Chapter 1138 – A Heart United With Atlasia. In Other Words –

000

An intense explosion of magical power.

And, the ego pushed to its limit.

In addition, when various conditions that have not yet been confirmed come together, the minds of those with magical powers become connected.

There is no distinction between ‘humans’ and ‘non-humans’.

What existed was only the presence or absence of a pure soul.

“… This…”

In that sense, a soul created artificially in the primordial world.

In the successor world, the mysteriously structured spirit body, called an ‘artificial spirit’, opened its eyes in a mysterious space surrounding itself.

When she looks around her, what she sees is a space that she misses but is familiar with.

It was inside the hangar where she stayed and interacted with her people long ago, when filming for Atlasia was still in progress.

If there is anything different.

“Are you… Out of Atlasia?”

She, who could only exist within her original Atlasia, somehow came outside of it and stood on her own feet.

‘Ah, I see.’

And she realized.

According to her mind, a piece of knowledge that corresponds to human common sense, it is said that humans look back on their past and reflect on their own regrets just before they die.

A type of hallucination called a magic light…

They say they didn’t know they had the ability to see things like that, and they must be amazed at the skills of the engineers who designed and created them thousands of years ago.

“I can look back and see that I lived a shameful life.”

In a way, it might be a bad taste.

Humans believe in a ‘life after death’, and they say that in order to go to that paradise-like world, you need to repent of your sins.

In this dazzling atmosphere, does it mean that even a soulless being like me has to worry about the afterlife?

It is nonsense and irony.

“What are you regretting so much?”

Atra, who had been sinking into her own mind with a very twisted way of thinking even from a human perspective, heard another voice and turned around.

Then, Cleon and Fleur, who could be said to be the last pilots in Atlasia broadcasting history, were standing there, looking at them.

Somewhere with worried eyes, some with suspicion.

“Why are there two people here?”

Atra was asking that question, but he didn’t seem that surprised.

Since the two people were deeply connected to Atra’s regret, it was not unreasonable to say that these two people were illusions that he had created.

“I don’t know… I woke up when I was caught in the light… And then I was here…”

However, Fleur answered her like that, feeling a little scared.

In response, Atra was able to understand that she and her Cleon were not just her own illusions.

“I think it’s probably not a physical space. Due to the expansion of magical power, the boundaries between each other’s minds have become blurred… I guess I should say that we are having a conversation within a small area, regardless of time and space.”

‘Small area’ is a type of barrier technique created by covering the surrounding space with one’s magic and cutting off the outside world.

If you add enough magic power and a strong ego to that area, you can draw the entire imaginary landscape.

As Cleon, who had heard and experienced the story of being able to create a space with a unique shape and where time passes at a different speed from the outside, several times, he thought that was the most appropriate explanation. It will.

“We in reality are probably in the process of being blown out of the machine by now due to the transfer technique you used.”

“I see. Then you are the victims who got caught up in my last act of defiance.”

To put it simply, it might happen.

With that alone, Cleon and Fleur would never have entered here.

“Well, it went well. I risked my life and fought for about 6 minutes… But I started the fight without even having a proper conversation with you.”

To be precise, it would be correct to say that Atra was in a state of panic to the point where she couldn’t have a proper conversation.

“Indeed, … This is humane thinking. Could it be that there was a need for communication with someone who fought together but could not communicate properly?”

“Well… If you say it in a difficult way, I guess that’s how it feels.”

Cleon nodded her head and did not deny Atra’s words.

But that wasn’t a complete positive either.

For Cleon, there was something he wanted to ask her anyway.

“Why did you make that choice in the end?”

By ‘such a choice’, I’m sure it refers to Atra causing Atlasia to self-destruct in the end.

In terms of time, it may have been a story from earlier, but in this place that transcends time and space, it felt like something from the past.

“I decided that there was no other way.”

Atra says so, but Fleur shakes her head.

“No… There must still have been a way. It seems to me that you have the computing power to make it possible.”

“Wow, it’s overrated!”

Fleur’s evaluation of Atra is more advanced than any other artificial spirit she has encountered through various routes.

Also, there was no doubt about her computational abilities, as she needed to move that huge body with the precision of a human body.

But she didn’t apply it.

It was as if I felt some kind of ‘compulsion’ that I had to do this right now.

Running away from something-

You are sprinting towards something.

It was thought to be one of those two.

“Before you sortied, you thought we wouldn’t be able to defeat Tiamat. And you tried to avoid the fight. But… Until the very end, you showed ‘courage’. It was as if you had decided to do something. It’s like that.”

“I…”

As Atra said that, he turned his head towards the huge machine standing inside the hangar.

A pure white knight, a brave warrior.

Although it is described using quite grandiose language, I have never thought of it as a shameful gigantic machine.

It was recognized as a ‘separate being’ with the name Atlasia, and for Atlasia herself, who could only exist within it, ‘Atlasia’ was also a vessel containing herself, and her body-

In other words, it may be correct to think that ‘Atlasia’ and ‘Atra’ are the same entity.

However, even in the hero shows that were aired, ‘Atra’ was portrayed as an AI to support the pilots who run ‘Atlasia’, and no one called herself a ‘hero’.

So to speak, Atra is the ‘leading role’, but other leading roles-

Compared to the pilot and Atlasia, he was treated as an entity whose role was to support them from a place that took a step back.

In a way, it may have all started there.

She once refused to end ‘Atlasia’.

Because she recognized that it was her own body.

Using that power – rather than having a scripted duel against giant monsters.

In a true sense – that is, she wanted to be a ‘shield’ that protects people within the realm of ‘reality’, which is like war.

“What did you want to become?”

“I-“

Without realizing it, Atra’s hand was clenched tightly.

If a graph representing emotional parameters was being monitored, she would have been quite fluctuating.

“I wanted to become a ‘hero’ too…! Just like Atlasia (my vessel) was called that…!”

Yes, it is a pure envy like that of a child, and even though it is ‘made that way,’ it is a being that ‘cannot be like that’ in the true sense.

In other words, it is her ‘utopia’.

“Even if these emotions and values ​​were artificially created by humans…!”

And for the first time, she felt the sensation of liquid flowing down her own cheek.

Can a being created as a ‘hero’ never become a ‘hero’ in the true sense?

Is it fair to take that opportunity away from her human values ​​and standards and confine her to her own set frame?

The producer was reported and the broadcast ended in the aftermath.

Out of guilt about that, he thought he didn’t deserve it.

Because he was drawn to it, he felt fear and repulsion at having to fight a ‘real monster’.

“Seeing you join forces to fight that monster reminded me once again of what I was made for and what I must do. … Someone once said that a hero deserves an end. They say it exists.”

Does that choice mean the end?

At that story, Cleon thought for a moment, silent.

Certainly, coming up with the answer of ‘sacrifice’ in the face of hardships that she cannot do anything about is truly heroic–as she said, it may be closer to the thinking of a ‘hero’.

However, despite this, Cleon wanted to suggest a different path to her ending.

“Thank you for telling me, Atra.”

I don’t know if she knew the meaning of her own tears, but Cleon spoke as he looked at her crying face.

“It’s hard to cut off that easily… Envy”

Because he could understand her feelings, Cleon, on the contrary, showed her smiling face – of course, her bitter smile.

So while she respects that choice-

“But… There is no need for a hero to protect the world by sacrificing himself.”

Yes, I’m already sick of that world.

A world that is precariously maintained on someone’s sacrifice.

“And isn’t it… Not just for us, but for the people watching you as well?”

Legends and myths of many heroes are often decorated with their death at the end.

The ending is that by sacrificing one’s own life, the peace of the world and precious people was preserved.

This is because it permanently liberates the hero from all subsequent fights, and as a story, it feels ‘neat’.

But-

Cleon was not the type of person who wanted such a bitter happy ending.

No, this may be especially true for those who have been watching the series of plays called ‘Hero Kishin Atlasia’ from the beginning.

Even if you are not in this world now-

Isn’t it too harsh that the ‘final episode’ to be shown to them in the past involves sacrificing themselves?

If we create an ‘end’, an ending where everyone can be happy.

Isn’t this the best finale filled with emotion and tears?

A world leading to ‘To Be Continued’.

“Let’s be… A hero! But a guy who doesn’t have to sacrifice his life for the world!”

“What, say…?”

Atra blinked her eyes as if she didn’t quite understand Cleon’s words.

“… As times change, things about heroes also change. I don’t have anything like a ‘holy sword’ like they do. … How can I become a hero-“

As she said that, Atra blinked her eyes again.

Crackling, crackling…!!

Atlasia’s body is visible, bursting with sparks.

What surrounded the surroundings was a dark, yet somehow covered with a slimy mucous membrane.

Inside the hottest aircraft, Atlasia looked outside-

The broken sword held in her own hand.

I looked at the ‘Atlasia Sword’.

“If it’s a sword, it’s there… It’s there…! From the beginning!”

And, a voice coming from inside.

When Atlasia quickly turns her gaze to the internal camera.

There, Cleon and Fleur, who should have gone outside through the transfer technique, were still inside the aircraft.

[Uh, why!? The transfer ceremony was cancelled…!]

[Time remaining, 10 seconds!!!]

I don’t know why, but Atra realized that they were still inside her.

Cleon’s cry, Galatea’s warning.

And-

All of her magic power was extremely concentrated and boiled over for her ‘self-destruction sequence’.

And with this much magic attribute-

[9!]

[——-Aaaaa!!!]

Atra screamed – no, she screamed – as if shaking everything out of her.

She purged all of her extra armor that remained on her body, allowing her to move her arms with minimal magical power.

The ‘magic power’ that flows along the surface of the whole body is concentrated in the arms and then flows into one place through them.

[8!]

“Go, Fleur! Atra!”

“Yes…!”

The voices of two determined people.

Now, even without sending or receiving signals, it was clear what to do.

[7!]

In the truest sense – the hearts became one.

And that means that three hearts were connected around Atlasia.

[Union…!]

Not a ‘pilot’, not someone else.

‘Atlasia’ speaks the word herself.

[6!]

“What…! What are you doing!”

A monster’s voice was heard.

However, Atra did not answer and took that broken sword.

Gishin Hero, Atlasia’s Sword.

I held the sword of ‘Atra’ with both hands.

[5!]

The magic power that flows in creates a blade of magic.

Long, huge, brilliant.

Much more than the original blade that was broken, much more than the chunk of metal that was like a toy.

[4!]

It was a wonderful sword suitable for a warrior’s sword.

Raise that sword.

The blade, which generated high heat, moved along the sword’s trajectory and cut cleanly into the mouth.

“Kaaaaa!!!”

[3!]

But it is not enough.

To pierce Tiamat’s brain and cut out her heart.

A little more!

When Cleon and Fleur’s hands holding the control stick gain strength.

[2!]

“”[Uniooooon!!!!]””

Naturally, she put that cry into her mouth.

The sword becomes more powerful and shines brightly.

Finally, it rose vertically and pierced Tiamat’s brain above her head.

“–“

[1!]

“”[Atlasiaaaaa!!!]””

And, a slash delivered with a swing.

The blade of light succeeds in cutting everything that stands in front of it in a straight line.

As a result.

Tiamat’s huge heart, far away, deep in the depths.

While being cut with a single knife.

“Stupid, such…”

Finally, a stereotypical will.

Kwaaang!!!

A huge explosion occurred, engulfing both Tiamat and Atlasia.