Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 11 Episode 4 (section)

===Part 4===
Around that time──at the first fortress near Garden.

Right now inside that stone fortress where the White Ridge knight order that was led by Singlen was stationed, a hellish commotion was happening.

The elites of the knight order started moving in order to encircle the Garden under the pretext of exterminating the Abyss, in order to not let Lux and the others get away. But then they started to attack each other one after another.

「What are you doing! Stop! Don’t!」

The majority of the White Ridge knight order consisted of powerful High Class Drag-Knights, but due to the turmoil that occurred suddenly, they were unable to execute the original strategy and they were knocked down into chaos.

「Shit! Is this the work of the rumored Empire’s Assassin Blade!? But why!? Even though the Drake’s radar has been watching all directions since the start, guaaaah!」

One of the knights yelled that, but his fellow knight order member struck him and he stopped moving.

The veteran soldiers that numbered fifty in total were in complete disarray.

–

「We are under attack by an intruder, Sir Singlen! At this rate the operation to subdue Lux Arcadia cannot be carried out!」

「………….」

Singlen was sitting alone inside a room that was illuminated by tallow lamp──the throne room at the center of the fortress that was used for the commander.

His body deeply leaned on the armrest. In a glance his posture looked slovenly, while a deep smile was carved on his expression.

「How could this happen!? We should have exercised maximum alertness to the surroundings! For that woman to outwit us is──」

「It seems that our actions were predicted. We fell into that girl’s trick. It seems she had come beforehand through an entrance towards the underground passage.」

When a female Drag-Knight wearing glasses who stood beside Singlen acting as his aide yelled, Singlen slowly straightened his posture and answered.

「Just like how we hid troops in ambush inside the Garden in order to trap that Chore Prince, the Empire’s Assassin Blade was also aiming at our necks since the start. I don’t know whether this is her arbitrary decision or that prince’s instigation, but she isn’t half bad.」

Singlen grinned ironically while touching the handle of the Sword Device on his waist.

There, a curved blade was hanging.

「Pl, please wait! There is no way we can trouble our lord with something like this! We will immediately send out messengers to the Drakes to find and obliterate the intruder with full force──」

The female aide yelled that with rage and pride filling her voice, but Singlen shook his head slightly.

「Stop it. None among you will be a match against that girl anyway. It will only be a pointless waste of precious pieces──no, instead it will only increase the number of my enemies.」

「……!?」

The female was taken aback and gulped, then right after that she conveyed her lord’s words to all the troops.

A few minutes later, the Drag-Knights of the White Ridge knight order retreated.

–

「──So you remain here alone.」

Yoruka fully deployed the searching range of her Yato no Kami’s radar and searched for her target’s position.

There was no more other soldiers wearing Drag-Rides inside the fortress. There was only one life sign inside.

There was no doubt now that it was the sign of the Blue Tyrant──Singlen Shelbrit who Yoruka wished to bring down.

There was no doubt that he noticed her existence who caused this situation, and before she could steal his whole army using Spell Code, he made his subordinates retreat.

「With this──my role is also over.」

Her existence was accepted into the Academy, but she wasn’t a formal member of Syvalles.

Even if her life fell in this battle, no harmful effect would reach Lux.

Since a long time ago, Yoruka already had an inkling regarding Singlen’s wicked obsession towards Lux, although she didn’t know the reason for that.

While she noticed, she felt Singlen’s bottomless strength and she didn’t carelessly approach him.

She would die if she failed.

While it was just what she desired in a sense, but she didn’t go through with it because she had no definite chance of victory.

「This is the same──as that time.」

When she was living as a royal guard in the nation of Koto, Yoruka vaguely noticed the evil designs of the chief vassals towards her little brother, but she turned a blind eye to it and didn’t kill them.

There was no way she would repeat the same mistake.

This was the remaining meaning of life for her who wasn’t a human.

There was no way she would allow her master Lux to be taken away once more.

「He chose an interesting stage, that Blue Tyrant.」

Yoruka arrived at the fortress’s throne room, but Singlen wasn’t there.

Judging from the radar, his location was underground── Singlen was inside the Drag-Ride hangar.

The Drag-Ride manipulation by Yato no Kami’s Spell Code in the end could only display its effect towards a Drag-Ride that a person was wearing.

In an area where there were a lot of obstacles and other weapons that could be used, Singlen surely thought of it as advantageous for him.

Yoruka kept that in mind while grasping the terrain, then she immediately formed a plan.

Yoruka entered into the underground hangar with maximum vigilance.

Drag-Rides that were in the middle of assembly or repair, new Drag-Rides that had just been excavated from the Ruins, or even Drag-Ride parts.

It was an extensive hall made from stone with the smell of oil and metal drifting in the air.

On that stage where countless Drag-Rides were stored underground, it gave the impression like a catacomb of Drag-Rides.

In this place where sunlight didn’t enter, only several torches were illuminating the surroundings silently.

「This is unexpected. I completely estimated that you will aim for a long range battle in a place with no obstacles as a countermeasure against me though?」

Yoruka first let out just her voice and searched for Singlen’s reaction.

The enemy was only wearing a general purpose Drag-Ride Drake.

He wasn’t wearing his Divine Drag-Ride Leviathan not because of self-confidence, but in order to detect Yoruka’s approach using the Drake’s radar.

Finally, Yoruka could see Singlen’s face that was illuminated by flame, ahead at the spacious central passage.

「If I do that then you will go aiming at my subordinates right? That’s why I did the opposite and caught you in a trap like this. If I can turn the tables on you when you try to assassinate me and capture you, that softhearted hero-sama will have no choice but to obey me.」

「…………」

「You must be thinking that you came here by your own will, but you’re wrong. I’m waiting here. For the chance to steal that Chore Prince’s 『comrade』, which is his tender spot.」

「You have miscalculated there. I am Aruji-sama’s loyal tool──I’m not his 『comrade』 or anything like that.」

Yoruka continued the conversation without hesitation while searching for an opening in Singlen using her devilish eye that was shining purple.

「It’s you who have miscalculated, Empire’s Assassin Blade. That’s the reason why you are defective merchandise. You don’t even understand your──」

The moment Singlen was continuing his words, the air suddenly wavered.

Yoruka released the energy that was concentrated in the armored legs of Yato no Kami and assaulted with explosive momentum.

Singlen was standing between walls where Drag-Rides were placed on them. Yoruka aimed towards him, and unleashed a flash of sword draw strike that went towards his neck.

Drake had a lot of functions as a special equipment type, but in exchange its basic specs and output were weak.

The instantaneous attack that overtook sound should be able to tear apart the barrier defense and inflict lethal damage.

But, in front of that attack that looked as though it was taking the enemy by complete surprise, a light wall blocked it without delay.

「──Battle Array – Vicissitude.」

Tuning── using the system of a Drag-Ride, the activation timing and surface direction of the barrier that was originally activated and set automatically could be adjusted personally. It was such a battle technique.

From right to left──or from above to below. By instantaneously forming a force field that was facing a certain direction just before the impact hit, it became possible to deflect the attack using the barrier itself with this special move.

Yoruka’s sword draw that was literally a sure kill attack was parried. She pitched forward and passed beside the enemy, exposing an opening towards Singlen who was turning around behind her──was how it should be, but right after that the wrist of Singlen’s armored wrist broke, and the Blade that hand was holding flew to the air.

「……!?」

Singlen tilted his head in bewilderment, at that moment Yoruka caught a Blade that was twirling in the air.

With that the Blue Tyrant finally grasped the situation.

The first slashing attack was a fake that stopped with Yoruka merely throwing her Blade just before it hit.

The moment that Blade was deflected by Battle Array – Vicissitude, her free left hand used the Dagger it was holding to stab his Drake’s armored arm.

Due to her posture she was unable to directly attack Singlen, but by destroying Singlen’s method to counterattack beforehand, she made a perfect opening at this timing.

「Trying to probe my hand with that kind of half-baked Drag-Ride is a miscalculation isn’t it?」

Yoruka who firmly caught her Blade in midair propped her hand on the handle and pointed the blade, then took a stance of skewering Singlen who was right below.

She aimed to put the weight of Yato no Kami into the Blade and instantly kill the opponent, but Singlen spoke with composure.

「So what? You failure. ──Battle Array – Vicissitude.」

Yes.

Because Yoruka let go of her Blade temporarily, there was a lag until she unleashed her next sure kill attack.

Therefore, that attack was avoided once more due to the deflection of Battle Array – Vicissitude that was activated once more──wasn’t what happened.

「……What?」

Battle Array – Vicissitude──no, the barrier itself wasn’t generated from the Drake.

Looking closer, a purple pattern that looked like letters was covering the armor’s surface.

Spell Code──the Divine Raiment that could control other people’s Drag-Rides after Yato no Kami touched it directly.

This time Yoruka only touched the enemy with her Dagger for a moment, even so a single moment of opening by dispelling the enemy’s barrier could be made from it.

And then, in a battle between masters, that instant became fatal.

(──This is the end. If it’s like this, I can still return to remove Aruji-sama’s enemy. But)

Perhaps because Yoruka felt relieved with the success of her surprise attack, her feelings slackened inside.

That time, she suddenly felt it was a good thing that she would be able to return to Lux’s side.

She also felt that even if she returned, there wouldn’t be anything more that she who wasn’t a human could do for his sake. That feeling shook her.

Just like that time when she couldn’t answer the feelings of her little brother who treated a tool like her as human, she couldn’t even shed a tear for him──

That moment which was even less than a blink was stretched.

Along with the end of that, the Blade impacted with the defenseless Drake. At that time the armor burst into pieces.

「──Battle Array – Royal Domain.」

It was a basic technique that took off the Drag-Ride the user wore, while at the same time firing that armor like a buckshot.

It was a surprise attack that also put a risk on the user themselves, but Singlen’s Battle Array applied tuning to it and strengthened it.

「Battle Array – Royal Domain……it’s not a mere Break Purge isn’t it? By firing a buckshot to the enemy directly while taking off the armor at the same time, the enemy’s balance is broken while the user neutralizes the impact and escapes backwards at the same time. But, why──」

「Your finishing is poor. Your master──that kind Chore Prince is also the same. The world cannot be saved with that. Don’t you think so?」

「…………」

If it was the usual Yoruka, she would hide inside the Drag-Ride hangar and ignore Singlen’s question, then she would leap at the position of his presence and cut him.

The usual Yoruka should do that without hesitation, but the baffling phenomenon that happened in front of her just now dulled her actions.

The chance that should kill the enemy with certainty was avoided.

She wouldn’t be able to defeat Singlen while she was unable to understand the cause of that.

Like that, when she tried to recall her memory of just now, she noticed that at that moment, Singlen was fighting with his hand kept holding his Drake’s Sword Device.

「Aah, there is that thing called the order of precedence of command isn’t it.」

With that Yoruka comprehended it.

In other words, Singlen overwrote the order of『dispel the barrier』 that came from Spell Code, with a powerful order that had strong priority.

Furthermore Singlen held his Sword Device in his own hand, protecting his other control stick from the Spell Code’s effect.

Therefore he was able to perform evasive action just barely.

「As expected from a Seven Dragon Paladin. But, the same method won’t──」

「──Origin ocean, whirl powerfully to the critical point. Illuminate the heaven and bring down the judgment of divine will, Leviathan.」

When Yoruka glared forward, dazzling light surged inside the hangar.

A Divine Drag-Ride was summoned at the other side of the wall where Drag-Rides were placed.

The large frame that was covered with armor of hardy blue scales came from a land battle type, but the armor that looked like a tail and dorsal fins which substituted the back wings stretching from its back made it look like a mystical and fierce sea dragon.

「So that’s your star performer, the Leviathan. You won’t be able to escape like before again you know?」

Yoruka wasn’t perturbed at all seeing that majestic appearance and said that with a matter-of-fact tone.

But, Singlen was making a scornful grin that could be seen from the gaps of the wall that had Drag-Rides lined up on it.

「Empire’s Assassin Blade. Won’t you serve this me? You are quite the useful tool. It’s a bit of waste to break you here.」

「That’s an absurd joke. Or perhaps, you are simply intending to buy time?」

Yoruka replied like that while closing her distance with Singlen. At the same time she was searching for an opening.

She was measuring the timing for the special move of attacking by taking advantage of the gap of consciousness──Instant Strike.

「All of you should be able to understand──. This world is infested by not good things. The fools who don’t deserve salvation are reigning on the top and getting warped. Someone has to make it right. And then your current master cannot do that. No, far from that he is a half-baked person who will only get betrayed and fall to ruin.」

Singlen calmly gazed at Yoruka while talking with a faintly pitying tone.

「That guy has no strength to chase after his own dream. That’s why, submit to me. If it’s me, I’ll be able to use you more correctly. In exchange, I’ll at least spare the life of that Chore Prince.」

「…………」

She submitted under the banner of the Old Empire in exchange of them sparing the life of her little brother.

Singlen’s invitation was similar with the contract that she once accepted, however Yoruka shook her head.

「That condition is unacceptable. Aruji-sama──isn’t someone who will be defeated by the likes of you.」

The moment she finished talking, Yoruka leaped once more and drew near.

Her aim was one of the three hidden techniques of Drag-Ride control──End Action.

She planned to decide the battle in one go by striking down the opponent with infinite consecutive attacks that came from giving command to the Drag-Ride using two types of control operations, but that attack was stopped by a blade of water pillar that surged from the ground.

「This is, Leviathan’s Divine Raiment──!?」

Freely controlling water that it touched.

It was an extremely simple property and ability, but because of that it was difficult to beat.

Even Yato no Kami that could obtain overwhelming advantage if it could touch the opponent’s frame itself was unable to display its true worth due to the water’s obstruction.

「Yeah, it’s called {{furigana|Leaning|Royal Authority}}. Just as you can see, it’s a Divine Raiment to control water, but it also has a bit troublesome aspect. In a place that is not a watery area, I first have to gather water to control using the internal mechanism special armament, {{furigana|Ballast|Water Tank}}.」

It was required for a location like fortress and the like to secure water well due to their nature where a lot of people would stay there for a long period.

Thus even this location that was surrounded with wasteland was a place where water could be easily gathered.

Just as Singlen said, waves of water were starting to whirl around Leviathan.

It was a Divine Raiment that combined defense and offense into one, where those waters themselves could become a shield or spear. It began to show its characteristics.

「The nonsense just now was really buying time wasn’t it? Your act was really sneaky.」

「Hoo. You are quite strong headed. Few can live after challenging this me you know?」

Singlen showed a sneer, then right after that he quickly swung his Sword Device.

Immediately after, water blades surged like opening flower petal, the surrounding wall and stone pillars, then the Drag-Rides that were fixed in place were bisected.

With that, the traps that Yoruka laid out were completely destroyed.

Yoruka also similarly saw a chance and laid out her string shaped special armament, the {{furigana|Kumo no Ito|Spider’s Thread}} at the surrounding.

Originally it was a barrier of thin size that the human eye couldn’t see, but it was completely severed.

「──You are someone with less patience than I thought.」

「Disrespectful fellow. You think that kind of thing will work against me? I’ll make you pay the compensation for that.」

*GO-*, the air of the hangar shook once more.

Right after the surrounding obstacles were destroyed, Leviathan skated and attacked toward Yoruka.

In respond Yoruka escaped to the air using the special armament {{furigana|Karafumi|Vacuum Step}} that made it possible to leap midair.

She kicked on unseen air and tried to take position near the ceiling, but before she could──Singlen drew near with terrific speed and unleashed his power.

「──Battle Array – Aeon Fire.」

「……-!?」

The tip of the great sword that had energy focused into one point on it using tuning sharply fell towards her shoulder.

(Blocking it is──impossible isn’t it)

Spell Code could exert its effect even when it only touched through the weapon.

However if she blocked the super strength of Battle Array – Aeon Fire, her Drag-Ride would be bisected along with her Blade and barrier.

Thus, Yoruka made light and wind gushed out from the back of her four armored legs to dodge by jumping aside.

But, right after that, Singlen who got his sure kill attack avoided grinned fearlessly.

「Do you think you can even escape?」

「──!?」

Instantly, three water torrents undulated from around Leviathan and surged with spiraling trajectory.

Without delay Yoruka used her Blade as a shield, but even when she used her barrier she could only stop two, the last attack pierced her barrier and dealt an impact that felt like it was piercing into her body.

「Ku……u!」

Her breath was caught in her throat and her body’s freedom became restricted even if only for a bit.

To take advantage of that opening, Singlen quickly closed the distance.

He used water current as a foothold like surfing, and manifested agile mobility even midair despite the Drag-Ride being a land type battle.

Not just offense and defense, that Divine Raiment was also freely working on the movement aspect.

「Don’t make me repeat myself. To save that Chore Prince, there is nothing you can do except offering yourself. Are you planning to make me waste even more time than this?」

Singlen who arrived in front of Yato no Kami quickly held his hand towards its Force Core.

Right after that, countless light windows that manifested for the use of tuning opened, and a dazzling beam of light flickered.

「──Battle Array – Purple Lightning.」

「-……! What is this!? Yato no Kami’s movement is──!」

Although Yoruka immediately try to move for counterattack, the Drag-Ride she wore didn’t react.

All the command system was temporarily dispelled, exposing a completely defenseless figure.

(Could it be, he is using tuning to interfere with other Drag-Rides?)

「Interfering with tuning that connected the Sword Device with Drag-Ride, the Drag-Ride’s movement will stop for less than a second in order to check that command system.」

Singlen spoke as though to verify the answer and he lifted up his great sword.

「Therefore, if I get close, I will be able to cancel the opponent’s command to move their Drag-Ride even if it’s just for an instant.」

A large swing from right above was unleashed using that opening. In that instant, Yoruka barely moved her Blade and blocked it.

A single action performed at godspeed from perfectly aligned control operations, Quick Draw.

But, that too was nothing more than a temporary solution.

Yoruka was forced to back away while being unable to see any thread for counterattack.

「What happened to your bluster at the beginning? In any case if you die that Chore Prince will submit to me, so how about you stop with this trivial bluff?」

「What is your objective? Why are you trying that much──to move Aruji-sama for your own convenience like this?」

In response Yoruka barely avoided the water torrent of Leviathan while throwing a question.

The broken wall and stone pillars were washed away by the water torrent. That sight looked exactly like a disaster from heavy floods.

「I’m only doing what your master cannot possibly do. I had a bit of hope on that guy but, it’s impossible for him. Even if he can become a hero, he cannot become a king. Against those guys──against those guys he will be helpless. That’s all there is to it.」

「Are you saying that if it’s you, you will be able to do it?」

Yoruka hid in the shadow of the stone pillars or the stored Drag-Rides. The water torrent undulated after her.

Yoruka escaped into a place that couldn’t be entered by Leviathan’s huge frame while exchanging attacks, but the number of obstacles she could escape towards was decreasing more and more.

She was finally cornered in front of a huge stone wall.

「──I can. No, this me has to do it no matter what. There is no way I can entrust this world to those unenlightened fools wallowing in the darkest ignorance. Then, at the very least they should be of use as my pieces.」

「In other words, a secret for reaching Avalon is hidden with Aruji-sama, is that it? It seems you are talking while putting on an air of importance but, in short it’s something like that correct?」

「…………」

When Yoruka suddenly said that with a smile, Singlen fell silent with a hollow expression.

「You made Aruji-sama install the Grand Force in Babel too, it was a part of that plan correct? It’s fine. It doesn’t look like I will be able to make you run your mouth anymore──let’s stop our talk here.」

「Does your mind get disturbed? There is no more place for you to hide. In this situation where a lot of water is surrounding you, you are planning to contend against my Leviathan?」

「No──I don’t have such intentions in the slightest.」

Yoruka burst into a bright carefree smile and spoke that.

In response Singlen glared at his opponent with a cold gaze.

「I have obtained the information that I wished to ask from you to a certain degree, so I intend to settle this any time now. The terrain also has been arranged just as I wished── With this I am able to use my Divine Raiment to my heart’s content.」

「Just when I wondered what you are going to say, it’s just nonsense. In front of my Leaning that can attack with water, you are unable to even touch me. You are going to act tough at this point in time?」

「Then allow me to do this──Over Limit – On」

「……!?」

Right after Yoruka murmured, Spell Code emerged on Yato no Kami’s own armor.

It covered the whole frame without stopping. At the same time the dark colored armor groaned and changed shape. Almost at the same time,

An Abyss’ howl thundered from outside the first fortress.