Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 7 Episode 4 (section)

===Part 6===

「──This place is, the archive of Hall?」

About that time, Lux and others who managed to infiltrate into Hall from the underground of the old sanctuary site finally arrived at their destination.

Lux spontaneously asked because it was a room that didn’t bear the slightest resemblance with what he thought as archive.

Smooth silver wall was divided by countless lines, every single one was emitting faint light.

And then the surrounding bookshelves had countless small boxes placed on them.

「This is, are they the 『book』 put inside this archive?」

「Yes dearimasu. There is a little bit of trick to operate them but──, in any case they need to be put into deciphering device so──. More importantly dearimasu, is it all right to not go to the control room? I think it will be more convenient somehow with my memory recovered though?」

「Don’t make me say the same thing repeatedly. This time just this is enough.」

Krulcifer ordered Ney to stop suggesting that.

In exchange, she gave her instruction to tell her the content of the 『book』 in the archive.

「Ro, roger dearimasu! Eerr, first is──」

Ney read up the variety of the book systematically.

From there, Krulcifer picked three kind of book that she wanted to get deciphered first.

『Drag-Ride’s Fusion Function』, 『AvalonGreat Sacred Precincts and Sacred Eclipse』, and regarding 『XferKey’s Supervisor』.

The first was a book that recorded about limited strengthening function hidden in Drag-Ride.

The second was about the way this world came to be.

The third was about Krulcifer herself.

「Roger dearimasu. Then, I will load as well as translate the ancient language dearimasu!」

Ney put the 『book』 on an object inside the archive, then frame and letter made from light emerged.

「…………」

Krulcifer was watching over that sight with a complicated look.

Was there anyone else like Krulcifer in this world, and what Xfer actually was.

That information which she didn’t understand until now would become clear after this.

「The translation of the three volumes is finished dearimasu. It can be read anytime──」

「Then, let’s go quickly to this viewing room. I’m worried about the situation at the surface and the holy capital.」

From what Alterize said, the fighting at old sanctuary site was going well for their side, but they didn’t know what was going on.

At the present, after obtaining the translated 『books』 they didn’t need to stay here for long.

「Roger dearimasu. Then right away──……-!?」

Ney nodded and right after they finished teleporting to the viewing room──*DOoN!* the inside of the Ruin shook fiercely.

「This sound……!? Don’t tell me, there is abnormality in the Ruin──」

Lux raised a cautious voice and put his hand on the hilt of his Sword Device.

「No──dearimasu. This pattern, the old sanctuary site at the surface was attacked.」

Ney who told them that hurriedly sat on the chair and operated the viewing room.

Image of light emerged on the silver wall surface, projecting the sight of the old sanctuary site at the surface.

「This is──what, happened?」

There, they saw the figure of Pope Nias and others. They were already surrounded by ten-odd Abysses once more.

「They aren’t appearing from the Ruin here. But, if the enemy still has combat force put nearby, then the reason they didn’t move their full force right from the start is──?」

It was when Ney muttered like that, the swarm of Abyss performed strange cooperation and assaulted the force of Sanctuary Knight Order that was surprised and stunned ──.

「──U, AAAAAA-…….!」

The stomach of Bishop Orphel who was at the side of Pope Nias, was pierced by a claw.

–

「Orphel! Get a hold of yourself!」

「Please escape, your eminence. Their aim, should be, yo……」

Lump of blood leaked out *kopuh* from the mouth while she was talking.

Her internal organ was scraped off. It was clear that the wound was already fatal.

The flowing out blood was dying the surrounding snow crimson.

The force of Sanctuary Knight Order that was joyous of their victory and concerned about the holy capital until just now was struck down straight to hell because of the attack of swarm of Abyss once more.

The number and variety of the Abysses were mostly the same with the first wave, but the effect of the surprise attack while Sanctuary Knight Order was reorganizing their force was big.

There was a lot of knights who weren’t wearing their Drag-Ride, the initiative was completely snatched from them.

Thus, the troops couldn’t avoid falling apart.

Mel of the Seven Dragon Paladins wasn’t there. The knight captain was protecting Pope Nias somehow, while Alterize was doing the same thing for Stiyl Einfolk and the eldest son Zain.

「What a blunder……. To be manipulated like this just by an assault that came with time difference!」

Alterize raised her voice while wielding twin swords using her EX Wyvern.

But, her swords had no momentum, perhaps because she was protecting her lord.

The eldest son Zain was also swinging his Wyvern’s Blade while yelling in trepidation.

「A, a rampage! The same like that time, it’s the punishment of breaking into the Ruin!」

「……Zain! Don’t speak that!」

The family Head Stiyl who was watching over the battle situation with grim expression until now spoke those words with sharp voice.

On the other hand, Alterize who heard about it for the first time made a bewildered expression.

「Rampage? Ymir’s, Ruin is──?」

「Please send reinforcement! They got the bishop!」

The moment Alterize was taken aback and turned around with held breath, the sorrowful voice of a member of Sanctuary Knight Order could be heard.

Looking there, Bishop Orphel was lying down on the snow while being stained with blood.

–

「──You’ve done really well you know, Orphel, our former compatriot.」

*Zazaza-*, right after the discordant sound that was like sand storm came, a voice was sent into Orphel’s ear.

The voice’s owner was Drakkhen who should have been finished off by Mel some time ago.

This was a conversation that was carried out between the two who were conspiring with each other throughout this past one year.

It was a message that was sent by the Divine Raiment of Divine Drag-Ride Asp that Drakkhen possessed.

「Who Mel Defeated, was your body double……a decoy, was it? Since when you noticed? That I’m trying, to betray you──」

Orphel asked mumblingly, without a single twitch on her body and with vacant eyes.

Drakkhen who heard her smiled wryly in exasperation.

「I’ve got not the slightest duty to explain it you. But, well, if I’ve got to tell you the trick, I knew right from the start, that you betrayed me.」

「…………」

「I’ll tell you as souvenir for your journey to hell. The trick to deceive someone isn’t to make yourself not seem suspicious as much as possible. It’s to ascertain what your opponent is believing. Is it the words from the people they trust, or is it the teaching of the authority they are clinging on, well there are various things but──for all people, it’s hard to doubt the information that they investigated themselves.」

「Did you, notice, that I made my subordinates, to observe, you……?」

「No. I noticed that at another time.」

「……?」

*Zazazaza-*, the unique jarring sound reached Orphel’s ear once more.

「This discordant sound you can hear when I sent sound to you using Asp. In a situation where this sound hasn’t come to hearing first, I won’t be able to listen to your voice, and you also won’t be able to listen to my voice──. In the first place you having that kind of impression is my trap.」

「Kuh……!」

Orphel bit her lips hearing that.

She got her.

Asp’s Divine Raiment──the ability to send sound to a designated place, or picking up sound from that place.

The jarring sound like a sandstorm that she would surely hear before that ability was activated was a trap that Drakkhen set up.

That jarring sound originally wasn’t necessary in the activation of the Divine Raiment. It was a bluff in order to make Orphel suspect that Drakkhen wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop using her Divine Raiment without that jarring sound coming first.

In other words Orphel’s plan was regularly overheard using that Divine Raiment that was picking up her sound from far away.

And the result of that was this.

「Besides, you want to make her obtain achievement right? That Subjugator girl.」

「……What are, you talking about?」

「I’m talking about Mel Gizalut. She is──actually your daughter right?」

「tsu……!?」

Orphel’s breathing was already feeble, but she raised a small groan on that spot.

「Ho, w……, did you──」

「Oh, I hit the mark? Well, this is just a hunch though. I thought of it while observing you. Why is a bishop who originally wasn’t connected with Gizalut house is supporting an orphan girl until that far……well, it’s not that rare of a story though. Even if Gizalut house that is a noted family of knight is acquainted with someone from church and a child resulted, it’s not strange at all. Of course, it’s something one cannot go public with, so Mel was adopted to GIzalut house but──」

Gizalut house itself was completely eradicated, and Mel became alone.

By all rights she wanted to introduce herself as her mother, but she was unable to do that with her position.

「What are, you, planning……with that child?」

「Rest assured. I’m preparing the greatest big moment for your daughter. The erasure of the traitors who are trying to destroy this country. I’ll have her become the trump card in order for us, Dragon Marauder to obtain the Ruin.」

「……Me……l」

Not even voice could come out from Orphel’s throat anymore.

At that moment where her consciousness was fading, an armored arm lifted up her body.

「Orphel! Get a hold of yourself-!」

Already unable to move, she mustered her last remaining strength, and she was finally able to open her eyes.

The one who was there was her daughter who she was unable to tell the truth──Mel Gizalut.

–

──Why.

Why why why why why why why.

That word was continuing to go around in circles fruitlessly inside Mel’s head.

Even though she should have done everything well, even though she should have become strong.

That time seven years ago, the rampage of Ruin──.

Different from that time when the holy capital and Gizalut house was destroyed, she wasn’t powerless anymore. That should be so, and yet.

Even though she also shouldn’t have any feeling of like to Orphel.

Why──did her sight was blurred with tears she wondered.

「Me, l……」

The lips of the woman who lost her face’s complexion opened, and a voice could be heard.

「……There is, something that I have, to tell you──」

「Orphel-!」

The moment she heard her last words, warm tears spilled out from the girl’s eyes that still had childishness remaining in it.

–