Tatakau Shisho

Volume 10, Chapter 5: Final Battle of the Armed Librarians – Part?1

January 12, 1927. The time was after 4 P.M. Even the last day of Bantorra Library approached dusk.

How many reversals have happened during this day? The situation continuously changed like the leaves of a tree caught in a whirlwind.

It wouldn’t have been strange for the world to be destroyed long ago. If Ruruta hadn’t used the Power of Tearless Ending and destroyed the world as is… If Hamyuts had been defeated by him… If Colio hadn’t risen up… If Lascall had forsaken Ruruta, if Mirepoc hadn’t sent her thoughts to Ruruta and died fighting… Destruction was avoided in the last second countless times. As if the world itself rejected its demise.

Would the world be protected or destroyed? The time to settle everything would soon arrive.

The moment Mattalast Ballory had woken up he immediately rushed ahead. He kicked his fallen pistols and picked them up. Even while reloading his bullets, his running speed didn’t lower in the slightest.

He was headed to the exit of the Sealed Labyrinth. Mattalast had no hesitation. He could confirm the situation while moving.

A huge metal pillar was thrust from the floor and penetrated the ceiling of the Sealed Labyrinth. He immediately concluded this was Ruruta’s power. At the same time he looked at the hole opened in the ceiling. Without any hesitation he leapt toward it. He concluded from the leaking air and light that it was connected to the topmost floor.

The hole was opened up by Ruruta to reach the outside. It penetrated each floor and connected to the sky. As Mattalast exited to the first floor he changed his route to move ahead. He could feel something moving in the courtyard. Unleashing a kick to knock down a wall, he ran outside.

His chain of actions was not made by reason. It was his intuition as a warrior. He couldn’t postpone it even for a second and no hesitation was allowed. An average warrior would probably waste time affirming the situation. A warrior could be said to be first-class after becoming able to make his body act based on intuition alone for the first time.

“…I made it…”

Mattalast pointed the pistols in both hands at the Beasts of the Final Chapter. On the other side he could see hair faintly shining in the color of violet. Hundreds of Beasts were rushing towards Mirepoc.

“In time!”

He shot twelve bullets from both guns simultaneously. There was no time for reloading. That wasn’t enough to save Mirepoc. However, the one who shot was Mattalast Ballory. As long as it was limited to the timespan of two seconds, he was the world’s strongest predictive ability user.

The first shot broke the spear of a Cavalryman that attempted piercing Mirepoc’s back. The spearhead was blown away while spinning, stabbing into the brow of a Blade-Haired Lion. Clashing into the stopped Blade-Haired Lion, a Lancer collapsed forward. Another bullet pierced an Elephant Soldier’s knee. Its giant body, losing its sense of balance and collapsing, crushed an Iron-Fanged Mouse.

One bullet shot defeated several Beasts at the same time as if it was a bounded shot in billiard. The twelve bullets that weighed even less than 300 grams blew away enemies that together weighed more than 30 tons.

Mattalast jumped. His landing spot was accurately next to Mirepoc. The final enemy he missed on defeating was blown away when he threw his gun like a boomerang. He wrapped his hand around Mirepoc’s waist, lifted her and ran. All of the rushing attacks missed Mattalast by a hairsbreadth.

“…What happened?”

Only once he succeeded in saving Mirepoc he allowed himself to look around. Mirepoc’s violet hair… the dark clouds covering the sky… and the stone statue in Ruruta’s image that floated in the air.

Mattalast concluded it was impossible to understand. During the few hours he was unconscious the situation apparently changed in a way that couldn’t be imagined.

“What does this mean, Ruruta!”

He looked at the sky and directed this question at Ruruta. At that moment he finally realized this wasn’t the Ruruta he had met earlier. It wasn’t just his form but also his presence itself. The color of his hair changed into something abnormal Mattalast had never seen before and the sense of intimidation he exerted lost all of its humanity.

“…Mattalast-san. So now it is you. Even when it would only take a short while to finish.”

What he heard was a voiceless voice. It wasn’t the voice of Ruruta but of an unknown girl.

“…Who’re you?”

Reply came in the form of the Beasts attacking.

He was yet to grasp the situation. But he could understand one thing: the key to this battle lied with Mirepoc. The Beasts of the Final Chapter targeted her without a shred of hesitation. And she now had violet-colored hair. Seeing those it was clear to him.

He heard that the violet girl Hamyuts had killed held the only possibility of defeating Ruruta. Due to some sequence of events that ability was passed along to Mirepoc.

Mattalast looked around. Surrounding him were the murderous Beasts.

“Good grief, seems like they won’t let me off the hook.”

The Beasts of the Final Chapter simply lost their balance and collapsed. In no time they settled their aim on Mattalast and Mirepoc and moved. The swarm of Beasts that was like a black cascade attacked again and again, and even if evaded they would attack again.

“…But we’ll still run away.”

But Mattalast didn’t find it a problem. He could evade anything if there was a chance of evading it. Even if surrounded from all directions, as long as there was a small opening somewhere it was the same thing as not being surrounded.

The opening was with the Cavalryman whose spear he had broken earlier. He received the blade-less stab with his shoulder and repelled it using force. Using Cavalry’s body as a stepping stone, he ran above the Beasts.

Using the openings in the disorderly battle formation as footholds, Mattalast evaded the attacks as though dancing. Looking from the side their movements could only make one think they have trained together in advance.

A violet surge was emitted from Mirepoc in his arms. It also reached Mattalast. Who was the girl known as Nieniu? What happened to Ruruta? He couldn’t tell.

“…I did it. I did it, Ruruta.”

He heard Mirepoc mumble in his arms. Mattalast caressed her head. He knew one thing for sure: she was fighting to save the world.

“Well done, Mirepoc. You’re an exemplary Armed Librarian.”

So he could understand what his job was. He just needed to protect Mirepoc. That was all.

“…Why do you resist? I cannot understand it.”

Ruruta and Mattalast: Nieniu muttered while looking down at these two resisting men.

Nieniu tried to kill the people around the world without any suffering. However, they rose up and opposed her. Why did they not understand? Even though the only right thing was destruction… Even though she was trying to save them…

It was always like that. Humans couldn’t understand. They simply clung to life without understanding the most important things.

“…I do not mind. I will just destroy them.”

Nieniu started thinking. I cannot lose. Absolutely. If I lose there will be no other one able to destroy the world. I cannot lose a second time.

At that moment, further power gushed out from inside of her. Her fear toward defeat and her determination to fight brought out her true power. Even until now she intended on doing her best. However, anger didn’t allow her to pull out her full powers. They were derived only of clear determination.

Something’s changed. Thus thought Mattalast while evading the attack of a Rhino. The Beasts of the Final Chapter all rushed at him from all directions, including the skies. An Elephant Soldier crushed a Cavalryman while advancing and a Blade-Haired Lion trampled an Iron-Fanged Mouse underfoot.

“….Guh!”

Forcefully pushing through an opening the size of a needle, Mattalast tried escaping the siege. Yet the Beasts headed for him even while crushing their comrades.

It was already a stampede. Their weapons were the corpses of Beasts and their killing method was burying him alive. Matter itself pursued Mattalast.

This was the sort of attack Mattalast, who could evade any attack as long as there was any chance of evading it, was the most poor against.

If he was alone he could have defended. But he had lost his guns and he held Mirepoc in his arms. He couldn’t run away with her.

“Get down Mattalast!”

At that moment, he heard a faint voice mixed in with the Beasts’. Obeying it, Mattalast lied on the ground while covering Mirepoc’s body.

Just before they were crushed to death, a massive body rushed fifty centimeters above Mattalast’s head.

“Bonbo!”

A huge black shadow flew overhead, scattering the Beasts around and blowing away trees and sculptures. What came rushing through was one of the flying whales controlled by Bonbo Tartamal.

The shockwave inflicted Mattalast with wounds. Yet Mirepoc was safe.

“This is getting quite scary! Bantorra Library ends today!”

He could faintly see Bonbo’s figure on top of the whale overhead.

“Mattalast! Is the evacuation of civilians finished already?!”

“Obviously! The only ones on the premises are combatants!”

Mattalast shouted. An Iron-Fanged Mouth and a Lancer that lied down and survived rushed at him again. But it was an attack he could evade.

“Hahaha! It’s good news but it’s also bad news!”

The sixteen whales recovered and danced in the air. Bonbo said before that Bantorra Library was finished not because of the Beasts of the Final Chapter; it was because he was about to fight using his full power.

The whales danced and the ground shook.

The sixteen whales crushed both buildings and Beasts.

The assembly hall where the world’s leaders used to gather was destroyed in mere seconds. The second floor, used for the finances and accounting offices, crumbled down to a mountain of gravel.

The wildly dancing whales raised pandemonium. Even now the Beasts were trying to attack Mattalast. No matter how many of their comrades died, since they were produced infinitely it didn’t matter to them at all.

But then, another explosive roar resounded.

“Uwaaaan! Begone! All of you begone! Be crushed!”

The shrill shrieks of a woman came from the training ground, the opposite direction from where Mattalast had come from. Mixed with them came the sounds of bombardment as if an entire battalion was fighting.

“Kyasariro?! Don’t hit me!”

Mattalast shouted. Mortars and machine-guns floated in air, firing one after the other. This was done using Kyasariro Totona’s telekinesis that controlled firearms. She gathered heavy weapons from inside the Library and came to assist them.

Holding only a rifle and ammunition in her short arms, she was shooting randomly without aiming.

“Shit! Die! Stupid! Begone! Get lost! Scatter!”

“Don’t point your guns at me!”

Mattalast shouted but she couldn’t hear him. She was originally a cowardly woman. Rather than her bringing out courage she assaulted with her boundless fear at what she couldn’t understand.

Both Bonbo and Kyasariro kept their indiscriminate attacks without paying any attention to Mattalast.

But he was thankful for their assistance. He was able to evade even their wild shots and dancing whales using his predictive ability. As long as they were there he had no fear of being crushed.

“…You are in the way, please die obediently.”

The thing that used to be Ruruta glared at Mattalast and the rest. Was it the girl called Nieniu now?

“…You poor puppets of Ruruta. I will kill you as soon as possible.”

“Puppets? We might seem this way, but that’s a huge misunderstanding!”

One whale charged with its forehead to Nieniu floating above the needle. Yet the statue repelled that blow regardless of the difference in mass. It inflicted no wound.

“No… that’s…”

At that time, Mirepoc opened her mouth while in Mattalast’s arms.

“You can’t defeat that. It has… to be Ruruta…”

“Don’t speak. You’ll bite your tongue.”

Mattalast didn’t have the leisure to hear her explanation.

“Relax Mirepoc. I don’t understand what’s going on but even if you don’t say anything we’ll protect you.”

Dodging attacks, Mattalast headed towards the Library’s main building. The next moment the warriors’ voices came echoing from there.

“Right, Yukizona?”

The Armed Librarians showed themselves from inside the half-destroyed gate. With Luik and Marfa at the front, they took a fish scales battle formation, scattered the Beasts of the Final Chapter and rushed to Mattalast.

“Everyone, deploy to a double circle formation! Bonbo will whittle down the attack targets outside the circle! Mattalast and Kyasariro will gather inside!”

In the middle of the formation was Yukizona Hamlow. Next to him was his assistant Yuri. Mattalast realized – Yukizona gathered the confused Armed Librarians, managed to unify them even while not understanding the situation and rushed there.

The power of the his Decay Wave as well of the perfectly coordinated Armed Librarians conveyed his capabilities as the leader of the next generation.

While looking at both Mirepoc in his arms and at his fighting comrades, Mattalast called someone inside his heart. He called towards Hamyuts who wasn’t there.

Hey, Hamyuts, you might’ve been a better leader than you thought. The Armed Librarians you’ve brought up are so dependable.

“Are you fine, Mattalast-san?”

“For now.”

Mattalast jumped into the circle and was finally able to catch his breath. The Armed Librarians stared at the Beasts surrounding them. At that moment, the Beasts’ movements suddenly stopped.

“…So foolish.”

Nieniu called. The Armed Librarians shook at this voice which was different from Ruruta’s.

“Who is that?”

Yuri said. Mattalast shook his head to the side.

“Who knows, I have no idea either. The only thing for sure is that she’s an enemy.”

Nieniu kept talking toward the Armed Librarians who knew nothing about the situation.

“…You are all still doing the wrong thing. Mirepoc-san has been deceived and used by Ruruta.”

Ruruta. That was the name of the man that Mattalast and the other Armed Librarians had been fighting against a short while ago. They didn’t know who this woman was, but if she was Ruruta’s enemy did that mean she was their ally?

Since Mattalast and the rest didn’t understand the situation they had no means with which to ascertain the truth.

“…Ruruta is supposed to be your enemy. He should be hated as he killed Hamyuts-san here.”

At that moment, Mattalast finally noticed a figure stabbed in the center of the needle.

“…Gh.”

Although he was prepared for it, the moment he saw it his knees were about to fold.

“Mattalast-san, please calm down…”

“…Y-yeah. I know, Yuri…”

He was somehow able to reply to Yuri who came to him. Yet the claim that Ruruta had killed Hamyuts was deeply engraved inside his heart.

Even his comrades stared at Hamyuts’s corpse. Some of them expressed anger, some despair… their responses were varied.

“…Please put your weapons away. Do not stand in my way.”

“What does this mean, brother?”

Yuri was also confused. Even Yukizona who was being asked couldn’t answer.

“…You and I are by no means enemies. I am trying to save you.”

They couldn’t think of it as being true by looking at the Beasts spread out. However, they could feel a sincere will from her words. They were filled with confusion and doubts.

At that time, Mirepoc moaned.

“…No… don’t let her trick you…”

“Mirepo?”

“Soul… Sharing!”

A violet-colored wave spread from Mirepoc’s body. The moment it touched Mattalast, her mind was transmitted to him. Along with it the truth about Ruruta that she knew was also transmitted.

“I see, so that’s what’s going on.”

Mattalast muttered. And he was surprised at how little they knew. Ruruta wasn’t collecting Books of happiness for his own sake; it was all for the sake of a single girl.

“We didn’t understand Ruruta at all.”

Yukizona was perplexed. Yuri was flustered as well. The other Armed Librarians felt the same.

“…Please notice the truth. The world must be destroyed.”

Nieniu said. However, none of her words reached the Armed Librarians.

“What do you think, guys? At the very least I don’t feel bad.”

Luik them said to his comrades.

“Ruruta might be a piece of shit, but he’s still a piece of shit that can be saved right?”

Rizzly nodded and started laughing.

“Ahaha, Ruruta’s such a helpless idiot. Well, I don’t hate idiots like that though.”

Gamo also spoke.

“But I still can’t forgive him. It’s not the time to say such things.”

Strangely, the Armed Librarians’ expressions were bright. Mattalast also felt refreshed for some reason. Until now he thought of Ruruta as an inhuman demon lord. Yet he was also human.

It wasn’t something to be happy about, but it still somehow made him happy.

“So, shall we fight?”

“I don’t like it being for Ruruta’s sake, though.”

Luik readied his giant spear and Rizzly pointed his rapier at the surrounding Beasts of the Final Chapter. All doubts were gone from the Armed Librarians’ faces. Now that they knew their reason to fight they accepted it.

This isn’t something to laugh about, thought Mattalast. But that’s how the Armed Librarians always were.

“…You cling to life in such a world. Without realizing it is a mistake. Why do you protect this rotten world?”

Yukizona then replied.

“We’ve known the world is rotten since long ago.”

He raised his arm, producing Decay Waves.

“But even if it’s rotten we’ll protect it. Because we are the Armed Librarians.”

“…If you insist on fighting no matter what…”

Nieniu’s voice shook in anger.

“…Then do as you please. It does not change the destruction of the world.

…Be surrounded and crushed.”

Along with that voice the Beasts began moving. Their aim was Mirepoc alone. Starting with Yukizona’s Decay Wave, the Armed Librarians commenced their counterattack.

Inside the Imaginary Entrails Ruruta kept fighting alone. Starting with his battle with Hamyuts, the battle against the warriors of the revived Books, his torture by Miena’s group, as well as his fight against the Beasts of the Final Chapter, he overcame all sorts of painful battles countless times. Even his limitless power had already passed its limits long ago.

He swung his knife at the dark clouds. The emitted light scattered the Beasts around. The power he received from Mirepoc was powerful. However, that alone was not enough to reach Nieniu.

“…I have to advance.”

He urged his unresponsive legs to run. As long as the power of the world shined in his hand he could never collapse.

Even in the outside world they were fighting to save the world. That was why the violet surge didn’t disappear.

Yukizona and Mattalast exchanged looks. Mattalast entrusted all of command to Yukizona. He conveyed that using just his eyes. He didn’t have the leisure to issue orders; all of the enemies were rushing toward him.

The Armed Librarians forming a circle blocked all Beasts who ran on the ground. In the air Bonbo’s whales were dancing. The Beasts who were able to weave through the gaps of the whales and assault from the sky were intercepted by Yukizona and Kyasariro.

Even so they couldn’t stop all of them. Mattalast desperately kicked the Beasts that managed to sneak through to pursue him. All the while protecting Mirepoc in his arms.

Yet there were too many enemies. They didn’t know how long their defensive formation would hold.

What will we do? Mattalast looked at Yukizona.

“All hands, withdraw to the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth! Withdraw while preserving the formation and protecting Mattalast! The vanguard will be Marfa! Tena will provide covering fire! Guarding the rear will be me and Yuri!”

The Armed Librarians all began moving from the courtyard. Yukizona secured a position in front of the destroyed gate and protected the retreating Armed Librarians with his Decay Wave.

The Labyrinth was certainly more advantageous. It would allow them to somewhat confine the attacks of their enemies to one direction. There was the problem that if the Beasts blocked the entrance they wouldn’t be to escape. But there were no fools who thought of running away at this stage.

However…

“No, Yukizona!”

Having reached the entrance to the Labyrinth, Marfa raised a sorrowful voice.

“There are plenty of Beasts inside the Labyrinth as well!”

The Armed Librarians stopped. Kyasariro raised a shriek.

“N-no way! What will we do, Yukizonaa!”

“Cut them off Marfa! Kyasariro will support you! The enemies are just gathering near the entrance to the Labyrinth!”

“Aaah! I’m going!”

Taking the heavy weaponry floating in the air along with her, Kyasariro charged into the Library. Mattalast and the other Armed Librarians stopped in place and waited for a follow-up report.

Kyasariro’s fire and the sounds of Marfa’s flame whip echoed above ground. There wasn’t any sign of good news at all.

“Hey, Yukizona.”

At that time, Gamo spoke while putting a hand behind one ear. He was an intelligence support ability user that could strain his five senses to their utmost limits.

“It was mixed with the sounds of Bonbo’s whales so I wasn’t able to hear it but…”

While receiving support from Yukizona, Gamo put his ear to the ground.

“…It appears to be useless. There are apparently plenty of Beasts down to the bottom of the Labyrinth.”

Mattalast gulped. Even Yukizona and Yuri paled.

“Return to the courtyard! All soldiers, change direction! Marfa and Kyasariro also retreat instantly! Rizzly, Ainz! Provide covering fire for their retreat!”

Even during the disturbance Yukizona issued orders. The Armed Librarian’s movements became disorderly.

“Gamo-san! Why did you not say so earlier!”

Yuri lashed out at Gamo.

“I couldn’t do anything about it! Bonbo’s whales made too much noise!”

“Marfa-san! Marfa-san! Did you not hear me?! Come back!”

“What?! What does this mean!”

At the entrance to the Labyrinth Kyasariro was perplexed by the order to cease the attack. Marfa cut in too deep and was unable to retreat. They were isolated from their comrades.

What will you do, Yukizona, wondered Mattalast. This is your blunder. How will you recover?

The formation was crumbling. The Beasts of the Final Chapter heading towards Mattalast grew in numbers. The trainees who weren’t able to cooperate were becoming unable to fight back.

“Don’t lose your minds!”

Yukizona shouted. However, now that the Armed Librarians were disheartened, they wouldn’t be able to calm down by mere words.

“All hands, gather in the courtyard again! Create a circle and support Mattalast-san!”

While shouting, Yukizona ripped off the mask covering his face. He stooped down and wrapped both arms around his body as if hugging himself.

“Brother! What are you…!”

Yukizona howled. This was Mattalast’s first time to hear him scream. His body was enveloped by a black cocoon made of Decay Wave.

“Move, Yuri! You too Bonbo!”

Yukizona’s voice echoed from inside the massive black lump. Yuri retreated and Bonbo’s whales also escaped to the sky. Following this hundreds of black, large snakes were shot from the Decay Wave cocoon.

“Evade, everyone!”

Mattalast shouted. The black snakes mowed down the Beasts. Without Mattalast’s instruction perhaps several of the Armed Librarian would have been hit as well. Yukizona’s blow eradicated all Beasts in a radius of 100 meters around him.

“Restore battle formation!”

Having mowed down the enemies, the black snakes thrust their heads into the ground. They wrapped and entwined around each other, creating a barrier. Bantorra, with half of it turned to rabble, was surrounded by the wriggling barrier of Decay Wave, building an encampment with a radius of about 100 meters.

“I decided this area will be our Armed Librarians’ final territory! We will fight and die here!”

A large amount of blood spurt from Yukizona’s mouth as he revealed himself. Yuri rushed over and began to heal him.

“Nieniu! Cutting off our path of retreat was a mistake! The Armed Librarians show their true worth when they’re cornered!”

Yukizona shouted while bleeding. The Armed Librarians charged inside the snake fences one after another. They were no longer upset. What made the Armed Librarians comply was power. What made them move was resolve. And Yukizona showed them both.

“Create a path for Mattalast-san!”

“It doesn’t matter if we all die! As long as Mirepoc survives!”

The Armed Librarians readied their resolve. And they were convinced they could endure.

However, Mattalast alone was able to keep calm inside the enthusiasm. How long will we be able to endure? And until when should we endure?

Is there any meaning in enduring anyway?

While Ruruta was blocked from viewing the outside world by the clouds, he knew – Mattalast, Yukizona, Bonbo, Marfa and the others all stood up. They were fighting to protect Mirepoc.

“…The outside world is lively, Ruruta, but you are alone.”

Nieniu said inside the Imaginary Entrails. She no longer turned her attention to the world of the living. Seeing how the Armed Librarians resisted was trivial.

“…Gh…uh…”

Ruruta collapsed. The knee of his left leg was gouged, lost halfway to the bone. It was a simple failure on his part. He had simply misjudged the timing on a lower sweeping attack made by a Lancer one time. It was a simple mistake among the thousands and ten thousands of attacks.

He approached Nieniu. Yet she was still far away. While crawling on his left hand and right leg, he desperately continued his defensive battle.

He couldn’t stand anymore. His left leg wouldn’t listen to him as if it was completely gone.

“…What happens outside does not matter. Once I kill you it will all be over.”

Nieniu calmly analyzed the situation. What she said was true. No matter how much the Armed Librarians resisted, it didn’t matter at all to Nieniu who possessed unlimited power. As long as the knife in his hand didn’t reach her it would amount to nothing.

Clenching his teeth, Ruruta tried advancing forward. No matter how he urged his leg it wouldn’t move. Yet he had to get to the theater, to Nieniu’s side.

“Sh…it!”

A stream of tears flowed down Ruruta’s blood-covered face.

Having been saved by Colio, borrowing the powers of Mirepoc, Chacoly and the Armed Librarians, Ruruta was able to fight. He wasn’t allowed to die there. And yet his leg wouldn’t move.

Move, move already! Thinking so and trying to force himself to move was a mistake. Ruruta’s body tumbled down. His right hand holding the knife stopped.

“…It took long, but it will now end.”

The Beasts of the Final Chapter in the front came rushing like an avalanche. Ruruta intercepted them with the light still emitted from the knife. However, the Beasts also attacked him from behind.

From the right came an Elephant Soldier’s raised forelegs, from the left a Blade-Haired Lion’s fangs, from above a leaping Lancer’s stabbing blow… From behind the Elephant Soldier also came a Jail King Snake’s large body. Ruruta had no time to react.

But at that moment…