398 Death Mage V13 Side Chapter 58

Side Chapter 58
The third end, and the never-ending problems after


Rodcorte, the god who oversees the Circle of Reincarnation, couldn't decide whether to lament, be impressed, or be furious. In the end, all he could do was to continue to moan and groan.

His oracles never reached Rokudou, and eventually things escalated. Following that, ‘Balor’, ‘Artemis’, and ‘Sahadeva’ died one after another.

That was fine. Since it was a battle between reincarnators, it was expected that reincarnators would die. If we go back to when they were initially reincarnated into Origin to acquire knowledge, skills, and experiences for the sake of developing Lambda, this battle between the reincarnators would have been lamentable. They were ultimately humans, and he would have been disappointed.

However, now the ultimate goal was to eliminate Vandalieu, destroy the country he ruled over, and reduce the number of people who were aware of Rodcorte.

For that purpose, the development of the world of Lambda and the survival of the world of Origin were irrelevant to him. To put it in extreme terms, even if all living beings in Origin were destroyed as a result of this battle, it wouldn't matter to Rodcorte.

In the first place, Origin was a world that was intended to be separated from the Circle of Reincarnation system along with Earth, and Lambda, where there were inhabitants who were aware of Rodcorte’s existence. In other words, he wanted to abandon these worlds. Hence, he didn't care if Origin perished or was destroyed in any way.

However, Rodcorte was worried about whether Vandalieu would shatter the souls of the people in Origin. Although it was a world he didn't mind throwing, it was still connected to his Circle of Reincarnation system, so if souls were shattered, it would have an impact.

And above all, he didn't want the souls of the reincarnators, who would become forces in eliminating Vandalieu, to be shattered.

But the situation went far beyond his expectations.

Firstly, the souls of ‘Balor’ and the others were safe and intact, but their hearts were broken. They were still sobbing in fear. Under such a condition, they couldn't be sent to battle against Vandalieu.

The souls of those who weren't directly killed by Vandalieu, such as ‘Sleipnir’, ‘Artemis’, ‘Ares’, and especially ‘Sahadeva’, who was easily killed, were safe as well, but they were frightened after witnessing ‘Balor's state.

As for ‘Copy’... While his soul wasn't shattered, it was heavily scarred to the point that he was on the verge of being disabled. He would be of no use.

Well, Rodcorte could erase their memories and personalities and reincarnate them into Lambda, but the main issue was Amemiya Hiroto.

Rodcorte had hoped that Amemiya would reject the death-attribute just like Asagi of ‘Mage Masher’. However, in reality, although the atmosphere between him and Vandelieu was not as peaceful as having already reconciled, there was no hostility. It turned out to be a situation where they could cooperate. In such a state, Amemiya would never fight against Vandalieu even after the incident with Rokudou was over.

As a god, Rodcorte took human religious values seriously. He believed in Amemiya's sense of aversion towards the death-attribute.

However, Amemiya Hiroto's aversion to the death-attribute stemmed from an ethical standpoint rather than a religious objection. It was not about rejecting the death-attribute itself, but rather the ethical implications of sacrificing a large number of victims for the sake of such research.

Therefore, he had no intention of harming Vandalieu, his own daughter, or the victims of his research, who already possessed the aptitude for the death-attribute. Rodcorte failed to realize this.

Even though he could know what Amemiya Hiroto had seen and heard, Rodcorte didn't understand Amemiya Hiroto's personality and thoughts.

And then, Rokudou Hijiri reincarnated on his own and gained the power of the death-attribute.

"To think that Rokudou Hijiri would build a Circle of Reincarnation system on his own and reach the realm of gods. In that case, I wonder if the divine protection and fortune I bestowed upon him are still working..."

Rokudou believed he had become a "god," and that was the truth. He had become a god with a body that didn't exist in Origin before, a demigod.

In terms of the quantity and strength of mana, Rokudou didn't even come close to Vandalieu, or even Colossi or Elder Dragons. But fundamentally, the essence of a god wasn't about combat ability. That should be obvious when you look at Rodcorte who was a god.

Rokudou Hijiri became a god himself by being able to do the divine work of a god, creating a Circle of Reincarnation system.

So, it was questionable whether Rodcorte's divine protection and fortune were still working for Rokudou, since he was a god himself. The cheat abilities he granted seemed to be functioning still, so they probably weren't completely lost.

"By the way, what will happen to Rokudou in this situation?"

Aran, who had become a familiar spirit and was observing Rodcorte's situation, asked a question.

"I don't know."

However, Rodcorte didn't have an answer to that question.

He had never given humans divine protections and fortune prior to the terrorist attack, so he didn't know what would happen when humans with his divine protection reached the realm of gods.

Moreover, Origin didn't have a Status system. Therefore, it was impossible to confirm whether the divine protection and fortune Rodcorte bestowed upon Rokudou were working.

"For now, it seems to be working. Rokudou was able to escape from Vandalieu's clone clearly due to the fortune I gave him. However, whether it will continue to work after this… Above all, will I be able to retrieve Rokudou’s soul after he died?"

Rokudou not only became a god but also completed his own Circle of Reincarnation system to which he belonged. Therefore, as long as the system is active, Rodcorte couldn't intervene.

However, if the administrator of the system, Rokudou, dies, the system would disappear, and Rodcorte might be able to reach out to his soul.

In other words, he wouldn't know until he tried.

"Why does this guy always give me unexpected results!"

Although he was annoyed and shouted in frustration, Rodcorte couldn't give up on Rokudou, as it would be a shame to lose someone who had become so powerful.

Finally, the moment of his death arrived. Looking at the situation at that time, Rodcorte thought about reaching out to retrieve his soul... but in the end, he gave up on extending his hand in fear of touching Vandalieu's soul, which was wrapped around the headquarters in a dome-shaped with ‘Materialization’.

He made excuses to himself, saying that he wanted to see what Vandelieu was intending to do before doing so.





Banda, who never expected Rokudou to tear off his own limbs, was a few moments behind in chasing Rokudou. He hastily threw away Rokudou's limbs which were stuck in his claws, and extended his tongue and tentacles to capture him once again.

"Explode!"

However, when Rokudou shouted those words, Banda distanced himself by manipulating his blood, as he noticed that the temperature of Rokudou's limbs suddenly increased.

Rokudou was trying to do the same as Baba Yaga’s ignition, using his own limbs as a catalyst to ignite himself. Realizing this, Banda had no choice but to wrap Rokudou's limbs in a membrane so as to minimize the damage to the surroundings, even though he knew that was his aim.

A dull explosion resounded, and smoke spewed out from the gaps in Banda's mantle-like epidermis.

Amemiya attempted to pursue Rokudou in place of Banda, but the blood that spilled out from Rokudou rapidly evaporated and turned into poisonous mist, blocking his path.

"Kuh, ‘Strong Wind’!"

A magic spell that creates a literal strong wind, Amemiya dispersed the poisonous smoke. However, at that moment, Rokudou had already made his move to turn things around.

“With this, DIE!”

Shouting those words, Rokudou unleashed a Shockwave of Death. Banda immediately returned to Mei and Mari to strengthen their defense, while Amemiya and the others instinctively braced themselves.

However, Banda wondered why Rokudou would suddenly unleash a shockwave now when he should’ve known it would have no effect on anyone present.

"Gaha!"

"Guh...!"

Yet, there were those who let out agonizing screams after being hit by the shockwave.

"Rokudou... san..."

Among them were Moriya Kousuke of ‘Shaman’, Katou of ‘Knight’, and Shizaki of ‘Issun-bōshi’. They were enemies who did not wear Transformation Equipment, and until now, Rokudou had intentionally excluded them from the targets of his Shockwave of Death.

However, this time, Rokudou deliberately included them as targets and unleashed the shockwave upon them.

"Did he just kill his subordinates who were no longer useful?"

"No, that's not it… I got the order of who to kill wrong."

To Iwao's surprise, Banda replied while scraping the floor with his arthropod legs' claws.

Banda could see where the spirits of the deceased Moriya and the others were going.

"Hahaha! I'm complete! I too have obtained the spirits who are loyal to me!"

With a sinister laughter, Rokudou floated lightly in the air, his limbs absent. Surrounding him were the spirits of Moriya and the others.

They had bathed in Rokudou's mana infused with death-attribute, transforming into Ghosts and laughing. Their hearts, which had dedicated a loyalty to Rokudou that could be considered a form of faith, remained unchanged even in death.

"How about this?! Am I still incomplete?! The only difference between you and me is the size of our mana!"

Rokudou's eyes glinted with insanity as he posed the question to Banda, but all Banda felt towards him was irritation and disgust.

Banda knew that Rokudou would never consider the possibility that they weren’t similar in any way, but he knows that Rokudou won’t understand even if he explained. Moreover, he felt guilty for showing a negative example to Mei and Hiroshi due to his failure to kill Moriya and the others first and securing their spirits.

"Looking at you now, I can truly understand the truth behind the words you once told me.”

However, Amemiya, who knew Rokudou for a long time, seemed to have something in mind to say.

"I have always argued that the research on the death-attribute should be banned and prohibited, while you said before that the death-attribute is just like any other attribute magic. It all depends on the user. Your words were true. In my eyes, you and Banda are fundamentally different, not just the amount of mana possessed."

The figure of Rokudou, with no limbs and was enveloped in ghosts like a cloak, emitted a presence that was no less ominous than Banda's. However, his actions and words were completely the opposite.

In order to survive and become a special being, Rokudou was willing to sacrifice his subordinates who worshiped him. Vandelieu on the other hand sent his clone to protect the daughter of his former enemy, and even brought forth his soul from another world through ‘Materialization’ solely to protect those who worshiped him.

To Amemiya, it was clear which side leaned towards good or evil. In the present state, Rokudou represented everything that Amemiya despised about users of the death-attribute.

"Shut up! You're nothing but an ordinary person who can only rely on the abilities you’ve been given!"

"If it weren't for Rokudou-san supporting you... if you hadn't been chosen as a puppet, you would never have been able to remain a leader!"

"You're just a decoration that’s good at combat abilities!"

In response to Amemiya, the ghosts of Moriya and others hurled insults at him.

"You all became like that for the sake of Rokudou!?"

"What's surprising, Derrick? We have become a part of Rokudou-san’s power! We have been liberated from our fleshly bodies and elevated to become messengers of God!"

Among Moriya and the others, there was no resentment towards Rokudou. What they said was their true feelings. Their loyalty and faith towards Rokudou were genuine.

"Enough with the chatter."

As Rokudou said so, he granted his mana to Moriya and the others, and they began to wield their newfound power. Ironically, their actions resembled Vandalieu's ‘Dead Spirit Magic’.

Unlike Princess Levia and the others, Moriya and the rest were just ordinary ghosts. The amount of mana Rokudou gave them was also minimal compared to Vandalieu. Therefore, the effect was way lower than that of ‘Dead Spirit Magic’, let alone ‘God Spirit Magic’.

However, Moriya and the others possessed cheat abilities that Princess Levia and the others did not.

Violet ice generated from the severed sections of Rokudou's shoulders and legs, supporting him in place of his lost limbs. Furthermore, his death-attribute mana transformed into a black armor that protected him.

"Now, let's begin the second round!"

With those words, Rokudou unleashed Shockwave of Death for the third time. He understood that it wouldn't affect Amemiya and the others, but he didn't miss Banda's growing irritation every time he used it.

If releasing a Shockwave of Death would be inconvenient against the monster that couldn't be affected by any of his attacks, then there was still a meaning to his actions.

"Don't be overwhelmed! It's just a futile struggle!"

"You seem to be acting as if you’ve already turned things around once and for all, but have you forgotten the circumstances that led to this?"

In response, Amemiya fired ‘Life Light’ in the form of bullets at Rokudou, and Banda shot out the Demon King's horns.

These attacks could nullify any type of barrier. In particular, Amemiya's ‘Life Light’ bullets not only nullified barriers but also nullified any form of defense.

Even the ‘Magic Absorption Barrier’ couldn't absorb the mana from it and erase it as ‘Life Light’ nullifies death-attribute mana.

"You guys seem to have forgotten, Ymir! And ‘Issun-bōshi’!"

Against these invincible attacks, Rokudou commanded Moriya to create an artificial spirit of purple ice and attack, its size grown to be gigantic using Shizaki's ‘Issun-bōshi’.

With the help of Moriya and Shizaki, Rokudou created a giant ice giant that contained not only death-attribute mana but also water-attribute mana. It collided with the trajectory of the Demon King’s fragment, causing it to divert from Rokudou, and the ‘Life Light’ bullets clashed with the water attribute mana, causing it to be neutralized.

"Ugh!? Did the inclusion of the ghosts of Moriya and the others' give Rokudou the ability to apply his death-attribute magic in a versatile manner?"

"Can Banda do the same thing?"

"It's a little difficult for me now, but let's work with Meh-kun's Papa in another way."

As Banda moved behind Amemiya, he began to do something. Watching this, Rokudou burst into laughter and chanted a spell.

"Indeed, you guys cornered me! You made me, who became a god, face death! That cannot be denied. But the fact remains that even though you gave it your all, you couldn't kill me!"

Then, using ‘Issun-bōshi’, Rokudou made a liquid substance of deadly poison he created gigantic and hurled it towards Amemiya and the others.

"That’s just sophistry!"

"Blessings! Blessings upon the plants that challenge the inferior god!"

"Damn it, I can’t make the spirits sleep!?"

Bokor caused the plants that Joseph sprouted from the corpse of Moriya to proliferate. These plants protected Amemiya and the others from Rokudou's Deadly Poison and simultaneously closed in on Rokudou.

Additionally, Youdo used his ability to try to pacify the ghosts of Moriya and the others.

"Sophistry? Are you sure about that!?"

The sharp thorns approaching him were drained of its vitality and withered away. Youdo's ‘Sandman’ had no effect on Moriya and the others, as there was a significant difference in the quantity of mana between him and Rokudou, who gave the ghosts mana.

"Freeze!"

“‘Mana Bullet’ too, eat th... Huh!?"

Yuki Joro released cold air, and Hiroshi attempted to unleash a ‘Mana Bullet’ stronger than when he blew away Rokudou. However, he unintentionally fired a black ray instead.

"Hiroshi, I shouldn't have underestimated you... What!?"

While Rokudou lightly blocked from Yuki Joro's cold air with the pale blue flames of the artificial spirit created by Moriya, he was caught off guard when Hiroshi accidentally released ‘Hollow Cannon’ at him instead as a result of him condensing his mana.

He hastily dodged, but he couldn't completely avoid it. Part of the ‘Hollow Cannon’ grazed the armor made of death-attribute mana created by Katou's ‘Knight’, causing it to shatter.

"Kuh, you're even more troublesome than your father!"

"Ah, I’m proud of my children!"

"Ugh!?"

Rokudou was shaken by having a portion of his armor shattered by Hiroshi, and in that moment, Amemiya seized the opportunity to strike again. Once again, he wielded the ‘Life Light Sword’ in his hand.

"I'm tired of seeing that from you!"

Rokudou had created an already familiar poison with his magic and threw it towards Amemiya, hoping to keep his distance and avoid close combat, since a direct hit from his ‘Life Light Sword’ would be fatal, even with the ghosts of Moriya and the others on his side.

"What!?"

However, Amemiya closed the distance without showing any intention of avoiding the poison and swung his sword, aiming for Rokudou's neck and heart.

Rokudou was taken aback and desperately used the armor on his left arm as a shield to block Amemiya's attack. But at that moment, he noticed a change in the pattern on Amemiya's cape.

"You! Are you going to lend that much power to your own enemy!?"

The pattern drawn on the cape was a magic circle, imbuing Amemiya's Transformation Equipment with death-attribute magic that nullified the poison. Rokudou realized it was Banda who did this and shouted, but Banda spat mucus at him.

"Peh, peh, peh, ‘Ignite’... Why do all of you keep saying unnecessary things?"

Rokudou, who was covered in flammable mucus, shouted in anger, but Banda ignored him and headed towards Hiroshi.

"Can Papa do his best now with Banda's drawing?"

"Yes, now that his only weakness is gone. I've also transferred a fair amount of mana to him. Well done with that magic earlier, Hiroshi."

"Yeah, even I was surprised... B-But it might be impossible now."

Hiroshi’s face couldn’t be seen because he was wearing the Transformation Equipment that was very thick, but deep fatigue could be felt from his voice.

Although the function of the Transformation Equipment as a magic medium was excellent, the original mana of the caster was still necessary. Hiroshi was able to fire an enormous ‘Mana Bullet’ that accidentally manifested into a ‘Hollow Cannon'  due to using a significant amount of mana, but his mana pool was much less than that of the members of the ‘Bravers’.

As a result, his mana was running low.

"For now, I'll transfer some of my mana to you. So, can you shoot that black ray again?"

"Whoa!? I suddenly feel lighter! Um, the one from earlier!? I-I don't know. But when I shot it earlier, my arm trembled, and if I shoot it now, I might hit Father."

"I see, there's a possibility of misfiring even with coordination through Meh-kun's Mama's ‘Angel’. In that case, let's use the eyes of your Transformation Equipment."

The coordination of Joseph and the others earlier bought time for Banda to draw a magic circle on Amemiya's cape. It was possible with the help of Mari, who was held within Banda's epidermis together with Mei, and the communication through Narumi's ‘Angel’.

In the same way, Banda thought that connecting Hiroshi and Amemiya through ‘Angel’ would work similarly well, but it seemed that no matter how talented of a boy Hiroshi was, it was still difficult for him to precisely control ‘Hollow Cannon’.

"Sorry, I..."

"There’s nothing to worry about. I used to break the bones of my arm and finger every time I fired that black ray. Hiroshi is much better at it."

"...Wow, it's a very dangerous magic. But can Father win like this!?"

"Hmm..."

Amemiya was receiving support from the other members of the ‘Bravers’ members, who were connected with him through Narumi's ‘Angel’. He was fighting on equal footing or even surpassing Rokudou.

Having overcome the poison that couldn't be blocked by Transformation Equipment earlier, Rokudou was forced into close combat with Amemiya. As a result, he didn't have time to recite spells for using powerful magic.

For that reason, Rokudou was transferring death-attribute mana to Moriya and Shizaki to allow them to use their abilities, the same way Vandelieu did it with ‘Dead Spirit Magic’. However, they were still unfamiliar with using these abilities, so they hadn't been able to deliver a decisive blow yet.

"They’re evenly matched."

However, Amemiya's side couldn't overpower Rokudou either. This was because Rokudou was learning death-attribute magic at a rapid pace and developing his own spells, which made him formidable.

Furthermore, Amemiya and the others also had limited amounts of mana. While Amemiya had his mana restored by Banda's ‘Mana Transfer’ earlier, ‘Life Light Sword’ was a spell with poor mana efficiency.

The question was whether they could defeat Rokudou before their mana ran out and before he gained enough experience. That would be the deciding factor in the battle.

"I'm starting to think that maybe I should go for the kill again... But if I don't catch him by surprise, he'll definitely target Meh-kun."

However, if Banda were to fully join the battle, they would undoubtedly defeat Rokudou. Although he became significantly more troublesome with the ghosts of Moriya and the others under his control, Banda's power remained overwhelming.

However, as it became more troublesome, he couldn’t kill Rokudou instantly. The strategy of switching with Mari is likely to be anticipated by him, so it probably wouldn’t work anymore.

Nevertheless, if there is a chance of winning, if it means saving the world, the hero would choose to believe in his comrades, entrust Mei and the others to Banda, and continue fighting against Rokudou.

But for Banda, the lives of Mei and the others were infinitely more important than the world. Banda was merely protecting the world as a byproduct of protecting them. Even in the case of the descended soul of Vandalieu, Banda had no intention of sacrificing them in exchange for saving the world.

However, it is only because the struggles are manageable, like "breaking a bone," that Banda was able to protect those people: those who have been guided by him through dreams, the believers of ‘The 8th Guidance’, and those around the Amemiya family, including babysitters who have seen Banda.

After that, the only thing left to do was to fulfill his previous debt to the Gods of Origin. Though he hadn't been very conscious of it.

"I can’t summon the main body's soul because Rokudou occasionally uses Shockwave of Death, and it's also tough outside."

"Outside?"

"I don't want to ask too much, but what’s going on outside?"

"Enemy bombers are swarming like flies and it’s annoying. Moreover, they're dropping incendiary bombs around, attempting to turn everything into a sea of fire."

Outside, the Northern European Federation and the Republic of China, having learned that missiles would be shot back, started dropping incendiary bombs and explosives instead towards Vandalieu's soul. They seemed to have thought that weapons that do not rely on propulsion would be better.

Even if high-temperature flames created as a result of these bombs burned away the oxygen around the materialized soul of Vandalieu, it had no effect, but it was still distracting.

"For the time being, I had the spirits of the presidents possess the bombers and turned them into Cursed Bombers, so it's quiet now," Banda replied.

"...So the air force bases in Northern Europe and China are probably in flames by now," Mari murmured while looking at him in the distance, but then quickly shrugged it off and muttered to herself, "well, it’s fine."

"Since it has come to this, should I bring my physical body here as well? I don't really want to, but..."

The impact that his soul alone experienced by being present in another world, where the physical laws are different, was already significant. If his physical body were to also come, the repercussions are uncertain and could even perhaps be greater.

If the impact were to affect Vandalieu, it would probably still be manageable. However, if doing so were to disrupt the physical laws of this world, then the consequences would be unpredictable.

However, if it meant tolerating some degree of natural disasters occuring in this world as a result, it would be better to allow his physical body to cross the boundaries of worlds so as to defeat Rokudou and annihilate his soul here.

Just as Banda thought about this, and was about to make a serious attempt to cross the boundaries of worlds, Vandalieu felt himself expanding.





The Gods’ of Origin were united in the opinion of granting their divine protections to Amemiya to defeat Rokudou.

This policy remained unchanged even after Vandalieu's soul had descended. Looking at individual gods, there were those who exclaimed, "The world would be better off ending! Humanity, the time to end has come!" while others cheered, "That is what the Devil looks like! God is going to die!"

The Gods’ of Origin were gods that the people of Origin believed in, and each had their own values and perspectives. This stemmed from the fact that there were many different gods people worshiped and believed in in their respective religions. Consequently, there were many gods who were even willing to accept the end of the world.

However, most of them were united against Rodcorte. Although they might accept their own religion's predetermined end, they were not pleased with the world ending as a result of Rodcorte’s interference.

Thus, even if the Circle of Reincarnation of this world were to cease and humanity would face extinction as a consequence of the gods’ interference with Rodcorte's plans, it would be completely fine. This was because the humans who believed in them were willing to accept humanity's demise as divine judgment.

If the humans accepted disasters as “tests from God,” then the gods would accept them as “tests that they give.” That was the collective stance of the Gods’ of Origin.

"Will Vandalieu's physical body finally descend?"

The God of ‘Pluto’, born from the faith of the people of Origin, had been eagerly awaiting that moment.

She is the Pluto believed by the believers of ‘The 8th Guidance’, not the actual Pluto who had reincarnated in Lambda. However, the people's belief that “Pluto adored the ‘Undead’” is still alive within her.

Therefore, she hoped for Vandalieu to intervene in this world in earnest, as he was the one whom Pluto admires.

"...I seem to be suffering."

"Huh!?"

However, something happened that even she did not expect. Before anyone knew it, something had appeared amongst the Gods’ of Origin.

The existing gods born from established religions were shaken, and in their place, a dome-shaped being with countless eyeballs and mouths were expanding.

"You are...!"

"Yes, Pluto. It's me. I was born as a result of the actions of the current President of the United States. I’m not a clone, since I was not directly separated from myself."

From the numerous mouths, a flat and neutral voice emanated.

"However, there is no reason for me, who people believe to be me and pray for as me, to not be me. Therefore, I declare that this me, who was born among the Gods’ of Origin, to be myself and a part of me. So, as per what the Gods’ of Origin had asked me to do, I shall give my divine protection to Amemiya. It’s temporary, but it’s several times stronger than before."

After becoming one of the gods among the Gods’ of Origin and recognizing his existence to be part of himself, Vandelieu bestowed upon Amemiya his divine protection. If his divine protection had physical mass, it would be with an overwhelming force that could lead to annihilation.





Suddenly, a radiant light emanated from Amemiya Hiroto's entire body.

"This power... it's overflowing!"

At that moment, power surged through Amemiya's entire body, and the mana that had been depleted was recovered beyond its limits. The wounds and mana of the members of ‘Bravers’ bathed in his radiance were instantly restored, and on the contrary, the artificial spirits created by Rokudou melted away.

"What the hell?! Are you still hiding something? Or are you saying that it’s a miracle?"

Rokudou wielded his death-attribute mana and condensed it into the form of a sword.

"I don't know if it's a miracle, but... it felt like I was scolded!"

However, Amemiya's ‘Life Light Sword’ shined like the sun and clashed with Rokudou's sword.

"This can’t be… Why!? Why are you the one who becomes special!? Even though I am clearly superior!"

Rokudou exclaimed as the jet black sword he was wielding pierced through the air and confronted Amemiya's shining sword as it approached him.

"That is―"

Amemiya attempted to retort in response to the anger of the man he used to believe to be his best friend.

He thought about whether to blame him for treating his comrades as mere pawns to be discarded without hesitation, or to admonish him for becoming intoxicated with power.

"―I have no right to say anything. Ask him later."

However, Amemiya exhaled softly, keeping his thoughts to himself, and without saying a word, he severed the black sword, and bisected Rokudou from his head to his groin in a single strike.

Rokudou let out a final scream of death. Yet, he still tenaciously clung to his existence in this world.

"Not yet! It's not over yet! I will become a vengeful spirit and kill you all!"

"If that's what you want."

Amemiya once again cut the spirit of Rokudou into two again, who was on the verge of becoming a ghost, using his ‘Life Light Sword’.

After receiving the second strike, Rokudou's spirit and body lost their power, and dissolved into the air as if melting away.

"Not yet. You are too dangerous. I cannot leave your soul behind."

The dangerous person who attempted to engage in worldwide indiscriminate slaughter for the sake of his personal gain, as well as harassing Banda, had to be eliminated.

Part of Vandalieu's soul extended like tentacles at a high speed and attempted to devour Rokudou's soul. However, due to the fact that this was another world for Vandalieu and he had to suppress the Shockwave of Death at the same time, things didn't go as expected.

"! This is…."

Just as he thought he had devoured Rokudou's soul, he suddenly realized that someone other than himself had swiftly retrieved  it.

"What happened?"

"I... I devoured Katou and Shizaki. I never expected for them to become sacrifices for Rokudou."

The souls that Vandalieu shattered were not Rokudou's, but those of Katou and Shizaki, who had sacrificed themselves to protect Rokudou. Vandalieu's main body in Lambda heard the inner announcement in his brain that informed him that he had acquired the skills of ‘Knight’ and ‘Issun-bōshi’, which had then integrated into other skills.

It seemed likely that the person who had quickly retrieved the remaining souls of Rokudou and Moriya was Rodcorte. It appears that their reunion would have to wait until they meet again in Lambda.

"Nevertheless, the incident in Origin is now over. Now, let's discuss what to do next. For now, I’ll be taking care of and protecting the people who were experimented on by Rokudou, including Mari, as well as Meh-kun and Hiroshi. As for Joseph and the others, what do you all want to do now?"

After defeating Rokudou, the tension among the ‘Bravers’ finally eased and a sense of relief washed over them. But, Banda had dropped a bombshell onto everyone, especially the Amemiya couple.