"Arrogance. When it comes to expounding upon this subject, none are my equal. To inflate the ego; to ignore one's standing and direct a pride that exceeds all bounds toward the outside world. To flaunt the experience one has cultivated. That is how Arrogance is defined.
To begin with, humans possess the vice of recognizing their own superiority only through comparison with others. They recognize they are excellent only when their results exceed those of another. Truly, one can only call it foolish and petty. What meaning is there in a contest of height between mongrels? How much of a mark does such an achievement truly leave upon the world? There is a proverb about acorns comparing their height. It is exactly that. Before the compilation of history woven by the world, the sense of superiority or accomplishment gained by comparing oneself to others is smaller than a poppy seed.
—Indeed. The reason Arrogance is a sin lies in the smallness of a soul that cannot measure its own reason for existence without using others as a ruler, and the intolerance that cannot forgive the way others live. It is a pitfall often stumbled into by vulgar beings who cannot acknowledge anything above themselves. To entrust one's own valuation to others is the height of folly. If you surpass others, you become arrogant; if you fall below them, you become servile. What comes of such unreliable assessments? Whether above or below, a mongrel is a mongrel.
—It is a sin I shall never understand, one that sits close by yet remains eternally distant. Well, I shall not tell a mongrel to hold absolute values. The burden would be too great. The world is not so light as that. Furthermore... you should treasure the jester who bears the sin of Arrogance. For they can laugh equally at both arrogance and servility."
(It boils down to comparison, doesn't it? Aim to be the only one, not number one. Everyone is different, and everyone is good. Whether it's bodies or fetishes.)
—Virtue is to possess an absolute Self. Is that it?
"Precisely. The only one who judges me is me. I face the world alone. Establish the 'Self' that pays no mind to the evaluations of others, viewing them as mere mongrels. You lose your way because you compare yourself to others. You falter because you entrust your worth to them. You alone are the absolute and unique standard. No matter what anyone says, possess a 'Self' that never wavers. A value system unshaken by others, an arrogance directed solely at oneself—escape the lowliness of being questioned by the many, and reach the heights where none can censure you. In other words, to shoulder all of this world. That is the only method to fix and define Arrogance as 'Pride'."
(That just makes everyone arrogant except you, though.)
"That is only natural. It is a few hundred million years too early for mere mongrels to be arrogant. Do not get conceited. Know your place, and live chastely and modestly. Any standard of value other than my own is less than trash. The only thing permitted to you commoners is the confidence cultivated through vain effort. Even if vain, it is never wasted. If you are common, achieve through numbers; if you lack talent, build confidence. To reign over others is a privilege permitted only to me."
—Yes. I understand this virtue well.
"—Is that natural, given that you witness me at the closest distance?"
—Yes! I love the King of Heroes' proud way of being!
"—...Now, where did I put the wine of the Sky God and the fruits of the Earth Goddess...?"
(Fufu, indeed. —Now then, the end is drawing near. I wonder if Ricca-chan can establish her 'Self'...?)
—Here, Fou. I cut it up so it's easy to eat. Let's eat together and pray for Master's safety, okay?
Look! Fou's face~. Hello, Fou-kun! I'm Fou too! Fou, fou! ...Just kidding!
(Disappearance) "Ah." (Resurrection → Explosion)
"...Come to think of it. I heard that when Monte Cristo set off on his journey after regaining his goodness... a Princess was by his side—"
The Final Hell: The Seventh Hall of Judgment
"Huh? There's no one here?"
Guided by the Avenger, the three of them arrived at their destination.
"Hey, stop blowing smoke and making things up. Are you messing with us?"
The one shaking her flag in displeasure is Jeanne d'Arc Alter. She moves her long hair and beautiful limbs with irritation, her lovely features twisted in a scowl.
"Avenger-sama, what is the meaning of this...?"
Standing beside her is Mercedes. He was the one who brought them here. Come with me, he said, judgment will be carried out.
"Avenger?"
"—Master. No, Ricca. ...You do not call me by it, do you? My name... Edmond Dantès."
His tone as he murmurs this is unusually gentle. Like the flame in a hearth.
"Hmm? Yeah. Because 'Avenger' and 'Edmond Dantès' are different, right?"
"—That speed of understanding, that intuition. ...Ah, I see. Becoming a Beast was not entirely without merit."
"Seriously, stop this cycle of asking rhetorical questions and answering them yourself. You're leaving everyone else in the dust."
"Hmph. It seems my tongue is loosening. This horrific yet fulfilling tour of hell ends tonight. Regarding that fact—I have a few thoughts."
Slowly, he looks up at the prison sky.
"—Consider this a parting gift. I shall tell you an old tale. —I would ask for tobacco, but I shall not be greedy."
"I will merely say that if you smoke such poison in front of Ricca, I will burn you to death."
"Your condemnations are as sharp as ever, Avenger who is not Edée. Do you feel it too? The end of hell."
"Ha. I have no lingering attachment to hell. I only wish to return quickly to Chaldea—but,"
She glances fleetingly, regretfully, at Ricca.
"A journey with just Ricca and me... was a rare experience. Just as that white imitation-arbiter did, I suppose I shall carve it into my Spirit Origin. —This march through hell, filled with hope."
"...Yes. I will never forget the two Avengers."
They confirm the bond woven in the depths of hell.
"Heh, indeed—there was a man who, like you, believed in hope by the edge of the sea."
Slowly, the Avenger begins to speak.
"He was a foolish man. A man who did not know the world was filled with malice. Therefore, the man was dropped into a trap. Imprisoned in the Château d'If for a crime he did not commit..."
The man cast into the Château d'If.
The man who believed in hope.
"Fourteen years. The man who survived the days of hell and returned from the Prison Tower became—a demon of vengeance. Casting aside the goodness possessed by humans, the man obtained cunning and power akin to a devil. —The man indulged in revenge, just as vengeance demanded. Upon those who cast him into hell, one by one, he laid his hands, granting them ample terror."
The Avenger grins ferociously.
"Kuku... Ah, I can recall it even now. Their faces, faces, faces! Their astonishment when I proclaimed my name! The despair before the return of the sins they had forgotten! Kuku—Hahahahahahahahahaha!! That was the true satisfaction of vengeance! The justification! The pinnacle of revenge!!"
Hearing this, the party understands.
"Could it be... that story is..."
"Hmph, do not be hasty. You must listen to the tales of your elders, your seniors in vengeance, until the very end. ...Though, generally, that is where it ends. The man indulged in revenge, but he spared the last one. ...Some say he cast aside his own evil. That at the very end, he regained his goodness."
Powerfully, he gazes at Ricca.
"—That he obtained love."
"Love... in this place, love?"
"Is that not a happy ending? Why is there a need for such anger? It sounds like a story that should be praised with open arms, does it not?"
"—The man certainly stopped his revenge. Yes, he surely reclaimed the love that was supposed to be lost. The man vanished to somewhere, together with the beloved Princess who continued to love him even as a demon of vengeance."
"—I... I know it. That story... that mythology of vengeance..."
Mercedes speaks.
"...I imagine you do. Through the work of a wicked novelist, it is a story that spread throughout the world. The man's life became a story. Or perhaps the story was the man's life. In any case—the story was bathed in supreme applause, received countless thoughts, and became a mythology of vengeance. Once, the man screamed of a God of Vengeance, but alas, the man himself transformed into It. The man was carved into human history. In the shape of the wild rage that people dream of... That is the true identity of the man before your eyes. —The man who possessed the shadow of the Vengeance Demon. That is the one called Edmond Dantès. Fujimaru Ricca."
The man proclaimed it.
His name as an Avenger.
The name he had once severed.
"Avenger..."
"—It is nothing to be surprised about. It sits ill with me for you to remain ignorant of my True Name forever. —It is a bond forged by guiding you over these seven days. Leaving you with a name isn't such a bad thing."
"...You seem to have taken quite a liking to her. To Ricca. But I absolutely will not give her to you."
"It is too early for relief. —From here on, the final 'Judgment' begins. The name of its ruler is—"
Instantaneously.
"Eh,—!?"
A shadow extends. It reflects on the wall, stretches to the ceiling. Ricca's shadow swells, becoming gigantic.
"W-What is this!?"
"The sin of 'Arrogance'. To trifle with life, to toy with it. The Great Sin of boasting that one 'owns life'. Unintentionally, you were made to burden it."
"—Ah..."
"The Great Sin of trying to force one's own alter ego onto a single life! The Arrogance of conceiving a single life as one's own property!! In this Hall of 'Judgment', that ugly sin shall be exposed to the public eye! —Come forth! Bound by the chains of 'Sin'!! Pierced by the wedges of 'Virtue'! The [Unknown] Beast nesting in the womb of a young girl!!"
From the extended shadow.
"Aah, aah—aaaaahhh—!"
Sown in 'Arrogance', nurtured in 'Necessary Evil'... the Beast seeking to reach 'Humanity's Evil' crawls forth—!!
"Tch—!"
—It was, truly, 'Ugliness' itself.
Forming the silhouette is a dragon. A three-headed dragon... but its entire body is rotting away completely. The wings are shattered, the legs melted, the limbs collapsing. Six chains bind it tight, six wedges of light pierce it, and it writhes in agony. The three heads sway powerlessly; the central, rotted dragon head has eyes flickering crimson. And on its sides are—
[Aaah, Aaaaaaaaah]
[Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii]
A man's face, and a woman's face. That hideous figure scattering curses and the stench of rot.
It spews curses.
[What, what is wrong with it—A child couldn't be born without parents... What is wrong with a parent using them—]
[That's right... Who do you think raised you... Who do you think gave birth to you... You lived as a parasite in my belly for months. What is wrong with us treating you how we like... You have no right to complain... Do not interfere in family matters... mere third parties...]
Arrogance. Haughtiness.
The arrogance of giving birth to life only to define it as property, not regarding a person as a human being.
[We weren't supposed to be like this. We were supposed to go higher and higher...]
[The world that doesn't evaluate us is wrong... I hate the world that doesn't recognize us...]
[[...Therefore, for that reason alone, we made you, Ricca... We don't need your life, we don't need your personality. We don't care about your life—]]
Thud, the heads slam down and lift up.
[[You are an imitation of us...! You are our property! Without us, you couldn't even exist! We could have killed you...! The reason we didn't, the reason we let you live, is our love...! And yet, and yet...! What does it mean to leave our side without our permission...!! Riccaaaaaa...!!]]
"...Mom... Dad..."
[[Come back to us...! We gave birth to you for that alone...! Come, let's start your lessons. Let's continue until you become us. If you do well, we'll give you food and sleep. Yes, that's right. You are our greatest masterpiece. We can't 'manufacture' a better child than you anymore. We only have you, Ricca...!]]
"—..."
[[We love you, Ricca..!]]
...The extremity of Arrogance.
That selfish impeachment that does not consider life as life.
The ugly Beast thrusting that upon Ricca.
"This is... the Beast that was nesting within Ricca-sama...!?"
"It is a hideous state, far removed from what the King of Mages assumed. But having achieved the Master's liberation from the Beast, the thing that lost its vessel and could no longer maintain its shape was dragged out by force. —In order to 'Judge' it under the name of Arrogance... And it is not just Arrogance that it harbors. Look."
The Avenger points with his chin.
—There, nesting in the body of the Beast, are countless faces.
—Faces of boys and girls about middle school age. Young teachers, old teachers. Countless faces rising to the surface.
[It will damage my school's reputation! Bullying is impossible here!]
—Arrogance.
[Seriously, bullying that guy is way more fun than studying!]
—Sloth.
[I wanna do it with him before I die~]
—Lust.
[That guy, that guy...!]
—Envy.
[Seriously, that bitch!! Don't screw with me, seriously!]
—Wrath.
[Here, I'll give you some. It's our leftovers, though!!]
—Gluttony.
[Someday I will become the principal, and everything in this school will be—]
—Greed.
They spew forth the Seven Deadly Sins. The "Necessary Evils" born within the society called school—
The hell on earth that Ricca was cast into...!
"Those are what Master experienced. —And the hell of Master's half-life that the King of Mages showed me."
"—...Cruel... how could..."
Mercedes covers her mouth.
"Ricca-sama... carried such things inside her...?"
"————..."
"—Furthermore, there is a Beast that tried to be born by nurturing these things. Listen to its words."
As if in response, the rotting dragon opens its mouth.
"—!"
—Everyone is lost for words.
[—Thank you! Sorry I didn't realize!]
That tone is... that voice is...
[I didn't notice! I didn't understand! What was precious, what was happiness! I didn't understand what love was! —But everyone taught me!]
A cheerful voice. A bright, endlessly innocent tone.
[Love is—to belittle, to defile, to entrap someone! To get angry, to be jealous, to be lazy, to lust, to crave endlessly, to eat, and to be arrogant! That is... [LOVE]! Ahahahaha!! Ahahahahahahahahahaha!! Thank you, everyone! Sorry I didn't realize—!]
Laughing madly, Something emitting Ricca's voice speaks.
"That is [Humanity's Evil]. Within the Necessary Evils, it recognized the Necessary Evil itself as [Love], and upon leaving the schoolhouse, it is the Humanity's Evil that emerged understanding that. —It will wield Necessary Evil to its heart's content. It will love the entire world."
[Thank you! Everyone from middle school! I—I'm glad I was born—!!]
"Because it gives thanks for its birth and loves the world. As a Beast possessing the principle of [Unknown], it will fill the world with all of its love to make it 'better'."
"—That is... Ricca-sama, turned into Humanity's Evil..."
Manifesting there is the impossible Beast, an ugly folding together of Arrogance, Necessary Evil, and Humanity's Evil.
Robbed of a name, wished to be that way. A Beast that was supposed to be born with evil as love.
With the birth of the above, her Abyss has fulfilled its definition. —A name that mirrors humanity's final Master.
Originally, a Great Disaster that returns gratitude and repayment to all of humanity, born from humans.
Its name: Beast if, Azi Dahaka.
One of the Humanity's Evils that could have been. A Beast holding the principle of 'Unknown'.
—The distortion of loving people despite not knowing people. That is precisely the bestial nature of Azi Dahaka.
"...This is the Beast inside me, huh..."
Ricca murmurs blankly.
"Ricca...!"
"Ahaha... this is a bit... —tough..."
Ricca laughs weakly.
"This is bad...! Her will to live is withering...!"
"Ricca...!"
"Let's go, Avenger who is not Edée."
Without looking back, the Avenger declares.
"What was hidden has emerged! We will destroy it completely right here!! Now is the time for the flames of us Avengers to burn the Beast, to burn away the evil infesting the world!!"
"But—!"
"Believe!! That is our accomplice!! The woman who, in hell, did not cloud her resolve even once!!"
"—Understood! Ricca...! I will believe in you, and hold that thing back for now!!"
[[⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!]]
The two Avengers leap at the Beast spewing curses...!
"Ricca-sama! Ricca-sama! Stay strong! Get a hold of yourself!!"
To Mercedes' desperate plea, she answers feebly.
"It's okay, just... it hit me... a little hard, that's all..."
Contrary to her words, her will to live is withering. Her heart is on the verge of breaking.
Not because the Beast existed.
Not because she was persecuted.
Only—because the Beast that would destroy the world was within her.
"...I'm sorry, everyone... The Last Boss, was me..."
"Ah, ah...! Ricca-sama...!"
Mercedes is confused. By the despair of the Hero who saved her.
"How can I help...!? What should I do, what should I do...!? What should I do—!!"
—Instantaneously.
"How can I—save her—...!?"
Those words surely pierce Mercedes' heart—
—I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly,
To pass my life in purity and to practice my profession faithfully.
I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous,
and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug.
I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession,
and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping
and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling.
With loyalty will I endeavor to aid the physician in his work,
and devote myself to the welfare of those committed to my care.
—These are words praising a certain angel.
Praising her great deeds, leaving her will as a pledge.
Yes, she is the embodiment of that oath.
Her name is—
"—Mental decline detected. Judged dangerous for the operation."
Grip! Her shoulder is grabbed with tremendous force.
"Ye—es?"
"Administering mental encouragement."
Just like that, her right hand—
"—Emergency Treatment!"
"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!?"
Strikes Ricca's cheek with full force—!
"Tch! There's no end to them no matter how much I burn! I wish the infinite respawns were Metal Slimes instead!"
"Master has not sublimated the karma of Arrogance. Almost all of its abilities are sealed, but she does not yet possess the qualification to subjugate it!"
"I guess she really has to overcome the trial there...! R-Ricca!?"
Jeanne is astounded.
It is no wonder, seeing Mercedes slap Ricca with a full swing.
"Wait, what are you...!"
"Kuhahahahaha!! Have you finally regained your soul, Mercedes!! Yes! I was certain your soul possessed a toughness not inferior to a Saint!!"
[[[⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛!!!]]]
"Now, Avenger who is not Edée! The significance of inviting you here draws near—!!"
"Significance—?"
"Have you come to your senses, Ricca?"
"Yes!!"
The Mercedes standing before her had transformed.
There is no trace of the timid atmosphere. A steel gaze filled with unwavering determination and resolve, like a soldier.
"Treatment depends on the patient's will. And for the treatment to be performed now, your previous mental state was unsuitable. Stay strong. Do you understand?"
"Yes!!"
"Very good. —There is no need to suffer mentally looking at That. That is a massive lesion, but your mind, your soul, has not yet been harmed. It was successfully extracted by the operation of Mr. Dantès and Miss Jeanne. —All that remains is for you to strive for prevention."
"Y-Yes...!"
"I will sterilize That, disinfect it, and cure it. So that you are not harmed any further. I shall abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will save you. —Even if it means killing you to do so. Is that understood?"
"Yes!!"
"—A good answer. Ricca."
She smiles sweetly.
The softness of that smile is, without a doubt...
"Mercedes..."
"Is there an abnormality in your recognition functions? This won't do, emergency treatment."
"I'm okay!! I'm okay, really!!"
"...I will not allow presumption. As soon as I treat That, I will move to your examination. Do not run away."
Snap, she tightens her gloves and draws the gun from her holster.
[Ric—Gyaaaaaa!!]
[Giiiiiiiii!?]
"You all are harboring a disease. In personality, spirit, ethics, concepts, in every aspect."
She fires repeatedly while walking briskly.
"I will kill you. You must be sterilized, disinfected, and annihilated once. Then you shall be saved. The life you left behind will undoubtedly become healthy."
"Wait, what is that—who is she?"
"It matters not who she is!! Kuhahahahahahahaha!! Now the actors are assembled, Master!! The Beast is severed! Your swords have gathered here!!"
Whoosh, flipping his cape, the Tiger finally roars!
"What takes place now is 'Judgment' upon malignancy and absurdity!! The sin of Arrogance, and all malignancies!! Thrust the blade of rebellion into all of them!! Now, devour the final sin!! Master!!"
Countless black flames burn the Beast if to ash!
"Ricca! Nothing changes! You can do it!! Because we've worked hard together all this time!! So, I believe in you!!"
The hellfire of Wrath impeaches the Beast if!
"I will treat you! Completely and thoroughly! I will kill everything, and save everything!!"
Using gunfire, strikes, and human anatomy, she destroys the faces!
The souls of flame gathered in hell, piercing through to their true selves—!!
"Everyone—!!"
"No words are needed!! Wait, and hope!! We await your final answer! And—!!"
""Vengeance is Mine—!!""
—Vengeance against absurdity by the Avengers.
The Judgment enacting impeachment against malignancy, has raised its curtain—!!
—Now then, I'm counting on you, juniors. Make sure you let me snatch the best parts, alright?
Until then, I'll just hide in the corner of the abyss. Hihihi, don't complain.
After all... hope is always hidden at the bottom of the box, isn't it?
-------------------------------
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