CH 79.2

“Ugh, patoey. I got sand in my mouth.” (Anna)

Anna approached us at a brisk pace, spitting all over the place. She drags a white ball of hair the size of a balance ball along with her. Is that Rook’s body? He is spilling his thick bodily fluids and not moving a single tentacle. It seems to have already died out.

“Anna…” (Midori)

“Seriously……” (Aoi)

The twins seem to have finally realized.

Whether they are deceived by Anna or she hid her true nature well, we don’t know.

But it doesn’t matter now. The things she says and does, the fact that she is here, and her demonic power.

—There is no longer any doubt.

She is the mastermind behind this whole affair, the one who unleashed the Golems.

“Damn… I was worried that he was dead so I just secretly entered the place, but he forgot his parents’ faces and saw me as his enemy. I’m sure that egg hadn’t hatched yet, but I wonder if protecting it had become his principle of action.

She  dusted her clothes as she mumbled.

“You’re a lot smarter than the other beasts, but you’re still empty in the middle, so you’re quick to bug out in absurd directions. …When are you going to grow some decent instincts or something? Metro-beast-that-evolved-from-an-A-I.” (Anna)

For a moment, my thoughts stop.

If I had not misheard, what emanated from her mouth was a phrase familiar to my original era.

“…Huh? A…I?” (Shuu)

Anna reacts with a twitch and looks up.

“Ah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m just talking to myself. Am I by myself? Am I having a meeting with myself? It’s just that the pure feelings inside me are being dampened by Golem’s betrayal.” (Anna)

I don’t know what she is saying. Still, I can’t help but ask.

“Um, are you talking about an AI?” (Shuu)

There are so many other things to do and think about, but I can’t help but ask.

Anna’s eyes widen. She seemed intrigued.

“…AI is AI, though. Artificial Intelligence, you know what I mean? I only know the word.” (Anna)

I felt as if I had been grabbed not only by my thoughts but also by my heart.

I never thought that in this day and age, deep in the metro, I would hear such words.

(Could a golem be a Metro Beast that evolved from an AI?) (Shuu)

(Assuming that’s true, what does it mean?) (Shuu)

“Well, who are you? Oh, I’m Anna Yano. I’m an apprentice of the Metro Church!☆” (Anna)

Anna winks with a peace sign in the corner of her eye.

“Don’t be silly! You can’t be Anna!” (Midori)

“You’re a fake! Where’s the real Anna!?” (Aoi)

“I’m sorry, Ms. Shishikaba. I’m the one you’ve been talking to on the twentieth floor with whiskey in your hand. I’m the real Anna. I was wearing a face on the surface, but no one noticed the real me. I don’t have one.” (Anna)

The twins’ shoulders are shaking. “That’s a lie…” the younger sister murmured in a muffled voice.

“But, well, they found me here, and they found out about Sneaky Anna, too. I’m sure you’ve figured out who I am by now, right?” (Anna)

“—Oh, of course.” (Giran)

Giran takes a step forward. While pulling out his [Knight Sword].

“You’re the one who started all this, demon.” (Giran)

Anna’s mouth turns up at the corners and she smiles. A sinister smile that sends chills down the spine of anyone who sees it.

“The first time in many years that I’ve been called that… Arato, the demon Arato. That is my true name.” (Anna => Arato)

Arato—she tells me her real name, and slowly raises her arm. She lightly grips her fingers and retracts her thumbs.

—[White Bullet]!

She mumbles, and at the same time, her thumb flicked.

I quickly tried to guard her, but I couldn’t make it in time.

With a cough, Noa choked behind me. There is a hole in the side of her solar plexus that goes all the way to her back. A smear of blood slowly spreads.

“Noa!” (Shuu)

“Princess!!!” (Giran)

Giran and my cry did not reach her. Noa collapses helplessly, and just as she is about to fall, I caught her. My [Fireball] rolls out of her hand.

“Aaaah!” (Midori)

“Damn it!” (Aoi)

At the same time, the twins are running towards Arato.

The Midori thrusts her [War Spear], and Aoi shoots a [Thunderball] from her fingertips.

—Their arms. Midori’s right arm, Aoi’s left arm. Their arms are cut just under their elbow and are sent flying away.

The two screamed in pain, but it didn’t last long. Both of them are kicked in the stomach and blown away.

“Ha ha ha! I’ve been thinking for a long time that it’s hard to tell them apart because they have the same face! Now it’s easier to tell them apart” (Arato)

Arato brushes off the blood on her [Katana] and her body shakes like she is enjoying this.

The wound of Noa is covered with [Holy Healing]. The wound regenerates itself. After gently touching her cheek, I stood up.

“…Tamiko, Kure. Take care of Noa.” (Shuu)

“Abeshuu…” (Tamiko)

“Little Shuu…” (Kure)

The burning heat that surges up as if a fire is all concentrated in my feet and legs as I used [Leaping]. The surroundings fly backward in afterimages, and the woman wielding the [Katana] fills my field of vision.

“Aaaah!” (Shuu)

Both hands, hypha arms, and two pairs of [Katana] left glowing steaks. Arato, who had caught them all, still slid back more than ten meters and wiped the slightest scratch on her cheek with the back of her hand.

“…[Asura] and [Light Blade], what an interesting combination.” (Arato)

Breathing roughly and desperately trying to calm my head that is about to boil with anger and hatred—no, f*ck, no. I can’t calm down at all.

“I’m getting more and more interested in you after what you said earlier about AI. Okay, I’ll let you live. Or I can kill you clean and welcome you into me.” (Arato)

“…I don’t know what you’re talking about, but… I’ve decided I’m not going to let you live.” (Shuu)

“Ahaha, I’m scared. Why are you so angry? Was it because of that kid or was it the twin sisters? You must be a virgin, right?” (Arato)

Giran grabbed me by the shoulders and stopped me from rushing forward.

“Calm down virgin!” (Giran)

“I-I-I’m a virgin.” (Shuu)

“Cool your head. If you’re like that, you have no chance of winning.” (Giran)

Even Giran stood next to me, his hair standing on end and his fangs quivering. A low growl escapes from the back of his throat.

“Eh, did I hear you wrong? Do you really think you can win? You said it yourself, handsome wolf. I’m a Demon.” (Arato)

“Yes, you may be a Demon. However, we are hunters. We have sharpened our fangs to avenge the scourge of our ruined country. You are just a clown who can do nothing but crawl around in the shadows, don’t ever underestimate the human race.” (Giran)

The [Knight Sword] held in his hands are tinged with red light. It’s [Flame Blade].

The smile disappears from Arato’s face and she snorts in a bored manner.

“You’re a human being with a wolf’s face, aren’t you? If want it that badly, I’ll have no choice but to get serious, won’t I?” (Arato)

The robe she was wearing fell off in pieces as her [Katana] sliced through the air.

“[Light Blade] and [Asura], and [Flame Blade]. Six against tho is not fair.” (Arato)

Rip! Her back is ripped open and four hypha arms are generated—two pairs, four arms.

Four [Katana] appeared and adding the two she holds, a total of six, are tinged with a black haze. If it were a game, you could call it a demon sword or a cursed weapon.

“Are you even on par with mine? Since you’ve criticized this lady that much, why don’t you entertain me a bit?” (Arato)

“…Mr. Giran, you didn’t have to provoke her, did you?” (Shuu)

“… If you’ve calmed down enough to make a joke, it wasn’t for nothing, was it?” (Giran)

Anger still simmers in the pit of my stomach, but the cold sweat oozing all over my body freezes it.

Arato laughs again, her six arms flailing like spiders.

“—Well, let’s get started. I’m the self-proclaimed final boss of Oujimetro, the Demon Arato. Nice to meet you, and please die.” (Arato)

A/N: It’s the final battle in the Depths of the Ouji Metro arc.