Chapter 5 I Discovered a Power That Anybody, Even an Idiot Like Me, Possesses.
It felt like ages, or like mere moments. Either way, his thoughts were spinning.
He’d sat down, watching the gem of darkness being produced and wondering what he should do.
And then the answer appeared before him.
“Sorry to keep ya waitin’, sonny!” Fratello said. He had returned dressed in a long black coat.
Fratello ran over to Masato and did a little spin.
On his back was the kanji for mom, written upside down.
“My finest duds. The only folks who can wear this are the Four Heavenly Kings of the Libere Rebellion. Cool, right?”
“…Yeah. It is pretty cool.”
Fratello was one of the Libere Heavenly Kings. The third one.
This was the Rebellion’s lair.
The two figures behind Fratello peering around the edge of the door only proved it.
“Is that Masato Oosuki?”
“Whaaat? It iiiiis! Masatoooo! Heeeey!”
Amante and Sorella. They seemed mildly surprised, but not at all averse to joining them here.
Before Masato could respond, Fratello stammered, “Y’all… Ahem, you there! Why did you follow me? I specifically told you not to!”
“Who cares if you did? This is our lair—we go where we want. Also…”
“Pleeeeease, stop forcing yourself to talk like thaaaat. I know you want to be cool or whatever, but a real man would be true to himseeeelf.”
“Yeah. It’s not manly.”
“Not manly at aaaall. Mwa-ha-haaa.”
Fratello’s brow twitched.
“So y’all are itchin’ for a fight? Got it! …Hey, sonny, I just gotta butcher these two numbskulls real quick. They can be kind of a pain. Mind lendin’ me a hand?”
Furious, Fratello stepped up next to Masato, ready to square off against Amante and Sorella. He was eager to give them a beatdown with his new buddy.
But Masato pushed Fratello’s shoulder away, rejecting it.
“…Sonny?”
“I’ve had enough of this farce.”
“Farce? What…?”
“Don’t lie to me. I already know. You and I are enemies.”
“Enemies…?”
“Yeah. You’re one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Libere Rebellion. And I’m the idiot who got baited by the promise of power that would let me surpass my mother and followed you without realizing that. You really fooled me. You used me. That’s what this is, right?”
Masato looked him right in the eye. And Fratello…
“The heck are you goin’ on about, sonny?”
…just looked confused.
He genuinely didn’t seem to know what Masato was talking about.
“No, uh…Fratello? Do you need a more detailed explanation, or…?”
“I’m thinkin’ I do.”
“Okay…so I’m the normal hero, Masato Oosuki. And you, Fratello, are one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Libere Rebellion. That means we’re on opposite sides. You following so far?”
“Ya lost me. Why’re we enemies?”
“Huh? That’s your question?”
Now both of them were looking confused.
Amante and Sorella stepped back, whispering to each other.
“…Uh, Sorella. You did brief Fratello on Masato Oosuki, right?”
“Huh? I thought you did thaaat. I barely consider him an enemyyyy, so I didn’t say anythiiing.”
“Oh, right… I didn’t feel he was that important, so I don’t think I even mentioned his name to Fratello at all. Probably best to keep that part quiet, huh?”
“Tooootal secrecy.”
“We can hear you! So this is all your fault?!”
Masato gave the buns on Amante’s head and the bone-shaped decoration on Sorella’s bangs a good hard yank. ““Eek! You demon!”” “Report, inform, consult!” ““Owww!”” “Report, inform, consult!” ““We’re sorry, we’re sorry!”” Report, inform, and consult. The three founding principles of any functional organization.
That explained things, at least.
Masato turned back to Fratello.
“Okay, so you didn’t know I was your enemy, Fratello. You didn’t know that I’m Mamako Oosuki’s son.”
“That’s news to me, sonny. So you’re the infamous Mamako Oosuki’s son, eh? …Ya don’t strike me as threatening or nothin’, though.”
“I gotta hear this from you, too?! Arghhh, fine! Well, not fine, but fine! I’m used to it, is all. Point is, you weren’t actually trying to trick me, right? Right?”
Fratello nodded firmly.
“Mm. I got no reason to mess with ya. And part of this is my fault for not introducin’ myself properly. Sorry ’bout that.”
“I guess I could say the same thing. Which makes us even. I’m sorry, too.”
“In my mind, sonny…you’re a fellow man and sparring partner, one who spoke to me with his fists, our hearts as one. That fact hasn’t changed.”
“Oh, okay. Got it, got it. So you weren’t lying. You and I are kindred spirits! Bound by the bonds between men, the perfect rivals! I wasn’t wrong to believe in you!”
Masato was relieved and overjoyed.
“…Uh, Sorella? Does this mean we have to keep it a secret that Fratello’s really a girl?”
“Hmm…probablyyy? Aaactually, I think it would be funnier to keep Masato in the daaark.”
“Cool, I agree. So then let’s make sure we don’t explain that Fratello hated us so much she refused to accept that we were the same gender and started telling everyone she was a man.”
“Let’s keep that a seeecret.”
“Like I said, we can hear—Uh…what? Huh?”
“Put a lid on it, you nitwits!”
Fratello interrupted their whispering, yanking the hair buns and bone accessory. ““Hey, you’re pulling it ouuut!”” “I’m trying to.” Some ripping seemed likely to occur, but Fratello couldn’t care less.
“Uh, Fratello? Are you really a girl……?”
“No! These two fools are just messin’ with ya. I’m a man! If ya got any doubts, do a body search! You can grope my chest and crotch all ya like!”
“Whoa, so manly! In that case…”
Masato reached a hand out.
Fratello instantly turned red and took a step back.
“…Uh.”
“I-I’m a man! I don’t mind if ya touch me, kid. I don’t care how much my privates get fondled! But…like, you could get arrested for that, so…fair warning?”
“Glad you warned me in time then, thanks. So you are a girl… Okay… So literally everything I believed was wrong.”
His mother, his party, his enemies, even the mysterious nun… His adventure was all girls, and the first friend he’d met who was his own gender…was just an illusion.
Masato’s shoulders drooped.
“I think I get the gist of what’s going on here. Regardless of whatever confusion lay between you…”
“Masato’s choices played to our advaaaantage. Mwa-ha-haaa.”
Amante and Sorella grinned maliciously.
“…What do you mean?”
“I’m not explaining that!” Humph!
“C’mon! This is the perfect time for it! It’s your role in life!”
“It is not! I mean, when have I ever—”
“Right, riiiiight. I think it would be funnier if he knewwww? So let meeee do the honors.”
The grinning Sorella summoned a giant magic tome to hover above her head. The pages flipped open, and a dark light shone against the wall.
Like a projector.
“Geez! Where are we?! I guess this is where my magic—”
“Wise! Careful with the magic! There’s so little room here!”
The people in the projection were in a small, dark room. Wise and Medhi were kicking the mystery-material walls, looking really frustrated. The sound made it clear they weren’t holding back.
Mamako was there, too.
“I’ll get this dish ready immediately! It won’t take long, just you wait!”
In the center of the room was a simple kitchen, and Mamako was busy slicing daikon. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Rhythmically, urgently.
That was what the image showed.
“Uh…what the hell are they doing? Where is that?”
“Mamako’s group came here looking for youuuu, and they ran into us insteeead. So we transported them to this lovely rooooom.”
“Why’d they come here? And…what lovely room?”
“It’s called The End of Moms (Eternal Housework Edition), sonny.”
“Sheesh, that’s long.”
“First, ‘The End of Moms’ is part of a series of facilities the Rebellion has developed for use against mothers,” explained Amante. “These rooms exist in a special realm, cut off from the world at large. So she’s unable to use the power of the earth and ocean.”
“And the way (Eternal Housework Edition) works iiiiis… Well, easier to show youuu. Come heeere.”
He looked closer…
Inside the room known as The End of Moms (Eternal Housework Edition).
While Wise and Medhi were angrily kicking the wall, Mamako was busy cooking.
She had the daikon all chopped to bite-sized pieces and was boiling them in some dashi in a pot.
She skimmed the scum off the top, added some miso, adjusted the seasonings…and it was all done!
“Hee-hee. Just the way I like it! I’m sure Ma-kun will be happy.”
“You’re done, Mamako?”
“Then somewhere…!”
Their eyes darted along the walls.
A door in the wall to Wise’s left slid open.
“This way! Come on!”
All three went through the door and down a narrow passage to another small room.
“Another room! Argh, I’m so pissed!”
“And more of the same.”
This room was the same size as the last, with walls and a floor of the same material.
But this time, there was a pile of laundry in the center.
And a threatening message: WE HAVE YOUR CHILD. IF YOU WANT THEM BACK, YOU, THE MOTHER, MUST FOLD ALL THIS LAUNDRY.
Mamako immediately knelt down and began folding.
“Okay! I’ll get this taken care of, and we can go find Ma-kun!”
“Wait, don’t, Mamako! This is definitely messed up!”
“There were clothes four rooms ago, and eight rooms ago… It’s on a cycle. Cleaning, laundry, cooking, folding…we’re just looping through the same four tasks.”
“Yes, I did notice… Okay, all done!”
With ruthless efficiency, she’d cleared the requirement.
The wall to Mamako’s right opened, and a passage appeared. “Let’s go!” “Hey! Mamako!” “Wait!” Mamako was already gone.
And they found themselves in another small room. This time there were a broom, a pile of dust, and a rag and bucket.
Another threatening note.
WE HAVE YOUR CHILD. IF YOU WANT THEM BACK, YOU, THE MOTHER, MUST CLEAN THIS ROOM.
“Let’s get started! Time to clean!”
“Absolutely not! Mamako, calm down! This is obviously a trap! Clearing these tasks isn’t getting us any closer to Masato!”
Wise’s desperate cry made Mamako’s hand pause an inch above the rag.
But only for a moment. She was soon wiping the floor.
“Perhaps you’re right about that, Wise. But I can feel it. I can feel us getting close to Ma-kun.”
“No, but…”
“Even if that’s true, keeping this up is a bad idea. This is clearly a trap. A trap designed to make you do indefinite housework and wear yourself out! So…”
“Yes. It might well be a trap, Medhi. I’m just doing ordinary housework, but I can feel it sapping my strength.”
“Then…!”
“But I’m not going to stop. There’s always a chance it isn’t a trap.”
She dunked the rag in the bucket and firmly wrung it out.
Pausing only to wipe a drop of sweat from her cheek, Mamako began wiping the floor.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m a mother. If it’s for my child, I can do anything. No matter how hard it is, I can keep going. Because I’m a mother. So leave this to me. I’m fine.”
Imagining the moment when she and her child were reunited, she smiled happily.
And so she set to work, sweat beading on her brow.
Masato couldn’t drag his eyes away from the projection of Mamako.
“You’re clearly not fine… For the love of… Stop it. Please,” he muttered, half in disbelief, half in anger.
Although honestly, neither was his primary emotion. Despite himself, he could feel heat building at the edges of his eyes.
But fortunately, the tone-deaf crowd around him distracted him before the tears could flow.
“Oh myyyy… Wise and Medhi figured it ouuuut… But too baaaad! Mamako’s fallen for it hook, line, and siiiinker.”
“Of course! The more a mother cares for her child, the more inescapable this trap becomes! She’ll be trapped in an infinite loop of instructions until she destroys herself! Heh-heh-heh!”
“Hold it. Watching her destroy herself sounds real dull. We should free her eventually. Do none of y’all want to beat Mamako Oosuki yourselves? Know what I mean, sonny?”
Fratello had run over to Masato and was tugging at his sleeve.
“Sonny, we should start training now! We’ll get ya nice and strong, and then you can use that strength to butcher Mamako Oosuki! Right?!”
Fratello was all excited, like she was inviting Masato to play.
But Masato slapped her hand away.
“…Sonny?”
“I finally worked it out. I know what kind of power I want.”
Without so much as a glance at Fratello’s stunned face, Masato started walking.
He drew Firmamento, held it tight, and stood before the projection of Mamako.
“…Mom, I finally understand.”
The image of his mother desperately trying to save her son had helped him figure it out.
To Masato, power meant…
“The thing you need to save who you want to save…that’s what power is.”
Even now, he still couldn’t just say to save my mother, so he still had a long way to go. But inside, he understood.
Masato raised his sword, drawing it back all the way behind him.
“Great Heavens… You who have stood by as Mother Earth and Mother Ocean produced one thing after another… You stood by, as I did… So you know how I feel… You know what I want to do. Yes! This is our time! Lend me your power!” he roared in supplication.
Certain he could do it.
“Wh-what?! What’s Masato Oosuki doing?!”
“I dunnooooo! But he’s sure fired uuuup!”
“Sonny… No way… Is this some special power?!”
The Heavenly Kings gasped, frozen in place, watching…
As Masato unleashed…
“Ultimate Secret Art…Spacetime Slash!”
He swung Firmamento with all his might!
The Ultimate Secret Art: Spacetime Slash—the most powerful blow the hero chosen by the heavens could muster! An ultimate move made possible by his daily training and his desire to save you-know-who!
The slash cut through the wall between realms, freeing his trapped party members!
“Oh, it opened! Cool, we’re out!”
That was the real Wise talking! Not the projection!
It came from waaaaay behind Masato.
“…Huh? Behind me?”
The wall in front of Masato hadn’t budged. Instead, the wall behind him had slid open, allowing the girls to step out.
“So…uh…”
“Sonny, your ultimate move sliced space-time!”
“R-right! Let’s say it did!”
“They came out somewhere totally unrelated to the place you were looking! Are these super-dimensional forces at work?!”
“P-probably… No, definitely! Exactly what I was trying to do!”
“Aaaand…you slashed horizontallyyyy…not verticallyyyy…but the wall parted right and leeeeft. You can control the direction of the cut at wiiiill? That’s amaaaazing.”
“I know, right? That’s totally what happened! I’m incredible! I have finally awakened…!”
Then his party’s voices followed:
“I guess the trap just gave up, huh? That’s our Mamako!”
“She ran them out of laundry, ingredients, and places that needed cleaning! Hats off to Mamako’s housework power.”
“I’m just glad it worked out! Hee-hee.”
Oh well.
Amante, Sorella, even Fratello all just stared at Masato in silence.
Yep.
“Uh…I was all like, ‘Wonder if I can do this? It’d be cool if I could’…but sorry, I guess that was all in my head.”
He wasn’t going to cry. Men don’t cry. Masato apologized properly and put his sword away.
He put the entire incident behind him, acting like nothing had happened. He greeted his party with a smile.
“Hey, Mom! Everyone! Been ages! Glad you’re safe—!”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ll save the heartfelt reunions for later. Along with the lecture for being stupid enough to go off with the enemy.”
“First, we have to deal with the Heavenly Kings…but before that, Masato, you have work to do.”
“Huh? I do?”
“Ma-kun! There you are! Mommy was so worried!”
“Gasp! Here she comes!”
The moment her gaze found Masato, Mamako broke into a run.
Driven by the sheer power of worry for her child, she swept him into a hug, nuzzled fiercely until she could relax. And so Masato’s “job” was fulfilled.
In theory.
“Step back.”
But before Mamako could reach him, Fratello stepped between them, placing her hand on Mamako’s belly. An instant later, her body was flung away.
“Eek…?!”
“Mom?!”
She was flung toward the stone pedestal where the dark gem was forming.
“Oh crap! No time for a defense spell!”
“Then we’ll have to—!”
Before Mamako hit the pedestal, Wise and Medhi physically flung themselves behind her. “Unh?!” “Oof!” With the two of them cushioning her—and getting crushed by the impact—Mamako avoided major damage.
“Wise? Medhi?! S-s-sorry!”
“D-don’t worry about it… We rely on you all the time.”
“I’m glad we could be of help. More importantly…”
The impact had shaken the pedestal, and the unnatural vibrations had activated a safety device.
A magic cage had appeared around the pedestal, trapping Mamako and the girls within.
“My magic can take care of this! …Spara la magia per mirare… Bomba Sfera! …Huh? My magic isn’t working?!”
“Tough luck, y’all. Magic don’t work inside that there cage. Mom power don’t work, neither.”
“Good news, Wise! This isn’t your usual personal tragedy!” cheered Medhi.
“Whew, thank goodness… Wait, no! This is terrible! We just got out of one trap, and here we are in another! It’s not fair! Arghhh!”
“This is extremely unpleasant, you’re right… I’m so depressed…!”
Wise and Medhi (dark version) seized the bars of the magic cage, rattling them with all their might.
Amante and Sorella watched with delight.
“Ah-ha-ha! This is perfect for you! Why not change jobs to Wild Animal? Then a circus could take you in! That would be even better!”
“Getting caught twice in a roooow? That’s sooooo dumb. Pathetiiic! Stiiiill…Mamako seriously managed to beat The End of Moms rooooom?”
“Good point. Did (Eternal Housework Edition) really run out of supplies? We’d better go check.”
Amante and Sorella stepped into the trap room.
The door in the wall snapped shut behind them. Nothing of it remained in their wake.
The projection on the other wall showed Amante and Sorella frantically pounding the wall for a while, but then the giant magic tome vanished, taking the projection with it.
“Where in the heck does their stupidity end…?” Fratello grumbled.
But then she gasped, sensing an unnatural presence behind her.
“……Whew……”
With that small sigh, Masato stepped forward past Fratello, who watched was watching him intently.
He reached the cage and spoke to his trapped companions.
“You both okay?”
“We’re not okay! We’re stuck in here! Wait… Uh, Masato?”
“We’ve taken some damage, but it’s not exactly fatal… Um…Masato?”
Wise and Medhi both saw the oddly peaceful look on his face and trailed off.
“Um…Masato? You are Masato, right?”
“You seem really different…”
“I’m me. No one else.”
Having checked on them, next…
He turned his eyes to Mamako, sitting behind them, covered in sweat again.
“Mom. Are you okay?”
“Yes! Mommy’s fine! Just fine! And now that I’ve found you, Ma-kun, Mommy feels so, so great…!”
“Right, right. You’re lying.”
“I…I’m not—”
“You are.”
He calmly met her gaze, and she fell silent.
“…Mom, we need to talk.”
“Y-yes? What is it?”
Surprised, Mamako shifted herself, sitting upright on her knees.
Like she thought he was going to scold her. He was.
Perhaps for the first time in his life. There was a weird anger in his voice.
“Mom, you always say you’re fine no matter what… Don’t do that!”
“Huh? …B-but I am fine, so—”
“When you really are fine, that’s okay. But stop saying you’re fine when you aren’t fine. Mom, you can use all these crazy-strong powers and do almost anything…but even you get tired sometimes.”
“Well…certainly, but—”
“But when that happens, you lie about it and insist you’re doing fine, which just makes me even more worried. Mom, do you like making me worried?”
“I—I don’t, no! Mommy was trying to keep you from worrying. That’s why—”
“Well, if the result is that I worry even more, then that’s the wrong approach. Right?”
They stared at each other for a long moment, and then Mamako hung her head.
“That’s…fair enough. You’re right.”
“So think about it, okay? Consider what’s the best thing to do in that moment. I might always be your son, but…but maybe sometimes, I can actually help you.”
“Ma-kun…”
“So, um…my point is…I worry about you the same way you worry about me. And I’d appreciate it if you could bear that in mind. The end.”
It was a son’s duty to speak his mind clearly.
Mamako stared at her hands, but a smile played across her lips.
“That’s right…you do worry about Mommy, Ma-kun. Hee-hee.”
Her body was starting to glow. “Don’t get happy about this!” “S-sorry.” He was midlecture here.
But his feelings were actually getting through. Well, he hoped so anyway.
“Okay, Mom. Be honest. Are you tired right now?”
“…Yes, I am a little tired.”
“Then rest there a minute. You don’t need to do a thing. This time, I’m gonna save you for real.”
Mamako nodded.
“Okay. I’ll sit right here and rest. Mommy won’t do a thing.”
“Wise, Medhi, you guys rest, too. And watch over Mom for me. I’ll take care of the rest.”
“Uh, okay…sure… Whatever you say.”
“Very well. The rest is up to you, Masato.”
Both girls sat down, staring at him transfixed, like they’d never seen him before.
Mamako leaned back against the pillar, resting.
Immediately, the special mom skill A Mother’s Day Off activated!
Like the name suggested, this gave mothers a time to rest. If their children were looking after them, they had no choice but to do nothing. It was a mandatory rest.
And the effect of it went through Mamako’s back to the pedestal, from the pedestal down the cords, down the cords to the magic circle on the floor…
…and reached the gel sphere placed in the center of that circle, stopping the data transfer.
The creation of the dark gem was halted completely.
“Hey, uh…I think Mamako just did something?”
“By not doing anything…”
“Ma-kun! Don’t worry about Mommy, Ma-kun! I’ll just rest right here, not doing anything! Hee-hee!”
“Seriously? Even when you’re doing nothing? …Geez. My mom will always be my mom.”
She waved happily at him, and he couldn’t help but smile back.
Then he turned to face the girl he’d believed to be his kindred spirit.
With his party watching over him from behind, Masato faced Fratello down.
Fratello’s dazed eyes were gazing up at him reproachfully.
“…A man like yourself, actin’ like that in front of his mother? It don’t make no sense.”
“What makes no sense?”
“If you wanna lecture her, do it with your fists! That’s the manly way! Men make their mothers submit!”
“That’s not called ‘being a man.’ That’s called ‘being a piece of shit.’”
“No, it ain’t!”
“It is.”
They glared at each other for a moment. Then Masato sighed and drew his sword.
“You mean,” he said, “that’s your source of power.”
“It is! Mine is the power to butcher mothers! That’s the power ya wanted, sonny!”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m gonna have to decline. That’s not what I wanted. I don’t need power like that.”
Fratello pouted, looking grumpy.
“…You get on with your mother, sonny? You wanna get all huggy and kissy?”
“Of course not. I just wanna have a decently fun adventure with her in a totally normal way, like normal families do.”
“That’s crazy talk.”
“Maybe. It feels like that sometimes. She’s always with me and always better than me. She often leaves me without a leg to stand on. I’ve lost count of how many times that’s made me feel super depressed. But at the same time, the crazy stuff is kinda fun. Like, it’s so crazy, there’s no way anyone could get through it…and that’s why I want to try to get through it myself.”
“Utter madness, I tell ya.”
“That’s fine with me. An adventure through the heart of madness…what man doesn’t get pumped up by that?”
He gave Fratello a mocking grin.
Disgusted, Fratello sighed.
And looked up at Masato as if facing a mortal enemy.
“If that’s your word as a man, I won’t argue with ya. I’m a man, too. I know what it means when your mind’s made up.”
“Glad to hear it. And yeah, my mind is made up. And while I’m at it…I’ve had enough of this.”
He pointed his blade at Fratello.
“Fratello…how dare you do that to my Mom?!”
All the anger he’d been suppressing as he tried to keep himself calm exploded out of him.
Masato slashed sideways, aiming directly for Fratello’s throat.
“Mah!”
Fratello leaped high, avoiding it.
Right where Masato wanted her.
“Perfect! I’ll finish this in a single blow! Rahhhh!”
He put all his strength into a single swing of Firmamento.
Unleashing a shock wave of anger right at Fratello.
“Good attack, but not good enough, sonny!”
Right before the shock wave hit her, Fratello rolled, twisting herself in midair.
The second her feet hit the ground, she closed the gap between them.
“Mah!”
“Too obvious!”
Fratello’s trademark straight punch. Masato held out his left arm.
The shield wall deployed, and the instant it caught the fist, there was a dull clunk.
For a moment, he saw a bunch of metal bits, like brass knuckles. They swiftly pulled back into Fratello’s sleeve, out of sight.
“…You’ve got some weird weapon there, huh?”
“I have a fisticuffs weapon equipped. I put these on my arms and punch, and they come flying out.”
“I see. So you’re a master of hidden weapons.”
“They’re just ordinary weapons. My sleeves are just too long, makin’ ’em hard to see. I’m not actually tryin’ to hide ’em.”
“Right… It did seem out of character.”
“Also, while I’m at it, my attacks are super-powerful against mothers, but they’re just regular ol’ punches against anyone else. But with these weapons equipped, I might get extraordinary attacks even against normal opponents.”
“Like a lucky crit? Well, I appreciate the fair and up-front explanation.”
“You’re welcome.”
Fratello came in close again. But she wasn’t unnaturally fast like Amante. Masato kept calm, watching…
And stuck out his left arm just as her fist came out. Shield wall. “Mah!” “Humph!” He easily caught the cluster of brass knuckles that shot out of the sleeve. One-handed.
“Too bad! Missed me!”
“It’ll hit next time! Mahhhh!”
Fratello lowered her hips, straining every muscle, charging, preparing for the ultimate blow that had sent the mountain-sized horned from flying and carved a hole in the forest.
If that gets a lucky crit, it’ll be real bad… Should I dodge? …Nope! I’m soaking it!
Masato wanted to deny Fratello’s best blow head-on.
So he stood his ground.
“Come at me, Fratello!”
“Prepare yourself, sonny! Mah!”
Fratello’s ultimate fist! Masato deployed his shield wall!
And easily caught it.
“Tch, another whiff!” Fratello cursed.
“Back at you!”
Masato swung his Holy Sword down…!
“Mah!”
Fratello put both her hands above her head, eyes squeezed tightly closed, a desperate defense. A super-cute little girl guard!
If Masato attacked that, he would definitely, unquestionably, look like the bad guy.
He hastily stopped his swing.
“Hey! That’s cheating!”
“What, you ain’t gonna attack? Then I will! Mah!”
“You know, that cute little squeak you do is actually pretty cheap, too! Argh!”
He caught Fratello’s fist on his shield wall again.
And this time Masato’s attack—!
“Mah!” Girly guard!
“I said, stop that! Please!!”
“What, pullin’ your blow again? Then I guess I’ll attack! Mah!”
“Arghhh! This is really tough… Er…”
He was trying to block, but his shield wall was being pushed back.
And not just pushed back. His shield wall shattered, and a little fist broke through. The moment it touched Masato’s gut…
Masato was flung back, hard.
“Gah…?!”
All the way back, no time to catch himself. He slammed hard into the wall.
The girls all leaped to their feet.
“Oh no! Ma-kun?!”
“H-hey, what the heck? Medhi, let’s get in there!”
“Yes! I just need to cast a healing spell—!”
“This is my fight! Stay out of it!” Masato roared.
The girls all froze.
Honestly, this was rough. His back was on fire. He was in tremendous pain. All the air had been forced out of his lungs, and his chest hurt. If he didn’t get healed, he would be in trouble. He knew that well enough.
But he had to finish this himself.
Some things I need to finish alone!
As a hero… As a man… In full knowledge that it was foolish pride.
Obeying the impulse that had risen up when he saw his mother get blown away.
He had to get payback. No matter what.
Ignoring the pain, Masato got up and raised his sword.
Fratello cracked her knuckles menacingly as she strode forward.
“You sure you don’t wanna beg your li’l ol’ mommy to save you?”
“Yeah. Can’t have you unleashing a ‘Don’t go crying to Mommy, brah’ instant death attack, can I?”
“A what now?”
“Never mind.”
“Hmm… But fair enough. I’m all warmed up. I can really strut my stuff. You ready, sonny?”
“I’ve always been ready. Come at me.”
They faced each other from midrange.
Fratello pulled her right fist back, charging it. Preparing for a devastating blow. Charging, charging, charging…
The power was now so concentrated the air around them was shaking.
But part of Masato still wanted to believe in his kindred spirit. So he asked, “Hey, why is it you’re so big on…butchering, was it?”
“Butchering, yep.”
“Why butcher mothers? What makes you do that? You got something against them? I mean, not like I’m totally unsympathetic, but… Well?” he asked.
But Fratello just gave him a glazed look.
“No real reason.”
“…Huh?”
“I’ve got this here power that’s only good against mothers, so I’m usin’ it. If I’m against a mother, I can win every time. Winning’s fun. That’s all.”
“What the…? You’ve got nothing against them, but because you know you can win, you turned violent? You just want to beat people up? …Just like a kid acting out in their rebellious phase.”
“Not kid! Man!”
“You ain’t a man, though, physically or psychologically. You’re way off the mark. Geez. Sigh… I really picked all the wrong things to believe, huh? This is a disaster. Dammit.”
He was so frustrated with himself that he felt like giving up, but he endured.
“Makes you want to stop trying to believe in things, but…I’m gonna choose to believe anyway.”
Masato raised his sword.
“To protect my mom…and other mothers…I can’t let an idiot like you run wild. I believe I have the power to do that!”
Putting his emotions into words helped him focus.
And his focus caused a change in Firmamento. The translucent blade began filling with specks of light.
Like glittering stars tracing a Milky Way through the blade.
“This is… Oh, I see… At last, you’re willing to help. Thanks, partner. Me and my powers of protection will defeat you, Fratello!”
“Mm. Then my powers of destruction will cut them down!”
Both leaped forward.
“Rahhhhhhhhhhh!”
“Mahhhhh!”
A swing and a thrust clashed together.
Aura sparkling around it, Fratello’s fist touched the sword. The power charged within tried to blow the sword and Masato away, but…
The protective power soaked that thrust, deflecting it.
“Mah…?!”
“I win. Here’s what you get in place of a lecture, you dumb kid.”
The flat of his powerful blade struck Fratello’s head.
Fratello’s eyes rolled up until the whites were visible, and she fell flat on her face.
The fight was over.
Fratello was completely unconscious.
Certain his foe was out of commission, Masato turned to the cage trapping his party and raised his blade.
“I’ll get you guys out of there. I have the power now! This time it’ll work! Ultimate Secret Art…!”
The ultimate move of a hero who’d awakened to his true power. An ultimate slash so powerful the space-time continuum ceased to matter. Magic cages were no match for it…
But before he could unleash it, Wise and Medhi pushed the bars out of the way one-handed and stepped out.
“Oh, that was easy. How’d that happen?”
“That was most likely because of Mamako’s skill A Mother’s Day Off. The ability to keep us inside is on vacation.”
“Cool.”
Oh well. His party was already free. “But…I was about to… Oh, never mind.” Masato put his sword away, muttering.
Wise and Medhi came hustling right over to him.
“Geez, Masato! Are you okay?”
“Let me treat those wounds! Then we’ll talk!”
“Calm down, you two. I’m fine. I took a fair bit of damage, but my equipment has an auto-heal, so my HP’s recovering just fine.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
Both girls put their hands on his forehead.
“Have you lost it completely?!”
“Why is that your concern?”
“You haven’t been behaving like yourself at all!” said Medhi. “Getting mad on your mother’s behalf? Obtaining the power to protect mothers? Winning a one-on-one duel with one of the Four Heavenly Kings?!”
“You were, like, actually kinda cool?! Like, for real! Even though you’re Masato! And that’s impossible! So how can we not be worried?!”
“Have you guys ever thought of giving me non-backhanded compliments.”
“We could do that, but we’re too worried!”
“Right, okay, sorry to worry everyone, geez. Still…”
Masato braced himself, pretty sure it was high time Mamako came over for a hug.
She didn’t.
“…Oh my…what is this? Something feels so strange…”
She was still sitting on the pedestal, looking around nervously, like she just couldn’t stay calm.
“What’s she doing? Eh, doesn’t matter.”
It wasn’t like he wanted a reward hug. Really, he didn’t!
Anyway…
“Uh, right. Point is, you two shouldn’t be worried about me. Gimme some space, okay? There’s something I gotta do.”
“What?”
“This is where they make the gems of darkness. See that giant blobby sphere in the middle? That’s the source. Best way to protect this world is to destroy that thing and make sure they can never use it again.”
“There you go again, Masato, acting like a real hero! …Wise!”
“I know! I gotta chain cast until his head gets back on straight!”
“I’ve had enough of you both.”
Taking a tight grip on his sword, Masato stepped toward the gel sphere alone.
But then…darkness burst upward in front of Masato, swirling around.
“Wh-what the heck is that?”
“Nothing you need to know about. Just shut up and listen.” An unfathomable voice echoed from within the swirl. “My plans cannot proceed. I am displeased. Extremely displeased. And you’re the cause. This is your fault! You just had to be here.”
“Our fault…?”
“And the root cause must be punished. Submit to my power and lose all that you have built. Sink to the bottom of the sea along with these failures who cannot follow orders.”
And with what sounded like a curse, the swirl vanished.
Everything around them began to shake. It felt like the floor fell a few feet. Everyone dropped to their knees.
“Wh-what is this? What’s happening?”
“What did that creepy swirl do? Masato, explain!”
“Uh, I have no idea.”
“Ma-kun! Above you!”
“Huh?”
Masato looked up and saw a piece of the ceiling collapsing. One that was definitely big enough to kill him if it hit his head. “Seriously?!” He dived sideways, barely avoiding it.
Mamako came running over, lurching with the floor’s shakes.
“Ma-kun, are you hurt?”
“N-no, I’m fine! Thanks! We’ve gotta get outta here, though! Fast!”
“Yes! Let’s do that… Oh, wait, Ma-kun! We have to make sure those other children get out, too!”
“Do we have time to worry about them?”
“They’ll be just fine.”
The walls leading to The End of Moms (Eternal Housework Edition) opened, and Hahako stepped out with laundry and rags in hand and Amante and Sorella—looking exhausted—under each arm.
“Hahako?! You’re here, too?!”
“I just had a bad feeling. I was right to come check on them. I’ll take care of things here. Can I leave the rest to you, Mamako?”
“Certainly! I’ll take care of Ma-kun and the girls! I’m supposed to be resting, but this is an emergency, so I think it’ll be okay!”
“Well, then… Until we meet again.”
Mamako and Hahako exchanged smiles. Hahako levitated smoothly over to Fratello, scooped her up, said, “This one’s a third potential child!” and sank into the floor carrying all three Heavenly Kings.
“Thank goodness Hahako arrived! …Well, then, Ma-kun!”
“Yeah! Let’s evac!”
“Yeah…but, uh, where from?”
“Is there an exit?”
“I can infooorm you that there’s one this way! As sure as my name is Shiraaase!”
Someone was standing in the room’s main entrance, waving. Even in a moment like this, she wouldn’t drop her shtick—that was definitely the real Shiraaase.
“Porta already evacuated! Hurry!”
“Right, let’s run for it!”
The violent shaking was causing more pieces of the ceiling to fall. One hit the dark gem creation sphere, shattering it. A pillar toppled, smashing the gem on the pedestal. Destruction rained down upon them from all directions.
Keeping one eye above them, staggering each time the floor beneath their feet dropped, they scrambled as fast as they could toward the door.
Outside the lair was the cave-like tunnel. It branched in all directions, but there was a stuffed animal placed at every fork to indicate the way forward.
Following this adorable guide, they made it up the tunnel and outside to a spectacular view of the island.
And to someone even cuter than the stuffed animals, hopping up and down and waving.
“Masatoooo! Over here!”
“Oh, there’s Porta! Glad you’re safe!”
The party was back together. Ideally, that would mean they were in the clear…
But being outside just meant they could stop worrying about the ceiling falling. The ground itself was still shaking and lurching downward.
And they discovered something even more concerning.
“Um, Ma-kun…does it seem like the island is getting smaller?”
“It’s not getting smaller…it’s sinking. The entire island is sinking!”
From up here they could tell the beach was already gone. As the island sank, the water rolled in, covering the island. The pier was totally gone, the water cottages half-submerged. And the dinghies on the beach must have drifted away—there were no boats in sight.
The border between land and sea was moving steadily closer. The tourists were fleeing, headed inland.
This was causing congestion on the promenade. The shopping area had so many luggage-toting tourists trying to escape that it looked ready to burst. Nobody could move at all.
“Hey! Up here! You’ve got to get higher!”
“Wise, wait! Even if they climb up here, that might not help!”
“What do you mean, Medhi? Better than nothing!”
“Perhaps, but if we don’t solve the core problem—”
“Settle down, you two. No time for arguing. Let’s all take a deep breath and try to figure out a solution. If we rela—auuugh, it sank again!”
The only way they could stay upright was by clinging to one another. Mamako had her arms tight around Masato, refusing to let go. Wise and Medhi were holding each other close, even as they bickered. Porta had frantically clapped her arms around Shiraaase. How could anyone stay calm…?
Well, Shiraaase was. She always was.
“The underlying structure of the island is being deleted, step-by-step. So this why we were told to evacuate…”
“Shiraaase? What do you mean?”
“Earlier, I had a chance to speak with the mastermind behind the Rebellion. We were given a warning. They’re likely the cause of our current predicament.”
“The Rebellion mastermind? I suppose this weird swirly thing did show up and tell us we’d lose everything we’d built and sink to the bottom of the sea… Was that the mastermind?”
“A black swirl? Absolutely. They’re attempting to destroy evidence and interfere with our investigation, as well as get revenge on you. Although perhaps this is more a fit of jealousy… Well, there are many potential reasons. It’s most troubling.”
“That’s putting it mildly! But we’ll have to discuss that later! First…”
The island was sinking. People were fleeing. What should they do?
“I’ve got an idea!” Wise cried. “We can use transport magic!”
“That might save us, but what about all these tourists?” said Medhi. “You don’t have the MP or the time to transport all of them!”
“Then admin powers… Oh, no good. This server’s world was just opened and the admin cheat moves haven’t been implemented yet…which means…”
Before Shiraaase could even say her name, Mamako let go of Masato and ran over to Porta.
“Porta, dear, can I have my swords?”
“O-okay! I’ll get them!”
“Mom, what are you…?”
“Ma-kun, don’t worry. You let me have a nice rest, and I’m feeling much better. So I think I can give this a good shot.”
Practically speaking, the only thing that could salvage this situation was Mamako’s power. She’d caused plenty of miracles before, and seemingly nothing was impossible for her… They had to place their faith in her abilities once more.
And this was no time to insist she not push herself. Masato swallowed his concern and his frustrations and nodded.
“Thank you, Ma-kun. Well, then…”
The Holy Sword of Mother Earth was in her right hand, that of Mother Ocean in her left.
Raising both swords high, Mamako prayed.
“Great motherly powers, please… I want to save everyone who’s in danger… Please, lend me your power!”
And the desire to save everyone was heard.
The waves threatening to swallow the stragglers stopped.
And the jungle began to move.
The giant broccoli stalks split of their own accord, slicing themselves into planks and building themselves into ships. Vines bound the planks together, securing everything. A massive volume of leaves filled the little gaps…
It was a massive ark, big enough to carry an entire city!
“Whoaaaa! Mamako, you did it again!”
“Excellent work! From now on, we’re changing your name to Noah.”
“My mom doesn’t need an even weirder name. Still…Mom did it again. Sigh.”
“Next, let’s get all the tourists on board… O-oh?”
Mamako’s knees suddenly buckled. “Ah!” Masato quickly caught her, and they avoided a complete disaster…
…but Mamako was covered in sweat and breathing heavily.
“Hey, Mom! Are you… No, you’re clearly not okay!”
“S-sorry… I feel a little dizzy… I guess I’m still tired. Oh my! This is bad!”
The moment the power left Mamako, the waves started rising again.
The ark was near the entrance to the promenade, and the waves lapped at it. It was already starting to drift.
“Eep!” cried Porta. “The ship’s gonna wash away!”
“Can we control the waves and bring it this way…? No, not an option,” said Shiraaase. “Mamako’s too tired. She doesn’t have the strength left.”
“Uh, Masato! This is bad! Real bad!”
“You’ve got to do something, Masato!”
“R-right! Leave it to me! I have the power now!”
Propping up Mamako up with one arm, Masato pulled his sword with the other, focusing.
The blade filled with stars, and his body with power.
And that was all.
“Dammit! Something happen! I’ve got people to protect! My power has to protect all of these people! Let me do it!”
But no matter how long he waited, a Mamako-style miracle did not occur.
“Masato, Masato. It’ll never do to go on about protecting people. That’s completely out of character. You sound ridiculous.”
“Shiraaase?! This isn’t a time to make fun of me!”
“No, no. That’s not my intent. I’m trying to clear up your confusion.”
“Confusion?”
“Remember what is most important in this world. What this world requires of you, a Normal Hero. If you can work that out, a miracle will happen.”
The most important thing in this world was the bonds between parents and children.
What was required of a Normal Hero wasn’t the power to save the world. What Masato was supposed to strive for as a Normal Hero was to become close to his mother in a normal way and to live a normal, happy life.
When I fought Fratello…I thought, this is for my Mom. And then the strength…
He remembered now.
“Goodness, it’s so bright! …Oh my! Ma-kun’s sword!”
“…Huh?”
Firmamento’s blade had gone from specks of light to a full-on glow. A gentle glow, like moonlight.
“Oh! Looks like a power-up! Right on! Now my power can cause a miracle…”
Or so he thought, but suddenly the sword’s light went out. “Huhhh?!” He must have messed up.
Or maybe…
“Um, Holy Sword? Great Heavens? This can’t be right, but…does it only work if it’s related to mothers? Like, if I ask if you can help my mom, you’ll lend me your power? That it?”
The moment he asked…
Firmamento glowed as bright as the sun, unleashing incredible power.
The glow illuminated the entire island, and every tourist bathed in that light began to levitate. Swept safely into the sky, every last one was carried toward the ark.
Then all the island’s buildings lifted up. The cottages, the hotel, the shops, even Mamako’s statue. Everything Mamako had labored to build for the children’s pleasure was packed onto the ark as well.
And so was Masato’s party.
“Whoa! We’re floating, too! We’re flying! This is amazing!” Porta squealed.
“This power activated when Masato thought hard about Mamako,” Shiraaase explained. “In other words, this power is derived from Mamako. We’re being saved by proxy! Heh-heh-heh.”
“That’s how Masato always does things! Whew! What a relief.”
“And that’s just how Masato should be. All’s right in the world. Thank goodness.”
Porta and Shiraaase bobbed along, while Wise and Medhi broke out their best crawl, the entire party happily swimming through the air toward the ark.
If everyone was having fun, that was best…except for one poor dejected soul.
“My power only works if it’s for my mom… What kind of power is that…? Sigh…”
This was not the power Masato had hoped for.
“We’ve all been saved because of you, Ma-kun. Thank you!”
“…Yeah, you’re welcome.”
His mother’s smiling face was too close. He turned his head away.
But the chosen hero/son had to admit it wasn’t the worst feeling in the world.
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