Tatakau Shisho

Volume 7, Chapter 5: The Liar is Laughing – Part?3

Fifteen minutes passed.

During that time the battle was completely one-sided.

The Magic Blade able to surpass causality that was created by the Past God… it wasn’t even able to make the hat of a single man fall down.

Mattalast drew near. Yanku was able to follow only the movements of his body. He wasn’t able to notice his fists until they hit him.

Shlamuffen invoked its automatic defenses. Just before the invisible blade cut his right arm, Mattalast drew back his fist. Kicking the ground and turning, he went around and cut in Yanku’s side, at the same time attacking behind his head with a back blow.

Even Hamyuts and Yukizona would find it difficult to ascertain the slight opening in Shlamuffen’s defenses. However, for Mattalast, who could accurately predict the next two seconds, it was as easy as pie. He was able to hit him since he could foresee that moment.

“Guh!”

Yanku’s body was blown away spinning. He hit a tree trunk and fell down. Even during that Shlamuffen attacked. However, Mattalast calmly moved away to avoid it.

Using a feint, he poked through the opening created by the automatic defense to add a real attack. He kept repeating this throughout the whole fifteen minutes. No matter how strong it was, Shlamuffen was a sword. Because it had no intelligence, it couldn’t improve its own fighting style.

Any countermeasures had to be found by its wielder. Yet Yanku had to devote most of his efforts to following Mattalast’s movements.

“Shit!”

When he didn’t defend he could only attack. But Mattalast aimed for the moment he would start the offensive and only then take action. Yanku simply fell behind.

At the moment he tried charging, Mattalast picked up a twig at his feet and threw it as if he was playing darts. He aimed precisely at Yanku’s eyeballs. Shlamuffen judged it as an attack that it couldn’t ignore, and so it intercepted the twig and cut it to shreds.

During that opening Mattalast leapt ahead. Just as he was about to pass above Yanku he rotated and drove his toes into Yanku’s back.

“Whoops, that was close.”

Mattalast’s hat shifted position. When he landed he hurriedly fixed it.

Yanku groaned while lying on his face. He couldn’t stand up. His backbone was destroyed and his lower half body was paralyzed.

Was there really such a gap between them? Yanku couldn’t believe his present situation. Although he was a trainee he was supposed to be a talented warrior. Shlamuffen was one of the Memorial Weapons. How come this battle was one-sided to that extent?

Mattalast took his distance from Yanku who was trying to stand up and looked at him.

The gap in their fighting capabilities was not originally that large. Mattalast’s victory would not be shaken even if he fought with bare hands, but it wasn’t to the extent that he couldn’t drop his hat.

Mattalast simply knew Yanku well. As his supervisor, he fully analyzed his strengths and weaknesses. Shlamuffen had also been analyzed ever since the Dragon Pneumonia Incident. This was also the first time that Yanku had seen Mattalast fighting. That also resulted in the gap between the two.

“Yanku, won’t you stop already?”

Mattalast said to Yanku who was unable to stand up.

“Even if you defeat me it won’t bring Noloty back. It would not even count as avenging her. No matter what transpired in the past, I was her ally.”

Mattalast waited for a reply. Yanku stayed silent.

“Join the Indulging God Cult. Support Mani and your village. That shouldn’t be against Noloty’s intentions.”

“Don’t speak Big Sis Noloty’s name!”

Yanku stood up while withstanding the shaking of his legs.

“I refuse. Noloty was our friend. No matter what you think, I believe myself to be her friend.”

“Shut up!”

Swinging Shlamuffen, he charged at Mattalast. Mattalast clenched his fist and intercepted him.

Yanku started thinking. Don’t call Big Sis your friend. You’ve deceived and used her. I won’t acknowledge you as her friends.

If I end up joining the Indulging God Cult, it would make me the same as those bastards who’ve tricked her. I would become the worst kind of person just like Mattalast.

I lived while admiring Big Sis and wishing to become like her. It would end up rejecting my life from the very root. Big Sis would disappear inside of me.

I absolutely won’t stand for it. That is the only thing I will absolutely not stand for.

“I will fight!”

Mattalast’s eyes were like that of a person looking at a worthless object. Yanku kept being tormented the same as he was before.

Ten minutes passed since. Yanku spent more time collapsed than he did standing. Mattalast patiently waited for him to stand up, and when he did he knocked him down again.

“Mattalast-san, this should be enough…”

Yuri said while holding his guns.

“Are you telling me to finish him off?”

“That is… well…”

Yuri mumbled. Meanwhile Yanku stood up. He understood why he was able to: it was because Mattalast was taking it easy on him. He had attacked with his full power but missed all of his vitals.

Still, he needed to muster all of his power just to stand up.

“Since Yuri’s also saying it, I wonder if I should just get it over with.”

Saying so, Mattalast started running. Yanku readied his sword in an attempt to intercept him.

The next moment, Mattalast threw his hat up high. Yanku’s eyes followed the airborne hat.

If I cut that hat, I will win. He attempted to attack it in an instant.

He lost as soon as he thought of this. Mattalast now stood in front of him.

Does he attack the hat, does he attack Mattalast, or does he defend? He couldn’t choose any of the three options. Mattalast slashed with his hand aiming at Yanku’s right hand holding Shlamuffen.

The spider blade eating into his hand was blown away. Following that, he used his fists to strike Yanku’s abdomen and chest.

The moment he collapsed forward, Mattalast used his fists to make him stand again. He further swept Yanku off his feet, and while midair he drove into him with a rotating kick.

Yanku’s body was blown twenty meters away. Shlamuffen fell far from him. Yanku writhed in pain, holding his stomach with labored breathing.

After hitting with the kick, Mattalast moved to the back. He lightly extended his hand to catch the hat that flew with the wind.

“Are you still alive?”

Wearing his hat again, Mattalast spoke as he watched the writhing Yanku. He kicked away the fallen Shlamuffen.

“Pick it up. We’re not done yet.”

Shlamuffen stopped about a meter away from Yanku. He couldn’t even reach to it with his hand. His body rejected the very notion of fighting. His fighting spirits have been exhausted.

“If you don’t pick it up, I’ll kill you here.”

Mattalast slowly approached.

At that moment, he heard the voice of another woman. He could hear the sound of her walking hurriedly from the forest.

“Please wait, Mattalast-san.”

“Laty-san, were you still here?”

Mattalast said with a shocked face.

“You cannot kill Yanku-san. He is a necessary person for both Mani and the Indulging God Cult.”

“Give up on that. He was more determined than I thought. There’s no other choice but to kill him already.”

“You cannot. It will sadden Mani-san. The scars in her heart will never disappear. She might also end up losing her qualifications as a True Man.”

“That won’t happen. She’ll be sad, but forget in no time. People are like that.”

Mattalast kept walking. Laty spoke back.

“What do you even know about Mani-san? Do you even know how much Yanku-san is important to her?”

Mattalast did not stop.

“Being sad is unavoidable. Look for another True Man. Yuri, give me my guns back.”

Yanku became convinced he was about to die. His head, foggy due to his difficulty breathing, had no regrets or fear in it.

What about Olivia? Will she find comrades and keep fighting? Or had she already been killed?

What will happen to the village? What will happen to Mani? She will probably live under the Indulging God Cult. Or will they be thrown away and destroyed?

“…”

Just what did he do? Thinking of it, it was all in vain. He was going to perish while protecting nothing, accomplishing nothing and leaving nothing behind. It was all over.

“…Mani.”

Yanku muttered. He recalled the final words they had exchanged.

“You’ll come back, right?”

She said to him. And what did he answer then?

“I’ll come back. Did your big brother ever lie to you?”

Mattalast stood at his side. It seemed like he wouldn’t be able to fulfill that promise. He had lied to Mani for the first time since he was born.

Sorry, Mani. But I couldn’t do anything. I could only act like this.

“You have no time to settle your mind.”

Yuri threw the two pistols. One would’ve been enough, Mattalast mumbled as he caught them. After he confirmed there were bullets inside, he removed the safety device.

Yanku was thinking while collapsed. I didn’t have a choice, Mani. Since the Indulging God Cult and the Armed Librarians are bad guys, I will never forgive them.

And since I won’t, I will fight. Since I will fight, I will be killed. I had no choice.

The moment he thought of this, he heard someone’s voice. It was his own.

“Don’t think there was no choice. I decided on protecting the village no matter what happens.”

“Goodbye, Yanku.”

Mattalast’s muzzle was pointed at Yanku’s forehead. His fingers slowly, slowly squeezed the trigger.

“…oin.”

Unable to breathe, Yanku squeezed out the air from his lungs.

“Did you say something?”

Mattalast asked back. Yanku spoke as if his lungs were bleeding.

“…I’ll join.”

The index finger on the muzzle stopped. Mattalast peeked at Yanku’s face.

“I’ll join the Indulging God Cult. I’ll live, and protect, Mani.”

Right. He decided on protecting his village no matter what. However, he never thought of betraying Noloty to protect his village.

“Say that again.”

“I’ll join the Indulging God Cult. I will not… fight the Armed Librarians anymore.”

Tears were silently spilled from Yanku’s eyes. He betrayed something important to protect something important. There was no doubt he was betraying Noloty right now.

But why? He had two important things, so why did he have to choose one of them? Yanku had no idea. Was this reality? Could this kind of situation be real?

Yanku kept crying without a sound.

“…Good grief.”

Mattalast averted his eyes from Yanku. Then, he took his finger off the trigger and returned the gun to his waist. He turned his back to Yanku and spoke briefly.

“…Good grief.”

This was Mattalast’s favorite phrase. Watching him, Yuri spoke with an astonished voice.

“What a cruel person. You probably had no intention of killing him in the first place, right?”

Mattalast turned to Yuri and spoke in a jesting tone.

“That’s not true.”

“I cannot believe you. You are a liar after all.”

“Sometimes I tell the truth. Sometimes.”

Yanku listened to their conversation while still lying on the ground. He understood it. Mattalast had been truly trying to kill him. He had simply given him a slight extension.

Two hours later, Yanku rode on the airplane piloted by Mattalast. Since the flying boat Yuri took there had been destroyed, she rode with Laty back to Bantorra Library.

Mattalast seemed to be defenseless, almost as if he forgot the two of them had been fighting to the death earlier.

“Oh, we’re here.”

Mattalast made the airship descend. They found the figures of Mani and Minth on the new island. Landing in water, they came to land.

“Oh, wasn’t Hammy supposed to be here, though?”

Mattalast asked Minth. He had dropped by this island before coming to fight Yanku.

“Mirepo shouted at her so she’s gone back.”

“Oh well, she is a slacker after all.”

“She would’ve probably said the same thing about you.”

“What’re you saying? I seriously have it tough.”

Minth and Mattalast were talking. Meanwhile, Yanku rushed to Mani and caused her to completely pale. He had bruises and fresh wounds all over his body.

“Big Bro, you’re hurt…”

“It’s fine, since I’m well-trained it’ll heal up in a week.”

He wasn’t bluffing. Full recovery would take three months for a normal person, but Yanku would really take only a week.

“Why? Who did this?”

“Mani, it’s fine, don’t worry.”

Yanku said, yet Mani found the perpetrator in an instant. While Mattalast was talking, she kicked behind his knees.

“Wah!”

Whether he was kicked by purpose or not, Mattalast fell on his rear. Mani then further hit his head with her open hands. His hat flew off and fell on the ground.

“You…!”

“W-what is this?”

Mani pounded Mattalast’s head.

“What did you do to my brother! You… you!”

“Hey, Mani. It’s not like I hit Yanku because I hate him, hey, listen to me!”

Mattalast made excuses while holding his head. Mani didn’t lend him her ears.

“Mani. He’s a bad person. Crush him.”

Minth irresponsibly encouraged her. Mattalast picked up his hat in a hurry.

“Oh boy. Looks like I have to run for it.”

Saying this, Mattalast actually escaped. Mani blew a raspberry at his running figure.

“I hate that guy.”

Yanku then spoke to the resentful Mani.

“Mani. I’ve spoken with someone from the Indulging God Cult.”

When he said this, Mani’s face lightened up.

“How was it?”

“We were able to talk. I will…”

He couldn’t stop his words there. He couldn’t allow her to see his true intentions. While thinking this, he kept talking.

“I decided to join the Cult. From now on the Cult, along with me, will protect our village.”

“Great!”

Mani smiled. But even that smile could not clear his heart. He had lost. He still hadn’t enough time to sort out his feelings.

“Say, Big Brother.”

She asked him.

“The Indulging God Cult aren’t bad guys, right?”

Yanku was speechless. He hesitated on his reply for an instant that seemed much longer. He ended up averting his gaze from the face of Mani who completely believed in him.

“Yeah, they’re not bad guys.”

I probably spoke well, thought Yanku. Minth looked sad, lowering his eyes with an apologetic expression.

“The Indulging God Cult are not bad guys. They’re good guys.”

This was the first time that Yanku had ever lied to Mani. He didn’t know whether doing so was the right thing or not. And he would probably never know for the rest of his life.

And thus Yanku gave up on avenging Noloty. He gave up on fighting and of not telling any lies.

It was probably much too frustrating for a teenager. And he also had to carry the fate of overcoming that frustration.

Present – December 28, 1926

Having finished all of his work, Mattalast was drinking. The party was still ongoing, and the real fun was about to begin.

“Sorry for coming late, Mattalast-san.”

While he was making cocktails at the bar counter, Yuri came to talk to him. Yukizona was also behind her. He didn’t see them but they apparently have finally arrived at the party.

“What’s wrong, you made us worry.”

Yukizona answered sullenly.

“I started coughing before we came here, so Yuri was horrified. I said I don’t mind, but she wanted to have my illness checked.”

“We just had to, big brother.”

Yuri smiled. Yukizona had a disappointed face under his mask.

“…You have been too overprotective recently.”

“Not at all. Your body is important, big brother.”

“I know that.”

“Oh well, just take care of yourself.”

I don’t feel like taking part in this sibling flirting. Matt shook his hand to drive them away.

The two of them quickly took a glass and started enjoying good wine.

“Heey, Rizzly.”

Mattalast called the kitchen.

“Yes, what is it?”

“The kitchen should be calm by now. Let the trainees eat some good food as well.”

“Huh? I want to bully them some more.”

“Rejected. Their work is over.”

Rizzly returned to the kitchen disappointed. Apron-wearing trainees came out and joined the clamor around.

“…”

Coming out last, Yanku looked at Mattalast with a somewhat meaningful look. He soon averted his gaze.

“Well, I’ll leave him alone.”

Although he had agreed to join the Cult, sorting out his mind would probably be difficult. He just had to leave him alone for now. It was impossible that he would leak the secret and rebel against the Armed Librarians this late into the game. He was determined to protect Mani, after all.

His probation was absolved yesterday and he officially became a trainee. In the future he will also aim to become an Armed Librarian and lead the people of his village. Simply put, nothing inside him had changed at all.

Then why did they even need that fight in order to reach just that? It might have been enough for him to speak out his heart properly.

I’ll let him have time to reflect on his bad plans.

The second rebel, Olivia Littolet, was conversing normally. The women seemed to be rating the men around them this time.

There was also no need to think about the chances of her rebelling. He was certainly anxious at her having an ability that could counter the power of Argax, but she had been impressed with fake memories about Vend Ruga. She will not bother going to the trouble of digging up her true memories.

Kyasariro had erased her own memories. There was no need to worry beyond Yanku and Olivia.

“But really, it was tough.”

Mattalast muttered while pouring himself a cocktail from the shaker.

Killing traitors and erasing the secret was simple. However, he threw that idea away as a poor plan. Mattalast only thought of nipping the buds of rebellion without killing anyone.

When he kills people, resentment would be born. If he had killed Olivia it would have been Kyasariro and if he had killed Yanku it would have been Mani. They would start bearing grudges against the Armed Librarians, and a fight would soon be born. That fight would also breed more hatred and continue the chain.

If possible Mattalast wouldn’t kill people. He would avoid bad deeds as much as possible. He would not incur the grudge of other people as much as he could. That was the trick to let a villain like him live forever.

Mattalast tilted his glass while thinking of this.

“…I’ve done a good job.”

Cocktail-making was one of his hobbies. He was confident that he was as skilled as a pro.

“Truly a work well done.”

Mattalast muttered again.

Almost all of the people – the many Armed Librarians in the hall as well as other people – believed that the Indulging God Cult had been destroyed and that peace had been protected. The few others were lying about the world having peace.

Obviously, those who protect a false peace would be liars.

And those who didn’t know that peace was false were also liars. Those who were unable to see through the lies, and fully believed everything to be true, were also some kind of liars.

“…Ha.”

For some reason, a small laugh escaped from Mattalast’s mouth. He hurriedly covered it.

Victory, peace and everything was all lies. There were those who did not know of that, and those who did and deceived the others. No matter where he looked around in the hall, there was not even a single, honest person.

The banquet of liars, the false peace. It was quite strange, pleasant and ridiculous.

However, this was what Mattalast had protected over the last year. His duty was to safeguard this falsehood.

He kept laughing at this amusing state of affairs. He secretly sneered at both this worthless peace as well as his own worthless self.

He could never become the hero, but was also unable to be a villain from the bottom of his heart. The only thing Mattalast could do was ridicule himself.

Night was yet to pass. The fun was not yet over. The false peace kept going under Mattalast’s protection.