Chapter 196: The Abandoned Name and the Awakening of Calamity

“Mikado-sama… Who exactly is Lady Yume?”

After the general explanation of our circumstances with our reunited comrades was finished, Yukinojo-san muttered those words.

“Mu, ah…”

However, being asked that, the Mikado looked like it was very difficult to say.

“What does the lawful wife that Haruomi mentioned mean? Is my father’s lawful wife not my mother!?”

At Yukinojo-san’s earnest voice, the Mikado groaned.

“…Haa, I suppose this is what you’d call the karma of the Shogun’s family.”

Letting out a heavy sigh, the Mikado began to speak of the circumstances as if having given up.

“Youren Natsunori, who was the Shogun of this country, once had a lawful wife named Lady Yume.”

“Had? Does that mean it’s a story from the past?”

When Mina-san asked representing the question we all felt, the Mikado nodded quietly.

“That’s right. Due to a certain incident, Lady Yume’s name was erased from this country’s history along with the name of the Togo family, from which she married into our family.”

“Erased from history!?”

With the story suddenly turning dangerous, we were bewildered.

For a noble family to be erased from history, isn’t that a massive deal!?

“And between the Shogun and Lady Yume, there was one child. That is Yukinojo, your older brother, Youren Shun’ou.”

“Haruomi is… my older brother!?”

At the truths being revealed one after another, Yukinojo-san raised a voice of agitation.

“I-Is Haruomi truly my older brother!?”

“It’s the truth. His real name, the name Shun’ou (Spring King), contains the name of a season, which only the direct children of the Shogun are permitted to bear, right?”

Certainly, Haruomi-san’s real name is Shun’ou, which contains the character for ‘Spring’ (Shun).

But I didn’t know there was such a rule for naming in this country.

“Haruomi is truly my older brother… B-But why did Haruomi betray me!? To begin with, my father’s lawful wife should be my mother! Why was her name erased!?”

Saying that there are some things better left unknown, the Mikado slowly began to explain the circumstances.

“That is because the Togo family committed treason.”

“Treason!?”

At the unexpected mention of treason, Yukinojo-san’s eyes widened.

That being said, treason happened fairly often in my previous life and the one before that.

It wasn’t something that would get a family’s name completely erased, even by mistake.

Just what exactly happened to cause such a thing?

“Th-That can’t be!? In our country, conflicts like raising a banner of revolt against the Shogun’s family shouldn’t have occurred for the past few hundred years!”

A few hundred years!? That’s amazing!

Normally, with a few hundred years, you’d think a rebellion or two would occur.

Or rather, it’s a number of years where it wouldn’t be strange if the country had perished if things went poorly.

For it not to happen for such a long time, this country must be incredibly peaceful.

“On the surface, yes. But in reality, treason has happened not just once or twice.”

Just as I thought that, it seemed that wasn’t the case.

“For this country, the most important thing is to stabilize the land of Amatsumine using the magic item. Therefore, we want to eliminate events that could become factors of instability in the magic tool’s operation as much as possible. That’s why a severe punishment was necessary—one that would make people absolutely avoid getting involved in incidents that could shake the country.”

“And that is erasing their name?”

“That’s right. Not just for the warrior houses of this country, but for the nobles of other countries as well, leaving their family lineage behind is the highest priority. Even if they fall into a situation where their peerage is confiscated, as long as the family name and the bloodline remain, they can restore their house someday.”

However, the Mikado cut off his words.

“If you commit a rebellion in this country, it won’t end with just that. The members of the rebelling family are executed without distinction of women or children, and the family’s name is deleted from the country’s history. Even if there luckily was a survivor of the family, no matter what great deeds they accomplish, the restoration of their house will not be permitted. Because it’s a house that has been erased from history, after all. You can’t restore a house that doesn’t exist. Naturally, starting a new house from scratch is also forbidden.”

I see, that certainly is a terrifying punishment from the perspective of nobles who consider preserving their lineage the most important thing.

If failure means your family’s name is erased for all eternity and you can’t hope for restoration, you probably wouldn’t be able to carry out a rebellion unless you had an incredible amount of confidence.

If those are the circumstances, the possibility of other nobles—not just weak ones, but even mid-tier nobles—lending a hand in a rebellion would decrease.

Depending on the situation, they might even pretend to cooperate just to gain information and eliminate a troublesome rival house.

If the number of nobles decreases, the positions and territories those nobles were in charge of will open up, after all.

“A while after a child was born between the Shogun and Lady Yume, information came in that the Togo family was preparing to raise a banner of revolt against the Shogun’s family. Hearing that, the Shogun thought it was unnatural, but decided to investigate first. After all, the Togo family had the daughter they sent successfully seated as the Shogun’s lawful wife, and she even bore a child. Any sane person would have no reason to cause a rebellion.”

“True.”

Everyone nodded, agreeing that it made sense.

If the daughter they sent becomes the mother of the next Shogun, there is no doubt that family would become an important house for the country of Amatsumine.

Things are the same in our country in that regard.

That must be exactly why the Shogun tilted his head at the incomprehensible treason.

“Th-Then, does the fact that the Togo family was crushed mean a rebellion actually occurred?”

To Yukinojo-san’s question, the Mikado shook his head for some reason.

“No, a rebellion didn’t occur. To be precise, evidence was found before the rebellion could happen.”

“Evidence?”

“Yeah. A massive amount of combat-use magic items was found in several warehouses and ruins within the Togo domain that had been secretly reported.”

” ” ” “Magic items!?” ” ” “

“Yeah, an amount of magic items impossible during peacetime became definitive proof that the Togo family was plotting a rebellion. Apparently, a considerable amount of magic items had been gathered, an amount that could absolutely not be collected just as a hobby. No matter how you thought about it, it was an amount that could only be assumed to have been gathered for war. But if they were going to do that in this country where war hasn’t occurred for hundreds of years, the Shogun and the elders judged it could only be for a rebellion, leading to the decision to erase the Togo family.”

Finishing his explanation, the Mikado let out a heavy sigh.

I see. Certainly, if a single lord of an island nation with no worries of war with neighboring countries possessed such a massive amount of magic items, it’s natural they’d be suspected. Furthermore, if the performance of those items was enough to give a single lord a chance of winning against the country, the information about the treason would be deemed almost certainly true.

After all, even in my previous life, there was an incident where a single magic item caused a catastrophe that could have overturned a country.

Ah, that’s not a story about a magic item I made, okay!

“Because of those circumstances, Lady Yume’s name was erased, and Yukinojo‘s mother became the lawful wife.”

“Such a thing…”

Learning the fact that there was a lawful wife of the Shogun before his own mother, and the truth that she had been erased from history, Yukinojo-san made an indescribable face.

“Huh? But if you cause a rebellion, even women and children are executed, right? How was that person named Haruomi able to survive?”

Norb-san, who seemed to have suddenly wondered, tilted his head asking why Haruomi-san was alive.

That’s certainly true. If what the Mikado said is true, Haruomi-san shouldn’t be alive right now.

“Well, in reality, it seems the vassals persistently told him he should be killed too. That letting him live would set a bad precedent. In truth, it was probably due to calculation—they wanted to force their own daughters in as the lawful wife and make them the mother of the new next Shogun—but even so, as the Shogun’s family protecting the peace of this country, they couldn’t show weakness to their vassals. If those at the top don’t follow the rules, they can’t set an example for their subordinates.”

Saying “Ah, I hate this,” the Mikado made a disgusted face at the muddy politics of this country’s warrior houses. This person really has no interest in politics.

“That being said, the Shogun is human too. He probably couldn’t bear to kill his own child. He buried a dead baby from the same period in a grave as a substitute for his child, and secretly let his own child escape. Changing the name ‘Spring King’ (Shun’ou), given to him as the next Shogun, to Haruomi (‘Spring Vassal’).”

“Is that why Haruomi said he was not my vassal…”

Haruomi-san must have said something to him.

Knowing the true meaning behind the words he was told, Yukinojo-san hung his head again.

“But why are you so knowledgeable about it? It was an event meant to be erased from history, right?”

Yeah, that’s right. Why is this person, living in such a remote place, so familiar with the circumstances?

“Ah, that’s simple. Because I heard it directly from that Shogun bastard.”

“Directly from my father!?”

“Yeah. He’s the practical king of this country, after all. He can’t show weakness to just anyone. But with me, the Mikado, who is the symbol of this country and separated from politics, he could complain with peace of mind. He’d often come over, using some fabricated duty of the Shogun as an excuse, and make me listen to his complaints.”

I see, he knew because he was told directly by the person himself.

“But where the hell did that guy Haruomi hear about it? The Shogun said he placed a gag order on that matter, and he passed the baby through several people’s hands via this village before finally leaving him with a distant, unrelated family. So he shouldn’t have realized he was the Shogun’s child. Well, you can’t put doors on people’s mouths. Someone must have realized Haruomi was alive and relentlessly tracked him down.”

And the Majin probably used that information, the Mikado says.

“Now, that’s the end of the story about Haruomi. Rather, for us, the main issue starts here.”

“…About the magic item, right.”

“That’s right. Haruomi and the Majin took the other key and headed to Mt. Amatsukami. The key’s lock is released when the registered user dies, allowing it to contract with the next master. In other words, with the Shogun dead now, it’s possible even for Haruomi to make a contract.”

“Isn’t there a chance the Majin will contract with it?”

“No need to worry about that. It’s a magic item from an era where the existence of Majins was a given. It’s designed so that only humans can use it to prevent misuse.”

I see, then it seems we can avoid the worst-case scenario.

But that might be exactly the reason the Majin teamed up with Haruomi-san.

Since they couldn’t operate it themselves, they wanted to control the magic item protecting the country through Haruomi-san.

“The magic item operates using two things: the volcanic energy of Mt. Amatsukami and the energy of the spirit veins. That place is where an active volcano and spirit veins intersect—the most dangerous place in this country, but it was also the most ideal place for securing energy.”

“I see, so they are utilizing the energy of a disaster as the energy to suppress other disasters.”

“That’s the gist of it. Conversely, it means that an enormous amount of power was necessary to protect an entire country from numerous disasters.”

Wow, what an interesting way of thinking. If it were me, I think I would have looked in the direction of solving the root cause or directly erasing the disasters themselves.

Most likely, the Mikado’s ancestor was an engineer who focused on energy recycling.

Hoping that future descendants would utilize this magic item further for the country’s development.

“But well, lately the magic item has been unstable too. We’ve been doing regular maintenance, but even so, there were materials unobtainable in this country, and parts that couldn’t be repaired while it was running. On top of that, with a massive amount of monsters wandering around the village recently, maintenance has been delayed. Add to that the key being stolen by a Majin, and it wouldn’t be strange if something happened at any moment.”

The Mikado said frustratingly while irritably scratching his head.

“The magic item might also be nearing the end of its lifespan. We’ve managed to do what we can until now, but tools eventually break. But at the very least, I want to do maintenance one more time to calm the sea disasters before it’s too late. And I want to let as many of the people of Amatsumine escape the country as possible.”

The Mikado looked at us with a serious gaze.

I see, the Mikado’s wish was for the citizens to escape.

But that is a very difficult thing.

Considerable hardship awaits people who have lost their country when obtaining a new homeland.

But that must be the reality of this country, that they have to do so.

“Please, retrieve the magic item’s key. I want to do maintenance one more time before the magic item is destroyed by the Majin.”

“Understood! Leave it to us!”

When I answered, everyone else nodded strongly as well.

“As expected, it would leave a bad aftertaste to back out here.”

“Yes, if things stay like this, many people will be exposed to danger. As one who serves the Gods, I cannot overlook this.”

“We accepted the request from the Head House Elder old man, so we’ll lend our strength.”

“Right. Well, even if we hadn’t accepted the request, if Rex-san is making a move, I will too.”

“Kyu kyuu!”

Mofu-mofu is also saying “Leave it to me!” It’s become reliable while we haven’t seen it!

Alright, then let’s head out immediately!

I thought so and stood up, but amidst all this, only Yukinojo-san was silently hanging his head.

I don’t even need to ask the reason… right.

Because Haruomi-san, who protected him to the very end amidst enemy attacks, was actually the enemy.

Moreover, Haruomi-san is Yukinojo-san’s real older brother.

Furthermore, considering his brother’s family committed treason and was erased from history, it’s natural—or rather, a given—that Yukinojo-san wouldn’t know what to do.

Perhaps understanding those feelings, the Mikado was also hovering his hand in the air, wondering how to comfort him.

Having heard the circumstances, everyone else also hesitated, unable to irresponsibly call out to Yukinojo-san.

“Hey, what’s wrong, Yukinojo? If you don’t come too, you won’t be able to contract with the magic item. You’re going to become the Shogun, right!”

However, only Mina-san spoke to Yukinojo-san just as she usually did.

“No, perhaps it is better if I do not go.”

“What are you saying! If you don’t go, the magic item will become Haruomi-san’s!”

“…Is that not fine?”

“Hah? What are you saying!”

Still hanging his head, Yukinojo-san spun his words as if spitting them out.

“Originally, Haruomi was the next Shogun. I merely stole that from him.”

“It couldn’t be helped, right? His family caused a rebellion.”

“But that is not Haruomi‘s sin! Rather, Haruomi, who was but an infant, is a victim!”

As if saying that was what pierced his heart the most, Yukinojo-san raised his voice.

“To begin with, I could do nothing on this journey! I was merely protected like a princess! Even my desire to become Shogun was merely because I thought becoming Shogun was my duty as the Shogun’s child! I was merely trying to become Shogun aimlessly! …There is no way someone like me, who stole everything from his brother, can shamelessly become Shogun…”

Guilt. That was the true identity of what drove Yukinojo-san to despair.

Because it was his real father who took his older brother’s family, and it was himself who stole everything from his innocent older brother.

“Rather than someone like me, this country might become a better place if Haruomi became the Shogun.”

Saying so, Yukinojo-san laughed self-deprecatingly.

“What does! That matter at allllll!!”

Against such a Yukinojo-san, Mina-san smacked him on the back with all her might.

“Ugoah!?”

SMACK! A tremendous sound echoed, and Yukinojo-san was blown away, crashing to the ground.

“What do you mean, ‘this country might become a better place if Haruomi became the Shogun’!? Don’t say stupid things! Have you forgotten?”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

“You were told by Haruomi-san, weren’t you? That he’s going to destroy this country. Everything in this country that stole everything from him. That means that person is trying to ruin this country! Do you really think someone like that can become king and make the citizens happy!?”

“Ugh.”

At her completely reasonable argument, not only Yukinojo-san but even the Mikado had their eyes wide open.

Liliera-san was also a bit surprised, but Norb-san and Meguri-san were watching with what looked like happy or rather amused expressions?

“Listen here. It can’t be helped that there was bad blood between you and Haruomi-san. But that’s what your parents did. It has nothing directly to do with you guys. And Haruomi-san harbors a grudge over that and is trying to take revenge. What’s more, he’s involving all the people of this country! In fact, your guards and the people at the castle were attacked!”

“Th-That is, however…”

“However nothing! That person is doing evil things right now! And if he gets his hands on the magic item, there will be even more casualties! That’s why I’m asking you. Not as the Shogun’s child, or as the younger brother who stole everything from Shun’ou—what do you yourself want to do? Do you want to abandon everything, throw it all away, and watch the country perish? Just silently watch as crowds of people die? Is the Shogun you said you wanted to become the kind of king who would permit such a thing!?”

Mina-san bombarded Yukinojo-san with words, as if saying she wouldn’t listen to any complaints.

“Answer me, Kouki! As just a single man, show me the spirit of what you believe an Amatsumine warrior to be!”

There, for some reason, Mina-san called Yukinojo-san by a different name.

“!?”

However, perhaps feeling something at being called by that name, Yukinojo-san’s eyes opened wide.

“I… I…”

Yukinojo-san raised his head as if brushing away his hesitation.

“My ideal figure of a samurai is… my father, who broke his heart for the sake of the people of this country. The figure of Shogun Youren Natsunori.”

Slowly, but with eyes filled with resolve, he stood up.

“Mina, I am not Kouki. I am the son of Shogun Youren Natsunori, Youren Yukinojo. And I cannot forgive Haruomi‘s—my brother’s—atrocities! As the next Shogun, protecting the people of this country is my duty!”

Rather than familial affection or guilt, Yukinojo-san clearly stated that he would fulfill the role he inherited.

“Right. Then isn’t that fine? Since it’s something you decided with your own will.”

“Umu. But you are strict. You don’t even give me time to be depressed.”

Then, Yukinojo-san laughed as if a possessing spirit had fallen off him.

“As expected of Mina, who beat up the biggest bully in the village and lectured him. You don’t care about the other party’s circumstances at all.”

“Yes, Jairo-kun, who was acting out of desperation after losing his father, was also knocked down in a similar fashion.”

“Thanks to that, Jairo can never defy Mina.”

Meguri-san and the others raised their voices in laughter.

Could it be that Mina-san has always been this kind of big-sister figure since long ago?

“Alriight, then once we beat up the Majin and take back the magic item’s key, we’ll catch Haruomi-san and give him a lecture!”

“Umu! I will make Haruomi atone for his crimes! And after that, I will face Haruomi as his younger brother.”

“Yeah, do your best.”

Looking at the newly resolved Yukinojo-san, Mina-san’s eyes were gentle, and she whispered as if to support his words.

◆Shun’ou ◆

“Ooh, so this is the magic tool that rules this country!”

Looking up at the massive magic tool enshrined before my eyes, I unconsciously floated a smile.

This is inside a cave at the foot of Mt. Amatsukami.

The true central core of this country, protected by a barrier.

“Thanks to the key, we finally made it this far.”

The Majin who came with me approached the magic tool with the key in hand.

But the moment he tried to touch the magic tool, the Majin’s hand was violently repelled.

“Guaah!?”

The Majin’s arm was torn to shreds, and a massive amount of blood flowed from it.

“Kuh, not just the entrance, but such countermeasures were put on the magic tool itself!”

The Majin glared at the magic tool in frustration and sprinkled healing medicine on his arm.

Then, he threw the key he was holding to me.

“It seems your power is necessary after all.”

“Umu.”

With the key in hand, I looked up at the magic tool again.

“Ah, I’ve finally come this far.”

Clutching the key tightly, I remembered that day I first met the Majin.

I was raised as the child of a certain poor samurai.

However, I was not his biological child. I was raised as an child of unknown origins brought from somewhere.

Naturally, there is no family that welcomes such a child.

My adoptive mother and brother treated me harshly.

Even my adoptive father, though he had the obligation to raise me, made no attempt to correct their behavior.

Wondering why only I had to suffer such a fate, forced to live like a lowly servant, I spent my days in depression.

It was then.

A man who claimed to know my true father visited me.

The man’s true identity was a Majin disguised as a human.

I was surprised. A Majin, which only existed in stories, actually existed.

And the Majin told me everything.

“You are the son of the Shogun of this country. But you lost in a political struggle, and your family perished leaving only you behind.”

Furthermore, the Majin said I had a younger half-brother.

And that guy was given everything I was supposed to have and was living a life of luxury.

Unforgivable. I thought so.

Because even though I, having received no proper education, didn’t understand the meaning of the word ‘political struggle’, I could still understand that I was oppressed while my blood-related younger brother was given everything.

“If you desire revenge, I will help you. And you should obtain… no, take back everything. The things you were originally supposed to obtain.”

I didn’t know how much of the Majin’s words I could believe.

After all, they are the enemies of us humans.

I couldn’t believe they were telling me the truth out of goodwill.

There must definitely be an ulterior motive.

But even so, the Majin’s words were a hope for me.

Because I had nothing right now.

No money, no food, no warm affection, nothing at all.

All I had were eyes of contempt loathing a nuisance.

“Give me power. I don’t care what you’re plotting. To take back everything that was stolen from me, and to steal everything from those who stole from me!”

The Majin floated a wide grin.

“That’s fine. There’s no need to trust us. We just need to utilize each other.”

In this way, I abandoned my country and joined hands with the Majin.

And the Majin burned my adoptive family to ashes along with their house, and through the Majin’s connections, I was adopted by a certain high-ranking samurai.

And in that house, I received the education of a samurai, which I had never been permitted to learn until then.

Those were painful and harsh days.

Because I was receiving the education that other warrior house children learn from a much younger age after I had already grown, even if I was still underage.

But I gritted my teeth and endured that education.

All to take revenge on the Shogun’s family. And to grant despair to Yukinojo, who pushed me aside and obtained everything!

And to obtain the key, I utilized the Majin’s connections to serve at the castle.

Things went so well up to this point because the Majin had been disguising themselves as humans with a transformation magic tool for this very day, making connections and grasping weaknesses.

In a sense, I too became one of those connections, but we’re utilizing each other anyway.

I’ll utilize them to the fullest.

With the spy who had infiltrated the castle in advance and the magic tools prepared by the Majin, assassinating the Shogun was easy.

But because we didn’t know the true identity of the key, we narrowed our target to the Shogun’s son, Yukinojo.

By becoming his guard, I gained Yukinojo‘s trust while waiting for his coming-of-age, when the key would likely be handed over.

And while reporting Yukinojo‘s daily life to the Shogun, I patiently probed for information on whether the key had been given.

Honestly, the role of acting as a mediator between the man who abandoned me and the man who stole everything from me made my blood boil.

While wishing to kill these guys right this instant, I continued to endure.

Fortunately or unfortunately, by continuing those days of endurance, the Shogun seemed to trust me.

Thanks to that, when he asked about Yukinojo, the number of guards visibly decreased.

Instead, I had to continuously listen to the Shogun endlessly complain about irritating things like the difficulty of not being able to act as a parent, which was truly agonizing.

But it was worth it.

One day, the Shogun finally let it slip.

He said he had given his son the item necessary to succeed as Shogun. With this, it would be fine no matter when he died.

Having finally heard the words I desired, I assassinated the Shogun that very night.

I pinned the crime of killing the Shogun on the Head House Elder and urged Yukinojo to flee.

Yukinojo, who trusted me completely, believed me easily.

Honestly, it was so fun I couldn’t stand it.

It was the moment all my hatred up until now was rewarded.

While inwardly mocking Yukinojo‘s foolishness, I had my subordinates disguised as pursuers kill Yukinojo‘s guards.

A bunch of strange guys interfered along the way, but looking at the results, it was an excellent performance.

Because I was able to bring the Majin into the village with a teleportation magic tool and steal the magic tool’s key.

If I were to be greedy, it was only a shame that I couldn’t kill Yukinojo right there.

“Now, magic tool! Acknowledge me as the Shogun!”

Holding the key up, I touched the magic tool.

“Ooh!?”

Then, the magic tool and the key glowed faintly, connecting to each other with lines of light.

Furthermore, the light from the key began to envelop my body.

“Th-This is?”

“No need to worry. The magic tool and the key are linking, registering you as the master.”

“Finally, I am finally becoming the master of the magic tool!”

When the light completely finished enveloping my entire body, the key and the magic tool faded their glow, and the lines of light connecting them severed.

“It seems the registration is complete.”

“Ooh, with this, I have become the true king of this country!”

“Now, try operating the magic tool. Hmph, a magic tool that performs such robust user registration. Since there are no switches or levers to be found, it must be operated by the user’s thoughts. Touch that large jewel there and focus your mind.”

“A-Alright. I’ll try.”

Just as the Majin said, I touched the jewel visible on the surface of the magic tool and focused my mind.

“Foolish ones, I shall teach you who the true king is! Magic tool, weaken your function! Instill the terror of disaster in the fools!”

When I thought that, the light emitted from the magic tool weakened.

And simultaneously, a dull vibration echoed from beneath my feet.

And the vibration gradually grew larger.

“U-Uwoh!?”

“It seems that because the magic tool’s power stopped, the sealed disasters have revived.”

I did it! The magic tool listened to me!

“Fuhahahahahahahahah! Finally! Finally this time has come!”

Unable to hold back the laughter welling up, I shouted towards the heavens.

“Regret abandoning me, Shogun! Receive the retribution for stealing everything from me, Yukinojo! All of you who did not save me! I will steal everything from you! You better realize who the true Shogun is!! Hahahahahahahahahah!!”

◆

It was right after Yukinojo-san regained his motivation and we stepped outside, saying “Now let’s depart.”

Along with a tremendous roar, a bright red pillar of fire shot up from Mt. Amatsukami.

“Mt. Amatsukami is!?”

“Hiiiiiiiih!!”

At the sudden eruption, the villagers screamed.

“Oh my god… Mt. Amatsukami erupted…”

“N-No way. We were consuming the volcanic power of Mt. Amatsukami by operating the magic tool…”

“We didn’t make it in time…”

The Mikado and the priests collapsed, despair plastered on their faces.

“It’s over, if Mt. Amatsukami has erupted, even if we restart the magic tool now…”

Knowing the circumstances, the priests trembled while holding their heads, saying it was hopeless.

“No, not yet! We can still make it!”

Yes, not yet.

It’s still too early to give up!

“It’s no use, Mt. Amatsukami has already erupted. Now that it’s come to this, even if we restart the magic tool, it won’t be in time anymore. If it were the magic tool of the past, maybe, but the current deteriorated magic tool cannot stop the power of a volcano in the middle of an eruption. Sucking up the power when it’s quiet and suppressing it when it’s rampaging are two entirely different things.”

“No! The volcano has just merely erupted! So we just have to stop that!”

“Hah!?”

Every second counts.

I postponed the explanation, concentrated my magic power, and activated magic in rapid succession.

“STREAM CONTROL!”

First, using airflow manipulation magic, I gathered the volcanic ash and rocks blown into the sky into one place and gently lowered them to the ground.

“VOLCANIC FUNNEL!”

Next, by guiding the magma flow inside the volcano using a funnel created with magic power, I prevented any more magma inside Mt. Amatsukami from coming out, stopping the eruption.

“O-Ooooh!?”

“BLIZZARD COCYTUS!”

Furthermore, with wide-range extreme cold magic, I rapidly flash-froze the magma that had flowed out and the magma in the crater, simultaneously stopping the magma outflow, pyroclastic flows, and forest fires.

“Wh-Whawhawa!?”

“WEATHER CONTROL!”

And then I calmed the storm and settled the weather with weather manipulation magic.

“Haaaaaaah!?”

“GROUND CALM!”

Finally, by manipulating the earth, I quelled the earthquakes in the vicinity.

“Th-The earthquake stopped!?”

“Wh-What is happening!?”

Alright, with this, the first aid is complete!

Since the general countermeasures were finished, I announced to the slumped over villagers that the first aid was complete.

“For now, I’ve stopped the volcanic eruption with this. However, since it is a temporary measure, we need to take back the environmental protection magic item from the Majin’s hands while we can.”

“H-Haa…”

“Y-Yeah, this looks like it’ll hold for a while, so let’s hurry up and take back the ruins!”

“…Nn, we’ll beat the Majin.”

“R-Right! It’s okay. Because we have Rex-san!”

“…W-Wait, what on earth just happened? H-How did you stop the disasters…?”

“Never mind that, never mind that. First, we’re going to do what we have to do!”

“U-Umu…?”

Mina-san admonished Yukinojo-san, who wanted to hear the detailed circumstances.

Yeah, solving this problem takes priority right now.

Besides, this is just a completely ordinary, temporary disaster pacification magic for emergency evacuation.

It’s not a magic that permanently solves the problem.

“P-Please, I leave it to you guys…”

“Yes, leave it to us! Well then, shall we go, everyone!”

” ” ” “Yeah!!” ” ” “

“O-Ohhh?”

In this way, we headed toward the stage of our decisive battle with the Majin.

“…Honestly, I was terrified for the first time in a while today.”

“Yeah, I felt like I was completely used to Rex‘s absurdity, but to think he’d just easily stop natural disasters too…”

I wonder what’s wrong? Doesn’t everyone seem a bit strange?

Are they nervous about the battle to protect this country from a major crisis?

But it’s okay. Everyone has definitely gotten stronger.

No matter what cowardly means the Majin takes, we have enough power to manage it!

◆Mikado ◆

We were dumbfoundedly seeing off the Shogun’s son and his group as they headed towards Mt. Amatsukami, where the magic tool was enshrined.

“Who on earth is that boy!?”

Not only the erupted Mt. Amatsukami, but even the storm and earthquake were quelled.

Even now, after actually seeing that sight, I can’t believe it.

He said it was strictly temporary, but is it really possible for a human to do such a thing…?

“Could it be that they are… avatars of the gods protecting Amatsumine…”

While thinking “no way” at the words of Saburo, who was waiting nearby, I still couldn’t deny those words.

Because there’s no way a mere human could stop a volcanic eruption, erase the volcanic plumes blown into the sky, and even quell the anger of the earth.

“…”

I don’t know who that boy—no, who those youths are.

But as we stared in the direction they had left, we naturally took a posture of prayer to the gods, offering deep feelings of gratitude.