In the Hangar Storage of the Crossfield Academy, where the student's Drag-Knights gets repairs and upgrades. Students have been gathered there as they were all called for an emergency meeting by their instructors who was ordered to launch out for battle.
"I thank you all for coming. I want to keep these pleasantries as simple as possible so let's start things off with the state-wide alarm." Raigree spoke out while facing the group of students who are wearing their Drag-Ride suits on. "in this early dawn, a large swarm of Abyss Monsters have been spotted coming straight for the city from the north section of our kingdom's territory." She turns and picks up a pointing stick that she taps to a map showing the layout of their entire city. "Presently, the Drag-Knights of the New Kingdom's Security Force is working their way to the enemy in order to supress them. We are also preparing a battle to organize an interception force, so stand by until there is further notice and instructions from our superiors."
"Yes, Ma'am!" the students replied with a nod before saluting and then leaving.
As the group leaves, Lux and Airi came into the scene as they watched the group leaving the hangar.
"Seems that the New Kingdom is going to dispatch them on the force." Lux said while seeing the group getting ready for launch by doing some stretches or talking with one another about strategies that they need to have. "if their numbers outmatches the enemy forces…"
"It won't be enough." A voice is heard as Lux and Airi turns to see Krulcifer leaning against a tree near them. "Considering that they are all still cadet Drag Knights and all."
"Are you not going to be sortied out too, Krulcifer-san?" Airi asks and Krulcifer shakes her head in response.
"I'm placed here as a protector of the academy." Krulcifer stated. "basically, I'm on standby to protect the academy in case the troops fall and the Abyss comes invading."
"I see…" Lux spoke with a small head nod before he glances at the group and sees that Lisharte is amongst them. "even the Princess?"
"She's a part of the Chivalric Order." Airi told her brother. "she has to leave in state of emergency and therefore must do her duties as a Drag-Knight. Even if she is the princess and all."
Lux stares at Lisharte who noticed him and glances back before quickly looking away.
at the north section of the Fort City, a large swarm of purple gas is flowing straight for the city. this unknown substance of air just flows through the land and caused grass, trees, flowers, wildlife, everything that is in its way to be corroded to ashes.
Amongst the purple gas, a blue blob of jelly like substance is swarming its way to the city before its movement was stopped by the City's Drag-Knights forces that came and faced it.
Lisha and her team had been deployed as they watch the large blue bob monster that is just squirming and pulsating like it's a living slime.
"Is this thing…an Abyss?" Lisharte asks as she was unsure that this creature was their enemy.
As Lisharte and her team looks at the slime creature, it suddenly grew very large and then creates slime tentacles that thrusts themselves at the group.
"Disperse!" Lisharte shouted as her team all scattered in the skies to avoid the slime tentacles. After dodging the attacks, the blonde haired ruby princess equipped on her Drag-Knight's gun and aimed it at the slime. "counter attack!"
Soon rains of magic bullets came raining down upon the slime monsters as the Drag-Knights all attacked it with no mercy.
The bullets flies and cause holes on the slime monsters, but seeing how they all just went pass it, it is suffice to say that it didn't do much damage.
"Lisha-sama! our attacks aren't working!" Tilfur who is with the group, cried out as she sees how the slime grows back even larger than before. "it's just regenerating after our attacks!"
"Keep on firing!" Lisharte exclaimed as she continues to fire her Drag-knight's long range weapon which was followed by the other Drag-knights. "This thing is bound to not able to regenerate for long! Focus on stopping its advance to the city!"
"Yes!" the other Drag-Knights responded in unison.
The group started to fire relentlessly at the large slime monster as their attacks would only just make holes that regenerate by the passing second.
"Why doesn't this thing?!" Lisha looks frustrated at the sight of their attacks not giving out any results. The Princess of the Kingdom then caught sight of a blueish white orb that is moving around in the slime's body. "is that?" she squinted her eyes and aimed her rifle at the orb and then pulled the trigger in firing one large round that flew and hits the orb which shattered and cause the large slime to instantly dissolve.
"you did it, Lisha-sama!" "so that ball thing was it's core, huh?" "to think that it was its weakpoint." The Triad came near Lisha who pulls up her Drag-Knight's rifle before swinging it to the side.
"Yeah, but it's weird." Lisha said as this got the Triad's attention. "Why would this Abyss Monster be coming here? and why would it have such a noticeable weak spot?"
"now that you mentioned it…" "it is strange that such a monster could easily be defeated in mere seconds." "just what could this mean?" the Triad conversed while Lisha looks upon the Slime monster's remains and soon made a noise when she sees that the dissolved liquid slowly turns black.
"All units! Be ready! That thing isn't dead yet!" Lisha announced out loud as this got everyone's attention to the black liquid which suddenly just increases upon the land before it changed its form from liquid into gas that took form of Abyss' Gargoyle Monsters.
"From its remains!?" "Gargoyles came about!?" Tillfur and Shalice looks in shock.
"just what is going on!?" Lisha exclaimed as the group begins to fire their weapons at the Gargoyle monsters that came flying in large numbers.
As the group was fighting, someone lurked by and just smirks at the scene while holding a strange horn shaped flute in his grasp.
Back upon the Hangar Base, Lux made a noise as he turns towards the direction of the current battle's location.
"This noise…" Lux mumbled out.
"a Flute." Philuffy's voice is heard as Lux sees her standing nearby. The absentminded looking girl stares at the sky. "this noise…is coming from a flute." She then looks down with a small frown on her face. "I don't like it. it's uncomfortable.."
"Phi-chan…" Lux looks at her before he turns and looks to the sky where he could see black smoke arising into the air. "Where it's coming is from…" he turns and came face to face with Airi who stood behind him. "Airi."
"You're going to go there, aren't you?" Airi asks and Lux nodded which made her frown for a moment. "are you really sure about this, Nii-san?"
"I am and I won't change my decision." Lux said in a serious voice before he smiles to his little sister. "don't worry, I'll be alright. I'm not alone after all."
Airi looks at her brother for a moment before she smiles and nodded.
"be careful, alright?" Airi asks her brother who nodded before he begins to make his prep by changing into his flight uniform but as he did, he passes by Krulcifer who was standing nearby in silence.
"please guard this place." Lux asks Krulcifer who merely nodded her head while closing her eyes.
Lux nods to her in gratitude before he leaves straight for the changing room.
"Do you plan to save them?"
Bahamut's voice is heard in Lux's mind as the young man was taken into the mindscape of darkness in meeting with the black dragon directly. the large reptilian creature stood on its hind legs and is staring down upon the young white-haired teen with his crimson red eyes.
"i.." Lux spoke out before he looks down while grasping his hands into clenched hard fists. "I'm going to save them."
"For what reason do you have to save them?" the dark dragon asks while squinting his eyes. "have you forgotten that you belong to the Empire that had enslaved her people before?"
"even so…" Lux mumbled as he thought back to the time the Empire of Arcadia burst into flames and chaos rains upon it. "I…I want to stop this all from ever happening again."
Bahamut stares down upon Lux before the dragon slowly goes down on all four and then rests its head upon its arms.
"Do as you wish." Bahamut spoke as the Dragon stares at Lux while slowly closing its eyes. "but remember, my power is only granted when I desire it."
"I know." Lux said before his mind is returned to the present place, he closed his eyes for a moment before he opened them, and his eyes turned darkish red reptilian and glows a menacing crimson glow.
Returning to the battlefield. The Drag-Knight squadron dispatched to fight against the Abyss is in a poor destroyed state as their numbers were falling in their battle against the Gargoyle Abyss Monsters.
"Everyone! Reform our formation!" Lisharte gives out a command while she is constantly firing her projectile weaponry at the monsters. "those who can fight keep on fighting! Those who cannot, go and retreat! Inform the kingdom about this invasion and send reinforcement!"
As Lisha keeps on fighting, a single Drag-knight appeared hovering above her and this appearance caught her attention.
"looks like you have gotten used to acting like a princess, eh? Lisharte-sama?" the Drag-Knight's pilot spoke as Lisharte made a noise in seeing their appearance is that of a man who she appears to be familiar with. "But you know? You aren't of such caliber."
"You! You're from the royal capital! The commander who deployed the troops of the Royal Capital!" Lisharte exclaimed as she is familiar with the man before her.
"You are mistaken." The man said with a smirk. "I came from the Empire Capital. My name is Ragreed Forus, Captain of the Guard of the Arcadia Empire Chivalric Order."
"to think that you joined the New Kingdom only to betray it!" Lisharte growls in anger. During the destruction of the old Empire, The Drag-Knights survivors which were on the Empire side were once put in jail as war criminals. However, those who pledged allegiance to the New Kingdom and were proven their innocence became once again officers as the New Kingdom's Drag-Knights, but that is not the case for Ragreed who is soon joined by many more Drag-Knights who bear the insignia of the old Empire.
"Do not say a disgraceful thing like betraying." Ragreed grins. "We all have simply returned to Justice and returned to our original roots."
"Damnit!" Lisharte gritted her teeth as she sees the large number of the enemy forces.
"Lisha-sama! we need to withdraw!" Tillfur's voice is heard to Lisha's ear via a magic communication line. "A fight with this level of military power is dangerous!"
"like hell I can!" Lisha exclaimed while constantly firing at the Abyss monsters and enemy Drag-knights that came and tried to kill her. "if we let this guy go through us, they'll come straight for the kingdom and destroy everything!" she grits her teeth as she defended against a Gargoyle Monster that she killed by ramming the barrel of her weapon into its mouth and fired a shot that blasted its head off. "I cannot retreat!"
"If you die, then the Kingdom will fall!" Shalice's voice is heard. "you're the New Kingdom's princess! If we lose you!"
"just shut up and let me focus on killing these bastards!" Lisha shouted as she flies into the air and creates a magic circle above her. "Spray Shot!" a rain of energy blast came raining down upon the enemy forces as it caused many to fall and get killed but a large few survived and continued to fight. "I won't let them come near our kingdom at all!"
While Lisharte is fighting against the enemies, Ragreed just watches from a safe distance with a smirk on his face.
"that's it, Princess. Just keep on fighting." Ragreed said as he chuckles in watching how Lisharte keeps on fighting against his forces that are slowly but surely weakening her. "Fight till your very last breath."
Lisharte fires her weapons at the enemies but as the time goes by, her strength slowly depletes itself and her body can barely keep on the fight.
"at this rate…" Lisharte grits her teeth as she keeps on firing against the enemies before one Gargoyle got behind her with its claws at the ready. "wha?!" she tried to defend but the creature instantly swings down her claws and sends her crashing to the ground. "agggh!"
"now! Fire!" Ragreed commanded his forces before using his flute as his Drag-knight subordinates and Gargoyle monsters unleashed their fury upon Lisharte who grunts in pain before seeing the incoming attacks that cause a huge explosion upon her.
With the retreating forces, they see the explosion and could only believe that the worse had come for their leader.
"Lisha-sama!" "Princess!" Tillfur and Shalice cried out.
Ragreed looks at the explosion as he could only laugh in joy to see it.
"hahahahaha! That's right! Be burned in the flames of the Empire's flames~!" Ragreed laughs out loud as he just laughs before he notices a red glow from the smoke. "huh?" he looks closer and sees that Lisharte survived the blast by creating a magic defense barrier which disintegrates into sparkles after cracking. "tch! She's more harder to kill than a cockroach!"
Lisharte grunted as she slowly gets back up but her Drag-Knight Armor is failing her after receiving the shockwave of the blast that makes electrical sparks dance around its limbs.
"please…give me more strength, Tiamat." Lisharte whispers as she looks up and sees Ragreed descending and now stands upon the land.
"Well done in surviving the blast, Princess." Ragreed complimented with an annoyed look that made a smirk. "but in your current pathetic state, it's all over."
"heh! You're supposed to say that when you actually win!" Lisharte said with a smirk. "though, I think you're just all bark and no bite considering you let your minions do all the work!"
Her words instantly infuriates Ragreed who held up his flute that he played once in making all the Abyss monster stay afloat in the air.
"if you really wish to die by my hands, I shall give it to you!" Ragreed said as he wields his Drag-knight's main base sword and then flies straight for Lisharte who wields her own.
Both Drag-Knights engaged in a sword combat battle as sparks flies the moment their blades crossed.
"raaahh!" "Aaaahh!" Ragreed and Lisharte cried out.
Ragreed jumps and swings down his sword but Lisharte countered and then swings her sword down to slash against the man who blocks and then kicks her away.
This battle of theirs continued upon the land as both didn't let a chance to kill the other pass at all.
"take this!" Ragreed shouted as he grabs a part of Lisharte's Drag-knight by the shoulder and then proceeds to cut it right off the motors before proceeding to kick the woman away.
"aaahhh!" Lisharte screams in pain as her Drag-knight falls to the ground with a big thud.
The Princess tried to get back up, but Ragreed came and slammed the right foot of his Drag-Knight upon Lisharte's Drag-Knight's left arm then pins the Armor's structure by stabbing his knife near the girl's head, just inches from actually causing any harm.
"This position. it gives so much memories, doesn't it?" Ragreed asks with a smirk upon Lisharte's current state. "your look of pain, dismay, and anger yet with a hint of fear. I truly remember that face of yours, Princess.." his smirk grew diabolical. "or should I say, little Slave?"
"Who are you calling a Slave?!" Lisharte shouted before Ragreed reaches down an arm and grabs her by the waist, but in actuality he is grabbing the part of her uniform that covers her stomach. "w-what are you!?"
"what am I doing? I'm just asserting my dominance upon a slave of mine." Ragreed said as he smirks and then laughs while he rips off the uniform to reveal a marking upon Lisharte's abdomen. "Did you forget this mark!? This mark that I gave to you!?" he laughs even more as he sees the fear in the princess' eyes upon the moment her uniform was torn and the mark is revealed. "this Mark of a Slave!"
A soundless scream was squeezed out from Lisharte's throat as her mind made flashbacks of a terrorizing past of her being held down and just screaming in tears to the sight of a pole that is burning red with the mark of the Old Arcadia Empire that is ready to be stamped upon her.
"that's the face~! That's the face I like to see upon you~!" Ragreed laughs. "The face of utter fear and terror! The face of a wimping child~! Hahahahaha~!" he then wields his sword near her face before slowly lifting it up into the air. "now! Let's see that face turned into despair, pain, and utter terror upon your very death~!"
'no..' Lisharte cried in terror as she sees Ragreed's sword reaches the air and its blade turned sideways. 'no! i! i! I don't want to die! Help me! anyone! Please! Please help me!'
"DIE!" Ragreed shouted as his sword came swinging down upon Lisharte and in that moment time slowed down and everything turned grey.
Lisharte's eyes watches the sword's blade come to end her life before it suddenly disintegrates into ashes when a burst of black fire came by and grabbed the weapon that became broken and time progress as it was.
"w-wha!?" Ragreed looks in surprise as so did Lisharte who turns and made a surprised noise when she sees Lux standing near her, the young man wearing his flight uniform while holding up his right arm that is burning in black flames. "who the hell are you!?"
"Lux…Arcadia?" Lisharte mumbled out while looking upon Lux who had saved her in the nick of time.
"Lisharte-sama, are you well?" Lux asks while keeping his eyes on Ragreed. "can you move?"
It took a moment for Lisharte to respond as the blonde-haired, red-eyed princess nodded while slowly moving her Tiamat that is barely able to comply with her wishes.
"y-you..why are you here? Lisharte looks at the young teen who just faced their enemy.
"I came to defeat that man and his army." Lux said as he went and placed a hand to his Black Sword Device's handle. "just that."
"e-even for you, that's suicide!" Lisharte exclaimed but Lux didn't listen as he takes a few steps forward and faced Ragreed.
"I don't know who you are, but you shall regret this day of your coming death!" Ragreed shouted as he takes out his flute and then plays it once to command the Abyss Monsters to go on the attack.
The Abyss monster's actions made the Arcadia Army go on the attack as they ready their weapons in an instant.
Lux grabs his Black Sword Device and then drew it out of its scabbard. He held the weapon upwards, and its dark blade shines sharply before showing the reflection of a dark being with red eyes within it. the young man closes his eyes as he extends his hold on his sword while tracing a hand over its blade that has red swirling lines appearing all over its blade.
"Manifest. The Devourer of the Gods and the Bringer of Death. Bring Terror to those who oppose you!" Lux opens his eyes that are demonic and draconic at the same time while glowing bright. "Reveal yourself, Dragon of Death!" the young man raised his sword and is soon enveloped in a darkish red energy that burns like fire while taking the form of a large and almighty looking black dragon with demonic eyes. "Bahamut!"
Lisharte shields her eyes as the burning black dragon flaps its wings and shrouds Lux who gets enveloped in a very bright reddish black light.
The Gargoyles flew straight for the light which soon turns into black flames from where a pair of red eyes flashes and a black figure flew out of the flames then flies pass the Abyss monsters which gets sliced into pieces before bursting into black smoke.
"w-what is this!?" Ragreed looks in shock as the black figure flew around in the sky and takes down his Drag-knight subordinates one by one while killing the Abyss Monsters that were flying around. "Who is that man!?"
As Ragreed tried to think on who Lux is, the Bahamut Drag-Knight suddenly appears in front of him with his eyes flashing red under the black dragon face helmet's visor.
"a Black Divine Drag-Knight!? You can't be!" Ragreed exclaimed in shock before he coughs out blood and saliva after receiving a strong punch to the stomach by Lux who followed it up by grabbing the man's face and then slamming him to the ground which cracks and breaks. "agghh!"
The Black Drag-knight stares down upon Ragreed's form before his eyes flashes red under his visor and black flames began to burst around the wings while slowly taking form of a large beast's head with crimson red reptilian eyes that could burn into one's soul.
"Blast Flare." Lux spoke out as his Drag-Knight had numerous glowing red neon marks appearing all over its frame which soon gathers to its right arm that held Ragreed's face.
A second later, an explosion occurred as it blew out smoke and dust everywhere.
Lisharte shielded her eyes as the blast came right upon where Lux and Ragreed were at.
The dust blows out for a few seconds before it settled down and Lisharte opens her eyes to see Lux standing over the defeated Ragreed whose Drag-knight Armor is completely destroyed. The princess of the Kingdom now seeing the Black Drag-Knight's true form as it is unlike any other Drag-Knight that she has ever seen.
Form that is nearly alike that of a full plated armored knight in a shade of black that is incredibly dark as the abyss of the night, and a form that is a fusion of a dragon and a demon. It truly lives up to its name as a Black Drag-Ride.
Lux looks down upon Ragreed from the visor of his helmet which splits open to reveal his face.
"To think that you would plan this after the fall of the Empire…" Lux spoke out before he closed his eyes. "no, I should assume that all former Empire's citizens would want to do this after all." he turns and was about to walk away when Lisharte called out to him.
"Wait!" the princess shouted. "just wait!"
"What is it?" Lux asks while glancing at the princess.
"Why?! Lux Acadia! Why do you, a Prince and survivor of the imperial family, turn your sword against them for us?!" Lisharte exclaimed. "Do you intend to become a hero by fighting for the people!? You are wrong! With such superficial feelings, be it the people or the country! you will not move anything!"
"I'm not a hero." Lux replied with a dry small smile. "I only act because I want to do something to change the past for the future." He turns around and face the other direction. "For this country, for the people; I couldn't do anything as a Prince. I lose my mother; I was afraid of losing another close person again." He closed his eyes and saw a flashback of a throne room filled with dead bloody bodies. "I was not able to become strong for justice. I tried to save all the people, but failed. That is why I want to do something to help in any form I can." He turns back and showed his dry smile once again. "which is why I'm the weakest drag-knight in existence."
Lisharte didn't say a word as she just looks at Lux who keeps his dry smile which was then covered by the faceplate that closed. the Black Drag-Knight turns and then looks up before he then flies away.
With a gust of air just blowing her hair, Lisharte watches as Lux flew into the sky before he disappears in a black flash.
"that guy…just what is his life?" Lisharte asks herself as questions about Lux's true plans are something that she wishes to know.
Some time later, back at the academy. The day was almost gone as the sun is setting off in the horizon.
The invasion of the Abyss monsters was stopped, and the Army of the Old Empire were arrested and sent to prison where they will await trial by the Atismata Kingdom's Royal Family.
In the hallway of the academy, Lux is found just walking by while just being silent. The young man watching his steps as he walks before he stops when he saw Krulcifer standing nearby. The white-ish blue haired girl was leaning against the wall before she pushes off and then faces his direction while having her arms crossed under her chest.
"Going back to Chores after a hard day at the battle?" Krulcifer asks.
"Yes." Lux replied after nodding. "Can I help you with something, Krulcifer-san?"
"Yes. I would like to request some of your time to answer a question of mine." Krulcifer replied while uncrossing her arms and then holding a hand to her waist. "Do you like being what you are right now?"
"pardon?" Lux replied while raising an eyebrow.
"come now, I'm sure you understand what I am asking." Krulcifer said as she took a few steps to the side and gaze to the setting sun that is disappearing into the horizon. "You are the Black Hero who caused the Coup that destroyed your own Empire, then you become the Chore Boy who participated in the regular Drag-Knight Duel, and now become a chore boy of the school where many would not suspect you be located by."
"And?" Lux asks while looking tense. "If you would like to hear my answer, then I would say that it is a yes" he closed his eyes and begins to walk again. "being in such a place would be efficient to hide my identity from the Kingdom, that is all there is to it."
"is that true?" Krulcifer asks as she glances at Lux who came and passed her from behind. "I mean, considering the fact that you're not truly human."
Lux stops in his place and slowly turns his head to glance at Krulcifer.
"You see, I came across an interesting book in the library regarding the history of Drag-Ride Units." Krulcifer said while having a flashback of herself reading a book in the library. "and this one book has a written history of a cursed Divine Drag-Ride born from darkness." Her mind then projects the image of a large black dragon's silhouette with glowing red eyes and holding its claws upon a man with demonic red eyes. "The Cursed Divine Drag-Ride of Bahamut, the Dragon of Death and Destruction."
Lux stays silent but his eyes turned crimson demonic red while staring at Krulcifer.
"Seeing that stare of yours, I can only assume that this Divine Drag-Ride really is cursed." Krulcifer said while looking away. "that's all for me, you answered my question and I no longer have any need to ask any more."
Lux looks at her before he turns and begins walking away.
"sooner or later, things that were in the darkness will soon reveal themselves." Krulcifer spoke as Lux stops for a moment before he continues walking.
As Lux walks away, Krulcifer stares at the sky that turned dark yet the stars came and painted it with countless glowing jewels.
"a Drag-Knight cursed by his own Drag-Ride and become something that no mortal could become." Krulcifer said before she looks down to a small puddle of water upon the ground where she could see her own reflection which soon turns black and showed the silhouette of Lux whose eyes were crimson red and dark looking. "A Demon."
That's a wrap!
Bye bye