The Situation Leading to the End First
Author's note: Happy New Year.
I'm sorry for the very long wait. I'm resuming update. I think this year will be the last year of [Arifureta Tale] but, it'll please if we all can have fun together until the curtain closing!
Please, treat well!
「First I want to ask. How long can you maintain that vortex of light?」
Haji's cool-headed gaze was looking straight at Manager rcurys.
Manager rcurys was flailing. Like a child throwing tantrum at the toy corner.
After she lost strength in her waist and fell on her butt, she imdiately tried to stand up expressionlessly like nothing had happened. However, her legs were shaking and wouldn't listen to her. She stumbled once again and then trying to stand up sohow.
While that was going on, the white cat that was said to be this world's great tree's avatar was looking down on her. Perhaps it was just their imagination, but it felt like it was looking exasperated.
She borrowed her arm's strength and struggled to stand up. The way she was shaking all over while crawling on all fours looked exactly like a newly born fawn.
If this place was a ranch, it felt like there would be cheers,Just a bit more! Do your best! You're gonna be able to stand up in just a bit moree!showering her.
It felt bad to say it but, she looked horribly surreal. And it was even more so due to her expressionless look.
She answered the question while still in such a pathetic state, and acting like nothing had happened as expected.
「Maintain? The formula has been established so we'll be able to open it again. Your existence is too astonishing that I've forgotten to give the command but, we'll temporarily close――」
「I can't allow that.」
「……Can I, ask why?」
「Because I don't trust you guys――people of the world of calamity.」
「……」
Instantly, it felt like ti had stopped. It must be because rcurys had stopped completely still, so still it would make anyone wonder if perhaps even her heartbeat had stopped.
Cold water was suddenly splashed. Or perhaps, suddenly getting slapped on the face. That was the impression this situation gave.
But, even that only lasted for a brief mont.
「……Calamity world, is it. I see. That's only natural.」
rcurys quietly muttered only that and quietly stood up. It looked like she had switched ntality and started radiating a cool-headed air.
She brushed the sleeves of her white robe, straightened her collar, and looked back straight at Haji.
「Maintaining it for several days is within the tolerance level as long as there's no external impedint. The strengthening interference that you're doing. It'll be able to extend that ti even further depending on its strength and the potentially preserved ti.」
Certainly Haji was giving reinforcent to the vortex of light――the interworld teleportation gate.
The liquid tal surrounding that vortex of light was for physical protection, and at the sa ti it was also for suppling magic power and assisting with spatial interference. At the sa ti, Yue and others must also be performing similar protection and reinforcent from the earth side.
To be honest they didn't know how much doing that helped, but they thought that would be better than doing nothing.
After all this was a world where the underlying principles of the cosmos had broken. The world was filled with risk of age of god magic not working.
In addition, it was unreasonable to expect them to believe in people of the calamity world just after hearing about them a little from Inaba and Leeman.
In this point, it also made Haji hesitated with using Crystal Key. Although he had managed to secure an area where it was possible to use age of god magic, the gate Haji used and the vortex of light were clearly operating with different formula. The energy was also different. Due to those differences, there was no guarantee that there wouldn't be so kind of negative influence from the calamity world to earth.
And so, if forced to say without sugarcoating it, rather than reinforcing, it would be more accurate to say that they were "interfering so that the only transportation thod(gate) that could work without any particular problem at the present wouldn't get closed without their say so". Haji imdiately moved to rcurys's location after rushing with the battle was also in part to "prevent the gate from closing". He didn't say it out loud though.
It seed their effort was having quite an effect based on what Manager rcurys said.
「If there's no problem with the current state of reinforcent, we can keep it up indefinitely.」
「……Indefinitely? What is your tolerable range of energy reserve?」
「Practically infinite.」
「……I see. So you have reached that technological level.」
Manager rcurys unconsciously sighed. It felt like there was admiration mixing in her voice.
「In that case, can I ask you to share your magic power with us first before our talk? We'll be able to maintain the "rainbow bridge" directly that way rather than doing magical reinforcent like that.」
「Rainbow bridge……」
「Yes, that's what we call the vortex of light that enable moving between worlds.」
That vortex of light didn't look like rainbow, and there was a myth at earth about such bridge flashing at the back of Haji's mind, but there was sothing else that had to be prioritized right now so he put that aside and nodded back.
「What should I do?」
Manager rcury's gaze turned behind. She was looking at the sapling floating in the air enveloped in pure white light, and the white cat patiently sitting in front it.
「You only need to emit magic power to that spot. This space and the white cat(Holou) will do the rest.」
The white cat was apparently nad Holou. No particular emotion could be felt from the gaze quietly staring at Haji. But, there was the sensation of being observed from it.
「You're alright with magic power?」
「……Now that you ntion it, you were also handling different energy weren't you. Artificial formation of origin flow……no, let's put that aside for now. Yes, magic power is just fine.」
Haji nodded and wordlessly radiated power.
Manager rcurys's cheeks twitched. But, she didn't lose strength in her legs this ti. Rather, she was directing a cool-headed gaze of an observer as befitting a scientist toward Haji.
anwhile Haji was increasing his magic power emission. Crimson light overflowed and dyed the white space.
Pupils vanished from Holou's eyes and its whole eyes beca shining white. At the sa ti, the light enveloping its body was becoming even brighter. Right after that, crimson torrent flooded all at once toward Holou.
It was like storm growling thunderously. Maybe it was just their imagination but it felt like the space was creaking.
「Tsu, this much power……really just how in the world……」
Manager rcury's expression broke. She was gritting her teeth in pain. She was apparently deploying so kind of defensive technique, but even with that she looked like she would fall on her knee any ti now.
「But, with this……perhaps, we'll be able to liberate the human sacrifice.」
「Just now, what did you say?」
Her voice was dyed with relieve and joy, however, the words she faintly said were actually really disquieting. It made Haji reflexively asked back. His eyes were narrowed dangerously.
「Did you ntion human sacrifice?」
「Yes, I did.」
「……」
Manager rcury looked straight back at him and nodded as though it wasn't anything to feel guilty about.
Haji's gaze wandered at empty air and he looked thoughtful for a bit. His gaze moved to the shining spaling, and then, he muttered 「So it's like that huh」.
「Oh, looks like you manage to understand to so degree just from that exchange. It seems you have a considerable understanding of the world's chanism.」
He had reached a level where he could work with endless energy, so it was no wonder, Manager rcury thought with acceptance. At the sa ti, tension slightly left her shoulders seeing Haji's calm deanor, that was exactly like a cool-headed scientist similar to her.
「I thought that you would snap at like hero-dono.」
「That guy would definitely do that huh.」
A wry unconsciously smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but Haji imdiately shook his head. He jerked his chin toward the sapling for checking his answer.
「That "great tree's core"……it's not connected isn't it. With the World Tree.」
This isolated space, and then the island floating in space and barrier, outside it the world principles were crumbling……
He reached the natural conclusion that could be hypothesized from those.
The "great tree's core" that was cut off from its ho planet, it must be in a state that was unable to receive energy supply from the origin world, the world that was nad as the true world Astral by Haji and co.
Then, where did the vast energy for maintaining that rainbow barrier and teleportation gate ca from>
That was obvious. What could produce energy in a world that had nothing was only magic power produced inside the body by life force.
And, lives that existed in the calamity world were limited.
「Human sacrifices……what I felt from you and also the guys at the battlefield is "magic power". But, the power I felt from the "rainbow bridge" has different quality from magic power, it's more……yes, it's an energy that's closer to elent.」
「"World Tree"……and then "elent". Judging from the context……what a coincidence. Your terminology is matching with ours……」
Was it truly a coincidence in the end? rcurys's face beca thoughtful just for a mont, but she too imdiately shook her head. She focused back at the topic that they should talk about right now.
Whether it was the scientist deanor, and their way of setting the tempo and the pacing of conversation, if Yue and others were present in this place, they might sohow harboured the impression that Haji and rcurys were "birds of a feather".
「Yes, that's right. It's more efficient than simply a specific energy. Especially in this world that is conceptually closed off……」
「"Conceptually". That's the reason why Amanogawa didn't……no, couldn't go back or contact us with the Fairy Key――with the tools that he has on hand huh.」
「Yes, this world has two barriers. The first is the rainbow coloured barrier surrounding the island. And then, the second one can't be seen by eyes, but it's a conceptual barrier spreading out to the whole universe.」
「A barrier to maintain world principles and secure a sphere of survival and, a barrier to prevent the breaking down of principles to not spread to other worlds huh.」
「That's not all but……let's talk about the barrier later.」
It seed there was still sothing lacking in Haji's conjecture. But, Manager rcurys pushed the talk forward. She moved her gaze toward the white cat(Holou) that kept sitting still without even a twitch like an ornant.
「In any case, it'll be easier for the "rainbow bridge" to work the more energy similar to elent there is. This child and the "god tree's core" are converting magic power to be as close as possible to elent in attributes. But, the amount absolutely won't be sufficient with just the possible amount contained within human.」
「So that's the reason you call it "human sacrifice" instead of "supply" huh.」
Kouki was enraged, however, he understood that there was no other way that than and gritted his teeth. That was the reason he handed over all the stored magic power in his possession as the least that he could do. That was also the reason why he only used his own magic power in the battle.
「Yes. We're wringing out magic power directly from souls.」
「Can I imagine it like getting an advance paynt of lifespan?」
「I guess. Yes, it's exactly like that.」
The total amount of magic power that person would produce throughout his lifeti was wrung out in a short ti. Imagine it like if normally water kept in a dam was taken out through a faucet for everyday use, in this case that dam was destroyed so all the water would be released all at once.
And, the dam in this equation was the soul.
Perhaps as to be expected from a forr goddess. Aularodde also noticed this fact like Haji. It was when Kouki told them about Haji's existence and suggested requesting rescue.
Manager rcurys looked thoughtful for a bit even as she said.
It was possible to construct a travel thod between worlds. However, this world's great tree, "God Tree" was in a state of not possessing the facilities and formula for establishing interworld travel it once possessed anymore. Therefore there was a need to construct a new teleportation formula that matched with the present situation. There was also a need to specify the coordinate and analyze the transferred magic power so it would take a bit of ti.
Yes, "this world's great tree was practically already lost".
Then, it was only natural for the forr goddess to have a question. How was a world that had no great tree secured the vast amount of magic power required to create the passage to other world?
From there, she doubted,Are you spewing so kind of lie to Kouki-sama?, then she asked Kara to investigate through the minds of the people around.
The result, what she first saw was most likely the shelter. There she found around several thousands of survivors who looked like they had no knowledge about fighting. They were huddling close with each other while looking uneasy about the fighting going on outside.
And then, she also saw several of those survivors getting called. Those people gulped, but then their expressions beca resolved and they stood up. They hugged with the people around them with reluctance of parting before leaving the shelter.
Those people's destination was a space with countless sleeping pods lined up like in an SF movie.
There were people put to sleep inside the pods having their magic power extracted. There were magic circles shining below the pods, from there lines of light ran like circuits and magic power was flowing to sowhere from there. Such sight could be seen.
Of course, the destination was here. This place was the core for maintaining the two barriers. This was also the place to create energy for forming the "rainbow bridge".
「The survivors, are here to be battery for maintaining this terminated world huh.」
「……」
Manager rcurys didn't deny it.
All the survivors must have been offering their life like that this whole ti, in order to just barely maintain the two barriers that were preserving this world.
In that case, it was also understandable that they would need even more human sacrifices to form the new interworld teleportation gate that required more vast amount of energy. It was also understandable why Kouki handed all his stored magic power after learning that.
Additionally, this was also the reason why Manager rcurys was troubled by the "Total War Plan", because this "role" ――responsibility imposed on the survivors other than "the law technique users in charge of protecting the living sphere" was their main duty.
「Is there any other problem than energy for maintaining the gate's opening?」
Haji dispassionately asked what had to be asked without any particular change in his expression. It felt like Manager rcurys's eyes loosened up slightly seeing that.
It reminded her of the shocked looks of Kouki and co when they heard the situation. It was deep sympathy.
But, that was sothing unnecessary. Rather, for them it was sothing that hurt their heart so much they wanted to scream. They weren't anyone worth having such beautiful emotion directed toward them.
Kouki too must have sensed that. Perhaps he was seeing himself in them.
Either way the battlefield was intensifying and there was also no ti to have a leisurely talk so Kouki imdiately switched thought at that ti and simply handed all his stored magic power before going out to fight.
「The risk of another intrusion of void god like before. And, the risk of the ti axis's flow becoming the sa with your world. Only those two risks.」
「Void god?」
「God of the void, void god. I'm talking about those monsters. We're calling them that here.」
Manager rcurys explained while inside her heart she nodded,Aa,with a realization.
Haji didn't allow the "rainbow bridge" to be turned off wasn't simply because he was wary of the possibility that it could never be activated again, and the possibility that rcurys and her people would use the reopening of the gate as negotiation material to demand sothing.
It was also because he wanted to avoid getting separated from his important people at that gate's other side for long.
(Important people at faraway place……place to return ho……thinking again that's only natural. And yet for my mind to be unable to imdiately reach that thought……as I thought, perhaps my emotions as human are wearing down.)
Her face was expressionless like usual, but she was actually smiling bitterly in her own way.
「The risk of the world principle's collapse spreading to our world?」
「None. The rainbow colored barrier surrounding this island. We're calling it the "boundary of the end" or simply "the boundary" but, as long as it doesn't collapse that won't happen.」
「The possibility of it's breaking from this attack?」
「The keystone of the boundary is this "God Tree's core". Destruction is impossible unless this is destroyed or there isn't enough energy to maintain the boundary.」
「Impossible……that's, because this is not exactly a barrier isn't it? I see. That's why it's a "boundary" huh.」
Manager rcurys's eyes widened slightly. For her that was the biggest proof of her astonishnt.
As expected it seed she didn't expect that Haji would finish analyzing the true nature of the rainbow colored barrier in so short ti, furthermore while also doing battle.
「Y-yes, that's right. That's nothing more than us visualizing the boundary line of the limited space the "God Tree's core" is managing to keep as "regular environnt". That's why, it has no effect of preventing intrusion, and in the first place it's not a barrier so the concept of destruction doesn't apply to it.」
The power of "calamity world's great tree" that encompassed the whole universe in the past was apparently limited to only several kiloters to the four directions right now.
It was too pitiful to even see. Or perhaps, it ought to be admired for its amazingness for being able to maintain a living sphere the size of an island in a world where the world's principles had broken down even after it had been reduced into a single sapling.
Considering the many human sacrifices who offered themselves to act as fuel, perhaps it was fine to think that it was the latter.
「This building in the shape like a twisted tower is imitating the great tree right? In order to amplify the power of the "core". Other than that it's also doing "ti delaying", no, "ti interference" and……emitting sothing like a radio tower isn't it? Most likely, it's related to the other barrier you ntioned just now. This building itself is a giant artifact right?」
「So you have learned that much. You're really sothing.」
Manager rcurys let out a sigh of admiration noticeably this ti while muttering 「Artifact……」. It was the word that referred to legendary relic in Tortus, but that must not be the case in the calamity world.
「……I've heard a little about that from Inaba and others. That word ans relic from ancient ti right? Over here object that is endowed with concept magic is called "special grade magic tool", while object endowed with law technique is "first class magic tool", and object endowed with magical effect below that is separated to grades of second and further below depending on the effect and quality……as expected it's necessary for us to compare and adjust our terminology.」
「Yeah, but we can do that later.」
That might be needed for explaining to a third party, but between Haji and Manager rcurys they could understand each other for now just using their own conjecture and exchanging gaze to judge the right or wrong of their statent.
And so Haji lightly waved his hand to postpone the trivial talk for later. That hand was holding the Crystal Key.
「There's one more thing I want to confirm about travelling between worlds. Will there be a problem if I connect earth with here using this?」
He crossed the "rainbow bridge" without complaint because he suspected the possibility of the teleportation gate having been given so kind of special effect so to not cause any negative influence to both worlds.
It would be horrible if he used the Crystal Key to open his own gate and that caused the earth's principles to break down. That was the natural judgnt to make if he wanted to be extrely careful.
As expected it seed that carefulness was the correct choice.
「Don't use that.」
Manager rcurys looked at Haji with a serious gaze and gave a warning.
「I had ntioned it already but, originally, this world is being isolated using concept magic. It's so that people of other world won't carelessly connected to this world and receive the effect of the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon.」
「……That's the obvious asure to take.」
「Of course, if it's you who possess unlimited magic power and special grade magic tool endowed with concept magic then you must be able to forcefully open a path. But, I cannot make any guarantee about what it'll cause. I don't even need to tell you what will happen if your coordinate is out of sync even just slightly from inside this barrier, but even if you get it right there's no telling what kind of influence the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon surrounding this living sphere will have on it.」
「In short, sothing like the gate turning off while in the middle of transferring, or the inputted coordinate going out of sync on its own might happen huh.」
「Yes. Originally, travelling between worlds is making use of the connection between fellow "god trees". We call that connection the "origin flow". It's the grand flow that connect not only those worlds, but the whole universe. The "rainbow bridge" is a technology that is riding on that flow.」
So to say, in the calamity world the interworld teleportation was like sailing on the tidal current undersea, and Haji wanting to go there with his own thod would be like throwing an anchor tied with rope toward the destination, and then forcefully swimming there by following the rope.
Furthermore, inside the sea outside of the sea current near the calamity world was chock full with fierce poison called the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon. That was the image.
Certainly, if it was like that then Haji could understand how his teleportation thod would be affected by the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon.
「The "God Tree's core" isn't directly connected to the "origin flow" anymore. However, the "property of preserving regular environnt" is still functioning. By making use of that, we can surpass the effect of the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon and connect to the "origin flow". Only barely though.」
This connecting formula must be the "new teleportation formula matching the present situation" that she ntioned before. Haji realized that while nodding in understanding.
「I see. The hero summoning system that the goddesses use is likely based on that huh.」
「Your "god tree"……」
「We are calling it the King Tree.」
「Yes, the King Tree being alive and well also helped. Because we followed the "origin flow" flowing to your planet. After that, we analysed your first class artifacts――Leeman's vehicle and the magic power storages hero-dono handed to us to pinpoint your coordinate. You had just emitted absurd amount of power not long ago right? Thanks to that it was really easy for us to pinpoint the coordinate.」
The "rainbow bridge" manifested at Haji's location was apparently because of such reason.
「So in short. There won't be a problem with opening my own gate if it's by following the origin flow to the King Tree as the gate replacent. Can I take it to an that?」
Manager rcurys nodded.
Haji patted his chest in relief inside his mind. Because he had obtained the confirmation of the most important thing he had to check no matter what, which was information related to "securing the thod to go back".
Of course, there was also the possibility of Manager rcurys giving him a sophisticated lie, so there was no way he could be completely relaxed, and there were also several more things that concerned him, but for the ti being, he had obtained information that allowed him to judge that what she said made enough sense.
And so, now he should bring up about those other things――it was when he thought that, the torrent of magic power whirling around Holou settled down. Pupils returned to Holou's eyes that were completely dyed white before. It seed that it had managed to absorb enough magic power for maintaining the "rainbow bridge".
The relieving factor had increased so Haji's shoulders slightly relaxed while he stopped emitting magic power. There, *ton* a light pressure pushed on Haji's shoulder.
「What……?」
「Eh……Holou?」
Holou had jumped on Haji's shoulder. Haji looked at it in suspicion, while Manager rcurys's eyes opened wide again. If her subordinates were here, they must beco worried instead wondering if perhaps her mind had fallen ill based on her high frequency of expression change.
It seed that Holou jumping on Haji's shoulder was just that much of an unexpected thing.
Holou was staring fixedly *jii* at Haji. Haji also looked back at it. Even though its body was made from light itself, every single one of its fur was delicate and beautiful like real fur.
Its gaze was trying to convey sothing. It didn't make a single sound but, sohow there was sothing that got conveyed.
「……You want more?」
『Ni~』 It felt like a small purr like that could be heard. Right after that, magic power flooded out from Haji.
「! You, are drawing out magic power on your own?」
Holou pushed its nose tip fawningly.
Sly. This kitty cat, was truly sly! Like a real kitty cat!
But, what it was doing was quite heinous. The amount of magic power it was sucking out too.
If it wasn't unlimited magic power, it wouldn't be strange for ordinary people to die from emaciation at this level of absorption. It showed no hostility or malice, and it was staring at him must also be its gesture for asking permission. It also must understand that if it was Haji then there would be no problem with it doing this though……
In fact, it wasn't any problem to Haji. And so, even though he sighed he didn't do anything to shake it off and let it did as it please. In respond Holou started rubbing its face on Haji's face as show of gratitude.
「!!? ……P-please allow it. Just Holou alone――catch my drift?」
It seed she was awfully shaken up. To a degree she reflexively made a joke even though she was thinking to refrain from it after losing the strength in her legs before this.
Sure enough, Haji sent her a chilly gaze without any word. It made her almost turning into a freshly born fawn again.
「That child had never tried to touch anyone from its own initiative. That's why, this surprise a little and makes jealous.」
「Your true feeling is leaking.」
Haji-san tried caressing under Holou's jaw with his fingertip. Holou narrowed its eyes in pleasure. It didn't do anything like purring or owing, but it had the air that made one thought that it would definitely do so if it was an actual cat.
「!?」
Manager rcurys staggered backward. She had the air of soone catching her lover cheating with other woman.
Just as Haji thought that she took out a handkerchief and started biting it. 「Kiiiih, you adulterer!」 She had the air of soone who was going to say that. In the end it was just the air. She was expressionless so it was plainly scary.
「So, by allow do you an about it sucking out magic power? It's not like I'm thinking that it's acting hostile so you don't need to worry. Rather than that……can I take this as it absorbing magic power for the "boundary"?」
Thinking normally then it could only be that. Haji asked for confirmation for his guess. In respond Manager rcurys nodded while still biting on her handkerchief.
「Moga, mogogo, moga――pardon . Not only that, most likely it's trying to wring out even for the portion of the "barrier of fabrication wounded principles". ……It want to free all of the human sacrifices.」
Haji narrowed his eyes. He raised three fingers. He once again spoke the question that he wanted to ask at minimum other than the "information related to the teleportation gate" which was the highest priority.
「That too is one of the priority topic I want to confirm. There're three things that I want to ask at minimum. First, that "barrier of fabrication wounded principles", it's the barrier stopping the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon right? I want to ask about that. Second, about the monsters attacking right now, the true identity of the void gods. Third, about the way to solve the current situation.」
Haji paused for a beat, then he asked while his eyes glinted like saying that he wouldn't allow any falsehood.
「I've heard a little about the current situation from Inaba and others. They said that if this place fall then the effect of Breaking Down Principles Phenonon will reach other worlds and the whole universe will et its ruin as well. They also said that you guys has been continuously looking for the way to the world's continuous survival for nearly a hundred years.」
「That's correct.」
「Why didn't you guys ask for help from other worlds in such situation? ……You ntioned just now. This place is a "conceptually isolated world". In other words, you couldn't ask for help even if you want.」
Originally, excluding that pyramid floating object called "traveller", the calamity world was generally unable to connect to other world.
But, a happening that made that possible occurred.
「The void gods' attack caused a problem to the energy supply or to the building itself. As the result, this so called ""barrier of fabrication wounded principles" is also tearing at the seam. But as silver lining of a dark cloud if you can call it that, you beca able to construct the "rainbow bridge" thanks to that tear.」
There was suddenly ti difference between worlds must also due to the sa reason. It was the effect of the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon. The reason the "traveller" started moving at this ti perhaps could be found there too. Haji spoke his conjecture while feeling half convinced of it.
But,
「No.」
Against his prediction, Manager rcurys shook her head.
Like that the answer that rushed out of her mouth was the worst thing that even Haji hadn't predicted. At the sa ti, it was hopelessly ruinous. It was truly, a danger to the world.
「It's the opposite.」
「Opposite……?」
Manager rcurys's gaze fell. Her hands were clenched into fists and trembling slightly, as though feeling of sha was oozing out.
「Most likely, the void gods want to escape.」
「……Escape? Not attacking?」
「Yes, escape. ……That day, since the day the world collapsed, the world had sohow continued to stay alive until now but……it's already at the limit.」
「……! Don't tell , it's sothing, like that……?」
Deep creases ford on Haji's forehead. The severity of the situation, no, such situation couldn't possibly be enough to describe this worst situation. The mont he understood that he reflexively pressed one hand on his forehead.
Manager rcurys's expression warped dramatically. Her face crumpled from being filled to the brim with grief, along with remorse and guilt.
「It's not a problem of energy amount. It's because the "barrier of fabrication wounded principles" isn't suppressing the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon fully.」
"Barrier of fabrication wounded principles"――in the past, when the people of the calamity world realized that the collapse of world principles couldn't be repaired, they created it as their greatest and last resort.
While the universe itself was starting to collapse from the edge, the majority of the surviving mankind was used in the "formula of concept magic creation" to create the barrier.
Yes, it was self-explanatory from the words. In the past the calamity world had established a thod to create concept magic arbitrarily.
However, that thod was the height of inhumanity.
"Power to ddle with world principle" and "will of utmost limits" were necessary for concept magic.
For the forr there was thods to engrave it into brain and soul. But, without trained foundation the thod would just produce invalid instantly. It couldn't be done in a day.
The latter was even more difficult. Sothing like will of utmost limits that could be produced just because other people told them to do so couldn't really be called "utmost limits". The person had to wish for it from the bottom of their heart, from their soul even.
But, it could also be said that those conditions could be cleared if the safety and human right of the people involved were ignored.
ddling with soul, fabricating mory, rewriting personality, planting fanatical wish, forcing will of utmost limits. And then, forcefully engraving in law technique. Using whatever kind of thod so thoroughly it was impossible to recover from.
In the past it was said the calamity world had developed its magical technology to such an advanced degree it accomplished expansion to the stars and for a long while its population had reached to dozens of trillions.
Most of those numbers were swallowed by the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon and vanished to the void helplessly.
Those who were able to escape to the planet of the God Tree that was the center of the universe which managed to resist the effect of Breaking Down Principles Phenonon till the end, including the privileged class who had been living there from the start were only around two-odd billion people.
If around 80% of them paid the price that rendered them into invalid, it was possible to manifest a concept magic based on "united wills of utmost limits" in the scale of more than a billion people.
The result, they succeeded in unleashing a concept that ought to be called as "Anti-Breaking Down Principles Phenonon" to the whole universe of the calamity world.
Using the concept "the principles aren't collapsing" that was in opposition to the fact that "the principles had collapsed" as the linchpin, a special class magic tool "the barrier tower of fabrication wounded principles", in other words, this building was endowed with multiple concepts like "all phenonon won't spread to outside this universe", "all phenonon from other worlds won't influence this universe", and others.
It was truly a "barrier that create fabricated principles".
But, even after being forced to make such sacrifices they still didn't manage to stop the collapse completely.
「You guys aren't heading to destruction because of getting attacked. You guys are attacked because the world is heading to destruction……so it's like that.」
Monsters that could survive even in outer space where world principles had collapsed. But, as expected they couldn't cross to other world while being inside the Breaking Down Principles Phenonon.
This place was the only location in this calamity world where power could be used without any problem.
The monsters didn't imdiately teleport but stayed to fight the law technique users wasn't simply because the people here fought back to not let them go to other world.
「Either they want to get their hand on you guys' souls as energy source for teleporting, or they have their eyes on the God Tree's core. Or perhaps both……」
Thinking back at the incident at Detroit, crossing over worlds wasn't sothing easy even for these monsters. Especially in this " locked world", even though the blockade had beco incomplete it was still almost impossible to exceed the effect of Breaking Down Principles Phenonon and escaped.
In any case.
「Even if by chance you guys manage to completely repel their attacks, the effect of Breaking Down Principles Phenonon will definitely spread to all worlds in the not faraway future.」
「……Yes.」
「Is there a way to prevent that?」
「……」
Haji already half understood the answer. If there was a way, rcurys and others should have been doing that already since a long ti ago. Even so he still had to ask the question.
「……I'm sorry.」
A voice that sounded like it would fade into nothingness even now weakly resounded. Dark shadow fell inside her eyes. It was the shadow people called "despair".
「……How long?」
「Without your help, it'll take around ten years regardless of these attacks. At the fastest it will be within a few years. Of course, that ti range is based on the original ti axis――the ti flow of your world.」
「My help? I see, magic power huh. If from here on I continue to supply infinite magic power……」
「The output of the barrier itself will rise to incomparable level from before. But, it won't solve the problem at the fundantal level. We cannot avoid the end with just increasing the power output.」
Manager rcurys stared at Holou who was still greedily absorbing magic power even now. She looked thoughtful for a bit and,
「Even so……I'll have to recalculate it for the accurate tiline but……at the very least we'll be able to last for around a hundred years.」
She spoke the remaining ti until the end ca.
Haji looked like he wanted to spit as he said 「Just that much huh」.
That was the lifeti of a single person. Perhaps that was enough ti to spend the a life for the last ti before the end. But, the images of his family flashed at the back of his mind, and then his promise with Yue and others.
What would happen to the children, and then their children's children who would be born in the future?
「Unacceptable.」
It felt like the air crackled from that voice. Manager rcurys's face snapped up as though she had just gotten slapped.
rcurys and her people had the technology level that enabled them to ddle with not only principles but even concepts. There was no way they were just wringing their hands uselessly while buying ti with the sacrifice of the survivors. There was no doubt that they had been doing research day in, day out with desperation to save the world.
Even so they couldn't find a way. Haji understood that fact, even so, there was no despair in his eyes.
「There's always a way, no matter when, no matter what kind of situation.」
He had lived until now like that. Even when he fell to the bottom of abyss, even when he was facing the god who ruled the world, he always found a way to survive without fail.
Considering the future, there was only a hundred years. But, if there was a hundred years of ti for taking back the future……
That was enough. There was no reason to despair or giving up.
「You guys too are still not giving up. You aren't allowing yourself to give up.」
That was why, they were opposing the attacks from the void gods so desperately.
That was why, they desperately connected a path toward the "demon god" who Inaba and others told them was their hope.
「It looks like, it's not a simple situation that can be solved with just murdering the enemies. Just the "minimum information" isn't enough at all. Tell everything, from the beginning till the end.」
His gaze wasn't the cool-headed gaze of an observation. This gaze was containing the light of will and heat like when looking up at the sun.
Manager rcurys unconsciously gulped. She was feeling even more overwheld than when she felt that weird and mighty atmosphere.
「I'll also tell you. What the people of other worlds had built up until now during the thousands, or perhaps even tens of thousands of years that you guys had protected, everything that I know.」
This was the world where that Ehito was born.
It seed that it was also the residents of this world who broke the hell world.
Naturally there were things that he wanted to say about those. He also hadn't fully trusted them by all ans.
But, Haji swallowed all that and offered his hand.
In his eyes, there was not even a speck of doubt toward his own words. He believed it from his heart. That this situation could be overco no matter what.
Unconsciously, Manager rcurys took a step forward.
She staggered, as though she had finally found light at the end of her wandering all this ti inside pitch black darkness.
「……Thank you.」
She was expressionless like usual. But, sohow it felt like her face was crying and laughing.
Manager rcurys took Haji's hand with a slightly trembling voice. She firmly, and strongly gripped that hand to cling on it no matter how shaful the act was.
「Please I ask you to lend us your hand. God of another world.」
Haji shrugged and simply shook her hand strongly back.
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At the end of the distant universe, in a darkness where there wasn't a single star, there was sothing.
Its figure wasn't clear. But, it was a powerful existence that felt like the height of foreignness.
It suddenly pulsed fiercely. It raised a wordless shriek.
As though it had sensed sothing significant that determined destiny.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every ti.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
Next chapter will be Yue side who remained at earth. However, the exposition chapter will continue for a bit more……
I'm sorry that the plain story is coming in succession right at the start of the year but, please give rcy for a while.
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