The world a few years ago.
Look was looking back at the continuation of that.
The memory when he was a child. The continuation of the day when he helped Philuffy and they recognized each other as friend for the first time.
After that, it didn’t take much time until the two of them became close with each other.
Because of the circumstance of Philuffy’s father’s work, until now she had never stayed for long at the same place, and Lux too didn’t have someone the same age as him who he could open his heart to.
While Philuffy’s father was staying in the capital because of the business condition of that time, Lux was spending a long time with Philuffy inside and outside the imperial court, he also went to play at her house.
It was only a period of around two months, but for Lux who didn’t have friend until now, the happy time that was like a dream continued.
In the castle they explored various places that they could enter, because of that they got lost and later got scolded by their parent.
They made toy craftsmanship at a workshop outside the castle and presented it to each other, and explored the nearby vast forest.
Lux was treated by Philuffy’s specialty cooking that was hotcake, because Lux said that it was delicious Philuffy created a lot and it felt like his stomach would burst.
When they became covered all over with mud in a rainy day, they entered the bath together.
Lux was used to see his little sister’s naked body, but he still felt a bit embarrassed.
But, the happy every day suddenly met its end.
The day Lux’s grandfather Wade had an audience with the emperor.
Because he gave a strong counsel and tried to admonish the emperor, he earned the animosity of the emperor. Lux’s grandfather was imprisoned due to the crime of defamation and Lux’s family was also expelled from the imperial court.
What was waiting for Lux and others who left the castle was the hatred and fury of the people who were oppressed by the empire.
The gaze of resentment that he felt when he went out of the residence at the outskirt of the imperial capital.
Lux had never heard of anything that they said then, but even from afar he understood that they were talking maliciously about him.
When he were living in the imperial court, his nerves were worn out as an imperial family who was the farthest from the throne succession right, but the conclusion was the worst.
Lux and his family who was recognized as the decoration of the imperial capital was only used as an example to serve as warning.
Those who turned their blade to the emperor, the people whose will strayed from the imperial family, they would lose protection.
What would happen as result to those who lose that protection? Lux tasted the resulting terror and repulsiveness keenly.
He also became unable to meet Philuffy that often.
Thinking back, Philuffy’s father must be regarding it as dangerous to meet him openly.
Even so, when he was able to meet Philuffy sometimes, it would be just like in the past. It supported Lux very much.
And then──that day seven years ago.
Under the raining hill, that day the horse carriage Lux and his mother were riding fell.
Lux asked for help. But the people that his grandfather tried to protect showered them with boos and rock, they were watching his seriously wounded mother died without helping.
Even Lux who was still a child at that time logically understood why it turned out like that.
Other than a part of the nobility and the imperial family, nobody else knew what Lux’s grandfather said to the emperor that caused him to get thrown into the prison.
The people resented the imperial family who was carrying out tyrannical rule and lived in vice while tormenting them.
As the punishment for defying the emperor, the emperor deliberately sent Lux and his family to such environment.
The horse carriage falling into a cliff at that time was only a tragic incident that came at that unfortunate time.
But, this was about his only mother.
Furthermore she was the only parent that protected Lux. For Lux who lost her, such logic didn’t become any consolation for him.
His father the emperor, the imperial family, the factions──and even the people were his enemy.
Lux who was hit by the hatred and resentment from the surrounding felt something like dregs piling up day by day inside his chest.
「……I don’t want to meet you again, go home.」
After his mother’s death, when her modest funeral service was over, Lux said that to Philuffy in front of his mother’s grave.
He knew that he was just venting his anger to the wrong person.
However, because of the muddy black something whirling inside his chest, he was unable to look at his childhood friend’s face like usual.
And then, if even Phillufy and her family were changing how they were looking at Lux then──.
That imagination was very much terrifying, that he couldn’t help but distancing Philuffy from himself.
「I’ll, come again.」
「…………」
Lux pretended to not hear the small voice from behind him because of the rainfall.
But, somewhere inside his heart, his childish heart was hoping.
The imperial family, the nobles obeying them, and then the people too were the enemy of Lux’s family.
Even so, perhaps only Philuffy would stay as his ally. He held such hope.
After that, a week passed.
But since that day, Philuffy had never visited Lux’s residence again.
He thought that it couldn’t be helped.
His family was already an existence that was shirked in the imperial capital.
If someone got close to his family, they might meet misfortune. There was no doubt that Philuffy’s father also stopped her from coming.
Even though he understood that logically, it was painful.
That day Lux also came to the grave in front of the church.
He visited the grave once a day, but every time he came there always would be a single flower placed before the grave.
Thinking that it must be the priest who placed that flower, Lux felt saved just for a bit.
But, that day there wasn’t any flower, when Lux returned to his residence, he heard the sound of the door being knocked.
「Lux-kun!? It’s a disaster! Philuffy disappear from home──」
Lux’s mind turned white for a moment hearing Relie’s words, and then, he noticed.
The one who brought flower everyday to his mother’s grave, was Philuffy.
According to Relie, Philuffy was forbidden from going to Lux’s residence for a while by her father’s order.
In the first place, there was a far distance from their mansion until this residence, they wouldn’t be able to come without using horse carriage.
But, Philuffy sneaked behind the back of the servants and slipped out of the mansion, she walked through long distance and came until nearby Lux’s residence.
Since then Philuffy came everyday to where Lux was.
When Lux split with Relie to search separately, he found Philuffy placing a flower in front of the grave of Lux’s mother.
Her clothes was covered with mud everywhere, blood was flowing from her knee and forehead. Perhaps she had fallen down in the forest.
「Why……?」
Hearing the words Lux squeezed out, Philuffy turned around and answered.
「I thought that if I come here, I can meet you.」
「Why did you sneak out and come here!? Even though I told you that I don’t want to meet you anymore, why did you come everyday!? Even though, meeting someone like me who isn’t wanted by anyone anymore, is meaningless──」
「Because, I’m a poor talker.」
When Lux yelled that with a sorrowful voice, Philuffy looked down with her usual expressionless face looking just a little sad, and muttered.
「I don’t understand, what should I say to Lu-chan in this kind of time, but……」
Philuffy was speaking while walking slowly under the rain toward him.
And then, he tightly embraced Lux’s body, and whispered.
「Phi……chan?」
「In the past, my dead Okaa-san told me. Do this, to your important person, she said.」
The sensation of cold skin that was exposed to rain.
Even so a faint warmth shook Lux’s heart.
「Lu-chan, isn’t alone.」
Lux’s body began to tremble hearing the kindly whispered words.
He hugged back her body with a trembling hand. He raised his voice and continued to cry.
The tears that he had never let out even once since that day his mother died, the dam broke and it overflowed out.
Philuffy continued to gently pat Lux’s back.
The hatred and resentment that filled Lux’s chest until now felt like the all vanished just from that.
After that, the father who was beaten down by Philuffy’s persistence attached Relie and servant and guard at her side to bring her to Lux’s residence everyday.
A few days after that, it seemed that they would have to leave the capital because of work circumstance and the last day of the parting finally arrived.
「Really thank you, for everything. Phi-chan.」
Lux who had completely regained his footing was calm even in his parting with Philuffy.
He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t lonely, but thanks to her he could keep on living from here on too.
He thought that he wouldn’t lose sight of himself anymore.
On the other hand Philuffy was silent like usual, Lux was talking various things with several adults including Relie and Dalt.
And then, when the time to part arrived, Lux yelled toward that back.
「That……, I’ll absolutely create it! A country where even girls like Phi-chan can feel safe, I will create it! I swear that I’ll absolutely change this empire! That’s why──」
Lux looked down his words got caught in his throat. Philuffy turned around toward such Lux.
And then, she slowly walked toward Lux, then she softly pressed her lips on Lux’s lips.
「──Eh?」
The soft sensation touching his lips.
A sweet fragrance tickled his nasal cavity before it went away.
「Good luck charm. Onee-chan taught it to me. So that one day, we can meet again for sure, she said.」
「…………」
Lux couldn’t make any word.
It wasn’t just because of feeling embarrassed from getting kissed, he was completely in a daze from the lingering mysterious warm filling his chest.
「Bye bye, Lu-chan.」
「Rig,ht……」
The little bit of Philuffy’s smile he saw at the end melted into Lux’s memory and vanished.
And then──Lux woke up.
Fourth day of training camp.
Following their usual plan, after completing their individual training at the practice ground, they carried out the Ruin investigation once more.
「I and Airi-chan will come along too today. This is originally a dangerous activity, so we’ll try to not be much of a hindrance.」
Relie who was putting a bundle of ancient text in order consulted Celis and they decided today’s unit composition.
Lux, Relie, Philuffy, and Tillfur, these four names would form a group and advanced forward.
「Philuffy, how is your condition?」
Lux asked Philuffy in consideration of her recent poor physical health and anemia.
「Yes. I’m okay.」
She gave a concise answer with her usual serious face.
「Tell me right away if your condition worsen. It’s no good to force yourself you know?」
Lux felt some kind of unease while saying that.
It wasn’t toward Philuffy, but regarding this situation.
But, he couldn’t put into words about what was strange specifically. Everyone entered the Ark with him unable to resolve that feeling.
Using what the Ruin’s girl, La Cruche told them as reference, Airi highlighted the route until the control room area in the map and distributed it.
The turnaround point of the Ark that was divided into eleven level in total──the sixth floor. They had already finished determining the safe route until that point.
Therefore, as long as they didn’t encounter any Abyss, they should be able to reach until the control area with their fast pace but,
「Everyone. I’ve been waiting. It has been a long time.」
Everyone reached the sixth floor after marching for dozens of minutes. When they assembled there, La Cruche was waiting there following the prearranged place and time.
「Waaa, she is tiny and cute!」
「She looks like a doll isn’t she? Let me touch her too.」
「Aa, the, the ears are delicate so please don’t touch them!」
The automaton La Cruche who looked like a little girl was surrounded by the girls who weren’t wearing their armor in order to save energy.
「Will she be fine……?」
「It’s all right I think? I’ve told her beforehand to not say anything important.」
When Lux smiled wryly seeing what was going on, Krulcifer smoothly said so.
According to La Cruche, she would obey the command of Krulcifer who was an Xfer, so she was told to keep it a secret about their relationship──it appeared that La Cruche was following that order properly.
「But, there is one thing that concern me.」
Krulcifer was watching over La Cruche from afar while she suddenly muttered that.
「Concern?」
「According to what she said, I am simply her supervisor, and above the supervisor it seems there is the existence of the Lord(Creator). A possessor of authority that surpass mine──」
A figure that was even more important than her that was the Ruin’s supervisor.
Lux couldn’t imagine at all what kind of position such person had but,
「But, that kind of person rarely exist isn’t it?」
Krulcifer who was discovered inside a Ruin.
And then, thinking back about how La Krusche had never awakened until now inside the Ark, it should be fine to believe that the possibility of encountering the existence of a person with such high position was really low.
「Most likely the possibility is really low, but it’s safer to not let her meet with anyone else other than us. Especially in a situation like this time.」
The investigation of unknown Ruin where they didn’t know what would happen.
In the case that a hostile opponent snatched the control of La Cruche, they didn’t know what would happen.
「Krulcifer-samaaa! Then, let’s depart immediately.」
La Cruche went toward Krulcifer after all the members be affectionate with her.
While they were marching, La Cruche would be entrusted to Krulcifer.
「Then, see you later. Be really careful okay?」
「Yes. Krulcifer-san too, be safe.」
They exchanged light words, and then they formed small groups once more under Celis’s instruction.
When it was over, Relie walked to the front and talked lightly.
「The seventh floor ahead seems to be a place that is called as the manufacture area. According to the Drake’s enemy search, it appears there is sign of Abyss there. They aren’t moving, but their number is quite a lot.」
「…………」
Hearing those words, everyone present tensed their loosened expression.
「So that we won’t get discovered by Abyss and aimed from the surrounding, we will circle around the center and advance through the corridor route. Everyone, be careful okay?」
「Yes!」
After everyone replied, they began advancing.
When they advanced through the seventh floor, the passage immediately branched into five paths.
There was the main center route that was blocked with a sturdy door, and four other small corridors.
Lux and co planned to split into four groups and marched the four corridors.
There was no doubt that all the path would lead to in front of the stair toward the eighth floor, but although the center route had the shortest distance, it was spacious and there were a lot of Abyss sign detected from there.
Therefore, they chose the detouring route that was the four corridors other than the center path.
Lux’s group advanced through the corridor at the very left.
Lux and Tillfur were clad in their Drag-Ride and protected Relie, while Philuffy was saving her energy and walked on her own feet.
Even so if everything went according to the plan, they should be able to reach the ninth floor within today.
「Even so we almost don’t see any Abyss in this Ruin isn’t it? No, it’s better if we don’t meet any but, somehow, it feels unnatural.」
Tillfur muttered while walking at the lead.
「Certainly……」
Just because they were inside a Ruin didn’t mean that they would encounter Abyss for sure, even so, although they had moved for quite a long distance in this exploration, they had only encountered the Abyss two times until now.
Was that just a coincidence, or perhaps something else──.
『Everyone. We will soon pass through the side of the center main street. Please be quiet so to not awaken the Abyss.』
Noct’s dragon voice that suddenly came into hearing tensed Lux.
The wall of the corridor Lux and co was passing through became glass at the right side. They could look down at the center route from there.
The glass was different from the glass Lux and others normally saw, it seemed to be made from a solid material that was unique for Ruin but──.
「……Lux-chi. That’s, could it be」
Tillfur looked down toward the center route and she gulped.
「Yeah……」
At the large hall spreading at the other side, there were countless things that looked like giant bottle lining up.
Inside them was crowding with grotesque figure they had never seen before.
Inside the transparent bottles, was Abysses immersed in liquid of various color. They couldn’t see whether the Abysses were conscious or not from where they were.
But, even just from a simple estimation, the number of the bottles was a few hundred.
If by any chance all of the Abysses awakened all at once, even if it was Lux and others they wouldn’t stand a chance.
「Manufacture area……could it means, they are manufacturing Abyss?」
Relie nodded toward Tillfur who was raising a cramped voice.
「Looks like it. From the start it has been speculated that something like that exist somewhere inside the Ruin though, most likely the Abyss manufactured here will appear inside the Ruin or at the surrounding.」
「By that you mean, all of those are actually alive! Please stop saying that!」
Relie smiled wryly seeing Tillfur’s body shaking along with the Wyrm she was wearing.
「Then, let’s get through this place quickly without delay.」
They were going to resume their march further while talking like that, it was then,
「Wait.」
Philuffy who was walking quietly until now lifted up her absentminded face and spoke.
「Something is──coming.」
*GASHIiiiIN!*
Right after that, a loud and heavy metallic sound resounded from behind Lux and others.
At the same time, the lighting illuminating the corridor with bluish white light instantly flickered and switched color to red, piercing warning sound could be heard.
「This is……!」
「Wai-, what happened!? We don’t really do any──!」
When Lux and Tillfur raised a bewildered voice,
*GUooOoOOOON!*
Such heavy bass roar passed through the corridor and entered their ear.
It was the existence of powerful Abyss that they felt for the first time since coming here.
They felt that dreadful killing intent from the other side of the long and narrow corridor, and then,
「Be careful.」
Philuffy whispered and pulled out her knife-shaped Sword Device.
The moment Relie reflexively withdrew behind, a gust blew from the front.
「GURURURUGAAAaAAAAA-!」
「Kuuh……!?」
Tillfur blocked the coming high speed flying attack with the battle axe of her Wyrm and she was blown away.
The large body that was only barely could be seen didn’t pause and rushed forward. When it circled at the back of Lux and others, it twisted its body and accelerated once more.
When a front leg that was thick like a log attacked, Lux’s Wyvern blocked it using its blade.
「Lux-chi! Thank you! ……-!?」
Tillfur leaked out a relieved voice for a moment, but she then held her breath when the true identity of the attacker became clear.
It was a gigantic dog.
No, it was too halfhearted to call that shape as dog. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a monster.
It was as though it was outside the categorization of animal, a grotesque huge body that easily surpassed a house.
Violet fur that was nearly black, pointed eyes and sharp pupil that were laced with madness.
Inside its mouth was packed full with knife sharp fangs without any gap.
And then above all else, it had two head, seven snakes were growing on its back, they were crawling around.
Its size took space of more than half of the corridor’s width, regardless of that it was abnormally agile.
And then, it possessed terrific strength just as its appearance suggested.
「Ku, u……」
The giant dog put its strength to smash the blade stopping it, but Lux somehow parried the attack and dodged.
After that the mad dog’s vigure vanished deeper into the dim corridor──into the darkness once more.
It wasn’t running away. Piercing sharp killing intent was still directed toward Lux’s group of four.
「Wha, what’s that……!? It’s something I’ve never seen at the academy’s Abyss picture book. In the first place, just what is going on!?」
Tillfur couldn’t hide her agitation and yelled. Relie whispered with her face also looking tense.
「Someone wrenched open the gate of the center route and infiltrated the manufacture area……. The possibility is high that this Abyss appears in response to that.」
Most likely that manufacture area had great importance even among all the mechanisms in this Ruin.
Most likely because there was someone who infiltrated that place, the defense mechanism activated.
「GUAAaAAaAaaaaAH!」
When the mad dog Abyss growled once more, Lux leaped forward.
「Howling Roar!」
It was the basic technique of Drag-Ride, the howl of Drag-Ride that deployed a vortex of shockwave.
Originally it only possessed the strength that could only frighten the enemy, but in this cramped corridor that was only a straight line, it was able to definitely stop the enemy’s momentum.
But──,
「Lux-chi, be careful! It’s not faltering at all!」
Tillfur whose gaze was focused at the darkness further ahead readied her battle axe while covering the other two behind her.
Immediately after, the wall of shockwave was easily pierced through, and the mad dog Abyss came attacking.
「-……!」
*GIIN*, a piercing sound stabbed the eardrum.
The front leg attack the Abyss unleashed once more was blocked by Lux’s blade, at the same time *crack*, a crack entered that huge claw.
Critical hit.
The Scale Blade that Lisha created──a sword that had barrier running along its blade, by using that, it was possible to force back enemy’s attack if the user moved with unparalleled accurate timing and positioning. It was Lux’s special move when he was using Wyvern.
By focusing the opponent’s strength into one point and returned it back, it became a counter that brought about destruction.
Lux used Howling Roar wasn’t to give the enemy damage, it was to limit the offensive option of the enemy.
「GU, ooOOH!」
Even though Lux couldn’t defeat it with his attack just now, but it seemed that the Abyss was at least damaged. The mad dog leaped backward and then turned around.
And then it hid its body inside the darkness once more and this time even its presence vanished.
「Haaa, that was scary……」
A few second after the threat left, Tillfur exhaled out deeply.
「Just what in the world is that……」
Even Lux was still agitated.
He could use Critical hit in large part because this area of the corridor was narrow, so the direction of enemy’s attack was greatly limited from one direction.
He would need some more time until he was able to see through the enemy’s movement and matched the timing perfectly.
For the time being, he confirmed that Relie and Philuffy were safe. And then when he was being vigilant at his surrounding omce more,
『Lux-kun, can you hear me?』
A dragon voice from Krulcifer that was exclusively sent to Lux came in.
「A large dog Abyss came out, but everyone here is safe! What about Krulcifer-san and others!?」
When Lux replied like that, Krulcifer let out a faint relieved sigh, then she talked with a voice that was tinged with tension once more.
『That Abyss is most likely Orthros. According to La Cruche, when the Ark entered the alert state, three of that Abyss will be released. The first will target the one that caused the alert, the second will patrol inside the ship, and then the third will go outside the ship and attack the surrounding. They are the Ark’s watchdog. It seems that they are quite strong even among the Abyss.』
「…………」
『I’ll give you the message from La Kruche. This warning sound is coming from quite far in the back, it seems that it was because someone wrenched open the door of the manufacture area.』
「Just who was──」
『If the door is opened because the Ruin confirmed someone to be related to the Ruin like me, it wouldn’t become like this. The one who forcefully opened the door was most likely──the group of that Marquis Dobar, this is their work.』
「But if I remember right, they should be several floor above──」
『Yes, I don’t know how they caught up to us but……. They’ve arrived until the beginning of this seventh floor, at the bow area. And then right now they are planning to break through the shortest center route in order to overtake us.』
「But, if they do that……!」
They would be rushing through the very center of the Atelier that was manufacturing Abyss.
Surely there was no way that all the Abysses inside those bottles would start moving all at once, but it would be still extremely dangerous.
『Yes, it’s possible that they will get surrounded by Abyss and get killed. But, we can only ask the headmaster and Celis-senpai to make decision of what we are going to do now.』
「Yeah……」
After the communication with Krulcifer was cut, Lux hurriedly reported the information he heard to Relie and others.
Marquis Dobar’s private force suddenly raised their marching speed, and there was high possibility that they would catch up.
As the result of the wrenching open the door in their attempt to break through the manufacture area, this alarm sounded and three powerful Abysses appeared.
Marquis Dobar’s force was also in danger.
Relie who heard all those information hesitated slightly.
「It can’t be helped. Let’s hurry ahead.」
Relie brushed up her hair and declared that.
「……Eh?」
「From the start we had talked about this with them. That we will investigate this Ark at our own risk. Besides we are already half-way through this seventh floor corridor. If Abyss came out in response to this alarm, then we won’t make it in time even if we turn around.」
「…………」
The corridor route Lux’s group was in didn’t have direct connection with the center route of the manufacture area.
If they tried to return until the seventh floor entrance from here, it would take several minutes even with the top speed.
Besides, in the case that a swarm of Abyss appeared inside, if Dobar’s group attempted forceful breakthrough, then they would simply miss Lux and others, and not only that Lux’s group that headed out to save them would instead become surrounded by the many Abysses that appeared to chase Dobar’s group.
If they assumed such worst case, then it would be the safest to reach the control room area at the tenth floor below.
But,
(Is that okay? Is it really──)
「Come……, Typhoon」
That moment Lux was pondering, the Divine Drag-Ride Typhoon was summoned in front of Philuffy.
「Philuffy?」
When Lux turned toward the direction of the voice, Philuffy’s body was clad in armor.
「I think, that it’s better if I and Lu-chan return to the surface, for the moment.」
And then, she continued with her usual calm voice.
「Because perhaps right now, that Abyss is coming out outside the Ark too.」
Philuffy muttered while sending her gaze toward the reinforced glass along the wall.
According to La Cruche’s explanation that her heard from Krulcifer, certainly it was said that one of three watchdogs would head outside the Ark.
Currently there was almost no military Drag-Knight in Ries Island.
「I understand……」
Hearing her little sister’s words, Relie looked down with a face that looked worried and then she gave a new instruction.
「Lux-kun. Can you pursue that Abyss together with Philuffy? Everyone else will hurry to reach the eighth floor while no Abyss is pursuing.」
「Yes! But, headmaster’s is」
「Ah, it’s fine about that. There is contact from Noct just now, seems like the group of Celis-senpai that reached the eighth floor earlier will hurry to come here so──. Until they come, I can hold out here even alone!」
Tillfur readied her armament, the battle axe and showed a confident smile.
Her body was still shaking a bit, but she was encouraging herself as a member of Syvalles.
「Just as I was taught, it’ll be fine if I move after calmly looking at the opponent’s movement ain’t it, sensei?」
Tillfur recited Lux’s teaching that he gave her when giving personal guidance at the practice ground.
Lux’s expression loosened seeing the girl’s enthusiasm and he nodded.
「Yes. If it’s Tillfur, you can do it. ──That’s why, do your best.」
「Ro-ger, instructor-sama.」
After exchanging salute with Tillfur, Lux turned toward Philuffy.
「Philuffy, is your body all right?」
「……Yes. I can go.」
Philuffy responded with her usual serious face.
It was hard to notice inside the corridor that was lighted by red light, but Philuffy’s condition looked worse than before.
Her cheeks were slightly red, and her breathing was rough.
Above all else, her reaction when the Abyss attacked just now was unthinkably slow compared to her usual movement.
When Lux ruminated about those facts and hesitated, Philuffy took a deep breath.
「Let’s hurry. If we have to search for the Abyss that headed outside, it would be too late if we don’t split.」
「……Got it. Let’s go.」
The safety of the islanders was the foremost.
Lux accepted Philuffy’s will and he pulled out his other Sword Device.
「──Manifest, the violent dragon that devour the gods’ flesh and blood. Sever the sky of dark clouds, Bahamut!」
Lux pushed the button on the grip together with the Passcode, and summoned a jet black Divine Drag-Ride.
That huge dragon that possessed streamlined shape quickly covered Lux’s body and changed into armor.
And then, he flew glidingly through the corridor that was still filled with ominous alarm sound.
When fighting an Abyss that he had never seen before, normally Lux would first use the Wyvern that was specialized for defense.
Bahamut’s Divine Raiment was the ability of compression strengthening──Reload on Fire(Violent Eater).
At the first five seconds, one’s own time would be decelerated by several times over, and then at the next five seconds the flow of time would be accelerated until several times over. Using that special ability, Lux could use Quick Shot that would instantly destroy the opponent’s mobile parts, but to perform that attack it was necessary for Lux to be able to see through the enemy attack’s preliminary movement with great precision.
In order to see through the attack, Lux needed to confirm and learn the enemy’s behavior through many exchange of offense and defense. Wyvern was effective as the preparatory steps for that, but as expected this time there was no time for that.
In order to pursue the Abyss heading outside the ship from the seventh floor, the flying speed of Wyvern was undependable, and above all else Lux was impatient.
(I also don’t want Philuffy forcing herself, if I don’t protect everyone in the island……!)
For that too he had to defeat that Abyss without wasting time. Lux glanced briefly at Philuffy who was following behind using her Typhoon, and then he accelerated Bahamut even further.
「This is……, bad!」
Lux noticed a certain fact after he passed through seventh floor and continued to retrace their steps from the sixth floor until the first floor.
With Bahamut’s top speed, even that Orthros could be pursued. But he couldn’t use that much speed in order to avoid the obstacles inside the Ark.
And perhaps because of the alert state of the Ruin, bulkhead appeared in a part of the route and blocked Lux’s path. Because of that he lacked behind the Abyss.
He finally reached until the portal of the Ark, but he had to wait several second until the transfer to outside started.
(If the Abyss get outside the Ark like this, then everyone, the people of the island will──!)
「It’s fine, Lu-chan.」
When Lux was losing the presence of his mind, Philuffy drove Typhoon to his side and talked to him.
「But……!」
「That Abyss still hasn’t go outside. I know from its presence……」
「……Philuffy?」
Suspicious presence and empty tone.
Lux’s back became slightly cold seeing Philuffy’s atmosphere that he had seen before.
The alarm sound that felt unpleasant to ear he was hearing inside the Ark.
At the beginning he didn’t notice, but it felt like he had certainly heard it somewhere before several times──.
「Phi-chan, say.」
Anxiety was suddenly born inside Lux’s chest. It was an awkward time until the transfer began.
It caused Lux to speak out the question that he was unable to say until now.
「Have you ever, come to this island, before……?」
「…………」
There was no light in Philuffy’s eyes.
She didn’t even react to Lux’s question.
It was as though she was already unable to hear anything right from the start.
「…………」
His throat was dry.
It felt suffocating, an indescribable uneasiness stabbed his chest.
Lux was going to try calling out once more, but it was then the pattern beneath them shined faintly. A pillar of light enveloped the two of them.
Gravity vanished from beneath them. Right after that mysterious sensation,
「GURUaaaAAAAA……!」
They could see the form of Arthros jumping toward the island from the edge of the deck along with a loud howl.
It was the Abyss that had one of its claw cracked by Lux’s Critical hit.
One of its heads glanced toward where Lux and Philuffy were, and right after that it ran inside the forest in high speed.
「Damn it! At this rate──」
The Abyss was already heading inside the island.
The only silver lining was that it wasn’t going toward the residential area, but they would lose sight of it if it entered deep inside the forest.
Lux was about to fly Bahamut to quickly pursue it, it was then,
「Lu-chan. Tell me the location of the Abyss while you pursue it.」
Philuffy who was skating behind spoke to Lux with a calm voice.
「That’s──, could it be?」
Lux guessed her intention just from that.
「Yes. If you stop its movement for me just for a moment, I can catch it.」
「Got it……」
There was no time for hesitation.
Lux raised Bahamut’s speed and pursued the Orthros that was changing its route irregularly in order to shake him off.
The Abyss wasn’t counterattacking right away must be because it was trying to camouflage its figure by hiding inside the forest.
Its aim was to make Lux worried that he would lose sight of it and made his motion simple.
(But, I’ll let it escape if I hesitate because I’m scared to take the bait……!)
Lux resolved himself and tried to raise Bahamut’s speed even further, it was then──,
『Lu-chan. It’s fine. We aren’t that weak you know?』
『……Thank you, Philuffy.』
Hearing Philuffy’s voice, Lux recovered his composure.
He took a deep breath and accelerated Bahamut further.
He reached the position right above the Orthros that was dashing agilely inside the forest and he gradually shrank the distance.
「Gu, urururururu……!」
Even Lux could hear its ferocious voice that was mixed with the sound of grinding teeth.
It must be irritated toward Lux that was sticking close to it without choosing to attack forcefully.
But, Orthros was gradually approaching the practice ground.
And then when it came out of the forest, the strategic moment came.
「Howling Howl!」
The practice ground was surrounded with bulky stone wall, there was a single path that connected its entrance with the forest.
Lux struck with the impact of Holwing Howl in that place where there was no obstacle at all.
But,
「GU, RURURUaAA……!」
That instant, Orthros’s eye glint shined and it accelerated even faster.
It dodged the Howling Howl’s shockwave and slipped through the gate of the practice ground.
「……!?」
A moment later, Typhoon’s Divine Raiment, the wire of Pile Anchor(Dragon Bite Binding Chain) cut through the air.
Their coordination failed.
The Orthros that saw a good chance filled its four limbs with strength and leaped toward Lux above who was showing an opening, it was then──,
「That was perfect, Lu-chan.」
Something unusual happened at the same time with Philuffy’s slow voice.
「GA, GAH……!?」
The leg of Orthros that should have avoided the attack completely was snapped by the tip of the wire that was modeled after snake’s jaw.
Looking there, there was phosphorescence twinkling around Lux, flickering like flame.
Linker Pulse(Resonance Wave).
It was the special armament loaded inside Bahamut. It formed force field at the surrounding with a power to generate some amount of attraction or repulsion force.
By using that, the trajectory of the Pile Anchor that should be cutting empty air was adjusted and captured the prey. It was a two-stage trap.
A coordination that made use of Lux and Philuffy’s special armament.
「GURU……AaaaAAH!」
While the mad dog growled and struggled, an anchor rolled it up in high speed and pulled it toward Typhon.
「……ei」
Philuffy who pulled the Abyss up until the outer wall of the practice ground unfastened the entangling wire, at the same time her fist punched the Abyss flying with a wide swing.
「GUGAaAAH!?」
The Orthros that was blown away toward a direction where there was no sign of people started running again after it fell.
Chasing after it, Philuffy also jumped down the outer wall.
「Yosh!」
Next Lux also chased after the Orthros.
But, he noticed something in the middle of doing that.
「This place, if I’m not mistaken──!?」
Lux followed Philuffy and the Orthros into the abandoned monastery.
A part of the floor of the moldy building was broken, exposing an underground room and path below.
「Uu, kuh……!」
Lux kept floating above that ruined building, felt a sharp pain behind his eyes and he held his forehead.
The scenery below him shook fiercely and a memory of the past overlapped his sight.
(What……is this!? This sensation──)
His five senses remembered it along with a strong stimulus.
The blackness of dried blood, and the rotten smell filling the air.
The echo of scream that couldn’t be made out as a voice anymore.
Black remains with skin and hair clinging on it.
The disposal place for thing that used to be human.
Lux desperately moved his gaze that was shaken by despair to the surrounding, searching for 『that』.
And then,
「──U, AAAAaAAAAH!」
Lux raised a yell from the sharp pain in his chest and breathed roughly.
「There is no way……that’s true!」
He remembered.
The day of coup d’etat five years ago.
A few days before that day, Lux came to this place.
His childhood friend Philuffy was brought here to be test subject for medicine. Hearing that, he located this place and came to save her.
What he found inside, was dead young girls that looked as though they were devoured apart from inside.
Human experiment for developing new weapon that was carried out at the era of the old empire.
This facility was built as monastery at the surface. Below it the true tragedy was ensuing.
After the success of the revolution, this facility was abandoned and the corpses of the girls were given burial, but the trace in this place still remained the same like in the past.
(──But, that time. Philuffy wasn’t here……)
A while after the coup d’etat succeeded, he got a letter from Relie that which him that Philuffy was safe.
That was why, he must had luckily saved Philuffy.
Everything was just Lux’s absurd fear, there wasn’t anything wrong.
It should be so.
Even though there should be nothing more than that.
OOOoooOOO……!
Orthros’s growl was echoing strangely and reached Lux’s ear.
Lux who came back to his senses landed down into a large room at the underground facility. The dark shadow suddenly wavered.
「GUSHAAAAAH……!」
Lux received the claw attack that stabbed to him in high speed and parried it.
Then, the mad dog didn’t stop moving and immediately rushed through Lux and hid itself.
「-……!」
Lux was spontaneously shocked when he saw its figure just for a moment.
Orthros’s shape changed.
There were dark red veins running through its whole body, its cloudy jet black pupils were shining gold.
And then above all else, the claw that Lux broke with Critical hit was completely regenerated.
「That’s, it’s the same like the Chimeira Celis-senpai saw, and the Poseidon──」
Revival from a state of near death into a shape that achieved flesh regeneration and strengthening.
It felt like the enemy’s movement that he was in the process of learning until just now was reset.
At present when it was difficult to see through the enemy attack’s preliminary motion, it was extremely dangerous to use Reload on Fire, but,
「SHAAAAAAAH!」
The mad dog’s violent attack that assaulted from the darkness once more was blocked by Lux from the front.
Orthros’s fang attacked at Bahamut’s armor. At that moment its left eye was slashed.
「GU, GAAH……!」
One of the three hidden techniques Lux invented at the end of his training──Quick Draw(Godspeed Control).
Lux aimed at the eyeball because he saw it difficult to deal a lethal wound to the body of Orthros that was in a rampaging state.
Orthros’s expression distorted in anguish. It tried to leap back, but its jump ended incompletely.
「GU, GA……?」
The flash of Quick Draw that Lux unleashed once more severed the tip part of its front leg this time.
Orthrus that confirmed what happened raged and the countless snakes growing on its back squirmed.
「GUAaAAAAAaAAAH!」
It attacked not using its front leg or its fang, but the countless snake head that attacked simultaneously.
Judging that it couldn’t win by defending and attacking one by one, it increased its number of attack to the maximum and launched simultaneous attack.
But──,
「Reload on Fire.」
Super high speed instantaneous attack using Bahamut’s Divine Raiment.
Red slashing line that reached a total of twelve lines ran through Orhtrus’s whole body instantly. Right after that, its body fell into pieces.
The mad dog that was severed apart until its core became black ash and crumbled.
It welcomed the same end like the Chimaera and Poseidon before and scattered apart.
「Fuu……」
Lux who finished defeating the Abyss dispelled Bahamut for the moment.
In the first place Bahamut’s fuel consumption was really bad even among the Divine Drag-Rides that already had severe consumption rate. Even though it was Lux but it was really hard to use Bahamut concesutively.
After he met up with Philuffy, he would use Wyvern to return back. And so he was going to search for her, it was then──,
「Philu, ffy……?」
He noticed that Philuffy herself wasn’t anywhere he could see.
But, he could hear a frail, faint breathing sound from the other side of a broken wall.
At that instant, a strange sight surfaced at the back of Lux’s mind, and he could hear a voice.
A certain day five years ago, a few days before the coup d’etat.
Relie Aingram visited him at the outskirt residence he was living in.
Her face was haggard and lethargic, her eyes became red from weeping her eyes out.
And then, her lips that were forcing out a smile silently opened.
「I want Lux-kun to also attend that girl’s funeral. She surely, will feel happy. Xxxxx too──」
「──U, AAAAAAH……!」
An intense headache attacked Lux and he crouched on the spot.
Strange disordered memory.
Lux shook his head in denial to shake off that memory.
「There’s no way that’s true……! Philuffy should be saved that time!」
That day five years ago, when Lux searched for Philuffy here, she wasn’t here.
After that a letter from Relie came telling him that Philuffy was safe.
(Then, what’s this? This strange painful memory……? I certainly──)
「Haa, haa……」
Rough breathing voice pulled Lux’s consciousness back to reality.
He suddenly could hear a girl’s voice from the corner of the large room.
「Philuffy!」
Lux hurriedly ran toward the direction of the voice. There Philuffy was leaning on the wall and sat as though she was sinking down on the floor.
She wasn’t injured.
Lux who was thinking about the worst case let out a relieved sigh and walked toward her.
Most likely she forced her anemic and feverish body and she reached her limit.
「Get a hold of yourself. I’ll carry you to the boardinghouse right away, that’s why──」
「Lu……chan?」
Lux was slowly walking toward Philuffy to lend her his shoulder so she could stand. But then Philuffy opened her eyes slightly.
「Are you okay!? You are really feverish──」
Philuffy silently lifted up her face beside the hurrying Lux.
「Don’t. Nearby, an Abyss is……」
And then, she deliriously whispered with emotionless voice.
「It’s okay. If it’s Orthros, I defeated it already. That’s why don’t worry──」
「No, it’s here.」
「Eh……?」
Lux was unable to say his next word.
His neck was grabbed far faster than he could speak and he was lifted up high.
「Wha──!?」
Both his feet left the floor. Lux was flustered.
His neck was strangled by Philuffy’s right hand. At the same time he was hanging in midair.
It took Lux several seconds until Lux realized his situation.
「U……guh! Philu, ffy……?」
The moment Lux questioned with an anguished expression, he saw it.
Faint red pattern entered Philuffy’s skin, both her eyes were dyed black.
Her pupils shined gold, a smile was pasted on her mouth.
「……-!?」
The girl’s smile was infected with madness that he had never seen from her even once until now.
Seeing the completely changed Philuffy, several image of Abyss emerged inside Lux’s brain.
Chimaera, Poseidon, Orthros.
The form transformation all those Abysses displayed.
However, why?
Why was something like that, in Philuffy──,
「Ka, ha……!」
His breathing and blood flow stopped, and his consciousness became distant.
Right after Lux resolved himself for death, Philuffy’s hand suddenly let go.
「Gehoh……! Kohah……!」
Lux was breathing roughly on the stone paving he was thrown at.
Before his eyes, Philuffy’s eyes closed and she abruptly collapsed face down.
The strange dark red pattern emerging on her skin was vanishing.
Seeing that, Lux approached Philuffy once more.
「Oh, oh-hoh. Are you two in the middle of having fun? My bad for being nuisance here.」
「……!?」
A scornful laugh came from the large room of the underground facility.
At the same time a small statured shadow wearing jet black robe showed up in that place.
「You……!」
Silver hair that was the same like Lux, and gray and blue eyes.
The girl who possessed asymmetrical pair of eyes was standing there.
The arm dealer of darkness that was secretly maneuvering by selling weapon and information at various places.
Previously, this girl named Hayes she showed her face when the academy was assaulted and introduced herself as Heiburg’s strategist.
「Why are you here!?」
Lux pulled out the Sword Device of Bahamut while yelling at the same time.
「Don’t scream like that prince, I’m getting cold feet here.」
In contrast Hayes showed a sticky smile while sitting on a table and crossed her legs.
「……That Abyss too, was it your doing?」
The enemy didn’t seem like she would take fighting stance, but Lux didn’t bother with it and closed the distance.
He reached a distance where his blade could reach in a single breath, faster than a Drag-Ride could be summoned.
But, Hayes didn’t look perturbed at all. She lifted her face in enjoyment.
「……Ku-ku-ku. Just when I thought that you are just a brat enjoying harem life with those sluts, but you bastard is actually one cruel guy huh. You’re planning to let your lifesaver die? I’m referring to your childhood friend croaking there you know.」
Ahead of her gaze was the collapsed figure of Philuffy.
「What……do you mean?」
A shadow entered Lux’s face.
Somewhere in his heart, he had suspected the answer.
「Ratatoskr(Parasitic Plant).」
The mouth of the sitting down Hayes distorted into a repulsive arc.
「The woman behind you has a part of a Ragnarok’s body that I planted into her──a seed of the Yggdrasil you see.」
「────」
「That woman’s body is already half assimilated with Abyss, turning into a part of Yggdrasil.」
Like that, she told the answer.
The fact that Lux feared and wanted to deny the most.
「Her heart is assimilated with Abyss’s core. She’ll die if you try to remove it forcibly. Usually the seed is just sleeping inside that woman, but sometimes it will appear because of the danger to life and abnormal agitation of mind. It’s basically show up as abilities the same like what you’ve seen until now.」
Abnormal super recovery and the improvement of body function.
But, when the life energy was used up because of the abnormal consumption rate, the Abyss with those abilities would become black ash and crumbled at that time.
「And then your childhood friend cannot go against 『Yggdrasil』, my Ragnarok that is the master of that ovule seed. Usually she is no different at all from a normal human, but the parasite target that receive the sound wave command Yggdrasil emitted will be instinctually urged to carry out that command. If the parasite target go against that command, they will be tormented with high fever and headache, and their body function will start go out of order. It’s at the level that it’ll be hard even to just stand up straight.」
「Don’t tell me──」
Lux shuddered hearing that explanation.
「Yes, that woman have been opposing the order Yggdrasil gave all this time. Kill Lux Arcadia. She has been obstinately refusing that command, and inside the pain that feels like hell, she was finally at her limit just now in this place.」
Hayes cackled while jumping down from the table.
That moment Lux thrust the tip of his blade toward her throat.
「Stop that command. If you don’t──」
「Oi oi, calm down okay, prince.」
Hayes wasn’t perturbed at all. She raised both her hands and played the fool.
「You at least already understand the reason why I appeared in front of you like this right? It’s too late even if you kill me now. ──No, instead it will be a disaster if you kill me or something. No one will be able to control Yggdrasil if I’m gone, and the last order given to it won’t be revoked for eternity. You trash, pull away this rude sword right away. Or I’ll kill that monster woman.」
Hayes fiddled with the horn flute in her hand, both her eyes opened and she sneered.
Unable to oppose her, Lux gritted his teeth while withdrawing the sword.
「……Now, calm down and listen to me. That woman doesn’t have long. The reason is because she has committed the greatest taboo for a parasite body of Ragnarok.」
「Taboo you say……?」
Hearing Hayes’s completely unexpected words, Lux responded by parroting her word.
「That’s right. The greatest taboo for Yggdrasil’s parasite body isn’t going against order, it’s attacking another parasite body. That woman attacked an Abyss with parasite inside its body just now. She tried to kill it.」
The body of Orthros that became ash and vanished just now.
Most likely before Lux went into the underground facility, Philuffy cornered the Abyss until near death once already.
Therefore, it became the greatest rebellion against the controller of parasite body Yggdrasil and her body reached the limit.
「What a sad reality. That woman is basically beyond help. She will die for sure within a few days. Just like the Abyss with parasite body inside it that you guys killed, she will turn into a pitch black ash.」
Hayes declared indifferently.
Lux’s heart rapidly chilled hearing that.
Lux understand not logically, but instinctually that what she was telling him was the truth.
「You understand what I’m telling you? Then, let’s get to the main point.」
「What do you, mean?」
Lux whose eyes expression was shadowed asked with a dark voice.
「You are really slow huh, prince. Is even your head get screw loose because of the shock from your cute childhood friend’s condition? Do you think that this me intentionally show up here just to harass you?」
「…………」
「This is a transaction. I’ll especially give the order to Yggdrasil to save that woman. If you open the door at the deepest level of that Ruin──the Ark that you guys are sneakily searching.」
「……What does that mean?」
「To open the door at the deepest part of every Ruin, the authentication of Xfer(Key’s Supervisor) is needed see. I also have one Xfer, but unfortunately after they used their authority once, they won’t be able to use it again for a few months. If possible I want to have the Xfer with you, that woman with blue hair to open the door.」
The Xfer that Hayes was talking about must be about Krulcifer.
From the beginning in the investigation this time the objective was to reach the deepest level of the Ruin, so that condition could be achieved without any problem.
However──,
「……What is your objective? What are you planning as the strategist of Heiburg? Can you guarantee that Philuffy can be saved by doing that?」
Even so, he couldn’t imagine at all that this wicked girl would fulfill her promise.
Hayes let out a thin smile at Lux’s question and she threatened.
「Hee, I’m shocked. You bastard still don’t understand your position even at this point huh.」
And then, she made an evil look and her face came near Lux.
「You don’t have any choice right from the start. If you want to let that woman die then do whatever you like, you hero pretender false prince.」
Hayes said only that before she worn back her hood low over her eyes and turned around.
「I’ll confirm whether you did your work by confirming whether the room at the deepest part is opened or not. You don’t get much time left y’know. Finish your investigation in two days. About the time──let’s see. Open it at afternoon when my eyes can follow your group’s movement. Even if you open the door when I’m not here, it will be closed frm inside so there won’t be any meaning doing that.」
「Wait! Hayes!」
Lux yelled toward Hayes who turned her back at him and walked away.
Her steps stopped, and she turned around with a fearless smile.
「Who are you? Those eyes and hair color, they are the same like the old empire’s Arcadia family. Are you a survivor of the imperial family that I don’t know about? Or else──」
「Hah」
Hayes laughed off Lux’s question.
「I’m troubled if you’re misunderstanding. I’m the real thing, different from you all.」
She only said that before her robed figure vanished ahead of the passage.
After that only Lux and Philuffy were left behind.
「Haa……, haa! Somehow we defated it……. It’s really a troublesome opponent.」
「Anyway, looks like this place is settled.」
Inside the Ark, near the center of the seventh floor.
Inside one of the four passages around the main route, Lisha and Krulcifer took a breather.
In front of them was the remain of Orthros that had its core broken already and died.
The two of them somehow managed to repel one of the three watchdogs that appeared simultaneously inside the Ark.
They didn’t know how it worked, but the alarm resounding inside the ship had also stopped.
Right after Lux and Philuffy chased after an Orthros outside the ship, all the members inside joined up together. It was then the second Orthros showed up.
Judging that it would be dangerous to do battle while unarmed members like Airi and Relie were present, Lisha and Krulcifer carried out Orthrus’s extermination at the seventh floor, while Celis lead the group and moved toward the eighth floor.
If they could go to the eighth floor, they would be able to open the door of dedicated passage that connected to the deck. They had confirmed with La Cruche that they would be able to return again to the eighth floor using that passage next time.
And then with this the most dangerous place in the Ark that was the Abyss manufacture area was cleared.
The remaining floors only had exceptionally short distance that had to be traveled compared to the previous floors, and it seemed there was also little danger.
Therefore, the possibility that they could safely conquer the Ruin before they finished their training camp and returned home was heightened.
「Even so, something is strange……」
「What is?」
Krulcifer asked with her usual cool expression toward Lisha’s muttering.
「I’m also troubled if you ask me what is strange but……. If I have to say, it’s everything. The events and situations since we came to the training camp until now, no matter what it doesn’t feel matched up. Krulcifer, what do you think?」
「……This is unexpected. It looks like you are more attentive than I thought.」
「Fufu, well yeah. Even though I look like this, sometimes I too will──wait, you’re subtly making fool of me right!?」
After nodding proudly for a moment, Lisha frowned and snapped at Krulcifer.
But, Krulcifer eluded her calmly and continued her talk.
「The appearance of Ruin that no one knew or even predicted. The Ruin investigation that even drastically altered the original training camp schedule. And then, Airi-chan and Headmaster Relie coming along in this training camp. No, rather than that──why did the headmaster intentionally made that girl whose physical health is bad to come along here?」
「You mean that natural airhead? Certainly that’s strange. I thought that the headmaster was surely doting at her little sister to an overprotective degree, but……」
「Yes, that’s right. You understand already if your thought has reached that far aren’t you? Just what is the source of the strange out of place feeling from this training camp──」
「……Don’t tell me」
When Lisha got that inkling, at that moment,
『Lisha-sama, Krulcifer-san. Asking for response. Are you two safe?』
A transmission of dragon voice came in and the two lifted their face at the same time.
『Noct, what’s the matter? Is everyone safe?』
『──Yes. We safely reached the center of eighth floor and opened the direct passage to the deck. But……』
The voice of Noct who usually kept composed was slightly tinged with impatience.
Lisha and Krulcifer’s expression also tensed from her air.
『Due to a cave-in and appearance of multiple Abyss midway, we lost sight of Airi. If the two of you are safe, please cooperate with the search.』
『Got it! We’ll head there right away! Eighth floor right!?』
Lisha yelled and immediately drove away her Tiamat.
Krulcifer similarly nodded and together they flew through the corridor.
「Uu……, nn」
After the appearance of the Orthros, a confusion occurred due to a cave-in at a part of the seventh floor.
And then, Airi was separated from the group because of the melee against the spilling out multiple Abyss, she was now walking alone in a corridor of the Ark.
Her current position was most likely the latter half of the eighth floor.
She couldn’t even see clearly for a few mel ahead because several lighting went out due to impact.
For the time being, it was a small mercy that she wasn’t injured at least, but she wondered if everyone was safe.
Besides,
「Nii-san──is he safe right now?」
The gloomy atmosphere and the coldness filled her with unease.
As always, when she was alone her weakness like when she was still sickly came out.
Her sickness and frailness led her to depend on someone else.
That was something that came from the instinct as a living thing of wanting to receive the protection from people close to her, but because of that, she caused her only big brother to worry very much after her mother died.
Perhaps because she was at the age of entering puberty, she was usually really shy to say it out, but she was really grateful toward her brother.
After the old empire was reborn as the new kingdom because of the coup d’etat that Lux caused, she thought that she too had to change.
As his only beloved family, this time she wanted to support her brother with her own strength.
Thinking that, she endeavored to study harder than anyone in the academy and obtained various knowledge as a civil official.
She obtained the knowledge about Drag-Ride and Abyss, she was also more skilled than any student in deciphering the Ruin’s ancient text, Relie had also entrusted her with the position as the exclusive aide of Syvalles the other day.
She got along well with the girls at the academy, and she could also more or less accommodate her big brother.
She believed that although imperfect, she had managed to grow up splendidly.
Despite so.
「Please quickly come here if you’re safe. It’s really cold here you know?」
Wide space enclosed within darkness.
The situation where she didn’t even understand where she was walking and the strange sounds she could faintly heard became fear that encroached into her heart.
Suddenly cold wind caressed her cheek and Airi spontaneously shivered.
「……Nii-san too has become really cold-hearted. Because of that my body got really cold. Because he doesn’t quickly come here to get me──」
Airi was whispering while slowly reaching out her hand to empty air. Then she suddenly returned to her senses and lifted up her face.
「Just what am I saying.」
If someone heard her talking to herself like this, it would feel really embarrassing for her.
Airi looked around her restlessly with slightly red face.
Even so it was fine if she could be distracted.
The dangerous time was exactly the time when she had to be calm.
If she got scared and panicked, then acted rashly because of that, death would be waiting for her.
When he looked at the direction where there was no loud sound, it didn’t seem like there was Abyss nearby, but depending on the species there was also the possibility of them camouflaging or hiding themselves.
It was still too fast for her to loudly call to her comrade.
Thinking so, Airi continued to walk cautiously.
If the direct passage that connected the eighth floor and the deck La Cruche told them was at least nearby, she would be able to escape by herself, but that was only an overly convenient imagination.
As a protection charm, she was carrying the horn flute that could manipulate Abyss.
Regarding its mechanism and the way to play it, she was taught by La Cruche not long ago through Krulcifer, and she somehow managed to learn just the basic, but using it was accompanied with risk.
「I don’t really want to use this though……」
Shelving its use as her last resort, Airi walked while avoiding massive rubbles and followed along the wall that divided the area.
「……-」
After she walked for a few minutes, she could hear a small sound.
Airi immediately hid herself and her hand reached toward the horn in her breast pocket.
Should she blew it or not? A hasty decision would be fatal.
Inside the extreme tension that made her hesitate to even breath──,
「……that, something like this」
The clearly human voice entered Airi’s ear.
「…………!?」
Airi almost reflexively ran toward that way, but she held back herself with an effort.
It seemed there was a group at the neighboring area with a thick wall interposing her from them.
However, that voice didn’t come from girls, it was the rough voice of men.
The private force that Marquis Dobar brought here with him.
Even so if she told them her story and asked for help, surely they wouldn’t ignore her.
But more importantly than that, she felt discomfort from the atmosphere of their conversation. Airi stayed quiet, she killed her presence and approached stealthily.
「It turned into something bad. Like this the Abyss might get out and even the people of Ries Island will get harmed. If it become known that we caused this incident because we forcefully break through the manufacture area──」
It was the voice of the elderly group leader.
Airi who heard that sentence instantly understood.
As expected, that alarm sound and the release of the Abyss was the doing of Marquis Dobar’s group.
According to the international agreement, it was everyone’s responsibility to avoid Abyss’s appearance as much as possible so that unnecessary damage wouldn’t be caused in Ruin investigation.
If it was reported that this disaster was because of their blunder, than that group’s leader and Dobar himself would be judged in a trial.
「You really don’t get it. How many years you’ve been wielding your sword under me?」
A bit after that, Airi could hear Marquis Dobar’s voice.
There wasn’t any tone of panic or regret in his voice. Instead his voice oozed out composure and joy.
「You still haven’t notice my intention. Just why do you think I made the Empire’s Assassin Dagger broke the door of the manufacture area?」
「Do, don’t tell me──」
「Are you listening? Currently the Ragnarok protecting this Ark has died, there is the possibility that the door at the Ruin’s deepest floor is open. Treasure that no one has ever seen and information of the ancient era. This is the perfect chance to make all of those mine. Therefore, we have to prioritize becoming the first one to reach the deepest floor the most. Those officer cadet bunches getting dragged into this would actually be ideal.」
「Ho, however……. If those girls the officer cadets──the Syvalles unit is annihilated, it will become a great loss for the new kingdom too……」
「……Right. In other words, in order to make up for that lost strength, the new kingdom will have to rely on the treasures that we bring back from the Ruin. That’s all.」
Dobar laughed smugly with a crooked smile.
「That Syvalles bunches are eyesore anyway. If those girls enter the military later on and raise their position, it will shame the male Drag-Knights even more. If they die or even just get hurt, then they become obedient because of that, then that would be best don’t you think?」
「……As you will.」
The group leader fell silent with those words as his last.
He listened attentively to his master’s words and accepted it.
「It’s a, horrible talk……」
Airi unconsciously whispered in a low voice that no one could hear.
She never expected that the other side wasn’t running out of control simply because they were impatient to get meritorious deed, but they also wanted to harm Syvalles.
She really wanted to denunciate them right away, but it would be dangerous if she did that.
The possibility that they would give Airi protection was already very low.
No, far from that, if they became aware that she just heard about their talk──,
(Besides, the Empire’s Assassin Dagger, where did I hear it before──)
Airi was trembling while trying to search back her memory, it was then,
「──My apologize to interrupt your talk. But there is one thing that I noticed though?」
A high and charming voice of a girl resounded in the eighth floor’s corridor.
Airi split her attention toward that voice of a girl that shouldn’t be among Dobar’s private force, it was then,
*kashun*
After such quiet Drag-Ride’s mechanical sound, the resistance on Airi’s back vanished.
「Eh──?」
*DON!* What collapsed and raised that sound was the partitioning wall behind Airi.
When she turned around, she saw the private force of Dobar wearing Drag-Ride and the figure of a girl that she saw for the first time.
The special shape of the Drag-Ride the girl was wearing made it highly probable that it was a Divine Drag-Ride.
That girl smiled the moment Airi’s gaze met hers.
「Wha──?」
The private troops that saw Airi’s figure leaked out surprised voice and stiffened.
The flustered Airi immediately tried to hide but,
「Hou. Look who is here──isn’t this the criminal former imperial princess who come along with everyone of the academy? I wonder, what happened that you are in that kind of place?」
Dobar’s gentle voice and gesture felt terrifying instead.
But, she would meet her end here if she imprudently showed a scared attitude.
「……Syvalles is getting into battle with Abyss, so I took some distance to avoid the danger. The battle will end soon and they should come here then.」
Airi pretended to be calm as much as possible and told them that.
She didn’t tell them that she was separated from the others because of the melee but lied that the others planned to meet up with her in order to protect herself.
If they knew that Airi was overhearing their talk by herself then she would be silenced without a doubt.
She made a lie that her comrades would come soon and prayed that Dobar’s group would let her go.
「I see. However, that’s really dangerous. In this situation we don’t know where Abyss is hiding──. Kirihime, if my memory serves me right, your Divine Drag-Ride is Drake type right? Can you search for the group that was with her?」
「It’s possible. Please wait for a second.」
The girl called Kirihime consented calmly.
Even Airi had never seen a Drake type Divine Drag-Ride but──, the ability that normal Drake possessed──enemy search, camouflage, support, assist, repair, this Divine Drag-Ride should possess all of those too.
If they found Syvalles was nearby, they might took her to them.
When Airi was desperately harboring such wish inside her chest.
「It’s unfortunate, but there is no one else nearby. It seems they are a bit farther from here.」
「I see, then kill the criminal lady.」
Airi’s thought came to a halt hearing Dobar’s unhesitating words.
「Eh……?」
「Is that okay? She is one of the only two survivors of the old empire isn’t she?」
The girl called Kirihime tilted her head with her smile staying unchanged.
「Fuh……. Are you hesitating to sever the bloodline of the empire that you once swore your loyalty to?」
「Yes perhaps, now that you mentioned it, that’s how it is.」
The girl called Kirihime said with a bright and refreshing face that didn’t look like she was worried at all.
「But, Arcadia Empire has perished. Your new lord is I who took you in. Am I wrong?」
「Of course, I acknowledge that.」
「Hmm……. It’s fine as long as you understand that. If you are reluctant then I’ll let other person do it. Oi」
Dobar lightly raised his hand and gave his instruction. Then three Drag-Knights including the group leader came forward and surrounded Airi. They lifted their sword.
「Don’t think bad of us okay……」
Don’t speak about escaping, she couldn’t even beg for her life anymore.
Airi who grasped the situation that she was already beyond help no matter what she did accepted her own fate.
「Nii-san……!」
Airi squeezed out that word while closing her eyes. At that moment,
「Guah……!」
Immediately following that short moan, *DON*, there was a loud sound.
When Airi opened her eyes, the three Drag-Knights who were going to kill her were collapsing.
「Wha-……!?」
The private force of Dobar that was at the back opened their eyes wide in shock.
The girl called Kirihime was standing in front of Airi with a large blade pulled out.
It was a peculiar weapon called 『katana』 that possessed smooth curve.
The girl handled that blade easily and cut down the troops easily.
「Dear me. I was thinking to go along with you all for at least a bit more, but being fickle is my weak point.」
The girl who was the culprit who carried out this violence was continuing to speak matter-of-factly with a tone as though she was making a small talk.
「Wha, what are you doing……!? Yo, you……you want to betray me!?」
The panicked Dobar hid behind the group of Drag-Knights standing by at the back. He yelled fearfully.
「Please cease with the false accusation. From the start this body has sworn loyalty to Arcadia Empire. I was merely pretending to cooperate with all of you in order to get out of the island and come here.」
「-……!」
Airi realized her reason when she heard the name of Arcadia Empire.
This girl exposed her true nature when the order to kill Airi who was an imperial family of the old empire was given out.
「I, I was the one who rescued you who was imprisoned in the island’s prison and welcomed you as my subordinate. That debt──」
「We were only using each other based on convenience. In this kind of relationship, the side that is abandoned first is the one who lose, that’s how this work don’t you know?」
The eyes of the girl who was smiling cheerfully suddenly was tinged with sharpness.
「Do it! Kill that woman at once! Kill the two of them altoge──」
「Besides, I’m not pleased with you. You are in contradiction with my aesthetics. You pretend to swear loyalty to the old empire and also the new kingdom, you change your master as easily as flipping your hand depending on the situation, that low-life personality without even a shred of pride in it is──」
Right after that, *kin-!*, the ringing metallic voice could be heard.
At the same time, the seven Drag-Knights that attacked simultaneously stopped still──.
「Wha, what happened……!? The Drag-Ride’s movement is……!」
「What’s going on!? Is your Drag-Ride breakdown!? Wait, stop──!」
The private troops raised their scream. Right after that, everyone began to attack each other with the weapon in hands.
Someone pierced the chest of the man beside him, someone stabbed a neck with dagger, someone turned another into beehive with gun.
The spurting out fresh blood dyed the surrounding red, the Drag-Rides were desummoned one after another.
「Hi, HIiIiiH!?」
Dobar screamed after witnessing his troops were turned into corpse by friendly fire and he backed away.
Both his stubby and short legs were entangled with each other and he tumbled on the floor unsightly.
「Wha, what are you doing-……!? Why, did my troops──」
「My my, you still have the calm to ask that kind of pointless question? You’re mistaking the order of your priority. What do you want me to do so you will overlook me? Right now that’s the question that you should be asking me.」
The girl who instantly murdered seven Drag-Knights spoke with a kind smile.
That awfully bright voice was obviously mixed with scorn.
「Ple, please. Save me!? I, I’ll give you all the money and land that you want! I’ll make you into an officer of the new kingdom……! You can rise in the world if you work under me, this country is──gebah!?」
「Haa……dear me. You are not listening to my words at all, not even the tiniest bit aren’t you?」
Dobar’s throat was cut along with that exasperated voice.
「That is troubling for me. If something like the new kingdom exist, then Arcadia Empire cannot be restored by my hand.」
Dobar fell behind. He then choked on blood and writhed for a while before he soon became unmoving.
「Now then.」
The girl in black clothes turned around and stared at Airi.
She faced Airi who was speechless from great shock and bowed with a friendly smile.
「Thank you for waiting. You are the imperial princess of the old empire, her highness Airi Arcadia correct?」
「That’s, right……」
Airi mustered her courage and managed to answer somehow.
There was no meaning in lying seeing how her hair and eye color was all the proof needed.
「I am called Kirihime Yoruka. A Drag-Knight who was once called as the Empire’s Assassin Dagger. The loyal servant of his majesty the emperor of Arcadia Empire.」
「…………」
Even Airi had heard at least once regarding the existence of the Empire’s Assassin Blade.
She was a Drag-Knight from an island country at the east that was destroyed by the old empire in the past, she couldn’t be killed no matter how large the army that was invested, she was a devilish girl.
She exchanged a certain pact with the emperor and entered under his banner, after that the people of authority who witnessed her true strength feared to even make use of that strength and she was sealed into a solitary island as a secret weapon.
But, in the end all of those were only baseless rumor, Airi didn’t know anything about this girl.
Therefore, Airi didn’t say anything unnecessary.
Based on what she heard from Dobar’s conversation, this girl was faithful to the old empire even now when it had perished.
If she said something imprudent, she would be dealt with similarly like them in this place.
「Now then, we have finished the greeting so let’s enter the main topic.」
The girl showed an alluring smile and narrowed her eyes.
「Your elder brother──the last male survivor of the old empire. His highness Lux Arcadia, where could he be?」
「……-!?」
Airi’s breathing stopped hearing that question that she feared the most.
「Although you are also a member of the imperial family, but man and woman exist in completely different dimension. I more or less have the duty to save you, but that’s only after I can meet your elder brother. I have heard from Dobar that he is attached to the academy of Cross Field. He is coming to this island in participation of this training camp thing isn’t he?」
Yoruka was talking while peering on Airi’s face with her two differently colored eyes.
Ominous devotion was filling the inside of that friendly smile.
This person……cannot be allowed to meet Nii-san.
With her arms and legs trembling from fear, Airi resolved herself.
「──No, he isn’t here.」
And then, she answered so clearly.
「Is that true? If you are lying──」
「It’s true that Nii-san belong to the academy, but right now he is in the middle of doing another special mission. ……I’m thankful for the help you gave me, but I still cannot tell you the location of my brother.」
「Is that so, that’s unfortunate.」
Hearing that, Yoruka calmly smiled.
Airi who saw Yoruka accepted her answer was about to sigh in relieve, it was then,
「You don’t intend to say the truth even if I kill you, is that right?」
The smile of Yoruka whose eyes were wide open was right before Airi.
「…………」
Her lie was seen through.
Including her resolve to not speak of Lux’s whereabouts even if she was killed.
「Well, that’s fine. Let’s stop here for now. Actually I wish to meet him immediately even for a second faster, but for now he seems to be safe, the first impression is important for something like this, so……. I will come visit again after I make a little more preparation. Excuse me……」
Yoruka said only that while bowing with her body still clad in Drag-Ride. She then turned around her Drag-Ride and it was only her head that looked back toward Airi.
「Aa, I recall one thing. I killed that strange two-headed dog, but the distance from here until the surface is still far. I won’t mind escorting you until there you know?」
「……No thank you. I don’t need it.」
「I understand. Please be careful.」
Yoruka smiled in satisfaction and vanished inside the darkness.
Ten seconds later after her presence completely disappeared, Airi’s legs lost strength and she fell on her knees.
「Haa, haa……! Haah……」
There was only the sound of rough breathing resounding in the out of shape eighth floor’s area.
「That person……, just who is she──」
At this point of time Airi shivered and her teeth were clattering.
The acting and lie that she desperately put up were completely seen through, and on top of that she was let go.
That strange mentality and bottomless strength was beyond the imagination even for Airi who had seen various Drag-Knight until now.
「Could it be, that person is stronger than Nii-san……」
Airi shook her head and denied that imagination.
But, in opposite with Airi’s will, the trembling of her body didn’t disappear.
「She, cannot be allowed, to meet with Nii-san……」
And then a few minutes later.
She met up with the group of Celis and others who came searching for her and Airi returned back to the surface.
The world a few years ago.
Look was looking back at the continuation of that.
The memory when he was a child. The continuation of the day when he helped Philuffy and they recognized each other as friend for the first time.
After that, it didn’t take much time until the two of them became close with each other.
Because of the circumstance of Philuffy’s father’s work, until now she had never stayed for long at the same place, and Lux too didn’t have someone the same age as him who he could open his heart to.
While Philuffy’s father was staying in the capital because of the business condition of that time, Lux was spending a long time with Philuffy inside and outside the imperial court, he also went to play at her house.
It was only a period of around two months, but for Lux who didn’t have friend until now, the happy time that was like a dream continued.
In the castle they explored various places that they could enter, because of that they got lost and later got scolded by their parent.
They made toy craftsmanship at a workshop outside the castle and presented it to each other, and explored the nearby vast forest.
Lux was treated by Philuffy’s specialty cooking that was hotcake, because Lux said that it was delicious Philuffy created a lot and it felt like his stomach would burst.
When they became covered all over with mud in a rainy day, they entered the bath together.
Lux was used to see his little sister’s naked body, but he still felt a bit embarrassed.
But, the happy every day suddenly met its end.
The day Lux’s grandfather Wade had an audience with the emperor.
Because he gave a strong counsel and tried to admonish the emperor, he earned the animosity of the emperor. Lux’s grandfather was imprisoned due to the crime of defamation and Lux’s family was also expelled from the imperial court.
What was waiting for Lux and others who left the castle was the hatred and fury of the people who were oppressed by the empire.
The gaze of resentment that he felt when he went out of the residence at the outskirt of the imperial capital.
Lux had never heard of anything that they said then, but even from afar he understood that they were talking maliciously about him.
When he were living in the imperial court, his nerves were worn out as an imperial family who was the farthest from the throne succession right, but the conclusion was the worst.
Lux and his family who was recognized as the decoration of the imperial capital was only used as an example to serve as warning.
Those who turned their blade to the emperor, the people whose will strayed from the imperial family, they would lose protection.
What would happen as result to those who lose that protection? Lux tasted the resulting terror and repulsiveness keenly.
He also became unable to meet Philuffy that often.
Thinking back, Philuffy’s father must be regarding it as dangerous to meet him openly.
Even so, when he was able to meet Philuffy sometimes, it would be just like in the past. It supported Lux very much.
And then──that day seven years ago.
Under the raining hill, that day the horse carriage Lux and his mother were riding fell.
Lux asked for help. But the people that his grandfather tried to protect showered them with boos and rock, they were watching his seriously wounded mother died without helping.
Even Lux who was still a child at that time logically understood why it turned out like that.
Other than a part of the nobility and the imperial family, nobody else knew what Lux’s grandfather said to the emperor that caused him to get thrown into the prison.
The people resented the imperial family who was carrying out tyrannical rule and lived in vice while tormenting them.
As the punishment for defying the emperor, the emperor deliberately sent Lux and his family to such environment.
The horse carriage falling into a cliff at that time was only a tragic incident that came at that unfortunate time.
But, this was about his only mother.
Furthermore she was the only parent that protected Lux. For Lux who lost her, such logic didn’t become any consolation for him.
His father the emperor, the imperial family, the factions──and even the people were his enemy.
Lux who was hit by the hatred and resentment from the surrounding felt something like dregs piling up day by day inside his chest.
「……I don’t want to meet you again, go home.」
After his mother’s death, when her modest funeral service was over, Lux said that to Philuffy in front of his mother’s grave.
He knew that he was just venting his anger to the wrong person.
However, because of the muddy black something whirling inside his chest, he was unable to look at his childhood friend’s face like usual.
And then, if even Phillufy and her family were changing how they were looking at Lux then──.
That imagination was very much terrifying, that he couldn’t help but distancing Philuffy from himself.
「I’ll, come again.」
「…………」
Lux pretended to not hear the small voice from behind him because of the rainfall.
But, somewhere inside his heart, his childish heart was hoping.
The imperial family, the nobles obeying them, and then the people too were the enemy of Lux’s family.
Even so, perhaps only Philuffy would stay as his ally. He held such hope.
After that, a week passed.
But since that day, Philuffy had never visited Lux’s residence again.
He thought that it couldn’t be helped.
His family was already an existence that was shirked in the imperial capital.
If someone got close to his family, they might meet misfortune. There was no doubt that Philuffy’s father also stopped her from coming.
Even though he understood that logically, it was painful.
That day Lux also came to the grave in front of the church.
He visited the grave once a day, but every time he came there always would be a single flower placed before the grave.
Thinking that it must be the priest who placed that flower, Lux felt saved just for a bit.
But, that day there wasn’t any flower, when Lux returned to his residence, he heard the sound of the door being knocked.
「Lux-kun!? It’s a disaster! Philuffy disappear from home──」
Lux’s mind turned white for a moment hearing Relie’s words, and then, he noticed.
The one who brought flower everyday to his mother’s grave, was Philuffy.
According to Relie, Philuffy was forbidden from going to Lux’s residence for a while by her father’s order.
In the first place, there was a far distance from their mansion until this residence, they wouldn’t be able to come without using horse carriage.
But, Philuffy sneaked behind the back of the servants and slipped out of the mansion, she walked through long distance and came until nearby Lux’s residence.
Since then Philuffy came everyday to where Lux was.
When Lux split with Relie to search separately, he found Philuffy placing a flower in front of the grave of Lux’s mother.
Her clothes was covered with mud everywhere, blood was flowing from her knee and forehead. Perhaps she had fallen down in the forest.
「Why……?」
Hearing the words Lux squeezed out, Philuffy turned around and answered.
「I thought that if I come here, I can meet you.」
「Why did you sneak out and come here!? Even though I told you that I don’t want to meet you anymore, why did you come everyday!? Even though, meeting someone like me who isn’t wanted by anyone anymore, is meaningless──」
「Because, I’m a poor talker.」
When Lux yelled that with a sorrowful voice, Philuffy looked down with her usual expressionless face looking just a little sad, and muttered.
「I don’t understand, what should I say to Lu-chan in this kind of time, but……」
Philuffy was speaking while walking slowly under the rain toward him.
And then, he tightly embraced Lux’s body, and whispered.
「Phi……chan?」
「In the past, my dead Okaa-san told me. Do this, to your important person, she said.」
The sensation of cold skin that was exposed to rain.
Even so a faint warmth shook Lux’s heart.
「Lu-chan, isn’t alone.」
Lux’s body began to tremble hearing the kindly whispered words.
He hugged back her body with a trembling hand. He raised his voice and continued to cry.
The tears that he had never let out even once since that day his mother died, the dam broke and it overflowed out.
Philuffy continued to gently pat Lux’s back.
The hatred and resentment that filled Lux’s chest until now felt like the all vanished just from that.
After that, the father who was beaten down by Philuffy’s persistence attached Relie and servant and guard at her side to bring her to Lux’s residence everyday.
A few days after that, it seemed that they would have to leave the capital because of work circumstance and the last day of the parting finally arrived.
「Really thank you, for everything. Phi-chan.」
Lux who had completely regained his footing was calm even in his parting with Philuffy.
He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t lonely, but thanks to her he could keep on living from here on too.
He thought that he wouldn’t lose sight of himself anymore.
On the other hand Philuffy was silent like usual, Lux was talking various things with several adults including Relie and Dalt.
And then, when the time to part arrived, Lux yelled toward that back.
「That……, I’ll absolutely create it! A country where even girls like Phi-chan can feel safe, I will create it! I swear that I’ll absolutely change this empire! That’s why──」
Lux looked down his words got caught in his throat. Philuffy turned around toward such Lux.
And then, she slowly walked toward Lux, then she softly pressed her lips on Lux’s lips.
「──Eh?」
The soft sensation touching his lips.
A sweet fragrance tickled his nasal cavity before it went away.
「Good luck charm. Onee-chan taught it to me. So that one day, we can meet again for sure, she said.」
「…………」
Lux couldn’t make any word.
It wasn’t just because of feeling embarrassed from getting kissed, he was completely in a daze from the lingering mysterious warm filling his chest.
「Bye bye, Lu-chan.」
「Rig,ht……」
The little bit of Philuffy’s smile he saw at the end melted into Lux’s memory and vanished.
And then──Lux woke up.
Fourth day of training camp.
Following their usual plan, after completing their individual training at the practice ground, they carried out the Ruin investigation once more.
「I and Airi-chan will come along too today. This is originally a dangerous activity, so we’ll try to not be much of a hindrance.」
Relie who was putting a bundle of ancient text in order consulted Celis and they decided today’s unit composition.
Lux, Relie, Philuffy, and Tillfur, these four names would form a group and advanced forward.
「Philuffy, how is your condition?」
Lux asked Philuffy in consideration of her recent poor physical health and anemia.
「Yes. I’m okay.」
She gave a concise answer with her usual serious face.
「Tell me right away if your condition worsen. It’s no good to force yourself you know?」
Lux felt some kind of unease while saying that.
It wasn’t toward Philuffy, but regarding this situation.
But, he couldn’t put into words about what was strange specifically. Everyone entered the Ark with him unable to resolve that feeling.
Using what the Ruin’s girl, La Cruche told them as reference, Airi highlighted the route until the control room area in the map and distributed it.
The turnaround point of the Ark that was divided into eleven level in total──the sixth floor. They had already finished determining the safe route until that point.
Therefore, as long as they didn’t encounter any Abyss, they should be able to reach until the control area with their fast pace but,
「Everyone. I’ve been waiting. It has been a long time.」
Everyone reached the sixth floor after marching for dozens of minutes. When they assembled there, La Cruche was waiting there following the prearranged place and time.
「Waaa, she is tiny and cute!」
「She looks like a doll isn’t she? Let me touch her too.」
「Aa, the, the ears are delicate so please don’t touch them!」
The automaton La Cruche who looked like a little girl was surrounded by the girls who weren’t wearing their armor in order to save energy.
「Will she be fine……?」
「It’s all right I think? I’ve told her beforehand to not say anything important.」
When Lux smiled wryly seeing what was going on, Krulcifer smoothly said so.
According to La Cruche, she would obey the command of Krulcifer who was an Xfer, so she was told to keep it a secret about their relationship──it appeared that La Cruche was following that order properly.
「But, there is one thing that concern me.」
Krulcifer was watching over La Cruche from afar while she suddenly muttered that.
「Concern?」
「According to what she said, I am simply her supervisor, and above the supervisor it seems there is the existence of the Lord(Creator). A possessor of authority that surpass mine──」
A figure that was even more important than her that was the Ruin’s supervisor.
Lux couldn’t imagine at all what kind of position such person had but,
「But, that kind of person rarely exist isn’t it?」
Krulcifer who was discovered inside a Ruin.
And then, thinking back about how La Krusche had never awakened until now inside the Ark, it should be fine to believe that the possibility of encountering the existence of a person with such high position was really low.
「Most likely the possibility is really low, but it’s safer to not let her meet with anyone else other than us. Especially in a situation like this time.」
The investigation of unknown Ruin where they didn’t know what would happen.
In the case that a hostile opponent snatched the control of La Cruche, they didn’t know what would happen.
「Krulcifer-samaaa! Then, let’s depart immediately.」
La Cruche went toward Krulcifer after all the members be affectionate with her.
While they were marching, La Cruche would be entrusted to Krulcifer.
「Then, see you later. Be really careful okay?」
「Yes. Krulcifer-san too, be safe.」
They exchanged light words, and then they formed small groups once more under Celis’s instruction.
When it was over, Relie walked to the front and talked lightly.
「The seventh floor ahead seems to be a place that is called as the manufacture area. According to the Drake’s enemy search, it appears there is sign of Abyss there. They aren’t moving, but their number is quite a lot.」
「…………」
Hearing those words, everyone present tensed their loosened expression.
「So that we won’t get discovered by Abyss and aimed from the surrounding, we will circle around the center and advance through the corridor route. Everyone, be careful okay?」
「Yes!」
After everyone replied, they began advancing.
When they advanced through the seventh floor, the passage immediately branched into five paths.
There was the main center route that was blocked with a sturdy door, and four other small corridors.
Lux and co planned to split into four groups and marched the four corridors.
There was no doubt that all the path would lead to in front of the stair toward the eighth floor, but although the center route had the shortest distance, it was spacious and there were a lot of Abyss sign detected from there.
Therefore, they chose the detouring route that was the four corridors other than the center path.
Lux’s group advanced through the corridor at the very left.
Lux and Tillfur were clad in their Drag-Ride and protected Relie, while Philuffy was saving her energy and walked on her own feet.
Even so if everything went according to the plan, they should be able to reach the ninth floor within today.
「Even so we almost don’t see any Abyss in this Ruin isn’t it? No, it’s better if we don’t meet any but, somehow, it feels unnatural.」
Tillfur muttered while walking at the lead.
「Certainly……」
Just because they were inside a Ruin didn’t mean that they would encounter Abyss for sure, even so, although they had moved for quite a long distance in this exploration, they had only encountered the Abyss two times until now.
Was that just a coincidence, or perhaps something else──.
『Everyone. We will soon pass through the side of the center main street. Please be quiet so to not awaken the Abyss.』
Noct’s dragon voice that suddenly came into hearing tensed Lux.
The wall of the corridor Lux and co was passing through became glass at the right side. They could look down at the center route from there.
The glass was different from the glass Lux and others normally saw, it seemed to be made from a solid material that was unique for Ruin but──.
「……Lux-chi. That’s, could it be」
Tillfur looked down toward the center route and she gulped.
「Yeah……」
At the large hall spreading at the other side, there were countless things that looked like giant bottle lining up.
Inside them was crowding with grotesque figure they had never seen before.
Inside the transparent bottles, was Abysses immersed in liquid of various color. They couldn’t see whether the Abysses were conscious or not from where they were.
But, even just from a simple estimation, the number of the bottles was a few hundred.
If by any chance all of the Abysses awakened all at once, even if it was Lux and others they wouldn’t stand a chance.
「Manufacture area……could it means, they are manufacturing Abyss?」
Relie nodded toward Tillfur who was raising a cramped voice.
「Looks like it. From the start it has been speculated that something like that exist somewhere inside the Ruin though, most likely the Abyss manufactured here will appear inside the Ruin or at the surrounding.」
「By that you mean, all of those are actually alive! Please stop saying that!」
Relie smiled wryly seeing Tillfur’s body shaking along with the Wyrm she was wearing.
「Then, let’s get through this place quickly without delay.」
They were going to resume their march further while talking like that, it was then,
「Wait.」
Philuffy who was walking quietly until now lifted up her absentminded face and spoke.
「Something is──coming.」
*GASHIiiiIN!*
Right after that, a loud and heavy metallic sound resounded from behind Lux and others.
At the same time, the lighting illuminating the corridor with bluish white light instantly flickered and switched color to red, piercing warning sound could be heard.
「This is……!」
「Wai-, what happened!? We don’t really do any──!」
When Lux and Tillfur raised a bewildered voice,
*GUooOoOOOON!*
Such heavy bass roar passed through the corridor and entered their ear.
It was the existence of powerful Abyss that they felt for the first time since coming here.
They felt that dreadful killing intent from the other side of the long and narrow corridor, and then,
「Be careful.」
Philuffy whispered and pulled out her knife-shaped Sword Device.
The moment Relie reflexively withdrew behind, a gust blew from the front.
「GURURURUGAAAaAAAAA-!」
「Kuuh……!?」
Tillfur blocked the coming high speed flying attack with the battle axe of her Wyrm and she was blown away.
The large body that was only barely could be seen didn’t pause and rushed forward. When it circled at the back of Lux and others, it twisted its body and accelerated once more.
When a front leg that was thick like a log attacked, Lux’s Wyvern blocked it using its blade.
「Lux-chi! Thank you! ……-!?」
Tillfur leaked out a relieved voice for a moment, but she then held her breath when the true identity of the attacker became clear.
It was a gigantic dog.
No, it was too halfhearted to call that shape as dog. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a monster.
It was as though it was outside the categorization of animal, a grotesque huge body that easily surpassed a house.
Violet fur that was nearly black, pointed eyes and sharp pupil that were laced with madness.
Inside its mouth was packed full with knife sharp fangs without any gap.
And then above all else, it had two head, seven snakes were growing on its back, they were crawling around.
Its size took space of more than half of the corridor’s width, regardless of that it was abnormally agile.
And then, it possessed terrific strength just as its appearance suggested.
「Ku, u……」
The giant dog put its strength to smash the blade stopping it, but Lux somehow parried the attack and dodged.
After that the mad dog’s vigure vanished deeper into the dim corridor──into the darkness once more.
It wasn’t running away. Piercing sharp killing intent was still directed toward Lux’s group of four.
「Wha, what’s that……!? It’s something I’ve never seen at the academy’s Abyss picture book. In the first place, just what is going on!?」
Tillfur couldn’t hide her agitation and yelled. Relie whispered with her face also looking tense.
「Someone wrenched open the gate of the center route and infiltrated the manufacture area……. The possibility is high that this Abyss appears in response to that.」
Most likely that manufacture area had great importance even among all the mechanisms in this Ruin.
Most likely because there was someone who infiltrated that place, the defense mechanism activated.
「GUAAaAAaAaaaaAH!」
When the mad dog Abyss growled once more, Lux leaped forward.
「Howling Roar!」
It was the basic technique of Drag-Ride, the howl of Drag-Ride that deployed a vortex of shockwave.
Originally it only possessed the strength that could only frighten the enemy, but in this cramped corridor that was only a straight line, it was able to definitely stop the enemy’s momentum.
But──,
「Lux-chi, be careful! It’s not faltering at all!」
Tillfur whose gaze was focused at the darkness further ahead readied her battle axe while covering the other two behind her.
Immediately after, the wall of shockwave was easily pierced through, and the mad dog Abyss came attacking.
「-……!」
*GIIN*, a piercing sound stabbed the eardrum.
The front leg attack the Abyss unleashed once more was blocked by Lux’s blade, at the same time *crack*, a crack entered that huge claw.
Critical hit.
The Scale Blade that Lisha created──a sword that had barrier running along its blade, by using that, it was possible to force back enemy’s attack if the user moved with unparalleled accurate timing and positioning. It was Lux’s special move when he was using Wyvern.
By focusing the opponent’s strength into one point and returned it back, it became a counter that brought about destruction.
Lux used Howling Roar wasn’t to give the enemy damage, it was to limit the offensive option of the enemy.
「GU, ooOOH!」
Even though Lux couldn’t defeat it with his attack just now, but it seemed that the Abyss was at least damaged. The mad dog leaped backward and then turned around.
And then it hid its body inside the darkness once more and this time even its presence vanished.
「Haaa, that was scary……」
A few second after the threat left, Tillfur exhaled out deeply.
「Just what in the world is that……」
Even Lux was still agitated.
He could use Critical hit in large part because this area of the corridor was narrow, so the direction of enemy’s attack was greatly limited from one direction.
He would need some more time until he was able to see through the enemy’s movement and matched the timing perfectly.
For the time being, he confirmed that Relie and Philuffy were safe. And then when he was being vigilant at his surrounding omce more,
『Lux-kun, can you hear me?』
A dragon voice from Krulcifer that was exclusively sent to Lux came in.
「A large dog Abyss came out, but everyone here is safe! What about Krulcifer-san and others!?」
When Lux replied like that, Krulcifer let out a faint relieved sigh, then she talked with a voice that was tinged with tension once more.
『That Abyss is most likely Orthros. According to La Cruche, when the Ark entered the alert state, three of that Abyss will be released. The first will target the one that caused the alert, the second will patrol inside the ship, and then the third will go outside the ship and attack the surrounding. They are the Ark’s watchdog. It seems that they are quite strong even among the Abyss.』
「…………」
『I’ll give you the message from La Kruche. This warning sound is coming from quite far in the back, it seems that it was because someone wrenched open the door of the manufacture area.』
「Just who was──」
『If the door is opened because the Ruin confirmed someone to be related to the Ruin like me, it wouldn’t become like this. The one who forcefully opened the door was most likely──the group of that Marquis Dobar, this is their work.』
「But if I remember right, they should be several floor above──」
『Yes, I don’t know how they caught up to us but……. They’ve arrived until the beginning of this seventh floor, at the bow area. And then right now they are planning to break through the shortest center route in order to overtake us.』
「But, if they do that……!」
They would be rushing through the very center of the Atelier that was manufacturing Abyss.
Surely there was no way that all the Abysses inside those bottles would start moving all at once, but it would be still extremely dangerous.
『Yes, it’s possible that they will get surrounded by Abyss and get killed. But, we can only ask the headmaster and Celis-senpai to make decision of what we are going to do now.』
「Yeah……」
After the communication with Krulcifer was cut, Lux hurriedly reported the information he heard to Relie and others.
Marquis Dobar’s private force suddenly raised their marching speed, and there was high possibility that they would catch up.
As the result of the wrenching open the door in their attempt to break through the manufacture area, this alarm sounded and three powerful Abysses appeared.
Marquis Dobar’s force was also in danger.
Relie who heard all those information hesitated slightly.
「It can’t be helped. Let’s hurry ahead.」
Relie brushed up her hair and declared that.
「……Eh?」
「From the start we had talked about this with them. That we will investigate this Ark at our own risk. Besides we are already half-way through this seventh floor corridor. If Abyss came out in response to this alarm, then we won’t make it in time even if we turn around.」
「…………」
The corridor route Lux’s group was in didn’t have direct connection with the center route of the manufacture area.
If they tried to return until the seventh floor entrance from here, it would take several minutes even with the top speed.
Besides, in the case that a swarm of Abyss appeared inside, if Dobar’s group attempted forceful breakthrough, then they would simply miss Lux and others, and not only that Lux’s group that headed out to save them would instead become surrounded by the many Abysses that appeared to chase Dobar’s group.
If they assumed such worst case, then it would be the safest to reach the control room area at the tenth floor below.
But,
(Is that okay? Is it really──)
「Come……, Typhoon」
That moment Lux was pondering, the Divine Drag-Ride Typhoon was summoned in front of Philuffy.
「Philuffy?」
When Lux turned toward the direction of the voice, Philuffy’s body was clad in armor.
「I think, that it’s better if I and Lu-chan return to the surface, for the moment.」
And then, she continued with her usual calm voice.
「Because perhaps right now, that Abyss is coming out outside the Ark too.」
Philuffy muttered while sending her gaze toward the reinforced glass along the wall.
According to La Cruche’s explanation that her heard from Krulcifer, certainly it was said that one of three watchdogs would head outside the Ark.
Currently there was almost no military Drag-Knight in Ries Island.
「I understand……」
Hearing her little sister’s words, Relie looked down with a face that looked worried and then she gave a new instruction.
「Lux-kun. Can you pursue that Abyss together with Philuffy? Everyone else will hurry to reach the eighth floor while no Abyss is pursuing.」
「Yes! But, headmaster’s is」
「Ah, it’s fine about that. There is contact from Noct just now, seems like the group of Celis-senpai that reached the eighth floor earlier will hurry to come here so──. Until they come, I can hold out here even alone!」
Tillfur readied her armament, the battle axe and showed a confident smile.
Her body was still shaking a bit, but she was encouraging herself as a member of Syvalles.
「Just as I was taught, it’ll be fine if I move after calmly looking at the opponent’s movement ain’t it, sensei?」
Tillfur recited Lux’s teaching that he gave her when giving personal guidance at the practice ground.
Lux’s expression loosened seeing the girl’s enthusiasm and he nodded.
「Yes. If it’s Tillfur, you can do it. ──That’s why, do your best.」
「Ro-ger, instructor-sama.」
After exchanging salute with Tillfur, Lux turned toward Philuffy.
「Philuffy, is your body all right?」
「……Yes. I can go.」
Philuffy responded with her usual serious face.
It was hard to notice inside the corridor that was lighted by red light, but Philuffy’s condition looked worse than before.
Her cheeks were slightly red, and her breathing was rough.
Above all else, her reaction when the Abyss attacked just now was unthinkably slow compared to her usual movement.
When Lux ruminated about those facts and hesitated, Philuffy took a deep breath.
「Let’s hurry. If we have to search for the Abyss that headed outside, it would be too late if we don’t split.」
「……Got it. Let’s go.」
The safety of the islanders was the foremost.
Lux accepted Philuffy’s will and he pulled out his other Sword Device.
「──Manifest, the violent dragon that devour the gods’ flesh and blood. Sever the sky of dark clouds, Bahamut!」
Lux pushed the button on the grip together with the Passcode, and summoned a jet black Divine Drag-Ride.
That huge dragon that possessed streamlined shape quickly covered Lux’s body and changed into armor.
And then, he flew glidingly through the corridor that was still filled with ominous alarm sound.
When fighting an Abyss that he had never seen before, normally Lux would first use the Wyvern that was specialized for defense.
Bahamut’s Divine Raiment was the ability of compression strengthening──Reload on Fire(Violent Eater).
At the first five seconds, one’s own time would be decelerated by several times over, and then at the next five seconds the flow of time would be accelerated until several times over. Using that special ability, Lux could use Quick Shot that would instantly destroy the opponent’s mobile parts, but to perform that attack it was necessary for Lux to be able to see through the enemy attack’s preliminary movement with great precision.
In order to see through the attack, Lux needed to confirm and learn the enemy’s behavior through many exchange of offense and defense. Wyvern was effective as the preparatory steps for that, but as expected this time there was no time for that.
In order to pursue the Abyss heading outside the ship from the seventh floor, the flying speed of Wyvern was undependable, and above all else Lux was impatient.
(I also don’t want Philuffy forcing herself, if I don’t protect everyone in the island……!)
For that too he had to defeat that Abyss without wasting time. Lux glanced briefly at Philuffy who was following behind using her Typhoon, and then he accelerated Bahamut even further.
「This is……, bad!」
Lux noticed a certain fact after he passed through seventh floor and continued to retrace their steps from the sixth floor until the first floor.
With Bahamut’s top speed, even that Orthros could be pursued. But he couldn’t use that much speed in order to avoid the obstacles inside the Ark.
And perhaps because of the alert state of the Ruin, bulkhead appeared in a part of the route and blocked Lux’s path. Because of that he lacked behind the Abyss.
He finally reached until the portal of the Ark, but he had to wait several second until the transfer to outside started.
(If the Abyss get outside the Ark like this, then everyone, the people of the island will──!)
「It’s fine, Lu-chan.」
When Lux was losing the presence of his mind, Philuffy drove Typhoon to his side and talked to him.
「But……!」
「That Abyss still hasn’t go outside. I know from its presence……」
「……Philuffy?」
Suspicious presence and empty tone.
Lux’s back became slightly cold seeing Philuffy’s atmosphere that he had seen before.
The alarm sound that felt unpleasant to ear he was hearing inside the Ark.
At the beginning he didn’t notice, but it felt like he had certainly heard it somewhere before several times──.
「Phi-chan, say.」
Anxiety was suddenly born inside Lux’s chest. It was an awkward time until the transfer began.
It caused Lux to speak out the question that he was unable to say until now.
「Have you ever, come to this island, before……?」
「…………」
There was no light in Philuffy’s eyes.
She didn’t even react to Lux’s question.
It was as though she was already unable to hear anything right from the start.
「…………」
His throat was dry.
It felt suffocating, an indescribable uneasiness stabbed his chest.
Lux was going to try calling out once more, but it was then the pattern beneath them shined faintly. A pillar of light enveloped the two of them.
Gravity vanished from beneath them. Right after that mysterious sensation,
「GURUaaaAAAAA……!」
They could see the form of Arthros jumping toward the island from the edge of the deck along with a loud howl.
It was the Abyss that had one of its claw cracked by Lux’s Critical hit.
One of its heads glanced toward where Lux and Philuffy were, and right after that it ran inside the forest in high speed.
「Damn it! At this rate──」
The Abyss was already heading inside the island.
The only silver lining was that it wasn’t going toward the residential area, but they would lose sight of it if it entered deep inside the forest.
Lux was about to fly Bahamut to quickly pursue it, it was then,
「Lu-chan. Tell me the location of the Abyss while you pursue it.」
Philuffy who was skating behind spoke to Lux with a calm voice.
「That’s──, could it be?」
Lux guessed her intention just from that.
「Yes. If you stop its movement for me just for a moment, I can catch it.」
「Got it……」
There was no time for hesitation.
Lux raised Bahamut’s speed and pursued the Orthros that was changing its route irregularly in order to shake him off.
The Abyss wasn’t counterattacking right away must be because it was trying to camouflage its figure by hiding inside the forest.
Its aim was to make Lux worried that he would lose sight of it and made his motion simple.
(But, I’ll let it escape if I hesitate because I’m scared to take the bait……!)
Lux resolved himself and tried to raise Bahamut’s speed even further, it was then──,
『Lu-chan. It’s fine. We aren’t that weak you know?』
『……Thank you, Philuffy.』
Hearing Philuffy’s voice, Lux recovered his composure.
He took a deep breath and accelerated Bahamut further.
He reached the position right above the Orthros that was dashing agilely inside the forest and he gradually shrank the distance.
「Gu, urururururu……!」
Even Lux could hear its ferocious voice that was mixed with the sound of grinding teeth.
It must be irritated toward Lux that was sticking close to it without choosing to attack forcefully.
But, Orthros was gradually approaching the practice ground.
And then when it came out of the forest, the strategic moment came.
「Howling Howl!」
The practice ground was surrounded with bulky stone wall, there was a single path that connected its entrance with the forest.
Lux struck with the impact of Holwing Howl in that place where there was no obstacle at all.
But,
「GU, RURURUaAA……!」
That instant, Orthros’s eye glint shined and it accelerated even faster.
It dodged the Howling Howl’s shockwave and slipped through the gate of the practice ground.
「……!?」
A moment later, Typhoon’s Divine Raiment, the wire of Pile Anchor(Dragon Bite Binding Chain) cut through the air.
Their coordination failed.
The Orthros that saw a good chance filled its four limbs with strength and leaped toward Lux above who was showing an opening, it was then──,
「That was perfect, Lu-chan.」
Something unusual happened at the same time with Philuffy’s slow voice.
「GA, GAH……!?」
The leg of Orthros that should have avoided the attack completely was snapped by the tip of the wire that was modeled after snake’s jaw.
Looking there, there was phosphorescence twinkling around Lux, flickering like flame.
Linker Pulse(Resonance Wave).
It was the special armament loaded inside Bahamut. It formed force field at the surrounding with a power to generate some amount of attraction or repulsion force.
By using that, the trajectory of the Pile Anchor that should be cutting empty air was adjusted and captured the prey. It was a two-stage trap.
A coordination that made use of Lux and Philuffy’s special armament.
「GURU……AaaaAAH!」
While the mad dog growled and struggled, an anchor rolled it up in high speed and pulled it toward Typhon.
「……ei」
Philuffy who pulled the Abyss up until the outer wall of the practice ground unfastened the entangling wire, at the same time her fist punched the Abyss flying with a wide swing.
「GUGAaAAH!?」
The Orthros that was blown away toward a direction where there was no sign of people started running again after it fell.
Chasing after it, Philuffy also jumped down the outer wall.
「Yosh!」
Next Lux also chased after the Orthros.
But, he noticed something in the middle of doing that.
「This place, if I’m not mistaken──!?」
Lux followed Philuffy and the Orthros into the abandoned monastery.
A part of the floor of the moldy building was broken, exposing an underground room and path below.
「Uu, kuh……!」
Lux kept floating above that ruined building, felt a sharp pain behind his eyes and he held his forehead.
The scenery below him shook fiercely and a memory of the past overlapped his sight.
(What……is this!? This sensation──)
His five senses remembered it along with a strong stimulus.
The blackness of dried blood, and the rotten smell filling the air.
The echo of scream that couldn’t be made out as a voice anymore.
Black remains with skin and hair clinging on it.
The disposal place for thing that used to be human.
Lux desperately moved his gaze that was shaken by despair to the surrounding, searching for 『that』.
And then,
「──U, AAAAaAAAAH!」
Lux raised a yell from the sharp pain in his chest and breathed roughly.
「There is no way……that’s true!」
He remembered.
The day of coup d’etat five years ago.
A few days before that day, Lux came to this place.
His childhood friend Philuffy was brought here to be test subject for medicine. Hearing that, he located this place and came to save her.
What he found inside, was dead young girls that looked as though they were devoured apart from inside.
Human experiment for developing new weapon that was carried out at the era of the old empire.
This facility was built as monastery at the surface. Below it the true tragedy was ensuing.
After the success of the revolution, this facility was abandoned and the corpses of the girls were given burial, but the trace in this place still remained the same like in the past.
(──But, that time. Philuffy wasn’t here……)
A while after the coup d’etat succeeded, he got a letter from Relie that which him that Philuffy was safe.
That was why, he must had luckily saved Philuffy.
Everything was just Lux’s absurd fear, there wasn’t anything wrong.
It should be so.
Even though there should be nothing more than that.
OOOoooOOO……!
Orthros’s growl was echoing strangely and reached Lux’s ear.
Lux who came back to his senses landed down into a large room at the underground facility. The dark shadow suddenly wavered.
「GUSHAAAAAH……!」
Lux received the claw attack that stabbed to him in high speed and parried it.
Then, the mad dog didn’t stop moving and immediately rushed through Lux and hid itself.
「-……!」
Lux was spontaneously shocked when he saw its figure just for a moment.
Orthros’s shape changed.
There were dark red veins running through its whole body, its cloudy jet black pupils were shining gold.
And then above all else, the claw that Lux broke with Critical hit was completely regenerated.
「That’s, it’s the same like the Chimeira Celis-senpai saw, and the Poseidon──」
Revival from a state of near death into a shape that achieved flesh regeneration and strengthening.
It felt like the enemy’s movement that he was in the process of learning until just now was reset.
At present when it was difficult to see through the enemy attack’s preliminary motion, it was extremely dangerous to use Reload on Fire, but,
「SHAAAAAAAH!」
The mad dog’s violent attack that assaulted from the darkness once more was blocked by Lux from the front.
Orthros’s fang attacked at Bahamut’s armor. At that moment its left eye was slashed.
「GU, GAAH……!」
One of the three hidden techniques Lux invented at the end of his training──Quick Draw(Godspeed Control).
Lux aimed at the eyeball because he saw it difficult to deal a lethal wound to the body of Orthros that was in a rampaging state.
Orthros’s expression distorted in anguish. It tried to leap back, but its jump ended incompletely.
「GU, GA……?」
The flash of Quick Draw that Lux unleashed once more severed the tip part of its front leg this time.
Orthrus that confirmed what happened raged and the countless snakes growing on its back squirmed.
「GUAaAAAAAaAAAH!」
It attacked not using its front leg or its fang, but the countless snake head that attacked simultaneously.
Judging that it couldn’t win by defending and attacking one by one, it increased its number of attack to the maximum and launched simultaneous attack.
But──,
「Reload on Fire.」
Super high speed instantaneous attack using Bahamut’s Divine Raiment.
Red slashing line that reached a total of twelve lines ran through Orhtrus’s whole body instantly. Right after that, its body fell into pieces.
The mad dog that was severed apart until its core became black ash and crumbled.
It welcomed the same end like the Chimaera and Poseidon before and scattered apart.
「Fuu……」
Lux who finished defeating the Abyss dispelled Bahamut for the moment.
In the first place Bahamut’s fuel consumption was really bad even among the Divine Drag-Rides that already had severe consumption rate. Even though it was Lux but it was really hard to use Bahamut concesutively.
After he met up with Philuffy, he would use Wyvern to return back. And so he was going to search for her, it was then──,
「Philu, ffy……?」
He noticed that Philuffy herself wasn’t anywhere he could see.
But, he could hear a frail, faint breathing sound from the other side of a broken wall.
At that instant, a strange sight surfaced at the back of Lux’s mind, and he could hear a voice.
A certain day five years ago, a few days before the coup d’etat.
Relie Aingram visited him at the outskirt residence he was living in.
Her face was haggard and lethargic, her eyes became red from weeping her eyes out.
And then, her lips that were forcing out a smile silently opened.
「I want Lux-kun to also attend that girl’s funeral. She surely, will feel happy. Xxxxx too──」
「──U, AAAAAAH……!」
An intense headache attacked Lux and he crouched on the spot.
Strange disordered memory.
Lux shook his head in denial to shake off that memory.
「There’s no way that’s true……! Philuffy should be saved that time!」
That day five years ago, when Lux searched for Philuffy here, she wasn’t here.
After that a letter from Relie came telling him that Philuffy was safe.
(Then, what’s this? This strange painful memory……? I certainly──)
「Haa, haa……」
Rough breathing voice pulled Lux’s consciousness back to reality.
He suddenly could hear a girl’s voice from the corner of the large room.
「Philuffy!」
Lux hurriedly ran toward the direction of the voice. There Philuffy was leaning on the wall and sat as though she was sinking down on the floor.
She wasn’t injured.
Lux who was thinking about the worst case let out a relieved sigh and walked toward her.
Most likely she forced her anemic and feverish body and she reached her limit.
「Get a hold of yourself. I’ll carry you to the boardinghouse right away, that’s why──」
「Lu……chan?」
Lux was slowly walking toward Philuffy to lend her his shoulder so she could stand. But then Philuffy opened her eyes slightly.
「Are you okay!? You are really feverish──」
Philuffy silently lifted up her face beside the hurrying Lux.
「Don’t. Nearby, an Abyss is……」
And then, she deliriously whispered with emotionless voice.
「It’s okay. If it’s Orthros, I defeated it already. That’s why don’t worry──」
「No, it’s here.」
「Eh……?」
Lux was unable to say his next word.
His neck was grabbed far faster than he could speak and he was lifted up high.
「Wha──!?」
Both his feet left the floor. Lux was flustered.
His neck was strangled by Philuffy’s right hand. At the same time he was hanging in midair.
It took Lux several seconds until Lux realized his situation.
「U……guh! Philu, ffy……?」
The moment Lux questioned with an anguished expression, he saw it.
Faint red pattern entered Philuffy’s skin, both her eyes were dyed black.
Her pupils shined gold, a smile was pasted on her mouth.
「……-!?」
The girl’s smile was infected with madness that he had never seen from her even once until now.
Seeing the completely changed Philuffy, several image of Abyss emerged inside Lux’s brain.
Chimaera, Poseidon, Orthros.
The form transformation all those Abysses displayed.
However, why?
Why was something like that, in Philuffy──,
「Ka, ha……!」
His breathing and blood flow stopped, and his consciousness became distant.
Right after Lux resolved himself for death, Philuffy’s hand suddenly let go.
「Gehoh……! Kohah……!」
Lux was breathing roughly on the stone paving he was thrown at.
Before his eyes, Philuffy’s eyes closed and she abruptly collapsed face down.
The strange dark red pattern emerging on her skin was vanishing.
Seeing that, Lux approached Philuffy once more.
「Oh, oh-hoh. Are you two in the middle of having fun? My bad for being nuisance here.」
「……!?」
A scornful laugh came from the large room of the underground facility.
At the same time a small statured shadow wearing jet black robe showed up in that place.
「You……!」
Silver hair that was the same like Lux, and gray and blue eyes.
The girl who possessed asymmetrical pair of eyes was standing there.
The arm dealer of darkness that was secretly maneuvering by selling weapon and information at various places.
Previously, this girl named Hayes she showed her face when the academy was assaulted and introduced herself as Heiburg’s strategist.
「Why are you here!?」
Lux pulled out the Sword Device of Bahamut while yelling at the same time.
「Don’t scream like that prince, I’m getting cold feet here.」
In contrast Hayes showed a sticky smile while sitting on a table and crossed her legs.
「……That Abyss too, was it your doing?」
The enemy didn’t seem like she would take fighting stance, but Lux didn’t bother with it and closed the distance.
He reached a distance where his blade could reach in a single breath, faster than a Drag-Ride could be summoned.
But, Hayes didn’t look perturbed at all. She lifted her face in enjoyment.
「……Ku-ku-ku. Just when I thought that you are just a brat enjoying harem life with those sluts, but you bastard is actually one cruel guy huh. You’re planning to let your lifesaver die? I’m referring to your childhood friend croaking there you know.」
Ahead of her gaze was the collapsed figure of Philuffy.
「What……do you mean?」
A shadow entered Lux’s face.
Somewhere in his heart, he had suspected the answer.
「Ratatoskr(Parasitic Plant).」
The mouth of the sitting down Hayes distorted into a repulsive arc.
「The woman behind you has a part of a Ragnarok’s body that I planted into her──a seed of the Yggdrasil you see.」
「────」
「That woman’s body is already half assimilated with Abyss, turning into a part of Yggdrasil.」
Like that, she told the answer.
The fact that Lux feared and wanted to deny the most.
「Her heart is assimilated with Abyss’s core. She’ll die if you try to remove it forcibly. Usually the seed is just sleeping inside that woman, but sometimes it will appear because of the danger to life and abnormal agitation of mind. It’s basically show up as abilities the same like what you’ve seen until now.」
Abnormal super recovery and the improvement of body function.
But, when the life energy was used up because of the abnormal consumption rate, the Abyss with those abilities would become black ash and crumbled at that time.
「And then your childhood friend cannot go against 『Yggdrasil』, my Ragnarok that is the master of that ovule seed. Usually she is no different at all from a normal human, but the parasite target that receive the sound wave command Yggdrasil emitted will be instinctually urged to carry out that command. If the parasite target go against that command, they will be tormented with high fever and headache, and their body function will start go out of order. It’s at the level that it’ll be hard even to just stand up straight.」
「Don’t tell me──」
Lux shuddered hearing that explanation.
「Yes, that woman have been opposing the order Yggdrasil gave all this time. Kill Lux Arcadia. She has been obstinately refusing that command, and inside the pain that feels like hell, she was finally at her limit just now in this place.」
Hayes cackled while jumping down from the table.
That moment Lux thrust the tip of his blade toward her throat.
「Stop that command. If you don’t──」
「Oi oi, calm down okay, prince.」
Hayes wasn’t perturbed at all. She raised both her hands and played the fool.
「You at least already understand the reason why I appeared in front of you like this right? It’s too late even if you kill me now. ──No, instead it will be a disaster if you kill me or something. No one will be able to control Yggdrasil if I’m gone, and the last order given to it won’t be revoked for eternity. You trash, pull away this rude sword right away. Or I’ll kill that monster woman.」
Hayes fiddled with the horn flute in her hand, both her eyes opened and she sneered.
Unable to oppose her, Lux gritted his teeth while withdrawing the sword.
「……Now, calm down and listen to me. That woman doesn’t have long. The reason is because she has committed the greatest taboo for a parasite body of Ragnarok.」
「Taboo you say……?」
Hearing Hayes’s completely unexpected words, Lux responded by parroting her word.
「That’s right. The greatest taboo for Yggdrasil’s parasite body isn’t going against order, it’s attacking another parasite body. That woman attacked an Abyss with parasite inside its body just now. She tried to kill it.」
The body of Orthros that became ash and vanished just now.
Most likely before Lux went into the underground facility, Philuffy cornered the Abyss until near death once already.
Therefore, it became the greatest rebellion against the controller of parasite body Yggdrasil and her body reached the limit.
「What a sad reality. That woman is basically beyond help. She will die for sure within a few days. Just like the Abyss with parasite body inside it that you guys killed, she will turn into a pitch black ash.」
Hayes declared indifferently.
Lux’s heart rapidly chilled hearing that.
Lux understand not logically, but instinctually that what she was telling him was the truth.
「You understand what I’m telling you? Then, let’s get to the main point.」
「What do you, mean?」
Lux whose eyes expression was shadowed asked with a dark voice.
「You are really slow huh, prince. Is even your head get screw loose because of the shock from your cute childhood friend’s condition? Do you think that this me intentionally show up here just to harass you?」
「…………」
「This is a transaction. I’ll especially give the order to Yggdrasil to save that woman. If you open the door at the deepest level of that Ruin──the Ark that you guys are sneakily searching.」
「……What does that mean?」
「To open the door at the deepest part of every Ruin, the authentication of Xfer(Key’s Supervisor) is needed see. I also have one Xfer, but unfortunately after they used their authority once, they won’t be able to use it again for a few months. If possible I want to have the Xfer with you, that woman with blue hair to open the door.」
The Xfer that Hayes was talking about must be about Krulcifer.
From the beginning in the investigation this time the objective was to reach the deepest level of the Ruin, so that condition could be achieved without any problem.
However──,
「……What is your objective? What are you planning as the strategist of Heiburg? Can you guarantee that Philuffy can be saved by doing that?」
Even so, he couldn’t imagine at all that this wicked girl would fulfill her promise.
Hayes let out a thin smile at Lux’s question and she threatened.
「Hee, I’m shocked. You bastard still don’t understand your position even at this point huh.」
And then, she made an evil look and her face came near Lux.
「You don’t have any choice right from the start. If you want to let that woman die then do whatever you like, you hero pretender false prince.」
Hayes said only that before she worn back her hood low over her eyes and turned around.
「I’ll confirm whether you did your work by confirming whether the room at the deepest part is opened or not. You don’t get much time left y’know. Finish your investigation in two days. About the time──let’s see. Open it at afternoon when my eyes can follow your group’s movement. Even if you open the door when I’m not here, it will be closed frm inside so there won’t be any meaning doing that.」
「Wait! Hayes!」
Lux yelled toward Hayes who turned her back at him and walked away.
Her steps stopped, and she turned around with a fearless smile.
「Who are you? Those eyes and hair color, they are the same like the old empire’s Arcadia family. Are you a survivor of the imperial family that I don’t know about? Or else──」
「Hah」
Hayes laughed off Lux’s question.
「I’m troubled if you’re misunderstanding. I’m the real thing, different from you all.」
She only said that before her robed figure vanished ahead of the passage.
After that only Lux and Philuffy were left behind.
「Haa……, haa! Somehow we defated it……. It’s really a troublesome opponent.」
「Anyway, looks like this place is settled.」
Inside the Ark, near the center of the seventh floor.
Inside one of the four passages around the main route, Lisha and Krulcifer took a breather.
In front of them was the remain of Orthros that had its core broken already and died.
The two of them somehow managed to repel one of the three watchdogs that appeared simultaneously inside the Ark.
They didn’t know how it worked, but the alarm resounding inside the ship had also stopped.
Right after Lux and Philuffy chased after an Orthros outside the ship, all the members inside joined up together. It was then the second Orthros showed up.
Judging that it would be dangerous to do battle while unarmed members like Airi and Relie were present, Lisha and Krulcifer carried out Orthrus’s extermination at the seventh floor, while Celis lead the group and moved toward the eighth floor.
If they could go to the eighth floor, they would be able to open the door of dedicated passage that connected to the deck. They had confirmed with La Cruche that they would be able to return again to the eighth floor using that passage next time.
And then with this the most dangerous place in the Ark that was the Abyss manufacture area was cleared.
The remaining floors only had exceptionally short distance that had to be traveled compared to the previous floors, and it seemed there was also little danger.
Therefore, the possibility that they could safely conquer the Ruin before they finished their training camp and returned home was heightened.
「Even so, something is strange……」
「What is?」
Krulcifer asked with her usual cool expression toward Lisha’s muttering.
「I’m also troubled if you ask me what is strange but……. If I have to say, it’s everything. The events and situations since we came to the training camp until now, no matter what it doesn’t feel matched up. Krulcifer, what do you think?」
「……This is unexpected. It looks like you are more attentive than I thought.」
「Fufu, well yeah. Even though I look like this, sometimes I too will──wait, you’re subtly making fool of me right!?」
After nodding proudly for a moment, Lisha frowned and snapped at Krulcifer.
But, Krulcifer eluded her calmly and continued her talk.
「The appearance of Ruin that no one knew or even predicted. The Ruin investigation that even drastically altered the original training camp schedule. And then, Airi-chan and Headmaster Relie coming along in this training camp. No, rather than that──why did the headmaster intentionally made that girl whose physical health is bad to come along here?」
「You mean that natural airhead? Certainly that’s strange. I thought that the headmaster was surely doting at her little sister to an overprotective degree, but……」
「Yes, that’s right. You understand already if your thought has reached that far aren’t you? Just what is the source of the strange out of place feeling from this training camp──」
「……Don’t tell me」
When Lisha got that inkling, at that moment,
『Lisha-sama, Krulcifer-san. Asking for response. Are you two safe?』
A transmission of dragon voice came in and the two lifted their face at the same time.
『Noct, what’s the matter? Is everyone safe?』
『──Yes. We safely reached the center of eighth floor and opened the direct passage to the deck. But……』
The voice of Noct who usually kept composed was slightly tinged with impatience.
Lisha and Krulcifer’s expression also tensed from her air.
『Due to a cave-in and appearance of multiple Abyss midway, we lost sight of Airi. If the two of you are safe, please cooperate with the search.』
『Got it! We’ll head there right away! Eighth floor right!?』
Lisha yelled and immediately drove away her Tiamat.
Krulcifer similarly nodded and together they flew through the corridor.
「Uu……, nn」
After the appearance of the Orthros, a confusion occurred due to a cave-in at a part of the seventh floor.
And then, Airi was separated from the group because of the melee against the spilling out multiple Abyss, she was now walking alone in a corridor of the Ark.
Her current position was most likely the latter half of the eighth floor.
She couldn’t even see clearly for a few mel ahead because several lighting went out due to impact.
For the time being, it was a small mercy that she wasn’t injured at least, but she wondered if everyone was safe.
Besides,
「Nii-san──is he safe right now?」
The gloomy atmosphere and the coldness filled her with unease.
As always, when she was alone her weakness like when she was still sickly came out.
Her sickness and frailness led her to depend on someone else.
That was something that came from the instinct as a living thing of wanting to receive the protection from people close to her, but because of that, she caused her only big brother to worry very much after her mother died.
Perhaps because she was at the age of entering puberty, she was usually really shy to say it out, but she was really grateful toward her brother.
After the old empire was reborn as the new kingdom because of the coup d’etat that Lux caused, she thought that she too had to change.
As his only beloved family, this time she wanted to support her brother with her own strength.
Thinking that, she endeavored to study harder than anyone in the academy and obtained various knowledge as a civil official.
She obtained the knowledge about Drag-Ride and Abyss, she was also more skilled than any student in deciphering the Ruin’s ancient text, Relie had also entrusted her with the position as the exclusive aide of Syvalles the other day.
She got along well with the girls at the academy, and she could also more or less accommodate her big brother.
She believed that although imperfect, she had managed to grow up splendidly.
Despite so.
「Please quickly come here if you’re safe. It’s really cold here you know?」
Wide space enclosed within darkness.
The situation where she didn’t even understand where she was walking and the strange sounds she could faintly heard became fear that encroached into her heart.
Suddenly cold wind caressed her cheek and Airi spontaneously shivered.
「……Nii-san too has become really cold-hearted. Because of that my body got really cold. Because he doesn’t quickly come here to get me──」
Airi was whispering while slowly reaching out her hand to empty air. Then she suddenly returned to her senses and lifted up her face.
「Just what am I saying.」
If someone heard her talking to herself like this, it would feel really embarrassing for her.
Airi looked around her restlessly with slightly red face.
Even so it was fine if she could be distracted.
The dangerous time was exactly the time when she had to be calm.
If she got scared and panicked, then acted rashly because of that, death would be waiting for her.
When he looked at the direction where there was no loud sound, it didn’t seem like there was Abyss nearby, but depending on the species there was also the possibility of them camouflaging or hiding themselves.
It was still too fast for her to loudly call to her comrade.
Thinking so, Airi continued to walk cautiously.
If the direct passage that connected the eighth floor and the deck La Cruche told them was at least nearby, she would be able to escape by herself, but that was only an overly convenient imagination.
As a protection charm, she was carrying the horn flute that could manipulate Abyss.
Regarding its mechanism and the way to play it, she was taught by La Cruche not long ago through Krulcifer, and she somehow managed to learn just the basic, but using it was accompanied with risk.
「I don’t really want to use this though……」
Shelving its use as her last resort, Airi walked while avoiding massive rubbles and followed along the wall that divided the area.
「……-」
After she walked for a few minutes, she could hear a small sound.
Airi immediately hid herself and her hand reached toward the horn in her breast pocket.
Should she blew it or not? A hasty decision would be fatal.
Inside the extreme tension that made her hesitate to even breath──,
「……that, something like this」
The clearly human voice entered Airi’s ear.
「…………!?」
Airi almost reflexively ran toward that way, but she held back herself with an effort.
It seemed there was a group at the neighboring area with a thick wall interposing her from them.
However, that voice didn’t come from girls, it was the rough voice of men.
The private force that Marquis Dobar brought here with him.
Even so if she told them her story and asked for help, surely they wouldn’t ignore her.
But more importantly than that, she felt discomfort from the atmosphere of their conversation. Airi stayed quiet, she killed her presence and approached stealthily.
「It turned into something bad. Like this the Abyss might get out and even the people of Ries Island will get harmed. If it become known that we caused this incident because we forcefully break through the manufacture area──」
It was the voice of the elderly group leader.
Airi who heard that sentence instantly understood.
As expected, that alarm sound and the release of the Abyss was the doing of Marquis Dobar’s group.
According to the international agreement, it was everyone’s responsibility to avoid Abyss’s appearance as much as possible so that unnecessary damage wouldn’t be caused in Ruin investigation.
If it was reported that this disaster was because of their blunder, than that group’s leader and Dobar himself would be judged in a trial.
「You really don’t get it. How many years you’ve been wielding your sword under me?」
A bit after that, Airi could hear Marquis Dobar’s voice.
There wasn’t any tone of panic or regret in his voice. Instead his voice oozed out composure and joy.
「You still haven’t notice my intention. Just why do you think I made the Empire’s Assassin Dagger broke the door of the manufacture area?」
「Do, don’t tell me──」
「Are you listening? Currently the Ragnarok protecting this Ark has died, there is the possibility that the door at the Ruin’s deepest floor is open. Treasure that no one has ever seen and information of the ancient era. This is the perfect chance to make all of those mine. Therefore, we have to prioritize becoming the first one to reach the deepest floor the most. Those officer cadet bunches getting dragged into this would actually be ideal.」
「Ho, however……. If those girls the officer cadets──the Syvalles unit is annihilated, it will become a great loss for the new kingdom too……」
「……Right. In other words, in order to make up for that lost strength, the new kingdom will have to rely on the treasures that we bring back from the Ruin. That’s all.」
Dobar laughed smugly with a crooked smile.
「That Syvalles bunches are eyesore anyway. If those girls enter the military later on and raise their position, it will shame the male Drag-Knights even more. If they die or even just get hurt, then they become obedient because of that, then that would be best don’t you think?」
「……As you will.」
The group leader fell silent with those words as his last.
He listened attentively to his master’s words and accepted it.
「It’s a, horrible talk……」
Airi unconsciously whispered in a low voice that no one could hear.
She never expected that the other side wasn’t running out of control simply because they were impatient to get meritorious deed, but they also wanted to harm Syvalles.
She really wanted to denunciate them right away, but it would be dangerous if she did that.
The possibility that they would give Airi protection was already very low.
No, far from that, if they became aware that she just heard about their talk──,
(Besides, the Empire’s Assassin Dagger, where did I hear it before──)
Airi was trembling while trying to search back her memory, it was then,
「──My apologize to interrupt your talk. But there is one thing that I noticed though?」
A high and charming voice of a girl resounded in the eighth floor’s corridor.
Airi split her attention toward that voice of a girl that shouldn’t be among Dobar’s private force, it was then,
*kashun*
After such quiet Drag-Ride’s mechanical sound, the resistance on Airi’s back vanished.
「Eh──?」
*DON!* What collapsed and raised that sound was the partitioning wall behind Airi.
When she turned around, she saw the private force of Dobar wearing Drag-Ride and the figure of a girl that she saw for the first time.
The special shape of the Drag-Ride the girl was wearing made it highly probable that it was a Divine Drag-Ride.
That girl smiled the moment Airi’s gaze met hers.
「Wha──?」
The private troops that saw Airi’s figure leaked out surprised voice and stiffened.
The flustered Airi immediately tried to hide but,
「Hou. Look who is here──isn’t this the criminal former imperial princess who come along with everyone of the academy? I wonder, what happened that you are in that kind of place?」
Dobar’s gentle voice and gesture felt terrifying instead.
But, she would meet her end here if she imprudently showed a scared attitude.
「……Syvalles is getting into battle with Abyss, so I took some distance to avoid the danger. The battle will end soon and they should come here then.」
Airi pretended to be calm as much as possible and told them that.
She didn’t tell them that she was separated from the others because of the melee but lied that the others planned to meet up with her in order to protect herself.
If they knew that Airi was overhearing their talk by herself then she would be silenced without a doubt.
She made a lie that her comrades would come soon and prayed that Dobar’s group would let her go.
「I see. However, that’s really dangerous. In this situation we don’t know where Abyss is hiding──. Kirihime, if my memory serves me right, your Divine Drag-Ride is Drake type right? Can you search for the group that was with her?」
「It’s possible. Please wait for a second.」
The girl called Kirihime consented calmly.
Even Airi had never seen a Drake type Divine Drag-Ride but──, the ability that normal Drake possessed──enemy search, camouflage, support, assist, repair, this Divine Drag-Ride should possess all of those too.
If they found Syvalles was nearby, they might took her to them.
When Airi was desperately harboring such wish inside her chest.
「It’s unfortunate, but there is no one else nearby. It seems they are a bit farther from here.」
「I see, then kill the criminal lady.」
Airi’s thought came to a halt hearing Dobar’s unhesitating words.
「Eh……?」
「Is that okay? She is one of the only two survivors of the old empire isn’t she?」
The girl called Kirihime tilted her head with her smile staying unchanged.
「Fuh……. Are you hesitating to sever the bloodline of the empire that you once swore your loyalty to?」
「Yes perhaps, now that you mentioned it, that’s how it is.」
The girl called Kirihime said with a bright and refreshing face that didn’t look like she was worried at all.
「But, Arcadia Empire has perished. Your new lord is I who took you in. Am I wrong?」
「Of course, I acknowledge that.」
「Hmm……. It’s fine as long as you understand that. If you are reluctant then I’ll let other person do it. Oi」
Dobar lightly raised his hand and gave his instruction. Then three Drag-Knights including the group leader came forward and surrounded Airi. They lifted their sword.
「Don’t think bad of us okay……」
Don’t speak about escaping, she couldn’t even beg for her life anymore.
Airi who grasped the situation that she was already beyond help no matter what she did accepted her own fate.
「Nii-san……!」
Airi squeezed out that word while closing her eyes. At that moment,
「Guah……!」
Immediately following that short moan, *DON*, there was a loud sound.
When Airi opened her eyes, the three Drag-Knights who were going to kill her were collapsing.
「Wha-……!?」
The private force of Dobar that was at the back opened their eyes wide in shock.
The girl called Kirihime was standing in front of Airi with a large blade pulled out.
It was a peculiar weapon called 『katana』 that possessed smooth curve.
The girl handled that blade easily and cut down the troops easily.
「Dear me. I was thinking to go along with you all for at least a bit more, but being fickle is my weak point.」
The girl who was the culprit who carried out this violence was continuing to speak matter-of-factly with a tone as though she was making a small talk.
「Wha, what are you doing……!? Yo, you……you want to betray me!?」
The panicked Dobar hid behind the group of Drag-Knights standing by at the back. He yelled fearfully.
「Please cease with the false accusation. From the start this body has sworn loyalty to Arcadia Empire. I was merely pretending to cooperate with all of you in order to get out of the island and come here.」
「-……!」
Airi realized her reason when she heard the name of Arcadia Empire.
This girl exposed her true nature when the order to kill Airi who was an imperial family of the old empire was given out.
「I, I was the one who rescued you who was imprisoned in the island’s prison and welcomed you as my subordinate. That debt──」
「We were only using each other based on convenience. In this kind of relationship, the side that is abandoned first is the one who lose, that’s how this work don’t you know?」
The eyes of the girl who was smiling cheerfully suddenly was tinged with sharpness.
「Do it! Kill that woman at once! Kill the two of them altoge──」
「Besides, I’m not pleased with you. You are in contradiction with my aesthetics. You pretend to swear loyalty to the old empire and also the new kingdom, you change your master as easily as flipping your hand depending on the situation, that low-life personality without even a shred of pride in it is──」
Right after that, *kin-!*, the ringing metallic voice could be heard.
At the same time, the seven Drag-Knights that attacked simultaneously stopped still──.
「Wha, what happened……!? The Drag-Ride’s movement is……!」
「What’s going on!? Is your Drag-Ride breakdown!? Wait, stop──!」
The private troops raised their scream. Right after that, everyone began to attack each other with the weapon in hands.
Someone pierced the chest of the man beside him, someone stabbed a neck with dagger, someone turned another into beehive with gun.
The spurting out fresh blood dyed the surrounding red, the Drag-Rides were desummoned one after another.
「Hi, HIiIiiH!?」
Dobar screamed after witnessing his troops were turned into corpse by friendly fire and he backed away.
Both his stubby and short legs were entangled with each other and he tumbled on the floor unsightly.
「Wha, what are you doing-……!? Why, did my troops──」
「My my, you still have the calm to ask that kind of pointless question? You’re mistaking the order of your priority. What do you want me to do so you will overlook me? Right now that’s the question that you should be asking me.」
The girl who instantly murdered seven Drag-Knights spoke with a kind smile.
That awfully bright voice was obviously mixed with scorn.
「Ple, please. Save me!? I, I’ll give you all the money and land that you want! I’ll make you into an officer of the new kingdom……! You can rise in the world if you work under me, this country is──gebah!?」
「Haa……dear me. You are not listening to my words at all, not even the tiniest bit aren’t you?」
Dobar’s throat was cut along with that exasperated voice.
「That is troubling for me. If something like the new kingdom exist, then Arcadia Empire cannot be restored by my hand.」
Dobar fell behind. He then choked on blood and writhed for a while before he soon became unmoving.
「Now then.」
The girl in black clothes turned around and stared at Airi.
She faced Airi who was speechless from great shock and bowed with a friendly smile.
「Thank you for waiting. You are the imperial princess of the old empire, her highness Airi Arcadia correct?」
「That’s, right……」
Airi mustered her courage and managed to answer somehow.
There was no meaning in lying seeing how her hair and eye color was all the proof needed.
「I am called Kirihime Yoruka. A Drag-Knight who was once called as the Empire’s Assassin Dagger. The loyal servant of his majesty the emperor of Arcadia Empire.」
「…………」
Even Airi had heard at least once regarding the existence of the Empire’s Assassin Blade.
She was a Drag-Knight from an island country at the east that was destroyed by the old empire in the past, she couldn’t be killed no matter how large the army that was invested, she was a devilish girl.
She exchanged a certain pact with the emperor and entered under his banner, after that the people of authority who witnessed her true strength feared to even make use of that strength and she was sealed into a solitary island as a secret weapon.
But, in the end all of those were only baseless rumor, Airi didn’t know anything about this girl.
Therefore, Airi didn’t say anything unnecessary.
Based on what she heard from Dobar’s conversation, this girl was faithful to the old empire even now when it had perished.
If she said something imprudent, she would be dealt with similarly like them in this place.
「Now then, we have finished the greeting so let’s enter the main topic.」
The girl showed an alluring smile and narrowed her eyes.
「Your elder brother──the last male survivor of the old empire. His highness Lux Arcadia, where could he be?」
「……-!?」
Airi’s breathing stopped hearing that question that she feared the most.
「Although you are also a member of the imperial family, but man and woman exist in completely different dimension. I more or less have the duty to save you, but that’s only after I can meet your elder brother. I have heard from Dobar that he is attached to the academy of Cross Field. He is coming to this island in participation of this training camp thing isn’t he?」
Yoruka was talking while peering on Airi’s face with her two differently colored eyes.
Ominous devotion was filling the inside of that friendly smile.
This person……cannot be allowed to meet Nii-san.
With her arms and legs trembling from fear, Airi resolved herself.
「──No, he isn’t here.」
And then, she answered so clearly.
「Is that true? If you are lying──」
「It’s true that Nii-san belong to the academy, but right now he is in the middle of doing another special mission. ……I’m thankful for the help you gave me, but I still cannot tell you the location of my brother.」
「Is that so, that’s unfortunate.」
Hearing that, Yoruka calmly smiled.
Airi who saw Yoruka accepted her answer was about to sigh in relieve, it was then,
「You don’t intend to say the truth even if I kill you, is that right?」
The smile of Yoruka whose eyes were wide open was right before Airi.
「…………」
Her lie was seen through.
Including her resolve to not speak of Lux’s whereabouts even if she was killed.
「Well, that’s fine. Let’s stop here for now. Actually I wish to meet him immediately even for a second faster, but for now he seems to be safe, the first impression is important for something like this, so……. I will come visit again after I make a little more preparation. Excuse me……」
Yoruka said only that while bowing with her body still clad in Drag-Ride. She then turned around her Drag-Ride and it was only her head that looked back toward Airi.
「Aa, I recall one thing. I killed that strange two-headed dog, but the distance from here until the surface is still far. I won’t mind escorting you until there you know?」
「……No thank you. I don’t need it.」
「I understand. Please be careful.」
Yoruka smiled in satisfaction and vanished inside the darkness.
Ten seconds later after her presence completely disappeared, Airi’s legs lost strength and she fell on her knees.
「Haa, haa……! Haah……」
There was only the sound of rough breathing resounding in the out of shape eighth floor’s area.
「That person……, just who is she──」
At this point of time Airi shivered and her teeth were clattering.
The acting and lie that she desperately put up were completely seen through, and on top of that she was let go.
That strange mentality and bottomless strength was beyond the imagination even for Airi who had seen various Drag-Knight until now.
「Could it be, that person is stronger than Nii-san……」
Airi shook her head and denied that imagination.
But, in opposite with Airi’s will, the trembling of her body didn’t disappear.
「She, cannot be allowed, to meet with Nii-san……」
And then a few minutes later.
She met up with the group of Celis and others who came searching for her and Airi returned back to the surface.
