The Strategist of the Magic Emperor Shatters the Second Destruction - Volume 1 Chapter 0

A sea of flames and a tsunami of earth were covering everything before my eyes.

Shifting my gaze away from the silent human figures tragically piled up everywhere, I looked up to the heavens.

Gnashing my teeth at the brilliantly shining figure above, I helplessly knelt down.

“Humanity, foolishly continuing to prosper. For the barbaric acts committed at the summit of civilization, in the name of the Seraph, I hereby—――Judgment.”

The man with golden hair, floating in the air and looking down at the city, unleashed a blinding light once again.

In the next moment, what was once a city had vanished without a trace.

Men, objects, the space itself seemed to have been suddenly sliced away, disappearing into thin air.

Realizing that this was “it”—the entirety of the phenomenon behind the disappearing city incidents occurring worldwide—I was overwhelmed by an immense feeling of powerlessness.

“Move aside.”

“Ag…uh!”

As I, who had been blankly staring up at the male figure floating in the sky while on my knees, felt a kick from the back by a woman who had drawn her silver sword.

Yudia, one of the four knights directly under the Magic Emperor.

Renowned as the world’s greatest female knight, she wore a disdainful expression in the face of despair.

“Incompetent who can do nothing but kneel, disappear at once. Before you tarnish the name of the Magic Emperor.”

“What… are…?”

“Do you not understand? I’m saying you’re in the way, fool. A useless self-proclaimed strategist obstructing us. A lickspittle following around the Magic Emperor. Normally acting all high and mighty, but utterly powerless when it matters, showing an idiotic face… Hopeless.”

I couldn’t argue back at Yudia—who continued to rebuke me without even glancing at my face.

Because everything she said was true.

Wanting to be of use to the childhood friend girl, I ended up here, capable of nothing.

Probably, the only one who recognized me was the Magic Emperor.

And that, most likely, was merely due to sentimental reasons associated with being childhood friends.

“Finally, I can part ways with you. Refreshing, isn’t it?”

At those words, I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists so hard that I almost crushed them.

“Do you understand!? The only ones left in this city are us! Of the four knights, only you remain! Do you know why!? Because you guys repeatedly acted recklessly and independently, needlessly reducing our forces! Arguing over battle merits among the four knights… Do not blame me for your incompetence!!”

I screamed like a child.

Ah… I truly am incompetent.

I know, I know how useless I am.

And yet, in such a hopeless situation, I lashed out at the only significant force remaining with insults.

I’m less than trash.

Yudia, looking annoyed, snorted and pointed her sword at me.

“Noisy, aren’t you? Since it’s the end anyway, right here—”

“—Stop it, Yudia.”

The one who cut off Yudia’s voice was a dear voice I’ve been familiar with since childhood.

Waving her jet-black hair, the exact opposite of Yudia’s silver, she stepped between us.

“Tch…”

Yudia, having lowered her sword and clicked her tongue, swung her sword, now without a target, elegantly several times at a speed invisible to the eye.

Laughing at such a Yudia, she turned back to me.

With a frighteningly perfect face, she pierced through me with her azure eyes.

“Run, Balam. I’m sorry, I can’t protect you… Sorry.”

“Anim…! You can’t go…!”

Gently releasing the hand I clung to, she stroked it.

“Fufu, Balam. You are my, Magic Emperor Anim’s, strategist, so don’t make such a face. Keep cool as you always do.”

“This isn’t the time for jokes! The other emperors must have been killed by that guy, too! If you go—――――”

Without listening to my words to the end, Anim placed a black glowing jewel in my hand.

『Magic Jewel』.

It is a jewel that seals magic power, made by processing the heart of a monster known as a demon creature that threatens humanity.

Even if I received such a thing… I can’t do anything…

“If it’s your magic, you might find some use for it… I’ve been saving it since we were little, for just in case. Roughly for about twenty years, I guess? Hahaha, quite heavy…”

Saying that, Anim turned her back on me.

“For you, I could do anything… That’s the kind of person I am.”

I had thought so too.

But now, there’s nothing I can do.

“Let’s go, Yudia.”

“…Yes.”

At Anim’s words, Yudia nodded, floating into the air, and rushed towards the man in the heavens who had been looking down upon the city.

“Judgment.”

In an instant, the existence known as the world’s greatest female knight vanished from this world.

“Ahhh…!”

At the voice that escaped my lips unintentionally, Anim laughed while crying.

“…Goodbye, Balam.”

□　　 □　　 □　　 □

In the city strewn with debris where only I remained, a man with six wings descended before me.

“Judgment. A judgment for the foolish humanity that cultivated malice in proportion to its prosperity.”

“…”

While clutching the jewel held against my chest in my left hand, I placed my right hand on the rubble in my despair.

“…Conversion Magic.”

As I muttered, the debris transformed into a sword.

Holding the newly formed stone greatsword, I tried to stand up but failed, staggering.

“Hahaha… Useless… Just die…”

A stone greatsword, not something that could be lifted easily by just a bit of training, was impossible for me, who couldn’t use body strengthening magic.

Even if I could hold it, what could an amateur with no knowledge of the sword do?

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Since childhood, I became capable of using magic before anyone else and devoted my heart to magic, neglecting everything else.

The only identity I had that could be considered my strength, “Conversion Magic.”

Just like I converted debris into a greatsword earlier, it’s a magic that converts anything into something else with different properties.

This magic, which appears useful at first glance, is cruelly selective in its user.

Requiring a vast amount of magic, and only things of equivalent value can be converted.

Creating gold from stone is naturally impossible, let alone anything more than that.

Moreover, since it depends on my imagination, I can’t convert something I can’t imagine.

With a low amount of magic and poor imagination, my compatibility with it was extremely poor.

In other words,

“Judgment.”

Even if I hold the magic jewel filled with the magic power of the strongest Magic Emperor for twenty years, I can’t imagine the “death” of the man before me, so I have no way to defeat him.

All I can imagine is the presence of the absolute being before my eyes, and my death, that’s all.

My death… alone.

At that moment, I was mulling over the nonsense written in a book I read long ago.

“…Haha, Hahahahahaha! Really, this is insanity…”

Not in my right mind. There’s no reason for me who lost everything to stay sane.

Then, I’ll gamble.

“Hey, winged man. I’m going to die now, right?”

“To the sinful, mortal beings on the ground, I deliver death’s judgment.”

“And what happens after that?”

“The souls that have been cleansed of sin through death thread the cycle of life anew. Granted equally to all, a universal mechanic of the world.”

I solidify the words coming out of the mouth of the absolute presence before me into an image.

Life and death are granted equally.

Heard from the mouth of a supernatural being, far beyond what someone like me could reach.

Equal. Equivalent.

Rejecting the facts, I strengthen the image.

Life and death are equivalent, etching it into my thoughts stronger than anything else.

In my left hand, the crystallization of the twenty years of the strongest Magic Emperor in the world.

Above all, it is her essence that I believe in and yearn for.

There’s no such thing as impossible.

The man with six angelic wings raised his sword of sunlight,

“Judgment.”

And swung it down towards my neck.

Placing my right hand over my heart.

Looking at the death one second into the future…――I laughed.

“Conversion Magic…――Death be upon thee.”

Right after I caught the sound of the magic jewel shattering, I died.

■　　 ■　　 ■　　 ■

“――ah.”

A voice leaked out from the depths of my throat involuntarily.

In my field of vision was the vibrant skylight of the orphanage, something that’s supposed to have been gone long ago.

“Ba, Balam!? You suddenly collapsed, what happened!?”

Rushing towards me was the sister from the orphanage, who I hadn’t seen in quite a while.

Her beauty is astounding now that I see her with the sensibility of an adult… Wait, hasn’t her face changed since the last time we met… is she a witch?

While entertaining such carefree thoughts, I simultaneously assessed my current situation.

My heart throbbed once, then continued to beat rapidly, clamoring for life.

“Si, Sister…?”

“What’s wrong? Are you feeling ill somewhere?”

“…What year is it today?”

“You must be feeling really sick! Let’s get you to a doctor quickly…!”

“Aaah! No, it’s okay! I’m fine!”

Trying to calm the overly protective Sister, I hurriedly stood up.

Then, I realized there was something obviously wrong.

My line of sight was low.

Lower than the small Sister, whom I had long surpassed.

Seeing me stand up energetically, Sister stroked my back, relieved.

“You must be nervous. It’s okay, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Ne, nervous?”

“Yes,” said Sister with a gentle smile, as she opened the door to the orphanage and led me by the hand.

“After all, today is your tenth birthday, the day of the ‘Oracle Talent Revelation’. The day to witness the gift granted to you. You must be feeling somewhat anxious deep down.”

My tenth… birthday.

The day of the “Oracle Talent Revelation”.

Twenty-five years before that day of destruction.

――There’s no mistake. It was a success.

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Right…? Oh? What now? Did something funny come to mind?”

“No, it’s nothing. Shall we go?”

I passed by Sister, leading her by the hand out of the orphanage.

Without letting Sister, who tilted her head in confusion, see, I lifted the corners of my mouth.

Was there a deviation in my imagination, or was this simply the limit of what could be achieved with that magic power?

I imagined life, a redo.

Was the image of the latter stronger?

Well, either way is fine.

Time regression.

I was convinced of the success of my magic in this form.