Chapter 44: 00:00:01 O-Rank Combat Record - 『King of Negation』
Chapter 44: 00:00:01 O-Rank Combat Record - 『King of Negation』
—Early this morning, an incident occurred in which heads of state from various countries were attacked.
—Numerous casualties have been reported… Gogogogok.
Then, along with a zzzzzt sound, loud static began to pour out.
The vicinity of a Restricted Area is always like this.
The laws of physics are so distorted that even radio waves cannot reach properly.
"Damn piece of junk, stopping at such a critical moment."
Heavenly Sword, his long ponytail fluttering as he stepped forward, struck the television with his scabbard.
Since it wasn't a mechanical failure, hitting it wasn't going to fix anything.
—Kreeeeak. Gigigigik.
The sound from the television wavered as if it might be fixed.
The number of televisions Heavenly Sword had broken doing that could no longer be counted on both hands, but the Awakened gathered in the room simply watched without stopping him.
What was flowing from the television was information we already knew.
No matter what words came out of that screen, our task had already been decided.
—Chhhhh. Gigigik. The Allied Forces have concluded that this situation is the work of the O-Rank Monster, the King of Negation, and in order to subjugate said monster as a Public Enemy….
Normally, some of us should have been out on the battlefield, but today, every Awakened was gathered in the auditorium.
That was how grave the situation was.
The Allied Forces Headquarters had also scattered back to their respective countries because of the incident, leaving only lower-level officers, NCOs, and soldiers behind.
"As expected, that's how they're playing it."
A man in a British military uniform with long black hair and a black beret spoke.
The sight of him carrying a Soviet RPG as a 'Magic Staff' was somewhat ridiculous, but despite his appearance, he was a trusted mage.
S-Rank Mage, Macbeth.
A Middle-aged Man who had awakened while serving as a field-grade officer in the British military.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces' Awakened unit.
Though he was only a Colonel.
The fact that they wouldn't grant even a single star to the head of humanity's strongest martial group was a symbol of the discrimination we faced.
Thinking of such trivial things, I stared blankly at the television as news continued to trickle in.
Who had died, who had survived. And the fact that the King of Negation was traveling the world, killing heads of state.
The leadership of the entire world had been decimated by a single monster.
the end of the powerful who had enjoyed peace while shifting every burden onto the Awakened and the soldiers on the front lines.
Of course, that was partly because the King of Negation was a peculiar monster. Until now, there had never been an enemy who ignored the foes in front of them to attack humanity's leadership.
An existence of a monster that defied the Story.
For a long time, they had suffered no damage.
Even as they used countless Awakened and soldiers as consumables to maintain the front lines, they had no idea how those front lines actually functioned.
Because The Enemy seemed weak, they must have optimistically believed they could hold them back forever with human strength.
Thus, they grew complacent and underestimated the power held by Otherworldly beings.
That notion was negated today, the moment a blade touched their throats.
All the power they had built, the entire system, vanished in an instant.
By the sword of a single monster.
The leadership of the Allied Forces maintaining the front lines scattered in all directions to save their own lives, and the front lines that had been barely held together collapsed.
Since it was impossible to defend the front without commanders, all the Awakened were gathered together, watching the television.
"…We have to take him down."
I spoke slowly.
My voice was so dark and thick I could hardly believe it came from my own mouth.
"Yes. That is the plan."
Commander Macbeth also spoke in a dark tone.
We slowly looked around at each other's faces.
Everyone's expression was clouded, exuding a bleak atmosphere.
However, that wasn't an emotion born from a fear of the King of Negation.
It was fear of what was to come.
That is the plan.
I put a cigarette in my mouth.
I couldn't think of any other way to soothe this bitter heart.
"You fools. Let's go."
The voice of the Lord of Infinite Castles rang out as soon as I lit the cigarette.
"Better to go quickly than to stay here and let everything go to hell. Don't you agree?"
At those words, the Awakened nodded and stood up.
Is there not even time for a smoke?
As I lifted my head to stand, a piece of rolled tobacco leaf slipped into the back of my mouth.
A disaster caused by not crushing the filter properly in my haste.
Was the name of this thing Belomorkanal? I liked that Soviet cigarettes were strong and had a lot of flavor, but I hated this part.
"Ptooey."
I spat out the tobacco leaf that had entered my mouth.
It tasted disgusting.
"Let's go."
Our destination was the Soviet Union. The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. Chisinau.
To end everything.
* * *
A city turned silent after the evacuation of civilians.
Thirty-four elites, selected to defeat the O-Rank Monster King of Negation, gathered in the city and waited for The Enemy.
One might expect their focus to waver during the long wait, but everyone remained focused, standing tall.
It was likely because everyone knew how important this battle was.
How much time had passed?
Step.
The King of Negation revealed himself.
A Martial Artist in black robes, with disheveled black hair and a beard. He had looked a bit older the last time I saw him; perhaps he had grown younger after his fall.
He appeared before us looking like a Middle-aged Man rather than an old one.
Commander Macbeth walked out toward the King of Negation.
"It's danger—"
"It's fine."
Someone near me tried to rush out and stop Macbeth, but I raised my hammer to restrain them.
It's fine.
If things were going according to plan, the King of Negation would still have his reason.
The two black-haired men faced each other, and Macbeth spoke.
"Things have gone slightly awry, but it's according to plan. Do you perhaps still have your reason?"
"Yes. You just need to die like this."
Click.
The King of Negation's hand gripped his Hwando.
The blade slowly slid out of its scabbard, and the King of Negation flicked his right hand.
"All of you, that is."
"Defeeeeeeend!"
I shouted as I held my hammer vertically.
Whoosh.
The King of Negation's sword swung slowly.
Yet, paradoxically, it was an incredibly fast attack.
It was slow enough for the eyes to track the swing, but the speed of the cutting was not slow at all.
The ultimate slash where everything existing on the trajectory is severed the moment the swing ends.
Buildings collapsed along the path of the sword. A city devastated by a single strike.
The Heroes with slow reactions weren't cut, but they lost consciousness, suppressed by the negation contained within the King of Negation's sword pressure.
One swing.
Half the forces lost.
The collapse of a nation's capital.
Ridiculous.
Does a strong Hero become this powerful when they fall?
The King of Negation, having caused this catastrophe, gripped his Hwando with both hands and pointed the blade at us.
"What are you doing? The plan only ends when you kill me."
The plan.
I looked at my fallen comrades around me. Awakened who were unconscious but not severed. It seemed he was showing some mercy.
He still has his reason, then.
Leaving my panicked comrades behind, I lunged at the King of Negation.
The first strike.
Clang!
The clear metallic ring from the collision of the Hwando and The Hammer spread to every corner of the quiet city.
A pure sound that echoed because we had completely neutralized each other's strength.
We stared at each other through the locked weapons.
"The first one is Ha-ram, as expected."
"It's just that the others are too slow, Geezer!"
Boom.
A second strike, swung while scraping down the blade of the Hwando.
That, too, was completely blocked by the rapidly swung Hwando.
It didn't matter. My role here was to pin down the King of Negation in the first place.
"Oxymoron, move the wounded to the rear! Heavenly Sword, support Lee Ha-ram! The rest of you, focus on long-range attacks!"
Following Commander Macbeth’s orders, the remaining Heroes jumped in.
"Master! Please forgive the insolence of pointing my sword at you!"
"What words are needed for a fallen master? Come."
Countless sounds of clashing metal rang out.
Those sounds were proof that the King of Negation was blocking every single attack.
Alone, the King of Negation parried The Hammer and sword of S-Rank Awakened simultaneously.
"Otherworldly Power must be quite good, isn't it? You've become even faster!"
"It was so good I've been rejuvenated. Would you like to try it as well?"
"I'll pass on hooking up with those damn tentacles!"
Silver trajectories formed amidst the shower of sparks.
A beautiful orbit.
As if to prove the title of Sword God wasn't given for nothing, his movements were fluid and devoid of any waste.
Now that his weaknesses—lack of raw power and weak combat endurance—were supplemented by the infinitely pouring Otherworldly Power, he was truly displaying martial prowess worthy of the name Sword God.
Even while being pinned down by two melee experts, he created more sword pressure whenever he found an opening. One person lost consciousness, then another.
A few long-range attacks were striking the King of Negation's body through his sword barrier, but in close combat, not a single effective hit had been landed.
"Crimson★Hammer! Land a blow!"
In that stalemate, Heavenly Sword’s shout rang out.
Clang. Clang-clang.
"Don't call me that!"
I understood his intention.
Heavenly Sword drew his sub-weapon and trapped the King of Negation's blade between his two swords.
The golden opportunity had finally arrived.
Since there was no time to transform The Hammer, I simply twisted my body.
I swung my arm wide and twisted my waist to the limit.
This style of attacking isn't to my taste in the first place. A barrage of light attacks to protect allies?
A Magical Girl should deliver one massive blow intended to kill the opponent.
Creeeak.
A twisting sound, as if my muscles had reached their limit.
At that moment, I released all my muscles.
The twisted muscles snapped back to their original positions, and my wide-flung arm and waist rotated, adding to the force.
Clang.
Had I gathered strength for too long? The King of Negation's Hwando, having escaped Heavenly Sword’s twin blades, blocked my hammer.
"Prioritizing technique over strength—"
"That's only when you don't have enough strength!"
My rotation wasn't over yet. Taking one more step forward, I unleashed all the remaining torsion.
The King of Negation's Hwando was knocked away, and The Hammer, having cleared the annoying obstacle, completed its circle.
The Hammer, carrying the rotational force I had created, dug into the King of Negation's chest, and I felt a solid impact in my hands. The sensation of The Enemy’s bones breaking.
Boom.
Unable to withstand the momentum of the collision with The Hammer, the King of Negation was sent flying and crashed into a building wall.
"Geezer. Say it again. Technique is—"
Slash. Slice.
My confident words were cut short by the sudden sound of wind being sliced.
As a chilling cold crept up my neck, I swung my hammer by instinct.
A violent shock traveled up from the hand gripping The Hammer.
Two overwhelming bursts of sword pressure. A pressure of negation that likely would have ended me if I hadn't blocked it.
The King of Negation wasn't finished.
Rather, he had seen being blown away by my attack as an opportunity to pull back and unleash a massive technique.
From the dust created by the collapsing building wall, the King of Negation emerged with a sunken chest.
"Is this all that's left?"
The King of Negation. No, the Heavenly Demon Sword God slowly turned his head to look at us.
S-Rank Magical Girl, Me.
S-Rank Esper, Oxymoron.
S-Rank Transformation Hero, Librarian.
S-Rank Mage, Macbeth.
S-Rank Esper, Lord of Infinite Castles.
S-Rank Necromancer, Calavera.
A-Rank Martial Artist, Heavenly Sword.
A-Rank Transformation User, Mishika Misha.
B-Rank Special Ability User, Prohibition.
The Awakened who remained until the end without losing consciousness.
"Where is the Thunder God?"
"She's been bedridden since seeing that in the basement, Geezer."
"I see."
The Heavenly Demon Sword God sheathed his sword and spoke quietly.
"Macbeth. Do not cross the line. I will help you this time."
"Yes."
"Oxymoron. I am sorry to show you such an end. The death of someone is not the end. Look further ahead."
"…."
"Lord of Infinite Castles. I shall go first. My apologies for dumping the aftermath on you."
"If you're old, you should just die gracefully. What kind of bullshit is this?"
"Librarian. The truth is not in the laboratory. Mingle with people."
"I will take it to heart."
"Prohibition. Drink in moderation. I have tried it, but sorrow cannot be washed away with alcohol."
"Is that why you chose this? Instead of alcohol?"
"Yes."
"Misha. I didn't expect you, who was so opposed, to agree to this."
"…My motherland abandoned me. If so, I am merely finding a way to survive."
"I see."
"Calavera. Wasn't it your catchphrase that death is not the end? Why are you crying?"
"Because this is the end."
"Zen riddles until the very last moment. How like you."
"Heavenly Sword. You have talent that surpasses mine. Continue to devote yourself until the end."
"…."
Heavenly Sword said nothing and bowed his head. And finally, the Heavenly Demon Sword God's gaze turned toward me.
"Ha-ram. You need to temper that fiery temper of yours. Always try to think twice about whether your actions are right."
"Those words don't really suit me."
"The others are the same."
The Heavenly Demon Sword God looked up and relaxed his body.
"Now. End it."
The Heavenly Demon Sword God must have intended this from the start. To make it look like a great battle had occurred so the surviving Awakened wouldn't be suspected.
While everyone quietly raised their weapons, I spoke.
"Why… did you step forward alone?"
Originally, this incident was something we were supposed to share.
The plan was for those currently unconscious and those standing here to overturn the world, demonstrating the power of the Awakened to create a land where we could settle. And through that act, we, having fallen, would be defeated by other Awakened.
However, before that plan could be executed, the Heavenly Demon Sword God committed the sins, fell, became a monster, and took all the blame upon himself.
A plan where we survive, and the Heavenly Demon Sword God carries all the guilt alone.
"Do not hate others too much. Did they not also act in order to live?"
Hahaha.
The Heavenly Demon Sword God laughed softly. As if he had forgiven everything, he faced his end with a smile.
"What did you intend to do after this? If you all died, the world would fall into long, long chaos."
"As it stands, either way would only be an incomplete success. Awakened are still not treated as human, and humanity will also push the Awakened away."
The powerful hadn't all been cleared out, and the world would doubt the power of the Awakened.
"Then, you must create such a world. Is this not a life I have saved for you?"
For a moment, it became as quiet as if cold water had been poured over everyone's heads.
"Forget what you saw in the basement and think carefully. Can you truly abandon people?"
While we remained silent, the Heavenly Demon Sword God continued.
"The reason we have stood here for fifteen years was to protect people. If so, what reason is there that we cannot wait fifteen more?"
"Did you truly think the world would change by your deaths? To change the world, one must take a long time. Live and change the world."
Everyone slowly nodded at those words.
To change the world.
For the rights of the Awakened.
To protect humanity.
We would now have to live for a long time.
The moment everyone made up their minds.
"A large-scale nuclear attack has been detected. Forty-five seconds to impact."
Librarian spoke.
The dark energy surging from my Dantian twisted my body, trying to shatter the Dantian and take over, while Otherworldly verses whispered constantly in my ear, urging me to fall.
The Heavenly Demon.
I am not worthy of being called by that name. Where is the Heavenly Demon who is consumed by the demonic?
I looked at my panicked comrades.
They seemed at a loss for what to do. As expected, they still lack time.
"Kong Jianping!"
I called my disciple's name, my hoarse voice ringing out thick and deep.
"Yes! Master!"
"Take it!"
The Hwando I had used for a long time flew through the air and was entrusted to my disciple's hand.
A blade filled with countless negations.
It would be too heavy for Heavenly Sword to wield yet, but he would use it one day.
It would be the last thing I leave to the world.
"Everyone, run! I will stop that!"
There were still innocent humans within the range of the nuke. That must be why they couldn't flee immediately.
Though everyone harbored hatred for humanity after seeing that facility in the basement, they were all people who had sacrificed themselves for others for a long time.
They had merely strayed into a dark path for a moment due to a great shock. Given time, they would walk the righteous path again.
"Geezer. If it's about stopping it, I'm better—"
