Volume 16 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Episode 1 - Pitch Black And Silence And

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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 Arcadia Empire's castle

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Beside the fountain in the castle's courtyard that was decorated with brightly colored plants, aa predicarandfather was blamed because of his remonstration to the emperor He was thrown to the 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 atte proper ht, an occupation that was becoh he didn't have any authority as an imperial prince, he planned to obtain another accoet recognized by the eht to speak, and then gradually changed 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 allowed to use Drag-Ride was very hard for Lux

Others didn't want Lux as the youngest son that was very far fro

He was told like that by the people of the castle He was unable to even touch Sword Device until Fugil obtained permission for hi for hih, his body was still childish and immature Everyday he whipped his immature body to the limit and worked hard until he lost consciousness every tiious talent He obtained strength as a Drag-Ride and produced achievenized at all

He was made to realize his naivety that the opinion on hi

Even after obtaining strength through a probability that was nearly a ht of hiht even worse of him appeared inside the castle and they tried to rereed 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 calil

The for froot from a war

He made appearance in public due to his status as a member of the iet involved with other people An eccentric man

While he possessed a position that could e himself in debauchery and also maintained distance from politics

The first iest brother from a different il's eyes and why he was helping hiarden is old Its appearance look well tended, but it's a il turned his gaze toward 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 with each other, and then changed 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 froether

For Lux whose proposals and advices were completely rejected by the all the people inside the castle, this was the only re hope for him

His little sisterAiri and childhood friendPhiluffy

A hand of salvation was reaching out to hi beloved people

He once got the chance to practice piloting Drag-Ride and obtained strength by piling up an absurd amount of effort

「……Can you, please, wait for a little bithis eldest brother intention

He understood

In order to change everything froround

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

「I don'tTime that has passed won't return back for the second tirandfather 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 others──」

Inside his heart, Lux had decided hoould choose

Even so, he needed ti fro as you like」

In respond the man who saved Lux out froentle s 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 Kingdoate 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 onarok with the outside appearance of a girl clad in pure white dress──Sacred Eclipse

On the jutting out terrace, a tall and lean

──Inconsistency

After the mortal codo control of Avalon

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

The reon Paladins and died

The reality should be like that

But, Lux's consciousness told hi before his eyes weren't drea

The il──

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

Teeks passed after that and the three days of parade in this royal capital was repeated

Strictly speaking, ti 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 in world scale

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

That was the truth that Lux realized

The Divine Rai-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 !?)

Lux shuddered When he looked up to the castle, heon the terrace

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

In respond Lux too also hardened his spirit so to not lose against that

Within the tension that was just a hair away fro, that balance suddenly cruil 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 in bewilderuard that was stationed near the castle gate

「……? Is so the matter, Lux-dono?」

「The parade has just ended and herWe are told to not let anyone pass inside anyent 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 re 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

Lux felt horrified by that reality once 」

Currently it looked like Sacred Eclipse wasn't ra yet

In that case there was still so 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 syste so, Lux turned back toward the path he came from and returned back to the inn where everyone of the Acade

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

His re and then made merry with everyone of the Academy in the bar but──

(Wait? More importantly, what does this il

In the battle that happenedthe raison d'etre of Sacred Eclipse

Its objective was the salvation of the weak

Furtherth to the core of the resistance overnment system

Uneasiness spread inside Lux's chest like dirty mud

With Sacred Eclipse in the castle, did that et was in there?

In any case, the nobles colluding with the old edo Kreutzer were deliberatelyparade 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 others and solved it──

(……However, who is doing this? Just who in the world Fugil and Sacred Eclipse are cooperating with? Just what kind of inforot them killed?)

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『Do you really think that her ht now has the caliber that is worthy bring the new kingdoether? Do you think that she can be entrusted with the future fro someone else──』

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Suddenly the words that he heard froht 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 as one of the four great nobles certainly said so so

At the conversation that ti that he would keep supporting the queen as usual, but in the end the identity of the 『someone ould replace the queen』 was still buried in the dark

Thinking of theleaked or their relationshi+p from thereon, Lux intentionally didn't ask Dist about it at that tiine the answer

Priinally in the Atismata faction

There was no other candidate other than hi Queen Raffi as her close aide

If heKreutzer who atte some kind of information──

(No……, it's still too hasty to decide that it's Pri to solve this incident, there was a need to know everything

What was the secret grasped by the core personage of old edoht and instructed the Automatas to carry out the assassination in order to seal the truth?

The person who conducted that act, if for exadoined, in that case Lux would have to throw himself into a battle of no return

It wouldn't affect Lux alone, itharm 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 hio at 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 leaked out a bitter sed 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 of that should have been created

That was……how it should be

If not, the sacrifice of the io would be──

「──You should look to the front properly when you are walking you know? If not, you will stu」

「Ah……」

Tap, Lux returned to his senses when so there, there was the nostalgic figure of a girl in the middle of the main street that was ju 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 Yht that he would meet her here

「Krulcifer-san!? Why──?」

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

She chuckled and turned her gaze toward a food stand at the irls They said that they are curious of the food of the stalls and won't listen」

Lux followed her gaze and found Soffice as stuffing her cheeks with skeweredcheese cake wrapped in paper

It see the parade first before the formal visitation

But, perhaps they clearly heard Lux and Krulcifer's exchange even within the noisy street Mel walked toward 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 triu like that? My memory is a bit blurry」

When Krulcifer played stupid like that, Soffice too ilutton 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 on Paladins of Ymir Theocracy who had petite stature and platinum colored hair, Mel Gizalut

The representative of Turkimes Confederation who had dark brown skin and black hair, while wearing the characteristic outfit of a foreign country──Seven Dragon Paladins 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 thelad! 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 theialca who he saw in the middle of the parade as illusion created by Avalon's perception manipulation, these two had definite presence which made hi you know? I'h」

「This lad is bold, unlike his appearance」

When Lux held the waist of the two girl with both hands and hugged them, Mel and Soffice who didn't know the situation were surprised while their face was reddening

(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?

Lux was also curious about that, but suddenly he noticed a asped and turned around When he saw Krulcifer there, she turned her gaze aside for some reason and looked doith a complicated expression

「Haa…… The Lux-kun that I know is already nowhere to find He shouldn't be a person who can calirl who isn't even his lover even if it's a reunion with a friend that he hasn'ttime」

Krulcifer unusually aze 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 !? That's, it's, there isn't any particular deep , it's──」

「I didn't notice the lad's hidden feeling…… To think that his positivity level toIt's okay if it's only as far as a kiss」

「Krulcifer, defeat isn't so to feel sha」

Soffice showed a bewildered gesture while her expression was staying blank Mel intentionally ot flustered even ue of the tere related with Ymir Theocracy and Key's Supervisor

「It looks like I was rave face, that hy 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 co Krulcifer-san! Or rather, both of you please stop adding fuel to fire!?」

「Haa…… It can't be helped How about we go off by ourselves? Webut, that's the proain touess the situation and let hio for now

Lux chased after Krulcifer in panic and after giving explanation desperately, they went to take a rest at the central park

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Part 3

「Here Krulcifer-san! I bought snack for you!」

After soothing down his girl classht crepe at a stall and handed it to her

But, although Krulcifer accepted it, her gaze was chilly

「Lux-kun I'm different frolike a crepe」