269. VS Vanguard – Total War (Part 10)

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Randall reached out for the Master Key, but he couldn’t reach it. Shuram’s barrier stood in his way, preventing him from going outside. Meanwhile, because I had touched the Master Key once, the system treated it as my possession, allowing it to slip through the barrier.

“Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!”

He pounded against the barrier repeatedly, but even someone of Randall’s caliber couldn’t break the wall Shuram had erected. The Master Key rolled along the ground right before his eyes, yet he could never grasp it. It was out of reach.

“Dammit! Come here! Roll! Roll this way! Someone! Anyone! Hand it to me! That is—”

Randall’s screams reached no one. The Master Key continued to tumble across the ground. If a slight breeze blew, maybe it would roll back inside the barrier. It was at such an exquisite distance—yet an absolute one that remained untouchable no matter how much he reached out.

“It’s m-mine! My Master Key! Dammit! This barrier! DAMN IT ALLLLLLLL!”

Randall struck the barrier over and over, but still, it would not break. No matter how he reached, he could not take the Master Key back. Even if he tried to use his Item Box, the area inside this barrier was a “Storage Nullified” zone. He couldn’t store the Master Key sitting outside the barrier. And without the Master Key, Randall could no longer do anything special. He was no longer an absolute being. He was just like the other otherworlders and us.

—Just a human.

“Ts…”

Actually, this is bad. My consciousness was starting to get hazy. Well, obviously. I have a hole in my stomach, after all.

『—Honestly, you’re too reckless. Fresh Blood Territory.』

Arrogance approached and used blood generated from his territory to seal the wound.

『This is just first aid. With “Heroic Hymn” active and your life force, you should hold out.』

“…Thanks. You saved me.”

『It’s too early to say you’re saved. Even if we try to step outside the barrier, doing so while ignoring that guy will be a daunting task, you know?』

“…Yeah.”

Slowly, Randall turned toward us. Gone was his composure and elegance. His expression was filled with nothing but pure rage and hatred.

“To think you’d pull such a ridiculous stunt. I will never forgive you. Tearing you limb from limb wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me.”

『Sore loser talk. Why don’t you just admit it? You were careless.』

“Yes, I was careless. I admit it. Therefore—die.”

In a flash, Randall closed the distance. In his hand, he gripped an ominous weapon different from anything he’d used before. It was likely his true armament created through some skill. It was easy to understand that it possessed more than enough lethality to execute us in a single blow. I couldn’t dodge this.

Just as the blade was about to take our heads—

“—Coordinate Exchange: Change.”

In the next moment, Arrogance and I were outside the barrier. In our place, right where we had been standing, were Behemoth and Leviathan. Both were monsters I recognized.

“Wha—!?”

“GYAOOOOOOO!” “GISSHAAAAAAAA!”

The two monsters were sliced apart and died instantly.

“I made it in time, it seems…”

Libera-san was right beside us.

“…You saved us.”

“That’s my line. You did well, Kazuto.”

But why was she here? Libera-san was supposed to be at the Third Barrier. There were supposed to be three Vanguard members there.

“It’s thanks to Peony. I never imagined that thing would come as reinforcements, but thanks to it, I managed to slip out of their seal. I should thank you. Er… you’re Arrogance, right?”

『I’ll say “you’re welcome” for now. Though being thanked by you feels disgusting.』

“Fine.”

Libera-san casually brushed off Arrogance’s irony. Even so, she escaped the seal because of Peony…?

Focusing my senses in that direction, I noticed that the three Vanguard presences had been reduced by two. Does that mean two of them died?

The question arose, but the answer was immediately clear. The Third Barrier where Libera-san had been was now completely filled with Peony’s presence. I glanced at Libera-san.

“Is this… perhaps?”

“Yes. Peony physically filled the interior of the barrier with its massive body. Since I can pass through barriers, I was simply pushed outside, but the Vanguard couldn’t do the same. Lizzie and Narus are dead. Crushed between Peony’s mass and the barrier wall.”

“That’s… intense.”

What a brutal end. I didn’t feel a shred of sympathy, though.

“Only Orion, who can use barriers, is still trapped inside. The choice of Lizzie and Narus—individuals specialized solely in sealing me—backfired. Both were so focused on sealing and cursing me that they had no means to counter Peony. If they had a skill like Beld’s, it would have been a different story.”

“…Useless trash.”

We didn’t miss Randall’s muttered whisper.

“To fail even their own roles… It seems there was a problem with my selection of personnel.”

He truly sees everyone but himself as a pawn. He wasn’t even bothering to hide it anymore.

“Hah, don’t you realize that’s just a boomerang hitting you? Hey, Randall? How does it feel right now? How does it feel to have the rug pulled out from under you by the people of this world you looked down on?”

“Libera…!”

“What a great face. I’ve gained a bit of respect for you, seeing you’re capable of making an expression like that.”

Libera-san picked up the Master Key at her feet.

“That’s—! Give it back! That belongs to me!”

“No, it doesn’t. This belongs to my Master.”

Libera-san gazed at Randall’s rage-filled face with a look that was somehow hollow.

“…Until now, you only showed a robotic face, one of duty and obligation as a King. I didn’t know you could look like that. Because you always prioritized your mission as a ‘ruler,’ even I couldn’t completely deny your way of thinking in my heart. I thought that as a King, as a statesman, if you were only thinking of the people of your world, your logic had a certain merit.”

But, Libera-san continued.

“To think this is the expression you had beneath the surface. Once the mask was peeled away, you were only a man of this caliber. I truly have gained respect for you. Thanks to that—I no longer have any hesitation.”

Libera-san took something from her pocket. It was a blue-violet crystal—her Spare Key. As she brought it close to the Master Key, the two crystals merged into one as if melting together.

“This is the Master Key’s true form. Unlike before, it is a perfect item that allows the user to utilize everything in the system without any backlash.”

The completed Master Key, its brilliance increasing instantly, exuded a presence as if the world itself had been condensed. At the same time, my instincts and skills screamed a warning like never before: “Do not go near it.”

Just being slightly close to the Master Key felt like my life force was going to be drained instantly. I had a conviction that touching it would kill me in a second.

“Libera-san, is it safe?”

“It’s fine. I am the Dead King, after all… though it’s a bit tiring.”

Libera-san let out a breath. She caressed the completed Master Key affectionately, then looked at Randall with eyes full of resolve.

“…Listen, Randall. We took the wrong path. Even though there might have been another way.”

“—Wait.”

Randall must have realized what Libera-san was about to do. I also had a vague idea of her intentions. Arrogance made no move to stop her either.

“Wait, stop, Libera. Don’t do that. That is… that is our hope. It’s not something you can decide on your own selfish judgment!”

“We’re both guilty of that. So, let’s call it even with this, and—let’s end it.”

Libera-san held the completed Master Key high—

“Stop… STOP IT OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

And with all her might, she slammed it against the ground.

Pariin. It shattered so easily.

The Master Key—the only thing capable of interfering with this world’s system—smashed into countless pieces.

End of 269