episode_0184

000

As the party felt the light that had enveloped them slowly disappear, their vision returned, and they saw the sphere surrounding the Emerald Tablet recompose its form in front of them, concealing the stone tablet once more.

The light vanished, and the illusion also disappeared.

However, the party remained silent for a long time, and no one said a word.

In that situation, it was Kleon who opened his mouth with difficulty, clutching his face with trembling hands.

“Wait… just now, that thing… does that mean it all happened in the past…? There were too many unfamiliar words and situations, so I can’t understand-”

As Kleon spoke, Mercury nodded, agreeing with his opinion.

“I thought as much. If you have any further questions, I will explain.”

“Wait! So calmly… No… you were involved in this from the beginning and knew everything.”

Kleon raised his voice as he watched her try to continue speaking without considering the listener, but then shook his head.

“…Kleon. I understand how you feel, but I think it’s better to calm down a bit now… To know the exact truth… Honestly, I didn’t understand everything either…”

Lila also understood Kleon’s confused feelings and tried to calm him down first.

“What I just showed you was a reconstruction based on what was recorded in the laboratory. The last communication was also before contact was completely lost.”

It was an unvarnished truth. Mercury was speaking.

About Lesia and Lilith.

What happened to the world after that.

Eve, Adam. And the technology to create humans.

From there, not only dwarves, beastmen, and elves but also other demi-humans.

The Lilim. And that a male individual was created as her counterpart.

Archetype B. Humans created using Lilith’s genes, excelling in controlling dark magic.

What that meant was…

The dark magic clan like himself and Rubera.

“…I have one question. Mercury. What exactly is this ‘reincarnation factor’ that came up near the end…?”

Thanks to her research and the knowledge she had, Lila was able to understand most of it to some extent.

That didn’t mean the shock was any less.

“The reincarnation factor is one of the technologies under research at the time to revive humans.”

“Human… revival? You mean bring them back to life!?”

At Lila’s astonished expression, Mercury nodded.

The revival of humans – no, living beings – was considered impossible with ancient as well as modern technology.

Once a living being dies, the soul and body separate, and the soul is carried by the spiritual energy veins, scattering into smaller conceptual existences and disappearing.

A portion of that is recombined, and when it dwells in a new fetus, it becomes the soul of a new living being.

Therefore, the concepts of past lives and reincarnation do exist, but strictly speaking, it was not the exact same being.

“An entity with a reincarnation factor. Even if the body dies and the soul separates, it does not scatter into the spiritual energy veins. It remains on the earth until it finds the most suitable body. And it moves on to the next body with its soul intact.”

“…Is that even possible?”

Kuon asked Mercury with a face filled with fear, feeling an unspeakable discomfort at the sacrilegious words coming from her.

For her, a cleric, the existence of technology that deviated from the providence of humans could only be felt as a threat.

“It was a technology with only experimental significance, but it is possible. However, that doesn’t mean they inherit their memories or anything like that. The goal of Unit 2 was to resolve the spiritual defects that the individual had. Because with each reincarnation, the soul is tempered and strengthened, like a soul being hammered on an anvil.”

“Then… even now, somewhere. There could be an entity that inherited that reincarnation factor.”

“That is correct.”

When Mercury affirmed Amelia’s words, the group fell silent again.

The technology of the ancients was far beyond their imagination.

Not only that, but the humans and demi-humans existing in this inherited world were descendants of humans regenerated by the ancient technology “Adam.”

The original purpose of the dark magic clan was to suppress the “Hero,” a weapon for controlling the Holy Sword with excessive divine magic.

It was the moment when all the creation myths of each race that existed in various myths and legends changed into falsehoods and vanities and disappeared.

“So, in the end, we can’t know what happened to Lesia after that, or what happened to Lilith?”

When Kleon, who had sorted out his thoughts, said that, Sasha continued.

“…Lesia reappeared later as the ‘Golden Comet’ that destroyed the original world. So, what happened in between…?”

In the underground labyrinth of the Academy, when they first encountered the Black Faction.

They said that Kleon and their goals were the same, and that they could meet Lesia again, so they told them to help with the advent of the Demiurge.

By doing so, they said, they could bring down Lesia, the Golden Comet, as their adversary.

However, if that happened, the world would once again follow the destruction that the original world had experienced due to the Golden Comet’s powerful power.

“Do you know about the Golden Comet? Mercury.”

When Kleon asked that, Mercury slowly nodded and floated an illusory image in the air.

There, the figure of a swordsman, wrapped in brilliant light and possessing twelve wings of radiance, could be seen holding a sword.

It resembled the angel that Kuon had transformed into before, but it was wearing golden armor shining like the sun from head to toe, imbued with powerful magic.

Kleon was looking at the sword she was holding-

The Holy Sword of the Sun, Gold, and Hope, with blades extending in eight directions.

Seeing Caladbolg, he could be sure that it was Lesia.

Beneath that merciless armor of divine punishment was his savior, the one who drank with Talcheck, offered prayers with Eska, adventured through ruins with Sophia, and laughed and joked with Luti.

If she hadn’t been thrown into some dimensional rift by those incomprehensible guys.

She wouldn’t have had to wear that armor and wield the Holy Sword to destroy humanity.

She wouldn’t have been the target of fear, or the reset device for humanity, or resented by the ancients.

Kleon did not know what kind of expression she was making inside the armor.

However, she couldn’t have been smiling. Slicing humans, destroying castles. While emitting the sacred light of the sun that burned down homes.

She couldn’t have been smiling.

“The Golden Comet is-”

Mercury, who had no way of knowing Kleon’s overwhelming feelings for Lesia, was about to start speaking when.

A vibration that shook the ground resonated even in the deep underground laboratory.

“What is it? An earthquake?”

“No – a crack has occurred in the barrier surrounding the valley. Something from outside has forcibly entered… It’s heading towards the top of this laboratory – the crystal tower – at high speed.”

At Mercury’s explanation, Kleon and the party exchanged glances.

“…An attack?”

“At least it doesn’t seem like a friendly presence… I’m sorry, but I’ll leave the surface to you. I’ll somehow repair the barrier from here. I’ll send you to the surface in an instant with dimensional teleportation.”

As Mercury manipulated the control panel, a magic circle unfolded beneath the party’s feet.

It was a pattern similar to the dimensional door magic used by Lila, but a slightly faster and more powerful surge of magic enveloped the party.

“Wait! I still have things to ask-”

Kleon’s words were swallowed up by the impact of the transfer.

001

“…Ugh!”

Returning to the surface, the bright sunlight enveloped the party.

Before their eyes, a succubus girl with black hair – “Lilim” – was standing expressionlessly with her foot on the back of “Gabriel,” who had fallen to the ground.

“Grandmother!”

Amelia, enraged by Lilim’s behavior, raised her pendant, and at the same time, a radiant armor appeared on her entire body as a huge amount of divine power condensed.

In her hand, a hammer of purification to crush and burn demons.

It happened so quickly that before anyone could stop her, Amelia leaped forward and swung the hammer.

Lilim concentrated dark magic in her hand, and a mass like an animal’s claw blocked her hammer.

Black magic and divine magic collided, scattered, reacted, and burst outward.

“Kuh…!”

In that situation, Amelia unknowingly lowered the output of her magic, not wanting to destroy her mother’s hometown and the village where her grandmother lived.

As a result, the balance of the confrontation was broken, and Amelia was pushed back by Lilim’s dark magic.

“Arondight!”

At that moment, blue crystal swords flew at Lilim’s neck.

As Lilim twisted her body to avoid it, Sasha, taking advantage of the gap, swung her dagger as she approached.

“… …”

In a situation where her balance was broken by twisting her body. Her vision was facing her side, and her hands were blocked by Amelia.

But-

“Sasha!”

As Kuon shouted Sasha’s name. Another magical beast that appeared in the air fell from the sky to tear Sasha apart.

“Flame Spike!”

Just before the ferocious claws and cursed fangs reached Sasha, extending thorns of flame bound and burst the black magic beast.

“Kleon!”

“Amelia! Get back!”

In the next moment, Kleon drew the sword from his waist and ran out at full speed, going behind Lilim.

He made eye contact with her, who was still bent backward.

─Silence.

The sensation of piercing something was clearly conveyed to Kleon’s hand.

It was so weak. It was so natural.

Something, whether blood or magic, flowed down the magic sword.

Thump, thump. The heartbeat felt from the pierced area made him feel the target’s life.

“Ah…ha…♡”

A bitter laugh was heard.

It was sweet and alluring, but at the same time, an incomprehensible sense of homogeneity was felt.

Kleon’s Galatea was piercing Lilim’s pure white stomach.

The position was right in the center of her navel, where the vulva was engraved.

The only exposed area on her attire, which had little exposure.

Cleanly. It had pierced through all the organs in the middle.

If so, who was laughing?

Why was she laughing?

“Kleon… Master. Hehehe…”

[Kleon!]

In the next moment, Lilim ignored the penetrating wound and moved her feet, approaching Kleon.

With each step, her blood soaked the blade of Galatea.

As if time had stopped, while everyone else was unable to move.

“Ishtar told me… to endure until the time comes… Aah… I can’t stand it… anymore…”

Still, drip, drip. Although the tone was cut off, there was excitement mixed in, and as Lilith, who was bleeding and not dying, approached Kleon-

She stretched out her arms and hugged Kleon.

Kleon was also unable to resist that.

“Why…!”

“That’s because… you and I are. From the beginning. Created to be connected. Existence. From the moment I knew of your existence. I fell in love with that soul. Once again. Because that was my mission.”

Lilith spoke slowly, slowly.

“From the first time. I recognized the world. Even from far away. I could feel its existence. Even if I was forcibly put to sleep. This heart remains unchanged. Desiring you. Searching. Wanting to get closer. Wanting to be connected. 1 minute. 1 hour. 1 day. 1 month. 1 year…”

The others were not not moving. They were unable to move.

“I have been longing for you… For 5,000 years. Only for you…”

The high concentration of dark magic mixed with her blood bound everything around her and took away their consciousness.

The others did not “recognize” Lilith’s movements, and the control of their bodies was taken away without them even knowing.

“What are you… saying…! I, you-”

“You… saved me. Me, who was trapped in a sleep close to eternity…”

Lilim’s hand slowly, slowly, climbed up Kleon’s arm and reached his temple.

“…Now is the time, with me once again.”

In the next moment. Something like black lightning erupted from her fingertips and shook Kleon’s head.

However, it was not physical. From the “factor” deeply engraved in the very foundation of the soul, which could be called its origin.

It evoked non-existent memories in Kleon.

[Magic Sword, Pandora…]

[You are – Lilim…? I, for some reason, know your name…]

[…I see. In the kingdom… there’s [Adam]…]

[To stop that guy, I need power… Absolute power. For that, I-]

[The emperor of the empire-]

[“No!!!”]

The moment a torrent of memories overturned Kleon’s mind.

What erupted was the scream of the girl and the magic sword.

A figure squeezing out divine magic from her entire body, breaking free from the shackles of dark magic.

Kuon ran over, pushing Kleon away from Lilith.

“… …”

Above her head was a golden halo, rotating imperfectly with noise.

Behind her back, a pair of “wings” sprouted, emitting a weak light.

“Angel. Maintained. The self…?”

“Haa… haa… Kuh… Aah…!”

Hugging Kleon, who had suffered a head injury, Kuon raised her voice, suppressing the overflowing power as an angel and enduring the pain.

“Ku, on…”

[Kuon! Don’t suppress your magic, release it outwards! That way, other people can move too!]

When Galatea’s voice reached Kuon, Kuon nodded with difficulty and released the magic she had been suppressing outwards.

The powerful angelic magic swept through the entire valley, and soon, the others who had been unable to move were able to move again.

“Kuh…”

Not only that, but even Lilim, whose very existence could be said to be the essence of dark magic.

She was staggering, unable to support her body, affected by the release.

“Why. Are you interfering. He is. My, emperor. My, other half. My, ‘hero’…”

“Kleon isn’t the Magic Sword Emperor…! Kleon is our precious-”

“Shut up. Half-angel. Lapdog of the throne.”

In the next moment, Lilim’s pierced wound opened like a gate to hell.

What popped out from inside was-

“No, way.”

Aruru’s voice, who had become able to move, trembled as she muttered.

What popped out was a black greatsword, even more gigantic than Lilim’s height.

“Magic sword…!?”

Lila was also surprised by that.

No, if Lilim was also a member of the dark magic clan, it wouldn’t be strange for her to have a magic sword.

However, the problem was the output.

When Sasha looked up at the sky, dark storm clouds hung over the blue sky of the valley where the sunlight had been visible.

Simply by appearing, it was changing the surrounding climate.

A magic sword with dark magic capable of distorting the world.

“Eat it. Pandora.”

The greatsword was aiming for Kuon, who was exhausted thanks to the release of divine magic.

Kuon recalled the situation a while ago when an humanoid beast was targeting her.

At that time, Kleon had protected her.

Now, if she stepped aside here. Kleon would be in danger.

Then I too-

“Haaaah!!!”

At the same time as Kuon curled up to protect Kleon, the girl’s voice rang out and the hammer was swung.

It was, in its truest sense, a divine blow itself.

Lilim clicked her tongue, but blocked it with the greatsword, moved as if sliding, and stood properly on the ground.

“Is that greatsword… really ‘Pandora’?”

“… That ignorant hammer. You must have felt it when it collided. That this child is. Crying. That their precious person. Was taken away. This child, has always been crying inside me.”

“… …”

Amelia clenched her hands tightly and glared at her.

But then, as if she had made up her mind, she put strength into her legs and leaped forward.

Amelia, wielding a hammer as tall as herself with slender limbs that seemed to lack strength no matter how you looked at it.

And, symmetrically with her, Lilim, likewise. Freely moving a powerful and gigantic greatsword.

Without yielding an inch, the two were wielding their weapons with all their might, making only attacks that could surely finish each other off.

Moreover, the problem wasn’t just Lilim.

Beyond the breached barrier, having sensed the magical energy of a huge spiritual energy vein.

Magical creatures that could fly were leaping over the valley and trying to invade the village.

“…Lila! Aruru! First, we have to do something about those monsters!”

Sasha, who had confirmed that first with her hunter’s mark, pointed her finger towards the sky, and Lila and Aruru nodded, gripping their weapons.

In the next moment, Lila’s body turned to fire. Aruru placed the Holy Sword as if it were a staircase to the sky and jumped upwards.

“…Amelia…!”

When Sasha called her, Amelia also nodded with difficulty and answered Sasha.

“I’m, okay…! Please take care of the monsters…!”

The fight between Amelia and Lilim was so intense that it was not easy to interfere.

Sasha heard Amelia’s answer and made a determined face, raising her bow towards the sky.

“You’re okay. Ha. You have. Amazing. Confidence.”

“You are, demons who threaten the kingdom… my comrades! If I don’t defeat you… even for my uncle and mother!”

Hearing Amelia’s scream-like cry, Lilim closed her mouth a little, then raised the corners of her mouth bitterly.

“…Haha. The darkness in your heart. Has sprouted properly.”

“Kuh… Haaaah!”

In the meantime, Galatea changed into human form and handed Caliburn to Kuon.

“Help control Kuon’s power…! I’m going to try to do something about Kleon.”

When Caliburn emitted a buzz and a light, sending a signal of affirmation.

Galatea took a deep breath and placed her hand on Kleon’s body.

“…Kleon… please, I’m begging you…! Don’t be consumed by something like that…!”

In a weaker voice than ever before, Galatea kissed Kleon’s forehead.

Soon, she changed her form into a single sword in that state.

All the dark magic that had been felt inside it had moved into Kleon.

002

Before their eyes, the Golden Hero and the Jet-Black Swordsman were clashing their swords fiercely, again and again.

Caladbolg and Pandora.

The existences at the pinnacle of the Holy Sword and the Magic Sword, respectively.

And the hero and the magic swordsman who wielded them. No, the enemy of the world called “Demon King” by someone.

The Magic Sword Emperor.

The Hero’s party was exhausted and already unable to move.

Most of the Emperor’s vassals had died or surrendered, and even the ultimate weapon called Rutios had been liberated and was attacking his forces.

Both the Royal Army and the Imperial Army had poured all their strength into the final battle, and there was nothing behind them anymore.

Therefore. The outcome of this fight between these two people.

No one doubted that it would be the conclusion of the war between the kingdom and the empire.

“Why, even though you have that much power… do you use it to make people unhappy…!”

Lesia cried out in a pained voice.

The Magic Sword Emperor burned everything, stole everything, and trampled everything.

Even though he had so much power. He had the power to protect, embrace, and encourage everyone.

“Because I need even greater power…! To change the laws that have been set in this world…! To drag her down from the throne!”

“Meaningless words…! Haaaah!!”

“Why do you obey the world even though you have such power!”

“I, to protect the world… for a world where there are no more crying people…!”

“It’s arrogance… Unless the world itself changes, such a world will never come!”

There were no proper answers to the two people’s questions and answers.

However, as they consumed each other’s strength and magic power, they could gradually see the end approaching.

And that was the final “clash.”

“Devour it! Pandora!”

“Caladbolg!!”

A full-power strike consuming each other’s everything.

Magic devoured magic, and the body was swept away and perished.

But. At that time, the illusion of his companions could be seen behind Lesia.

Sophia’s magic power.

Eska’s healing.

Talcheck’s strength.

Adding to Lesia.

Compared to the power that the two had unleashed in the final battle, it might have been just a small drop.

Even if the body had already reached its limit and could no longer move.

The unbroken bonds awakened their will.

New power to Caladbolg.

And. That was the biggest difference between the Magic Sword Emperor and the Golden Hero.

The Magic Sword Emperor’s armor shattered on the spot, and his body was swept away by the torrent of divine magic and disappeared.

“──”

He felt the illusion that he had called someone’s name at the end.

Pandora was knocked far away by the impact.

The Magic Sword Emperor, who had lost everything from the neck down, collapsed on the spot.

“Ha, ah…! Kuh… Cough…!”

Despite having won, Lesia knelt down on the ground.

She crawled slowly, as if crawling on the ground, and placed her hand on the remaining, cracked helmet of the Magic Sword Emperor, who was still alive.

“…It’s your victory. Hero. You, protected your world. This time.”

The helmet slowly cracked and completely shattered, revealing the face hidden inside.

Hero and Demon King.

The village girl and the Emperor of the Empire.

Met each other face to face for the first time at that time.

“… …”

Black eyes, black hair. His face had the physical characteristics of the Dark Magic clan.

Lesia vividly engraved that face in her memory.

And, she watched his body, which was turning to dust due to excessive use of magic power, disappear.

She lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot.

──And, that scene. From a third person’s perspective.

Kleon was watching.

Seeing that the Magic Sword Emperor’s face, which appeared just before disappearing, was the same as his.

…Then, he turned his head.

In the darkness that stretched out everywhere, there was himself wearing gorgeous, strong, thick, and gigantic black armor, unlike what he usually wore.

Looking at Kleon with a cold expression.