All in order to conceal the truth about Ruruta and bring him Books of happiness.
And, on the final day of the Armed Librarians, Mattalast was running. Now in order to fight Ruruta.
Everything from his life until now was attacking him. He seemed about to be crushed by his intense regret and self-hatred.
‘You’re an idiot.’
A voice sounded in his mind. It was neither Mirepoc’s nor Ruruta’s Thought Sharing; it was Mattalast’s very own voice. The voice of him from when he once wanted to fight Ruruta.
‘What were those things that you had to do? Who was the opponent you had to fight against? You defeated Photona, deceived Mirepoc, let Volken die, tricked Olivia, and what did you gain in return?
You probably once thought of fighting Ruruta. Then why didn’t you do anything?’
The voice kept resounding inside his head.
‘You’ve fought against your allies and served your enemies. Is there any bigger idiot than you in the whole world?’
He had no answer for the voice inside his heart.
‘Just say how you truly feel. You were scared of fighting Ruruta. You were scared of losing. All because you’re in fact the biggest coward.’
“…”
‘You probably thought of yourself as a great warrior. You probably thought that you combined power and brains. It was all a lie. You have deceived not only others but also yourself, you good-for-nothing liar.’
“Yeah, I’m an idiot.”
Mattalast answered himself.
‘You understand, right? The world wouldn’t have been destroyed had you fought and won. You destroyed it. Because of you the world will be destroyed.’
No, it’s not my fault. He couldn’t put these words out of his mouth. It might not have been only Mattalast’s fault.
But after all it was his fault.
The regret that even death would not compensate for seemed about to rip Mattalast’s body to shreds. He was able to push aside the Power of Tearless Ending only due to that regret.
He thought while running. Is there no way? Even the possibility of a billion to one was fine. Was there no way to stop Ruruta?
He then thought of it.
‘Such a stupid man. Why would you cling to that so late in the game?’
He heard the voice in his mind.
“I have to ask Hamyuts. About the Violet Sinner and the Violet Wish…”
‘Just the worst… she is the Violet Sinner whom the Armed Librarians killed and you sealed. And yet this is the final straw you cling to?’
Mattalast was ridiculing himself inside his head. It was natural. Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at someone as bad as him.
Hamyuts was outside the Labyrinth. She should still be alive. If I hear the Violet Wish from her, perhaps there’s a chance.
‘It’s useless. Since she’s dead, defeating Ruruta is definitely impossible.’
He recalled Hamyuts’s words. However, he had no choice but to cling to that impossibility.
As he approached the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth, Mattalast’s feet stopped.
“…Dammit.”
Mattalast spat out. He could feel a dreadful pressure coming from ahead. Ruruta had noticed his awakening. He stopped his feet heading for the surface and ambushed him.
‘Mattalast. So you can still move?’
He heard a voice echo.
“Unfortunately, I can’t afford to sleep.”
‘So you’ve resisted the Power of Tearless Ending. Seems like your despair is quite deep.’
Mattalast tried moving his hand to ready his guns. But once again it froze. It was a powerful restraining ability, different from Ireia’s power to stop time.
He couldn’t move even a finger. He was so pathetic he wanted to cry. How the hell was he a matchless genius? In front of the enemy he had to fight the most he couldn’t fire even a single bullet.
“Kill me, Ruruta. What’s your purpose?”
‘How sad. I want to release you from that despair.’
“What kind of pity you show me so late into the game!”
Ruruta then sent him his thoughts. They were mixed with sorrow.
‘Mattalast. I think of at least letting people of the world die in peace. That’s why I immediately used the Power of Tearless Ending without killing anyone.
That is my atonement.’
“If you want to atone, why are you even killing us!”
‘It’s been decided.’
“Don’t kill us! Please, I beg you!”
I’m just the worst, thought Mattalast. In the end I even tried crying and begging.
“No matter what you think, everyone’s living in this world! Everyone wants to live! Don’t kill us, please, for mercy’s sake, I beg you!”
Mattalast truly cried.
‘I realize that. Even I feel sorry. But I just have to atone.’
“Why?! What are you atoning for? No one told you to atone for anything!”
‘The sin I need to atone for is the birth of you people.’
“…But why?”
‘This world is hell. People cannot get what they want. Because they can’t they hate, rob, and hurt each other.
I have been watching this hell all along.’
“No, this world’s no hell.”
‘Can you say that in front of Hyoue Janfus?’
Who’s that? Thought Mattalast.
‘You probably do not know him. It is the name of a boy who was caught by Kachua, made to be a human bomb, and perished pitifully. And it is not just him. There are plenty other people like him who have lived in hell. All of them fought, were hurt, and died.’
“…But this world also has happy people. We have offered you their Books.”
‘There’s no need for that anymore.’
Ruruta pronounced ruthlessly.
‘I have kept this hell going for my own purposes. I believed that even this hell might contain the perfect happiness and did not destroy the world.
I should have done that long ago, though. Because I did not, everyone hurt and suffered.’
“No!”
‘I’m sorry. I have committed two sins. Letting you live, and killing you.’
That’s no good, thought Mattalast. That’s not a human way of thinking. He couldn’t agree at all.
‘So Mattalast, at least sleep in peace. Don’t add the sin of me hurting you.’
“I refuse. I won’t die in peace or whatever.”
‘Then what do you desire?’
Mattalast shouted in despair.
“At least… at least, let me die while suffering! Please atone for my sins!”
‘…A human through and through.’
Ruruta sent his sad thoughts. Along with these words Mattalast’s body twisted. Starting from his spine and to his hipbones, even the tips of his toes were destroyed.
No scream resounded; his lungs were also destroyed in an instant. His fingers were severed. His inner organs withered one by one.
‘Humans are beyond help. As well as Mattalast Ballory.’
At the next moment, Mattalast’s body recovered. It was an ability far surpassing Enlike’s super regeneration. And he was able to use it on other people… was Ruruta’s power that strong?
‘Shall we continue?’
Along with Ruruta’s words Mattalast was again destroyed. His clothes were dyed entirely by blood, and pieces of entrails and feces were scattered around.
It wasn’t torture but a death penalty. This was repeated on Mattalast tens of times. He had already lost consciousness long ago. Ruruta absolved his restraints.
‘Can you still hear me, Mattalast? There is something I must tell you.”
He couldn’t hear with his ears, but the thoughts barely reached him.
‘I greatly appreciate your work.
If the truth became known to people of the world, it would have invited chaos. People would have challenged me in vain and their losses would have been piled. They would have despaired in
front of the unbeatable enemy.
You have protected the world’s people in your own way. You have concealed the truth of despair with a gentle lie.’
At some point, Ruruta was standing near the unconscious Mattalast.
“…Farewell, Mattalast, you kind-hearted villain.”
Ruruta spoke with his own mouth. Then he placed his hand on Mattalast’s head. He activated the Power of Tearless Ending once again. This time Mattalast’s consciousness completely fell into darkness.
Ruruta raised his head and muttered.
“I have thought destroying the world would be simple, but unexpectedly there are plenty of other things to do. Even the Armed Librarians have not yet abandoned their will to live.”
Then, he joined his two hands together. A small light was created between them.
In the Sixth Sealed Archive, Mirepoc was talking towards her comrades.
“…I can’t connect to either Yukizona-san or Mattalast-san. They are probably already…”
“…”
No reply came.
They lost Yukizona, Mattalast collapsed, and Hamyuts abandoned them. There was no longer anyone to lead the Armed Librarians gathered at the Sixth Sealed Archive.
They just stood still, having no idea what to do.
“…Will the world really be destroyed?”
Gamo mumbled. Neither Mirepoc or the other Armed Librarians could feel any of this was real. It felt as if they were just in some incomprehensible dream. It seemed that someone who possessed the power to destroy the world was coming from below. However, since they have never seen him, it couldn’t be helped that they didn’t feel the threat.
“What should we do?”
Mirepoc said, her face downcast.
“…Ahahahaha!”
A sudden laughter resounded. It came from Luik.
“It’s no use, thinking of difficult stuff makes me sleepy. It doesn’t fit my personality at all.”
Saying so and wielding his great spear, he walked towards the Sealed Labyrinth filled with Guardian Beasts.
“Where are you going?!”
“You can tell by looking.”
Luik turned around and said while laughing. While he seemed desperate he also seemed refreshed.
“I’m a piece of junk who can do nothing but fight. Whether the world is destroyed or I’m fired, it changes nothing.”
“…Luik-san.”
Unable to think of any words to stop him, Mirepoc took a step forward. It was then that Gamo spoke.
“Listen, everyone. You too, Luik. I’m the one Yukizona left in charge. I’m still your commander.”
Everyone looked at Gamo.
“The Director said that everything’s useless and we can do whatever we want to. So let’s do just that.
Those who want to go back or escape, get out of here at once.”
No one moved.
“Is there anyone who would like to kill if there’s no law? If so, do whatever you’d like without hesitating. The Director authorized it.”
“Yes!”
Rizzly raised his hand.
“I want to kill the Director though, so what should I do?”
Laughter and applause rose among the Armed Librarians.
“Now that’s a great idea!”
“Well said Rizzly!”
Mirepoc also laughed without thinking. It was perhaps the first time she had laughed so frankly. It was a laugh born at the worst possible situation.
“I’ve always wanted to kick her ass off once. This is a good chance.”
“I’ve done it. Obviously she turned the tables over me though!”
Everyone clapped their hands while roaring with laughter.
“What will you do Gamo? Do you really accept this?”
Marfa said to Gamo.
“I wonder.”
Gamo thought and raised his hand to another direction. This time it was Tena. She was seriously injured, but got back to the line of battle.
“Umm, there’s another person I’d like to kill.”
“…I see.”
The laughter stopped and everyone started thinking.
“Right, if that piece of shit Hamyuts returns alive it’s good enough!”
Gamo said.
“Obviously.”
Luik said.
Then, despite no one ordering them, all Armed Librarians formed a line. Those who excelled at Bodily Reinforcement turned to the front line and served as a wall. Those who had great destructive power came to the back. After them lined up those like Mirepoc who were support types.
“…Even if she tells us to do what we’d like, this is what we end doing.”
Gamo, who went to the same line as Mirepoc, muttered.
“Right, Mirepo. I don’t really get the truth about Bantorra Library, and I don’t care about Ruruta at all. In the end, all of us are idiots who can’t do anything but fight.”
Mirepoc then answered, sounding like she was weirdly having fun.
“Do you know how are these idiots who can’t do anything but fight called?”
“You don’t know them Mirepo? They’re called Armed Librarians.”
Luik raised a war cry. Rizzly shot a shockwave ahead. They started forcing the Beasts of the Final Chapter that remained behind the Barrier into the depths of the Labyrinth.
“Don’t stall!”
Gamo shouted.
“Who’s the hell stalling!”
The answer came from the front row.
Strangely at that time the Armed Librarians’ faces were bright. The organization they belonged to had already been destroyed. And of course they had no chances of victory. So what was so enjoyable about it?
“Push them back! Until the hall of the Fifth Labyrinth!”
“Roger that!”
At that moment the Armed Librarians fought in order to fight. Both for their pride and for their lives as Armed Librarians.
Perhaps they were laughing because this was the first time they experienced such a thing since they were born. For the first time the Armed Librarians only fought for themselves.
Observing the situation with her Sensory Threads, Hamyuts then muttered.
“How unexpected.”
She said with a somewhat lonely voice. Maybe I should go participate while we’re at it, she thought. She felt the same like someone locking himself inside his desolate room on the day of a festival.
She thought that if she informed them of the history of the Armed Librarians and the fact that the world was about to be destroyed they would lose their will to fight. That was her aim.
“You should’ve just given up… no matter what you’d do it’s useless, after all.”
She explored the Labyrinth with her Sensory Threads. The movements of Ruruta, who was at the Fifth Labyrinth, were transmitted to her.
“…Ruruta’s also quite insensitive. Since it seems like everyone’s having fun wouldn’t it be fine to let it keep going?”
Saying this, she gulped down her coffee.
Inside the Labyrinth, Ruruta created a ball of light inside his hands. A white shining thread was emitted from it. Releasing the ball of light from his hands, it slowly began rising upward.
“You were far stronger than I thought. O Armed Librarians. You were a good organization.”
The ball of light passed through the ceiling and headed to the Sixth Labyrinth.
“And so it is sad. You, who can rely on nothing but power…”
Ruruta began to walk again.
Amazingly the Armed Librarians managed to push the Beasts of the Final Chapter back. They retreated back to the entrance of the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth before the Barrier.
Even after a minute, they only charged ahead without thinking of anything. It was all so they could preserve their dominance. However, someone intervened in that moment. A ball of light suddenly appeared from somewhere.
“What?!”
The Armed Librarians raised a voice of astonishment. It didn’t seem to be the p
ower of the Beasts of the Final Chapter. It’s someone’s Magic, thought Mirepoc.
But whose? It had to be Ruruta Coozancoona’s.
“Attack that ball!”
Mirepoc shouted. Slashing attacks and bullet all hit it at once. However, they all passed through as if it had no substance.
“What?!”
Shouted an Armed Librarian who struck with their sword. A thin thread was wrapped around his body.
The thread was viscous like rubber. It was softly flexible and didn’t seem to possess any offensive abilities.
“I’ll untangle this in no time…”
It wrapped itself around several Armed Librarians. It couldn’t be shaken off or cut. It didn’t become impossible to move, but their movements were restricted.
They didn’t think this ability was a big deal, but at their current situation it was a decisive blow. At the last minute the Armed Librarians who were opposed by the Beasts of the Final Chapter were pushed back all at once.
Ruruta muttered.
“Don’t kill them, Beasts.”
And he raised his fingers. He swung them around as if he was the conductor of an orchestra.
“…Sing.”
The Beasts of the Final Chapter didn’t kill the Armed Librarians restrained by the thread. They bent over them and held them down.
“Cut the thread, someone!”
The frontline of Luik and the rest was broken through and the support unit at the rear has also collapsed.
Mirepoc exchanged desperate blows with a Blade-Haired Lion. However, the thread restraining her legs entangled her and she collapsed. She was held down from both shoulders and became unable to move.
Just as she thought she was going to be killed… she heard some voice.
Was that a song? Or just music? Perhaps it was just a mysterious wave different from these two.
Something beautiful passed in her ears, through her skin, and spread inside her whole body.
Her fear of dying as well as her anger at defeat began to disappear when she heard that sound. The violent emotions vanished from her heart and were changed to a sense of loneliness.
“…What, is this?”
Mirepoc muttered. She didn’t know of how Yukizona, Yuri and Mattalast have collapsed. She also didn’t know that this was the Power of Tearless Ending that had defeated them.
“Just what… is this?”
Many thoughts surfaced to Mirepoc’s mind.
Tatakau Shisho - Volume 08 Page 15