Ch.175175. It’s Over, Finally.

“How much magical power do you have left?”

“If I think of it in terms of physical strength, less than 10%. That’s about what I have left.”

“Hah. This damn evil deed meter placed on my magic recovery.”

“It seems to detect the gathering of misfortune energy to determine whether it unlocks or not.”

“I mean, it seems like it needs that energy element around to unlock.”

“Otherwise, back then in Eden, that time long ago when I used magic…”

“Even though I used a lot of magic, it recovered.”

“Even when I wasn’t in combat.”

“Sigh.”

“Now I’m not in contact with that energy.”

“Even in Eden’s headquarters, how are they blocking it?”

“Probably the doctor’s device.”

“That connection-like line that Blanc severed.”

“If my magic isn’t recovering even after it was cut, the doctor must have done something strange.”

“So, I wish they’d hurry up a bit over there.”

“In this state, I can’t stall for much longer.”

“Ugh.”

“This is really too much.”

“Vine!”

“Stop calling me already.”

“It’s the name I gave you. How could you betray me when you bear the name I gave you?”

“Is the other side struggling too?”

“Honestly, at this point, continuing to talk to me—ignoring it seems right.”

“If this isn’t a psychological attack, what is it?”

“Right, the name.”

“The name Vine was given to me by Baal.”

“That’s an unchangeable fact.”

“But that was then.”

“Even if someone gave me a name, if that person isn’t right…”

“And if they’re someone who caused many people to suffer…”

“Shouldn’t they disappear?”

“Of course, me too.”

“Right now, capturing Baal and defeating him…”

“I could be used as an effective card for that.”

“But no matter how much I was used, with my own hands…”

“By my own choice, I’ve done things.”

“So I’m also someone who should disappear.”

“First, I’ll capture Baal.”

“But my magic power is gradually running out.”

“Ha! I picked you up and gave you a name, and this is how you repay me!”

“You know your words are going in circles, right? You’re not thinking straight now, are you?”

“What nonsense are you spouting, Vine!”

“It probably means you’re getting cornered too.”

“Ha! Me, who is on the verge of transcendence, trembling before a mere tool? That’s impossible!”

“I wonder if you’re really on the verge of transcendence. Is this level what you call transcendence?”

“Ha! Of course I’m not using my full power against you! If you return to our side, you won’t have to worry about that anymore, so don’t concern yourself with it!”

“What are you even saying?”

“I’ve seen this kind of thing many times before.”

“When someone is so terrified that they can’t think straight and just blurt out whatever comes to mind.”

“…”

“It’s already dizzying enough that the superhuman I once respected turned out to be the worst of criminals.”

“Seeing how far they’ve fallen, truly…”

“I’m at a pathetic level.”

“Following such a person, believing in them, even willing to sacrifice my life for them—I’m truly pathetic and disgusting.”

“How did they manage to conquer other worlds?”

“Was it because this boss was competent?”

“No, absolutely not.”

“It was just that this person had good fortune with people.”

“Or I dare say they were simply lucky.”

“Even though this is Baal revived with just a core, I didn’t expect this level of incompetence.”

“Does the reconstruction of the physical body affect the mind as well?”

“No, Baal shouldn’t have any mental issues with just the core.”

“Since they’re almost a mental life form, they probably judged that saving the core would be enough.”

“…”

“I truly feel sorry for the worlds conquered by this person.”

“The battle between us is evenly matched.”

“Sword and scythe clash, creating sparks.”

“The collision of powers fueled by magic still hasn’t reached a conclusion.”

“Ugh… my magic power.”

“Ha! I can finally see the end, Vine! If you surrender now, I’ll spare your mental existence!”

“What are you saying, Baal?”

“But if I deal with you here with my own hands, I’ll completely erase all memories from that mind and put a new personality in there.”

“Hah, hah… really. Such nonsense…”

“I don’t have the luxury to listen to this nonsense anymore.”

“I press forward.”

“My sword strikes here and there.”

“I target the blind spots where Baal’s weapons can’t reach.”

“Well, knowing I’m aiming for that, they’re making large movements to avoid it.”

“Coward.”

“Was the secret to conquest thanks to such a cowardly mindset?”

“Was tenacity and vileness the secret that enabled conquest?”

“My magic power seems to be reaching its limit soon.”

“Now, at what seems like the final exchange—”

“Crash! Bang! Thud!”

“A loud noise comes from over there.”

“Elly! I’ve secured this too!”

“Throw it here!”

“Catch!”

“Ah…! It should be here…!”

“Glancing over, what Elly is holding in her hand is…”

“The terminal that the doctor cherished like their life.”

“From my memory, it was physically connected to the doctor.”

“The fact that they got hold of it means…”

“Blanc probably has the doctor captured or killed.”

“One of the two must have succeeded.”

“But didn’t Blanc just call her Elly…?”

“Ah, found it!”

“Solve it quickly!”

“Stop rushing me! I want to do it quickly too! My intuition is telling me it’s dangerous!”

“Instead of talking, hurry! Citrus! There’s a risk of self-destruction! Completely restrain them with a magic field and tie them up! Even if they’ve lost consciousness, they’ll be thorough! We absolutely cannot allow any more variables to be created!”

“I know! I know! I’ll hold them down, so go to Vine quickly! It looks like they’re being pushed back!”

“Citrus, you have unnecessarily good eyesight.”

“My magic power is really about to run out.”

“So it seems like I’m being pushed back.”

“Ah, it’s done!”

“It’s done?! Blanc! Hurry!”

“What could be done…?”

“Ah, this seems like the final exchange…!”

“Blanc, I’m sorry…!”

“We were so close…”

“Clang—!”

“After the final exchange, I end up sprawled on the ground.”

“Will Baal reach me first, or will Blanc strike down Baal first?”

“With a body without magic power, without a protective barrier…”

“Hah… see, the defensive barrier isn’t even coming out…”

“BOOM!!”

“Baal’s final attack, meant to finish me off…”

“Is blocked by a transparent, blue light barrier…?”

“Is this a defensive barrier I created…?”

“But I shouldn’t have had any magic power left…?”

“Vine, are you okay?!”

“Blanc…?”

“Blanc blasts away Baal, who wasted time trying to break through my barrier.”

“My magic power, I definitely used it all up, and there’s no more recovery…?”

“That restriction could be controlled from the doctor’s terminal. I’ve removed all the restrictions. You can go wild now.”

“…What?”

“For now, Elly has it. I don’t know about the rest, but I’ve at least removed the magic-related restrictions.”

“W-wait…! It’s strange to have such an absurd conversation! Baal, what about Baal…?”

“That one? They couldn’t handle you and me even in their original body. It’s even easier now.”

“Blanc gathers her magic to create a bullet.”

“Then, she creates a gun in her hand.”

“And right at Baal, who was trying to pounce on us.”

“Bang—!”

“Blanc’s bullet, which pierces Baal’s chest deeply…”

“Was powerful enough to expose the core, it seems.”

“Blanc…?”

“The physical body won’t be able to move now. The connection points with the core.”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

“Blanc blows on her gun barrel and says, ‘I’ve cut them all off just now. Well, they can probably still talk.'”

“…”

“I look at her with astonished eyes.”

“What? I haven’t killed them yet. We can keep just the core alive if that’s what you want. It’s possible with our technology. Or we could connect the core to a computer somewhere and upload it so it can only communicate.”

“That seems more dangerous. How do you know it won’t hack into some Earth device? What if it tampers with nuclear weapons?”

“It should be fine if it’s a device isolated from external networks, right?”

“…So, do you plan to recover the core?”

“Along with the doctor. We need that doctor… to solve your problem. Of course, Elly will investigate that doctor.”

“…Isn’t that the most dangerous option? And was it really that easy to neutralize them…?”

“I don’t know about you, but I’ve faced that boss before. At least they’re less troublesome than you… so I thought I could wrap things up quickly.”

“…But they’re a boss, that Baal.”

“Baal was their name?”

“…What? You didn’t know…?”

“I don’t need to know the name of Eden’s boss…?”

“…Hah. Please. Anyway, this doesn’t seem to be the end yet…”

“That’s Eden’s characteristic. Unnecessarily tenacious, and annoyingly troublesome.”

“…I’m sorry for being tenacious and annoyingly troublesome.”

“Blanc gestures frantically to me with a flustered expression, saying, ‘No, no…! I wasn’t talking about you…!'”

“It’s fine… But, what’s with ‘Elly’…?”

“Ah.”

“With that question in mind, I look at Elly approaching us.”

“Did you recover the core?”

“Gabriel said he’d help, Elly.”

“…Just call me Elise again. I think that sounds better.”

“You already gave me permission.”

“…I shouldn’t have.”

“Wait, Elly gave permission directly…?”

“Elly…?”

“Yes, Vine.”

“…You gave these magical girls permission to use a nickname…?”

“Well, Blanc is my master after all… Even if I didn’t want to be more entangled, we’re already entangled at the soul level.”

“C-couldn’t you cut it off like you just did earlier…?”

“Cutting a faint contract thread from a tattered core, and cutting a contract thread so strong that when the master’s life ends, the slave’s life also ends… are problems of completely different dimensions, Vine.”

“…Hah.”

“…”

“This ‘Elly’ thing.”

“Calling her Elly.”

“It took me years before I was allowed to call her that.”

“How much did you insist I call you ‘big sister,’ Elly?”

“But you gave that nickname to Blanc so easily.”

“I’m going to be a little upset.”

“Take responsibility, Elly.”