Volume 5 - CH 2(3/4)
‘I see’, Lux comprehended inside his heart.
It was unclear whether these people had grasped as far until the matter of 『Black Hero』, but Lux understood several things.
Putting aside the intention of the four great nobles, the consuls of the new kingdom were putting their utmost trust in Lux’s strength, on top of that──they wished to make the annihilation of the Abysses as the achievement of the new kingdom’s army, that was their thinking.
Lux was selected to take the decoy role for that reason.
Arcadia Empire lost the majority of their Drag-Knight’s war potential from the coup d’etat five years ago and their military strength was greatly weakened.
The new kingdom was hastening the nurture of the Drag-Knight, but as expected, looking at the whole, it was the fact that there was a large gap opened between the new kingdom’s force and the surrounding large countries.
There, they wanted to use this chance where many important people from various neighboring countries were gathering to demonstrate the new kingdom’s strength to the people and all other countries.
However, skilled Drag-Knight whou could carry out the decoy role was few in number in the new kingdom, and no one wanted to lose their own superior pawn.
They were trying to use Lux was most likely because of such reason.
「If you cooperate with us, the matter of the other day──the unauthorized Ruin investigation by the arbitrary judgment of the headmaster of the royal officer academy you are attending, Relie Aingram, as well as the indiscretion of all of you Syvalles who was going along with it in order to save her. We won’t question those any further. I think that this is not a bad deal, but what do you think?」
「That’s reckless Lord Dist! My brother’s wound is still not fully healed for battle. Carrying out that mission by himself is──」
Airi raised her objection against Dist’s offer.
But,
「──I understand. I’ll do it.」
Lux calmed his breathing in only a moment and clearly answered like that.
「Nii-san!?」
「It’s fine Airi.」
Lux smiled gently in order to calm the worried Airi.
「In the end, this is something that someone has to do. Even the current me will manage somehow, surely.」
「........」
Airi faltered to say further from working her thought to think of various things. Then more voice came from the parliamentary seat.
「Looks like the talk is finished. Then, I’ll speak another demand from us.」
「Eh....?」
The words of one of the four great nobles Zagha that suddenly came caused Airi to knit her eyebrows. The aged man then grinned smugly and raised four of his fingers.
「Four win──. In order to obtain enough Ruin investigation right, we want you to get at least four win. Of course, carrying out the aforementioned decoy role is your top priority still.」
「....What could you mean by that?」
When Airi made a dubious face, Zagha’s narrow eyes narrowed further and he chuckled with a stifled voice.
At the All-Dragon Battle, it would be a round-robin event against each country. This time a total of six battles would be carried out.
In the recent years, the military cadet of each country had grown in strength quite much. Obtaining four victories there was next to impossible.
Nothing could be done about it with just Lux’s strength alone but──.
「It means exactly like how the words sound. It will take some effort to not question the incident we mentioned just now. There is also no way we can just not question the incident of using the Ruin investigation right without authorization itself. Don’t worry, I heard that all of you the selection members of Syvalles are a gathering of powerful people. It will be easy to raise four win in the All-Dragon Battle I’m sure. If needs be, you the Weakest Undefeated can just fight hard for the sake of victory.」
「That’s, no matter what it’s too high-handed──....-!?」
Airi moaned and she prepared to protest further, but her mouth closed against the cold gaze from the consuls that were looking down from the surrounding seat.
The demand of firm promise for obtaining four win in the All-Dragon Battles following the matter of the decoy role.
Lux who had seen the way the old empire did thing in the past could easily read their intention of intentionally forcing difficult tasks to him.
They were preparing a difficult problem that was hard to accomplish in addition of the decoy role matter was so that in the case he was unable to accomplish one of the tasks, they intended to force another troublesome request to him again someday in the future.
They would use this chance to ascertain whether Lux was an existence that was easy to control for the new kingdom or not, and whether he was a beneficial personnel or not. If possible they would want to put a collar on him.
Not a shred of guilt could be seen from such people was because Lux and Airi were criminal from the old empire.
(Aa, this again....)
It was pointless no matter what they said, they who were an existence with weak position.
People like them who held authority would be endlessly self-assured against such weak existence.
Just like the old empire that once imposed tyrannical rule to the people and brought the tide of male chauvinism in the past──.
(Eh? Just now, what did I....?)
Lux asked himself in his mind because of the strange déjà vu.
It was strange. Even though here wasn’t the old empire anymore....why?
But if that was the case──if it was the same like in the past, then it was easy to understand.
If it was the current him, he had even more way to do thing than in the past.
「Understood. Regarding the decoy role for the Abyss extermination and the four win from the All-Dragon Battle. I will undertake both of them.」
「Oo!」
At that moment, cheers and small applause welled up from the stair-shaped parliamentary seat.
Airi looked like she wanted to say something, but after a few moments she hung her head down in resignation.
「It became later than we thought isn’t it? It’s lucky that the rain isn’t strong though──」
A light rain was gently falling on the capital’s townscape.
Countless orange colored lamp colored the scenery brilliantly. Lux and Airi were watching that wondrously beautiful sight while going back to the inn.
After that, there was the briefing session about the detail of the mission where Lux would serve as decoy. He was talking with the military officers about the procedure, terrain information, how to deal with unexpected situation, and so on.
Among those he was a bit concerned about the information which said that Heiburg’s Ruin was gone from sight, but it was something that wasn’t really related with the operation this time, so even when asked for more detail about it there wasn’t any more information.
It would worry him if he made Airi went home alone at night, so he made her waited for long, but when it came to that Airi──.
「Haa....」
Like that, since some time ago she only kept sighing with a depressed expression.
「How about wearing this if it’s cold? I also brought a coat just in case though──」
「That’s not it! I’m not cold anywhere! I’m worrying about Nii-san here you know!?」
Airi said that with a loud voice that was unusual for her. But after that she suddenly returned to her senses and shut her mouth.
Perhaps she was embarrassed about her loud voice, her cheeks were slightly reddening. She averted her gaze and resumed walking.
「Thank you for worrying about me. But, I’m fine. If it’s about me──」
「At that time, why didn’t Nii-san say that you cannot use Bahamut....」
Airi showed her back toward Lux who stopped his feet and asked that while walking ahead.
「....I understand. If they don’t know about the matter of the Black Hero, then we cannot disclose it intentionally. But, if it’s Nii-san then you know aren’t you? The meaning, of what I’m saying──」
And then, Airi stood still and turned around to stare at Lux.
Due to the recoil of using Over Limit, Lux experienced extreme fatigue and burden.
He was recovered until a state where he could use Drag-Ride once more was only a few days ago.
In Airi’s calculation, he could only use Bahamut for twelve minutes during the period of All-Dragon Battle.
If Lux used Wyvern, he could use it continuously to a certain degree, but even so it was unclear whether he could serve as a decoy against a large army of Abysses by himself.
「The meaning is different you know? Having only a Wyvern to lure the enemy while continuously escaping, and having Bahamut in reserve so that if I feel like it I can use it to escape while defeating Abyss are two different things──」
No matter even if he had the Scale Blade that Lisha developed, it was impossible to continuously execute the counter technique Critical Hit when he was surrounded by a large number.
Also, because the situation would greatly vary depending on the number and variety of the Abyss, he would have to deal with many kind of diverse offense. Dealing with that would surely fray his nerves.
Most of the consuls were taking an optimistic view because they heard that Lux had taken part in Ragnarok extermination, but the matter wasn’t that simple.
「Besides, there is the promise that we will obtain four win in the All-Dragon Battle too──the fact is that Nii-san who will carry out the decoy role will become unable to go out in the second half of the match where your appearance is scheduled, and yet forcing that kind of demand is....」
Airi whispered with a grieving expression. Lux floated an apologetic smile toward such Airi.
「Even so, as I thought, I think that it’s something that I should do.」
In the end, it was like that.
The consuls forced a difficult problem on him, but their strategy and decision themselves weren’t mistaken.
Using decoy would end it with the minimum death and wounded from the military and made it easier to annihilate the Abysses.
And then, if Lux rejected it, then someone else would have to do it in his place.
Rather than having Lisha or Celis, or perhaps Philuffy to become the candidate for such role, doing it himself let him felt more at ease.
Lux and Airi walked side by side. From the main road they entered into a narrow street where there wasn’t any sign of people.
Because of the night’s darkness and the rain, the light and temperature at the surrounding suddenly felt like they were dropping drastically.
「....Haa, in the end it turned out like this. If I at least can come along, I will be able to protect Nii-san a little, that was what I thought when coming here but──」
Airi whispered in melancholy.
However, Lux’s body moved reflexively faster than he could reply at her words.
「──Watch out-!」
「Kyah....!?」
Lux quickly pushed down Airi who was walking in front of him down on the street’s stone paving.
Lux covered the back of Airi’s head with his hand so it wouldn’t hit the ground but,
「Wha, what are you doing all of sudden!?」
Right after Airi who was pushed down as though being embraced yelled that, the sound of a violent cutting wind was passing through in high speed right above Lux and Airi who were ducking down.
Airi who saw that became speechless and her body froze.
The raining royal capital at night with no presence of people.
A dragon of atypical shape was floating at the air above that street.
「My ba-ad, getting in the way of your fun date like this.」
「You are...., from the afternoon──」
The dull colored hair with a part of the bangs standing on end, and dangerous sanpaku eyes.
A selection member of Wanheim Principality, and one of the candidates for the Seven Dragon Paladin, Greifer.
His tone and attitude was lackadaisical like usual, but his presence was clearly different from before. He was emitting a definite hostility toward Lux and Airi.
「──What is your intention?」
「That’s my line y’know? Don’t play dumb and handover the culprit already. If you do that then I too won’t need to attack you.」
Greifer was saying strange thing in response to Lux’s question.
「What are you talking about!? We didn’t do any──」
「....Just now one of our selection member, he was attacked nearby the inn where we are staying by your country’s guard──a Drag Knight.」
「Eh....!?」
Lux and Airi raised a bewildered voice hearing Greifer’s words.
「I also saw the new kingdom’s crest so it ain’t a mistake yeah? It was a Drake-type and he escaped right away, but without a doubt our student was assaulted in a surprise attack.」
One Drag-Knight who was serving as guard of the new kingdom was ambushing the representative student of other country.
Such thing should be impossible.
But, looking at the Greifer in front of them who was looking dangerous, it didn’t look like he was lying at all.
「The attack was using Breath Gun from long range, so fortunately it wasn’t fatal yeah. But both his legs were broken, it was hopeless that he’d make it for the match tomorrow. I’m gonna have you settle the bill for that. Any objection?」
「-....!? Putting aside whether your story is the truth or not, why are you aiming at us!?」
When Airi objected, Greifer snorted scornfully and showed a wicked look.
「Don’t play dumb this late. Fundamentally any representative of other country don’t know anything like where are we staying y’know? Except you new kingdom bunches who assigned the inn for us to stay.」
「....Kuh.」
‘This is bad’, thinking that, Lux resolved himself in his heart.
The truth of the incident was completely shrouded in mystery, but the point Greifer mentioned was indeed correct. It was obvious that Greifer had no intention of backing away. Then,
「──Come, the symbol of power the winged dragon of crest. Obey my sword and take flight, Wyvern!」
Lux quickly pulled out his Sword Device from its sheath and summoned Wyvern in front of him.
He immediately wore that armor. Right after that, Greifer laughed.
「I’ll introduce it before killing you. The name of the Divine Drag-Ride I got is <Cuelebre>. Here I go ruined prince──Weakest Undefeated-sama!」
「Both of you, please wait! Doing this here is──」
The moment Airi yelled, the two Drag-Rides moved at the same time.
Lux’s Wyvern slashed up while flying and Cuelebre descended rapidly while its Blade stabbed downward. The two weapons collided and sharp sound of blade clashing and sparks scattered.
「Airi! Return to our inn and tell Relie-san about this matter, confirm about the mentioned guard! I’ll stop him here alone.」
「Nii-san-!?」
Airi yelled seeing Lux raising his voice with unusual tension in it.
「──I’m relying on you. Be careful.」
After telling her that, Lux lightly glided and fixed his posture midair.
Right after the momentary clash, the shoulder armor of Lux’s Wyvern was shallowly gouged.
(This is, bad──)
Even if the fact that Lux wasn’t in full health was taken away, this man called Greifer was considerably skilled.
There were two reasons why Lux didn’t request Airi to ask for help from Divine Drag-Knight user like Lisha and others.
One, in order to prevent this incident from turning big.
And then the other reason was because he understood that this was an opponent that might harm even Lisha and co.
In that case there was no way Lux could call for help from them here.
「You’ve got it in you huh, former prince-sama. Defending against my sword with a mere general purpose Drag-Ride, not just that, you even shift the trajectory of my rush so that your little sis won’t get dragged into this. But」
Greifer readied his large Blade──a weirdly shaped blade with the length of its blade reaching around two mel. Then he circulated the energy from his Force Core through it.
「If you think that this is me being serious, then that will concern my honor yeah.」
The air was thick with tension that felt like it was electrifying the skin.
The moment the tension heightened until the limit, Cuelebre moved.
Cuelebre was clad in violent gale that was visible with naked eye and charged forward like a bullet.
At the same time a slash that was several level faster than before drew an arc and assaulted the Wyvern, it was then──that long blade shined faintly and its length extended several times over.
「Wha-....!?」
The weapon transformed in the middle of slashing.
It was most likely──Cuelebre’s special armament.
The Scale Blade couldn’t make it in time to block the attack from the midway transformation that suddenly occurred.
Greifer’s Blade was falling toward the Wyvern’s shoulder by grazing the Blade Lux was holding, it was then──,
「Nn?」
*PAAN!* A whirling air burst in front of their eyes and both of them were sent flying backward.
Right after their blades clashed at the beginning, Lux amassed energy in advance to use Howling Howl for holding back the opponent. He immediately released it just now and barely blocked a direct hit on his self.
But, Greifer who fixed his balance in only a single instant didn’t pause and pursued after Lux who was attempting to escape to the opposite direction using the momentum of Howling Howl.
The townscape of the royal capital consisted of countless high and low buildings packed close to each other.
One wrong step and they would crash. In such situation, the two skillfully weaved through the buildings and flew in high speed.
「So you dodged my <Tail Blade(Dragon Tail Connecting Blade)> at first sight. Looks like it ain’t that much of an exaggeration that they called your defense unrivaled huh.」
Greifer smiled fearlessly while driving his Cuelebre and unleashed an attack toward Lux who was intently retreating to take some distance.
「Kuh....!?」
Lux was called as the Weakest Undefeated because he carried out many mock battle in the capital by devoting himself to defense, but the attack of this young man called Greifer was terribly hard to see through.
The sharp slash of the Tail Blade that could transform its range and trajectory midway, and Greifer’s timing in throwing Dagger the moment Lux reacted to it was superb. It couldn’t be dealt with by ordinary means.
Lux was also holding back the opponent using Howling Howl and Breath Gun, but just a bit of attack didn’t even budge Cuelebre that possessed solid armor and barrier.
Therefore Lux couldn’t exchange attack with the opponent equally and he was forced to a one-sided defensive battle.
In a glance, Greafer’s offensive was just a simple brute force but──there was no pause between his attacks.
If there was a building at Lux’s right side, Greifer would deal out a slash from the left. He limited the escape path, and on top of that he also threw a Dagger as extra attack.
If Lux dodged just barely, Greifer would use Breath Gun and Cannon in conjunction and stopped him in his track.
It was attacking in waves like a storm.
It was like how a skilled hunter would cut the escape paths of his prey one by one, controlling the prey’s movement while chasing after it, cornering the prey with certainty.
At first Lux could perfectly dodge Greifer’s attack, but the number and power of the attacks were gradually increasing. The barrier of the Wyvern was gradually pierced and the surface of its armor was starting to get scratched.
「You’re using a rare Blade there but──it’d be better for your health if you aren’t stingy y’know? In two or three more attacks, I’m gonna chop you up.」
Greifer’s Blade struck down vertically along with that declaration.
But when Lux was blown away backward, Greifer noticed something odd and stopped moving.
「....Hm? This place, where in──?」
There were few lighting around and the air was quiet like a lake surface.
It was the new block of the royal capital──the redeveloped district.
It was a place where there would be a lot of construction worker, but at night it was mostly an empty lot.
Lux was estranged with the terrain of the capital these days, but he executed his plan by relying on his memory of the capital’s map that he saw when he was summoned just now.
「──I see, so you made a show like you are getting cornered while it’s actually you who are luring me in? Into this place where it’s okay even if we rampage a bit.」
Greifer who grasped Lux’s plan grinned and readied his sword.
「Man, that’s terrifying yeah. A guy who can match me this far by using general purpose Drag-Ride ain’t that many even at Wanheim Principality. That’s why it’s a pity──that I‘m gonna have to crush you here.」
Suddenly Greifer’s atmosphere changed with his tone and expression looked arrogant.
He used his empty left hand to pull out his Sword Device, held it as though he was sending thought to it, and then he returned it into the sheath once more.
It was a Drag-Ride control motion to sharpen one’s nerve for the mind control operation.
(No good──don’t tell me, he is planning to use Divine Raiment!?)
Greifer sent a piercing eye glint toward Lux’s Wyvern, and then he held aloft his Tail Blade really high that the sword blade couldn’t be seen from the front.
「It’s too late even if you notice it this late y’know, Weakest Undefeated!」
Lux who felt the alarming sign jumped back. At that moment, Greifer threw three Daggers and cut the escape path to the back while he charged forward.
「Kuh....!」
Greifer had anticipated that Lux would take distance by moving backward, and on top of that he accelerated extremely by predicting that escape trajectory.
Normally, Lux’s style was to see through the preliminary movement of the enemy’s attack and, but now his action to move at a spacious place where he had breathing room in order to neutralize the opponent’s initial speed and power was aimed at by Greifer.
In other words, this man called Greifer had predicted Lux’s defensive action.
An opening would be created if he deflected the Dagger using his Blade.
Therefore, the moment he deflected the Dagger using Howling Howl, Greifer circled to right beside Lux.
「──This is my win yeah? Prince-sama]
He swung the quickly transforming multi-joint blade, aiming at Lux’s torso.
But at that moment, Lux who should be taken by surprise met the tip of that blade precisely with the tip of his Scale Blade.
Lux’s movement that looked like his escape was cut off was a bluff to entice Greifer into a narrow place.
Lux deliberately got cornered into a place that was surrounded by building to limit the angle of attack of his opponent so he could aim for a counter using Critical Hit.
The perfect timing.
The tip of the Tail Blade that extended out in order to aim for Lux, just when Lux thought he would be able to destroy it completely,
「──<Photon Dive>」
「....!?」
The moment both weapons crossed, Cuelebre’s whole body was enveloped in blazing light.
Immediately after, the Scale Blade’s barrier that Lux generated rebounded from the light and Lux was blown backward.
「U, ah....!?」
Lux who was blown away while rolling on the ground crashed onto a huge clock tower.
He didn’t receive lethal wound, but impact ran through the flying device on his Wyvern’s back wings. Letters of light floated in front of his eyes, displaying the decreasing output.
(Damn it....! I cannot avoid──the next attack.)
Lux immediately laid out a barrage of Breath Gun, and he further threw Daggers to hold back the opponent.
But, both attacks were easily deflected by the light enveloping Cuelebre and lost their effect.
「This is──, that Drag-Ride’s Divine Raiment....!?」
Deflecting the opponent’s attack──even the barrier of normal Drag-Ride could possibly achieve such feat, but normally if a Drag-Ride’s barrier blocked an attack, it would result in some amount a backlash for the Drag-Ride.
But, that blazing light which was enveloping the armor didn’t cause any backlash for the user.
「Correct answer. The ability of Cuelebre’s Divine Raiment is 『invicibility』. In a state where I am enveloped by this light, all kind of attacks woulda get deflected, what’s more I’m the only one who can attack one-sidedly. I’m teaching you that after all your effort──that’s the prize for fighting me until this far with just a mere general purpose Wyvern.」
「Ku....」
Lux groaned. Right after that, the light enveloping Cuelebre vanished as thought it had burned out.
It seemed that invincibility could only be maintained for just around few seconds, but for the current Lux, he couldn’t hold out even if the enemy didn’t have that.
(Even though I cannot use Bahamut here──)
「Killing you will make it troublesome later so I’m not gonna kill you, but I’ll have you meet the same fate like my comrade whose legs were broken!」
Greifer lifted up his Tail Blade to aim at Lux who was buried under rubble, but then,
*BASHII-!* A Wire Tail(Dragon Tail Rope Wire) stretching from behind entangled that one hand and stopped it.
「──That’s as far as you go, Greifer!」
The true identity of the intruder became clear along with that refined soprano voice.
Behind Cuelebre there was the silhouette of an EX Wyvern before anyone noticed it.
The Drag-Knight clad in armor was the young man with androgynous face that was with Greifer before, Coral.
He wasn’t wearing pilot suit but the uniform of his own school must be because he was hurriedly rushing to here.
「Please forgive his rudeness. Our leader ran by himself──」
「Oi, why are you stopping me? And then what are you doing apologizing as you please huh, Coral? What I’m doing here is a justified revenge y’know?」
「Did you see him as the one actually doing it? If not then there is no proof at all. As long as the culprit isn’t caught and interrogated, this is nothing but false accusation and violence from our side. You understand that don’t you?」
Greifer showed a grave look. But Coral also didn’t concede at all. He retorted back with a cool tone.
Based from his dignified attitude, it wasn’t hard to imagine that this young man whose appearance looked like a girl was also hiding an equal strength with Greifer.
「Keh! I got it already honor student-sama. Aa-aa, that’s why I hate you.」
Greifer spat out as though he lost interest before he sheathed his sword and dispelled his armor.
Coral who saw that then approached the clock tower where Lux crashed onto.
「Are you all right? Any injury──」
「No. I’m still fine, more or less.」
Lux told so to Coral who was holding out his hand toward Lux worriedly. Lux then went down to the ground with his own strength.
Certainly he didn’t have any serious injury or damage.
But, it was only him escaping such thing with a paper-thin difference, if Coral was late several second, he didn’t know what would happen to him.
「By all right, this matter have to be reported and discussed with the judge panel of the All-Dragon Battle and, but....」
Coral also went down and dispelled his armor. Then he muttered that with an awkward look.
By all rights, the selection members for the All-Dragon Battle from each country weren’t permitted to battle each other outside the arena. In the case that rule was broken, the offender would be banned from participating──or depending on the situation, the represented country would also be disqualified.
Because this time it was Greifer who inititated the fight, that rule should be applied to him, but Lux shook his head.
「No. It’s fine if we treat this matter as never happened. I don’t know about the detail, but it seemed that the new kingdom’s guard attacked your member first..... I too don’t want to make this into a big problem.」
「It also cannot be like that. At the very least we have to check whether you are injured or not──if you tell me where is the capital’s hospital is located, I’ll accompany you there.」
「Oooi, honor student. Since when you became the new kingdom’s aide huh?」
「You just shut up over there.」
Coral scolded with red face when Greifer pointed out with casual tone.
Lux was thankful for Coral’s consideration, but Lux too didn’t intend to prolong this matter for more than this.
「I’m really all right. Rather than that, our -->>