“Correct. And this is where it gets complicated. They started working on figuring out how the brains of people who could use the Faceless Power worked. The result of that research was mana. An artificial version of the Faceless Power, you see. And that’s when mana-based civilization came into being.”
Everyone fell silent as she continued.
“And then this part of history was kept completely secret,” Lily said, breaking the silence.
“All we were taught was that the Imperial Family created mana civilization...” Yuko said, sounding miserable.
“I’m not seeing that information in any of the databases I have access to.” Korone nodded.
“And any research, and any technology that resulted from, the original Faceless Power, was deemed black magic. Looking back, the rituals involving the Demon King, and the gods’ belief in the Law of Identity, all connect to the Faceless Power,” Yoshie said, her eyes glancing through the documents that Fujiko had left her.
“But there are still black mages today, right?” Lily asked. Yoshie’s answer was immediate.
“But in the end, none of them actually knew what Black Magic really was, right? This is just a guess, but it’s possible that mana-civilization got its start with the seemingly harmless Marlay and their theme park. And the group that believed in the Faceless Power might’ve settled beneath the sea and become the Republic.”
“...Huh?” This surprised Lily.
“But if we assume that’s the case, a lot of things make sense,” Korone nodded. Yoshie nodded as well, and continued.
“That’s where you get the two Faceless Powers that Akuto and Marine were talking about. Marine and Nonimora were using the Faceless Power sealed within the Swallow’s Cowry Shell. And then there’s the power that the people of the Republic are using, which can destroy the world.”
“That’s the thing. How are they different?”
Korone must’ve been intrigued by the existence of something that wasn’t in her databanks, because for once, she just asked a straight-up question.
“My guess... is that the Faceless Power sealed within the Swallow’s Cowry shell comes from the outer universe.”
“The outer universe?” Lily asked, surprised again.
“I don’t have any proof of this yet, but yes. And then the power that’s granting the wishes of the Republic’s people might be our collective unconsciousness, don’t you think?”
“Then the reason Akuto and Marine are fighting...” Korone whispered.
Yoshie shook her head sadly.
“That’s right. They’ve reached the same conclusion that we have. Mankind’s collective unconsciousness has created a new power beyond the reach of mana, and is using it to summon an asteroid.”
“Then the asteroid was summoned by the people?”
“That’s right. But even if I’m wrong... we don’t know if it’s possible to destroy the asteroid.” Yoshie’s voice betrayed a sense of resignation.
“But...” Keena spoke up, “But if everybody wishes to get rid of the asteroid... that could do it, right?” She had her hands together, as if in prayer.
Yoshie nodded, seeming to have already thought of this.
“Of course... Of course that’s what I want to happen. But how many people would be able to forgive the people of the republic? And Akuto knows exactly what everyone in the empire is thinking.”
There was a long pause. It was Lily’s calm voice that broke the silence.
“Got it. So I need to go take a look at the Swallow’s Cowry Shell in the Marlay village, right? Send me the data.”
“Huh?” Yoshie said, shocked.
“I’m gonna go look into the Marlay village. It’s in that big uh... tower, thing, right? The sealing capsule and the ship that travels to the stars.” Lily sounded so confident that Yoshie answered without really thinking about it.
“T-That’s right. That’s the Swallow’s Cowry Shell. That leaves the Robe of the Fire Rat and Dragon’s Neck Jewel, right?”
“Both of those depend on the Demon King, right?”
“Y-Yeah... The Robe of the Fire Rat supposedly opens the door to the afterlife. That, we have. It may be some kind of powerful necromancy... Or maybe a dimensional transfer device. And the other one is Peterhausen. A powerful weapon for the Demon King, a device, and a guidepost... Something like that, essentially.” Yoshie had answered, but then she felt compelled to ask Lily a question.
“Tell me, what do you intend to do with this information?”
“Eh, I’m just the kind of person who can’t simply sit back and do nothing,” Lily said, blushing a little.
“But...”
“There’s barely any mysteries left... I think, anyway. But there’s a chance that if we learn the connection between our world and the Faceless Power, we might find a way to stop the asteroid,” Lily continued, assuming that Yoshie wasn’t going to finish her comment.
“But well, basically, I feel a real need to kick some ass.”
○
When she finished her call, Lily turned to the rest of the student council.
“You guys don’t like this whole ‘We might die’ thing at all, do you?”
The three of them seemed caught off-guard by her statement.
“I am, yes.”
“Ayup, gya”
“Gugah.”
“Yeah, of course you don’t like it...” Lily looked up at the ceiling above the yacht’s control panel.
“But why are you asking us this? I-I mean, I understand the asteroid’s coming and all...”
“T-That’s right, gya. It’s bad luck to even talk about it, gya. You’re the one who said there’s a chance it could all work out.”
“Well, um... I’m just thinking that after we’re done here, we may end up someplace different than we’ve been up until now,” Lily said, her voice serious for once.
“Aww, president. Don’t get so serious like that.” Kanna tried to laugh off her concerns. When Lily turned to her with a serious expression, her laughter froze. But then Lily started to laugh as well.
“Ahahahaha...”
“Hah...hahah...” An awkward smile appeared on Michie’s face.
“Gugahgugahgugah...” Is it okay to laugh? Arnoul seemed to say, and only then did Kanna start to laugh herself.
“Eh, well... You know. What I’m trying to say is that when we die, we die together.” Lily’s laugh began to sound embarrassed.
“A-Aww, President...”
“Yeah, gya. We’ve already been through so much together.”
“Gugah.”
The three of them laughed awkwardly, feeling embarrassed. The yacht’s auto-pilot emitted a warning sound. It was beginning its descent.
“We’re here, huh...?” Lily said, and then motioned to the trio. They’d arrived at the clearing where the Marlay village was located.
“But... something’s not right, gya,” Kanna said as she looked at the village on the monitor.
“There’s... nobody here, huh?” Michie nodded.
“It doesn’t seem like there’s any danger, but...” Lily glanced at the monitor as she opened the hatch.
“It’s just too quiet.”
Lily looked around. The Marlay village was surrounded by a verdant forest. The houses were wood, and the village seemed to be very poor. But the lack of people bothered them more than anything. Even if they were inside, the populace still should’ve stuck their head out to peek at the approaching yacht.
“There should be a decent number of people here...” Lily said, motioning for the trio to stay sharp.
Kanna dropped low and listened carefully. Her nose and ears were better than the others.
“That way, gya.”
She was pointing to the area past the opposite side of the village.
“What’s over there?”
“I hear a dog... and Nonimora. They’re fighting.”
“A dog...? The One?” Michie asked, and they all started to run. They could see the t
ower up ahead of them.
“If that’s the tower, then...” Lily whispered.
“Is The One still after something here?” Kanna asked, and the rest of the group’s eyes began to shine.
“Does that mean there’s something here he hasn’t accomplished yet?”
“Then... We still have a chance!” Lily grinned.
The trio and Lily ran to the yard in front of the lab that formed the tower’s base. The One and Nonimora were there, fighting.
“So he was after the village!”
Nonimora was standing in front of the lab, swinging around a spear. The One was trying to get closer and closer to Nonimora. Then The One and Nonimora saw Lily’s group approaching.
“More threats?” Nonimora shot a harsh glance at Lily. She’d never met the student council president. Lily noticed her gaze, and clapped her glove-clad hands together.
“Nope. We’re here to help.”
The trio followed up behind her.
“We’re here too!”
“Gya.”
“Gugah.”
The trio were ready to fight. Kanna had already transformed into her beast mode, and Michie and Arnoul had fanned out beside her.
“Hmph. I’m surrounded, huh?”
The One looked around him. The Student Council were combat veterans, and there was nowhere for him to run.
“Now... be a good doggy and surrender.” Lily raised her fists.
“With this body and this combat ability, I never had a chance...” The One said, but he continued to smirk. “But there is one thing that’s in my favor... I think it’ll work out.”
“What’s in your favor? You’re staring down an ass-beating.” Lily smirked back.
“You’ll know at some point.”
He said, but before the words left his mouth Lily had already begun her attack.
“You think so, huh?!”
There was the sound of something tearing through the wind. Lily’s punch, however, was even faster than that.
“Tch...!”
The One dodged with his doggy speed. But Lily just laughed.
“Hah!” she shouted, and her formerly-straight arm immediately turned 90 degrees.
“What...?!” The arm had changed its direction to right where The One was going to land.
“Gwah!”
The punch landed hard on The One’s stomach, sending him flying.
“That attack is my specialty.” Lily bared her teeth. The One adjusted his position in mid-air, landing on all fours and looking at Lily in surprise.
“There’s not supposed to be any mana here...”
“I came on a yacht. And I brought a generator and a mana disperser.”
Lily launched another attack. With both of those, it was possible to use magic. The area was already densely filled with mana. But the same was true of the enemy.
“But then I can fight equally well!”
The One put up a mana shield to block Lily’s attacks. There was a dull thudding sound as they slammed into the glowing energy. But Lily was still relaxed and confident.
“Equal? We ain’t equal at all.” Lily began to smash her fists into the shield again.
“Uwah!” The One gasped in surprise. Both he and the shield had been knocked backward.
“Hey, not bad!” Nonimora said happily.
“Don’t mess with a veteran brawler,” Lily said, proudly putting her hand up to her hat.
“Now... There’s lots I want to ask you.” Lily cracked her knuckles as she walked toward The One.
The One must’ve been hurt, because his doggy snout was panting.
“Hmph... You think you’ve won, huh?” The One said, sarcastically, but Lily ignored him.
“I sure have. A dog’s no match for... me!”
With the last word she threw another punch. This time, the incredible force of it blew through The One’s shield in an instant. Her anger had clearly made her attack more powerful.
“Uwaahh...!”
Now The One was scared. Lily’s fist smashed into him right above the eyes. His howls turned into raw screams.
“Gyaaah!”
Next, she grabbed him by the head and smashed his jaw hard into the ground. He hit it so hard he went flying back up into the air. Then, she grabbed him with her left hand. She snatched him by the throat and began to squeeze hard.
“Gwoah...”
The One began to moan as he was suspended helplessly in the air.
“Hah... I think tonight we’ll be having dog stew for dinner,” Lily laughed.
“Oooh! The President’s stronger than usual today!”
“I think it’s ’cause she’s pretty mad!” Kanna and Michie were excited.
“Calm down, guys. Calm down. I’m always this strong.” She grinned, and then squeezed The One’s throat tighter.
“Guh... geh....” The One could barely breathe.
“Alright, time to start talking. First, who the hell are you?” Lily asked.
“Hmm? What are you going to do? You’re not going to kill him?” Nonimora asked as she walked over.
“Things are complicated, you see. There are some questions I have for him,” Lily explained. Then she put her right hand up against her left, and began to shake.
“D-Damn it...” The One was moaning in pain, but in his doggy body, he couldn’t fight back. Eventually, he began to talk, though resentment was clear in his tone.
“Fine... What is it you want to know?”
“Piss me off and I’ll snap your throat, puppy-boy. I asked who the fuck you were. Answer me.” Lily squeezed tighter.
“Aaagh... I suppose I’m what you’d call an alien.”
“An alien?” Lily had been expecting this answer, a little, but it was still a bit of a surprise. The others must have felt the same way, because their eyes had all gone wide at the response.”
“So that’s what’s going on...”
The One was staring at her defiantly now, but she kept asking questions.
“So let me ask this. Does space exist beyond the solar system?”
“It can’t be observed. That’s right. But... beyond it, lies another universe.”
The One now must have felt like he was controlling the conversation, because his tone had changed to that of a teacher.
“So this world itself ends at the solar system,” Lily said.
“Correct. That’s as far as the world goes. The other worlds are the same.”
“Which means that you broke through that wall... and came to our world that way.”
“Yes. But only my mind came. What you call the Faceless Power is the collective mind of us aliens.”
“Wait... Aren’t there two kinds of Faceless Power?” Lily asked.
“Correct. Our minds... The minds of we aliens... are held within this tower.” The One pointed his front paws, as best he could anyway, in the direction of the tower.
“That the power that Marine and I are using, right?” Nonimora said.
“Correct. But the Jeweled Branch, which was created to control it, can also unleash it.”
Lily began to get a bad feeling when she heard these words.
“So the other Faceless Power... the one the people of the Republic are using... it’s the Faceless Power of mankind, isn’t it?” She shuddered as she spoke.
The Faceless Power of mankind. It was impossible to say what might result from using the psyche of an entire race as energy when that race was still alive, but it probably wasn’t something good.
“That’s right. Once, mankind sealed it, saying it was impossible to control. But now, by coincidence, it has revived.” The One chuckled to himself as he spoke, as if telling a funny story.
“Impossible to control...”
“Yes. I am the last survivor of my race. My race was destroyed, and became a Faceless Power. And we were stuffed inside your capsule... The Swallow’s Cowry Shell. I am a being of pure mind that became separated from it.”
Though his tone suggested humo
r, what he was saying was terrifying.
“You were destroyed... And then became the Faceless Power? Why were you destroyed?”
“Because we tried to use the Faceless Power in our own world.”
“But then... that means...”
“Correct. The Faceless Power has, at least in theory, no will of its own. But for some reason, it acts to destroy a race. Perhaps this is only because every race hates itself, and desires its own destruction.”
“Does that mean...” Lily felt something cold run down her spine.
The One laughed, as if to say “yes.”
“Hahaha!~ That’s right! It’s going to work to destroy humanity. That’s what it’s doing right now! The Faceless Power is what summoned that asteroid!”
The student council, as well as Nonimora, fell silent.
“But you don’t get anything out of destroying another race! Or do you just want to see destruction?” Lily alone spoke.
The One snorted.
“Haha! Not at all. I’m not Kei Sakura. The Faceless Power is infinitely strong inside a world. But when it’s destroyed that world’s race, it’s ejected from the world. It becomes a vapor, you might say.”
“So if humanity is destroyed...”
“Correct. The Faceless Power will vaporize. And then I will be liberated from this... I’ll finally be at peace, you could say. Of course you realize I don’t like the fact that the minds of my race are being used as a mere power source!”
The One was laughing as if this were the funniest thing in the world. Lily could feel the pit of her stomach turning cold. If this was true, a most terrible fate awaited them. Humanity would be destroyed, become a collective consciousness and then wander the universe, before finally destroying the consciousness of another race.
“What the hell? I refuse to believe that. It’s like a curse...!” Lily howled, not to The One, or to any one in particular. But The One just laughed.
“Hah! That’s right! The whole universe is made of curses! Now that you know this, you can die! Nobody can stop it now!” The One laughed victoriously.
Lily tightened her grip on his throat..
“Don’t you dare laugh...!”
“Gah...” The One’s face changed colors. Even though he was a dog, you could still tell that his face was turning an unhealthy shade of purple and red. You could see blood vessels bulging beneath Lily’s hands as she strangled him.
Demon King Daimaou: Volume 12 Page 7