Chapter 12 — That Really Is Cheating. It’s like Playing a Video Game with an Invincibility Code On
Within a cave in the Elven Forest, having heard Navi’s explanation of the Omega Blade, Shigeto decided on a course of action. He would destroy the Sages who thought they were so far above everyone else.
“First of all, let’s start with the Sage that brought us here.”
Sion had summoned them and forced them into an almost impossible task. If he wanted revenge, she would be the logical place to start.
“The sword can tell where she is, right?”
“Yes,” Navi replied. “Its omnipotence makes it more or less omniscient as well, allowing access to any information about this world.” She was a creation of the Omega Blade and had appeared to explain everything to him.
“‘More or less’?”
“It knows virtually everything about this world, but there are some exceptions. For example, it cannot hold all of that information simultaneously. It can know anything but only about the target of its focus. If you were capable of thinking of multiple things at the same time, I suppose it would be possible to do that, though.”
“Well, I’m no Prince Shotoku. I can only think of one thing at a time. But can’t I use it to change myself so that I could think of multiple things at once?”
“Your own thoughts and intelligence are beyond the scope of the Omega Blade’s powers. In short, it cannot make you any smarter.”
“You said ‘my own.’ Does that mean I can make other people smarter?”
“Yes, though I am not sure what purpose that would serve. You could also give the Omega Blade to someone else who could then use it to improve your cognitive faculties, but I can’t recommend it.”
“Why? If I use it to make them perfectly obedient to me beforehand, it should be safe, don’t you think?”
“Once one acquires the Omega Blade, they will be freed from all mental manipulation. So as I said, you absolutely must not let anyone else come into contact with it.”
“You said there were a few exceptions. What are the others?”
“Oh, yes. It cannot know the thoughts and feelings of those who came from outside the world. In addition, there are those within this world with the ability to create worlds of their own. It cannot look into those other worlds.”
“There seem to be an awful lot of restrictions on something that’s ‘omnipotent.’”
“Though it may sound strange, that is because perfect omnipotence is impossible. Rather than operating from a viewpoint of being ‘almost omnipotent,’ I believe it is more effective to look at what you can do from the perspective of the restrictions you face.”
“Well, whatever. For now, let’s deal with Sion. Omega Blade, tell me where she is.”
The Omega Blade only acted when called on by name. Shigeto had set it up to only act on explicit orders.
“Sion does not exist within this world,” Navi replied.
“Why are you answering?!”
“I am like a Terminal of the Omega Blade. If you want an answer in words, going through me is the quickest way, don’t you think?”
“I guess so...but what do you mean she doesn’t exist?”
“There are a few possible reasons. She could already be dead, she could have left the world, or she could have entered a smaller world contained within this one.”
“Are there records up to the time she disappeared?”
“I imagine there are, but you will have to ask the Omega Blade directly for them.”
It seemed unreasonably inflexible, but it was Shigeto who had set up the sword to work that way.
“Okay then, let’s try again. Omega Blade, treat any questions to Navi as questions to you. Let her answer any questions she receives.” With Navi right in front of him, having to ask the Omega Blade over and over seemed needlessly confusing, so he changed the settings a little.
“Understood.”
“Navi, please review the records of what Sion was doing up until she left this world, and guess where she might have gone.” Even if they knew her final movements, figuring out where she’d gone might have been difficult, so he included making that judgment in his instructions.
“Immediately before disappearing, Sion teleported. Her destination was a pocket dimension underneath Valeria, the capital of the Kingdom of Manii. Presently, it is referred to as the Underworld. The Underworld is a manufactured world, so as I explained earlier, the Omega Blade is unable to observe what happens in there.”
“She went in and never came back?”
“That is correct. There are no records of her leaving. Afterwards, flesh thought to be part of a Dark God burst out of the Underworld, destroying Valeria entirely. Though it is just conjecture, it seems highly likely she was caught up in the event and killed. Confirming that will require investigating the Underworld ourselves, though.”
“I don’t think we need to go that far. There’s no point in obsessing over her. Omega Blade, tell me which Sages you can provide the locations of.”
“Sage Raiza, Sage Alice, Sage Gorouzaburou, Sage Akemi. The locations of the above four are known.”
“That’s all?”
“Those are the results returned by your specific inquiry, yes.”
“Actually, is the word ‘Sage’ good enough on its own? Is there a definition?”
“Yes. It refers to those who possess the class of ‘Sage’ within the Battlesong system.”
“My abilities as a Master Oracle were taken from me, so what happened to me as far as Battlesong is concerned?”
“Battlesong is a system of rules that were added to this world after its creation. The Omega Blade is the divine sword that was used to first create this world, so it has control over everything within the world itself, including the Battlesong system. In short, Battlesong is meaningless to you as you are now, and you have been entirely released from it.”
“I figured I could beat them since I could do anything, but I won’t have issues fighting the Sages, right?”
“Correct. Though the Omega Blade has a number of limitations, you can consider yourself invincible when it comes to combat in this world.”
“You said earlier that Sion teleported. Can I do that?”
“Yes, as long as you wish to teleport somewhere within this world. You will not be able to enter other dimensions without permission, however.”
“Didn’t you say Sion teleported into one?”
“The Underworld permits entry to everyone, so teleporting there is possible. The only restriction is the inability to see within it from the outside.”
“Sounds like there are a lot of technicalities to this. Is teleporting dangerous? I can’t imagine how it would work.”
“Do not worry. If you are interested in teleporting, the sword will automatically make considerations for your safety. However, it will occur instantaneously, so the first time may take you by surprise.”
“I see. In that case, give me a countdown so I can get ready.”
“Understood.”
“Omega Blade, teleport me to the Sage Raiza.” There was no particular reason he had picked Raiza. It was just the first name on the list Navi had given him.
“Would you mind teleporting ten or so meters away, rather than directly beside him?” Navi asked.
“You’re being awfully picky.”
“It would be an issue for you if the sword interpreted vague instructions in its own way, wouldn’t it?”
“Okay, then hold on a second. Are there other people around Raiza?”
“It seems there are.”
“And the Omega Blade can make us invisible, right?”
“Of course.”
“Okay then, make us invisible and teleport us. Please give me a countdown.”
“Very well. Five, four, three, two, one, teleporting.”
In an instant, the world around him transformed. As Navi had warned, if this had happened out of nowhere, it would have been a considerable shock.
It was dark. He was in a stone building, lit dimly by a number of lamps. In front of him was a square room made of iron bars, within which someone was lying face down. A number of armed men who looked like guards stood around the square room, keeping an eye on the contents of the cage. The person inside was likely Raiza.
“What is going on here? Navi, tell me.” Sages were supposed to be the ruling class of this world. He had no idea why one would be locked up in this dark, gloomy place.
“He was overthrown and imprisoned. He lost most of his power, but approaching him remains dangerous, so a cage and stone structure were built around him.”
This had once been an open square. The people had been unable to move Raiza from where he lay, so they’d simply imprisoned him on the spot.
“He was overthrown? He lost to someone?”
“Correct. He was defeated by your classmate, Yogiri Takatou, who paralyzed his four limbs and removed his ability to speak.”
“What? Why is Takatou’s name coming up all of a sudden?” Shigeto knew next to nothing about Yogiri. Yogiri didn’t stand out in class and was the opposite of assertive, so Shigeto had never interacted with him. On top of that, he hadn’t received the Gift, so he had been abandoned on the bus by the group at the start.
“It appears he possessed some sort of power before coming to this world. I do not know the details, but those who have encountered him perceive it as the ability to kill anyone he wishes instantly.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? Whatever. It doesn’t matter. I guess this guy won’t work as a good test subject for me, then.” Shigeto couldn’t care less about where Yogiri was or what he was doing.
“I suppose not. It does not matter much who the opponent is, but one who cannot move won’t prove anything.”
“But I did decide to kill the Sages. I guess I should kill him...but how?” He could do anything, but that made deciding how to kill Raiza something of a challenge.
“If you only wish to kill him, all you must do is instruct the Omega Blade to do so.”
“Omega Blade. Teleport me right beside him. I don’t need a countdown.” The moment he finished speaking, the scenery around him changed again. He had appeared inside the metal cage, right beside Raiza.
Shigeto kicked the fallen Sage, flipping him over onto his back. Raiza’s body trembled. That was enough to send a shock wave outward, shaking the building around them. But that appeared to be the most he could do. The stone structure had been built to withstand those shock waves.
“That surprised me. He can do an awful lot for not being able to move.” Shigeto was unharmed. He had set the Omega Blade to respond to danger to his person automatically, so it had neutralized the shock wave.
“What’s going on?! Raiza is struggling again!”
“Has he still not given up?! Persistent bastard!”
“There’s no way he’s recovering, right?!”
“Just in case, call for reinforcements!”
The guards began to panic. They were always on the alert for those shock waves and were therefore a considerable distance from the metal cage. The distance was enough that the shock waves Raiza could unleash were unable to hurt them. It was dangerous to get close, but they would be safe if they maintained their distance. They must have intended to keep watch until he died.
“Omega Blade, kill Raiza,” Shigeto commanded.
Instantly Raiza’s struggling ceased, and he stopped moving altogether. Shigeto gave him another kick, but his enormous body offered no resistance. He was definitely dead. Shigeto had come this close because he wanted to see the result. He wanted to see if the Omega Blade worked on the Sages with his own two eyes.
“Dying on command doesn’t seem very fair, does it?”
“Yes. Battles for one possessing the Omega Blade are all like this. You can neutralize all attacks and kill your opponents with a thought. This is what it means to be unrivaled.”
“It really is cheating. It’s like playing a video game with an invincibility code on. Not much fun, is it?”
“Then will you give up on fighting the Sages?”
“No. Even if it’s boring, completing a checklist gives its own sense of accomplishment. There’s still meaning in seeing it through to the end. Next is the Sage Alice. Teleport me.”
Killing the Sages may have been pointless, but that was the decision Shigeto had made right from the beginning when he had set off on an adventure when first coming to this world.
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