Previous Chapter l Next Chapter

Breaking News: Lanpeach Kouza is a mob character.
I mean, it’s not really surprising since I’m a minor villain, right? Turns out, I’m the kind of mob character who frees the protagonist.

Then there’s Solomon, who’s like an old-timey villain. He only knows the formidable foes of his era. So, he probably doesn’t see minor villains as a threat and doesn’t even notice me.

“Mr. Whatever-your-name-is, defeating Solomon isn’t my responsibility. My role is to destroy the Library Cube. Please take care of Solomon during that time.” (Alice)

“Oh, really? I see. Right. Fufufu, leave it to me. I’ll take him down for sure!” (Lanpeach)

Phew, it seems I’m not just a mob character after all. If my job during the final battle was to take out random grunts, I might’ve cried.

“Well then, I’ll be going ahead.” (Alice)

Alice unfurled her white wings and soared like a ray of light. The archdemons aimed their magic at her, trying to shoot her down. The sky filled with intense firepower, but Alice dodged every attack with sharp, high-speed movements, leaving trails of light as she evaded flawlessly.

“Minor nuisances should take their leave.” (Alice)

[Starburst]

Alice extended her hands and gathered particles of light. An explosion radiated from her position with a single utterance. The dome of light engulfed everything, wiping out the archdemons without leaving a trace.

“Wow, that’s so cool. I should’ve learned a flashy superpower like that.” (Lanpeach)

The spell’s name, the sheer impact; it was all so fitting for a protagonist. Currently, I am clinging to a wall, stealthily moving toward Solomon. This minor villain is dead set on defeating the final boss with a surprise attack.

[You only get dull skills, Soldier. In an anime adaptation, the director would struggle to handle such a plain protagonist.] (Libra)

“Can’t help it. Dull skills were the most effective. Oh, looks like Alice is already on the Cube. Guess I’m not even needed anymore.” (Lanpeach)

Alice neared the Cube, while Solomon extended tentacles from his brain to knock her away. The attack raged like a storm, and the thick tentacles left no space to escape. But Alice had no intention of dodging. She wielded her knight’s lance, and slashed through them.

“It’s useless. No matter how much you try to block me, you’re no match for me.” (Alice)

[Stellar Spear]

The knight’s lance turned pitch black, imbued with the glimmer of stars. Each swing tore through the tentacles, splitting space and exposing glimpses of the cosmos. The lance’s power was overwhelming despite its size being like a pin compared to the tentacles.

Alice steadily advanced toward Solomon, whose vast brain covered nearly the entire Cube’s surface. She sliced through all the tentacles in her path, forcing her way closer. Solomon’s face, floating on the brain, twisted in panic and let out a roar that reverberated like a sonic attack.

“Do you think you’ve won with just that? This is just the beginning, Maelstrom Alice.” (Solomon)

[From the Heavens, All Life is Born.]

This was the hallmark move of a high-ranking demon: [World Creation]. The space around Solomon transformed as if painted over with a brush—

[Planet-Splitting Lance]

But Alice’s lance swung, unleashing a black cosmos that reversed the transformation. Solomon’s [World Creation] was halted. His brain trembled as Alice arrived beside him. Another swing of her lance revealed starlight and severed the base of Solomon’s brain. Detached from the Cube, the brain was sent flying toward Lanpeach with a follow-up kick.

“I leave the rest to you. I need to completely destroy the Library Cube.” (Alice) 

She stabbed the spear into the cube, and delivered an utterly unreasonable request with a calm expression.

“What?! Isn’t this where you take it down? Wait, ruuun! Nuoooh!” (Lanpeach)

Solomon, a massive object as tall as a skyscraper, came rolling toward me. If that thing crushed me, I’d be flattened for sure!

I ran away, screaming, but Alice shrugged in exasperation and began channeling power into her knight spear. Trails of light, resembling electronic circuits, flowed from the spear into the cube, crackling with electricity. It seemed the Lunatic Library was resisting the cracking attack emanating from the spear.

“This ‘Library’ must be destroyed completely -both physically and astrally. We can’t let it secretly transfer data to a hidden terminal and become a threat in the future. That’s why I’m inputting a program to make it self-destruct. I cannot move during this process, so defeating Solomon will be impossible for me.” (Alice)

“I-I see. So you’re preventing the usual cliche developments, huh. You don’t miss anything!” (Lanpeach)

[Soldier, behind you! It’s getting closer! Run faster, dash more!] (Libra) 

Libra’s frantic shout reached me as a roaring sound, more like a landslide than rolling, grew louder and closer behind me. This was bad. A final boss whose ultimate move involved crushing people. No one would find that fun!

“I won’t let you, Maelstrom Alice! The Library belongs to me! I won’t let anyone else have it!” (Solomon)

[The world fallen from the heavens becomes the mother of all life.]

The world began to transform with another eerie proclamation. The ground beneath me and the surrounding space changed entirely and…

“Well, I leave it to you. Let’s meet again once this battle is over.” (Alice)

[Dimensional Sealing Wall]

Alice raised a single finger before Solomon’s fabricated world could reach her, summoning a white wall that blocked its advance.

“W-What?! You’re stopping my world?!” (Solomon)

Solomon’s voice echoed in shock. A flash of light erupted, and the world transformed, sparing only Alice’s location.

◇◇

“Whoa, where…is this?”

I stopped in my tracks and looked around. The sand, stirred by my abrupt halt and piled around my feet. I looked down and it had changed into a sandy beach.

It was a white beach stretching endlessly, where waves crashed and foamed against the shore. The sky was a deep, cloudless blue. There was no sign of life… Only the sound of waves filled this strangely quiet, yet lonely world.

“It seems we’re in a world created by Solomon, Pla-san.” (Mira)

Mira also stopped, lightly kicking the sand. The grains scattered in the wind, drifting away in a soft cascade.

“For someone called a Wicked Demon Lord, this world is surprisingly serene. Though the sun feels a bit hot, isn’t it?” (Lanpeach)

I raised my hand toward the sky, squinting slightly. If this were a normal ocean, it would be perfect for a beach resort. The sandy beach was spotless, and the emerald-green sea was so clear it looked like it would be a joy to swim in.

[But of course, it’s not a beach resort, right?] (Libra)

“It might be a private beach, but I’m definitely not a member.”

I shrugged at Libra’s words and turned my gaze to the sea. In this lifeless world, there was only one place where I could feel something.

“You’re just a mouthy piece of trash. However, you’ve arrived in this world, so I shall reward your luck. This world is the future… A world that will eventually come to pass.” 

The sea began to swell, and a massive brain-like structure emerged, seawater cascading off its surface. A protruding eyeball glared at me, but honestly, it was revolting.

“What do you mean by ‘a future that will come to pass’?” (Lanpeach)

“It’s literal. When I achieve my perfect form, I shall become the creator of this world. I’ve uncovered the truth through my research into the Earth Library: Spirits are the building blocks of the world. Thus, by becoming a Spirit, one can alter the world’s structure, even create it.” (Solomon)

“Wow, that’s quite a wild theory. Do I really have to listen to all of it?” (Lanpeach)

I gave him a skeptical look and sighed, earning a derisive laugh from Solomon.

“You fools couldn’t possibly understand. But that’s what Spirits are. With the power of Element Powder, you could create something from nothing, right? You could rewrite the laws of the world, couldn’t you?” (Solomon)

He might have a point. Spirits indeed have the power to alter the world’s principles. Magic, by extension, works the same way. Noticing my growing interest, Solomon’s tone became more fervent.

“However, Spirits had a single weakness: they lost their sense of self. Without self-awareness, the power of a Spirit is meaningless. No matter how much research progressed, that fundamental fact didn’t change. —So, I changed my approach. If I couldn’t find a self-aware Spirit, I’d create a similar being. And by becoming that being, I could create worlds. I could become a god! That is what demons are!” (Solomon)

“I see. So that’s why demons had the power to create worlds. Still, wouldn’t creating a world to suit your own needs be pretty dull?”

A world where everything goes your way would undoubtedly be painfully boring. If everything unfolded as I wished, there’d be no need to do anything. Such a place would lack both happiness and sadness. A dull, gray world.

“Fufufu hahaha! You’ve realized something important! You’re correct. A world crafted to one’s own idea of happiness would quickly become a tedious dead end. But what if there was a being that could meticulously design a world where everyone else is happy? A world filled with surprises, an endless source of entertainment. Wouldn’t that be an ideal place to live forever?” (Solomon)

“Ah, so you were planning to let the Lunatic Library play game master while you enjoyed being the protagonist in easy mode. Not exactly a thrilling ambition, Solomon.” (Lanpeach)

I couldn’t help but feel a mix of exasperation and amusement at his laughter. It was absurd to think the world was brought to the brink of destruction for something so petty.

“Silence! A mere minor villain like you wouldn’t understand my grand vision. I was aging, my life nearly spent. Losing a genius of my caliber would be humanity’s greatest loss. That is unacceptable. I was the one most suited to live and create a new world!” (Solomon)

“You really do think highly of yourself. I’m almost impressed by your nerve.” (Lanpeach)

“I was the one who deciphered the Library, altered the laws of the world, and built the Earth Library. I alone am worthy to rule this world. That’s why I cannot allow mere hunters from another world to destroy the Earth Library. I’ll kill you here and return to my rightful place!” (Solomon)

The massive brain split open at the center like a pomegranate, and something began to slither out.

What emerged was a demon with three dragon heads, four arms, and wings like a bat. It stepped forward on legs as thick as tree trunks.

“I, Solomon, shall kill you. Consider it an honor!” (Solomon)

“What an overused line. You should work on your dialogue, really.” (Lanpeach)

Solomon roared with the dragon heads, and I faced him with a confident, defiant smile, ready for battle.

Previous Chapter l Next Chapter

Support my translations or commission me to translate a chapter of any series on Patreon!