Tatakau Shisho

“I have to… connect to Nieniu…”

Mirepoc muttered while gazing at the stone statue floating above the needle. It was obviously her first time to send thoughts to something that wasn’t human.

“But I have to do it… Thought Sharing!”

Mirepoc activated her ability directed to the stone statue. Yet no one received her thoughts.

She tried it twice then trice but to no avail. Mirepoc didn’t know the face of the key person Nieniu. The statue floating above the needle was not Nieniu but Ruruta. She had no idea what to do.

“…I see.”

She was too caught up in the method of connecting to humans. But Nieniu wasn’t human. So the way of connecting to humans wouldn’t work on her.

“Thought Sharing to Nieniu!”

Mirepoc invoked her Thought Sharing once again. Her target was not the statue; it was the swarming Beasts and the dark clouds. She sent her thoughts towards everything that surrounded her. Nieniu was now the very will of destruction covering the world. Both the Beasts and the dark clouds were part of her.

She kept using her ability to the fullest. She could faintly feel some sort of connection.

‘I can do… seems like it’s going to… I’m connected!’

Mirepoc managed to share her thoughts with Nieniu. However, at that moment an impact that seemed to stir her brain hit her. She instinctively disrupted her Thought Sharing. What she received from Nieniu was a will that denied everything. It denied Mirepoc’s life, beliefs, loved, friends, anything and everything.

“Gweh….eh…”

Mirepoc started vomiting involuntarily. The vomit mixed with blood wet her knees.

It was something no human should get in contact with. Yet Mirepoc had to try and connect with it one more time. Stifling her fears, she invoked her Thought Sharing again.

Although she clenched her teeth, exerted strength in her stomach, and readied her mind, she felt her consciousness dimming. The moment she connected she was once again assaulted by a horrifying intent.

It rejected everything. It was no longer murderous intent or hatred. It couldn’t bear the very fact that everything in the world even existed. It wouldn’t recognize even a single thing in the world as having any value. That feeling could be called the will of destruction. This was not something that humans could feel as long as they were human.

The will of destruction flowed into Mirepoc through the Thought Sharing. She would be broken at this rate. She couldn’t help but cut it off.

“…Ah, ah…”

Her empty stomach contracted as if writhing in pain. Emitting a beastlike shriek, Mirepoc puked.

She couldn’t endure something like that. No way would she be able to share her thoughts with a being like that. Not to mention that conveying to her that the world was wonderful or that she should cease its destruction was utterly impossible.

It was like attempting to hold back the flow of lava with one’s bare hands. But one couldn’t touch lava with their hands and even if they could they wouldn’t be able to stop it.

She didn’t try her Thought Sharing for the third time. She would rather die than connect to that thing once again. In her heart she wished to save the world. However, Mirepoc’s instincts kept stopping her.

Ruruta had told her – there was no other method and none other than her to accomplish it.

Mirepoc regretted the fact she had woken up.

The attacks on Ruruta grew in intensity. Would Ruruta shatter down and disappear first or would Nieniu break his mind first? These were his only two possible futures.

His body couldn’t move. His arms and legs wouldn’t listen to him. Even the knife in his hands felt heavy.

At that moment, a transmission came from Mirepoc.

‘Ruruta, it’s useless. That thing is hopeless! I can’t possibly tell it the world is wonderful!’ free𝒘ℯ𝗯𝙣𝗼ν𝑒𝗹.𝒄o𝒎

Mirepoc’s thoughts were full of grief. But not as much grief as Ruruta who heard this.

‘Please don’t give up, look for another possibility, it doesn’t matter what…’

‘You’re only saying that because you haven’t touched it. It’s impossible to make that thing change its mind. It’s not something a human could do!’

‘Don’t give up! Please!’

Ruruta’s thoughts were desperate. If she gave up then even his heart would crumble.

‘…Why can’t I give up?’

Yet even Mirepoc seemed to be trying to break his fighting spirits.

‘I now understand. This world shouldn’t exist. It’s been decided. I can’t crush that conviction. No one can. And so, destroying the world is correct.’

‘No…’

‘Even I want to protect the world! But it’s useless! Absolutely!’

A Cavalryman’s spear cut through Ruruta’s back. He was about to collapse from the pain.

Did he really think something would happen? The weakness inside of him showed itself.

Meeting Colio was a miracle. Mirepoc waking up was a miracle. Miracles would surely not happen so conveniently.

The Jail King Snake in front of him raised its crooked head. I’d rather die, thought Ruruta. But even so…

“…Uoooohhh!!!”

Ruruta roared. Before being crushed to death by the Snake he evaded, rushed up its black body and opened up a path.

He vowed to never give up again.

‘Believe in me! It’s fine if you don’t fight or don’t do anything! Just keep believing!’

He sent his thoughts to Mirepoc.

‘This world is definitely wonderful! There is also happiness in it! There is value in protecting it! Believe that!’

Ruruta raised his voice, directing his words at Mirepoc to whom he was connected again.

“I can’t fight unless you believe! So please don’t give up at least on believing!”

Mirepoc’s Thought Sharing was interrupted. He didn’t even know if his last words were transmitted.

The thoughts transmitted from Ruruta barely supported the crumbling Mirepoc. But she was not strong enough to connect again.

“Uu… uu… kuu!”

Mirepoc pounded the ground with her fists, lamenting her powerlessness. Her tears dripped down.

Ruruta said he bet everything on her. Yet she couldn’t do anything. Nieniu didn’t even take her into consideration. The last Armed Librarian was nothing more than a bystander.

Pitiful, she was so pitiful.

She now realized – Ruruta’s wish to protect the world was sincere. She didn’t know what happened, but that alone was conveyed. His heart was far stronger and far purer than her own.

He was probably placed in a predicament far beyond his abilities inside his Imaginary Entrails. Mirepoc wanting to give up pained him even more. And yet he voiced no complaints. He told her she didn’t have to fight. That she could just believe that the world had value. How could he say that even in this despairing situation?

She wouldn’t have been able to say something like that. She wouldn’t have been able to protect the world. She wouldn’t have been able to fight like him.

“…Why was I born so weak?”

She simply reflected on her own weakness.

“But…”

She couldn’t let it end like that. She couldn’t just hug her knees. Because Ruruta believed in her and bet everything on her.

Mirepoc invoked her Thought Sharing for the third time. The moment she connected to Nieniu another will of destruction assaulted her head. She tried repeating her words to preach that the world was wonderful. But she could only transmit intermitted words. No words that could move Nieniu’s heart reached her.

The Thought Sharing was severed. When she opened her eyes, what reflected in them were the surrounding Beasts of the Final Chapter.

She wanted to escape. When this allure entered her mind, she forcibly twisted it off and…

“…Aaaah!”

Along with a shout Mirepoc connected for the fourth time. But it once again ended in vain.

I want to fight, Mirepoc thought. I want power, she thought strongly.

She had no power to protect the world. But she wanted the power to help those who were trying to protect the world. She wanted power, power, power.

Mirepoc closed her eyes. She folded her arms and poured everything she had into her Thought Sharing. Therefore she didn’t even notice the change in her hair color.

The tips of her lemon-colored hair started faintly shining.

At that moment, Mirepoc experienced a strange feeling. It felt warm like being surprisingly reunited with a long-time friend.

Mirepoc heard a voice inside her head.

‘Having someone sympathize with Ruruta… that alone should be enough.”

It was the voice of an unfamiliar girl. What Mirepoc felt was similar to but different from Thought Sharing. She felt as if what she received was not the girl’s thoughts but her mind itself.

The unknown girl’s happiness filled Mirepoc’s heart.

‘Ruruta was always a lonely demon lord. But he wasn’t really a demon lord. He was a gentle, sad, simple boy. So he could definitely change.’

The unknown girl was speaking inside Mirepoc’s mind.

‘What changes humans is sympathy. That was what Ruruta required.

If someone were to sympathize with him he will definitely change. From a lonely demon lord he will turn into someone who can connect his heart with other people. Such was my belief.’

Who are you, Mirepoc tried to call. I don’t know anyone like you. I don’t recall having connected my thoughts to you.

‘If Ruruta connects with someone he will change. If Ruruta changes then the world will, too. Both the Armed Librarians and the Indulging God Cult will not stay as they are.

If that happens, even Ruruta would be able to escape the dead end he stumbled into and create a new path.

Making Nieniu happy… he would surely find a way to make it come true.

It’s truly simple. Just by changing Ruruta’s heart plenty of things in the world will change as well. So Chacoly won’t give up.’

Mirepoc didn’t know Chacoly’s name. Yet she also knew her at the same time. Because she was with Mirepoc. Because she was about to become one with her right now.

‘Having someone sympathize with Ruruta… Believing such a day would come, Chacoly left her power behind.

Magic Right transfer. Chacoly Cocot transferred all of her power.

The target is whoever wishes to help Ruruta from the bottom of their heart. This transfer will hold even after Chacoly’s death.

She didn’t know when. She didn’t know to whom. But she left her Soul Sharing in the world for that person. For Ruruta who will someday change.’

Mirepoc’s hair changed its color. Into the beautiful and ephemeral color of violet.

Along with the Soul Sharing ability Mirepoc also received Chacoly’s heart. The two girls now became one.

‘Mirepoc-san, is Chacoly’s power of use?’

“Of course, it will definitely be of use.”

Mirepoc spoke to Chacoly inside her mind.

Chacoly’s memories came flowing inside Mirepoc. She learned about the ending of the Paradise Era. About the days Ruruta had lived in. About his feelings for Nieniu. She came to know of everything Chacoly knew about.

“…How great for you, Ruruta.”

The one to mutter this was Mirepoc, but at the same time it also was the Chacoly inside her.

“You were able to meet such a kind person.”

Mirepoc’s violet-colored hair swayed.

“So we can fight. We can still fight!”

Mirepoc clenched her teeth. She folded both hands in front of her chest.

‘Activating Soul Sharing!’

The revived violet-colored hair emitted shining light.

With her newly acquired power, Mirepoc instantly understood what was possible and what was impossible.

It was meaningless for her to use Soul Sharing to connect to Nieniu. That power only allowed her to give and take her heart with another person’s. If she made her heart clash against Nieniu’s, she would never be able to break that will of destruction.

But now there was something she could do. Mirepoc directed her power not at Nieniu but at the people of the world.

‘I will distribute it to everyone. To all people my Soul Sharing can reach. I will give them the will to stand up again!’

Light was born from her violet-colored hair. It became a faint surge of radiation. The violet surge spread much like ripples on water caused by a thrown pebble. From Bantorra Library it came downtown. From there it crossed the ocean and went to the whole world.

Mirepoc’s heart was conveyed by the violet surge.

‘Amazing… Chacoly couldn’t have done anything like that.’

Mirepoc faintly heard a mutter inside her mind.

Chacoly’s Soul Sharing combined with Mirepoc’s Thought Sharing. They were abilities of the same category after all.

The inborn Soul Sharing ability now resided in Mirepoc who wasn’t born with a talent but polished her ability with diligent efforts. This fusion of talent and hard work raised the Soul Sharing ability to further heights.

While clenching her teeth, Mirepoc controlled her new power. All in order to give the people of the world the will to stand.

On Past God Bantorra’s Island, in a corner of the town was the room of a plain apartment. A single boy inside suddenly opened his eyes. This completely ordinary boy heard someone calling to him from afar.

‘Stand up. Please stand up again. To protect this world.’

Why did he wake up? He was supposed to have drifted to a long, peaceful sleep. He wanted to keep sleeping peacefully like that, too. He slept while thinking that school, his studies, his family, his friends, his first love, everything and anything was completely inconsequential.

I don’t care about anything so don’t wake me up, the boy thought.

Yet someone was desperately calling for him. They were calling him to save the world.

In a certain red-light district at the Ismo Republic, a woman opened her eyes. I don’t want you to wake me up, she thought. She was cornered by her circumstances and exhausted by her daily life. All of her life was nothing but trouble. I’ve cleanly forgotten all about it when I was sleeping so please don’t wake me up, she thought.

‘Please wish for it. To protect this world, to protect our future.’

A voice called to her from afar. She realized it was telling her that standing up and living was far more wonderful than dying peacefully.

At a certain hospital in the Guinbex Empire, a man opened his eyes. I don’t want to wake up, he thought. His incurable disease would be eating into his body until the day he died. He rather preferred to be allowed to sleep peacefully.

‘Believe. Believe that living is wonderful and that this world is worth something!’

A voice called to him from afar. He could receive the appeal that even someone like him was needed.

Mirepoc called to all people of the world. It didn’t matter if they were men, women, young or old. There was no distinction between warriors and those who were not, good or bad people.

The world can’t be saved alone. I need your power, she called the entire world.

No matter who you are, your power is needed.

The Power of Tearless Ending was being crushed. People were standing up around the world. Some people were puzzled, certain they had been asleep, and some people looked around them to search for the voice that had called to them.

About half of the population rose up. But there were also plenty of people who, having received the violet surge, only slightly opened their eyes and didn’t move.

Mirepoc sent the power of her Soul Sharing to the whole world, so naturally the individual effect was dampened. She couldn’t forcibly control people’s hearts like Chacoly once did. It took everything she had to merely tell them to wake up and instill in them only a small bit of will to rise.

But that was enough.

Half of the world answered Mirepoc’s voice. There were these many people who chose, rather than dying peacefully, to live and struggle.

‘It’s not enough, Mirepoc-san. Just waking them up won’t save the world.’

“I know. Leave it to me. I will definitely make it happen!”

Mirepoc kept exercising her Soul Sharing.

Something happened. Ruruta was convinced of it inside the Imaginary Entrails. He had no reason; it was mere intuition.

“…What is this?”

One second after Ruruta had noticed it, Nieniu did as well. The stone statue’s face turned toward the sky and the movements of the Beasts ceased.

“It’s still not enough!”

Nothing was reflected in Mirepoc’s eyes any longer. She was currently pouring her entire being into the Soul Sharing. Both vision, hearing, sense of touch and sense of pain were gone.

Just making people stand up wasn’t enough. They wouldn’t become a power to save the world.

Since Mirepoc was the plus sign to connect all of the ‘ones’, her role was to turn the powers from the entire world into one power. The world couldn’t be saved by one person. There was still something that had to be done.

Having everything taken away from her, Nieniu thought that she shouldn’t have been born. She wished for the world to be destroyed. Saving her heart was the same as saving the world.

What should Mirepoc do for that? What should she tell the people of the world?

She had inherited Chacoly’s memories. She knew of Ruruta’s feelings and of his days of long labor. What did she need to save Nieniu?

She once again unleashed a violet surge.

Nieniu directed her attention to the outside world for the first time. She had forgotten all about it, trapped by her hatred toward Ruruta.

Using perception organs that humans didn’t possess she looked over the courtyard of Bantorra Library. She found the figure of Mirepoc and saw her shining violet hair.

At the same time she felt the people of the world rejecting the Power of Tearless Ending and standing up.

“…Something is happening. And it is very bad.”

The Power of Tearless Ending was the power that Ruruta used through the Beasts of the Final Chapter. Nieniu as well wished to destroy the world without making anyone suffer. That power was being broken now. Nieniu looked at Mirepoc. She finally recalled the violet-color haired girl that once tried to kill Ruruta.

“…This is…”

Nieniu felt a slight fear. She would destroy the world regardless if people were sleeping or not. Since she possessed unlimited power their resistance was no problem.

However, she could feel – she felt the same as during the first destruction of the world when she saw Ruruta bring an asteroid from the deep reaches of space. Defeat was sneaking up on her.

It wasn’t good at all. She had no idea what was happening, but knew it wasn’t good.

“…I will kill you. Right now.”

Nieniu’s voice echoed in the courtyard of Bantorra Library. All the Beasts of the Final Chapter leapt, aiming at Mirepoc.

Mirepoc felt nothing. Neither Nieniu’s words nor the footsteps of the assaulting Beasts reached her ears. She was concentrating her entire being on Soul Sharing.

The violet surge transmitted Mirepoc’s calling to the entire world.

For example, it was transmitted to a boy who lived on Past God Island.

‘The world is about to be destroyed by a single will. By the will of the girl known as Nieniu.’

He was a mere ordinary boy. Yet he wished to become a hero who protected the world. And so he lent his ears to this calling. He wanted to save the world.

For example, it was transmitted to a certain bread-selling woman that worked in a certain mining town.

‘Nieniu believes that living in this world is completely meaningless. She believes that this world has no happiness and has nothing but sorrow in it.

She thinks that you, as well as me, as well as herself, should have never been born. And since no person should have been born she is trying to destroy the world.’

The woman recalled the day three years ago when she had lost her lover. She was pained and even thought she shouldn’t have been born.

But now she was different. She accepted her sorrow, overcame it and was trying to live. The bread-selling woman lent her ears to the call. She sympathized with the girl known as Nieniu and wanted to cheer her up.

For example, it reached a certain man locked in prison.

‘I ask of you all. Is having been born something wonderful?’

The man had once joined an evil organization for the sake of his desires. That organization was defeated by the Armed Librarians and the man was captured. He would never come out of prison.

Yet he thought about the family he lost. He wanted to once again meet up with his wife and son and beg them for forgiveness. Even if they wouldn’t accept it, he wished to convey his apology. He lent his ears to the call. In order to protect his lost family and the world.

Mirepoc’s call was transmitted all over the world. People looked back at their lives, looked at their futures, and gave their answers.

Was this world wonderful?

Was there any meaning to life?

‘If you think this world is wonderful, if you think living has its value, I ask you to convey that. I ask you to deliver your feelings to Nieniu.’

Although no one was ordered to, the people clenched their hands on their chests. They folded their knees, lowered their heads, and closed their eyes, assuming a praying position.

Mirepoc was calling to them. She was strongly, strongly calling.

‘Strongly wish for it! Your feelings are the power to save the world!

Believing that this world is wonderful is the power to save the world!’

The people wished. They wished for their feelings that their world was beautiful to be transmitted forward.

Mirepoc’s thoughts reached the injured and collapsed Ruruta inside the Imaginary Entrails.

‘Do you understand? The people of the world want to convey what they feel right now. That they believe there is still something wonderful even now.’

“Mirepoc, thank you. If so then the world will definitely be saved.”

‘Ruruta.’

At that moment, a small wave throbbed in the knife Ruruta held in his hand. Its handle heated up.

‘Please convey it. You’re the only one who can do it. You’re the only one who can deliver the power of the world.’

“…Mirepoc?”

The knife then started emitting light. While holding the knife Ruruta could feel – the will of all people of the world dwelt inside it.

It was an outrageous power. Ruruta knew it was the power that could save the world.

He was convinced that it wasn’t inferior to the power he had gathered during the first destruction of the world.

“Nieniu!”

Ruruta shouted. When he wielded his knife a violet light was emitted from it. The Jail King Snake in front of him was torn in half.

“Nieniu! I can save you! This time… this time I’ll save you!”

Resolving his wounded body, Ruruta ran. He knew – the power of the world embedded in the knife was not a power to defeat Nieniu. It was the power to save her from the will of destruction trapping her.

“…You still had such a power? Unbelievable.”

Nieniu’s voice was full of bottomless anger. She probably realized it as well: the moment this knife reached her she would lose.

“…I will not let you do it, Ruruta. I will not repeat the same mistake.

…This time, you, everyone and anyone, will be absolutely killed.”

Back at Bantorra Library’s courtyard, a small voice resounded among the roars of Beasts of the Final Chapter that were rushing to kill Mirepoc.

“…I did it. I did it, Ruruta!”

Mirepoc muttered. The Beasts attacked her. Their fangs and blades should have easily taken her life.

However, not a single one of them reached her. She remained alive and succeeded in gathering the power of the world.

Mirepoc’s body was not on the stone paving of the courtyard. She was on the roof of Bantorra Library’s main building. Her head was held by the boorish hand of a man. Her body was held by a man in a black suit.

“Well done, Mirepoc. You’re an exemplary Armed Librarian.”

The one to save Mirepoc from being killed was Mattalast Ballory.