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Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut - Volume 8 - Chapter 5

Published at 17th of January 2018 05:02:21 AM


Chapter 5

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Episode 5 – Sacred Eclipse──Ark──

Part 1

She intended to train not just her body, but also her heart.

She conditioned herself for the sake of being able to maintain her calm constantly and took the best action no matter what the situation was.

But, when her teacher who taught her that transformed into monster, Celis looked up at that with terrified look and she trembled.

「What, is this……this is──!?」

Inside the Academy’s ground.

Right after the assaulting force of Dragon Marauder and the guard soldiers fought, the illusion of her teacher Wade that appeared once more transformed in appearance.

It was transforming into the figure of bizarre Abyss with something like flexible tentacle growing out from both his hands.

The tip that was protruding out for dozens of ml turned sharply pointed like a needle and instantly rushed toward Dragon Marauder’s Earth Dragon division──, the users of Wyrm, piercing through the chests of several of them.

「Thi, THIS MONSTERRrRRR-!」

「──Di, DIEEeeEEeEEE-!」

The remaining several Drag-Knights of Dragon Marauder made use of Breath Gun and Cannon to pour concentrated firing on it.

The tentacle monster was shot and became like a beehive tragically, but right after that, the flesh was regenerated in the blink of eye and it counterattacked.

*Doguu-!* The tentacles that stretched out once more pierced the barrier of the Wrms and tore off the body.

Flowers of fresh blood bloomed one after another, shrieks were raised from the surrounding.

「-……!?」

Airi raised a short scream and Celis covered her eyes with her arm.

While the Dragon Marauders were getting killed one after another, the guards who had worn their Drag-Ride before the hangar was sealed called out toward Celis.

「Leave this to us, please escape!」

「It should be safe inside the Academy, quickly──」

Even while they were trembling against the unprecedented threat, the soldiers told her that bravely.

Perhaps Lindwurm’s tuning wasn’t completed yet because she still couldn’t summon it to here.

In that case the best thing to do was to protect Airi while retreating from this place and made preparation.

Reaching that conclusion, Celis started running toward the Academy.

「You are running away? You were staying quiet about how I died because of the words you told me until only recently weren’t you? Did you think that you could escape while keeping it hidden?」

「──!?」

The impure voice tone that was like mud followed from behind Celis.

When she turned only her head slightly to look back──most of the military’s Drag-Knights were already defeated.

「How……!?」

Strange.

No matter how powerful of an Abyss the enemy was, for the Drag-Knights who were prepared for battle to be defeated this easily was just──.

Besides, she had seen somewhere the way of fighting of this enemy.

The regeneration power to instantly recover the flesh and the overwhelming destructive power using tentacles.

It was a strength that reminded her of the Ragnarok, Poseidon that they fought in the past.

At that time when she started running while pulling Airi’s hand, the demon suddenly stood still.

When the perplexed Celis looked back, a sound could be heard.

「Horn flute’s sound──. Don’t tell me, this Abyss can even call other Abysses!?」

Her prediction was correct. Abysses who seemed to be hiding somewhere until now were appearing as though they were foaming out from darkness.

Their type was the Abyss that was called as sea demon, Kraken.

The horn flute sound was ringing continuously without stopping from the demon’s body.

That sound was gradually getting louder as though an endless finale was being played.

It was as though it was trying to summon even the Ragnarok from other Ruins that were far away.

「Is this your weakness? My disciple Celis.」

「A demon that take the form of human……, this is, don’t tell me──」

Airi who witnessed that terrifying sight muttered with a trembling voice.

「It’s not, a mere Abyss. It’s a calamity of higher ranking that surpassed Nocturnal. This is what the Lords mentioned──」

The annihilation weapon that would lead the world to destruction──the human shaped Ragnarok, Sacred Eclipse.

Several more reinforcement came running at the same time when Airi was shuddering from realizing its true identity, and the hell was restarted once more.

Part 2

At that time, there were the figures of Dragon Marauder who intruded toward the back of the campus building inside the Academy’s ground under the cover of the fighting.

「Oh, you guys are really late. Thanks to that I got tormented a lot you know?」

A young woman with both her hands shackled and chained was smiling inside the jail.

The one in that place inside the Academy’s ground was one of Dragon Marauder’s three bosses who was captured by Lux before this, the Human Dragon division commander Drakkhen. She was receiving questioning here.

Knowing that, the remaining two division commanders of Dragon Marauder came here to save her.

「We already recovered your Asp by making use of this chaos. Let’s get out of her quickly, Drakkhen.」

The one who told her that was a youth who was wearing top and bottom with short length.

The Earth Dragon division commander who was leading the force that basically consisted from Wyrm, Vine.

His features still had innocence remaining in them that was typical for a young boy, but he was clad with the aura of a veteran soldier.

And then the senior who could be said to be in the prime of his life, the man with trait of big body build and darkish skin, Gatouhan.

He was the Heaven Dragon division commander who led a force that had Wyvern as its linchpin, and he was also the leader of Dragon Marauder in essence. Continuing after Vine he showed a bold smile.

「The Sacred Eclipse showed up here. It was a coincidence that even we didn’t anticipate, but it was right after the Drag-Ride hangar was covered with Chaff Slime.」

「……What did you say?」

Drakkhen who was showing composure until then reacted after hearing the words Sacred Eclipse. She showed a forbidding look.

「We planned to withdraw because it would be troublesome even just taking on the Drag-Knights who could move but──, if we make use of this chance, perhaps we can crush even the main force of Seven Dragon Paladins.」

「…………」

When Gatouhan boasted so, Drakkhen unusually showed a baffled expression.

「I’m joking. After that Sacred Eclipse appeared here, our life would also be in danger if we stay here. The subordinates we gathered in order to save you already got devoured. Losing even more force than this will negatively affect our plan in the future.」

「Then that’s fine. Even like this I’m reflecting of how I let my subordinates die last time. ──And, what did our employer say?」

「We’re told to accomplish the objective as it is. Obstructing those guys and conquering Ruin. If we can reach Avalon first, at that point we will be able to obtain this very world itself within our hand. Then day when we who are ostracized as ruffians take everything under heaven as ours won’t be that far.」

「It will be great if we aren’t get outsmarted though. After all our opponents are like that.」

Drakkhen who was released from her shackle smiled bitterly in respond to Gatouhan’s self-assured tone.

「I know about the risk. The problem is the management of the method. Isn’t that right?」

In respond to the question of the young division commander Vine, Drakkhen too nodded 「You aren’t wrong」 honestly.

After that she was carried on the armored arm of the Divine Drag-Ride that Gatouhan piloted and they slipped vigilantly into the darkness, flying away to outside the ground.

「Don’t get greedy, everyone of Seven Dragon Paladins. If your luck is bad, I won’t even have the chance to counterattack at you guys.」

It wasn’t just a sarcasm, but words that came from Drakkhen’s true feeling.

Leaving behind the muttering that was filled with slight expectation, they withdraw from the battle line.

Part 3

Celis who protected Airi from Sacred Eclipse and escaped was being watched by a man from hiding.

He was a hunter. Not a swindler or even bandit.

He told himself that in his heart and waited silently for a chance.

Thinking back, he had only ever walked through worthless life until now.

He was blessed with some talent as a Drag-Knight.

But, he didn’t obtain the strength to go as far as becoming the best, and the royalty and nobility were also prejudiced against him.

Gerdaf received punishment and thrown into jail from the crime of knowing about his superior’s corruption and yet staying quiet about it.

「──What an unreasonable story.」

Everyone was calmly committing a crime behind the scene anyway.

It was only the more powerful people doing thing that was par for the course.

And yet why──he was faulted for staying quiet about it?

But, he was noticed and bloomed a second time from being prisoner into being a Drag-Knight.

While he was a criminal, he was a powerful person whose deed was recognized.

Gerdaf fixed the aim of his 《Circular EdgeFull Moon Dragon Scale》, the rare armament that his EX Drake was installed with, then he smirked smugly once more.

「Aa──」

Melting pleasure was welling up inside his brain along with his sigh.

Before his eyes, that Celistia of the four great nobles was fighting.

In order to save her fellow students, she opposed the enemy without despairing even without wearing Drag-Ride.

The time Gerdaf felt pleasure was when he degraded such beautifully noble something into the ground.

In the end, the one who won was those who accomplished evil skillfully──.

He couldn’t resist thrusting out such reality toward human who was walking the correct path.

This time he received the order to get rid of this girl by making it looked like she committed suicide.

This was a rare chance, so he would make her get eaten by that strange Abyss, then he would dissect her body until it was beyond recognition.

His hand pulled the trigger with such dark desire seething inside him.

The firing nozzles of the rare armament installed on both his Drag-Ride’s shoulders instantly let out a faint light.

「…….There-!」

The blades in the shape of ring that was tinged with purple light were fired consecutively in that place.

Celis didn’t notice. The blades would definitely hit.

「──Howling Howl!」

Right after Gerdaf was convinced of that──his prediction was betrayed and the eight blades were deflected.

「What-!?」

The man’s eyes opened wide from shock. Right after that, his sight caught the figure of a huge jet black Drag-Ride.

Lux who was clad in the violent dragon Bahamut stood in his way.

「So it’s you who targeted Celis-senpai?」

「……What do you mean? I am just a guard soldier of new kingdom. In order to defeat that monster, I’m aiming for a chance to attack──」

Indeed, the man was clad in the army uniform of new kingdom.

But, Lux was calm to the end and pointed the tip of his sword at him.

「The armor fragment that was shaved from my previous fight with you matched with the damage on your EX Drake. If you want to proof your innocence then dispel your armor.」

When Celis was attacked at that time too, the man stole the uniform of guard soldier and changed into it.

When he lured out Coral previously, he must be working other dirty tricks too while he was at it.

「…………」

Gerdaf let out a small sigh at what Lux pointed out.

After a few seconds of silence, his attitude changed drastically.

「It’s shocking. Did you tail that woman, predicting that I’ll attack again?」

Lux didn’t find Gerdaf by coincidence.

He requested Noct of the Triad to watch out Celis’s surrounding from afar.

There was the possibility that after causing Celis to fall into a trap, the enemy would come again to strike her while both her heart and body were weakened.

「I can predict the rough idea of something like thinking of a person committing evil in the shadow.」

「……Hoo. But this is a bit unexpected. The new kingdom fell into a predicament because of that woman’s fault. To worry that much for the safety of such loser──」

「Is something that you cannot even imagine? You who have never fought even once for the sake of someone else?」

Lux’s gaze was cool-headed, like when he attempted to carry out revolution in the old empire at the past.

Gerdaf who was stared by those eyes bit his lips and confronted Lux.

「Hmph, the criminal of old empire putting on air like a saint. Fine, then I’ll teach you a lesson! This me who is lowly by nature, will soil your correct path and drive you into despair you cannot recover from!」

*Dou-* The EX Drake leaped backward and fired Circular Edge once more.

All directions──the wheel blades each drew different trajectories from eight directions and assaulted Lux simultaneously.

A single swing of sword deflected several of the blades, but the remaining curved blades grazed Bahamut’s armor.

「I’m one of the 『ServantsSix Punishers』, Heiburg’s assassination corps, the 『Hunting Punishment』 Gerdaf Veil. I’ll tear you limb from limb and disgrace the pride of that duke daughter!」

He took distance. At the same time the curved blades were coming back as though they were getting drawn in.

Lux skated his Bahamut in the air before the armament was fired once more and the battle began.

Part 4

At the center of Academy’s ground.

The main body of Sacred Eclipse that emitted a tune that was like the tone of horn flute and summoned a lot of Abysses.

Witnessing that, several male Drag-Knights who guarded the Academy concentrated their full strength attack.

Light bullets gouged flesh and slashes sent limbs flying.

With that the human shaped Ragnarok who took Wade’s appearance──Sacred Eclipse got its four limbs plucked off and turned into countless lump of meat that was unrecognizable from its original form.

──But, each of those fragments that was scattered all over immediately began to simultaneously regenerate by themselves.

Celis who saw that got a hunch of what was going on.

「Please run! I’ll stay here to──!?」

She started speaking to Airi, but then she noticed the fact that it was impossible.

She couldn’t use her Divine Drag-Ride Lindwurm.

That moment when Celis faltered in her speaking, the revived countless Wade grew tentacles from their hands and feet and pierced the armor of the soldiers.

「UGYAAAaaH!」

Celis was desperately forming a plan while listening to the scream of the remaining soldiers.

At that time she suddenly heard a voice from behind.

「Celis-senpai, I have message from Lisha-sama. 『I hurriedly finished the repair and maintenance. If it’s now Lindwurm can be summoned──』 she said.」

Before the fourth hangar was sealed, Lisha took out Lindwurm to her atelier.

Thus, as long as the repair was finished, the Drag-Ride could be summoned.

「Noct!? Why are you……?」

The one who was approaching from behind under camouflage function was Noct in her Drake.

「Please save the talk for later. Right now let’s exterminate the enemy.」

Noct intercepted the Krakens with her Breath Gun while replying calmly.

The same like Bahamut and Lindwurm that were taken out for post-battle repair and maintenance, the three Triads were able to move because they took out their Drag-Rides from the hangar in order to patrol.

Due to Lux’s request, Noct was hiding and staying on guard as Celis’s guard from a little while ago. Sharis and Tillfur right now were moving under Lisha’s command.

「I will lead Airi until a safe place. Can I ask senpai to buy time until then?」

「──Yes. I will personally deal with this enemy myself.」

Celis drew out her sword while muttering that at the same time. She glared at the pursuing Sacred Eclipse.

She instantly equipped Lindwurm’s armor and skated forward with high speed acceleration.

The lightning attack she unleashed immediately burned one of the clones to ash.

But, the remaining dozens of Sacred Eclipse talked while still wearing Wade’s appearance.

「Kukuku……, you are reckless like usual. You said that even you has found someone you can rely on, but it seems that even those words are just you bluffing.」

It whispered as though it had seen through Celis’s wavering, but she had no time to feel shaken.

「After all your existence is just to that degree. You cannot fight more than this. ──Rest in peace!」

Sacred Eclipse that had split until dozens of bodies scattered a dreadful number of tentacles to the surrounding.

But, Celis used Lindwurm’s Divine Raiment, Divine Gate to dodge. Then she stabbed her huge lance from behind one body.

「Even if that’s actually the case, I will fulfill my duty. Just like the real you who admonish the old empire with resolve for the sake of the people!」

Even if she was only bluffing she had her trained self. She could fight.

No──, she could fight because she believed.

Celis finished off the dozens of Solar Eclipse’s clones one by one while burning with fighting spirit.

Then, a transmission came from the Drake of Noct who was retreating with Airi.

『Can you hear Celis-senpai? I have evacuated Airi. Sharis and Tillfur also want to go there as reinforcement as soon as the situation change but──. Before that, I’ll realize Lux-san’s wish. I will go to where he is and transmit his voice as it is to you through the communication.』

Currently Celis had no leeway to respond.

That was why she followed what Noct said and received the voice through Dragon Voice as it was.

『Please listen Celis-senpai. The words of him who is fighting to wipe out your dishonor──』

Part 5

One of the Servants, a corps of Heiburg, Gerdaf revealed his true color and pressed hard on Lux.

The enemy’s scheme to stain Celis’s dignity and drove it onto the ground, and then killing her by making it to look like suicide.

In order to stop that evil scheme, Lux drove Bahamut flew inside Academy’s ground.

The Drag-Ride Gerdaf wore was the special equipment type EX Drake.

The four legged Drag-Ride freely used jump. It would then change trajectory midair and avoided pursuing attack.

Originally Bahamut’s mobility should be superior, but due to that superb escaping technique, Lux found it difficult to catch him.

「How long you’re planning to chase me huh, hero-sama! A lot of Abysses are appearing at the other side right now. Are you feeling like to let those spoiled girls of the Academy died to defeat me!?」

Gerdaf cackled loudly while taking distance. At the same time he was using Circular Edge to obstruct Lux.

With the end of the campus festival, the inside of the Academy was dark with few watch fire. Lux too couldn’t display his maximum speed.

On the other hand, the enemy used his radar to detect the obstacles like the booth and stage that hadn’t been cleared away and grasped the terrain. He was nimbly weaving through the gaps.

The Drag-Rides of Lisha and others of Syvalles and the Seven Dragon Paladins were sealed because of Chaff Slime’s thin membrane covering the hangar. The majority of them couldn’t move and were ordered to stand by.

It seemed that it was only the vice captain Singlen who didn’t trust the new kingdom and moved the storage location of his Divine Drag-Ride, but it appeared that he was heading outside the Academy in order to defeat the Abysses that were gathering from outside.

His aim was the protection of the important people from various countries who were staying in the government office building at the first block, in order to raise his own achievement.

Singlen who was attempting to stand at the top as Drag-Knight was trying to build up achievements while raising his World Rank and obtain support from the influential people of various countries.

In order to stop Singlen who was envisioning the establishment of a ruling class by Drag-Knight, perhaps Lux ought to head over there too.

But,

「I won’t be misled anymore. Even if everyone else won’t recognize me, I’ll still fight for the sake of everyone who believe in me!」

The phantom of Fugil that coiled around him.

Lux accelerated Bahamut as though to shake it off.

‘Chih’ Gerdaf clicked his tongue and changed his trajectory. He changed route toward the courtyard where there were several Abysses at there.

He wasn’t cutting off his own path of escape.

When Lux and the Abysses were connected in a straight line, he erased his figure using EX Drake’s camouflage.

「He aim to make me clash with the Abyss──, no」

Lux immediately cut down the two Kraken approaching him from the front.

But, Gerdaf scattered Circular Edge aiming at the slight opening that was created the moment Lux attacked.

The circle shaped blades that were tinged with purple light rotated.

They were fired toward Lux and approached from many directions once more.

「Kuh……!」

Lux was lacking in defense method. Even when he tried to guard using his large sword, he could only deflect around half each time.

The joint of his armored arm was targeted. Strong impact also ran through Lux’s body.

The rotating blades clung to the armor for a fixed interval, weakening him with certainty.

「Aa──this is the best. This sensation of making sport of someone powerful who is far more skilled than me, this is why I cannot stop doing this job.」

*Slurp* The sound of licking lips and laughing voice could be heard from the darkness.

But, Lux ignored even the pain in his whole body and flew once more to catch Gerdaf’s figure.

Lux finally entered the sword range, but Gerdaf fired his Circular Edge once more. The blades didn’t aim at Lux but scattered to left and right.

「……-!?」

Lux was taken by surprise for a moment, but he immediately noticed the enemy’s aim.

Lux who almost caught up with the enemy changed direction and quickly flew at the direction where the round blades were fired.

There were the figures of two girls running to evacuate there.

「Kyaaah!」

「Howling Howl!」

Lux immediately fired the vortex of shockwave and shifted the orbit of the round blades.

But, the students received the after wave from the impact the round blades emitted and they were sent flying for several ml from that spot.

Lux immediately took stance in front of the girls and became shield to cover them.

But, Gerdaf who predicted that took distance from Lux once more and leaped toward the direction of girl dormitory.

「HIYAHAHAHA! How cool. That’s how the prince of justice got to act yeah!」

Gerdaf’s mocking laugh echoed inside the darkness.

‘Calm down’──Lux told himself.

Gerdaf’s blunt provocation was an opening move.

Till the end it was a tactic to agitate Lux and exhausted him.

He had to assist Celis who was battling Divine Eclipse, but he couldn’t leave behind this Gerdaf to go and help her.

But, that rare armament Circular Edge was troublesome.

The current Lux didn’t happen to have the technique to slip through that simultaneous attack that was hiding an atrocious performance within.

The only technique that could possibly do that──was incomplete.

「Hah, don’t try to keep up your outer appearance. That duke daughter of four great nobles is also the same. I hit her many times at inconspicuous spots, several spots like her arms and legs were even bruised, and yet! She tried to hide her own failure and didn’t told anyone!」

『Let’s go, Lux. I can fight.』

「────」

But at that moment. Lux recalled the words that Celis muttered calmly and his emotion shook intensely.

Lux didn’t notice at all when they were fighting together at the skill exhibition battle.

Celis bluffed saying she was all right because she didn’t want to hold Lux back.

But, it wasn’t because she didn’t trust Lux or even because she didn’t want to expose her own failure.

「What does someone like you understand about her resolve-!」

Along with his rage, Lux pushed his body forward and flew while making his large sword to roar.

「Nuuh!?」

The slash that was unleashed from that intense acceleration caused Gerdaf to back away in terror.

He took the tactic to make Lux clash with the Abysses that were called here by Sacred Eclipse, but Lux’s movement surpassed expectation.

Multiple Krakens reacted to Lux and manipulated their tentacles to assault Lux.

Lux deflected the attack using Howling Howl, and when a gap was created he forcefully pushed on and cut apart the enemy standing in his way.

By fighting the same Abysses consecutively, Lux grasped their trait, predicted their movement in less than ten-odd seconds, and made it possible to attack using Reload on Fire.

「Celis-senpai was fighting like usual even with her injury. She fought so naturally that no one even noticed, not me, not everyone else. And then, even after the fight ended in a draw and failure, she didn’t make any excuse!」

That wasn’t because she was fixated with her pride as someone from the four great nobles or even because she feared getting reprimanded.

The two days period of the campus festival.

For some reason, Celis was hiding all that time while trying to support Lux.

It wasn’t because she didn’t want to face him or because she had done something to feel guilty about.

「It was so that I won’t get unnecessarily worried. Everything was her fighting for my sake.」

He wasn’t under the wrong impression or anything, Lux didn’t try to understand Celis’s feeling.

His life at the imperial court in the era of the old empire.

He was looked down as a 『man』 who was positioned the farthest from the imperial throne succession right. There was no one who properly evaluated him then.

Even after he became hated by the common people and abandoned, where he lost his mother in an accident, it was still like that all along.

Since the time he parted from his childhood friend Philuffy and betrayed by his eldest brother Fugil who he thought as heartening in his heart, Lux’s heart was broken somewhere.

At the innermost depths of his heart, he was keeping away other people from himself except of those who had been close to him from the beginning like Airi or Philuffy.

The legendary Drag-Knight the Black Hero──or perhaps, the ruined prince of the old empire.

Or else perhaps, as the grandson of Wade who was Celis’s teacher.

There were people who were genuinely feeling worried and concerned for Lux himself, without caring about those backgrounds of his. But Lux was unconsciously walling himself toward those feelings.

That was why Lux didn’t understand Celis’s feeling.

「I am──a big idiot. I haven’t changed at all since that time I failed at the revolution. It was just as Nii-san said. I didn’t understand anything, nothing at all.」

「Hah……! Just what the hell you are moaning! Do you finally got a screw loose in your head?」

Gerdaf kept up his guard toward Lux who was hot on his heels and approached him in high speed while taking even more distance.

He had already made Lux fought in Bahamut enough already, Lux should be exhausted right now.

If he didn’t finish off his opponent soon, he would be blamed for his failure and got killed by his master.

Thus, Gerdaf was going to deal the finishing blow. It was at that timing it occurred.

──*PAAN!*

That instant when Gerdaf glared, a streak of flash was fired suddenly from the sky above──the sniping from a rifle shot through the shoulder of EX Drake he was wearing.

「──WHAAT-!?」

The shot that was fired from unexpected direction caused Gerdaf to look up to sky with horrified look.

It wasn’t the work of the student Drag-Knight who arrived nearby Lux.

What was floating in the shadow of dark cloud that covered the moon was an unknown Drag-Knight under the cover of darkness.

Gerdaf reflexively let out electromagnetic wave from his EX Drake and investigated the unidentified Drag-Ride.

Unit name verdict – Divine Drag Ride 《Zahhak》.

Pilot──Analysis uncertain.

(Who, is that……!? This guy, is it a Dragon Marauder newcomer!? No──wrong!?)

The moment of agitation caused a lapse in attentiveness.

Lux didn’t let go of that slight opening.

「──Reload on Fire」

Using compression of time, the Drag-Ride’s speed was accelerated by several times over. Consecutive slashes were unleashed in super high speed from that.

His barrier was cut up without even any time for defense, countless slash lines were carved on his body.

He immediately fired Circular Edge to protect EX Drake’s armor, but Lux evaded them and ran his slashes on his flesh arms and legs.

「GU, GAAaAAAH!?」

The after wave from the impact that pierced the armor caused Gerdaf to raise an anguished shriek.

He was still alive, but his four limbs already couldn’t move. He rolled on the grass.

「Nugu, uUUuUUU……! This is, this is impossible!?」

Lux pointed his great sword at Gerdaf who was groaning in pain before he turned his gaze toward the sky.

It seemed that Noct tried to back him up using her Drake, but the attack just now wasn’t her work.

It might be his other comrades──Lux thought, but no one came to mind.

Above all else, the Drag-Ride that performed the cover fire has vanished completely from that place without any trace behind.

「…………」

After a moment, Lux stopped thinking.

He looked down on Gerdaf who was prostrating on the ground and then he slowly changed the direction of his gaze.

At slight distance away, Sacred Eclipse──the human shaped Ragnarok of the beginning and the end, and then Celis who was clad in Lindwurm were fighting.

「Celis-senpai……」

『Yes. I was unable to assist her but, I told Celis-senpai properly. Lux-san’s feeling, toward Celis-senpai──』

Unnoticed Lux had arrived at the location of the Sacred Eclipse, the last place where Gerdaf was leading Lux toward in order to crush him.

Over there were the figures of the last remaining clones of Sacred Eclipse and Celis who were acting a mortal combat against each other.

It reached Celis’s ear through the Dragon Voice.

The defect of Lux who was unable to accept someone’s good will honestly.

That was why, Lux was unable to understand Celis’s worry that was derived from her fondness toward Lux which Celis herself didn’t understand.

That confession was conveyed to Celis through Noct’s Drake and now she knew Lux’s feeling.

「I’m sorry Lux. I avoided you all this time──」

Celis smiled powerlessly, then she also confessed her own mistake.

「I am really weak. No, while I said that I trust you, I couldn’t have the courage to entrust even my weakness too to someone else……」

She was the daughter of a great feudal lord who had existed since the old empire era.

Her true nature was exactly because of her position as the daughter of a duke who was one of the four great nobles.

At the old empire at that time which had the tendency of male chauvinism, woman was treated as unnecessary.

Celis’s mother could only give birth to female successor.

In order to protect her mother from the cold gaze their relatives turned toward her, Celis imposed to herself the duty to become an existence that was stronger than anyone, who wouldn’t shame the name of noble.

「Thanks to Lux, I was able to convey my true feeling to everyone in the Academy. I could accept taking off my mask of persisting in my aloofness and refusing male. But──」

Celis fixed her posture with a somewhat lonely smile.

「But, I was unable to go as far as exposing my weakness. As the eldest daughter of one of the four great nobles, I who said that the position as a noble is irrelevant was adhering to it without noticing. That was why, I caused trouble to you all.」

It was also the same with how she became unable to look at Lux’s face around the time of the campus festival.

Also with how she was unable to report about the wound on her own body before the skill exhibition battle.

「Even so, Celis-senpai, you──protected me.」

Lux quietly objected at Celis’s words that she muttered self-depreciatingly.

She became embarrassed to look at Lux face to face, she couldn’t show herself to him, she was hesitating.

Even so she continued to fight without running away or keeping him away at distance.

「You were hurt for the sake of me who was unable to notice everyone’s feeling.」

The imperial family and the people of the old empire era who abandoned and betrayed Lux.

And then Celis, who tried to protect and watch over Lux from the shadow even while resolving herself to stop being an aide of Seven Dragon Paladins.

He thought that she was really clumsy, and serious.

And then, he also thought of her as a proud and strong person.

She didn’t think about how she wouldn’t be able to do something, she chose an even harder path by her own initiative──but, she was fighting without losing against loneliness.

It was exactly because Celis held such feeling that Lux himself could realize his own defect.

「Thank you very much Celis-senpai. Thanks to you──I can still fight.」

「Is that so……then, I cannot lose, I too──」

Celis muttered that and took her stance once more.

At the same time, the cannon muzzle installed on her shoulder fired a compressed light bullet.

The wide range destructive blast special armament, Starlight Zero.

The small light bullet that was slowly floating in the air burst open *kaat-* along with a flash.

A space with a diameter of a few dozen ml was scattered away along with an impact that shook the ground.

「GU, OooOOO-……!」

The number of the propagating Sacred Eclipses was decreased by quite a lot, but parts of Sacred Eclipse that was scattered to right nearby gathered in high speed and began to receover.

The immortal Ragnarok that repeated regeneration from splitting itself.

Even if it was attacked with unlimited attack with Lux’s hidden technique, End Action, it would regenerate midway from a part of its body that was cut off and resurrected completely.

But, if it was fired with Starlight Zero with maximum strength that was exploded in even wider range, this time the damage would reach even the students who were evacuating inside the building.

Then, there was only one method that could be taken.

It was by examining the trait of the fighting strength they were wearing, the armaments and Divine Raiment of their Drag-Ride and comprehending their own strength.

Celis immediately derived the plan to deal with the enemy using the thinking of maneuver tactic that she polished together with her physique.

「──Break Purge – On」

She grasped her Sword Device and lightly sent her thought into it to activate the basic technique that she once learned.

She purged part of the armor she wore and left behind only a part of it.

She left her special armaments, the cannon muzzle of Starlight Zero, and the defensive armor that deployed the barrier.

Furthermore she even purged a part of her back wings that were the vital point of her mobility, transforming her Drag-Ride to a form that was specialized for attack.

The removal of armor using Break Purge was essentially a basic technique to decrease the burden to oneself, but if it was carried to the extreme it could be transformed into a hidden technique.

Depending on the situation, the unnecessary armor part could be cut off except the part for accomplishing the objective.

In this mode where the Drag-Ride’s output was wrung out and focused to one point, it was a double-edged sword that could corner oneself into extreme danger if the user didn’t accurately grasp their own strength and the enemy’s strength.

But, this technique could be handled if it was by the current Celis.

She believed that with the addition of Lux’s strength, this method was the best to defeat the enemy.

「Noct. There is something I want you to transmit while you continue keeping yourself camouflaged like that.」

『Yes. What is it? I will give assistance as much as I can.』

To Noct who said that, Celis told her that she wanted her to clear out the people from the surrounding area.

At that moment, the presence hiding inside the bush moved with a leap.

「Omen of annihilation and lamentation confirmed. Granting thou salvation.」

「──!?」

In a moment, Lux and Celis opened their eyes wide at the sight that they didn’t expect.

Sacred Eclipse that revived and recovered its human shape in the form of a girl stabbed its fingertip into the dying Gerdaf.

The body of Gerdaf whose whole body was already carved into a state that was impossible to recover from──.

Black pattern spread out from the spot that was stabbed, his four limbs was healing from their wound in the blink of eye.

Both his eyeballs were tinged with the redness of fresh blood, his upper body was dyed with the blackness of marble pattern.

「Ruin’s secret medicine……the true identity of Elixir, don’t tell me──」

「Was it the liquid that Sacred Eclipse has!?」

The moment Lux and Celis returned to their senses, Sacred Eclipse leaped back and took distance from them.

At the same time Gerdaf who achieved recovery from the devi transformation raised a howl like a beast.

「Hihihihi……HyaHAHAHAHAA!」

Gerdaf who became nonhuman distorted his lips in an arc shape and laughed monstrously.

「This is lucky, if Sacred Eclipse crush you all for me, then I can fulfill the mission from my master. With this the new kingdom can also be shredded into pieces. Aa, I can see it, the despair of those left behind when you two dieeed」

The devil transformation by Elixir invaded human’s mind and amplified their malice.

In other words, this must be the true essence of the man called Gerdaf.

Due to his hard life where he was toyed by misfortune, he came to curse people’s happiness and existed with the creed of making other fall.

The evildoer Drag-Knight who supported the master of Heiburg who held immorality as righteousness.

「I won’t allow anyone becoming happy from doing the right thing. This me won’t recognize such thing, Black Hero. You show off hypocrite, be betrayed by your own benevolence and get exposed at human’s malice, then despair──and die!」

The pair of eyes that were crimson like fresh blood snapped open, then Gerdaf started to move.

When the moonlight shined down from the gap between clouds that covered the moon, the incarnation of malice drove his EX Drake and leaped with terrific momentum.

Part 6

「Captain Magialca! It’s an emergency situation! The many Abysses that appeared around Cross Field──they have marched until this neighborhood!」

At the first block a bit distance away from the Academy, inside the government office building where the government officials were staying, the second floor.

The captain of Seven Dragon Paladins who was staying there, Magialca was still wearing her housedress.

Or rather, it was mostly just underwear──she was sitting cross-legged in such appearance calmly.

「I have heard. But, with the hangar sealed even us cannot take any action, so there is nothing to do but staying at standby. I have given instruction to the lot who are equipping their Drag-Ride by coincidence. At the Academy, the trio called the Triad are at work in removing the Chaff Slime. And then──」

Saying that, Magialca stared outside the window with a clear gaze.

Over there was the Blue Tyrant, Singlen Shelbrit who was intercepting the Abysses that were already moving toward the Academy’s gate.

His figure could be seen at the distant even from this building’s window.

「Bu, but it’s a herd that large. Sir Singlen alone is──」

「Leave him alone, that guy right now is fighting for the sake of 『achievements』 that he loves. When he is like that we don’t need to worry. After all, if it’s only in the aspect of pure strength as Drag-Knight, that sleazebag is more outstanding than anyone.」

Magialca was muttering while glaring once more at outside the window.

Ahead of her sharp gaze was Singlen wearing a huge blue Drag-Ride.

「Divine Drag-Ride Leviathan. Its ability is an extremely simple water control, but it’s extremely difficult to find any weakness even after knowing the true shape of its ability.」

The messenger soldier gulped after hearing Magialca’s words. He then also looked at outside the window.

Right after that, several Abysses from the swarm that was attacking Singlen were carved apart by spouting up blades of water torrent and they were instantly turned into countless chunk of flesh.

Ahead of the gaze of Magialca, Singlen who was wearing Divine Drag-Ride Leviathan was slashing apart the Abysses that were coming at him one after another.

He created countless water blades from the ground and destroyed the enemy’s core in one attack.

He also defended against counterattack using water shield and displayed an overwhelming battle.

「How extremely boring. Against this Sacred Eclipse of beginning, it’s still not worth it for me to get serious it seems. By the way you──who permit you to peek at my technique?」

「──!?」

Singlen who was facing the swarm of Abyss in front of him suddenly turned around and glared at a spot above the sky that existed between clouds.

At the same time, a water bullet was fired from Leviathan’s surrounding with a speed that eye couldn’t follow.

*DOUNN!* It was just a simple water lump, but it made a thunderous sound like an explosion and caused drizzle to rain down.

The Drag-Knight targeted by that bullet barely defended against it before immediately turning around and retreated.

「That’s not one of the Seven Dragon Paladins. The Lord fellows huh? Was that an attendant who acted by the imperial princess’s order? No, or perhaps──well, doesn’t matter. Your scheme won’t work on me.」

Singlen who smiled suggestively gripped his Sword Device silently.

He faced the closing in large swarm once more and resumed fighting.

Part 7

「I’ll keep you company Celis. You who seek my salvation.」

Sacred Eclipse that was standing before Celis’s eyes transformed into an enormous tentacle monster that looked like Poseidon──the form of Ragnarok, while talking with Wade’s voice.

She couldn’t defeat it by herself──right now, Sacred Eclipse transformed once more into an opponent that was her weak point, the wall that once defeated her.

Furthermore this Ragnarok possessed both regenerative power and offensive power that were superior than the Poseidon that Lux once defated.

The tentacles attack with clawed tips that were like steel.

They possessed power that could easily pierced Drag-Ride’s barrier, furthermore if she was forced into defense she would be killed.

She flew in the air and ran around to that the tentacles couldn’t lock on her──but, this time the enemy predicted her trajectory and readied its attack ahead of her direction.

The blue tentacles pierced empty air like bullet and burst out shockwave.

Those impacts pierced the surrounding trees, smashing the water tank that was above girl dormitory and scattered water around.

「──Divine Gate.」

Thus, Celis dodged using the Divine Raiment of instant movement.

She reset the disadvantageous situation where her escape path was blocked.

「Buying time until your comrades come as reinforcement huh? That’s naive──my disciple.」

「……-!?」

The giant sea monster muttered and sneered with Wade’s voice.

Celis faced a hard fight because she had purged a part of her armor and shaved off her defensive power.

But, if it was with the stamina that Celis had trained for many years, she could still endure using her technique and Divine Raiment.

「──How many times you are planning to repeat the same mistake. You try to save someone and challenge a battle that is out of your league, and in the end you get hurt. Sooner or later that body of yours will surely perish. See?」

Sacred Eclipse──the Ragnarok that was creating Wade’s voice suddenly stretched its tentacles toward a bush between the trees.

What the tentacles caught and pulled out from there one a female student of the Academy.

「NOOOO, HELP MEE-!?」

Celis reacted to the girl’s scream and her body reflexively moved.

Almost at the same time, Noct who was hiding herself with camouflage yelled through the Dragon Voice.

『Please wait Celis! That girl is a fake!』

「────」

If it could transform its outside appearance to mimic human, then it was also possible to partially disguise the tip of its tentacle.

Celis noticed Sacred Eclipse’s trap, but countless tentacles grew out from the ground in that opening where her judgment lapsed for a moment.

The attack of sharp tips pierced the thin barrier and grazed Celis’s side.

Part 8

「Celis-senpai-!?」

At the open space within the Academy’s ground slight distance away, Lux saw Celis receiving Sacred Eclipse’s counterattack and he yelled.

Taking advantage of that opening, Gerdaf who was clad in EX Drake violently assaulted Lux.

He leaped and fired Circular Edge at the same time.

After that a beat later, he was falling while slashing down his Blade from overhead.

It was a flowing chain of attacks that was making use of the rare armaments strong point.

As expected Lux couldn’t dodge all the projectiles that were flying from many directions simultaneously. Bahamut was sent flying backward from the impact.

(That special armament──, it can even homing and luring the opponent!)

Lux should have evaded the round blades that were in the trajectory that his sword couldn’t block, even so several of the blades still hit him directly.

There was no way he could fly and escaped to the sky.

If Lux didn’t lure Gerdaf who went through devil transformation, he would surely change his target to Celis who was fighting Sacred Eclipse──or to the female dormitory that wasn’t so far from here.

His opponent Gerdaf also understood that. From some time ago he was attacking based on that understanding.

And then, Gerdaf became unconcerned with the burden to his body due to the effect of the devil transformation. He was making acrobatic movement that originally he couldn’t do due to the burden on his body; He was leaping using wall and trees as foothold while firing multiple layers of attack at Lux.

(I cannot keep this up for long. At this rate──)

The enemy’s combat strength surpassed the imagination.

Gerdaf erased his presence within the night’s darkness. Lux was completely unable to see through Gerdaf’s attack preliminary movement.

But, he was already starting to grasp the timing when Gerdaf’s attack started.

If he calmly predicted it, Lux could settle this with a counter at the next chance.

When Lux was focusing intently to look for that chance, the mocking voice of Gerdaf who was slipping into the darkness could be heard.

「……I really cannot stomach it, that ugly mug that is believing in the future. Even though I have set up the stage to make that duke daughter-sama fall in disgrace after much trouble」

「What, do you mean?」

Lux silently took his stance.

He deliberately responded to the conversation in order to grasp Gerdaf’s location accurately from the direction of his voice.

「Kukuku, I pretended to be an ordinary visitor who watched the fight by accident and secretly spread a rumor. Because that woman got too impatient to raise achievement, the new kingdom fell into a predicament now. Even if you guys actually overcome this battle, that woman will still meet wretched experience. After all humans who don’t have anything are sensitive to the weakness of the strong yeah.」

Gerdaf’s provoked to enrage Lux and threw his control out of order.

Even so Lux kept glaring forward with a cold gaze without a single change in his expression.

「──Even then, it doesn’t change what I should do. I’m not scared anymore of getting avoided by her!」

「Hah!? Of course you are! As expected from the cold hearted prince yeah! You don’t care a whit about your comrade or anything aren’t ya! Then, try to dodge this too-!」

Gerdaf let out a laughter of contempt and his presence moved at the same time.

At the same time, the rare armaments burst out once more from the bushes at the darkness some distance away.

Circular Edge──the eight blades that were fired toward Lux in arching trajectory were sent out with even more atrocious speed that surpassed the previous times.

At the same time Gerdaf skated as though to chase those blades and approached Lux in a straight line with his Blade readied.

His true aim wasn’t Lux’s agitation, it was to make Lux stopped moving from the talk.

From within the eight blades, the enemy would surely directed two of them to the direction of the girl dormitory.

He fired the blades one after another with the anticipation that Lux would deflect those two blades.

At the timing when Lux somehow deflected the round blades, Gerdaf would aim at that opening with his Blade attack.

After a short pause, calculating the time of just around a second after firing the pursuing attack, Gerdaf leaped.

The shockwave of Howling Howl couldn’t blow away Circular Edge that was guided with rotation.

Thus, Gerdaf was convinced that he had surpassed Lux’s foresight and obtained victory at hand.

「Die hero! Die while gritting your teeth in frustration of yourself who cannot protect anything!」

But at that moment, the scenery of the surrounding that was centered on Lux distorted.

From that space that was created like a spreading sphere, the colors other than black and white were fading.

「After receiving my teaching, you has mastered Drag-Ride within unprecedented short time. It’s not just because of your innate talent. Your wish of wanting to protect someone important to you. That’s exactly what draw out your strength and guide you to that power. In other words──」

Five years ago. The advice that Fugil told him was replayed at the back of Lux’s mind.

『If there is something that you think as important from the bottom of your heart at your side, your strength will surpass the limit in respond to that──making you strong.』

「──HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

And then, Lux raised a howl like a dragon.

It was the gesture for the sake of removing his body restriction and liberated his strength.

The advice that was bequeathed to him from Fugil at the past was given to him once more from Celis, releasing his shackle.

That was a power that he definitely learned once, but was lost with Fugil’s betrayal.

Reload on Fire──time was decelerated due to the Divine Raiment of compression and strengthening.

The time of Bahamut’s surrounding was compressed and rapidly decelerated until a fragment of the original speed. The eight round blades stopped in place, as thought they were stopped along with time.

「Wha──!?」

Gerdaf’s pair of eyes that were dyed crimson due to the devil transformation snapped open from shock.

The activation of Divine Raiment in wide range and with high power output.

Gerdaf had obtained information that he used to form his prediction about the compression strengthening.

But this power output far surpassed his prediction. It even made him hallucinate as though space itself was standing still for a moment.

「WHAT THE HEeLL-……!?」

Immediately after, the round blades that were fired toward the girl dormitory at the back were deflected by the great sword that Lux swung in similarly decelerated speed, all of them got their direction shifted.

──But, that should be impossible.

It might be probable if Lux went through devil transformation like himself, but he had confirmed that Lux had no strength to realize Bahamut’s high power output while still handling the Drag-Ride with more than average skill, and yet.

「Kuh……, even so! It will work if it’s with this attack!」

He had gone through devil transformation, and he controlled his Drag-Ride while ignoring the burden to the body that normal human wouldn’t be able to endure──the EX Drake was dashing in super speed.

But, at that timing when Gerdaf was going to unleash the attack with all his might, something shot through his chest easily.

「──Wha, guah!?」

The time when Reload on Fire was activated just now.

Lux conversely threw a dagger aiming at Gerdaf.

That blade was thrown while Lux’s surrounding──the time was still super decelerated. Its speed was then super accelerated until more than ten times and attacked Gerdaf.

Gerdaf’s balance crumbled, but he himself couldn’t oppose the inertia and kept charging toward Lux.

The one who got trapped was himself.

Gerdaf shuddered in terror after knowing that fact, and right after that, the Quick Shot of Lux who was waiting for him splendidly ran Gerdaf through.

「──U, GUAAaAaAAAAH!?」

The EX Drake’s multi-layered armor was smashed apart. The upper body that went through devil transformation was cleaved. Fresh blood spurted out.

It was settled instantly.

Lux’s breathing quickened after he was released from the extreme state.

「-……!? Not yet──」

The enemy in front of him was defeated, but it wasn’t over yet.

The mankind’s enemy. The mechanism to annihilate the world──Sacred Eclipse.

He had to move once more for Celis’s sake.

If it was now, he understood the thought of Celis who trusted and hung her hope on him.

That was why Lux endured the fatigue that even now could make him faint and looked at her who was fighting on the ground right nearby.

Part 9

「The way you attack, it’s so that my clones──won’t increase in number? And then why are you continuing to struggle pointlessly even after understanding that you are unable to finish me off?」

The human shaped Ragnarok that repeated inexhaustible regeneration and splitting──Sacred Eclipse.

That thing that took Wade’s appearance once more smoothly stretched out tentacles from its body and attacked Celis without stopping.

「──Divine Gate」

Celis who removed a part of her armor using Break Purge was flying by squeezing out her few remaining stamina.

She freely used her Divine Raiment of instant movement to take the Solar Eclipses by surprise and defeated the clones one after another but──she couldn’t completely defeat the enemy no matter what.

*Splat splat*, she only scattered the clones’ body fluids on the stone paving.

Even the main body would split and regenerate. It was a formidable enemy that surpassed Poseidon. The current Celis didn’t have the mean to defeat it.

「Why did you yourself remove Starlight Zero that can defeat me? Was it because you don’t have the resolve to get your comrades mixed up in it? Making such judgment, it’s also the role of noble who is standing above the people. ──Isn’t that right?」

「──!?」

Sacred Eclipse snapped its wicked eyes wide open, then it unleashed its tentacles like whip.

The attack struck Lindwurm’s remaining armor and blew away Celis’s body.

Because the armor and barrier became thin due to the Break Purge, the impact would be transmitted even just from a grazing attack, making her flesh and bone to creak.

Coupled with the blows she received before the skill exhibition battle, her movement was getting duller and duller.

Fatigue and injury were gradually robbing her movement.

Even so Celis was still emitting that aloof air from her body.

「Are you waiting for reinforcement, my disciple? Are you thinking that it’s fine to become sacrifice if it’s for the sake of your comrade──? How stout-hearted. Are you trying to walk the same path like me who became the cornerstone to stop that old empire?」

Sacred Eclipse was sneering boldly like that with a tone turned completely into that of her teacher Wade.

But, even while Celis was gasping for breath, she leaked out a faint smile.

「Thank you very much. For allowing me to meet with Wade-sensei one more time.」

「────」

Sacred Eclipse didn’t give back any reply.

But, its expression was simply stiffening, as though it was bewildered by the words of gratitude.

「But, in the end you are a fake. It’s like you are taking such shape in the attempt of learning about human. Both of our study is still insufficient isn’t it.」

With her lightened equipment, Celis moved up to the sky──escaping out of the tentacles range. Then she took a stance with her lance.

She moved higher than the girl dormitory rooftop, surpassing the height of the bell tower.

And then, she flew to right below like a streak of falling star.

「What are you saying my disciple? Calling me study insufficient. Even an attack that is accelerated from that position won’t defeat me. It’s pointless even if reinforcement arrive. From here one──I will achieve even further evolution.」

「The techniques I’m using are mostly learned from sensei. But, you cannot defeat me. The reason is……」

Celis paused her words slightly and smiled.

「──because the one who taught me to believe in other, is the boy I love.」

Celis took a stance with her lance, and accelerated toward the ground where the swarm of Sacred Eclipse was standing.

She poured all her energy into her lance and the propulsion device the back wings, transforming her very body itself into lightning arrow.

「──!?」

It was a lightning that vertically split apart the night sky.

The vortex of power clad in terrifying destruction and electric heat attacked toward the main body of Sacred Eclipse.

The enemy of human who possessed power that surpassed human knowledge──Abyss.

This Ragnarok stood at one of those summits. But its reaction, was surpassed by Drag-Knight’s skill.

The tentacles that were launched to intercept were easily burned off, the core of Sacred Eclipse was pierced.

「You failed, my disciple! The real me is countless! No matter how you struggle, with your strength it’s──」

At that moment, Sacred Eclipse noticed how the space between it and Celis was losing color.

The Divine Raiment that Lux’s Bahamut possessed, Reload on Fire was exerting the compression strengthening on it.

「……What is, your aim?」

At that time when Sacred Eclipse murmured with a baffled expression, Celis in front of it roared.

「──HAAaaAAAAAAAH!」

She focused the Drag-Ride’s strength using Break Purge and unleashed a lightning attack with maximum power output that surpassed the limit.

The girl in her solitude killed her weakness and continued to discipline and polish herself until now.

Lux moved in concert with her full strength that she obtained from untiring hard work.

Celis moved without any deciding any advance arrangement with Lux, but Lux pointed the tip of his Sword Device forward as though his movement was in resonance with her.

「──Reload on Fire!」

The lightning that was fired from the lance concentrated into one point was amplified by more than ten times due to Bahamut’s Divine Raiment.

Thunderous sound reverberated and the atmosphere burst, flash was completely blanketing the surrounding.

「……But it’s pointless-! By the time you defeat a single body of mine──」

By the time the body was reduced to the ash along with the core, Sacred Eclipse let go of its own consciousness and sent signal to the clones at its surrounding.

As long as its clones survived, it would turn them into its main body as replacement, it would be able to revive no matter how many times──was how it supposed to be, but, it was unable to do that.

「──!?」

The large amount of clone bodies at the surrounding were showered with lightning attack and burned black.

Celis repeatedly attacked the clones of Sacred Eclipse that possessed Poseidon’s trait wasn’t just for the sake of reducing their number.

So to speak, it was a diversion to make her original plan worked.

The clones were destroyed many times and their body fluid was scattered around in large amount.

The Lightning Flash in maximum output was transmitted through the liquid that was scattered at the surrounding in order to burn down the whole herd in one go.

The attack’s might that was insufficient even with her spending all her strength was increased until more than ten times by Divine Raiment Reload on Fire.

She had learned tactics for every situation, and with that she implemented the best plan right on the spot.

Celis’s thinking ability that had been thoroughly tempered──her Maneuver Tactic.

If it was Lux, he would surely predict her aim, and on top of that──he would surely use Reload on Fire for her. She was able to believe so.

And then, this cooperation was accomplished by him answering her expectation.

It was an attack that came from their bond, an attack that would be impossible if they weren’t equal in strength and possessed equal knowledge in tactics.

「That’s splen, did. Human」

Sacred Eclipse that was pierced by Celis’s spear was carbonized and crumbled into pieces.

The threat of world destruction──, the source of the discordant sound that continued to summon Abysses left behind few words and dissolved into the air, vanishing completely.

「Haa, haa, haa……」

The backlash and fatigue from unleashing an attack of the greatest level caused Celis’s body to stagger.

Her armor was dispelled and her body tottered. Lux clad in Bahamut softly caught her.

「──Thank you for your hard work, Celis-senpai.」

The gentle and kind smile of the young man.

Seeing the presence of the man who was supporting herself, Celis felt relieved from her heart.

Her heart was throbbing hard even now, but she didn’t avert her face anymore, she also didn’t run away.

Therefore,

「I’m sorry Lux. I lied to you──」

She talked to speak her feeling, to properly say what she couldn’t say until now.

「I said that I trust you, I told you that I want to rely on you, but I didn’t have the necessary courage. I couldn’t entrust to you, my weakness that I didn’t want to recognize.」

「…………」

Celis confessed with a lonely look.

But, Lux didn’t feel that the regret she harbored was a sin or anything.

Anyone needed courage to speak of their weakness.

It was all the more when it was an unknown feeling that bewildered them and they themselves couldn’t understand.

Even so Celis didn’t run away. She compromised and tried to protect Lux.

「The one who is weak──is me. I said that I want to know everyone’s feeling, all this time I believed that I was fighting for that sake, but I didn’t know anything. At the bottom of my heart, I’m scared to accept the feeling of other.」

The day of coup d’etat five years ago.

A wall was created in Lux’s heart due to the betrayal of the elder brother who he trusted the most. Celis destroyed that wall.

But, there was something he understood clearly thanks to Celis.

At the very least, the advice that Fugil once gave him was correct.

That Fugil didn’t plan to betray Lux and make him fall right from the very beginning.

「That’s why, thank you very much Celis-senpai. For freeing my heart, for staying at my side──」

He conferred words filled with gratitude and deep affection to this girl who was important to him.

The cheeks of Celis who was still being held up reddened and she got flustered.

「Su, such thing……I’m troubled that you are saying it to me face to face like this! N, no, I’m not troubled I permit it. Bu, but, right now it’s embarrassing──」

She covered her face with her hands.

Even though usually she was a strong and dignified senior, but seeing her like this, Lux got a thought that might be disrespectful toward Celis.

He thought that Celis was terribly cute at this kind of time.

At that time when he was thinking of such thing, there was suddenly a sound from behind.

「──DI, EEEeEE-!」

Gerdaf who was crouching in a dying state drove his worn out EX Drake and brandished up his Blade from behind Lux and Celis.

But,

「That’s meaningless. Your Drag-Ride cannot move anymore.」

Lux calmly said that over his shoulder. At the same time, the armored arm of the EX Drake broke and fell.

Because the user Gerdaf went through devil transformation, the Drag-Ride itself wasn’t dispelled, but it was already in a state where fighting or escaping were impossible.

Lux had learned from the fight with Dilwy, that to subdue a demonized person who possessed vitality and toughness that surpassed Abyss, destroying their Drag-Ride was effective.

If they interrogated Gerdaf after this and proofed that the incident this time was because of Heiburg’s intrigue, the result of the skill exhibition battle could be overturned.

「Damn, you, bastards……」

The effect of Elixir was also gradually vanishing.

The jet black pattern that was dyeing Gerdaf’s upper body was receding, his body was returning into flesh body that was soaked with blood and sweat.

When he was trying to struggle even with that wholly injured body, his complexion suddenly changed.

「──Hah! Acknowledged! As expected from my master!」

The expression that was gasping from pain drastically changed into a wicked smile. Gerdaf leaped up.

It would be impossible for him to escape with the EX Drake that was almost seventy percent destroyed, but even so Lux was going to chase after him. It was at that time, a chill ran through his back.

「────」

His hand that was going to move Bahamut to fly to the sky stopped moving just barely.

It was because the movement of Gerdaf who seemed to receive instruction through Dragon Voice was slightly unnatural.

(Why is his leaping trajectory to above? If he is going to escape, normally he should leap backward──)

「Lux! Watch out!」

Celis who was being held by the armored arm yelled, at the same time Lux leaped right to the side from his spot.

A second later, the space before his eyes was painted out with extremely large flash.

「Ah……」

Gerdaf who leaped at slight distance away was directly showered by the cannon attack.

The overwhelming impact and torrent of flash swallowed him, and like that he exploded along with his Drag-Ride──annihilated into nothing.

「……-!?」

Lux quickly turned toward the direction where the cannon attack came from and took his stance.

Inside the night scenery that was illuminated by the moon, outside the Academy’s ground──above a slightly elevated open space, a bizarre Drag-Ride was standing.

From the long distance it looked like the size of a speck, but compared to the surrounding building, it could be seen that the armor and the Cannon armament were unusually huge.

Most likely the Cannon possessed equal or superior destructive power than the special armament Seven Heads possessed by Lisha’s Tiamat.

The face of the pilot was of course couldn’t be seen.

That person was merely standing with the moon’s radiance behind them.

「Is that, Rosa Granhide……?」

That Drag-Knight made Gerdaf leaped up for luring Lux to get in the air, so they could get rid of the two of them altogether.

That was the only thing that came to mind, but there was something strange.

That Drag-Ride had a completely different armor shape compared to the Gorynych that Lux and Celis fought before.

This wasn’t at the level of special armaments combined into one, the Drag-Ride’s very size itself was different. He could perceive that even from this distance.

Tartaros Frame──the Divine Raiment to remodel one’s own Drag-Ride and making it taking new form right on the spot.

Perhaps, this was a power that wasn’t revealed at all at the skill exhibition battle some time ago──.

「What in the world, is that──」

When Noct who was using Drake’s camouflage to perform monitoring of the battle situation and information transmission showed up, her voice was quivering in wonder.

Celis was relieved that Noct was safe, at the same time she immediately gave instruction.

「Noct, can you investigate the Drag-Ride that launched the cannon attack just now?」

「No. It’s outside the range of my detector. Besides──it already escaped.」

It was just as Noct said, the Drag-Knight who was like a demon just now had immediately left the open space and vanished from the sight of Lux and others.

「Is that so. ──Yes. We here are also safe. Lux-san and Celis-san has succeeded in safely repelling the Sacred Eclipse.」

The other Triad members who were working in removing the Chaff Slime that was covering the hangar seemed to be contacting Noct. Noct raised her face.

「Thank you for the hard work. The Abysses that were advancing to Cross Field has also been annihilated. For the time being we can feel relieved with this.」

It seemed Singlen lured the majority of Abysses that were attacking Cross Field, during that time the hangar that was sealed by Dragon Marauder’s scheme was liberated, then the surviving Abysses were moped up immediately.

A loud sound came from behind as though to support Noct’s words.

「Oooi Lux! Are you safe──?」

Lisha who was flying in Tiamat at the forefront called out, while the figures of Krulcifer, Philuffy, and the Triad could be seen behind her.

The moment Celis saw their figures, she coughed once before jumping down from Lux’s arm in hurry.

「That, entrusting my weakness to you and displaying it to everyone are different matter altogether.」

Her cheeks slightly reddened and she made a firm expression.

Even though currently she should be so tired that she would want to flop down, she tried to show a splendid appearance as the captain of Syvalles.

As expected, it seemed she had no intention to speak out complaint so easily.

It was really like her to pretend to be tough like this, at the same time he thought that such her was adorable.

「Then, please tell me secretly when senpai want to collapse. At that time I will support you no matter when──」

「──I’ll permit that. Perhaps I will presume upon your kindness sometimes, but please keep it a secret from everyone, Lux.」

Like that Celis returned a smile to Lux, and he also nodded back.

Trying to depend on a partner wasn’t pampering oneself, it meant being able to accept one’s own weakness.

The day of revolution five years ago.

That time when Fugil betrayed him, he lost an answer. Celis taught back that answer to him.

Lux thought that she was reliable, and she was someone that was worthy of respect.

At the same time, his bond with this senior who was similar with him at some respect now was something that he cherished from his heart.

「Yes. From here on, please take care of me too so that I won’t make a mistake.」

Lux showed a smile and told her his honest feeling like that.

And then the battle this evening──the contact with Sacred Eclipse that would ruin this world came to an end for the moment with this.





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