Ultimate Antihero:Volume 3 Chapter 2

Status: Incomplete

7/10 parts completed

   

Chapter 2

Part 1

Right just when Sumika was having her unexpected meeting with a god of outer space.

The <Operator> of 101st trainee platoon that was led by Sumika, Onjouji Shiori was in the middle of chaos.

“――What is, the meaning of this……-“

This morning, the girl was requested by Kamishiro Homura and her father Onjouji Kai for one thing.

That request was that they wanted her to monitor whether there was any magician from another country that infiltrated into <Tokyo life sphere> during this time of culture festival.

According to what she heard, two S-rank magicians from Britain and America gave an information to prime minister Kinugasa, that the <Five Great Leaders> were showing strange movement.

By any chance, perhaps they were intending to do some kind of bold action.

In the current situation it was nothing more than a story that was still in the realm of conjecture, but……taking consideration of the political situation that was surrounding Japan, it was not a story that could be fully rejected.

That was why for the moment, they requested her to just be on the lookout.

Of course the prime minister Kinugasa Yoshinori also knew about this story, the national defense magicians were spreading their observation net but, ……in actuality, the accuracy of Shiori’s detection net was higher than the likes of their observation net. In this event of victory commemoration festival where the people were always moving around everywhere, there was the possibility that this difference in precision could be fatal.

For the sake of their peace of mind they wanted to spread double observation net in this high alert state, that was how it was.

If this was also the request from Homura, then Shiori also didn’t have any reason to refuse.

The girl agreed to this with an immediate reply.

While doing her role of distributing flyer, she was also spreading detection net until the radius of two kilometer around her, she was prepared to continuously observing her surrounding.

Yet, despite so――

When she noticed……Shiori was in a world without sound.

Traffic regulation was imposed during the victory commemoration festival, even though Shiori was supposedly standing in the middle of the main road that had been turned into a pedestrian paradise where she was distributing flyer to the people coming and going there, ……during an instant of eye blink, the throng of people as far as the eye could see had vanished completely.

There was only so much silence that it hurt the ear lying ahead in a city without people.

“……Kuh-“

Even when she tried to search the enemy with sorcery, there was not a single reaction of living being inside the sphere radius of 50 kilometer.

This was an attack sorcery of someone.

It couldn’t be considered as anything else with this kind of phenomenon occurring.

Shiori tried to activate the emergency alert all over the life sphere in order to invite vigilance from the national defense army.

But……she couldn’t connect to the network of mind transmission.

She couldn’t connect to the national defense army, or to Homura, or to anyone else.

The circuit was snapped apart.

Shiori understood the situation to a certain degree from that fact.

Most likely, ……the one who disappeared was not the people……but just her alone.

She guessed that she was dragged inside a pocket dimension that was created by sorcery.

(Naturally the <Five Great Leaders> also know about my searching ability.)

If she was isolated like this because they feared her ability, then this situation was extremely bad.

She had to somehow found the rift of dimension and raised the alarm outside.

Thinking so, Shiori raised the precision of her detection net until her limit and looked for the tear of this pocket dimension.

However, be that as it may――

(I don’t understand.)

With her dragged inside a pocket dimension like this, that meant that there was an enemy beside her who dragged her here like this.

Shiori didn’t notice at all that there was someone that close to her.

That was completely incomprehensible.

Shiori’s ability to detect enemy……was honestly something inhuman.

It was not a metaphor that pointed at the excellence of her precision, but it was the honest truth.

It was not a power she obtained because she wished for it, but……she had the confidence that she wouldn’t overlook even a single ant.

Despite so……she didn’t even notice someone using sorcery nearby her.

―――Just what kind of person the enemy was?

Then, at the ear of Shiori who was searching for the dimension tear while thinking of such thing,

• step, step, step*――――there was such sound.

The sound of bare feet walking on asphalt could be heard.

“Who……-!?”

Shiori was so surprised her heart leaped up from that sound which entered her ear.

Even though she couldn’t confirm even a single reaction of living being inside the sphere radius of fifty kilometer of her detection net, she could hear footstep right behind her.

For Shiori who possessed absolute confidence in her own ability, that was not a normal matter.

It was only natural for her to be shocked.

She raised a voice that was nearly a scream and turned back while her hair became disheveled.

――What was behind her,

A body wrapped in feather robe that was faintly shining……a young boy possessing pure white wings was standing there.

Part 2

“<The Crawling Chaos>……Nyarlathotep……-!”

“Aah, that’s correct. I have also been called by that kind of name when it’s pronounced by human word.”

The god of the outer space made a wide smile like a crescent moon which split his cheeks.

At the same time, the radiance of flame pregnant with ominous darkness was residing inside those pair of eyes and forehead――

“Quick Draw–!!!!”

Sumika’s judgment was swift.

Without hesitation she shot through with Quick Draw at both eyes and the forehead――the three burning eyes of <The Crawling Chaos> that was currently imitating human form.

But, even so,

“Aha-, ha-, ha! You really pull that trigger without any mercy. To not shrink in fear even after knowing who I am, that’s quite a mental strength. …But I think it’s better for a girl to be a little more graceful you know?”

The body of <The Crawling Chaos> didn’t even sway.

Far from that there was not even a single drop of blood that flowed out from the pierced hole, *kopori*……with that sound that was like bubbling mud, the bullets that were made from mythril were spitted out from the gun wounds, then the gun wounds were also closed up as if time was being rewound back.

“……Kuh-“

“I wish you don’t act that crabby here. I don’t have any intention to harm you at all.”

“Who will believe the word of <The Crawling Chaos> who laughs mockingly at everything for eternity?”

“I really want you to believe it. In the first place if I didn’t teach sorcery to human, the human race would be destroyed already a hundred year ago. Now that I’ve said that, aren’t I the benefactor of human race’s life? I think it’s fine even if you believe me a little.”

“Ridiculous.”

Sumika said that as if spitting out.

That was obvious. That was because Sumika knew well just what kind of existence this god, <The Crawling Chaos> was.

<The Crawling Chaos> Nyarlathotep.

He was one of the divinity that dwelled in the outer space, a century ago, he was the <evil god> that taught sorcery through <Liber Legis> to human race who was at the brink of annihilation.

If one only heard that part then they could think that this god was friendly to human, but that was a big mistake.

<The Crawling Chaos> certainly favored the human race in some sway.

Affection……calling that as this god’s feeling to human might not be wrong.

But, that love was really distorted to the point it was difficult to describe, it was something twisted and insane.

That was because this god felt supreme joy in viewing the tiny human drowning, writhing madly, and went broke in their own karma.

“You are just merely……disliking other people’s finger mark to dirty your own toy. There is not even a splinter of good will or anything that exist in you!”

In respond to this accusation of Sumika,

“Yep. Guess so.”

<The Crawling Chaos> didn’t even pretend to give some excuse and affirmed that.

“In the first place something like good will or malice, those emotions that human can define doesn’t exist inside us. That’s something that really cannot be helped. But……if you know about me until that much then surely you understand already. That crushing underfoot a single human like you doesn’t appeal to me at all.”

“…………”

Having that pointed out, certainly, Sumika also thought that it was exactly as he said.

Killing a human before one’s eyes without any particular reason at all.

An upfront <evil god> that was satisfied by joy which was obtained from such extremely straightforward debauchery, that was not how <The Crawling Chaos> was.

Human that was ruined by one’s own karma.

He was a god that reveled in finding out exactly such ridiculous figure.

――If that was the case then certainly, her encounter with him here wouldn’t turn into a battle.

But, even so Sumika didn’t let down her guard.

That was natural. Just what was an evil god like this which was a mass of malice doing in this kind of place.

There was a necessity to ascertain that.

Even knowing that it was meaningless, Sumika didn’t lower her gun and questioned.

“……Just what in the world a divinity like you are doing in this kind of place?”

In respond to this demand for explanation, <The Crawling Chaos>’s eyes turned round in amazement and he answered.”

“What I’m doing you asked? Can’t you understand just from looking? I’m opening an old bookstore here?”

“I know that already! What I want to ask is what are you planning by lining up truly repulsive knowledge like those books!”

“Aah, so that’s what you mean.”

Perhaps he finally understood the aim f the question, <The Crawling Chaos> nodded briskly and began to explain what kind of place was this and what was he doing in here.

“You see Sumika-chan, this place is the <World of Awakening>――to put simply this is the place that existed in the interstice of the human world and the <Dream Land>, the place where human who desired [power] of sorcery from the bottom of their heart ended up.”

“The person who desired, power of sorcery……”

“Correct. A father that wished for the resurrection of her beloved daughter. A king that wished for even more rock solid rule. A merchant that wished for wealth far more than anyone else. A deviant that wished of wanting to kill human a lot more than anyone. And then, a leader who tried to save the human race that was ruined by demon――……, until now various humans has visited this place with various motives. Seeing how you too have discovered this place, I wonder if you have the memory of having done something yourself?”

“…………”

“And then toward all of those people, I offered the suitable grimoire for their wishes. ……Everyone showed me quite interesting tales you know.”

“……I see. So you freely disseminated dangerous knowledge without discriminating good or evil. What a disgusting hobby that is really like you.”

“I said it right? Both good and evil are just values that human decided as they pleased. They are measuring that doesn’t exist in us god from the start. I’m just merely……aiding the humans who are doing everything their very best so desperately. Aah, that’s right. The one who provided <Liber Legis> to your beloved Homura-kun too was of course this me you know.”

Sumika was taken aback from these words of <The Crawling Chaos>.

“Homura-san too, he had come here before!?”

In respond <The Crawling Chaos> nodded and confirmed it.

“Yeah, exactly right. Just like how you come here today, the him when he was still immature also came here searching for power. ……Even while the wound of his heart still hadn’t healed from his family getting killed, he said that he didn’t want for anybody else to taste of the loss that he himself had tasted……. ……And then, I responded to that wish……and I granted him. All of the sorcery that I had personally written, and the devilish book where the technique to subdue even <evil god> was recorded―the <Liber Legis>.”

“Such thing, was……”

To this past of Homura that Sumika became aware of for the first time, she felt that it was heartbreaking, yet at the same time she also once again felt his nobility.

He was not driven by revenge even though his family was killed by demon, ……but he resolved himself to fight, so that the same pain wouldn’t descend down to anybody else.

That way of his heart was, ――truly,

“Really, he really is a masterpiece isn’t he―!”

“――-!?”

“It’s not even for revenge, it’s not even for the sake of the person he loved, he seek power for the sake of protecting total stranger he has never seen or know at all, he even shouldered with that body a heavy responsibility that originally shouldn’t be burdened to a single person! Human is really amusing!”

This evil god was truly feeling that from the bottom of his heart.

Without minding Sumika who was rising her eyebrows from rage, his body was trembling while he expressed his feeling with an ecstatic expression as if he was a maiden deeply in love confessing her love to her loved one.

“Aaa, aah! How very interesting-! How very amusing-!

A young man possessing the power to completely shoulder everything of this world, while his heart still that of weak human.

No ally or enemy can be his equal, he cannot become a demon or even human, the only human that is the <Ultimate One>.

Until the last moment of his isolated lifetime, he will merely, merely undergoing great hardships pouring his heart and blood for the sake of complete stranger he never see or know, in the end of his lifetime that is like a worthless idiotic slave, alone, just what in the world will he think of while rotting in obscurity?

I wonder if he will pass away still thinking that it was all worth it protecting with all his life the mankind that would never even look back at him? Or else I wonder if he will writhe while cursing everything in regret!? Will he laugh!? Will he grieve!? Aah, truly interesting!

How very interesting-!

Hey, what do you think? What kind of end he will meet?”

“You, ……sleazebag……!”

Sumika reproached the evil god before her eyes by spitting out foul abuse that she had never said out her whole life until now.

But <The Crawling Chaos> instead was only laughing happily.

“Hahaha. You rea―lly hit the mark. But that really can’t be helped don’t you think? After all that was really the first time I saw a human like Homura-kun. Even for this me who is the self-proclaimed best human connoisseur in the universe, only him who has ever managed being outside the scope of my prediction. ……Truly, I never,

for him to go as far as killing his beloved comrades with his own hand, and chose the path of protecting total strangers instead, how unimaginable is that―”

“…………Eh……?”

Sumika’s lips that was shut tight from rage, suddenly came apart from the sentence that spilled out from the evil god before her eyes.

Homura was, ……killing his comrades?

“What you just said, what do you――――……–!?!?”

However, the moment she tried to press the question of what was the meaning of those words.

Suddenly――that was beginning.

Part 3

A silver haired young boy possessing a pair of wings approached Shiori who was being lost in a closed pocket dimension.

He directed a gentle smile to Shiori who turned at him with disheveled hair and opened his mouth.

“Finally we met, Onjouji Shiori.”

It was at that moment.

“――――ah”

The moment that graceful voice sung from the mouth of the young boy hit her earlobe, a shock like a lightning pierced Shiori’s brain.

An operating table for use by children made from cold rock.

Leather belt that stole her freedom.

Cramped cellar cage where she couldn’t even stand up.

Lined up colorful bottles of medicine and various shapes of bladed tools.

Unceasing sorrowful scream resounding, asking for help.

And then, a mountain of small lumps of meat, piled up so much that the lumps jutted out from a large hole dug out on the ground where the lumps were discarded――――

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!>!!!! Uu, o”

Unable to endure it, Shiori shrieked while falling to her knees on the spot, along with tears she vomited everything inside her stomach.

The flashback that crossed her mind just now, was Shiori’s past.

――Eight years ago from now. That period when magicians who should possess the strength to fight demon didn’t share their knowledge, stole from their fellow human, and killed each other.

Shiori was captured into a research lab of a country ruled by a really mad king that searched for the power of sorcery.

At that lab, a research to have a stabile production of soldier with high aptitude for sorcery was performed by combining scientifically the DNA of angel that was collected from <holy relic> with genetic information of infant children.

……Shiori was a single success case of the aforementioned research.

That meant that the blood of angel was flowing inside the girl.

And then, exactly because she was that kind of girl, she obtained an intuition toward that figure of young boy which was similar to a sympathy bond that an identical twins had, she understood together with that flashback of the past.

The flesh of the male in front of her eyes possessed the gene of angel flesh the same like her, that he was an existence that was exceedingly close to an angel.

“Wh, why……! The only survivor of <Angel Soldier Plan> is just me……, al the researchers, the data, altogether with the facility should had been all burned to nothing by the <Book Burning Corps>, yet……-!”

The repulsive research that had tormented her was continuing even now.

Shiori couldn’t hide her agitation toward that fact.

Toward Shiori who was like that, the young boy――Michael told her.

“Everything is in the discretion of the great father. That research was something abominable, but……it was useful for creating the receptacle of me once more in this land that was desecrated by demon. Therefore, the great father entrusted this in the hand of the pious believer.”

“……Recep, tacle……?”

(Don’t, tell me…………!)

Shiori realized the true identity of the young boy in front of her eyes from that roundabout talk.

Close to angel――that was not it at all.

The authentic soul of the <Archangel> Michael was the one residing inside that body that was created from the DNA that originated from his original body.

And then, there was only one existence in this world that possessed the influence that could possibly do such a thing.

The <Holy Path Church>――namely the <Five Great Leaders>.

Shiori had been told before this from her father and Homura about the strange movement of the <Five Great Leaders>.

Therefore, just by noticing that one thing was enough to comprehend the true situation.

――This man, Michael, was the assassin for use against the <Evil God User> that the <Five Great Leaders> had bide their time to send.

(Certainly, if it’s the authentic <Archangel>, perhaps he can oppose the <Evil God User>……!)

Dangerous.

She had to tell Homura as soon as possible――

Thinking so, Shiori tried to escape from that place, but just as she tried to raise her crumbling knees,

(I can’t move……!)

Shiori’s expression was colored in shock.

No matter how hard she tried to escape, she had became unable to move even the tips of her finger.

But……in a certain meaning it could be said to be only natural.

The flesh that composed Shiori’s body in the first place was the possession of angel Michael.

For the young boy in front of her……for Michael, Shiori’s body was just like a part of his own body.

Therefore for Michael, whether it was deceiving Shiori’s detection net or inviting her into this pocket dimension, ――and then even completely sealing her very movement itself were things he could do freely.

Like this Michael stole the freedom from Shiori’s body and approached her,

“How pitiful……”

He bent his knee and touched the cheek of Shiori that was placing both her hands on the ground, there he wiped her remaining tears and vomit with his own pure white robe.

After that, he talked with a voice filled with compassion from the bottom of his heart.

“Onjouji Shiori. I know well the chronology of how this flesh body was created. Therefore I cannot stop this pity toward the great many heartbreaking circumstances that you had experienced before. However child of man. You mustn’t resent the people who tormented you. They too are imperfect, therefore they don’t know what is it that they ought to do. Everything is the fault of those demons that try to lay their hand on the world of the people of god that is humans, and also the fault of those evil gods that indoctrinated evil knowledge to human. The great father sends me in this day, in order to give the retribution toward those evil people.”

“What are you, planning to do……!?”

Michael answered Shiori’s question without hiding anything at all.

What he was going to accomplish in this land, what he would do――that was,

“A paradise. ……I come to create a paradise, where the children of man won’t need to fear the threat of demon, or be tricked by the malice of evil god, a paradise of light and order that is supervised by god and the servants of god. And then for that sake, your power is――, no, the piece of me that is inside you is needed.”

“-……!”

Those words caused Shiori to feel fear that made the hair on her whole body to have goosebumps.

Just what was the messenger from heaven in front of her going to do?

What kind of objective made him called her into this space?

She understood all that.

However, no matter how scared she was, no matter how desperate she tried to flee, Shiori’s body didn’t answer her will for even a little bit――,

“Onjouji Shiori. O child of man walking a harsh fate. The tragedy that shakes your body will not be repeated under other people. The time for the chain of sorrow to be severed, and for people to return to god’s side has come. Now――let’s depart. Just like many of the life that had became sacrifice for the sake of this flesh body. That must also be happiness for you too.”

“u……ku…………”

A termination of consciousness like sleepiness that couldn’t be resisted attacked Shiori.

Even her arm was losing strength to support her body, she fell down on that spot.

But Michael gently caught that body of Shiori.

(No, no……! Noooo!)

Shiori felt repulsiveness from that affectionate embrace and screamed.

But her consciousness was melting into white inside the sublime light of Michael.

And then in her last moment where she lost her consiousness――

(Homura……, I’m, sor, ry…………)

Shiori let out a streak of tear,

While apologizing for her own powerlessness that could do nothing except making him lost a dear friend again.

On the other hand, ……Michael let out a small amazed sigh from the last emotion of Shiori who lost her consciousness inside his arm.

“……Falling in love with the foolish <traitor>. What a deep sin.”

(However that too, is something that cannot be helped because they are the imperfect child of man.)

“Surely the great father will generously forgive all of that.”

Michael murmured while stroking the back of Shiori who was not moving as if she had died.

The sin of man was forgiven by receiving retribution.

The reason was because the angels knew that human committing sin was something that couldn’t be helped.

Human was truly an incomplete and immature life.

It was only natural for them to commit sin. It was only natural for them to mistake their path.

For human, whether it was shoplifting or rape or massacre――

If they were human then all of that couldn’t be helped, ……all those were cute mistake because of human’s immaturity.

The angels forgave all those generously by means of retribution. But……

“Even so the sin of <Evil God User> is something unforgivable no matter how much retribution he pay……!”

The <Evil God User> didn’t pray to the great god in heaven and depended on the power of <evil god>.

That was a lapse of virtue that couldn’t be forgiven.

No matter how difficult the tribulation that human went through, human ought to believe in god and die while praying to him.

Even though that was how exactly a human should be, the <Evil God User> made use of the power of evil and dared to become a sham messiah. That could be said to be an act that looked down on the god of the angels.

That sin was already impossible to wash away no matter what retribution that person received.

For that reason, ――he had to kill that man himself.

Michael was strongly convinced that it was what he ought to do,

{O the pious servant of god Innocentius.}

Through mind transmission, Michael called out to the believer of god.

{The day of salvation has come. Right now is the time for the true salvation to be brought about to everybody.}

Hearing those words, Innocentius replied with a voice that was trembling from joy.

{Ooh lord! I thank the god that I can welcome this day of today together with you! Our side too will begin to act at once!}

{Please, I’ll leave it to you. Everything is according to the will of the great father.}

After informing that, Michael closed his eyes quietly and prayed while embracing Shiori.

For the salvation of human race that would be carried out after this.

So that this work of the deeply benevolent god could be held without any obstacle.

Thereupon――

The light that was emitted from Michael’s became stronger, the color of his hair and wings changed.

From silver……to golden that was nothing but dazzling.

Part 4

“Suddenly the weather had become strange……”

The sky had become clouded as if the previous clear sky was just a lie.

The fishermen that were carrying out maintenance of fishing ship anchored at Tokyo bay looked up in annoyance at that weather while sighing.

“Even though today is a day of celebration, the rain might be coming like this.”

“Is it going to rain suddenly? There is a lot of them recently huh……”

But, at that time.

One of the fisherman noticed [that] gradually rising from beyond the horizon.

“Hm? What’s that?”

The other fishermen also stopped their work from that voice and focused their eyes.

“Is it demon again?”

“That ain’t it, that’s a ship.”

“Today is the war victory festival after all. Perhaps that’s a ferry from other life sphere.”

“Is there any arrangement for passenger ship to enter today?”

“Ship or anything coming from sea is really rare anyway. After all, demons are living in the sea too, so most sea routes cannot be used anymore, yet they still come.”

While exchanging comment from seeing something rare, they became relieved that it was not demon and the fishermen were going to return back to their work again.

But――

“Eh……?”

“O, oi. What the hell, is this……-!”

The expression of the fishermen that were returning to their work froze.

The reason was because the outline of the ship that was gradually rising from the horizon increased from one into two, from two to four――……those numbers increased in no time at all……

Witnessing that scenery, they finally noticed just what it was that was approaching them and shouted.

“That’s not it. ……That ain’t ferry! That’s warship……-!”

Part 5

――The warships of other country were approaching Tokyo bay.

That emergency state was immediately notified toward Kinugasa who was the prime minister.

Facing this situation, Kinugasa abandoned all his routine work.

He rushed out from the prime minister office and headed to the national defense army headquarters that was located in the same building of the old Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office building.

And then when he entered the headquarters where the staffs were running around with pale face inside,

“Report the situation!”

He yelled with a deep voice in a volume so loud that couldn’t be imagined coming from that thin body.

The defense minister that was younger by quite a bit from Kinugasa rushed at him to answer that demand and explained the situation.

“Today at 1320 hour, a notification came from a fisherman that was performing maintenance on his fishing ship at the bay coast, that warships are infiltrating Tokyo bay! According to the report of the reconnaissance plane of the air force, a total of thirty ships under the banner of the <Five Great Leaders> are has approaching until the position of 20 kilometer from the bay coast!”

“So they have already in the range to launch warship missile to Tokyo life sphere then.”

“Ye, yes, that’s the situation. Also they are coming not only from the sea, from the land a ground force under the banner of <Five Great Leaders> is also on the march aiming at this Tokyo life sphere!”

“So we are completely surrounded. ……The other side too shouldn’t have this much leeway in the number of people that they have.”

“I think they probably have invested the biggest military force that they can possibly field!”

“How much difference there is between our forces?”

“As far as we can confirm, perhaps they are ten times as big as our force.”

Kinugasa was chewing his nail while knitting his eyebrows in disgust.

In <Walpurgis Night>, the base of Minamiboso and Yokosuka were destroyed. Also because of their lack of personnel, Japan Coast Guard was disassembled, currently the surveillance of the territorial waters was only barely performed by the radar that was established barely in Urayasu at Tokyo life sphere’s outer circumference, it made Japan’s surveillance had many hole in it. But……even so it was strange for thirty ships to be overlooked until they arrived in a position where they could be confirmed by eyesight.

A radar with maximum range of 300 kilometer was deployed in the national defense army protecting the Tokyo life sphere, to say nothing of the information that James and Dorothy gave him today, they had already strengthened the security.

This was not a situation that could possibly happen originally.

――If the national defense army was functioning normally.

“……Why did they get discovered only after this late?”

Hearing this question, the young defense minister hitched his words while answering.

“That’s, it seems that there are believer of <Holy Path Church> among the personnel……, it looks like that the radar’s setting was tampered with.”

“……I see. They got us.”

“My deepest apology.”

“There is nothing you need to apologize for.”

Frankly, their monitoring room stopped functioning like this was within the degree of his assumption.

Since the <Walpurgis Night>, the faith toward <Holy Path Church> had taken root really too deep, their influence was already becoming impossible to be purged out.

Subversive activities like this was already something that couldn’t be prevented.

It could be said to be a factor that had to be thought as a given thing from the start.

That was why Kinugasa through Onjouji Kai made Shiori who possessed the power of angel to spread out her lookout net.

But, there was also no contact that came from her.

(The <Five Great Leaders> also know about Shiori-san’s power as an <experimental body>. ……Perhaps they also prepared some kind of hand to deal with her too.)

And then that fact……indicated that the enemy had already entered into the life sphere.

The enemy had completely stolen the initiative from them.

This situation was extremely dangerous.

(However be that as it may, they really mobilize and come here……)

Kinugasa was surprised from the bottom of his heart about that.

He had been on alert after hearing James’s story, but even James himself didn’t think that the <Five Great Leaders> would act boldly while the <Evil God User> was staying in Japan.

(Don’t tell me, do they have a method to defeat Homura-san?)

If that was the case, just what in the world that method was――

Just when Kinugasa was wracking his brain like that.

――That voice was directly reverberating in the head of all human that were in Tokyo life sphere.

{Informing Japan government as well as all citizens of Tokyo life sphere.

Informing Japan government as well as all citizens of Tokyo life sphere.

I am the Holy Path Church’s highest leader, Innocentius XVII.}

Part 6

“Eh? What’s this……?”

“A voice inside my head……”

“Just what in the world is going on!?”

The citizens that were gathering in the festival were perplexed from the voice that was suddenly reverberating inside their head.

For those many people that didn’t have grounding in sorcery, something like a mind transmission was the first for them.

But even that surprise――

Was blown away from the next words that Innocentius said.

{I am representing the <United World Government> to notify Japan government as well as all citizens of Tokyo life sphere.

Currently we of the <United World Government> are in the middle of deploying around the Tokyo life sphere.

As soon as this notification end, we the <United World Government> will launch our whole army and march to Tokyo life sphere.

Thereafter we will start military suppression.}

“Haa…………?”

“Wh, what? What is the meaning of this!?”

“Military suppression he said? He means this is war!?”

Out of nowhere those words expressed hostility frankly.

The stir of confusion of the citizens grew large from that, becoming a tumult that could be mistaken as waterfall.

But even amongst such tumult, Innocentius’s words could clearly be heard inside their mind.

{Surely the many citizens that are living in Tokyo life sphere is feeling surprise from our action.

But we, as the <United World Government>, and then as the representative of mankind say this to you.

The fault for this time’s military action, everything lies in Tokyo life sphere――and then in Japan government.

If you ask why, while Japan is a member of our <United World Government>, yet they are conspiring with the <Evil God User>. They sell their soul to that evil man, and they invite demon to this earth of all thing to do, they hand over a part of their country for demon to inhabit!}

Innocentius blamed this country like that.

But most of the citizens didn’t believe these words of Innocentius.

There is no way that is true. Don’t say utter nonsense like that.

Boos and angry jeers were directed at the cloudy sky.

At the <Walpurgis Night>, among the many old government bureaucrats that escaped treasuring their own live, starting from Prime Minister Kinugasa, the current cabinet ministers and bureaucrats staked their life at that time to continuously maintain the minimum function of the government. Therefore they received tremendous trust of the people.

Surely Innocentius too had anticipated that reaction of the people.

He strengthened his tone and continued his words.

{You ladies and gentlemen who are listening to this transmission, I have guessed that you won’t going to recognize this fault.

But everything that I have said is the truth!

My <Holy Path Church> noticed that situation first before any others and dispatched a <Paladin squad> led by Agent Alfaro. They carried out an act in order to destroy the demon that Japan government had invited.

However, the uncivilized Japan government obstructed this act of justice with force!

They inflicted serious wound to Agent Alfaro!

The circumstance of that battle is left behind as video evidence!

Know that any excuse is meaningless already!}

“-…………!”

Hearing those words of Innocentius, one person had her face gone pale, she was the sister that once under the service of <Holy Path Church> and together with <Special Missionary> Alfaro headed to destroy the <Fairy Queen>, she was Lily Hoegaarden.

After that battle, she was told by Sumika that the <Holy Path Church> had also already consented to the circumstance of the <Fairy race>’s migration.

That was including how the attack that they carried out was the one sided annulment of the promise of the pope that he had already sworn in the name of god.

Her despair at that time was something great, including how she was also betrayed by Alfaro.

However, even so Lily was still trying to have faith to the god of <Holy Path Church>.

……yet,

(He doesn’t care of his own appearance, until this far……-!?)

Making use of the promise that he had broken one-sidedly by himself, the pope scorned other people, instigated his ally, and raised the fire of war.

That was……already making her emotion went straight through despair and even boiled up her rage.

But――,

{Not only with the <Evil God User>, the Japan government even went as far as joining hand with demon that is the sword enemy for all mankind.

Something like this……an unforgivable corruption and a betrayal, truly a great sin-!

We the <United World Government> as the order of the new world, cannot possibly overlook this foolish action of Japan!

Therefore right here we form the twelfth Crusades. In order to pass the death penalty to the foolish nation that lost their path, including the wicked people that nation gave birth to, we gathered here!}

Because this was a foul play, therefore Innocentius’s method was effective.

A battle recording that had been doctored as they pleased so it was convenient for the <Five Great Leaders>.

As well as the sound recording of the conference with the <Fairy Queen>, all of those were used to instigate the rage of the magician and military under the banner of <Five Great Leaders>, and it resulted in the formation of great army that surpassed nationality and race.

Every single one of their soldiers had their loved one and country stolen by demon, they were holding strong hatred to demon, to say nothing of the rage toward Japan who was conspiring with the demon.

Therefore, their morale was terrifyingly high.

They mercilessly and incompassionately participated in the attack toward the country of Japan that was their fellow human race.

“……This is really bad huh.”

While feeling their ferocious rage at the far away sky and sea, Onjouji Kai gritted his teeth.

――It was only Japan that was the only country implicated with <Fairy race>.

A method to resolve this misunderstanding existed.

The place that conference was carried out at was this board chairman room.

Naturally, ……he reserved a record in a safe place so that it wouldn’t be exposed to other country.

However, no matter what time was needed to make the explanation.

And then the <Five Great Leaders> wouldn’t allow that time.

They didn’t have the least bit of intention to leisurely let Japan verified the authenticity of the recording and gave justification.

There was no doubt that they intended to keep their whole army ferociously enraged and directed them to crush this nation.

It was a violent hasty method. However exactly because of that it was effective.

To have reached this situation where there was nothing that could be done, battle was already unavoidable.

Most of all,

(As long as Homura is here, it can even be said that it will be easy to withhold the fierce attack of the <United World Government>, but……)

What weighed his mind was that the <Five Great Leaders> should also know about that fact, and also the fact that there was no contact from Shiori who should have noticed the existence of the warships first before anybody else.

From those two things, he harbored a terrifying imagination and unknown fear――

And then, what appeared before his, before their eyes was something that made that fear into reality.

{――However! All of you can rejoice. You ladies and gentlemen are blessed. The great god that protects the mankind has spoken to save even all of you ladies and gentlemen that have sinned until that far!

Right now, raise your eye to the sky! And then see!

He is the one that is exactly the messiah of mankind, send here from heaven in order to guide this world to salvation, the <Archangel> Michael-sama!}

The instant Innocentius announced that――

An extreme light as if the sun itself was exploding painted the world pure white.

Everyone screamed from the excessive radiance and shut their eyes.

And then after the light passed away, they opened their eyes……and saw him.

Lead colored cloud hanging over the sky above the Tokyo life sphere.

Under that cloud was the figure of an angel, his golden wings spread out shining like a star.

Part 7

“Oi, that……”

“That’s, an angel?”

Floating high in the sky while looking down on Tokyo life sphere, was a young boy with dazzling golden wings and golden hair.

According to Innocentius, it seemed that it was an angel that was going to save this world.

Indeed, certainly his appearance really suggested that.

But, the reaction of the people looking up to the sky was mostly doubtful.

“Is angel really exist in the first place?”

“There is demon, so angel should exist too shouldn’t they? I don’t know if that’s the real thing though.”

“That must be a fake anyway. If the real thing really exists then why don’t they save human until now, ain’t that the question.”

Due to the development of sorcery, these days human flying in the sky was not something rare.

Wings were also not something that needed to be flapped wildly so that the wearer could fly, the user just needed to spread them open slightly.

The boy above could even be seen as fake from what they could see.

In the first place, the words just now were coming from the man who expressed hostility to them.

There was no way they were going to believe that.

However――

{O children of man. Listen well.

I am one of the <Archangel> under the service of the great father.

The person who is talked in the world as Michael.}

“ “ “…………――――a” “ “

Those doubtful hearts were erased the instant they heard his voice echoing inside their mind.

It was a gentle voice filled with endlessly deep compassion.

His gaze of kindness could be felt by every person no matter how far they were soaking into them.

Without distinction of old or young, man or woman, other sect or atheist, that voice awakened the primitive intuition inside human and shook awake conviction that surpassed comprehension.

――That he was the real thing.

That boy was unmistakably, something different from human.

And yet he was different from demon, he was a being that loved human.

He possessed something like that which could make everyone convinced passing over all process of understanding.

Most likely that was something that should be called authority.

And then, Michael that had proofed himself to the human talked about the reason he came to this land with his own word.

{In order to save the mankind as the work of the great father, I descended to this earth once more.

I come here entrusted with the technique to create a barrier to shut the hollow that connected the demon world and human world for eternity from the great father.

Using this, surely the world of man will be liberated from the threat of demon for eternity.

This earth will once again turn into heaven of the blessed people of god.}

There was not a single lie included in the words of this Michael.

He was truly coming to this earth from the heaven carrying the plan to save this world.

There was not even a single self-interest or calculation, he was just merely here for the purpose of granting salvation to the suffering mankind.

And then his sincere words that weren’t filled with lie were transmitted to the human heart.

The heart of the angel that wished for the peace of man was also conveyed to the people listening to that voice.

――He was going to save this world for real.

He would save the mankind from the threat of demon.

The people believed on those truly sincere words of Michael and delighted.

“Oi oi, for real!?”

“We can live without fearing the demon anymore!?”

“Aah……lord! Thank you very much!”

The people had even forgotten the verdict of war proclamation from Innocentius and erupted in happiness.

It was not unreasonable.

After all……this was the arrival of salvation that the mankind had continuously waiting for these hundred years.

Some people yelled in joy, some people shed their tear in gratitude, they kneeled on that spot.

But that was……a truly humane imprudence.

Toward those people trembling in joy of salvation, Michael was――

{――However, the great father is fair, he is impartial.

The invasion of demon t this world, is not the work of only demon, but also the work of man that conspire with demon.

Revival of the dead, perpetual youth and longevity, transmutation of gold, panacea――

From the ancient time, human possess desire beyond any limit and got led astray by the sweet words of demon, they came disturbing the world.

There is a need for the mankind to redeem those sins before the salvation.

There the great father declared.

This barrier that bring about salvation.

The magic power for creating it……should be compensated by the soul of human, he said.}

Declaring that he spread his golden wings widely and deployed a fully giant magic circle at the sky behind him.

And then that magic circle was just like a halo that Michael emitted, with radiance that was brighter than sun it illuminated the Tokyo life sphere, in that moment

“……gi-!?”

“Wha, what, is this……!”

“Suffocating…………!”

Scream arose from everywhere, the people began to crumble on the ground and writhed in pain.

Being enveloped by light, pain as if their entrails and bone were forcefully drag out while they were still living attacked them.

But that was natural.

Because right now they were having their soul torn away alive.

And then it was beyond doubt, that the one trying to tear away their soul was Michael himself who just now was informing them of their salvation with sincere words from his heart――

“Why……!?”

“You will give us salvation won’t……”

Just why he did something like this?

Even though there was no lie at all in his words.

Even though he said that he would save them.

Doubtful gazes were directed high to the sky. In respond, Michael who was collecting human souls as magic power said to them with a bright smile on his face.

{O child of man. You must not hold fear of taking part in god’s work.

Your souls are not disappearing for nothing.

It will be piled up as the wall that protected the country of the people of god for eternity in the future.

For mankind, there is no greater happiness than this.}

Having reached this hopeless situation, the people finally understood.

Of the difference in sense of values that existed between human and angel.

The angle was a virtuous being, they wouldn’t be reluctant to throw their life if it was for the sake of god’s will.

Being whipped, abused verbally, crucified by nail, they would even accept all that happily.

Everything was in accordance of god’s will.

That was an angel’s nature,

However people were not like that.

They adhered only to their individual life.

Sacrificing themselves for other people’s sake.

Saying that was simple, but there was no many people that could put that into practice.

The gap of sense of values that existed between two people was so wide to the degree that something like mutual understanding was already couldn’t possible happen.

Based from that one point, ……there was no difference between angel and demon for human.

“NO WAYYYYYYY! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

“IT HURTS! IT REALLY HURTS! MAMAA―!”

The people who comprehended that the existence of angel was not a convenient ally like what they imagined screamed, they dragged their body trying to escape from the light of the sorcery <Enforced Ascension>.

However those agonized voice and appearance didn’t touch Michael’s heart.

Just like human couldn’t understand the sense of values of angel, angel too also couldn’t understand the human’s sense of values.

From the bottom of his heart, Michael believed that being a sacrifice for the sake of good was something to be happy for.

For that reason, no matter how much people grieved, suffered, and screamed entreating him to stop, he didn’t rest his hand from tearing away soul.

Under the conviction that the very best thing for human was complying with god’s will, by overflowing love and affection that this was all for the sake of mankind’s happiness, ――he massacred them.

――No, he was going to, before.

But, such brutality――there was no way he was going to allow it!

“-――――!”

Immediately following the deployment of the magic power harvesting technique that was the <Enforced Ascension>.

In this world that was filled with golden light that stole the soul, a young man clad in jet black light was heading to Michael, exactly like an arrow racing through the sky he struck at the cheek of Michael.

Michael’s body collided into the magic circle behind him from the impact of the blow.

The magic circle was pulverized into pieces.

The light that was stealing soul vanished, the people that were liberated from the pain of having their soul torn away looked up to the sky and saw his figure.

Glaring at the messenger from heaven with a furious look, that was the appearance of the true protector of mankind.

“Oi the yankee(blond) there. What the hell did you do to Shiori and Sumika……!?”

In respond the angel that was just trying to massacre the people stared at this attacker with a gaze filled with glint of hatred.

“As I thought……so you appeared to be a hindrance to the work of god. O abominable [traitor]……!”

Translator's Notes and References

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