80 kilometers to the north of Toatt Mines - that was the current location of Arkit, who was destroying the Armed Librarians after being turned into a Magic Beast. That was what Lascall said. So Enlike had only one thing to do; he had to convey Noloty’s feelings that weren’t able to reach their target.
He didn’t think of protecting the Armed Librarians. He also didn’t think of saving Arkit. He only thought that he had to convey her feelings.
He started looking for Kachua’s location. He walked around the mountain while shooting indiscriminate lightning attacks. He expected some reaction from Kachua, but the surroundings remained silent.
Just when Enlike started feeling tired, he found a single shack. He had no doubts Kachua was inside.
“Wait a little bit more, Noloty.”
Saying this, Enlike started digging in the ground with his hands. After digging down to the depth of his elbows, he put Noloty’s Book inside. He tore off several dozens of his transparent hairs and he marked the spot by tying them to the gra.s.s.
There was probably going to be a fight. He didn’t want to involve Noloty’s Book in that.
That was all he did to prepare for battle. Enlike started walking straight ahead to the hut.
a.s.sessing the situation and confirming his tactics, healing his fatigue and then moving on to attack… Enlike had no need for such prudent decisions. He simply advanced ahead.
Just before the hut got in the range of Enlike’s lightning, an old man came out of the door. He shot a lightning strike directed at him without saying anything.
Enlike. The boy who took the body of the Monster and surrendered to the Armed Librarians. Kachua had completely ignored him. He wouldn’t be able to interfere with his plans and there would be no harm done even if he doesn’t erase him. He wasn’t useful for either side. He recognized him as an unnecessary p.a.w.n forgotten at the edge of the game board.
Kachua didn’t think of it as a battle that would bring everything to a finish. It was simply cleaning up something that he had postponed until now.
Enlike was headed for the hut. Just like those who have been encroached by Arkit’s soul, he knew not of withdrawing, but simply advanced without thinking of surviving.
He fired lightning. But Kachua did not move.
“It is useless.”
This was the place he had chosen as his last base and he was wary. There was no way he would leave such a place with no defenses.
A small silver doll was in Kachua’s hand. It was one of the two that the Great Magician Charlot possessed - the Spinning Doll Ückück, possessing the Magic Rights of Meats inside.
“Spinning Doll Ückück, activate the Shiny Snow Barrier.”
Lights began twinkling around the small hut. The thousands, tens of thousands beads of light were dancing.
The lightning strike touched the snowflakes of light. It scattered like a blue flower. At the same time, a band of light shot from the snow. Enlike’s stomach was sc.r.a.pped off by the light.
It was the strongest fortification that could only work in this place and only once. Its defensive power was inferior to that of Bantorra Library’s Mist Film Barrier.
The band of light a.s.saulted Enlike. No matter how quick he was, even he couldn’t completely evade it.
“Don’t scatter around! Gather here!”
Bantorra Library’s downtown. Mattalast was shouting at the place which used to be the emba.s.sy of the Ismo Republic. He fired both of his guns at the same time.
His hat flew somewhere long ago by some blast. Both his suit and shirt were torn, so his toned upper body was exposed from within his clothes.
Both bullets entered the barrel of a tank’s gun. The bodies of the soldiers inside were hurled up by the ensuing explosion. At the same time he turned around. He blocked the attack of a bayonet-wielding Magic warrior coming from behind.
His bullets ran out. He threw them away unhesitatingly. He stopped the bayonet with one hand and with a kick he smashed his opponent’s neck. He casually fired the stolen gun randomly and threw it away.
“Are you still reloading?!”
A trainee threw the Tenor at him from behind. He picked up Mattalast’s pistols and filled them with ammo. In the meanwhile Mattalast ran around the enemies and shot.
“Don’t get up! Focus only on defense and support!”
Mattalast shouted towards the trainee. It was probably an absurd order to him. Devoting himself to defense among the gunfire that flew around like swarms of bees already took his utmost efforts.
The attacks coming from all directions missed as if they were predetermined to do so. The innumerable possibilities of the future opened before his eyes. Mattalast chose the best future among those.
However, since his Predictive ability was only able to see two seconds ahead, he was unable to see the victory of the Armed Librarians.
Bonbo’s whales leapt on the coast. They squirmed around, crushing sand, people and ships. The sandy beach was dyed by overflowing oil, human blood and whale blood.
Bonbo was trying to reduce the enemy forces even slightly. However, even his whales paled in comparison to the enemies filling the sea around.
“Do your best, do your best you guys…”
Bonbo mumbled. A battleship’s gun pierced through a whale. Filled with regret at becoming unable to fulfill his master’s orders, the whale blew salt water mixed with blood from his back.
The figures of the raging whales on the beach now only looked as if they were squirming in their death throes.
The Magicians a.s.sembled from the entire world all flocked to the main gate of Bantorra Library. By matching their voices and chanting, they were attempting to make a hole in the Barrier.
The elite troops of each army were gathered in order to protect them. Even though they were acting insanely, they haven’t lost their tactical judgment. The Armed Librarians attacked them.
“That person!”
Tsamuro raised his voice. He could see a senior Armed Librarian that he knew from his trainee days attacking. He had retired due to his old age and became a military advisor to the Army of Rona. A mere shadow of himself during his active duty, he moved sluggishly and shot his gun.
Tsamuro dodged that and aimed for his out-of-shape opponent. He unconsciously hesitated to kill. The bullet hit his elbow and tore off his arm. It was an injury that should have made him unable to fight. But his opponent did not stop. He kept shooting the gun with his remaining hand.
“You idiot!”
Leaping from aside, Minth’s sword decapitated his former comrade. Seeing the rolling head, Tsamuro showed a shocked expression.
“Minth, I…”
“Shuddup and fight! We’re fighting! Fighting!”
Driven by fury, Minth swung his sword. Tsamuro followed him, suppressing his tears.
Kyasariro fought one-against-one using her guns. None of their opponents were people the Armed Librarian didn’t know. They were Ismo’s famous genius warriors. They were men who were scouted by the Armed Librarians countless of times but refused.
The enemies came attacking, weaving their way through the gunfire. Kyasariro couldn’t evade them.
Hony came to save her. He cut in from the side and swung his hammer.
If they were normal enemies, that would kill them in a single blow. But they weren’t normal.
The one to attack had been Hony. However, the moment when the enemy’s head was crushed, his bayonet pierced Hony. Even though the accelerating enemy lost his life, he still thrust his bayonet through the chest.
The soldiers cheered at Hony’s death. They paid no heed to the death of their comrade.
People all over the world rejoiced at the death of Armed Librarians. The Armed Librarians who fought to protect the world received a large shock from that.
Hamyuts kept fighting in the enemies’ midst. Even her fellow Armed Librarian couldn’t come any closer.
She took out no stones from her pocket. She had enough ammo in her surroundings. The mountain of rubble and tank fragments became bullets and flew around.
Machinegun fire came from airplanes. Incessant bombarding came from the tanks deployed around. But even those didn’t hit Hamyuts. No human eyes could follow the speed of her movements. They could barely understand she was even there.
However, as long as the enemies kept their indiscriminate attacks, they would end up hitting eventually.
If she grows exhausted and loses her speed, they might even be able to aim and hit her.
How wonderful, admired Hamyuts. They concentrated their fire on her despite her stamina running out and her unshapely struggle. Will this become her end? The long-awaited moment was approaching.
So I will continue fighting. I will wield even more of my full power and shave away at my life.
When I become unable to move, my answer will arrive.
Roars reverberated throughout the cold mountain. Four lightning shots that could turn an elephant to cinders were shot. However, they were all obstructed by the snowflakes made of light and dispersed in vain.
Enlike advanced. If he could not reach with his lightning, he would just grab his enemy and roast him directly. He walked simply aiming for that.
He didn’t bother defending himself at all. He left everything for his super regeneration and kept advancing even while receiving fatal wounds countless of times.
“Gh… bh…”
His stomach pierced, Enlike spouted blood from his mouth and nose. He was not immortal. If he is destroyed irreversibly, he will die. Enlike kept advancing as if he didn’t know this.
Kachua watched him mockingly.
As I have thought he is a trivial p.a.w.n. He has no plan or any prospect of victory, but merely walks ahead. He has tremendous fighting power, but that is all.
A beam of lightning weaved its way through the snowflakes of light to attack Kachua. However, the one standing in front of the hut was not the real Kachua. The lightning pa.s.sed through the illusion and destroyed the hut’s floor.
“Hmm, so you penetrated the Shiny Snow Barrier. I wonder if I neglected its defensive capabilities by raising its offensive capabilities too much.”
Kachua muttered. Another lightning pa.s.sed through the barrier and reached the hut. That also hit far away from his real body.
“Although I have weakened, I still have some confidence in my ability to defend and escape. Even if I didn’t have my Shiny Snow Barrier, you would have still not been able to kill me.”
As he said this, a band of light shot from all directions penetrated Enlike. His body was demolished to the extent that he couldn’t move no matter how much vigor he had. He put his hand to the ground for the first time.
“Enlike. Killing me is useless at this stage. The unleashed Deep Blue Curse can no longer stop. No matter what anyone tries to do.”
“…”
Because Enlike stopped, the Shiny Snow Barrier also stopped its attacks. His blood-covered body began regenerating.
“Please cease this. You have no reason… both for fighting and for existing. What you should do is disappear quietly.”
“Don’t talk.”
Enlike said while spouting blood.
“The Armed Librarians will be destroyed and the world will be reborn. There is no place for you in my desired new world.”
“Don’t talk.”
“Oh, right. I thought of returning Noloty’s favor. Let us take her Book along with yours to Heaven. You will probably have some place at some corner of that oh so vast and unfathomable Heaven.”
“I’m telling you not to say anything!”
Enlike put strength into his torn legs.
“No matter what you think, I won’t forgive you. Don’t speak. Don’t think. Don’t dream.
You killed them like insects, so die like an insect!”
Enlike stood up. As if waiting for that, the band of light started attacking him. The light shot from all directions once again pushed him to the ground.
It was underground, at a depth beyond any help. None of the sounds of the atrocities above ground could reach this place. At the deepest part of Bantorra Library, the place that was called the First Sealed Archive, a lone boy appeared.
He was a pretty boy who wore black mourning clothes and had blonde hair. He held a stone dagger in his hand.
No humans could enter this place. They could reach up until the level above it, the Second Sealed Archive where the Books of the Acting Directors of history were stored. This archive was protected by a barrier made with the ability of erasing cause and effect. Even the act of breaking through the barrier was rejected by the barrier itself.
The only ones who could enter were the World Overseers and the one related to them, Lascall Oth.e.l.lo.
Lascall Oth.e.l.lo walked between bookshelves made of blue stone. He pa.s.sed through the Books from the Paradise Era that were stored on these bookshelves.
“The Overseer of those who have Pa.s.sed, Bantorra-sama.”
He pa.s.sed through the bookshelves and stood in front of a small lock on the other side. It was a copper-colored lock that was also used as the symbol of the Armed Librarians. Lascall Oth.e.l.lo spoke to it.
“If the Armed Librarians were to be destroyed, the history of Bantorra Library would also come to a close. What do you think of this?”
Originally, speaking to this lock held no meaning. The Overseer of the Past Bantorra was ordered by the World Creator to become a phenomenon that turns people’s souls into Books and represent the concept of the past. The copper-colored lock was merely a symbol of that.
Just as expected from a lock, it was silent. After several tens of seconds, Lascall bowed deeply.
“Please forgive my rudeness. It is obvious the future is not under your control.”
A clink came from the lock. Telling whether this represented Bantorra’s will or was just a coincidence was impossible.
“Indeed, the World Overseers have stopped involving themselves in the stories of man. Even if the world of man becomes h.e.l.l, even if man is eradicated, as long as it was by the choice of man, we will only accept it.”
Saying this, the figure of Lascall sank into the floor.
“Be that as it may, worrying for the Armed Librarians is an action unbefitting of me. Perhaps this is a seam in my functions caused from my continuing existence of more than 2000 years.”
The figure of the boy in mourning clothes disappeared, and silence returned to the First Sealed Archive. Even if Bantorra Library is destroyed, even if all people disappear, this peace will never crumble.
Even Enlike’s super regeneration was approaching its limit. The band of light intercepted his lightning attack as he was collapsed. He scattered lightning from his body in all directions to protect himself. Even though he used all of his ability to defend himself, and although he had super regeneration, his body was still continuously injured.
How beautiful, admired Kachua. It seemed as if Enlike in the center was a flower spreading around blue and white pollen. The red blood spewing from him from time to time also gave a nice contrast to those colors.
He advanced several centimeters every several tens of seconds. Enlike was crawling. He advanced towards his hated enemy, Kachua.
Looking at the flower that bloomed only once in human history, Kachua averted his eyes from the voice coming from behind him.
The Magic Beast of destruction came out of its box and came there crawling.
“Oh, Arkit. What is the matter?”
At that moment, Enlike stopped moving. The Shiny Snow Barrier also stopped its a.s.sault, and the flower of light returned being a tattered man.
“Is that… Arkit…”
Enlike said with a broken voice. Arkit looked at him from Kachua’s feet. He could certainly feel some human intelligence in it despite its form.
He breathed out of his mouth. A voice could be faintly heard from that breath.
‘…Who’re you…’
Enlike strained his voice. There was something that he had to convey to Arkit.
“Arkit… Daltom, the one who killed Noloty… was Kachua’s subordinate…”
The mouth of the Magic Beast emitted voice that seemed like a rotten wind.
‘…Why do you think that…’
Kachua chuckled from his throat. Enlike probably held the hopes that the battle would end were he to say this. He probably didn’t know… Kachua watched the two of them converse silently as if he knew there was nothing to worry about.
“Why? Isn’t the object of your revenge Kachua?”
‘…I don’t know who you are… but Kachua will probably kill you…’
Covered in blood, Enlike smiled.
“That’s right, Arkit.”
Enlike started moving again. His lightning roared, the snowflakes danced, and the flower of light bloomed.
“Arkit. Go back inside.”
Kachua put the Gloomy Lizard inside the box, closed it and locked it.
Bantorra Library’s town already became nothing more than ruins. A wild beast was running through these ruins. And wild beasts were the most dangerous when wounded… Following that saying, Hamyuts Meseta continued her outrage.
The blood flowing from her head blocked both her eyes. She could see only using her Sensory Threads.
The frontline of the enemy was partially destroyed. It was already impossible for them to fight in an organized manner. They didn’t even defeat even a single percentage of their enemies, but they crushed all forces swarming to the Barrier.
The sounds of battle reverberating at Past G.o.d Bantorra’s Island were already sporadic. Almost all of the Armed Librarians have retreated into the Barrier.
The Armed Librarians’ tactic was an offensive-defensive battle. After launching an attack, they would hastily retreat, and then attack again. Their goal was to prevent their enemies from making an all-out attack.
And so their target has been achieved. However, Hamyuts kept fighting.
Machine-gun fire aimed at Hamyuts from the side. Just before she could dodge, they were destroyed by gunfire coming from behind them.
“Hammy! Retreat!”
It was Mattalast. He came there without any support to rescue Hamyuts by himself.
However, Hamyuts didn’t pay him any heed. She didn’t lend her ears even to her confidant.
“Our allies are withdrawing! We’ll reorganize and attack again! Retreat!”
Ah, shut up. Don’t get in my way, Hamyuts muttered in her mind. I still want to fight… and to get killed.
No, wait. This isn’t how I do things. Retreating like Mattalast said is the proper decision.
I must resist my defeat. I need to combine my wisdom and power in order to win, using any and all means. If I don’t do so it’ll be meaningless.
“Retreat, Hamyuts!!!”
But I will have nothing left after this. This will be the greatest fight against the Indulging G.o.d Cult. It might be the last time. If I don’t achieve death here, there might not be another chance.
If I end up surviving, what will I do? Will I keep on waiting again? Will I just keep waiting with no aim or hope?
If I defeat the Indulging G.o.d Cult no people who can kill me will remain. Even Olivia and Enlike are too small of a hope.
I’m sick of waiting. I have only now.
“Hammy! Hamyuts! …s.h.i.t!”
Giving up on persuading her, Mattalast left. Hamyuts saw his back and thought to herself.
Thank you. And… I’m sorry.
The Magic Beast was thinking while confined in the box. Since Arkit’s soul dwelt in it, it of course thought of Noloty.
When I lost her I noticed for the first time… I like Noloty. Of all the world, I like only her.
She probably hates me. I betrayed her and kicked her down. And it’s my fault she died. She probably died thinking that she shouldn’t have had anything to do with me.
Noloty dying was also part of Kachua’s scheme. But I don’t care about that. The only important thing is that Noloty died.
The target for my hatred is no longer just the Armed Librarians. I hate them, as well as the Indulging G.o.d Cult, and everyone else. I did nothing and yet everything was taken away from me.
So, Noloty. It’s fine hating me already. You don’t have to say things like ‘become happy’.
You’re the only one who tried to stop me. And now you’re gone.
So I don’t mind destroying the world.
Enlike stopped. He didn’t stop of his own volition; his body ignored all of his orders.
Both of his legs were torn from his thighs. His left arm was the same. Half the skin of his face was torn off and his skull was exposed. Yet Enlike was still alive. His heart beat and his lungs kept breathing.
However, he couldn’t move any longer.
“Enlike. You have fought well.”
Saying so, Kachua stepped up to him. Not with his real body, naturally. The real Kachua stood inside the cabin.
“But as I thought, you cannot win. You and I are too different.”
Enlike tried saying something. He spat some red chunk out of his mouth. It was probably one of his internal organs.
“You are a chess p.a.w.n. I am the player. You only think of defeating the enemy in front of you, but I think of winning or losing on a much wider scale. It is not that I excel and you are inferior to me; our very existence is different.”
Enlike replied while spitting blood.
“I really am… not good in chess.”
“The difference is in our outlook. The world you can see is much narrower.”
“…Kachua. Are you saying that you control everything in the world?”
“I do not say I can control it all. But I am fighting while overlooking the entire world.”
Enlike grew silent for a while.
“…There is one thing you can’t see.”
Kachua made a strained laugh. Well said.
“Is it love?”
No reply came.
“Is it people’s hearts?”
Once again, no reply came.
“Something like courage perhaps?”
Kachua mocked Enlike. Those who came in front of him often spoke of such things. They thought they could defeat him using the power of their hearts or their unshakable feelings.
However, the chessboard Kachua was viewing also had people’s hearts in it. His game controlled their very wills.
“All wrong. I don’t know anything about such hard concepts.”
“Then, what is it?”
“Something much simpler and easier. Because you only think of difficult things you haven’t been able to notice it.”
Enlike raised his remaining hand. His fingers were pointed not at Kachua or at himself, but at the heavens.
“The sky.”
Kachua looked up. Without him noticing it became extremely cloudy. The black clouds looked as if it was already night.
“Toatt Mines have no rain. The land keeps the clouds away, and the rainclouds coming from the west mostly flow to the north.”
A light flashed inside the clouds. It looked like a cheap gas lamp, just like the light of the Snow Barrier.
“My ability is lightning. I recently noticed that I can also do things like this.”
The sky sounded as if it broke apart. That was far closer to a natural disaster than it was Magic.
“How terrific, Enlike.”
Kachua muttered.
The sky split apart. He could hear the sound only for a split second. The thunder by itself destroyed Kachua’s eardrums.
The next moment he closed his eyes at the blue light. Then, Kachua’s body entire body was engulfed by lightning.
The thunder echoed far away from the Toatt Mines to all towns surrounding it. People spoke of that sound that seemed to signify the end of the world for a long time to come.
Kachua had his final thoughts. What Enlike killed is only me. My dream will not break. I was already prepared for my death and entrusted my dream to my successors. If the Armed Librarians are destroyed, they should be able to create a new world.
Arkit’s hatred will no longer stop no matter what. Thus he was convinced.