Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 13 Episode 4 (section)

===Part 8===
「Haa……haa, haah……!」

On the other hand, around that time──underground the old castle, in a great hall at the deepest part of Avalon’s surface level floor.

In front of the device for opening the door to the deep level floor, the pale faced Aeril was breathing roughly.

The sound of battle on the surface didn’t reach until this Avalon.

In exchange, the scene in front of the old castle was reflected on a surface of the silver wall with terrible clarity. It proved that the switch that Aeril pushed was something that couldn’t be taken back by any means.

Those Drag-Knights of ability were the trump card of all the countries, but they were helpless before the combined attack from seven Ragnarok. Their lives were stolen one after another.

People who lost their armaments, the injured people, people with their fear induced and ran away.

People who showed weakness were heartlessly crushed and their voice vanished.

Seeing such a hellish picture that was soaked with blood, Lux and Krulcifer who were displaying offense and defense in full power until now stood still where they couldn’t even make any voice.

『This is your achievement, Aeril. You have successfully accomplished your true mission as a Lord. With this, I’ll also give the greatest consideration even to your personal wish.』

「……Aeril, this is──!?」

Lux could only murmur dumbfoundedly at the unimaginable happening.

The device that Aeril offered her blood to and activated wasn’t to open the door to the deep level floor, but to release the revived Ragnarok.

At first Lux wondered whether he was betrayed, but seeing the sweat trickling from Aeril’s forehead, most likely that wasn’t it.

From here it was only Lux’s assumption but, this was Listelka’s trap.

(If she had calculated everything until this far, what a schemer……!)

Listelka had predicted Aeril’s insubordination.

No, more accurately it was a bit different.

She also took into account the possibility of Aeril having rebellious thoughst and she rolled the dice so that she would definitely win no matter what came out.

Because the Lords lacked man power, she wished to make use of Lux to capture Avalon, but in the worst case that Aeril sympathized with the world alliance and stole a march, it would be troubling.

At the same time Listelka herself also had a task.

It was the purging of the royalty and nobles and the majority of the Drag-Knights of all the countries, which would link to ruling the world from now on.

When the path to Avalon was opened and it became possible for her to interfere into that system further, at that moment she prioritized the revival of the greatest combat force, the seven Ragnarok, then she tricked Aeril and made her activate the release function.

What was truly terrifying wasn’t just how she guided the main force and influential people of all the countries into a trap, but the way she used Aeril and Lux.

With this, there was no way Lux could trust Aeril anymore.

The reason was, no matter the process of how it happened, the result was a trap after all.

She used Lux and killed the elite force of the world alliance.

And then even now there was a possibility that she would try to drag Lisha and the others into even more schemes.

「Shit──was this their objective from the start!? Second imperial princess!」

「I don’t understand the detailed reason but, it looks like we cannot just entrust him to you like this.」

Lisha raised her voice, while Krulcifer calmly blamed Aeril.

Now Aeril had no more options of stealing a march on the Lords.

She was currently perceived by the world alliance as their greatest enemy who pushed the switch to revive the Ragnarok. Lisha and the others also felt the same.

In other words, Listelka had stolen Aeril’s path of escape where it would also be impossible for her to reconcile with Lux and the others.

That was Listelka’s one more scheme.

(──No, I don’t know the real truth.)

The feeling that Aeril conveyed, the resolve that she showed to Lux, there was a possibility that all of them were fake.

No, thinking about how she had tricked everyone from the start, it might be natural to think that this time was also the same, that she tricked Lux and made use of him.

The reality of the matter was that the combat force of the world alliance was taken away one after another, and there was an unavoidable destruction right before their eyes.

Then perhaps he shouldn’t try to help Aeril anymore even if he had to turn his back on the order and got killed by the Wedge.

(But, I……)

To Lux, Aeril’s figure who was shaking in despair beside him right now didn’t seem like an act.

Even so, there was no way he could mistake his choice.

(What should I do? What should──)

Under the extreme situation, Aeril’s expression suddenly changed.

Zahhak’s armored arm quickly gripped the Breath Whip and a twisting line tore apart the room’s space.

「……-!?」

*Pashi-!* an impact ran along with a flash, the ceiling and floor were smashed.

While countless rubble crumbled down, Aeril made a dry smile.

「Fuu, I thought that I’ll be able to trick you all for a bit more but, as expected that’s not possible now.」

「……Aeril?」

Lux’s back shivered hearing that chilly tone.

Aeril turned a gaze that was tinged with chilling dark shadow and started talking calmly.

「……Sorry Lux-kun. But you are the one in the wrong, because you believed me when I am one of the Lords, someone who originally should be your enemy. ──Well, in exchange it made you easy to handle though, that was why I chose you from among the prisoners. My eyes aren’t wrong.」

A wicked smile that he had never seen before from her.

The girl laughed mockingly along with a disdaining gaze.

「But, you are a failure as a hero you know? I was able to reach here thanks to you. Thanks to you buying me time, I could activate the revived Ragnarok. Getting tricked this easily──it’s your fault that everyone died.」

「-……!?」

Lux trembled when she brought up the heart of the matter.

That was right.

In the end it became something like this because he only thought of wanting to trust Aeril.

Right after that, Lisha who was enraged by those words raised an angry voice.

「You bastard……! Even though you are binding Lux with that Wedge and tricked him……!」

「──My bad but, can you step aside from there Lux-kun? If you cannot do it because of the collar, then I will stop your movement for sure this time.」

「…………」

Lisha and Krulcifer prepared their respective special armaments and put their breathing in order.

The two were serious.

Even though they had been seeing Aeril as enemy until now, they also vaguely held expectation from her, but now such feeling had vanished.

Or rather, with how the main force of the world alliance was currently getting destroyed by the seven Ragnarok, they couldn’t waste even a second more.

No matter what Aeril’s true feeling was, they would defeat her here.

If Lux stood in their way, they would overcome him.

Such will could be sensed from them.

「Unfortunately I cannot do that. I’m not so free I can keep all of you company. That’s why Lux, I’ll leave them to you. Protect me. Block their attack and prevent them from chasing me!」

Right after that, Aeril made Zahhak flew with a fearless smile and headed towards a passage that connected to another room from the control room.

She planned to return to the old castle by heading ahead to the portal for returning back that they found before this.

「It’s pointless even if you all try to destroy that collar! If an impact hits it, in less than a second electricity will flow and burn the body. It will produce a power that can deal instant death in response to any act that tries to destroy that collar! Now, fight between each other! I’ll show you all the hope of the world getting eradicated!」

「Wait, second princess!」

Lisha flew her Tiamat to chase after Aeril, and Krulcifer followed behind her.

After hesitating for less than an instant, Lux also reflexively chased after them and exited the control room.

「What should I do! I, what should I──!」

It wouldn’t even be a few minutes until the destruction of the world alliance.

If that was over, the seven Ragnarok would crush the defense base that was commanded by Lolotte and massacre Queen Raffi and the others, the representatives of all the countries.

Hesitating for more than this wouldn’t be allowed.

He had to decide right now.

But, in any case it was impossible.

Aeril was heading to the portal to return to the old castle that they discovered ahead of this passage before this, to escape from Lisha and Krulcifer.

If he could at least take off this collar, this Wedge from his neck──

(──No, wait.)

At that instant, a doubt surfaced inside Lux.

The flow of events right now where they were chasing after Aeril through the straight passage that they confirmed before this.

(Why did she deliberately escape in the direction of the portal that was known only to me and her?)

『Lux! Use your Divine Raiment! Fully open Bahamut’s function, strengthen your offensive power and bring them down!』

He could hear Aeril’s scolding through the Dragon Voice.

With that one sentence, a belief was born inside Lux.

「I see, that’s how it is!」

What Aeril was trying to do, what the truth was.

And then also, what he had to choose no matter what right now.

「Don’t think that we can be stopped just by escaping into a passage! Legion!」

Lisha consecutively fired Tiamat’s special armament, the arrowhead shaped projectile weapons, aiming at the back of the fleeing Aeril.

「Kuh……」

The moment she dodged that by taking twisting trajectory, Krulcifer’s Fafnir sniped with freezing bullet.

That shot that was backed by the use of the Divine Raiment of future prediction splendidly froze Zahhak’s back wings and shaved its mobility.

Zahhak lost its driving force and tumbled down. It swung the Breath Whip, but it was blocked by the automatic defense of Auto Shield.

「──Do it, Lux! Use Reload on Fire and defeat them!」

「You think I’ll let you, Lord! Your ambition ends here!」

Lisha readied her Cannon, in addition Krulcifer took the stance of consecutive shots.

If the Cannon was fired after the armor was frozen, the barrier wouldn’t work well and the armor would be easily smashed apart.

Krulcifer who foresaw that fired the freezing bullets, next Lisha pulled the Cannon’s trigger. At that time a single silhouette appeared above the attack trajectory.

「……Wha-!?」

「Lux-kun-!?」

Lux stood in front of Aeril wearing Bahamut.

The attack of the two directly hit from above his barrier.

「Uh, aah……!」

The armor creaked and Lux groaned from the impact that reached his body.

Even so he became a shield and received all the attack that was aimed at Aeril.

「Shit! If only that Wedge wasn’t there──!」

「No, that’s not it. At the very least he isn’t protecting her because of the Wedge.」

Beside Lisha who was grinding her teeth, Krulcifer pointed out calmly.

It was because she noticed that behind Lux, the cold smile that was on Aeril’s face until now had vanished.

「……Why」

A crack entered her mask and it broke into pieces.

Seeing Lux covering for her and receiving the attack, causing blood to flow from his shoulder and forehead, Aeril raised a trembling voice.

「Why, are you still saving me!? Why didn’t you use your Divine Raiment!?」

What Lux saw there, was Coral’s expression.

It was exactly the expression of his friend who told him she believed in him.

「You were telling that for me right? All that time since just now. If I use Bahamut’s Divine Raiment, this Wedge can be taken off, you were telling me that.」

「……-!?」

Lisha and Krulcifer gasped in surprise at Lux’s statement.

「The Wedge’s electricity will activate in less than a second when an impact hit it. However──among the Seven Dragon Paladins, it’s only me who can overcome that as long as I wear Bahamut. If I apply tuning like Singlen’s Senjin, and use Reload on Fire that is concentrated to one point to the collar’s electricity……」

「───What!? In other words, what does that mean?」

Lisha was bewildered, beside her Krulcifer brushed up her hair coolly.

「……So it’s something like that. Bahamut’s Divine Raiment originally can apply compression strengthening to every kind of phenomenon. In other words, if Reload on Fire is activated to the energy output and it’s used on the Wedge that Lux is wearing──」

In the first five seconds, the power of electric attack that Wedge emitted can be damped until less than ten percent.

So to speak, when the Wedge received impact and generated electric attack, if it was removed within five seconds, the collar could be removed without the wearer receiving fatal damage.

Aeril had been giving Lux that hint continuously.

「Impossible! If she is an ally, then why didn’t she take off Lux’s Wedge from the start!?」

「There is a circumstance that doesn’t allow her to do so……seeing it like that is only valid I believe. Most likely she wanted to capture Avalon together with Lux until a certain floor, right? That was why she intentionally didn’t take off the Wedge. But that opening was used by Listelka and it became this kind of development, am I wrong?」

「…………」

Aeril looked down without saying anything.

That was the answer.

With Listelka’s scheme that made her released the seven Ragnarok, Aeril considered it as already impossible to have Lux and others believed in her, so she made it to look like she was a villain.

She made everyone to think that she was tricking Lux from the start to make them try to kill her.

She intended to guide them until the portal to return to the old castle and then die.

「Why didn’t you attack me? Why!? Why are you still, trying to trust someone like me──」

「Because──I wanted to believe. The same like Aeril.」

「-……!?」

The face of Aeril who saw Lux’s smile distorted into grief.

「If you really planned to trick us, there wouldn’t be any need to keep acting until the Ragnarok were revived. It would be the victory of the Lords if you only activated the Wedge, killing me and then escaped. However, Aeril was leaving behind a prospect of victory for us. You intentionally guided them until this portal, and even taught me the method to remove the Wedge for the sake of the remaining Seven Dragon Paladins.」

「────」

If Lux discovered the way to remove the Wedge using Bahamut, he would also be able to use the portal to return to the old castle and save the remaining Seven Dragon Paladins too.

Lisha and Krulcifer, and then Celis and Philuffy who were standing behind them had their breath taken away from listening to the conversation of the two.

They finally noticed that she wasn’t an enemy.

『Aeril. You aren’t forgetting your duty are you?』

A voice came inside the small room, tearing apart the small silence.

Listelka’s interference ability in Avalon.

Because they had moved until the room where the portal was located, she was able to send her voice there.

『There is no more need to trick them. Please return. The place where you belong is right here.』

That was a kind of threat.

With the image that was broadcasted towards the world alliance before this, Aeril was considered as an enemy by them.

If she didn’t return to Listelka right now, there would be no place for her to return home to. She wouldn’t have any ally anywhere.

「That’s right, isn’t it……」

Aeril responded to her elder sister’s words with an expression of nihility.

「Perhaps in the first place, we the Lords have no proper place to belong to. Perhaps it’s a fate of being unable to live without ruling over someone else. The world before we slept was like that.」

『Yes, exactly as you said. That’s why we will monopolize Avalon. We will reign as the rulers of this new world.』

Listelka’s voice was tinged with joy. However Aeril powerlessly shook her head.

「──But, that’s a wrong impression. Our true nature is ruler, an existence that is worshipped and feared. Or perhaps we can only become an existence that is shunned. But, it’s only him who believed in me who was completely tricked by Nee-san……」

「Ah……」

Aeril’s gaze suddenly turned towards Lux. Receiving that gaze, a small voice leaked out from Lux’s mouth.

Lux who guessed Aeril’s wish applied compression strengthening to his Wedge using Reload on Fire.

At that instant, Zahhak’s Breath Whip instantly severed the Wedge.

『──Ah!』

「This is my answer, Nee-san. Even if I’m to be executed by the world alliance, I won’t regret anymore. I will obtain Avalon myself by my own will!」

「You……」

Lisha who saw that muttered unconsciously. Krulcifer also let out a sigh.

In addition Celis and Philuffy who appeared from behind them were also nodding after guessing the situation.

That Aeril was siding with them.

That she would fight along with them in order to save the world.

『──That’s unfortunate, Aeril.』

Listelka’s words came back along with a long sigh.

『I even harbored respect to your devotion, but I didn’t think that you were this foolish.』

There was no modulation and heat within that voice.

It was a tone so cold that it would give anyone chills.

『I won’t tell you not to be affectionate to pets, but it’s a disgrace to the imperial family to do something like throwing away family for the sake of livestock. You can learn your place together with them.』

*Pshu*, the voice transmission was severed completely with that.

But, Lux and Aeril had no hesitation anymore even after receiving that war declaration.

「Let’s quickly withdraw Lux. We have to return to the old castle using that portal and liberate the Seven Dragon Paladins. There is no other way to save the world from those seven Ragnarok than that.」

Everyone nodded in agreement with the voice of Celis that still had a pronounced trace of fatigue in it.

「Yeah, we somehow steeled ourselves to come until this far, but we are also nearly at our limit……」

Everyone was fatigued from the decisive battle against Dragon Marauder. Still, not much time had passed since they were injured.

That Lisha and the others were able to move until this far in such a short period of time and display such fierce fighting was due to their mental strength and the fact that Lux’s life was in danger.

「It’s pathetic but, we can only entrust the world’s fate to them……」

Krulcifer’s words indicated everything.

The alliance army was already starting to retreat to the fortress.

But, the kings of various countries and their aides were gathered inside the fortress that was located in less than a few kl from there.

After murdering the retreating force along with the kings, the Ragnarok would surely march to every part of the world.

If that happened then it would be the end.

This world would fall into Listelka’s hands before reaching Avalon.

「Let’s go, Lux-kun!」

「Right.」

Lux nodded to Aeril’s words, then they all entered the portal.

The circle drawn on the floor shined and light enveloped them.

From here on it was a match against time.

Hayes was taking command at the frontline in front of the old castle, so they had to save the Seven Dragon Paladins before Listelka and Hayes returned.

And then──the remaining seven Ragnarok.

Would they be able to hold back those overwhelming threats once more with the remaining force?

「-……」

Wrapped in light, the sensation of weight vanished.

When they noticed, their location had turned into the back entrance of the old castle.

「……Yosh!」

If he remembered correctly, the Seven Dragon Paladins were imprisoned in the chapel within the old castle’s grounds.

At that instant when Lux was going to head there in full speed, he felt a freezing killing intent behind him.

–

──GAuUUUUN-!

–

「Wha-!?」

Lux, Aeril, and also Lisha and the others all lost their voice.

The thunderous sound striking from the sky.

The remains of the shockwave struck their eardrums and shook their brain.

It was over within an instant.

The huge chapel where the Seven Dragon Paladins except Lux were imprisoned was smashed apart with just a single stroke.

「That’s, impossible……」

『──Naturally this is how it would turn out. If you betray us, then the Seven Dragon Paladins are useless objects. Not dealing with them without even any chance to brainwash them is dangerous.』

This time Listelka’s voice descended from Heaven Palace that was floating above them.

Beside Aeril who was standing still looking dumbfounded, Lux felt a strange out of place feeling.

「This strike is Hayes’s Nidhogg……!? No──」

Lux was about to speak, but he erased that thought because there wasn’t any possibility of that.

Divine Drag-Ride Nidhogg’s Astral Line was indeed a Divine Raiment of cutting through a wide range.

But, because it also cut through space itself, the destruction would draw a single beautiful line.

This time it was different from that.

There was no doubt that it was a powerful attack in all respects, but the impact dispersed like a crack, breaking the whole chapel.

Besides, Hayes should be observing the Ragnarok’s situation slightly away from here at the frontlines.

「-……!?」

At that time, something was reflected in the corner of Lux’s vision.

The shadow of a Drag-Knight wearing huge armor.

「That’s──don’t tell me……」

A jet black Drag-Ride that he felt like he had seen it from somewhere.

Lux kept looking to the sky with that afterimage burned into his eyes.