novelVolume 4, Final Chapter
| ← Ch.27 | Ch.29 → |
Volume 4, Final Chapter
Part 1
After the light that covered everything, the summer sky they were familiar with was spreading before their view.
Under those stars, an angel with six wings emitting golden radiance was floating.
With the release of the holy magic of separation and lethargy released with the extermination of Gabriel, the soldiers of national defense army whose consciousness and body returned to normal looked up at that and murmured fearfully.
"That's...... isn't that the angel that attacked the city?"
"That guy...... he defeated that huge monster just like that...... ?"
"Even though he is that far, ...... my breath, feels choking...... -"
Hearing the murmurs that were audible form the ground, Sumika thought that it was only natural.
The reason was because the ~Archangel~ Michael was an existence that defeated even the ~Evil God User~ Kamishiro Homura who subdued all the Great Old One who were forever unchanging.
And then such Michael was,
"...... Why, can't you believe in the salvation of the great father? O children of man....... Even though in there is an eternal future, where all of you can contribute to the happiness and prosperity of the race that is mankind, despite this honor without compare that is waiting for you yet why......"
Large drop of tear was shed from the eyes without pupil while he was speaking with trembling voice.
This tear wasn't something that came from the leaking out emotion of Shiori who he had taken in.
This was the sorrow of none other than Michael himself.
The heart of Michael was being enveloped in sadness right now.
――He wanted to save.
The fleeting lives that were trampled down by demons in this earth, and yet still bravely continue to live.
By guiding them to the new land that was the kingdom of god.
For that sake he came from the heaven to this land, clad in the vessel of flesh.
But――
"Even that is a pipe dream already....... The reason is, because all of you has committed great sin.
Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars. Return unto God the things which are God's as is natural.
If the great father has decided to make those lives as the land of the kingdom, it is only a matter of course to obey that and offer your life.
Despite so all of you reject that return, in addition you seek salvation from evil god."
Michael judged.
That it was something unforgivable.
"Those souls are already bearing stain. That stain is something unremovable as long as you haven't pass reincarnation. Therefore, all of you cannot be given the honor of being the foundation of the great father's kingdom anymore. And then...... in the kingdom that the great father will build, place for people bearing stain to live also, doesn't exist."
The moment they relied not at the god of Michael and the angels, but the Great Old One named Hastur, the fate of all the people in Tokyo life sphere was decided.
There was no more salvation for them.
With those stained souls, they weren't proper for the glorious task of offering those lives as the foundation of god's kingdom.
Therefore,
"To reach this situation where there is nothing that can be done, there is only one thing that I can offer to all of you. In place of the great father, with the means of baptism of light I can only get rid of that sin altogether with those lives of all of you――"
Announcing that, Michael lifted both his hands to the heaven.
Instantly, white radiance that didn't emit heat was produced above his both hands, that light swelled up in a flash. The summer night was erased in front of that radiance, before long it expanded into a gigantic lump of light with a diameter of one kilometer, illuminating the ground of Tokyo as if it was in the middle of day.
There was no doubt, it was the holy magic that slayed Hastur just now.
Witnessing the destructive magic power filled into that once again,
(What, unbelievable magic power...... !)
Sumika felt the moisture in her throat evaporating from her great nervousness.
{Before Hastur and Eihort were between us and him, so the ground is safe. But...... if that thing hit, Tokyo life sphere and the geofront too won't go through this in one piece...... !}
"I won't let you...... -!"
The end that Vel hinted at.
In order to avoid that conclusion, Sumika who was the nearest with Micahel moved.
The guns of ~Liber Legis~ that she readied in both hands, she pulled their triggers and in the blink of eye three bullets each hit Michael's forehead and heart.
But,
"............"
Michael didn't even flinch, he was merely, showing sorrow in his pitying pupil-less eyes,
"Holy Magic――~Setting Sun~"
~Who is Like God~――the characteristic holy magic granted to Michael by god together with that name, was invoked.
That holy magic was the day of the apocalypse that eventually came.
It was the power of god used with the authority as god's agent that should be employed in the occasion where the earth surface would be destroyed until nothing remained.
Focusing the power of god, forming luminous body possessing the mass in the scale of a single asteroid, followed by,
"This radiance is the drop of tear of the great father. At the very least in your last moment, know of the great father's fury and sorrow, and also of his greatness."
He dropped that to the ground, the super heavyweight magic attack in the scale of anti-planet.
Against the invocation of that holy magic, Vel leaked out lamentation into Sumika's consciousness.
{...... This is our defeat. There is nothing else that can be done against this. }
The power that crushed even ~The King in Yellow~ Hastur.
For her who was nothing more than a single avatar of ~The Crawling Chaos~, she understood that there was nothing that could be done already. Much less of human's hand, this wasn't an object that could be dealt with somehow, Vel said.
However,
"Even if this is a reality that couldn't possibly be overturned no matter how hard you struggle, ...... I'm still not in the mood of just saying 'oh, I see' and obediently accept it. Until the very last moment, no matter how meaningless or unsightly it is, I will continue to fight. Just who is going to let everything will go as planned by the foe of Homura-san right before my eyes. ――How about you?"
After Sumika declared that, the guns on both her hands changed into paper scrap and she became barehanded.
These provoking words of Sumika made Vel showed a small smile to her for the first time.
{Fine then. I'll accompany you. Right now, you are my master. }
"Thank you very much...... -!"
And then, with the greatest output of her ~Air Raid~ Sumika went around and cut in right before――the sphere of light falling toward the surface――~Setting Sun~, and deployed the ~Radiant Trapezohedron~.
"HAaAAAAA――――――–!!!!"
She blocked the ~Setting Sun~ with all her might.
But――
(He, heavy...... -! As if, a planet is really falling on me...... !)
The ~Setting Sun~ didn't care of the propulsion of the ~Air Raid~ and pushed down Sumika's body to the ground.
It didn't slow down for even a bit.
However that too was only natural.
Because right now Sumika was pushing up a comet with diameter of one kilometer with the power of human.
Such sight even looked comical.
However, there was no one who was laughing to that comical appearance.
"Leader! I too will help!"
"I'm not going to let you doing anything rash by yourself!"
"Roze! We are going too!"
"Yeah! Just have one arm here but, that's still better than none at all right!"
"Don't let a girl doing physical labor by herself! You idiots follow them――――-!"
"""OOOO-!!!!" ""
Looking at Sumika's action, all the people on the ground that could fly follow after her.
"If something like this fall on the ground then geofront will get crushed flat! Don't let it drop at any cost!"
"Spirit! Push it back with your spirit!"
"Heave ho-! Heave ho-!"
Not just human.
The fairies dwelling inside the weapons were also flew out from the weapon and tried to push back the ~Setting Sun~ with frantic efforts.
Looking down at such humans from high in the sky,
"Foolish....... So you cannot even let your sin be rinsed obediently."
Michael expressed his disappointment.
It was something incomprehensible for Michael who possessed eternal life.
Just why did the humans hated death until this far.
"In death, you will only lose your current personality at best, isn't this only a process where you will be reborn as another personality? If your sin is cleansed and you are reborn, you can even be granted with eternal life in god's kingdom, and yet...... for an imperfect life that will be gone in several dozen years even without anyone doing anything, why are you all taken captive until this far?"
To the question of this angel,
"Because there is someone who saved, that crude lives of ours...... -!"
Sumika answered.
"Certainly it's just as you angels said, this existence called human is tiny and weak.
Even strong soul like all of you, doesn't have eternal life.
But, exactly because of that, inside this chain of fleeting life we are inheriting their dying wish.
Right now, we are standing on top of the sacrifice of the heroes who continued to fight, wishing for the happiness of everybody.
Then, there is no way we can just giving up...... !"
Everyone that was here right now understood that.
The dying wish of Homura.
The dying wish of Dorothy.
The feeling of their dead comrades.
Everyone was aware that they were standing in this place carrying those things.
For that reason,
"This time it's our turn to protect the things that they were trying to protect...... !
We are not just burden that will only keep getting protected!
As the comrade in arms of them, carrying the same will, standing in the same ground...... -!
Until the very last moment, this obstinacy will keep persisting...... –!"
"Oy comrades-!"
"For those guys that has died, just who is going to give up here huh-!"
"This Tokyoplace is our home! Don't think that we will let slide demon or angel doing whatever they pleased!"
The surrounding magicians continued after Sumika's pledge.
After that, even the soldiers that were left behind on the ground also began to send their support as loud as they could.
There was no grief in the face of anybody in this place.
Rather, all of them were even being in exaltation.
Standing in the place that surpassed even hope and despair, yet even so they displayed the will to continue fighting, in that figures of their comrades, everyone here was feeling it.
The strength of the race called mankind. That magnificence.
Even if their strength was weak individually, they owned strength that could face this much despair from the front in their unity. This beauty.
And then everyone was thinking.
This magnificent pride, they didn't want to lose it.
That was why they shook off their resignation, they strained their voices, with all the strength as much as they could possibly muster.
However,
"It's futile......"
That scene, was as expected truly something comical for Michael.
It was just like ants trying to stand up against elephant, a scene that made him even felt pity.
He already couldn't even bring himself to keep looking at the mankind's pointless struggle, Michael stuck out his arm at Tokyo life sphere below his eyes.
In order to make doubly sure, he was going to add driving force to the ~Setting Sun~.
But, right after that――
"-...... !?"
He opened wide his white eyes and his whole body stiffened.
It was as though, heat that was like his blood vessel burned and lead was flowing in, at the same time with the cooling and hardening of that heat caused Michael's body to be stiffened.
Just what in the world happened?
He didn't think of that question.
Because an existence that could do this kind of interference toward his body was,
――there was only one.
"So even you are resisting...... Onjouji Shiori."
Part 2
Onjouji Shiori was born in the bottom of the kettle of hell.
The research lab for the sake of creating ~Angel Soldier~ possessing superhuman sorcery aptitude from angel's DNA.
Shiori was experimental body born through artificial insemination as the guinea pig there.
Inside the cramped cage of a hollowed rock. Every day she continuously went through the torture called [adjustment] where her human flesh was killed once and then regenerated as angel flesh.
There were only a few people who could endure that excessive agony, that all the experiment body other than Shiori passed away.
It was at that kind of time.
The ~Knight Order Without Border~ dispatched ~Book Burning Squad~ and burned everything of the facility and the research result to ash.
But that didn't mean that they were Shiori's ally.
The order that ~Book Burning Squad~ carried was the complete book burning of ~Angel Soldier Project~.
To remove the project itself from history.
Naturally, ――it was including the removal of the children that were the experimental body.
Just what kind of threat the children in possession of the flesh and blood of angel would bring to this world.
Because no one knew what would happen, in was decided that it was safer to just get rid of the children.
But――
{I will take responsibility for your future. ――That's why, live. }
Just a person.
Whether it was this world's justice or evil, everything persecuted the girl, just when she was about to be killed.
There was only one person, standing in front of Shiori and the man of ~Gold and Silver Mystic Eyes~ who led the ~Book Burning Squad~, a boy who protected Shiori.
There was a boy who kindly embraced her, and became her place where she belonged.
There was nobody else.
It was Kamishiro Homura when he belonged with ~Book Burning Squad~.
Shiori sobbed, wrapped in Homura's scent.
Shiori believed that it was exactly the first cry of her birth.
Benefactor. Their relation wasn't something that light.
The whole time since that day, Homura was everything in the world for Shiori.
That was why...... something like a world where that Homura didn't exist, didn't hold Shiori's interest.
Even with herself was going to vanish like this as a part of Michael was something that didn't matter.
However――
{This time it's our turn to protect the things that they were trying to protect...... !
We are not just burden that will only keep getting protected!
As the comrade in arms of them, carrying the same will, standing in the same ground...... -!}
Through the senses of Michael's body that she shared, that voice flowed into her consciousness.
The voice, and the words, of the leader of the platoon she belonged to, of the girl who loved the same man with her, made Shiori recalled.
The memory After ~Walpurgis Night~. In the empty room of Homura, who shouldered all the negatives alone by himself and left Japan without leaving even a word to her, where she was crying while regretting.
At that time, Shiori couldn't become the place where Homura could belong.
She couldn't become an existence that Homura could think as someone he wanted to be together with.
That was why she vowed.
The next time they met, ――she wouldn't let it become this kind of joke anymore.
If she couldn't reach him by the strength of herself alone, then she would even borrow the strength of other.
That no matter what happened, she wouldn't let him be alone for the second time.
Yet――
Only herself who vowed that, had given up of it.
She was getting drunk alone in grief.
In this kind of time where everyone was succeeding Homura's dying wish, where they were desperately fighting as the comrade in arms carrying the same will as him.
Pathetic.
Onjouji Shiori. Is your feeling only something to that degree?
――No.
She loves Homura more than anyone.
Yes. Even more than Ichinotani Chikori, or Hoshikawa Sumika. All this time!
She loves him all this time since the long time ago.
Then, she mustn't lose!
{I too, will fight...... -!}
Shiori who resolved herself so extended her nerve from the wall of flesh that crucified her body, with her will she treaded steel knitting at Michael's body and stole the control.
Thereupon, the ~Setting Sun~ that was falling down until now with overwhelming mass was declining in momentum.
"The force is settling down a little!"
"Attaboy! Push it back just like this!"
"Heave ho-! Heave ho-!"
The people abruptly got spirited to this feedback and they lifted up the falling star.
During that,
"So even you are resisting....... Onjouji Shiori."
Sumika was certainly hearing such words from the other side of the light.
"Onjouji...... !? Don't tell me, Shiori-san!? Are you here!?"
When she called out, a voice reply came from inside Michael in the form of mind transmission.
{Even though it hasn't been a day or two, it feels like it has been really a long time since I hear your voice, leader. }
"I'm glad...... ! So you are safe!"
{No. Unfortunately I cannot say that I am safe. I am being absorbed by Michael and it doesn't look like I can escape with my own strength. ――But, because right now my body is one with him there is also something that I can do. From now on I'm hacking Michael's body and steal his freedom. Just for a few seconds. In that opening, please decide the battle. }
"............ !"
Sumika didn't know of Shiori's destiny, of the blood of angel flowing inside the girl.
That was why it was impossible for her to understand about the current situation of why Michael was absorbing Shiori.
However there was only one thing that she understood.
This teammate, wouldn't speak of anything that she couldn't do.
She was always like that.
Shiori showed how she perfectly accomplished only her role that she spoke about.
――However,
"...... But with that Shiori-san will"
Even if she somehow created an opening against Michael, if she shot ~Grim Bullet~ with Shiori still inside him, then Shiori would be destroyed altogether with him.
Sumika showed hesitation to that fact. But,
{Please. Please also let me, to persist to my obstinacy as human. }
Shiori said that as if to dash over Sumika's words.
Exactly because she was born as angel, that she wanted to live as a human.
That brief sentence, because of the girl's birth, was carrying weight that got through even to other person who didn't even know of her circumstance.
――It severed Sumika's hesitation.
"I understand...... ! Chikori-san! Everyone! I'm counting on you for this place!"
"Just leave it to us!"
"We are counting on you! Missy!"
Like this, Sumika departed for the last attack.
She flew around the ~Setting Sun~ and rushed toward Michael who was looking down on mankind from high in the sky.
At the same time Shiori also moved.
(In delicate magic power control, there is no one superior than me...... !)
The magic power vein existing inside Michael's body.
She flowed in her magic power from there and stole the control of the body from Michael.
――Of course, it wouldn't continue for long.
The opponent was ~Archhangel~. His overwhelming magic power would soon wash away the poison that Shiori poured in.
But, even so it gave birth to an opening of just a few second.
That was a few seconds that worth all gold in the world, the only chance of winning for mankind. At there――
{Now!}
"Rage! ~God of Raging Storm~ Ithaqua!"
Sumika fired ~Grim Bullet~,
"――――As I thought, I really cannot understand."
Right after that, the silver condor fired from the gun muzzle was struck by the wind pressure caused by the light wave of Michael's wings, it was crushed flat and fell toward the ground.
{Auu-!?}
At the same time, countless tentacles flew out from the wall of meat that was crucifying Shiori and tightened on the girl even stronger.
It was as if she was buried into the wall of flesh.
――Yes. Michael didn't has his movement stolen by Shiori or anything.
He was merely,
"No matter how long I look at the desperate effort of all of you, I cannot understand in my mind."
Taking a moment to consider the figures of the humans who wasn't going to accept their salvation at all.
"However...... just as I thought there shouldn't be any oversight in the works of the great father.
Father is wishing for human's happiness more than anyone, he love you humans.
For that reason, under the protection of father, you won't need to fear the demon or dirty your hand in evil deed, you can rejoice in pure and correct eternal life, father is promising such paradise to all of you.
――All of you shouldn't be in possession of any happiness that can exceed that.
What we are doing is correct.
Then, all of you who are rejecting this are truly the wrong one.
This wrong has to be corrected.
For the sake of bringing about the blessed perfect kingdom into this land, there must not be even a little wrongness in it."
Declaring so, Michael once more held his right hand toward the ~Setting Sun~ that was in the middle of being pushed back.
Instantly,
"Guah"
"He, hea, vy...... !"
"Everyone...... !?"
The ~Setting Sun~ was beginning to accelerate toward the surface with even more momentum than before.
"Disappear. O evil humans. Together with the imperfect life all of you are so fixated with."
The sky was filled to the brim with falling light of destruction.
Once it crashed into the surface, unprecedented destruction would surely befall Tokyo life sphere and erased the whole Japan archipelago.
Chikori and others desperately resisted and tried to push up the ~Setting Sun~ once more, even so there was no effect.
Far from declining, the falling speed of ~Setting Sun~ was continuing to accelerate without end.
But, even in such situation, there was no one who ran away or giving up.
The soldiers were mutually encouraging each other, baring their fangs toward the falling down despair.
Sumika and Shiori were also the same.
Shiori bit at the tentacle of flesh that was trying to take her in, Sumika shot all her remaining bullets inside her magazine, continuing to fight.
――Just who is going to lose here.
While similarly yelling so.
They continued to resist as long as their life still burning.
And then, those voices of resistance, ――reached himmiracle.
{――――Finally, I found you. }
Right after that, the wall of flesh and the tentacles trying to take in Shiori were all burned to ashes.
Black. From the flame even blacker than darkness.
And then the limbs thrown out into the air were caught by someone who appeared behind.
Gentle fragrant, Shiori knew the scent of that person.
There was no way for her to forget. That beloved scent enveloping herself when she was born to this world.
The scent of that man, who shouldn't be here.
{Li, es...... }
When Shiori in disbelief was about to look up at the face of the person carrying here,
{We're going out from here. Hold on tight. }
Right after that, her body shrunk from the speed that struck her whole body.
"――Kah, gu, AAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?!?"
At the same time, outside from where Shiori was, Michael suddenly bended his back and leaked out cries of pain.
"-!?"
"Im, impossible...... !? Why, you are, in that kind of place...... !? Guh!? oOOOoAAAAA!"
And then in front of Sumika who was bewildered from the enemy's sudden change, from Michael's flank, black flash penetrated his stomach from the inside and it rushed out.
(Eh――)
The moment that flash came out outside Michael's body, it enlarged into human size.
Passing through beside Sumika's face while causing wind, like that it overtook the ~Setting Sun~ that was quickly falling to the ground,
――It ran through, the comet of light with diameter of one kilometer, was smashed apart just like a soap bubble.
Just what in the world was happening.
Chikori and others who suddenly lost the weight of the ~Setting Sun~ they were supporting was bewildered, they looked up to the sky in dumbfoundment.
But,
(Don't tell me...... there is no way...... )
{Just now, that's...... }
Sumika who had good eye and Vel that was combining with the girl certainly saw it.
Just when it passed them, the face of the man carrying the naked Shiori in his chest.
That was――
"Really my bad. Since the past it's only detecting other people's magic power that I'm completely useless at. I got really late coz of that....... But I finally find you."
That voice was unmistakably,
"Inside that pitch black despair, even feebly it certainly shine, that light of your soul."
The figure of the ~Evil God User~ Kamishiro Homura who supposedly died.
Part 3
"How...... ! At that time you definitely, were burned to nothing leaving not even ash...... !"
The impossible revival of the enemy.
As expected even Michael exposed his agitation toward the situation in front of his eyes.
But as expected from an ~Archangel~.
He immediately noticed the trick of the miracle that occurred in front of his eyes.
"-!?"
The body of Homura who was embracing Shiori.
His figure was empty.
He was half-transparent, the other side could be seen through him.
――That was without a doubt, a [spirit body] without flesh.
"You were, possessing me...... !"
"I'm the grand magician that has mastered a thousand sorcery remember. My talent is not just using evil god. It's just natural that I can do something like replacing the vessel of my soul."
"Kuh!"
Yes. Certainly at that time Homura died.
The flesh of Homura was destroyed and burned away leaving not even ash.
But, at the verge of his complete annihilation, Homura slipped his soul into the vessel that was Michael.
So that he wouldn't notice, he made his soul into something that was infinitely small.
For the sake of rescuing Shiori that was taken in into Michael's body.
To his own oversight that didn't see through that fact, Michael made a face as if he was chewing a bitter bug.
However,
"Nevertheless, the likes of you who is nothing more than a dreg right now is not a match of this Michael!"
He immediately materialized ~Holy Sword~ shining golden in his both hands.
That blade reaching until the heaven was swung to bisect Homura.
――Not a match.
This recognition of Michael was correct
Even the spirit of the current Homura was inferior, he was an existence that was like the afterglow of the moon that would disappear in the morning.
He had no flesh, not even magic power, just a wraith that was only there.
If he swung the ~Holy Sword~, just its wind pressure would be able to blow Homura away.
However――
"You stupid idiot. Didn't you see just now huh."
The one getting scattered away was Michael's ~Holy Sword~.
With a snap, Homura swung a backhand blow as if swatting away the side of the ~Holy Sword~ hard, breaking it into pieces like a crystal candy.
That phenomenon was unmistakably――
"It was ~Dispel~-ed!? My, Holy Sword was...... !?"
However that was something impossible.
Certainly Homura was a grand magician that mastered a thousand sorceries.
But he had no knowledge in regard of holy magic.
In the first place something like the knowledge of holy magic that was used by the ~Archangel~ Michael didn't exist in this world.
Yet why?
Homura spoke to the perplexed Michael.
"I was moving around here and there when looking for Shiori inside you bastard y'know? Even until the inside of your brain goo."
Michael went 'hah' hearing those words.
"Don't tell me...... -, you stole it...... ! My holy magic, you...... !"
In contrast Homura displayed a provocative smile of affirmation.
Exactly like that. He turned into a soul even smaller than dust and while wandering the inside of Michael body that was big like a universe, he came to steal everything of the holy magic knowledge Michael possessed.
Therefore,
"Your holy magic ain't gonna work at me anymore."
"kh~~!"
Homura's words made Michael's white eyes turned bloodshot and vein ran across his temple.
The enemy's toughness and his own ineptitude in failing to end this enemy.
His whole body was trembling in rage toward those both factors.
And then the one surprised of this revival of Homura wasn't just Michael.
"MASTERRR――――――–!!!!"
"MASTER――――――–!!!!"[1]
"Uoh!?"
Vel who forcefully disassembled her union with Sumika hugged at Homura's body.
Vel's beautifully molded face that was like a doll was distorted mushily and clung at his waist.
"I'm glad, Master is safe....... I thought, I won't be able to meet you again...... -"
"No, I'm not safe at all here. See."
In contrast Homura showed a wry smile while pointing at Chikori who was trying to hug him just like Vel.
"E, eh!? Why cannot I hug Master!?"
Even when Chikori tried to hug Homura, she was only getting bewildered of her arm that was scratching air.
"The current me is a wraith that will fly away if I'm getting blown. Even the little magic power I carried got completely used up when I took away Shiori. That's why honestly holding Shiori like this is really bone-breaking work here. ――Chikori, I'll leave her to you. Also Vel. Give Shiori something to wear. It's too much for her to keep looking like this."
Chikori and Vel followed what they were told by Homura, Chikori carried Shiori in place of Homura while the girl's naked body was covered by the black overcoat that Vel created from her paper pieces.
While hiding her body with that overcoat, Shiori complained to Homura with trembling voice.
"...... Really what a terrible person. If you are inside that body then, come quicker to help rather than just barely like this....... Just how much hurt do you think our heart gone through...... -"
But even Homura's side had objection regarding that complaint.
"That's because you were the one that kept being irresolute that it took that much time just so you know. I turned into a small spirit that is smaller than a dust there."
For Homura who turned into something like that, the inside of a spiritually gigantic existence like Michael was a vast universe bigger than even the solar system.
To look for a single person inside that universe, wasn't something doable without some kind of guidance.
As long as Shiori herself didn't radiate light, there was no way to look for her.
But, ――even so he somehow made it in time.
Because after getting roused by the words of a certain girl, Shiori rose in revolt against Michael.
Homura who heard those words from inside Michael's body turned around at that girl,
"...... You really hold out well, Sumika."
And spoke in appreciation.
――Listen well. Don't you dare kick the bucket until I return!
To the one other ~Evil God User~ who protected those words until the end.
In regard to that Sumika was,
"-...... , yes...... -"
While holding down the sobbing that was welling up in her mouth with her hand, she nodded while shedding tears.
Inside the despair that was rapidly descending, exactly because Sumika continued to fighting without losing heart even once by herself that the fruit of that resistance finally appeared in a definite shape in front of herself as a figure of hope, to that she was unable to contain her joy.
And because, that was the figure of the person precious to her, that it was even more true.
While staring at such Sumika with eyes filled with gentle light,
"――However you, I'm going to have you do one more work."
Homura moved his gaze at the sky.
Right after that,
"Eh?"
Sumika and others chased after Homura's looking up gaze and saw there.
Under the summer's great triangle.
The ~Archangel~ Michael threw away his youthful appearance and becoming large while surging with golden light.
Part 4
"I made light of you. Certainly for a single human to destroy ~Setting Sun~ is just......"
While whispering in shame, *creak creak*, flesh was broken through and bones smashed, Michael the laid bare his majestic appearance.
His skin burst open, his flesh that was swelling until one hundred meter high in total had scales with rainbow luster covering the surface. Underneath the grown head were three lined up expressionless beautiful faces with white eyes just like white plaster.
Both his legs had the flesh joined with each other changing into the form like a single dragon tail, the greatly spread six golden wings followed the swelling of the flesh and were enlarged too, its color saturation was endlessly ascending and illuminated the ground leaving no spot untouched with light to the degree that would even dim the ~Setting Sun~ previously.
In the center of that brightness, Michael yelled.
"However...... ! I am ~Archangel~ Michael!
In this land where the kingdom of the great father will soon be founded, the rampant evil will not be forgiven!
For the sake of the great father! And then for the sake of the people that will obtain eternal happiness in that kingdom too!
I will obliterate all evil! Even in the cost of this life...... !"
And then Michael did an act that looked strange to everybody's eyes.
The arm enlarged together with his flesh and was now covered in rainbow colored scales stabbed into the spot that seemed to be where his heart was.
Right after that, from the chest where Michael's arm dug into, brightness to the degree where human sight already couldn't look at it overflowed, turning into storm of light that was raging up.
The raging brightness was, ――the very magic power that Michael owned.
Witnessing this scene,
"This is bad. He is feeling like self-destructing himself...... !"
Shiori that was embraced by Chikori spoke to her with an expression that seemed to be at her wits' end.
Yes. It was exactly as Shiori predicted, the ~perfect soul~ that Michael owned, the energy body that possessed endlessly high rank even among all the spiritual body of all existences in this world was made to run wild. He was choosing to erase everything that currently existed in Japan altogether with himself.
Sumika went pale of this fact.
~Setting Sun~ was a holy magic that obtained mass due to its formula.
Therefore the moment it was ~Dispel~-ed, it popped like a soap bubble.
But this radiance was different.
This was purely an extraordinary magic power. A pure material attack.
There was no formula in it, it couldn't be made powerless using ~Dispel~.
If there was a way to deal with this, it was only by killing Michael before he could cause explosion from the running wild ~perfect soul~.
――If it was by Homura's ~Evil God Summoning~, surely that was possible.
However, the current Homura was a mere wraith.
There was no trace left of his former vast magic power, he already didn't have magic power remaining for even firing a single ~Photon Bullet~.
In that kind of state, there was no way he could summon a Great Old One.
There should be no way, but――
(However...... !)
Sumika was already thinking.
Of the only method to escape from this predicament.
――If he didn't have magic power, he could just use the magic power of other people.
That was why,
"Homura-san-! I――wapuh!?"
That was why Sumika tried to advice for Homura to [possess] herself and summoned the Great Old One with her magic power.
However, those words were blocked by a cloth that suddenly covered her face.
Wondering what in the world was that, Sumika tore the cloth off and looked,
That cloth was, ...... the scarf that Homura was always wearing.
And then,
"Sumika. Fight together with me."
Homura told Sumika who was holding the scarf.
Yes, Homura had also reached mostly the same idea with Sumika.
That was why he said to Sumika just before like this.
――I'm going to have you do one more work, he said.
"...... -, of course-!"
To this Sumika nodded while even looking joyful, she wrapped the scarf in her hand around her neck.
Right after that, Homura's figure became phosphorescence shining blue and absorbed into Sumika.
"Shiori-chan, this is...... !"
Chikori and Shiori knew of this spectacle.
The sorcery that everyone without a doubt knew――
"~Hero Possession~...... !"
Because it was the sorcery that reproduced the hero's legend, by communicating with the soul of that hero who once lived in this world.
And then, the Hero Skill of the heroic spirit called ~Evil God User~ Kamishiro Homura was decided.
Exactly as that name said, it was the power to employ the gods living in the abyss of this world.
"Certainly if it's with this......"
~Evil God Summoning~ was possible, such was Shiori's conviction.
But at the same time,
"However, if you do something like ~Evil God Summoning~, you soul will...... -"
Surely Sumika's soul would be consumed completely leaving no trace behind.
Because it was a power technique which was possible owing completely to Homura's extraordinary magic power.
However to this,
"It's fine."
Sumika didn't even show hesitation.
That was only natural coming from this girl.
In this consecutive battle against the ~Archangels~, whether it was Shiori or Chikori, all the other people too, everyone was fighting with the resolve of putting their life in the line.
They even tried to make an opening even with the knowledge that they would be swallowed by the ~Grim Bullet~.
Now that it became her turn, she didn't have any intention of getting cold feet.
Rather,
"Homura-san. Thank you very much. For choosing me....... To be able to fight side by side with you in the end, I'm feeling honored...... !"
Sumika was happy from the bottom of her heart of this.
That was why she spoke her gratitude to Homura who was dwelling inside her.
To this gratitude of Sumika, Homura was
{――Listen here, you guys. What was I saying just now?}
He cocked his head in puzzlement with a serious face inside Sumika's mind.
"Eh?"
{My bad to say this while you are getting drunk in heroism enthusiastically, but I got no plan at all to do ~Evil God Summoning~ with your soul y'know? Rather, that's impossible. It ain't enough at all. }
Sumika fell into chaos hearing that careless remark of the astonished Homura.
"Eh? Eh? The, then, why are Homura-san possessing me......"
{It's, for this-!}
"Kyah!?"
Instantly Sumika's body went against her control and took a nose dive toward the ground.
Homura stole the control of Sumika's body and was now moving it.
And then,
{It's for borrowing the magic power for a shot of this...... !}
While directing down the body to the ground, Homura clenched the fist of Sumika and struck the asphalt surface.
The fist that was accompanied with enough acceleration *GOBAN* raised such sound and sunk down the asphalt.
Sumika's fist caved deep into the ground until her wrist.
And then through the fist that was stabbed, magic power was pouring from Sumika's body into the earth.
Just what in the world Homura was thinking.
Sumika was going to ask that, but right before that――
"-...... !"
*DOKUN*, pulsation that wasn't hers and also wasn't Homura's struck Sumika's whole body.
At the same time red magic power light gushed out from Sumika's body.
That was not anyone else's, the magic power of Sumika.
It was generated to the degree that her body couldn't hold them in and gushed out to everywhere.
Sumika was bewildered of this raging magic power of her that had never happened before, ――however for this girl who although couldn't be said to have mastered a thousand sorcery but at least nearly five hundred, she soon reached the answer of this miracle.
"Thi, this is...... , no element second grade sorcery ~Magic Power Absorption~...... -!"
From the sensation of the magic power that was once released now coming back to her several millions time more, Sumika became convinced without doubt.
The only thing she didn't understand was just from where in the world this much magic power was coming from but,
(Don't tell me...... -)
Looking at the hold the size of fist gouged at her feet, Sumika realized,
{We are only absorbing a hundred million year of the soul of this planet. Well, it's just enough for a single use of ~Evil God Summoning. }
Homura who was possessing her said out the answer exactly just as she thought.
Sumika could already do nothing except for smiling wryly.
Even about the matter of nonchalantly consuming a hundred million year of this planet's lifetime for the magic power of the <Evil God Summoning~,
Even about the idea of stealing from this planet if there was a lacking of magic power,
Because she still wasn't able to catch up with everything.
"I'm still, cannot be said to stand equal with Homura-san isn't it."
{If you feel vexed then just become strong. To the degree of becoming able to handle me skillfully. ――At the meantime, we are gonna blow away that bomb demon in front of us for that sake too. }
"Yes-!"
Nodding powerfully, Sumika took a deep breath and filled her lung with fresh air.
After that, ――together with Homura who was possessing her, she chanted the spell.
Right now in this moment, against this enemy, Sumika knew of the words that she should be forming.
Incomplete Great Old One couldn't defeat ~Archangel~ Michael.
Then,
Listen from the outer universe o the person that is all in one and one in all
The seething stars shining radiantly in blasphemy announcing the time of fate to thy
Intermediary of chaos nameless fog o embodiment of the origin intelligence
Inside the space-time continuum from the interstice of past and future come here reaching the striking sound of castle gate
To the violator of the sleeping master of cradle in order for thy to display the authority
The one that they should summon.
The person standing on the top of all ~The Outer GODS~ and ~Great Old One~ existing in this world.
The parent of Hastur and Cthulhu, the first divinity born from the origin chaos living in the infinite nucleus――
{ "Open the gate. ―― Yog-Sothoth" }
Right after that name was declared, all people that existed in that place, before they realized, truly they didn't understand when they realized, yes, it was just like it had been there right from the start without any sound or anything, ――a gigantic castle gate made from gathered husk appeared.
Part 5
Appearing suddenly in front of the enlarged Michael, the castle gate that was like bone white wooden mosaic work raised creaking sound while slowly opening.
Peeking from that gap, together with no existence of light knowing no bottom even more than night sky, several hundred millions of thing were crawling from there, abnormally white tentacles knowing not a drop of light.
The tentacles were all had the thickness to the degree of a grown man while at their tips were attached with small palm like baby's hand, all of those were pawing at the air like infant looking for their mother, they were reaching straight at Michael.
And then, those arms easily tore the ~Holy Ground~ existing around Michael just like breaking through the thin paper of a sliding door, the whole body of his that had been enlarged was caught leaving no place untouched and they raised round nails.
Right after that, the body of Michael that was seized by the white palms was foaming in blisters where pus began to trickle from there.
Michael was displaying agony while twisting his body to shake off the arms.
However, the arms extending from the gate were endlessly continuing to increase, steadily, however definitely dragging Michael's body into the gate. Their power couldn't be resisted even by the six wings he possessed, Michael's majestic appearance was entirely being swallowed inside the gate.
Just on the verge of that,
――O abominable traitor. Just how much evil will you cause――
Michael's three mouths directly emitted words at the heart of the humans.
That voice was endlessly gentle, talking to the humans in sadness.
――But children of man. There is no noting to be anxious for.
The great father isn't abandoning all of you.
He will definitely forgive even the great sin of all of you who murder angel leniently, and guide you to the paradise――
The emotion filled in that voice was love without falsehood.
Even in this point of time, Michael wasn't hating mankind.
For him mankind was existence that should be loved and protected.
Toward this love that Michael freely gave, all the people in Tokyo life sphere answered.
"""That's unnecessary help-――――――――!!!!" ""
Right after that.
The whole body of Michael was swallowed inside the gate together with the light that his soul emitted.
The gate, as if the time when it was slowly opening was just a lie, just like a bug eating plant that holding fast to its prey, closed vigorously, ――the same like when it appeared, it was as if it wasn't there from the start, it vanished into nothing without sound.
At the same time the golden radiance madly illuminating the land disappeared and the summer night sky returned.
When they looked at the east, suddenly the sky was beginning to brighten dimly.
It was the sunrise.
The night of despair cleared, the morning sun of hope ascended.
That morning sun, that light that they had even resolved to be unable to look for the second time, was watched by the people without even voice of joy.
Just the fact that they were welcoming the morning of the day that was today was pervading their heart.
Like this, Tokyo life sphere survived the unprecedented danger originating from the ~Reconquista~ by the ~Archangel~.
Translator's Notes and References
1. ↑ Shishou――, this one is Chikori
| ← Ch. 27 | Ch. 29 → |