Vol 13 Chapter 2 (2/2)

Honey overflowed from inside Aine each time Kizuna’s thing went in and out.

Each time she was pierced fiercely, sweetly itchy electricity ran through inside her body.

Each time her depth was knocked at, light would burst in front of her eyes.

The pleasure that was like a storm made Aine’s mind hazy and she became unable to make any meaningful word.

Her body only reacted toward the impact called pleasure that Kizuna was giving her.

She didn’t understand anything anymore.

It felt too good,

It felt too blissful,

She thought that she didn’t care anymore whatever happened.

Streaks of light ran on the two’s skin.

The cores inside their chests were s.h.i.+ning brightly.

The two of them sensed with their faint consciousness that the climax would arrive soon.

They spurted toward the zenith without pausing.

Kizuna gritted his teeth and squeezed out his last strength.

What was left was only running to the end.

He sensed clearly that very soon there the largest and highest desire ever would well up from inside.

「Aine-!!」

「Ki-, Kizun!!」

The two of them stared at each other with teary eyes──,

They exchanged an intense and pa.s.sionate kiss.

–

──’I love you.’

–

Kizuna fired out his s.e.m.e.n into Aine’s depth.

「──────♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥」

The next instant, the two’s body was enveloped with radiance that could envelope the world.

–

Part 2

「Guh!!」

Hokuto blocked Thanatos’s Keraunos with Hakki Kirin. However she couldn’t endure the impact and got easily sent flying. She slid on the floor and rolled several times.

「Aah geez! My body won’t listen well to what I’m saying!」

Hokuto jumped back to her feet when her rolling momentum was falling.

When she looked behind, Nayuta was right there.

She was sent flying for several hundred meters from the attack just now. Her beloved sword Hakki Kirin that she relied on was getting cracked from that. Hokuto clicked her tongue.

「Hey, Nayuta! Kizuna isn’t finished yet!? Soon I won’t be able to hold out anymore you know!?」

Nayuta replied nonchalantly in contrast with Hokuto who was looking desperate.

「Please hold out for a little bit more.」

「Really, you’re speaking like it’s so easy!」

Hokuto went toward Thanatos once more with the cracked Hakke Kirin in her hand.

And then a mechanized angel was swooping down from right above Nayuta as though replacing Hokuto.

Nayuta looked up at that mechanized angel. Her look became grim.

Her current self had no power remaining to even defeat that kind of enemy. Nayuta understood that.

However, she couldn’t die yet.

Nayuta opened her mouth to call for help.

But faster than she could, there was a figure that was falling with speed that was like light. That silhouette pa.s.sed through the mechanized angel while bisecting it. The figure landed in front of Nayuta with a loud sound.

「Reiri……you saved me.」

Reiri lifted her blood soaked face and and glared at Nayuta.

「But our side’s exhaustion is also great. We won’t be able to hold out for long just so you know.」

Reiri stood up and swung the sword that she used to strike down the mechanized angel. The fragments of mechanical angel that was sticking to the blade was shook off and rolled on the floor.

A total of fifteen minutes had pa.s.sed since Kizuna vanished into the Entrance. Zecros’s armor was cracked, which told the intense battle that happened during that time. And then there was the blood flowing from Reiri’s body.

Yuris.h.i.+a and Sylvia became gun battery replacement. They were continuously firing bombardment without pause since the battle began. The enemies that cut through that barrage were crushed in the defensive line that was composed of Himekawa, Gravel, and Grace. The enemies that penetrated even that line were defeated by Hyakurath and Reiri.

However the mechanized angels were being produced one after another by Thanatos’s power. There was no end to them no matter how many they defeated.

If they weren’t powered up through Harem Hybrid, all of them would have died already around this time.

And then Hokuto and others who were directly facing Thanatos were also in a bitter situation.

「URYAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!」

Hokuto raised a war cry.

She evaded the light of destruction, Keraunos that Thanatos fired while closing the distance. And then she rotated Hakke Kirin and slashed.

Thanatos’s barrier of light deflected Hakke Kirin.

Red light immediately attacked Hokuto, but she skillfully entered Thanatos’s blind spot and took some distance.

「Really! Even though I won’t lose even against Thanatos if it was me when in active duty as machine G.o.d!」

Odin arrived beside the irritated Hokuto.

「Don’t complaint. We simply need to stop Thanatos with all our strength.」

She pointed Gungnir toward Thanatos and from the tip Gungnir’s offshoot became blue light and it was fired.

「Tsu──Odin, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d」

Thanatos dodged Odin with speed that looked like teleportation. However her evasion suddenly stopped and Gungnir pierced Thanatos’s arm.

「──Osiris huh.」

A wall that looked like piled up rock appeared in Thanatos’s way. Rocks were also piled up at her four sides in the blink of eye and they sealed Thanatos’s movement like a barrier.

「Even us are existences who were once machine G.o.d. If there are three of us, even if we are unable to win against Thanatos, we should be able to at least hold you back.」

Osiris and also Odin lined up beside Hokuto. The palms that they pointed toward Thanatos were s.h.i.+ning gold.

Hokuto took a stance with Hakke Kirin and took a step forward. She then pouted.

「The two of you have it easy because you two are just support, but it’s me who is fighting her directly at the front!」

Odin sighed ‘fuh’ and smiled.

「Aa, we are counting on you Hokuto.」

Osiris also sent her voice to Hokuto’s back.

「Really true. It’s really a blessing that you are here.」

「A, aren’t the mood of both of you too good!? Previously didn’t the two of you always treated me like a child and made fun of me!?」

Even while saying that perhaps she

perhaps she didn’t feel that dissatisfied hearing what they said looking at Hokuto’s red cheeks. Odin answered Hokuto’s complain boldly.

「The past is the past, now is now.」

Seeing such human-like conversation, Thanatos wasn’t angry, she was staring with eyes that were filled with gloominess.

「Right now the three of you are nothing more than parts that are operating abnormally……the three of you are only a waste of energy consumption.」

Thanatos’s wings opened and started to vibrate. Then a low metallic sound was resounding as though a huge machine somewhere was activating.

Osiris’s complexion paled.

「What are you planning to do!? Thanatos!」

「I judged that it’s inefficient to erase all of you one by one. I will erase all of you along with this world.」

Osiris immediately sent a gaze to Odin.

「No good! Quickly use the escape program!」

「Yes! I’ll take you all to my world temporarily!」

Odin stabbed Gungnir to the floor. However, it only caused crack on the floor.

「Wha……it shouldn’t be like this」

Thanatos’s eyes were s.h.i.+ning gold.

「The entrances you all used to enter are completely blocked. You are unable to come and go from my created world as you please anymore. I’ve applied a perfect protection.」

「Then, my──」

「The backdoor that Hokuto prepared has also been dealt with.」

「Lies-!?」

「I will erase the three of you along with those humans along with this world instantly.」

A part of the wings that was floating behind Thanatos which looked like the shape of sun was starting to s.h.i.+ne. Then, an eerie sound was echoing from somewhere.

The sky that looked like a dark starry sky was starting to whirl fiercely. And then a heavy ba.s.s sound that shook the body was resounding.

Osiris turned to Hokuto and spoke in panic.

「There should be a path for Thanatos herself to escape! Please search that!」

「I’m searching it already, but I cannot find it at all! Besides, even if I find it, allowing everyone here to escape with it is……」

「Kuh……」

Odin glared at Thanatos hatefully.

Osiris erased her figure from that place and teleported instantly beside Nayuta.

「Nayuta! Kizuna isn’t finished yet!?」

However Nayuta kept her mouth shut and didn’t reply.

Reiri came at that timing with an impatient expression.

「This is……what is happening!?」

Since this sound started ringing, it was like time stopped for the mechanized angels, their movements had stopped.

「Thanatos is intending to annihilate us along with this world.」

Hyakurath lowered her sword and looked around her.

「Then this sound is……AU Collision?」

Himekawa landed near Hyakurath with an anxious expression.

「Hyakurath-san! Is this, AU Collision!?」

「No……this is……something even more enormous……」

Even while they were speaking, the strange anxiety and feeling of urgency were growing bigger.

Yuris.h.i.+a pointed at the sky.

「Look at that! The sky!」

The sky that looked like a s.p.a.ce that was drawn using faint ink was slowly falling.

「The sky is falling desu!」

That sky was swallowing the mechanized angels that looked like they were stopped in time while falling toward the ground.

Gravel also lowered her Gun Sword and looked up to the sky.

「The mechanized angels are……getting annihilated?」

The mechanized angels that were swallowed by the monochrome sea were vanis.h.i.+ng like dust.

Osiris groaned and spoke with a grave expression.

「If we get swallowed by that……that will be the end. When the sky and land become one, everything will be annihilated.」

Grace lowered the scythe she used to cut down mechanized angels and let out a sigh.

「So……this is it.」

──At that time,

Crack ran through the falling sky.

That crack appeared at the faraway and then pa.s.sed through above them with an amazing speed. It was spreading until the end of the world.

「This……this is!?」

It wasn’t just the sky.

Crack was also spreading on the floor.

Furthermore even the empty s.p.a.ce had several cracks running through like a cracked gla.s.s.

Yuris.h.i.+a looked up to the sky and whispered.

「Is this……the end of this world?」

「Yes.」

Nayuta nodded. However her mouth was smiling.

「The temporary world Thanatos created is crumbling.」

Thanatos’s expression was making a perplexed expression so small that other people couldn’t notice.

「What……is this」

Bewilderment was mixed into her voice.

A phenomenon outside of Thanatos’s prediction was occurring. In this world where all objects and phenomenon should be reflecting her own will, something that was going against Thanatos’s will was currently occurring.

The cracks that were covering the whole world were tearing off and crumbling. And then at the other side of the torn off world, the appearance of another world was reflected.

「This is……」

The starry sky could be seen.

The next instant,

──The world was smashed all at once.

Amidst the raining down sparkling fragments, the full starry sky appeared.

There was ground under their feet.

Behind them was chalk white school building.

「This place is……Ataraxia?」

It was the academy’s schoolyard.

The place they were at before they were swallowed by the Entrance that Thanatoss created.

At the edge of the schoolyard, there was the figure of Thanatos along with Hokuto, Odin, and Osiris who were facing her.

Thanatos looked around her former comrades with a grim face.

「Is this……the work of you three?」

Hokuto shrugged with a wry smile.

「It would be cool if that’s the case.」

Golden particles were floating from her shoulders. Hokuto’s body was gradually turning transparent.

「Darn, so this is it. But well……I held out till the end.」

Hokuto turned to Odin and grinned. Then Odin also responded with a smile.

「Yes. We have accomplished……our last duty as machine G.o.d.」

Osiris also nodded with a deeply moved look.

「Yes, let’s leave the rest to the two youngsters, we are going back to our own world.」

Golden light particles also floated up from the body of Odin and Osiris. Their body was turning faint in the process of vanis.h.i.+ng.

「Wait, you all. What meaning there is in returning now? There is high possibility that this me will erase your worlds. Rather than that, lend me your strength once more. That is the most rational and the best option for the three of──」

The three former machine G.o.ds vanished.

Only Thanatos remained. And then──,

「You got rejected huh, Thanatos.」

Without anyone noticing there were two silhouettes standing in front of Thanatos.

「You two……」

「Hida Kizuna. I’ve just came back from the metropolis of the dead, death G.o.d.」

Kizuna grinned.

「Remember that it’s thanks to this Chidorigafuchi Aine.」

Beside him Aine was standing smilingly looking like she was in a good mood.

「Kizuna!」

When Reiri called his name, everyone also simultaneously called Kizuna and Aine’s name.

However Himekawa was pointing at the two of them with a red face.

「Bo, both of you……wh, why are you two dressed like that!?」

「Hm?」

Kizuna only noticed this late that he was rus.h.i.+ng here while still looking like when he was doing the Ecstasy Hybrid.

Aine also immediately hid her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and groin.

「Ki-, Kizuna! We’re putting it on!」

「──Yeah.」

The two of them looked at each other’s face and smiled.

「Zeros!!」

Aine’s body s.h.i.+ned white. The light then crystallized and created a l.u.s.trous beautiful armor. Blue light ran on the armor surface and circulated magic power into Aine’s body. This was Aine’s Heart Hybrid Gear Zeros.

And then Kizuna also called the name of his armor.

The reliable armor that had crossed the point between life and death many times along with him until now.

Even its name that made him ashamed at first felt splendid right now.

–

「Eros!!」

–

Black light gathered on Kizina’s body and whirled. Clad in jet black darkness, Kizuna took a posture of driving them away with his hand. The darkness solidified onto that hand and crystallized. An armor with black l.u.s.ter materialized on Kizuna’s body like the night’s darkness taking shape. And then beautiful pink radiance was emitted from the inside. The armor opened and that radiance was rus.h.i.+ng through his whole body along the aperture.

Although the shape was the same, it was clearly different from the Eros until now.

The magic armor that had acc.u.mulated endless evolution and many miracles was truly the armor of G.o.d.

Thanatos noticed that faster than anyone.

It had already surpa.s.sed the level of a failed experiment subject.

It was a dangerous existence that should be dealt with swiftly──such was her judgment.

「Then I’ll simply kill you once more.」

Thanatos pointed her left hand to Kizuna.

「──No, let’s test it one more time.」

She changed her mind and moved her aim from Kizuna to Aine. At that moment, red light surged out from Thanatos’s fingertips.

Keraunos that annihilated every material was deflected in front of Aine.

「What?」

There was surprised reaction on Thanatos’s expressionless face.

──’Keraunos, is blocked?’

The absolute light that annihilated the opponent. It was a light that was impossible to be resisted as long as the opponent wasn’t a machine G.o.d too.

It was deflected by a single human.

By this man who was wearing a black armor.

「I’ll protect her no matter how many times!」

Kizuna spread open his arms and stood protectively in front of Aine.

He was deploying a s.h.i.+eld of light, an absolute territory that blocked the G.o.d’s lightning.

「You insolent……-!?」

The instant Thanatos’s mind was diverted, a white shadow leaped out from behind Kizuna.

Thanatos immediately slashed with the sword in her right hand.

「HAaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

However the opponent’s hand slash snapped the sword.

‘Impossible.’

It was an attack that far surpa.s.sed Thanatos’s imagination. It was something that didn’t exist in his a.s.sumption until now or even in the data of the past.

Therefore Thanatos was unable to understand.

It was the powerless existence who could only get protected by the man before this.

It was also a useless existence that could only lament when the man died.

How could such woman able to snap a G.o.d’s sword?

「It’s this sword, that killed Kizuna!」

Aine’s leg sprang up toward the broken sword.

The light speed kick hit the sword that was snapped in the middle and pulverized it to pieces.

「……-!!」

Thanatos spread her wing and flew away.

It wasn’t from logic, it was an emergency escape to avoid danger.

A data that she witnessed for the first time. By itself it was something profitable. It was exactly whe she was seeking for.

However, he was unable to expose her existence to danger.

What Thanatoss should do was to form countermeasure from the battle data just now.

──But, the opponent would pursue.

If the opponent possessed the same power of machine G.o.d, it would be meaningless to just run around inside this world. As expected it would be best to drive out the opponent to another world.

Thanatos hovered still in the air and turned away from Kizuna and others.

A distance that human eyes couldn’t perceive. Kizuna and Aine were located at a spot even farther than the horizon. Thanatos’s world had the same spherical shape like a planet, so that was to say the two of them were below her feet, at the other side of the planet. Even though there was that much distance, Thanatos could sense the opponents’ existence. Right now they weren’t pursuing her. It looked like they were standing still.

Just what in the world they were planning?

When she thought that, she detected a terrific energy flying toward her from below.

A dazzling pillar of flame was piercing through the sea of clouds below her and reaching out toward the sky.

That light which possessed absurd destructive power came toward Thanatos by piercing through her world. It evaporated the sea of clouds with a single hit and burned one of Thanatos’s wings.

──’Impossible.’

Unlike her usual self, such illogical wording emerged in her mind.

When the sea of clouds vanished, it became clear that Thanatos’s world was a hollow world that only consisted of several floating islands. It only left the surface part of planet while all sea and the center part were completely removed. It was like a world of papier mache.

Aine was holding a gigantic cannon at the other side of that world.

Corruption Armament──Pulverizer.

The attack that was powered up by Ecstasy Hybrid blew away all the clouds that were filling Thanatos’s world.

「How’s that? Have you learned how strong I am now?」

「Aine, don’t let your guard down. Thanatos is still……hm?」

Several mysterious things were floating in the center of the world that was hidden by sea of clouds.

They looked like machine.

It was like looking at the server room of Nayuta Lab. Super computer, storage, all of those things were stuck to each other into a solid spherical form. In a glance, it only looked like a mountain of sc.r.a.ps.

Kizuna felt strange toward that ma.s.s.

「That’s……what could it be?」

It was a technology that looked humanly cla.s.sical which was terribly mismatched to be existing in the world of Thanatos who possessed the power of G.o.d. He didn’t understand the meaning of why it was placed in the center of the world.

「I don’t really understand but, how about sending one more shot?」

Aine aimed the muzzle of Pulverizer toward the mysterious machinery.

「──Eh?」

Thanatos was standing in the way as though to protect that junk.

「Interesting. It’s a match then.」

「Aine, wait.」

Kizuna stopped Aine from pulling the trigger and advanced toward Thanatos.

「Kizuna!? Wai-……it’s you who are letting your guard down!」

Aine followed behind Kizuna while still holding on Pulverizer.

Thanatos also showed no sign of attacking and allowed their approach silently.

Kizuna stopped when there were only a few dozen meter distances remaining.

After getting this near, he could see that the machinery at the center of the world wasn’t really working. It was literally a junk.

「Thanatos, what is that?」

However Thanatos kept silent while glaring at Kizuna. When he wondered if she had no intention to answer, Thanatos spoke in murmur.

「This is me in the past.」

「This is……Thanatos?」

「This is my oldest past appearance before reaching this point.」

This was Thanatos’s past. In that case──,

「Thanatos……you, were a G.o.d that was created by human?」

Thanatos looked like she was pondering for a while.

「I don’t know. That’s what I want to know.」

Thanatos stared at the old fas.h.i.+oned computers and storages behind her.

「I don’t know the existence that created me. That is the one and only physical existence of them.」

Her voice was filled with complicated feeling of Thanatos who normally didn’t show any emotion. Kizuna could feel something like that.

──’We who arrived in this world were forcible moved into a hastily made world was perhaps because she didn’t want this junk to get destroyed.’

「Thanatos. So even you have something that you treasured.」

「That’s not true. This is a hardware that I don’t need anymore. I have also finished copying all the data inside.」

「Then why?」

Thanatos didn’t answer that question. Or perhaps, she might be unable to answer.

「When I possessed awareness, organic life-form didn’t exist anymore.」

Thanatos began to talk about herself.

「My oldest memory was from before I possessed self-awareness. According to the information kept within the data storage, I was an artificial intelligence that was created by human race that existed in the past, it seemed I was called as artificial life-form.」

Aine asked Kizuna without taking her eyes off Thanatos.

「Kizuna, does she mean AI by that?」

「Perhaps……and then, why was that human race gone?」

「In a sense, it can be said that I killed them.」

「What?」

「The people who created me sought omniscience and omnipotence capability from me. They sought to know all phenomenon, to predict the future, and to constantly know the very best choice. In order to answer that expectation, I evolved endlessly. Before long I obtained the ability to evolve by myself even without a.s.sistance from human race.」

Kizuna understood how Thanatos was born.

Thanatos was an AI that was created by human race that existed in the past.

That AI evolved endlessly and became indistinguishable with G.o.d, that was Thanatos.

「When I became something that could grant that hope, I obtained awareness and ego. And then at that time mankind──wasn’t anywhere.」

Thanatos looked down with a gloomy look.

「There were a lot of 『G.o.d』 with the same power like me. Mankind used each 『G.o.d』 and continued to pursue their own benefit. The result of that──was the destruction of all living thing.」

Kizuna felt like he wasn’t hearing a story of the past but of the future.

「Mankind couldn’t use the power of G.o.d well, is that it?」

Thanatos was only trying to be faithful to her mission to the bitter end──that was what Kizuna thought.

「That’s right. But, that is simply my prediction of the past using uncertain data. That’s why it’s necessary to verify it. I created new world, created existence that most likely resembled mankind of the past, and made them evolve. Before long that evolution will surely trace back to my past. That is what will become my clue.」

Aine frowned.

「You said clue……for what?」

「How should a G.o.d like me evolve from now on. And then for the sake of once more creating the children of G.o.d that the G.o.d should work for.」

──’I see.’

Kizuna thought.

She had never come into contact with other people while possessing the power of omniscience and omnipotence. She was already within the ultimate solitude when she was born. She lived for the sake of filling that solitude.

In order to know what she should do from now on.

She sought for existence that she could call as parent that created her.

After all Thanatos’s reason of existence was to work for that parent’s sake.

She was searching for a meaning of her existence.

「……Thanatos. You won’t recognize as as the new children of G.o.d?」

「I cannot. The reason is because you all have obtained the same power like G.o.d. Excessive power will destroy one own self. That power will surely destroy yourself, and then you even try to kill me.」

「……I see.」

Thanatos’s words were heavy and couldn’t be denied.

However,

「You are mistaken on one thing, Thanatos.」

「What?」

「We won’t kill you.」

Thanatos’s eyes s.h.i.+ned golden.

Red radiance was circulating on her whole body.

「But, I will erase all of you.」

This would become the last attack.

Kizuna thrust both his hands to the front in preparation for the greatest Keraunos that Thanatos

Keraunos that Thanatos would fire.

Red light ran all over Thanatos’s body and it was gathering into both her arms and legs.

It became a large ma.s.s of light and created static discharge to the surrounding. If the handling was wrong, the power would completely destroy even this world that Thanatos was treasuring.

Even Thanatos herself was suffering from controlling it.

Her face warped and she was gritting her teeth.

It looked like the emotionless Thanatos was showing suffering, sadness, and pain.

「GUaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!」

Thanatos screamed.

It was a yell that sounded like she was letting out everything that she had kept hidden until now.

The red light that was gathering in Thanatos’s four limbs was released.

Kizuna instinctually sensed just how dangerous it was.

The scale was different from everything Thanatos had unleashed until now.

In the end, could his Life Saver protected Aine till the end?

Such anxiety crossed his heart for a moment.

Keraunos approached as though to widen that anxiety. The four vortexes of light were like four dragons made of lightning were attacking. It was truly the anger of G.o.d.

Aine leaped in front of Kizuna who was holding up both his hands to the front.

「Aine!?」

「Get back! Kizuna!」

A round part was floating behind Aine. Blue light spread out from there like a magic circle.

「I won’t let Kizuna get harmed anymore! I’ll protect you!!」

Aine exposed her body in front of the vortexes of Keraunos in order to protect Kizuna using her body.

And then,

「Code Breaker!!」

What she summoned was a forbidden armament.

The barrier that neutralized all magic power was deployed around Aine.

Keraunos clashed against Code Breaker.

The light that annihilated everything and the light that neutralized everything collided against each other.

Keraunos was shaving off Code Breaker, while Code Breaker was pus.h.i.+ng back Keraunos.

In front of Kizuna there was the back of Aine who was being enveloped by fierce flickering.

「Kizun!! I’ll protect you! That’s why-!!」

Kizuna responded to Aine’s voice.

He kicked on the air like he was kicking on the ground.

Kizuna instantly materialized beside Thanatos.

「──Wha」

Thanatos opened her eyes in shock.

And then Kizuna himself was also surprised at his extraordinary speed.

「You are──」

When Thanatos muttered that, Kizuna’s slas.h.i.+ng hand severed Thanatos’s right arm.

It wasn’t any special move or anything.

He was simply swinging down his hand right away.

And yet, it was astonis.h.i.+ngly easy.

The G.o.d’s arm was cut off.

Whether because of surprise or anger, Thanatos opened her mouth to say something.

Faster than she could speak out any words, Kizuna twisted his body and kicked Thanatos’s right leg.

「Guh!?」

Thanatos’s huge leg that was decorated with ornaments was blown away.

「──Such thing」

She tried to direct Keraunos that already had its might reduced by half toward Kizuna.

However at that time Kizuna’s figure wasn’t there.

「Where……-!?」

The instant she said that, an impact ran on her right arm.

Thanatos’s eyes caught her left arm that was rotating in the air and also her left leg next.

And then,

The opponent who had stolen both her arms and her legs from her was standing in front of her.

The new G.o.d whose body was clad in bewitching l.u.s.trous darkness and possessed intoxicating pink radiance within.

「Eros……is it」

Kizuna clenched his fist in front of Thanatos who was muttering deliriously.

「You can eliminate me……Eros」

Kizuna’s fist struck toward Thanatos.

It grazed at the side of Thanatos’s face and punched through the huge wings on her back. The divinely beautiful wings were broken into pieces.

「I told you right?」

Thanatos’s figure right now was no different than human after losing all her symbol as machine G.o.d. Kizuna carried that body that had become small in his arms.

「We won’t kill you.」

「Then──what is your intention?」

Thanatos muttered only that because she was unable to understand.

「Ask about that to Kasan.」

Kizuna answered like that. Aine approached him with a satisfied smile on her face.

「You did it, Kizuna.」

「Yeah. It’s thanks to Aine.」

Aine smiled a bit shyly, but also happily.

「Such thing……I was just──」

Aine paused for a moment, then she spoke with a forced tone.

「Fufuh, have you realized my greatness now?」

Kizuna made a taken aback expression, but he immediately played along.

「Yeah, you are really something.」

「If I have to say, I’m a princess.」

「Certainly, you are a princess.」

「No, G.o.d.」

「In a sense you have become one huh……G.o.d.」

Aine let out a chuckle.

「──But, things like that doesn’t matter at all.」

「Aine?」

「If I can be together with Kizuna, then anything is fine.」

Aine’s straightforward feeling seeped into Kizuna’s heart.

A feeling of contentness that couldn’t be expressed with words was spreading inside Kizuna.

「……Let’s go. Everyone is waiting.」

「You’re right. I want to see the frustrated face of Hayuru and others quickly.」

Kizuna smiled wryly while increasing his thruster’s output.

–

Part 3

At the outdoor testing site of Nayuta Lab, Kizuna, Rieri, the members of Amaterasu, Grace, Zelcyone, Gravel, Landred and others, the key members from each country were gathered.

All the mechanized angels that were attacking battles.h.i.+p Oldium had also been shot down, right now all he crews were boarding Ataraxia and each of them was resting.

The people gathered here were the representatives who were gathered in order to see the end of the battle with their own eyes.

Everyone was watching from distance at Thaantos who was laying down on the concrete floor.

There wasn’t any trace of Thanatos’s previous divine figure right now. Her beautiful wings had been smashed, and her four huge limbs had been destroyed and she was reduced into this appearance.

Beside her were Nayuta, Kizuna, and Reiri.

「Kasan, I didn’t finish off Thanatos and brought her here just as you instructed but……is it fine like this?」

「Yes, you did great.」

After saying that, Nayuta looked up at Kizuna.

And then she gestured with her hand to come and,

「Crouch down for a bit.」

She said.

Kizuna didn’t understand what she was going to do, but he obediently kneeled. Then, Nayuta’s hand reached out and caressed Kizuna’s head as though he was a little kid.

「You did well Kizuna. You have worked hard.」

The palm was too small and cute to be called a mother’s hand. However that warmth and gentleness was the very picture of a mother’s hand that Kizuna was imagining all this time.

「……Kasan.」

When he looked up, Nayuta’s eyes were moist with tears.

「……You are, a son I’m proud of.」

Tears suddenly spilled out.

Tears were falling off from Kizuna’s cheeks.

「E, eh……what’s with me.」

Even though until now no matter how hard it was he would do his best without crying.

Now he was crying this easily, furthermore it wouldn’t stop.

「s.h.i.+……s.h.i.+t. This is pathetic.」

Kizuna wiped his tears with his hand. However no matter how many times he wiped them, the tears kept spilling out.

When Nayuta took away her hand, she used her fingertip to wipe her teary eyes. And then she looked down at Thanatos on the ground.

Thanatos was looking up at Nayuta with empty eyes.

「Small G.o.d……I will begin regenerating anytime soon. If you are going to kill me, now is the time.」

「Do you want to commit suicide?」

「I am unable to stop my own function by myself. If there is someone who can possibly do that……that is also fine. Everything will return to nothingness.」

Nayuta nodded slightly.

「I understand. But, before that」

Nayuta’s fingertip sunk into Thanatos’s breast. It kept entering deeper until the wrist in the blink of, and then the hand grasped something and pulled back.

「I’m taking away the last data necessary for the reconstruction of our world.」

Golden jewel was s.h.i.+ning at the tips of Nayuta’s fingers.

「With this all the data has been gathered. It’s possible to restore the world.」

Joyful voice rose from everyone.

Grace looked up at Zelcyone and made a smile of satisfaction.

「Vatlantis will finally be restored now!」

「Congratulations, Grace-sama.」

Gravel and Landred also looked at each other’s face and smiled in relieve from the bottom of their heart.

「It was a long journey, but with this we finally will be able to return to our original world.」

「yes. There was also painful times but……there are a lot of wonderful memories too.」

Yuris.h.i.+a hugged Himekawa and Sylvia.

「We did it Hayuru, Sylvichan!」

「Yes……it’s really, grea……uh」

「Wait Hayuru? Don’t cry now.」

「It’s great desuuuuu~」

「Aah, geez. Even Sylvichan too, now isn’t the time to cry.」

Everyone looked at each other, exchanged words, and shared happiness with each other.

But Reiri’s face was staying grave.

「However if Thanatos recover, the same thing will happen. What are we going to do about that?」

Nayuta looked around at the faces of everyone who were watching from a distance and spoke.

「Thanatos is the rulebook of all the worlds. She is like the autonomic nerves of all the worlds. That’s why Thanatos cannot be killed. But there is only one solution.」

Reiri frowned.

「I have nothing but bad premonition but……try saying it. What kind of method it is?」

「I will replace Thanatos.」

That place fell silent.

「What?」

「I will succeed Thanatos’s role and liberate Thanatos with that. And then I will become the system that support the rules of all the worlds──」

「Wait a second!」

Reiri stopped Nayuta’s talk.

「Like that doesn’t it just mean that you will become Thanatos!? It doesn’t solve anything.」

Even while listening to the exchange between Reiri and Nayuta, Kizuna was unable to understand even a single thing of what Nayuta’s words meant.

「Kasan, what you said……what does that mean specifically?」

However Reiri was the one who answered that question.

「This woman is saying that she will become the system that support the rules of all the worlds! And she will do it as an omniscience and omnipotent G.o.d, an existence that is ruling over all the worlds!」

「……Kasan, is that right?」

Nayuta smiled kindly.

「I guess that’s right, I will discard my self as a living thing and become an existence that continue to protect the rules of all the worlds. I will become G.o.d both in name and reality while Thanatos will become a mere human.」

The happy atmosphere just now completely changed into something chilly. Everyone was staring at Nayuta with naked wariness.

Nayuta smiled rea.s.suringly.

「There is no need to worry. Thanatos’s failure happened because she has a sense of self. A mere system has no need for emotion or awareness or even memory. I will erase those when I switch with Thanatos. If I do that, I will become a mere system.」

「Eh……that means」

Kizuna asked hesitantly.

「Doesn’t that mean that Kasan’s memory will be gone? If that happen, won’t Kasan stop being Kasan?」

「Exactly as you say. Perhaps you will find it easier to understand if I say that I will become a machine that only repeat the action that is programmed into me.」

A s.h.i.+ver ran through Kizuna’s spine.

「Wait a second! Like that, I won’t be able to meet Kasan anymore, I also won’t be able to talk to you……besides, like that, you──won’t be human, won’t be a living thing anymore!」

「It’s just as you say.」

「Wha……that’s──」

「Stop s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g around!!」

Reiri interrupted from beside the dumbfounded Kizuna.

「What kind of thing you are prattling about as you pleased! If you are trying to run away sounding heroic──」

Nayuta put out a short sword that was s.h.i.+ning silver from her breast pocket.

「Here, Reiri.」

Reiri made a dubious face while receiving that short sword from Nayuta.

「What is this?」

「It’s a program to erase my consciousness and switch the existence of Thanatos and me. If you stab me with that short sword, the program will be executed. The way to use it is simple right?」

The short sword s.h.i.+ned coldly, reflecting Reiri’s faceon its blade.

──’Using this, at this woman?’

The hand that was holding the short sword was trembling.

「Didn’t you say a lot of times how you want to kill me?」

「Tha, that is……obviously. But……」

Reiri lifted her gaze and glared at Nayuta.

「Are you trying to make me……your daughter to bear the stigma as a parent killer?」

「My, you are recognizing me as your mother?」

「……Guh!」

Nayuta narrowed her eyes and stared at Reiri. That was the gaze of a mother who was thinking of her daughter.

「If you return to your original world, a role that is even harsher than before will be waiting for you. For the sake of that, this much decoration will be necessary.」

「Decoration……you say?」

The demon who secretly maneuvered in Vatlantis and tried to destroy the world by making the whole mankind as sacrifice. The hero who defeated that demon──that kind of decoration. What’s more I think it will be dramatic if it’s done by the actual child of the demon.]

Reiri glared at Nayuta and spoke threateningly with a low tone.

「Oi……you at least understand what is a good time or not to say a joke right?」

「That’s why, I’m thinking to let Reiri to kill me seeing that it’s you who want to kill me the most.」

「Don’t speak as you please!」

「You don’t need to get angry after this late. I always pushed the troublesome matter to your right?」

「You b.a.s.t.a.r.d──」

Nayuta lowered her voice so that only Reiri could hear her.

「……Or else, you want to make Kizuna do it?」

Reiri gritted her teeth.

「How far you are going to act selfishly……it sounds good when you say that you will become sacrifice for the sake of all the worlds but, in the end, this is just a suicide! Have you forgotten what you have done until now!? No way I’ll let you have it easy that simply!!」

Kizuna also spoke out pleadingly.

「Tha, that’s right! I also said it before right!? Kasan’s strength will be necessary for the recovery of the world after this! Even what happened in the past, if you atone by doing that──」

Nayuta made a pained expression and looked down.

「Yes……I remember. What I have done before this toward Reiri, Kizuna, and toward a lot of other people……I remember clearly even after turning into this appearance.」

「Then!」

「That’s why!」

Nayuta raised her face.

From her eyes,

Tears were flowing down without stopping.

「I……can’t endure it anymore」

Reiri and Kizuna could do nothing except staring at the face of their mother that they were seeing for the first time.

Nayuta showed a fragile smile and tilted her head.

「It’s really an irony. When I was a human I didn’t have any human emotion, when I became a G.o.d human emotion can be born inside me……even though, it would be great if it was the reverse.」

「……Kasan.」

The tears that had stopped was overflowing once more from Kizuna’s eyes.

Reiri’s eyes were also getting moist, even now it looked like tears would burst out from her.

「Is there……is there no other way, to save the world than that?」

Nayuta smiled while trickling tears.

「Yes. To save the world and……」

──’Above all else, to save you two Reiri and Kizuna.’

Nayuta swallowed back those words.

「──……」

Reiri kept holding the short sword while looking up to the starry sky.

Emotion that couldn’t be described was whirling in Reiri’s chest. She wanted to yell, to break anything and everything. Such desire was driving through her.

「……Nee-chan.」

Kizuna was looking up at Reiri with eyes that were swelling red.

「What?」

「I’ll, do it.」

Reiri strengthened her grip on the short sword.

「All this time I have been getting spoiled by Nee-chan. Even the unpleasant role, everything. That’s why……」

──’Kizuna.’

Reiri resolved herself hearing that.

Reiri bit her lips and turned her back on Kizuna.

「You think I’ll hand this over to you. I’m harboring long-standing grudge for this woman.」

「Nee-chan!」

「It’s an unexpected joy that I’ll be able to consign her to oblivion with this hand.」

Reiri kept her back turned on Kizuna and looked down on Nayuta.

Nayuta looked up to her daughter’s face and put on a consoling smile.

Reiri looked like she would burst out crying even now. She didn’t understand where she should throw this frustration, this anger toward the unreasonableness. She was making such face.

Reiri gripped the short sword strongly and placed it above Nayuta’s chest.

「Go without worrying about anything.」

「Yes.」

「I’ll take over the name of the second generation demon.」

Nayuta made a slightly troubled face.

「It’s fine even if you become angel you know?」

「That’s impossible. I’m……」

And then, she grinned.

「──Your daughter after all.」

Nayuta narrowed her eyes and stared at her daughter’s face.

「You’re really……a stupid child.」

「It’s sayonara」

And then, she added awkwardly.

「……Okasan.」

Nayuta opened her eyes wide and showed an astonished face. And then──,

「Thank you.」

She shed tears and smiled happily.

「That’s the best sent-off present.」

Reiri stabbed the short sword into Nayuta’s chest.

When the short sword stabbed Nayuta’s small body, strength left Nayuta’s body as though it was a string-controlled puppet.

Reiri caught Nayuta’s body that was going to collapse down.

「……This is」

Nayuta’s hair was changing into golden color.

In exchange, the hair of Thanatos who was lying down on the floor was changing into black. Even her face was changing into Nayuta’s face. And then her body floated lightly.

Kizuna looked up at that body and he reflexively called out.

「……Kasan?」

However that body melted into air and vanished.

「Nee-chan……Kasan was」

Reiri kept holding the girl who was once Nayuta and she looked up at Kizuna.

「Yeah……she went away.」

「I see……」

The two of them looked up to the starry sky.

They wondered where she was amidst that sky.

Even if she was actually somewhere there, it wouldn’t be the mother that they knew anymore.

Even so.

No matter where and in which world she was, they were connected with their mother.

Their world was existing meant that their mother was existing.

They were living under the protection of their mother.

When they thought of that, it gave them a little feeling of happiness.

「Unyu……」

The small body inside Reiri’s arm was squirming. The short sword that should be stabbed into that chest couldn’t be seen anywhere. There wasn’t even any wound.

The girl who was Nayuta once and now possessed golden hair and golden eyes was staring at Reiri in puzzlement. Her small lips opened and she murmured uneasily.

「Mama?」

Reiri made a dumbfounded face from the surprise she took.

「Good grief……that person pushed troublesome things to me until the end.」

She said that and smiled.

<script>