◆ Holy Nation of Uzei, Near the Holy Capital Martis, In the Sky ◆
【Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm’s Perfect Knuckle! Dealt 24,766 damage to the Death Angel Zaniel, herald of the end!】
“How long are you going to keep that big body of yours!”
Branburm flew toward what was once the Nation of Negesta. He moved so fast that even the Kurinka Dragon couldn’t keep up, arriving just a step behind. Branburm had just landed a punch on Zaniel’s cheek, causing him to stagger.
“I have no use for a mere vanguard! Madias! He’s up there, isn’t he?!”
Branburm pointed toward the sky, laughing at Zaniel, who was slowly adjusting his stance with his index finger raised. Was it true that Madias was up there? If Branburm could utilize ALEX’s functions as they were, that would be invaluable information. Despite being struck by Branburm, Zaniel seemed largely uninterested. Or perhaps he simply lacked emotion. Yet, he wore an expression of anger that was almost unbelievable to us. What was going on?
“Hmph, it feels less like silence and more like a will imposed upon you. Zaniel, all the purges you’ve conducted at the turning points of history were all at Madias’s behest.”
“How blasphemous! Do you have the luxury to look away?”
【Formas unleashed the Rending Sorcery! It failed to deal damage to Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm!】
“What…?!”
Formas released a round, jagged blade that separated from his Demon Sword. It curved through the air toward Branburm but was easily deflected by one of his hands. His gaze remained fixed on Zaniel, as if he had merely brushed aside Formas’s attack.
“That ambush earlier was impressive, but in a fair fight, this is all you can muster.”
“You’ve grown stronger…”
“What is perfection without self-evolution? Those who cannot adapt will always be culled, just like you, an arrogant incomplete being.”
“If that’s the case…”
“Stand down, Formas.”
Rising from Zaniel’s feet was that masked figure. The Calamity that had tried to crush the Noibranz army. The only one who had escaped the calamity that Vandalsia resurrected. I had been searching for him for so long, but there had been no clues. And now, here he was.
“You’ve shown yourself, Religious Founder Zeda. Or should I call you the Eternal Spirit Emperor Lurudo?”
Yes, Lurudo. Branburm was saying something unbelievable—the founder of the Uzei Religion.
“Lost child consumed by civilization, if you seek salvation, extend your hand. If you bring harm to the Holy Capital, I shall purify your sins by the command of the Divine Being.”
“Still as nonsensical as ever, you cult leader. The answer is that I just punched that big guy over there. If the founder has shown up, then it’s just perfect.”
Before I could even gather my thoughts, Branburm was preparing to attack. Why was the Calamity Lurudo acting as the founder of the Uzei Religion? Above his head floated the Hero’s Sword, which made no sense at all. The Hero’s Sword spun around and stopped, pointing its blade toward the heavens.
“Render judgment.”
【Lurudo’s Divine Blade of Judgment!】
Fast. A normal person would only realize what was happening when the ground below them split wide open. The sword, still floating, tore Branburm vertically. Lurudo held both hands up as if in prayer.
【Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm took 7,792 damage!】
“Ugh!”
“This is a different kind of act.”
Though he dodged, Branburm’s shoulder was deeply gashed. He hadn’t completely avoided it, and even though it hadn’t hit him directly, his metallic body was already on the verge of being torn apart.
“That body, filled with human wisdom. But it cannot reach the Divine.”
“I’m here to take your place!”
【Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm unleashed the Perfect Laser! Lurudo’s Spirit Barrier! The Spirit Barrier deflected the attack!】
“Futile…”
Lurudo was left speechless. He had tried to defend with some skill, but it was already too late; Branburm’s laser had pierced through Lurudo.
【To the Eternal Spirit Emperor Lurudo】
“You fool! I have the power of ‘Destruction’ downloaded from that little girl!”
【No damage dealt!】
“W-What…?!”
Now it was Branburm’s turn to be speechless. The laser he had unleashed from his palm was supposed to hit Lurudo, but it simply passed through him. I was the most surprised. Not only had he used the Power of Destruction, but it hadn’t worked either.
“I speak the truth.”
Lurudo continued from where he left off. His body seemed somewhat translucent, which might have been the reason the attack didn’t hit. I didn’t care about Branburm, but Lurudo was the real issue. I didn’t know what that skill was, but if Branburm had been able to fully utilize the Power of Destruction…
“Any concept is meaningless.”
“H-Hmph… despair, Flash Strike Girl. How does it feel to have your Divine Nature be utterly ineffective?”
“I don’t know. Is that really my power?”
“I have long since grasped the true nature of what you call Divine Nature. Because, after all, every phenomenon has its principles. In other words, nothing exists in this world that cannot be reproduced by technique.”
He was explaining with such conviction, but in the end, it didn’t reach Lurudo. I was convinced now; Branburm didn’t understand Divine Nature. Elmera had said before that Divine Nature was a concept. Given that Lurudo was saying the same thing, he must understand it. But whether he could reproduce it or not was still uncertain. Even so, it was impressive that he realized he had used my Divine Nature.
“This isn’t going to be easy…”
“This is your final warning. If you seek salvation, extend your hand…”
“There’s no way I’m doing that!”
【Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm unleashed the Diffusion Perfect Laser!】
In a sudden fit of rage, he unleashed a barrage of lasers. The Holy Capital below was caught in the crossfire, and he aimed at both Lurudo and Zaniel as well. Branburm was serious about attacking.
“I will become a god!”
【The Diffusion Perfect Laser missed!】
Countless lasers were fired, twisting and turning, flying off in every direction except toward the Holy Capital. Even as they curved away into the sky, Branburm didn’t care. The specifics of whatever skill it was didn’t matter. The opponent I needed to defeat right now wasn’t Lurudo. For the moment, neither Lurudo nor Zaniel seemed inclined to attack me.
“Honestly, at this rate, Madias will destroy the world! That guy is already broken! Isn’t that right, self-proclaimed founder?! Eternal Spirit Emperor Lurudo! No, no, no…”
Lurudo said nothing, merely watching Branburm’s madness unfold. It was also a mystery why Zaniel wasn’t moving, given the threat to the world. If he was a danger to Madias, he should have taken down Branburm. He had been so furious when it was my turn.
“No, no… let me call you this instead. Hero Uze?”
Branburm seemed intent on further confusing my mind. Hero Uze, Lurudo. Uze was, if I recalled correctly…
“Uze… the one who was the origin of the Uzei Religion…”
“That’s right, Lua-chan… To be precise, he was the one who gave the impetus to the founder Lacon. Thanks to that, the wicked Lacon reformed and ultimately created the Uzei Religion. Ryoho told me about it.”
“Hey, Hero! Do you want me to tell you why you’ve survived until this era? Why the Hero became the Eternal Spirit Emperor Lurudo… and ultimately, was sealed as a Calamity? Kukuku, the Uzei Religion is ultimately…”
“Zaniel!”
【Judgment Ray of the Death Angel Zaniel! Dealt 30,560 damage to Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm!】
“Ughhhhhh!”
Lurudo’s demeanor had clearly changed. Zaniel, who had previously been inactive, also changed his expression at the same time as the Judgment Ray. His brow furrowed, and he glared down at Branburm, who had been shot down by the Judgment Ray, as if scolding a misbehaving child.
“How dare you, you piece of trash!”
“Branburm! What was that just now?”
“Shut up! If you have even a shred of brain matter, kill that masked jester over there!”
“Can you explain what’s going on?!”
“That bastard is so dangerous in his ideology that he was sealed as a Calamity by the other clans! You already know how dangerous he is!”
I felt like I had heard something about exterminating ignorant humans. I didn’t know what deep reasons lay behind it, but that didn’t justify his actions. I had intended to defeat Branburm, but if what he said was true, I couldn’t ignore Lurudo either.
“Founder!”
“Protect the Holy Capital!”
“Everyone, pray! May the blessings of the Divine Being Madias be upon us!”
From the Holy Capital below, I could faintly hear the voices cheering for Rulud. It wasn’t just a handful of people; it felt like the entire city was gathered there. Tiny figures packed the streets like grains of sand. How many thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, could there be?
“Fohafohaf… So, which of us is truly needed? Cursed Children, think again.”
“W-What do you mean by ‘Cursed Children’?!”
“The Dragon God mentioned that too… It’s true that we don’t have pure human blood flowing through us…”
“Are we the ones who will bring about the world’s destruction? Or will it be that one?”
“The disgrace of the Hero clan, trying to win over these incomplete minds! Don’t be fooled, kids! That rotten Hero intends to destroy everything, including those down there!”
I couldn’t find Rulud, even though I was desperately searching. I already knew the power he wielded as a Calamity, and I understood the danger he posed. But was it really okay to defeat him here?
“If you’re just standing around, I’ll take care of it! Tsaah!”
【Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm unleashed a Perfect Burst!】
Branburm launched another attack. It was a powerful skill that had chipped away at part of Satanakia, but for some reason, it slipped right past Rulud.
“I’ll analyze it! That’s Tenryu-ken… No, it’s a higher-tier variant! Look! This Metalican possesses analytical abilities surpassing ALEX as it evolves! I’ve just figured out how to break through it!”
【Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm unleashed a Diffusion Perfect Laser!】
“With the Power of Destruction, it’s easy!”
I understood now. It was clear. I had to decide whom to take down here. If I teamed up with Rulud to defeat Branburm, everything would be resolved.
“…But that’s not going to happen.”
【Rua’s attack! Dealt 229,540 damage to Perfect Human (Metalican) Branburm!】
“Ughhh!”
Attacking from behind felt like something Formas would do, and I hated it, but right now, I couldn’t care less. I was simply unable to forgive this guy. Even if I missed completely and he dodged, it didn’t matter. I slashed at his right shoulder from behind, breaking through. He would regenerate, but I wouldn’t allow it. Branburm had claimed to have taken the Power of Destruction from me, but he clearly didn’t understand anything.
“Y-You really have lost your mind, haven’t you? There’s a Calamity down there! Right there!”
“The worst thing here right now is you, Branburm.”
“The worst… the worst… Nnngh! I never said I would destroy humanity! I wish for all of humanity’s safety as a Perfect Human like myself! Why can’t you understand?!”
“Then why were you trying to drag those people down there into this? At that point, you’re already done for.”
I leaped off Kurinka’s back and lightly bounced in the air with a Sonic Boost. Mockingly, I jumped from front to back, side to side, gripping Disballade tightly.
“That guy is that dangerous! To him, both the Uzei Religion and humans are nothing but entities to be ultimately destroyed! Long ago, he rebelled against humanity, claiming that humans harm nature!”
“Even if that’s true, it doesn’t justify dragging others into it.”
“You really are an incomplete mind, aren’t you?! To save many, some sacrifices are inevitable! Saying you can save everyone is just impossible!”
“If you can’t do it, then just give up already.”
“You monkey… No matter how strong you are, understand that some things are simply impossible! The ones inside Satanakia are not saved, are they?!”
“I will save them. After I defeat you.”
After bouncing a few times with Sonic Boost, I took a moment to steady my breathing. My opponent was formidable; I had to take this seriously. But he was no match for Aboro. He was that kind of opponent.
“Damn it… You think you’re feeling good after that hit? It’ll heal easily… Huh, what?”
“It won’t heal. Because I destroyed it.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know what kind of regeneration ability you have, but I destroyed that concept.”
What a foolish thing to say. I wanted to say something like that, but I couldn’t. The damage I had inflicted wasn’t healing, and Branburm was finally starting to understand, growing quiet.
“What is happening…?”
“The Power of Destruction you’re using is a fake. It may look similar and have close performance, but it’s just a counterfeit. That’s why you can’t hit Rulud.”
“Shut up! All I need to do is construct energy that can destroy all matter in this world, and for that, I must first decompose it at the elemental level, and that requires—”
“See, that’s not the point… Whatever.”
Either way, I could tell he was shaken by the fact that he couldn’t regenerate. It was a mistake for Branburm to fight me within Satanakia. How much growth did he think I could achieve in just one battle?
“You and Satanakia are finished here.”
“Ughhhhhh!”
He was so furious that he couldn’t even articulate his thoughts anymore. With a mighty roar, Branburm charged at me.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I finally thought I could get out, but where did I go?