――Of course that was not a coincidence.

  Sumika had seen through the tactic of Aleph and Bet of parting into two groups, so she was aiming for this from the start and adjusted her position. She was intentionally making the line of fire of the four people overlap.

  James who was understanding that from looking at afar, felt a shudder even more than the reliability he felt.

  “……I understood that she is a prodigy, but……”

  He never imagined that it would be to this degree.

  Even among the S-rank magicians, she was certainly a cut above the rest.

  ――But, that was how it should be.

  The target that Sumika aimed for was in the height that was far higher than even S-rank.

  That was why she couldn’t stop at just the level of S-rank.

  ……From this quick-wittedness of Sumika, almost all the main force of the allied forces had been annihilated.

  Sumika and James that became free due to this immediately turned to assist the interception unit, rallying the Japan’s side in one go due to the addition of the two S-rank.

  The allied forces that lost their main force was pushed back right away, the majority of them were crushed.

  Because there was still reserve forces remaining at the allied forces’ rear, they were by no means annihilated, but the damage inflicted to them was enormous, most of all having the defensive line of Japan’s side rallied back really hurt for them.

  It was mostly impossible to make this battle into a short one.

  At this point of time, Sumika and others were mostly succeeding in their victory condition to hold out until Homura returned to the life sphere.

  And then――almost at the same time.

  The showdown between Homura and Michael that was carried out in an abandoned world’s Tokyo life sphere was also reaching its climax.

  By thinly compressing his own , Michael created a giant that pierced even through the clouds.

  Against this, Homura raised his sword of and engraved the spell that called out to a repulsive evil god.

  Listen from the interstice of life and death o the person watching dream on the throne at the bottom of water

  The seething stars shine radiantly in blasphemy declaring the time of destiny to thy

  The person that should come o the great Cthulhu

  If thy hear this voice then open thy eyes if this voice reach then exert thine arm

  Judgment day the sea is colored by blood R’lyeh is surfacing

  Verse theory, as that cursed song kept advancing, the planet began to shake as if it was going mad.

  The sea surged, the ground broke, underground water and magma spurted out from everywhere, that situation was, yes, exactly like the primeval earth.

  And then, at the earth’s surface which was desolate like that――

  “――Open thy eyes. Cthulhu!”

  That god showed its figure as if turning over the bottom of the sea.

  What appeared out to the earth’s surface scattering water spray that was like waterfall, was the majestic appearance of that god.

  That thing possessed two arms that even while looking like anthropoid ape, possessed the enormous size that pierced through the clouds even while from the bottom of the sea, its back also had giant wings of a bat that spread covering the sky fully.

  Its whole body was wet with sea water, its tentacles covered with scales were like rubber, possibly even like gelatin that was tinged with unique green luster, parts of those tentacles writhed, undulated, like dirty water that was flowing without pause.

  And then its body part that seemed to be its head was bloating grotesquely, under its eyeballs that stuck out as if they were scooped out, countless tentacles were wriggling while raising sounds *nucha nucha* that awoken the watcher’s primal disgust.

  That repulsive divinity which was hard to describe was exactly the master of the stone-built sanctuary city, R’lyeh, that was sealed in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, the Great Old One that was said would manifest to rule the surface once more when the celestial bodies were assembled―― Cthulhu.

  {―――・・―――・――――・――}

  Cthulhu which appeared before Michael and Homura greatly wriggled its tentacles that were like a beard while emitting sound like electronic sound, it thrust its giant arms to the sky.

  Thereupon at the sky where the arms were raised, a giant magic circle that was inscribed with shining green hieroglyphz was enfolding.

  At the same time, all the water in all the seas above the earth were shining in the same color――and floated up.

  The floating water rode fast to the sky as if they were possessing a will.

  The water was turning into a few hundred million water currents and gathered at the blade of that Homura held up.

  And then the large amount of water that was gathered into one, before long was turned into a giant blade that pierced the sky.

  (He controlled all the water on this planet into a sword……!)

  Just as Michael said, it was a that compressed all the water that existed on this planet with extraordinary pressure.

  The seven seas that existed on this earth.

  The slash that was established from all that weight, could smash apart even this planet for real.

  It was a great feat that couldn’t possibly be used at the previous world where there were living beings.

  Homura was also being serious in front of the Michael, a formidable enemy that he had never faced before.

  And then, his full power certainly made even Michael feel the pressure.

  But――

  (It’s just the power of evil god in the first place. Against I, the that received the blessings of god, there is no way such thing can eliminate me!)

  Michael was not an existence with a weak heart that would waver against such thing.

  The work of god. In order to accomplish that salvation, Michael swung down his which possessed all his spirit.

  Against this Homura too, in order to save his comrades, he swung the staking his magic power and his whole might.

  “ “OOOoOOoOooOOOO――――――–!!!!” ”

  The blades of the and the that were swung with all the power that both sides possessed clashed.

  Instantly, the clash between the out of norm powers, a shockwave of light was created, the clouds, the trees, the rubbles, the mountains――every single thing that existed on the surface of this death world was smashed into pieces and swept away.

  However, even while spreading such destructive power, the two who were exercising this power didn’t even twitch, the blades that the two sides were swinging were also fighting each other without the advantage going which way.

  If it kept like this perhaps it would be this star that would meet its end first.

  It was such a dangerous rivalry that made one think like that.

  But―― such situation didn’t continue for long.

  Little by little, but with certainty, the crossing blades were beginning to lean to one side.

  The pushing one was――the that was shining gold.

  The side of the Michael.

  “OOoOOoOaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!”

  Producing a voice that was like a roar, Michael put even more strength into the blade that he swung down… pushing back Homura.

  was an existence that was sitting in a position that was exceedingly close to the summit of the world called .

  On the other hand, no matter how abnormal of a prodigy Homura was, he was to the very end a human.

  In that fact existed a difference in potential that was carried since their birth which couldn’t be filled in any way.

  And then that difference manifested itself as reality in this match that clashed one’s full might against the other’s full might, finally――

  *ZAN-*

  Michael’s severed Homura’s of water from the middle and got the better of the battle.

  (This is my… victory-!)

  The which wasn’t obstructed by anything anymore fell down just like that in order to bisect Homura.

  Michael showed his joy from his conviction in victory,

  “――!?!?”

  In an instant, that expression froze into dumbfoundness.

  In his field of vision where not even a single inch ahead could be seen from the shock wave of the annihilation of everything of the earth surface passing through.

  The figure of his hateful enemy reflected there was――changing.

  Of all things, the one who was holding the broken of water was… not Homura.

  A little girl enveloped in a red dress.

  It was the avatar of his grimoire, Vel.

  (~~~~–!)

  And then when Michael noticed that substitution, the battle had been already decided.

  Deep at the bosom of the dumbfounded Michael,

  “That’s a great idiotic expression yeah, -san.”

  Homura made use of and stepped in, and unleashed a fist filled with magic power.

  Michael who swung down his sword at a mistaken place was completely defenseless.

  Toward this surprise attack of Homura, he couldn’t make any response.

  Correct, this was what Homura aimed for right from the start.

  In order to obtain an even more definite victory.

  “Shih-!”

  What he unleashed for this chance of a lifetime, was an uppercut that he forced up with all his body.

  And it was exactly as Homura aimed for, it grazed the tip of Michael’s jaw accurately.

  “Gu, u!?”

  Thereupon Michael’s body which was trying to right its stance lurched violently.

  It was cerebral concussion.

  No matter that he was the himself, the construction of body that he currently used was similar to that of a human.

  Consequently if the tip of his jaw was grazed by a strike, a cerebral concussion would be caused by the shaking in the brain floating inside the skull.

  Michael couldn’t release himself from such truth.

  Like that Homura took away the freedom of Michael’s body, while he was at it he invoked the sorcery to the fist that he thrust up.

  He summoned the sword of , grasped its handle――

  “HAAaa-!!!!”

  In a flash he aimed at the neck of Michael who was in cerebral concussion and swung down the blade.

  His opening taken, his movement stolen, and a final blow was delivered.

  Homura didn’t even give the opponent the slightest chance to counterattack, this was a flowing finishing move that could only be accomplished by real battle experience of a veteran of hundreds of battles.

  The instantaneous slash without any hesitation and mercy didn’t allow Michael to evade or defend,

  It was just like a black thunder falling down to Michael’s neck――

  Crimson flower bloomed in the desolate land.

  {Eh……?}

  Instantly, a slightly idiotic voice of a girl resounded in the battlefield of the two.

  That voice was unmistakably, the voice of Vel which was grasped in Homura’s hand.

  But that was only natural. The girl was unable to understand.

  Why――

  Even though her blade still hadn’t reached Michael’s neck, just how could this much blood come out?

  “Gofu-“

  But, that baffling question of Vel was only temporary.

  The girl also noticed the voice that was like a cloudy groan.

  The blood that dirtied the ground was――

  Something that came out from the largely opened cavity at Homura’s chest.

  {Ma, MASTERRR――――–!?!?}

  (Nn……?)

  A warm something was touching her cheek unpleasantly in drops.

  It awakened the consciousness of Shiori who was sinking in darkness.

  (Eh, I, was……)

  Within her muddy consciousness, Shiori recalled just what happened to her before she lost consciousness.

  She encountered Michael inside a pocket dimension, she was restrained… just like that she was swallowed into his body entirely, that was her memory.

  Like that, when she recovered the working of her brain until she could remember that, at that time

  “――――-! -!”

  A voice she remembered hearing before struck her ear.

  Shiori knew really well the owner of that voice.

  There was no mistake.

  The avatar of . The voice of that monster.

  The annoying avatar of evil god who was trying to pull away Homura from the human world into the world of monsters, so that she could monopolize him alone.

  For Shiori who wished for Homura to obtain happiness as a human, Vel was an opponent where hatred was insufficient to describe her feelings.

  But, why did she hear her voice like that?

  And then, why did the voice of that girl sounded this desperate?

  To obtain the answer to that question, Shiori reflexively opened her eyelids,

  “Eh――”

  She saw the figure of Homura, his chest gouged standing in front of her.

  “Ho, mu… ra?”

  Unable to swallow the sudden situation, Shiori was dumbfounded.

  On the other hand, Homura looked at Shiori who opened her eyes,

  “……Aah, that’s great……. So you’re still alive……”

  It was a relieved smile from the bottom of his heart.

  “-really. This is because, you are sleeping in a place this dangerous…… that I almost cut you down, y’know.”

  “That wound of yours……! -!? ――What’s, this……!?”

  Most likely Shiori was trying to rush at Homura’s side.

  But, Shiori’s body didn’t move forward even for a little.

  That was natural.

  That was because the girl’s face was half hidden, buried inside the chest of Michael that was exposed bare.

  “As expected you stopped your sword. ……So you cannot kill your beloved person for the second time.”

  That amazed tone of voice, was Michael’s.

  In other words, this was the trick of this situation’s reversal.

  In that decisive moment, Homura’s sword should definitely have severed Michael’s life.

  But in that last moment timing, Michael let out the trump card that he had prepared beforehand.

  Giving a glimpse of the hostage that was Shiori, he thrust before Homura the fact that killing him meant killing Shiori.

  As a result, Homura stopped his sword just barely.

  And then, in that fatal opening, Homura’s chest was gouged open by a holy art.

  “If you care for human life until that much, it would be better if you only advance in the path of faith praying to god. If you just did that… surely you wouldn’t need to shoulder such great sorrow with that body of man.”

  There was not even a little bit of tension anymore within Michael’s voice.

  He was convinced.

  That Homura was already… a dead person walking.

  In actuality, Homura’s internal organs together with his breastbones had already been blown away, no matter how excellent a magician Homura was, it was difficult to preserve his life like that.

  After vomiting out even more large amounts of blood from his mouth, Homura fell down on the spot.

  But―― before his body fell down to the ground, he grasped the arm that Michael thrust forward to release the holy art, that grip strongly held on to the degree that his nails caused blood to come out. Homura held his ground like that.

  And then,

  “Kukuku…… hahahahaha-……!”

  Even while blood was leaking out from his mouth, Homura laughed without minding that.

  Looking at that reaction of Homura, Michael asked with a dubious expression. “What is funny?” He asked.

  In response Homura answered as if spitting out.

  “It’s obvious just what the hell is funny, you stupid idiot―. You said out something idiotic. The god of you assholes… has he saved us even once huh? That time, when my family was killed… That time, when Shiori was at that hell… That time when Typhon burned cities, when mankind itself was ruined… You assholes, just what the hell were you doing then?”

  They didn’t do anything.

  When humanity was lamenting, praying, begging for salvation, there was nothing that rewarded them.

  Homura knew that to a painful degree.

  “Then there ain’t nothing to do, but to protect them myself……!”

  But the angel didn’t try to understand that grievance of Homura.

  “Those trials were also all the will of god. It’s going to far even beyond your station to try to surmise that with that body of man. ……Humans only need to believe and pray to god no matter what kind of time they are in. If they do that, then no matter how much their bodies are ruined, they will receive the blessing of having their soul guided to the paradise of god.”

  It was a one-sided salvation that was too condescending in all respects.

  It was a stance that didn’t try to understand even for a little bit, the sense of values of humans who only possessed a single body and a single heart.

  And yet, these people were exclaiming salvation with loud voices.

  It was already a story where he could do nothing but laugh.

  It was also only natural for Homura to laugh out.

  “This talk just ain’t going anywhere. I’m not calling for you. Shitty bastard.”

  A scorn spitted out together with blood. In response to that,

  “That’s my line. In your trial you didn’t pray, didn’t believe in god, you made use of the power of evil and imitated god. You violated god’s privilege of [salvation]. That’s a great sin. God will not save you anymore. In the salvation that will be carried out after this, ――is not of any concern to you anymore.”