dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard

[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Directory

For those on mobile who cannot access the index page

Chapter 1-Epilogue

Scene 1—-Scene 2

Chapter 2-Hunt for the Deadly Sins

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5

Chapter 3-The Princess Sets Out

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4

Chapter 4-The Heroes

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5

Chapter 5-BLACKBOX

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5—-Scene 6—-Scene 7

Chapter 6-Not Eve

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5

Chapter 7-End of the Capriccio

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5—-Scene 6

Chapter 8-Reunion

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5—-Scene 6

Chapter 9-The Pure Evil

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3

Chapter 10-The Boy’s Choice

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4

Chapter 11-Re_Birthday Truth

Section 1-Re_Birthday

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4—-Scene 5

Section 2-Truth

Scene 1—-Scene 2—-Scene 3—-Scene 4

Chapter 12-Prologue

1 grave yard—-2 court—-3 hellish or heavenly yard

Afterword

[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Afterword

master of the heavenly yard afterword

First, thank you for reading this far.

With this final installment, this novel series that depicts the Evillious region and the world referred to as the Third Period has twelve volumes in total. (The “Daughter of Evil” series is four, the “Deadly Sins of Evil” series is eight. I’ve left out the guidebooks)

And the “master of the heavenly yard” is the twelfth installment.

Clockwork and springs and the like are just called “Clockwork” in English. The numbers leading up to and including twelve are what show the hours inscribed on a clock face. This series depicts close to a thousand years of the Evillious region’s history, but maybe the clock has really only gone around once—maybe only twelve hours have passed.

A dream seen in a slightly long sleep…Was all of what that bat said a complete lie, I wonder?

.

Leaving that aside, this current work, “master of the heavenly yard” that completes the series—or to abbreviate it, “mashev”, or “mothy”—regarding it’s ending…I decided to make it how it was relatively early on.

First, the image of putting a golden key into a box is something I derived from the Grimm fairytale “The Golden Key”. The Grimm Fairytales have been revised several times (you wouldn’t go amiss to look into these revisions a little. Depending on the person those numbers could be really interesting), but at any rate what’s been published as the final story is the “golden key”.

I think the time I decided to make that into the motif for the conclusion of the series around the time I made the song called “A Tale of Abandonment on a Moonlit Night”. That song was similarly based on a Grimm Fairytale called “Hansel and Gretel”, but at the same time it also depicted the impetus for the “Seven Deadly Sins” being released into the world.

(This is a tangent, but in the last Grimm Fairytale the brothers Grimm published before they died, “Hansel and Gretel” is recorded as being the “fifteenth” story. …If that number rings a bell, you must be a pretty big “of Evil” fan).

If the story of the beginning of the “Seven Sins” story was to utilize a Grimm Fairytale theme, then the ending should also have one—that was basically my simple line of reasoning.

Another thing, regarding the final chapter of this work, the “Prologue”.

--The hands of a clock will go back to where they started when they go all the way around.

In that sense, all three episodes are a “prologue” in their own way…but setting the series itself aside for a moment, what about me—what is the “prologue”, in other words the “beginning”, for myself, “AkunoP”?

…For those of you who don’t know, take a look at the interior fold of the book cover.

My profile is written there, you see.

--Now then, back to the story.

There are various patterns in how to end a story, but for me I personally think that “returning back to the beginning” is the most beautiful form of conclusion.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that “everything up to then is rendered null”.

Even though a clock’s hands may return to their starting point, that doesn’t mean that time itself has wound backwards.

There may be changes there that you can’t see, and a new “beginning”.

The “prologue” of this story. That is what leads to a new start, for all of my readers and myself as well.

…With that thought in mind, I put a “certain song” in the end, one that had been thought unrelated to the series up to this point.

.

Despite having written down all of this long series, surprisingly enough I haven’t felt a sense of accomplishment at having done so.

I feel like I had that a little bit more when I ended the “Daughter of Evil” series.

Simply put, I think it’s that I don’t really have time to settle down over it.

Even now as I’m writing this afterword, the book isn’t necessarily finished. Even though I’ve written the whole manuscript, there’s still proofreading, illustrations, confirming the formatting, etc.

When the book is published the name on the cover will be that of the author, but in actuality it was made under the efforts of many others.

It is through the hard work of all of these people that I’ve been able to safely finish this series. For all of my editors and illustrators, let me take this space to give you my thanks again.

…Only, I don’t think that’s the only reason for my lack of a sense of accomplishment.

.

Thinking it over, I realized that I had written the answer to that just a little bit earlier myself.

--That this isn’t the “epilogue”, but the “prologue”.

Yes—

.

This karma of “evil” is not over.

.

…Thank you all so much!!

.

AkunoP (mothy)

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 12-Prologue, Section 3–hellish or heavenly yard

master of the heavenly yard pages 282-285

--Bebebeep. Bebebeep.

--Bebebeep. Bebebeep.

--Bebebeep. Bebebeep.

--Bebebeep.

--Bebe…

.

She woke up and stopped the alarm.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she got out of her futon and changed into her clothes.

When she went to the kitchen, her mother had just finished preparing breakfast.

“Good morning, Mama.”

“—Oh…Good morning, Rin. You’re quite early today.”

“Yeah, a little…I guess. I figured it’s okay to wake up early every now and then.”

Rin sat in her chair and took the toast on her plate in hand, biting into it.

.

“—I’m off!”

Rin dashed out of the entryway to her home earlier than usual and headed for the bust stop in front of the station.

There, as she fought back a yawn, she waited for the school bus.

.

Eventually the bus arrived.

But—he still hadn’t come.

That’s odd…He should be here by now, shouldn’t he?

Growing anxious, Rin climbed onto the bus.

.

There was only a little time left until departure.

Rin waited for him with a slim ray of hope.

--She didn’t know his name or his age.

She couldn’t even manage to talk to him.

This other boy who wore the uniform of a different school than hers.

.

--A certain group chat on the SNS (Social Network Service), “Evillious”:

.

E:<…Is this really alright?…>

L:<It’s fine, isn’t it? This is the world he wanted. It’s not up to us to speak up on it>

E:<Well, I guess so…>

B:<Your old-man complaints are getting tiresome, E. We’ve got no choice but to watch over it, now. That’s what you guys originally wanted from the start, isn’t it? –Well, S?>

S:<Ha ha, it’s as B says. I don’t mind this outcome myself. …By the by, I found this article on a news site>

L:<Lemme see, what is it? “Bear Escapes From Tsuruki City Zoo”—What’s up with that?>

S:<Read the contents>

L:<This is…Huh…Looks like things aren’t gonna get dull anytime soon>

B:<There’s a lot of excitement in this world too, it seems. Well, if that ends up being too much…Let’s pray that it doesn’t get destroyed this time>

E:<There will always be “evil” in any world. How to deal with it—is a question that will likely never have an answer>

S:<But…It is for that reason that people live with all they are, and are able to experience happiness. There is no need—for the world to be a utopia>

.

--Ten seconds later, when the bus was about to depart.

Right before the door closed—he ran in!

.

The moment she saw him…Rin unthinkingly cried out in her heart.

.

--We’ve finally met!

.

THE END

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 12-Prologue, Section 2–court

master of the heavenly yard pages 278-281

Everything met its end--

And then, it moved to the story of the beginning.

.

--Due to the power of the “Re_Birthday” that had come too early, Adam, Eve, Gammon, and the “Doll Director” were all erased.

But what the twin “Irregulars” managed was both destruction…and rebirth.

.

Everything was restored to how it was.

They would do it over again once more, from the beginning.

.

Though incompletely, their wish was granted.

.

There is a certain Rule in this world.

--“The souls of those who are reincarnated have all past memories sealed”—

.

She…lost all of her memories of having been Irina, and the “Doll Director”.

Before she knew it, she was in the position of ruling an entire country.

A magic kingdom that maintained its glory, inheriting the cultural legacy of the previous era.

She was the prophet who reigned at the top.

Her name was—

.

--The queen, Alice Merry-Go-Round

.

But she knew.

That she was in the end little more than a puppet.

The ones who actually ruled the country were the members of the senate, her supposed underlings.

Even so—she had those she wanted to protect.

The ones she held in her hands—

Her adorable twin children.

.

Being in the position of receiving oracles, the queen was forbidden from having a husband.

She had to remain pure her entire life.

And she had truly, obediently followed that rule.

That was not a lie.

And yet, despite that—She became heavy with child.

The senate didn’t go along with Alice’s position that this was a virgin pregnancy.

To protect her children, she fled—but her life on the run ended after just one year.

And the babies she gave birth to were—

.

Ten-odd years passed.

The queen told the senate of a new prophecy.

“A total death with visit this world one day”.

.

To avert that, what they needed was—

.

--The “Twins of God”.

.

The senate started planning to artificially create the reincarnations of the dragon god LeviaBehemo.

The one that they entrusted with running this “Project Ma” was—

The most skilled scientist in Magic Kingdom Levianta, Adam Moonlit.

.

The “Original Sin Story” begins once more.

History will repeat itself many times.

The “Twins of God” that will eventually be born will unleash the “Seven Deadly Sins” upon the world.

And so—

.

This karma of “evil” is not over.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 12-Prologue, Section 1–grave yard

master of the heavenly yard pages 274-277

Honor—

And praise—

Our great—

Conchita!

.

As a result of the Anofaceon Empire crumbling to ruin due to the giant clan “Belzo”, the Silgareds continent had come to greet a time of chaos.

While every territory was in the middle of clamoring for countermeasures against the Belzo, the sorceress of darkness Estoria conspired with the remote Fagan tribe, and, taking advantage of this, started moving to seize hegemony over the continent.

On the other hand, the imperial princess Gulf, having fled her country, wound up meeting a boy in the desert village of Harp.

He was the guardian of the divine spirit Yyra, Jarre.

To thwart Estoria’s treachery, Jarre ended up assembling a crew of like-minded friends and setting out on a journey.

Midway through, on the Carpus plains, he wound up getting caught in the war between the Belzo and Fagan.

Amidst this grand battle, as Jarre prepared for death, he drew his sword.

But at that moment—

He saw it.

Suddenly appearing there in the air—a mysterious building.

.

Inside the belltower hall in the very top of the clocktower.

Banica Conchita looked down upon the scene below with glee.

“Hahaha…It seems we made it.”

She put her hand on the hanging bell in satisfaction.

Inside that bell was placed a new model of “Blackbox” that Seth had created.

--Seth Twiright had fallen to the Hellish Yard following the duel of Merrigod Plateau.

He had then on continued his research there.

His research into parallel worlds…and a way to move through them.

After the Third Period had fallen to ruin and Ma died—Seth had wound up entrusting the results of his research to Banica.

It seemed that he had been searching for someone who could be a monitor(guinea pig) for the “Neo Blackbox” that he had invented. At first he had asked Gumillia, but she’d turned him down.

But Banica and Seth’s interests were aligned.

She had, frankly, begun to grow tired of the Third Period.

There were no longer any unique, new foods in that world to draw her interest.

So then—even if it meant going on a new journey.

She would search for yet even more “evil food”.

“Lady Banica~!” Pollo called out to Banica as he raced up the stars. “Dinner is ready~”

But Banica shook her head.

“…I don’t need it.”

“Huh!? Right now, that’s…the first time you’ve ever said you weren’t hungry, Lady Banica!”

“That’s not what I mean. I’m just fed up with Eater’s menu, so lacking in variation. What’s more—Look, Pollo. Come see what’s going on down there.”

Having come up to the belltower hall, Pollo glanced down at the war occurring below.

“Wah!? Those are some huge people. They’re as big as Eater…No, even bigger.”

“Giant steak—that’s what I’ve decided tonight’s dinner will be. …Pollo. Go make preparations to charge for the front with Arte.”

“--! Yes ma’am!”

“There’s no need to lower the theater for that…Ride on Eater.”

“…Huh~? You’re not gonna use our new weapons~?”

This sky-stronghold style theater made special by Seth, the “Evils Theater II”, had many advanced weapons of his invention loaded inside of it.

“We’ll hold off on that yet. For now our priority is determining what sort of place this world is. For that purpose—"

Banica licked her lips.

“—First I’ll get a taste.”

.

A new journey has begun for Banica and her troupe.

Where they left the land they were born in, and went to a new dimension.

Until the day comes that her hunger is truly satisfied.

That journey will continue.

.

Completely devour, everything in this world.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 2–Truth; Scene 4

master of the heavenly yard pages 270-272

At some point, Luna Hazuki—the old woman—had vanished, and in her place a “Blackbox” was floating there.

And, next to it—stood Riliane.

“Come, Allen. And Riliane.”

Behemo put his hand on the winding key in Sickle’s back and pulled it free.

Then he handed it to Allen.

What he’d thought was a simple clockwork winder was actually—a golden key.

Allen and Riliane nodded to each other, then looked for the keyhole in the “Blackbox”.

When they finally found it, it was so small that they could hardly see it.

Still, Allen experimentally put in the key.

Though the sizes didn’t seem to match, it fit perfectly in the keyhole.

Riliane put her hand on the key as well.

And together they turned it around once.

.

Let’s wait a little bit longer.

For the two of them to pull out the key and open the lid.

.

For inside is surely—

Something quite wonderful.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 2–Truth; Scene 3

master of the heavenly yard pages 266-270

--To put together everything Behemo said, it went like this:

The world he had originally spent his days in…for the sake of convenience it was called the “First Period”.

The First Period was a world of incredibly advanced culture.

Thanks to that they were able to construct a realistic imaginary world using such things as internet and computers—though these were incomprehensible terms for Allen.

This was called the “Second Period”, and it was populated by “avatars” that were designed based on the traits and personalities of real people.

Surprisingly, the avatars had intellect that far surpassed that of actual humans. People grew obsessed with this new invention, and with further research its accuracy was improved.

Even so, the First Period’s overdeveloped culture backfired on them, and they wound up facing the threat of ruin.

To avert this, humanity decided to entrust everything to the avatars of the Second Period.

They chose to have the much smarter avatars come up with a solution for them.

They would create a “world-wide crisis” in the world of the Second Period using the artificial programs “HER”. Naturally, the avatars would become desperate, and do what they could to combat this. They would then apply this process to the real world—or so their line of reasoning went.

Certain “restrictions” that the Second Period had originally been configured with were lifted. They had been implemented to keep the AI from rebelling and as such releasing them carried a risk, but humanity no longer had the luxury of caring about that.

The rebellion that a portion of people worried about never happened. But the superior avatars did bring about an unexpected occurrence.

A miraculous event where an avatar, an imagined being, appeared in the real world of the First Period.

That avatar was “Levia”. She was based off of the traits of Behemo in the real world…But as he’d been family of one of the Second Period developers, Behemo apparently used his position to make some revisions to her design.

“Nothing really major,” Behemo said calmly. “I just inverted the gender. I made Levia into my ideal self.”

--For her part, Levia had thought the First Period to be little more than an alternate world.

And there…she met with Behemo, her “other self”.

With the assistance of the Second Period developers, Levia was immediately sent back to her original imaginary reality—but it was there that Behemo pulled another prank.

He had brought forward a new avatar into the Second Period. It was “Behemo” himself, this time without any alterations to his features.

Behemo’s avatar began to live in the Second Period as Levia’s twin brother.

The process to avert the ruin of the Second Period was steadily progressing.

But…the real world couldn’t wait for its completion.

Aside from a small handful, humanity in the First Period had met its end.

Behemo hadn’t given the particulars to Allen, but he had said this much as a hint:

“It was something similar to ‘Punishment’—like the destruction of the Third Period.”

The Second Period system just had barely survived, and Behemo wound up taking over its management. There was no one but him who was able to.

Behemo switched the Second Period’s process from “averting the world’s destruction” to “reviving the world”. He intentionally reduced the number of avatars so that he would be able to manage them by himself.

Specifically, he used Levia’s example.

He would invite the avatars into the real world, and have them revive the First Period.

.

“—I orchestrated things so that these superior avatars…these ‘members of the spaceship Climb One’ wouldn’t know the truth. They would discover a new planet and build there a new world, the ‘Third Period’…that was the ‘story’ I had them set to work under.”

Behemo continued his speech in an unhurried tone.

“In actuality this was not a new planet at all…The ‘First Period’, the real world that had been destroyed—was Earth.”

“So in other words, our world, the ‘Third Period’…”

“Is the history of a new humanity, reborn on Earth. That is the truth. –You can relax. As you guessed, Sickle and the others are the ones who were imaginary. Allen, Riliane…and the other denizens of the Third Period, you’re all ‘humans’ who genuinely exist.”

“…”

“But the avatars proved too advanced. And so the new humanity wound up possessing peculiar powers that hadn’t existed in the First Period humanity. –Magic, demons, and Irregular, and the like.”

“…And the survivors of the First Period, including you—”

“Unfortunately, they died before they could see the birth of the Third Period. The me you see before you now is just a simple avatar. …As the name implies, the ‘graveyard’ is the gravesite of the First Period’s humans. Everyone sleeps there.”

As Behemo said that, he gave a lonely smile.

--Just like Sickle’s story earlier, there was no guarantee that what Behemo had shared was the truth.

But Allen had no way to verify it.

“Hey…Behemo,” Sickle asked. “Was what we did...meaningless? The Third Period we worked so hard to create was also destroyed in the end.”

“I don’t think it was.” Behemo patted Sickle’s top panel as though in praise. “But time moves on. You and I…are beings of the past. The future from here on—”

Behemo stood, and along with Sickle looked towards Allen.

“—We shall leave to you and yours. I know that you’ll make better use of our mistakes.”

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 2–Truth; Scene 2

master of the heavenly yard pages 260-265

A feeling of unreality, as though inside a dream—Allen had been assailed with that sensation ever since he had woken up here.

The moment he saw her in the room that Sickle brought him to—that sensation grew stronger.

An old woman was sitting in a chair, looking as though she were asleep.

He couldn’t see her face. She was wearing some kind of mask-like device with countless wires attached to it.

Allen had seen something similar once before.

Levia, as she had been when she’d entered the “Blackbox” to swap into Nemesis’ mental world, back in that illusory clinic.

She had certainly looked like that, back then.

“Luna Hazuki. She is the ‘Moon Goddess’. And, she is the engineer who created me,” Sickle explained.

“Just…what is this ‘Moon Goddess’, anyway?”

“Well, there isn’t really any particular meaning to it. It’s like a nickname. The crewmembers of the Climb One liked to call each other by nicknames. It’s a relic of that.”

“…”    

“Of the residents of the Third Period, you’re the first to meet her. No one is actually able to see her form. And yet, she has always been around alongside the Third Period—Do you know what that means?”

Sickle’s question was like a riddle.

Not knowing the answer, Allen honestly shook his head.

“No, huh…Well, let’s try different question. First, what do you think was the origin of the Third Period?”

“…It was built by the survivors of the Second Period—the crewmembers of the Climb One. Their main representatives were you, Held, Levia, and Behemo. The so-called ‘four pillar gods’.”

“And if that premise were ‘false’? If the crew of the Climb One were to have failed to create the new world?”

“But that would mean—”

“You all wouldn’t exist…That’s what you were about to say, right? But—as a matter of fact, right here they all killed each other. The impetus was a trivial difference of opinion. But the result…was that everyone died. Save for just Luna.”

There was no proof that what Sickle had said was the truth. But Allen didn’t have the grounds to refute it either.

For now he could only continue to keep his attention on the story.

“—All alone, Luna could no longer make progress on the plans for the new world. But she carried out one last struggle. If she couldn’t create a world in reality…then she would realize one inside a ‘dream’.”

Sickle pointed to the device on Luna’s face with his tube arm.

“’An imaginary reality that has mass’—that is what she was able to give rise to by using the ‘Blackbox Type H’ that she created herself. She materialized the new world that the crewmembers were trying to make with her own mind. …Out of mourning, she put her former friends in this world too. That is, Levia, Held, and the rest in the Third Period are little more than beings created out of Luna’s memories.”

“In other words, everything of the world we’re in now is just an old woman’s dream…That’s what you’re telling me,” Allen said with a calm voice.

There was not a hint of confusion or unrest in his expression.

“Hey now, isn’t this a great shock? I’ve just denied your entire existence, as it were.”

“—There’s too many inconsistencies. If your story is true, then the Third Period was made according to how she wanted it. She could have easily erased Ma and Irina without help from any of us.”

“No…That’s. Luna, she liked games, so—”

“There was no need to keep things going as they were after the world was destroyed. She should have just put things back to how they were right away, without relying on ‘Irregulars’ or ‘Re_Birthdays’.”

“Th-that’s why…It’s a game, a game! It’s how she likes to play!”

Sickle’s bat mark had started flickering.

“Play? Is it very fun to play by watching something, never participating yourself?”

“…There are people who think so, aren’t there? I’m a robot, so I wouldn’t knooow.”

“I see, so you’re saying she’s the type to enjoy looking upon the miniature garden that she’s created. –But if that was the case, why didn’t she stop Nemesis from destroying it?”

“Augh, you’re so caught up in the little details! Stop obsessing over the minutiae and despair at your reality!”  

The bat mark began flashing more rapidly.

“And even more than that—I’m here. It’s quite bizarre for someone who exists in a dream to appear in reality, don’t you think? I’ve had a strange sensation ever since I came here. This fuzzy, unreal feeling—”

“…”

“Your story…is actually the opposite, isn’t it? Our world isn’t a dream. It’s actually yours that’s—”

“…That’s enough. Enough, Allen. …You win, I’m sorry.” Appearing to have regained his composure, Sickle’s bat mark stopped flashing. “Everything I said just now was a lie. I just wanted you to feel…just a little bit. The despair that—that I had to face.”

“Sickle…”

“From this point on—he’ll do the talking for me.”

Light began to gather right next to the old woman.

“The true lord of heaven—the ‘master of the heavenly yard’, will now make his appearance.”

Just as Sickle said, finally the light began to shift into a human shape.

A new figure stood before them.

“Yo, Allen. How’s it going?”

It was an overly familiar tone. That was to be expected.

The owner of the voice was someone Allen knew well.

“—Behemo. You’re…”

“Yeah. I’m the ‘master of the heavenly yard’,” Behemo replied, his artificial eye emitting a faint light.

The person who was steadily gazing upon Allen, with that eye that saw through everything…

Was a man in a maid outfit. One of the ‘Twin Gods’—Levia’s brother.

At least, he had been as far as Allen knew.

“…Wait a second, Behemo. I don’t understand this at all. The lord of heaven isn’t Sickle or this woman, but…you!?”

“Well, that’s how it is, sort of. Only, the heaven we’re in now is—a little different from the ‘heavenly yard’ you know of, I guess.”

“…?”

“That’s little more than another name for the ‘moon’. The real heaven is ‘the beginning of everything’…In other words, the ‘First Period’.”

“???”

“You seem confused—Well, let’s sit down and talk.”

Behemo took a seat in one of the chairs that had appeared there at some point.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 2–Truth; Scene 1

master of the heavenly yard pages 257-260

--Tarantaraaa!

.

He could swear he heard celebratory fanfare from somewhere.

…Huh? I’m in—

Allen woke up lying on top of a bed.

It was a room where all four walls, the floor, and the ceiling were so pure white it was unsettling.

Allen was inside it.

He was sure he had just been fighting with Ma in the heart of the Evillious region.

Ma had entered Nemesis’ body—and he remembered that he had just witnessed her death.

And then, I—somehow got transferred over here?

He got off the bed and looked around the room again.

He noticed a single door on one of the walls. When he got closer, he could see there was no doorknob, and wasn’t sure how he could open it.

But after a moment—the door slid to the side on its own.

“This is…”

There before his eyes, through the opened door—was a very small “Blackbox”.

It was about a third of Allen’s size.

What was more, it had…tubes like limbs, and on its back a gold winding key.

“Hey, congratulations, Allen!” Suddenly he heard a voice, and a bat-like mark flashed on its front panel. “You finally pulled it off!”

He recognized that voice.

“Sickle…is that you?”

“Yes! I am the sun god who watches over the world—this is my true form!”

“…Then I guess I’ve returned to heaven—the ‘Heavenly Yard’.”

“No, this is a little different. This place is not the ‘moon’, but rather inside the spaceship ‘Climb One’.” My true name is—‘Talos’. I am a helper robot specially made for the ‘Climb One’!”

Allen was completely confused at being told all this without any preparation.

First of all, as far as Allen knew, he had thought the Climb One—the ark “Sin”--was destroyed in the Leviantan Catastrophe.

“Sickle, could you explain from the beginning? First…why am I here?”

“This is your just reward. You soundly fulfilled my expectations. Ma and Irina have been erased, and Levia has sealed herself in a doll, and so is now powerless. The possibilities for this world have thus been whittled down to one. Now you and Riliane can activate your ‘Re_Birthday’ and create the world of your choice.”

“…But I thought you were afraid of that, because it would erase the world.”

“You misunderstood. The ‘Re_Birthday’ isn’t normally used to cause erasure. Among a pair of twins, one of them handles destruction, and the other one rebirth; it first activates when the two are together. For example—”

The bat mark on Sickle’s front panel cut out, and instead showed the seven “Vessels of Deadly Sin”.

“Hänsel and Gretel. These items the twins created were brought about by a ‘Re_Birthday’. They destroyed the departed souls of the Second Period and remade them as demons of the Third Period—Well, ‘Irregular’ though those two may be, they were after all little more than low-quality copies born under the scheming of Levia and Behemo. So something of that degree was all they could manage.”

Then the box showed a being that looked identical to Allen.

“You can tell this isn’t you, right? Yes, this—is the ‘boy’. Seth created him, and he is the being that ‘Punishment’, the weapon that destroyed the world, was based on. Seth died in the Leviantan Catastrophe before he could make the other half of the twin pair, so only he, who handles destruction, remained.”

Depicted next on the screen—was that theater.

“Here in ‘Evils Theater’, Irina gave birth to those other twins. As they died and became souls before they could form an ego, Irina tried to supplement them with one using Adam and Eve’s souls. –If it hadn’t been for Ma’s interference, she likely would have been able to carry out a ‘Re_Birthday’ using them. The world recreated by that would most likely not have been the one you and Levia hoped for. …And now, finally.”

The box’s screen then began to replay the fight that had just occurred.

“Ma—she was also an ‘Irregular’, similar to the ‘boy’, and as such a very dangerous being. Without anyone to handle the rebirth aspect, once the ‘Re_Birthday’ occurred…Everything would have come to an end.”

The movie cut out, and then the bat mark appeared once more.

“Now, it’s just you and Riliane. I never told you how to do a ‘Re_Birthday’ to avoid any unexpected situations occurring, but--Finally, that time has come.”

“So you…called me here to teach it to me?”

“There is that…And before you remake the world, I think you should know everything. Though you—have seen the world from ‘above’, you have never seen it from ‘outside’, correct?”

There was a door behind Sickle that led further in.

It opened without a sound.

“Come, this way. I—will introduce you to the ‘Moon Goddess’.”

Sickle turned around and began to walk deeper inside with his tube-like legs.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 1–Re_Birthday; Scene 5

master of the heavenly yard pages 256

As she watched Nemesis’ body falling through the air, Gumillia murmured, “…Looks like it worked.”

And then, she started speaking to her own mask.

“The preparations are complete, Seth.”

“It seems that way. Well then—Let’s do the finishing touches, shall I.” Seth then declared, facing Nemesis’ body that was visible from so far away, “Under the name of the ‘Demon of Wrath’, I release your contract. –Now, you are free.”

The only person who could kill someone who had contracted with a demon was another “Deadly Sin Contractor”.

But naturally—that didn’t apply if the contract were to be lifted.

Nemesis continued her descent, still scattering a black vortex all around her.

There was no saving her from a fall that high.

And—there was no one who would try to.

.

Nemesis’ body then proceeded to thud against the ground.

--Thus simultaneously signifying the extinction of humanity.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 1–Re_Birthday; Scene 4

master of the heavenly yard pages 246-253

It was an unexpected miracle.

Nemesis ordered Eater to bring them closer to where Ma was.

The wind had already completely stopped, but Ma hadn’t left from her spot, hands over her ears.

“…Stop…Stop singing! This…jarring, shrill noise—" Ma screamed.

Nemesis looked on her with pity. “Mother, this song just sounds like that to you. …Maybe you really shouldn’t have been born in this world after all.”

As he kept his focus on Ma, Allen looked at the scenery below them.

The black vortex flowing out of Ma was still obscuring the surface of the ground. But he could see the faces of many souls peeking through it, all singing.

Everyone from Lucifenia…No, not just them. people from Elphe, and Jakoku—If it isn’t Inukichi, Saruteito, and Kiji! Everyone’s singing along with Michaela—Oh, what’s this?

He could see a small animal flying their way.

For some reason—it had a green onion grasped in its hand.

“He~y!”

It landed on Nemesis’ shoulder, twirling the green onion around cheerfully.

“…Huh? What is this winged rat?”

“I am the ‘Demon of Pride’ the great Marie! I brought you something from the ‘Master of the Hellish yard’!” she said, pushing the green onion towards Nemesis.

“This is—” Nemesis took the green onion and held it to her ear. “Hello, Gumillia!?”

<…Can you hear me? Elluka…>

“Yeah. –Is everyone singing under your instruction?”

<…No. Everyone got together, and started singing on their own…It’s as though, it was the most natural thing, in the world…>

“—I see.”

<…Maybe, we…were born…to sing like, this…”

“Haha, maybe so. …Gumillia, I’m glad I caught you. Is Seth with you?”

<…Yes…>

“I have a favor to ask of him.”

Nemesis conveyed her request to Gumillia through the green onion.

<…Got it. I will tell Seth…>

“Thank you. Now then—I’ll see you later. Over and out.” Nemesis took the green onion from her ear and handed it back to Marie. “Thank you greatly for your service, Marie.”

“Yeah, you better praise me.”

“Now, get away from here pronto. We wouldn’t want you to get sucked into Ma again.”

“O-oh, right…That would be bad. Then—I leave it to you, my manservants,” Marie said, descending down to the ground.

“Sigh…”

Nemesis heaved a great sigh. “Well then—let’s get to it.”

So saying, she held out a hand towards Ma.

“As long as I have the power of the inscription, it should work out even against a soul…Let’s go!”

After she shouted to bolster herself, she recited a brief incantation.

“—Onorhc yrots.”

At the same time, a pink light enveloped both Ma and Nemesis.

It was the spell that she prized most highly—

The “Swap Technique”.

Using this, Nemesis would pull Ma’s spirit alone into her body.

--However.

“…Grr. it’s no use! Ma is bound too tightly to the other souls!”

Ma still appeared to be in agony, but nonetheless her lips twitched into a smile. “The ‘Swap Technique’…A novel idea. But—I won’t let go. Not of these ‘Deadly Sin Contractors’…Or you!”

Ma held out her hand at Nemesis.

“Onorhc yrots!”

She recited the same incantation as the other.

The color of the light surrounding both of them increased in intensity.

“You can’t possibly…plan to…take me in instead!?”

Nemesis’ expression twisted.

“Once I gain you, I will become a ‘pure being’…Come, Nemesis…Return to me!”

“You’re the one who drove me out in the first place!”

As the two sorceresses fought for dominance—

Allen pulled something out.

Upon seeing it, Nemesis grew shocked.

“The golden key—‘Grim the End’!? Allen, you have it with you!?”

“I do…Nemesis, please try to hold out a little while longer.”

Allen focused his thoughts on the key, and it changed into a golden sword.

And then—

He leaped from Eater’s shoulder at Ma.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

He let out a war cry as he lifted the sword high.

.

Riliane. Can you hear this song too?

The world—isn’t our enemy anymore!

.

--Allen brought down his sword on Ma.

“Gguh!?”

Ma, and Riliane’s soul, were cut through from the shoulder.

Still—a soul could not die.

What the golden key “Grim the End” killed—was the sin of the contractors.

“Allen!” Nemesis shouted at Allen. He was still falling towards the ground.

And then—Nemesis saw a change occur in Ma.

Has the bond between Ma and the contractors weakened? Then—

Firing herself up, she strengthened her spell once more.

“Aaaaaugh!”

Finally—the souls of the contractors were released from Ma.

Her spirit drew in towards Nemesis, gushing out more of the black vortex.

Still, Ma had not given up.

“With…you…Nemesis…just you at least—”

“You want to possess me? No thanks.”

“You have nowhere to run! There is no longer any body in this world you can move to!”

“—Is that right?”

Nemesis pointed at Riliane—or to be more accurate, at the doll Riliane was carrying with her.

“That one’s empty right now, isn’t it?”

“—You can’t be serious!?”

Nemesis jumped down from Eater’s shoulder.

As she fell through space, she—

“Onorhc yrots.”

Once more recited the “Swap Technique”.

This time facing the doll.

Nemesis’ spirit left her body, and drew towards the doll.

“I give you my body. With it, all by yourself—you can finally become a ‘pure being’, Mother.”

And then, Ma into Nemesis’ body.

Nemesis into the “Clockworker’s Doll”.

They entered their respective vessels.

.

Allen’s spirit was still in freefall.

But right before he hit the ground, someone grabbed his arm.

Then they carried him up high again.

“—This time, I’m going to support you.”

The owner of the voice, the one who had saved Allen—

Was Germaine.

She was riding on Kyle’s back, him having sprouted wings, and was holding tight to Allen’s arm.

“Germaine—What about the others…and Riliane?”

“They seem fine to me.”

When they looked up they could see Venomania, flapping his wings as five others clung to him.

“Th-this is too much weight…Hey, Gallerian. Let go, dammit.”

Venomania shook his right leg, which Gallerian was holding onto.

“Stop it! I’ll fall for real!”

“It’s not like you’re gonna die!”

Allen watched the argument with a smile on his face.

“…Thank goodness.”

Riliane, Kayo, Banica, and the Sleep Princess were all okay.

Which just left--

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 1–Re_Birthday; Scene 3

master of the heavenly yard pages 244-246

There were people watching Allen and the others as they lounged in the shade of a tree.

It was Arte, Pollo, and Lich.

“What’s—this song?”

Pollo cocked his head to the side, his hand cupping his ear.

For a moment, Lich closed his eyes and quietly laughed.

“Ha ha…It’s Michael. It seems my little brother is singing a spell song.”

“Michael? Who’s that?” Arte asked.

“Ah…Perhaps it’d be easier for you two if I said ‘Michaela’ instead.”

“Huh!? Their real name is Michael!? That sounds like a boy!”

“She…was a boy. In the ‘Second Period’, at least. ‘Michaela’ was a nickname. It started when Professor Held misread the name “Michael Arklow” as it was written in the name register… Hahaha, that brings back memories. The both of us were still in our studies back then--”

“Ah, okay. Don’t care about your reminiscing. So, what’s this song?”

“I’m not all that well versed on spells, but…As I recall, this is one of the twelve varieties of the ‘Clockwork Lullaby’, and it’s used to seal the movements of its target.”

The blowing wind had all but stopped, and Ma had appeared from within the tornado that had been occurring earlier.

Michaela was likely trying to stop Ma with song for Allen and the others.

However…regrettably, it didn’t appear to be having much effect on her. She was flapping her wings and getting closer to them, little by little.

“This is bad. If this keeps up…”

“—Lich, hold on a sec.” Pollo once more strained his ears. “…There’s…more people singing now. I’m hearing it from all over!”

Just as he said, other singers were adding onto Michaela’s voice, and started to become audible from all directions.

“Is this--?”

Eventually, the song had changed from Michaela’s solo to a full blown chorus.

Old and young, men and women, all of the singing was directed at Ma.

“Look!” Arte cried. “Ma…is covering her ears, in pain. The song is affecting her!”

“Heh heh heh…Ha ha ha!” Lich started to guffaw. “It’s as though all of the hundred millions of souls from all over the world—have gathered in this spot and started singing. How convenient. What an absurd development…Huh? Arte. Pollo. What are you two—”

Before he knew it, Arte and Pollo had also started singing at Ma.

“Lu li la~♪”

“Lyu li la~♪”

“…You two aren’t pronouncing it very well. …Sigh, good grief…”

Lich reluctantly stood next to the servants and also started singing.

<<prev------directory------next>>

[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 1–Re_Birthday; Scene 2

master of the heavenly yard pages 237-244

Ma could sense that the wind had picked up.

Interesting, that though her body was that of a soul, she was able to feel the movement of the wind like this.

But that was because she had taken in Riliane and the other contractors.

Ma could not become a “soul” as she was now. To keep herself from being erased, she needed the help of other spirits.

And that help—the shell that protected her—was still not complete.

Over time, Ma’s spirit was steadily growing weaker.

--This deterioration had begun the moment that she gave birth to Nemesis.

This was only natural given that Ma had removed Levia, one of the pieces that she was comprised of.

And this had been accelerated by shifting Irina’s spirit into the doll…And then right before the world was destroyed, she finally lost Eve. Though she did have some reparation by receiving the “Doll Director’s” mercy.

After possessing Riliane, Ma could do nothing but sleep for a time. If she were to assert her own consciousness while in this weak shell that Riliane represented, she would use up her spirit in the blink of an eye, and disappear.

By taking advantage of all of the contractors with aptitude being assembled and taking them into herself all at once, Ma had finally gotten her hands on a solid shell, and was able to operate under her own will again.

However, it still wasn’t complete. This shell had a tiny hole in it.

Ma’s spirit was leaking from this hole, and spreading as this black vortex.

…She would need to plug the hole. To keep herself from vanishing.

For that reason, she needed Nemesis.

It was clear she needed to hurry, but all the same she couldn’t afford to act too hastily.

Whatever the case was, Ma had suffered an embarrassing defeat at Nemesis’ hands once before. She would have to avoid repeating the same mistakes.

The theater had vanished. She could no longer depend upon the mercy of the “Doll Director”.

What was more…Ma could guess that Nemesis had regained some of her previous memories.

Considering she was working along this boy before her—Allen—then at the very least it was likely that Nemesis had recovered her memories as “Elluka Clockworker”.

So then, she ought to be prepared for her to resist using magic.

…Leaving that aside.

Ma stopped thinking about Nemesis and once more focused on Allen.

--Why had he come here now? Right when she’d thought he’d been idly chatting with her, he’d raised his sword as though preparing to fight…And yet despite all that, no matter how much time passed, he never made the first strike.

She pondered what she would do if she was Elluka—the being that Ma had once shared a mind and body with.

…He may be stalling for time for her to make an inscription!

Ma quickly fired lightning at Allen again.

The poorly aimed shot was easily deflected, but that didn’t matter.

She spread her wings and prepared to fly up into the sky.

--She had to get out of here, now!          

“…I guess you’ve figured out our plan. And yet…you’re a bit too late.”

Allen cheekily smiled.

The roar of the wind grew intense.

Ma’s body floated from the ground. –But that wasn’t because she was flapping her wings.

“Come now, Lady Ma. Let’s go, shall we—on a journey to the sky.”

As Allen spoke…the two of them were sent spiraling high by a tornado.

.

  --As she was soaring high, tossed about by the wind…Allen saw something conjured up from Ma’s hand, and go tumbling down.

That’s…

As it continued to go around in an uneven pattern inside the tornado, it gradually grew closer to where Allen was.

Without thinking, he seized it.

.

As he was blown away, Allen’s body finally came to a stop in midair—and then started to steadily fall towards the ground.

An enormous flying creature raced towards him at breakneck speeds.

“Allen!”

Riding atop Eater, Nemesis stuck out her hand against the furious wind.

Allen just barely managed to grip her hand, saving himself from crashing.

“Phew…Looks like you pulled it off, Nemesis.”

“Let’s get out of range of the spell!”

The gale spell that Nemesis had unleashed was amplified by her inscriptions, and now it raged as though it were a storm.

Inside it, it was taking everything Eater had just to maintain his altitude.

Once Eater had reached a spot outside the inscription where the wind was much weaker, Allen turned around and looked at the storm.

The tornado was funneling up dirt and sand in the heart of the gale.

If all went well, Ma would be unable to get herself out from inside it.

…But Nemesis had a clouded expression on her face.

“It’s not good enough. I guess my magic really is less effective against a soul.”

“Has it failed?”

“We’ve confined her for now. But to get closer for the time being is impossible without weakening the power of the spell…Hm? What’s that?”

Nemesis noticed that Allen had a small bottle in his right hand.

“Oh, this? …I scooped it up in the tornado just now. It came out of her hand when she was caught up in the wind—”

“By her, you mean…Ma?”

“No, this…I think this is Riliane’s doing.”

The memory of the small bottle that only Allen and Riliane knew—that whenever Riliane wanted something, she would take a piece of parchment with her wish written on it, put it in a glass bottle just like this one, and then hand it to Allen.

Right now, there was a rolled-up piece of paper in the bottle that Allen held. He took it out and opened it.

“…Heh. Hahaha…”

It was a message written by Riliane. When he saw it, Allen suddenly burst into laughter.

“What’s it say?” Nemesis asked.

“What do you think it says?”

“Assuming it’s the same pattern…’Forget about me, defeat Ma!’, or something like that?”

“No, ha ha…Well, see for yourself.”

Allen held open the paper for Nemesis to see.

On it was—

.

“Make sure you save me!”

.

--Just that, written with rough letters.

“Isn’t that so like her?” Allen said, chuckling again. ”I bet she never once considered sacrificing herself to save the world.”

“…And yet, you seem happy about that, Allen.”

“Yeah. You see, it means that she believes in me.”

“Sigh…What a silly pair of siblings you are,” Nemesis sighed, stupefied.

--But then the two of them quickly grew stern.

The force of the wind was weakening. The tornado at the center was slowly getting smaller.

Nemesis hadn’t lifted the spell.

Ma…also had Elluka’s memories.

So naturally, she would also know how to undo her magic. Neither Allen nor Nemesis had thought of that.

“At this rate…Nothing else we can do. This’ll be a bit of a gamble, but we can try a kamikaze atta—”

“—Wait a second, Nemesis. ...Do you hear something?”

When Allen said that, Nemesis strained her ears.

.

“—Lu li la, lu li la.”

.

Someone was—singing.

It resounded far and wide, to where they could hear it even through the roaring wind….And yet, the melody seemed gentle…

This “Clockwork Lullaby”.

.

The two of them knew very well the person singing that song.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 11, Section 1--Re_Birthday; Scene 1

master of the heavenly yard pages 236-237

“…Phew.”

As she finished drawing the last symbol on the ground, Nemesis took a breath.

It was an enormous circular inscription with a radius of about two hundred meters wide, all centered around where Ma was.

It would have been impossible to draw an inscription of this scale in such a short time had it not been for Eater’s assistance.

“Thank you, Eater.” Nemesis gently patted him on his right leg.

“It was nothin’. And in exchange…You better keep your promise.”

“About Banica? I’ll do my best—Also.”

Nemesis looked around the forest.

She thanked the spirits that she could see poking their faces out from between the trees.

“Phaser, and the rest of you…It’s because of your illusion magic that I was able to draw this inscription without attracting Ma’s attention.”

Whether the spirits had done so independently or under Held’s orders—she didn’t know.

At any rate, her preparations were complete.

Well, the main problem is going to be after this…Allen, you jerk. You’ve come up with such a ridiculous plan.

Nemesis looked up at the sky.

The “Blackbox”…It really would be much faster to just use that to erase Ma…

But she noticed that some new change was occurring with that “Blackbox”.

--The box’s movements had become much more severe than before.

Its tremors grew steadily larger, and they were increasing in speed.

“It can’t be…that it’s going to fall?”

But Nemesis’ concern wound up being unfounded.

As the “Blackbox” continued with its unusual tremors, it suddenly gave out a thunderous roar like a death rattle—

And then, as though it were being swallowed up into the sky, it vanished.

--!? …Did the theater itself get…sucked up into its own…’formatting’ power?

She heaved a deep sigh.

“Whatever the case…Guess we just lost usage of our last resort.”

Now they could do nothing but pray that Allen’s scheme went according to plan.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 10–The Boy’s Choice; Scene 4

master of the heavenly yard pages 232-234

--After the world was destroyed, Sickle had released Allen and sent him down to the ground world.

He would entrust the direction the world took to Allen…Sickle hadn’t said that outright.

But Allen could somehow feel that was his intention.

He didn’t really mind that in itself. And it didn’t feel bad to have a god expecting good things of you.

But Allen had no desire to become a god’s puppet.

He wanted to make the decision on his own. …Even if that wasn’t what the gods wanted.

.

Allen was pushed to that decision before Ma, who had possessed the soul of Riliane.

Protect his sister? Or protect the world?

“What’s wrong, Allen? If you intend to do nothing…Then I will get going. I must search for Nemesis—my daughter.”

How shameless—so Allen thought.

It was obvious that she had no parental feelings at all towards Nemesis. And yet she had gone out of her way to call her “daughter”.

If only Ma had bothered to say that to Nemesis herself even so much as once…maybe the world wouldn’t have ended up being destroyed.

--If only.

--If only.

…Ma can think only of fulfilling her own wish. For that purpose she’s even willing to become “evil”.

However.

I myself am the same.

Whether they’re an “Irregular” or not—all people are greedy.

There is no perfectly innocent person.

Everyone holds “evil” in their hearts.

--If only.

--If only.

There is no right decision. No matter what I decide I will end up having regrets.

So.

I, with this greedy “evil” in me.

.

Will pick both.

Riliane and the world.

I will—obtain both.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 10–The Boy’s Choice; Scene 3

master of the heavenly yard pages 224-232

The sound of the church’s bell ringing to bless the twins’ birth.

That was the first memory that Allen—No, Alexiel Lucifen d’Autriche—recalled.

He couldn’t even be entirely sure of what was before his eyes, with his blurry vision.

Merely that he held out his hand in a daze, and grasped something.

It was five infant fingers. Someone’s hand, just like the one that he had.

The very warm hand of someone who was right next to him.

He thought to himself, as he felt that warmth.

That—he was born to protect that warm someone.

.

When he was four, he left the palace with his father for the first time.

That was also the first time he met Leonhart, accompanying them as a bodyguard.

Alexiel gazed upon the various unique items in the marketplace in a daze.

His eyes rested on one among them—an article that sat on the shelf of a shop run by a hooded old woman.

“That’s…so cool!”

All of the items for this shop were wooden dolls set inside small glass bottles.

The one Alexiel was keen on was designed to look like a knight with a sword and shield.

“Did you make this, ma’am?”

“Yes, of course. This old granny might not look it, but I’m quite good with my hands…Heeheehee.”

He could see there was a red-haired cat lying down napping further in the shop.

“Is that your cat, ma’am?”

“Yes…but that’s not for sale. If you’d like to buy something, pick from the shelf please.”

His father approached, and said to Alexiel, “If you want something, I’ll buy it for you.”

“Really? Then—”

Alexiel pointed to the knight doll, but then he saw something next to it and hesitated.

It was a princess doll, wearing a beautiful dress—

The face of his twin sister waiting in the castle came to mind.

Riliane…would surely be taken with this one.

He turned around and asked his father, “Can we get two?”

“No. You must pick one. Your mother will scold me if we spend too much money.”

“Hmm…”

There, Leonhart chose to step in. “Hey now, the king of a country shouldn’t be such a miser, Arth. Forget one or two--you could buy everything in this shop.”

“We’re in times of war right now. I may be the king but I need to keep a lid on any wasteful spending.”

“But they’re kid’s toys, aren’t they? Surely they don’t cost that much.”

“It also wouldn’t be good to spoil Alexiel. He’ll inherit this country one day, and he needs to learn the importance of making decisions.”

“…Sigh~. So this is your idea of royal studies, huh? That’s a bit harsh on a four year old.”

As he listened to the two of them debate, Alexiel could grasp in his very young mind that his father wasn’t likely to turn on his idea.

Only pick one…

After some contemplation—he picked up the bottle with the princess doll inside.

“That’s the one you want?” his father asked him.

“…Uh huh.”

His father paid for it and the old woman grinned and said, “Thank you for your patronage. Heeheehee.”

--On the way back to the palace, his father once again asked him inside the carriage, “You’re really satisfied with that one?”

“Uh huh.”

“Didn’t you really want the knight doll?”

“…”

“…Are you going to give it to Riliane?”

“…Uh huh.”

“You’re always thinking of your sister, Alexiel.”

“I’m—fine with it too.”

“…?

“I’ll give Riliane the doll…And keep this for me.” Alexiel took out the doll and displayed the now empty bottle to his father. “It’s really pretty how this bottle shines when it catches the light.”

“I see…Hahahah.” Arth made a booming laugh. “You made the choice where both you and your sister get something…Touché.”

Father and son, laughing together—

Leonhart watched them with an amused sideways glance from the opposite seat.

.

When he was six, his father died from illness.

At the end of a dispute over who would succeed him, Alexiel requested to leave the palace of his own accord.

Without him there, there would be no more needless quarrels.

Riliane would not get hurt.

--He became Leonhart’s adoptive son, and his name was changed to “Allen”.

 .

When he was twelve, Allen’s mother visited.

His mother, who he had not seen in so long, looked a bit haggard to him.

There were many things he wanted to tell her, and many things he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t bring himself to speak up.

His mother embraced him—and then said this:

“…I love you, Alexiel.”

I love you too, mother—but he was too embarrassed to say it.

And then they parted, and she gave him a stern look.

“You take care of her…take care of Riliane.”

As she spoke, his mother’s face looked grim somehow.

Of course—though he didn’t actually speak it, Allen wordlessly nodded.

.

One year later, his mother passed away—and Allen came to work as a servant of the palace, hiding his true identity.

.

When he was fourteen, a revolution broke out in the country.

Allen became a body double for his sister, and was executed as “the princess of Lucifenia, Riliane”.

He had no regrets.

To protect Riliane—that in itself was his reason for existing.

Sacrificing himself had been both to protect her, and to prove his own existence.

.

--When he came to, he was inside a box.

Allen’s soul had been shut up in a “Blackbox” by the sun god Sickle.

Was this punishment?

Or was it salvation?

He didn’t know.

But his life in the box was certainly not a painful one.

He might not have had freedom, but he gained a lot of “knowledge” there.

The history of the world, the truth—

Using the “Akashic Record”, he studied all of it.

.

As he learned everything there was to know of the world, Allen began to feel conflict in his heart.

--Was what he did the right thing?

--Was it truly his own will?

--Had he not been brainwashed into it by being raised as the son of royalty?

--Had he not been cursed by his mother’s final words to him?

--Was there even any worth in protecting Riliane?

--Wouldn’t it have been better if he’d become king?

 .

He’d had various doubts.

No matter how he tried to push them away, they would resurge on him like the tide.

--If only I had done that back then.

--If only, back then.

--If only.

--If only.

.

Endless “if only”s.

Every choice. Every possibility.

Which of them was the right one?

.

--He wanted to see Riliane one more time.

That was what he had come to think.

He felt as though he would find the answer then.

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[dsoe-masteroftheheavenlyyard]

Chapter 10–The Boy’s Choice; Scene 2

master of the heavenly yard pages 218-224

Eater landed at a point a little removed from where Ma was.

Once there Allen got down alone, and the skeleton giant flew up once more.

…Ma’s target was likely to be Nemesis. The last “Deadly Sin contractor”…So they couldn’t afford to let her get close to Ma.

Nemesis would perform certain “preparations” elsewhere. Allen had himself taken on the role of distracting Ma until those were complete.

The black vortex immediately swirled around Allen, but still at this point it didn’t appear to cause any particular harm.

He started to walk towards the origin point of the vortex.

In the very center of the forest. The place where “Evils Theater” had stood before the world was destroyed.

She was simply standing there doing nothing, not even taking any interest in the frozen soldiers.

The girl holding a doll—the “Clockworker’s Doll”.

Allen knew by now that though she was Riliane in appearance, at heart she was a different person altogether.

“Hey there, good day.” Allen gave her a light greeting as he approached, as though she were a friend. “Nice to meet you…Ma.”

She turned towards Allen in response. “…If it isn’t Allen Avadonia. Where did Nemesis go?”

“Who knows? I wonder where she’s gone.”

Allen tilted his head to the side in an affected manner.

“…If you have no intention of telling me her location, then I have no use for you. Leave at once.”

“What will you do when you meet her? It can’t be that you want to have a talk as mother and child?”

“…Which is your goal? To save your sister, or to destroy me?”

“…”

“You’ve figured it out at least a little, haven’t you? What will happen to the world once I take in Nemesis.”

“I…studied all of the world while inside the ‘Blackbox’ in heaven. And what I could glean from that process…was that all of the events of this world occur within the scope of the ‘rules’ that the gods laid down. And that the gods noticed there were those outside of them—the ‘Irregulars’. …At the same time, they were extremely cautious of these people.”

Ma appeared to take interest in what Allen was saying. “How fascinating. For many years I visited places all around the world. I found many old ruins, and items of supernaturally advanced technology within them. But I have never gone to heaven.”

“Why are the gods afraid of ‘Irregulars’? I think—it’s because when a being that doesn’t exist is made to exist, it makes the rules into a contradiction. …But then another question comes up there. –That is, why must the rules not be contradicted?”

“…Go on.”

“You can arrive at that answer when pondering the other issue of what it is that the gods are most afraid of. Naturally, I am not a god myself, and so it’s a little difficult to make a perfect theory on that…So let’s swap out ‘god’ for ‘king’. In order for a king to remain so, he needs to have a country he can govern. Without it, he won’t be a king anymore.”

“And in the same vein, the moment the world is no more, the gods will no longer be gods…That’s what you’re saying.”

“Exactly. Putting this all together—you get the conclusion that the reason why the gods are afraid of Irregulars is because they have the power to erase the world.”

“So…That is why you, an ‘Irregular’ yourself, had your soul sealed inside the ‘Blackbox’ in heaven by god.”

Allen was surprised that Ma had known about that. “You knew that much?”

“The ‘Blackbox’ that you were likely to have been in must have had an ‘Akashic Record’ in it. I…found something similar in the ‘graveyard’. It wasn’t all that difficult. I do have Levia’s memories, after all.”

“I…didn’t realize there was a ‘Blackbox’ in the ‘graveyard’ as well.”

“It was a ‘Type B’—something that Behemo made and then left there. …But there is still something I don’t quite understand from your story just now. If the gods regard ‘Irregulars’ as being dangerous—then why was Riliane left alone?”

“I didn’t know that myself…But Adam and Eve were in the theater. And when I saw them, the answer became a little clearer to me.”

“…Gallerian did say that those twins were also ‘Irregulars’…”

“This is pure speculation, but perhaps erasure via ‘Irregulars’ is something that is conditional on the twins being together. Once they are, they invoke it via taking a certain action. That’s—a ‘Re_Birthday’, I think. …But what Adam put into motion was incomplete.”

Allen looked up at the ‘Blackbox’ floating in the sky.

The “black box” was still continuing its tremors.

“So I’m sure that it will only ‘format’ those who are already inside it.”

“Gammon’s goal…was to erase the world, then?”

“No, rather, it looked to me like he was trying to save it. Perhaps he was trying to revive the world again by controlling Adam and Eve’s power. …There’s no way to know the truth at this point.”

“…”

“Let’s get back on topic. I think that…you are also an ‘Irregular’ yourself. But unlike the others, you were not born as part of a set of twins.”

“Unlike you…I never even had any beings I could call my mother or father,” Ma muttered, her face looking somewhat lonely.

“So you would need another being to set up a ‘Re_Birthday’. And that might be the seven ‘Deadly Sin contractors’. It is by absorbing them that you hope to be able to completely erase the world—”

“--You’re wrong.”

“…Huh!?”

Ma’s expression abruptly grew harsh, and she gathered lightning in her hand. “You are different from me after all. Though you may be an ‘Irregular’ like I am…You have parents and a sister. You have people who can prove that you exist. You—could never understand my suffering!”

Allen swiftly blocked the lighting she fired at him with his sword.

His illusory blade melted in an instant, and he discarded it, summoning up a new one.

“Ma…Just stop this now. There’s no meaning in what you’re trying to do—”

“My wish is not to erase the world. That is…merely an incidental side-effect. I—must prove my existence. That in itself is the destiny of us ‘Irregulars’…And yet you seem to have forgotten that fact. You aspire to know everything of this world, and yet you know absolutely nothing about yourself.”

“…It’s the same for you, isn’t it? Even if you can prove that you exist, if the world is gone then—there’ll be no one to tell it to.”

The flow of the black vortex changed, its color starting to darken at the area around Allen.

And yet it still had no impact on him. Perhaps this vortex was something that could not manifest its influence as long as Ma had yet to completely become a “pure being”…Or so he guessed.

“Allen…How many worlds can you see? For me they are—infinite. There is not just one world. I can tell that there are many different worlds, in other dimensions from this one. Even if this world is erased…I will be able to tell my ‘story’ in a different world.”

“I guess I don’t have the range of sight that you do, unfortunately. I…can only protect that which I can see around me.”

Allen readied his sword.

He raised it level with his face, and then held it towards his opponent straight out—the “bull stance” that Leonhart, his adoptive father, had taught him.

Upon seeing that, Ma gave a thin smile.

“Putting on airs as some messenger of justice? …That’s fine. I don’t mind being ‘evil’. I will prove my existence—even if that makes me a ‘pure evil’ that can erase the world.”

“…”

“Feel free to come at me, if you intend to stop me. But…Riliane and I are currently of one body. If you destroy me, then she too will—”

“…I know. I know that already.”

Once, Allen had thought little of making the whole world his enemy, if it meant protecting his sister.

…Yes, Ma did resemble his old self—He could feel that, very deeply.

This figure, not caring what else happened as long as it was for their goals.

No ethics or rules could sway them from their determination. Though there might be some who would call that “selfish”…What meaning was there in throwing yourself away and merely living?

We…are not the “dolls” of gods. We are “humans”, who have our own will.

As he faced off against Ma—

Allen recalled his old self.

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