Tatakau Shisho

“…Say, Ruruta-san. Why have you killed Hihak Yammo?”

1878 years passed since Hihak’s death. A single man tilted his glass and muttered. It was probably at least 1800 years or more than that since anyone has uttered that name. He was a man who didn’t amount to anything except for his ability to turn into a tree. His name vanished in history.

The man who muttered this was Makia Dexiart. He was Bantorra Library’s Acting Director of the time. Inclined to dressing up in low-quality and gaudy suits, he wore an eyepatch with the symbol of a spade on it. The sword on his waist looked more like a part of fashion than one of an Armed Librarian. Although he was at the top of Armed Librarians, he didn’t look like one.

“Even if you wanted his ability it wasn’t practical. If you’d told him that you wanted his life he surely would’ve cut off his own neck happily. Why was there a need to kill him so cruelly?”

Inside Makia’s glass was the highest grade brandy. He emptied it little by little.

“No, there’s something I don’t understand even more. Surely you had no reason to kill everyone there? Did you want to rule the populace by fear? No way. You were the hero who saved the world. Everyone would’ve served you even if you said nothing.

There are many ungrateful people in the world, but there was nothing to worry about. With your power you could’ve killed those people instantly.”

“…”

Makia was waiting for something. As if tired of waiting, he gulped down the remaining liquor and poured some more brandy.

“Staying silent, huh? Or are you sleeping?”

Saying this, Makia raised his glass.

“Let’s drink a cup together. The boss and his subordinate have some real talk over a drink… that’s what a good organization’s all about.

Since I have two glasses and two chairs you don’t have to hold back.”

At that time Makia was in a surprising place: inside the deepest part of Bantorra Library, the Second Sealed Labyrinth. The small figure of a tree stood inside the freezing Archive. Of all things he was drinking liquor next to Ruruta Coozancoona.

He had brought a simple table as well as two folding chairs. On the table was a large bottle of brandy, a bag of cheese crackers, and two glasses. Ruruta couldn’t be seen anywhere. Makia invited Ruruta to a banquet.

Armed Librarians were not prohibited from drinking alcohol inside the Sealed Labyrinth. It was because no Armed Librarian would ever do such a thing. Even Ruruta didn’t tell the man in front of him that he couldn’t do so. It was probably because he couldn’t imagine the idiot who would do that.

“Are you perhaps not good with alcohol? That’s my failure, I forgot to bring juice. Perhaps I should have also brought a cream pie?”

Furthermore, Makia was really drunk. He was still articulate and could walk straight. However, it was obvious from the tone of his voice.

“Please, Ruruta-san, tell me. What are you thinking about? Please don’t say that you haven’t been thinking of anything.”

Saying this, Makia cackled and rolled with laughter.

If he were to get on Ruruta’s nerves only death would await him. Makia clearly knew this. That would be even more foolish than attempting violence. No, that would be insane.

However, he had a reason for this foolish move. He was a man who never acted in a meaningless way.

Makia Dexiart. Among the Acting Directors throughout history, his battle prowess wasn’t particularly impressive. He had a standard battle style specializing in his superior physical abilities and powerful slashing aided by telekinesis.

However, he had a secret ability. No one knew about it except for Makia himself.

His hidden ability was that of prediction.

It wasn’t a power that could look hundreds of years ahead like that of the Ever-Laughing Witch Shiron. It also wasn’t a power that could accurately predict the future like that of Mattalast from later on. It could be said to be extremely weak for a predictive ability.

However, he prided in it as his best ability.

From time to time Makia would have premonitions. For example, one morning he would be able to feel that something good was about to happen that day. Before fighting an enemy, he would be able to feel that they would be difficult. What he could predict was at about this level.

The accuracy was not 100% either. One out of ten cases was off. And even when he was right he sometimes made his prediction meaningless by taking bad actions.

People would probably think that it was a weak power. It couldn’t be really be used in a practical battle. However, Makia considered it the power to win in every situation.

It truly was useless in battle. However, it would tell him whether he should fight or not in the first place. It would also tell him who he should fight. It wasn’t a power used for battle tactics but for battle strategy.

And strategies always outweighed tactics. Because he would avoid meaningless fights and only start fights he could win he was the strongest. That was what Makia thought.

During that day’s morning, he had a premonition.

He would return alive today. Even if he drank in front of Ruruta and made a fool out of himself, he would not kill him. He entrusted his life to this premonition.

“I also don’t understand why you’ve Eaten the power of the Beasts of the Final Chapter. You’re undoubtedly the world’s strongest. That’s true even without the Beasts. And yet you have Eaten more power. Is it not nonsensical?”

Glass after glass, Makia kept talking. He was a heavy drinker. Even though his tone was drunk, his sharp mind dulled not even a bit.

“Yes, you should have had no need to gain more power that time. So Eating the power of the Beasts of the Final Chapter should have been for another reason. What would you need them for other than battle… Or perhaps you weren’t given any choice and just had to Eat them…

Anyhow, something’s happened. Something that we don’t know about.”

Ruruta made no reply.

“Yes, as I thought, it was during that time. The point in time after you’ve fought the Beasts, defeated them, and until you came back. Something happened during these few days…”

Makia yawned. He grabbed a cracker, ate it, and then poured more brandy into his glass again.

“I came to question you about that point, but it seems you keep silent.”

Saying this, Makia raised the bottle of brandy toward Ruruta.

Makia had assumed the seat of the Acting Director five years ago. The reason for his inauguration was because of Ruruta having butchered the previous Acting Director and Overseer of Paradise due to the negligence of their duty. Since he wanted the other candidate Kachua to become the Overseer of Paradise, Makia was selected by the process of elimination.

His work was not admirable at all. He took several politicians and businessmen from the Present Management Agency and made them his aides. He left all of the political work to them. He invited retired Armed Librarians to serve as consultants and left the Library in their charge.

Even if he only sat on the Director’s seat as decoration, no objection came from anyone. Although he was top-notch as a warrior, he was third-rate as a politician or head of an organization. This was Makia’s evaluation. Compared to Kachua who had been steadily strengthening the organization the difference was evident.

However, this evaluation was what Makia himself had wanted. He feigned incompetence in order not to waste time on politics.

Ever since assuming office, Makia was investigating Ruruta secretly. He spent almost all of his free time on researching him.

Reading all the Books in the Second Sealed Labyrinth went without saying. Even in the Books contained in higher layers some slight fragments about Ruruta had remained. He meticulously investigated those as well. Furthermore, he went around historical ruins in the Principality of Meliot and investigated various ancient incidents that remained only as myths or fairy tales.

Combining the fragments of information, making free use of reasoning and speculation, Makia closed in on Ruruta’s past. The fact that he even knew Hihak Yammo’s name showed the thoroughness of his research.

There were people among the Acting Directors and Overseers of Paradise to investigate Ruruta even before him. However, none of them probably knew even a fifth of what Makia had discovered.

He especially investigated above all else those who have fought with Ruruta. Until now, several Acting Directors had schemed a rebellion against Ruruta. Each and every one of them was beaten in his own game. Their strategy, tactics, origin of ideas, and the circumstances of their failure – Makia carefully examined them.

He did all of this alone. And he did it secretly so it wouldn’t leak either to Kachua, to the Armed Librarians or anyone else.

Makia was fighting against Ruruta.

No people challenged him in the past 300 years. After the cruel blunder of the Dragon Pneumonia Incident, the desperate Acting Director undertook a suicidal battle attempt and that was the final time. From the repeating losses the Acting Directors all realized that it impossible to fight against Ruruta.

However, Makia had his power of premonition. If he senses danger he would avoid fatal errors in advance. If he feels the premonition of death he would not head to a losing battle. That is all Makia believed in his ability for.

And Makia also had another reason for this battle.

It was from five years ago when his predecessor had been slain.

‘From now on you two will manage Bantorra Library and the Indulging God Cult. This is all I have to say to you. I hold expectations for your future work.’

Ruruta had calmly killed the previous Director. And he left Makia to handle the next generation of Bantorra matter-of-factly. It was as if he threw away a tool he didn’t need to replace it with another.

Kachua shook with fear. Makia was scared as well, but he could also feel simmering anger rising up from inside that fear.

“Can you not just decide to end the conversation on your own? Can’t you say even a single word for having killed him?”

He had admired the previous Acting Director. He gave his utmost efforts and worked for the world and for the Armed Librarians. Ruruta could at the very least say something.

He knew that he had to be rational. However, he told his reason to go to hell.

“Cut that out, Makia.”

‘Makia. Your anger is not beneficial. You are a useful Armed Librarian, so losing you would be a great loss for me as well.’

Both Kachua’s attempt to stop him and Ruruta’s excuses only fanned the flames inside of him. He became unable to control his own anger.

“What’re you saying? I’m talking about you killing him.”

“Stop Makia! Do you want to die?!”

Yeah, I want to die. He got caught up in his anger and was about to answer this. At that moment, he felt a premonition.

If you endure this, you would find out something good.

That premonition stopped him. Finding out something good didn’t simply mean he would stay alive; he felt that it was something more important. The premonition told him that it would be something good not only for himself, but for the Armed Librarians – no, for the world.

“That’s true, yeah, I’ve forgotten, sorry for my rudeness Director. I was extremely rude.”

Him being able to suppress his anger was not only due to his belief in his predictive ability. There was also the curiosity to find out what the “good thing” was.

‘…Makia, I am satisfied with your decision. Settling this without killing a useful Armed Librarian is very fortunate. I have expectations for your future work.’

“Why thank you.”

But what on earth was that premonition? What would he find out later? Ruruta’s Thought Sharing echoed in his head that was full of questions.

‘Makia. My request is nothing wrong. I only wish for two things: for more people to be happy, and for that happiness to be offered up to me. Making people happy is good, and offering up that happiness to me is also good.

Accomplishing this is the best thing for both me and you.’

While listening to his words, he found a certain point of interest. Ruruta was making excuses; he was justifying his own behavior.

He was also feeling some guilt. That realization calmed Makia. His premonition became crisper. He had the feeling that he would very soon find out something.

The next moment, another premonition hit him.

He could win against Ruruta.

Makia was then convinced – this was the “good thing” to be found by enduring. However, he was very surprised at this premonition.

What did being able to win mean? Although he was a First Grade Armed Librarian he wasn’t much of a prominent figure, so could he win against Ruruta? Although he prided himself in his ability, was it fine to believe it?

Makia knew how the previous Acting Directors who challenged Ruruta lost. Thinking rationally it was impossible. No matter what happens it has to be impossible.

“Nothing we can do about it, Makia. We are helpless.”

Kachua’s consoling reached his ears. He could hear it but didn’t listen to him.

He could win against Ruruta. Even if he didn’t believe it by reason, it was a fact he felt this premonition. He could not see it yet, but a method to defeat Ruruta surely existed. And that method was within the reach of his hands.

Makia began worrying about later. Should he believe his reason telling him that he couldn’t win, or his ability that foretold him he could?

He truly wanted to fight. He had plenty of reasons to fight. He wanted to avenge the previous Director. He wanted to defeat the tyrant ruling the world. He wanted to leave the future to a new Bantorra Library that had no Ruruta in it.

However, he couldn’t decide. Challenging Ruruta was far too terrifying. Even if he threw everything he had at him it wouldn’t be enough. And if he lost, Ruruta’s retaliation would involve a lot of people.

He deliberated for a day and for a week. He thought for a month, for a year, and even right now he was still worrying.

No one would be able to mock this as indecisiveness. Challenging Ruruta was simply that big of a deal.

Five years later, Makia drank alcohol in front of Ruruta.

For these five years, the more he investigated him the more he realized he couldn’t win. Ruruta’s power was overwhelming and he had no blind spots. All methods of killing him that could be thought up by humans have already been tried.

Also, Makia had never felt the premonition of a victory again. Even when he thought of some method, he only felt the premonition that it was going to fail.

Was that premonition just a delusion? Or was it the real deal and I’ve simply lost my opportunity?

Makia wanted to meet Ruruta. No matter the subject, he wanted to converse with him.

He once had the premonition of victory while talking to Ruruta. If he could get any sort of premonition again it would only be by talking to him.

He also had the feeling that if he met him and heard his voice again he would understand something. He had to know much more about Ruruta in order to defeat him.

He drank in front of him. This reckless action had a goal: it was to draw any kind of response out of Ruruta. It didn’t matter what. It would be fine for him to be bothered and chase Makia away. It would be fine for him to say that he had no interest in alcohol and smash the bottle. As long as he makes any sort of reaction.

However, no matter how many times Makia called out to him Ruruta made no reply. The only times he used his Thought Sharing to contact people was when he had business with them. f𝑟e𝒆𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗oѵ𝐞𝗹.c૦𝑚

That was true now as well.

“…Oh my, I drank quite a lot without realizing.”

Makia shook the bottle. It had only about a third left. Should I just finish it up here, he wondered.

“…Hehehe, what’s wrong with me?”

Thinking rationally, this wasn’t a proper way of doing things. It was natural it had no effect. He was out of his mind.

Makia put down the bottle and thought while watching the swirling liquid. I’ve lost my mind for five years in the first place. Fighting against Ruruta and winning… Even if I do that, what then? Just as he said there’s no harm in assembling the Books of happy people and bringing them to him.

Five years is enough. Perhaps it’s time to stop chasing a stupid dream and work seriously. After finishing the last third of the bottle I’ll forget all about fighting Ruruta.

I’ll finish drinking, go up to the surface, sober up, and end my worries with that. Well, compared to losing and dying this isn’t a bad conclusion.

At that moment, he stretched his hand and raised the bottle.

“I shall ask frankly. Are you sane?”

The cool voice of a boy came from the other side of the table. Without knowing who it belonged to, Makia stared at the table that no longer had the bottle on it. Did Lascall Othello switch to a new body? In that case his tone of speech was wrong.

“I’ve heard that alcohol is crazy water. I have no idea how much you do this, but it should be done in moderation. I don’t think this is proper for the Acting Director.”

“I am sane, do not worry.”

He raised his face. There was a single boy with transparent hair in front of him. The tree that was supposed to be behind him was gone. This was the first time Makia had seen the face of Ruruta Coozancoona. No, perhaps it was the first time among all Acting Directors and Overseers of Paradise.

“Looking at you, I thought that you were scheming something. I would like to hear what you are up to.”

“There are no schemes. I said this before: I just want to talk to you.”

“The back of the back is the front, huh. I see, so that means I fell to your plan. What an unbelievable action. But since it was unbelievable you fulfilled it.”

“That’s right.”

Ruruta calmly poured alcohol into the glass left on the table. He then raised the glass, full to the brim to the very limits of surface tension and drank it down like water. Not a drop was spilled.

“I do not seem to be able to get drunk. All poisons are instantly decomposed inside my body.”

He placed down the glass and returned it to Makia.

“Then like I thought I should’ve also brought along a cream pie…”

“Apparently. For the next time I desire fruits and pies loaded with cream.”

Ruruta said while smiling. After a while Makia realized that he told a joke. For some reason he started laughing violently and kept laughing so much that his stomach hurt.

Makia once again poured into his glass and smacked his lips a bit. Then, they started talking.

“Now then, let us have a frank discussion just like you wanted. First I have something to ask you. Please answer honestly.”

“Sure, I don’t mind.”

“Do you intend to fight me?”

That’s much too frank, thought Makia. He jumped straight to the heart of the matter. But today is not the day of my death. I’ve already had the premonition I will come back alive.

“Indeed.”

“Where has your daringness come from, I wonder.”

“It’s a secret.”

“I see. Oh well.”

He didn’t say he would kill him and read his Book to find out. For some reason it appeared that Ruruta didn’t intend to kill Makia. He couldn’t understand why. He was already raising candidates for the Acting Director that would replace him. So there was no reason to let him off the hook.

“I have a request for you, Makia. That is why I am letting you live.”

Ruruta said as if reading his mind.

“Will you please kill me?”

“…”

He was probably able to calmly listen to these words only because his senses were numbed by utter surprise.

“Could you tell me the reason?”

“I can’t explain it briefly. Wait a bit. I will organize what I want to say.”

Ruruta rose up and started pacing around the Second Sealed Labyrinth. He was probably considering what to tell him. Makia slowly drank as he waited for Ruruta.

“I have a dream. Ever since around 1800 years ago, when I have defeated the Beasts of the Final Chapter and saved the world, I was always, always chasing after a single dream.”

“…A dream?”

He did not answer Makia but kept speaking.

“To obtain the perfect and unblemished happiness. If I obtain that, my dream will be fulfilled. That is why I have been waiting for the day you will bring me that perfect happiness. It’s been more than 20 human lifetimes. Have you ever wished for immortality?”

“…No.”

“It’s better that way. Life is able to sparkle because it only lasts for about a hundred years. When you pass 200 years you become tired of it all. When you pass 500 years you begin to hate your ageless body. And after approaching 2000 years… I cannot express it in words any longer.

But I had a dream. I have endured these 2000 years in order to fulfill it.

I am waiting for the day you will bring me the perfect happiness.”

Ruruta spoke while walking around without bothering to sit down.

“But even though I have a dream, 2000 years is far too long. Even dreams wear out and become old. My body still remains 15 years old, and only my dream ages.

Have you ever given up your dream?”

“I was about to give up on it once.”

“I see. Even dreams die. Whether they are granted or given up.

I’ve looked at the surface from underground using my clairvoyance. I’ve seen many people give up their dreams. A certain artist threw away the paintbrush that provided his livelihood; a man who dreamt to become an Armed Librarian lost to his contemporary rivals and came back to his hometown; and the dream of an old man who had been studying for his entire life vanished along with his passing…

I was envious of them.”

“You speak strangely.”

“They were able to give up their dreams. Their own powerlessness, their own helpless reality, their own weakness, as well as time, made them give up their dreams. But I couldn’t do any of those.

I am strong and no one is able to stop me. I have infinite time and I cannot die. Therefore, there is no one to stop my dream.

People around the world have something that I do not. It is the relief known as defeat.”

This wasn’t something easy to understand. Did he want to give up his dream? If so, couldn’t he simply give up? Why did he tell this to Makia and ask him to kill him? 𝐟𝗿𝚎𝐞𝓌e𝒃𝑛𝒐ѵ𝒆𝑙.c𝚘𝓶

“The thing known as a heart is not straightforward. I am chasing my dream. I want to make it come true. That heart, completely unchanged, is within me. The more months and years go by, the more time passes, the bigger my dream becomes.

However, that also led to the birth of an altogether different heart. Since it’s a dream that cannot come true, I’d much prefer to give it up.”

Ruruta clenched his fist. And he pounded the wall.

“But, if I give up now, what have I been living for all this time? Changing my form into a tree and living for 2000 years… for what? What has the Indulging God Cult been gathering Books for me for? The Acting Directors who have challenged me, and those of them who have tried to forget about me… what have I killed them for? My dream created a lot of sacrifices. If I give it up, they will all become meaningless.

When I think that, I cannot give up.”

“…”

How unexpected. Makia had not expected him to worry about the Indulging God Cult. He couldn’t believe that he thought of killing people as a sin.

“Although I want to make my dream come true, it won’t. I want to give up but cannot. I cannot pick either path. I have been living continuously with these feelings for the past 2000 years. I am already tired.”

While listening to him, Makia recalled what he had investigated. He was once undoubtedly a hero who fought in order to save the world. His eyes sparkled and his heart was set aflame.

Time changes people. Even more so when it was 2000 years. However, did that hero truly change into such a gloomy man?

“And so you want to be killed.”

“Do you understand, Makia? My feelings?”

Honestly speaking, he didn’t. Why had Ruruta drowned in melancholy? He had collected all the happiness of the world after all. Was his melancholy so deep that it couldn’t be quelled with all that happiness?

No, for him gathering happiness was only a means to an end. It wasn’t his goal. But if it wasn’t for him to become happy, why did he do it?

Makia couldn’t understand Ruruta. However, he understood what he said to him and what he wanted him to do.

“Emotionally I cannot understand. However, I can understand you logically.

You want someone to stop you. You cannot give up by yourself. But if you exhaust all your strength while fighting with someone and lose, you will be able to give up. You will be able to comfort yourself saying that you had no choice.”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll say it even more frankly: you want an excuse. You want an excuse that would convince you to give up your dream.”

“Exactly. However, when I ask people about it, they laugh at my pitifulness.

I cannot even die without asking people for help.”

“…”

“Makia. Will you accept my wish?”

He was already sober before he noticed. Makia looked up above and thought.

“Can I ask you to do something? Apologize about the previous Director. It can be brief, I don’t mind.”

“…Now that I think about it, I shouldn’t have killed him. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

“…Understood. I will accept it.”

“I see.”

Saying so, Ruruta extended his hand towards Makia. Since he didn’t appear to be in any danger Makia received it in silence.

Something warm was pushed inside his chest. It was the transfer of a Magic Right.

“This is one of the abilities I have preserved. Since it is of no use to me you can hold it.”

“What power is it?”

“…The power to hide one’s form. The one who possesses this power cannot be perceived by me. This power belonged to a certain warrior who’d tried to kill me. As long as this power is active, it will be impossible for me to perceive your actions. It works differently from Kachua’s ability, but is similar.”

“Why would you give me this power?”

“Once I know what you plan on doing, I can easily avoid it. Besides, once tomorrow comes I will probably regret all of this. And I will probably erase you. However, as long as you retain this power I will not be able to kill you. Nor will I be able to prevent you from killing me.

Try activating it and see.”

Since it was a power he was given suddenly, it took some time to activate it. He tried exercising the Magic Right, but he didn’t feel like anything changed.

“Have I become invisible to you?”

No reply came. It didn’t look like Ruruta ignored him, but rather that he couldn’t hear him. Not only his figure was unable to be seen, but he also couldn’t be heard by him.

Makia canceled that ability and spoke.

“With this, the preparations for my battle with you are complete.”

“Yes.”

Ruruta turned his back.

“I will ask you a final question. What is your dream?”

“…”

Ruruta was about to say something, but stopped.

“You don’t need to know. Focus only on killing me.”

The boy’s figure returned to that of a tree.

“I will also say one final thing. There are two ways to fulfill my dream. One of them is obtaining the perfect and unblemished happiness.

And the other…”

He spoke quietly. But because of that Makia felt even more of a chill.

“Is destroying the world.”

“…”

“You probably do not want to destroy the world. Then try killing me. In order to protect the world.”

Even after Ruruta changed back to a tree, Makia stayed in the Second Sealed Archive for a while. He thought about how to defeat Ruruta.

He had already made up his determination to fight. If he couldn’t do that today he was crazy.

He also found a way to fight. Ruruta had a weak point that could never be overcome.

And Makia had a single premonition:

That he was going to commit tremendously great sins from now on.