Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 10 Episode 5 (section)

===Part 8===
Countless sounds of explosion rang out, at the same time there were flashes blinking in the night sky like fireworks.

Flames were rising up here and there due to the Abyss’s attack. Amidst that, Lux was hiding inside the hideout mansion along with Airi.

「You mustn’t, Nii-san.」

「Yes, I understand──」

Airi grasped the hand of Lux whose expression turned grave every time he heard the sounds and flashes and she warned him.

The positions of the Servants who seemed to be manipulating the Abyss with horn flutes had been determined due to the wide range search by Yoruka’s Yato no Kami.

But, even with the girls, their side was still lacking in combat strength.

Philuffy and the Triad should be intercepting the Abyss that were sent to this Triport, even so, as expected Lux couldn’t stop feeling uneasy.

「Be patient for a bit more. With Nii-san’s stamina right now, you can only use Bahamut for a few minutes. Please only use it to protect yourself.」

「……But, the enemy’s number is more than expected. At this rate, this city will receive enormous damage.」

Of course there was a risk of getting discovered and captured by Heiburg’s soldiers, but it couldn’t be helped.

Relie and Lord Dist who were in this city might also suffer damage from this.

Lux let out a deep sigh and tightly grasped the handle of his Sword Device, it was then a voice came from outside the mansion.

「Someone! Please help-! Lux-san……!」

「……-!?」

His name──no, that familiar voice caused Lux to react.

When he quickly opened the curtain and looked below the window, there was the figure of Calensia there. Blood was flowing from her shoulder and she was breathing hard.

–

──*IiIIIII-!*

–

The moment Lux got taken aback and held his breath, the horn flute reverberated once more. A winged Abyss──Gargoyle was targeting Calensia.

「This is bad! If I don’t get out──!」

Lux shook off Airi’s hand that was stopping him and pulled out the Sword Device of Bahamut. At that moment, a voice came from right nearby.

「Yes. Please leave it to me.」

Airi’s best friend, one of the Triad, Noct said those words.

Most likely, because she was able to act without standing out using her Drake, she was hiding around here.

But, although the enemy was only a single Gargoyle, as expected the Abyss was powerful.

Putting aside the other members of Syvalles who possessed Divine Drag-Rides, this should be a great burden for Noct who was a user of a general purpose Drag-Ride.

Thinking that, Lux went down to the first floor and opened the door to assist.

Then──,

「GIYAaAAAAAAH……!」

He saw the sight of the metallic winged monster fall to the ground with its four limbs severed. It exploded and scattered everywhere.

「Eh──?」

「There is no more reaction of the Abyss in the surroundings. She is also the only human presence in the area. What to do now, Lux-san?」

「Eerr──. Just now, you did that alone Noct?」

「Yes. Under this situation, we cannot spare so many members to guard Lux-san, so depending on the type and number of the Abyss, it’s assumed that I will assist in battle rather than fight.」

She spoke that out with a bland tone and calm expression like usual.

It was shocking.

While Lux wasn’t looking, the Triad were also doing training. He had heard of that, but for the result to be the capability to defeat a single Gargoyle so easily like this.

「But, it seems that Lux-san, the essential person himself didn’t believe in me. Even though I told you to leave it to me, this is extremely disappointing. Haa……」

Noct spoke in monotone purposefully. Lux got panicked in response to that.

「So, sorry. But, it was amazing. How did you defeat it?」

「No. It’s a trade secret. More importantly──」

Noct’s gaze turned aside, there he saw the figure of Calensia whose shoulder was injured.

「Calensia-san. That wound, what happened……?」

The girl lost strength and collapsed on her knees after hearing Lux’s question. The glasses girl hung her head down.

And then, she bit her lip in frustration and started talking with pleading eyes.

「Just as you can see, I got counterattacked by Rosa Granhide. There was a hidden escape path in the jail she was imprisoned at──. Most likely after she was rescued by her subordinate, she departed to the New Kingdom.」

「……-!? Then, what happened tonight is──」

「Yes. If Lady Rosa really came here, it’s likely that she is giving command to the Servants. But, this injury of yours……?」

Airi’s muttering was added on by Noct, and she asked.

Then, Calensia embraced her own shoulder and her body trembled fiercely.

「It was Rosa. She is planning to take advantage of this commotion to summon it. The Ragnarok existing in Babel──Metatron.」

「Don’t tell me!? They said that they haven’t reached the twelfth floor──」

Lux who heard Calensia’s story immediately made an alert expression.

But, he noticed that his thinking was overly optimistic and he rethought.

If the Heiburg military whose strings were pulled by Rosa behind the scenes was conquering Babel in order to deal a great blow to the New Kingdom since the beginning, they would easily lie.

Metatron seemed to be an angel type Ragnarok whose existence was described in the ancient document that was obtained from a box inside Babel. No more information than that could be obtained, but it would be dangerous to face it without their full force.

At present, in order to stop the Servants who were in possession of horn flutes, their side’s forces were dispersed.

Rosa was planning to liberate the Ragnarok in order to make use of this opening.

「A part of the Heiburg military is advancing until the room where the Ragnarok appears to be at. I’m begging you Lux-san…… before Rosa leaves from the front line base and summons the Ragnarok, please──」

Calensia was pleading with ‘haa haa’ rough breathing.

Her fingertip was pointing──at the frontline base that was illuminated by watch fire. Around there, a red haired girl wearing military uniform could be seen walking as though she was dragging her body.

There was already no reason to refuse.

At this rate, the New Kingdom, starting from this Triport would get exposed to danger.

「Noct, you go to the city’s center. Report this to everyone!」

「Yes, but, right now Lux-san is──」

「That’s right! Nii-san too should go together with us. With that body, you won’t be able to fight properly──」

「It’s fine. I’m also exhausted, but Rosa’s wounds are also not something that will heal right away. Even the current me has enough strength left to stop her at least.」

「…………」

Seeing Lux’s eyes that were filled with strong will, Airi sighed.

「Please be very careful. I will ask the Triad to be reinforcement immediately. Also──」

「I understand. I won’t force myself more than this.」

「Yes. According to my probing device, there is no sign of Abyss or Drag-Rides from here until the frontline base. Be careful.」

Noct used Drake’s leap to fly towards the center of the city.

On the other hand, Lux asked Calensia to guide him to Rosa’s position.

「Over here. My Sword Device was taken away, so I cannot send you there but……」

Saying that, Calensia looked at Lux’s waist apologetically.

At present even Lux also had the Sword Device of his Wyvern stolen, so he couldn’t use it.

It would be just one flight away if he used Bahamut, but he couldn’t use it casually if thinking about the battle that might happen.

According to Airi’s diagnosis, right now even without Over Limit, Lux wouldn’t be able to last three minutes if he operated his Drag-Ride.

Thus, he advanced along with Calensia using their own feet.

At that time, Lux suddenly opened his mouth and talked.

「……Calensia-san. Did you meet Stefa since then? She wished to meet with you and Rosa all this time.」

「……No. I don’t have any face to meet with her, because all this time I was unable to oppose Rosa and only did exactly as she told me.」

「…………」

「However, we have to stop her for sure this time. Before she releases the Ragnarok and destroys the New Kingdom we──」

「I see.」

Lux was seriously listening to Calensia’s words.

However, he whispered with an expression that looked like he was concealing something.

「Then, as I thought it’s you. The one who arranged this battle.」

「──Eh?」

Calensia came to a stop with a bewildered expression.

「What are you saying? Right now I’m not accepting Rosa’s order anymore! Until now I had no choice but to obey her because of the hostages she kept but──」

「That’s not it Calensia. The one who gave the order is the opposite. Thanks to not killing Rosa at that time, thanks to Philuffy who stopped me, I finally realized the truth.」

「What do you……mean, Nii-san?」

Lux covered the perplexed Airi behind him and pulled out his Sword Device to point it toward Calensia.

A light rain that began to fall drop by drop was gradually increasing in strength.

An even deeper shadow fell on the port city at night due to that, erasing even the expression of the girl before him.

「Thinking back, everything was strange. Why did your cousin Stefa Hersmice live? What’s with her crushed eyes? And then, why did you refuse to meet with Stefa? All this time, I thought she was Rosa’s hostage to threaten you. But, it’s the reverse. You killed the real Calensia and replaced her. At the time when you all were still military cadets, while no one realized the exact truth──」

「────」

「It was also you who stole my Wyvern’s Sword Device. It could easily be done at the moment I lost my consciousness. And then, it should be possible for you to give orders to your subordinates right after that to pin the crime on me. Am I wrong?」

「Ahahahaha」

*Shudder*.

Within her body that melted into darkness, it was only her eyes that were tinged with light.

「Please don’t say something strange Lux-san. You saw how I was tormented by her all those times right? Besides, didn’t everyone fear Rosa? The people of Heiburg, the soldiers, everyone──」

「Yeah, it was your order to Rosa. You ordered her to do that all this time by threatening the safety of her family and also her friend Stefa so that she can only live by doing evil. It’s you who brainwashed Rosa and framed her to be evil, becoming your substitute, the King of Vices of Heiburg. That is your true identity.」

「…………」

「Then, Nii-san got turned into a wanted man even though Lady Rosa was captured, and her escape from inside the prison, all of those were this person’s──!?」

Thinking like that, everything became consistent.

How Rosa Granhide intercepted Lux in the underground market with perfect preparation.

How the items obtained from the backroom deal with Dragon Marauder got taken away from the warehouse.

Calensia came into contact with Lux and asked him to save her from Rosa was in order to spy on how he would move.

And then, the moment Rosa who thought that she couldn’t lose got defeated, this girl attempted to make him kill Rosa to destroy the evidence while also framing him as an assassin.

「Hmph. I thought that I will be able to easily trick a mere hero-sama who is drunk on exterminating the villain but──」

Calensia smoothly took off her glasses and showed her true nature.

Poisonous eyes that were heavily dyed with cruelty and ruthless hostility.

It was a foreign look that was completely the same like Rosa Granhide who was forced to act evil.

「Hey, Lux-kun. You see, the true villain won’t do anything like fighting in the open. Dirtying one’s own hand is a dangerous path, so they will make someone else to do it. But that──by no means is wrong or anything you know? Any adult does it without exception. The one who doesn’t is just stupid. The one who is made to do it is just an idiot, in other words I’m not bad. Because I’m not bad or anything. No one in Heiburg thinks that I’m bad. I’m a pitiful girl without any sin who is tormented by the evil Rosa. Isn’t that right, Lux-kun? If only you stay quiet, I’ll keep being clean. In the future forever──see.」

Calensia told him with a coaxing voice and a gruesome smile.

「…………」

Why did she carry out this kind of evil? Lux couldn’t imagine it.

The desire for a successful life by climbing up to the top of the world alliance and reaching  Avalon.

Of course this girl also had such desire, but Lux noticed something even more repulsive from her.

She would obtain what she wanted, and cast away what she hated. She was also wishing for a distorted pleasure of being treated by her surroundings like a proper person──no, even more than that, like a virtuous person even while amusing herself with her desire to oppress and torment other people.

She wanted to torment and hurt people without dirtying her own hands while she herself kept staying in the position where it was only herself who was consoled and praised.

That was a 『blackness』 that was even darker than the Old Empire’s imperial family and nobles who were carrying out tyranny with the full knowledge of the animosity from the people.

Lux wordlessly pointed the tip of his Sword Device.

「Noow then, should we begin Lux-kun? In order to cover up your crime of killing Rosa, you moved to crush Heiburg along with your comrades. I’ll have you along with the New Kingdom take responsibility of that crime that turned the world alliance into your enemy.」

The lump of evil that was like mud without bottom.

Calensia who was showing a distorted smile took out a short sword that she was hiding inside her bag.

The moment Lux guessed what that was, he slashed her right arm.

Originally, in this situation it would be faster to aim at her flesh body and subdue her.

But, Calensia wasn’t perturbed even when blood was flowing from her arm. She buried that blade shining with seven colors into her chest.

「Elixir!? Did you get it from the transaction with Dragon Marauder!?」

It was already too late when he noticed.

Slowly, the light of seven colors was melting into Calensia’s body, a black pattern spread, dyeing her body.

She was transforming into a devil, an existence that transcended a human body. At the same time that thing flew.

「Ushaaah!」

「──Nii-san-!?」

While Airi’s scared voice resounded, Lux barely blocked the enemy’s first attack.

The knife of Elixir that had finished its role after injecting its medicine collided with Bahamut’s Sword Device. It broke into pieces.

「Ku──!?」

The fragment of the blade cut below his right eye. Lux frowned from the pain.

Calensia unsheathed her Sword Device, and she took a thrusting stance aiming at the chest of the faltering Lux.

「Sayonara, evildoer-san.」

At that time when Calensia opened her eyes that were dyed crimson and laughed, her body was punched and blown aside.

「……-!?」

The moment everyone there held their breath, a chain crossed in front of Lux’s eyes.

「Phi-chan!?」

When Lux raised his voice and turned around, he found the answer there.

Philuffy who was wearing her Divine Drag-Ride Typhon sent her Pile Anchor flying and blocked Calensia’s violent attack.

「Lu-chan, go to Rosa. Everyone should catch up soon too so──」

「But……!?」

The moment Lux said that in hesitation, the anchor’s tip dug into Calensia’s body and pulled her closer with intense speed.

Using Typhon’s forte, its hand-to-hand combat ability, Philuffy’s fist was going to shot out after pulling the enemy closer, but at that moment the restriction was unfastened.

「──!?」

「Ahaa」

Calensia using her Sword Device to cut her own uniform that was bitten by the anchor’s tip and escaped, at the same time she twirled midair and recovered her balance.

Using the opening when Philuffy blinked in surprise, Calensia pushed the grip of her Sword Device.

「Come, Alklha!」

Right after that, intense light particles whirled and an armor with luster that was like rust appeared.

It had a hardy huge body to the degree it buried the user’s body into the armor, and huge double-jointed armored arms.

The Divine Drag-Ride that was like a fortress itself was wrapping around Calensia.

Four arms were growing from its torso and both shoulders. One of it was equipped with a huge cannon that was almost the same size as Lisha’s Seven Heads.

「This is──this shape, don’t tell me……!」

「Divine Drag-Ride Alklha──aren’t you lucky? To be able to make a memory before dying.」

One of the Servants, the Hunting Punishment Gerdaf who Lux fought at the end of the campus festival. He was destroyed by a Drag-Ride with the same form as this.

In other words, the Divine Raiment of Rosa’s Gorynych that could change shape was also nothing more than a cover so that Calensia’s true identity wouldn’t be exposed.

「This Drag-Ride is really powerful, but its flaw is its drastic energy consumption you seee. However it’s fine──due to the Baptism, right now I’m receiving Elixir’s protection……{{furigana|Dark Fall|Black Wing Ruin}}-!」

「……Kuh!?」

Lux also tried to join the fight at first, but the moment he readied Bahamut, something strange happened.

*Butsun* All light vanished from the surroundings, everything was closed into darkness.

「This is!? Just what is──!?」

It wasn’t that all the light remaining in the city was erased.

The figure of Airi at his side, the sensation of the Sword Device he was holding──and even the coldness of the rain couldn’t be felt.

Lux’s five senses themselves were erased.

(Then, is this Alklha’s Divine Raiment!?)

It created a barrier with a radius of several dozen ml with itself as the center, which sealed the five senses of the living thing inside it.

A true darkness that severed the world and cognizance.

Lux noticed just how completely terrifying this ability was.

No matter how many countermeasures he prepared, he wouldn’t be able to move if he couldn’t stay cognizant.

By the point of time he got hit with this ability as the first move, it would be a checkmate if he wasn’t wearing a Drag-Ride.

At that moment when the despair of not being able to do anything crossed Lux’s mind, the darkness was removed along with Philuffy’s voice.

「──Missing Faith」

The darkness dispersed along with a surge of nothingness. The night recovered its appearance.

Right after the flash of thunderbolt that illuminated the surrounding, the anchors that were fired from every part of Typhon wrapped around Alklha and sealed its movement.

「Hee, that’s a great response there. Well, you have no other method to defend against this anyway.」

Calensia wasn’t really perturbed. It seemed she had also finished investigating Typhon’s Divine Raiment.

In contrast, Philuffy was facing the enemy in front of her with an unusually grave expression.

「Lu-chan, go ahead. I’ll manage here somehow.」

「But──」

Lux felt uneasy seeing the shining golden Abyss eyes Philuffy displayed.

Philuffy couldn’t activate Typhon’s Divine Raiment without turning her body into an Abyss.

She was training to obtain resistance by making Airi blow the horn flute, but if she forced herself to fight, it would become a burden on her body and her heart might be taken over by Abyss.

「We can only, leave this to her.」

Airi lightly pulled on Lux’s sleeve with a bitter expression.

「If Alklha’s Divine Raiment is an ability to erase the opponent’s five senses, then it’s only Philuffy-san who can oppose her with her ability to negate Divine Raiments. We should leave this to her and chase after Lady Rosa.」

Rosa was most likely trying to open Babel’s door in order to fulfill Calensia’s order for her.

If they didn’t stop that, the Ragnarok of Babel, Metatron would appear and Lux and the others might get annihilated due to a pincer attack.

At the very least, Rosa who was heading to Babel right now shouldn’t have any spare strength left to fight properly.

Then──,

「Phi-chan! I will stop her right away and come back to help! That’s why──!」

「Yes…… see you, Lu-chan.」

Her eyes were colored pitch black with golden light residing in them, even so Philuffy was smiling with her usual tone.

And then, she faced Calensia and Alklha who was standing in her way and she swung up Typhon’s fist.

–

「Haa, haa……!」

After receiving the last command from Heiburg’s King of Vices──Calensia, Rosa Granhide dragged her body and aimed towards Babel.

Because the position where the Ragnarok existed had been discovered, a crack was made beforehand on the external wall of that position.

If that crack was aimed with a long range sniping rifle and the wall was destroyed, the Ragnarok would awaken and get outside.

After that Rosa just needed to leave from this place.

With that, all of her tasks would be finished.

If it was Calensia who saved her from the torture of the man in the military, this time she would also save her again.

Her body felt so much pain that she wanted to faint right away already, but there was no way she could stop.

「Rosa! Wait!」

「-……!?」

When she heard Lux’s voice from behind, the red haired girl tensed herself in panic.

She had done terrible things to him.

That was why, she would be killed for sure if she was caught this time.

Unless she escaped──

Unless she escaped and obeyed the King of Vices, unless she perpetrated evil and subdued other people.

It was as though something stirred her up and she mustered her last strength, but then a Drag-Ride stood in her way.

「Ah──」

When she looked above her, she saw a familiar man wearing a Wyrm.

One of the Servants, the Cutting Punishment Brandish. That man lifted up his Blade and took a stance to cut her down.

「Why are, you here……」

「You didn’t notice? That might be so huuh. Do you think you can destroy even a part of that Babel’s outer wall with your strength right now?」

The emaciated man looked down on Rosa with vaguely empty eyes and calmly told her.

「We will be troubled even if you stay alive longer than this. Your last role after you cannot fight properly anymore is──to become a bait here and die. That is the order of our master.」

「You, lie……right? Because, I still──!?」

Rosa had already noticed, that the King of Vices had abandoned her, and also that this conclusion was inevitable.

Rosa who despaired towards everything closed her eyes, but.

At that time someone crossed before her eyes.

「──GYAAAAH!」

Brandish’s hoarse scream resounded. The emaciated man fell prostrated on the ground.

When she noticed, in front of her a young man with androgynous look and distinctive braided hair──Coral who was wearing an EX Wyvern was standing.

「You, are……?」

「It looks like I made it in time, I’m glad. Just now, when I went to Lux-kun, he said that he wanted me to save you.」

「Why, those people are──……」

She had trapped Lux and his comrades, and hurt them. And now he asked someone to save her? Rosa murmured with an uncomprehending expression.

「Who knows, even I don’t really get it, which is stronger, evil or justice. But──」

Pausing like that, Coral took Rosa’s hand and continued with a gentle smile.

「Lux-kun trying to persist with his own justice is surely also not an easy path. If it’s you who had to do evil against your wishes, don’t you understand his feelings?」

「I, am──」

With that sentence, Rosa’s mask crumbled down into pieces.

What could be seen there, was the unpainted face of a weak girl who had falsified everything until now, in order to protect herself and her friend.