Sai Akuto looked down on the scene below as he floated in midair.
A great crowd surrounded the palace. As far as the eye could see, the ground and the sky were filled with people. Those were the people who had stood up to Zero’s control via the L’Isle-Adams. Protesting with their pure hatred was fine, but the problem was their sudden support as soon as Empress Kazuko declared her own dictatorship.
—That left me with no choice.
Akuto had just announced he was the demon king. Doing so and defeating Zero and Kazuko was the only way to free the people. Zero had been awakened and used by 2V, but Kazuko was now the one controlling him. Zero had been used to fill the people with unease and Kazuko was taking advantage of that unease.
—I will use this power to its fullest.
By dying and resurrecting, he had gained his power as the demon king. It was a frightening fact and even he did not want to believe it was true, but he had been created as both a human and a weapon. He was created to retain the emotions and sense of self of a human while having unlimited control over the power of the gods known as magic. That meant he was perfectly sane. He fully understood how much power he had and what was possible for him, but he did not go mad with power or fear his power.
—If they were going to make me into a demon king, they should have given me the ability to truly go nuts with the villain act.
Akuto silently complained.
However, he had to keep up the act on the outside.
“This artificial creation that claims to be a demon king may have driven fear into the people, but I will show you that only one may hold that title!” he shouted.
He felt a painful wave of emotions swell up from below. The vast crowd turned all of their anger and fear toward him.
Akuto could feel it all because he could now view the logs saved within the gods. Those logs converted people’s emotions into data and then into words. Akuto’s brain was directly connected to the gods, so he could sense how every individual had lived their life in the past. He could tell what each and every one of them had eaten for dinner three years ago.
—This power… It’s like I can read their minds. I really can become a god or a demon king. And it’s because I am a normal person like everyone else that I can become either one. All of the past demon kings must have stood in this same position and made some kind of decision. Just like me, they must have wanted to set the people free and they must have worked to sound like a demon king.
“Fill yourselves with rage and terror! Give me more and more! That is what powers me!”
He was making up demon king-like things to say, but even if they were lies, he could sense himself being tugged toward being a demon king as he spoke. If he was not careful, he could truly end up that way. He had to be doubly careful to remain sane.
—I need to stay calm. I need to analyze the information and think about what to do next.
The ability to know how other people lived gave him an unimaginable amount of information. He could read the past actions and emotions of every single person in the crowd, so he knew exactly how they felt about the current situation and what he had to do.
—They believe the empress is the only one who can save them from Zero’s rule. And they think I am using the confusion to defeat both Zero and the empress.
It was true Zero had tried to take over mankind after awakening, but the one using the confusion to make a grab for power was Empress Kazuko. However, the people fully trusted Kazuko. She was the empress, she looked benevolent, and she used gentle actions.
Her title and appearance were enough for the people to trust her even though they actually knew next to nothing about her.
—I need to defeat Zero. The empress too. And I need to destroy this ridiculous story everyone believes in. I’ll destroy the concept of the emperor and the demon king.
With his mind made up, he felt a sort of resolution.
And he saw a single person float up from the crowd below. He wore a special suit and was viewed as a hero by the people.
—If he defeats me in the end, the story everyone believes in will meet its demise. And once that happens…
In the past, Miwa Hiroshi had done nothing but hesitate, but Akuto sensed a definite resolution in him now. He was flying off to take Hattori Yuuko to safety, but he would return.
Either Lily Shiraishi’s appeal to him had worked or Yuuko’s actions had given him courage. Now that Akuto had awakened, he could sense the flow of emotions Hiroshi had experienced.
—After I am gone, I can leave everything to Hiroshi!
Akuto turned toward the palace terrace. A single L’Isle-Adam had appeared there.
It was a male L’Isle-Adam with a majestic build. That was the body given to the program known as Zero. He looked up at Akuto with emotionless eyes and expressed his thoughts.
<You too are nothing more than a combat machine. Why are you so intent on eliminating me?>
Zero’s words sounded like a provocation, but that may have simply been Akuto’s interpretation. It was possible Zero meant it as an honest question.
Akuto responded without speaking.
<It is true I am also an artificial being. But I have something fundamentally different from you. I have the sense of self of a living creature. I have a human heart. Your heart and your emotions are like pouring a different color water into a bucket of water. You are not independent individuals. However, I am me. In the same way, all humans are independent people. I cannot let you melt us all together.>
<It is because you are split into individuals that you cannot be controlled. My master feels the same way.>
<Your master? You mean Kazuko?> asked Akuto.
A bright voice joined in.
<Correct. I am sure you already know due to your power, but I have taken 2V’s power.>
That voice had a ring to it that would put anyone at ease and make them smile. However, it sounded like the alluring voice of a succubus to Akuto. Just listening to her voice made him want to agree with everything she said.
<If you are controlling Zero, then I don’t see why he needs to be defeated,> said Akuto cautiously.
Empress Kazuko remained hidden deep in the temple and spoke telepathically.
<That is true. Yes, very true.>
Kazuko agreed, but it did not mean she completely agreed with Akuto.
<So let me defeat you,> she continued in a grinning voice. <That should convince the people, don’t you think?>
Akuto grimaced.
<And you’ll rule over them all afterwards?>
<Yes. It is quite simple, isn’t it? The situation has changed, but I will keep my promise. As long as you obey me, I will not kill you and I will guarantee you a comfortable life.>
She spoke as if the thought of someone disagreeing with her was unthinkable.
Akuto clicked his tongue.
<It’s all about you, isn’t it?>
But Kazuko showed no sign of caring. She tilted her head as if cutely making a request.
<Yes. This is a selfish demand, but will you please listen to me? Or did you only pretend to listen earlier? Were you planning to betray me after you defeated Zero? You should not play dirty like that. People will think you are a bad person.>
Kazuko smiled and Akuto replied with anger evident on his face.
<I don’t care if they do. And if you already understand, there’s no point in hiding it: I am opposed to what you’re doing. You changed your mind and began to protect Zero because your rule will be more convenient with the gods around. If Zero is defeated, the gods will lose their very foundation.>
<Oh, what a smart boy. In that case, have you realized that what I want is not all that different from what you want? You want everyone to know who you truly are. It is the same for me,> said Kazuko with no hint of fearing Akuto.
Akuto knew what it felt like to want people to know who you truly were.
But his true essence was the polar opposite of hers.
<If your identity as empress is just an illusion and is nothing like your real self, then cast it aside and go live your real life!>
<That is not happening. I am a greedy person. I am by no means a human and kind empress, but being empress is convenient. Casting that aside would be a waste. I will use that identity. And haven’t you used your identity as demon king for your own convenience?>
<Sorry, but I don’t see it as convenient. I want this to be the last time I use my powers,> answered Akuto.
Kazuko’s response did not arrive until after a short pause.
<I knew this would happen, but it seems our negotiations have failed.>
<We had no common ground to begin with.>
<In that case, every imperial citizen is your enemy. Now, let us begin. I am not interested in watching a farce, so please make it a grand performance.>
On Kazuko’s signal, Zero jumped up from the palace terrace.
Akuto took a defensive stance, but Zero’s jump took him away from Akuto. He stopped in midair a good distance away and ripped away the artificial skin on his arms to expose the internal machinery. Akuto watched on in confusion as countless L’Isle-Adams floated up from below and gathered around Zero. They gathered around his body by attaching to his exposed arms.
As if setting up building blocks, Zero created a giant body for himself.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”
Akuto grimaced.
What finally stood before him was a 15 meter giant with exposed machinery.
“What a pain. Do I really have to have a fistfight with this thing?” he complained.
“That combination into a giant form isn’t meaningless. At first glance, it does look like the product of some silly belief that a steel giant is a symbol of power, though.”
That comment came from Kita Yoshie. She had a habit of getting overly excited and she currently had her goggles lowered as she analyzed Zero’s new form that had appeared in the palace yard.
“You mean there is a meaning to that?” asked Hattori Junko.
They had been flying above the crowd in a floating boat, but they had arrived at one of the palace’s terraces after making their way over the wall.
“Even with the demon king or Zero, it all comes down to a struggle over the resource known as mana. And that struggle isn’t fought in the real world. It’s like running a program; their processing power decides who wins.”
Yoshie turned back on the terrace as she explained.
“Does combining increase his processing power?”
“Yes. It lets him use parallel processing. Normally, Zero would be worse off because the demon king can use all of the resources, but this form might give him more processing power.”
“Then, how does the demon king… How does Akuto get processing power?”
“He isn’t a machine, so he uses his human brain. However, our magic system is created to react to human imagination and human emotions. Even if he’s losing in the struggle over power, he should win when it comes to using magic. His passion will win in the end. Fwoh! This is so exciting!”
Junko glanced over at Yoshie, leaned out over the terrace, and looked down.
“The onlookers have run away.”
Zero’s transformation and the hint of an upcoming battle had caused the crowd near the palace to leave, so the only ones on the palace grounds were Junko, Yoshie, Keisu, and those inside the palace.
“What? You don’t find this exciting? I guess I can see why. We came all this way, but the situation has changed and Keisu can’t remember anything. It does feel like we’ve accomplished nothing.”
Yoshie looked over at Keisu whose shoulders were drawn back.
Keisu was a short samurai-style girl with a ponytail. She was the only L’Isle-Adam not under Zero’s control and she held the secret to sealing Zero, but she had done nothing but travel alongside them so far.
“I am truly ashamed that I cannot remember anything,” apologized Keisu.
“No, it’s fine. Just try to remember if it comes down to it.”
Yoshie rubbed Keisu’s head.
Keisu seemed to find it ticklish and she looked up at Yoshie.
“You sure are kind, boss.”
“Boss?”
“I ask that you let me call you that. I offer you my life.”
Yoshie gave a broad smile.
“Fine. As long as you feel this helps you in some way.”
“It looks like we might have to protect Keisu first,” said Junko nervously.
Yoshie turned toward the inside of the palace and her expression stiffened when she saw who was there.
Kazuko had appeared inside a palace corridor.
“That is Keisu, isn’t it?”
Kazuko spoke kindly and walked elegantly toward them, but she was stained with blood.
“Your Majesty… That is… human blood…”
Junko had fought on a battlefield before, so she could distinguish between demonic beast blood and human blood by the smell. However, Kazuko showed no concern.
“Ho ho ho,” she laughed quietly. “I was merely handling a bit of a complex domestic issue. I am embarrassed you had to see the evidence of the fight.”
“…!”
Junko let out a wordless gasp. She felt instinctual fear toward Kazuko.
“Oh, my. Do not look at me like I am insane. At the very least, I am more confident than anyone else that I am sane.”
As Kazuko spoke, an abnormal aura rose from her body. It was different from a flash of mana. It was a collection of emotion similar to killer intent and it seemed to freeze Yoshie and Junko in place.
“She is…”
“Dangerous…”
The two girls began to sweat and they could not move properly.
In an instant, a voice seemed to wake them up.
“Let Keisu escape!”
The voice came from behind Kazuko and Junko recognized it.
“Keena?” she muttered.
That distraction allowed her to move once more.
And then a mana sphere shot toward them. When Junko blocked it with her sword, the mana sphere rotated around the sword as if stuck to it, but the instant it touched the blade, it split in two like a jelly confectionery.
“What?”
Junko was surprised to feel a bizarre sensation not present in normal mana spheres.
Kazuko had fired the mana sphere and it had flown directly toward Keisu.
Kazuko opened her eyes in interest.
“You cut the Yasakani no Magatama!? That sword was given to you by the gods, wasn’t it?”
“It was…but what happened?”
Junko was confused. Some technique she was not aware of had been used.
That confusion made Kazuko grin.
“My attack could not have been destroyed otherwise, so I was just making sure.”
She raised her hand to fire another mana sphere.
“Not good!”
Junko quickly turned toward Yoshie and Yoshie took action before Junko could warn her.
“Run, Keisu!”
Yoshie activated her chainsaw and climbed up onto the edge of the terrace.
“But I dislike fleeing,” grumbled Keisu.
Yoshie decided to change her wording.
“I’m going to jump down, so protect me.”
Yoshie then toppled off of the terrace and disappeared over the edge.
“Boss!”
Keisu leaned over the terrace.
She could see Yoshie falling.
“I am on my way!”
Keisu jumped down after her.
After seeing that, Junko held up her sword and prepared for Kazuko’s mana sphere.
But the attack never came.
“You still have not given up?”
Kazuko had stopped moving and she was looking down. Someone’s hand was wrapped around her leg. It was not simply grabbing the ankle. An entire forearm was stretched out like rubber and wrapped around the entire leg.
“As long as I don’t think I’ve lost, I won’t lose even if I die.”
It was Lily Shiraishi. Her body was lying on the ground a few meters from Kazuko. She had clearly been struck many times because her clothes were torn to pieces. Her boyish face was horribly swollen, so she had obviously been punched quite fiercely. Even so, she stretched her arm out toward Kazuko.
“Yasakani no Magatama.”
Without even turning around, Kazuko held her hand back and fired a mana sphere toward Lily.
“Tch!”
Lily returned her arm to normal and slowly stood up.
But it did not appear she could move faster than the mana sphere.
“Watch out!”
Junko ran past Kazuko and stood in front of Lily. She used her momentum to swing the sword and instantly cut down the mana sphere.
“President! What is going on?”
Junko had reacted as she saw fit, but she did not have a proper grasp on the situation.
“Well, you could sum it up by saying the empress was the mastermind,” answered Lily with a sarcastic smile. “She took out 2V and is now trying to eliminate those of us who know the truth.”
She said it so simply and Junko did not think she was lying.
Junko’s expression stiffened and she turned toward Kazuko.
The empress laughed.
“Ho ho. You make me sound like a horrible person. Then again, you were telling the truth, so I suppose it can’t be helped.”
Junko frowned.
“I despise you, Your Majesty.”
Kazuko laughed that off as well.
“Some thrones cannot be won without becoming despised. We cannot have peace otherwise.”
“Are you saying the people want someone to sit on the throne?” asked Junko without thinking.
Kazuko nodded.
“Didn’t you hear them cheering?”
“Kh.”
Junko was unsure what to say.
“Give it up,” cut in Lily as she stood up on unsteady feet. “She isn’t going to listen. More importantly, what are you going to do if those that escaped tell the truth?”
Other than those present, Etou Fujiko and Soga Keena had both witnessed Kazuko killing 2V and they were nowhere to be seen.
“That’s right. Where are Etou and Keena?” asked Junko.
Lily grinned.
“Keena quickly stripped off her clothes and Etou-kun ran off at the first opening while I fought.”
“I see. So that’s it.”
Keena was able to turn invisible. She became undetectable even by those who could sense mana. However, she could not turn her clothes invisible as well, so she had to strip naked. That must have been why Junko had heard Keena’s voice earlier.
Kazuko narrowed her eyes in suspicion while listening to the comment about Keena, but then she shook her head as if to clear those thoughts.
“Whatever they have done, I can find and silence those who have fled.”
Kazuko held up a hand.
With the sound of mana, a sword of light appeared.
“Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi.”
That was the name Kazuko gave to the two meter sword of light that appeared in midair.
It glowed as if a portion of the sun had fallen to the earth. Even at a distance, Junko could feel the heat radiating from it.
“Watch out. That’s really powerful,” warned Lily who had seen 2V pierced by one of those swords.
“Okay. I have the perfect defense.”
Junko held her sword in front of her eyes and twisted it slightly to the left. This defensive stance let her immediately cut in any direction.
“That isn’t what I meant! Its power is-…” cried Lily.
“It is too late.” Kazuko narrowed her eyes. “I will pierce both of you at once.”
Kazuko swung her hand and the sword of light flew toward Junko.
“Ee!”
The power of the sword could be heard in the roaring of the sliced air and the tremendous rumbling of mana. It was created from mana, so it should have had an upper limit to its power. However, the heat and waves emanating from the sword were much more intense than anything Junko had seen before.
“I can’t stop this!”
Junko was unable to move her sword. If she had tried to block it, the sword’s blade would likely have been cut in two. It would have then stabbed through Junko and Lily behind her.
But with a roar, Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi passed by Junko to the left.
The sword stabbed through the palace wall behind them and the heat melted the area around the hole. Most frightening of all, it had produced almost no noise even as it had stabbed into the wall. That meant it had melted the wall with almost no resistance.
“She missed…”
Junko took a breath.
Junko knew better than anyone that she had not evaded the attack. The path of the sword had been off from the beginning.
This was due to Kazuko’s stance having crumbled. In the instant she fired the sword, something must have struck her because she was down on her right knee.
Junko spotted a shining hair decoration floating behind Kazuko.
“Thanks,” said Junko quietly.
That hair decoration belonged to Keena. The girl must have tackled Kazuko just before she fired the sword.
Lily also breathed a sigh of relief, but she shook her head because she could not let her guard down.
“She missed, but it won’t happen again. She seems to like tormenting others, but she started using that sword once you showed you could cut her mana spheres.”
Kazuko stood back up and shook her head. It seemed she had realized what Keena’s power was.
“So one of you can turn invisible. But that is only a small problem as long as you have no real means of attack. I will not miss this time.”
Kazuko swept her hands around her to make sure Keena was not nearby.
“What was that sword or those spheres?” asked Junko as she turned toward Lily.
“Techniques only those of the imperial bloodline can use. With 2V’s ability to control L’Isle-Adams, there seem to be three in all.”
“Only those of the imperial bloodline?”
“Using them is the proof that you are part of the bloodline. Their use is a symbol of authority.”
“So that is why those attacks are so powerful.”
Junko understood Lily’s explanation, but that meant the next attack would finish them off.
“You run away. I’ll hold her here as long as I can,” said Lily.
Her expression did not look remotely tragic. It was as if this were only natural.
Junko shook her head.
“I cannot run off after you say that. And I have made up my mind as well. I left his side based on my own feelings once. As long as he is risking his own life here, I cannot leave. I do not want to regret my actions like that again.”
Junko’s expression did not waver. Now that she understood what was happening, she knew exactly what Akuto was trying to do. He was literally betting his very existence on defeating Kazuko and Zero.
It seemed Junko’s expression was enough to tell Lily who “he” was. Lily grinned and lowered the brim of her battered hat to look away from Junko.
“How old-fashioned. Well, I won’t say anything tasteless, but it’s meaningless if you don’t win. I hope you’re ready to be known as the killer of your empress,” said Lily.
Junko nodded firmly.
Kazuko laughed as she listened in.
“The killer of your empress? I have a hard time knowing how to respond to something as ridiculous as that,” she said calmly.
She raised a hand, compressed some mana, and produced another sword of light.
Junko’s legs froze in place when faced with that overwhelming presence, but she had to think up a way to fight now that she had made up her mind.
“I’ll disturb her with movement!”
Still holding her sword up, Junko seemed to slide forward and then she leaped to the side.
Kazuko moved her head. From her point of view, Junko had to have simply vanished.
She finally caught sight of Junko, but Junko leaped in the opposite direction.
But even though she could be seen jumping to the side, she was also still standing in that spot. Two Junkos now existed. This was the duplication technique she excelled at. She created other one of herself out of mana and this duplicate really was physically there.
“Iga Ninja Art – Scattered Moonlight!”
In the end, there were five versions of Junko and they all leaped around Kazuko as if trying to confuse her.
Kazuko was unable to focus on any one point.
The five Junkos used that as their opportunity to attack.
“Yaaaaah!”
All of the duplicates had physical forms thanks to the mana, so they were not simply illusions. That meant they could all attack. The five of them attacked with slightly shifted timing to prevent Kazuko from evading.
But…
“You created duplicates from mana? That method is useless against someone with precise control over mana,” said Kazuko calmly.
She lightly waved a hand.
“Wha-…!?”
The Junkos were dumbfounded.
The Junko in front of Kazuko’s hand had vanished. She moved her hand further and more and more of the Junkos disappeared.
“Tch!”
But Junko did not let up. Once the four duplicates were gone, the real Junko swept her sword horizontally and tried to cut at Kazuko’s side.
“Ohhhhhh!” she cried out.
But her shout was cut short. She suddenly stopped the swinging of her sword.
Kazuko was directly facing Junko and the tip of the glowing sword in her hand was pressed up against Junko’s throat.
“This is how you fight with magic.”
“What? Impossible…”
“No, this is was inevitable. At least be glad you were killed by someone greater than the gods,” said Kazuko with a grin.
Kazuko suddenly lurched to the side. It seemed Keena had tackled her again while invisible. But that was all that happened. Kazuko had been wary of Keena and Keena was not all that powerful. With a look of annoyance, Kazuko swung a hand through empty space. Junko heard an impact and a scream.
All the while, the tip of Kazuko’s sword of light did not move from Junko’s throat.
“There is nothing left to interfere.”
“Ee…”
Junko’s eyes opened wide in fear.
Kazuko gathered strength in her arm to stab Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi.
And…
The entire temple grew dark as if the power had gone out.
Kazuko’s hand stopped. Junko doubted she was the type to lose her cool just because it was a bit dark. Plus, it was still daytime, so the light coming in from outside was enough to see with.
“W-was I saved?” muttered Junko as she leaped backwards.
Kazuko’s sword was losing its physical form.
“The mana in this space is reducing.”
Kazuko pointed her palm upwards, used magic, and saw that it only caused a slight change.
“Is the mana in the atmosphere being reduced?”
While wiping away her cold sweat, Junko checked her sense of the surrounding mana.
“The energy supply is being reduced at the same time,” added Lily.
Junko was regaining her calm. She realized that, given the situation, it was entirely possible she could successfully fight back against the empress.
“This lowers my physical strength too, but I have a chance if neither of us can use magic!”
Junko charged toward Kazuko again.
Kazuko evaded with a back step.
“Zero is absorbing the mana and energy. No… The demon king can probably do that too.”
Kazuko looked out the window.
“Boss, that was not fair. You could get down on your own.”
“Of course I could. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
Yoshie had stabbed her running chainsaw into the wall which had slowed her fall and allowed her to land safely on the ground.
Keisu had jumped after her, passed by her midway, and landed first. Yoshie had been forced to dig her out where she had sunken halfway into the soft ground.
The two of them were watching Akuto and Zero’s battle while making sure no one had followed them from the palace.
After transforming into a giant humanoid machine, Zero filled half of their vision as they looked up.
Akuto looked like a toy doll compared to Zero.
However, they felt equally powerful to Yoshie.
“How strange. Their sizes are so different, but they give off a similar aura,” she commented.
“But the flow of mana is different. Look.”
Keisu pointed toward Zero.
Zero’s long arms spread to the left and right. The sound of his arms slicing through the wind rang out and the compressed atmosphere burst outward, but that was not all.
“Mana? …Oh!”
Yoshie lowered her goggles and checked her surroundings. The goggles visualized the flow of mana.
The colored mana spread through the air like clouds. And if those had been real clouds, it would have meant a typhoon had descended low in the sky. Mana was being sucked into a whirlwind around Zero.
“Fwohhh! That’s one hell of a cyclone,” muttered Yoshie.
The rotating mana produced an air current that blew Yoshie and Keisu’s hair about. As the surrounding mana was stolen, a physical storm appeared. Starting at the palace, buildings began to go dark in an expanding circle. All mana-powered devices became unusable and the people could not use magic.
“This looks like a scene from the apocalypse. A dark giant devours all and battles an angel that cast himself out of heaven. A modern day Armageddon is playing out before our eyes. We have to watch this. This could be the beginning of a true hell.”
Yoshie grinned as the storm raged.
—So he combined to absorb mana.
Akuto grasped Zero’s intention. By breaking down and recombining countless L’Isle-Adams, he had taken in a large amount of mana and gained the processing power needed to control it. However, he could not use complex techniques like a human. He could only use brute force.
And that was what he used. His fist let out a groan as it flew toward Akuto. The fist was wrapped in a storm of mana.
—I can’t do anything if that hits me.
Akuto controlled the flow of mana around him. He could not defeat Zero in the physical struggle between mana or the struggle over gathering an energy supply of mana. That meant he had to fight by minutely controlling the mana and turning aside his enemy’s power.
Kakei. Constant Magic Academy’s headmaster had taught him that fighting style and this would be similar to using it on a larger scale.
The coming attack was like a small crashing airplane and Akuto evaded it at the last moment. He controlled the turbulent flow of mana and altered the direction of that giant power with the smallest necessary amount of his own power.
<You cannot resist forever. I am absorbing the surrounding mana and there is a limit to how much you can use. There is no need to prolong this.>
Zero’s comment was surprisingly considerate.
<Why are you saying that?>
<My objective is to control mankind. I have no need to eliminate you if you do not force my hand.>
<You mean you aren’t completely controlled by the empress?> asked Akuto.
The empress was definitely trying to kill him, but Zero said he was not.
<My top priority is protecting mankind,> answered Zero.
<So you obey her as long as her orders don’t conflict with that protection,> realized Akuto.
<Precisely. I wish for as efficient a conclusion as possible. Without wasting energy, I wish to reduce mankind’s numbers to the point that they will not destroy themselves.>
The two of them held a strange conversation as they fought. But it was the fight that brought them close enough to confirm each other’s goals just between the two of them.
Akuto understood now.
<In that case, we are destined to fight, aren’t we?>
<This is nothing more than consuming energy. It is impossible for you to eliminate me.>
Zero too seemed to have come to an understanding. He swung his giant fist once more.
<I wouldn’t be so sure.>
Akuto moved toward the giant fist that passed by his side, placed a hand on one of the giant fingers, and focused mana in his hand.
“Hahh!” shouted Akuto.
The smallest of Zero’s fingers burst at the second joint that Akuto pressed his hand against. The finger broke apart as it fell to the ground.
Zero drew back his fist and moved away from Akuto.
<You used my mana.>
Zero analyzed the situation as he observed the exposed machinery of the finger. Akuto had taken the mana stored in Zero’s body and transformed it into explosive power.
<This way, I don’t need all that much mana for myself. I can make up for our difference in size,> explained Akuto.
However, this method required great concentration. This mana was being controlled by Zero. To take that control away and place it under his own control, Akuto had to accurately focus on moving each piece of mana. He had his abilities as the demon king, but this was an issue of pure mental focus.
Zero of course understood what Akuto was doing.
<You will reach the limit of your non-mechanical body.>
Zero swung his giant fist toward Akuto again.
—Kh!
Akuto deflected it and flew back to escape.
He waited for an opening at a distance.
Zero’s fists used a combination attack that did not befit his giant form.
Mana was meant to be used by a human body. That meant mana was most efficiently used by someone with two arms and two legs like a human. Even if he was a machine, Zero’s fighting style resembled martial arts and he did a splendid job of making efficient attacks using his two arms.
He swung his long arms and legs and the hands and feet at the end easily broke the sound barrier. His fists compressed the air and a conical cloud of steam exploded out around the fists to add power to the attacks.
But the timing and openings of his attacks were essentially the same as in martial arts.
—In that case, I have no choice but to answer in kind!
“Ohhhhh!” roared Akuto.
He clenched his fist and shot forward.
His opponent was ten times his height, so the difference was greater than that between and adult and a child.
Even so, he succeeded in starting a fistfight.
It was a stationary fistfight. They both stopped still in midair and fiercely swung their arms and legs at each other.
Zero sent surefire strikes toward the center of Akuto’s body.
Akuto used repeated attacks that slowly but surely tore away Zero’s body.
There was an overwhelming size difference between the fists and their fighting styles were completely different, but it was still a fistfight.
Zero predicted Akuto’s actions and tried to punch at the central axis of his body.
Akuto deflected the fists, turned them aside, and punched at their sides with his own fist. The action was similar to repeatedly passing a thread through the eye of a needle at high speed.
Zero’s processing power clashed with Akuto’s mental strength. This was a competition to see which one would win out.
Zero attacked once for every few of Akuto’s attacks, but he accurately targeted Akuto, forcing Akuto to use mana to defend in all directions. This gradually wore down Akuto’s focus.
Meanwhile, each of Akutos’ attacks tore at Zero’s fists little by little.
Would Akuto’s mental strength run out first or would Zero’s body crumble first?
The metal and plastic of Zero’s parts and the glow of mana scattered from where Zero and Akuto’s fists clashed. That showed how they were both being worn down mentally and physically.
Hiroshi returned to the sky above the palace and felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Zero and Akuto’s fistfight.
—Is he planning to die?
In everyday life, a thought like that may not have been too serious, but it was frightening when viewing a fight like this.
—I noticed him looking at me. But…
Hiroshi’s body stiffened with a feeling similar to fear.
—He really is planning to leave everything to me!
Hiroshi understood that. Akuto had once tried to destroy the system of the gods. His intentions were unlikely to have changed. That meant Akuto wished to destroy Zero. However, he did not want to bring chaos to the world. His goal was to eliminate the existence known as the demon king. His goal would not be achieved unless he and Zero destroyed each other.
Hiroshi had fallen partially into a daze, but he came to his senses when he heard voices down below.
He could not make out the words, but they were clearly cheering him on. They were cheering for Brave. He looked down and saw the people watching the battle from a distance. They had noticed his presence.
—There’s something I have to do.
He knew he could not expect the people to bring this situation under control. He was still a hero.
He looked up into the sky where the two demon kings were literally tearing away at each other as they fought. Akuto seemed to have noticed Hiroshi’s return and he gave a single glance toward Hiroshi.
—I understand… In fact, I already did.
Akuto’s glance told Hiroshi everything.
“Boss, the battle is coming to an end.”
“So it’s almost over.”
Keisu and Yoshie whispered to each other as the fistfight clearly approached its conclusion.
Zero had lost a large portion of his body and Akuto had received a fair bit of damage from the blows his mana had failed to defend against.
“I think the next strike might decide it,” said Yoshie.
She then looked to the side because she heard someone stepping on the grass.
“It can’t be…” she said in surprise.
Kazuko was walking over to them and she was dragging someone behind her with her right hand. She was displaying unbelievable strength for her slender frame.
But even more surprising was whose limp form it was Kazuko was dragging.
“Hattori Junko... Don’t tell me you…killed her…”
Yoshie could barely force out the words, but Kazuko gently shook her head.
“Without mana, I can only strike her directly. It takes quite a lot to kill a human.”
Kazuko then let go of Junko’s arms. Junko collapsed limply to the grass and let out a quiet groan.
“She’s still alive.”
Yoshie was relieved, but the situation was not headed in a good direction. Yoshie stepped back so as to stand protectively in front of Keisu.
Kazuko smiled.
“So I decided to wait until later to kill her. I will focus on Keisu first. I must see this L’Isle-Adam who can seal Zero.”
Kazuko took a slow step forward.
Yoshie flinched back, but Keisu pushed her aside and stepped forward.
“I will handle this.”
“No, wait.”
Yoshie was conflicted.
It seemed Keisu was able to function normally without mana, so she could easily handle a normal human. However, Kazuko had the strength needed to drag Junko with only one arm. Kazuko had to have been artificially altered just like Akuto. In that case, the outcome of a fight was unclear. And Yoshie could not allow Keisu to fight unless victory was assured.
—I’ll have to find a way to do it myself.
Yoshie made up her mind and began to step forward. However, the chainsaw felt quite heavy in the current situation.
“Ho ho. How very reckless of you.”
Kazuko laughed and took another step forward.
She did not seem concerned at all. In fact, she looked away from Yoshie and up into the sky.
“Oh, my. The situation is changing by the second. And it seems this will end in an unexpected fashion.”
Yoshie also glanced up at Akuto and Zero’s battle.
The two of them were continuing to fight while completely battered.
However, that was not what Kazuko had been commenting on. A single line of light shot in from the edge of Yoshie’s vision.
It shot straight up toward the battle.
“What is that?” asked Yoshie.
“Brave, the demonic beast slayer. In other words, that is the enemy of those with the name ‘demon king’,” explained Kazuko calmly.
“You don’t mean he’s planning to take out both of them, do you?”
Yoshie’s eyes widened in surprise.
Brave shot straight toward where Zero and Akuto were fighting.
Yoshie pulled down her goggles and had them display a magnified image of Brave.
She saw Brave equip his cape. High-temperature plasma balls then appeared around him. This was Brave’s most powerful attack.
Her goggles analyzed the image and concluded the attack did not use mana. They also told her a mana canceller was in effect around Brave, so mana was unusable within a few meters of him.
“Does that mean there’s no way to defend against this attack!?” cried Yoshie.
At this rate, Zero and Akuto would both be destroyed.
“If Zero and the demon king are eliminated, I will need to think up a new plan. After all, losing Zero will make the gods unusable,” said Kazuko.
“But…!”
Yoshie tried to argue, but she could not form the words.
Akuto was risking his life to destroy Zero instead of sealing him. Hiroshi understood that, but that did not guarantee he would not carry out Akuto’s wishes by eliminating both of them.
“Ahh…” groaned Yoshie.
While surrounded by the plasma balls, Brave shot through Zero’s back and into Akuto.
Brave had become an orange glowing line of heat that sliced apart that scene of intense fighting.
Zero and Akuto had already worn each other down and they now seemed to freeze in place like a still image, but Zero exploded a moment later. The explosion enveloped them both and they disappeared into the sea of orange light.
It looked like a small sun had appeared in the sky.
Yoshie was wearing her goggles, but it was so bright that even she had to look away.
After the ball of flames finally faded away, giant pieces of wreckage and a single charred body fell from the sky. Brave then slowly descended into the palace yard.
“Ah… Ah…”
Yoshie was completely dumbfounded.
The giant pieces of wreckage clearly came from Zero, but that meant the charred body was…
“Well done.”
Kazuko spread her arms in welcome as Brave descended.
He landed before her and she nodded.
“I must thank you for defeating the demon king. You must be the mysterious hero that has been talked about recently.”
“Yes, that seems to be what people are calling me,” said Brave Hiroshi calmly.
“Then can I assume you were fighting for the empire’s sake and for my sake?” asked Kazuko probingly.
One side of Brave’s mouth rose in a smile. Only his mouth was left exposed by his mask, but that was enough to show off this daring expression.
“No. I wasn’t fighting for this empire or for you individually. I just feel the need to do something when people are crying.”
Kazuko’s expression twitched slightly.
This was the first imperfection in her always calm expression.
“Who are you? And why are you wearing such a dangerous suit?”
“I’m sure you’ve figured out who I am underneath this mask. But while I wear this suit, I go by the name Brave. That is all I am. And I have two goals: justice and peace.”
“Ho…ho ho.” Kazuko laughed at Brave’s answer. “Ho ho ho ho ho! That is most amusing. How can someone who used to be nothing but a cowardly student act so full of himself when all he has is borrowed power!?”
“That isn’t quite accurate. There’s no such thing as power you take for yourself. Most of the time, you’re either born with it or someone casually gives it to you. Either way, you never asked for it. The proper way to live your life is to behave in a way befitting of that power even if you have to force yourself.”
There was no hint of hesitation in Brave’s voice.
“Are you saying you do not intend to obey me even though you killed the demon king?” asked Kazuko with a slight tremor to her voice.
“No, that isn’t it.”
Brave shook his head.
“Then what-…?”
“You will obey me,” he said. “You will give us back the lives we had before.”
“What?”
Kazuko was speechless.
“Zero has been destroyed, so return society to the way it was. That is all I have to say,” added Brave.
All expression vanished from Kazuko’s face, but a charming smile appeared an instant later.
“Oh ho ho ho ho ho! You are the first person to ever speak to me like that! But aren’t you overlooking something? The mana has yet to vanish! That means the gods are still functioning.”
Kazuko produced a glowing sword in her hand.
“What are you doing?” asked Brave just as she swung the sword.
The tip stopped just in front of Junko’s throat as she lay groaning at Kazuko’s feet.
“This girl is still valuable as a hostage, if nothing else. Isn’t that right?”
“Is this all you have, Your Majesty!?”
Brave swung his hand. He must have activated his mana canceller because Kazuko’s glowing sword vanished.
“No. I have much more than that.”
Kazuko picked Junko up, took a small jump backwards, and turned a cold smile in Brave’s direction.
“I think you are the one that is out of tricks. You fell for the same trap twice.”
A virtual alternate dimension field suddenly appeared, surrounding Brave from a distance. That field cut off that space, so Brave’s suit was unable to transfer in energy from another dimension. This was the strategy 2V had developed based on her knowledge of the suit, but Kazuko should not have known about it.
“Wait… Did you obtain 2V’s memories too?” asked Yoshie who had seen the related series of events.
“Precisely.” Kazuko then turned toward Brave. “Your energy will not last long now.”
But Brave kept his head firmly raised.
“Either way, I just needed to know what your true intentions were. I’m not as stupid as you think.”
“What? There is nothing left you can do. Your mana canceller is no longer in effect.”
Kazuko produced another Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi in her hand.
“But now that you are not a threat, it is no longer necessary for me to kill you. Accept your position. The people have high expectations of you. You can show off your justice under my rule.”
“And if I refuse, you’ll kill Hattori Junko?” asked Brave threateningly.
“Who can say? It is all up to you now,” said Kazuko cutely.
But Brave boldly puffed out his chest.
“I thought I told you I’m not as stupid as you think.”
He raised his hand.
Kazuko took a defensive stance, but nothing seemed to happen.
“Heh. What do you think you are doing?”
“I will enforce my own brand of justice. As long as they aren’t evil, I have no problem with demon kings,” said Brave with a grin.
“You don’t mean…!?”
Kazuko leaped away.
An instant later, a dark shadow swiftly cut through the space she had been standing in.
“You tricked me!”
Kazuko’s expression had clearly changed now.
The dark shadow smoothly scooped up Junko and rose to its feet.
“He didn’t actually trick you. He really did char my body,” complained Akuto.
He looked like a dark shadow because the surface of his body had been carbonized. The black surface peeled away and smooth skin finally appeared beneath.
“This is the last time you make a fool of me,” said Kazuko in a low voice.
In the exact opposite of before, this new voice struck fear in the heart of anyone who heard it.
However, the same shining smile remained on her face. In fact, it may have been even brighter than before.
“I will slaughter all of you,” she announced as she waved her hand.
The entire atmosphere around Kazuko seemed to tremble.
Yoshie gasped as she sensed the change.
“This is a mana burst!” she shouted.
This technique sent the mana out of control until the mana itself exploded and came apart. This was not used in magic. It only ever happened by accident. The explosion it created would destroy any material related to mana.
“This will destroy her along with everyone else here!”
“Has she gone insane!?”
Akuto and Brave both shouted out, but Kazuko only sneered.
“No. Zero can perform a magical transfer at the last second. I alone will survive! Demon king, you can likely survive as well, but your human brain does not possess the processing power needed to transfer everyone here.”
“Are you making him choose who to save!?” shouted Yoshie as she moved in to protect Keisu.
But Keisu did not react to Yoshie’s action. She stood perfectly still.
“…?”
Yoshie looked down at Keisu and found that the look in the L’Isle-Adam’s eyes had completely changed. Keisu then spoke smoothly in a completely different tone of voice from before.
“Zero is entering his second stage. He is leaving his fixed body and switching to network infiltration mode. Please immediately transport me to Zero’s true body.”
“Wh-what are you talking about? Did you remember what you have to do?”
When Yoshie spoke to Keisu, Keisu returned to normal and nodded toward Yoshie.
“I remember now. Zero is-…”
But Kazuko cut her off.
“You may remember, but it is too late.”
The empress smiled.
The earth began to sink down as if tremendous pressure were pressing down on it. In a circle a few meters across, the ground remained around Kazuko, but everything outside began to collapse and fall down. And then the scope of the damage began to accelerate outwards.
“Begone,” declared Kazuko coldly.
In that instant, the area filled with light.
From the sky, one would have seen a sphere of light a kilometer across appear at the palace. It reached several hundred meters into the sky and was visible from a great distance.
The light did not remain for long, but no survivors remained once it vanished. Nothing but a giant crater could be seen.
Sai Akuto looked down on the scene below as he floated in midair.
A great crowd surrounded the palace. As far as the eye could see, the ground and the sky were filled with people. Those were the people who had stood up to Zero’s control via the L’Isle-Adams. Protesting with their pure hatred was fine, but the problem was their sudden support as soon as Empress Kazuko declared her own dictatorship.
—That left me with no choice.
Akuto had just announced he was the demon king. Doing so and defeating Zero and Kazuko was the only way to free the people. Zero had been awakened and used by 2V, but Kazuko was now the one controlling him. Zero had been used to fill the people with unease and Kazuko was taking advantage of that unease.
—I will use this power to its fullest.
By dying and resurrecting, he had gained his power as the demon king. It was a frightening fact and even he did not want to believe it was true, but he had been created as both a human and a weapon. He was created to retain the emotions and sense of self of a human while having unlimited control over the power of the gods known as magic. That meant he was perfectly sane. He fully understood how much power he had and what was possible for him, but he did not go mad with power or fear his power.
—If they were going to make me into a demon king, they should have given me the ability to truly go nuts with the villain act.
Akuto silently complained.
However, he had to keep up the act on the outside.
“This artificial creation that claims to be a demon king may have driven fear into the people, but I will show you that only one may hold that title!” he shouted.
He felt a painful wave of emotions swell up from below. The vast crowd turned all of their anger and fear toward him.
Akuto could feel it all because he could now view the logs saved within the gods. Those logs converted people’s emotions into data and then into words. Akuto’s brain was directly connected to the gods, so he could sense how every individual had lived their life in the past. He could tell what each and every one of them had eaten for dinner three years ago.
—This power… It’s like I can read their minds. I really can become a god or a demon king. And it’s because I am a normal person like everyone else that I can become either one. All of the past demon kings must have stood in this same position and made some kind of decision. Just like me, they must have wanted to set the people free and they must have worked to sound like a demon king.
“Fill yourselves with rage and terror! Give me more and more! That is what powers me!”
He was making up demon king-like things to say, but even if they were lies, he could sense himself being tugged toward being a demon king as he spoke. If he was not careful, he could truly end up that way. He had to be doubly careful to remain sane.
—I need to stay calm. I need to analyze the information and think about what to do next.
The ability to know how other people lived gave him an unimaginable amount of information. He could read the past actions and emotions of every single person in the crowd, so he knew exactly how they felt about the current situation and what he had to do.
—They believe the empress is the only one who can save them from Zero’s rule. And they think I am using the confusion to defeat both Zero and the empress.
It was true Zero had tried to take over mankind after awakening, but the one using the confusion to make a grab for power was Empress Kazuko. However, the people fully trusted Kazuko. She was the empress, she looked benevolent, and she used gentle actions.
Her title and appearance were enough for the people to trust her even though they actually knew next to nothing about her.
—I need to defeat Zero. The empress too. And I need to destroy this ridiculous story everyone believes in. I’ll destroy the concept of the emperor and the demon king.
With his mind made up, he felt a sort of resolution.
And he saw a single person float up from the crowd below. He wore a special suit and was viewed as a hero by the people.
—If he defeats me in the end, the story everyone believes in will meet its demise. And once that happens…
In the past, Miwa Hiroshi had done nothing but hesitate, but Akuto sensed a definite resolution in him now. He was flying off to take Hattori Yuuko to safety, but he would return.
Either Lily Shiraishi’s appeal to him had worked or Yuuko’s actions had given him courage. Now that Akuto had awakened, he could sense the flow of emotions Hiroshi had experienced.
—After I am gone, I can leave everything to Hiroshi!
Akuto turned toward the palace terrace. A single L’Isle-Adam had appeared there.
It was a male L’Isle-Adam with a majestic build. That was the body given to the program known as Zero. He looked up at Akuto with emotionless eyes and expressed his thoughts.
<You too are nothing more than a combat machine. Why are you so intent on eliminating me?>
Zero’s words sounded like a provocation, but that may have simply been Akuto’s interpretation. It was possible Zero meant it as an honest question.
Akuto responded without speaking.
<It is true I am also an artificial being. But I have something fundamentally different from you. I have the sense of self of a living creature. I have a human heart. Your heart and your emotions are like pouring a different color water into a bucket of water. You are not independent individuals. However, I am me. In the same way, all humans are independent people. I cannot let you melt us all together.>
<It is because you are split into individuals that you cannot be controlled. My master feels the same way.>
<Your master? You mean Kazuko?> asked Akuto.
A bright voice joined in.
<Correct. I am sure you already know due to your power, but I have taken 2V’s power.>
That voice had a ring to it that would put anyone at ease and make them smile. However, it sounded like the alluring voice of a succubus to Akuto. Just listening to her voice made him want to agree with everything she said.
<If you are controlling Zero, then I don’t see why he needs to be defeated,> said Akuto cautiously.
Empress Kazuko remained hidden deep in the temple and spoke telepathically.
<That is true. Yes, very true.>
Kazuko agreed, but it did not mean she completely agreed with Akuto.
<So let me defeat you,> she continued in a grinning voice. <That should convince the people, don’t you think?>
Akuto grimaced.
<And you’ll rule over them all afterwards?>
<Yes. It is quite simple, isn’t it? The situation has changed, but I will keep my promise. As long as you obey me, I will not kill you and I will guarantee you a comfortable life.>
She spoke as if the thought of someone disagreeing with her was unthinkable.
Akuto clicked his tongue.
<It’s all about you, isn’t it?>
But Kazuko showed no sign of caring. She tilted her head as if cutely making a request.
<Yes. This is a selfish demand, but will you please listen to me? Or did you only pretend to listen earlier? Were you planning to betray me after you defeated Zero? You should not play dirty like that. People will think you are a bad person.>
Kazuko smiled and Akuto replied with anger evident on his face.
<I don’t care if they do. And if you already understand, there’s no point in hiding it: I am opposed to what you’re doing. You changed your mind and began to protect Zero because your rule will be more convenient with the gods around. If Zero is defeated, the gods will lose their very foundation.>
<Oh, what a smart boy. In that case, have you realized that what I want is not all that different from what you want? You want everyone to know who you truly are. It is the same for me,> said Kazuko with no hint of fearing Akuto.
Akuto knew what it felt like to want people to know who you truly were.
But his true essence was the polar opposite of hers.
<If your identity as empress is just an illusion and is nothing like your real self, then cast it aside and go live your real life!>
<That is not happening. I am a greedy person. I am by no means a human and kind empress, but being empress is convenient. Casting that aside would be a waste. I will use that identity. And haven’t you used your identity as demon king for your own convenience?>
<Sorry, but I don’t see it as convenient. I want this to be the last time I use my powers,> answered Akuto.
Kazuko’s response did not arrive until after a short pause.
<I knew this would happen, but it seems our negotiations have failed.>
<We had no common ground to begin with.>
<In that case, every imperial citizen is your enemy. Now, let us begin. I am not interested in watching a farce, so please make it a grand performance.>
On Kazuko’s signal, Zero jumped up from the palace terrace.
Akuto took a defensive stance, but Zero’s jump took him away from Akuto. He stopped in midair a good distance away and ripped away the artificial skin on his arms to expose the internal machinery. Akuto watched on in confusion as countless L’Isle-Adams floated up from below and gathered around Zero. They gathered around his body by attaching to his exposed arms.
As if setting up building blocks, Zero created a giant body for himself.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…”
Akuto grimaced.
What finally stood before him was a 15 meter giant with exposed machinery.
“What a pain. Do I really have to have a fistfight with this thing?” he complained.
“That combination into a giant form isn’t meaningless. At first glance, it does look like the product of some silly belief that a steel giant is a symbol of power, though.”
That comment came from Kita Yoshie. She had a habit of getting overly excited and she currently had her goggles lowered as she analyzed Zero’s new form that had appeared in the palace yard.
“You mean there is a meaning to that?” asked Hattori Junko.
They had been flying above the crowd in a floating boat, but they had arrived at one of the palace’s terraces after making their way over the wall.
“Even with the demon king or Zero, it all comes down to a struggle over the resource known as mana. And that struggle isn’t fought in the real world. It’s like running a program; their processing power decides who wins.”
Yoshie turned back on the terrace as she explained.
“Does combining increase his processing power?”
“Yes. It lets him use parallel processing. Normally, Zero would be worse off because the demon king can use all of the resources, but this form might give him more processing power.”
“Then, how does the demon king… How does Akuto get processing power?”
“He isn’t a machine, so he uses his human brain. However, our magic system is created to react to human imagination and human emotions. Even if he’s losing in the struggle over power, he should win when it comes to using magic. His passion will win in the end. Fwoh! This is so exciting!”
Junko glanced over at Yoshie, leaned out over the terrace, and looked down.
“The onlookers have run away.”
Zero’s transformation and the hint of an upcoming battle had caused the crowd near the palace to leave, so the only ones on the palace grounds were Junko, Yoshie, Keisu, and those inside the palace.
“What? You don’t find this exciting? I guess I can see why. We came all this way, but the situation has changed and Keisu can’t remember anything. It does feel like we’ve accomplished nothing.”
Yoshie looked over at Keisu whose shoulders were drawn back.
Keisu was a short samurai-style girl with a ponytail. She was the only L’Isle-Adam not under Zero’s control and she held the secret to sealing Zero, but she had done nothing but travel alongside them so far.
“I am truly ashamed that I cannot remember anything,” apologized Keisu.
“No, it’s fine. Just try to remember if it comes down to it.”
Yoshie rubbed Keisu’s head.
Keisu seemed to find it ticklish and she looked up at Yoshie.
“You sure are kind, boss.”
“Boss?”
“I ask that you let me call you that. I offer you my life.”
Yoshie gave a broad smile.
“Fine. As long as you feel this helps you in some way.”
“It looks like we might have to protect Keisu first,” said Junko nervously.
Yoshie turned toward the inside of the palace and her expression stiffened when she saw who was there.
Kazuko had appeared inside a palace corridor.
“That is Keisu, isn’t it?”
Kazuko spoke kindly and walked elegantly toward them, but she was stained with blood.
“Your Majesty… That is… human blood…”
Junko had fought on a battlefield before, so she could distinguish between demonic beast blood and human blood by the smell. However, Kazuko showed no concern.
“Ho ho ho,” she laughed quietly. “I was merely handling a bit of a complex domestic issue. I am embarrassed you had to see the evidence of the fight.”
“…!”
Junko let out a wordless gasp. She felt instinctual fear toward Kazuko.
“Oh, my. Do not look at me like I am insane. At the very least, I am more confident than anyone else that I am sane.”
As Kazuko spoke, an abnormal aura rose from her body. It was different from a flash of mana. It was a collection of emotion similar to killer intent and it seemed to freeze Yoshie and Junko in place.
“She is…”
“Dangerous…”
The two girls began to sweat and they could not move properly.
In an instant, a voice seemed to wake them up.
“Let Keisu escape!”
The voice came from behind Kazuko and Junko recognized it.
“Keena?” she muttered.
That distraction allowed her to move once more.
And then a mana sphere shot toward them. When Junko blocked it with her sword, the mana sphere rotated around the sword as if stuck to it, but the instant it touched the blade, it split in two like a jelly confectionery.
“What?”
Junko was surprised to feel a bizarre sensation not present in normal mana spheres.
Kazuko had fired the mana sphere and it had flown directly toward Keisu.
Kazuko opened her eyes in interest.
“You cut the Yasakani no Magatama!? That sword was given to you by the gods, wasn’t it?”
“It was…but what happened?”
Junko was confused. Some technique she was not aware of had been used.
That confusion made Kazuko grin.
“My attack could not have been destroyed otherwise, so I was just making sure.”
She raised her hand to fire another mana sphere.
“Not good!”
Junko quickly turned toward Yoshie and Yoshie took action before Junko could warn her.
“Run, Keisu!”
Yoshie activated her chainsaw and climbed up onto the edge of the terrace.
“But I dislike fleeing,” grumbled Keisu.
Yoshie decided to change her wording.
“I’m going to jump down, so protect me.”
Yoshie then toppled off of the terrace and disappeared over the edge.
“Boss!”
Keisu leaned over the terrace.
She could see Yoshie falling.
“I am on my way!”
Keisu jumped down after her.
After seeing that, Junko held up her sword and prepared for Kazuko’s mana sphere.
But the attack never came.
“You still have not given up?”
Kazuko had stopped moving and she was looking down. Someone’s hand was wrapped around her leg. It was not simply grabbing the ankle. An entire forearm was stretched out like rubber and wrapped around the entire leg.
“As long as I don’t think I’ve lost, I won’t lose even if I die.”
It was Lily Shiraishi. Her body was lying on the ground a few meters from Kazuko. She had clearly been struck many times because her clothes were torn to pieces. Her boyish face was horribly swollen, so she had obviously been punched quite fiercely. Even so, she stretched her arm out toward Kazuko.
“Yasakani no Magatama.”
Without even turning around, Kazuko held her hand back and fired a mana sphere toward Lily.
“Tch!”
Lily returned her arm to normal and slowly stood up.
But it did not appear she could move faster than the mana sphere.
“Watch out!”
Junko ran past Kazuko and stood in front of Lily. She used her momentum to swing the sword and instantly cut down the mana sphere.
“President! What is going on?”
Junko had reacted as she saw fit, but she did not have a proper grasp on the situation.
“Well, you could sum it up by saying the empress was the mastermind,” answered Lily with a sarcastic smile. “She took out 2V and is now trying to eliminate those of us who know the truth.”
She said it so simply and Junko did not think she was lying.
Junko’s expression stiffened and she turned toward Kazuko.
The empress laughed.
“Ho ho. You make me sound like a horrible person. Then again, you were telling the truth, so I suppose it can’t be helped.”
Junko frowned.
“I despise you, Your Majesty.”
Kazuko laughed that off as well.
“Some thrones cannot be won without becoming despised. We cannot have peace otherwise.”
“Are you saying the people want someone to sit on the throne?” asked Junko without thinking.
Kazuko nodded.
“Didn’t you hear them cheering?”
“Kh.”
Junko was unsure what to say.
“Give it up,” cut in Lily as she stood up on unsteady feet. “She isn’t going to listen. More importantly, what are you going to do if those that escaped tell the truth?”
Other than those present, Etou Fujiko and Soga Keena had both witnessed Kazuko killing 2V and they were nowhere to be seen.
“That’s right. Where are Etou and Keena?” asked Junko.
Lily grinned.
“Keena quickly stripped off her clothes and Etou-kun ran off at the first opening while I fought.”
“I see. So that’s it.”
Keena was able to turn invisible. She became undetectable even by those who could sense mana. However, she could not turn her clothes invisible as well, so she had to strip naked. That must have been why Junko had heard Keena’s voice earlier.
Kazuko narrowed her eyes in suspicion while listening to the comment about Keena, but then she shook her head as if to clear those thoughts.
“Whatever they have done, I can find and silence those who have fled.”
Kazuko held up a hand.
With the sound of mana, a sword of light appeared.
“Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi.”
That was the name Kazuko gave to the two meter sword of light that appeared in midair.
It glowed as if a portion of the sun had fallen to the earth. Even at a distance, Junko could feel the heat radiating from it.
“Watch out. That’s really powerful,” warned Lily who had seen 2V pierced by one of those swords.
“Okay. I have the perfect defense.”
Junko held her sword in front of her eyes and twisted it slightly to the left. This defensive stance let her immediately cut in any direction.
“That isn’t what I meant! Its power is-…” cried Lily.
“It is too late.” Kazuko narrowed her eyes. “I will pierce both of you at once.”
Kazuko swung her hand and the sword of light flew toward Junko.
“Ee!”
The power of the sword could be heard in the roaring of the sliced air and the tremendous rumbling of mana. It was created from mana, so it should have had an upper limit to its power. However, the heat and waves emanating from the sword were much more intense than anything Junko had seen before.
“I can’t stop this!”
Junko was unable to move her sword. If she had tried to block it, the sword’s blade would likely have been cut in two. It would have then stabbed through Junko and Lily behind her.
But with a roar, Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi passed by Junko to the left.
The sword stabbed through the palace wall behind them and the heat melted the area around the hole. Most frightening of all, it had produced almost no noise even as it had stabbed into the wall. That meant it had melted the wall with almost no resistance.
“She missed…”
Junko took a breath.
Junko knew better than anyone that she had not evaded the attack. The path of the sword had been off from the beginning.
This was due to Kazuko’s stance having crumbled. In the instant she fired the sword, something must have struck her because she was down on her right knee.
Junko spotted a shining hair decoration floating behind Kazuko.
“Thanks,” said Junko quietly.
That hair decoration belonged to Keena. The girl must have tackled Kazuko just before she fired the sword.
Lily also breathed a sigh of relief, but she shook her head because she could not let her guard down.
“She missed, but it won’t happen again. She seems to like tormenting others, but she started using that sword once you showed you could cut her mana spheres.”
Kazuko stood back up and shook her head. It seemed she had realized what Keena’s power was.
“So one of you can turn invisible. But that is only a small problem as long as you have no real means of attack. I will not miss this time.”
Kazuko swept her hands around her to make sure Keena was not nearby.
“What was that sword or those spheres?” asked Junko as she turned toward Lily.
“Techniques only those of the imperial bloodline can use. With 2V’s ability to control L’Isle-Adams, there seem to be three in all.”
“Only those of the imperial bloodline?”
“Using them is the proof that you are part of the bloodline. Their use is a symbol of authority.”
“So that is why those attacks are so powerful.”
Junko understood Lily’s explanation, but that meant the next attack would finish them off.
“You run away. I’ll hold her here as long as I can,” said Lily.
Her expression did not look remotely tragic. It was as if this were only natural.
Junko shook her head.
“I cannot run off after you say that. And I have made up my mind as well. I left his side based on my own feelings once. As long as he is risking his own life here, I cannot leave. I do not want to regret my actions like that again.”
Junko’s expression did not waver. Now that she understood what was happening, she knew exactly what Akuto was trying to do. He was literally betting his very existence on defeating Kazuko and Zero.
It seemed Junko’s expression was enough to tell Lily who “he” was. Lily grinned and lowered the brim of her battered hat to look away from Junko.
“How old-fashioned. Well, I won’t say anything tasteless, but it’s meaningless if you don’t win. I hope you’re ready to be known as the killer of your empress,” said Lily.
Junko nodded firmly.
Kazuko laughed as she listened in.
“The killer of your empress? I have a hard time knowing how to respond to something as ridiculous as that,” she said calmly.
She raised a hand, compressed some mana, and produced another sword of light.
Junko’s legs froze in place when faced with that overwhelming presence, but she had to think up a way to fight now that she had made up her mind.
“I’ll disturb her with movement!”
Still holding her sword up, Junko seemed to slide forward and then she leaped to the side.
Kazuko moved her head. From her point of view, Junko had to have simply vanished.
She finally caught sight of Junko, but Junko leaped in the opposite direction.
But even though she could be seen jumping to the side, she was also still standing in that spot. Two Junkos now existed. This was the duplication technique she excelled at. She created other one of herself out of mana and this duplicate really was physically there.
“Iga Ninja Art – Scattered Moonlight!”
In the end, there were five versions of Junko and they all leaped around Kazuko as if trying to confuse her.
Kazuko was unable to focus on any one point.
The five Junkos used that as their opportunity to attack.
“Yaaaaah!”
All of the duplicates had physical forms thanks to the mana, so they were not simply illusions. That meant they could all attack. The five of them attacked with slightly shifted timing to prevent Kazuko from evading.
But…
“You created duplicates from mana? That method is useless against someone with precise control over mana,” said Kazuko calmly.
She lightly waved a hand.
“Wha-…!?”
The Junkos were dumbfounded.
The Junko in front of Kazuko’s hand had vanished. She moved her hand further and more and more of the Junkos disappeared.
“Tch!”
But Junko did not let up. Once the four duplicates were gone, the real Junko swept her sword horizontally and tried to cut at Kazuko’s side.
“Ohhhhhh!” she cried out.
But her shout was cut short. She suddenly stopped the swinging of her sword.
Kazuko was directly facing Junko and the tip of the glowing sword in her hand was pressed up against Junko’s throat.
“This is how you fight with magic.”
“What? Impossible…”
“No, this is was inevitable. At least be glad you were killed by someone greater than the gods,” said Kazuko with a grin.
Kazuko suddenly lurched to the side. It seemed Keena had tackled her again while invisible. But that was all that happened. Kazuko had been wary of Keena and Keena was not all that powerful. With a look of annoyance, Kazuko swung a hand through empty space. Junko heard an impact and a scream.
All the while, the tip of Kazuko’s sword of light did not move from Junko’s throat.
“There is nothing left to interfere.”
“Ee…”
Junko’s eyes opened wide in fear.
Kazuko gathered strength in her arm to stab Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi.
And…
The entire temple grew dark as if the power had gone out.
Kazuko’s hand stopped. Junko doubted she was the type to lose her cool just because it was a bit dark. Plus, it was still daytime, so the light coming in from outside was enough to see with.
“W-was I saved?” muttered Junko as she leaped backwards.
Kazuko’s sword was losing its physical form.
“The mana in this space is reducing.”
Kazuko pointed her palm upwards, used magic, and saw that it only caused a slight change.
“Is the mana in the atmosphere being reduced?”
While wiping away her cold sweat, Junko checked her sense of the surrounding mana.
“The energy supply is being reduced at the same time,” added Lily.
Junko was regaining her calm. She realized that, given the situation, it was entirely possible she could successfully fight back against the empress.
“This lowers my physical strength too, but I have a chance if neither of us can use magic!”
Junko charged toward Kazuko again.
Kazuko evaded with a back step.
“Zero is absorbing the mana and energy. No… The demon king can probably do that too.”
Kazuko looked out the window.
“Boss, that was not fair. You could get down on your own.”
“Of course I could. I’m not going to do anything stupid.”
Yoshie had stabbed her running chainsaw into the wall which had slowed her fall and allowed her to land safely on the ground.
Keisu had jumped after her, passed by her midway, and landed first. Yoshie had been forced to dig her out where she had sunken halfway into the soft ground.
The two of them were watching Akuto and Zero’s battle while making sure no one had followed them from the palace.
After transforming into a giant humanoid machine, Zero filled half of their vision as they looked up.
Akuto looked like a toy doll compared to Zero.
However, they felt equally powerful to Yoshie.
“How strange. Their sizes are so different, but they give off a similar aura,” she commented.
“But the flow of mana is different. Look.”
Keisu pointed toward Zero.
Zero’s long arms spread to the left and right. The sound of his arms slicing through the wind rang out and the compressed atmosphere burst outward, but that was not all.
“Mana? …Oh!”
Yoshie lowered her goggles and checked her surroundings. The goggles visualized the flow of mana.
The colored mana spread through the air like clouds. And if those had been real clouds, it would have meant a typhoon had descended low in the sky. Mana was being sucked into a whirlwind around Zero.
“Fwohhh! That’s one hell of a cyclone,” muttered Yoshie.
The rotating mana produced an air current that blew Yoshie and Keisu’s hair about. As the surrounding mana was stolen, a physical storm appeared. Starting at the palace, buildings began to go dark in an expanding circle. All mana-powered devices became unusable and the people could not use magic.
“This looks like a scene from the apocalypse. A dark giant devours all and battles an angel that cast himself out of heaven. A modern day Armageddon is playing out before our eyes. We have to watch this. This could be the beginning of a true hell.”
Yoshie grinned as the storm raged.
—So he combined to absorb mana.
Akuto grasped Zero’s intention. By breaking down and recombining countless L’Isle-Adams, he had taken in a large amount of mana and gained the processing power needed to control it. However, he could not use complex techniques like a human. He could only use brute force.
And that was what he used. His fist let out a groan as it flew toward Akuto. The fist was wrapped in a storm of mana.
—I can’t do anything if that hits me.
Akuto controlled the flow of mana around him. He could not defeat Zero in the physical struggle between mana or the struggle over gathering an energy supply of mana. That meant he had to fight by minutely controlling the mana and turning aside his enemy’s power.
Kakei. Constant Magic Academy’s headmaster had taught him that fighting style and this would be similar to using it on a larger scale.
The coming attack was like a small crashing airplane and Akuto evaded it at the last moment. He controlled the turbulent flow of mana and altered the direction of that giant power with the smallest necessary amount of his own power.
<You cannot resist forever. I am absorbing the surrounding mana and there is a limit to how much you can use. There is no need to prolong this.>
Zero’s comment was surprisingly considerate.
<Why are you saying that?>
<My objective is to control mankind. I have no need to eliminate you if you do not force my hand.>
<You mean you aren’t completely controlled by the empress?> asked Akuto.
The empress was definitely trying to kill him, but Zero said he was not.
<My top priority is protecting mankind,> answered Zero.
<So you obey her as long as her orders don’t conflict with that protection,> realized Akuto.
<Precisely. I wish for as efficient a conclusion as possible. Without wasting energy, I wish to reduce mankind’s numbers to the point that they will not destroy themselves.>
The two of them held a strange conversation as they fought. But it was the fight that brought them close enough to confirm each other’s goals just between the two of them.
Akuto understood now.
<In that case, we are destined to fight, aren’t we?>
<This is nothing more than consuming energy. It is impossible for you to eliminate me.>
Zero too seemed to have come to an understanding. He swung his giant fist once more.
<I wouldn’t be so sure.>
Akuto moved toward the giant fist that passed by his side, placed a hand on one of the giant fingers, and focused mana in his hand.
“Hahh!” shouted Akuto.
The smallest of Zero’s fingers burst at the second joint that Akuto pressed his hand against. The finger broke apart as it fell to the ground.
Zero drew back his fist and moved away from Akuto.
<You used my mana.>
Zero analyzed the situation as he observed the exposed machinery of the finger. Akuto had taken the mana stored in Zero’s body and transformed it into explosive power.
<This way, I don’t need all that much mana for myself. I can make up for our difference in size,> explained Akuto.
However, this method required great concentration. This mana was being controlled by Zero. To take that control away and place it under his own control, Akuto had to accurately focus on moving each piece of mana. He had his abilities as the demon king, but this was an issue of pure mental focus.
Zero of course understood what Akuto was doing.
<You will reach the limit of your non-mechanical body.>
Zero swung his giant fist toward Akuto again.
—Kh!
Akuto deflected it and flew back to escape.
He waited for an opening at a distance.
Zero’s fists used a combination attack that did not befit his giant form.
Mana was meant to be used by a human body. That meant mana was most efficiently used by someone with two arms and two legs like a human. Even if he was a machine, Zero’s fighting style resembled martial arts and he did a splendid job of making efficient attacks using his two arms.
He swung his long arms and legs and the hands and feet at the end easily broke the sound barrier. His fists compressed the air and a conical cloud of steam exploded out around the fists to add power to the attacks.
But the timing and openings of his attacks were essentially the same as in martial arts.
—In that case, I have no choice but to answer in kind!
“Ohhhhh!” roared Akuto.
He clenched his fist and shot forward.
His opponent was ten times his height, so the difference was greater than that between and adult and a child.
Even so, he succeeded in starting a fistfight.
It was a stationary fistfight. They both stopped still in midair and fiercely swung their arms and legs at each other.
Zero sent surefire strikes toward the center of Akuto’s body.
Akuto used repeated attacks that slowly but surely tore away Zero’s body.
There was an overwhelming size difference between the fists and their fighting styles were completely different, but it was still a fistfight.
Zero predicted Akuto’s actions and tried to punch at the central axis of his body.
Akuto deflected the fists, turned them aside, and punched at their sides with his own fist. The action was similar to repeatedly passing a thread through the eye of a needle at high speed.
Zero’s processing power clashed with Akuto’s mental strength. This was a competition to see which one would win out.
Zero attacked once for every few of Akuto’s attacks, but he accurately targeted Akuto, forcing Akuto to use mana to defend in all directions. This gradually wore down Akuto’s focus.
Meanwhile, each of Akutos’ attacks tore at Zero’s fists little by little.
Would Akuto’s mental strength run out first or would Zero’s body crumble first?
The metal and plastic of Zero’s parts and the glow of mana scattered from where Zero and Akuto’s fists clashed. That showed how they were both being worn down mentally and physically.
Hiroshi returned to the sky above the palace and felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Zero and Akuto’s fistfight.
—Is he planning to die?
In everyday life, a thought like that may not have been too serious, but it was frightening when viewing a fight like this.
—I noticed him looking at me. But…
Hiroshi’s body stiffened with a feeling similar to fear.
—He really is planning to leave everything to me!
Hiroshi understood that. Akuto had once tried to destroy the system of the gods. His intentions were unlikely to have changed. That meant Akuto wished to destroy Zero. However, he did not want to bring chaos to the world. His goal was to eliminate the existence known as the demon king. His goal would not be achieved unless he and Zero destroyed each other.
Hiroshi had fallen partially into a daze, but he came to his senses when he heard voices down below.
He could not make out the words, but they were clearly cheering him on. They were cheering for Brave. He looked down and saw the people watching the battle from a distance. They had noticed his presence.
—There’s something I have to do.
He knew he could not expect the people to bring this situation under control. He was still a hero.
He looked up into the sky where the two demon kings were literally tearing away at each other as they fought. Akuto seemed to have noticed Hiroshi’s return and he gave a single glance toward Hiroshi.
—I understand… In fact, I already did.
Akuto’s glance told Hiroshi everything.
“Boss, the battle is coming to an end.”
“So it’s almost over.”
Keisu and Yoshie whispered to each other as the fistfight clearly approached its conclusion.
Zero had lost a large portion of his body and Akuto had received a fair bit of damage from the blows his mana had failed to defend against.
“I think the next strike might decide it,” said Yoshie.
She then looked to the side because she heard someone stepping on the grass.
“It can’t be…” she said in surprise.
Kazuko was walking over to them and she was dragging someone behind her with her right hand. She was displaying unbelievable strength for her slender frame.
But even more surprising was whose limp form it was Kazuko was dragging.
“Hattori Junko... Don’t tell me you…killed her…”
Yoshie could barely force out the words, but Kazuko gently shook her head.
“Without mana, I can only strike her directly. It takes quite a lot to kill a human.”
Kazuko then let go of Junko’s arms. Junko collapsed limply to the grass and let out a quiet groan.
“She’s still alive.”
Yoshie was relieved, but the situation was not headed in a good direction. Yoshie stepped back so as to stand protectively in front of Keisu.
Kazuko smiled.
“So I decided to wait until later to kill her. I will focus on Keisu first. I must see this L’Isle-Adam who can seal Zero.”
Kazuko took a slow step forward.
Yoshie flinched back, but Keisu pushed her aside and stepped forward.
“I will handle this.”
“No, wait.”
Yoshie was conflicted.
It seemed Keisu was able to function normally without mana, so she could easily handle a normal human. However, Kazuko had the strength needed to drag Junko with only one arm. Kazuko had to have been artificially altered just like Akuto. In that case, the outcome of a fight was unclear. And Yoshie could not allow Keisu to fight unless victory was assured.
—I’ll have to find a way to do it myself.
Yoshie made up her mind and began to step forward. However, the chainsaw felt quite heavy in the current situation.
“Ho ho. How very reckless of you.”
Kazuko laughed and took another step forward.
She did not seem concerned at all. In fact, she looked away from Yoshie and up into the sky.
“Oh, my. The situation is changing by the second. And it seems this will end in an unexpected fashion.”
Yoshie also glanced up at Akuto and Zero’s battle.
The two of them were continuing to fight while completely battered.
However, that was not what Kazuko had been commenting on. A single line of light shot in from the edge of Yoshie’s vision.
It shot straight up toward the battle.
“What is that?” asked Yoshie.
“Brave, the demonic beast slayer. In other words, that is the enemy of those with the name ‘demon king’,” explained Kazuko calmly.
“You don’t mean he’s planning to take out both of them, do you?”
Yoshie’s eyes widened in surprise.
Brave shot straight toward where Zero and Akuto were fighting.
Yoshie pulled down her goggles and had them display a magnified image of Brave.
She saw Brave equip his cape. High-temperature plasma balls then appeared around him. This was Brave’s most powerful attack.
Her goggles analyzed the image and concluded the attack did not use mana. They also told her a mana canceller was in effect around Brave, so mana was unusable within a few meters of him.
“Does that mean there’s no way to defend against this attack!?” cried Yoshie.
At this rate, Zero and Akuto would both be destroyed.
“If Zero and the demon king are eliminated, I will need to think up a new plan. After all, losing Zero will make the gods unusable,” said Kazuko.
“But…!”
Yoshie tried to argue, but she could not form the words.
Akuto was risking his life to destroy Zero instead of sealing him. Hiroshi understood that, but that did not guarantee he would not carry out Akuto’s wishes by eliminating both of them.
“Ahh…” groaned Yoshie.
While surrounded by the plasma balls, Brave shot through Zero’s back and into Akuto.
Brave had become an orange glowing line of heat that sliced apart that scene of intense fighting.
Zero and Akuto had already worn each other down and they now seemed to freeze in place like a still image, but Zero exploded a moment later. The explosion enveloped them both and they disappeared into the sea of orange light.
It looked like a small sun had appeared in the sky.
Yoshie was wearing her goggles, but it was so bright that even she had to look away.
After the ball of flames finally faded away, giant pieces of wreckage and a single charred body fell from the sky. Brave then slowly descended into the palace yard.
“Ah… Ah…”
Yoshie was completely dumbfounded.
The giant pieces of wreckage clearly came from Zero, but that meant the charred body was…
“Well done.”
Kazuko spread her arms in welcome as Brave descended.
He landed before her and she nodded.
“I must thank you for defeating the demon king. You must be the mysterious hero that has been talked about recently.”
“Yes, that seems to be what people are calling me,” said Brave Hiroshi calmly.
“Then can I assume you were fighting for the empire’s sake and for my sake?” asked Kazuko probingly.
One side of Brave’s mouth rose in a smile. Only his mouth was left exposed by his mask, but that was enough to show off this daring expression.
“No. I wasn’t fighting for this empire or for you individually. I just feel the need to do something when people are crying.”
Kazuko’s expression twitched slightly.
This was the first imperfection in her always calm expression.
“Who are you? And why are you wearing such a dangerous suit?”
“I’m sure you’ve figured out who I am underneath this mask. But while I wear this suit, I go by the name Brave. That is all I am. And I have two goals: justice and peace.”
“Ho…ho ho.” Kazuko laughed at Brave’s answer. “Ho ho ho ho ho! That is most amusing. How can someone who used to be nothing but a cowardly student act so full of himself when all he has is borrowed power!?”
“That isn’t quite accurate. There’s no such thing as power you take for yourself. Most of the time, you’re either born with it or someone casually gives it to you. Either way, you never asked for it. The proper way to live your life is to behave in a way befitting of that power even if you have to force yourself.”
There was no hint of hesitation in Brave’s voice.
“Are you saying you do not intend to obey me even though you killed the demon king?” asked Kazuko with a slight tremor to her voice.
“No, that isn’t it.”
Brave shook his head.
“Then what-…?”
“You will obey me,” he said. “You will give us back the lives we had before.”
“What?”
Kazuko was speechless.
“Zero has been destroyed, so return society to the way it was. That is all I have to say,” added Brave.
All expression vanished from Kazuko’s face, but a charming smile appeared an instant later.
“Oh ho ho ho ho ho! You are the first person to ever speak to me like that! But aren’t you overlooking something? The mana has yet to vanish! That means the gods are still functioning.”
Kazuko produced a glowing sword in her hand.
“What are you doing?” asked Brave just as she swung the sword.
The tip stopped just in front of Junko’s throat as she lay groaning at Kazuko’s feet.
“This girl is still valuable as a hostage, if nothing else. Isn’t that right?”
“Is this all you have, Your Majesty!?”
Brave swung his hand. He must have activated his mana canceller because Kazuko’s glowing sword vanished.
“No. I have much more than that.”
Kazuko picked Junko up, took a small jump backwards, and turned a cold smile in Brave’s direction.
“I think you are the one that is out of tricks. You fell for the same trap twice.”
A virtual alternate dimension field suddenly appeared, surrounding Brave from a distance. That field cut off that space, so Brave’s suit was unable to transfer in energy from another dimension. This was the strategy 2V had developed based on her knowledge of the suit, but Kazuko should not have known about it.
“Wait… Did you obtain 2V’s memories too?” asked Yoshie who had seen the related series of events.
“Precisely.” Kazuko then turned toward Brave. “Your energy will not last long now.”
But Brave kept his head firmly raised.
“Either way, I just needed to know what your true intentions were. I’m not as stupid as you think.”
“What? There is nothing left you can do. Your mana canceller is no longer in effect.”
Kazuko produced another Ame-no-Murakumo no Tsurugi in her hand.
“But now that you are not a threat, it is no longer necessary for me to kill you. Accept your position. The people have high expectations of you. You can show off your justice under my rule.”
“And if I refuse, you’ll kill Hattori Junko?” asked Brave threateningly.
“Who can say? It is all up to you now,” said Kazuko cutely.
But Brave boldly puffed out his chest.
“I thought I told you I’m not as stupid as you think.”
He raised his hand.
Kazuko took a defensive stance, but nothing seemed to happen.
“Heh. What do you think you are doing?”
“I will enforce my own brand of justice. As long as they aren’t evil, I have no problem with demon kings,” said Brave with a grin.
“You don’t mean…!?”
Kazuko leaped away.
An instant later, a dark shadow swiftly cut through the space she had been standing in.
“You tricked me!”
Kazuko’s expression had clearly changed now.
The dark shadow smoothly scooped up Junko and rose to its feet.
“He didn’t actually trick you. He really did char my body,” complained Akuto.
He looked like a dark shadow because the surface of his body had been carbonized. The black surface peeled away and smooth skin finally appeared beneath.
“This is the last time you make a fool of me,” said Kazuko in a low voice.
In the exact opposite of before, this new voice struck fear in the heart of anyone who heard it.
However, the same shining smile remained on her face. In fact, it may have been even brighter than before.
“I will slaughter all of you,” she announced as she waved her hand.
The entire atmosphere around Kazuko seemed to tremble.
Yoshie gasped as she sensed the change.
“This is a mana burst!” she shouted.
This technique sent the mana out of control until the mana itself exploded and came apart. This was not used in magic. It only ever happened by accident. The explosion it created would destroy any material related to mana.
“This will destroy her along with everyone else here!”
“Has she gone insane!?”
Akuto and Brave both shouted out, but Kazuko only sneered.
“No. Zero can perform a magical transfer at the last second. I alone will survive! Demon king, you can likely survive as well, but your human brain does not possess the processing power needed to transfer everyone here.”
“Are you making him choose who to save!?” shouted Yoshie as she moved in to protect Keisu.
But Keisu did not react to Yoshie’s action. She stood perfectly still.
“…?”
Yoshie looked down at Keisu and found that the look in the L’Isle-Adam’s eyes had completely changed. Keisu then spoke smoothly in a completely different tone of voice from before.
“Zero is entering his second stage. He is leaving his fixed body and switching to network infiltration mode. Please immediately transport me to Zero’s true body.”
“Wh-what are you talking about? Did you remember what you have to do?”
When Yoshie spoke to Keisu, Keisu returned to normal and nodded toward Yoshie.
“I remember now. Zero is-…”
But Kazuko cut her off.
“You may remember, but it is too late.”
The empress smiled.
The earth began to sink down as if tremendous pressure were pressing down on it. In a circle a few meters across, the ground remained around Kazuko, but everything outside began to collapse and fall down. And then the scope of the damage began to accelerate outwards.
“Begone,” declared Kazuko coldly.
In that instant, the area filled with light.
From the sky, one would have seen a sphere of light a kilometer across appear at the palace. It reached several hundred meters into the sky and was visible from a great distance.
The light did not remain for long, but no survivors remained once it vanished. Nothing but a giant crater could be seen.
