novelVolume 3, (3A)
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Volume 3, Chapter 3 (1)
Part 1
The war between Tokyo life sphere and the Five Great Leaders' allied force finally began.
The one who took the first move was the air force of the allied forces.
Under the lead colored clouds, drops of rain began to fall.
Countless aircrafts drove through the sky and rushed to Tokyo life sphere.
{I see it. The nest of the shitheads that conspire with demons. }
{Ain't their defense something. They are just guarding. }
{I'm gonna shove my thick dick there now and make them say 'hii-hii' just you see. }
Even while exchanging vulgar talk through the wireless, the pilots moved to do their work.
The role granted to them was to destroy the protective wall that was protecting Tokyo life sphere with missiles.
Each pilot controlled their console and locked-on to the wall.
After that,
{ { {FOX2!!!! (Missile fire)} } }
They pressed the button for missile fire.
From the aircrafts that numbered more than 200 even just on the side of Tokyo bay, missiles numbering more than double of those aircrafts were released.
No, not only aircraft missiles.
The warships above Tokyo bay were also shooting their missiles.
And then those fired swarm of missiles approached Tokyo life sphere with white smoke trailing behind them.
――They impacted the protective wall.
Heat and black smoke bloomed and roared that shook the sky.
...... However regardless of that much concentrated firing, the veil of coiling black smoke shook due to the sea breeze, and the pilots saw inside the appearance of the wall that was just slightly sooty.
{Oi, oi, you serious! There ain't even a crack!}
{It even got hit by the warship missiles, aircraft missiles won't do anything to something like this. }
The pilots were amazed.
But, that was only natural.
In the first place this protective wall was something prepared for use against ~Demon King class~ demons.
Destroying it using man made ammunition was out of the question.
Even if it was hit by a nuclear missile, this wall wouldn't be broken through physically.
Therefore, the mission entrusted to the first wave of the air force to destroy the wall using missiles was impossible to be accomplished.
In this situation, the commander of the air force immediately called to all pilots using wireless.
{Notifying all pilot. Changing the strategy to plan B. I repeat. The strategy is changed to plan B. }
{This plan B is―...... }
Plan B was the tactic for the case where the missile attack failed to inflict a telling blow to the wall.
Giving up on the side that was protected by wall, they would descend from above the sky that was virtually defenseless.
The descending unit would try to steal the control of the wall and open the wall from the inside, that was the tactic.
The ones who became an obstacle this time were the interception units of the enemy that were deployed above the wall.
The protective wall was thick, it was also equipped with the likes of anti-aircraft gun and anti-aircraft interceptor missiles, turning it into a place that was well-suited as a defensive line.
The intercepting unit that was deployed here would become an obstacle for the helicopter sending in the descending unit and the magicians equipped with ~Air Raid~.
Therefore the role that was assigned to the aircraft units in this plan B was concentrated attack on the enemy units above the wall.
They rained down gun shots and bombardments and obstructed the interception units from deploying.
{Put simply we just got to let loose our guns properly. }
{Ai―n't that right. }
{Hah, this is an easy win!}
While saying that, the pilots pressed the switch of their aircraft gun.
There was no feeling of tension at all in them.
That was also only natural.
This time the allied forces managed to slip under the radar and launched a surprise attack.
It hadn't been five minutes since Innocentius declared the war proclamation.
In other words, right now the enemy should be running around in panic from the sudden surprise attack.
Like that, naturally, not to mention the interception unit, the set up of the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft missiles hadn't been done adequately.
After all, the enemy didn't have the leeway for that timewise.
If that was the case, this mission would only become one-sided killing――that was how it was supposed to be.
{Ha...... ?}
Instantly, the aircraft flying in the lead became a ball of fire and exploded while baking the clouds.
Successively, the aircrafts around it also exploded similarly one after another.
They fell to the ground while raising flames.
{GUWAAAAA!}
{ROCK! STUART!}
The pilots opened their eyes wide, witnessing the friendly troops getting shot down one after another in surprise.
The first aircraft formation attacking from the Tokyo bay that easily numbered more than two hundred planes had their numbers decreased until less than thirty planes merely in a few dozen seconds.
Just why in the world?
Even though the enemy shouldn't have time to even take battle formation, yet
The pilots fell into confusion from not understanding anything.
But one pilot among them directed his gaze at Tokyo life sphere that was still wafting black smoke and noticed.
The upper part of Tokyo life sphere protective wall.
Taking aim at the swarm of the flying airplanes were the anti-aircraft guns, anti-aircraft missiles, and then――
A battle line of magicians looking up to the sky setting up ~Arms~ of rifle-type and wand-type.
{Lies...... !? They have finished deploying the interception unit already!?}
Correct, the Japan army had put their interception formation in order under five minutes and deployed above the protective wall.
Part 2
Japan army's high speed deployment.
There were three reasons for that.
The first reason, a simple high level of skill.
Japan national defense army, exactly as that name implied, they weren't particularly good in attacking from their side, but they boasted unequalled skill in defensive battle.
Especially under the policy of their current administration led by prime minister Kinugasa, the army carried out training that was leaning extremely heavily to the importance of defensive battles.
Training for the in case occasion of the capital's defensive battle was carried out once a week.
And disaster drill with the participation of all citizens was carried out with the frequency of twice a month.
Usually the citizens behaved as if the drill was troublesome, but those persistently piled up training demonstrated their fruits in this emergency.
Not only every single of the soldiers, even the evacuating citizens, and even the student magicians, all of them understood what they should do and where they should go in the current situation, because of that whether it was the unit deployment or the evacuation guidance, all were carried out extremely smoothly.
That was the first reason.
And then the second reason was because today was the war victory commemoration festival.
The war victory commemoration festival, a big festival that was held once a year.
Most of the citizens of Tokyo life sphere were gathering around the imperial palace.
The student magicians that participated in this festival with their culture festival and the national defense magicians who were responsible for the security so that the festival could progress smoothly were also the same.
In other words since the moment of the war proclamation, all of them were already in the position where they could immediately coordinate and solidify their battle strength.
This was also one of the reasons that made it possible for the high speed deployment.
But, it was hardly possible to construct the defensive line in only five minutes just from these two reasons.
As expected the biggest reason was――
The existence that even at this moment was continuing to hover above the sky of Tokyo life sphere... the human-type mummy.
The existence of the ~Evil God~ Quachil Uttaus.
The divinity that Homura summoned just before he left, the one that took the name of ~The Treader of the Dust~.
This was an ~Evil God~ that specialized in interfering with [time].
Homura made use of that power and granted to all humans that existed in the Tokyo life sphere the divine protection of ~Time AccelerationChrono Drive~, accelerating everyone's inherent time until ten times faster.
Therefore, the people of Tokyo life sphere could move just as much as fifty minutes in only five minutes.
With that much time added with the above mentioned conditions and the height of their skill, it was not even an exaggeration to say that it was easy to construct the defensive line before the aircrafts reached Tokyo life sphere.
And then with their time accelerated――
The movement of the enemy also looked relatively ten times slower.
"Haha! This thing is awesome! They are slower than even RC planes!"
"Yeah, it's far easier than shooting down clay!"
"Doing monkey business in this long awaited joyous festival, I'll shoot you all down until there is nothing left!"
{It's fine to not force yourself aiming at the missile heading to the wall and the enemy's ground unit.
But don't you all dare letting even a single aircraft or magician equipped with air raid, as well as the heli of the airborne unit, come close!
Shoot them all down!}
"""YES SIR!"""
Under the instruction of commander Hassad of the national defense army's seventh division, the national defense magicians deployed on the protective wall at Tokyo bay's side were shooting down one after another the approaching enemy with truly a one hundred shot, one hundred hit.
If the relative velocity between the two side had the gap until ten times then that was only natural.
Even for the people who got red mark in shooting training, it was hard for them to actually miss the targets.
"As I thought, Homura-san is just, amazing...... !"
"To be this reliable even when he is not here, really, the ~Evil Gods~ are just so various eh―"
The student magicians Koga Ayumi and Anna Dronin, that were mixed among the deployed units on the wall and preparing their rifle and wand, were aiming at the assault landing boats that were launched from the warships while talking about the blessing.
Even the jet aircrafts looked like they were flying at the speed of clay pigeons and shooting.
The likes of the assault landing ships gliding on the water looked as if they were mostly standing still.
Especially for Anna who received the divine protection of ~Eagle Eye~ of the ~White Death God~ Simo Hayha, added with this divine protection of Quachil Uttaus, shooting out those things was so simple that it was not an exaggeration to say it was like she was shooting a sitting duck.
Within one second in real time, Anna alone could easily sink three missiles or aircrafts, or seven if she targeted the landing ships.
And then in the interception unit, other than Anna there were also the magicians and the soldiers equipped with anti-aircraft equipment, then the anti-aircraft gun and missile pods and the likes. All those interception attacks that were multiplied ten times, in the real time that didn't even reach one minute, had sunk all the approaching more than two hundred aircrafts and missiles that were more than twice that number, and also the landing ships that were approaching their location, there was not even one left.
The enemy that was launching a surprise attack on them had the tables turned on them.
"Yosh! With this the first wave of the enemy is annihilated!"
"The second wave will come soon! Don't get careless!"
"Hehe-. No matter how many of those half-wits come here, they are just not our match."
Due to the ten times difference in speed that brought them one-sided victory, the morale of the national defense magicians who showed uneasy expressions when they began to deploy were now really high.
It could even be said that they had already recovered from the emotional impact of the surprise attack.
"I, if we can keep this up, then we are going to be able to hold on until Homura-san returns!"
Even the expression of Ayumi who at first looked like she was going to flee anytime showed a little composure that didn't get too careless.
But――
(Now now, I wo―nder about that. )
Among those people that were like that Anna sharpened her gaze, then with her ~Eagle Eye~ that reached very far, she glared at the enemy's mother ship that was floating far away in the Tokyo bay and thought.
Attacking in this so large a scale, that meant that the enemy was also coming here with considerable determination and resolve.
If that was the case then surely they wouldn't pull back just from this much.
The most telling thing was that most of the attackers just now were normal soldiers.
The magician unit that was the main force still hadn't shown most of their strength.
(As expected, they aren't going to let us win easily like this aren't they. )
And then, Anna's hunch was unfortunately right on the mark.
Part 3
From among the swarm of aircrafts rushing to Tokyo life sphere which numbered several thousands in total, not even one were able to reach Tokyo life sphere.
Every last one of the approach was shot down after receiving the fierce attack of the interception unit which was bestowed with the divine protection of Quachil Uttaus.
That fact was reported to the command room of the ~Five Great Leaders~ by a soldier of the allied forces with a pale face.
"The, the first wave of the air force that went ahead, has been annihilated...... !"
Hearing that, Joseph shouted angrily that sounded like a scream.
"Wha, what is the meaning of this! Didn't the surprise attack succeed!?"
"Don't tell me that our preparation for war has been leaked to them."
"Even if that's the case it's still strange yeah. That many missiles and aircrafts were all shot down, their firing line is just too much! That ain't possible physically!"
Tairon immediately denied Leti's words.
For him that was familiar with war, he was able to imagine the scale of counter attack from Japan's whole battle strength.
And then Japan's counter attack that repelled the first wave had greatly surpassed that imagination.
"Just how in the world they did that?"
The ~Five Great Leaders~ were perplexed. Towards them who were like that――
"About that, from the picture that the air force took, the people of Tokyo life sphere were moving around with unbelievable speed......"
The reporting soldier transferred the recording of Tokyo life sphere that he obtained from the pilot of the air force to the terminal of the command room and it was displayed to the people in that place.
All eyes were opened wide from that recording.
The reason was because the movements of the soldiers of Tokyo life sphere that looked like rice grains in that recording projection looked as if their image had been fast forwarded ten times faster.
"This video, is it being fast forwarded?"
"No. This video is being played at the normal speed."
"...... The cause is most likely that thing."
Gregorio who was also a magician paused the recording temporarily and pointed at something.
What was projected far away in the pilot's field of vision was, a person's shadow.
The mummy that had its both hands thrust forward floating above the sky of Tokyo life sphere.
Gregorio knew just what was that shadow.
"~Great Old One~ Quachil Uttaus. The evil god that manipulates time. The ~Evil God User~ must have summoned it before leaving and left it behind. If we imagined that the divine protection of this evil god quickened the time of the people of Tokyo life sphere ten times faster than us, it will explain this interception's fierceness."
"Kuh-, he really becomes a nuisance for us at every opportunity...... ! How annoying!"
Leti cursed while biting her nails without caring of other people's eye.
"Secretary general Wan. You are also an S-rank magician right? Is it possible to perform the same technique to us?"
Tairon showed irritation to Joseph's question while shaking his head.
"Don't say something absurd. ~Chrono Drive~ itself is not that difficult of a technique, but that's only if you put it on yourself alone. Expanding the range until the scale of anti-army ain't something possible even for S-rank like me. Besides, in the first place ~Chrono Drive~ can speed you up until three times faster at best. This situation is just hopeless."
Their plan at first was to send the air force as the opening gambit before sending in their main force that were the magician unit and the infantry.
However to keep sending in their forces like this continuously would only be a pointless effort.
What should they do in this situation?
Everyone in the command room pondered.
Toward they who were like that,
"Sheesh, it's just too sluggish I cannot bear to see this."
A mocking voice came from behind.
The one who spoke was one of the ~Special Missionary~ who smiled thinly.
"Aa? What, so you guys have any better idea instead eh."
Tairon snapped at this and he directed his gaze at the talker with a question.
In response, the eldest one even among the ~Special Missionary~, a white bearded old man named Dalet took a step forward,
"But of course. You cannot expect anything from a human who is not even a magician from the start. Hey, Bet."
He directed the attention at the figure of the girl behind him who was wearing a dress with rolled blue hair.
Towards this, the girl called Bet nodded,
"Yes, really. Or perhaps I should say that in the first place the plan to throw our force little by little using aircraft or landing ship itself is a stupid plan. Against a single small country like Japan, it's better to just engulf them completely with the power of numbers....... Just like this!"
The moment she raised her voice, she clasped both her hands together and kneeled on the spot taking a praying posture.
Instantly――the girl's figure began to be enveloped in light, a pair of wings grew from her back, and then a silver halo appeared on the top of her head.
That was a possession that was only possible for ~Special Missionary~ with a rank above the hero possession that was used by magicians.
That was the secret of the church where one was possessed by an angel, which was a higher rank spiritual body.
And then, right after an angel descended down on that body of the girl called Bet,
A tremor that was even fiercer compared to when Homura tore apart ~Aureole~ began to shake the aircraft carrier.
In the middle of that, Dalet informed Innocentius.
"Your grace. We are going to charge there. Please hold on to something."
"Don't tell me...... -! All members prepare for impact-!"
Innocentius comprehended just what they were, the ~Special Missionaries~, going to do from the words of Dalet, then he gave such order through the mind transmission to all the units that were deployed in Tokyo bay.
Right after that――
{Witness the day of rage of the great god.
Something like a mountain is thrown into the sea, the sea surged like it's going mad.
All life living inside the sea are stolen, all ships are crushed. }
A severe earthquake that couldn't be compared to anything until now assaulted them who were on the sea.
Part 4
After repelling the first wave that was mainly formed of aircrafts, the second wave of the enemy attacked Tokyo life sphere in almost no time at all.
The attacker was the enemy unit that was mainly formed from ~Air Raid~-equipped magicians.
With their magic power bombardment and barrier, they were more variegated in technique than aircrafts, it could be said that they were more of a nuisance than the first wave.
Furthermore their numbers were a lot.
It was as if they were a swarm of locust, their numbers floating in the sky was close to a total of a hundred thousand.
Just from the magicians in this second wave, it was already more than twice the numbers of all the magicians in the Tokyo life sphere that could possibly fight.
But――even so there was the divine protection of Quachil Uttaus on Japan's side.
It was more than enough to compensate for the difference in numbers, The magicians of Tokyo life sphere were holding out without even letting them get close similar to the first wave.
"The interception of the second wave is also going well."
Looking at the war result that surpassed his imagination, Hassad that was the commander of the unit in Japan sea side felt relieved even though it didn't appear on his face.
――If it kept like this they could stop the enemy at this defensive line, he thought.
But, such fleeting illusion... was immediately crushed.
"What's this sound?"
"Rumble...... ?"
A part of the people with good ears noticed that sound which was buried under the explosion of sorceries and missiles and made a stir.
Hassad was also late to notice that stir among the soldiers.
The sound, no, it was closer to being a vibration, like an earth tremor.
(Just what in the world is this sound...... ?)
"O, oi! That's!"
At that time, one of the soldiers became pale and pointed at the sea from where the enemy came.
Hassad directed his gaze there wondering what it was this time.
――There, he saw an unbelievable sight.
"The horizon is, rising!?"
"Tha, that's a tsunamiiii!"
Of all possible things, the sea itself was undulating greatly, turning into a giant tsunami and surging closer here.
And then... riding the tsunami, the enemy's warships were also heading here with fierce speed.
It was just like a surfboard riding a wave.
"Don't tell me, they are planning to charge to the land just like this altogether with the ship...... !"
The fleet was marching altogether with the sea.
Those actions of the allied forces that never even entered the imagination made even the veteran Hassad go pale.
This was bad,
The height of the tsunami wasn't higher than their 70 meters prided wall, and with the wall strength they also wouldn't get washed away.
But, the enemy's main force was located in the fleet that filled the horizon.
If they deployed this close, then as expected they wouldn't be able to hold out just with their unit at the sea side.
{Emergency situation occur! The enemy main force is rapidly getting closer riding a tsunami! Rotate the manpower to the sea side! ASAP-!}
Hassad hurriedly requested to the headquarter and then he gave instruction to the panicked magicians o0n the actual scene.
"All members, hit the wave with freezing element sorcery! Don't let those guys get closer~"
"""Y, Yes sir!!!!"""
"~Freeze Lancer~!"
"~Blizzard~!"
The national defense magicians somehow worked out their magic even while being agitated and shot at the wave that was eerily approaching calmly. But,
"It's no good! It's not stopping at all!"
"The driving force is just too powerful! The ice is broken the moment it starts freezing!"
Like that the resistance of the national defense magicians didn't have any meaning.
The tsunami swallowed the Gate Bridge and approached until before Odaiba. [1]
In that area it was already less than a kilometer from the protective wall.
But, when the tsunami was going to swallow Odaiba――at that moment,
"Abuda. Nirabuda. Atada. Kakaba. Kokoba. Ubara. Hadoma. Makahadoma――
Counted thing possess eight death, attach all the evil of the world of the dead to the bottom of the ground and stop it."
Hassad heard a voice that engraved a curse. That was――
(Freezing series fifth grade sorcery...... -!)
"~Eight Winter HellCocytus~"
The instant that voice announced the bundled curse, the tsunami until the end of the horizon was instantly frozen.
"Wha, amazing...... !"
"Who in the world...... !?"
The surprised soldiers searched who it was that accomplished this grand sorcery, they found their answer under their eyes.
Standing with his back towards the international exhibition hall, there was a long haired man clad in black clothing.
Many of the people here knew him.
The reason was because for many of the national defense magicians in this place, he was once their superior,
"Bo, board chairman-sensei-!?"
Also, because for the student magicians like Anna and the others, that man was their teacher.
"So you are standing by huh...... ! ~Death God of White Night~...... !"
What Hassad mentioned from his mouth was the alias of Onjouji Kai at the time when he was the leader of the ~Knight Order Without Borders~ that led the big guns like Homura and others.
At ~Walpurgis Night~, he kept fighting to the bitter end from the beginning until the last, a veteran courageous warrior, a strong person where there was no one superior to him in using freezing series sorcery.
This man that was the trump card of this country who stood equal with the ~Grim Bullet~ Hoshikawa Sumika, had kept back the surging tsunami and enemy warships barely in time.
But―― there was not even a little bit of composure in Kai's expression, a regret seeped instead at his expression.
Why? The reason for that was one.
(We allowed them to get too close...... !)
The enemy's method that came charging altogether with the sea was something unimaginable for Kai too.
That was why he was late in dealing with it.
From Odaiba to the protective wall didn't even take 1 kilometer, and both places were adjoining land.
Now that it had come to this――there was no doubt that the enemy would unleash all the battle strength that they held.
This hunch of Kai immediately turned into reality.
"""OOOOOOooOoooOoooOO!!!!!!"""
From the aircraft carrier, a large number of magicians equipped with ~Air Raid~ flew out just like a beehive that just got struck, the ordinary soldiers and the magicians who still didn't get the share of the ~Air Raid~ also landed on the wharf and rushed towards the wall.
They didn't bring any climbing rope or anything, they were just carrying assault rifles in hand. He guessed that they probably planned to have the magicians twist the wall with gravity sorcery and rush up the wall like that.
Naturally Kai wouldn't just stare quietly letting that happen and moved to intercept, but―
"Ha――――aaAAaAAAAA!!!!!!"
"-...... !"
That action of Kai was hindered by Wan Tairon who jumped down from above the frozen tsunami swinging his weapon that was like a spear, or possibly an axe.
Kai who blocked Tairon's downswing with a weapon in the shape of a scythe glared at Tairon in annoyance.
"~Fangtian Huaji~...... -! So you brought out something exaggerated huh, Tairon."[2]
"After all you asshole had totally been a pain in my ass for my policy since your time in the ~Knight Order~...... ! Today I'm going to pay back my thanks for all that a lot! ――――Fuhn-!"
Tairon swept his ~Artifact – Bouten Gageki~ to the side to drive away the scythe.
Kai didn't choose to block it and leapt to the air.
Instantly, the international exhibition hall that was in the line of ~Fangtian Huaji~'s slash was felled right from its foundation.
It was an arm power that surpassed human intellect. But that was how it should be.
Tairon's contracted heroic spirit, the ~Flying General~ Lu Bu possessed the Heroic Skill ~Rakan~, that heightened the physical ability of the magician with a scaling factor of several dozens of times more than other abilities like Chikori's ~Peerless Herculean Strength~, it was an ability that was even called as one of the strongest even among the currently present Heroic Skills. In addition, Tairon was using the weapon of the heroic spirit possessing him when the spirit was still alive, enabling him to draw out the potential of the weapon until the limit.
Compared to Homura he was just a small fry, but even so, Tairon was a S-rank magician. One of mankind's strongest.
"What a foolish bunch....... I guess that you all intend to make the angel your ally, but do you think the people of that side can understand the sense of values of you bastards?"
"Ha-, keep barking! You loser dog!"
In front of Tairon, even Kai didn't have any more leeway to protect his comrades.
From the allied force's fleet that had rushed to the land together with the sea, soldiers were rushing out one after another and flooded the protective wall of Tokyo life sphere from sky and land without any obstruction.
Looking at that sight, the interception unit deployed on the wall gulped their breath.
"Chih-! What's with this number!"
"But with this difference in speed that ain't gonna work! Shoot them all down!"
Even so, with the support of the predominance that Homura left behind, the defenders showed a resolute will to meet the enemy and they wildly fired their sorceries and guns without aiming towards the rushing enemy soldiers that blanketed their field of vision from above and below.
They didn't even aim because there were so many enemies that no matter where they shot it would surely hit.
But――
{Watch the day of the great god's fury.
The sun clouded, the moon gouged, the stars broke.
And then whether afternoon or night, it will surely all end the same. }
The moment such hoarse voice became audible from who knows where.
Suddenly the movement of the rushing enemy soldiers became quick and most of the interception was evaded.
"Wha...... !? They evaded!?"
"Has the ~Evil God User~'s sorcery run out already!?"
The interception unit became panicked from the unexpected situation.
Among them, Anna noticed it.
"That's not it! The enemy also got faster! They are as fast as us!"
Correct. That was the answer.
The aircraft carrier placed on top of the frozen tsunami.
Further above it, in the sky, the old man Dalet smirked smugly with a magic circle shining blue floating behind his unfolded wings.
"Fo-fo-fo. There is no way we the ~Special Missionary~ who have received the power of god cannot do something that can be done by the likes of evil god. Stupid unbelievers."
With a performance that far surpassed human magicians, he could manipulate time.
That was the power of the ~Fourth Trumpeter~ that was possessing Dalet.
Due to the deployment of his power, the time of the allied forces' main force that was rushing from the sea side became ten times faster, stealing the last advantage remaining on Japan's side as well.
The interception unit was made so that they had to fight an army that numbered several dozens of times of their number without any advantage.
The amount of enemies was already something that could not be held back by a long distance cannon.
"Prepare to unsheathe your swords! Close range magician unit, intercept the enemy that passed over the wallll-!!!!"
But even so they couldn't run away by any means.
Because behind them there was already no more protection at all.
They couldn't withdraw from this wall by any means.
The interception unit fought back with all they had following Hassad's command.
"""U o O O O O o O O O O o O O o ――――――—!!!!"""
They were burdened with the life or death of their birthplace.
They were burdened with the lives of their family.
That awareness filled every single one of them with a do-or-die resolution and made their spirit screamed loudly.
Even the student magicians that usually didn't show any guts in living as magicians unhesitatingly fought bravely against the approaching hostility.
However, no matter how much they challenged the enemy with a do-or-die resolution and loud screams of fighting spirit, the difference of resources between the two sides were too overwhelming――the situation was worsening moment by moment.
"Uooo!"
"Dangerous Roze-!"
Amidst the battlefield where enemy and ally mixed haphazardly, Anna shot through the head of the enemy magician that was trying to slash at the back of her teammate Rozalind Wagner who was intercepting the enemy in mid-air battle equipped with ~Air Raid~. It was an assist that made it just in a hair breadth. But――
"-――――!"
Rozalind couldn't even notice that she had been helped and intercepted the next enemy.
Looking at this state of her teammate, Anna's expression was colored by impatience.
(Everyone cannot see their surroundings anymore...... )
They had their hands full with defeating the enemy before their eyes that their field of vision turned narrow.
If it kept like this they wouldn't last long.
But something like that,
(This is not a joke! Just who is going to die young like this!)
Anna got boiled up and bit her lip to shake off her fear of death, she kept pressing the trigger with her finger which lost its feeling. In the middle of that――
"――――–!?!?"
With a shiver, she felt a chill on her back as if the tongue of the god of death was crawling there.
Anna's contracted heroic spirit Simo Hayha was a rare sniper.
Therefore, she instinctively understood just who had to be killed the most right now.
Anna obeyed that instinct and dropped her sight to the ground.
What she saw there was――
"Nnnn!!!!!!"
Breaking out alone from the group of soldiers rushing out on the ground, was a bald man with his body wrapped in a straitjacket charging towards the wall with fierce speed.
That man whose eyes and also his mouth were sewed shut by thick strings was wriggling his impaired body like a caterpillar while creeping near the wall with unbelievable speed.
(That guy, he is bad news somehow...... !)
That strangeness made Anna feel a sense of danger even more than physiological disgust.
"Koga-chi! Take care of the defense!"
Anna immediately instructed Ayumi behind her to protect her body, then she leaned her body forward from the edge of the wall and took an aiming posture.
And then, she aimed at the man that was creeping near with fierce speed――the ~Special Missionary~ He and fired rapidly. [3]
Anna's unparalleled accurate shooting impacted the head and the heart of He with certainty.
But――
"N!? N! Nn~~!!!!!!"
"He, he doesn't stop...... !"
No, it was not that he didn't stop.
He didn't flinch even when being struck, rather his creeping speed increased even further, finally he jumped from the ground like a flying fish and reached the wall.
Instantly, all the restrains that were restraining him got shredded to pieces――darkness gushed out from his back.
That was a pair of jet black wings.
(Shit―)
"AAAaaaaa―――――――――—!!!!!!"
Simultaneously with Anna gasping from the bad premonition, He emitted a turbid strange voice like the crying voice of an ominous bird from his mouth that became free, and struck at the bottom part of the wall surrounding Tokyo life sphere with his fists that similarly became free too.
Right after that―― a shockwave that could send a body flying, and the sound of destruction as if a heavy hard thing was smashed like a collapsing star struck the ears of Anna and the others.
The interception unit was agitated from this happening.
Pushing through them all, Hassad who thought of the impossible directed his eyes to the bottom of the protective wall,
"Im...... impossible-!?"
He was taken aback by the impossible sight.
Of all things to happen, with just one punch, the defensive wall with thickness of ten meters that could even endure against a direct hit from a nuclear missile was broken, a giant tunnel with height of around twenty meters and width of around forty meters was opened.
Using common sense... no, even by using sorcery that was a destructive power that was already being out of bounds.
But that was how it should be.
That was exactly the power of the ~Fifth Trumpeter~ that possessed He.
That angel, ~Abaddon~ was entrusted by god with the authority as the destroyer that destroyed everything above the earth.
Therefore, in front of He material hardness was meaningless. No matter how hard the steel was, material with inferior spirit rank than him could all be destroyed with no questions asked.
And then, towards this hole that was opened by He's strike――
"A hole opened in the wall!"
"Suppression unit! Get inn–!!!!"
The infantry unit flooded in all at once after it.
The defenders never imagined even in their wildest dream that a hole could be opened in the protective wall, so there were only average soldiers that couldn't use sorcery deployed below there.
Almost all of their fighting strength was assigned for the protection above the wall.
Consequently there was no one that could stop this enemy advance,
(No good...... -!)
Hassad was going to close his eyelids in resignation, but, it was at that instant.
"""GUaAaAAAAAAAAaa――――-!!!!"""
All the rushing in enemy soldiers floated in the air as if they were all blown away by a gale without anyone spared, they were blown out from the gouged wall.
Just what in the world was going on there, it was a moment where all the eyes, whether ally or enemy were stolen there.
They witnessed the appearance of a figure appearing from inside the fiercely rising dust of the gouged hole.
"Just now, the timing really was only by a hair's breadth wasn't it?"
"Yes. But as a hero, that's the best timing."
"It's unfortunate, but going any further from here is forbidden! Quickly go home!"
Who appeared were four males and females.
Sir James.
Dorothy Scarlet.
Ichinotani Chikori.
And then... Hoshikawa Sumika.
These four people were unmistakably the people that could be called as the highest battle strength of Japan's side.
Seeing their figures, Hassad heaved a sigh of relief that he couldn't hold back.
"So they made it in time...... !"
On the other hand, the side of the allied forces was obviously confused.
"~Grim Bullet~...... ! Moreover, even the ~White Knight~ James and ~Crimson Leo~ Dorothy Scarlet...... !?"
"Why is my country's S-rank magician... !"
The S-rank magician of their own country was with the enemy.
The soldiers displayed their bafflement at that situation.
Towards them who were like that――Hoshikawa Sumika addressed them with a loud voice.
"Among us exists a misunderstanding due to the scheme of some selfish people. Originally we shouldn't have any reason to fight at all. Please give us the time to dispel that misunderstanding and the chance to explain ourselves."
But, the reaction towards those words of Sumika already went beyond rejection and were already merely jeers for her.
Shut up. Traitor of mankind. Atone with your death. Become the sacrifice――
Perhaps from being affected from the zeal of war, or perhaps from being charmed by Michael's offered salvation, or maybe because of both of those reasons.
Inside the allied force, there was not a single man that would approve any grounds for dialogue.
――Towards those responses,
"...... I see. So all of you will never listen to our story, you are all treading inside our homecountry, carrying your rage and blade to trample us. If that's the case... we won't show any mercy to all of you who are trying to harm our families!"
The gentle Sumika also resolved her heart and pointed her gun at them.
Towards that girl,
"Kakaka. Not showing mercy aa? That's our line you bitch-"
Ridiculing voice was thrown at her.
When she directed her eyes to the direction of that voice, there four men and women adorned with an atmosphere that was clearly different from normal soldiers, with the man He who destroyed the wall just now mixed among them, they were standing there facing Sumika.
The voice came from one person among them, a man with bristling red hair that was like flame.
And then Sumika realized their true identity from the shining cross necklace on the chest of those four.
"~Special Missionary~...... !"
The man with bristling red hair exposed his canines and laughed as if to affirm those words,
{Witness the day of rage of the great god.
At that day, the sky is cut open until its end, blood and hail and flame will rain down to you all,
The earth, the trees, also the grasses, everything of those will be burned down. }
As his own name――Aleph indicated, the ~First Trumpeter~ was residing in that body.
The power of the ~First Trumpeter~ was the power controlling flame.
"This is the power of god... If you think this is something that you can defend from without the ~Evil God User~, then just try it!"
He attacked at Sumika and the others.
In response, Sumika and the others also didn't step back――
"That's our intention even without you telling us...... !"
The decisive battle between the two army's main forces began.
Part 5
That time when the main force of Japan and the Five Great Leaders clashed at the outer circumference of Tokyo life sphere――
The ~Evil God User~ Kamishiro Homura and the ~Archangel~ Michael were in a different Tokyo.
That was the unelected world from among the many existing worlds that were existing parallel to each other.
This world worked without corresponding to any kind of choice, got disconnected from the flow of destiny, and now it was an abandoned, uninhabited world.
If it was here then no matter how flashy the sorcery they were going to use, no one would get dragged involuntarily into it.
It was the most ideal place for a duel.
At the sky of such world where everything had died, both of them turned into black and golden meteors streaking in the air.
"~Photon Bullet – Mode Genocide~!"
The black meteor, ~Evil God User~ Kamishiro Homura deployed magic power energy bullets behind him in a number that made one hallucinate that the number might even surpass the many stars in the sky.
Aiming at the enemy who was dancing in the sky while scattering golden splendor, he shot them all.
It was the technique that once instantly annihilated the group of ~General class~ baphomet led by the ~Demon King~ Jambure.
It was a storm of destruction that was approaching in a density where there was no gap for evading anymore.
But against this, Michael didn't even show the least bit of unrest――
"Hmph"
He moved utilizing ~Teleport~ through the slight gap of the raining down red Photon Bullets barraging him.
The bullet storm was evaded without any trouble――
"Holy Art――~Heaven's JudgmentJudge Ray~."
This time it was Michael who shifted into offensive.
The golden wings that were widely spread out emitted even stronger light,
From every single feather of the wings, several hundred streaks of white heat rays were fired and rushed at Homura.
Naturally Homura was also dancing in the sky at speed that broke past the sound barrier and slipped through the approaching barrage of rays, but
"――――!"
The trajectory of Homura who was trying to slip through the barrage was pursued and the rays changed their trajectory.
"Chih-!"
The several hundred lights were hot on his heels persistently like zigzagging snakes.
Different from Homura's ~Photon Bullet~, their number were few but their tracking ability was extremely high.
He couldn't widen the distance by evading.
When Homura judged so, he turned to face the pursuing light arrows.
And then, he changed his weapon that was ~Liber Legis~ into a jet black sword,
"Vel-!"
{Leave it to me...... !}
He made a full swing with ~Liber Legis~.
Intantly, the sword blade of ~Liber Legis~ lengthened out until the end of horizon with a speed that far surpassed a bullet――
With a single stroke, all the approaching heat rays were mowed down.
Furthermore that was not all.
The instant ~Liber Legis~ was sweeping down the rays, its sword blade twisted like a tentacle and stretched out towards Michael.
"...... !"
The interception changed extremely smoothly into counterattack.
Michael was unable to react.
Vel didn't let escape that instant.
Just like a snake assaulting its prey, she coiled herself at Michael's surrounding――
She tightened in one breath.
{Get hi...... -!?}
However, in the transient moment where Vel thought she had caught him,
The tentacle constricting Michael was pushed back by the tremendous power coming from inside.
As if being blocked by an invisible sphere barrier, ~Liber Legis~'s blade was only coiling around Michael and couldn't even touch his skin.
{I cannot get close...... !}
"Even among the angels, I am entrusted with high spirit rank above others by father. I'm not an existence that can be bound by a mere grimoire that is nothing more than a part of an ~Evil God~."
"~Holy Ground~ huh...... - Well, naturally, you have something like that."
~Holy Ground~ was a special power possessed by life-form with high spirit rank.
It was something like a barrier that shut out attack from inferior beings with lower spirit rank.
Before this, when Sumika's gunshots and sorcery couldn't inflict telling blows to Alfaro was also because this ~Holy Ground~ was functioning in Alfaro who was possessed by ~Exousia Power~.
"This is why taking on an angel is a pain in the ass...... !"
"The pain is your side. Taking time for a ~traitor~ like you like this, even a second longer is truly aggravating...... !"
Michael who returned provoked words to Homura's provoking words manifested his own ~Holy Ground~ into the shape of a sword.
And then after lightly swinging it, Vel's tentacle that was coiling around him was cut apart.
The ~Holy Ground~ was an unparalleled shield that could defend against any kind of spear when used as protection, if it was used to attack then it would become a sword that would bisect everything with lower spirit rank than it. It was an omnipotent power that was offense and defense in one.
Michael took a stance with it in hand and soared like a meteor towards Homura.
Against this, Homura too also strengthened the magic power he poured into Vel and met the attack with a reinforced blade.
The black and golden meteors clashed at the dead gloomy sky while entangling each other.
No one backed down. No one yielded.
Until now the battle of these two was in a complete stalemate situation without even any ebb and flow.
Both of them possessed the power to the degree that could destroy this star, but at the same time they possessed extremely high evasion capability starting with things like ~Teleport~, so far from any decisive hit, they couldn't even make their right jab to hit to take the initiative.
But,
(Fucking shit...... !)
That deadlocked situation... was disadvantageous for Homura.
It was natural. Even while he was doing this, the fighting in Tokyo life sphere was intensifying.
He guessed that they could hold out to a certain degree, but if Homura didn't return there, sooner or later Tokyo life sphere who had inferior battle power in total would be defeated.
Homura had to hurry the battle.
On the other hand, Michael didn't have the need to hurry in this battle.
There was no factor that would make him disadvantaged the more time passed.
This difference in leeway for the two would show itself in reality the more time passed――
Finally,
{Master!}
"-...... !"
Homura's side created a fatal miss.
Getting impatient in this match, Homura forcibly let loose a large attack that could decide the match which was evaded by ~Teleport~, causing his body to be largely imbalanced.
That fatal opening――naturally didn't get overlooked by Michael!
"Holy Art――~Flame of God's PunishmentMegiddo Flame~."
Matching the words of curse, white light flickered in Michael's eyes.
Thereupon, Homura's whole body where the eyes were focusing was enveloped in white flame.
"Guoo...... !"
{Master! Kuh, use dispel!}
In order to save Homura who was enveloped in flame, Vel immediately attempted to dispel the sorcery that enveloped Homura's body in flame, but――
{The dispel, doesn't work...... !?}
The sorcery formula which formed that flame was something unknown even for ~Liber Legis~ which had all knowledge of sorcery written in it, Vel was unable to dispel the flame.
However that was also only natural.
"That's pointless. ~Megiddo Flame~ is different from sorcery."
This flame was not a sorcery.
The power of god, ――the power system that was called as Holy Arts was like this.
No matter how much wisdom of sorcery one possessed, they wouldn't be able to oppose the Holy Art which was from a different system in the first place.
And then, it could be said not only to Vel but also to Homura.
Homura's body was scorched by that flame without any way to resist and fell to the ground.
"Dispel is impossible. And then until ~Megiddo Flame~ burn the life of that person to nothing, it will not disappear by any means. Burn and die just like that――-!?"
Instantly, the expression of Michael who was boasting his victory twitched.
The reason was because Homura who should be falling to the ground, enveloped in flames, was moving above Michael's head by ~Teleport~ and swung down his sword.
"RAAa-!"
"Kuh-!"
Michael barely blocked the attack with his ~Holy Sword~ and averted any damage, but the force of the attack couldn't be nullified and he crashed into the ground from the sky.
While that pure white raiment was dirtied by the dust, Michael looked up in annoyance to the sky.
There, was the figure of Homura who looked calm even while his body was scorched by the white flame――
"This god's Megiddojudgment is really warm huh. It's just right for warming the body this high in the sky yeah."
The large swing that Homura did before this was certainly his miss, but Homura was not so weak to have his life taken just from one miss.
By regenerating his skin with healing sorcery even faster than the flame burning his body, he offset the power of ~Megiddo Flame~.
Toward this Homura's countermeasure,
"...... I see. It seems that no matter how much little tricks we exchanged, we won't make any progress like this."
Michael closed his eyelids as if he was resolving himself of something, the golden sword of light in his hand――the ~Holy Sword~ was raised to the sky, there he poured magic power that he could possibly unleash all at once.
Thereupon, Michael's body shined with a light that was even stronger, and the ~Holy Sword~ was enlarged.
Transforming into a blade that pierced the moon from this earth.
With that sword which could bisect even this star in his hand, Michael declared.
"Just as I said before, spending even a second longer on a ~traitor~ like you is too lavish............. I will decide this battle with this one attack."
――So that was it. Certainly, if Homura got hit with that sword's attack, his life would be lost.
Michael's ~Holy Sword~ truly possessed that much power.
It was dangerous to challenge this right from the front――, but,
"Bring it on...... ! I'm also getting tired playing around with you bastard."
For Homura, a short decisive battle was just what he wished for.
About Shiori's location, he could just extract it out from the brain of this angel's corpse after he killed him.
Deciding that there was nothing inconvenient from this, Homura raised his sword with the resolve to confront the whole spirit of this ~Archangel~ Michael, who had the preeminent spirit rank in heaven, with all the spirit that he possessed.
Part 6
On the other side at Tokyo life sphere, with Sumika and others pushing back the enemy that was invading through the opened hole in the protective wall, Japan's side was in the process of building back their battle front.
Be that as it may, there was no doubt that the defense of the coastline was a close battle.
And then, the main force of Japan and the Five Great Leaders' allied forces were divided into three groups where they began fierce battles.
One battle was between Sir James and He, who was possessed by ~Abaddon~.
This person's power as a destroyer couldn't be blocked unless it was by Sir James' ~Artifact – Excalibur~.
It could be said that this personnel selection was valid.
However, the strength of the two was in close rivalry, the battle began to show the sign of a protracted battle.
――In the meantime, there was also a battle that seemed like it would be decisively settled immediately.
That was the battle between the pair of Dorothy and Chikori against the sister with a bad complexion holding a katana in one hand, Gimel.
... The main forces of both camps were confronting each other.
Among them the one whose strength was a cut lower than the rest, was none other than Chikori.
So to speak, the girl was the hole in Japan's side.
Therefore the moment the battle began, Dorothy immediately covered up for her.
As a result, the battle was in the form of two against one where Chikori and Dorothy confronted Gimel alone.
This superiority in number brought a large difference.
At present, Gimel couldn't handle the two's fierce attack and her body got hit by the two's fist several times already.
Right now even in this moment――
"SMASH!!!!"
Dorothy's fist struck Gimel's nose, making her step back for some distance.
However――
"Fufu, fufuu, pointless, pointless......"
There was not a single drop of blood flowing out from Gimel's nose.
(There are several telling blow that got in since a while ago, but they didn't become any significant damage. )
Chikori knew this sensation.
(――It's the same like that time. )
It was like the time when she fought the ~Paladins~ in order to protect the ~Fairy Queen~ Elfiena before.
This was the same when Sumika's bullet and sorcery were ineffective against Alfaro.
And then, of course the one who noticed that was not only Chikori.
While shaking off the numbness remaining in her fist that was as if she was just striking steel, Dorothy whispered in annoyance.
"I see. So this is the rumored ~Holy Ground~."
Hearing her words, Gimel's pale face warped happily in a wide smile.
"Fu, fufu, fu, e, exact, ly. Ju, just a S-rank ma, gician, is only, a, human...... ! Doing something like, hurting an angel's body, is impossible...... !"
That was why no matter how many time they hit her, no matter what they did to her, Gimel said that it was all pointless.
However――
"Fufun. Something like that is nothing you know? Sister."
"...... !"
"The difference in spirit rank is the difference in power of existence. The difference in power of existence is the difference in soul, that is heart, that's equal with the difference in magic power. Then――everything will be fine as long as that gap is just filled."
And then the one who could do that―― was S-rank magician. The trump card of the human race.
When Dorothy said that, she opened her right fist wide――
"I call on the corrupting power of Gold! Bring your Ruin!! (The power of gleaming golden sun lavish your might and destroy the impurity with the light of world-destorying conflagration)"
She invoked the grand sorcery that was the reason she was called as ~Crimson Leo~.
"~Flame of OriginAncient Zero...... -!"
Along with the announcement of that binding curse, a shining bright fire ball was manifested on Dorothy's right palm.
That fire ball was gushing with light and heat wave to the degree that could be said as a miniature sun, burning the surroundings.
Even just by releasing it as it was, it could surely decimate half the number of the allied forces.
But, Dorothy did something that was even more unbelievable.
That fire ball of such enormous energy was grasped by her fingers like a baseball, it was compressed and compressed―― it was squeezed tight inside her fist.
Instantly, Dorothy's right fist was shining in a beautiful crimson, like a ruby.
(That, that's an amazing energy...... !)
"――-"
Chikori was fascinated by this radiance while Gimel exposed uneasiness.
It was the strongest power of fire element sorcery that was compressed on top of compression into such a condensed form.
Certainly that fist was possessing magic power in it that could tread into Gimel's <Holy Ground~.
Dorothy cocked her fist to the limit, believing in her chance of winning from that fretfulness of Gimel.
And then――she gave an order to Chikori through mind transmission.
{Chikori. I'll present this to that Sister's flank...... ! It's fine even if it's just for an instant, please freeze that Sister's movement!}
{...... ! Got it-!}
Following Dorothy's instruction, Chikori unhesitatingly filled the distance with Gimel.
She attacked firmly against a ~Special Missionary~ as her opponent.
That was the result from her everyday training with Homura.
She could see Gimel's movement to a certain degree.
She could follow the enemy.
She had confirmed that when she fought in a tag with Dorothy against this enemy.
Therefore she didn't fear. She advanced resolutely, weaving through Gimel's slash.
Unleashing her fist compactly, she tried to stop Gimel's movement.
But――
(I can't stop her...... !)
Gimel absolutely didn't show any opening.
That was how it should be. This sister was protected by ~Holy Ground~.
Something like the fist of Chikori that she unleashed while evading the slash, it didn't hurt no matter how much Gimel got hit with it.
Far from stopping her movement, there wasn't even any need to protect herself.
Gimel swung around her katana while being hit.
Like this Dorothy also couldn't get closer.
It would end up a pointless effort like this. They would make no progress.
But――
(That's right...... ! There is that! The way that can stop her movement for sure!)
Right after that, a revelation from heaven graced Chikori's brain.
She noticed while attacking Gimel in a hit-and-run.
There was only one, the way that could stop Gimel's movement with certainty even for her.
――That was, by getting slashed.
Saying it more accurately, she would dull the slash by purposefully letting her flesh get cut, and in that moment she would grasp the katana.
If she did that, Gimel's movement would stop whether she wanted it or not!
(Nothing else but this...... !)
Chikori entrusted her body to that divine revelation and resolved herself.
And then she was probing while dodging the slashes, and chose a moment.
Perhaps it was from impatience, but it was a thrust that was a little rough.
She would let her left arm get pierced by this, and after that――
(I'll catch it with my right hand and stop her movement-!)
That decision was――......
Really like a student magician with little experience of real battle, a fatal miss.
"Chikori! NoOoo――――――–!!!!"
"Eh-"
Chikori was thrust away by the interfering Dorothy while she was yelling, then Chikori fell over to the ground.
And then Dorothy who thrust away Chikori was pierced in the right shoulder by Gimel's katana.
"――Wh, why...... !"
Dorothy's interference happened out of nowhere.
Chikori was unable to comprehend this development.
But... it was only temporary.
Chikori soon realized the meaning of Dorothy's action, together with an intense regret.
"Fu, fu, fuhuhuhuhu! Fi, fi-fi-finally, I caught youuu...... !"
Gimel who stabbed Dorothy's shoulder with the tip of her blade smiled widely,
{Witness the day of the great god's fury.
That day, the absinthe wormwood that is blazing up red is, raining down incessantly to every sea, and to every river.
The water of every sea, every river all became bitter, killing many living things. }
While spreading the manifested wing from angel's possession on her back, Gimel whispered those words.
Thereupon――
"Gofu-!"
Dorothy vomited reddish black blood from her mouth.
"Dorothy-san!?"
Just what in the world happened? It was only her shoulder that was stabbed at best. Yet despite so, why did Dorothy vomit out blood?
"...... Wormwood, the power of the ~Third Trumpeter~, is it......"
"Ju-ju-just as, yoouu said hihi...... ! The power that go-go-go-god granted me is, poison! The power to control god's absinthiumpoison! Thaat's whyyy! Yo-yo-yo-you a-a-, are already, ca, canot be saveddd hihihi!"
"Po, poison...... ! Su, such thing...... !"
In this moment, Chikori's comprehension finally caught up.
And then she noticed her own error.
――She was going to lightly take an enemy's attack who still hadn't exposed her hand yet.
That could be said to be the extremity of a stupid move.
After all, depending on the opponent, there was some kind that possessed the move that could inflict lethal wounds even through just a scratch.
And unfortunately, Gimel was an enemy of that type.
"...... -, guh, gaho-! Geho-!"
"Dorothy-sannn!"
| ← Ch. 18 | Ch. 20 → |