CH 5

Episode 5 – The Hero’s Whereabouts

Part 1

The last day of the parade was approaching. Now it was late at night on the second day.

「Fu-ku-ku-ku……. At last it will be over for the queen with this.」

At the residential area of the nobles some distance away from the castle──

There was a block that was a gathering of dozens of palatial residences. The nickname of the block was the Empire District.

Each residence had vast ground. They were existing inside the castle town as the embers of the Old Empire’s glory that had reigned through more than five hundred years.

So to speak, it was the area of the faction of the old-timer consuls──the nobles of the senate.

Dozens of consuls were executed as political criminals at the time of the revolution.

But, the bunches who were doing their evil deeds behind the scenes were remaining in great number even now.

The aged consuls were gathering in a reception hall of a large mansion that was the gathering place of such bunches.

The mansion that was used as a social meeting place with the objective of entertaining diplomats was built in a huge size so that it could be used jointly as a dance hall or amusement center.

There were many great rumors about the place in the era of the Old Empire, but currently it wasn’t used anymore for entertaining people from other countries or feudal lords.

「Yes, it seems that Prime Minister Nulph has chosen to make peace with us. From now on the new era will finally begin.」

The eldest person there leaked out an emotionally deep smile. Seeing that the expressions of his fellow comrades also burst into smiles.

──Bad rumors.

In the period when the despotic administration of the Old Empire was at the extreme, cruel games were prevalent among the nobles.

It was a cruel act using people that were secured as slaves when raiding other countries or from within their own territory.

If they were female then the way they were used was still better, the male slaves were made to kill each other, or else they were even used as replacement targets for archery and the like. Their death was filled sadness and anguish to the extreme.

At the time of the destruction of the Old Empire, such underground activity was crushed along with its manager, but there were also participating members who managed to evade capture. A lot of them remained right now in this place.

With the change to the regime of the New Kingdom, their authority om the surface was taken away, but with their connections to big companies, their influence to each group hadn’t been lost.

But, behind their obedience in these five years, they were starting to move in order to take back their past glory.

Their motive wasn’t anything significant.

The uncountable evil deeds that they had committed.

They simply wanted to do that again with all their heart, fatten their own pockets, and indulge in debauchery.

Their insatiable greed was directed to the ancient technology and treasure that was estimated to be brought from Avalon through the negotiation after this.

「Things we’ve got to look forward to are increasing. Weapons of ancient technology and machines to produce the Abyss. Just how much it will improve our battle force──」

「I’m interested in the human resources. There might be more people with the same appearance like the imperial family of the Old Empire still sleeping right? I wish to receive those girls no matter what and receive information from them.」

A fat and old man licked his lips and slurped vulgarly.

People with similar looks like the imperial family of the Old Empire in the past──the existence with greater authority than themselves. Degrading and making such people to serve them was their distorted desire.

「All of you are really enthusiastic. An old person like me is interested in the so called Elixir. Also, the machine that preserved the Lords for so many years is also interesting.」

For the old people with short remaining lifespans, the secret medicine and medical procedures of perpetual youth was something that they wished to know.

Treasure, battle potential, slave, youth.

The old people who lived by indulging in their desires as they pleased for a long time were exposing ugly faces that looked like goblins.

「The queen too, I’ll be affectionate with her if she seems to be meek. I’ll get tired of her right away I think, but──」

Right after one person said that loudly and laughed──

.

「Even though five years have passed since the revolution succeeded, you people haven’t changed at all.」

.

A chilly voice that froze the air resounded inside the room.

「But, well, this is my mistake. Even while knowing about the existence of you all, I could only leave you alone for long……it was a blunder solely due to my powerlessness. I can’t help but feel ashamed.」

「──Wha!?」

A girl’s voice that didn’t match this place was suddenly voiced.

In response to that the dozens old consuls looked at each other’s faces. It was then a girl appeared in the middle of the hall.

「He, her majesty queen Raffi!?」

「Why are you in this place──!?」

The consuls of the Old Empire faction were shocked. Raffi looked around at them while making an exasperated gaze.

Using the perception manipulation of Endless, they couldn’t see the current figure of Raffi who had obtained her youth once more, instead they were looking at her 30 year old appearance.

『Is this alright master? For you to intentionally show your figure personally like this. It will be leaked if even a single person escapes this place no matter how miniscule that chance is?』

「It’s alright Arshalia.」

Raffi cast her eyes down and replied to her aide the Gear Leader who was at far away.

She was able to directly receive the thoughts of an Automata inside her head because of the nanomachine receiver inside her body that was made by those girls.

However, it was limited to within a certain range──a radius of several kl in total.

「There is meaning in me intentionally showing myself. How ugly it is, an existence that only commits evil deeds while hiding from other people──. This will serve as admonition for myself who obtained strength.」

「Ho, ho-ho-how did you enter here!? What are the guards doing!?」

「What are you talking about since just now!? Her majesty is──?」

The consuls were in chaos while shouting in panic.

But, perhaps there was only minimum security placed around this mansion, because their movement was slower than expected.

『But, with such reasoning, isn’t your majesty already putting in one of your legs inside like this?』

「You are telling me that, Arshalia?」

‘Haa’, Raffi put her hand on her cheek with a troubled look and let out a sigh.

『Pardon my rudeness. It seemed that I spoke needlessly.』

「No, if possible please stay like that, so that I can become a good queen.」

Raffi replied large-heartedly to Arshalia. At the same time she pulled out a Sword Device from the sheath on her waist.

「Wha-!?」

「This is too disappointing. To think that the true identity of 『intelligence』 that has been accumulated through the five hundred years of the Empire’ history is just a shallow lump of greed……. As I thought, there is no other way except to remove the rotten tumor.」

Raffi walked with clacking sounds from the heels of her shoes and grasped the collar of the oldest person at the innermost place.

She lifted up the old body that was unable to even stand anymore, and stabbed the tip of her sword into the throat that looked like a dead tree.

「Hih!? Wha, what are you doing!? Do you think that it can be forgiven for a ruler of a country to commit such an outrage!?」

「There is no need to receive forgiveness from anyone. I do it because I want to. Ah, thinking back now even something this trivial──it was never done since I became the ruler of the country.」

Raffi showed an expression that contained deep emotion somewhere in it and muttered smilingly.

「Though more accurately speaking, I left everything to Nulph and couldn’t do it. Being powerless is really bitter isn’t it. Unable to say what has to be said, and unable to do what must be done. Only being able to take care to not offend the other people……. It’s no different at all from my past self. But──」

The eyes of Raffi who was muttering self-depreciatingly were tinged with bewitching violet coloration.

「It’s only now at this time, that I too can move for the sake of justice. Just like my big brother the great man, just like Lux, and then──」

*Shred*, the Sword Device tore the eldest man from his windpipe to his skull top.

The body that lost its head powerlessly collapsed, then Raffi quickly swung her sword to throw off the blood clinging on it.

「Wha, aa……!?」

「Deranged! Queen Raffi is deranged! Kill! KILL HERRRRR-!」

「What a terrible accusation. It’s all of you who are deranged here. Well, it wouldn’t have become like this if you all had the intelligence to understand what you are told.」

The guards finally rushed in and they raised their respective weapons and attacked.

However, Raffi’s figure vanished in the next moment. She teleported to outside the mansion.

「-……fuu」

Raffi pressed her hand on her head and lightly staggered right after she landed on the ground.

「I’ll leave the rest to you, Arshalia. It looks like my body is still not used to the power of seven Ragnaroks. I’m also uneasy whether I can use the Sacred Eclipse’s offshoot well. As expected, I won’t be able to move well without going through Baptism once more in Avalon.」

『Understood. Leave this place to those girls.』

The reception hall of the mansion was filled with chaos.

The lookout on the rooftop noticed that there were several girls around the mansion.

Automata──the girls with the characteristic similar faces and mechanical ears on their heads simultaneously drew out their Sword Devices.

「──Then, let’s begin. Though it’s sad that our first joint work is cleaning trash.」

The girl with mechanical parts like an ant’s feelers growing from her head──the Gear Leader of Babel, Yos Tork muttered with a unique tone.

Arshalia who served as the mediator of several Automatas around the mansion sent telepathic voice to everyone chidingly.

『It’s not cleaning, but a send off. In order to awaken the vessel of the new king──』

The six girls nodded at the same time.

The people whose positions were originally to manage the seven Ruins were starting to display their hidden strength.

.

The Gear Leader who managed the first Ruin Babel, Yos Tork.

The Gear Leader who managed the second Ruin Dungeon, Lu Caria.

The Gear Leader who managed the third Ruin Ark, La Krusche.

The Gear Leader who managed the fourth Ruin Hall, Ney Louches.

The Gear Leader who managed the fifth Ruin Gigas, El Fajura.

The Gear Leader who managed the sixth Ruin Garden, Clan Lieze, absent.

The Gear Leader who managed the seventh Ruin Moon, Re Plica.

The Gear Leader who managed Avalon, Arshalia.

.

The『Eight Instrumentalists』 who safeguarded the new king gathered here and moved in preparation for the last revision.

Inside the pitch black darkness, the tragedy of a slaughter that wasn’t worth to be called a fight raised its curtains.

Part 2

「Yo, so you came, Old Empire’s prince. You are sneaking around even though it’s in the middle of the parade.」

Late at night on the second day of the parade, Lux followed the letter that was handed to him by the boy and headed to the hideout of the Kilzrake family.

On his way heading to a district with bad public order that was shown on the map, he was called out by a boy clad in old rags.

It seemed he was in disguise, but Lux remembered his voice and face.

The blond haired boy who negotiated with Lux just now──

「You are──!? Your name……is Alma Kilzrake?」

「Hee, so you remember my name? Is it that you got good memory, or perhaps it’s the skill of a former prince?」

「I think it’s nothing special, it’s normal.」

「Hmmm. Is that so.」

He glared scrutinizingly at Lux who was deeply pulling down the hood attached on his robe to cover his face.

「Still, I saw the parade but, you really are damn popular eh. I pitied you hearing the rumor that in the past you were a chore prince or something, but arent’cha unexpectedly led a nice life? Haa, as I thought I hate blessed guys.」

The old men’s wear and shabby hat and goggle he was wearing made the boy blend into the surroundings like a youth that worked in construction.

And yet, his features were well ordered so it was interesting.

「Don’t talk too loudly ‘kay. Just because it looks like there ain’t no one, it will be game over if we got found out yeah? More importantly you, I got something to ask, is that alright?」

「Aren’t you going to guide me to your boss’s place?」

He came here in secret to not worry Airi and everyone else, so he wanted to finish the business quickly.

「It ain’t about that. There is something personal I wanna ask. Just one question, it’s not gonna take long.」

The boy with his blond hair tied jerked his face close to Lux.

「You. Do you know about the Black Hero?」

「……Eh?」

Right now it was a nostalgic question in a sense.

The last time he was asked like this face to face, was it by Krulcifer when he first enrolled into the Academy?

It was a question that was directly related to Lux’s past, but he managed to not show any agitation on his face.

「I know him. But it’s not about his identity. I’ve only caught sight of him briefly.」

「Chih, useless. Or rather I’m jealous. So even the former prince of the Empire knows jack squat huh. This is the hateful guy who ruined your own country right?」

「Eh? Well…… that’s right, but」

「Hah……. Goddamn coward. I’m amazed that boss got a business with a guy like you. Listen well. I’m taking you because that’s the order, but just try making any move on the boss. I’m gonna chase you bastard to the death and murder you, get it?」

Lux nodded towards the boy’s fierce glare.

He wasn’t acting timid but, it appeared the boy accepted his reaction.

「Then, I’ll show you the way just as planned. This way.」

Like that they weaved their way through the back alley and headed to the outskirts of the castle town.

The place they arrived at was an abandoned old stately mansion made from brick.

「Isn’t this house empty? It looks like it’s not used though──」

「It’s not actually used. We will move out when we finished.」

The building looked empty, but its underground room was spacious and functioned as their hideout.

Kilzrake family.

He first heard that it was the name of a famous familia in the Marcafal Kingdom.

However, why was such a group in the capital in the middle of this parade?

Normally Lux wouldn’t even think to get involved with such a suspicious group, but he had a reason for going along with this.

Marcafal Kingdom’s mafia.

From a glance this looked like some kind of trap, but he had a hunch that was nearly a kind of conviction.

「This is boss’s room. Don’t be rude okay?」

「……Excuse me.」

After knocking, there was no reply so they twisted the door knob.

Lux parted from Alma at the room’s entrance and he turned speechless upon entering.

Inside there was Magialca sitting on a wheelchair.

「──You are, Captain Magialca!?」

「Oho, to be able to perceive my appearance in this state, as expected from my lover who I acknowledged. No, right now it’s better if you call me Ilu Kilzrake.」

The characteristic orange hair that was did into a hairstyle in ring shape.

Her personality and fearless grin that didn’t match her petite and youthful look was exactly the appearance of the captain of the Seven Dragon Paladins.

However, her look was completely different from before.

Her right arm seemed to be broken. It was fixed in place by a splint, her left leg was also dangling down powerlessly from the wheelchair.

Her right eye was covered with an eye patch, and her body was bandaged here and there.

「That, looks──」

「Yeah. Even this state now is already far better than at first. After all until a week ago it was almost impossible to even wake up by myself.」

「…………」

Magialca spoke indifferently, but Lux was speechless at her grave wounds.

「What are you so shocked about? That’s really unlike the Black Hero who put an end to the long tyrannical rule of the Old Empire. You are used to seeing wounds of this level right?」

「How──?」

「How am I alive, you ask? Don’t look at other people like they are a ghost.」

Magialca smiled wryly and took a sip of the tea on the table.

「Well, in reality it’s also mysterious for me. The Seven Dragon Paladins were annihilated at the abandoned capital Guernica two weeks ago──even I thought that everyone excluding you died without exception.」

Yes.

Lux couldn’t even grasp what happened at that time to the degree that he couldn’t believe the sight in front of him.

In the middle of witnessing the battle of Fugil against the Seven Dragon Paladins, Lux was carried away by Magialca’s aide Lolotte and left that place.

After that, the Seven Dragon Paladins crushed Fugil and the Lords.

Then Avalon was put under control by Aeril’s hands.

──The people’s perceptions should have become like that on the surface.

On the other hand Lux escaped the curse of world revision by Ouroboros’s Divine Raiment and learned that Aeril, Magialca, and Singlen weren’t present at the parade’s party, but──

「How, can Captain Magialca──」

「Let me tell you in order. I first woke up around two weeks ago in real time. At that time I was dying, but the medical care worked and I hung on to my life barely. Though at the surface it looked like I died.」

「How did that happen?」

Lux tilted his head at Magialca’s speech that sounded like a riddle. She then continued her story.

「I gave my subordinates detailed instructions beforehand that in case I needed to be rescued from that battle, they must not announce my survival to anyone else, in order to hide myself and focus on recovery.」

Magialca said that and stirred slightly.

She seemed to be trying to shrug her shoulders, but that was the best she could do.

「And then, the current host of Sacred Eclipse who doesn’t know about my survival prepared my replacement using world revision. They intentionally propped up an impostor must be to advance the negotiation smoothly.」

If there was a loss of a member of the Seven Dragon Paladins, it would be necessary for some complex procedure to improve the power balance.

There was a possibility that the country that lost their Seven Dragon Paladins representative would claim that they were fighting hard to the degree that they paid a great sacrifice of losing their main fighting force, and so in the negotiation they would demand considerable amount of compensation.

With this Lux became even more convinced that Raffi was the mastermind.

「Fortunately in the Marcafal Kingdom I have one more position. That position is as the leader of the Kilzrake family, Ilu Kilzrake.」

「……!? But, from what I heard before, the Kilzrake family is──」

They introduced themselves as a bodyguard company, but he heard from the boy named Alma that it was a gathering of outlaws that was handling illegal goods in the underground.

The boss of the organization that was famous in the Marcafal Kingdom was actually Magialca herself.

「You can’t protect your turf by only acting nice. You can protect yourself from external enemy for the first time by possessing armed might and authority at the same level of your enemy. The affair of illegal goods and violence too, by treating them as the bodyguards of the underworld, the order is preserved. Well, in the first place Kilzrake itself was something I purchased after its first leader died.」

「But, why are you telling me this──」

Magialca who by nature didn’t belong under any country shouldn’t be concerned about the circumstances of the New Kingdom.

And yet, why was she contacting Lux even if she had to brave danger to do it?

「I wanted to meet you.」

Magialca grinned a wicked looking smile and said that.

Lux couldn’t immediately understand her meaning.

「You see, actually I obtained Elixir from some time ago. That’s why I’m able to notice the world revision like this.」

It was really like Magialca to keep quiet about it.

By making Queen Raffi think of her as dead and making her fake existence in the New Kingdom, it was a decisive out of place factor that became the impetus for her to notice the truth.

When thinking that, Lux gasped and noticed a certain thing.

「Please wait! If Captain Magialca is alive, then Aeril and Vice Captain Singlen are──!?」

「Good grief, so you are worried about Aeril right after confirming my safety, I’m jealous. ──Don’t worry, Aeril is surely alive. For now that is.」

「…………」

That reply which was said with a fearless grin brightened Lux’s expression.

「But the situation is bad you know? Most likely Aeril is held somewhere in the Ruins of this New Kingdom. Until her primary role comes.」

「Is, that so……」

Even the relief only lasted briefly. Lux let out a long sigh.

「What’s wrong? What are you hesitating about? This isn’t like you.」

Magialca asked Lux who was looking up to the ceiling.

But, Lux couldn’t reply immediately.

He breathed out the feeling he was holding in his chest since the defeat in that abandoned capital until this point of time.

「Captain Magialca is──. Why did you fight till that far? Against the man who was my older brother, against Fugil who was called as the hero of the beginning.」

「I wonder why. Even though someone at my level noticed just how faint my chances of victory were the instant I faced him.」

Magialca sighed ‘fuh’ with an amused looking smile and muttered.

Her figure was covered with painful looking wounds, but there wasn’t any sign of regret from her.

「Lux. Let me ask you back, why did you stand against the tyrannical rule of the Old Empire? Although it couldn’t be realized without the cooperation of Fugil and Count Atismata at that time, it still didn’t change that it was a dangerous battle right?」

「That’s──」

「Was it for the sake of your little sister and childhood friend──my pupil?」

Lux nodded wordlessly.

But, Magialca scoffed at that answer.

「……That’s not it. If that was all, you could have just taken the two of them and escaped to another country. ──No, I guess we don’t know about that, you might have been unable to find asylum anywhere. Then, after the revolution, why did you wander for five years as the Chore Prince? For atoning? There must have been many other ways to do that. There should be the path of fighting at the front lines as a Drag-Knight if you wanted to atone.」

「That’s──」

Lux was at a loss of what to say, in contrast, Magialca’s smile deepened.

「For a ruler, there is something that is absolutely needed in order to stand above people. That is pride and dignity. All this time you lived until now with those things pushing you.」

Pride and dignity.

Lux repeated those words inside his chest.

He wondered whether he really possessed such things.

「You tried to walk the path that you pictured to be correct as an imperial prince. You don’t just abandon yourself to follow what other people told you, you tried to know other people and face them as someone with the bloodline of ruler within you──. That was why you searched for Fugil in order to confirm your answer while polishing your own skill.」

As a Drag-Knight, and also as a statesman.

Even after his defeat, he was unconsciously aiming for that.

Was that, really the case?

「You are overestimating me. Because, right now I’m──already」

After saying that to Magialca, he exited the underground room of the hideout.

.

The morning sun rose and the morning of the third day of the parade arrived.

And then Lux returned to a new ordinary day.

Part 3

「──Then, it’s fine if we just go as planned right, boss?」

Alma Kilzrake smiled with an innocent face that had traces of childishness in it.

「Yes. Your talent is passable. You managed to learn a skill of the Old Empire’s strongest Drag-Knight──the Black Hero after all.」

「I want you to call it as skill instead of talent. I’m working really hard even like this yeah.」

「Hard work, eh.」

Magialca who was wearing a black eye patch smiled looking somewhat mean-spiritedly.

「More importantly, I got it. If I accomplish this mission, it will be possible to destroy the New Kingdom.」

「Well, certainly it will be like that at the end but, are you alright with that? I won’t mind if you value your life and run away.」

「──Hah, that’s not like you boss.」

Alma showed a smile full of confidence under her goggled hat.

From here on she would begin acting in order to accomplish the mission from Magialca.

The operation to head towards the Garden and save Aeril who was held captive in its depths.

The reason for this operation’s idea was the Automatas’ movement.

While all the Automatas were ordered to clean up after the world revision since before this parade, it was only the Automata of the Garden Clan Lieze whose appearance wasn’t confirmed.

There was no reason that could be thought up to intentionally decrease their numbers under this situation.

If there was any reason at all, it would be the possibility that the Automata was already engaged in an important duty beforehand.

Magialca judged that duty was the treatment and brainwashing of the captured Aeril.

Magialca intentionally didn’t tell Lux about this, but just a bit of time ago Raffi was slaughtering the old consuls of the Old Empire faction.

The reason why she was looping this parade until now was to use the time to thoroughly root out the mutinous forces like Waybra, Sieg Kreutzer, and Prime Minister Nulph who were planning to bring her down.

But even they had been removed. At present──all troubles that opposed the ruling of the New Kingdom had been severed. With that the last revision should be carried out after this.

That was to say, that in order to overwrite the various inconsistencies that occurred in this period, a large-scale incident would be caused and it would be imprinted into the people’s memories as the lynchpin.

There was no need to actually cause an incident for real.

It was fine to only imprint to the people’s memory that such thing had happened, so there was no problem by just activating Endless once more.

Therefore, Fugil and Raffi would have to head to Avalon.

Magialca had finished investigating that Avalon itself was brought to the New Kingdom and it was positioned some distance away from the capital.

They would attack Garden the instant Raffi teleported to the capital’s outskirts. That would be their greatest and last chance.

「First is to recover Aeril.」

The curse of perception from Ouroboros’s Divine Raiment──Endless, it used Avalon’s power and made the seven Ruins resonate.

That means, if even a single one of the Ruin’s activation device, the Grand Force was taken off, the world revision wouldn’t be usable anymore.

But, because the removal of the Grand Force was impossible if it wasn’t by the Lords or the family of traitors──or by someone with the bloodline of the Arcadia Empire, first the priority was to take Aeril back.

There should be heavy security in there, even so it should consist of Automata or the Abyss at most.

Alma heard that the greatest threat the Ragnaroks were already destroyed. And against the Abyss she would be able to win easily if the opponent were medium size or smaller.

That would be even truer if she was leading the elites of Kilzrake.

「Well, I’ll assign that newcomer with you so it’s going to be fine. If you feel lost then you can rely on that guy. Whether it’s in battle or about your life.」

「…………」

Alma scowled in displeasure at Magialca’s suggestive words.

Alma Kilzrake’s past. Magialca was talking about her deep fate with the New Kingdom.

「You’re saying that my revenge is mistaken?」

「I know that you were betrayed and abandoned and hold a grudge to them. But, the way your heart gets warped will lead you to ruin for sure, that’s how unjustified resentment is.」

「That ain’t persuasive at all hearing it from boss.」

「I understand it really well exactly because I got a bad personality.」

Alma looked aside sulkily. Magialca talked in jest seeing that.

As expected, that might be what was called the wisdom of age, even now her speech was skilled.

「It must be some kind of fate too that you who were born in the New Kingdom drifted into my place. You can ascertain it with your own eyes. Then──I’ll leave it to you.」

「Yeah, I’ll finish your mission and obtain even more strength. I’ll master piloting a Divine Drag-Ride and destroy the New Kingdom. That is──my punishment to them who betrayed me.」

「Then, depart right away. It will be the meet up time soon.」

「Yeah, I’m going boss.」

Alma saluted her leader Ilu Kilzrake and put on the goggle on her hat.

And then she headed to the Garden along with the elite Drag-Knights who gathered upstairs.

Part 4

Around that time── in the afternoon of the parade’s last day.

While the winter sun was shining, Queen Raffi along with Fugil were inside Avalon that was at the outskirts of the capital.

「The possibility of receiving disturbance in the middle of this surgery……is it? We should have exterminated the bud of rebellion though. Who could it be, for example?」

Inside the room were huge silver walls, countless pipes, and interlacing gears.

That place was truly the heart part of a machine.

It was the starting point of the place that created and converted everything.

Inside the room of Avalon that was brought here from the abandoned capital Guernica, Raffi was muttering while stark naked.

Sacred Eclipse that assimilated with Raffi herself fused the ability of all Ragnarok until now and provided her with overwhelming power, but it was unclear whether she was able to control it.

In short, it was possible that the Sacred Eclipse would be influenced by negative emotion and rampage to carry out massacre.

This surgery was so that Raffi could control the timing of that to a certain degree using her will.

The Automata Arhsalia was at her side to guard her and controlled the surgery.

「I don’t know. However there is no plan that is perfect. It’s better to be resolved that such thing might happen.」

「Is that including the possibility of me being unable to endure this surgery and dying?」

Raffi who returned to her youthful appearance as a girl asked Arshalia that.

「Don’t you feel scared? That you might die just like this. That perhaps Fugil and I are tricking you.」

The question from an emotionless Automata.

However Raffi smiled for some reason hearing that.

Once she was tricked by the man called Waybra and he grasped her past weakness. She was dropped into the abyss of despair.

「That hero of beginning, Fugil, I heard that previously he sided with the Lords. Most likely he parted with them due to some kind of reason and murdered them.」

「…………」

Raffi talked indifferently even knowing that Fugil betrayed his own lord. Arshalia stared back emotionlessly at her.

「Surely for Fugil, rather than personal motive──or a country’s fate, he has something more important, his own belief. Something that cannot be called as things like evil or justice.」

Arshalia didn’t reply.

She only moved her fingers to trace the air like a conductor and the surrounding machines began to move.

「Then, we are starting. Master.」

Raffi lied down on the central bed. The device of Avalon was activated and the surrounding gears started to move, the operation then begun.

The limbs of the figure that turned into a girl from the assimilation with Sacred Eclipse was bound, and liquid that was filled with medicine was injected.

「──However, I didn’t have anything in me. Like wanting to save the New Kingdom, or wanting to protect the people, or inheriting the dying will of my big brother. I didn’t even harbor any of those feelings while sitting on the throne.」

The devices moved jointly with each other. A needle that was laced with Elixir stabbed into her heart.

Raffi continued with her words to distract herself from the slight pain.

「I was only continuing to run for more than ten years. Pursued by fear, pursued by reality, without even any courage to resist or standing up against it alone──. Unable to say it to anyone.」

「…………」

Sacred Eclipse that was fused with her flesh reacted to those words.

Raffi’s eyes were tinged with mysterious light and filled with power.

「I had never genuinely lived even once. I believe you won’t kill me here, and even if the surgery failed I won’t die. Because I still──haven’t even lived until now.」

*Thump*, her restrained body bent backward from the conditional reflex.

For half a minute, a device was inserted into her body part that was contaminated by an inhuman thing in order to control it.

In the middle of that, the Automata Arshalia asked to distract Raffi’s attention.

「Then, what are you wishing for? With that strongest power」

「──! Happi, ness……!」

Raffi raised a stifled voice and smiled while enduring the pain.

「I want, to protect, the happiness that I found for the first time……」

Arshalia who guessed Raffi’s true feelings comprehended it.

The reason Sacred Eclipse responded to Raffi’s call.

「Please don’t worry, master.」

Beside Raffi, the Automata Arshalia silently spoke to her.

「I won’t let anyone be a hindrance. The preparation for interception in the Garden is completed. The strongest guard that you placed there is──」

「……You’re right. Then, it looks like the surgery is over, so I’ll rest for a bit. Please tell this to him. That I wish for him to activate Ouroboros’s Divine Raiment from now.」

「──By your will. Do you hear that, Fugil?」

『──Yeah, let’s start. Endless.』

Outside Avalon, the chalk white Artifact was standing high to the sky.

The armor of the gigantic dragon that resembled a fortress was faintly tinged with light of seven colors.

The last revision would start from now at the New Years parade.

In order to cleanse the sin of the world.

Part 5

「What are you doing! It’s forbidden to enter here! Uwaah……!?」

Alma who was wearing a mask flew with his EX Wyvern and crossed over the Ruin’s checking station.

Of course, the Drag-Knights of the New Kingdom that protected the station swarmed the intruder. But Alma who was entrusted to be the captain dealt with them composedly.

「Boss’s expectation was right. This place is empty cause they split the personnel for the capital’s security.」

He left the rest to several of his subordinates and descended in front of the Garden.

「The New Kingdom is nothing. It will be an easy win even if it turns into a fight.」

「No── I think your movement was shoddy.」

Beside the triumphant Alma, the newcomer who entered the squad only just now with Magialca’s recommendation spoke from under his mask.

「What’s with you, it went well just now ain’t it?」

「If you wanted to draw the attention of the guards by going ahead, you should slow down a bit more. If you shake them off too fast and overlooked some, the rear of our squad will get caught. Just now you were only lucky by chance.」

「Hah, acting like a hot shot even though you’re just a newcomer. Minions who can’t keep up means that they are just unskilled.」

「The squad captain’s job is also to train them so that won’t happen. If this force was entrusted to you from Captain Magialca──」

「Chih……. It’s not gonna be long until the transfer starts, don’t daddle!」

To enter the Garden, there was no other way except by standing beside the wall and waiting until the automatic transfer to the inside happened within a certain interval.

The squad entered into the Ruin before long. Right after that Alma who received the interior’s geographical map quickly flew ahead.

Even if the Abyss appeared they had a fighting force that could deal with it, but they had no free time to stand still considering their objective.

Thus they chased away the Abyss by playing the horn flute.

The target was the deepest part of the Garden.

The priority was to secure Aeril Vi Arcadia who was imprisoned there.

「Fufu. What, this ain’t anything difficult. So even a Ruin is just at this level.」

The smile was kept pasted on Alma’s mouth. They broke through the gateways one after another.

He heard that the greatest obstacle in invading the Ruin here which was the gatekeeper──the Ragnarok too had already been destroyed and wasn’t here anymore.

「Then, there isn’t any reason for me to fail! Besides, I might have already surpassed the strength of Syvalles even!」

Her tone was mixed with excitement, but his movement didn’t have any shoddiness in it.

He was a bit belligerent, but he didn’t lose sight of his objective and struck down the enemy with the shortest and fastest movement.

While the morale of his subordinates were also rising, the masked young man who was sent by Magialca as his new subordinate alone whispered in a low voice.

「That’s dangerous Alma. Just because the power output of EX Wyvern is high, you still drew too close when attacking. It’s also important to concentrate to the battle in front of you, but you will get injured if you neglect paying attention to the surroundings.」

「Hah! Don’t talk big newcomer! Only boss can give orders to me!」

「…………」

But, Alma ignored the warning and sped up further.

In the past when the newcomer young man came here, a transfer device that was made from strange object was necessary, but right now a part of the wall was destroyed and they were able to progress to the depth directly.

They moved to the quasi space existing inside the Garden that looked like a forest and advanced further. There another door appeared.

The floor with silver walls they retreated from in the past.

After landing there, there was a single wide central pathway with walls at the left and right, and countless room doors there.

「This place──. The depth of the Garden that boss mentioned. It’s what they called the Ruin’s other function huh……」

After Alma muttered that with a dubious expression, the newcomer young man who accompanied this squad tilted his head.

「The Ruin’s, other function?」

「It’s function as treasure chest that is.」

Alma answered quickly and curtly.

「The treasure warehouse that stores, manages, and seals any kind of thing. I heard that dangerous things would even get called if we touch carelessly.」

He slowly walked through the spacious pathway while still wearing his Drag-Ride.

Different from the route until now, from here on it would be uncharted territory.

「But no worry newcomer. Our objective, Aeril Vi Arcadia is alone. We can just take the other treasures after recovering her safely. We need to strengthen our forces after all.」

「……Be careful, there is a strange presence.」

「Hah! Got cold feet? I ain’t scared of anything. Since I lost my family and discarded my name, I have gone through terrible experiences all along until now.」

「Terrible, experiences?」

「……That’s right. But that ain’t what hurt me the most. There is my aunt too but, only Onee-chan──my big sister, even though I believed that there is no way she would side with the likes of the Old Empire, and yet……」

*Grit*, Alma gritted his teeth under the mask.

The newcomer young man tilted his head, but right after that Alma’s subordinates came their way.

「Captain, I think it’s more efficient to split up here and search──」

「Guess you’re right. There are too many rooms here. Everyone split up──」

Alma quickly assessed the situation and followed his subordinate’s advice.

Certainly there were countless rooms in this treasure warehouse floor. Even if they assumed that Aeril was here, it would be difficult to find her.

And then, they had not much time to delay.

If they didn’t remove the Grand Force from here and made Avalon to enter system down, they might not have any more chances.

But, the newcomer young man who accompanied the squad gave advice calmly.

「No, we should act in groups of two at least. Also, it’s better to place a Drake user and two people as guards at the rendezvous point. We can grasp the movements of the whole like that and the safety will increase.」

「Now see here……」

Alma took off his mask and showed an exasperated expression.

「That’s only done in dangerous places right? In here we haven’t met any Abyss since midway, not even once. Are you unable to believe my decision huh!?」

Intimidation.

Or rather, those must be words for the sake of maintaining his dignity as squad captain, but the newcomer young man himself couldn’t possibly just overlook the dangerous situation.

「Then, at the very least let me act as your guard.」

「Aah? Me who can use an EX Wyvern needs you who uses a Wyvern to guard me? Just say it honestly that you want to get protected.」

Alma snickered under the mask that he wore once more and quickly gave instruction to his subordinates.

A few minutes after the investigation of the treasure warehouse began, it suddenly happened.

『Captain! A girl who looks like Aeril Vi Arcadia has been discovered! Please come over here!』

One of the several Drake users in the squad sent Dragon Voice communication excitedly.

Alma who heard that made a satisfied smile and immediately returned to the central passage. He flew his EX Wyvern towards the direction of the call.

The newcomer young man who followed behind him raised his voice towards the impatient captain.

「Wait! It’s better to not hurry there. Something is strange……let’s call everyone for now and gather in the center. It will be dangerous if this is a trap.」

「Haa……. Troublesome. There is a mountain of other treasures we should take here. No way I can act leisurely like that.」

Alma sighed in exasperation and hurried towards the room the Dragon Voice came from.

A long straight passage── Alma was heading towards the room that was around the middle of that, and put his hand on the silver door there.

The instant it opened, the naked body of a girl restrained deep inside the room came into view.

The silver hair that was the proof of the Lord and asymmetrically colored eyes.

(So she is Aeril! She is alive as expected!)

But, the instant his attention was taken by that, the surrounding wall turned into the color of flesh and spears of wooden root wriggled. It flew toward Alma’s chest.

(Impossible──a trap!?)

The whole body of Alma whose eyes opened wide stiffened.

His guard was wide open due to his posture of opening the door, so he couldn’t defend the attack with the weapon at hand.

Therefore it was an attack of certain kill that took advantage of this timing.

With EX Wyvern the barrier should be solid, but that tentacle that was like wooden roots approached with an abnormal speed that surpassed Alma’s reaction.

(It’s incomparable with the Abyss until now! The barrier’s reinforcement──it won’t make it!)

Alma who was taken by surprise shuddered.

It would be a fatal attack if it hit directly.

In the middle of that timing with his consciousness slowed to the limit── the newcomer who was a mere Wyvern user blocked the tentacle’s tip with his Blade.

「Uah……!?」

Everything was a happening that passed within an instant of an eye blink.

「-……!?」

Alma who barely escaped the predicament leaped further backward to dodge.

As though to pursue Alma who returned to the central passage, countless tentacles launched consecutive attacks one after another from inside the room──however, the newcomer Drag-Knight who stood between them repelled everything with the Blade at his hand.

(What, the. These guys!? This monster, and this newcomer guy who blocked its attacks──)

Shockwaves shook the treasure warehouse’s passage and sounds of destruction echoed.

The surrounding subordinates who caught the sound reacted all at once.

「Captain Alma, what happened!?」

「Enemy? Please get a hold of yourself!」

「Don’t come here! You’ll get killed!」

Alma was relieved inside his heart that he didn’t end up blurting 『Save me!』.

A glimpse of power that was incomparable from anything he saw until now.

His shaking from the presence of such thing wouldn’t stop.

At the same time, Alma noticed that the young man who Magialca attached to the squad as a newcomer possessed strength that far surpassed his imagination.

But, his squad comrades who were upset that their captain fell into crisis wouldn’t listen to his order.

Several of them approached to save Alma, but in that instant an intense shockwave burst out.

「Watch out-!」

.

──*GAUN-!*

.

The air exploded and the silver wall and objects in the central passage were squashed with bizarre metallic sound.

Alma didn’t even notice that it was caused by a mere Howling Roar from the Drag-Knight inside the room.

He was only able to understand the result.

With speed that the eye couldn’t follow, the newcomer Drag-Knight covered Alma from the terrific roar that was the enemy’s counterattack. Because of that he was blown away.

A part of his armor was smashed and scattered in pieces midair.

The subordinates who were similarly blown away crashed on the metallic wall. Several of them had their Drag-Rides dispelled from the damage.

There was no leeway to be in a daze within the situation that was changing hectically.

If the newcomer didn’t shield him, Alma’s EX Wyvern would surely have gotten done in too.

「God……damnit!」

The welling up anger and frustration controlled Alma and cleared up the mist of fear in his mind temporarily.

He didn’t know what the enemy was, but at this rate they would be annihilated.

In that case he who was still able to move had to fight.

With such fierce fighting spirit, he was going to leap once more into the room, it was then──

「……Wha-!?」

The figure inside the room that was the perpetrator of the destructive scene was one step ahead of Alma and showed his figure before him.

「──I only intended that as a simple greeting though. But most of you are falling asleep instead. What a disrespectful lot.」

A Drag-Knight appeared into the central passage along with a mocking laugh.

It was the first time Alma saw that figure that was clad in a jet black Divine Drag-Ride but──Alma knew him.

The legendary Drag-Knight who was considered as the one destroying the infamous Old Empire from the shadow.

「Flying type, black Divine Drag-Ride……. Don’t tell me, the Black, Hero……!? Why, in this place──」

What were the tentacles coming out from the room before this?

Since when did he wear that armor?

Why was he in this place?

Several questions formed at the same time, however the reality before his eyes wasn’t erased.

「Pro, protect Captain Alma-!」

「How dare you do that to our comrades! Die!」

Several subordinates Drag-Knights who didn’t get dragged into the Howling Roar simultaneously assaulted the jet black Drag-Knight.

──But, the next instant.

「Guh, a……!?」

Everyone who attacked was slashed at their vitals along with their armor in less than even a second. They died instantly.

The simultaneous attacks from multiple directions were dealt with easily by swinging the great sword freely to every direction, intercepting the attacks through the shortest route with fastest speed.

That excessive strength and mercilessness put a halt in Alma’s mind.

「What is this? Are you the Black Hero?」

The man who was called like that by Alma showed the composure of someone who wasn’t touched by even a drop of his victims’ blood spurt and answered.

「I don’t know who you are but let me answer──that is just an illusion. Does the like of a petty thief who came to steal the Lord believes in such thing? My name is Fugil Arcadia. The Hero of Beginning who carries the mission to maintain the equilibrium of this world along with Sacred Eclipse.」

「What, did you say……!?」

He was laughed at scornfully by the Black Hero who he believed in and lost his words.

For Alma, the Black Hero was an absolute existence that he idolized.

He was abandoned when he was a child──, since he was a child he was living a harsh life. In order to survive that life, he was harboring aspirations towards the Drag-Knight who destroyed the hateful Old Empire in one night.

Alma was shocked that it was laughed down like this.

But, he barely recalled his position and responsibility, and exerted the spirit to resist.

「You are……protecting this place to prevent Aeril’s rescue!? Are you allying yourself with the New Kingdom’s Raffi, the monster queen who is possessed by Sacred Eclipse? Why!?」

「The reason I fight, is for the sake of the existence that should be saved.」

Fugil instantly answered Alma’s question without any hesitation.

「The system that maintains the world’s equilibrium and saves the weak──the Sacred Eclipse. I exist in order to lead and watch over the person chosen by that Sacred Eclipse. Destroying the Old Empire was nothing more than a process. I dealt with them simply because I judged them as unnecessary. I didn’t have the slightest intention of saving you all.」

The Black Hero wouldn’t become the ally of Alma and the others. The enemy informed them that he would exterminate them without the slightest mercy.

「Mons, ter……」

Behind Alma whose thought was completely stopped, his subordinates were shaking towards the disastrous scene.

Everyone here already noticed.

The battle force before their eyes was in a different dimension.

They who were here right now were really──unable to even put a scratch on this opponent.

Therefore, they threw away their mission and everything else, and turned their backs to the threat before their eyes.

Fugil who saw that spat out his words in exasperation.

「How boring. You lot aren’t amusing at all. But, now that you have reached this far──there is no way I can let any of you get away.」

「──Then then, we can begin now deyagarimasu, right?」

A girl with particular appearance smoothly showed her face from inside the room. Alma opened her eyes wide in surprise.

「You are, an Automata──!?」

「I’m Garden’s Gear Leader, Clan Lieze. There is no need to remember it though, all of you are going to die soon anyway deyagarimasu.」

The girl wearing a tight suit like a pilot suit on her body and mechanical parts that looked like goat horns growing on her head muttered.

*Snap*, when she snapped her fingers, a bizarre discordant sound resounded at the same time.

.

──IiiIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

.

「……Kuh!?」

It was the sound of the horn flute that called the Abyss.

Clan Lieze was calling the Abyss inside the Ruin to this place using her authority as Gear Leader. Noticing that the subordinates who numbered in the dozens went pale.

「Don’t tell me, she is summoning the Abyss here!?」

「All the Abyss we avoided until now are going to gather here!?」

「Let’s hurry and escape to the passage! We won’t make it in time like this!」

「Don’t go-!? That black Drag-Knight is blocking the path!」

It was pandemonium.

The fear towards the countdown towards unavoidable destruction was transmitted and Alma’s teeth made clattering sounds.

「What the hell……. This is」

Alma’s blonde haired head kept hanging down while he let out a small mutter.

「Aren’t you the Black Hero huh!? Aren’t you going to save us huh!? Why, why──」

「It’s simply because all of you aren’t chosen.」

Fugil thrust the reality towards Alma who yelled in despair.

「A hero is──the ally of the weak. When you are dropped into the bottom of the earth where there is no way to overturn it, you will be saved if you are lucky. It’s Sacred Eclipse who chooses the person. I’m only following its decision.」

「Such……thing. Even Iwatashi……, even Iore, had everything taken away from me! I was despised before finally I reach a position where I can take revenge, and yet! Why── Such thing……!」

.

Five years ago, Alma was abandoned by the people he believed in.

──No, he fell into a trap.

Due to the secret information leaked by the noble aunt who he idolized, his family’s hideout was attacked, their servants massacred, and he was captured as a slave.

Even then, he persisted with her pride as a noble, and yet he heard that the big sister who he respected turned traitor and switched to the enemy’s camp.

After that, he accidentally managed to escape from the severe violence and spent several hellish years wandering the slum.

Now after he was picked up by the Kilzrake family and obtained backing, it should be his time to get even with his family who forgot him and enjoyed happiness with no care in the world.

.

In response to Alma’s tedious talk, Fugil turned a chilled gaze towards him and said.

「If someone is saved, someone else will meet a bitter experience. That is the law of the world. People with roles that cause influence to the system will be given the right. Justified revenge you say? Don’t prattle when you are just a bandit possessed by greed planning to destroy the New Kingdom.」

「U, a……. AAAAAAAAAA──!?」

Alma whose self was completely denied screamed and rushed forward.

But, the instant she took the stance to unleash the sure kill Quick Draw, the flash of sword that Fugil’s Bahamut already unleashed severed the wrist of her right armored arm.

The Quick Draw that Fugil unleashed.

Even though it was unleashed after Alma, the speed easily surpassed his Quick Draw.

(My Quick Draw cannot be compared……! Is this──the real Black Hero’s……power)

He believed in the chivalrous thief.

The nameless Drag-Knight who put an end to the evil Old Empire.

That person took up the sword not because of greed, but for the sake of his own justice, an existence that was completely unaffected by things like politics or rewards.

He believed, that there was a hero like that.

But, now that this person said it, certainly that was true.

It was natural for weaker people who possessed position to be saved.

He himself was half-baked and didn’t get chosen.

「──Die.」

Fugil’s cold gaze pierced the dazed Alma.

「Captain Alma-!?」

In that moment when his subordinates all screamed── a voice could be heard.

「So you are going to discard him, Fugil? ──Then, I’ll save him!」

*GAGII……!*

Right after Bahamut’s great sword was fast approaching toward Alma’s neck, another great sword drove it away.

That Drag-Ride that saved him from the deadly predicament was also shining in jet black color.

「……So you came. The 『weakest』 imperial prince who cannot choose anything.」

Fugil who saw the one confronting him muttered with a derisive laugh.

「……There are two, Black Heroes──!?」

Alma was staring at that scene and muttered in a daze.

The mask of the newcomer Drag-Knight who covered Alma just now was broken, exposing the silver hair and grey eyes possessed by the bloodline of the Arcadia Empire.

The true identity of the young man who entered the squad by Magialca’s instruction was Lux Arcadia.

He too was also clad in the similar Divine Drag-Ride that was the symbol of the Black Hero──Bahamut.

「Wha, what is, going on, deyagarimasu!?」

The Automata Clan Lieze who saw that made *bakin* metallic sound and crumbled.

Before she herself could pull out her Sword Device and entered her fighting form, Lux was slightly faster to destroy her.

「Is that your answer, Lux? Rebelling towards the hero’s mission──」

「…………」

Lux was silent in response.

He was simply glaring silently at his eldest brother’s face.

Part 6

──A few hours ago.

In an underground room of a palatial mansion on the outskirts of the castle town.

Lux answered Magialca’s question inside the hideout of the Kilzrake mansion that Alma brought him into.

He knew the reality of the enemy that was too powerful.

He knew the great impact of losing something from fighting.

He didn’t know whether he was able to choose the right thing or not.

「You are overestimating me. Because, right now I’m──already」

He was hesitating, whether to fight or not.

He heard Lisha’s feelings towards Queen Raffi.

Above all else he sympathized with the harsh life that Queen Raffi went through.

He was harboring doubt whether taking away power from her and judging her sin was really the right thing to do.

「By the way──Singlen Shelbrit. That guy seems to be genuinely dead.」

Suddenly Magialca changed the topic.

He had predicted it, but as expected it seemed he was killed.

He was a man who wasn’t compatible with Lux and there was also times when they were hostile to each other but, he was undoubtedly a prodigious great man.

「It’s an ironic story but──that must be the proof that he was able to make Fugil to recognize him as an enemy. I, and the other Seven Dragon Paladins were unable to come up on the same stage in the end.」

For Fugil, Singlen wasn’t a piece on the board, he was a person who he had to kill no matter what at that time.

In short, at that time Singlen was pressing hard on Fugil until that far.

There was even loneliness that could be vaguely felt from the tone of Magialca who was saying that.

「Singlen embodied the ideal ruler that Fugil wished for. And then in fact he was recognized by him at that time. And yet, why did he challenge Fugil even if he had to risk his life──even you understand why right?」

「I──……」

「You wanted to fight as an imperial prince of the Old Empire. Isn’t that right? Hm?」

Her tone and expression were mean spirited.

Magialca poked at Lux’s cheek with a gesture that was really like her.

Her fingertip was shaking, showing that her body wouldn’t move properly.

He was an imperial prince of the infamous Arcadia Empire. However he had the pride as someone who inherited the blood of ruler.

He thought that it couldn’t go on like this, that he had a righteous duty, a mission.

That was why he chose to destroy his own country and carried it out.

「……As a result someone would become a sacrifice, someone will suffer loss. Because you thought there was a need for that, you decided to carry it out in a way where you did it to the best of your ability right? You ascertained with your own eyes and ears and decided to save people right? Then──as a man what need is there to feel shame, what need is there to hesitate.」

*Thump*

Lux’s heart throbbed hearing that.

「Stifling down your true wish, then persuading yourself that it can’t be helped and living without even fighting. That is also a possible path. But──you were unable to endure doing such thing. Just like Singlen, and the other Seven Dragon Paladins.」

「Captain, Magialca……」

「It’s unfortunate but, I cannot fight anymore as a Drag-Knight with this body. But, I can lend strength to you. Now, you better go in order to fulfill your own wish. Beat your own kingship into your big brother.」

「─────」

A few seconds later. Lux nodded and asked her for her cooperation once more. And then, Lux went outside the hideout.

Part 7

「──Alma. Rescue Aeril for me. She is inside the room you entered just now right?」

「Eh……?」

The young man’s mask was broken and his bare face was exposed. Lux Arcadia gave his instruction.

The appearance of one more user of the jet black Divine Drag-Ride──Bahamut caused Alma to be unable to hide his bewilderment.

(Why, is there, one more Black Hero──)

「Alma」

「Ye, yes-!」

Alma reflexively replied when he was addressed once more.

Their other objective was Aeril’s rescue.

But, right now Fugil was blocking the central passage that was connecting to that room.

The room couldn’t be approached carelessly.

「I’ll take care of Fugil and the swarm of the Abyss the Automata called. You lead your subordinates and rescue Aeril, and then follow her instructions. Extract the Grand Force.」

「Eh……!? Aa……. Bu, but」

Alma comprehended the intentions of Lux’s instruction while feeling bewildered.

As expected that was impossible.

Whether it was about facing that Fugil, the Drag-Knight with strength that was in a different dimension, and he would be facing him alone at that.

And also about doing something somehow about the swarm of the Abyss that were coming here in the dozens.

「It’s, alright……. Leave it, to, him」

「……-!?」

At that time, the hoarse voice of a girl flowed in from the room that was facing the central passage.

Alma didn’t notice that it was Aeril’s voice, but it pushed his back and he resolved himself.

Either way, at this rate it wasn’t a situation where they could easily escape.

In that case there was no other way but to place their bets on the young man called Lux.

(Against the man, who might be the Black Hero I admired──)

「──Do you think I’ll let that, foolish little brother?」

The next moment, Fugil’s Bahamut glided to attack Alma’s EX Wyvern.

But, Lux also accelerated his Divine Drag-Ride in concert and took the stance of interception.

.

『──Reload on Fire』

.

The voice of the two overlapped and the two Bahamuts activated their Divine Raiments simultaneously.

Crimson light surged from the black armor and applied compression strengthening.

「You are intending to win? Against this me who raised you to be the nucleus of the revolution──」

「I’ll win. If it’s the current me, against the current you──」

「Self-conceit will bring ruin to yourself. Just like your father the Emperor.」

When Bahamut’s Divine Raiment, the compression strengthening was used on one’s own time, the first five second period would be decelerated to become several times slower, while the five seconds period after that would be accelerated until several times faster.

The next moment after the first five seconds passed, the two who were accelerated by several times began their attack.

「──HAAAaAH!」

*GO-!*, the two opposing mechanical dragons penetrated the wall of atmosphere and clashed.

Under the equal situation where both sides accelerated until several times over, dozens of slashes crossed in mere five seconds.

「……It’s pointless. I know all of your habits. There is no way for you to win against me.」

「──That is when talking about me five years ago right?」

Lux’s expression didn’t move at the slightest towards Fugil’s provocation while he replied.

The moment their Divine Raiments ran out, Lux landed a slash at the fastest speed on Fugil’s armored shoulder.

「-……!?」

The Force Core was impacted strongly and the Drag-Ride’s movement halted.

Lux pushed him into the treasure warehouse room that had its door opened. The object inside crumbled and buried him alive.

「……-!? All hands, recover boxes from nearby rooms as many as you can just as planned. Give first aid to the wounded that are still alive and then head deeper inside!」

Alma who saw that raised his voice and gave his instructions.

He himself also flew into a nearby room. Inside a naked girl was laid down with countless cords connected to her.

「Thank, you. I don’t, know who you are, but……」

「Magialca Zen Vanfrick’s subordinate, Kilzrake family’s Alma! I came to rescue you!」

Alma quickly introduced himself like that and took off the cords.

Aeril was held up in Alma’s arms and her expression loosened slightly.

「Lux-kun. So he came for me……. Just as I thought.」

「Wha, what the hell is that guy!? Just what is he!? Why does he have the same Divine Drag-Ride like the Black Hero──」

「He is……the person, who I love, a really strong boy. Now, while we can……. We have to, take out the Grand Force from the Garden……」

Aeril’s consciousness was still cloudy and she was breathing roughly. Even so she desperately reached out her hand.

When they came out of the door, Lux who was taking position in the central passage pointed his Drag-Ride’s fingertip to deeper inside.

「──Go. I won’t let the Abyss touch you all.」

「-……Got it! Let’s go you guys! We’re gonna complete our second objective!」

Alma somehow rallied up his broken spirit and flew while leading his subordinates.

Fortunately his squad was still functioning.

But, that wasn’t Alma’s achievement.

It was the instruction of this newcomer young man in front of him.

(Who is, this man──? This guy’s calm judgment and bottomless strength……!)

While feeling shocked, Alma pulled out his spare Sword Device and summoned a Drake.

He equipped it and then carried Aeril before flying deeper into the passage.

Midway Aeril grabbed Alma’s upper arm tightly while her eyes were still looking blank.

「Wait……. Just one thing, before taking the Grand Force, there is something……. that I have, to take……. Something to steal, from the treasure warehouse.」

「My bad but, we got no time for that. A lot of the Abyss are going to rush here soon……!」

Alma had rallied his squad, but there was no time.

If the summoned Abysses gathered in this passage, his squad would be routed all at once.

Even if they tried to avoid the Abyss, their horn flute just got destroyed a moment ago.

But, Lux informed without a single change in expression.

「──No, let’s follow what Aeril says. Either way at present, the battle strength of the Kilzrake force is insufficient. Of course the recovery of the Grand Force is the priority but, we cannot let go of this chance.」

「……-!? Are you sane!? My Drake’s radar showed that more than a hundred of the Abyss are rushing this way y’know?」

Alma raised his voice, but Lux wasn’t moved at all.

「There is no problem. Either way there is only one entrance to this place. If we hole up there, we won’t need to face a lot of the Abyss all at once. I want you to make the vanguard hold them back using close range weapons and block the entrance. If you buy me time, I’ll defeat the rest outside this central passage.」

「Wha……」

Under his mask Alma made an expression that was midway between laughing and amazed.

Something like defeating that many of the Abyss alone as long as they bought him time couldn’t even be considered a joke.

And yet, Alma was speechless seeing the young man in front of him declaring that without hesitation.

「If you are wearing a Drake, it will be easy to give instructions for that. Just be careful of Fugil’s movements. Leave the rest to me.」

Lux only said that before heading outside the central passage while still wearing Bahamut.

The remaining subordinate Drag-Knights were a total of twenty people. They hurriedly looked at Alma for instructions.

「Wha, what are we going to do Alma-sama!? The swarm of the Abyss will arrive here soon! I, I think we should retreat while we can now though──!?」

「A, aa……」

His Drake’s radar certainly displayed a great amount of the Abyss.

Thinking carefully, there wasn’t even any need for consideration.

Even though this squad was the elite force of the Kilzrake family, their battle strength was far away from matching a hundred Abyss.

Alma immediately calculated so, but for some reason he was unable to nod at his subordinate’s appeal.

(……What am I thinking? What is impossible is impossible. Even if this man is on the same level as the Black Hero for example, such thing is──)

Alma hesitated for a few seconds.

However, the situation changed completely in that little time.

「Captain Alma! The, they’re coming!? The Abyss’s travel speed far surpassed our imagination.」

「Chih──!」

Belatedly Alma noticed that since the beginning there was no such thing like an escape route.

The Gear Leader of Garden, Clan Lieze had prepared beforehand against the assault of Alma and the others. In other words she must have also secured the route for the Abyss to gather into this treasure warehouse.

They were already unable to retreat from this treasure warehouse floor with so many Abysses crowding the entrance.

Now that it came to this Alma judged that he could only make a gamble. He raised his voice.

「We are continuing the mission! Leave the central passage to the newcomer alone, we are searching the inside! Leave the wounded at the center of the formation and protect them! Two people who still have strength to spare, stay with mewatashi to assist, the rest protect the rear! Hurry!」

He resolved himself.

Or rather, Alma accepted his fate from the lack of options and took command.

There was no way a single Drag-Knight could hold against so many of th Abyss no matter what kind of unknown Divine Drag-Ride they had.

Surely the many Abyss will broke through the newcomer young man and into the entrance in the blink of an eye and they will bite off at the squad’s rear.

(What the hell! It’s too……just too rash! Rebelling against someone who obtained Avalon is actually this terrifying……)

Inside his heart Alma was shaken by terror that made him want to cry.

He thought he had become strong.

He obtained a Drag-Ride, learned the hero’s technique, so he would accomplish his revenge on the family that abandoned him.

But, that was just an illusion.

Realizing the menace of the mastermind who was manipulating this world, of the enemy’s mightiness, he painfully realized his own powerlessness.

He wanted to run, to hide, he wanted to prostate and begged for his life.

It didn’t matter even if he couldn’t take revenge anymore.

It would be great if he could just live.

「……It’s, scary, right? I un……derstand, that feeling.」

「-……!?」

The naked girl he was carrying weakly smiled and spoke with a small voice that was like a fly’s buzzing.

「I was, like that too……. I was scared all the time, that’s, not shameful. People are, everyone──. Are weak so, it’s scary……」

Being pitied by this girl who received brainwashing that was like torture, her last remaining fragment of dignity encouraged Alma who was almost breaking.

「Damn, it……! Whe, where should we go huh, Lord!? You said it right!? There is something you need to get! Don’t fall asleep on me yet!」

「Yes. You are, strong……. First, that way……. When coming here before, there was something, bothering me……」

Aeril gave instruction to Alma with her hazy consciousness.

They entered five rooms one after another, where Aeril used her Lord’s authority to open up boxes or securing the boxes themselves. When they finished taking the content of the fifth room, Alma couldn’t hold himself back and raised his voice.

「Oi Lord! It’s enough already right!? If we don’t at least obtain the Grand Force, I won’t have any face to look at the boss──」

「Captain Alma, it’s trouble! My radar caught a reaction of the Abyss!」

「-…..! They came huh!?」

Surely a huge swarm of the Abyss was flooding into the entrance of the central passage of the treasure warehouse level.

They didn’t make it in time.

It already wasn’t the time to recover the Grand Force.

If they didn’t retreat──escape from here as soon as possible they would be annihilated.

(But, even if we manage to break out of this passage, will we make it? There is still ten more minute until the next scheduled transfer to the outside of Garden’s walls──)

There wasn’t any other way than to take as many detours as possible to lure the enemy and buy time. But the prospect that the current Alma and everyone here would be able to do that was thin.

「N, no…… That’s, they are decreasing! It’s unbelievable. Just, what on earth……!」

「What!? Speak clearly!? There ain’t any time!?」

Alma was impatient by his subordinate’s flustered voice and questioned her.

But, Aeril who he carried in his arms opened her mouth in the place of the squad member.

「Perhaps you will understand, if you look at her radar……」

「──!?」

Alma who was scared of the approaching threat saw the radar of his subordinate’s Drake and turned speechless.

The number was decreasing.

The signal that displayed the Abyss’ reactions should be covering up the screen to the brim, but the dots that represented the Abyss were decreasing in number with raging speed.

「What, the. What the hell is going on──!?」

「Let’s get out of this room and return to the passage. You will get it then. Surely……」

「…………」

Urged by Aeril’s voice, Alma returned to the central passage.

There a sight that made him doubt his eyes entered his view.

The swarm of flying type Abyss that flew inside one after another from the entrance of the central passage.

The instant they entered the attack range of Lux’s Bahamut, they were instantly carved apart into pieces of meat.

In defiance of the overwhelming amount of enemies, their number was decreasing in accelerating speed instead.

「Wha, what……. This is──!?」

「Quick Shot……, the Black Hero’s personal battle technique that he specialized in.」

「Eh……?」

The compression strengthening of time by Bahamut.

He applied that on himself to lure the enemy and then overwhelmed them with slashes that were sped up by several times over.

When the enemy fiercely approached to take advantage of the opening when reusing the technique, he would dodge using masterful defense and foresight before meeting them once more with super fast consecutive slashes.

That was all there was to it, but Alma understood the extreme difficulty of carrying it out.

No, more importantly, he was dumbfounded hearing the words that Aeril muttered just now.

「What you saw……isn’t a mistaken. He……Lux-kun took up the sword for the sake of the people that were hurt and stood up, he is the real──」

Real──

Thinking back now, perhaps the legend of the Black Hero itself might be the vestiges of world revision’s construction that Fugil executed.

Facing a thousand and two hundred Drag-Knights of the Old Empire and destroying them in one night.

Such 『lie』 that was like a large-scale folklore, it became valid by making people supplement the inconsistencies that was born from Endless’ world revision by themselves.

But, Lux’s determination, his battle at that time wasn’t an illusion.

Now he displayed that strength once more as though to prove that.

When the number of the Abyss was reduced until less than half, Lux charged into the center of the enemy’s swarm.

「USHAAAAAH──!」

The demonic swarm attacked from every direction and angle. He intercepted them with the shortest movement and fastest speed.

He moved in the air as though dancing. Each time a sword flash gleamed, an enemy would vanish.

「Amazing……」

It was just a several minutes, but Alma watched in fascination forgetting the time.

A superhuman feat that was originally beyond humans was repeated before his eyes.

「Such, thing……. Is really──」

Alma whose family of famous nobles was attacked and barely escaped alive from the horse cart of the slave trader who picked him up, later he heard about that legend.

The illusive Drag-Knight who with just a single Drag-Ride, destroyed the Old Empire in a single night.

The legendary Drag-Knight who saved Alma’s heart.

「That is──the Black Hero.」

This was his first time directly seeing him, but regardless of that he was able to believe that his imagination was the truth.

「Alma.」

「Ye, yes-!?」

Alma returned to his senses when Lux who returned to the central passage called out to him.

When he noticed the gathered Abyss were wholly annihilated. They became countless meat lumps that crumbled down into ashes.

「Is the squad safe? Then I want you to take Aeril and recover the Grand Force. When you are finished with that we will withdraw. If I’m not mistaken the Garden’s transfer device should activate soon.」

「Eh, ah……. Roger!」

He quickly looked at his watch and noticed that certainly the transfer to the outside would start in seven more minutes.

Alma was shocked that even though the young man in front of him was going through such a fierce battle, not only was his breathing not thrown out of order at all, he even calculated the remaining time.

But, this wasn’t the time for admiration.

The current Alma was an inexperienced person of fourteen years old, but he was the captain of a squad.

『Everybody, we are pulling back! Don’t forget the wounded! Go ahead!』

He sent that instruction with Dragon Voice.

Almost all of the many Abyss that were called here were exterminated by Lux.

They had recovered as many treasures as they could take. Now only the recovery of the Grand Force was left.

Because it would be impossible to recover it without Aeril who descended from the Lord’s bloodline, it was necessary to bring her, but surely there wouldn’t be any problem.

More importantly, there was something that Alma himself wanted to ask.

「A, are you the Black Hero? Did you really, destroy that Old Empire──」

「……No, it’s still half.」

When Alma who was still wearing Drake walked towards Lux and questioned him, Lux quietly answered so.

「Half?」

「Be careful, it’s still not over.」

「……!?」

Instantly, Lux’s Bahamut jumped to in front of Alma and turned around, unleashing a slash at the same time.

──*GIINN!*

Quick Draw.

The secret technique that Alma learned with desperate resolution was unleashed by Lux with precise motion that far surpassed his.

「……Wha-!?」

Looking there, Fugil who should be buried under rubble before this was closing in and created a situation where both Chaos Brands locked with each other.

In order to defend against Lux’s interception, Fugil intentionally accelerated from long distance and flew in, striking with an attack that had the Drag-Ride’s mass placed behind it.

And then in order to deal with that absurd destructive power, Lux crushed the attack’s starting point with a flash of Quick Draw.

The crossing Blades were pushed at each other strongly and made grinding sounds.

Lux’s expression didn’t change at all even in such a risky situation and he spoke.

「Alma. I’ll keep you safe so please recover the Grand Force. This man’s target is Aeril.」

「……Interesting. There are things that can only be seen through a long life. To think that someone who can fight against me even if only to some extent will appear──」

Fugil’s lips distorted into a grin while he kept pressing down with his great sword. His joy was boiling up.

「Then I will fight with a worthy strength──Over Limit – On!」

Fugil leaped backward, at the same time he put his hand on his Sword Device and pulled it out while focusing in his mind.

Right after that, light particles converged around him and formed a cluster of new machines.

「──!? I won’t let you!」

Seeing that Lux reflexively yelled and charged in order to stop Fugil from summoning additional armor to transform into Over Limit.

But, the next moment the light converging at the surrounding increased further in intensity and Lux’s──no, everyone’s sight was blinded.

「Don’t tell me, this is──!?」

The Reload on Fire that Fugil’s Bahamut activated performed compression strengthening on the surrounding light and magnified the radiance until more than ten times.

Fugil intentionally summoned additional armor in front of Lux and exposed an opening to invite Lux’s attack.

And then Reload on Fire that was activated beforehand strengthened the light and blinded the enemy’s eyes.

「So that got you, you fool.」

Right after that, the slash of Chaos Brand that Fugil dealt aimed at Lux’s armored shoulder.

The instant the dazzling light that painted their whole sight vanished, Alma and Aeril saw a shocking sight.

The slash that Fugil unleashed cut apart the barrier of Lux’s Bahamut and hit slightly away from the vital Force Core.

But, at the same time the great sword of Lux who was keeping his eyes closed also pierced into Fugil’s armor in a counterattack.

Was it instinct, or foresight?

Or perhaps just a coincidence?

In any case it was a situation where they almost struck each other down. Both Drag-Rides were blown backward.

「Guh……!?」

「A desperate attack huh……? Either way, it’s the end already.」

While Lux was recovering his posture, Fugil finished the Over Limit’s transformation.

When he finished preparing, he flew towards Lux with explosive speed.

Over Limit was the strongest mode that activated the possible use of mobility──power output that surpassed the limit and put too much burden on the human body.

However, for Fugil who surpassed the reaction speed of humans, he was able to ignore the damage from the backlash.

Lux also desperately fought back, but every single one of his reactions fell behind by a breath.

Lux’s defense crumbled just by that and his armor was smashed and torn.

On the other hand Lux had no free time to use Over Limit himself.

If he didn’t stop Fugil’s movement for a while at the very least, the chance for that wouldn’t come.

With him unable to predict the enemy’s movement, there was also no way he could execute Quick Shot.

The only way remaining was to aim in performing Violent Strike, which was performing strengthening compression on the enemy’s time, stopping his movement and attacked during that time, but──

「What’s wrong? Where has your momentum from before vanished to?」

「Ku, a……!」

The moment Lux turned into defense, Fugil pressed his attack even further.

He was paying meticulous attention while launching varied attacks from every direction.

A Ragnarok boasted overwhelming firepower and endurance, but in return they had a low tactical mind. In contrast this enemy fully used his intellect and also ability to corner Lux.

Alma who was watching from some distance away averted his eyes from that unfavorable situation and unconsciously raised his voice.

「Shit! Just what the hell should we do!? There ain’t any way this kind of enemy can be beaten! If we don’t escape right away──」

「……Let’s, recover the Grand Force quickly, in the deepest, room……. With my authority, it can be opened, so……」

Alma followed Aeril’s instruction and headed towards the deepest room.

Fugil who reacted to that took off his eyes from Lux for an instant. Lux activated Bahamut’s Divine Raiment at that time.

「──Reload on Fire.」

Dazzling light surged and the surrounding range other than himself was put under the effect of powerful compression strengthening of time.

Lux immediately moved Bahamut and slashed, but Fugil flew backward by an instant faster and escaped from Reload on Fire’ range.

「……Wha-!?」

The activation of the Divine Raiment would put a certain range of territory under its influence in less than a second.

And yet, Fugil leaped backwards and escaped with super reaction speed. Lux was doubting his eyes seeing that.

If it was said that it was a feat that was possible due to the opponent’s Bahamut being in Over Limit mode then certainly that was true, but that wasn’t all.

Lux instantly comprehended that it was a reaction that came because the opponent had seen through the preliminary movement of Lux’s attack.

Instantly, the horizontal mowing slash that Fugil launched struck his torso and sent him flying.

「U, guah……!」

An impact that felt like it was screwing through his body ran inside. Sparks flickered in his brain.

The thick armor of the Divine Drag-Ride was broken and Lux vomited blood.

He crashed on the treasure warehouse floor’s metallic wall and his back wings broke down.

He barely avoided having his armor dispelled, but his movement was sealed due to the damage to his flesh body.

「So you are only at this level my wise younger brother. As I thought you──don’t have the caliber of a king.」

A grin formed on Fugil’s lips.

The direction of the battle was already clear, even so, Lux moved his trembling body and stood up.

Part 8

「Why……. Why is he fighting until that far……!?」

A ferocious battle was going on further behind.

Alma listened to that sound inside the deepest room.

Lux was forced into a one-sided defensive battle against Fugil’s continuous attacks with the Over Limit’s overwhelming difference in spec.

Lux was desperately swinging his great sword, but even that only weapon of his was broken in the middle.

「Just why!? ……I’m scared. I’ve never heard about this kind of opponent.」

「……You, what are you……coming here, for?」

Aeril somehow stood up. She reached out her hand to the object inside the control room while still naked.

She cancelled the system with mind control operation using the Lord’s authority. Then she started the preparation to take out the installed Grand Force.

Her tone wasn’t criticizing at all.

Aeril who possessed an androgynous beauty smiled kindly.

「The lot who abandoned me, those guy who made me go through this kind of life, I wanted to get even with them but, I don’t care about that anymore……. Isn’t it fine, even if I run away……! That I don’t wanna fight──」

「……But, you……don’t want to run away, so you fought……isn’t that, right?」

Listening to Aeril’s words, Alma was taken aback and held his breath.

Until he met with that mysterious girl…… he continued to run away all the time.

Each time he was pursued and captured, before finally he was picked up by the Kilzrake family and obtained a place of repose.

For the sake of his benefactor, the boss─Magialca.

And then, for the sake of taking back his stolen pride, he volunteered himself for this battle.

「We……Lux-kun, had many things taken away from him until now. And then, he also couldn’t overlook someone who had their precious thing taken away from them. That’s why, surely……」

Part 9

「……Haa, haa!」

Lux was gasping for breath with his shoulders heaving up and down.

In this situation where he couldn’t use Over Limit, he had already attempted every kind of tactic.

「Foolish man. Why are you resisting to that extent? Your weapon is broken, and you also have no strength left. You should have obtained peace with the destruction of the Old Empire, and yet why are you intentionally challenging me?」

Fugil suddenly showed an exasperated smile and shrugged his shoulders.

Reaction speed, situational judgment, movement prediction, strength, speed, and technique.

Because Fugil was a cut above Lux in everything, the difference was gradually widening.

Even in regards to the toughness of their flesh bodies, Fugil was overwhelmingly superior in the first place.

Even if Lux managed to use Over Limit, he would be unable to surpass the enemy’s Bahamut.

But, Lux’s determination didn’t break.

He was desperately hanging on while taking a fighting stance with the snapped Chaos Brand held right in front of him.

「……I, have to know.」

What he had been chasing and looking for all this time since that day of the Revolution.

No, he was holding this question since far before that.

「Fugil. The mission of a hero that you mentioned, the secret hidden within Sacred Eclipse……」

「The Sacred Eclipse’s secret? There is no need for you to know. The likes of you who has been defeated here, cannot do anything like searching for Avalon!」

What was resurrected, was the dialogue from that day of the Revolution.

The words and memories that were exchanged when fighting with the blazing castle as the background.

Right now, in this place, Lux was going to ask about the discussion of that day when he lost.

「Your objective should have been accomplished. Why are you risking your life to challenge me?」

「I have to know no matter what! The truth that I have averted my eyes from until now, I have to know everything, and think over it myself!」

*GO-!*, Fugil’s Bahamut glided and instantly approached Lux.

Lux closed the distance with a low stance in response and slipped into the opponent’ chest.

「-……!?」

Seeing that Fugil’s expression showed a slight wariness but, he was too slow.

「HAAAAAAAAH!」

When Fugil immediately tried to take distance, he suppressed the output of his flight.

Not letting go of that opening, without fear Lux stepped even closer into the range.

In the offense and defense in super close quarters, Lux cut apart the barrier of Fugil’s Bahamut and his blade struck towards his shoulder armor.

「──What?」

The special armament great sword that was snapped in half, and the brand new Chaos Brand that had no scratch at all.

Thinking normally there was the difference in reach between the two, and it wasn’t even worth any argument if it was asked which sword had the advantage.

But, in super close quarters combat──if one side slipped into the opponent’s chest then the story would be different.

Even if both sides didn’t have the space to swing their swords in their state that was sticking to each other, short swords would work advantageously.

Lux surpassed Fugil in that one point.

「What are you planning……? Do you believe that you can win against me just by obtaining a little advantage by controlling the distance?」

‘Fuh’, Fugil who was clad in Bahamut scoffed.

In contrast, no smile or anything slipped out from Lux, he heightened his concentration even more and stepped in.

Right after that, the shockwave of Howling Howl was unleashed from the head part of the Bahamut worn by Fugil.

「────」

But a moment before that happened, Lux flew forward and tackled. By making the enemy’s head part lift up, he evaded the fired out energy torrent.

When Fugil’s balance crumbled by the collision, the broken Chaos Brand struck.

With the blade landing and the enemy’s concentration lacking while receiving damage, the Divine Raiment couldn’t be activated.

Lux used that point skillfully and launched a consecutive attack that didn’t give the enemy time to breath.

「──End Action!」

「……-!?」

Instantly, Lux’s eyes were tinged with red light, and infinite slashes attacked Fugil.

Part 10

「What the hell is that, that person──」

Fugil who should be getting ahead step by step until now was brought down into an equal offense and defense before anyone noticed, and finally Lux surpassed him.

Originally after a single action, there would be an opening created in the Drag-Ride’s operation without fail. But now the Drag-Ride was operating without any pause endlessly.

Alma was dumbfounded seeing that strange sight from the room’s entrance.

「How can, against that monstrous opponent, that kind of……」

On the other side, Aeril smiled and muttered even while concentrating on the operation of taking out the Grand Force.

「That is, because he is the Black Hero. Because he is the existence that you believed in, the real hero. Also──surely that movement is because he finally overcame the effects of Baptism.」

「Overcoming, the Baptism……?」

Aeril nodded at Alma’s question.

Why did Lux become far stronger than before?

Before that, why was it in these few weeks his body was weak and feverish──

That was the effects of the Baptism that he received more than two weeks ago.

Humans were equipped with the function that when their body was tormented, in response to that the body would evolve by means of regeneration.

Broken bones and injured muscles would grow thicker and stronger at the same time with the recovery.

It was strengthened even more by Baptism through administering Elixir, heightening the body function and the five senses.

During the several days of the parade, the reason for Lux not being accustomed to Drag-Ride control and his body being in a bad shape was because his senses couldn’t catch up to the drastic changes to his body, making him unable to handle his own body.

If the physical ability was strengthened, effective control of Drag-Rides could be realized just as much.

Smoother and more powerful piloting than before.

The attacks became an infinite combo that pierced through Fugil and Bahamut.

「The armor, is breaking……. That Divine Drag-Ride that looked like a demon, is getting destroyed──」

The infinite slashes of End Action were gradually surpassing Fugil’s endurance.

Lux unleashed his attack from every direction so that the enemy wouldn’t narrow in to him while gradually accumulating slashes inexhaustibly to one spot, focusing the attack.

The might jumped up drastically due to the focused consecutive attacks to one point, arriving to the utmost limit.

The legendary secret technique of the Old Empire Alma had been hearing about.

This time Lux was improving and evolving it.

「Why? My Bahamut’s output is……weakening!?」

「──Fugil. What you know right now is the me and my technique, from five years ago!」

Finally the reinforced barrier and Fugil’s defensive stance were broken.

The point where the impact of the slashes was accumulated into was the shoulder where the Force Core was located. Noticing that, Fugil’s hand moved towards the handle of his Sword Device.

「That guy, what is he planning!?」

Alma who noticed that immediately yelled.

Fugil tightly grabbed the Drag-Ride’s other control stick that was his Sword Device in order to forcefully move his own Bahamut that was already unable to receive the orders from body control operation.

「──Fu. You are different from the past you say? Don’t spout nonsense you aristocrat who can’t even kill those who should be killed!」

The next instant, the armor of Bahamut that Fugil was wearing was wrapped by fierce crimson light.

「……!?」

By means of mind control operation using the Sword Device, the remaining energy that was gathered until now was liberated, activating the Divine Raiment forcefully.

By performing compression strengthening to the time at his own surroundings, the time of a wide range area including Lux was decelerated as though time had stopped.

Due to the compression strengthening of time that Fugil unleashed, the five seconds of the first half was greatly decelerated.

In other words, it created a gap in the consecutive attacks of End Action that didn’t have even a moment of pause, allowing Fugil to escape backwards and rally himself.

At that point, there were three seconds remaining until the time deceleration of Fugil’s Reload on Fire ended.

*Creak-, crack crack crack-!*

The armor and frame of Fugil’s Bahamut were broken by the accumulating damage and it was squashed along with such sound.

Even so he barely distributed the energy of interception to the back wings and switched to flying towards Lux. It took two seconds for all that.

With the remaining one second he gathered his maximum strength and unleashed the sure kill attack towards Lux who was decelerated into a state of freezing.

Alma and Aeril who were similarly inside the range of the compression strengthening witnessed that moment from the distance of a few dozen ml away.

「In the end there is nothing that you can do. You can just throw away your caliber as a king and live in a peaceful world where the Old Empire is destroyed, farewell!」

Fugil laughed and swung down Chaos Brand that had its blade enveloped in energy.

「No……, it’s hopeless-!?」

The instant Alma yelled in despair inside his heart. The movement of the Bahamut worn by Fugil stopped still.

It wasn’t Fugil intending to hold back or letting Lux get away, as could be seen from his shocked expression.

「No. There is something that I can do. At the very least, compared to the me at that time──」

These five years since that day of the Revolution.

All that time he had been chasing after the movements of Fugil who was wearing Bahamut.

He was polishing himself in order to chase after him, as the benchmark of the ideal that he was aiming at.

「Ho, w……. The Drag-Ride’s, movement──!?」

「Focusing energy into a single point is indispensable to use a Divine Raiment. ──The damages accumulated from End Action attacked your Bahamut all at once the moment you loosened the energy to the barrier and turned it for attack.」

Lux told that to Fugil while time was stretched longer by the compression strengthening.

The infinite consecutive attacks penetrated the three defenses of the weapon, barrier, and armor, converged into one point and punched into the vitals.

A certain amount of damage was accumulated into the Force Core and caused system down.

Once the consecutive attacks began, the fate that was waiting at the end was guidance to an inescapable demise.

Reinforcement of the body that realized flexible control of Drag-Rides.

Through that, attacks were piled up with even more precision, accumulating damage that put the final nail into the coffin by making it impossible to counterattack. That was the true worth of the superhuman feat.

「End Action. This is the new completed version of one of my hidden techniques.」

「……-!?」

Right after Lux declared that, the five seconds period of the second half of Fugil’s Reload on Fire started, and Lux’s time was accelerated by more than ten times.

「──Reload on Fire.」

After making use of the opponent’s Reload on Fire and entered a state of maximum acceleration, Lux also activated the Divine Raiment of his own Bahamut.

The target of the compression strengthening was the speed of time flowing within the radius of several ml other than himself.

Lux’s time was accelerated due to the latter five seconds of Fugil’s Reload on Fire, while Fugil was conversely decelerated due to receiving the first five seconds period of Lux’s Reload on Fire.

Lux came out on top using the tactic that made use of the fact that both sides were using Bahamut. He created a five seconds period where there was an overwhelming difference in speed between both sides which was impossible to achieve alone.

「Lux……, you──!」

Right after that, consecutive attacks of overwhelming destructive power struck Fugil who couldn’t make any movement.

The jet black great dragon boasted matchless endurance.

That armor was smashed fragilely like candy. Fresh blood spurted out.

Fugil whose armor was dispelled fell on the metallic floor. His knees slumped down weakly.

「Ku, kuku……, looks like, you’ve, grown a bit. Wise, younger brother.」

Fugil vomited out a lump of blood, at the same time a shining heart with strange shape came into sight from his chest.

Alma noticed that it was the core of an Abyss and he held his breath.

「──What the hell is this guy, he isn’t a human!?」

「It’s Sacred Eclipse. This is a fake Fugil created by projecting the servant’s will. Though as expected the Divine Drag-Ride itself is the real thing. Most likely it was granted with the Bahamut that was created by Ouroboros’s special armament Infinity. It’s to be used when someone who considered Fugil as a formidable enemy appeared here──」

Lux also noticed that this Fugil was a fake.

He was able to anticipate that from how at first the tentacles of an Abyss appeared from the room where Aeril was confined.

But, even without that he was vaguely noticing this fact through a sixth sense that was hard to be expressed in words.

What Lux was fighting just now was the formidable enemy existing inside Lux’s memories, the duplicate of Fugil who he fought on that day of the Revolution five years ago.

It was Fugil’s strength when he faced Lux without the support of Ouroboros──furthermore he wasn’t fighting at his full strength.

Because the core of the Ragnarok was already destroyed, the body couldn’t transform anymore and crumbled. The figure was gradually changing into ashes.

「That means, you defeated the Sacred Eclipse!? The thing that is possessing that queen of the New Kingdom──」

「No, perhaps that’s not it.」

Lux turned around and replied to Alma’s muttering.

「I think this Sacred Eclipse is nothing more than a clone created by the main body. It’s placed here so it must have considerable power shared with it, but its strength should be only around a fragment of the original.」

「I also, agree……, it also didn’t use the abilities of the other seven Ragnarok, isn’t it……」

Aeril also agreed with a sigh that sounded slightly disappointed.

He heard that the greatest and strongest Sacred Eclipse that had become complete possessed strength that was beyond them.

Exactly because of that, Magialca instructed to take the Grand Force from the Ruin.

If they made the ability of Avalon to become incomplete, Ouroboros would inevitably become incomplete too.

From the aspect of battle strength it would only get weakened by several tens of percent, but now it should become unable to use world revision at full power.

「You intentionally, tried to, fight the me at that time, huh……. But, what meaning is there, in winning against the me, from five years ago……?」

「-……!?」

Alma heard the words of the crumbling clone of Sacred Eclipse and shuddered.

This was the Sacred Eclipse that projected Fugil of five years ago that Lux’s memory recognized as the strongest.

Even like this its strength was far away from the real Fugil’s full strength.

But, Lux wasn’t even agitated by such words and asserted.

「I obtained something from this. If you are a clone of Sacred Eclipse, you can drag out the memory that I’ve already forgotten and make me remember the conversation five years ago. I can gather clues to defeat you, learn the way you fight, and form countermeasures. After all the you at that time intended to make me forget everything using the revision.」

「…………」

Those words that Lux told casually made everyone there including Fugil speechless.

A part of his memory with Fugil that he was made to forget completely.

By making Sacred Eclipse project the memory of five years ago that was hidden in the depths of Lux’s mind, Lux himself drew out the memory and even confirmed it. That fact left everyone there dumbfounded.

He made others thought that he fell into the opponent’s scheme, but instead he used even the nature that Sacred Eclipse possessed and fought it.

Everything was in order to surpass the strength of Fugil that he fought five years ago, questioned his true intention, and connected the parts.

「I fight in order to know everything──to find the right path with the full knowledge of everything. I won’t let the New Kingdom be destroyed. I will expose Sacred Eclipse’s mystery and stop it. I’ll save Lisha-sama and Queen Raffi too without destroying the New Kingdom!」

「For that, you will pretend to be evil? Even if you will become the New Kingdom’s enemy, and lose everything, you’ve build until now──」

「Yeah……. That is my mission as an imperial family member that I believe in. The path I’m aiming for, that differs with your path of ruling.」

Lux gave his answer to the clone of Sacred Eclipse that was tracing the past Fugil.

「Very well……. I’ll be, waiting……. Wise younger brother……」

After muttering its last, the Sacred Eclipse crumbled completely into ash and vanished.

With this, the first barrier was broken through.

Ouroboros couldn’t perform world revision anymore. It also became impossible to easily kill the consuls of the Old Empire faction and the important people of other countries.

But, of course if it became known that the Sacred Eclipse protecting this place was killed and Aeril was rescued, Raffi and Fugil would hurriedly act.

For now they had to hide Aeril in a safe place and clean out the poison used for brain washing from her.

She wouldn’t be able to use a Drag-Knight for a while, but either way she would become a helpful addition.

「For now……it’s over. Lux-kun. Switch to Wyvern and let’s get out of here. If we got found out by the people in the checking station, we will become wanted men, so be careful.」

They had already taken the Grand Force and as many weapons and Drag-Rides they could carry from the treasure warehouse.

With this their fragile battle strength that could be blown away with a breath would become somewhat better.

「……Right, let’s go Aeril. Alma too, sorry to make you go along with this.」

When Lux muttered that with a somewhat sad expression, Alma shook his head in panic.

「No, no such thing! To think, that you are the Black Hero── please forgive all my rudeness before this!」

「……Did something happen?」

「No well, that’s, a little bit.」

Lux hesitated to answer Aeril who tilted her head at Alma’s exaggerated reaction.

Alma who didn’t know that Lux was the Black Hero was making light of him before. Aeril burst into laughter hearing that.

「You don’t need……to worry too much about it. After all it’s half the truth that Lux-kun is slovenly……. Especially concerning his relationships with females.」

「Aeril, I beg you don’t move too much. Your body is still not well.」

Aeril seemed to have recovered somewhat from the drug. She was making fun of him in a gesture that was really like her.

He was happy that she recovered her liveliness, but he felt a bit complicated.

Alma too was also nodding with a bewildered expression while they hurried to link up with the squad that went ahead of them.

They retreated while carrying the souvenirs of the Grand Force, several rare weapons, and more than ten Drag-Rides.

Part 11

「……-!? No way, such thing is──」

At the same time, Raffi who operated the revision device of Avalon noticed a certain matter and lost her words.

The wave of energy that operated the perception revision vanished in the middle.

She intended to falsify the memory of the people gathering in the New Kingdom until the last day of the parade, and imprint that the Old Empire faction and Prime Minister Nulph had died in an accident several weeks ago.

She also intended to completely rewrite the memories of the people so that they could accept the change in Raffi’s appearance and how Fugil was standing as her aide, but──

She searched for any abnormality in the Ruins through Arshalia, and two hours later.

The Automata of Garden, Clan Lieze arrived at Avalon riding her Divine Drag-Ride.

The repaired Gear Leader reported to her that the clone of Sacred Eclipse that Raffi created as a guard just in case was destroyed.

Because Clan Lieze was destroyed before she learned the true identity of the intruder, she only remembered what happened there fragmentarily.

She only recalled that bandits attacked the Ruin, and in the end Aeril along with several treasures were stolen.

This was an alarming situation for Raffi. If even a single Grand Force was extracted, the power of Avalon would be halved.

Through Sacred Eclipse she was able to understand that the place was at the Garden that was located inside the New Kingdom’s territory.

「──So my clone was defeated. Even though it should conceal a strength that is equal to a Ragnarok.」

「…………」

Fugil who was standing at her side didn’t say anything.

He was merely watching over her silently, judging her.

「……If the Grand Force was taken, the only one who can do it is only the Lords, or an existence that corresponds to them. So someone liberated Aeril Vi Arcadia who was in the middle of brainwashing and took her away.」

「…………」

Raffi fell silent for a while in a daze.

But, her lips suddenly relaxed and she smiled innocently like a little girl.

「──I see, it’s really interesting.」

「Hou.」

Fugil too was taken aback by Raffi’s words. He let out a small sigh of admiration.

Avalon that had reached around 90% in allowing her a complete rule became impossible to use with this.

Even the world revision that she planned to do for the last time couldn’t be done completely with the lack of the Grand Force.

Because people who saw through the world revision appeared, and they planned to destroy her bastion.

But, even knowing that Raffi’s lips relaxed cheerfully.

「This means that my first enemy after I obtained power has appeared. It’s really fun. After this I can face my enemy with my own will as a queen.」

Raffi resolved herself to carry out evil deeds as a ruler in order to bring the New Kingdom closer towards her ideal.

Perhaps inside her, she believed that act as something legitimate.

In short, she discovered happiness in the chance where her determination was tested.

「Although, I cannot just feel happy. For now I should start from grasping the situation. Let’s send several Automata to the Garden in order to confirm the situation. There isn’t any objection right?」

「As your majesty wishes.」

「Understsood……deyagarimasu.」

The two Automata with their respective peculiar mechanical ears and similar faces equipped their Drag-Rides and flew away.

Raffi planned to have them work in the open as her royal guard, at the present where the last world revision ended in an incomplete state, she would need to have them work behind the scenes again.

The Divine Raiment of Ouroboros──Endless.

The perception revision using Avalon and the seven Ruins resonating together, even if it was activated it would be dispelled if it wasn’t used in the complete state.

The last push. The corpse of the consuls from Old Empire faction who were dealt with in this loop would be noticed by the people at this rate.

Even so──she could only plant the perception of 『nothing happened』 in order to deceive the people for the moment.

It was also similar in regards to Fugil, because he had a characteristic appearance that showed his relation with the imperial family of the Old Empire, sooner or later someone who suspected his true identity would appear.

Above all else, there was also Raffi’s own change.

After all even her outer appearance already changed greatly.

「So there is around ten days until the curse of world revision is dispelled and the people notice the truth? It will be fine if we just take back the Grand Force before that and settle this, isn’t that right, Fugil?」

「For people with no experience of being injected with Elixir, they shouldn’t notice the world revision until two weeks. Also there is a difference between each person, but those who gradually notice that something is out of place surely will also appear.

Raffi pondered for a while at what Fugil pointed out.

After that──several hours later.

The Automata Yos Tork who went to look at the situation in Garden returned.

「As expected, any trace that can be used to expose the true identity of the intruders doesn’t remain deyagarimasu. But, there is eyewitness report from the Drag-Knights in the checking station and a letter addressed to her majesty the Queen was delivered deyagarimasu.」

「…………」

Raffi took the letter along with a little confusion.

There, the letter was written with contents that could also be considered as a kind of threat.

「What should be done, your majesty?」

「Let’s see. First please spread this letter to my vassals. We should prepare countermeasures.」

Half a day after she instructed that to Fugil, a certain rumor was spreading.

The fact that Prime Minister Nulph was secretly assassinated, and that a new threat towards the world alliance had appeared.

That a family member of the great man Count Atismata would expose the deception of the New Kingdom with the secret they had.

The vassals inside the castle were told that a group of chivalrous thieves consisting of Drag-Knights introducing themselves as the『Azure Division』 had appeared.