Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 6 Episode 3 (section)

===Part 6===

「How long are you going to keep running around? Try showing me the pride of the New Kingdom!」

Buzzheim laughed loudly while repeatedly flying in order to take the back of Noct persistently.

Lux cut in on his trajectory again and again in order to prevent that. He blocked the slash with his sword.

With a general purpose Drag-Ride Drake that was specialized for rear support and gathering intelligence, it was nearly impossible to exchange blows properly with Buzzheim due to the spec difference.

Therefore, Lux was forced into a one-sided defensive battle in order to cover for Noct.

「Aren’t you going to take revenge for those noble girls you are wagging your tail to? Or else, are you getting cold feet?」

Buzzheim was swiveling around in the sky with high speed so that he couldn’t be locked on while laughing fearlessly.

Seeing Noct that was devoting herself to evasion and Lux who was protecting her, he attempted such provocation.

But, that was Buzzheim’s trap.

He planned to aim at the moment the opponent switched to offense and became defenseless, shooting them down then instead.

(However──this is a chance)

The moment Buzzheim deliberately stopped his attack and showed his composure, Lux saw through that and moved.

「Hah! Taking the bait huh you fool! ──Howling Howl!」

The vortex of shockwaves that shook the air was fired from the head part of Buzzheim’s armor.

But, Lux who predicted that transmitted his energy and turned his Blade into shield, breaking through the wall of shockwave.

「……What-!?」

It was difficult to see through the opponent’s attack pattern just from a few minutes of battle.

But, the options against highly mobile Wyvern, and how Buzzheim’s attack were mainly using the difference in spec between the Drag-Rides.

Lux calculated the answer using his countless battle experience based mainly on using those two points.

「Nuuh!?」

But, even so perhaps it was as expected from the ability of an EX Class that possessed an EX Wyvern, Buzzheim shifted his trajectory without delay and without pause he dodged Lux’s slash toward him.

Aiming at the opening that Lux exposed from making a big swing, he held aloft his large Blade.

「Drop dead, you Old Empire’s dog-! ……──tsu!?」

The moment Buzzheim bared his wicked look and he was going to swing down his sword, he noticed Lux’s calm eyes.

The angle of Lux’s gaze wasn’t directed at Buzzheim, but behind him.

When he reflexively looked above the ring, Noct’s figure was vanishing.

It was the camouflage ability that was one of Drake’s special functions.

It was a stealth ability to cover one’s own figure by assimilating into the surrounding landscape, but the figure would become exposed when the Drag-Ride turned to offense.

「Planning to outwit me huh!? That method is──obsolete already!」

He feigned to slash at Lux, but he then twirled in a circle and flashed his sword to behind him.

But──that Blade cut empty air along with Buzzheim’s confidence.

「──Yes. The cause of your defeat, is that you are looking down on your opponents thinking that it’s obsolete.」

「Wh-…..at!?」

Noct wasn’t behind Buzzheim.

For a flying type Drag-Knight, having their back where the propulsion device was located taken by the enemy in a defenseless state was a situation that they should be the most vigilant against.

If a Drake with its basic performance that was inferior by one or two levels wanted to find a means of survival, this was the only moment where that was possible.

That was why Buzzheim saw through Lux’s aim, and he predicted that the Drake which covered its figure with camouflage would attack him from behind.

He was convinced by none other than the direction of the gaze of Lux who he was facing. Lux wasn’t staring at Buzzheim but behind him.

But, the location where Noct was standing wasn’t right behind Buzzheim.

The Blade that was swung with semicircle trajectory didn’t hit anything, and then Buzzheim’s open stance was in a position that was approaching near.

「Don’t tell me, you bastards──!?」

「Yes. Please be careful so that you don’t get injured.」

In a flash, Noct pulled the trigger of her cannon that had been filled with energy.

「Guh, OOOO……-!?」

The violent torrent of shockwave that was fired from close range blew away the EX Wyvern.

Because Buzzheim allocated the energy from his Force Core into his slash, he was unable to deploy a solid barrier and his armament was smashed.

「Ga, HaaA……!」

Buzzheim’s back struck the stone wall at the far behind and he fainted in agony.

With that, it looked like the match was concluded for the time being.

「Thank you very much for the tactic instruction, Lux-san.」

Noct’s tone that was indifferent as usual was really like her, Lux thought.

「No. It’s thanks to Noct. Your positioning and reaction, both were really skillful──」

When Lux said that with a smile in response, Noct showed an expression that looked just a bit surprised.

「No. Those words are too generous for me. I was only carrying out Lux-san’s instructions, both in strategy and tactic. A person who is just performing what they were told cannot be called as a full-fledged servant.」

「Is, is that so……」

Lux smiled awkwardly. He wondered if she thought he was just flattering her.

But,

「Yes. But, it’s also a lesson for me. After all, I almost feel completely satisfied just from receiving your praise from doing something ordinary.」

Noct looked at Lux and floated a faint smile on her lips while she muttered that.

As though she was conveying to him, that by no means she was thinking anything bad of Lux’s words──

「Then, is it better if I say it like this? Don’t let me down okay, Noct.」

「Yes. I’m looking forward to working together with you, Lux-san.」

Noct lightly bowed her head while still wearing her Drag-Ride.

That moment when he was going to return a smile at her, a cold dread ran through Lux’s spine as a chill.

「What the hell are you two prattling over there! The exam is still──it ain’t over yet-!」

The EX Wyvern that crashed on the outer wall with its driving force suspended.

It rallied over itself unnoticed and readied a large sword that was clad with energy, rushing ahead in super low altitude with a speed like an arrow.

「──Lux-san!?」

Noct quickly readied her Blade against that expression that was distorted from rage and humiliation.

But, the killing intent that Lux feared wasn’t that.

Buzzheim’s charge that was like a raging squall.

The EX Wyvern that was drawing a straight line while leaving behind afterimages had its armored arm lopped off along with a thunderous sound.

「──Whaa-!?」

That destruction and impact that attacked his body without any advance warning at all caused him to lose his balance and crash on the ground.

「──!?」

Not just Lux and Noct, the other Drag-Knights who were receiving their exam also stopped moving simultaneously.

「Guh, GaaAAAAAAAH……!」

A hoarse scream resounded in the area, the blood soaked Buzzheim was toppled sideways along with his Drag-Ride.

Without pause he crashed on the stone wall at the opposite side, and this time he didn’t twitch anymore.

「────」

The sudden horrible accident caused everyone there to hold their breaths.

What cut apart that silence that was created for a few seconds was the voice of a certain man.

「Really sorry, I missed my aim a tiny bit. My bad, my bad.」

A small figure wearing a blue coat appeared while scratching his head with a look that showed not even a shred of guilt.

The Blue Tyrant, Singlen Shelbrit was looking down to the practice grounds from the audience seats above, in a state of wearing a special equipment general purpose Drag-Ride, Drake. (TN: Just to avoid confusion, it’s not that Singlen’s Drake has special equipment, but it’s that a Drake is categorized as a special equipment general purpose Drag-Ride, what with all its nifty functions.)

「……The Blade just now, was your──?」

Lux asked with a voice that was tinged with caution.

「You aren’t going to say even a single thanks? The youngsters these days are really disagreeable huh.」

In response, Singlen grinned fearlessly and jumped down to the ring’s soil along with his Drake.

「Thi, this is……what in the world is going on!? Sir Singlen!?」

When the examiners at the area who saw that came rushing in panic, Singlen shrugged his shoulders in exasperation.

「I’m requested to act as the general manager of this exam. Take away the examiner license from the idiot sleeping over there. Originally, the exam should resume from square one after someone got blown away until outside the ground, but that guy broke the rule and launched a surprise attack. ……You need me to explain the exam’s regulations further?」

「Uu, aa…… Si, sir-……! Understood-!」

With a glare from Singlen, the examiners who were asking questions backed away in panic.

After the fainted Buzzheim was carried away by a stretcher, Singlen turned a smile towards Lux and Noct.

「Now then, that was an annoying hindrance huh, chore handyman. Unfortunately it seems that there is no free examiner here, but you still have four minutes left. In their place, I, the overseer here, will personally give you your exam.」

「…………」

──’It’s dangerous.’ Warning bells were ringing inside Lux’s head.

This man threw a Blade at a Drag-Ride flying at high speed and lopped off an armored arm with that one attack, like shooting down a termite dancing in the air.

It was abnormal. Whether it was that miraculous feat that was done by using a general purpose Drag-Ride. And also that mercilessness where there was not even a twitch in his expression from almost killing Buzzheim.

But, till the end it was within the scope of the exam. Then──

「Noct, can you still go?」

「Yes. It’s possible if it’s the remaining four minutes.」

「……Then, it’s decided. Let’s begin right away, oi.」

The officer that received a glance from Singlen raised his voice just as he was prompted to.

「Battle, Restart!」

Together with that voice, Singlen drove his special equipment general purpose Drag-Ride, Drake and lightly readied his Blade.

「You are also using a Drake? It’s basic specs are the lowest even among the three types of general purpose Drag-Rides, is it okay?」

Noct pointed that out while frowning slightly.

Singlen’s choice was also unexpected for Lux.

Of course, although it was the special equipment type, Drake, its strength depended on how the Drag-Knight used it, but to take on two opponents in a ring with good visibility like this time, it should be a type of Drag-Ride that was definitely at a disadvantage.

Although he was a member of the Seven Dragon Paladins, a large part of his ability should also be made up from the Divine Drag-Ride that he used.

From what Lux was seeing, the Drake in front of him didn’t have any sign that it had been specially remodeled.

And yet why did he chose that kind of Drag-Ride?

「Is the handicap not enough? Should I throw away several of my weapons too?」

Noct fell silent seeing Singlen’s condescending smile.

In exchange Lux spoke as the proxy of her will.

「It’s fine like that. Then──here I come.」

Lux and Noct readied their weapons at a distance of ten-odd mel apart.

They had a light briefing with each other using Dragon Voice and concluded their talk.

「Four minutes remaining. You two can come at me, or run around to escape──I mean, enduring the battle. It’s your freedom.」

The way he was talking was provocative as usual.

But, they needed to be even more vigilant in this battle than before.

『Noct, we are going to split and hold him back in place with medium-range attacks. If it looks dangerous then I’ll move forward.』

『Yes. Roger.』

Drake itself shouldn’t have high attack power, but Lux who saw that it was dangerous to forcefully attack or to thoroughly defend gave such instruction.

They would split into two units and take a distance where they would be able to support each other and also to take advantage if Singlen attacked one of them.

「Kukukukuku, so you are taking the worst choice of all things……」

In response, when Singlen saw that, he sniggered while standing still.

Lux who saw Singlen stopped moving aimed at his armored leg using Breath Gun.

Because Drake didn’t have flying functions, if a bullet barrage was laid out under its feet, its movement would be stopped.

As though seeing through that, Singlen’s Drake quickly leaped aside.

Light and wind were ejected from the back of the armor’s feet. It was a StepLeap that was performed by a jump and high speed movement that was limited to a single step. But, Noct was waiting for that moment when he moved.

「──Yes. Just as aimed.」

Noct who activated the camouflage function and hid showed her figure in order to attack.

She flowed energy into her Blade and reinforced it──with the shortest motion she aimed at his shoulder.

‘Get him’──even Lux was convinced of that.

That attack couldn’t be dodged using Singlen’s Drake right after using Step.

Even if he wasn’t defeated by this attack, it was possible to press him back.

「Aa, certainly it’s just as aimed. ──My aim that is.」

But, that instant when the Blade that Noct swung almost touched Singlen’s Drake, that slash was easily repelled by barrier and it was parried away.

「Eh……!?」

Noct was dumbfounded with a face that didn’t understand what happened.

Right after that, faster than Lux could react, Singlen’s rotated the Blade in his hand, drawing a semicircle arc.

A sharp slash struck Noct’s back and she was blown away until outside the ring.

She crashed on the wall at the edge and a cloud of dust fluttered intensely.

「Kuh, u……!?」

「Noct-!?」

「──Yes. I’m, all right, so……」

Noct somehow replied with an expression that couldn’t hide her pain.

Perhaps because she was taken by surprise, or perhaps because her Force Core was accurately aimed at, her Drake was forced into inactivity with just one strike even though it was done by the same kind of Drake.

And yet──Lux didn’t understand how Noct got done in instead.

「How about stopping the farce any time now? It’s because you cover for that gloomy small fry and try to score points by playing with petty tricks that she met that kind of experience.」

「……-!? Tha, light is──!?」

The instant Lux reacted to Singlen’s provocation, he noticed.

Countless figures of light floated around the general purpose Drag-Ride the opponent was wearing.

Rectangle figures displaying enumeration, symbols, and graphics of ancient language.

It was the mode of tuning that was often seen when using the SystemControl System of a Drag-Ride.

But, Lux thought that till the end it was a function for use outside of combat.

「What are you surprised about? I was just tampering a bit to release the output setting of a part. I’m still not doing anything significant you know?」

Singlen floated a battle hungry grin and he readied his Blade.

The remaining time was two minutes.

Lux’s survival rate would go up if he ran around like this, but there was no way he could stay quiet.

(Then──)

Lux readied his Cannon and quickly loaded it with energy, and he fired.

It was a diversion in order to see through the opponent’s technique, and also to probe the enemy, but Singlen reacted in an unimaginable way.

「──Wha!?」

He didn’t pull back or even dodge against the cannon shot, but leaped forward.

That option that was originally impossible caused Lux to open his eyes wide, right after that── he saw that.

(The barrier── it’s not deployed at the front!?)

Against the opponent’s attack, it was natural to reinforce the barrier──even if not, the barrier should automatically get deployed.

But, Singlen’s Drake didn’t do that.

It wouldn’t make it in time. Death would await if the attack hit directly on the flesh── the moment Lux feared that would happen, something hard to believe occurred.

「──Battle Array – VicissitudesSenjin – Ruten.」

Singlen’s lips distorted and whispered something. Right after that, the torrent of impact and heat fired from the Cannon was deflected to the side with a spark.

Without even blocking using barrier or evading, that attack was warded off from the front.

「……-!?」

「Do you still have such leeway with this me as your opponent?」

Singlen sharply drove his four armored legs and stepped into Lux’s bosom in one breath.

The moment Singlen’s Drake came close while driving in a high speed thrust, Lux quickly flew away from that spot.

He laid out a barrage using his Breath Gun in order to cut off the flow of pursuing attacks.

「Fuh……」

Singlen dodged that by jumping to the side and he swung his Blade once more.

「I see! But that’s──don’t tell me」

Lux was struck with admiration at the same time he noticed that truth.

Singlen’s 『technique』 that parried his attack──he noticed its terrifying true identity.

「You are forming the barrier itself to move and deflect the attack!?」

「I’m really pleased you noticed. It pays off showing it to you several times.」

Singlen snorted and stopped his legs.

However, even after seeing through that, Lux couldn’t hide his agitation.

Normally, the Drag-Ride’s barrier would react to the danger towards the user and activated automatically, furthermore changing the degree of its strength from the user’s control was the basic.

But Singlen deliberately stopped the Drag-Ride’s automatic generation of barrier. And then, he generated a force field just before the opponent’s attack hit him, then the momentum from that repelled the attack.

From right to left, or from below to above, he didn’t block the attack, but parried it.

It was certainly possible in theory──but,

(If he mistakes a step, he will get fully hit by the attack and get serious damage……no, it’s possible he would even die instantly from receiving the attack directly on his flesh. Such thing, this man is──)

It was an undisputed superhuman feat. An advanced technique that was unusable without transcending even the fear of death.

This man who easily pulled that off caused Lux to shudder.

「What’s wrong? If you don’t come then I’ll be the one who goes there.」

One of the Drake’s four legs kicked on the ground and the Drag-Ride charged towards Lux in one bound.

The Blade struck, which Lux blocked in a hair’s breadth. He was pushed back for a few mel due to the impact running from that sword tip.

「Ku……!」

──Heavy. A single attack of a general purpose Drag-Ride that wasn’t even modified went through his armor and numbed his arm.

Singlen unleashed his slash by operating together the driving force of every part in his Drag-Ride, in addition he put the propulsive power from his Step behind the blow.

Pushed back by that attack power that was unthinkable to come from a mere Drake, the best Lux could do was only protecting himself.

「Lux, san……」

Noct’s armor was dispelled outside the arena and she was brought away from there. Her voice could be heard distantly.

But, there was no way he could just keep getting done in like this.

The remaining time was a few dozen seconds. If he didn’t return at least a blow during that time──

「Hah, are you also thinking about wiping the ass of that small fry? You want to make her feel better by returning at least one blow to me?」

「……-!?」

Singlen laughed as though he had seen through Lux’s thinking.

「What a really despicable man. Are you satisfied like that, if you are getting used so that you can say something like 『it’s for the sake of someone』?」

「──Shut up!」

Lux whispered while driving away the high speed consecutive attacks Singlen unleashed.

「You saved them from their predicaments many times while you still kept wearing the collar of a criminal, I see that the New Kingdom too is a gathering of low-lifes.」

「……You’re wrong, the criminal’s collar is something that I myself wished for!」

Lux tried to take distance by attempting to fly to the sky──but, it was as though even that was seen through. Singlen didn’t overlook Lux amassing a bit of propulsive power and he leaped to attack.

「────」

It was an attack from overhead that took him by surprise.

But, Lux was waiting for that.

The super high speed attack that came by means of complete alignment of both mind control operation and body control operation, Quick Draw.

Lux operated the frame of his whole body and swung the blade that he was holding in backhand grip into an upward thrust.

His aim was the vital spot of a Drag-Ride, the shoulder where the Drake’s Force Core existed.

It should be impossible for the Drake that had leaped to change trajectory midair but──

「……What a bore.」

*Bachii-!* A barrier was deployed once more just before the attack hit, parrying Lux’s Blade.

「Kuh……!?」

The attack that should hit with certainty was dodged and his opening was exposed instead.

(How!? Did he predict even until my use of Quick Draw……?)

It was an impossible reaction speed, but that was the only explanation he could think of.

Singlen’s attack that was unleashed in a flash scraped off Wyvern’s barrier and blew Lux away to far behind.

Wyvern’s output lowered with its shoulder’s armor destroyed instead.

Lux just barely held on so that his armor wasn’t dispelled but, his defense──was completely destroyed.

「──I’ll say it one more time. Stop protecting the useless small fries. You are just wasting your strength.」

Singlen looked down on Lux with a pitying look. Lux silently took a stance with his Blade against Singlen.

The only option left was for him to make his final gamble in the remaining ten-odd seconds.

「Hahaa, I get it. You are scared right? Of the reality that the thing that you once accomplished by believing it as correct, might be mistaken.」

「…………」

Lux’s head was rapidly turning cold the instant he heard those words.

At the same time a boiling impulse welled up inside him. He followed that impulse and held up his Blade.

「Hahahahaha. Really, what an effeminate man. In the past you took action by your own will and strength, and fought 『for the sake of the people』. But, it unreasonably failed and ended in the worst result. That’s why right now, you are basking in the feeling of atoning by directly listening to other people’s request──their wish and fulfilling it.」

*Thump*. Lux’s heart pounded along with a sharp pain.

Why, was this man able to speak as though he knew about those circumstances in the Arcadia Empire──as if he knew about everything?

[[File:Saijaku V6 11.jpg|thumb|right]]

Lux deserted even such doubt and his emotions were highly strung.

「But see, that won’t even do any good to the requester──to the bunch at that academy. What you’re doing is nothing more than diverting yourself from your own desire by looking after the bunch around you. They will rely on you, get spoiled, thinking that you being there with your battle strength is only normal, thinking that the result obtained by making use of you is a matter of course. Hey Lux, come together with me. You should stand in a place where your true strength and worth can have practical use.」

「──Shut up-!」

Lux’s Wyvern burst out light from its back wings, giving rise to a sudden gust and it flew.

His three hidden techniques couldn’t be used with this half-broken Drag-Ride.

Even so Lux moved and struck with Blade that was clad in energy.

「Is being used just as you are told your wish? It feels like something thought by you who were abandoned by both the country and its people, and even lost your own great cause.」

Singlen continued to dodge and parry all of Lux’s slashes using Battle Array – Vicissitudes.

He didn’t counterattack.

He continued to dodge the attack that Lux was unleashing in earnest.

It was just like Lux’s nickname the Weakest Undefeated, as though he was showing off a transcendent defense.

But, Lux didn’t stop his attacks even then.

He sent out his sword to shut up Singlen’s mouth, so at the very least he wouldn’t have the composure to talk.

Within less than a few seconds, a few dozen slashes cut through the air.

「What an unreasonable man──then it can’t be helped. I’ll make you meet a painful experience here.」

Singlen who was showing composure amidst that offense evaded using Battle Array – Vicissitudes. At the same time he used the momentum of his Drag-Ride’s turning around and struck his Blade on Lux’s back.

「Lux-!?」

Lisha who finished her exam and was watching from the audience seats yelled.

But,

「Howling Howl!」

「──What?」

Lux whose attacks were evaded and exposed an opening generated shockwave from his head part and struck the ground. With that repellent force, Singlen’s attack that aimed at his back was shifted.

Naturally, Howling Howl didn’t the enemy that wasn’t in front of him, but for the first time he could derail the enemy’s calculation.

(Now, if it’s this instant──!)

Singlen was completely taken by surprise.

Lux was convinced of that and unleashed a counter attack with his sword’s returning movement, right after that,

「Kukuku……」

Singlen certainly could be seen grinning within a time that was even less than a second.

*Pakii!* The Blade that Lux’s Wyvern swung was instantly broken apart and countless fragments scattered before his eyes.

「Blocking with Blade……!? But, how!?」

Singlen’s dealt with the attack merely by immediately using his basic weapon the Blade to meet the slash.

The general purpose Drag-Ride Wyvern surpassed Drake in the energy output that could be poured into a weapon.

Therefore, even if Lux’s attack was blocked, originally it wouldn’t be him who got outpushed.

And yet──how?

Looking closer, countless light images were floating around Singlen’s armor once more.

Tuning that was done by mind mental operation. That meant,

「-……!? Don’t tell me──」

「──Battle Array – Aeon FireSenjin – Kouka.」

「────」

Singlen’s Blade that was tinged with intense light attacked Lux.

His guard that consisted of his half-broken Blade and barrier that was automatically deployed were broken through, and a part of his armor was smashed apart.

「U, ah……-!?」

Impact pierced his pilot suit and he was blown away.

His armored arm grasped the ground and he held his ground.

He was just barely still within the battle zone.

「The power just now, what in the world……!」

「……Battle Array – Aeon Fire. Another technique that uses tuning.」

Singlen told that to the bewildered Lux.

「Tuning……!? Just now, the energy output that was poured into the armament was──!?」

「That’s right. I cut the Force Core energy that is normally used for the driving force of other partw and concentrated it solely into my weapon. Although, in that state, other operation functions and my defense power drop down. It will be suicide if it’s used poorly.」

「Kuh……!?」

Lux readied his Dagger to try to resist somehow, but the Wyvern that received impact on its Force Core didn’t move properly.

He couldn’t dodge the attack from the Blade that was raised by Singlen who was approaching from the front.

「Weakest Undefeated, your alias ends here. You found a bad match here.」

The match was going to be decided along with that sentence of Singlen, it was then──

 

「──The match is over! Stop fighting, immediately and dispel your armor!」

 

The officer who served as referee yelled that along with a high-pitched bell sound.

Singlen’s Blade stopped just before it touched Lux’s armor.

「Ku-ku-ku, alas, that’s disappointing. Good grief how unfortunate. Even though I almost brought you down in less than a second.」

「……Why did you stop your attack?」

Lux dispelled his Wyvern’s armor while objecting with a chilly tone.

With Singlen’s strength, he should be able to bring down the blade before the referee called for a stop.

No──in the first place this man was fighting while completely grasping the remaining time.

Singlen who similarly dispelled his armor was slowly walking towards outside the ring, then he stopped midway.

「What a selfish guy. Even though you didn’t listen to my talk the other night. Good grief, what a really selfish handyman.」

Singlen turned only his head towards Lux, showed a smile that only distorted his lips, and continued.

「How many times you’re planning to make me say the same thing? Stop protecting the weak without any ability or talent who are only clinging on your strength. Like that you won’t be able to reach your big brother forever. No, far from that, you will get dragged down by those bunches and someday you will lose something.」

「…………」

*grit* Lux gripped his Sword Device hard, but now that the exam was over he couldn’t lay his hand on Singlen.

「Such thing──」

「I’ll listen to you again later. Staying here will cause a hindrance for the next exam. ……I’m praying that good things will result from this, okay, my future compatriot.」

Singlen ended with that and turned his back as though to say that he didn’t feel like responding anymore.

After wordlessly seeing him off, Lux also left.

The Blue Tyrant.

His contact with the man who was a preeminent powerful person even amidst the Seven Dragon Paladins closed its curtains for the moment with that.