Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 14 Episode 1 (section)

===Part 2===

Until two and half a day later when the gate of Avalon’s deep level floor was opened, it seemed the soldiers in the area were nervous, but unexpectedly it wasn’t like that inside the fortress.

Perhaps the recoil from the battle that was too fierce made everyone’s feeling to be temporarily paralyzed.

It was a fact that the body wouldn’t hold if someone was persevering too much despite their fatigue, so in any case rest was necessary.

「Lu-chan. Somehow, today you are strange you know?」

「Eh……?」

While doing the chore that Magialca instructed him to do, like receiving or delivering material and so on, Philuffy who was walking beside him said such thing.

With a bag filled with snacks in one hand, she peered fixedly into Lux’s eyes.

「Somehow, you are acting absentminded since some time ago.」

「…………」

Lux felt conflicted that Philuffy pointed out such thing to him, but certainly it might be just as she said.

The reason was most likely the content of the dream he saw before this.

Keeping it inside by himself wouldn’t bring anything, so he tried talking about it to Philuffy.

After all she had seen through Lux’s anxiety anyway.

「──And so, I saw a strange dream about five years ago. I think perhaps that dream was because I am too nervous due to the possibility that soon I might be battling Fugil-niisan finally.」

「……I also saw one you know, a dream of different past.」

「Eh!?」

The words that Philuffy said with a serious face caused Lux’s hand that was pushing a delivery cart to unconsciously stop.

「A dream where I died and discarded underground the monastery of Ries Island. At that time, Lu-chan also came. I was still on the verge of death, but Lu-chan received shock seeing me not moving and flew out. The memory stop there.」

The incident five years ago, when Philuffy was kidnapped for human experiment.

His memory regarding the matter of Ries Island was cut off hazily for some reason.

「After that……I don’t know. When I noticed, I had gone back to Nee-chan’s side.」

「……The, then, it must be only your feeling. Phi-chan is safe like this right now after all.」

Seeing the collapsed Philuffy, Lux misunderstood that she had died and his mind fell into chaos from the excessive shock.

At the very least, Lux was thinking like that until now but──.

「However, I remembered a bit. Lu-chan’s Onii-san who I saw near the fortress yesterday. At that time that person also came inside the monastery’s basement. That’s what I feel.」

「──Wait a second!? What do you mean!?」

Five years ago, Fugil came to Ries Island. This was the first time Lux heard that.

But, Philuffy didn’t change her expression, she was only staring straight ahead.

「I don’t understand. I also remembered it only just now. Perhaps, there is some kind of connection, with Avalon being nearby.」

「…………」

The unfamiliar memory that sometimes flashed on the back of Lux’s mind until now.

He completely thought that it was hallucination that Lux’s own heart showed him, but it was strangely concerning that even Philuffy was having similar experience.

Five years ago, just what in the world happened at the day of the incident in Ries Island and the day of the revolution──.

「It’s meaningless even if you only think about that matter. Looks like the current you has remembered huh.」

「……-!?」

The moment they turned on the corner of the corridor inside the fortress, a figure appeared that caused Lux to hold his breath.

A man wearing eye patch and coat with deep ultramarine color.

He emitted an overwhelming aura that was mismatched with his small and thin body. The Blue Tyrant, Singlen Shelbrit.

He was the captain of Blackend Kingdom’s White Ridge knight order, and the vice captain of Seven Dragon Paladins.

His jet black eye that was like a bottomless abyss was capturing Lux’s face.

「What is your business? You are going to give an invitation even at this kind of time? I should have told you that I won’t submit to you.」

「I should have told you that I have no more intention of that. ──Then why am I accosting you like this right now? Let me ask back, am I not allowed to address you? Even like this I am still your superior.」

「Kuh……」

Like always, his attitude was haughty and arrogant, looking down on other people.

But he strangely had a clever mouth that could skillfully convince other people.

He was someone that was hard to deal with in a different meaning from Magialca. This man’s action couldn’t be predicted.

When Lux was perplexed of how to reply, Philuffy beside him suddenly stepped forward.

「Donut, I’ll give you one if you want. Proof of acquaintance.」

「……Wha-!?」

Philuffy took out a donut from her portable snack bag and casually presented it to Singlen.

It seemed Philuffy mistook the gaze that was directed to her as a wish for snack.

However, even if this was Philuffy who was always at her own pace, this was too reckless.

It would be a different matter if it was with the other Seven Dragon Paladins, but the opponent now was that Singlen.

「Phi-chan, don’t do that. Making that kind of conversation with him is──」

「A daughter of Aingram Conglomerate huh, I’ll accept it thankfully.」

「Eeh!?」

This time it was Lux’s turn to be shocked.

That Singlen received donut from Philuffy, and then he began to eat of all things.

(What is going on? What is this guy thinking? Just what kind of secret is inside that donut──?)

「What are you staring at? Is it that strange for me to eat snack?」

……Extremely.

Lux couldn’t say that.

Even so this was surreal.

Whether it was Singlen who even though he was smiling, it didn’t reach his eye and he didn’t look like he was enjoying eating the snack at all.

Or Philuffy who wasn’t bothered about anything and continued to eat her snack on her own pace.

In a sense, it was a sight that possessed different abnormality than the dream that he saw befor this.

「Hou, the outside is hard. It’s a texture that I like.」

At that time Singlen suddenly showed a mysterious smile and began to evaluate the donut’s taste.

「I see, so it was fried. Even though the situation is tense like this, you really have a guts to cook snack in a fortress at a battlefield.」

Singlen gave an evaluation that was unclear whether it was sarcasm or praise.

(What is his intention? Hidden behind this conversation──)

「It’s not like I have a hidden motive here. I’m merely giving praise to that girl’s skill and courage though?」

(He is even reading my heart so casually……!)

Singlen finished eating the donut silently, and then he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Right after that, Lux started to talk with him from being unable to endure the silence.

「And, what is your business here? What do you want to make me do?」

「Hm? Aah, about that huh.」

Singlen spoke as though he suddenly remembered something and his cheeks loosened.

「I’m thinking to give you warning as insurance. Although Avalon will fall into my hand no matter what happen, but I don’t know what is going to occur from here on.」

「Warning……?」

When Lux tilted his head from lacking understanding of what Singlen meant, Singlen started talking with a smile that was filled with implication.

「I know your future. What I want to say is to resolve yourself about how you will move at that time.」

「Are you trying to misled me with words again?」

Lux was immediately on guard, but Singlen’s fearless smile didn’t crumble.

「Don’t jump at every little thing, chore boy. How about acting composed like that woman beside you?」

Even though Singlen said that, but he couldn’t let his guard down against him so he was wary like this…….

「What, this won’t be a bad talk for you too. ──It will be soon. In just a bit more you will also end up knowing the truth. But the truth is a troublesome thing. It’s something you better off not knowing. There are many truths that cannot be changed and will only make you suffer if you know them.」

「I am currently have work to do, so can you be quicker about it?」

Lux casually tried to cut off the talk, but Singlen’s attitude didn’t change.

「There was a phenomenon that was called as calamity. It also happened a few years ago in our Blackend Kingdom and a lot of people became sacrifice. A commissioned officer at our place obtained Elixir and ran wild, causing insurrection within the country.」

「What, are you saying……?」

「You see, originally I didn’t have any interest in something like the authority of royalty and noble. Right now I had come back into the seat of Blackend Kingdom’s general, but from the beginning this kind of position is inconsequential. I also didn’t want to get involved with those bunches since the start.」

「…………」

The man turned a gaze that was filled with emptiness toward empty air as though he was reminiscing.

「Don’t you think it’s stupid, Lux Arcadia? Why were you unable to persuade the imperial family of the old empire in the past but relied on a method like revolution to change the country instead? Was it because those bunches wouldn’t listen? Was it because your position was weak?」

「……I don’t know. But, at that time there was no other method than that──」

「That’s not it chore boy. You should have noticed already. After all the nature of living thing is they can only live by their own convenience. Therefore the act of appealing to something like human conscience itself is mistaken. Because of that naivety, I lost my only blood-related family.」

Singlen’s smile didn’t change even while he was talking about the death of his relative.

「Well, that couldn’t be helped. It was the survival of the fittest thing. You will be stolen from if you are weak. That is the constant of the world. I don’t plan to speak differently. But──」

At that time Singlen’s jet black eye was tinged with muddy black killing intent.

「Those bunches who I overlooked without even getting into quarrel with them, they just kept getting carried away to the utmost. I had no choice but to act. Just like you.」

If Lux’s memory served him right, right after Drag-Ride was discovered, he immediately quelled the civil war and ascended to the position of general.

After that because of his merciless way of fighting, he was chased away from the seat of general, but was the reason he performed meritorious deed at first was to protect the family that he mentioned just now?

But ironically, it later led to the fate of him losing his elder sister.

「…………」

Lux couldn’t say it out loud, but he thought that he was similar.

With his past self who was banished from the palace, lost his place to belong, with his grandfather and his mother died, and even his little sister and childhood friend were taken away from him.

And also how he acted to try to change that.

But, after losing his important person, Singlen didn’t balk at ruling with power.

「And then──I encountered that Fugil ten years ago, and obtained Leviathan and Senjin.」

「……-!? What do you mean!?」

Lux who was listening to the story until now reflexively flared up with his expression changing.

Why was Fugil at Blackend Kingdom and involved with Singlen?

He granted Drag-Ride and technology, bringing about power to change the country.

Lux and Singlen overlapped each other looking at that flow of various events.

「You don’t know anything about that man who you believe as your elder brother. But I realized it. About that man’s scheme and goal.」

‘Kukuku’, Singlen lifted the corner of his lips and smirked.

「You are trying to follow the same path like me in the past. You were directed by that man to become like that. But I instead have gone off the rail from that path. That was why I wanted you as replacement. In order to pull your existence that is changed into the singularity of destiny under me.」

「……I don’t understand, your meaning. It was my own will who chose the revolution. Fugil had no reason to make me do that. If he wanted, he could do it himself instead of making me do it, and above all else my elder brother betrayed me!」

Lux objected with his voice unconsciously turning rough.

But Singlen only responded with a haughty grin.

「Don’t make me say it repeatedly. You will understand even if you don’t want it if you reach the center of Avalon. Just do your best to stay quiet until then. So that you can become useful for this me that is.」

Singlen only said that and he turned around to leave.

Lux felt like he had heard some kind of important talk, at the same time he also didn’t understand at all the meaning of Singlen’s words.

Lux immersed himself in his thought with the feeling as though he had been led around by a fox.

「Lu-chan, let’s go. We have to do, master’s instructions.」

When his childhood friend called out to him, Lux’ tension suddenly left.

At this kind of time, Philuffy who was always at her own pace unwaveringly was reliable.

「Phi-chan, what do you think? About Sir Singlen’s words just now.」

「……Nn, I didn’t get it at all, what he was saying.」

Lux felt fatigue hearing her too honest words.

「But, it’s fine. Because, I’ll protect Lu-chan.」

Saying that, she continued with a faint smile.

Perhaps this was why Philuffy was strong, Lux thought suddenly.

Her mind wouldn’t get caught by needless things or things that were pointless no matter how hard one thought about it, even so she wouldn’t lose sight of what was important.

「But, I wonder why. Somehow that person, look lonely somewhere inside.」

「…………」

Lux hesitated of what he should say in respond to Philuff’s impression.

But, in the end he couldn’t find the words and he started walking inside the fortress to carry out his instructions.

–