Chapter 96.1 (2/2)

The young man who had tried to save Narumi and died before her. Hiroto's wife had first talked to him after mistaking him for Amamiya Hiroto. This was the beginning of their relations.h.i.+p, soHiroto also remembered that there had been a boy who had a similar name to him.

“But Kouya, back then, he was already –”

“I know. He was an Undead. He was already dead and had turned into a dangerous creature. There was no way to turn him back into a human. That was why the only thing we could do back then was to grant him peace.”

At least in Origin, Undead were those kinds of creatures. They were monstrosities that twisted and corrupted the Mana around them. There were some cases where they maintained their personalities for a short while immediately after becoming Undead, but even then, there was no telling when they would become evil monsters.

A method of bringing people back to life didn't exist, so there was no way that there would be a way to turn an Undead back into a person.

That was why Kouya didn't regret the act itself of killing Amamiya Hiroto, nor did he consider it a crime.

“Still, we were supposed to be able to find him, but we couldn't,” he said. “I should have just asked the Oracle what we needed to do to meet him. But… for some reason, despite the fact that I asked the Oracle so many questions about our companions, it never told me about his existence.”

The companions that Kouya had asked about were defined as, “those who had reincarnated from Earth and received new abilities from the G.o.d.”

Amamiya Hiroto had indeed been reincarnated from Earth, but he had not received cheat-like abilities or anything else. That was why he had not been considered as one of Kouya's “companions.”

“It's best not to brood over it,” said Hiroto, putting his hand on the guilt-ridden Kouya's shoulder. “It's you who said that we are merely humans. Neither you nor the Oracle are omnipotent. Don't blame yourself.”

“But…”

“He died. We can't meet him anymore, nor can we apologize to him or have him forgive us. The only thing that we can do is to ensure that there are no more victims like him… victims born of research into death-attribute magic.”

The real problem was that the dead could not be brought back to life. They could not be talked to or anything, so they could not directly apologize to Vandalieu.

Even if they wanted to compensate his bereaved family, Amamiya Hiroto had no relatives or friends in Origin.

That was why if they felt guilty and were seeking a way to atone, they had to act to satisfy themselves, just as Hiroto was saying.

The idea of 'saving enough people to make up for the person who was killed.'

“… You're right,” said Kouya. “Since we can't bring him back to life, we have no other choice but to do that. What will you do about your wife?”

“Don't tell her. I don't want to cause her pain,” said Hiroto.

“Yeah, that's for the best,” said Kouya. “Even if we tell her, she can't meet him again. It's better for her to not know. That was something that could be said for you as well, but… I'm sorry for getting you involved. I kept quiet about it for as long as I could.”

“Don't worry about it,” said Hiroto. “The fact that we gained even the smallest amount of information about the death attribute means that there is a meaning to the battle we are about to face.”

If Kouya had asked the Oracle how to meet Amamiya Hiroto again, it would have given him a clear answer that they would meet the one who had once been Amamiya Hiroto after death, and he and Hiroto would have been able to deduce that there would be a “next” opportunity for them. But this thought didn't occur to them.

“… And now that I've learned this, I want to capture the members of the Eighth Guidance alive, no matter what,” said Hiroto. “Of course, for reasons other than those of the intelligence agencies. Because they are the last people Amamiya Hiroto saved.”

The Eighth Guidance… When Amamiya Hiroto had become an Undead and gone on a rampage in the secret research laboratory, he had saved the other experimental subjects. The Eighth Guidance was a criminal organization formed by those former experimental subjects.

“Back then, we didn't know the details behind that incident, and we ended up leaving their protection to an international organization. But we won't fail this time,” said Hiroto.

The members of the Eighth Guidance, which Murakami and some of the other reincarnated individuals had joined, were supposed to be protected by an international organization, but they had then been secretly exploited by that organization for further research into the lost death-attribute magic. They had escaped through their own efforts, and now they had been involved in several major incidents in addition to conducting acts of terrorism against agencies and organizations that were conducting research into death-attribute magic.

They were completely different from other criminal organizations; they were almost like a cult. And every other organization was targeting them, suspecting that they knew something about death-attribute magic.

“I've already asked if there is a way to save them,” said Kouya. “But it's going to be hard.”

“What was the answer?” asked Hiroto.

“… We have to capture Murakami and the others as soon as possible, or kill them. That was the answer. Murakami and the others aren't cooperating with the Eighth Guidance. They're going to use the Eighth Guidance and then betray them.”

Hearing this answer that was far more difficult that he had imagined, Hiroto pressed a hand to his forehead.

A G.o.d stood still with his eyes closed.

His appearance was that of a trinity consisting of an old man, a young man and a boy. So it would have appeared, but then these three, who were all carrying heavy books, turned into beautiful women.

The G.o.d's name was Ricklent, the genie of time and magic. Like Alda and Vida, he was one of the eleven G.o.ds born from the giants of origin.

He and one other G.o.d were G.o.ds with no gender and no fixed appearance like those of Alda and Vida; they were G.o.ds without form.

Ricklent opened his eyes and stared at Lambda, the world that he and the other G.o.ds had created.

“The prophecy has been fulfilled. Ark has returned,” he said.

“Is it not Zakkart?” asked another voice.

A four-headed lion had suddenly appeared in front of Ricklent.

“Zuruwarn, he is also Ark,” Ricklent replied.

The one with the form of a grotesque lion was Zuruwarn, the G.o.d of s.p.a.ce and creation. He was a being that existed everywhere and yet existed nowhere, ruling over s.p.a.ce.

“Indeed. He is Zakkart, he is Ark, he is Vandalieu and he is a violator,” said Zuruwarn. “Other than our reckless older sister and brave younger sister, have any others answered?”

“There are few other than Vida who have responded to my prophecy,” said Ricklent.

“What about our brother who has become violent and foolish?”

“Unknown. Zantark is too far separate from me.”

“Then what about our new brother who is honest and wholehearted?”

“He answered. But he is wandering somewhere and cannot be found.”

“I see. Then what will we do from now? I intend to curry favor with the violator.”

Hearing Zuruwarn speak these last words, Ricklent showed emotion on his face for the first time.

He frowned and gave a bitter smile. “You should not use that expression*. Neither she nor Ark would want that,” he said.

TLN*: The phrase for “curry favor” can also be used for a woman flirting with a man.

“Then you will not curry favor with him?” asked Zuruwarn.

“I will not,” said Ricklent. “I will cooperate with him in accordance with Ark's goal and humor him*.”

TLN*: This is really just another phrase for “curry favor.”

“So you do intend to curry favor with him after all, do you not?”

“Of course. He is a violator, after all.”

Long ago, Zuruwarn had suggested inviting inhabitants of a foreign world in order to save Lambda, which was in crisis due to the war against the Demon King. At the time, he hadn't actually said, “Let us summon champions.”

He had said, “Let us summon violators.”

Beings from another world who would violate and stir all kinds of domains, creating something new.

Destroyers who would break down the existing order, causing chaos as a new order was created.

Those who would shout good words while scattering evil, one who would destroy evil and carry out good.

These were what Zuruwarn referred to as violators.

Those with the knowledge, ideas and values from another world who could make possible even things that the G.o.ds themselves could not accomplish. Zuruwarn had wagered everything on such a being.

And regrettably, at this rate, he would lose that wager.

That was why he needed the violator who was Ark and Zakkart to do everything he could.

Although he was a G.o.d, he thought it was irrational that the violator would need to continue where things had been left off a hundred thousand years ago and carry the world on his shoulders again, however.

“The violator has not honored us because our subordinate G.o.ds are cooperating with Alda,” Zuruwarn said.

Ricklent and Zuruwarn's subordinate G.o.ds continued to exist, working under Alda, the leader of the remaining G.o.ds.

“They are our Spirit Clones that do nothing more than the work that is needed to maintain the world, but… it would also be irrational to expect a one-sided understanding from him, too.”

The G.o.d of seconds, the G.o.d of minutes, the G.o.d of hours, the G.o.d of the front, the G.o.d of points, the G.o.d of depths and the G.o.d of the behind. These were the G.o.ds who had been given the role of supporting the concepts of time and s.p.a.ce, maintaining the s.p.a.ce attribute. But their true states resembled advanced artificial intelligences.

A hundred thousand years ago, the world needed to be maintained whether Alda or Vida emerged victorious, so Ricklent and Zuruwarn, who were currently more than half-asleep, had ordered those subordinate G.o.ds to not partic.i.p.ate in the battle.

As a result, even though they had remained neutral, the myths had depicted them as being among the G.o.ds who had supported the victor of the conflict, Alda.

From the perspective of the violator, Vandalieu, Ricklent and Zuruwarn were not definite enemies, but it was unlikely that he would think of them as allies, either.

And if they continued acting as if they were pulling the strings behind the scenes, he might mistakenly think of them as enemies.

Thus, it was necessary for them to make him aware that they were allies, even if they needed to strain themselves a little.

“With that said, we cannot do anything significant,” said Zuruwarn. “We have lost our power. I in particular must do many things in my powerless state.”

“It does not have to be significant,” said Ricklent. “The violator himself will do significant things. He is the one we are antic.i.p.ating great things from. As expected of Ark.”

“There is Zakkart as well. But I am in agreement. He has reproduced the ramen, miso and soy sauce Zakkart and Ark could not. At this rate, curry will be not far behind.”

Ricklent experienced the pain similar to having one's bones gouged out while Zuruwarn felt as if his organs were bursting as both of them 'cooperated' with Vandalieu.

“Whether this will be made use of will depend on him,” said Zuruwarn.

“It will depend on him, but either way, he will create something new,” said Ricklent.

And then Zuruwarn vanished and Ricklent returned to gazing continuously at Lambda.