Chapter 415 - The Final War (2)
# The Day of Destiny
Half a year had passed since the prophecy of destruction was fulfilled, and the day when the god was foretold to descend had finally arrived.
"Alright, everyone. To your final operation positions!"
United States, Operation Headquarters.
At the top of the final control tower built near the area where the Sun God was expected to descend, everyone gathered in the glass-walled room sat tensely watching their monitors.
Leading them at the front was a man wearing a black hat and a white mask. Egostic.
He stood before the window, calmly issuing orders.
And the person he was watching through the window, at the end of his gaze...
Was a woman standing alone on a wide-open plain, on golden-shining grass.
The adversary of the Sun God and humanity's hope.
The hero, Stardus.
[Ms. Stardus. It's almost time. Are you alright?]
"Yeah. Thanks."
Stardus replied briefly to Egostic's voice in her ear.
A cool breeze touched the arms of her suit.
As she quietly stroked her arm, six massive laser cannons stood firmly in a circle around her, all aimed at a single point.
Whirrrr-
And above, numerous camera-equipped drones hovered.
These drones, made of special materials to withstand the battle, were constructed from the world's strongest substances.
All so that everyone could watch this fight. So they could cheer her on.
...With hundreds of backup drones flying alongside them in case of damage.
Just before the battle.
"Haaah..."
Stardus quietly inhaled.
On the silent plain, only her golden hair gently fluttering in the breeze could be felt.
Stardus.
She was calmly, composedly preparing for the upcoming battle.
The first battle against a god to be fought with a human body.
And in that state, after what felt like an eternity.
Finally.
The time had come.
"...57 seconds, 58 seconds, 59 seconds, 12 o'clock!! It's now!!!"
With that announcement echoing from the control tower.
Noon, when the sun reaches its highest point, had arrived.
At that moment.
CRAAAAAAAAAAAACK
Finally, with a thunderous sound.
The sky above the plain split open.
Crack-crack-crackle-
As if the world had glitched, a distorted black galaxy appeared in the blue sky.
Like another dimension opening, the world warped.
BOOOOOOOOOM
From its center.
A white light fell from the black galaxy to the plain like a massive pillar of light.
And at that moment.
"Now! Fire!!!"
With that command echoing from the control tower.
Whirrrrr
All the god-slaying lunar cannons began to move toward the center.
And then, the attack was immediately executed.
FWOOOOOOOOOOOSH---
BOOM. BANG. BOOOOOOM.
With a sound like the world itself exploding.
Thick beams of yellow light struck where the white something had fallen.
Amid the accompanying roar, the momentary flash that turned the sky black and white, and the tremendous wind and aftershock.
"..."
Stardus, on the plain, facing the powerful wind from the attack, did not take her eyes off the explosion site.
[......]
Surely an attack powerful enough to blow away any being.
But everyone instinctively knew.
The entity before them would never end with just this.
And then.
At the center of the bombardment, as the billowing white smoke began to clear.
"Cough, cough."
Finally.
From within the smoke, someone appeared.
"Haah... That's quite a fierce welcome."
Step. Step.
Despite the attack launched with all their might, without a single scratch.
Finally, the man who was the Sun God revealed himself.
And Stardus watched him with a hardened face.
A man with short, white-glowing silver hair. A beautifully sculpted, androgynous face like a protagonist from a manga.
Wearing ancient clothes made of white fabric, but styled so elegantly they could pass for modern attire.
He was.
"Hello, so you're the one sent by the Star God."
One of the three gods who formed the universe and created this world.
The Sun God and father of all ability users.
The God of Creation, Helios.
As his image was being broadcast to the entire world through the cameras in the sky.
The people in the control tower were muttering to each other in confusion.
"...Wait, why does he look so ordinary for a god?"
"He's handsome but... is that really the fearsome god?"
It was because the god's appearance was too human-like.
Those who had imagined the god as some massive monster during the past half year since the declaration of destruction were confused by the sight of this god who looked like... just a person. A handsome but ordinary-looking human.
Meanwhile, I alone continued to watch the situation with a stern face.
I raised my hand and spoke in a serious voice, telling everyone to be quiet.
Because if they were deceived by the god's ordinary appearance, they would regret it.
And at that moment. Back on the plain.
Facing the Sun God who had appeared with a slight smile, Stardus spoke with a hardened face.
"...Are you the Sun God?"
"Yes. That's right. I'm the god who sent you that warning."
"Is this your normal way of speaking?"
"Hm? Oh. My tone is much lighter than when I said I'd kill you all, right? Yeah, that's true. I was just trying to scare you then. This is how I normally speak."
The Sun God, Helios, answered casually.
Watching him, Stardus swallowed.
...It was exactly as Egostic had told only her in advance.
Like the Star God, the Sun God basically had a human appearance.
And contrary to expectations, he seemed much more casual. Hard to believe he was a god who came to destroy this world.
Of course.
"..."
Standing right in front of him, she could feel it.
Despite his infinitely casual attitude, the different dimension of pressure emanating from him... was real.
...Anyway, at least he seems to be communicating.
Let's try talking to him.
With that thought, Stardus opened her mouth.
"...You."
"Yes?"
"Why are you trying to destroy the world?"
The Sun God, who had been standing barefoot on the ground with his arms raised looking at the sky.
Lowered his arms, turned to Stardus, and said with a slight smile.
"Ah... That's what you're curious about? Did I say it was because you committed sins? Well, never mind."
Saying that, he faced her and continued.
"To tell you the real reason, it's nothing special. I created you by copying code from another world to test my creative powers. Now I want to use that power to create different life forms. Since the total amount of power is fixed. I need to reclaim it from you."
As he spoke, still smiling, he looked up at the sky and said.
"Well... I didn't expect your Star God, Siders, to oppose me saying she couldn't let you die. After fighting like that... it seems to have become something of an emotional battle now."
Well. You probably won't understand any of this anyway.
Watching him add that with a smile, Stardus tried to say more.
If she could stall for time like this, she could gather more information... and maybe, just maybe, persuade him with words.
But betraying her expectations.
Snap.
"Well... that's enough. The conversation is over, right? Let's end the nostalgia here. Time to get to business."
He said, snapping his fingers.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom
Simultaneously with the vibration felt on the ground, urgent voices faintly heard through her earpiece.
[...Mr. Egostic! Angels are appearing all over the world right now! We'll implement the apocalypse countermeasure operation immediately!]
At this sight, Stardus's face hardened.
"Hmm. So my child has betrayed me after all. Can't be helped. I'll deal with that later. Hey, you, daughter of the Star God."
"...What."
"What's your name?"
At that question, Stardus spat out her hero name.
"Stardust."
"...Stardust? Hmm. Did you deliberately name yourself after her? Anyway, yes. Stardust. My name is the Sun God. Helios."
With those words.
WHOOOOOOOOOOSH
An overwhelming pressure emanated from behind him.
As Stardus gritted her teeth at the pressure, Helios rose into the sky, his silver divine form glowing behind him, and said.
"Since you must be the one she sent as my adversary, it would be proper to defeat you first before finishing the rest."
With his words
Stardus saw it.
Behind his ordinary human appearance, the silhouette of a massive silver giant was visible.
With that silver giant behind him.
Helios said with a slight smile.
"I commend you for thinking you could face me with a human body..."
"Now, let me send you back to your god."
With those words, the god lunged at her,
and Stardus gritted her teeth, preparing to face the greatest enemy of her life.
The final war had finally begun.