Tatakau Shisho

Volume 7, 3: The Shadow is Creeping Near – Part 4

Volume 7, Chapter 3: The Shadow is Creeping Near – Part?4

“Hoho, Matt-san did that?”

The Armed Librarian Kyasariro Totona stood at the Library’s underground near the entrance to the Sealed Labyrinth. Since she liked Noloty when she was alive she wasn’t a stranger to Yanku.

He told Kyasariro he had received a punishment from Mattalast.

“Matt-san’s also strange sometimes, huh. You don’t look like a problem child to me at all.”

Kyasariro was frankly sympathetic towards him.

“I did cause many problems, but I’ve reflected on that. However, Mattalast can’t agree to it yet.”

“Poor you. You probably want to become an Armed Librarian as soon as possible too, right?”

Yanku nodded.

Since the end of the year was approaching, the normal librarians working at Bantorra Library were also sparse. Even the Armed Librarians left the Sealed Labyrinth and wrapped up their work for the year. The only one about to dive into the Labyrinth right now was Kyasariro.

“So what do you need from me?”

“Just as Mattalast told me, I don’t think I can do real battle training yet. So I’d like to look at the Books of past Armed Librarians and learn ways of fighting.”

“Ambitious, eh. I’d also like my trainees to be like that. I will bring them as fast as possible, so please wait for about five hours. I’ll bring them along with the next Book shelving.”

Saying so, Kyasariro opened the gate to the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth.

“Will you be back in just five hours?”

Yanku was surprised.

“Don’t underestimate me.”

Kyasariro smiled.

She went to the Labyrinth with a great amount of luggage. She carried a box full of Books that needed to be shelved.

And that was not everything – she also had a dozen pistols equipped on various parts of her body, as well as about five reserve guns in addition. That wasn’t all either as she pulled around a small cart containing a sphere-shaped drum. This was not an amount that one person could carry alone. It was so heavy that it was doubtful whether even two horses would be able to pull it off.

“Well then, I’ll get going.”

Saying this, all of her guns and the container rose up in the air. They all lined up and followed Kyasariro as if they were baby ducklings.

This was her ability. With her fearsomely precise telekinesis she could control and levitate twelve specially-made guns in the air at the same time. Each one of them was as accurate as a sniper and held enough power to destroy the armor of a tank.

Judging by firepower only, she was easily five times stronger than Mattalast.

While seeing her off, Yanku chuckled in his own heart. She was the perfect person to be used for his plan.

Five hours later, Yanku sat in the special reading room, reading Books and letting his pen run on a notebook. He summarized the tactics of past Armed Librarians and found which parts he could incorporate as well.

Obviously this was not his true goal. However, there were no signs of Kyasariro suspecting him. Yanku was originally a diligent student. He simply had to act as he always did.

“Seems like it’s about time. I’ll go returning the Books.”

After a while, Kyasariro collected the Books scattered on the desk.

“Sorry, thanks for your help.”

“It’s fine, I’m doing this anyway.”

Kyasariro said while carrying a box loaded with tools. Her work after this was to inspect the telegraph facilities in the Third Sealed Labyrinth.

It was the time Yanku had been waiting for.

He felt tense and a sense of guilt for deceiving Kyasariro rose to his chest. A few minutes after she entered the Labyrinth, he came following in her steps.

He could hear Kyasariro’s footsteps from afar. Fortunately she was wearing leather boots with a hard bottom today as well. If he was unable to follow her footsteps he would have lost her.

Yanku released his own mud ability. Regulating its viscosity, he spread it on the floor. By walking on top of it there were no footsteps.

“…I can do this.”

His muttered words were so quiet that one couldn’t hear them expect by being near Yanku’s mouth. No matter what happened, he had to never let Kyasariro notice he was tailing her.

How much did they walk? During all that time, he kept praying that the Guardian Beasts won’t attack him from behind. Kyasariro was walking about 200 meters ahead of him. The sounds of her footsteps echoed loudly.

“…My good luck continues.”

Yanku muttered.

If he was found by another Armed Librarian he would undoubtedly get questioned. However, he didn’t have to worry about that for only today. There were no Armed Librarians or trainees in the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth. It would only be like this in the time period from the end of the year until the New Year. The Labyrinth was normally a quiet space, but today that stillness felt as if it exerted physical pressure on his ears.

Another part of his good luck was receiving Kyasariro’s cooperation.

“…!”

In the next instant…

A thunderous roar resounded all of a sudden; it was Kyasariro’s gunshots. It sounded as if several dozens of people were engaged in a gunfight, but it was only one person fighting by herself.

He was thankful for that gunfire. Yanku rushed out and approached a spot from where he could confirm Kyasariro by sight.

Twelve guns floating in the air surrounded the Guardian Beast Cavalryman. She ripped its body to shreds using overwhelming firepower. Yanku took that opening.

He invoked his Magic Right. He produced enough mud to be grasped by both hands at his feet. It soundlessly slid on the floor of the Sealed Labyrinth and headed to Kyasariro’s feet. It jumped on the drum container floating behind her like a living being. It then stuck itself firmly to the bottom of that drum.

“Easy peasy!”

He heard Kyasariro’s cheerful voice. Yanku hid himself so that he wouldn’t make any footsteps.

Her footsteps grew farther. She didn’t seem to notice the mud stuck to her drum.

That does the trick, thought Yanku. He passed through the first step.

Before long Kyasariro reached the Fifth Sealed Archive. Yanku also entered several minutes after she passed.

His goal was ahead: it was the weapon stored in the Fourth Sealed Archive, the one that once cornered Hamyuts, the one that crushed Mokkania – the Ever-Laughing Magic Blade Shlamuffen.

Kyasariro was walking through the Fourth Sealed Labyrinth. Yanku knew that tailing her any further would be impossible. Once he got past the Fifth Sealed Archive, the number of Guardian Beasts would also rise dramatically. If he were to get attacked from behind while tailing Kyasariro he would be obviously found out by her.

Yanku wouldn’t be able to pass through the Labyrinth by himself. If he were powerful enough to do so he would have been promoted to an actual Armed Librarian.

There was only one way. Yanku closed his eyes inside the Archive and focused. He let one drop of the mud attached to Kyasariro’s mud fall to the ground. Every ten seconds he let another drop fall. He carefully adjusted the viscosity of the mud as to not raise any noise.

The mud that fell to the ground signified the shortest route of the extremely complex Fourth Sealed Labyrinth to him.

Several hours passed. Kyasariro passed the Fourth Sealed Labyrinth and was about to enter the Third Labyrinth.

This was the final barrier. Along with the question of whether it will succeed or not there was also the issue of Yanku’s stamina. He breathed heavily as he produced the maximal amount of mud.

A string was born from the mud that accumulated like a mountain at his feet. The string followed the road like a long, long snake and advanced through the Labyrinth.

“…Kh…”

He started losing control. The long stretching mud was about to become mere soil.

Then, the mud tentacle reached the door to the Fourth Sealed Labyrinth. It opened the door with all of its strength. It snuck through the gap of about five centimeters.

He completely focused on the sensations transmitted to him through the tentacle. It crawled inside the Archive and looked for the figure of a spider. Shlamuffen was supposedly kept in there.

No, that’s a Book. Not that either… that’s some rescue apparatus someone had left behind. The mud tentacle kept crawling inside the Archive.

And it finally found the spider Magic Blade.

For some reason, the spider moved its own legs and clung to the mud. Yanku no longer had any power to manipulate his mud. He used his remaining powers to convert it into rubber. Then, he pulled at the mud rope using his own hands.

If any of the Guardian Beasts find and sever the rope it would be the end. But while the Guardian Beasts were made to erase intruders they would probably not attack the mud rope.

Time passed as he kept pulling. The headache that came from using too much Magic grinded in his head. How much time had passed? The mud rope suddenly stopped. No matter how many times he pulled it, it would move no further.

“Did it get caught in something?”

Yanku paled. He pulled the rope again and again. Although it didn’t seem like it would move if he pulled it weakly, if he were to pull it too strongly it might break.

“What should I do…”

The upset Yanku hadn’t noticed that the sound of the spider bumping against something came from his immediate vicinity for a while.

When he finally noticed, Yanku opened the door connected to the Fourth Sealed Labyrinth. The spider sword rolled to his feet. His possibility of victory casually fell to the floor.

He picked it up and wore it on his right hand. The spider’s legs spread and dug into his hand.

Yanku ran through the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth while fighting fatigue and dizziness. A murderous smile floated to his face. First comes the vanguard of the Indulging God Cult, Laty. It’s time to give Shlamuffen the first kill.

Present – December 28, 1926

When Yanku finished peeling off the potatoes, he moved on to preparing roast chicken. He lightly cooked ten of them and added lard and spice.

Kyasariro never found out that he had stolen Shlamuffen. She didn’t even know that he had left the Fifth Sealed Labyrinth and went back to his dormitory. There was also no one to notice anything strange with Yanku hurriedly moving to the southern frontier.

If he were discovered, there was no way he would have been able to prepare roasted chicken in that sort of place.

Yanku glanced toward the party hall as he kept coating the chickens in lard. The Armed Librarians were drinking and chatting there. Almost all of the people whom Yanku had decided on fighting against were there.

“Hey, Yanku. Is something the matter?”

A trainee spoke to him.

“It’s nothing.”

Yanku answered without showing any sign of perturbation.

Hamyuts was bored playing with the champagne glass in her hand without drinking it at all. She suddenly rose up. She started walking while holding the bottle and glass.

Hamyuts passed next to Bonbo who was eating a steak along with the bones. She ignored Mattalast and Rizzly who were getting excited by juicy gossip. She silenced Kalne and Tsamuro, who were completely drunk and hitting each other, by pounding on the wall.

Passing next to Mirepoc who was left on a chair near the exit, Hamyuts left outside.

“So you really are here.”

Hamyuts turned her eyes toward the roof and said. A woman was standing on top of the roof. She wore a long-sleeved dress and white gloves. Her face was covered by a thin veil. She seemed to have heavy burns on her face. In her hand she was holding a single stone blade.

Hamyuts jumped onto the roof.

“So you changed your form again, huh.”

“Indeed. After all, using a child’s body is inconvenient.”

Lascall Othello said in a muffled voice. The Memorial Weapon giving people’s story a continuation, the Passed Stone Blade Yor. It was a sword that moved autonomously by borrowing the body of a dead person.

“What do you want? You won’t be able to excavate any Books here.”

“I have no particular business. I merely came to visit Olivia-sama and you, Hamyuts-sama.”

Lascall replied.

“I see. Do as you please then.”

While saying this, Hamyuts sat down on the roof. She brought a bottle of champagne and a glass from downstairs. She drank while watching the night sky.

“You seem to be feeling unwell; what is the matter?”

“I’m not unwell at all. I’m just doing some thinking.”

“Do you have some concerns?”

“I wonder what Olivia’s thinking about.”

Lascall faintly laughed.

“That woman told me half a year ago… that her victory was already decided. But I don’t understand it at all.”

“I see, so Olivia-sama told you that.”

“Yet I’m alive. Matt’s also drinking and laughing down there. Just what did she mean?”

Lascall smiled quietly behind Hamyuts who was holding her knees and thinking.

December 19, 1926

Seven months passed since Olivia’s surrender. Meanwhile, Hamyuts stretched her Sensory Threads into her shop from time to time. Mattalast no longer cared about her. Obviously. Besides being checked by the Sensory Threads, she seemed to be living a perfectly normal life.

Still, Hamyuts peeped on Olivia every couple of days. It was because she was sure she was planning something.

When Yanku visited her place Hamyuts just so happened to see it with her Sensory Threads.

“Jackpot.”

However, she took no action against Yanku or Olivia. She simply stayed silent and watched.

Later, Yanku stole Shlamuffen. That was quite skillful, Hamyuts admired. Yanku seemed to possess a talent different than that of the person he idolized as his big sister.

After that, Yanku left the island. Hamyuts pursued Kyasariro’s movements instead. That was because Olivia had been in contact with her since the day before Yanku deceived her.

Kyasariro finished her job and came back from the Third Sealed Labyrinth. After eating, taking a bath and a nap, Kyasariro headed to Olivia’s shop.

During that time, Hamyuts heard a report from Mirepoc at her office. She feigned to be listening to Mirepoc’s words, but almost all of her consciousness was focused on Olivia and Kyasariro.

“What do you mean by that?”

Olivia appeared to be tense. Obviously, thought Hamyuts. No matter how close these two were, she had just unveiled a secret that wasn’t trivial at all.

Olivia spoke to her inside the shop. She spoke about Vend Ruga and the relationship between the Indulging God Cult and the Armed Librarians.

Kyasariro listened to her while emitting cold sweat.

“Will you believe me?”

“…I have no doubt about your words, Olivia-san. Besides, this is too big for a lie.”

“We have to do something. Both for those who had already died as well the people who will turn to be the sacrifices for the Cult from now on.”

“So what will we do?”

“I’d like for you to fight with me. Not just you, Kyasariro, but I’d also like you to gather some people you can trust.”

“…”

“Will you do it?”

Kyasariro restrained Olivia.

“Wait. This is too big. Let me think for a bit.”

Olivia nodded. However, she looked anxious.

“Don’t worry, I will never do anything bad to you, Olivia-san. You know this.”

“I got it. I’ll believe in you.”

The two nodded at each other and separated.

Hamyuts’s duty as the Acting Director probably was to erase Olivia, Yanku and Kyasariro at this point in time. Yet she abandoned it. She didn’t even tell about it to people like Mattalast and Yukizona.

This was clearly a breach of trust, yet she never hesitated. She did so because her long-standing boredom was unbearable.

Present – December 28, 1926

Hamyuts was thinking while gazing at the nightscape of Past God Island on the roof. The battle to destroy the Armed Librarians and the Indulging God Cult has started moving. The revolt quietly hidden in daily life has begun.

However, this was not enough for Olivia and the rest to obtain true victory. Even if they defeat the new Indulging God Cult, even if they defeat Hamyuts, unless they also destroy the cause of everything – Heaven – it will have no meaning.

Without the only way to destroy Heaven – the Violet Wish – their battle will be completely meaningless.

Olivia didn’t tell either Yanku or Kyasariro about the Violet Wish. Did she think of some reason to not tell them, or had she actually not known of it?

“Say, Lascall. Did you inspire Olivia somehow?”

Hamyuts spoke towards Lascall who stood at her back.

“You are sharp as expected, Hamyuts-sama.”

Lascall said unabashedly.

“Because most of these unnecessary things are connected to you. You probably told Olivia about the Violet Wish, right?”

“I have indeed. Vend Ruga-sama never told Olivia-sama of the Violet Wish. His wish was only for someone to remember him.

However, with that the story of the Violet Sinner-sama would end. Because this is contrary to my functions, I have informed Olivia-sama of that wish.”

“Really now, you sure love pointlessly stirring things up.”

Hamyuts lied down on the roof.

“Say, there’s no mistake, right? You have told Olivia of the Violet Wish.”

“Undoubtedly.”

Lascall never lied. However, this only made it harder to understand.

Olivia could never win without the Violet Wish. She also knew that. Despite this, she hadn’t spoken of it with anyone. Was there any necessity to keep it a secret from Kyasariro and Yanku?

Besides, what about Minth’s interrogation? Didn’t he clearly see with his Sacred Eyes that Olivia knew nothing about the Violet Wish?

Did Minth lie? That was impossible. He was faithful to his duty as the Overseer of Paradise. He wouldn’t leave someone who was harmful to the Cult running about.

Did Olivia know of the Violet Wish or not? What was she doing? Hamyuts just couldn’t see how Olivia would be able to destroy Heaven and the Armed Librarians.

“You seem to be troubled, Hamyuts-sama.”

“Yeah. I can’t understand it at all and it’s annoying me.”

“I will tell you but one thing. The possibility for Heaven to be destroyed does indeed exist. The story of the Violet Sinner, the story connected to the end of Heaven, did not come to a full stop.”

Lascall started speaking.

“It is a possibility close to the impossible. Much like building a castle atop a spider’s web or breaking diamond with the feather of a bird. However, as long as there is someone who does not think of it as impossible, this possibility keeps existing.”

“Are you saying that Olivia or Yanku might be able to destroy Heaven?”

“Well, who can tell? Future is not my domain, after all. I have no way of knowing whether the wish of the Violet Sinner-sama will come true or if the Armed Librarians obstruct it.”

Saying this, Lascall Othello melted into the roof and disappeared.

“I’m understanding this less and less by the minute. What is she trying to do?”

As Lascall vanished, Hamyuts kept pondering all by herself.