Tatakau Shisho

Volume 8, Chapter 4: The End of the Liars – Part?3

Officially it was announced thusly: Photona Bardgamon abandoned his ways of fighting and desired to become an ordinary person. He himself drank the water of Argax, forgetting both that he was an Armed Librarian as well as a warrior.

He would spend the rest of his life under Hamyuts’s protection as an ordinary person that nobody knew. Respecting his will, it was henceforth forbidden for Armed Librarians to contact him.

At present, the man that used to be Photona moved back to his native country of Meliot and lived as a mail delivery man. He also got married and brought kids. Not knowing that he had enough money to buy a castle, he was racking his brains over his children’s tuition.

Ever after this, Mattalast conducted his job perfectly.

The fight against the Indulging God Cult; Mirepoc’s search for Lascall Othello; cleaning up after Kachua; the capture of Olivia Littolet and erasure of her memories. He applied both extreme caution and wisdom as to not let the truth leak to the Armed Librarians, as to not let the secret of Ruruta be revealed.

Mattalast always acted capably. Despite knowing that his work was trifling, he did it with no ifs or buts.

All in order to conceal the truth about Ruruta and bring him Books of happiness.

And, on the final day of the Armed Librarians, Mattalast was running. Now in order to fight Ruruta.

Everything from his life until now was attacking him. He seemed about to be crushed by his intense regret and self-hatred.

‘You’re an idiot.’

A voice sounded in his mind. It was neither Mirepoc’s nor Ruruta’s Thought Sharing; it was Mattalast’s very own voice. The voice of him from when he once wanted to fight Ruruta.

‘What were those things that you had to do? Who was the opponent you had to fight against? You defeated Photona, deceived Mirepoc, let Volken die, tricked Olivia, and what did you gain in return?

You probably once thought of fighting Ruruta. Then why didn’t you do anything?’

The voice kept resounding inside his head.

‘You’ve fought against your allies and served your enemies. Is there any bigger idiot than you in the whole world?’

He had no answer for the voice inside his heart.

‘Just say how you really feel. You were scared of fighting Ruruta. You were scared of losing. All because you’re in fact the biggest coward.’

“…”

‘You probably thought of yourself as a great warrior. You probably thought that you combined power and brains. It was all a lie. You’ve deceived not only others but also yourself, you good-for-nothing liar.’

“Yeah, I’m an idiot.”

Mattalast answered himself.

‘You understand, right? The world wouldn’t have been destroyed had you fought and won. You destroyed it. Because of you the world will be destroyed.’

No, it’s not my fault. He couldn’t put these words out of his mouth. It might not have been only Mattalast’s fault.

But after all it was his fault.

The regret that even death would not compensate for seemed about to rip Mattalast’s body to shreds. He was able to push aside the Power of Tearless Ending only due to that regret.

He thought while running. Is there no way? Even the possibility of a billion to one is fine. Is there no way to stop Ruruta?

He then thought of it.

‘Such a stupid man. Why would you cling to that so late into the game?’

He heard the voice in his mind.

“I have to ask Hamyuts. About the Violet Sinner and the Violet Wish…”

‘You’re the worst… she is the Violet Sinner whom the Armed Librarians killed and you sealed. And yet this is the final straw you cling to?’

Mattalast was ridiculing himself inside his head. It was natural. Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at someone as bad as him.

Hamyuts was outside the Labyrinth. She should still be alive. If I hear the Violet Wish from her, perhaps there’s a chance.

‘It’s useless. Since she’s dead, defeating Ruruta is definitely impossible.’

He recalled Hamyuts’s words. However, he had no choice but to cling to that impossibility.

As he approached the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth, Mattalast’s feet stopped.

“…Dammit.”

Mattalast spat out. He could feel a dreadful pressure coming from ahead. Ruruta had noticed his awakening. He stopped his feet heading for the surface and ambushed him.

‘Mattalast. So you can still move?’

He heard a voice echo.

“Unfortunately, I can’t afford to sleep.”

‘So you’ve resisted the Power of Tearless Ending. Seems like your despair is quite deep.’

Mattalast tried moving his hand to ready his guns. But once again it froze. It was a powerful restraining ability, different from Ireia’s power to stop time.

He couldn’t move even a finger. He was so pathetic he wanted to cry. How the hell was he a matchless genius? In front of the enemy he had to fight the most he couldn’t fire even a single bullet.

“Kill me, Ruruta. What’s your purpose?”

‘How sad. I want to release you from that despair.’

“What kind of pity you show me so late into the game!”

Ruruta then sent him his thoughts. They were mixed with sorrow.

‘Mattalast. I think of at least letting people of the world die in peace. That’s why I immediately used the Power of Tearless Ending without killing anyone.

That is my atonement.’

“If you want to atone, why are you even killing us!”

‘It’s been decided.’

“Don’t kill us! Please, I beg you!”

I’m just the worst, thought Mattalast. In the end I even tried crying and begging.

“No matter what you think, everyone’s living in this world! Everyone wants to live! Don’t kill us, please, for mercy’s sake, I beg you!”

Mattalast truly cried.

‘I realize that. Even I feel sorry. But I just have to atone.’

“Why?! What are you atoning for? No one told you to atone for anything!”

‘The sin I need to atone for is the birth of you people.’

“…But why?”

‘This world is hell. People can’t get what they want. Because they can’t they hate, rob, and hurt each other.

I have been watching this hell all along.’

“No, this world’s no hell.”

‘Can you say that in front of Hyoue Janfus?’

Who’s that? Thought Mattalast.

‘You probably don’t know him. He’s a boy who was caught by Kachua, made to be a human bomb, and perished pitifully. And it’s not just him. There are plenty other people like him who have lived in hell. All of them fought, were hurt, and died.’

“…But this world also has happy people. We have offered you their Books.”

‘There’s no need for that anymore.’

Ruruta pronounced ruthlessly.

‘I have kept this hell going for my own purposes. I believed that even this hell might contain the perfect happiness and so didn’t destroy the world.

I should have done that long ago, though. Because I didn’t, everyone hurt and suffered.’

“No!”

‘I’m sorry. I have committed two sins. Letting you live, and killing you.’

That’s no good, thought Mattalast. That’s not a human way of thinking. He couldn’t agree at all.

‘So Mattalast, at least sleep in peace. Don’t add the sin of me hurting you.’

“I refuse. I won’t die in peace or whatever.”

‘Then what do you desire?’

Mattalast shouted in despair.

“At least… at least, let me die while suffering! Please let me atone for my sins!”

‘…A human through and through.’

Ruruta sent his sad thoughts. Along with these words Mattalast’s body twisted. Starting from his spine and to his hipbones, then even the tips of his toes were destroyed.

No scream resounded; his lungs were also destroyed in an instant. His fingers were severed. His inner organs withered one by one.

‘Humans are beyond help. As well as you, Mattalast Ballory.’

At the next moment, Mattalast’s body recovered. It was an ability far surpassing Enlike’s super regeneration. And he was able to use it on other people… was Ruruta’s power that strong?

‘Shall we continue?’

Along with Ruruta’s words Mattalast was again destroyed. His clothes were entirely dyed by blood and pieces of entrails and feces scattered around.

It wasn’t torture but a death penalty. This was repeated on Mattalast tens of times. He had already lost consciousness long ago. Ruruta absolved his restraints.

‘Can you still hear me, Mattalast? There’s something I must tell you.”

He couldn’t hear with his ears, but the thoughts barely reached him.

‘I greatly appreciate your work.

If the truth became known to people of the world, it would’ve invited chaos. People would’ve challenged me in vain, piling their losses. They would’ve despaired in front of the unbeatable enemy.

You have protected the world’s people in your own way. You have concealed the truth of despair with a gentle lie.’

At some point, Ruruta was standing near the unconscious Mattalast.

“…Farewell, Mattalast, you kind-hearted villain.”

Ruruta spoke with his own mouth. He then placed his hand on Mattalast’s head. He activated the Power of Tearless Ending once again. This time Mattalast’s consciousness completely fell into darkness.

Ruruta raised his head and muttered.

“I have thought destroying the world would be simple, but there are unexpectedly plenty of other things to do. Even the Armed Librarians have not yet abandoned their will to live.”

Then, he joined his two hands together. A small light was created between them.

In the Sixth Sealed Archive, Mirepoc was talking towards her comrades.

“…I can’t connect to either Yukizona-san or Mattalast-san. They are probably already…”

“…”

No reply came.

They lost Yukizona, Mattalast collapsed, and Hamyuts abandoned them. There was no longer anyone to lead the Armed Librarians gathered at the Sixth Sealed Archive.

They just stood still, having no idea what to do.

“…Will the world really be destroyed?”

Gamo mumbled. Neither Mirepoc nor the other Armed Librarians could feel any of this was real. It felt as if they were just inside some incomprehensible dream. Apparently someone who possessed the power to destroy the world was coming from below. However, since they had never seen him, they would obviously be unable to feel the threat.

“What should we do?”

Mirepoc said, her face downcast.

“…Ahahahaha!”

A sudden laughter resounded. It came from Luik.

“It’s no use, thinking of difficult stuff makes me sleepy. It doesn’t fit my personality at all.”

Saying so and wielding his great spear, he walked towards the Sealed Labyrinth filled with Guardian Beasts.

“Where are you going?!”

“You can tell by looking.”

Luik turned around and said while laughing. While he seemed desperate he also seemed refreshed.

“I’m a piece of junk who can do nothing but fight. Whether the world is destroyed or I’m fired, it changes nothing.”

“…Luik-san.”

Unable to think of any words to stop him, Mirepoc took a step forward. It was then that Gamo spoke.

“Listen, everyone. You too, Luik. I’m the one Yukizona left in charge. I’m still your commander.”

Everyone looked at Gamo.

“The Director said that everything’s useless and we can do whatever we want to. So let’s do just that.

Those who want to go back or escape, get out of here at once.”

No one moved.

“Is there anyone who would like to kill if there’s no law? If so, do whatever you’d like without hesitating. The Director authorized it.”

“Yes!”

Rizzly raised his hand.

“I want to kill the Director though, so what should I do?”

Laughter and applause rose among the Armed Librarians.

“Now that’s a great idea!”

“Well said Rizzly!”

Mirepoc also laughed without thinking. It was perhaps the first time she had laughed so frankly. It was a laugh born at the worst possible situation.

“I’ve always wanted to kick her ass off once. This is a good chance.”

“I’ve done it. Obviously she turned the tables over me though!”

Everyone clapped their hands while roaring with laughter.

“What will you do Gamo? Do you really accept this?”

Marfa said to Gamo.

“I wonder.”

Gamo thought and raised his hand to another direction. This time it was Tena. She was seriously injured, but got back to the line of battle.

“Umm, there’s another person I’d like to kill.”

“…I see.”

The laughter stopped and everyone started thinking.

“Right, if that piece of shit Hamyuts returns alive it’s good enough!”

Gamo said.

“Obviously.”

Luik said.

Then, despite no one ordering them, all Armed Librarians formed a line. Those who excelled at Bodily Reinforcement turned to the front line and served as a wall. Those who had great destructive power came to the back. After them lined up those like Mirepoc who were support types.

“…Even if she tells us to do what we’d like, this is what we end up doing.”

Gamo, who went to the same line as Mirepoc, muttered.

“Right, Mirepo. I don’t really get the truth about Bantorra Library, and I don’t care about Ruruta at all. In the end, all of us are idiots who can’t do anything but fight.”

Mirepoc then answered, weirdly sounding like she was having fun.

“Do you know how these idiots who can’t do anything but fight are called?”

“You don’t know them Mirepo? They’re called the Armed Librarians.”

Luik raised a war cry. Rizzly shot a shockwave ahead. They started forcing the Beasts of the Final Chapter that remained behind the Barrier into the depths of the Labyrinth.

“Don’t stall!”

Gamo shouted.

“Who the hell’s stalling!”

The answer came from the front row.

Strangely at that time the Armed Librarians’ faces were bright. The organization they belonged to had already been destroyed. And of course they had no chances of victory. So what was so enjoyable about it?

“Push them back! Until the hall of the Fifth Labyrinth!”

“Roger that!”

At that moment the Armed Librarians fought in order to fight. Both for their pride and for their lives as Armed Librarians.

Perhaps they were laughing because this was the first time they experienced something like this since they were born. For the first time the Armed Librarians only fought for themselves.

Observing the situation with her Sensory Threads, Hamyuts then muttered.

“How unexpected.”

She said with a somewhat lonely voice. Maybe I should go participate while we’re at it, she thought. She felt the same like someone locking himself inside his desolate room on the day of a festival.

She thought that if she informed them of the history of the Armed Librarians and the fact that the world was about to be destroyed they’d lose their will to fight. That was her aim.

“You should’ve just given up… no matter what you’d do it’s useless, after all.”

She explored the Labyrinth with her Sensory Threads. The movements of Ruruta, who was at the Fifth Labyrinth, were transmitted to her.

“…Ruruta’s also quite insensitive. Since it seems like everyone’s having fun wouldn’t it be fine to let it keep going?”

Saying this, she gulped down her coffee.

Inside the Labyrinth, Ruruta created a ball of light inside his hands. A white, shining thread was emitted from it. Releasing the ball of light from his hands, it slowly began rising upward.

“You were far stronger than I thought. O Armed Librarians. You were a good organization.”

The ball of light passed through the ceiling and headed to the Sixth Labyrinth.

“And so it is sad. You, who can rely on nothing but power…”

Ruruta began to walk again.

Amazingly the Armed Librarians managed to push the Beasts of the Final Chapter back. They retreated back to the entrance of the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth before the Barrier.

Even after a minute, they only charged ahead without thinking of anything. It was all so they could preserve their dominance. However, someone intervened in that moment. A ball of light suddenly appeared from somewhere.

“What?!”

The Armed Librarians raised a voice of astonishment. It didn’t seem to be the power of the Beasts of the Final Chapter. It’s someone’s Magic, thought Mirepoc.

But whose? It had to be Ruruta Coozancoona’s.

“Attack that ball!”

Mirepoc shouted. Slashing attacks and bullets all hit it at once. However, they all passed through as if it had no substance.

“What?!”

Shouted an Armed Librarian who struck with their sword. A thin thread was wrapped around his body.

The thread was viscous like rubber. It was softly flexible and didn’t seem to possess any offensive abilities.

“I’ll untangle this in no time…”

It wrapped itself around several Armed Librarians. It couldn’t be shaken off or cut. It didn’t become impossible to move, but their movements were restricted.

They didn’t think this ability was a big deal, but at their current situation it was a decisive blow. At the last minute the Armed Librarians who were opposed by the Beasts of the Final Chapter were pushed back all at once.

Ruruta muttered.

“Don’t kill them, Beasts.”

And he raised his fingers. He swung them around as if he was the conductor of an orchestra.

“…Sing.”

The Beasts of the Final Chapter didn’t kill the Armed Librarians restrained by the thread. They bent over them and held them down.

“Cut the thread, someone!”

The frontline of Luik and the rest was broken through and the support unit at the rear has also collapsed.

Mirepoc exchanged desperate blows with a Blade-Haired Lion. However, the thread restraining her legs entangled her and she collapsed. She was held down from both shoulders and became unable to move.

Just as she thought she was going to be killed… she heard a voice.

Was that a song? Or just music? Perhaps it was just a mysterious wave different from these two.

Something beautiful passed in her ears, through her skin, and spread inside her whole body.

Her fear of dying as well as her anger at defeat began to disappear when she heard that sound. The violent emotions vanished from her heart and were transformed into a sense of loneliness.

“…What… is this?”

Mirepoc muttered. She didn’t know of how Yukizona, Yuri and Mattalast have collapsed. She also didn’t know that this was the Power of Tearless Ending that had defeated them.

“What on earth… is this?”

Many thoughts surfaced to Mirepoc’s mind.

Her friends when she was a child; a person that she had never talked to, her first love; the days she had spent aiming to become a soldier; the memories of battle she spent as an Armed Librarian.

They should have all been important memories. However, they started becoming boring, inconsequential memories.

Her duty as an Armed Librarians… The pride in her heart… All of it was disappearing.

And then she understood.

“Everything’s going to end already, huh.”

Her sadness lasted for a while. Before long, her expression softened like that of an acquitted prisoner. Mirepoc closed her eyes and let go of her will to live.

The Power of Tearless Ending. Originally it had to be activated just like this with the song made by the Beasts of the Final Chapter. Only its original user Ruruta could make use of it by placing his hand over the head of the target.

All of the other Armed Librarians lost their wills to live just like her.

And finally, the Beasts of the Final Chapters broke through the Barrier and charged outside.

Yukizona’s duty, Mattalast’s regrets, the Armed Librarians’ pride… Everything was crushed and the Beasts of the Final Chapter dashed towards the surface.

The Beasts were singing. Inside the Sixth Labyrinth, in the ground level of Bantorra Library, and all over the premises. The Beasts of the Final Chapter kept singing.

That song was carried by the winds and covered the Library.

“What’s that song?”

The normal librarians who still remained in the Library shouted.

“Is it someone’s ability?”

Everyone blocked their ears. However, the song spread into their bodies from their skin. Just like the Armed Librarians, the normal librarians lost their wills to live.

Kyasariro also heard this sound as she cowered in fear at some corner of the Library. And she raised her tear-stained face and smiled.

“Finally… it’s finally over.”

She didn’t have to be scared anymore. She didn’t have to be afraid anymore. She didn’t have to run away. Kyasariro gladly received the Power of Tearless Ending.

Her eyes slowly closed. And her body fell atop the lawn.

The Guardian Beasts swept over the Library’s premises. All of them raised their heads to the heavens and sang the song of the final chapter loudly in a chorus.

The people of the town looking worriedly at the Library were frightened.

“What is that?!”

“I can still hear it even if I block my ears!”

People tried at the very least to run to a safe place. However, they soon understood it was meaningless. People sat down here and there around the streets. They all had a uniformly calm face and they all collapsed.

Not minding the Armed Librarians at all, Olivia Littolet was working in her tailor shop. She was being taught skills of ironing and repairing by her tailoring master. Olivia was earnestly practicing so she could open a second shop.

She stopped her hands when she heard a voice coming from outside.

“…Is that someone’s voice? Is someone singing?”

Thinking that it didn’t have anything to do with her, Olivia kept ironing. However, for some reason her hands stopped and she sat down on her chair.

“…I quit.”

Olivia turned off the iron.

“What’s that song? Everything seems to become meaningless.”

She felt as if she had once known something important. She felt as if she had attempted to accomplish something incredulous. However, it didn’t matter at all anymore.

She probably did her best. But it didn’t matter at all.

Olivia closed her eyes.

The Guardian Beasts kept singing. The voice echoed away from Past God Bantorra Island and past the ocean.

Inside a residence in the Ismo Republic, the President and the cabinet ministers held a meeting through the night. The president appealed for their departure from cooperation with the Armed Librarians. The other ministers were opposed to it.

The president held a grudge against Luik for hitting him during the time of the Deep Blue Curse Rebellion. The ministers were confused at the President switching over to an anti-Armed Librarians stance.

“…No, it’s fine.”

In the middle of the speech, the President suddenly sat down his chair.

“Let’s leave it be. It’s meaningless anyway.”

There was no one to oppose the President suddenly saying this. All of them realized that everything was meaningless.

At Toatt Mining Town, a single woman was baking bread in order to sell it. She was called Ia Mira. She remained at the bakery left by her deceased lover and continued the same work.

Ia had a certain worry: recently a certain mining engineer started hitting on her. He told her that he wanted to leave the town with her.

However, Ia had the daily routine of carrying flowers to the place where her lover and her friend who was a mysterious boy had died. She was attracted to the man, but didn’t want to interrupt this daily routine.

That worry suddenly disappeared.

“…Oh, right. It doesn’t matter at all.”

Ia turned off the oven, threw away the freshly baked bread and sat down.

Inside a certain farm at the Ismo Republic was the foundation of a large machine. The rocket of the second phase of the space program, meant to fly from Ismo to Past God Bantorra’s Island, was supposed to be completed.

A young man stood by the device. It was the young scholar who aimed for space, Kwane.

“Wanting to go to space… how stupid of me.”

Kwane sat down, holding his knees.

“Say, Pina-san. You probably think so as well, right?”

Next to him was his friend and sympathizer, the farmer’s daughter.

“Kwane, you’re not stupid. If you are, then I am as well.”

She sat down as well.

“Even though everything’s useless anyway.”

A man was riding a bicycle on the countryside of the Principality of Meliot. In his basket were bundles of letters and he slipped lightly through alleyways.

Five years ago, he had lost all of his memories and began living in that town. Since he had nothing to prove his identity with he was anxious. However, with the kind people of this town, as well as the cooperation of a certain woman, he was able to make his living there somehow.

Now he was married and his child was almost two years old.

“Keiz-san, this is from your son.”

The addressee seemed to be absent. The man tucked the letter inside the door and returned to his bicycle.

It was strange, but he didn’t feel as if he had to retrieve his memories. He had the feeling that his past was painful and hard.

He had been released. If so, this was where he belonged.

“…Hmm?”

He could hear something. And he recalled something. However, he couldn’t understand it.

A few seconds later, the man stopped the bicycle and got down on the ground.

He was the former Acting Director. Now, the man who was once called Photona Bardgamon slowly lost his will to live.

A certain island in the southern frontier.

Yanku was there after taking a vacation. Since they needed manpower for digging wells he was asked to return there as a favor.

With assistance from the Armed Librarians the migration to the island was somehow progressing. However, they still needed money to live. Until then he thought that he should continue to be a trainee.

“Say, big brother Yanku.”

“Yes, Mani?”

A voice came from above. Up there was his sister Mani. She was a True Man of the New Indulging God Cult.

“We should stop it already.”

“Huh?”

He thought for a while about the meaning of those words. He couldn’t understand why, but he was able to understand them.

“Yeah, let’s stop.”

He didn’t have to aim for Mani’s happiness anymore. He also didn’t have to think of anyone’s happiness. It felt the same as lowering a great burden he was carrying on his back. Yanku sank down to the depths of the well.

The headquarters of the Indulging God Cult at Ismo.

The Overseer of Paradise Minth was scratching his head in front of his desk. In front of him were the mysterious words engraved on the desk. His subordinate Laty had no idea who left them or their meaning.

“Is it my fault, was my way of thinking wrong?!”

Laty stared at him in shock.

“Please calm down, Overseer of Paradise. What happened?”

Minth shouted back at her.

“It’s already over. I’m not the Overseer of Paradise anymore!”

“What do you…”

Minth then cried, wailed, and writhed. But before long, he calmed down and collapsed on the couch.

Thank god, he’s finally calmed down, thought Laty. However, she soon stopped caring about that and collapsed to the couch the same way.

At that time… January 12, 1927, 11:19 in Past God Bantorra Island’s time.

All stories that spread around the world have ended. Both comedies and tragedies, both the grand and the trivial.

All of the stories engraved by people reached their end at the same time.

Just like that, the world has ended.