Ultimate Antihero

Volume 4, Chapter 2

Part 1

Sumika and Lily who asked the <God of Evil Cat> Bastet to search for the location of the avatar of <Liber Legis> who was teleported here by Homura the same like them, immediately headed to the place they were told.

That place was the inside of geofront.

The area that stored the New Tokyo Sorcery Academy which Sumika and others attended.

Both of them ran through the empty academy and finally arrived in front of a certain room.

The dormitory room that Homura was using for these few months.

“The grimoire of the <Evil God User>....... I wonder if it will cooperate in the end.”

Lily voiced the question in front of the closed door.

Sumika shook her head to that.

“I don’t know. But......she was originally an existence that the <Man of Darkness> sent to support mankind, and above all she had helped us several times together with Homura-san. She should not be someone that we cannot talk with by any means.”

That was what she wished. The cooperation of <Liber Legis> that stored the knowledge of darkness, the abyss of this world, would surely become a great power in this predicament.

The concern was, ......that girl was the avatar of that <The Crawling Chaos> Nyarlahotep. Even so they wouldn’t understand without first talking with her.

That was why,

“......Excuse us.”

Sumika turned the door knob without knocking.

The door wasn’t locked and easily opened.

The inside was......darkness.

The electricity of the room wasn’t turned on, only the little lighting of the geofront shined in dimly from the window.

Both of them stepped their feet inside the room, ――and immediately discovered the humanoid which was their objective.

Right in the middle of that darkness, there was the figure of a small girl sitting on the bed.

“............”

The girl didn’t show interest to the two who entered the room.

She was only hugging the pillow that Homura was using, dropping her gaze on it.

“This girl is?”

Lily asked Sumika with a slightly troubled expression.

Surely she had never even imagined, that the avatar of that <Liber Legis> which was famous as the highest ranked Grimoire would be this kind of little girl.

But Sumika understood.

After all this wasn’t her first time seeing this girl.

That was why Sumika took a step forward,

“Long time no see. <Liber Legis>’s avatar....... Is it fine for me to call you Vel-san?”

Toward this greeting, Vel still didn’t meet her gaze,

“What are you coming for?”

She asked back with a tone that had little intonation.

From that indication, Sumika discerned that this dialogue wouldn’t be something amicable by any means.

It could be that Vel too would want to take revenge for her master Homura couldn’t it?

Sumika threw away such naïve expectation and started to talk.

“Right now, you know well about the situation Tokyo life sphere is put in currently aren’t you?”

Far from words, Vel didn’t even return her gaze.

But Sumika receive an affirmation from that silence.

“And so in order for us to overcome this danger, everyone do everything that they can, with the intention of opposing the despair. And so in that battle, I want to please borrow your strength.”

She explained frankly about the objective they came here for.

Toward these words of Sumika, Vel was

“..................fufu”

The small lips distorted inside the darkness, she burst into laughter and raised a dry laughing voice “Aha, ahahahaha-“ with trembling body.

“Wha, what is funny here!?”

“It’s obviously funny.”

Toward the question of Lily who snapped, Vel sent her gaze toward the two of them for the first time.

And then her crimson eyes that were like blood seized the two,

“Just when I thought what you would talk about, you came to say that kind of nonsense of all things......how ludicrous.”

Yes, she returned a clear refusal.

“What will happen to all of you humans is not something I care about. Go home.”

Vel’s tone sounded as if she spat out.

Her expression didn’t change, and no emotion rode her words.

But Sumika felt it.

Toward them, Vel was clearly harboring hatred.

The girl, was angry.

She wasn’t ridiculing and trifling with human. She could feel a definite reason in the girl’s rejection.

That was why Sumika took one more step and moved into the space of Vel,

“Vel-san. I am”

“――Go home.”

“ “—――――――――!!!!” “

Instantly, that occurred in Sumika and Lily’s bodies.

The scarlet demonic eyes scattering red light inside the darkness.

The instant they gazed at that, the bodies of the two were pierced by an impact that was like lighting that struck them.

――Both of them saw with their sight, no, with their consciousness.

- The ashen lump of meat endlessly giving birth to grotesque younglings and continued to eat

- The giant eyes parting the sky and looked down at them.

- Laughing in scorn at all life for eternity, the grotesque shape of faceless head crowned a single long tentacle on top of it.

All of those, were existence that human shouldn’t come into contact with by nature.

The figure of the evil god recorded inside <Liber Legis>.

Vel beaten that knowledge of god’s authority and abyss directly into the brain of the two.

The majestic appearance of the hard to depict gods which couldn’t be described as beautiful or ugly, was something that couldn’t possibly be endured by the heart of small living thing that lived in the world of the sane.

“Hi, a, ......oe......, –RS (talk) 14:36, 20 June 2016 (UTC)!”

Lily couldn’t endure and fell to her knees, she vomited in that place.

But――

“......To not be perturbed by just now, I’m a little surprised.”

Vel stared at Sumika with a little dissatisfied look.

The reason was because in front of Vel’s <Mind Pollution>, although Sumika oozed a little cold sweat from her forehead, she didn’t even draw back or scream, she was continuing to stare at Vel.

“Even like this I’m a magician that is called as <Grim Bullet>......”

Demonic book recording about the gods living at the eternal abyss, existed in countless number in this world.

Sumika deciphered those books in order to fight against demons, because she had made those knowledge hers that she was able to endure.

Vel honestly evaluated this willpower as something considerable.

Perhaps Sumika could even absorb the knowledge of darkness recorded in herself. She thought. However――

“......But that’s all. You don’t even have the strength and the skill to use me up to the end. Nothing has changes since five years ago. You cannot become the <Evil God User>.”

Besides――

“And above all, just why do I have to lend my power to the like of you humans? Making Master shouldering everything, trampling over Master’s heart, for the sake of all of you who lived until now so carefreely......-“

Vel glared at Sumika while embracing the pillow.

She filled her gaze with clear fury and resentment.

“Vel, san......”

“Go back. ......All of you were only let to live by Master’s good will. Pushing such unreasonableness to Master, and at last even his life was stolen, and now asking for only yourself to be saved is asking too much for mere insects.”

Sumika suddenly recalled something from those words of rejection.

{After all he even went as far as killing his beloved comrade with his own hand, and chose the path of protecting total stranger see―}

The brief comment <The Crawling Chaos> leaked out in that old bookstore.

That was why,

“Is that unreasonableness, about how Homura-san killed his beloved comrades with his own hand?”

“――!?”

Vel’s complexion clearly changed from that question.

It was to the degree that there was no need for her to hear the reply.

“As I thought, that’s really something that happened.”

“Why do you, know something like that?”

“......That’s because in that old bookstore where you met with Homura-san, the shopkeeper there informed me about it.”

“............I see.”

Vel bit her lips annoyedly, she buried her chin into the pillow she hugged and her face became sullen.

That gesture was obviously displaying her discomfort toward the thoughtless act of <The Crawling Chaos>.

Sumika who saw that understood that although Vel was an avatar of the same Great Old One, she was by no means sharing her will with <The Crawling Chaos>.

At the same time, Vel was also cherishing Homura about in the same degree with them.

Then――, then as expected, wouldn’t she be able to have an understanding with her.

She couldn’t imagine that the girl who became this angry for Homura’s sake, was someone that she couldn’t communicate with at all.

But for that there was a need to know about the root cause of Vel’s antagonism toward mankind.

If not then she wouldn’t even be able to remove that.

First she had to know.

What happened to Homura.

That was why, Sumika asked Vel who was being like that.

“Can you tell me? Just what kind of unreasonableness, that we made Homura-san shoulder.”

Vel stayed silent for a while toward this hounding of Sumika.

Frankly, she had no obligation to answer.

But on the other hand, toward these people whose fleeting life would soon end anyway, she also thought of wanting to teach them a lesson.

About how much agony Homura shouldered, in order to let all of you live.

That was why,

“Since Master was a child, he belonged to <Book Burning Squad> of the <Knight Order Without Border>.

Vel opened her mouth and began to talk.

Of the truth that was buried in the darkness of history.

Part 2

<Knight Order Without Borders>.

That was a mercenary organization formed by magicians that once existed in this world and then dissolved in <Walpurgis Night>, they ignored not only country border but also religion and race, the organization’s objective was to protect common people from the threat of sorcery and demons.

Sumika and Lily knew about it as a common knowledge.

But――

“<Book Burning Squad>......?”

Both of them tilted their head.

Because they had never heard that kind of squad name.

To this Vel replied “It’s natural that you don’t know.”

“Because <Book Burning Squad> as it were was the dark side of the <Knight Order Without Borders>.”

Vel talked to the two.

Plainly speaking, that squad was an assassination squad.

Specialized in handling large conspiracy and evil knowledge in the level that if it became public it could break the world’s balance, the squad killed to the last all the people concerned whether they were human or demon and feigned the event as disaster, they burned to ashes everything that existed there from human history without leaving a single scrap behind, they were the wildcard of <Knight Order Without Border>.

“Since he was a child Master was a member of that squad, he saved the world from danger many times over. ......Different from imitation like all of you. He was together with true teammates, genuine comrades.”

While murmuring, Vel directed her gaze at a dim spot.

Lured by that, Sumika and Lily also looked over there where a single photo was adorning the top of the table.

What was depicted in the photo adorning the table was a girl in around the same age of the current Sumika and Lily with a familiar scarf wrapped around her neck, a youth with gallant look and gold and silver mystic eyes, and even male whose hair had thinned out, they were people with vast age range. They were exactly the members of <Book Burning Squad> that Vel talked about right now.

And then the center of that photo was the picture of childish Homura showing a smile with bright expression that he had never shown to Sumika and others.

He looked happy.

Comparing it to the current Homura, that was what Sumika felt.

The truth was, surely the time that was saved inside that photo was the happiest time in Homura’s life.

However――

“However......they too couldn’t follow into the same territory as Master in the end.”

That time didn’t continue for long.

The sorcery research competition that overheated between countries.

That competition stole away even the minimum morality from the rulers.

Various brutal ceremonies and research performed in the darkness of society by those people that couldn’t even be thought as human.

In order to consign to oblivion all of those, the <Book Burning Squad> carried out secret maneuvers, at all such times, they were shown the reality.

Females with their four limbs severed and made to be pregnant with the child of apparition continuously.

Males who were tortured continuously even when only their brains were left in order to please the demon.

The children whose whole body were carved apart and planted with blood and flesh of angels.

The evil nature of humans that even demon fell behind, displayed exactly because the perpetrator was a weak person.

Such despairing spectacles were gnawing at the sanity of the squad members with certainty.

――Unnoticed they came to think like this.

This world, this existence called human, was they really worth protecting, they thought.

“And then in a certain day five years ago, all of them <Book Burning Squad> with the exception of Master made a resolve. To strike down this ugly world that doesn’t worth protecting, and destroy the mankind.”

“Wha......-!”

“Ple, please wait a second there! You say five years ago, do, don’t tell me......!”

Lily and Sumika went pale from the specific number of year that Vel told them.

And then Vel quietly confirmed the premonition of the two.

“Just as you imagined. The members of <Book Burning Squad> excepting Master caused a rebellion. They made use of a sorcery that opened a large hole in the border of dimension and attempted to push off this world into the demon world. <Demon King> Typhon was nothing more than a secondary disaster that entered through that opened hole by chance.”

“–............!”

Lily lost her words from too much shock.

To think, that tragedy where the earth surface was burned to ash and stole both her parents was a man-made calamity.

But on the other hand Sumika, for her who actually encountered Homura at that day and knew about his state at that time, she obtained even deeper understanding from Vel’s words.

(By any chance......-)

And that that understanding was, ......correctly a cruel matter.

“Yes. At that night, there was a different enemy that had to be defeated no matter what.

If the rampage of them the <Book Burning Squad> wasn’t stopped, a hole would be opened at the dimension boundary and this world would fall into the demon world.

If that happen......the damage wouldn’t stop merely at the level of a single <Demon King class>.

But the <Book Burning Squad> was the sweeper of the world of darkness.

They became too strong from being in contact with all the sorcery knowledge inside that line of life and death continuously.

To the extent, that every single squad members cannot even compare against the like of Typhon.

Naturally a normal magician won’t be able to do a thing to them.

That was why......the Knight Order, ordered Master.

To Master who loved them more than anyone, ......suppress the <Book Burning Squad>.”

(As I thought............)

{No matter how much you wish it for, there are also teams that won’t go back to before anymore.}

The words of Homura that she listened at secretly one day were oozing out clearly from her memory and constricted her chest.

She had question all this time.

Homura who she met at that time had already wounded all over before fighting Typhon.

Just how did that happened.

Now the worst answer came out for that question.

Before he encountered Sumika, he had already fought.

Against his most beloved comrades.

And then――

“Master accepted that order and carried through everything. He accomplished it. ――However!”

Instantly, fury incomparable with everything until now mixed inside Vel’s tone.

And then Vel’s crimson eyes were filled with burning hatred, the two humans who were there were pierced with that gaze and she told them as if spitting out.

“Just because Master could shoulder that burden, didn’t mean that it wasn’t heavy!

Just because he could endure, didn’t mean that it wasn’t painful!

.......Master was crying! He cried and screamed!

It didn’t come out on his face but, I who was connected with Master understood.

Bursting open wailing was flowing into me!

The pain of that day, the scream of heart crying and yelling, I remember them-! I won’t forget!

I won’t, ――forgive......!

All of you that made Master shouldered that kind of suffering, that kind of sorrow!

That helpless weakness of you humans that cannot be fixed anymore!

Even though Master forgive you, I absolutely won’t forgive-!!

Just who will lend you strength! Die, Die! DIE ALL OF YOU-!

THAT IS THE NATURAL RETRIBUTION THAT ALL OF YOU HUMANS OUGHT TO RECEIVE—!!!!”

With her tone turning stronger each time the words overlapped, while the hatred carved on her expression was turning thicker, Vel shouted in curse.

While globes of tear were trickling down from the corner of her eyes.

The girl’s hate was from the bottom of her heart.

The people who made Homura killed his comrades.

The comrades that betrayed Homura.

And then, all the mankind who were living carefreely without knowing that soul breaking work Homura did.

Her hatred was far stronger than what Sumika imagined, she lost any words and stood stock still.

It was at that time.

The lighting of the geofront suddenly changed into red, shrill sound of alarm was resounding.

{Informing all combatants! Informing all combatants-! Report from <God of Evil Cat> that one group of the enemy is in the process of nearing the entrance of the labyrinth! The predicted time of arrival is fifteen more minutes! All personnel are to go their battle stations at once! I repeat――――}

“-, Sumika......!”

Finally the time that should come came.

Lily called to Sumika and informed her with her gaze that there was no more time to waste to negotiate with <Liber Legis> more than this.

Moreover Lily had surely guessed it.

The depth of Vel’s hate toward mankind.

That was not something in the level that could be cleared away in a brief space of time.

“......Yes.”

Sumika also nodded to that and she was going to leave the room together with Lily.

Vel didn’t even look at the two anymore.

She was surely planning to see with her own eyes how Tokyo life sphere perished, alone in this room where Homura’s presence remained.

While even feeling dark joy with that.

Because the girl was just in possession of that much hate.

However――

(That is, mistaken......!)

“Vel-san!”

“-!?”

Sumika turned back at Vel one more time and raised her voice.

With the loudest and strongest voice until now.

――Not because she couldn’t give up the cooperation of <Liber Legis>.

She didn’t want to leave alone the error of the girl who yearned for the same man with her.

Certainly perhaps because of the human weakness who couldn’t follow Homura, he bore a lot of wounds.

Perhaps he had shed a lot of blood and tears.

Even so, even so the man called Kamishiro Homura was――

{I’m happy. That among the people those guys protected, and then among the people I decided to protect, there is a fine girl like you.}

Because he was trying to protect, this frail and fleeting world that he loved in its entirety.

Homura absolutely didn’t wish for ruin to this world.

There was no way he wished for that.

She could assert that.

That was why, she asserted to Vel whose eyes were wide open in shock.

“Your anger, I think it’s something justified. But, by no means that we are not ashamed of that. We......will prove that to you from here on!”

“Proof?”

“Yes! We will show you how we drive away the army of angels who will come from now on just with the strength of us the weak! That’s why, at that time I beg you, please fight together with us! The thing Homura-san tried to protect all this time, please protect it together with us!”

“............-“

It wasn’t even a request, not even a begging, she declared that as if ones-sidedly striking her, Sumika didn’t wait for Vel’s reply and rushed out of the room and headed to the battlefield together with Lily.

Promise was unneeded.

There was no meaning of an assistance that was bound by promise.

Because this talk was something that Vel herself had to have the will to do to the end with all that she possibly had to accomplish by herself.

“......There is no way you can do that.”

On the other hand, Vel buried her face into the pillow she hugged as if to block the echo of Sumika’s powerful declaration from her ear, and whispered.

“There is, no way............”

She denied. Rejected.

As though, she was trying to persuade herself.

Translator's Notes and References

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