Ultimate Antihero

Volume 3, Epilogue

Part 1

A hour after the disappearance of Tokyo life sphere’s soldiers together with Eihort.

The soldiers of the allied forces succeeded in completely surrounding Tokyo life sphere.

But......

“What is this mist?”

“I cannot see anything inside......?”

The allied forces was hesitating in front of the unknown black mist that suddenly enveloped Tokyo life sphere at the same time with Eihort’s disappearance.

“This is eerie. Like this is the entrance of hell.”

It was a thick darkness like mud where you couldn’t even see an inch ahead.

Perhaps the soldiers of the allied forces also sensed something hair-raising from the eerie darkness, they exposed their insecurity from their mouth.

While ignoring the voices of those soldiers, Innocentius was in the command center that had been moved in front of the hole that He had opened, he was talking through mind transmission with the leader of the scouts formed from a hundred soldiers that had been sent inside.

{Captain. What is the situation inside?}

A reply from the leader of the scouting unit came back with a deep sound of noise.

{――The sight becomes clear when we enter inside. It seems that the mist is only at the entrance. It’s just......}

{Just what, is there something?}

{This place is not Tokyo life sphere is it? ......There is a tunnel created from brick covered in growing moss continuing ahead. This place is like a labyrinth.}

“Labyrinth you said......”

“Chih, just what is going on with this......”

The countermeasure of Tokyo life sphere’s side that was beyond their expectations exasperated and confused not only Innocentius, but also Tairon and the others.

Sure enough, now the question was if it was okay to let their main force to charge inside like this.

To begin with, was that labyrinth something really connected with the geofront where Tokyo life sphere’s seven million people were evacuating?

They couldn’t grasp even a single definite information.

That was why both the leaders and the army couldn’t move.

And then, in front of them who was confused like that,

“I see. I thought that he was doing something in his dying moment, so he was doing something like this.”

Golden color spread out in air where there was nothing, before long it took the shape of a humanoid with wings and landed softly in front of Innocentius and the others.

Their savior Michael had defeated Homura and had returned from the parallel world’s Tokyo.

“Mi, Michael-sama!”

“You are here means that you have taken care of the <Evil God User> then!”

Toward that question of Tairon whose face was colored with expectation, Michael gave a decisive nod.

Looking at that reply, the <Five Great Leaders> raised their voices in joy.

“Magnificent! We are finally liberated from that cursed young man.”

“Aah! How long we have waited for this day......-“

“With this all the obstacles for the accomplishment of god’s work is cleared away....... What’s left is only to use the residents of Tokyo life sphere to pile up the stone wall of the paradise.....”

When Innocentius whispered that, he stared at the deep darkness peeking out from the hole that He opened and asked Michael.

“Michael-sama. Just what is this black mist, do you understand this?”

Michael nodded to this and answered back.

“This mist is a boundary. The destination on the other side of this mist is not Tokyo life sphere anymore, but it already turned into a labyrinth that twisted time and space where the <Evil God> Eihort is living. It appears that the <Evil God User> hid all the humans of the Tokyo life sphere in the deepest part of this labyrinth with the last of his remaining power.”

“In other words, there is no doubt that ahead of this there are the people of Tokyo life sphere then?”

“Yes. The exit of this labyrinth is connected to Tokyo life sphere. It seems that the vanished soldiers are also there. ......I have absorbed the body of the girl, so I can see really well. Of course, that’s including the distance until the destination.”

“Ooh! Then we are going in quickly! <Evil God User> and <Grim Bullet> already kicked the bucket, and the <White Knight> is also together with us, there ain’t any battle strength that need to be feared anymore left in Japan. What is left is just a fixed match!”

“Our paradise is already in front our eyes!”

“Well then, let’s start the reorganization of the troops quickly.”

Hearing the reliable words of Michael, the <Five Great Leaders> were eager to advance the preparation for the army’s march.

But Michael spoke to them who were like that.

“No. ......It’s impossible for all of you children of men to travel through this labyrinth.”

“Eh?”

The <Five Great Leaders> were all directing their gazes at Michael wondering what he meant.

It was at that moment.

{He, headquarters! Headquarters! Please respond-!}

A transmission from the scouting unit came to them with the sound riddled all over with even thicker noise.

It was hard to listen with all the noise, but that voice was in a state of panic.

{What’s wrong!? Has something happened!?}

{Something’s here, u, uaa, GYAAAAAAAAA!!!!}

{-!?}

Suddenly, a shriek that directly hit their brain could be heard, making the faces of Innocentius and the others grimace.

And then, that shriek was not stopping in just one.

{Headquarters! Shit-! Inside the mist is a nest of monsters!}

{Hi, do, don’t come hereee!}

{Noooooooo! Headquarters, save ussssss!}

Voices of unit members came in rapid succession shrieking and begging for rescue.

Those voices were increasing without stopping, and then the voices began to decrease rapidly after a certain limit.

What resounded in exchange was the sounds of bones being pulverized to pieces and the slurping sounds of a liquid that sounded highly viscous.

And then―― the eerie sounds of uncountable somethings moving around *kasakasa* with countless small legs.

......The transmission was completely filled with such sounds, then finally not a single scream could be heard anymore,

“......The life response from the scouting unit has ceased.”

Headquarters’ <Operator> that was chasing after the beacon of the scouting unit announced that with a trembling voice.

“Michael-sama, that’s......”

“Eihort’s labyrinth is not only making time and space getting out of order, a great number of creatures are patrolling inside. I guess the scouts were attacked by those.”

“Shit......! That brat, he left something troublesome just before he died.”

“What do we do? All of the soldiers are exhausted. It will be hard for them to defeat the monsters while heading to the deepest part with their condition.”

What Leti pointed out was correct.

From the previous battle, the allied forces also had to bear loss that was by no means few.

They didn’t know how strong these creatures were, but it was the protection that the <Evil God User> had left behind by wringing out his last strength.

It was not something truly threatening, but this threat couldn’t be made light of.

It was surely dangerous to charge inside while still being exhausted like this.

After surmising that, Innocentius decided.

“......Then, let’s enter a complete rest once for twelve hours. Use that time for treating the injury and redistributing equipment, we will also reorganize the units.”

“I’m in favor of your grace’s thinking. We have taken care of the enemy’s main force in any case. There will be nothing troubling us even if we more or less reorganize our stance.”

The other <Five Great Leaders> also showed their understanding to this decision of Innocentius.

But――

“No. There is no need for that. After all everything is still within the range of the original assumption.”

Michael displayed a rejection to Innocentius’ decision,

――At the same time, he spread his golden wings and deployed a gigantic magic circle towards the sky.

“ “ “Eh?” ” ”

Beginning from the <Five Great Leaders>, all the people in that place looked up to the sky... and got dumbfounded.

The reason was because the deployed magic circle... was exactly the same with the holy art that was attempting to tear off the life of the residents of Tokyo life sphere before this.

“ “ “GUAAAaAa――――――――-!” ” ”

At the same time with their understanding of what that meant, the magic circle began to shine as if it was burning.

And then the pulling power that was like the bones and organs inside the body were forcibly pulled out which assaulted the residents of Tokyo life sphere before this, attacked all the soldiers of the allied forces this time.

The soldiers fell to the ground from the intense agony, they then writhed around while frothing in their mouth.

“Mi, Michael-sama, just what in the world are you doing......!?”

Toward this action of Michael that they had never even imagined, the double-crossing <White Knight> Sir James looked up and asked Michael while perspiring with a cold sweat.

Hearing that question, Michael... answered very naturally without even a little bit of guilt.

“Hadn’t I said it? It’s impossible for all of you to invade this labyrinth. That’s why, I’ll have all of you to surrender your body to the force of heaven... the angels.”

“Wha......!”

“If one is not a <Special Missionary> that have received the acknowledgment of god, angels cannot possess their body, but... it’s a different story if the inside of the body is empty.”

“Thi, this is different from what we talked!”

“Asshole, didn’t you say, that you will give this land to us to rule over!”

Leti and Tairon fell to their knees while protesting.

However toward their protest, Michael only tilted his head as if saying ‘Goodness gracious’, unable to understand just what were they being indignant for,

“That’s correct. What will be created from now on is no other than that, a paradise for the sake of all of you humans. The souls of all of you will sprout as new lives in that paradise, I promise that you will be blessed with glory.”

He declared out such thing.

“You, you fucking idiot! Something like that, won’t be us at all ain’t it!?”

Such reasoning couldn’t possibly be accepted at all.

Tairon protested while affixing angry look at his pale face.

But――

“That’s only a trivial matter. After all even without the memory of flesh, the soul is still something of yours in the end.”

“-――!?”

Michael didn’t show even a little bit of understanding.

Seeing this behavior... whether he wanted it or not Tairon was reminded of Onjouji Kai’s words.

――It seems you intend to make the angel your ally, but do you think that those angels will comprehend the sense of values of all of you?

It was exactly as that man said.

Angels didn’t comprehend the sense of values of humans.

And then, at the same line, the salvation that they brought about was also not something that a human could understand.

“It shouldn’t, be like......-“

Beginning from Innocentius who was of advanced old age, the people of the allied forces had their souls torn off one after another.

The torn off soul came outside from the mouth in the shape of a fiery ball before they were absorbed into the shining magic circle in the sky.

What was left behind were only the empty corpses.

Michael was serious.

He was seriously intending to kill them and steal their bodies.

Tumbling down on top of each other and then seeing the piling up corpses, Tairon was convinced of that,

“This, SHITTY BASTARDDDD!!!!”

He took out <Fangtian Huaji> and swung it down with all his might aiming at Michael’s neck.

But―― Michael blocked the blade of Tairon who had obtained the power of the <Flying General> by pinching it with his two fingers.

And then...... with a sweet smile, as if a mother was smiling softly to sooth a scared child,

“......O child of man. There is nothing to fear. How joyous it is for all of you that can participate in this work of god. God will surely, reward the souls of all of you.”

He admonished Tairon who was attacking him.

Even while overflowing with endless compassion, thinking from the bottom of his heart about humans... it was a thinking incompatible to the end with human’s wish.

“~~~~~~-“

How, distant――.

Tairon realized their own shallowness,

“............Gu, a, ......”

Similarly with other people, he also vomited his soul from his mouth and crumbled down on the ground.

Before long, there was not even a single person that could move on to the land of Tokyo life sphere.

{O my brothers. Please assemble for the sake of accomplishing god’s work.}

Michael faced the sky and loudly raised his voice.

Thereupon, the magic circle that was shining golden in the sky cracked altogether with the black clouds at the background and warmly shone like a sun.

When that warm light illuminated the cold collapsing corpses on the ground... the tumbled corpses of humans experienced a change.

White wings grew from their back and one after another they began to wake up.

Correct. It was the force of angels who lived in heaven.

Right now, they made the dead bodies of humans as their vessels and descended down to the human world.

Michael talked to two angels among his brothers that were descending down to earth who were possessing the flesh of James and Tairon.

“The people called S-rank are quite a superior flesh within human limitations, but how is your condition in actuality? My brothers, Raphael, Gabriel.”

Toward this question, the angel who was possessing the body that was called James,

“No problem.”

He answered frankly, on the other hand Raphael who was possessing Tairon’s body,

“Hmm? Well, as expected this is not a custom made product like your body, so our strength fell down quite considerably, but this is the body of an imperfect human in the first place. I cannot really ask for luxury.”

He answered so with a tone that didn’t suit that strict bear-like face.

The two of them together with Michael were the three angels.

They were the ones who were called <The Three Archangel>, the greatest battle strength of heaven.

Both of them organized their army in heaven and were waiting for Michael’s calling.

In other words from the beginning, Michael was leading the allied forces to this land for the sake of using them as vessels.

Looking at the way those angels were doing thing,

“Ahahahahaha. That guy really makes for a terrific spectacle again.”

*Pachi pachi*, an applause together with ridiculing voice suddenly resounded out of nowhere.

Part 2

“ “ “-............!” ” ”

The angels directed their gazes at the direction of the voice that they had never heard before all at once.

Ahead of the gaze where they turned to.

On top of the rubbles of the building that crumbled down from the fires of war, a black-skinned youth was standing.

That was the youth which had a chanced meeting with Sumika in the [John Doe Old Book Hall] before this.

While that youth made a smile on his shudderingly good looks, he praised the angels.

“You eloquently manipulated the idiotic humans with sweet words, then after you use every little bit of them just as you told them, you killed and stole their bodies, what the hell, isn’t that actually a pretty wonderful hobby? I say, if I don’t work hard too then my character will get upstaged like this huh.”

“......You. <The Crawling Chaos> huh.”

“I have also been called that. You can call me whatever you like. After all I’m anyone and I’m no one.”

Hearing that answer from the youth, each angel of the forces of heaven produced shining sword or spear and got ready for battle.

In response to that, the youth――<The Crawling Chaos> waved his hands flusteredly,

“Aa―, stop, stop. Come on, don’t get so on guard like that. I don’t particularly intend to get in the way of you guys for the human sake or anything. Of course I also don’t have any intention of fighting. I like humans, however, direct intervention like that is just not to my liking.”

He claimed that he didn’t have any hostility.

In fact, this statement of <The Crawling Chaos> was true.

He didn’t have the least bit of intention to fight.

The one who grasped that fact was Gabriel who had the disposition of a warrior.

He commanded the forces of heaven with his hand and took a step forward towards <The Crawling Chaos>, then he questioned him with a sharp gaze like an eagle.

“Then what is your business that makes you appear before us? Our relationship is not one where we can talk harmoniously.”

Hearing this question, <The Crawling Chaos> smiled joyfully from the bottom of his heart and answered.

“Yeah, well― I guess that’s true. I’m just thinking that I’ll give you all who are going to hunt the humans hiding inside Eihort’s labyrinth after this a single warning.”

“Warning?”

“Correct. A warning. ......You guys keep saying something about imperfect or salvation, it seems that you all really are underestimating the humans, but... different with you all who are getting comfy in a place higher than even the stars looking down on the humans. I have been nestling close to humans from a very close place until now. That’s why I know. About human’s weakness, and also a certain strength of theirs that compensates for it.”

“Nfufu. And here I was thinking what you are going to say, how worthless. Something like the strength of humans who had lost the <Evil God User>, is of no importance at all.”

“No such thing at all. Certainly Homura-kun was a transcendent [Ultimate One]. ......But until the end that was a [strength] of an individual, that’s a little bit different with [human strength]. ......Well, it’s not something that can really be looked down, only if you all don’t want to lose face unnecessarily.”

He shook his <burning three eyes> as if smiling and warned them, the angels, of such a thing.

Those words... were the true feelings of <The Crawling Chaos> that had been continuously observing the human race from really close for a long period.

He was seriously thinking so.

That humans possessed the strength that could possibly defeat angels.

......Even in the case, that a hero possessing preeminent power like Homura wasn’t with them.

Towards this warning of the outer god,

“――――”

Michael didn’t return any words and stopped gazing at <The Crawling Chaos> as if it was truly worthless listening to him, he directed his step towardd Eihort’s labyrinth.

The surrounding angels were surprised from that act of Michael.

“Michael-sama! We are not going to defeat that person?”

“Yes. I don’t mind to leave him be.”

“He is going to vanish like mist even if we kill him anyway. That thing is nothing more than a part of <The Crawling Chaos> after all.”

“Just taking him as an opponent is a pointless waste of time.”

Saying that, the other <Archangels> also cut their gaze from <The Crawling Chaos> like Michael and stood in front of the labyrinth.

If that was the opinion of the <Three Archangels>, then the other angels also couldn’t interject.

Even while feeling uncomfortable to not hand down judgment in front of such a great evil, the force of heaven still continued after the three.

“Then, we are going now. In order to save this world, and also those children of man.”

Part 3

Like this――

Tokyo life sphere had averted annihilation due to the <Evil God User> Kamishiro Homura’s quick wittedness, now the place was hidden in the very depths of Eihort’s labyrinth including the space inside the protective wall.

But, it was nothing more than a temporary stopgap.

Michael had summoned the forces of heaven and set out to invade the labyrinth with perfect readiness.

The creatures jostling inside the labyrinth possessed quite the strength within limitations, but they didn’t possess the strength to stop the forces of heaven led by the <Archangel> Michael who was victorious over Homura even if it was due to a cowardly method.

In addition, by absorbing Shiori, Michael was now endowed with extremely high <enemy searching ability> that Shiori possessed.

In front of that power, no matter how complicated the labyrinth was it would not accomplish anything.

And then when Japan would face them the next time, the chances of victory for Japan who had lost all of their main force was... none.

――That was how it seemed.

But... that was a mistake.

The tide of era was something mysterious, during the long history of the human race, in the [turning points] that moved the many eras, there were always the figure of [hope] that appeared like a glittering star.

They were the figures of courageous humans who were unyielding against any kind of despair, exerting and risking their own lives to win the future.

Correct, as long as humans didn’t give up fighting in order to live, then, no matter how dark with no salvation the era was, there would always be a gleam of hope.

And then such thing hadn’t come to an end.

Such thing was, right now, even in this moment――......

“......u............”

The hopegirl lifted up her eyelids together with a gentle awakening that soaked into her.

And then, she raised her upper body from the cold asphalt and inserted her hand into her pocket.

What she took out was... a humanoid that was plainly made wrapped in string.

It was something that was called a <Voodoo Doll>.

The moment she took that out, the doll was torn off from above its neck.

As if it was bisected by a sharp blade.

――<Voodoo> was a sorcery system that manipulated life and death.

The <Voodoo Doll> that was created by that knowledge was so to speak a stock of life.

It could undertake [death] in place of the owner for just once.

“......Of all things, to be saved by that evil god......”

After whispering with a little dissatisfaction in her tone like that, the girl threw away that humanoid doll.

Because it was something that didn’t have any use anymore.

And then... raising her body that was on the verge of death with willpower―― the <Grim Bullet> Hoshikawa Sumika stood up.

To fight for the sake of living.

Whether it was now or in the past, not a single thing had changed, that heart harbored the pride of the living.

In order to stand against the despair of 144,000 that would visit after this――......

Translator's Notes and References

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