Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 9 Episode 1 (section)

===Part 3===

「Haa, haa……haa……-!」

──A few minutes later.

Pathetically, I am unable to do even the basic movements properly. The armor was dispelled and I’m sitting down under a tree.

「I finally remember……. Why I wished to enroll as civil official candidate of a military officer cadet──」

In the test half a year ago when my enrollment was processed, certainly my aptitude count for Drag-Ride was outstandingly high.

But, my score in the essential piloting skill, reflexes, stamina, and the like were remarkably low. So I gave up that path from early stage.

「Yes. Certainly Airi’s Drag-Ride aptitude count is high, but Drag-Ride cannot be handled with just that. Even if you have the disposition to hold your breath for long underwater, that doesn’t mean you will be able to swim well. This is the same.」

「……I see, I understand clearly.」

I comprehend it while breathing hard with heaving shoulders.

My hope that perhaps, I too can also fight as a Drag-Knight is crushed.

Even so──.

「However, I will show you that I can at least master the basic control. At the very least when I’m isolated, I will be able to evacuate to a safe place by my own strength──」

「No, you should stop with that, Airi.」

「……Why is that?」

I ask back when Noct instantly disagreed.

What is there is Noct’s calm expression that isn’t particularly different from usual.

「Airi is clever, so you should have understood already. Just how dangerous it is to use Drag-Ride with half-baked skill.」

「…………」

I cannot reply right away at what Noct pointed out matter-of-factly.

I know.

I know, but I was pretending to not know.

The pertinent knowledge and skill are indispensable for controlling Drag-Ride, using it in the wrong way will invite great danger instead.

And it might not affect me alone, but it can even harm someone else.

But──.

「I’m sorry. Can you teach me just a bit more?」

I endure it with an effort and ask that.

「But──」

「Please. Just a bit more, it’s fine even if it’s just several hour. If it seems that I’m still cannot do the basic properly even then, I will give up, that’s why……」

「…………」

This time, I’m borrowing the Drag-Ride in the end is for the sake of tuning it. That is how I’m telling the Academy.

If it’s exposed to the Academy that I am using the Drag-Ride without permission, not just me, even Noct might receive punishment too.

I know that I’m asking for something unreasonable.

That’s why, I intend to give up if I’m denied further than this.

「Yes. I understand.」

「……Eh?」

While I’m silently casting down my gaze, the Drake Noct is wearing is approaching my Wyvern. A cord is stretched from the shoulder mechanism and connected to my Drag-Ride.

Right after that, a character string made of light is surfacing on my Wyvern’s head.

「Use your Sword Device to allow adjustment by my Drake. I will put a limitation so that the Wyvern won’t react to command outside of basic movement.」

「……Please.」

It seems Noct is putting in minimal lock so that I won’t commit a large mistake.

With this, it seems the great danger of rampage due to control failure is gone.

「As long as you practice in this empty lot, I believe the probability of getting found out is low if it’s only for two or three days. I will also patrol around secretly.」

「I’m sorry, Noct.」

「Please don’t mind it. In any case, Airi is Lux-san’s little sister as expected.」

「Eh──?」

Noct who is always silent and bland is unusually making a faint smile while speaking.

「You are unexpectedly forceful and reckless when it’s for the sake of someone else. That side of you two is really similar.」

「…………」

Noct dispel her Drake while saying just that. Then she leave.

「──Yosh.」

I resolve myself, then I restart my Drag-Ride training with a bit of rest in between.

And then──time pass for a while.

(Even so it’s the worst.)

Annoyingly, the more I do it the more I notice the nonexistent of my talent.

Perhaps because of the height of my aptitude in mind control operation, I’m relying on that, but my in the end my body cannot catch up and the body control operation doesn’t work.

The switches that are installed at the inside of the armored arms and legs will adjust the power output and angle when they are operated in precise order and timing that match the action, and yet operating them require quite the strength, and doing it with precise movement is far more difficult.

If the armor’s movement and the flesh body’s motion don’t mesh with each other in high precision, it will only become mere burden on the body.

My stamina that is already little even at the best of times is getting taken away entirely in the blink of eye.

Certainly if enemy find this kind of sluggish Drag-Knight, I will become nothing but target.

After all someone holding a weapon also means that they will be targeted as threat.

「Kuh, haa……」

The pilot suit feel unpleasant with all the sweat soaking it.

Even so I’m simply continuing the basic movements Noct taught me.

I who was sickly as a child and lived in the imperial court of the old empire where there was nothing but enemy around was completely reliant to Nii-san, my only family who I can trust.

Right now I have grew up, accumulate knowledge as civil official candidate, and I also can decipher Ruin’s ancient document, I also can receive work from the Academy.

But──,

–

『but it can’t be helped. Airi-san too, you must be worried for you big brother──』

『Living thing that is still young will get attached with nearby living thing that is giving them protection. That is one kind of defensive instinct.』

–

That sentence which I heard from my classmate and the description from the book that I was reading at that time were overlapping inside my head.

……Perhaps, I haven’t changed.

Perhaps I was depending on Nii-san since the past in order to protect my sickly self.

Perhaps even now I am using my position as little sister, trying to monopolize Nii-san simply just because I don’t want anything bad to happen to me.

The love and feeling as family inside my heart, they are all just misunderstanding──.

「That’s, not true……!」

That’s vexing, unforgivable──that’s why, I’m doing something like this, thinking that if only I have the strength to protect myself even just for a bit……

「Am I thinking, that I don’t want to be treated as a child……」

I’m making a self-depreciating smile while moving the Drag-Ride further.

「Nn……? Cold-!?」

The sensation of water drop falling on my nape caused me to look up to the sky spontaneously.

The cloudy sky visible in circular shape from this space that is surrounded by trees is starting to rain drop by drop.

*Achoo*.

A small sneeze leaked out.

The autumn rain is freezing cold.

A heavier rain will come soon.

There is no place where I can properly avoid the rain nearby this empty plot.

「…………」

I stop taking break in between so that my body won’t cool down and continue the training of basic movements.

Walking, low altitude flying, then swinging Blade.

As expected, it’s not going well.

Because a degree of alignment with flesh body’s movement is necessary, it will be no good unless I also learn the best motion for swinging sword.

It’s also no good if I don’t have basic stamina to some degree.

I finally understand the meaning why the class of military officer cadet also include training like sword art, archery, and running.

I also comprehend the reason why Syvalles’s captain, Celis-senpai is that strong.

As for me──it’s impossible.

The weight of fatigue is coiling around my whole body, my muscles are even starting to feel pain.

「Nii-san, I……」

Even so, while I’m continuing to simply swinging the sword stupidly, the limit comes too quickly.

「-……!?」

*Flash-* The head part of the Drag-Ride I’m wearing shine, and the armor vanish from my whole body.

It’s enforced cancellation when the user’s stamina reaches the limit.

Strength leaves my body along with an intense dizziness, the ground slant and my consciousness is receding.

「U, a……」

Unable to even support my tottering body, I sink down on the ground.

The rain that is getting harder gradually is mercilessly wetting my body.

「……It’s, cold.」

The sensation of my body is dulling and getting weaker.

Just like those days, when I was doing nothing but lying on bed in the imperial court.

I hate my body constitution.

But, perhaps it’s actually like this.

In the end, I’m, just taking advantage of Nii-san, depending on him──.

–

「──There you are, Airi.」

–

「Eh……?」

The voice that suddenly come make me lift up my face.

A man with gentle impression, with silver hair and grey eyes like me.

It’s no one else but my Nii-san who is in front of me when I notice.

I am dumbfounded for a while seeing that sight which should be impossible.

Seeing me unable to reply well, Nii-san scratches his head with a troubled look.

「I heard from Noct that Airi is here. That──sorry I’m always making you worry. But, I’m fine. That’s why, next time I won’t make Airi worried for sure.」

Nii-san make an apologetic smile to reassure me.

Nii-san often made that kind of face at me when it was a painful time at the imperial court.

──Aa, as I thought.

Nii-san is the best person in the world who can make me feel relieved from the bottom of my heart.

「……I’m not forcing myself or anything. I’m all right.」

But the current me reply brusquely like that.

「I only wanted to obtain information of Drag-Ride. Writing record and investigation and information gathering are works that I can do.」

「……I see.」

Nii-san smiles wryly and lend a hand to me who are still sitting on the ground, unable to stand.

「-……!?」

I who take that hand and try to stand up totter on my feet. Seeing that, Nii-san turn his back on me and crouch down.

「Wai-……, what are you doing!? I’m not──」

As expected, doing that is embarrassing.

Getting piggyback from Nii-san at this age, such thing……

「It’s quite far from here until the dormitory, the strong is also getting stronger. Let’s go home quickly.」

Nii-san reject my opposition with an expression that doesn’t care at all.

In the first place this is something that started from my selfishness, with that being the case, I folded after feeling conflicted for a few seconds.

「It will be fine, no one is looking, so it’s not embarrassing.」

「That’s not the problem……」

I’m still dressed in pilot suit.

I’m soaked wet with rain and sweat, my skin is also exposed a lot……various things are problematic.

I’m carried on Nii-san’s back while feeling my face reddening from embarrassment.

Somehow, Nii-san’s back that I’m feeling for the first time after a few years feels really wide──but, it’s warm like in the past.

「I’ll hurry a bit, so hold on tight okay?」

Nii-san is going through between the trees with the speed of fast walking.

「Somehow, this feel nostalgic.」

Nii-san is talking to me while my consciousness feels sleepy, between reality and dream.

「……I’m sorry that I made you worry, Nii-san.」

I loosen my heart that was acting brave and muttered that honestly.

A kind voice come back toward such me.

「I’m not forcing myself or anything.」

Nii-san’s voice was gentle and warm.

「Because Airi is there, because my only family is staying there for me, that’s why I can do my best.」

「……I know.」

──After all I’m the same.

I studied a lot in the Academy, accompanying the people in high position, everything is for the sake of Nii-san.

For Nii-san, my only family.

I cannot say that out loud, instead I quietly put more strength into the arms holding on Nii-san’s shoulders.

–

And then, my challenge that is really unlike me──the Drag-Ride training quietly closed its curtain without anyone knowing except Noct and Nii-san.

–