Tatakau Shisho

The moment when Ruruta was exhausted finally came.

The resurrected warriors have already been reduced to less than a third of their numbers. But the damage they have dealt to Ruruta was much larger than that.

Ruruta was skewered by Miena’s needles, and his movements were stopped by restraining Magic. The warriors kept tormenting the immobile Ruruta with attacks. This wasn’t a battle but torture.

“Kill him as soon as possible! Attacking all at once should do it!”

Hamyuts was cautious even this late into the game. She only shouted but didn’t approach Ruruta.

“Listen to me! I’m telling you to kill him this instant!”

No matter what secret plan for reversal Ruruta had, everything would be over once he was killed. Yet Miena and the rest didn’t try killing him. At that time Miena turned back and shouted towards Hamyuts.

“Hamyuts! I’d like you to absolve the power that turns death into pleasure!”

She was being serious. Hamyuts shouted back.

“What’re you saying!?”

“We can’t fulfill our grudges like this! We won’t be able to rest unless we inflict this man with the worst kind of suffering!”

Such idiots, thought Hamyuts. It was still dangerous. She was still anxious. They had to kill Ruruta as quickly as possible before something happened and not a moment too late.

At that time she noticed someone was calling her. It was Colio.

“What is it, Colio-kun?”

Colio was shouting something while running. Hamyuts leapt and landed in front of him.

“Stop! Don’t corner Ruruta any further!”

“Even you…? Why are all of you so strange!”

Hamyuts was angry. However, she realized from Colio’s behavior that this was not a trivial matter.

“You’re going… to lose! At this… rate…”

“…What do you mean?”

Colio stopped in place, breathing laboriously. Hamyuts wasn’t able to properly hear what he said.

“Ruruta wants to… give Nieniu…”

Since he was out of breath he couldn’t speak, so he only moved his lips. The moment she read his lips Hamyuts’s face instantly paled. Her brain worked fast. Hamyuts surmised Ruruta’s aim and her boundless anxiety turned into conviction a crisis was approaching.

“Kill Rurutaaa!!!”

Hamyuts shouted without turning around.

“Kill Rurutaaa!!!”

The voice reached Ruruta’s ears as he was skewered. Miena and the warriors all turned to Hamyuts. Ruruta also slightly raised his head and saw her attacking.

She noticed, thought Ruruta. 𝗳𝓇ℯe𝓌𝚎𝚋𝓃𝚘𝚟𝘦𝑙.𝑐𝚘𝙢

He could no longer escape from Miena’s needle. He also couldn’t release his restraints. He couldn’t defend at all as well. And yet even then, his secret plan of reversal was slowly bearing fruit.

He knew he couldn’t win against Miena and the rest. That’s why he had chosen this method. Ever since he was surrounded by them he started his preparations. If he could survive until his method was complete it would be his win. If he died before it Hamyuts would win.

Until his reversal move was ready he needed only several dozens of seconds. If he survived for just that time it should be his victory.

“Move aside! I can’t trust you with it!”

Hamyuts launched her gravel bullets. They all squarely hit Ruruta. His consciousness was dimming. The flames of his life were being extinguished. Ruruta clenched his teeth and endured.

Can I hold off these last seconds? Only a few dozen seconds remained to decide the fate of the world.

Hamyuts ran with full speed towards Ruruta. She swung her sling and senselessly hurled gravel bullets at him. All the while shouting ‘kill him, kill him now’.

We can still make it, Hamyuts was convinced. He no longer had any power remaining. They just had to kill him before his final strategy. She could just choke him using her sling. If she did it everything would be over.

“Kill Ruruta, or otherwise move out of the way!”

Hamyuts shouted. However, a shocking response appeared. It was an attack directed at her. Miena’s needle obstructed her way.

“What are you doing?!”

Unable to evade on time, Hamyuts crashed into the needle. She tumbled down, rose up and started running.

“Even if it’s you we won’t take any orders. Our grudge cannot yet be satisfied!”

Miena shouted.

“That sorta thing doesn’t matter at all! Kill him already!”

“What do you even know! What do you know about the grudge at my lost life! The grudge at him killing my husband and sending my child to the streets!”

Hamyuts then thought. She’s useless. While she’s an excellent warrior she’s incompetent.

“Move aside! Kill Ruruta already!”

“Why are you so focused on it?!”

Hamyuts shouted as if trying to rip out her throat.

“He’s going to transfer his Magic Right!”

The moment they heard this, most of the people there couldn’t understand what she meant.

Magic Right transferal. Although it was well-known, it was an extremely advanced magical technique. Hamyuts couldn’t use it. She had heard that even the child prodigy Mattalast and the great hard worker Photona failed in acquiring it. The only ones among the Armed Librarians who were able to use this ability were Yukizona and Volken.

And Hamyuts also knew – Ruruta was able to use it as well.

“What’s that?!”

“Don’t be stupid, who’s he gonna transfer it to? You think Ruruta has any allies?”

The warriors spoke unanimously.

“He’s going to transfer all of his powers to Nieniu!”

“W-what do you mean!”

Hamyuts was astonished at their incompetence. She didn’t have the time to make them understand. She fired her gravel bullets. All of them squarely hit Ruruta on his head. However, they were not lethal. She had to lop his head off using her sling. Hamyuts charged while raising a war cry.

Yet her legs were stopped again.

“…!”

Miena’s needle blocked her path like a wall.

“What are you thinking?”

“I won’t let you do it. My grudge will not be satisfied as long as Ruruta doesn’t see hell. I am here only so that I can show that man hell.”

Hamyuts kicked apart the needles and headed to Ruruta. Further needles blocked her way.

“You dimwitted woman! It was a mistake to have dug you up!”

“Transferring his Magic Rights to Nieniu? What would happen even if he does that, I wonder. Would she start moving?”

“Yes! She will start moving!”

Miena was finally able to understand the situation. The needles disappeared and Hamyuts restarted her charge. She kicked around the surrounding warriors and ran. Extending her sling, she wrapped it around the skewered Ruruta’s neck.

But at that moment, she could see him smile.

A shockwave exploded and both Hamyuts and Miena were blown away. Ruruta’s body itself emitted so much power as if he was a bomb.

“Kill Rururtaaa!”

Hamyuts shouted, and the warriors not caught in the explosion moved. However, Ruruta flew to the air as if being captured before was just a lie.

He had some final remaining power. Pretending to be completely exhausted, he reserved some power to be able to blow Hamyuts away once.

“This, shiiit!”

Hamyuts shouted. Swinging her sling, she leapt at Ruruta.

Colio was shouting while running in the desert.

“Stop! Stop it! You won’t be able to go back!”

If he was able to transfer his Magic Rights everything would be over. Both Hamyuts, Colio, and even Ruruta himself would be finished. And Ruruta would undoubtedly do it. For Nieniu’s sake he would definitely do that.

The pair’s bodies intersected. Hamyuts’s sling stretched toward Ruruta’s neck like a snake.

However, it missed by a few centimeters. Hamyuts got down to the ground. Ruruta fell about fifty meters away. Since he had used all his remaining powers he didn’t have enough to land.

“How regrettable, Hamyuts.”

Normally, only a small part of one’s Magic Right could be transferred. It was impossible to transfer the entire Magic Right when using common sense. Since it was so impossible Hamyuts didn’t think of the possibility.

And since it was impossible, Ruruta could do it.

“Magic Right transferal. The target is Nieniu. The object is my whole power.”

His index finger pointed at Nieniu.

If he were to transfer his Book-Eating ability, the authority of control over his Imaginary Entrails would also be transferred to Nieniu. All of Ruruta’s abilities, including those to control the Beasts of the Final Chapter, were transferred to her.

“…Transfer complete.”

Nieniu’s voice echoed inside the Imaginary Entrails. Nieniu, who stayed still for 1927 years, finally moved.

“…The power of annihilation taken away by Ruruta… it has now returned to me.”

At the same time as Nieniu’s voice echoed, Hamyuts screamed.

Nieniu moved. Simultaneously the world was transformed.

Everything took less than a minute since Ruruta had transferred his Magic Rights. Hamyuts, Miena, Colio, and even Ruruta couldn’t do anything but watch.

Ruruta’s hair color started changing. Starting from his bangs and to the back of his head, his ill-omened yet beautiful transparent hair changed into a normal black. This meant that Ruruta lost his Book-Eating ability.

At the same time the Colorless-Haired Statue’s hair also changed. The Statue’s single tuft of hair, the one that used to be reddish-purple when she was alive, changed to be transparent. That was the power of Book-Eating that allowed her to control the Imaginary Entrails, as well as the power of the incarnation of destruction controlling the Beasts of the Final Chapter. This also meant she had become a being with both powers combined.

Her eyelids that were closed for 1927 years opened. Her black-as-obsidian eyes that reflected nothing in them were revealed. Her colorless hair rose and twisted like snakes.

The sky of the Imaginary Entrails started clearing up. Directly above the theater black spots were created as if out of spilling ink. They started swelling rapidly. The sky was being covered in clouds so black they seemed as if darkness itself acquired mass. They were the same clouds that once appeared when the Age of Paradise was over, during the first end of the world.

A change also occurred in the world of the living, in Past God Bantorra Island.

Sitting on the needle without moving a muscle, Ruruta stood up. He lightly floated in air and stopped in place with his arms spread a little. The color of his hair started changing. Most of it was stained in the colorlessness indicating ruin, and only his forelocks stayed their previous transparent color.

Ruruta’s body was petrified. A statue in the form of a boy appeared there.

Small black dots appeared in the skies. The world was covered in dark clouds just like inside the Imaginary Entrails. The clear sky and the gentle sun were gone and the heavens were dominated by darkness.

The Beasts of the Final Chapter swarming all over Bantorra Library raised a cry of joy.

Nieniu, who was standing on the theater inside the Imaginary Entrails, and the being once known as Ruruta that stood above the needle at Bantorra Library moved at the same time.

They slightly raised their downcast faces, gazing at the cloud-covered skies. The sight was similar to a crucified criminal. On their faces was not hatred for the people, nor delight for being able to destroy the world, but a kind of pitiful atonement.

The few people left inside the Imaginary Entrails all looked to Ruruta standing in the town. They couldn’t help but gaze at it.

“…How sad.”

Nieniu said in a soft voice. Although it was a quiet voice, it reached every place in both the Imaginary Entrails and in the world. Nieniu used the exact same tone she had when she was alive.

“…I am sad. This is much too inhuman. Why has everything turned out like this?”

No one was able to speak. They were overpowered by Nieniu.

“…I am at fault, anything and everything is my fault. I cannot do anything other than wish for your forgiveness.”

Nieniu’s obsidian eyes were directed at the far reaches of the desert.

“…Hamyuts-san. It must have been difficult for you. Being a tool meant to kill Ruruta, existing just for that sake, is unforgiveable.

Miena-san. It must have been difficult for you. You had to die while leaving your husband and son behind. Even your beloved husband was killed by Ruruta. What a cruel fate.

Colio-san, it must have been painful. You were robbed of your memories, made into a human bomb, and finally thrown away. Yet you have endured these difficult days.”

Nieniu spoke in a chocked voice.

“…I am sorry, everyone, I am sorry, I cannot be forgiven.

…I cannot atone for it. However, I will at least accomplish what I can do. In order to atone for my sins, however slightly.

…So starting now…”

Nieniu was crying. Her weeping echoed. All of those who watched her felt a chill.

“…So starting now… I will kill all of you.”

Nieniu inside the Imaginary Entrails and the statue at Bantorra Library raised their finger at the same time.

“Causality Erasure: Hope Break.”

As far as they could see nothing happened. But an ability had been activated. It was the power that was used by Orntorra in the end of the Age of Paradise to give understanding without any accompanying transmission.

Hamyuts, Colio, Miena and everyone else all understood at the same time: it was impossible to defeat Nieniu. If the sun were to fall down or if the sea were to turn into lava no humans could survive. Her existence was synonymous to that.

“…Seeing the people of the outside die would probably be hard to bear.

…So I will first kill everyone here.”

A black swamp was created at Nieniu’s feet. From inside of it came out Beasts of the Final Chapter one after another.

The warriors all simply stared at Nieniu knowing they could do nothing. What broke the silence was Hamyuts’s howl. The frozen time moved again.

The people’s resistance began. The resistance that was a far too cruel battle began.

“You sure know how to flap that big mouth of yours, you piece of junk!”

Shouting this, Hamyuts started running at Nieniu. She didn’t even look at the already collapsed Ruruta. In order to kill the Book-Eater one needed to kill the possessor of the ability. Since Ruruta had transferred all of his abilities he no longer had any value. She should only aim for Nieniu.

“…Hamyuts-san.”

She let her understand that it was useless even if she tried fighting. Hamyuts shook it off with her anger and fighting spirit. She would be the one to determine if something was useless or not.

She’s just a piece of junk. A loser that was once defeated by Ruruta. She’s nothing.

Swinging her sling, she charged at Nieniu. In the way she bumped into Colio and blew him away, but paid no heed to that.

“Have you forgotten?! I’ll tell you! You’re weaker than Ruruta!”

She arrived at the theater. The Beasts produced by Nieniu blocked her way. Unable to even become a slight obstacle, they were scattered by Hamyuts’s sling. Kicking the chairs, she charged towards the stage.

She captured Nieniu as if she was a beast and kissed her as if biting her. She activated her Soul Fusion. Hamyuts poured the Suicidal Wish into Nieniu.

Kicking the statue’s stomach, Hamyuts retreated. It would take some time for the Suicidal Wish to encroach her.

“…Hamyuts-san.”

Nieniu spoke calmly.

“So! Feel like you want to die? I’ll kill you just like I did with Ruruta!”

Hamyuts shouted. Yet Nieniu shook her head.

“…Did you think it would work? That such a thing would affect me, the incarnation of destruction?”

No change came to Nieniu. Even though the poison of Suicidal Wish definitely entered her.

“…Shit…”

Hamyuts’s fingers clenched the sling in the last second. The ability she bet her life on didn’t work at all. That’s impossible, she thought and swung her sling.

She shot gravel bullets from near point-blank range. The theater’s chairs, pillars, and swarming Beasts all got caught up in it indiscriminately.

Nieniu didn’t defend. She made no movements either. While receiving attacks that would blow off even tanks, she didn’t move even by a single centimeter.

“…You can win when it is against Ruruta. However, I am not him.”

“What are you doing, you idiots!”

While moving away, she yelled at the warriors behind her.

“Fight! Kill her!”

The dumbfounded warriors started moving. Each picking their weapon, they ran towards Nieniu. However, just by looking at them Hamyuts knew it was useless.

They only acted because they were told so. No one thought they could win against Nieniu. They’ve accepted the fact that resisting would be futile.

Hamyuts kicked around the Beasts and charged at Nieniu. She wrapped her sling around her neck. Nieniu made no move. Hamyuts felt as if she had returned to being a young girl with no power.

“You piece of shit!”

And yet she desperately tightened the sling on her neck. More Beasts of the Final Chapter were produced one after another and swarmed at Hamyuts. A Lancer’s thrust and the front legs of an Elephant Soldier assaulted her. She had to detach her sling from Nieniu and evade.

“…Resistance is futile. Please die, Hamyuts-san.”

“Stop with the bullshit.”

“…I am sorry. It is futile. Completely hopeless and futile.”

The sling scattered the Beasts around. However, she wasn’t able to affect Nieniu with any attack. Even if she shot her with gravel bullets, kicked her, beat her, Nieniu felt no pain.

Hamyuts felt suffocated. She felt as if her trachea was tightened and her heart was shrinking. Her legs and lips shook. This was something Hamyuts hadn’t felt in a long time. They were feelings that disappeared ever since the day Makia Dexiart had remodeled her. Since her goal was death, since her wish was of defeat, these feelings vanished from her heart. The feelings she never experienced no matter the crisis.

Fear towards defeat. True fear. It now assaulted Hamyuts’s heart.

“…Although I want to kill you as soon as possible, I lack the Beasts to do so.”

Indeed there were not a lot of Beasts. Nieniu still hasn’t retrieved all of her powers. She was slowly shedding the rust she had accumulated for 1927 years.

Further Beasts were created from the swamp at her feet. Before long they would probably fill the entire Imaginary Entrails.

“…But do not worry. I will kill you soon.”

Hamyuts screamed and swung her sling frantically.

Hamyuts passed by Colio. He was blown away by wind pressure and rolled on the sand.

Looking at her from behind, he muttered.

“…Stop it. If you fight you’ll only become miserable.”

She had lost. The world has ended. No one could stop it any longer.

If they’d noticed Ruruta’s aim earlier… If he’d been able to stop Ruruta before Hamyuts came… Only regrets assaulted Colio. The chance to save the world appeared in front of him and passed in vain.

“Ruruta… Ruruta!”

Grabbing sand, Colio shouted.

“Idiot! You idiottt!”

His voice reached no one’s ears.

Having seen that the transfer of Magic Right was successful, Ruruta fell on the sand. He spat out the blood from his stomach and lungs. Pulling out a sword stuck in his flank, he cut part of his waistcloth and used it to temporarily stop the bleeding.

He wasn’t able to move for a while. Along with his transparent hair he had lost all power. The only thing left was Ruruta’s own bodily reinforcement Magic. He was surprised at how fragile and sluggish his body was. Was a human’s body so weak?

However, he had no regrets. Making Nieniu happy was everything. He needed nothing else. Power was useless for him.

“…U-ugh…”

Ruruta stood up. He walked while dragging his feet. He was headed for Nieniu. Just by moving his legs he became out of breath and his knees folded.

He won against Hamyuts. But he couldn’t feel happy about that. That was only cleaning up after his failure. He has not accomplished anything.

It was in vain. Everything was in vain.

Both the Armed Librarians and the Indulging God Cult. Both the people searching for the perfect happiness and the days of waiting for it. Even fighting to save the world and winning.

All of it was wasted effort. The world would be destroyed and Nieniu will gain happiness by that destruction. If that was the end, he should’ve destroyed the world in the first place.

Everything was useless. Yet Ruruta accepted it.

It was fine for these 1927 years to have been in vain. He didn’t mind that the unbearable days were all meaningless.

If Nieniu becomes even a bit happier it was fine. That would compensate for everything.

And very soon the awaited time would come.

‘…Even if the world’s destroyed Nieniu will not become happy!’

At that time, Colio’s words echoed in his mind. Ruruta shook his head to shake them off.

“…Shut up, don’t come out at this stage.”

Talking to Colio was a mistake in the first place. It was foolish of him to want to meet him. He shouldn’t have listened to his words.

She would obviously become happy. Absolutely. Undoubtedly. It should definitely make her happy.

If not, Ruruta would have nothing left. If this didn’t make her happy then everything would truly be in vain this time.

And so she would definitely become happy. Thus Ruruta believed and proceeded towards her step-by-step.

“…?”

Hamyuts continued her futile fight far away. The warriors were felled by the fangs of the Beasts one after another.

Among those, a single Iron-Fanged Mouse left the battlefield and approached Ruruta. For some reason, once he saw it Ruruta’s chest throbbed.

“…Are you Nieniu?”

“…”

The Iron-Fanged Mouse made no reply. But Ruruta realized it was undoubtedly Nieniu.

“I am sorry… for making you wait so long. Forgive me, Nieniu, forgive me.”

“…”

“I finally realized it. This world is meaningless. Please forgive me for being unable to realize that.”

Ruruta couldn’t say anything else. He wasn’t able to mouth his love for her. He believed that he didn’t have the qualifications to love her. Since he hadn’t given her the happiness that was so close by.

“…Ruruta.”

The Iron-Fanged Mouse said. It had Nieniu’s voice. It had Nieniu’s tone. Ruruta smiled just by hearing that.

“…I have always…”

He extended a hand to embrace Nieniu in the form of Iron-Fanged Mouse.

“…Always hated you.”

Ruruta’s heart froze with his hand stuck.

“…Huh?”

No way, he thought. I’m dreaming, he thought. No way this is real, he thought. However, it wasn’t a dream but reality; it wasn’t a lie but truth.

“…I have hated you from the bottom of my heart. You, the one to throw everyone, and me, to hell.

So I will never forgive you.”

Ruruta’s expression seemed like he was on the verge of crying. Much like the face of a child who got lost and had no idea what to do.

“…You have defeated me… I cannot forgive even that. You had no choice? You were desperate? This is no excuse. Since you had defeated me this rotten world was born.”

“But that’s… that’s…”

Nieniu’s words sharply gouged Ruruta much more than any gravel bullet or any sword.

“…The days after I have been Eaten by you… were unbearable. It was hell. To keep seeing this world full of despair and tragedy…”

Nieniu spoke with a voice full of sorrow.

“…There were many sad people, suffering people, people who wished to have never been born. I wanted to save all of them. I wanted to kill and thus save them. Every time a baby was born my chest was torn apart. Because once again a person who should not have been born came into the world.”

Ruruta wanted to tear off his ears. Yet he couldn’t do even that. He had no choice but to endure the blades of Nieniu’s piercing words.

“…An unblemished happiness? When have I ever wanted such a thing? When have I ever said so? When have I asked you to make me happy?

…The only thing I wished for was destruction, right?”

The torture of words continued.

“…Even in this world there was a slight bit of happiness. Yet you have trampled it underfoot, crushing it. Clinging to the delusion of an unblemished happiness, you and your subordinates trampled on people’s slight happiness.

…In the first place, what did you think would happen if you collected other people’s happiness?

…Poor Armed Librarians. Poor Indulging God Cult. All the people living in this rotten world that you control are excruciatingly poor.

…Who is at fault? What went wrong? It is obvious! You are at fault!”

“But! But, that was for your sake…”

“…To make me happy? You have hurt people just for that?

…Did you think it would be forgiven?”

“Nieniu!”

“…Unforgivable. No one in this world will forgive you. And above all else, I will not.”

Nieniu shouted.

“…I have told you this! Again and again! Haven’t I told you countless times to destroy the world! And yet you have kept producing unhappy people!”

Ruruta could still endure that. Even if his chest hurt, even if Nieniu hated him, he didn’t mind. He didn’t care about himself. He only wanted Nieniu to be happy.

“I have a question.”

“…”

“Are you happy right now, if even a little?”

After a while of silence, Nieniu spat out.

“…No way I would be happy. I should not have been born.”

“No… way.”

“…Ever since meeting you I have not had a shred of happiness. And I will definitely feel no happiness from now on.”

If she simply hated him and desired to kill him, Ruruta would have gladly offered up his life. Yet Nieniu cut off even that possibility.

Ruruta shouted. He shouted until he stopped breathing and then struggled to breathe more air and shouted again. His throat ripped and blood bubbles flowed down his lips yet he kept shouting.

“…Ruruta. I wish I would have never met you.”

Informing him these slightly and cruelly pitiful words, the Iron-Fanged Mouse crumbled to sand.

Ruruta’s scream reached Colio’s ears. It even reached Hamyuts who was challenging Nieniu.

They both thought at the same time. Who wished for this to happen? It wasn’t Ruruta. Neither was it Hamyuts, Colio, Miena nor the rest. And it surely wasn’t Nieniu.

The time of despair no one had wished for simply passed in vain.