, the Lords who were the center of the battle for the sake of liberating Avalon wouldn’t back down from taking a forceful stance.

Thus──if the situation reached an impasse and they were driven to the wall, the New Kingdom and Ymir might get discarded by the alliance.

They were already nearing the brink of a falling out.

Of course, Lux refused Singlen’s invitation.

Or rather, Singlen had already seen through that Lux would refuse and he retracted the invitation back as he pleased.

As always that man couldn’t be dealt with normal means.

Similar to his elder brother Fugil, Singlen’s secret was also still covered in darkness.

–

「Hey, if you are free then help out with decorating here.」

「I’m busy right now so I can’t. After all this time we are the ones making the sweets for all the students.」

「It’s better for the appearance to be modest. It’s the Holy Night Festival after all──」

「How about we ask the headmaster? Surely she will think of something good.」

「You’re right. This year there is also someone for the prince role……」

–

Around Lux and Airi who were confirming the situation with each other using small voices, female students were decorating the courtyard busily with enjoyment.

「……How should I say it, even in this kind of time everyone in the Academy is like always huh.」

Airi let out a wry smile along with a deep sigh, but in contrast with her tone, her expression wasn’t hard.

「Isn’t it fine? Everyone doesn’t know after all.」

Lux nodded with a smile.

The danger of world destruction by Sacred Eclipse and the predicament the New Kingdom was in were only known by some in order to avoid mayhem.

Not just the common people, even most of the military cadets in the Academy weren’t told, that was why the female students were absorbed with the preparations of the Holy Night Festival that was an event at the end of the year.

But, in any case they couldn’t act right now even if they wanted. It would be pointless even if they were too tense.

Rather, this might be their last chance to relax their body and mind.

Lux was still training to the degree that would keep his body from dulling, but Airi stopped him from doing more than that.

「Well then Nii-san, just because you are on stand by, please don’t let your mind wander too much by all means. Of course it’s not just about battles, but even other things too──」

「Right. I know……wait, what do you mean other things?」

「I don’t know. Please try asking your own heart.」

Airi ended the talk brusquely and left.

When Lux tilted his head in puzzlement, the female students who were staring at the two from afar surrounded him.

「Lux-kun. Won’t you spend time with us at the Holy Night Festival seven days from now?」

「Eeh!?」

「It’s fine isn’t it? Recently you are busy with work and cannot take a break right?」

「Occasionally you should deepen your bonds with your school friends too, not just with everyone from Syvalles.」

Perhaps they had been waiting until now, several female students regardless of their grade surrounded him.

「Err……. But the Seven Dragon Paladins might need to act anytime, taking that much time is──」

「Don’t say that. The requests made to Lux-san have also been piling up quite a bit.」

「…………」

He felt a bit pained when the matter of him recently being unable to accomplish the chores in the Academy was mentioned.

(As I thought, it might be unfair for me to keep only doing the work of Lisha-sama and the others, and Syvalles……)

Thinking that, Lux was going to reply to the girls surrounding him, it was then──

「──That’s enough-!」

A trio with armbands of 『Holy Night Festival management committee』 on their arms, Sharis, Tillfur, and Noct cut in between Lux and the female students.

「Oh no! It’s the Triad!?」

「Run away, if it’s now we will still make it──」

The students spoke such things in panic, but their escape path was blocked by Tillfur and Noct.

「No. I have memorized everyone’s faces, so running away will make your offense heavier.」

「Yeep yeep, the offense of stealing a march is heavy y’knoow?」

「He──Lux-kun is already in the middle of exhausting work, he is also shortening his break time to do the requests in the Academy. We should have told that to you all too. If you bother him even more than this, you will become unable to participate in the Holy Night Festival.」

At the end when Sharis declared that, several students lowered their heads in great hurry.

「So, so so so so sorry-! It’s just our sudden impulse-!」

「Please. I’m begging you at least not that──!」

「It’s fine if you understand. Now, please firmly remind everyone else too. That’s the atonement that you all can do.」

「Ye, yeeees-!」

The girls only said that before leaving with loud footsteps.

Only the Triad and Lux were left behind around the bench in the courtyard.

「As expected everyone becomes boisterous when it’s the end of the year. The number of people violating the rules is also increasing.」

「No, what rule……」

As expected, Lux felt that it was an exaggeration, but it was amazing how he was unable to completely deny it.

「It was still better when Coral was here though. But the period of aide exchange is over already, now everyone is starving for boys.」(Tillfur)

「I don’t really get it but, thank you for saving me, everyone.」

For now Lux said his thanks for getting saved from his predicament, but Noct shook her head slightly in front of him.

「No. We were forbidden to speak, but actually this is Airi’s instruction so that Lux-san won’t be too burdened. Even though she looks like that, she is taking various things into consideration.」

「Is, that so……」

Perhaps it was just as expected, it seemed that Airi was worried about him in proportion to his recklessness.

Especially the last time, although it couldn’t be helped, he was completely too reckless. He had to make it up to her somehow.

「But, was it okay to chase them away like that?」

「By okay you mean? Hohou. So Lux-kun actually wants to spend a night with those girls too. That means we have been acting impertinently.」

「Lux-chi is also a boy after aall~」

「Yes. I think I’ll report to Airi that this is just her being too meddlesome.」

「Wai-, you are wrong! Stop it!」

Sharis and Tillfur teased him with black smiles, while Noct gave the final blow with a bland emotionless tone. It caused Lux to be flustered.

「That’s not what I mean. It’s, if you three crack down on everyone too much, your relationship with the surroundings will──」

Hearing Lux’s words, the Triad stared at him blankly with opened mouths for a moment, then they showed a somewhat creeped out expression.

After that, Sharis smiled mischievously and poked on Lux’s forehead.

「What an exasperating junior. Even though you are shouldering that much by yourself, you are still worrying about us. It looks like a really drastic measure will be needed to treat this huh.」

「Yes. It seems that it’s just as Airi instructed, it will be necessary to carry out that strategy.」

「Resolve yourself okay, Lux-chi. Don’t think that you will be able to go through this one week from now leisurely.」

「Eh……?」

Seeing the bewildered Lux, the three smiled mysteriously.

It seemed that a disturbance would visit him before the Holy Night Festival that might be the last chance for repose.