396 Death Mage V13 Side Chapter 56

Side Chapter 56
A battlefield plunged into chaos


Vandalieu's soul descended into the world of Origin. He believed that it wouldn't be a big problem since there were no people around to witness it.

In fact, since it was inside the headquarters, it wasn’t much of a problem.

"What is this!? This spine-chilling, eerie sign!"

"What is this!? This warm, comforting sign as if someone is watching over me..."

“ "Huh!?" ”

The members of the ‘Bravers’ were inside Rokudou's headquarters, so they didn't directly see what just happened. However, they sensed the overwhelming and incomparable amount of mana emanating from Vandalieu and realized that something unusual had occurred.

Their reactions varied depending on whether or not they were guided by Vandalieu, such as Derrick and Joseph.

"Anyway, let's keep moving! We have to stop Rokudou and the others, no matter what!"

However, Amemiya and the others still had the same task at hand. Therefore, they were able to resume their actions promptly.

On the other hand, Rokudou and his group, who were preparing to intercept Amemiya and the others, had their plans dashed by the sudden appearance of an abominable being.

"What the hell is that!?"

The sight of the distorted figure on the monitor was so shocking that it shattered Rokudou's arrogance that had been born from thinking he had reached the level of a god.

"No sensor readings! It is neither a substance nor a living being! It has materialized... it is something unexplainable!"

"What has materialized?! Is it mana, ghosts, or spirits? Or is it something created with magic?"

"The exact number cannot be recorded due to the damaged mana sensor… but that strange creature is emitting death-attribute mana."

Moriya and the others were bewildered by the appearance of the new deformity, but Rokudou managed to piece together the puzzle from the report.

"The creature suppresses my own death-attribute magic with its own death-Attribute magic... That can’t be done by anyone other than him. That strange creature is the 'Undead'! It’s Amamiya Hiroto!"

"What!? But he should be dead!"

"That's right. However, he transformed into an undead after his death. We assumed that his corpse was destroyed and had disappeared... but it seems that he remained in some form. Or perhaps, he returned from the afterlife."

"No way… so that hideous monster was a human just like us... But why did he appear at this moment and get in our way? He has no reason to protect the Northern Europe Federation and the Republic of China, let alone the people of this world!"

Moriya understood that Rokudou's conjecture was likely correct. It was much more reasonable to believe  rather than an unknown monster with death-attribute mana had appeared out of nowhere without any context.

However, they didn't understand Amamiya Hiroto's (Vandalieu's) intentions. It seemed likely that he had appeared to protect the world from Rokudou, rather than to seek revenge against those who killed him. Yet, his motives remained unclear.

"And 'The 8th Guidance' that he helped... Could it be... that monster following Amemiya Mei? That is also Amamiya Hiroto!?"

"That's right, Moriya. It was with Amemiya's daughter... Yes, the true identity of that monster is Amamiya Hiroto. And I guess Amemiya Mei is probably unconsciously controlling him using death-attribute magic. It seems to be some type of technique that summons the spirit of the dead. Hmph, it's ridiculous that the puppet of the daughter of the couple who delivered the final blow to would be the one to strike the final blow to myself," Rokudou sneered.

Chuckling to recover from the shock, Rokudou turned his attention back to those who had chosen to stand with him.

"Then, I will bestow upon all of you the full extent of my enhancement magic. Together, we will eliminate the Amemiya parents and children who stand in our way!"





And so, the impact within Rokudou's headquarters resulted in only a few seconds delay in Amemiya's actions and a few minutes delay in Rokudou's preparations for a counterattack.

However, Vandalieu, who had been confined for approximately twenty years in Origin and has reincarnated and been living for more than ten years in Lambda, had forgotten something after not being exposed to scientific civilization for a long time. That is the existence of satellites.

On Origin, satellites also existed, and through them, advanced nations were able to capture the appearance of the strange being that appeared on the surface.

"Ah, it's the devil! The devil has appeared!"

"The Day of Judgment as written in the Bible… is it today!?"

"Wait, please! That might not necessarily be some occult entity! It could be a life form that came from outer space!"

The various countries forming the European Union were thrown into a state of panic upon witnessing the descent and materialization of Vandalieu's soul.

“I don’t care what the true nature of that monster is! The problem is what it will do and what we can do against it!"

Within the chaos happening in the European Union, some individuals attempted to calm their colleagues and bring them back to their senses. However, even the representatives of the Union and leaders of the more developed nations had disappeared, and the functionality of those nations had been paralyzed.

Furthermore, since Vandalieu's soul appeared far from their own territories, along the border between two major powers, specific actions were not taken.

However, there were some countries that responded in an outrageous manner.

"That is God! It is the very image of God we have seen in our dreams!"

Sergei, who had become the President of the United States through a coup d'état, cried out with joy upon seeing Vandalieu's soul on the monitor. He had seen Vandalieu's giant soul playing with Mei in his dreams.

"Oh, what a godlike figure..."

"That was not a dream. Yes, it was not a dream!"

And the supporters that Sergei brought with him - secret believers of The 8th Guidance, also burst into tears of joy.

"What... what is that...!?"

"Oh, dear God...!"

The other ordinary people, shocked by the sight of Vandalieu's grotesque soul, were at loss for words and instinctively turned to their own faith, offering prayers to their own gods. The faint-hearted individuals fell into silence or fainted.

"Ha, hahahaha! We have detected death-attribute mana from the target! The value, the numerical value! It's immeasurable! Our country's technology cannot measure over 9.9 billion units of mana!"

"The size... is 300 meters in height, and 1 kilometer in diameter!? Ah, ahahaha!"

The operators, who had managed to accurately measure Vandalieu's soul's mana and size to a certain extent, broke into hysterical laughter as if they had lost their minds.

"Over 9.9 billion units of mana... There’s nothing humans can do in front of such an existence!"

The man appointed as the head of the investigative agency by Sergei burst into tears, believing that this monstrous creature would bring about the destruction of the world.

"...Gentlemen, prepare for a press conference. We will announce this to the people."

Sergei's words brought the operators and the head of the investigative agency back to reality.

"I must announce to the public the inauguration of my presidency, and that God has descended! I will make this divine appearance known!"

In retrospect, it seems Vandalieu should have told Sergei and the others that he didn’t want to stand out too much during their previous encounter in the dream.





And there were countries that made common sense decisions, both as nations and as individuals. The Republic of China and the Northern Europe Federation, whose main governing branch was destroyed and the state of many of the people that played a central role in their governance were unknown, were nations among them.

While these two countries were unable to properly function as a result, their local governments remained operational. In response, they immediately dispatched a reconnaissance aircraft and several fighter jets to confront the monster that suddenly appeared on their borders.

No matter how you look at it, Vandalieu's monstrous form did not appear friendly in any way. Moreover, beneath him lay Rokudou's research facility, which was considered a national secret for these two countries.

With communication lost with the representatives who should have been at that headquarters, and a large-scale explosion occurring in the capital, it was only natural to investigate what had happened.

"We were able to detect the presence of death-attribute mana, but its magnitude is immeasurable!"

"The wavelength of the death-attribute mana measured from the explosion site in the capital does not match that of the monster. Its strength is extraordinary, and what's more... it's gradually growing!?"

"What does that mean!?"

"This monster is indeed growing, albeit slowly! It increases in size by about one meter in diameter every second!"

The crew of the reconnaissance aircraft described it as growth, but that wasn't the case. Vandalieu was simply being pushed from the inside as he continued to suppress Rokudou's vitality-draining death-attribute magic.

In principle, there was a significant gap in power between Vandalieu and Rokudou when it came to death-attribute magic. Rokudou was indeed a master of refined control, surpassing Vandalieu in terms of precision. However, in all other aspects, Vandalieu far surpassed him.

The mana that Rokudou boasted as "an immense amount" was nothing more than a tiny amount that couldn't even compare to a single shot of the current Vandalieu's ‘Death Cannon’.

If this were the world of Lambda, Vandalieu would have been able to easily disperse Rokudou's shockwave of death in an instant.

However, this was the world of Origin, where its laws of physics were completely different from Lambda’s, and Vandalieu was in an unstable condition where his soul had just been materialized through ‘Materialization’. Like Banda, he lacked a core, main body, and thus struggled to contain Rokudou's magic.

(I see. I've heard that gods require a tremendous amount of energy to interfere with the world, but if that condition is more demanding than this, it's not something that can be taken lightly. Ah, I'm glad I'm still human.)

While thinking such thoughts, he secretly urged for Amemiya and the others to defeat Rokudou as soon as possible.

However, the military personnel of the Republic of China and the Northern Europe Federation, who were unaware of the situation, made a grave error in judgment.

"That monster must have been created by the traitor Rokudou! He is the source of all evil! Attack!"

Attacking an unknown and hideous entity may seem shortsighted, but it is a decision that is not unreasonable for humans. However... in this case, it was a fatal mistake to mistake their own shield for the enemy.

Fighter jets that had been relieved of its mission to escort the reconnaissance aircraft fired missiles towards Vandalieu's soul.

"Oya?"

Though Vandalieu was aware of the presence of the jets flying around him, he never expected to be attacked. Surprised, he set up an ‘Impact-Negating Barrier’ and absorbed the energy of the missiles, rendering them harmless.

The use of ‘Impact-Negating Barrier’ itself posed no issues since Vandalieu had used it even when he was the 'Undead' in this world.

"Ohh?"

However, due to the barrier being deployed, the unrestrained shockwave of death pushed from the inside, causing a part of the dome-shaped soul to swell and distort.

"The target has transformed!"

"Is it planning a counterattack!? Requesting permission to attack again!"

The fighter jets, interpreting it as a hostile response, prepared to launch another missile attack.

"Hmm... So troublesome."

For Vandalieu, the missiles launched by them were not a threat in the condition he was in. If he had a physical body, he would only suffer very minor burns even if hit directly. It was a much, much weaker attack than being struck by the fist of the Lightning Titan Brateo.

However, in his current state of being a “materliazed” soul spread out in a dome shape, it was not desirable to be hit directly. If he were to be struck, the impact would cause a hole to be opened, causing the contained shockwave of death to leak out.

In other words, for those carrying out the missile attack and the nations that dispatched them, this attack was a threat.

"What shall I do?"

Vandalieu repelled the second missile attack with a barrier, distorting his form once again, and pondered.

Fighter jets were troublesome. They were at a distance far away and moved swiftly at high speeds. In contrast, he couldn't move from this spot.

If Banda were free, he could simply have him come down and take care of them, but Banda was busy. There weren't enough general-purpose Transformation Equipment available for all the victims. He needed to bring them to a safe zone, but such a safe zone didn't exist within Rokudou's headquarters.

And now, a safe zone was also nonexistent outside the facility, as in the current situation where they were under missile attacks from the fighter jets, it was uncertain when stray projectiles might hit the victims.

...Should he release the shockwave of death towards the fighter jets and the countries that dispatched them? If the potential enemies were eliminated, safety could be ensured for the time being. Such thoughts crossed his mind.

"If they could dispatch fighter jets this quickly and launch attacks, it must be either the Northern Europe Federation or the Republic of China. If I create openings only towards those directions and let the shockwave escape, the damage will be limited. And I can secure a safe zone for the victims to evacuate to, while reducing my burden."

As he thought about it, he felt that it wasn't a bad idea.

Protecting the people of Origin in this way was Vandalieu's own selfishness. It wasn't because he was asked to do so. Therefore, he didn't particularly think or feel anything in particular about being attacked by them.

However, it only dampened his desire to continue protecting such people.

In the first place, attacking Vandalieu with missiles meant attacking Rokudou's headquarters within him. It showed a complete disregard for the safety of the Mei and the others within the facility.

In other words, for Vandalieu, these fighter jets and the nations that sent them were enemies. Even if the ordinary citizens of these nations knew nothing about it.

"All right, let's eliminate them before Rokudou," he decided.

He tried to make holes by adjusting himself so that the shockwaves would be emitted only in the airspace where the fighter jets were located.

"Wait～!"

Voices of restraint came from within Vandalieu, trying to stop him.

"Who might you be?"

"Oh Great Being! We are the spirits of the presidents of nations who were killed by Rokudou!"

They were the spirits of those who had been killed by Rokudou. They had rushed to Vandalieu to stop him.

"The more living beings Rokudou kills, the more energy he absorbs and the more mana he accumulates!"

"So, it is not advisable to use his magic to kill a large number of humans!"

"That's why, if you want to kill a large number of humans, please use us!"

In the minds of the spirits of the former president of the United States, there was no thought of protecting innocent people or anything of the sort. All that remained in them was the insanity of doing whatever it took to be useful to the Mei and Vandalieu.

"I see. Indeed, letting Rokudou gain more power would be foolish. But even if I were to use you... Ah, I have just the thing. For the time being, let’s shoot down some fighter jets, shall we?"

While saying that, he poured about ten thousand mana into the unexploded missile and infused in them the spirits of the presidents.

"Leave it to me, God!"

Infused with the malevolent spirits, the missiles transformed into Cursed Missiles and charged towards the fighter jets.

"What's happening? We are being locked on?! Are the fighter jets of the Northern Europe Federation targeting us!?"

"We've been locked on! Could it be from the Republic of China… No, wait! It's the missile we fired! The missile is coming back!?"

The pilots of the fighter jets, who never expected the missiles to transform into undead and come back at them, panicked and took evasive maneuvers while deploying decoys and trying to escape.

"Running away is futile!"

"We won't be swayed by such things!"

However, the spirits within the missiles sensed the life readings of the pilots and continued their pursuit without being deceived by evasive maneuvers or decoys. They successfully hit their targets, causing the fighter jets to explode.

Vandalieu couldn't distinguish between fighter jets and the reconnaissance aircrafts, but the presidents, on the other hand, could, so the reconnaissance aircrafts dispatched by both nations remained.

"Contact HQ! The enemy is using the missiles we fired against us in some way! Cease further attacks! Cease the attacks!"

While reporting this, they hastily evacuated.

"Now, let’s ask Hiroshi to help us in creating a safe zone. That way, both the other me and Hiroshi will be able to freely move."





Without realizing what was happening in the sky, Rokudou and Amemiya finally faced each other, accompanied by their respective allies.

"You've certainly changed, Rokudou."

"Are you referring to my appearance, or the fact that I betrayed you?"

His facial features remained the same, but now, his figure was taller, with pale skin and no body hair, emitting an unnatural aura.

If someone were to say that he was an intricately crafted doll, one might believe it. That's how he appeared.

"Of course, I'm referring to your appearance and your mana. As for the betrayal... It seems like it has been going on for a long time, hasn't it? But when did it start? Was it after the incident at that facility, or were you planning to betray us even before the ‘Bravers’ were formed?"

"In terms of intending to use you, it was before the formation. I planned to use you, Asagi, and Endou to control the organization. However, the decision to truly betray you, as you say, came when I discovered the existence of 'Undead'... Amamiya Hiroto and the death-attribute magic."

"I see... It seems I was not suited to be a leader as much as I thought."

"It's sad to hear you belittle yourself like that. It means that my skills were superior, you see. So, how about dancing in the palm of my hand once again, if you're willing?"

Derrick and Narumi looked surprised at Rokudou's sudden proposal. They didn't expect him to try to recruit Amemiya at this late stage.

"The situation has changed. Amamiya Hiroto, who has turned into an evil spirit, has appeared outside this facility. Unfortunately, he possesses more mana than I do… Perhaps he's being manipulated by your daughter, or maybe he's manipulating your daughter. If we leave things as they are, this world will become a death-filled world devoid of living beings due to Amamiya Hiroto. Even for you, who rejected the death-attribute, I’m sure you wouldn’t welcome him."

While remaining silent about the fact that he himself had tried to create a death-filled world, Rokudou made the proposition and asked Amemiya.

"What do you think? You as the symbol of the leader, and me as the behind-the-scenes operator. Returning to our original roles?"

In response, Amemiya laughed self-deprecatingly.

"It seems I was quite an idiot in your eyes, Rokudou. But I have no intention of accepting your offer. And as for Amamiya Hiroto creating a death-filled world? That's such an off-the-mark opinion that it could go down in history. It's absurd."

"...It seems you've chosen to be used by Amamiya Hiroto this time. You truly are a pure fool. There's no helping it. I'll just have to kill you both!"

As Rokudou shouted, malevolent mana emanated from his entire body. The sheer volume of mana, surpassing that of nearly one hundred million humans, caused Narumi and Derrick to waver.

"Hahaha! With that level of mana, you think you can kill him?"

"You're more suited to being a comedian than a researcher!"

Laughing without fear, Yuki Joro and Bokor launched an attack, reminding Amemiya of something.

"...Indeed, he's not as good as him."

"Well, if you were to ask me who's the real monster here, it would be Banda."

"Don't say that where he can hear you. He's the type of person who’s quite sensitive about it."

Joseph sprouted plant seeds, and Youdo guarded Nanamori, who played the role of healer. Following their lead, Derrick joined the duty of guarding as well, and Narumi coordinated their actions in real-time using ‘Angel’.

"I already know everything about your abilities!"

Created using his ability ‘Shaman’, Moriya unleashed artificial spirits upon Amemiya and the others. He sent a robust giant with a lower body made of raging flames towards Joseph, a giant wearing ice armor towards Yuki Joro, and a skeleton wielding a scythe, a sight unfamiliar to Amemiya and the others, towards Nanamori.

"Go, Ifrit, Ymir, and the death-attribute spirit created from Rokudou's mana, Charon!"

"Charon? Where's the ferryman in that?!"

Derrick repelled the scythe wielded by the fearsome skeleton, who swung it with such ferocity that made it seem more dangerous than a mere ferryman who only collected tolls and carried the dead across the river, using his fists enveloped in magic.

"What!?"

In that moment, the magic imbued in his fists was nullified.

"The spirits are also imbued with death-attribute magic. It's better for you to assume that magic will disappear if you were to touch them. The equipment seems to be fine though."

"Troublesome... It disregards not only the original version but also common sense!"

"Damn it! What kind of sturdy powered suit is this? To remain unscathed after touching Charon's scythe!"

Derrick groaned after realizing that he couldn't engage in hand-to-hand combat by increasing his physical ability using magic. Moriya, on the other hand, clicked his tongue at the high performance of the suits they were wearing.

The suits that they wore and their bodies underneath them remained intact even after receiving a powerful blow from Moriya’s combat artificial spirits that were further enhanced by Rokudou. This level of resilience was unbelievable to Moriya.

It would seem to be challenging to kill Nanamori, who played the role of a healer, with Charon alone. However...

"It's a misconception to think that plants are weak against fire."

Ifrit, who was supposed to easily incinerate the plants with his increased killing power, was struggling more than anticipated because Joseph was manipulating plants with high moisture content.

"You thought I couldn't fight?"

As for Ymir, who was targeting Yuki Joro, Bokor, who activated his cells and generated heat on his own, engaged in close combat.

"That's right! I'm an amateur when it comes to martial arts! But with this God-given equipment, I can buy us some time!"

...It looks like Ymir won’t lose, but it will take some time before she wins.

"Uooooh!"

"Gaaaah!"

The researchers who were beside Moriya sprinted towards Nanamori, screaming like beasts.

They were individuals who survived simply by being present and pledging loyalty to Rokudou, and were neither expected nor valued as engineers or researchers.

Enhanced by death-attribute magic, they were made into a disposable combat force, with their killing power enhanced, their pain receptors blocked, and their fear of death negated.

"You might be victims too, but I won't sympathize with you! There’s no time for that!"

However, they were ultimately a makeshift combat force. The gravity manipulated by Iwao of ‘Titan’ crushed them, and all of them collapsed before they could reach Nanamori.

"The ‘Bravers’ is already finished! Are you still going to resist!?"

"Why don’t you abandon Amemiya? It would’ve been wiser to join our side, don't you think!?"

Katou of ‘Knight’, who could manifest mana as armor, wore an invisible armor of space attribute, while Shizaki of ‘Issun-bōshi’, who could manipulate the size of any object, fired bullets that were made several times larger.

"It's not just the ‘Bravers’ that's coming to an end, is it? Besides, we can think about the future later!"

"It seems like you're the ones who are cornered!"

Both Youdo and Narumi retorted. Youdo handled Katou, while Narumi dodged the bullets that had grown to about one meter in diameter.

"Rokudou, it's over! You've become an enemy to the world!"

Amemiya simultaneously unleashed multiple magic spells with ‘Ignore Defense’.

"No, it's just the beginning!"

However, Rokudou easily repelled Amemiya’s magic, which should’ve been impossible to stop, with a barrier.

"What!?"

"Your ‘Ignore Defense’ is truly remarkable. But surely you know that it won’t be effective if used against offense rather than defense, right?"

It was like blocking a sword attack with another sword rather than using a shield for defense. However, what Amemiya unleashed were not swords but magic projectiles in the form of arrows or spheres at high speeds. Hitting such projectiles were as difficult to hit as shooting down bullets with bullets.

As a result, Amemiya had rarely encountered enemies who countered his attacks in that manner.

"That barrier... I see, it's a barrier that attacks my magic, and absorbs my mana."

"Yes, this is the power of death attribute."

For Amemiya's ‘Ignore Defense’, the barrier, which was a basic form of death-attribute magic, was the greatest threat. And in Origin, there were no materials that could nullify barriers like Demon King’s fragment or orichalcum.

"Now it's my turn! Fire of death, burst forth!"

Amemiya groaned as he evaded the surging pale-blue flames unleashed by Rokudou. Amemiya possessed a massive amount of mana compared to the average person, but he was no match for Rokudou in his current state.

If he were to set up a barrier and stop moving, he would be instantly crushed along with the barrier.

However, resorting to hand-to-hand combat was not a wise choice. Rokudou possessed the cheat ability of ‘Increased Learning Speed’, which meant his skills in hand-to-hand combat and knife techniques surpassed Amemiya's. Moreover, Rokudou was currently residing in a specially created body to master death-attribute magic. His physical abilities continued to grow beyond the limits of a human as a result of ‘Unlimited Development’.

"Fufu, in the end, you were a man that only relied on your abilities after all. I can see that clearly. Now, die!"

Rokudou read Amemiya’s movements and cornered him against a wall. He attempted to extinguish Amemiya's life by attacking a wide area with magic infused with millions of mana, leaving no room to avoid it.

It was a sign of Rokudou's wariness towards Amemiya, even though he was mocking him. It stemmed from his caution that he might not win if he had to face both Amemiya and Banda at the same time.

"Damn it!"

Amemiya realized Rokudou's aim, but it was too late. The wall was in the way of his escape.

However, reinforcements emerged from that very wall, saving Amemiya's life.

"Die, you fake hero!"

The pale-blue flames unleashed by Rokudou seemed to engulf Amemiya. In that instant, the wall shattered, and from the other side, a monster about three meters tall clad in metal… Hiroshi wearing a Transformation Equipment that emanated a metallic luster appeared.

"Uwaaaaah!"

"What?! H-Hiroshi!?"

"Don't you dare bully my father, you baldy! ‘Mana Bullet’!"

The defense power-focused Transformation Equipment specialized in defense power, which limited its use to death- attribute or no-attribute magic. As a result, Hiroshi, who couldn't use death-attribute magic, fired a no-attribute magic of ‘Mana Bullet’.

"Well, well, if it isn't Hiroshi-kun. It seems you're wearing quite the sturdy armor, but defense alone won't—what?!"

Moreover, despite the defense power-focused nature of Hiroshi's Transformation Equipment, it boasted exceptional performance as a magic medium that assisted in magic.

The defense power-focused Transformation Equipment, made with several hundred times more materials than in regular Transformation Equipment. Its performance as a magic medium is hundreds of times that of normal Transformation Equipment, and normal Transformation Equipment has more than double the performance that that of this world's magic medium. Therefore, the ‘Mana Bullet’ released by Hiroshi, who possessed Vandalieu's Divine Protection, was hundreds of times more powerful.

"Im… impossible!"

Rokudou was struck head-on by the massive giant of black mass, and although he quickly erected a barrier, he couldn't fully block it, and was sent flying by the impact and crashed into a wall.