Tatakau Shisho

Volume 8, 5: Despair Under the Sun – Part 2

Volume 8, Chapter 5: Despair Under the Sun – Part?2

Their separation that day was burned into Hamyuts’s mind. By closing her eyes she could see it as if it happened yesterday.

“In the end only one of your predictions came true.”

Saying this, she caressed the embroidery at her chest.

Hamyuts suddenly thought.

If Chacoly had been alive and saved Ruruta… then Hamyuts would’ve probably not been killed by anyone. Perhaps she would’ve quit being an Armed Librarian and had a normal death as a normal person. Or perhaps she would’ve lived as the Acting Director just like this?

Would she get married? If she did, then it would have to be with Mattalast, right? What about children? She couldn’t imagine it.

“Well, there’s not use imagining it anyway.”

Chacoly died. She became the Violet Sinner, an existence that couldn’t even be spoken of. The Violet Wish had been cut away and could no longer come true.

And the world was going to be destroyed.

Hamyuts looked down from her window. She didn’t use her Sensory Threads; she didn’t need to. All the people in the world have been defeated by Ruruta and none of them possessed the will to live.

“…Hmm?”

However, someone was moving. Hamyuts strained her eyes. She found someone unfamiliar.

Enlike was frantically searching for Hamyuts. By now he should have searched most of the spacious premises. She was supposed to be somewhere in Bantorra Library.

“What’s that woman doing? Is she fighting somewhere?”

Hamyuts was probably fighting somewhere. No matter how abnormal of a mind she has, even Hamyuts wouldn’t face the end of the world without fighting. That was what Enlike thought.

And so he had a blind spot. He never thought she would be in that kind of place.

“Hey, who are you?”

He heard a voice from above. He looked up. Hamyuts’s face was poking from the window of the topmost floor. He could see it was the Acting Director’s Office.

“Can you still move, Hamyuts?”

Enlike called to her. Hamyuts answered while tilting her head.

“Referring to me with no honorific just like that? In the first place, who are you?”

Enlike jumped to the roof, kicked the walls and rushed into the office.

Jumping into the office, Enlike could see a cup of coffee resting on the table. It was still wet as if it had just been drunk from.

He couldn’t believe what he just saw. Faced with the destruction of the world this woman was elegantly drinking her coffee. He even wondered if she might have lost her sanity due to fear.

“What are you doing in this situation? Do you even understand what’s going on? The world’s about to be destroyed!”

“I know that. More importantly, who’re you?”

Instead of naming himself, Enlike shot a small lightning. Hamyuts widened her eyes in surprise.

“It’s you, Enlike-kun? What’s up with that face?”

“My face doesn’t matter one bit.”

He spoke as if trying to demand an explanation, but Hamyuts didn’t care.

“You look totally different. I think you were way cooler before, though.”

Why are you so calm? Enlike truly felt she had lost her mind.

“More importantly, Hamyuts. Tell me about the Violet Wish.”

Hamyuts put her hand to her chin.

“If you know that… then you’re the person Olivia had entrusted the Wish to.

Well, there was pretty much no one else. But what have you been doing this year? Olivia’s plan nearly got exposed.”

Right now that had no meaning. Enlike became angry.

“Cut the bullshit. Tell me about the Violet Wish!”

“Don’t you know about it?”

“It means to save Ruruta Coozancoona from despair. That’s the Violet Wish, right?”

“Hmm, so you do know that. Then you don’t know who Ruruta is? Fine. I’ll tell you.”

“No, I know that too. I know both about that man and the true history of the Armed Librarians.”

Hamyuts seemed confused.

“If you know that much, isn’t the rest simple? What are you asking me about?”

“I can’t do anything with only this. What makes Ruruta despair? How can I save him from that despair?”

Hamyuts widened her eyes in blank amazement. Enlike couldn’t understand why she was making that face.

“You came here to ask me that?”

“You’re the only one to have met the Violet Sinner. Now tell me. What’s the cause of Ruruta’s despair? I’ll crush everything that made him despair. That’s the only way to save the world.”

Hamyuts thought for a while.

“I see, so that’s what you’ve been thinking.”

She nodded in agreement and then made a large sigh.

“Yup, Olivia chose the wrong person. It’s impossible for you to fulfill the Violet Wish.”

Enlike was confused. Several hours ago Lascall had told him the same. What was he lacking? He had both the will and power to fight.

“Why did you decide so? I have to give it a try.”

“That’s true, but… as I thought it’s impossible for you. No way you can do it.”

Hamyuts said while pointing at Enlike’s chest.

“I’ll speak frankly. Right now you’re probably thinking of saving the world or defeating Ruruta. That’s no good.”

What are you saying? Is there any person who wouldn’t think of saving the world now?

“…I don’t understand.”

“I gave you so many hints and you still don’t get what you’re supposed to do?

If you think about it – no, even without thinking about it you should know.

If you’re unable to realize such a simple thing, you are currently useless.”

Ruruta knew about Enlike. The Books of people who have met him were offered up to him. They were the Books of his creator Ganbanzel Grof and the Book of Kachua Beeinhaus. He also remembered that he had once gone down to the Second Sealed Labyrinth.

Killing him would be easy, but he wasn’t in the mood for that. He thought of leaving him be. He had no interest in him. He only thought that he should quickly accept the Power of Tearless Ending.

He probably understood this; he was alive only because of his enemy letting him to. It would be easy for Ruruta to defeat him. He let him live longer because he didn’t care.

It was like that during the banquet of liars two weeks ago as well. Because Hamyuts went easy on her, Olivia survived and Enlike remained concealed.

It was a tragicomedy. Although Ruruta spared him, Enlike thought that he had outwitted him. Although he had no chance to win, he was still going to fight.

“How pitiful, Enlike Bishile.”

Ruruta muttered. He understood this as well – it was impossible for Enlike to save him.

Hamyuts waved her hands to drive off Enlike.

“And so, you’re disqualified. Give up already. Listen to that song and calm down.”

The Beasts of the Final Chapter were singing in a chorus outside. If he were to entrust himself to that song he would definitely become calm.

However, Enlike stayed silent. Hamyuts’s body moved. Immediately afterwards, a lightning strike burnt the office’s desk to a crisp.

“What’re you trying to do?”

He was surprised that even Hamyuts found it unexpected.

“…I’ll kill you and read your Book. Then I’ll learn about the Violet Sinner.”

She looked at Enlike with blank eyes.

“What’re you thinking about? I’m grateful for the proposal though. But it’s useless even if you do that.”

“Shut up!”

Hamyuts jumped aside again. A lightning strike pursued her. She loaded a piece of the desk onto her sling and threw it with one swing. Neither defending or intercepting it, Enlike received the attack and shot further lightning strikes.

“You said you’ll read my Book, but Lascall won’t come anymore. His role is already over.”

Hamyuts said from the room’s corner, entering a posture prepared for a counterattack.

“So what? I’ll just capture Lascall and make him create the Book.”

“No way you could do such thing.”

“…Still!”

The third lightning shot came. While Hamyuts’s legs were scorched, she somehow evaded.

She jumped out of the window and landed on the roof. She was able to read that a pursuing attack would come soon. Before Enlike jumped out she moved to a different location. While relocating she rotated her sling, and just like with Mattalast’s Predictive ability she shot through Enlike’s legs as he was landing.

Even Hamyuts could understand his heart. He despaired and could not let himself be defeated. If he collapses the world will end. Even though he understands it’s impossible, he couldn’t allow himself to be defeated.

What a pitiful man. He worked, worked and worked for many days. Enlike couldn’t give up even this late into the game.

“Even so, you can’t give up, huh?”

Hamyuts laughed strangely.

“Fine. Then I’ll respond to you. Fight to the best of your ability. While fighting, I’ll tell you about the Violet Sinner.”

A lightning strike came. Just before it did, Hamyuts threw the spire’s bell using her sling. The lightning was blocked by the bell. Hamyuts retreated and escaped from Enlike’s firing range.

“Now, come and fight, this is the final fight!”

Hamyuts ran around the roof of Bantorra Library and Enlike was pursuing her. She should have been far above him in speed. However, the fact that she wasn’t able to shake him off was probably due to her going easy on him.

“Shit!”

Hesitation, confusion, as well as the despair approaching his legs all wore down Enlike’s power. His movements were not well-defined just like during the time he had fought against Kachua.

Hamyuts shouted while fighting. Her voice could be heard well and reached Enlike’s ears clearly.

“Well then, shall I tell you about her now?

The Violet Sinner was called Chacoly Cocot. She was raised to destroy Heaven by a certain person. She possessed her power since birth.

And we’ll stop here! Keep going!”

“Shit!”

The Beasts of the Final Chapter didn’t swarm only the ground; there were also plenty on the roof. There were some flying ones as well.

But they were indifferent. They didn’t even look at Hamyuts and Enlike.

He kept pursuing Hamyuts while dodging her gravel bullets and attacking with lightning. She broke the roof and threw its debris.

He was being played with – even Enlike could realize that.

Hamyuts had no reason to fight him. She simply felt sorry for Enlike and went along it.

And even he had no reason to fight. It was already at the stage where even if he defeated Hamyuts nothing would come out of it.

It was a stupid fight. It was meaningless. They both realized that. And yet they kept fighting.

He couldn’t capture the fleeing Hamyuts. She shouted from beyond his range.

“What’s wrong? You’re so disappointing! You should be at least three times stronger than that!”

Encouraged by his enemy, Enlike charged recklessly. He emitted lightning from his entire body while it was being destroyed by gravel bullets.

“Yeah, that’s good.

I’ll tell you. Chacoly’s ability was called Soul Sharing. It’s the superior version of Mirepoc’s Thought Sharing.

She was able to not only exchange what she was thinking about, but could also read the other party’s emotions and give them emotions. It was an outrageous power where misuse could let her control even the heart of a human.”

Thinking of what this meant, Enlike stopped his attack in an instant.

“We’re still in the middle, please fight!”

Hamyuts shot pebbles consecutively as if to scold him. Because he was thinking, Enlike was hit by all of them directly.

He thought while fighting. It might actually be possible to oppose Ruruta with that power. Even a hundred of Hamyuts wouldn’t be able to hurt him at all, but if you could control his heart…

Enlike kept fighting in order to hear the rest. Hamyuts kept avoiding his attacks while smiling.

Ruruta watched the final fight unfolding above ground.

He started thinking. Hamyuts Meseta. Stop playing with Enlike. Do you intend for him to cling to a faint hope and continue this miserable fight?

Let Enlike give up. Release him from his will to live, to fight, and let him be at ease.

Hamyuts admired Enlike’s unyielding heart and was gladdened by it.

However, Ruruta could only feel sorrow seeing him.

He wanted everyone to give up, yet Enlike was the only one to not do so.

He made a single sigh.

They probably fought for several tens of minutes. While Enlike jumped through the sky, he was knocked down by a gravel bullet. Since he possessed a super-regenerative ability it wasn’t a major wound to him. However, when he was knocked off to the ground it affected him somewhat.

Enlike stood up. Hamyuts stood on top of one of the spires.

She opened her mouth again.

“Chacoly read Ruruta’s heart. She intended on controlling him at first, but that was a failure. He possessed resistance to any mind control made by Magic.

But when her heart became connected to Ruruta’s, she knew – he was trapped in a deep despair.

She also knew that he collected the Books of happy people in order to escape that despair.

And Chacoly fell in love with Ruruta.”

What Enlike wanted to know came after that. What did Ruruta despair of?

He tried to attack her further. At that time, Hamyuts stopped moving. Enlike also unconsciously let his hand rest.

“Say, Enlike-kun. Listening so far, do you still not get it? The reason for you definitely being unable to fulfill Chacoly’s wish should be clear.”

“…”

Enlike had nothing to reply.

“You’ve been listening since the start right? Chacoly fell in love with Ruruta. Making her love come true – making Ruruta become happy is the Violet Wish.”

“…I see.”

“In the first place can’t you understand it even without knowing about Chacoly? Defeating Ruruta with power is definitely impossible. If so, there’s only one thing to do.

To make him stop collecting happy Books. To change Ruruta’s heart. Is there anything else?”

“…”

“Do you still not get it? Try thinking about yourself.

You were once eaten by Zatoh and attempted suicide. The one to change that was Noloty.

Now, what did she do to you?”

Noloty told him to stop trying to kill himself. Then she tagged along and did many stupid things. That changed Enlike’s heart.

“It’s the same. The thing needed to change people’s hearts. The thing one needs to do to smash despair.

There’s only one. And it isn’t simple.

You must simply sympathize. Without any self-interest, without any falsehood, sympathize with him from the bottom of your heart.

The thing needed to fulfill the Violet Wish is love for Ruruta.”

Enlike couldn’t move anymore. It was painfully obvious. He didn’t notice that.

“You haven’t thought of it, huh. You had nothing in your head but how to defeat Ruruta.

So it’s impossible. You had to notice that by yourself. It can’t have been taught to you by me. If you act based on self-interest, you can’t sympathize with Ruruta from the bottom of your heart.”

“…”

His mind became blank. It was such a simple thing and such a difficult thing.

“Yeah, it’s impossible. Ruruta is the demon lord who rules this world.

No one could truly sympathize and love him. In fact, no person had ever tried to do so except Chacoly.”

Hamyuts looked down on Enlike. He was simply gazing up at her, stunned.

“Blaming you would be terrible. No one could have done it. So don’t let it bother you.”

“…What does Ruruta despair of?”

“You’re still persisting? What’ll you do with the answer?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh well. If you want to ask me, please fight.”

The battle restarted.

Enlike wasn’t thinking of anything. He was overwhelmed to the extent he couldn’t think. The reality that the world was about to be destroyed; the fact that he wasn’t able to stop it; the fact that this long battle was nothing but futile effort.

He already didn’t think of either saving the world nor stopping Ruruta. He thought of nothing but listening to her story until the last.

Ruruta stopped his feet and looked overhead. He hadn’t laid a hand in the battle above ground. However, he couldn’t let it continue for poor Enlike’s sake.

I shall stop them. Ruruta clenched his fist and raised the index finger of his right hand.

Enlike was heading toward his opponent. Maybe telling him any further about Chacoly was useless. But because I said I’ll tell him I have to do it.

Hamyuts kicked at the roof and jumped to the next roof over.

“Then, let me tell you.

This is about a certain Book that Ruruta Coozancoona had eaten.”

At that moment, her words were cut off. She suddenly looked down. Something was strange at the center part of Bantorra Library. It happened just above the Sealed Labyrinth.

Ruruta Coozancoona raised his index finger overhead.

Oddly he was at the exact center of the Sealed Labyrinth.

It didn’t cause any sound. It was an extremely sharp blow yet wasted no energy. This attack rushed through the ground to the sky in an instant.

Should it be called a needle? It was far too long for that, but its form was that of a needle.

It was about as thick as a person’s thigh. As for its length, it came all the way from Bantorra Library’s underground, piercing the ceiling of the level that was above ground and further reaching the sky. It was probably higher than any building above ground. This was the first time Enlike had witnessed Ruruta’s power with his own eyes. He wasn’t even able to follow how that needle burst through the ground.

“…Hamyuts.”

Enlike muttered.

Hamyuts was located midway on the needle. It penetrated her from the back to the very center of her chest.

Blood started spilling from her. The blood trickled from her throat out of her mouth and all the way to her feet. Besides spitting out blood she didn’t move an inch.

No matter how much one waited, she didn’t stir.

“Hamyu…”

He couldn’t voice the rest. Enlike’s knees sank to the ground. His last hope, the information about Chacoly, was gone.

The needle stuck out from the right of Ruruta. He lowered his index finger and looked up.

“Hamyuts Meseta. It should be enough. Enlike gave up and your wish should also be fulfilled.”

When Ruruta gazed at it, the ceiling of the Labyrinth crumbled with a calm sound as if it was a building made of toy blocks collapsing. Sunlight flowed in and at the same time Ruruta’s body rose to the air.

Ruruta flew, his arms slightly spread and his face turned toward the sky. He was as light as a swallow aiming for the sun. He passed through the ground, went over the Library and passed next to Hamyuts.

Ruruta appeared under the sun for the first time in 2000 years.

“How nostalgic this warm light is.”

The ascending Ruruta stopped. He landed with the toes of his bare feet atop the very tip of the long needle. His clothes and hair fluttered.

“Everything is nostalgic. Even when I’m supposed to know this world already through Eating countless Books.”

His body was very young and small. The body of a boy who barely went through 15 years of life.

His bared upper body was thin, tender and captivating. He had tattoos resembling vines on the skin starting from the backs of both hands, up to the shoulders and then down to his chest.

His only garments were a cloth wrapped around his lower body. Even that creased skirt looked like a robe tied to his waist.

Everyone who’d ever seen him wondered if his face was even human. It appeared grieving, affectionate, and yet also machine-like. It wasn’t the face of someone living in this world; he wore a bizarre expression that looked as if it was created by a master artist pushing his imagination to the very limits.

“I thought I had grown tired of seeing this world, but seeing it again, it’s beautiful.”

Ruruta’s hair hovered above with the wind. He brushed up the hair stuck to his shoulder.

His hair was transparent. This signified his possession of a Magic Right since birth. And, as Enlike knew, it signified he possessed that ability.

Ruruta Coozancoona. His ability was that of Book Eating.

He kept Eating for 2000 years.

He kept living for 2000 years with the Book of someone who could change his form to a tree.

The Book of someone who could protect himself with the erasure of causality.

The Book of someone who could produce a large needle.

The Book of someone who could fly. The Book of someone with Thought Sharing. The Book of someone with supernatural senses. The Book with the ability of restraining. The Book that allowed him to control threads.

And, the Book able to destroy the world, the power of controlling the Beasts of the Final Chapter.

Ruruta had Eaten varied and unbelievable amounts of Books.

He probably possessed no less than fifty Books of warriors that were around Hamyuts’s level. And even warriors beyond her couldn’t be counted on his fingers.

Ruruta was able to thoroughly use their abilities. When the user of same Book Eating ability – Zatoh – had eaten not even a thousandth of that amount, he reached his limits and went crazy.

Ruruta kept gathering Books for 2000 years. He stored the Books of the strong and of the happy in his Imaginary Entrails, making them his own.

“…Ah.”

Enlike couldn’t move but only produce this voice. At least fight until the end, his heart said. However, the difference in their abilities overturned that command.

Ruruta overlooked the area for a long time. Enlike couldn’t gauge his feelings; he was far too high for him to be able to see his expression. Even if he could see it he probably wouldn’t understand it.

Was he looking for something or was he feeling reluctant?

Suddenly, his vision focused on one point. Enlike also saw that.

Fifteen whales were flying through the skies. They were faster than airplanes. It was the whale user Bonbo. He finally came.

Bonbo stood on top of the last whale in line. When he saw Bantorra Library he lowered his altitude and raised his speed further. His target was visible.

Along with the whales’ charge Enlike moved again.

The largest lightning strike Enlike was able to produce and the top-speed charge of all whales.

Ruruta’s hands moved. From his right hand a thin line of light resembling a cotton thread extended. From his left hand a barely visible black fog was produced.

The line of light sliced up the fifteen whales. Along with their scream Bonbo began falling.

The black fog absorbed the lightning and returned it to Enlike as is. His body was burnt and he collapsed.

Confirming that this was the last act of opposition from humans, Ruruta made a lonely smile.

“Ruruta…”

Enlike said as if straining his lungs. It was a small voice, doubtful if he himself could hear it.

“What do you wish for…”

Ruruta looked down at Enlike on the ground.

“What do you need? You were able to gain all of happiness and consume it, so what else could you want…

You have everything, so what could you despair from…”

Ruruta answered.

“From the fact that what I desire is nowhere in this world. The fact that the world exists. I despair that you exist and that I exist.”

At last he heard his words. Enlike’s eyes closed.

This was his last act. He finally gave up on all living people.

The time was 12:29. The sun rose all the way up to the zenith.

No one had noticed.

While pierced by the needle, Hamyuts’s corpse was smiling.

No one paid any attention to it.

In this world, she was the only one to fulfill her objective. Ever since Ruruta started his move, she was the only person to die. Everyone – including Ruruta – was defeated, and she alone was the victor.

A single droplet of blood dripped from Hamyuts’s body.