395 Death Mage V13 Side Chapter 55

Side Chapter 55
The descent of a new God and the Demigod


On Earth, Rokudou Hijiri, if you were to divide humanity into two categories based on excellence or mediocrity, was categorized as one of the excellent humans.

He excelled in academics, sports, had many friends, and was relied upon as the class president. However, he did not consider himself as "exceptionally excellent." He evaluated himself as being "excellent among normal people."

In his early years, he strived to be the best. Whether it was academics, sports, or art and crafts, he aimed to be number one. And he was able to achieve that.

However, he gradually realized that it was only being the number one within a small society... within his grade in elementary school.

He realized that there were many people smarter than him, better at baseball or soccer than him, and the same went for art and crafts or anything else.

By the time he entered high school, he fully accepted this reality. He understood that life meant recognizing that he was not special and aiming to become a more excellent person within the realm of "normal."

Certainly, he knew there were ways to break free from the confines of "normal." One could pursue careers that ordinary people do not or are unable to attain.

Athletes, artists, doctors, police officers, self-defense force officers, politicians. If he entered such professions and became the top in their respective fields, then surely he would be considered special.

People working in such professions may say, "I'm no different from any other people." However, Rokudou believed otherwise. Because he wondered, what percentage of the entire human population consists of those who excel in these industries? Artists? Doctors? Police officers, self-defense force officers, politicians? If we consider them as part of the "normal" category, then the total number of individuals in these professions should exceed several tens of percent. If "normal" means being neither rare nor exceptional, then the city should be overflowing with famous athletes, globally renowned artists, doctors, police chiefs, chiefs of staff, and former ministers.

But Rokudou couldn't bring himself to aspire to those professions. He didn't believe he possessed the talent required, and his circumstances were not so favorable.

Even if he pursued them, the likelihood of achieving his goals was low. He wanted to be exceptional, not become a loser in life.

Therefore, Rokudou Hijiri, resigned himself to being ordinary. But he met an unexpected end when the ferry he was on during a school trip was hijacked by terrorists, blown up and sunk. And thus, a new life began for him, orchestrated by Rodcorte.

In a world similar to Earth called Origin, where magic exists and history has diverged such as the absence of World War 2, Rokudou was reborn with the cheat abilities of ‘Increased Learning Speed’ and ‘Unlimited Development’.

These two cheat abilities’ effects couldn't be objectively observed, but the more Rokudou learned, the more knowledge he accumulated, and his physical abilities continued to improve.

With these abilities, Rokudou Hijiri rejoiced, knowing that he could become exceptional in any field. However, he soon remembered that there were ninety-nine other reincarnators who possessed cheat abilities similar to him. It would be difficult for him to surpass reincarnators who shared the same cheat abilities and stand at the top in this world.

As he reunited with former friends and acquaintances from his previous life due to the influence of ‘destiny’ as mentioned by Rodcorte, such thoughts crossed his mind. However, when Amemiya Hiroto proposed the formation of the ‘Bravers’, Rokudou Hijiri took the initiative and cooperated without hesitation.

He believed that if he could unite the other reincarnators and understand their abilities, he might be able to surpass them with the power of ‘Unlimited Development’. Additionally, by taking on a commanding position in the organization, he could become a special human who commanded superhumans. That was his line of thinking.

He then formed the organization and recruited all the reincarnators, but he soon realized that the former attempt was impossible. This was because the cheat abilities given to the reincarnators were much more spectacular and unique than he had anticipated.

Those abilities were not something that couldn't be replicated through honing one’s physical abilities or developing skills. Even with extensive study of magic, reproducing their abilities was challenging. That's how extraordinary and distinct their abilities were.

Although Rokudou made tremendous efforts, the only thing he was able to achieve was being recognized as one of the top mages among the Bravers. However, every reincarnator had the potential to become an excellent mage. Amemiya Hiroto was the most prominent example.

Therefore, even with exceptional magic skills, he didn't gain widespread recognition with the general public. His exceptional techniques were not easily comprehensible to ordinary people. Only those with a certain level of expertise could appreciate them.

As a result, Rokudou shifted his focus towards leading the Bravers. Since he couldn't return to Rodcorte and obtain other cheat abilities, he had no choice but to do so. It was natural for Rokudou who didn't know about reincarnating into another world for the third time even after dying in Origin to think that way.

Yes, his goal was to exert control. Not for the purpose of betrayal, but to increase the organization's influence by accumulating achievements.

However, he came to learn about the existence of death-attribute magic.

Rokudou Hijiri became convinced that he could become extraordinary and special if he was able to use the death-attribute magic, a magic that could only be used by one person in the entire world, the ‘Undead’, who was later revealed to be a reincarnator as well.

And as Rokudou continued his research in secret, his conviction was proven to be correct. If he could master the death-attribute magic, he believed that he could not only become a special human being, he could even reach the realm of gods.

From that point on, the ‘Bravers’ ceased to be an organization that Rokudou belonged to, and instead became nothing more than a stepping stone for him to become special. He gathered pawns whom he could use when the time came to betray the ‘Bravers’, while eliminating those who were difficult to use or became obstacles.

His plans went incredibly smoothly, and Amemiya and the others didn’t suspect him one bit. He managed to crush and eliminate the likes of ‘Inspector’, ‘Oracle’, ‘Urðr’, ‘Gazer’, and ‘Clairvoyance’ whose cheat abilities could be used to potentially expose him. It turned out that Amemiya was nothing more than an ordinary human who had been given special abilities. He was of a different caliber than Rokudou, who was meant to become a god.

Everything seemed to be going so well for Rokudou. Perhaps that must’ve been where it went wrong. Just when he reached the stage where he was about to enter the realm of gods, he found himself in a dire situation.

It’s not that he didn’t think about unexpected troubles or unforeseen circumstances. In particular, something abnormal happened when using the experimental subject called ‘Metamorph’, codenamed ‘Black Maria’ as his shadow.

So, he devised a double and triple-layered strategy, planning meticulously and launching his operations with utmost preparation and precaution.

However, what awaited him was a nightmare in which an unidentified monster emerged at Amemiya's mansion, wreaking havoc throughout the world and crushing his plans.

Yes, it was a nightmare. It can only be described as an unreasonable and irrational situation where Rokudou's plans failed one after another. His premeditated plans, such as having insiders within the police force and monitoring means of transportation like airplanes and ships, turned out to be completely futile.

The monster then joined forces with the Bravers, and the same people he had betrayed appeared in what looked like costumes and launched an attack. When he received the report, he was so shocked that he felt like his head and eyes were playing tricks on him. The impact was overwhelming.

Not only that, it became clear that Amemiya and the others were equipped with powered suits made with super technology that far surpassed the cutting-edge technology Rokudou was familiar with. This realization further cornered him, as he faced adversaries armed with advanced technology that he couldn't match.

With the reincarnators equipped with such advanced technology and the relentless onslaught of the monster, Rokudou came to understand that he couldn't win against them simultaneously. Given this realization, he had only one course of action available to him. It wasn't retreat, surrender, or even suicide.

Rokudou believed that he had a high chance of success. While other people were not as fortunate and failed, ‘Metamorph’ succeeded. Using the data he obtained from experimenting on her, he was able to further fine-tune and enhance his abilities. But even if he succeeded, it was uncertain whether he would become a complete death-attribute mage. Nevertheless, Rokudou couldn't give up without trying.

Pulling the trigger, Rokudou felt a jolt of impact and his consciousness began to fade... and then he awakened.

(This was ... a success!)

Opening his eyes, through the cultivation fluid and the capsule, he saw the lump of meat that used to be himself, lying on the ground, blood flowing from its head.

At the same time, he became aware that the things that made him what he was up till now were missing. However, he didn't feel any sense of loss. Instead, he was filled with an ecstatic sense of achievement that sent shivers down his spine.

It felt as though he had shed all unnecessary muscle, fat, and distractions, and had been reborn as a more refined version of himself... no, he was certain of it.

At this very moment, Rokudou Hijiri had become complete.

"Fu... fuhahaha! I have finally obtained the power to control death and rule this world!" he exclaimed.

With his words, mana surged forth, and Rokudou shattered the capsule from the inside, marking his third birth.

Rodcorte, who had failed to capture his soul, would be deeply frustrated by now... but Rokudou, who had never even thought that he would be reincarnated into another world in his next life, had no way of knowing that.

"It's a success! From codename ‘Ark Avalon’... From the new Rokudou-san is emitting an astonishing mana reaction of the death attribute!"

"It's ten million, twenty million... eighty million! We've reached eighty million!"

"It didn't surpass the one hundred million of the 'Undead’, but it's more than enough. It is the birth of a new god!"

The reincarnators and researchers who had been observing Rokudou's experiment cheered in excitement.

In the experiment conducted on ‘Metamorph’, they managed to teach her death-attribute magic by simply erasing her other attributes without going through the process of killing her and making her go through the circle of reincarnation.

However, Rokudou killed himself and inhabited a new body he named ‘Ark Avalon’. He created a Circle of Reincarnation system using his own technology. As a result, by losing all of his attributes completely through reincarnation, he was able to create an “empty frame” similar to Vandalieu, where an immense amount of mana could be accumulated.

This was similar to Vandalieu manipulating the souls of the dead with mana and housing them into new bodies, but the degree of perfection of the system was different.

For comparison, what Vandalieu does is like handicraft, spinning thread and weaving fabric by hand, while Rokudou's method was industrial. He created machinery to spin thread, weave fabric, and weave fabric, all powered by machines with mechanisms independent of him.

Compared to the system operated by Rodcorte who oversees the Circle of Reincarnation in multiple worlds, Rokudou's system was extremely small in scale and lacked precision. However, they were fundamentally the same.

At this moment, Rokudou Hijiri had undoubtedly surpassed the ‘Undead’ - Vandalieu, and was able to do what gods do in regards to the Circle of Reincarnation.

"Mr. Rokudou... is that you?"

The voice of the president of the United States came through the monitor. ‘Ark Avalon’ was a body cultivated based on Rokudou's genetics, so their facial features were identical. However, various adjustments were made to increase his affinity with death-attribute magic, resulting in Rokudou's height growing to nearly three meters and all the hair follicles on his body dying, leaving him with a skinhead appearance.

It was understandable that they couldn't immediately recognize Rokudou and ‘Ark Avalon’ as the same person, and Rokudou smiled, noticing that.

"Yes, it's me, President. I died before your very eyes and was reborn. As a true death-attribute mage... no, as a god"

Rokudou said with a soft tone, yet full of arrogance. Some of the collaborators on the other side of the monitor frowned slightly at his attitude, but they didn’t seem to show any displeasure.

In Origin, one of the criteria for being a first-class mage was whether the amount of mana possessed measured using a machine reached a value of ten thousand. Considering that, with his 80 million mana, the current Rokudou could be rightfully hailed as a god.

"I can feel power surging through my entire body... How are my vitals?"

"Y… yes! Body temperature is around twenty degrees, but heart rate and brain waves... are unmeasurable?! It's... it's as if you're not a living human!"

The researchers reported astonishing values, but Rokudou only responded with a short "Hmm" and showed no particular reaction.

Based on the vital signs alone, it would appear as if he was on the verge of brain death or immediately after cardiac arrest. However, after being reborn in his new body, Rokudou's senses were clear, and his consciousness was lucid. In fact, he felt better than before.

With this newfound power, he might even be able to engage in close combat against tanks, just like ‘Balor’. No, he could definitely do it. With such an all-encompassing feeling of omnipotence, Rokudou stretched out his hand towards the direction where no one was present.

"Flames, become power and leap forth from my hand, ‘Fireball’."

However, no sphere of flame was released from Rokudou's hand.

"Hmm, as expected, it seems that the other attributes have disappeared. Even simple magic that used to be child's play feels completely unusable now. But... I believe it was ‘Demon Fire’."

Rokudou chanted a short incantation, and this time, a pale blue flame ignited in his hand. The researchers and reincarnators who were aware that it was the flame of the death attribute voiced their admiration.

"Mr. Rokudou! We offer our heartfelt praise for the success of the experiment! However, right now, there should be no time to leisurely celebrate or verify it!"

The President of the United States words brought Rokudou's attention back to the monitor. They shouldn't be aware of the exact situation in this headquarters, but they seemed to speculate that Rokudou was under considerable pressure due to the risky gamble he took.

"Ah, yes. Excuse me, I forgot."

"That’s quite the composure you have, but is there really no problem?"

Then, the representatives of the Republic of China and the Northern Europe Federation asked with a hint of urgency in their voices and expressions. Since they were able to receive direct reports from their subordinates guarding this place, they were able to accurately know that they were in a predicament.

For those individuals, Rokudou was their last hope. Towards them, Rokudou nodded firmly and answered.

"Yes, there is no problem. I will deal with it directly. But before that..."

Rokudou used death-attribute magic in the same way as space-attribute magic.

"This… This is!"

"Is it ‘Teleportation’!? But that's an advanced space-attribute magic! Even though it's only for a short-range, teleporting such a large number of people at once…!?"

In the next moment, Rokudou, along with the reincarnators and researchers who were around him, teleported using ‘Teleportation’ to the conference room shown on the monitor, right before the President.

"Is this.. Is this the same death-attribute magic as one of ‘The 8th Guidance’!?"

"That's correct. Although it's a more advanced magic compared to that failed creation. I teleported to you, guided by the destiny of eventual death that awaits everyone."

"D-death!? You mean, we will die eventually!?"

"Well, yes. Since all of you are still ordinary humans and not unaging immortals, you should be aware that the destiny of death awaits you at some point, right?"

Those who understood the meaning of Rokudou's words felt a chill run down their spines. Rokudou had stated that he could teleport to the presence of those of imminent death... in other words, he could teleport near any human being on the planet, even right next to the newborn babies.

The level of danger that this teleportation posed surpassed that of Jack from 'The 8th Guidance.' Global security became meaningless in front of it.

However, that sense of crisis quickly dissipated from their minds with the continuation of Rokudou's words.

"Now, let's make all of you unaging immortals."

"Wh… what!? Is that true!?"

Except for the representatives of the Republic of China and the Northern Europe Federation present, the others were individuals who had sold their countries in their pursuit of unaging immortality. If they were told they would be given the long-awaited unaging immortality, there was no reason for them not to jump at the opportunity.

"Certainly. If all of you become unaging immortals, we can reduce the number of people we need to protect. It's the correct response in case of emergencies."

"But can you really make us unaging immortals so easily? Isn't there a need for a complex ritual?"

In Origin, where not only science but also magic exists, elaborate not only surgical operations but also magical rituals are performed. The presidents believed that becoming unaging immortals would require a grand ritual.

"No, there's no need for that. Just this would be enough."

Rokudou released black mana towards the president of an African country who had asked him. The mana enveloped the astonished president and disappeared as if being absorbed by him.

"Oh...!? What is this... Uoooohh!?"

Immediately, the president of the African country writhed in pain, clutching his chest, and then staggered back while covering his right eye.

"What is happening!?"

The general of that African country, who also served as his bodyguard, instinctively drew his gun and aimed it at Rokudou. However, the president stood up with a cheer the next moment.

"Oh! I can see! My blinded right eye can see... It's not a prosthetic eye, but a real eye! And it seems I no longer need the pacemaker that was surgically implanted!"

In his palm, he held the prosthetic eye and pacemaker that had been expelled from his body, while his right eye socket now housed the regenerated eyeball.

Witnessing this, presidents of other countries, military personnel, CEOs of global corporations, and big names in the underworld rushed towards Rokudou to obtain unaging immortality.

He granted them all the power of unaging immortality without discrimination.

"I must clarify that you all have not become invincible superhumans. Your physical abilities have simply reached the level of a healthy individual, and you may feel an increase in your abilities now that the limits imposed by your brains have been removed." Rokudou continued explaining with a smile on his face as his collaborators cheered at the realization of his ambition.

He had merely used his newly acquired death-attribute magic to halt the genes responsible for aging and limit natural healing, and prevented cells from turning into cancerous cells. So it was not a significant effort or exertion on his part.

For those who had worked so hard to grant his desires, albeit for fulfilling their own personal desires, he thought it was only natural to do this much for them. Without their cooperation, this day would not have been possible. It was natural to be grateful.

"Ultimately, we still fall within the realm of humans. That’s unreasonable… Are you ignoring my words? We’re on the same level as those lower creatures."

"Gah!?"

Naturally, they understood the implications, and it was clear to them that it would be a grave mistake to attempt to antagonize Rokudou, just like what the acclaimed president of a major newspaper did, as he was grabbed by the neck.

"Gugeh!?"

However, by the time Rokudou realized it, he had already snapped the neck of the president of the major newspaper without any chance for the people around him to stop him.

"Mister!? Wh-what are you intending to do!?"

"Rokudou-san!?"

Some backed away in fear, while others among the collaborators readied their guns and prepared their magic mediums. Moriya and the others were waiting for Rokudou's instructions, feeling perplexed about the current situation unfolding.

Under the gaze of those around him, Rokudou felt a sense of exhilaration akin to crushing a buzzing insect by his ear as he discarded the lifeless body of the former president of the major newspaper company. With a calm tone, he answered.

"What do I intend to do? Originally, my plan was to have you all govern various parts of the world with me at the top. It is the most efficient way to rule over the vast number of humans, even if you were former politicians who sold your countries in pursuit of immortality,"

Even if Rokudou proclaimed himself as a god, many of humanity would not accept it. Their religious scriptures do not mention Rokudou Hijiri as a god. Moreover, Rokudou himself has not done anything god-like like those of various religions. Rather, he appeared to be a devil who deceives people using the bait of immortality.

That was why the presence of the collaborators was important even after the success of the plan. Rokudou thought that even if he eliminated Amemiya and the others and obtained death-attribute magic, he would have little chance of winning against the entire world if he turned them into enemies.

However, the circumstances have changed. Due to the failed disposal, Amemiya and the others are attacking in powered suits that look like costumes, ‘Copy’ was killed by the unknown monster, and a coup d'état has succeeded in the United States, with General Sergei taking office as the president. Similar events are happening in several other countries as well."

"A coup d'état!? That's absurd!"

The former president of the United States fell to his knees, overwhelmed. Rokudou extended his hand as if to console him.

"And above all, now that you all have become unaging immortals, you all appear to me as repulsive worms. I feel such disgust that I almost want to crush you."

With that, Rokudou released a mass of mana from his hand, crushing the head of the former president like a ripe fruit. No matter how much the limitations of his natural healing power were removed, there was no hope.

"Wha... What!? We have done everything for you, haven't we? Isn't that right!?"

"That's right. So, I guess I should feel bad about doing this," replied Rokudou as he released cold air, turning the boss of the drug organization into an ice statue.

"However, even though I've killed you, who I have turned immortal, and absorbed your life energy, I feel no different than when I crush a mosquito. Hmm, I wonder why? Could it be that my mental state has been affected by the reincarnation into this new body?"

"What? You're going to steal life energy from us? You planned this from the beginning... you bastard!"

A general from some country unleashed a flame blade towards Rokudou. Other former collaborators also pulled the triggers of their guns and unleashed their magic, attacking Rokudou.

"Don't misunderstand. Taking away your life energy is just a byproduct. I'm not killing you for that purpose."

However, their attacks were blocked by a barrier set up by Rokudou.

"I am eliminating you all simply because you are all a nuisance."

With a wave of his hand, Rokudou unleashes the barrier in the form of a shockwave, blowing away the former collaborators one by one. Despite having supposedly overcome aging, they were being deprived of their lives by the man who granted them that power.

The current Rokudou’s mental state had been swallowed by the surge of death-attribute mana. He has become the embodiment of death, that of Rokudou Hijiri. That's why the presidents, who had distanced themselves from death, were so bothersome to him. It's akin to how vampires and demons in legends detest crosses and holy scriptures.

At the same time, Rokudou was intoxicated. He felt an overwhelming sense of power and omnipotence. He realized that his past self, who kept his distance from Derrick, a person with abilities similar to his own ability of ‘Chiron’, was nothing but an idiot.

"What the hell! You have become a demon, not a god!"

The representative of the European Union shouted, but in the next moment, he was torn apart along with his final screams. They did not realize it, but gods and demons are one and the same. The difference lies in how they were called. Whether demons were called gods, or gods were called demons.

"Do you think our country will let you get away with this?" shouted the representative of the Republic of China, wiping the pieces of flesh of the European Union representative off his face.

From his pocket, he pulled out a remote control. The representative of the Northern Europe Federation also took out a short staff resembling a fountain pen. They were not betraying their countries like the former President of the United States did, but were dispatched from their respective countries to cooperate with Rokudou. They acted as liaisons between their homeland and Rokudou, serving as both envoys and observers.

The Republic of China and the Northern Europe Federation had been secretly preparing themselves to assume a leading position in the new world, where unaging immortals would dominate over non-immortal humans.

However, if Rokudou proved to be useless or turned against them, the two major powers providing this headquarters, its land, and their defense force would not hesitate to resort to emergency measures.

"Glory to our nation!"

The representative of the Northern Europe Federation uttered the keyword, and the representative of the Republic of China pressed the button on the remote control. Five seconds later, the underground headquarters was supposed to have exploded and destroyed.

It was possible because both countries were involved in its construction, with the construction involving the incorporation of explosives and magic items capable of using explosion magic into the building materials.

The intention was for this headquarters to collapse, burying not only Rokudou and themselves, but also the invading Bravers, the monster, as well as research records and experimental subjects, all swallowed by rubble and buried in darkness... or so it should have been.

"You think I wouldn't notice the bombs you guys planted? Did you really think that?"

However, just like that, Rokudou teleported away… and reappeared. Floating beside him are chunks of concrete and metal covered in black mana.

And even after the five seconds had passed, there was no sign of an explosion occurring. There was only one possible conclusion.

"Could it be that we... the bombs we set up... you used death-attribute magic to teleport to the source of the bombs and gathered them back in such a short time!?"

"Damn it! The magic items aren't working!? Is that also because of death-attribute magic!?"

Rokudou smiled at the two who were confused, repeatedly trying to operate the remote control and the short staff.

"I originally had no intention of betraying you. I had full confidence that I would achieve the desired results, so I left you all alone. However, it has become troublesome to have interference when defeating Amemiya and that monster. Shall I take care of you all as well?"

He extended his hand towards the two and casted a spell. Then, both the two individuals and the bombs set by their respective countries disappeared simultaneously.

"R-Rokudou-san...?"

"I didn't do much, Moriya. I simply returned everything to their respective countries. To the heart of their nations. As expected,  the explosion wouldn’t reach far."

If it were underdeveloped countries, it might be understandable if it were to work, but it is common knowledge that various measures are taken to prevent space-attribute magic like ‘Teleportation’ from entering the heart of a major nation. Rokudou ignored that and sent representatives and bombs regardless.

"As expected of Rokudou-san. Even if he can no longer use other attribute magic, he has already mastered death-attribute magic."

"Yes, although I may have lost my talent in other areas, I haven't lost my memory. I’m simply applying the techniques that I have learnt to death-attribute magic."

Regarding the use of attribute magic, while there are differences for each attribute, there are also many commonalities. In particular, with ‘Demon Fire’, it doesn’t emit heat, but its shape appears as that of a flame, and ‘Teleportation’ is essentially a form of space-attribute magic.

Therefore, by applying Rokudou's attribute magic techniques and control skills, one can learn them in a short period of time.

For Rokudou, the current actions he took were not only meant to eliminate the nuisance created by himself but also served as a way to get used to his new skills.

However, the slaughtering fueled Rokudou with even more power.

"Rokudou-san! The number shown on the magic meter has increased even further! It has surpassed 80 million!"

Rather than depleting, Rokudou's mana was actually expanding.

"Oh, it seems that the ability of ‘Unlimited Development’ is still effective. The more magic I use, the more my mana increases...! Moriya, and what about you all? Do you still intend to follow me knowing all this?"

Moriya and the others were surprised at the sudden question .  Rokudou had just massacred his collaborators right before their eyes. And it wasn't because he had been betrayed, but because he had betrayed them.

Moreover, his power had increased as a result. It was uncertain whether the same fate awaited Moriya and the others.

"Don't joke, Rokudou-san... No, God. We risked our lives for you. Unaging immortality is appealing, but it wasn't our sole purpose."

Moriya and the others were individuals who had betrayed the ‘Bravers’ for their own reasons and sided with Rokudou. Some were dissatisfied with Amemiya, while others sought for thrill. But there were also those who desired the arrival of a new world ruled by Rokudou.

"Besides, it's too late to run away from you now. The ladder has already been removed. I'm afraid I can't do anything about it even if you ask me."

(Note: If a ladder is removed, it means to remove something that was supporting or helping someone.)

As Moriya spoke, the other reincarnators nodded in agreement. The researchers who happened to be present were hesitant, but realizing they had no other options, they eventually followed suit.

"Very well. I won’t grant you the power of unaging immortality, but I will have you fight alongside me until the end... But before that, it seems we have a visitor."

Using his ‘Danger Sense: Death’, Rokudou sensed the presence of death in the sky above this location — an approaching bomber aircraft. It appeared that representatives from the Northern Europe Federation or Republic of China had contacted the nearest base to bomb this place before meeting their demise.

It was quite the thorough preparation, since it seemed they felt that merely collapsing this place with explosives was not enough.

"Although the sense of death I feel is smaller than that of Amemiya and the monster... Very well. As you wish, I shall turn this place into a world of death. However, it will be a world of death where I reign!"

Rokudou radiated death-attribute mana like a shockwave. It penetrated through the structures, striking everything except the lives he had excluded.





"What... What is this!?"

Amemiya and the others were astonished by the sudden onslaught of black mana waves, but they endured it with ease. They hardly felt any impact, let alone damage.

However, the creatures they had been fighting moments ago began to fall one after another.

"I understand. This is death-attribute mana. However, it's neither the power of God’s nor the Saintess’."

"What a hideous thing. It only devours life and offers no respite!"

With the exclamation from Yuki Joro and Bokor, Amemiya and the others realized that this was an offensive magic of the death attribute.

"Could this be Rokudou’s doing!? Damn it, we couldn't make it in time!"

"But why are we unharmed? Even though we didn't even cast any defensive magic... Could it be because of this suit?"

As Amemiya spoke, grabbing the edge of his own cape, they realized that their safety was thanks to the performance of their Transformation Equipment. The conventional powered suits in this world weren't designed to withstand death-attribute magic, but the creator of the Transformation Equipment was the death-attribute mage himself.

Naturally, it was designed to defend against death-attribute magic... or rather, it couldn't be made to not defend against it. Vandelieu didn't know any method to achieve that.

"In that case, Mei and Hiroshi must be safe. Let's move forward! There's no time to waste!"





Receiving an urgent notification announcing an emergency, the pilot of the Republic of China bomber launched into action, his face filled with a mix of anger and tension as he headed towards the target location.

The source of his anger was the information he received that their own capital had come under attack, and the highest governing body had collapsed.

The pilot was not in a position to know what his own country was doing behind the scenes, but considering the timing, he couldn't help but suspect a connection to the bombing target.

"What the hell!?"

However, before he could reach the target location, he noticed something like a black dome rapidly expanding from the ground. It quickly grew in size and reached the bomber flying thousands of meters above.

"HQ, I’m under some kind of attack... Uaahhhhhhhhhh!?"

The pilot, exposed to the black dome - the shockwave of death-attribute released by Rokudou, had his vitality robbed, and within seconds, he turned into a mummy-like figure and died.

Around the crashing bomber, dead birds that had suffered the same fate fell from the sky.





Just a few seconds before the shockwave of death was unleashed, Mei suddenly exclaimed, "The old men are saying we’re in danger!" Hiroshi and the others didn't understand what she meant, but Banda immediately took action.

"Everyone, except for Hiroshi, stay close to me! Ulrika, please try activating ‘Echo’," Banda commanded.

"Eh!?"

Ignoring the surprised Hiroshi and the others, Banda extended his tentacles and spread his epidermal wings, shielding the experimental subjects who were not equipped with Transformation Equipment.

"It's slimy and gross!"

"Mamaaa!"

"God, oh God! I am finally becoming a sacrifice for God!"

"I offer everything, everything!"

The victims who hadn't met Banda in their dreams and those who had were screaming with completely opposite emotions.

"Don't worry, everyone! Banda is just protecting all of you, so you won't become sacrifices or be offered up!"

Mari tried to reassure the victims, but only those who, like her, had encountered Vandalieu, listened to her words. However, since nearly half of the group followed her instructions, the other half remained somewhat calmed by their influence.

"I managed to repel it, but it doesn’t feel right. Is this death-attribute magic? If so, who is responsible?"

"It's probably Rokudou, according to Amemiya and the others. They replied that once they knew that we were safe, they would continue and hurry forward."

Mari relayed the information to Ulrika, who was not connected to ‘Angel’, being concerned about the potential negative effects due to her mental instability and frequent panics.

"Rokudou-ojisan!? I knew he was a bad guy, but was he really this bad?!"

"...So did you know or didn't you know? Which is it?"

"I-I mean! It didn't really sink in until we got here, so it can't be helped!"

Until now, Hiroshi had been told by Banda and the others that Rokudou and Moriya were bad people, but Banda had shielded his eyes from seeing the gruesome scenes. As a result, he couldn't fully grasp the reality of the situation.

However, after witnessing the sight of the captured experimental subjects and the undead whom Banda didn't consider gruesome, Hiroshi finally began to understand the gravity of the situation.

"I see, so that's how it is."

Neither Gabriel nor Mari made fun of Hiroshi for acting like a child. Gabriel himself was still a minor and knew that he hadn't recognized Rokudou as the mastermind right from the start.

Mari, too, hadn't suspected Rokudou until she was turned into his shadow.

"I won't forgive him, that's for sure!"

"I feel the same, but please don't shout while dressed like that. I don’t mind, but it might scare the young children."

Hiroshi's current appearance, thanks to the Transformation Equipment provided by Banda, was that of a monster with a height of about three meters, a robust muscular build, and multiple giant eyeballs on his head, shoulders, and back.

"Ugh!? But why do I have to look so scary? Dad and the others looked cool!"

"Well, what they had were crude equipment hastily put together with about a third of it designed that way just to tease them."

Amemiya Hiroto's Transformation Equipment, adorned with the name of the Bravers, had the purpose of promoting the fact that the Bravers were the ones who caused this incident and thus also worked hard towards its resolution. However, it also included some elements of harassment in response to Amemiya revealing the true identity of the ‘Undead’ to be Amamiya Hiroto.

"Moreover, it is a masterpiece specialized in defensive power and far surpasses the regular Transformation Equipment as a magical medium. It uses several hundred times more metal than ordinary ones."

However, due to the heavy use of death-attribute magic metals, there was a significant drawback: wearing it would restrict the use of any magic except death-attribute and no-attribute magic. Moreover, as Vandelieu could extensively utilize the Demon King fragments which had even higher defensive power, it would be better for him not to wear it.

It is a costume-type Transformation Equipment that was created as a result of Vandalieu focusing solely on increasing its defensive power to protect Hiroshi.

"It looks cool though?" Mei commented.

"Hmm, Mei says so, but… Uwa, here it comes again!"

As they were talking, Rokudou unleashed another shockwave of death-attribute magic. This time, it seemed he was expanding the shockwave like a barrier, intending to turn the entire area into a space where everyone's vitality would be drained upon entry.

"Rokudou has more mana than I expected. Could it be that he is growing faster than I thought? If I don’t do it right, it might reach not only the vicinity of this facility but also the nearby town... No, it could extend to the other side of the ocean," Banda conjectured.

Despite guessing so, Banda did not feel a sense of crisis. The outcome of Rokudou's magic could result in the deaths of tens of thousands to hundreds of millions, but to him, they were all strangers.

(The Gods of Origin should be wary of Rokudou. If Rokudou's mana continues to increase, this continent and the surrounding seas could turn into a death world within a matter of days, where even bacteria cannot survive.)

Furthermore, he had no responsibility to protect the lives of the humans in this world. He didn't pay taxes, wasn't protected by the law, and had no social standing. As he had no rights, neither did he have any obligations.

Those matters should be left to Amemiya and the others, including the aftermath.

"Banda?"

"Well, there are some faces I know from television and the park... and there are also fans of Pluto, so I guess it can't be helped," Banda responded.





"Shall I break some bones?"

In the next moment, a voice echoed out of nowhere, and cracks appeared in the void, and an indescribable presence overflowed from within.

Countless tentacles with twisted limbs, eye sockets filled with countless eyeballs, scales and fur-covered skin, horns and bones stretching like withered trees.

It spreaded out in a dome shape centered around Rokudou's headquarters, suppressing his death-attribute magic.