There stood the giant Ayame.
She looked a bit different from the projection I had encountered before. Now, she was a titan clad in armor that resembled a crustacean’s shell.
Ayame’s eyes glowed a sinister red as she trembled with rage.
“We have endured centuries of humiliation. We remade this body time and time again, dreaming of the day we would strike back at the Empire. We warped through the void and died countless deaths, all to finally return... and reclaim this galaxy!”
“Who cares, you idiot?” I snapped.
Isn't the statute of limitations on that long gone?
The Imperial Family passes down stories of the ‘Black Calamity,’ so I can infer it refers to the war with the Republic. But no matter how deep their grudge goes, the people who were actually involved are all dead. Even the Fairy, the oldest being in the Empire, wasn't there for it. Being lectured about things no one alive remembers doesn't exactly tug at the heartstrings.
Hell, even Maro—who ran an ultra-wicked administration—wasn't part of it. Your grievances don't resonate with me at all.
That’s why I decided to push Ayame even further.
“Let me tell you where you failed strategically. You should have opened negotiations the moment Wifey took the throne. You could have used the Grand Chamberlain as a mediator. Back then, the Empire was reeling: the Imperial Capital was being rebuilt, Brother-in-law Thomas’s expedition had failed, the civil officials were being purged, and there was a massive shortage of Lords because the Duke Association was wiped out. Wifey probably would have signed a peace treaty then. There are plenty of uninhabited planets in this sector—she likely would have even ceded territory to you!”
“C-curse you! Curse you, Jesterrrrrrrrr!!”
“That's exactly it! You lost because you ran a nation based on a grudge against Jesters, a grudge against the Empire, and your own personal petty feelings! If I were in your shoes, I would have licked the Empire's boots without hesitation! I would have swallowed my pride, warned the Empire about the horrors lurking in deep space, and come under their protection. Then I would have spent generations assimilating! Once you've assimilated, it's impossible to be genetically eradicated. You could have won biologically! But you threw that chance in the trash! Ethnic purity? Don't make me laugh; you're the ones constantly messing with your own genes! Your defeat, Ayame... is because you were incompetent!”
I’d prostrate myself for the sake of my goals, and I’d lick boots if that’s what it took. I might kill them eventually, sure, but I can wait until the moment it actually becomes necessary. If you can’t endure, you have no business being a leader.
Wifey’s laughter rang out.
“Kakkakkakkakka! Ayame! My Lord Groom is no mere Jester, no simple clown! He is my spouse and the one who shall guide humanity! My Groom’s true essence is that of a leader! Kakakaka! In this war, the side that claimed the Groom was always destined to win! A pity for you! He is my man; I shall not share him with you!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!”
Cast aside by both Wifey and me, Ayame let out a harrowing roar. Her mind had finally snapped.
Metallic objects resembling gun turrets began to manifest around her. Several beam weapons floated into the air. My companions likely knew exactly what was coming next.
“Do it just like we practiced!” I shouted.
This was the Omnidirectional Death Blaster Attack from the simulator. It was identical. A chaotic barrage of beams firing from 360 degrees. This was Ayame's trump card.
Hahaha! Too bad for you! We’re masters of Bullet Hell Shooters!
Our response was exactly as we'd rehearsed. Ayame's turrets had far less mass than our units. By attacking them, we could easily deflect their firing angles, creating gaps in the net of beams. We just had to weave through those gaps, destroy the turrets, and gradually expand our safe zone.
The fact that new turrets would pop up was within our expectations. If they got in the way, we just shot them down. We had nothing to fear. This was a tactic we had already conquered.
We didn't need to rush. We shaved away Ayame's resources bit by bit. I focused on destroying the turrets with my sword. The beams followed a set cycle of firing and charging. They couldn't maintain a continuous attack forever. Facing hundreds of Linear Blazers had been many times more unreasonable than this.
I kept count the entire time—the duration of the firing phase and the time needed to recharge.
“Charging in five seconds! Edge! Attack the main body with ESP! I'm entering Sage Mode!”
“Roger!”
“Fairy! Give me a boost! Use a mysterious medicine or whatever you've got!”
“Leo-kun... you don't need that anymore. You've entered Sage Mode so many times now. Now, just imagine Kevin-chan's breasts...”
Is she a demon? But the Fairy was right. I could now enter Sage Mode by my own will—even without having to imagine Kevin's chest.
[Transitioning to System Sage Mode]
“Alyssa! Assist him! Tatiana, provide remote support!”
“Roger!”
“What should I... guh...”
It felt like I had drained Tatiana’s power. Sorry, Tatiana. I’ll treat you to that parfait with One-oh-one later... and I'll rent out that amusement park for you.
Edge manifested flames with his ESP. The ESP Amplification Device boosted his power manifold, and my amplification as a Sage added even more force. The Death Blaster on Edge’s machine charged the ESP-generated flames.
Now then, the name of this new finishing move is... the name is... Uh... I can't think of one!
“Take this! Kurikara!!”
Ah, Edge beat me to it. I really resent my own lack of naming sense.
The Death Blaster, wreathed in flames, struck Ayame directly. In that moment, I realized something.
This was a reproduction of the Official History. In the original game, Edge was the one to defeat the Mother.
But there was one major difference: the presence of the academy students who weren't supposed to be here. Eddie, Isono, Nakajima, Ren, Melissa, Kevin, Nina-san... none of them were meant to be part of this. Alyssa and I were supposed to have died in the opening. Wifey survives in some routes, but she never participates in the final battle.
And Claire... in the game, only her clone participates in the final battle. The Original was supposed to have died during the attack on the training ship.
A gaping hole had been torn through Ayame’s body by the Kurikara.
“C-curse you... Jes... ter... Our hatred...”
I leaped toward Ayame’s neck. It was perhaps the first time I felt truly at one with my blade.
The edge pierced her throat. Ayame’s face was twisted in a mask of pure hatred, but as the blade sliced through her neck, her expression softened into one of relief.
Then, her head fell.
(Still continuing normally for a bit longer.)