Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 5

Novel Illustrations

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 5 Prologue Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut:Volume 5 Episode 1

Episode 2 – The Night Before The All-Dragon Battle

Part 1

It was the morning two days after Yoruka appeared in front of Lux and caused a disturbance.

Finally, Lux and the others departed to the capital for the sake of the international tournament──the All-Dragon Battle.

Using horse carriages, they passed through four checking stations for three whole days before they finally arrived there.

The royal capital Lordgalia.

After the Old Empire perished, it was rebuilt. Its name and also it’s townscape were greatly changed and now it was the biggest city of the New Kingdom.

The castle town, a metropolis that continued towards the enormous palace was separated into seventeen blocks, far more than Cross Field. Its population density was also high.

So that it was possible for the city to be self-sufficient, industry, agriculture, commerce──and then the army’s base, were scrupulously laid out, lining up with regularity that was a marvel.

The Arcadia Empire that possessed several hundred years of history, all of its technology and assets were massed to build up the workings of this city, even now after five years since the empire turned into the New Kingdom, it still remained as scenery.

「It has also been really long since I’m here.」

Entering the high class inn of the capital that they reserved, Lisha sat down on the sofa at the entrance and muttered so.

Perhaps because of the long travel, the other selection members entered their allotted rooms to take some rest it seemed.

「During the summer vacation, it seems there are also a lot of students returning back to their homes in the capital(here) you know? It seems they will also come to cheer for us in the All-Dragon Battle, if you’re lucky you might cross each other in the city somewhere.」

Headmaster Relie who went out of her room stretched her back while saying that. Hearing that, Lux’s little sister who was nearby──Airi was showing a complicated expression.

「Rather than talking about that, it’s a wonder that the government is allowing headmaster to still lead this group.」

「……Well, it was just barely. At any rate, on top of getting a scolding of a lifetime’s worth, I also paid quiet a lot of fines. Currently, that I’m not behind bars is solely thanks to my current position and money.」

「It’s not really something that can be joked about though……」

After Lux retorted at Relie who was showing a complicated smile, an awkward atmosphere flowed.

The training camp on Ries Island that was carried out two weeks ago.

There, Headmaster Relie performed a Ruin investigation without permission from the government in the capital in order to save her little sister Philuffy.

It seemed that her responsibility for that illegal act was questioned and there was a really intense exchange between her and the capital’s government.

But, in order to avoid mayhem that could affect the All-Dragon Battle that was approaching close, currently her punishment was put on hold.

For the time being Relie avoided jail with only a stern warning given to her temporarily.

「Well, because of that I was made to transport 『that』 which was hidden in the academy to here but──, it’s relieving instead that I don’t need to manage it more than this.」

「──『That』?」

Lux reacted to Relie’s whisper.

「……Ahaha, it’s nothing. Just forget it.」

Relie said that with a flustered look along with a stiff wry smile.

Now that she mentioned it──Sania who came to the academy as a spy from Heiburg was looking for something in the academy. He heard about it from Airi, but was this about that?

「…………」

But, Airi didn’t move her gaze from the book she opened. Seeing her behaving like it wasn’t any concern of hers, Lux too didn’t pursue any further.

Then, Relie began to talk to varnish over the awkwardness.

「Rather than that, we’re finally in the capital, so how about everyone having fun in this city? There is also a festival that will start soon.」

「It’s the festival for the New Kingdom’s nation founding anniversary isn’t it?」

When Relie muttered that, Celis who exited from the hotel room interjected lightly.

「It seemed that five years ago it was called the Empire’s holy birthday festival, but right now various things have changed. Not just that name──but also the festival’s content.」

As expected from the daughter of a duke of one of the Four Great Nobles, Celis was knowledgeable in various subjects.

「Actually I should also come along with you kids as the one leading this group, but I’m a bit tired. And so, kids who are still energetic can go for a bit of relaxation before the tournament.」

Saying that, Relie took out a whole bundle of paper money from her wallet and put it on Lux’s hand.

「Tha, thank you very much. ──Wait, this is too much you know!? We don’t need this much!」

「My, is that so? Well, you can just return it later if there is any leftover.」

As expected from the heiress of the Aingram family that was a prominent conglomerate even in the New Kingdom.

That sense of money was completely different from Lux who was doing odd jobs for these five years.

(Or rather, it would be dangerous instead if we are walking around carrying this much money though……)

「Come to think of it, this is my first time coming to the capital. Lux-kun, can I ask you to guide me through the city for a bit?」

While Lux was thinking of such thing, Krulcifer who arrived at the entrance asked him that.

「Ah, okay. I don’t mind though──」

When Lux was about to agree readily like that,

「Oi! Don’t decide that as you please! I also have plans to borrow Lux after this!」

Lisha cut in and the usual quarrel began.

「There are also some of you who are tired and don’t feel like going out, I’ll leave that for you to decide among yourselves. But──it would stand out if you kids are moving in a group, so split yourselves into groups with four people at most per group, okay?」

With Relie’s suggestion, they made groups using lottery and it was immediately decided.

One group was made of Lux, Lisha, Krulcifer, and Airi.

The other group consisted of Celis, Philuffy, Noct, and Sharis.

Tillfur who usually took initiative in going outside couldn’t participate because her condition broke down from the long travel. Saying 「Heartless people─!」 she glared resentfully at the other two Triad members.

「We will buy a lot of souvenirs for you.」

「Uuu…… don’t forget okay?」

Lux consoled his dejected classmate before sallying forth into the capital’s city.

Because the time was still afternoon, it seemed there wouldn’t be a problem if they didn’t go far away.

「……A, right right. The selection members from the other countries have also arrived it seems, so do your best to not cause any trouble before the tournament.」

Relie said that at the end. Lux and the others nodded and exited the inn.

「──Then, where should we go first? The place that I want to go first is the Drag-Ride museum at the capital though.」

「As always, you don’t change at all, do you……. Don’t you have any other interests at this rare occasion that we have gone as far as the capital?」

「Muu……. Then try saying what do you want to do!? What do you know when it’s your first time here!?」

「Let’s see. First there are several tailors that are famous even in the capital nearby from here. There are many other shops too, so just looking around is also not bad. Besides, it will be a bit far but if we go to the national park, there will be a small stream there, it feels like it will be refreshing there. If you feel a little hungry, there is also a street lined up with stalls right there──in the district of craftsman there are shops that make and sell things like watch accessories or special handicraft──」

「Wai, wait a second Krulcifer! Isn’t this your first time coming to the capital!?」

Lisha yelled flusteredly towards the girl who was talking continuously without pause.

「What I said just now are courses that are comparatively common when sightseeing in the capital you know? How about you also do a little investigation so that you have something to talk about with the other nobles too?」

「Kuh……!? Back at you, you actually didn’t need any guide right from the start right!? You vulgar girl, that was just your excuse to invite Lux!」

Lisha spontaneously yelled when she saw Krulcifer telling her that with a cool tone.

She was inadvertently more knowledgeable than Lux who was supposedly living in the capital at the past.

「Then for now, should we leave it to Krulcifer-san?」

As expected, even Airi too didn’t seem to be that knowledgeable about the capital’s layout. In the end they had fun in the capital’s street following Krulcifer’s escort.

Part 2

A few hours later.

They went around a lot more places than they expected and by this time the sun had already gone down completely.

Lux and the others, the four people were having dinner in a large eatery nearby the main street.

As expected from an eating place that had existed for many years in the capital, the meals were delicious without anything to complain about. The four were reminiscing about their day but──

「Oi oi, I beg you lad. Don’t sleep in this kind of place! Also you’re drinking too much.」

When they were thinking to leave soon, they could hear the troubled voice of the owner from the corner.

「Ain’t no one is slee─ping here……. Just shut up and bring more sake here─. Munya……」

A male was lifting up a wooden beer mug while speaking with a tone that was obviously dead drunk from anyone’s point of view.

His age was still young. The young man’s trait was his dull blonde forelock that was bristled up as though frayed, and his sanpaku eyes. (TN: Eyes with visible white between the iris and the lower eyelid)

He was wearing a durable looking black shirt and trouser.

Within that simple appearance, it was only the rustic silver sword belt on his waist that was standing out.

Looking only from his looks, he looked like a rude thug, but perhaps because of his child-face that had no ill-will in it, he didn’t give that bad of an impression.

「To begin with, are you at the age that can drink alcohol huh lad? You look really young.」

「It’s oka─y. My principle is 『reckless challenge』 yeah……. Being reckless without conservativeness is whats gonna open the new path──uppuh」

「You’re over your limit there!? By the way lad, you look like a traveler, but where are you from?」

「Who care─s, just pour more drink. After all I cannot drink back home see─……. I’m told today is a rare festival in the capital yea─? Don’t be so stingy─」

「The nation founding anniversary is still two more days. ……Rather than that, you look young but do you got money on you?」

When the young man grumbled with a bright red face, the owner sighed and asked.

Lisha beside Lux whispered in exasperation while watching that scene from a distance.

「I thought that only nobles came to the capital, but there are also quite a lot of country bumpkins huh.」

「Your voice is loud you know, princess.」

When Krulcifer chided curtly like that, an incident occurred.

「Look here, even like this I got money y’know─. I earned a lot from my work──」

The young man took out a wallet from his trouser’s pocket. The moment he put it on the table, a middle-aged man drinking alcohol behind him stood up and moved suddenly.

「────」

Drunkenness reflexively vanished from the young man’s expression and his hand reached at his sword’s handle.

But, when the middle-aged man reached out at the wallet, the man snatched it in the blink of an eye and vanished to outside the restaurant.

After a tense moment, a small commotion filled the restaurant.

「Aah-ah, he got you there lad. That kind of fellow ain’t someone you usually find in the capital, but robbers come here at this kind of time from various places y’know.」

With a complicated look, the restaurant owner told so to the young man whose wallet was stolen.

「…………」

Lux who had experience doing odd jobs many times at the capital had recollection of it.

Before and after the country founding anniversary or the tournaments including the All-Dragon Battle, the population of the capital that was already a lot even under normal circumstances would increase explosively.

Nobles and travelers would gather to watch the event from various places of the New Kingdom──or even from the foreign countries.

And then, the robbers would also gather in the capital, aiming for their wallets.

But, the capital was different from Cross Field. Although its size was vast but there was unexpectedly few hiding places there.

The streets were systematic due to the wisdom from the past in order to be able to corner hostile individuals and capture them.

「……I’ll go for a bit.」

Lux pulled back his chair with a clatter and stood up.

「Oi wait, where are you going Lux!? Don’t tell me──」

When Lisha called out in surprise, Lux was rushing out of the restaurant.

「I can predict where the thief will escape in general, so everyone go back first to the inn!」

Lux only said that and then ran out without giving the girls any time to stop him.

Chasing after the man’s footsteps and presence, Lux moved from the main street into a complicated back alley.

When he arrived at the end of a gloomy alley some distance away from the bar, he found an unexpected sight there.

「Chih! Someone caught up already, but──」

The man just now who Lux thought as a mere thief summoned a Wyvern Drag-Ride and wore it.

「-……!」

Because using Drag-Rides in the capital would stand out, this was something that took Lux by surprise.

However, if the thief could escape for the moment to the sky, it would be hard to catch him when he went away from the capital.

「──Come, the symbol of power the winged dragon of crest. Obey my sword and take flight, Wyvern」

This was the first time that Lux summoned a Drag-Ride since he used Over Limit.

His use of his Wyvern also doubled as light rehabilitation, but physically it was as though there was no problems at all.

(……I can do this!)

Lux ascertained the sensation of wearing a Drag-Ride while flying in pursuit of the thief’s flying Wyvern.

The thief held his breath for an instant in order to further accelerate his Drag-Ride.

Lux didn’t overlook that opening and he lifted up his Scale Blade, it was then,

「──Oi prince, I’ll be first okay?」

A voice with a tone that had a peculiar mannerism in it came. Along with it, the thief’s Wyvern in front of him was struck down.

「……!?」

There an unfamiliar Drag-Ride──a Drag-Ride with countless scale-like armor attached to it was taking stance with a Blade that was strangely curved.

(This is──!)

It was a male Divine Drag-Ride user that was rarely seen other than Lux himself.

Because a female’s aptitude with a Drag-Ride was far higher than a male’s, male Drag-Knights that could skillfully use a Divine Drag-Ride that was difficult to control and consumed energy intensely were few in number even throughout the world, but──this young man, even in his completely drunken state, he controlled his Drag-Ride with precision and knocked down the enemy in an instant.

「Gu, gahah……a!」

The knocked down thief writhed from the impact and he didn’t look like he could take anymore action.

The blonde young man who saw that was about to deal an additional attack below him.

「I’m not gonna kill you cause it’ll be troublesome, but I’ll at least take both your arms.」

The large Blade with a strange curve was going to sever the thief’s arms from the elbow down just as the young man proclaimed, but then──

「……!?」

• GIIN!*

The blade was deflected along with a high-pitched metallic sound.

Lux’s Scale Blade blocked the Blade that the young man swung down.

「──Stop. This person cannot move anymore. More than this is meaningless.」

The young man’s eyes opened wide for a moment in surprise, but he soon stared at Lux with an ironic wry smile.

「That’s really naïve, prince. That line is really unthinkable coming from the survivor of that Arcadia Empire’s imperial family that was extolled as inhuman yeah.」

Contrary to his words, the young man obediently dispelled his armor and sheathed back his Sword Device into his sword belt.

Because the thief had already fainted, Lux also dispelled his armor next after checking the surroundings vigilantly.

And then, once more Lux faced the young man confronting him still with a smile on his face.

「You know? About me──」

「You’re a bit of a celebrity in the neighboring country y’know? Even a slacking guy like me knows that much.」

「…………」

The young man’s sharp gaze caused Lux to tense up his expression too.

The Arcadia Empire reached out its hand not only within its vast territory, but also to the surrounding territorial waters and islands. At the time various skirmishes happened repeatedly with many countries in the surrounding.

There were still many foreign countries that held a grudge against the imperial family that was the main culprit of that.

When a strange silence and strained atmosphere were flowing between the two──

「Oooi! What are you doing, Greifer!」

A slightly high soprano voice resounded in the back alley the two were at.

The one who arrived was a young man that was his same age with an androgynous face.

「Aaa-aa. The troublesome guy came……. I’ll introduce him, he is my staff officer and also the one tasked with wiping my ass, the great Coral-sama.」

「What stupid thing you’re saying! Just how many times I told you already not to draw your Sword Device inside the capital!?」

The young man who was called Coral yelled angrily at Greifer before turning towards Lux.

「Are you all right Lux!? You are weak right now, that’s why forcing yourself is──」

Lisha and the others came running slightly behind, but they stiffened when seeing the duo facing Lux.

「What do we have here, the selection members of the New Kingdom also came eh. Hey there.」

「You two, who are you……」

When Lisha questioned with a slightly tensed voice, Greifer showed a sarcastic smile.

「Ain’t introducing yourself first the polite thing to do? But yeah, certainly, I ain’t this country’s person……gofuh!」

• Bam*, Greifer pitched forward due to the strong hit from Coral on his back.

As though to replace him, the young man called Coral moved to stand before Lux and the others.

「Please forgive my colleague’s rudeness. We are the selection members of the Vanheim Dukedom. Nice to meet all of you.」

The young man greeted with a refined voice and gesture. Lux and the others faltered for a moment.

「He is our leader, Greifer. My name is Coral. We had only arrived the other day but──forgive us for causing a ruckus.」

It seemed that different from Greifer who had a peculiar personality, this young man named Coral was really amicable.

「We don’t need to apologize here Coral. In the first place, I’m just trying to catch the thief that stole my wallet──」

「It’s forbidden to drink alcohol at our expedition destination isn’t it, Greifer? I’ll tell about this matter to the instructor later. I think that this time won’t end up with only training as your punishment, so you better prepare yourself.」

「Uwaa!? What are you gonna do if we lose the All-Dragon Battle because of this huh!? Oi Coral! Think about it again──」

Coral shut the fussing Greifer’s mouth with his hand while facing Lux and the others once more.

「I’m sorry to bother you, but can I ask everyone to take care of the thief sleeping there?」

Lux took a step forward toward the awkwardly smiling Coral and replied.

「Yes. We will hand him over to the guards. Perhaps that way would be less troublesome in various ways.」

「Thank you. Well then, we will have to trouble you with that.」

「Ah, the wallet……. It fell there.」

「Ah, I’m sorry. But, we’ve been a bother to everyone, so──please, I hope everyone can have a nice dinner with this.」

Coral said that while taking out several pieces of paper money from Greifer’s wallet.

「Oi! Don’t take out other’s money as you please! I didn’t say anything about giving──」

Coral ignored the protesting voice from behind him and offered the money to Lux with a smile, but,

「We didn’t do anything, so it’s fine. Rather than that, something like this happened out of nowhere, but if you could please not hate the New Kingdom because of it……it will make me glad.」

Coral’s eyes instantly opened wide after hearing Lux’s words that were said with a wry smile.

「……It’s surprising.」

Coral whispered that accompanied with a small admiration.

「Eh……?」

「You are completely different from the imperial family of the Old Empire that I’ve been hearing.」

Coral said that with a smile. He then held out his right hand toward Lux quietly.

For a moment Lux didn’t understand his gesture, but when he understood that it was for a handshake, Lux responded. Coral grasped his hand back smilingly.

His androgynous handsome look looked like a girl. Lux felt his heart throb slightly.

「……-!?」

Instantly, heat flickered and burned his brain, as though electricity was flowing behind his eyes.

His consciousness was getting farther away, as though he was suddenly entering inside a sandstorm.

「……Is something wrong?」

「Ah, no. It’s nothing──」

Lux immediately separated his hand from Coral’s right after he spoke to him, and the pain settled down.

Lux wondered just what in the world that was just now.

「Then, let’s meet again at the All-Dragon Battle.」

Coral brought the talk to a finish like that and he took away Greifer from the back alley.

Lux finally breathed out in relief. At that moment, Lisha who had handed over the fainted thief to the guards quietly arrived in front of him.

「Oi Lux. You were holding that guy’s hand for really long there……I’ll say this just in case, that guy just now was a man you know?」

Lisha said that to him with a twitching gaze that looked doubtful.

「I, I know that. That much is──」

「It’s unexpected that Lux-kun has interests in that direction. It’s no wonder that your reaction is weak against my advance.」

「Wai-!? Even Krulcifer-san, just what are you saying!?」

「You panicking like that makes it even more suspicious. Well, putting aside the joke──they are formidable enemies aren’t they?」

Airi concluded like that while taking a final shot at Lux while she was at it.

Lux was also in agreement regarding that.

「Especially that one who was called Greifer, if I remember correctly he is the candidate for 『Seven Dragon Paladin』 of the Vanheim Dukedom.」

「……Seven Dragon Paladin?」

「That kind of talk was suddenly announced while Lux-kun was forced to bed.」

When Lux tilted his head in puzzlement hearing those unfamiliar words, Krulcifer quietly taught him what it was about.

「The talk is about forming an organization where every country is cooperating to oppose the threat of the Abyss that is increasing every year. About the Seven Dragon Paladins, they are the Drag-Knights where each country will select one person as their representation in that organization.」

After hearing the further details from Airi, it seemed that there was still time until the Seven Dragon Paladins were selected, but there were already several countries that put out their candidate’s names.

「That guy’s personality is a bit like that but, he looks troublesome huh. ……Rather than that let’s go back, I’m sleepy.」

「You’re right.」

Lisha yawned ‘fua’ with a cute gesture. Lux smiled wryly to that and nodded in agreement.

After that they went straight back to the inn without stopping anywhere and retired to bed.

Part 3

At the territorial waters a slight distance away from the New Kingdom.

At a place that had a lot of reef that even fishing boats couldn’t approach, a huge building was hidden within the cover of fog.

Inside──countless metal objects were lining up in a spacious space. Several silhouettes were there.

One was a silver haired girl wearing a jet black robe──Hayes.

A blue haired maid was standing by her side, Mishis.

The last was a tall and slender man looking at everything with a distant look, Fugil.

「The entire plan is progressing favorably, but may I ask you to rethink it again, your highness Hayes?」

「……What is it?」

When the maid called Mishis addressed her, Hayes responded while still lying prostrated on the round table at the center.

「Certainly its necessary to offer your blood and mind to control the ArtifactTransforming Weapon, but as I thought it’s too reckless. Even if it brings them down thoroughly until the root, but if your life is──」

「So what?」

When Hayes responded with a displeased look, Fugil who was standing while leaning on a wall until now walked towards the table at the center.

「She is merely worrying about your highness the imperial princess. In the previous battle, our greatest pawn that was necessary for the 『Imperial Capital Recapture Plan』──the Yggdrasil, was defeated. Of course, if we invest our whole war potential, it’ll be possible to defeat them even then. But, your highness will be forced to lose a lot of your time as the compensation for that.」

「……Oi Fugil. When your parent’s enemy dies from sickness, can you then laugh it off and become content with that?」

「Unfortunately, I’m someone without a single relative.」

Fugil smoothly answered Hayes’s question that was mixed with irritation inside.

But, Hayes ignored that and showed a distorted wicked smile on her lips.

「A low-life like you won’t get it, but if it’s me that’s impossible. What you call revenge only has worth if you carry it out by your own hands and nobody else. Hiring a hit man to do it? Waiting for a chance until he is killed by someone? ──That’s not it, something like that has no value at all. If I don’t drag out those guys in front of me with these hands and kill them myself, then it ain’t got any meaning at all!」

Hayes’s asymmetrically colored eyes snapped wide open and she yelled.

「That’s──」

「Stop there, don’t give me any pointless talk. It’s a story you cannot possibly understand. For the lowest and worst traitor who cut down all those bunches who couldn’t even be called as your blood relatives──」

「…………」

Fugil returned a fearless smile at the words that Hayes spat out.

「……Get it? I won’t borrow your hand in my revenge. You just work like a slave until you die like usual for the sake of our Empire, that’s the only compassion that can be given to you who is of that family.」

「By your will. Without any doubt, I am an ally of all of you.」

Hayes scowled seeing the humble Fugil.

Almost at the same time, the metallic door at the back automatically opened and a girl came in.

It was a girl with ears that looked like a bird feather, wearing an unfamiliar outfit.

「The Artifact’s activation as well as the tuning of the Divine Drag-Ride is complete, my LordCreator.」

The girl informed with no pause between her words and a robotic voice that didn’t contain emotion.

「──Can it work? Gear Leader El Fajura. That’s including the two original special functions that you have.」

「It’s possible to execute as planned.」

After the girl called El Fajura nodded, Hayes’s lips crooked into a smile and she stood up.

「I see, then we’re moving. In order to accomplish our longstanding desire and retake that.」

Hayes reached her hand toward the small half-sphere object at the center of the round table.

Instantly that half-sphere was tinged with a faint light. Lines of light were circulating along the floor and wall like a spider web that was spreading from the center.

Right after that, the wall itself fiercely shook and the exterior started moving on the whole.

Part 4

On the other side, the capital at night.

After Lux and company returned to the high class hotel they reserved, the reunited selection members and Airi were called by Relie and everyone gathered at the entrance.

Perhaps because she had received a lot of souvenirs, or perhaps because she had rested properly, Tillfur had recovered her liveliness. That was something good but──

「Then without delay, let’s have Lux-kun announce who are the girls that have worked hard during the training camp previously, and will receive the prize.」

「──Eh!?」

The very first sentence that Relie spoke out caused Lux’s mouth to drop wide open without closing.

It seemed that it was also unexpected for the other girls too, because everyone stiffened simultaneously.

「My, everyone is cold isn’t it? Didn’t you all work hard during the training camp for this?」

「N, no…… that’s, well it’s true but」

Even Tillfur who would normally play along with the mood was replying with a somewhat bewildered feeling.

Lux too had completely forgotten about it until now, but certainly there was such a promise between him and everyone.

It was a competition between the members who received Lux’s individual guidance during the training camp on Ries Island, about who would be the one who could safely complete the assignment given to them.

The first three names who could complete their assignment first would be able to specially make individual requests to Lux as their reward, that was the promise (that Relie arbitrarily decided), but──

「Actually, the plan was to immediately decide it right after we returned from the training camp, but then Lux-kun was really tired, and the situation also didn’t allow it. And so, can I ask you to announce the results here.」

「Uu……」

Everyone’s gazes gathered on Lux after Relie’s words. Lux hesitated to speak.

He reflexively wanted to say 「Can I say it later?」, but seeing the eyes of the members around him that were filled with expectation and nervousness, it didn’t look like he could escape.

He took a deep breath, then he recalled the training scene at the training camp──and the activity of the girls after they returned to Cross Field.

「Then──eerr, first is……」

And then he announced the three names after hesitating about it.

Part 5

「──Even so, I wonder what kind of business Lux-chi was called for? What’s more it’s this late at night~.」

「Who knows. Well, it’s a summon from the government, so it’s not something strange I think.」

Inside one room in the inn where the members were staying, Tillfur’s muttering was answered by Sharis.

The three members of the Triad were sitting down together on the bed inside the room that they were sharing while Tillfur who was wearing her sleepwear was tilting her head in puzzlement.

Only a few minutes ago, right after Lux announced the three names who accomplished their assignment, a messenger from the castle arrived at the inn that the selection members were reserving.

Lux and Airi were the ones summoned. The government had an important talk with them.

「However it’s unfortunate isn’t it? For Tillfur too, even though you worked that hard, you weren’t selected as one of the three.」

「Uwaaa……don’t say it please, it makes me feel down. The rivals are just too strong……」

Tillfur’s expression was clouded from Sharis’s consolation and she sighed.

「Yes. ──But, I did everything I could, Sharis and Tillfur too. I judged that there is nothing for us to feel shame about.」

Noct who was reading a book quietly whispered that with her expressionless look unchanging.

「This is pretty much concerning my dignity as a third year though. After all I’m setting a bad example that I lost to my junior in completing the assignment. ──I lost completely. But rather than that, it’s unexpected that even Noct also wanted the prize.」

「No. I don’t really have any request that I want to ask from Lux-san. But, I wanted to proof my effort, in that meaning it’s unfortunate. Because Lux-san’s instruction and assignment were accurate.」

「It doesn’t matter anymore~. It’s over anyway for us──」

When Tillfur rolled around sulkily, Noct sent her an exasperated gaze.

「No. ──The crucial moment will be from tomorrow. The All-Dragon Battle in the capital──it will be great if nothing happens.」

「You’re right. Let us do what we can do. Also, don’t complain at Lux-kun okay? After all the one who is always working the hardest is none other than him.」

After the leader Sharis concluded like that in the end, Tillfur and Noct didn’t raise anymore voices of complaint.

「Oh, even though it’s already this late, it looks like it’s going to rain, doesn’t it?」

Sharis suddenly muttered so when she stared outside through the window.

Ahead of her gaze were the lamps of the people living in the capital that were numbered far more compared to Cross Field.

Part 6

「──And, to start off. To congratulate this critical juncture that is the fifth year since the founding of the New Kingdom, I……haa, I’m tired.」

On the other hand, inside another individual room in the inn, Lisha was reading a document.

Because they reserved the inn, they could choose to share a room with someone, but Lisha wanted to spend her time alone just for today.

The largish note in Lisha’s hand contained the writing for her greeting at the New Kingdom’s founding anniversary.

Until now Lisha avoided her work as a princess as much as possible, but this time she couldn’t do that and she reluctantly consented.

「Even so, just why didn’t Lux choose me!? Even though everyday I’m working hard until late at night in order to improve that guy’s Bahamut……geez.」

She was dissatisfied that she wasn’t chosen among the three names who accomplished Lux’s assignment and received the reward to make a request, but because Lux had already complied with her selfishness, she also thought that it couldn’t be helped.

‘Fuu’, Lisha leaked out a small sigh and threw herself on the bed wearing her sleepwear.

「It’s depressing doing this public greeting. From the beginning, I didn’t have the awareness of a princess, and yet──」

Even so, she could run away from the matter and responsibility before her.

「We, well but……to announce about that thing with Lux, as expected, I have to do this greeting huh.」

Lisha imagined about that with faintly blushing cheeks before she muttered somewhat brusquely.

She had already received the consent from her stepmother Queen Raffi too.

She heard that half of the capital’s consuls were in opposition, but it seemed that it was somehow accepted.

If it went as planned, the founding anniversary the day after tomorrow would become the day where she would officially announce it.

「──I can’t wait. With this Lux will become my knight.」

She whispered as though to test how it sounded and she ruminated the words.

The hapless fate where the existence of the Old Empire stole her position before she was then placed on the seat of the princess of the New Kingdom.

Because of that chronology and upbringing, she was unable to familiarize herself with the position as the New Kingdom’s princess.

The one who saved her from that was none other than a 『man』 who she thought as her enemy, the prince of the Old Empire Lux. That was why it was a mysterious fate at work.

「Besides, he was also considerate to me at the training camp before. He is really kind.」

Lisha’s lips slackened abruptly. She laid down on the feathers bed and looked up to the ceiling.

「……But that man, he looks sincere at a glance, but he is really a pervert. It’s a bit uneasy with him becoming my only knight.」

Lisha whispered such thing while lightly closing her eyes and thought about Lux.

If she showed some understanding in that area as a 『woman』, Lux would surely feel satisfied wouldn’t he?

『Tha, that’s──. Lisha-sama’s body, even though it’s small statured, but it’s feminine and really sexy but still cute, honestly speaking it excited me……』

「……Uwah!? Am I an idiot!? Ju, just what am I thinking, geez!」

After Lisha recalled a past conversation, she yelled with a bright red face and she came back to her senses.

「──Come back quickly already, Lux.」

Lisha slowly put her hand on her chest while she whispered with her eyes closing.

Part 7

In another room──

Inside that room that was extravagantly decorated typical of a high class hotel, Krulcifer was changing into her sleepwear while combing her hair in front of a mirror.

Because Krulcifer’s homeland, the Ymir Theocracy also participated in the All-Dragon Battle, the maid of the Einvolk family, Alterize would also come to this inn. She was already notified of that through a letter.

At the training camp on Ries island, she was instructed by Lux about overcoming her decisive blow insufficiency.

Her highly accurate marksmanship using a long distance Rifle, and her offense and defense that made use of Fafnir’s armament and mobility produced a battle style that left no opening.

She was strong enough with just that. Even in the capital’s tournament, it could be asserted that there was almost no one who could best Krulcifer.

But, she had a weak point. Her attack was light.

She would be fairly in the advantage if she could attack the Force Core of an enemy’s Drag-Ride with her accurate shooting, but in real battle it wouldn’t go that conveniently.

If she was facing against a Drag-Ride that possessed a powerful barrier like Azi Dahaka──or an Abyss that was resistant to ice abilities appeared, her offensive options would be severely limited.

She also could handle other weapons like Blade more or less, but that couldn’t become her finishing move.

After they returned to the academy, she directly showed Lux the answer to the assignment he gave her. With that she splendidly won the right to make a special request to Lux.

If it was seen just from that, then it was a really good result, but──

「This situation, it’s not something that I can really be happy about without reserve.」

She let out a small sigh and laid down on the bed face up.

She was looking up at the ceiling that was still new without a single stain on it while recalling Lux’s statement.

He said that he would become the exclusive knight of the New Kingdom’s princess, Lizsharte.

「Perhaps, I’m looking at this a bit too naively.」

If Lux was formally appointed as Lisha’s exclusive knight, he would be repeatedly recruited to Lisha’s official business. And depending on the situation, he would be attending Lisha constantly.

Of course, while they were still military cadets who weren’t burdened with that much official business, there wouldn’t be that much turn for that.

But, she couldn’t erase the feeling that the other side had overtaken her by a step.

「──I wonder if I too have become bad at keeping up appearances.」

Krulcifer smiled wryly while questioning herself.

Lux himself had a complicated circumstance and past that connected the New Kingdom and the Old Empire. Most likely he himself had an objective that he was trying to accomplish.

Just like Krulcifer who wished to know about the true identity of herself who came from the Ruin.

Because of that she was thinking to deepen her relationship with Lux by respecting his will that wanted to become the New Kingdom’s strength at the present, but──

「To be unable to say what I want to do if there is no reason. I too haven’t changed.」

Krulcifer was deriding herself like that with a cool smile before she woke up.

She was the only human that was discovered inside a Ruin.

She was taken in and raised inside other people’s family. She was an outsider that was shunned by that family.

That was why she worked hard to be recognized. After that effort ended in vain, she tried to live without relying on anyone, but,

「Perhaps, this is the first time I was able to feel like wanting to rely on a person.」

She silently whispered so and spread the map of the capital on her desk.

The diligent Krulcifer had already memorized the simple sketch of the area around the block they were currently at, but she was jotting down even more detailed information by hand.

That she was able to escort Lux and the others without hesitation yesterday was also the fruit of her hard work of properly doing the preliminary investigation.

「I’m looking forward to the anniversary the day after tomorrow.」

She whispered with a voice that no one could hear.

She had already decided the content of the special request she would make to Lux.

Part 8

And then, in a further different room, where Philuffy, Celis, and Relie, the three people were sharing a room.

There was still empty room in the hotel, but Celis didn’t choose a private room and stayed in the same room as Philuffy and Relie. There were several reasons for this.

The first was that she was asked by Relie herself to be her observer because she had caused trouble last time.

The other reason was because Relie was worried about the Abyss factor residing inside Philuffy’s body.

About that itself, there wasn’t any particular problem, but now there was a bigger problem than that.

「This is……a bit troubling.」

Celis whispered after opening the letter that was handed from the messenger who arrived just now and confirmed the content.

It was a secret message sent by one of the Four Great Nobles, Celis’s father──Dist Ralgris.

「My, it’s rare for someone of your level to be worried? If you’re alright with us, then please let us take part in consultation, but──」

Philuffy at the neighboring bed also nodded in response to Relie’s statement.

The gaze of Philuffy who lifted up her upper body on the bed was directed on a book page regarding business company.

「N, no, this is, that’s……it’s about something that I should resolve myself.」

Celis answered in panic before her gaze returned to the letter from her father on her bed.

The content of the letter talked about the Ralgris house wanting to invite the criminal Lux to their house for once in order to protect his position.

Further than that, the letter also commanded Celis to make use of her relation with Lux in Syvalles to make him associate with the Ralgris house in the meeting they would participate in, and also for Celis herself to proactively give Lux guidance.

「Wha, what could this be about? As expected, for me to bring Lux to Ralgris’s house is──, it makes my heart beat fast for some reason.」

When Celis unconsciously raised her voice in reaction to that description, Relie who was sleeping inside the same room twitched in reaction and her complexion changed.

「N, no……. It’s nothing at all so……!」

Celis was making an excuse with an awkward fast-talking while thinking.

(Really, just what could Chichi-ue possibly think……) (TN: Chichi-ue = a more archaic way to call father)

She talked to her father about the case of Lux becoming a member of the Academy’s raid unit, Syvalles, but this letter’s content was slightly strange.

For a noble to invite an outsider into their house had quite the meaning.

Especially if the one doing it was one of the Four Great Nobles, for Dist who had brought to her several talks about engagement or marriage interviews, to purposefully tell her to bring Lux to their house, it was something unlikely under usual circumstances.

Was he trying to involve Lux into some kind of big trouble?

Or else, could it possibly be──

「Tha, that’s something that I still cannot permit! Lux still, hasn’t taught me a lot about males……. Ce, certainly he is a male that is closest to me but, something like be, betrothal, as expected it’s still too──」

• gata-!* At that moment Relie stood up from her bed with a pale expression.

「That talk──can you tell me about it in more detail, Celis-san?」

「N, no! Just now is my misunderstanding, so it will help if you can forget about it for me!」

Celis made an excuse in panic, but Relie showed a twitching smile and sighed deeply.

「……I see. No matter how dull Celis-san is in regards to love, but I’ve been a bit careless. And, what are you going to do about your request towards Lux-kun?」

Relie suddenly questioned like that. In response Celis was,

「Fo, for now, I have to consult about a certain matter with Lux so, that’s──I’m thinking to ask him to make some time on the recess day of the All-Dragon Battle.」

「I see──the All-Dragon Battle’s recess, that means the New Kingdom’s founding anniversary. On that day, you will go on a date with Lux while progressing the talk until betrothal. What a really terrifying plan……!」

「Just what are you talking about headmaster!? It’s not like I──」

Relie whose thought was heated up even more from hearing Celis’s plan was walking to the front of Philuffy who was already looking sleepy.

「Phi. Until now I was preparing an environment that was like in the past for you and Lux-kun so that you two can slowly deepen your relationship while expecting Lux-kun to commit a mistake, but──now that it has come to this there is no other way.」

「Headmaster, just now, it feels like I was hearing strange words that are terribly unwholesome though……?」

Celis retorted with a complicated look, but Relie didn’t pay it any mind and called out to Philuffy.

「I wonder what should you ask Lux-kun for with the special request? Preparing an environment where you can approach him more proactively is──」

「Onee-chan. Noisy.」

Relie stiffened into a statue hearing the sudden words that Philuffy whispered with her unchanging serious look.

Philuffy’s tone was indifferent like usual, so it didn’t sound like she was particularly angry, but as expected Relie still received a shock.

「I, I’m sorry Phi. But, it’s not like I want to trouble you and Lux-kun. Rather it’s, I want to help just for a bit, for the sake of the future of you two──」

「I, already decided, my request to Lu-chan.」

Her expression and tone were absentminded like usual.

However, she asserted so without any hesitation. After that Philuffy’s gaze dropped to the book once more.

「Phi. You’ve grown……」

Perhaps sensing something from Philuffy’s attitude, Relie stared at Philuffy deeply moved.

「How should I say it, I wish to be permitted to move to another room tomorrow……」

Celis also took a deep breath after watching that scene with a complicated expression.

「Date, is it……. That, I heard that it is something a man and woman will do before marriage but……. Walking with a man, just the two of us in the city, as I thought, that will make me nervous.」

Celis averted her face from Relie and Philuffy and whispered softly so that she wouldn’t be heard.

The young man who saved her by removing the shackle that was the sin and righteousness she was burdened with.

Because of Relie’s misunderstanding, the thinking of ‘what if’ was accelerating inside her mind on its own accord.

(A, as I thought this thinking isn’t wholesome──it’s not permitted.)

Imagining herself having a date with Lux, Celis covered her own lips in panic with her sheet.

Part 9

Around the same time.

While the girls were thinking about what they should do with the reward of a special request──Lux and Airi passed through the castle gate and stepped inside the castle.

The hustle and bustle of people remained in the night air in preparation of the All-Dragon Battle that would start tomorrow and the New Kingdom’s founding anniversary the day after that.

Lux was wrapped with a strange nervousness when he entered inside the castle after almost five years.

The chalk white structure that were inherited from the building since the era of the Old Empire was this country’s government office.

Inside the spacious assembly hall that was illuminated by lamp’s lighting, a great number of consuls were already assembled.

The seating was placed to left and right in stair shape. A red carpet was laid down on the pathway.

Lux and Airi were standing on a platform at the lowest level──where they were stared down from the stair model seating facing them.

「You must be tired from the long travel, former Arcadia Empire’s seventh imperial prince Lux Arcadia. And then his little sister Airi Arcadia.」

「We have arrived in accordance to the invitation.」

Lux responded like that to the consuls addressing him and bowed.

Their seating was enveloped in ultramarine colored darkness. From where Lux was standing, he couldn’t see the faces of everyone there.

Originally their faces should be visible. But for Lux who was completely distant from the capital after the founding of the New Kingdom, he didn’t even know most of their faces and names.

「So, what business do you have with us?」

Airi who was behind Lux asked the question with a voice that was slightly tinged with nervousness.

The messenger who came to their inn before this only told them 『It’s an important talk』.

At that point it was undeniable that it was suspicious, but seeing this many consuls gathering like this, that suspicion turned into conviction.

「What a hasty young lady. ──Well, certainly it’s the night before the All-Dragon Battle, it would be pitiful to make you accompany us for a long talk. Oi, prime minister-dono.」

The one who urged on with such a large voice was a big man with red hair, one of the Four Great Nobles, a man called Bugriser.

Even Lux who wasn’t that knowledgeable about the politics in the New Kingdom recognized the Four Great Nobles’ feudal lords who controlled the vast territory in the four directions since the era of the Old Empire.

Even their personalities and their way of doing things.

「Do you remember my face? I’m the prime minister who serves as the aide of her majesty the queen, Nulph. The reason we expressly summoned the two of you here like this is just as you suspected, because we wish for you to listen to an important matter that still cannot be disclosed to the people of this country. The『Imperial Capital Recapture Plan』──it’s the plot of the Heiburg Republic.」

「……-!?」

Lux and Airi’s expressions changed from Prime Minister Nulph’s words.

「A notice has come from the spy we sent to Heiburg, and from it we understand the specifics of the plan. It seems that the enlarged military division of Heiburg will enforce it. The plan will be carried out before long──perhaps even right after the end of this All-Dragon Battle. They will take advantage of the opening when the security of the New Kingdom will be short of hand.」

Nulph was reading from the document on his hand dispassionately.

「But, Heiburg’s troops won’t attack directly. The remnants who sought asylum there and wished for the restoration of the Arcadia Empire──the rebel army will become the ringleaders on the surface.」

「The rebel army that escaped to Heiburg will come attacking the New Kingdom. So that means, don’t tell me……」

Airi whispered with a trembling voice. Prime Minister Nulph nodded silently to that.

「It’s just as you surmised. If Heiburg’s pet, the rebel army take down the capital, it will become the start of the indirect rule of Heiburg’s military division. That’s the only thing that we have to avoid at all cost.」

──The remnants of the Old Empire.

In other words this was the rebel army’s Imperial Capital Recapture Plan against the New Kingdom.

Their objective was to destroy the pillar of the New Kingdom and then bloom a second time as rulers once more, but they were actually being used by the Heiburg Republic’s military division to invade the New Kingdom.

Furthermore it was obvious that the Black Marketer Hayes was deeply involved in this.

「The supreme commander of the rebel army that became Heiburg’s pawn, is a man called Ragreed Forus I believe?」

「──Eh?」

A hoarse voice abruptly came from the edge of the parliamentary seat.

The owner of that voice was one of the Four Great Nobles, Zagha Schultzed. Lux reacted to the words he said.

Ragreed Forus.

He was once a high noble that was in the Empire faction, a man who was the best friend of Lux’s older brother Abel.

And then, he was also the man who once attempted to make Philuffy into a scapegoat at the imperial court.

Five years ago when the Old Empire perished, his whereabouts became unknown, but to think he escaped to Heiburg──

「Oo, come to think of it, Lux-dono, if I remember correctly──you were acquainted with him I believe? On the surface he is the leader of the rebel army, but it seems he is the one leading the whole army to attack here you know?」

The destiny between him with Ragreed Forus from their childhood.

The man who inherited the ideology of the Old Empire markedly appeared leading the rebel army as the supreme commander of the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan.

But rather than that information itself, it was the fact that this information was told to him right now in this place that made him sense a certain omen.

「And……what do you want me to do?」

「Hohou. As expected from a former prince, although you were estranged from politics for five years already, but you possess a profound discernment. Have you predicted it from what we said just now?」

「You ought to stop with the foolish preface, Lord Zagha.」

The voice of a gentleman in the prime of his life interrupted Zagha who was letting out admiration while continuing.

One of the Four Great Nobles, Dist Ralgris.

He is the father of Syvalles’s captain, Celis.

「Just as we explained, this country is on the verge of an unprecedented danger. In order to prevent that, we wish to borrow your strength, as the trump card against the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan.」

「What kind of role will I have more specifically?」

Lux replied shortly and waited for the answer. Dist paused shortly before continuing the talk.

「I have heard about your true strength and deeds of arms from my daughter. Yes, of course I knew about the rumor from the royal capital’s tournament(official mock battle), but I never thought that your strength was to the degree of being able to repulse a Ragnarok.」

「…………」

Lux responded to that with silence.

At first glance it was a compliment to him, but he couldn’t get carried away and say anything unnecessary.

The matter of a seed of an Abyss being inserted into Philuffy’s body and that the seed’s host, Yggdrasil had been defeated were significant secrets that were only known to Lux and company.

The Abyss were subjugation targets by law. That law applied not just to the New Kingdom, but anywhere in the world.

Therefore, he absolutely had to avoid from saying anything careless and cause that secret to become known.

「Other than that, I also heard the report that you saved the students many times from the Abyss’s assaults on the Academy, and you were victorious against Lord Barzeride in an one-on-one duel. There is already no doubt that you are a prominent Drag-Knight even among the men of the New Kingdom. ──Therefore, we judged that it is possible if it’s you.」

Dist stopped his calm praising words and changed his tone into a strict one.

「From the scout’s report, a hundred Abyss that appear to be the battle strength for the sake of this Imperial Capital Recapture Plan are already hiding in an abandoned village northwest from this royal capital.」

「……Wha-!?」

That terrifying piece of information that was said really naturally caused Lux and Airi’s body to tremble in shock.

Even just several Abyss were hiding strength that could easily destroy a single village without any Drag-Ride to oppose them.

If several dozen Abyss were rampaging in the capital unchecked, it would bring the danger of destruction in one night just from that.

「Is that information──true?」

「For the Abyss to quietly lurk in an abandoned village, there is no doubt that the treasure called the『Horn Flute』 that was used by the rebel army’s commanding officer you once brought down is in use here. The execution day of the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan will be the day after the end of the All-Dragon Battle. It’s necessary for us to be a step ahead of the rebel army and exterminate the Abyss before they can be used to attack here. Therefore──」

Dist cut off his words for a moment and gazed at Lux, then, he told him.

「Lux Arcadia. We will have you to take on the role as the decoy to lure all one hundred Abyss.」

「……!?」

「Ple, please stop with the joke Lord Dist! That’s impossible! No matter how, for my brother alone to face such a large army is──」

Airi pleaded in panic right after Lux held his breath.

But, all the consuls including Dist resumed the talk as though nothing happened.

「We have sent a scout to the abandoned village and confirmed that fact. This role can only be carried out by you, the Weakest Undefeated──the one who excelled in defense more than any other Drag-Knight. And then of course, we don’t intent to leave it to you to annihilate all of the Abyss. You will lure the Abyss until a hidden fortress located at the north of the New Kingdom, then the army unit standing by there will strike down the Abyss with concentrated fire. That’s the plan.」

「…………」

「This plan didn’t come from my own discretion. It’s a conclusion that was hammered in a war council that reflected the opinion of her majesty the queen and all the consuls here. The execution of this mission will be the next morning after the founding anniversary. We will crush the Abyss swarm that is the keystone of the rebel army’s tactic beforehand. Also in order to avoid chaos from the foreign countries and the people, refrain from saying a word of this to other people.」

‘I see’, Lux comprehended inside his heart.

It was unclear whether these people had grasped as far as until the matter of the 『Black Hero』, but Lux understood several things.

Putting aside the intention of the Four Great Nobles, the consuls of the New Kingdom were putting their utmost trust in Lux’s strength, on top of that──they wished to make the annihilation of the Abyss as the achievement of the New Kingdom’s army, that was their thinking.

Lux was selected to take the decoy role for that reason.

The Arcadia Empire lost the majority of their Drag-Knight’s war potential from the coup d’etat five years ago and their military strength was greatly weakened.

The New Kingdom was hastening the nurture of the Drag-Knights, but as expected, looking at the whole, it was the fact that there was a large gap opened between the New Kingdom’s forces and the surrounding large countries.

There, they wanted to use this chance where many important people from various neighboring countries were gathering to demonstrate the New Kingdom’s strength to the people and all the other countries.

However, skilled Drag-Knights who could carry out the decoy role were few in number in the New Kingdom, and no one wanted to lose their own superior pawns.

They were trying to use Lux most likely because of such reason.

「If you cooperate with us, the matter of the other day──the unauthorized Ruin investigation by the arbitrary judgment of the headmaster of the Royal Officer Academy you are attending, Relie Aingram, as well as the indiscretion of all of you Syvalles who were going along with it in order to save her. We won’t question those any further. I think that this is not a bad deal, but what do you think?」

「That’s reckless Lord Dist! My brother’s wound is still not fully healed for battle. Carrying out that mission by himself is──」

Airi raised her objection against Dist’s offer.

But,

「──I understand. I’ll do it.」

Lux calmed his breathing in only a moment and clearly answered like that.

「Nii-san!?」

「It’s fine Airi.」

Lux smiled gently in order to calm the worried Airi.

「In the end, this is something that someone has to do. Even the current me will manage somehow, surely.」

「…………」

Airi faltered to say any further from working out her thoughts to think of various things. Then more voices came from the parliamentary seats.

「Looks like the talk is finished. Then, I’ll speak about another demand from us.」

「Eh……?」

The words of one of the Four Great Nobles, Zagha, that suddenly came caused Airi to knit her eyebrows. The aged man then grinned smugly and raised four of his fingers.

「Four wins──. In order to obtain enough Ruin investigation rights, we want you to get at least four wins. Of course, carrying out the aforementioned decoy role is your top priority still.」

「……What could you mean by that?」

When Airi made a dubious face, Zagha’s narrow eyes narrowed further and he chuckled with a stifled voice.

At the All-Dragon Battle, it would be a round-robin event against each country. This time a total of six battles would be carried out.

In the recent years, the military cadets of each country had grown in strength quite much. Obtaining four victories there was next to impossible.

Nothing could be done about it with just Lux’s strength alone but──

「It means exactly as how the words sound. It will take some effort to not question about the incident we mentioned just now. There is also no way we can just not question the incident of using the Ruin investigation right without the authorization itself. Don’t worry, I heard that all of you the selection members of Syvalles are a gathering of powerful people. It will be easy to raise four wins in the All-Dragon Battle, I’m sure. If need be, you, the Weakest Undefeated, can just fight hard for the sake of victory.」

「That’s, no matter what it’s too high-handed──……-!?」

Airi moaned and she prepared to protest further, but her mouth closed against the cold gaze from the consuls that were looking down from the surrounding seats.

The demand of firm promise for obtaining four wins in the All-Dragon Battles following the matter of the decoy role.

Lux who had seen the way the Old Empire did things in the past could easily read their intentions of intentionally forcing difficult tasks on him.

They prepared a difficult problem that was hard to accomplish in addition to the decoy role matter so that in the event he was unable to accomplish one of the tasks, they intended to force another troublesome request on him again someday in the future.

They would use this chance to ascertain whether Lux was an existence that was easy to control for the New Kingdom or not, and whether he was a beneficial personnel or not. If possible they would want to put a collar on him.

That not even a shred of guilt could be seen from such people was because Lux and Airi were criminals from the Old Empire.

(Aa, this again……)

It was pointless no matter what they said, they who were existences with weak positions.

People like them who held authority would be endlessly self-assured against such weak existences.

Just like the Old Empire that once imposed a tyrannical rule on the people and brought the tide of male chauvinism in the past──

(Eh? Just now, what did I……?)

Lux asked himself in his mind because of the strange déjà vu.

It was strange. Even though this wasn’t the Old Empire anymore……why?

But if that was the case──if it was the same like in the past, then it was easy to understand.

If it was the current him, he had even more ways to do things than in the past.

「Understood. Regarding the decoy role for the Abyss extermination and the four wins from the All-Dragon Battle. I will undertake both of them.」

「Oo!」

At that moment, cheers and small applause welled up from the stair-shaped parliamentary seats.

Airi looked like she wanted to say something, but after a few moments she hung her head down in resignation.

Part 10

「It became later than we thought it would, hasn’t it? It’s lucky that the rain isn’t strong though──」

A light rain was gently falling on the capital’s townscape.

Countless orange colored lamps colored the scenery brilliantly. Lux and Airi were watching that wondrously beautiful sight while going back to the inn.

After that, there was the briefing session about the details of the mission where Lux would serve as a decoy. He was talking with the military officers about the procedure, terrain information, how to deal with unexpected situations, and so on.

Among those he was a bit concerned about the information which said that Heiburg’s Ruin was gone from sight, but it was something that wasn’t really related with the operation this time, so even when asked for more detail about it there wasn’t any more information.

It would worry him if he made Airi go home alone at night, so he made her wait for long, but when it came to that Airi──

「Haa……」

Like that, since some time ago she only kept sighing with a depressed expression.

「How about wearing this if it’s cold? I also brought a coat just in case though──」

「That’s not it! I’m not cold anywhere! I’m worrying about Nii-san here you know!?」

Airi said that with a loud voice that was unusual for her. But after that she suddenly returned to her senses and shut her mouth.

Perhaps she was embarrassed about her loud voice, her cheeks were slightly reddening. She averted her gaze and resumed walking.

「Thank you for worrying about me. But, I’m fine. If it’s about me──」

「At that time, why didn’t Nii-san say that you cannot use Bahamut……」

Airi showed her back towards Lux, who stopped his feet, and asked that while walking ahead.

「……I understand. If they don’t know about the matter of the Black Hero, then we cannot disclose it intentionally. But, if it’s Nii-san then you know don’t you? The meaning, of what I’m saying──」

And then, Airi stood still and turned around to stare at Lux.

Due to the recoil of using Over Limit, Lux experienced extreme fatigue and burden.

He had recovered until a state where he could use a Drag-Ride once more only a few days ago.

In Airi’s calculation, he could only use Bahamut for twelve minutes during the period of the All-Dragon Battle.

If Lux used his Wyvern, he could use it continuously to a certain degree, but even so it was unclear whether he could serve as a decoy against a large army of Abyss by himself.

「The meaning is different you know? Having only a Wyvern to lure the enemy while continuously escaping, and having Bahamut in reserve so that if I feel like it I can use it to escape while defeating the Abyss are two different things──」

No matter even if he had the Scale Blade that Lisha developed, it was impossible to continuously execute the counter technique Critical Hit when he was surrounded by a large number.

Also, because the situation would greatly vary depending on the number and variety of the Abyss, he would have to deal with many kinds of diverse offense. Dealing with that would surely fray his nerves.

Most of the consuls were taking an optimistic view because they heard that Lux had taken part in the Ragnarok extermination, but the matter wasn’t that simple.

「Besides, there is the promise that we will obtain four wins in the All-Dragon Battle too──the fact is that Nii-san who will carry out the decoy role will become unable to go out in the second half of the match where your appearance is scheduled, and yet forcing that kind of demand is……」

Airi whispered with a grieving expression. Lux floated an apologetic smile toward such Airi.

「Even so, as I thought, I think that it’s something that I should do.」

In the end, it was like that.

The consuls forced a difficult problem on him, but their strategy and decision themselves weren’t mistaken.

Using a decoy would end it with the minimum deaths and wounded from the military and made it easier to annihilate the Abyss.

And then, if Lux rejected it, then someone else would have to do it in his place.

Rather than having Lisha or Celis, or perhaps Philuffy become the candidate for such role, doing it himself let him feel more at ease.

Lux and Airi walked side by side. From the main road they entered into a narrow street where there weren’t any signs of people.

Because of the night’s darkness and the rain, the light and temperature at the surrounding suddenly felt like they were dropping drastically.

「……Haa, in the end it turned out like this. If I at least could come along, I would be able to protect Nii-san a little, that was what I thought when coming here but──」

Airi whispered in melancholy.

However, Lux’s body moved reflexively faster than he could reply to her words.

「──Watch out-!」

「Kyah……!?」

Lux quickly pushed down Airi who was walking in front of him down on the street’s stone paving.

Lux covered the back of Airi’s head with his hand so it wouldn’t hit the ground but,

「Wha, what are you doing all of a sudden!?」

Right after Airi who was pushed down as though being embraced yelled that, the sound of a violent cutting wind passed by at high speed right above Lux and Airi who were ducking down.

Airi who saw that became speechless and her body froze.

The raining royal capital at night with no presence of people.

A dragon of atypical shape was floating in the air above that street.

「My ba-ad, getting in the way of your fun date like this.」

「You are…… from the afternoon──」

The dull colored hair with a part of the bangs standing on end, and dangerous sanpaku eyes.

A selection member of the Vanheim Principality, and one of the candidates for the Seven Dragon Paladins, Greifer.

His tone and attitude were lackadaisical like usual, but his presence was clearly different from before. He was emitting a definite hostility towards Lux and Airi.

「──What is your intention?」

「That’s my line y’know? Don’t play dumb and handover the culprit already. If you do that then I too won’t need to attack you.」

Greifer was said a strange thing in response to Lux’s question.

「What are you talking about!? We didn’t do any──」

「……Just now one of our selection members, he was attacked nearby the inn where we are staying by your country’s guard──a Drag Knight.」

「Eh……!?」

Lux and Airi raised a bewildered voice hearing Greifer’s words.

「I also saw the New Kingdom’s crest so it ain’t a mistake yeah? It was a Drake-type and he escaped right away, but without a doubt our student was assaulted in a surprise attack.」

One Drag-Knight who was serving as a guard of the New Kingdom ambushed the representative student of another country.

Such thing should be impossible.

But, looking at Greifer in front of them who was looking dangerous, it didn’t look like he was lying at all.

「The attacker used a Breath Gun from long range, so fortunately it wasn’t fatal yeah. But both his legs were broken, it was hopeless that he’d make it for the match tomorrow. I’m gonna have you settle the bill for that. Any objections?」

「-……!? Putting aside whether your story is the truth or not, why are you aiming at us!?」

When Airi objected, Greifer snorted scornfully and showed a wicked look.

「Don’t play dumb this late. Fundamentally any representative of another country doesn’t know anything like where we were staying y’know? Except you New Kingdom bunch who assigned the inn for us to stay.」

「……Kuh.」

‘This is bad’, thinking that, Lux resolved himself in his heart.

The truth of the incident was completely shrouded in mystery, but the point Greifer mentioned was indeed correct. It was obvious that Greifer had no intention of backing away. Then,

「──Come, the symbol of power the winged dragon of crest. Obey my sword and take flight, Wyvern!」

Lux quickly pulled out his Sword Device from its sheath and summoned his Wyvern in front of him.

He immediately wore that armor. Right after that, Greifer laughed.

「I’ll introduce it before killing you. The name of the Divine Drag-Ride I got is <Cuelebre>. Here I go ruined prince──Weakest Undefeated-sama!」

「Both of you, please wait! Doing this here is──」

The moment Airi yelled, the two Drag-Rides moved at the same time.

Lux’s Wyvern slashed up while flying and Cuelebre descended rapidly while its Blade stabbed downward. The two weapons collided with the sharp sound of blades clashing and sparks scattered.

「Airi! Return to our inn and tell Relie-san about this matter, confirm about the mentioned guard! I’ll stop him here alone.」

「Nii-san-!?」

Airi yelled seeing Lux raising his voice with an unusual tension in it.

「──I’m relying on you. Be careful.」

After telling her that, Lux lightly glided and fixed his posture midair.

Right after the momentary clash, the shoulder armor of Lux’s Wyvern was shallowly gouged.

(This is, bad──)

Even if the fact that Lux wasn’t in full health was taken away, this man called Greifer was considerably skilled.

There were two reasons why Lux didn’t request Airi to ask for help from Divine Drag-Knight users like Lisha and the others.

One, in order to prevent this incident from becoming bigger.

And then the other reason was because he understood that this was an opponent that might harm even Lisha and company.

In that case there was no way Lux could call for help from them here.

「You’ve got it in you huh, former prince-sama. Defending against my sword with a mere general purpose Drag-Ride, not just that, you even shifted the trajectory of my rush so that your little sis won’t get dragged into this. But─」

Greifer readied his large Blade──a weirdly shaped blade with the length of its blade reaching around two mel. Then he circulated the energy from his Force Core through it.

「If you think that this is me being serious, then that will concern my honor yeah.」

The air was thick with tension that felt like it was electrifying the skin.

The moment the tension heightened until the limit, Cuelebre moved.

Cuelebre was clad in violent gale that was visible with naked eyes and charged forward like a bullet.

At the same time a slash that was several levels faster than before drew an arc and assaulted the Wyvern, it was then──that long blade shined faintly and its length extended several times over.

「Wha-……!?」

The weapon transformed in the middle of slashing.

It was most likely──Cuelebre’s special armament.

The Scale Blade couldn’t make it in time to block the attack from the midway transformation that suddenly occurred.

Greifer’s Blade was falling towards the Wyvern’s shoulder by grazing the Blade Lux was holding, it was then──

「Nn?」

• PAAN!* A whirling air burst in front of their eyes and both of them were sent flying backward.

Right after their blades clashed at the beginning, Lux amassed energy in advance to use Howling Howl for holding back the opponent. He immediately released it just now and barely blocked a direct hit on himself.

But, Greifer who fixed his balance in only a single instant didn’t pause and pursued after Lux who was attempting to escape to the opposite direction using the momentum of Howling Howl.

The townscape of the royal capital consisted of countless high and low buildings packed close to each other.

One wrong step and they would crash. In such a situation, the two skillfully weaved through the buildings and flew at high speed.

「So you dodged my <Tail BladeDragon Tail Connecting Blade> at first sight. Looks like it ain’t that much of an exaggeration that they called your defense unrivaled huh.」

Greifer smiled fearlessly while driving his Cuelebre and unleashed an attack towards Lux who was intently retreating to take some distance.

「Kuh……!?」

Lux was called the Weakest Undefeated because he carried out many mock battles in the capital by devoting himself to defense, but the attack of this young man called Greifer was terribly hard to see through.

The sharp slash of the Tail Blade that could transform its range and trajectory midway, and Greifer’s timing in throwing Daggers the moment Lux reacted to it was superb. It couldn’t be dealt with by ordinary means.

Lux was also holding back the opponent using Howling Howl and Breath Gun, but just a bit of attacks didn’t even budge Cuelebre that possessed a solid armor and barrier.

Therefore Lux couldn’t exchange attacks with the opponent equally and he was forced to a one-sided defensive battle.

At a glance, Greifer’s offensive was just a simple brute force but──there was no pause between his attacks.

If there was a building at Lux’s right side, Greifer would deal out a slash from the left. He limited the escape path, and on top of that he also threw a Dagger as an extra attack.

If Lux dodged just barely, Greifer would use Breath Gun and Cannon in conjunction and stop him in his tracks.

It was attacking in waves like a storm.

It was like how a skilled hunter would cut the escape paths of his prey one by one, controlling the prey’s movement while chasing after it, cornering the prey with certainty.

At first Lux could perfectly dodge Greifer’s attacks, but the number and power of the attacks were gradually increasing. The barrier of the Wyvern was gradually pierced and the surface of its armor was starting to get scratched.

「You’re using a rare Blade there but──it’d be better for your health if you aren’t stingy y’know? In two or three more attacks, I’m gonna chop you up.」

Greifer’s Blade struck down vertically along with that declaration.

But when Lux was blown away backward, Greifer noticed something odd and stopped moving.

「……Hm? This place, where in──?」

There were few lighting around and the air was quiet like a lakes surface.

It was the new block of the royal capital──the redeveloped district.

It was a place where there would be a lot of construction workers, but at night it was mostly an empty lot.

Lux was estranged with the terrain of the capital these days, but he executed his plan by relying on his memory of the capital’s map that he saw when he was summoned just now.

「──I see, so you made a show like you are getting cornered while it’s actually you who are luring me in? Into this place where it’s okay even if we rampage a bit.」

Greifer who grasped Lux’s plan grinned and readied his sword.

「Man, that’s terrifying yeah. A guy who can match me this far by using a general purpose Drag-Ride ain’t that many even in the Vanheim Principality. That’s why it’s a pity──that I‘m gonna have to crush you here.」

Suddenly Greifer’s atmosphere changed with his tone and his expression looked arrogant.

He used his empty left hand to pull out his Sword Device, held it as though he was sending thought to it, and then he returned it into the sheath once more.

It was a Drag-Ride control motion to sharpen one’s nerve for the mind control operation.

(No good──don’t tell me, he is planning to use his Divine Raiment!?)

Greifer sent a piercing eye glint towards Lux’s Wyvern, and then he held aloft his Tail Blade really high that the sword blade couldn’t be seen from the front.

「It’s too late even if you notice it this late y’know, Weakest Undefeated!」

Lux who felt the alarming sign jumped back. At that moment, Greifer threw three Daggers and cut the escape path to the back while he charged forward.

「Kuh……!」

Greifer had anticipated that Lux would take distance by moving backward, and on top of that he accelerated extremely by predicting that escape trajectory.

Normally, Lux’s style was to see through the preliminary movement of the enemy’s attack and act accordingly, but now his actions to move in a spacious place where he had breathing room in order to neutralize the opponent’s initial speed and power was aimed at by Greifer.

In other words, this man called Greifer had predicted Lux’s defensive action.

An opening would be created if he deflected the Dagger using his Blade.

Therefore, the moment he deflected the Dagger using Howling Howl, Greifer circled to right beside Lux.

「──This is my win yeah? Prince-sama]

He swung the quickly transforming multi-joint blade, aiming at Lux’s torso.

But at that moment, Lux who should be taken by surprise met the tip of that blade precisely with the tip of his Scale Blade.

Lux’s movement that looked like his escape was cut off was a bluff to entice Greifer into a narrow place.

Lux deliberately got cornered into a place that was surrounded by building to limit the angle of the attack of his opponent so he could aim for a counter using Critical Hit.

The perfect timing.

The tip of the Tail Blade that extended out in order to aim for Lux, just when Lux thought he would be able to destroy it completely,

「──<Photon Dive>」

「……!?」

The moment both weapons crossed, Cuelebre’s whole body was enveloped in blazing light.

Immediately after, the Scale Blade’s barrier that Lux generated rebounded from the light and Lux was blown backward.

「U, ah……!?」

Lux who was blown away while rolling on the ground crashed into a huge clock tower.

He didn’t receive lethal wounds, but an impact ran through the flying device on his Wyvern’s back wings. Letters of light floated in front of his eyes, displaying the decreasing output.

(Damn it……! I cannot avoid──the next attack.)

Lux immediately laid out a barrage of Breath Gun, and he further threw Daggers to hold back the opponent.

But, both attacks were easily deflected by the light enveloping Cuelebre and lost their effect.

「This is── that Drag-Ride’s Divine Raiment……!?」

Deflecting the opponent’s attack──even the barrier of a normal Drag-Ride could possibly achieve such feat, but normally if a Drag-Ride’s barrier blocked an attack, it would result in some amount a backlash for the Drag-Ride.

But, that blazing light which was enveloping the armor didn’t cause any backlash for the user.

「Correct answer. The ability of Cuelebre’s Divine Raiment is 『invicibility』. In a state where I am enveloped by this light, all kind of attacks would get deflected, what’s more I’m the only one who can attack one-sidedly. I’m teaching you that after all your effort──that’s the prize for fighting me until this far with just a mere general purpose Wyvern.」

「Ku……」

Lux groaned. Right after that, the light enveloping Cuelebre vanished as though it had burned out.

It seemed that invincibility could only be maintained for just around a few seconds, but for the current Lux, he couldn’t hold out even if the enemy didn’t have that.

(Even though I cannot use Bahamut here──)

「Killing you will make it troublesome later so I’m not gonna kill you, but I’ll have you meet the same fate as my comrade whose legs were broken!」

Greifer lifted up his Tail Blade to aim at Lux who was buried under rubble, but then,

• BASHII-!* A Wire TailDragon Tail Rope Wire stretching from behind entangled that one hand and stopped it.

「──That’s as far as you go, Greifer!」

The true identity of the intruder became clear along with that refined soprano voice.

Behind Cuelebre there was the silhouette of an EX Wyvern before anyone noticed it.

The Drag-Knight clad in armor was the young man with an androgynous face that was with Greifer before, Coral.

That he wasn’t wearing a pilot suit but the uniform of his own school must be because he was hurriedly rushing to here.

「Please forgive his rudeness. Our leader ran by himself──」

「Oi, why are you stopping me? And then what are you doing apologizing as you please huh, Coral? What I’m doing here is a justified revenge y’know?」

「Did you see him as the one actually doing it? If not then there is no proof at all. As long as the culprit isn’t caught and interrogated, this is nothing but false accusations and violence from our side. You understand that, don’t you?」

Greifer showed a grave look. But Coral also didn’t concede at all. He retorted back with a cool tone.

Based from his dignified attitude, it wasn’t hard to imagine that this young man whose appearance looked like a girl was also hiding an equal strength to Greifer.

「Keh! I got it already honor student-sama. Aa-aa, that’s why I hate you.」

Greifer spat out as though he lost interest before he sheathed his sword and dispelled his armor.

Coral who saw that then approached the clock tower where Lux crashed into.

「Are you all right? Any injury──」

「No. I’m still fine, more or less.」

Lux told so to Coral who was holding out his hand towards Lux worriedly. Lux then went down to the ground with his own strength.

Certainly he didn’t have any serious injuries or damage.

But, it was only him escaping such things with a paper-thin difference, if Coral was late by several seconds, he didn’t know what would have happened to him.

「By all rights, this matter should have to be reported and discussed with the judge panel of the All-Dragon Battle and, but……」

Coral also went down and dispelled his armor. Then he muttered that with an awkward look.

By all rights, the selection members for the All-Dragon Battle from each country weren’t permitted to battle each other outside the arena. In the case that rule was broken, the offender would be banned from participating──or depending on the situation, the represented country would also be disqualified.

Because this time it was Greifer who initiated the fight, that rule should be applied to him, but Lux shook his head.

「No. It’s fine if we treat this matter as it never happened. I don’t know about the details, but it seems that the New Kingdom’s guard attacked your member first……. I too don’t want to make this into a big problem.」

「It also cannot be like that. At the very least we have to check whether you are injured or not──if you tell me where the capital’s hospital is located, I’ll accompany you there.」

「Oooi, honor student. Since when you became the New Kingdom’s aide huh?」

「You just shut up over there.」

Coral scolded with a red face when Greifer pointed that out with a casual tone.

Lux was thankful for Coral’s consideration, but Lux too didn’t intend to prolong this matter for more than this.

「I’m really all right. Rather than that, our side will also investigate about the matter in question, so for today──」

「……I guess. It will be a big day for both of us tomorrow, we too have already reported it to the other guards just now, so──later.」

When Lux said that, Coral bowed in thanks and walked away.

Even though he had come until this far in the outskirts, he didn’t leave using his Drag-Ride to avoid even further commotion than this.

At the sky, several Drag-Knights from the military were already circling around because they heard the commotion.

「Then, I’m going home too. I got a bit of a bone to pick with you and this country, but let’s settle it next time. It’s a waste to finish you with this kind of half-baked battle.」

Greifer grinned while saying that before he left.

「……Fuu.」

The time that was like a storm passed and Lux was finally liberated.

There was no curfew at the inn they were reserving, but he didn’t want to worry everyone, so he hurriedly went back.

Lux dragged his body that was heavy from fatigue and somehow managed to return until the inn. There, Airi was standing in front of the door with a stole wrapped on her shoulders.

「Uwa……」

Those reproachful eyes staring at him caused Lux to raise his voice reflexively.

「『Uwa……』 , it’s me who want to say that. What were you doing fighting like that? What a no good Nii-san as usual.」

Airi immediately replied with an exasperated tone.

Most likely she explained the situation to Relie and asked her to dispatch the army’s guard to reinforce Lux. After that she was waiting for Lux’s return here.

「No but, I was pursued……and I couldn’t shake him off.」

「Wouldn’t it be fine if Nii-san ran away to a place with a lot of people or to a military facility? ……Well, though knowing Nii-san you must have escaped to the direction of the redeveloped district where there are no people so that no one will get dragged into it.」

「…………」

Everything was seen through so Lux couldn’t even say anything in his defense.

「Let’s go inside quickly. You will catch a cold if you stay wet like that.」

Airi opened the door and urged Lux to come in. Lux obeyed her meekly and followed behind her.

Part 11

「Eh!? You knew the true identity of the culprit? The one who attacked the selection member of the Vanheim Principality──」

「Please lower your voice Nii-san. It will become complicated again if someone heard it by any chance.」

Lux wiped his body that was wet from rain, drank a hot tea, and warmed his cold body.

After that, he entered the double room that he shared with Airi in order to sleep. But the first words he heard right after entering inside caused Lux to raise his voice unconsciously.

The incident not long ago that became the origin of the dispute.

A Drag Knight of the New Kingdom attacked the inn of the Vanheim Principality. Airi said that she knew the true identity of the attacker.

「I’ll say this first, but it’s forbidden to disclose it to other people okay? I too only heard about it from Relie-san just now.」

「And, why did a guard of the New Kingdom do something like──」

「That’s, unknown.」

「……Eh?」

Lux was perplexed. In contrast, Airi continued her talk with a serious expression.

「When he was using his Drag-Ride to patrol the capital, suddenly the Drag-Ride became impossible to control and attacked the inn of the Vanheim Principality that was nearby── That was the excuse of the officer in question.」

「Drag-Ride’s, rampage──was that it?」

「That too is a strange story isn’t it? A Drag-Ride’s rampage──it happens when the Drag-Ride surpasses the ability of the user to control and does unintentional acts. Of course, there are a lot of incidents where people or things were harmed because of that. But──」

「This time, a selection member of the Vanheim Principality who was inside an inn was shot by Breath Gun, and then after that the guard immediately escaped from there……」

「Yes, that kind of skillful rampage method is impossible. Besides, it seems that officer is quite the veteran, and when his Drag-Ride was inspected there wasn’t any abnormality.」

A rampage that happened at an impossible timing and an assault that occurred because of that.

「The capital apprehended him and an interrogation is being carried out continuously. It’s still not known how they will explain about it to the Vanheim Principality.」

「I see.」

If a conclusion had to be spoken, that officer himself might be a spy from somewhere.

That possibility too certainly wasn’t zero but──could it be?

「By the way Nii-san, do you remember about that girl?」

「……Yes.」

Airi quietly talked to Lux inside the bedroom that had its lighting turned off.

Lux too noticed it.

Yoruka’s Divine Drag-Ride that he had already told to Airi too──Yato no Kami.

The ability of Spell Code, the Divine Raiment that dominated and controlled other people’s Drag-Rides.

If it was with her strength and skill──certainly she could easily cause this kind of incident.

(But……I don’t understand. Is this, really Yoruka’s work?)

The piled up fatigue was gradually robbing him of his ability to think.

And then, Lux fell asleep.

Episode 3 – The Girls’ Rewards

Part 1

The next day, the international tournament──All-Dragon Battle’s first day was finally held.

The place was the Drag-Ride arena nearby the castle.

The scale was even larger than the academy’s practice ground. A great number of citizens and nobles were gathering there.

It was scheduled for three days. In order to limit the Drag-Knights’ fatigue to the minimum, there would be one day of rest in between. The tournament was divided into the first half on the first day and the later half on the second day and it was carried out under special rules.

The tournament this time was a round robin event that was performed by the seven participating countries.

Three battles in the first half, and three battles in the later half. A total of six battles would be carried out by each country.

The competition rule against a country was a maximum of three matches in a battle, the one who was the first to take two victories in two matches won the battle. It was fundamentally based on the rules of the capital’s tournament.

There was two kind of matches, a one-on-one individual battle, and a two-on-two pair battle. The side that settled two wins first would win at that time.

In the case the result was one win and one loss, both camps would choose a member who still hadn’t fought and the last individual battle would decide it.

It was only after all the members had performed once that the team could choose once more between all their members.

Therefore the comprehensive strength of the team was stressed here. It was a system where it would be hard to be victorious by depending on the great effort of a single powerful member.

When the members of the New Kingdom gathered inside the waiting room in the arena, the leader of Syvalles, Celis, stood in front of everyone.

「The three battles today will be against the Ymir Theocracy, Turkimes Confederation, and the Blackened Kingdom. About the first battle against Ymir, I believe we will carry it out without our four Divine Drag-Ride users as arranged.」

「Aa, if I’m not mistaken this is what you called throwing a match right……?」

Tillfur of the Triad who heard that spoke sounding somewhat dejectedly.

「No. It’s what you call a strategic bargaining. Or rather, please don’t bring up the matter that has already been decided from previous discussion again.」

Noct immediately retorted and lightly clapped on Tillfur’s back.

The New Kingdom did end up borrowing Krulcifer who was a prominent Drag-Knight from their allied country Ymir.

Therefore, it was the moral principle of the New Kingdom to not put Krulcifer in the first battle against Ymir, and they also couldn’t show a stance of doing their all to win by investing their other Divine Drag-Ride users.

Because of such reason it was decided to enter the users of general purpose Drag-Rides only against the Ymir Theocracy.

In this aspect, it was the instruction that came from the capital government’s strategic bargaining rather than the selection members themselves, so there was also an implicit understanding part in it.

And then Tillfur was planned to enter the first match, the individual match of this battle.

「But of course, you don’t mind if we actually won this battle right, captain-dono?」

When Sharis said that, Celis nodded with a serious look and,

「Of course. The member’s placement is already decided, but that’s all the restriction imposed on this battle. Please go and win, Tillfur.」

「……Roger!」

Tillfur strongly nodded after a slight hesitation.

「If it’s Tillfur then you will surely win.」

When Lux called out from the side,

「Right, thanks. I’ll do my best for instructor-sama’s sake too okay~」

She laughed jestingly.

「Then, if there is no more questions we will end this talk here. I won’t mind if each of you watch the battle or take a rest by your own decision, but I order all of you to grasp the schedule and return here when it’s time. Understood?」

Everyone nodded at Celis’s words.

At the end Relie who was at the room’s corner stood in front of everyone and gave the concluding speech.

「Everyone──you’ve worked hard the other day. And then, thank you. Today, fight for the sake of this New Kingdom and for the sake of none other but yourself, okay?」

「Yes!」

Everyone raised their voices before breaking up.

And then, thirty minutes later, the All-Dragon Battle finally began.

Part 2

OOOOOOOOOOoooo!

The moment Lux exited the waiting room into the venue, cheers that shook the earth overwhelmed Lux.

Perhaps it should be said as expected from the All-Dragon Battle, even Lux who had participated in the mock battles here several times had never seen the place this bustling.

「It’s finally starting huh── our battle that is.」

When Lux sat down on the spectator seat for the participants, Krulcifer quietly took the seat besides him.

Krulcifer’s turn would be in the third battle, so she still had leeway for time.

Everyone else was spending their time tuning their Drag-Rides until the very last minute or heightening their focus for the match, but for Lux he wasn’t arranged to appear today.

Because he was still recovering, it was better to not force himself to participate. Or rather, that was the cover reason that Airi told to everyone, but in actuality it wasn’t the true reason.

From late at night tomorrow until dawn── he would do his best to accomplish his decoy role that was ordered to him from the government in order to obstruct the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan. That was the true reason.

It was kept secret from the other selection members so as to not make them worry, but Krulcifer had a sharp instinct and mind, so Lux was anxious whether he was seen through by her.

「Somehow, it feels difficult to fight against our allied country Ymir doesn’t it?」

「I wonder? I’m all right though. Because I’ve come to a clean decision about it.」

When Lux spoke while watching the battle, Krulcifer responded with a cool smile.

‘As expected’, Lux thought while smiling wryly inside his heart.

「It looks like a candidate for the Seven Dragon Paladins from Ymir is also participating. Though I don’t know the details as someone studying abroad in the New Kingdom.」

「Is that so?」

「Yes. I heard about it from my family’s butler, Alterize. This candidate is a powerful person that is the best by far even among the officer cadets, and that she is number one even through the successive generations.」

「……It’s that girl, isn’t it?」

Lux sent his gaze to the arena’s ring and asked.

It was a girl with platinum hair and a small stature that could be mistaken as a child.

「Mel Gizalut. She is the top student at the Faith Military Academy, a Drag-Knight who is crowned with the nickname of Subjugator.」

The girl Krulcifer talked about was maintaining a composed smile from start to end while cornering the New Kingdom’s selection member with skillful tactic.

The Drag-Ride she was using was EX Wyvern, but looking from her skill, it was certain that she also had the strength to skillfully use a Divine Drag-Ride.

「It seems that there was a bit of dissent between her house and my Einvolk house regarding the Ruin. Well, it’s something that is not really related to me who is shunned from my house though.」

「Such thing──」

Hearing that self-depreciation that was rare for Krulcifer made Lux spontaneously speak.

「But, even if someday a chance to fight with her came, I don’t have any intention to lose.」

「…………」

「Becoming a first class Drag-Ride. Continuing to be strong──even if I’m alone. Those are targets that I imposed on myself, because they are necessary for me to live.」

Krulcifer, the girl who was discovered inside the Ruin of the Ymir Theocracy.

Because she had such a past, she felt a sense of alienation towards her family and other people even after she was adopted by the Einvolk house, therefore, she was looking for accomplishments in order to be recognized by her family.

「I don’t plan to be like before anymore. And I have trained just for that.」

The before that she meant was about the battle at the Ark.

She must be talking about one of the Ragnarok, Yggdrasil.

「About that, it couldn’t be helped. Even I only managed just barely that time. That victory came because there were various coincidences and luck.」

「Perhaps that is so.」

Krulcifer agreed with Lux’s words once, before she suddenly smiled.

「But, it’s vexing. It doesn’t matter even if the opponent was a Ragnarok that a human couldn’t match, I cannot be satisfied with that result. Lux-kun, you see, even though I look like this I’m really a sore loser you know?」

「Is, is that so?」

Krulcifer slowly brought her face closer with a mischievous smile. Lux’s heart unconsciously jumped.

「More accurately speaking, I have several things that I absolutely don’t want to concede, and I really hate to lose in regards to them. That’s why, I have a request for you. At the country’s founding anniversary tomorrow, can you spend a bit of time with me?」

「Eh──?」

Lux raised a surprised voice because the talk was suddenly brought to a different direction.

「That’s my special request from your reward to me. Will you accept?」

「Tha, that’s, could it be──」

The request of Krulcifer to spend time together at tomorrow’s country founding anniversary.

So to speak, wasn’t this that thing called a date?

Thinking so, caused Lux’s heart to beat fast inside his chest.

「Tha, that……. It seems that our butler Alterize has also come here as one of the delegation leaders of Ymir. I want to show to her that it looks like our relationship is going well.」

「Ah, is, is that so. Then, perhaps it’s that thing again──that 『lover case』?」

「Ye, yes, that’s right.」

Krulcifer nodded while showing a somewhat embarrassed expression.

Once, in order to avoid the political marriage that her family the Einvolk house forced on her, she made a request of acting as 『Krulcifer’s lover』to him.

The eldest son of one of the four great nobles Balzeride lost his standing, and that case was safely washed away but──

「……But, in the end what happened with that? Alterize-san misunderstood us as real lovers, and she said that she will endorse me as Krulcifer-san’s fiancée but──」

「About that──it’s really not a problem. It’s going well, so it’s all right if Lux-kun doesn’t worry about it.」

「Is, is that so……」

Lux felt some kind of implication from Krulcifer’s tone, but perhaps it was just his imagination.

「And so, in order to make her believe that even now our relationship is continuing, that……it will help if you can act as though it’s a date between lovers.」

「……Right, I understand. I’m a bit nervous, but if it’s with Krulcifer-san I feel that it will be fun.」

「Is, is that so……? If you say that, then it’s also worth it for me to rely on you.」

Krulcifer averted her gaze and for some reason her cheeks were blushing.

The air felt embarrassing somehow, but when it flowed between the two──

OOOOOOOOOOOH!

A conspicuously loud cheer rose from the surrounding audience seats.

『The third one-on-one match is Ymir’s victory. With two wins and one loss, the first battle of block A is the Ymir Theocracy’s victory!』

A Drag-Ride commentator raised his voice using Drake’s function to magnify the voice.

It went mostly as expected, but all the same the defeat felt regrettable.

「Unfortunately, it looks like we lost.」

「Yes. How about we return for now before the next match begins?」

Lux and Krulcifer stood up from the venue’s audience seating where the enthusiasm was still continuing.

Their expressions had returned back into seriousness.

Although their first battle ended in defeat, the second battle against the Turkimes Confederation ended up safely in victory thanks to Celis and Philuffy’s great contributions.

And then, continuing to the third battle. Against the Blackened Kingdom, Krulcifer won the first match, then the pair of Lisha and Noct in the second match also progressed through their match dominantly, but midway a bit of an accident occurred.

The special armament of the Divine Drag-Ride Tiamat that Lisha controlled, Legion, one of it misaimed and flew towards the audience seats.

In front of each spectator stand there was a Drag-Ride stationed for defense. They deployed a wide range barrier, so that there was no particular damage, even so it was judged to be a dangerous act and Lisha received a warning.

After that the New Kingdom’s side advanced the match dominantly without any particular problem──and settled it.

『Because both the pair members of the Blackened Kingdom are unable to continue fighting, it’s the victory of the New Kingdom’s pair! Because they have obtained two wins, the third battle becomes the new kingdom’s win!』

The spectator stand at the New Kingdom’s side was greatly excited from the second victory of today.

Lux hurriedly went to the stone passage that connected towards the waiting room to welcome the pair.

「Thank you for your hard work, Lisha-sama.」

When Lux called like that to the two who had already dispelled their armor and walked towards him, Lisha responded 「Ye, yeah……」 with her expression looking bewildered.

「What’s the matter?」

「That, I think you also noticed but, in the middle of the match──my Drag-Ride’s control temporarily stopped working. I wondered what it was but……」

「Yes. I judged that surely Lisha-sama did that purposefully.」

「Are you stupid!? Even for luring the enemy, there is no way I’m going to do something like sending my Legion flying towards the audience seats even purposefully isn’t it!? Even I am── more or less the princess of this country after all.」

「Is that so……」

Lux who heard Lisha’s words whispered seriously.

Certainly he thought that it was an unnatural action, but it seemed that even Lisha herself didn’t understand the cause.

Tiamat was a Divine Drag-Ride, losing control because of the degree of difficulty piloting it and the intensity of exhaustion──the danger of 『rampage』 existed from the beginning.

But, recently Lisha’s control skill, physical ability, and her mental strength were increasing. Because of that something like rampage indication couldn’t be seen at all from her.

(Something, bothers me……)

「We, well, it doesn’t matter. Rather than that, I have something I want to talk with you for a bit……is it okay?」

Lisha looked up at Lux’s face looking somewhat discomposed.

「Aa……! Come to think of it, me too. Then, after returning once to the waiting room, let’s──」

「We, well then, after I change clothes……I’ll be waiting.」

Lisha said only that before leaving with a jog.

The first day of the All-Dragon Battle came to an end without a hitch like this.

Part 3

「It has been very long since I last entered the capital’s atelier.」

After the simple meeting in the waiting room where they looked back on today’s battles was over.

Before returning back to the inn that was the base of the selection members, Lisha called Lux to the Drag-Ride atelier that was inside the castle grounds.

Lux had visited that place many times in the Old Empire period. A great number of Drag-Rides were lining up there, with characteristic metallic smell drifting in the air.

Inside the atelier where one could somehow feel its history, Lisha and Lux were sitting in front of a pedestal while slowly drinking tea.

「I see. However, it’s great that this place is reserved for us during the All-Dragon Battle, but as I thought a new place feels unfamiliar. When things like the tools or the positioning of the work table are different, it will bother you no matter what.」

Lisha grumbled while sipping the herb tea that was prepared by a maid.

Lisha was wearing a white robe similar like when she was at the Academy’s atelier. It seemed that she was completely feeling like a developer.

Lux was relieved that she wasn’t bothered anymore by the rampage that occurred in the previous match while he smiled wryly.

「But, for Lisha-sama to call me here, have you created some kind of weapon or Drag-Ride again?」

「No, after all as expected these few days there is no time at all. Checking the Drag-Ride that I’m using, then──. That, there are various things like training and so on, like the speech for your introduction……」

「Eh……?」

The last part was said with a low voice, so Lux couldn’t hear it. When he tilted his head in puzzlement,

「I, it’s nothing! ……Right! Open your schedule for tomorrow night no matter what okay!? I called you here to say that!」

「Tomorrow night……is it?」

「Ye, yeah……. That’s, if possible, I’ll be happy if you can also go around with me at the country founding anniversary but──」

「Ah, I’m sorry. For that it’s a bit……I still don’t know my schedule.」

「Mugugu……. It must be that Krulcifer again anyway. Good grief.」

Instantly Lisha guessed something and she muttered with a pout.

She pondered looking troubled for a while, but she immediately pulled herself together and turned towards Lux.

「Well fine. That bunch had the special request right so it can’t be helped. But, come properly to where I am before the anniversary is over okay?」

「Ah, yes. I’ll go without fail, Lisha-sama.」

After Lux nodded, Lisha also crossed her arms in satisfaction and puffed up her chest that was quite large for her small build.

「……And, just what kind of business do you have with me?」

「Err, that──it’ll be great if this is possible……」

Lux brought his mouth closer to Lisha’s ear and whispered 『a certain thing』 that he thought up last night.

When he finished talking, Lisha looked at Lux with a dubious face.

「……What’s with that? What’s the meaning of purposefully doing something like that?」

「I don’t know. I cannot guarantee that it will surely be helpful, but──by some chance, it could be the key for the battle this time. Please, can you do it?」

Lux told that toward the bewildered Lisha with a serious expression.

「──Its performance being the same like usual is okay right?」

Lisha closed her eyes and groaned for a while, before at the end she said that.

「It can be done!?」

「I don’t know how far I can do it, but I’ll manage somehow. After all that kind of playing around that isn’t related with actual function is totally my specialty. But, the customizing that you ask, it will be a gamble whether it will look like it or not──」

「Thank you very much, Lisha-sama!」

When Lux grasped Lisha’s hand in gratitude, Lisha went 「Wa-……」 and showed an expression that was a mix of bewilderment and embarrassment.

But, after keeping that posture for a few seconds, Lisha’s cheeks were turning faintly red and she glared at Lux with an upward gaze.

「……Well, I certainly accepted that request. But, putting that aside──how should I say it, you, recently are you mistaking me as a handyman or a toolbox?」

「Eh……?」

For a moment Lux tilted his head in incomprehension at the meaning of those words. Lisha continued speaking further.

「No, it’s not that I’m particularly dissatisfied with your request just now. ……But, like, sometimes I wish that you would ask me for something different. Specifically things like, you want to go on a date with me, or you want me to make you lunch, if you are ask me something in that direction……so far, I’m also learning cooking bit by bit, and yet─」

Lisha was whispering such things with a low voice while fidgeting and entangling her fingers in embarrassment, but,

「A, as I thought it’s nothing! Forget what I said just now!」

Midway she yelled somewhat panicky and in the end she left it vaguely.

「Yosh! I’ll do the matter you asked without fail so leave it to me! By the way, today there was a dummy arm for a Drag-Ride sold at the capital’s commerce and industry district. This is a rare chance, so I’ll remodel your Wyvern with six arms──」

「Please don’t! My request just now would be meaningless like that!」

「I see──then, what if two from that six are turned into drills?」

「What kind of standard are you using to compromise!? I’m begging you, just do like what I said before──」

「I get it. I’ll back down this time for your sake.」

Her cheeks puffed up in dissatisfaction, and yet she immediately took out the diagram that recorded the Drag-Ride’s parts and began staring at it while putting on a monocle.

「Then, I’ll start working on it after this, so you just go do your own work. I’ll do my best properly too.」

「──Yes. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night, Lisha-sama.」

Lux answered firmly to that and he left the Drag-Ride’s atelier alone.

In the end, he still didn’t tell anyone about the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan, even to Lisha.

In any case Lux’s resolve to play the decoy role by himself didn’t change, and right now he wanted to concentrate on the All-Dragon Battle.

(There is no doubt regarding that. But──)

But, inside Lux there was something bothering him.

The case with Greifer that occurred yesterday, and Tiamat’s rampage that occurred today.

It was only a fragment of a faint out of place feeling that was too much to be called suspicion.

As the result of taking those into consideration, he thought to ask Lisha to do something for him.

「Next──there’s only one left, huh.」

He was only concerned of the movement of Hayes who escaped in the previous fight, but at this point of time he wouldn’t understand anything even if he thought about it.

Right now he had to do what he ought to do.

First, he had to hear about the special reward requests from Philuffy and Celis.

「Well, as expected I don’t think that I’ll receive more invitations for a date though……」

Lux muttered to himself while going outside, and he hurried on through the evening capital’s streets.

Part 4

And then the next morning.

The country founding anniversary of the New Kingdom finally began.

In the All-Dragon Battle’s schedule, today was the second day, which was a resting day. The participants were basically free, whether to rest or to look around the festival.

Lux received a request from Krulcifer to 『go around the festival together』 as the reward for finishing her assignment at the training camp.

Krulcifer was already waiting when he headed to the entrance of the inn where they were staying.

She wasn’t wearing her usual cool smile, but she looked slightly awkward with a complicated smile.

In the middle of the All-Dragon Battle, there was a rule that the participating selection members had to wear their uniform when going outside, so the two of them also wore their uniform, but Lux’s concern didn’t lie there.

「This, I’m sorry Krulcifer-san. I never thought, that it would become like this──」

「I’m not planning to blame you. I’m only exasperated with my own carelessness. In a sense, it should be easy enough to predict that this day would turn out like this.」

When Lux apologized, Krulcifer responded curtly.

Actually yesterday, when he left Lisha’s atelier and headed towards the practice ground inside the castle’s site, he received an outrageous request from Celis who was there.

『Lu, Lux. I have a special request for you. It’s──I want you to accompany me at the anniversary tomorrow!』

Honestly, it was troubling.

He already had previous engagements with Krulcifer on that day, the requests from the three who finished the assignment weren’t ranked differently against each other, and it also wasn’t first come first served.

For the time being, he talked with Celis that he received the same request from Krulcifer.

『Ho, how could this be!? I, I understand. In that case I’ll accept half the time so please. Normally I’ll be patient but……at the moment it’s, there is an important matter I need to discuss with you, so──I cannot concede here!』

She strongly insisted, so in the end Lux agreed with the condition that he would consult Krulcifer too of what to do.

After he returned to the inn that was their base, he immediately headed towards Philuffy’s room and he unexpectedly encountered her inside her room dressed in a negligee.

Lux’s heart was throbbing hard toward that stimulating figure while he asked Philuffy about the special request that she would want to make. He also talked about the request he received from Krulcifer and Celis, and then──

『Then, tomorrow, go on a date with me too.』

『Eh……!?』

Yes, Lux was completely shocked from hearing Philuffy speaking with her usual absentminded and serious face, due to the very shocking request.

No, of course there was a possibility that Philuffy too would say 『I want to look around the festival together』 to him, but for Philuffy, who gave off a childish impression, to say such thing was something that Lux had never even imagined.

『Eh, ah, right……. That’s──fine though.』

Lux was shook up by Philuffy who said that straightforwardly with her serious face and carefree tone that stayed unchanging. His cheeks reddened while he consented.

Since the past, the two of them had played together many times, but this was the first time she called it a 『date』, so he somehow felt embarrassed.

『Then it’s a promise, okay.』

In the end after that, Lux wracked his brain to make the schedule with Krulcifer and Celis. He got by somehow, but he wasn’t able to really sleep.

With such a complicated sequence of events happening, all of them consulted each other once, and the result was that he would walk around together with Krulcifer from the morning until lunch.

「Well, putting that aside, let’s depart soon. If I’m not mistaken, Alterize said that she will return to Ymir’s inn in the afternoon after all.」

「Right. Please take care of me, Krulcifer-san.」

Lux who returned to his senses from those words pulled himself together and responded.

If he kept worrying without end, it would be inexcusable to Krulcifer who had shown her understanding of Lux’s position.

Thinking that, they started walking towards the capital’s street.

And then, the second date with Krulcifer began.

Part 5

A large mansion located in the capital──Moon Lamp Mansion. It was the first time Lux entered inside it.

That facility which was mainly used for the party of nobles was divided into three floors. It had a bar that also offered meals, and a lounge with a chic atmosphere.

Its main attraction was the dance hall that was decorated with gorgeous furniture and a chandelier with beautiful craftsmanship.

People could also borrow outfits there although it would take some money. It was a famous social meeting place that anyone would show their face there at least once if they were a noble in the capital.

Especially in this period when the country founding anniversary was on going, the venue was really crowded and enveloped in a hustle and bustle since the daytime.

After lightly viewing the bar and the lounge, both Lux and Krulcifer rented outfits for themselves and changed into them.

When Lux who changed into a white ceremonial attire was waiting at the dance hall, the door of the changing room opened and Krulcifer in dress attire made her appearance.

「I’ve made you wait. I chose a slightly reserved piece however──what do you think?」

「……-!?」

Lux spontaneously held his breath after taking a glance at her appearance.

She was beautiful.

She was wearing a smooth jet black dress that made the whiteness of her skin that was like powdered snow become even more prominent.

The area around her neck that was wrapped with a black choker opened widely until her chest, showing the curve of that slender stature even more beautifully and charmingly.

Her long blue hair that was like silk was gently bundled with a hair clip and ribbon, spreading downward in a gentle arc.

His feeling was paralyzed because he had gotten used to seeing her from nearby daily, but when she dressed up properly like this, he felt further from her a beauty that was in a different dimension.

「Suddenly choosing a dress on the spot is really difficult isn’t it? It’s good that I can somehow make it look appropriate but──」

「Ah, it really suits you Krulcifer-san. I thought that you were a princess from somewhere.」

Lux spoke with honest intention, but Krulcifer chuckled and she brushed up her hair with a hand that was wrapped in a long black glove.

「If it’s you, a former prince, who says it, then I think I can take it a little seriously.」

「Err, sorry Krulcifer-san. It’s hard for me to say it but……I, never really attended this kind of party.」

Lux honestly confessed that he had no confidence in taking the lead here, but Krulcifer only showed him her usual cool smile.

「If it’s a simple dance then I know it, so it will be all right if you match my movements. Let’s go.」

「──Right. Please take care of me, Krulcifer-san.」

Lux took Krulcifer’s hand and they headed towards the dance hall.

And then, they enjoyed a wonderful time for a brief moment.

Part 6

「Aa, I’m tired……」

A few dozen minutes later, Lux and Krulcifer who exited the Moon Lamp Mansion sat under the shade of a tree in a spacious public park. They were eating skewered roasted meat and fruit pie that they bought from stalls while taking a rest.

Lux made mistakes several times even though it was a basic dance, but he wished to believe that around the third dance he was starting to get good enough.

Several times in between, some nobles asked Krulcifer for a dance, but she decisively refused all of them.

「How unexpected. Even though you almost never act tiredly even when you usually do that much chores.」

「This is because of nervousness, surely.」

When Lux smiled wryly like that,

「But, there was also gain from this you know? I noticed it when we danced together but──Lux-kun’s height, it looks like recently that it’s growing a bit isn’t it?」

「Krulcifer-san! Really!?」

Lux looked listless because of the fatigue, but hearing that he reflexively bit at it.

Seeing that Krulcifer showed a slightly surprised expression. And then she gently put her hand on Lux’s head before averting her face.

「……I’m sorry. It seems that it was just my imagination.」

「Krulcifer-san! That’s cruel!」

Hearing Krulcifer’s seemingly sad voice made Lux yell out with teary eyes.

「Don’t be that dejected. Lux-kun has a lot of other lovely virtues right?」

「Wait a second!? Don’t crush the possibility of my height growing in the future arbitrarily like that! I’m still in my growth period you know!?」

「Ye, yes……. You’re right, it’ll be great if that day will come someday.」

「Don’t say it with that kind of distant look!」

A few seconds after Lux unintentionally raised his voice and gasped for breath.

Krulcifer who was smiling lightly put her hand on Lux’s head once more.

「I’m sorry, I teased you a bit too much. It was the first time I saw Lux-kun’s eyes sparkling like that, so I unconsciously enjoyed it too much……」

「…………」

After Lux stiffened with a complicated expression, Krulcifer took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

「Thank you for accompanying me today.」

「Yo, you don’t need to thank me. I also had fun, that──」

Lux also stood up and faced Krulcifer. Then, a refreshing wind flowed from between the gaps of the abundantly growing trees, gently shaking the greenery in the surrounding.

「Say, Lux-kun. I have one last personal request, can I?」

「Eh……?」

「I told you that my house’s butler──Alterize is coming to the capital, but she has been watching us all the time through this date.」

「I, is that so!?」

The shocked Lux reflexively ran his gaze around him. Then he noticed a presence of something moving behind the cover of the wide public park’s bushes.

When he focused there, he was able to immediately find its true identity thanks to the unique butler uniform.

(Wait, since when did she come? Alterize-san……)

「You don’t need to be too bothered. I think that we surely have accomplished our objective today nicely.」

「Yes……I guess.」

Lux didn’t know since when Alterize was watching them, but the objective of the request this time was 『pretending that his association with Krulcifer is continuing』. He believed that they certainly had done it well.

「But, I think that it’s still slightly insufficient to completely trick her. That’s why for the last──let’s see. Can I ask Lux-kun to kiss me from your own initiative?」

「──Eh? Eeeeh……!?」

Lux was flustered hearing Krulcifer’s speech that was muttered with a slightly embarrassed look.

「Of course, I don’t mind if you only pretend. If you brought your face closer to me to a certain degree, I think that will be enough to trick her.」

「Ah, ri, right……. The, then, Krulcifer-san──be careful.」

Lux turned his gaze around and checked whether there were any gazes other than Alterize’s, after that he slowly brought his face closer towards Krulcifer whose eyes were lightly closed.

After confirming the position of those small and glossy lips, Lux also closed his eyes and stood on his tiptoes, at that moment──

「……-!?」

• chuu-*

The touch of a soft sensation surprised Lux and his eyes snapped wide open.

Even though he had definitely stopped just before his lips touched, when he noticed both their lips had firmly piled on top of one another.

There was the aroma of sweet and graceful perfume, and the aroma of Krulcifer’s own hair.

The soft sensation of the lips felt pleasant, making his instinct hesitate to move away from it immediately.

In the end they separated after exchanging a kiss for a few seconds. Krulcifer whose eyes were opened lightly licked the corner of her lips.

「──It looks like, our positioning was slightly off.」

「Ah, so,sorry. That’s──」

Seeing Krulcifer smiling with her cheeks unusually blushing, the shaken up Lux started to say something before,

「You don’t need to apologize. This is the first time I received a kiss from your end but, as I thought──the sensation is completely different.」

Krulcifer averted her gaze from Lux and whispered with a voice that was filled with a hint of intoxication.

「Krulcifer, san?」

For some reason it made the girl who was right before his eyes until now to look unthinkably sexy. Lux’s heartbeat was pounding fiercely.

「I wish that in the future you will do it for me by your own will. Then, I’ll go report to Alterize so──see you later.」

Krulcifer only said that and she turned around and slowly walked out of the public park.

「…………」

A few seconds later after he saw her off, Lux sat down on the spot.

After waiting for the heat to leave from his completely flushed face, he left to fulfill his next request.

Part 7

「Err, if I remember correctly, right now Celis-senpai’s schedule is──」

Lux was walking on the bustling street of the royal capital while checking the request schedule that was written on a paper.

He promised to go around the country founding anniversary from the afternoon until sunset with Celis, but she said that she was going to train at the practice ground inside the castle grounds until right before Lux came to pick her up.

When Lux went to the guard’s place, Celis wearing her uniform was already waiting in front of it. She turned his way and smiled.

「Thanks for coming, Lux.」

「Good afternoon Celis-senpai. I’m sorry to make you wait.」

「No, I too only came just now. However that’s── it’s a little troubling.」

When Lux approached, Celis’s tone dropped a little with her condition looking unusually restless.

「……? What’s the matter?」

「That’s…… I made a blunder in picking our meeting place. I cannot calm down unless I train every day, so I only did basic training and sword practice but──」

Lux tilted his head hearing Celis’s tone that had a hint of frustration in it.

「It’s fine. After all Celis-senpai is giving off the nice smell of soap.」

「That’s not it! I’m not talking about the matter of sweat! Be, because there is this date with you, I properly washed myself after I finished my training so──tha, that’s not it, it’s」

Lux smiled wryly seeing Celis who was showing him her flustered self. After that he noticed what she actually wanted to say a bit late.

Countless gazes were directed towards them from the shadows of the castle wall and bushes. The sounds of stifled breathing came from those directions.

The reason for that wasn’t merely because the castle was nearby and there were many officials there.

Lux instinctually comprehended the reason that showed it.

「Celis-senpai, how well do you know about the terrain of the capital?」

「Err, I know enough in general. When I was a child I also lived here to some degree. Last year and the year before that, too, I also came here when summer vacation came.」

「Then, what’s left is only the concern of stamina. Can senpai run right now?」

「I have difficulty to understand Lux’s question but──……-!? Is it something like that?」

Celis tilted her head in puzzlement for a moment, but she immediately noticed and held her breath.

After exhaling lightly, she showed a confident smile and started walking.

「Then, I’ll take the lead, but we’re going to walk slowly until a street where there are few passerby.」

「Ah, please go easy on me……」

Recalling the training camp the other day, Lux said that while smiling wryly.

Celis who had imposed strict training on herself since she was little possessed a stamina that would make even a man lose their face.

「Then let’s go, Lux.」

Saying that they walked side by side. Immediately after, the countless presences hiding around there started moving simultaneously.

(So……it’s as I thought.)

The gazes that were focused on Lux and Celis since some time ago.

Most likely they were people of the palace who were trying to spy on their movements.

In order to shake off those observers, Lux suggested that they 『escape』.

「Could this be, because of my fault?」

Lux spoke his question while walking on the stone pavement outside the castle.

Currently, they were still walking at the level of fast-walking, but they were gradually increasing to the speed of running children.

「No, this might be my fault. After all it seems there are people scheming various things behind the scenes in the current government office so──」

「Scheme?」

They bought distance at the straight line of the main street where the visibility was nice, turned into a narrow back alley, and shook off the pursuers.

Their speed wasn’t affected at all even while they were conversing normally.

「Perhaps it’s better to call it a scramble for interests, and following after that is the factional strife. What I wanted to talk about with you today is also related to that──oh, I think this far should be fine don’t you agree?」

Celis suddenly stopped and looked behind her.

The presences of countless people following them from the castle had entirely vanished within a few minutes.

「I, it seems so……」

It was pathetic if he, who was a man, lost his breath first, so Lux pretended to be composed, but he was fairly tired.

「However, this strategy is a half failure. Even though I’ve expressly washed off my sweat, now I’m soaked in sweat again.」

As expected, it would be like that if they ran with their all on the street in summer.

「You’re right. I’m also sweaty──……-!?」

When Lux was about to agree, he saw it.

The figure of Celis who slightly opened the breast area of her blouse in order to take in the wind, which caused her skin to look flushed.

Perhaps because this was a back alley with the surrounding enclosed by houses and shops, she became somewhat defenseless.

The valley of Celis’s breasts that proclaimed their existence strongly even when they were within the uniform caused Lux’s gaze to be reflexively attracted in.

「What’s wrong Lux? It looks like you are in a daze since just now? Don’t tell me your health is」

「N, no, it’s nothing at all! Ra, rather than that, about Celis-senpai’s talk with me──?」

Lux averted his gaze in panic and asked once more.

Celis was lightly vigilant towards the surroundings while she slowly started talking.

「Lux. There is one thing that I want to ask you. What do you think about me?」

「Eh……?」

Lux was bewildered towards Celis who suddenly displayed a serious tone and expression.

And then, after thinking a bit for a few seconds,

「I think Celis-senpai is really serious and just a little bit awkward but──you are someone that is really reliable.」

「That’s, I also think the same of you.」

When Lux told her that with a small smile, Celis immediately replied back.

「I dragged along the tendency of the Old Empire, feared to make a mistake, and kept away males at a distance. You saved me who was like that. For me, you are a really reliable boy friend that I was able to make for the first time.」

Celis put her hands on her chest and whispered earnestly.

「And so I want to talk about this. I received instruction from my father through a letter telling me to win you over. He instructed me to use my position as the leader of Syvalles to put you under my observation and jurisdiction──」

「…………」

The instruction from one of the Four Great Nobles, Dist Ralgris that came to Celis.

Lux instantly predicted the general objective and meaning of such instruction.

「No matter what kind of thinking father has, I don’t intend to follow his instruction this time. In the case that we come to a confrontation, I’ll plead to him directly to withdraw that instruction. ──But, he might bring trouble to Lux somewhere outside of my sight. I still don’t know what to do about that, but……」

「It’s fine senpai.」

「Eh……?」

Lux smiled to assure Celis who looked confused.

「I’m happy that Celis-senpai is worried about me, but it’ll also pain me if you came into a dispute with the Ralgris house. I think it will be fine if you just pretend to follow the letter’s instructions moderately.」

「But that’s, my father might come to interfere with you directly then……」

「It’s all right. I’m used to something like that since I was a child. Besides── I already resolved myself to get involved with this country again, not only as a criminal imposed with odd jobs, but also in different shapes.」

Lux declared with his gaze staring straight at Celis.

「Lux, you──」

「In the first place, it became like this only because I did things that made me stand out every time, just like Airi always told me, this is me reaping what I sowed.」

When Lux smiled wryly, Celis’s eyes opened wide in surprise,

「This is troubling. I talked of this with the resolve to be blamed by you but──my worry is cleared up already.」

Celis slowly cast her eyes down and made a small smile.

「I understand. I’ll carefully handle the matter of putting you under my jurisdiction, but I’m thinking to reply back that I don’t want to force you. But──if, in the case that my father tries to do something, please talk to me anytime. I won’t permit you to stay quiet. After all, I also want to become a senior that you can and ought to respect.」

Saying that, Celis slowly offered her right hand.

「……I will, I promise.」

When Lux gently took that hand, the tension of the two abruptly felt loosened.

「Even so, it’s unfortunate.」

Celis suddenly muttered when they were about to exit the back alley into the main street.

「What is?」

「No, I was thinking that if my talk with you finished early, perhaps we can look around the festival for a bit──」

Lux noticed when he saw Celis running her gaze around looking vaguely dispirited.

Several messengers in the palace were investigating into Celis’s movement with Lux.

Although they had shaken off everyone just now, if they enjoyed the festival in a place where there was many people, they would immediately get found out by those people.

「Ah ……it, it’s not like you have to worry about it because my objective has been accomplished! It’s not like I want to have fun looking around the festival slowly for sure this time because until now I have never gotten the chance to look around the festival properly, there is no such thing at all so──」

When Lux noticed that and sent his gaze to Celis, Celis threw out her true feelings in the open in panic.

「Ahaha, please wait a second. I’ll think a bit so──」

Lux smiled wryly and retorted so, then he got an idea.

(But this, we might need a bit of help from someone……)

When Lux was thinking that, he caught sight of a trio of girls walking on the main street.

「……Ah, it’s Lux-chi and Celis-senpai. What’s up? At this kind of place──」

Tillfur of the Triad noticed them and called out.

It seemed the three were also sightseeing the royal capital for relaxation from the All-Dragon Battle.

「What a coincidence. However it smells a bit suspicious that you two are having a date at that kind of deserted place you know?」

「Yes. I think I have the duty to report this to Airi as her best friend.」(TN: A bit of a reminder. When Noct said yes or no at the beginning of her sentence, in the raw she isn’t using Japanese words like ‘hai’ or ‘ie’, but she is actually using the English word of ‘yes’ and ‘no’. She also says ‘my lord’ in English.)

「You don’t need to do that! It’s not like we are hiding anything that makes us feel guilty I’m telling you──!」

Lux objected to Sharis’s grin and Noct’s mutter while he lightly explained the situation.

He told them about how he wanted to look around the festival with Celis and how several spies were searching for them.

「And so, I want to ask a bit of help from everyone──」

Lux consulted his thinking of how to shake off the pursuer to the three people of the Triad, then,

「That’s good and all, but somehow I’m not motivated~. Even us here are bored with a lot of free time. And yet, doing that will only make Lux-chi and Celis-senpai to get to have a great date without anything in it for us in the end~」

Tillfur nodded her head in the beginning while showing a complicated sulky face at the end.

In response, Sharis plopped her hand on Tillfur’s head and spoke admonishingly.

「Fuh, Tillfur is still too young. At this kind of time it’s more sensible to make them owe us without getting strangely obstinate. Especially because Lux-kun is the type who will return the favor properly.」

「Yes. I judged that cooperating with Lux-san and Celis-san here will be a worldly wise decision. After all, the two of them are really capable people.」

When Noct also continued like that, Tillfur showed her usual bright smile.

「That’s true. Then~, there is my acquaintance dressmaker nearby, so wait a bit here.」

(I, it feels like it’ll be scary later but……well, it’s fine I guess.)

「However, Lux. Just what could you possibly be thinking about?」

Tillfur showed up once more faster than Lux could explain to the puzzled Celis.

「See that shop, you can enter from the backdoor so no one will know. I’ve talked to them so it’s fine.」

「Thank you──let’s go, Celis-senpai.」

Lux smiled and pulled Celis’s hand, heading towards that dressmaker shop.

──Thirty minutes later.

A noble lady and a butler were standing in front of the dressing room inside the shop.

「Wha, what do you think──Lux? Does it look like we can hide well like this?」

A girl wearing a pure white prim and proper dress and a hat with a wide brim of the same color on her head.

The outfit was reserved and not showy, but it didn’t harm the elegance possessed by the girl wearing it at all.

Thanks to the thin dress that made the body line stand out distinctly, Lux received a charming impression that was several levels above the usual uniform appearance.

The parasol the girl was holding was decorated with ornaments, which gorgeously gave color to the whole body that looked slightly meek.

The parasol’s purpose was to prevent sunburn, but it also functioned as a prop to hide Celis’s face.

「Uwaaa……. I don’t want to do this~. She is too beautiful that I’m feeling down just from looking~……」

Tillfur who helped with the clothes changing hung her head down with a complicated look.

Fundamentally the selection members were obligated to wear their uniform when going out during the period of the All-Dragon Battle, but in order to avoid the observers’ gazes right now, Celis dressed up like a noble young lady who came to the capital.

「However, it’s beyond expectations when Celis is dressing as a lady like this. Lux-kun also looks suitable in that. If it’s this then it will do somehow.」

Even Sharis who came together with them praised the finished up appearance of the two in satisfaction.

「Ahaha. Though this appearance is really stuffy…… I’ll do my best.」

On the other hand, Lux was wearing a butler uniform with a basic black tone.

His standing out silver hair was hidden with a black wig, so Lux’s impression was greatly different from usual.

Furthermore he felt the heat a lot because the black suit had little skin exposure, but it couldn’t be helped.

By the way, the Triad at first tried to dress Lux in woman’s clothing, but this time he refused it with all his strength.

「Yes. With this, both of you are a noble lady and her butler that came to watch the festival. Please enjoy it to your hearts’ content.」

When Noct concluded their tactic this time at the end, Lux showed a smile and nodded.

「Right. Thank you everyone. We are off.」

「Thank you for your cooperation. The, then Lux──please treat me well.」

Lux and Celis thanked the Triad and left the dressmaker shop.

The promised afternoon date resumed.

「Well then my lady, is there somewhere you wish to look around?」

「N, no that’s, I’m the senior here. I’ve been living longer in the capital, so I’ll be the one to show you──」

Lux smiled wryly seeing Celis suddenly show her usual seriousness.

「Right now senpai is just a noble lady. Then, how about we look around a large place?」

They traveled to the direction of the central block using a coach before looking around a crowded place that was centered on a main street with many street stalls.

「Ah, there is a stall of baked sweets over there. How about it, my lady.」

「N, no! As the leader of Syvalles, I’ll refrain from food that makes you fat. And so, something like the conduct of eating sweet things is not permitted.」

「It will be fine if it’s only a little. Also Celis-senpai, you aren’t fat at all.」

「Is, is that so……? N, no──as I thought it’s no good! I won’t be able to be an example to other people if I don’t comply to a discipline that I imposed myself.」

Right after she said so with an obstinate tone, Celis stared fixedly at the stall’s direction with a longing expression.

「Haa, the aroma of baked sweets is torture……. I was scolded by father when I ate too much of it as a child, so I haven’t properly eaten any for many years. But, there is also no way I can break the rule──」

「The, then, I want to eat so I’ll go buy it!」

Celis was whispering with a depressed expression that looked really down, so Lux stood in the stall’s line resolutely.

And then he bought a tart with the biggest size, split it into two, and offered it to Celis.

「I’m sorry. I blundered and bought the large one, so can senpai help me eat it a bit?」

「I, is that so? Then, just for a bit……」

Even like that Celis accepted the baked sweet with reservation, but after taking a bite, she showed a melting expression that was incomparable with her usual dignified expression.

「……It’s happiness. Being able to eat a sweet thing for the first time in several years. Lux, thank you very much.」

Seeing Celis feeling so happy that she was moved to tears, Lux felt glad that he bought it forcefully.

(Or rather, Celis-senpai, you held yourself back too much……)

Lux felt that this older girl who was serious and awkward like usual was charming. After that their date continued.

Until the middle, so that they didn’t stand out, they walked and talked while focusing on sightseeing the events, but when they got used to it they also went to places like the auction market or the divination stall in the public place. They also participated in a wine tasting convention (Celis mistook it for a normal drink) that was done outdoors, and became infatuated with the enthusiasm that was unique to festivals.

The atmosphere that couldn’t be experienced in normal academy life, where rank was put aside, that could only be experienced on festival days.

Also, thanks to the role of a young lady and her butler that they acted, they cut loose a bit and enjoyed the anniversary festival that was done once a year.

「Here, water. ──Also if there is something senpai wants to eat, I will go buy it from the stall.」

Lux made Celis sit down on a curb in a public park because she was staggering from drunkenness. He said that with a gentle smile.

The sun was already mostly setting down, the time was changing from dusk to night.

「Thank you very much. It has been a long time since I felt like this. I want to taste this atmosphere more as long as the time allows.」

After Lux handed over a cup that was filled with water, Celis smiled and she suddenly turned her gaze to the surroundings.

Her flushed skin that was dyed red and her disordered breathing looked strangely captivating. Lux felt his heart spontaneously skip a beat just from looking.

After that, Celis looked like she suddenly became aware of herself and she straightened her back in a hurry.

「N, no……. As I thought it’s no good. Because I have the responsibility as the older one, I cannot trouble you for more than this. After this I’ll properly escort you back as your senior.」

It was Celis’s usual dignified tone.

But, she was drunk so it was funny how she slurred. Lux smiled wryly.

「I understand. Then please take care of me until our inn, Celis-senpai.」

In the end Lux also responded while stopping the act of being a young lady and her butler.

With the surrounding getting darker it also became hard to see, so Lux also took off his black wig.

(It’s really hot……)

There was also no sign of observers, the possibility of them getting discovered must be low. But just in case they chose the back streets where there were few signs of life to return back to their inn’s location.

The cool evening wind felt pleasant against their bodies that was flushed from the heat of the festival and sunlight.

「Lux, is amazing.」

「Eh……?」

Lux spontaneously reacted to the words Celis muttered beside him.

「You are working really hard for everyone’s sake. Even though you are the only boy in the Academy, you are idolized by everyone. Unlike me, you aren’t feared or avoided.」

「……There is no such thing. I’m only being helped by my current environment.」

「But, I too cannot lose. If you are doing your best to persist in your ideals, then I too have to work hard to get closer to my own ideals. I don’t want to lose you like that time with Wade-sensei, where you will have to shoulder everything by yourself.」

During the practice time on Ries Island last time, Lux who had a bout with Celis and saw her movement deliberately didn’t give her any instructions.

A Drag-Knight with strength that was perfected to Celis’s level had no weaknesses that stood out.

Whether it was her handling of her Divine Drag-Ride Lindwurm, or her heavy attacks by doing simultaneous offensive with her one Drag-Ride, also her swift thought that calculated the optimum solution in every situation by the book, her every skill and ability was at a level that was nearly at the peak.

Then, there was only one thing that he could assign to her.

Once, Lux developed three kinds of hidden techniques by continuously exploring the operating techniques of the Drag-Ride that at a glance only looked reckless.

When he instructed Celis, he also told her to seek for that.

And then a few days after they returned from the training camp──when Lux woke up from his sleep that was due to the exhaustion caused by Over Limit, Celis mastered that technique.

That was the reason Lux decided that he would accept a special request from her as her reward.

「Therefore I won’t lose, Lux. I too will continue to pursue the path of a Drag-Knight using you as my model.」

「Yes, please take care of me from now on too, Celis-senpai. ……──!?」

Right after Lux responded so to Celis’s muttering, he felt a kind of presence and tension ran through Lux’s spine.

「……? What’s the matter, Lux?」

「──Be quiet. Please follow me, this way.」

Lux lowered his voice as much as possible and spoke with a strong tone. He then pulled Celis’s hand and led her into a back street with no signs of life.

Celis who was a little drunk didn’t notice, but Lux undoubtedly heard several footsteps following them.

The footsteps were following when he escaped.

It seemed that they noticed Lux and Celis as expected regardless of this darkness.

(The footsteps are heavy. And then, this faint sound of sword guards, don’t tell me──!?)

This wasn’t the observers that were chasing Lux from the castle.

If these people had weapons hanging on their waists, then they might be thieves or perhaps assassins from the rebel army.

「Kuh……!」

Thinking about Lux’s decoy role that would begin tonight and Celis’s match for the next day, he wished to avoid a battle here.

Lux kept holding Celis’s hand and entered into the other side of a small shed nearby as though to follow his inevitable thought.

「Lu, Lux? Wha, what are you doing taking me to this kind of place?」

「Shh, hold down your voice. The enemy will pass through here so──」

Saying that, Lux entered the gap between the furniture left behind there to hide Celis behind him.

But, because it was dark and he couldn’t see under his feet, he stumbled on something like a squared timber and Celis’s body tilted.

「Uwah……!?」

In order to save Celis who was falling face up, Lux also got carried by the momentum and he fell.

Fortunately, there was something like an old sofa behind Celis, so the impact wasn’t hard.

But, Lux’s body was accidentally sticking close to Celis’s body, as though he was pressing down on the body of the collapsed Celis.

「──!?」

The body warmth of the drunk Celis and the sensation of the voluptuous breasts flattened under him.

The unique sweet aroma that could be smelled from a girl made Lux’s head seethe.

「Lu, Lux…… this is──!」

「Ple, please endure it just for a bit more. The pursuers’ footsteps are approaching near.」

Inside the darkness of their shelter where he couldn’t even see the front well, Lux told Celis that while repressing the fast beating of his own heart and his excitement.

Honestly, he knew only too well just how bad their positions were, but it was dangerous to stand up right now and make a sound.

He could only resolve himself here and wait for things to pass.

(The number of footsteps is three──. They are close but, they should still be unaware of our location……)

Lux made such judgment while deciding that in any event he had to stand up even if it was only himself. He slowly tried to lift his body so as to not make any sound.

In order to do that, his hand was going to push on the sofa while his body was still covering over Celis, it was then──

• munyu*

「Fuah……!?」

Celis’s voice leaked out along with a soft elastic sensation in his hand.

It seemed that because he couldn’t see his hand really well, it touched Celis’s breast instead of the sofa.

(Wait, this is bad! At this rate──)

Lux tried to remove his hand, but at that moment, countless footsteps became louder. Lux became even more flustered and in panic his hand fumbled around in order to push on the sofa.

Midway he could hear Celis’s stifled voice, but a few seconds later Lux somehow stood up.

When he hurriedly put his guard up to his surroundings, the presences and footsteps were vanishing.

「……We’re saved, aren’t we?」

After looking out and checked around, Lux turned around and offered his hand to Celis who was pushed down.

「Celis-senpai. Are you okay? Your hand──」

「Ye, yes……. I’m fine, but」

After grasping her hand tightly and having pulled her up, she breathed roughly.

Lux tilted his head. Celis averted her gaze from him and her face reddened.

「Ple, please don’t rub my breast so many times like that. I, if that is continued more than that, I’ll become strange……」

「I, I’m sorry-!」

Lux who noticed the true identity of the softness that both his hands felt before this yelled so in panic.

(No, no wonder it felt really pleasant……. ──Not that!)

When Lux worried how he was going to apologize with his chaotic mind,

「I, it can’t be helped. Fro, from the story that I heard, it seems that a girl has to be resolved to some extent when a male led them to a dark place, so I’m resigned.」

「No, I’m saying that’s not it! It’s not like I brought Celis-senpai here with impure thoughts──」

Lux tried to justify himself towards Celis who was starting to interpret the events somewhat peculiarly but,

「By, by all rights it feels like this kind of deed must not be done because it’s still too early but, today Lux has been a really great help to me so……I, I’ll specially permit it.」

Celis arbitrarily understood it like that, so Lux too gave up explaining it for more than that.

「The, then let’s go back Lux. Your childhood friend is surely waiting at the inn right now.」

Lux nodded to Celis who showed him a small smile and they started their way back once more.

After that they were able to return to the inn safely without any problem.

Part 8

「My my, Lux-kun, you are slightly late. Philuffy has been waiting long you know?」

After Lux changed back into his uniform and entered the inn, the headmaster Relie came as though she had been waiting.

There was no time left, so Lux immediately headed towards the entrance.

The place’s interior was designed with glossy olive brown color and red carpets. And then, the dull orange color of the chandelier illuminated the room. Lux found the girl’s figure when he arrived there.

「Sorry I’m late! ……Phi, chan?」

Lux who called out like that instantly stiffened on the spot.

The one who was there wasn’t the usual Philuffy.

She was wearing a faintly pink colored dress that was decorated with frills and countless ribbons.

Her hair that was usually split and tied up to the left and right was bundled up with a small barrette, giving her a hint of an adult impression that was the opposite of her childish look.

Although her voluptuous breasts that protruded out pointedly and also her absentminded expressionless face were exactly as the usual Philuffy, and yet──her fairytale-like beauty caused Lux to mistake her for a different person.

「Welcome back, Lu-chan.」

That slow paced voice and the faint nuance of happiness pulled Lux back into reality.

「Ri, right. I’m back……. Tha, that’s──the dress, it looks good on you.」

The face of his childhood friend that he should be familiar with for some reason looked more dazzling than usual. Lux couldn’t look straight at her.

「Thank you. Then, let’s go.」

「Both of you be careful. ──Lux-kun. Take care of my little sister okay?」

Lux nodded at Relie’s words and he left the inn together with Philuffy.

The capital where the sun had set was covered with the curtain of night. The light of the stars and countless lamps faintly illuminated the streets.

Lux took the hand that Philuffy quietly offered and they headed to the central street.

The national park was located further at the center of the central block. The path from there that connected to the cathedral that was a bit north from it, and then continued until the castle was the main route of the country founding anniversary.

At this time, because the festival was approaching the end, it was the custom to spend one’s time slowly while worshipping the statue of spirit that was carried from the cathedral until the castle using a horse carriage.

By offering prayers to the spirit statue that was passing by before one’s eyes, people wished for safety for the whole year.

Lux was also heading to the central street that was crowded with people in order to do that too, but,

「Eh……?」

Suddenly Philuffy’s feet stopped walking. Lux turned around and he titled his head in puzzlement.

Philuffy stared fixedly at Lux’s face with an atmosphere that was different from usual.

「What’s wrong? To pray to the spirit statue, we have to get a bit nearer──」

「Rather than that, let’s go there, Lu-chan.」

Philuffy turned a straightforward gaze to above.

Ahead of her gaze was the location further than the national park, the third floor of the cathedral.

「Surely we can pray, from there too.」

「Ri, right……. Got it.」

Lux nodded at Philuffy’s words and the two entered the cathedral.

「──Are you really, okay with here? We cannot pray without the statue right before our eyes here though?」

「Yes.」

Philuffy nodded. Lux followed what she said and sat down there.

The second floor of the cathedral was opened to the public until the end of the anniversary. Lux and Philuffy were sitting side by side at the jutting out balcony of that second floor.

From there they could look down and watch the spirit statue above the horse carriage that was passing through nearby right at that timing.

However, perhaps because a lot of people tried to look at the statue from nearby, there was practically nobody around the two.

The two sat side by side on a stone bench while staring at the street and the people that were colored by faint light through the surrounding’s gap.

It was a quiet time with both of them not talking to each other.

「Say, Phi-chan. Is there something you want to buy or anything──」

Lux spoke to Philuffy so as to not make her bored, then,

「Lu-chan, you can rest you know?」

「Eh……?」

When Lux tilted his head, Philuffy’s innocent golden pupils peered fixedly into Lux’s face.

「Lu-chan. You look tired, but I’m happy, that you’re thinking about me.」

‘I’m not tired.’

Lux tried to immediately refute like that, but his thought halted.

Because in fact, he had fun with Krulcifer and Celis, but because he had walked around the capital that he was unfamiliar with under the blazing sun, it was true that he was tired.

「That’s why──it’s no good if you don’t rest properly, you know?」

When Lux fell silent, Philuffy said that and lightly tapped on her thighs. Her eyes turned on him as though urging him to do something.

「……Wait!? That, do you mean──?」

「Sleep here. The seat, is a bit hard after all.」

It seemed that Lux’s imagination was right on the mark.

This was that thing called a ‘lap pillow’, but because Philuffy was wearing a summer dress, the length of her skirt was as short as the academy uniform or perhaps even shorter.

When she sat down, those white charming thighs were exposed, so his head would lie down on there.

Furthermore depending on the direction Lux’s face was turning at, it felt like he would be able to peek until the depth of Philuffy’s skirt with impunity in that state.

Lux unconsciously imagined that and he gulped, even so,

「I, I’m fine. Be, besides, because it’s night this place is not standing out but, if other people see us from below──it will be a bit embarrassing.」

「I don’t, really care you know?」

「……Isn’t that right.」

Seeing Philuffy saying that with her unchanging serious face and tilted head, Lux thought that he failed to convince her.

And then, Philuffy who entered this mode of hers would not relent by any means.

In the end, Lux could only yield.

「The, then……I’ll borrow your lap for a bit okay?」

「Nn……」

Seeing Philuffy nod slightly, Lux slowly put his head on those thighs and laid down on the bench.

「Uwah……!?」

Instantly the softness that touched the back of his head and the nape of his neck caused Lux to raise his voice spontaneously.

The sensation of slightly cold skin felt pleasant to his body that was flushed from the summer’s heat.

And then, when he breathed in the faint sweet smell wafting from Philuffy, strength left Lux’s body.

(For some reason, this feels really good……)

On one hand Lux felt his heart throbbing hard from the softness of her thighs and the sensation of the skirt’s smooth fabric, but on the other hand there was the pleasant feeling of relief that would make him fall asleep at this rate.

Suddenly a refreshing wind blew. Philuffy softly caressed Lux’s head.

「You can sleep like this. I’ll wake you up when the spirit statue goes to the castle.」

「Ah, ok……. Then, please.」

When Lux turned his gaze to right above him, he had to look at Philuffy’s face across her large breasts, which made his gaze to wander around spontaneously.

He felt slight embarrassment and hard throbbing in his heart toward her body that touched him.

And then Lux slowly closed his eyes along with a mysterious tranquility.

「…………」

Above the balcony where only the faraway tumult and the night wind could be heard, Philuffy gazed at the city’s lighting with the head of Lux who was starting to make small sleeper’s breathing staying still on her lap.

Her face was expressionless like usual, but there was the same hint of tranquility like what her childhood friend, the young man, had emerging there.

「Lu-chan. You see, I’m actually not as you think you know?」

Philuffy dropped her gaze on Lux’s face with her usual dispassionate expression and voice.

「In the past, when Okaa-san died from sickness, everyone cried a lot──both Otou-san and Onee-chan, they looked really suffering. That was why, I didn’t cry. So that everyone wouldn’t worry, so that they wouldn’t be even sadder than that, I pretended to be alright all the time, even when other painful things happened. But──」

Philuffy paused her words momentarily and slowly inhaled slightly.

「When Lu-chan covered up for me at the palace, and at Ries Island too, at those times I actually wanted help. Even when I pretended to not notice, Lu-chan always noticed for me.」

The thing that she lost without noticing while she was pretending to be all right.

Since she was a child, she had been hiding all this time, locked behind that expressionless face.

The true feelings that even Philuffy herself didn’t notice, Lux made her notice it.

「Thank you, Lu-chan. For finding me──」

Her usual expressionless face crumbled slightly and Philuffy smiled.

She gently caressed the young man’s hair and look into that face lovingly.

And then, she slowly put her lips on the lips of the peaceful face of her sleeping childhood friend.

Part 9

Dozens of minutes later.

When Lux woke up from his sleep, he slowly lifted his head from Philuffy’s lap pillow.

It was a really pleasant sensation so he was reluctant to part from it, but Lux still had things to do.

「Thank you Phi-chan. Thanks to you I’m feeling really comfortable.」

「I’m glad.」

When Lux faced Philuffy once again and thanked her, she showed him her usual very faint smile that only Lux could understand.

Perhaps because of her dress appearance that was different from usual and the faint light illuminating her, she looked so lovely that Lux was unconsciously charmed by her.

「It’s still a bit early, but I have to go to where Lisha-sama is, any time now──!?」

The words of Lux who stood up from the bench were cut off in the middle.

Inside the tranquility of the anniversary’s night, there was intense killing intent that resembled the spray of blood on the battlefield mixing in.

──Nearby.

The owner of the presence was most likely in the vicinity of this cathedral.

「Phi-chan. Can you go back to the inn from here alone?」

「Yes. No problem.」

「Sorry I’ll go for a bit! Really thank you for today!」

Lux said only that and went down the stairs, left the cathedral and chased after the presence.

Because people were gathering in front of the castle gate where the spirit statue would head for last, there was practically no sign of people nearby.

After Lux walked a bit through the street heading to the castle, a girl stood in front of Lux.

The native dress of a foreign country──the black outfit with high exposure rate and that black hair that shined beautifully from the night’s lamp.

The Empire’s Assassin Blade──Kirihime Yoruka.

The same as when he met her for the first time in the Academy previously, a bewitching smile that stirred up emotion and uneasiness at the same time was tugged on her lips. She was merely staring at Lux with that smile.

「Long time no see, Aruji-sama. It’s an honor to be able to meet you again.」

Yoruka showed a cheerful smile earlier than Lux could raise his voice.

「But, Aruji-sama is a bit too careless. Aruji-sama is the only man left from the Arcadia Empire, so I believe that you ought to place a guard that is a bit more capable by your side.」

「Don’t tell me, the footsteps pursuing us at that time was──?」

Lux who heard Yoruka’s words reflexively asked that.

Several pursuers followed Lux and Celis when they were in the middle of going back from their date.

The reason that their footsteps disappeared in the middle coincided perfectly with Yoruka’s existence.

「Yes, it’s just as Aruji-sama surmised. But──that’s not all you know?」

Yoruka suddenly turned her gaze to the street’s corner──at the narrow opening of an alley.

Over there were the figures of several people lying down on top of each other.

「Those are the assassins were aiming at Aruji-sama just now. They are carrying short swords coated with poison so──surely, they planned to slip inside the crowd and attack there. Their method was ill prepared though.」

「Are they as I thought, Hayes’s……?」

A special unit that wasn’t regular army──surely they were several names from among the company that was previously led by Sania and the others who were Hayes’s subordinates.

「Please rest assured. Because I have exterminated the human pursuer too with my Yato no Kami’s search function. In this capital there are no more enemies of Aruji-sama.」

「You protected me during the festival?」

「There is no way I can let any riffraff other than me kill Aruji-sama.」

「…………」

Lux responded to Yoruka’s seductive smile with silence.

When they parted at Cross Field, Yoruka said that she would restore the Old Empire.

Those words most likely weren’t a lie.

「If Aruji-sama is going to walk for a while then I will accompany you. Though if I am a bother, allow me to protect you from the shadows again──」

「……Can you come together with me? I still haven’t asked anything about Yoruka yourself after all.」

「Then, please treat me well Aruji-sama.」

Yoruka nodded and followed right behind Lux.

When Lux gestured her to walk at his side, Yoruka lightly bowed and stood at Lux’s side.

「Please don’t hold back on my account, I will be happy if Aruji-sama asks me anything. In any case I have no intention to fight against Aruji-sama tonight.」

Lux didn’t know whether Yoruka’s words were honest or not, but hesitating would be a waste of time, so he determined himself and got to the point.

「Yoruka, you were a princess of the nation of Koto weren’t you? Why are you──not a princess anymore?」

「…………」

「Sorry. Perhaps I’m asking about something unpleasant. But──」

「Because I don’t have the qualification.」

Yoruka muttered suggestively with an unchanging smile.

「Qualification……?」

Right after Lux’s mutter, Yoruka ran toward a stall that was remaining at the street’s corner and beckoned at Lux with her hand.

Over there was glass wine for the share of two.

「Please Aruji-sama. If it’s alright with you I’ll also taste it for poison.」

「After this I have a bit of a plan though……」

「I don’t know about that, but getting a bit drunk will also raise your vigor you know?」

In the end Lux folded against Yoruka’s forcefulness and drained up a glass.

Perhaps because Lux wasn’t used to alcohol his body immediately became hot inside.

When Lux loosened up his collar slightly, a small wind blew from his side.

「……Wait, what are you doing with that?」

When he looked, Yoruka was fanning at Lux’s direction using a half round paper in her hand.

「This is what they call a folding fan in Koto. It doesn’t exist in this country, but it’s convenient when summer comes you know?」

「……Thank you. But I’m fine. Rather than that Yoruka, what do you mean by saying that you have no qualification?」

「『A monster without a human heart』, my father said that to me. Since I was a child──no, since I was born, somewhere inside me was broken.」

Yoruka self-deprecated herself with a tone that was vaguely lonely.

「The first time I killed, it was the assassin that was employed by a concubine. Inside the castle where I spent my childhood, it was always a whirlpool of violence and scheming, no one knew when they would be killed. But, I have a talent. The talent to see through a person’s killing intent and kill my opponent without any hesitation──」

「…………」

The dispute for the throne succession right inside a confined world.

For Lux who had spent an oppressive childhood inside the imperial court, he felt like he could understand it somehow.

「After that, father also died from sickness and the country was succeeded by my twin little brother who was still a child then. Unlike me, he was a sickly child, but my brother possessed a splendid human heart. In order to protect the nation of Koto and its people, he did everything in his power despite his inexperience. He even swore that he would protect his elder sister, me who was hated and shunned by the surroundings──what a stupid child he was.」

The poison of the muttered words erased Yoruka’s calm smile.

The war princess of Koto that even the overwhelming force of the Arcadia Empire couldn’t defeat.

Lux heard that due to the contract she exchanged with the emperor, Yoruka was put under the empire’s control.

「Don’t tell me, my father took your brother hostage, and forced the contract──」

Lux immediately thought so, but he immediately noticed that it was strange.

The reason was, if Yoruka’s little brother was still alive, it would become a talk whether someone of the New Kingdom had captured him, and if that little brother had died, it was meaningless for Yoruka to be completely loyal to the Old Empire even now.

「──If I’m allowed to say despite how rude this will sound, Aruji-sama resembles my little brother. Even though the hair and eye color, the strength, and everything between the two of you are completely different.」

Hearing that question, Yoruka abruptly made a soft smile and stared at Lux’s face.

「…………」

「My little brother died a long time ago. ──But there was just one promise that I made. I promised that I would continue being a servant who devotes my loyalty until the end for the sake of my lord who was my brother.」

──Lux guessed something from that sentence.

In order to fulfill that promise, Yoruka obeyed the contract she tied with the Old Empire and fought.

「I intend to fulfill my contract with the emperor of the Arcadia Empire──your father. I will protect the empire, and if it’s stolen then I will take it back. As the last person who devotes her loyalty to the Old Empire, I intend to destroy the New KingdomThis Country.」

「Yoruka, you──」

「Can you allow me to listen to your answer, Aruji-sama? What do you intend to do with this country?」

Lux’s voice was erased by Yoruka’s smiling face.

Even without any words, the presence the girl was clad with told him clearly.

That she absolutely had no intention to pull back anymore──

「Even so, I cannot comply with your will. Because──」

「It’s unfortunate. Even though there are a lot of important things that I wish to report to Aruji-sama right away.」

When Yoruka said that with a smile that was completely unchanged from before, they had approached near the castle’s gate before they knew it.

His appointed time with Lisha wouldn’t be that much longer after this.

「Can I ask you one last thing? Was it you, who controlled a Drag-Knight of the New Kingdom’s military and attacked a selection member of the Vanheim Principality?」

「Who knows? I really don’t understand what Aruji-sama is talking about.」

Yoruka answered instantly with a bright smile that played the fool.

「──Really?」

When Lux asked once more with a cold glint in his eyes that was different from usual, Yoruka also changed her smile into a fearless one.

「This is unexpected isn’t it? I thought that Aruji-sama is similar to my little brother, but I misunderstood.」

Yoruka finished that sentence and twirled on the spot, then she brought her face close in front of Lux’s eyes.

「Aruji-sama is similar to me. You look like you are fitting into this country more than anyone──but you are a heretic whose nature cannot comply with this world more than anyone. Though I don’t know if Aruji-sama is the same as me who was broken right from the start or not.」

「…………」

「My protection ends here. Please don’t die until you are killed by me. I too──won’t die until I am killed by you.」

Yoruka said just that before turning on her heel without waiting for Lux’s reply.

And then, she slowly vanished into the darkness.

「Fuu……」

When her presence completely disappeared, Lux let out his breath and looked down.

Even more questions popped up from the conversation just now.

He didn’t talk to her about the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan that was formulated by Heiburg’s military division and the Rebel Army, but the possibility was high that she was also related to that.

After all, putting aside the substantiality of it, on the surface her objective was the reinstatement of the Arcadia Empire.

「Important things she wanted to report right away……huh.」

He didn’t understand the true meaning of Yoruka’s words.

But, something sounded the alarm bell inside Lux.

At this rate, would it end with only fighting her in the future, he wondered.

Part 10

A few minutes later. Lux slipped out of the crowd, received permission from the security guard of the castle gate, and entered inside the castle.

Inside the private room he was allowed to enter, Lisha in a dress appearance was sitting.

「I’m sorry to make you wait, Lisha-sama.」

「Yo, you’re slow, geez. To make a princess wait, your awareness as my knight is lacking.」

「I’m sorry……wait, eh? What’s the matter?」

Lisha usually would puff out her chest self-assuredly, but seeing her vaguely looking discomposed made Lux tilt his head in puzzlement.

When he looked really carefully, her hands and knees were trembling slightly.

「Wha, what? I’m feeling nervous, so this can’t be helped.」

「No, I too understand Lisha-sama’s feeling.」

When Lux smiled wryly, Lisha slightly looked down while making a self-mocking smile.

「That…… even I understand it already. I should just act like myself without getting too worked up. I know that much. But──」

From the circumstance where she was once abandoned by her real father, the great man Count Atismata, Lisha thought that she had no qualifications as princess.

Even so Lisha did her best every day, trying to become the princess of the New Kingdom that could be recognized by everyone.

That was why Lux gently took the hand of that girl who he respected and loved.

「Ah……」

「It’ll be fine. Because I know, more than anyone, that Lisha-sama is worthy as the princess of the New Kingdom──」

「……I see. If you say that, then that must be true.」

Seeing Lux smile, Lisha nodded a little with a dazed expression.

Her cheeks were dyed slightly red.

「Then──for now, can you hold my hand just for a bit?」

「Yes. By your will.」

A quiet time with just the two of them flowed for only ten-odd seconds.

Right after that, the speech time arrived.

At the same time when the spirit statue entered inside the castle, Lisha showed her face from the second floor balcony inside the castle.

「Everyone. You did well to gather here on this night! With gratitude that the country founding anniversary has been carried out safely this time, allow this me who is the princess of the New Kingdom to speak the concluding speech.」

Perhaps because of the quiet night, Lisha’s voice transmitted well through the grounds inside the castle.

「I hate a long talk so I’ll get to the point. That the New Kingdom could reach until this far is thanks to the cooperation of you, the people. My gratitude for that. ──And then, regarding the future, allow me to speak about my thoughts for a bit.」

The people who was energized by the lingering heat of the festival listened carefully with serious expressions.

「Today, I choose my exclusive knight. He will become my right-hand man, who will accompany me from here on through my various duties as my guard and aide. That man is──this guy.」

The moment Lisha pointed her hand, Lux walked to her side, illuminated by the torch fire behind.

And then, the people who saw that stiffened with shock on their faces. Commotion ensued.

「O, oi. That person, could that be the Chore Prince?」

「Recently he wasn’t in the capital but, so this is why……?」

「The Old Empire’s──criminal」

Unrest spread through the people like a ripple, but Lisha didn’t pay it any mind and declared.

「Just as everyone is aware of, he is the former prince of the old Arcadia Empire. Lux Arcadia.」

Right after that, an even bigger ripple spread through the gathered people.

That was only natural.

The evil source that governed tyrannically for a long time and created the custom of chauvinism.

And now the princess of the New Kingdom Atismata that destroyed all that under the name of justice was choosing the former prince who should be an enemy as her aide.

「The reason why I chose this guy is because he is a survivor of the family that once corrupted this country and this is to make him redeem his sin as a criminal──that isn’t the reason at all. It’s because I met this man, spent time together in the same place, and thought that he is a man worthy of trust whether it’s his ability or his heart!」

But, Lisha wasn’t perturbed even against such reactions from the people and raised her voice resolutely.

「Since the Old Empire perished, not enough time has passed yet to make us forget about the conventions of the past. I also understand about the confusion of everyone. I’m also prepared to be criticized. Currently the people of the palace are objecting this decision of mine desperately. But──」

Lisha took a breath before she directed a straightforward gaze to the people below once more.

Those were self-assured crimson eyes that were like a pointed sword, the same eyes when she first met Lux.

「The way of the country that I’m aiming from here on is a country that isn’t imprisoned by the ties of the past or convention! I will accept failure and mistake, and focus at the very best future above it. That I chose this man as my right hand man, my knight, is the proof of that. That’s why──」

She paused her words temporarily, looked around below as though to observe the people’s reaction, before continuing.

「I won’t ask you to understand immediately. But, watch over us for a while. Look for yourself, whether the things that I believe in is really the correct thing or not──that is a request from this still inexperienced princess!」

Lisha finished saying that before bowing. Then small applause arose.

Even after Lisha’s speech was over, applause that was unhurried but definitely loud was spreading in that place.

「Haa, I was nervous……」

After returning inside the castle from the audience balcony, Lisha tiredly let out a long sigh.

Queen Raffi and Prime Minister Nulph.

After lightly greeting them and other nobles who were gathering inside the castle, Lux and Lisha headed towards the Drag-Ride atelier.

「Thanks for your hard work Lisha-sama. It was splendid.」

There was the All-Dragon Battle tomorrow, so they had a toast not with wine but with tea.

After draining the cup in one breath, Lisha turned a dubious gaze to Lux.

「Say, it’s fine if you talk more casually like usual you know? That excessively courteous tone makes me feel itchy when hearing it……」

「I guess. Honestly I too prefer it like that.」

Lisha was acting with decorum in her speech just now, but as expected she was still the same as usual.

「But, I’m happy. In your speech, Lisha-sam recognized me──」

「-……!? I, I was just saying what I thought. Praising someone with flattery isn’t my style after all.」

After speaking feverishly with a bright red face, Lisha coughed to clear her throat and started walking.

「Ra, rather than that, I finished that thing you requested, but what do you think?」

After chasing after Lisha and entering inside, the Drag-Ride that Lux requested was put there.

「……Thank you very much. It’s perfect.」

He received the Sword Device from Lisha and lightly checked its feel.

With this, the minimum countermeasure against the matter that Lux was concerned about was in order.

It would be great if he could manage somehow with just this Drag-Ride but──.

「Then, let’s go back. To our inn──」

「Yeah.」

Lux returned to the inn that was the base of the selection members along with Lisha who was nodding in satisfaction.

After making small talk with the girls who were waiting for their return, they retired to bed in preparation for tomorrow.

Part 11

A few hours after Lux went to bed.

At dawn when the sun hadn’t even risen, Lux woke up secretly and went out from the backdoor of the inn.

When he looked up at the sky of the capital that still had the lingering heat of the festival slightly remaining, the moon was still staying up.

「Please don’t worry about the rest. Tomorrow, I will tell everyone the reason why Nii-san cannot appear in the All-Dragon Battle.」

「Right, I’ll leave it to you.」

Lux had told Airi that she didn’t need to see him off, but she forcefully came along. Lux smiled wryly to that while telling her so.

「Was there something concerning while I wasn’t here?」

「No, nothing particular. Just in case I went to the castle in the afternoon and asked about the details regarding the decoy role mission. There was nothing strange whether about the information sent to us from our spy in Heiburg or about the content of the confirmation sent by the scout. But──」

Airi sent an uneasy gaze at empty air, and then she stared at Lux with a perplexed expression.

「……The Drag-Knights stationed at the northeast of the capital──at the fortress along the rocky mountain and sea, it seems that they are being afflicted with a headache of unknown cause. There are no abnormalities with their bodies, so it doesn’t look like it’s poison or disease though.」

「Headache……?」

「……No, surely it’s just their imagination. I’m sorry to detain Nii-san here.」

Airi always remonstrated Lux saying to him「Doing reckless things like this」, but it was only at this kind of time that she was behaving meekly.

Most likely it must be because she was feeling a strong uneasiness that Lux would head to the Abyss extermination mission after this.

「I will be fine. Rather than that──I have one other thing to ask other than informing the others but, is it okay?」

「I will listen if it’s not a talk about Nii-san doing even more reckless things than this.」

「I want you to carefully observe the Drag-Rides of Lisha-sama and the others. Especially right after the Drag-Ride is summoned and equipped, pay attention whether there is anything unnatural that happens or not.」

「……What does that mean?」

Airi tilted her head. Lux averted his gaze just a bit.

「I also don’t really know. But, there is something that concerns me a bit.」

「──I understand. But, please don’t expect too much okay?」

「Right. Then, Airi. Be careful.」

「Nii-san too, be safe.」

After exchanging only those words at the end, Lux started walking through the streets of the sleeping capital.

At the same time, he took out a Sword Device hanging on his waist.

「──Come, the symbol of power the winged dragon of crest. Obey my sword and take flight, Wyvern!」

Light flashed along with the passcode and a Drag-Ride was summoned.

Lux quickly wore that armor and made his Wyvern fly towards the sunrise sky.

Episode 4 – The Fifth Artifact Gigas

Part 1

Lux continued to fly in a straight line through the night sky of the dawn that was still dim.

The military’s guard soldiers in the capital knew about the defense mission this time, but Lux was flying at high altitude so that he wouldn’t get found by the Drag-Knights from other countries participating in the All-Dragon Battle.

After flying to the north like that for a few minutes, Lux came to see troops of Drag-Knights outside the royal capital’s wall.

「So you finally came Chore Prince. Oops, right now you are already the knight of her highness the princess huh. It’s still a talk in the future if you can receive an official peerage but──」

When Lux landed in front of the troops, a red-haired big man in front, one of the Four Great Nobles, Bugriser, laughed heartily.

「Chore Prince is fine. Rather than that, are there any changes with the operation?」

When Lux asked seriously, Bugriser spread a large map for use of the operation and nodded.

At the abandoned village northwest from here, there was about a hundred Abyss that was thought to be hidden by the Rebel Army there.

Lux would lure them as a decoy, lead them to the hidden fortress at the north where the New Kingdom’s main force was standing by, and exterminate the Abyss with an all-out attack. That was the broad sense of the operation this time.

Bugriser’s Drag-Ride force was taking position at the north gate in order to intercept the Abyss that managed to slip away from that.

「There is no change to the plan. Currently, there is no change in the abandoned village that became the Abyss’s hangout, there is also no report about anything strange from the Drag-Knight scouts patrolling around the capital. But──」

「But, what?」

「……It seems that officers in the east fortress are saying that they hear strange rumbling sounds sometimes. Well, I think that’s just an absurd fear of theirs, but just in case we are being on guard.」

「Understood. Then──」

「Yeah, start the operation. Just like we first planned, the group of Drag-Knights of the combined forces arranged by the Four Great Nobles and the New Kingdom military are standing by at the fortress. We are looking forward to your effort here.」

「……Yes.」

Lux nodded lightly, then he put his strength into the touch part inside the armor and made his Wyvern fly.

After increasing his altitude once more and confirming the deserted village that was the target, he concentrated energy into the propulsion device at the wings on his back and accelerated the Drag-Ride further.

He heard that there was no inhabitants in the deserted village that was his target.

In the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan that the spy acquired, most likely there was no enemy Drag-Knights there except several ambush troops who were handling the horn flute.

But, if Lux’s prediction was right on the money──

(……No, it’s useless even if I think about something I don’t know. Today, just concentrate on the current operation.)

Lux put more spirit and arrived at the deserted village.

That village he was overlooking from above was desolated as a matter of course. There was no signs of people, in exchange there was a small light in just one spot.

「……….」

Lux strengthened his vigilance while going down to the village.

What leaked the light was from a cave inside the forest.

Lux walked between countless abandoned houses and when he got near the light, a strange thing happened.

IiIIiiIIIIIIIIiIiI-!

「Kuh……!?」

His brain felt like it was directly thrown out of order. An intense strange sound reverberated.

It was the sound of the horn flute that manipulated the Abyss.

The moment Lux noticed it, countless light bullets were fired at Lux’s feet.

He reflexively swung Scale Blade and deflected the light bullets of Breath Gun slantingly. ──Then, he simultaneously reacted towards another moving presence and flew to midair.

An additional Cannon attack was fired at him along with a thunderous roar.

He deflected it with the Scale Blade once more. Then after his gaze looked around, he caught sight of three Drag-Knights in his field of vision.

「As expected hero. A Drag-Knight who gets ambushed usually will try to counterattack right away or back away in panic but……like this even the captain ain’t your match.」

A young man wearing a general purpose Drag-Ride that received Yggdrasil’s seed and got remodeled──<B-Blood Wyvern>, he was stroking his short bristling up forelock while leaking out a sigh mixed with a wry smile.

「Don’t waste your time with stupid chatter Egnid. Take your position just as planned.」

The one who rebuked that frivolous talk was a familiar girl wearing the same B-Blood Wyvern.

A girl with a trait of wild long hair and dark brown skin, Saniya Lemiste.

She was a spy of the Heiburg Republic who once infiltrated the Royal Officer Academy, betrayed Celis, and assaulted the Academy along with Hayes.

Another girl wearing a B-Blood Drake was standing by on her side. She was wearing a doodled round mask. Her true identity couldn’t be peeked at.

「Kirly, check if there is any signs of enemies around. Are there other Drag-Knights coming?」

「Uuu……. Aa」

The masked girl called Kirly shook her head slightly in a display of answer no.

Saniya saw that and she seemed to understand. She turned towards Lux once more.

「Was it you guys who gathered the Abyss here?」

「Stop probing so transparently like that ruined prince. You yourself, what are you doing coming to this kind of deserted village by yourself while the All-Dragon Battle is going on? ──Haa?」

Saniya grinned fearlessly like that before she lifted up a horn flute dangling from her neck.

Instantly a shuddering chill ran through Lux’s back and he reflexively flew to the sky behind him.

At the same time the silhouette of a winged man assaulted from the darkness of the forest behind the three.

「This thing──!」

A winged man type Abyss that possessed a firm body, Gargoyle.

It was a formidable enemy that possessed high speed mobility in the air in addition to the capability to fire feather shaped light bullets.

Defeating it with the counter attack Critical Hit using Scale Blade would take some time because he needed to predict its inherent attack pattern.

Lux quickly readied his Breath Gun and laid down a barrage in front of the Gargoyle.

The claw tips of the Gargoyle who slipped through the barrage attacked. The moment Lux tried to match the timing with his Scale Blade──one more Abyss, a Chimera, assaulted from behind his Wyvern.

「Got you.」

Saniya who laid the trap saw that and her lips loosened up into a grin──but, right after that. The neck of the Chimera who should have taken Lux by surprise was snapped cleanly and the Abyss fell.

「……What-!?」

Lux pretended to intercept the attack from the front and evaded the claw while dealing the Critical Hit on the Chimera behind him. And then on the returning trip his sword dealt the second Critical Hit at the Gargoyle and smashed one of its hands.

He pretended to get caught in the Abyss’s coordination and reversely created the chance for Critical Hit.

Saniya and Egnid who saw that looked up to the sky with a strongly alert look.

「This is a harsh joke yeah……? That guy, is he really human?」

「──I see, just because he isn’t using Bahamut, doesn’t mean that it will be that easy.」

Right after Egnid whispered in amazement, Saniya blew on her horn strongly once more.

Abyss were going out one after another from the cave. Lux who saw that took even more distance.

Him defeating the Chimera with a bit of gambling on his part was in order to provoke Saniya and the others.

In order to lure the Abyss swarm to the hidden fortress north of the capital, he had to make all the Abyss come out.

Therefore, Lux needed to make them think that just several Abyss wouldn’t be enough to defeat him.

「I want to pay my debt back to you directly, but it can’t be helped. Become the Abyss’s food like this!」

Right after Saniya yelled, countless Abyss that surged out from the cave started moving simultaneously.

After seeing that, Lux also turned around and flew away to escape.

『──Fu, I’ll tell you beforehand, your tactic is meaningless you know?』

A communication using Dragon Voice came from Saniya. Lux held his breath for only a moment.

『You must be planning to steal the control right at the moment the effect of my horn runs out using your own horn but──it’s pointless. Inside that swarm, there is a special Abyss called Grimoire. That guy will broadcast the command sent out by the horn to the surrounding area and make the Abyss to continue carrying out the same command. As long as that guy is alive, the effect of the horn won’t be dispelled, and they also won’t accept the commands of other horn users.』

The reason how a large amount of Abyss could be controlled in the period of several days when the horn’s effect would run out in a fixed time.

If they had that Abyss called Grimoire, certainly it was possible but──there was also the possibility that Saniya’s statement itself was a trap.

She might be making Lux to think that it was impossible to steal control using the horn so to lure him into challenging the Abyss with a decisive battle of brief duration.

(In any case, I need to at least confirm it.)

Lux evaded the attacks of the countless Abyss while buying time by intentionally taking detours in his escape route.

It was approximately ten minutes with his biological clock.

In the timing when it seemed like the effect of the first horn flute should be running out, Lux strongly blew into the horn he was carrying.

Strange noise ran through the area, but the movement of the Abyss in front of him didn’t change.

『Now you get that it’s pointless? Then this time resolve yourself for sure and fight.』

(──Good!)

After confirming the existence of the Abyss called Grimoire, Lux started escaping again.

Lux showed the fact that 『he was carrying a horn flute and tried blowing it』 and made a reason for Saniya and the others to chase after him.

If Lux identified the Grimoire and defeated it, it was possible that the swarm of Abyss could be stolen by him.

Therefore, Saniya’s group should be moving to finish off Lux.

Like this it was possible to carry out the plan──luring all the Abysses to the hidden fort.

「USHAAAAAaaA-!」

Right after Lux decided his action’s objective, the swarm of Abyss attacked with even more vigor.

Lux slipped through the fierce attacks of a great variety of Abyss using sword handling and control skills and continued to escape.

Because he continued to defend, he could only mix actions to hold back the enemy from his end, each time he did that he risked danger and several times there were attacks that grazed his Drag-Ride’s frame.

「Kuh……!」

His armor was gradually shaved, he also became unable to use weapons, his options to defend and dodge was getting limited.

He wasn’t even allowed to blink inside the offense and defense to the utmost limit. That time when Lux almost ran out of breath, he finally saw the target forest──the hidden fort where the interception force was standing by.

(……Here they come!)

Right after Lux confirmed it, the Drag-Knights stationed inside the fortress were already readying their respective weapons simultaneously, and they pulled the trigger one after another.

The fired countless flashes roared and ran through the sky, shaking the atmosphere and exploded.

It became the starting signal of the battle, and the extermination operation began.

Part 2

After a total of two hours since the beginning of the battle between an army of around a hundred Abyss and a mixed force at the hidden fort.

In the arena at the capital, the latter half of the All-Dragon Battle──its first battle was already going to start.

A lot of spectators gathered in the audience seats and the venue was filled with even fiercer enthusiasm than the day before yesterday.

The three battles today would be against the Heiburg Republic, Markafar Kingdom, and the Vanheim Principality, in that order.

Inside the waiting room before the battle began, the selection members of the New Kingdom with the exception of Lux was assembled.

「──Because of that, Nii-san cannot appear in today’s match.」

When Airi talked about the details of why Lux headed outside for the decoy mission, the selection members were shaken.

The Imperial Capital Recapture Plan was also a fearsome threat, but the duty of becoming a decoy in order to lure nearly a hundred Abyss alone was also reckless. Some voices arose saying that they should go to help but──

「Nii-san’s wish is so that everyone won’t be exposed to danger and for us to win the All-Dragon Battle.」

When Airi said that to everyone, before long everyone nodded in acceptance one by one.

「However, this is a let-down. I thought that those guys who attacked us at the Academy before this would surely come out here too but──」

The names of Saniya and the others weren’t registered in the roster of their first battle against Heiburg.

「As expected, Saniya and the others won’t make an appearance in the All-Dragon Battle. Currently, I don’t see them preparing a strong elite line-up that is even stronger than them, but……」

Celis too was whispering with a complicated face, perhaps because she was Saniya’s former friend and hoped for a chance meeting.

「At any rate, we cannot let our guard down. Whether inside the match, or outside it too──」

Philuffy also nodded shortly towards Krulcifer’s words.

Then, for the last, Lisha took a deep breath and made a smile.

「Then, we’re going to obtain the greatest result before Lux returns here! Let’s go!」

Along with those words, the signal bell that informed the match starting time rang outside the venue.

The audiences’ voices that were heated up due to the starting of the match could be heard until where they were.

Part 3

At the same time. Nearby the hidden fortress north of the capital, the large scale battle between the Abyss and the mixed troops was continuing.

After Lux led the swarm of Abyss and rushed into the forest, the military Drag-Knights who were tired of waiting started Cannon bombardment all at once and managed to exterminate a little under 20 percent of the enemy number.

After that was an all-out war between the two sides.

Thinking based purely on battle strength, the advantage lay with the remaining 80 odd Abyss.

The Abyss’s strengths varied depending on the size and type, and their battle strength would greatly vary depending on the combination too.

And then, even among the Drag-Knights of the New Kingdom military, there were only 20, 30 percent officers who were used to fighting the Abyss.

But, they had the terrain advantage where they were able to take cover behind a solid fortress while attacking.

And then, because Lux had lured the swarm through a long distance, the Abyss that were coming at him all at once in the beginning were now scattered from each other, at present the New Kingdom military was progressing the fight advantageously.

Lux entered inside the fortress and finished his decoy role for the moment. He reported to the commander of the mixed army, after that he followed someone who guided him and collapsed onto a bed in an underground room.

「As I thought, perhaps facing against a hundred was a bit reckless……」

Lux forgot because he was absorbed in the middle of fighting, but in actuality he only made it barely.

A great number of Abyss that had received a command from a horn flute once had the tendency to attack in a simple pattern.

Furthermore Lux was constantly fighting at high altitude. If he didn’t limit his opponents to only flying types like that, there was no doubt that he would be done in already.

「Even so──」

Lux laid down face up, staring at the ceiling while wiping the sweat on his forehead with a towel.

The three Drag-Knights that included Saniya vanished since midway for some reason.

There was also the unlikely chance that they got dragged into the Abyss’s attacks, but he didn’t understand the reason.

Even if by chance they were heading to the capital by themselves, they shouldn’t be able to do anything with just the three of them.

(But, why is it I wonder? It feels like, we are overlooking something important──)

The recoil from finally getting liberated from the extreme tension caused the fatigue to steal Lux’s ability to think.

His consciousness was falling as though getting sucked into darkness.

Part 4

『Next, the second battle today. The battle between the New Kingdom Atismata versus Markafar Kingdom will begin. The participants of the first match, please come up to the ring!』

When the New Kingdom’s referee who was wearing a Drake prompted the participants, the representative from Markafar, a male Drag-Knight walked towards the arena first.

Markafar Kingdom had a wide territory, but perhaps because there was no Ruin existing in their territory, their Drag-Knight’s nurturing wasn’t that advanced.

Therefore, deciding that they would be able to take advantage in the pair battle using things like cooperation and so on, it was decided that in the first one-on-one battle Lisha would come out as the vanguard.

They obtained victory from the previous battle against Heiburg with two straight wins, so they had some leeway for this battle.

「Now then, I’ll win and create the momentum.」

Lisha exited the waiting room and whispered that before she wore her Divine Drag-Ride, Tiamat.

When she entered the passage that connected to the ring’s entrance, a figure clad in black robes ran in a straight line towards her.

「Lisha-sama!」

Airi who was similarly going out of the waiting room to look at the situation saw that and yelled reflexively.

「Hm……? What’s the matter little sister? Is there something?」

「Eh……?」

There was nothing behind Lisha and Tiamat who turned around. No, Airi saw that the moment the black robed shadow touched Tiamat, it looked like it vanished as though melting into the air.

「N, no, it’s nothing……. It was just, my imagination.」

「……Strange girl. If it’s about Lux, then he is surely fine.」

Lisha showed a smile before walking through the passage toward the venue.

But, Airi rushed through the stair towards the audience seats still with an uneasy look.

『Both sides are in position, so the first match of the second battle, the New Kingdom Atismata versus Markafar Kingdom shall begin. Battle, Start!』

Finally, the match started.

The vanguard of Markafar Kingdom was a user of a general purpose Drag-Ride Wyvern.

As long as there was no large incident, the victory of Lisha who was a user of a Divine Drag-Ride was unshakeable.

Lisha herself also sported a composed smile, and when she was about to press towards the opponent who was forced into a one-sided defensive battle──

「……Wha-!?」

Her expression instantly stiffened and agitation emerged on her face.

『Oh, is there some kind of trouble? The Drag-Ride of her highness Lizsharte is──……-!?』

The announcer Drag-Knight saw that and tilted his head. Lisha’s Tiamat moved right after that.

The cannon that was charged until maximum was aimed at the audience seat that was in a completely different direction from the opponent, and the trigger was suddenly pulled.

• DOUNN!*

The cannon roared and a single beam of light ran through the air.

The defense Drag-Knight in front of the audience seat was shocked while blocking it with his strongest barrier.

Although he barely blocked the attack completely, scared voices arose from the audience seats behind him.

「Wa, wait-!? I’m not doing any──!?」

In contrast with Lisha’s bewildered words, Tiamat started charging the cannon’s energy once more.

And then, it ignored the Drag-Knight of Markafar Kingdom who was the opponent and once more aimed without the slightest deviation──toward the audience seats that were fired at just now.

「──Why!? Why is Tiamat’s control──!? STOOOPPP……!」

Lisha screamed. At the same time a scream arose from the whole venue.

The defense Drag-Knight was still unbalanced and was unable to deploy the next barrier.

The moment the cannon which was charged to maximum output was fired once more towards the spectators behind, a faint territory of light spread in front of Lisha.

「Divine Gate」

Celis’s Lindwurm appeared before her eyes and deployed the maximum output barrier.

Celis was blown backward from blocking it, but the attack was somehow held back so that no damage to the surroundings occurred.

In addition, the armament of Krulcifer’s Fafnir, the Freezing Cannon fired its freezing bullet and instantly froze Tiamat’s cannon, both legs, and its back wings.

With that──Tiamat was completely suppressed.

『Ho, how could this be!? The Drag-Ride of her highness Lizsharte suddenly rampaged. However, this──』

Right after the commentary voice was raised,

「Be silent! This match is suspended because of the trouble’s occurrence!」

The referee official landed down on the ring together with several Drag-Knights.

After that, Lisha’s Tiamat was dispelled, and using a Drake’s megaphone function, a formal judgment was handed down.

「It’s deemed as an attack that intentionally aimed at the audience! The second battle is counted as the loss of the New Kingdom due to rule breaking!」

「……!?」

A great commotion spread out like ripples from the audience seats and people raised their voices.

「Is her highness still unable to handle a Divine Drag-Ride that it rampaged at this kind of time?」

「The aimed audience seats, the VIPs from the Vanheim Principality were sitting there right? Perhaps this will become an international problem──」

「Was she trying to kill them while pretending it was an accident? Don’t tell me, such thing……」

「──That’s wrong-!? I didn’t do it! Such thing, absolutely──!」

Krulcifer gently put her hand on the shoulder of Lisha who lost her self-control and shouted with a trembling voice.

「Let it pass for now. No matter what happened, right now──it’s still」

Hearing those calm and serious words, Lisha lowered down her hand that was reaching to empty air.

And with that, the curtain fell on the New Kingdom’s second battle.

Part 5

「Wha, what happened!? Why is fire coming from inside──uwah!?」

「Re, retreat! They infiltrated until inside this fortress already!」

「Idiot! Retreat you say!? There are still thirty Abyss remaining here! No way we can run away to the capital at this rate!」

「You are the idiot! We cannot maintain the front line now that the formation has crumbled this far! At this rate it will be total annihilation!」

There was a loud bombing sound and the sound of Drag-Rides’ propulsion devices from above.

Furthermore the screams of the soldiers was mixed with the roars of the Abyss. Lux who only just woke up instantly recognized the graveness of the situation.

「────」

He quickly took the pocket watch that he put on the stand beside the pillow and checked the time.

It was less than two hours since Lux’s consciousness cut off.

He put strength into his lower feet and stood up, then took a deep breath.

Strength returned to his body, but under this emergency situation, not even a single mistake would be permitted.

He opened the door from inside with strong vigilance. When he tried to climb to the first floor from the stone room underground, he caught sight of a wounded person who seemed to roll down from the stairs.

「Get a hold of yourself! What happened!?」

When Lux rushed to the person in panic and lifted up his body, the soldier made a suffering expression and talked with a hoarse voice.

「Re, retreat quickly! We were tricked. Our strategy was leaked to those guys right from the start! That’s the only explanation. We fought the Abyss well at first, but those guys……the Rebel Army that suddenly appeared from inside the fortress, attacked us──」

「……The Rebel Army? How?」

In the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan that the New Kingdom’s spy obtained, the Rebel Army that was the main force shouldn’t attack yet according to the plan.

「I don’t know. But there is only one thing that is clear. It’s already impossible to defend this fortress anymore……」

「…………」

Lux instinctually grasped the true situation.

The fact that Lux heard from the consuls──that the Rebel Army’s main force should still be standing by at a far away base. It was a trap from the enemy that they were caught in.

(However──it’s only natural.)

If a great number of Abyss were found to exist near the capital, anyone would have their attention diverted there.

In order to intercept a hundred Abyss at this hidden fortress, sixty percent of the full strength of the New Kingdom’s army was invested here.

The situation was more pressing than expected.

「Please hide underground and retreat when there is a chance. I’m──going.」

「Wa, wait! What are you planning to do!?」

「I’ll lure away the remaining Abyss and the Rebel Army somehow for sure.」

「Sto, stop acting rashly……!? Such thing, is imposs──!」

Ignoring the soldier who tried to stop him, Lux summoned his Wyvern.

He quickly equipped it and flew, got out of the fortress that was on fire, and headed to the sky in order to grasp the situation.

What he found there was the swarm of Abyss that was climbing over the fortress while destroying it and──around two hundred Rebel Army members behind them.

Until that point it was within Lux’s expectation, but an unexpected face was among that army.

「Hoo, it has been a long time──Lux. O little brother of my best friend Abel Arcadia.」

Lux unconsciously held his breath after seeing the Drag-Knight inside the EX Wyvern flying in the front as though leading that army.

「You are……if I remember right──」

Ragreed Forus.

Five years ago he escaped from the New Kingdom to Heiburg and colluded with the military division there. The supreme commander of the Rebel Army.

Once, in the Arcadia Empire, he was the best friend of Lux’s older brother, the sixth imperial prince Abel. A man from a great noble family who was arranged to become a member of that Abel’s imperial guard.

His personality and ideology were dyed the same color as the Old Empire. He schemed to put a false accusation on Philuffy who was still a child at that time. To Lux, he was an opponent that he had a tie with.

The subordinates behind him didn’t move, perhaps because he given instructions using Dragon Voice so that they didn’t interfere.

「Strange fate really does exist. We, who have relation as someone who similarly spend childhood time in the imperial court are now reunited like this as fellow enemies. I heard about your story from the strategist you know? Black Hero.」

Ragreed sent a condescending gaze at Lux and grinned.

It seemed that he already heard about the Black Hero and Bahamut from that Hayes.

「Since that time, when you became a hindrance to my scheme, I had a hunch even as a child, that this guy is absolutely──going to be an enemy against me.」

He said that with an annoyed tone before pointing his middle sized Blade towards Lux.

「But, in the end, it’s me who will win. Already, the capital is going to certainly fall. I will succeed the will of the Old Empire──ascending to the throne of this country as the new emperor.」

「──Pitiful person.」

「Wha……?」

Ragreed knitted his eyebrows slightly in response to Lux’s cold gaze towards him.

「Don’t you understand that you are only being used as a pawn by Heiburg’s military division and that strategist? By the time you become the emperor only in name, you will be nothing more than a puppet that rules this country obeying what those guys ordered you to. Are you planning to become a clown who is only acting like a ruler because your eyes are blinded by greed?」

「……Fuh, fufufu. KukukukukukukuHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!」

When Lux pointed that out, Ragreed covered his face with his right hand while laughing loudly.

「You haven’t changed at all, huh. You, are you stupid or are you an idiot──or are you drunk?」

Ragreed made a vulgar grin on his mouth while tapping on his own head *tap tap* with his finger.

「A propped up figurehead? A clown who is only acting? So what? Isn’t that just fine? I will be able to wield the authority of this country publicly as the emperor under the banner of Heiburg. I’ll be able to toy with this country’s fortune and foolish masses, and act as tyrannical as I please. After all, I’m a modest and clever person. The qualifications as an emperor or the recognition of others──I don’t have any interest in anything like that from the start. It’s all fine if I can just live easily and make you all submit.」

「…………」

Lux listened to that and let out a small sigh.

This man before his eyes, originally, he was a man from a great noble family at the level that allowed him to come and go even inside the imperial court, but right now he looked uglier than any kind of Abyss.

「──Only you, I absolutely won’t allow you to do that. 」

Lux quietly took a breath, then he looked forward with a chilly gaze.

And then he took a stance with his Scale Blade positioned horizontally at the same height as his eyes. In response to that, Ragreed also moved his EX Wyvern.

「Kukuku! You sure can talk, huh, ruined prince! ──Then, I’ll make you beg!」

He flew drawing a sharp curve while saying that and unleashed a slash from his rush towards Lux.

It was an attack that made use of the EX Wyvern’s mobility, but that was all there was to it.

Lux saw it and then reacted. He intercepted using Critical Hit by means of the Scale Blade.

With that, the opponent’s attack power should be reflected back onto a single point and destroy the weapon and armor, but──

• BACHIIN!*

「-……!?」

Instantly a dazzling light burst at the point of contact and both sides were blown backwards.

The Critical Hit should have been executed perfectly, but the EX Wyvern was unharmed.

No, rather than that──

(The Drag-Ride’s movement, at midway……it changed?)

There wasn’t just a powerful repelling force just now, right before Lux blocked the attack, the enemy’s movement changed subtly.

It happened at the timing that absolutely couldn’t be changed if the Drag-Ride was only controlled normally.

「──What’s up, is that everything you got? You seriously think you can protect this country when you cannot even beat me alone?」

Lux’s Critical Hit ended in failure wasn’t because Ragreed’s movement was exceptionally excellent.

Certainly he had the skill that was near the level of a High Class Drag-Knight, but that was all.

The Drag-Ride he was wearing had the appearance of a simple EX Wyvern but──it contained some kind of secret.

「You aren’t going to use Bahamut against the likes of me? Then I’ll teach you something good. About right now a bigger calamity is approaching the New Kingdom. A tremendous force that is even more dangerous than that Ragnarok.」

「What……!?」

Ragreed’s fearless grin didn’t show any signs of falsehood.

No, leaving that aside Lux had a clue about it.

If his worst imagination, that normally should be absolutely impossible, was right on the mark──

「──Howling Howl!」

Instantly Lux emitted shockwaves from his armor’s head aiming at Ragreed in front of him.

Right after the EX Wyvern was sent flying before his eyes, Lux moved backwards and took a wide distance.

Lux took position at the shadow of a large rock behind him, then he quickly dispelled his Wyvern.

「Fuh! Finally you got motivated huh? Then──I’m going to go at full power too!」

Ragreed who saw that also pulled back temporarily before pulling the horn flute on his neck towards his mouth.

Along with the dissonant chord of the horn, the command towards the Grimoire was rewritten and the remaining thirty Abyss stopped attacking the fortress. All of them simultaneously changed direction towards Lux. Furthermore with that as the signal, the Rebel Army’s Drag-Knights who were colored in grey also directed their weapon’s aim towards Lux.

The current Lux could only use Bahamut for the time limit of twelve minutes.

Using it for more than that would cause the Drag-Ride to be forcefully dispelled and become unusable.

The remaining thirty-odd Abyss and approximately two hundred Drag-Knights of the Rebel Army.

The greatest threat currently approaching the royal capital.

There was already no other way except making a gamble here in order to stop all those threats.

Lux quickly muttered the passscode and equipped a jet black armor.

「Kuku, finally showing up huh Black Hero! User of the violent dragon Bahamut! Now, show me! Just what can you do with that few remaining time and strength!」

Ragreed yelled and lifted his Blade high towards the sky.

Instantly, the Abyss and the Drag-Knights he was leading simultaneously started attacking.

Part 6

The All-Dragon Battle waiting room for the New Kingdom was dead silent as though cold water had been poured there.

The second battle before this ended as the loss of the New Kingdom because they were regarded as violating the rule intentionally. In addition Celis and Krulcifer who barged into the arena also lost their qualifications to participate today and their side was forced into a disadvantage.

Lisha who was the perpetrator of the incident was taken away for a hearing by the investigator who came from the palace.

Of course it was the fact that she was under suspicion, but because she was also in the position as the New Kingdom’s princess, there was also the intention to shelter her personage as quickly as possible.

With this, for the last battle against the Vanheim Principality, the only Divine Drag-Ride user who could participate was Philuffy, but there was an even more serious problem for the New Kingdom.

Lisha’s cannon shot was directed towards the audience seats where the VIPs of the Vanheim Principality were placed.

Currently the All-Dragon Battle was still ongoing, so the matter was put on hold, but the other side was holding doubt that the incident was intentional.

In the case that after the All-Dragon Battle was over the Vanheim Principality denunciated the New Kingdom with the suspicion of assassination, it was unavoidable that the New Kingdom’s position would worsen, in the worst case──it might even become the spark of war against the Vanheim Principality.

And it would happen by the hands of none other than Lisha who said that she would fight for the sake of the New Kingdom──

「Even with the investigation of the cause, for the time being we have to prepare against the next match. The third match against the Vanheim Principality will surely have a different atmosphere than before. ──Are you good to go, Philuffy Aingram?」

「It’s fine. Even in the case that someone blows a horn flute, I can endure it for a little while.」

Putting out Philuffy under this emergency situation was a kind of a gamble.

The opponent wasn’t the Heiburg Republic, but if they felt like doing something, there was the possibility that they would use a horn flute to control Philuffy who possessed the traits and abilities of an Abyss to cause damage.

An especially strict inspection towards the personal belongings of Heiburg’s people should be carried out, but they still couldn’t let their guard down.

And then──

「Controlling a Drag-Ride……if there was someone who set up Lisha-sama, then as expected, is it that girl?」

Airi spoke out what she was thinking since some time ago with a low voice.

The girl who possessed the nickname of the Empire’s Assassin Blade, Kirihime Yoruka.

The Divine Raiment of her Yato no Kami──Spell Code, was the ability to control other people’s Drag-Rides which was activated by touching the their Drag-Ride.

Lisha and the others had witnessed it, and the other selection members had also heard about it from them.

「Even if that is actually the case, we will have to search for her and apprehend her. There is almost no chance that we can make it until the next match begins but──we can only do it.」

Saying that, Celis and Krulcifer stood up.

「There is no time. Celis-senpai and I will split up and search for her. So──Airi-chan. Can we leave the command of the team to you?」

「……I understand.」

Airi accepted with a nervous voice.

「Yes. I’m going to equip my Drake constantly, so if there is something I will contact you two.」

「I’ll leave it to you, then」

The two said just that and left the waiting room to search for the culprit.

If Kirihime Yoruka was aiming for Lux, there was a possibility that she was lurking nearby.

Thinking so, Krulcifer headed outside. Then she saw the figure of the guard soldiers around the practice ground rushing around in a panic.

「What’s the matter? Perhaps something troubling has happened?」

Krulcifer who felt the abnormality called out to a young officer.

「Ah…… no, there is nothing! Ple, please, you can continue to watch the match……」

For a moment Krulcifer thought whether this was the government putting the incident that Lisha caused just now in order, but the situation was strange no matter how she looked.

「I am a Drag-Knight who belongs to Syvalles, the raid force of the Academy of Cross Field. This time I am here as a participant of the All-Dragon Battle, but I have finished my turn. If there is a problem, can I please at least be informed about the details?」

Krulcifer presented her student ID and told the soldier so.

Originally speaking, Krulcifer who was an oversea student from Ymir couldn’t participate in a mission with a high danger level, so she lied only on that point.

「Is, is that so!? N, no……there is only a bit of mistaken information circulating between the defense force for the area around the capital……! We are gathering information to confirm it while being on guard just in case──」

「Can you tell me specifically what is happening?」

Krulcifer who heard of that detail questioned the soldier further.

The soldier was sweating nervously while forming his words.

「Currently, a giant enemy force from the northeast of the royal capital──there is high chance that this is mistaken information, but it mentioned that the fifth Ruin that existed in Heiburg itself is moving──」

「……-!?」

The complexion of Krulcifer who heard that sentence changed.

She already knew that behind the scenes of this All-Dragon Battle, Heiburg’s Imperial Capital Recapture Plan was in motion.

And then, there was the existence of Hayes who was called as LordCreator at the third Ruin, the Ark.

If they were similarly related with the attack this time──

「Northeast of the capital is it? I will also go to take a look at the situation.」

「Ple, please! I’m in a hurry to evacuate the residents at the northeast area so──」

「Oi! What are you doing there! Quickly go!」

The young officer was scolded by a man who seemed to be his superior and he hurriedly dashed away.

After parting with the man, Krulcifer summoned Fafnir and equipped it.

She took a high altitude where she could have a bird-eye view of the capital and flew to the northeast.

With Fafnir that possessed the greatest level of mobility, she would be able to make a round trip until outside the capital in just a few minutes.

After continuing to fly with the maximum output of the booster in her back wings, before long the sight of the surroundings became obstructed.

「Mist──? Even though the capital had clear weather just now……?」

Krulcifer decelerated Fafnir and hovered midair.

She should be right outside the walls of the capital, but it was as though the scenery below was completely unseen.

But, a heavy moving sound that the thick mist couldn’t erase could be heard from right nearby.

「This is──!?」

The moment Krulcifer whispered, a thunderous roar exploded.

Countless flashes flew piercing the white mist obstructing her sight.

One of it exploded and burst in front of Fafnir, sending it flying backwards for a few dozen mel.

「Kuh……!?」

She escaped danger because of the protection of the special armament of automatic defense──the Auto Shield that activated just before it hit her. The power of the attack was so tremendous to the degree that it wouldn’t be strange if she were to receive serious damage without the protection.

The enemy itself blew away the mist due to the explosion blast of the cannon attack it fired. Because of that the true shape of the enemy became clear.

「Wha……!?」

The moment she was able to look at the full picture of the enemy, Krulcifer’s spine froze.

It was gigantic.

A giant body that far surpassed a large type Abyss──Golem that Krulcifer once fought personally.

It had two legs that could be mistaken as a mountain of steel. On top of those legs was a large waist two sizes bigger than the royal castle and an inverted triangle of a chest, at the left and right were protruding shoulders where each looked like a large type battleship. On the surface of those shoulders, countless cannon muzzles could be seen.

The head part that resembled a rhinoceros beetle had a neck that slightly extended to the front, looking down on the royal capital with robotic eyes.

Its thin long arms had countless streaks running on it. At the end of each of those arms was a hand with five fingers. Several houses were already pinned under them.

It modeled the shape of an armored soldier, the gigantic fortress of steel that should be emplaced at Heiburg.

The fifth Ruin 『Gigas』 that Krulcifer once saw in a book was moving as it was.

「They got us. Who would have ever thought that they were hiding this kind of trump card──」

The Ark where Poseidon existed left its movement route until now by the action of Hayes and her group and its whereabouts became unknown.

In that case, it wouldn’t be strange if they also had done something to the Ruins of Heiburg where Yggdrasil──the Ragnarok that Lux and the others had defeated probably came from.

But, although the fifth Ruin was liberated by that, for the Ruin itself to come invading like this was just too much.

『Warning – we demand for you to dispel your armor as well as surrendering, Xfer-sama.』

「Eh──?」

Suddenly, a cold apathetic voice without any inflection in it could be heard through Dragon Voice.

Krulcifer didn’t see any other Drag-Ride around her.

Krulcifer noticed a moment late that the voice came from the Gigas before her.

『Identifier name – Gear Leader of the fifth Ruin, El Fajura will break the prohibition in causing unnecessary harm to you──no』

That girl who was most likely similarly an Automaton like La Cruche of the Ark suddenly completely stopped her words that were said with no gaps in between.

『Unfortunately just now there was a notification from my Lord to immediately──exterminate you she said.』

「-……!?」

The change in attitude of the Automaton that also happened at the Ark.

Krulcifer recalled the shadow of Hayes from that situation.

『Transitioning to attack preparedness──firing』

At the same time with that voice, innumerable countless cannon muzzles extended from the Gigas’s protruding shoulders.

Right after that, thunderous roars and explosive blasts that completely filled the surroundings swept over the sky above the royal capital.

Part 7

「What in the world……」

Noct who was wearing a Drake inside the arena’s waiting room heard the Dragon Voice from Krulcifer and she unconsciously groaned.

The third battle of the All-Dragon Battle’s latter half, the battle against the Vanheim Principality was entering into the last third battle.

Philuffy won in the first individual match, and the second match, the pair match, ended in defeat just now.

With both sides having one win each, the third match would begin. But before it could start, the state of high alert was invoked in the royal capital and it was discussed to temporarily suspend the All-Dragon Battle.

But, only Greifer, who was the Vanheim Principality’s participant for the third match, was firmly maintaining his attitude that wished for the match to continue. He stayed rooted on the arena ring.

「I’ll wait just for five more minutes yeah? Come fight already, New Kingdom.」

Greifer showed a fearless grin. He was already clad in his Divine Drag-Ride Cuelebre waiting for the start signal of the battle in the ring.

「I’ll say this beforehand. For the time being there is also the need for keeping up appearances, so I came out for this match, but if you guys don’t take responsibility for firing a cannon at our princess, then it doesn’t matter what the result of this match is, I’m gonna locate the criminal myself. I’ll catch anyone suspicious one by one──and then interrogate them with these hands.」

Greifer’s eye glint that was tinged with killing intent caused the spectators to get goosebumps.

──Right now, there was no Drag-Knight of the New Kingdom who could stop Greifer who was in a frenzy.

Almost all the Drag-Knights were already departing in order to defend against the force attacking from both sides of the royal capital.

「……Will he make it in time?」

Airi gazed at that ring. And then when she lifted up her face, Noct’s Drake suddenly showed a reaction of receiving a transmission from Dragon Voice.

『Can you hear me──Airi, Noct?』

When she came to hear the familiar voice of her big brother, Airi’s lips burst into a relieved smile.

But, her expression immediately returned to her usual calm look and she brought her face closer to the Drake before throwing out her voice.

「You’re late! Just what have you been doing Nii-san! This side is in really grave trouble! A giant Ruin is attacking from the northeast! Lisha-sama’s Tiamat rampaged, and the people of the Vanheim Principality were aimed at──what should we do about this!?」

『Yeah, I also got set up on my side. The hidden fortress already fell, and I’m getting chased by the Rebel Army and an Abyss swarm.』

「-……!? And, what is Nii-san planning to do?」

『I want you to tell everyone what I’m going to say after this.』

Lux told Airi the 『strategy』 in the shadow of the arena that was enveloped in uneasy commotion.

Part 8

「The prime minister of the Vanheim Principality is saying that they will bring up the incident of this matter resolutely. They won’t accept the explanation that there is a defect in the Drag-Ride. He told us to hand over the princess to be judged by their law.」

「There is no way we can do something like that! Even the All-Dragon Battle isn’t over yet you know!? Tell him that we will listen to what he has to say again later!」

On the other hand, inside the castle. Inside the wide conference room, the angry yells of the consuls flew around.

The extermination mission of the Abyss swarm failed due to the surprise attack of the Rebel Army led by Ragreed, and the enemy army was marching on from the northwest.

Their aim was just as the name 『Imperial Capital Recapture Plan』 suggested, this very royal capital itself.

It wouldn’t even take tens of minutes until all the forces arrived at this place.

「But, there is also the fact that just the other day a guard of the royal capital attacked a selection member of the Vanheim Principality. In addition to the continuing bad blood since the era of the Old Empire. At this rate, they surely won’t listen to us urging them to go home to their country without even providing any proof or the perpetrator.」

「……The princess has also really done something outrageous. Even though that bunch has been troublesome since the past──」

「Please calm down. The clarification of the incident is not finished yet. Only after that everything can──」

Lamenting voices continued to rise from the consuls, hearing the reports coming in one after another.

Lisha was hanging her head down while listening to those voices of despondency and indignation from the floor immediately below.

After that match, still in her suit without even changing, she had been absentminded as though her soul had left her.

Why it had turned out like this?

Even though she should had done the best she could.

Even though for the sake of this country, while knowing that she was still immature──she thought of trying to become the real thing, and yet.

She didn’t have any such power, she betrayed everyone’s expectations, and invited the greatest predicament.

「It’s like……I’m a criminal.」

Inside the hidden room for the royalty’s personal use that was prepared underground.

She was isolated so that she wouldn’t be aimed at by the people of the Vanheim Principality that she enraged. Lisha made a powerless bitter smile towards her situation.

Her feelings were the same as five years ago, when she was kidnapped by the Old Empire and made into a hostage, before being abandoned by her father, the great hero.

She couldn’t do anything. She was toyed with by the happenings with nothing that she could do of her own strength, and lost everything.

「Why……. Why did it become like this again? Was I mistaken? From the start, someone like me──」

When she couldn’t endure it anymore and let out a complaint, footsteps came from in front of her.

When Lisha came back to herself and quickly lifted up her face, the room’s door was opened.

Over there, the Drag-Knights of the Rebel Army whose uniforms were painted grey were standing with their weapons ready.

「We are going to have you come along okay, your highness. Together with us.」

「…………」

Lisha could only look down with a pale expression.

Just like that day in the past.

Part 9

「How long are you planning to continue running huh, Black Hero? Aren’t you going to stop me?」

Lux who was wearing a jet black Drag-Ride was being chased by Ragreed who was wearing an EX Wyvern.

After exchanging blows several times above the hidden fortress, Lux who got a part of his shoulder armor broken, escaped in a straight line towards the direction of the capital.

But, he was chased by the strengthened general purpose Drag-Ride EX Wyvern, taking along the majority of the Rebel Army being led by Ragreed and also the Abyss that already numbered more than thirty.

「Kukuku, I heard from the strategist you know? The time you can fight in that Bahamut is limited. That’s why you are trying to lure us into a place where you can get the military’s reinforcement and bring this into an advantageous situation, aren’t you?」

「…………」

「But, that’s already impossible! Try looking in front of you!」

That sight entered the eyes of Lux whose field of vision was continuously filled by the scenery flowing backwards at high speed.

Bugriser’s unit that should be preparing for interception in front of the wall had already disappeared from there.

「……-!? I see, just as I thought……」

Lux held his breath. At the same time he looked far ahead and guessed the reason why the military had abandoned their position.

The information that the fifth Ruin, Gigas, that had existed in Heiburg couldn’t be seen anymore.

His worst prediction came true.

The fifth Ruin, Gigas.

The strange looking weapon that was filled with evil omen, to accomplish destruction and atrocities, was standing as though looking down on the capital’s townscape.

(But why? Why has no report come in that it had arrived until this near!? If the Ruin was moving, the Drag-Knights at the east of the capital should have seen it and yet──)

The Gigas which should be visible even from the distance of a few kl had approached until this near. Why didn’t anyone notice? (TN: kl is kilometer and mel is meter)

『……The Drag-Knights stationed at northeast of the capital──at the fortress along the rocky mountain and sea, it seems that they are being afflicted with a headache of unknown cause. There are no abnormalities with their bodies, so it doesn’t look like it’s poison or disease though.』

Suddenly that sentence that Airi told him was replayed inside his mind.

Instantly, a prickling pain as though behind his eyes was burning ran through Lux’s head. A scene that felt like it wasn’t his own memory entered inside his mind.

「──I thought that you would understand if it’s you though, my younger brother.」(TN: Fugil use the word ‘kentei’ to call Lux, it’s usually a polite reference to another person’s younger brother, but here he used it to call his own younger brother. Translated literally it means wise younger brother)

A vaguely nostalgic refined noise──the voice of his eldest brother Fugil entered his ears.

A red night sky that was illuminated by blazing flames.

In front of the castle of the Arcadia Empire where whirling up fire sparks were falling down, that thing was existing.

(This place──what in the world? Is this the memory of that day, five years ago?)

Lux could affirm that this scene had happened almost without a doubt, but a violent uncomfortable feeling bewildered Lux.

Lux didn’t have any memory at all that he had exchanged this kind of conversation with Fugil.

「……We cannot do such thing. There is no way something like this can be repeated because of the convenience of the likes of me, the likes of us!」

The Lux inside the memory raised his voice, in response Fugil smiled fearlessly.

A figure wearing a strange-looking Drag-Ride he had never even seen before with a gigantic size even bigger than the castle was there at the back.

「Is that so? You should have noticed already from a long time ago. You, who were born inside that corrupted palace, living while stuck in a dilemma between the royal family and the people, if it’s you then you should have noticed the structural defect of this country──no, this world and its people.」

Fugil spoke admonishingly, also as though in conclusion.

「See, you who are purer than anyone, because you want to avert your eyes from that fact really much, you could only take on the ideal of a king that is more righteous than anyone and took refuge inside that dream. ──But Lux, you should wake up already from the dream. We should accomplish it, we ought to carry out our true mission as hero.」

「You’re wrong! There is absolutely no such thing! I……what I really wished for is──」

「──Fine. Then you can come at me.」

The Drag-Ride that was so gigantic its full figure couldn’t even be grasped from nearby was starting up with a roaring sound that shook the earth.

「You won’t lose or anything. You cannot even stand on the same stage where I fight for eternity. Therefore, there was no victory or defeat right from the start. I will take the burden of your karma. Because I am──after all.」

「-……!?」

Lux who was wearing Bahamut in Over Limit state flew towards that giant dragon.

Instantly, the scenery distorted fiercely like jelly, enveloped by light, and vanished indistinctly.

Seven Ruins. The simultaneous activation of the ArtifactsTransforming Weapons.

The transforming Drag-Ride of the end and the beginning──Uro……boros.

「-……!?」

Lux returned to his senses and returned his consciousness to the sight before his eyes.

Perhaps it was a happening of only one or two seconds, because the Gigas far away and Ragreed before him were in Lux’s sight the same as before.

「Now you get it? It’s over for you all. You fell into our strategist-sama’s schemes. Your body shouldn’t be in the condition to use that Bahamut for much longer right?」

「──So your aim for luring me was that?」

Lux gazed at Ragreed with chilly eyes and voice.

Lux was lured to the north hidden fortress, the New Kingdom’s army was made to fall apart──and the clincher was how he kept talking provokingly to Lux. All of those were the groundwork to make this situation.

Hayes was on guard the most against Bahamut. She guided the event into a situation where Lux had to use it and drastically stole its operation time limit.

No matter what their side tried to do, they already got cornered into a helpless situation with nothing that could be done. Hayes’s scheme tried to obtain a certain victory like that.

All of Lux’s bad premonitions were right on the mark──no, the event was transitioning into a situation that was even worse than he imagined.

Just like when Lux tried to destroy the empire in the past.

But──the present was different from the past, he now had a lot of comrades he could trust.

That was why he resolved himself. That right here, right now, once again──they would save the New Kingdom with their power.

「Ragreed Forus. You’ve resolved yourself right?」

「……What?」

Ragreed frowned towards Lux’s calm declaration.

Completely different from in the past when they were in the imperial court, Lux’s face there was hiding determination inside.

「You put your bet on Heiburg and that strategist Hayes. As for me──I’ll bet on everyone who put their trust on me, and drive away all of you.」

Right after that, the jet black Drag-Ride Lux was wearing released a vortex of shockwave using Howling Howl.

「Kuh, ─a futile act!」

But, Ragreed held his ground and pulled his Cannon’s trigger aiming at Lux’s silhouette.

The jet black armor was smashed and countless fragments danced in the air. ──But,

「This is……?」

Ragreed was bewildered because the opponent purposefully didn’t deploy their barrier and there was strangely no resistance from the hit.

When he searched for Lux’s silhouette that he lost sight of, a calm voice entered his ears from beside a nearby bell tower.

「──Manifest, violent dragon who devours the flesh and blood of the gods. Sever the sky of black clouds, Bahamut!」

「What-!?」

Ragreed raised a shocked voice hearing the muttered passcode.

Right after that, light particles converged at high speed and formed a shape. A jet black Drag-Ride was summoned once more.

The aerodynamically shaped MithrildytePhantasmal Gem Steel clad in dragon’s might manifested and emitted an ominous luster as though to display that absolute power hidden inside the frame.

「How-!? How can there be two Bahamut!?」

「──Connect – On」

The moment Lux muttered coldly, the Drag-Ride unfolded from inside and transformed into an armor that covered Lux’s body.

「What I was wearing while you were chasing after me was a mere Wyvern. It only had its armor parts adjusted and painted black.」

「Kuh……! Such thing! Impossible!?」

Yes, the true identity of the thing Lux requested of Lisha in the capital was that.

It was another Drag-Ride that was different from his original Wyvern that was tuned for defense. It was a Wyvern with its armor and barrier scraped down as low as possible to make it a light weight type that stressed in speed.

By skillfully using it properly, Ragreed’s eyes were tricked.

「Bu, bu, how can you do something like that!? In the first place you should only be preparing for the Abyss extermination! You shouldn’t know anything about our attack! And yet why──guah!」

Lux glided and took the position overhead Ragreed. He ignored the question and slashed at the EX Wyvern.

Ragreed almost crashed into the bell tower from the impact he got, yet right before he crashed, the surface of his armor shined and his trajectory was altered, preventing him from crashing.

「It wasn’t like I understood what will happen. But──I’m just planning beforehand, to at least prepare a plan that can react against anything that could happen.」

The answer for Ragreed’s question was exceedingly simple.

From the start Lux was already harboring doubt towards the existence of the deserted village where a great number of Abyss was staying, and also the very fact that the New Kingdom was able to obtain the information about it beforehand.

The enemy’s strategist Hayes also knew well about the information regarding the specifications of Over Limit.

In that case──naturally, Lux put into consideration the possibility that Hayes would put into motion a plan to exhaust him, and then Lux requested Lisha for the countermeasure against that.

「I don’t have time right now. ──But, I too still have something I want to confirm.」

Lux put energy into his great sword Chaos Brand and let out a slash with the shortest movement he could toward the unbalanced Ragreed.

He aimed at the part that was shining on the armor’s surface just now and hit it hard.

『U, aa……!』

• crackle crackle-!* After a small burst of electricity, light that looked like shining powder spilled out from the surface and a faint voice could be heard.

「So that’s the true shape of it? The thing that strengthened your Drag-Ride and assisted the control was──」

「Chih!?」

Ragreed clicked his tongue hearing Lux pointing it out.

Lux was uncertain of the full details of it, but most likely it was because of someone’s cooperation──or perhaps an old technology sleeping inside the Ruin that was applied to the EX Wyvern.

Thinking about how Hayes used the fifth Ruin to invade the royal capital, it wasn’t hard to imagine.

「Guah!?」

Lux struck down Ragreed to the ground with the returning movement of his sword.

After looking at the EX Wyvern crashing at the vicinity outside the arena, Lux landed down on the arena ring where the spectators were already starting to evacuate.

He landed facing Greifer who was standing there clad in the Divine Drag-Ride Cuelebre.

Cheers and commotion rose up seeing the intrusion of the unidentified Drag-Ride.

『Wha, what could this be!? Suddenly, a mysterious Drag-Knight landed down at the position of the New Kingdom’s side!』

The military officer clad in Drake who had the commentator’s role also raised such a surprised voice.

Because the distance from the audience seat until the center of the ring was quite far, surely almost everyone didn’t notice that it was Lux.

「Oh. To think that there would be a superb performance where you come here for me, huh.」

At the opposite side, Greifer seemed to notice that it was Lux. His mouth loosened and made a grin.

「Can you accept fighting me, right here right now?」

「Got no objection here, I don’t intend to retract my previous statement yeah? Regardless of this match’s result, we’re gonna capture the princess of you guys, then make her spit out the location of the culprit no matter what. I’m not gonna allow what happened ten years ago repeat again, when the Old Empire charged a crime on my father and killed him.」

Lux was also concerned about Lisha, but right now he had to stop this person first.

Lux stayed still on the designated position and ran his gaze around. Right outside the ring, the military officer who had the referee role was looking at Lux’s Bahamut with a bewildered face.

It was natural that he got bewildered when an unfamiliar Drag-Ride suddenly entered the ring.

Reluctantly, Lux took a small breath in order to reveal his identity, but then,

「I met him before so I remember. That guy is certainly one of the New Kingdom’s representatives. If you get it then give the starting signal quickly. It’s none other than me, the opponent──who recognizes it like that yeah?」

「──Ye, yes-!?」

Threatened by Greifer, the referee hurriedly moved to the direction of the audience seat and peeked at the complexion of the management committee members. And then, perhaps they gave him an agreeing signal because the referee immediately raised his voice.

『Then, the last battle that is today’s third battle──New Kingdom Atismata versus Vanheim Principality, the third match will begin!』

The duel between a mysterious Drag-Knight who flew down from the sky against the leader of the Vanheim Principality’s representatives, Greifer.

Inside the royal capital that was already imposing the state of high alert, at the arena that was enveloped in a bizarre atmosphere, where the spectators were starting to evacuate, the last battle of the All-Dragon Battle started.

『Battle, Start!』

The instant the referee’s voice resounded, Greifer’s Cuelebre shot off.

Its back wings spewed out air explosively, closing the distance instantly while unleashing a slash at the same time.

The moment Lux blocked it with his great sword, a Howling Howl struck at him from above his defense.

「Kuh……!」

Bahamut’s barrier blocked the impact and it was forced to back off. From above the barrier, the peculiar slash of Tail Blade paid it no mind and struck down with the momentum of a surging wave.

It was like a raging wind. It was a style of offensive tactic that forcefully robbed the opponent from any choice by constantly taking the initiative, cornering the enemy, and continued to attack without pause.

That rain of attacks that seemed sloppy from a glance increased in precision and power each time it was unleashed, cornering the enemy with certainty.

The enemy was without exaggeration a strong person. If Lux wanted to defeat this man in this current situation──there was only one way.

「Reload on Fire」

「──Photon Dive」

The moment their sword crossed, Lux’s Bahamut gushed out red light to display its Divine Raiment’s activation.

As though responding to that, Greifer also quickly invoked his Divine Raiment.

The Divine Raiment that compressed the energy and phenomenon of the first five seconds, then activating and doubling it in the later five seconds, Reload on Fire.

In contrast, Cuelebre’s Photon Dive made it so that for a few seconds when the ability was activated, all the enemy’s attack wouldn’t affect it and got deflected, so to speak it was a Divine Raiment that transformed the Drag-Ride into an invincible state.

Lux was evading Cuelebre’s slashes while carving many slashes using the blade of the great sword he wielded onto the surface of the enemy’s armor.

But, his attacks that were unleashed with the usual speed naturally didn’t get through.

In the end, even the tip of his blade was deflected and it exposed a small opening instead.

「I got you-!」

Greifer’s blade struck along with a sharp step-in.

Although Lux withdrew from the range just for an instant faster, the surface of his armor got a faint scratch.

Even so Lux didn’t show any agitation and he gazed at Greifer with an expression that showed no opening.

「That’s quite something. So this is your true strength? But in the end it’s pointless yeah? Cuelebre’s Photon Dive won’t get affected by any kind of attack. You absolutely──……-!?」

At that time when Greifer grinned proudly, something strange occurred.

• PASHI–!*

A sharp impact sound burst, and together with it countless red slash lines instantly ran through Cuelebre’s armor.

The impact energy from the Force Core that Bahamut’s Chaos Brand was filled with. The energy came into effect with delayed time difference and attacked Cuelebre right after the effect of Photon Dive cut off.

「Whattt……!?」

「The Photon Dive gave you roughly seven seconds of invincibility. Aiming at the moment it was turned off, I delayed the moment the impact of the sword I wielded reached you by using Reload on Fire’s ability.」

Lux accelerated at the same time he coldly told that, and struck Cuelebre’s torso with a full power attack where Lux put all his weight in it.

「Gu, ah……!」

The sword was swung to the end as though it was also shooting through the generated barrier altogether, sending Greifer flying to a distance far away.

Greifer crashed onto the arena’s wall and the impact made his deployed barrier to get dispelled.

With that, based on the rules, the match was decided.

『The, the representative of the Vanheim Principality had his barrier dispelled because of the damage and has become unable to fight further! The winner of the third match as well as the third battle is, the New Kingdom Atismata!』

「OOOOOOH……!」

The sudden intrusion of the black Drag-Knight and that dramatic conclusion caused the spectators of the New Kingdom who were still remaining in the middle of the evacuation to raise a stir.

Lux listened to that vaguely as though from far away while gazing at Greifer who was knocked onto the wall.

(──That was dangerous.)

Lux won his dangerous gamble and he stroke down his chest in relieve inside his heart.

The fight would undoubtedly become prolonged if he didn’t settle the match in this opening phase. If the match dragged on, it would be unclear how the outcome would turn out to be.

And then ──Lux was able to win this battle merely because of the decisive difference of information both sides possessed.

Lux knew about the trait and the Divine Raiment that Greifer’s Divine Drag-Ride Cuelebre possessed from directly crossing swords against him, while Greifer didn’t know anything about Lux’s Bahamut.

This was a victory that he wouldn’t be able to obtain without Greifer’s reckless personality and that accidental battle, but it was fine like that for now.

First was to stop the movement of Greifer and the Vanheim Principality who were in an explosive state that could rupture anytime.

The moment the first objective was cleared, Lux sent a Dragon Voice through Noct’s Drake that was limited towards several members.

『I’m sorry for saying various unreasonable things. Everyone, can I ask you to fight following the strategy I talked about just now?』

When Lux asked that question with a faint apologetic feeling in his tone, everyone’s voices immediately responded back.

『Yes, I’ll start.』(Krulcifer)

『Uh huh. Understood.』(Philuffy)

『Acknowledged, Lux.』(Celis)

『──Yes. Lux-san, please take care.』 (Noct)

「Thank you──everyone.」

Right after that, Bahamut that Lux was driving flew with explosive momentum.

And then from above the sky, he swooped down at high speed aiming towards a spot of the castle’s rear entrance that he was told about.

Part 10

「Just what should we do……!?」

「I, is there anyone who knows about the mechanism of the fifth Ruin!? At this rate, the capital will──」

The officer Drag-Knights who protected the New Kingdom were surrounding Gigas using Wyverns in order to attack it, yet they were at a loss helplessly.

They had tried roughly every kind of attack, but the steel fortress existing before their eyes wasn’t affected at all. They were unable to even hold it back.

In this situation where it wasn’t even a fight, the officers almost fell into despair. It was then they could hear it.

「Looking tedious huh──you ignorant uncivilized bunch of riffraff.」

「Wha-……!?」

Suddenly, a voice came from the head part of Gigas. Stir ran through the flying officers of the New Kingdom.

The strategist Hayes who colluded with the Heiburg Republic was wearing a huge silver grey armor, standing above Gigas’s head.

「You, you bastard──are you the mastermind who is controlling this Ruin!?」

「──Nope, you got it wrong, I’m the savior. I’ll stand at the top to rule this world in the place of you incompetent bunches. Rejoice you livestock, your honored owner finally came after a long time you know?」

「Bunch of nonsense……! Fire-!」

Several officers aimed at Hayes and pulled their Cannons’ triggers simultaneously.

The concentrated cannon fire from dozens of Wyverns continued and caused a violent explosion blast.

──But,

「You can cut it already. I got the gist.」

Hayes raised a calm voice while being in the middle of a maelstrom of bombing that even a Divine Drag-ride with its barrier deployed couldn’t possibly stay unharmed.

「I, it’s not……working!? No, there is no way──」

In front of Hayes was a layer of round shaped light wall──.

Not the slightest attack reached beyond that partition.

Rather than calling it a barrier, it was as though space itself was cut off.

「──I’m late with the introduction huh. The name of my Divine Drag-Ride is <Nidhogg>. Its Divine Raiment’s name is──<Astral LineSeverer>」

Hayes displayed a wicked smile and the armor’s arm readied a sword with peculiar shape.

The sword had a long blade that was several times the length of a normal Blade. At its handle’s opposite side there was also the same blade lengthening, a uniquely shaped blade──two-bladed sword.

When Hayes who was wearing Nidhogg carelessly swung down the atypically shaped sword that was tinged with the light of its Divine Raiment,

「Be, be careful! Deploy your barrier at maximum output──!」

The world was split into two, along with the officers’ armor and the maximum output barrier they deployed.

Part 11

「Where are you all taking me……?」

Lisha who was suppressed by the Rebel Army that was already infiltrating inside the castle without even any time to pull out her Sword Device was taken outside the castle without anyone even noticing.

When Lisha asked that behind the castle surrounded by trees, a man of the Rebel Army grinned widely.

「We want to have you take on the role of arbitrator in order to not increase the number of unnecessary sacrifices in this war, that was what the strategist said. I’m told that there is a secret on her highness’s body that can achieve that──」

「……-!?」

Lisha suddenly groaned with an expression as though her chest had been stabbed.

She noticed Hayes’s scheme from that one sentence.

The Rebel Army that was planning to suppress the New Kingdom shouldn’t be thinking about peace or anything.

In other words, what Hayes was desiring from Lisha was to persuade the people──no, her aim was to make known that the princess Lisha was a human on the Rebel Army’s side.

They would expose the brand of the Old Empire that was engraved on her body in the past, reveal that her true identity was that of a traitor, lowering the unifying force of the New Kingdom and Lisha, dropping the situation into chaos, thus making it easier to take over the country. That was their intention.

「Don’t screw around……. You think you all can keep using me like that however many times you like……!?」

「Oh? I heard that your highness is a person who dislikes needless conflict and is kind to the people though?」

The moment the man of the Rebel Army jerked his chin to a far away direction, Lisha saw 『that』.

「──That’s!?」

At a far away distance, through the townscape of the royal capital, she could see the figure of Gigas.

And then, the sight of the flash emitted by the Drag-Ride at the top of its head cutting apart the atmosphere, dividing the New Kingdom military and the town into parts──

「Wha……」

• plop*, Lisha fell down on the spot in astonishment.

「Do you understand now? This is the last job that the powerless you can do for the sake of this country. If your highness follows the intention of our strategist, there won’t be anymore attacks than this you know?」

「The, there is no way I can do anything like that! Something like me handing over this country to the likes of you is──」

Although it was so that the people wouldn’t be harmed, but doing things like betraying their trust and delivering them to another ruler was just……

「Is there any meaning for you to act brave like that? Someone like you who disappointed them in the match before this?」

「──!?」

Lisha’s feelings were shaken when she recalled it.

Perhaps a human who was feeling hesitation even in their own power had no qualifications to lead the people.

Even so.

「Even so, that guy told me! That he will fight together with me──!」

Right after Lisha closed her eyes and yelled, an impact struck the ground like a thunderbolt.

「──Eh?」

The moment she opened her eyes in surprise, the armors of the Rebel Army’s Drag-Knights were smashed apart altogether.

「Gu, AaA……!」

The Rebel Army members groaned and collapsed. And then the true identity of the one who did it became clear.

The one who came down was a Drag-Knight clad in jet black armor.

It was the silhouette of the Black Hero that she saw five years ago on that day.

「……You──」

「I’m sorry that I’m late, Lisha-sama.」

When Lisha muttered, Lux smiled calmly and handed over the Sword Device of Tiamat that he recovered from the hands of the Rebel Army.

The hands of Lisha who accepted it shook, she stumbled and squatted down on the spot.

「I, I don’t──I don’t have the face to look at you……」

Lisha hung her head down while speaking with a disappearing voice.

「Even though I promised to protect this country together with you……I made Tiamat rampage in the All-Dragon Battle, and degraded that oath myself.」

「That was Hayes’s doing. I had grasped how she did it too. I will do something about it no matter what, that’s why──」

「I know! But, even if we make that clear, everyone might not believe it anymore. The people’s trust in me might not return! And most of all……It’s vexing!」

Lisha lifted her face. Her eyes were wet.

「It’s vexing that because of my fault, even you were made fun of and got treated like a villain! You who fought and risked your life for this New Kingdom’s sake more than anyone, I wanted to make everyone recognize it, that was what I wanted, and yet……」

At that time Lux noticed for the first time.

Lisha talked about making Lux her knight was because she wanted to save Lux who couldn’t be recognized by the people because he was once a part of the Old Empire, who was collared as a criminal even now, and who was still ridiculed by a part of the country because of that.

She wanted to make him into an existence that was recognized by all this country’s people together as her knight in this New Kingdom.

The inside of his chest became warm, that she was thinking that much for him.

Lux softly caressed the head of such Lisha with his hand.

「Lu……x?」

「Thank you very much. For thinking about me all this time. But, I’m fine. Even without this country and all its people recognizing me, I can fight with only your recognition.」

He offered his hand in front of Lisha once more with a gentle voice.

「That’s why, please fight together with me. Not for the sake of anyone else, but for the sake of your own oath. I need Lisha-sama’s strength. In order to save this country one more time, this time for sure──」

「…………」

Lisha who heard those words slowly took a breath, and lifted up her face.

And then she grasped the handle of her Sword Device with a trembling hand, and pulled it out from its sheath as though resolving herself.

「──Awaken, the progenitor of beginnings. O monarch dragon of the gods that forms an army on your own. Tiamat!」

Light particles converged at high speed. Immediately after that, the crimson great dragon that was summoned behind split into countless parts and transformed into an armor that covered Lisha’s whole body.

After blinking lightly and gazing to the front, over there was the figure of Gigas approaching the castle while treading on the buildings in its way.

「……It’s a mysterious feeling. Even though just now it felt really terrifying to wear a Drag-Ride, but now it feels really reassuring.」

「That is the true Lisha-sama, surely.」

「──Let’s go, Lux. We got to beat up the bunch doing as they please in my country after all.」

Lux nodded at Lisha’s self-confident smile.

『──Nii-san. Everyone is in position. We are starting.』

At the same time Airi’s voice came through the medium of the Dragon Voice of Noct’s Drake.

Lux sent his voice through the Dragon Voice that was already connected to Krulcifer, Philuffy, and Celis.

「I’m counting on you──everyone!」

Lux said that while at the same time he flew his Bahamut together with Lisha.

The operation against Gigas that continued to march in a straight line towards the castle, finally began.

Part 12

『──Warning』

It was a voice that sounded robotic and tinged with a hollow presence.

An amplified voice that was different from Dragon Voice which was a communication ability between fellow Drag-Rides was emitted from the head part of the Gigas.

Approximately a hundred Drag-Knights of the New Kingdom military were heading to intercept as well as defending against Gigas. Half of them were shot down by Gigas’s bombardments and Hayes’s Nidhogg, and the remaining half was withdrawing with the injured among them.

The capital’s northeast district that was starting to be evacuated was already crushed underfoot and fell into a half-destroyed state. The cause of that, the Gigas was moving towards the castle at high speed.

『The battle is decided already. New Kingdom military as well as the queen and her subordinates in this place are to swiftly display their will to surrender by prostrating. By doing that any further attacks will stop and we will grant repose, that is our rule to everyone.』

Hayes proclaimed that above the people who were running about trying to escape.

The New Kingdom that had its forces scattered and also its defense line broken through had no more methods to oppose it.

And then, this advice was a trap.

Heiburg would place the Rebel Army that was supporting the Old Empire as the head and indirectly ruled over the New Kingdom.

Furthermore, it would be shown to the VIPs from many countries who came for the All-Dragon Battle, with the aim of putting a check on them too.

The consuls inside the chaotic castle couldn’t find any breakthrough solution against this advice.

While the screams and confused voices of the people could be heard from the streets of the capital,

『Unfortunately, your lords didn’t give their answer──. Therefore, We’ll resume attacking!』

Right after that cold proclamation, the Gigas moved.

The countless cannon muzzles growing from those giant shoulders aimed downward, it was then an abnormality occurred.

• GAKIiiI-!*

The thin long arms growing from Gigas’s shoulders with countless joint in it. One of those arms that looked like a spire suddenly slanted, the Gigas’s posture crumbled and pitched forward.

Right after that, the countless light bullets fired from those shoulders and the chest part rained down on a greenery area right under it where people had already finished evacuating.

『What……!?』

Hayes who was near the head part of Gigas noticed the cause of that and she frowned.

Looking closer, Philuffy who was wearing Typhon entangled several wires of Pile Anchor on one of Gigas’s arms, pulled downward and broke its balance.

『Foolish act……! El Fajura! Crush her!』

After Hayes gave that instruction to the Automaton, the Gigas pulled its other gigantic arm and aimed at Philuffy──but, that instant when its attention was diverted to below, the left arm Gigas was lifting up was struck by a light bullet.

『This is──don’t tell me!?』

「Starlight Zero」

That was the compressed light bullet fired from Celis’s Lindwurm. When Hayes noticed it was already too late.

The attack fired from the special armament of wide range destruction sent the left arm of Gigas flying. The countless cannon muzzles sticking out from both its shoulders were smashed. That overwhelming offensive power was pruned temporarily.

Hayes cursed receiving that fierce wave of explosive blast.

「Pointless struggle……. Enough, ignore them and crush the castle underfoot.」

Hearing Hayes’s instruction, Gigas’s feet that were like a mountain moved. It marched while causing fierce rumbles in the ground.

The many citizens at the area around the castle until the arena saw that and screamed. Running about trying to escape.

But, when those feet arrived until nearby the castle wall surrounding the palace, a single Drag-Ride stood in its way.

「Kneel under my name! Suppressor──!」

Lisha wearing Tiamat unsheathed her Sword Device and pointed at Gigas.

Instantly, a gravity field was formed on a spot of that gigantic right leg and its movement became dull.

Seeing that, Hayes looked down on Lisha from above the Gigas’s head.

「So you came to incorrigibly expose your shame again huh, princess-sama!」

「Shut up this wannabe strategist! I’ll make you pay back your debt to this country and me!」

「Hah! Don’t get carried away, you substitute lowly princess! What can you son of a bitch do!? You think that this Gigas can be stopped by something like that?」

Just as Hayes ridiculing words said, the burden from the gravity field didn’t do anything and the Gigas resumed its march.

It was as though it was proclaiming that something like the resistance of Lisha alone was pointless.

But the next moment, when the Gigas was about to take one more step,

「──Reload on Fire.」

• DOOooOONN!*

One of Gigas’s legs smashed the stone pavement and the ground and it stepped through until below the ground.

「……What-!?」

Because of the gravity pressure that was reinforced until several times from before, that leg was buried deeply into the ground. Lux wearing Bahamut was looking down calmly on it from midair.

Tiamat’s Divine Raiment, the gravity field that at a glance looked like it wasn’t working at all went through the compression strengthening of Bahamut’s Reload on Fire. The moment Gigas tried to ignore it and took a step forward, the power of the gravity field became several times the original and attacked.

「Bu, but why, why is there a hollow below this kind of place!? What in the world──!?」

「Should I teach you, wannabe strategist? You see, the underground around there has a large scale tunnel that was dug up in the era of the Old Empire. It was something created more than a hundred years ago, that’s why only very few know about it.」

「……-!?」

Hayes also guessed the fact from listening to Lisha explaining proudly.

The people in the past were building a city above while knowing that there was a tunnel below was because it was constructed to be able to endure great burden and weight.

But, because of Lux’s Reload on Fore, Suppressor’s gravity pressure was reinforced several times over, and aiming at the moment the super heavy Gigas step there, a pitfall was prepared to make the foot step through the ground.

But even with that the best it could do was sealing one leg of Gigas, but at this moment a completely advantageous situation was created.

「Chih!」

Hayes clicked her tongue. In order for the Gigas to pull out its buried leg, it was going to put both its hand on the ground, it was then two more people moved.

「──Ei」

Philuffy fired Pile Anchor from every part of Typhon and restrained a part of the thin long arm.

At the same time she drove her Drag-Ride with her Booster at maximum output and ran through the street. By towing the arm once more, Gigas’s balance almost crumbled.

「You think I’m going to let you do the same thing over and over!」

When Hayes’s voice resounded, Gigas raised its remaining left arm and aimed to crush Typhon.

「Obstructing with that──is not permitted.」

But, the lance attack of Celis’s flying Lindwurm aimed at it instead.

She aimed at the seam of the countless joints and made a thrust attack with maximum electricity discharge.

Terrific sparks spread through the whole left arm that looked like a spire, and its movement stopped for just a moment.

「Pointless! Gigas’s arm won’t be stopped with only a single Drag-Ride!」

When Gigas’s left arm was swung down a moment later, Philuffy already released the binding of Pile Anchor, setting free the right arm and escaped.

「You keep making trifling nuisances──……!?」

Right after Hayes cursed, she noticed it and held her breath.

The right arm of Gigas that Philuffy was towing was frozen.

Ten-odd spots of countless existing joints were frozen and its movement was almost completely sealed.

At the sky above a slight distance away from there, Krulcifer wearing Fafnir and readying her Freezing Cannon was hovering.

During the ten seconds when Hayes’s attention was diverted due to Celis stopping the attack of Gigas’s left arm, Krulcifer fired several freezing shots at each joint with terrifying precision and sealed that right arm.

『They got us Lord with this we cannot make movement.』

An Automaton’s voice came from inside Gigas towards Hayes who was wearing Nidhogg.

Hayes too finally understood everything with that.

「────」

Her greatest fighting strength the Gigas had its invasion completely stopped with the chain of cooperation from five Divine Drag-Rides.

The smashed cannon muzzles jutting out from its whole body were being replaced, but there was some distance until the castle.

Right after that, three people other than Lisha and Lux headed towards the castle and began to move respectively.

『Rescinding the frozen state to make both arms usable and the buried leg taken out──more than ten minutes are necessary until Gigas recovers to a flawless state.』

The main body of El Fajura who was controlling Gigas from the control room area sent a voice to Hayes telling her that.

Many people and nobles outside the arena who were evacuating saw that sight and made a stir.

「Fuu……」

Lux let out a relieved sigh seeing that his plan went well for the time being.

He had Sharis and Tillfur to investigate the structure of the fifth Ruin, Gigas.

Because Gigas’s shape was greatly different from other Ruins, he had them looked for the shortest route towards its deepest part.

Of course, there was only a faint chance for them to discover the route nicely, even so they had no choice but to do it.

『Operation success Nii-san. What’s left is as planned──please be very careful.』

Airi who was watching over the situation from the spectator seat of the arena sent her voice through Noct’s Drake.

They had only finished stopping Gigas from moving, the situation still continued to be one where they couldn’t let their guard down.

As for reacting against various other dangers that were occurring at the same time──he could only leave it to other people.

『Right.』

Lux returned a small voice and looked down below him.

And then, Gigas was starting to make a strange vibration sound that might be for melting the arm’s frozen spots. Lux and Lisha landed together on the shoulder of that Gigas.

The two giant shoulders at both sides of the head were each like a battleship’s deck, fulfilling the role as spacious foothold that was several times larger.

There, Hayes wearing Nidhogg and one other girl’s silhouette were standing.

「Lisha-sama.」

「……I know. I’ll take on that fiendish strategist. You fulfill your duty as the former imperial prince, against that so called loyal subject who set us up.」

Lisha said only that and made her Tiamat glide, advancing towards Hayes.

And then, Lisha turned her crimson pupils that were sharp like sword points straight to Hayes and she pointed her Sword Device forward.

「I won’t be able to ask you after beating you up so I’ll ask ahead. What is your true identity and your objective? Is it authority, money──or else some kind of honor or something?」

「……What’s the point of asking me that? A substitute princess like you who was placed only as the replacement of someone, after knowing the answer what are you going to do?」

Hayes jested in response to that question and answered so with a ridiculing grin.

「I’m asking exactly because I’m a substitute.」

But, it was as though Lisha wasn’t shaken up or hesitating at all, she told Hayes calmly.

「I somehow understand about you. Surely you and me are completely opposite──or perhaps mutually similar people.」

「──What?」

Lisha continued pushing her words towards the frowning Hayes.

「I was toyed with by fate, each time the chair I sat on changed, and I became unable to understand what is the true me. I was once abandoned by my father, the great man, and decided to betray the New Kingdom, so I wondered whether someone like me has the qualifications to sit on the seat of princess. But you are the opposite. Because you cannot prove your true position and identity to anyone, you’re purposefully trying to display your privilege, all that ability and treasure of yours.」

「…………」

「Controlling the Ragnarok and dragging out this Ruin here are also like that. By doing this, you want to prove that you are an existence with something, a human race with great power that far surpasses the people of this world. You are someone in the position that is driven with the obsession that you must continuously prove that.」

Lisha asserted that and gazed at Hayes with a sharp glint of eye.

「──That’s why I’m asking you just as you wished! Like this, who the hell are you!? You got any complaint huh, this stupid idiot!」

Instantly, Hayes’s countenance that until now was sporting a smile that looked like it was pasted on there changed.

She strongly gritted her teeth, and then Nidhogg that she wore readied its weapon.

「Fine then. I’ll tell you my true identity, when I crush this country and it’s time to carry out your execution!」

Hayes’s Nidhogg soared and she brandished the two-bladed sword that had blades extending from both ends of its handle.

Crimson and grey light crossed and the battle began.

Part 13

A battle between fellow Divine Drag-Rides had began on the right shoulder of Gigas.

At the opposite side, a girl was standing on the deck.

「──I’ve been waiting, Aruji-sama.」

The black clothed girl displayed a smile that was filled with deep affection and bowed elegantly.

The last servant who swore with that body of the Old Empire’s restoration, the Empire’s Assassin Blade, Kirihime Yoruka.

「It seems various things happened below hasn’t it? That princess also said it, something about someone’s Drag-Ride getting manipulated──. Aruji-sama, are you suspecting me of that?」

「──No, that wasn’t your doing.」

Lux shook his head toward Yoruka’s question and declared so.

The Divine Drag-Ride she controlled, Yato no Kami.

Its Divine Raiment, Spell Code. Certainly, there was a time when Lux suspected her because of that ability.

But, there was something he noticed from talking with Yoruka several times.

This girl’s principle wouldn’t trifle with that kind of petty trick.

What happened was most likely──Hayes’s schemes.

It was a trap to provoke and incite the Vanheim Principality that had a grudge against the Old Empire, making them aim at the members of the New Kingdom that included Lux, and at the same time made Lux and the others to doubt Yoruka as the perpetrator to make them fight each other.

「But if that’s the case, this is a bit strange isn’t it? Then why does Aruji-sama appear in front of this me? Isn’t Aruji-sama’s first priority to beat this Gigas first, which you can do by ignoring this insignificant battle against me?」

Yoruka tilted her head slightly and asked in wonder.

「That──I cannot do.」

Lux answered with a calm face while slowly closing the distance between them.

「With you the strongest one in this place waiting here, I won’t be able to pass even if I avoid you, besides I believe that surely there is a reason for me to fight you.」

「…………」

Yoruka didn’t reply anything to Lux who muttered that calmly. She was only deepening her smile.

Without defeating Yoruka, Lux wouldn’t be able to break through the path until Gigas’s deepest part.

But, Lux himself had his own thinking that differed from that objective.

Others might laugh if they heard his reason but──he wanted to save Yoruka.

She was controlled by the Old Empire, exchanged contracts with the emperor, and even now she adhered to it, tied by that curse.

「──Erode, the serpentine dragon of massacre that is the personification of evil omen. Exercise the authority of unworshipped god, Yato no Kami.」

Right after Lux spoke, Yoruka also drew out her Sword Device and summoned Yato no Kami.

The Drag-Ride of darkness color was clad with a blade’s majesty, worthy of its name. It immediately split into countless parts and transformed into an armor that covered Yoruka’s body.

「I thank you, Aruji-sama. Then, it will be a discourtesy if I make you wait for more than this.」

Yoruka declared with a smile and took a stance with her katana type Blade.

At the same time, Lux also held aloft his Chaos Brand.

「Here I come, Yoruka.」

「Yes.」

At the same time with that voice, Lux’s Bahamut kicked on the shoulder of Gigas that became the floor and soared.

The remaining expenditure time of Bahamut’s operation limit was approximately nine minutes.

If Lux’s assumption wasn’t mistaken, he would consume seven minutes here.

The curtain of that mortal combat had been cut off and fallen down.

Part 14

On the other side, inside the arena that was noisy from witnessing the Drag-Knights stopping the invasion of Gigas, something unusual occurred.

Greifer who crashed onto the outside wall and stopped moving now woke up, furthermore the selection members of the Vanheim Principality were each wearing their Drag-Rides and came down at the center of the ring.

「Wha, what are you doing, everyone of the Vanheim Principality? The last match of the All-Dragon Battle was over already, right now a state of high alert is being imposed! Please hurry and evacuate from──……-!?」

The New Kingdom’s officer that acted as the commentator called out nervously, but he stopped.

He sensed the unusual hostility from the Drag-Knights of the selection members there.

「It’s unfortunate with the match, but it’s your side’s victory. But, the case where a member of ours was attacked in the inn, and the case where our country’s princess almost got assassinated in the match before this. Regarding these two attacks towards our country, we don’t recognize the explanation that your country is giving us.」

A girl wearing a Wyrm declared that with a cold voice and glared at the New Kingdom’s officer.

「This is not a threat or revenge. It’s your side who made a move first. We were told by his excellence to find out the perpetrator of this incident.」

「Tha, that is──!?」

The New Kingdom’s government office as well as the New Kingdom’s military weren’t in the condition that could take action because they were dealing with the dangers that were occurring simultaneously at present, but that reasoning wouldn’t get through to them.

「Well, that’s how it is.」

The leader of the selection members, Greifer, declared while readying his Sword Device.

「The duke-sama of our country is already in an angered state. Just like I said before, we received an order regardless of the result of this All-Dragon Battle. We were ordered to subdue the consuls of your country and make them take responsibility. And so──first we are going to question you yeah.」

The female officer of the New Kingdom who got the point of a Blade pointed towards her spontaneously faltered, it was at that moment──

「……-!?」

• BANG!* A sharp sound piercing the air accompanied a streak of flash running through the air.

That light bullet of cold air was fired aiming at the Blade. Greifer pulled his sword just before the bullet hit and he dodged.

The light bullet struck the stone ring and the spot that was hit instantly froze.

「Can you please wait a little for the investigation of the incident──even if you all are told that, it doesn’t look like you all are in a state that will listen isn’t it?」

Along with that voice, Krulcifer clad in Fafnir was coming down to the center of the ring.

「Hee, it’s really interesting that even outsiders like you are coming out, but it’s better to stop now yeah?」

「I agree with that. I too don’t want to do a pointless fight after all. Because right now there are enemies nearby──what’s more it’s closer than you think.」

Krulcifer calmly brushed up her hair and spoke smoothly.

Her gaze was taking in what was far behind Greifer, at the figure of Gigas.

Lux clinched victory at the last match of the All-Dragon Battle, but the attack he hit Greifer with was shallow.

There was a chance that the Vanheim Principality that was suspecting the New Kingdom as the mastermind of this time’s assassination attempt incident would directly act using force.

Surely the Rebel Army and Hayes’s subordinates would take advantage of such commotion and chaos.

Therefore, Lux gave instructions for Krulcifer to stop that.

「It’s unfortunate but we cannot do that. Even I have a fight that I cannot pull back from. If you are also someone from a military family then you get it right? That’s what this is.」

But, Greifer didn’t budge for even an inch and he readied his special armament the Tail Blade.

In response Krulcifer also reacted by directing her usual composed eyes towards the opponent.

「I understand it. I too cannot possibly lose here after he entrusted this place to me.」

「That’s a nice resolve, too bad that you are a woman.」

「You said a strange thing just now. When the battle begins, it’s the woman who is more resolved you know?」

Right after Krulcifer replied like that, Cuelebre suddenly moved.

It approached with a powerful speed that even the eyes couldn’t follow like a single bullet. At that moment Krulcifer also carried out her act of interception.

Greifer made a slash following a peculiar trajectory as though drawing a spiral using his Tail Blade that transformed into a whip shape.

Krulcifer ignored that using her automatic defense from Fafnir’s Auto Shield while pulling the trigger of her Freezing Cannon at short range. The freezing bullet sniped at the right arm’s wrist that was holding the sword.

Tactics and attacks that were both filled with certain victory crossed in that place and light scattered.

Part 15

「What is going on!? What should we do about that Ruin Gigas!? What happened to the mixed army stationed at the hidden fortress!?」

On the other hand, a tense war conference was opened in the conference room of the castle and many angry yells and screams flew around.

The Drag-Knights that the New Kingdom military and the Four Great Nobles rounded up.

Almost all of them, six hundred Drag-Knights fell into Hayes’s scheme and got scattered, more than half were annihilated and the rest were forced to retreat.

Furthermore the Drag-Knights stationed at the northeast for monitoring the area and the scouts altogether failed to notice the Gigas, making them late to deal with it. The dispersed Drag-Knights took flight where they were then crushed quickly.

The radical and large change in situation that was too much made the second and third defense plans that were prepared to be of no use and they fell into a kind of confused state.

「Confirm the situation! What happened with the force there!? How many Drag-Knights remaining that can fight!?」

「Half the number of Lord Dist’s force is rescuing the people and defending the surrounding blocks you say!? If they have that kind of free time then tell them instead to go suppress the enemy! What are they going to do if the enemy reaches until the castle! The safety of her majesty is number one!」

The remaining senior statesmen raised their voices roughly while gasping for breath.

Amidst that, suddenly a voice came from beside the room.

「How ugly. So any authority figure is all the same when they are cornered.」

「Sto, stop it! This room is──guhah!?」

• DON!* Two palace guards were blown through the conference room’s door from the shockwave of Howling Howl.

「──Wha, what’s going on-!?」

After the panicked consuls yelled, three Drag-Knights were standing at the other side of the broken door.

At the front was a girl with trait of brown skin wearing a B-blood Wyvern──Saniya.

And then right behind her was a man wearing a B-blood Wyrm, Egnid, and lastly a masked girl wearing a B-blood Drake, Kirly. Both of them were accompanying Saniya.

Hayes’s direct subordinates──the three Drag-Knights who were called Cerberus.

「Yo, you bastard, who are──hih!?」

The moment one of the consuls raised his voice, several shots of light and sound of destruction reverberated inside the conference room, blowing away several desks, flower vases, and documents.

The shooting of Breath Gun from Saniya’s B-blood Wyvern threatened everyone there.

「All of you don’t have any right to ask anything. Just answer my question truthfully.」

Saniya directed a cold gaze at the speechless consuls and quickly told them.

「Where are you guys hiding the Gran Force you brought from Cross Field’s Academy?」

「Wha……what are you talking about?」

Several consuls paled at Saniya’s question and replied like that.

Saniya who saw that pointed her gun muzzle on a consul’s head while smiling.

「I see, a splendid resolve. If perhaps you really don’t know about it, then I’ll ask someone who definitely knows about it. ──Where is the queen?」

「Tha, that’s──!?」

When one of the consuls was faltering to speak, the fingers of the B-blood Wyvern Saniya was controlling touched the trigger of the Breath Gun.

But at that instant, a territory of faint light spread inside the conference room and the space wavered.

「──!?」

Saniya reflexively leaped behind, right after that a girl clad in armor appeared along with a seven colored halo.

In the past when Saniya infiltrated as a spy into the Academy, she idolized this girl like a big sister──a daughter of one of the Four Great Nobles, Celistia Ralgris, it was her figure.

「Celistia……! Why are you here!?」

「To pay back my debt──no, to take responsibility.」

Celis told while directing a sharp eye glint towards the bewildered Saniya.

「In the past, I didn’t know anything about you even though I was trying to understand you. That’s why──I will settle this right now.」

It was a reunion with the girl who betrayed her.

However, different from the past, now even when Saniya looked at that figure, there was no more hesitation inside Celis.

Celis’s consciousness was sharpened pointedly like a spear’s tip, her body was clad in an aloof atmosphere.

Celis’s stance that was polished to the utmost limit from the accumulation of diligent constant training had not even the slightest opening.

「Fuh……」

Saniya who should know about Celis’s strength from staying closest to her more than anyone smiled without any fear.

「Is it the instigation from that ruined prince? That’s just fine……I’ll show you! The power I obtained, I’ll show it to you bunch of noble bastards who went through a lukewarm way of life all this time!」

Saniya drove her B-blood Wyvern and slashed at Celis with swift action.

When Celis blocked that with her Lightning Lance, Egnid and Kirly started giving cover fire.

Part 16

「……Hmph. We too finally finished reorganizing our formation here huh, that damn Lux, he made me go through this kind of trouble.」

On the other side, in front of the street that connected to the castle and the arena, the supreme commander of the Rebel Army, Ragreed and his subordinates were assembled.

There were a total of fifty Drag-Knights, their armor was dyed grey that symbolized the Old Empire.

Furthermore in the sky above them were around thirty flying type Abyss that possessed wings.

「That guy preparing a fake Bahamut was a miscalculation, but it’s convenient if he is fighting Gigas. Like that there won’t be any trouble or enemy──standing in our way to obtain this castle.」

Ragreed stifled his laugh and lifted the Blade of his EX Wyvern high.

「Here we go! From here we are storming into the castle. We are taking back the glory of the Arcadia Empire from the hands of those thieves this time for sure!」

‘OOOOOOOO!’ His subordinates, the Rebel Army hailed back in response with a war cry.

The path to the castle had been evacuated with the people taken to shelter. There were already no more guards remaining there.

If Ragreed made the remaining Abyss and the Rebel Army force charge, the castle would fall easily.

「Finally……. Finally I can become this country’s emperor!」

Ragreed raised a voice that was hoarse from excitement. He flew his EX Wyvern and right after that──*GAUNN!* There was a sound slicing the air from something sharply sweeping sideways.

『Enemy Drag-Ride’s attack confirmed──defensive movement activated.』

El Fajura’s robotic voice resounded and a barrier was forcefully deployed.

The barrier deflected three Daggers approaching from the front, but a pile at the tip of a wire that was fired with a delay split to up and down like a snake’s jaw, snapping into the shoulder of the EX Wyvern.

「……Nuuh!?」

When Ragreed who was surprised by the surprise attack turned his gaze downward, a huge purple Drag-Ride was there.

Philuffy who was driving the Divine Drag-Ride Typhon appeared to intercept Ragreed.

『Enemy sign confirmed. Warning. Two Drag-Rides that are the Divine Drag-Ride Typhon as well as a Drake have appeared.』

「……Kuh!」

Ragreed grasped the situation from what El Fajura pointed out, but Philuffy didn’t give him time to react.

With high speed she rolled back the wire she fired from her left arm’s armor and pulled the EX Wyvern until in front of her.

At the same time, she made the stout right arm of her Drag-Ride that was already in a stance to hum in energy, and then that right straight struck.

「Gu, Aa!」

It was a certain kill attack from an enforced counter after he was drawn in by the Pile Anchor.

Although the Drag-Ride was a strengthened general purpose type EX Wyvern, that strength easily broke through the barrier and it should have broke the armor and the Force Core──but,

『Defensive coating as well as trajectory change success.』

Ragreed’s Ex Wyvern that got hit by that was sent flying far away backward, but it corrected its posture midair and landed.

The moment Philuffy’s attack landed, light powders shined brightly on the surface of the EX Wyvern.

That was exactly the power of the clone of the Automata(El Fajura) that was converted into the form of countless miniscule machines and fused with the EX Wyvern.

「What’s that? It was really solid than normal.」

Philuffy tilted her head while taking some distance. At the same time Noct who was hiding at the back wearing Drake quickly called out.

「Yes. Please be careful Philuffy-san. The surface of that Drag-Ride is being specially coated by something. The mechanism is unclear, but most likely it’s an ancient technology from a Ruin.」

「Right. It’s fine. That side cannot fly anymore, after all.」

But, Philuffy replied indifferently with her usual expressionless look.

As though to prove her words, the soaring back wings of Ragreed let out crackling sparks.

『Back wings’ booster damaged──it’s judged to be unable to be used for a long time.』

「Chih……!」

Ragreed confirmed the deterioration of his booster’s function from El Fajura’s voice.

Philuffy’s aim was the booster in the back wings.

Because Typhon was a land battle type, it was unsuited to hold back flying enemies.

But, the calculation was that if she could just take away the wings of the supreme commander Ragreed, the Rebel Army and the Abyss in the surroundings would also inevitably get held in place in order to protect him.

Ragreed who noticed that clicked his tongue while gazing at Philuffy in front of him. His eyes opened wide as though he noticed something.

「……Hah. Just when I wondered who this is, it’s the dim-witted daughter of the Aingram Conglomerate who came to the imperial court in the past. It has been seven years huh? Are you planning to take revenge on me?」

「…………」

Ragreed recalled his memory and asked like that, but it was as though Philuffy didn’t react at all.

「I heard that a part of an Abyss was implanted in you it seems. Kukukukuku, you’re a monster whose inside isn’t fully human anymore. Hahahaha! What a great mess! Surely even that ruined prince is also in despair──」

「I remember you know? About that time.」

Philuffy muttered as though to interrupt Ragreed’s provocation.

「That time, Lu-chan didn’t think of himself, like the two of you. He was really sad, saying that he couldn’t help me skillfully.」

She spoke indifferently with her usual expressionless look.

However, she continued with a clear tone.

「I was happy he helped me. But, because of my fault Lu-chan got sad, that made me really pained too, so──」

After showing just a slightly lonely look, she stared ahead with a straightforward gaze that was filled with a strong will.

「That’s why, I won’t let you anymore. I will──defeat you.」

Ragreed frowned seeing those eyes and stance that had not the slightest hesitation in it, and then he laughed.

「……Hah! Just try it you monster! What can you do against this number with just you alone!」

Ragreed lifted up his Blade high and gave the command to attack.

Right after that, fifty Drag-Knights behind him and the Abyss in the sky started moving.

Part 17

At the arena’s ring.

In front of the door of the conference room on the second floor inside the castle.

And then in front of the front gate of the castle. Around the time the battles started at those places.

Above Gigas that came to a stop just a few hundred mel until the palace, a mortal combat was unfolding.

On the balcony located at Gigas’s right shoulder, the duel of Lisha versus Hayes was being carried out.

Lisha was firing her throwing weapons, the Legion, to hold back her opponent while using the Seven Heads that she equipped by using supplemental equipment transfer aiming to fire a bombardment, but her attack was altogether deflected by the two-bladed sword Hayes handled, she was completely held back.

Even so Lisha was still calm, she kept shooting her Legion one shot at a time.

「You got cold feet? With that kind of attack, I won’t even need to use Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment you know?」

Hayes closed the distance bit by bit while showing a fearless smile and talked in provocation.

But, in contrast Lisha kept glaring quietly at Nidhogg as though she wasn’t budging even an inch.

「You’re wrong──. A bit more.」

And then, she whispered faintly like that with an expression as though she was heightening her focus.

「Or else, are you perhaps trying to buy time until your friends come to help? ──You incompetent.」

Hayes’s Nidhogg that was being held back by Breath Gun suddenly accelerated and drew near.

She slashed at Tiamat as though striking using her two-bladed sword that possessed two blades at opposite ends of the handle.

「Kuuh……!?」

Lisha barely blocked using her barrier, but a part of her armor chipped due to the impact that pierced through.

After Lisha took further distance to the back, the sky was right behind her.

「What’s up? Aren’t you the princess who possesses both talents as a researcher and a Drag-Knight? Looks like that’s just excessive flattery by this peace idiot country huh!」

Hayes floated a faint grin. In response Lisha let out a sigh.

「Certainly, that might be an excessive title for me. ──But」

Lisha whispered in self-deprecation like that while pulling out her Sword Device.

And then, she quickly swung it and pointed at Hayes.

「I haven’t fallen that low that I need someone like you to worry about me!」

Two Legions were fired at the same time with that yell.

The two armaments that approached at high speed were deflected by the two-bladed sword, it was at that moment that something unusual happened.

「……What-!?」

Another Legion that was hiding in the shadow of the second Legion hit Nidhogg and sent it flying backward.

It was a concealed shootingHide Shot by making use of Legion that was a throwing weapon with physical substance.

Lisha accurately grasped the opponent’s line of sight and positioning and made her attack succeed using advanced technique where accurate trajectory manipulation was indispensable. At that moment, the cannon Lisha readied had its trigger pulled and it fired.

Right after that, the shot impacted Nidhogg that had its movement stopped and its frame was enveloped in flame.

Part 18

On the other balcony of Gigas’s left shoulder that was several times larger than a large type warship──

There Lux and Yoruka’s duel was unfolding.

Every single one of the high speed slashes that were unleashed in rapid succession aimed at the vital spots. Even Lux found it difficult to defend.

In addition, the Divine Raiment of Yato no Kami that Yoruka wore──the Spell Code that could steal control from other Drag-Rides, it would be strengthened in its controlling strength and the span of time it stole control in proportion to the length of time it touched the opponent.

Not to speak of locking swords for several seconds, even being touched by Yato no Kami would invite danger.

Furthermore, even when Lux tried to use Quick Shot using the reinforcement of time compression from Bahamut’s Reload on Fire, he was unable to predict Yoruka’s attack’s preparatory movement at all.

Quick Shot would decelerate the time of one’s own body by several times first before activating, because of that at the beginning it would leave an opening. It couldn’t be used without being able to see through the opponent’s attack’s preliminary movement first.

Right now Lux was still able to continue defending against Yoruka’s attack just barely, but that was the best that he could do.

「As expected from Aruji-sama. This is the first time there was someone who could evade my sword this long. But──」

The slash of Yoruka who was showing a composed smile increased further in speed and weight.

「Is it fine like this? The current Aruji-sama doesn’t have that much time left until you cannot fight anymore correct?」

「Kuh……!?」

Yoruka’s tone that sounded like she had seen through him caused Lux to feel impatient.

The operation time limit of Bahamut was approaching moment by moment even while they were doing this.

Yoruka’s exquisite swordsmanship wasn’t something he could ascertain in this short time.

Therefore Lux resolved to throw away safety.

「Then──I’ll make you let me pass.」

The moment Lux declared, Bahamut’s great sword drew a slashing line with speed that te eye couldn’t follow.

It was the super speed activation for one action only by completely harmonizing body control operation and mind control operation──Quick Draw.

The attack that came from the Drag-Ride control technique that Lux devised in the past, when it hit the shoulder of Yato no Kami──that instantaneous attack clashed with the slash Yoruka unleashed and fierce sounds and sparks scattered.

「Wha-……!?」

Lux who saw that was shocked. He quickly flew backwards and took some distance.

Quick Draw’s attack shouldn’t be able to get overtaken by a normal Drag-Ride operation even when they reacted.

That movement that he had seen only once before at Cross Field was as expected──

「Truly splendid Aruji-sama. It’s only to be expected from someone who had devised this hidden technique as well as the remaining other two earlier than me isn’t it?」

「Eh……?」

Yoruka suddenly showed an innocent smile and told Lux so.

「The great figure who was the youngest Drag-Knight of the Arcadia Empire and devised special control techniques that ought to even be called as three types of hidden techniques. The true identity of that person wasn’t known until now but──I can understand with this.」

「…………」

Lux was speechless hearing those matter-of–fact words.

If Yoruka was speaking the truth, then she too was also able to use the three hidden techniques just like Lux.

(──No good. This girl’s strength far surpasses my imagination.)

But, there was no time for him to hesitate.

Lux kept taking distance while concentrating his mind. He readied his great sword.

The second hidden technique──Recoil Burst.

By creating a contradiction of holding down a full power body control operation with mind control operation that was focused into one point, this hidden technique of destruction would unleash an attack that was impossible to control from an intentional rampage.

The armor’s Mythrildite raised a strange creaking sound. That sound could be heard from Bahamut and Yato no Kami.

(──Yoruka is also doing Recoil Burst!? Is she planning for both of us taking each other down simultaneously!?)

• giggle* A small chuckle leaked out from Yoruka’s mouth. Right after that, the blades of both sides that were unleashed as though there was an explosion behind them crossed while grazing each other.

The slash was unleashed so that both sides would dodge just barely, but that terrific might blew away both Drag-Rides just from the shockwave of the aftermath.

「Ku……aa!」

Lux endured the recoil from the attack that was strengthened until more than ten times while rushing so as to not miss that opening.

The third hidden technique, End Action.

It was a special move where a Drag-Knight could infinitely launch consecutive attacks without end by alternately stacking operation command of body control operation and mind control operation that was independent from each other. Lux executed the technique with the resolve to decide the match before Yato no Kami’s Spell Code was activated , but──

「My──so this time it’s a contest of endurance?」

The slashes that were unleashed without pause over and over were all returned blow by blow with exactly the same sword speed by Yoruka too.

Upper slash, low slash, thrust, return slash, repel, dodge, parry.

The sharpness of the sword flashes was gradually increasing, accelerating in high speed as though all the other awareness was cut loose.

When more than a hundred slashes were crossed and repelled in the span of a few seconds, their arms and legs finally stopped.

「Haa, haa……haa……!」

「Haa, a……haa……」

Because they were unleashing slashes without any pause in a state of not breathing, they both ran out of breath and stopped moving.

「──It’s not so easy to defeat you Aruji-sama. There were several chances if I aimed for a simultaneous defeat but…… I too still cannot die.」

Yoruka smiled with her shoulders heaving up and down. Her breathing was rough without even any composure to hide her exhaustion.

Lux who was similarly lacking the composure had a question coming to his mind after hearing those words and he asked back.

「……What do you, mean?」

「Because after this, I have to raise Aruji-sama’s younger sister to become a king in Aruji-sama’s place.」

Yoruka said that with a matter-of-fact tone.

She said that if Lux died, she would raise Airi who would be the last remaining bloodline of the Old Empire as king.

「……Why are you that fixated on the Old Empire? No matter because you promised──」

「……How about we have a bit of a talk about the past?」

Yoruka said that and started talking quietly about it.

「Just as I said before this, I am a defective article. I didn’t have a human heart since I was born. A heartless doll that lacked humanity. Even when my father told me that and cut off our familial relationship, I didn’t feel a single thing.」

Yoruka who was the princess of the nation of Koto and her younger twin brother.

Her little brother was sickly but a person of character, in contrast to him Yoruka continued to instinctually kill the hostiles who attacked her and she was avoided by all her surroundings.

「It was only my sickly little brother who was concerned for me who was shunned by everyone in the castle. Inside the castle that was like a rubbish heap where every single person only thought of kicking down another person, it was only my little brother who tried to become a splendid lord. He even spoke that he would surely protect me who wasn’t understood by anyone──」

Lux wondered why.

Yoruka’s little brother whose face he didn’t even know, he felt the same as Lux who tried to change the Old Empire from the inside.

「We swore. My little brother would become a splendid lord. And I would become a servant who devotes my loyalty to my little brother who would succeed the throne. Both of us would risk our lives to protect the other, and persisted on our respective paths until the end. And then──」

Yoruka suddenly put her breathing in order, twisted half her body, and readied her katana shaped Blade in middle stance.

「Now then, let’s end this soon. Next I will display my own personal sword. This left eye──that has been strengthened from having the operation called 『Baptism』conducted on it, enabled this technique──」

The pupil of Yoruka’s left eye suddenly opened and it was tinged with bewitching purple light.

Lux put up his guard against the uncommon presence, but right at that moment, it happened.

• zagu-!*

「Wha──!?」

When Lux heard the sharp sound of slicing wind, he was already cut.

Bahamut’s barrier that was deployed before his eye was slightly torn, a part of his armor was broken, and an impact pierced Lux’s body.

「Instant Strike──perhaps that’s how I should name it? It doesn’t has that much power, but if it’s a Drag-Ride that only has average armor then it will take only one strike you know?」

「U…… kuh!?」

Lux immediately took distance from Yoruka and grasped the situation.

(……Just now, what did she do!?)

The speed of the Blade that Yoruka slashed was indeed fast.

But, its speed was obviously inferior to his hidden technique Quick Draw, and her swordsmanship just now also wasn’t particularly unusual.

And yet, it was as though Lux was unable to see that slash that should be extremely simple.

「Human, cannot do something like being conscious of the unconscious.」

Yoruka talked matter-of-factly while closing the distance.

The pupil of her left eye stayed open while shining blazingly with mysterious light, a gruesome smile surfaced on her face.

When Lux noticed, he was receiving the second attack.

Lux concentrated trying to at least ascertain that sword flash, but he was unable to.

「What is called consciousness is the same as breathing. No matter how much someone tried to focus, there surely will be an instant where they paused. If I attack at that moment──it will feel like the attack is visible but the opponent won’t be able to react.」

「Gu, ah……!」

Lux received the slashes Yoruka unleashed one after another and his Drag-Ride’s output was rapidly decreasing.

The moment his balance suddenly broke, Yoruka unleashed a slash as though she was aiming for that and he received it in full. He was sent flying.

(Damn, it……!)

「When using Aruji-sama’s hidden techniques and Instant Strike, I need to focus so I cannot use my Divine Raiment but──the attack just now was different you know?」

「Ku, a……!」

Mysteriously shining cursed pattern was surfacing on Bahamut’s armor.

Due to the ability of Yato no Kami’s Divine Raiment, Spell Code, Bahamut’s control was taken away.

The power of that Divine Raiment gave stronger domination the longer the opponent was touched, but facing against an opponent as skilled as Yoruka, even a single second of opening would be fatal.

Bahamut’s movement stopped and even the barrier deployment was dispelled.

The instant Lux became completely defenseless, Yoruka swung up her Blade with a smile.

「-……!?」

(──She got me)

That moment when Lux resolved himself, Yoruka’s sword quickly moved. With his gaze kept facing the front, two throwing weapons flying from behind him deflected that attack.

Right after Lux noticed that it was the cover fire from Lisha’s fired Legion──

「Uwah!?」

Two more Legions hit Bahamut’s shoulders and blew Lux backward.

「I see, so that’s her aim.」

Right after Yoruka smiled, the effect of Spell Code was dispelled because a distance was opened from her.

『Get a hold of yourself Lux! Why are you having trouble facing against that kind of person!』

The Dragon Voice from Lisha became blurred from the middle.

Looking there, far away at the other side of Gigas, Lisha was receiving fierce attacks from Hayes who was wearing Nidhogg.

Part 19

「Hah! Exposing an opening to save that shitty prince, you made an awful mistake!」

Hayes laughed loudly while doubling her attacks, but Lisha endured stoically.

Although she once built an advantage against Nidhogg, but in order to save Lux she used Legions. Hayes took advantage of it and the battle situation was reversed once more.

Because Tiamat was a Drag-Ride that possessed a lot of armaments for long range, it was weak when the enemy got close.

But, the glint in Lisha’s eyes didn’t weaken even slightly even while she was getting cornered into a disadvantageous situation.

「Mistake you say? Are you talking about me?」

「That’s right. How can someone standing above other people get done in from covering for their subordinate’s life? Because you don’t even understand something like that you’ll──」

「It’s you who don’t get it, you damn wannabe strategist!」

• GAKII!*

The two-bladed sword Hayes swung got through the barrier. But the Sword Device Lisha pulled out blocked it and using Howling Howl, Nidhogg was pushed back.

「……What-!?」

That unexpected defense shook Hayes. It was then that Lisha swiftly swung her Sword Device.

Countless Legions were circling around Nidhogg like a tornado, cutting off the path of escape. Lisha pulled the trigger of Seven Heads.

「Gu, AAAAH!」

The barrier of Hayes’s Nidhogg was smashed through and a part of her armor broke apart.

Hayes couldn’t hold out and fell on her knee. Lisha readied her weapon once more.

「You said that I’m weak. But then, how can you lose against this me? No one was telling it to you. You put the Ragnarok and this Gigas, things that no one can be a match against under your control, and you got deluded that all these are your own strength just from that. But, I’m different from you! That guy remonstrated me who was conceited of my own strength. That’s why──the current me is here, because I had piled up hard work, wanting to be recognized by that guy!」

Hayes was crouching in front of the pointed cannon muzzle.

「Ku, kukukukuku……」

Her lips were distorted into a fearless grin.

Part 20

The duel of Krulcifer versus Greifer was continuing in the arena.

Thanks to Fafnir’s Divine Raiment, Wise Blood, that was the ability of future foresight, Krulcifer was avoiding Greifer’s fierce offensive, but at the same time she was also unable to find a decisive chance.

「You’re really something huh! It’s a waste of your skill that you appeared as a borrowed thing of your allied country yeah!」

「I also think that you would be even more troublesome if you were just a bit more prudent, it will be at the level that I wouldn’t be able to manage.」

Greifer’s Tail Blade lengthened its blade and attacked by drawing a strange trajectory.

That consecutive attack that was unleashed with rapidly increasing power and precision was evaded by Krulcifer using her mobility and Auto Shield.

Even so, because of Greifer’s Divine Raiment, the invincibility ability──Photon Dive, Krulcifer’s counterattack was all neutralized.

Therefore, both sides didn’t have the deciding factor and the battle was prolonged, but──

「……I wonder if you can withdraw soon? I also don’t have much free time.」

「Is it about that huge thing approaching this way?」

Greifer kept his gaze on his opponent Krulcifer while replying like that with a fearless grin.

「If you understand, then restrain yourself. Continuing further than this is meaningless.」

「Doing that caused things with the Old Empire to get vague for many years. Unfortunately this is an order from above yeah.」

「It looks like the intention of my words is not conveyed to you isn’t it?」

Krulcifer who heard that let out a small exasperated sigh.

And then, she gazed quietly at Greifer and informed him with a calm tone.

「Fighting more than this will end with your defeat──that’s what I’m saying.」

「What……?」

「You didn’t notice? You have lost once to Lux-kun. At that time, the weak point of your Divine Raiment was identified.」

「Fuh, that’s interesting yeah! I got curious now, just how confident you are in that!」

Greifer dashed and attacked fiercely. Krulcifer evaded while sniping with Freezing Gun. Greifer instantly activated Photon Dive and reflected back the freezing bullet that hit him.

「It’s pointless! At this state, nothing will get through to me.」

「Kuh……!」

Krulcifer who kept evading like that was cornered to the wall and when she couldn’t continue backing away,

「Soon──it will be time for your invincibility to end isn’t it?」

Krulcifer stopped escaping and dodging and stood her ground.

「I see, so you really believe that my Photon Dive only has seven seconds in it huh?」

「……!?」

Until now Greifer showed that his Divine Raiment’s effect of invincibility would stop at precisely seven seconds.

That fact itself was a trap Greifer laid out.

In order to bring down Krulcifer who shifted into offense aiming at that moment when the effect was cancelled──

「The loser is you, young lady of Ymir.」

The Tail Blade that was filled with energy to the maximum was deflected once by the Auto Shield, then the returning blade attacked Krulcifer.

But,

「──No, it’s as I thought. It’s you who lost.」

At that time, the muzzle of Fafnir’s Freezing Cannon was already pressed on Cuelebre’s shoulder.

• BANG!* The sound of a normal bullet hitting was echoing inside the arena’s ring.

Right after that, Cuelebre that was clad in Photon Dive was sent flying backward. At the same time, its Divine Raiment and reinforced barrier were dispelled and decreased in output.

「Wha, aat-……!?」

「What I’m measuring isn’t the timing when your Divine Raiment’s invincibility cut off. But how to make my attack hit when you’re in that state──. Thinking back it’s a simple thing. If all material and energy are deflected when you are clad in that light, your own attacks too should only push back your opponent instead of hitting.」

Krulcifer was informing the shocked Greifer with her usual cool smile.

「In other words, anything that attacks you will be ineffective unless it’s an attack that is done with a certain mass and speed. That’s why, if I shoot in zero distance with my gun muzzle glued on you, even the light of invincibility covering your Drag-Ride can be broken through. If I readied my gun muzzle the moment you rushed in convinced of your victory──」

「What a……woman. So you making me think that you were aiming at the moment my invincibility ran out was──intentional huh. I must be losing my touch.」

「It’s not something that you should feel that down about. Your Drag-Ride also still has that damage from Lux-kun, also I was told about your Divine Raiment so I had the time to prepare a countermeasure. And then──」

Krulcifer whisperd while fixing the aim of her rifle on Cuelebre again.

「It was him who gave advice to me, who was lacking a trump card against the powerful. If I drive in an impact aiming at the dead center of the Force Core, then even when it only hits from across the armor, it can stop the energy output of the Drag-Ride temporarily.」

As though following Krulcifer’s words, the Freezing Cannon that was aimed at Greifer was focusing bluish white light of cold wave.

If she was unable to obtain instantaneous high offensive power, she would surpass it with her accuracy.

That was the answer that Krulcifer reached based on Lux’s advice.

「I don’t know how our next fight will go, but for the time being this match is──my and his victory.」

Krulcifer said that calmly and pulled her weapon’s trigger.

That moment, the conclusion in the arena was settled quietly.

Part 21

Inside the castle──at the reception hall in front of the conference room, countless light bullets and blades were flying about.

The three Drag-Rides that were planted with the seed of Yggdrasil. Horn flute was played to strengthen them.

The grotesque Drag-Rides that were called B-blood were pushing back Celis’s Lindwurm.

Inside the complicated structure inside the castle where countless marble pillars were standing, Celis’s options in fighting were extremely limited.

Her special armament, the huge assault lance, Lightning Lance was too big to be wielded freely indoors, and Starlight Zero that fired light bullet of wide range destruction was impossible to even be used here.

Therefore she was forced into a one-sided defensive battle against the teamwork of Saniya, Egnid, and Kirly.

「What’s wrong Celistia! Can you still call yourself as a Drag-Knight of a prestigious noble family like that!?」

The Blade of Saniya’s B-blood Wyvern sharply slashed through, furthermore her other hand pulled the trigger of a Breath Gun and attacked further with rapid-fire.

Holding a Blade and a Breath Gun in her left and right hands, she continued to attack without pause. That style of hers was the same as in the past, but her skill and power were far increased than in the past.

Furthermore the support of Egnid who was wearing a Wyrm and Kirly who was wearing a Drake that were similarly B-blood allowed them to completely grasp the initiative of the battle.

「Kuh……!」

Celis was sent flying by the impact and crashed onto the stone wall inside the castle. She groaned faintly.

Saniya who was convinced of their superiority slackened the tension in her lips there into a smile.

「With this──my dear wish will finally come true. All of you will be defeated and put under the rule of our Heiburg. All of you who are standing above other people only because of your lineage, but from now on the time has come for you to be the ones to obey us!」

「Is that your objective? You took part in this plan for the sake of something like that?」

When Celis asked that, Saniya exposed her rage.

「You who were born from the house of a great noble won’t understand, about us who were used by them and had our everything snatched away! My life will start from here! I will stand on the top of this country, and then I’ll make all you bastards pay what you owe us without fail!」

「Is that so──but, I reject that.」

In response to Saniya’s words, Celis slowly stood up and took a stance with her lance.

「I understand your circumstance but, that kind of wish is pointless. You only want to torment other people with weaker position than you, just like what happened to yourself in the past. ──There is no way I can let such wish be accomplished.」

「Fuh, that’s what I thought you would say. Do it! Egnid! Kirly!」

Saniya grinned fearlessly and called out to her two subordinates.

The three Drag-Rides simultaneously attacked Celis all at once.

「If it’s the me of the past, I would surely have been shaken by your words. I would wonder whether my actions are really correct. Whether the current rule is actually just the same as the rule of the Old Empire in the past──but」

But, Celis’s eye glint wasn’t wavering at all.

Instantly, Lindwurm’s armor shined and a territory of faint light was spreading around.

「……-!?」

At the same time Celis rotated a Dagger in the air. She accurately thrust at the butt of its handle and fired it like hammering a nail.

「────」

Saniya who saw that movement instantly guessed what was happening.

A double attack. It was Cross Fire from two directions by using Lindwurm’s Divine Raiment, the Divine Gate’s instant teleportation.

The strength of that special technique that only Celis could use was something that Saniya had witnessed many times.

「Damn idiot! We have prepared──countermeasures against that!」

Saniya quickly flew backward until near the wall, threw way her Breath Gun and readied her Blade with two hands.

The countermeasure was to limit the directions she needed to be on guard against by making it impossible to attack her from behind.

With the strengthened barrier of B-blood Wyvern, she could repel the Dagger flying to her from the front.

Next if she could just drive away the lance attack, Egnid and Kirly would take advantage of the opening──but,

「Crossing──Multi Attack.」

Celis appeared in the space right before her eyes, at the same time her lance that was tinged with electricity lunged diagonally downward.

And then, the Dagger that she was throwing just now, the Dagger that was similarly tinged with electricity, its tip hit the same spot of the lance’s target.

It was an attack focused to one spot from two directions that was done with a flawless timing.

After receiving Lux’s advice in the training camp, Celis devised this new tactic by herself.

「Gu, AAaAAH!」

The impacting attack easily pierced through the Wyvern’s barrier that was strengthened by Yggdrasil’s ability and the readied Blade, furthermore even its Force Core was pierced and destroyed.

「What-……!?」

Even Egnid who was trying to attack from behind stopped moving seeing that unimaginable result.

「────」

Celis finished Saniya and turned around, then in a flash she aimed her lance at Egnid before firing a Dagger wrapped in electricity once more.

Staying on guard against the Crossing Multi Attack just now──the attack that focused its hit on one spot, Egnid resolved himself to block it.

He poured all his energy into his barrier, strengthened it to maximum, and deployed it facing the front, but,

「──That’s a bad move.」

「Whaa-……!?」

Using Divine Gate, Celis circled behind Egnid this time, launched a thrust of her lance that was tinged with electricity, and smashed apart the armor of the B-Blood Wyrm.

「Gahah……!? Bi, bitch──that’s just, cheating……right?」

It was Cross Fire attack from two directions of back and front, right after she showed the Crossing Multi Attack that was an attack that focused on one spot simultaneously from two directions.

Pressed with two options that would result in his instant defeat if he chose mistakenly, even Egnid was tragically defeated.

「Winning percentage is sharply reduced──retreating.」

The remaining Kirly activated her B-blood Drake’s camouflaging and began escaping, but Lindwurm that circled right in front of her eyes smashed the armor with one lance attack.

「──Escape is not permitted. I’ll have you receive a slightly painful experience too.」

• BASHIiIII-!*

Blinding electricity spark scattered and Kirly’s mask slowly fell.

Behind the mask, there was the face of a little girl with special trait of ears that looked like a bird feather.

「Second clone──serious damage.」

Kirly whispered while at the same time her body crumbled into sand──no, into something powder-like that was even more minute than sand.

From her heart area, a mechanical lump that had countless steel wire growing from it spilled out and in the end only her head retained its shape.

「This is……what in the world!? Your true identity is──」

Right after Celis reflexively raised her voice, something strange occurred.

「Kukukukukukukukukukukukukukuukuku kekekekekekekekekekkekekekekekekeke」

The head of the girl who until now persisted in her artificial silence started laughing like a broken record.

And then, the Automaton borrowed Hayes’s words and muttered something terrifying.

Part 22

「What is happening!? Why is she not defeated even with this much battle strength!? The enemy is just a single Drag-Ride!」

On the other side, at the plaza in front of the castle gate, it was a battle between Philuffy’s Typhon versus the swarm of Abyss and fifty Drag-Knights of the Rebel Army Ragreed was leading.

It was a battle that started in a condition that should be advantageous for the Rebel Army Ragreed was leading.

The battle that seemed to be all but a victory for them was disturbed by Typhon that Philuffy was driving with control technique that was interweaved with martial arts. The battle situation was gradually inclining to her side.

Against the enemy’s long range sniping, Philuffy would use Pile Anchor to pull in the Abyss and made them into a shield, or she would throw them and reduce their numbers. Furthermore if she was surrounded, she would shoot her wire into the ground or the castle wall and moved herself at high speed.

Furthermore her straight punch with all her weight behind it and her various kicking techniques that would suddenly come flying would smash apart the enemy along with their weapons without giving them any time to react, burying them into the ground.

「──Biting FlareDragon Bite Bursting Fire」

The last Abyss, a Chimera was seized by Typhon, and with its special armament the Chimera was blown up while still being seized.

The remaining Drag-Knights of the Rebel Army who saw that raised fearful voices and backed away.

「──This, bunch of dullards-!」

Ragreed was enraged seeing his fearful subordinates and spat out in irritation. But even the few who escaped were seized by Typhon’s Pile Anchor and they were easily shot down.

「How, how can you fight like that!? You fight alone continuously using a Divine Drag-Ride, why aren’t you breathing hard!?」

「Because, Lu-chan taught me.」

Philuffy told the yelling Ragreed the answer seriously.

「I became tired from fighting, because I put too much strength.」

Even in the academy, Philuffy was among the top class powerful people there, but her unique fighting style that incorporated martial arts consumed a lot of stamina within a short time.

Therefore through mock battles Lux taught Philuffy the way to relax even in the middle of battle──she would constantly tense a part of her consciousness while also looking for timing to rest her body. She learned it and carried it out in actual practice.

「Hah, just a pointless struggle! You think making such effort would actually bear fruit? If your true shape as someone who has a part of an Abyss inside you is brought to the open, you won’t have any place to belong anywhere in this country! Your solitude fighting won’t be rewarded at all!」

Right after that, Ragreed took out a horn flute from his pocket and blew into it strongly.

The discordant chord resounded through the plaza in front of the castle, right after that Philuffy’s face grimaced slightly.

「-……!?」

「You get it now, damn monster! Become skewered meat just like that!」

Philuffy split her focus in order to oppose the domination effect from the horn flute. In that moment Ragreed’s EX Wyvern soared, then swooped down with his great sword at the ready.

He fully used the flying device on his back wings that he preserved until now and violently assaulted Philuffy who couldn’t take her stance, at that moment──

「──Missing Faith.」

Philuffy’s eyes were dyed jet black with slight tinge of gold light.

• GAUNN!* Typhon’s armor shined and a jet black wave was emitted to the surrounding.

「……Wha, aattt!?」

It was Typhon’s Divine Raiment that neutralized other Drag-Ride’s Divine Raiment and lowered the power output of the Drag-Ride itself.

The output of Ragreed’s EX Wyvern decreased the moment that wave of howl dashed over it and its speed fell.

Right after that, Typhon’s straight punch that was lying in wait struck the EX Wyvern.

「Gu, GAAaaAH!」

The impact pierced the barrier and crushed the armor.

Ragreed spat out blood and he was sent flying far away behind, crashing into the closed castle gate.

「Gehoh…… ho, how……can you maintain your sanity? My horn flute, certainly──」

「Because, I keep training. Since then, Lu-chan and Airi-chan always, trained me with that.」

The eyes of Philuffy who was whispering that indifferently had already returned to her usual eyes.

「It’s not pointless. Because from here on, I’ll protect Lu-chan.」

It was a training to accustom the body, in order to endure the horn flute’s control.

Although there was a limit to the time and number she could endure, the training was continued periodically so that she would at least be able to maintain herself as much as she could.

Therefore, it was possible for Philuffy to Abyssificate herself by her own will although it would only be for a short period of time.

Of course it was a trump card that would put a burden on her body, but in that short time she would be able to activate Typhon’s Divine Raiment that originally she was unable to use while her physical ability would also increase by leaps and bounds.

「That’s, impossible……! Something, like hope, for you is……」

Ragreed’s head dropped down and he fainted.

Philuffy who saw that leaked out a relieved sigh, but at that moment, a strange voice could be heard.

『Kukukukukuku──how admirable to defeat two bodies of the facility’s Gear Leader who is my compatriot and resist until this far. But, don’t think that you are in the advantage with this, you lowlifes.』

「……What’s, this?」

The shining powder flaking off from the EX Wyvern Ragreed was wearing took the shape of a human face and started talking.

It copied the expression of the strategist Hayes grinning fearlessly.

「This──don’t tell me」

Airi who was hiding together with Noct’s Drake near the castle gate saw that and groaned reflexively.

『I’ll at least show you the prize for resisting my plan until this far. The destruction of this country that is!』

• UUUN!* Instantly, Gigas that was visible far away at the capital’s townscape radiated light and the ground was starting to shake like an earthquake.

「Lu……chan?」

Philuffy whispered anxiously, at the same time she fell on her knee from exhaustion.

Part 23

「Gigas is vibrating……!? What are you planning to do, Hayes!」

Nidhogg stood up taking advantage of when Lisha’s attention was diverted by the loud rumble.

Lisha who saw that reflexively pulled her Cannon’s trigger.

But, when Hayes swung her two-bladed sword that was tinged with light as though drawing a circle, a wall of light was created before her and blocked Lisha’s cannon shot.

No──strictly speaking it wasn’t a wall.

The light of Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment was transmitted through to the two-bladed sword and tinged the blade──turning it into a light blade that cut apart everything, the trajectory that blade passed would leave behind a cut section.

「──It’s futile. No one is able to pass through the cut section this thing creates. And then, eat this!」

Next Nidhogg swept its weapon sideways. Just by doing that, the flash from it diagonally severed the upper part of the castle that was far behind. The castle crumbled down.

「Wha-……!?」

「This is your fault you know, damn substitute. To use this──Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment, Astral Line, even I will need to resolve myself. After all it’s a Divine Raiment that splits apart space itself, it’s an article that might destroy even this Gigas and the treasure I want to snatch.」

Hayes laughed seeing Lisha shuddering from witnessing that terrible might.

「See, I’m good with just killing you guys, the top of the royalty in the capital. Beheading everyone will make it troublesome for controlling this country later, it will also prolong the chaos. But──I gave up holding back already. Using Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment and Gigas’s all-direction firing, I’ll blow up everything altogether along with this capital!」

「Are you sane……? You──」

「It’s the fault of you guys for making me angry! You can go to hell without worry! Cause you’ll go together there with the people of this New Kingdom that you try to protect!」

Hayes yelled while Nidhogg swung down the blade that was tinged with the light of its Divine Raiment once more.

The flash of Astral Line split the world vertically, from the sky to the ground.

「-……!?」

Lisha’s body was blown away along with one arm of Tiamat that immediately deployed a reinforced barrier.

Part 24

A moment later, even Lux and Yoruka who were standing at the opposite side could hear that abnormal sound of slicing wind.

Due to the Divine Raiment Astral Line that severed the very space itself, the capital’s clock tower along with the city below were severed and collapsed with thunderous sound.

The Gigas was quickening the gathering of faint light toward its central cannon muzzle and on its whole body. The aftermath of the vibration from it shook the ground.

While screams and shrieks could be heard from below, Lux who was on his knee lifted his face.

「──It looks like that side will also be concluded soon doesn’t it?」

Yoruka was approaching near with a composed look even now after witnessing the omen of destruction that Gigas was showing and Nidhogg’s attack.

Although Lux was saved from his predicament due to Lisha’s support, he was unable to find a conclusive means of survival.

Lux had no method to block Yoruka’s special move──the Instant Strike that took advantage of the gaps of consciousness.

There was less than three minutes left for the activation time limit of Bahamut.

He was completely──cornered.

「Are you……not scared? Even though that Gigas and Hayes might destroy this capital soon.」

「Yes, not at all. Because I don’t have any human emotion in me.」

Yoruka answered instantly while showing a carefree smile.

「But, this is curious. Aruji-sama too doesn’t look scared at all. Aruji-sama is seriously intending to do it, isn’t it──of saving this country.」

「……What happened with your little brother?」

「Yes?」

「Your little brother swore to succeed the throne of Koto and become a splendid lord. And then, you──swore to walk the path of a servant who would protect him, what happened to that?」

「In this kind of situation, Aruji-sama is asking an interesting thing isn’t it?」

「Because I think that I have to ask it, as the last prince of the Old Empire.」

「…………」

Yoruka hesitated just for an instant with the smile still fixed on her face.

「My little brother──was killed.」

She said it smoothly from start to finish without any change at all in her expression and tone.

「Eh……?」

「The castle was surrounded when I was going outside, so in order to save my little brother I surrendered. I obeyed the command to enter under the banner of the Old Empire with the condition that only my little brother’s life was saved──but」

Yoruka talked with a hint of nostalgia in her tone and she smiled.

「My little brother was already killed, by none other than his subordinates, the chief vassals. The chief vassals who gave up the war because of the difference in battle strength with the empire laid the responsibility on my little brother in order to protect themselves. They beheaded him and presented his head to the empire.」

「…………」

「It was, vexing.」

The girl who was said to be not human whispered with something that felt like emotion coloring her tone for the first time.

「My blood relative who was the only one who believed in a defective product like me died. And yet, even when I heard that news, I didn’t feel sad even a little. That’s, the most vexing thing above all else, was how I wasn’t a proper human until the very end.」

「Then, you following the contract with my father──with the Old Empire is……」

「Both of us really weren’t cut out for it. Something like becoming a splendid lord, and a servant who devoted her loyalty to such lord is just──」

Even so just like her little brother who kept his oath until he died, she herself also exchanged a contract with the Old Empire in order to save her little brother. She was attempting to be faithful until she died to the only oath she had ever sworn by protecting that contract.

「Now, the time to talk harmoniously is also over with this. Let’s conclude this, Aruji-sama.」

「……Got it.」

Lux gazed straight at Yoruka, then he took a stance by pulling his sword greatly to the back.

「As a prince of the Old Empire, I’ll defeat you here.」

In response, Yoruka took her stance and her purple eyes shined fierily.

The battle technique of perceiving Lux’s conscious wavelengths and taking the opening of the unconscious gap──Instant Strike.

Yoruka intended to settle the match using the greatest technique she had.

The surrounding atmosphere tensed tinglingly and the tension was drawn until the very limit.

A few instants later, it came.

• BAKIiiIN!*

「──!?」

An instant of crossing, when the blades of both sides ran through empty air, Yoruka’s Blades snapped and twirled in the air.

At the same time, the Chaos Brand that Lux wielded also cracked, but it wasn’t separated from his hand.

「──Reload on Fire.」

Lux’s attack that struck last pierced through the barrier of Yoruka’s Yato no Kami and her armor was destroyed.

The impact on the Force Core completely downed the Drag-Ride’s output.

「──How……can this be?」

Yoruka showed a color of agitation for the first time. She whispered with a dumbfounded voice.

「I don’t understand something like the moment when there is gap in a human’s consciousness.」

Lux answered with wheezing breath.

「But, I predicted it only hazily, your tendency, the omen when you are about to move after reading the gap of my consciousness. I was finally able to see it, thanks to you getting emotional for the first time.」

「…………」

Lux’s Quick Shot that originally should only be usable when he used Reload on Fire.

That technique which aimed to attack at the moment the opponent unleashed their attack by perfectly seeing through the attack preparation movement of the opponent, against Yoruka, it was unable to reach until her armor.

Therefore, in the first attack Lux concentrated on only brushing away her sword, and then he decided the match with the next attack.

「Certainly, my tendency will come into view if I exert my strength emotionally. What a failure. For I who am not a human──to still have something like that.」

The moment Yoruka chuckled, the Gigas shined once more and it shook fiercely along with the ground.

Right after that, from the shoulder of Gigas that was tilting diagonally──Yoruka and Yato no Kami slipped off.

「With this, the Arcadia Empire is finished too. Sayonara──Aruji-sama.」

That moment she began to freefall, Lux flew his Bahamut, weaving through the gaps of the broken armor that was thrown away along with the Gigas’s movement. And then──

「What are……you doing?」

With a look as though she was seeing something inexplicable, she stared at the hand of Bahamut that was saving her.

Lux reached out his hand in order to save Yoruka at a timing where it seemed like he wouldn’t make it in time at all.

Even while shaking with most of his strength used up, Lux slowly pulled up Yato no Kami.

「Aruji-sama doesn’t have any responsibility or free time to save me you know? My wish is already──」

「I once tried to change this country──and then I failed.」

Lux spoke cutting off Yoruka’s words and he turned his eyes that were tinged with sadness to her.

「No matter how I couldn’t believe in how the country was, so I resolved myself to change it. After that various things happened and the Arcadia Empire was destroyed. My older brother, he told me that it’s impossible to persuade them. Perhaps he was right. Something like my wish might be a mistake that won’t come true in the end. But……」

While whispering, Lux mustered his remaining strength and pulled Yoruka up.

「If it’s possible to save, then I want to save even just one more person. It doesn’t matter even if that’s a reckless wish. After all, I resolved myself to destroy the Arcadia Empire for that.」

「……I’m astonished. Something like that──to choose the path of destroying one’s own country by one’s own hand in order to save it. This is my terrible misunderstanding. Aruji-sama, from the start you are fighting all this time for the sake of the Arcadia Empire aren’t you? In order to make it come true, the ideal country that you dreamed of──」

Yoruka suddenly made a tranquil smile, as though she was released from something.

Like that Lux pulled up Yoruka to the edge of Gigas’s shoulder before he let go of her hand.

「My battle is still not over. It has continued all this time──since that day seven years ago. That’s why, I’m going.」

Lux only left those words behind and he was about to turn on his heel. It was then he heard a voice.

「……Does Aruji-sama know, about the entrance to the shortest route heading towards Gigas’s control room?」

Yoruka who dispelled her armor was looking up to Lux with her usual smile.

「I think it’s a necessary information for Aruji-sama. If it can save your country, and really grant your wish then──」

Part 25

「How long are you going to run? It won’t be much longer until Gigas’s all-directional bombardment you know? You’re planning to abandon this country huh, princess-sama.」

「Kuh……!」

Lisha barely continued to avoid fatal wounds from the fierce attacks that Hayes’s Nidhogg unleashed by skillfully using Legion and Suppressor.

The trajectory that was passed through when the blade of Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment, Astral Line was swung──that severed cut section remained behind as a wall of light. Because the space was literally cut apart like that, any attack wouldn’t pass through to the other side.

(As long as the enemy doesn’t dispel that cut section created by the Divine Raiment, my attacks won’t reach, huh……)

Besides, the slash from Hayes’s Astral Line could further sever that cut section of space from above.

Just like how a paper with countless lines drawn on it had a new line drawn on it and enclosed an area, Lisha’s was also gradually getting cornered with her escape path getting cut off one by one.

It was a hopelessly unfavorable situation. Even so inside her head, Lisha was trying to form a strategy towards victory.

How to make her attacks pass through using all the methods available to her.

That was the tactical thinking possessed by Lisha who was called as the New Kingdom’s Scarlet Battle Princess.

(However, thanks to seeing that Divine Raiment many times like this, I finally understand how it works.)

The moment Hayes tried to unleash a slash using Astral Line again, Tiamat flew.

「Idiot! No one can fly through the space that Nidhogg cut──……!?」

But, the moment Hayes unleashed a new slash using her Divine Raiment, one of the walls of light from the cut space that was surrounding the area suddenly disappeared as though dissolving into air.

「You’re quite something in scheming, but you are not really a big deal when it comes to Drag-Ride tactics huh──bungler strategist.」

Lisha charged and slipped through that vanishing cut section──the hole between the light walls.

The cut section of space created by Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment couldn’t be done infinitely by any means.

In the case when more new slashes were unleashed after already cutting apart a certain size of surface area, the cut section that was previously made would vanish in turn, starting from the oldest cut section.

Therefore, Lisha memorized the order by which the light wall of cut section was created, then she matched her timing with Hayes’s attack and broke through the hole of the vanished wall.

Even though Hayes understood the trait of Nidhogg’s Divine Raiment, she wasn’t grasping it thoroughly in real battle.

That time when the difference in battle experience between the two sides was brought to the fore, Lisha aimed her Seven Heads.

「Prepare yourself Hayes! This is──your loss!」

「──Hah」

But that moment, *gashiin!* Lisha together with Tiamat were restrained.

「Wh, at……!?」

The rumbling Gigas that should be only preparing for its all-directional bombardment until now.

Its giant arm had moved unnoticed by anyone and caught Lisha with it.

「That’s naïve, you substitute princess. Even if Gigas is in a state of opening all its gunports, but were you looking down on it that it won’t be able to move all the time?」

「-……!?」

「I have great power, the proof of my bloodline that once ruled over this world and made you lowlifes succumb! This is──the status that you fake absolutely cannot obtain.」

「──That’s idiotic.」

Lisha raised her voice in response to Hayes who was showing a triumphant smirk.

「What did you say……?」

Gigas’s hand was tightened until just barely, even so Lisha grinned fearlessly.

「Just what is amazing from that? I don’t get it at all. Are you really satisfied that you are able to subdue a junk that will move just because of your bloodline?」

「You are still going to bluff even at this point huh, this fake princess.」

「……You see, when I obtained Tiamat, I didn’t think like that for even the slightest bit. No matter how strong specs it has, I didn’t want something like that for even the slightest bit. Since the past until now, what I want is the strength and qualification that is worthy for that Drag-Ride!」

Lisha put her strength into her Drag-Ride, trying to tear off Gigas’s restrain.

「I’ll teach you! The thing that I’m trying to obtain by fighting, if far higher in rank than your so called strength!」

「──That as far as your joke goes, get crushed and die.」

Hayes raised an angry voice and Gigas moved to closed its fist and crush Tiamat.

But at that instant, several of its five fingers were cut apart and a jet black Drag-Ride cut through the sky.

「I’m sorry to make you wait, Lisha-sama.」

Lux carried Lisha along with her Drag-Ride in his arms and spoke to her.

Lisha who became aware of that saw Lux’s face from close up and her face flushed up red.

「──!? Yo, you are slow, really! Don’t make me worry so much……」

Lisha yelled angrily to divert attention from her state before she averted her face and whispered so at the end.

「Also, that girl’s Divine Drag-Ride, Nidhogg, I saw through its ability. It will be sink or swim, but will you follow me?」

Seeing his master, the princess pretending to be tough, Lux gently smiled at her.

「There is only little time remaining until Bahamut’s activation time limit. Please instruct me about your plan through Dragon Voice.」

「……Yeah! We are going to teach that mad strategist a lesson!」

Lisha faced Nidhogg once more and began to focus energy into Seven Heads.

At the same time, Lux who flew drawing a sharp arc attacked towards Nidhogg.

His swordsmanship was endowed with weight and speed, but Nidhogg obstructed it with the wall its cut section created.

「It’s futile! It’s impossible for you to surpass this wall! You guys will absolutely──」

「Try blocking this Hayes! The other technique that I devised!」

Immediately after Hayes who was convinced of her victory yelled, *DON!* Tiamat’s armament the Seven Heads fired flickering purple light bullets from its center muzzle.

Seeing that unfamiliar attack, Hayes showed an alert expression, even so she didn’t move from her spot.

Nidhogg’s surrounding was already surrounded by the cut section light wall it created. No attack would pass it. In that case it should be absolutely safe if she didn’t move but──

「Linker Burst. ──And then, Reload on Fire.」

The moment Lux raised his voice, Nidhogg itself advanced forward as though it was being pulled.

「Wh, at-!?」

Bahamut was internally equipped with a special armament to create force fields that controlled a material’s trajectory. It went through compression reinforcement by Reload on Fire, and the force field that originally didn’t have the strength to move a Drag-Ride moved Nidhogg.

In order to prevent herself from getting crushed by the light wall that her own Divine Raiment created, Hayes removed the cut section. In that instant──the purple light bullet Lisha fired directly hit Hayes.

「Gu, u……! Damn idiot! My Nidhogg’s barrier won’t even break from just this much──」

「No worry Hayes. Your time is already over.」

The moment Lisha showed her grin, it happened.

Nidhogg that received the black purple light bullet became unable to move.

No, far from that──

「What, this is──!?」

Her armor creaked fiercely and began to distort in turn from the small parts.

It was as though she was being held in place by pins midair. She was fixed on the spot by a powerful pressure and she was unable to escape.

「Gravity bullet, it’s a technique that applies Tiamat’s Divine Raiment, the Suppressor. Also, once you get touched, you will be dragged to the center of the sphere until its effect runs out and get crushed there. In other words──」

Lisha was explaining while loading energy into Seven Heads.

At the same time in front of her Lux’s Bahamut was silently readying its black great sword──a red flash surged.

「──Reload on Fire.」

Lux compressed his own time to the greatest degree and then he unleashed Quick Shot.

Faster than Astral Line could create a light wall, that two-bladed sword that was the Divine Raiment’s starting point was destroyed into pieces.

「──Farewell Hayes, Heiburg’s strategist whose identity isn’t even revealed, see with your own eyes the strength of this Scarlet Battle Princess and fall!」

Right after that, the maximum output cannon shot of Seven Heads attacked Nidhogg.

「──Gu, GAaAAAaAaAAH……!?」

Extremely glaring light bore into the armor, then Nidhogg broke down along with Hayes’s shriek.

Shriek and armor fragments scattered everywhere along with an explosion, melting inside the light.

『Wh, y……! Why are you bastards! The likes of the descendants……who betrayed us……!』

Hayes’s voice that was sent through the Dragon Voice got blurry at the end and became distant.

When their sight returned a few moments later, Hayes’s figure had vanished without any trace.

「We did it, next is──」

Lisha moved even while wheezing roughly.

「Yes! There is only one left──」

Mustering their last strength, Lux and Lisha followed the passage that Yoruka told Lux and infiltrated inside from Gigas’s chest part. After progressing through a single path for ten-odd seconds, they found the control room area just like what they saw before inside the Ark. There, a single girl was sitting on a chair.

She had countless cables connected to her and a mechanical crown on her head, gazing to the front with emotionless eyes.

Perhaps she was splitting her focus with the control of Gigas, she moved her face for the first time when catching sight of Lux and Lisha.

「Situation of certain defeat. Evacuation impossible. Last order──activate.」

The Automaton’s expression was hollow. But, just a single animosity could be sensed from the peculiar tone of Gigas’s Gear Leader, El Fajura.

She knew of the defeat of Hayes, the Lord that she worshipped. And yet, even now she was resolved to take revenge by destroying the capital.

「Stop! The outcome has been decided already. More than this is──」

Lisha raised her voice to stop her while aiming her Cannon’s muzzle at El Fajura.

But, perhaps she had used up all of her energy and willpower because Tiamat didn’t show any reaction.

And then, Lux’s Bahamut had also passed through its activation time limit and got dispelled.

「Damn i──」

「Confirming situation change by sight, achieving the objective within the remaining few seco──」

El Fajura whispered while watching that movement at the corner of her sight, in that instant,

「That will be impossible I think.」

• stab* A katana shaped Sword Device sprung out from the center of her chest, *crackle* and yellow sparks scattered.

「……!?」

When the surprised Lux and Lisha looked behind them, they noticed that Yoruka who had arriving from behind the two of them had thrown her Sword Device.

「You──!?」

Right after Lisha raised her voice in surprise, Yoruka smiled bewitchingly like usual.

「This is a contract violation Automaton-san. Destroying this very country itself is different from my agreement with your master you know?」

「…………」

El Fajura didn’t react to those words. She gazed at Lux with sparks scattering from her stabbed chest. And then, her lips distorted into a grin and she laughed, as though displaying her will as an Automaton for the first time.

「……I see, so you are the rebel. Did you obtain the world you wished for after throwing the previously created world principle out of order?」

「──What?」

Lux asked back with a dubious face after hearing the Automaton’s sudden words.

「You will soon remember. Even if you forgot, someday──if you wish for that once more.」

After leaving those words behind at the end, light vanished from El Fajura’s eyes. At the same time Gigas’s rumbling stopped and the surrounding was filled with silence.

The many long battles were closed here.

Epilogue – The Empire’s Whereabouts

Part 1

「We will arrive soon, Nii-san.」

「N, nn……」

Lux faintly opened his eyes along with the familiar voice of his little sister Airi.

It seemed that Lux was dozing while sitting inside the neat horse carriage that was shaking sometimes.

The canopy acted as sunshade, but the inside was hot because it was midday──and then, the scent of summer’s greenery was coming in.

On this day where the last day of the summer holiday was fast approaching, Lux along with the other selection members were on a long trip back to the Academy.

「……I see, it’s over already isn’t it.」

They were delayed for ten days longer than their original return schedule, but thinking of the cleaning up of the great incident at the capital, the treatment and recovery of Lux and company, and so on, it could be considered as fast.

The Imperial Capital Recapture Plan that was schemed by Heiburg’s enlarged military division was safely obstructed, and the All-Dragon Battle this time had also closed its curtains.

The selection members who were the representative of each country returned back to their own countries, and in their place he heard that a lot of important people visited the royal capital in order to deal in regards to the various occurring problems.

Regarding the case of the rampage of Lisha’s Tiamat too, with the testimony of the captured Saniya and the others, it seemed that for the moment the other countries were persuaded.

Hayes’s whereabouts were unknown, but it was very likely that she died in battle with how she was defeated at the end.

Ragreed and the Rebel Army’s forces that were used by Heiburg were also captured. From here on their crime would surely be inquired for a long time.

And then, on the last day before they went back.

Lux and Airi were summoned to the government office where the high officials were assembled.

「Lux Arcadia. Your conspicuous service this time was truly splendid.」

The first words of the high official who was representing the consuls were that.

The decoy role against the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan, and the four wins at the All-Dragon Battle.

And then, the case regarding the sudden invasion of Gigas that assaulted the royal capital and how he stopped it.

Looking at the results, Lux had completed all of the consuls’ demands, and he even raised an accomplishment that far surpassed it.

「Regarding the enemies that attacked the New Kingdom, your meritorious deeds of commanding the members of Syvalles and managing the defense is big. Therefore──just as promised, the matter of the unauthorized Ruin investigation by headmaster Relie won’t be questioned.」

「……Thank you very much.」

Lux lightly bowed in response to the high official’s tone of voice that was vaguely mixed with fear.

Lux had resolved himself against the possibility that they might make allusions regarding the jet black Divine Drag-Ride Lux had──Bahamut and about the Black Hero, but unexpectedly those matters weren’t mentioned.

Perhaps Queen Raffi had explained it already, or perhaps they were forbidden to question it, even Lux didn’t know what it actually was but──

「A, and so. In regards to your exceptional achievement, we wish to grant you even more reward. The punishment given to you who were cast down as a criminal along with the establishment of the New Kingdom, we will recognize that you have compensated for them with your meritorious deeds this time, write off that punishment, and we will lift up your status to be the same as us nobles.」

The high official’s words were spoken along with a flattering smile.

But even hearing those words, Lux’s expression didn’t change at all.

「On top of that, we of the government wish to recommend you as a Drag-Knight to be the representative of the New Kingdom──becoming one of the 『Seven Dragon Paladins』. You are not a Chore Prince or the like anymore. Now you can become a first class knight of the New Kingdom with honor.」

The surrounding consuls gave applause to their representative’s words.

But at that time, the calm voice of the young man suddenly resounded inside the government office’s assembly hall.

「Err, excuse me. This is a talk that is really too good for me, but I wish to decline it.」

「──What?」

It seemed that reply was completely unexpected, the representative high official showed bewilderment.

「I am satisfied with the amnesty I received from her majesty the queen, and I am even indebted to her highness the princess. And so, I──will be satisfied if I’m allowed to attend the Academy just as before.」

「Wha……-!?」

The consuls there were making a stir seeing Lux refusing like that with a calm smile.

「Wha, what are you saying!? We the representatives of the New Kingdom are saying here that we will pardon your crime you know!? You won’t be ridiculed as the ruined prince or obligated to do chores anymore. You can become an upper class noble from your position as a criminal you know? That’s──」

「It’s because my current lifestyle suits me. I wish to be allowed to work for the sake of this country’s people and the Academy from here on too.」

Lux emphasized a part of his words slightly while giving back a smile that was free of any malice.

「Bu, but……, that’s──」

「Rather than that, if I’m able to receive some kind of reward, there is one thing that I wish to request in exchange. I don’t mind to be given a request, but from here on, can I ask all of you to refrain from calling out to me through someone else in the Academy?」

「Ri, right……」

「I beg you, please protect that promise.」

After informing that with a cold gaze in the end, Lux left the assembly hall along with Airi.

Amidst the parliamentary seats that were enveloped in agitation, one of the Four Great Nobles, Dist Ralgris who was sitting at a corner made a calm smile.

「……It looks like we completely misjudged his existence.」

「What do you mean by that, Lord Dist?」

One of the Four Great Nobles, Bugriser who was sitting beside him shook his large body and asked.

「There is no other meaning. He showed how he completely outmaneuvered the consuls──the nobles gathering here. By lifting a powerful Drag-Knight like him from his criminal status into a noble, he will become in 『debt』 with them. The government officials attempted to put a collar on him like that. Just now these lots were trying to make him into their convenient tool.」

「I see. That brat saw through that miserable ulterior motive and so he refused to be freed from his criminal status.」

Dist nodded at Bugriser’s words.

「He is currently acquitted due to the amnesty that reduced him to the criminal status──which put him under the management of her majesty the queen in the end. The other nobles cannot carelessly put their hands on him as long as that is the case. He weaved through the traps of the consuls here, and threatened back instead with that clever speech and achievements. All that while he is in the weakest position as a criminal.」

「This means that the blood of the empire cannot be underestimated. As expected, that young man seems to also possess the disposition of 『king』. ──Perhaps it will also be quite difficult for us to make use of him in the future huh.」

One of the Four Great Nobles, Zagha laughed while saying that, then he slowly walked away from that place.

After him Bugriser also stood from his seat, and Dist quietly raised his face.

「I too deliberately asked for unreasonable things to test him. But, the result is that he is actually a man that surpasses my imagination. Then perhaps I have to ask for his cooperation quickly. ──In order to save this country from the danger of the world.」

Part 2

「Haa── I’m tired.」

And then, finally, on the night of that day. Lux returned back to the girl’s dormitory of the Academy.

Even though originally it was a place that the male Lux shouldn’t be there, right now it made him relieved to be there somehow.

「Come to think of it Lux-kun. Your new room has been arranged you know?」

「──Is that true!?」

After hearing what Headmaster Relie told him, Lux hurriedly headed towards the room he shared with Philuffy.

Him staying there had been considered as a problem since a long time ago, but a room became empty right now because a female student moved from the dormitory to her villa, so a room for Lux alone was finally arranged.

「Lu-chan, you are leaving?」

「It, it can’t be helped you know……. That’s, I’ll come here again to play.」

Lux consoled the dissatisfied Philuffy while carrying his uniform and luggage.

He opened the door of his new room and threw himself on the lower bed of the bunk beds. Then he closed his eyes and took a breath.

「Haa, I’m glad. It’s calming like this──」

「Welcome back, Aruji-sama.」

「Yep, I’m back──wait, EEeEH!?」

When Lux noticed the voice and opened his eyes, there Yoruka wearing her usual black outfit was straddling over Lux.

「Wh, why is Yoruka──right here!?」

When Lux raised a shocked voice, Yoruka showed that seductive smile of hers.

「It’s because I noticed my misunderstanding. Aruji-sama is picturing the figure of an ideal empire even now within this country, so there is not a single reason why I cannot serve you. That’s why, Aruji-sama──once more, please take care of me.」

Yoruka climbed down from the bed and sat on the floor for the moment, then she bowed reverently towards Lux.

「Tha, that’s great but, why are you coming to my room!? And then why are you starting to take off your clothes!?」

Lux averted his face from Yoruka who suddenly opened her black outfit bare and exposed her white breasts while he yelled with a bright red face.

「I have a bit of consideration──as I thought for the sake in case something unexpected happens, it will be for the best to leave behind a heir I believe.」

Yoruka floated a bewitching smile with her cheeks slightly blushing while she drew near to Lux’s body.

Sweet scent and smooth skin. And then, the softness of the fleshy body caused Lux’s heart to jump.

「It seems that there is still no one among the girls around Aruji-sama who is pregnant. So I’m thinking that first, Aruji-sama should use my womb here.」

「Wa, wait a second okay!? It’s not like I, something like that……」

「Please rest assured. This is also the first time for me but, I have properly learned the knowledge for it in advance.」

「That’s not it you know!? What I want to say isn’t that──!」

Saying that, Lux squirmed in panic. It was then Yoruka’s balance broke and she fell on top of Lux.

That nicely shaped soft breasts touched the tip of Lux’s nose, it was in that posture──

「Oi Lux! I came to play in your new room! How’s it, your body’s condition is──」

「Ah……!」

That moment, the room’s door was opened and Lisha who arrived saw it.

• pikit-*Her expression stiffened and then spasmed.

「──Just what are you doing right after changing rooms!? Or rather why is that exhibitionist ero woman with you!?」

「I also don’t know anything-!」

The screams of Lisha who became teary eyed echoed inside the girl’s dormitory and the other girls were also gathering.

The last night of the summer holiday felt like it would become really long.

While the lively commotion of the girls could be heard from a room of the girl’s dormitory.

Airi was facing the desk in her shared room by herself, staring at it with a trembling hand.

「……Just, what is this」

What was spread on the desk was a page of an ancient document that was excavated from a Ruin──the deepest part of the Ark.

Those documents where construction data of several Drag-Rides and Ruins, also descriptions regarding the Abyss or the Automaton were also found in it, all of it was given a look over before they were submitted to the royal capital.

──The documents had been deciphered only just now. Except this last page, the page that she quietly snatched without even Headmaster Relie or Lux knowing about it.

Airi’s skill in deciphering ancient documents had improved until the level that wasn’t that inferior compared to specialist officials of the royal capital.

She didn’t want to deny the result of her hard work that she had continued for many years, but only this time it was different.

If possible, she wanted to be mistaken.

Thinking like that, she redid her deciphering many times, but the answer didn’t change.

What was inside the ancient document Airi deciphered was the names of the ancient imperial family members who were called as LordCreator in the past.

Holy Arcadia Empire Thirteenth Generation Imperial Family’s Names

First Imperial Princess Listelka Rei Arshalia

Second Imperial Princess Aeril Vi Arcadia

Third Imperial Princess Hayes Vi Arcadia

「Why is, Arcadia’s name, written inside an ancient document……」

It was unthinkable that the Arcadia Empire was merely borrowing the name of an『empire』 that existed in ancient times. (TN: There is a difference between the Arcadia Empire and the Holy Arcadia Empire here. Arcadia Empire, the so called Old Empire in the raw is called Arcadia Teikoku, while the Holy Arcadia Empire mentioned in the ancient document in the raw is written Shinsei Arcadia Koukoku. One used teikoku, while the other used koukoku. The meaning is the same, though I think koukoku has like more sacred implications.)

The reason was that the seven Ruins itself where this ancient document was excavated from, were only discovered around some ten-odd years ago. And the Arcadia Empire had been reigning over this land since several hundred years ago already.

Even in the history books of other countries, there wasn’t any description that seemed to refer to the seven Ruins.

If this『empire』 and the Arcadia Empire had a connection between them, then there should be a description in history books that hinted at the existence of the Ruins but──

Then, was this just a coincidence of the same name?

But, the silver hair and grey colored eyes that girl called Hayes possessed.

That coincidental appearance that was only possessed by the imperial family of the Old Empire caused anxiety to grow inside Airi’s chest.

「Then, that Arcadia Empire where we were at was──just what are we, Nii-san……」

Airi tightly grasped the ancient document with a trembling voice and body.

Those small vanishing words didn’t reach anyone’s ears, merely being absorbed into the darkness.

Afterword

Thank you very much for purchasing this volume. This is Akatsuki Senri.

That I am able to reach until the fifth volume of this series is thanks to everyone. It’s the first time since my debut work.

Somehow, recently what I need to do is increasing, covering various things that digressed to many things. It feels really busy whether in my daily life or in my work.

But, well, human personality acts with moods that consists of the balance of『challenging some kind of new thing』 and『only this must be done without fail』, so perhaps this is a good thing. The problem is the balance.

And then, I think one of those will already be announced when this fifth volume come out.

Of all things, Gangan Online-sama and then GA Bunko Magazine-sama has decided to publish short stories of Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut!

I think the short stories that selected the named heroines of Bahamut will be published one after another, so if you like, please take a look at those too. It will make me happy if you will do so.

First is from Lux’s little sister, Airi chapter! Those who have interests in the glaring little sister please read it by all means!

Let’s move to the thanks corner now.

Kasuga Ayumu-sama who drew wonderful illustrations for the fifth volume too.

Thank you very much for cutely drawing Yoruka whose scent is different even inside this series, and also for drawing the new Drag-Ride coolly.

I really like where Yoruka’s hair is going curly around her eyes.

The one in charge of me, Satou-sama. Thank you very much for your usual manuscript check. This time I finished the first draft quickly.

Please treat me well from now on too.

Now then, finally from the next volume the story outside the New Kingdom──the foreign country will proceed in full tilt, it will make me happy if you readers will keep this series company from here on too.

Well then!

A certain day in November 2014 Akatsuki Senri

Back to Volume 4

Return to Main Page

Forward to Volume 6