Last Savior:Volume1 Prologue
“Biologically, important things are all in “pairs”.”
—Molecular Biologist James Watson
“It is not possible to make machines that think in place of man.”
—Computer Scientist Alan Turing
“Man is nothing more than a machine existing as a temporary being.
We are but vessels, robots programmed for someone, some other party.”
—Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins
“To do the same thing over and over again and expect different results. That is what is called insanity.”
—Theoretical Physicist Albert Einstein
“How much of it is science, and how much of it is magic? We choose the boundary.”
—Crowney Harnot
Prologue[edit]
Reverberating with the violent sound of rain, a cold night…
Within a forest where countless trees were crowded in, a luxurious mansion had been built.
Standing in a prudently maintained, beautiful grand garden was a Western building that had a Middle Ages-like architecture.
It was a night sky covered in dull weather, where not a single star could be seen.
The mansion, being exposed to the violent downpour from up there, was— enveloped in flames.
“…I should have been able to make the whole family happy.”
Standing at a spacious balcony made of marble, a man in a tuxedo muttered. While his wet fringe stuck onto his forehead and his desolated shoulders were soaked, he was just overlooking the blazing garden below.
Even while the building and flowers were exposed to the raindrops, they were violently blazing. From there, the smell of oil was mixed in and drifting over. That was probably of the flammable material that was released out from the “enemy’s” flamethrower. Even when the man’s estate that was set on fire was almost burned up, it did not seem like that hand of fire loosened up.
Directly behind the man standing at the balcony, his wife—exposed to the rain like the man—was standing.
His wife in a dress lovingly pressed her forehead onto the man’s desolated back, and opened her lips.
“…It’s not like you’re at fault.”
His wife forgave the man and gently patted his back drown in despair.
Everything was—with no other way of putting it—a disaster.
Burdened with the important destiny of the life-and-death of his family, the man worked recklessly hard. And the result he got—“the thing he made”—turned out driving his family to ruins like this.
His good-will of his greatest intention turned out to be the worst kind of ill-will.
While bearing that mortification, the man’s eyes distorted and he said.
“…Did our daughter manage to escape successfully?”
“It’s alright.”
The wife desolately smiled and muttered behind the man.
“Our companion Crowney will surely get that girl away successfully. We just have to buy some time here like this for that girl’s sake.”
“We no longer have anything we can do for that girl other than that, do we… What useless adults, we are.”
“We probably… were not able to be good parents, were we?”
“I couldn’t even do anything father-like. I feel that I’ve done things that I’m sorry for to that girl.”
The two cuddling together expressed a sad smile together. They were thinking about the days they spent loving and accompanying each other till this moment, and those blissful memories made a smile appear on their faces.
When the two had nothing left to say, the world was soon engulfed in the sound of rain.
Then, the wall very near to them was destroyed, and a large silhouette flew out from inside.
The crimson flames blazing at the garden illuminated its huge body in the cold rainy night.
Its height was 3 meter. That silhouette was a praying mantis possessing a body of steel.
At the same time it broke through the concrete wall from inside the building and flew onto the balcony, it probably discovered the two of them. It thrust out its sharp giant sickles, and entered into a battle stance.
“… ‘A monster(metal intelligent being)’, huh?”
While looking up at the steel praying mantis, the man concluded without an expression.
From the hole in the wall that that praying mantis broke through, a human figure walked out a little later.
[—A scientific technique advanced enough is indistinguishable from magic.]
The human figure gave off the voice of a woman and appeared.
Walking out to the balcony, that human figure was also, like the praying mantis, illuminated by the flames.
The human figure was covered by thick metal armor all over her body. She had bulky gauntlets and shoulder guards. Pale-colored guards like armors of Western knights were put onto her limbs. There wasn’t even a tiny part where her skin was exposed, and that figure covered in armor almost could be seen as a machine taking on the appearance of a human.
In that right hand of hers—she was carrying a giant sickle like the one carried by a Grim Reaper.
The women covered in armor continued her speech.
[Certainly, that’s one of the Clark’s 3 laws. This metal armor that your family made might certainly be suitable to be called magic. For our idea to be enhanced to this extent… it is really an amazing technological power.]
Listening to the armored woman’s words, the wife said with a menacing look.
“…Our family had accomplished our task. You promised if we succeeded in making that power, our family would be able to return to your community. And yet, why… are you giving us this treatment?...”
The armored woman shrugged her shoulders.
[I recognize your family’s achievements. However, it’s unfortunate, but we are unable to accept you as our compatriots again. That’s the absolute blood law. It is impossible to welcome you, who have impure blood.]
The wife couldn’t help gritting her teeth at the calm attitude of the woman saying that.
“You didn’t plan on keep your promise from the start, did you… what cruel humans!”
[We are no longer humans. We’re ‘Aion’ a long time ago.]
While lightly warding off the glaring gaze from the front, the armored woman sighed.
[On top of being unable to accept you as ‘Pleroma’, we probably have no choice but to let you continue staying on this land. However, the circulation of your technological power amongst humans was deemed as dangerous. In that case, everything was that we had no choice… your family would have to perish.]
“How selfish…!”
[…That’s true.]
On top of admitting that honestly, the armored woman continued.
[Your family’s research data had all been seized by us. We had obtained everything we need. Therefore, we had already killed all the chamberlains, staffs and people we used that were in underground research establishment. We’ll be taking over after that. Thanks to your research, we’re able to undertake on more efficient tactics on the extinction of the human species. At the least, we’ll hand down a lengthy story of your family’s achievements—as ‘the ones who made the human world end.’]
At the same time as the woman’s words ended, the praying mantis monster, which was quiet till now, started to move.
It was a timing almost like it was waiting for the woman to finish her words.
“…You’re controlling the monster with 'Blood Hack', aren’t you?”
The man muttered with a loathsome look.
[That’s right. For beings with recessive heredity like you, it’s a power you don’t possess, right?]
During the time that the armored woman was speaking, the steel praying mantis had hop to the man and wife.
The praying mantis standing right in front of their eyes raised its giant sickle-shaped arm high up.
While looking at that sickle of despair, the two resigned to their deaths.
That sharp arm would go through their cranium like their brain, and should easily snatch away their lives.
Without looking at the attack that would terminate their lives, the two just calmly hugged together.
“…In the end, it looks like I couldn’t bring your happiness.”
“That’s not true.”
Denying the man’s words, the wife quietly shed tears.
“If I could be born again, I would choose you no matter what. I want to be your wife, and to grow old together with you. Thinking like that—I’ve always had happy days even up to today.”
Embracing his teary wife, the man too shed a trickle of tears.
“…Thank you.”
The raised sickle of despair swung downwards.
“I wanted to at least see that girl all grown up for even just a day.”
“Please… live… strongly… happily…”
The sharp sickle went through their flesh and even thrust in deeply into the marble floor.
Gushing blood soiled the top of the marble and flowed away together with the rainwater.
Looking down at the death two, the armored woman leaked a small sigh.
[There’s still the daughter, huh? …Geez, searching for her is probably going to take some time.]
The violent rain grew even stronger.
Burdened with “death” on her shoulders, that woman began to walk with the appearance of an apathetic cold armor.
In that destination of hers, she was awaiting the unimaginable future of atrocities.
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