Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa:Volume 5 Chapter 4

Status: Incomplete

25/59 pages completed

   

Chapter 4: Prelude to destruction

That was a desperate scene certainly suitable to be described as the end of the world.

… The sky was black. Pitch black.

Looking really closely, one could notice that the true identity of the thing that blackened the sky was that of a crowd of flying-type monsters.

Are you… Joking…?

That number, rounding it down, was no less than ten thousands.

Seeing that many monsters at once in the human world… It was an unheard-of scene.

Before this unprecedented happening that suddenly took place, the people at the venue of the miss monster girl contest instantly fell into panic.

“Eeeeeeerm. Everyone. Calm down. Cam down, please.”

The one who got the ball rolling in order to calm down this situation was the mid-rank monster tamer Yuina-san.

“According to the info that we have just received, the first barrier of the sky Abyss Gate—Eternal White has been destroyed by an attack of the Black Tamers.

Due to this damage, an estimate of fifty thousands monsters from the anti-human faction have invaded the human world… Their objective are the people who possess magic power… In other words, us. Luckily, in this occasion no ordinary person will suffer any harm.”

“!?”

An attack to the Abyss Gate by the Black Tamers…?

About the Abyss Gates, I’ve heard that they are located either in the sky, in the sea or on land.

When we went to the Netherworld before, we made use of a marine Abyss Gate… The one attacked this time was a sky Abyss Gate.

So that’s why this many flying-type monsters have appeared?

“We had been withholding this info from all of the rookies, but… To tell the truth, intelligence of an attack to the Abyss Gates by the Black Tamers had been leaked to the Association some time ago.

So… That all of you rookies have been gathered here at the camp is not unrelated. We have no time and… On top of that, we also have no hands.

That’s why we’d want all of you fight alongside us.

The one located at the Fuji’s Sea of Trees is literally the world’s largest Abys Gate—Hell’s Red.

The damage if they break through here cannot be compared to what’s happening over our heads.

“… No joke.”

“How do you want us to fight such a horde of monsters!?”

Hearing Yuina-san’s words, the rookies at the venue couldn’t stop trembling.

“… Of course we don’t plan on asking something unreasonable of you rookies. We are, so to speak, no more than insurance.

Hell’s Red is a location of utmost importance for humanity.

Currently, the one entrusted with the protection of Hell’s Red… Is the legendary monster tamer—Kusumi Kanae!”

“!?”

Right after they heard mom’s name.

The air of tension that filled the venue relaxed.

“By Kusumi Kanae… You mean the Immortal Tamer?”

“The one who’s told to be the strongest from among all the generations of top class monster tamers, and to have by herself the battle prowess of 2,000 regular tamers…?”

“Rookies. Be calm.

Seeing that Kanae-san is entrusted with its protection, that Hell’s Red would get destroyed and the peace of humanity put in jeopardy is very unlikely.

However, even Kanae-san is human.

It may be possible that a surprise attack by traitors lets them break the first barrier.

Come that time, it’s our turn.

So that no harm will reach the populace, why don’t we give our all to stop the monster invasion here!?

“… What the first barrier stops aren’t just… Monsters categorized as E rank type?”

“… Yeah. If it’s like that, even we may be able to stop them.”

“…”

Receiving Yuina-san’s plead, the people at the venue gradually looked like they were recovering their eagerness.

Really, mom’s great.

The panic of moments ago looked like a lie… The moment mom’s name came out, the mood at the venue changed entirely.

However, contrasting with the people around me who had recovered their calm, my face didn’t clear up.

I, who through the survival race passed down at the land of ghouls called the hundred death’s course… Became able to feel the magic power flow of my surroundings, could notice it.

In a place not so far from here.

At the other end through this forest.

In a point around ten kilometers apart southwest.

I noticed it.

Since a while ago, there—two magic power clumps that released a presence unlike anything I had felt till now are engaged in fierce battle.

My body keeps sweating from the discomfort.

Perhaps… It may be that the people who are battling there are stronger than the current me with my limiter 100% released.

This is a first.

Even if I go at full strength, I can’t picture me winning.

“… Chiharu. What’s the matter?”

It may be since I was lost in thought with a grim face.

Zonmi, who was around, peeked at my face of unrest.

Assuming that the info we heard from Yuina-san is true, from the two people that currently are out on battle at Fuji’s Sea of Trees, one is undoubtedly mom.

In that case, the other one…?

Did the Black Tamers have a monster tamer able to fight on par with mom?

…

……

Regrettably… Just one.

I happened to know a monster tamer with a true power equal to mom.

That person… The first tamer I ever met… My former teacher who taught me the ropes of being a monster tamer.

“Hey, Zonmi, Kyouko, Iris. Could you follow me to a place without saying a word?”

“… Nu?”

“What now, that of a sudden?”

“… There’s a person I have to meet no matter what.

Who does that person think they are to do this? On top of hearing what that person has to say I believe it's my responsibility to stop their actions.”

“… Those words from now were irrelevant.

However, if you say you want to go, Chiharu, I’ve decided to follow you even to the very ends of the world.”

“… The same as the ghoul. How so I put it, if you went somewhere by yourself like before, this time I’ll give you a beating!

“Monster tamer. I have had with thee, until now… Uncountable debts of gratitude.

If with this thing I could make some amends… I have no reason to refuse thy wish.”

“… Girls. Thanks.”

I think I really have the best comrades.

While digesting my feelings of gratitude for the three girls that always support me, I dashed at full speed to the depths of the forest.

× × ×

“What… The… Heck…”

When I reached my destination, I was at a loss for words.

I had heard about it a couple of times.

That which stood before my eyes was the Abyss Gate.

The size, approximately around 20 meters?

A huge gate boasting a size a head taller than the surrounding trees let out a bizarre atmosphere.

However, what shocked me wasn’t the Abyss Gate itself.

… They were the ten nearly dead monster tamers lying down around it.

“Terrible… Who could…”

Kyouko covered her mouth in shock.

Zonmi, composed before such an odd situation, examined the lying down tamers.

“If they don’t receive medical treatment asap, they’ll be in danger.

What the heck could they have been fighting to lose so much magic power…? I have no clue.”

“…”

Like Zonmi said, there are lots of baffling points in this situation.

The monster tamers around us had no conspicuous external injuries.

They were in a state of magic power depletion as if someone had sucked it out of them.

… Is such a thing possible?

With absolutely no damage on the outside, their magic power had become emptied.

“Haru-kun… Run away…”

While I was suspicious of the surrounding situation.

I heard mom’s voice from somewhere.

I looked towards the voice.

And, what awaited there was a shocking scene that unconsciously made me doubt my eyes.

“Mom!?”

Mom’s state wasn’t comparable to that of the other collapsed monster tamers.

She had suffered damage from head to toe as if until just now she had been engaged in fierce battle, and there were traces of fresh blood all over her body.

Flustered, in a flash I tried to run to mom’s side.

But.

“Hallo—. Chiharu-kun. Long time no see—”

The voice of a lone woman deterred my movements of running to mom’s side.

No wonder. Since I had predicted from the start that she’d be at this place.

“—Luka-san. All of this… Is it your doing?”

Let’s be frank.

I’m totally scared.

Hurting mom and other unrelated people and other unforgivable things, she… Has no qualms on doing such inhuman deeds.

When I inquired, Luka-san tilted her head in an affected manner.

“Mmmmm. Half marks…? The remaining half was really these children doing!”

In the direction that Luka-san pointed saying so, there were three monster tamers somewhat familiar.

“… Long time no see, Kusumi Chiharu. I eagerly waited for the day when we settled things with you…”

“Oniichan, found you!”

“Fufufu. I looked forward for the day that we battled again.”

The ones who suddenly appeared before me were the monster tamers from the Black Tamers I had have bouts with before.

The man in a black suit (name unknown), Noelle and Lance, those three.

“… Luka-san. What’s your aim? Why have you hurt mom… And unrelated people!?”

The instant after I pressed Luka-san for an answer.

The fist of a huge beast was launched towards me.

“!?”

The one who reacted without a moment’s delay and protected me with a wall of flames was Iris, the one from among my contracted monsters that especially excelled in speed.

“… Though in the earlier battle I left thee at large enough to not take thy life… Thou incorrigibly intendest to bring harm to my master…

Have thou readiest thy resolve, black-vested tamer?”

“… Tsk. And it was a good chance to hit with my preemptive punch… This is the second time. How you dare to get in my way, red dragon!”

… Now that he mentions it, back when the incident of the attack to the Grandeel islands I had seen it once.

The man on the black suit had turned into a giant werewolf and stood before us.

“… ’d grief. This Clarie. Let’s go!”

“Those who stand in our way… I’ll kill them without arguiiiiiiing!”

One after another, those who came after me as if doing a pincer attack were Lance and Noelle—the two monster tamers who possessed a limiter.

Noelle with her arms turned into those of a golem and Lance fully turned into a grim reaper, each one entered into attack motions.

“I won’t let you!”

“Haru! Fall back!”

However, I somehow managed to avoid this surprise attack by Zonmi protecting me from Lance’s attack and Kyouko from Noelle’s attack.

“… Tamer of the Spirits, Lance Patriot.

I had heard that you were locked inside the prison of the undead tribe, but it’s really a privilege to be able to meet you here. My sisters… To you who made (did) those despicable deeds to Aruru and Meruru, I wanted to pass judgment with my own hands!”

“Ooh... Scary. But, I love strong-willed girls.

Just picturing you afterwards as part of my collection… Serving me, it gives me the shivers.”

“…! You fiend!”

Zonmi’s umbrella and Lance’s scythe clashed and raised violent sparks.

“Tamer of the Catastrophe, Noelle North Norm! I too wanted us to battle each other… How did you dare to trap me at the Saegusa festival!”

“? Who are you? Sorry. I can’t remember well the faces of people that don’t interest me. Especially in the case of people like you with a thin presence.”

“…”

*SNAP*

Something seems to have split inside Kyouko.

“… So. Then I’ll refresh your memory with a battle!”

Noelle arms, that were turned into those of a golem, received Kyouko’s mighty drop-kick.

Nephilim vs golem.

… Here too, as they are both power-type girls, a fierce battle is expected.

“Zonmi, Kyouko. I leave them to you!”

It’s not like I don’t have faith in Zonmi and the rest’s true might, but somehow I have an ill premonition.

I don’t know what kind of means have they employed.

However, those three I had fought with before… It looked like they had had a clearly substantial power-up from the time we fought.

“Sowwy~. It’s become boisterous.

If possible, to you… I’d tell at ease what I’m going to do now, but…”

“… Is that so?”

Saying just that, as there was no use in arguing, I hit Luka-san’s cheek with all my might.

He who moves first wins. This showdown… By no means do you have the comfort to be able to carefreely go chatting.

Like now, if the enemy gets careless… I’ll attack with full power!

“…!?”

*CRASH*

The sound of crashing bones.

It seems that by instantly twisting her body,, Luka-san avoided a direct hit, but… No problem.

My attack that unleashed the maou’s power, even if it miss the center, it will cause fatal damage.

Perhaps… No, surely.

I felt her lower jaw get horribly destroyed.

Luka-san, who had received my attack, was sent flying seven meters straight and crashed against one of the trees growing in the surroundings.

“I did it!?”

Luka-san, who had received my attack and laid in the ground, slowly stood up.

Right on the mark, Luka-san’s lower jaw was smashed to a pulp and that beautiful face had been defiled.

… Though my head thought that there was no other way, even being in a fight waging our lives, I felt terribly guilty about hitting a woman’s face.

However, seconds after that.

The guilty conscience inside my heart was sent out of bounds.

“Ufufu. Chiharu-kun, you rascal. To suddenly go hitting an older woman… Hopeless kid. Oneechan… Has gotten a bit aroused.”

Right then, it was… As if witnessing first-hand a ghoul’s regeneration ability.

“Are you… Joking…”

Luka-san, in a bit of a moment.

Not even five seconds had passed and her lower jaw who should have been smashed to bits regenerated, allowing her to be able to speak as if nothing had happened.

“…”

Different.

There’s definitely something different from the guys I’ve fought until now.

I couldn’t stop the chills in my spine.

Standing before Luka-san, I was tormented by the strange sensation of standing before hundreds of monsters at once.

“… Don’t make that face, Chiharu-kun.

Aren’t you being able to stand before a long-awaited foe you can fight with showing each other your precious full power?

This experience… Since it may not come again in your life… For now let’s enjoy a pure battle♥”

“!?”

Luka-san, showing a bewitching smile, uprooted a huge tree about 10 meters tall.

“!?”

It’s not only a ghoul’s regenerative ability.

I don’t know what contrivance has made it possible, but it seems that Luka-san owns a power on par with a Nephilim.

“Here~. A present from oneechan♥”

Like that, Luka-san threw at me the huge tree that she was holding.

I give up. Attacking with power at 30%… Doing something so half-hearted will definitely get me killed.

However, my limiter has a time limit.

If I fight at full power, in no more than five minutes, my magic power will get depleted.

… There’s no helping it.

How about getting one gear more up?

As I release my limiter to 50%, like that wings grew from my back and I soared to the air.

I narrowly avoided the huge tree.

Definitely, it’s reassuring having the ability to fly.

To recover my pace, while staying in mid-air, I cooled my head and thought about my next strategy.

However.

“… Did you thought that by flying to the sky you’d be safe?”

A woman’s voice hinting adult composure whispered into my ear.

At point-blank range in the span of a breath.

Turning back, there she was.

While flapping crimson wings disproportionately large in respect to her own body. Luka-san… Laughed behind me.

“… Chiharu-kun. Could your full power only be that?

Quickly… Quickly show me your full power!”

Next instant, my vision was dyed red.

As it was such an abrupt happening, for a moment I couldn’t comprehend what had been done to me.

“… Guwah!”

When I finally sorted out the situation, my body had been thrown against the ground from high up in the sky.

… What happened?

Than must be it. Luka-san has produced flames from the palms of her own hands, burned my wings to crisp and like that I plunged into the ground.

I feel that I have several broken bones, but this time that’s fine.

Due to the severe burns on my body, I’ve fallen into a distressing situation where I can’t even breathe, but this time that doesn’t matter.

Both of them, as long as there’s magic power left the damage suffered can be recovered in a flash by the limiter.

However, what the heck is this?

A ghoul’s recovering ability.

A Nephilim’s power.

A red dragon’s flight & flames.

Luka-san… Has she housed inside one body the strong points of those three at the same time!?

“… How come.”

“? What would it be?”

By the time I noticed, several questions had spilled from my lips.

“How come… How come this thing!?

You weren’t so strong, were you?…!

We… Should both have the same feeling of wanting to help the world!

And despite that… Wasn’t there any other way!?”

“…”

When I inquired, Luka-san looked at me with sorrow and slowly started to narrate.

“… Why don’t I tell you an allegory?

The humans and monsters who live in this world, if we liken them to paint colors, red, blue, yellow. Each and every one of them is wonderful… The colors called individuality.”

Starting with a “but”, Luka-san continued.

“Even if one by one the colors are wonderful… When you mix all of the colors in a palette, what color do you think you get?

—the answer is a crooked ugly grey.

It’s not like it’s anyone’s fault.

Even if there’s no ill will, when lots of consciousness get mixed, the world instantly becomes a slightly dirty color. That’s why I… Expose the people responsible for the incident of ten years ago… Making them pay for their crimes, I don’t intend anything like that.

The one wrong is not an individual—rather it’s the world.

That’s why I’ve decided to remake the world at once.

I’ll destroy the Abyss Gate, and riding in the chaos, I’ll rule the world from the top!

And I… Will guide every living being on this world in the correct direction so that just one unique color is shown!”

“…”

It’s not like I don’t understand Luka-san’s claim.

School and society unanimously teach kids that “individuality is wonderful”.

However, If we go perusing history, we can’t honestly praise individuality.

—Because of differences in thinking, people engage in arguments.

—Because of differences in skin color, people engage in discrimination.

—Because of differences in what should be protected, people engage in war.

If such a thing as individuality didn’t exist… The world may have been more peaceful. The incident ten years ago where more than thousand people in total lost their lives due to the IMA’s behind-the-scenes inhuman research may have too have been prevented.

References and Translation Notes

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