—Oh, this is it...! This overwhelming... This overwhelming strength that can overturn everything!
Junko stood in the schoolyard, the wind howling around her, and shivered like a wind was blowing through her heart as well.
She knew the man who had used that power well. A dense, inconsiderate, but loyal man. Just like she’d hoped, a single strike from him had blown everything away.
—I wasn’t wrong from the start. I knew all this from the moment we met!
Junko started to walk forward.
Only the Hattori and Teruya forces, who had been out of the range of the carrier, were unharmed. Of course, Eiko screamed at Junko.
“Stop the Demon King! That’s an order!”
Junko smirked.
“You think you can tell me what to do without a hostage?”
For a moment, Eiko didn’t seem to know what to do, but she quickly shook her head and pointed to one of the Hattori soldiers.
“Don’t even try it! You there! Your mistress is ready to ruin your clan! If she attacks me here, your clan is finished!”
The ninja she threatened put a hand on Junko’s shoulder.
“Mistress, I understand you’re upset, but our enemy is the wicked Demon King. For now, we should...”
Junko brushed him off and put her hand on the Sohaya no Tsurugi.
Clink.
There was a small sound of metal hitting metal.
—The gods only act when it suits their purposes.
Junko remembered what her grandmother had said.
Power filled her body — but it wasn’t rage that gave her this power.
“Hahahaha!” Junko laughed with glee.
“M-Mistress...” the ninja said, worried. Junko turned around with a brilliant smile.
“I am now,” she said, “going to betray you!”
Junko unsheathed the Sohaya no Tsurugi. The blade gave off a strange, rainbow-colored light.
“Justice and the clan’s honor didn’t save us! I’m going to live for the man I love! This betrayal is love!”
The ninjas began to murmur amongst themselves, unsure of what to say. The old Junko would’ve hesitated, but now she felt filled with power and self-confidence. When they saw this, the ninjas rushed to her.
“This is not a betrayal! Do as you think best, mistress!”
Junko nodded, deeply moved.
“Of course!” And then she ran at Eiko, the rainbow blade raised high.
“Wha... Are you helping the Demon King?” Eiko quickly jumped backwards.
“That’s right! But when I decided to kill you, the Sohaya no Tsurugi left its sheath! You were not chosen by the gods!”
“B-But the gods would never help someone who sided with the Demon King!”
“The gods exist to be used by humanity! And now, I have the power to kill you! What I do with that power afterward is up to me!”
“You’re crazy! But... it doesn’t matter! You’re alone, and I have three hundred soldiers who will only listen to me!” Eiko yelled, and rows of armored warriors formed around her. There were still many who were unharmed, or who had been healed.
“Three hundred? Good, I won’t need to count them!” Junko drew a magical symbol with her hand in front of her chest. “Ninja Technique: Crazed Moonshadow!”
It was Junko’s clone technique. As she ran, there were suddenly two of her. And then, each of the clones split into two more.
“What... Is that even possible?!” Eiko screamed.
The number of Junkos continued to increase exponentially. It only took a few more clones cloning themselves before the army was surrounded by an impossible number of Junkos.
“There’s... three hundred!”
Three hundred Junkos swarmed the Teruya army.
“Impossible...!” Eiko flinched as she felt a blast of wind run by her.
It was a single strike. The three hundred Junkos had taken down 300 soldiers with a single strike.
“That didn’t even take a single second!”
“Of course not. Nobody needed a second swing.”
The three hundred Junkos all laughed at once as they surrounded her. Eiko looked around frantically as if she was searching for something, but none of her soldiers were moving.
“W-Wait... We’re old friends!”
“That’s right! And that’s why there are some things I can’t forgive...!”
Three hundred Junkos swarmed one Eiko.
This time, there was nowhere to run. She was smothered by a swarm of Junkos, before being knocked up in the air. One of them had knocked her upwards with the dull edge of their katana to make it easier to hit her.
“Uwooaaah!”
One of the Junkos leapt at her. She was dealt another blow with the dull edge of the katana, and then another knocked her even higher.
Each time a Junko attacked, it disappeared. Eventually they were high up in the sky, and there was only one Junko left, looking at an unconscious Eiko. She had the Sohaya no Tsurugi ready. This time, she was using the sharp edge of the blade. She’d turned it around and was ready to strike.
“Your life is mine!” Junko brought the final blow down on Eiko’s stomach.
Just when it looked like Eiko’s body was about to be cleaved in two—
Clang!
There was a clanging sound from the Sohaya no Tsurugi. Someone’s right arm had appeared out of thin air and blocked it.
“Please wait,” an expressionless voice said as a hole began to open in the air. Korone poked her head out from it. She grabbed Eiko with one arm while she held the Sohaya no Tsurugi.
“Korone...” Junko whispered. The fervor that had overtaken her was gone.
“You mustn’t kill her. She will live and atone for her sins. That’s how it has to be,” Korone said, and she took Eiko’s body back down below.
“Where have you been?” Junko asked as she landed on the ground beside her.
“I was shut down, but your grandmother saved me. I have a message from her.”
“What is it...?”
“‘I will take care of the rest. Follow whomever you like, and don’t worry about a thing.’” Korone gave an expressionless thumbs up.
She looked so ridiculous that Junko burst out laughing. And then she cried a little. This is what she should’ve done from the beginning.
She wiped away her tears and saw a black dragon flying through the sky above.
Junko and Korone watched it go.
“He never cares about me, does he?” Junko said.
“There aren’t many girls who’d want attention from a crazy man like him. That’s probably why.”
Junko laughed in response to Korone’s deadpan explanation.
“Heh. Alright, I suppose I’ll follow him, then.”
“You may leave things here to me, then. First, I’ll start by arresting her.” Korone put handcuffs on the unconscious Eiko.
“Thank you.”
With a nod of farewell, Junko started to walk towards what was left of the carrier to see if she could find a vehicle that still worked.
4 - A Perfect Ending?
Akuto knew exactly where Boichiro was going: the Suhara shrine. It was near the Koga village, so if you weren’t flying, it was a long way away.
“Sorry I couldn’t teleport us,” Peterhausen said. He sounded apologetic, which was rare for him.
“I can’t afford to push you too hard,” Akuto said.
“Anyway, this might be the last chance we get. Can you tell me what you know?” Akuto said, a little sad.
“Yes, I suppose it’s time. The being known as the Demon King is human, but not human. It’s created by altering the mana within the body.”
“I see... So do I have parents, then?”
“You have parents who gave birth to you. You may rejoice in that. Of course, they were forced to abandon you shortly after, for which you have my sympathies.”
“Well, thanks. In other words, someone... The group known as black mages made me, an
d you?”
“That’s right... in a sense. And wrong in a sense, as well. The reason the gods gained minds of their own is still not well understood. But it’s possible to make guesses. In a sufficiently complex network of connections, the connections themselves can form a mind. Life born in that fashion — that is, a god — has no self, and thus no lifespan. This means it’s constantly seeking to die. Humanity has never noticed this, and so many, many years ago, a certain man created the system known as the Demon King. The Demon King is capable of killing the gods and sending them to heaven.”
“Heaven?” Akuto wasn’t certain how to interpret that.
“At least, that is the language you would use. They will be given ‘selves’ and their minds will vanish from this world. It’s a complicated concept. But if I were to tell you that even computers can have spirits, it would make things easier to understand, given the story of your world. It is the Law of Identity that gives them this ‘self.’ She is the counterpart to the Demon King.”
“You mean Keena?”
“Correct. But both the Law of Identity and the Demon King are born again and again. If things don’t seem to be going well, they are killed, and the gods wait another century or so. They’ve done this many times.”
“Humans are selfish, but so are the gods, huh?”
“Don’t be so harsh on them. As for me, I was created to maintain the system after the death of the gods. I have a self, a mind, of my own. The Liradan girl must have told you, right? A self is something that gradually settles in after one is given a body and a position. If gods with ‘selves’ ruled, the world would be filled with war like it used to be. But it also would be much more human. That is what the one who created me wanted.”
Peterhausen seemed to be remembering the past as he spoke.
“Is that why you like fighting?”
“That’s how a valiant king should be. You can kill the gods and become a king. That path is still open to you.”
“Is that what you want?”
“If possible, yes. But, my master, you are free to do as you wish. I’ve had plenty of fun. This has been one of the greatest battles in history. Thanks to the wild card that was Boichiro, we didn’t quite get our full-scale war, but you were the first to win.”
“I see.” Akuto sighed sadly. And then he continued, “I’m going to apologize before we begin. I’m sorry.”
“Yes, I don’t know what’s going to happen, but there’s no need to say that before we begin. I saw it coming.” Peterhausen gave his wings another big flap.
“Now, we’ve got two powerful foes waiting for us. We need to enjoy this!”
○
He was waiting alone in an empty sky.
Brave had crossed his arms, and was waiting, as bravely as his named implied, for the Demon King.
The two of them faced off some distance apart. It was Hiroshi who first opened his mouth, as if unable to take the silence.
“I’ll ask again. Why are you doing this?”
“I’m tired of answering. I’m putting an end to my story. If that changes the world, then what’s wrong with that?”
“And what happens to the people who don’t want that change?” Hiroshi shouted angrily.
Akuto glanced down below. A huge forest spread out below them, but he could see someone in a clearing.
“If you’re talking about that girl, I think I can do something to help her,” Akuto said.
Hiroshi had asked Yuko to wait below. When he saw that Akuto had found her, he shook his head, displeased.
“You’re always like this! You solve everything yourself, without ever talking to anybody!”
“I tell you, and you don’t understand me. Enough. Get out of my way.”
“You’re so selfish!” Hiroshi suddenly accelerated.
Akuto tensed up, ready to fight, as Peterhausen asked him a question.
“How are you going to win this? He’s using his anti-Demon King mana-canceler from the start. That’s going to make this tough.”
“I’m going to charge in. That’s how we win. We end it in one strike.” Akuto said, as if this was nothing special at all.
Peterhausen was surprised.
“Oh? I’m glad to hear that. Do you have plan?”
“Nope. My plan is to have no plan, I guess.”
“...Whatever works. I’m counting on you.” Peterhausen grinned. And then he accelerated as well.
Two strangely-colored comets clashed in the sky. There was a flash of light, for just a single instant.
“No...!” Hiroshi couldn’t believe it. The high-frequency blade on his right arm was digging into Akuto’s left arm. And the shielded high-temperature plasma ball in his left hand was pressed up against Akuto’s right arm.
Akuto really had charged in without any plan at all. He’d just spread out his arms and let Hiroshi hit him.
“Gaaah!”
But Akuto screamed. The mana canceler had made his body no different than that of an ordinary human’s. His left arm had been almost severed, and it hung limply as fresh blood spurt from the wound. The part of his right arm that had been touched by the plasma ball had instantly burned away. If he’d pressed his arm any further forward, it would simply disappear.
It must have been indescribably painful. But still, Akuto moved forward, as if to embrace Hiroshi.
“Boss, stop!” Hiroshi let out a pained scream. He shut down the high-frequency blade and tried to get rid of the plasma. But the computer in his visor wouldn’t let him.
“A foreign object has entered the shield, and the plasma cannot be eliminated. Please dispel the shield.”
“No...” Hiroshi tried to drop the plasma ball. But before he could, Akuto pressed his arm into it.
“S-Stop it, boss!” Hiroshi panicked and released the ball.
A huge blast of wind and heat engulfed everything in the area, including Akuto, Peterhausen, and Hiroshi.
“Uwah!” Brave’s suit had deployed a shield around his body. Even without mana, Peterhausen was resistant to heat — but Akuto was just a normal man.
“Boss!” Hiroshi screamed.
But Akuto was right in front of Hiroshi’s eyes. He forced his body inside of Brave’s shield.
“Load on shield has increased. Low battery warning. Switching to life support mode. Please wait 30 seconds for charging to complete, and normal mode to become available,” the voice said.
Akuto grinned.
Hiroshi realized that he’d given up most of his arms, and the half of his body that had been melted by the plasma explosion, to make this happen.
“N-No!” Hiroshi dropped down into the forest, holding Akuto in his arms.
“I knew you weren’t the kind of person who could do something cruel. If I cruelly injured my own body, it would make you hesitate. And if I pushed you hard enough, it would drain your battery. That’s how your system works, and I knew that.”
Akuto’s body regenerated as they fell. He could absorb mana again.
“That’s terrible... that’s terrible, boss!” Hiroshi started to cry. “Why are you such an asshole... You really are the Demon King...”
“I know I’m an asshole. If I don’t come back, tell future generations what an asshole I was.”
“If you don’t come back?”
“Killing the gods means the end of me as well. That’s how it works.”
Akuto put his hand on Hiroshi’s head. And then with a hard squeeze, he shattered the brave suit’s helmet.
“Uwah...!” Hiroshi screamed. His face was exposed.
“I think I understand why you believe what you’re doing is right,” Akuto said.
The two of them collided into the ground.
“Ugh...” Hiroshi moaned. Without his suit to help him, he should have slammed into the ground full force, but Akuto had protected him.
Akuto landed firmly on the ground, standing upright, and holding Hiroshi in his arms, before setting him down.
Yuko ran up to them. When she
saw Akuto, she let out a small scream.
“Don’t worry. He’s alive,” Akuto said to her.
Hiroshi sat up and turned his face towards Yuko. It looked like he’d made a decision.
“Huh...?” Yuko looked surprised.
“Um... I didn’t mean to hide it from you. It was just a coincidence. But I didn’t really have any reason to tell you, either...” Hiroshi stammered.
Yuko started to laugh.
“You’re so silly,” she said. “No matter who you were on the inside, you were really cool.”
Akuto watched them for a moment, and then began to walk off. But when she saw him move, Yuko’s body went stiff.
“I know. When I’m here, it stops you from being normal.” Akuto raised a hand to summon Peterhausen.
“Wait!” Hiroshi yelled.
When Akuto turned around, he spoke.
“Why don’t you remove the Demon Beast’s mana from her body?”
“Because that mana is being controlled by the god Suhara. If I try to alter it, it could hurt her.”
“But then if the god dies...!”
“I… no, he, will take over for it.” Akuto pointed to Peterhausen.
“Then that was your plan from the beginning...? But then, that means that the Demon King will rule the world. Wh-What will you do after that, boss?” Hiroshi quickly raised his voice, as a horrible thought struck him.
But Akuto didn’t answer, not directly. Instead he just whispered.
“If that has to happen, then it has to happen. Someone has to do it.”
○
Boichiro entered the temple of Suhara. The unconscious guardians lying on the path behind him testified to the fact that he hadn’t been welcomed. In what was once the quiet place where Keizo Teruya did his work, Boichiro was now standing, carrying Keena.
“She is the Law of Identity.”
“And you have come here with her to make the Contract of One. What is it you desire?”
He heard two voices. Two priestesses stepped out from behind the divine tree.
They were the Liradans who were tasked with being the aides of the god Suhara. They were wearing the clothes of a shrine priestess, but now they were holding weapons. One had a naginata, and the other a bow.
Demon King Daimaou: Volume 5 Page 10