Volume 14 3 — Last Judgment
Volume 14 Chapter 3 - Last Judgment
Part 1
「Magic cloud’s disappearance confirmed! Atlantis’s coordinates can be measured! Atlantis has stopped moving far above the sky of the Pacific Ocean!」
The observation group that attentively monitored every phenomenon on the surface of the Earth gave such a report.
It was at the conference room of 『Ragnarok Countermeasures Headquarters』 that Japan’s government had set up.
The government was heavily aware that Ragnarok was the country’s greatest state of emergency. In this place, the country’s cabinet ministers and directors were assembled.
However, even though it was called a countermeasures headquarters, there was nothing that they could do.
They could only hold their breaths, waiting for the return of the fighting youths.
It was a situation where they were only waiting, but it was finally about to be over.
「……In other words it’s over?」
The head of General Staff Headquarters Yamagata groaned. Chilly tension drifted inside the room.
Atlantis was covered by a magic cloud, it was completely isolated from the outside world while drifting in the sky somewhere unknown. But now the veil of clouds had dispelled and it showed its figure. Furthermore it was while its movements stopped.
If it was now it was even possible to land on it using airplanes.
What was the meaning of this?
It wasn’t hard to imagine the answer. Ragnarok was over──.
「……Did Japan, win?」
The prime minister whispered with a fading voice.
It was a question that no one could answer. Even the prime minister was whispering that only with the intention of praying.
A battle royal by a total of seven forces. With a simple calculation, their chance of victory was 1/7. If Japan was defeated, the world would be overturned……
For the youths, they fought in order to grasp the future with their strength──for the adults who could only wait, it was a bet with long odds that could make them go crazy.
Even so there was nothing at all that they could do. It was an unheard of 『Countermeasures Headquarters』 where the people were only waiting around. Having said that, they also couldn’t just break up……
「Atlantis’s altitude is falling!!」
The illusive continent was losing magic power. It was an indication that Ragnarok was over as they thought.
「We have no way to know whether we won or lost. However let’s prepare to meet them with the assumption that they won.」
Chief Yamagata finally made a meaningful suggestion.
They had to bring home the heroes who fought through Atlantis.
「How will we go to meet them? If the place is flying in the sky, do we need to dispatch helicopter carriers? ……Observation team, where is Atlantis located exactly?」
The minister of defense looked towards the observation team.
「No, isn’t its altitude falling?」 Someone pointed that out.
「There is that. Then with a ship? No matter what we’re going to do, first we need the accurate position……you, please answer the question. What is Atlantis’s coordinates?」
‘Its altitude is falling?’ ──everyone was losing their recognition of reality, for a while no one noticed the danger from the meaning of those words.
Atlantis’s altitude was falling above the Pacific Ocean……?
The observation team that was asked once more ignored that question and interrupted everything with a yell.
「It’s dangerous!」
「Danger you say? Did something happen to them who are fighting on Atlantis?」
「It’s not that! It’s national danger!! Atlantis’s large scale mass is……it’s rapidly accelerating in its fall, it is going to land on the open sea not far off from Japan!!」
……What did he say?
「A tsunami will occur!!」
Part 2
Kazuki climbed the stair.
He was exhausted, but it felt like his body turned lighter each time he climbed a step.
It wasn’t that his stamina was recovering, his sense of reality was disappearing from his body.
Kazuki looked around at the surroundings. He was far above the sky, under his feet was a shining stair, and other than that there was a sea of clouds spreading endlessly. It was a sight that looked unreal.
No, in the end was it real? He was climbing the stairs continuously like this, but there was no way that he was heading to outer space. There was no doubt that this stair was connected to a world that was different with reality.
Every time he climbed a step, his existence was converted from his flesh body into something immaterial, like a virtual image, or ghostly body. It felt like that.
Should he say that it felt like ascending to heaven, or should he say that it felt like he was being liberated from earthly desires and the woes of man? There was no way that the being waiting for him ahead of here was something that nice, but he had the pleasant feeling that he was being purified into something pure.
『Indeed. It’s just as you imagined.』
Basileus Basileon’s voice resounded inside his head……his head?
The voice didn’t resound in his head, but in his very thoughts itself. What was called a head was a flesh body.
The current him wasn’t a flesh body anymore.
『You are being converted from a flesh body into a virtual image, you are treading upon Astrum. The current you is mixing into the infinite magic power vortex of Astrum, you are the very force of will that is called Hayashizaki Kazuki.』
It was a beautiful voice that sounded like a man, but also sounded like a woman──it was beautiful, but the voice touched his nerves.
Kazuki looked down on his figure. He was clad with Gematria and Zekorbeni. Ame no Murakumo and Joyeux were hanging on his waist.
Even if he was losing his flesh body, but he wasn’t something that was more than himself.
Kazuki’s soul couldn’t become a figure that was more than himself that he was personally self-aware of.
The scenery changed. Clouds were increasing in the surroundings. The clouds were tinged with golden color and shined.
The golden clouds were spreading out as though to cover the blue sky.
When he noticed there was no stair under his feet. Kazuki was floating lightly inside the cloud.
Light was scattering before his eyes.
The true identity of the thing that emitted light was rainbow colored feathers. They were feather of a bird……no, there was no way those feathers came from a bird. If they weren’t the feathers of a bird then they must be the feathers of someone──the feathers of an angel.
The silhouette of a huge angel emerged amidst the scattering feathers. Six pairs of wings, twelve large wings where each one was larger by several times than the owner’s body were spreading out. That figure was overwhelmingly magnificent.
With the golden clouds behind him, the rainbow colored wings spread wide──it was a sight like the religious painting of a supreme being.
Different from when they met on earth, there were huge twisted horns stretching out on his head.
「I once introduced myself with the human name of Basileus Basileon in a vulgar appearance, but this is the first time I met you with this appearance.」
He put his white hand on his graceful slender jaw, and let out a voice that sounded like a light tone color played from an instrument.
It was an appearance that reminded one of an angel, but this guy wasn’t an angel.
It was already impossible for this guy to be an existence of just that level.
「I’ll introduce myself once more. I’m the chief god of the old three great mythologies, Lucifer.」
His true identity was the fallen angel Lucifer, his other name was the devil king Satan!
That was something that could be predicted from the time when he talked with Kazuki as Basileon.
However for this fallen angel to introduce himself as the chief god of the three great mythologies, that wasn’t simply being insolent, but it was already blasphemously insolent.
Far in the past, in order to bring forth the ultimate order into this world, ten Mythologies warred with each other.
The Mythology that won through that Ragnarok would integrate all the other Mythologies and rule over the mental world of all intelligent life, becoming the <Ultimate Illusion>.
Seven Mythologies were eliminated early, but the remaining three Mythologies fought extremely intensely, and finally they defeated each other simultaneously, leaving behind no winner.
Reluctantly the three great Mythologies shared the world with each other.
However, that was a meaningless compromise. Three absolute gods and three orders caused chaos in the world, the 『ultimate order』 couldn’t be born.
Everything ended half-baked for the three great Mythologies, and while they were guiding the world, their strength was weakening and their influence on the world was gradually vanishing.
This Lucifer was someone who escaped in the middle of Ragnarok of that time and preserved his strength, a Diva who suddenly showed up his face when the three great Mythologies were weakened in strength.
The three great Mythologies that were losing their strength reluctantly entrusted the future affairs to this energetically full of spirit survivor.
Guiding humanity correctly and realizing the ultimate illusion into this world, those were the dearest wishes of all Divas of order.
If they ended up half-baked, then they wouldn’t mind even if it was other Mythologies who realized that wish. They would start Ragnarok once more, making the seven Mythologies that were in the process of recovering their strength fight each other again!
Along with that wish, Lucifer inherited all the strength of the three great Mythologies that failed to become the ultimate illusion, and he became the 『supervisor』.
That was how this Lucifer was actually the chief god of the three great Mythologies.
The fallen angel bloomed the second time at the seat of heaven.
The magic power his body was clad with was rainbow colored. He inherited the will of the three great Mythologies, and he used that power only to supervise the Ragnarok.
Knowing that course of events, it wasn’t like Kazuki didn’t feel a pettiness like when Ikousai usurped the power from Fu Xi from Lucifer, but even so when he was told that Lucifer was the chief of the three great Mythologies, Kazuki couldn’t help but feel a special fear.
Although the three great Mythologies failed to become the ultimate illusion, but speaking of the three great Mythologies meant that three great Mythologies.
And then now, the survivor of the previous Ragnarok and the victor of the second Ragnarok faced each other.
「Now then……you who make the ultimate illusion as your own, what are you planning to wish for?」
The supervisor asked that question to the victor.
「Will I be unable to receive the victory prize without answering that first?」
When Kazuki said that provocatively, Lucifer chuckled. His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
「I guess, it feels like it would be better to do it like that.」
「I……wish for the independence of humanity’s mind. Even after obtaining the power of all Mythologies, I won’t integrate them into one.」
It was obvious that this answer didn’t conform to the will of this supervisor.
A wrinkle was carved on Lucifer’s forehead as though a crack entered it.
「What are you going to do with that power without integrating them into one?」 Lucifer asked Kazuki’s true intention.
Kazuki looked around at the surrounding area.
「This space where golden clouds are floating, the atmosphere that is distastefully divine……this place too is Astrum right? Astrum is something where the deep psyche of countless humans are connected and mix with each other……the sea of collective unconscious. At the same time that can be put in another way as the sea of latent magic power that humanity cannot handle themselves.」
Kazuki could also feel magic power with shuddering density from the lightly floating golden clouds.
「A lot of people shared the illusion 『If there is this kind of mystical being……』, and then that illusion obtained shape from this maelstrom of sea and was born out, that’s what you Divas are.」
「It’s fine even if you don’t politely explain in a way that even an idiot can understand like that when the one you are talking to is me. However your understanding is correct.」
「You Divas are nothing more than existences that were born from humans. However you all who are the product of magic power of the collective unconscious possess far stronger power than humans. From that strength, you all gather people’s faith from the ancient times and ruled over the human world until now.」
「It sounds bad when you say rule, but we have also supported you humans who were literally 『fearing even the night』.」
「However, that’s a distorted arrangement. How can something that was born from humans be ruling over humans.」
There were many SF(EN: Sci-Fi) novels with stories where artificial intelligence created by humanity were controlling and ruling over the whole of mankind, and the ultimate illusion could be thought of as something similar to that.
「But that is an arrangement that came to be from the wishes of you humans. Making wishes come true is magic. It was the wish of you humans yourselves that created superior beings so that they can protect the peace of your mind for you.」
「Perhaps one time humans needed such support. However, humanity is progressing. That’s why one day the time for mankind to be independent will come. And right now is exactly that time.」
「With that kind of thinking, how are you planning to use this great power then?」
「I……will use the power of the ultimate illusion, and erase mythology from this mental world.」
「You are saying that you will erase all Divas, killing them all in the process! If you reject the illusion, you will lose even the power of magic!」
「And then……with the wish of me and Leme as one, we will use all the magic power of the ultimate illusion and create our Original One.」
Original One──when the feelings of a Diva and their contractor was as one, the Diva would create a personal summoning magic that symbolized the contractor’s spirituality.
Right now Kazuki and Leme’s wish was completely the same. Right now was exactly the time for them to design a magic that was only for him. By using the infinite possibility that was the ultimate illusion.
「I will materialize all Divas into human shapes, changing them into friends of equal standing with mankind.」
「……Fri, friend you say!?」
Lucifer’s eyes that were clear like willow leaves opened wide in astonishment at this time.
「This is not a mere wish. It’s the creed 『Getting along with everyone, treasuring the bond』 that Leme consistently taught to me until now. In other words, this is the dogma of Solomon Mythology, it’s what faith meant for us.」
The faith of the victorious Mythology would be realized by the power of the ultimate illusion.
Ragnarok should be something like that.
「……Impudent reasoning!」
Lucifer spat out those words with an immense sigh.
「That kind of dogma is a joke! Just what the hell your contracted Diva is teaching you!?」
「You’ve got any complaint with Leme’s teaching huh?」
Lemegeton emerged besides Kazuki with a poof.
Her appearance wasn’t the little girl figure, but her original adult big sister figure.
「This guy was a swordsman, and yet because of Leme he entered the magic department and got isolated. Leme enlightened such person, telling him 『Aim to be the harem king and get well-liked by girls』, or 『become the idol king and turn popular』! Leme can declare with confidence……Leme’s teachings made this guy and the people around him happy! And then Leme will also become human and get along even more with humans, Leme wants to become a famous and popular person!!」
「You damned mad Diva! You have already accomplished materialization, it’s meaningless to become human after that!!」
「A materialized concept and becoming human are different! If it’s only being a materialized Diva, then even if Leme eats something delicious, Leme will only trace the experience of the subconscious memory of all mankind, and get the vicarious experience of the taste from that, that’s all there is to it! Leme also cannot spend a lifespan together with others as an equal existence! Leme doesn’t want to just continue playing make believe as a human for eternity!」
Leme had materialized continuously for long at Kazuki’s side. At a glance she looked like she was always having fun, but her yell this time was even tinged with the color of grief. Counterfeit. She was feeling like that towards what she experienced.
「……Why are you yearning after humans that much?」
「Because humans are lovely-!」
Leme hugged Kazuki’s neck tightly and she sucked on his cheek *chuu─*.
「If someone established an ego, then even a Diva will naturally change right?」
Kazuki spoke while Leme was sucking on his cheek. His mind recalled about Loki.
「Right, that’s true. Even Leme feels like responding if a human ask Leme to be a guardian. However, Leme has seen with my own eyes these guys’ growth. They aren’t babies who are scared of the night’s darkness anymore. They can be kind to other people even without getting threatened with ‘god will punish you y’know’. On the other hand, you yourself, you are ignoring human’s growth and whining that you want to continue to rule. That’s unseemly.」
「That’s right. You who appeared from the ancient three great Mythologies, you are just forcing the old fashioned relationship between humans and Divas forever.」
「Growing you say? ……So that’s the excuse of you two.」
Lucifer flapped the wings on his back, and then he lightly floated up high while scattering light particles.
He looked down coldly on Kazuki and Leme, then he said. As though he was handing down judgment.
「Can you really say that? I have established ego within me and have lived for a long time, watching over the world of man throughout all of it. I possess flexibility that can allow change to happen, and with that I made my conclusion. I say that humans……need to be ruled for eternity.」
「Someone like you, don’t conclude as you please. Humans can graduate from illusion, gaze at reality, and work hard to progress!」
「That’s right, this guy, and then the people around this guy who are encouraged by him too can do it!」
Leme and Kazuki spoke together. But──,
「Humans that can face reality, work hard, and progress. Even throughout history until now, there were also many strong humans that could do that. What in the world did those people do?」
Lucifer shook his head.
「Humans who gaze at reality and possess strength, they ended up becoming the originators of illusion. They scatter illusion that is convenient for themselves to the surroundings and coaxed the weak who are looking for someone to cling to. And then they exploited those weak people. ……That was the beginning of a powerful person’s history.」
The first thing that the strong who surpassed the framework of faith would do──that was, to seize authority.
A king. A king would certainly transmit illusion.
「Following the loss of strength of the three great Mythologies, an enormous authority structure was going to be born into human society. But selfish humans must not become the originators of illusion. An illusion ought to be originated from an absolute being that could look over the whole of mankind equally.」
「Not all humans are selfish! Perhaps it’s indeed true that there were kings that misused their authority and fattened up themselves, scattering around convenient illusions for themselves, but……」
The era of transition period when gods were losing their influence──the society of kings who proclaimed that they had divine authority that was received from god.
「But there should also be kings who grant strength and courage to the people with their words, and grant vitality to their country!」
「Certainly there were also wise kings who sincerely exerted themselves to make their country wealthy with effort. But in the end it was only for their own country. It wasn’t a perfect equality.」
Lucifer sighed once more and pointed at Kazuki to accuse him.
「You too don’t put complete strangers in the same importance as your comrades right? That’s the limit of a human’s kindness. Humans can be kind only to the people who are right beside them. It’s only god who is able to watch over the whole world equally. It’s only god’s control that can get rid of exploitation and violence.」
「……Even if human’s kindness can only reach the people beside them, that kindness should be able to spread until far away. The widening of that extent is progress. Humans can 『sympathize』 with humans at far away too.」
「Are you saying that you plan to hold hands with each other until it goes a whole circle around the world? Sympathy you said, certainly that’s a beautiful word. However the progress of civilization clears away even that framework called sympathy.」
Lucifer sighed again. As though he had despaired many times over until now.
「You are a Japanese from an advanced country, but do you have the self-awareness that you are sacrificing the people of the poor countries? When you are speaking about the preciousness of equality with that mouth, have you imagined how wretched the level of your livelihood will become when equality arrived in the world? If you say that you can sympathize, then try imagining it……」
Kazuki imagined it. And then, he was tormented with unease, that perhaps he was only speaking things convenient for himself.
This world was a scramble to snatch wealth from others.
This world was a scramble to snatch wealth from others was something that couldn’t be helped.
Even so if it was a healthy competition……
Though the factor of luck and misfortune to some degree was something that couldn’t be helped……
Lucifer continued his words as though to forestall Kazuki’s thinking.
「It’s not about luck or misfortune just so you know. The wealthy countries are nipping off even the chance of the poor countries to crawl up using luck and effort. At the beginning of the 21st century, irresponsible words like 『globalization』 or 『level playing field』 were flying around through the world. But what was called free economy was constantly practiced restrictions in the field that was convenient for the wealthy countries. If poor countries were allowed to carry out trade by making use of their strong point, the shifting of the loss from that will head towards the poor people in the wealthy countries. Speaking from my point of view that is able to take an extensive view of the world……a brat who is easily saying words like kindness is unforgivable.」
Lucifer’s face became expressionless like ice.
「In the first place the poor countries has their feet dragged down endlessly by problems of national borders or internal discord or ethnic problems, and they could not progress. The main culprit that caused those problems, the advanced countries only lent a hand following their whim. War was gone, but because of that the world became even more rigid. The disparity and exploitation clung tightly to the rigid world and became hard to erase. And then the people of the advanced countries are thinking like this. 『Those people are an inferior race, so there won’t be any end to it no matter how much fund and aid they get』.」
──This Diva really had watched over the human world continuously until now.
The mysterious impact from a mystical being talking about reality was pressuring Kazuki.
「You have never even thought that your blessedness came from trampling over the poor countries and spoke words like kindness. You can ignore that exploitation and violence and pretend like they don’t exist because the giant social system is doing it for you in place unseen from you. That is the true color of 『a kind brat of an advanced country』 like you. You are 『a brat who is overly conscious to appear like a do-gooder』. There was also things like international effort as countermeasures against poverty that was formulated for a period about fifteen years, but even that was no more than merely letting out steam initiated by the wealthy countries. The so called UN secretary general reported it as a『definite accomplishment』 and it ended as just a tiny bit of lie to trick their conscience. ……A developed and complicated society is located at the farthest reaches from sympathy.」
Lucifer pointed at his chest and raised his voice.
「In other words something like a kind world……can only be found in illusion(right here)!」
──Certainly perhaps this person knew more about reality than him.
Kazuki thought like that. This god even saw through until the secular matter.
「If man call for true equality to the whole of mankind, then it will surely invite fierce opposition. And the only existence that can suppress such thing with no question asked……is the superior species(us), and no other.」
Even so, Kazuki felt like he mustn’t agree with him.
「Even so the world is getting better bit by bit.」
「『Getting better bit by bit』 huh. ……That’s a deception that humans who tried to save the weak and the poor without making any sacrifices from their livelihood at all are trying to make. It’s not getting better or anything. The war between strong countries using inhuman weapons were gone but……the dissatisfaction and anger of the weak were gushing out in different shape. Poor humans running into extreme ideologies before commencing terrorism became the new threat to the world. They didn’t do that because they were manipulated by 『weird ideology』. They did that because they were poor. Their own country that should have margin for development was controlled by the advanced countries whose economic growth had reached the limit, petrifying their situation without rectifying the existing disparity……it was because they knew that truth that they ran to terrorism. But the kind people who should sympathize with the poor, did they sympathize with the terrorists when their own wealth was threatened?」
Kazuki wasn’t born in that age. Lucifer shook his head towards him.
「The people’s true feeling were 『Chase away the people that have the same race as the terrorist!』 『Rather, just turn the country that is hiding those guys into ash!』, those were what they said. It was something like that! Terrorism jumped over the complexity of the society and directly bared its fang towards the wealthy! Randomly! And you all, the wealthy, felt that it was unreasonable. Because you all were unaware of your own violence! The mentality of the masses won’t progress forever! Just where is this so called kindness?」
No one would ever imagine that the fallen angel Lucifer, the devil king Satan would make this kind of proclamation. However, that was an extremely severe criticism from 『illusion』 towards 『reality』, it was him finding fault.
「Not just the developing countries, disparity was growing even inside the wealthy countries, extreme and emotional insistence of one’s own principle was getting around indiscriminately. It was an age of populism’s rampage. People who came into contact with virtually unlimited information through the internet judged things by whether it can make them feel good or not, not by whether it was the truth or not. They grew to indulge themselves in empty communication. If I can speak frankly, everything was sheetty. Even though there is possibility to change that kind of sheetty world, but you reject it! You defeated all the Kings who tried to change the world and reached here! There is nothing more wretched than this!」
Lucifer sighed again. He wasn’t acting. He was lamenting from his heart.
「While the population was continuing to increase explosively, on the other hand resources kept decreasing. Humans didn’t correct the disparity between them because of fixation towards maintaining the status quo, the technology was being radicalized into something more delicate, hard to comprehend, and dangerous. Country borders, race, ideology……those problems that remained unchanged, there was no light of hope that they could be resolved. Prediction that the future would be better didn’t come into view at all. Everyone thought so. There is no prospect for the future to become better! ……That was despair! That was the reason that I’m reigning here!」
Lucifer burst into a chuckle looking somewhat completely desperate.
「Fufufu, I remember the likes of you Japanese at that time was starting to funnily escape from reality into things like 『I’d rather reincarnate into another world, and with the knowledge of civilized society and cheat ability obtained from sloppy reason I want to become unbeatable and create a harem』 and so on…… It was exactly at that timing that I introduced myself as Basileus Basileon and made this world remember the power of magic, resurrecting the Divas. I can boast that my timing there was the most optimum, that it was enough already, I gave up that world as beyond saving.」
……However, was it alright to allow something like an illusion that was giving up on humans as beyond saving?
「But there human’s history ceased to be! If something like the ultimate illusion ruled over humans’ hearts, something important will be lost!!」
「It’s not about losing. Disparity, country border, ideology, race, resources……everything will be erased and unified. Equality, unified country, unified ideology, one Earth……you have dreamed of all those right? That can be realized if mankind comes into the embrace of us gods!」
「Are you saying to unify even all the hearts into one!? Realizing your ideal with your most important thing as the compensation is something that a devil does! ……Your true identity, is the incarnation of despair!!」
「A reality where you cannot even have the illusion of hope, that’s what you call a dead end. In that case illusion and despair have the same meaning. Why are you angry? Why did you all dream of things like power of magic!?」
「What you are saying is perhaps not mistaken. Perhaps that kind of thing is happening in the world. I don’t know the way to resolve that……but」
Words came out naturally from Kazuki’s mouth. Just words to reject the reality that this guy was speaking of……
「Even if it was the conclusion that the whole of mankind’s deep psyche reached, if that conclusion is despair then I’ll absolutely reject it! I have made that kind of resolve since I became a King!! ……I’ll fight carrying my own determination on my back!! Even if I cannot imagine a concrete future, I will struggle with my own hands together with my important people, I won’t just obediently accept such things until I make sure of it with my own eyes! Even if it’s something that I cannot do anything about at all alone, everyone is frantically forming their own unseen future! That’s what being human is right!?」
「That’s right! Everyone is different and that’s fine, that is the greatest pride of Solomon 72 Pillars!!」
Leme also raised her voice.
「Many different people mesh with each other like chaos theory, creating a future that cannot be predicted at all!! I’ll say this as the same Diva as you! Divas who are the product of the collective unconscious have no qualifications to reject that!!」
「Chaos you say……」
「That’s right, not just order!! Even if a mythology has a goal line, but the story of these guys have no goal line!!」
Lucifer’s expression shook like a water surface that got a rock thrown into it.
「Kazuki, you did great talking back to him without getting tricked or overwhelmed! Something like a personification of the collective unconscious is not omniscience and omnipotence being. That guy only understands what he understands!!」
Kazuki’s Zekorbeni and Gematria shined with Leme’s thought.
──As though that was the signal, Lucifer flapped his wings and went high to the sky, putting even more distance away from Kazuki.
「……As I thought, the ultimate illusion cannot be granted to you. I cannot let you destroy all the dreams of mankind with your childish kindness and ego.」
「You’ve no right talking about ego when you one-sidedly break your promise to give it to the victor of Ragnarok!」
「I’ll pass the last judgment on you. ……Fufufu, I planned to entrust the ultimate illusion to the victor of this Ragnarok but……there is no way I cannot hand it over to someone like you. Then I can only personally become the ultimate illusion to guide humans!」
Kazuki noticed. There was no doubt that this was what he intended right from the beginning. He was playing with words.
When he thought back, he wondered why this guy was shouldering the role as supervisor so faithfully like this. Everything he did was to aim for this moment.
This moment when all the power of the three great Mythologies from the previous Ragnarok and the power of the seven Mythologies of this present Ragnarok were gathered.
No matter who won, this guy planned to steal all the power in this place!!
The fallen angel of betrayal. The morning star who spread his wings seeking the seat of the absolute god……
There was no way he had any intention to entrust the ultimate illusion to another. Everything was for the sake so he could soar high himself!
As though to back up Kazuki’s flash of insight, Lucifer yelled and kneaded the rainbow colored magic power.
「……The power of the three great Mythologies wasn’t used up. It was preserved since they gave up exerting their influence on the real world until this time!」
The rainbow magic power scattered glitteringly to seven directions around Lucifer. That light swelled up in the blink of an eye and materialized into a specific shape.
「O my seven great followers, display your figure! ……Michael! Jibril! Gabriel! Azrael! Raphael! Israfil! Uriel!!」
The swelling up light formed into the shape of angels. Every single one was a Diva.
The seven archangels that straddled two Mythologies floated up without any word.
「And then come out, my new followers from the east……Principal Five Great Wisdom Kings! Acala! Vajrayaksa! Trailokyavijaya! Kundali! Yamantaka!!」
In addition Lucifer scattered five lights from the rainbow light. Those lights also swelled up and took the figure of Wisdom Kings. Wisdom Kings──they were the battle form of angered Buddha. For Japanese they were figures that one couldn’t help but shudder and bow against.
With the golden sky as the background, twelve high class Divas were deployed with Lucifer as the center like a mandala! Kazuki faltered.
There was no way anyone could keep calm when standing alone in front of this kind of sight.
『Kazuki, don’t get overwhelmed. You don’t lose in anything. That’s because……』
Lemegeton’s voice communicated inside Kazuki’s mind.
It was exactly at that time, Gematria was shining even stronger──there was a voice.
「……The one who will decide to whom the ultimate illusion will go absolutely isn’t the three great Mythologies(those guys) who were only watching the fight! The one who will decide that will be the seven Mythologies(us) who fought through the Ragnarok this time. ……Isn’t that right, Lemegeton.」
The one who emerged along with the voice was──the sage of dark green. And then the warrior of madness.
Hrotsvit Lesedrama and Odin, those two. The figure of the two overlapped with each other while appearing at Kazuki’s side.
Without even any time to think about what was currently going on, a new voice and figure appeared.
「The rationality that I think of is denied by you──」
The one who appeared……were Svarog and Ilyailiya!
She calmly continued her words.
「Just as Lemegeton said……Hayashizaki Kazuki’s power is to resonate emotions with each other and amplify them, a power to create a future that cannot be calculated. That Lucifer’s logic doesn’t include that. Therefore I conclude that he is mistaken.」
Furthermore……a voice and virtual image put together a figure.
「Kukuku……rather than a tranquil regulated society, I too prefer finding out the chance of victory in a battle that is filled with despair. That’s what American spirit is, the path of the truly powerful!」
The one who appeared was a woman who was like a lion that would show a fierce smile exactly when she was in a hopeless crisis……the King of America, Clark Moore! The power of the seven Mythologies were also gathering here right in this moment!
「Everyone wants him to win. Even with your intention to represent the despair of the whole of mankind, that is the collective will of all the people who know Hayashizaki Kazuki. Because we have been conquered already by him.」
The one who appeared next was Britain’s King, Arthur. And then King Arthur of the legend.
……She who said that Kazuki had conquered her directed a charming smile at Kazuki.
「We were defeated because we were alone……in that case」
The figure of a young girl appeared together with a lonely and introspective voice.
「His thinking of unifying everything into one……is similar with the mistake that we committed. We have enough already of such solitude! We won’t recognize a mistake, a defeat for the second time!!」
With the Dragon of Heaven’s Decree coiling around her body that was decorated with dazzling Magic Dress, it was the King of China, Fu Xi. She was still young, but her eyes were already filled with wise light that recognized her mistake.
「Calling the power that defeated me as mistaken is unforgivable. I’ll accompany you to kill that guy.」
A remarkably stinging voice came into hearing. However the owner of that voice also stood shoulder to shoulder with Kazuki.
「As a King, I also thought about the problem that guy was thinking over. It doesn’t matter that I am a King who stands at the summit of the nobles, it’s impossible to shoulder all the problems alone……that’s the cause of my defeat. Your power that relied on your comrades, and even believed your allied partner and they in you won against me. ……I recognize that with pride.」
The Italia King who once transformed into a monster but recovered back her soul due to Kazuki, Regina Olympia Fornara also appeared to lend her strength to Kazuki.
「As expected from Regina-sama! You are truly noble, proud, and big hearted!!」
Beside her a glasses girl, Vera also appeared like a sycophant. Flattered by Vera, Regina puffed up her chest self-importantly while going *fufu─n*.
There was nothing more reliable than this.
The Kings and the chief gods who he had fought fiercely against until now had……come running in order to not let Kazuki’s victory turn into a lie!
「So the defeated seven Mythologies are joining as one…… Is the Mythology something that light for all of you? I can still understand how the humans are driven by emotion and cooperate with Hayashizaki Kazuki, but for their Divas to also lend their strength so thoughtlessly to him, what is the meaning of this!?」
Lucifer disparaged everyone present from up high.
When Diva and human were contracted to each other for a long time, their soul would be strongly connected to each other.
It wasn’t that Hrotsvit and Regina came to help Kazuki. Odin and Zeus and the other Divas brought their soul so they could appear here.
It wasn’t just the Kings of the seven Mythologies, even the chief gods were also cooperating with Kazuki.
「Lucifer……you are just a fallen angel after all. No matter how one looks at it you aren’t a soul that would contend yourself with being an impartial supervisor or anything. You damn fool, this wise man here has completely seen through your trivial scheme where you are going to try to plunder the ultimate illusion from the victor.」
An old man with reclusive atmosphere wearing a solemn robe and wide brimmed hat──the chief god of Norse Mythology, Odin was saying that with his one eye opened wide threateningly.
「It will be cooler if you don’t call yourself something like wise man you know?」
Hrotsvit gave a retort to Odin.
「Ho-ho-ho, this Hrotsvit has become someone that would say that perhaps humanity’s future isn’t despair. This girl who I thought like my granddaughter said that. Ascertaining the future with this one eye of mine is also not bad.」
Odin laughed like an owl and returned a gaze that was filled with affection at Hrotsvit.
「……I cannot stomach you who won’t award glory to the victor. Mine King who ought to stand at the summit was defeated. It would be unforgivable if the one victorious isn’t held in respect.」
An old man with large build wearing armor that was adorned with gold──Zeus glared at Lucifer with a stern face.
「Also the change this young man brought about in the heart of mine king Regina is very interesting.」
Zeus gave such evaluation to Kazuki.
Svarog and Chernobog were lightly floating behind Ilyailiya without any word.
The golden dragon coiling around Fu Xi──the Dragon of Heaven’s Decree also recognized Kazuki with few words 「The winner is justice. I, too, am also ruled by the winner」.
「The circle of bond of this young man and his comrades is far more solid than even the Knights of the Round Table who are bound together with chivalry. There is no other choice except to recognize our defeat.」
The King Arthur of legend said that with a calm voice, but right after that he suddenly looked like he was at his wits’ end.
「……Furthermore for him to be a harem king……even though Guinevere was NTR-ed from me despite me only having one wife……I feel nothing but a sense of defeat……」
King Arthur hung his head down crestfallenly, Kazuki could do nothing except smiling wryly.
「……These puny Mythologies」
Wrinkles were increasing on Lucifer’s forehead in fan shape as though cracks were entering there. It was a face that should be called as a demonic look.
「Heh. Every last one of them got no integrity at all yeah.」
Furthermore there was a cynical chuckling voice joining in.
「……Loki! What business a defeated chaos Diva has in this place at this late hour!?」
Lucifer’s voice turned rough──it was as though that while the other existences were still barely within the limit, but it was only this guy that couldn’t be allowed to be here.
The owner of the chuckling voice was the silver haired Norse Diva──Loki. His figure also appeared beside Kazuki.
「As the supervisor I fairly granted a chance even to the chaos Divas, but you all were defeated! The world isn’t tilting toward chaos anymore! You can just wait quietly until you are disassembled into the ultimate illusion!」
「It’s not like I’m here ‘cause I want to do something about chaos y’know. I simply came here to help out a pal.」
「Pal……you mean friend……?」 Lucifer was taken aback.
When Kazuki also turned a puzzled gaze at Loki, Loki clicked his tongue a bit and averted his face.
He was embarrassed. No, he was acting dere(lovestruck).
「……Daddy is strange just as I thought. You really really love that guy……」
「Aooon! I don’t really get it but do your best daddy woof!!」
Beside Loki, Hel who once fought Kazuki was making an exasperated face. A young man with dog ears growing on his head also appeared and howled. Kazuki never got involved with this one, but speaking about a dog that called Loki as father, there was no doubt that this was Fenrir.
「Fufuhn, you Loki and Odin and Zeus and also King Arthur, I’ll turn you all into human and make you my friends for sure!」
Leme laughed livelily. There was not even a shred of fixation in her that they were once enemies.
Of course it wasn’t just the chief gods of the seven Mythologies who were gathered here in order to turn them into the ultimate illusion.
Kazuki wasn’t alone by any means in this another dimension world.
「There are angels and Buddha statues and so on. It’s clear just from a glance how bad news of an opponent the faith(these guys) are……」
「A dangerous atmosphere is hanging in the air from just expressing it into words.」
「But Kazu-nii is absolutely, absolutely the one in the right! We are fighting woman who live by love rather than god!!」
A voice that he wouldn’t possibly mistaken──when he turned around, Phoenix and Vepar also appeared. They were taking along Mio and Koyuki’s consciousness with them!
「Otouto-kun is always together with us! The Witch’s Mansion is eternal!!」
「Iyeaaay! Hoorii sheetto(Holy sheet)! Gaddemu(Godd*mn)!!」(TN: The speaker here is talking with Japanized English)
There were warm words and words that didn’t know anything to fear, and along with those words Asmodeus & Kaguya-senpai and Baal & Hikaru-senpai also appeared. Baal was at his wits’ end towards the actions of his contractor.
「Prometheus and I will support the civilization mankind has created, mainly, the otaku culture!」
The one who appeared while saying that was the otaku duo Lotte and Prometheus.
「A happy plan where everyone becomes one, something like that has been done to death in the nineties!!」 (TN: Reference to Evangelion here)
Next Kamimura-san and Amaterasu proclaimed that with their fist raised up.
Kazuki’s comrades sent him their encouragement one after another.
「What’s with that guy, acting so high and mighty! Divas are just friends! Someone like Futsunushi no Kami is simply an old man!」
Kazuha-senpai appeared together with Futsunushi no Kami and Takemikadzuchi who got along well with each other, her lips were pouting.
「That’s right, the likes of Diva isn’t a big deal! Nii-sama’s Hayashizaki-style is superior!!」
The one who raised that voice was the cat duo Kanae and Beleth.
「Fuh……it’s set in stone that Kazuki will win even without me and Susanoo lending a hand but, I’ll just lend my hand for the time being!」
Even that Ikousai arrived together with Susanoo with arrogant attitude.
「Kazuki is a person who is kind to us elves. There is no doubt that he will also improve the society.」
「Gau. It’s clear to see that the meal Kazuki makes is more delicious then any meal you can make.」
The Ryuutaki sisters also appeared together with Gremory and Marchosias.
「That’s right! The meal Kazuki makes is tasty!」
The one who continued the talk of meals was the glutton lost fox, Karin. Beside her Dakki was laughing 「Hohoho」.
「……Karin, looks like you are full of spirit.」
「Heh!? Nee-sama!?」
A voice came from right beside Karin. Karin turned around with a hysteric voice.
Over there was──the figure of Lin Zhijing. Her name read in Japanese was Hayashi Shizuka.
「……I’m only obeying Fu Xi-sama and China Mythology. I’m not coming here because I’m worrying about you.」
Karin whose expression was filled with emotion tried to hug Shizuka, however she drily ripped Karin off from her with a heel palm.
「Now that it’s come to this only victory is allowed! Just when I thought I had raised an incompetent student, instead that guy actually succeeded the next generation from us, really we the previous generation got no excuse!!」
The one who arrived while throwing a strict but kind voice was Liz Liza-sensei and Agares.
「Maximum Beautiful student council president Kanon-chan on stage☆ Look at me more!!」
「Stop screwing around and recognize it already. The leading part is him over there.」
「Mukiii! What’s with you! You just surrendered easily to a handsome man!!」
The duo of previous generation Kanon-senpai and Akane-senpai also reliably watched over Kazuki.
「I’ll publish president’s active role in the newspaper with Turtle-san’s help! A new legend is starting right now!!」
「Even a minor character like me will give aid! The king isn’t alone!!」
「Ufufu, if someone this loved doesn’t win, then I think there must be some mistake somewheree~」
Yumeno-san, Yuka-senpai, and even Miake-senpai were sending him voices of support along with their contracted Divas.
「Well……from one thing to another in the end my eyes ain’t mistaken. It’s worth it going along with a good man willingly yeah.」
「That guy is even more of a sheetty bastard when compared to the emperor of China!!」
Ryouzanpaku──Shouko and Silirat showed up.
Fu Xi glared fiercely at Silirat. Silirat responded back by pulling down her eyelid and stuck out her tongue.
Leme looked around at the comrades that kept gathering here and laughed.
「Fufufu……looking at it like this your harem is also in full swing huh!! Every single one of them loves you!!」
「Fuhahaha! It’s not just Japan’s Knight Order who loves Kazuki y’know! Twenty years old maiden Beatrix!! She depart even until Astrum in order to get accepted as wife!!」
「Captain, your head ain’t screwed right you know!?」
「……I don’t know what will happen to you captain after you get carried away and say something like that.」
From Norse Mythology, the trio of Beatrix, Damian, and Eleonora appeared.
「B-e-a-t-r-i-x-. Kazuki and I, which one is more important to you I wonde─r?」
Hrotsvit faced Beatrix with her lips distorted.
「Hieh! Tha, that’s……I live for love!」
「You will get a spanking later Beatrix!!」
The Norse Mythology bunch were people with thick personalities as usual.
「「「「「「「「「USA! USA! USA!」」」」」」」」」
American Justice’s Numbers were also appearing while starting their yell without any prompting. Even Jeremy who was currently unconscious in the real world was also there.
If the whole of mankind’s mind was dyed by just one ultimate illusion, there was no doubt that this kind of happening where he was surrounded by comrades with unique personalities would never happen.
「Fufufu……Kazuki, there is still more surprises for you.」
Kazuki turned toward Leme’s voice and his eyes caught sight of a shocking figure.
「……Kaa-san.」
He unconsciously leaked out a stifled voice.
There was a faint shadow overlapping with Leme’s figure──a willowy black haired female.
She had a calm atmosphere that vaguely resembled Kaguya-senpai.
That was undoubtedly the figure of Kazuki’s real mother.
Her presence was fainter compared to everyone else, exactly like a ghost. It must be because this was just a negligible lingering memory remaining behind inside Leme. But, the fact was that it remained.
「Hibiki-neesama!?」
Liz Liza-sensei also shouted loudly.
「I have no strength at all that I can lend, I’m sorry……」
His mother smiled sadly while saying that.
Kazuki felt his chest tighten and couldn’t reply.
Loki was also staring this way with a shocked gaze. His mother suddenly turned his way.
「Please don’t get too obsessed with my child okay?」
She said that to her former bitter enemy with a troubled expression. Loki looked like a child that was caught red-handed in his misdeed,
「I, I’m not gonna do it anymore!」 He averted his face to the side.
──Just having the presence of this person watching over him, there was nothing more heartening than this.
After all, until now he had never experienced something like his mother coming to watch on parents’ day or sports day like this.
This was the first time.
He didn’t feel unhappy. He didn’t have resentment. His mother was continuing to fight against enemy whose true shape at that time was still not understood well, alone without anyone else knowing about it.
Compared to that, the current him was blessed beyond compare. After all he was surrounded by this many comrades.
He could believe from the bottom of his heart──of the righteousness of this battle.
Kazuki turned his gaze once more to Lucifer who arbitrarily made himself the representation of the whole of mankind’s illusion, and he glared.
Lucifer met all present with a voice of anger.
「……Very well, the chief god of the three great Mythologies, Lucifer, will swallow all of you diminutive beings whole, changing you all into the ultimate illusion. ……Angels!」
Countless light scattered around Lucifer and even more numerous angels appeared.
The bizarre angel Jophiel with four faces and inlaid with countless eyeballs was leading this army of <Cherubim(Angel of Wisdom)>.
A gigantic angel with black wings Zaphkiel was leading the army of <Throne(Angel of Throne)>.
And then in addition swarm of lower rank angels formed of <Dominion(Chief Angel)> and <Virtue(Angel of Power)> and <Power(Angel of Skill)> emerged as though to fill the sky to the brim.
「O scholar who reached the region of god, bodhisattvas!」
Similar light scattered once more and eastern Divas were appearing.
Ksheetigarbha, Maitreya, Manjusri, Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara, it was a crowd of bodhisattvas.
A large army that was exactly like a sea of clouds was filling the sky to the limit.
But even Kazuki was surrounded by a great number of comrades.
Beside Kazuki, Amaterasu whispered.
「Kazuki, the current you can use the Power of Harmony to the magic power of everyone here. All the Divas who came running here are 『the comrades of Solomon』 after all.」
She who was usually slacking off was letting out a voice that was tensed and dignified only at this kind of time.
Leme also talked following her.
「Kazuki, minds are directly connected with each other if it’s here in the Astrum. Right from the start you are already in a state like when you kiss and expanded the circuit of bond. Positivity level also doesn’t matter, you can use everyone’s magic with nothing to spare now. Leme’s current strength is the strongest even compared to the likes of three great Mythologies.」
Perhaps Leme’s ability was for the sake of this time, to defeat this enemy.
Kazuki dashed towards Lucifer.
When he moved his body like he was running, he was able to sprint through the golden space.
On the other hand Lucifer and the angels flapped their wings and flew through the golden space.
It was a space that was both sky and ground at the same time. It was a battle in a world of concept.
Kazuki was rushing in a straight line towards the flying Lucifer.
As though to intercept──the swarm of Divas of the three great Mythologies unleashed magic power light like a full starry sky. Everything was rainbow colored magic power.
From Lucifer who was positioned at the center of that heavenly constellation, an especially mighty light was unleashed.
「Don’t think that you can approach this Morning Star and touch even a single strand of hair! You can perish after witnessing this ultimate magic!!」
Lucifer chanted a short spell and fired a terrifying magic!
「No more rest and compassion will be granted further. Gather in the hill of Megido, the end is right here! Armageddon(Final Annihilation Wave)!」
The moment it was activated, the surrounding space of the sprinting Kazuki was overwritten.
Even when he tried to foresight the property of the magic power, it was a space magic that left no place to escape! He also couldn’t erase the effect using Midashi!
Kazuki was thrown onto a land that had many cracks running on it as though it had been assaulted by drought.
When he looked up, he could see a pure white star at the pure black sky. The star was getting larger in the blink of eye……it was falling to crush the whole space.
It wasn’t at a simple scale like a magic of falling meteor, a star like the giant Antares or Betelgeuse that was several thousands fold of the sun was falling, there was such an omen of despairing destruction.
Rather than calling that the power of cosmos……it was a space magic that recreated the illusion of 『The Final Day』.
Kazuki poured strength into Zekorbeni──the power of Zeus.
「O eight stars floating in twelve signs of Zodiac, follow my will and draw the misfortune of destruction……Grand Cross(Grand Cross Apocalypse)!!」
This magic too was a grand magic that operated on the very space itself. The magic power that overflowed from Zekorbeni spread through the different dimension to further overwrite the different dimension Lucifer deployed!
Eight asteroids were shining while revolving around Kazuki, then they stopped at cross shape. The gravitational pull of the eight asteroids that stopped at a cursed arrangement tore apart the void of space and collapsed it.
Different dimension and different dimension, the end day and the collapse of cosmos fought each other.
……No, the phenomenon of the end day was winning! The power of cosmos’s collapse was gradually driven away to the corner of space and vanished, the falling white star was approaching near!
Kazuki was pouring power into Zekorbeni at almost the same time──the power of Loki. He too was lending him power as a pal!
Double Drive!
With the power of Zeus and Loki poured in almost simultaneously, a crack entered Zekorbeni’s jewel with a snapping sound.
『Never mind it! Use it up!!』 Leme’s voice resounded in his head.
「Wind’s winter, sword’s winter, wolf’s winter, rage! After devouring all life to the end, come oh flame of Muspel that will burn every god! Ragnarok(The Twilight of the Gods)!!」
Even more illusionary scenery was extending to the surroundings. Everything was endless winter scenery, it then reversed completely with a storm of flame that raged fiercely, even the paradise of the gods Valhalla was blazing up.
That scenery was also fighting against the illusionary space that was the end day.
And then finally, the whole space was smashed──Kazuki returned back to the previous Astrum where countless angels were flying in the golden clouds.
「You are getting through my magic unharmed!?」
Color of shock could be peeked from Lucifer’s expression.
But he was unharmed only after he fired the ultimate magic of two Mythologies.
At the same time countless angels rained down magic attacks towards Kazuki.
Kazuki poured two powers into Zekorbeni once more.
Creak!* The crack on the jewel was getting larger.
「The proud strength of Stars and Stripes, right here……Super One!」
Kazuki obtained the power of America that made his body clad in pitch black aura of transcendental power. At the same time,
「O blood of dragon! Dwell within my body and blaze up! Blood Pendragon!!」
He carried the draconic power of King Arthur too and reinforced his physical ability even further, then he drew out Ame no Murakumo and Joyeux.
The pitch black aura and power of dark red blood wrapped around his body in marble pattern, the he wielded two sword style against the rain of attack magic approaching him.
Midashi──all the raining down attack magic was parried to another direction.
And then he ran through the golden space towards Lucifer without stopping his feet.
The swarm of Wisdom Kings and bodhisattvas and angels were standing in Kazuki’s way while wielding trident vajra or single pronged vajra, weighted rope, vajra pole, or vajra bell.
The figures that were like Buddha statues that he saw at the field trip of his middle school were attacking him one after another!
Kazuki saw through every single attack and parried them with Instant Positioning.
At the same time he poured the power of Odin into Zekorbeni.
「Kill──Gungnir!!」
Without even a millimeter of deviation, Kazuki thrust the spear of certain kill if it hits the vital spots at the heart of the bodhisattvas and devas blocking his way.
The Divas were dispersing under one attack, returning into a shapeless magic power and dispersed in Astrum.
Evade, parry, thrust and kill.
Kazuki was running through the golden space while literally performing one hit kill against the opponents.
「……Hayashizaki Kazuki, look at this!」
Lucifer suddenly yelled.
A pitch black hole was gaping open at the space behind Lucifer──the scenery of the lower world was projected there.
「What are you planning!?」
Kazuki looked up and yelled without resting his hands from defeating bodhisattvas and angels.
It was the scenery of an ocean somewhere.
Over that area where there was only horizon as far as the eye could see, far above at the sky……a giant shadow was covering the area. As though something was slowly falling down.
「What do you think this is? That’s the Atlantis where all of you have been fighting until now! And then the <magic power vibration> reverberating from this battlefield is transmitted to Atlantis, I connected the dimension! The more you oppose the absolute god which is me, the more Atlantis will vibrate and fall while accelerating! Its falling area is the nearby sea of Japan archipelago! I’ll give you this present!!」
──It took no time at all for a single word 『tsunami』 to float in the back of Kazuki’s mind.
「The fiercer you fight, the larger the <magic power vibration> will become and the resulting tsunami will be even more immense! The impact that will result……I will connect it wholly to the illusion of all the humans livings in Japan, so that the impact is pulled to them! If you are going to persistently act haughty thinking that opposing me is saving the world, very well! You can persist in your justice by accepting the destruction of your friends, family, and home country! Only Japan archipelago will become the sacrifice! Surely for the messiah who is looking for true equality, the sacrifice of Japan is only something trivial for the sake of saving the whole world!!」
「……You’ve got no business introducing yourself as god with this kind of underhanded trick!!」
「This isn’t an underhanded trick. I’m only making you realize. After all you are unable to choose saving the many by abandoning the few. Such decision……only god is able make a truly impartial judgment. If you cannot surmount this ordeal, then you have no qualification at all to challenge the fight that will influence the world!!」
He could only think of that as wordplay that he wouldn’t be able to accept no matter what.
However Kazuki wasn’t even given any leeway to think of any objection, the angels and bodhisattvas attacked Kazuki.
If he intercepted them, the vibration of that battle would be transmitted to the falling Atlantis!
Kazuki desperately foresighted, dodged, and parried.
However he became unable to counterattack.
「So you cannot fight? Hahaha! You are just a human after all!!」 Lucifer laughed──.
「Don’t be deceived Kazuki! This is the proof that guy is fearing you so much that he is even trying to bring in psychological battle!!」
From behind, a voice of his comrades who were watching over him reached him.
The voice’s owner was Clark Moore.
The strategist American King who taught Kazuki the dreadfulness of bargaining and psychological warfare.
「Fight without hesitation! Atlantis……won’t be a problem. All of us here will do something about it.」
「All of you who are nothing more than virtual image that were brought here to Astrum, what can you do!? You all cannot do anything!! Fufufu, you are only saying that because you are an American and so the matter of Japan won’t affect you at all, isn’t that right? What a laugh. Hayashizaki Kazuki, that woman is the one who is trying to deceive you!」
Lucifer mocked Clark’s words. And he didn’t stop with that, he even tried to wedged in a gap between the two.
But Kazuki resolved himself──his looking down head was lifted up when anyone noticed.
That Clark told him that she would do something, that was why something was going to be done. Kazuki threw his hesitation to the wind……he stabbed Gungir into the chest of the bodhisattva who approached in front of him.
The bodhisattva screamed and vanished.
Kazuki stopped running around and started running towards Lucifer once more, while shaking off the angels and bodhisattvas standing in his way.
「So you plan to let your home be destroyed and fight me!」 Lucifer yelled.
As though to substantiate Clark’s words, Lucifer’s yell was certainly oozing with agitation.
Part 3
「Atlantis is accelerating even now, it’s approaching the water surface!」
「Make the preliminary calculation for the damage! After that confirm whether the Knight Order still has the strength of Summoning Magic remaining!! The Sacred Treasures too!」
Among the frozen high government officials, only Chief Yamagata raised his voice to confirm whether there was anything they could do even if just a little.
The youths should be fighting even now. As an adult, there was no way they could just give up and sit around!
He encouraged his heart and faced the assembled high officials.
「Deploy the standing by Knight Order members who aren’t in Atlantis at the coastline that is predicted to get hit! Make them strike with all the Summoning Magic and Sacred Treasures they have!!」
「It’s impossible……」 Someone leaked out a listless voice. 「That kind of tsunami……even Summoning Magic won’t block it……」
「……We don’t have the number……even if it’s Summoning Magic we are talking about here……」
Perhaps that might be so. ……But!
While Chief Yamagata was worrying that he had to say something, the atmosphere of that place was torn apart.
「……Incoming call from Clark Moore of USA!!」
「Clark!?」
Video call was connected to the wall screen of the General Staff Headquarters.
……It projected the face of Clark who looked half-asleep that was unlike her usual frightening look of a dauntless woman──as though half of her awareness was in another world.
Part 4
Kazuki was killing angels and bodhisattvas with the thrust of the spear of certain kill while dashing forward.
He was doing that while pouring the power of the Dragon of Heaven’s Decree into Zekorbeni.
「O eight dragons of China, become the wind of sea of flame dwelling in the hand of Shangdi! Kyuuryuushin Katou!!」
Grasping the huge treasured sword that had made his guts feel chilled until now, he swung it with all his strength. He countlessly overlapped reinforcement magic while mowing down the angels and bodhisattvas altogether with that streak of flame.
Gungnir in his right hand, and Shinkatou in his left hand.
「How really impertinent……don’t get carried away!!」
Lucifer yelled with a demonic look towards the approaching Kazuki.
Inside his body, magic power on a scale that didn’t lose from before swelled up once more.
……A magic that couldn’t be dodged or parried was coming again!!
「From here the very first become the last……the hell fire of god’s fury right here!! Apocalypse(Final Disintegration Wave)!!」
The space at Kazuki’s surroundings was overwritten again. The whole surface area around him was swallowed by a sea of flames. It was as though he was thrown smack dab in the middle of the sun. No, this wasn’t the flame of the sun as the power of cosmos. This was the very flames of hell that gods used to judge sinners.
Kazuki who foresighted the signs already poured power into Zekorbeni.
「O time under the demonic sky, stop……freeze all destiny residing inside matters, smash that foundation with the freezing iron hammer! Diamond Dust - Absolute Zero!」
Without delay Kazuki wrapped his body with the space of absolute zero from the singing voice of the mermaid.
However the unlimited storm of flame couldn’t be erased with just that, Kazuki was exposed to immense heat.
Kazuki immediately cut off all his defensive magic power. He accepted all the hell fire with his flesh.
His flesh body was instantly annihilated without leaving even ash behind──,
「Mine body is disassembled into a thousand words, please overwrite the world with that illusion……Revival!!」
Phoenix’s ultimate magic──Kazuki’s whole existence that broke down was reconstructed once more!
It was an outrageous drastic measure, but Kazuki endured the space of flame and came out intact, even now he was running straight at Lucifer.
「Impossible!」 Lucifer was struck with wonder seeing Kazuki that overcame his magic unharmed again.
Certainly……it was just as Clark said, Lucifer was harboring shock and fear towards the power that Kazuki was showing.
If that guy was also feeling the pressure then……he could only advance!
Without even a breather Kazuki poured Susanoo’s power into Zekorbeni.
「O noble youth of storm, release all your violent emotion here! Dwell within my body, and replay the tragedy of Taka-Amahara!! Bougyaku Bujin!!」
He piled up even more reinforcement magic on his body.
Zekorbeni finally broke apart.
Kazuki also felt like his body and mind were going to break apart into pieces.
「But……because of your hard work just now, Atlantis will finally fall! Look!!」
「!」 Kazuki also raised his face and shifted his focus to the horror through the dimension hole opened behind Lucifer.
It was as though a giant meteor was falling──an outrageously gigantic land was causing terrific water splash on the sea surface. The sea surface was fiercely undulating and rising up.
Just as Lucifer said, that circle of rising water wasn’t spreading out in circle shape, it was concentrated inclining at one direction──it was undoubtedly the direction towards Japan.
「Because you oppose me, it became an unprecedented tsunami that has never been seen in human history!!」
Clark said that Lucifer was bargaining, but at the very least Lucifer wasn’t just bluffing!!
But Kazuki believed in the something that Clark said she would do. There was no way he could stop at this late hour. He mowed down all the approaching angels and bodhisattvas and he finally annihilated them utterly.
Like that he finally approached near Lucifer.
「……Look! Your homeland, your beloved friends, the tsunami is finally coming to them!!」
Even while fighting, Kazuki directed his focus towards the dimension hole that projected the happening.
It was a scene of an enormous tsunami swooping down toward the land. Most likely it would be the small islands at the edge of Japan’s territory that was at the side of the Pacific Ocean that was approached first.
Those were small islands, but there were people living sporadically there. An unrealistically giant tsunami was going to swallow everything……
A terrific flash appeared. Next violent explosive sound reverberated.
That was the light and sound of Summoning Magic.
Summoning Magic was flying one after another from the land toward the tsunami. Flame magic was evaporating the tsunami’s overwhelming mass, wind magic was pushing back the closing in water mass.
Like that, the tsunami was getting smaller rapidly and vanished……
「What happened!?」 Lucifer yelled.
As though to answer that question, the scene in the dimension hole was zooming in toward the land in order to ascertain what was going on. At the coast, there were the figures of many people lining up. Those people……every single one of them were Magika Stigma!
In addition they were clearly not just Japan’s Knight Order. The majority of them were clad in magic dress from completely different Mythologies! Britain, German, Italia, China, Russia……!
As though to reflect Lucifer’s impatience, the dimension hole’s sight was moving to another coastline. The exact same thing was happening there. Magika Stigmas standing side by side at the coast were striking simultaneously with attack magic, pulverizing the tsunami.
The sea recovered its calm and the people raised joyful voices.
「What’s this, these people……!」 Lucifer groaned.
「All the Magika Stigmas of the magic advanced countries gathered at Japan’s coasts.
Clark’s voice could be heard from behind.
「I awakened my flesh body and contacted Japan’s countermeasures headquarters. I told them that magicians from various countries are going to enter your country after this, so don’t hinder them. Telling them to welcome the magicians of hostile countries willingly is a request that overturned 『national defense』 from its root, but they believed me and responded. ……America Mythology is losing power, so what I did was just that though.」
「……Through the Territory(Mythology Domain), we sent the command to all the Divas of our Mythology.」
Ilyailiya whose figure overlapped with Svarog continued the talk.
「The Magika Stigmas who didn’t head to Atlantis and were standing by, we sent them to your beloved Japan’s aid.」
Arthur picked up the continuation of the talk.
「You asked us what can we do from here? If Japan just believed in my subordinates and accept them in, then there are many things that can be done. After all I was defeated by that kind of trusting relationship.」
Regina who was once infected by Cthulhu spoke with regret.
「Don’t you feel pleasant, Lucifer? The world became one and crushed the despair you are sending them. Hahahah!!」
Hrotsvit scorned.
「Tis’ no problem Hayashizaki Kazuki! There is no need to be distressed with anxiety, you can focus on slaying that fallen angel as our representative!!」
Even Fu Xi also said that overbearingly, rousing on Kazuki.
「That’s right, fight. Not a single one among the people left behind are wishing to drag you down……that was what Chief Yamagata said when I explained the situation.」
Clark said that and grinned. Kazuki’s Gematria flapped.
The feeling of everyone in Japan crossed dimension until this Astrum. It changed into warm strength that filled Kazuki.
With his eyes flashing, Kazuki glared at the final enemy.
「There is nothing more that will obstruct this fight against you.」
Kazuki told while readying Gungnir and Shinkatou. The distance between the two had already became the range of swordsman. There was also no remaining figure of the angels.
「Let’s settle this! Lucifer!!」
Kazuki kicked on the golden cloud and approached Lucifer.
「……Don’t come near, you’re getting too friendly! ……Miracle is in my palm! The fist of phenomenon variation, God Hand(Final Demolition Physics)!!」
To shake off Kazuki who had got near until the range of Gungnir, Lucifer’s right hand bloated up several hundred times and he swung it in a straight line.
It was the ultimate right straight.
Instant Positioning was a technique to parry the opponent’s strength with the minimum strength, but to parry this much destructive power, even that minimum strength would need to be considerable.
However for Kazuki who had piled up reinforcement magic 『Super One』, 『Blood Pendragon』, and『Bougyaku Bujin』, he parried the giant fist with Shinkatou in his left hand.
And then he swung Gungnir in his right hand──towards Lucifer’s heart.
It hit!!
「……Raise the flag of revolution towards the creator right here! Anti Genesis(Anti Sanctuary of Vanishing Mist)!!」
──Right at the moment when it looked like Lucifer’s heart was stabbed by the spear of certain kill, magic power instantly burst from Lucifer.
The spear passed through as though it was a specter.
「The power that I, the fallen angel Lucifer, the devil king Satan, the one standing at the summit of anti god existences(antithesis) originally had is exactly this……! It negates and neutralizes every kind of divinity!I obtained the ultimate power of the three great Mythologies while being an existence that cannot perish through the power of Diva! The absolute one who posses both light and darkness!!」
Kazuki let go of Gungnir right away. Gungnir slipped through Lucifer’s body and vanished. Lucifer raised a triumphant laugh.
「You said that there is nothing more that will obstruct this fight!? You fool, something like tsunami is just a side show! A Magika Stigma who is simply borrowing the power of god from the start doesn’t have any method to defeat this me, the absolute god!」
A power that negated every kind of divinity of every kind of Diva……it was truly a defensive magic that was truly the proof of the supreme, absolute god. Then, how could this guy be defeated?
Lucifer’s left fist swelled up.
「God Hand!」
Kazuki dodged the giant left fist that moved at the speed of light by rolling his body. In no time at all the right arm swelled up once more and 「God Hand!!」.
It was consecutive blow of left and right without any waiting time. Kazuki was falling and stumbling to run about, escaping the fists from the one who introduced himself as the absolute god. Lucifer was chasing after him with an enraged look.
「What guides the world……is this Lucifer who loves mankind more than anyone! Not the deceitful kindness like yours! I’m not haughty like Greek Mythology! I’m not drunk with blood like Norse Mythology! I’m not greedy like China Mythology! I’m also not intoxicated like Britain Knight Order! I’m also not empty like Russia Mythology! And also not ambiguous like American Justice!」
「You are saying that you have love towards mankind after doing something like that!?」
「I have!! More than any other Diva!! I won’t……let you do as you please with the world!!」
‘I won’t let you do as you please’ ──what Kazuki ought to say to Lucifer was yelled to Kazuki instead from Lucifer.
This guy was also desperate. Just like Clark said, he desperately didn’t want to lose against Kazuki.
「This Lucifer responded to the illusion of despair of the whole of mankind!! No matter what method I have to use, this me will become mankind’s 『father』!!!」
God Hand was punching repeatedly from the right, from the left. Kazuki who finally approached near Lucifer was cornered instead by that fierce pressure.
Dodge, dodge, dodge……however just the wind pressure was gradually making his stance disordered.
「Be destroyed!! God Hand!!」
With his disordered posture, Kazuki couldn’t dodge the next punch──without delay Kazuki swung Shinkatou and he didn’t dodge, but parried that gigantic fist.
Using Instant Positioning from a disordered posture couldn’t turn aside the unprecedented impact of that fist, Shinkatou was smashed up quickly.
How to defeat the absolute god(this guy) who neutralized Diva’s power?
──Kazuki’s body was naturally moving without even thinking.
His body was moving unhesitatingly, as though it had done several thousands, several tens of thousands of training in preparation of this time.
His right hand was drawing out Ame no Murakumo while his left hand was drawing out Joyeux from their sheath while his body rotated in a circle like a spinning top. There was a gap that was only a little until Lucifer swung his next fist.
Kazuki rotated without thinking of how to dodge the next attack.
Kazuki rotated like a spinning top while Ame no Murakumo in his right hand slashed horizontally and cut Lucifer’s chest. Thick defensive magic power that must be at the pinnacle even among the Divas blocked Ame no Murakumo’s streak of slash.
But a wound the size of a hair strand was gouged at that defensive magic power.
Defensive magic power, was a flow.
If a wound was gouged there, it would need an instant of time to fill that wound with a new flow.
The current Kazuki possessed the speed that could aim at that instant, the technique to aim so existed in Hayashizaki-style.
The sword of magic power piercing──Hayashizaki-style Dream Sword the First, Kasane.
Kazuki left his body to the rotation momentum and he swung Joyeux in his left hand. It drew exactly the same arc with the previous slash and piled the blade at the wound in the magic power that was only the size of a hair strand.
Next was a match between Lucifer’s own flesh, with the sharpness of the slash Kazuki swung.
「……Wha」
Lucifer tried to swing his gigantified fist before a voice leaked out from his mouth as though his soul was slipping out.
Both his arms didn’t move. Because his upper body was bisected with a horizontal straight line.
Kazuki knew before he moved, that there would be no need to prepare for the next attack.
「What? Just now……」
Lucifer whose remaining body was only from his chest above was absentminded.
For him who was the avatar of despair, what Kazuki showed was something that he couldn’t believe.
Kazuki answered.
「──It isn’t illusion, it’s human’s technique.」
The words of Kazuki’s master floated at the back of his mind.
『Kazuki, if by any chance there is an existence that should be called as the absolute god in this world, don’t you want to try to defeat such being with the utmost limit of human effort?』
‘Thank you, Tou-san……’
When he recalled, perhaps since the moment he heard those words, he had bet his whole lifetime for that objective. Because even after he enrolled into magic department and contracted with Leme, he stubbornly continued being a swordsman.
He fought through Ragnarok, in order for humans to surpass god.
「I, I’m defeated by human’s technique you said……o, OOOOOOOOOOOOO-!!!!」
Lucifer raised a scream that sounded like a beast while his body was turning into dust and vanished into Astrum.
「Impossible! I’m……even I’m, getting reduced into pure magic power……into the ultimate illusion!!」
Even the countless angels, wisdom kings, and bodhisattvas were defeated by Kazuki and got disassembled. And then the vast vortex of magic power──the ultimate illusion was swallowing the whole golden space while trying to be born.
The whole space was fiercely shaking while all Divas were getting sucked into there!
「You did well, my beloved King.」
「Thank you, Kazuki……I feel proud from the bottom of my heart, seeing your back standing against the despair.」
Leme who was overlapped with his mother’s shadow was also vanishing into that vortex……
「……I’m watching-! The future of this world that you twist, where will it arrive at……don’t you dare forget this matter-!!」
Lucifer was also getting swallowed into the vortex while yelling with the face of a devil king……
Everything was swallowed into the vortex, the whole space was filled to the brim with the vortex of enormous magic power. It was only Kazuki who was facing it. This thing, this intense vortex, was the illusion of the whole of mankind……
The Ultimate illusion.
It only didn’t swallow Kazuki. On the contrary Kazuki felt his own existence, his soul was infinitely diluting, spreading out. Kazuki’s strong will was swallowing the ultimate illusion instead.
Kazuki wished. And then……
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