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Table of Contents
Prologue – Bud of Rebellion

Chapter 1 – Pitch Black And Silence, And

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Chapter 2 – The Two’s Feelings

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Chapter 3 – The False, Truth

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

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 Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Chapter 4 – The Captive Inside The Box

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Chapter 5 – The Hero’s Whereabouts

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

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 Part 11

Epilogue – Encounter And Reunion

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Afterword

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 Saijaku Muhai no Bahamut
vol.16
by Akatsuki Senri

Translation Group: bakapervert

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Page | 7
Prologue – Bud of Rebellion
(I, didn’t receive help from anyone……)

(No one──came searching for me……)

(Those two, betrayed me……)

Within the morning glow of the sun that hadn’t fully risen, the
medium sized Blade of polished Mythrildyte cut through the air.

The dilapidated underground room of the abandoned building was

the ideal hideout in this capital city, it was possible to train there
even while in the middle of an infiltration mission.

Although, it didn’t mean that the radar of a special equipment

type Drake wouldn’t detect this activity, so they couldn’t completely
let their guard down.

But, they basically concentrated and carried out their daily

routine.

"Fu, haa-……!"

Their hand instantly touched the Sword Device on their waist, and
right after that they pulled the trigger of the Drag-Ride’s right
armored arm and executed body control operation and mind control
operation simultaneously.

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 The perfect harmonization of two types of control operation.

Precision and concentration where not even an instant of

deviation was allowed were indispensable.

A speed that the eye couldn’t even follow, that wasn’t the case
here.

For their current self, they were able to produce a speed on a level
that could only be confirmed after the slash had happened roughly
about one in ten times.

Even so it was a drastic improvement.

Until half a year ago their success rate was only once in a hundred
times.

One year ago it wasn’t even a surety that they were able to do it
once in a thousand times.

"Tsu……! Fuu……!"

The inside of their pilot suit became sticky with sweat after
finishing their five hundredth’s practice swinging.

Exhaustion flooded their body the instant they stopped and they
staggered. They leaned on the dirty wall of the dilapidated building.

They felt dizziness like anemia and their consciousness felt distant.

"Fu, fufufufufufu……"

It was still far from being complete.

They knew that the difficulty would further rise sharply in real
battle.

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 But, they were definitely getting near.

That pleasant realization filled the body of that person.

"──To be able to do this one hundred times out of one hundred,

the Black Hero is really terrifying."

They brushed up their front hair that was sticking on their face due
to their sweat while muttering with a voice that was filled with
respect and longing.

"Most likely that person is far older than me, he──or perhaps she,
still feels very far out of my reach."

The legendary Drag-Knight that they had never seen.

They felt like they were touching a portion of that person by

learning his technique and felt exaltation from it.

They took off their pilot suit, wrung out a wet towel, and wiped
their sweat inside the underground space.

Bit by bit.

(It’s bit by bit but, I too am getting close to becoming the same
monster──surely.)

That felt extremely enjoyable, and delightful.

For this person who spent half their life in despair, there was no
greater purpose in life than this.

That didn’t change even in this world changing situation.

Above all else, there was the prospect that at last they might be
able to finally meet with the legendary Black Hero── the existence

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that they idolized who they didn’t even know whether that person
was a man or woman.

(I’ll be able to meet, that person who saved me.)

Just from thinking that, an exaltation that was incomparable from

when they felt the result of their training was making this person’s
chest throb hard.

"──"

At that timing, sound suddenly came from outside the building

and this person took a vigilant stance.

"Alma-sama. Are you there?"

"──What do you want? Say the code first."

"Yes! Pardon my rudeness!"

Alma wore their pilot suit while the young man who came to
contact them muttered the decided code.

The code was the password that was used by fellow members of a
certain company.

[Kilzrake Family]

It was a group that controlled a gigantic market next after

Magialca Zen Vanfrick’s firm that boasted the greatest influence in
the Marcafal Kingdom. It introduced itself as a company at the
surface, but it was practically something like a mafia.

Armed might that included Drag-Knights, human trafficking, drugs,

prostitution, etc, it’s a group that handled illegal commodities and
services on a large scale.

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 Its name wasn’t really known in the New Kingdom, but in the
neighboring country it was treated with caution as a threat.

It was managed by a boss whose identity was unknown. This girl

named Alma was a subordinate who was a trusted confidant of that
boss.

She was called with the codename Alma Kilzrake. She was an elite
Drag-Knight.

She had skill that allowed her to pilot an EX Drake at her age that
was only 14. Her characteristic was her fierce fighting style that was
greedily pursuing victory, but her birth and true identity wasn’t
known by anyone except by the boss.

Wearing a hat with wide brim, her well-ordered features and her
blonde hair that was tied into a short ponytail gave her a look like a
boy who still had the traces of youthfulness.

The arriving messenger informed that Alma.

"Actually, there is a message from boss──. He asked you to contact

him at last. That silver haired chore prince, no, he is called as the
hero of the New Kingdom now as the one with great contributions to
the victory in Avalon."

"I see, so the time to move him finally came."

Alma who heard that made a fearless smile on her lips.

(Iwatashi……no, Iore know that this world is false.)

In her childhood, she received Baptism from an unknown person.

And then, the existence that was her [boss] told her the fact that
these three days of parade had been repeated three times.

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 She knew about the existence of the queen who schemed to bury
the sin of her past by tricking the people and about the princess who
didn’t know anything.

How she was completely forgotten and abandoned by the two.

(Finally, the time to accomplish my revenge has come!)

Alma possessed a certain deep fate that was related to the present
New Kingdom.

"Fu, fufufufu……"

After the messenger left, a laugh leaked out from the corners of
her lips.

Thus that person started to move.

As a ghost seeking to settle her unfortunate fate.

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Chapter 1 – Pitch Black And Silence, And

Part 1
"I told you, how about I listen to your talk again? Lux, did you
hear?"

"You are──"

Seven years ago. Inside the grounds of the Arcadia Empire’s castle.

Beside the fountain in the castle’s courtyard that was decorated

with brightly colored plants, a man was calling out to Lux.

At that time Lux was facing a predicament.

Lux’s grandfather was blamed because of his remonstration to the

emperor. He was thrown into jail and then executed. After that Lux’s
mother died from a horse cart accident. Lux who fell into despair was
saved by Philuffy.

After that, Lux attempted to change the old empire using a proper
method.

He polished his skill as a Drag-Knight, an occupation that was

becoming the core of this era. Even though he didn’t have any
authority as an imperial prince, he planned to obtain another
accomplishment so that he would be recognized.

He would become recognized by the emperor, increase the

number of his allies and obtain the right to speak, and then gradually

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change the despotic administration and the trend of chauvinism
from the inside.

He swore to create a country where his important little sister and

childhood friend could live in peace.

──But, in reality, even getting the permission to use a Drag-Ride

was very hard for Lux.

Others didn’t want Lux who was the youngest son that was very
far from inheriting the throne to be holding a weapon or anything.

He was told like that by the people of the castle. He was unable to
even touch a Sword Device until Fugil obtained permission for him.

Even after that another hell was starting for him.

Although his aptitude in using a Drag-Ride was high, his body was
still childish and immature. Everyday he whipped his immature body
to the limit and worked hard until he lost consciousness every time.

That desperate effort was coupled with Lux’s prodigious talent. He

obtained strength as a Drag-Ride and produced achievements in
Abyss extermination, but he wasn’t recognized at all.

He was made to realize his naivety that the opinion on him would
change by doing such things.

Even after obtaining strength through a probability that was nearly

a miracle, people whose thoughts of him was the same like
before──no, who thought even worse of him, appeared inside the
castle and they tried to remove him.

Someone who agreed with Lux’s ideal of helping the people didn’t
exist at all in this castle.

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 –

With only a single exception, this eldest brother of his.

"Why is Nii-san listening to my opinion?"

Lux asked back while his expression was staying calm.

The eldest son of the Arcadia Empire’s emperor, Fugil.

The former Drag-Knight who was said to have withdrawn from

battle due to a wound that he got from a war.

He made appearance in public due to his status as a member of

the imperial family, but he was taciturn and almost didn’t get
involved with other people. An eccentric man.

While he possessed a position that could make use of

overwhelming authority, he didn’t indulge himself in debauchery and
also maintained distance from politics.

The first impression from Lux who was the youngest brother from
a different mother was like that.

Lux was puzzled why he caught Fugil’s eyes and why he was
helping him.

"──This garden is old. Its appearance look well tended, but it’s a
mess due to repeated unnecessary transplantation."

Fugil turned his gaze towards the garden and spoke words that
doubled as his reply to Lux.

"If the soil is bad, the plant will also get sick. The world of man is
the same. Therefore to tend to a country too, there is no other way
than severing all the roots that had grown too long and entangled

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with each other, and then change the plants and also the soil. That
period is approaching near."

"…………"

That was an invitation.

It was an offer to Lux to change this world── this country from its
foundation together.

For Lux whose proposals and advice were completely rejected by

the all the people inside the castle, this was the only remaining hope
for him.

His little sisterAiri and childhood friendPhiluffy.

A hand of salvation was reaching out to him in order to protect his

remaining beloved people.

He once got the chance to practice piloting a Drag-Ride and

obtained strength by piling up an absurd amount of effort.

"……Can you, please, wait for a little bit more?"

Lux gave a vague reply while knowing his eldest brother’s

intentions.

He understood.

In order to change everything from its foundation, the plants

needed to be uprooted from the ground.

There would be no chance for the rulers and the people conspiring
with them to return.

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 "I don’t mind. But, there is a time limit to everything. Time that
has passed won’t return back for the second time. Just like how you
lost your grandfather and mother."

"Please let me think for three more days. I want to think carefully
one more time, about the way to persuade father and the others──"

Inside his heart, Lux had decided how he would choose.

Even so, he needed time.

The time to resolve himself to take away something from

someone else.

"That’s fine, I will wait as long as you like."

In respond the man who saved Lux out from the depths of despair
responded with a gentle smile.

"I’ve been waiting all this time. For a person who can be called
hero──the appearance of the person in possession of that will, that is
exactly"

"Fugil, niisan……"

Three days later, Lux started to move.

And then, the plan of revolution started.

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Part 2
"Is, that……! Sacred Eclipse──?"

New Kingdom Atismata, the capital Roadgalia.

Near the castle gate that was enveloped by the hustle and bustle
of the parade’s first day, Lux looked up the parapet that surrounded
the castle.

The one standing while clad with an ominous miasma, was the
person shaped Ragnarok with the outside appearance of a girl clad in
a pure white dress──Sacred Eclipse.

On the jutting out terrace, a tall and lean man with glint in his eye
like a beast──Fugil Arcadia was standing.

──Inconsistency.

After the mortal combat at the abandoned capital Guernica in the

Marcafal Kingdom, Aeril succeeded in taking control of Avalon.

And then she connected to the system and turned off the
activation of Sacred Eclipse.

The remaining Lords and Fugil were defeated by the Seven Dragon
Paladins and died.

The reality should be like that.

But, Lux’s consciousness told him that wasn’t the case.

The two threats existing before his eyes weren’t a dream or an

illusion, they were the real thing.

The memory of Lux and the others had been falsified by Avalon
and Fugil──

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 At the very least, Magialca, Singlen, and Aeril weren’t in this royal
capital.

The Seven Dragon Paladins were defeated in the battle against

Fugil and the reorganization of the world was carried out.

Two weeks passed after that and the three days of parade in this
royal capital was repeated.

Strictly speaking, time itself wasn’t being repeated.

The memory of these three days──the consciousness of all the

people existing in this country were getting rewound to the first day
of the parade after every three days.

A manipulation of consciousness on a world scale.

The people were being led astray by being made unable to notice
only the inconsistency and specific phenomenon.

That was the truth that Lux realized.

The Divine Raiment of ArtifactTransforming Drag-Ride Ouroboros,

Endless. That was the true identity of what created this world
revision.

(Then, the Sacred Eclipse hasn’t stopped? If the countdown to the

world’s destruction is continuing, how many days are remaining!?)

Lux shuddered. When he looked up to the castle, he met the gaze

of Fugil who was standing on the terrace.

Fugil’s gaze was sharp as though it pierced through the opponent.

In response, Lux too also hardened his spirit so as to not lose

against that.

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 Within the tension that was just a hair away from exploding, that
balance suddenly crumbled.

"──Fu"

Fugil turned around without showing any particular action and

walked away into the castle.

(……-!? He doesn’t realize that I noticed what is going on? No, is he

ignoring me……? But, the Sacred Eclipse is still──)

Lux’s expression changed into bewilderment. Then he talked to

the guard that was stationed near the castle gate.

"……? Is something the matter, Lux-dono?"

"The parade has just ended and her majesty the queen is in the
middle of resting. We are told to not let anyone pass inside anymore
for today, is it an urgent business?"

The Sacred Eclipse that was standing on the parapet suddenly

vanished when he looked away.

"…………"

Even if he tried to pursue, there was no trace remaining behind.

And then, it seemed it was only Lux alone who noticed its
existence in this place.

──’The consciousness of everyone, of all the people who are in this

country right now is being captured by the deception that the world
is in peace.’

The fictive world created by the resonance of Avalon and

Ouroboros.

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 Lux felt horrified by that reality once more and he became pale.

"No……. It’s, nothing."

Currently it looked like Sacred Eclipse wasn’t rampaging yet.

In that case there was still some leeway.

Rather than challenging it into battle at this place and provoking it,
Lux judged that he ought to judge the situation first.

Either way, Sacred Eclipse would revive endlessly without

connecting to Avalon’s system and turning it off.

Thinking so, Lux turned back towards the path he came from and
returned back to the inn where everyone of the Academy was
staying.

Lux’s work for this first day of parade was already over.

His remaining schedule was only to rest in the inn until evening
and then make merry with everyone of the Academy in the bar,
but──

(Wait? More importantly, what does this mean!?)

The clash of the Seven Dragon Paladins and Fugil.

In the battle that happened more than two weeks ago, Fugil made
an allusion regarding the raison d’etre of Sacred Eclipse.

Its objective was the salvation of the weak.

Furthermore it would lend its strength to the core of the

resistance movement that could possibly change the one-sided
government system.

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 "…………"

Uneasiness spread inside Lux’s chest like dirty mud.

With Sacred Eclipse in the castle, did that mean that its possession
target was in there?

In any case, the nobles colluding with the Old Empire faction that
was trying to overturn the New Kingdom, Waybra and Sieg Kreutzer
were deliberately murdered.

The mastermind of this repeating parade and the objective was──

First, he had to determine those.

Currently, if it was impossible to learn that truth other than Lux,

he had to ask for the cooperation of Lisha and the others and solve
it──

(……However, who is doing this? Just who in the world is Fugil and
Sacred Eclipse cooperating with? Just what kind of information did
Waybra and Sieg know that it got them killed?)

[Do you really think that her majesty the queen right now has the
caliber that is worthy to bring the New Kingdom together? Do you
think that she can be entrusted with the future from here on? If I say
that I’m endorsing someone else──]

"-……!?"

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 Suddenly the words that he heard from Celis’s father, Dist, right
before the loop of this period of parade began flashed at the back of
his mind.

Dist conveyed those words to Lux in order to strengthen the

foundation of the New Kingdom that was shaken by the incidents
that happened in succession. The senior consuls who supported the
thinking of the Old Empire──the Old Empire faction wasn’t the only
faction that existed out there.

Dist who was one of the Four Great Nobles certainly said
something like that, about endorsing someone else to replace the
queen as the new king.

At the conversation that time, the talk finished with Dist

concluding that he would keep supporting the queen as usual, but in
the end the identity of the [someone who would replace the queen]
was still buried in the dark.

Thinking of the miniscule chance of the information getting leaked

or their relationship from thereon, Lux intentionally didn’t ask Dist
about it at that time, but he could roughly imagine the answer.

Prime Minister Nulph was originally in the Atismata faction.

There was no other candidate other than him who was supporting
Queen Raffi as her close aide.

If he moved in order to kill Waybra and Sieg Kreutzer who

attempted to shake the structure of the New Kingdom using some
kind of information──

(No…… it’s still too hasty to decide that it’s Prime Minister Nulph.)

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 In any case, if he was going to solve this incident, there was a need
to know everything.

What was the secret grasped by the core personage of the Old
Empire faction that could shake the foundation of the New Kingdom?

Who was it who feared that secret coming to light and instructed
the Automatas to carry out the assassination in order to seal the
truth?

The person who conducted that act, if for example it was the
person from the New Kingdom faction just like he imagined, in that
case Lux would have to throw himself into a battle of no return.

It wouldn’t affect Lux alone, it might bring harm to his little sister
Airi and his comrades in the Academy too.

This was a completely different situation compared to before

when it would be fine to just defeat the enemy.

"What in the world is this, it’s like──"

Lux felt that he was at his wits’ end and he unconsciously leaked
out a sigh.

The incident whirling under the surface.

Tension that even made it hard for him to breathe caused him to
remember the time five years ago in the era of the Old Empire.

"……This is, like the era of the Old Empire?"

The wild delusion that surfaced at the back of his mind made him
leak out a bitter smile.

──’Impossible.’

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 The country had changed from that time.

The time when he had to be mindful of the expression of the

aristocrats, of the time when he had to stifle his heart and be
mindful of other people’s mood was over.

A world unlike that should have been created.

That was……how it should be.

If not, the sacrifice of the imperial family and their retainers five
years ago would be──

"──You should look to the front properly when you are walking
you know? If not, you will stumble even when it’s at a place where
there is nothing."

"Ah……"

*Tap*, Lux returned to his senses when someone lightly poked his
shoulder.

Looking there, there was the nostalgic figure of a girl in the middle
of the main street that was jumbled with a lot of people.

"Long time no see, Lux-kun. Are you well?"

The one who directed an expression filled with affection to him

was Krulcifer in her uniform.

At the first and second loop of the parade, he was reunited with
her along with Mel and Pope Nias of the Ymir Theocracy in the
castle. He never thought that he would meet her here.

"Krulcifer-san!? Why──?"

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 Thus Lux was shocked and asked her, but Krulcifer smiled wryly
and placed her hand on his lips.

She chuckled and turned her gaze towards a food stand at the
main street.

"I was asked to babysit those girls. They said that they are curious
of the food of the stalls and won’t listen."

Lux followed her gaze and found Soffice who was stuffing her
cheeks with skewered meat and Mel who was holding a cheese cake
wrapped in paper.

It seemed that the two of them were enjoying the parade first
before the formal visitation.

But, perhaps they clearly heard Lux and Krulcifer’s exchange even
within the noisy street. Mel walked towards them quickly with an
exasperated expression.

"Can you please not talk as you please? It was you who forcefully
asked for outing permission because you said that you want to watch
Onii-chan’s hour of triumph right!?"

"Is there something like that? My memory is a bit blurry."

When Krulcifer played dumb like that, Soffice too immediately

flared up at her.

"I’m not that much of a glutton. Correct that in front of Lux."

Lux’s cheeks unconsciously loosened up seeing Soffice’s figure that

was lacking in persuasiveness due to her holding skewered meat in
one hand while saying that.

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 The Seven Dragon Paladin of the Ymir Theocracy who had a petite
stature and platinum colored hair, Mel Gizalut.

The representative of the Turkimes Confederation who had dark

brown skin and black hair, while wearing the characteristic outfit of a
foreign country──Seven Dragon Paladin Soffice Xfer.

The two of them existed here even in this situation where Lux had
recovered his normal consciousness.

In other words, at the very least the two of them were alive.

"Both of you, I’m glad! You two are safe!"

The instant he saw them, intense happiness welled up inside his

chest and he reflexively took the hand of the two of them and
hugged them.

Unlike Aeril, Singlen and Magialca who he saw in the middle of the
parade as illusions created by Avalon’s perception manipulation,
these two had definite presence which made him feel relieved.

"Wai-, Onii-chan. People are looking you know? I’m happy

though."

"This lad is bold, unlike his appearance."

When Lux held the waists of the two girl with both hands and
hugged them, Mel and Soffice who didn’t know the situation were
surprised while their faces reddened.

(As I thought, it looks like Mel and Soffice are still under the effect
of the perception manipulation……)

What did it take for someone to notice?

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 Lux was also curious about that, but suddenly he noticed a mute
dangerous presence rising up behind him.

He gasped and turned around. When he saw Krulcifer there, she

turned her gaze aside for some reason and looked down with a
complicated expression.

"Haa……. The Lux-kun that I know is already nowhere to find. He

shouldn’t be a person who can calmly embrace a girl who isn’t even
his lover even if it’s a reunion with a friend that he hasn’t met for a
long time."

Krulcifer unusually made an expression of displeasure. She was

sending a cold gaze to Lux.

Lux let go of the two in panic and swung around his hands as
though crossing them in front of him with a flustered look.

"Kru, Krulcifer-san, you are misunderstanding!? That’s, it’s, there

isn’t any particular deep meaning in that hug, it’s──"

"I didn’t notice the lad’s hidden feeling……. To think that his
positivity level to me is far higher than Krulcifer, this is honestly
troubling. It’s okay if it’s only as far as a kiss."

"Krulcifer, defeat isn’t something to feel shame about. After all it’s
simply that the enemy is too strong."

Soffice showed a bewildered gesture while her expression was

staying blank. Mel intentionally made fun of Krulcifer.

Lux got flustered even more by the dialogue of the two who were
related with the Ymir Theocracy and the Key’s Supervisor.

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 "It looks like I was mistaken. Lux-kun was making a very grave
face, that was why I carelessly called out to you but, it seems you
actually have a lot of leeway."

Krulcifer turned around while sighing deeply. She was turning her
back on Lux.

Without pause she was heading into the congestion of the parade.

"Wai-, it’s a complete misunderstanding Krulcifer-san! Or rather,

both of you please stop adding fuel to the fire!?"

"Haa……. It can’t be helped. How about we go off by ourselves?

We made that kind of promise anyway."

"It’s boring but, that’s the promise. Let’s meet again tomorrow,
Lux."

Mel and Soffice seemed to guess the situation and let him go for
now.

Lux chased after Krulcifer in panic and after giving an explanation

desperately, they went to take a break at the central park.

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Part 3
"Here. Krulcifer-san! I bought a snack for you!"

After soothing down his female classmate somehow, Lux bought

crepe at a stall and handed it to her.

But, although Krulcifer accepted it, her gaze was chilly.

"Lux-kun. I’m different from the princess and your childhood

friend. It will be a big mistake if you think you can deceive me with
something like a crepe."

"Sorry……"

Lux’s shoulders dropped in dejection and he stood stock still.

Then, Krulcifer finally let out a long sigh ‘fuu’ and her expression
returned to normal.

"Haa……. I was shocked when I saw your brooding expression at

the start, but it seems it’s the usual Lux-kun. I’m relieved."

"…………"

She said that with her usual cool attitude and tone while showing
a small smile.

It seemed she wanted to say that the exchange before this was
her tricking Lux in order to observe his actual state, but──

(It feels like she was seriously getting absurdly angry. It wasn’t an
act……!)

Lux had the self-awareness that he was ignorant of a woman’s

heart, but as expected he was able to at least understand that really
well.

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 "And, what happened? I’ll be happy if it’s something that you can
also tell me."

"That is──"

Lux was conflicted when Krulcifer peered into his eyes.

He wondered whether it was fine to tell her about the terrifying

truth that he noticed.

Most likely other than Lux, there was no one who remembered
about what happened in Avalon at that time.

He also didn’t know whether she would be able to remember even

if he dared to tell her.

However, Lux himself was also unable to fully grasp what was
going on.

In the abandoned capital of Guernica in the Marcafal Kingdom, the

Seven Dragon Paladins were defeated by Fugil in the battle for
Avalon and the [world’s revision] thing was carried out.

After that, more than two weeks passed in reality and a parade
was held in the royal capital.

Someone who controlled Avalon, or perhaps Fugil who allied

himself with that person rewound this three day parade at the very
least two times already, and made the parade restart from the first
day.

The reset only rewound the memory of the people back to the
parade’s first day, while the time was properly passing in reality.

Also, the inconsistency that resulted in that occasion wasn’t

noticed by anyone because of the perception manipulation.

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 And then each time the loop happened, people who seemed to
belong to the hostile force that was opposing the New Kingdom were
removed without anyone knowing.

On the last day of the first loop, the man called Waybra who
belonged to the Old Empire faction and held the secret of the New
Kingdom was killed.

In the second loop, one of the Four Great Nobles, Sieg Kreutzer
who colluded with Waybra was similarly murdered.

In other words it could be inferred that the user of Avalon was

someone on the side of the New Kingdom.

And then, there was a possibility that someone was being

possessed by the human type Ragnarok, Sacred Eclipse.

Sacred Eclipse was the greatest and strongest Ragnarok that was
said to would destroy the world. Even if it was defeated, with the
passing of time it would revive. To stop it could only be done by
controlling Avalon.

(──Looking back after I put the situation in order like this, it’s full
of things that I don’t know.)

He only knew one thing, that Fugil was lending his hand to this
situation.

He only grasped that he didn’t know how long this loop would
continue.

If he didn’t expose the true identity of the person managing the

loop, it was possible that someone else would become sacrificed
again.

Page | 33
 It seemed to be able to smash through the binding of the
perception manipulation, it could only be done by someone who was
receiving Baptism or Elixir, or someone who felt strong discomfort at
the fictive world.

Thus, it was doubtful whether Krulcifer would be able to

understand if he told her about the situation.

"──It looks like, you cannot say it."

Krulcifer made a small smile seeing Lux who was falling silent.

In the end, Lux was unable to say it.

If he carelessly asked for assistance while still not understanding

anything, she who was originally an exchange student from a foreign
country would get dragged into the trouble of the New Kingdom and
got hurt.

Just like how Airi got involved in the revolution five years ago.

"Sorry. Right now I’m still confused. What should I do, how should
I say it. But, I’m──"

He couldn’t express it well in words.

Krulcifer had made peace with the Einfolk family and grasped
happiness. He didn’t know whether he should tell her.

He thought that he shouldn’t involve her, at least until the true

identity of the enemy became clear.

"Is that so? In that case, from now I will look out for you."

Page | 34
 Then Krulcifer brushed up her beautiful blue long hair and quietly
brought her face closer to Lux.

Lux’s chest beat fast toward that mature and mischievous smile.

"Eh……?"

"If for example Lux-kun is in my position, you won’t be able to

leave me alone when I’m making that kind of face. Even if there is
nothing that can be done, you’ll still try to become my strength. I
have no doubt of that."

"…………"

Lux was unable to reply immediately hearing that.

Even though he was trying to put some distance from her so as to

not involve her, his escape path was immediately taken away.

Krulcifer didn’t know anything about the revised world.

Even so, she said that she would become Lux’s strength.

Then, there wasn’t any need anymore to hesitate taking the hand
that was offered to him.

"Thank you……. I still cannot say anything clear, but there is

something that I want to investigate, regarding the truth that is
happening behind the scenes of this parade."

"Then, let’s go to a quiet place with just the two of us. If there is a
need to hide your action, it’s best to spend an ordinary day
naturally."

Krulcifer said that in delight and pulled on Lux’s hand while her
other hand was holding her crepe.

Page | 35
 Lux also accepted that proposal that was really like her and
headed to a certain district.

Page | 36
Part 4
──Three hours later.

He walked around the city that was in a festive mood due to the
parade along with Krulcifer, then they rested under a tree’s shadow
in the central park under the name of taking a break.

Incidentally, the place was under the big tree where he heard
Celis’s confession in the first loop.

"Fuu, I’m more tired than expected, doing this investigation while
pretending as lovers."

"This is the first time I heard about that setting though……"

Lux smiled wryly at Krulcifer’s very forceful attitude and sat down
beside her.

They tried clothes in a dressmaker shop and each of them

purchased casual clothes for themselves.

They bought clothes for spring which was a bit too early at this
period of time.

Then they participated as a pair in a quiz tournament that was

held in the downtown. It was fun when they obtained second place.

However, what bothered Lux more than that was──

"Come to think of it, the last path that we took, it was the path
that I walked together with Krulcifer-san in the past wasn’t it?"

"Yes, it’s great that you noticed. That was the course of my first
date with Lux-kun."

Krulcifer chuckled and said that with a smile.

Page | 37
 When he heard her delighted voice, somehow he too also felt
ticklish.

Honestly speaking, he almost forgot their front of doing

investigation.

He was nervous when he went out alone with her for the first
time, but right now his heart was beating fast while at the same time
he was feeling a mysterious feeling of relief.

Normally Krulcifer was thought as cool and flawless by the

students around her, but she was unexpectedly playful. She also had
a childish aspect that liked to joke and find fault.

No, Lux thought that was her natural state instead.

She was used to wearing a mask since her childhood and feigned
to be someone flawless. But her showing him her affable attitude
like this was surely the proof of how much she was letting down her
guard towards him.

He was immersed in his time with her so much that he almost

completely forgot about the pressing situation he was placed in right
now.

"After this Lux-kun will return to the inn and participate in the
Academy’s banquet right? We should confirm the result before that.
Alterize."

Krulcifer suddenly dropped her voice’s tone and turned her gaze
behind the large tree she was leaning on.

Then, a female with an intellectual look wearing a black butler

outfit slowly showed herself in front of Lux and Krulcifer.

Page | 38
 A Drag-Knight of the Ymir Theocracy who served as a butler to the
Einfolk family, Alterize McClair.

Normally she was assigned the role of ascertaining the romantic

relationship of Lux and Krulcifer, but this time alone she seemed
slightly different.

Since around three hours ago she was carrying out the request to
observe the surrounding of Lux and Krulcifer who at the surface were
innocently having fun in the parade.

She was asked to watch the surroundings, whether there was

anyone who was watching Lux and Krulcifer’s action.

"There wasn’t anyone that looked suspicious in the surroundings,

so I found myself hoping to get called to report briefly. It was a bit
unfortunate that I was unable to confirm the progress between
Ojou-sama and Lux-sama."

"No that’s……. Forget about that, Alterize-san, did you find

anything?"

When Lux asked with a complicated expression, Alterize

straightened her back.

The tone of her voice dropped by a level and she formed her
words quietly.

"Speaking from the conclusion, it’s just as Lux-sama predicted. I

believe that it was the military officer of the New Kingdom who was
observing you and Ojou-sama."

"…………"

He half expected that, but that report still made Lux look grave.

Page | 39
 Perhaps previously he was also being observed during the parade?

He thought that because he noticed the pattern that the people in

this looping parade fundamentally were trying to trace back the
same action every time.

In the first and second loops, Yoruka detected a suspicious figure

approaching Lux’s position.

That figure only approached toward Lux, and after that they
headed toward the castle. In the end he didn’t find the figure’s true
identity, but with this it was confirmed.

However, he didn’t understand why the person immediately left

even though they were watching him.

Lux thought that most likely the person sending the watcher didn’t
know Lux’s circumstance well.

If they knew about Yoruka, they would be on guard against her

excellent senses and they wouldn’t approach too near.

(Were they ordered that in the case it’s confirmed that Yoruka was
at my side, they were to quickly abort the investigation and return?)

It wasn’t outside the realm of his conjecture. Surely it was

generally like that.

That conjecture was completely right on the mark. Conversely

Alterize who was someone from the Ymir Theocracy could move
under the radar.

"Yes, perhaps……. It was a face that I once saw when I headed to

the abandoned capital of Guernica for the decisive battle against the
Lords. I believe it was the aide of Prime Minister Nulph."

Page | 40
 "────"

Lux frowned hearing Alterize’s words that were laced with tension.

In a sense it was an answer that was just as he expected.

But, it was a fact that he didn’t wish to be right.

If Prime Minister Nulph obtained Fugil’s cooperation and he was

removing the New Kingdom’s enemies, then it was an alarming
situation.

(However, what’s this? Despite this, something bothers me. The

person who came in the first loop, and the one in the second loop,
are they really the same person?)

A strange discomfort grew inside Lux.

But, he didn’t happen to have enough information that allowed

him to express it in words well.

"Prime Minister Nulph? I wonder what is his intention?"

"As expected, to investigate until that far is……. But, if I’m allowed
to say my personal opinion, I cannot see any movement to harm Lux-
sama or obtaining some kind of information from him. It was a really
passive monitoring."

"…………"

On the surface Lux was spending time with Krulcifer for three
hours enjoying the parade. And yet their watcher didn’t particularly
try anything.

What that fact showed was──

Page | 41
 "Rather than spying, perhaps they are just observing? Maybe they
wanted to insure Lux-kun’s safety, or else──"

"Perhaps, they are trying to ascertain that I didn’t notice anything

and acting like usual."

Lux himself who was muttering that thought that it was

unexpected, but if that was the case then he could understand.

A passive monitoring could only result from that kind of situation.

Lux himself made that conjecture from his experience observing

several imperial family members using a Drag-Ride five years ago at
the time of the revolution.

"I see, that might be likely. Then, is Prime Minister Nulph

observing whether you are doing anything strange?"

"……I think so. Perhaps he is doing this so that I won’t get attacked
by anyone. Thank you very much, Alterize-san."

Lux relaxed his tenseness and said his thanks to Alterize.

With that he informed her that this case was closed with this at
the surface.

"It’s great if there are no problems. Then, please have fun in the
parade together with Ojou-sama without any worry."

"Eeh……!?"

"Then Ojou-sama. Do your best to make Lux-sama fall for you

completely just as planned. Pardon me."

"Yes. Thank you for your hard work. I will return back this favor."

Alterize left immediately while Lux’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

Page | 42
 Lux and Krulcifer were left alone under the large tree in the park at
evening.

When Alterize’s back was gone from view, Lux suddenly asked a
question.

"Krulcifer-san. Come to think of it, what did you say to Alterize-san

when asking her for this favor?"

When Lux asked for Alterize’s cooperation, he did it through

Krulcifer. But he didn’t ask so far about the detail.

"I didn’t say anything significant. I only said to her that it feels like
my relationship with Lux-kun is going to advance soon, that’s why I
want her to leave aside her work from the Ymir Theocracy for now
and help out."

"…………"

Another misunderstanding was created.

"Say, Krulcifer-san. About our relationship, how is the Einfolk

family interpreting it right now? About the matter of engagement,
the misunderstanding has been cleared up completely right?"

"My, do you mean that Lux-kun doesn’t like to get engaged with
me?"

When Lux asked in panic, Krulcifer played dumb mischievously.

The innocent expression that was showed by the usually cool

Krulcifer caused Lux to blush and he averted his gaze away.

"I, it’s not that kind of problem. That’s, in the first place I’m a
criminal and unable to marry so──"

Page | 43
 "You’re right. But, that collar, I think it will be taken off soon
anyway."

"────"

Lux faltered towards that sentence that Krulcifer stated with a

serious look.

Certainly his collar would be taken off on the last day, Lisha also
said that to him.

But, Lux was unable to hide his surprise that Krulcifer who
shouldn’t know about that yet this time was guessing it right.

"I don’t believe that I said anything that shocking though? I think
that it’s only natural. You who are a member of the Seven Dragon
Paladins and raised a great achievement at the battle this time
cannot possibly be treated as a criminal forever. For normal
statesmen, this should be something that everyone is thinking
about."

"……Perhaps, that’s so."

He couldn’t say that he had never even imagined it until Lisha told
him at the first parade.

"Yes, that’s how it is. That’s why I want to think about it

beforehand. If your collar is taken off and you can get engaged, what
will you do? I wonder, do you have someone in your heart already?"

"That’s──"

‘I see.’

Lux comprehended in his heart.

Page | 44
 The reason why Krulcifer who didn’t come into contact with him
last time was being this proactive.

Perhaps, she was nearby when he exchanged his oath of love with
Celis and Yoruka.

If she was waiting for the time when his criminal collar was taken
off and awaited for a chance at the previous time and the time
before that──

(Such thing, there is no way……)

"Then, let me at least make a booking right away. When your

criminal collar is taken off, if you can come to meet me first……"

He understood clearly now that he had heard the girls’ confession.

With what kind of feeling Krulcifer was interacting with him since
long ago all this time.

How she was waiting for the wall in Lux’s heart to crumble and the
time when his criminal collar was taken off──

(Krulcifer-san……)

At that instant when he confirmed anew his feelings towards this

girl who was intimate with him,

"──!?"

He noticed a certain existence and his heart leaped inside his

chest.

At the building far at the other side of the park.

He found an Automata girl within the shadow of a house created

by the evening sun.

Page | 45
 On the head of that figure who was wearing a gown above her
pilot suit, there was something like an ant’s feeler made from
machine growing from her head.

If he remembered correctly, she should be the Automata that

Singlen destroyed into pieces at the first Ruin, Babel.

That existence who he didn’t even know the name of was

watching from afar──

(……She is looking, not at me? Is her observation target, Krulcifer-

san?)

"Lux-kun, what’s wrong?"

Krulcifer was worried at Lux who kept silent and looked behind
her.

"There is no one though? Was there something?"

"No……. It’s nothing."

However, Krulcifer was only tilting her head. She didn’t show any
sign of noticing the Automata that Lux caught in his sight.

As expected, she was affected by Avalon’s perception

manipulation and was unable to grasp the existence of the
Automata.

He didn’t understand what was the objective of the mastermind,

but as expected it seemed they intended to do something once more
without anyone noticing.

Lux mustn’t allow the opponent to notice that Lux had seen
through this loop.

Page | 46
 Thus, he couldn’t say anything here.

With how Krulcifer was unable to see through this false reality, it
would be useless even if Lux told her about the truth that he learned.

"Then, let’s meet again at the dinner party for the Seven Dragon
Paladins tomorrow. Until the last day, I’ll think about what I’m going
to do after my collar is taken off so──"

"……Yes. See you again tomorrow, Lux-kun."

While Krulcifer noticed Lux was acting somewhat strange, she

didn’t even try to detain him and finished their talk.

Like that Lux turned around to make it looked like they parted at
this place.

"Lux-kun. Just don’t forget one thing. No matter what happens,

we──I will be your ally."

"……Thank you, Krulcifer-san."

Seeing Krulcifer’s smile with the sun behind her, Lux also replied
back with a warm smile.

He still didn’t understand anything.

He also didn’t know what he should tell others.

In such a lonely situation, it felt like he could see a ray of hope.

"…………"

Page | 47
Chapter 2 – The Two’s Feelings

Part 1
The evening of the parade’s first day.

Lux was walking alone through the streets of the Royal Capital that
was dyed red.

In his schedule, after this a party should be held in bar along with
the students of the Academy.

In the first loop, Lux slipped out from the banquet and then he
heard Celis’s confession in the public park. He then confessed to her
in order to respond to her feelings.

In the second loop he looked around the night stalls alone with
Yoruka, where he heard her feelings and they became lovers.

But, in the third loop this time, he was unable to choose either of
them.

He had no leeway to respond to their feelings until he determined

the truth behind this looping three day period.

(At present, it doesn’t look like I’m being monitored by the

Automata……. Was their target Krulcifer-san from the start? For
what?)

He was also puzzled about that point, but for the time being he
could only make use of the fact that the mark on him was taken off.

Page | 48
 In the case that Prime Minister Nulph was behind the loop using
Avalon, there was no other way than to obtain proof during this
parade and interrogate him.

At the same time, he also had to ascertain what was the aim of
Fugil and the Automata Arshalia.

Of course, he had to do it without getting noticed.

Considering that Lux himself was one of the main cast of this
parade, it was extremely difficult to realize it into practice.

But, he had no choice but to do that.

At the very least, he couldn’t overlook the reality of someone

getting killed while nobody was noticing.

It would be great if there was also a comrade who understood the

situation like Lux but──

"Yahhoo. Lux-chi, you are really latee. The party is going to start
soon y’know?"

Looking there, Tillfur who was in front of the inn’s entrance found
Lux and waved her hand at him.

Sharis and Noct of the Triad were also standing beside her.

"You are also really full of energy huh, going out like this right after
that parade. Or perhaps, are you getting close with some girl again
out there?"

"I’m sorry. I met with Krulcifer-san when leaving out for a bit."

"…………"

Page | 49
 When Lux replied like that casually, Tillfur and Sharis became
speechless.

Or rather, their expression also stiffened seriously at the same

time.

"Eh? You two, what’s wrong?"

"Yes. Lux-san, please don’t worry about it. We were resolved but,
we were still shocked once more when it’s actually really the case.
That’s all."

Noct placed her hand on Lux’s shoulder with a light tap and then
sent him her usual unblinking stare.

"Now then, I also have to report to Airi. How Lux-san has finally
decided his lover──"

"……Wait, you are wrong there!? I only met Krulcifer-san by

accident and then talked with her, that’s all!"

Lux finally noticed that they were misunderstanding him and said
his denial in panic.

"Is that really true I wondeer. Even though Lux-chi was tired at the
afternoon parade, but you went on a date without even going back
to the inn first, isn’t that suspiciouus?"

"No, that’s because it has been a long time since we met. I’m
saying the truth."

Lux shook off Tillfur’s suspecting gaze and returned to his room
inside the inn for the moment.

He reunited with Airi and Yoruka who was guarding her and they
exchanged a light talk.

Page | 50
 "Welcome back. It’s great that you are safe and sound, Aruji-
sama."

"……Haa, so Nii-san left me alone in the inn to go to a date. It’s

often said that a hero has great fondness for woman, although in Nii-
san’ cases your fondness is too excessive."

Yoruka greeted him with her usual bright smile, but the first thing
that came out from Airi’s mouth was caustic words.

The first thing Lux did was confirming that nothing strange had
happened, then he was about to head to the bar along with
everyone, but──

"…………"

"Eh? Phi-chan, what’s the matter?"

Lux noticed Philuffy who was remaining in the room until the last
while staring outside the window with a dazed look and he called out
to her.

Because she was taciturn and expressionless, looking from

everyone else’s view she would look the same like usual, but as her
childhood friend Lux thought that her condition seemed a bit
strange.

It wasn’t anything like feeling under the weather, but it felt like
she was bothered about something──

"Perhaps, I’m feeling a bit tired. When I was walking around

outside just now, I saw an illusion."

"Illusion, don’t tell me you saw sweets or something?"

Lux joked with a light tone, but Philuffy replied with a serious look.

Page | 51
 "Automata. The one we met at the Ark, La Cruche."

"Eh!?"

──*Thump*

Lux’s heart leaped greatly and a shudder ran through him.

His mind instantly became blank and he stood stock still for a few
seconds.

"Lu-chan, what’s wrong?"

Come to think of it, this morning Philuffy said that she couldn’t
hear the firework sounds.

The sound of fireworks that signaled the opening of the parade.

Even though the power of Avalon’s perception manipulation

looped the memory of this three day period, used up materials didn’t
return back to before along with the loop.

It was only the people’s memory that was rewound to several days
back. They simply didn’t notice any inconsistency from it.

In case they were receiving the binding of the perception

manipulation, they would be convinced that the sound of fireworks
that didn’t exist was resounding in the sky.

Even the battle that occurred at the side of the parade wasn’t
perceived by the passersby.

Looking at it from another perspective, noticing that there was no

fireworks and also being able to see the Automata meant──

(I see, the Baptism……!)

Page | 52
 In the past, Philuffy was chosen by Hayes as a guinea pig for
human experimentation. There a seed of a Ragnarok was planted
into her.

When she entered a state of apparent death because of the shock,

Lux fell under the impression that Philuffy had died. He abandoned
the revolution plan to go take revenge.

But, in reality right after that Sacred Eclipse poured life force into
Philuffy by injecting Elixir into her. Thanks to that she was
resurrected a few days later.

Five years ago Fugil and Ouroboros rewound Lux’s memory of that
time. His memory was falsified, but the fact remained that Philuffy
received Baptism at that time.

By receiving Baptism, one’s resistance towards Avalon’s

perception manipulation increased. That was what Singlen told him.

Furthermore the seed of Yggdrasil that was planted inside her

heart must be influencing her too.

"……I see. It wasn’t, an illusion."

Philuffy muttered after seeing Lux standing stock still like that.

"Phi-chan, about this parade, how far do you know?"

"…………"

Lux’s vague question made Philuffy ponder for a bit.

Before long she mumbled falteringly as though to confirm her own

memory.

Page | 53
 "I don’t know. But, something is happening……that’s all I know.
Also how in that battle, we lost."

Philuffy whispered that and stared outside the window with a

faraway look.

It also looked like she was remembering the incident where she
was kidnapped and Lux was wailing beside her body.

"Phi-chan. Is your body alright? Do you feel bad anywhere──"

Lux was worried for her health because she was receiving the
effect of Baptism, but Philuffy shook her head slightly and smiled.

"I’m fine. That’s why don’t worry. Talk to me, what is going on."

"──……"

"After all, I am Lu-chan’s bodyguard."

Lux lost his words at her consideration to him.

Her words showed her understanding of how Lux knew the reality
behind this abnormal situation and how he was planning to act.

Lux hesitated to involve her in this, but Philuffy had seen through
even that hesitation of his.

"Geez, what are you doing there Nii-san? Please come out of the
inn quickly."

Lux replied to Airi’s voice that came from behind the door that he
would come right away, then he briefly made a promise with Philuffy
to meet later.

After that, he participated in the dinner party of the parade’s first

day along with the Academy’s students.

Page | 54
Page | 55
Part 2
"My, Philuffy? What’s the matter?"

Several hours after the party started in the bar that they reserved,
Relie saw Philuffy who was starting to doze off and she raised her
voice.

As expected, Lux had gotten the hang of it after already going

through the same party two times before.

Lux skillfully handled the Triad and other female students who
were trying to make him drink. He did everything he could to avoid
drinking while making the others drunk instead.

Lux was responding to their request for a while, it was then he

suddenly turned his gaze at the corner of the party. There Philuffy’s
body was swaying back and forth looking like she was drunk.

"……I don’t, feel good. Want to puke."

When Philuffy powerlessly gasped that, Relie quickly stood from

her chair and came running.

"You okay Phi!? Someone, call a doctor! Quick!"

"No, I don’t think it’s that serious……"

Lux was exasperated at the headmaster who suddenly acted

energetically even though she herself was severely drunk until now.

She was extremely doting on her little sister as usual.

But in reality, Philuffy wasn’t drunk.

Philuffy herself was a type of person who was reasonably strong in

drinking. And this time she was also only pretending to drink.

Page | 56
 In short it was an act that Lux asked her to do in order to slip out
from this party, so it was also within his expectation that Relie would
react like this here.

"Relie-san. I’ll look after her so please wait here. I’ll also wait on
her for a while."

"I, is that so? If Lux-kun will look after Phi then it’s conveni──no,
please take care of her!"

Relie was already letting her true intentions leak out unabashedly.
Lux responded with a complicated smile, then he lent his shoulder to
Philuffy and they headed outside the reserved bar.

There was no students complaining about that, including Airi and

the Triad.

They understood that Relie too would be quiet if Lux was leading
Philuffy away.

Lux had also roughly kept everyone company already, so there was
no problem even if the main cast of the party was gone.

He asked Yoruka to keep watch at the surroundings of the bar.

In other words, currently his plan was progressing swimmingly

without a hitch.

"Phi-chan. I’ll keep you company okay?"

"……Right. Thanks."

Just in case, Lux kept lending his shoulder to Philuffy until there
was no sign of other people around while moving──but, while
walking her voluptuous breast was naturally touching Lux’s body.
Lux’s heart was beating hard inside.

Page | 57
 After going to the washroom, they headed towards the main
street under the pretense of clearing away the drunkenness.

In the afternoon, the atmosphere was bustling with enthusiasm so

he didn’t notice, but at night the cold air of January seeped into the
skin.

The three day period of this looping parade.

Within the loneliness of being unable to share his memory with

everyone else, he was feeling indescribable warmth simply from
Philuffy being on his side.

She was like that to Lux since the past.

She was one of his few close friends who knew him since his
childhood. He was harboring an emotion of affection for her that was
similar to that of family, and yet, it was also different from his feeling
towards his little sister Airi.

For Lux at the period of the Old Empire where he was isolated, she
was like a sunny spot, the only place where he could feel at ease.

While walking through the main street where the night stalls were
closing shop and passersby were getting sparse, Lux suddenly
returned to his senses and questioned Philuffy in a hurry.

"Phi-chan. Since when you noticed about this parade?"

"Just a bit ago……. I didn’t remember at the second time. Same like
Lu-chan."

It seemed that Philuffy too didn’t notice the loop in the first loop
where Waybra was killed or the second loop where Sieg Kreutzer
was murdered.

Page | 58
 But, she felt something was out of place seeing Lux who acted
strange sometimes. It seemed she was released from the binding of
the perception manipulation with that as the impetus.

"Lu-chan, what will you do?"

"Hm. I have to investigate who and what will they do on the third
day of this parade……"

Who was using Avalon and what was their objective for killing
other people by generating this loop?

After knowing their objective, he had to stop them no matter

what.

"Do you remember about Prime Minister Nulph during the

parade? Did he do anything suspicious at the second and third
parade? Like is there any strange event or──"

Philuffy shook her head a bit towards Lux’s question.

"I saw his face at the party, but there was nothing strange."

"Then, we have to investigate from the people around him huh."

There was no doubt that someone related to the New Kingdom

was the cause that was making this loop.

His first suspect was Prime Minister Nulph and the people close to
him.

He was mostly staying in the castle, so they would have to sneak

into the castle and search for him in order to directly question him.

Page | 59
 They would be able to meet him at the second day and the last
day’s banquet, but there were several things that had to be
investigated before that.

The possibility was high that it was Prime Minister Nulph’s

subordinate who was watching him, but he wouldn’t be able to
expect any result even if he sneaked into the castle in this situation.

(Wait? In the first place why is this kind of loop occurring? Why is
it necessary to repeat it more than once?)

Lux was heading towards the castle with Philuffy while he

suddenly got caught in doubt.

Five years ago, in order to guide the future to the Old Empire’s
destruction, Fugil eliminated the factors that were hindering the
revolution.

This loop, was it being done in order to determine the rebellious

elements including Waybra that could shake the New Kingdom?

(But, in the revolution five years ago when Fugil used Ouroboros, it
was a really pressing situation.)

The first time, Lux fell into despair because of Philuffy’s apparent
death and he almost abandoned the mission.

The second time was when Airi was taken hostage.

Both loops were carried out in order to avoid fatal risks that could
turn the revolution into a failure by rewinding everyone’s memories.

In that case this time, the secret recording that Waybra and Sieg
possessed was a piece of information that might overturn the New

Page | 60
Kingdom──there was no doubt that most likely it was a cause that
was worthy of world revision.

Their subordinates should have been murdered by the Automatas

at the second loop, but there should be several people who survived.

No……in this case perhaps it should be said that they were let go.

The possibility was high that the mastermind who caused this
world revision was using this third loop to smoke out the force that
was hostile towards the New Kingdom other than Waybra and Sieg.

(Wait? The murdered Waybra and Sieg, how is their situation right
now in this loop?)

Lux went to ask someone in order to ascertain that first.

Page | 61
Part 3
"It’s unexpected for you to visit this late at night. I will refuse such
visitor if it’s not you. What happened?"

The place Lux visited was a room in the capital’s government

building.

It was the room where Celis’s father, Dist, who was one of the
Four Great Nobles, was staying at. Lux intended to keep his visit here
a secret.

He was the one who told Lux about Waybra, Sieg Kreutzer, and
also the Old Empire faction just the day before the three day loop
started. Currently he was the only clue Lux had to search their
whereabouts.

"It doesn’t look like this is about my daughter, in that case is this a
talk of politics? There will be rumors if you are here for too long.
Let’s keep this short."

Dist told Lux like that while sitting on the sofa inside the reception
room.

He guessed that it wasn’t about Celis from seeing Philuffy who

came together with Lux.

He didn’t think that Lux would talk about his relationship with his
daughter while his childhood friend was accompanying him.

Lux sat down on the opposite side with a long table placed
between them. Then he asked with a low voice.

Page | 62
 "Regarding the case that Lord Dist told about the other day, do
you know about what Waybra and Sieg Kreutzer were doing during
the parade today?"

"…………"

Dist frowned sternly and he fell silent hearing Lux’s blunt question.

It was only natural. Because it was a strange question.

He was unable to measure the meaning and intention of Lux’s

question.

This man in the prime of his life was showing such reaction and
expression.

"This isn’t something to talk about at this kind of place. The reason
why we talked in an underground bar yesterday, I believe if it’s you
then you will understand it but──"

The great noble Dist and Lux who was currently a hero of the New
Kingdom were talking about the Old Empire faction that was
scheming to steal the power from the queen.

Dist alluded about the danger of doing such thing in this

government building of the Royal Capital, but Philuffy silently raised
her face and muttered.

"It’s alright. Currently, there is no one in the surrounding. From

the smell and sound, I know."

Similar to Yoruka who was reading the presence of other people,

Philuffy also had her physical ability enhanced due to the Ragnarok
implanted in her. The sharpness of her five senses couldn’t be
compared with an average person.

Page | 63
 After explaining that to Dist and guaranteeing the security, Lux
asked his question once more.

"I apologize for the rudeness. But, this is important. Can you
please give me the answer?"

When Lux bowed his head while still sitting Dist sighed slightly and
nodded.

He called for a servant and asked her to bring them tea, then he
cleared out the people from the surroundings once more.

"Raise your face. It looks like there is a pressing situation. I will

cooperate with you depending on the reason why you ask."

"Thank you very much."

Lux lowered his head once more and then he slowly raised his
face.

And then, he asked once more regarding the movement of

Waybra and Sieg.

Dist himself only knew that Waybra was trying to approach the
Old Empire faction, but he didn’t know about what he was doing
during the parade.

Regarding Sieg Kreutzer, he was doing the same like Dist. He was
acting as security of the parade along with his private soldiers. Right
now he was resting in another government building.

"…………"

It seemed from Dist’s point of view that Sieg Kreutzer hadn’t died
and was still accomplishing his role in the parade’s security.

Page | 64
 But, in reality, Sieg should have been killed already, so at present
the building he was staying at should be empty.

"Then, can you please teach me the location of the building where
he is staying?"

However, Sieg had several surviving subordinates.

Lux didn’t know whether they were private soldiers that were
formally registered or hired mercenaries, but they should be
contacting Sieg at the loop this time too.

It was highly probable that at the second loop the Automatas were
letting several of Sieg’s subordinates to escape so that at the loop
this time they could investigate them.

Lux was aiming to follow after them.

"……Are you intending to negotiate with the Old Empire faction?

Your current status is really complicated. It’s better to not get near
them carelessly."

"I understand."

Dist’s warning was reasonable, but Lux didn’t back down.

"I have no intention of getting involved with them unprepared.

But, there is something that I have to ascertain no matter what. A
danger is approaching this country, no──this world."

"I see……"

Dist muttered that. Then he sighed while turning toward the table
and took out a map. He pointed at a spot in it.

Page | 65
 Lux said his thanks before he moved to exit the building. But he
was stopped before opening the door.

"Is it alright if you don’t ask about the other matter? About the
man who was asking for my cooperation──"

That was the talk that Lux heard the day before the parade
started.

There was someone trying to replace Queen Raffi as the ruler of

the New Kingdom.

Dist said that man was asking for his help, but──

"It’s alright. If it’s about that person then I already know."

Lux intentionally didn’t say it out loud, but he knew that it was
Prime Minister Nulph.

But, if it was him who worked together with Fugil using the power
of Avalon to create this loop, then he couldn’t mention that name
even more.

According to Philuffy, it didn’t seem like there was the presence of

Automata around them even now, but he didn’t want to drag Celis’s
father into even more danger than this.

In Lux’s memory, Prime Minister Nulph was a noble of the former

anti Old Empire faction. He was a direct subordinate of Count
Atismata.

He made use of his skill when establishing the government of the

New Kingdom and he had made a great contribution as Queen Raffi’s
aide until now.

Page | 66
 There was no doubt that he was the only person who was worthy
for Dist to recommend as the next king candidate.

Therefore, the possibility was extremely high that he was trying to

stop the scheme of Waybra and Sieg. Lux was also on alert about
that possibility.

Lux said his thanks to Dist and left the government building along
with Philuffy.

And then they put on the hood of their overcoat to shadow their
faces and headed towards the other government building while
avoiding people’s gazes.

"Phi-chan. Is there any strange presence?"

"Wait a bit, my eyes will get used to it soon."

Philuffy’s excellent eyesight seemed to be effective even in the

night’s darkness.

Currently, it didn’t seem there was anything strange in the building

where Sieg was staying but──

"How will we enter……. There are guards……"

It seemed the guards around the government building wasn’t

Sieg’s private soldiers but the guards of the New Kingdom.

In other words they couldn’t normally ask to enter inside.

"Want to try getting close? The wall, it looks climbable."

"Eh?"

Philuffy said that with a serious face while he was wondering what
to do.

Page | 67
 The building’s wall was made from brick with rough and uneven
surface, but it was too reckless for a human to climb there.

As expected Lux thought he misheard her, but──

"Master made me do it for training, so just this much is easy. I’m

going."

"Wai-, Phi-chan!?"

Without even any time to stop her, Philuffy approached the

building, jumped over the fence and entered into the grounds.

A minute later. She slightly waved her hand from the edge of the
rooftop to show that it was okay.

(No, it’s impossible for me to scale a wall without using a Drag-

Ride……)

"…………"

When Lux conveyed that using hand gesture, it seemed that his
meaning was conveyed and Philuffy drew back into the building for a
moment.

After that when she showed herself on the rooftop once more, she
lowered down a rope that she seemed to find somewhere. Lux used
that to climb.

There weren’t any guards on the rooftop, but there was a stair
that continued into inside the building.

"We can enter from here?"

"Seems so. There isn’t any presence, sound, or anything from the
building though."

Page | 68
 "…………"

Was it just as he expected, that Sieg’s subordinates were already

annihilated?

The space of the building was comparable to more than ten

houses. It was really spacious.

It must be reserved to house Sieg’s force, but──

Lux walked down the stairs while thinking that and explored the
building that was made from stone.

But──.

"……There is no one? But with how there are guards around the
building, it should look like Sieg’s force is staying here."

"Lu-chan. There is, rain’s smell."

Philuffy looked up to the sky and whispered that the moment they
came out into an open corridor that faced the courtyard.

Rain──

If he remembered right, there was no rain during the first and

second parade.

Just as he thought. The loop was only a reset of people’s

perception, while time was moving normally without a doubt.

If the rain this time erased any trace like the smell and the like,
there might be no problem even if they acted in a bigger scale.

"……Let’ search the rear entrance. If the Drag-Ride that is

recording the secret information that Waybra had is going to come,
it might come from there."

Page | 69
 "It might be, from the courtyard you know? If it’s a Drake, it can
use camouflage."

"……I see!"

The private soldier possessing the video recording were using

special equipment type Drake, so it didn’t need to come from the
rear entrance.

In short it would be fine as long as there was a space that a Drag-

Ride could use to sneak in, so the route’s possibility was the rooftop,
rear entrance, and the courtyard.

"Perhaps, it might be better to split."

"Right. Phi-chan, please take care of the rear entrance. I’ll try
searching the courtyard. ──Be careful."

Philuffy nodded shortly, then they split up. Lux started walking
inside the building.

While he headed towards the courtyard in a straight line, he

sensed a presence and stopped moving.

"──Tsu!?"

He almost leaked out his voice, but he closed his mouth with his
own right hand.

In the courtyard, there was a girl facing a Drake that had dispelled
its camouflage.

A black haired girl wearing the New Kingdom’s military

uniform──Sania Remist.

(How!? Why is she here?)

Page | 70
 Hayes’s three direct subordinates in Heiburg──Cerberus.

She was the leader of that and she once infiltrated into the New
Kingdom’s Academy as a spy.

After trying to steal the Grand Force, in the attack against the New
Kingdom──the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan, she fought Celis and
lost. Then she should still be imprisoned.

Even when the New Kingdom tried to use her as material for
negotiation with the Heiburg Republic, they made the excuse that
what Cerberus did was done under Hayes’s arbitrary decision and
abandoned her. This girl who already didn’t even have any place to
belong was──

"Lord Sieg. How is it? The recording’s confirmation──"

"Hm? Ah, never mind. More importantly, so you are my last

subordinate?"

"Yes! For some reason I was the only one who arrived at the
meeting point. There should be a lot more but they are nowhere
to──"

The member of the private soldiers wearing a Drake called Sania

as Lord Sieg.

(Why? Why is he calling her Sieg?)

Lux was puzzled for a few seconds before he noticed.

This world was already a fictive world. Everyone other than Lux
and Philuffy were captured by the perception created by the
mastermind.

Page | 71
 In actuality, Lux was also hallucinating the existence of Magialka,
Singlen and Aeril before.

That private soldier too, in other words──he was under the

influence of the perception manipulation that made him under the
impression that Sania was the real Sieg.

(But, what’s the point of doing this? Is Sania herself also made to
think that she is Sieg? Or perhaps she is ordered by someone to do
this──)

The event was moving even while Lux was pondering that.

"I see, so you didn’t meet anyone else. Then you are the last huh.
The number also matches what the guys before you said. I’ll take the
recording you have. Come."

"Yes-!"

The man dispelled the Drake armor he wore and followed behind
Sania.

They walked on the wide corridor. Lux also followed them while
hiding his presence.

And then when they opened the door to the office that was at the
deepest part of the building, a strange sight entered his eyes.

"Lord Sieg? Is there anything that you wish to talk about?"

"──!?"

A sea of blood spread behind the door.

The corpses of several people that already had their head reaped
dyed the gorgeous red carpet of the office dark.

Page | 72
 Amidst the thick smell of death, the soldier who entered into the
room didn’t make any change in expression.

Even for Lux who was watching from the side, it was a terrifyingly
bizarre sight.

"There is nothing to talk about. Thank you for your work until
now."

Sieg Kreutzer……not, Sania who pretended to be him casually lifted

the Drake’s Sword Device that she received from the man.

It was swung down sharply. Right after that the man’s head fell on
the carpet.

"──!?"

"You see, I am a trap."

Sania looked down to the head of the man falling on the floor and
muttered to no one in particular.

On the day of the parade, Sieg’s subordinates came here bringing

the Drake that was stored with the image recording.

Perhaps Sania became Sieg’s replacement using perception

manipulation and remained here waiting for the private soldier to
eliminate every single one of them.

(I’m too late? But, who is Sania conspiring with? Who in the world
is the mastermind──)

Someone who could bring out Sania who was imprisoned because
of serious crimes was limited in the New Kingdom.

Page | 73
 It was impossible even for the consuls if they only had an ordinary
position.

It had to be the prison director, or perhaps someone even more

above──

"However, to think that you came. Lux Arcadia. You haven’t

changed it seems, thrusting yourself into danger like always."

"-……!?"

Lux was shocked that a voice suddenly came from behind.

Lux instantly leaped towards the corridor and rolled on the

ground. Right after that a Sword Device that the man swung cut
empty air.

"……You are, Ignid!?"

A red haired man with distinctive trait of bristling front hair.

He was a member of Cerberus just like Sania. He should be

similarly imprisoned.

"Hee, how kind of you to remember me. Or perhaps, this is what

they call the knight’s obligation?"

"For you to be able to perceive our true identity, it seems that

right now Endless’s binding isn’t working on you."

Sania who was inside the office turned his way and muttered, then
she tossed away the Sword Device in her hand to the floor.

And then she pulled out a new Sword Device from her sheath and
pointed it towards Lux.

"Kuh……!"

Page | 74
 There was no room to move freely even if he summoned a Drag-
Ride into this cramped place.

Inevitably a sword fight as well as hand to hand combat would be

more effective here.

Lux had also accumulated training, but he was only at the level of
above average among the officer cadets. Compared to his skill as a
Drag-Knight, his strength in hand-to-hand combat was decisively
inferior.

He couldn’t possibly match these two who had accumulated

training as spies from the Heiburg Republic.

(But, I cannot escape from here! I have to somehow capture these

two without killing them──)

Lux also pulled out his Sword Device in response and took his
stance.

Just now Sania called herself a trap.

That trap was double layered.

Most likely in this third loop Sania acted as Sieg Kreutzer’s

replacement in order to take away the image recording from his
subordinates.

And then Ignid was following in hiding in order to search for

people who escaped from the perception curse like Lux.

(The enemy mastermind also predicted the existence like us who

noticed the world revision and tried to investigate!?)

That possibility was definitely high.

Page | 75
 If Lux was in the enemy’s position, there was no way he could
allow someone who noticed this loop and the fake reality to live.

"Why are you two here!? How did you escape from the prison!?"

Lux made his words into weapons to hold back the enemy as well
as attempting to extract information from them.

But, what came was only wordless sword thrusts from Sania and
Ignid.

The attack went through the shortest route with the fastest speed.
The Sword Devices’s tips approached Lux’s sides.

Sania charged in Lux’s gap of consciousness that resulted from his

attempt to converse.

"Kuh……!?"

He barely dodged by twisting his body, but Ignid pressed on by

slashing at him.

──’Fast!’

He barely deflected the tip, but pain pierced his upper arm.

It was an abnormal physical strength that couldn’t be explained

just by being good in hand-to-hand combat.

"This strength, what in the world……!?"

"──You have a good instinct huh, hero-san?"

Ignid’s eyes were tinged with mysterious light. Geometrically

patterned tattoo surfaced on his cheek.

Page | 76
 And then he tossed away his Sword Device and tacked Lux into the
office.

"……!?"

Lux was pushed down face up on the floor in the middle of the
room. He couldn’t move as though he was crucified.

Physically Ignid was somewhat higher than Lux. He held Lux down
and he couldn’t even twitch.

Sania quickly took away the Sword Device from Lux’s hand.

With that the match here was decided.

Looking closer, a similar tattoo was surfacing on Sania’s cheek too.

It looked similar to Soffice’s tattoo but──it felt different somehow.

"We are forbidden to kill you. ──You narrowly escaped death."

"What do you mean? My coming here was already predicted by

your master? "

"No way."

Sania shrugged and reeled a rope to bind Lux.

"We receive an order to get rid of anyone who came here and
noticed the truth. You are saved because it will be troubling if you
are killed here."

"…………"

Sania and Ignid.

Their words were abstract, but it supported Lux’s inference until

now.

Page | 77
 If someone high in the New Kingdom took them out from the
prison, as expected it matched with the mastermind’s expectation.

The imperial princess of the Lords, Listelka once attempted to win

over Lux and the others, the Seven Dragon Paladins by means of
brainwashing.

In other words, the shrine maiden of oracle Listelka knew.

If she was able to obtain Avalon, she would be able to obtain

subordinates that wouldn’t be able to betray her.

And then, the abnormal power that Sania and Ignid displayed.

Most likely these two had constraints so they absolutely couldn’t

turn traitor applied to them and now they were controlled by Avalon
or the Automata.

"Dear god, so you two are controlled by the mastermind ……!"

It pained Lux’s heart even though they were formerly enemies

who tried to destroy the New Kingdom.

But, Sania who noticed Lux’s thinking shook in amusement.

"Hahahahahaha…….! It’s not so bad that an enemy like you needs

to pity us. In the first place everyone else other than the one
standing at the top are nothing more than someone else’s pitiful
puppets. Everyone is nothing more than wretched existences to be
conveniently controlled, used, dancing to the string. Even you are
like that, you will only get used as a pawn called the hero of the New
Kingdom from here on."

She was talking with humane expression and tone, not as an

inhuman creature.

Page | 78
 "Isn’t this wonderful. We fell into misfortune because of the effort
of you all. But it’s not anyone’s fault. It was our fault because we lost.
No matter how hard I work, I was unable to escape from the fetters
of all of you selfish nobles."

"…………"

Sania and Ignid at the beginning were orphans because of war

damage in the Heiburg Republic. They were picked up by the
military, endured through a harsh training and became elite Drag-
Knights.

But, in the end they failed in the Imperial Capital Recapture Plan
and arrived at the fate of getting discarded.

"Even so, this is better than spending our whole life in that prison.
I’m thankful to that person. I am able to properly use this life, my
pride as a Drag-Knight from that hellish training in the battlefield. I
am able to win against you in this place!"

"……Such thing! You are wrong!"

Could such thing really be called victory?

Lux couldn’t possibly agree no matter what.

"You resigned yourself to a fate that you didn’t choose by your

own will, but forced on you by someone else. Even so, can you call
that living with pride? You are only made to think that by
Ouroboros’s curse!"

That feeling welled up in his chest. It became words that he

squeezed out from his mouth.

Page | 79
 "Walking in a path where you can believe in yourself even when
the world doesn’t go as you expect it. Isn’t that what it means to
live!? Sania!"

"……You don’t understand. A blessed person like you can’t

understand."

It wasn’t Sania but Ignid who replied to Lux’s yell.

His tone wasn’t feverish like Nocturnal that was driven by

Elixir──he sounded resigned with a tone that was similar with his
natural tone.

"You don’t notice your own abnormality. About your own ability
that is able to continue to win. Of the effort needed to train until
that level. That’s why it’s impossible for us to be saved.
Understanding or the like is impossible, no matter what──"

"…………"

"There is no need for any sympathy. After a while, you too will
become a [terminal] just like us. Not as a disposable part like us, but
as the [hero of the New Kingdom], the supreme tool──"

"……Guh!"

Right after Sania said that, Ignid pressed harder on Lux’s neck to
take away his consciousness.

The blood flow to this head was severed. At the moment his
consciousness was getting farther, the air of the room suddenly
shook.

"Lu-chan, isn’t strange, at all."

Page | 80
 It was a calm and monotone voice.

Lux gasped in surprise at the usual slow tone that was just like her.

Sania Remist quickly brandished the Sword Device she stole from
Lux and burst into motion.

The direction of her jump was toward the room’s entrance.

Just as Lux guessed, Philuffy stepped into the room.

She twisted her body and dodged the Sword Device’s thrust, then
she instantly took Sania’s arm and twisted.

*Crack!*

"Guh, AAaAH……!?"

Sania whose right elbow was destroyed showed an anguished

expression and groaned.

Seeing that Ignid reached toward his own Sword Device. By that
time Typhon’s short sword stabbed into the back of his hand.

"Uguah!?"

Typhon’s Sword Device that Philuffy carried didn’t suit for locking
sword or the like because it was a short sword type, but it was useful
as a throwing weapon or close range combat.

It was an action unique to Philuffy who excelled in close quarter

combat using the martial arts Magialca taught her.

"Ei"

The instant Ignid faltered, Philuffy’s front kick whooshed through.

Page | 81
 She made use of the recoil from the kick to leap and her hand
chop fell onto the head of Sania whose arm was broken.

The two were suppressed in the blink of an eye with only two
attacks.

"God, dammit……. This, monster……!"

Sania who lied down on the floor glared at the two with an angry
look.

Lux’s head instantly turned blank hearing that parting remark.

"────"

"Lu-chan, don’t."

Stopped by Philuffy’s voice, Lux came back to himself with a gasp.

His fist was strongly clenched above Sania’s head as though it was
going to be swung down.

The reason was surely──no, it was clear even without thinking it.

His body reacted to those words that ridiculed Philuffy.

"We have to ask who gave them the order. It’s no good, if you
make them faint."

"You’re……right."

Lux took a deep breath to calm down.

He nodded while receiving the Sword Device of Bahamut that

Philuffy took back from Sania.

The two who seemed to be controlled by someone didn’t appear

that they would easily confess in this situation, even so there was no

Page | 82
doubt that they were important clues that were connected to the
mastermind.

"More importantly is Phi-chan yourself alright? Was there anyone

lying in wait at the rear entrance for example──"

Lux cooled his head that got heated up while tying up Sania with a
rope.

An unexpected reply came from the mouth of Philuffy who was

tying Ignid with a comfortable movement.

"Yes. Someone was there. It was dark and they were wearing a
hood though. They had a small build."

"What!?"

An unknown person was observing this place.

In that case they might have grasped this situation and called their
comrade here.

The figure of Sieg Kreutzer who was murdered in the previous loop
flashed in Lux’s mind and he shuddered.

"It’s alright. That person observed for a bit, but their smell wasn’t
that of an Automata. It looks like we still haven’t been noticed. That’s
why I think it’s fine to not hurry and escape."

"…………"

Lux’s feeling went past admiration and into amazement seeing

Philuffy who was unperturbed even in this situation.

He wondered what he had to do to be able to be that calm.

Page | 83
 In a sense, she might be someone who possessed the caliber of a
king even more than someone like Lux.

His expression abruptly loosened when such funny thought

crossed his mind.

"I’m glad that Phi-chan came together with me."

Actually he didn’t want to drag her into this dangerous situation,

but if Philuffy wasn’t here, he would have gotten captured by Sania
just now and everything would have been over.

It was different from the past when he carried out the revolution
by himself.

Lux once more felt relieved at the existence of a comrade that he

could rely on──

"……You are going to regret it you know? Not killing us right away."

Sania whose hands were tied with rope on her back looked up at
Lux with a fearless expression.

"You are planning to not speak the identity of the mastermind no

matter what?"

"───That’s not what I mean, the time limit is approaching. The

time limit for existences like me that is."

"……Wha-!?"

The instant when their vigilance to the surroundings relaxed with

the opponents restrained.

Sania’s face changed in that opening that wasn’t worthy to be

even called carelessness.

Page | 84
 "O, gu……! ──Gi, AAAAAGAAAAAaAAH……!"

The geometrically patterned tattoo imprinted on Sania’s face

shined crimson and her flesh began to transform.

Her body slowly crumbled. It was being turned inside out from the
inside.

Slime that looked like a lump of meat with the color and smell of
entrails was summoned from the bodies of the two.

Page | 85
Part 4
"Someone got caught in the net huh……. Our turn will be soon
nanodesu."

Around the time the incident was occurring at the government

building where Sieg Kreutzer was staying.

A girl was standing on the viewing platform that could look down
on the capital’s townscape from the height.

The Automata wearing a blue gown with a hood hiding her rabbit
ears was the Gear Leader of the Ark, La Krusche.

Beside her, another girl clad in a Divine Drag-Ride landed down.

She was also an Automata that was secretly maneuvering

following her master’s command── Ney Louches of the Hall.

In her expression there was a trace remaining from the time when
she was getting along with Krulcifer at the Ymir Theocracy.

"Do you need assistance? I’m free so I’m alright with helping
dearimasu. Fufufu, this robot is really stupid after all, so I might be
able to snatch the achievement from her dearimasuu."

"Before treating other people as idiots, you should hide your true
feelings nanodesu. Your assistance is unneeded so please stay at
your station. I’ll be the one to report to master."

"Cheh, dearimasu. Even so it’s convenient isn’t it, that [Parasite] of

yours. It’s like a demon."

"…………"

Page | 86
 Other than the common abilities that the Automatas shared as
Gear Leaders who were controlling the Ruins, they were also
equipped with unique personal abilities that made use of
nanomachines.

The power of nanomachines that La Krusche possessed, Parasite,

was able to give instructions to other living things by directly
injecting a certain amount of it into the target’s body.

She was able to send orders to the parasite type Abyss that was
administered into a human’s body to devour the host’s life and grow.

If the host harbored defiant intentions, it was even possible to

make the Abyss hatch right at that instant.

In other words, Sania and Ignid right now were puppets controlled
by La Krusche.

"But, this too is for the sake of saving people isn’t it dearimasu?
That’s what the current master said."

"──Yes, that’s right nanodesu. This too is for the sake of peace. It
should be so."

The same scene crossed the minds of the two who were
conversing.

In a chalk white ward that was filled with the smell of medicine.

There were seven sisters who belonged to the clan of the Key’s
SupervisorXfer. They had lost their parents.

These seven girls who were afflicted with an incurable disease had
lost their prospect of survival. They were remodeled by a scientist

Page | 87
girl called Arshalia who developed the technology of Avalon. Each of
them was entrusted with the duty of managing a Ruin.

They obtained eternal life, in exchange they lost their life as

humans.

Even so they were grateful for obtaining life where their own
personality remained behind.

The meaning of living was to achieve something.

Currently that dying wish was planted deep in their roots even
while carrying out the orders of their new master.

Because of that.

"It has to be accomplished, nanodesu. Even if that means treating

them as disposable parts──"

An emotionless program pushed their backs and they carried it

out.

The demonic hand that their current master released.

Page | 88
Part 5
"Drag-Ride. It might be better to use it, if not we cannot win."

Lux also nodded at Philuffy’s opinion.

After the two of them rushed out from the room, they ran through
the open corridor while going out to the courtyard of the
government building that was wide open in donut shape.

After securing an open space for the present, the two summoned
their Divine Drag-Rides at the same time.

"──Manifest, violent dragon that devours the flesh and blood of

the gods. Sever the sky of dark clouds, Bahamut!"

"──Activate. The godslaying great dragon that smashes the star

and gouges the end. Unleash the fangs of a hundred heads and kill
the almighty, Typhon."

They pressed the button on the handle of their Sword Device and
strongly thought while chanting their respective pass code.

Particles of faint light whirled before their eyes and two great
dragons formed.

"Connect – On"

The two then muttered at the same time further and the
mechanical great dragons split. They transformed into countless
armor parts that were equipped by the two.

Page | 89
 The two Drag-Knights who were close to being the strongest even
in the New Kingdom finished their battle preparations.

It took ten-odd seconds since going out to the courtyard until now
at the shortest.

And then less than three seconds after that, the two evil demons
that pursued them leaped towards them.

Their shape wasn’t like the lump of meat at the beginning, they
had transformed into terrifying monsters that looked like giant
centipedes.

"UGAAAAAAAA!"
"OOOOOOaAAAAAAH……!"
It wasn’t a fighting yell, but the roar of monsters.

Or perhaps they were unleashing strange sounds that was like a

scream while raising their protruding sharp claws.

That attack itself possessed power to a degree that was high rank
even among the Abyss.

But, Lux’s consciousness staggered and receded when he blocked

the attack using his great sword.

"What, the. This is……"

"Hihihi, what’s wrong!? Chore prince!"

The voice of Ignid that became irregularly dissonant violated Lux’s
eardrum.

His whole body felt fatigued and he felt intense dizziness.

Page | 90
 Most likely the effect from the intense battle at Avalon was still
remaining in his body.

Perhaps the fatigue was welling up due to him using Bahamut that
put a large burden on his body.

The opponent didn’t overlook that opening and made a horizontal

swing. Lux was blown away backward.

"Kuh!"

But, no matter how weakened his body was, he couldn’t be

defeated in this critical situation.

Lux tried to recover his balance somehow, but during that time a
purple miasma covered the area.

"Lu-chan. Don’t, breathe it in."

"……-!? Poison!"

Because they were facing an open courtyard, the poison mist that
Ignid breathed out immediately dispersed.

But, Lux’s body was paralyzed and couldn’t move properly perhaps
because he already inhaled some.

"Take this, and this! What’s wrongg!?"

Ignid swung his claws that were shaped like a huge scythe. Lux
barely defended using his sword.

But, he was unable to deal with it.

The high fever that suddenly surged up in him stole his

concentration, delaying the movement of his whole body by a
breath.

Page | 91
 Lux possessed extraordinary strength as a Drag-Knight, but he got
his back against the wall with his body being invaded by poison.

In a sense, he was being pressed into a disadvantage that was

quite great even among everything until now.

"Hyahahaha! Nice look you got there! This is easy. This is far easier
compared to that monster that looked like a girl over there……"
The centipede Abyss swung his claws even more fiercely while
laughing mockingly.

He twisted that long torso which hit Lux like a whip.

But,

"──Shut up"

Inside Lux who was unable to breath satisfactorily until now, a

rage that was like a blazing flame was lit up.

The senses of his body became hot as though he was being burned
from hearing Philuffy getting insulted once more.

Right after that, the vortex of shockwave from Howling Roar

attacked Ignid who transformed into a centipede Abyss.

"Guh!?"
By wresting his torso to avoid a direct hit, his attack timing was
delayed by less than half a second.

The next instant, a flash of sword that was unleashed using Quick
Draw counterattacked and tore the torso.

"GE, eEeeEEEEEEEH!?"
Ignid’s torso was severed into two and he shrieked.

Page | 92
 When Lux prepared to destroy his head with a returning slash, the
movement of the armored arm that was holding the great sword
stopped.

"……Lu-chan. That person, he is beaten already, see."

The one who grabbed the arm from behind and stopped it was
Typhon that Philuffy wore.

"…………"

Lux took a deep breath and looked at the crumbling corpse of

Ignid.

Perhaps the attack just now cut the core and dealt lethal damage.
The body was twitching while turning into ash.

"Splendid. So it wasn’t a fluke. The power of all of you who crushed

us on multiple occasions──"
On the other hand, Sania who was similarly transformed into an
Abyss was also defeated by Philuffy.

It seemed her core was also destroyed. Her body was crumbling
into pieces while saying that at the end.

She displayed a satisfied expression, and then──

"Wait! Who is it who turned your body like that!? Who is it that
created the loop of this parade!? Tell us, please!"

Lux didn’t expect to receive an answer.

But, unexpectedly the reply came immediately.

"It’s, Prime Minister Nulph……. Chore prince, if it’s with your

strength, surely it will be possible to reach the truth……"

Page | 93
 "────"

Prime Minister Nulph.

The aide of Queen Raffi in the New Kingdom.

As expected he was the perpetrator who obtained Avalon and

created this loop.

The girl in front of him told him that it was the answer.

"But, don’t forget. You too after all are just a pawn like us. Only
that──"

Sania only said that and her body crumbled completely.

And then, silence returned to the surroundings.

"-……!?"

After feeling relief through getting the answer for the time being,
fatigue surged through his body all at once and Lux dispelled
Bahamut.

Beside him, Philuffy also dispelled her armor. He hid his tiredness
and asked her.

"Phi, chan. Any enemy presence around us?"

"No one nearby……I think?"

Philuffy answered Lux’s question with the same tone like usual
that was at her own pace.

"Do you think, their words are true?"

"I don’t know. But──"

Page | 94
 Lux paused his words for a bit and looked up silently towards the
waning moon.

"I think, at the end, Sania’s feelings came out for a bit."

"…………"

Lux and Philuffy worked together to dig the courtyard.

After burying the corpses of the two along with their Drag-Ride,
they investigated the building starting from the office through every
nook and cranny.

Then, they found the Sword Device of a Drake that Sania obtained
from Sieg’s private soldier just now.

The owner……already died.

"With the user dead, that means──"

One of Sieg Kreutzer’s private soldiers who was beheaded before

this.

It could be concluded that it was recording information that could

shake the New Kingdom.

"Lu-chan, what will we do now?"

After flying away from the government building using Wyvern, Lux
discussed with Philuffy in a back alley.

A Sword Device that lost its user could register a new user by
holding it in front of the corresponding Drag-Ride and reactivating it.

And so, it would be possible to operate it if they could just find the
Drake that this Sword Device was contracted to, but most likely this

Page | 95
private soldier of Sieg wasn’t using the Drag-Ride hangar of the New
Kingdom.

It wasn’t like they were back to square one, but now they had no
other way than trying to search the private land of Sieg.

"Let’s return for now. To our inn."

In the end they had to hear the information directly from someone
who was in the know.

Therefore Lux decided that it was better to get a fresh start at this
timing by returning for now.

"Right. Then, should we part here?"

"Eh……?"

Lux was bewildered for an instant at Philuffy’s suggestion.

This was Philuffy who called herself as Lux’s bodyguard, so Lux

completely thought that they would return together but──

"I remember, a little bit of business. I want to return slowly."

"I see……. Then, let’s meet again at the inn."

"Lu-chan. Are you really okay?"

Philuffy stared fixedly at Lux with a straightforward gaze.

Lux didn’t want to worry her even more than this.

"Yes. I’m fine. I’m only a bit tired so──"

"Got it. Be careful."

Page | 96
 After forcing a smile, Lux parted from Philuffy and headed to the
main street.

Then, fatigue suddenly surged through him and he felt dizzy. He

sat down on a nearby bench.

"Kuh……. My, body……"

The moment he relaxed his mind, his body became feverish and
intense pain ran through him.

His breathing became rough and wheezing, the sight in front of his
eyes distorted and misted.

In his hand was a Sword Device that was his only clue.

He had to confirm the secret recording hidden in this Drake that

could shake the New Kingdom and make his judgment.

From there he had to pull in the truth and pressed on Prime

Minister Nulph.

Lux’s plan was progressing well.

──But, it felt like he was overlooking something.

It was something inexplicable that couldn’t even be called out of

place.

"…………"

*Prickle* He felt pain at one corner of his head. His consciousness

faded away and the reality became hazy.

"──Lux-kun. Get a hold of yourself."

Page | 97
 "……tsu"

When he noticed, Lux was looking up at the moon.

At the fountain plaza that was made from stone.

There was a silhouette looking down on Lux on the bench there.

"Was it also a moonlight night like this? That time when I first met
you──"

"Krulcifer, san?"

The moon that looked magical, and the lighting of the plaza.

The two light sources showered them with light. The water splash
of the fountain was sparkling.

Krulcifer in her uniform looked at Lux and smiled in relieve.

He wondered how many minutes had passed since he parted with

Philuffy just now.

It seemed he lost consciousness for a while because of the strange

fatigue.

"I’m glad. I happened to see you just now. But you were sleeping
on the bench. No matter what that was too defenseless. Or
perhaps──are you not feeling well?"

"I’m, fine now. It looks like I’m a bit nervous from the parade."

"Is that so? But don’t force yourself, rest for a bit more like this."

Lux gasped in realization when Krulcifer told him that.

She was also sitting on the bench and without him noticing he was
getting a lap pillow from her.

Page | 98
 She had a slender body style, but when his head was placed on her
thighs like this, he noticed once more that she possessed the
softness of a feminine body.

When he became conscious of that, Lux’s cheeks flashed red.

The light of the capital at night was faint.

Illuminated by that, the time was passing quietly.

"It’s mysterious. When I met you for the first time, I never thought
that the day our relationship became like this will come, but──"

"Now that you mention it."

Lux who replied like that slipped out a wry smile unconsciously.

When he saw her for the first time, he was fascinated by

Krulcifer’s beauty. Honestly he was feeling complicated about that.

However, he was also the same in regards of never imagining that

their relationship would become one where it was undecided
whether to accept the confession or not.

"Yes. But, when I imagined what if at that time you didn’t get lost
into the Academy, I shuddered a bit. Around this time I would be Sir
Balzeride’s wife and become a tool for opening the Ruins……. I would
be used till the end before getting disposed──surely at that time I
would have been killed."

Krulcifer spoke smoothly while quietly hugging her own shoulders.

It hadn’t been one year since that incident, but it felt like
something that happened a long time ago.

Page | 99
 That was just how much various things had happened since he
met her.

"Speaking about it, Krulcifer-san chose me to act as your lover at

that time. Was that a coincidence? Or else──"

Krulcifer splendidly won the Lux competition that was held in the
Academy because of Relie’s mischief. She then requested him to
become her fake lover, but if at that time Krulcifer didn’t win, what
would have happened then?

"I had my eye on you because of the matter of Bahamut, so even

without that event I would made my request with a different
method."

"As I thought, Krulcifer-san was thinking it properly."

"I am far more calculating than you thought you know?"

Lux got cold sweat in his heart seeing Krulcifer’s smile that seemed
to be filled with significance.

(Well, from the beginning I already thought that Krulcifer-san is

really calculating though……)

He hesitated saying that out loud honestly.

At any rate what she said had great persuasiveness.

"I’ve lived like that all the time until now. Because I was taken
from the Ymir Theocracy’s Ruin, I had to do that in order to live in
the Einvolk house."

"…………"

Page | 100
 Krulcifer had a special position because of her origin that was from
the Ruin Hall. She sought for people’s affection more than anyone
and earnestly worked hard in order to get recognized.

However, because she displayed unparalleled strength, on the

contrary she was instead kept at a distance from her family and
became isolated. That was her past.

However now she understood that it was a misunderstanding.

Through the case that happened when Krulcifer returned home

with Lux, she noticed that her stepfather Stiyl acted like that in order
to keep her away from those who would try to use her.

Right now she should be forming a good relationship with the

butler Alterize and her other family members too.

"At a glance, Lux-kun looks innocent like a child and full of

openings. But you are hiding amazing strength. That was my
impression of you but──that changed."

"So your impression changed……"

‘Even though I think that is a good enough impression already.’

When Lux was going to continue like that, Krulcifer continued her
words first.

"It changed, to a far better one than before."

Krulcifer’s cheeks reddened slightly and she smiled mischievously.

Lux’s temperature rose from the passionate gaze showed by the

girl who was always calm and collected.

Page | 101
 "Whether it was at that time of engagement, and also when I went
back to the Ymir Theocracy. When I’m in trouble you never
abandoned me and came to save me. You became my strength
regardless of race or pedigree."

"……That’s, even Krulcifer-san did the same for me."

Lux said that to hide his embarrassment, however that was also
his true feeling.

"Krulcifer-san always went along with my recklessness, and you

came to save me when I was captured."

Even at the battle against Celis that put the continuation of his
attendance in the Academy at stake, and also when he was captured
by the Lords, and at various other occurrences, she risked her life for
him.

When Lux pointed that out, she unexpectedly formed a lonely

smile.

"My bad but, for me it’s a bit different."

"Eh……?"

Krulcifer peered onto Lux’s face with the illumination of the lamp
light and the fountain’s splash behind her.

The blue eyed beautiful girl showed a wistful smile.

"I don’t know about the other girls, but I wouldn’t fight if it wasn’t
for your sake. Of course, there were also situations where, because
of my obligation and status, I had to fight in order to save my
comrades but, the real reason I fought until now was for the sake of
something that cannot be expressed by such words."

Page | 102
 Saying that, Krulcifer brought her face closer towards Lux who was
still on her lap.

She gently kissed at the corner of the lips of the startled Lux.

"────"

The water sound of the fountain vanished for a few seconds from
the world.

The refined and seductive lips had a fleeting sensation.

It only touched for a bit, then her face immediately parted from
him.

"……I did all of that, because I wanted you to turn towards me.
Because I wanted to attract your attention. Because, I wanted to
make you fall in love with me. I’m sorry."

The cheeks of Krulcifer who was staring at the fountain looked red
even under the very dim light.

"Krulcifer, san……"

It was very straightforward.

Lux’s words faltered from her frank confession.

"Do you think I’m, contemptible? But, surely that’s what you think.
I’m pretending to be composed, but I care about other people’s
opinion of me more than anyone. That kind of way of life was
imprinted on me since I was a child. That’s why I put up a front to
show my flawless side to other people. I want other people to only
see my good side."

"…………"

Page | 103
 Lux didn’t understand why Krulcifer was exposing herself in this
place.

But, surely, half of it was because of Lux’s fault.

His unique status as a criminal that didn’t allow him to marry.

And the wall of his heart because of his own unique upbringing.

Because of those, until now he was unable to accept her feelings,

that was──

"……No. You are wrong."

Lux immediately said that because that was also something that
he had stifled in his heart until now.

All this time, he was covering up his feeling towards the

girls──towards Krulcifer that was liking him as the opposite sex.

Exactly because of that, he had to respond to her here.

"Because, I also love Krulcifer-san. Not just as a fellow member of

Syvalles or as a classmate, but as a man."

"Lux, kun?"

Lux lifted his head from her thighs and sat straight on the bench.
He stared at her face from close up.

The eyes of Krulcifer who averted her gaze slightly were opened
wide.

The beating of his heart quickened painfully, the inside of his head
became hot.

Page | 104
 With the feeling called love filling his heart, Lux quickly stole her
lips.

"────"

Once more noises and scenery vanished from the surroundings for
around a minute.

Whether it was the wondrous water splash of the fountain, or the

heat of the night of the parade.

Even the clatters of the people that were leaking out from the
countless houses vanished. It became the world of only the two of
them.

"…………"

"Err, Krulcifer-san?"

A few seconds after Lux separated their lips, he panicked seeing

Krulcifer who was completely petrified.

He was feeling in suspense wondering whether he had done

something bad, but──

"-……!"

The next moment, she leaped into Lux’s chest and hugged him
tightly.

"Ah……"

The scent of her hair drifted from her nape.

Page | 105
 He became intoxicated with the warmth and softness that he felt
from across her uniform.

"Please. Don’t let go, stay like this, just for a bit more──"

Her sweet whisper tickled Lux’s ears.

Like that their hearts connected together for a while.

"Then, I’ll be going back now. Airi too is surely getting worried.
Thank you."

"Yes. Lux-kun too, be careful──. Or perhaps, do you want to come

to the room where I’m staying right now?"

"……-!?"

The flirtatious glance that was filled with sensuality made Lux
stiffened instantly.

It was a very appealing invitation, but he turned it down.

Because if he fell into temptation here, his brake would stop

working without a doubt.

If he went until her room, even Lux would be unable to hold

himself back.

Once again Lux told Krulcifer that he wished to wait until his
criminal collar was taken off. Krulcifer nodded back firmly in
response.

"That’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. I’ll wait for a little bit
more then."

Page | 106
 Lux smiled wryly while walking on the main street together with
her.

The warmth of her hand that was naturally holding his hand drove
off the chill of the night of January.

"…………"

Because of the perception manipulation’s curse Krulcifer couldn’t

see, but Lux noticed the silhouette of an Automata.

The Automata was also observing secretly at noon, but she was
only watching without attacking or anything else. Lux was gradually
understanding what was the meaning of this action.

No, it was still too early to decide.

At the present phase, it was nothing more than conjecture.

What he could think of was that this was him being monitored to
see how he was interacting with other people at the surface.

Most likely they were waiting for the chance to activate Endless
once more at the end of the parade.

Krulcifer herself had never received Baptism, she only ever had a
bit of Elixir injected into her.

When the Dragon Marauders attacked the Academy in the past,

Aeril handed to everyone Elixir in order to resist the mental pollution
of the Ragnarok Iblis. They used it although it was just a slight
amount.

From the view point of the mastermind, they must be keeping an

eye on the possibility that if Lux explained the situation to Krulcifer

Page | 107
who was a Xfer, she might be able to dispel the curse on the
consciousness from the world revision.

And then, a hypothesis formed inside Lux seeing that the

mastermind was cautious against Krulcifer who was a Xfer.

It was about the possibility that the moment Lux talked about the
truth to her, she might be eliminated.

And about the intention that the mastermind would use Endless at
the very least one more time to create a loop.

(The last finishing touch is still remaining……. Then──)

He couldn’t expose Krulcifer to danger until that time.

He could only pretend that he hadn’t noticed anything just like

before and made a show of getting into a relationship with her.

If Lux turned down Krulcifer’s confession, the enemy would surely

notice that he remembered the first and second loop so──

(……But, this feeling of mine, it’s not a lie.)

His feeling towards the girl in front of him wasn’t just a show by
any means.

That was why.

Only now he would be honest to his own feelings and enjoy his
date with her.

In preparation for the next repeated loop and the truth that he
hypothesized.

Page | 108
 "Looks like the Automata doesn’t notice meore……. Then perhaps
it will be time for negotiation soon."

Some distance away.

The voice of someone who was looking down on Lux and the
others from the highest viewing platform in the capital wasn’t heard
by anyone.

Page | 109
Chapter 3 – The False, Truth

Part 1
"Geez, where did you go last night Nii-san? Furthermore this time
you even enjoyed nightlife. Today it will be a scolding for you."

"Sorry. I drank too much and got a headache, so please don’t be

too hard on me."

"No. Lux-san. I heard that when a male caused a problem related

to a female, the wound will be shallower if you honestly confess you
know?"

"…………"

The second day of the third parade.

Lux was greatly troubled from receiving a barrage of questions

first thing in the morning from Airi and Noct who had their
reproachful gazes on when the sun had only come out.

From Lux’s point of view, he had investigated the building where

Sieg Kreutzer was staying and splendidly obtained a clue to approach
the truth, but from the perspective of Airi and Noct who didn’t know
anything, it could be said to be only natural for them to be like this.

Last night he slipped out in the middle of the party with Philuffy,
furthermore he returned at different time from Philuffy, so it further
invited misunderstanding.

But, there was no way he could tell the truth to Airi and Noct.

Page | 110
 At present it was only Philuffy who was liberated from the
perception curse by Endless.

He couldn’t drag these two too into the deep affairs of the New
Kingdom.

"That’s why, I’m telling you two that’s not it. While I was strolling
by myself, I got sleepy──"

"……Noct, what do you think?"

"Yes, I think it sounds like a lie. I can imagine three other possible
cases."

Noct raised three of her fingers with her usual composed

expression.

(Why are they this motivated……)

"First possibility, Lux-san got into a dating relationship with

Philuffy-san. Like that they went to flirt together, but they will get
jeered if they go back together, so they pretended to go back at
different times."

"Is that correct Nii-san!?"

"No, that’s why I said that’s not it……"

Lux pacified his little sister who was pressing the question on him
with her face getting closer while avoiding the first attack.

"From Lux-san’s personality, this isn’t the reaction when we hit the
bull’s eye. Then, the second possibility."

"You are still continuing ……this?"

Page | 111
 Lux retorted to Noct who was dispassionately mumbling while her
hand was supporting her chin.

"Lux-san got into a nice atmosphere with Philuffy-san, but a

hindrance appeared before they could progress further. Perhaps it
might be something like a chance encounter with Krulcifer-san for
example."

*Twitch*, Lux felt his innards went cold inside.

After all it was a definite fact that he borrowed Krulcifer-san’s

cooperation to investigate Prime Minister Nulph.

Furthermore last night he also encountered her again and he also

became lovers with her──

"Somehow, it feels like this one is half right."

"No, well."

"Next, let’s see. The third possibility, is a bit unclear for me. It
doesn’t seem like Lux-san was flirting with Celis-senpai who we
expected to meet at the party today."

"Say, you don’t need to force yourself to think up the third

possibility."

More than ten minutes later, Lux somehow evaded the hounding
of the two and departed outside the inn after telling them that he
had business.

In reality, the third possibility that Noct raised about was

incidentally correct about today.

Page | 112
 The clue that he obtained last night, the Sword Device of the
Drake that Sieg Kreutzer’s soldier carried. It couldn’t be summoned
by Lux who didn’t have a certified contract with it.

Therefore, as soon as possible──

Before the party in the evening that invited the noble visitors from
every country started, he had to search for the location of the Drake,
perform the contract recertification, and recover the image
recording.

The recording contained a fact that might shake the present order
of the New Kingdom.

If he could confirm the contents of the recording, he would be

able to greatly draw near towards the true identity of the
mastermind.

Throughout the morning he planned to look around each of the

territories of Prime Minister Nulph that he owned within the Royal
Capital.

By the time last night, he had already asked to negotiate with

three people for their cooperation.

First──it was the older girl who he loved and respected, Celistia.

Page | 113
Part 2
8 o’clock in the morning.

Lux who got out of the inn visited the government building where
one of the Four Great Nobles, the Ralgrus family, were staying.

On the surface, his reason to be here was to give a greeting before

they met at the party.

Then, Celis who was also staying in the building welcomed him in
surprise.

"Lu, Lux!? What’s the matter? The party today should be starting
in the evening. Do you have any business with──?"

"No, I wish to talk with Lord Dist for a bit."

"I, is that so……"

Celis’s expression that broke into a smile as soon as she saw Lux’s
figure turned strangely dejected.

He felt pain in his heart when he recalled that they had become
lovers once.

But, right now wasn’t the time for romance.

Somehow, he had to obtain the proof of the mastermind──by

searching the Drag-Ride hangar where the Drake of this Sword
Device was stored, and confirm the recording there.

"Please, come in."

Regardless of his impolite visit in the early morning, Lord Dist

welcomed him into the reception room pleasantly.

Page | 114
 His stern expression looked like he had already guessed
something.

"Has something happened in a place that is outside my

supervision?"

With Celis also being in the same building, it was possible to also
have her to attend in this talk, but Lux intentionally refrained from
that.

Depending on what would happen after this, it might become a

battle.

It would only cause chaos even if right now he involved Celis who
was unable to perceive the loop of this parade.

"Yes. There is something that I wish Lord Dist to teach me within

the extent of your knowledge."

Lux wanted to ask him about the villa or other related places in
this Royal Capital that were owned by Sieg Kreutzer who was his
fellow Four Great Noble. Because the possibility was high that this
Drake was sleeping in one of those places.

──But, Dist’s reply wasn’t refusal, but a question.

"This isn’t like you. Why is someone who has foresight like you this
hurried?"

"…………."

Lord Dist made a dubious face after receiving Lux’s request.

It couldn’t be helped that he was reluctant to talk.

Lux decided to immediately cut to the heart of the matter.

Page | 115
 "This Drake’s Sword Device is something that I picked up last night
from a certain place. The owner seemed to be a Drag-Knight who
was a private soldier of Sieg Kreutzer."

"In that case, you can just ask the person himself when he shows
himself in today or tomorrow’s party. ──That doesn’t seem possible
from from how you are intentionally coming to meet me like this."

"There is no time. If I let go of this chance, I might lose the chance

to arrive at the truth forever. A danger to the New Kingdom might be
approaching."

The memory of the third day period of the looping parade.

Lux desperately pleaded without touching that fact.

Lux himself understood that he was asking for something

unreasonable.

After all what he was doing was like asking Dist to lend him a hand
in investigating Sieg with a suspicion towards Prime Minister Nulph
while he wasn’t showing any definite proof.

In the first place in the perception of the people from the world
revision, Sieg Kreutzer was still alive.

"…………"

Naturally Dist who was a fellow Four Great Nobles wouldn’t

consent to his request.

If he leaked this request of Lux to the opponent, there was even

the risk of war breaking out.

"──Just between you and me, we the Four Great Nobles were
called for a meeting by her majesty the queen. Right after the parade

Page | 116
ends, before the negotiation regarding Avalon begins for real, her
majesty wishes to finish the contract."

"……Eh?"

Lux was bewildered that the talk was shifted to an unexpected

direction.

It was a contract for the Four Great Nobles to lend their top class
Drag-Knights under the direct control of the queen for several years.

Inevitably the Drag-Knights that were the retainers of the Four

Great Nobles would also be included in that. It seemed the queen
wished to supplement the kingdom’s military power that was
weakened.

Naturally this was the first time Lux heard about it because this
was a vital political matter.

If it was Lisha then perhaps she knew about it, but──

(This is something that I didn’t hear before. Was such talk

advancing since before the parade started?)

"But, as a great feudal lord, we can’t agree to something like a

contract that halved our force for free. We have to ask for a suitable
compensation."

"Compensation from the New Kingdom……Avalon’s technology

and legacy. Mainly things like Drag-Rides, is that right?"

Dist nodded silently.

"The original proposer was Prime Minister Nulph. Lord Bugriser,

Lord Zagha, and then the Kreutzer family too are showing accepting
stances for this proposal. It will be only if in the negotiation with

Page | 117
other the countries ten days from now we can obtain advantageous
terms though──"

"…………"

The seven Automatas were already secretly maneuvering behind

the scenes of the looping parade.

If Prime Minister Nulph was the mastermind and he already

obtained Avalon, rather than obtaining advantageous results from
negotiation, he could possibly make a deal by drawing out resources
secretly without problem.

"The consuls of the Old Empire faction who doesn’t wish for the
New Kingdom’s administration by Queen Raffi to continue for long
are wishing for the negotiation’s failure. With that they would be
able to claim that her majesty isn’t suited to lead the New Kingdom
as expected and use every method to take her down from the
throne."

If Prime Minister Nulph was supporting Queen Raffi, surely he

would try to crush that movement of the opposing faction.

In other words, at the present preliminary step before the parade

was over and people left the Royal Capital, and the negotiation with
other countries to distribute Avalon’s resources and technology
started──

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You were a prince, but you didn’t have the experience of

becoming a ruler. Typically a ruler will try to nip the enemy force in
the bud. That is the inevitable in every era and situation."

"────"

Page | 118
 ‘However’, Dist added while reaching out to a nearby drawer.

"That doesn’t necessarily mean that I think doing that is always

the right thing to do. Especially the way of doing things that doesn’t
care of the method, eventually it will lean to a dictatorial system."

Just like how the Old Empire was like that in the past.

Lux felt like he was told such thing.

Dist took out a small box from the locked drawer and put it on the
table, then he stood up from the reception room’s sofa.

Lux was about to stand up following him, but he gestured with his
hand to stop him while entering into a reference room deeper inside.

"You are resolved right? The resolve to step into the realm of
politics even if you have to brave danger. Then just go. I cannot
cooperate with you."

"Lord Dist……"

When Dist entered into the reference room, the door closed with
a bang.

Lux was left alone inside the reception room.

"…………"

He intentionally put a small box in front of him and then left his
seat. The current Lux wasn’t so slow that he didn’t understand Dist’s
intention.

Personally, as one of the Four Great Nobles and in order to fulfill

his duty to Nulph, he was unable to sell him out.

Page | 119
 But, as someone who was worried about the direction the New
Kingdom itself was going, he left behind a clue for Lux.

In other words, from here on if he got involved it would be at his

own risk.

No matter what would happen, it would be an action that Lux

caused by his own decision.

Lux asked for a meeting with Lord Dist to consult him, and while
he was letting his guard down Lux secretly took a pick at the
information that he had.

This was Dist telling him that was how he was going to act.

"──Thank you, very much."

He erased the indecision that was born in his chest and opened
the box.

If he was going to stop here, then from the beginning he wouldn’t

sneak into the building where Sieg was staying.

Inside the small box, there was the document regarding the
territory the Four Great Nobles possessed.

After Lux found the location of Sieg’s villa, he wrote it in a memo

and got out of the government building.

It was only past 8 o’clock in the morning, but he didn’t have much
time considering that he had to welcome the noble visitors of other
countries in the castle in the afternoon.

Besides unlike late at night, if he piloted a Drag-Ride in the middle

of the day someone would witness it.

Page | 120
 In that case, rather than Philuffy, it might be better to borrow her
strength here.

"──Yoruka. Is it alright right now?"

"Yes. At present there is no strange presence in the surrounding."

After taking some distance from the building where Dist was
staying, Lux called Yoruka’s name. At the same time her voice came
from her hiding place.

Kirihime Yoruka.

She herself was still under the curse of the world revision, but he
asked her to follow him until this far.

If it was with the special equipment type Divine Drag-Ride Yato no

Kami that Yoruka possessed, it was possible to act even in the middle
of the day without standing out by using the camouflage function.

He asked her to stand on guard against the surroundings while

heading towards the private property of Sieg in the capital.

Lux’s aim was the private warehouse near a forest that was
managed by Sieg’s subordinate.

Originally it wasn’t a Drag-Ride hangar, but there was case when

Drag-Rides were placed there in few numbers.

Therefore Lux thought that it was ideal to hide his private soldier’s
Drag-Rides.

Yoruka distracted the guards and leaped to enter inside while still
carrying Lux under Yato no Kami’s camouflage.

Page | 121
 He easily found the target a few minutes after searching inside the
empty warehouse.

"──!"

As he thought.

Inside where countless containers were placed, he found several

Drakes.

"There is no mistake. The Drake of that Sword Device is this one,

Aruji-sama."

"……Yes."

Lux nodded at the words of Yoruka who muttered while being on

guard to the surrounding area using radar.

In a state of the Drag-Ride existing in a certain distance, the

contract would be dissolved when it confirmed that its owner died.

Thus, Lux tried to contract with it and restarted it.

He immediately wore the armor and replayed the image recording

function of the special equipment type.

"As I thought, this is──"

Lux gasped seeing the played scene.

The details of the incident that was grasped by the Old Empire
faction.

"There is, no other way, then to ask directly……"

Lux formed a plan in order to expose the full picture of this fictive
world.

Page | 122
Page | 123
Part 3
"Fuu……"

Lux finished his task in the royal castle and sighed in a stone
corridor.

At noon of the parade’s second day. Lux headed to the royal castle
just like the two previous loops and greeted the noble visitors from
various countries at the castle gate, including the Seven Dragon
Paladins.

As expected, Aeril, Magialca, and Singlen weren’t present.

The other people acted like they were there, but Lux’s eyes
couldn’t perceive their existence.

In other words, they were dead or have been captured

somewhere.

There were such possibilities, but most likely it was the former.

Just, he was thinking that perhaps Aeril was still alive, although
that conjecture also included his wishful thinking.

(……Right now I’m getting near to the truth.)

The mastermind controlled Avalon and eliminated all the

opponents who were inconvenient for themselves. He would thrust
the proof before them and question them to stop this incident.

Depending on the situation, he might have to face Fugil.

(Can I win? With my current fatigued body, against that Fugil──)

The strongest Drag-Knight who faced the all the members of the
Seven Dragon Paladins except Lux and won.

Page | 124
 Did a way to defeat that man exist?

"Oi Lux. What are you doing being absentminded there?"

At the corridor in the first floor of the castle, while he was sitting
on a sofa there, a familiar blonde side tail fluttered.

The princess who employed Lux as a knight, Lizsharte was in front

of him when he noticed.

"Ahaha. I’m sorry Lisha-sama. I’m a bit tired from the greetings."

"You troubling guy, getting tired from just this much. Do you
realize now the routine hardship of a princess like me?"

‘Fufun’ Lisha’s figure that was folding her arms boastfully and
puffing up her chest was charming.

Lux was also lured by that and smiled wryly, but in actuality he was
beaten up because there were too many things that he had to
consider.

The looping parade and the false reality.

How much was true and who was alive.

What if the mastermind who seemed to be the main cause was an

important person just as Lux predicted?

If he was forced to fight such an existence, what would happen to

the New Kingdom after this?

Fugil and Sacred Eclipse──in the end what kind of shape and
involvement did they have in this world?

His feeling was complicated like five years ago when he challenged
the Old Empire. It was worrying Lux’s mind.

Page | 125
 And then, if he exposed the evil deed of the mastermind and
blamed them, in the end Lux might be treated as a traitor and even
Airi and everyone in Syvalles might also get implicated.

(Is it okay for a knight of the New Kingdom like me to make such a
decision……)

"……Lux. Oi Lux!"

"Tsu……!? Yes!"

Lux returned to his senses from Lisha’s voice and he replied in a

hurry.

Lisha was entangling the fingers of both her hands with each other
looking somewhat fretful while making a suggestion to him.

"There is still a bit more time until the party starts……. Do you
want to stroll inside the castle with me for a bit? There is something,
I want to talk with you……for a bit."

"──I understand. Please allow me to accompany you."

"Nn."

In his plan, the negotiation with the mastermind would be after

the party ended, so he had some leeway with the time right now.

Lisha’s expression turned bright when he replied like that after

hesitating slightly.

The short time before the battle that wouldn’t be known by

anyone. Lux decided to spend it with the princess Lisha.

Page | 126
Part 4
First floor inside the castle── the great dining hall.

Lisha first guided Lux to that place where countless long tables
were lined up.

"Oi cook. Prepare some extraordinary snack. It’s going to be a

portion for me the princess and her knight after all."

"Yes yes. I get it, Lisha-sama."

The castle’s head chef was a past middle-aged woman with big
build. She gave a really gentle impression.

Lisha’s tone with her was really casual, Lux wondered if she had
gotten along well with the people inside the castle without him
noticing.

"The skill of the head chef here is amazing. In the era of the Old
Empire, just because she is a woman she was only allowed to do the
servant work, but five years ago she was hired here because of her
cooking skill."

"Is that so?"

Lux only heard the explanation from Lisha casually and a

confection was placed in front of him.

Inside the freshly baked tart that was giving off the aroma of
butter, it was filled with custard cream and candied apple slices
inside.

Beside it there was whipped cream and apple tea using the extract
from apple’s skin accompanying the dish.

Page | 127
 "How is it Lux, the taste?"

"……!? It’s delicious! Very much so!"

The dough crumbled with crispy texture inside his mouth each
time he chewed, the sweet taste of the cream became a feeling of
happiness that filled the heart.

Lux too was someone with a refined palate, but this confection
was an equal match with those that Philuffy made.

"The princess was really noisy in these two weeks. Because Lux-
dono was really a great help for her in Cross Field, she high-spiritedly
said that this time she wanted to give you a tour inside the castle.
This dish too is something that she had consulted with me since
quite some time ago."

Lisha’s cheeks burned red the instant the female cook said that.

"DAaAAH! I told you not to tell him that already before right!? This
is an abuse of confidentiality!"

"Oops, is that so. Really sorry, princess."

The face of the woman who said that with a laugh was cheerful.

"Thank you very much, Lisha-sama."

Surely the middle-aged woman said that intentionally.

Thanks to that he realized Lisha’s consideration for him and felt

happy.

"That’s, it because I forgot my wallet on our first date. Even I want

to at least show you my dignity as a princess by treating you, that’s
all."

Page | 128
 Lisha felt happy at Lux’s thanks while pretending that it wasn’t a
big deal. Lux smiled wryly at that.

After finishing the supreme snack, the tension of his tensed nerves
relaxed.

"The, then, we are going to walk around inside the castle to help
with digesting the food too. There is still two more hours until the
party!"

"……Yes. Please take care of me."

After thinking for a bit, Lux decided to still go along with Lisha’s
tour.

Because he wanted to look at the situation inside the

castle──especially the situation of Prime Minister Nulph and Queen
Raffi while this loop was going on.

"Yosh, next is the banquet hall, let’s go!"

Next, Lisha showed him around the first floor further.

The banquet hall with its luxurious decorations.

The barn and chapel inside the castle grounds.

Places like the beautiful courtyard that was well tended, even Lux
knew them from the era of the Old Empire.

At that time he didn’t have many chances entering the castle, but
he was relatively familiar with the area around here.

"Oo, princess. You are in a good mood with the knight-dono

accompanying you."

Page | 129
 "You were magnificent in the parade. Please support her majesty
the queen from here on too."

While moving to here and there, the servants and guards working
inside the castle were greeting Lux and Lisha with a smile.

Lux casually compared his perception with Lisha, but it seemed

that the number of people inside the castle wasn’t particularly
decreasing.

Currently there was no human that Lux couldn’t see but could be
seen by Lisha who was under the perception curse from the world
revision.

In other words, the user of Avalon wasn’t indiscriminate. As

expected they only targeted existences that had the possibility of
threatening themselves and dealt with them without anyone
knowing. It wouldn’t be wrong to consider it like that.

And also how Fugil and Avalon’s Automata Arshalia participated

and were lending their assistance to the mastermind.

──But, with that in mind, a single question surfaced.

(Even though Aeril isn’t here, she was enrolling into the Academy
since before the parade, what does that mean?)

It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand it as a setting that the

mastermind wished for.

Because in order to smoke out the New Kingdom’s enemy at the

parade, it was necessary that on the surface they did their best to
decrease any complications with other countries and made the
domestic political situation one where it was easy to move.

Page | 130
 In that case, it might be possible that they were simply not here
right now while they were alive somewhere.

It was a slight hope.

Or rather it was on a level that was nothing more than a delusion,

but it might be possible.

──When such thinking was crossing his mind, Lux’s back was lightly
tapped.

"Oi Lux. Are you that bored? Then how about I brought you to the
nap room of the soldiers?"

The pondering Lux was stared fixedly by Lisha who was puffing up
her cheeks.

"N, no, that’s not it……. For some reason I’m remembering about
the Old Empire."

"I see……. Various things also happened in your past huh."

Lisha’s expression changed into a deeply emotional one.

In contrast with the usual Lisha who was lively and full of
confidence, now she looked transient with a trace of gloominess──

"Recently I’m also seeing a dream……. The dream of before and

after the revolution five years ago happened."

"The time, of the revolution?"

For a moment Lux was surprised thinking whether Lisha too had
noticed the world revision.

But, that wasn’t it.

Page | 131
 "In the past, do you remember when I talked about my little
sister? For some reason, that girl’s figure comes to my mind right
now."

Like that for a little while Lisha told Lux about her little sister
reminiscently.

Her name was Almatea, she was a quiet girl but possessed a strong
heart.

She was really attached both to her father Count Atismata and
also to Lisha. She was a bright girl who possessed awareness and
pride as a noble strongly.

"…………"

This was the second time Lux heard Lisha talking about that little
sister.

But, Lux also still remembered when she talked about it for the
first time.

If he remembered correctly, it seemed her whereabouts became

unknown during the confusion of the revolution.

In reality she was thought to be dead.

When Count Atismata was killed with even his residence and
hideout attacked, the soldiers of the Old Empire──

"Surely that girl won’t forgive me if she saw me right now. I

betrayed father to keep my own life, on top of that I ascended to the
seat of the princess of the New Kingdom, the likes of me is just──"

Lisha’s eyes shook with regret, sadness, and anxiety. Her body was
trembling in shivers.

Page | 132
 Seeing that Lux reflexively embraced Lisha’s body.

"Lu, x……?"

Her face that had a trace of childishness remaining in it was

shocked.

Her crimson eyes opened wide in surprise and blush colored her
cheeks.

"It’s fine. I swear I’ll protect you Lisha-sama."

"Ah, uh……"

The lovable princess shyly averted her gaze, however, she put her
strength into her arms that hugged him back.

Some kind of emotion welled up from the bottom of his body, but
the next moment, *bump* a sound echoed from the corridor.

"──!?"

Lux and Lisha who returned to their senses in surprise separated

from each other while watching the surrounding.

That was dangerous.

Unthinkingly they were almost going to do something impulsively

if they stayed like that.

But, it seemed the sound was just their imagination in the end.

(No but, a faint presence was──)

Even though Lux tilted his head in puzzlement, in the end he didn’t
notice anything.

Page | 133
Page | 134
 "Cheh……. The, then, let’s go to the next place already."

Seeing Lisha puffing up her cheeks in dissatisfaction, Lux also

smiled wryly while nodding.

They headed towards the Drag-Ride hangar as the last place Lisha
showed him around.

"Oo, isn’t this the princess. Welcome!"

"The Drag-Rides’ maintenance is perfect. Do you want to give it a

test run? Or perhaps adjustment?"

As soon as Lisha entered into the hangar’s workshop, from the

elderly until the young apprentice, a great number of engineers
called out to her.

From there it could be guessed where Lisha was focusing her

activity in these two weeks.

In respond Lisha waved her hand looking somewhat proud while

taking Lux to look around.

"It’s better to not use that weapon with Drake. The output will
drop and the precious abilities of a special equipment type will be
hard to use. Ah, it’s the reverse with that one. Thickening the armor
will be──"

It wasn’t like Lux wasn’t feeling that Lisha seemed to be mistaken

somehow in how to act as the princess of a country, but his face
broke into a smile seeing the scene that was really like Lisha.

Page | 135
 "Wha, what are you grinning at!? Is it that strange seeing me
giving guidance like this? It can’t be helped……. These guys asked me
to teach them."

Lisha made an awkward face. Perhaps Lisha herself also had the
thought that this wasn’t really normal as a princess.

But, Lux shook his head slightly and smiled softly at Lisha.

"No, I’m happy seeing Lisha-sama is recognized by the people of

the castle."

"──!?"

In that instant her face blushed red as though she was boiling up.

"……That’s, it’s. It’s because I showed my face here and there."

After paralyzed for a while, Lisha started speaking with a small

voice.

"These two weeks, I showed my face at various places and tried

helping out. What is everyone thinking about the New Kingdom,
what do they want to do after this. I thought that first I have to try
listening from the nearby people."

Lisha spoke brusquely like that, but Lux was deeply moved in his
heart.

Lisha who harbored dissatisfaction to her own status was trying to

come into contact with the people inside the castle as a princess. It
left a deep impression on him.

"That’s splendid Lisha-sama. You were going that far while being
away from me."

Page | 136
 "……What are you saying, in the first place it was because of your
fault."

"Yes?"

Lisha muttered while averting her gaze with a troubled look. Lux
tilted his head in puzzlement.

"Since the day of revolution five years ago, even with your status
as a criminal and while you were getting disparaged as the Chore
Prince, you faced everyone and became their strength. And then in
practice you even got close with anyone anywhere isn’t it?"

"…………"

Lux was taken aback by those words and held his breath.

It wasn’t because of Lisha’s act, Lux noticed the reason why she
was starting to do something like this.

"That’s right. I followed your example and tried calling out from
my own initiative. No matter what my personal feeling is, I cannot
keep averting my eyes from myself forever. The battle has also
calmed down at present, so I’ve to get along with the people in the
castle and learn to get involved with the national politics."

"────"

Mysteriously Lux couldn’t make any word.

He even forgot the ghastly incident of world revision that was in

his mind until now.

Something touched his heartstrings and he looked stupefied in a

daze.

Page | 137
 Lux was unable to immediately notice that it was what people
called being deeply emotional.

"Oi. Don’t stay quiet, say something. Even though it look like this,
even I am at my limit here. It’s troubling if you ignored me here!?"

Lisha flapped around her hands looking quite flustered.

Lux immediately took those hands and grasped tightly.

"Wai-!? Wha, what’s wrong Lux!?"

"No──I’m a bit deeply moved, that I cannot really find the right
words."

That was Lux’s true feeling.

Lisha who was unable to accustom herself with her position as the
New Kingdom’s princess was groping for the way to live as a princess
in her own way.

She was making Lux’s way of life as a model to be her clue in her
effort.

In other words, she was watching Lux’s way of life in this one year
and respected it more than anyone.

In the era of the Old Empire, other than Fugil no one else
recognized his way of life.

He was the seventh prince who was the farthest from the imperial
succession right. Just because he was the grandson of the educator
who remonstrated the emperor, no matter what he proclaimed it
wouldn’t have any effect.

Page | 138
 But, this lovable and proud girl in front of him didn’t only treasure
her own subordinate, she was also trying to learn from them.

The figure of the ideal king that Lux wished for but was unable to
become in the end was in front of him.

Right now it was nothing more than an immature bud, but if it

kept growing like this then it would surely bloom into a beautiful
flower.

"Thank you so much, Lisha-sama."

"Wha, what’s with you so suddenly. It’s just something that I did
for my own sake, well but, if you are praising me──"

Lisha’s vividly crimson eyes reflected Lux’s smiling face.

A warm feeling that couldn’t be turned into words filled her chest,
it was then──

"Hyuu hyuu! You two there, how passionate!"

"Oh ho, isn’t it still too early for the marriage parade?"

"Wai-!? Shut up you guys! It’s finally the good scene you know!?
I’m going to drive out you all!"

Lisha said something that didn’t suit a splendid princess in reaction

to the engineers’ jeering.

Lured by that Lux smiled wryly and left the hangar together with
her.

"Haa……. Those guys are really troublesome. They don’t know how
to treat a girl my age. Or rather, I’m the princess you know!?"

"That’s just how close they have become with you, Lisha-sama."

Page | 139
 Something like the hangar’s engineers casually exchanging words
with royalty would be impossible in the era of the Old Empire.

In short that was just how close Lisha was with them.

But, regardless of the praise, this small princess looked

dissatisfied.

"Even though it finally became a good atmosphere…… well fine. It

will be the time for the party soon."

"You’re right. In the end I was unable to meet with her majesty
queen Raffi, but is that alright? Recently it looks like she is really
tired──"

Lux who knew about Queen Raffi’s safety intentionally said that
because Lisha didn’t notice the loop due to the world revision, so he
matched his story with that premise.

Actually, on the last day of the first loop Raffi looked bright, but he
was concerned.

However very unexpectedly the expression of Lisha who heard his

question turned bright.

"No worry Lux. Her majesty──Haha-ue is alright. She is already

energetic now, after all we will support her from now on too."

Lisha clenched her small fist and spoke confidently.

"That, can you keep this quiet? It’s about Haha-ue, you see──"

They headed to the end of an empty corridor, and the Lisha

checked their surrounding.

It seemed it was a talk that she didn’t want other people to hear.

Page | 140
 "During these two weeks, I asked Haha-ue to tell me. About the
chauvinism tendency during the Old Empire era──. Because of that,
Haha-ue went through very hard experiences since her
childhood……"

"…………"

A dark shadow suddenly loomed on the expression of Lisha who

was saying that.

In contrast to her father, the great man Count Atismata, Queen

Raffi had a hard time in her childhood.

Unlike her capable and noble elder brother, because she was a
woman others didn’t think that she was worth anything. She was
made light of within the estate.

And then, one day she contracted a serious disease that caused
her to receive the verdict that her body was unable to bear a child
already in her young age.

"Such──thing"

Lux’s expression became clouded from that tragic story.

Lux who knew in detail about the tendency of the nobles at that
era understood the even harsher hell that was waiting for Raffi in
addition to her pain from losing a part of her function as a woman.

It went without saying that woman were basically treated with

contempt in the era of the Old Empire, but as a noble lady, they only
had one recognized value, which was as a tool of political marriage.

Page | 141
 Salvation would finally come to them by accomplishing the task of
giving birth to the eldest son who would become the house’s
successor.

At that time, even being unable to give birth to a boy was already
enough for the label of useless to be branded on a woman. And yet,
Queen Raffi at that time became unable to even give birth to a child.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine what kind of treatment she was given
then.

She surely became a target of scorn who was continuously being

rebuked from her family and her surroundings, that even alive her
existence had no worth.

The parents of the distinguished family who was close with her
family at that time naturally heard about her condition. They one-
sidedly annulled her engagement.

Since then, Queen Raffi lost all hope and spent a life like a half-
dead person.

After that, she met a new lover who accepted such her and she
devoted her everything to him, but that person actually had a
different objective and only tricked her.

"────"

Lux who heard that couldn’t make any sound.

Queen Raffi was respected as the little sister of the great man
Count Atismata who accomplished the revolution, but he didn’t
know that she had such a harsh life.

The era and the ideology.

Page | 142
 By birth she was dropped into an environment that she couldn’t
overturn by her own will. She lived in a misfortune where not a single
good opportunity came to her. In a sense her suffering might be
greater than Lux and Lisha.

"I felt embarrassed of myself. I shrunk back from being a princess

just from getting taken hostage by the enemy for a few months."

Lisha suddenly made a serious expression and lowered her

eyebrows sorrowfully.

"Compared to the life that Haha-ue went through……. She pushed

down her own suffering, even so she thought of the New Kingdom
and endured for the sake of the people. It’s the same like our deathly
battle against the Abyss and the Lords. ……That’s why!"

Saying that Lisha strongly clenched her fist and lifted it in front of
Lux.

"Let’s help her together Lux. Let us both become Haha-ue’s

strength. That person too is happy with the current me. She told me
that if she has a body that can give birth to a child, she would want a
child like me."

Lisha muttered that with a quite embarrassed look.

"…………"

Lisha who lost her mother when she was little and got abandoned
by her father, and Queen Raffi who was unable to give birth to a
child in the first place.

Surely the two of them formed a bond that surpassed that of a

relative by sharing the pain of their pasts with each other.

Page | 143
 Believing that was exactly what was necessary to prop up the New
Kingdom from here on──

"Yes! I too will become your strength without fail, Lisha-sama."

Lux grasped her hand and tightened his hold.

Zeal and spirit that was unthinkable from her smallness was
transmitted to him through her hand’s temperature.

"Ah, come to think of it Prime Minister Nulph is──"

After some time, Lux let go of her hand and suddenly recalled
something. He casually spoke it out.

"Hm? Do you have a business with that man? He should be

participating in the party just as planned though──"

"……No, nothing particular."

Lux smoothly warded off Lisha’s question.

Actually, throughout Lisha’s tour of the castle, when they passed

Prime Minister Nulph by, both Lux and Lisha were able to see him
normally.

Therefore at present it appeared that he didn’t notice his trap──

Sania and Ignid who were manipulated by the parasite type Abyss
had been crushed by Lux.

And then, he also didn’t see any Automata inside the castle.

(As I thought, perhaps I shouldn’t investigate until the party is

over……)

In case that the mastermind’s identity was just as Lux thought, he

didn’t know how they would move. So he could only do that.

Page | 144
 "Lux. What are you doing? The party is starting already."

"……Yes, Lisha-sama."

Lux nodded at Lisha’s urging and slowly headed towards the

reception hall.

On the other hand, two people were silently conversing in the

darkness of a hidden path inside the castle.

Page | 145
Part 5
Inside the castle of the new kingdom.

There was a hidden room inside this castle that even the people
working there didn’t know about.

It was created at the era of the old empire. It was a space that
possessed the history of getting used as escape route, place for
secret talk, and also for other things like imprisonment or torture.

This place where even people to maintain it didn’t exist anymore

was known by that person by accident.

"Then, someone who notice the world revision appear as

expected?"

One of the two people there.

A man wearing a black luxurious mantle with eye glint that was
like a beast, Fugil responded to the question of his master.

"About that, even I am unable to grasp their existence. At the

present time, it’s simply that the right of counterattack arrived to
you who is chosen by Sacred Eclipse. Avalon’s power of
creation──it’s your freedom to decide how you will use it."

"…………"

"Till the end I will give only a little help for that. By no means I’m
giving you my full cooperation. I will not be responsible of your deed
and everything that resulted from that."

Fugil told that toward his master in front of him with a firm tone.

Page | 146
 In respond the silhouette hesitated only for a bit before they made
a clear decision.

"I see, then I will arrange it as planned. Everything is by your will."

Fugil told that toward his new master and bowed courteously.

And then the hands of the clock started moving.

Page | 147
Part 6
"At this occasion all of you have done admirably delivering victory
in this great war for our side. If any single one from all the countries
here was missing, surely we wouldn’t be able to grasp the future.
Let’s begin the meager banquet of victory now!"

After the greeting of Queen Raffi, Prime Minister Nulph concluded

like that and the party began.

The representatives and Seven Dragon Paladins from each country

should be completely present in this place, but at present Aeril,
Magialka, and Singlen weren’t here.

Also, even Lux at his present state was able to perceive Prime
Minister Nulph.

That meant that he was alive at the present without a doubt.

And then the other people except Lux and Philuffy seemed to
perceive that everyone was present without anyone missing just as
he expected. There Lux tried forming a certain hypothesis.

(This situation──the curse of perception by Ouroboros, how will it

work from here on?)

Aeril once similarly made use of a portion of Ruin’s power to

manipulate perception so she could become Coral.

However Aeril was able to do that because she was connected to

Ruin due to Baptism and she continued to use that power.

Furthermore even with that power Aeril had to be personally

present in place to act her part. From there it could be assumed that
it was a weak power of perception manipulation.

Page | 148
 In contrast Ouroboros had powerful manipulation perception in
wide range.

Right now the curse was limited to while the parade was going on
so it wasn’t that complicated, but the more time passed and the
more people got involved with each other, it should create a lot of
uncertain point.

And then when someone noticed those inconsistencies, their brain

would create another lie to complement it.

It was a terrific power that came from the resonance of Avalon

and the Ruins──was how it looked like, but there should be some
kind of weak point.

"…………"

Lux sent a glance at a corner of the party venue. There he could

see the figure of Philuffy and Relie.

The key to break the puzzle existed in the past memory of Lux
himself.

Five years ago, Philuffy who he thought died from the human
experiment was resurrected later by Sacred Eclipse’s power, that was
how she was alive even now.

But, if she really died at that time, wouldn’t she not exist at this
place right now?

Because, if the perception manipulation right now would continue

for eternity, Count Atismata who accomplished the revolution at that
time would surely be alive even now.

Page | 149
 Even if he didn’t exist in the throne, it would be fine if he was
simply kept alive in everyone’s perception.

(In other words, this large scale perception manipulation──the

revision of the world cannot continue for that long.)

If lies were painted over with lies, although it would become a

temporary patch up, in the end many inconsistencies would occur
and it would crumble.

For the owner of Avalon, this was a period of course correction to

remove several fatal problems and put themselves in an
advantageous position.

In that case, after this loop was cancelled, would the existence of
Magialca, Singlen, and Aeril who were here right now get corrected
into the fact that they died?

But, when Lux hypothesized that, a single question was born.

(No wait. Why did before the parade Aeril was wearing the
Academy’s uniform at first? Even though she should be treated as
dead after all in the end using perception revision, for what was it──)

The instant Lux thought that, he gasped.

Because he noticed the intention of the mastermind who caused

this loop.

Sania and Ignid were modified alive by the Automatas and they
were turned into disposable tools.

Because there was no need to keep them alive.

Page | 150
 If by any chance the mastermind planned to make use of Aeril
from here on too by manipulating her using the power of Avalon, it
was better for her to go around various countries in rotation.

(I see, so that’s it……!)

In other words, the possibility that Aeril hadn’t died yet was high.

She was being captured with the brainwashing of deep perception

manipulation applied on her. They could just release her later after
she was remodeled as a convenient pawn for the new kingdom.

But, if that was the case there was no time.

Thinking that two weeks had passed since the battle in the
abandoned capital Guernica, Aeril wasn’t here might meant that she
was in the middle of brainwashing.

"Phi-chan. I have a request, is it okay?"

"……Nn."

Lux went around the room as the center of the talking topic while
whispering into Philuffy’s ear.

Seen from the side her expression was blank like usual, but she
should be listening properly.

"Oi, prince-sama. What are you doing looking dazed like that huh?
Aeril is lonely here."

"Ahaha, sorry Greifer."

Lux couldn’t see Aeril’s figure anymore, but he was skillfully

pretending to match his talk with his comrades who didn’t notice the
reality.

Page | 151
 If the mastermind was among the people here, Lux couldn’t let
them know that he had noticed the loop at this point of time.

The party time with the representatives of each country passed.

And then Lux didn’t overlook Prime Minister Nulph quietly

disappearing in the middle of it.

Page | 152
Part 7
"……What’s going on? Why aren’t they coming? The arranged time
has passed a long time ago──"

Prime Minister Nulph who left his seat passed through the
underground hidden corridor inside the castle and stamped his feet
in irritation inside a dreary box shaped warehouse.

This place was a hidden Drag-Ride hangar facility inside the new
kingdom.

The hidden passage for escaping and evacuation which was

created at the era of the old empire was restructured into a hangar.

Right now it wasn’t used anymore. Prime Minister Nulph was in

that forgotten place.

He was biting his nail in irritation while being accompanied by two

Drag-Knights who seemed to be his guards.

"──My apologies but, they won’t be coming."

"What?"

Inside the musty hangar that was illuminated by several torches in

iron baskets, Lux in his uniform slipped out of the darkness and
called out to him.

"Sania and Ignid. I removed the trap that you laid out."

"-……!? Lux Arcadia!? You──why are you here!?"

The complexion of Prime Minister Nulph changed hearing the

words that Lux said.

Page | 153
 The air of intellectual impression he gave to other people
vanished. Now he was emitting a sharp killing intent.

"……You murdered Waybra and Sieg Kreutzer. I have confirmed

the image recording of the stolen Drake."

What was recorded there was Prime Minister Nulph’s transaction

with Dragon Marauder. He sold the information of new kingdom in
order to fatten his own purse.

Because that dodgy dealing was grasped by Waybra of the old

empire faction, Prime Minister Nulph was targeted as a part of the
plan to bring down the queen from the throne.

Like that not only Nulph would lose his position as prime minister,
he would be executed too.

Therefore he used the power of Avalon to manipulate the

situation.

"Can you speak to me honestly? About Avalon──"

"Wro, wrong! That kind of recording is a fake! There I no way I

would do anything like that! I don’t know anything about them!
Someone is trying to frame me──"

"Then, why is it you never met the gaze of the people who aren’t
here in this parade?"

"────"

In reaction to Lux’s question, a slight forbidding look surfaced on

Prime Minister Nulph’s face and he fell silent.

Lux exposed that he wasn’t affected by Avalon’s perception

manipulation.

Page | 154
 By telling that, Nulph noticed that he was unable to deceive him
anymore.

"I see, if you know about that then we can make this brief. But,
Lux Arcadia. Can’t you keep this matter a secret?"

Nulph suddenly let go of his tension and spoke with a calm tone.

"This I a necessary step in order to rally up the new kingdom. The

burden to Queen Raffi is already too heavy. The phase where it’s
possible for her to simply cling on the prestige of Count Atismata has
passed."

Nulph talked gracefully as though in a performance.

His voice was clear and resounded well.

On the other hand, that voice was hoarse as though it was oozing
resignation.

In this chance he was trying to reel in the authority over new

kingdom that was shaken and crumbling in the foundation toward
himself.

"Why is her majesty not good? If all of us support her, then no

matter what happened──"

"Do you really think that’s the case?"

Nulph snickered at the question that Lux asked him with a

straightforward gaze and he averted his eyes.

And then he began to walk with clicking footsteps on the floor of

the Drag-Ride hangar that was illuminated by the flame of the
torches.

Page | 155
 "It’s impossible, Lux Arcadia. At the beginning I didn’t intend to
bring down her majesty. But it’s impossible for her. Her very nature
is decisively not suited for conflict."

That was the opinion of the man who had actually watched the
thinking of Queen Raffi from the side throughout this one year of
conflict.

"Drawing out advantageous terms in negotiation and obtain

benefit. Hiding your own failure and then acting as though you are
advancing in the right path. Those are necessary trait for the people
of authority, and she cannot do that. In that case, what would
happen? She is full of opening to be attacked by the surrounding. By
other statesmen, rebels, the selfish people and group of the country.
She is toyed around by such fellows, as the result it caused the
nation’s power to be exhausted."

"Such thing is──"

‘Not true.’

Lux couldn’t assert that definitively.

Right now the whole country was in high spirit from the victory
against the Lords, but before that the new kingdom was left behind
when dealing with various thing, there were also a lot of
dissatisfaction and the voices that were criticizing the queen were
great in number.

But that was also the fault of unexpected situation that was
unluckily occurring continuously.

By no mean it was because Queen Raffi was unsuited or lacking in

effort.

Page | 156
 "There is even those who start to say that perhaps the way of the
old empire is the right one if it’s like this. Her majesty the queen is
unfortunate, but people’s impression is hard to be changed."

"That’s why, you are saying to abandon her?"

"I’m going to inherit her majesty’s will. That’s what I want to say."

"That’s a lie."

The reasoning spoken by Prime Minister Nulph indeed sounded

convincing, but Lux immediately cut it down.

"If you are going to inherit her majesty’s will, then it’s fine to
borrow Count Atismata’s prestige just like until now. If you have
calculation like what you are just saying, then that what you should
have done. In short──you should have another different objective.
Am I wrong?"

"…………"

Nulph’s expression didn’t change.

But, looking at how he pressed his young and virile lips together,
Lux judged that his assumption was correct.

"The blood of the imperial family cannot be contested, is it. As

expected."

Prime Minister Nulph suddenly leaked out a small sigh and showed
a smile.

"I was lost whether to say this or not but, her majesty the queen
has a fatal weakness. The new kingdom will be faced with a
predicament if it’s not be dealt with right now. Therefore──……u,
goh!"

Page | 157
 Nulph groaned the moment was about to say something.

His clear eyes clouded like mud, while his body color changed.

The skin of his whole body was dyed jet black and his body tissue
transformed as though his body was turned inside out.

"This is! This symptom──"

He had recollection of it.

Last night, it was the symptom that happened to Sania and Ignid.

No, in addition to that there was something more. Nocturnal

transformation due to injection of Elixir was also starting at the same
time.

The body surface was covered with pitch black color, while both
his eyes were tinged with crimson light.

"Prime Minister Nulph. Let’s kill him!"

"He is the hero who saved the new kingdom, but we can only
make him vanish now that this truth become known!"

The two girl guards standing beside Nulph pulled out their Sword
Device at the same time.

The two didn’t look perturbed as though they understood Nulph’s

condition──.

(What is this out of place feeling……?)

A slight doubt was born inside Lux.

The situation moved without even any time to think deeply of it.

Page | 158
 "──Come, the winged dragon of crest that symbolized power.
Obey my sword and soar, Wyvern!"

"──Come, the dragon that symbolized immortality. Turn into the

chaining fang of earth, Wyrm!"

"Kuh……!"

Lux who saw that also reacted quickly and pulled out his own
Sword Device.

"──Connect – On!"

The two guards summoned two Drag-Ride along with the pass
code and quickly wore them.

In respond Lux summoned Wyvern using mind control operation

without chanting pass code.

The deployment of his armored arm barely made it in time and he

blocked the two’s attack using his Blade.

Why didn’t Lux summoned the Divine Drag-Ride Bahamut?

The reason was because of the fatigue of his body that he felt at
the previous fight.

The cause was unknown, but the current Lux wasn’t in a state that
could endure the energy consumption of Divine Drag-Ride.

Therefore he selected the general purpose type Wyvern instead of

Bahamut that put a large burden on him.

"Now! Nulph-sama!"

"Please use the power of Avalon while we are buying time!"

Page | 159
 (……!? This feeling, don’t tell me)

The two guards of Prime Minister Nulph used their respective

weapon powerfully to fight back.

But, because their skill was only at the level of average Drag-
Knight, they weren’t a match against Lux and their armor was
crushed in the blink of eye.

"Guh……!?"

"Nulph-sama! Please run!"

The two guards who now were only in their pilot suit tumbled
down on the floor while squeezing out their voice.

Lux turned his gaze toward the hangar’s exit to not let Nulph got
away. It was then a strange shape appeared before him.

"──There is no need for that, both of you."

*DOGUN-!*

A terrific shockwave from a roar echoed inside the hidden Drag-

Ride hangar.

At the same time the torches inside the room were blown off and
the room was enveloped in darkness.

"Wha……!"

Right after that, an unexpectedly powerful shockwave attacked.

Lux endured it with his barrier while focusing his sight.

But, a terribly powerful blow attacked from the empty darkness

where his eyes couldn’t see anything.

Page | 160
 "Gu, a……-!?"

Lux reflexively used his Blade as shield and avoided the attack
from hitting him directly.

But, the attack with brutal weight behind it that was like a
battering ram became an impact that pierced through his armor and
shook his brain vertically.

(Calm down……! Not yet, until my eyes……get used to this!)

The instant he intersected with the opponent, he could slightly see

the silhouette of Nulph wearing EX Drake.

He was turned into Nocturnal due to Elixir and his skin surface
turned pitch black.

──But, that wasn’t all.

His flesh assimilated with the Drag-Ride itself.

"What, this appearance……!?"

"You have, reached the truth. There is no way, you can be allowed
to leave this place alive!"
A thick killing intent was released toward Lux along with a
distorted and cloudy inhuman voice.

"Kuh, there! ……-!?"

Lux evaded the barrage of Breath Gun that Nulph fired while trying
to counterattack, but his hand stopped.

Ahead where he was going to glide there was a Drag-Ride that was
placed in the hangar beforehand. He couldn’t see it and it got on his
way.

Page | 161
 (So, that’s how it is……)

When his eyes got slightly used to the darkness, he noticed the
trap of this disposable hangar.

Because countless decayed and disposable Drag-Rides were linen

up, they became obstacles that hindered his flying.

In other words, EX Drake that could use radar and night vision was
overwhelmingly superior here.

"Gugi! GAAaAAAAAAAA……!"
Prime Minister Nulph who had become one with the machine
roared and swung his iron hammer with all his might.

The camouflage possessed by the special equipment type would

greatly drop in performance when its energy was split for attacking,
but it displayed enough effectiveness when it was used in darkness
like this.

"Die! Die! DIEEEEEEE! Those who got in the way of my supremacy,

diee-!"
Nulph came swinging his iron hammer while shrieking with a
broken voice that was accompanied with killing intent.

"……Kuh!?"

The power of the terrific blow that rivaled even Ragnarok reached
Lux even when it was blocked by his sword and barrier.

Furthermore the mysterious fatigue and his body’s bad shape

made him unable to counterattack properly.

──But, even while Lux was being cornered into a disadvantage, he

still dodged all the attacks from landing directly.

Page | 162
 A few minutes after that.

Nulph was unable to overcome Lux regardless of the

overwhelming disadvantage. He finally started to notice that
something was strange.

"Why……! How are you, blocking the attacks that are using
camouflage in this darkness!?"
There was no doubt that Prime Minister Nulph used the power of
Avalon to obtain great power.

But, he was inferior in skill even compared to third class Drag-

Knight. His level was different from Lux.

First if Lux moved until near the corner of the hangar and put the
wall behind him, the angle from where the opponent’s attack was
coming could be limited.

And then after Nulph’s EX Drake swung the iron hammer it

wielded, it wouldn’t be able to attack from the same angle
consecutively.

In addition the nature of that weapon made it unsuited for

repeated attack with rapid movement.

And above all else, while Lux was doing his chore livelihood, at the
same time he also piled up experience of continuously polishing his
defensive skill in the tournament.

The opponent’s breathing and habit.

Something like brute force attack that wasn’t accompanied by

training to eliminate those signs could be seen through even inside
this darkness.

Page | 163
 A total of five minutes passed since the battle started.

Lux finished forming the scenario toward victory in that short

time.

"──Haah!"

Lux who finally saw through the attacking timing perfectly

matched his movement with the opponent’s downswing and swung
his Scale Blade.

He intercepted the starting point of the opponent’s attack a

moment ahead which resulted in a counter that wholly returned the
attack’s power back to the enemy.

It was Lux’s special move that was using the special weapon Lisha
made for him, a weapon that circulated the Drag-Ride’s barrier
toward the Blade. The attack crushed Prime Minister Nulph’s iron
hammer.

"NUua……!?"
The impact further penetrated EX Drake’s armor and made him
staggered.

When the faltering Nulph leaped backward, it also gave Lux the
leeway to confirm something.

(……It’s there!)

He couldn’t exactly confirmed it by sight in the darkness, but Lux

clearly sensed it when Prime Minister Nulph’s distance was less than
ten-odd ml from him.

Even though he couldn’t see it, he could clearly perceive the

opponent’s breathing and conduct.

Page | 164
 For some reason he felt like he could even perceive what Nulph
was going to do after this.

(Is it because the Baptism I received in Avalon? This senses──)

It was surely still far below Yoruka’s magic eye that could sense
the presence’s wavelength, even so he was able to detect the
opponent’s movement in a different level than before.

"──There-!"

Lux glided in the air without hesitation and slashed the darkness
with the tip of his Blade. He felt a definite response and the
opponent’s armor was crushed.

"……GU, GAaAAaAAAAH!"
It wasn’t the right shoulder where the Force Core was installed,
but it was the armored arm right under that was severed.

Lux held back because Prime Minister Nulph who transformed into
Nocturnal would die if his body was damaged too much.

Crackling sparks scattered from the destroyed armor. The EX

Drake’s center of gravity crumbled and it staggered.

"Haa, haa……!"

No matter how well Lux saw through the opponent’s attacks, the
opponent was undoubtedly powerful.

Because Lux intentionally didn’t destroy the Force Core or the

flesh body directly, the damage to the flesh body should be relatively
light but──.

"Gu, ah……. Lux Arcadia, you’re, wrong……. I’m……!"

Page | 165
 But, Lux’s consideration ended in vain.

When Lux took a torch that lied on the floor and moved it to the
iron basket to make lighting, Prime Minister Nulph who returned to
normal had already expired.

When he looked around further, the two girls who seemed to be

his guards had already collapsed and stopped breathing when he
didn’t notice.

It looked like they got hit by the stray attack from the rampaging
Nulph but…….

"So it’s no good……. But, is it over? With this──"

If Prime Minister Nulph who borrowed Fugil’s help died, the power
of Avalon wouldn’t be used further than this.

The perception that was currently being manipulated would be

removed and the loop wouldn’t happen further than this.

With this a danger had ended.

Next if he defeated Fugil and Sacred Eclipse that seemed to grant

power to Prime Minister Nulph, everything would return to normal.

"Prime Minister, Nulph……"

He couldn’t solve the puzzle of what kind of negotiation happened

between him and Fugil’s camp, but he couldn’t ask it anymore from
someone who was dead.

"…………"

Page | 166
 With this the second day of the parade was over and the last day,
and if nothing happened the third day would pass──a new day
without the influence of world revision should begin.

There was no reaction from the guards inside the castle regardless
of the intense battle just now. As expected, the perception curse was
still remaining.

Lux let out a sigh and returned to the party venue.

He participated in the continuation of the party and the night grew

late.

Page | 167
Part 8
"──It seems the events are progressing well. Thank you very
much."

Behind the scene of the victory party that was attended by the
noble visitors from various countries.

There were two people, man and woman inside a hidden room in
the castle.

One of them was a man with similar silver hair and grey eyes like
Lux──Fugil Arcadia.

The other one possessed beautiful golden colored hair, Queen

Raffi.

"If the loop is activated once more, Avalon’s effect will cut off
temporarily. A long time will be needed to stock up power again. Do
you have the resolve to endure the wait until then?"

"Yes. Besides, you will support me right, Fugil Arcadia?"

Raffi muttered with a cynical expression that looked somehow

powerless.

"I never told anyone about you since the revolution five years ago.
I have also never showed any sign of recognizing you. That time five
years ago when you saved me, that also wasn’t a coincidence wasn’t
it?"

"…………"

Fugil didn’t answer Raffi’s question.

Page | 168
 Raffi lied down face up on the old sofa inside the room and stared
to a spot on the ceiling.

She stared at the full moon that was visible from the small glass
window on the ceiling.

As though to ascertain the passing of time using the shape of the

moon that was changing during the repeated three days period.

Five years ago. No one else knew it but, Raffi was also saved by
Fugil.

Raffi temporarily evacuated after Count Atismata died from the

trap that resulted from a betrayer’s information. But the army of the
old empire also marched on her location at that time.

Her kin and other family were massacred and she was about to be
killed, but Fugil appeared then and saved her from the crisis.

Fugil took away Raffi right after that. After the revolution, he
entrusted her to Prime Minister Nulph who was the close aide of
Count Atismata.

"There was……nothing in me. I was treated as failed product since I

was little, clinging on that chauvinism society──. The moment I
realized that my body cannot give birth to a child due to a disease’s
after-effect, I lost any place to belong."

Similarly because her body wasn’t strong due to sickness too, the
path to become Drag-Knight was naturally also closed to her.

Although from the beginning it was impossible for the old empire
to grant Drag-Ride to woman anyway.

"…………"

Page | 169
 Raffi formed her words piece by piece looking back at her past.

Fugil simply listened quietly to her muttering.

"It was a living hell. I realized that there was no future ahead of
me even if I endured. My life was over at that time when I wasn’t
even twenty years old."

"Why didn’t you die if you knew that?"

"Fufu, even like this I have tried to die several times you know?
Though if it’s you who have touched many deaths in the battlefield
heard about my attempts, surely you will laugh it as mere playing."

Actually Raffi had tried hanging herself, cutting her wrist, and
threw herself into a swamp.

But, in the end she couldn’t reach the end.

Even while she was trying to die, she chose to live and drew back.

"Why? Even though not a single good thing had happened to me

until now. It was scary, painful, agonizing, bitter, sad, vexing──. In the
end I couldn’t die."

"…………"

Raffi’s monologue was vaguely oozing resignation rather than

sorrow.

Fugil was listening to that without a single change in his

expression.

"Surely I didn’t even have the courage to die. If I die here, if it ends
here. It feels like there really will be not a single meaning at all of me
being born."

Page | 170
 That was something like the obstinacy of the weak.

Unable to fight.

Unable to resist.

Continuing to escape without other people seeing any worth in

her existence, even so she wished to obtain happiness someday.

"I respected my big brother, but on the other hand I also hated
him. He was a man, capable, and at the same time possessed a sense
of justice. He showed the will to oppose the old empire──but in the
end he foisted everything to me. I wasn’t strong like my big brother.
That was why I was oppressed by the surrounding."

Count Atismata was a noble man. He was undoubtedly a great

man.

But, Raffi herself was never saved by him.

"Like that, you met Waybra Hemt."

"……Yes, that person who was a distant relative of the emperor

said that he was in a similar environment like me and loved me even
when I am like this. I was happy, truly──. He was the only one being
kind to me among my cold parents, relatives, family, and aristocrat
acquaintances. It was like light shined on me."

"You mean──you were looking for a hero? But in reality the hand
of salvation won’t come to the weak. Only predator trying to devour
the weak will approach."

"Yes. In reality it’s exactly as you say."

Page | 171
 Waybra Hemt stayed in their territory at that time as an inspector.
But his true identity was a spy to monitor Count Atismata. Waybra
called out to Raffi for the sake of that investigation.

Their time as intimate lover continued. They made a promise to

leave the territory with only the two of them and quietly married in a
remote village, and then──.

The day the revolution was approaching, Raffi leaked her big
brother’s plan to Waybra in order to let him escape.

She noticed his betrayal was when after that the soldiers arrived
and slaughtered the relatives of Count Atismata who were in hiding.

"I am──a sinner. Unable to save anyone, unable to do anything, I

can only be toyed by fate and sent my brother and family to death.
Everyone was cold to me but, ……they didn’t abandon me or kill me,
they kept me alive, and yet"

A self-depreciating smile suddenly floated on Raffi’s lips.

After that, Raffi escaped.

Betrayed by Waybra, with her big brother and whole family killed,
she was in the bottom of despair and hopelessness, crawling inside
the cauldron of hell.

Even when she understood that it was just a game of the hunters,
even when she realized that she would be unable to escape.

She dragged her wounded weak body that was prone to sickness
and ran into the forest.

She met Fugil, and Sacred Eclipse in the form of a silver haired girl.

Page | 172
 Sacred Eclipse slaughtered all her pursuers, then she applied a
slight amount of Baptism to Raffi. The revolution was over when she
woke up.

After that she headed to the capital with Fugil’s guidance.

Nulph recommended her to take the throne, and then──Raffi

became the new kingdom’s queen.

Raffi who didn’t have any strength whatsoever and only brought
destruction to all around her did everything in her power, as slight as
it was for the sake of the new kingdom.

Until Waybra who recorded everything at that time appeared──.

And then now, she who was partly fused with Sacred Eclipse and
obtained the forbidden power looped these three days of parade
and erased the hostile force.

Prime Minister Nulph yielded against the threat of Waybra and

Sieg Kreutzer and chose the path of abandoning Raffi and ingratiating
himself to them.

Therefore, she captured Nulph and remodeled him. To make use

of him as a tool to deceive Lux who noticed the truth of this world
revision.

"Are you alright? With someone like me?"

"What could you mean by that?"

Fugil asked back in respond to Raffi’s question.

"Becoming the ally of me who is this foolish, weak, and small. I

believe there are a lot of other people that you should choose.
People with the qualification to stand above others──"

Page | 173
 "……Fuh"

Fugil who listened to her talk expressionlessly until now smiled for
the first time here.

"──Sacred Eclipse doesn’t chose the person. Strong feeling.

Relentless lamentation, it’s a system that is led by that to bring
salvation. What is called fate is opened up by one’s own strength.
But in reality, most of the time everything is decided completely in a
place where one’s own strength cannot reach."

Fugil looked up to the moon that was starting to be covered by

cloud once more with a distant gaze.

"You have lived through a dark world where there wasn’t even a
single hope, not even a gleam of light. Therefore you possess
extremely strong wish compared to people with capability. Even for
this me, you are a human who has to be saved."

Saying that, the man moved away from the wall where he was
leaning and started walking to exit the hidden room.

"After all the Sacred Eclipse originally was made for that. She tried
to reach out her hand to the weakest people in the world."

"She was……a kind person wasn’t she, that person called Arshalia."

"…………"

Raffi’s words slipped out along with a powerless smile.

Fugil didn’t react at all to that and turned his face toward her.

"When the strength residing inside you become complete, the last
stage of this world revision will begin. In case that is completed, what
are you going to wish for?"

Page | 174
 "Let’s see──"

Raffi hesitated slightly at Fugil’s question.

But, she immediately straightened her back and took a deep

breath before answering.

"I wish to obtain various things. Everything that I have to give up

until now because of this fate──"

"Specifically?"

"Everything. Friends and comrades who I can trust, people who

recognize me, making memory with them──. But, there is just one
thing, that I have obtained."

"The power that Sacred Eclipse gave you?"

"No, it’s something unrelated with this power."

Raffi suddenly smiled within the gloominess.

At that time, the moon that was hiding behind the cloud showed
its face and its light illuminated her.

If there was anyone else other than Fugil in this place──someone

who knew the queen from before, surely they would shudder.

Queen Raffi whose appearance was that of a thirty year old

woman had transformed into an appearance that had trace of
childishness in it, she looked the same age like Lisha.

There was a part of silver hair within her vividly golden hair.

That appearance that was wearing crimson dress resembled Raffi

more than ten years ago.

Page | 175
 "It’s Lisha……. My step daughter. She loved me who am empty like
this and called me mother. She is facing forward optimistically
without shrinking from her bitter past. A country where I and her can
live in brazenly──and anything necessary to maintain it, I wish to
obtain those from here on."

"I see……"

"Yes, please treat me well, Fugil. From here on too──forever."

Raffi walked through the passage of the hidden room with an

elegant smile.

Before long Fugil also vanished from there.

Page | 176
Part 9
"Haa, haa……──haah……!"

A few hours after defeating Prime Minister Nulph.

Lux’s body was shuddering inside an abandoned building in the

district of the capital that was trampled by Gigas.

There were only the presences of two people inside.

They secretly slipped into darkness and reached this place.

"Is it alright with this Aruji-sama? I cannot see anything, and also
cannot hear anything but──"

Yoruka who was clad in Divine Drag-Ride Yato no Kami tilted her
head while watching the recording──that was recorded a few hours
ago using the special equipment type’s ability.

When her violet magic eye that was applied with Baptism shined,
she blinked in wonder.

Yoruka who was receiving the curse of perception manipulation

couldn’t see the content of the image recording.

More accurately speaking her brain wasn’t perceiving a particular

reality, even so it seemed there was something that she sensed.

"……? Something, it’s faint but I can see it. A girl in dress who I’m
not familiar with is──"

"I see. So Yoruka too can perceive it if only slightly."

Yoruka too might become able to perceive the normal world after
Philuffy.

Page | 177
 He found a fragment of hope there, however──.

"What, the……!"

Lux who grasped the truth could only feel shocked.

Right before Lux was going to question Prime Minister Nulph, he

told Yoruka to record an area inside the castle using Yato no Kami.

More accurately, he asked Philuffy to give a letter with the

instruction he wrote to Yoruka, so that while Lux was meeting with
Nulph, she could record a certain situation inside the castle.

Queen Raffi already used Automata to remodel Prime Minister

Nulph, forcing him to act as the mastermind.

Lux first felt something was out of place due to the words of Sania
and Ignid when they died.

How could they leak out Prime Minister Nulph’s name when they
were already turned into flesh puppet?

It was just too crude if their brainwashing was dispelled when they
were dying.

If Prime Minister Nulph was the mastermind, he should take

action so that the link to him absolutely wouldn’t be discovered.

What happened with Sania was inconsistent with the policy of

thoroughly sealing the mouth of anyone involved, as could be seen
at the first and second loop when Waybra and Sieg were
assassinated using Automata.

Therefore, the smoothness of how Lux found the clue in order to

know the truth and even obtained the proof after that changed into
doubt instead.

Page | 178
 The true mastermind was leading him to the mistaken
interpretation.

And then, Lux became convinced at the middle of his fight with the
transformed Nulph.

Those two girls who guarded Nulph were Automata who

controlled Nulph following the order of the mastermind.

By the way the Drake’s recording that Lux obtained──the

recording of Prime Minister Nulph and Dragon Marauder was surely
a fake created using dummy of Sacred Eclipse’s transformation.

Lux was faintly suspecting that he was being deceived while

entering the battle pretending to not know anything.

At the side he asked Yoruka and Philuffy to do a certain matter.

He wanted them to search for anyone in the castle or around it

who was observing the battle of Lux and Nulph.

Yoruka had received Baptism, but she still hadn’t escaped the
curse of world revision.

Therefore, if there was living thing’s reaction that was caught by

Yato no Kami’s radar that Yoruka couldn’t perceive but could be
sensed by Philuffy──.

The location of the true mastermind who wasn’t Nulph hiding

inside the castle could be found.

Yato no Kami’s radar reacted, then that place that caused

difference in perception between Yoruka and Philuffy was pinned
down. Yoruka who was hiding using camouflage then recorded the
area just like she was asked.

Page | 179
 And then, the truth was determined.

The trump card of Waybra and Sieg Kreutzer to usurp the ruling of
the new kingdom, was the sin of Queen Raffi.

At the revolution five years ago, she handed the information of

Count Atismata to Waybra. That fact got recorded.

The biological sister of the great man who defeated the evil
government of the old empire was actually a perpetrator who was
connected to the old empire behind the scene and killed her brother.
If the proof of such fact was brought to light, the current government
would definitely end.

Queen Raffi would be executed with almost definite certainty.

No matter how much amnesty she was given, at best it would still
be a lifetime of imprisonment for her.

"No, wrong……. As expected, it’s impossible."

This was incomparable with Lux and Airi who received criminal
status through amnesty after the revolution. At that time both of
them were treated coldly even among the imperial family of the old
empire and got banished from the castle.

As for Raffi, she was the actual perpetrator of the crime, so there
would be no way to vindicate her.

That was all the more so when she had used the name of her big
brother the great man as unifying force of the country until now.

"Just, why……"

Why did Queen Raffi get cornered into this kind of situation?

Page | 180
 From here it would be just Lux’s imagination but, after that great
battle in Avalon, there was a negotiation during these two weeks
when he was resting.

The old people who were the senior consuls raised in the old
custom──.

The old empire faction that possessed the chauvinism tendency

and the principle of aristocrat’s supremacy.

They who became active to usurp the government using the

information that Waybra sold to them along with Sieg Kreutzer
demanded to Prime Minister Nulph for Queen Raffi’s retirement.

The reward for that was most likely the uplifting of Sieg to become
the candidate of the next general of new kingdom’s military, as well
as the bestowal of fortune and authority to the consuls of the old
empire faction.

In order to take back their authority like the era of the old empire
in the past──.

And then, the planned to take down the queen and made a
contract with Prime Minister Nulph to their convenience in this
timing when they could obtain a lot due to the negotiation for
Avalon’s technology and legacy.

Prime Minister Nulph abandoned Queen Raffi who possessed such

weakness from her past. In exchange he attempted to be the one
ruling the kingdom by granting authority to them.

If it was announced that Raffi who was the symbol of the new
order couldn’t maintain the country and Nulph ascended to the

Page | 181
throne as her replacement, it would become easy for the
intervention of the old empire faction to happen.

"What, the……!"

Lux’s shoulders dropped and he spat out those words once more.

In any case the old empire faction including Prime Minister Nulph
would make the isolated Queen Raffi fall from the throne.

If she resisted, in the worst case her past sin might get published
using the image recording.

The honor she had built until now as the little sister of the great
man Count Atismata would be degraded and she wouldn’t be able to
escape from execution.

By the time Nulph yielded against the fact that was thrust before
him and leaned toward the old empire faction, Queen Raffi’s fate
was decided.

The fate of destruction that couldn’t be overturned.

A trampling down by the powerful people who possessed

authority.

Raffi’s lamentation that was heavier and deeper than anyone

called Sacred Eclipse and Fugil to her.

In order to rebel against fate, Raffi used Avalon’s power and

slaughtered them through the course of the parade.

She destroyed all the image recording, and in the slightest chance
someone noticed the loop and pursued the truth, she used Prime
Minister Nulph as fake mastermind to mislead the pursuer while
erasing him at the same time.

Page | 182
 ──That was the truth of the whole events that led to here.

"What’s the matter, Aruji-sama?"

It would be no use even if he talked about the circumstance of the

matter to Yoruka who couldn’t perceive this recording.

No, even if he told her, what would he do then?

Was he going to tell Lisha to kill Raffi who she dearly loved so
much and who was going to maintain the peace after this?

Such, such thing was──.

"……No. It’s nothing. Yoruka, can you return to the inn first?"

"I understand. Please be careful, Aruji-sama."

After hesitating slightly, Yoruka left the abandoned building.

"…………"

Silence filled the empty room.

After a while, Lux leaned on the wall and looked up to the sky in a
daze.

Now that the old empire had lost the image recording that was the
trump card to bring down the queen, as well as their leader Waybra
and Sieg, they wouldn’t be able to do anything anymore.

If Lux kept silent, perhaps the new kingdom would head to a nice
direction like this.

But, that would mean overlooking the world revision Fugil carried
out as well as the murder occurring in the middle of the parade.

Page | 183
 "Just……what in the world should I do?"

The smile of Lisha who dearly loved her mother Queen Raffi was
burned on Lux’s eyelid.

Page | 184
Part 10
Two gazes saw Lux returned to the inn before moving away from
the inn.

Late at night of the parade’s second day. Two Automatas were

walking in the street.

"……In the end, he doesn’t notice that he is tricked to think of

Nulph as the mastermind dearimasu?"

"Based from Lux Arcadia’s state, I think there is no problem

nanodesu."

The Gear Leader of Hall with mechanical dog ears growing in her
head──Ney Louches asked. In respond her fellow Automata La
Krusche nodded.

The Divine Raiment of Artifact Ouroboros, Endless was something

with two types.

First when it was used with only a single Drag-Ride, it would

change the rule within the radius of a few kl with the Drag-Ride as
the center.

And then the second type of Endless was when it was used in
conjunction with Avalon’s function of perception manipulation that
resonated with all the Ruins, the world scale perception
modification.

Because either type consumed vast amount of energy, when it

was used consecutively the time necessary to charge the energy
store would become long.

Employing them the Automatas was also the same.

Page | 185
 Thus Raffi too couldn’t just focus her effort to only monitoring Lux.

Because there was someone else other than Lux who was acting
suspiciously.

"I thought he would tell the truth to the Key’s Supervisor Krulcifer,
it’s unexpected dearimasu."

Nei Louches tilted her head while muttering.

Actually at the second loop the Automatas already finished dealing

with all the recovered Drakes.

But, they had already received report that people like Lux and Airi
obtained Baptsim in Avalon, so there was a need to be wary of them.

There they injected parasite Abyss into the prisoners Sania and
Ignid and laid a trap.

In case Lux came sniffing, they were ordered to not kill him but to
mislead him to think that Prime Minister Nulph was the mastermind.

Raffi didn’t have the intention to kill Lux and Syvalles members
and did her utmost to avoid that.

After this users of Divine Drag-Ride would become important

fighting force for the new kingdom.

Among them were the members of Syvalles who raised deeds of

arms at the previous great battle, and Lux who was Lisha’s knight and
a member of Seven Dragon Paladins who became a hero within the
country. Losing them wouldn’t be a good plan.

Therefore the two weren’t killed but guided into the false truth.

Page | 186
 The scenario of Prime Minister Nulph colluding with the old
empire faction and planned to take down the queen in reality was
just like Lux imagined.

Thus Raffi modified Nulph’s perception and put the blame as the
mastermind of this case on him.

The possibility of breaking through the perception manipulation of

Endless would increase depending on the degree of Baptism or Elixir
they received. But it wasn’t enough with just that, they also had to
notice that something was out of place in the world, on top of that
they had to deny the world and tried to break out of it.

If they thought that the present situation was correct, or that it

was desirable for them, they would get caught on the net of
perception manipulation that was put on them again.

In other words, if Lux killed Prime Minister Nulph thinking of him

as the mastermind just as Raffi planned, and then he became
convinced with everything──he wouldn’t notice anything anymore at
the next world revision.

Seeing that right now he didn’t look he was telling anything to

Krulcifer or other girls, the thought that Lux was deceived became
conviction.

"It looks like Lux Arcadia get safely tricked dearimasu. With this it’s
hip hip hurray for us dearimasu."

"Then let’s go back to master for now. The last big job is remaining
after this so──"

The two Automata pulled out their Sword Device from the sheath
and wore their respective Divine Drag-Ride.

Page | 187
 They were summoning Drag-Ride in the middle of city although it
was late at night, and yet there wasn’t anyone noticing it. Except one
person.

The night of the second day of the third loop was growing late.

The night passed with each person keeping their respective feeling
in their chest.

Page | 188
Chapter 4 – The Captive Inside The Box

Part 1
"Nn, uu……"

"Lord-sama, are you waking up deyagarimasu?"

The odd but robotic tone of an Automata talked to the girl before
her.

It was a silver space that was tinged with bluish white light.

Aeril Vi Arcadia was chained inside the metallic and cold room.

"How are you feeling? Do you remember my name

deyagarimasu?"

"…………"

The chained Aeril was stark naked without a single string covering
her. She looked up at the girl in front of her.

"……This place? I’m, why, what is……?"

"I got no obligation to tell you. I’ll at least just listen to you."

There was sheep horns made from machine on the head of the girl
who wearing a tight outfit that was similar with a pilot suit.

It showed that she was the Ruin’s Gear Leader──the Automata

who existed in this place.

"You are, Clan Lieze……? Then this place, is, the Garden……"

Page | 189
 "As expected you remember the eight people of the beginning
deyagarimasu. Haa, how troubling. For me alone to be left out like
this, I want to go look at the imperatorial capital for the first time
after several hundred years you know? No, right now it is called the
imperial capital isn’t it?"

Clan Lieze muttered while showing a strange look of puffing up her

cheeks while her expression stayed blank.

"…………"

When the seven Grand Forces were installed in the Ruins, Garden
was captured under Listelka’s direction.

Aeril wasn’t present at that time, but Aeril who was an imperial
princess of the Lord knew the name of all the Automatas.

But, at present it seemed the Automatas received the control

command of someone else and they were also remodeled to be
stronger.

After all a Gear Leader was confining the Lord, Aeril who was
originally their master.

"Are you……, planning, ……to kill me?"

When Aeril whispered that with half dozing tone, Clan Lieze sighed
in exasperation.

"Even though I have healed you until this much, you said that
terrible thing deyagarimasu. It’s planned to remodel you by the
current master’s order, but the priority before that was to heal you
from you dying and weakened. After all you have resistance toward
nanomachine. The imperial family of the Lord really got troublesome
thing done to them."

Page | 190
 "…………"

Aeril wracked her brain trying to grasp the situation while her eyes
were staying lightless and blank.

But, her head wasn’t working perhaps because of the drug

injected into her.

(I see, I’m……. Getting the role, of being reused, as pawn……)

After the loss against Fugil in the decisive battle in the abandoned
capital Guernica, she wrung out her last strength of perception
manipulation with the intention to send message to Lux, but was he
safe?

She didn’t know whether the other Seven Dragon Paladins were
alive or dead, but at the very least Singlen should have died.

Aeril who was at the death’s door was recovered by Avalon’s

Automata Arshalia.

Even among the Ruins, the Garden played the role as the treasure
warehouse.

Because it also bore the burden as development base at the same

time, it was a facility that excelled in remodeling, surgery, and
manufacture function.

"Endless……. It will become impossible to extract information of

Avalon if I myself got eliminated. That’s why, I’m going to get
conveniently brainwashed, is it……"

Clan Lieze’s eyes opened wide and she scratched her head when
she heard Aeril formed the words that surfaced inside her head.

Page | 191
 "……It’ surprising deyagarimasu. Your mind is still clear like that.
Then, I’ll arbitrarily make a proposal. Won’t you negotiate with the
current master? If you swear loyalty to the new kingdom’s master,
Raffi Atismata, you will be guaranteed a safe life deyagarimasu."

"────"

"In any case even if you stay silent, in not so distant future your
personality will be remodeled. I think it ain’t too bad even if you
submit here while it’s still ain’t that painful for you yeah?"

"……I, guess."

After hesitating slightly, Aeril smiled weakly.

In this situation she couldn’t do anything to resist.

Rather than suffering for long, perhaps it would be faster to swear

loyalty to the new ruler.

But,

"But, I’ll……refuse."

Aeril quietly formed her word with her frail expression and
breathing.

Clan Lieze who saw that frowned with a dubious face.

"Why? Could it be you are a masochist deyagarimasu, Lord’s

imperial princess-sama?"

"The current master of you all, surely, they were someone with
weak position, right……? After all, she is someone who Automata
Arshalia and Fugil and Sacred Eclipse allied themselves with."

"…………"

Page | 192
 The expression of the questioned Clan Lieze vanished and she fell
silent.

That was because her program as an Automata that was

commanded to keep secret was working.

"You see, since waking up, we the Lords used special power from
beginning to end. Because we were persecuted, we got everything
stolen from us, because we shouldered the fate of our clan, that’s
why it doesn’t matter no matter what we do. We continued doing
such thing by making justice as our excuse."

"Is that something that’s not allowed?"

Clan Lieze tilted her horned head with an expression that vaguely
looked human.

"My big sister, my little sister, and then me too, we all acted like
that to a greater or lesser extent. There was no regret. Because we
thought we could only do that, but……"

Aeril made a weak smile, even so she continued her words.

"After forcing such thing on other people, now that it’s my turn to
be the one in the side that get stolen from I don’t want it, I cannot do
such thing. It might be a tiny thing, but even I have my vanity as a
Lord."

Aeril stared at the tube connected to her body and smiled

fearlessly.

Clan Lieze silently turned her back on her in resignation.

"Human has really strange thinking deyagarimasu."

Page | 193
 After seeing off Clan Lieze leaving, Aeril’s consciousness was
starting to cloud.

Her words just now were undoubtedly her true feeling, but she
didn’t say her other feeling.

(Besides, even in this situation, I still believe……)

Just one, the only possibility of overturning this situation.

The possibility of Lux giving the answer──.

Page | 194
Part 2
"Nii-san. Please sit over there for a bit."

The night of the second day. When Lux returned to his room in the
inn, Airi was waiting for him with her eyes looking a bit angry.

He instinctually understood that there was a scolding waiting for

him. Perhaps it was his experience telling him.

Seeing how even was Noct beside her, Lux could surmise that they
were killing time until Lux came back.

"Err, why is Noct also here?"

"Yes. I’m planning to serve as watcher, so that the talk won’t go

too long and Lux-san get enough sleep. After all the last party
tomorrow will be in the castle too."

He thought that she might be here to be Airi’s ally, but contrary to

his expectation she was volunteering to be the stopper. It could be
seen how well she knew about the power relationship of these
siblings from this act.

"Since when Nii-san became someone who would lose focus and
play at night in the middle of official business? Just because the
battle against the Lords is over doesn’t mean that we become
common citizen you know?"

If Airi’s preaching was summarized, it seemed she was telling him

to not act carelessly in this or that without thinking of their own
standing.

"Right now Nii-san is being pampered because you are a hero, but
don’t you understand that it’s also bringing the same amount of

Page | 195
danger? You are in a position where it won’t be strange if people
who don’t think well of the new kingdom kidnap or attack you."

"Ah, right. Sorry……"

Other than that, there was also the matter of getting involved with
representatives and important people from various countries which
might invite its share of trouble.

She also warned him about little details like how at the present
they were in the middle of the parade event so the attention of
many people were focused on them.

Before long when the talk was going to be over, Airi took a sip of
the completely cooled down tea and spoke.

"Good grief, it seems that you were also seen here and there
flirting with Philuffy-san or Krulcifer-san──. So, how is it going, Nii-
san?"

"Eh……!?"

Lux was bewildered when the talk suddenly changed.

"Yes. There is no need to hide it. The students of the Academy had
also witnessed it from afar."

"…………"

Certainly in the middle of this parade he was acting together with

those girls because of various circumstances.

Half of it was for solving the mystery of this world revision, an

investigation to trace the back the clue, but it seemed that everyone
had splendidly misunderstood it.

Page | 196
 "……And, Nii-san, which one you are going out with?"

Airi seemed to perceive Lux’s silence as affirmation and asked him

while averting her eye fidgetingly.

Lux noticed her meaning after a few seconds passed and his face
reddened.

"Eeh!? That’s, you mean to ask──"

"Please don’t make me say the rest-!"

Lux tried to confirm but Airi shut him down.

But, after wavering Lux couldn’t say anything in the end.

It would be pointless even if he told Airi here about him accepting

the confession from Krulcifer.

There was the possibility that the loop of the world revision would
occur once more. He couldn’t show an unnatural reaction at that
time and got noticed by the Automatas.

Above all else, he couldn’t think of any reason to reject, he was

unable to reject it.

For the time being the formal reply was put on hold until the last
day of the parade but──.

"Haa, so you haven’t decided."

"No, it’s not like that."

"Then, who is it?"

Airi was blushing from embarrassment while looking up and stared

fixedly at Lux.

Page | 197
 Airi today was really persistent.

He didn’t understand the reason but──.

"Celis-senpai too, I think that perhaps she love Nii-san. Her eyes
when looking at you walking with other girl looked lonely."

"────"

‘I see.’

Lux comprehended it for the first time here.

Most likely at the second loop too when he entered love

relationship with Yoruka, she held herself back and gave up from
saying her feeling.

She really hesitated to say it.

Celis at the first loop intended to confess by mustering out all her
courage.

(Celis-senpai……)

Thinking of that, a prickling pain ran inside his chest. It felt like his
heart was being squeezed hard.

He intentionally didn’t think about it but, Yoruka too was surely

the same.

Regarding her, if there wasn’t the circumstance at the second

loop, she might not even confess her feeling to Lux.

"Besides Philuffy-san too, it looks like her condition is a bit strange

you know?"

Then, what about Philuffy?

Page | 198
 Lux realized about that when Airi told him like that.

He wondered how she was doing at the previous parade and the
parade before it.

(……Come to think of it, after the fight with Prime Minister Nulph,
we parted from each other.)

She shouldn’t get injured but, he was a bit worried.

"Airi, is it okay if I go checking on Phi-chan for a bit?"

"Feel free. The scolding too is enough already, also──"

"What?"

Airi took a deep breath to tell something to Lux.

But, in the end she didn’t say anything and looked at him with a
quiet smile.

"No, it’s nothing. Please be careful not to stay too late."

"Yes. Sleep ahead of me if you get sleepy."

After exchanging only those words Lux headed to the room where
Philuffy was staying in the same inn.

After that, there were only Airi and Noct remaining in Airi and
Lux’s room.

"──Is it alright Airi? You not telling Lux-san."

"Yes, I don’t think it’s something that should be heard from me."

Airi muttered with a lonely expression that looked conflicted.

Page | 199
 "Since the past, I’m not good with Philuffy-san."

"Do you mean that you hate her?"

Airi shook her head slightly at Noct’s question.

"It’s not a problem with her personality or attitude, it’s something

that is more fundamental. I think that surely, it’s just jealousy.
Because she has a lot of things that I don’t have."

"……Yes. Certainly, that fact cannot be denied."

"Where are you looking while saying that!? Noct!"

Airi looked at her best friend with a twitching fixed stare.

But, she understood that it was a joke to soften the mood.

The era of the old empire.

Airi at her childhood was sickly and tended to get looked down at
despite her status as an imperial family member, furthermore since
losing her mother, she lived by depending on her big brother Lux.

But, in contrast with her who could only depend on her big
brother at that time, Philuffy was giving various influences to Lux
even from Airi’s point of view.

Airi understood that exactly because Airi was looking at Lux more
than anyone else.

She understood how big an existence Philuffy was inside her big
brother.

What her big brother’s true feeling toward Philuffy was.

What he obtained while being together with her.

Page | 200
 Exactly because of that Airi was not good at dealing with her.

In contrast with Airi who was considering everything with logic and
rationality, Philuffy herself was someone with few words, but she
was seeing through the truth of everything with her instinct and
intuition.

Even though normally she was silent and expressionless, she was
able to express her feeling straightforwardly.

That aspect of her was charming, and enviable.

"I thought that surely someday, she would take away Nii-san from
me."

Airi muttered that in a self-depreciation while smiling.

"Then, why are you mentioning about Philuffy-san just now?"

"……Why, I wonder."

Airi showed a vaguely powerless smile and answered Noct’s

question.

"Perhaps, it’s because I don’t want to see Nii-san sad. There is also
how distressing it, pretending not to notice while noticing it."

"…………"

Hearing Airi’s muttering, Noct silently leaned closer to her.

"You are a really great little sister you know, Airi."

The level and calm black haired girl showed her rare smile.

Page | 201
Part 3
"Phi, chan……?"

"Sorry, Lux-kun. Even though you expressly come to meet her."

In the most spacious room within the inn.

When Relie met him at the door and invited him in, there was
Philuffy lying on the bed.

Beside her the personal doctor of the Academy was also present.

It was late at night, so it shouldn’t be strange even if she was

sleeping, and yet Lux noticed her abnormal condition in a glance.

Her body was sweating and she was breathing as though she was
having nightmare from fever.

"Why? What in the world is──"

"It looks like her fatigue come back to her. This is because she
forced herself right away without listening to me."

"Is it, my fault……?"

After standing stock still for a while, Lux muttered in a daze.

The Ragnarok transplanted in her, Yggdrasil was annihilated and

the command from it vanished.

Therefore Lux was under the impression that Philuffy was safe
already.

There was no way that was true.

Page | 202
 At the very least, fighting using Abyssification continuously put
burden on her body in exchange of drawing out further strength that
surpassed human.

The strengthening method of fusing with Divine Drag-Ride using

something like B-Blood should also become a cause that worsened
the symptom.

However──.

"Why, you didn’t tell me? Relie-san should know about Philuffy’s
condition in detail."

"That’s, because it’s this girl’s wish."

Relie didn’t look angry or even negligent.

She spoke with an expression that looked faintly proud, and

lonely.

"Because she wanted to become Lux-kun’s strength. She doesn’t

want to worry you."

"…………"

Lux couldn’t ask why anymore.

Why did she fought by mustering her strength to the limit, until
she her life was at risk like this?

Because she wanted to continue staying at his side. Lux

understood that.

That time too when she was opposing Yggdrassil at the training
camp in Ries Island.

Page | 203
 Also at the time when they headed together to Heiburg Republic
and fought against the King of Vices, and also the exploration of the
deep level floor of Avalon and defeating Hayes.

And then this time too, she stayed quiet and accompanied Lux.

All this time, Philuffy was staying at his side for him because she
had her own reason.

He didn’t notice that.

No──, he was pretending to not notice it.

He contented himself with her feeling and the fact that he had a
peculiar status.

"Her spasm has settled down already so it’s alright. Thank you."

After Relie said that to the female doctor of the Academy, she got
out.

Relie muttered with a small voice in front of Philuffy who was in a

deep sleep.

"Phi will hate me later if I say this to Lux-kun……. But, perhaps it’s
alright even if I tell you. About Phi’s ture feeling, toward you."

"……Please, do."

Originally he should hear it from Philuffy, but right now he

intentionally asked it from Relie.

And then a few minutes later──, Lux went outside the inn.

Page | 204
Part 4
"Fuu……"

This time he was in a distance that couldn’t be called as taking a

walk.

He had informed Airi just in case, so he only walked around the inn
once.

There wasn’t any Automata around.

Most likely it was because the doubt to Lux had cleared up.

There was also the possibility that he just didn’t realize it and right
now they were waiting for him to make a move, but he couldn’t
know that.

"I’m……why"

Philuffy’s words that Relie told him were burned into his chest
even now.

How that when this parade was over, Philuffy intended to

temporarily take some time for recuperation.

How Relie was stopped from telling that to Lux.

The reason why was something that was really unexpected.

Why didn’t she confess to Lux in the middle of the parade even
though she loved Lux?

That wasn’t because she lost her chance to the other girls or
because she was being considerate to the other girls.

Page | 205
 If Philuffy herself was released from the perception curse and she
knew that Lux’s criminal collar would be taken off at the last day, she
should be able to say it.

And yet, why didn’t she?

[I don’t want Lu-chan, to suffer more than this. If he is staying at

the side of someone beyond help like me, surely, it will be painful for
him.]

When Relie asked her about it at the middle of the parade, Philuffy
smiled slightly and said that to her.

When Lux heard that, he couldn’t endure his tears from spilling.

Philuffy too surely had recalled her memory of five years ago that
was sealed.

She was kidnapped to Ries Island for human experiment and

entered a state of apparent death. Lux who saw that then wailed in
sorrow. That memory.

Lux left behind a burden on Philuffy. She didn’t want to see him
lamenting and suffering from being unable to save her.

That was why, most likely she intended to pull back without
confessing her own feeling.

"…….Just, what am I doing?"

Page | 206
 Philuffy didn’t want Lux to act recklessly in order to apply
treatment for her in the negotiation concerning Avalon with all the
other countries.

That was why she was trying to go through this parade looking like
there was nothing wrong with her.

In Lux’s life that was filled with ups and downs, she was a place
that was like a sunny spot.

He was able to feel peaceful the most beside Philuffy, it was

comfortable beside her.

However, because she was an existence that was closer to him

than anyone, there was also a feeling of reservation inside him.

Because until now──staying as they are was happiness for him.

"I see. Surely, that’s how it is……"

After thinking for a while, Lux finally noticed.

Why was Philuffy thinking of Lux until that far?

Because that was──the same like Lux’s own feeling toward

Philuffy.

Because she was most important to him than anyone else.

It wasn’t from sense of responsibility or obligation, but because he

loved her.

"Sorry, Phi-chan……. I swear, I’ll save you. Not for anyone else’s
sake, but for my own sake──"

He also had to convey his feeling regarding her to her.

Page | 207
 When this world revision was over, after his criminal collar was
taken off.

Swearing that once more, Lux looked up to the sky.

"────"

The night wind felt pleasant on his body that was still languid and
flushed.

But, on the contrary of that, his heart was darkly clouded.

"I, what should I──"

During the repeated three days period, there were several things
that he noticed.

The true identity of the mastermind who caused this loop──Queen

Raffi who was possessed by Sacred Eclipse used that power to make
her new kingdom prospered.

Fugil assisted Raffi due to his own mission.

Just like how he once cooperated with Count Atismata and Lux,
and the Lords after that──.

However, Lux didn’t understand what he should do after this.

If he stopped this world revision and defeated Raffi, what would

happen to the new kingdom?

There was no way he could just overlook this. If Aeril might still be
alive, he had to save her.

But, if he did that──Lux would become the new kingdom’s enemy.

Page | 208
 The place for him to belong that he finally obtained at the end of a
long battle, he would discard it away by his own hand.

And then he would also become unable to respond to the feeling

of the girls close to him.

He would drag even them into this battle that could ruin them.

"Everyone, I……what should"

When he muttered that once more, *clack* a faint sound of shoes

rang out.

A presence that he didn’t sense at the slightest until now

appeared behind him.

"……Are you, the one that boss mentioned?"

"──!?"

A shock that tightly grasped his heart ran through him.

The moment Lux noticed and held his breath, a Drag-Ride’s Dagger
was thrust before his eyes.

"Don’t make any sound. Calm down, I don’t have any intention to
harm you."

When Lux focused his sight, inside the darkness there was a petite
silhouette wearing general purpose Drag-Ride Drake.

The peron was wearing a hat and mask other than the pilot suit.
Short blond hair peeked out from the gap of the hat and mask.

Most likely this person used the camouflage function of the Drake
and waited for Lux’s arrival.

Page | 209
 It seemed like this person was a boy who was still young from their
tone but──.

"You are……?"

Lux’s mind was in chaos, but he somehow pretended to be calm

and replied.

Lux was at disadvantage in this situation no matter how he

struggled, so it was pointless to resist.

"My name is Alma Kilzrake. A member of Kilzrake family, and a

candidate to be the next underboss. Lux Arcadia. My boss wants to
meet you. Can you come with me?"(TN: This person talk in boyish
way, with rough wording and ‘ore’ to refer himself)

"Kilzrake family……? Is it a type of mafia?"

Lux kept both his hands held up while asking his question in
confusion.

Then the boy sighed in exasperation.

"What the hell. You don’t know about us Kilzrake? How dull. We
are famous bodyguard of companies in Marcafal Kingdom. In this
country, you will get it if you ask Relie Aingram. Haa."

‘I see’, Lux guessed from this atmosphere.

A mafia family of Marcafal Kingdom.

He was able to accept it from the boy’s rough tone and attitude.

"Well ain’t matter. So, you gonna come? Even if you say no I’ll still
bring you though. It’s fine, it won’t even take fifteen minutes."

Page | 210
 Oddly, it was just as Airi was worried about, was he being targeted
by an unknown organization?

Even so Lux himself was surprisingly calm.

Perhaps it was because in contrast to his dangerous atmosphere,

the boy wasn’t directing hostility and killing intent toward him.

"What is your group’s objective? Ransom money? Or perhaps──"

"It’s the same like you. We notice the loop of this parade and want
to destroy it. And, right now the Automatas too are pulling back to
the castle. It’s finally the chance for doing secret talk yeah."

"──!?"

The blonde boy’s words changed Lux’s expression.

Someone who noticed this world revision and destroyed the

perception curse.

An existence that shouldn’t exist except Fugil and Queen Raffi.

"How do you know the secret of this world revision? The repeated
three days of parade──"

"The circumstance of that is also similar with you. ──Though I’m

sayin’ that, boss also helped me to notice it. It ain’t possible with
only having experience of Baptism. At present I noticed for real was
from this third loop."

The boy talked nonchalantly with a tone that sounded a bit proud.

"Well, I searched various places following boss’s instructions from

the first loop though. I felt the chill when I almost got found out
y’know? I thought I’m really good at tailing someone but, this sucks."

Page | 211
 "Wait a second!? That’s, don’t tell me──?"

The time at the previous loop when he was together with Yoruka,
the two of them curiously found someone’s silhouette.

At that time they completely thought that it was the work of

someone related with Queen Raffi or Prime Minister Nulph but──.

"Could it be, after that you also headed toward the castle?"

"……That’s right. So I got found out by that much huh, good grief."

The boy’s voice changed into dejection under the mask.

Lux had grasped Yoruka’s exceptional sensing ability, but as

expected their side didn’t seem to have noticed it.

Silence where both sides probed each other’s intention continued

for around thirty seconds, when before long the other side leaked a
sigh.

"Well, fine. Who cares whether you noticed or not, it ain’t matter
as long as you listen to our talk."

"……And, you are a subordinate of that Kilzrake family?"

"I’m a newcomer who only joined several years ago, but I’m a
candidate for the next leader of the Drag-Knight force. Well, I can’t
hold a candle to the boss before the boss got injured though. But if I
train for five more years──"

"Just what is your group’s business with me?"

"……Haa"

The boy looked quiet put off because Lux interrupted him when he
was talking about himself.

Page | 212
 He still didn’t know whether the boy was ally or enemy, but he
seemed to be a boy with relatively abundant emotion.

"I told you at the beginning, this is boss’s order. The boss wants to
meet with you. Come later to the place written in this paper. Then,
I’ve definitely convey it to you okay?"

The boy only left behind a paper and said that, then he activated
the Drake’s camouflage function and his figure completely vanished.

Lux who was left alone beside the rear entrance of the inn
dropped his gaze toward the paper.

Page | 213
Chapter 5 – The Hero’s Whereabouts

Part 1
The last day of the parade was approaching. Now it was late at
night of the second day.

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

At the residence area of the nobles some distance away from the
castle──.

There was a block that was a gathering of dozens of palatial

residences. The nickname of the block was the empire district.

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

So to speak it was the area of the faction of the old-timer

consuls──the nobles of the senate.

Dozens of consuls were executed as political criminal at the time

of the revolution.

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

The aged consuls were gathering in a reception hall of a large

mansion that was the gathering place of such bunches.

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

Page | 214
 But, there were many great rumors about the place in the era of
the old empire, currently it wasn’t used anymore for entertaining
people from other country or feudal lords.

"Yes, it seems that Prime Minister Nulph has chosen to make

peace with us. From now on the new era will finally begin."

The eldest person there leaked out an emotionally deep smile.

Seeing that the expression of his fellow comrade also burst into
smile.

──Bad rumors.

At the period when the despotic administration of the old empire

was at the extreme, cruel games were prevalent among the nobles.

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

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

At the time of the destruction of the old empire, such

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

With the change to the regime of the new kingdom, their

authority at the surface was taken away, but with their connection to
big companies, their influence to each group hadn’t been lost.

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

Page | 215
 Their motive wasn’t anything significant.

The uncountable evil deed that they had committed.

They simply wanted to do that again with all their heart, fattened
their own pocket, and indulged in debauchery.

Their insatiable greed was directed to the ancient technology and

treasure that was estimated to be brought from Avalon through the
negotiation after this.

"Things we’ve got to look forward to is increasing. Weapon of

ancient technology and machine to produce Abyss. Just how much it
will improve our battle force──"

"I’m interested in the human resources. There might be more

people with the same appearance like the imperial family of the old
empire still sleeping right? I wish to receive those girls no matter
what and receive information from them."

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

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

"All of you are really enthusiastic. An old person like me is

interested to the so called Elixir. Also, the machine that preserved
the Lords for so many years is also interesting."

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

Page | 216
 Treasure, battle potential, slave, youth.

The old people who lived by indulging in their desire as they

pleased for a long time were exposing ugly face that looked like
goblin.

"The queen too, I’ll be affectionate with her if she seem to be

meek. I’ll get tired of her right away I think but──"

Right after one person said that loudly and laughed──,

"Even though five years has passed since the revolution

succeeded, you people hasn’t changed at all."

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

"But, well, this is my mistake. Even while knowing about the

existence of you all, I could only leave you alone for long……it was a
blunder solely due to my powerlessness. I can’t help but feel
ashamed."

"──Wha!?"

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

In respond to that the dozens old consuls looked at each other’s

face. It was then a girl appeared in the middle of the hall.

"He, her majesty queen Raffi!?"

"Why are you in this place──!?"

Page | 217
 The consuls of the old empire faction were shocked. Raffi looked
around at them while making an exasperated gaze.

Using the perception manipulation of Endless, they couldn’t see

the current figure of Raffi who had obtained back her youth, instead
they were looking at her 30 old year appearance.

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

"It’s alright Arshalia."

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

She was able to directly receive the thought of an Automata inside

her head was because of the nanomachine receiver inside her body
that was made by those girls.

However, it was limited to within a certain range──a radius of

several kl in total.

"There is meaning in me intentionally showing myself. How ugly it

is, an existence that is only committing evil deed while hiding from
other people──. This will serve as admonition for myself who
obtained strength."

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

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

The consuls were in chaos while shouting in panic.

Page | 218
 But, perhaps there was only minimum security placed around this
mansion, because their movement was slower than expected.

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

"You are telling me that, Arshalia?"

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

[Pardon my rudeness. It seemed that I talked needlessly.]

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

Raffi replied large-heartedly to Arshalia. At the same time she

pulled out a Sword Device from the sheath on her waist.

"Wha-!?"

"This is too disappointing. To think that the true identity of

[intelligence] that has been accumulated through the five hundred
years of the empire’ history is just a shallow lump of greed……. As I
thought, there is no other way except to remove the rotten tumor."

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

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

"Hih!? Wha, what are you doing!? Do you think that it can be
forgiven for a rule of a country to do such outrage!?"

Page | 219
 "There is no need to receive forgiveness from anyone. I do it
because I want to. Ah, thinking back now even something this
trivial──it was never done since I became the ruler of the country."

Raffi showed an expression that contained deep emotion

somewhere in it and muttered smilingly.

"Though more accurately speaking, I left everything to Nulph and

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

The eyes of Raffi who was muttering self-depreciatingly were

tinged with bewitching violet coloration.

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

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

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

"Wha, aa……!?"

"Deranged! Queen Raffi is deranged! Kill! KILL HERRRRR-!"

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

Page | 220
 The guards finally rushed in and they raised their respective
weapon and attacked.

However, Raffi’s figure vanished at the next moment. He

teleported to outside the mansion.

"-……fuu"

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

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

[Understood. Leave this place to those girls.]

The reception hall of the mansion was filled with chaos.

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

Automata──the girls with the characteristic similar face and

mechanical ears on their head simultaneously drew out their Sword
Device.

"──Then, let’s begin. Though it’s ad that our first joint work is
cleaning trash."

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

Arshalia who served as the mediator of several Automatas around

the mansion sent telepathic voice to everyone chidingly.

Page | 221
 [It’s not cleaning, but a send off. In order to awaken the vessel of
the new king──]

The six girls nodded at the same time.

The people whose position was originally to manage the seven

Ruins were starting to display their hidden strength.

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

The Gear Leader who managed the second Ruin Dungeon, Lu

Caria.

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

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

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

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

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

The Gear Leader who managed Avalon, Arshalia.

The[Eight Instrumentalists] who safeguarded the new king

gathered here and moved in preparation for the last revision.

Inside the pitch black darkness, the tragedy of a slaughter that

didn’t worth to be called a fight raised its curtain.

Page | 222
Part 2
"Yo, so you come old empire’s prince. You are sneaking around
even though it’s in the middle of parade."

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

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

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

face.

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

"You are──!? Your name……is Alma Kilzrake?"

"Hee, so you remember my name? Is it that you got good memory,

or perhaps it’s the skill of a former prince?"

"I think it’s nothing special, it’s normal."

"Hmmm. Is that so."

He glared scrutinizingly at Lux who was deeply pulling down the

hood attached on his robe to cover his face.

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

Page | 223
 The old men’s wear and shabby hat and goggle he was wearing
made the boy blended into the surrounding like a youth that worked
in construction.

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

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

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

He came here in secret to not worry Airi and everyone else, so he

wanted to finish the business quickly.

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

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

"You. Do you know about Black Hero?"

"……Eh?"

Right now it was a nostalgic question in a sense.

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

It was a question that was directly related to Lux’s past, but he

managed to not show any agitation on his face.

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

Page | 224
 "Chih, useless. Or rather I’m jealous. So even the former prince of
the empire know jack squat huh. This is the hateful guy who ruined
your own country right?"

"Eh? Well……, that’s right but"

"Hah……. Goddamn coward. I’m amazed that boss got a business

with a guy like you. Listen well. I’m taking you because that’s the
order, but just try makes any move to the boss. I’m gonna chase you
bastard to the death and murder you, get it?"

Lux nodded toward the boy’s fierce glare.

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

reaction.

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

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

The place they arrived at was an abandoned old stately mansion

made from brick.

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

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

The building looked empty, but its underground room was

spacious and functioned as their hideout.

Kilzrake family.

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

Kingdom.

Page | 225
 However, why was such group was in the capital in the middle of
this parade?

Normally Lux wouldn’t even think to get involved with such

suspicious group, but he had a reason for going along with this.

Marcafal Kingdom’s mafia.

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

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

"……Excuse me."

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

Lux parted from Alma at the room’s entrance and he turned

speechless when entering.

Inside there was Magialca sitting on a wheelchair.

"──You are, Captain Magialca!?"

"Oho, to be able to perceive my appearance in this state, as

expected from my lover who I acknowledged. No, right now it’s
better if you call me Ilu Kilzrake."

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

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

However, her look was completely different from before.

Page | 226
 Her right arm seemed to be broken. It was fixed in place by a
splint, her left leg was also dangling down powerlessly from the
wheelchair.

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

"That, looks──"

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

"…………"

Magialca spoke indifferently, but Lux was speechless at her grave

wounds.

"What are you so shocked about? That’s really unlike the Black
Hero who put an end to the long tyrannical rule of the old empire.
You are used to see wound at this level right?"

"How──?"

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

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

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

Yes.

Page | 227
 Lux couldn’t even grasp what happened at that time to the degree
that he couldn’t believe the sight in front of him.

In the middle of witnessing the battle of Fugil against the Seven

Dragon Paladins, Lux was carried away by Magialca’s aide Lolotte and
left that place.

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

The Avalon was put under control by Aeril’s hand.

──The people’s perception should become like that at the surface.

On the other hand Lux escaped the curse of world revision by

Ouroboros’s Divine Raiment and learned that Aeril, Magialca, and
Singlen weren’t present at the parade’s party but──.

"How, can Captain Magialca──"

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

"How did that happen?"

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

"I gave my subordinates detailed instruction beforehand that in

case I needed to be rescued from that battle, they must not
announce my survival to anyone else, in order to hide myself and
focus in recovery."

Magialca said that and stirred slightly.

Page | 228
Page | 229
 She seemed to be trying to shrug her shoulders, but that was the
best she could do.

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

If there was loss of member of Seven Dragon Paladins, it would be

necessary for some complex procedure to improve the power
balance.

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

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

"Fortunately in Marcafal Kingdom I have one more position. That

position is as the leader of Kilzrake family, Ilu Kilzrake."

"……!? But, from what I heard before, Kilzrake family is──"

They introduced themselves as company bodyguard, but he heard

from the boy named Alma that it was a gathering of outlaws that was
handling illegal goods at the underground.

The boss of the organization that was famous in Marcafal Kingdom

was actually Magialca herself.

"You can’t protect your turf by only acting nice. You can protect
yourself from external enemy for the first time by possessing armed

Page | 230
might and authority at the same level with your enemy. The affair of
illegal goods and violence too, by treating them as the bodyguards of
the underworld, the order is preserved. Well, in the first place
Kilzrake itself was something I purchased after its first leader died."

"But, why are you telling me this──"

Magialca who by nature didn’t belong under any country shouldn’t

be concerned about the circumstance of the new kingdom.

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

"I want to meet you."

Magialca grinned a wicked looking smile and said that.

Lux couldn’t immediately understood her meaning.

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

It was really like Magialca to keep quiet about it.

By making Queen Raffi thought of her as dead and making her fake
existing in the new kingdom, it was a decisive out of place factor that
became the impetus for her to notice the truth.

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

"Please wait! If Captain Magialca is alive, then Aeril and Vice

Captain Singlen are──!?"

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

Page | 231
 "…………"

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

"But the situation is bad you know? Most likely Aeril is held
somewhere in the Ruin of this new kingdom. Until her primary role
come."

"Is, that so……"

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

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

Magialca asked Lux who was looking up to the ceiling.

But, Lux couldn’t reply immediately.

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

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

"I wonder why. Even though someone at my level noticed just how
faint my chance of victory the instant I faced him."

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

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

"Lux. Let me ask you back, why did you stand against the
tyrannical rule of the old empire? Although it couldn’t be realized

Page | 232
without the cooperation of Fugil and Count Atismata at that time, it
still didn’t change that it was a dangerous battle right?"

"That’s──"

"Is it for the sake of your little sister and childhood friend──my
pupil?"

Lux nodded wordlessly.

But, Magialca scoffed at that answer.

"……That’s not it. If that was all, you can just take the two of them
and escape to another country. ──No, I guess we don’t know about
that, you might be unable to find asylum anywhere. Then, after the
revolution, why did you wander for five years as chore prince? For
atoning? There must be many other ways to do that. There should be
the path of fighting at the front line as Drag-Knight if you want to
atone."

"That’s──"

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

deepened.

"For a ruler, there is something that absolutely needed in order to

stand above people. That is pride and dignity. All this time you lived
until now with those things pushing you."

Pride and, dignity.

Lux repeated those words inside his chest.

He wondered whether he really possessed such things.

Page | 233
 "You tried to walk the path that you pictured to be correct as an
imperial prince. You don’t just abandon yourself to follow what other
people told you, you tried to know other people and face them as
someone with the bloodline of ruler within you──. That was why you
searched Fugil in order to confirm your answer while polishing your
own skill."

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

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

Was that, really the case?

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

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

the hideout.

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

And then Lux returned to a new ordinary day.

Page | 234
Part 3
"──Then, it’s fine if we just go as planned right, boss?"

Alma Kilzrake smiled with an innocent face that had trace of

childishness in it.

"Yes. Your talent is passable. You manage to learn a skill of the old
empire’s strongest Drag-Knight──the Black Hero after all."

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

"Hard work, eh."

Magialca who was wearing black eye patch smiled looking

somewhat mean-spiritedly.

"More importantly, I got it. If I accomplish this mission, it will be

possible to destroy the new kingdom."

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

"──Hah, that’s not like you boss."

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

From here on she would begin acting in order to accomplish the

mission from Magialca.

The operation to head toward the Garden and saved Aeril who
was captured in its depth.

The reason of this operation’s idea was the Automatas’

movement.

Page | 235
 While all the Automatas were ordered to clean up after the world
revision since before this parade, it was only the Automata of the
Garden Clan Lieze whose appearance wasn’t confirmed.

There was no reason that could be thought up to intentionally

decrease their number under this situation.

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

Magialca judged that duty was the treatment and brainwashing of

the captured Aeril.

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

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

But even they had been removed. At present──all troubles that

opposed the ruling of the new kingdom had been severed. With that
the last revision should be carried out after this.

That was to say, that in order to overwrite the various

inconsistencies that occurred in this period, a large-scale incident
would be caused and it would be imprinted into the people’s
memory as the lynchpin.

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

Page | 236
 It was fine to only imprint to the people’s memory that such thing
had happened, so there was no problem by just activating Endless
once more.

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

Magialca had finished investigating that Avalon itself was brought

to the new kingdom and it was positioned some distance away from
the capital.

They would attack Garden the instant Raffi teleported to the

capital’s outskirt. That would be their greatest and last chance.

"First is to recover Aeril."

The curse of perception from Ouroboros’s Divine

Raiment──Endless, it used Avalon’s power and made the seven Ruins
resonated.

That means, if even a single one of the Ruin’s activation device,

the Grand Force was taken off, the world revision wouldn’t be usable
anymore.

But, because the removal of Grand Force was impossible if it

wasn’t by the Lords or the family of traitor──or by someone with the
bloodline of Arcadia Empir, first the priority was to take Aeril back.

There should be a heavy security in there, even so it should consist

of Automata or Abyss at most.

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

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

Page | 237
 "Well, I’ll assign that newcomer with you so it’s going to be fine. If
you feel lost then you can rely on that guy. Whether it’s in battle or
about your life."

"…………"

Alma scowled in displeasure at Magialca’s suggestive words.

Alma Kilzrake’s past. Magialca was talking about her deep fate
with the new kingdom.

"You’re saying that my revenge is mistaken?"

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

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

"I understand it really well exactly because I got a bad

personality."

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

As expected, that might be what was called the wisdom of age,

even now her speech was skilled.

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

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

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

Page | 238
 "Yeah, I’m going boss."

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

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

Page | 239
Part 4
Around that time──, in the afternoon of the parade’s last day.

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

"The possibility of receiving disturbance in the middle of this

surgery……is it? We should have exterminate the bud of the rebellion
though. Who could it be, for example?"

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

That place was truly the heart part of a machine.

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

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

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

In short, it was possible that the Sacred Eclipse would be

influenced by negative emotion and rampaged to carry out
massacre.

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

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

Page | 240
 "I don’t know. However there is no plan that is perfect. It’s better
to be resolved that such thing might happen."

"Is that including the possibility of me being unable to endure this

surgery and died?"

Raffi who returned to her youthful appearance as a girl asked

Arshalia that.

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

The question from an emotionless Automata.

However Raffi smiled for some reason hearing that.

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

"That hero of beginning, Fugil, I heard that previously he sided

with the Lords. Most likely he parted with them due to some kind of
reason and murdered them."

"…………"

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

"Surely for Fugil, rather than personal motive──or country’s fate,

he has something more important, his own belief. Something that
cannot be called as things like evil or justice."

Arshalia didn’t reply.

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

Page | 241
 "Then, we are starting. Master."

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

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

"──However, I didn’t have anything in me. Like wanting to save the

new kingdom, or wanting to protect the people, or inheriting the
dying will of my big brother. I didn’t even harbor any of those
feelings while sitting on the throne."

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

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

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

"…………"

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

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

Page | 242
 "I had never genuinely lived even once. I believe you won’t kill me
here, and even if the surgery failed I won’t die. Because I
still──haven’t even lived until now."

*Thump*, her restrained body bent backward from the

conditional reflex.

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

In the middle of that, the Automata Arshalia asked to distract

Raffi’s attention.

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

"──! Happi, ness……!"

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

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

Arshalia who guessed Raffi’s true feeling comprehended it.

The reason Sacred Eclipse responded to Raffi’s call.

"Please don’t worry, master."

Beside Raffi, the Automata Arshalia silently spoke to her.

"I won’t let anyone be a hindrance. The preparation for

interception in the Garden is completed. The strongest guard that
you placed there is──"

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

Page | 243
 "──By your will. Do you hear that, Fugil?"

[──Yeah, let’s start. Endless.]

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

The armor of the gigantic dragon that resembled a fortress was

faintly tinged with light of seven colors.

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

In order to cleanse the sin of the world.

Page | 244
Part 5
"What are you doing! It’s forbidden to enter here! Uwaah……!?"

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

Of course, the Drag-Knights of the new kingdom that protected

the station swarmed the intruder. But Alma who was entrusted to be
the captain dealt with them composedly.

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

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

front of the Garden.

"The new kingdom is nothing. It will be easy win even if it turns

into a fight."

"No──, I think your movement was shoddy."

Beside the triumphant Alma, the newcomer who entered the

squad only just now with Magialca’s recommendation spoke from
under his mask.

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

"If you wanted to draw the attention of the guards by going

ahead, you should slow down a bit more. If you shake them off too
fast and overlooked some, the rear of our squad will get caught. Just
now you were only lucky by chance."

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

Page | 245
 "The squad captain’s job is also to train them so that won’t
happen. If this force is entrusted to you from Captain Magialca──"

"Chih……. It’s not gonna be long until the transfer start, don’t
daddle!"

To enter the Garden, there was no other way except by standing

beside the wall and waited until the automatic transfer to the inside
happened within a certain interval.

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

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

Thus they chased away Abyss by playing the horn flute.

The target was the deepest part of Garden.

The priority was to secure Aeril Vi Arcadia who was imprisoned

there.

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

this level."

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

He heard that the greatest obstacle in invading the Ruin here

which was the gatekeeper──the Ragnarok too had been already
destroyed and wasn’t here anymore.

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

Page | 246
 Her tone was mixed with excitement, but his movement didn’t
have any shoddiness in it.

He was a bit belligerent, but he didn’t lose sight of his objective

and struck down the enemy with the shortest and fastest movement.

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

"That’s dangerous Alma. Just because the power output of EX

Wyvern is high, you still drew too close when attacking. It’s also
important to concentrate to the battle in front of you, but you will
get injured if you neglect paying attention to the surrounding."

"Hah! Don’t talk big newcomer! Only boss can give order to me!"

"…………"

But, Alma ignored the warning and sped up further.

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

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

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

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

Page | 247
 "This place──. The depth of Garden that boss mentioned. It’s what
they called the Ruin’s other function huh……"

After Alma muttered that with a dubious expression, the

newcomer young man who accompanied his squad tilted his head.

"The Ruin’s, other function?"

"It’s function as treasure chest that is."

Alma answered quickly and curtly.

"The treasure warehouse that store, manage, and seal any kind of
thing. I heard that dangerous thing would even get called if we touch
carelessly."

He slowly walked through the spacious pathway while still wearing

his Drag-Ride.

Different from the route until now, from here on it would an

uncharted territory.

"But no worry newcomer. Our objective, Aeril Vi Arcadia is alone.

We can just take the other treasures after recovering her safely. We
need to strengthen our force after all."

"……Be careful, there is a strange presence."

"Hah! Got cold feet? I ain’t scared of anything. Since I lost my

family and discarded my name, I have gone through terrible
experiences all along until now."

"Terrible, experiences?"

"……That’s right. But that ain’t what hurt me the most. There is my
aunt too but, only Onee-chan──my big sister, even though I believed

Page | 248
that there is no way she would side with the like of old empire, and
yet……"

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

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

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

"Guess you’re right. There is too many room here. Everyone split
up──"

Alma quickly assessed the situation and followed his subordinate’s

advice.

Certainly there was countless room in this treasure warehouse

floor. Even if they assumed that Aeril was here, it would be difficult
to find her.

And then, they had not much time for delay.

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

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

"No, we should act in group of two at least. Also, it’s better to

place a Drake user and two people as guards in the rendezvous
point. We can grasp the movement of the whole like that and the
safety will increase."

"Now see here……"

Alma took off his mask and showed an exasperated expression.

Page | 249
 "That’s only done in dangerous place right? In here we haven’t
met any Abyss since midway, not even one. Are you unable to
believe my decision huh!?"

Intimidation.

Or rather, those must be words for the sake of maintaining his

dignity as squad captain, but the newcomer young man himself
couldn’t possibly just overlook the dangerous situation.

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

"Aah? Me who can use EX Wyvern need you who use Wyvern to
guard me? Just say it honestly that you want to get protected."

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

A few minutes after the investigation of the treasure warehouse

began, it suddenly happened.

[Captain! A girl who looks like Aeril Vi Arcadia is discovered! Please

come over here!]

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

Alma who heard that made a satisfied smile and immediately

returned to the central passage. He flew his EX Wyvern toward the
direction of the call.

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

Page | 250
 "Wait! It’s better to not hurry there. Something is strange……let’s
call everyone for now and gather in the center. It will be dangerous if
this is a trap."

"Haa……. Troublesome. There is a mountain of other treasures we

should take here. No way I can act leisurely like that."

Alma sighed in exasperation and hurried toward the room the

Dragon Voice came from.

A long straight passage──, Alma was heading toward the room

that was around the middle of that, and put his hand on the silver
door there.

The instant it opened, the naked body of a girl restrained deep

inside the room came into view.

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

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

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

(Impossible──a trap!?)

The whole body of Alma whose eyes opened wide stiffened.

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

Therefore it was an attack of certain kill that took advantage of

this timing.

Page | 251
 With EX Wyvern the barrier should be solid, but that tentacle that
was like wooden root approached with an abnormal speed that
surpassed Alma’s reaction.

(It’s incomparable with the Abysses until now! The barrier’s

reinforcement──it won’t make it!)

Alma who was taken by surprise shuddered.

It would be a fatal attack if it hit directly.

In the middle of that timing with his consciousness slowed to the

limit──, the newcomer who was a mere Wyvern user blocked the
tentacle’s tip with his Blade.

"Uah……!?"

Everything was a happening that passed within an instant of eye

blink.

"-……!?"

Alma who barely escaped the predicament leaped further

backward to dodge.

As though to pursue Alma who returned to the central passage,

countless tentacles launched consecutive attack one after another
from inside the room──however, the newcomer Drag-Knight who
stood between them repelled everything with the Blade at his hand.

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

Shockwave shook the treasure warehouse’s passage and sound of

destruction echoed.

Page | 252
 The surrounding subordinates who caught the sound reacted all at
once.

"Captain Alma, what happened!?"

"Enemy? Please get a hold of yourself!"

"Don’t come here! You’ll get killed!"

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

A glimpse of power that was incomparable from anything he saw

until now.

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

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

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

Several of them approached to save Alma, but in that instant an

intense shockwave burst out.

"Watch out-!"

──*GAUN-!*

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

Page | 253
 Alma didn’t even notice that it was caused by a mere Howling Roar
from the Drag-Knight inside the room.

He was only able to understand the result.

With speed that eye couldn’t follow the newcomer Drag-Knight

covered Alma from the terrific roar that was the enemy’s
counterattack. Because of that he was blown away.

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

The subordinates who were similarly blown away crashed on the

metallic wall. Several of them had their Drag-Ride dispelled from the
damage.

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

changing hecticly.

If the newcomer didn’t shield him, Alma’s EX Wyvern would surely

get done in too.

"God……damnit!"

The welling up anger and frustration controlled Alma and cleared

up the mist of fear in his mind temporarily.

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

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

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

"……Wha-!?"

Page | 254
 The figure inside the room that was the perpetrator of the
destructive scene was one step ahead of Alma and showed his figure
before him.

"──I only intended that as a simple greeting though. But most of

you are falling asleep instead. What a disrespectful lot."

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

mocking laugh.

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

The legendary Drag-Knight who was considered as the one

destroying the infamous old empire from the shadow.

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

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

Since when he worn that armor?

Why was he in this place?

Several questions formed at the same time, however the reality

before his eyes wasn’t erased.

"Pro, protect Captain Alma-!"

"How dare you did that to our comrades! Die!"

Several subordinates Drag-Knight who didn’t get dragged into the

Howling Roar simultaneously assaulted the jet black Drag-Knight.

──But, the next instant.

Page | 255
 "Guh, a……!?"

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

The simultaneous attacks from multiple directions were dealt with

easily by swinging the great sword freely to every direction,
intercepting the attacks through the shortest route with fastest
speed.

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

mind.

"What is this? Are you Black Hero?"

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

"I don’t know who are you but let me answer──that is just an
illusion. Is the like of a petty thief who comes to steal the Lord
believes in such thing? My name is Fugil Arcadia. The hero of
beginning who carry the mission to maintain the equilibrium of this
world along with Sacred Eclipse."

"What, did you say……!?"

He was laughed at scornfully by the Black Hero who he believed in

and lost his words.

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

idolized.

He was abandoned when he was a child──, since he was a child he

was living a harsh life. In order to survive that life, he was harboring

Page | 256
aspiration toward the Drag-Knight who destroyed the hateful old
empire in one night.

Alma was shocked that it was laughed down like this.

But, he barely recalled his position and responsibility, and exerted

the spirit to resist.

"You are……protecting this place to prevent Aeril’s rescue!? Are

you allying yourself with the new kingdom’s Raffi, the monster queen
who is possessed by Sacred Eclipse? Why!?"

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

Fugil instantly answered Alma’s question without any hesitation.

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

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

"Mons, ter……"

Behind Alma whose thought was completely stopped, his

subordinates were shaking toward the disastrous scene.

Everyone here already noticed.

The battle force before their eyes was at different dimension.

Page | 257
 They who were here right now were really──unable to even put a
scratch on this opponent.

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

Fugil who saw that spat out his words in exasperation.

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

"──Then then, we can begin now deyagarimasu, right?"

A girl with particular appearance smoothly showed her face from

inside the room. Alma opened her eyes wide in surprise.

"You are, Automata──!?"

"I’m Garden’s Gear Leader, Clan Lieze. There is no need to

remember it though, all of you are going to die soon anyway
deyagarimasu."

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

*Snap*, when she snapped her fingers, a bizarre discordant sound

resounded at the same time.

──IiiIIIIIIIIIIIIII!

"……Kuh!?"

Page | 258
 It was the sound of horn flute that called the Abyss.

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

"Don’t tell me, she is summoning Abyss here!?"

"All the Abysses we avoided until now are going to gather here!?"

"Let’s hurry escape to the passage! We won’t make it in time like

this!"

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

It was a pandemonium.

The fear toward the countdown toward unavoidable destruction

was transmitted and Alma’s teeth made clattering sound.

"What the hell……. This is"

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

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

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

Fugil thrust the reality toward Alma who yelled in despair.

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

Page | 259
 "Such……thing. Even Iwatashi……, even Iore, had everything taken
away from me! I was despised before finally I reach a position where
I can take revenge, and yet! Why──. Such thing……!"

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

──No, he fell into a trap.

Due to the secret information leaked by the noble aunt who he

idolized, his family’s hideout was attacked, their servants massacred,
and he was captured as slave.

Even then, he persisted with her pride as a noble, and yet he

heard that the big sister who he respected turned traitor and
switched to the enemy’s camp.

After that, he accidentally managed to escape from the severe

violence and spent several hellish years wandering the slum.

Now after he was picked up by Kilzrake family and obtained

backing, it should be his time to get even with his family who forgot
him and enjoyed happiness with no care in the world.

In respond to Alma’s tedious talk, Fugil turned a chilled gaze

toward him and said.

"If someone is saved, someone else will meet bitter experience.

That is the law of the world. People with role that cause influence to
the system will be given the right. Justified revenge you say? Don’t
prattle when you are just a bandit possessed by greed planning to
destroy the new kingdom."

Page | 260
 "U, a……. AAAAAAAAAA──!?"

Alma whose self was completely denied creamed and rushed

forward.

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

The Quick Draw that Fugil unleashed.

Even though it was unleashed after Alma, the speed easily

surpassed his Quick Draw.

(My Quick Draw cannot be compared……! Is this──the real Black

Hero’s……power)

He believed in chivalrous thief.

The nameless Drag-Knight who put an end to the evil old empire.

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

He believed, that there was hero like that.

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

It was natural for weaker people who possessed position to be

saved.

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

"──Die."

Fugil’s cold gaze pierced the dazed Alma.

Page | 261
 "Captain Alma-!?"

In that moment when his subordinates all screamed──, a voice

could be heard.

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

*GAGII……!*

Right after Bahamut’s great sword was fast approaching toward

Alma’s neck, another great sword drove it away.

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

"……So you came. The [weakest] imperial prince who cannot

choose anything."

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

"……There are two, Black Hero──!?"

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

The mask of the newcomer Drag-Knight who covered Alma just

now was broken, exposing the silver hair and grey eyes possessed by
the bloodline of Arcadia Empire.

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

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

"Wha, what is, going on, deyagarimasu!?"

Page | 262
 The Automata Clan Lieze who saw that made *bakin* metallic
sound and crumbled.

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

"Is that your answer, Lux? Rebelling toward the hero’s mission──"

"…………"

Lux was silent in respond.

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

Page | 263
Part 6
──A few hours ago.

In an underground room of a palatial mansion at the outskirt of

the castle town.

Lux answered Magialca’s question inside the hideout of Kilzrake

mansion that Alma brought him into.

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

He knew the great impact of losing something from fighting.

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

not.

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

He was hesitating, whether to fight or not.

He heard Lisha’s feeling toward Queen Raffi.

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

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

"By the way──Singlen Shelbrit. That guy seems to be genuinely

dead."

Suddenly Magialca changed the topic.

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

Page | 264
 He was a man who wasn’t compatible with Lux and there was also
times when they were hostile to each other but, he was undoubtedly
a prodigious great man.

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

For Fugil, Singlen wasn’t a piece on the board, he was a person

who he had to kill no matter what at that time.

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

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

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

"I──……"

"You wanted to fight as an imperial prince of the old empire. Isn’t

that right? Hm?"

Her tone and expression were mean spirited.

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

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

Page | 265
 He was an imperial prince of the infamous Arcadia Empire.
However he had the pride as someone who inherited the blood of
ruler.

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

duty, a mission.

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

"……As the result someone would become sacrifice, someone will

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

*Thump*

Lux’s heart throbbed hearing that.

"Stifling down your true wish, then persuading yourself that it

can’t be helped and live without even fighting. That is also a possible
path. But──you were unable to endure doing such thing. Just like
Singlen, and the other Seven Dragon Paladins."

"Captain, Magialca……"

"It’s unfortunate but, I cannot fight anymore as Drag-Knight with

this body. But, I can lend strength to you. Now, you better go in
order to fulfill your own wish. Beat your own kingship into your big
brother."

"─────"

Page | 266
 A few seconds later. Lux nodded and asked her for her
cooperation once more. And then, Lux went outside the hideout.

Page | 267
Part 7
"──Alma. Rescue Aeril for me. She is inside the room you entered
just now right?"

"Eh……?"

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

The appearance of one more user of jet black Divine Drag-

Ride──Bahamut caused Alma to be unable to hide his bewilderment.

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

"Alma"

"Ye, yes-!"

Alma reflexively replied when he was addressed once more.

Their other objective was Aeril’s rescue.

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

The room couldn’t be approached carelessly.

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

"Eh……!? Aa……. Bu, but"

Alma comprehended the intention of Lux’s instruction while

feeling bewildered.

As expected that was impossible.

Page | 268
 Whether it was about facing that Fugil, the Drag-Knight with
strength that was in different dimension, and he would be facing him
alone at that.

And also about doing something somehow about the swarm of

Abysses that were coming here in the dozens.

"It’s, alright……. Leave it, to, him"

"……-!?"

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

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

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

easily escape.

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

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

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

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

Wyvern.

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

[──Reload on Fire]

Page | 269
 .

The voice of the two overlapped and the two Bahamut activated
their Divine Raiment simultaneously.

Crimson light surged from the black armor and applied

compression strengthening.

"You are intending to win? Against this me who raised you to be

the nucleus of the revolution──"

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

"Self-conceit will bring ruin to yourself. Just like your father the
emperor."

When Bahamut’s Divine Raiment, the compression strengthening

was used at one’s own time, the first five second period would be
decelerated to become several times slower, while the five seconds
period after that would be accelerated until several times faster.

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

"──HAAAaAH!"

*GO-!*, the two opposing mechanical dragons penetrated the wall

of atmosphere and clashed.

Under the equal situation where both sides accelerated until

several times over, dozens of slashes crossed in mere five seconds.

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

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

Page | 270
 Lux’s expression didn’t move at the slightest toward Fugil’s
provocation while he replied.

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

"-……!?"

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

movement halted.

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

"……-!? All hands, recover boxes from nearby rooms as many as

you can just as planned. Give first aid to the wounded that still alive
and then head deeper inside!"

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

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

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

"Magialca Zen Vanfrick’s subordinate, Kilzrake family’s Alma! I

came to rescue you!"

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

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

slightly.

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

"Wha, what the hell is that guy!? Just what is he!? Why does he
got the same Divine Drag-Ride with the Black Hero──"

Page | 271
 "He is……the person, who I love, a really strong boy. Now, while
we can……. We have to, take out the Grand Force from the
Garden……"

Aeril’s consciousness was still cloudy and she was breathing

roughly. Even so she desperately reached out her hand.

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

"──Go. I won’t let the Abysses touch you all."

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

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

Fortunately his squad was still functioning.

But, that wasn’t Alma’s achievement.

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

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

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

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

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

Page | 272
 "Wait……. Just one thing, before taking Grand Force, there is
something……. that I have, to take……. Something to steal, from the
treasure warehouse."

"My bad but, we got no time for that. A lot of Abysses are going to
rush here soon……!"

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

If the summoned Abysses gathered in this passage, his squad

would be routed all at once.

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

But, Lux informed without a single change in expression.

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

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

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

"There is no problem. Either way there is only one entrance to this

place. If we hole up there, we won’t need to face a lot of Abysses all
at once. I want you to make the vanguards hold them back using
close range weapon and block the entrance. If you buy me time, I’ll
defeat the rest outside this central passage."

"Wha……"

Under his mask Alma made an expression that was midway

between laughing and amazed.

Page | 273
 Something like defeating that many Abysses alone as long as they
bought him time couldn’t even be considered a joke.

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

"If you are wearing a Drake, it will be easy to give instruction for
that. Just be careful of Fugil’s movement. Leave the rest to me."

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

The remaining subordinate Drag-Knights were a total of twenty

people. They hurriedly looked at Alma for instruction.

"Wha, what are we going to do Alma-sama!? The swarm of

Abysses will arrive here soon! I, I think we should retreat while we
can now though──!?"

"A, aa……"

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

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

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

Alma immediately calculated so, but for some reason he was

unable to nod at his subordinate’s appeal.

(……What am I thinking? What is impossible is impossible. Even if

this man is in the same level with the Black Hero for example, such
thing is──)

Alma hesitated for a few seconds.

Page | 274
 However, the situation changed completely in that little time.

"Captain Alma! The, they’re coming!? The Abysses’ travel speed

far surpassed our imagination."

"Chih──!"

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

The Gear Leader of Garden, Clan Lieze had prepared beforehand

against the assault of Alma and others. In other words she must have
also secured the route for the Abysses to gather into this treasure
warehouse.

They were already unable to retreat from this treasure warehouse

floor with so many Abysses crowding the entrance.

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

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

He resolved himself.

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

There was no way a single Drag-Knight could hold against so many

Abysses no matter what kind of unknown Divine Drag-Ride they had.

Page | 275
 Surely the many Abysses will broke through the newcomer young
man and into the entrance in the blink of eye and they will bite off at
the squad’s rear.

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

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

He thought he had become strong.

He obtained Drag-Ride, learned the hero’s technique, so he would

accomplish his revenge to the family that abandoned him.

But, that was just an illusion.

Realizing the menace of the mastermind who was manipulating

this world, of the enemy’s mightiness, he painfully realized his own
powerlessness.

He wanted to run, to hide, he wanted to prostate and begged for

his life.

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

It would be great if he could just live.

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

"-……!?"

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

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

Page | 276
 Being pitied by this girl who was receiving brainwashing that was
like a torture, his last remaining fragment of dignity encouraged
Alma who was almost breaking.

"Damn, it……! Whe, where should we go huh, Lord!? You said it

right!? There is something you need to get! Don’t fall asleep on me
yet!"

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

Aeril gave instruction to Alma with her hazy consciousness.

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

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

"Captain Alma, it’s trouble! My radar caught reaction of Abysses!"

"-…..! They came huh!?"

Surely a huge swarm of Abysses was flooding into the entrance of

the central passage of the treasure warehouse level.

They didn’t make it in time.

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

If they didn’t retreat──escape from here as soon as possible they

would be annihilated.

Page | 277
 (But, even if we manage to break out of this passage, will we make
it? There is still ten more minute until the next scheduled transfer to
outside of Garden’s wall──)

There wasn’t any other way than to take as much detour as

possible to lure the enemy and bought time. But the prospect that
the current Alma and everyone here would be able to do that was
thin.

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

"What!? Speak clearly!? There ain’t any time!?"

Alma was impatient by his subordinate’s flustered voice and

questioned her.

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

"Perhaps you will understand, if you look at her radar……"

"──!?"

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

The number was decreasing.

The signal that displayed the Abysses’ reaction should be covering

up the screen to the brim, but the dots that represented the Abysses
were decreasing in number with raging speed.

"What, the. What the hell is going on──!?"

Page | 278
 "Let’s get out of this room and return to the passage. You will get
it then. Surely……"

"…………"

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

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

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

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

In defiance of the overwhelming amount of enemy, their number

was decreasing in accelerating speed instead.

"Wha, what……. This is──!?"

"Quick Shot……, the Black Hero’s personal battle technique that he

specialized in."

"Eh……?"

The compression strengthening of time by Bahamut.

He applied that on himself to lure the enemy and then

overwhelmed them with slashes that were sped up by several times
over.

When the enemy fiercely approached to take advantage of the

opening when reusing the technique, he would dodge using
masterful defense and foresight before meeting them once more
with super fast consecutive slashes.

Page | 279
 That was all there was to it, but Alma understood the extreme
difficulty of carrying it out.

No, more importantly, he was dumbfounded hearing the words

that Aeril muttered just now.

"What you saw……isn’t mistaken. He……Lux-kun took up the sword

for the sake of the people that were hurt and stood up, he is the
real──"

Real──.

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

Facing a thousand and two hundred Drag-Knights of the old

empire and destroying them in one night.

Such [lie] that was like a large-scale folklore, it became valid by

making each people supplemented the inconsistencies that was born
from Endless’ world revision by themselves.

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

Now he displayed that strength once more as though to prove

that.

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

"USHAAAAAH──!"

The demonic swarm attacked from every direction and angle. He

intercepted them with the shortest movement and fastest speed.

Page | 280
 He moved in the air as though dancing. Each time a sword flash
gleamed, an enemy would vanish.

"Amazing……"

It was just a several minutes, but Alma watched in fascination

forgetting the time.

Superhuman feat that was originally beyond human was repeated

before his eyes.

"Such, thing……. Is really──"

Alma whose family of famous noble was attacked and barely

escaped alive from the horse cart of the slave trader who picked him
up, later he heard about that legend.

The illusive Drag-Knight who with just a single Drag-Ride,

destroyed the old empire in a single night.

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

"That is──the Black Hero."

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

"Alma."

"Ye, yes-!?"

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

When he noticed the gathered Abysses were wholly annihilated.

They became countless meat lumps that crumbled down into ashes.

Page | 281
 "Is the squad safe? Then I want you to take Aeril and recover the
Grand Force. When you are finished with that we will withdraw. If
I’m not mistaken the Garden’s transfer device should activate soon."

"Eh, ah……. Roger!"

He quickly looked at his watch and noticed that certainly the

transfer to outside would start at seven more minutes.

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

But, this wasn’t the time for admiration.

The current Alma was an inexperienced person of fourteen years

old, but he was the captain of a squad.

[Everybody, we are pulling back! Don’t forget the wounded! Go

ahead!]

He sent that instruction with Dragon Voice.

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

They had recovered as many treasures as they could take. Now

only the recovery of Grand Force was left.

Because it would be impossible to recover it without Aeril who

descended from the Lord’s bloodline, it was necessary to bring her,
but surely there wouldn’t be any problem.

More importantly, there was something that Alma himself wanted

to ask.

Page | 282
 "A, are you the Black Hero? Did you really, destroy that old
empire──"

"……No, it’s still half."

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

"Half?"

"Be careful, it’s still not over."

"……!?"

Instantly, Lux’s Bahamut jumped to in front of Alma and turned

around, unleashing a slash at the same time.

──*GIINN!*

Quick Draw.

The secret technique that Alma learned with desperate resolution

was unleashed by Lux with precise motion that far surpassed his.

"……Wha-!?"

Looking there, Fugil who should be buried under rubbles before

this was closing in and created a situation where both Chaos Brand
locked with each other.

In order to defend against Lux’s interception, Fugil intentionally

accelerated from long distance and flew in, striking with an attack
that had the Drag-Ride’s mass placed behind it.

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

Page | 283
 The crossing Blades were pushed at each other strongly and made
grinding sound.

Lux’s expression didn’t change at all even in such risky situation

and he spoke.

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

"……Interesting. There are things that can only be seen through a

long life. To think that someone who can fight against me even if
only to some extent will appear──"

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

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

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

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

"──!? I won’t let you!"

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

But, the next moment the light converging at the surrounding

increased further in intensity and Lux’s──no, everyone’s sight was
blinded.

"Don’t tell me, this is──!?"

Page | 284
 The Reload on Fire that Fugil’s Bahamut activated performed
compression strengthening on the surrounding light and magnified
the radiance until more than ten times.

Fugil intentionally summoned additional armor in front of Lux and

exposed an opening to invite Lux’s attack.

And then Reload on Fire that was activated beforehand

strengthened the light and blinded the enemy’s eyes.

"So that got you, you fool."

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

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

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

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

Was it instinct, or foresight?

Or perhaps just a coincidence?

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

"Guh……!?"

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

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

Page | 285
 When he finished preparing, he flew toward Lux with explosive
speed.

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

However, for Fugil who surpassed the reaction speed of human,

he was able to ignore the damage from the backlash.

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

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

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

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

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

The only way remaining was to aim in performing Violent Strike,

which was performing strengthening compression on the enemy’s
time, stopping his movement and attacked during that time, but──.

"What’s wrong? Where does your momentum from before

vanished into?"

"Ku, a……!"

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

Page | 286
 He was paying meticulous attention while launching varied attacks
from every direction.

Ragnarok boated overwhelming firepower and endurance, but in

return they had low tactical mind. In contrast this enemy fully used
his intellect and also ability to corner Lux.

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

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

"……Let’s, recover the Grand Force quickly, in the deepest,

room……. With my authority, it can be opened, so……"

Alma followed Aeril’s instruction and headed toward the deepest

room.

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

"──Reload on Fire."

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

Lux immediately moved Bahamut and slashed, but Fugil flew

backward by an instant faster and escaped from Reload on Fire’
range.

"……Wha-!?"

Page | 287
 The activation of Divine Raiment would put a certain range of
territory under its influence in less than a second.

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

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

Lux instantly comprehended that it was a reaction that came

because the opponent had seen through the preliminary movement
of Lux’s attack.

Instantly, the horizontal mowing slash that Fugil launched struck hi

torso and sent him flying.

"U, guah……!"

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

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

He crashed on the treasure warehouse floor’s metallic wall and his

back wings broke down.

He barely avoided having his armor dispelled, but his movement

was sealed due to the damage to his flesh body.

"So you are only at this level my wise younger brother. As I

thought you──don’t have the caliber a king."

A grin formed on Fugil’s lips.

Page | 288
 The direction of the battle was already clear, even so Lux moved
his trembling body and stood up.

Page | 289
Part 8
"Why……. Why is he fighting until that far……!?"

A ferocious battle was going on at the rear.

Alma listened to that sound inside the deepest room.

Lux was forced into a one-sided defensive battle against Fugil’s

continuous attack with the Over Limit’s overwhelming difference in
spec.

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

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

"……You, what are you……coming here, for?"

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

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

Her tone wasn’t criticizing at all.

Aeril who possessed an androgynous beauty smiled kindly.

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

Page | 290
 "……But, you……don’t want to run away, so you fought……isn’t
that, right?"

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

Until he met with that mysterious girl……, he continued to run

away all the time.

Each time he was pursued and captured, before finally he was

picked by Kilzrake family and obtained a place of repose.

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

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

"We……Lux-kun, had many things taken away from us until now.

And then, he also couldn’t overlook someone who has their precious
thing taken away from them. That’s why, surely……"

Page | 291
Part 9
"……Haa, haa!"

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

In this situation where he couldn’t use Over Limit, he had already

attempted every kind of tactic.

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

Fugil suddenly showed an exasperated smile and shrugged his

shoulders.

Reaction speed, situational judgment, movement prediction,

strength, peed, and technique.

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

was gradually widening.

Even in regard to the toughness of their flesh body, Fugil was

overwhelmingly superior in the first place.

Even if Lux managed to use Over Limit, he would be unable to

surpass the enemy’s Bahamut.

But, Lux’s determination didn’t break.

He was desperately hanging on while taking a fighting stance with

the snapped Chaos Brand held right in front of him.

"……I, have to know."

Page | 292
 What he had been chasing and looking for all this time since that
day of revolution.

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

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

"The Sacred Eclipse’s secret? There is no need for you to know.

The likes of you who are defeated in this place, cannot do anything
like searching for Avalon!"

What was resurrected, was the dialogue in that day of revolution.

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

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

"Your objective should have been accomplished. Why are you

risking your life to challenge me?"

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

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

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

"-……!?"

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

too slow.

Page | 293
 "HAAAAAAAAH!"

When he immediately tried to take distance, Fugil suppressed the

output of his flight.

Not letting go of that opening, without fear Lux stepped even

closer into the range.

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

"──What?"

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

Thinking normally there was the difference in reach between the

two, and it wasn’t even worth any argument if it was asked which
sword had the advantage.

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

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

Lux surpassed Fugil in that one point.

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

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

Page | 294
 In contrast no smile or anything slipped out from Lux, he
heightened his concentration even more and stepped in.

Right after that, the shockwave of Howling Howl was unleashed

from the head part of the Bahamut worn by Fugil.

"────"

But a moment before that happened, Lux flew forward and

tackled. By making the enemy’s head part lifted up, he evaded the
fired out energy torrent.

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

Brand struck.

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

Lux used that point skillfully and launched a consecutive attack

that didn’t give the enemy time to breath.

"──End Action!"

"……-!?"

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

Page | 295
Part 10
"What the hell is that, that person──"

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

Originally after a single action, there would be an opening created

in the Drag-Ride’s operation without fail. But now the Drag-Ride was
operating without any pause endlessly.

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

"How can, against that monstrous opponent, that kind of……"

On the other side, Aeril smiled and muttered even while

concentrating on the operation of taking out the Grand Force.

"That is, because he is the Black Hero. Because he is the existence

that you believed in, the real hero. Also──surely that movement is
because he finally overcome the effect of Baptism."

"Overcoming, the Baptism……?"

Aeril nodded at Alma’s question.

Why did Lux become far stronger than before?

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

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

Page | 296
 Human was equipped with the function that when their body was
tormented, in respond to that the body would evolve by means of
regeneration.

Broken bone and injured muscle would grow thicker and stronger
at the same time with the recovery.

It was strengthened even more by Baptism through administering

Elixir, heightening the body function and the five senses.

During the several days of parade, Lux wasn’t accustomed to Drag-

Ride control and his body got into a bad shape was because his
senses couldn’t catch up to the drastic change of his body, making
him unable to handle his own body.

If the physical ability was strengthened, effective control of Drag-

Ride could be realized just as much.

Smoother and more powerful piloting than before.

The attack became infinite combo that pierced through Fugil and
Bahamut.

"The armor, is breaking……. That Divine Drag-Ride that looked like

demon, is getting destroyed──"

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

endurance.

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

The might jumped up drastically due to the focused consecutive

attack to one point, arriving to the utmost limit.

Page | 297
 The legendary secret technique of the old empire Alma had been
hearing about.

This time Lux was improving and evolving it.

"Why? My Bahamut’s output is……weakening!?"

"──Fugil. What you know right now I the me and my technique,

from five years ago!"

Finally the reinforced barrier and Fugil’s defensive stance were

broken.

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

"That guy, what is he planning!?"

Alma who noticed that immediately yelled.

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

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

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

"……!?"

Page | 298
 By means of mind control operation using the Sword Device, the
remaining energy that was gathered until now was liberated,
activating the Divine Raiment forcefully.

By performing compression strengthening to the time at his own

surrounding, the time of wide range area including Lux was
decelerated as though time had stopped.

Due to the compression strengthening of time that Fugil

unleashed, the five seconds of the first half was greatly decelerated.

In other words, it created a gap in the consecutive attacks of End

Action that didn’t have even a moment of pause, allowing Fugil to
escape backward and rallied himself.

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

*Creak-, crack crack crack-!*

The armor and frame of Fugil’s Bahamut were broken by the

accumulating damage and it was squashed along with such sound.

Even so he barely distributed the energy of interception to the

back wings and switched to flying toward Lux. It took two second for
all that.

With the remaining one second he gathered his maximum

strength and unleashed the sure kill attack toward Lux who was
decelerated into a state of freezing.

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

Page | 299
 "In the end there is nothing that you can do. You can just throw
away your caliber as king and live in a peaceful world where the old
empire is destroyed, farewell!"

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

"No……, it’s hopeless-!?"

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

It wasn’t Fugil intending to hold back or letting Lux got away, as

could be seen from his shocked expression.

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

These five year since that day of revolution.

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

He was polishing himself in order to chase after him, as the

benchmark of the ideal that he was aiming at.

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

"Focusing energy into a single point is indispensable to use Divine

Raiment. ──The damages accumulated from End Action attacked at
your Bahamut all at once the moment you loosen the energy to the
barrier and turned it for attack."

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

Page | 300
 The infinite consecutive attacks penetrated the three defenses of
the weapon, barrier, and armor, converged into one point and
punched into the vitals.

A certain amount of damage was accumulated into the Force Core

and caused system down.

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

Reinforcement of the body that realized flexible control of Drag-

Ride.

Through that, attacks were piled up with even more precision,

accumulating damage that put the final stake into the coffin by
making it impossible to counterattack. That was the true worth of
the superhuman feat.

"End Action. This is the new completed version of one of my

hidden techniques."

"……-!?"

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

"──Reload on Fire."

After making use of the opponent’s Reload on Fire and entered a

state of maximum acceleration, Lux also activated the Divine
Raiment of his own Bahamut.

The target of the compression strengthening was the speed of

time flowing within the radius of several ml other than himself.

Page | 301
 Lux’s time was accelerated due to the latter five seconds of Fugil’s
Reload on Fire, while Fugil was conversely decelerated due to
receiving the first five seconds period of Lux’s Reload on Fire.

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

"Lux……, you──!"

Right after that, a consecutive attack of overwhelming destructive

power struck Fugil who couldn’t make any movement.

The jet black great dragon boasted matchless endurance.

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

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

"Ku, kuku……, looks like, you’ve, grown a bit. Wise, younger

brother."

Fugil vomited out a lump of blood, at the same time a shining

heart with strange shape came into sight form his chest.

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

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

"It’s Sacred Eclipse. This is a fake Fugil created by projecting the

servant’s will. Though as expected the Divine Drag-Ride itself is the
real thing. Most likely it was granted with the Bahamut that was
created by Ouroboros’s special armament Infinity. It’s to be used

Page | 302
when someone who considered Fugil as formidable enemy appear
here──"

Lux also noticed that this Fugil was a fake.

He was able to anticipate that from how at first the tentacles of

Abyss appeared from the room where Aeril was confined.

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

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

It was Fugil’s strength when he faced Lux without the support of

Ouroboros──furthermore he wasn’t fighting at his full strength.

Because the core of Ragnarok was already destroyed, the body

couldn’t transform anymore and crumbled. The figure was gradually
changing into ashes.

"That means, you defeated the Sacred Eclipse!? The thing that is
possessing that queen of the new kingdom──"

"No, perhaps that’s not it."

Lux turned around and replied to Alma’s muttering.

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

"I also, agree……, it also didn’t use the ability of the other seven
Ragnarok, isn’t it……"

Page | 303
 Aeril also agreed with a sigh that sounded slightly disappointed.

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

Exactly because of that Magialca instructed to take the Grand

Force from the Ruin.

If they made the ability of Avalon to become incomplete,

Ouroboros would inevitably become incomplete too.

From the aspect of battle strength it would only get weakened by

several tens of percent, but now it should become unable to use
world revision at full power.

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

"-……!?"

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

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

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

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

"I obtained something from this. If you are a clone of Sacred

Eclipse, you can drag out the memory that I’ve already forgotten and
make me remember the conversation five years ago. I can gather
clue to defeat you, learn the way you fight, and form

Page | 304
countermeasure. After all the you at that time intended to make me
forget everything using the revision."

"…………"

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

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

completely.

By making Sacred Eclipse projected the memory of five years ago

that was hidden at the depth of Lux’s mind, Lux himself drew out the
memory and even confirmed it. That fact left everyone there
dumbfounded.

He made others thought that he fell into the opponent’s scheme,

but instead he used even the nature that Sacred Eclipse possessed
and fought it.

Everything was in order to surpass the strength of Fugil that he

fought five years ago, questioned his true intention, and connected
the parts.

"I fight in order to know everything──to find the right path with
the full knowledge of everything. I won’t let the new kingdom be
destroyed. I will expose Sacred Eclipse’s mystery and stop it. I’ll save
Lisha-sama and Queen Raffi too without destroying the new
kingdom!"

"For that, you will pretend to be evil? Even if you will become the
new kingdom’s enemy, and lose everything, you’ve build until
now──"

Page | 305
 "Yeah……. That is the mission as an imperial family that I believe
in. The path I’m aiming for, that differ with your path of ruling."

Lux gave his answer to the clone of Sacred Eclipse that was tracing
the past Fugil.

"Very well……. I’ll be, waiting……. Wise younger brother……"

After muttering its last, the Sacred Eclipse crumbled completely
into ash and vanished.

With this, the first barrier was broken through.

Ouroboros couldn’t perform world revision anymore. It also

became impossible to easily kill the consuls of the old empire faction
and the important people of other country.

But, of course if it became known that the Sacred Eclipse

protecting this place was killed and Aeril was rescued, Raffi and Fugil
would hurriedly act.

For now they had to hide Aeril in a safe place and cleaned out the
poison used for brain washing from her.

She wouldn’t be able to use Drag-Knight for a while, but either

way she would become helpful addition.

"For now……it’s over. Lux-kun. Switch to Wyvern and let’s get out
of here. If we got found out by the people in the checking station, we
will become wanted man, so be careful."

They had already took Grand Force and as many weapons and
Drag-Rides they could carry from the treasure warehouse.

With this their fragile battle strength that could be blown away
with a breath would become somewhat better.

Page | 306
 "……Right, let’s go Aeril. Alma too, sorry to make you go along with
this."

When Lux muttered that with a somewhat sad expression, Alma

shook his head in panic.

"No, no such thing! To think, that you are the Black Hero──, please
forgive all my rudeness before this!"

"……Did something happen?"

"No well, that’s, a little bit."

Lux hesitated to answer Aeril who tilted her head at Alma’s

exaggerated reaction.

Alma who didn’t know that Lux was the Black Hero was making
light of him before. Aeril burst into laughter hearing that.

"You don’t need……to worry too much about it. After all it’s half
the truth that Lux-kun is slovenly……. Especially concerning his
relationship with female."

"Aeril, I beg you don’t move too much. Your body is still not well."

Aeril seemed to have recovered somewhat from the drug. She was
making fun of him in a gesture that was really like her.

He was happy that she recovered her liveliness, but he felt a bit
complicated.

Alma too was also nodding with a bewildered expression while

they hurried to link up with the squad that went ahead of them.

They retreated while carrying the souvenir of the Grand Force,

several rare weapons, and more than ten Drag-Rides.

Page | 307
Part 11
"……-!? No way, such thing is──"

At the same time, Raffi who operated the revision device of

Avalon noticed a certain matter and lost her words.

The wave of energy that operated the perception revision

vanished in the middle.

She intended to falsify the memory of the people gathering in the

new kingdom until the last day of the parade, and imprinted that the
old empire faction and Prime Minister Nulph had died in accident
several weeks ago.

She also intended to completely rewrite the memory of the people

so that they could accept about the change in Raffi’s change of
appearance and how Fugil was standing as her aide, but──.

She searched for any abnormality in the Ruins through Arshalia,

and two hours later.

The Automata of Garden, Clan Lieze arrived at Avalon riding her

Divine Drag-Ride.

The repaired Gear Leader reported to her that the clone of Sacred
Eclipse that Raffi created as guard just in case was destroyed.

Because Clan Lieze was destroyed before she learned the true
identity of the intruder, she only remembered what happened there
fragmentarily.

She only recalled that bandits attacked the Ruin, and in the end
Aeril along with several treasures were stolen.

Page | 308
 This was an alarming situation for Raffi. If even a single Grand
Force was extracted, the power of Avalon would be halved.

Through Sacred Eclipse he was able to understand that the place

was at the Garden that was located inside new kingdom’s territory.

"──So my clone was defeated. Even though it should conceal a

strength that is equal to Ragnarok."

"…………"

Fugil who was standing at her side didn’t say anything.

He was merely watching over her silently, judging her.

"……If the Grand Force is taken, the only one who can do it is only
the Lords, or existence that correspond to them. So someone
liberate Aeril Vi Arcadia who was in the middle of brainwashing and
took her away."

"…………"

Raffi fell silent for a while in a daze.

But, her lips suddenly relaxed and she smiled innocently like a little
girl.

"──I see, it’s really interesting."

"Hou."

Fugil too was taken aback by Raffi’s words. He let out a small sigh
of admiration.

Avalon that had reached around 90% in allowing her a complete

rule became impossible to use with this.

Page | 309
 Even the world revision that she planned to do for the last time
couldn’t be done completely with the lack of Grand Force.

Because people who saw through the world revision appeared,

and they planned to destroy her bastion.

But, even knowing that Raffi’s lips relaxed cheerfully.

"This mean that my first enemy after I obtained power has

appeared. It’s really fun. After this I can face my enemy with my own
will as a queen."

Raffi resolved herself to carry out evil deed as a ruler in order to

bring the new kingdom closer toward her ideal.

Perhaps inside her, she believed that act as something legitimate.

In short, she discovered happiness in the chance where her

determination was tested.

"Although, I cannot just feel happy. For now I should start from
grasping the situation. Let’s send several Automata to the Garden in
order to confirm the situation. There isn’t any objection right?"

"As your majesty wish."

"Understsood……deyagarimasu."

The two Automata with their respective peculiar mechanical ears

and similar face equipped their Drag-Ride and flew away.

Raffi planned to have them worked in the open as her royal guard,
at the present where the last world revision ended in incomplete
state, she would need to have them worked behind the scene again.

The Divine Raiment of Ouroboros──Endless.

Page | 310
 The perception revision using Avalon and seven Ruins resonating
together, even if it was activated it would be dispelled if it wasn’t
used in the complete state.

The last push. The corpse of the consuls from old empire faction
who were dealt with at this loop would be noticed by the people at
this rate.

Even so──she could only plant the perception of [nothing

happened] in order to deceive the people for the moment.

It was also similar in regard to Fugil, because he had characteristic

appearance that showed his relation with the imperial family of the
old empire, sooner or later someone who suspected his true identity
would appear.

Above all else, there was also Raffi’s own change.

After all even her outer appearance already changed greatly.

"So there is around ten days until the curse of world revision is
dispelled and the people notice the truth? It will be fine if we just
take back Grand Force before that and settle this, isn’t that right,
Fugil?"

"For people with no experience of being injected with Elixir, they

shouldn’t notice the world revision until two weeks. Also there is
difference between each people, but those who gradually notice that
something is out of place surely will also appear.

Raffi pondered for a while at what Fugil pointed out.

After that──several hours later.

Page | 311
 The Automata Yos Tork who went to look at the situation in
Garden returned.

"As expected, any trace that can be used to expose the true
identity of the intruders doesn’t remain deyagarimasu. But, there is
eyewitness report from the Drag-Knights in the checking station and
a letter addressed to her majesty the queen was delivered
deyagarimasu."

"…………"

Raffi took the letter along with a little confusion.

There, the letter was written with a content that could also be
considered as a kind of threat.

"What should be done, your majesty?"

"Let’s see. First please spread this letter to my vassals. We should

prepare countermeasure."

Half a day after she instructed that to Fugil, a certain rumor was
spreading.

The fact that Prime Minister Nulph was secretly assassinated, and
that a new threat toward the world alliance had appeared.

That a family member of the great man Count Atismata would

expose the deception of the new kingdom with the secret they had.

The vassals inside the castle were told that a group of chivalrous
thieves consisting of Drag-Knights introducing themselves as [Azure
Division] had appeared.

Page | 312
Epilogue – Encounter And Reunion

Part 1
And then at the evening of the last day of the parade.

In front of the castle of the royal capital Lordgalia.

In front of the terrace inside the palace ground──that was justting

out from the castle, a great number of people were gathering.

Along with the heat produced by the countless bonfires, the

people’s expectation was whirling before the award ceremony for
military exploits that would be held after this.

First Queen Raffi looked around at the people, then she raised her
voice and made a fervent speech.

Her appearance was different from before. She looked like a girl,
but there still wasn’t anyone among the people who was holding
doubt about that change.

"Then as planned, I wish to start the award ceremony for those

who has rendered distinguished military achievement at this
occasion. The new kingdom has been levied with many trials from
last year until this year. Abyss’s attack, the threat of the rebel army,
the emergence of the Lords, furthermore the battle for Avalon
caused many Drag-Knights to be lost, and it also caused hardships for
all of you people of the kingdom."

Raffi closed her eyes keenly in recollection, then she continued her
speech after some pause.

Page | 313
 Originally the speech was the role of Prime Minister Nulph, but thi
time──he who had left the stage wasn’t here.

Queen Raffi served as his replacement.

"However, we are victorious. The invaders from the old era the
Lords are defeated, Avalon that is the nucleus of the Ruins is
secured, their weapon the Sacred Eclipse is sealed. After this we will
negotiate with other countries and ascertain the spirit of
cooperation while putting the power of Ruin for the use of peace and
prosperity."

──OOOOOOOOH!

Noisy cheers were produced like a wave before drawing back.

"Those who participated in that last decisive battle, the people

who rendered the greatest contribution, are the raid squad of the
Academy that will shoulder the future of our new kingdom. The
Syvalles will be awarded in this place, with praises for their courage
and strength."

Following Queen Raffi’s voice, the members of Syvalles including

Lux lined up on the terrace of the castle.

Lisha, Krulcifer, Philuffy, Celis, Airi, the Triad.

Everyone was in their uniform to emphasize their status as

Academy’s students.

"──And then, I also has a news to tell all of you citizens."

Raffi’s voice could be heard amidst the praising cheers were

boiling up from the people. Lisha smiled hearing that.

Lux nodded slightly and took a step forward beside Lisha.

Page | 314
 Queen Raffi waited for when the wave of cheers was calming
down before she also stepped forward.

She lightly cleared her throat, then she showed her graceful smile
to all the people.

"──At this occasion, I received help from so many people. The

lords of the four great nobles with their order of Drag-Knights, Prime
Minister Nulph and the consuls, the representatives of other
countries, all of the people of this country, surely this victory
couldn’t possibly be obtained without the assistance of everyone."

Raffi lifted her face and showed a smiling face that had a trace of
childishness remaining in it while speaking to the people.

"And then above all else, the determination of these two

illuminated my path. Both of them are inexperienced people just like
me. These two who should be immature didn’t lose heart from the
heaviness of responsibility, and cut open the future for everyone.
Their figure and achievement that isn’t held back by the past and
continue to advance forward with all their strength even now is an
act that all the people of this country including me ought to learn
from. That is what I believe."

The gathered people lost their words from Queen Raffi’s speech.

They imagined the content of the continuation from this point and
watched attentively with held breath as though in anticipation.

"I will fulfill my responsibility as queen from here on too, at the

same time I wish grant amnesty and reward for them. The criminal
collar of Lux Arcadia and Airi Arcadia who are imperial family of the
old empire, I wish to take it off at this place."

Page | 315
 "──……"

The castle’s terrace was enveloped in even deeper silence than

before.

But, when applauses came from somewhere among the populace,

it naturally spread to the whole and acclamation roared as though to
split the sky.

"──Looks like the answer has come out. Congratulations, Lux-kun."

Krulcifer who came to his side placed her hand on his shoulder and
smiled.

"Congrats, Lu-chan."

"Congratulations. Lux."

Philuffy and Celis who saw that also slowly walked toward them.

While everyone was telling him their respective congratulating

words, Queen Raffi whose appearance had become like a young girl
came in front of Lux.

At that moment, it was only slightly but, Philuffy blinked and

opened her eyes wide toward Raffi.

An out of place feeling toward Queen Raffi’s appearance that was

different from before.

Perhaps Philuffy also noticed that.

Was it because of the world revision half a day ago that was
carried out incompletely?

Page | 316
 At the very least Krulcifer seemed to have forgotten the words of
love she exchanged with Lux but, as for Philuffy──he wondered
about it.

"Then Lux, excuse me."

And then a strange thing occurred. Queen Raffi reached out both
her hands to take off the criminal collar personally in this place.

Queen Raffi’s smile was kind without any worry in it.

Lux sensed the pitch black killing intent hidden behind those eyes.

If Raffi was really fusing with Sacred Eclipse, it would be possible

to use her bare hands to reap Lux’s neck in the blink of eye.

The queen’s finger nail slightly prickled Lux’s skin.

"……-!?"

When Lux grimaced at the slight pain──.

"Lux……, thank you for everything until now."

*Click*. The black collar was instantly taken off.

──OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

Right after that, cheers that caused the ground to shake boiled up
from the gathered populace.

Page | 317
 The applause remained within the ears no matter how much time
passed, and the ceremony was concluded along with Lisha’s adorable
smile.

Like that the award ceremony ended safely and the group broke
up.

The last night of the parade was growing late as though the battle
behind the scenes didn’t exist from the start.

Page | 318
Page | 319
Part 2
"Thank you for your hard work. Have you determined who is the
culprit?"

Fugil and Automata Arshalia met Queen Raffi who returned inside
the castle.

It was consideration for their master who fulfilled her role……not,

they immediately asked about a certain matter.

"For now he seems to be innocent. From his reaction it’s like he

didn’t notice the change in my appearance and my killing intent at
all."

Raffi tilted her head with a wondering face.

It was because Raffi’s own speculation seemed to be wrong.

The existence who crushed the Sacred Eclipse placed in the Ruin,
Garden and rescued Aeril, while taking away the Grand Force at the
same time.

Taking into consideration the necessary strength and ability to

take action for that, as well as the requirement that the culprit had
to be someone with experience of receiving Baptism, Raffi first
suspected that the mastermind might be Lux.

Lux couldn’t move properly due to the fatigue from the battle the
other day and took rest.

And then, although he noticed the truth of the world revision

once, it looked like he didn’t do anything and returned to an ordinary
day but──.

Page | 320
 Did the previous──the last world revision swallow his
consciousness? Even that wasn’t certain.

"He is a capable human but, he has a side somewhere in him that

cannot be measured with logic."

Thinking back there was such sign since the revolution five years
ago.

Lux concealed talent as Drag-Knight that towered above the rest,

but it was unthinkable that a young twelve years old boy would
attempt to destroy the old empire with just that.

Even among the people that Raffi knew, Lux was an outlier.

And then, after the old empire was destroyed, he accepted the
role to do people’s chore in order to follow Fugil’s track.

In tournament’s match, he single-mindedly continued persist in

defense and polished his skill.

While originally possessing an overwhelming strength, he

repeatedly exerted himself in what looked like a fruitless endeavor
from a glance while there wasn’t even anyone who recognized him.

"However, from our exchange just now, it’s not clear now whether
he is the culprit."

Thus Raffi tried to lead Lux into revealing the truth in the award
ceremony just now.

If Lux noticed about the inconsistencies from the world revision

and realized that Raffi was fused with Sacred Eclipse──, he would
harbor a fear of [I might get killed by this monster here] from Raffi’s

Page | 321
threatening aura just now and he should be unable to help himself
from reacting.

To start with Lux should feel a discomfort from her figure that had
turned young, and he also knew enough about the danger of human
shaped Ragnarok.

That understanding and fear should inevitably make Lux’s body to

turn stiff──but, in reality he didn’t react at all.

"No, he only reacted slightly in pain from my strange threatening

aura. In other words──"

"Lux Arcadia really don’t know anything. Was that how it looked
like?"

"Yes……"

Raffi nodded at Fugil’s words.

In reality, logically Raffi couldn’t kill Lux.

For the new kingdom after this, Lux should become the
cornerstone as the symbol of victory, it wouldn’t be exaggeration to
say that he was a necessary and indispensable existence.

If Lux died at that place──no, if Lux died within this few years,
there wouldn’t be even a single advantage that could be gained from
it.

If for example Lux was the one who rescued Aeril and took out the
Grand Force, he should be able to easily conjecture the circumstance
by that much.

But, setting that aside, reacting to the threat that was thrust
before their eyes could be said as the correct human nature.

Page | 322
 If someone noticed that a knife laced with deadly poison was
thrown toward them, it was only obvious to immediately try to
dodge.

Such reflex couldn’t easily be covered up with mere acting. It was

human’s instinct as living creature.

Human would avoid danger following their instinct.

Being unable to move due to frozen feet when in high place, and
averting one’s face when feeling pain from the teeth, they were
because of defensive instinct in order to survive.

But, sometimes this defensive instinct would hasten one’s time of

death.

Unable to cross a hanging bridge on high place and losing one’s

path of escape, or perhaps neglecting cavity to avoid the intense pain
of taking off the tooth.

If Lux didn’t react to even the threat of Raffi by his own will, that
would mean he possessed mental strength that far surpassed
ordinary person.

Therefore the doubt toward Lux was cleared.

"Putting even the fear of death under the control of his own
reasoning. If he is the mastermind of this rebellion, that would mean
he is mentally surpassing the monster me even while being a mere
human."

‘Fufu’, she chuckled.

The expression of Raffi herself who was making that analysis

turned into smile when she noticed it.

Page | 323
 It wasn’t a broken smile that was invaded by inhuman thought, it
was a humane expression.

"Now that Avalon is sealed, the Automata too cannot really move
in the open. For the time being we have to form a plan to take back
the Grand Force and Aeril Vi Arcadia, and deal with them but──"

After saying that, Raffi stared at the letter that was sent to her
before this from a certain pirate.

In the letter, it was written about their purport of snatching away

Aeril and the Garden’s Grand Force, furthermore there was also a
war declaration toward the new kingdom.

If the Grand Force in the new kingdom’s territory was stolen and
Aeril who was sheltered in the Academy was also kidnapped, in the
next world conference──no, even before waiting for that all the
other countries would immediately question the new kingdom about
this failure.

There was even the possibility of using the surviving Seven Dragon
Paladins under the just cause of taking back the Grand Force and
rescuing Aeril, to make the new kingdom became indebted to the
other countries for the assistance.

"In that case, I too have no other choice but to make use of them
openly and unreservedly."

Raffi chuckled and wrote letters to other countries.

She wrote the fact that Aeril was kidnapped, and requested
assistance to face the danger to the world.

Page | 324
 The murder of Prime Minister Nulph, the assassination of the old
empire faction, and also the kidnapping of Aeril──she dealt with
those facts by blaming it all at the rebels.

In that case, first she had to request the assistance of the greatest
fighting force inside the country, Syvalles of Cross Field.

"Perhaps we should also strengthen those girls while we are at it.

It’s a good chance, let’s use the tools brought out from Avalon and
perform Baptism on them. If it’s those girls surely they would be able
to endure it."

There was a large pot placed inside Raffi’s bedroom.

Even among the legacies of the Ruins, it was a special item that
the Lord could control, an item for surgical operation called the
[Coffin].

It was for the sake of performing Baptism──the body

strengthening that was once applied to Yoruka and the Lords with
surgical operation that made human body to adapt to Elixir.

Page | 325
Part 3
"……Coffin?"

"Right. It’s impossible already for me but, I think that perhaps Lux-
kun should do that."

In the hideout of Kilzrake family located in the capital’s castle

town.

In that place that looked like a noble’s palatial mansion at the

surface, Lux was taking rest together with Aeril.

Lux, Aeril, and Magialca were sitting in the spacious living room set
up at the underground space.

A day had passed since Aeril’s rescue. It seemed that her body had
also calmed down somewhat. Although sshe couldn’t wear Drag-
Ride, it seemed there was no problem with her health.

There was also this kind of hideout in Cross Field, so they would
form their plan when they returned there.

Honestly Lux could only feel complete astonishment toward

Magialca who was setting up villas and hideout everywhere, but this
time it saved them.

From here on Magialca too would give her support to Lux, not as
Seven Dragon Paladins, but as the boss of Kilzrake family.

They were determined to ascertain the truth of the evil aspect of

Sacred Eclipse, invaded Avalon once more, and stopped it from
working.

They took out the Grand Force from the Garden this time.

Page | 326
 They also brought out all sorts of Drag-Ride and rare weapons.
Other than those there was also recording media Card Chips.

It was unknown what kind of data was stored inside them, but
they might become a key to search for Avalon’s weakness.

Raffi who fused with Sacred Eclipse was also troublesome, but
above all else it was Fugil who was the greatest problem.

As long as they didn’t try to harm or capture Raffi, at the present

time Fugil wouldn’t interfere in a big way, but in the end, it would be
a different story if Raffi herself headed their way.

In not so far away future, sooner or later it was a wall that they
had to break through.

"Lux-kun is starting to make the power of Baptism into your own

but, that’s still not enough. Just like how I’m connected with the
power of Ruin and obtained the power of simple manipulation
perception, just like how that Kirihime Yoruka-san obtained the
power of magic eye to read presence──I think Lux yourself should
also obtain a power."

For that, they collected a Coffin using the Lord’s authority, but in
actuality it wasn’t that simple.

Baptism that granted special ability by means of body

strengthening was accompanied with really great burden. And they
couldn’t surpass Fugil by doing that.

According to Aeril, Fugil’s Baptism applied strengthening to his

whole body, including his heart.

Page | 327
 To do that it made use of Fugil’s own innate constitution that
could also be called as abnormal. Death would be definitely waiting if
Lux tried to copy that.

Therefore, Aeril judged that Lux should only focus on

strengthening a part of his body with Baptism, just like Yoruka.

"I want you to give me the Baptism as soon as we return to Cross

Field. I’ll think about it while in the way back."

"Right……"

Aeril nodded looking just a bit conflicted.

Challenging Fugil once more and making the new kingdom into
enemy in order to save Queen Raffi were things that Lux chose
himself.

However, even so, she was surely feeling anxious seeing him
throwing himself into a harsh battle with little chance of victory.

"Don’t make that kind of face Aeril. Because I’m happy. That you
are safe. That I’m able to ave you, I’m really──"

Lux smiled while expressing his happiness. Aeril’s cheeks blushed

red seeing that.

"I see……"

After staring at Lux with an intoxicated expression, she quietly

averted her gaze.

In any case, Lux himself would avoid Syvalles’s activity for a while
under the pretense of poor physical health. Behind the scene he
would command Aeril and Alma to fight as Kilzrake’s head.

Page | 328
 If possible he also wanted a lot more other comrades, but thinking
of the aftermath of defeating Queen Raffi, there was no way he
could talk to Lisha and others.

Because if Lux’s rebellion became a known fact, they would get

dragged into it.

At that time he might took Airi and flee to other country.

(Everyone……. Sorry.)

While they loved him and Lux himself also loved them, he might
be unable to answer their feeling.

Even if hypothetically he managed to defeat Sacred Eclipse and

Fugil, he might have to leave this country secretly without anyone
knowing.

His heart felt painful when thinking about the time if it turned out
like that.

"An unseen battle to save the new kingdom. Your qualities as king
are going to be tested once more."(Magialca)

"It’s nothing that exaggerated."

He was simply unable to overlook it quietly.

Of Raffi who was unable to fight against her own weakness and
got possessed by Sacred Eclipse.

Of the people who were tricked by her.

And above all else, the matter of Lisha.

"Well, let’s think about the difficult matter later. We have to

watch the movement of the queen and the hero-dono too. And so,

Page | 329
go take a shower before going back. You also need some rest and
change of mood."

"Understood. Then, please let me borrow the bathroom."

Lux sighed in relieve and climbed the stair of the underground

room just as Magialca told him, heading toward the lodging that was
lend to him above.

"Let me say this beforehand though, do you still haven’t noticed?

About that kid Alma you see. Actually──that kid is descended from
the present royal family of the new kingdom you know?"

"Eh……?"

"Well, it’s fine if you haven’t noticed. It will become clear to you
soon anyway."

Lux tilted his head toward Magialca’s implicative words while

heading toward the large public bath.

He heard that currently there was only Alma who was in the
middle of bathing, but they were both males o there wouldn’t be any
problem. He entered inside.

Lux got out of the cramped changing room and opened the glass
door.

There──.

"I’m coming in, Alma──……-!?"

"KYAAAAAAAH……!?"

The instant he said that and stepped inside, Lux stiffened like rock.

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 What appeared from among the white steam wasn’t the body of a
boy, but the skin color with smooth undulation.

To cut the long story short, it was a girl’s body that was quite
grown up.

"──Wait, EEEEEH!?"

The face undoubtedly belonged to Alma Kilzrake.

"Lux-kuuun, what are you doinggg?"

Aeril who was at the corner of the bathroom glared at Lux with
reproachful eyes.

Naturally she was also naked. Her well fleshed naked body that
was contrary to her androgynous image was radiant.

Lux was flustered by the unexpected situation while remembering

something in surprise.

The woman called Magialca was a ruffian with mischief that didn’t
lose against Relie.

And then above all else, about the secret that Alma hid.

"E, ehh, that……. Err……. Black Hero, sama!? Auu……!?"

The velvety semi long blond hair, that bright red expression, it
made Lux felt a déjà vu.

At the same time, the pieces inside his head slotted into place.

Lisha’s story that he heard in the parade this time came to the
forefront of his mind.

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 [Recently I’m also seeing a dream……. The dream of before and
after the revolution five years ago happened.]

[In the past, do you remember when I talked about my little sister?
For some reason, that girl’s figure comes to my mind right now.]

Almatea.

When Count Atismata was killed and even his family’s residence
and hideout were attacked, that girl was thought to be missing──.

[Surely that girl won’t forgive me if she see me right now. I

betrayed father to keep my own life, on top of that I ascended to the
seat of the princess of the new kingdom, the likes of me is just──]

At the revolution five years ago, Queen Raffi at that time leaked
out information to Waybra.

Because of that the hideout of Lisha’s little sister Alma was

attacked and she was captured.

She was sold to other country and moved from place to place,
before she reached Marcafal Kingdom.

And then, what Alma said to him when investigating the

Garden──.

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

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 .

(I see. She heard about Lisha-sama siding with the old empire from
the attacking soldier!)

Her revenge.

Revenge against her aunt who leaked her location to the enemy,
and her big sisterLisha who broke her promise and sided with the
enemy.

She was trying to make her revenge into reality in the shape of the
new kingdom’s destruction after she finished the mission from
Kilzrake family this time.

"──I, see. So that’s how it is."

That girl idolized the Black Hero who destroyed the old empire and
wanted to become Lux’s subordinate.

It was too much of an adverse fate.

But, the instant he understood that, a scenario surfaced in Lux’s

mind.

"Alma, I want you to talk to me in detail. About your revenge, and

the new kingdom──"

The instant Lux started talking with a serious face, Aeril splashed
him with hot water.

"Do that later! Geez!"

"Sorry……"

Lux instantly recalled that this place was the bathroom.

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Part 4
"Kilzrake family……?"

Half a day later, a letter from new kingdom’s messenger was sent
to the inn where Airi and others were staying.

The content was instruction of a top secret mission addressed to

Syvalles and Relie.

It said, the Grand Force of Garden was stolen by Malcafar

Kingdom’s mafia──Kilzrake family’s Drag-Knight squad, Azure
Division. The mission was to find the group and annihilate them.

And then there was written invitation to receive surgery of

Baptism for partial strengthening.

A royal order was given out in order to rescue the kidnapped Aeril
Vi Arcadia.

Furthermore Lisha who was inside the same room lost her voice
seeing the name of the person who was thought to be the
mastermind.

Almatea Atismata.

The name of the person who would shake the new kingdom’s
existence once more was written there.

Thus, a new curtain was raised of the probing and all-out war
between the new kingdom camp, versus the Azure Division.

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Afterword
Long time no see. This is the author Akatsuki.

It’s sudden but, collecting data is counted as expense in the author

occupation, so it’s an occupation where it seems it’s relatively easy
to travel.

But since I won the competition of GA Bunko-sama ten years ago

and became author (or rather even before that too), I have never
done any decent traveling.

One day, when I was talking with my fellow author, perhaps

because I was tired of something suddenly I slipped out saying 「I
want to travel」. And it was decided to go travelling to Okinawa
following the momentum at that time.

The time was a bit early at the end of July, aiming at just barely
before the rainy season began, but it was the correct choice thinking
of the abnormal heat this year.

Even the sunlight of Naha in July was hellish. I thought I would die
jut from walking fifteen minutes until the station.

However the main objective was snorkeling at the second day in

Zamami Island.

Floating lazily on the sea and putting your face into the water
while looking underwater at the fish or coral or turtle or shark was
great (there was also shark).

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 At the first day we were visited by sudden heavy rain, so we
immediately returned and shut ourselves in the hotel of Naha city,
passing the time that wasn’t any different with the usual, but
Zamami Island where we were going using ferry at the second day
was splendidly sunny. We were able to enjoy the scenery of the
brilliant sea.

When staying in the scenery of southern country that was

decorated with the blue sea that is spreading endlessly, the perfectly
clear sky, the dazzling sunlight and wind, it felt like I could forget the
reality.

I wished to be allowed to talk a bit with snorkeling instructor at

the occasion, but I was told that originally he was from Kyoto and
stayed in the island that he liked.

So there is also that kind of way to live. It felt like I got a bit of
glimpse to another world.

The trip to Okinawa was really fun, so I want to try going

somewhere else again.

Well, my own house is the most relaxing as expected though…….

Well then, it will be great if we can meet again at volume 17.

A certain day at 2018 August Akatsuki Senri

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