The Rising of Tanaka in Another World

The Worst Case Scenario

Exposed to an unprecedented crisis, Oedo, the imperial capital of the Haru Empire, was currently in the height of chaos.

Other than saving those who were injured by Morinaga’s attack, the imperial soldiers were busy with guiding people to evacuation shelters as well as organizing traffic to evacuate tourists out of the imperial capital. A part of the Oedo Castle had also been liberated and was filled with injured people as well as refugees.

Among the soldiers who were moving around in the Oedo Castle, there was also the figure of the Knight of Roses. He had helped out with the evacuation of the Imperial Family as well as the nobles who were participating in the tournament festival. Once he arrived safely at this Oedo Castle as an escort, he immediately took charge of the evacuation shelter as he was.

Even now, the wounded were being brought in one after another. The Knight of Roses was watching the scene with a grim expression, but then he noticed a lone man who was moving out of Oedo Castle, going against the flow.

「Are you going?」

Nikumen stopped at the words of the Knight of Roses, who ran up to him. However, perhaps due to his resolute determination. He did not look back.

「It is thanks to you that we were able to evacuate the Imperial Family safely. I’m grateful for your cooperation.」

Nikumen nodded briefly at the Knight of Roses’ words of gratitude and stepped forward.

「Please come back safely. I still can’t accept you letting me win, after all. Next time, please take me on without holding back.」

Nikumen did not stop his legs. He simply gave a thumbs up of consent with his right hand. And then he started running as he was. His destination was the arena, the source of this all. The Knight of Roses saw off his fading away back and prayed for his safety.

 ◇ ◇ ◇

Morinaga slowly descended from the faraway sky.

『—Now then, I don’t think there’s anything that can stop me other than that one from earlier, but I suppose I shall nip the sprouts of danger right here and now. I shall show no mercy to those who stands against me, even if it were those who received the divine protection of the God of Creation.』

As if reacting to those words of Morinaga’s, her apostles took up a battle stance. While being vigilant of Morinaga who was flying down, Yashichi and the others faced the opponents close to them.

The situation had turned into the so-called critical situation. However, in such a situation, there was one person who didn’t adhere to the loop.

「Fufufufu, I didn’t expect it to go this well. It’s going so well that I can’t stop laughing.」

The one who kept laughing eerily on their own was the apostle who served by Princess Lala’s side in this Imperial Capital. As well as the perpetrator who had falsified the truth and handed over the cursed sword Bundam to the demons.

The power balance between Morinaga and those who tried to oppose her was obvious. For Yashichi and the others, that triumphant behavior was indeed unpleasant, but as it was also a common reaction in a way, their fighting spirit didn’t waver in the slightest. In fact, the one who gave off a more dangerous vibe was the apostle.

『What you’re doing? Why don’t you quickly join the battle formation? It’s time to get rid of those things.』

Morinaga ordered the apostle who didn’t comply with her will. However, let alone obeying her words, the apostle ramped up their laughter.

「I was wondering what to do when that man showed up in this place, but to think you would be kind enough to get rid of him. I’m grateful to you for getting rid of the man I consider the most dangerous, Morinaga. With this I can proceed with my plan with peace of mind.」

At this point, Yashichi realized the worst case scenario.

「Everyone get away from here!」

But it was all too late. Almost at the same time as Yashichi shouted, that winged person revealed their true identity.

As ominous power emitted from its body, Yashichi fell into an illusion as if being crushed. No, in fact, most of them crumbled down before this power. The only ones who were alright were Yashichi, Mikoto and Kamui, those three. Even the apostles of Morinaga had similarly fallen down.

「Hey! What’s wrong with you?」

Even the superior spirit Zonmer fell from Mikoto’s shoulder and trembled heavily.

「Not good…. Even if it’s only you guys, quickly run away…. That’s….」

At that moment, Morinaga descended to the ground, and then fell to her knees as she was.

『Impossible…. Why are you here…? How did you sneak into this world?!』

「Fufufu, this world sure is full of idiots. Especially you, Morinaga, you are truly laughable. In a way, I’m here thanks to you, after all.」

The fake apostle raised their voice even higher and continued to laugh.

「Nevertheless, that power to open the barrier of the God of Creation is as expected fascinating. It’s worth the trouble of resurrecting you. In order to devour this world, I suppose I’ll accept that power.」

Eventually, half of its body gradually cracked open, revealing a black body as if it were breaking through a shell. Its shape and size was different, but Yashichi had recollection of its inorganic appearance.

「You really appeared just as my friend had predicted, huh.」

「As expected it seems that man had realized it beforehand. However, the man himself is beyond the faraway space-time. There is no one who can obstruct me anymore. I shall be sure to destroy this world without reservation.」

The only ones who could move in the face of the incarnation of Destruction were the three otherworlders who were less susceptible to the influence of Gods. The world was heading towards the worst possible scenario.

 ◇ ◇ ◇

–It was a world of total darkness with nothing there.

He didn’t remember when he started walking anymore. He simply single-mindedly kept walking and walking.

Where was he headed to? Which way was forward or backward? He was even losing his sense of above and below.

The world shrouded in total darkness simply continued on as usual.

And then, it was unknown around how much time that had passed. He saw a small light ahead of him. It was a change he had finally found in the borderline insane world where nothing changed.

Tanaka started to run. He ran as hard as he could with the single-minded will of getting out of this empty world.

The light was gradually getting bigger. It was so bright that he couldn’t tell what there was beyond it. Even so, he wished nothing but getting out of this nothing but darkness world, so he jumped into the light.

And there was–.

「Gufufufu, I believed we’d meet again.」

It was a huge body reminiscent of a professional wrestler known as the great giant. Tanaka knew that man, whose bursting muscles were covered by a pink apron.

「You are! Warden Muchisuki!」

「Gufufufu, so you remember me, huh. I’ve felt it since the moment I saw your eyes for the first time, you know? The so-called red string of fate.」

Warden Muchisuki sidled up to Tanaka with a happy expression on his face. The whip grasped in his hand was hopping as if expressing what was in his mind.

「S, stop it! Don’t come over here!」

Tanaka backed away. However, the distance between him and warden Muchisuki never widened. Blushing in embarrassment, that impactful face was gradually coming closer–.

 ◇ ◇ ◇

「Whoaahhhh!」

Tanaka jumped up to his feet. He felt cold sweats trickling down his back.

「It, it was a dream, huh. Scaring the shit out of me.」

It might have been a dream, but as it was such a terrifying experience, even now he was still shaken to the point he could hear his own heart beat.

「W, well, the truth is, I’m not scared at all, though. I get it, after all. That the performance to liven up the scene is important.」

Starting to make excuses even though no one was there. It was truly the usual Tanaka. That attitude of never losing sight of himself as a little man in any situation was truly something worth learning.

「Nevertheless, who the hell was it? The one who designed that terrifying dream? It’s the worst possible scenario, isn’t it?! Given the situation, shouldn’t it have been Imperial Princess-chan or Angel-chan who appeared in naked apron?!」

He couldn’t help but feel indignant.

「Shouldn’t it have been Imperial Princess-chan or Angel-chan who appeared in naked apron?!」

It was an important matter so it ought to be emphasized. And then, while he was having this philosophical thought, Tanaka gradually regained his composure.

「Come to think of it, what was it that I was doing, again? If I remember it correctly, I was in the middle of doing kyakya ufufu with Angel-chan….」

Tanaka began to have the composure to look at his surroundings. There, he was suddenly assailed by a strong sense of discomfort. There he saw a huge sky as far as the eye could see.

「W, what the! Hell is this place?!」

Although he was standing on the ground, he was too much surrounded by the sky. Tanaka got down on all fours in panic to brace his body.

He was atop a hemispherical ground that reminded him of the dome-shaped playground equipment in a park. Standing atop the neatly grown lawn did feel good, but he had no time for it right now. It was because he couldn’t see anything that resembled that of a ground other than the small mountain he was standing on. He felt as if he was standing on the ground floating in the sky.

「So scary! If I had turned over in my sleep, I would have fallen off, wouldn’t I?!」

Tanaka, who had led a life of being able to fly through the sky for a long time, felt the fear of heights for the first time in a while. However, now that he was awake, it didn’t matter anymore.

Regaining his composure, Tanaka tried to grasp the situation he was in again.

「Hmm? Is this a star… I wonder?」

Tanaka perceived through a mysterious sense that this place was a small star.

This place reminded him of the small star that was said to be where the God who watched over the galaxy resided at. However, it was definitely not that star. It was because he didn’t recall ever running along a long road shaped like that of a snake’s back, nor did he feel gravity ten times greater than that of the earth.

Tanaka stood up and began to walk atop this small star.

A bright blue sky even though there was no sun. Cheap-looking cloud-like something floating around here and there.

「Somehow…, it’s so like a fake world.」

The beautifully grown lawn continued on the ground, but there was a change around the exact opposite side of the place he was first at.

What was there was a small house that was no higher than Tanaka’s knees. In front of it was a similarly small pond the size of a table. And on the edge of the sandy beach was a line of small beach chairs, where he found the figures of the whole members of hamster 26 relaxing.