Apocalypse Witch: To the Strongests of an Age of Plenty
Episode 11

Utagai Karuta curled up at the corner of the sidewalk with his back facing the road.

The police are no longer here. They may have retreated to the barricade. The sidewalks and streets were filled with men and women. It was like a human flood. They carried makeshift torches made by wrapping bandages or scrap cloth around a metal bat and lit them and they shouted furiously while smashing the windshield of cars parked on the street and windows a shop that has no window coverings.

(Elicia manages the world's waste disposal facilities, so its defeat apparently drastically lowered the price of first-generation resources such as iron and aluminum that were once as valuable as gold or platinum. So, did they lose their job or something?)

It was Karuta's analysis, but he was wrong.

This is what they shouted:

"How can we overcome our fear if we don't know what a Threat is!?"

"The government is only keeping it a secret to spread fear and confusion so that they can increase the defense budget. You are playing with our tax money!!!"

"Free the information! The real information!! We have a right to know!!"

Young men burned piles of garbage bags and entered buildings through broken windows. The cash register was thrown into the street and the box-shaped ATM machine was dragged out and dismantled with a crowbar. Sweat, perfume, smoke, rotting garbage, and what is it? All sorts of smells mixed into one and the overflowing anger obliterated all of them.

Karuta contacted Marika and Kyouka with annoyance.

"They claim to want to get information about the Threat, but I think they mostly just come to rob or let go of the vexation. Perhaps only one-tenth of the people actually protest because they feel persecuted. I'm sure a lot of people lost their savings after Elicia's defeat. Omotesandou-san, there is no sign of this happening, huh!?"

"Seeing from behind, there is. Problem Solver will never announce that one of them was defeated, even to a regular police officer. Because it would ruin their reputation as the strongest. I felt the security around became very tight, but it turned out that there was some suspicious activity aside from our own activities."

"There are a lot of people here too" Marika said. "I'm grateful they haven't gotten to the stage of dragging people out and beating them up."

"Marika, you're a girl, so be careful in the crowd of protesters."

"Oh, are you worried about me? ...Kyah!?"

"Marica!"

"I was just kidding. Ah ha!"

He laughed innocently, but his heart was racing. He doubted that the people in this crowd would know that Karuta and his group were responsible, but if they really had lost their savings due to the collapse of the iron and aluminum market, he said, they may want to attack Karuta's group. Sweat drenched his forehead as his childhood best friend, who had the famous double pigtail curly hair, whispered in a conspiring voice.

“But this seems like the perfect opportunity, doesn't it? This riot destroyed all the cameras with their bat and spray paint. With the usual surveillance network not working, we might be able to approach the Palace of Westminster where the Problem Solution awaits.”

“I doubt it will be that easy.”

Karuta was still worried, so Marika defended her argument.

“This will damage the reputation of the G21 if they cancel their international meeting due to some simple unrest, so they will remain there and so will the Troubleshooter who looks after them. Yukino could not escape at this moment. Look, it's a perfect opportunity.”

“...”

He had also considered that in the corner of his mind.

Can they cut corners when police and surveillance networks are focusing on looters? Or can they lead the looters to Westminster Palace? He is fed up with the idea of cheap justice that is more like an excuse than anything else. Almost everyone he knew had been crystallized and crushed before his eyes and his body seemed to be burning with the desire for revenge, so he felt that this kind of justice was more disgusting than the candle food example.

But can they really control it?

And what would happen if they couldn't?

"We have to do it" said Student Council Chairman Omotesandou Kyouka. "Our feelings about this are too strong to hold back just because we're facing some unexpected problems, right?"

"true."

He slowly exhaled and stood up from his bent position. He was unsure whether to follow or go against the flow of protesters, but he decided to take a different route towards the Palace of Westminster as police focused on the protesters. Of course, he used them in any way.

With that thought, he cuefully slid off the riot-filled main road and walked into a small passageway.

That's when it happened.

A light spear fell from the sky.

"........................................................................................................................."

He doesn't know what it means.

It had fallen on the next main road, just 20m away from its spot.

It's more sudden than a lightning strike and brighter than a floodlight.

Crowds of people filled the sidewalks and roads there and one part of them evaporated mercilessly. The human body instantly turned into a spray that splashed onto the streets, walls, and the survivors around it, creating a hell full of heat and excruciating pain like boiling water splashed around him.

This attack was powerful enough to split the school escort ship in two.

The diameter of ten meters was torn apart and the twenty meters around him were enveloped by an extremely hot hell. The incredible heat melted the asphalt and stone walls of the centuries-old building it glowed red like an oven.

Shouts were heard from all directions.

Many flying garbage bags flashed through the air like crackling corn and the heat removed the shape of the bag before it fell to the ground. The candy box was destroyed and the toilet paper roll caught fire as it spread through the air. So many light sources that followed fell on the city like burning arrows flowing into the shackled castle.

No one will know what happened and will not know where to run. This turns into a panic drive that causes a chain reaction like the dominos of the landing point.

"What ...?"

Karuta dizzy leaned his back against the wall of the passageway.

"What is this in the world !?" he roared before his confused mind finally remembered to feel the pain.

His entire body was engulfed by an overwhelming itch, as if he had been pierced by thousands of needles.

He looked down and saw his clothes swell unnaturally from within. He touched her face and found that her face felt rough. Is that a problem with his cheek or his fingertips? Whatever the case, his entire body had been injured and the crystallization was healing him. It had broken through the previously set barrier that was weak.

If something else were to happen to him now, it would all be over.

If parts of his body were to be torn apart along with the healing crystals, he would lose them forever.

He will miss the chance to recover.

"Bag, pant!!"

He lost control of his breathing at the thought of that.

And during those 30 long seconds, it happened again.

That night just passed.

The attack lasted for a full ten seconds, but this time further. He could see more objectively how strange the light and heat were. It was like seeing the sun unfolding like a sugar statue.

"I saw it too!" marika said with a hint of panic in her voice. "Yukino used his spear of light in London!! All to silence the rioters!!"

"The rioters broke down their defenses and prevented them from finding their true target: us," Kyouka said. "He must have intended to annihilate them with us if they insisted on blocking his path."

The crystal fragment fell from Karuta's body with the sound of a dry crack.

His body and face are fine.

They're all healed.

“But...but how could he get away with it? This is the location of the G21 show, so there are a lot of reporters around here! Not to mention that ordinary people could record videos with their phones and upload them! Is Yukino Arakawa going to commit social suicide because of this!?"

"Maybe he wants to play the antagonist." Takada is not sure what President OSIS meant by that. "And since the Troubleshooting Team regularly fought Threats, they could say that London was destroyed in attacks by Threats. They can claim to have tried to save the people of London, but ultimately did not manage to save them all."

"But it doesn't make sense..."

He can get away with all this. Remember that no one knows what Threats or details are about the God Worshipping Magic used by Trouble Makers. People are only aware of the end result: cities and states are being wiped out overnight. So, in the worst case, couldn't they just lie about who fired that spear of light?"

"..."

He's completely speechless.

What does this mean? Does this not matter at all to Yukino Arakawa if there are any witnesses to the mass murder? Can he get away with all his responsibilities calmly saying that Threat did it, he has no connection with it, and unfortunately what happened in London? How comfortable the world is for strong people!

"Sacri-sama, this could be an opportunity."

"?

“Yukino attacking the troublemakers is proof that she doesn't know where we are. This means, we can safely approach Westminster Palace and capture it unexpectedly."

"But!!"

"There's nothing we can do but stop him from firing the spear of light. If your goal is to reduce the number of deaths, I recommend taking the shortest path to defeat Yukino."

Today, the world alternates between day and night intermittently.

The temperature will last a few seconds to several tens of seconds, so how many lives are lost each time?

He bit his teeth so hard that he thought they would break.

However, he could not think of anything more intelligent than Aine's cold answer.

"Damn it!!"

He tightened his back with a wall near the hallway door and scratched his bangs by hand. He began to take his eyes off the main street filled with shouts of fear and anger.

But he stopped.

Many people have fallen into that chaos of light, heat, and drive, so survivors desperately try to stay in that category by crawling or climbing above the rest.

He saw someone among the rioters demanding information about the Threat be released.

A little girl was sitting on the ground with a homemade banner. He must have come here with an older parent or sibling.

Utagai Karuta had passed through a pile of shattered crystal statues. While the other students wearing the same uniform had fallen, he sadly crawled behind the statues to escape from the dinosaurs. This was not his first time doing this, so he should be able to do it again, no matter how painful it was.

Except, he has seen the messy writing on the signature: “Tell us what happened to my sister and the others in Grimnoah!”

His barrier meant he barely felt any pain, yet the memories of the Ocean Crystal Magic Academy came back to life in his mind.

He can still taste the taste of fish with the fries he made late at night in the kitchen with the help of an exchange student to find out if English food is as bad as they say it is.

But this was too far for him.

He has reached his limit.

"Air. And also Marika. There's a change of plans."

"Yes, Sacri-sama. What should I do?"

"You two take the shortest route to defeat Yukino Arakawa. Stop him from firing the light spear as soon as possible to minimize the damage."

"I'll do that, but what about you?" ask Marika.

"I'm..."

He pulled a modified military flashlight from his blazer bag and took a deep breath.

"I'll get his attention. Yukino actually snapped, but if he knew where his target was, he would have no reason to indiscriminately attack the rioters. If I keep him focused on me, fewer ordinary people will die, so I will approach him in the most conspicuous way I can!"

"Sacri-nl..."

"It's not a debate, Aine. Just do!!"

The last commandment is not just addressed to others.

And there was one other thing he had to do before starting.

"Hey!"

He shouted from the entrance of the alley and the girl's shoulder surged. He didn't care if he scared her and she didn't need his trust, so he just told the girl what he should do.

"Go inside immediately! A sturdy building can be used!!"

He looked more like running from her in fear than paying attention to her warnings. He made sure to bring the sign with him as he frantically stood up and ran towards a shop made of stone and metal.

He'll be safer there than outdoors.

However, their fate still depends on what Karuta will do next.

He will not let them be targeted. No matter what happens.

(OK.)

He once again turned around from the main road and ran further into the back alley. However, he did not leave the people who came here to protest. Conversely, if he was going to draw an attack towards himself, he would have to stay away from them. Causing them to be caught in the attack would also be futile.

Attracting the attention of Yukino Arakawa from a distance is easy to do.

He used the city's security network to locate his target.

Which means...

(I just need to start taking out every camera I come across!!)

He reached into one of the litter bags and took out a half-full bottle of drink that had turned into mud. Then, he just sprinkled it on the lens that was staring at him. After doing that three or four times, he felt a great pressure on his stomach.

Oddities will be reported soon and areas with weak security will be considered dangerous.

The focus will shift from that dreadful main road to this back alley.

(I'm just getting started!!)

"Oh?"

In the nun's clothes that were given a large gap on the side, Yukino Arakawa smiled amusedly on the roof of the building.

The smartphone screen displays a warning.

Cameras in one area were destroyed one after another. He doubted that this was just the work of idle rioters. The spread of damage was too fast for that, so it felt more like someone was specifically eyeing "his eyes".

So then...

(Can you not take it anymore? In that case, killing even more civilians to rub it in your face would probably be nice).

He considered that detour, but decided to focus on his main target.

He raised the stick in his other hand and sent the command into the satellite orbit.

"Now, let's brighten this dark screen with a spear of light."

A blinding light gushed from the sky.

“Gwaaaaaaaaaaahh!?”

Karuta knew there was only a few seconds of lag between eliminating the cameras in the area and Yukino was suspicious, so he ran away from that location as far away as possible. However, something like the wind was overwhelming his body. He managed to dodge the direct attack, but the terrifying heat had expanded the air and formed an invisible wall.

The punch on his back destroyed his shield.

He rolled along the dirty hallway.

Strange cracking sounds continued and continued as the crystals covered most of his body. The thirty-second countdown begins. One more attack before that and it'll all be over. His healing process would come to a halt, everything would be torn from his body, and he would die. It was very clear to him.

"Bag, pant!!"

He checked behind him from the ground and saw both walls of the alley were orange and melted. Piles of trash have become pillars of fire reminiscent of giant cypress trees burning in forest fires. The surface of the alley had melted like a sugar statue and collapsed downward to create a huge hole. The hole may be connected to a sewer or subway.

"Kh."

Slowly he stood up.

He sprinkled the crystal shards over the ground when the healing was complete.

He continued to run.

They were afraid that Yukino could search for them using thermal images taken by the satellite, but he started to think that there was no need to worry. The heat here is so high that the entire area will turn white. He could not use that to see if his target was still alive.

(I just have to focus on the surface camera.)

He clenched his teeth while picking up some security camera lenses with a drink or spray can to pull the light spear towards him. He once again felt a pain like sunburn on his skin.

A little delay worked for him, but the more cameras he destroyed, the more data he had to predict his route. If his prediction is accurate and he shoots where he should be, then it is for him. It would vanish in an instant before it even felt pain.

"Haha."

He kept running and avoiding death, but somehow there was a smile on his face.

He didn't know what he wanted to do, but he felt like the weight had been lifted off his shoulder for the first time in quite a long time.

"Hahaahaha! Ah hahahaahahahaha!!!"

He attended the Ocean Crystal Grimnoah Magic Academy.

He had studied Magic Crystals that used Flower Crystals through printed circuit boards smaller than stamps.

He has been trained to fight against the world-threatening threat.

In the end, what does he really want to do?

He no longer has that right. His days at that school and the future he envisioned for himself had been stolen by Problem Solver and his own group of muckers when they used Magic Crystals against Elicia after she surrendered. However, the remains of the dream were still in his heart.

However, his mind was disturbed.

Even if he manages to overcome them and protect civilians, the great evil of Problem Solver is still out there. And one part of the crime, a demon named Yukino Arakawa, is making his next move.

The night sky is shining brightly.

He knew this should be another burst of light, but instead of feeling scared like an animal, he used his rational mind to run even further before hitting.

But something unexpected happened.

"…?"

The light does not gather together.

The brightness in the night sky continued to widen, instead of forming a spear.

Cold splashed his spine.

It almost looks like a huge ceiling hanging from the blazing heat coming down to destroy the city of London!