Chapter 112
Long, long ago, the Goddess of Life created humans.
She was very fond of her creations and brought forth various Deities to properly care for them.
It was a time of peace and beauty.
That is, until Primordial Evil, the only Deity not created alongside the Goddess of Life, also took a great liking to humans.
Thus began a long, drawn-out war that would last for millennia.
The Evil God and the Pantheon fought endlessly, again and again.
Both Primordial Evil and the Goddess of Life were immensely powerful Deities, so if they fought, mutual destruction was the only outcome. However, it was humans who tipped that balance.
Where human faith in the Gods now leaned became the crux of everything.
Who would win, the Goddess of Life or the Evil God, now rests in the hands of humans.
And just as I have heard, up to this point.
“Why is someone like you in such a state?”
I couldn't help but ask.
The Goddess of Grace was, by no means, in a good state.
It was blasphemous to say, but I felt like she would die if I so much as poked her.
At my words, the Goddess of Grace offered a bitter smile.
A thousand years ago, the Evil God and I, as always, had a great battle, and then I was murdered by the Evil God's hand.
“You died?”
Yes. And because of that, the Goddess of Life's Self and Authority were separated, scattering throughout the Spirit Realm.
Lilia of Grace quietly pointed to herself.
I am the Self. And the Goddess of Life's Authority is held by the being standing behind you.
I looked at Asmodeus, who was manifested and standing behind me.
*The Goddess of Life's Authority*, huh?
Well, that's good then.
“You might as well just take it now. Quickly!”
If I could, wouldn't I have done so already?
Lilia looked at Asmodeus with a hint of pity.
She serves you as her Master, but that Fallen Angel from Hell still holds some command over her. Authority in a corrupted state can never truly be mine.
“A Fallen Angel?”
That's how Hell came to be. There was a Traitor in the Heavenly Realm.
After saying this much, Lilia trembled with fury.
The Deities standing behind her quickly supported her trembling body.
Lilia took several deep breaths, as if trying to compose herself, then looked at me, bowed her head apologetically, and continued her story.
The Evil God succeeded in murdering the Goddess of Life, but the damage it sustained was by no means small. While the Evil God, its Deity severely shrunken, fled into the Abyss and went into hiding, the Benevolent Deities of the Pantheon began to gather the Goddess of Life's deities from across the Spirit Realm. And at the forefront of that effort was her Archangel, who could detect the divine fragments of the Goddess of Life.
“No way.”
Yes, exactly. We never imagined that the Archangel, whom the Goddess of Life once trusted most, would betray her there. Perhaps, seeing the immense God's Authority of the God they served right before their eyes, they felt an irresistible desire. That's what happened. The Archangel seized the Goddess of Life's Authority and fell.
Lilia looked not at the sky.
But down at the ground briefly.
Now, no one calls him Archangel anymore. He is now called the Demon King of Pride. And for the same reason, the being behind you is not called the Goddess of Life's Authority, but the Demon King of Lust. It's also why the Evil God of the Abyss and the Demon Kings of Hell call me a whore.
A being who, without any will of her own, would wield Authority for anyone she perceived as her Master.
Given what Hell and the Abyss had done to Lilia, it was nothing short of a terrible insult.
I looked at Asmodeus, who still stood silently behind me.
*The Goddess of Life's Authority*, huh.
It was truly a relief that she wasn't a Demon King.
But the problem was, why such a being was serving *me* as her Master?
“Why is the Authority that the Demon King of Pride coveted enough to betray the Heavenly Realm now in my hands?”
Because the Demon King of Pride voluntarily gave up and released that Authority, though it was by no means a choice he made willingly.
“What exactly happened?”
Three hundred years ago, the Evil God and Hell joined forces and waged war against the Pantheon. Asmodeus having two Masters was the root of all problems at that time.
Wait a minute.
She had two Masters?
“Does that mean Lucifer handed over control of Asmodeus to someone other than himself? And to a Human, at that?”
Yes. Lucifer alone controlling everything about the Demon King of Lust was an inefficient method because it was wartime. Imagine two of the strongest horses always having to stay together. So, he had to create another Master, allowing her to move separately from Lucifer.
“Then why entrust her to a human, who is so easily corrupted?”
Lilia smiled faintly at my question.
Lucifer himself is the one who stole the Goddess of Life's Authority from the Pantheon and fled. Could he have entrusted Asmodeus to another Deity? He must have thought that deity might follow in his footsteps. He decided it was better to use a Human who could be controlled through Brainwashing, even with the risk of corruption.
When Lucifer heard that, it made perfect sense from his perspective.
“So, was the Evil God trying to draw that corrupted Human Master to its side? And to wield the Goddess of Life's Authority this time?”
No. That couldn't happen. Lucifer was very cautious. He created a new Master, but he still held half of the control. He did that to prepare for the new Master going berserk. Even if the Evil God had made Asmodeus's Human Master its own, it would have been impossible to control her as it pleased.
“Then for what purpose...?”
The Evil God instilled endless arrogance into the heart of Asmodeus's Human Master. It continuously incited him to cross the line. As he wielded the immense Goddess's Authority, combined with the Evil God's impulses, he ultimately did something he shouldn't have.
“Did he perhaps clash with Hell?”
Similar, yet different. He tried to murder the Demon King of Greed. He intended to murder him and feed him to Asmodeus, to wield even greater power.
It was a power that even Lucifer, an Archangel, couldn't resist and succumbed to.
There was no way a mere human could have resisted such temptation.
Ultimately, the Demon King of Greed had no choice but to kill Asmodeus's Human Master. And that became a problem. Asmodeus sought revenge on the one who murdered her Master. That must have been one of her strongest instincts for her, who had no self.
“You mean Asmodeus fought against all of Hell?”
Yes. In the end, Lucifer and the other Demon Kings did win. Asmodeus's Deity was severely wounded and fell into the Human Realm, disappearing. But the price was that the Demon Kings were also no longer in a state to continue the war.
It was at that moment I understood why the Three Demon Lords, despite making such great sacrifices, never tried to kill me.
While that internal conflict was happening, the Pantheon was able to regroup and plan a Counterattack, and both the Evil God and the wounded Hell retreated willingly. And for 300 years, a balance was maintained.
If Hell tried to swallow the Pantheon, the Evil God would interfere.
If the Evil God tried to swallow the Pantheon, Hell would interfere.
Conversely, if the Pantheon gathered faith and moved to destroy either the Evil God or Hell, Hell and the Evil God would unite.
And Hell and the Evil God never fought so fiercely as to mutually annihilate each other.
That was the story of the precarious yet solid balance that had been maintained for 300 years.
For 300 years after that, no one knew where Asmodeus was. Neither the Pantheon, nor Hell, nor the Evil God were all busy checking each other and watching for opportunities. Then, all too suddenly, you appeared, Amael.
Finally, I learned all the hidden circumstances.
And after hearing this long, long story, one thing naturally became clear to me.
...The threat to throw me into Hell because the Demon King of Lust resided in my soul— That wasn't you, Goddess, was it?
From the Pantheon's perspective, I would never have been an enemy.
There was no reason at all to threaten to send me to Hell.
Lilia nodded at my conjecture.
It was the Evil God. Not me.
“And that prophecy, that I would die by the hands of those I love, was a fake prophecy given by the Evil God and Hell, wasn't it?”
Respond slowly to my immediate follow-up question.
A God stepped forward.
I could tell he was the God of Prophecy by the eye-shaped emblem floating above his head.
And the God of Prophecy...
That prophecy was indeed given by me.
betrayed my expectations.
“...Huh?”
And it will surely come to pass. You will be murdered by the hands of the women you love.
At those words, I felt my blood run cold.
My legs lost their strength.
I staggered.
“S-save me. I don't want to die!! All of this is too heavy!! Take Asmodeus away! Please!! I don't want that kind of ending!! How can I avoid that prophecy!!”
The God of Prophecy shook his head.
There is no way to escape your fate, because that fate will be brought about by your own will, and no one else's in this World.
“Ah...”
I felt dizzy and collapsed onto the floor.
Wild grasses and flowers, blooming profusely, swayed wildly around me.
“Why are you doing this to me? Why are you really...?”
Rufiel approached me and slowly placed a hand on my shoulder.
It was a gentle, careful touch, as if to comfort me.
My deluded Child. My Child who will suffer alone. My prophecy will protect you. In the final moment, you will be saved by my prophecy.
I sharply slapped Rufiel's hand away.
Tears streamed down my face.
Resentment and fury completely seized my heart.
“You're Gods!! You're great Gods!! What kind of Gods can't save a single human!! What did I do so wrong? What did I do so wrong to be tormented like this!! Why!!”
Lilia and the other Gods quickly stepped forward.
[You bastard!! Watch your language!! Do you want to hurl such abuse at a child who's already struggling!!]
Dulanere even went so far as to punch Rufiel.
Numerous Gods surrounded me.
They embraced me, who was sobbing.
I'm sorry, Amael. I'm so, so sorry. Rufiel is... a being difficult even for the Pantheon Deities to understand. He is one who observes the distant future and countless possibilities. But one thing is clear. The future you imagine as the worst might not be it.
Lilia's voice came, filled with comfort.
A prophecy's outcome can change completely depending on how it's interpreted. I don't know what future Rufiel saw to say such a thing, but he would never say it to harm you.
The God of Justice, Rophus, continued Lilia's words.
And even if the outcome of that prophecy is the worst you can imagine, we will change your outcome and your fate. I swear upon my name and existence, Amael. I will not let you be unhappy. By any means necessary, I will strive to change your fate.
And at those words, all the other Deities also agreed.
By secrets and darkness, I swear too. I will never forget the pain and sorrow you have endured. I promise to do anything to change your fate.
I swear by moonlight. I will do the same.
I promise, by the number of those fucking bastards from Hell and the Abyss I've slaughtered so far. Amael, I, Dulanere, will never forget your sacrifice. I will surely change your outcome to a happy one.
Oaths poured forth from each Deity.
At those words, I was finally able to relax a little.
I wiped away my tears and stood up.
I looked at the Pantheon Deities.
...What must I do now? Does it still end with martyrdom? Must I continue to search for a being who will destroy my soul?
Just as I asked that question.
Amael!
[The Passage is closing!!]
[That damned arrogant bastard!!]
The simultaneous screams of Asmodeus and the Pantheon Deities rang out.
And at the same time, my body suddenly grew heavy.
“Gah!”
As if punched in the solar plexus.
I had to curl up and collapse onto the floor.
Lilia screamed towards Asmodeus.
[Reduce the outpouring of Authority! The Saint's Body is being damaged!!]
[Underst...]
At Asmodeus's words, I frantically waved my hand.
Even if my body broke, I had to hear the answer.
“What must I do!! How can I escape my miserable fate!! How can I achieve a happy ending!!”
The Gods of the Pantheon began to disappear one by one.
The connection between the Heavenly Realm and the Human Realm was being severed.
[Asmodeus's Left Wing!! Destroy the black-stained wing on the left!!]
Uttering that last, scream-like word, the God of Justice, Rophus, disappeared.
There are still two unrecovered Deities on the Mortal Realm that have not fallen into the Evil God's hands!! Find them! They will destroy the wing!!
Those were Lilia's last words.
“How do I find the remaining two Deities?”
I tasted blood in my mouth, then vomited a large amount.
My body was breaking down from the intense Authority Asmodeus was emitting.
Still, I didn't stop.
Only two Deities remained to give me answers.
Dulanere.
And Rufiel.
The two Gods you must find are the God of Courage and the God of Endurance!! The Gods will be found where the virtues they govern gather!! This arrogant bastard, fuck!!...
Dulanere disappeared with a curse.
And finally.
Rufiel remained.
Go through the Narrow Gate. Therein lies salvation. Do not forget my prophecy. In the final moment, it will save you.
Rufiel disappeared.
And then.
[Remember the sensation of giving me commands!!]
Asmodeus disappeared.
All the pressure that had surrounded me vanished at once.
All I could feel was the scent of wild grasses and flowers.
And then
“Oh, Gods...”
“What in the world did I just witness?”
“Ah, Saint.”
It was the sight of countless Paladins kneeling before me.
At that sight, I had to smile bitterly.
*Anyone* would think I'm a Saint now.