「Oi, where are you all planning to go!? I’m going to assist everyone too!」
「That’s what she said, Airi. What should we do?」
At the same time when Lux and Philuffy were starting to fight.
Lisha who was rescued by Philuffy was handed to the Triad and guarded by them. They were wandering inside the forest.
「Or rather little sister, what’s with that appearance? Since when have you become able to pilot a Drag-Ride!?」
The destination of the Triad──at an open place there Lisha reflexively raised her voice.
「Fufu, to think I’ll be able to surprise Lisha-sama in the matter of Drag-Rides, anything is possible as long as one dares to take the challenge isn’t it.」
There she found the figure of Airi wearing a pilot suit and a Drake on top of that.
From the examination it was known that she also had high aptitude for Drag-Rides, so in a sense she should have even more talent than Lisha.
But, her stamina was low and she had difficulty with controlling a Drag-Ride, so in the end she was pursuing the work of a secretary. It should be like that but──
「Airi. Please don’t force yourself. I’ve told you so repeatedly.」
Airi responded to Noct’s serious expression with a gentle smile.
If Lisha’s question was to be answered concisely, from a little while ago Airi was receiving the Triad’s help to train wearing a Drag-Ride once more.
Having said that, there was almost nothing that she could do.
Airi’s skill in piloting a Drag-Ride couldn’t endure going through battle or making complicated movements, so she was using the Drag-Ride in a unique way.
She equipped a Drake, then she focused on only using the function of barrier and the special equipment. Other functions like weapon usage or movement were all locked instead.
With that, complex and varied movement as well as physical fatigue were suppressed until the utmost limits and she succeeded in using a Drag-Ride.
In other words, once she deployed her Drag-Ride, she became the person in charge of information management that wouldn’t take even a single step away from her spot, but──
「Magialca-san of the Seven Dragon Paladins was also using a similar Divine Drag-Ride, so I tried imitating her.」
「Perhaps, that woman would be angry if she heard that……」
Lisha muttered with a complicated expression towards Airi’s smile.
「That’s how it is, so for now please rest for a bit. Lisha-sama couldn’t have any decent sleep during your imprisonment right? Your face is the same like when you were staying up all night.」
「Mu……. Still, I’m worried about Haha-ue. Besides──there is also the matter of Alma.」
Airi soothed Lisha, even so Lisha also wouldn’t back down.
「The matter of the little sister, is it?」
Lisha wordlessly nodded towards Noct’s question.
Outwardly Alma was the captain of the Azure Division and the main culprit who caused the commotion this time.
But, even so Lisha couldn’t think of her little sister as simply the bad guy.
「That girl too, her hand stopped when she was about to kill me. Perhaps her grudge towards me is genuine. But, a part of the responsibility of her doing something like that also lies with me……. If there is casualties from both sides in this battle then it might become difficult to even defend her but──」
「Princess……」
「I know that I’m saying a strange thing. I also know that I’m lacking self-awareness as the princess of the New Kingdom. But, I don’t want to abandon my little sister once more.」
Lisha hung her head down after Sharis commented.
Perhaps she was released from her tension until now that she staggered at that place from fatigue and a lack of sleep.
Airi awkwardly supported Lisha’s unsteady body with her arms, then she waited for the girl to sleep.
「I will look after Lisha-sama, so the three of you, please guard the surroundings. Let’s resume moving after resting for half an hour.」
「Yep. Let’s do that as long as no enemy comes.」
Tillfur said that with a relieved expression, then the three started searching the surroundings just like Airi instructed.
Airi who was left alone with Lisha looked at her sleeping face that looked vaguely pained and smiled.
「That’s not a strange thing at all. After all that’s how siblings are.」
Airi muttered while sending a transmission using Dragon Voice to a certain person.
Airi raised the temperature of the Drag-Ride she was wearing to protect Lisha from the coldness of the snow that was starting to fall and warmed her body.
(Nii-san, please be safe──)
After Celis, next it was the second successive battle with the objective of making Philuffy withdraw from the frontlines.
Airi knew that Krulcifer wouldn’t move too far to the front in order to maintain the battlefront of the New Kingdom military. She was conveying that to Lux.
Raffi was monitoring Lux as well as Syvalles until the very last minute before this decisive battle, but in the end it seemed she was predicting that Lux was moving alone.
But, that was Raffi’s miscalculation──
No, even Lux himself didn’t even have the slightest thought of using Airi who was pretending to not know anything before this as a spy in the New Kingdom camp until just before.
「Nii-san, is it okay if I ask you──about a certain matter?」
「About what?」
Last night, in the reserved inn where it was time to sleep late at night.
The guest room where Lux and Airi were staying.
The bright blue moonlight was shining into the bedroom. There Airi was talking to the sleeping Lux.
The voice that was familiar to his ears.
The face of his biological sister that was tinged with sorrow vaguely looked like a different person that made his heart jumped.
Toward the bewildered Lux, Airi quietly slipped into the blanket with her cheeks slightly blushing, and whispered.
「Shh…… be quiet. Nii-san. I’m asking Noct to watch the surroundings of the inn, so there should be no one listening.」
「Why so suddenly……? Did something, happen──」
When Lux asked uneasily, Airi placed the pillow she brought beside Lux and lied down facing the side to face Lux.
The familiar fixed stare from Airi was tinged with even more dissatisfaction than usual.
「I, heard it. When Nii-san and Aeril-san were talking while avoiding anyone’s gaze.」
「……!?」
Lux couldn’t hide his reaction hearing that.
This time he was acting and staying quiet not only towards people related to the New Kingdom starting from Queen Raffi, but even to everyone of the Academy, however his mask was torn off now.
But, when Airi was listening to the conversation of that time, she should have nothing but questions.
Because Airi should still be under the binding spell on her perception from Endless.
「If I have to speak the truth, I was unable to affirm Aeril-san’s figure. But, it felt like Nii-san was talking to her so, perhaps──」
「Isn’t that just your imagination? I had no intention saying such……」
Thinking really carefully, two weeks ago, at the deep level floor of Avalon at the abandoned capital Guernica, Airi also──received Baptism from the trial.
In that sense there was a grounding for her to notice this world revision, but it was hard to believe that she would notice any definite out of place feeling just from listening to Lux and Aeril’s conversation.
And so, Lux tried to deceive Airi to distance her from this matter, but──
「Then, is it alright if I speak loudly from now? I’ll expose to everyone too that Nii-san is the mastermind of that organization in question though.」
「…………」
Seeing the smiling face of Airi with the shadow hanging over her eyes, Lux could only shake his head hard left and right with a pale expression.
「Then please tell me. What does Nii-san know? What is happening in this New Kingdom──」
「That’s……」
「If you say that you don’t want to drag me into it, then I’ll get angry.」
When Lux averted his eyes and shut his mouth, Airi slightly brought her face closer.
Helplessly, Lux talked about the looping three days of thd parade.
Although the Lords were defeated in the great battle at Avalon, the Seven Dragon Paladins were defeated by Fugil and a world revision was carried out by Ouroboros.
The memories of all the people were overwritten and history was corrected.
The act that the Hero of Beginning, Fugil, had been repeating along with Sacred Eclipse until now was currently in progress right now.
The Sacred Eclipse possessed Queen Raffi, then with that almighty power she murdered the Old Empire faction, Waybra, Prime Minister Nulph, and various other people in order to hide her sin of betraying the great man Count Atismata.
The members of Syvalles other than Yoruka didn’t know that fact, and Lux also had no intention of telling them, but Lux knew the truth about Sacred Eclipse and Fugil, and he decided to liberate the New Kingdom from the grasp of Sacred Eclipse by himself. He told her that.
「……So, Sacred Eclipse hasn’t died. And then it possessed her Majesty the Queen.」
「Yes. I somehow realized after hearing the report from Yoruka. It seems that Sacred Eclipse is special for Fugil. Apparently it was originally made in order to save the world, but it became strange because of some kind of mistake.」
The chip of storage medium that was recovered from the treasure warehouse of the Ruin Garden.
From what Aeril said, it seemed that it was set so if several conditions were fulfilled, the data inside it could be played in Avalon’s facility.
And so, if they could obtain secret information related to Avalon, wouldn’t they be able to obtain a countermeasure against Ouroboros and Sacred Eclipse──
「…………」
After Lux finished saying the summarized version of everything, Airi turned her face towards Lux on the pillow and silently gave him a fixed stare.
「Nii-san, you really love doing dangerous tightrope walking. How about you enter a circus troupe when you graduate the Academy?」
「No that, sorry……. That’s why at the very least even if it’s just Airi alone I want you to escape──」
Normally he would smile wryly at Airi’s sarcasm but this time only it wasn’t a situation where he could make a joke.
Now that it had come to light that Sacred Eclipse was a Ragnarok that possessed an evil side, he had to challenge Queen Raffi in order to save the New Kingdom too.
And then, thinking for the case in which he failed, so that everyone and Airi wouldn’t get dragged in──
「I’ll say this but, Nii-san has no right to refuse okay?」
「Eh……?」
Airi’s words that she casually said to him made Lux shut his mouth.
「I will help. Until now I kept it a secret from everyone except the Triad, but if it’s only for a limited use, then even I have become able to wear a Drag-Ride. With that I’ll support Nii-san from the New Kingdom’s side. As a spy──」
When Lux asked, it seemed Airi was training to be able to use a Drake. She picked up on the conversation of Lux and Aeril was also thanks to that.
It seemed that Airi coincidentally wore the Drag-Ride after they finished checking the inside of the inn, so they overlooked her.
「──Tha, that’s reckless!」
「It’s Nii-san who’s reckless right? Even so you decided to do it right? Then I’ll also accompany you. Even if I die because of that, I don’t really mind.」
Airi stared into Lux’s eyes while saying that indifferently.
It wasn’t just a spontaneous idea or a temporary emotion, her face was the face of someone who had made their resolve.
「I’m not that sickly kid from seven years ago anymore you know? I can at least decide about my life or death by myself. If this is what Nii-san is going to do, then I’ll also do so.」
「────」
「Nii-san too, please try to put yourself in my position if I have to live in a world where Nii-san is dead. If you don’t want to hurt me, then please stop fighting right away. Nii-san wants to keep up with your selfishness, but then my selfishness is no good? Don’t you think that’s unfair?」
「Airi……」
He couldn’t find any words to reply to that.
But, this wasn’t a problem of logic.
「No, but, as I thought, it’s no good! Such thing──」
Emotionally, he was unable to choose an option where his little sister, his only biological family, Airi might become a sacrifice.
「──Nii-san. Will you listen to my dream when I was a child?」
Lux was going to appeal to Airi desperately, but Airi suddenly smiled.
「After I graduate from the Academy, I will become independent as a civil official and go to meet up with Nii-san. I want our criminal collars to be taken off, no……even if we don’t actually receive any pardon, I want the two of us to live together as a family again.」
「…………」
「I wanted to become able to stay together with Nii-san again. Is it no good for me to have this kind of dream? Can’t I risk my life for the sake of raising the possibility of Nii-san coming back alive even if only slightly?」
Lux was unable to say anything hearing that earnest plea.
His little sister who was given criminal status just like him.
Lux was worrying for her all this time as an existence that he had to protect, but she was working hard in order to become able to protect Lux too.
He learned for the first time that she was working hard until now dreaming to be together with him.
「──You know, I actually didn’t want to say something like this.」
Even in the very dim light from the moonlight shining in, it felt like he could see Airi’s face that was blushing from embarrassment.
This was Airi after all, surely she was feeling embarrassed.
She was secretly working hard all the time in order to make her dream come true.
While she had no talent to fight as a Drag-Knight, she did the best she could in order to protect Lux.
His heart felt constricted when he thought of Airi’s feelings.
「But, if Nii-san dies, I won’t be able to say this anymore. So I said it while I can. Is there something that Nii-san wants to say to me?」
「Sorry, Airi……. I──」
When Lux looked down and said that, Airi brought her body even closer on the bed.
「……It’s fine. It’s not that I want to receive help from Nii-san. I want to become the one who can help Nii-san this time. That’s all there is to it.」
He couldn’t stop her anymore.
Because he realized that just like how he was thinking of Airi, she was also thinking of him.
「Hey, Nii-san. Can I get a bit closer? Just like when we were children.」
「Yeah.」
Airi buried her face on Lux’s chest so that her skin could stick close on him through their clothes.
The nostalgic scent and warmth, and the beating of the heart were directly conveyed.
Their hearts were connected as one and they whispered about the strategy before falling asleep at the end.
And then now──
Airi who was clad in a Drake guarded Lisha together with the Triad while thinking.
Lisha being taken back by the New Kingdom camp was painful, Airi who was acting together with the Triad was involved with protecting Lisha. In a sense it should be said as convenient.
In their position, originally they should bring Lisha right away to Queen Raffi, but Airi intentionally didn’t do that.
If Raffi learned that Lisha was rescued from being a hostage, she would surely kill Alma and take every measure to bring Lux down.
They shouldn’t bring Lisha back yet in order to prevent that too.
No──Lisha couldn’t be brought back until Lux accomplished the objective of infiltrating Avalon’s Archive, the facility for playing the storage medium that they obtained.
She would continue to shelter Lisha while evasively deceiving her together with the Triad who didn’t know anything about the situation.
That was the best action that Airi should take right now.
She had confirmed that Lux along with Aeril had activated the production plant of Avalon and released the Abyss.
If the Azure Division members on standby used their horn flutes and controlled the swarm of the Abyss that were liberated from the plant, their insufficient battle strength would be supplemented and it became possible to buy time.
(Even so, it feels like death is really near……)
Airi was feeling the wet sensation of cold sweat beneath her pilot suit while watching the surroundings with her radar.
(I should be able to buy quite a lot of time if I continue like this! Nii-san, please finish this while you can.)
Sooner or later Raffi would notice the existence of a traitor in their midst.
The problem was whether she would be able to drag the time until that happened.
「I finally find you. The traitor who is leaking the information of the New Kingdom──」
But, Raffi surpassed Airi’s expectations and already sent her trump card, the Automata. She didn’t notice that the evil clutches already approached until right beside her.
The deadline was approaching second by second.
──*IIIIiiIiiIIIII!*
.
The discordant sound of the Abyss controlling horn flute was resounding in the southwest region of the Ancient Forest.
Many Abyss were transferred to outside of the Cocoon, one of Avalon’s facilities. With that, the strategy of controlling the enemy’s Abyss just like that became possible.
With this, the Azure Division’s battle strength that was greatly inferior on the whole could push back at the New Kingdom camp and sow chaos.
For several dozen minutes from now would be the time that decided victory or defeat.
『──Lux-kun! Over here!』
「……-!?」
Lux received the instruction from Aeril who was flying ahead to the north and he began moving.
He pretended to slash at Philuffy and Typhon. He mixed in a feint while circling around in an arc and chased behind Aeril.
Lisha who was taken back was entrusted to Airi and the Triad, with that it became possible to continue the plan.
(It’s not a coincidence that Airi and the others are here. We were able to cope because she learned the formation of the New Kingdom camp beforehand!)
In the end, thanks to Airi’s cooperation, Lux ended up saved in this phase.
In that case, he wanted to win.
He wanted to make this plan a success to respond to his little sister’s feelings who wanted to save Lux even if she had to put herself in danger.
With that feeling in his heart, he headed to Avalon’s Archive──the place where all information was stored which was located underground this place, at full speed.
Most likely Philuffy had also received strengthening by Baptism just like Celis. It would be foolish to clash against her head-on.
If Philuffy used the Abyss factor inside her body, it would put a great burden on her body.
Fortunately, the movement of Typhon that was a huge land battle type Divine Drag-Ride was limited this deep inside the forest.
(I’ll be able to get away if I can escape to the sky!)
The instant he flew to the sky with that conviction, he felt something was out of place.
Right after that, Typhon that jumped vertically from the ground until the height of ten-odd ml fired an anchor from its armor.
「Wha-!?」
「You won’t get away, you know?」
A thick steel wire entangled Bahamut’s armored leg and completely restrained it.
Lux along with the armor he wore swooped down from getting pulled by the Drag-Ride’s tremendous strength.
『What’s, that──!?』
Aeril who turned around also opened her eyes wide in surprise.
The form of Typhon that Philuffy was wearing had turned into a different shape than before.
There were countless protuberances that looked like curved blades on her shoulders and back. In addition the armor covering her hands and legs were reinforced further, enlarging Typhon that was already a large type originally to become even bigger.
That shape that looked similar to Over Unit, putting even more armor above the armor that Lisha developed, astonished Lux.
And then, the presence of Philuffy herself also became empty. There was no light in her eyes.
『The reason is unclear but the possession target, this woman doesn’t recognize the guy’s true identity. But it will be faster if I’m directly controlling anyway. This Divine Drag-Ride Python and El Fajura will return the debt from the other day.』
「──!?」
The voice of an Automata whose shape or shadow couldn’t be seen came from the armor Philuffy was wearing.
El Fajura.
The Gear Leader of Gigas who once attacked the New Kingdom together with the Lord Hayes.
She possessed the power to control another person’s Drag-Ride using her own clone that was created from nanomachines.
In addition she was also operating behind the scenes at the looping parade the other day. She murdered the noble called Waybra under Raffi’s order.
But, till the end she was only piloting a Drag-Ride. She should be unable to control another person but──
(Is she under the effect of Iblis’s mental pollution just like Celis-senpai? No, until just now Philuffy didn’t show any strange sign.)
One of Lux’s armored legs was still restrained by Pile Anchor while he was flying in low altitude. A voice came from Aeril.
「Lux-kun! El Fajura’s Divine Drag-Ride Python is sticking on Philuffy-san’s Typhon. It possesses a Divine Raiment that takes hold of another Drag-Ride’s armor and misdirects the pilot’s mind!」
Because Lux’s appearance was witnessed by the Automata, Aeril also used her real voice to tell him of the danger.
「Kuh……!?」
The enemy wasn’t controlling Philuffy’s own body, but she was taking possession of the Drag-Ride and interfered with her mind through it.
Lux recalled last time when Philuffy was controlled by Hayes and he went tense.
This time, it didn’t look like she was using a Ragnarok’s strength so that was the only silver lining but──
「……Ei」
But, the next moment.
A danger that dispersed even such consideration attacked Lux.
Typhon skated and got out of the area crowded with trees, then right after that it pulled the restrained Bahamut right to its side.
「-!?」
He had fought Philuffy several times in mock battles, so he was on guard against being pulled by Pile Anchor.
But, the place where he was pulled at was a large rock that was between Philuffy and Lux.
(What, in the world!?)
The trees clustering together were blocking the view, so he made light of the opponent thinking that the other side would also find it hard to confirm his action, but it was a tremendous miscalculation.
It was Lux who got the trees used as blinder against him. At this rate he would be smashed on the rock.
(I’m being pulled so I can’t dodge!? My armor will be scattered if I’m smashed there!)
He realized that there was only one option for him in front of the large rock before him.
「──Recoil Burst!」
He quickly touched the Sword Device on his waist and simultaneously gave conflicting commands from the two types of control.
He intentionally caused the Drag-Ride to rampage from the contradiction of orders, bringing a destructive power that was several times the usual to destroy the rock.
.
──*ZU-, DOOooON!*
.
At the same time with the secret technique’s execution, the impact shook the surrounding trees and blew away their leaves.
He was worried if Philuffy who was at the other side got hit by the scattered rock fragments, but his anxiety came in a different shape.
「I don’t know who you are but, I understand if it’s that Divine Drag-Ride.」
「──!?」
Philuffy predicted that Lux would destroy the rock and jumped ahead. She got away from the opposite end of the wire that was connecting her and Lux, then she greatly pulled back her right armored arm in order to hit Lux who had just finished executing his secret technique.
Typhon’s special armament that was installed inside the armored arm would directly send energy into the captured target and explode it.
It was clear even from afar that enough energy for that had been gathered.
(Damn it!)
He was completely outwitted.
He had no intention of underestimating Philuffy’s strength, but Lux’s assumption was easily surpassed.
(I won’t make it in time. The time to recover Bahamut’s posture──there’s no time!)
Typhon’s arm approached from in front of him.
Lux’s consciousness was stretching the instant into several seconds with his own defeat before his eyes, it was then,
Aeril who came from the side immediately blew away Lux to the side with Howling Roar.
*GO-……DOoNN!*
Right after that, the scorching hot torrent from Biting Flare crushed the empty air.
Lux barely escaped the predicament due to Aeril’s quick wit, but he witnessed something strange in that instant.
Philuffy couldn’t neutralize the impact of the explosion and her balance crumbled──, no, she stood on one leg as a pivot and used the momentum of the recoil to launch a spinning kick.
「……-!?」
Lux felt doubtful why she exploded the Biting Flare even though she didn’t catch Lux, but that in itself was a series of attacking actions.
Philuffy’s kick that was using the hand-to-hand combat technique learned from Magialca in her Drag-Ride piloting, hit Aeril who came nearby. A part of her armor was smashed and she was sent flying.
「……U-, AAaaAH!」
Although she was directly hit by the kick, Zahhak’s armor wasn’t dispelled, but most likely Aeril was already unable to fight properly with that.
Perhaps it was cheap as compensation to save Lux’s life, but from the perspective of the battle situation they were cornered into an overwhelming disadvantage with this.
『What’s the meaning of this? The movement just now……is completely Philuffy’s movement. Is she not completely controlled?』
Lux used Dragon Voice to voice his question, then Aeril immediately responded with a tense voice.
『That……is, Philuffy-san herself. Cough……! It’s not that her mind is taken over, she is being made to misrecognize the opponent she is fighting. In other words, she is directing her full strength toward yous, based on her own tactics……. Quickly run away, Lux-kun. The current us──aren’t her match!』
Aeril was blown away, but she was talking with pain coloring her voice.
Honestly speaking this was unexpected.
It was reassuring when she was fighting as a member of Syvalles──as his comrade, but to think that she would be this powerful as an enemy.
(No── should I say that she has become this strong……)
Lux was struck with admiration.
This was incomparable with half a year ago when he fought the brainwashed Philuffy at Ries Island.
In order to defeat the numerous powerful enemies, Philuffy was also polishing her fangs like the other girls.
『Lux, kun……. Run, shake her off and head to the Archive. If you don’t! You’ll be defeated……!』
Perhaps because she had just attacked with all her strength, as expected even Philuffy’s movement to give chase was dulled.
There was the armor strengthening by Python, but he would be able to shake her off if he escaped in full speed for several seconds.
But──
(Your majesty Raffi, is this also your plan?)
Even if this was his assumption that she realized his true identity, this was the first time for an enemy to understand Lux’s true nature this far.
Not only had she been told about the way he fought from the reports more than anyone else, she also understood the human called Lux from the viewpoint of a ruler.
『Lux……kun?』
Lux drove Bahamut towards the road that Aeril showed──the northeast region of the Ancient Forest where the Archive was located.
But, he wasn’t using his maximum speed. It was a speed that Typhon could barely follow.
If it was Philuffy who was powered up by the parasitic armor Python, she would be able to follow after Lux without problem.
(Even knowing that, why?)
Aeril who was feeling puzzled was also guessing the reason why Raffi chose Philuffy as the second assassin after Celis.
(I see……. Queen Raffi, she know, that Lux-kun cannot escape……)
The most important connection of Lux who once saved her.
Exactly because he was risking his life to protect everyone that he was unable to do anything like abandoning the controlled Philuffy.
He planned to lure them to Archive in order to destroy El Fajura and Python.
But, that was a really dangerous gamble.
With Philuffy’s current strength, there was no guarantee that Lux would win even if he faced her with all his might.
And then, on the other hand Philuffy who was chasing Lux was also persisting to carry out a single will within her hazy mind.
(My head is dizzy. But, if I don’t fight……)
Python that was controlled by El Fajura acted as a parasite and her will was manipulated.
It wasn’t mind control, but the direction of her mind──the foundational principle of her actions, about what she should do was misdirected.
Due to Baptism using the Ruin’s device that was called the Coffin, Philuffy obtained strength that was suited to her characteristics in exchange of the danger.
It was the path she chose in order to become the strength of her important person, in order to not make him sad.
She succeeded in that and continued fighting for a certain objective.
When she was a child, Philuffy built up herself to not cry in order to protect her family who was living in sadness because of their mother’s death.
Because everyone will be even sadder if she showed them her sad self.
However, that boy noticed that way of living of Philuffy and directed his straightforward kindness to her.
He was awkward──able to be kind to anyone. But in exchange he was unable to accept other people’s good will from the front.
……He was like her, she thought.
Thinking that, she became happy.
If that kind of person became able to like himself more, if he could become happy, then surely she herself would also feel happy. She thought that.
For the sake of protecting him, and staying at his side.
Philuffy vowed under Magialca, that she would fight for that sake.
(That’s why, I have to. With this strength, I’ll……-chan, protect)
.
「──Tei」
The girl’s voice sounded somewhat stupid.
At the same time, *GAUNN!* pursuing wire was fired from Typhon’s armored shoulder.
「……Kuh!」
Lux was flying horizontally with the ground at the height of 5, 6 ml. The tip of the wire approached his back wings with a tremendous speed like a bullet. Lux twisted his body along with his armor to evade.
Typhon’s Pile Anchor was certainly powerful, but it could only aim at Lux in a straight line in a situation where there was no obstacle.
And then once it missed Lux, it was impossible to attack Lux again until the wire was reeled back.
Of course there was more than one anchor so it was necessary to be careful but──
(I can do this! If I’m paying attention to the anchors that are fired from below, they can be dodged!)
Lux was convinced. He continuously evaded the tips of the anchors that were fired rapidly.
While the New Kingdom military and the Azure Division that was controlling the Abyss with horn flutes were battling in the surroundings a slight distance away, they moved for several minutes approaching the destination. It was then.
*Bishii-!*
「-……!?」
Lux suddenly received an impact as though he was hit with a whip from the side and felt shocked.
(How? Even though I should have dodged the Pile Anchor!?)
Bahamut’s frame was shaken by the impact and its flying trajectory greatly diverted.
Lux was feeling shocked by the unexpected attack while barely moving to recover his balance. There he received even more hits from wires in the same way.
「This is, she is firing anchors at where I’m flying, then she reeled them in while using them like a whip!?」
Philuffy took an attack method of firing wire from her right shoulder, then her armored arm grabbed the wire and used it like whip to strike at Lux.
To do that she intentionally fired several times at a trajectory that wouldn’t hit Bahamut and took Lux by surprise.
Furthermore, it was already too late when he noticed.
Philuffy was also measuring the timing. He received whip strikes continuously.
The destructive power of the attack itself was low, but his speed was greatly declining because his back wings were hit. He entered into the firing range where Typhon could reach him with its driving speed.
「Ei」
*DON-*, along with a step on the ground that was like an explosion, Typhon leaped and lifted up its huge armored arms that were joined together.
Those arms that were formed into a hammer were going to strike Bahamut’s back. In that instant Lux accelerated with all his might.
Archive that was the destination was right below. Aeril had gone ahead and waited for Lux’s arrival there.
There was arrangement prepared so the moment Lux landed on the ground, they would be transported into Archive to escape. But──
「──!?」
「You won’t, get away.」
Philuffy also increased her attack precision further.
Just like capturing a bird by throwing a rock that was tied with rope, she fired wire at the same time when swinging both her arms just now and entangled Lux’s armor with Pile Anchor.
In addition she also fired anchors into the landing place to reel in Typhon itself towards the ground.
「Lux-kun! Unfasten that wire! At this rate──」
「No, it’s fine! We’ll accomplish our objective in the Archive and settle this fight at the same time like this!」
Lux’s aim from the beginning wasn’t to escape from Philuffy.
He planned to lead her into a part of Avalon──the underground facility Archive and there he would destroy El Fajura and Python.
Even if he would become exhausted from this fight, he couldn’t avoid it.
Lux decided to daringly get on Queen Raffi’s intention.
──*KIIN*. Faint light rose in round shape, enveloping Lux, Aeril, and Philuffy.
After experiencing the weightless sensation for several seconds, the scenery of the surroundings changed.
「──Communication from Gear Leader El Fajura. She is in the middle of fighting Lux Arcadia as well as Aeril vi Arcadia. The place is the Archive northeast from here.」
The Automata Arshalia who was standing beside Raffi received a transmission from her subordinate El Fajura and grasped the situation.
But, Raffi didn’t look surprised at all. Her face seemed to say that she had predicted it from the beginning.
「So it’s just as I thought. I don’t understand how he was deceiving other people’s eyes until now though.」
「Most likely they are using the Divine Raiment of Zahhak isn’t it?」
The Divine Raiment Brain Hack made it possible to steal a specific memory from the target.
If the awareness towards the existence called Lux was erased, whether Lux came and went from the inn and no matter what he did somewhere else, no one would be able to realize that it was Lux.
But, if his very existence was erased, it would become clear from the unnaturalness that he was using Brain Hack.
Therefore Lux only hid his true identity while creating the transient true image that was the Azure Division.
It was the same like how Fugil once made use of Lux’s existence to accomplish the revolution that destroyed the Old Empire.
「Well, it will be alright if we leave it to Philuffy. He had just fought seriously against Celistia, so surely he doesn’t have the spare strength to win against her──even in the unlikely chance that he actually defeats her, he will be exhausted and unable to fight well. What’s left is to have the Automata deal with his little sister who seems to be the traitor and pull down the curtains. Are you alright with that, Fugil?」
「Why are you asking me for permission? You can do as you please.」
Fugil was positioned as a sentry at the center of Avalon, but with Lux’s position becoming clear, Raffi called him back to her side.
「It’s so that I don’t become the world’s enemy──which consequently will turn me into your enemy. I believe that the Lord Listelka, too, surely died because of that. So I have to meet your expectations as much as possible.」
「……There is no risk of that at this point in time. What you’re doing is being considered as simply dealing with the enemies of the New Kingdom. In regards to Syvalles too, you’re only sending them keeping in mind the possibility of the unlikely chance that foolish little brother cannot be killed.」
「Fufu, I’m relieved to hear that. Then, is it alright for me to move too any time now? An emergency report came from my subordinates.」
Because a great number of the Abyss that were transferred out from the underground production plant were controlled by horn flutes, the New Kingdom army was put into a disadvantage.
The Triad and Airi were guarding Lisha while hiding and moving.
Krulcifer was continuing to make a good showing by herself against the large swarm of the Abyss, but against such a number she was unable to defeat them all and the frontline was being pushed back.
「Well then, I’ll leave Alma in your hands, Re Plica.」
「Roger desu. I will do my best in case anything happens desu.」
Raffi gave an order to the Gear Leader of Moon who possessed mechanical fox ears, Re Plica.
In preparation of the situation where Lux got away, she readied this plan for even more blows towards him, where an Automata would watch over Alma and, depending on the situation, use her as a hostage to bring down Lux.
「…………」
Alma was being tied up and couldn’t say anything.
In this situation there was already nothing that she could do except to pray for Lux’s safety.
「Now then.」
At the same time with her muttering, *paki paki* the air around Raffi was freezing.
The strongest Sacred Eclipse that combined all the powers of the seven Ragnaroks, it would carry out its objective of bringing salvation to the person it was possessing and before long it would expand its strength to the maximum.
After doing that, it would devour all the thought and flesh of the person it was fused with and rampage.
It would evolve into a great calamity that destroyed everything and reduced all to nothing. Raffi didn’t know about that reality.
She would last, perhaps for several months.
Or perhaps in a faster case, Raffi would lose her ego as a human in the course of several weeks before transforming into a calamity.
When the history reached the last stop, Fugil would use Ouroboros and Avalon and reset everything.
Using world revision, he would make people’s memory to forget everything about the Ruins.
And then──someone would discover the Ruins once more, and everything would repeat.
That was the truth of Sacred Eclipse, the prologue that would lead to world destruction.
「Should I go out? No……it’s fine, I’ll leave it to you.」
「……? That’s unusual, to think you would take the initiative to move.」
「…………」
Raffi didn’t realize the true meaning behind Fugil’s suggestion.
How Fugil didn’t wish to see her wretched figure when she greedily devoured the great amount of the Abyss, the distorted side of Sacred Eclipse.
「Then, I’ll leave this place to you. I’ll go to rampage for a bit.」
Right after that, wings grew from the young figure of the queen and she flew away.
And then, a curbstomp was started.
「This place, where is──?」
At that time, Lux and the others who were transferred to the information management facility the Archive were placed in a mysterious situation.
The whole surroundings was jet black darkness.
Inside it there were only their figures without wearing their Drag-Rides floating along with a faint light.
They could only stir their bodies slightly.
「Calm down Lux-kun. The progression of time that we’re experiencing right now is dozens of times faster than reality. That’s why you won’t get tired even if you keep wearing Bahamut. Right now the content of the information storage medium we found in the Garden is being activated.」
Apparently the facility of Avalon called the Archive was directly interfering with their brains. It seemed that it was constructed so that people could obtain information in a short time.
It seemed that Philuffy was also watching this from nearby, but it was unclear whether she was bewildered or simply being her usual self, she was staring vacantly at empty air with her expressionless face.
A dark room with only their consciousness where they didn’t even know up and down.
At the center, a silhouette with the same appearance like the Automata called Arshalia was existing.
Silver hair and grey eyes.
She was a girl with lovely long hair wearing a luxurious pure white dress.
She opened her eyes as though noticing the existence of Lux and the others, then she smiled and bowed.
「Welcome to the Archive. I welcome the arrival of the three of you.」
「You are……?」
Lux who only existed as a consciousness here spontaneously asked.
Right after that he felt exasperated at himself who was talking to an information storage medium, but unexpectedly a reply came back.
「My name is Arshalia. I was an imperial princess of the Arcadia Empire in the past. Using the technology that was brought about by the Xfer, I was the one who recreated the Ruins. With my position, perhaps I could be called as the LordCreator.」
「……!? Then, that Automata who is the Gear Leader of Avalon, she is──」
When Aeril who was an imperial family member that was similarly called as the Lord asked the question, the girl’s hologram nodded.
「Yes. I created it to imitate my appearance. But, it cannot be said that she is projecting my consciousness. She is just an artificial intelligence──in short she is a pseudo personality that was created artificially, she is unrelated with me. In that sense this me is also the same like that but……what we remember is different.」
「…………」
Even the ancient technology of the Ruins and Avalon until now were overwhelming, but they were still bewildered with the appearance of the existence called Arshalia they were facing.
But, Lux immediately pulled himself together and asked.
「What do you know? No, regarding Avalon and the way to defeat Sacred Eclipse……and the transforming Drag-Ride Ouroboros──can you teach us what you know about those?」
「……Very well. All of you are people who arrived here after surmounting all difficulties. You have enough qualification to know. The beginning of everything was more than a thousand years ago──it began from the encounter of me and him.」
「Him……?」
Aeril made a dubious face, but Lux had an idea about it.
「Fugil Arcadia huh…..」
「Yes……」
Arshalia nodded at Lux’s muttering.
The expression of the girl who was projected in this false image contained gentleness somewhere within, at the same time it also gave a hint of loneliness.
「You must have known if you had reached the center of Avalon, but the Arcadia Empire of our time was in the middle of wars that were like hell.」
「…………」
Avalon’s deep level floor.
Lux and the others also knew about that after watching the past recording that was projected in the abandoned capital Guernica.
The Arcadia Empire that ruled over the world soon leaned into a government for the sake of the royalty and titled nobility. In the end for the sake of refining Elixir with even higher purity──for the sake of strengthening their own talent, lifespan, and physical body, they apprehended the population that were weaker than them and turned them into raw material.
That became the origin that caused the rebellion. The group that became the center of the rebellion was called the clan of traitors. The people who became the ancestor of the Arcadia Empire of Lux’s time.
That was how Lux and Aeril understood it but──
「At that time, the leader of the resistance who stole the Drag-Ride that was exclusive for royalty and titled nobility was a blood relative with the highest aptitude for Drag-Rides even among the Arcadia bloodline.」
「……!?」
Lux gasped and held his breath the moment he was told that.
Why was Lux and Airi’s aptitude for Drag-Rides abnormally high? That was because they were descended from the same bloodline as Fugil.
「I who was the imperial princess, and Fugil who was a child of a member of the clan of traitors. One day I accidentally saw Fugil fighting to protect the cats and dogs that were tortured by people to clear their stress.」
Arshalia’s projection silently looked down and began to talk.
Her detailed gestures weren’t just some imitation. It looked like she was a real human girl.
「I was taught that the clan of traitors is evil since the time I possessed awareness. I had the talent to understand the technology of the XferKey’s Supervisor who cooperated with me and put it into practice. Thanks to that I obtained a great authority even among my sisters the other imperial princesses. But my relatives were only thinking to use the technology of Drag-Rides and the Ruins to enrich themselves. Even I got sick of them.」
「Then, because of that──」
When Lux muttered in a small voice, Arshalia opened her eyes and smiled to him.
「Yes, originally we were in the position to hate each other, but I obtained a conviction when I saw Fugil at that time. That there is no way the clan of traitors is an evil existence from their birth. That it’s nothing more than a convenient sense of values created for someone’s convenience── I began to think, if I could walk together with Fugil on a path to save all of them without killing anyone.」
「…………」
Aeril who listened to the story made a meek expression without making even a single twitch.
Most likely the image of them the Lords were overlapping with this artificial personality of Arshalia.
Similar conflict occurred in the era of Listelka and the others. When they woke up from their long sleep in this era, they attempted to dispose off all the people in authority from all countries.
Among them it was only Aeril alone who chose the path of coexistence with the people of this era.
「Things were going really well for both of us. Thinking back now, we were also conceited back then but, we were blessed with talent and luck. I used the technology of the Ruins and developed new concepts and equipment. Fugil would use them and removed any danger for me. He possessed strength as a Drag-Knight that was greater than anyone, and that strength bloomed in the middle of battles.」
Arshalia placed her hands on her chest and continued talking about the past.
How she was correcting the distortions of the world one by one together with Fugil.
How they subjugated the chief vassals who were committing terrible injustice.
How they stopped a weapon that ran amok after a modification.
How they brought down the faction that attempted to assassinate Arshalia.
How they disguised themselves as the resistance and annihilated a group that was devoted to inhumanity.
How they left the management of the Ruin to the Automatas that were called the Gear Leaders.
How she developed various new Drag-Rides.
Because of the conflicts it was unavoidable that the conclusion was bloody, but the situation was becoming peaceful little by little.
「I, fell in love with him. He had been living in an unfortunate environment all the time since his childhood, so he wouldn’t open his heart to me who was an imperial princess of Arcadia, even so I believed that perhaps, he held the same feelings deep down.」
──’I want to save this world.’
They wanted to get closer to a world where people wouldn’t meet an unreasonable experience because of other people.
With such feeling at the bottom of their heart, the two cooperated and advanced forward.
「──But, even amidst that, the conflict wouldn’t die down. No, the more the conflicts were prolonged……. The more cornered they are, people will sacrifice various things, they will not be concerned with appearances anymore, and so hatred was growing even more violent.」
.
A father who put a bomb inside his own daughter and sold her to a noble to take revenge.
The imperial family who captured a messenger who approached for peace and dissected him alive to be raw material for Elixir.
A greedy merchant who schemed to obtain great profit maneuvered by selling weapon to both sides and fanned up their respective anger.
A researcher indiscriminately scattered fierce poison that wouldn’t really kill but inflicted a long suffering in the hope that the war would stagnate, but it was the innocent people who were suffering the most from it.
.
「Fugil and I advanced forward one step at a time……we defeated enemies, but we witnessed a sorrowful and cruel reality. We saw the gruesome acts of humans that were like demons repeatedly and harbored doubt. Could it be that the true nature of humanity── that we the Arcadia clan are an existence that is like a dirty demon? I was scolded by Fugil though. He said 『If you gave an answer like that, then what I’ve done until now was meaningless.』.」
「…………」
The era of the Old Empire where the common masses were suffering from oppression and discrimination by the people in authority.
The counterattack from the common masses that were filled with deeply held resentment.
The closing years of the ancient empire must be even more terrible than the past that Lux had experienced.
During that hellish seven years, the two of them resisted, they encouraged themselves that fought while living together. Arshalia eloquently talked about their history.
All of this didn’t even take several seconds in the real time, but inside their consciousness it felt like dozens of minutes had passed, and yet──it didn’t feel long.
The tale of the ancient time where the wars, the people’s malignancy had arrived to the extreme.
But, that battle that felt to be endless was heading to the end due to Fugil’s hard fighting.
「Fugil was amazing. In the beginning his skill didn’t reach to that extent but, he never stopped working hard, no matter what kind of hardship came he would endure and surpass it, and he became strong. I was encouraged seeing him. A hero who won’t abandon what is right. I administered Elixir to him every time he was on the verge of death, but at that time I noticed that a mutation was occurring.」
「Mutation?」
Lux tilted his head while making a conjecture inside his heart.
「Yes, his body……the brakes inside his brain transformed. Originally a human will die if they have Elixir administered to them in certain amount, but he surpassed the limit of maximum permissible dosage and became able to continue living.」
「I can’t believe it, he didn’t sleep in a pod like us──he became an immortal?」
When Aeril asked that in bewilderment, Arshalia wordlessly nodded.
「There is also that, but the me at that time thought of something different. We destroyed the last great evil, and the world should have become peaceful. But, the sadness and hatred that were nesting inside the hearts of the people throughout the long period didn’t vanish.」
After the war ended after a fashion and time passed, the new sparks of conflict were starting to smolder from each camp. When they tried to stop that, it burned even hotter instead.
The royalty and nobility wished to take back their wealthy life from before once more and subjugated the common masses, while the population who were oppressed until now wouldn’t be satisfied until they paid back their oppressors even more than what had been done to them.
「I was worried. Even when Fugil and I desperately tried to reorganize the imperial rule, they only kept disputing selfishly. They kept hurting the weak, and before long when they obtained strength they ran riot once more. Thinking of how to sever that kind of endlessly continuing negative spiral, I immersed myself in a certain research before long.」
──If only the people could be freed from their hatred, from the history of fighting until now.
If it became no good no matter what was done, if everything could be forgotten and reset.
「Endless……. Done by resonating the seven Ruins. The world revision……is it」
「So you know that much. ……Exactly.」
Arshalia turned her face towards Lux who slipped out those words.
「The ArtifactTransforming Drag-Ride Ouroboros that possessed the greatest and strongest ability. It activated the seven Ruins simultaneously, revised the people’s memories, and erased the history of hatred. But, because Ouroboros that I created put a burden that is equal to more than ten Divine Drag-Rides on the user, at first even Fugil couldn’t use it well.」
Therefore, Fugil stemmed the disputes that were happening everywhere while at the same time he was also do training to be able to handle Ouroboros. The time span of several years flowed.
On the other hand, Arshalia also started researching a system to save the world──the new humanoid Ragnarok, and named it Sacred Eclipse.
It detected a human’s heart, and it was equipped with a system that was able to project the heart. It would respond to the screams of people seeking to be saved, made a judgment, and brought salvation to anyone.
Fugil used Ouroboros and Arshalia used Sacred Eclipse to guide the world correctly.
The Hero of Beginning and the Goddess of Salvation.
The two who were blessed with genius talent and never be negligent in constantly working hard were called like that. They became the stars of hope for the people who were wishing for peace.
「But, there an accident happened. In order to possess a body that could control Ouroboros and in order to heal the wound that he obtained from a certain battle, Fugil had a great amount of Elixir administered to him and he fell into a long sleep. During that time a poison was mixed into Sacred Eclipse that was almost finished.」
「Poison……you said?」
Lux made a dubious face hearing Arshalia’s somber murmur.
The girl fell silent, but before she resumed her story, the talk was suddenly interrupted.
.
──*Pishi-!*
.
「Tsu……!?」
The dark world was smashed and the original shape of the Archive’s interior was projected to the sight of Lux and the others.
The situation of the conversation with Arshalia until now completely changed. Philuffy and Typhon attacked Lux.
「System interference finished the information gathering of the subjugation target is obstructed and along with it──erasing the target.」
「El Fajura!? Was it your doing that the record’s reading was rescinded!?」
When they realized there was an Automata inside the Archive.
A girl who was wearing a pilot suit in addition to mechanical ears growing from her head that looked like feathers.
She was expressionless like a mask, the same like when he faced her in the past, but this time only she looked different.
From the Automata who originally would only accomplish the work that she was ordered to do mechanically, he felt like a clear hostility was emitted from her.
El Fajura didn’t respond to Aeril’s yell.
She only came slashing with the EX Wyvern she was wearing as though to express the emotion of anger.
Aeril’s face when she immediately blocked it with her Blade showed shock.
「Wha……!?」
「Lord’s betrayal is reconfirmed──moving to elimination act.」
For some reason Aeril couldn’t see the Blade that El Fajura held.
And yet, she was receiving the sensation as though they were crossing swords.
Most likely it was a type of rare armament. It must have the effect to change the blade to be transparent.
「The likes of you shouldn’t dare to obtain information from master’s memory. Don’t ask about the right and wrong of the Sacred Eclipse. This is what you cursed humans began. The negative spiral of wishing only for your own prosperity.」
「……!?」
The Automata that should only be persisting in carrying out their role as a tool until now was──expressing something that was like an emotion. Lux was even more surprised when it was El Fajura that was doing so when even among the Automata she was the one giving off a quiet impression.
Even her usual peculiar tone was starting to change into something gruff.
But, right now they had no time to split their focus for something like that.
At Lux’s side he was also being pressed by Philuffy and Typhon. She was unleashing an attack that was like surging waves.
「──Ei」
She unleashed punches and kicks with her huge armor that pierced through the air along with the driving sound.
Each of Philuffy’s strikes that moved every part of the Drag-Ride’s frame lithely with the weight of the Divine Drag-Ride put behind it was containing sure-kill destructive power.
Even if right now he was wearing Bahamut, it would be over if he was directly hit.
In addition this Typhon was also wearing the reinforcement armor that was brought about by El Fajura’s Divine Drag-Ride.
「Philuffy-san! Open your eyes! He is Lux-kun!! Zahhak’s Divine Raiment is already dispelled!」
Aeril called out to Philuffy seeing Lux being pressured by the overwhelming power.
But, El Fajura’s main body slashed at Aeril with the Blade of her EX Wyvern while scoffing at Aeril’s words.
「──It’s pointless. The hallucination in her perception from my Python wouldn’t be dispelled right away even if I died. She won’t stop as long as you don’t run away from this place. I also have no intention to let you get away.」
「……-!? Ku!」
Aeril was pushed back by the unseen Blade the EX Wyvern was wielding and she along with Zahhak backed away.
She didn’t have any stamina left because she was continuously using her Divine Raiment in order to deceive the eyes of the New Kingdom camp.
In addition, the Automata that was a fusion of human and machine was able to interfere directly with the Drag-Ride without even needing mind control operation or body control operation.
Therefore there was no time lag in her piloting and it was possible for her to move smoother than the average Drag-Knight.
But, it wasn’t just about simple advantageous and disadvantageous conditions, El Fajura was pressuring Aeril with her vigor.
Aeril was pressured by the Automata that shouldn’t have anything like a soul and was unable to grasp any starting point for counterattacking.
「Because you cursed humans needlessly got involved, master’s dream was dirtied. I won’t allow you bastards to peek at her memory.」
「Kuh! U……!?」
Aeril was desperately blocking the unseen slashes but the sharpness of the sword’s trajectory was gradually increasing.
「How!? Why is an Automata’s attack getting stronger?」
It was a reaction as a Lord who knew about the system that was incorporated in the Ruins.
An Automata who possessed artificial intelligence was able to always display the very best performance as long as they were given scrupulous maintenance.
However on the other hand, because they would loyally follow the perfected action, originally they wouldn’t be able to display more power than what they originally had.
And yet──
「Don’t look down on Arshalia-sama. I can analyze your movement and aim for even further optimization. Don’t you underestimate my devotion!」
「Uaaah!?」
In the next moment, the Blades lunged forward with feint mixed in and the attacks crossed.
Zahhak and EX Wyvern each pierced the other’s barrier. The blade’s tip pierced the flesh shoulder.
On the other hand El Fajura also had her Automata arm cut down, but her face didn’t even twitch.
She unleashed Howling Howl and blew away Aeril from their close distance.
By intentionally aiming for simultaneously striking each other, she obtained an effective attack method towards Aeril who possessed a flesh and blood body.
(I cannot lose. I learned our objective with the appearance of the contractor with Avalon.)
Raffi used Avalon’s function to re-input the memory of the Automatas.
When they were still alive, the girl called Arshalia transferred their personality and they obtained the important role of protecting the Ruin.
They who were fated to rot from sickness were given hope by her.
They respected Arshalia who was called the Goddess of Salvation and decided to fight in order to protect the great undertaking she was trying to accomplish.
「Poison was mixed into Sacred Eclipse. The foolish clan of traitors tortured master to remake the system of salvation that was almost finished. A function to detect people harboring ill will and hostility towards the wisher and slaughter those people was inserted into Sacred Eclipse!」
「──!?」
The truth that El Fajura spoke caused Lux and Aeril to hold their breath.
(Sacred Eclipse was remade due to the clan of traitors? But, it feels like something is out of place.)
The shocking truth was also surprising, but at the same time Lux felt a strange doubt.
But, he wasn’t given any time to fall into his thought. Philuffy stepped further into Lux’s range.
The inside of the Archive──the rectangular space that was formed from silver metallic walls only had several ornamental support pillars, so there were few obstacles and the ceiling was also low.
Therefore, the wheels extending from the armored legs could function well and became advantageous for land battle type Divine Drag-Rides.
「Kuh, u……!」
Philuffy vigorously charged while dealing small repeated blows like a hail. He was completely prevented from starting anything.
Right after that, the power of Baptism that she was hiding burst out.
Around that time, at the surface.
A danger was visiting at a corner of the Ancient Forest where Airi and the Triad, who were guarding Lisha, were staying in hiding.
「──Now then. All traitors must die.」
「……Automata!? Why is she here──」
The appearance of an Automata wearing a Divine Drag-Ride made Airi’s face pale.
An armor shining like a gem──the one wearing the flying type Drag-Ride was La Cruche.
She had a dumb way of speaking just like when they first met at the Arc. However she was directing a clear hostility to Airi and the others.
「……I don’t get what’s going on here? What are you two saying!? What do you mean by traitor!?」
Lisha was bewildered while reaching out to the Sword Device on her waist but, she still hadn’t recovered her strength.
She tried to summon her Drag-Ride, but her mind control operation didn’t go well and she failed.
Airi who instantly pulled herself back together from her agitation gave her order to the Triad.
「Everyone! Please!」
「Yes. Leave it to us.」
「Tillfur, we’re going!」
「Alrighty……uwa. This seems tough.」
On the other hand Airi quickly dispelled her own armor and pulled Lisha’s hand.
Noct held the two of them with her EX Drake and turned her back on the Automatas before leaping.
Airi had made arrangements beforehand with the Triad that in case they were attacked by someone in this situation, they would respond depending on the enemy’s strength, even so this was an unexpected happening.
(Through Nii-san I’ve received the information about the location of Avalon’s underground facilities from Aeril-san but──)
The reason why La Cruche suddenly appeared in her radar’s reaction at close range must be because she was already on standby beforehand in Avalon’s underground facility.
No, more importantly than that, it was bad that Raffi had seen through that she was the traitor.
As expected the Triad wouldn’t be a match against the Automata, but Raffi shouldn’t do something like expressly reducing the New Kingdom’s fighting strength.
The worst case might happen, but she could only pray that wouldn’t happen.
(I’m sorry you two! Please be safe──)
Noct was using EX Drake’s camouflage to hide while trying hard to take distance from the Automata. And then she was heading to the Archive just as Airi instructed. She flew towards the northeast following after Lux and Aeril.
With that Airi thought that she would be able to buy some time at the very least but──
「Oi! Put me down! I don’t understand what’s going on but, if I don’t fight together with those two──」
「It’s fine, just stay still for now! We have to run away!」
Lisha unsheathed her Sword Device and tried to call Tiamat once more, but Airi desperately stopped her.
It would be bad if Lisha fought.
If Lisha whose stamina still hadn’t recovered was defeated by the Automata and fell into Raffi’s hand, the Azure Division would be heading far closer to defeat.
Airi was thinking of such thing while entrusting her body to Noct, but then Noct suddenly showed a puzzled expression.
「What’s this? This reaction in the radar── Abyss?」
「……? Is it about the appearance of many Abyss in the Ancient Forest? If it’s that we can take a detour so we don’t bump into them──」
Airi knew about the tactic of Lux releasing Abyss from the production plant and the Azure Division controlling them with horn flute so she wasn’t surprised, but Noct was pointing out at something different.
「No, the number is decreasing. The Abyss that numbered more than a hundred are drastically……at this rate, in several more minutes they will be completely──」
「……-!?」
Airi shuddered hearing the murmur of Noct who was staring at her radar.
There were only several powerful names who were able to overwhelm more than a hundred Abyss in the New Kingdom right now.
(If there is someone who can do this, it would be someone at the level of Nii-san or Yoruka-san……no, don’t tell me Fugil or Queen Raffi is──)
If Lux didn’t obtain the hint to defeat them from the Archive before they started moving, then it meant that this battle was already heading towards the checkmate for their side.
「──Airi! Lisha-sama!」
The instant Noct yelled, Airi gasped and her focus was pulled back to reality.
When she looked behind, La Cruche and the Divine Drag-Ride with lustrous armor like a gem she was wearing was approaching right behind them.
「The gist of the situation is surely just like what you’re thinking you know? That’s why please hand over the princess obediently. If you do that then there won’t be any need for any futile killing.」
「Kuh……」
Noct immediately stood in La Cruche’s way and fired the rare armament the EX Drake was equipped with.
「──Circular Edge!」
Four round blades that were wrapped with energy drew four different trajectories while rotating. They attacked at La Cruche’s Divine Drag-Ride.
In addition a second later Noct fired the remaining four Circular Edges with time difference to become an additional attack that was hard to dodge.
But, La Cruche’s Divine Drag-Ride was backing away to diagonally right behind while deflecting only three Circular Edges with the long blade she was holding.
「……-!? That was, dodged!?」
Rather than because of La Cruche’s precise movement that saw through the best timing and action, Noct was more shocked by how La Cruche was moving just right before she fired Circular Edge.
「Is reading the target’s heart that Divine Drag-Ride’s ability……?」
When Airi asked a leading question, La Cruche nodded honestly.
「Well, there is no problem even if it’s exposed so I’ll answer. My Vouivre’s Divine Raiment is True EyesSecond Sight……. It has the power to see through a human’s heart. Well, I can’t read the heart if I don’t focus on an opponent from close range, and till the end it’s only the general thought, so it’s not almighty but──」
La Cruche said while recovering her posture for the moment, then she faced towards Airi and the others once more.
「If you understand now that you can’t win, I hope you will stop with the pointless resistance already. Wounding you all will result in decreasing the battle strength of the New Kingdom. Seems like the girls of Syvalles there doesn’t know about anything but──」
Unlike Airi who knew about Lux’s rebellion, Lisha and Noct didn’t understand why an Automata was taking action as a Drag-Knight and why she was chasing after them.
But, even so Lisha was about to notice something from this abnormal situation.
(What is going on? What’s happening in the New Kingdom, in this world right now──)
Something was strange, and not only about the existence of the aggressors called the Azure Division led by her little sisterAlma.
「Noct, it’s fine already. Let’s surrender.」
The next instant Airi who was wearing a pilot suit spoke about surrendering.
But, hearing that Noct shook her head slightly.
「No, please escape Airi. I will hold her back here. I cannot even begin to estimate what is going on. Even so I believe in you.」
「Tsu……」
Airi’s chest felt hurt seeing the smile that the taciturn Noct showed.
But, right now she could only rely on her kindness.
「Lisha-sama! This way!」
Saying that Airi took Lisha’s hand once more and started running.
She grasped the terrain using the radar of Drake she was wearing just now and escaped to the direction of the Archive where Lux was heading.
She was betting on the hope of being able to luckily meet up with Lux, but this was nothing more than an escape in desperation.
「It’s unfortunate but, all of you are no match for the current master.」
「……-!?」
The sound of Noct fighting reached Airi’s ear.
La Cruche read Noct’s defense and pried open her barrier with a Blade.
「Wha-!?」
The Blade La Cruche was holding was freely shortening and lengthening. Noct was taken by surprise and her armored shoulder was hit, making her unable to move.
Not letting go of that opening, La Cruche and Vouivre flew towards Airi and Lisha.
「In the end this is the difference of their caliber. Even after obtaining an overwhelming power, master didn’t turn prideful and won the battle of wits after reading her opponent’s strategy. Just like this time.」
「What are you saying huh this piece of junk robot! Shit!」
Lisha pulled out Tiamat’s Sword Device and gripped it while yelling threateningly.
She should be the first person who received Baptism among the Syvalles members, but because it was a strengthening of her physical ability, there was an effect to Lisha’s condition until her body adapted to it.
She was captured and she was resting her exhausted body, but if time passed and she finished recovering, then her weak point until now that was her lack of stamina would be resolved and she would become able to use Over Unit freely.
Airi didn’t even have any way of knowing such circumstance, however──she summoned her Drake once more and equipped it, then she made herself a shield so that Lisha wouldn’t be taken away.
「I won’t let you pass! Please go! Lisha-sama!」
「Tsu……!? Shit!」
Lisha thought that she would only become a hindrance with her current condition even if she was here. Airi’s voice pushed her and she started running.
Airi who didn’t have any way to fight even with a Drag-Ride on her body wouldn’t even be able to buy time, much less fighting. She understood that.
Even so betting on the miracle that Lux would appear if she managed to hold for a few seconds was──
「I will erase you if you stand in my way you know?」
If speaking from the conclusion, Lux and Airi wouldn’t reunite in this place.
「Tsu……!」
「Airi!?」
Airi listened to Noct’s yell from some distance away while she closed her eyes tightly.
The Blade of Vouivre that La Cruche was using moved towards Airi in a straight line.
「──This match. This battle of the caliber as king, is Queen Raffi the winner?」
Near the center of Avalon that was moved to the Ancient Forest. Queen Raffi who liberated the figure of Sacred Eclipse’s main body flew to the sky and devoured the Abyss one after another. While that was going on, the Automata Arshalia looked up to the sky and muttered.
The silver sleet became snow when she noticed. The snow continued to fall silently, as though to hide the bloody slaughter unfolding before her eyes.
Before Raffi obtained strength, she was no more than a woman who could only fear the world.
But, after she fused with Sacred Eclipse, she reacted appropriately even towards the appearance of unexpected enemies and built up her advantage diligently.
She didn’t only rely on the Automatas and Avalon that were under her control.
She believed that the enemy was Lux, read his personality, and then responded with the most suitable plan.
She pretended that her own army was being toyed around, identified Airi as the spy from Lux, and sent an assassin to deal with it.
Even in the unlikely chance that Lux won against Philuffy and El Fajura, she had already prepared another Automata to finish him off after that.
Raffi herself was removing the swarm of Abyss, in addition she was stocking up energy.
The fate of the rebellion that Lux was trying to carry out was already on the verge of ending after just a bit more.
It would be desirable to not kill Lux who right now was the hero of the New Kingdom and had him brainwashed, but Raffi had the resolve to kill him when push comes to shove.
The resolve to cut down the enemy.
The resolve to sever the country’s cancer even if she had to dirty her own hands.
The Automata Arshalia was speaking while taking into account such present situation, but,
「Caliber, huh……. Certainly, her majesty the queen is trying to fulfill the trail that is imposed on her to become a king. In regards to her caliber, there is nothing that can be criticized. But──」
In response to Arshalia’s question, Fugil stayed seated on a small boulder while staring straight to the grey colored empty sky.
「I see, so that’s your answer huh……Lux.」
「……?」
The words that Fugil suddenly uttered made Arshalia tilt her head.
──*GAKIiIN!*
.
The consecutive blows of Philuffy that didn’t even give the time for breathing were approaching with a roar.
Unlike Lux’s secret technique──End Action, Philuffy’s attacks weren’t done with no pause in between.
Using armor to punch, kick, grapple, throw, including the Pile Anchor to snipe and reel in, or perhaps Philuffy herself would move in high speed. Her great variety of attack methods almost gave no room for counterattack or defense.
But, for a human controlling a Drag-Ride, such thing was an impossible action.
Since the Drag-Ride was controlled using the body and the mind, the timing when the pilot had to take a breather due to fatigue should arrive without exception, and yet such timing never arrived.
On the contrary the breathing of Lux who was completely on the defensive was running out first. He was becoming unable to dodge the attacks.
At first he thought that the cause of this was the trick of El Fajura’s parasitic Drag-Ride Python, but that wasn’t it.
Aeril who was watching from the side noticed the reason and called out to Lux.
「Lux-kun! Don’t! She won’t stop even if you continue defending like that!」
「……!?」
Aeril was enduring the fierce attack of El Fajura’s EX Wyvern while barely raising her voice to say that.
「Body control operation, through her whole body──even until the inside of her body……! That’s the power she obtained through Baptism!」
When he looked really close, it was faint, but there were faint geometrical patterns floating on Philuffy’s whole body.
Operation of the body.
Most humans tended to think that they were able to do that skillfully enough without focusing on it, but unexpectedly the number of body functions that could be completely controlled by a human’s own will was limited.
Reflex, immunity, sweating, etc. They would be carried out outside of the consciousness responding to the situation. They couldn’t be controlled by a human’s own will.
「If she become able to completely control her bodily function and the power of an Abyss── She will be able to hold her breath far longer than a normal human, her body’s flexibility and endurance too──」
The people who were turned into Nocturnals by Elixir in the past used their Drag-Rides in a way that didn’t take into account the burden on their body.
Philuffy similarly inserted that into her tactics and drove Lux into a corner.
(So it’s, like that……!)
The bodily control that Philuffy obtained from Baptism.
There was no doubt that it ascended her strength by one rank, but he was feeling a strength that he was still unable to see the bottom of.
Supposing that Philuffy obtained strength, would it end with just that?
「It’s pointless even if you know that. You two won’t win against her and me! We have the duty to believe in Sacred Eclipse──in master and protect Avalon and the Ruins. For the sake of this world’s peace!」
The surroundings of the EX Wyvern that El Fajura equipped summoned additional armor.
Over Limit──the final form after the Drag-Ride’s limiters were taken off. She prepared to end the match.
「Kuh──!」
「Are you planning to challenge me with a broken whip, you fool.」
Aeril who swept aside the medium sized Blade took her Breath Whip into her hand.
The special armament was half destroyed through the process of backing up Lux several times, but it was the weapon she was most skilled in and she resolved herself to make her last stand with it.
「I have to protect……. If I use this strength, surely……can become free」
On the other hand Philuffy was wishing for something within her blank mind.
She was surely intending to draw out all her strength for the sake of protecting the New Kingdom.
(I can’t let her……! I won’t let Phi-chan get taken away by them!)
Even though Lux wished that she would forget about someone like him who might die doing this.
Even though he didn’t want her to risk her life for his sake.
He wondered why he was feeling this hurt because her heart was snatched away by another.
He knew──no, he already knew since a long time ago.
Bahamut’s frame was creaking from the accumulated damage. The movement of every part was gradually dulling.
Why he didn’t want Philuffy to be touched by anyone?
Why was he wanting for her to stay as she was forever?
(I, didn’t want her to change. I wished that, my heart’s only support would stay as it was……)
He intended to protect Philuffy while actually he was depending on her.
He didn’t notice, pretended to not notice the affection she was directing to him.
Lux’s Divine Raiment Reload on Fire and the three secret techniques of Drag-Knight control were sealed because she was pressing on Lux without giving him time to take even a breath.
It was possible in theory, but he didn’t think that there would be a Drag-Knight in reality who would be able to do that.
Lux was in an unfavorable situation where his defeat was highly likely, even so he continued to endure.
With his own power of foresight that was also strengthened by Baptism he was barely avoiding from getting hit by a lethal blow.
(Just a bit more, and I’ll be able to memorize Typhon’s current movement. If I can predict her aim, I’ll have to take her down with one attack. In order to not let Philuffy use the Abyss’s power even more than this too──)
「Tsu……haa!」
Philuffy seemed to reach her limit. Her breathing was getting faster, and the momentum of her attack was slightly slackening.
Lux who saw that through diverted the fist that Typhon unleashed with the edge of his Blade, parrying it.
In order to land a slash of Quick Draw on the back of her defenseless shoulder, he gathered strength for an instant. In that instant──
「Lu……chan?」
「Tsu……!?」
When Philuffy who was making a hollow expression slipped out that word, the inside of Lux’s head became pure white.
Did she recover her consciousness? Or was it perhaps just her reflexive muttering?
What happened with the power of the Abyss planted inside her body? If she spread Yggdrasil’s root into her Drag-Ride, then the effect──
Right after he harbored such hesitation for an instant, Typhon’s straight punch pierced Bahamut.
「U, ah!」
It couldn’t be defended even when he immediately strengthened the barrier.
He crashed on the metal wall at the direction where he was blown away. His breathing stopped from the impact running through his whole body.
He barely avoided from having his armor dispelled, but he couldn’t continue.
For several seconds from here, he wouldn’t be able to do anything except receiving his opponent’s attack fully.
But, if Philuffy just now was recovering her awareness──
「………….」
「Phi……chan?」
There wasn’t any change in Philuffy’s condition.
She was looking down on Lux with a blank gaze and lifted up Typhon’s huge fist.
「You got caught by that huh, fool. That was my plan that the current master ordered me to do.」
「────」
The words of El Fajura who was crossing swords with Aeril stupefied Lux for an instant.
This flow of battle──everything until Lux’s counterattack was dodged was the scheme of Raffi who was manipulating Philuffy.
The real strength of Lux who had defeated numerous powerful enemies until now──its source was his mental strength. In order to seal that, Raffi used Philuffy.
(Is this, my defeat……. Your majesty Raffi, you’re really formidable──)
But, if Philuffy wasn’t bound by a Ragnarok’s power and she could be safe, then that was also fine, Lux thought.
If there was one regret that he still had it was,
(Lisha, sama……)
The girl who he believed in and entrusted his own kingship to──
──At the same time, inside a room of a certain hideout located at the royal capital Lordgalia.
A man and a woman were sitting in front of the fireplace inside the room of that building that was made to look like an empty house.
「Is it really alright? Magialca-sama──」
「What is it Lolotte? Is it about me not letting you to go assist them?」
The servant youth who was aiding Magialca who was confined to a wheelchair──Lolotte asked a question. In response his master answered him.
Magialca who was cooperating with Lux behind the scenes under the name of the Azure Division gave him as much support as she could. Now she was looking up at the cloudy sky that was visible from the curtain’s gap.
「No, I mean about……entrusting everything to him. To begin with, I’m also puzzled about your involvement with this battle……」
The question of Lolotte who was her aide and also her loyal follower was only natural if it was considered objectively.
Certainly it was a great threat to the world but, it was unthinkable that they would be able to win against Raffi who fused with Sacred Eclipse and Fugil who owned Ouroboros.
Magialca’s rash gamble by supporting Lux that she even braved danger when she was already thought to be dead was something that Lolotte couldn’t support.
But, the female master who he trusted, she smiled fearlessly even in her appearance that was covered with bandages.
「You’re really distrusting even though we have known each other for long. Have my bets regarding business ever missed when I thought that this is the one?」
「……But, I don’t know if it’s Sir Singlen, that young man is too clean. Against Queen Raffi who is using every method in the book both as a statesman and as someone standing above others──」
Queen Raffi obtained strength that was equal or surpassing Lux by fusing with Sacred Eclipse.
In contrast Lux was challenging a battle of defeating Sacred Eclipse and Fugil in a way that anyone wouldn’t notice. It was something that was just too difficult.
Looking at the whole, Lolotte was judging that Lux had no chance of victory.
「You really don’t get it. Why do you think I sent the Seven Dragon Paladins who haven’t recovered their memories──who are unable to free themselves from the bindings of the world revision, to the Ancient Forest?」
「……?」
Her aide tilted his head in puzzlement. Magialca continued with a malicious smile.
「You see, that’s because that man……Lux is a heroic figure who isn’t inferior compared to Singlen or Raffi. That man would look at someone, talk to them, and face them even if he has to risk his life without running away or feeling irked by the troublesome effort. That’s exactly why the powerful people allied themselves with him. That’s exactly──」
The kingship that Lux was aiming and looking for until now.
It was a disposition of a king that was different from Raffi and Singlen. A king’s disposition of his own.
「……-!?」
The Blade of Vouivre that was worn by La Cruche was swung down. Airi shut her eyes from the fear of death.
However, not only Airi’s body, even the armor of the Drake she was wearing didn’t feel any impact.
When she fearfully opened her eyes, a completely unexpected sight was unfolding there.
「……Looks like, we made it in time eeeh」
「You’re──!?」
The eyes of Noct who was fixing up her Drag-Ride some distance away spontaneously snapped wide open.
The one who stopped Vouivre’s Blade using a large scythe──ScytheDragon Horn Curved Blade and protected Airi was a red haired girl wearing a huge dark grey armor.
「Rosa Granhide!? Why are you here?」
La Cruche asked with a dubious face while pushing the Blade that was locked with the scythe.
In response Rosa parried it with her Sctyhe along with a dangerous smile.
「That’s my linee. I don’t know what’s going on but, if you’re attacking Lux-sama’s little sister, then obviously I’ll protect heer. You yourself, are you prepared?」
Rosa’s crimson eyes glared and she threatened.
In response La Cruche gazed at the Seven Dragon Paladin opposing her with a bitter expression.
「How unexpected. An unplanned opponent appeared at this kind of place── But, it’s still……」
Even while shocked La Cruche sent her thoughts to her fellow Automata.
Re Plica who was apprehending Alma was heading to deal the finishing blow to Lux.
「Hmph. Well, fine then. I’m sure it will also go well over there.」
La Cruche tilted her head at Rosa’s meaningful smile.
She didn’t understand the meaning of that smile at this time.
But, something was also occurring at a place some distance away from there.
.
「What are youomae coming here for desu? youomae──」
At the same time, Soffice Xfer who came along with Rosa into the Ancient Forest was also facing the Gear Leader of the seventh Ruin the Moon, the Automata Re Plica.
On the armored arm of the golden colored Divine Drag-Ride Vritra worn by Soffice was Alma who she snatched from Re Plica.
「youomae are……, no, youanata are──?」
「Yep, it’s Soffice. The Seven Dragon Paladin of the Turkimes Confederation and Lux’s bosom friend, perhaps.」
Alma didn’t know what to say toward the brown skinned girl who was indifferently talking with her peculiar expressionless face.
「Why did you, save me──?」
「I heard from Magialca that you are my bosom friend’s──Lux’s comrade. Also, I have a business with the Automata in front of me.」
Soffice too still hadn’t recovered her memory before the world revision.
But, she was starting to vaguely get an inkling of something out of place that was going on in this Ancient Forest.
「Let’s do our best as fellow people who were helped by Lux. Then」
「……-! I’m in your debt!」
Alma who was untied by Soffice started running into a thicket.
Thus, the two Seven Dragon Paladins who were assisting Lux entered battle against the Automatas.
「Haa, haa……. Shit! What in the world is that monster?」
Lisha slowly caught her breath while hiding behind a tree.
From afar she could see the countless Abyss flying in the sky and a mysterious flying object devouring them one after another.
The New Kingdom camp and the Azure Division.
She didn’t know which side was coming ahead, but she understood that this wasn’t a normal situation.
She got separated from Airi and Noct. It was also difficult to search them in her state that was unable to wear her Drag-Ride.
Snow was falling around her and she was feeling really cold.
She would be able to maintain her temperature if she wore her Drag-Ride, but at this rate she might freeze to death.
(But, just a bit more and I’ll be able to resummon Tiamat. And then──)
She calmed her breathing and strengthened her will.
「──Lux. I’m not going to die until I go back and meet you once more……」
It was like that day five years ago.
Lisha at that time lost everything that she could depend on and fell into despair.
(I was abandoned by father and even my remaining little sister betrayed me── I lost everything.)
However, now she had Lux.
Her knight that was worthy of trust from the bottom of her heart.
No──Lux was becoming a special existence for her already since a long time ago, perhaps even from that day when he saved her.
「The next time, I meet Lux……. I’ve got to tell him properly. Actually I want him to be the one telling me but──」
Lisha quietly put her hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and thought of the young man’s figure in her mind.
(I’ve decided. That I will help Haha-ue together with Lux and protect the New Kingdom. That’s why, who is going to lose against those guys at this kind of place)
The resolve that was born inside Lisha.
It awakened the power of Baptism and increased her body temperature.
「Yosh, I can do it now! Just you wait! Lux!」
Lisha took a deep breath and lifted her Sword Device to the sky once more.
The flame of hope was blazing in that chest.
「Wha──!?」
At the facility of Avalon, Archive that was located in the underground nearby Lisha’s position.
The fist that Philuffy held up wasn’t swung towards Lux.
In exchange, the tip of Pile Anchor was digging into the armor of EX Wyvern that El Fajura was wearing.
The unexpected reality made El Fajura and Lux to open their eyes wide at the same time.
「What’re you doing? You──should be my puppet! Why are you aiming at me!?」
It was impossible.
Due to the mental manipulation from Python, the normal awareness and thought should be taken away from Philuffy.
However, El Fajura noticed after this late that she was overlooking Aeril’s existence.
「My bad, it’s dispelled already. Python is──」
The parasitic Divine Drag-Ride’s armor was crumbling off in pieces from Typhon’s armor.
Breath Whip that was slid into the gap of the armor was destroying the armor as though peeling off a thin skin.
Why was Aeril continuing to use a Blade she was holding with one hand since midway?
That was in order to make El Fajura’s consciousness forget about the existence of the whip she was wielding in the other hand using Zahhak’s Divine Raiment──Brain Hack.
Even El Fajura could understand until that far.
But, even with Python peeled off, the target’s awareness wouldn’t return to normal right away.
Philuffy’s mind should be still nothing more than a blank slate.
「I’m not a puppet you know? I am, me. Because Lu-chan, taught me that.」
「Tsu……!?」
By reeling in the wire, El Fajura who was clad in an EX Wyvern was pulled towards Typhon at high speed.
At the same time the right fist of Philuffy’s Typhon was gathering energy that was tinged with high heat.
「Impossible! I won’t lose! For the sake of the master I believe in too!」
El Fajura’s EX Wyvern that was using Over Limit was brandishing its Blade even while being pulled.
She aimed to counter Philuffy so they struck each other down at the same time. In that instant,
「……!?」
The armored right wrist that was going to swing down the sword was severed by Bahamut.
──Reload on Fire.
Right after Philuffy’s fist stopped, Lux learned that her heart had returned and without delay he activated Bahamut’s Divine Raiment.
And then Philuffy too also knew Lux’s thought and launched the attack to shave off El Fajura’s consciousness without hesitation.
An instantaneous mutual understanding.
They didn’t have any detailed arrangement or preparation beforehand.
They were just, if they were fighting together, they would trust each other and act in a way that would help the other.
(There is no way……. In a state that is almost subconscious, trusting someone else to that degree is just──)
Right after El Fajura was bewildered with the thought of humans that she couldn’t comprehend,
.
──*DO, OooOOOOON!*
.
Destruction and great heat blew violently along with a thunderous roar that shook the air.
Right after that, Typhon’s special armament Biting Flare’s super firepower crushed El Fajura along with her armor.
「……Haa, haa」
「──It’s, over.」
Aeril, Lux, and Philuffy dispelled their armor and stood still in that place.
They were breathing hard while looking at each other’s faces.
「Philuffy-san, how much do you remember about this battle?」
「Until I came to this forest I think? After that I don’t really remember though.」
Philuffy vacantly tilted her head at Aeril’s question and answered.
She didn’t ask anything about Lux being here when originally he should be waiting back at the inn.
「Lu-chan is going to, beat her majesty?」
「How do you──」
「Because, there was a bit of an Abyss’s scent from her majesty. Right now I don’t really understand though──」
Philuffy who was similarly possessing a Ragnarok’s factor in herself was surely sensing some kind of change from Raffi.
Now that it had been exposed, there was no meaning in hiding the truth anymore.
The matter of what happened at Guernica two weeks ago.
The matter of three days of the parade that were looped.
The matter of Sacred Eclipse. He told everything to Philuffy.
Including how Lux intended to fight by himself so that everyone of the New Kingdom──Syvalles wouldn’t get dragged into it.
「I see. Then, I’ll also help out.」
「……Wait, that’s no good Phi-chan! I can’t let you do that.」
She and also her big sister Relie had important standings in this country.
He couldn’t let them to bear the stigma of being a rebel who opposed the New Kingdom.
To say nothing of having her participating in the reckless battle to defeat Fugil and Sacred Eclipse──
「Besides I also, don’t want to put any more burden on Phi-chan. Because……」
「……Because of that body that is gnawed by an Abyss huh?」
「──!?」
Suddenly El Fajura’s head among the wreckage that was scattered below them moved and both its eyes snapped open.
.
──*IIIiiiIIII-!*
.
In the next moment, the sound of a horn flute from its mouth resounded inside the Archive.
「Kill that guy you monster! Stab that man’s heart with your Sword Device!」
「……-!?」
Lux shuddered at El Fajura’s last obsession.
Although Philuffy became able to resist the sound of a horn flute through training, if it was used in surprise when she was tired──
As though to prove that anxiety of Lux and Aeril, Philuffy immediately pulled out the short sword shaped Sword Device from her sword belt.
And then, she lightly turned around and threw it towards El Fajura.
「Gah……!?」
El Fajura’s head was pierced through and this time she stopped completely.
*Shin*……silence came once more.
「Phi-chan!?」
「I’m, fine. The Abyss inside me already vanished after all.」
「Eh──?」
Lux was dumbfounded hearing Philuffy’s murmur.
If Lux’s memory was correct, he had never seen her lying.
But regardless of that, Lux spontaneously doubted his hearing.
「Ragnarok’s, Yggdrasil’s seed vanished? How in the world?」
According to Philuffy’s explanation, it seemed that the feeling of the seed of Ragnarok remaining inside her body was already gone.
The power of bodily manipulation that she obtained from Baptism.
The Ragnarok that was giving Philuffy power while also placing a burden on her until now seemed to be used by her to heal her body.
The power to consciously control the body parts that previously couldn’t be consciously controlled.
When Raffi suggested the point to be strengthened through Baptism, she thought about it and tested it.
Namely, erasing the seed of Ragnarok that was a part of her body on her own.
Of course, there was also the possibility that she would die from the rejection reaction.
She thought that Lux and Airi would stop her if she told them and so she didn’t tell them.
「That’s why, Lu-chan doesn’t need to, worry about me anymore you know? There is nothing, that Lu-chan needs to worry about because of failures in the past. That’s why, I want you to tell me. Help out.」
「…………」
Lux couldn’t say anything.
She already risked her life for his sake.
The same like Lux, for the sake of something important.
「Phi-chan……」
He drew Philuffy’s body close and hugged her tightly.
「Yes. I’m okay you know?」
Tears were falling in large drops while he was feeling his childhood friend’s warmth, softness, and nostalgic scent.
His feeling towards her that couldn’t be described with words was overflowing.
His current feeling couldn’t be expressed using any kind of word.
「Oi, where are you all planning to go!? I’m going to assist everyone too!」
「That’s what she said, Airi. What should we do?」
At the same time when Lux and Philuffy were starting to fight.
Lisha who was rescued by Philuffy was handed to the Triad and guarded by them. They were wandering inside the forest.
「Or rather little sister, what’s with that appearance? Since when have you become able to pilot a Drag-Ride!?」
The destination of the Triad──at an open place there Lisha reflexively raised her voice.
「Fufu, to think I’ll be able to surprise Lisha-sama in the matter of Drag-Rides, anything is possible as long as one dares to take the challenge isn’t it.」
There she found the figure of Airi wearing a pilot suit and a Drake on top of that.
From the examination it was known that she also had high aptitude for Drag-Rides, so in a sense she should have even more talent than Lisha.
But, her stamina was low and she had difficulty with controlling a Drag-Ride, so in the end she was pursuing the work of a secretary. It should be like that but──
「Airi. Please don’t force yourself. I’ve told you so repeatedly.」
Airi responded to Noct’s serious expression with a gentle smile.
If Lisha’s question was to be answered concisely, from a little while ago Airi was receiving the Triad’s help to train wearing a Drag-Ride once more.
Having said that, there was almost nothing that she could do.
Airi’s skill in piloting a Drag-Ride couldn’t endure going through battle or making complicated movements, so she was using the Drag-Ride in a unique way.
She equipped a Drake, then she focused on only using the function of barrier and the special equipment. Other functions like weapon usage or movement were all locked instead.
With that, complex and varied movement as well as physical fatigue were suppressed until the utmost limits and she succeeded in using a Drag-Ride.
In other words, once she deployed her Drag-Ride, she became the person in charge of information management that wouldn’t take even a single step away from her spot, but──
「Magialca-san of the Seven Dragon Paladins was also using a similar Divine Drag-Ride, so I tried imitating her.」
「Perhaps, that woman would be angry if she heard that……」
Lisha muttered with a complicated expression towards Airi’s smile.
「That’s how it is, so for now please rest for a bit. Lisha-sama couldn’t have any decent sleep during your imprisonment right? Your face is the same like when you were staying up all night.」
「Mu……. Still, I’m worried about Haha-ue. Besides──there is also the matter of Alma.」
Airi soothed Lisha, even so Lisha also wouldn’t back down.
「The matter of the little sister, is it?」
Lisha wordlessly nodded towards Noct’s question.
Outwardly Alma was the captain of the Azure Division and the main culprit who caused the commotion this time.
But, even so Lisha couldn’t think of her little sister as simply the bad guy.
「That girl too, her hand stopped when she was about to kill me. Perhaps her grudge towards me is genuine. But, a part of the responsibility of her doing something like that also lies with me……. If there is casualties from both sides in this battle then it might become difficult to even defend her but──」
「Princess……」
「I know that I’m saying a strange thing. I also know that I’m lacking self-awareness as the princess of the New Kingdom. But, I don’t want to abandon my little sister once more.」
Lisha hung her head down after Sharis commented.
Perhaps she was released from her tension until now that she staggered at that place from fatigue and a lack of sleep.
Airi awkwardly supported Lisha’s unsteady body with her arms, then she waited for the girl to sleep.
「I will look after Lisha-sama, so the three of you, please guard the surroundings. Let’s resume moving after resting for half an hour.」
「Yep. Let’s do that as long as no enemy comes.」
Tillfur said that with a relieved expression, then the three started searching the surroundings just like Airi instructed.
Airi who was left alone with Lisha looked at her sleeping face that looked vaguely pained and smiled.
「That’s not a strange thing at all. After all that’s how siblings are.」
Airi muttered while sending a transmission using Dragon Voice to a certain person.
Airi raised the temperature of the Drag-Ride she was wearing to protect Lisha from the coldness of the snow that was starting to fall and warmed her body.
(Nii-san, please be safe──)
After Celis, next it was the second successive battle with the objective of making Philuffy withdraw from the frontlines.
Airi knew that Krulcifer wouldn’t move too far to the front in order to maintain the battlefront of the New Kingdom military. She was conveying that to Lux.
Raffi was monitoring Lux as well as Syvalles until the very last minute before this decisive battle, but in the end it seemed she was predicting that Lux was moving alone.
But, that was Raffi’s miscalculation──
No, even Lux himself didn’t even have the slightest thought of using Airi who was pretending to not know anything before this as a spy in the New Kingdom camp until just before.
「Nii-san, is it okay if I ask you──about a certain matter?」
「About what?」
Last night, in the reserved inn where it was time to sleep late at night.
The guest room where Lux and Airi were staying.
The bright blue moonlight was shining into the bedroom. There Airi was talking to the sleeping Lux.
The voice that was familiar to his ears.
The face of his biological sister that was tinged with sorrow vaguely looked like a different person that made his heart jumped.
Toward the bewildered Lux, Airi quietly slipped into the blanket with her cheeks slightly blushing, and whispered.
「Shh…… be quiet. Nii-san. I’m asking Noct to watch the surroundings of the inn, so there should be no one listening.」
「Why so suddenly……? Did something, happen──」
When Lux asked uneasily, Airi placed the pillow she brought beside Lux and lied down facing the side to face Lux.
The familiar fixed stare from Airi was tinged with even more dissatisfaction than usual.
「I, heard it. When Nii-san and Aeril-san were talking while avoiding anyone’s gaze.」
「……!?」
Lux couldn’t hide his reaction hearing that.
This time he was acting and staying quiet not only towards people related to the New Kingdom starting from Queen Raffi, but even to everyone of the Academy, however his mask was torn off now.
But, when Airi was listening to the conversation of that time, she should have nothing but questions.
Because Airi should still be under the binding spell on her perception from Endless.
「If I have to speak the truth, I was unable to affirm Aeril-san’s figure. But, it felt like Nii-san was talking to her so, perhaps──」
「Isn’t that just your imagination? I had no intention saying such……」
Thinking really carefully, two weeks ago, at the deep level floor of Avalon at the abandoned capital Guernica, Airi also──received Baptism from the trial.
In that sense there was a grounding for her to notice this world revision, but it was hard to believe that she would notice any definite out of place feeling just from listening to Lux and Aeril’s conversation.
And so, Lux tried to deceive Airi to distance her from this matter, but──
「Then, is it alright if I speak loudly from now? I’ll expose to everyone too that Nii-san is the mastermind of that organization in question though.」
「…………」
Seeing the smiling face of Airi with the shadow hanging over her eyes, Lux could only shake his head hard left and right with a pale expression.
「Then please tell me. What does Nii-san know? What is happening in this New Kingdom──」
「That’s……」
「If you say that you don’t want to drag me into it, then I’ll get angry.」
When Lux averted his eyes and shut his mouth, Airi slightly brought her face closer.
Helplessly, Lux talked about the looping three days of thd parade.
Although the Lords were defeated in the great battle at Avalon, the Seven Dragon Paladins were defeated by Fugil and a world revision was carried out by Ouroboros.
The memories of all the people were overwritten and history was corrected.
The act that the Hero of Beginning, Fugil, had been repeating along with Sacred Eclipse until now was currently in progress right now.
The Sacred Eclipse possessed Queen Raffi, then with that almighty power she murdered the Old Empire faction, Waybra, Prime Minister Nulph, and various other people in order to hide her sin of betraying the great man Count Atismata.
The members of Syvalles other than Yoruka didn’t know that fact, and Lux also had no intention of telling them, but Lux knew the truth about Sacred Eclipse and Fugil, and he decided to liberate the New Kingdom from the grasp of Sacred Eclipse by himself. He told her that.
「……So, Sacred Eclipse hasn’t died. And then it possessed her Majesty the Queen.」
「Yes. I somehow realized after hearing the report from Yoruka. It seems that Sacred Eclipse is special for Fugil. Apparently it was originally made in order to save the world, but it became strange because of some kind of mistake.」
The chip of storage medium that was recovered from the treasure warehouse of the Ruin Garden.
From what Aeril said, it seemed that it was set so if several conditions were fulfilled, the data inside it could be played in Avalon’s facility.
And so, if they could obtain secret information related to Avalon, wouldn’t they be able to obtain a countermeasure against Ouroboros and Sacred Eclipse──
「…………」
After Lux finished saying the summarized version of everything, Airi turned her face towards Lux on the pillow and silently gave him a fixed stare.
「Nii-san, you really love doing dangerous tightrope walking. How about you enter a circus troupe when you graduate the Academy?」
「No that, sorry……. That’s why at the very least even if it’s just Airi alone I want you to escape──」
Normally he would smile wryly at Airi’s sarcasm but this time only it wasn’t a situation where he could make a joke.
Now that it had come to light that Sacred Eclipse was a Ragnarok that possessed an evil side, he had to challenge Queen Raffi in order to save the New Kingdom too.
And then, thinking for the case in which he failed, so that everyone and Airi wouldn’t get dragged in──
「I’ll say this but, Nii-san has no right to refuse okay?」
「Eh……?」
Airi’s words that she casually said to him made Lux shut his mouth.
「I will help. Until now I kept it a secret from everyone except the Triad, but if it’s only for a limited use, then even I have become able to wear a Drag-Ride. With that I’ll support Nii-san from the New Kingdom’s side. As a spy──」
When Lux asked, it seemed Airi was training to be able to use a Drake. She picked up on the conversation of Lux and Aeril was also thanks to that.
It seemed that Airi coincidentally wore the Drag-Ride after they finished checking the inside of the inn, so they overlooked her.
「──Tha, that’s reckless!」
「It’s Nii-san who’s reckless right? Even so you decided to do it right? Then I’ll also accompany you. Even if I die because of that, I don’t really mind.」
Airi stared into Lux’s eyes while saying that indifferently.
It wasn’t just a spontaneous idea or a temporary emotion, her face was the face of someone who had made their resolve.
「I’m not that sickly kid from seven years ago anymore you know? I can at least decide about my life or death by myself. If this is what Nii-san is going to do, then I’ll also do so.」
「────」
「Nii-san too, please try to put yourself in my position if I have to live in a world where Nii-san is dead. If you don’t want to hurt me, then please stop fighting right away. Nii-san wants to keep up with your selfishness, but then my selfishness is no good? Don’t you think that’s unfair?」
「Airi……」
He couldn’t find any words to reply to that.
But, this wasn’t a problem of logic.
「No, but, as I thought, it’s no good! Such thing──」
Emotionally, he was unable to choose an option where his little sister, his only biological family, Airi might become a sacrifice.
「──Nii-san. Will you listen to my dream when I was a child?」
Lux was going to appeal to Airi desperately, but Airi suddenly smiled.
「After I graduate from the Academy, I will become independent as a civil official and go to meet up with Nii-san. I want our criminal collars to be taken off, no……even if we don’t actually receive any pardon, I want the two of us to live together as a family again.」
「…………」
「I wanted to become able to stay together with Nii-san again. Is it no good for me to have this kind of dream? Can’t I risk my life for the sake of raising the possibility of Nii-san coming back alive even if only slightly?」
Lux was unable to say anything hearing that earnest plea.
His little sister who was given criminal status just like him.
Lux was worrying for her all this time as an existence that he had to protect, but she was working hard in order to become able to protect Lux too.
He learned for the first time that she was working hard until now dreaming to be together with him.
「──You know, I actually didn’t want to say something like this.」
Even in the very dim light from the moonlight shining in, it felt like he could see Airi’s face that was blushing from embarrassment.
This was Airi after all, surely she was feeling embarrassed.
She was secretly working hard all the time in order to make her dream come true.
While she had no talent to fight as a Drag-Knight, she did the best she could in order to protect Lux.
His heart felt constricted when he thought of Airi’s feelings.
「But, if Nii-san dies, I won’t be able to say this anymore. So I said it while I can. Is there something that Nii-san wants to say to me?」
「Sorry, Airi……. I──」
When Lux looked down and said that, Airi brought her body even closer on the bed.
「……It’s fine. It’s not that I want to receive help from Nii-san. I want to become the one who can help Nii-san this time. That’s all there is to it.」
He couldn’t stop her anymore.
Because he realized that just like how he was thinking of Airi, she was also thinking of him.
「Hey, Nii-san. Can I get a bit closer? Just like when we were children.」
「Yeah.」
Airi buried her face on Lux’s chest so that her skin could stick close on him through their clothes.
The nostalgic scent and warmth, and the beating of the heart were directly conveyed.
Their hearts were connected as one and they whispered about the strategy before falling asleep at the end.
And then now──
Airi who was clad in a Drake guarded Lisha together with the Triad while thinking.
Lisha being taken back by the New Kingdom camp was painful, Airi who was acting together with the Triad was involved with protecting Lisha. In a sense it should be said as convenient.
In their position, originally they should bring Lisha right away to Queen Raffi, but Airi intentionally didn’t do that.
If Raffi learned that Lisha was rescued from being a hostage, she would surely kill Alma and take every measure to bring Lux down.
They shouldn’t bring Lisha back yet in order to prevent that too.
No──Lisha couldn’t be brought back until Lux accomplished the objective of infiltrating Avalon’s Archive, the facility for playing the storage medium that they obtained.
She would continue to shelter Lisha while evasively deceiving her together with the Triad who didn’t know anything about the situation.
That was the best action that Airi should take right now.
She had confirmed that Lux along with Aeril had activated the production plant of Avalon and released the Abyss.
If the Azure Division members on standby used their horn flutes and controlled the swarm of the Abyss that were liberated from the plant, their insufficient battle strength would be supplemented and it became possible to buy time.
(Even so, it feels like death is really near……)
Airi was feeling the wet sensation of cold sweat beneath her pilot suit while watching the surroundings with her radar.
(I should be able to buy quite a lot of time if I continue like this! Nii-san, please finish this while you can.)
Sooner or later Raffi would notice the existence of a traitor in their midst.
The problem was whether she would be able to drag the time until that happened.
「I finally find you. The traitor who is leaking the information of the New Kingdom──」
But, Raffi surpassed Airi’s expectations and already sent her trump card, the Automata. She didn’t notice that the evil clutches already approached until right beside her.
The deadline was approaching second by second.
──*IIIIiiIiiIIIII!*
.
The discordant sound of the Abyss controlling horn flute was resounding in the southwest region of the Ancient Forest.
Many Abyss were transferred to outside of the Cocoon, one of Avalon’s facilities. With that, the strategy of controlling the enemy’s Abyss just like that became possible.
With this, the Azure Division’s battle strength that was greatly inferior on the whole could push back at the New Kingdom camp and sow chaos.
For several dozen minutes from now would be the time that decided victory or defeat.
『──Lux-kun! Over here!』
「……-!?」
Lux received the instruction from Aeril who was flying ahead to the north and he began moving.
He pretended to slash at Philuffy and Typhon. He mixed in a feint while circling around in an arc and chased behind Aeril.
Lisha who was taken back was entrusted to Airi and the Triad, with that it became possible to continue the plan.
(It’s not a coincidence that Airi and the others are here. We were able to cope because she learned the formation of the New Kingdom camp beforehand!)
In the end, thanks to Airi’s cooperation, Lux ended up saved in this phase.
In that case, he wanted to win.
He wanted to make this plan a success to respond to his little sister’s feelings who wanted to save Lux even if she had to put herself in danger.
With that feeling in his heart, he headed to Avalon’s Archive──the place where all information was stored which was located underground this place, at full speed.
Most likely Philuffy had also received strengthening by Baptism just like Celis. It would be foolish to clash against her head-on.
If Philuffy used the Abyss factor inside her body, it would put a great burden on her body.
Fortunately, the movement of Typhon that was a huge land battle type Divine Drag-Ride was limited this deep inside the forest.
(I’ll be able to get away if I can escape to the sky!)
The instant he flew to the sky with that conviction, he felt something was out of place.
Right after that, Typhon that jumped vertically from the ground until the height of ten-odd ml fired an anchor from its armor.
「Wha-!?」
「You won’t get away, you know?」
A thick steel wire entangled Bahamut’s armored leg and completely restrained it.
Lux along with the armor he wore swooped down from getting pulled by the Drag-Ride’s tremendous strength.
『What’s, that──!?』
Aeril who turned around also opened her eyes wide in surprise.
The form of Typhon that Philuffy was wearing had turned into a different shape than before.
There were countless protuberances that looked like curved blades on her shoulders and back. In addition the armor covering her hands and legs were reinforced further, enlarging Typhon that was already a large type originally to become even bigger.
That shape that looked similar to Over Unit, putting even more armor above the armor that Lisha developed, astonished Lux.
And then, the presence of Philuffy herself also became empty. There was no light in her eyes.
『The reason is unclear but the possession target, this woman doesn’t recognize the guy’s true identity. But it will be faster if I’m directly controlling anyway. This Divine Drag-Ride Python and El Fajura will return the debt from the other day.』
「──!?」
The voice of an Automata whose shape or shadow couldn’t be seen came from the armor Philuffy was wearing.
El Fajura.
The Gear Leader of Gigas who once attacked the New Kingdom together with the Lord Hayes.
She possessed the power to control another person’s Drag-Ride using her own clone that was created from nanomachines.
In addition she was also operating behind the scenes at the looping parade the other day. She murdered the noble called Waybra under Raffi’s order.
But, till the end she was only piloting a Drag-Ride. She should be unable to control another person but──
(Is she under the effect of Iblis’s mental pollution just like Celis-senpai? No, until just now Philuffy didn’t show any strange sign.)
One of Lux’s armored legs was still restrained by Pile Anchor while he was flying in low altitude. A voice came from Aeril.
「Lux-kun! El Fajura’s Divine Drag-Ride Python is sticking on Philuffy-san’s Typhon. It possesses a Divine Raiment that takes hold of another Drag-Ride’s armor and misdirects the pilot’s mind!」
Because Lux’s appearance was witnessed by the Automata, Aeril also used her real voice to tell him of the danger.
「Kuh……!?」
The enemy wasn’t controlling Philuffy’s own body, but she was taking possession of the Drag-Ride and interfered with her mind through it.
Lux recalled last time when Philuffy was controlled by Hayes and he went tense.
This time, it didn’t look like she was using a Ragnarok’s strength so that was the only silver lining but──
「……Ei」
But, the next moment.
A danger that dispersed even such consideration attacked Lux.
Typhon skated and got out of the area crowded with trees, then right after that it pulled the restrained Bahamut right to its side.
「-!?」
He had fought Philuffy several times in mock battles, so he was on guard against being pulled by Pile Anchor.
But, the place where he was pulled at was a large rock that was between Philuffy and Lux.
(What, in the world!?)
The trees clustering together were blocking the view, so he made light of the opponent thinking that the other side would also find it hard to confirm his action, but it was a tremendous miscalculation.
It was Lux who got the trees used as blinder against him. At this rate he would be smashed on the rock.
(I’m being pulled so I can’t dodge!? My armor will be scattered if I’m smashed there!)
He realized that there was only one option for him in front of the large rock before him.
「──Recoil Burst!」
He quickly touched the Sword Device on his waist and simultaneously gave conflicting commands from the two types of control.
He intentionally caused the Drag-Ride to rampage from the contradiction of orders, bringing a destructive power that was several times the usual to destroy the rock.
.
──*ZU-, DOOooON!*
.
At the same time with the secret technique’s execution, the impact shook the surrounding trees and blew away their leaves.
He was worried if Philuffy who was at the other side got hit by the scattered rock fragments, but his anxiety came in a different shape.
「I don’t know who you are but, I understand if it’s that Divine Drag-Ride.」
「──!?」
Philuffy predicted that Lux would destroy the rock and jumped ahead. She got away from the opposite end of the wire that was connecting her and Lux, then she greatly pulled back her right armored arm in order to hit Lux who had just finished executing his secret technique.
Typhon’s special armament that was installed inside the armored arm would directly send energy into the captured target and explode it.
It was clear even from afar that enough energy for that had been gathered.
(Damn it!)
He was completely outwitted.
He had no intention of underestimating Philuffy’s strength, but Lux’s assumption was easily surpassed.
(I won’t make it in time. The time to recover Bahamut’s posture──there’s no time!)
Typhon’s arm approached from in front of him.
Lux’s consciousness was stretching the instant into several seconds with his own defeat before his eyes, it was then,
Aeril who came from the side immediately blew away Lux to the side with Howling Roar.
*GO-……DOoNN!*
Right after that, the scorching hot torrent from Biting Flare crushed the empty air.
Lux barely escaped the predicament due to Aeril’s quick wit, but he witnessed something strange in that instant.
Philuffy couldn’t neutralize the impact of the explosion and her balance crumbled──, no, she stood on one leg as a pivot and used the momentum of the recoil to launch a spinning kick.
「……-!?」
Lux felt doubtful why she exploded the Biting Flare even though she didn’t catch Lux, but that in itself was a series of attacking actions.
Philuffy’s kick that was using the hand-to-hand combat technique learned from Magialca in her Drag-Ride piloting, hit Aeril who came nearby. A part of her armor was smashed and she was sent flying.
「……U-, AAaaAH!」
Although she was directly hit by the kick, Zahhak’s armor wasn’t dispelled, but most likely Aeril was already unable to fight properly with that.
Perhaps it was cheap as compensation to save Lux’s life, but from the perspective of the battle situation they were cornered into an overwhelming disadvantage with this.
『What’s the meaning of this? The movement just now……is completely Philuffy’s movement. Is she not completely controlled?』
Lux used Dragon Voice to voice his question, then Aeril immediately responded with a tense voice.
『That……is, Philuffy-san herself. Cough……! It’s not that her mind is taken over, she is being made to misrecognize the opponent she is fighting. In other words, she is directing her full strength toward yous, based on her own tactics……. Quickly run away, Lux-kun. The current us──aren’t her match!』
Aeril was blown away, but she was talking with pain coloring her voice.
Honestly speaking this was unexpected.
It was reassuring when she was fighting as a member of Syvalles──as his comrade, but to think that she would be this powerful as an enemy.
(No── should I say that she has become this strong……)
Lux was struck with admiration.
This was incomparable with half a year ago when he fought the brainwashed Philuffy at Ries Island.
In order to defeat the numerous powerful enemies, Philuffy was also polishing her fangs like the other girls.
『Lux, kun……. Run, shake her off and head to the Archive. If you don’t! You’ll be defeated……!』
Perhaps because she had just attacked with all her strength, as expected even Philuffy’s movement to give chase was dulled.
There was the armor strengthening by Python, but he would be able to shake her off if he escaped in full speed for several seconds.
But──
(Your majesty Raffi, is this also your plan?)
Even if this was his assumption that she realized his true identity, this was the first time for an enemy to understand Lux’s true nature this far.
Not only had she been told about the way he fought from the reports more than anyone else, she also understood the human called Lux from the viewpoint of a ruler.
『Lux……kun?』
Lux drove Bahamut towards the road that Aeril showed──the northeast region of the Ancient Forest where the Archive was located.
But, he wasn’t using his maximum speed. It was a speed that Typhon could barely follow.
If it was Philuffy who was powered up by the parasitic armor Python, she would be able to follow after Lux without problem.
(Even knowing that, why?)
Aeril who was feeling puzzled was also guessing the reason why Raffi chose Philuffy as the second assassin after Celis.
(I see……. Queen Raffi, she know, that Lux-kun cannot escape……)
The most important connection of Lux who once saved her.
Exactly because he was risking his life to protect everyone that he was unable to do anything like abandoning the controlled Philuffy.
He planned to lure them to Archive in order to destroy El Fajura and Python.
But, that was a really dangerous gamble.
With Philuffy’s current strength, there was no guarantee that Lux would win even if he faced her with all his might.
And then, on the other hand Philuffy who was chasing Lux was also persisting to carry out a single will within her hazy mind.
(My head is dizzy. But, if I don’t fight……)
Python that was controlled by El Fajura acted as a parasite and her will was manipulated.
It wasn’t mind control, but the direction of her mind──the foundational principle of her actions, about what she should do was misdirected.
Due to Baptism using the Ruin’s device that was called the Coffin, Philuffy obtained strength that was suited to her characteristics in exchange of the danger.
It was the path she chose in order to become the strength of her important person, in order to not make him sad.
She succeeded in that and continued fighting for a certain objective.
When she was a child, Philuffy built up herself to not cry in order to protect her family who was living in sadness because of their mother’s death.
Because everyone will be even sadder if she showed them her sad self.
However, that boy noticed that way of living of Philuffy and directed his straightforward kindness to her.
He was awkward──able to be kind to anyone. But in exchange he was unable to accept other people’s good will from the front.
……He was like her, she thought.
Thinking that, she became happy.
If that kind of person became able to like himself more, if he could become happy, then surely she herself would also feel happy. She thought that.
For the sake of protecting him, and staying at his side.
Philuffy vowed under Magialca, that she would fight for that sake.
(That’s why, I have to. With this strength, I’ll……-chan, protect)
.
「──Tei」
The girl’s voice sounded somewhat stupid.
At the same time, *GAUNN!* pursuing wire was fired from Typhon’s armored shoulder.
「……Kuh!」
Lux was flying horizontally with the ground at the height of 5, 6 ml. The tip of the wire approached his back wings with a tremendous speed like a bullet. Lux twisted his body along with his armor to evade.
Typhon’s Pile Anchor was certainly powerful, but it could only aim at Lux in a straight line in a situation where there was no obstacle.
And then once it missed Lux, it was impossible to attack Lux again until the wire was reeled back.
Of course there was more than one anchor so it was necessary to be careful but──
(I can do this! If I’m paying attention to the anchors that are fired from below, they can be dodged!)
Lux was convinced. He continuously evaded the tips of the anchors that were fired rapidly.
While the New Kingdom military and the Azure Division that was controlling the Abyss with horn flutes were battling in the surroundings a slight distance away, they moved for several minutes approaching the destination. It was then.
*Bishii-!*
「-……!?」
Lux suddenly received an impact as though he was hit with a whip from the side and felt shocked.
(How? Even though I should have dodged the Pile Anchor!?)
Bahamut’s frame was shaken by the impact and its flying trajectory greatly diverted.
Lux was feeling shocked by the unexpected attack while barely moving to recover his balance. There he received even more hits from wires in the same way.
「This is, she is firing anchors at where I’m flying, then she reeled them in while using them like a whip!?」
Philuffy took an attack method of firing wire from her right shoulder, then her armored arm grabbed the wire and used it like whip to strike at Lux.
To do that she intentionally fired several times at a trajectory that wouldn’t hit Bahamut and took Lux by surprise.
Furthermore, it was already too late when he noticed.
Philuffy was also measuring the timing. He received whip strikes continuously.
The destructive power of the attack itself was low, but his speed was greatly declining because his back wings were hit. He entered into the firing range where Typhon could reach him with its driving speed.
「Ei」
*DON-*, along with a step on the ground that was like an explosion, Typhon leaped and lifted up its huge armored arms that were joined together.
Those arms that were formed into a hammer were going to strike Bahamut’s back. In that instant Lux accelerated with all his might.
Archive that was the destination was right below. Aeril had gone ahead and waited for Lux’s arrival there.
There was arrangement prepared so the moment Lux landed on the ground, they would be transported into Archive to escape. But──
「──!?」
「You won’t, get away.」
Philuffy also increased her attack precision further.
Just like capturing a bird by throwing a rock that was tied with rope, she fired wire at the same time when swinging both her arms just now and entangled Lux’s armor with Pile Anchor.
In addition she also fired anchors into the landing place to reel in Typhon itself towards the ground.
「Lux-kun! Unfasten that wire! At this rate──」
「No, it’s fine! We’ll accomplish our objective in the Archive and settle this fight at the same time like this!」
Lux’s aim from the beginning wasn’t to escape from Philuffy.
He planned to lead her into a part of Avalon──the underground facility Archive and there he would destroy El Fajura and Python.
Even if he would become exhausted from this fight, he couldn’t avoid it.
Lux decided to daringly get on Queen Raffi’s intention.
──*KIIN*. Faint light rose in round shape, enveloping Lux, Aeril, and Philuffy.
After experiencing the weightless sensation for several seconds, the scenery of the surroundings changed.
「──Communication from Gear Leader El Fajura. She is in the middle of fighting Lux Arcadia as well as Aeril vi Arcadia. The place is the Archive northeast from here.」
The Automata Arshalia who was standing beside Raffi received a transmission from her subordinate El Fajura and grasped the situation.
But, Raffi didn’t look surprised at all. Her face seemed to say that she had predicted it from the beginning.
「So it’s just as I thought. I don’t understand how he was deceiving other people’s eyes until now though.」
「Most likely they are using the Divine Raiment of Zahhak isn’t it?」
The Divine Raiment Brain Hack made it possible to steal a specific memory from the target.
If the awareness towards the existence called Lux was erased, whether Lux came and went from the inn and no matter what he did somewhere else, no one would be able to realize that it was Lux.
But, if his very existence was erased, it would become clear from the unnaturalness that he was using Brain Hack.
Therefore Lux only hid his true identity while creating the transient true image that was the Azure Division.
It was the same like how Fugil once made use of Lux’s existence to accomplish the revolution that destroyed the Old Empire.
「Well, it will be alright if we leave it to Philuffy. He had just fought seriously against Celistia, so surely he doesn’t have the spare strength to win against her──even in the unlikely chance that he actually defeats her, he will be exhausted and unable to fight well. What’s left is to have the Automata deal with his little sister who seems to be the traitor and pull down the curtains. Are you alright with that, Fugil?」
「Why are you asking me for permission? You can do as you please.」
Fugil was positioned as a sentry at the center of Avalon, but with Lux’s position becoming clear, Raffi called him back to her side.
「It’s so that I don’t become the world’s enemy──which consequently will turn me into your enemy. I believe that the Lord Listelka, too, surely died because of that. So I have to meet your expectations as much as possible.」
「……There is no risk of that at this point in time. What you’re doing is being considered as simply dealing with the enemies of the New Kingdom. In regards to Syvalles too, you’re only sending them keeping in mind the possibility of the unlikely chance that foolish little brother cannot be killed.」
「Fufu, I’m relieved to hear that. Then, is it alright for me to move too any time now? An emergency report came from my subordinates.」
Because a great number of the Abyss that were transferred out from the underground production plant were controlled by horn flutes, the New Kingdom army was put into a disadvantage.
The Triad and Airi were guarding Lisha while hiding and moving.
Krulcifer was continuing to make a good showing by herself against the large swarm of the Abyss, but against such a number she was unable to defeat them all and the frontline was being pushed back.
「Well then, I’ll leave Alma in your hands, Re Plica.」
「Roger desu. I will do my best in case anything happens desu.」
Raffi gave an order to the Gear Leader of Moon who possessed mechanical fox ears, Re Plica.
In preparation of the situation where Lux got away, she readied this plan for even more blows towards him, where an Automata would watch over Alma and, depending on the situation, use her as a hostage to bring down Lux.
「…………」
Alma was being tied up and couldn’t say anything.
In this situation there was already nothing that she could do except to pray for Lux’s safety.
「Now then.」
At the same time with her muttering, *paki paki* the air around Raffi was freezing.
The strongest Sacred Eclipse that combined all the powers of the seven Ragnaroks, it would carry out its objective of bringing salvation to the person it was possessing and before long it would expand its strength to the maximum.
After doing that, it would devour all the thought and flesh of the person it was fused with and rampage.
It would evolve into a great calamity that destroyed everything and reduced all to nothing. Raffi didn’t know about that reality.
She would last, perhaps for several months.
Or perhaps in a faster case, Raffi would lose her ego as a human in the course of several weeks before transforming into a calamity.
When the history reached the last stop, Fugil would use Ouroboros and Avalon and reset everything.
Using world revision, he would make people’s memory to forget everything about the Ruins.
And then──someone would discover the Ruins once more, and everything would repeat.
That was the truth of Sacred Eclipse, the prologue that would lead to world destruction.
「Should I go out? No……it’s fine, I’ll leave it to you.」
「……? That’s unusual, to think you would take the initiative to move.」
「…………」
Raffi didn’t realize the true meaning behind Fugil’s suggestion.
How Fugil didn’t wish to see her wretched figure when she greedily devoured the great amount of the Abyss, the distorted side of Sacred Eclipse.
「Then, I’ll leave this place to you. I’ll go to rampage for a bit.」
Right after that, wings grew from the young figure of the queen and she flew away.
And then, a curbstomp was started.
「This place, where is──?」
At that time, Lux and the others who were transferred to the information management facility the Archive were placed in a mysterious situation.
The whole surroundings was jet black darkness.
Inside it there were only their figures without wearing their Drag-Rides floating along with a faint light.
They could only stir their bodies slightly.
「Calm down Lux-kun. The progression of time that we’re experiencing right now is dozens of times faster than reality. That’s why you won’t get tired even if you keep wearing Bahamut. Right now the content of the information storage medium we found in the Garden is being activated.」
Apparently the facility of Avalon called the Archive was directly interfering with their brains. It seemed that it was constructed so that people could obtain information in a short time.
It seemed that Philuffy was also watching this from nearby, but it was unclear whether she was bewildered or simply being her usual self, she was staring vacantly at empty air with her expressionless face.
A dark room with only their consciousness where they didn’t even know up and down.
At the center, a silhouette with the same appearance like the Automata called Arshalia was existing.
Silver hair and grey eyes.
She was a girl with lovely long hair wearing a luxurious pure white dress.
She opened her eyes as though noticing the existence of Lux and the others, then she smiled and bowed.
「Welcome to the Archive. I welcome the arrival of the three of you.」
「You are……?」
Lux who only existed as a consciousness here spontaneously asked.
Right after that he felt exasperated at himself who was talking to an information storage medium, but unexpectedly a reply came back.
「My name is Arshalia. I was an imperial princess of the Arcadia Empire in the past. Using the technology that was brought about by the Xfer, I was the one who recreated the Ruins. With my position, perhaps I could be called as the LordCreator.」
「……!? Then, that Automata who is the Gear Leader of Avalon, she is──」
When Aeril who was an imperial family member that was similarly called as the Lord asked the question, the girl’s hologram nodded.
「Yes. I created it to imitate my appearance. But, it cannot be said that she is projecting my consciousness. She is just an artificial intelligence──in short she is a pseudo personality that was created artificially, she is unrelated with me. In that sense this me is also the same like that but……what we remember is different.」
「…………」
Even the ancient technology of the Ruins and Avalon until now were overwhelming, but they were still bewildered with the appearance of the existence called Arshalia they were facing.
But, Lux immediately pulled himself together and asked.
「What do you know? No, regarding Avalon and the way to defeat Sacred Eclipse……and the transforming Drag-Ride Ouroboros──can you teach us what you know about those?」
「……Very well. All of you are people who arrived here after surmounting all difficulties. You have enough qualification to know. The beginning of everything was more than a thousand years ago──it began from the encounter of me and him.」
「Him……?」
Aeril made a dubious face, but Lux had an idea about it.
「Fugil Arcadia huh…..」
「Yes……」
Arshalia nodded at Lux’s muttering.
The expression of the girl who was projected in this false image contained gentleness somewhere within, at the same time it also gave a hint of loneliness.
「You must have known if you had reached the center of Avalon, but the Arcadia Empire of our time was in the middle of wars that were like hell.」
「…………」
Avalon’s deep level floor.
Lux and the others also knew about that after watching the past recording that was projected in the abandoned capital Guernica.
The Arcadia Empire that ruled over the world soon leaned into a government for the sake of the royalty and titled nobility. In the end for the sake of refining Elixir with even higher purity──for the sake of strengthening their own talent, lifespan, and physical body, they apprehended the population that were weaker than them and turned them into raw material.
That became the origin that caused the rebellion. The group that became the center of the rebellion was called the clan of traitors. The people who became the ancestor of the Arcadia Empire of Lux’s time.
That was how Lux and Aeril understood it but──
「At that time, the leader of the resistance who stole the Drag-Ride that was exclusive for royalty and titled nobility was a blood relative with the highest aptitude for Drag-Rides even among the Arcadia bloodline.」
「……!?」
Lux gasped and held his breath the moment he was told that.
Why was Lux and Airi’s aptitude for Drag-Rides abnormally high? That was because they were descended from the same bloodline as Fugil.
「I who was the imperial princess, and Fugil who was a child of a member of the clan of traitors. One day I accidentally saw Fugil fighting to protect the cats and dogs that were tortured by people to clear their stress.」
Arshalia’s projection silently looked down and began to talk.
Her detailed gestures weren’t just some imitation. It looked like she was a real human girl.
「I was taught that the clan of traitors is evil since the time I possessed awareness. I had the talent to understand the technology of the XferKey’s Supervisor who cooperated with me and put it into practice. Thanks to that I obtained a great authority even among my sisters the other imperial princesses. But my relatives were only thinking to use the technology of Drag-Rides and the Ruins to enrich themselves. Even I got sick of them.」
「Then, because of that──」
When Lux muttered in a small voice, Arshalia opened her eyes and smiled to him.
「Yes, originally we were in the position to hate each other, but I obtained a conviction when I saw Fugil at that time. That there is no way the clan of traitors is an evil existence from their birth. That it’s nothing more than a convenient sense of values created for someone’s convenience── I began to think, if I could walk together with Fugil on a path to save all of them without killing anyone.」
「…………」
Aeril who listened to the story made a meek expression without making even a single twitch.
Most likely the image of them the Lords were overlapping with this artificial personality of Arshalia.
Similar conflict occurred in the era of Listelka and the others. When they woke up from their long sleep in this era, they attempted to dispose off all the people in authority from all countries.
Among them it was only Aeril alone who chose the path of coexistence with the people of this era.
「Things were going really well for both of us. Thinking back now, we were also conceited back then but, we were blessed with talent and luck. I used the technology of the Ruins and developed new concepts and equipment. Fugil would use them and removed any danger for me. He possessed strength as a Drag-Knight that was greater than anyone, and that strength bloomed in the middle of battles.」
Arshalia placed her hands on her chest and continued talking about the past.
How she was correcting the distortions of the world one by one together with Fugil.
How they subjugated the chief vassals who were committing terrible injustice.
How they stopped a weapon that ran amok after a modification.
How they brought down the faction that attempted to assassinate Arshalia.
How they disguised themselves as the resistance and annihilated a group that was devoted to inhumanity.
How they left the management of the Ruin to the Automatas that were called the Gear Leaders.
How she developed various new Drag-Rides.
Because of the conflicts it was unavoidable that the conclusion was bloody, but the situation was becoming peaceful little by little.
「I, fell in love with him. He had been living in an unfortunate environment all the time since his childhood, so he wouldn’t open his heart to me who was an imperial princess of Arcadia, even so I believed that perhaps, he held the same feelings deep down.」
──’I want to save this world.’
They wanted to get closer to a world where people wouldn’t meet an unreasonable experience because of other people.
With such feeling at the bottom of their heart, the two cooperated and advanced forward.
「──But, even amidst that, the conflict wouldn’t die down. No, the more the conflicts were prolonged……. The more cornered they are, people will sacrifice various things, they will not be concerned with appearances anymore, and so hatred was growing even more violent.」
.
A father who put a bomb inside his own daughter and sold her to a noble to take revenge.
The imperial family who captured a messenger who approached for peace and dissected him alive to be raw material for Elixir.
A greedy merchant who schemed to obtain great profit maneuvered by selling weapon to both sides and fanned up their respective anger.
A researcher indiscriminately scattered fierce poison that wouldn’t really kill but inflicted a long suffering in the hope that the war would stagnate, but it was the innocent people who were suffering the most from it.
.
「Fugil and I advanced forward one step at a time……we defeated enemies, but we witnessed a sorrowful and cruel reality. We saw the gruesome acts of humans that were like demons repeatedly and harbored doubt. Could it be that the true nature of humanity── that we the Arcadia clan are an existence that is like a dirty demon? I was scolded by Fugil though. He said 『If you gave an answer like that, then what I’ve done until now was meaningless.』.」
「…………」
The era of the Old Empire where the common masses were suffering from oppression and discrimination by the people in authority.
The counterattack from the common masses that were filled with deeply held resentment.
The closing years of the ancient empire must be even more terrible than the past that Lux had experienced.
During that hellish seven years, the two of them resisted, they encouraged themselves that fought while living together. Arshalia eloquently talked about their history.
All of this didn’t even take several seconds in the real time, but inside their consciousness it felt like dozens of minutes had passed, and yet──it didn’t feel long.
The tale of the ancient time where the wars, the people’s malignancy had arrived to the extreme.
But, that battle that felt to be endless was heading to the end due to Fugil’s hard fighting.
「Fugil was amazing. In the beginning his skill didn’t reach to that extent but, he never stopped working hard, no matter what kind of hardship came he would endure and surpass it, and he became strong. I was encouraged seeing him. A hero who won’t abandon what is right. I administered Elixir to him every time he was on the verge of death, but at that time I noticed that a mutation was occurring.」
「Mutation?」
Lux tilted his head while making a conjecture inside his heart.
「Yes, his body……the brakes inside his brain transformed. Originally a human will die if they have Elixir administered to them in certain amount, but he surpassed the limit of maximum permissible dosage and became able to continue living.」
「I can’t believe it, he didn’t sleep in a pod like us──he became an immortal?」
When Aeril asked that in bewilderment, Arshalia wordlessly nodded.
「There is also that, but the me at that time thought of something different. We destroyed the last great evil, and the world should have become peaceful. But, the sadness and hatred that were nesting inside the hearts of the people throughout the long period didn’t vanish.」
After the war ended after a fashion and time passed, the new sparks of conflict were starting to smolder from each camp. When they tried to stop that, it burned even hotter instead.
The royalty and nobility wished to take back their wealthy life from before once more and subjugated the common masses, while the population who were oppressed until now wouldn’t be satisfied until they paid back their oppressors even more than what had been done to them.
「I was worried. Even when Fugil and I desperately tried to reorganize the imperial rule, they only kept disputing selfishly. They kept hurting the weak, and before long when they obtained strength they ran riot once more. Thinking of how to sever that kind of endlessly continuing negative spiral, I immersed myself in a certain research before long.」
──If only the people could be freed from their hatred, from the history of fighting until now.
If it became no good no matter what was done, if everything could be forgotten and reset.
「Endless……. Done by resonating the seven Ruins. The world revision……is it」
「So you know that much. ……Exactly.」
Arshalia turned her face towards Lux who slipped out those words.
「The ArtifactTransforming Drag-Ride Ouroboros that possessed the greatest and strongest ability. It activated the seven Ruins simultaneously, revised the people’s memories, and erased the history of hatred. But, because Ouroboros that I created put a burden that is equal to more than ten Divine Drag-Rides on the user, at first even Fugil couldn’t use it well.」
Therefore, Fugil stemmed the disputes that were happening everywhere while at the same time he was also do training to be able to handle Ouroboros. The time span of several years flowed.
On the other hand, Arshalia also started researching a system to save the world──the new humanoid Ragnarok, and named it Sacred Eclipse.
It detected a human’s heart, and it was equipped with a system that was able to project the heart. It would respond to the screams of people seeking to be saved, made a judgment, and brought salvation to anyone.
Fugil used Ouroboros and Arshalia used Sacred Eclipse to guide the world correctly.
The Hero of Beginning and the Goddess of Salvation.
The two who were blessed with genius talent and never be negligent in constantly working hard were called like that. They became the stars of hope for the people who were wishing for peace.
「But, there an accident happened. In order to possess a body that could control Ouroboros and in order to heal the wound that he obtained from a certain battle, Fugil had a great amount of Elixir administered to him and he fell into a long sleep. During that time a poison was mixed into Sacred Eclipse that was almost finished.」
「Poison……you said?」
Lux made a dubious face hearing Arshalia’s somber murmur.
The girl fell silent, but before she resumed her story, the talk was suddenly interrupted.
.
──*Pishi-!*
.
「Tsu……!?」
The dark world was smashed and the original shape of the Archive’s interior was projected to the sight of Lux and the others.
The situation of the conversation with Arshalia until now completely changed. Philuffy and Typhon attacked Lux.
「System interference finished the information gathering of the subjugation target is obstructed and along with it──erasing the target.」
「El Fajura!? Was it your doing that the record’s reading was rescinded!?」
When they realized there was an Automata inside the Archive.
A girl who was wearing a pilot suit in addition to mechanical ears growing from her head that looked like feathers.
She was expressionless like a mask, the same like when he faced her in the past, but this time only she looked different.
From the Automata who originally would only accomplish the work that she was ordered to do mechanically, he felt like a clear hostility was emitted from her.
El Fajura didn’t respond to Aeril’s yell.
She only came slashing with the EX Wyvern she was wearing as though to express the emotion of anger.
Aeril’s face when she immediately blocked it with her Blade showed shock.
「Wha……!?」
「Lord’s betrayal is reconfirmed──moving to elimination act.」
For some reason Aeril couldn’t see the Blade that El Fajura held.
And yet, she was receiving the sensation as though they were crossing swords.
Most likely it was a type of rare armament. It must have the effect to change the blade to be transparent.
「The likes of you shouldn’t dare to obtain information from master’s memory. Don’t ask about the right and wrong of the Sacred Eclipse. This is what you cursed humans began. The negative spiral of wishing only for your own prosperity.」
「……!?」
The Automata that should only be persisting in carrying out their role as a tool until now was──expressing something that was like an emotion. Lux was even more surprised when it was El Fajura that was doing so when even among the Automata she was the one giving off a quiet impression.
Even her usual peculiar tone was starting to change into something gruff.
But, right now they had no time to split their focus for something like that.
At Lux’s side he was also being pressed by Philuffy and Typhon. She was unleashing an attack that was like surging waves.
「──Ei」
She unleashed punches and kicks with her huge armor that pierced through the air along with the driving sound.
Each of Philuffy’s strikes that moved every part of the Drag-Ride’s frame lithely with the weight of the Divine Drag-Ride put behind it was containing sure-kill destructive power.
Even if right now he was wearing Bahamut, it would be over if he was directly hit.
In addition this Typhon was also wearing the reinforcement armor that was brought about by El Fajura’s Divine Drag-Ride.
「Philuffy-san! Open your eyes! He is Lux-kun!! Zahhak’s Divine Raiment is already dispelled!」
Aeril called out to Philuffy seeing Lux being pressured by the overwhelming power.
But, El Fajura’s main body slashed at Aeril with the Blade of her EX Wyvern while scoffing at Aeril’s words.
「──It’s pointless. The hallucination in her perception from my Python wouldn’t be dispelled right away even if I died. She won’t stop as long as you don’t run away from this place. I also have no intention to let you get away.」
「……-!? Ku!」
Aeril was pushed back by the unseen Blade the EX Wyvern was wielding and she along with Zahhak backed away.
She didn’t have any stamina left because she was continuously using her Divine Raiment in order to deceive the eyes of the New Kingdom camp.
In addition, the Automata that was a fusion of human and machine was able to interfere directly with the Drag-Ride without even needing mind control operation or body control operation.
Therefore there was no time lag in her piloting and it was possible for her to move smoother than the average Drag-Knight.
But, it wasn’t just about simple advantageous and disadvantageous conditions, El Fajura was pressuring Aeril with her vigor.
Aeril was pressured by the Automata that shouldn’t have anything like a soul and was unable to grasp any starting point for counterattacking.
「Because you cursed humans needlessly got involved, master’s dream was dirtied. I won’t allow you bastards to peek at her memory.」
「Kuh! U……!?」
Aeril was desperately blocking the unseen slashes but the sharpness of the sword’s trajectory was gradually increasing.
「How!? Why is an Automata’s attack getting stronger?」
It was a reaction as a Lord who knew about the system that was incorporated in the Ruins.
An Automata who possessed artificial intelligence was able to always display the very best performance as long as they were given scrupulous maintenance.
However on the other hand, because they would loyally follow the perfected action, originally they wouldn’t be able to display more power than what they originally had.
And yet──
「Don’t look down on Arshalia-sama. I can analyze your movement and aim for even further optimization. Don’t you underestimate my devotion!」
「Uaaah!?」
In the next moment, the Blades lunged forward with feint mixed in and the attacks crossed.
Zahhak and EX Wyvern each pierced the other’s barrier. The blade’s tip pierced the flesh shoulder.
On the other hand El Fajura also had her Automata arm cut down, but her face didn’t even twitch.
She unleashed Howling Howl and blew away Aeril from their close distance.
By intentionally aiming for simultaneously striking each other, she obtained an effective attack method towards Aeril who possessed a flesh and blood body.
(I cannot lose. I learned our objective with the appearance of the contractor with Avalon.)
Raffi used Avalon’s function to re-input the memory of the Automatas.
When they were still alive, the girl called Arshalia transferred their personality and they obtained the important role of protecting the Ruin.
They who were fated to rot from sickness were given hope by her.
They respected Arshalia who was called the Goddess of Salvation and decided to fight in order to protect the great undertaking she was trying to accomplish.
「Poison was mixed into Sacred Eclipse. The foolish clan of traitors tortured master to remake the system of salvation that was almost finished. A function to detect people harboring ill will and hostility towards the wisher and slaughter those people was inserted into Sacred Eclipse!」
「──!?」
The truth that El Fajura spoke caused Lux and Aeril to hold their breath.
(Sacred Eclipse was remade due to the clan of traitors? But, it feels like something is out of place.)
The shocking truth was also surprising, but at the same time Lux felt a strange doubt.
But, he wasn’t given any time to fall into his thought. Philuffy stepped further into Lux’s range.
The inside of the Archive──the rectangular space that was formed from silver metallic walls only had several ornamental support pillars, so there were few obstacles and the ceiling was also low.
Therefore, the wheels extending from the armored legs could function well and became advantageous for land battle type Divine Drag-Rides.
「Kuh, u……!」
Philuffy vigorously charged while dealing small repeated blows like a hail. He was completely prevented from starting anything.
Right after that, the power of Baptism that she was hiding burst out.
Around that time, at the surface.
A danger was visiting at a corner of the Ancient Forest where Airi and the Triad, who were guarding Lisha, were staying in hiding.
「──Now then. All traitors must die.」
「……Automata!? Why is she here──」
The appearance of an Automata wearing a Divine Drag-Ride made Airi’s face pale.
An armor shining like a gem──the one wearing the flying type Drag-Ride was La Cruche.
She had a dumb way of speaking just like when they first met at the Arc. However she was directing a clear hostility to Airi and the others.
「……I don’t get what’s going on here? What are you two saying!? What do you mean by traitor!?」
Lisha was bewildered while reaching out to the Sword Device on her waist but, she still hadn’t recovered her strength.
She tried to summon her Drag-Ride, but her mind control operation didn’t go well and she failed.
Airi who instantly pulled herself back together from her agitation gave her order to the Triad.
「Everyone! Please!」
「Yes. Leave it to us.」
「Tillfur, we’re going!」
「Alrighty……uwa. This seems tough.」
On the other hand Airi quickly dispelled her own armor and pulled Lisha’s hand.
Noct held the two of them with her EX Drake and turned her back on the Automatas before leaping.
Airi had made arrangements beforehand with the Triad that in case they were attacked by someone in this situation, they would respond depending on the enemy’s strength, even so this was an unexpected happening.
(Through Nii-san I’ve received the information about the location of Avalon’s underground facilities from Aeril-san but──)
The reason why La Cruche suddenly appeared in her radar’s reaction at close range must be because she was already on standby beforehand in Avalon’s underground facility.
No, more importantly than that, it was bad that Raffi had seen through that she was the traitor.
As expected the Triad wouldn’t be a match against the Automata, but Raffi shouldn’t do something like expressly reducing the New Kingdom’s fighting strength.
The worst case might happen, but she could only pray that wouldn’t happen.
(I’m sorry you two! Please be safe──)
Noct was using EX Drake’s camouflage to hide while trying hard to take distance from the Automata. And then she was heading to the Archive just as Airi instructed. She flew towards the northeast following after Lux and Aeril.
With that Airi thought that she would be able to buy some time at the very least but──
「Oi! Put me down! I don’t understand what’s going on but, if I don’t fight together with those two──」
「It’s fine, just stay still for now! We have to run away!」
Lisha unsheathed her Sword Device and tried to call Tiamat once more, but Airi desperately stopped her.
It would be bad if Lisha fought.
If Lisha whose stamina still hadn’t recovered was defeated by the Automata and fell into Raffi’s hand, the Azure Division would be heading far closer to defeat.
Airi was thinking of such thing while entrusting her body to Noct, but then Noct suddenly showed a puzzled expression.
「What’s this? This reaction in the radar── Abyss?」
「……? Is it about the appearance of many Abyss in the Ancient Forest? If it’s that we can take a detour so we don’t bump into them──」
Airi knew about the tactic of Lux releasing Abyss from the production plant and the Azure Division controlling them with horn flute so she wasn’t surprised, but Noct was pointing out at something different.
「No, the number is decreasing. The Abyss that numbered more than a hundred are drastically……at this rate, in several more minutes they will be completely──」
「……-!?」
Airi shuddered hearing the murmur of Noct who was staring at her radar.
There were only several powerful names who were able to overwhelm more than a hundred Abyss in the New Kingdom right now.
(If there is someone who can do this, it would be someone at the level of Nii-san or Yoruka-san……no, don’t tell me Fugil or Queen Raffi is──)
If Lux didn’t obtain the hint to defeat them from the Archive before they started moving, then it meant that this battle was already heading towards the checkmate for their side.
「──Airi! Lisha-sama!」
The instant Noct yelled, Airi gasped and her focus was pulled back to reality.
When she looked behind, La Cruche and the Divine Drag-Ride with lustrous armor like a gem she was wearing was approaching right behind them.
「The gist of the situation is surely just like what you’re thinking you know? That’s why please hand over the princess obediently. If you do that then there won’t be any need for any futile killing.」
「Kuh……」
Noct immediately stood in La Cruche’s way and fired the rare armament the EX Drake was equipped with.
「──Circular Edge!」
Four round blades that were wrapped with energy drew four different trajectories while rotating. They attacked at La Cruche’s Divine Drag-Ride.
In addition a second later Noct fired the remaining four Circular Edges with time difference to become an additional attack that was hard to dodge.
But, La Cruche’s Divine Drag-Ride was backing away to diagonally right behind while deflecting only three Circular Edges with the long blade she was holding.
「……-!? That was, dodged!?」
Rather than because of La Cruche’s precise movement that saw through the best timing and action, Noct was more shocked by how La Cruche was moving just right before she fired Circular Edge.
「Is reading the target’s heart that Divine Drag-Ride’s ability……?」
When Airi asked a leading question, La Cruche nodded honestly.
「Well, there is no problem even if it’s exposed so I’ll answer. My Vouivre’s Divine Raiment is True EyesSecond Sight……. It has the power to see through a human’s heart. Well, I can’t read the heart if I don’t focus on an opponent from close range, and till the end it’s only the general thought, so it’s not almighty but──」
La Cruche said while recovering her posture for the moment, then she faced towards Airi and the others once more.
「If you understand now that you can’t win, I hope you will stop with the pointless resistance already. Wounding you all will result in decreasing the battle strength of the New Kingdom. Seems like the girls of Syvalles there doesn’t know about anything but──」
Unlike Airi who knew about Lux’s rebellion, Lisha and Noct didn’t understand why an Automata was taking action as a Drag-Knight and why she was chasing after them.
But, even so Lisha was about to notice something from this abnormal situation.
(What is going on? What’s happening in the New Kingdom, in this world right now──)
Something was strange, and not only about the existence of the aggressors called the Azure Division led by her little sisterAlma.
「Noct, it’s fine already. Let’s surrender.」
The next instant Airi who was wearing a pilot suit spoke about surrendering.
But, hearing that Noct shook her head slightly.
「No, please escape Airi. I will hold her back here. I cannot even begin to estimate what is going on. Even so I believe in you.」
「Tsu……」
Airi’s chest felt hurt seeing the smile that the taciturn Noct showed.
But, right now she could only rely on her kindness.
「Lisha-sama! This way!」
Saying that Airi took Lisha’s hand once more and started running.
She grasped the terrain using the radar of Drake she was wearing just now and escaped to the direction of the Archive where Lux was heading.
She was betting on the hope of being able to luckily meet up with Lux, but this was nothing more than an escape in desperation.
「It’s unfortunate but, all of you are no match for the current master.」
「……-!?」
The sound of Noct fighting reached Airi’s ear.
La Cruche read Noct’s defense and pried open her barrier with a Blade.
「Wha-!?」
The Blade La Cruche was holding was freely shortening and lengthening. Noct was taken by surprise and her armored shoulder was hit, making her unable to move.
Not letting go of that opening, La Cruche and Vouivre flew towards Airi and Lisha.
「In the end this is the difference of their caliber. Even after obtaining an overwhelming power, master didn’t turn prideful and won the battle of wits after reading her opponent’s strategy. Just like this time.」
「What are you saying huh this piece of junk robot! Shit!」
Lisha pulled out Tiamat’s Sword Device and gripped it while yelling threateningly.
She should be the first person who received Baptism among the Syvalles members, but because it was a strengthening of her physical ability, there was an effect to Lisha’s condition until her body adapted to it.
She was captured and she was resting her exhausted body, but if time passed and she finished recovering, then her weak point until now that was her lack of stamina would be resolved and she would become able to use Over Unit freely.
Airi didn’t even have any way of knowing such circumstance, however──she summoned her Drake once more and equipped it, then she made herself a shield so that Lisha wouldn’t be taken away.
「I won’t let you pass! Please go! Lisha-sama!」
「Tsu……!? Shit!」
Lisha thought that she would only become a hindrance with her current condition even if she was here. Airi’s voice pushed her and she started running.
Airi who didn’t have any way to fight even with a Drag-Ride on her body wouldn’t even be able to buy time, much less fighting. She understood that.
Even so betting on the miracle that Lux would appear if she managed to hold for a few seconds was──
「I will erase you if you stand in my way you know?」
If speaking from the conclusion, Lux and Airi wouldn’t reunite in this place.
「Tsu……!」
「Airi!?」
Airi listened to Noct’s yell from some distance away while she closed her eyes tightly.
The Blade of Vouivre that La Cruche was using moved towards Airi in a straight line.
「──This match. This battle of the caliber as king, is Queen Raffi the winner?」
Near the center of Avalon that was moved to the Ancient Forest. Queen Raffi who liberated the figure of Sacred Eclipse’s main body flew to the sky and devoured the Abyss one after another. While that was going on, the Automata Arshalia looked up to the sky and muttered.
The silver sleet became snow when she noticed. The snow continued to fall silently, as though to hide the bloody slaughter unfolding before her eyes.
Before Raffi obtained strength, she was no more than a woman who could only fear the world.
But, after she fused with Sacred Eclipse, she reacted appropriately even towards the appearance of unexpected enemies and built up her advantage diligently.
She didn’t only rely on the Automatas and Avalon that were under her control.
She believed that the enemy was Lux, read his personality, and then responded with the most suitable plan.
She pretended that her own army was being toyed around, identified Airi as the spy from Lux, and sent an assassin to deal with it.
Even in the unlikely chance that Lux won against Philuffy and El Fajura, she had already prepared another Automata to finish him off after that.
Raffi herself was removing the swarm of Abyss, in addition she was stocking up energy.
The fate of the rebellion that Lux was trying to carry out was already on the verge of ending after just a bit more.
It would be desirable to not kill Lux who right now was the hero of the New Kingdom and had him brainwashed, but Raffi had the resolve to kill him when push comes to shove.
The resolve to cut down the enemy.
The resolve to sever the country’s cancer even if she had to dirty her own hands.
The Automata Arshalia was speaking while taking into account such present situation, but,
「Caliber, huh……. Certainly, her majesty the queen is trying to fulfill the trail that is imposed on her to become a king. In regards to her caliber, there is nothing that can be criticized. But──」
In response to Arshalia’s question, Fugil stayed seated on a small boulder while staring straight to the grey colored empty sky.
「I see, so that’s your answer huh……Lux.」
「……?」
The words that Fugil suddenly uttered made Arshalia tilt her head.
──*GAKIiIN!*
.
The consecutive blows of Philuffy that didn’t even give the time for breathing were approaching with a roar.
Unlike Lux’s secret technique──End Action, Philuffy’s attacks weren’t done with no pause in between.
Using armor to punch, kick, grapple, throw, including the Pile Anchor to snipe and reel in, or perhaps Philuffy herself would move in high speed. Her great variety of attack methods almost gave no room for counterattack or defense.
But, for a human controlling a Drag-Ride, such thing was an impossible action.
Since the Drag-Ride was controlled using the body and the mind, the timing when the pilot had to take a breather due to fatigue should arrive without exception, and yet such timing never arrived.
On the contrary the breathing of Lux who was completely on the defensive was running out first. He was becoming unable to dodge the attacks.
At first he thought that the cause of this was the trick of El Fajura’s parasitic Drag-Ride Python, but that wasn’t it.
Aeril who was watching from the side noticed the reason and called out to Lux.
「Lux-kun! Don’t! She won’t stop even if you continue defending like that!」
「……!?」
Aeril was enduring the fierce attack of El Fajura’s EX Wyvern while barely raising her voice to say that.
「Body control operation, through her whole body──even until the inside of her body……! That’s the power she obtained through Baptism!」
When he looked really close, it was faint, but there were faint geometrical patterns floating on Philuffy’s whole body.
Operation of the body.
Most humans tended to think that they were able to do that skillfully enough without focusing on it, but unexpectedly the number of body functions that could be completely controlled by a human’s own will was limited.
Reflex, immunity, sweating, etc. They would be carried out outside of the consciousness responding to the situation. They couldn’t be controlled by a human’s own will.
「If she become able to completely control her bodily function and the power of an Abyss── She will be able to hold her breath far longer than a normal human, her body’s flexibility and endurance too──」
The people who were turned into Nocturnals by Elixir in the past used their Drag-Rides in a way that didn’t take into account the burden on their body.
Philuffy similarly inserted that into her tactics and drove Lux into a corner.
(So it’s, like that……!)
The bodily control that Philuffy obtained from Baptism.
There was no doubt that it ascended her strength by one rank, but he was feeling a strength that he was still unable to see the bottom of.
Supposing that Philuffy obtained strength, would it end with just that?
「It’s pointless even if you know that. You two won’t win against her and me! We have the duty to believe in Sacred Eclipse──in master and protect Avalon and the Ruins. For the sake of this world’s peace!」
The surroundings of the EX Wyvern that El Fajura equipped summoned additional armor.
Over Limit──the final form after the Drag-Ride’s limiters were taken off. She prepared to end the match.
「Kuh──!」
「Are you planning to challenge me with a broken whip, you fool.」
Aeril who swept aside the medium sized Blade took her Breath Whip into her hand.
The special armament was half destroyed through the process of backing up Lux several times, but it was the weapon she was most skilled in and she resolved herself to make her last stand with it.
「I have to protect……. If I use this strength, surely……can become free」
On the other hand Philuffy was wishing for something within her blank mind.
She was surely intending to draw out all her strength for the sake of protecting the New Kingdom.
(I can’t let her……! I won’t let Phi-chan get taken away by them!)
Even though Lux wished that she would forget about someone like him who might die doing this.
Even though he didn’t want her to risk her life for his sake.
He wondered why he was feeling this hurt because her heart was snatched away by another.
He knew──no, he already knew since a long time ago.
Bahamut’s frame was creaking from the accumulated damage. The movement of every part was gradually dulling.
Why he didn’t want Philuffy to be touched by anyone?
Why was he wanting for her to stay as she was forever?
(I, didn’t want her to change. I wished that, my heart’s only support would stay as it was……)
He intended to protect Philuffy while actually he was depending on her.
He didn’t notice, pretended to not notice the affection she was directing to him.
Lux’s Divine Raiment Reload on Fire and the three secret techniques of Drag-Knight control were sealed because she was pressing on Lux without giving him time to take even a breath.
It was possible in theory, but he didn’t think that there would be a Drag-Knight in reality who would be able to do that.
Lux was in an unfavorable situation where his defeat was highly likely, even so he continued to endure.
With his own power of foresight that was also strengthened by Baptism he was barely avoiding from getting hit by a lethal blow.
(Just a bit more, and I’ll be able to memorize Typhon’s current movement. If I can predict her aim, I’ll have to take her down with one attack. In order to not let Philuffy use the Abyss’s power even more than this too──)
「Tsu……haa!」
Philuffy seemed to reach her limit. Her breathing was getting faster, and the momentum of her attack was slightly slackening.
Lux who saw that through diverted the fist that Typhon unleashed with the edge of his Blade, parrying it.
In order to land a slash of Quick Draw on the back of her defenseless shoulder, he gathered strength for an instant. In that instant──
「Lu……chan?」
「Tsu……!?」
When Philuffy who was making a hollow expression slipped out that word, the inside of Lux’s head became pure white.
Did she recover her consciousness? Or was it perhaps just her reflexive muttering?
What happened with the power of the Abyss planted inside her body? If she spread Yggdrasil’s root into her Drag-Ride, then the effect──
Right after he harbored such hesitation for an instant, Typhon’s straight punch pierced Bahamut.
「U, ah!」
It couldn’t be defended even when he immediately strengthened the barrier.
He crashed on the metal wall at the direction where he was blown away. His breathing stopped from the impact running through his whole body.
He barely avoided from having his armor dispelled, but he couldn’t continue.
For several seconds from here, he wouldn’t be able to do anything except receiving his opponent’s attack fully.
But, if Philuffy just now was recovering her awareness──
「………….」
「Phi……chan?」
There wasn’t any change in Philuffy’s condition.
She was looking down on Lux with a blank gaze and lifted up Typhon’s huge fist.
「You got caught by that huh, fool. That was my plan that the current master ordered me to do.」
「────」
The words of El Fajura who was crossing swords with Aeril stupefied Lux for an instant.
This flow of battle──everything until Lux’s counterattack was dodged was the scheme of Raffi who was manipulating Philuffy.
The real strength of Lux who had defeated numerous powerful enemies until now──its source was his mental strength. In order to seal that, Raffi used Philuffy.
(Is this, my defeat……. Your majesty Raffi, you’re really formidable──)
But, if Philuffy wasn’t bound by a Ragnarok’s power and she could be safe, then that was also fine, Lux thought.
If there was one regret that he still had it was,
(Lisha, sama……)
The girl who he believed in and entrusted his own kingship to──
──At the same time, inside a room of a certain hideout located at the royal capital Lordgalia.
A man and a woman were sitting in front of the fireplace inside the room of that building that was made to look like an empty house.
「Is it really alright? Magialca-sama──」
「What is it Lolotte? Is it about me not letting you to go assist them?」
The servant youth who was aiding Magialca who was confined to a wheelchair──Lolotte asked a question. In response his master answered him.
Magialca who was cooperating with Lux behind the scenes under the name of the Azure Division gave him as much support as she could. Now she was looking up at the cloudy sky that was visible from the curtain’s gap.
「No, I mean about……entrusting everything to him. To begin with, I’m also puzzled about your involvement with this battle……」
The question of Lolotte who was her aide and also her loyal follower was only natural if it was considered objectively.
Certainly it was a great threat to the world but, it was unthinkable that they would be able to win against Raffi who fused with Sacred Eclipse and Fugil who owned Ouroboros.
Magialca’s rash gamble by supporting Lux that she even braved danger when she was already thought to be dead was something that Lolotte couldn’t support.
But, the female master who he trusted, she smiled fearlessly even in her appearance that was covered with bandages.
「You’re really distrusting even though we have known each other for long. Have my bets regarding business ever missed when I thought that this is the one?」
「……But, I don’t know if it’s Sir Singlen, that young man is too clean. Against Queen Raffi who is using every method in the book both as a statesman and as someone standing above others──」
Queen Raffi obtained strength that was equal or surpassing Lux by fusing with Sacred Eclipse.
In contrast Lux was challenging a battle of defeating Sacred Eclipse and Fugil in a way that anyone wouldn’t notice. It was something that was just too difficult.
Looking at the whole, Lolotte was judging that Lux had no chance of victory.
「You really don’t get it. Why do you think I sent the Seven Dragon Paladins who haven’t recovered their memories──who are unable to free themselves from the bindings of the world revision, to the Ancient Forest?」
「……?」
Her aide tilted his head in puzzlement. Magialca continued with a malicious smile.
「You see, that’s because that man……Lux is a heroic figure who isn’t inferior compared to Singlen or Raffi. That man would look at someone, talk to them, and face them even if he has to risk his life without running away or feeling irked by the troublesome effort. That’s exactly why the powerful people allied themselves with him. That’s exactly──」
The kingship that Lux was aiming and looking for until now.
It was a disposition of a king that was different from Raffi and Singlen. A king’s disposition of his own.
「……-!?」
The Blade of Vouivre that was worn by La Cruche was swung down. Airi shut her eyes from the fear of death.
However, not only Airi’s body, even the armor of the Drake she was wearing didn’t feel any impact.
When she fearfully opened her eyes, a completely unexpected sight was unfolding there.
「……Looks like, we made it in time eeeh」
「You’re──!?」
The eyes of Noct who was fixing up her Drag-Ride some distance away spontaneously snapped wide open.
The one who stopped Vouivre’s Blade using a large scythe──ScytheDragon Horn Curved Blade and protected Airi was a red haired girl wearing a huge dark grey armor.
「Rosa Granhide!? Why are you here?」
La Cruche asked with a dubious face while pushing the Blade that was locked with the scythe.
In response Rosa parried it with her Sctyhe along with a dangerous smile.
「That’s my linee. I don’t know what’s going on but, if you’re attacking Lux-sama’s little sister, then obviously I’ll protect heer. You yourself, are you prepared?」
Rosa’s crimson eyes glared and she threatened.
In response La Cruche gazed at the Seven Dragon Paladin opposing her with a bitter expression.
「How unexpected. An unplanned opponent appeared at this kind of place── But, it’s still……」
Even while shocked La Cruche sent her thoughts to her fellow Automata.
Re Plica who was apprehending Alma was heading to deal the finishing blow to Lux.
「Hmph. Well, fine then. I’m sure it will also go well over there.」
La Cruche tilted her head at Rosa’s meaningful smile.
She didn’t understand the meaning of that smile at this time.
But, something was also occurring at a place some distance away from there.
.
「What are youomae coming here for desu? youomae──」
At the same time, Soffice Xfer who came along with Rosa into the Ancient Forest was also facing the Gear Leader of the seventh Ruin the Moon, the Automata Re Plica.
On the armored arm of the golden colored Divine Drag-Ride Vritra worn by Soffice was Alma who she snatched from Re Plica.
「youomae are……, no, youanata are──?」
「Yep, it’s Soffice. The Seven Dragon Paladin of the Turkimes Confederation and Lux’s bosom friend, perhaps.」
Alma didn’t know what to say toward the brown skinned girl who was indifferently talking with her peculiar expressionless face.
「Why did you, save me──?」
「I heard from Magialca that you are my bosom friend’s──Lux’s comrade. Also, I have a business with the Automata in front of me.」
Soffice too still hadn’t recovered her memory before the world revision.
But, she was starting to vaguely get an inkling of something out of place that was going on in this Ancient Forest.
「Let’s do our best as fellow people who were helped by Lux. Then」
「……-! I’m in your debt!」
Alma who was untied by Soffice started running into a thicket.
Thus, the two Seven Dragon Paladins who were assisting Lux entered battle against the Automatas.
「Haa, haa……. Shit! What in the world is that monster?」
Lisha slowly caught her breath while hiding behind a tree.
From afar she could see the countless Abyss flying in the sky and a mysterious flying object devouring them one after another.
The New Kingdom camp and the Azure Division.
She didn’t know which side was coming ahead, but she understood that this wasn’t a normal situation.
She got separated from Airi and Noct. It was also difficult to search them in her state that was unable to wear her Drag-Ride.
Snow was falling around her and she was feeling really cold.
She would be able to maintain her temperature if she wore her Drag-Ride, but at this rate she might freeze to death.
(But, just a bit more and I’ll be able to resummon Tiamat. And then──)
She calmed her breathing and strengthened her will.
「──Lux. I’m not going to die until I go back and meet you once more……」
It was like that day five years ago.
Lisha at that time lost everything that she could depend on and fell into despair.
(I was abandoned by father and even my remaining little sister betrayed me── I lost everything.)
However, now she had Lux.
Her knight that was worthy of trust from the bottom of her heart.
No──Lux was becoming a special existence for her already since a long time ago, perhaps even from that day when he saved her.
「The next time, I meet Lux……. I’ve got to tell him properly. Actually I want him to be the one telling me but──」
Lisha quietly put her hand on her chest, closed her eyes, and thought of the young man’s figure in her mind.
(I’ve decided. That I will help Haha-ue together with Lux and protect the New Kingdom. That’s why, who is going to lose against those guys at this kind of place)
The resolve that was born inside Lisha.
It awakened the power of Baptism and increased her body temperature.
「Yosh, I can do it now! Just you wait! Lux!」
Lisha took a deep breath and lifted her Sword Device to the sky once more.
The flame of hope was blazing in that chest.
「Wha──!?」
At the facility of Avalon, Archive that was located in the underground nearby Lisha’s position.
The fist that Philuffy held up wasn’t swung towards Lux.
In exchange, the tip of Pile Anchor was digging into the armor of EX Wyvern that El Fajura was wearing.
The unexpected reality made El Fajura and Lux to open their eyes wide at the same time.
「What’re you doing? You──should be my puppet! Why are you aiming at me!?」
It was impossible.
Due to the mental manipulation from Python, the normal awareness and thought should be taken away from Philuffy.
However, El Fajura noticed after this late that she was overlooking Aeril’s existence.
「My bad, it’s dispelled already. Python is──」
The parasitic Divine Drag-Ride’s armor was crumbling off in pieces from Typhon’s armor.
Breath Whip that was slid into the gap of the armor was destroying the armor as though peeling off a thin skin.
Why was Aeril continuing to use a Blade she was holding with one hand since midway?
That was in order to make El Fajura’s consciousness forget about the existence of the whip she was wielding in the other hand using Zahhak’s Divine Raiment──Brain Hack.
Even El Fajura could understand until that far.
But, even with Python peeled off, the target’s awareness wouldn’t return to normal right away.
Philuffy’s mind should be still nothing more than a blank slate.
「I’m not a puppet you know? I am, me. Because Lu-chan, taught me that.」
「Tsu……!?」
By reeling in the wire, El Fajura who was clad in an EX Wyvern was pulled towards Typhon at high speed.
At the same time the right fist of Philuffy’s Typhon was gathering energy that was tinged with high heat.
「Impossible! I won’t lose! For the sake of the master I believe in too!」
El Fajura’s EX Wyvern that was using Over Limit was brandishing its Blade even while being pulled.
She aimed to counter Philuffy so they struck each other down at the same time. In that instant,
「……!?」
The armored right wrist that was going to swing down the sword was severed by Bahamut.
──Reload on Fire.
Right after Philuffy’s fist stopped, Lux learned that her heart had returned and without delay he activated Bahamut’s Divine Raiment.
And then Philuffy too also knew Lux’s thought and launched the attack to shave off El Fajura’s consciousness without hesitation.
An instantaneous mutual understanding.
They didn’t have any detailed arrangement or preparation beforehand.
They were just, if they were fighting together, they would trust each other and act in a way that would help the other.
(There is no way……. In a state that is almost subconscious, trusting someone else to that degree is just──)
Right after El Fajura was bewildered with the thought of humans that she couldn’t comprehend,
.
──*DO, OooOOOOON!*
.
Destruction and great heat blew violently along with a thunderous roar that shook the air.
Right after that, Typhon’s special armament Biting Flare’s super firepower crushed El Fajura along with her armor.
「……Haa, haa」
「──It’s, over.」
Aeril, Lux, and Philuffy dispelled their armor and stood still in that place.
They were breathing hard while looking at each other’s faces.
「Philuffy-san, how much do you remember about this battle?」
「Until I came to this forest I think? After that I don’t really remember though.」
Philuffy vacantly tilted her head at Aeril’s question and answered.
She didn’t ask anything about Lux being here when originally he should be waiting back at the inn.
「Lu-chan is going to, beat her majesty?」
「How do you──」
「Because, there was a bit of an Abyss’s scent from her majesty. Right now I don’t really understand though──」
Philuffy who was similarly possessing a Ragnarok’s factor in herself was surely sensing some kind of change from Raffi.
Now that it had been exposed, there was no meaning in hiding the truth anymore.
The matter of what happened at Guernica two weeks ago.
The matter of three days of the parade that were looped.
The matter of Sacred Eclipse. He told everything to Philuffy.
Including how Lux intended to fight by himself so that everyone of the New Kingdom──Syvalles wouldn’t get dragged into it.
「I see. Then, I’ll also help out.」
「……Wait, that’s no good Phi-chan! I can’t let you do that.」
She and also her big sister Relie had important standings in this country.
He couldn’t let them to bear the stigma of being a rebel who opposed the New Kingdom.
To say nothing of having her participating in the reckless battle to defeat Fugil and Sacred Eclipse──
「Besides I also, don’t want to put any more burden on Phi-chan. Because……」
「……Because of that body that is gnawed by an Abyss huh?」
「──!?」
Suddenly El Fajura’s head among the wreckage that was scattered below them moved and both its eyes snapped open.
.
──*IIIiiiIIII-!*
.
In the next moment, the sound of a horn flute from its mouth resounded inside the Archive.
「Kill that guy you monster! Stab that man’s heart with your Sword Device!」
「……-!?」
Lux shuddered at El Fajura’s last obsession.
Although Philuffy became able to resist the sound of a horn flute through training, if it was used in surprise when she was tired──
As though to prove that anxiety of Lux and Aeril, Philuffy immediately pulled out the short sword shaped Sword Device from her sword belt.
And then, she lightly turned around and threw it towards El Fajura.
「Gah……!?」
El Fajura’s head was pierced through and this time she stopped completely.
*Shin*……silence came once more.
「Phi-chan!?」
「I’m, fine. The Abyss inside me already vanished after all.」
「Eh──?」
Lux was dumbfounded hearing Philuffy’s murmur.
If Lux’s memory was correct, he had never seen her lying.
But regardless of that, Lux spontaneously doubted his hearing.
「Ragnarok’s, Yggdrasil’s seed vanished? How in the world?」
According to Philuffy’s explanation, it seemed that the feeling of the seed of Ragnarok remaining inside her body was already gone.
The power of bodily manipulation that she obtained from Baptism.
The Ragnarok that was giving Philuffy power while also placing a burden on her until now seemed to be used by her to heal her body.
The power to consciously control the body parts that previously couldn’t be consciously controlled.
When Raffi suggested the point to be strengthened through Baptism, she thought about it and tested it.
Namely, erasing the seed of Ragnarok that was a part of her body on her own.
Of course, there was also the possibility that she would die from the rejection reaction.
She thought that Lux and Airi would stop her if she told them and so she didn’t tell them.
「That’s why, Lu-chan doesn’t need to, worry about me anymore you know? There is nothing, that Lu-chan needs to worry about because of failures in the past. That’s why, I want you to tell me. Help out.」
「…………」
Lux couldn’t say anything.
She already risked her life for his sake.
The same like Lux, for the sake of something important.
「Phi-chan……」
He drew Philuffy’s body close and hugged her tightly.
「Yes. I’m okay you know?」
Tears were falling in large drops while he was feeling his childhood friend’s warmth, softness, and nostalgic scent.
His feeling towards her that couldn’t be described with words was overflowing.
His current feeling couldn’t be expressed using any kind of word.
