Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut - Volume 18

──Cold.

.

Inside the consciousness that was covered by jet black darkness.

Lux was feeling nothing but that sensation that was enveloping his whole body.

When was the feeling the coldest through his life until now?

It was when his horse carriage got into an avalanche incident and he got heavily wounded, where he then asked for help but──the people who harbored resentment due to the Old Empire’s tyrannical government abandoned them and he lost his mother.

The gradually disappearing warmth under the cold rain.

With despair Lux was made to realize that his mother wouldn’t embrace him and his little sister anymore.

Lisha who was abandoned by her father even though he had the great cause that was the revolution must felt the same.

(……But, when human die everyone is alone. I’m also the same.)

Just like Count Atismata too──a lot of people had dream, held up a great cause, however they were defeated in the middle of their path and met their end.

(Sorry. Alma, Aeril……. I’m sorry, Captain Magialca. I──cannot answer your expectation and pay you back for your help.)

He got trapped by Queen Raffi’s plan and unable to surmount the battle against Lisha.

He was unable to even use the trump card that he obtained from going through Baptism.

.

「So you’re only at this level in the end, my decision to take you as my subordinate was a mistake. I’m disappointed.」

A small statured man wearing hooded dark blue coat.

However the fearless grin he sported and his dangerous aura were familiar.

The vice captain of Seven Dragon Paladins, Singlen Shelbrit.

He possessed overwhelming talent and strength. He was someone who wished for a world that was ruled by strong person who he believed in.

He judged all the talentless mass and the corrupt nobles as evil. He wished for a nation that cut away such people.

His principle directly ran counter with Lux, but the influence he received from him was immeasurable.

Lux couldn’t say anything back to the sarcasm that was spoken out by his phantom.

(Good grief, there should be a limit at how persistent someone can be.)

Lux smiled bitterly inside the dream.

Even though he fought until his life ran out, he still appeared in front of him as a ghost like this several times. How many times he would do this until he was satisfied?

But, somewhere inside his heart, Lux recognized that this was something his mind was creating.

「It’s because you’re weak you say? Don’t spout excuse.」

Singlen’s phantom showed a wicked smile that looked down on him. He talked to Lux who closed his eyes.

「You cannot even be aware of your own weakness. You only avert your eyes from your own kingship. Saying that you can’t win when you don’t even fight──as expected from the Weakest Undefeated.」

Such thing──isn’t true.

I gave my all for the sake of my objective.

No…….

.

His consciousness was sinking.

But, his body was strangely warm.

Was his death approaching? Or perhaps, when he was still living as chore prince he heard the story from someone who came from a snowy country that people would hot instead when it was extremely cold, was this something like that?

──No, this wasn’t just warmth, it was also soft.

It was pleasant.

His eyelids that he thought would never open again lifted up slightly. Lux’s world that was locked inside darkness was born once more.

(……Eh?)

It was white in front of his eyes.

No, he faintly saw that it was the color of skin.

At the same time a scent, a soft sweet smell made the inside of his head dazed.

When his hand reached out unconsciously, he felt a smooth sensation of skin.

「Is this, also a dream……?」

Lux then gasped in surprise and realized the true identity of the thing his face was buried into.

「Aa……. Lux-sama’s breath is blowing on my skin, but, please do as you like. I won’t mind even if it hurt. No, rather a little bit of pain will be──」

「──wait, Rosa!?」

A sweet voice of a girl that sounded ecstatic tickled his ear. He realized the situation he was in right now.

Inside the lifeless room that was filled with strange mechanical objects, Lux’s face was buried into a girl’s chest on top of a bed.

Or rather, they were hugging each other.

Furthermore with skin that had not even a single piece of cloth separating them.

「…………」

He was in a mortal combat just now. But then suddenly he was in this mysterious situation. Lux’s mind stopped working.

「Aa, Lux-sama! Have you wake up? I’m glad!」

When Rosa saw Lux’s face, she showed an expression of joy with blushing face.

And then, she put strength into her arms once more and hugged him tightly.

He was buried into Rosa’s voluptuous and soft breasts. It felt like he was going to suffocate.

He didn’t understand the situation, but it seemed he had been saved without a doubt.

「This place is──? Could it be this is the underground of the Ancient Forest, Avalon’s──」

「Yes. From what Aeril told me, it seems to be a facility called the Shelter.」

「Or rather, why are we hugging each other naked!?」

Lux was recovering his awareness bit by bit and asked in panic.

「Yes. Lux-sama’s pilot suit was tattered, so in order to treat your wound later, although it’s rude I took the liberty to take it off……. But Lux-sama, you’re wonderful even naked.」

「You don’t need to comment about my nakedness! That’s not what I’m asking!」

He tried to get away from Rosa’s breast somehow but, his strength wouldn’t come back and so it didn’t go well.

It wasn’t because of the hard to resist temptation by any means, it was purely because of his declining stamina.

──That should be the case.

「Yes. Your body was cold, so I thought to warm Lux-sama──」

「Is that so……. Not that, I’m already alright! If we are seen doing something like this, then a misunderstanding──」

She said that Aeril was the one who took them here for treatment. That meant at the very least there should be several girls who were Lux’s comrades nearby. So this was dangerous.

「It’s fine. More importantly, please rest more for now. With my body──」

Rosa said that with an intoxicated faint smile while bringing her lips closer.

「Wait, Rosa」

Her naked breasts were pressed on Lux’s chest. His head was dazed by the softness.

Then, at that time.

From outside the room *Kiin!*, the sound of Ruin’s space teleportation device activating could be heard.

「Wai-! This is bad Rosa! Move away quickly and wear your clothes-!」

「Ahn. Geez Lux-sama, I’m happy.」

He intended to grab her shoulders and pushed her away but, his fingers sunk completely into the right and left bulges on her chest.

In that moment, the door of this room opened and he could hear the footsteps of girls from the adjacent room.

「Nii-san! We’ve brought Celis-senpai and Philuffy-san to here too. Is your body alright──looks like there is no need to ask isn’t it……」

「Yes. It was a waste of effort to feel worried.」

Of all things, it was his little sister who was the person he didn’t want to see this scene the most along with her best friend.

Or rather, there were a lot of other people too near them.

.

「There is no time so I’ll postpone the trial for later. For now let’s just decide that Nii-san is guilty.」

「The decision is already settled before the trial!? Or rather, I was unconscious until just now though!」

Airi wearing pilot suit was staring coldly. Lux who was similarly wearing a new pilot suit retorted back.

「Even though we were fighting desperately, young man was having a secret affair with Rosa on the bed. This is an unforgivable act……」

Similarly Soffice also retorted expressionlessly in exasperation.

「Haa……. Even though the situation is like this, Onii-chan is still like usual……」

Mel who had trace of childishness remaining in her face was lamenting while pressing her forehead.

「Lux-kun. I was really worried for you, you know?」

Aeril was smiling cheerfully, but the area around her eyes were tinged with dark shadow.

「Don’t be too hard on him Aeril. Well, this guy is also a man so it can’t be helped.」

「Yes, there is this popular saying that great man have great fondness for sensual pleasures.」

「Can you two not adjust casually the truth so it sound like I did it!?」

Lux’s breath was roughening when he retorted to Greyfer and Krulcifer’s muttering.

「Well, it can’t be helped. We can let our guard down like this is also only for a little bit more, so it’s better to not leave any regret behind.」

Airi sighed and said that, then she switched the topic.

「Lux-chi. I still don’t get just what is going on though.」

「I only heard from them that something outrageous is going on.」

Among them, Tillfur and Sharis were still looking bewildered.

At present, this facility of Avalon──Shelter that had the function as healing as relaxation facility became the gathering place for these members using Aeril’s authority.

The members were Aeril and Alma from Azure Division camp.

From New Kingdom camp were Krulcifer, Philuffy, Celis, and the Triad.

From the Seven Dragon Paladins were Mel, Greifer, Rosa, and Soffice.

Half of them were getting gradually released from the binding of world revision through the passing of time and their contact with Lux.

「First, the situation right now. Two hours has passed since Nii-san lost consciousness. And then──there is practically no other Drag-Knight. Everyone stop fighting and hide at the surrounding.」

「──Eh?」

Lux was perplexed hearing Airi’s sentence.

The battle in this Ancient Forest was done between the camps of New Kingdom against Azure Division.

However in this situation where Alma wasn’t taken away and nothing had been settled, for the fighting to end was──.

「The Sacred Eclipse is rampaging. It started attacking anyone it found without caring if it’s ally or enemy. It was right after Lux-kun got defeated by the princess.」

Krulcifer saw Lux fighting Lisha and from there she broke through the binding of world revision.

The image of when Lux fought risking his life in order to save Krulcifer overlapped with what she was seeing. That scene became the impetus and she recovered her memory.

She picked up Lux who was shot down, then she joined up for the moment with Alma and Aeril, and also with Rosa, Soffice, Mel, and Greifer, the elites of Seven Dragon Paladins.

Even so the Drag-Knights of New Kingdom army and Azure Division continued fighting, but Raffi lost herself and began attacking both sides. Because of that the situation changed.

「After that, because damage started to appear for both sides, we acted to bring the situation under control. We traveled to everywhere in Ancient Forest and told them to stop fighting and go hide. Fortunately it ended with only few casualties.」

The nature of Raffi who fused with Sacred Eclipse was changing along with her mental state.

It was just like Lux expected, her fate was to transform into a monster that would lead the world into ruin.

「I finally understood. Why is Lux-kun pretend to lead a fictive organization like Azure Division and try to destroy the New Kingdom──」

Seeing from the result, Raffi applied Baptism to the members of Syvalles and they were able to break through the binding of perception manipulation, but perhaps there was none of them who noticed Raffi’s abnormality until the end.

In order to remove a secret and unknown threat, he fought as the New Kingdom’s enemy on the surface.

「……but」

Lux looked down with a dark expression.

In the end, he didn’t succeed.

He lost against Lisha in the last battle, and like this──.

「-……! Wait, Lisha-sama is」

「Calm down Lux-kun. She is safe──for now at least.」

With how Lisha wasn’t present at this place, it meant that she was still under the binding of world revision.

「Even Queen Raffi is opening up her heart only to Lisha who is her step daughter it seems, she is still not attacking her. But, there is no more time. We have to──save her.」

「Yes……」

Lux nodded at Celis’s words.

He understood what he had to do no matter what.

He had to head to Lisha who was most likely at Raffi’s side and destroyed Sacred Eclipse.

In other words──he had to finish Raffi who became a monster.

Before Lisha was harmed by Raffi who completely lost her reason.

Of course, by doing that he would end up directly confronting Lisha who was still under misunderstanding due to perception manipulation.

The opponent was the two remaining Automatas and the Sacred Eclipse.

Their current fighting strength consisted of quite the lineup but, they were greatly exhausted and couldn’t display even half of their true strength.

(In the end, can we win in our current state? Against that Sacred Eclipse, and Lisha-sama──)

It would be hard.

Or rather, wasn’t it impossible?

In the worst case he wanted to at least rescue Lisha from Raffi’s side, but it was unthinkable that they could go to Sacred Eclipse’s side and then returned back without harm.

That would be even more true if the ego of Raffi who was fixated to her step daughter was remaining.

And then, the current him also couldn’t use the power of Baptism.

While he was thinking that, Krulcifer quietly came to in front of him.

「Lux-kun. I’m sorry to ask you this in this kind of time but──can I ask you to decide?」

「…………」

「Weill we fight or escape? Perhaps we will be able to escape. But──if we do that then we won’t be able to return to this Ancient Forest anymore.」

「Yeah. Your big bro will most likely rewrite our perception. I’ve got a bad news here, Grand Force was taken away just a little while ago. As soon as this battle is over──no, if Fugil head to Garden after this, there won’t be anyone who can stop the world revision.」

「────」

Lux held his breath in shock at Greifer’s words.

If Fugil decided that this battle was over and activated the seven Ruins in parallel with Avalon, a world revision in its complete form would start.

If that happened, then this time for sure──Lux and everyone else would completely forget.

Even the fact that this battle occurred.

And about Lisha who was devoured and absorbed by Sacred Eclipse too.

「…………」

Since just now Lux was unable to answer those questions.

Even though he had understood the answer from the start.

Even though he had decided that there was no path of withdrawing without saving Lisha.

With his current self, he didn’t feel like he would be able to win against those two.

「Can everyone──, leave me alone for a bit?」

No.

Even though those weren’t the words that he wanted to say.

Even though he who started this battle had to be the one to unite everyone.

「──Okay. Let’s allow Lux-kun to rest. His stamina also still hasn’t come back yet.」

Krulcifer sensed something from Lux’s expression and told everyone that.

「But Nii-san, there is no more time. Whether we’re going to retreat or fight──if it’s not decided in around ten more minutes──」

「Right. Thirty minutes, no……give me twenty minutes.」

He somehow answered so and the gathered people moved to the adjacent room.

Lux sat on the bed and stared fixedly to one point on the silver wall.

「What──should I do?」

He should have resolved himself to fight since a long time ago.

But, in the fight against Lisha, why was he unable to use the Baptism that was applied to his body?

Even though he was thinking that it would be just what he wanted if he was defeated after giving his all, even though he had asked for help from everyone who came with him.

What was making him hesitating at this point of time?

.

『You cannot even be aware of your own weakness. You only avert your eyes from your own kingship. Saying that you can’t win when you don’t even fight──as expected from the Weakest Undefeated.』

.

The words that the illusion of Singlen inside his consciousness told him.

It wasn’t something that the real Singlen told him.

The phantom was made to say those words by the image inside Lux .

.

「Lisha-sama. I──」

.

The few words that leaked out weren’t heard by anyone else.

.

「Haa, haa……! How is the situation at present, Fugil?」

「I patrolled around the『Center』 area but……. The result of this war is as good as decided already.」

The Center of Avalon. Inside the room that was surrounded by silver wall and countless gears rotating, Raffi was lying down on a simple bed.

Her dress was tattered. There was no wound on her body, but her whole body was wrapped in a sense of lethargy.

She unleashed the power o Sacred Eclipse that fused with her and her consciousness cut off when she was in the middle of fighting.

What’s more it wasn’t just for several minutes but for hours.

When she noticed there was only the Automata Arshalia beside her. Fugil was accomplishing a certain mission when Lux was defeated by Lisha.

The mission was the preliminary arrangements for the objective that Raffi would carry out after this.

Azure Division continued to escape while carrying the Grand Force, but two Automatas chased after it using their radar and secured the crystal.

The Gear Leader who managed the first Ruin Babel that was located in New Kingdom, Yos Tork was destroyed in the battle against Yoruka.

Similarly the Gear Leader that managed the third Ruin Ark, La Cruche was defeated and destroyed by Rosa.

The Gear Leader that manage the fifth Ruin Gigas, Er Fajura was destroyed by Philuffy and Lux.

The Gear Leader that managed the sixth Ruin Garden, Clan Lieze was destroyed by Lux when he took back Aeril and Grand Force.

The Gear Leader that managed the seventh Ruin Moon, Re Plica was destroyed by Soffice.

「So our remaining fighting strength is also not many……」

If Arshalia of the Ruin number zero Avalon was excluded, the remaining Automata was only two.

The Gear Leader of the second Ruin Dungeon, Lu Caria and, the Gear Leader of the fourth Ruin Hall, Nei Louches.

A considerable time was necessary to repair the Gear Leaders once more.

The fighting strength of New Kingdom which was Celis and Philuffy were also defeated. Krulcifer apparently dispelled the binding in her consciousness and sided with Lux.

「The enemy is also capable aren’t they……. Facing us who was thoroughly prepared, they resisted until this far──as expected from the Black Hero who accomplished the revolution five years ago.」

From the contact of the Automata that was fighting near Lisha, Raffi confirmed that the leader of Azure Division was Lux as expected.

The recovery of the stolen Grand Force had succeeded, and Fugil was going to the Garden to set it back.

If the system of the Ruins was revived, it would become possible to do world revision using Uroboros once more.

After that they would only need to carry it out in this Center without being obstructed by anyone.

「So it will take some more time until the energy for Uroboros to execute world revision is charged.」

「Yes──. Please leave the security to the Automatas.」

「I can feel rest assured with that. More importantly, what about Lisha……my daughter──?」

Raffi kept lying down while her right hand powerlessly reached out to empty air.

「She followed your order and headed out to attack the enemy. It seems the enemies are in Avalon’s facility Shelter using the authority of the Lord Aeril Arcadia. The binding in Princess Lisha’s consciousness isn’t dispelled even after her battle against Lux. She is our side’s ally.」

The Gear Leader of Avbalon Arshalia said that.

Then tension left Raffi’s whole body in relieve.

「I see. So they escaped to there……. Then, I too have to go there.」

「No──, the remaining two Automatas are already heading there with your daughter.」

「I have to go exactly because of that.」

Raffi shook her head slightly in respond to what Arshalia pointed out.

「I cannot make that child to shoulder all the burden.」

In that face, the true feeling of Raffi whose ego should have been mostly taken away by Sacred Eclipse was remaining.