Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 9 Episode 8 (section)

===Part 2===

The underground labyrinth inside Academy’s ground.

In that space that was like an atelier with countless utensil lined up and bookshelves that were filled with books recording important secrets, Lux was given an unexpected mission by the captain of Seven Dragon Paladins, Magialca.

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『Therefore, the Seven Dragon Paladin of New Kingdom Atismata, Lux Arcadia. I will bequeath you with a special mission from the captain. Find the traitor that exist among our world alliance──and erase them! I already have a prospect where they might appear.』

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The ancient race of Ruin, the Lords showed their appearance around two weeks ago. The imperial princess of the Lords, Listelka suggested a skill exhibition battle. As the result, the Ruin inside new kingdom’s territory, Babel fell into Heiburg’s hand.

In order to carry out Ruin investigation for the span a month, an expeditionary force from Heiburg was starting the procedure to be stationed in a port city inside new kingdom’s territory.

It was the port city inside the territory that was governed by Celis’s father Dist, one of the four great nobles. The name of the port city was──Triport.

That city that was the nearest to Babel would likely get dragged into the whirlpool of disturbance.

The treasures that would be obtained by conquering Ruin would be stolen, and through the process of that, Abyss would appeared and brought harm to the surrounding, which would be burdened to the new kingdom.

Furthermore if by chance the greatest class of Abyss, the Ragnarok slipped away from the Babel, there was even the possibility that several cities and villages would be erased from the map.

Because of that, mixed force of Drag-Knights would be dispatched from the new kingdom to the Triport, even several Academy’s students who were Divine Drag-Ride users would be recruited toward that city by turns.

There was a possibility that Lux would also get chosen for that, but thinking that he should refrain from using Bahamut inside the new kingdom’s territory, he was told by Relie to concentrate toward a different mission.

『It’s unfortunate that I cannot serve as Lux’s aide, but I will accomplish my own duty. Please be careful while you are away.』

Celis said that to him and then departed to Triport early.

And then on the other hand, Lux was preparing for his departure toward the capital of Heiburg Republic, Exestal, in order to accomplish the mission Magialca gave him.

Why was Magialca convinced that the 『traitor』 of the world alliance would show up there?

From Lux’s viewpoint, he was half in doubt about Magialca’s reasoning, but for the time being he would disguise himself as merchant and infiltrated there.

Thus, he gathered the merchandises Relie arranged for him and put his outfit in order.

It was the eleventh month──the autumn was coming to an end. During these remaining ten days, Lux had finished going to class while spending time with the girls.

He had felt it once more, how pleasant his everyday with the girls.

Exactly because of that──Lux was able to renew his determination that he wouldn’t let this world came to an end in half more years.

In a few more days Lux would depart from this Cross Field.

Before that he went out from the girl dormitory while pondering if there was something that he hadn’t done.

「I have also done as much chores as possible in the Academy that I wasn’t able to do until now. I think it will be fine for now but──」

Lux strolled at the courtyard while muttering.

For today he accepted almost no chores in order to prepare. His schedule was empty since the afternoon.

「Should I invite Airi and walk around in the city?」

While he was thinking of such thing, he suddenly ran into female students of the Academy.

「Ah, Lux-san. How do you do?」

「Oh, are you doing chores again today? Even though it’s a holiday, you must have it hard.」

Two girls at the same grade with him called out to him amiably.

When Lux asked them if there was anything unusual, the two of them pondered for a while.

「Eerrr, let’s see. Come to think of it……, there was a girl who was sneakily loitering around the Academy since some time ago. You can call that strange perhaps.」

「Eh, that’s──」

The humanoid Ragnarok, Sacred Eclipse that had only just gotten defeated should have revived yet.

Thus it shouldn’t be a big problem, but he got a bit curious about it.

「Thank you. Then, I’ll go take a look for a bit.」

Lux parted from the two students and went out of the Academy gate and looked around the area.

He was vigilant against the possibility of fellow like Gerdaf who attacked Lux and others in the campus festival, but it seemed it was only his needless anxiety.

Yoruka would periodically stand on guard at the Academy, but he also didn’t want to burden it all on just her, so this was a good chance.

「Right now there doesn’t seem to be anything strange.」

「Nyaaah」

When Lux was feeling relieved at the peace before him, a cat suddenly crossed in front of Lux.

The cat looked somewhat familiar. Its mouth was holding a small bag.

‘Eh?’, Lux thought while feeling slightly taken aback. Then at that moment, sound of footsteps came from behind.

「Wai-!? WAIIIITTT-!? SOMEONE, PLEASE CATCH THAT CAAATT-!」

「Eh……?」

Lux turned his face toward the voice in surprise.

Over there, a girl wearing clean and neat lacy dress was desperately chasing the cat.

「Don’t tell me this──, again!?」

Correct.

It was that cat, the cat who became the impetus of Lux getting enrolled into the Academy.

It seemed that thieving cat had learned the habit of stealing people’s thing.

But, only this time there was no way he would let it escape easily.

「Yosh! I’ll absolutely catch it this time!」

Lux instantly determined himself.

This opponent beat him at the first game of tag, but he was different from that time.

If it was the current him──he could overtake it.

「Funyaaaah!」

It was uncertain if the cat considered Lux as its longtime enemy, but the thieving cat too meowed shrilly with fighting spirit, then it accelerated.

But, even so Lux wasn’t left behind.

The agile and skilled escape of the wild animal was cornered by Lux’s experience.

(As I thought. It’s the same cat with before──, its escape habit is the same.)

Lux’s observation and foresight had been polished through Drag-Ride’s mock battle.

It could also be applied to cat’s movement. Lux erased its escape options one by one.

It might not be possible if it was that time when he came for the first time to the Academy, but the current Lux was thoroughly familiar with the structure of the Academy’s ground.

Where was the place that a cat could easily escape to?

Or else, where was the place where it would be easy to corner the cat later?

Lux himself was also running in full speed while tightening those options, guided the cat, and cornered it.

「Yosh! After getting this far──, wha-……!?」

When Lux thought that he had cornered the cat until the corner of the fence, the cat kicked on the wall and jumped high.

Lux was taken by surprise.

It wasn’t just Lux, even the cat had improved in skill.

A beat later Lux also jumped and reached out his hand, but he couldn’t catch it.

「Wait! IBoku too……! No, Iwatashi too am also here!」

The voice of the girl who was also chasing after the cat while wearing skirt immediately came from behind.

Lux who detected her presence used his finger to pull the string of the bag fluttering in the air and he succeeded somehow in breaking the cat’s balance.

「Funyaaa!?」

The cat lost his balance midair and fell, but Lux too also failed in taking the bag.

Lux fell on the ground on his back with his face facing up. In the end he was unable to catch the cat, but──.

「Ei-!」

The girl wearing frilly one piece who came chasing the cat splendidly caught the bag.

Lux who used all his might to stop the cat’s movement, and the girl who aimed at the bag.

The teamwork of the two meshed perfectly with each other and made the strategy a success magnificently.

「I did it! I got it back, thank you Lux-kun!」

The girl raised her hand with a wide smile.

Lux kept lying down on the ground while he was going to reply back with a smile, but then he suddenly held his breath in surprise and turned stiff.

「……Eh, just now? My name──……wait, uwah!?」

When Lux was going to lift up his body in surprise, he noticed that situation.

The smiling girl who took back the back.

Lux had tumbled down between the legs of the girl who was standing above him.

For the girl who was wearing pure white dress to be right above him meant that his gaze was inevitably absorbed to inside her skirt──, sky blue color that was like clear weather of the autumn was projected there.

「Wait, KYAAAaAAAH!?」

The girl instantly turned red until her neck and she screamed with all her might.

「Wai-, wait a second-!? If you yell that loudly──」

Lux immediately got up on his feet, took the girl’s hand, and pulled her into the nearby cover.

「Wha, what are you doing!? Co, could it be──, you are planning to do pe, pe-pe-perverted thing to meboku!?」

「Not that!? This place is still a military facility after a fashion, so you will get scolded if you are found out!」

「Ah……」

The girl finally noticed. She allowed herself to be dragged by Lux and obediently hid at the shadow of a bush.

After that, Triad members arrived to that place that was slightly distanced from the courtyard.

「……Hmm, I thought that I heard a girl’s scream from here, but it appears that it was just my imagination.」

「Sharis is highly strung eeh. Though the campus festival has also just ended, so I get it if you feel anxious.」

「Yes. Perhaps it was only Lux-san accidentally encountering someone changing clothes again.」

Sharis, Tillfur, and Noct were muttering such thing alternately.

They then looked around for a bit at the surrounding, then they left.

[[File:SaijakuBahamut v9 10.jpg|thumb|right]]

「Fuu, we’re saved……」

If it was Lux, he believed that he would be forgiven even if he was found out, but he didn’t want the girls of Triad who volunteered to act as vigilance committee to bend the rule for him too much.

The moment he patted his chest in relieve, he suddenly noticed the presence behind him.

When he turned around, the girl whose expression was stiff from enduring the embarrassment still had her hand grasped by Lux.

「No, this isn’t how it looks like!? I was looking at your underwear before this was a misunderstanding──not that, it was just an accident! I didn’t have any intention at all to peek……, wait, eh?」

While making excuse, a strange sensation rose inside Lux’s body that was holding hand with the girl.

A faint prickling pain was born behind his eyes. He saw sandstorm before his eyes.

The sound of blood circulation echoed in his eardrums.

After that happening that took place in less than a few seconds, the form of the girl before him overlapped with a certain image.

「You, could you be, ……Coral?」

「Eh……?」

The girl was flustered hearing the word that slipped out from Lux’s mouth.

Lux himself thought that no way such thing could be true.

The young man who was the aide of Greifer, the Seven Dragon Paladins of Vanheim Principality. A young man with gentle personality who was quite friendly with Lux.

After the summit two weeks ago was over, Coral should have returned back to Vanheim Principality together with Greifer and others.

Furthermore, the person in front of Lux right now was wearing clothes and hairstyle of girl.

Vibrant long light green hair that was spreading out and pure white dress.

That appearance made Lux felt a strong déjà vu for some reason.

Although Coral originally had androgynous appearance, he should have never seen this girl’s appearance for even once.

「Ku……!?」

Right after that, a sharp pain ran inside Lux’s head and he fell on his knee.

His hand pressed on his forehead and he stayed still. After that the pain immediately receded.

「A, are you all right Lux-kun……? If you are feeling unwell, then we should go to the medical office──」

The girl called out to Lux uneasily, but Lux stood up and shook his head.

「No. I’m all right already so don’t worry. More importantly, as I thought you are Coral right?」

「Eh……!? N, no Iboku……not that, Iwatashi am not that person……you know?」

The girl averted her eyes without any confidence for some reason.

(It’s too suspicious……. But──)

In reality, there was also no definite truth that this girl was Coral.

She had the same hair and eye color with Coral, so he believed the possibility was high, but──.

「Just now you mentioned medical office didn’t you? How did you know that this place has something like that?」

「Kuh……, n, no. A military facility this size must have that much at least. Re, remember, just now you said that this place is a military facility.」

The girl made an awkward friendly smile, but as expected she was subtly suspicious.

「The, then, seeing that I am an outsider here, I’ll quickly leave. Thank you for helping me taking back this bag.」

The girl said that and slowly tried to back away from Lux.

Lux who saw that raised his voice in hurry.

「Wait! The gate before this has a patrolling soldier. It’s better to get out from the backdoor. The number of student strolling around is also increasing at this time, perhaps it’s better to hurry──」

「I, is that so? Understood, I will be careful. Farewell!」

The girl smiled and waved her hand, then she half ran toward the backdoor.

She was moving in a straight line through the shortest route toward the backdoor that was still far away from this spot that was at the verge of the courtyard.

「…………」

But, after a few seconds, the girl stopped still. She turned around with a wry smile.

「E, errr……right, yes. Whe, where is the backdoor again!? I forgot to ask that-!」

「Aa……」

She finally got captured at the second trap Lux laid out.

In the first place, only the student of the Academy knew about the backdoor.

And yet she──no, he instantly guessed the location instantly.

In other words, he knew about the backdoor’s location.

Most likely, it was Airi who told him that while he was staying in the Cross Field.

It seemed that he noticed that late, but the proof was already left behind.

「Say……as I thought, you noticed already, about meboku?」

Coral grasped the cuff of his dress while averting his gaze shyly.

From his hairstyle and outfit, he wasn’t an androgynous young man anymore, he only looked like a cute girl that was Lux’s age.

「Well, it wasn’t like I was 100% sure. By the way, why are you still in this Cross Field? Also, that appearance too──」

「A, ahahahaha……. This is, there is a bit of circumstance──more importantly Lux-kun. What do you think about myboku appearance right now?」

「Even if you ask me that──, you look like a normal cute girl though.」

「Eh?」

Coral’s eyes turned round like saucer hearing Lux’s words. Right after that his cheeks puffed red.

Seeing that reaction bewildered even Lux who said that.

「N, no, I don’t mean like that. I mean that it really suits you, o, or that your disguise looks really natural.」

Lux was worried because he called Coral 『cute』 even though he was pretty much a male, but it seemed Coral didn’t really mind it.

「Fo, for the time being I’m currently a boy you know!? ──Not that! Things like my hair color or eye color, they properly look like the usual me right?」

「Ye, yes. But, your chest──」

There was only one place that was baffling for Lux.

The two bulges that could be clearly seen from above the dress were things that couldn’t be seen from Coral previously.

「Eh, this!? Thi, this is, that──the, they are padding. It’s for disguise, just in case.」

Coral smiled wryly in panic and explained it like that.

Lux was a bit curious about his chest, but he also hesitated to stare fixedly at there, so he didn’t ask further than that.

「And, why are you looking like that? What’s more you are loitering around the Academy──」

「E, eerr, you see, it will be long if I talk about it but, that’s……」

Seeing Coral hesitating looking slightly bewildered, Lux let out a sigh.

Surely it was a matter that was hard to be said openly in this place.

Lux who guessed that made a suggestion.

「Then, how about we talk outside the Academy? I think I can show you around if it’s inside the Cross Field.」

「Ri, right. Please, by all means……」

And then, Lux headed outside the Academy together with Coral who was still blushing.

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