Ultimate Antihero:Volume 2 Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Part 1

After going through past many narrow alley and corner.

At far deep inside where even the hustle and bustle of the main street couldn’t be heard anymore.

At a dead-end buried inside a multi-tenant building, there was the door of that antiquarian bookshop.

When the rusted door was opened, the peculiar moldy smell released by old book pierced the nose.

But, the young boy didn’t even stop to pay attention and entered inside the shop.

And then he went past the book shelves lined with old books with moldy smell.

There, a dark-skinned youth staring at a paperback book with bored look was beside an antiquated looking register.

Perhaps sensing a human presence, the youth directed his sleepy gaze at the young boy―

Immediately, the youth expressed a wide smile.

{Hey! We meet again. Boy!}

Throwing away the paperback book he held, the youth kicked away his chair and stood up to welcome the boy.

He looked happy as if reuniting with a friend after ten years.

{To come here means that you have made your resolve I wonder?}

Against the youth’s question, the boy just stayed quiet and only returned a nod.

The youth’s eyes sparkled from that gesture, his mouth slackened slovenly.

Yet, ―perhaps from thinking of something, the youth’s mouth closed back, he cleared his throat *kohon* once.

Suddenly making a serious expression, the youth further piled up more question.

No, rather than calling it question, it was a warning.

{But, is it really alright? If you receive that, you won’t be able to go back you know. Just like the tens of thousands people until now without even a single exception among them, you will get devoured by that book’s knowledge and become a cripple.

No―

Even if you manage to decipher it, what is waiting ahead is a solitude that is even colder than death.

The person who reveals all knowledge of this book will surely obtain the mean to control even god at will.

Those are words that I once said to all of you humanity but, …this is the truth.

If you reveal everything of this book, you will truly obtain the power that can subdue even god.

An overwhelming power to the degree that no enemy or ally, not a single person will be able to match.

But, …such power is too much to be possessed by an [individual].

The [society] undoubtedly wouldn’t permit such [individual].

They would certainly move to ostracism that individual.

Whether now or in the past, hero can die as hero only when he died in a battle.

Hm? You asked why I understand that kind of matter?

Of course I understand. After all I have observed all of you for several centuries.

No matter how much you grind your body into dust fighting the demon for the sake of humanity, no matter how much blood dye your body, there will be no one that would look back at you. There is no blessing at the end where you are going. What will wait for you are only rejection and persecution. Even so will you still seek the power of this book I wonder?}

However, the young boy returned a nod even toward that warning.

In his eyes, a strong will resided.

{No hesitation huh.}

That was only natural. There was no reason for the young boy to hesitate.

His father died being split apart from top to bottom.

His mother died from her body being twisted.

His younger sister was eaten alive.

While all that happened, the young boy could do nothing but watch.

Because he had no power, he could do nothing except letting everything got stolen from him.

―Things like that already happened a lot. His weakness was a lot.

He wanted power. Power in order to fight, power in order to protect.

He didn’t need any blessing.

It was fine even if he couldn’t become a hero that everyone would praise.

If he could just save even a single person more from this irrational plundering that happened to him―

If that could come true―

Then he wouldn’t mind even if the world would reject him.

…A voice filled with dense and heavy determination like an unshakeable giant tree.

The face of the youth who listened toward that boy’s reply, broke out into a grin from being unable to endure himself anymore.

{…Not a vengeful heart toward demon, not even selfish desire, there is not even a family that you want to protect.

Just purely, for the sake of complete stranger you seek the knowledge of darkness, is that it….

Fufu. Perhaps this is the first time. A human that seek <Liber Legis> for that kind of reason.

It’s truly noble, so helplessly foolish, …so adorably interesting.

It seems that my choice which selected you was not mistaken!}

After saying that, the youth snapped his finger.

Thereupon from the darkness that had precipitated between the bookshelf, a girl showed her figure.

But, it was only for an instant that thing was taking the appearance of a girl.

Suddenly, a gale was blowing inside the dusty and smelly shop, the girl’s body was turning and breaking down into scattered pieces of paper.

And then the broken down pieces of paper were swallowed up by the wind and flew around the shop, before long it gathered into the right hand of the youth becoming a single book.

The youth handed over that book to the boy―

{Welcome to the world of mythos.

If it’s you then you might show <father> a little bit better dream than now.

You who have been shown the ugliness of the humans that you tried to protect, what kind of decision will you make.

I’m waiting in anticipation you know. ―O the future Grand MagicianGrand Master-dono.}

He blessed the young boy who was heading to his own destruction, the future of Kamishiro Homura right from his heart.

While floating a smile that was like the crescent moon cutting into the darkness of night, under the burning three eyes.

Part 2

“――-“

While reminiscing a memory that couldn’t be said as particularly good, Homura’s consciousness returned from inside his slumber.

Nearing his awakening, he could hear the sound of the wave and high-pitched voice of children making merry.

When he opened his heavy eyelid, what entered his eye was the blue sky of summer and the shadow of a parasol that cut the view.

And then―

“My. You awake?”

The eye of a black haired girl that was looking down on him, Onjouji Shiori.

“……”

When he rotated his neck to the side, what he could see was a white sandy beach. There were the children of age around the beginning of elementary school student wearing swimsuit making merry around there, and the figure of Ichinotani Chikori in swimsuit appearance mixing with those children in high spirit.

Looking at that scene, Homura recalled about the situation he was in right now.

After he defeated the <Demon King class> demon・Typhon who changed ninety percent of the world to ash, due to the <United World Government> that feared his power that was too much, a completely untrue false accusations that made him out as a [traitor that tried to rule the humanity by borrowing the power of evil gods] was put on him and he was chased out from society, but―

(Now that I remember, I became a student now…)

At the time when the spring just ended into summer, due to his old friend and also his once former boss Onjouji Kai, he got ordered to enroll into the academy in his former home Japan.

Most of all, Homura who was a Grand SorcererGrand Master that even subdued god didn’t need thing like education after this far.

Enrolling into school until the end was only for his cover story to deceive the world.

The true objective of his being called here was because of the direct cooperation request from Japan’s current prime minister・Kinugasa Yoshinori.

The so called <One Year Plan> that was advanced by the <Five Great Leaders>, the leader council that was established by those that possessed the power even inside the <United World Government>, the five representative that were [United States of America] [British Empire] [China Union] [Soviet Socialism Republic Union] ―those four countries and, the historical religion organization the <Holy Path Church> that at present had grasped the majority of human heart. To stop this plan of country integration, Kinugasa wished to borrow Homura’s power.

In regard of this, although Homura didn’t clearly say that he would exactly cooperate, but during this one year until the <One Year Plan> was carried out, he would continue to stay in Japan as a deterrence power against the <Five Great Leaders> and acknowledged that in the worst case he would become their strength.

Fundamentally Homura had no intention to get involved with a conflict between fellow human, but Japan was also his own birth place.

Most of all, it was also because of the fact that he had allowed the <Five Great Leaders> to grow impudent from the authority that they got due to the false power relation between him and them, where he as the <Evil God User> was bind by <Aureole> so that he didn’t give pointless terror toward the people that feared the <Evil God User>.

Thus Homura became the student of New Tokyo Sorcery Academy, assigned to the 101st trainee platoon, and today too he was doing his duty as trainee platoon member for today.

By the way today’s duty was to escort the swimming class performed in sea by the war damage orphanage inside [Tokyo life sphere] and ensured the safety of the orphans, truly a chore that fit a trainee platoon.

Since <Walpurgis Night>, because the number of demon invasion from demon world to human world had increased in earnest, it seemed that the sea had became a place that was hard to guarantee its safety beforehand and so magician’s accompaniment was indispensable.

But this duty was something that Homura couldn’t just get motivated to do no matter what.

It was not like he didn’t care for children.

It was merely that this situation where they were waiting for enemy that they didn’t know would come or not, was a situation where Homura’s potential couldn’t be displayed.

After all, because the unit of magic power that he possessed was just too big, he was completely insensitive toward other people’s magic power to an absurd degree, his ability to detect the enemy was equal to nothing.

Therefore, there was nothing at all that Homura could do in the present stage.

Because there was nothing to do, there was no way for him to show any motivation.

Because there was no way to get motivated, he dumped all responsibility to Shiori who excelled in detecting enemy and slept.

―Yet,

“…I don’t remember borrowing your lap but, why am I sleeping on top of your lap?”

Correct. Before this Homura was only lying sideway on the sheet, he didn’t remember borrowing Shiori’s lap.

Yet right now, the back of his head was placed on Shiori’s thighs, and he was looking up at the girl.

Why? When such question was to be honestly answered,

“I thought that you wouldn’t be able to sleep well on the ground so I lent my lap to you. Don’t you even have a single word of thanks to this attentive and kind childhood friend I wonder?”

Shiori made a slightly mean smile while saying such thing.

He felt like that such thing shouldn’t be said by the person herself but, …certainly the dream that he had just seen was not something satisfactory. Although there was a sheet spread out, he could only think that this sandy ground made him unable to sleep well and brought about a negative outcome.

If someone was being helpful to him, then he should say thanks he guessed.

“…Is that so. Thanks then.”

“It’s fine. I too had fun pinching your nose or blocking your mouth after all.”

“No matter how I think about it, ain’t it the fault of you bastard that I saw a nightmare!”

He must be really didn’t sleep well. No wonder that he saw a nightmare.

“I’m sorry. I’ll apologize like this. But it couldn’t be helped. When I saw how comfortable you slept, I unintentionally felt really irritated for some reason.”

“Eh, is that apology? Or are you picking a fight?”

“But still, you, even when you sleep your face look ugly isn’t it?”

“As I thought you are picking a fight eh.”

In a flash Homura raised his upper body.

After that he directed his gaze at Shiori and asked her with an amazed expression.

“…Hey. Since we met again, ain’t you acting a little thorny at me?”

“Is that so I wonder? Hmmm. Talking with you is something as inconsequential as the waste that pooled up at the sink filter, so it doesn’t really remain in my memory.”

“Just now ain’t what you said really jagged at me-!”

Since Homura’s reunion with Shiori after five years, the communication between Shiori and Homura was always in this vein.

But in the past it was not like this.

Homura got along with Shiori fairly well.

It was before Homura got called the <Evil God User>. He had already associated with Shiori since the time when he belonged to the special unit of a mercenary organization called the <Knight Order Without Border> that didn’t differentiate country or race and protected the people from the threat of sorcery and demon.

And then Shiori at that time was really attached emotionally to Homura even more than the current Chikori.

―No, it was even fine to call it dependence.

When he thought about that time, for Homura the current Shiori even made him felt that she was like a different person.

But, ―it also wasn’t like he didn’t have some idea about what was the cause of this complete change.

“…As I thought are you holding a grudge to me?”

“I wonder what are you talking about.”

“About how I got out of Japan without saying anything.”

―Five years ago, after he exterminated <Demon King Typhon>.

Just as mentioned before, after the demon king’s extermination, Homura whose power that was too much to be owned by an individual was ostracized by the <United World Government>, was chased out from human society by their secret maneuvering, but

…the truth was, there was also a path for him to remain in the human society.

Certainly at that time even the minimum infrastructure was in a destroyed condition, even the slightly remaining method to relay information was mostly the network of <Holy Path Church>, because of that the majority of human completely believed the false information released by the church which said that [Kamishiro Homura was a traitor that borrowed the power of evil god to try to rule over mankind].

However even so in Japan beginning from the current prime minister that was Kinugasa, there were a great number of people that knew that Homura was not a human like what the <United World Government> said.

Although the power that he used was evil, those people didn’t doubt that his soul was noble.

Therefore if he relied on them, it might be possible for Homura to remain in human society.

As a fact, with Kinugasa and Onjouji Kai as a start, the great men that supported Japan after the previous influential people abandoned the people of Japan because they valued their own life, they showed movement that protected Homura.

But, it was none other than Homura himself that rejected it.

He rejected their good will, then without consulting anyone or even saying a word, Homura accepted the undeserved measure from <United World Government> and disappeared completely from Japan.

Of course there was a reason for Homura to take this action.

For the sake of protecting a single person that was him, Japan would be watched by the <United World Government> that tried to rule as the new world order, surely it wouldn’t be beneficial for the people that lived in this country. That was Homura’s prudence. It was his consideration from knowing how his power that was too vast would make the people tremble just from him existing at their side, he would only become an object of terror. That was his reason that came from being considerate of other people.

But even so, …for those people that tried to protect him, those that idolized him, there was no doubt that this decision of Homura that shouldered all the loss by himself was something that vexed them.

From a certain point of view, it was not strange for them to even feel betrayed.

Shiori who idolized Homura at that time was also the same.

And then the more the affection ran deep, when it was turned into hatred it would become even stronger.

Perhaps it was the source of Shiori’s current harshness to him.

Thinking that, when Homura asked her,

“…If you said that, then will you make up for it I wonder?”

Shiori asked back while staring at the horizon from the conjecture that Homura asked at her.

For her to return this kind of reply, he guessed that his guess was correct just as he thought.

Homura who was convinced of that nodded at Shiori’s returned question and gave his answer.

“If it’s within my ability.”

For Homura too, it wasn’t like he didn’t feel that what he did was inexcusable.

If by apologizing he could redeem himself, then he wanted to do that.

It was because he thought that way both side could feel at ease mutually.

Looking at Homura’s nod, Shiori gave a short sentence “I see” and,

“Then I wonder if you will perform even dogeza for me?”

She gave him such demand.

Homura was a little surprised with this demand that his eyes were opened wide.

“…What you ask is unexpectedly straight.”

“You can’t do it?”

“No, if it’s just something like that then it’s fine, rather I thought that because this is Shiori we are talking about that you are going to demand for something stranger.”

Rather this demand was too proper that it shocked him.

Getting told that, Shiori raised her eyebrow and made a sullen expression.

“What a rude talk. Despite how kind of a woman I am who gently gave a lap pillow to you who were sleeping.”

(I think a kind person won’t block all of a sleeping person’s air duct when he was sleeping though.)

“…Anyway if I do dogeza, you will let bygones be bygones about how I disappeared as I pleased right?”

“A woman won’t go back on what she has said.”

Shiori nodded firmly. Seeing that Homura resolved his determination.

“Got it. …Even me feel that what I did is unforgivable after all.”

“Then please wait a little. I will borrow an iron plate and a burner from the beach house for this.”

“Wait a second. What are you gonna do borrowing something like that?”

“That’s necessary to show your sincerity right? People in the past said it. If the feeling of regret are really filling the heart, they will do dogeza even if they have to do it on top of iron plate that roast their meat and melt their bone.”

“I ain’t feeling sorry until that much y’know!?”

Homura’s voice turned rough from the bullshit.

Thereupon Shiori’s gaze instantly turned cold,

“Then I won’t forgive you.”

She declared resolutely throwing away her previous remark.

Homura directed a fixed reproachful stare at Shiori who was like that.

“…If you are like this then you don’t plan to forgive me from the start then?”

“Yes of course. It’s obvious right?”

Answering like that without trying to hide it, Shiori reached out her hand and touched Homura’s cheek. And then with a strong pinch, she forcefully made Homura’s upper body laid down and brought his head on her lap once more.

Being treated so forcefully that it even made his neck felt slightly painful, Homura said “What the hell are you doing?” in protest while directing his gaze at her but―, right there his word of protest suddenly got lodged in his throat.

The eyes of Shiori that was looking down on him, were full with love that it seemed it was going to overflow.

“Just what kind of feeling do you think I had waiting until I can return to touch you like this again? …I will never forgive you. I won’t forgive you forever and ever.”

While caressing Homura’s cheek gently, she let out words engraved with curse using sweet tone as if she was reciting love.

Homura reached understanding from that tone of voice.

(Ah damn it.)

Against the earnestness that surpassed his own expectation, Homura leaked out a small sigh.

Rather than something like this, it was far better to be hated.

He would apologize if he was hated. If she was angry it would be fine to atone to her.

But, ―Homura didn’t have anything to return back for love that didn’t fade even after five years had passed.

Homura whose very existence was feared because of a power that was too strong, couldn’t stay in one place for a long time.

Whether in political meaning or in the emotional problem of the people.

Because sooner or later, Homura would leave Japan alone once more.

When thinking about that future that wasn’t far off, it weighed him down no matter what.

“…Woman that hold her grudge is hated you know.”

Homura murmured sulkily.

In regard to that Shiori quietly narrowed her eyes and smiled,

“I’m not a promiscuous woman that will fall in love with a man that I can just forget easily.”

• muni-*, Shiori pinched Homura’s cheek with strength that didn’t hurt him.

“Het ho-“

Like that, when these two were joking around between trusted friend like this,

“Aaa―! Homura-san, what are you doing slacking off like that-“

Such reprimand flew at him.

When they turned their eyes, the one who was there was a blond haired girl wearing the same uniform like Homura and Shiori―

The <Leader> of the 101st trainee platoon both of them belonged too.

One of the S-rank magician that only had ten people existed in the world.

Hoshikawa Sumika the <Grim Bullet> who was holding a vinyl bag filled with pet bottles, was glaring at Homura with a ruffled up expression.

Translator's Notes and References

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