3 - Akuto and the Flying Carrier

“I-I don’t care about your name. Who are you? And what are you doing?” Hiroshi asked in a stammering voice, but he didn’t have time to wait for an answer. He couldn’t leave the principal where he was. He kept an eye on Boichiro as he began to help the principal out of the rubble.

The principal was still awake, but he seemed too concerned with Boichiro to thank Hiroshi for his help.

“S-Stop him...” the principal said. His body had shrunken, and he was back to being a frail old man. There was blood dripping from his forehead.

“But you’re hurt...”

“I’m fine. I just used up all the mana in my body, that’s all. If I didn’t change the path of that thing that was charging at us, it would’ve crushed me,” the principal said as Hiroshi helped him up. He tried to walk forward, but his feet were unsteady.

“That’s crazy!” Hiroshi said as he moved in front of the principal to protect him. He readied his high-frequency blade.

“Calm down,” Boichiro said. He snapped a finger, and suddenly Hiroshi’s suit disappeared. It seemed to have been sent back to its original dimension. Hiroshi was now defenseless.

“Uwah!” Hiroshi looked at himself in shock. In a panic, he called out to the unit on his arm. “Brave!”

But nothing happened. Hiroshi went pale as he looked at Boichiro.

“D-Don’t tell me...”

“You shouldn’t be surprised. I told you that I was the one who gave your family that suit, right?”

“So then you...”

“I have come from the future.”

It sounded like a joke, but Hiroshi was sure he was telling the truth.

“That’s right. He’s from the future. And he’s trying to put the gods under his control,” the principal said, as he knocked Hiroshi out of the way.

“But that’s crazy!” Hiroshi said in surprise. The principal turned back to look at him.

“You’re one of the students here, right? Then get back. I can’t let any more of my students be hurt.” The principal forced himself to smile, but Boichiro coldly shook his head.

“You don’t have the strength left to block my attacks, do you? I didn’t come here to fight you. If you give up, I won’t kill you.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. I have my pride, you see.”

“But old men like you don’t have much personal mana. Once you use all the external mana you’ve stored up, it will take time for you to recharge. I don’t know what trick you used to dodge my dimensional severing, but I do know that without mana, you can’t use it.” Boichiro drew his sword again and readied it. Then he continued, “I’m afraid that the dimensional severing can only kill, not stun.”

“I know that,” the principal replied with a laugh. “But with one of my students watching, I can’t embarrass myself.”

“I really don’t want to kill you, but you just refuse to understand.” Boichiro swung his sword, but the instant he did, Hiroshi leapt in front of the principal.

“Wait! Don’t hurt him!” Hiroshi was unarmed, but he shouted in the same firm voice he used when he was transformed into Brave. He was in a fighting stance, too, the same one Brave used.

“You’re helpless without your suit,” Boichiro said. There was no mockery in his cold voice; he was simply stating a fact.

But Hiroshi didn’t back down.

“I know that. But you need me.”

“Hmm?” Boichiro raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Only I can use the suit. If you went through all the trouble of making an Anti-Demon King suit and giving it to me, it means that you can’t defeat the Demon King on your own. And you’re afraid that the Demon King is still alive.”

Boichiro, seeming slightly impressed, asked “Does that mean you’re willing to cooperate with me?”

“...I don’t know.” Hiroshi answered honestly. He didn’t know for sure that Akuto was still alive, but that was all he could say right now. When he said the words, he finally realized that he may have been the one responsible for Akuto’s death. But the battle wasn’t over. He couldn’t start crying now.

“But... I don’t know who you are or what you want, but I need power. So... I need to find out what it is you’re trying to do.” Hiroshi was thinking of Yuko. He needed power to protect her.

“Wait...!” the principal shouted as Hiroshi began to walk towards Boichiro. But when Hiroshi looked back, the principal shook his head as if he’d changed his mind.

“No... Maybe it should be the young ones that make the decision. Do what you like.”

That was all the principal said before he sat back down, seemingly resigned. Hiroshi looked pained for a moment, but then shook his head.

“Now tell me: which is better, to control the gods or to kill them?” Hiroshi began to walk after Boichiro.

“...Maybe this is all you could expect an old man to do.” the principal said after they were gone, as he began to move the rubble with his frail arms. “Now then... I would imagine that using the last of my mana saved him... But I wonder what your face looks like when you get hit with an airship?”

○

“I don’t know whether you’ll believe me or not, but the truth is that in the future, humanity has been destroyed...” Boichiro began to speak as he led Hiroshi underground.

“Destroyed...?”

“The Demon King destroyed us, of course. By killing the gods.”

“When you say ‘killing the gods,’ what do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain. The gods have a will of their own, but no bodies.”

That much, Hiroshi could understand.

“This means that they’re unable to think like someone with a body would. Strictly speaking, there’s no ‘they.’ They don’t exist, and yet they think. Their very existence is a paradox. They’re computer circuits, that’s all. But how many circuits, and what kind of circuits, are required for thought to occur... nobody knows. All we know is that once there’s a certain number of them, they possess a will of their own. It’s the same way we don’t know where exactly ‘consciousness’ exists in the brain. Since they have no bodies, there is no distinction between themselves and the outside world. And thus, they can contemplate infinity. I don’t mean infinity in the numerical sense — they can contemplate infinitely dense infinities. And this means that they can reach a place that would seem, to biological life, to be infinitely far back in the past. These gods without a body can reach back to the thoughts of single-celled organisms. The birth of life, and thus, the birth of thought. And it is thought itself that creates the universe. Once again, I don’t mean the objective universe. There’s a school of thought that says that if the world were born five minutes ago, and we were all implanted with fake memories, none of us would be able to prove it. But that’s only true if you have a body. It doesn’t apply to thought without a thinker. Essentially, the universe is real, and time only flows in one direction.”

Hiroshi didn’t understand most of what Boichiro was saying.

“So what are you trying to say?”

“The gods want to die, so that they can be reborn as life within another universe,” Boichiro said.

This, too, Hiroshi found himself somehow able to accept.

“Then the Demon King...”

“I believe the Demon King to be a destructive device, crafted by the gods through clever manipulation of humanity. At the same time, a being called The Law of Identity was born as well. When The Law of Identity makes “The Contract of One” with the Demon King, it becomes the vessel to being reborn into a different universe.”

“And what happens then...?” Hiroshi gulped.

“All of mankind dies. No, it doesn’t die, but it ends. The gods only see humans as data. So the gods only need a single body, for themselves. This also means they’ll be starting the next universe as single-celled organisms, too. Some believe that they do this to prevent themselves from being destroyed by the real God, which would come from the outer world, but there’s no way to confirm this. And even if that’s true, by putting the gods under our control, it’s a problem we can solve, isn’t it? We should protect the blessings we humans have been given. To love, to give birth to children, and to raise them. That should be our highest purpose,” Boichiro said calmly.

“I can’t believe this...” Hiroshi said.

“Traveling through time and touching the other dimensions is only possible because the Law of Identity exists. If I make a contract with her, I can control the gods. Do you understand now that my purposes are good?”

Hiroshi could only shiver in response.

—If the Demon King... if the Boss was born because the gods created him, then that’s so sad! I want him to live... I want him to live, but... Would it be better for humanity if he died?

Hiroshi felt something strange within him, a mixture of sorrow and resignation, and the next thing he knew he was speaking to Boichiro.

“I’ll help you. But if... if the Demon King is still alive, leave him to me. I can choose to let him live, as long as I don’t let him interfere, right?”

Boichiro nodded and replied, “That would be a great help to me.”

○

“It seems... we’ve lost.” Fujiko slumped forward in despair. Without Akuto, there was no point in fighting.

“Don’t worry. Ackie’s alive,” replied an unconcerned Keena.

“What?” Fujiko looked up at her.

“I can feel him, you know.” Keena was nodding like what she was saying was perfectly normal.

“I-Is that true?” Fujiko wasn’t sure if she could bring himself to believe her. If she got her hopes up that Akuto was alive, she might just be disappointed later. But Keena seemed as confident as if she were saying the sun would rise the next morning.

“It’s true.”

“I see... Alright.” Fujiko decided that if she was going to lose, she would fight until the end. “But things still look bad... The shock of the airship impact has the enemy too panicked to move, but we’ve also lost a huge number of our demon beasts. They’ll be here soon. And the principal’s been defeated, too...”

She barely had any cards left to play. And the biggest problem was that Boichiro was on his way here, too. Of course, she was worried about what he’d said. She thought about the conversation she’d just heard through her mana screen.

—Keena Soga is probably the Law of Identity. And what Boichiro is saying is probably true. It matches with the Black Mages’ teachings about a world free from divine interference, and the idea of killing the gods without allowing them to form a contract with the Law of Identity. What he’s saying and what he’s doing are right...

And yet, despite this, Boichiro was still her brother’s enemy.

—He killed my brother. And Akuto is so wonderful. Which means that there’s only one thing for me to do...

Fujiko stood up.

“We’re going to attack!” “Huh? But don’t we have to protect this altar?” Keena asked.

“Weren’t you listening? Boichiro is after you!”

“What?!” Keena shouted in surprise, as if she’d only just realized.

—So that’s it. The mind of the Law of Identity has gotten mixed up with her normal mind.

Fujiko summoned Cerberus and grabbed the pot off the altar.

—As long as I have this, I can keep the demon beasts alive.

She helped Keena up onto the beast’s back and then got on herself.

“Now let’s get going!” She spurred the Cerberus onwards. But before it could get to full speed, it suddenly stopped.

“...What’s wrong?” She patted its back lightly. But it just stared at a single point in the labyrinth corridor.

“Impossible...!”

Fujiko quickly grabbed a vial out of the leather bag she’d strapped to the Cerberus’s neck, and flung it at the spot it had been staring at. The vial shattered against the wall, sending a yellow liquid splattering.

“I knew it! Camouflage!”

The yellow splatter showed a strange protrusion from the wall. The protrusion was shaped like part of a human’s body. Her enemy had managed to dodge the vial itself, but not its contents.

“That paint won’t come off easily! Show yourself!”

The pattern on the wall began to shift as the person concealed there started to move. But as they moved, their color itself began to change. It went from a stone gray to a rubbery black. A moment later, a rubbery man with extremely long limbs appeared.

“I knew you’d come here!”

Fujiko immediately threw a fireball at him, but Rubbers clung to the wall, and then jumped up to the ceiling and began to crawl along it. Even if combat magic wasn’t Fujiko’s forte, she was still shocked at his speed.

Rubbers was clinging to the ceiling and not coming down; he had the perfect skill set for infiltration. And she’d just seen what he could do in his battle with the Hattori.

—I can’t let this end before I escape the school building!

Fujiko pulled a whip from her bag. She stretched it out with both hands, making a SNAP! sound, and then attacked Rubbers again.

Surprisingly, this time Rubbers didn’t dodge. There was a tearing sound, like ripping clothing, as the whip struck into his body.

—What?

Fujiko was shocked that it had worked, but soon her expression froze on her face. She could see the mark laid by the whip on his body, but Rubbers was running his hand along the wound, and shaking his body with joy.

“Wh-What’s wrong with you?”

She struck at him more. He still refused to dodge. In fact, he was moving his body so that the whip would strike him. Each time his body was struck, she could see him writhing with pleasure.

“Th-That’s creepy...” Fujiko put the whip away. It didn’t seem to be damaging him.

Rubbers spread out his arms and legs wide as he began to advance, as if he hadn’t had enough. From the way he was moving, he seemed to be inviting her to whip him more. She wasn’t sure if he was the type who enjoyed pain, if he was trying to show off how much punishment he could take, or if he was just trying to provoke her, but Fujiko’s morale was totally broken, and fear was running down her spine.

“Wh-Wh-What do we do?” For once, Keena was panicking too.

“There’s nothing we can do!” Fujiko shouted. She was completely at a loss.

Rubbers was advancing hopefully, but suddenly he stopped. Once he understood that he wasn’t going to get whipped, he crouched down as if pouting. But that only lasted a moment before his disappointment turned to rage, and he launched himself violently forward, like a snapping rubber band. He bounced off the ceiling and aimed for a spot behind the Cerberus while his hand reached out for Keena. He wanted to grab her as he landed.

Fujiko wasn’t a fighter, so while she could see what Rubbers was doing, she couldn’t stop it.

“No...!”

All she could do was turn around. Rubbers hand grabbed Keena by the waist.

“Kyaaah!” Keena screamed.

And then...

“Bat Storm!”

There was a shout as a black mass grabbed Keena away before Rubbers could get her.

Keena’s body floated up as she slipped out of Rubbers’ grasp. She came to a stop in the air in front of the Cerberus. Her body was wrapped in what looked like black cloth.

“What’s going on?” Fujiko shouted in surprise, but then the cloth around Keena’s body started to writhe.

What had looked like a cloth was actually a flock of tightly-packed bats. After they set Keena down, they flew away one by one, and began to gather next to her. They settled inside the cap of a pale girl who hadn’t been standing there a moment ago.

“Michie Otake, Student Council Vice President. The President has ordered me to come to your aid.” Michie spoke in an exaggerated, flamboyant manner as she drew a long, thin rapier.

“Vice President!”

“Did we have a Vice President?”

Fujiko was surprised, and so was Keena, though each for their own reasons.

“I guess I’m just not the type who stands out. Well, the three of us are almost never separated, so maybe you can’t recognize me on your own.” Michie sighed. Then she turned towards Rubbers with her sword held high.

“Either way, the President won’t admit it, but she sent me here to help you. Time to make sure you remember me!”

Michie motioned for the Cerberus to move behind her as she swung her rapier. When she swung it, a huge blast of wind came out of the blade. Her attack was a mix of magical wind and mechanical bats. The storm of sharply-cutting bats that had once attacked Akuto in the underground crypt was now going after Rubbers.

The bats themselves did little damage, but they knocked Rubbers back. In a cramped hallway, this was the perfect attack for delaying an enemy. Even if Rubbers could block the wind, the bats were mechanical, and nigh impossible to stop.

“This should buy you time. Get out of here and...” Michie said as she turned around, but then she froze. Fujiko and Keena were both speechless as well.

Boichiro was standing in front of the Cerberus. He was wearing white clothes, but he seemed to have the aura of the grim reaper about him.

“I’ve come to get you... I know you may not like it, but I need you. I want you to understand that,” Boichiro said.

Fujiko was too terrified to speak, but suddenly Keena spoke in a clear voice.

“Maybe what you’re doing is a good thing. But what you need isn’t me.”

Those words seemed to shock Boichiro. For the first time, he looked afraid.

“Why... why are you saying that?”

“Your heart is somewhere else. I have observed this world, the changing of its seasons and the changing of its people, and I understand it. I understand you, as well.” Keena spoke as if she was in a dream.

Panic began to appear on Boichiro’s face.

“Even if that’s true, right now I need to act for the sake of the people! My personal feelings will have to wait!”

And then he jumped.

It was a whole different level of speed than Rubbers had shown a moment ago. Fujiko didn’t even have time to speak. The next thing she knew, Boichiro was next to her on top of the Cerberus.

“No... That can’t be...” By the time she’d said the words, Boichiro had gently touched Keena’s neck, knocking her unconscious, and then held her in his arms.

“This is probably my last chance. If you have any human heart left within you, please don’t get in my way,” Boichiro said to Fujiko, and then leapt back to where he’d been a moment ago.

When he spoke, it seemed like the spell of fear that had been binding Fujiko was finally broken. Anger came boiling up from the bottom of her heart.

“Even if people have died because of you?!” she yelled. She tried to flail at him with her whip, but he leapt back further.

“Who was it who woke up the Demon King and caused all this damage? More people are being hurt now than before!”

“Don’t you dare try to tell me that!” Fujiko swung her whip, but even with Keena in his arms, Boichiro was faster. Only a moment later, he had disappeared down the hallway.

“Damn it!” Fujiko screamed as she slammed her fist down on the Cerberus to drive it forward. But then she heard a scream behind her.

“No! Please!”

“Huh?” Fujiko had forgotten about her, but Michie was evidently no longer able to hold Rubbers back.

She looked around and saw something incredible: Rubbers had stretched his body out to block the whole corridor. It was like a rubber film stretched across a tube. Michie’s wind was just causing his body to stretch.

“I can’t hold him! I’m stopping the wind!” Michie screamed.

“Idiot... If you stop the wind here, who knows what will happen?” Fujiko panicked. But Michie seemed like she already knew.

“No!” Michie ran out of power. The wind stopped. Rubber’s body shrank, and the recoil sent him rocketing towards Michie and Fujiko.

“Uwah!”

Michie dropped to the ground, and Rubbers flew over her and the Cerberus like a bullet, bouncing off the walls, ceiling, and floor of the corridor again and again. And when he finally stopped, he was standing between Fujiko and the way that Boichiro had gone.

“Looks like I’m going to have to take you down before I can get anywhere...” Fujiko whispered bitterly.

○

The battle was chaotic, but the rumors that the Demon King had been defeated, along with the fact that the demon beasts were clearly no longer working together, gave the soldiers courage.

Fujiko couldn’t give them orders, and Akuto’s control over them was gone, so now the demon beasts were just attacking everything in sight. But that made them easier for the soldiers to deal with. Defeating the unorganized demon beasts wasn’t a difficult task. If they could just get close to the school building, the soldiers wouldn’t have to fight a huge army.

At this point, Eiko was sure she’d won. She was smiling, more with relief than joy, as she spoke to 2V.

“We should give the crew of the Genkaku a reward.”

“Might be a good idea,” 2V said, mostly ignoring her while he thought about the report that Rubbers had just given him.

—At this point, we’ve essentially won... But that means that this girl is in the way. I can’t have her winning too many victories.

2V glanced at Eiko.

And then a voice came through the communicator, and Eiko answered it. It was a Teruya soldier.

“We’re encountering human resistance, not demon beast, in front of the Genkaku. We cannot stop them.”

“That student council president?! You still haven’t dealt with her?” Eiko shouted.

“The resistance stronger than anticipated...”

“I’m not sending you any reinforcements. It would embarrass us. Did you contact me just to tell me that?” Eiko said angrily.

“No, the enemy is saying that you killed our master.”

“What?” Eiko grimaced.

2V was surprised at this sudden turn of events.

—Oh, this is convenient. I guess her time is up...

But Eiko’s response was unexpected.

“Kill her! Don’t let her get near the reporters. And especially don’t let her get near the Hattori. They’ve got cameramen with them the whole time!”

—Does the rest of the clan know, and are they swearing loyalty to her anyway?

2V wondered.

“I’m sending reinforcements,” Eiko said. “Make sure you don’t let her survive. If we can pull this off, our clan’s glory is assured.”

With that, Eiko closed the communication channel.

“They know, and they don’t care? The Teruya soldiers.”

“Mind control takes a long time, and you have to use drugs... But if you live with someone, it’s still possible to do it, right?” Eiko grinned.

“Hmm. So you had this all planned out?”

“I wouldn’t have been able to kill my dad otherwise.”

2V looked at her with quiet, cold eyes.

—I guess she really is dangerous after all. I don’t think I can manipulate her. But what to do with her, then?

He quickly began to formulate a plan.

○

“I’ll blow you away!” Lily shouted as her fists flew out, catching several of the armored warriors at once.

They were all blown back, and collapsed in a circle around her. Beyond them were even more soldiers and armored warriors of the Teruya clan. They were too scared of the short girl to attack.

Beyond the Teruya soldiers were the army’s soldiers. They’d seen that Lily wasn’t a demon beast, and weren’t sure if she was an enemy. And Lily was taking advantage of that.

Lily stepped forward, and the ring of armored warriors followed her. After she was done advancing, she quickly moved to the front end of the ring, and another battle began.

Lily’s long arms dodged past the warrior’s katanas, slamming her fists into their faces.

This had happened over and over, but the warriors’ morale hadn’t faded at all. They were wary of her, but showed no sign of retreat.

—They’ve been brainwashed, huh? They’ve got so much energy.

Lily was becoming mentally exhausted.

Eiko Teruya killed her father, your clan leader!” she shouted for what felt like the hundredth time.

But the warriors’ faces didn’t move. Instead, when she shouted, they used the opening to attack her. As she knocked them down, she began to understand what was going on.

—It’s difficult to completely brainwash someone with magic. You have to use drugs, like Fujiko Eto did. I guess it’s a combination of drugs and daily training. So even if Eiko doesn’t want me going to the media with this, in the end it probably doesn’t matter. She has so many supporters that it will just get swept under the rug. There’s only one fast way to end this, and that’s to defeat Eiko Teruya.

Lily looked out at the area in front of the school. There was a good distance between her and Eiko’s tent.

In front of her were a hundred armored warriors, and behind them were 500 perfectly rested Teruya soldiers. At this point, they were all focusing their attacks on Lily.

600 in all. And Lily was alone.

—I knew this was going to happen, but... Now that I’m actually doing it, this is bad news.

Lily wasn’t the type of girl to pick fights she couldn’t win out of a desire to prove herself. Usually when she did something crazy, it was because she acted out of instinct.

—Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m the one who started this fight. I wonder if sending the trio to save Keena was the right decision. I can’t let them do anything too risky. Now, then...

Lily charged into the warriors in front of her.

Punch, kick, punch, punch, punch.

She struck the foes to her front countless times, advancing like a drill going through a hard wall.

—If I keep attacking hard enough, I can go faster than my enemy can recover!

If she kept punching quick enough, the armored warrior’s defenses and their healing magic couldn’t save them. It was a simple plan, but in this case it was the right one.

Lily broke through the encircling warriors and into the Teruya’s 500 ninja soldiers. The ninjas charged at her, some of them leaping into the air to attack from above, but Lily punched out randomly without even aiming, creating a sphere of attacks around her. Anyone who touched the sphere was instantly struck and blown back.

—Keep striking! Knock away any attack! You’ll be able to break through!

Lily urged herself on as she advanced.

The Teruya’s ninjas didn’t fight up close like the armored warriors did. They used magical fireballs, ranged weapons, and blinding smoke magic. But Lily knocked all that away with her mana-charged punches.

“Uwooaaah!”

She was like a ball charging through the crowd, knocking them away as she moved. It took an incredible amount of stamina to sustain her assault. The question was whether she would be able to break through, or run out of strength first.

—I’m close to my limit... But I can do this!

The pace of her attacks was dropping, and she had to aim carefully now, but she could see a gap in the Teruya ninjas ranks. 200 of them were already unconscious, and a hundred more unable to attack. And the other 200 were behind her.

—I’ve broken through!

The view in front of Lily opened up. There was just 100 meters to Eiko’s tent, and nothing in between.

“Prepare to die, Eiko Teruya!”

But Eiko was unafraid.

“I said I was sending reinforcements!” Eiko gave the order, and soldiers appeared around Lily.

It was the five companies, 500 troops strong, who had remained in reserve instead of fighting the demon beasts.

“That’s the student council president. She’s a criminal, and she’s spreading lies that I killed my father the High Priest in order to help the Demon King. Some of you may doubt this. So I won’t order you to kill her. Capture her!”

The soldiers seemed convinced by Eiko’s words. They attached bayonets to their rifles and pointed them at Lily.

From Lily’s perspective, it was like a huge wall had appeared. The soldiers’ ranks were deep, and the bayonets of the ones in the rear poked out past the ones in the front.

This wall of bayonets was advancing towards her.

—Tch... I’m almost out of strength, too. I thought I’d left enough power in reserve to fight Eiko, but I guess I just ran out of steam...

Lily glanced to her left and right. There were identical walls on both sides.

Each wall was made out of a hundred or so soldiers. And behind them, the Teruya ninjas were recovering.

—I could fly, but the guns in the rear would just shoot me down. I don’t want to use any more stamina, anyway.

Lily’s only salvation was that the soldiers were advancing slowly. None of them were sure that she was actually evil, and they were trying to capture her, not kill her. But to Lily, it felt like she was being slowly strangled to death.

—Tch... I guess this is the end, huh?

Just when Lily was about to give up, she heard a scream from behind her.

“Aaaaaaah!”

—Hm?

Lily turned around and saw a ball of fur zooming towards her at ridiculous speed. It was like somebody had pitched a giant, furry a baseball at her. And the screaming was coming from the ball.

“What?!” Lily flinched back in surprise.

The soldiers surrounding her froze as well.

Thud.

The ball of fur landed next to her with a loud crash, sending dirt flying everywhere.

“Owww...” the ball of fur moaned. A moment later, limbs stretched out from the furball and it became a wolf slightly larger than a man. It shook itself to get the dirt off its coat.

“There was no reason for Arnul to throw me that damn hard...” the wolf said, and then it grinned at Lily.

“Kanna...” Lily’s face broke into a grin.

The wolf was Kanna Kamiyama, the student council’s treasurer. She had a special power that would let her transform into a wolf.

Lily looked in the direction that Kanna had come from and saw a massive suit of armor, three times the size of a man, standing next to the school building. The suit of armor must have been what had thrown her, because it was still in a pitching follow-through stance. It was the battle armor used by the secretary, Arnul.

“You guys...” Lily had to force herself to not cry. “I told you to save Keena Soga.”

“Nah, Michie’s on that. We knew exactly what you were thinking. And we’re not happy that you tried to leave us out of it.” Kanna bared her teeth into a wolfy grin.

“...Are you stupid? How are you planning on getting out of this?”

“I never thought of that. The same way you never think of anything.”

“I see.” Lily shot a wolfy grin right back at her.

“I feel stupid for giving up hope. We’re almost there. It’s time to kick some ass. Right?”

“That’s what I’m here for! Now this is getting fun.” Kanna let out a howl.

—Another combatant has joined the fray, hm? At this point, perhaps having the student council president win is the smarter choice.

2V started to run some quick calculations.

—Eiko stated publicly that she didn’t kill her father. She plans to wait for Boichiro to win the battle, and then alter the records. It’s a good idea, but some of the soldiers probably don’t believe her. I can use that to cause more chaos, if I want to...

2V focused his mind. He had dolls in many different units in the army — some were with the front-line troops fighting the demon beasts, some were with the squads on standby, and some were in the rear with the medics.

“Hey, did you hear? The enemy says the high priest’s daughter killed him and tried to take his place.”

“No, it was the Demon King that killed him, right?”

“But don’t you agree there’s something weird about the way Eiko Teruya is acting?”

“Maybe, but... Orders are orders.”

2V’s dolls were having conversations like that all over the army. Of course, the soldiers were loyal to their mission — even if they didn’t trust their commander, they would still follow orders. But despite that, the rumors spread quickly, and became tinder that could later catch fire.

Lily and Kanna made a great team. Lily would charge in, and Kanna would follow after her. Given their appearances, the enemy thought it would be the other way around, and had no idea how to react to this.

“Take this! Special Move: Sphere Smash!”

Lily was having fun. Whether it was a good name for a technique or not, she’d gotten her fighting spirit back.

Countless fists formed a sphere around her body, blowing away her enemies. Kanna would leap around her to protect her blind spots, which meant that she didn’t have punch into empty air like she had to do before. Now she could keep the battle going for longer, and her attacks were far more powerful.

“Anyway, these are just ordinary soldiers! They can’t use magic!”

“If they get close, they’ll get hurt!”

Kanna was running around at a speed human reflexes couldn’t match. These were the same movements that had been too fast for Akuto, even if that was before he awakened. The soldiers kept their distance and fired their rifles, but by the time they aimed at one spot, Kanna was already gone. Their bullets went every which way, and they ended up hitting their comrades.

Eventually they got tired of trying to attack the wolf, and went for the human Lily instead, but Kanna would put herself between them as a shield and block the bullets with her body. Her coat was tough and flexible, and any bullets that hit it would simply bounce off.

“We’re almost to Eiko Teruya!”

“That was easier than I thought!”

Lily and Kanna continued their ferocious advance.

“You’re an embarrassment to the Koga clan! What’s going on?” Eiko screamed into her communicator.

The command tent was on a hill some distance away from the schoolyard, but Lily was almost there. Eiko should’ve known that normal soldiers had no chance against magical experts.

“The giant armor has us pinned down. We’re trying our best, but...”

Of course, Eiko could see what was going on. The giant armor that had flung the wolf creature across the yard had then moved towards her armored warriors next to the school building. Eiko knew how strong it was — a few ninjas wouldn’t be enough to stop it.

“Send the Hattori to capture the student council president!” Eiko shouted.

2V saw his chance.

—I guess she’s getting desperate. Yuko’s unit is constantly being followed by the media. If they get close to the student council, viewers all over the country will hear about how she killed her father. When that happens, it will be difficult for her to put a stop to the rumors. If I want to, I can have Eiko Teruya removed from the game entirely...

Eiko had no idea what 2V was plotting.

“Find some reason to bring Yuko Hattori to the command tent,” Eiko told the messenger. Then she ended the call and smiled. “Alright, Junko Hattori, time for you to do your job!”

○

“What...?” Junko had no idea what to say.

She couldn’t believe the order she’d been given. She’d been told to kill the Student Council President.

“I’ve heard rumors that you killed your father. This isn’t your way of trying to bury the truth, is it?”

On the surface, Junko was still calm, but her lips were shaking. She’d heard the rumors a moment ago.

“Do I seem like the kind of girl who’d do something like that? We’re in the middle of an operation. Shut your mouth.”

—You do! That’s why I said it!

But Junko only thought those words, she didn’t say them. Instead she answered in a trembling voice...

“Yes, it’s not something I should be saying where others can hear me,” Junko said. “But I can’t do this without a reason. The Student Council President isn’t part of the Demon King’s armies.”

“I’m not asking for your opinion on this. Before I called you, I ordered Yuko the idol sent to my tent. I told the media, too. They’re happy that they’ll get a safe place to interview her.”

“Wh-What are you trying to say?”

Junko hurriedly looked around her. Yuko was gone, and so were the reporter and cameraman.

“I don’t know what’s got the Student Council President so riled up, but wouldn’t it be beautiful if the idol got hurt trying to protect her commander on the battlefield?”

“Eiko Teruya!” Junko screamed.

—Is she willing to go that far?!

At this point, it was clear that she’d killed her father to become high priest. From the way she was acting and the way the battle was going, there was no doubt about it. That would explain Akuto’s anger, too.

—So the honor of the high priest means nothing now? No, somebody must be using the system for evil ends. I’d heard bad rumors about the head of the Teruya clan, but I didn’t think they’d go this far...! This whole war was just to advance Eiko’s position! No, all the battles that have happened so far happened because of the Teruyas! I can’t even imagine how many people died... I heard the dark rumors, too. I tried to convince myself that this was necessary to keep order. But...

“Everyone! Your new orders are to stop anyone heading for the command tent!”

But now she had no choice but to stop Lily.

—I’m an idiot. I’m working to uphold a system where the high priest rules...

Junko gave her orders to the Hattori ninjas. The ninjas gave up on fighting the demon beasts and started to move, with Junko in the lead.

—So Akuto Sai was right all along? It was his fault that all this happened. But it could also be said that he’s brought the dark secrets of the Teruya to light. Did he know about them, and that’s why he’s so mad?

She wanted to talk to him... But...

When she’d seen the Genkaku crash into Akuto and Peterhausen and ram them into the school building, she’d been overcome by despair. But it was Yuko who’d saved her. If the demon beast blood was still pulsing within Yuko, it meant that Akuto was still alive.

—If you’re alive, then prove you’re the Demon King! Prove that you’re unstoppable, that you can overturn this rotten system in a single strike!

“What am I supposed to be doing here?”

Yuko was surprised that she’d been summoned to the command tent. She could understand that she was supposed to be kept away from the demon beasts, but she didn’t understand why there was nothing for her to do but give interviews.

“Do you think that peace has returned now that the Demon King is gone?”

The reporter, clearly relieved to be back in the safe area, was pointing the microphone at her. It seemed like they hadn’t noticed Lily’s approach. Maybe they didn’t think that Lily was important enough to matter, or maybe they just didn’t understand what was going on.

“The battle’s still going on. We can’t let our guard down.”

But Yuko understood the flow of the battle. Something didn’t make sense. Even this place didn’t feel safe to her at all. More than anything, there was one thing that she knew and nobody else did.

“And what’s more, the Demon King is still alive.”

The people around her began to murmur.

“Wh-What do you mean?” the reporter asked.

“It’s just intuition, but I can tell. Oh...!”

Suddenly she stopped talking and looked out in the distance. The Hattori forces had started to face off against Lily.

“My sister...” Yuko pointed towards the direction of the battle.

Eiko saw that things were coming to a head, and had the cameraman and reporter leave.

“I’m sorry. This place might be dangerous soon. Can you leave us for a while?”

Eiko chased the media away, and then stood behind Yuko as she watched Lily and Junko with glee.

Lily had stopped when she’d seen this new, powerful foe appear. She was starting to run out of strength. Normal soldiers, she could handle, but she didn’t have the strength to face the Hattori ninjas. She came to a halt when she blocked one of the ninja’s attacks, and then she saw Junko taking command.

“You’re one of our students,” Lily said, motioning for the enraged Kanna to stay put. “Why are you stopping me? You don’t believe a word Eiko Teruya says, do you?”

Junko grimaced as she turned towards the tent. She said nothing, but Lily understood what she meant.

“Oh, she took a hostage, huh? But even without that, your family wouldn’t let you disobey the Teruya, would they?”

When she heard the sarcasm in Lily’s voice, Junko finally let her emotions show.

“If you know, then why are you even asking?!”

“Hmph. That’s a good question. Because I want to bully you.” Lily grinned.

“I may not hurt you, but my clan’s ninjas are very short-tempered. I can’t guarantee you’ll survive!”

As if Junko’s words were a signal, the Hattori ninjas all rushed at Lily at once.

“Iga Ninja Technique: Five Pointed Magic Circle!”

The technique hadn’t worked on Akuto, but when the five ninjas leapt at the exhausted Lily, she was only able to down two before the other three got close. Kanna ran between them and Lily, but she was only able to block the next two. The last ninja got behind her and attacked with his katana.

“Gaah!” Lily dropped to her knees. She swung her fist backwards as she fell, but the ninja was already out of reach. Then she spat, “You used the dull edge of the blade... I guess you must not think I’m much of a threat. I don’t like it... when people show me pity.”

“Stop this, President. We might still be able to work this out.”

Junko had calmed down a little, it seemed, because she was now trying to reason with Lily. But of course, Lily wasn’t interested.

“Fool. How can you be so naive? If you think you’re right about something, then just do it. Forget about your family. Forget about other people. If somebody is aiding something that’s wrong, whether they’re a good person, a weak person, or a friend of yours, they still deserve to die.” Lily stood up.

“Tch...” Junko grimaced. If she gave the order, the Hattori ninjas would attack without hesitation.

“Do it...”

Eiko smiled as she put her hand into her jacket. Yuko was sitting right in front of her — all she had to do was draw the blade in her jacket and strike, and she could cut off Yuko’s head. Eiko knew that Junko was constantly watching her.

2V observed the scene calmly.

—I suppose it’s time.

He quietly focused his mind, his expression remaining unchanged. His dolls began to move.

Junko closed her eyes and brought down her hand to give the order.

The Hattori ninjas leapt.

“Iga Ninja Technique: Five Pointed Magic Circle!”

But their technique was never finished.

“Gwah!”

“Uwah!”

The ninjas screamed and fell.

“What happened?” Junko looked around her.

Shockingly enough, the ninjas had been felled by ordinary soldiers.

“...What’s going on?” Junko didn’t understand what had just happened.

Five soldiers with rifles were standing in front of Lily and Kanna. There was smoke rising from the barrels of their guns. They were the ones who had shot the ninjas down as they attacked.

But even if they’d caught the ninjas off guard, it was almost impossible for normal soldiers without magic to hit a moving ninja.

Lily knew that as well.

“Who are you people...?” She looked suspiciously at the soldiers who’d protected her.

“People who believe that Eiko Teruya killed her father,” one of the soldiers responded.

Then the soldiers started to move. Three advanced quickly, while the remaining two provided cover fire. Amazingly, their teamwork and speed were superior to the ninjas’.

“Impossible!” Junko was baffled at what was unfolding before her very eyes. The five soldiers began to take down one ninja after another.

“I can’t say I like this at all...”

Lily began to walk towards Junko. The ninjas were too busy dealing with the soldiers, so the only thing standing between Lily and Eiko’s tent was Junko.

“...What the heck is going on here?!” Junko asked in confusion.

“One of the members of C-MID8 is supposed to be able to control dolls. He’s probably in the command tent. Now, I feel bad for your sister, and I’ll save her if I can, but don’t hate me if I fail.” Lily took another silent step towards Junko.

“Tch...” Junko finally understood what was going on. Eiko was at fault for everything. But there was nothing she could do.

—I have to fight!

She steadied herself for battle.

“Iga Ninja Technique: Distorted Moonshadow!”

Junko created a clone of herself, and the two Junkos attacked Lily at once.

“Hmph. I’ve got two arms, you know.” Lily laughed, and she punched each clone with a different arm.

—N-No! I can’t lose this easily!

Junko kept blocking the punches, but as the blows rattled her brain she realized that it was losing its ability to give orders to her body.

—She’s far too strong...

Junko and the clone both collapsed, and the clone disappeared.

The Student Council President had defeated her easily once before. But this time, she felt far more powerless than she had before. This time, it was different. If she wasn’t strong, she couldn’t protect anything.

—D-Damn it...

She moved her unsteady hand down towards the Sohaya no Tsurugi. But she couldn’t draw it.

—My feelings are strong... Is that not good enough?

Junko wept tears of frustration.

“Eiko Teruya!” Lily leapt at Eiko.

“Y-You fool! Don’t you care what happens to her...?!” Eiko put an arm around Yuko’s neck and drew her dagger, but Lily didn’t even flinch.

“I don’t care! I can have vengeance quickly by killing you!”

“Aaah!”

Eiko swung her dagger.

“Kyaaah!” Yuko screamed.

But—

“What?!”

“Uwwooah!”

“Kyaaah!”

Lily, Eiko, and Yuko all screamed at once.

A gust of wind had blown between them.

○

Lily’s fist had landed on his back.

Eiko’s dagger was stopped by his left hand.

And in his right arm, he was holding Yuko.

“I’m keeping my promise,” Brave whispered to Yuko.

“Brave!” Yuko shouted with joy.

“I’m going to go away for a little, but it’ll be okay, alright?” Brave said as he left the tent and flew up into the sky.

It all happened too fast for Lily, Eiko, or 2V to react.

Boichiro was in the sky above them, standing on top of his giant sword, which seemed to have flying powers. Hiroshi stood next to him, still holding Yuko. Boichiro was holding a girl as well — Keena.

“Is that who you wanted to save?” Boichiro asked. Hiroshi nodded.

“That’s why I wanted the suit back. That’s why I’m helping you,” Hiroshi replied.

“You don’t need to truly sympathize with me. But I will ask for your cooperation for a while,” Boichiro said, and the two of them left the battlefield.

○

“I don’t know what just happened, but I’m glad it did!” Lily smiled cruelly.

Eiko realized there was nothing left to protect her, and her face twisted in fear. She’d seen how quickly Junko had gone down, and she and Junko were at about the same level of strength. She wasn’t stupid enough that she failed to recognize Lily’s power.

“2V!” Eiko turned towards 2V for help. But he was simply sitting in his chair and smiling.

“Prepare to die!” Lily howled.

Eiko went down in a hail of punches.

“Dorryaaaah!”

Lily kept punching even after she fell. Even after Eiko stopped moving on the floor, Lily kept punching.

“Dorryaaaaaaah!”

Lily could hear snapping sounds as she kept punching.

“P-President! Stop!” Kanna said when she finally caught up.

“Hmm?” Lily realized what was wrong and stopped.

“Crap...!”

Lily had been punching a wooden log that was wearing Eiko’s jacket.

“An escape technique! Running away is the one thing she’s good at...!” Lily hissed as she grit her teeth.

2V laughed. Lily turned to glare at him. He muttered a soft apology and then pointed to the horizon. They could see her running towards the Teruya army.

“I came all this way and I have to start over?!” Lily howled.

“Yes, it’s a shame. Good work, though,” 2V said.

Lily glared at him again, but he just shrugged.

“You’ve succeeded in destroying her ambitions of leadership. You seem to have evidence she killed her father, too. So there’s no need to be so upset.”

“Are you the one they call 2V?”

“Don’t look so angry. I’m not here to fight. For now, why don’t we cooperate? C-MID8 wants the same thing you do.” 2V’s voice remained cheerful as he continued, “We want the Demon King defeated, and the Teruyas removed from power. And it looks like we’re about to get both of these things. You give me the information I need, and I’ll make sure it’s put to the best use it can be. That will solve everything.”

“I don’t like you. I don’t like you at all,” Lily said. Her voice was low.

She understood what he was saying. If she did what 2V wanted, whether the Demon King was alive or dead, Eiko was finished. If Eiko was stripped of command, authority would go to the next person down the chain, presumably the commander of the Genkaku. That would be all it took to calm things down.

But...

“I’m not here to fight for peace, or to put an end to all this,” Lily said firmly. “I’ve been looking into this for a long time. I’ve been trying to find out if C-MID8 is trying to overthrow the empire. If maybe they’ve even turned on their leader, and are trying to use his mysterious ambitions for their own ends.”

2V laughed as if he found that funny.

“Hahaha! You found all that out, huh? I’m impressed! Even we were shocked when we heard what Boichiro was after. But then we started to think there might be some things even he hadn’t noticed. And we couldn’t believe what wonderful things we found! He was lying to us about who he is and what he wants. So there’s no reason for us to help him, unless it benefits us!”

“Then tell me what it is that you want. What’s more important in this country than the battle between the gods and the Demon King?”

“I told you, relax. If you help us, I’ll tell you our secret.”

“Shut up. I’m a little too stubborn for that.”

“Oh dear. I see you’re a tough, tiny little girl.”

“Tiny... You’re dead, you know that?” Lily’s voice dropped low as 2V laughed.

She put her hand up to the hat she was wearing, and then pulled it to the side to turn the brim around. The smiley face on the hat turned to an angry face. It was a sign she made when her anger was beyond her control.

“There’s nothing for you to gain by fighting me!” 2V complained.

The dolls who had been fighting the Hattori clan instantly returned, and charged at Lily.

“President!” Kanna screamed in warning.

Lily had very little strength left. She knew it, too.

“Shut up! I need to use my best technique, or I just won’t feel right!”

Lily stretched out her arms, and flailed them around her body. But they weren’t hitting anything. The stretched out arms wrapped around and around her body tightly. She was building up power.

2V’s dolls all attacked her at once, but Lily jumped upwards, her arms still wrapped around her body, to dodge. And then she released the power she’d built up towards 2V, who was still sitting in his chair.

“Go! My ultimate big punch! I call it... THE BIG PUNCH!”

Lily’s body spun and her right fist struck out with incredible speed. The fist broke the sound barrier, and a sonic boom shook the tent.

One of 2V’s dolls ran between him and her fist.

“Second stage... accelerator!”

Lily unwrapped the other arm from her body and used it to spin faster. As it advanced, the punching fist left a ring of pale steam behind it. The air in front of the fist was being compressed so hard that the moisture within it solidified as it passed.

2V’s dolls felt no pain, so they could be shields in a way that humans couldn’t. But Lily’s fist went right through the doll’s stomach.

“What?!” Even 2V was shocked at this.

He moved more dolls in front of himself, but Lily’s fist ripped through them all.

“Uwah!” 2V’s eyes opened wide. Lily’s fist had smashed into his stomach. For a moment he froze, before collapsing into his chair.

“Hmph.” Lily brought her arms back to normal size as she landed. A moment later, all of 2V’s dolls crumbled to the ground.

“I don’t think I can use that again for a while... I was planning on saving that for the Demon King, too,” Lily said as she walked up to the defeated 2V, but then her expression clouded. “What...?!”

Lily grabbed 2V by the hair and lifted him up, then slammed him back into the ground.

“This one’s a doll too!”

“R-Really?!” Kanna ran over to see.

The hole Lily had torn open in 2V’s abdomen was ringed with mechanical parts.

“Hahahaha...” 2V — no, the doll she’d thought was 2V — began to laugh. There was no expression on its face. It was eerie, like a laughing corpse.

“Where are you controlling this thing from?!” Lily yelled.

2V replied mockingly, “It’s a secret, of course! But once this doll shuts down, the others will shut down as well. I put a booster inside it, you see. Hahaha... If our luck’s bad, maybe we’ll run into each other again someday. But even if we do, you won’t recognize me. As you can see, I have no face. Hahaha, hahahahahaha...”

With one last eerie laugh, 2V’s doll shut down.

“Shit!” Lily stomped on the doll’s face. “He made a fool of me! That’s the one thing I hate more than anything!”

“W-We’ve got more important things to worry about right now...” Kanna interrupted, trying to snap Lily out of it. “You’re running out of energy, and Eiko Teruya is running away. Even if she’s finished as a commander, we have to stop her.”

“Damn it... But I’m too tired to move...” Lily turned her hat back around and slumped up against Kanna’s furry back.

“Jeez... Why is it you never think things through?” Kanna asked.

“Quiet. I’ll get some rest, and then we can go at it again. You got any food?”

“A certain somebody ate the snacks I keep hidden in the Student Council Room.”

“Oh, the principal never bought a new bag of chips to replace ’em?”

“It was the principal who ate them? That old man... Wait, President! Something’s happening at the school!” Kanna shouted.

Lily turned to look, and saw that the soldiers near the remains of the Genkaku were starting to shout.

Meanwhile, Rubbers was blocking the corridor, and Fujiko and Michie were in trouble.

“Ya know... I’m starting to think we can’t beat this guy,” Michie said gloomily.

In the underground crypt, Michie had once beaten most of the school’s students so badly they had to go to the hospital. If she didn’t think they could win, Fujiko was worried.

“I-If you’re so wimpy, why did you come here alone?!” she yelled.

“In a tight corridor my mechanical bats should be invincible...! At least... that’s what I thought...”

There were so many attacks that Rubbers, with his artificial body, was immune to. Even now he was slowly advancing on them, seemingly hoping they would attack him. It was unclear if he was the type who only attacked when someone attacked him first, or if he enjoyed being attacked. With no way to read his expression it was impossible to tell.

Fujiko and Michie began to slowly step back.

“L-Listen, you got any special magic spells or something?” Michie asked.

“If I did, I would have used it already! Outside of my drugs I’m no more powerful than a normal student!”

“Ahh... I’m not sure that’s something to be proud of,” Michie sighed.

Rubbers seemed to finally run out of patience. He began to increase his speed, bounding along the floor.

“Aah!”

“Hyah!”

He flew by the Cerberus that Fujiko was riding at incredible speed. Without the beast’s incredible reflexes, his attack would’ve been impossible to dodge.

“Yeah... we’re screwed,” Michie said.

“No... maybe not.” Fujiko suddenly looked like inspiration had struck her.

“Do you have a plan?”

“If I can just get to my lab...”

“If that’s what you need, I’ll make it happen,” Michie said as she launched her bats and wind at Rubbers.

Suddenly Rubber’s body changed in a surprising way. He stretched his body out as thin as he could, and then clung flat against the floor.

“Aaah! That’s so creepy!”

“Stop talking and get on! We’re getting out of here!” Fujiko had the beast crouch so that Michie could get on, and then spurred it onwards.

Rubbers followed them, still flat against the floor. He looked like liquid running down a tilted surface. He wasn’t going that fast, but once Michie was too far away to hit him with her wind, he transformed into a ball and began to bounce after them.

“He’s going to catch up with us! I can’t take this anymore!”

“You never stop complaining, do you... Just use your magic to drive him off when he gets too close!”

“Th-That’s right! Man, you’re so smart!”

“I’m starting to think you’re making fun of me... Anyway, we’re almost there! Just hang in there!”

“Sure thing!” Michie focused all her energies, and was able to drive back Rubbers one last time. The Cerberus slid into Fujiko’s lab.

“Just keep him busy a little longer!” Fujiko leapt off the beast and into the lab, leaving Michie panicked.

“Aah... aah... Wait... j-just me?!”

“Just hold him off for a little while and I’ll be right back!”

“Aaah! Please don’t just run and leave me here!”

Rubbers leapt at Michie while she spoke. She tried to block him with a flock of bats, but Rubbers just shrugged off her attack. The bats dug into his stretched-out body, stretching it out even further backwards as they dived into him. But they couldn’t penetrate his tough skin.

“Aah! This isn’t going to work!”

Michie realized she was too exhausted to fight. She tried to summon more wind, but it wasn’t enough to stop Rubbers.

Rubbers’ hand stretched out.

“Aaah!” Michie covered her face with her hands.

But his hand never reached her.

“Well, I certainly handled that quickly,” Fujiko said with a grin.

She was carrying what looked like a silver canister in both hands. White smoke was pouring out of the opening at the top.

Michie turned to look at Rubbers. The same white smoke from the canister was rising from his hand — it had frozen solid.

“What did you do?”

“Liquid nitrogen! He can use magic to stop the temperature drop, but once he’s covered in it, he can’t block its effects with mana!”

Fujiko loosened the spout, and the liquid shot out at Rubbers. He tried to block it with a mana shield, but Fujiko destroyed the shield with a spell of her own.

“I guessed that since you never need to use mana shields to protect yourself, you wouldn’t be any good at it. And I guessed right!”

The liquid nitrogen landed on Rubbers’ body, and he screamed. Half of his body turned a frozen white, and lost its flexibility.

“Now! Attack!”

“Right on!” Michie fired her mechanical bats. A colony burst forth from her cape, and the sharp blades on their wings attacked Rubbers. Until now, his tough flexible body had been able to shrug off the damage, but now they left obvious wounds on him.

“This is going to work!”

Michie concentrated their attacks on the frozen half of his body. There was a series of cracking noises as his body began to be chipped away, little by little.

Rubbers let out a bizarre howl. He stretched out the remaining half of his body, seemingly using the last of his strength. It was obvious that this would be his last attack.

“If that’s all you’ve got...!”

Fujiko leapt back and dodged, but Rubbers wasn’t aiming for her. Rubbers stretched out his hands towards Cerberus and into the pouch tied around his neck.

“Huh?”

Fujiko didn’t know what he was doing. But when Rubbers’ arm came back and she saw what was in his hand, she cried out in surprise and fear.

“No!”

Rubbers had grabbed the pot that held the part of Akuto’s body she’d been cultivating. It was what gave her control over the demon beasts.

Fujiko opened the valve on the liquid nitrogen again, but shockingly, Rubbers abandoned the part of his body that had frozen. He stretched out an arm and snapped off the frozen part. Even with half his body gone, he was still able to bounce out of the corridor carrying the pot, and flee.

Fujiko didn’t have the energy left to chase him, and it was clear the even if she tried, she would fail.

“What was in that pot?” Michie asked, but Fujiko just shook her head. There was no need to tell her.

But Fujiko knew exactly what him taking it meant. At this point, it didn’t matter if she lost control of the demon beasts. But with that pot, the enemy would be able to research Akuto’s unique mana wave pattern. She didn’t know what they could do with it, but it might turn out to be something awful.

“A-Anyway... We’ve driven off the enemy. Let’s go see what else is happening.”

Fujiko tried her best to pretend she was staying calm.

○

Fujiko and Michie went to the place where the carrier Genkaku had collided with the school, and were astonished to see the principal digging Akuto out from the rubble. Fujiko immediately let out of a cry of joy.

“Oh, you’re safe, Akuto!” She ran over and helped Akuto up.

“Yeah... This was pretty rough.”

“If the dragon hadn’t saved you, you might not have survived. And if I hadn’t used my own skills on the carrier, neither you nor he would’ve survived,” the headmaster said as the rubble around them began to collapse.

Peterhausen appeared, with a large gash on his head. No blood was coming from the gash, but that was only because of how Peterhausen’s body was built. It was clearly a bad wound.

“You okay?” Akuto asked. Peterhausen shook his head.

“I’m not the type who pretends to be okay when he isn’t. I’ll tell you the truth, because it will likely have an effect on our future battles. I’ve lost a portion of several of my powers. Even I can tell that something is wrong. It won’t affect me normally, but if I try to use magical support, there’s no telling what will happen.”

“If that happens, maybe you weren’t lying when you said you’d give your life for me,” Akuto said sadly. And then he turned to Fujiko, who was now clinging to him.

“What’s happening?”

“I-I’m sorry. The demon beasts have been defeated. The soldiers are cleaning them up. And Boichiro Yamato has taken Keena Soga somewhere...”

“I see... Then we’ll have to follow him.” Akuto stood up. His face grimaced with pain.

“Y-You mustn’t! You have to fall back and regroup! Even if we can’t use the Academy as our base, with the black mages’ support we can easily build a hideout! If you die, everything is over!”

Fujiko clung to Akuto. He wrapped his arms around her head and whispered into her ear, “That’s not right. What I’m trying to do is put an end to everything.”

“What...?” Fujiko froze. “Does that mean you’re going to die, Akuto?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far. But I suppose you can say I will, in the sense that I’ll be dead. I don’t mean I’ll lose my life. If I can prove that I can kill a god, I might be able to rid this world of some tiny part of this evil story. If that happens, I’ll cease being the Demon King. I don’t know what happens then, though,” Akuto said coldly, but Fujiko violently shook her head.

“No! You’re my hope! You’re the one who saved me, and gave me a path to follow!”

“But that means you want to be a part of my story as the Demon King. That means elevating strong men and superior systems to the status of godhood, and creating stories about them that you rely on. That’s what allows people to use those stories to hurt people.”

“But there are also people who are saved that way!”

“And that’s why it needs to end. Of course, I’m going to save as many people as I can, while still remaining me. Even you, if you’ll stay with me, I’ll do my best to live up to your hopes.”

“Akuto...” Fujiko looked up at him with dewy eyes.

Akuto glanced over at Peterhausen.

“It’s time to go,” he said.

“Wait!” Fujiko yelled, “I’m going with you!”

But Akuto shook his head.

“I can’t let you. I don’t know what’s going to happen now.”

“But...” Fujiko let out a howl, as if all the feeling she’d been holding back were exploding. “Why Keena?! Why are you going to be with her?”

“Because she’s the one who will rid me of my story.”

Fujiko collapsed to the ground when she heard his answer.

“So, that’s what the difference between us was... But when you come back, I’m sure I’ll also...” She trailed off.

The principal called out to Akuto as he walked off.

“Well, good luck. Try out what I taught you, too.”

“Of course. I’m going to try one thing right now.”

Akuto jumped over the rubble that was formerly the school’s wall, his hair blowing in the wind from outside.

The soldiers outside the school screamed.

“It’s the Demon King!”

“He’s alive!”

“Forget the demon beasts! Attack him!”

A hail of gunfire rained down on Akuto.

“How many are there...? The same as before. I hope I can scare them into running...”

Akuto knocked the bullets away with a wave as he slid down the mountain of rubble.

Even if you discounted the Hattori ninjas and the ones who’d been knocked out by the falling carrier, there were still over a thousand soldiers on the school grounds. Akuto exposed himself before the huge, gathering army. He could feel their anger, hatred, and fear coming at him in waves.

“Now... it’s time to end this whole rotten thing!”

Akuto leapt to the side and put his hand on the spherical prow of the carrier that had rammed him.

○

“He’s... alive.” Junko raised her head.

The Hattori ninjas had been completely defeated. Including the ones who were helping Junko up, there were less than a hundred who could still fight. But no matter what happened, they would never forget their hatred for Akuto.

“Mistress! We can barely stand, and the Teruyas have betrayed us. But if the Demon King is alive, he is our priority!”

The Hattori ninjas regrouped and began to run towards the school building where Akuto was.

“W-Wait!” Junko followed them.

—You’re alive... You’re alive! But... but now I know that you’re not my enemy!

Junko was looking at Eiko, who had given up on taking command of the army and had surrounded herself with her own forces. Eiko seemed to plan on using the Demon King’s appearance as a way to cover up her own murder of her father. Abandoning the command post would normally have meant prosecution for dereliction of duty. But with the only enemy left being the Demon King, it looked, from a distance, like she was taking command in the field.

But the place where Eiko’s forces were standing was a point far away from where Akuto had appeared. The Hattoris were even farther away, but they at least were heading towards the battle. Part of the reason she was so far away was due to the battle with Lily, but still, it was clear to Junko that Eiko intended to sit this battle out and let others fight it.

—You coward!

Junko grit her teeth hard.

But when the Hattoris approached Eiko, she laughed and mocked them.

“Useless idiots! Go get the Demon King already!”

—Tch...!

Junko put her hand to her small sword, but one of the ninjas stopped her.

“Control yourself, mistress. Even if she really did kill her father, if we kill her it will simply look like we assassinated her to gain power!”

“Then you want me to obey her...?” Junko’s whole body was wracked with frustration.

“Ahahaha! Hilarious, isn’t it?” Eiko saw her and laughed.

But then a black shadow suddenly fell on them both, and Eiko turned around.

“Wh-What?!” Eiko gasped.

The carrier Genkaku was sticking up straight in the air.

“I see... So this is the Hua Jin the old man taught me.”

Akuto was impressed. He was holding the Genkaku’s prow with both hands. The 350 meter long carrier was far too big for him to carry, but he was holding it easily. Of course, he was using mana to support it, but it was still his own power.

“Hua Jin... Quite impressive,” Akuto said.

When he heard this, Peterhausen shrugged his shoulders (despite being a dragon.)

“I’m not an expert, but I don’t think that’s how Hua Jin usually works.”

“The principal said you just have to use every muscle in your body.

It’s working, so who cares?” Akuto slowly tilted the Genkaku to the side, and with a quick shout, swung it like a bat.

It was like a collapsing building falling to the ground. There was a low rumbling as the carrier’s hull swept along, just above the earth.

All the soldiers could do was drop to the ground and pray. Anyone who didn’t believe in the story of the gods had nothing left but despair. Those who didn’t get to the ground in time were smashed by the carrier’s hull, and even those that managed to avoid that were caught in the swirling air currents behind it, flung high into the sky and slammed into the ground. A single sweep of the carrier had brought down more than a thousand troops.

The carrier, not strong enough to take the force of the swing, split in half. The back half of it landed in the schoolyard, sending pieces scattering everywhere. There was a rumble like an earthquake and a cloud of dust like an explosion went up around the impact point.

“That should take care of most of it, I guess,” Akuto said as he tossed the other half of the carrier aside.

There was another rumbling and cloud of dust, but there was nobody left to be scared or to run. All anyone could do was look up at Akuto in awe. In the face of overwhelming, impossible power, there was nothing for anyone to say.

—Oh, this is it...! This overwhelming... This overwhelming strength that can overturn everything!

Junko stood in the schoolyard, the wind howling around her, and shivered like a wind was blowing through her heart as well.

She knew the man who had used that power well. A dense, inconsiderate, but loyal man. Just like she’d hoped, a single strike from him had blown everything away.

—I wasn’t wrong from the start. I knew all this from the moment we met!

Junko started to walk forward.

Only the Hattori and Teruya forces, who had been out of the range of the carrier, were unharmed. Of course, Eiko screamed at Junko.

“Stop the Demon King! That’s an order!”

Junko smirked.

“You think you can tell me what to do without a hostage?”

For a moment, Eiko didn’t seem to know what to do, but she quickly shook her head and pointed to one of the Hattori soldiers.

“Don’t even try it! You there! Your mistress is ready to ruin your clan! If she attacks me here, your clan is finished!”

The ninja she threatened put a hand on Junko’s shoulder.

“Mistress, I understand you’re upset, but our enemy is the wicked Demon King. For now, we should...”

Junko brushed him off and put her hand on the Sohaya no Tsurugi.

Clink.

There was a small sound of metal hitting metal.

—The gods only act when it suits their purposes.

Junko remembered what her grandmother had said.

Power filled her body — but it wasn’t rage that gave her this power.

“Hahahaha!” Junko laughed with glee.

“M-Mistress...” the ninja said, worried. Junko turned around with a brilliant smile.

“I am now,” she said, “going to betray you!”

Junko unsheathed the Sohaya no Tsurugi. The blade gave off a strange, rainbow-colored light.

“Justice and the clan’s honor didn’t save us! I’m going to live for the man I love! This betrayal is love!”

The ninjas began to murmur amongst themselves, unsure of what to say. The old Junko would’ve hesitated, but now she felt filled with power and self-confidence. When they saw this, the ninjas rushed to her.

“This is not a betrayal! Do as you think best, mistress!”

Junko nodded, deeply moved.

“Of course!” And then she ran at Eiko, the rainbow blade raised high.

“Wha... Are you helping the Demon King?” Eiko quickly jumped backwards.

“That’s right! But when I decided to kill you, the Sohaya no Tsurugi left its sheath! You were not chosen by the gods!”

“B-But the gods would never help someone who sided with the Demon King!”

“The gods exist to be used by humanity! And now, I have the power to kill you! What I do with that power afterward is up to me!”

“You’re crazy! But... it doesn’t matter! You’re alone, and I have three hundred soldiers who will only listen to me!” Eiko yelled, and rows of armored warriors formed around her. There were still many who were unharmed, or who had been healed.

“Three hundred? Good, I won’t need to count them!” Junko drew a magical symbol with her hand in front of her chest. “Ninja Technique: Crazed Moonshadow!”

It was Junko’s clone technique. As she ran, there were suddenly two of her. And then, each of the clones split into two more.

“What... Is that even possible?!” Eiko screamed.

The number of Junkos continued to increase exponentially. It only took a few more clones cloning themselves before the army was surrounded by an impossible number of Junkos.

“There’s... three hundred!”

Three hundred Junkos swarmed the Teruya army.

“Impossible...!” Eiko flinched as she felt a blast of wind run by her.

It was a single strike. The three hundred Junkos had taken down 300 soldiers with a single strike.

“That didn’t even take a single second!”

“Of course not. Nobody needed a second swing.”

The three hundred Junkos all laughed at once as they surrounded her. Eiko looked around frantically as if she was searching for something, but none of her soldiers were moving.

“W-Wait... We’re old friends!”

“That’s right! And that’s why there are some things I can’t forgive...!”

Three hundred Junkos swarmed one Eiko.

This time, there was nowhere to run. She was smothered by a swarm of Junkos, before being knocked up in the air. One of them had knocked her upwards with the dull edge of their katana to make it easier to hit her.

“Uwooaaah!”

One of the Junkos leapt at her. She was dealt another blow with the dull edge of the katana, and then another knocked her even higher.

Each time a Junko attacked, it disappeared. Eventually they were high up in the sky, and there was only one Junko left, looking at an unconscious Eiko. She had the Sohaya no Tsurugi ready. This time, she was using the sharp edge of the blade. She’d turned it around and was ready to strike.

“Your life is mine!” Junko brought the final blow down on Eiko’s stomach.

Just when it looked like Eiko’s body was about to be cleaved in two—

Clang!

There was a clanging sound from the Sohaya no Tsurugi. Someone’s right arm had appeared out of thin air and blocked it.

“Please wait,” an expressionless voice said as a hole began to open in the air. Korone poked her head out from it. She grabbed Eiko with one arm while she held the Sohaya no Tsurugi.

“Korone...” Junko whispered. The fervor that had overtaken her was gone.

“You mustn’t kill her. She will live and atone for her sins. That’s how it has to be,” Korone said, and she took Eiko’s body back down below.

“Where have you been?” Junko asked as she landed on the ground beside her.

“I was shut down, but your grandmother saved me. I have a message from her.”

“What is it...?”

“‘I will take care of the rest. Follow whomever you like, and don’t worry about a thing.’” Korone gave an expressionless thumbs up.

She looked so ridiculous that Junko burst out laughing. And then she cried a little. This is what she should’ve done from the beginning.

She wiped away her tears and saw a black dragon flying through the sky above.

Junko and Korone watched it go.

“He never cares about me, does he?” Junko said.

“There aren’t many girls who’d want attention from a crazy man like him. That’s probably why.”

Junko laughed in response to Korone’s deadpan explanation.

“Heh. Alright, I suppose I’ll follow him, then.”

“You may leave things here to me, then. First, I’ll start by arresting her.” Korone put handcuffs on the unconscious Eiko.

“Thank you.”

With a nod of farewell, Junko started to walk towards what was left of the carrier to see if she could find a vehicle that still worked.