Translator Note: Hey guys, sorry for the delay.
Phew, the end of the month was a very busy period. I had a lot of things to take care of. But well, the biggest reason of the delay was because…I began playing the Danganronpa Series.
I plan on finishing them all, so this will affect my releases.
Yeah, I really like it so I will be playing it like hell! Btw, Ibuki is frickin’ awesome.
Oh, and it will be returning to Haine’s POV now.
Enjoy the chapters :D!
Why did things turn out this way?
To explain that, I would have to first go back a bit in time.
The next day after I -Kuromiya Haine- arrived at the Earth capital, Ishtar Blaze, and had finished my talk with Mantle’s ‘Fairy’.
* * *
It had been a while since I have used a bow.
In the time when I was helping father in my homeland, this was something I had in my hands almost everyday though. It is a weapon and I thought that maybe I would be using one when fighting monsters, but unexpectedly, it didn’t turn out that way.
And so, I pulled the bow I haven’t used in a while…and shoot it.
A nice sound of cutting through the air could be heard, and it hit right onto the boar that was laying waste to the tuber field.
They really are everywhere, those guys.
“Ooh, ya did it. Ya hit it-sa ne.”
The obaa-san that was at my side clapped her hands.
“That damn hateful boar ya know, was damaging the fields everyday and was troubling me. With the slow legs of the Golem, the most it could do was scare it away after all. Ya helped me out.”
“No no, I am happy that I can help out.” (Haine)
The Mother Monster, Grandma Wood, that is called Great Pillar-sama by the people…I decided not to destroy it.
With this, I wouldn’t have any business with Ishtar Blaze, but I didn’t leave immediately and continue staying here.
Today, I once again met with the Obaa-san that had guided me in my time here, and after hearing the talk about ‘a boar is damaging my fields and it is troubling me’, my hunter blood grew restless.
Just by not touching a bow for one day, my skills degrade quite a lot, so I was uneasy in whether I could actually hit it though. I am glad that the other party this time had its guard down. It looks like it didn’t expect an arrow to be shot.
“But this is unexpected. If you have a farm as big as this, it shouldn’t be strange to have a hunting organization of sorts.” (Haine)
“Something like that had died out around a decade ago, ya know. Thanks to the Golems appearing, everything became convenient, ya see. Many things became ‘something that people shouldn’t put so much effort in’.”
While we were talking, the Golem headed to where the boar is to retrieve it. It is because it received that order.
We just have to wait for it to return.
“Building a house, plowing the field, defeating enemies; it has now all become asking the Golems. Without those kids, our livelihood wouldn’t even be able to stand on its own for a single day. This may sound weird coming from someone that has been taken care of by them a lot but, at times, it makes me scared.”
The Obaa-san says this as she lets her weight rest onto her cane.
“Visitor-san, did ya know? The fighting organization that the Earth Church uses in conflicts is called a scary name like Scorched Earth Annihilation corps. Several centuries ago, they be just as the name states. They be as tough and strong as a rock, and at the places they pass through, not a single blade of grass is left. They were feared by the other Churches. But now, they be good young lads that use their work time to harvest Blocks from Great Pillar-sama.”
“Isn’t that nice? Rather than scary, it is a lot better to have them being kind.” (Haine)
“You thinking that way makes ya kind in itself.”
Saying this, the Obaa-san giggles.
“…But well, yeah. I been saved by those kids quite a lot too, and that has allowed me to live ‘till I be this old. Complaining would be uncouth. Seriously, as age piles up, mah mouth gets looser.”
This land was good for my skin.
In the first place, I, as the human Kuromiya Haine, grew up at a village in the deep mountains. This Ishtar Blaze that has Golems as their foundation of living and the Ethereal culture has not developed much has a close atmosphere to that of my homeland, that’s why, even when I understood that I have no business here anymore, I just can’t make my legs move.
As I stay here, it makes me wonder, what’s truly good for humans?
The humans were imprisoned in the ruling of the Gods for several centuries, and the trigger that made them break out of that yoke was a new material called Ethereal that brought upon the machine culture. The convenience the machines provided dimmed the need for Gods and the people became free.
I also moved from my land of birth to Apollon City, and have been bathed by the ethereal culture plenty. However, now when I return to a life without machines, I felt like I was remembering something I had forgotten.
Could it be that this peace of mind I am feeling now is because I am a country bumpkin at core?
At any rate, the more I thought about these thoughts that I wouldn’t normally think, the more I felt as if the Mother Earth God had gotten me good.
* * *
At evening, I returned to the Grand Crimson Palace of the Earth country.
It is the headquarters of the Earth Church, and a nice place that provides lodging for the travellers that arrive here every now and then.
“Hey there, Haine-san. How was the hunt?”
Just like yesterday, the Earth Founder himself received me.
However, his behaviour felt somewhat distant.
“It is only evening, and I was already able to bring down 4. The beast management is pretty negligent around here.” (Haine)
“That’s just how troubled we were about it. It is embarrassing. But thanks to you, I feel like this season we will have an increase in harvest.”
Please don’t praise me that much.
“But it would be bad to stay for too long, so I was thinking about leaving by tomorrow. I have truly been under the care of the people of the Earth Church.” (Haine)
“No no no no!”
The Earth Founder suddenly got agitated. He even bended back. Just what was so shocking about that?
“Well, no need to say that. How about staying here for a while more? Haine-san’s hunting skills are important for Ishtar Blaze after all!”
“No but…I would feel bad if I were to monopolize the guest room for too long.” (Haine)
“In that case, how about we do this? How about we build a house for you in this land?”
Eh?
No way. Building a house for a mere traveller, isn’t that way too much no matter the case?
“No need to worry. Building a house in Ishtar Blaze is an incredibly easy task.”
“You are going to have the Golems build it?” (Haine)
“No, the Golems will become your house.”
“?”
“Golems not only work hard, they also possess a special characteristic. By pouring Earth divine power, we can freely change their composition and form. If we write an order like ‘become a house’ and have it absorb plenty enough divine power, the house-shaped Golem will be made in no time.”
Are Golems really that convenient?!
“This Grand Crimson Palace itself is made out of several Golems. It could even be called a Golem Palace. It is normally just a normal building though. But once I -as the user- were to give an order…I can change its form freely to a certain degree. Just like this!”
The Earth Founder snaps his fingers.
And then, the walls in both sides swelled up, that swelled up part took human form, and then separated from the wall.
Golems.
They are small Golems that can fit the inside of the room, but there were several of them.
They were coming out from the walls in the literal sense of the word.
I see. This certainly is something incredible, but why is the Earth Founder going through the trouble of putting up such a show?
It is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, but even so, this number of Golems, isn’t it going a bit too far?
Moreover, all the Golems had forms like hammers and stakes at their arm part, and it was clear that they were planning on destroying something.
…No, maybe kill?
“…Founder, what is the meaning of this?” (Haine)
Just in case, I try asking. But at that moment, the distant feeling that the Founder had had disappeared.
“I already had the people cleared out from the room and its surroundings. To think that you and our hero would miss each other and you would be invading our land. It was truly unexpected. As expected of the personification of the Dark God.”
“?!!”
I was surprised by those words, and at the same time, several things fell in place. It was hard to accept though.
“Now that it has come to this, the oracle I received from Mother Earth Mantle-sama will be fulfilled by me! Personification of the evil Dark God, Kuromiya Haine! Know that you won’t be leaving Ishtar Blaze alive!”
- 119: Confession
Several Golems appeared!
My attacks wiped out the Golems.
“Now then…” (Haine)
Well, in the face of my dark matter, elements are powerless after all.
It would be pitiful not to even leave dust behind, so I left them with things like arms and legs, but maybe because they have lost their Life Blocks, they slowly turned to earth and scattered on the room.
“Hiiiih?! Ueee?!”
The Earth Founder who had seen the whole fight unfold right before his eyes let out a scream out of surprise or maybe fear, then, his legs lost strength and he fell onto the floor, unable to move.
“Well then, Founder-dono, you will be explaining, right? The reason for this violence.” (Haine)
“W-W-W-What unreal power! S-S-S-So you really are just like the oracle of Mother Earth God-sama said, the personification of the evil Dark God!”
“Wa?”
He knows my identity?
Moreover, an oracle of the Mother Earth God?!
“What is the meaning of this, Mantle?!” (Haine)
I made this shout directed at the sky, but the change occurred at my feet.
At some point in time, one root had entered from the window of the building, and squirmed its way to my feet.
I was wondering what was going on, so I looked at the Earth Founder, but he shook his head to the sides with incredible force.
Looks like this was not done by him.
In that case, who—without giving me the chance to think, something began to swell up from the root. A flower bud blossomed right before my eyes, and from inside it, appeared a fluorescent being.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry~~!!!”
“Gyaaaa! She came out!!”
Just as usual, a barrage of apologies came flying out and it was as if she were trying to crush me.
It is okay to apologize, but don’t go clinging onto me at the same time. Not with that voluptuous body of yours.
A woman that can kill people with her apologies…Mother Earth Mantle enters the stage.
Originally, a God has no physical form, and as she doesn’t have a flesh vessel like me who had incarnated, whenever she had business in the surface world, she would create a temporary body from the closest plant which is called ‘Fairy’, and with that, she communicates.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry~~!!”
“Can’t you appear without apologizing?! At any rate, calm down! What I want is not an apology, but an explanation!” (Haine)
Anyways, I expended quite the physical and mental strength to have her calm down from all that apologizing.
…And then…summarizing what she told me, this is apparently what’s going on.
Mantle had given an oracle to the Earth Church that revered her. Stating to ‘kill the personification of the evil Dark God Entropy, Kuromiya Haine’.
In other words, me.
The Earth Founder that received this oracle gave out a subjugation order to the earth hero, albeit reluctantly, and had her head to the place where I was, Apollon City.
No wonder the hero that normally appears the moment I arrive at their territory didn’t show a single shadow of appearing this time.
To think we would miss each other as she was aiming for me.
Then it is a given that the Founder who gave the order would be panicked.
And so, the first thing I thought about after understanding the situation was…
“Why did you give out such an oracle?” (Haine)
The ‘Fairy’ of Mother Earth Mantle was currently prostrating with that uselessly big body of hers. She is prostrating, and yet, her line of sight is not that different from me who is standing.
“……..I’m sorry.” (Mantle)
“Explanation! What I want from you is not an apology, but an explanation!! Did you not pick that up?!” (Haine)
I pursue the issue slightly snapped. Mantle’s shoulders quivered in surprise.
No good. With one push more, she will cry.
But now that my life has been targeted, I can’t leave the matter in a hazy state.
“Could it be that the reason why you were apologizing really hard the other time was because of this?” (Haine)
“…… *tear*”
Finally crying.
Really, so hard to deal with her. From within the other five Gods, she is one of the most difficult to deal with.
“……….Coacervate-san was…” (Mantle)
“Hm?”
Coacervate?
The Water God Coacervate?
“He suddenly came to my place and…told me that Entropy-san has come back, so we have to do something fast. That we would be destroyed at this rate!” (Mantle)
So the usual schemer behind the scenes was him huh.
Coacervate is the type that likes to make his plans in the shadows after all.
Moreover, just a while ago, I crushed the conspiracies that he was trying to stir in Hydra Ville, so it must have pissed him off quite a bit.
“‘The weakness of Entropy-san is that he dotes on humans, so if we were to have the humans go against him, it would trouble him quite a lot’, he said! That’s why he told me to give out that oracle!” (Mantle)
“The story makes sense but…why is it that Coacervate had you do that?” (Mantle)
That guy has the Water Church that follows him, so I thought that it should be fine to just utilize his own hero, but in the middle of thinking that, I soon understood.
For a wannabe-schemer like him, he would never dirty his own hands. He would use the hands of others and enjoy tricking them; that’s the kind of trash he is.
He broke that pattern of his not that long ago and was defeated by me, so he must have reflected on it and hid even more in the shadows.
If he is not going to be dirtying his own hands, he just has to use the hands of others, but…since the matter of the Underworld Country, the Light Goddess Inflation has been in a position that is close to antagonistic towards them.
The one who has the closest ideology -the Fire God Nova- is currently imprisoned, and the Wind God Quasar, no matter how much he tries to find him, that Wind God is a guy that he wouldn’t be able to catch.
In that case, the only one he can utilize is this Mother Earth Mantle. Her personality also screams ‘please use me’ after all.
“…That’s why, in the end, I couldn’t refuse. I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” (Mantle)
Is what the ‘Fairy’ of Mantle says as she still cried.
“…If that’s the case, I can’t blame you for it.” (Haine)
“Fue?”
“I have been saying it over and over but, it is fine for you to hold more confidence. You are properly thinking about the humans as you act as a God after all. And in terms of your power, you don’t fall behind them. No, you might even be stronger. Thanks to the Golems, you should have obtained a lot more prayers from the people after all.” (Haine)
That’s why, even if Coacervate says something to her, she can just reject him if she doesn’t like it. She has that much amount of power after all.
“—Fueeeeee!! Entropy-san is kind as I thought~~!!” (Mantle)
“Don’t cry anymore. I am already not angry.” (Haine)
But this girl, why is it that even when she is a God, she is this fragile?
Was she like this 1,600 years ago too?
“…Thank you very much. Thanks to Entropy-san, confidence is surging up inside of me! I have never felt this refreshed in centuries!” (Mantle)
“Hm?”
“If it’s now, I feel like I will be able to do anything. As I thought, I really will put it into motion. What I have been thinking about for a long time ago; the plan to provide ultimate happiness to the people!!” (Mantle)
- 120: Absolute happiness
What is this woman suddenly saying?
Ultimate happiness plan?
“Grandma Wood actually has a second form. The first form is the state where it gives birth to Life Blocks as a Mother Monster. But I didn’t want this child to stay as just that. I couldn’t truly agree in the plan of Coacervate-san and the others regarding the propagation of monsters, so…” (Mantle)
Her way of talking is pretty forward for Mantle.
Does that mean my encouragement affected her that much?
“That’s why I added another function to this child.” (Mantle)
Saying this, the ‘Fairy’ of Mantle patted the root of Grandma Wood that had infiltrated the room.
“It doesn’t rely on other Gods. A plan that I myself made that will make possible the ideal coexistence between Gods and humans; a ground-breaking function. But until now, I haven’t released it. If I were to release it, Nova-san and Coacervate-san would definitely get angry after all. But there’s no need to worry about something like that, right?!” (Mantle)
The Fairy of Mantle shows me a glittering smile.
“Thanks to Entropy-san, I have obtained courage! I am thinking about providing the absolute happiness that I have thought of. And then, I will also be able to obtain happiness as a God as well. Everyone will obtain happiness! Is there anything as good as this?! No, there’s not! That is exactly the duty of I, Mother Earth Mantle!!” (Mantle)
“Uhm, Mantle-san?” (Haine)
The sudden high-tension Mantle made me pull-back a bit.
“Oooh~, M-Mother Earth God-sama?!”
At my side, a voice filled with confusion and expectation rang.
“Are you Mother Earth God Mantle–sama?!”
The Earth Founder.
Now that I think about it, I completely forgot that this guy was here too.
This old man that has already passed the fifty years old placed both of his hands in prayer towards the fluorescent Mantle, and his whole body was shaking.
Well, the God that he has been worshipping his whole life has appeared right in front of him after all.
I can understand how he is trembling in happiness at this.
“That’s right. I know of you. You are the 59th Founder-san of the Earth Church that worships me, right?” (Mantle)
“Oooh~~! Mother Earth God-sama, I am humbled!!”
The Earth Founder was literally falling into ecstasy religiously.
But is this really okay? For a God to show its figure so easily, wouldn’t that create problems in the future?
“Sorry but, please let me take back the oracle I gave out before. The Dark God Entropy-san is the one that loves the humans the most within the six Gods. I was pushed by the self-interest of the other Gods, and was forced to cooperate in a plot to create discord between Entropy-san and the humans, which is a regretful action of mine.” (Mantle)
“No way! Please don’t blame yourself, Mother Earth God-sama! Understood. I will forget that last oracle. I will also immediately call back the hero that was dispatched!”
I feel like with this all the problems have been resolved, but…
“Thank you very much. Well then, now all that’s left is proceeding with the plan with peace of mind. My plan to make you and all the people that believe in me…realize absolute and flawless happiness.” (Mantle)
“Mother Earth God-sama! I am honored. Just by being able to have an audience with you in the time I was alive is already plenty enough happiness—-Hiiiiiih?!!!”
At that moment, the Earth Founder noticed the abnormality that was occurring on his own body.
It is the root.
The Root that had invaded this room and had bloomed the Fairy of Mantle had at some point in time wrapped around the legs of the Earth Founder.
First of all, there’s no doubt that this root is connected to the giant tree, Grandma Wood.
The root wrapped around him didn’t stop at its feet and even wrapped around his whole body, like a serpent capturing its prey.
“M-Mother Earth God-sama?! This is?! What is the meaning of this?!”
“I will be bringing all of you happiness. I will bring you all incomparable happiness.” (Mantle)
The root didn’t stop at wrapping around the Founder, things that looked like branches began to grow from the root, and they began to slip into the skin of the Founder, and then, began to assimilate him.
“Mother Earth God-sama?! Mother Earth God-samaaaa!!!”
The Founder shouted as if going crazy, but it didn’t take long for him to become silent.
The moment he was assimilated by the root, his eyes lost light, and his limbs lost strength. As if his very heart has been absorbed.
“Oi, don’t tell me he died? Did you kill him?!” (Haine)
“No, he is alive.” (Mantle)
Mantle responded to my surprise and panic in a calm manner.
“The unnecessary functions of his body were simply cut off. By being assimilated to Grandma Wood, he will be provided the necessary nourishment by the tree. There’s already no need for them to intake nourishment, and no need to do the work like plowing the field and harvesting crops for the sake of that. They also won’t have to fight against the foreign enemies that try to rob them of it. That’s why, there’s already no need to think.” (Mantle)
“You—!!” (Haine)
The words that Mantle said not that long ago had resurfaced in my head.
Ultimate happiness.
Are you telling me this is what she meant?
“This is the second form of Grandma Wood. It assimilates humans infinitely, and provides them nourishment. Thanks to this, people will be able to live without working. No need to fight, no need to worry; all the troublesome things that need to be done to survive, it is okay not to do them at all. Isn’t this the ultimate happiness!!” (Mantle)
At the outside of the room, I heard a piercing thunderous sound.
Moreover, from all directions, several times. From within all that, I could hear the faint screams of people as well.
“Could it be—?!” (Haine)
I ran out the room and check the state outside.
At the state of Ishtar Blaze.
At that place, it had already turned into the pinnacle of panic.
The roots of Grandma Wood that had been unmoving until now had suddenly begun wriggling like a living being and were bringing chaos to the city.
Mowing down buildings, turning around the ground; the branches that were coming out from the roots were capturing all the people and were assimilating them.
Just like the Founder.
“—Stop it!!” (Haine)
I finally was unable to continue watching and jumped out.
I released dark matter at whatever place necessary and destroyed the roots from the closest ones I could reach, but it didn’t progress as I wanted.
The roots had already assimilated the people, and if I were to put the dark matter to its strongest output, there’s an incredibly high chance that I might even injure those people as well.
“Mantle!! Stop right this instant!! Release the people!!” (Haine)
“Why? I am doing something good.” (Mantle)
At some point in time, Mantle’s Fairy was floating in front of me.
“Everyone will be happy, you know? Me, and the humans too. For a long time now, I have been dreaming of the world becoming like this.” (Mantle)