Editing Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 2 Episode 1 (section)

===Part 8===

Only several minutes since the start of the mock battle.

One of the three temporary instructors, the <Drake> with the attack role could not catch the <Wyvern> of Lux who was flying skillfully.

But, covering his two comrades which were exhausted, the male leader made a certain resolution.

『Your getting carried away ends here. Fool! 』

“…!”

When Lux noticed it, the man said.

He spoke narrowing down the dragon voice which was the communication function between fellow Machine Dragons only to Lux.

『Do you understand? Don’t dodge it.』

With a smile filled with dark emotions, the man said so.

“…?”

While cocking his head in puzzlement, Lux set up his sword in mid-air and braced himself.

At that moment––

<nowiki>*</nowiki>paaaang*!

“Kyaaaaaah!”

The atmosphere of the practice field burst, and the light bullets shot by the sniper rifle reached the audience seating behind Lux.

“Uah…!”

The student who was in charge of widely stretching the barrier in the audience seating –– Tillfarr, one of the Triad, received a direct hit and lost her balance.

The female students of the audience seating that were relieved at Lux’s odds held their breath in tension.

“Oops, sorry. It doesn’t hit you easily, so I anticipated your next movement; but I ended up missing.”

Unlike until a while ago when Lux was moving continuously, he was now static in mid-air.

There was no way that a Drag-Knight of the army would miss in these 300 Mel which was the distance of the rifle’s range.

(He aimed not at me, but at everyone behind me––)

『When I said not to dodge, it also includes not to defend yourself. The next time, we’ll attack you with the three of us. If you try to dodge again––』

The male leader grinned, and at the same time, his two comrades who were heavily breathing also set up their cannons. The three men wanted to defeat Lux by shooting simultaneously at one point.

If he were to either dodge or defend against it, they would probably intend on crashing their simultaneous attacks on the female students of the audience seating behind him.

If the student in charge of the barrier was to receive the three men’s simultaneous attacks, she wouldn’t be able to defend against them.

“I understand.”

With a tone of resignation, Lux, still floating, undid his stance.

And when he was about to prepare himself, *pang*, the air burst.

“Wha!?”

“Eh––?”

Krulcifer wearing a <Wyvern> went down to the stage of the practice field. As she fired only one shot towards the blue sky, she set up her rifle again and fearlessly laughed.

At the same time, the bell rang and the mock battle ended.

“It’s a shame –– but it looks like it’s time-out. The match is over.”

“D-Don’t joke with us!?”

The men who were thinking that they were about to defeat Lux unanimously raised flustered voices.

“A little more and it would have been our victory! Letting it end like this without settling it is––”

“Is that so? In that case, what about having a match with me next?”

“Wha…!?”

The men were flustered at the sudden challenge from the girl.

“It’s clear that you weren’t able to knock him down, but it isn’t like I don’t understand your feelings of wanting to settle it by all means. Therefore, I will be your opponent. This time –– let’s do a battle of sniping at each other.”

“Y-You little girl––!?”

“A match of only a minute, the condition will remain a three-to-one fight. If you’re fine with that, then let’s begin.”

To the smile of Krulcifer as if seeing through all, the temporary instructors revealed irritation.

It would have gotten nowhere if they continued being led around by the nose by Lux like this.

As each of them held their weapons, they rushed onto Krulcifer.

“Krulcifer-san!”

Lux called out to her in panic, but Krulcifer returned only a smile, quickly set up the rifle in her hand and shot.

“Ough…!?”

“What…!”

A dreadful quick shot, whose alignment is determined almost instantly in one stroke, in addition, regardless of firing in three directions, the abnormal speed and precision sent the armaments in the opponents' hands flying.

Moreover, when she shot the confused opponents’ feet and broke their stance, she shot at the Force Core from the slight opening in the barrier.

Being accurately struck on the weak point, the three men’s Machine Dragons stopped their function.

“N-No way… Impossible!?”

Although the opponents were also caught off guard, the men of the army were at a loss for words at that skill which sniped at the three moving Machine Dragons in a flash from a position at the very limit of the range.

“It looks like you also have no qualifications to teach attack techniques. With that said, should they be in such a place? Sensei.”

“Yes, you’re right. This match is Lux Acadia’s victory.”

At the same time as Instructor Raigree gave the judgment, the audience seating was wrapped in cheers.

“And one more thing–– you temporary instructors will let me hear about your story later. It’s a big problem for soldiers of the New Kingdom to purposely aim at students in the audience seating. You have no qualifications to act as instructors.”

“Guh…!”

The three temporary instructors who were beaten left the practice field while grinding their teeth.

With this–– they would not get close to the academy for a while.

As Lux who heaved a sigh of relief got down to the ground, Instructor Raigree who drove out the temporary instructors came before him.

“Lux Acadia. I shall express my thanks this time, but do not act rashly all by yourself.”

In a calm tone with no anger, Instructor Raigree said.

“Yes.”

As Lux cancelled his armor while answering, he approached Krulcifer.

“Was it unnecessary help?”

“No… you’ve been a big help.”

To the words of Krulcifer who revealed a smile, Lux returned so.

“You had predicted up to the fact that they would aim at the girls in the audience seating after all. If Krulcifer-san hadn’t been there––”

“At that time –– you would have stood out more and more.”

As though she saw through it all, Krulcifer muttered.

“Don’t worry about it. Half of the reason was because I want you to know my ability, so I only poked my nose into this.”

“Then, what about the other half––?”

“Because I didn’t want you to be stolen by everyone –– what if I said that?”

Saying so, Krulcifer turned a meaningful look sideways.

There, their classmates who had been watching the mock battle until now were closing in.

“You did it! I feel good thanks to you! Lux-kun.”

“Hey, hey. Like you said a while ago, you’ll teach us after school, right? Sensei.”

“That’s right. By all means, I would like you to properly instruct us.”

Lux was surrounded by the girls released from the violent temporary instructors, and had smiles of relief and joy.

“E-Errr… Um, saying that I will teach was a figure of speech, um––”

Of course, it was an excuse to resist the temporary instructors.

The girls should also understand that, but still they wanted to say so.

Thus, as Lux was troubled as to what to do––

“I’m sorry. But, I already have a plan with him today. It’s me who has won the contest, so I will have you let me speak out my selfishness this time.”

As Krulcifer said so, she entwined her arm to Lux’s.

“Wait, Krulcifer-san!?”

The swelling of the girl’s chest lightly touching him, Lux panicked.

It was softer than expected even from the dress gear.

“Kyaaaaah”, his classmates who saw that raised their voices further.

“…………”

At the audience seating of the practice field drifted the “case is closed” atmosphere.

Lisha, still wearing the Divine Drag-Ride <Tiamat> was gazing at Krulcifer and company on the practice field.

“I-I was completely late…”

Lisha also moved a moment later than Krulcifer, but she saw through the fact that the student in charge of stretching the barrier was likely to be attacked and summoned <Tiamat>, but…

“It’s strange… even though I was supposed to help Lux at this place––”

It had been settled in no time with Lisha not forcing her way through.

Tillfarr who was beside her smiled wryly as she saw Lisha’s whole body tremble.

“W…Well, it can’t be helped. Lisha-sama has also saved everyone properly, so I’m grateful to you.”

Patting the armor which Lisha wore, Tillfarr gave words of thanks.

“It’s bad, it’s bad… At this rate, my partner will be––”

While grumblingly muttering, Lisha cancelled her connection and stood on the practice field.

“Hey, Tillfarr. You said that you were grateful to me, right?”

“Eh…!? Well, kind of…”

“Then, let’s begin a strategy meeting! Let’s think of a way to take back my partner!”

As Lisha declared so, she found Philphie who was standing nearby and approached her.

“I will also have you cooperate, airhead girl. There are a lot of things I want to ask you about Lux.”

“I don’t mind.”

Philphie seemed not that much interested, but did she think of something  (but then she thought of something), she agreed by nodding.

“Then, we will begin today after school. You will gather at my atelier.”

Lisha decided so and ended the talk.

“I don’t really think that Lu-chan has forgotten. About the two of us.”

On the side, Philphie muttered in a subdued voice.