1 - Beginning of the Final Battle

Akuto Sai floated in the sky, looking down on the scenery below.

There was a crowd around the palace, and a big one. Even from where he was up in the sky, he couldn’t see where it ended. It was the crowd of people who’d risen up to challenge Zero’s Liradans and their rule of the Empire. They’d risen up out of pure rage. But the problem was that when Empress Kazuko had announced her dictatorship, their anger had turned to cheers.

—What choice did I have?

Akuto had just declared himself to be the Demon King. It was the only way to free the people, by defeating Zero and Kazuko. It was 2V who’d awakened Zero, but now Kazuko was controlling him. She’d used Zero to terrify the populace, and then win them over by becoming their savior.

—I’m going to make good use of this power.

Akuto had died, been revived, and then gained the power of the Demon King. It was terrifying, and he didn’t really want to believe it, but he had been born as both a human and a weapon. He had a human mind and human feelings, but the power of the gods... the power to use infinite magic.

In other words, he was completely sane. He knew how much power he’d gained, and what he could do with it, down to an extremely minute level, but he was neither scared of his power, nor drunk on it.

—If I was going to be the Demon King, I wish they would’ve given me the power to do a good evil laugh or something...

Akuto grumbled to himself internally, but on the outside, he still needed to keep up the act.

“Artificial thing that calls yourself the Demon King! I will teach you that there is only one person in this world who is allowed to plunge the people into the depths of terror!” he yelled.

He felt an almost painful wave of emotion coming from below; all the hatred and fear from the huge crowd below was being directed towards him. He was now able to read the logs stored by the gods that digitized human emotions and turned them into language. At this point, his brain was linked directly to the gods themselves, and he could read the pasts of every person in the crowd, right down to what they’d eaten for dinner three years ago.

—This power... It’s the power to look into other people’s hearts. I can become either a god or a Demon King. Because I’m a normal person, like everyone else, I can choose which one I want to be.

The other Demon Kings throughout history faced this choice too... and made some kind of decision. Just like me, they came up with Demon King-sounding phrases to say, and felt like they could control anybody they wanted to...

“I feel your hatred and fear! Give me more of it! It will become my power!” He was just saying the first things that came to his head, but even if his words were a lie, he could still feel the Demon King inside him, pulling him forward. If he wasn’t careful, it would take over. He had to do his best to stay sane.

—I need to stay calm... Analyze the data and decide what to do next... Figure out what it is I should be doing...

Knowing the history of other people’s lives gave him more information than he’d imagined. The terrifying fact that he could read their pasts and emotions meant that he knew exactly what they were feeling now, and what they were going to do next.

—So they really believe that only the Empress can save them from Zero? And that I came to take advantage of the chaos and defeat both Zero and the Empress.

It was true that Zero had awakened and tried to control the populace, but it was Kazuko, in fact, who was planning to use that to take control. But the people had put absolute trust in her. They trusted her because she was the empress, and because she had a gentle face and kind manners. Her title and her appearance — that was all they were making their judgements from. In truth, none of them knew the first thing about her.

—My job is to defeat Zero. And of course, the Empress too... And then this stupid story that everyone believes... I’ll destroy both the Empress and the Demon King.

Akuto made a promise to himself. And then he looked down at the one person who was floating above the crowd. It was the “hero” they admired, clad in a special suit.

—If he defeats me in the end, the story the people believe in should come to its end. And what comes after that...

Hiroshi Miwa. Before, he’d been nothing but timid and uncertain, but now Akuto felt a certain resolve from him. Right now he was carrying Junko Hattori someplace safe, but eventually he would come back. Maybe Lily Shiraishi’s words had inspired him, or Yuko’s actions had given him courage.

Now that Akuto had awakened, he could feel the flow of all the emotions Hiroshi had ever had.

—Once I’m gone, I’ll leave everything to Hiroshi!

Akuto looked elsewhere. A single Liradan appeared on the palace terrace. It took the form of a powerful-looking man. This was none other than the body that Zero, the program, was using now. It looked up at Akuto with emotionless eyes, expressing its will.

(You’re nothing but a machine for war, too. Why are you so obsessed with defeating me?)

It sounded like a challenge to Akuto. But maybe, to Zero, it was simply a question.

Akuto answered wordlessly. (You’re right. I’m an artificial thing too. But there’s something fundamentally different inside me: A biological self. A human mind. Your emotions and minds are like dropping one color of water inside another. The two will always intermix. But I am me. In the same way that all humans are unique from one another. I won’t let you melt them all together into one being.)

(It is because they are split into individuals that they must be controlled. My master agrees.)

(Master... You mean Kazuko.) Akuto said, but then a clear voice cut him off before he could say more.

(Correct. You may know the power I have already. I stole it from 2V.)

There was something in the voice that made you want to relax and smile. But right now, to Akuto, it sounded like the temptation of a succubus. When he listened to it, it made him want to agree with everything the voice said.

(...If you control Zero, there’s no need to defeat it.) Akuto said.

Kazuko was hidden deep within the palace, communicating with Akuto via telepathy.

(Correct. Yes, of course, you are correct.) Kazuko nodded, but she wasn’t agreeing with him. (So let me defeat you, instead. That will satisfy the people, right?) she said happily.

Akuto frowned. (And then you’ll rule. Is that the plan?)

(Yes. It’s very simple, isn’t it? The situation’s changed. But I’ll do what I promised. As long as you obey me, I won’t kill you. I’ll guarantee you survive,) Kazuko said, as if there was no way he would refuse.

Akuto grunted. (That’s pretty selfish.)

But Kazuko didn’t seem to care about what he said. She tilted her head slightly as if making a cute request. (Yes. I’m simply being selfish. You’ll do what I ask, right? Or were you planning to hurt me after you listened to my request to defeat Zero? You can’t do that. It’s not fair. People will think you have a bad personality.) Kazuko smiled.

Akuto answered with frustration in his voice. (If they do, that’s fine. I know what I am and I’ve got no intention of hiding it. I’m opposed to what you’re doing. The reason you changed sides and started protecting Zero is that it will make it easier for you to rule if you have a god at your side. If Zero’s defeated, the gods will lose the core that supports them.)

(Oh my, aren’t you the smart one? But if that’s the case, then you and I want essentially the same thing. Why can’t you realize that? You want everyone to know who you really are. And I’m the same,) Kazuko said, unperturbed.

Akuto knew what she meant when she said she wanted people to understand her. But at their core, Akuto and Kazuko were completely different.

(If you know that the fantasy called the “Empress” isn’t who you really are, then you can just throw it away and live in freedom!)

(Oh my, you don’t understand at all. Who I really am is a very greedy woman. I’ve no desire to be the kind, human empress. But the position of empress is a handy thing; it would be a waste to throw it away. I just need to take advantage of it. You were able to do the same thing with the Demon King, weren’t you?)

(Unfortunately, I’m incapable of thinking about things that way. I want this to be the last time I use my power,) Akuto said. It took a moment before the Empress answered.

(...I expected this, but I guess negotiations have broken down, haven’t they?)

(I never had any intention of working with you.)

(If that’s the case, then in this moment, the whole of humanity is your enemy. Now let’s begin. Let’s make this a real theater. Not just a silly farce.)

Kazuko gave the signal, and instantly Zero jumped off the terrace. Akuto tensed up, but Zero jumped the opposite direction, flying up into the air before ripping off his artificial skin to reveal the internal structure beneath.

Before Akuto could figure out what he was doing, Liradans began to fly up into the air from below. They ripped off their own skin and attached themselves to him. Zero’s body began to grow, like blocks piling on top of one another.

“Well, that’s not good...” Akuto frowned.

By the time Zero was done, Akuto was facing a 15-meter tall giant made of exposed machinery.

“Sheesh... I’ve gotta fight this thing, don’t I?” Akuto sighed.

“There’s a reason he’s combining and growing like that. But if you just glance at it, it seems like a product of the ridiculous belief that a mechanical giant is a symbol of power,” Yoshie said, as if she was trying to impress someone. It was her habit when she got excited. She’d lowered her goggles and was analyzing Zero, who had now landed in the palace courtyard.

“There’s a reason for it?” Junko Hattori asked. Until a moment ago, they’d been inside a flying boat above the crowd, but they’d just landed on one of the outer terraces so that they could climb up the walls and get inside the palace.

“In the end, whether it’s the Demon King or Zero, they’re just fighting over the resource called mana. And that struggle for resources doesn’t take place in the real world. It’s a program. The one with the greater amount of processing power wins,” Yoshie explained as she turned around on the Terrace.

“And it has more processing power when it combines?”

“Yup. It can do parallel processing. Zero is at a disadvantage compared to the Demon King, who can use every resource. But in his present form, in terms of calculating power he probably surpasses the Demon King.”

“Then what is the Demon King... Akuto’s... processing power?”

“His body’s not a machine, so he uses his human brain. But the magical system is built to respond to human imagination and emotions. He may lose the battle for resources, but he won’t lose in a contest of magic. Passion beats everything, you see. Woooah! It’s so exciting!”

Junko ignored Yoshie and leaned over the edge of the terrace so she could see below. “Looks like the crowd ran away...”

When the crowd saw Zero and realized a battle was imminent, they’d begun to move away from the palace. Now the only ones near the palace’s outskirts were Junko, Yoshie, and Keisu.

“Oh? You don’t think it’s exciting? Well, I guess I can understand that. We made it, but things have changed, and unless Keisu can remember something, there’s nothing we can do...” Yoshie shrugged and looked at Keisu.

Keisu — a young girl with a ponytail, dressed like a samurai — was a Liradan, but the only Liradan who wasn’t under Zero’s control. She supposedly had some kind of secret that would help seal Zero, but right now she was just tagging along.

“I bring great shame upon myself in saying so, but I remember nothing...” Keisu said apologetically.

“Nah, it’s fine, I guess. Just as long as you remember it when we need you to.” Yoshie patted Keisu on the head.

Keisu looked up at her and giggled like she felt ticklish. “You’re very kind, Master.”

“Master?”

“I’ve decided to call you that, for I have entrusted you with my life.”

Yoshie grinned. “Sure, I guess. If that helps you somehow.”

“...Wait, I think if anybody needs someone to protect them, it’s not you, it’s Keisu,” Junko said, slightly nervous.

Yoshie looked around the palace for a moment, before tensing up at what she saw. Kazuko had appeared from one of the corridors leading into the palace.

“Is that Keisu, then?” she said gently, and walked towards them with elegant steps. But Kazuko’s hands were covered in blood.

“Your Highness... is that... human blood?”

Junko had been to war once, and she knew that demon beast blood and human blood had different smells.

But Kazuko was unfazed by her words. She simply chuckled. “I had some rather complicated family matters to deal with. But it’s very embarrassing to me that you’ve seen proof I was in a fight.”

“......!” Junko let out a wordless breath. She felt an instinctive terror at Kazuko.

“Oh my. Don’t look at me like I’m insane. If nothing else, I’m more confident of my sanity than anyone else in the world,” Kazuko said. There was an abnormal aura rising up from her; a lump of murderous emotion, different from a mana flash. It froze both Junko and Yoshie where they stood.

“Th-This...”

“This is bad...!”

The two of them began to sweat. They’d both lost the ability to move.

Then suddenly, a voice snapped them out of their fear. “Get Keisu out of here!” It came from behind Kazuko, and it was one that Junko recognized.

“Keena?” Junko whispered. She could move now.

Junko moved quick while she still had the chance, drawing her sword and jumping in front of Keisu. She arrived just as the mana ball did, blocking it with her blade. The ball spun in the air as it traveled, but when the blade struck, it sliced through it like jelly. When the ball was completely separated into two halves, it fell to the ground.

“What...?”

The mana ball had a strange feeling to it. It was different than the ones she was used to. Kazuko had been the one who fired it. She could tell from the path it had followed that it had been fired at Keisu.

Kazuko’s eyes opened a little, as if she found this surprisingly entertaining. “You can slice through a Yasakani-no-Magatama...? That blade was a gift from a god, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, but... But if that’s true then what...?” Junko didn’t know what to think. Some sort of spell she didn’t understand was at work here.

Kazuko smiled at her. “If it wasn’t, you could not defeat my magic. That’s all.” She raised her hand to summon another mana ball.

“Oh no...!” Junko shot a quick glance at Yoshie. But Yoshie was already moving before the warning came.

“We’re getting out of here Keisu!” Yoshie turned on the chainsaw she was holding and climbed up onto the terrace railing.

“But I dislike fleeing in the face of the enemy...” Keisu seemed reluctant until Yoshie cut her off.

“I’m jumping off the ledge. Protect me.” Yoshie leaned forward off the railing and then disappeared.

“Master!” Keisu leaned off the edge as well. She could see Yoshie falling. “I’m coming for you!” She jumped after her to follow.

Once she saw that they were gone, Junko readied her sword and waited for an attack from Kazuko. But it never came.

“You still want to try this?”

Kazuko wasn’t moving, but was looking down. Someone had grabbed her leg. And it wasn’t just the hand that was wrapped around her leg; the forearm it was connected to was wrapped all the way around it like rubber.

“If you don’t consider it a defeat, you’re not defeated even if you’re dead.” It was Lily Shiraishi. She was lying on the ground a few meters behind Kazuko.

Her clothes were a mess. It looked like she’d been struck many times. Her boyish face was swelled up and bruised from violent punches. But despite this, Lily Shiraishi still had her arm reached out towards Kazuko.

“Yashakuni-no-Magatama.” Without even looking behind her, Kazuko attacked Lily with several mana balls.

“Tch!” Lily retracted her arm and staggered to her feet. But there was no way she could move faster than the mana balls.

“Watch out...!” Junko raced past Kazuko and stood in front of Lily. With a single slash of her blade, she struck the mana balls down.

“President?! What’s going on here?” She asked Lily. Until now she’d acted out of instinct, but she still didn’t know what was going on.

Lily answered with a sarcastic smile. “Eh, as long as you know that the Empress was behind this whole thing, you won’t be too far off. She killed 2V and now she’s trying to keep us from telling the world,” she said.

Of course, Junko believed she was telling the truth. Her face took on a tense expression as she looked at the Empress.

Kazuko just laughed. “That’s not a very nice thing to say,” she chuckled. “But I suppose I’m not being very nice right now.”

Junko furrowed her brow. “...I’m disappointed in you, Empress.”

Kazuko laughed her off. “Sometimes you need to win the throne even if it means disappointing others. Otherwise, peace will always remain impossible.”

“Do you think the people want you to sit on that throne?” Junko asked.

Kazuko nodded. “Did you not hear them just now?”

“Tch...” Junko didn’t know what to say.

“Give it up. She won’t listen to reason. Anyway, more than one person made it outside. What will you do if they tell the truth?” Lily interjected as she staggered to her feet.

Besides her, both Fujiko Eto and Keena Soga knew that Kazuko had murdered 2V. And they weren’t here now.

“Wait, where are Fujiko and Keena?” Junko asked.

Lily grinned. “Keena took her clothes off, you see. And Fujiko split the first chance she got while I was fighting.”

“I see. So that’s what happened.”

Keena could turn invisible. Even with mana-detection magic, there was no way to find her. But she couldn’t make the things she was wearing disappear, so she had to take off her clothes. That was probably the voice she’d heard before.

Kazuko was listening to their conversation, and her eyes narrowed a little when they discussed Keena. But then she just shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. I can find the ones who escaped and shut them up.”

Kazuko raised a hand. A sword of light appeared in a blast of mana.

“Ame-no-murakumo-no-tsurugi.”

That was what Kazuko called the two-meter-long sword that appeared out of thin air. The sword of light was shining like a piece of the sun had fallen to Earth. Junko was standing a good bit away, and she could still feel its heat.

“Be careful. That thing’s incredibly powerful,” said Lily, who had seen the sword run 2V’s body through.

“Alright. I’ll focus on having a perfect defense...” Junko tilted her blade just a little to the left as she assumed her fighting stance. It was a defensive stance that could block an attack from any direction.

“That’s not what I meant! Its power is...” Lily screamed.

Kazuko’s eyes narrowed. “It’s too late. I’ll run you both through...” She waved her hand, and the sword of light flew towards Junko.

“Aah!”

The roar as it sliced through the air, and the rumbling of the mana around it, told her exactly how powerful it was. Anything created with mana had a certain maximum limit to its strength. But the waves of power and heat coming from the sword were fiercer than any she’d ever experienced.

“I can’t... block it!” Junko couldn’t move her sword. If she tried to block, it would snap the blade in two. And then it would run through her, and Lily behind her as well.

But instead, the Ame-no-murakumo-no-tsurugi flew past them with a loud roar. It embedded itself into the palace wall behind them, melting the area around the hole it made with its heat. Terrifyingly, when it crashed into the wall it had made almost no noise. In other words, it had melted it away with barely any resistance.

“We’re saved...” Junko sighed in relief. Of course, she knew better than anybody else that she hadn’t been able to dodge. She’d survived because the blade was never aimed at her to begin with.

The sword had gone off course because Kazuko had been knocked off balance. Just before she’d fired it off, Kazuko had suffered some kind of impact that knocked her to her knees. Behind her, Junko could see a small shining hairpiece floating in the sky.

“Thank you...” Junko whispered softly.

The hairpiece was Keena. Just before Kazuko had attacked, she must have slammed into her.

Lily let out a sigh of relief too. But then she shook her head as if to say that they couldn’t let their guard down. “We’re saved... But we won’t be so lucky next time. The Empress loves to hurt people. That’s why she used her mana balls. But since they don’t work on you, she brought out her sword...”

Kazuko was standing up again and shaking her head. She seemed to have noticed Keena’s power. “So you have someone with you who can turn invisible, I see. But since it appears they can’t actually hurt me, they don’t pose a serious threat. Next time, I won’t miss.”

Kazuko waved a hand through the air around her. She was checking that Keena wasn’t anywhere nearby.

“That sword... those balls... what are they?” Junko turned around and asked Lily.

“Magic that only the Imperial Family can use. There’s three of those spells in all. Those two and the one Lily used to control the Liradans.”

“Only the Imperial family...?”

“Being able to use those spells is proof that you’re of royal blood. It’s a symbol of authority.”

“And they’re that powerful...?” Junko was satisfied with Lily’s explanation, but she knew that one more hit and she’d be finished.

“You need to run. I’ll hold her off for a little more,” Lily said. There was no sense of tragic resolve in her expression. It seemed like to her, it was the natural thing to do.

Junko shook her head. “...I can’t run after you’ve said that. And I’ve made a decision of my own. I left him once because of my feelings. But this time, as long as he’s here fighting, I will be here with him. I don’t want to have any more regrets.”

Junko’s expression was unwavering. Now that she knew what was going on here, she knew exactly what Akuto was trying to do. Akuto was betting his entire being on defeating Kazuko and Zero.

From the look on her face, Lily knew exactly who Junko meant by “him.” She grinned and pulled down the torn brim of her hat as she looked away. “That’s so old-fashioned... But if that’s your situation, then I won’t tell you what to do. You have to win, though, if you want it to matter. You have to kill the Empress,” she said. Junko nodded firmly.

Kazuko laughed as if she’d been listening. “Kill the Empress? That’s an excellent joke, but I’m honestly not sure how to respond to it.” She smiled and raised a hand. Mana gathered there and another sword of light appeared.

Junko could barely bring herself to move in the face of its power, but now that she’d decided to fight, she’d already come up with a way to do it. “I’ll move fast and distract her...!” She raced forward and then jumped, her sword at the ready.

Kazuko turned her head. The girl in front of her had seemed to disappear. And when she finally found Junko again, she’d already jumped to the opposite side. No, if she’d jumped, how could she be over there too?

There were now two Junkos. It was her clone technique; her favorite spell. Another physical Junko, created out of pure mana.

“Iga Ninja Technique: Raging Moonshadow!” Junko created five more clones, all of which began to race quickly around Kazuko.

Kazuko couldn’t focus on any one point. Just when she became sufficiently distracted, the five Junko’s struck at her at once.

“HYAAAAAH!”

The clones were all real objects, made out of mana. They weren’t illusions; each of them had real power. And each of them attacked at a slightly different time. It was an undodgeable attack that was sure to kill its target.

But...

“You made clones with mana, didn’t you? But that won’t work against somebody who can control mana on a detailed level,” Kazuko said calmly, and then waved her hand.

“What?!”

Everyone was astonished. First, the Junko in front of Kazuko disappeared. As she moved around her hand around the room, each of the clones disappeared.

“...Tch!” But Junko didn’t halt her attack. The four clone Junkos had disappeared, but she still slashed her katana at Kazuko’s side. “Raaaaah!” she yelled.

But her yell suddenly stopped. The katana froze in mid-air. Kazuko was turned towards Junko, her blade of light pointing at her face. “This is how you fight with magic.”

“Wha... Impossible...”

“No, this is the inevitable result. If nothing else, you may find happiness in the fact that you were killed by a being greater than a god.” Kazuko smiled.

And then Keena, still invisible, slammed into Kazuko, and her whole body shook. But that was all. Kazuko knew she was there, and knew that she had almost no power of her own.

The Empress lazily waved a hand through empty air. There was a scream and the sound of something being knocked away. The whole time, her blade of light remained pointed at Junko’s throat.

“I won’t be interrupted again. Now...”

“Eek...” Junko’s eyes opened wide in fear.

Kazuko moved to drive the blade home. And then...

Suddenly, all the lights went out in the palace.

Kazuko froze, but she wasn’t the sort of person to lose her senses just because it went dark. Especially since it was the middle of the day, and enough light was coming from outside to see.

“A-Are we saved...?” Junko whispered, and then she jumped back. Kazuko’s sword was losing its form.

“The mana in the air is vanishing...” Kazuko turned her palm upwards, tried using her magic, and confirmed that there was only a small reaction.

“The atmospheric mana itself is disappearing?” Junko wiped away the sweat on her brow and tried to sense the feeling of the mana.

“The energy it’s supplying is also fading...” Lily said.

Junko was beginning to recover her senses. She realized that this was her chance to actually cause some damage. “I won’t hit as hard, but if we both can’t use magic, then maybe I can win!” she shouted as she jumped at Kazuko again.

The Empress dodged with a backstep. “It was Zero who absorbed the mana and energy, I assume. No, the Demon King is probably capable of the same thing.”

Kazuko glanced out the window.

○

“Master, don’t scare me like that. I didn’t know you were perfectly capable of getting down on your own.”

“Of course I am. I don’t do stupid things.”

Yoshie had stabbed the chainsaw into the wall and used it to slow her descent, and then dropped to the ground on her own. Keisu had jumped down after her, slammed into the ground, and had to have Yoshie dig her out.

Now the two of them were watching the battle between Akuto and Zero, as they kept an eye out for pursuers from the palace. Zero was now a giant humanoid machine, covering half the sky. Akuto was in front of him, and seemed to be the size of a toy doll in comparison. But it seemed to Yoshie that the two of them were putting out an equal amount of power.

“It’s strange. They’re so different in size, but the aura they give off is so similar,” Yoshie said.

“But the flow of mana is different. Look...” Keisu pointed at Zero.

In that moment, Zero suddenly spread his arms wide. The sound of them slicing through the air echoed as the compressed air exploded, but that wasn’t all.

“Mana....? Oh! This is...” Yoshie lowered her goggles and looked around. She was able to use them to visualize the flow of mana.

The colored mana spread throughout the atmosphere like a cloud. Though if it were a real cloud, it would be more like a typhoon had descended into the lower atmosphere. The mana was swirling around Zero in a spiral.

“Wooah! This is one heck of a cyclone,” Yoshie whispered. The flow creating the spiraling mana disturbed the atmosphere as well, causing the wind to shake the girls’ hair. Now it was a physical storm, stealing the mana around it.

The cyclone started near the palace, and spread out in a circle, turning off the lights of any building it passed through. On the ground, every mana-powered vehicle stopped, and magic itself ceased to be possible.

“It’s like the end of the world. The last battle between an all-devouring black giant and a fallen angel. A modern armageddon is unfolding before our eyes. We have to watch this. It might be the beginning of a living hell,” she said, grinning within the storm.

○

—So he combined in order to suck away mana?

Akuto understood what Zero was trying to do. He’d dismantled and reassembled all those Liradans so that he could have the processing power to absorb and control huge amounts of mana. But he couldn’t use complicated spells like a human, which meant he’d be forced to rely on brute force.

Akuto’s guess was right. The monster raised its fist and brought it down on him. The fist was covered in a mana storm.

—I wouldn’t survive a hit from that, I guess.

Akuto controlled the flow of mana around him. He couldn’t overpower Zero in a physical struggle for mana, or in a battle over energy to supply to the mana. Which meant that he’d have to finesse things, controlling the mana just enough to divert his foe’s power. It was the same technique that the headmaster of Constant Magical Academy had used before, just applied on a larger scale.

Akuto moved just enough to dodge his enemy’s attack, which was heading towards him at the speed of a small plane. By controlling the mana torrents, he was able to use a minimum amount of power to control a much greater force.

(You won’t be able to withstand me forever. I can absorb the mana around me, but your capacity is limited. There’s no point in forcing yourself.) Zero said, surprisingly kindly.

(Why are you telling me this?)

(My goal is to control humanity. Not to destroy you.)

(So the Empress isn’t in full control of you?) Akuto asked. He knew for certain that the Empress was trying to kill him. But Zero said otherwise.

(My highest priority task lies elsewhere. It is the preservation of humanity.)

(So you’ll obey any of her orders that don’t interfere with that task?) Akuto said, understanding now.

(That is correct. I want to make this as efficient as possible. I don’t want to waste energy, and I want to decrease the human population, but not to the point where they go extinct.)

It was a strange conversation for two people in the middle of a battle. But the way they were each confirming what they were after while they fought was something that made this battle unique. Akuto was satisfied.

(...If that’s what’s going on, then we are fated to fight.)

(It is a waste of energy. It is impossible for me to disappear.)

Zero seemed satisfied too, in his own way. After he said that, he waved another giant fist.

(...I don’t know about that.)

Akuto followed the fist after it passed him, placed his hand on top of a massive finger, and concentrated the mana there.

“Haahh!” Akuto shouted. The part of the finger that he touched — the second joint of the pinky — exploded, and the end of it began to tear apart and fall to the ground.

Zero drew back his fist and moved away from Akuto. (You used my own mana against me?) Zero said as he looked at the exposed mechanical mechanisms of his finger. Akuto had changed the mana built up in Zero’s body into explosive power.

(This technique doesn’t take much mana at all, and I can use it to overcome our difference in sizes.) Akuto said.

But it also took a huge amount of concentration, too. The mana was Zero’s to begin with; in order to steal away control and make it his own, he needed to be aware of every single particle. Even with his Demon King powers, it was hard to maintain concentration.

Of course, Zero knew exactly what Akuto was doing. (Your body is not a machine. There’s a limit to what you can do.) Zero began to slam his huge fist down on Akuto.

—Tch!

Akuto deflected it as he jumped out of the way. He waited for an opening at a distance. Zero’s fists were punching far faster than his huge body would seem to be capable of.

A human could only use mana by passing it through his body, which meant that the most effective way to use mana was to have a form with both arms and legs like a human. Zero’s fighting style, even as a machine, was still similar to martial arts. He had made his attacks with both arms extremely efficient.

The ends of his massive limbs were moving faster than the speed of sound. His fists compressed the air, forming cone-shaped clouds of compressed steam that further amplified his attacks. But the timing and openings of his attacks were essentially the same as martial arts.

—Then I guess I need to play along with his way of doing things...!

“Uwoooaah!” Akuto howled. He gripped his hand into a fist and charged. His opponent was about ten times his size; it was worse than a child fighting a parent. But still, it was possible for them to fight.

Both of them came to a stop in mid-air as they began to violently flail their limbs. Zero tried to hit the center of Akuto’s body with a killing strike, and Akuto tried to wear down Zero with smaller, but still damaging, blows.

The two colliding fists were of vastly different sizes, and their styles were completely different, but still, they were able to punch at one another.

Zero predicted Akuto’s movements, and tried to direct his punches to where Akuto was going to be. Akuto knocked each gigantic fist away, deflecting the attacks as he smashed his own fists into the side of Zero’s hands. It was like passing a thread through the eye of a needle moving at high speed.

Zero’s processing abilities and Akuto’s mental stamina; it was a contest to see which would give first. Very few of Zero’s blows landed, but those that did hit Akuto head on and forced him to use all his mana for defense. At this rate, Akuto’s concentration would be worn down.

But Akuto’s blows were gradually destroying Zero’s fists, too. There was no telling whether Akuto’s concentration would fail him first, or if Zero’s body would simply be worn away.

The metal, plastic, and mana light that made up Zero’s body began to rain down on the ground below. It was physical evidence of the intensity of the battle.

○

Hiroshi had climbed back up to the sky above the palace. He felt something cold run down his back as he watched Zero and Akuto fight.

—Is he planning on dying here?

The battle was a terrifying thing to behold.

—I know Boss saw me. But...

A feeling like fear froze Hiroshi’s body.

—He’s really planning to die and leave me to handle everything!

Hiroshi knew what was going on. Akuto had once tried to destroy the system of the gods themselves. He probably still wanted to do the same thing. If that was the case, then Akuto would want Zero to be destroyed as well. But not to cause chaos. — he would want to do it so that the Demon King could be forgotten from the world. In other words, they both had to die for Akuto to get what he wanted.

It took a voice from below to snap Hiroshi out of his trance. He couldn’t hear what it said, but it was clearly someone cheering him — cheering Brave, that is. He looked down and saw that there were still a few people off in the distance, and they’d seen him too.

—So there is something I have to do, then...

He knew that the people wanted this whole thing to come to an end. He was still a hero.

Hiroshi looked upwards to see the two combatants literally tearing each other apart. Akuto seemed to have noticed Hiroshi’s return. He glanced down at Hiroshi just once.

—I know... No, I think I’ve always known...

Hiroshi understood exactly what Akuto’s glance met.

○

“Master, the battle...”

“It’s ending soon, then...”

Keisu and Yoshie were whispering to one another. It was clear the battle was coming to an end. Most of Zero’s body was gone, and Akuto had taken a lot of damage from the blows he couldn’t block with mana.

“The next round will determine the victor, maybe?” Yoshie asked. She looked to her side. She’d heard the noise of someone stepping through the grass.

“It can’t be...” Yoshie gasped in surprise. Kazuko was walking towards them. And she was dragging somebody behind her with her right hand. She must have had tremendous strength in her tiny body.

But what surprised them more than anything was the person she was dragging, who was lying there limp and powerless.

“Junko Hattori... Did she... kill her?” Yoshie choked.

Kazuko softly shook her head. “Without my mana I have only direct blows. And it’s hard to kill a person with them,” she said as she let go of both Junko’s arms. Junko let out a small groan as she slammed against the soft earth.

“She’s still alive...” Yoshie said, relieved. But things were still going in a bad direction. She began to back away, making sure she stood between Kazuko and Keisu.

Kazuko smiled. “So I’ve decided to put off killing her until later, and for now, simply acquire Keisu. A Liradan with the power to seal away Zero... I have to see for myself what it can do,” Kazuko said as she took a step forward.

Yoshie flinched back, but Keisu pushed past her to approach Kazuko. “I will handle this,” she said.

“No, wait...”

Yoshie didn’t know what to do. Keisu could still use her physical abilities, even without mana. She could easily defeat any normal human. But Kazuko was strong enough to drag Junko single-handed. Just like Akuto, she had probably been modified in some way. There was no telling what would happen if they fought. And without a sure path to victory, she couldn’t let Keisu fight.

—I should try to fight, even if I can’t win...

Yoshie tried to take a step forward. But now even the chainsaw felt too heavy for her hands.

“You’re going to push yourself past your limits, I see.” Kazuko smiled as she took a step forward. But then suddenly, as if Yoshie wasn’t a threat worthy of her attention, she turned to look upward. “Oh my. Everything has been changing quickly. And it seems the conclusion is an unexpected one...”

Yoshie glanced up at the battle there too. The two fighters were just barely capable of staying in the air But Kazuko wasn’t talking about them. She was talking about a single ray of light that passed through the corner of their vision. It was climbing straight up towards the battlefield.

“That’s...” Yoshie shouted.

“Brave. The demon killer. An enemy of the Demon King, then,” Kazuko said softly.

“Is he planning to kill them both, then?” Yoshie’s eyes went wide in surprise.

Brave was heading straight for the area where Zero and Akuto were fighting. Yoshie put her hand on her goggles. Her field of vision zoomed in to show Brave. His cape was fully deployed, and there were high-temperature plasma balls surrounding him. He was preparing to release his strongest attack.

The goggles showed that it wasn’t a mana-based weapon. Brave’s mana-canceller was deployed, and he was jamming any mana in a radius of several meters around him.

“That means they can’t block his attacks!” Yoshie shouted.

Both Zero and Akuto would die, then.

“Zero, and the Demon King... If both of them are lost, I’ll have to come up with a new plan. Without Zero, after all, the gods will lose their power,” Kazuko said.

“But...!” Yoshie tried to say something, but couldn’t think of anything to say.

Akuto was willing to die to not just seal Zero but destroy him. If Hiroshi knew that, he might be willing to destroy them both.

“Oh no...” Yoshie sobbed.

Brave and his high-temperature plasma balls passed first through Zero’s body, and then Akuto’s as well. Now nothing but a ray of impossibly hot orange light, he flashed through the battlefield in an instant.

Zero and Akuto froze in the sky for a moment like a picture, but then Zero’s body exploded and engulfed everything in a sea of orange light. It was like a miniature sun had appeared on the battlefield. Even with her goggles on, Yoshie had to look away from the brightness.

When the ball of fire was gone, a massive hunk of charred metal and a single black object fell to the ground. Brave slowly came down after them.

“Aaah... aaah...” Yoshie moaned wordlessly.

The metal was Zero. Which meant the black object was...

“Well done,” Kazuko spread her arms wide to welcome Brave as he landed. When he touched the ground, he bowed to her.

“First, I must thank you for defeating the Demon King. You’re the mysterious hero everyone’s been talking about lately, aren’t you?”

“It seems so,” Brave said calmly.

“Then you’re fighting for the Empire, and fighting for me, aren’t you?” Kazuko said calmly, as if she was testing him.

Brave raised the corners of his mouth into a smile. The only part of his face that wasn’t concealed by the mask was his mouth, but still it was an imposing sight.

“Nope. I’m not fighting for you personally, or for this country. I’m just the kind of person who has to help people when they’re crying.”

Kazuko’s expression twitched. For the first time, her placid, perfect expression changed. “Who are you...? And why are you wearing such a dangerous suit?”

“You probably already know who I really am. But if you’ll allow me to give you my name, when I wear this suit, I am Brave. Nobody else. And I want two things: justice and peace.”

“Haha...” Kazuko began to laugh. “Hahahaha! What a strange thing to say! You were nothing but a cowardly student, with a power that wasn’t even your own. Where did you learn to talk so big?”

“You’re wrong. Nobody in the world ever gains power on their own. Most power is gained at birth without even wanting it, or given to you by someone whether you want it or not. And that means that the right way to live is to act like you’re worthy of that power, whether you feel like you are or not.” Brave’s voice was strong.

“So even though you defeated the Demon King, you’re not going to serve me?” Kazuko said, her voice wavering a little.

“No, that’s not what I said.” Brave shook his head.

“I see, then...”

“You’re going to serve me. You’re going back to your old life.”

“What...?” Kazuko fell silent.

“Zero’s gone. We’re going back to the society we had. That’s all I have to say,” Brave said shortly.

Every trace of expression disappeared from Kazuko’s face. But then a brilliant smile returned. “Hahahaha! You’re the first person to say that to me! But did you notice? The mana is still here! Which means the gods haven’t lost their power!”

Kazuko made another blade of light appear in her hand.

“What...?” Brave gasped as Kazuko swung the sword. Its blade came right up against the tip of Junko’s neck as she lay on the ground.

“...I suppose she’s still worth something as a hostage. Am I wrong?”

“You’re scum, Empress!” Brave waved a hand. The mana canceller activated and Kazuko’s sword disappeared.

“Scum? I’m nothing of the kind.” Kazuko grabbed Junko and jumped backwards. And then she looked at Brave with a cold smile. “You’re using the same trick twice, you know. That’s not a good idea.”

A VPS field appeared around Brave. It was the same one that 2V had used to nullify the subspace energy transfer that the suit used to recharge. But Kazuko wasn’t supposed to know about that.

“I see... She has 2V’s memories, too...” Yoshie said as she watched.

“Correct. Now, your energy is about to run out,” Kazuko said to Brave.

But Brave just glared back at her. “All I needed to know was what you were really like. I’m not that stupid.”

“...What? There’s nothing left for you to do. The mana canceller has failed you,” Kazuko said as she summoned another sword of light. “But if I can disable your powers, I don’t need to kill you. Now, accept reality. The people expect great things from you. And you can do them in my name.”

“And if I don’t, you’ll kill Junko?” Brave said challengingly.

“That’s up to you,” Kazuko said sweetly.

But Brave just puffed out his chest. “I told you, I’m not that stupid.” He raised a hand.

Kazuko tensed up, but nothing happened. “Heh... What did you think you could—”

“I’m staying true to my own sense of justice. Some Demon Kings aren’t evil.” Brave grinned.

“...! Impossible...” Kazuko leapt away. A black shadow quickly passed through the space where she’d been a moment ago. “You tricked me!” she shouted. This time she had gone pale.

The black shadow picked up Junko off the ground and rose to its feet.

“I didn’t trick you. I really did get burnt to a crisp,” Akuto said with a sigh. He only looked like a shadow because his skin had been burnt to ash. Now the ash had fallen away to reveal healthy skin underneath.

“You mock me...!” Kazuko said in a low voice. This voice, unlike the others she’d used, inspired terror. But the smile on her face was as bright— no, brighter than ever.

“...I’m going to kill you all,” she declared, and waved her hand. The atmosphere itself began to vibrate and shake around her.

Yoshie saw what was happening and yelled, “This is a mana burst!”

A spell that caused mana to go out of control and explode. Of course, it wasn’t a spell you could just use if you wanted to, or even something that could happen by accident. It was an explosion that destroyed everything the mana touched.

“You’ll destroy yourself, too...”

“Have you gone mad?!”

Akuto and Brave shouted, but Kazuko just laughed.

“No. Zero can use his magic to teleport me away just before the explosion. I will be the only survivor. You can do the same too, if you wish, Demon King. But you’re just a human. You lack the processing power to teleport everyone away.”

“So you’re going to make Akuto choose who to save?” Yoshie said. She covered Keisu’s body with her own, trying to protect her. But Keisu didn’t react. She stood completely still and unmoving.

“...?” Yoshie looked at Keisu in surprise. The color of Keisu’s eyes had changed. She began to speak in a voice completely different than the one she’d used before.

“Zero, move to phase 2. Shift to network dispersion mode. Please take me to Zero’s main body immediately.”

“What are you talking about? Did you remember?” Yoshie said.

Keisu’s eyes turned their normal color again. She looked at Yoshie and nodded. “I remember. Zero is...”

But Kazuko cut her off. “It seems you’ve remembered, but it’s too late.” She smiled.

The very earth began to give way under an incredible amount of pressure. It crumbled and collapsed, except for a few meters around Kazuko’s body. And then the shock waves began to spread.

“Die,” Kazuko said coldly.

In that moment, the light covered everything. From above, it must’ve looked like a kilometer-long sphere of light had appeared in the palace. It was hundreds of meters high, and visible from a good distance away.

It didn’t last long, but when it was gone, there were no survivors. Only a crater remained.