Magika no Kenshi to Shoukan Maou

Volume 12 Chapter 1 - Trigger of Passion (Part 1-2)

Part 1

The land that appeared on the sea northeast of America wasn’t small like an island and wasn’t big like a continent. It seemed suitable to call it as a [small continent]――that was what was reported.

America deployed an investigation fleet and aircrafts.

The investigation group approached the unknown small continent <Atlantis> from two ways of the sea and the sky.

What was awaiting them was a very thick <magic power cloud>.

When they arrived until the coastal waters of Atlantis, the ships and aircraft of the investigation team were all enveloped by magic power cloud so thick that they couldn’t even see a few steps ahead. It was like they were enveloped by glittering cotton candy tinged with blue magic power light.

Even so the investigation team pushed through the magic power cloud and advanced.

Inside the magic power cloud, not to mention devices like radar, even sensing magic was obstructed. The dread and anxiety that the investigation team felt wasn’t something superficial.

On the path of the investigation team that advanced while mustering their courage, a wall of steel with black luster stood toweringly.

The surroundings of Atlantis was encircled by a wall like a fortress.

Over there was a [rejection] to the degree that made them stand petrified.

The investigation team attempted to destroy the wall. The missiles loaded inside the aircrafts, the summoning magic of the Magika Stigmas boarding the ship――however, there wasn’t even a micron of a scratch inflicted on the wall from those.

There was no other conclusion they could make except that it was impossible to destroy this wall.

When they looked up at a loss, the wall was continuing high without end――it exceeded the troposphere that was the height limit for aircrafts and reached until the stratosphere. At a height more than that the engine couldn’t burn the air, the aircrafts couldn’t fly properly there.

In addition, far higher than the troposphere, the air became turbulent like countless serpents rampaging around.

Rejection. The extremely hard wall, and the rampaging lid of turbulence.

There was no other conclusion that they could make other than that it was impossible to infiltrate.

……However just how in the world was this kind of wall made?

It obviously looked like something man-made. However there had never been a confirmed case of a man-made thing generated inside a <Haunted Ground> that was created from a distortion of the world. This was not something generated by the effect of natural magic power like a Haunted Ground.

Was this a wall made by someone?

Then, was there someone inside? An existence, that surpassed human knowledge was……

The investigation team finally surrendered to the terror they couldn’t resist and returned back to their country……

“Resist it you idiot. Making a face and a voice from X-files like that, are you screwing around?”

Clark Moore sent a yakuza kick toward Ridley Spielberg that was making her report with an eerie voice that was like making an acting performance.

“This is my natural face and voice~……” Saying that the blue skinned petite girl, Ridley let out a pathetic voice.

“It’s only you who are a Magika Stigma that got chosen by her Diva only because of your face and voice.”

Clark mercilessly said so, making Ridley become teary eyed while saying “How cruel~”.

One of the Numbers, Ridley was the one leading the investigation team. At the battle against Japan, she was one of those Numbers who were defeated by the favored princesses of Kazuki without even displaying any good aspect of theirs.

Clark was listening to that report inside a patient room.

Kazuki and Arthur were also let to attend with her.

“Ah, just now, the brain waves reacted.”

When Kazuki said that, Clark vigorously turned around to the direction of the bed.

On the bed, Jeremy Barrett was lying down.

She was connected to countless life preservation equipment, so to speak she was in the condition of [spaghetti syndrome].

“I wonder if it’s because she heard Clark’s cheerful voice.”

“……Really, what a hopeless girl. If I’m not at her side, her condition will quickly worsen. Thanks to that I got to do my work in this kind of place.”

When <Wakan Tanka> came attacking, Jeremy saved Clark’s life using a bullet that was infused with her own life.

It looked like Jeremy staked her life, but her life was just barely holding out.

Jeremy tried to put all of her life inside the bullet but――her survival instinct ignored her will and made her hesitate. The instinctual fear of death obstructed the complete activation of that magic.

The girl feared death naturally, she was a human. Not a loyal doll.

[Dregs of life] that didn’t manage to be put into the bullet let some of the girl’s mental energy remain in this world. The newest medical science of the minds of America scraped those together, joined them into one, and attempted to heal her.

However she still hadn’t recovered her consciousness yet.

Clark started the work of America’s rebuilding in the patient room of the girl, she peered into Jeremy’s face with a gentle expression sometimes between her work, clutched Jeremy’s faintly warm hand, and swung from joy to sorrow at the slight change of the brainwaves displayed on the monitor.

In a glance, Clark looked expressionless, but being at her side one could definitely understand her emotion.

To that figure Ridley’s eyes moistened while saying “Boss……”

“If your report is finished then get out right away.”

Clark kicked out Ridley to the corridor.

“Give that kindness to me too~” Ridley rushed out while crying.

“So it’s impossible to infiltrate whether using ship or plane……” Kazuki who listened to the report from the side turned to Clark while thinking of an idea.

“Can we detect the coordinates from the space and land inside the wall by breaking through the atmosphere? If it’s with America’s science technology then…”

“Aiming at the small continent where civilized machines don’t work due to the magic power cloud and breaking through the atmosphere where there are unknown turbulence’s inside. That’s quite a funny joke, Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

“No see……it’s important to at least say our opinion even if it’s just an idea right……”

Kazuki got dejected to have his careless idea cut down by Clark without any hesitation.

The reports said that the turbulence had regularity that made one feel the artificiality of humans in it. Even if they dropped down from space aiming at Atlantis, surely they would be repelled back outside.

It felt like the artificiality of a human……

“In other words there is a [manager] in there……?”

When Kazuki said that to himself, Clark and Arthur nodded.

In the first place everything of that small continent was artificial. When the Kings were born in all the magic advanced countries, the stage for those Kings to fight each other floated up from inside the sea. That was the arrangement.

There was the feeling that this was based on the script of someone, that everything was on purpose.

Was illusion guiding the world like that? Was the human’s shared unconsciousness throughout the world looking for the [ultimate stage] for the battle between the seven advanced magic countries to decide the supreme mythology?

No, certainly that power of illusion was vast. However, it shouldn’t be possible for a vast magic power to manifest something this concrete due to the collective unconscious.

――There was no doubt that there was an existence like the <agent> of the illusion.

The person who created this situation was……

“There is an intent in this situation. Nevertheless, if we cannot go onto the stage of the decisive Atlantisbattle, that means right now is still not the time.”

Arthur opened her mouth.

Was there still other necessary requirements for the sake of opening the curtains of the decisive battle?

Was it okay to merely wait for that?

“My bad, Hayashizaki Kazuki. I said that America will cooperate with Japan, but I cannot move from here. It’s not just for the sake of this Jeremygirl……”

“I understand. Right now there is just too much that needs to be done in America after all.”

“It seem that the American Justice Mythology also lost its strength. We became unable to believe in ourselves. We have to restart from zero in order to learn the correct self-respect.”

The correct self-respect……it was an expression he heard for the first time, but it resounded heavily in Kazuki’s chest.

Whether it was for an individual or for a country, it was something extremely important that sympathy naturally welled up inside his heart.

“It’s fine that you don’t come along to Atlantis but, don’t you neglect your little sister.”

Clark made a bitter face.

“I understand. ……But that girl, even now she seems to be anxious about the future of the world so when I consoled her by saying [It will be fine because that guy Hayashizaki Kazuki will win and do something about it somehow], she only got exasperated with me saying [You really became irresponsible didn’t you?].”

Clark murmured as if she was bothered more than necessary by what her little sister told her.

“Until now you had been carrying too much burden on your back right.”

The leader of Indian Mythology <Medicine Wheel> aka Emily Moore was a girl who was completely absorbed in Indian Mythology from her fear towards the other magic advanced countries.

Rather than calling it faith it was closer to an escape.

In the first place Emily seemed to fear her big sister Clark.

The big sister that shouldered everything alone, trying to solve everything by dirtying her hand using every kind of method alone……

Rather, that big sister even became the boss of a gang……

There was no big sister as hard to approach as this one. Certainly it was scary. Too scary.

However, the current Clark had the air that was easy to talk to, that was what Kazuki was feeling.

Liberated from a heavy pressure, it looked like severity was naturally taken from her expression. There was no doubt that it was a good sign for her shrinking the distance with her little sister.

“I too wish for your victory. ……Entrusting my destiny like this to other people is the first time since I was born but, being carefree is something good huh.”

Clark said that while gripping Jeremy’s hand with a relaxed and open expression.

If it was this kind of Clark, then she could be honestly thought of as a lovely big sister.

He arrived at America to look for comrades he could fight together with, but that objective ended in nothing. Clark couldn’t accompany Kazuki to Atlantis, she would stay in America.

However, his chest was lit with a warm feeling of satisfaction that told him that it was fine like this.

Leaving behind Clark, Kazuki and Arthur exited the patient room of Jeremy.

All the patient rooms lined up in the corridor had names written on the door plates. The Indians who fell in magic intoxication were hospitalized and now there was not a single room that was empty.

But they were safe. When <Wakan Tanka> was dissolved, a share of the magic power forming it that came from the humans who were still alive returned back to their original owners.

“I keep being the one asking the question many times like this, but…”

Kazuki started to talk in the empty corridor while walking.

“I don’t mind.”

“What is the meaning that Basileus Basileon is still alive?”

Loki who came to America to make his proclamation of war said something like that.

[Basileus Basileon is alive huh] ――he said.

That was a fact that overturned the common sense of the people all over the world.

But……certainly that wasn’t something strange.

It was said that the corpse of Basileus Basileon was never discovered.

Manager. If there was an existence like a manager for this kind of situation then……

“Yeah. Basileus Basileon is alive……and also sometimes he showed his appearance in front of me, he gave me advice, of what action that I should take.”

With regular shoes sound *katsun katsun* breaking the silence as BGM, Arthur answered.

Arthur was the one taking Kazuki to America. Perhaps there was also the will of Basileus Basileon in that.

Hrotsvit had once mocked Arthur saying that she [pretended to be the manager of the world] but……that might not be far off from the mark.

Kazuki pulled the hand of Arthur not towards outside the hospital but towards the courtyard.

The courtyard that was formed in a rectangle shape between buildings conveniently had no presence of humans there. Or perhaps it should be said that the hospital itself was deserted. Perhaps that was because most of the patients here were unconscious in magic intoxication.

“What kind of person that Basileon is?”

“……Even I don’t understand. Because he wasn’t going to say anything more than necessary.”

How could she willingly obey someone whom she didn’t even understand what his true nature was?

However, Basileus Basileon was a great man that originated from Britain. It couldn’t be helped even if Arthur held a feeling that was nearly a faith in that man which made her want to obey him unconditionally.

“Is he human?”

“He had a real body. In any case……currently, if we cannot land on Atlantis, we should wait for a while. There should be an explanation from his side without fail.”

There was an explanation……

“What do you think about Regina’s case?”

“……It seems that the report is not mistaken. According to Robin Hood’s intelligence, it seems that Regina’s aide, the magician Vera Garibaldi succeeded the seat of King.”

“Succeeding the King? So it’s not the end when the King got killed?”

“In the case where there is the existence of a <semi-chief god> that possessed strength ranked after the chief god in that mythology, the semi-chief god can inherit the strength of the chief god……I have heard that before. If it’s her contracted Diva Poseidon, then surely he has the divinity to succeed after Zeus. His status is different compared to the other Divas of Greek Mythology.”

Semi-chief god……it might be an existence like what Susanoo is towards Amaterasu.

Susanoo was an existence that quarreled against Amaterasu, but at the same time he had the strength that could possibly become King.

“But that’s reckless. Vera is also an excellent magician, but even if she became a King in this eleventh hour, she won’t be able to use the authority of King skillfully.”

Just how much effort Kazuki needed until he could skillfully use the power of Solomon Mythology and Japanese Mythology. Thinking about that, it was only something natural.

“According to what Robin Hood witnessed……Regina pursued the retreating Loki, Fu Xi, and Ilyailiya, however because Hrotsvit didn’t follow her step and withdrew, Regina became isolated in a three versus one instead. She received fierce counterattacks in that situation and sunk into Dover Strait while in magic intoxication……after that she didn’t rise to the surface, that was how it went.”

If she became magic intoxicated while falling into the sea, in other words.

“She is dead, that Regina?”

“Even Vera that succeeded the throne declared in her country that Regina couldn’t be discovered.”

“What kind of character is that Vera Garibaldi?”

“I think her character is similar to one of your comrades called Yagumo Akane. She wears glasses, a lovely girl with curly blonde hair. She has the role of the peacemaker in the knight order of Italia where the members are excessively strong willed with Regina as the first on the list. She is a strong child that will fight to the end no matter what happens.”

“Isn’t there also the possibility that she is pretending to be dead?”

“For that highly proud Regina to do something like [dying by drowning], she won’t say anything like that even as a lie.”

“Indeed……it’s hard to imagine her doing that.”

But if in the case that everything was a trick, perhaps it would invite an unthinkable situation.

Kazuki kept the possibility in the depths of his heart for the sake of his peace of mind.

“What kind of person is this Robin Hood?”

<Robin Hood>――he shouldn’t be an existence that was directly involved with the knights of the round table.

“Robin Hood, she……is an existence that acted as the counterpart of King Arthur. King Arthur is the role model that displayed the noble way of living towards the aristocrats and knights, in contrast Robin Hood is the rebel that attacks the authority as the proxy of the people’s dissatisfaction. In other words a Diva that belongs under the Chaos Side.”

Kazuki tilted his head. It was curious that Robin Hood who was a Chaos Diva was doing work like a spy of King Arthur. From the story he heard Robin Hood was doing a great job like a skilled intelligence operative.

“Robin Hood is my enemy but also my ally. The truth is that the mythology we are believing in is not completely devoted to Order as the ideal. It’s similar to you and Ilyailiya.”

Which reminded him, he still didn’t have any deep talk with Arthur, about what kind of belief Arthur and her group had.

……He unconsciously avoided it. Towards Arthur who he felt affinity with and where they were in the middle of becoming friends, he feared to directly find out about the absolute gap of the sense of values between them.

“The two mythologies of [King Arthur and the knights of the round table] and [Robin Hood] had supported the history of ideology of Britain as the two sides of light and shadow.”

Arthur began to talk indifferently to the discord inside Kazuki’s heart.

“Since the ancient times the aristocrats of Britain held faith towards King Arthur as the ideal of chivalry. In contrast with that, the people held Robin Hood’s down-to-earth guts as their foundation of self-respect.”

The ideal Knight of King Arthur and the gutsy rebel Robin Hood that was the proxy of the people’s dissatisfaction.

It was certainly a relationship that could be called as light and shadow.

“……The aristocrats that revered King Arthur carried out faithful governance with chivalry. A perfect rule as someone who stands on the top. However, even so the people [harbored the dissatisfaction to the fact that they were ruled], again and again they rose in revolts. And then it is a strange story but……even the aristocrats that habitually [piling up frustration of being tied by chivalry] felt refreshed by suppressing those revolts. The people too after being severely suppressed felt refreshed from rising in revolt itself. They felt that they had raised their voices like a proud and loud voice like Robin Hood, that they weren’t existences who were just simply being oppressed without doing anything.”

“……That’s like a farce.”

“Letting off steam is needed in moderation. In Britain these two mythologies were passed down since the ancient times and spread as the model for the people, due to that the balance of the hierarchical society was nicely preserved until now.”

Speaking of Britain, the country was said to be a country of stereotypical hierarchical society.

But there were actually these two mythologies at the root of it?

The successive generations of rulers in Britain were spreading mythology literature of [King Arthur] and [Robin Hood] as the representatives of the country, with that the absolute hierarchical relationship between the aristocrats and the people was maintained.

“My ideal is also something like that. Just like Regina said, if the resources of the earth is limited then the equality of all the population of earth that keeps increasing won’t be able to continue. I……give up. A gentle hierarchical society that controlled the selfish desire of humans. That is the government shape that I am aiming for. It’s by no means equal but……the knights with high social class is tied by chivalry, with that they impose good a government on the people. Then the dissatisfaction of the people and the knights that are born from that will be vented out in [a revolt on the level that absolutely can be subjugated] caused by Robin Hood. We can curtail excess civilization by means of chivalry, and we can also maintain the environment of the human race and the earth for eternity……”

Equality absolutely wouldn’t come.

Conflict absolutely wouldn’t cease to exist.

The desires of humans absolutely wouldn’t be curbed.

Arthur’s ideal had such resignation as its premise.

It was an ideal that tried to at least keep down the damage to the minimum by clever venting of dissatisfaction.

“……I think that is something akin to tricking a kid.”

Were human unable to do something of that level just as they were right now?

“That’s because you believe in humans.”

Arthur immediately replied back. This was an argument where it didn’t seem like the two sides could reach an understanding forever.

“……But by getting to know you, certainly, a change occurred inside my heart.”

Arthur said to herself while putting her hand on her chest as if to suppress the pain there.

“My contracted Diva……Arthur Pendragon too, somewhere he can’t help but feel the thinking of wanting to believe in humans. King Arthur is……while being someone who is sublimed into a Diva, he is wishing for destruction of humans. Perhaps that is only natural. After all the knights of the round table, they were a gathering of people that while wishing for the unattainable ideal of chivalry, yet they couldn’t win against humanity’s fierce emotions――against love.”

A mythology where the order that was an [unattainable ideal] was defeated by the [chaos that was love]――the mythology of [King Arthur and the knights of the round table] might be something like that if it was expressed in a sentence.

“That was why I lived by falsifying my gender. So that the upsurge of my heart when I ran together with you on the battlefield, won’t swell out even more than this.”

“Isn’t that sad?”

“……Throwing away something is the essence of order you see.”

The smile that Arthur showed at this time looked like something self-torturing.

“I’ll win against Arthur, and make Arthur and King Arthur believe in this thing that is called human.”

Arthur partly closed her eyes and chuckled, not in self-torture but with a natural laughing voice.

“Are you intending to add me too into your harem?”

“N, no, that’s not what I mean though……”

He was made fun of on top of having the true character of his strength seen through. He guessed that it was only natural for it to get exposed after acting together until this far. However he felt just a little bit embarrassed.

“But, I guess……if there will be someone else other than me that is going to win, then I hope that winner is you.”

“I also feel the same.”

Arthur held one of her hands to Kazuki.

He grasped that hand and they shook hands.

……It was the soft palm of a female. As he thought Arthur was a girl.

“You were a half-baked king when I first met you, but you accomplished a shocking growth that I couldn’t even imagine. Two mythologies piled up under you…… The affinity between the two abilities is also good. It’s like a miracle. It can be said that the current you is a King with quite a high ranked strength even among the seven advanced magic countries I guess.”

Kazuki got a little taken aback, he stared back at Arthur’s eyes.

However Arthur’s gaze that lifted up tensely, was completely filled with seriousness.

“I respect you. As an alliance partner. And then as a rival.”

While shaking hands, she said that strongly.

In the case that both of them won through until the end, their relation would surely become that of a battle.

A future where he fought Arthur.

Kazuki suddenly recalled the time when they fought together against Medicine Wheel.

When Arthur received the [magic of death illusion] from Medicine Wheel, even though she stood back up but she took more time than Kazuki.

Perhaps Arthur’s weakness was illusions.

Even the knights of the round table in the mythology, while they showed overwhelming valor, but surprisingly there were many scenes where they were deceived by the ominous witchcraft of the witches like Morgan and got subdued.

Arthur had cautiously acted until now so that she wouldn’t show the scope of her power, but in that battle where she cooperated for just that once, didn’t she actually expose her weakness to Kazuki there.

Arthur’s strong point was in close range battle due to Excalibur, but if it was a close range battle using swords then Kazuki didn’t have any intention of being outdone. And then Kazuki had comrades that could use illusion magic. Kazuki himself also could use the magic of those comrades. He could compete against her strong point while prodding at her weakness.

Among all the Kings, Arthur was the first opponent he could certainly fight with advantage at his side……that was how it became.

When their hands separated, Arthur’s expression clouded with a somewhat downcast look.

“I will return home to Britain for the moment. The next time we meet……it will be at Atlantis.”

When he went back to hotel Yggdrasil, an unfamiliar woman was awaiting in the middle of the corridor towards his room. A woman wearing a green mantel and hat.

――It was undoubtedly Robin Hood. She was tall and thin for a woman, her eyes couldn’t be seen because of the wide brim of her hat, but her glossy lips looked adult like.

Those lips grinned when Kazuki finally arrived.

“There is only one thing, that I want to convey to you.”

The girl approached Kazuki without any sounds of footsteps and whispered into his ear with a graceful and small voice.

“If Arthur Basileus is defeated by the hands of any other mythology, her life will be forfeited due to her pledge.”

The inside of his head became blank, inside his mind the meaning of those words were carved really deeply.

Robin Hood smoothly passed through besides Kazuki and went away from him. It was a cool feeling as if a ghost had passed him by.

“What is your intention!?”

Kazuki recovered from his stiffening and turned back before calling out at the distancing away green mantel.

“I am not tied by chivalry. I’m someone who wishes for Britain’s victory no matter what method I have to use.”

The green hunter aimed at the most na?ve place in Kazuki’s heart.

The pledge of Arthur entwined just like a curse at Kazuki’s heart.

He understood Arthur’s weak point.

But it turned out that Arthur would die if he defeated her.

When the time came……could he fight without hesitation he wondered.

Part 2

The place was a gorgeous hall of audience, decorated in red and gold.

Worthy for the emperor of China, a space that was the most luxurious and gorgeous in the world.

On the throne with a relief of a dragon climbing to the sky on it, was Fu Xi sitting snugly.

Countless people were prostrating in her presence.

The subordinates of Fu Xi, a hundred elite of China’s knight order.

The cooperation of the Chaos side that was Loki and the others――the Loki Einherjar.

And then there was also Ilyailiya.

Like this, it was like Fu Xi was the leader of their alliance that was being obeyed by Loki and Ilyailiya as well.

However in actuality those two only did this because they understood that doing this would put Fu Xi in a good mood.

“Well then you bastards, how about we review about each force before the final battle.”

Loki clapped his knee sharply while saying that.

Ilyailiya was clapping to that expressionlessly. She also understood, that reacting like this following the atmosphere would also make Loki to be in a good mood.

They were in the process of understanding each other in their own way――though there has yet to be any real bond between them.

Being encouraged by Ilyailiya, Loki started speaking fluently.

“First is the Germans. A militant country that loves invasion. However, because in Europe they were surrounded by magic advanced countries and kept in checked by the surroundings they could not act as they pleased. Even so with the eloquence of the King Hrotsvit they rapidly annexed the small countries and their surroundings with reason. Now they are in possession of ruled territory even wider than Britain, Italia, and Russia. The battle experience of their knight order is also voluptuous next after China.”

“Fufufu, next after China, is it. Then that will be only until they are defeated easily by our China’s knight order.”

Fu Xi puffed up her chest proudly. The gems decorating her whole body were ringing noisily.

Inside his heart Loki thought “you idiot”. That knight order with the most voluptuous battle experience even compared to other countries……wasn’t it completely wasted because of Fu Xi’s <Red Nopperabou>.

Stealing a glance Loki observed around the elites of China. They were prostrating wordlessly. They were completely wordless……he guessed that there was already no remonstrance about anything they could say to Fu Xi. For eternity.

Because they were already nopperabou.

Loki continued his talk.

“With the character of Vikings who love to fight, in the first place their dogma itself is to fight at the Great War of MythRagnarok. Even though they are a touting order, but they are berserkers that don’t care of their methods to get their objective.”

“What an outrageous mythology.” Ilyailiya frankly threw an appropriate comment.

“Putting it bluntly, there is a lot of simple idiots in the Einherjar. Those guys have muscles as their brain. However, only Hrotsvit is different, her mind is sharp with a wicked personality. This relationship is dangerous, the idiocy of the soldiers is changed into a good point under Hrotsvit. The order she handed down will be carried out without fail. The soldiers only concentrate on fighting without hesitation and sadness. Especially if the battle becomes a war of attrition, they will show the worst tenacity…… That’s why I want us aiming for Hrotsvit’s neck as the first thing when we arrive at Atlantis.”

“So she is the priority target. Very well, we will crush her right from the front.”

Fu Xi said.

No, rather the affinity between Fu Xi and Hrotsvit was the worst, Loki thought.

Hrotsvit who was skilled in war couldn’t be defeated with just strength alone. Fu Xi would easily be made to fruitlessly waste her efforts. Loki and Ilyailiya would need to support her skillfully.

……Support, was it. However, this alliance was only for the beginning after all. In the end it was their destiny to fight each other until there was only one remaining. They had to constantly think about the timing for betraying the other.

“In that kind of situation it will be advantageous to drag the situation into an unexpected condition and free-for-all-fight. Because this will be a battle royal.”

After Ilyailiya said that, Loki nodded as if to say that’s exactly what I thought too.

“That’s right. Exactly as you say. Besides the scope of power and the personality of those Einherjar guys are completely known by this me. That’s why, leave it to me. I’ll progress the battle into a favorable result.”

“Is that so. Then arrange it as you see fit.” Fu Xi honestly said that.

“Next is Britain.”

Loki threw his gaze towards their new comrades who attended this meeting too――Lancelot and Mordred. These two betrayed Britain and joined Loki’s Einherjar.

The two female knights were looking down with gloomy expressions. Lancelot’s expression was hiding a silent sorrow while Mordred’s expression was hiding a silent rage, they were intently not saying anything.

Loki thought that these girls were surely well-informed about Britain, but the two didn’t show any sign of opening their mouths, so Loki began to talk.

“Britain is a believer of a hodgepodge of [Celtic Mythology] and the tale of [King Arthur and the knights of the round table] mixed with each other. I think [Robin Hood] is also mixed in there.”

“King Arthur together with Celtic Mythology is……that’s quite interesting. Consequently that originally should be an amalgamated mythology.”

“They already completely have enough with the holy grail ain’t they. Possibly their objective is to return back to the starting point that is Celtic……well, it’s something like that right. As a mythology they ain’t a really strong mythology. Arthur is more a hero than a god. That’s why rather than calling it faith, they turned completely into King Arthur, trying to earn power by unifying with their Diva, their culture is a peculiar one.”

Even Lancelot and Mordred who were restraining themselves on the side had already thrown away their real names. If one actually conversed with them, it would feel like these two had completely immersed into their roles.

“However, because they are the oldest magic advanced country where the first magician of the world was born, the magic power standard of their people is high. The level of the knights of the round table is a cut above even compared to the magicians of another country’s top brass.”

The more magicians piled up in a generation, the magic power they were born with is also getting higher.

This was the biggest reason why the other countries couldn’t catch up with the seven advanced magic countries.

“In addition they compensate for the lack of strength of mythology with <pledge>. Looking at them comprehensively they ain’t have any inferiority at all with the other countries. But there is also the possibility that that pledge turns into their weak point if they go against it, so there is also the chance that we can defeat them easily if we prod at that point. The heroes of Celtic Mythology were that kind of people since the ancient times.”

“There is no way to prod at something we don’t understand.”

Ilyailiya immediately pointed that out. Loki directed his gaze once more at the two female knights.

Lancelot finally opened her mouth.

“Of course the pledge is not disclosed even to their comrades. That’s why, we don’t know about the pledge of the other knights of the round table.”

She shook her slender neck that was like a crane with her silky pure white straight hair swinging behind her.

She was an owner of a beauty with a sickly air somewhere.

Next Mordred opened her mouth.

“Of course its so they won’t make the same mistake like the heroes of the Celtic before them, the knights of the round table carefully selected safe pledges with small risks. You can think that it’s mostly impossible to make them break their pledges unknowingly.”

“If they only made a pledge with low risks, then the results of their strengthening won’t amount to much then.”

When Loki pointed that out, Modred shook her head with her crimson hair that was like blood shaking behind.

“No, for that, they secure strong effects by betting important things in their pledge. For example……something like their life.”

There Mordred chuckled *kukuku* gloomily.

“I guess Britain will be the one with the most deaths when Ragnarok ends. King Arthur is a king of ruin. Kukuku……!”

Loki harbored revulsion to this. It was not towards Mordred that was laughing gloomily――this revulsion was towards Arthur and the other knights. The fellows of religious countries could easily throw away their life for the sake of Order.

That inability to think for themselves was something not interesting for Loki. Something like betting one’s life was……

In the first place this battle could be finished without taking the life of the opponent, it would end even if the opponent just fell into magic intoxication. In the case that he defeated Kazuki with his own hands, Loki didn’t intend to go as far as stealing his life.

Loki would dye this world in chaos of survival of the fittest if he won. How would Kazuki live in that new world, he was looking forward to witnessing that. In the end could that guy stick to his principle of [protecting the weak] even when placed in that kind of world……

Imagining the figure of Kazuki struggling inside a hell, Loki felt a sweet joy from that.

Those guys who easily chose death were worthless as humans. They even offended him.

“I completely understand those guys’ scope of power and personality. That’s why leave finishing off Arthur to me. That’s how it was settled in the myth too. Kukuku……”

Mordred said so, to that Fu Xi said “Do as you see fit”.

“Then next is Italia. Just the other day, Vera-tan declared her succession of the throne of Italia’s King. It seems that Regina……was really sinking without floating back up.”

“So she died” Ilyailiya spoke with a dry voice.

They weren’t able to confirm if Regina’s magic power had really been completely used up but……Regina was sinking into the sea while unconscious. If one was swallowed by those raging waves in a state of magic intoxication, their fate was clear for anyone to see.

A pursuing battle above the sea was the harshest stage where defeat was directly related to death.

“Vera-tan is a girl that gives the impression of a hard worker, who was always in charge of assisting Regina like a loyal dog, but I never thought that of all things she would act so boldly such as inheriting the throne. However, for Poseidon to inherit Zeus’s position, well that’s not really something impossible.”

Zeus, Poseidon, Hades. These three brothers defeating their father Kronos was the beginning of Greek Mythology.

It could be said that it was a natural development for Poseidon to take over if Zeus was defeated.

“This kinda feels like a let-down but, it’s also not unexpected for that girl to drop out before the main event. If she fell into a trap because she got provoked……it’s obvious from looking at her personality that that girl was the easiest. Though there is also the chance that she is faking her death.”

“Regina was a person with pride that was too high, therefore……I don’t think she would do that.”

Ilyailiya immediately said that. It seemed that she was apathetic towards other people, but she properly watched her surroundings.

“I guess. That Regina had her blood rushing to her head and chased too far before having the table turned on her in the end, then she unsightly drowned into the sea……then, after having that kind of humiliation given to her she would have the idea of [let’s pretend to be dead from drowning like this], from her personality that’s absolutely impossible yeah.”

The event made Loki wanted to assert, that it was absolutely impossible.

Regina pretending to be dead was impossible, it was like someone telling him that Hayashizaki Kazuki was committing domestic violence on his girlfriend, or like Arthur Basileus suddenly dancing naked. That was how unlikely it was. It was so impossible, on the level of complete breakdown of character if she actually did it.

“If Regina actually has that kind of witty brain, that girl will be the worst enemy for us though. Ha-ha-ha, that’s impossible anyway.”

Loki laughed jokingly.

She was a pig head that was too simple, that was why Loki looked down on Regina.

But for the actual strength itself――Greek Mythology was a mythology of the strongest status.

Not to mention the height of Regina’s magic skills.

If only her personality didn’t drag her down, Regina had the quality that could make her the strongest King.

Loki felt dread from his imagination while laughing.

It was something absolutely impossible but……if in the case that thing was actually possible, that would be seriously really bad.

Perhaps there was the necessity to take the possibility into account just in case. What was called as the true essence of humanity, was ultimately something that couldn’t be measured by other people. Wasn’t that where the fun of humanity was actually laying at.

If Regina was actually hiding an aspect where she could explosively grow from that kind of predicament……

In that case wasn’t that something he would want to see, that kind of Regina.

“When they had resorted to their number two taking over, that’s just like a re-tempering of a dull sword, useless. Isn’t Italia in essence retired already? Loki, what about Japan?”

Fu Xi changed the topic as if she had no doubt at all about Regina’s death.

“Rather than calling Japan strong, they are a solid country. Thanks to Ikousai’s blunder, they are now in possession of two Mythologies at the same time even if they are weak Mythologies. Furthermore the King has an enigmatic swindler skill, he even made an external force like Ryouzanpaku an ally. The King is also learning all the magic of his allies from A to Z. His martial arts is also master class. His personality now is also not as na?ve like in the past. He has no weakness at all, an all-around player.”

The King and country of Japan wasn’t immature like what they were once before.

In these few months they had accomplished a rapid growth.

“It’s like they were raised up by you isn’t it?”

“I didn’ have that kind of intention seeee”

When Ilyailiya pointed that out, Loki showed a strange wide grin.

“Why are you looking happy……” Ilyailiya said that in exasperation.

“Truly an inefficient thing. However……I too have an interest welling up towards Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

“What? You?”

“I offer my emotions towards my contracted Diva, changing it into power.”

Ilyailiya exposed a tip of her strength.

――Magic power could be said as [energy that was invoked by burning the subconscious].

First in the human’s mind there were things like emotions and humanity, the [territory that governed the self], the remaining [territory of the subconscious] was used as magic power.

Even if it was said that magic was used by burning mental power as fuel, it was impossible to use emotion and humanity for this. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the total amount of magic power was only one’s territory of subconscious.

“I and the knight order of Russia abandoned attachment to one’s self and turned the majority of our minds into the subconscious. To say it in the words of the Orient, it’s like the expression of the <state of enlightenment>.”

“Because magic power is the territory of the subconscious, then it can be increased the more the inside of one’s mind is turned into the subconscious, huh…… I never had that kind of idea.”

It was a story that didn’t really matter for a Diva, but Loki was honestly impressed.

“The Divas of Slavic Mythology are simple existences, that’s why they don’t burden their contractor. There are also things we can do due to that. By thinning our self, we can shrink the distance with Astrum and optimize our communication with our Divas. Consequently we can chant spells quickly.”

This was also the cause why it was difficult for Kazuki to Foresight the movement of Ilyailiya.

Inside Ilyailiya’s heart, even when she was on a battlefield there was no ripple of emotion occurring at all.

“Enlightenment ehh. I thought that you are a machine-like girl but, unexpectedly you are a mystical girl huh.”

Saying it in reverse――what would happen to her power if her heart was disturbed and she became agitated then.

“But Hayashizaki Kazuki uses emotion as fuel and explosively becomes strong. He blends his emotion territory with his comrades and becomes strong with that spark……that is the exact opposite of me. Consequently I recognize Kazuki as my greatest enemy, I have to settle which one of our ways of life is the correct one. That’s my thinking.”

The believers of Order Mythologies wouldn’t recognize existences that were the exact opposite of oneself. That was because it was related to the denial of their absoluteness. However, the calm tone of Ilyailya――for Loki it was like the way she was talking was filled with longing towards the self that she had thrown away.

“I too have an interest towards Hayashizaki Kazuki-!”

A member of Loki’s Einherjar, Nyarlako interjected with an excited voice.

Nyarlathotep of Cthulhu Mythos was defeated by Kazuki, but beforehand Loki already had dealings with Nyarlathotep where he received a small backupfragment.

Loki tested it by planting the fragment into an elf orphan girl.

Very interesting things happened then. The fragment of Nyarlathotep whose main body was defeated was recovering its divinity little by little inside the elf girl. Naturally Nyarlathotep was trying to invade the mind of the elf girl, but the elf girl suppressed it down while the other party was in a weakened state and it seemed that somehow she succeeded in putting the fragment under control.

Currently the girl was able to completely use the magic of Nyarlathotep.

And yet the girl’s appearance was dyed black, but signs of madness couldn’t be seen from her.

……No, by any chance the girl might had been devoured already by Nyarlathotep and now that evil god was only acting. Even for Loki she was an unidentifiable Schrodinger kitten.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki and his friends are a group of intimate friends right? I’m fighting for Kaya-chan but, when everything is over I wonder if I can also be entered into their circle of friends?”

She said something lovely with pure and innocent eyes. It was so lovely that it even looked out of place. That loveliness was also eerie at the same time.

“Hayashizaki Kazuki……He tempted our king, an evangelist of love that lures one into destruction!”

Suddenly, Lancelot yelled excitedly.

It was just too out of nowhere, that not just Loki but even Ilyailiya opened their eyes wide in shock.

“That Hayashizaki Kazuki, to even try to get along with that king, what a fantastic person isn’t he! Arthur is fated for ruin due to love. Will my love ruin Arthur……or will her love with Hayashizaki Kazuki that will ruin Arthur……aah, which one of our destiny is the stronger one, I want to test it with sword against sword! Aaaaah―!! I’m excited!! My sword of heart is standing erect!! Ahiih―!!”

Loki backed away while directing at Lancelot a cold gaze.

Lancelot went “Aah, that gaze is also good!” and writhed.

“Hmm, if everyone is talking that far then we too became interested in fighting Hayashizaki Kazuki.”

Even Fu Xi said out a childish thing.

‘Oi oi wait right there, that guy is my rival y’know……

I’m the one that got my eyes on him the first y’know……’

Loki became impatient inside his heart. He felt a little proud but he was troubled like this. His heart was completely like the complicated mental state of a girl whose childhood friend to whom she had acted uninterested towards until now, yet that friend suddenly became popular.

……But just who could imagine, how that Hayashizaki Kazuki would continuously be at the center of the situation even until the very end.

Right now, wasn’t that young man the one with the most attention from all the involved forces?

“As long as I can kill Arthur then nothing else matters.”

Mordred murmured with a dark look.

……What was peculiar from Mordred and Lancelot, was that they weren’t a believer of Chaos and their Diva also didn’t belong to the Chaos Side even while wholeheartedly wishing for Arthur’s ruin.

Until the end the two of them were Order Side. The destruction of Arthur would bring the correct order in the true meaning to the world, they believed that from the bottom of their hearts.

“Aah, Mordred, how lovely!”

Lancelot yelled abnormally.

“Arthur who can receive death from his biological child! No matter how many times we repeat the myth, Arthur won’t be able to reject the destruction from love!! Aah, what should move the world is love romance! I love you Mordred! Buchuu!!”

Just when everyone thought that Lancelot would suddenly hug Mordred, she overlapped their lips passionately. Mordred too “fuhn” snorted her nose then she responded to that by doing ‘buchuu―’.

Lancelot’s ideal――it seemed that it was the [super extremist love doctrine].

“In addition she is a complete yuri with Mordred, this is just too startling” Loki whispered lukewarmly.

“Bri, Britain’s people are scary……” Nyarlako said that with fright.

Ruined by destiny of love that was really too severe, that was Sir Lancelot. Perhaps that was why the girl that is his proxy in this modern times spoke with her body of extreme love instead.

The battle strength of Loki’s Einherjar had also been arranged quite nicely. He hadn’t directly confronted Kazuki for quite a long time since the last time, but during that time he was steadily gathering battle strength. A large number of possessed magicians, and then Divas of Chaos that succeeded in materializing from there. Not to mention Chaos Divas like Fenrir and Midgardsormr from Norse Mythology, Chaos Divas from various Mythologies were also joining under Loki’s command.

Then Mordred and Lancelot was added into that group, making it a group without any sense of unity.

“The one who will defeat Hayashizaki Kazuki, is me.”

The door of the audience hall was opened with a creak, where a woman in a kimono appeared there――Aisu Ikousai.

“……We ain’t calling you y’know. How did you escape the prison?” Loki spoke with a little surprise in his tone.

Hel was following behind Ikousai.

“Hel, so you are the one helping her.”

But, how? Even Loki couldn’t immediately reach the answer.

<Helheim Invite>……a warp making use of the soul of the dead Hel was acquainted with……

‘I see, the place where Ikousai was imprisoned, Hayashi Shizuka died there didn’t she!!’

“That’s quite something even for my daughter. I didn’t even plan anything like helping out Ikousai. But that’s a grand magic with a heavy burden. I told you not to force yourself for a while right? Your divinity is wounded after all.”

“A while? We cannot wait anymore right, Ragnarok will start soon, then it will end quickly. Ikousai and I will also participate. We won’t follow papa’s instructions though.”

“……Are you trying to put on an air as an independent force just by the two of you? Besides since when the two of you got that close? Something like female bonding, if it’s something like the Britain symbol of pervert over there, papa won’t allow it.”

“We aren’t like those things, don’t group us together!”

“……Certainly, Ikousai still has possibility.”

Ikousai wasn’t just a mere loser. She was the contractor of that Susanoo.

Susanoo had the special authority as a semi-chief god. The <Power of Usurpation>――it could plunder even the greatest possession of the King she defeated, their authority.

She failed to defeat Kazuki and steal Amaterasu’s power but……

Depending on the way she acted……this girl might also produce interesting Chaos.

If Hel was also going to do something together with Ikousai, that was also interesting.

“Even if you say that you won’t follow my instruction, perhaps the entrance into Atlantis will be limited. It’s not a place where outsiders can enter freely. That’s why, you two come along together with me until the first entrance. Do whatever you like from there.”

Hel nodded briefly to that.

But Loki held Hel’s shoulder in his arm and whispered into her ear softly.

“……However absolutely don’t approach Hrotsvit.”

“Didn’t you just say do whatever you like just now?”

“Hrotsvit is a type of enemy that you absolutely mustn’t challenge from the front. Without using someone well as a sacrificial pawn for shield, that woman might destroy a whole force by herself alone. Seriously. I’ll do it without a hitch. That’s why you absolutely musn’t get near.”

“……”

Hel nodded a little then shook off Loki.

“Papa won’t save you after all.”

“Isn’t that what papa always does anyway!”

In the end Hel returned an angry yell and left while pulling Ikousai’s hand. Just before she left, Hel turned about and looked over the people gathering at the audience hall. And then the door closed with a loud noise.

‘……Well, the fun just keeps increasing.

Uncertain factor……I’ll also hold expectations to those guys’ rampage.’

Finished with the explanation of each force, Loki clapped both his hands loudly *pan!*

“Now then, finally the final decisive battle we have been waiting for has begun. The mythologies that had diverged into several during the long history of mankind, and possibly Chaos, will compete against each other for the seat of the top without equal. For the sake of leading all the people in the world by ourselves……or possibly for the sake of dying this world with chaos…… If the Order somewhere win through this, this might become the last war of mankind. Eternal peace will arrive. If Chaos becomes the one who wins through this, perhaps a future where nothing but war is waitin’ for us will come. Eternal conflict will arrive. As expected even this me cannot imagine what will happen in this battle, I also cannot make this battle go just as I wanted it. Now, whether it will be god or demon that come out, how about we try throwing the dice huh.”

“Excited aren’t you.” Ilyailiya said so while clapping her hands.

“Hel……did you memorize the faces of the China knight order’s fellows inside the audience hall?”

Ikousai who exited into the corridor whispered to Hel.

“Yes, I obtained the acquaintance of all of them.”

“With the nature of Fu Xi’s ability……there should be death happening when the time comes.”

Inside the darkness of the corridor, Ikousai’s eyes shined fiercely. That was a glint similar like what appeared in Clark’s eyes where she was doing [the battle of the weak].

“It will be great if I can save my divinity until that time though……”

Hel murmured weakly.

“Then you stay inside me for a while.”

Weak Diva could fasten the recovery of their divinity by staying inside a human.

Hel released her materialization and returned to Astrum. And then from Astrum she entered Ikousai’s mind.

“……Gu, uuuuu!!”

Ikousai fell on her knee while groaning.

Inside Ikousai there was already Susanoo who was a Diva with divinity status of a semi-chief god. With Hel who although weakened was a powerful Diva entering there, Ikousai received intense burden and pressure.

Her subconscious was vanishing…… The inside of her head was……her consciousness became full.

That was something terrifying. The inside of her head became like it was constantly overheated.

{……Are you okay?} Hel asked anxiously through telepathy.

“I’m fine……I will……defeat Hayashizaki Kazuki……”

The consciousness overflowing inside her head was all dyed in a color of a single emotion.

That was――the [tenacity to be the strongest].

‘I……still haven’t lost yet……’

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