Evil Avalon
―― Mamiya Chizuru’s Point of View ――
Carrying a tray, I walked quietly down the corridor bathed in dazzling morning sunlight. Outside the windows, a clear blue sky stretched endlessly, and small birds chirped cheerfully. It felt as though last night’s blood-soaked, desperate battle had all been nothing but a lie.
(If only the distant, expansive world could be this peaceful as well—)
But such prayers were in vain. Last night’s events would surely send shockwaves throughout every corner of Japan. Even now, my brother and the others continued their analysis. Shaking off my momentary escapism, I straightened my resolve.
Turning twice down the corridor, I lightly knocked on the door of the reception room at the far end. A voice immediately answered, “Come in.” Bowing, I stepped inside to find my brother and his subordinate, Hayakawa-sama, both smiling at me.
Despite having worked through the night analyzing data, their eyes still shone brightly. Even so, they must be exhausted, so I poured honeyed tea into their cups and urged them to take a break.
“You must be tired. Please, Hayakawa-sama, have some as well.”
“Oh, thank you. Then I shall accept… Mm, it’s sweet and delicious.”
The middle-aged man, wearing a long coat despite the summer heat, smiled as he sipped his tea. Hayakawa Kyoichi-sama—my late mother’s elder brother, meaning my uncle, and my late father’s closest friend. After my parents’ deaths, he became our guardian, supporting both my brother and me, while also serving as the vice-leader of Oboro, steering the organization. He is truly a central figure of the Mamiya family.
Meanwhile, after savoring the aroma, my brother took a sip of tea and asked with a gentle smile, “Is there something you want to ask?” I wondered how he knew, but he immediately added, “It’s written all over your face.” Embarrassed, I blushed, but since he was right, I decided to ask frankly.
“I would like to ask about Narumi Souta.”
“…Is it about his strength, or about his character? Either way, you should first take a look at this.”
When my brother pressed a button on the remote control in his hand, the screen behind him lit up. It displayed Narumi Souta leaping across glowing footholds suspended in midair, facing Sanada Yukikage and Mikhail Maxim, who hovered motionless in the night sky.
Behind them followed Rokurogi Shigure of the Ten Rakshashas… and my brother himself, holding the camera.
I had heard that Mikhail had been defeated by the mysterious Black Knight and forced to retreat, so this must have been footage from before that—after Narumi Kano and Kirara-onee-sama evacuated together using the gate.
But why was Narumi Souta standing among such an extraordinary lineup?
Sanada is one of Japan’s foremost magic users, employing advanced tactics and techniques. Mikhail is a legendary figure known as the right hand of the Saintess Aurora. Rokurogi is a peerless samurai with top-tier skill and experience. And as for my brother—no explanation is even necessary.
To think of fighting amidst such a supreme battlefield—such recklessness borders on sheer audacity.
I assumed he must have simply held my brother or Rokurogi back, or been rescued by the Black Knight who later appeared. Irritated, I turned my eyes away—only to be gently scolded by my brother.
“Watch properly.”
Reluctantly, I returned my skeptical gaze to the screen… and there unfolded a breathtaking battle beyond anything I had imagined.
Thunder magic tore through the night sky with deafening roars, splitting into countless bolts. Their speed easily surpassed the sound barrier, causing even Rokurogi and my brother to take hits and falter. And yet, the only one able to fully respond was Narumi Souta.
He constantly refined his crimson-black mana, darting sharply through the air, evading lightning spells that attacked from unpredictable trajectories. He unleashed even more counters than my brother, desperately maneuvering to reduce the burden on the wounded Rokurogi. Even Sanada and Mikhail were clearly moving with Narumi Souta in mind.
The disparity between my evaluation and the Narumi Souta in the footage was so great that I could not comprehend it. Something felt off. Tilting my head in confusion, I saw my brother smile gently in agreement.
“You find it strange too, don’t you? My reaction speed and movement should be faster—but in reality, he’s several steps ahead of me.”
“He must be accelerating his initial movements through overwhelming experience and knowledge, compensating for his own slowness… Like a battle-hardened master tactician.”
As my brother marveled, he explained that in this battlefield, Narumi Souta was the slowest of them all… yet also the fastest. A truly paradoxical phenomenon.
One reason lay in his skill that allowed him to maneuver freely through the air. That was certainly a major factor. But beyond that, according to Hayakawa-sama, Souta was reading even movements imperceptible to Mikhail, and surpassing even Sanada’s tactical command, accelerating his opening actions to compensate for his inherent slowness.
Among the five, Narumi Souta clearly had the lowest base level. My brother, Rokurogi, Sanada, and Mikhail were all elite adventurers around level 40. In contrast, Souta’s movements were occasionally sluggish, suggesting he might barely reach level 30. Yet he unleashed more mana than anyone and shone brilliantly within this transcendent battle. And yet—
(Is he bridging the level gap with knowledge and experience…?)
Facing Sanada, a veteran who had crushed countless nobles and clans, and Mkhail, a legendary hero who built the world’s largest adventurer superpower? Surpassing these two in knowledge and experience should be impossible… and yet, as I watched the footage, there was no other explanation. My confusion only deepened.
All I could do was helplessly shower them with questions.
“Narumi Souta is still a first-year high school student. Why does he possess such vast experience and knowledge? Is it because, like you, he has innate talent?”
“That may be part of it—but more importantly, he is… a Divinity-Bearer.”
―― A Divinity-Bearer.
Like the Saintess, one who possesses knowledge beyond this world. The true objective behind Sanada Yukikage’s rebellion had not been the gate monopoly, but the acquisition of a Divinity-Bearer. And Narumi Souta was that Divinity-Bearer…?
Recalling his second-rate presence and mediocre mana, I tilted my head once more in doubt—only for my thoughts to be seized as the screen was dyed orange. A grand spell of searing heat had just detonated.
While my brother made an emergency retreat by sprinting along glowing threads, Narumi Souta was trapped in a pincer attack between Sanada and Mikhail, unable to escape, and fought with terrifying ferocity. He narrowly evaded magical blasts fired from blind spots at frightening speed, while repeatedly deflecting and trading blows with Mikhail’s sword strikes. The sheer brilliance of his swordsmanship defied belief.
Yet my brother made an even more astonishing observation. He rewound the footage to the moment the grand spell detonated and the pincer attack began, then played it in slow motion.
“Look. He can barely see either Sanada’s magic bullets or Mikhail’s slashes. His eyes can’t keep up, can they? And yet, he’s still deflecting them properly. That means he’s relying on prediction—moving ahead of time based on foresight.”
“He must have gone through thousands—no, tens of thousands—of life-or-death battles… Truly, a terrifying individual.”
Evading magic fired from blind spots without even seeing it, repeatedly parrying the slashes of a legendary adventurer he cannot visually track—according to Hayakawa-sama, such feats are only possible through countless mortal duels against overwhelmingly superior foes.
I nearly objected, thinking that surviving so many deadly battles would be impossible—but without that explanation, the footage made no sense. So I fell silent. The deeper the analysis went, the more horrifying truths surfaced, sending chills down my spine.
“I had planned to eventually defeat the Saintess infesting this country… but perhaps I underestimated her.”
“Indeed. If a Divinity-Bearer possesses not only vast knowledge, but combat sense of this caliber, then defeating her would be an extraordinary challenge…”
One of the reasons the world cannot ignore our nation is the existence of the Saintess—yet she now remains silent, reduced to a mere tool of aristocratic politics. In terms of Oboro’s goal—dismantling noble society—the current Saintess is nothing but an obstacle. Long discussions had been held regarding when to eliminate her.
Originally, my brother possessed an unrivaled ultimate art: stopping time. If it succeeded, he could eliminate her immediately. However, given the Saintess’s immense knowledge, it would not be strange if she had countermeasures prepared.
Even so, as long as the level gap were closed, my brother’s innate genius could overwhelm her. Once he reached humanity’s pinnacle—level 40—we planned to directly visit her secluded palace and either force her retirement… or kill her.
But if Divinity-Bearers also possess combat experience and instincts rivaling Narumi Souta’s, everything changes. The plan had to be scrapped entirely, and Hayakawa-sama could only shake his head, saying we must rethink everything from the ground up.
Turning our eyes back to the footage, we saw Narumi Souta condensing such colossal mana that it became visibly tangible, unleashing an unheard-of, devastating slash toward Mikhail. A blinding flash erupted, and the shockwave reached even my brother, far away, causing the image to blur.
Even against a legendary adventurer, he never flinched, charging forward into certain death with fearsome concentration and indomitable spirit. And beneath it all lay immense knowledge and profound experience. Had Narumi Souta, as a warrior, already reached the ultimate realm…?
Meanwhile, despite being forced to overhaul their grand strategy, my brother and Hayakawa-sama watched the footage with refreshed expressions. I could vaguely guess the reason why.
“…At last, the one we have longed for has appeared. The future of this country will be forced to change.”
“Do you intend to make him our new standard-bearer in place of Tasato?”
“No. Divinity-Bearers are beings born and cast down to create new eras—whether they wish it or not. And so, our role is simply to observe.”
As Narumi Souta exhausted all his mana and fell, a sinister Black Knight wrapped in ominous black mana emerged, as if taking his place. Soon, a battle beyond mortal comprehension unfolded—and according to Hayakawa-sama, this Black Knight too was likely a Divinity-Bearer.
Approximately one hundred years ago, dungeons appeared across the world, followed by the emergence of four Saintesses, who laid the foundation of the present world order. Now, several Divinity-Bearers distinct from the Saintesses have been confirmed. This is the omen of a new order being born. And so, we shall stand beside them, guide them, and await the arrival of a new age—so my brother declared with a smile.
The transformation of the era—long desired and paid for with countless lives across generations of the Mamiya family and their allies. Now, the one who would embody it has finally appeared. I do not know what kind of world he will create, but I, too, bear the responsibility to witness it.
Clutching my racing heart, holding back the tears that threatened to spill, I could do nothing but pray.
(Please, may the new world be one of salvation…)
・・・・・・・・・・
As the scattered rubble and dust finally settled, a gruesome sight was revealed at the center of the crater gouged into the ground—a man, his upper body buried within it.
Slammed down at a speed beyond expectations, unable even to brace himself, the damage was severe. Ordinarily, taking such an attack from a vastly superior opponent would mean certain death, but they likely had no intention of killing him, wishing instead to lure out his leader.
Senpai slowly reached down, grasped the buried body, and hauled it up.
“Ggh… gah… ha…”
‘Now then, a promise is a promise. Hurry up and call out your so-called boss.’
Gripped firmly by the neck, coughing up blood and barely able to breathe, the man’s gaze lacked any strength, as if he were on the verge of losing consciousness. The adventurers who had been gambling stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Narumi Souta—the man my brother alone acknowledged as his rival, and a Divinity-Bearer. Whatever the process, this outcome had been inevitable. The real issue lay in what came next—most likely, a chaotic melee.
At last, the dull-witted adventurers surrounding us seemed to grasp the situation. One by one, they began releasing killing intent. Next, they gripped their weapons, forming an encirclement around us, their faces twisted in rage, determined not to let us escape.
As I gathered my mana, judging who to prioritize and whom to watch closely based on the amount each was releasing—without any signal, several adventurers lunged at senpai, blades thrust forward.
(Now then, let’s begin!)
Countless adventurers also surged toward me. While running, I activated my speed-boost skill, Accelerator, widening the distance and accelerating. As an observer, I could not allow myself to become a hindrance. I also poured mana into my bracelet, which further enhanced speed, and dashed across the grasslands at even greater velocity.
Though I knew there was no need for concern, lingering anxiety drew my gaze back toward the surrounded senpai. He spun, deflecting every slash coming at him from all directions with his sword, then roared powerfully toward the sky.
‘Let’s do this!! Come down here!! Arthuuuuur!!’
At his cry, deep violet light flared directly above him, and from within it descended a dazzling, pure-white presence. Immense mana that could not fully dissolve into the air swirled into arcs of purple lightning, sending fine tremors through the ground. That was… the spider-shaped Divinity-Bearer who had fought Mikhail alone.
Unless the enemy possessed a top-tier powerhouse like my brother or Rokurogi Shigure, their annihilation was assured. Regrettably, within my field of perception, I could sense no mana of that caliber.
Offering a silent prayer for the foolish adventurers’ souls, I prepared myself for the next great shock.
Thanks you.
ReplyDelete