I Run the Protagonist’s Favorite Café in a Hopelessly Depressing Game World - V1 Chapter 13

The Last Barrier

I run. I run. I run.

I sprint through the royal capital that has turned into a living hell.

Mutilated corpses with guts spilling out are scattered all over the place.

“Do not believe in me. Believe in the fact that you did not believe. Faith is fixed upside down. The end has forgotten the beginning. The beginning does not know the end. Remember what you do not know. Once you remember it, disappear. Repent—”

I slice clean through the head that keeps spouting meaningless words.

The head split in half by the hatchet rolls across the stone pavement, but it’s still alive. Its eyes glare at me.

Without hesitation, I stomp it flat.

“The monsters are increasing way too fast. At this rate, we’re all going to be wiped out.”

When I look up at the sky, black cloud-like masses keep pouring out from the hole in the barrier. Monsters. The creatures that had been waiting for a chance to kill humanity are now flooding out like a torrent, seizing their opportunity.

It’s been about thirty minutes since I pulled out my old witch-era gear and started killing every monster I saw. I’ve taken down countless ones, but their numbers are only growing.

The screams rising from the capital keep increasing, and the number of lives is dropping in proportion.

I bite my lip in frustration at the hopeless reality.

In the game’s story, if you defend the capital for a certain amount of time, the dungeon comes back. Then the monsters can’t get inside the barrier anymore, and it’s a win for humanity.

But the monsters are multiplying much faster than expected.

At this rate, there’s even a chance the capital could fall.

“Do not believe in me. Believe in the fact that you did not believe. Faith is fixed upside down—”

“Shut up.”

I shower the monster dropping from the sky with bullets.

By the time it hits the ground, it’s nothing but a blood-soaked rag.

Just to be sure, I stomp its head flat and start moving again toward where there are more monsters.

“…………”

—Would using magic fix this somehow?

I start thinking about the idea that suddenly popped into my head.

I might be able to put up a barrier around the capital. That could buy us a few hours. The damage outside the capital would be massive, but it’s still way better than losing the capital itself.

“No.”

I don’t know if I’d get the result I want.

Magic isn’t that convenient.

That’s exactly why witches avoid using it until the very last moment.

I move to the center of the capital and gift some lead bullets to the monsters trying to attack the residents.

A man covered in blood and gore rolls his eyes back and collapses.

…Well, he’s not dead, so he has no right to complain.

I scan the area looking for the next enemy—

“…Sophia?”

I spot Sophia leaning her back against some rubble, covered head to toe in blood.

For a second I thought she was dead, but her chest is rising and falling slightly.

Still, she’s bleeding way too much. Her life is hanging by a thread.

I rush over. Sophia weakly lifts her face.

Dark circles surround her eyes, and her eyelids look incredibly heavy.

“…Oh my. I thought I would die quietly, without anyone knowing. …To think the world’s strongest witch would… *cough* be the one to see me off.”

“Why did you push yourself until you ended up like this?”

“You’re asking if I fought? …I am a witch.”

“Being a witch doesn’t mean you have to die.”

It’s true that the mortality rate for witches exceeds eighty percent.

Surviving until the very end is the rare thing.

But that doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to die.

“Sophia. Someone like you… could have escaped before you got driven into a fatal state.”

She has lost all four limbs.

Only her torso and head remain, leaning against the rubble.

Even while we talk, the pool of blood keeps spreading and her breathing grows weaker.

She’s way past the point where she can be saved.

“This is… surely my punishment.”

“Punishment?”

“Shikiko and Tamaki. I treated them terribly.”

She coughs violently.

A huge amount of blood sprays from her mouth.

“I don’t think I did anything wrong. I carried out my own sense of justice. I created Shikiko and Tamaki so that humans and witches wouldn’t have to pay the price of sacrifice anymore. …I knew full well that it was something that would draw criticism.”

Sophia turns her gaze toward me.

By now—her eyes are already clouded.

Her blurry pupils are losing their light. The flame is fading.

“But I did terrible things to those girls. Yes. They’re human. I was the one who brought them into the world as humans. Otherwise they couldn’t use magic. I should have understood that.”

Two monsters that can’t read the mood come flying in.

I pull the trigger without even looking their way.

The sound of enemies with holes punched all over their bodies crashing to the ground.

Sophia probably can’t hear well anymore. She doesn’t seem to notice the monsters were approaching and just lets out a weak breath.

“I wonder… if I was scared to face the two of them.”

“Scared?”

“Yes. I’m not exactly the friendly type… and I’ve always been bad at dealing with others. Someone like me… creating those two. I think I was afraid they would hate me. …It’s funny. I was supposed to have lost my human emotions.”

Gurgle.

Blood spurts from her eyes, nose, mouth—every hole. It spills out.

The area around her is completely dyed red, like a giant spider lily has bloomed on the ground.

“At this point, I’ve started worrying about those girls’ futures. It’s far too late.”

Sophia closes her eyes.

For a moment it seems like the light will never return—

The silence is so complete it makes me doubt it.

“…But if the world’s strongest witch is looking after them, I can rest easy.”

“I’m happy you’re counting on me, but I’m not that great of a person.”

“Too much humility becomes poison, you know. —Please take care of those two.”

She takes one big breath.

“I’m going to use magic.”

“What are you…”

“I’ll put up a barrier. Covering the whole capital would be difficult… but I think it can still reduce the damage a little.”

“But with your body…”

Sophia smiles gently.

It’s an elegant expression.

Like a statue carved by a master artist.

It has a faint human touch—an almost supernatural air.

“I’m already beyond saving. You can tell, right?”

“With modern technology—”

“Do you really think the hospitals are still functioning in this chaos? Besides, I’m on the blacklist. They’d report me at the reception desk and that would be the end. …Well, the police who would receive the report probably aren’t functioning either.”

Sophia mutters with one eye closed.

She probably isn’t trying to wink or anything.

It’s just painful for her to even keep her eyelids open. The wrinkle between her brows is deep.

“There’s a staff in my pocket. Could you take it out for me?”

“…Don’t get mad if I touch a weird spot.”

“It’s fine. I’ve lost my human emotions, remember?”

“Well that’s a relief… wait, that joke might be in bad taste.”

“The world’s strongest witch sure worries about the strangest things.”

After that, Sophia stops talking. She closes her eyes and concentrates. Instantly, the magic power mixed in the air begins to stir. Magic power that should be blocked by the barrier pierces through it, drawn by her wish.

I find the staff tucked in her inner pocket and start to hand it to her—then remember she no longer has arms.

“You can just insert it into the wound on my shoulder. It’s fine.”

“That’s way too immoral. I’ll take on some of the magic control myself.”

“…But then you’ll have to pay a price too—”

“Didn’t you know? I’m still the witch who has used the most magic in the world. I know exactly how to handle the price.”

“…You’re kind.”

Sophia shrugs her shoulders.

I feel like arguing a bit against being called “kind,” but this isn’t the time to waste on that, so I just snort.

“Do you know the limits of magic?”

“No. I’ve used it prepared to die, but never while certain I would die.”

“The limits of magic that even the world’s strongest witch doesn’t know. —As a researcher, seeing that at the very end is an unexpected joy.”

Magic power swirls around Sophia.

Her body starts to creak and she groans in pain.

“If it hurts, you can stop.”

“No. This is my way of taking responsibility.”

“Responsibility, huh…”

Sophia had done everything she could. Even if her actions went against humanity, they were definitely done thinking of what was best for humanity. She deserves praise, not curses or blame. There’s no responsibility she needs to take.

Thinking that far, I finally understand what she’s thinking.

I can’t help but smile bitterly.

“They do say a mother is strong.”

Maybe she caught my quiet words, because Sophia mutters like a lost child.

“…Was I recognized as a mother?”

“You were called ‘mom,’ right? Then probably.”

“————”

For a moment.

The flow of magic power stops.

But only for a moment.

By the time I blink, the preparations for the magic are completely finished.

“…The world’s strongest witch is good at mental care too.”

“If the café goes under, maybe I’ll make a living that way.”

“When that happens, let Shikiko and Tamaki be your assistants. …Please take good care of those girls.”

Sophia doesn’t wait for my reply.

She’s probably certain I’ll nod.

For such a short acquaintance, she understands me surprisingly well.

“See you, Sophia.”

“Yes. Farewell—Aoi Komeiji.”

The magic power gains direction.

Concepts shift from abstract to concrete.

Reality becomes unreality, unreality becomes reality.

Facts that could not be observed become clear to everyone’s eyes.

“[I humbly speak to the eight million gods who dwell quietly in the awe-inspiring heavens and earth. Please hear my prayer and cleanse away all disasters, sins, and impurities that may exist, and purify them.]”

The chant for the magic.

Every time Sophia weaves the words, the magic power gains strength.

“The barrier—”

Sure enough, the magic succeeds.

It doesn’t cover the entire capital, but a barrier with a radius of several hundred meters centered on us appears, and the monsters inside the area vanish.

A man who had been on the verge of being killed raises his voice in relief and confusion when the monster suddenly disappears right in front of him.

“Sophia. Your wish reached safely.”

“I see… then, that’s good—”

Sophia’s breathing is faint.

She wears a gentle smile.

—It’s good that I was able to do one last proper thing as a witch.

She whispers it softly.

“But… using magic on this scale.”

“I understand. There’s no chance of survival.”

“I offer you my utmost respect.”

“…Being shown respect by the world’s strongest witch… there’s no greater honor for a witch.”

Sophia lets out a small “fufu” breath.

—When I blink, she is gone.

“Farewell, Sophia.”

I scold my numb legs and start walking.

…This is the capital she gave her life to protect. What am I doing if I, Aoi Komeiji, don’t move? My hands are far too small to save everything, but I’ll scoop up as many lives as I possibly can.

That is the mission given to the world’s strongest witch.

It is a responsibility I must fulfill.