Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut Vol 13 Chapter 4

A+ A- Chapter 4
Episode 4 – A Plan That Lead to Demise

–

Part 1

*Gogon……gogon……*. Such strange vibration sound was resounding intermittently.

In the sky far above the old castle.

In the control room of the airborne s.h.i.+p that was called Heaven Palace, the Lord’s first imperial princess, Listelka was sitting on the chair with her eyes closed.

The crown on her head was connected with countless cords, forming a system for linking her consciousness with Avalon.

「……Fuu. So those girls cannot be finished off.」

Listelka sighed before getting down from her personal chair.

A blatant disappointment was unusually surfacing on her expression.

Through Baptism, she obtained the ability to be connected with the mechanism of Avalon, but the time of her being able to connect and interfere with the system wasn’t long.

The burden was far larger compared to wearing Drag-Knight.

Thus, attacking hostile or observing Aeril weren’t something that she could do anytime easily.

That was how painful the failure of dealing with Lisha and others even after she had played her greatest card──Mis.h.i.+s.

「They have strong luck to escape trouble.」

「Yes, though it’s just as expected from people who had accomplished the capture of the Ruins until now.」

Listelka nodded briefly to Fugil who was standing by beside her.

「Let’s have Mis.h.i.+s go back for the time being after the Sacred Eclipse is defeated. I have faith in Fugil’s skill, but the great task will continue after a short rest, so I wish to increase the guard as much as possible.」

「As you wish, my lord.」

「Geez, you are stiff like usual. Even though I’m always telling you it’s fine to call my name without honorific.」

Listelka sulked along with a jesting gesture.

If there was a third person watching from the side, they would clearly see that there was an emotion there that surpa.s.sed a mere relations.h.i.+p of a master and a servant.

Listelka was still not convinced whether Aeril would betray her or not.

But──at the same time Aeril also didn’t know about her elder sister’s terrifying scheme.

The true reason why Lux and Aeril were ordered to capture Avalon.

That they were imposed with the role to open the door of h.e.l.l.

「Also, there is a messenger from the remnant of Dragon Marauder. It looks like there is movement from the leaders of the countries. They will soon arrives here.」

「That is the best news. It looks like the second group of Shadows is effective.」

The war declaration that Listelka sent to all the countries.

The enemy side thought that it was a diversion to avert their focus from capturing Avalon and ignored it, but it actually caused them to be unable to ssee through the second plan that Listelka executed.

At first the Shadows only mimicked Listelka’s appearance and only endlessly preached about the failure of the current rulers, but after that, they transformed into drama type.

In new kingdom, the realization of the plan was in the shape of some Shadows turning into commoners who criticized Queen Raffi who wasn’t going to the abandoned capital, and then some other Shadows transformed into soldiers who killed those Shadow commoners under the pretext of subjugation.

Because that drama was performed without questioning day or night, the people of each country misunderstood and agitation and terror ran among them.

From the beginning, Listelka’s scheme had two stages.

Thus, the world alliance finally couldn’t stay quiet and they were forced to go for negotiation.

In order to invest all their force leaving behind only their guard, to quickly kill the Lord.

But──the leaders of each country starting from Queen Raffi didn’t know.

That such thing was exactly the worst trap that Listelka prepared.

She was already laying her hand on the forbidden box sleeping at the deepest part of Avalon’s surface level floor.

The preparation in order to rule the world was steadily put in order.

–

Part 2

On the other hand around that time──, in the chapel inside the old castle.

The members of Seven Dragon Paladins other than Lux who also got the Wedge put on their neck, the six of them were confined together there.

Thanks to Aeril’s management, their environment was improved somewhat, but it was still hard to say that the environment was really good.

Although they were all in one room, they were fellow foreigner, so normally they weren’t really that involved with each other, but because they got too much free time, they amused themselves by chatting.

「But, the more I think about it, the more I don’t get it. Is there still any reason for them to keep us alive? Isn’t it better to kill us quickly without using us as hostage or whatever?」

「You are sharp like usual despite being only a little brat yeah. Normally will a prisoner talk about something like that huh?」

Greifer spat out with exasperation in respond to Mel who was murmuring calmly.

「Don’t treat me like a kid just because you are a bit older than me. I am formally appointed into the seat of Ymir Theocracy’s representative. You yourself, even though normally you always act slovenly without any motivation.」

「Quarrel isn’t good. The enemy will take advantage of it if we are doing something like that.」

「I don’t wanna hear that from you!」

「I don’t want to hear that from you-!」

Soffice spoke to the two of them with a blank face, but in respond Greifer and Mel retorted simultaneously.

And then further beside them, the red haired Rosa leaked out an exasperated sigh.

「So you guys felt composed enough to amuse yourself with nonsense talk noow? But certainly it’s strange isn’t iit. Even if we more or less have value as hostage, it’s too dangerous to leave us alive like this.」

Rosa muttered with a fearless gaze. In respond Magialca who was sitting at the back of the room grinned widely.

「It can’t be helped. Perhaps I’ll teach you all as the captain.」

She stretched her small and lean body with a jerk, and then she performed light calisthenics with her arms and feet still shackled while speaking.

「The first reason is to use us as trump card toward the remaining world alliance’s force. The people taking command of the expeditionary force in the abandoned capital Guernica are most likely my aide Lolotte, and then Signlen’s aide Zweigbergk. Well, they aren’t that serious of a threat so the Lord doesn’t use us actively to threaten them, but when the critical moment come, we can be used as hostage against those two. In that sense there is some value of letting us live.」

「That talk make it sounds like all of us here got no worth at all eh.」

「It’s a sad thing but, it’s exactly as you said.」

Greifer let out a voice that exchanged joke, which Magialca responded with a jest.

「Even though you all are Drag-Knights who are called as the trump card of your respective country, as expected they won’t exchange the head of their kings for you, correct?」

「What a harsh story of the world. Though I think it’s only natural.」

Mel let out a sigh of exasperation. Beside her Rosa sent a glance at Magialca.

「And, what is the real truth theen? It will be easier if you just say it straight without prolonging it though?」

「You there, you are really impudent in that mode huh. Well fine, it’s a simple story. Those guys are lacking combat force. If possible they want us to serve under them.」

Everyone who heard Magialca’s words showed bewilderment.

「You mean they are trying to spend time persuading us? After destroying our country that is.」

「I cannot say that the possibility is zero. But, my prediction is different.」

Magialca bared an obscene grin as though she was scheming something bad and then she talked about it.

「This is only my speculation but, most likely in the deepest part of Avalon──if they reached until the central, won’t it even become possible to completely brainwash us?」

「……-!?」

Everyone once more held their breath and their complexion changed.

It was only Singlen who didn’t say even a single word and merely smiled.

「Wait a second! Brainwash you say, no way it can be that easily──」

「It won’t be that simple you say? Can we say that after our perception got completely changed by the ability of that second imperial princess called Aeril, when in the end we got tricked and imprisoned like this?」

「…………」

Magialca cut off Mel’s objection and spoke cynically.

Beside her Soffice nodded with brazenness.

「That possibility might be high. The Lords surely has no intention to trust us.」

「But, if that’s the case that means we also have option don’t you think?」

Magialca added with a tone that was containing implication. Rosa tilted her head with doubtful face hearing that.

「What do you meaan?」

「You want to say that it will be fine if we all suicide together right? This d.a.m.n fiend.」

「──Wha-!?」

Singlen who was staying quiet until now suddenly spoke. The words that he spat out caused everyone other than Magialca to have forbidding look.

「Is that really surprising? It’s the obvious thing. Even if we stay here, sooner or later we will be used or remade into tool. Then severing our own life and erase our value as hostage is the logical judgment.」

The Wedge would discharge electricity if they tried to remove it, but if they did it by themselves three times, the power would be automatically increased until lethal level, so it would be easy to suicide.

「Hohou. Then you can do it first. Now do it! Show them the example as the vice captain!」

Magialca supported that suggestion with her all, but Singlen scoffed.

「Unfortunately, there is no way I will follow your wish. Either way if it become like that then it’s the same like getting murdered. If it will result in death either way, then it is human to bet in the possibility of hope, isn’t that right?」

「When it’s you who talk about hope, it sounds really fishy yeah……」

Greifer turned a fixed stare at Singlen’s calm proposition.

「In other words, it all depend on Onii-chan isn’t it? Whether we can break through this situation or not will be──」

Mel reached the answer after listening to that exchange.

In the end they could only bet on Lux who was chosen by Aeril and who was the only one among them to obtain half a freedom.

Right now they could only sit quietly here believing on that.

「In the end there ain’t anyone who decide to suicide huh.」

Greifer who saw everyone’s state muttered that with a wry smile.

In other words everyone here was hanging their hope on Lux.

That he would overturn this situation and saved the world as the central figure of Seven Dragon Paladins.

–

Part 3

「Haa, haa……-!」

On the other hand around that time──underground the old castle in the abandoned capital Guernica.

A few minutes after Celis and Philuffy were defeated by Mis.h.i.+s, the Sacred Eclipse appeared, and then parting with Lisha and Krulcifer who came in pursuit.

Lux and Aeril who left behind the Abyss’s plant in the surface level floor continued their search in order to discover the portal to return to the old castle.

But, there was also no way they could take a breather in the pa.s.sage where Abysses were prowling in swarms. Since then they fought countless Abysses while wandering underground that was like a maze.

The more Lux looked at the interior of Avalon, the more he thought that it was a mysterious structure.

In a glance, it had atmosphere that was like an ancient underground pa.s.sage, but on the other side of that crumbling wall he could see silver colored wall surface that was glowing faintly.

Furthermore inside several small rooms and s.p.a.ces that they found midway, they saw s.p.a.ces that were modeled after a great variety of shapes he had seen existing inside other Ruins until now.

Forest, river, or even desert.

If not for his current position and situation, he would stop unconsciously and stare at the sight.

「Aeril, are you okay? That wound, we have to treat it first somewhere──」

「……No, just this much is okay. More importantly, we finally got away from the monitoring. Let’s advance as much as we can for now.」

Aeril acted strong even though her breathing was rough. She hurried ahead wearing Zahhak.

But, midway she finally fell on her knee and her armor was dispelled.

「-……!?」

「Don’t force yourself! Let’s rest for a bit, if there is a room nearby somewhere──」

「Sor, ry……」

After Aeril said that with a gasping breath, Lux held her and he started searching for a small room.

But, Aeril shook her head and stopped him.

「Because, I don’t want to get found out……. Perhaps right now, the possibility is high that we aren’t being eavesdropped anymore──if my conversation with you, is known by Nee-san it will be bad.」

「I get it. Wait just for a bit more!」

Lux laid down Aeril’s body on the pa.s.sage’s floor, then he scooped up water from the nearby room──a place with a terrain that was modeled like a valley.

「Nn, uu……」

When Lux hurriedly returned to the corridor, Aeril’s eyes were closed while she was letting out feverish breath.

Was she fainted because her string of tension snapped from the extreme fatigue?

Lux reached out his hand to her pilot suit to treat her side that was cut.

He was reluctant to strip the clothes of a sleeping girl, but with the situation as it was he had no other choice.

「Sorry, Aeril.」

He only stripped off the upper part of the pilot suit that was the only thing covering her, then he laid her down face up on a towel that he spread on the floor.

The radiant naked body even in the darkness caused Lux’s eyes to be glued on it.

He saw her back completely when he was staying in the same room with her in Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality, but this time he felt like her sensuality was increasing even more than that time.

Perhaps it was because the girl’s magic that was faking her own existence had been dispelled.

Or perhaps it was because Lux was starting to get conscious of Aeril’s own existence itself?

「Nn, Lux……kun」

Aeril whose eyes were still closed was moving her right hand around with pained gasp.

「It’s all right, Aeril.」

Lux naturally took that hand and calmed her breathing. She then continued to sleep.

–

Part 4

It wasn’t a dream, but a recollection.

She was recalling in reality, the past of more than several hundred years ago where even the memory itself was fading faintly.

The second imperial princess, Aeril Vi Arcadia was there from the start as an imperial princess.

Her first memory was only that.

The Holy Arcadia Empire that was established as this world’s legitimate ruler.

She received kind treatment as an existence who was above the cloud──no, in the territory of G.o.d.

She was treated like that as though it was only obvious by her parents who were the country’s sovereign, her relatives, and then also by her educators and servants.

She started harboring doubt when she was around seven years old.

It was when she was reading a book and got interested to the word 『friend』.

Aeril who was a tomboy in the past secretly sneaked out of the castle and when out. There she encountered a young boy around the castle.

A young boy with similar silver hair and grey eyes like her.

She said that her parents were working near the castle, so she came here to see.

「What, so you are a girl. I thought you are a man?」

「Geez, that’s rude.」

Aeril who had androgynous atmosphere since that time hid her standing and talked with that boy several times.

Each time they deepened their relations.h.i.+p, played, and spent time together.

But, the boy wasn’t a royalty or n.o.ble but a person of lower cla.s.s.

The Lord──Arcadia clan joined hand with Key’s SupervisorXfer and conquered over the world with a certain technology, ruling over the world.

But, even then a disparity was created within their own clan and it was spreading.

A certain researcher created a secret medicine called Elixir.

In addition was Baptism to apply Elixir to the flesh body and strengthened it.

That power was too amazing, but at the same time it split the current human race into two.

The production amount of Elixir was few, but it was possible to obtain powerful strength if the body could adapt to it through Baptism.

Even more outstanding existence could be created artificially.

They could monopolize since birth not just fortune, but even talent.

The blood relative who received that blessing was human of upper cla.s.s──, all other than them were human of lower cla.s.s. Like that the Lord was split into two.

Many months and years pa.s.sed, the upper cla.s.s that was becoming arrogant changed the structure to gather even more Elixir for themselves.

That was exactly the cause of the collapse.

It was the moment when the existence of the family of traitor appeared inside the Holy Arcadia Empire that ruled the world.

And then──Aeril’s fate was also moving from there.

The revolution occurred eight years after that.

–

Part 5

「Tsuu-……!」

Aeril felt pain and opened her eyes.

When she looked, she was laying down on a simple bed that seemed to be carried out from a safe zone without her knowing.

Lux was sitting on a chair beside her.

A bandage was wrapped on the wound on her side and she was laid on the bed upside down.

「Ah, you wake up. It looks like your bleeding stopped, but it will be better to not move for a while you know? There is also the burn injury──」

「Yes……」

Aeril powerlessly nodded hearing Lux telling her that.

「It seemed you had a nightmare but, did your wound feel painful?」

「My old wound, just for a bit. It was eight years ago already──no, it was a matter of several hundred years ago though……」

But, there was no other old wound on Aeril’s body that was standing out.

Lux wondered if perhaps she was referring to an old wound in her heart rather than her body.

「Did, something happen?」

「…………」

Aeril hesitated toward Lux’s question, and before long she formed her words with a small voice.

「Hey, why did Lux-kun treat my wound?」

「Eh……?」

Lux asked back in bewilderment at that sudden question.

「Your Wedge won’t shock you just because you don’t help me. It should be fine even if you just left me alone. No, I even exposed your comrades to danger, so why──」

Aeril asked like that with an expression that looked gloomy.

「Is it because you will be troubled that you won’t be able to move if I die? Or perhaps──」

「Err, I don’t really understand myself.」

Lux who heard her words showed a troubled smile and stared on Aeril.

In respond Aeril’s eyes turned round in puzzlement.

「But perhaps, it was because I thought that maybe Aeril helped us. Before this you predicted that Sacred Eclipse’s position was near us. That was why, perhaps you spread Zahhak’s whip around and searched for the Sacred Eclipse, and then lured it there, in order to change that situation.」

If he thought like that, then the reason why Aeril got hit by Sacred Eclipse’s attack at the beginning would also get explained.

Furthermore thanks to that, it also became natural to ask for help from Mis.h.i.+s.

「…………」

Aeril fell silent at what Lux pointed out.

In other words, what he said was correct.

She was trying to save Celis and Philuffy even though they were enemy.

She paid meticulous attention so that Listelka and Mis.h.i.+s wouldn’t suspect her and helped them out even though she had to brave danger.

「That’s, just Lux-kun’s wild idea right? You didn’t actually see me doing such thing, and there is no proof at all. Am I wrong?」

「I guess.」

Aeril’s words sounded sulking, but Lux replied while playing the fool.

「But, that’s fine. Because──I believe like that.」

「Why……」

Seeing such Lux, Aeril suddenly raised a depressed voice.

「Why is Lux-kun like that? Do you believe in people that much?」

「Aeril?」

「I, I cannot do that. Whether it’s believing in someone, or throwing away my own position. Isn’t imperial family, something like that?」

「…………」

Lux hesitated to say something toward Aeril’s words that were filled with indecision.

「How was, Lux-kun able to destroy the old empire? Even if the revolution succeeded, there is no way everyone will praise Lux-kun. No, far from that, you might even get resented unjustly and killed by the people, and yet──」

「That’s because, I met a person who saved someone like me.」

Lux quickly answered Aeril’s question like that.

When he was a child, Lux’s grandfather admonished the emperor. Lux and his family received unjustified resentment due to that and they were banished from the imperial court.

When his mother who became seriously injured due to a coach accident was abandoned by the common people, Lux cursed the whole world. At that time, Philuffy came to meet him.

Lux who got back on his feet because someone was there to be his ally aimed to create a country where Airi and Philuffy and others could live peacefully. He tried to change the country with every means available.

「That was why I was thinking about what I could do as an imperial family. When I was a child, I was a puppet who only obeyed what my father……the emperor said. But, I became unable to endure that. Nothing will change if I don’t start taking action from myself, I won’t be able to obtain what I want. Because I thought that──」

「I see. As I thought, Lux-kun is strong.」

Aeril who listened to Lux’s words sent him a bright smile.

「That’s not true. It’s thanks to everyone.」

「No. That’s it.」

「Eh……?」

「You being able to become friend with various people like that, is something amazing.」

After Aeril told him that, Lux pondered for a moment before returning a smile.

「Then that’s great. I can also become friend with Aeril.」

「…………」

Aeril was spontaneously dumbfounded by the words that came from Lux’s mouth.

She reflexively covered her face with her hand to hide her blus.h.i.+ng cheeks and averted her face away.

「Geez, really just what are you thinking, making that kind of surprise attack……」

「……? What’s wrong, Aeril?」

「No, nothing! More importantly, let’s go soon. We still haven’t accomplish our objective.」

「Yes. Ah, but, that’s. Before that, if you don’t wear your pilot suit properly──」

「U, WAAAAAH!? Don’t look over here-! Lux-kun you pervert!」

Because she lifted up her body quickly, Aeril’s upper body became exposed and Lux reflexively averted his gaze.

Strictly speaking he already got a clear view, but he didn’t say it.

–

Part 6

「──Say? I want to ask instead though, why is Aeril trying to save us?」

A few minutes after they resumed their search, Lux was driving Wyvern and Aeril was driving EX Wyvern while investigating the underground maze of the surface level floor.

When Lux asked in the middle of that, Aeril hesitated to say.

「What? Are you trying to varnish over the matter just now, when you were staring hard at me naked?」

「I wasn’t staring hard or anything like that I’m telling you-!? I was only taking off the suit to treat your wound!」

Aeril retorted with a reproachful glare while looking slightly embarra.s.sed. Lux panicked hearing that.

She dodged his question so he thought that she didn’t want to say the reason at all, but after a while Aeril answered.

「It might be just for deceiving you, so it will be useless even if you ask me that.」

「Even so that’s fine for me.」

「Haa……」

Aeril yielded against Lux’s obstinacy and she formed her words.

「It’s the same like you. It’s because I noticed my own sin. Our sin that we had averted our eyes from all this time──in the first place, all of you family of traitor revolting against us also sort of justified.」

「…………」

「Even so, once I thought that it couldn’t be helped. Human is living by sacrificing something, although there is large and small difference between each people. But──tricking and stealing even from your own comrades who are your fellow human is simply evil, and thinking that such thing is only natural is a hubris.」

Aeril made a mournful expression and smiled quietly when saying that.

「I cannot speak about that sin, Lux-kun. If you know about it, you will surely scorn me. The truth of the past that I learned, and this fate──」

Lux spontaneously lost his words when looking from the side at her face that was hiding resolve behind it, it was at that timing,

「──Perhaps it’s here? This place is most likely the spot that I was told by Nee-san.」

There was a huge door in front of the two of them.

This was the deepest part of Avalon’s surface level floor, the control room for opening the door toward the deep level floor.

If the blood of the Lord──right now it was the blood of Aeril──was offered here, the path to the next area could be opened.

「But, what is this? This terrifying air that is causing my hair to stand on end──」

「…………」

Lux nodded in agreement at the words of Aeril who entered inside the control room.

The s.p.a.ce that was covered with metallic wall was really similar with Abyss’s plant just now.

However, there was almost no capsule here, but even so the s.p.a.ce was too huge.

And then above all else, a disquieting presence was drifting in the air.

Even though there was nothing that could be seen at the front, their body rang the alarm warning them without stopping.

Even so Aeril slowly advanced in order to accomplish her objective.

First in a different room that could be reached through a long and narrow pa.s.sage from the large control room──there was a portal there. She activated it because it would provide a direct route to the old castle.

With this, it became possible to return to the old castle.

After securing the escape route, Aeril walked toward the installation at the center of the control room once more and then she lifted up her hand while still wearing her Drag-Ride.

Then, a mechanical tone that Lux had heard several times before in Ruins was emitted.

『Lord’s authentication is confirmed. By offering a certain amount of that blood, this system will be reactivated. During a total of few minutes of authentication and reboot, the Lord’s mind control operation is required.』

「Excellent. It looks like it will take a bit of time for the processing, but with this the path to the deep level floor will be opened. After that──……」

At that time Aeril suddenly stopped talking because something interrupted her.

Instantly Lux thought that she hurriedly closed her mouth because Listelka’s monitoring was in effect.

But, that wasn’t it.

The differently colored beautiful eyes of the second imperial princess Aeril was capturing a different sight.

「You d.a.m.ned Lord’s second imperial princess! Get away from Lux-!」

「Lisha-sama-!?」

A chance encounter with Lisha wearing Tiamat was a natural happening in a sense.

They were separated from each other since the encounter with Sacred Eclipse, but both sides were mutually searching this area.

Although it was a vast and complicated underground pa.s.sages that were like a maze, it was highly possible that they would encounter each other.

「There was an unfamiliar light so I suspected it was a trap, but it looks like even the princess’s instinct will be on the spot sometimes.」

「What do you mean sometimes!? You make it sound like I’m always thinking carelessly! Putting that aside, I’m taking revenge for the two here!」

Saying that, he sent a glance at Celis and Philuffy who were standing on the back.

It seemed they couldn’t wear their Drag-Ride, but they were all right to the degree they could stand and walk.

But, Lux’s relieve at the safety of the two only lasted a moment. He noticed something bad.

It would be troubling if right now Aeril was hindered when her plan was about to progress smoothly.

In the worst caste, he would be forced to fight against Lisha and others by Listelka’s command again.

(Then rather, I can only persuade them and buy time!)

When Lux resolved himself so and strongly gripped his Wyvern’s Blade, Krulcifer quickly walked to the front.

「I’ll do it, no matter what kind of circ.u.mstance you are in right now.」

Krulcifer who wasn’t wearing her armor brushed up her blue long hair and pulled out the Sword Device of Fafnir.

Her usual cool smile wasn’t there. She was capturing Lux with a gaze that was concealing a resolve within.

「This is bad. Lux-kun! I want you to buy me time until the unlocking is over.」

Aeril muttered while a tube and a needle had already stretched out from the device that stabbed her arm and she began to offer her blood.

After coming this far, there was no way let anyone to hinder Aeril’s determination anymore.

「Sorry. Lisha-sama, Krulcifer-san. I’m begging you please withdraw.」

In order to display his own resolve, Lux also dispelled the armor of Wyvern he was wearing and lifted up his other Sword Device to the sky.

「──Reincarnate. The giant dragon of calamity taken captive by riches. Become the compensation for desire far and wide, Fafnir.」

「──Manifest, the violent dragon devouring the flesh and blood of the G.o.ds. Sever the sky of dark clouds, Bahamut.」

Light particles whirled before the two of them and Drag-Rides were summoned.

They connected at the same time and wore their armor. They silently confronted each other with their weapon at ready.

「Oi Krulcifer. Why are you trying to go at it alone!? Are you trying to steal my showtime?」

「That’s right. There is a pact so no one can steal a march, but it’s possible to make an appeal through battle. I’ll take him back here while at the same time shooting his heart to become mine too.」

「Wha-! Don’t screw around! I’ll also──……-」

Lisha flared at Krulcifer who was muttering mischievously.

But, Lisha noticed the genuine seriousness on her expression and stopped her reaching out hand.

「Most likely Aeril also has a circ.u.mstance that she cannot talk about. But, we too cannot possibly let go of this rare golden opportunity to rescue him. If Lux-kun who is collared cannot be rescued without defeating him, then I can only do that. Seeing as I am the only one who can move properly──」

「…………」

Getting told that, Lux noticed that the Tiamat Lisha was wearing was showing the symptom of rampage.

The battle of the other day. She acted recklessly in the intense battle against Dragon Marauder, and after that she went on a harsh march to rush here. Because of that Lisha’s stamina was near the limit.

Celis and Philuffy were also the same after the previous battle where their energy was stolen by Mis.h.i.+s.

It was only Krulcifer who could battle Lux in this situation.

Thus, she decided to make a desperate effort here.

Lux didn’t reply and stared at the faces of Lisha and others with slightly distressed expression.

He didn’t want to clash with his fellow comrades──the people who he put his trust on in this kind of shape.

But, most likely there was no way for him to comply with his dealing with Aeril while also persuading the girls.

There was also the possibility that this control room was monitored by Listelka, so he also couldn’t talk about the circ.u.mstance.

If he sent transmission through the Dragon Voice, it might get exposed from the surprised reaction of Lisha and others.

「You don’t need to make that kind of sorrowful face. I swear I’ll save you without fail.」

Krulcifer smiled fearlessly as though what they were going to do was another sham battle in the Academy.

「-……!?」

Aeril who was still wearing her Drag-Ride could be heard gulping from far behind.

To clear the ident.i.ty confirmation and opened the gate to the deep level floor, Aeril wouldn’t be able to move for a few minutes while her blood was taken.

They couldn’t escape anymore.

Thus──he could only fight.

「Here I go, Lux-kun.」

「That’s fine, Krulcifer-san.」

In order to receive her feeling, lux also responded with a serious gaze.

She readied her sniper rifle, Freezing Cannon and wind was released from Fafnir’s back wings.

In respond Lux also lifted his great sword and put his strength to it in concert.

──*Kiin!*

A streak of blue flash ran through empty air, aiming straight toward Lux.

「……-!?」

Krulcifer’s first attack was nothing more than a shot of freezing bullet from the Freezing Cannon.

But, he couldn’t see her preliminary motion at all. Lux became slightly fl.u.s.tered.

Her target was Bahamut’s right armored arm, the joint between the shoulder and arm.

Normally a shooting was executed through three actions, taking stance, aiming, and pulling the trigger, but her motion was too fast.

(No, wrong. She has become even faster than before!)

Lux barely blocked the shot with his great sword as s.h.i.+eld. But, the flat of the blade was frozen and it became a state that he couldn’t move the sword properly.

If it was simply fast then he would be able to respond in any way.

But, there was almost no preliminary motion even from the Drag-Ride in the attack just now.

The way she moved in the shortest and smallest motion so that the opponent wouldn’t be able to predict when the attack would come was undoubtedly something that she had practiced tens of thousands of time.

「I can do this much even without using Full Connect. Have you gotten a slightly better opinion of me now?」

「I have never done something like underestimating Krulcifer-san, not even once.」

Lux made a troubled looking smile while gliding fast toward Krulcifer.

He accelerated with explosive speed and swung his sword toward her shoulder.

He made a flash using one of his hidden techniques, Quick Draw. He aimed to hit Fafnir’s Force Core through the shoulder’s armor and made her unable to fight with one hit.

「That’s a lie there. If you know my feeling, then you shouldn’t be surprised with just this much.」

Krulcifer chuckled with a teasing smile, however she moved her Fafnir without hesitation.

She made use of Fanir’s greatest trait that was its mobility and dodged Lux’s sword, then she aimed at Aeril who was standing in front of the installation.

Lux quickly readied himself to attack because he couldn’t allow that at all cost.

But, Krulcifer twirled around and readied her rifle without dodging his attack.

(──d.a.m.n it!)

Lux noticed late that she was baiting him.

The Auto s.h.i.+eld automatically blocked Lux’s great sword, and in that opening Krulcifer turned her gun muzzle toward him.

This time she fired a precision shooting using normal bullet, but at the same time a barrier that appeared in front of Lux’s eyes deflected it.

The technique to operate the defensive barrier that he learned by imitating Singlen──Senjin – Ruten.

Lux didn’t overlook the opening when Krulcifer’s eyes opened wide in surprise and he turned his body to launch a flash of horizontal slash.

But, it seemed she had antic.i.p.ated that too, because the moment her bullet was deflected, she flew forward and barely dodged the pursuing attack.

–

Lisha who was watching that from the rear felt something out of place and she murmured unconsciously.

「Is the two of them, serious……? But, why is she not using Fafnir’s Divine Raiment? If she is worried about Lux’s, then that’s all the more reason……」

If Krulcifer used Wise Blood’s future prediction, she should be able to build quite the advantage, and yet.

「I feel like, I understand somehow, her feeling.」

Celis who was even further behind muttered that, then Philuffy also responded with a wordless nod.

「Perhaps……surely, yes.」

「……?」

The moment Lisha tilted her head, the battle situation moved once more. Offense and defense in G.o.dspeed where there wasn’t even any time to breath was resumed.

–

Krulcifer was flying in circle around Aeril in high speed while aiming at Lux with normal bullet.

She was taking an orbit that was drawing a circle with Lux at the center, making him unable to get a bead on her while on the contrary she was sniping at him one-sidedly.

Lux was desperately deflecting the precise sniping, even so he wasn’t leaving from Aeril’s side.

He was pouring all his strength simply for the objective of protecting her.

「Kuh……!」

Normally even sniping while moving was something with high degree of difficulty, and yet Krulcifer was aiming accurately while moving in a high speed that the eye couldn’t follow.

If he tried to deflect the bullet by strengthening his barrier, she would shot at the same place consecutively and pierced through.

If he deflected using his great sword, she would aim at his armored wrist to remove the obstacle that became s.h.i.+eld.

(Strong……! But, why is it? Even though it’s an offense that is this sharp, it’s not scary.)

This was an outstanding tactic and technique even compared to everything Lux had experience against until now.

But regardless of that, Lux himself didn’t feel any fear.

Lux swung his great sword without understanding just what the reason could be.

He swung a full power slash toward Fafnir’s armored shoulder, at the same time he finally activated his Divine Raiment.

「──Reload on Fire.」

The Divine Raiment of Bahamut that performed compression and strengthening was deployed to the front in wide range.

The very s.p.a.ce where Krulcifer was existing was compressed and strengthened, and the speed of time there was sharply decreased.

The flow of time was slowed until it was like the enemy was completely standing still, then during that time sword slashes would be dealt, and at the same time when the compression was dissolved, all the attacks would take effect with several times the speed. That was Lux’s Violent Strike.

This was the conquering method to breakthrough Fafnir’s seven automatic s.h.i.+elds.

But, this time he naturally didn’t aim at Krulcifer.

Lux fixed his sight to the wrists and shoulders of Fafnir’s armored arms. When he took a stance, *pis.h.i.+-* a strange sound could be heard.

「Above! Lux-kun! Something is falling!」

Lux was taken aback from Aeril’s voice and he noticed the rubble falling from above him.

That was the spot where Krulcifer sniped with her normal bullet before this.

「Don’t tell me, this was done by using future prediction!?」

「Yes, I couldn’t let you be the only one to use Divine Raiment you know?」

When Lux dodged the falling rubble, the compression strengthening was dispelled and Krulcifer moved.

She put her gun’s muzzle on Bahamut’s shoulder and quickly pulled the trigger of the Freezing Cannon.

Lux reflexively held his breath seeing her obtaining a timing that was impossible to avoid.

It was zero-distance shooting where the muzzle was glued on his shoulder armor.

At that time when Krulcifer was convinced of her victory, her bullet was slightly averted.

「……Wha-!?」

Krulcifer noticed the abnormality an instant later and her eyes opened wide.

Lux didn’t let go of that chance and unleashed a slash, but Auto s.h.i.+eld blocked him.

When he struck his sword even then, he was sent flying by the recoil and Lux escaped the danger.

「That’s really something. Just what kind of mind you have there? When I was hindered by the dropping rubble, the next moment you moved that rubble to collide on me──」

「Krulcifer-san yourself is amazing. I thought that was it for me.」

The two who took distance praised each other’s amazing technique smilingly.

Right after Lux deflected the rubble, Lux activated Bahamut’s built-in special armament, Linker Burst and sent it flying toward Fafnir’s armor.

Thus Krulcifer’s hand was thrown out of kilter by the impact and the sure kill attack missed.

「Besides, Krulcifer-san intentionally didn’t use Wise

Blood in the beginning in order to avoid pointless exhaustion, and to use it only when there is a definite chance──」

Future prediction was a useful Divine Raiment in offense and defense, but the future that could be read was limited to a certain degree. Thus it was the ironclad rule to activate it just a bit before a pinch or a chance to make advantage.

If the user also grew stronger in normal offense and defense and in tactic, then the Wise Blood also would be even more effective when used.

Krulcifer put that into practice proved that she had accomplished it.

–

「Hah, even though I thought that I finally caught up and even overtook her, but she won’t let me win that easily huh.」

Lisha who noticed that smiled bitterly. Celis also nodded.

「Yes, everyone has become strong. But, I also won’t lose.」

「I’ll also, do my best.」

At the end Philuffy also renewed her determination. It was then Krulcifer muttered slowly.

「Unfortunately, that’s only half of it. I intentionally preserved Wise Blood was because I wished to show you my strength and──one more reason. It’s in order to comprehend the true reason you fight.」

「……!?」

Her unexpected words caused Lux to tilt his head warily.

「It doesn’t look like you are forcefully made to swear loyalty to that girl just because of that collar. You are seriously trying to protect her. Your concern and feeling to her are conveyed to me.」

「Krulcifer, san……」

Lux was unable to tell the truth with words. In respond to that, Krulcifer challenged Lux to a battle with all her strength in order to probe the facts.

Now Lux noticed that she deliberately did what she did in order to surmise Lux’s will.

「You haven’t changed at all. Even in such severe situation, you are paying the utmost attention so that we also won’t get fatally harmed. That’s really naïve but, it’s the usual you who I loves.」

Hearing that, Lux’s cheeks flashed red.

The tense atmosphere of the fight instantly loosened and Lux slowly undid his fighting stance.

Even though he couldn’t explain the reason, he was believing in Aeril and protected her.

He thought that he had conveyed to Krulcifer and others that there was something for the sake of not letting the world got destructed in his action.

But,

「However, you don’t think that it will end with that aren’t you?」

Krulcifer’s smile suddenly changed into something cold and she drew out Fafnir’s Sword Device once more.

Mind control operation in the state of wearing armor.

Lux knew about the secret skill that she would unleash after this.

The special mode that could only be used by the race of people with the highest Drag-Ride apt.i.tude value──the Key’s Supervisor, the Full Connect.

Miniscule machines would a.s.similate with a part of the user’s flesh body, exceptionally increasing the preciseness of Drag-Ride manipulation in that state.

She planned to activate it and challenged Lux to a duel.

「Wai-, wait a second Krulcifer-san. If you understand my feeling, then more than this──」

「Until the end that is only the talk in the surface. I know your feeling, but I won’t give up taking you back. That’s why from here on, knowing Lux-kun’s position and thinking, even so I will still s.n.a.t.c.h you back without fail.」

「Aa……」

Seeing Krulcifer’s proud smile, Lux too also realized her feeling.

Even if Lux was putting his trust on Aeril, the possibility that he would be betrayed wasn’t zero.

Thus, her will to fight wouldn’t bend here. She planned to express that much resolve──no, that much emotion toward him.

If she was unable to get a head start due to the act, she would convey her feeling and show her will through fighting.

Receiving such feeling of Krulcifer right from the front, Lux felt that he was a happy person.

She, all of them were needing Lux and treasured him until that much.

「Then, I too have to convey it. That we should trust in Aeril.」

Lux also took a deep breath and took a stance with his great sword toward Krulcifer.

At that time when they were going to resume the fight to share their feeling and expressed their wish to each other, Aeril was staring at the device’s display with a pale expression.

–

Part 7

Around that time, near the old castle.

Slightly at the front of the fortress for capturing Avalon, several hundred Drag-Knights were in battle formation.

They were waiting for the signal of battle along with enough fighting spirit.

『Informing the Lord, the imperial princess of Holy Arcadia Empire. We the representatives of world alliance have come in front of you all just as you wished. I wish to propose a negotiation for peace. If you release the Seven Dragon Paladins, we will consider it as your side’s will to negotiate!』

The one announcing that through the Dragon Voice of the Drake beside him was the prime minister of new kingdom, Nulph.

The leaders of each country were waiting in the fortress. Nulph was entrusted with the right of command as representative.

Reinforcement Drag-Knights with number that reached several hundred also came along with the sovereigns of the seven countries.

Queen Raffi of the new kingdom came, guarded by four Drag-Knights using strengthened general type Drag-Ride. These four were chosen from the best among the force borrowed from the four great n.o.bles.

The sovereigns of other countries also gathered skilled Drag-Knights to guard them. The figure of Alterize, the butler of Einfolk house from Ymir Theocracy was also there.

In other words, they really had gathered all their remaining battle force and came here with the resolve──to conquer the old castle even without the Seven Dragon Paladins.

Of course, on the surface the force was to back up the peaceful negotiation to happen, but it was nothing more than a mask.

If there was a chance, they would get a jump on the Lords and exterminated them.

The Lord’s castle that was floating in front of the old castle──the Heaven Palace gave no reply.

『We will only wait for five more minutes. In case there is no reply, we will attack without mercy toward your castle that is floating in the air!』

Prime Minister Nulph who sensed that used the Drag-Ride’s voice amplifier function once more and announced the declaration of war.

Due to the provocation of the Abysses called Shadow which mimicked human appearance, all the countries felt apprehensive of the people’s insurrection. They finally had no choice but to take action.

If they didn’t show an action that was easy to understand like exterminating the Lords, the people might misunderstand that the Shadow’s information was correct.

And then, with the hard fighting of White Ridge knight order that was led by the aide of Blackend Kingdom’s Seven Dragon Paladins, Zweigbergk, and with the a.s.sistance of Lisha and others, the Abysses around the old castle were finally cleaned up.

There was no option of letting go of this good chance.

Thus, Prime Minister Nulph proclaimed the time limit of waiting for five minutes.

Everyone gulped nervously while looking up to the airborne s.h.i.+p in the air.

The majority of the Abysses that were the enemy army had already been taken away and they had advanced until in front of the old castle.

The Drag-Knights’ cannon muzzles glared at the Heaven Palace that was the Lord’s castle. They were holding their breath waiting for the time of battle.

It was a tense silence.

When the hand of the clock pa.s.sed three minutes, Prime Minister Nulph glared to the sky.

He took in a deep breath to give out the signal of all-out attack. It was at that timing.

『Good grief, at last.』

It was a voice that Prime Minister Nulph had also heard many times in war council──the reply from the first imperial princess Listelka could be heard in magnified state from the Heaven Palace.

That was a sigh of exasperation and disappointment.

『Honestly, I’ve been tired of waiting. Because, from the beginning this is what I wanted. I have been waiting all along for this time. I’ve been waiting continuously since I woke up several years ago……no, since sleeping several hundred years ago, to bring down the hammer on the foolish ma.s.s.』

「…………」

*Murmur*, the alliance army’s Drag-Knights taking position in front of the old castle were shaken. Prime Minister Nulph frowned further.

「If you are trying to buy time foolishly, you will only shorten your remaining life, your highness imperial princess. Two minutes remaining.」

Prime Minister Nulph declared that while opening the lid of his pocket watch with one hand.

Next he opened his mouth once more to fill the gap.

「We have finished grasping with Drake’s radar that there is no Abyss around you all as well as your lack of allied Drag-Knight. If you are bluffing it has been seen through. Know that instead of negotiation to draw out advantage, this is only worsening our impression to you.」

Prime Minister Nulph threatened with a tone that was gradually strengthening.

In contrast with that, Listelka replied with a tone that was gentle to the end.

『Negotiation? What do you mean? I apologize but I refuse it. There is nothing that I can give in return to the presentation of merely the life of all of you.』

Listelka’s sentence that came from the Heaven Palace caused Nulph’s face to cramp and he closed his mouth.

Right now the Lord should have no way to take on nearly a thousand Drag-Knights in total.

All the division commanders of Dragon Marauder had also died in battle, and the remnant was only around a few dozen Drag-Knights.

Even those remnants were managing the Shadows that were doing incitement at various places. The only action they could take was only monitoring at best.

And yet, this confidence of the Lord was puzzling.

The enemy was seeing this combat force of the alliance troops as completely nonexistent.

『I called all of you the powers that be along with quite the number of Drag-Knights here in order to ma.s.sacre all of you, leaving none alive. The job of all of you from now is to die quickly. I have no intention to let even one person escape from here for the sake of my ruling of the world from here on.』

「Tsu……, one more minute!」

Listelka declared war indifferently.

Prime Minister Nulph grinded his teeth due after receiving a reply that was far more terrifying than a mere threat.

Even the elite Drag-Knights who also heard the voice emitted anger from their body and their grip on their Drag-Ride’s control stick strengthened.

Their fighting spirit boiled up like a heat haze. It was then Listelka’s voice came.

『Then, this is a bit of advance notice from me too. The countdown of twelve days was a mean to gather all of you to this execution ground, so I will annul it right now. In exchange I will read out loud the remainder of your life.』

It was the same gentle voice like when she first showed up before Nulph and others.

And then Listelka declared with a graceful manner.

『Fifteen minutes. Even so perhaps that is my overestimation. The time needed to clean up small fries like all of you might be even shorter.』

「──All troops, prepare for battle! We will move to subjugate the Lords from here on!」

Nulph who ran out of patience finally gave the signal of battle start.

「The target is the Heaven Palace floating in front of the old castle! Wyvern force, fly to the sky and approach for bombardment with Cannon. Wyrm force is to aim from the ground with the support of Drake! Don’t let even one get away!」

『All of you aren’t listening about my words since just now isn’t it? It’s better to look at your surrounding first before looking to the Heaven Palace you know?』

「What?」

Listelka’s words that she said along with a sigh caused Nulph to make a dubious face.

『Magialca Zen Vanfrick is really something. If she set up the base too far from the old castle then it would be difficult to attack, but putting the base too close would mean falling into trap. But, for the likes of you, you all can be easily surrounded if I can have you comes forward.』

「I’m tired of hearing your nonsense! Prepare yourself!」

Right after that, one of the hot-blooded soldiers turned the Cannon of his Wyrm toward the Heaven Palace.

The distance was far so the Cannon’s power would decline, even so if the armor received strengthening support from special equipment type Drake, then enough output could be produced.

When that soldier was charging energy for the starting shot before the all-out bombardment, the soldier beside him suddenly raised a bewildered voice.

「O, oi-!? What’s with your armor!? Something is sticking on it?」

「Hm……? Wha──!?」

Hearing what the soldier pointed out, the Wyrm user who was readying his Cannon became speechless.

From above the armor, there was strange bluish white tentacles clinging.

But, the soldier who pointed that out──furthermore more than ten soldiers at the surrounding were also in the same situation.

「This is bad! Abysses are appearing from underground! Everyone, strengthen your barrier!」

A Drag-Knight squad leader wearing EX Wyvern quickly cut apart the tentacles coiling around his body.

His feeling of relieve after escaping the predicament only lasted briefly.

The tentacles that regenerated with speed that eye couldn’t follow coiled around the squad leader’s body once more.

「Wha, what is this regeneration ability……!? It’s not a normal Abyss! Don’t tell me──gueah!」

Without even any time to feel shock, the tied up Drag-Knight had his armor pressured and his torso broke.

Without pause his internal organs spewed out from his mouth and he expired.

「This is……no such thing, such thing isn’t──. There is no way this thing is the Ark’s Ragnarok, Poseidon!」

Nulph who had received the report in the past knew that figure and groaned.

Countless tentacles growing out from underground one after another.

The faces of new kingdom troops who were facing those showed terror and unrest.

Of course, they had resolved themselves already when accompanying their sovereigns to the decisive battlefield.

Whether they would face the Lords’ Drag-Knight, or a great swarm of Abyss, or Sacred Eclipse──.

But, when those things appeared together with the rumble in the ground, their resolve was blown away.

「Pri, Prime Minister Nulph! Re, reaction of Abysses is──」

At that time, a Drake user of the alliance army let out a shaking voice.

「From the underground!? Until now there wasn’t any reaction but, how many appeared!?」

「Se, seven! There are only reactions of seven Abysses──n, no, this huge size, how……!?」

*DON-!*, at that moment the ground exploded along with a thunderous sound.

The road and soil of the abandoned city burst open and swirls of dust rose.

Their sight was covered for only more than ten seconds along with confusion. In that time several dozen screams overlapped.

「What!? Our position is changing by itself! In front of us enemy is──ageh!?」

Huge steel arm that was even thicker then the mast of a large s.h.i.+p.

It shot out with speed that eye couldn’t follow and smashed a Wyvern user of Ymir Theocracy.

While its physical strength went without saying, there was also how that Wyvern user who should be on the ground within a formation was suddenly thrown to the sky where there was nothing.

「That is──Deus ex Machina!? It should be in Ymir Theocracy’s Ruin, Lux-dono should have defeated it the other day, why!?」

The elite force of Ymir Theocracy.

The butler of Einfolk house who came as its squad leader, Alterize yelled spontaneously.

The Drag-Knights of Ymir Theocracy were smashed one after another. Flesh bits and metal fragments were mixed and scattered.

But, the screams didn’t stop there.

「What is this huge spherical Abyss! Our attack doesn’t work! Everything is reflected back──」

A spherical shaped Ragnarok with growing wings, Metatron’s attack reflection.

Before Marcafal Kingdom’s elite force could form countermeasure against that, they got hit fully by the reflected all-out bombardment and got routed.

Furthermore at the right wing──the Drag-Knights of Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality received the attack of wolf Ragnarok that breathed out absolute zero air──Fenrir and more than ten of them froze to death.

Next a great demon Ragnarok, Iblis’s mental pollution caused Blackend Kingdom troops to fall into chaos.

The formation of Turkimes Confederation also collapsed when they were pierced by the branches of Yggdrasil that possessed tough life force and ability to increase resistance due to its strengthening ability.

And then, the army of Heiburg Republic was also scattered everywhere when they were shot through by several thousand feathers clad in flame like fire arrows. The attack came from the Ragnarok of undying bird, Phoenix, whose true shape wasn’t even revealed.

「This is, impossible! How can such thing──!」

They a.s.sumed that they would fight Sacred Eclipse and a large army of Abysses, but the simultaneous attack by seven Ragnarok was unexpected.

Every single one of them rivaled several hundred of Abyss, and they were equipped with atrocious special ability like an evil G.o.d.

Such terrifying enemies were surrounding their force and launched attack from all directions.

Even their trump card──the remaining first cla.s.s soldiers weren’t a match against this ambush and they fell apart.

An elite force of nearly a thousand Drag-Knights that were the combination force of seven countries. Twenty percent of it fell in a few minutes since the beginning of the fight.

For capable soldier, this was a situation where they had to retreat without delay, but they were surrounded so they couldn’t do that.

If they tried to break through forcefully and exposed their back, they wouldn’t be able to avoid total annihilation.

Thus──there was nothing they could do.

It was a picture of h.e.l.l.

Within the chaos, Prime Minister Nulph could do nothing except raising his voice.

「How!? Why!? Why are the seven Ragnarok that should have been defeated already are here!?」

『It’s because they are resurrected, by this me, the shrine maiden of oracle.』

As though she had been waiting for that, Listelka immediately answered from the Heaven Palace.

『My little sister, the spy who was sent to Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality with the name Coral──Aeril Vi Arcadia has operated the function of Avalon just now. That is to say, she had pushed the last switch to revive the seven Ragnarok and liberate them.』

*Flash*, a giant framework of light surfaced from under the Heaven Palace and the side face of Aeril and Lux were projected there.

「……Guh, uu!」

Prime Minister Nulph who saw that couldn’t even curse back.

Everything was within Listelka’s scheme.

He finally understood that they were made to dance within her palm.

–

Part 8

「Haa……haa, haah……!」

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

「……Aeril, this is──!?」

Lux could only murmur dumbfounded at the unimaginable happening.

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

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

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

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

Listelka had predicted Aeril’s insubordination.

No, more accurately it was a bit different.

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

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

At the same time Listelka herself also had a task.

It was the purge of the royalties and n.o.bles and the majority of Drag-Knights of all the countries, which would link to ruling the world from now on.

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

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

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

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

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

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

「s.h.i.+t──, is this their objective from the start!? Second imperial princess!」

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

Lisha raised her voice, while Krulcifer calmly blamed Aeril.

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

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

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

That was Listelka’s one more scheme.

(──No, I don’t know the real truth.)

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

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

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

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

(But, I……)

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

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

(What should I do? What should──)

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

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

「……-!?」

*Pas.h.i.+-!* an impact ran along with a flash, the ceiling and floor were smashed.

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

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

「……Aeril?」

Lux’s back s.h.i.+vered hearing that chilly tone.

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

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

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

The girl laughed mockingly along with a disdaining gaze.

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

「-……!?」

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

That was right.

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

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

「You b.a.s.t.a.r.d……! Even though you are binding Lux with that Wedge and tricked him……!」

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

「…………」

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

The two were serious.

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

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

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

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

Such will could be sensed from them.

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

Right after that, Aeril made Zahhak flew with a fearless smile and headed toward a pa.s.sage that connected to another room from the control room.

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

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

「Wait, second princess!」

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

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

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

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

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

Hesitating for more than this wouldn’t be allowed.

He had to decide right now.

But, in any case it was impossible.

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

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

(──No, wait.)

At that instant, a doubt surfaced inside Lux.

The flow of event right now where they were chasing after Aeril through the straight pa.s.sage that they confirmed before this.

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

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

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

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

「I see, that’s how it is!」

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

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

「Don’t think that we can be stopped just by escaping into a pa.s.sage! Legion!」

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

「Kuh……」

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

「……Wha-!?」

「Lux-kun-!?」

Lux stood in front of Aeril wearing Bahamut.

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

「Uh, aah……!」

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

Even so he became a s.h.i.+eld and received all the attack that was aimed at Aeril.

「s.h.i.+t! If only that Wedge isn’t there──!」

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

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

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

「……Why」

A crack entered her mask and it broke into pieces.

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

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

What Lux saw there, was Coral’s expression.

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

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

「……-!?」

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aeril had been giving Lux that hint continuously.

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

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

「…………」

Aeril looked down without saying anything.

That was the answer.

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

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

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

「Why did you attack me? Why!? Why are you still, trying to trust someone like me──」

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

「-……!?」

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

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

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

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

They finally noticed that she wasn’t an enemy.

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

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

Listelka’s interference ability to Avalon.

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

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

That was a kind of threat.

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

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

「That’s right, isn’t it……」

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

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

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

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

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

「Ah……」

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

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

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

『──Ah!』

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

「You……」

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

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

That Aeril was siding with them.

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

『──That’s unfortunate, Aeril.』

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

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

There was no modulation and heat within that voice.

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

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

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

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

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

Everyone nodded in agreement with the voice of Celis that was still had the trace of p.r.o.nounced fatigue.

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

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

Lisha and others were able to move until this far in so short of time and displayed fierce fighting was caused by their mental strength with Lux’s life on danger.

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

Krulcifer’s words indicated everything.

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

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

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

If that happened then it would be the end already.

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

「Let’s go, Lux-kun!」

「Right.」

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

The circle drawn on the floor s.h.i.+ned and light enveloped them.

From here on it was a match against time.

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

And then──the remaining seven Ragnarok.

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

「-……」

Wrapped in light, the sensation of weight vanished.

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

「……Yos.h.!.+」

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

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

–

──GAuUUUUN-!

–

「Wha-!?」

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

The thunderous sound striking from the sky.

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

It was over within an instant.

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

「That’s, impossible……」

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

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

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

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

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

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

But, because it also cut through the s.p.a.ce, the destruction would draw a single beautiful line.

This time it was different from that.

There was no doubt that it was a powerful attack in all respects, but the impact

impact dispersed like a crack, breaking the whole chapel.

Besides, Hayes should be observing the Ragnarok’s situation slightly at the frontline.

「-……!?」

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

The shadow of a Drag-Knight wearing huge armor.

「That’s──don’t tell me……」

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

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

–

Part 9

When the silver door was opened, the silver haired girl wearing a crown lifted her face.

「I have returned, Listelka-sama.」

「Thank you for your hard work Mis.h.i.+s. It seems that you have also defeated the revived Sacred Eclipse safely. Good work.」

In order to return to the Heaven Palace that was floating above the old castle, Mis.h.i.+s didn’t use the land battle type Azi Dahaka, but switched to a strengthened type general purpose Drag-Ride Ex Wyvern and went back.

She was obstructed from erasing her target, the remaining combat force of new kingdom because of the Sacred Eclipse that Aeril lured.

「It is my delight to serve. But, I failed to finish those Syvalles lot. They are more skilled than I imagined.」

Mis.h.i.+s reported with her expression that was like an iron mask without a single twitch of her eyebrow.

But, Listelka shook her pure white hair in a good mood and smiled tolerantly.

「My my, there is no need to respect the enemy’s honor here. Something like enemy that can match you, the strongest Key’s Supervisor who was lauded as Anti Drag-Knight doesn’t exist from the start in this world.」

「No, the greatest cause of my victory was because those two hid their injury and fought while suppressing their fatigue. Even if I used Azi Dahaka in perfect condition, the next battle won’t go so simply like this time.」

Mis.h.i.+s admonished herself with calmness to the end.

The result ended with overwhelming victory for Mis.h.i.+s, but the real strength of Celis and Phluffy were also immeasurable.

The maid estimated that if the battle was brought into a decisive battle of brief duration, there was a possibility that they could instead prepare a countermeasure.

「How careful. But, it’s really reliable for my attendant. After all my excellent and rea.s.suring little sister has left just now──」

Listelka smiled looking somewhat lonely.

Mis.h.i.+s was already told the information that Aeril was rebelling.

「Does your highness really have no intend to bring back the second imperial princess?」

「I really want to do that if we have the leeway for it though.」

Listelka sighed with a troubled expression.

If someone who didn’t know anything about her saw it, then it would look like the figure of an older sister who was actually worried about her little sister even though she had been betrayed.

But, the maid who had served her for a long time knew that there was a completely different emotion within her words.

「I wish we can capture her alive and put her into custody. Like that I will be able to put her into brain death. At the very least I will be able to retrieve her ovum and make use of her as flesh puppet. If not she won’t be useful for the Lord from here on. There are also other preserved genes remaining, but there is almost no gene of Arcadia Empire’s pure lineage.」

That att.i.tude which only thought even her true blood relative as nothing more than a tool to revive the empire.

Mis.h.i.+s even felt fright seeing the face of Listelka who was speaking that calmly.

(However, perhaps that is only natural……)

The clan that reigned at the top of this world for a long time.

They hated the act of 『betrayal』 that became the cause of their destruction more than anything.

Similarly, Mis.h.i.+s also didn’t harbor any doubt toward her master’s decision.

As the Lord’s servantpartner, she had flawless education applied to her to devote her everything for her master which was the only one protecting the Key’s SupervisorXfer.

She was a maid of steel that suppressed her own emotion.

Even if Aeril was one of the Lord, if it was Listelka’s order then she would take care of her.

「However, the attack just now, could it be──」

「Yeah, it was my doing, Mis.h.i.+s.」

The maid noticed a presence from behind her and turned around.

There a man with silver hair and grey eyes was standing.

Although he gave a vaguely rough impression to those who looked to him, he was a youth that let out an aristocratic atmosphere. Fugil Arcadia was standing there.

He had already dispelled the Drag-Ride he was wearing, but it was him who destroyed the chapel just now by Listelka’s instruction.

On Listelka’s head, the electronic terminal with golden geometrical pattern on it, the 『Crown』 was placed.

It was a support tool to connect even deeper to Avalon’s system, and it was also the controller of this Heaven Palace.

She grasped the battle situation of various places, and also observed Aeril’s exploration of Avalon from here, but as expected it seemed the burden to her mind and body was considerable because she was taking it off.

「You have destroyed the chapel where the Seven Dragon Paladins were placed, just as I wished. I appreciate your efforts, Fugil.」

Listelka thanked not with a face as imperial princess, but spoke with an intimate tone that vaguely like a maiden.

In contrast Fugil only kept showing a composed smile and lightly nodded in respond.

「I didn’t want to have you who are my knight to sortie, but this time there was no time after all. But──isn’t your condition superb just now?」

Listelka gave a praise that was filled with antic.i.p.ation.

But, Fugil only showed a slight smile without change and quietly denied it.

「Certainly, the function of the special armament worked quite well. But I believe it’s still difficult to call it as flawless. There was no definite feedback from that attack.」

「My? Fugil is really too modest. If that chapel is destroyed by one attack, then I believe it’s powerful enough though──」

Listelka put her hands together and talked in delight, but Fugil made a cynical smile.

「It was easier to manage those lot by quarantining them. Such thought was a mistake──no, should I call it a slight slackness. This isn’t Lux’s strategy. But there is someone among my little brother’s subordinate who can execute such plan.」

「……? What are you saying, Fugil?」

Listelka tilted her head and asked, but Fugil was silent. He only responded with a smile.

「More importantly, I believe it’s necessary to deal with Lux Arcadia and others who returned to the back of the old castle. The world alliance has already retreated, but in any case when they escaped back to their base, they won’t be able to escape from the fortress where the kings of all the countries gathered. They will surely be crushed by the seven Ragnarok.」

Saying that Mis.h.i.+s glanced at Fugil.

Rather than her who was exhausted from the battle against Sacred Eclipse or calling back Hayes who was watching over the battle in the frontline, she was thinking that perhaps they should send this man to subjugate Lux and his group.

But, the maid’s plan didn’t reach her master Listelka.

「Fugil has his duty to guard me, so I cannot send him. There is still some remnant of Dragon Marauder in the old castle correct? Let’s have them intercept that group. Let’s also control the remaining Abysses with horn flute.」

「…………」

Listelka who possessed strong suspicion of others put absolute trust to Fugil was nothing more because he once saved her life.

More than several hundred years ago──.

Listelka and others, the imperial family who met the rebellion of the family of traitor tried to hide in the Ruin Ark along with few attendants and slept there.

But, along with the flow of time, the descendants of the enemy, the royalties of Arcadia Empire sniffed out that location. They invaded and were about to kill everyone, it was then Fugil saved them. That was the reason of her trust.

Furthermore after that, Fugil destroyed his own empire, and now──with his cooperation, the Ruins were captured and they were able to come this far.

Mis.h.i.+s who woke up after that had been told many times about that sequence of events from the girl who was her master.

Thus, Listelka saw Fugil as a hero, at the same time she was directing her good will toward him that was the same like love.

Mis.h.i.+s had no intention to voice an objection to her master’s feeling.

However in Mis.h.i.+s’s point of view, Fugil wasn’t looking at them.

No──perhaps.

Right after the maid was absorbed in such thought, the Heaven Palace moved and slowly flew in the sky.

When she looked, Listelka was wearing the Crown controller once more and sat down on the throne.

「Either way, it will be fine to leave Lux and others to be dealt later now. Let’s head to their fortress with this Heaven Palace. The representatives of all countries seem to be all present there, so let’s enjoy their moment of death.」

「Understood.」

Mis.h.i.+s nodded. Then frame of light was projected on the metallic wall before her.

The image reflected there was right below the floating Heaven Palace──the trace of rampage of the revived seven Abysses that was left behind.

The ruins of buildings that were turned grey without any color.

The structures remaining in the castle town of abandoned capital Guernica were tragically smashed apart. The Drag-Knights’ blood was dying the area as though the old wound of the city was gouged open.

More than half of the elite force couldn’t escape and almost all of them ended up dead, on the other hand all the Ragnarok had not a single scratch.

「I thought they would be lacking in strength because they had just been revived, but looks like it was just my needless anxiety.」

「I believe the situation of the battle also have large influence to it. Most likely they were completely helpless in a situation where they were ambushed by seven Ragnarok and surrounded from all side.」

Even if the enemies were the chose elites, soldiers without Divine Drag-Ride fundamentally fought with group tactic in battle formation.

When their formation crumbled from the unexpected surprise attack and their force was scattered, annihilation was inevitable.

「──But, it’s strange that only half of them died. Even though I thought that they wouldn’t even try to escape.」

It seemed Listelka couldn’t be convinced even by that overwhelming result. She tilted her head in bewilderment.

Then through her Crown, a Dragon Voice from her little sister Hayes came.

『How is your mood, Onee-sama?』

「The number of the dead is lacking there, Hayes. Even though the Ragnarok aren’t wounded, how did they manage to escape?」

『That’s the problem. That woman who we were on guard the most showed up.』

「──That woman?」

Listelka directed the sight of Heaven Palace from looking at directly below to turn to the front.

There, a sight of just a single Drag-Knight facing all seven Ragnarok could be seen.

Armor of deep darkness color and four legs──Yato no Kami. Wearing it was Kirihime Yoruka.

「I see. So the person we have been waiting for has come.」

But, regardless of the appearance of a powerful enemy, Listelka showed a shadowed gaze and smiled.

「──The Ragnarok absolutely won’t be brought down with just her alone. With this the last possibility of the enemy turning the table will also be crushed.」

Even though Yoruka was facing seven Ragnarok simultaneously, her movement wasn’t offensive at the least.

She maintained a distance that wasn’t too close or too far, luring the enemy’s focus into herself and dodged the attacks. And then──she was gradually retreating toward the fortress.

Even Ragnarok fundamentally possessed the same nature like Abyss.

In other words b.e.s.t.i.a.l instinct──their principle was to prioritize aiming at someone who was nearby or attacking them.

There Yoruka attracted the attention of the Ragnarok, saving the remaining force of around five hundred Drag-Knights and secured their escape route.

Listelka’s scheme to gather the up the enemy force and annihilated them in one go was mostly obstructed by the appearance of Yoruka.

Even so the Lord’s imperial princess acted with composure.

「This is the best development I could ask for. After all with the Seven Dragon Paladins and the world alliance army crushed, for me she is the biggest remaining threat. Sending Hayes and you to get rid of her will also be fine, but it’s great that we can confirm her existence clearly here.」

‘But’──Listelka paused her words for a moment, then she tilted her head and a question emerged in her mind.

「This is a bit strange. She is someone who swore loyalty to that Lux Arcadia. I thought that she would completely ignored the like of the alliance army and dash straight to his master’s predicament though.」

Even though she was monitoring the front of the old castle from the Heaven Palace and placed Hayes there as defense in order to stop her.

「Indeed.」

Mis.h.i.+s also nodded at her master’s murmur. Then a communication through Dragon Voice from Hayes who was observing the battle situation below came.

『Oi Onee-sama. If it’s answer, I got it yeah. Try looking to the front a bit more.』

「…………?」

Prompted by Hayes, Listelka turned the sight of Heaven Palace to the front through the Crown she was wearing.

Slightly ahead than the present location.

There was the figure of a silver haired girl in front of the fortress, gazing at the advancing Ragnarok with nervous look.

「Airi Arcadia. Why is she there? Don’t tell me──」

『Yeah, they had seen it through most likely. That to go to the deepest part of Avalon, the blood of Arcadia is needed for the confirmation. The confirmation will go through even with that girl if she comes to here. But, it was fine and all coming here to save her lord, but that woman was surprised at the unexpected Ragnarok’s appearance, and she switched to buy time to protect her other master the little sister.』

「That girl is also an imperial family of Arcadia Empire that she is serving. What’s more that girl is necessary for the confirmation to control Avalon, so she is forced to protect her──so that’s how it is.」

Listelka chuckled in understanding.

If all the pieces the enemy was holding became clear, there wasn’t anything more to fear.

They would crush the enemy’s focal point here, and at the end they would get rid of Aeril along with Lux and his group.

With that it would be over.

She would make her return to the world once more with this hand.

「Then──let’s teach her. The opposition of a bug, no matter how hard is something meaningless.」

–

Part 10

「……As expected this is really reckless. But perhaps the enemies are also lacking sleep, because they seem weaker than before but──even so I who had only recovered from my injury cannot match them.」

Below where Listelka was directing her smile from the airborne s.h.i.+p──the Heaven Palace.

In the battlefield site where seven Ragnarok were displaying their tyranny, Yoruka alone was continuing to make a good showing.

She weaved through the waves of powerful and wide-ranged attack, dealt a single slash when there was an opening and then took distance.

By repeating that she somehow lured the Ragnarok and let the friendly troops to escape, even so her stamina had been stolen to a terrifying degree just from fighting for three minutes.

「──SHAaAAAAH!」

The Ragnarok that was firing feathers of flame arrow like a heavy rain──Phoenix’s attack wasn’t a mere flame.

The fat that was contained within those feathers would stick to the thing the feathers. .h.i.t and became fuel, planting flame that wouldn’t vanish even after more than ten minutes.

A part of Yoruka’s armor that was. .h.i.t with the flame was flung off with Break Purge.

At the same time her surrounding was blanketed with h.e.l.lfire, leaving her no place to secure foothold.

Drag-Knights who lost consciousness breathed in the white smoke that was rolling up in great amount and turned dead.

The bodies of the soldiers whose Drag-Ride was dispelled were cremated by Phoenix’s flame.

The ice wolf Fenrir that was approaching as reinforcement forced Yoruka to dodge in a large way because of its absolute zero breath.

Even for Yoruka, continuously evading the claw and fang that were additionally attacking in high speed was a herculean task.

Furthermore Poseidon that possessed unlimited regeneration, Yggdrasil who reacted to the situation and continuously strengthened itself, Metatron that reflected attack back, Deus ex Machina that grasped the s.p.a.ce in control, Iblis that polluted the mind.

Although she was fighting while retreating, Yato no Kami’s barrier was already pierced and even a part of her armor was smashed.

She was able to create an opening to lure the enemies toward her and allowed the allied troops to retreat, the opponent wasn’t so soft that her side would be able to manage somehow with just that.

The elite force who showed their back to the enemies were killed one after another by the approaching Ragnarok.

Even if she wanted to use Over Limit through her Spell Code, Yoruka’s current physical state didn’t allow it.

The battle situation was still hopeless without any change.

Even so she gave her best and barely slowed the enemy’s invasion.

She was risking her life just for that.

「Haa……haa. Even so, it’s surprising. Although this is for the sake of saving Aruji-sama, but to think I’m able to do this kind of act.」

Even though she was cornered into an overwhelming disadvantage, the glint of Yoruka’s eyes didn’t turn dim.

A few kl behind her, Airi was there watching the fight while holding her breath.

The fortress base. She was standing slightly in front of it while exposing her body to the cold biting wind and prayed.

「This place is dangerous Airi-san! Can’t you evacuate inside the fortress?」

A boy dressed as butler, Magialca’s aide Lolotte called out to her, but Airi didn’t move.

In exchange she kept turning her back to him while giving back her answer with a calm tone.

「Thank you very much for your worry. But, there is meaning in me doing something like this. No, I’m doing this in the belief that it will raise the possibility of saving Nii-san even if only slightly. That’s why──」

Lolotte guessed her meaning with those words.

Airi’s act of deliberately exposing her figure in front of the fortress had a definite objective.

「I understand your feeling. But the seven Ragnarok are already closing in. With how we are sheltering the sovereigns of seven countries, we are also unable to retreat from here.」

In other words if they didn’t escape right away──no, even if they escaped they would be overtaken and then met a ma.s.sacre.

But, even after being told about that hopeless situation, Airi kept gazing straight to the front.

Even Yoruka couldn’t buy time satisfactorily against seven Ragnarok as her opponent.

Furthermore, the Drag-Knights of the alliance army who were saved by her and barely escaped alive could be seen flying here with desperate look.

「Sa, save meeee! I’ll get killed!」

「It’s the end! It’s already overrrrr!」

「Re, retreat! Run away from here! Quickly──」

People who tossed away all their weapons and wore broken armor.

People who were bleeding from all over their body and wandered around while screaming.

And then people whose heart was broken by terror and sobbed tearfully.

Everyone similarly spoke about the despair.

–

「──Kuh! It’s already, at this rate……!」

Among those people, a woman of blooming age wearing EX Wyvern, the butler of Einfolk house Alterize groaned with rough breathing.

「At the very least, we have to protect his grace the pope, so he can escape from here──!」

When Airi who was standing in front of the fortress heard that, voices suddenly came from above.

「Oi oi. The elite force for the decisive battle is saying that? Even if you guys escape until the end of this world, those guys will keep coming anyway yeah?」

First a male voice with a tone that sounded careless said that briefly.

「Even the butler of Einfolk house has become disappointing. To lament like that just from this much.」

Next, it was a jesting voice of a girl that sounded very young.

「So those are Ragnarok eeeh. Looks like it will be really worth it to defeat them.」

A tone of a woman that gave the impression of belligerent fearlessness.

「That is, the same scene like when I made my threat before. But, the truth is I didn’t wish for something like this at all.」

A girl’s voice that had no modulation, however a strong will resided in it.

「Finally my words can be proved as correct. It’s only powerful Drag-Knight who is worthy to rule over the world.」

Words that were filled with confidence along with haughty scorn could be heard.

「You all understand right, each of you need to kill one you know? I will protect the center. The rest spread out just like the instruction from before!」

A voice that sounded young, but with a way of talking that sounded mature.

The moment Lolotte heard that voice, he looked forward.

Above the watch tower at the front of the fortress──seven male and females could be seen.

When Airi noticed and looked up to the tower too, there was the back figure of her dear big brother there.

「Sorry to make you wait, Airi. And Yoruka too.」

「……Nii-san-!?」

Airi who was slightly at the back part of the fortress’s front noticed their existences.

The Seven Dragon Paladins who should have fallen into the enemy’s hand and imprisoned were all present above the watch tower in front of her.

The representative of Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality, Greifer Nest.

The representative of Ymir Theocracy, Mel Gizalut.

The representative of Heiburg Republic, Rosa Granhide.

The representative of Turkimes Confederation, Soffice Xfer.

The representative of Blackedn Kingdom, Singlen Shelbrit.

The representative of Marcafal Kingdom, Magialca Zen Vanfrick.

And then, the representative of New Kingdom Atismata, Lux Arcadia.

They faced the approaching seven Ragnarok and drew out their Sword Device.

「──Roar thunderously and become a legend. O protector of fairy, the banner of great enemy, Cuelebre.」

First Greifer pushed the trigger on the handle and went as the vanguard.

「──Two opposite of depravity competing with each other, be worn on the body and resurrect. O dragon of strife bringing ruination to heaven and earth, Ddraig Gwiber.」

Furthermore Mel pulled out her two swords Sword Device and continued after Greifer.

「──Soot of intrigue that is the wickedness, sink, lurk, deceive, and strike. O dragon of previous life without repentance, Gorynych.」

Rosa summoned a huge dragon of dark grey color with a bold smile,

「──Born from the flame, is the taboo G.o.d. Devour hatred and reason then transcend, Vritra.」

The yellow dragon that appeared in front of Sofice unfolded into countless parts.

「──The origin of all thing, the ocean, whirl powerfully to the critical pressure. Hand down the judgment of divine will that illuminate the heaven, Leviathan.」

Singlen connected with a blue huge dragon and it turned into an armor that covered his body.

「──O world snake that is liberated from fate. Challenge the holy war and take revenge to the G.o.ds, Jormungandr.」

Magialca deployed her gigantic Drag-Ride and took position on the watch tower.

「──Manifest, the violent dragon that devour the flesh and blood of G.o.ds. Sever the sky of dark clouds, Bahamut.」

For the last, Lux readied his great sword along with the jet black huge dragon.

Right here right now, it was the second coming of the last stronghold that protected the world.

–

「U, OOOooOOO……-!」

Every single one of them equipped their Divine Drag-Ride with absolute confidence and readied their weapon.

The alliance troops who witnessed that spontaneously erupted with voice of wonder.

「However, what is happening? Why are they there──no, how did they escape!?」

The butler Lolotte was shocked in front of the fortress while asking Airi beside him.

Until now, Lolotte couldn’t make contact with his master Magialca.

He wondered what happened to Lux and others who should be fallen into the Lord’s hand and got locked in the old castle.

「Our comrades managed their task successfully. Just as they promised at first when we arrived here.」

「Yes. It was extremely difficult but, we somehow accomplished it.」

There, starting from Noct who was wearing EX Drake, the Triad who were similarly wearing strengthened type Drag-Ride showed their face.

「Maaan──, it was scary. But it must be that. It’s the victory for Sharis’s strategy. Her instinct was unusually right on the money.」

「First let’s relax that we accomplished the mission. Airi-chan too, you really did your best.」

Sharis was nodding at Tillfur’s words while gently caressing Airi’s silver hair.

Half a day after Yoruka and co arrived at this base, they formed a strategy when they were going to head out to rescue Lux right away.

When Yoruka’s Yato no Kami that was a special equipment type Divine Drag-Ride investigated using its radar through a vast range, it detected within the old castle’s ground──the reaction of six living things inside the chapel, as well as more than ten Drag-Knights and several Abysses around the chapel.

And then, the radar also confirmed the reaction of Divine Drag-Rides of Lisha and Krulcifer who followed after Celis and Philuffy.

Seeing how the reaction of Lux couldn’t be found inside the old castle, and how Lisha and Krulcifer entered underground, the possibility was high that Lux and Aeril were there.

With how Lisha and others were already chasing after Lux and stormed into Avalon, the possibility was low that they would be able to make it in time even if they followed.

‘In that case’──Airi’s proposal was to save the remaining Seven Dragon Paladins and they decided it as their strategy.

Even if Lux managed to become free alone, with Seven Dragon Paladins still imprisoned and stayed as hostage, their side wouldn’t be able to fight with full power after that.

Yoruka also complied with that persuasion of Airi and she tried to enter into the old castle that was inadequately defended.

But, midway a single problem surfaced.

The seven Ragnarok that appeared and surrounded the alliance army, and the Heaven Palace floating in the sky.

And then, the existence of Hayes who was monitoring the situation.

If they were standing by without chasing after Lux, there was a high possibility that they would come to finish off Yoruka and others.

But, in reverse if Yoruka who the enemy was the wariest against showed her figure, they estimated that the enemy would be unable to notice other thing.

–

「My bad but missy Yoruka, can I ask you to attract the attention of Hayes and the others for us? While you are at it I also want you to help the alliance army to retreat. We will take a detour around the enemy’s monitoring and infiltrate into the p;d castle’s chapel in full speed.」

Thus Sharis proposed that they and Yoruka took separate action.

「Can you three accomplish that? There are more than ten Dragon Marauder remnant and several Abyss in the old castle, and if an ambush appeared──」

Yoruka asked with a smile. In respond Sharis looked down with a slight hesitation.

But, she immediately lifted her face resolutely.

「If we can manage somehow──no, we will manage it no matter what! Even if we have to pay with our life, we will recover the Seven Dragon Paladins no matter what. If we cannot say at least that much, there won’t be any meaning of us coming here!」

She clenched her shaking fist and the blue haired girl said that. Tillfur and Noct also nodded with serious face.

Airi also took a deep breath and gave a push on their back.

「I also have the same opinion. The seven Ragnarok are revived and surrounded the alliance army. If we don’t at least buy time, the alliance army will also be annihilated. Even if we manage to save the Seven Dragon Paladins and fight back, it will be the end if we don’t hold out until then.」

「Understood. But, seeing me not going to save Aruji-sama, the enemy will hold doubt that a different force is moving won’t they?」

「……-」

What Yoruka pointed out caused the Triad to hold their tongue.

Certainly, the enemy also knew about Yoruka’s character.

If she didn’t go straight to save Lux, next they would strengthen their security on the defenseless Seven Dragon Paladins, or perhaps they would even discard and kill them.

「──Then, I will become bait.」

Then, Airi raised her hand quietly.

Noct beside her opened her eyes wide in surprise, but Airi ignored it and expressed her thinking.

「The blood of Arcadia is indispensable for the capture and monopolizing of Avalon. Then, if I expose my figure in the fortress, it will be taken as the reason Yoruka-san is stopping the advance of the Ragnarok. With that the Lords’ attention will be fixed on us.」

Excluding Lisha and others the four Divine Drag-Ride users, they would deliberately expose all the existences that were threat for the enemy.

With that, the Triad for the first time would be able to move with no mark from the enemy putting up their guard against them.

This was also a plan that was possible exactly because it was right now where they had lost almost all of their personnel and had no leeway to a.s.sign any of their members for other task.

「But Airi, that’s──」

Noct raised an uneasy voice. In respond Airi made a smile to tell her not to worry.

「You cannot stop me here Noct. Everyone will be braving absurdly great danger in the old castle. If I don’t do this, then I won’t understand for what I come here.」

「I understand. We will take back the Seven Dragon Paladins without fail. Please buy us time until then.」

Sharis clenched her fist with a serious gaze. Everyone there nodded in agreement.

And then, they immediately executed the plan right after that.

Yoruka attracted the attention of the seven Ragnarok, securing the path of retreat for the alliance army while slowing the enemy’s invasion at the same time. Using that opening Sharis and others infiltrated the chapel and rescued the Seven Dragon Paladins.

Furthermore using radar, they also succeeded in taking back Seven Dragon Paladins’ Sword Devices that were hidden inside the old castle.

Perhaps the fortune had also become their ally, because their operation splendidly worked out.

Right after rescuing the Seven Dragon Paladins, the chapel was destroyed, but when they went around the back, they met up with Lux and Aeril.

Using Bahamut’s Divine Raiment, everyone’s Wedge was removed and they returned full speed to the fortress.

–

──And then, now.

「Good grief, as expected I’m also at my limit. The best I can do is to observe the surrounding using radar coverage just in case so the worst case won’t happen.」

Yoruka who returned until in front of the fortress muttered that with gasping breath.

Although she had no conspicuous wound, some parts of her armor were cracked. It indicated the intensity of the fierce battle she went through.

She was doing it calmly but, although it was only buying time, facing against seven Ragnarok should be putting a terrifying burden on her.

After all their might was to the degree that the elite alliance army was reduced by half in just ten minutes, so conversely there was no doubt that it was a feat that could only be done by her.

When Airi reconfirmed this greatly unfavorable situation once more, Sharis beside her also nodded.

「This is as far as we go. ──We leave the rest to you, Lux-kun.」

「Haaa, I’m knackered now, we also used the new equipment a looot……」

「Yes. But, it was worth it for us to fray our nerves like that.」]

The Triad who had switched into normal general purpose Drag-Ride watched the battle situation together with Airi in front of the fortress.

The watch tower that was only 300 ml ahead from there was truly the last line of defense.

The fight that would decide the fate of the world was started.

–

Part 11

「Hah, do they think they can defeat that huh? Although they had only just woken up and not in their best condition, those things are Ragnarok yeah? There ain’t no way a mish-mash gathering of you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds can hope to match them!」

The one stepping forward in front of the old castle wearing Drake was a silver haired Lord──Hayes.

Niddhogg had been tuned, but if she used that and fought using her full strength, she would die from exhaustion after only twice.

Thus, she was using general purpose Drag-Ride Drake that put little burden on her until now and observed the battle situation.

No instruction came from Listeka in the Heaven Palace.

Mis.h.i.+s was exhausted from destroying the Sacred Eclipse, and Fugil was serving as Listelka’s guard.

And then Listelka also had no spare strength from interfering with Avalon’s system.

Therefore right now it was only the seven Ragnarok that were the cornerstone of the Lord faction’s battle force.

First the swift runner ice wolf Fenrir circled around toward the fortress and breathed out its freezing breath.

「U, AAAAH!?」

「Ku──!」

A part of the alliance army──the elite Drag-Knights were late in escaping.

Alterize who was leading it groaned in distress.

But, a land battle type Drag-Ride stood before her eyes and instantly melted the freezing.

「──Isn’t this pathetic? If you are also someone who originated from Ymir Theocracy, then a coldness of this level should be nothing right?」

「Mel Gizalut!」

After Alterize spontaneously yelled so, Mel brushed up her platinum colored hair and smiled.

She directed that mischievous gaze toward the ice wolf and readied the Halberd of Ddraig Gwiber.

「But well, you have run out of luck to encounter me here. My second name is the Subjugator──I cannot let Abyss live.」

「GU, RURURURURURURURURUu…..!」

The huge ice wolf raised a ferocious roar and leaped.

The Divine Drag-Ride Ddraig Gwiber that Mel was wearing possessed Divine Raiment of Dual s.h.i.+ft that manipulated heat.

Therefore, her affinity toward Fenrir that was breathing out absolute zero breath was excellent.

Furthermore Ddraig Gwiber possessed transformation function to change from land battle type to flying type.

Changing battle style freely depending on the battle situation was where Mel showed her true worth with her genius sense.

「URURU……GURYaAAAAH!」

Fenrir also seemed to sense that simple freezing attack wouldn’t work against Mel, it used its huge fangs and claws to attack.

In respond Mel saw that ground battle was disadvantageous and switched her Ddraigh Gwiber to Wyvern Mode.

She glided away with explosive speed and launched a counterattack toward Fenrir’s back.

–

──At the neighboring spot that was 300 ml from there.

There were many remaining ruined buildings with alleys that crisscrossed complicated like a maze.

The Ragnarok of unlimited regeneration which possessed innumerable tentacles──Poseidon, and Rosa Granhide were locked in battle.

Rosa drove her dark grey land battle type Divine Drag-Ride Gorynych. She was backing away while exchanging attack with the enemy.

The countless tentacles growing out from underground would attack consecutively once they captured their target and they would become unmanageable.

Thus, Rosa was weaving her way through the alleys while swinging her Scythe and escaped from the pursuing attacks.

『It’s really unfortunate huuuh, Rosa. You won’t be able to defeat this guy with the mere strength of a b.a.s.t.a.r.d like you y’know?』

A jerr came from Hayes who was watching from far away while wearing a Drake.

But, Rosa kept grinning fearlessly without getting agitated.

Hayes who was once temporarily placed in the post of Heiburg’s strategist knew about Rosa’s existence.

She knew her as a subordinate of the King of Vices──Calensia who made a deal with her, furthermore she heard from Calensia about Rosa’s true nature that was just a coward who was threatened to act as strong person.

『Can’t you stop acting like that even after your owner died? Even if you were just forced to act a lie as inhuman character, your sin of a.s.sisting with evil deeds ain’t gonna disappear. That weak and flimsy heart is impossible to change!』

「…………」

『If you betray that womanizer ruined prince and change side to here once more, I’ll at least spare your life y’know?』

Hayes who was limited in the number of times she could fight schemed to shake Rosa with mental attack so that she would make a mistake in her fight.

Perhaps Hayes’s scheme was going well──or perhaps it was Poseidon’s strength that was superior, because Rosa was cornered into a dead-end, and countless tentacles finally captured her.

『HYAHAHAHAH! Looks like you don’t even have anything to say back huh! After all without anyone making use of you──without anyone brainwas.h.i.+ng you, you cannot even control yourself. You can’t even fight properly!』

Hayes’s insults were continuously hurled at Rosa.

But, in respond Rosa formed a disappointed smile and only muttered with her eyes looking down.

「──What a pitiful woman eeh. Aren’t you yourself unable to do anything if you don’t borrow the name and history of the Lord? Are you planning to be like that until you die I wondeeer?」

『What……!?』

Hayes’s voice roughened hearing those words.

「Really what an embarra.s.sment. After getting into the opposite side and looking, for the first time I understand the wretchedness of myself at that time. Averting your eye from reality by simply doing as you are told by someone else, running away into the strength of dream, that appearance is really similar.」

Rosa formed her words dispa.s.sionately as though mocking herself.

『Are you b.a.s.t.a.r.d planning to confuse yourself with me?』

「As expected no way I’ll do that. I don’t plan to deny my foolishness in the past but, it’s still better than an idiot who cannot get cured even in death seee. The reason why you are trying to torment every people in this world, everything is just you venting your anger riight?」

『You bastaard──』

「I heard from that girl Soffice. The imperial family the Lord──all of you met treason several hundred years ago, and then you all got knocked off from being the ruler of the world. Your pride that is the foundation of your self was stolen, and so you can’t help but hating the people of the world right now, right?」

The constriction of Poseidon’s tentacles was tightening with grinding sound, and cracks ran through the armor Rosa was wearing.

It was an absolutely desperate predicament where death was thrust before her eyes.

Even so the girl grinned fearlessly.

「Spare me from being the comrade of you guys for the second time. No matter how much you guys bluff or show off your strength, it’s simply that you guys can only express yourself by doing that. There is not a single person who will want to work under such childish people you know?」

『……Then, you can die like that! Become Poseidon’s feed and peris.h.!.+』

「My baaad but, spare me from that too.」

Rosa answered right away. In that instant, the tentacles crushed the armor.

But, right after that the figure of Rosa herself who was wearing the Drag-Ride vanished, and that armor exploded from inside.

Witnessing that, Hayes noticed.

The Rosa who was captured by tentacles until now was an unmanned Drag-Ride that was Gorynych’s special armament, Twelve Vice.

Furthermore it was combined with the special armament Sin Phantom that produced illusion, and it became a decoy that was camouflaged as Rosa herself.

「VAaAaAA……!」

The countless tentacles that captured the decoy were showered by the armor fragments that were tinged with high heat. Poseidon shrieked.

At the same time, the real Rosa appeared from the shadow of a

of a ruined building.

She swung down her large sized Scythe and buried the blade into the stone paving.

「UUaAA-!?」

「As I thought, so the main body is theree? The regeneration speed is faster the closer the body part is to the main body. To keep hiding underground like this──it’s like it’s a similar fellow with me eeeh.」

Rosa’s smile looked mixed with irony somewhere.

But, she didn’t relax her attacking hand.

「Hayes. It’s just as you say you knoow, disguise is my specialty. But that isn’t for the sake of laying the blame of my crime to this personality or running away anymore.」

『…………』

Rosa touched her Sword Device and further summoned the remaining ten Twelve Vice.

She disa.s.sembled them, linked and combined them, and her figure changed in the blink of eye.

Gorynych’s Divine Raiment, Tartaros Frame. Its real ability was displayed her.

「Tartaros Frame – Rapid Fire Mode.」

The muzzles of countless weapons like Cannon or Breath Gun were taken into its front surface, forming an atypical appearance.

The Drag-Ride’s figure was completely changed into a fortress that was specialized for attack.

「It’s to continue carrying the burden for me to keep being me you knoow? Even if it was a part that was created from Calensia’s threat, there is no doubt that it is a part of me seee. That’s why──」

Heiburg’s King of Vices.

The ruler who brainwashed her and created this mask. Now she would use this mask not for that person’s sake, but for herself.

She traced the personality of Rosa Granhide, an overbearing and dangerous powerful person.

「Now I’ll defeat this thing, for my sake and for Lux-sama.」

–

Part 12

「That’s, no way──……why, such thing like this is」

Seven Dragon Paladins, versus seven Ragnarok.

The silver airborne s.h.i.+p floating in the sky above──Heaven Palace. The Lord Listelka Rei Arshalia was overlooking such scene while muttering so.

She scattered Abysses named Shadow to mimic human appearance and agitated the ma.s.ses, cornering the sovereigns of the countries.

She also made them to bring out the enemy’s remaining battle potential, the elite force of all the countries and led them into trap.

Furthermore she took the Seven Dragon Paladins hostage, and planned to brainwash them later to make them into her subordinates.

She used Lux along with Aeril and arranged to make them conquer Avalon.

That scheme splendidly worked and everything went well. Yes──until the middle.

「Why is a mere seven people can face that many Ragnarok? Such thing, was impossible even in our era.」

She wasn’t exactly showing agitation, but a doubt was definitely created inside herself.

Even if they were user of Divine Drag-Ride, in the first place Ragnarok wasn’t an existence that could be defeated alone.

In reality, even though it was a surprise attack but it was the fact that the alliance’s elite Drag-Knights were easily crushed.

「…………」

The maid Mis.h.i.+s who was standing at the side had an idea about the cause of that.

She had only comprehended it through her battle against Celis and Philuffy just now.

「We were making light of them, that’s how it is.」

Fugil who was standing by in the same room told that with an admonis.h.i.+ng smile.

「No matter how powerful the Ragnarok are, their ability had been completely exposed through the Ruins’ capture until now. Furthermore with their weakened state after having just waking up──no」

Fugil paused for a moment and faced Listelka.

「Their true strength is simply superior. It’s different from the age where you lived. Although the process is different, they have raised their strength in their own way.」

「Aeril……if only that girl didn’t betray us, the result should be different.」

The ancient era. Listelka who reigned as an absolute ruler seemed to not want to recognize it. She muttered bitterly.

But, Fugil spoke indifferently with an unchanging smile.

「No, you have predicted even her action. The second imperial princess who intended to rebel fell into your trap, and she was perceived as enemy by the world alliance. She already had no other path than to live for the sake of the Lord. The reason, why her fate was overturned──」

「……Lux Arcadia. Him winning over her highness Aeril to his side is the cause. Is it okay to think like that?」

Mis.h.i.+s said those words, but Fugil silently shook his head.

「That’s not it. That foolish little brother didn’t know anything like the true ident.i.ty of her highness princess Aeril. He also didn’t try to win him over or anything. In other words──he has the qualities of hero. That guy has the qualities, that can make even someone from the enemy faction to want to become his ally.」

「He……ro……?」

Listelka muttered while staring at the scene below which was projected on the metallic wall.

She was dumbfounded and lost her words for a while, then after she shook her head, she silently smiled.

「I won’t recognize it. A hero for me is only Fugil. There is no way I can lose against the like of that family of traitor. Then──」

Sitting on the throne, Listelka wore the Crown──the transmission device that was connected to terminal and countless wires.

Even if she tried to interfere with Avalon’s system again, she was unable to call a battle strength that surpa.s.sed Ragnarok. And she couldn’t control only Sacred Eclipse.

In that case──.

『Hayes, please buy time! You can only fight two more times, that’s your limit. I will grant you the chance to use one of that here. I too will soon get serious.』

「-……!? Listelka-sama, you don’t mean──!?」

Mis.h.i.+s who heard that changed her facial expression.

The trump card of Avalon that was possible to be used right now.

She had knowledge of that.

「Please stop! If that is used, Sacred Eclipse that was defeated just now might be stimulated. No──other than that, there is also the possibility of the controlled Ragnarok losing their distinction. They might even attack us!」

「Is there, any problem with that?」

「…………」

Listelka made a pure smile. Mis.h.i.+s turned speechless seeing that.

「It’s something cheap to pay. We will be able to obtain victory simply by braving a little danger. Compared to that time when we couldn’t do anything at all even while being toyed with, this is truly a magnificent hope.」

Her red pupil that received Baptism was s.h.i.+ning fiercely as though it was blazing.

What she was doing should also put considerable burden on herself, but she intended to decide the battle right away here.

Mis.h.i.+s immediately turned toward Fugil and threw a pleading gaze at him.

She held hope for him to hold Listelka back in her place, but the man gave a push on his lord’s back with a composed smile.

「Just as expected from the pedigree of the empire. My foolish little brother posses a great defect. It’s his softness that makes him unable to hand down judgment even while knowing that it is the right thing to do. You possess the resolve to bring down the hammer of judgment, for the sake of your righteousness.」

「Yes. Let me prove it before you. The excellence of my caliber compared to other──」

The moment Listelka responded to Fugil’s voice, the body of Listelka who was wearing the Crown that was the terminal faintly s.h.i.+ned.

The next moment, Avalon that was sleeping below the ground rumbled, and a single command was released.

–

Part 13

「GUOH! OGOGOGOOOH……!?」

「……What happened? This is──?」

Right after Listelka activated Avalon’s system, the greater demon Ragnarok──Iblis that Soffice was fighting suddenly changed.

The Divine Drag-Ride that Soffice was wearing──Vritra possessed the power of Mahapurana that controlled trajectory. With that she dodged the enemy’s ability, the light and sound wave of mental pollution, but she was surprised by the change in the enemy.

The muscles along with the wings on the great demon’s shoulders until its back bulged, then its jaw opened wide as though it was going to come off.

The eyeb.a.l.l.s were enlarged as though it was going to pop out from the eye sockets. Those eyes captured Soffice’s movement quickly.

「──VAaaaaAASU!」

「Lies……. The sound just now, don’t tell me, it’s Lunatic Call!?」

Soffice was taken aback and gulped. At that instant, a whirlwind was approaching like a surge.

She blocked that powerful arm’s horizontal swept with her barrier, but it couldn’t be blocked fully.

「Guh, u……!」

The armor of the left arm that immediately blocked couldn’t fully absorb the impact. The armor frame’s distorted and creaked.

Soffice took distance using the inertia of her getting blown away, but she didn’t even have any time to fix her balance.

She barely parried the battering attack that pursued her with speed that the eye couldn’t follow using her Hammer weapon.

She spontaneously wanted to dodge using trajectory control of Mahapurana, but she couldn’t do that.

Iblis didn’t switch its method of attack, it only changed all its attack into a single sure-kill attack.

In other words, Iblis’s specialty, the sound wave and light ray of mental pollution were also still activated alternately.

「Of all thing, to use Lunatic Call at this phase──」

Soffice who previously used this function as threat from the Ruin Moon understood.

「The final code that is sent through Ruin……. It order the Abysses and Ragnarok at the surrounding to circulate all the energy contained within their core through their whole body, entering a rampage state. Although they will die eventually, they will obtain tremendous power for dozens of minutes──auh!」

There wasn’t even any time to ruminate about her past knowledge.

Due to this strengthening she was unable to obtain advantage from using her Divine Raiment, on top of that the difference in performance couldn’t be buried.

She should be barely able to fight a Ragnarok alone if it was in a weakened state, but now her opponent was already became stronger even compared to a normal Ragnarok.

『──Hoo, so this high spirited manner of these guys came from that kind of trick? 』

「-……!?」

Soffice put up her guard against the sudden Dragon Voice, but she immediately noticed that the voice came from the captain of Seven Dragon Paladins, Magialca.

She was fighting above the watch tower in front of the fortress, a few hundred ml behind Soffice.

There, terrible h.e.l.l fire was whirling.

Magialca was facing against the Ragnarok Phoenix.

From the Moon’s database, Soffice knew that Phoenix was an extremely bothersome existence that could fire inexhaustible supply of flame arrow in the form of feathers that were filled with special oil, where the flame couldn’t be extinguished for a long time.

In contrast Magialca was wearing special type Divine Drag-Ride, Jormungandr.

It had a huge body that gave the impression as though it was a single fortress. It possessed a flaw that it couldn’t move from the spot it was placed on once it was deployed.

In exchange, it possessed extraordinary offensive power and defensive power even among Divine Drag-Ride, and then it also possessed seven armored arms that possessed diverse type of armaments. It was a Drag-Ride with limited use, but it possessed a really powerful performance.

However.

『I wish to go as reinforcement but, right now I also have my hands full. Ask other people to help you.』

Soffice immediately said that because she judged that Magialca was obviously in disadvantage.

Jormungandr that was deployed above the watch tower possessed excellent flying ability. From the point of view of Phoenix that could attack one-sidedly from the sky, Magialca was a good target.

But, not all the flame could be blocked and the rooftop of the watch tower was getting burned.

Jormungandr also counterattacked with its armored arms that were loaded with Cannon and Breath Gun, but no matter how abnormally high the weapons’ power was, the enemy was a flying type Ragnarok.

The barrage of bullets gave it almost no damage, Cannon attack was dodged, and lethal damage couldn’t be inflicted to it.

Before long the watch tower itself was covered with flame. The moment Magialca dispelled her armor to escape, Phoenix swoop down and reaped her neck in one attack.

Such prediction was instantly drawn in the back of Soffice’s mind.

But, even so the voice that replied back to her was tinged with composure.

『It’s ten years too early for a brat like you to worry about me. Rather than that be careful. That fellow finally move.』

The moment Soffice raised her face, a single silhouette entered her sight.

There, a Drag-Ride with strange shape that was covered with dark red branches and roots gave off a fierce roar and attacked toward the fortress.

–

Part 14

「HYAHAHAHAHAHAAH! My turn finally come yeah! It’s time for revenge against you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds-!」

Hayes raised a shrill voice that was filled with joy and drove her Divine Drag-Ride Niddhogg forward.

The instruction that Listelka gave her.

While Seven Dragon Paladins were locked in battle with the seven Ragnarok, she would use that chance to attack the fortress behind them to exterminate the sovereigns of all the countries. Hayes flew in a straight line through the sky in order to accomplish that order.

The restoration of her flesh body using Baptism for the second time also gave powerful influence to Hayes’s fierce mentality. Her aggressive aspect became bared.

Thus she was taking the shortest route.

She drove her Divine Drag-Ride of evil dragon in order to ma.s.sacre the enemies without even a shred of hesitation or mercy.

The armament with shape of blade stretching out from both end of the handle──Two-Bladed Sword.

The uniquely shaped weapon rotated along with light of Divine Raiment, and slas.h.i.+ng line of light stretched out from the tip.

「──Astral Line!」

The sword strike that ignored defense and severed the target along with s.p.a.ce itself.

The moment the blade of certain death was unleashed along with an angry yell, that sword strike s.h.i.+fted slightly.

「UAAAaAAH!?」

Several Drag-Knights who retreated into the fortress screamed from the after-effect of the destruction.

But──.

「What are you doing huuh, Aneue-sama? Is even your hand went mad alreadyyy, our enemies should be right below us y’know?」

Hayes glared to the front in irritation.

The answer of what s.h.i.+fted the attack just now existed over there.

A Drag-Knight clad in Divine Drag-Ride Zahhak. A girl who possessed hair and eyes with the same color like her──the second imperial princess Aeril.

The whip shaped special armament in her hand coiled around Nidhogg’s armored arm and pulled, s.h.i.+fting the attack away.

「…………」

「Hah, so in the end you were seduced by that fake prince into that sorry state huh. You cannot fulfill the duty as Lord and then ended up betraying both sides, just what the h.e.l.l you are doing? Just die rather than living that disgracefully.」

「I guess. It might be just as you say.」

Aeril wasn’t even shaken by Hayes’s provocation and smiled with a lonely look.

「I who betrayed the world alliance and tricked other people until now by manipulating their perception don’t think that they will be able to recognize me. Even if I saved them in this situation, surely they still won’t be able to accept me. I have──turned anything and everything in the world into enemy.」

「And, you are going to fight me because you got desperate? That’s a way of living that ain’t worthy for a member of the Lord huh!」

Hayes drove her Niddhogg along with a sneer.

She didn’t sever the Breath Whip that was coiled around her right arm and deliberately rushed forward like that.

She twirled her Two-Bladed Sword directly horizontal and activated Astral Line.

「-……!?」

Originally, once the weapon called whip was entangled to something, it would be difficult to untied it once more with hand movement.

But, Aeril made use of the special armament’s ability where it could be controlled until the tip using mind control operation. She barely untied the whip’s binding and dodged.

「Then, there ain’t any need to go easy huh. Just now a notice came from Listelka-nee-sama y’know. Get rid of the traitor she said!」

Hayes’s eyes snapped wide open and she lunged with a thrust of her weapon.

The deathly battle between fellow sisters began.

–

Part 15

「Coral……, what the h.e.l.l you are trying to do in that kind of place? Don’t tell me, you ain’t trying to betray us again right?」

Hayes who a.s.saulted from the sky was stopped by Aeril.

Below that──the Seven Dragon Paladins of Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality, Greifer was battling the Ragnarok Metatron.

The huge spherically shaped Ragnarok that possessed absolute defensive ability of attack reflection.

Greifer dodged the heat rays that were fired from its countless eyes while being forced into one-sided defensive battle.

「──Iii, IiIIIIIIiII!」

Originally he should be able to fight against it equally using the compatibility of Cuelebre’s Divine Raiment, the absolute invincible state──Photon Dive, but right now due to the Lunatic Call that Listelka activated, the Ragnarok entered a state of rampage and its destructive power was drastically increased.

「……Chih! Even though it’s already tiresome with just this thing, this is out of my league yeah!」

The Seven Dragon Paladins who were rescued by the Triad had their Wedge released by Aeril along with Lux, but because there was no time, they separated with almost no explanation.

Thus Greifer still didn’t understand Aeril’s true motivation.

Lux said 『She isn’t an enemy』 about Aeril, but──.

「Chih!」

Greifer clicked his tongue while charging toward Metatron.

He covered himself with Photon Dive while ignoring the enemy’s attack reflection and dealt consecutive attacks on it. That was his strategy.

But, he couldn’t break through the defense of the strengthened Ragnarok and he was repelled when the invincibility state ran out of time.

He was lacking in destructive power of one hit certain kill to destroy the hard and also meaty Ragnarok.

「──That’s not it. It seems the two Lords above are starting to fight among themselves. As I thought my estimate was correct.」

「What? What do you mean?」

Singlen’s voice that came from slight distance away caused Greifer to send a glance there and replied back.

Because of his ability of invincibility using the Divine Raiment Photon Dive, he somehow had the leeway to talk while he was focusing in defense.

On the other hand, Singlen was battling against a rampaging Ragnarok──Deus ex Machina with him at advantage, but as expected, because the enemy possessed the ability to teleport object through s.p.a.ce, it looked like he was unable to deal the finis.h.i.+ng blow.

「I mean that ruined prince, he succeeded in cajoling the second imperial princess. I was unable to win over that man, but in the end this is the ideal flow. After all I planned to have that guy to act as 『hero』 anyway.」

Singlen who was clad with deep blue Drag-Ride──Leviathan grinned fearlessly while sending slas.h.i.+ng attack using water current.

「You mean──for making government system by Drag-Knight that you told us in the past? That’s being too much of a poor loser ain’t it? It’s strange even if you say that in this kind of time.」

Because Metatron was temporarily taking distance at that timing, Greifer pointed that out.

In the past Singlen talked about managing the scramble for technologies and legacies from Ruins by replacing the government of each country with new ruling structure by Drag-Knight.

In the end everyone there didn’t understand whether Singlen was really serious or not.

But, there was no doubt that Singlen saw through that Lux would play an important role in the fight ahead and he persistently tried to make Lux enter under his command.

(……But, in the end vice captain-sama’s true objective is still unclear.)

Greifer faced Metatron once more with a dubious face.

There was no more leeway to have his attention diverted by Singlen.

He barely defended against the heat rays that were fired consecutively from the eyeb.a.l.l.s and aimed for a ray of hope to recover from this hopeless situation.

「You will understand soon. Why did I set him up as hero, and what will happen at the end of it. Well, that’s only if you can survive until then though.」

「Hah! That’s one awful encouragement there. Then──just watch me.」

Greifer’s Cuelebre that didn’t possess focused attack power to break through one point only had one method to defeat that Ragnarok. It would be a dangerous bet that could also be taken as suicidal resolve, but there was no prospect of victory other than that.

「Reckless challenge is my principle yeah, vice captain-sama. Don’t expect me to die with just a pinch of this level.」

Coral was at his side as the aide of Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality’s Seven Dragon Paladins.

Right now he put aside even his emotion toward her──the second imperial princess Aeril of the Lord.

「It’s really simple. Just who is gonna die while letting you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds did as you please to us huh. That’s why, don’t you dare die, Coral.」

Greifer spoke over his shoulder with a careless tone and then he faced the Ragnarok once more.

He leaped once more into the storm of heat rays.

–

Part 16

「GU, ooOOOOOoooOOOOO-!」

「──Kuh……! Haa, haa……-」

Lux was breathing hard against the attack of branches and roots that were coming one after another.

The Ragnarok that Lux faced was the gigantic Ragnarok Yggdrasil.

Its special ability was──adaptation strengthening.

It would obtain resistance against the enemy’s attack, furthermore it would grow and evolve to surpa.s.s the enemy’s strength.

It was an opponent that he had fought and defeated before, but as expected it was extremely troublesome.

It wasn’t like before when Hayes fed the Yggdrasil with several hundred Abysses, but the Lunatic Call by Listelka made it entered a rampage state and it cornered Lux into a situation that he couldn’t deal with.

Quick Draw, Recoil Burst, End Action.

He had already used the three hidden techniques, but he couldn’t obtain a breakthrough.

There was also the option of using the hidden technique that made use of tuning──Singlen’s Senjin, but using that might make the enemy took advantage of it instead within this battlefield where so many branches were flying around everywhere.

Above all else, the fatigue from the continuous serial battles until now took away the thinking ability from Lux’s mind.

But, he couldn’t throw in the towel just from this much.

Aeril had thrown away her place to belong as a Lord, furthermore she also knew that there was a high possibility that she wouldn’t be able to be accepted within the world alliance anymore. But even then she cooperated with Lux and others.

In addition for the sake of everyone from Syvalles too, who gave their all in order to save him, he must not lose here no matter what.

With the revival of Yggdrasil, a bad influence might occur within Philuffy once more.

And above all else, inside the fortress behind him there were the retreating soldiers and Airi.

And then, suddenly at the corner of Lux’s sight──he caught sight of a s.h.i.+p floating in the clear azure sky.

The silver airborne s.h.i.+p that was called as Heaven Palace, the castle of the Lords.

(Are you over there, Fugil?)

Aeril said that as a Lord, she would fight for the sake of her own belief.

What about Lux?

Defeating the revived Ragnarok here, captured Avalon, and stopped Sacred Eclipse.

Certainly the world might be saved with that, but was Lux’s wish only that?

He became involved with the new kingdom once more as a Seven Dragon Paladins, and he joined the side that protected the new order.

He obtained comrades and backer who he could trust, and got stronger.

Was he satisfied with his current self? No──wrong.

–

『It’s meaningless you know, Lux. Someone who has no resolve to exercise evil by their own will, someone who cannot sacrifice anyone, no matter how much such person grow stronger it won’t have any meaning at all. You are the weakest.』

–

The cold gaze of the elder brother looking down on the collapsed Lux in front of the throne of the old empire’s castle that was submerged in a sea of blood.

The sight of that day where all the people in the side of the old empire were ma.s.sacred were seared into his mind even now.

The Lords who tried to rule the world.

However Aeril tried to save Lux and other by risking her life.

「Then──, I’m not mistaken!」

No matter what kind of danger he who had to braved through, he wanted to save Aeril who once was in the enemy side.

When he resolved himself like that and looked up above, Lux sent a Dragon Voice to her about a certain strategy at the same time.

–

Part 17

「Is that it Aneue-sama!? Don’t make us even more disappointed than this yeaah!」

At above while Lux was being cornered by Yggdrasil.

A deathly battle of Hayes who was wearing Niddhogg versus Aeril with her Zahhak was continuing.

Niddhogg’s Divine Raiment, Astral Line that was emitted from the special armament Two-Bladed Sword was an ability that cut apart in wide range along with s.p.a.ce itself.

The cut section that was created by the Divine Raiment became blocked along with s.p.a.ce, becoming a boundary that was impossible to be interfered with.

It became a wall that blocked the opponent’s attack, at the same time it reduced the opponent’s s.p.a.ce to move and became a way to corner them.

Furthermore, in order to prevent Hayes from attacking the Seven Dragon Paladins, Aeril couldn’t undo the Breath Whip that she had entangled around her opponent’s armored arm once more.

One of her weapons was sealed and she was forced into disadvantage.

Even though Aeril was desperately wielding a Blade with her free left hand, all her attacks were blocked due to dark red branches growing from Hayes’s armor.

「──, you are planting Yggdrasil’s seed into your armor? You won’t last long if you fight in that state you know!?」

「If you are going to make a threat than make it something more effective. Or else is that you begging to be overlooked Aneue-sama? You are really unsightly huh! It will be just my satisfaction if I die for the sake of the Lord!」

「……Uah!」

From the armor that was transformed into B-blood Nidhogg due to Yggdrasil’s parasite, a branch spear thrust out.

The Blade of Aeril that received direct attack of it was broken and furthermore the branch coiled around her and constricted.

「You yourself, do you have any leeway to split your strength with unnecessary things huh? Seems like you are using your Divine Raiment since some time ago to cover up that sham prince but, that’s naïve! Where is that b.a.s.t.a.r.d, where are you hiding him!?」

「Kuh, AAAAAAA……-!?」

Aeril raised an anguished scream. At the same time, below at the ruin where Hayes was looking down at, Lux’s figure appeared.

In order to protect Lux who was fighting below, Aeril used Zahhak’s Divine Raiment, the Brain Hack to erase Lux’s very existence from Hayes’s memory.

And then, just now the effect was dispelled.

「Ku-ku-ku. That’s a good look you have there? Are you at your limit alreadyy? A woman who got led astray by that worthless fake prince really is a pathetic thing huuh.」

「…………」

In respond Aril only kept grimacing in pain and didn’t say anything.

Aeril’s surrounding was already surrounded by cut sections in s.p.a.ce that were created by Hayes’s Astral Line. She was in a situation where she couldn’t move.

「You ran out of look when you fell in love with that kind of trash. But Aneue-sama is saying that she will hand down a lenient punishment y’know. Listen to this.」

Hayes laughed and pointed the tip of her sword to Aeril who was captured by Yggdrasil’s branches and got bound hand and foot.

Then, Listelka’s voice that was broadcasted from the heaven palace showered down on the area where Hayes and Aeril were at.

『Aeril……. You are already satisfied right? I understand your feeling. The bunch inside that fortress is a different matter but, I won’t rule over them one-sidedly. That’s why won’t you stop your defiance already and return to our side?』

It was a graceful and yet warm voice.

Listelka whispered sweet words that were oozing with kindness into her little sister’s ear.

『You came into contact with the people of this world and then understood their feeling. If that’s the case, then I want to respect your stance as much as possible. Or perhaps, are you unable to believe me, your blood-related elder sister?』

Listelka’s timely help that was trying to win over Aeril at this point.

The Seven Dragon Paladins were forced into disadvantage and Aeril herself also had no place to belong remaining for her.

『What use is there in continuing to fight when no one will recognize you for it? There is still a path remaining for you as Lord. If you return to our side now, then I will be generous and promise to specially save Lux Arcadia alone.』

「…………」

Next Listelka showed the greatest concession she could make.

Hayes reflexively showed a displeased voice and a bit of silence was born.

「A path as a Lord──is it?」

Aeril let out a voice that was mixed with a sigh while her body was still constricted along with her armor.

She gave off an atmosphere that was vaguely resigned and stared at the Heaven Palace floating in the sky.

「……-」

Lux who was in the middle of battle was listening to that exchange, but he didn’t say anything.

He thought that Listelka’s invitation was a trap, but he had no way to prove that.

Just a few seconds──.

After an indecision that was equal to a few minutes within Lux’s bodily sensation, Aeril lifted her face and opened her mouth.

An absolutely desperate situation where her limbs were restrained and there was no place to escape.

On such a situation, a pardon where only her and Lux would be saved was offered, but Aeril silently shook her head.

「You’re wrong, Nee-san, Hayes. In the first place such path is mistaken.」

Aeril was staring at empty air with an expression that looked lonely and pained.

「Why did us Lord declined? Why were we betrayed and sealed by the family of traitor? You two should understand why. That was because we tried to rule the world using Key’s Supervisor’s technological strength and the Ruins’ power. Because we forcefully oppressed all the people.」

「……Hah! Just when I thought what you are going to say, what is so bad about that? A family with power and excellence controlling the other with that is only natural!」

In front of her Hayes bared a wicked look and yelled enthusiastically.

But, Aeril’s empty smile didn’t crumble.

「Yes, everything thought that it’s only natural. Because we are superior, because we are the chosen clan, anything we do to other people is fine. That arrogance ruined us. I understand. That day, before we slept for a few hundred years, I averted my eyes while noticing that.」

『……This is really troubling, Aeril. For you to lose the n.o.bility of your soul while making friends with those lowly bunch──』

「Nee-san and Hayes yourself doesn’t understand anything. The Lord and the Ruins are already unnecessary in this era. That’s why I’ll destroy Avalon along with Sacred Eclipse, and seal all the Ruins. That is my wish.」

『Do you think you can accomplish that? I won’t allow you to say that you do not know how greedy of a creature human is you know?』

Listelka sighed in exasperation.

But, Aeril smiled widely and looked at Lux.

「Of course I know. But I am not mistaken at all. We can understand each other with the people of this world. No──」

Aeril took a deep breath and glared straight to the Heaven Palace.

「No matter what kind of hards.h.i.+ps we have to shoulder, we have to do that. That’s why, I’ll fight!」

『…………』

Aeril declared her intention resolutely.

Listelka who saw that could be heard gasping.

『Is that so, I too still have some way to go.』

It was a gentle voice that for a moment made it sounded like she was recognizing Aeril’s opinion.

However right after that, the place was filled with dark voice that was filled with deathly dose of lethal poison.

『As the leader of the Lord, pardoning a failed existence like you is──』

「……-!?」

「Looks like that’s how it is yeah, Onee-sama. I won’t be able to hold on until the unveiling of Avalon but, die here! Farewell!」

Hayes raised her fervor and held up Niddhogg’s Two-Bladed Sword.

Zahhak’s Breath Whip that was entangled around its armored arm was already severed. Aeril’s movement was sealed from four directions by walls of cut section in s.p.a.ce.

Aeril was in absolute danger, however she smiled with refinement.

「──I’ve been waiting you know, Hayes, for those words and attack.」

「What?」

The slash of Astral Line that possessed absolute offensive power.

Aeril should be unable to make any movement with the part.i.tion of severed s.p.a.ce surrounding her, but she penetrated one cut section and slipped out.

Right after that──the slash that Hayes unleashed split an empty ground into two.

「……Impossible-!? How did you pa.s.s the wall of severed s.p.a.ce!?」

The cut section of s.p.a.ce that was created by Astral Line would automatically vanish starting from the oldest cut when the number of the cut exceeded a certain number, but it should be impossible to break through them with any other way.

It would be different if Divine Raiment neutralization effect like Philuffy’s Typhon was used, but there wasn’t any sign of anything like that occurring.

「You were careless, Hayes. I dispelled Zahhak’s Divine Raiment wasn’t because I had no more strength to spare to cover for Lux-kun. It was because I changed what memory I stole from you. I used Brain Hack to make you forget that you had used Astral Line and one of the cut sections surrounding me had vanished──」

「Wha……!」

Hayes who was told the answer also noticed.

The s.p.a.ce at the four directions from Aeril was vertically and horizontally cut into a situation where it seemed like she was locked, but that was an illusion.

In reality Aeril wasn’t pa.s.sing through a cut section.

The memory of the vanished cut section was erased from Hayes’s eyes and she didn’t notice the hole.

「It was Lux-kun who taught me this plan. While he is in the middle of battle with Yggdrasil where he cannot relax even for an instant, he still gave me guidance in order to save me.」

「……-! So what! In the first place you b.a.s.t.a.r.d have no more weapon remaining! You’ve got no way to win against the B-blood Nidhogg of this great mee!」

Along with her angry scream, Hayes’s head armor part s.h.i.+ned and a powerful shockwave whirled.

「──Howling Roar!」

At that time when she was about to unleash a shockwave with maximum output, the branches of Yggdrasil that were strengthening Hayes’s armor slackened and simultaneously came untied.

「WHaa-!?」

Although the main frame of Niddhogg itself didn’t collapse, its strengthened power was drastically weakened.

Aeril who saw that swung her half destroyed Breath Whip and entangled it around Hayes and restrained her.

「You didn’t notice? After I made you forgot about the cut section in s.p.a.ce using Brain Hack, next I erased different thing from your memory. That is──」

「GU, GYAAAAAAaaaAAAAAH……!」

Hayes whose attention was attracted turned her bloodshot eyes to below, where she caught the sight of Yggdrasil that was split almost in half while letting out a weird shriek.

「Lux-kun lured it there. When you whose memory of Yggdrasil was stolen let out your slash, it was guided to a position where it was easy to get hit.」

「Impossible-! E, even such thing……!?」

Currently Lux had no strength to defeat the revived Yggdrasil that entered rampage state.

But, it didn’t matter that it was a living thing that could strengthen itself infinitely, it would be helpless against a slash that cut its core along with the s.p.a.ce.

Therefore──Lux formed a plan from the Divine Raiment of Aeril’s Zahhak and their position, and turned the predicament into a good chance.

「And then Hayes. Even the me right now have no strength to deal a finis.h.i.+ng blow to you. That’s why, I’ll ask him to do it for me. After all just now I have also lend him my strength to exterminate Yggdrasil.」

「──Right. Leave it to me, Aeril.」

In front of Yggdrasil whose core was destroyed and raised a shriek of death agony, Lux put his breathing in order and took his stance.

Aeril’s Zahhak swooped down with her Breath Whip was still restraining Hayes, pulling her.

The moment Hayes came before Lux’s eyes with a momentum as though she was going to crash on the ground, Lux activated his Divine Raiment.

「──Reload on Fire」

In a timing where Hayes in her Drag-Ride and Yggdrasil were side by side, Lux’s Divine Raiment activated in the radius of ten-odd meter around him.

Due to the compression strengthening of time, the time was lengthened without end.

Amidst that time, slashes that were like heavy rain struck toward the two.

–

Part 18

Mel who possessed the nickname of Subjugator were in deathly combat against the giant ice wolf Ragnarok Fenrir.

While the fight of Lux and Aeril was reaching the climax, this side was also about to reach the conclusion.

「UooOOOoOOOON……!」

The ice wolf Fenrir that was turned brutal due to the Lunatic Call was changing form by cladding its whole body with armor of ice using its overwhelming freezing ability.

Mel was unable to dodge all of Fenrir’s high speed consecutive attacks using ice blade. The Ddraig Gwiber she was wearing had countless scratches on it.

「How troublesome. The enemy can create armor and weapon infinitely. If the current me continue to melt all of the enemy’s ice, my stamina won’t hold.」

The temperature at the surrounding became below the freezing point and even the air she exhaled froze.

If Mel’s Drag-Ride wasn’t Ddraig Gwiber that controlled temperature, she might had been killed since a long time ago.

(Besides, this variable mode that can change into Wyvern Mode is also fortunate.)

If she fought in the mode of land battle type, most likely her foothold would be frozen and she would be unable to move properly.

Thinking how she was able to avoid the worst case, even Mel had some advantage.

「UGARURURURURUAH!」

She also had her hand full to defend against the attack of front leg and fang that Fenril unleashed from his state that was covered with ice armor.

The strengthening to its offense and defense was extremely troublesome. It couldn’t be broken through with the attack of Mel’s Halberd.

Ddraig Gwiber’s special armament, the creation bullet──Grand Buster boasted the greatest offensive power, even so it could only gouge the ice wolf’s flesh with one attack at best.

The Grand Buster originally possessed explosive might that could change even the terrain, but it couldn’t be fired consecutively, and on top of that it was also completely defended against by the enemy’s ice armor.

「It’s really troublesome. Far more than when I fought it before──but」

After taking a breath, Mel made a fearless smile.

「Compared to the troublesomeness of that Krulcifer, this is nothing at all. It cannot form a tactic that is too advanced. You are──」

「URURU……UGAAAaAAAH!?」

The ice wolf reacted to Mel’s words that sounded like she was making fool of it and leaped in enragement.

But, the moment it crouched its body deeply to leap, the ground crumbled and Fenrir’s body sunk into the ground.

「You didn’t notice? If the water underground is solidified beforehand to make ice, and then it is vaporized, a s.p.a.ce will be created──it was a hard work to make a pitfall that is big enough for you though.」

Mel exposed the trick while using Dual s.h.i.+ft’s temperature manipulation to make an ice lid above the hole where Fenrir fell.

Fenrir itself possessed terrific freezing possessed terrific freezing ability, but conversely it couldn’t melt ice.

But, even so with the overwhelming physical ability that Ragnarok possessed, Fenrir tried to smash through the ice forcefully.

「URURUHGUAAAAH……!」

*Crack crack* The ice lid was cracked and in the blink of eye its head peeked out.

But, at that time Mel was already finished with the firing preparation of Ground Buster from above the hole where Fenrir was trapped.

「I’ll give you a special lesson. You already lose you know? When I saw a chance, I would bury frozen bullet of Ground Buster into that pitfall. There are ten of them inside. In other words──」

If she fired even one Ground Buster and detonated it, the impact would induce all the other frozen bullets to explode. A power that was ten times the original would strike in one go.

「──GU, UooOoOOOaAAAA……!」

Right after Mel fired the last bullet, flame blast and shockwave smashed apart the ruins along with the terrain with the pitfall at the center.

The ice armor Fenrir was wearing was easily broken, and its thick fur and flesh were pierced through.

「A, GA, A……!」

Even with its cracked core was exposed, Fenrir still tried to crawl up, but its flesh was already ruined.

「That’s really something. To be able to stand up even after receiving that much attack.」

Mel was also breathing hard, even so she spoke with a confident gaze.

「But──can you accept it I wonder? Human who fight while thinking is the strongest, legendary monster-san.」

The girl who surpa.s.sed even the strengthened Ragnarok in this short time muttered.

She felt it keenly how she became stronger by a level more as the youngest Drag-Knight while thinking that this time for sure she wanted to try to win against even Krulcifer.

She took out her Cannon and aimed it below with that flood of emotion filling herself.

–

Part 19

At the neighboring position that was three hundred ml further from there.

The battle between Vanheim Princ.i.p.ality’s Seven Dragon Paladins, Greifer versus the gigantic spherically shaped Ragnarok Metatron would also be concluded.

「What a persistent guy, this s.h.i.+tty eyeball.」

Ragnarok Metatron’s attack method was only laser beam from its eyes.

And then other than that peculiar attack reflection ability, it could only move sluggishly using its wings.

But, with how simple it was, he couldn’t find the method to subdue it.

Greifer had already known how Lux used Reload on Fire to prolong the timing when it reflected attack that was even less than an instant, and destroyed it in that opening.

But, in order to do that, one had to produce a strength that could reach until it core in one attack during that blank instant when it reflected attack back.

Tail Blade moved with its blade having part.i.tion that was shaped like snake stomach. It was a special armament that could expanded and contracted, and drew a trajectory that was like a whip, but the weakness of its ever changing trajectory was its low power.

It was completely impossible for it to cut apart the flesh of Ragnarok whose even life force was strengthened and then destroyed the core.

「I’ll f.u.c.king do it. I’m gonna push through this impossibly hard challenge!」

Greifer grinned in disgruntlement while parrying Metatron’s laser.

If he used the Divine Raiment of invincibility, Photon Dive, dodging would be easy, but he limited his use of it so that the enemy wouldn’t get used to it.

Because of that, several dozen lasers pierced his barrier, and the solid armor of Cuelebre was being shaved and melted.

Greifer’s own body also received the after wave of the laser and he was injured with throbbing scalds here and there.

It was a lonely fight with him alone.

The grey buildings of abandoned capital Guernica made Greifer recalled the town where he was born and raised.

While he was born as a son of a military officer, his father was dishonored and his family fell into ruin.

He was wandering around the back alley since his childhood and spent days of living like a stray dog.

It was also as though he had no apt.i.tude as Drag-Knight. His path to become a military officer of the next generation was also closed.

Even so he resisted, didn’t give up, and tackled his training with foolish straightforwardness.

He accidentally s.n.a.t.c.hed an old Drag-Ride from a bandit, and he continued to ride it until he vomited blood.

One night, a strange girl appeared in front of him, and since then he became able to use the Drag-Ride well.

His effort caught the eyes of Princess Milmiette and she picked him up, and he regained the path as knight once more.

「──This is d.a.m.n irritating. This att.i.tude of those Lord bunches thinking that we ain’t gonna win if they throw something like this at us.」

Greifer was unconcerned whether he was belittled or despised.

But, he couldn’t endure being made light of.

Challenging one’s own harsh fate, surviving even if one had to get hurt and struggle was the instinct of living thing.

Thus Greifer was called as the Covetous Wolf who challenged and overcame every kind of impossibility, and his surrounding held him in awe and fear.

The only thing that bothered him who was uncaring about the past matter was Lux’s existence.

He was a son of the old empire’s emperor who became the cause of Greifer’s father losing his standing, but such bond from that fateful connection between them had completely vanished.

It was because the impression Lux gave was the farthest from the imperial family of the old empire, and above all else it was because Greifer noticed that it wasn’t just himself who was resisting adversity that was called as impossible.

「Then, I also cannot lose huh.」

His eyes glinted fiercely and Greifer glared at Metatron.

He was in a situation where he was surrounded by buildings in four directions and he had no place to escape. Metatron descended from above and its huge eye opened to shower down laser on him.

「Planning to corner me? Actually, you know! It’s the reverse!」

Greifer lifted the corner of his lips and grinned, then rushed above.

He spun his body into spiral and stabbed up his Tail Blade.

At the same time, he dodged the laser attack of the enemy while thrusting his blade that was tinged with energy toward that eyeball.

「──iiIIIIiI」

Metatron absorbed the power of that attack and reflected it back by several times more.

However in that instant, Greifer also activated Cuelebre’s Divine Raiment.

「I’ve been waiting for that yeah──Photon Dive!」

The Divine Raiment turned the user invincible and repelled every kind of attack, but the direction the attack was repelled toward was different from usual.

The light membrane of defense blew upward to right above──, so to say, the power of Greifer’s attack that had been strengthened by several times was pushed back as it was to Metatron.

Therefore, it pierced at the instan it was defenseless while doing its attack reflection.

The precise flash that was like pa.s.sing through the eye of a needle reached the core, and Metatron raised a shrill scream.

Liquid that was like blood spurted out from the wound opening, and its body began to crumble into pieces.

「Focusing to one point, and then one attack huh. I’ve indeed learned the lesson yeah.」

The most terrifying strong point of Greifer was how he struggled through any kind of deathly situation and returned alive.

And then how he became stronger every time he stood back on the battlefield again.

He would survive even if he was defeated, and then he would get back up again even stronger than before.

When he was made to taste defeat by Krulcifer, he also grasped the technique of precise shooting from that time, and in this occasion he splendidly displayed his use of it to defeat his opponent.

–

Part 20

Furthermore, at the watch tower in front of the fortress where Magialca was fighting.

A few hundred ml in front of it, two battles were progressing side by side.

At the right side was Heiburg Republic’s Rosa Granhide.

Holding out at the left was Turkimes Confederation’s Soffice Xfer.

It was less than a few minutes, but against the strengthened and rampaging Ragnarok as the opponent, they were performing a deathly battle where they couldn’t lose focus for even an instant.

Although Soffice defended against the brainwas.h.i.+ng through sound wave and light from Iblis using her Divine Raiment of trajectory control, she was unable in pure exchange of blow using strength. Soffice was caught in a disadvantageous one-sided defensive battle.

「……This is really an irony. A Key’s Supervisor who originally has the position to manage Ragnarok now meet this kind of experience──ua!」

Soffice was grumbling expressionlessly even while breathing hard. In front of her Iblis was approaching and struck with its powerful arm.

She barely offset the attack’s power by leaping behind, even so the frame of Vritra that she was wearing got warped from the impact.

「If you have the leeway to grumble than use it to fight. This side is also unmanageable you knoow」

On the other hand Rosa too was having difficulty with Poseidon after its rampage despite being in advantage at the beginning of the fight.

Poseidon increased its tentacles even more using its life force of infinite regeneration, dragging on the fight endlessly.

Even if it was. .h.i.t with concentrated bombardment like before, it would regenerate even while getting hit.

There was only one way remaining to defeat it for Rosa, but he was lacking the piece to make it reality.

No matter how much she used the unmanned Drag-Rides Twelve Vice as decoy and confused Poseidon, the countless tentacles would constrict them all simultaneously.

「I wondeer if my estimation was a bit too optimistic……」

The unmanned Drag-Rides were entangled and crushed by tentacles one after another. She was getting cornered step by step.

「It has been a long time eeh, since I taste this feeling.」

Rosa was sweating while smiling in this situation of absolute desperation.

『Don’t show any weakness, especially when you find yourself in a predicament.』

Calensia, the King of Vice who ruled over her taught Rosa like that.

If one believed that they were unrivalled and put on a mask of a powerful person, they wouldn’t be scared of anything.

Accepting the rule of someone as absolute and filling one’s empty sh.e.l.l with it was truly comfortable.

It was also──truly terrifying.

Not having a thinking of their own, but simply acting the villain role that was prepared for them.

For Rosa who had experience unhappiness until now, it was a salvation, but at the same time all the sin was placed on her and she was treated as a tail that could be severed anytime.

(But that person, broke my sh.e.l.l for me.)

Lux didn’t try to rule or control her, he simply let her alive.

He was trying to look at her other than the mask of villain that she was donning.

In that case right now her duty was to repay her debt to him. When she thought like that and tried to raise her spirit, a voice came from behind.

「I heard about your story from Magialca. It looks like you are the same like me, you were also saved by Lux. That means, we are in fact friends──perhaps?」

Standing behind with her back facing Rosa was Soffice Xfer wearing Divine Drag-Ride Vritra.

She was facing Ragnarok Iblis while approaching until a distance of a few dozen ml apart from Rosa.

「You are really leisurely if you still can invite me for a chat aren’t you? I’ll put it into consideration so can we postpone it for later I wondeer.」

Rosa replied like that with a tight tone.

Soffice was fundamentally expressionless so it was unknown what she was thinking, but Rosa thought that she was a really strange woman.

「We will be defeated at this rate. Don’t you think it’s unsightly if we lose here?」

「…………」

Rosa tried to turn away Soffice with her usual th.o.r.n.y att.i.tude, but she was taken aback and gasped hearing Soffice’s serious voice.

「We too are fellow people who were done in by Lux, we should look back and──……-!?」

In the middle of conversation, Soffice was enveloped in the h.e.l.l fire that Iblis blew out and she leaped back.

Her armor’s endurance and her body’s exhaustion already didn’t allow her any time to talk leisurely.

Rosa didn’t have any wish to believe in other person, but right now the situation didn’t allow that.

After all she was at least able to understand that feeling of losing to Lux’s persuasion and returned back to Seven Dragon Paladins.

「And, what are you planning? I also have no time over here you knoow.」

「I know the power of your Divine Drag-Ride. If your firepower is lacking, it will be fine if we just increase it until the limit. I already gathered the materials for that.」

Rosa looked around her surrounding in respond to Soffice’s words.

The surrounding was full with certain things that should be scattered about, buried with the rubbles of smashed buildings and stone paving.

In a glance, those were just things that were nothing but trash, but for Rosa it was different.

Until now she overlooked them because the tentacles of Poseidon were cornering her, but certainly the requirements for victory had been gathered under her.

No, most likely Soffice was fighting while readying the preliminary arrangements.

「I will buy you the time until then. That’s why, I ask you to hurry.」

「……Hah, okaaay. We too have to show off our good side here after aaall.」

Seeing that, Rosa’s lips slackened and she nodded naturally.

Then Soffice drew out her Sword Device from its sheath and lifted it up while raising her voice.

「──Full Connect – On.」

Vritra that she was wearing flashed intensely and vibrated.

The armor was disa.s.sembled and miniscule machines combined with her flesh body, a.s.similating into it.

Silver lines were drawn on Soffice’s brown skin, and her eyes were s.h.i.+ning.

「VAaAaaA……!」

Right after that, Poseidon’s tentacles crawled out from the ground along with a roar that shook the ground.

「──Mahapurana!」

But, Soffice activated Vritra’s Divine Raiment at the same time in that instant.

The tentacles’ movement was manipulated by the trajectory control, and they were made to entangle the body of great demon Iblis that was nearby.

「VAaaaaAASUH!」

Iblis whose movement was sealed and constricted stopped moving and struggled.

Originally she used her trajectory control to block the sound wave and light ray of mental pollution. Because of that she had to move to dodge other attacks, but──.

「As I thought……just as predicted. Even Iblis’s mental pollution will weaken while it is being attacked. Next is──」

Soffice was relieved like that was only for a brief moment. The tentacles of Poseidon that were restricting Iblis were torn apart by Iblis’s strength.

「Perhaps, that was being too optimistic……」

Soffice sweated from her forehead and tried to retreat, it was then the torn apart tentacles were instantly connected to become like before.

The regeneration ability that surpa.s.sed the imagination caused Soffice’s eyes to widen. At that time Iblis roared.

The mysterious sound wave of mental pollution. In order to prevent it from influencing Rosa, she used trajectory control to divert that oscillation, but in exchange Soffice was entangled by Poseidon’s tentacles and then she received Iblis’s ferocious blow from above.

「Ga, hah……!?」

The barrier in maximum output was pierced and fist that was unleashed from a powerful arm was rained down from across the tentacles.

Because she was a.s.similated into Vritra using Full Connect, the impact was transmitted from the armor until it reached her bones.

The strength was too fierce, her consciousness was getting farther every time she received an impact.

(This is bad……at this rate I’ll die. I won’t hold for even ten more seconds.)

Her armor was squashed, and Soffice’s expression distorted in pain.

But, at that time a giant shadow suddenly grasped Iblis’s whole body from behind.

「VAaaASU!?」

The demon that boasted a body size that surpa.s.sed several houses combined was put in an eagle grip by an extremely gigantic armored arm.

The whirling dust was cleared and a figure appeared. It was Rosa Granhide who was clad in Gorynych that had transformed into a super gigantic size.

「Tartaros Frame – Devil Machia Mode. Good work buying timeee.」

「Haa, haa……」

Soffice was gasping and was unable to even nod back.

But, that figure that came from gathering more than a hundred Drag-Ride and combined them into one using the shape change of Tartaros Frame, boasted enough majesty to make Soffice felt relieved.

「Va!? AaAA……?」

The two Ragnarok that witnessed a figure that surpa.s.sed even their large body stiffened for a moment in agitation.

In contrast, Rosa grinned fearlessly and constricted Iblis tightly with her armored arm, breaking both its arms.

「Are you two wondering? It’s really simple you knoow. This girl was just gathering the parts when she had the chance. Several hundred Drag-Rides of world alliance that got crushed by you monsters──she gathered about half of those wreckages, that’s why it’s amaziing.」

「Gu, goh……GAaAAaAAA-!」

Rosa moved the armored arm and then crushed Iblish within its grip.

Even a Ragnarok in rampage state was helpless when it was caught by a giant Drag-Ride that was made from the combination of more than a hundred Drag-Rides.

Its core was pressured and broke, and then the body disintegrated like an old rag.

That body quickly crumbled into ash.

「aAaAAH……!」

Even so, the remaining Ragnarok, Poseidon sent its tentacle to entangle the armored leg of Gorynych.

It aimed at the joint part of the combined armor to constrict it but──the squid shaped body of Poseidon that was hiding underground rose to the surface, and that torso was exposed in front of Rosa.

「AaaA!?」

「A comrade is something good isn’t iit? I can also understand the strength of Lux-sama who is able to make so many comrades.」

「……Rather than something like that, shoot quickly. I’m also at my limit.」

Soffice squeezed out her last strength and with Vritra’s Divine Raiment, the trajectory control she dragged out the enemy.

Right after that torso where the core was sleeping got exposed, Gorynych in Devil Machia Mode unleashed all its gunports.

「U, AaAAAAAaAaaaAaaaAAAaAaAa──!?」

It was a concentrated bombardment from dozens of Cannons that were integrated into the armor’s chest.

Poseidon raised a shriek of death agony and its core was burned down.

Right after accomplis.h.i.+ng that, the armor Rosa was wearing was dispelled, and her body was sweating like waterfall.

She was breathing hard with heaving shoulders, and she stood still for a while with opened mouth.

It was as though she couldn’t make any movement, but it was lucky that she didn’t collapse and her Drag-Ride dispelled.

Creating a combination of more than a hundred Drag-Rides and then controlling it was just that exhausting.

「──Somehow, we win.」

「Yes, I owe you one theree.」

In the past Soffice challenged a lonely battle as a Key’s Supervisor, while Rosa was simply Calensia’s puppet.

The two who didn’t understand about cooperating with someone else could combine their strength in this critical moment was thanks to their common circ.u.mstance of having been saved once by Lux.

「You, I don’t understand what you are thinking from your outside look but, you are unexpectedly capable huuh.」

「You too, somehow your character is different but, you are quite strong.」

At that time when Rosa and Soffice were looking at each other’s face, an earth termor could be heard from nearby.

「──!? That’s, Singlen and Deus ex Machina」

Just as Soffice said, a mechanical large body was dancing in their sight.

Singlen was a preeminently powerful person with his blue Divine Drag-Ride Leviathan and his battle technique that put Drag-Ride tuning into practical use──SenjinBattle Array, but even he was at disadvantage against Ragnarok as his opponent.

Besides, the enemy Ragnarok was equipped with absolute offense and evasion ability due to its grasp of s.p.a.ce, and its high defensive ability with its body that was created from thick Mythrildite.

Furthermore, Deus ex Machina now was even stronger than when Lux and Soffice fought it due to its rampage state.

Even Singlen couldn’t avoid a hard fight against it.

At present Singlen was only dodging the enemy’s attack and didn’t move to attack at all.

「Even that kind of haughty and fiendish man is still our vice captain, it will be bad if we don’t help him.」

「I guesss……, at least if I can just breath easily──」

The instant Soffice and Rosa muttered that, abnormality occurred in Deus ex Machina that was unleas.h.i.+ng consecutive attacks until now.

「……GI, iOoOooo!」

There was a dull sound of metal getting squashed. Along with it Deus ex Machina’s movement became terribly sluggish.

Looking very carefully, there was an absurd amount of vapor rising up from that large metallic body.

「That’s what in the world──?」

『Chih, how boring. Both of you, there is no need to worry about that sleazebag. You two retreat behind me right away.』

The moment Soffice was tilting her head in puzzlement, a Dragon Voice transmission came from Captain Magialca.

It seemed that she was astill in the middle of battle against Phoenix too, but it looked like she had quite the leeway.

「GUGI……iOoOoooOOONN!」

The two got taken aback and gasped. At that moment, even more intense creaking could be heard from Deus ex Machina.

That body burst open from inside in no time at all, then it crashed on the ground half-destroyed.

「Just, what in the world……!?」

『It’s simple, that guy’s Leviathan has a Divine Raiment to manipulate water──it can also change the water’s state freely. Most likely that guy slip in a lot of water inside the enemy’s body, and then he vaporized them all in one go.』

When water was vaporized, the ma.s.s would bloat until more than a thousand times.

Using that, Singlen put an absurd steam pressure from inside Deus ex Machina and pulverized it in one go.

Water manipulation seemed like a simple ability in a glance, even so its practical use couldn’t be measured.

Singlen had even thoroughly trained tactics using his Divine raiment until the territory of one hit certain kill.

「Soo, his weapon isn’t just his Senjin that use tuning. What a troublesome man……」

「Well, it’s fine while he is an ally perhaps……」

「What are you acting befuddled like that for, you brats, retreat right away. I’m not going to save you two even if you got dragged into that battle you know?」

Singlen turned around and scolded with a haughty tone that was looking down on others as usual.

But, even after getting ordered like that, Rosa and Soffice was bewildered.

「If there is spare strength, we should help that nouveau riche captain. Even like that, she is more or less our leader.」

「Guess soo……. Besides not all the other Ragnarok have died completely.」

Just as Rosa pointed out, the other remaining Ragnarok also hadn’t died.

Even though their core had been damaged and they were in the verge of death, they were crawling on the ground toward the fortress using their tenacity.

And then, they were also reluctant to retreat by themselves while leaving behind Magialca who was in the middle of battle against the still unharmed Phoenix.

『──I can hear you two you know, you youngsters.』

A Dragon Voice from Magialca that was vaguely filled with anger flew toward the three, including Singlen.

『No need for worry. Leave behind the remaining Ragnarok and retreat to behind the watch tower. I can’t display my full strength with all of you there.』

「……Seems like that’s it. It’s better to not force ourselves and let her take care of it yeah.」

「For me it’s unsatisfying to be unable to deal the finis.h.i.+ng blow thoroughly though.」

Greifer and Mel who arrived at that timing prompted them like that, so Soffice and Rosa began to retreat.

They were acting strong, but in any case their stamina too was already at the limit.

After they circled to behind the watch tower, they linked up with Lux and Aeril who were also ordered by Magialca to return.

「Greifer……」

「Well, I’ll put aside my settlement with you b.a.s.t.a.r.d for later. Right now it’s defeating those monsters first.」

It seemed something was in Aeril’s mind about her betrayal, she was talking hesitatingly, but in contrast Greifer bluntly told her to do it later.

From his att.i.tude, perhaps Greifer had already noticed about Aeril’s true feeling since when she became his aide as Coral using perception manipulation.

「Even so they are really obstinate aren’t they? Even though they have been given that much damage, not a single one of them has died completely yet──」

「…………」

Lux made a dubious face after hearing Mel muttering beside him.

Six Ragnarok excluding Phoenix were already dying. It was only a matter of time until they crumbled into dust, even so something was strange.

Why were all the Ragnarok gathered into a spot even though they weren’t even fighting──.

「Captain Magialca! Be careful! The Ragnarok’s movement is strange somehow!」

Lux spoke a warning right away, but Magialca who was fighting on top of the watch tower in front of them raised her voice in annoyance.

「Eei, noisy, you are breaking my concentration. Who cares about the dying Ragnarok. This grilled chicken is annoying.」

Even after receiving innumerable amounts of Phoenix’s feathers, Magialca still had strength to spare.

But, Lux was feeling a mysterious anxiety.

In order to a.s.sist somehow using Bahamut, he tried to calm his breathing. It was then, Phoenix suddenly retreated and took distance.

All the other Ragnarok was lining up vertically as though forming a queue. Phoenxi shook its wings of flame at the lead and came to a stop there.

At the same time, a girl’s voice could be heard from the Heaven palace that had descended until nearby.

『I’m beaten. Everyone of the world alliance, as well as Captain Magialca Zen Vanfrick of Seven Dragon Paladins. I Listelka, the representative of the Lord here declared my defeat, and my surrender.』

Lux’s surrounding became noisy.

And then, there was a sign that a commotion occurred even inside the fortress.

『I understand that this is a selfish talk after betraying all of you one-sidedly and inflicted so much harm, but I have no other recourse than to do this after our trump card is beaten in this situation. I will surrender Avalon’s legacies and my head, so I ask if you all will at least spare the lives of my little sisters?』

The mournful request of Listelka caused the soldiers who were observing the situation in front of the fortress to be bewildered.

They were surely thinking that first they had to ask for the decision from the countries’ leaders who were evacuating underground.

「Fumu──that’s a laudable att.i.tude. Then in order to save the face of the alliance, there is a necessity to ponder whether to accept that proposal from your side. Lower your alt.i.tude slight without showing any strange movement.」

『──Yes. I’m thankful for your generous mercy.』

In a glance, Listelka’s att.i.tude looked honest.

However behind it, the girl inside the Heaven Palace that was floating in the air was making a mocking smile.

「……She is just a mere merchant after all. As a military officer, she is just too dimwitted.」

The remaining Ragnarok that were in the verge of death, but if she gave the command to self-explode in their death, it would produce a terrifying destructive power.

With the self-explosion of the unharmed Phoenix, the remaining six others would be dragged into it and the power of the explosion would rise.

If that happened, not just the watch tower, even the fortress behind it would be annihilated instantly.

Whether it was the representatives of all the countries, the Seven Dragon Paladins, and also Aeril──.

The match hadn’t been decided yet.

The chance to turn the table was still in her hand.

Thinking that, Listelka was going to give the self-explosion command to the Ragnarok. It was then, Magialca’s voice came.

「Nn? Aah, you can stop around there you know? It’s enough distance for firing. ──Die. h.e.l.l TempestScorched Earth Calamity.」

Right after that, the gigantic installation type armor that Magialca piloted──Divine Drag-Ride Jormungandr’s whole body s.h.i.+ned.

A huge magic circle emerged before her eye. A force field whirled like a storm which became a torrent of energy that was liberated at the next moment.

–

──DOooooooOOOGUoOOHN!]

–

A roaring sound that felt like it would break the eardrum was emitted. The after wave a.s.saulted Lux and others which made them felt as though they were punched.

The roar of that overwhelming destructive power blew away not just Phoenix that was remaining at the front, but also the other six dying Ragnarok──and also even the old castle that was far behind them, annihilating them all.

「No, way……, such thing……!?」

The voice of Listelka muttered dumbfounded. It expressed agitation for the first time.

Heaven Palace took evasive action just before that, but it was seriously damaged just by the after wave, and broken transmissions sound could be heard.

「Kukukuku……. Trying to trick me for the second time, it’s still ten years too early for you little girl.」

Magialca who was sporting a wicked smile readied the seven armored arms of Jormungandr and loudly spoke.

Lux and others didn’t understand what happened at all. Beside them, Singlen made an arrogant smile.

「Jormungandr’s Divine Raiment, h.e.l.l Tempest converted a part of the damage it received into its own energy and stock it. That energy can be used to enhance all sorts of attack ability. That woman took position on the watch tower was to expose herself to become enemy target.」

「-……!?」

Lux who became aware of that Divine Raiment for the first time noticed Magialca’s scheme and became speechless.

She had calculated it from the beginning.

Even though she possessed installation type Divine Drag-Ride that couldn’t move from its spot, she intentionally took position above the watch tower where she could be targeted easily.

While Lux and others were fighting, she was continuing to get hit with flame all that time, everything was to stock up energy with Jormungandr’s Divine Raiment to be used to consign the Ragnarok into oblivion with one attack.

「And then, because the enemy is the Lord, she also saw through the possibility that this ability is known by them. She deliberately pretend to accept Listelka’s negotiation before firing……was it like that?」

Magialca herself answered back at the question from Soffice who couldn’t hide her shaken feeling.

「That sound’s bad to be heard by other people. I was only seeing through the enemy’s strategy. After all just like how Iblis exploded previously, it looked like she was gathering all the dying Ragnarok to blow us up. Thanks to her gathering them all in one spot, it saved the effort.」

「…………」

Lux too thought that Magialca’s prediction was correct.

In any case, the Heaven Palace was seriously damaged, and he thought whether the battle against the Lord was settled with this.

Mis.h.i.+s wearing Divine Drag-Ride Azi Dahaka could be seen leaping down from the burning Heaven Palace, and then she skated on the ground that had become burnt field.

Without stopping she started escaping in order to hide in the rubbles of the old castle.

「Planning to escape and hide huh? Well, that’s understandable. As expected in this situation──」

Greifer sighed ‘fuu’ and let those words slipped out. Right after that, angry yells rose from the fortress behind.

「Running away after this doing this much, don’t screw around! Don’t let them escape!」

The Drag-Knights of world alliance who were retreating into the fortress behind.

They fell into Listelka’s trap and suffered damage, but there were dozens of Wyvern users who were relatively unharmed chasing after the Lord altogether.

It was unknown whether it was the command of the countries’ representatives, or their personal decision, but it was undoubtedly am unforeseen action.

「Stop! Right now the priority is to reorganize our force! Either way there is no meaning in pursuing them!」

Magialca who was still wearing her armor gave such instruction, but several Drag-Knights didn’t stop from anger and excitement.

They were gathered here as the elite force, but they fell into trap and a lot of their comrades were killed.

Surely for them there was no option to let go of the chance for revenge that suddenly descended before their eyes.

「They aren’t listening to order only at this kind of time. Even though they just got saved from getting that severely harmed.」

At the side, Mel let out a sigh, while Greifer muttered with his hand supporting his chin.

「However, in reality the enemy is also in dire strait ain’t it? If they are pursued in this situation──」

Lux also agreed with the two’s opinion.

It was dangerous to carelessly step inside the enemy’s camp, but Mis.h.i.+s was also carrying Listelka. Both her hands were occupied. If they could catch up to the enemy and surrounded them, then perhaps…

The moment Lux thought that, Aeril raised her voice beside him.

「This is bad! If we don’t pull them back quickly──! That guy is coming!」

「……That guy?」

At that time when Lux asked back, *thump* his heart pounded.

His blood flow roared inside, his eardrum shook, and his consciousness was wrapped in darkness.

Instantly──Lux saw it along with a hallucination as thought the time stopped.

A jet black large dragon standing in the way of seven Wyvern users.

With a loose movement that was waiting for the enemy, the figure of Fugil Arcadia took a stance to intercept them.

His spine froze.

The special move that he used a lot in that day of revolution, and he also polished up in the tournament after that.

(Quick……Shot)

「──Reload on Fire」

Right after Fugil muttered, the sword he readied danced to every direction.

The seven Drag-Rides leaping from all directions simultaneously, their armors and weapons were instantly cut apart and crumbled.

A trampling down act from the consecutive slashes that were unleashed from the compression strengthening of time.

But, what was decisively different from Lux was the location where that sword tip slid through.

Fugil’s sword didn’t ran to vital spots of Drag-Rides like Force Core, armored wrist, or Sword Device, but to the riders’ heart, neck, side, and thigh, deeply carving lethal wound for them.

In just an instant, seven elite Drag-Knights met violent death. Without moving Fugil kept hovering in the air, blocking the path forward.

It was a stance to prevent pursuit toward Mis.h.i.+s who was escaping while carrying Listelka, but it also could be seen as though he was displaying his own majestic appearance.

「Why──」

But, words slipped out from Lux’s mouth earlier than he could grasp that situation.

「How does Fugil, has Bahamut in his possession!?」

He didn’t understand.

Divine Drag-Ride wasn’t like general purpose Drag-Rides that were created in many number, only one Divine Drag-Ride should be able to exist for each of them.

Niddhog and Azi Dahaka were also recreated, but it was possible only after the old one was completely destroyed.

Even though Lux possessed the current Bahamut, why──.

「We must not approach him carelessly……. The Uroboros that man possessed is……!」

When Lux was thinking like that, Aeril squeezed out a trembling voice.

For some reason it felt like he had that Drag-Ride’s name even though this should be his first time hearing it.

「InfinityCircle of Transmigration……one of the special armaments that Uroboros has, can take the form of every Divine Drag-Ride.」

「What did you say……!?」

Greifer raised a stiff voice, furthermore the remaining Seven Dragon Paladins also made a grave look.

If Aeril’s words were the truth, there would be no ability that was more terrifying than that.

An ability that originally should be impossible even for Divine Raiment was possessed by a special armament──was that the thing that was called Uroboros?

「Uh, gu……a」

But, something that wasn’t a simple threat was making the alarm inside Lux’s head to ring out loudly.

Static that was like sandstorm appeared inside his brain, and he could hear a sound along with pain.

–

『Then, three more days. Just as you instructed, I’ll come here again. Decide your answer clearly before that. Will you cooperate using Wyvern together with my Bahamut? Or else──』

–

(Then don’t tell me, the one who destroyed all the Drag-Knights of the empire was……no wrong! There is no way that’s true! I definitely, carried that out with my own will! The one who did that, should also be me!)

He also had the memory of cutting down the Drag-Knights of the old empire remaining in his head. It wasn’t an illusion or dream by all means.

Lux shook his head and shook himself free from the distorted vision.

In that time Mis.h.i.+s leaped to the back and vanished behind the shadow of the old castle’s rubble.

「Infinity, Zero OneCircle of Life and Death, EndlessEternal Recurrence……, within the two special armaments and one Divine Raiment, the knowledge that I obtained is only that. I too don’t know that man’s true ident.i.ty. However, if we are to fight him, it will be dangerous unless all of us clash against him……!」

Aeril was a skilled Drag-Knight with skill that was equal with Seven Dragon Paladins.

Regardless of that, she showed so strong wariness like this. Fugil’s true strength could be surmised from that.

「Uroboros……so that’s the Divine Drag-Ride of that silent guy──but, he was formerly the first imperial prince of the destroyed old empire right? I don’t think he is that terrifying of an opponent though.」 (TN: In the raw, the word that Greifer use to say silent guy was to imply of farting without a sound)

「…………」

He didn’t understand.

In Lux’s memory, Fugil definitely gave him advice about Drag-Ride, but he had never seen Fugil himself riding a Drag-Ride even once──that should be how it was.

(Not even once? Is that really true? That day, in that day of revolution, what did I──)

The uncomfortable feeling of something unknown caressed his back. Lux pressed his hand on his forehead.

What was this memory fragments that he was seeing starting from a certain day?

Was it an illusion that Lux was seeing because of extreme trauma, or else──.

「──Fu」

Fugil left behind a smile and vanished. Right after that, the atmosphere in front of the fortress relaxed, and sighs leaked out from the soldiers.

「Either way we are also retreating now. The deep level floor of Avalon is still remaining right?」

「Yes. If my information is correct, there is no doubt about that. No──moreover if the gate to the deep level floor is opened, no one should be able to enter inside before a whole three days pa.s.sed.」

Aeril who was questioned by Aeril muttered hesitantly.

「You said that, but you ain’t scheming to trick us again right?」

「Of course, I’ll ask for scout to be dispatched to confirm the situation. After all I completely cannot ask you all to believe in my words.」

Aeril immediately replied to Greifer’s words of suspicion.

Because it was a fact that she had deceived them once and even launched surprise attack out of nowhere, she was resolved to be doubted like that.

But, Lux was convinced that Aeril was saying the truth.

Scout would be sent, and if it was the fact that the gate to the deep level floor of Avalon wasn’t opened, they would have to wait for three days.

During that time they had to make their preparation as much as possible.

After all it would only be a simple compet.i.tion and scramble after that.

Would they be able to stop the destruction of this world by Sacred Eclipse and controlled Avalon?

Or perhaps would Avalon be stolen by Listelka and others the Lord?

The time for the answer of that was approaching near.