Quick announcement!
For this week only, all tiers are 50% off, including the one that gives you access to all of my translations. The discount runs until December 14, so if you've been thinking about joining, this is the perfect time!
Use code SANTA for 50% OFF!
...
Seitenshi remained calm and serene. At this point, she trusted Tatsuki unconditionally—without a trace of doubt.
Kusuo Saiki's eyes flickered; his telepathy had already caught the man's thoughts.
"I have to act! It's the only way to survive! From this moment on, I am Kurusu!"
"Oh-ho?"
Tatsuki didn't even need to read his mind to know what was going on. Clever enough, but unfortunately, he was dealing with them.
He didn't expose him right away. Instead, Tatsuki crossed his arms, eyes gleaming slightly as he waited quietly for the show to begin.
Kurusu failed to notice Ayame Yomogawa's body trembling slightly. Standing upright, he drew his katana and shouted, "Who are you people?! Why have you kidnapped Ayame-sama?! And what sorcery did you cast here?!"
Tatsuki didn't respond—and neither did anyone else.
When his demands met silence, Kurusu pressed on, "Ayame-sama, we must return to the Iron Fortress at once! Only there will you be safe!"
He reached forward to take her hand—but to his surprise, Ayame recoiled in panic, stumbling back until she hit Tatsuki's chest, where she finally felt a faint sense of safety.
Kurusu's heart sank. Forcing a strained smile, he said, "Ayame-sama, what are you doing? We must go. The Iron Fortress is the only safe place left."
Ayame's eyes brimmed with tears as she pointed at him with a trembling finger. "You're not Kurusu! Who are you?"
Kurusu froze, then grew desperate. "I am Kurusu! Ayame-sama, it's me—your bodyguard! Look closely!"
He flailed nervously. "Ask me anything—anything at all! I can answer every question!"
But his frantic display only deepened Ayame's sorrow. Tatsuki had already shown her everything through Kurusu's stolen memories. What stood before her was no loyal samurai, but a monster wearing his skin.
Clap, clap, clap.
Tatsuki smiled and began to applaud. "Not bad acting."
Then he placed his hands gently on Ayame's shoulders, bent closer, and whispered by her ear, "Tell me, miss… how should we deal with him?"
His voice was soft, warm—almost comforting. Ayame trembled, her breath shaky. "My lord… please, grant him peace…"
"No problem."
Tatsuki smiled faintly, raising one finger toward Kurusu. "I'll let him die peacefully and naturally."
Seeing the motion, Kurusu screamed in terror. "No! Ayame-sama! It's me, Kurusu!"
He braced himself for an explosion like Biba Amatori's—but it didn't come.
"I'm… fine?" Kurusu looked down at himself, confused. Nothing seemed wrong—until… "Wait… my body—!"
His skin began to dry and darken. Wrinkles crept across his face; his hair thinned and whitened.
That shouldn't have been possible. The body he'd possessed was young and strong! How could it be aging so fast?!
By the time he realized what was happening, his body had already begun to wither at an impossible speed.
Before everyone's eyes, the once-vigorous Kurusu shriveled in mere seconds—
hair gray and sparse, skin yellowed and wrinkled, teeth falling out, posture bent and trembling.
He looked like a fragile old man at the edge of death, leaning on his sword just to stand.
"I…" He barely uttered a word before his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Hiss!
Everyone who witnessed it drew a sharp breath.
Even the members of the Apocalypse Chat Group were stunned.
March 7th: "What just happened?! He aged so fast!"
White Blood Cell: "Humans can't age that rapidly—it's impossible."
Chito: "He turned from a young man into a grandpa in seconds!"
Silver Wolf: "That's Tatsuki's time ability, isn't it?"
Momonga: "Of course! The boss strikes again! All hail the boss!"
Esdeath: "So this is time itself—stopped, accelerated… what terrifying power."
Even her Mahapdama—which froze molecular activity to halt motion—was far weaker in comparison.
Tatsuki clapped his hands once more, pleasantly surprised. "Good. The test works perfectly."
By applying time acceleration directly to the target, he had aged Kurusu into death within moments.
Tatsuki turned to Ayame. "How about it? Peaceful enough for you?"
Aging to death—returning to the earth. Truly the most natural form of peace.
"…"
Ayame's lips trembled. "You… are you a god?"
Tatsuki smiled faintly. "Unfortunately, no."
He then looked toward Kusuo Saiki and the others. Kurusu's death didn't trigger any system notification—no points awarded.
"There are still Kabane to deal with," Tatsuki said. "Next, I'll slow down time across the entire world. You can grind points freely—kill more Kabane, earn more."
He looked at Kusuo in particular. "You want full control over your psychic powers? The group's functions are perfect for that—and you'll need points, too. With your ability, you can farm them fast. It's up to you."
Kusuo Saiki, despite his immense power, still thought like a normal person.
He nodded once. "Yeah."
Then vanished—teleporting away.
"Seitenshi, Mikasa, Vivi—you three handle this area."
"Understood," the trio said, heading off.
Tatsuki hadn't finished everything himself for two reasons. First, he wanted to leave some kills for his teammates. Second—and more importantly—he wanted to test something.
The Apocalypse Missions lasted two days.
If he kept the world in a slowed-time state… how would that be calculated? Would the timer follow the world Mumei recognized—the planet's cycle—or the flow of time across the entire universe?
And what difference did that make? He intended to find out.
Once the others left, only Ayame, Mumei, and Horobi remained.
Biba Amatori was gone. Tatsuki lowered Horobi gently to the ground and asked coldly, "Do you plan to seek revenge?"
If he sensed even a flicker of hatred, he would kill her without hesitation. Tatsuki didn't leave enemies alive—no matter how beautiful.
Horobi's dim eyes lingered on the Soul-Refining Banner, then she shook her head with a sad smile. "No. You were right, my lord."
Tatsuki nodded. "Good."
It was genuine—no hatred, no anger. She would live. Then his gaze shifted to Mumei. Even allies weren't exempt from his scrutiny.
"And you?"
Mumei silently shook her head, her eyes empty. Anger? Resentment? None left. Only confusion—and loss.
As for Ayame, she spoke before he could ask. "Thank you, Tatsuki-sama, for letting Kurusu rest in peace. I wish to bury him… may I?"
"Of course. Burial is simple."
Tatsuki tapped the ground lightly with his foot. The earth trembled—and beneath Kurusu's corpse, the ground opened like a maw, swallowing him whole before closing seamlessly again.
"…"
Ayame blinked, speechless, a faint bitter smile on her face. "Well… I suppose that counts as buried," she murmured softly.
"In the soil of Aragane Station, at least," she added in a whisper.
"Thank you for your mercy, God Tatsuki." Ayame bowed deeply. She had seen Kurusu's monstrous plan—what would've become of the world without Tatsuki's intervention was too horrific to imagine.
"Don't call me god. Just Tatsuki will do."
After saying that, Tatsuki looked up. Above them, vengeful spirits still drifted in the sky.
Then—behind him, golden wings of salvation unfurled.
Salvation.
Brilliant light poured out, cleansing every Kabane and vengeful soul within sight. The radiance resembled Aqua's divine light—but purer, stronger.
As the souls dissolved into peace, Tatsuki felt the wings absorb something new—Faith Energy.
Ayame, witnessing it all, only grew more convinced—to her, Tatsuki was a god, no matter what he said.
Though she obediently called him Tatsuki-sama, the divinity in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Your friend…" Horobi whispered, glancing at Mumei. "I don't understand. Your friend wields power like a god."
"…"
Mumei said nothing. She didn't know either—after all, she had only just joined the Apocalypse Chat Group.
...
For every 50 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.
Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon! [patreon.com/METARLN]
Use code FREE2ALL for 30% OFF!