Part 3
Kuro Usagi felt her limbs burning and wasting away as she was swallowed by the fiery breath.
What continued to burn wasn’t only limited to her limbs.
The morrow filled with hopes that she had just glimpsed upon earlier.
The happy days that they had in their Community.
The paths that the problem children of the other world had taken were also burning up like illusions in the face of reality.
It was all a daydream of a powerless fool. Depending on their kindness, roping them into situations where they would take on the role of defeating enemies when the situation of “having enemies that require defeating” arose and even to the extent of placing them on the path of their downfall.
They should never have been summoned to Little Garden.
We should never have met each other.
Even at a critical time, being one who is known as an aristocrat of Little Garden, she was still unable to do anything. Wouldn’t that suggest that she had been blinded by the radiance of their talents and promising futures that she allowed herself to neglect her duties and enjoy those times in play?
A torrent of regret, her words of gratitude and apologies would never be able to reach them now.
In the instant when she was to be burnt entirely in the flames along with all her regrets.
An earth-shaking thunder that rocked the heavens, echoed in the night sky. Resembling the mark of dawn of an apocalypse.
(……?!)
Following the radiance of the seven coloured rays, the boundaries of life and death rushed to greet her eyes. In the instant that her body was to be completely incinerated— in a distance, an image of the past came into her field of sight.
“……”
The wide expanse of blue Earth was overhead. An uninhabitable grey landscape and a volcano vent stood to her left and right. It did not take long for her to understand that this was the surface of the moon.
And it looked like there was a huge battle on the moon surface.
Flags that seemed to be emblazoned with the symbol of Buddhism and those emblazoned with the symbol of [恶] similar to that of the flag on the three headed dragon were scattered around [The Moon Palace (Chandra Mahal)]. However, the one who wore that flag wasn’t a three headed dragon.
Hugging the corpse of a Chandra (Moon God) Magi female of the rabbit race was a warrior whose face was streaked with tears.
Although his body was bleeding from the many cuts and expended all his arrows and broken all his blades in battle, he cared not about those details. Instead, he continued to hug the corpse tightly as he gave a sob that sounded like a roar in dejection.
—Why, did you protect me?
This body is one that is born to be an evil god anyway.
To be defeated by someone, is the fate of a Demon Lord—!
That pained cry and torrential tears were enough to tell KuroUsagi about the identity of this warrior.
A person who used to carry the same flag of [恶] as Azi Dahaka of the Zoroastrianism to be unable to stand under the same skies beside Order itself, and is now known to be the leader of benevolent gods.
Taking joy in wine, women and battle while being a divine being who loved the kindness in human nature.
The warrior god. [Indra].
Tossing aside any feelings of shame, embarrassment and pride, that figure was one that did not seem to belong to an evil god or Demon Lord as he continued to sob while hugging that female corpse in a tender and pitiful fashion. And from the situation where he sobbed over the passing of a life in battle, it was already unbecoming to count him as a divine being. That small figure was already similar to that of an insignificant mortal.
(This rabbit race Magi…… could it be…..?)
In the final battle between the Buddhist faction and Indra, having protected him, was a young rabbit female who lost her life like a wavering illusion before his very eyes. He, who had planned to be a Demon Lord and was about to be punished. Her body was so thoroughly burnt by the hell-like flames that it was charred and gradually disintegrating.
Although wounds had riddled her body, there was still a satisfied smile on the lips of this female Magi even after her death. That peaceful look on her face was one that told of her feelings of satisfaction from having protected her beloved to the end.
Sacrificing everything about herself, to become the rabbit girl who would change the fate of the evil god.
The tragedy before her was undoubtedly the truth behind the story of the [Moon Rabbit] and Kuro Usagi understood that even in the midst of her burning heat.
(My patron god….. and my ancestor……!)
And just like a sign of respect to the figure of her distant ancestor, KuroUsagi poured her pride into her soul.
Although she might have lost her spiritual power and lost her Gifts, she had yet to lose the pride of a [Moon Rabbit]. The chains of regret from the incident 200 hundred years ago might have held her down and perhaps it was the unbearable pain of the downfall three years prior that added to her baggage. If now wasn’t the time to get rid of all those feelings, when else would there be time for her to do so? Even if she were to descend to hell, even if her body would be burnt entirely by purgatory flames, if she were to be unable to guard her comrades to the end as well, she would really die an unrestful death.
—Thank you. Someone had said that to Kuro Usagi who only knew how to rely on others.
— We are comrades. Someone had happily said that to Kuro Usagi.
—We are here to save you. Someone had said that while pulling Kuro Usagi’s hand up till today.
So, it will not end.
It will not end like this.
This time, Kuro Usagi must protect them well!!
Even if it results in death, it is a death for the sake of comrades. Please light up the flame of my soul now, let it burn……!!!
“ Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh———!!!”
Following last scream at the brink of death by immolation—-Kuro Usagi simultaneously screamed in her rebirth.
Her limbs that were burnt away moments ago were regenerated with the accompanying lightning and her cardinal red hair transformed into a red lightning that blasted away the heat from her body. And from her head, the symbolic Usagimimi of Kuro Usagi appeared once more.
Donning the ceremonial robes made with the techniques of the Age of Gods and surrounded with peals of thunder that shouted the presence of the caster to the gods of heaven and earth
It is not that Kuro Usagi’s spiritual power returned.
But it was the manifestation of a [Moon Rabbit]’s inheritance. A new form of Kuro Usagi who overcame death to be reborn.
“Kuro, Kuro Usagi……?!”
Although most of her attention was riveted by the sight before her very eyes, she was still able to comprehend with a speculation on what might have happened in Kuro Usagi’s body.
The holy inscriptions of Indra surfaced on the skin of Kuro Usagi’s forehead. Although it was incomparable to Asuka’s power, it was undoubtedly the proof of Divinity.
Her spirit of self-sacrifice for the sake of her comrade had led to the housing of Indra’s Divinity in her body.
“Prepare yourself, two headed dragon!”[33]
Kuro Usagi, who was covered in the indescribable amount of electricity that coursed through her body in the form of divine thunder, stood before the two headed dragon
The Vajra which was supposed to be destroyed was enveloped by a blue streak of lightning at its tip and it grew itself a new spear, calling forth a clap of thunder in Kuro Usagi’s hands.
The two headed dragon gave another fierce roar to cough out another blast of fire but instead of dodging, Kuro Usagi merely charged straight into it. Having received the Divinity of Indra, Kuro Usagi, who originally had a power that was close to a divine spirit level, was now several times mightier than her previous self.
With just the electric currents coursing around her body, it reflected the blast of the two headed dragon aside while enabling Kuro Usagi to chop the two headed dragon cleanly in half.
“GEEEEYAAAaaaa!!!”
The corpse of the two headed dragon was burnt to become a charred lump.
But there was more than one enemy.
A pure white two headed dragon instantly approached Kuro Usagi, slipping behind to her back with its high level of agility and slashing down with its vicious claw. However, Kuro Usagi made the quick decision to switch her weapon to the other arm to rotate the spear shaft and deflect the claw beautifully like the movements of flowing water. Maneuvering it skillfully like how one would skim the top of the clouds, Kuro Usagi brought her spear back up to chop off a head from the two headed dragon with the blade.
Fresh blood spurted from the wound like a fountain and sloshed into the forest.
Immediately, the spilled blood transformed into many large snakes and crocodiles that lunged towards Kuro Usagi.
Numbering more than a few dozens of them.
Such large numbers of venomous and vicious animals were raining down from above that one would have thought it to be an insane spectacle. A rain of venomous fangs which would either reduce a target into nothingness or leave no trace of their bones within seconds. However, all that were charred by the red lightning released by Kuro Usagi.
“Incredible……! But, that Divinity……!!!”
Although Asuka was immature about those matters, she was also able to guess as much. The power that coursed within Kuro Usagi was not Divinity. It was a pseudo-Divinity. Although the power that it granted to the user was much different in terms of the magnitude, it was still under the same classification of the Gift system that Asuka uses.
A pseudo-Divinity is a double edged sword that shaved away at the user’s lifespan.
Kuro Usagi was currently burning her life to engage in the battle.
“That’s enough……! It’s enough, Kuro Usagi! So, just run! Your current condition would allow you to escape!”
Her entire body’s bones and muscle sinews were creaking and her clothes had already transformed into a blaze that covered her charred body. Even then, Kuro Usagi did not stop fighting. Although the two headed dragon had lost a head and was hence weakened with a severe injury, it was still plenty strong to finish off Asuka.
Even if this body were to be burnt completely, she would not stop her fight in this place.
“……Guh, Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”
Must not retreat. Must not retreat!
Must never retreat!!
Retreating would mean the death of her comrade.
(Oh my patron god…….! Please confer your Gift to Kuro Usagi……!!!)
Summoning another two, three and up to four Vajras that aimed toward the two headed dragon.
At the instant when she gave the command for them to strike, the two headed dragon seemed to throw it all into a gamble.
“GEEEEYAAAaaaa!!!”
Targeting the split second that the Vajras would be launched toward it, the two headed dragon made a sudden attack in its gamble. It would die if it were to be struck by those spears and that degree of having accepted the inevitability to put it all into a gamble was a level higher than that of Kuro Usagi’s.
In a melee battle, those Vajras that were transforming into long spears would be of a disadvantage. The pure white two headed dragon was without an element of its own and its strength was much higher than that of any other two headed dragon types. Kuro Usagi and the two headed dragon then switched into a super high speed battle which raced along the top of the forest to display a blur of melee engagements and disengagements.
As the both of them left the forest to move closer to the open area, Jin’s exclamation travelled over to them.
“Kuro, Kuro Usagi! As I thought, that lightning was from Kuro Usagi?!”
Kuro Usagi, who was in the midst of battle, did not reply to his question.
Currently, her entire brain was focused in the heat of battle and she could not hear anything else.
The one who responded to their fierce fight was the steel angel instead.
“La……Ra……!!!”
The steel angel made a sound for the first time and swung its huge sword down on Kuro Usagi. However with the usagimimi back on her head, Kuro Usagi’s ability to receive and collect information was overwhelmingly competent for this. At this current state, it is basically useless to even attempt a sneak attack from 100m around her as it was the radius of her information collection. Turning to avoid the attack from behind, Kuro Usagi confirmed the alignment of her enemies to be in a direct line of fire while pulling out a card.
“Summon [Brahmaastra Replica]—!!!”
With the resounding clap of thunder, the Victory spear materialized in her hand. With her holy garments of the era of gods burnt to the extent that it was currently, it would seem that this would also be her very last attack.
And mustering her might with an intensity that would pierce the Earth, the Heavens and shatter the stars, Kuro Usagi shouted,
“PIERCE ‘EEMMMMMMMMMM—!!!”
The tip of the holy spear gave off an unprecedented spiritual pressure as the rays of the Sun were infused within it—- be launched at the absurd speed of the sixth cosmic velocity[34] to pierce the two headed dragon and the steel angel in succession.
A hundred streaks of lightning split into a thousand and a thousand into ten thousands to multiply up to the tens of millions before converging into a single entity to incinerate the two monsters into nothingness.
Never pausing in its unlimited barrage of attacks to achieve its goal of piercing its target, the spear emitted its last ray of sunlight to rip a line across the night skies.
And that overwhelming display of strength was enough to cause the members of [Ouroboros] to turn pale. Having engaged in a battle with the angel themselves, the fight was already beyond the realms of being unusual. Her combat prowess was already comparable to that of the strongest species. The forested lands were reduced to charred smoking regions by the collateral damage of the fight and it effectively rendered the lands inhabitable for any living beings.
Originally a dense forest before the war was now reduced to a flat land which stretched into the horizons. If it weren’t for the destructive powers that were enough to destroy a city with each and every one of those Vajras summoned, it would not have reached such a state.
“This is the true power of the [Moon rabbit]…… [Aristocrat of Little Garden]……!”
As a member of the race who were granted the ability to judge the balance in the world and as a herald of the one who created the world of Little Garden.
Indra’s holy inscriptions continued to shine from Kuro Usagi’s forehead and she looked around to confirm the annihilation of her enemies. She then fell to the ground as all her strength sapped from her body.
“……Guh……”
It was then that Kuro Usagi noticed the abnormality.
The flames that covered her body did not seem to disappear even after the battle.
(Aah…… It really is, going to be like that, right……)
Seemingly to accept what was to come next, the spear fell from her grasp.
This was the cost of the Gift. The end of the [Moon Rabbit]’s gamble at the cost of their life.
The rabbit, whose body had been burnt by flames, saved an old man—the reincarnation of Indra.
That is the legend of the [Moon Rabbit]s.
Offering her life in conjunction with her existence of being a symbol of sacrifice, she enacted the miracle of harboring the Gift of the Warrior God within herself.
And this blaze was a greeting from hell to collect the debt from Kuro Usagi.
Kuro Usagi’s body was entirely covered in the blaze and that sensation of pain tightly clung to her body. However, there was no regret in her heart.
(My patron god…. I will be returning this life to you.)
Kneeling in the posture to thank her god for the miracle. There was no hate or regret in that action. It was a life that should have been ended a while earlier. To be able to grab such a miracle was already a fortunate thing in the unfortunate situation.
The purgatory would hasten her to the six paths, and that was where Kuro Usagi’s consciousness ended.
And at the critical moment when the doors of the purgatory were to be opened—- there came a figure that came rushing over without a care of the flames.
“No! Don’t die!”
In her tottering gait, Asuka reached out to the flaming Kuro Usagi. The purgatory flames would not burn the living. But the sensation of pain of being burnt was real.
Suppressing the pain that was similar to having her body immolated by the same flames, Asuka tearfully cried out.
“Go away! Go away!! Please, go away!!!”
Asuka commanded the purgatory flames to go away. But the blaze did not seem to be of the mind to go away. The purgatory flames seemed like a tsunami that continued to crash over them from the Hell of the six paths.
Although it was a flame that would not burn the living, if the gate of hells were to continue opening for them, Asuka would also be swallowed and lose her life in the process. Even if it weren’t for that, the pain and strain on Asuka’s body was continuing to increase and it would not be out of the question for her to die from the shock.[35]
Even so, she would not give up, seeming to convey those very feelings of hers, a torrent of tears flowed from Asuka’s eyes as she pleaded to the Heavens.
“Indra……! If you really are a benevolent god! A god who seeks to stop the encroaching evils in the world! Then please save your herald who has faithfully followed in your teachings!!!”
Kuro Usagi has never veered from the path of good in her life.
Not forsaking her Community that has fallen into hardship and poverty, taking it upon herself to overcome the odds and living honestly and honorably up till now.
And that life was to end in such a tragic manner? Asuka could not allow that.
“As long as it can help her, I wouldn’t mind standing in for her debt as well!! I too have the prepared my resolve to be burnt by the purgatory flames!! If you can hear this wish of mine, I’m also willing to offer up everything of mine to the Heavens!! So…. I beg you……!!!”
At the last parts, the crying voice did not manage to complete her words.
The purgatory flames separated into two like the upper and lower jaws of a huge monster and enveloped the two bodies.
Their bodies ravaged by flames, were about to be swallowed by the gates of hell, when…
Asuka heard the sound from the Heavens that was accompanied by a clap of thunder.
“……Ah……”
As if her wishes had been heard, thunder rumbled in the skies.
And in the brilliant streaks of lightning that came flashing like prongs of a trident in the skies, Asuka saw the gods for real.
The silhouette of the gods who stood within the lightning were similar to that of a wild beast and yet that of a human.
And the purgatory flames also disappeared shortly after to allow silence to return to the region.
Having lost her consciousness from the pain and anxiety, Asuka then collapsed on the ground amidst the wilderness.
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