A Wild Last Boss Appeared! Volume 2, page 14
I... I’ll be killed...if things keep going like this...!
So Jupiter made a quick decision. Using the magic power of the wind attribute to forcefully blast his body away, Jupiter escaped from Libra’s demonic grip.
Of course, Libra herself didn’t let go. A large amount of skin was sacrificed from Jupiter’s neck as he ran away, bleeding quite profusely.
Jupiter’s lost skin clung to Libra’s palms. But she didn’t seem affected by that at all as she simply, coldly, turned to look at Jupiter.
“!!!”
Having lost all will to fight, Jupiter looked up at the mechanical doll with eyes like a small animal before he ran away. It was almost like he was being physically repelled from Libra.
However, Libra did not immediately give chase. Instead, one could hear mechanical whirring as her neck shifted slightly.
Then, she followed after him with slow steps, still expressionless.
“*Huff* ... *Huff* ... *Huff* ...!”
Jupiter, who had run into yet another house, sat down and prayed wholeheartedly that he wouldn’t be found. Unable to even hide the sounds he was making with wind magic, Jupiter pressed his hand to his mouth and desperately tried to hide his breathing.
I’ve never prayed to the goddess. But I’ll pray now. I’ll believe.
Please, Goddess.
Please allow me to run from that thing. Don’t let that doll appear in front of me!
Jupiter’s teeth wouldn’t stop chattering, and his cold sweat wouldn’t stop, either.
Aagh. What the hell? I can’t stop shaking.
How pathetic... Is this really what one of the feared Seven Luminaries looks like? I’m such a laughingstock... There are real monsters that should be feared, and they aren’t us.
We were just people whose egos got too big because they were absent for a while.
Jupiter moved towards a mirror that was standing nearby. His movements were slow, so as to not make a sound, and awkward like a baby’s.
Walls are no good. Don’t put your back to a wall. It might sprout arms again. Next time, she might just break my bones so I can’t escape.
Looking through windows is dangerous, too. She might be there. Use the mirror. Look at the mirror’s reflection.
Jupiter’s decision was not wrong. It might’ve even been the best choice, made carefully after considering all other options. His only mistake was that there was no right answer to the problem he was contemplating in the first place.
“—!!!!”
Jupiter looked at the mirror and froze.
—She’s here! That doll’s reflected in the mirror. She’s standing right there! She’s already in the house! She’s right behind me!!
“...”
“I. Won’t. Let. You. Escape.”
Libra simply mouthed words without speaking. That caused Jupiter to sink even deeper into fear. Her mouth’s movements alone told Jupiter what she wanted to say to him.
“—AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”
Jupiter broke through the window and fell to the ground outside, paying no heed to his body, which was wounded all over. But he didn’t have the leeway to heed his pain. He couldn’t stop.
Jupiter ran. He had never been as scared as he was now.
What the hell is that thing? Why does it know where I am so precisely?!
I’m scared. She’s terrifying.
That inorganic doll was scarier than anything to Jupiter right now!
“Warning.”
“Warning.”
“Warning.”
As if she were broken, Libra said the same thing every time they met. The only difference was that the probability of Jupiter escaping steadily went down at every new instance.
I’m scared. She’s terrifying.
The way she emotionlessly repeats the same thing every single time as she chases me is terrifying.
She’ll chase me to the ends of the earth. It’s as if she doesn’t even know the meaning of exhaustion. She’ll keep chasing me forever! But I’m already out of breath!
Jupiter ran to the fountain.
From the water, Libra emerged holding a machine gun.
Jupiter tried to blend into the crowd.
But then someone tapped him on the shoulder, and it was Libra.
Jupiter went to those idiots’ meeting place in the white town. There, he entered a hidden underground passageway he had prepared.
But Libra was already standing inside.
Jupiter threw away his pride and hid in a communal dumpster.
But in a mere three seconds, Libra upturned the entire dumpster.
Jupiter hid under a nearby wooden box.
But only a couple seconds later, Libra picked up the box and met eyes with him.
That thing is there no matter where I go. No matter where I run, that thing will chase after me! I can’t get away from the doll’s gaze. As soon as I round a corner, she’s already there! She doesn’t even let me out of her sight for more than ten seconds!
“AAAAAAHHHH! AAAAGGGHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!” Jupiter flew away, screaming.
Jupiter put all his power, body, and soul into flying away. That was something he had most likely never done in his life. Jupiter didn’t care that his body couldn’t bear the burden he was putting on it and was screaming in pain. He didn’t care that the wind pressure was warping the good looks he was so proud of.
Hounded by fear, Jupiter simply flew as fast as he could in a straight line. And, having reached his hiding place in the forest that he had been occupying until yesterday—
“—I have been waiting for you. You arrived five seconds faster than my prediction. Recalculating target’s speed. Correcting margin of error.”
“—”
In that moment, Jupiter’s heart became completely consumed by fear and fear alone.
I’m done. I get it now. I can’t run... Not from this tracking killer-doll.
There’re many legends revolving around the Twelve Heavenly Stars. One of them described the Scales. I hadn’t believed it when I read it. Even if it were true, I had still believed I could manage to run.
But I know now. I understand.
The legend said that once you were targeted by the Scales she would chase you without fail, even if you were to run to the depths of hell.
“Warning. It is strongly recommended you cease all resistance and surrender. In a situation with no one else around, I am able to fire Brachium faster than you can run.”
“...Urgh... Ah-aghh...”
“Your chances of winning are at 0%. I repeat. It is strongly recommended that you surrender.”
My legs are trembling. I can’t feel my limbs.
I know. I know of the weapon of slaughter that is Brachium. It’s the ultimate weapon that will completely destroy anyone under a certain level of strength once fired. No exceptions. It’s a sure-to-kill weapon that’s synonymous with Libra of the Scales. In the face of that weapon, no amount of defense and no measly trick has any meaning. It’ll wipe away everything in an instant.
“If you do not comply with my warning within ten seconds, I will activate Brachium immediately. If you exhibit any behavior that indicates the intention to run or resist, I will also activate Brachium.”
“Wha— Ah... Huh?!”
“Starting countdown... 10... 9... 8...”
“W-Wait! Wait, please!”
“7... 6... 5...”
Libra heartlessly continued counting down. There was no crack in her that would allow any pity, personal feelings, or other emotions to stop her. She simply continued on with mechanic inhumanness. She was simply counting down the ten seconds Jupiter had left until his execution.
Jupiter was caught in the middle of a sea of regret.
I should have just tried to fight in the town. If I did that, I would have at least had a miniscule chance of victory.
However, Jupiter had instead tired himself out running. And as a result, he himself ran to a position that allowed Libra to use Brachium.
Of course, Jupiter had no way of knowing that Libra would not have hesitated to fire Brachium in town if it came down to that. And even if the countdown was just a bluff, Jupiter wasn’t in a calm enough state of mind to be able to sense that.
Now that it’s come to this, there’s nothing for it. She’ll use Brachium before I can run or even try to fight back. And if she uses that, there’s no resisting it. I’ll definitely die.
That was the only thought that continued to run circles through his mind. Jupiter was convinced that he was already done for.
“4...”
“P-Please. Hey, come on. Wait.”
“3...”
“J-Just a little is fine...”
“2...”
“Come on. I’m begging you... P-Please...”
“1...”
“O-Okay! I submit! I surrender! So please, DON’T SHOOOOOOOOT!”
“—... Loss of target’s will to resist: confirmed. Suspending use of Brachium.”
Jupiter’s heart completely broke in the face of inhuman fear. His pride, his sense of self, everything was swallowed up, yielding to the fear caused by that emotionless doll. Jupiter’s entire body was soaked in cold, greasy sweat. And his heart was beating wildly while his teeth wouldn’t stop chattering.
A dark, wet patch spread from his crotch due to the excessive amounts of fear and despair he felt, destroying any shred of dignity he had left.
At the same time, Libra stopped her countdown.
The outcome of their duel was decided, once and for all.
Jupiter’s biggest mistake was that he still came back to the capital even knowing he was being targeted by the doll.
＊ ＊
“So you really were here, Aigokeros.”
“—Aries. It’s you.”
Two members of the Twelve Heavenly Stars met once more at the same park as yesterday’s chance meeting. However, the threatening atmosphere and the aura of danger surrounding the two of them couldn’t be compared to that of yesterday. It was precisely because both of them had sworn loyalty to Lufas that they had the resolve to kill one another if the other were to get in their way.
Aries wanted to stop Aigokeros, who was doing something that ran counter to Lufas’ will. Aigokeros wanted to kill the hero, even if that ran counter to Lufas’ will. In order to achieve that, he was even willing to kill Aries.
The two of them, who were the most alike out of any of the Twelve Heavenly Stars, had unshakeable wills. That was why they were able to meet again in the same place.
“You’re the one driving the townsfolk Berserk, aren’t you? Lufas doesn’t want that... Stop right now.”
“From what you said...it seems like you really are here to stop me.”
The sinister aura surrounding Aigokeros got even darker. In response, Aries cloaked himself in rainbow-colored fire.
“Do you believe you can win, Ram?”
“I’m not the same as I was two hundred years ago, Goat.”
Aries’ surroundings were exposed to the heat of Mesarthim, and they wavered as if they were simply a mirage. The water in the park’s fountain evaporated, and the ground was scorched.
Aigokeros’ surroundings were warped and dyed black. Trees withered, and the bugs that flew nearby died, even though they hadn’t touched anything.
“Do you really insist on doing this?”
“This can be easily avoided. You just need to stop.”
“Absurd!”
Aigokeros thrust out his hand.
At the same time, Aries shifted. Right afterwards, the place where he’d stood was struck through by a black pulse. The pulse gouged out the ground, breaking all the buildings in its path. Even then, it didn’t stop and continued out of town.
“Heh!!”
Aries jumped and unleashed a kick wreathed in fire.
Aigokeros guarded against it, but even then just the aftershock of the kick created a crater, changing the park into nothing but an empty lot. However, Aigokeros himself was unfazed, and he caught Aries with a counterattack.
“Grgh!?!”
Aries’ small body was blown away. Even after busting through several buildings, Aries flipped in the air like nothing had happened and landed on his feet.
Aigokeros jumped after him, slamming another black pulse at Aries from midair.
However, Aries deflected the pulse with a knife-hand. The pulse was deflected off into the air, flew up high, and parted the clouds.
“Haahh!”
Aries jumped, punching at Aigokeros, who reflexively managed to cross his arms in a block.
The atmosphere gave a jolt, as if an earthquake had occurred centered on the two of them. Aigokeros was blown away as if he’d been blasted out of a cannon, and passed through the town, through a mountain, and continued on far away.
And Aries himself was the one who stopped Aigokeros. Aries sprinted past Aigokeros and got in his flight path before kicking him upwards, forcing him to fly into the sky.
Then, Aries leapt. Once again, Aries got out ahead of Aigokeros.
“Take thiiis!”
Putting both his fists together, Aries unleashed a double sledgehammer! Aigokeros’ head was smashed downwards forcefully, and he returned to the ground. As Aigokeros hit the ground, it caved in and shook, sending the surrounding animals running.
But Aries didn’t stop. He created fire and threw it at Aigokeros continuously. The bullets of fire shone in rainbow colors as they bored through the ground, hit Aigokeros, and caused countless explosions.
“...!”
However, an attack like that didn’t even seem to cause as much damage as Aries expected.
Several streaks of light parted the smoke, aiming for Aries. One was a high-tier spell of the moon element—“Luna Shooter.” It was a highly accurate and highly powerful beam of magical light that shot in a straight line.
There was another high-tier spell of the moon element—“Luna Blast.” That spell locked on to three targets at the same time, unleashing black bullets at them.
And there was another super-high-tier spell of the moon element—“Lunatic Rain.” The spell sent down a rain of magical light reminiscent of moonlight to annihilate all enemies.
Even more high-tier and upper-tier moon element spells continued to be launched blindly out of the smoke.
However, Aries was moving at the same time he shot fire from his hands, completely avoiding the magic launched by Aigokeros. Aries moved left and right, up and down. Aries never seemed to lose his calm even while his vision must have been swimming with the dizzying patterns of his flight as he slipped through the narrow gaps between Aigokeros’ spells.
“Mesarthim!”
Charging in, Aries’ form distorted. He went from a small boy to a giant sheep wrapped in flames, and he continued to accelerate. Aries changed into a monster covered in rainbow flames in the blink of an eye, tackling Aigokeros with all his power.
If Lufas were to witness this scene, she might have retorted that this wasn’t what that skill was for. At the very least, that way of using the skill didn’t exist in the ‘game’ she was so familiar with.
Aigokeros was blown away with massive force. As one might’ve expected, that attack hurt, and he let out a low moan. However, he was also one of the Twelve Heavenly Stars. Even while being blasted away, Aigokeros raised his hand towards Aries, unleashing his ultimate skill.
“Deneb Algedi!”
A remarkably large black pulse flew straight forward, engulfing Aries.
The both of them rose up into the air on black and rainbow-colored pillars, having been hit by each other’s strongest skills.
A few seconds of silence interrupted the fight.
Aigokeros stood up, breaking the silence.
Then, emerging from the smoke, Aries appeared with his clothes in tatters and his shoulder exposed. They were both damaged. However, it wasn’t enough to render either of them incapable of fighting.
“...You’re good—just as I expected, Aigokeros. It seems your magic power hasn’t declined these past two hundred years, huh?”
“The same goes for you, Aries. You’ve become quite skilled.”
The two of them laughed, having acknowledged each other’s abilities. However, this was the battlefield, and they were both enemies.
The two members of the Twelve Heavenly Stars once again charged at their ‘enemy’ in order to express their loyalty and spirit.
＊ ＊
In this world, there existed another underground world named Helheim, which was commonly referred to as hell. That was where Aigokeros was born.
If the skies were where mana was sparse, then underground was where mana was dense.
All the living beings that made their home in the underground world were warped into new, repulsive figures without exception by mana so incredibly dense it couldn’t even be compared to the surface. They became exactly like the demons people heard of in myths. The residents of Helheim were beings that had been transformed into evil figures by mana. That was why they were fearfully referred to as demons.
In Helheim, most transformed beings were animals that lived in dark places or caves, and were most commonly spiders, lizards, or bats. That being the case, one might’ve thought there shouldn’t be goats in Helheim, but at least one must have been brought in as livestock by people who’d moved in.
However, there was no way to ascertain the truth of that. After all, there was not a single member of humanity in Helheim. It was likely that there had been some in the past, but that conjecture was only based off of some scant traces that had been found.
In that world, Aigokeros was born as a great demon more powerful than any other. One of his ancestors once ate a mutant bat, so Aigokeros was born with a bat’s features—those being the sinister demon wings growing out of his back.
A goat’s head, a human’s body, and a bat’s wings—Aigokeros was a hybrid creature with features of three different beings—no, monsters—that would normally never mix.
He believed that he was the most complete and perfect demon to exist. In the underground world, Aigokeros was a race unto himself. There were no other demons with his features. He was unique. That was why he never doubted that he was the ruler of darkness. Even the devilfolk were immature in his eyes. They weren’t truly loved nor polluted with mana.
