Naze Boku no Sekai wo Dare mo Oboeteinainoka? - World 6 - What Tears Apart the World (Part 2)

TL, Editor: PascalsWager

Just throwing it out there, this part is more than three times as long as the previous one. I’m probably going to take a one or two week break to unwind and knock out some homework. Email me at pascalswagerofficial@gmail.com w/ comments (think wordpress should also support comments on my posts from now on, yay). Also join the NeoSekai TL Discord if you want. And lastly, if you haven’t figured it out yet, yes this is still PascalsWagerTL, just moved to this website. Enjoy!

No Coordinates World Zero.

A seven-color dyed sea of clouds with a stone corridor that spans the clouds. An inorganic space consisting of only two elements. And there──

『*Eep!*』(TL: SFX for ひっ. Think of it as a generic shriek)

The monster’s broken smile resounded like a gong announcing a slaughter. (TL: Idk why Kai and Rinne don’t think that this monster is just trying to be friends with them, like it’s greeting them and everything. Hasn’t killed anyone or anything, just trying to bridge the gap. Kappers.)

Rasterizer Phase I『Destructive Intent』.

As soon as the strange deformed girl bent down, her thighs bloated with an eerie sound.

「It’s coming!」

With the momentum of pushing off the stone floor, the rasterizer jumped with its wings spread.

The left arm was white as snow and delicate like a pretty, dainty girl’s. But I knew this arm was not what it looked like. (TL: From now on whenever pronouns not in dialogue show up, just assume that those are Kai’s thoughts. This can get really weird and awkward to put in the third person.)

……Don’t let it touch you.

……The moment it touches you, you’ll be annihilated like Heavenly Lord Alfreyja!

「Kai.」

「Rinne, get away！」

I am the target. (TL: Referring to Kai)

Kai kicked off the altar floor and jumped before Rinne could see and try to protect him.

『────*Eep*』 (TL: rasterizer just want hug D: also same sfx as earlier, ひっ)

The mockery of the ridiculously strong rasterizer.

This is the monster that obliterated the Heavenly Lord Alfreyja, who had the protection of numerous magic tools, without allowing a single hit. It’s not surprising a human could be erased just by touching that arm.

「Good.」

Sunlight flashes.

Kai swung his [Code Holder] at the rasterizer’s extended arm.

『Tsu？？？？？？？』(TL: This is more like a pause, I don’t think the rasterizer actually speaks Japanese. But I also can’t really find any SFX for っ)

The strange girl’s smile freezes.

「The next is right there.」

The right arm looked like a scale-covered snake tail.

It became like a whip and instantly behind Kai to a length of about four meters. Even then, Kai turned out and shook it off.

『……Strength information……correction……recognizing threat……！』

The rasterizer’s eyes widened to almost perfect spheres.

It alternated between Kai and the [Code Holder], and its movement froze as it tried to jump down to keep distance between them. (TL: Them referring to Kai and the rasterizer)

Rinne was behind him.

And sensed the enormous storm of magic power swirling around it.

「……You attacked Kai.」

『Tsu？』(TL: Same word as earlier, except in katakana instead of hiragana. ッ)

「I’ll never forgive you！」

Faster than the rasterizer could turn around.

Rinne started punching the monster’s back with all her strength. The rasterizer’s back creaked as it was beaten by the dragon’s arm strength inherited from Rinne’s mixed blood.

But.

「……It’s so hard……！」

Rinne was the one who lowered her swollen fist and jumped away.

「What kind of spine does this monster have? It’s harder than steel……！」

『*Kaka*』

The monster’s head spins 180 degrees.

It opened its arms and jumped at Rinne.

『Restraining──』

「No！I don’t want to be hugged by anyone but Kai！」(TL: Rinne best girl leaking all over the place)

Just before being grabbed by the arms approaching from both sides, Rinne kicked away the rasterizer.

「I’m not done yet！」

Black and white feathers danced in the air.

The tenma’s wings spreading from Rinne’s back testified to her usage of her full strength. (TL: tenma appears to be some weird combination of devil and angel, searching online would probably give you some more helpful info.)

──Heavy lightning crashes down.

A huge thunderbolt that could even be called a pillar of light illuminated the altar divinely.

The rasterizer was struck by a torrent of lightning from the brain to the feet. Its body was charred in places, and its wings were bent in half.

『Restraining.』

「What!? It can still move……！」

It is definitely damaged. But the monster doesn’t stop. Do you not feel pain, or is your vitality messed up? Instead of slowing down, the monster’s jump accelerates── (TL: This is a bit awkward to translate concisely, but vitality being messed up refers more to not reacting correctly to pain as opposed to not reacting to pain at all)

『I got you.』

A bright blue arm wraps around the rasterizer’s neck.

Kai and Rinne. The monster was so focused on them that it didn’t notice the sticky slime that crept up behind it.

『Get away from me.』

Without waiting for their reply, Rikugen Kyoko’s right arm exploded. Hundreds of mucus droplets clung onto the deformed body, starting to glow.

──Mirrored『Thunder』──

A great flower of lightning bloomed.

Kai backed away, and even Rinne gasped as a raging discharge scorched the air.

……Lightning Flower Discharge!?

……Is this also a spirit tribe technique that is activated by using one’s mucus body as fuel?

The strength is not on the level of the Lightning Flower Discharge. It’s as powerful as the destruction magic of the archdemons, or even more so.  And above all, it’s the most troublesome. (TL: I don’t think the previous TL mentioned archdemons as I went back to look at Volume 1, but I can’t really find a better way to translate “higher/upper demons…” The point still stands that this is really strong magic)

……If I were on the receiving end of the magic.

……Even the [Code Holder] wouldn’t cut it, would it?

After all, the Mirrored Thunder’s source is Rikugen’s countless mucus clusters spread everywhere.   It would be impossible to cut off all of the discharge from not more than a hundred or two hundred cell fragments.

The same would go for Reirin’s spiritual garments『Seven Princess Guardians』。

Even a robe that prevents up to seven magic attacks simultaneously would not be able to prevent the accumulation of hundreds of lightning bolts.

『I’m exhausted.』(TL: I relate to you on a personal level)

「Rikugen Kyoko!?　You……」

『I’ve used up my body. I can’t do this anymore.』

The lightning stopped.

After the blinding light faded, the blue sticky slime on the altar became a little smaller.

It should have been as tall as Rinne, but was now smaller than the petite Reirin.

This is the price of spirit magic.

『I have a small body because I fought against Rath=IE. The thunder was also like this.』

「It didn’t look anything like this, though.」(TL: Some vagueness here, I’m guessing Kai is the one talking here and he’s referring to the rasterizer not looking like Rath=IE)

The rasterizer on the altar.

The deformed body collapsed and barely held on before falling to its knees.

『……Damage……「Door」No concealment……Obstruction……』

A crack of light.

Immediately afterwards, the streak of lights overhead formed a divine door.

「Kai, look, the door!?」

「Is that where it’s trying to hide?」

From the beginning, the exit from the different world was on the altar. It was hidden by the monster.

「Rinne, get out. Rikugen Kyoko, that door！」

『……Body is heavy……』

Perhaps struggling to even maintain the structure, the lower half of the body became an irregularly shaped slime instead of human legs.

「Can you move？」

『……Can go』

The human legs formed again. However, the Spirit Tribe’s hero did not start running. The rasterizer stood in front of the door of light.

The mouth laughed.

“『World■■』Awakening。Executing rasterizer’s 『Overwrite』──” (TL: the ■■ characters are intentional)

As Kai looked on, the space around the deformed girl twisted and turned. The black vortex born in the void wrapped the injured body.

The black vortex converged.

The space twisted subsided, and silence filled the air like nothing happened.

『Done.』

The rasterizer had been restored to its original appearance.

It was if time had been rewound. There was not a scratch on its body. Behind it, the door of light that was about to open started closing instead.

「No way！……what’s this? The wounds healed!?」

『Regeneration. But it’s too fast.』(TL: Could be “playback” instead of “regeneration,” which makes more sense in context of time being rewound, but less sense in context of what Kai says afterwards.)

「No.」

It didn’t take Kai long to realize that…

「Overwrite. It overwrote itself to make it look like it was brand new！」

The power that transformed Heavenly Lord Alfreyja.

By applying it to himself, he rewrote his body after receiving numerous injuries. As a result, everything returned to nothing as if time flowed backwards.

And this is not just a one-time use ability. Perhaps it could be revived again and again.

「This monster, it’s almost indestructible……！」

『Kaha.』

The rasterizer made a strange mockery.

A dark purple light illuminated both of its hands, creating a magical circle of terror.

『Reproduction of the Forbidden Curse・Demon Mask』

The face of an ancient demon was born on the entire floor of the chalk-colored altar. The face of the ancient demon slowly opens its mouth underneath Kai, Rinne, and Rikugen Kyoko.

……What is this!?

……The devil’s magic？No, this was never recorded in the Five Races War.

「Run, Kai, or you’ll be swallowed by the curse！」

The demon’s face shines suspiciously.

A moment later, Kai, illuminated by the glow, jumped with Rinne from the altar. He jumped a dozen or so stairs at a time to the stone passage.

After another moment, Rikugen Kyoko also landed backwards.

The rasterizer’s right hand pierced her abdomen.

『Capture the spirit.』

『What!?』

The slime’s body is not damaged when it is skewered. But it is enough to stop the movements of Rikugen Kyoko.

『No Coordinates Zero Code──』

「You thought I’d let you？」

A sword flashes.

The Code Holder’s brilliance easily cut off the arm that pierced Rikugen Kyoko. The scaly snake-like arm rolled across the stone floor.

「That’s the third time. I’m sure it’ll learn by now！」

Dark Empress Vanessa, Heavenly Lord Alfreyja, and now.

It attacks the heroes who have Cid’s memories. If one understands how it acts, it is not difficult to react to.

『……You saved me？』

「Now we’ve both done each other a favor. We need to retreat！Its arm will regenerate soon anyway！」

The arm which fell to the ground began to shrivel up.

The rasterizer looked down at its own arm, which became as fine as desert sand, and raised its right shoulder to the sky as if nothing happened.

『Overwrite Kio──』(TL: Not really sure what the rasterizer is saying here, Kio is キヲ in the original.)

The right arm materializes.

It’s not a lizard-like growth, but rather an appearance of a brand new arm that connects to the shoulder. (TL: I think by lizard-like growth, the author means how a lizard regrows its tail. Look it up online if you’re interested.)

『Done.』

「Oh, I knew it！」

Kai bit his back teeth and gripped Sid’s sword with all his strength. (TL: I think this means clenching your jaw with your lower jaw “behind” your upper jaw, either way point stands that Kai’s frustrated)

……You can’t get out of this other world if you can’t defeat this monster.

……And what is required is a one-shot kill.

Incapacitate with a massive blow that does not give any opportunity to overwrite. Rinne and Kai looked at each other and silently nodded their heads. Rikugen Kyoka must have prepared to do so.

But.

Kai and the rasterizer. It was then that their mutual「Miscalculation」 occurred.

「What？」

A thump, and.

In front of the stairs reading to the altar, the rasterizer about to jump at Kai stopped moving and looked at the floor. Its right arm had just been overwritten and regenerated.

It fell the same way as before and returned to sand.

『？』

The rasterizer, noticing the change, raised its right shoulder to the sky again.

『Overwrite Kio──』

“No tampering allowed.”

“The Code Holder slashes fate. An [Overwrite] of a damaged destiny is not permitted.”

At that moment.

Kai was the only one who heard the voice of Asurasoraka, the God of Prayer, echoing from the Code Holder. (TL: I feel like this name is ringing a bell, but I’m not quite sure if it was mentioned before…wasn’t there like a weird temple in a previous volume that Kai heard stuff from? Idk either way we’re going with this)

──It didn’t activate.

The [Overwrite] when Rinne and Rikugen Kyoko were struck by lightning was not triggered. As everyone watched the situation in awe, the door of light opened again behind the rasterizer. (TL: Uhh…guess Kai didn’t get hit by Kyoko’s lightning then? Also, the raw says “when” but it seems to make more sense to say “after”)

There was an exit leading to the graveyard.

「Wow!?　Kai did it！」

「No, I didn’t do anything……but……」

Sid’s sword shines in the sunlight.

It is known that this sword “slashes fate.” But even Kai didn’t expect that the rasterizer’s wounds would not generate.

The rasterizer overrides fate and「pretends the wound never happened」.

But the Key Holder is the very sword that cuts fate at the root. This is known from the battles against Dark Empress Vanessa and Heavenly Lord Alfrejya.

「……Was I mistaken？」

Sid won the Five Races War with this sword.

Therefore, the Code Holder was recognized as the trump card for the heroes of the four races. But is the truth something else？

The reason this sword is in another history.

The real reason why Sid kept this sword in the Devil’s Crypt── (TL: or “a devil’s crypt”)

「Is it a trump card to the rasterizer!?」

A godlike power that can「Override」the fate of the world. However, the Code Holder nullifies the tampering by slashing fate itself.

……Does not allow fate to be tampered with？That can’t be right.

……That world reincarnation too.

All history had been overwritten, and all races have lost their memories. Why was I the only one to keep my memories? (TL: If not obvious, these are Kai’s thoughts)

……I first found Sid’s sword ten years ago.

……It was when I fell into the Devil’s Crypt. (TL: again, or “a devil’s crypt.”)

Surrounded by countless demons.

I remember clinging to the Code Holder just before I was attacked. At the time, I was definitely touching the Code Holder.

That’s all I can think of.

Ten years ago, when Kai first touched Sid’s sword. (TL: uhh…shift into the third person I guess?)

Kai was recognized as the new master of Sid’s sword.

──The Code Holder protected Lord Kai.

In the middle of alteration caused by world reincarnation.

Only Kai was spared from the event that [Overwrote] fate on a global scale. The Code Holder did not allow fate to be changed.

……The Code Holder was not just a sword to end the Five Races War.

……Did Sid hide this sword in order to resist world reincarnation!?

Why was Sid able to prophesy the future of world reincarnation?

I’m not sure why, but with this sword, I can fight against altered fate. (TL: Anddd we’re back to first person)

『Sid is the enemy. He has a grudge against the Code Holder. 』

Rikugen Kyoko had an annoyed expression. (TL: Maybe troubled, but annoyed makes more sense in context)

『It is a bit frustrating for Rikugen Kyoko to feel reassured by that sword.』

「We’re not done yet.」

Kai glared silently at the rasterizer. (TL: I’m assuming that this is Kai and not Kyoko, since he has preceding and postceding dialogue)

「It’s just that the attacks are getting through……Things haven’t improved yet.」

I found a clue to break through the immortal opponent. At the same time, it means I made the monster take me seriously.

『────Useless.』

The girl murmured with a broken doll-like expression.

『Reproduction of the Forbidden Curse・Demon Mask』

「That’s the magic it just did!?」

The face of an ancient demon rises from the floor.

It used to be on a large altar, but now it’s on a narrow corridor. There’s nowhere to escape.

「Rinne, run up to the altar！」

To the altar again. Rinne flew through the air and Kai jumped up the stairs in a single leap. Rikugen Kyoko was one step behind Kai. The rasterizer was closing in behind them.

「Extend your hand！」

Kai reaches out from the altar.

Rikugen Kyoko, who sensed his intention, raised her hand. Stretching her mucous arms like a rubber band, she grasped Kai’s hand from more than ten meters away.

「Shrink！」

The fully extended arm recoiled and contracted at once. The reaction’s force lifted Rikugen Kyoko’s body from the floor. I shook off the hand of the rasterizer that was about to attack me and went to the altar.

──I thought so.

And Kai. And even Rikugen Kyoko, who escaped from the monster’s hand.

『Release of Authority』

The rasterizer reaches out.

It was just a paper-thin margin that prevented it from reaching Rikugen Kyoko. But.

“Higher Level Ability『Race Tampering Alter Code』, use permitted.”

The left arm was as white as snow and as delicate as a flower.

His fingertips grabbed Rikugen Kyoko’s「shadow」. As if pulling a board off the floor, it scoops up a supposedly untouchable shadow.

「Huh!?」

『It hurts.』

Kai couldn’t believe his ears at the scream.

Pain? Did the spirit’s hero scream in pain?

There should be no pain receptors in a slime body. Had Rikugen Kyoko not just had no reaction to being pierced by the rasterizer’s arm?

『It got me.』

A bright blue girl lands on the altar and kneels on the floor.

『It’s taken my life.』(TL: This does not mean Rikugen Kyoko died, as we’ll see soon. It just means the rasterizer took a “copy” of Kyoko. Think the first pokemon movie clones)

「……what?」

A deformed monster climbs the altar.

What was once Rikugen Kyoko’s shadow that had been scooped up by the rasterizer’s fingertips began to grow and wriggle as Kai and Rinne breathlessly watched.

The black shadow became a terrifying mottled pattern.

It wriggled like an amoeba, and transformed into the form of a familiar girl. (TL: Wow this is like a more violent Viego)

──The spirits’ hero「Spiritual Head」Rikugen Kyoko.

However, her body surface is not sea-colored, but a poisonous shade of mottled patterns. The mucus body also had many goat-like horns.

『Annoying.』

Rikugen Kyoko’s voice was mixed with tremendous fury. (TL: I’m not getting a good read on this sentence, but I think this makes sense in context)

She glares at her newborn forgery.

『This is not a provocation to Rikugen Kyoko. This is a blasphemy against the spirit tribe itself. Now, this instead of Sid is what I hate the most in the world.』 (TL: As a side note, the “spirit tribe” could mean “Holy Spirit tribe,” which might make more sense here. However, it’s a bit of a stretch to translate the phrase that way, which is why I leave the name as “spirit tribe” as the previous TL did)

Altered lives.

……If Rikugen Kyoko’s words are correct.

……Using the lives of other species as raw materials, the rasterizer made them into this kind of creepy life！

It has the ability to「Overwrite」the very existence of others.

It is equal to God. No, it is an immoral power that even God cannot forgive.

「What is this monster……」

「I hate it too.」

With her throat trembling from fear, Rinne continued to speak.

「I don’t know why, but I hate it. Just looking at it sends chills. through my body.」(TL: Do you really not know why…)

「Aarghh.」(TL: Some kind of moan from the rasterizer. Original: ああ)

On the other hand, the mystery of the Cryptid Hero Rath=IE deepens. How did he tame such a monster, and what is he plotting?

『……I am,「Spiritual Head」Rikugen Kyoko.』

A horrifying colored sticky slime creature approaches with a stagger. (TL: This is why you recycle kids, otherwise you’ll be dealing with these monsters in the future too)

『Avatar Incarnateー』

The mucus swarm stirred.

It became a wall of flesh high enough to cover even a tank, and it was coming to crush them.

──The target is me.

「Kai!?」

「Don’t worry about me, Rinne, just look ahead！」

Kai saw the rasterizer spreading its wings in the air towards Rinne.

Instead of flying, it jumped at Rinne with the force of a shell shot from the ground.

……The only wounds the rasterizer cannot recover from are what my Code Holder inflicts on it.

……It’s thoroughly trying to avoid fighting me. So that’s it！

The rasterizer ordered Rikugen Kyoko・Avatar to fight Kai.

The rasterizer itself interferes with Rinne’s ability to support Kai. It’s a terrifying tactician.

『Dangerous people. Burn.』

「Gu!?」(TL: SFX for heavy breathing/swallowing nervously. Original: ぐっ)

──Mirrored『Fire』──

The slime with a speckled appearance ignites.

The approaching wall of flesh boiled and erupted like magma. The flames spread scorching heat all over the place.

「It’s even using the same ability！」

『It’s a blessing in disguise. We’re better off because Rikugen Kyoko was weak. Because the life taken was small, this flame is also very small.』

Like Kai, Rikugen Kyoko escapes from the heat wave.

『It’s growing underneath us.』

「I know.」

Kai used the Code Holder to slash the mucus slime’s tentacles that grew beneath his feet. The cut off mucus group disappears.

However, there is no change in Rikugen Kyoko’s avatar movement.

……There is no point in cutting it off.

……I see. To the slime, the Code Holder is just another sharp sword.

The story would have been different if it was the gunpowder of the Drake Nail.

For opponents like the spirit and cryptid tribe, a bayonet is more effective than the Code Holder because of its simple destructive power.

「Isn’t that thing you? Is there any good way to hit it? Where’s the core vital!?」

『I can’t teach you about other species.』

「……Is that so?」

『There’s another reason why I can’t teach you. You can’t find a core vital at the same position as Rikugen Kyoko’s. You should think of it as a different race.』

That’s right.

If even Rikugen Kyoko can’t locate the core vital, then Rikugen Kyoko・Avatar is nearly immortal in a different way than the rasterizer.

『But there’s one thing bothering Rikugen Kyoko.』

「What?」

『Why does the rasterizer keep isolating Rikugen Kyoko and us in this other space?　It’s the one who threw the other humans and Reirin out.』

「Because it’s after us. It’s more of a hassle with Jeanne and the others.」

『No.』

「What？」

『At first, Rikugen Kyoko thought so. But it doesn’t feel right.』

The Spirit Hero affirmed.

She pointed to the Rikugen Kyoko・Avatar standing in front of her.

『If it has the ability of Race Tampering Alter Code, the difference in numbers would not be disadvantageous. In fact, there would only be more targets to work with.』

「……That is true.」

If Jeanne and Farin remained here, they would have been the target of the Race Tampering Alter Code. The battle would be intensified further as new avatars of different incarnations were born.

「So there’s another reason why the rasterizer wants to stay in this different space？」

『But the reason is unknown to Rikugen Kyoko.』

「──No.」

That’s all that needs to be known.

Kai had an idea as long as he understood what Rikugen Kyoko observed correctly.

『Do you understand something?』

「Yes, thank you！」

Rikugen Kyoko had no way to know what was going on.

But for Kai, who experienced fighting Dark Empress Vanessa, the clues provided from Rikugen Kyoko’s speculation was more than enough.

「The rasterizer that Dark Empress Vanessa fought did not regenerate!」

『……Ah.』

「That’s how it is.」

“Did you think Heavenly Lord Alfreyja’s dog would be able to take my head?

“Empress Vanessa’s resistance is increasing?　Unexpected magic power. We’ve almost completed the No Coordinates──”

“Disperse.”

The rasterizer that attacked Dark Empress Vanessa was struck back by her anger.

That’s the answer.

「The only place where it can『Overwrite』its body is in this different space！」

『Or maybe Rikugen Kyoko’s avatar incarnation can only live in this other space. Either way, there is no advantage for Rikugen Kyoko and the others to fight here.』

「Agreed……But what do we do?」

Above the altar, the rasterizer clashes violently with the soaring Rinne.

The right arm severed by the Code Holder had not been repaired. The rasterizer was still damaged, and the door of light leading outside of the different space still existed.

……It’s not difficult to escape now that the door has emerged.

……But if we want to beat him, it’s meaningless if he doesn’t follow us as we run outside.

I’ve removed all intruders from the other space.

From the rasterizer’s perspective, that would have achieved the minimum goal. It is unlikely that it’ll chase outside where the「Overwrite」ability does not work.

『Rikugen Kyoko and her friends will run away and lure it to the graveyard. There you can beat it.』

「Lure it out?」

How?

Before I could ask that, the bright blue girl kicked the floor and started running.

『Do this.』

To the center of the altar──

She picked up the petrified Heavenly Lord Alfrejya.

『~~~~~~~Tsutsu！』(TL: Some more SFX that I can’t translate over to English well. It’s some kind of yell, anyway. ッッ in the original.)

The deformed girl let out of a roar that transcended the dimension of voice. It didn’t even look at Rinne, who was about to jump at it, and instead glared at Rikugen Kyoko, who held the Heavenly Lord Alfreyja.

『It seems like this statue is still important. A tremendous rage……The atmosphere is scary……』

「Rinne, come over here quickly！」

「Uh, yes！」

To the door of light.

Following Rikugen Kyoko, Kai jumped in at the same time as Rinne. Beyond the circle of light.

Inside the black grayard, near the front door──

For a moment, Kai closed his eyes against the light’s glare.

When he opened his eyelids again, Rinne and he landed on the hard black floor. A chilly breeze caressed their cheeks.

「We’re already in the graveyard?」

The spatial shift was so sudden that the situation couldn’t be recognized immediately.

It was pitch black.

Compared to the other space filled with seven colors of light, there are only a few luminous stones in this place, making it as dark as the void.

「I’m back！……Eh, but it’s different here?」

「It’s not the place where we came in from. But we’ll run anyway！」

I felt a new presence behind me.

At the same time, the graveyard was filled with a hair-raising yell. It was neither the voice of a human nor a beast. It was the roar of an otherworldly creature.

「I knew it’d come after us！」

It was a flash of genius from Rikugen Kyoko that hit the nail on the head.

There was some reason why the Sidhe Hero was confined in that other space. And now, the rasterizer was fiercely trying to get the evidence back.

That is, after it had eliminated the witnesses.

「Kai!? I can see her……！」

Rinne’s scream.

A deformed girl crawled out of the door of light. Looking back, Kai’s voice froze in the back of his throat.

──Alien evolution.

On her forehead, a third eye shined so brightly that it could be mistaken for a jewel.

Her mouth was torn to her ears, and peeking out of it were sharp fangs. Her right arm, which was white and slender as an elf’s, had grown explosively and was thicker than the Lion King’s arm.

……It doesn’t seem to be interested in doing something like Race Tampering Alter Code anymore.

……It is a form of pure destruction.

It won’t stop until it has destroyed all the enemies in front of it.

『Run outside.』

Rikugen Kyoko, carrying the statue of Heavenly Lord Alfreyja, started to run at the end of the dark passage.

『I can smell an elf.』

「Kai, the light is shining from the other side! I’m sure it’s an exit！」

Rinne flies just above the ceiling with her wings.

Kai ran down the corridor alongside Rikugen Kyoko. An oddly shaped girl from only a few seconds of distance behind chased them at breakneck speed.

Zun, a straight footstep sounded. (TL: “Zun” is some sfx. Original: ズンッ)

The scale of the earth tremor was no less than that of a giant behemoth’s step. Even though she was only about the size of Rinne.

「Are we there yet, Rinne?！」

「Almost there! The sun is shining right there!」

We turned right at the corner.

Almost at the same time that Rikugen Kyoko turned the corridor, the black wall shattered loudly.

『──Where are you going?』

The monster that destroyed the wall pushed the shortest distance forward. (TL: Really weird stuff here, guess the monster just didn’t move much)

「Kai, hurry！」

「Rinne, fly ahead！Rikugen Kyoko, now──────…………Huh!?……」

The statue rolled on the floor. The Spirit Hero, who threw away the Heavenly Lord Alfreyja she was holding, stood in a daze.

『Tired.』

That word.

It was like the last drop of life had been consumed. That’s what it looked like to Kai.

『We’re almost at the exit. You should bring the stone statue. 』

「────Wait, Riku────────────」

He tried to reach his hand out.

Kai was snared with the archangel’s statue. With Rikugen Kyoko’s extended tentacle whips.

To get away from here as far as possible. (TL: I know this doesn’t make any grammatical sense, but this is how it’s written in the original novel. If I wrote the first sentence with the two fragments as one, it would lose a lot of the suspense or whatever)

『Capture.』

The eerily swollen arm grabbed the Spirit Hero and lifted her up.

It tightened its grip on her.

『Execute the No Coordinates Zero Code. The『Record Code』of the Hero・Rikugen Kyoko is erased from the world.』

『…………』

At that moment.

Kai certainly heard the spiritual words the bright blue girl spun. (TL: Original says spun, not really sure why it’s like that.)

──Mirrored・Final Performance『Light』──

The glow like a midnight sun.

A shock that choked me.

A roaring sound echoed through all the graveyard’s walls.

It swelled and burst from the bright blue girl’s body, became a storm of light that engulfed the rasterizer, and blew into the graveyard’s interior.

There was high destructive power from the walls falling and shattering like dominoes.

──Firefly’s light.

The color and condition of the light should be different. (TL: Perhaps it should be “the color and intensity of the light should be different.” 光の色も光具合も違うはずなのに)

Its transience reminded me of an insect dancing with the light of life.

「…………」

*Drip*

What adhered to Kai’s cheek was a group of mucus that did not retain its original shape and burst into a thousand tiny pieces. The remnants that once made up the Spirit Hero’s body.

On the floor. On the ceiling.

Sea-blue fragments stuck to Kai’s cheeks and clothes.

「…………What……happened……」

The rasterizer also disappeared in a flash of light.

The spirit tribe is the humans’ enemy.

The Spirit’s Hero is the greatest threat to the Yurun Federation. This is a common truth in the canonical and alternate histories. Rikugen Kyoko herself said that she still hates Sid.

That’s right. She’s an enemy.

We are not on the same side by any means.

…………

………………That should be the case.

Then what is this intense sense of loss that I’m feeling?

My throat is so dry that it hurts, and I can’t stop the cold sweat from running down my forehead.

「Kaiiiiii！There’s Jeanne and Reirin！」

I turned around at Rinne’s call.

The sun was shining from behind the corner. The sun was shining on their backs, and Jeanne and Reirin appeared with short breath.

「Kai, are you okay?！」

「Come here quickly……eh, Heavenly Lord Alfreyja!?　And what’s with this strange magic? What happened！」(TL: Well you see, we had more plot twists than Tantei Mou had in three volumes. Ok, maybe not)

The enormous air currents swirling inside the graveyard were caused from Rikugen Kyoko’s explosion.

When Reirin sensed the power, she turned pale. However, she quickly came back to herself and ran to the stone statue lying in the back.

「*Pull* What a heavy object. Jeanne, lend me a hand to carry Heavenly Lord Alfreyja away.」

「Wait. Kai, what about that monster!? Did you escape safely？」(TL: Isn’t he right in front of you? I guess people wouldn’t think straight in these kinds of situations anyway.)

Jeanne stares at the end of the corridor with a wary look.

Those two do not know yet.

In order to defeat the immortal rasterizer, the Heavenly Lord Alfreyja was used as a decoy to lure the rasterizer to outside of the other space. The restrained Rikugen Kyoko blew herself up along with the monster.

「What’s wrong, Kai？」

「……It’s okay, let’s just get out of here. I’m fine.」

Towards the light.

There was the Lion King Balmung with dozens of mercenary soldiers in tow.

「Is everyone safe！Everyone, run. Escape to the outside────」

*Crack*

There was the sound of pebbles rolling over the rubble.

Then there was a strange roar.

It sounded like a shout or sneer. Such a bizarre sound roared out, and Jeanne, Reirin, and the Lion King opened their eyes.

……No way.

……Because it was……Rikugen Kyoko’s self destruction…………

I look back.

At the back of the shadowy passage. The light shining through the graveyard’s front door revealed the figure of something wriggling there.

──A girl with a strange shape.

Her entire body was burnt, with strange body fluids scattered around, but her eyes’ murderous intent was not reduced one bit.

「It’s the real monster！」

Jeanne, the Knight of Spiritual Light, barked.

She wasn’t telling the monster anything, but was instead trying to inspire her subordinates who were terrified of seeing the strange form for the first time.

「Kai, he’s following us here！」

「……I know.」

I hold the Code Holder.

No one is allowed to get close to that monster. Either they will be wiped out of existence by the No Coordinates Zero Code, or their lives will be stolen by the Race Tampering Alter Code, which will alter their race and birth deformed species.

In the middle of it all.

「Commander Balmung, loaded and ready, sir！」

A mercenary jumped into the graveyard’s entrance.

「I can shoot！」

「Everyone get down. You’re worth something to the monster！」(TL: I’m not sure if this is Kai saying they should avoid fighting the monster or Balmung saying “you’re worth more than the monster.”)

「──Kai, Rinne. Bend down！」

What？

Kai was pushed to the ground without knowing what was going on.

Kai is with Jeanne. Rinne falls to the floor while hugging Reirin. The only person standing is the Lion King.

He pointed his finger at the rasterizer.

「You should be honored, monster. This is a decisive weapon developed by the Federation for the heroes.」

『Tsu？』(TL: ッ)

「Biological extinction cannon, fire！」

The Lion King roars.

The shell did not look like a bullet.

──Optical ray.

It’s not a flame or a bullet.

It’s an extremely sharp laser that uses light rays compressed to the limit through repeated reflection and amplification to burn through anything, regardless of steel or rock.

It pierced the graveyard door and shot through the rasterizer.

「How……！」

Jeanne and Farin let out a sigh of admiration. (TL: Oh hey there Farin, haven’t seen you since like the beginning of this part)

I’ve never seen anything like it. The optical ray that cut through the walls of the incredibly strong graveyard is a research that had not been realized in the Urza Federation.

……Laser Blade!? (TL: Kai, I am your father)

……You’ve taken one of the Human Defense Agency’s undeveloped weapons and made it so practical！

Destructive force that could cut even the graveyard’s outer walls.

When Kai caught a glimpse of the blade’s sharpness, Kai felt his body go into a frenzy. Even in the official history of the Five Races War, this weapon was still in its planning stage.

Its development was virtually discontinued due to the huge budget and research costs involved.

「It’s unbelievable. With human weapons like this……！」

The elf shrine maiden was speechless.

Even Rinne, who was crouching over next to her, stared at the remnants of the light ray with her mouth half open.

「Each cannon can only be used once. The only drawback is that the turret overheats and becomes junk, but you can see the power.」

The Lion King had a wild smile.

「It’s a weapon for the spirit race, but on a monster like that? How could we not spare ourselves from using it？」

「……I’m surprised. Is Lord Balmung the one behind this?」

「I only gave permission to build it. Jeanne, we’ve both been blessed with each other’s subordinates. Now everyone, get out. We don’t know when the stones of the destroyed door will collapse.」

He beckoned from outside the door.

「Come on, chibi. Come quickly.」

「Who’s the chibi！Can’t you see this statue I’m holding so carefully? If it’s this heavy, we’ll have to carry it outside────」

『…………Where are you going？』

The sound of footsteps echoed from deep within the dark labyrinth.

The begrudging voice was filled with a murderous intent that shook all of its listeners.

「What！」

The rasterizer was illuminated by sunlight──

This time, Balmung screamed hoarsely in front of the deformed girl who was crawling up the rubble of the collapsed tiles.

「It was assuredly a direct hit. It had wounds from the beginning. Are you still breathing……?！」

Why hasn’t it fallen?

Why is it still alive?

There is no reason to it. This monster is beyond human comprehension. Dare I say it?

「So that’s your obsession, huh?」

「Wait, Kai!?」

Kai kicked the black floor as hard as he could, ignoring Rinne telling him to stop.

Inside the graveyard where the western sun shines──

The illuminated, deformed girl was so sore and smouldering in black smoke that she could not retain her original form any longer.

──Rikugen Kyoko was exposed to the self-destruction.

──Even after receiving a shot from the decisive weapon of the Yurun Resistance, they will still come at us with even more killing intent.

One more blow.

Maybe, all it takes is one more blow. That’s all it would take for this monster to decay.

However.

It would never fall until it received the finishing blow. What else would you call that besides obsession?

「They’re not letting us leave, no matter what. That’s right.」

『────』

The rasterizer jumped.

It raised its huge arm, the only unburned, unscratched, and snow white part of its body. It slammed it down on Kai’s head.

Kai, on the other hand, swung the Code Holder upward.

A huge arm and a cutting edge. The collision of the two──────did not sound.

「Huh!?」(TL: Perhaps this was instead to be the SFX of Kai stopping suddenly)

『……Code Holder.』

A begrudging voice leaked from the mouth that was torn to the cheeks.

The girl laughed while grabbing Kai’s raised sword.

『The Code Holder is captured！』

A blade that slashes fate.

The only sword the rasterizer feared was stolen, and it rushed in with ferocious force.

『Stealing, that sword──────』

「It’s a mass-produced type.」

『What!?』

「Look closely at the sword you’re holding.」(TL: Man props to Kai for thinking this out so well)

General Purpose Assault Bayonet「Drake Nail」.

It’s not Sid’s sword. The rasterizer held a black sword. The possession of the Code Holder was revealed to be that of a sword with a rugged, mechanical form instead. (TL: Raws say “released and replaced,” but it’s unclear as to whether Kai still has possession of the Code Holder. Based on how this part ends, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case, which is why I cut that out)

A blade that the deformed girl grabbed and wouldn’t let go.

A spark lit at the tip of the blade.

「──Brief Drake Bullet.」

Zero distance blasting.

The blast from the Drake Nail’s blade burned the rasterizer and slammed it into the passage wall.

But it does not fall. I know that. This level of blasting wouldn’t be enough to break this monster’s obsession, even if hundreds of rounds hit.

「Let’s go!」

Kai carries his Drake Nail and runs.

The deformed girl, who was knocked against the wall, was no longer able to stand. She doesn’t have the strength to catch a blade like she did before.

「This time I’ll finish it. You’re done, monster.」

『*Eep*』(TL: Monster SFX, not really of it being scared though)

The rasterizer sneered.

A milky white light lit the floor of the graveyard, creating a complex and mysterious magic circle. As soon as she saw it, Rinne screamed.

「It’s a trap!? No, stop, Kai! It’s laying an activated magic there！」(TL: Lol the Star Wars references are way too easy this part)

『Reproduction of the Forbidden Curse・Angelic Mask』

A pattern of pure white light emerges from the black stone floor.

It turned into a strange angel’s face.

……A variant of the previous magic!?

……So instead of a devil’s face, an angel’s face comes to life?！

A sidhe magic？What kind of attack is it this time? Since Rinne yelled, it has to be an extremely dangerous substitute.

「*rumble*……！」(TL: SFX is くっ)

An angel’s face emerges.

To Kai, who waited until the last minute to move.

「Don’t be afraid. Run！」

A pale, seven-colored robe covered his left arm.

Seven Princess Guardians──

「Jump！」

Kai kicked the floor as Reirin’s shout pushed him.

He jumped over the face of the emerging angel. The light that emerged from beneath him scorched Kai’s entire body.

──That magic had no use.

The rasterizer had been detected.

Using spiritual armor only makes sense with an elf’s strong magic power.

It cannot be handled by humans, who have no magic power. Even if a human used his or her life to activate it, the effect would be weak. There is no way to block this curse.

The spiritual clothing wrapped around Kai’s arm was just a scare tactic.

『Light of Divine Punishment.』

「Repel Bullets！」(TL: Perhaps “Repel Projectiles” would sound nicer, but raw had bullets.)

『────！』

It was then that the rasterizer’s smile froze.

The seven-colored robe wrapped around Kai’s left arm was activated. It spread out in a beautiful trajectory and acted as a shield to receive the light radiation.

「I can’t activate it because I don’t have the magic power. Did you think that？」

Jump over the ground where the angel’s face rose.

Kai leapt over the head of the defenseless rasterizer.

『Tsutsutsutsu!?』(TL: Yeah this SFX or something again, I don’t know how to TL this sorry ッッッッ)

「Lord, you’ve underestimated the sidhes a bit too much. 」(TL: The “Lord” is strange, the furigana means “monster” but I’m not really sure why there’s a name switch here.)

Elf shrine maiden.

The elixirs she prepares are too strong for humans. If used by humans, it would have dramatic and powerful side effects.

One of the side effects──

Humans are given a temporary magic power.

……If there is no magic power, it can be forcibly supplemented.

……It’s just a coincidence！(TL: Not really sure what this is about)

An elixir to heal the wound on his left arm. That’s what gave Kai a powerful magic power. That’s why the Seven Princess Guardians was activated.

「Rasterizer. Do you now the story of how this all happened？」

This was why I was wary of the Code Holder.

From the rasterizer’s perspective, it understood that it was the only thing to be afraid of. It’s not only humans, but also the sidhe’s weapons, that he looked down on.

That’s why──

Kai, who was given the elf’s elixir, tried to surpass that expectation.

Elves making elixirs for humans was impossible in the canonical history.

Human martial arts and the sidhe’s wisdom.

The integration of the two had never been achieved, not even by Sid in the Five Races War. Coordination of different races’ powers should not have been possible in history.

But that’s what was happening in the overwritten world.

The boy who knew the canonical history surpassed the canonical history, even if only for a moment──

It’s not the five heroes that we should be wary of. It’s not even Sid’s sword.

The deformed monster was oblivious to this.

「Two shots.」

『Tsutsutsutsutsu!?』(TL: ッッッッッッ)

Drake Nail blows flames and crucifies the rasterizer’s body to the wall again. The deformed girl screams as the back of her head and back hit the wall.

「That’s my part. And the next person this is for──」

It still moves. To the monster that turns its glaring, murderous eyes. I step in further.

This is.

A genuine blow to the soul to cut off the rasterizer’s obsession.

──It’s for the sidhe’s hero.

A roaring sound.

It was if the blasting method had been decided. (TL: A “finishing blasting method,” perhaps?)

This time, Kai’s full-throttle strike completely knocked down the crucified rasterizer.