I Became the Strongest With The Failure Frame【Abnormal State Skill】As I Devastated Everything

Chapter 462 - And So, the Two of Them Can Continue Walking Forward Together

<Author’s Notes>

After the last update, I received one new review. Thank you very much.

In that review, there was mention of the English edition of the novel’s translation. However, this work is written in a style that deliberately breaks what you might call the [proper rules] of novel writing, both in grammar and prose, so I imagine it must be quite challenging to translate. (Incidentally, my original writing style and approach may be closer to my previous work, <Sword of Beelzebub>.)

Even so, the review praised the quality of the translation, so I believe the translator has done an excellent job (for which I am truly grateful). From what I can see, the English version has also been well received, including in terms of numbers, which makes me very happy and thankful, especially knowing that readers overseas are enjoying it as well.

After seeing off their repatriation, I was walking through the castle corridors.

Thereupon, Loqierra came running after me.

[I’ve got something I want to talk about, do you have a moment?]

The place she brought me to was the laboratory Vysis used to occupy.

Lately, whenever discussions with the deity side took place, it was often here.

Compared to before, the number of magic tools——— magic lamps had increased.

Thesis had already taken her usual seat.

And then it happened.

With a sharp kyupiiiin, a jolt of electric shock ran through Thesis———– or at least, that’s how it looked.

I pulled my magical leather pouch out of my pocket.

Thesis immediately settled back into her seat with a deeply satisfied “mufuu”.

Apparently, she just wanted to confirm that I had brought my pouch with me.

[……………………]

Did this second-ranked deity really intend to return to Heaven at all……?

[Ara, Touka?]

Peeking out from behind a tall shelf was Erika.

[So you’re already helping Loqierra huh. How is it, are you getting along with her?]

Erika walked over, clapping her hands together a few times to dust them off.

[I can see why she didn’t get along with Vysis. After all———- Erika could feel we had quite the affinity with each other.]

Meanwhile, Loqierra let out a long, gloomy sigh.

[After everything with Vysis…… I’ve started to lose confidence as a researcher. Erika really notices so many things that I don’t……]

So Erika being too capable was what shook her confidence.

[In your case, you’ve also got duties as part of the deities on top of your research, right?]

“That’s true”, Erika agreed.

[I’ve spent most of my time focused solely on research. If anything, I need you to let me have that much of the spotlight, or Erika would feel troubled. It’s more rewarding for Erika if I actually get a proper role to play.]

[……Thanks for the kind words. Haahh…… Touka and Erika really are kind. Nothing like Vysis.]

[I am kind as well, you know.]

[No, Thesis-sama, you’re not that kind to me. When I raised concerns about Vysis, you didn’t even take me seriously.]

[Fufu………… ———-Eh!?]

Thesis recoiled in shock.

Moreover, at first, she hadn’t even realized she was being criticized……

Loqierra took a seat as she continued.

[No, I’m joking…… As long as you’re willing to listen, Thesis-sama is actually quite flexible and fair. You’ll take action yourself and help out too. When you have the time, you try to understand our circumstances. So honestly, I think you’re a fairly kind superior.]

[That’s right.]

[Though your lack of humility is a bit of a flaw.]

[……Eh!? I am the very embodiment of humility, aren’t I!?]

[If you were truly humble…… you probably wouldn’t call yourself humble, you know?]

[Ugh…… w- well, that’s true……]

At that, Loqierra rested her cheek on her hand and smiled warmly.

[But still…… it’s true that once you actually get moving, you’re a reliable superior.]

[———G- Geez, lifting me up like that at the end…… you really are a sly subordinate……]

All things considered, they seemed to have a pretty good relationship as boss and subordinate.

As I sat down, Erika rested her right elbow on my left shoulder.

[So? With Hijiri and Itsuki gone, does it feel lonely after all?]

[If I said it doesn’t, I’d be lying.]

[Ara, how honest. Well…… from now on, Erika will stay by your side to make up for it, so you can put up with that. Besides, you still have Seras and the others. And——— I’ll try researching a way to travel between this world and your original one.]

[Thanks, Erika.]

[Oh, but don’t expect too much, okay? Erika doesn’t like pressure.]

[Not good under pressure?]

“That’s not it”, Erika replied boldly.

[It’s more that I find it annoying.]

I see. It’s more about that huh.

[By the way…… from Erika Anarveil’s perspective, what do you think of Vysis’ research?]

Erika straightened up, letting out a frustrated sigh.

[I agree with Loqierra, her talent is undeniable. In fact, I only lent her my support in the first place because I found her ideas intriguing.]

……So she really was an exceptional researcher.

Having answered my question……

[See you later.]

Erika headed back deeper into the room.

After she left and the atmosphere grew more formal again, I spoke.

[So———- what was it you wanted to talk to me about?]

“Right, about that……”, Loqierra said, turning back to face me.

[To get straight to the point———— Touka, are you interested in becoming a demigod?]

Demigod.

At least the term itself was familiar.

It had come up when I was receiving explanations about what the Divine Servants are.

And if I recall correctly————

Vysis had been trying to turn Nyantan into one.

[It’s different from Divine Servants like Wormungandr or Ars, right?]

I’d worry about the intent behind the proposal later.

First, I needed to understand what she meant.

Taking my interest as a sign to continue, Loqierra began explaining.

[Those directly given Divine Factors are called Divine Servants. Meanwhile————- those who are imbued with Conceptual Magic by the Deities and gain half-divine attributes are called demigods.]

[What other differences are there?]

[Divine Servants are almost absolutely obedient to the deity who granted them their Divine Factors. But demigods don’t have that kind of restriction. Other differences would be physical changes and ability gaps. Divine Servants undergo significant physical transformation, but in exchange, their abilities increase drastically. On the other hand, demigods don’t experience physical———– outward changes. Their abilities also don’t increase nearly as much as those of Divine Servants.]

So the Divine Servants we fought had completely lost their original forms.

And then———–

[The fact that you’re bringing this up to me means that Heroes from Another World can also become demigods, right?]

[There have been cases in the past where Heroes from Another World were made into demigods. However, in the case of Heroes, the foundational enhancement from the Goddess’ Blessing———– meaning the stat bonuses disappears. So the concept of leveling up is lost as well. Still, there have been cases where their unique abilities…… their Skills weren’t lost, and others where only part of them were lost.]

In contrast, it seemed that for Divine Servants, their original Skills would be altered or enhanced.

[Even if the Skills aren’t lost, wouldn’t they become almost unusable if the MP bonus disappears?]

[No, MP gets boosted along with physical ability through demigodization, so it won’t become unusable. There are cases where demigod heroes continued using their Skills. Though…… in Touka’s case, you might not be able to spam them as much as you do now.]

My MP stat is abnormally high after all.

[Anything else?]

[After that———– it’s about time and reliability? Divine Servants take a long time to fully develop, and failure could result in outright disappearance. But demigodization only involves applying Conceptual Magic, so it can be done quickly, and there’s no risk of annihilation if it fails.]

[So far…… it doesn’t sound like demigodization has many advantages.]

But Loqierra responded as if she had anticipated that point.

[The advantage of demigodization is reversibility———– in other words, it can be undone. Of course, there are conditions to lifting it, so it’s not easy.]

On the other hand, becoming a Divine Servant is irreversible.

Once you become one, there’s no going back.

Loqierra continued.

[And as I mentioned earlier, demigodization makes you half divine by nature. Therefore———— compared to humans, your lifespan becomes vastly longer.]

[……I see.]

So that’s what this is about.

We hadn’t talked about lifespan until now.

[That’s right…… if you become a demigod, Touka, you’ll be able to spend far more years together with Seras than you can now.]

[That’s a major advantage for me……]

Still, a question arose.

[It’s a useful power…… but for something like that, I’ve never seen any demigods in this world. If it can extend lifespan, wouldn’t Vysis have created a large number of demigods to serve as his close aides?]

“Well, first of all”, Loqierra replied,

[Demigodization requires an enormous amount of power. Also, there’s a limit to how many individuals a deity can turn into demigods before reaching their own lifespan limit…… and even if a demigod dies, that slot couldn’t be recovered.]

So unlike my <Freeze>, the slots don’t open back up huh.

[That’s why we have to be cautious.]

[Unn. And more importantly, the reason deities are reluctant to use demigodization is because———– when they do, one of the organs used for Divine Magic permanently closes.]

Hearing that explanation, it made sense.

If that’s the case, it’s understandable why they wouldn’t use it lightly.

Especially someone like Vysis, she’d hate anything that comes with a downside to herself.

And yet…… Nyantan managed to make even Vysis consider demigodization.

That really shows just how capable Nyantan was……

[Also, I mentioned earlier that there were cases of Heroes from Another World becoming demigods, but leaving a hero as a demigod increases dimensional distortion. That’s why we deities tend to avoid turning heroes into demigods.]

[But thanks to Vysis’ invention, that distortion can now be corrected to some extent…… meaning that issue can be cleared, right?]

[Exactly.]

I interlaced my fingers on top of the table.

After a few moments, I relaxed my grip and asked:

[……Is this proposal purely out of kindness toward me and Seras?]

[Of course not.]

Loqierra straightened her posture, placing both hands neatly on her knees.

[Until my power returns, I want you to stay by my side and help with the duties as a deity.]

[Is your power really going to take that long to recover?]

[Ah, unn…… I can still do research, and I think I’ll regain enough power to perform the summoning ritual before the next descent of the Root of All Evil. But…… for everything else, it’s difficult.]

Loqierra gave a troubled smile.

At that point, Thesis interjected.

[For example, Wormungandr was once weakened to the brink of complete disappearance. If it weren’t for being turned into a Divine Servant by Vysis, he wouldn’t have recovered that level of combat ability by the time of this battle. And Loqierra, too, lost nearly all of her existence through the fight with Vysis. When a deity is weakened to that extent, it takes an enormous amount of time to recover. Unless, of course, they become a Divine Servant.]

Loqierra drew her shoulders inward slightly, letting out a quiet sigh.

[As long as I don’t disappear completely, I’ll recover eventually, so you could say I’m still better off……]

[But if I become a demigod, my Skills might disappear, right? I’m not good at close combat or handling weapons. Depending on what Skills I have left after demigodization, there’s a chance I won’t be much help in battle.]

[No, what I’m expecting from you isn’t your combat ability, so that’s fine. Fighting the Root of All Evil will be the job of the Heroes from Another World, and for that side of things, we have Seras.]

……Well———– that’s true.

There probably aren’t many who are stronger than Seras right now anyway.

[Ah———- also, I should mention this…… since you’d become half divine, you’d naturally be affected by the Tyrant’s Miasma.]

[……I see. That makes sense.]

[The effect would likely be somewhat reduced compared to pure deities like us but…… when it comes to fighting the Root of All Evil itself or its top-ranking subordinates, we’ll still have to rely on the Heroes from Another World.]

That, too, was only natural.

Even if demigodization extends lifespan, I wouldn’t be able to fight as a “hero” anymore.

In the battle against the Root of All Evil, I wouldn’t be of much use in direct combat either way.

In the end———— the Heroes from Another World would be necessary.

[And so, Touka…… what I’m hoping for from you is———– to act as the coordinator when we summon the Heroes from Another World.]

[In other words, you want me to take on Vysis’ role.]

[Ugh…… w- when you put it like that, it makes it sound like I’m asking something terrible…… b- but, well…… unn…… that’s basically it……! B- But that’s not all!]

Loqierra shifted her tone.

[I might make the wrong decision at some point in the future…… and when that happens, I want someone like you to be there so I can consult with you.]

[……………………]

[Touka, your Abnormal State Skills certainly are very powerful. But the way I see it——— your true value lies in your understanding, creativity, adaptability…… your sense for strategy, and your ability to deal with people outside of pure combat, that’s what I was expecting.]

[And that’s why———- you want me as a coordinator.]

[O- Of course, I’ll properly take on the role of the “Goddess”! I’ll handle explaining things to the Heroes too, I’m not trying to push everything onto you! It’s just…… having your help would be incredibly reassuring……]

With her hands still resting on her knees, Loqierra looked up at me with pleading eyes……

[……won’t you?]

[……………………]

She was really playing up the cute act……

Loqierra squeezed her eyes shut and clapped her hands together with a sharp pan.

With a posture like she was practically begging……

[If possible——— please!? More than anything, I want your help, Touka! A lifetime request from your mama!]

……Where did that “mama” come from?

———–Ah, right.

“To me, humans are like children.”

She did say something like that.

……Putting aside her actual age.

Visually, she looked far too young to be anyone’s “mother”.

Loqierra held her breath, waiting for my answer.

Thesis also remained silent, watching me calmly.

[……As I am now……]

I spoke my answer.

[For decisions that involve “us” like this…… I want to prioritize what Seras would want over my own wishes, the choice that would let me see her smile.]

……Though in the end……

That, too, was “my own wish”——— to make Seras happy.

[T- Then———–]

Loqierra slammed both hands onto the table, rising halfway out of her seat.

[I’ll confirm with Seras first, just to be sure…… but personally, I’m willing to accept.]

[Y- Yay! I did it!]

Loqierra leapt up in joy, throwing her arms into the air.

Rather than a mother, she looked more like an excited child.

[Thank you, Touka!]

[Hmph…… if you’re going to thank someone, thank Seras.]

Because of what she said——— about the difference in lifespan.

In that case…… I didn’t really have any other choice.

Thereupon, Thesis spoke.

[It seems things have been decided. Earlier, we mentioned that demigodization requires an enormous amount of power, correct?]

At that, I realized something.

[……Right. Loqierra, do you even have that kind of power left?]

[……N- No…… I don’t…… right now……]

At that, Thesis spoke up.

[In that case, I will perform Touka’s demigodization.]

……Hm?

To confirm, I asked……

[Um…… is that really alright, Thesis-sama? Not only would you be using up one of your lifetime demigodization slots, but as the second-ranked deity of Heaven, you would also have to sacrifice one of the organs used for Divine Magic, wouldn’t you?]

[I believe you are worth doing this for———– that’s all there is to it.]

[……When you put it that way, I really have to make sure I properly support Loqierra.]

Loqierra bowed her head politely.

[Thank you very much, Thesis-sama.]

[Well, most of my primary abilities have nothing to do with Divine Magic. In the first place, I rarely use such magic at all.]

Thereupon, Loqierra added an explanation for me.

[That’s something Thesis-sama can say because she possesses an unusually large number of unique abilities outside the normal systems, even among the gods. For ordinary deities like me or Vysis, having one of those organs permanently closed is actually a pretty big deal……]

“Ehhen.”, Thesis puffed out her chest proudly.

[I am quite amazing, you see.]

[Touka…… even like this, she’s actually incredible, you know?]

[———Even like this!? ……Loqierra?]

[Ugh…… s- sorry……]

……Judging by the atmosphere between the two, it seemed they had already settled things beforehand.

If I accepted, Thesis would perform the demigodization.

Thesis then cleared her throat lightly, regaining her composure.

With an almost archaic smile, she turned to me.

[Touka.]

[Yes?]

[I, too, have one important matter to discuss.]

[What is it?]

[From your transfer pouch, please take out something for today.]

[……Eh? Ah…… yes…… understood.]

An important matter…… an important matter huh……

Well, for someone ranked second in Heaven, maybe it was.

I stood up and used the magical leather pouch on the table.

[——————–]

The transfer went through properly.

But……

[……Ku…… Kukuku.]

[Fufufu……]

As if following me, Thesis let out a quiet chuckle.

Meanwhile, Loqierra looked utterly confused, as if countless question marks were floating above her head.

[Eh? W- Why is Thesis-sama laughing too……?]

[E? Well…… Touka laughed, so I assumed something interesting had been transferred……]

At that answer, Loqierra’s smile stiffened.

[Y- You’re laughing just based on the vibe that it seems interesting…… without even knowing what it is……?]

[Eh…… isn’t that the case? Touka laughed when he saw it, so…… it must be something amusing, right? Though what I’m interested in is whether it tastes good.]

Still looking at the transferred item, I spoke.

[Thesis-sama.]

Thesis straightened her back like a soldier before a superior.

[Yes!]

Probably because she was about to receive an explanation, she became oddly deferential at times like this, despite being second-ranked.

[This might be the last time this pouch is used for transfer.]

[Ehhhh…… Then I suppose I’ll return to Heaven tomorrow.]

Hearing her words, Loqierra immediately cut in.

[No, you were already planning to go back tomorrow anyway……]

[Ah, right.]

“By the way”, Loqierra said, looking at me.

[Why do you think that was the last time, Touka? Does that pouch have some kind of usage limit?]

[……No.]

Was it claiming this was a turning point?

Or that its role had been fulfilled?

Or perhaps…… it had simply “come full circle”.

It’s just……

“I had a feeling that might be the case.”

In truth, I didn’t know if this would really be the last time.

I didn’t know, but————

This appearing at this timing…… was almost too perfect.

Thereupon, Loqierra continued.

[By the way, what exactly is that food or drink that just got transferred?]

[Oh, this?]

With a slight grin, I answered.

[Cola and beef jerky.]