◈ 465. [Side Story] Everything Black (5)
“Jupiter Jr.”
When the Emperor called his name in a low voice, the embarrassed Junior took a posture at attention.
“Yes yep! your majesty!”
“I said that you have to deal more than a certain amount of damage to the entire magic circle. Specifically, what kind of blow is it?”
“I think we should do it in such a way that we definitely destroy the points where the magic path flows in more than ten places in the entire magic circle.”
“Ten places… .”
A situation where there is not much time left before the shutdown protocol is triggered.
Destroying ten places seemed impossible at first glance, but the emperor thought seriously as if he had no intention of giving up.
“Jupiter Jr. You seem to be a wizard Ash trusts.”
“Yes that’s right.”
“Jim will go destroy another point in the magic circle, so can I leave this place?”
Junior slowly glared at Reina, who was standing with a cane in the distance.
To subdue Reina who appeared to protect the magic circle and even destroy the magic circle… … It was a difficult task, but nonetheless.
Junior answered without hesitation.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please leave it to me.”
“Thank you. make me believe it.”
The emperor nodded, flapped his cloak and headed to the basement on the other side, and the imperial guards chased after the emperor and disappeared in a hurry.
“… .”
“… .”
There was silence for a while in the empty basement.
Junior and Raina slowly moved to the side while their eyes met. It was Reina who broke the silence first.
“Why are you trying to stop this, Junior?”
“Why?”
Junior was so ridiculous that he answered sharply.
“It is to prevent innocent citizens of the imperial capital from being slaughtered.”
“That’s the odd thing.”
Reina laughed.
“If you are in a position to avenge Camilla Kingdom, shouldn’t you rather let the shutdown protocol activate?”
“… !”
“In your country, the Imperial Army massacred civilians. Proof that you are alive It is your body battered by Jupiter’s magic.”
Junior unknowingly squeezed his left arm with his right hand. His left half, where burn marks were clearly visible.
Reina continued to exhale bitterly.
“The empire slaughtered civilians all over the world in wars of conquest. If it hadn’t been for Jupiter’s mutiny 15 years ago, I would have continued to do that to this day.”
“… .”
“If all the civilians in the imperial capital were slaughtered. Couldn’t that be called karma?”
It was sophistry. It was nonsensical bullshit.
But-
“Let this magic work. The Empire will receive the punishment it deserves, and the victims of Camilla Kingdom will be able to put their minds at ease in the afterlife.”
Horrible memories of childhood squeezed Junior’s heart.
Lightning strikes and storms.
A collapsing temple. The priest who collapsed while sprinkling blood… … .
home lost. The biological parents, whose body was never found.
The younger siblings who still live with their burnt bodies.
And the citizens of the Empire live happily in the imperial capital without any interest in such tragedies… … .
‘why?’
Why do we have to live such different lives just because we were born in a different country?
‘That’s not fair.’
Thinking so, even for a moment, Reina’s words sounded sweet.
‘An eye for an eye. In this. Blood for blood.’
The anger and resentment that this lump in my heart won’t go away… … If I do what Reina said, I think it will disappear at least a little bit.
‘They should know the pain I’ve been through.’
A whisper came in my ear. Junior almost agreed with Reina’s words for an instant.
It was then.
– Just don’t forget. everything you’ve been through
The voice of Camus, who died fighting Rayna, rang in his mind.
– To forgive, forgive. Revenge to get revenge. If you can’t choose between the two, that doesn’t matter either. keep thinking about it Until one day you find the answer you are looking for.
Junior stopped.
Grind your teeth, clench your fists, inhale and –
“… I am.”
And finally.
Junior spat out with difficulty.
“I do not forgive the Empire. but.”
Junior raised his eyes and looked straight at Raina.
“But I don’t want to take revenge on the empire either.”
“… .”
“I will never be able to forgive the empire forever, but that doesn’t mean… … I don’t want to take revenge by paying blood for blood.”
At that moment, the whispers that tickled Junior’s ears disappeared.
My vision cleared and everything became clear. Junior took a deep breath.
A faint smile crept across Reina’s lips, who had been listening quietly.
“You are weak. Junior.”
“Yes, I am weak!”
Junior squeezed his chest with his burnt hands.
“But is that wrong?”
“… .”
“I just want to quit. I hate revenge and I don’t need forgiveness… … .”
It didn’t matter if you cursed at me for being cowardly. It didn’t matter if he was accused of being a coward.
He just wanted to live with his enemies.
I wanted to live together.
That’s all.
“I just remember. I’m just going to keep it clear so that everyone knows what happened so that they don’t forget.”
“… .”
“I just… .”
Junior looked at Raina with anxious eyes.
“Getting out of the frame of revenge or forgiveness… I just want to talk to you.”
Reina smiled.
“… You obviously made that promise.”
Next time we meet, let’s talk about each other. Let’s talk about how each other lived.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’re in a situation to chat.”
With
her legs wide open, Reina began to collect the wind in her fingertips.
“You want to stop the shutdown protocol? Then kill me.”
“… .”
“That’s the only way, Junior.”
Junior gritted his teeth and held out his wand – [Lord of Crimson].
“I will save you and stop the shutdown protocol.”
“With such a soft mind that is neither black nor white… .”
Quaaaaaa!
The wind rushing towards Reina suddenly became stronger. Reina laughed bitterly.
“Neither one will make it, kid!”
Tuhak! Tuhak-!
Reina fired a magic bullet of wind with her fingertips. Junior created a windfall and offset it.
Kugu Palace! Kugoogu Palace… … !
The underground space vibrated violently, and misty dust flowed down like a waterfall.
As if it was destined from the beginning.
The two wizards’ life-and-death decision had finally begun.
***
“… no.”
The Emperor stopped walking towards the basement.
Now that there is not much time left, it is absurd to destroy the magic circle by circumnavigating the entire underground of the ecliptic.
Even though he is an emperor who has reached divine status with his own might, there is a limit to the physical power he can exert.
It was impossible to destroy the magic formations that had spread all over the underworld of the ecliptic in one blow.
Then, by elimination… … We must pray for the strength of others.
“… .”
After making his judgment, the emperor changed his course. The imperial guards followed the emperor, sweating profusely, as he flew down the stairs to return to the ground.
Upon reaching the ground, the emperor raised his head and quickly looked around.
“The fact that Raina is here right now… You mean Alcatraz is nearby?”
It was the emperor himself who granted the right to use the imperial flagship, Alcatraz, to the magic corps.
The emperor raised the back of his hand toward the distant sky and declared.
“come! my ship!”
A deep blue pattern shone on the back of the emperor’s hand.
The soldiers of the Imperial Palace Guard were bewildered, but after a while they opened their mouths.
Alcatraz, which had been waiting high in the sky, had been forcibly landed as if it had been forcibly captured.
“It’s Jim’s flagship, and of course calling it is also according to Jim’s will.”
As the Emperor clenched his fists, the landing hatch of Alcatraz opened violently. The soldiers of the magic corps who were riding inside were frightened and did not know what to do.
Seeing that, the emperor spoke to the imperial guards.
“What are the guards doing?”
“Yes yes?”
“Bring them out and arrest them. right now.”
“Ah yep!”
After clearing out the magic troops inside the airship, the emperor climbed Alcatraz alone.
Tuhak… … !
Although it is usually a non-empty ship that requires more than three people to control it, the emperor soared into the sky by controlling the non-empty ship with only his will while sitting in the seat of honor without anyone on board.
The Imperial Palace Guard on the ground and the magic corps soldiers caught by them opened their mouths and saw Alcatraz walking away.
oh oh oh-!
Floating the airship in the center of the sky of the ecliptic.
The Emperor called into the microphone of Alcatraz and amplified his voice using his own powers – so that the entire ecliptic reverberated.
「I tell you!」
The emperor’s voice was clear and had a unique power. The voice spread far and wide to the surroundings as well as the ecliptic.
Everyone looked up at the sky.
The Ecliptic Defense Forces, the Imperial Army, and the people of the World Defense Front, who were fighting each other with weapons pointed in front of the southern gate of the ecliptic.
Geronimo and the Imperial airship fleet, which continued to chase in the airspace, also.
The citizens who were clamoring in the outskirts to escape the imperial capital. The citizens who believed in the eternal life Fernandez promised and lived their daily lives in their own homes.
When the voice of the emperor, who was said to be dead, was heard in the air, everyone stopped moving and raised their heads in unison to look up.
“Jim is Traha ‘Peacemaker’ Everblack! The only true emperor of this empire!」
“Your Majesty… … ?!”
“Isn’t he dead?”
“Then why did Prince Fernandez… .”
Citizens groaned in surprise. the emperor continued.
「First of all, I apologize for not fulfilling my duties as an emperor after being away for a long time.」
The citizens were more surprised and held their breath all at once.
Is that Emperor Traha an apple?
It was more surprising than seeing the dead emperor come back alive.
“As an emperor who abandoned the country, I have no face, but I would like to ask you one thing in the face of an unprecedented crisis that has come.”
The emperor did not hide it.
“The magic circle that Fernandez installed is ready to activate. When this magic is activated, all living things in the ecliptic will die.”
“… ?!”
A soundless scream spread out in all directions.
People in panic tried to run in front to run out of the ecliptic at any moment.
However, the emperor’s voice that followed flew louder and clearer.
“Citizens of Jim! Fight against it if you want to live!”
“… !”
“Eternal life given by others is a lie! The only ones who deserve to survive are those who fight to protect their own lives!”
The voice of the emperor who ruled the largest country in the world had the power to make people pay attention and follow it.
The emperor shouted in succession.
“Fight!”
“Destroy the underground magic circle!”
“This is an order from the Emperor, and at the same time… It is also a request.」
The emperor’s request.
Hearing those words for the first time in his life, the eyes of the citizens went round.
「Protect New Terra, my citizens!」
Citizens who had scrambled to escape to the outskirts of the ecliptic through back roads turned back to the station.
Citizens who had been sitting in the house with a calm expression also ran out of the house.
“To protect myself… Fight!」
Underground.
The soldiers of the magic corps and the Aegis task force, who stood guard at each important point in the magic circle, faced each other with dejected expressions.
Wow-!
Citizens were jumping down from the ground to the basement with terrifying momentum.
One by one, weapons fell from the soldiers’ hands. One of the task force members muttered despondently.
“… Isn’t this cheating, Your Majesty?”
Boom! Kwajik-!
The magic circles of the Shutdown Protocol began to be destroyed all at once by the hands of citizens throughout the underworld of the ecliptic.
