Apocalypse Witch: To the Strongests of an Age of Plenty
Episode 12's

Bright light tore out.

They cover a diameter of more than 10km leading north from central London. The light and heat were so great that it seemed to engulf the entire city there.

Yukino Arakawa laughed on the roof of the building out of reach.

His short black hair was blown away by the night breeze as he spoke with the cane in his hand.

"Battle Spread Mode."

The night changed by day. No, it's like a video that completely turns white due to incorrect exposure settings.

The same pain as the sunburn attacked Karuta's entire body. And the pain doesn't stop there. The pain is increasing nonstop. He knew he couldn't stay here, so he ducked under a car parked on the sidewalk.

His fingers moved strangely.

Sharp crystals protruded from all corners of his body like distorted scales.

(What's going on now!?)

The attack lasted for more than thirty seconds before the night returned. He bit his teeth due to the pain, waited for the healing process to finish, and examined the situation outside. After a pause of thirty seconds, white light once again filled the world.

"Dad!?" shout Marika.

"We've never seen this phenomenon before" Aine said.

"But we can survive a short exposure" he said. "Can he switch between the focus version and the wider viewpoint? Or..."

The next attack came, but when he took a closer look, he realized the dazzling light did not fill the entire room.

More like a pattern of spots or nets.

Countless lances of light pierced through the city of London at designated distances. There were tens, hundreds, or even thousands and the space between the attack tissues was roasted by residual heat. This is similar to how a grill warms food efficiently.

"It's shotgun!? He doesn't have just one satellite weapon. How many weapons are peeping at the planet!?"

"Sacri-sama, the spear of light seems to be shooting at the same coordinates every time. He likely scanned the London structure and calculated the optimal layout for baking with radiant heat evenly."

"Thousands of attacks he could fire simultaneously with the added bonus of burning down an entire city if he scanned the terrain?" said Marika. "I get. I guess you need something like that to be considered one of the strongest in the world."

"But, Marika, that seconvenient, is not effective directly. He had to wait for me to make a mistake, which meant he lost track of me."

"Argh, it might be easier to travel along the subway line."

"Sacri-sama, this much damage I can still receive. I can continue like this."

"Pretend it hurts you. Otherwise you'll look flashy."

He crawled out from under the car between the shots.

Back then, he had not expected this at all, so it was pure luck that he had told the girl to escape into the building.

And he's learned something. The attack and the pause between the attacks both lasted about thirty seconds. Once he knew that, this mode of indiscriminate attack was no longer a threat. By running into a smoking box area or a building whose windows were smashed by the riot, he could take shelter while heading towards the Palace of Westminster. When he discovers a riot of people lying on the ground, he attempts to shoved them under a nearby car.

"I'm not ..."

He was panting and felt unpleasant sweat seeping into his body, but there was a faint smile on his face.

"I'm not afraid of you anymore, Yukino Arakawa."

The hunter runs across the dark city of London which has turned into a fiery hell.

He was getting closer to Westminster Palace where his prey was waiting.

"I think you screwed this one up" said one of the other Problem Solvers over the phone.

Yukino Arakawa calmly responded from above the roof of the building.

"What makes you think that way?"

"You have to destroy London? Of course, something like that could happen. But there's a G21 meeting being held here and some of the people present will know about the God Worship Magic we use. They'll know who did this and you won't be able to take this as an act of Threat."

"Hee hee's. Don't worry." He laughed and tapped the bottom of his stick onto the roof under his feet. "After I'm done, I'll tear down this building as well. I just need to root out anyone who knows the truth about Threats and Troubleshooters, right?"

"We're talking about some heads of state here."

"Why is it important? More importantly, have you managed to contact Anastasia? I can't blame any of this on the Threat without his consent."

"Well, I'll bet he'll agree with this. He didn't want the Problem Solver framework to fall apart because it was this stupid."

"really so? Then..."

"But."

"?"

"It seems you're a little too slow."

The voice that spoke through his phone sounded disappointed.

Yukino felt something tickle in her spine and tried to analyze it, but it was too late.

He turned around and found a boy with a purple blazer who should have been exterminated standing on the same roof as him.

"..."

He didn't say anything.

His shoulders rose and fell as he took a breath, he held a military flashlight that looked very heavy to use as his stun gun, and he slowly - very slowly - walked up to him.

Yukino Arakawa's cheeks slightly hardened.

When he was this close, he could no longer use his spear of light. The spears were so powerful that he would destroy himself in that explosion as well.

This is checkmate.

With a stick in hand, he developed his hand towards the approaching child. It was almost like he wanted to say that they should have canceled the picnic plan and come home early because of the rain.

He gave a suggestion with a forced smile.

"All right, I gave up. You won."

He sounds like someone putting their cards on the table because they turned out to be just one card short of getting a winning hand.

He sounded like he was just about to lose a few stacks of chips.

“Alright, we end here. This is a pretty lucrative deal for you. I'm one of Problem Solving, so I have a lot of influence with governments around the world and I can erase all your past criminal records. You will get forgiveness! Forgiveness for everything! You can go back to ordinary society without having to worry about anything! Wow, isn't that awesome!? You can come out free of any demands, you devil luck☆"

"..."

The boy did not respond.

He hadn't said a word since he came.

"And as a special bonus, we'll stop chasing you. I swear and swear. I mean, you're looking for a way out after starting this and becoming too overwhelming, aren't you? You're stuck on a path you've set yourself. I mean, how much longer are you going to keep this revenge? Do you really think you can keep doing it? It's important to know when to stop when you're ahead and the last train is about to depart. I've got your ticket here. I'm compromising a little bit here, so you should really thank me!"

Something exploded in his nose.

By the time he realized that he had smashed through the soft cartilage with a swing full of military flashlights, he was already rolling along the roof.

The excruciating pain made him take off the wand and hold his face with both hands. He felt something sticky and a warm liquid dripping from between his fingers. The taste of iron spread through his mouth.

His eyes opened as wide as possible and he crawled while trying to figure out what was happening while his mind was blank from confusion.

Then, a burning rage exploded in his mind.

"Y-y-you!? You hit a woman in the fa-gwelgh section !!!!!!"

He didn't say a word.

There's not a single one.

Instead, he swung the second punch. This time to his jaw. Or her cheeks? All he knew was that he felt the bones on his face break, his teeth no longer fit in his mouth, and his facial skin was unnaturally stretched. Now he really felt danger. He knows he's in trouble. This boy has shut down all communication efforts. He does not treat her like a human being. He looked at her with cold eyes like he was nothing more than an insect as he determined where he was going to hit her next and then mercilessly swung the heavy flashlight.

"Wait, no-"

A storm of blows awaited him. He didn't even have time to stand up. He coiled up, protected his head with his hands, and only lasted as well as he could. His anger at this absurd situation was finally overwritten by the fear that his understanding of the world was no longer valid. His body was overwhelmed by a feeling closer to heat than pain as he constantly repeated the same word in his heart.

Wh why?

Why, why, why?

One hit a woman in the face. And it must be wrong to use a blunt weapon for that.

Yep.

All I did was unilaterally attack the useless school, slaughter all the teachers and students, and use my strength as one of the Troubleshooters without bothering to listen to their screams or cries. Only 700 people. Not that I'm actually counting. The escort ships? What, they counted too??? Then that's even more reason I can't be blamed for missing one. Why did this have to happen to me just to be one of those survivors!?

"Ah, ahhhh, ahhhhhh."

There was one thing that Yukino Arakawa was unaware of.

And since he never lost - at least to other humans - it was no surprise.

Problem Solver always wins in every conflict between people. His opponents were always fed up with the war, so when he brought up the possibility of a truce or peace, they would immediately take the opportunity and accept even the worst of terms. Yukino sees war as something he can turn off as easily as turning off a light bulb. He was always the one who decided when the war ended.

But not this time.

It's totally different.

This was a battle marsh that would never end once it started. This battle would continue until either side was killed and there was no room for compromise or negotiation.

He had never experienced this because victory was always assured for him.

And it made him push the snowball down the hill without realizing what was going to happen.

So then...

"..."

Every part of his mind was caught in a vortex of pain he had never experienced before and the fear that he would lose.

He was basically different from this boy who was sure to lose, but would try to tear his enemy's throat with his teeth even though his arms and legs were already crushed.

He could move, but he stopped.

When battered, bruised, and curled up in the fetal position, all he did was tremble. The purple-jacketed boy grabbed his black hair and mercilessly pulled his head up. He looked into his eyes and squatted down to talk.

"Coop with me. Tell me everything you know about Problem Solver, about why you attacked our school, and about Threat!! I have no reason not to kill you, so if you don't want to die, you have to give me a reason! Understood!?"

It felt like a switch was thrown.

Suddenly - completely out of the blue - a light bulb flashed on Yukino Arakawa's head.

This boy did not want to kill him. He inspired so much fear and gave so much violence and he had pushed him one step further towards death, yet he acted as if he had done nothing wrong. He could tell from the look in his eyes that he actually did not want to do this. He does not want revenge. He uses the Problem Solver act as an excuse to fight and play as a victim to take the next step without guilt.

Will he lose in this?

Will he let the man use him to gain happiness forever?

Even before he took this fight seriously?

When she not only has teeth, but also her arms and legs???

There was something stuck in the bottom of his heart.

"!!"

He stretched out his battered hand and grabbed his giant stick lying nearby. The boy in the jacket immediately tried to grab his wrist, but it was too late. And this is not a tool used to hit people.

"Fuck with that. Fuck all that, you piece of shit!! Don't be arrogant just because you're putting off frying! If you want to be severely blasphemed, then today is your lucky day!!!"

"Wait, fool! You'll hit yourself too!"

"I don't care! Blow myself up with my own attacks a hundred times better than losing to a bastard who acted as if he was an innocent victim !!!!!!"

He tried to steal the wand, but gave up and instead fainted before him.

"I beg you, Lugh, the Celtic God of Light!!"

While lying on the roof, Yukino Arakawa saw a glittering spot of light in the night sky.

And a moment later, a spear of light capable of breaking through the escort ship vaporized its own owner.