Ultimate Antihero-Volume 3, Prologue

<Vatican life sphere>

Race, religion, ideology... with the calamity that the <Demon King class> demon Typhon caused, the sense of values of human society that was once divided into many such parts were all returned to ash whether one wanted it or not, yet amidst that, this holy ground of the <Holy Path Church> continued to maintain its unique position as the [capital of the devout people of god] even now.

At the center of the capital of such zealous believers of the <Holy Path Church>, there was a large structure built in church architectural style that continued to exist even now even after going through the aforementioned great calamity.

St. Peter’s Basilica.

As the headquarters of the <Holy Path Church>, it was the stronghold of the pope Innocentius XVII.

It was once a flourishing and splendid church as a sightseeing spot, but right now the general public was forbidden to enter as it was now a government facility, a solemn silence spread out even when the sun was high in the sky.

However, that church which was usually didn’t have people coming and going to it, unusually had a visitor today.

Amidst the silence that made one feel the solemnity, there were three people walking with loud footsteps,

The president of America Joseph Franklin.

Britain’s prime minister Leti Cline.

And then the secretary general of China Republic Union Wan Tairon.

“By the way have you heard both of you? About the details of that fairy uproar.”

A great man with his body wrapped in a dazzling white suit, Wan Tairon talked to the other two walking with him inside the church with a hoarse unpleasant voice.

The stylish man with brilliant blonde hair and sparkling white teeth, Joseph Franklin returned a nod.

“It’s the story about how the <Holy Path Church> moved on its own in order to exterminate the fairy right? I am told that Alfaro-dono of the <Special Missionary> and a <Paladin> squad that he led attempted to exterminate the <Fairy Queen>, but due to <Evil God User>’s obstruction, they failed their duty.”

“Right, that’s the one. That gramps kept it secret even to us who were in that place and moved as he pleased. Do you know? That guy Alfaro, his ass got dug up by <Evil God User> from the other side of the earth and his consciousness still hasn’t returned yet yeah. Haha-. He must have felt too good from his ass and still ain’t returning yet from heaven, that’s a pathetic story from the <Special>-sama that usually acts superior to us the S-class magicians.”

Towards Tairon who guffawed loudly from the ineptitude of the <Holy Path Church>, the middle aged woman clad in intelligence that even made one feel it hard to approach her, Leti Cline let out a sigh saying “How vulgar...”.

“However it’s incomprehensible. <Evil God User> is supposed to be poor at detecting other people’s magic power even more than average people due to the height of his magic power. It’s hard to imagine that he can attack accurately calculating the position of a human located on the other side of the equator.”

“That’s probably because of the power of that Onjouji girl. That girl was on the actual scene at that time, so she should be able to calculate accurately the coordinates. And then even transmitting that information to the <Evil God User> who was in Australia, it was surely not something impossible by making use of her power as a <Saint>.”

Leti knitted her eyebrows toward this answer of Joseph and exposed a discomfort. f𝒓𝑒e𝙬𝒆𝚋𝘯૦𝘷𝐞𝑙.c𝑜𝐦

“...For a human that can attack us no matter where we are in the world if he feels like it to exist. How aggravating that is.”

There was an existence that threatened the life of them who had become the leaders of the world which had overcome the great calamity brought by Typhon.

It was a matter that was hard to tolerate.

In this, Joseph also showed his consent.

“Really. However...――that too is only until today.”

Joseph removed his gaze from Leti and raised his face.

What was reflected in his eye was the golden angelsGloria that shined from receiving the sunlight shining in from the skylight.

The innermost place of St. Peter’s Basilica, Throne of Saint PeterCathedra Petri.

Joseph stood in front of the throne and touched a part of the throne’s pedestal with his hand.

Instantly, the spot that he touched became a cube block and sunk inside with a thump, with a sound of motion the floor under the pedestal of the throne slid aside.

A stair that continued down was revealed.

Ahead of that stair was the place that these three were heading for.

The sanctuary where their messiah was sleeping.

Correct. They were not gathering in this place today by accident.

The thorn in the side of the <United World Government>.

In order to oppose the abominable <Evil God User>, they spent these few years to prepare this <Messiah Creation Plan>.

The <artificial messiah> that was the result of that plan had finished the last adjustments and they received a contact from Innocentius saying [the time of awakening has come], therefore they gathered here in order to witness that awakening.

(Just how long we have waited impatiently for this day?)

While descending down the dark lengthy stairs, Joseph listened to the throbbing of his own heart.

Until now the <United World Government> had the conceit that they were the rulers of this world, yet that position couldn’t be established without the cooperation of the <Evil God User> Kamishiro Homura.

If he felt like it then it was possible for him to exterminate the <United World Government> just in one day, and most of all, among the whole human race it was only Homura alone that could oppose the demons of <Demon King class> that appeared from the demon world.

If he didn’t exist, then whether it was government or even the human race, it couldn’t be preserved.

As it were, they were in a situation of dependence towards Homura.

But, with the awakening of the <artificial messiah>, this relationship now wavered.

According to Innocentius who took command of this plan, the power of <artificial messiah> greatly surpassed the <Evil God User> who in the end was just a single human.

In other words as long as they just have the <artificial messiah>, there was no need to rely on the <Evil God User> anymore.

They could kill him and grasp the real power of this world for real.

That could be said to be exactly the dearest wish of they, the <Five Great Leaders>.

It could be said that it was only obvious for his heart to throb hard like this.

And then when they reached the deepest part of the underground sanctuary, that throbbing reached its peak.

In the middle of a small hall without lighting.

Cables and pipes of various sizes were stretching out from the surrounding walls that were filled to the brim with machinery, towards a cylinder shaped water tank.

Inside the nutrition liquid filling the tank that was emitting luminescence like a firefly, the figure of their hope possessing a pair of wings was visible.

“...So this boy, is the <artificial messiah> then?”

“What a beautiful boy...”

Joseph, Leti and then Tairon, those three were astonished from the boy’s shapely modeling.

It was absolutely beautiful.

A sacredness that surpassed gender which made one felt like that was gifted to that boy.

However――Tairon suddenly noticed when he was looking above.

“Oi, ain’t his eyes opened there. He had woken up already?”

Correct. The eyes of the boy inside the water tank had already opened when the three of them arrived.

Tairon showed his discomfort of this.

The awakening of the messiah would be performed in a place where all members of the <Five Great Leaders> who assisted in this plan were all present.

That was the promise.

But this discomfort was denied by the person approaching them from inside the darkness.

“Don’t worry. He is awake physically, but that’s all. Only his eyes are opened. There is nothing reflected in it, he is not thinking of anything. At the present he is nothing more but an empty vessel.”

The one who appeared from the darkness was a thin man that gave an impression of a crafty snake.

He arrived in this place earlier than the three, the supreme ruler of Soviet, Gregorio Rasputin.

“Empty vessel you said?”

“Affirmative. A flesh vessel created from the blood of an angel collected from this holy relic. By making the soul of the <Archangel> Michael reside in it, the messiah will attain the true awakening.”

“Or rather I think something regarding this procedure had been explained before this, but I wonder if you are forgetting something this important?”

Tairon spouted out with a loathsome expression towards Leti who was pointing that out in scorn.

“Shu, shut your trap......! Just who was gonna remember all that trivial details one by one!”

And then he kicked at the pedestal of the water tank defiantly and said.

“What’s more important than that, is whether this guy is really usable or not. If this guy cannot win against that brat(<Evil God User>), we’re gonna need to restart our <One Year Plan> from zero again. I don’t know just how great this archangel is, but Alfaro that was possessed by an angel was easily done in at the spare time while that brat was taking care of Hecatoncheires. If this guy is just about as much as Alfaro, then this all is gonna be nothing. Is it really okay regarding that part?”

Tairon threw his question at Gregorio, but the one who answered that question was not Gregorio.

“A needless worry, Wan Tairon.”

Showing his appearance next after Gregorio from the darkness was an old man wearing white priest’s robe with a long beard, pope Innocentius XVII, he was the one who answered.

“Your grace......!”

“The divinity rank of angel <Power> that can possess <Special Missionary> and the <Archangel> is greatly different. It’s like the difference between <General class> and <Demon King class>. Besides, in the first place this is different compared to possession. Michael-sama himself will use this body of the artificial messiah and get incarnated into this world.”

Using the defective human flesh that only possessed lowly soul rank, an angel’s power couldn’t be fully manifested by possession.

No matter how excellent the software was, but if the hardware’s ability was low, it was only natural for the hardware to be unable to move in satisfaction.

However, the artificial messiah floating inside this water tank was made with the DNA that was recovered from a holy relic as the base, going through several procedures――an authentic flesh body of an angel.

If this was used as the hardware, then the software that was an <Archangel> could be leveraged to a hundred percent, that was what Innocentius asserted.

“No matter how powerful the <Evil God User> is, he is just a human in the first place. He will be no match against Michael-sama that will be manifested in possession of his full power. If you have free time for needless worry then you better quickly make the arrangements. From here on the <Heaven’s Gate> will open... we are going to summon Michael-sama from heaven.”

“ “ “............-!” ” ”

Listening to that command from Innocentius, the expression of the three other than Tairon increasingly turned serious and they scattered to the five pedestals around the water tank.

“Chih-. I ain’t gonna accept it if what comes out is just a small fry.”

Tairon was a violent man, but at the same time he was a cunning man.

For the sake of their current selves to oppose the <Evil God User>, there was no other way than to make use of similar power of god.

There was no other way than to borrow the power of heaven... a god different than the evil god.

Because he understood that, he moved on top of a pedestal even while making a threat.

After that, Innocentius moved to the designated location for the last――

――And that was started.

{Look, he arrives embarking in lightning.

The people that stabbed him will look up to him.

Everyone of all races above the earth will also be touched and lament due to him.

Aah, god.

Thy art the now, thy art the past, the person who should come before long, the principal god the almighty who commands.

I am the beginning(Alpha), I am the end(Omega) ――}

The <Five Great Leaders> standing on the pedestals which were for the sake of praying formed their ritual prayer in the words of their own country.

It was the letter of prophecy that was recorded at the end of the New Testament. [1]

It was the words of Johannes’ Revelation.

It was the warning about the prophesied destruction of everything that was expected to come in the future.

And then――it was the elucidation of power that came from heaven in salvation from the destruction......!

{Holiness, holiness, holiness. The almighty principal god.

Thy art the now, thy art the past, the person who should come before long――}

{The day that should come, the seven envoys carrying the seven trumpets, they prepared to blow those.

The first envoy played the trumpet loudly.

Thereupon, hails and fire mixed in blood appeared, raining down on earth.

A third of the earth was burned, a third of the trees were burned, even all the green grasses were burned to ash.}

{The second envoy played the trumpet loudly.

Thereupon, something like a large mountain burning in flame, was thrown into the sea.

A third of the sea became blood, a third of living beings which grow in the sea died, a third of ships were wrecked.}

To sum it up it was a revelation of salvation.

Reading that out loud, singing it, they wished for the fulfillment of the great lord’s promise.

The promise was etched on the book, their sound scale was a concealed voice that was not a voice.

This Revelation itself was a ritual prayer, for the gate that separated between sky and earth, between salvation and destruction, and then between the world of man that was heading to ruin and the heaven, to open.

{The word of prophecy of this book cannot be sealed. Because the time is nearing.

The immoral person will carry out even further immorality, corrupted person will carry out even further corruption.

Righteous person will carry out even further righteousness, sacred person will carry out even further sacredness as it is.

I will soon come. Carrying retribution in one hand, I will recompense according to each one’s deed.}

{I am α, I am ω. The beginning, and the end.}

The ritual prayer went through the several brass resonance tube from deep underground, being amplified, being magnified, rising up to aim at the exactly highest place right now at the skylight of St. Peter’s Basilica.

For the sake of reaching the ear of the lord that was right there beyond even the stars and nearer than even the neighbor.

And then as the ritual prayer progressed, the flesh of angel inside the water tank began to shine gold.

- throb*, *throb*, like that, quickening that was like the rumblings of the ground hit everyone’s earlobes from inside the reinforced acrylic glass.

Before long not only the air but the earth also shook.

The machinery overheated one after another and shutdown.

The many clusters of cable squirmed while scattering sparks.

From the pedestals that were directly connected to five dragon veins, wind of ether(magic power) to the level that it could be confirmed by sight blew violently.

And then finally――

{ { {Aah lord, come! So that blessing will be together with all of us!} } }

The moment the ending of the ritual prayer was spoken.

With the flesh of angel as the center, an explosion of sound and light and magic power occurred.

The hall was overflowing with blinding light, everything, even color and sound were blown away.

And then, that destruction passed away, finally the eyelids of the five people were raised... what was there was,

A smashed up... empty water tank was the only thing that remained.

“Wha, e, eee!?”

“O, oi, what happened!? There ain’t nothing there!”

“Don’t tell me, it exploded to pieces just now......”

Leti, Joseph, and Tairon’s faces paled from the sight in front of their eyes and fell into confusion.

That was only natural.

The messiah that would descend from this ceremony was their only trump card.

For that trump card to explode into pieces... it was not a good situation by any means.

But――it was a needless worry.

The reason was,

“No. ......Above.”

Gregorio that was relatively calm among the members lifted his head.

Right above the smashed up water tank, there was a large hole gouged out.

That hole bore through the bedrock that had several layers and passed through the sanctuary.

The skylight broke, and sunlight reached even until the underground.

There was no mistake of that, it was the proof of something flying from this underground towards the sky.

The five hurriedly exited the underground and pursued that something.

And then――

......The five used the stair for the garbage collector and came out to the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica, and saw that.

The cross at the summit of the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Standing beside that... was a naked boy.

Faintly shining white skin even under the sun of broad daylight.

Silver hair that sparklingly shined from the sunlight.

And then, the pure white wings that grew from the shoulder blades.

That was unmistakably the boy that was in the water tank until just now.

The boy didn’t turn to look at the five people pursuing it, he merely stared at the sky with his back still turned on them.

Around that boy, the pigeons that were raised at Vatican’s garden gathered.

That sight was... possessed sacredness just like a religious painting, each of the five people running after him swallowed their breath.

But, they couldn’t just get bewitched like that forever.

They had to confirm it.

Whether their ceremony succeeded or not.

The one who broke the silence was the supervisor that was pope Innocentius.

While he supported his old body with his staff, he walked a few steps on the unstable rooftop and approached the boy.

The one who first reacted to his movement were the pigeons in the surroundings.

The pigeons flapped their wings noisily and flew away from that place.

But Innocentius didn’t pay it any mind,

“Michael-sama... is it you?”

He asked the boy.

From that, the boy finally directed his eyes at the direction of Innocentius and the others.

“ “ “-............!?” ” ”

Instantly, they lost their words from surprise.

That was because the boy... was spilling large drops of tears without stopping from his lapis lazuli eyes.

And then, without even wiping those tears, the boy formed his words.

“It’s certainly audible to me. The scream of the grass that was burned to ash. The scream of the polluted sea. The scream of the persecuted sons of god. And then the scream of this star grieving and moaning for all those irrationalities. By having a flesh body like this, and budding as a single life in this world... they blow into my heart like the cold wind of winter.”

In that voice which was spun by the trembling lips, kindness and affection towards life was overflowing.

“Pious servant of god. Innocentius. Come here.”

“Ye, yes-!”

Called by the refined voice, Innocentius climbed the unstable rooftop.

But that action was impossible for his old body.

“-――!”

On the way, the blowing wind stirred up Innocentius’s priest robe.

There was no power in that old body to even brace himself.

Innocentius’s posture crumbled greatly――

However, that body didn’t fall.

It was because in no time at all, that boy gently supported that old body with a gentle movement as if nestling close to him.

And then, the boy embraced closely the body of Innocentius just like that, and he said his gratitude to Innocentius with a tearful voice.

“...You did well. You really did well to endure patiently until the coming of this day. However it’s fine already. You can now welcome the end of this turbulent time. We and our father in heaven, will surely grant salvation to the children of humanity. After all, that is the reason father sent me to this land.”

“O, oooooo......-!”

Those words made Innocentius’ body tremble, tears were spilling out from his dried up tear gland.

It was because the words of the boy showed that the boy was the person that he wished for.

That was also when the other members that were watching from afar comprehended it.

The holiness that could be felt from the boy.

That presence which was only dazzling.

It was exactly because the boy was someone worthy to be called an angel.

Correct... their ceremony had certainly succeeded. ｆ𝘳e𝒆w𝗲𝐛𝘯𝐨νe𝚕.cｏ𝓶

This boy that was here right now was exactly an angel that was in service of the god worshipped by the <Holy Path Church>.

Inside that boy was the owner of a strong power and authority that was above all things, the <Archangel> Michael.

And then when Michael separated his body from Innocentius, he next turned towards the remaining four people, and he expressed his thanks towards them also in an identical way.

“All of you too. You all had worked really well until the coming of this day for the sake of preserving this broken world. Surely the great father will reward that work of yours.”

Hearing this, Tairon took a step forward and opened his mouth.

“Our wish is one! To rule this world with our hand! We ain’t handing over this world whether to those demons or to the <Evil God User>! Can you grant that wish!?”

In response, Michael nodded without hesitation.

“Of course. This world is a world for the sake of all of you, the children of man. In order to return all of that to the hands of all of you the children of man, the great father sent me to this land.”

There was no sound of falsehood in that voice.

No, in the first place the existence called as <angel> wouldn’t lie.

They were not an existence that could do that.

Surely because of that, there was not even a bit of impurity and hesitation in the echo of his words, the ears of the five, and then their hearts, were soaked with that truth that made them understood.

This boy was without doubt, their ally.

And then Michael who showed himself as the ally of mankind turned back to Innocentius once more. And then he asked.

“I cannot endure to hear the grieve of this star more than this. We have to act for the salvation of the world promptly. O pious servant of god, Innocentius. Have you put in order the preparation for the aforementioned matter?”

In response, Innocentius wiped his tears with the sleeve of his robe.

“Everything has been prepared without anything lacking. Please leave the routine tasks of the world of man to us......!”

He returned a response with an unusual strong and young tone.

Michael made a smile to that response and thanked him.

“O pious servant of god. I thank the dedication of all of you.”

After that Michael closed his mouth thinly, directed his gaze at the sky of the east, and said.

“Then, let’s go. In order to return this world once more, to the hands of the children of the god that is overflowing with light.”

Flame of rage was residing in the eyes of Michael who was announcing that.

The destination of that gaze of rage was... the island country in the far east.

What was there... was the <traitor> that tied a covenant with the evil gods.

And then receiving this will of Michael, Innocentius gave out orders to the four people that were in this place.

“Notify all the government troops who are under the banner of the Five Great Leaders! From now on the <The Eastern Grand SubjugationReconquista> will begin!”

In this moment, a new world order by the <United World Government> was started. The last stage of the <One Year Plan> that was created for that sake, the <Reconquista> began.

Translator's Notes and References

1. ↑ Don’t know which one it was, tell me if anybody know. Though maybe I’ll just stick to my crappy translation. I’m gonna get too scared to copy a bible verse for LN like this.