[Chapter 175: The Salvation Bestowed By The God Of Humanity]

Doll.

An artificial being with a self, created by the now-lost ancient technology.

Historically, the empire employed such beings as protectors to safeguard humanity, keeping their existence a strict secret from the outside world.

Although fragments of their presence could be found in various myths and legends, only a few humans ever truly knew that these beings were actually dolls.

'And you, upon first seeing me, immediately recognized my true nature, which is known only to a select few within humanity.'

However, Phobia, the commander of the beastmen, detected her true nature by scent alone, instantly discerning it.

For even a beastman with an acute sense of smell, distinguishing someone created to mimic humans in all aspects by scent alone was no easy task.

Yet, being able to make such a distinction meant he must have encountered a similar being or at least a trace of one in the past.

'You...'

And as far as she knew, there were two main categories of those who were aware of the dolls' existence.

One was the legitimate heirs of the Orion Empire.

'Were you, perhaps, a priest of Friga?'

The other was those who held high positions within the Order that had supported the Empire for generations.

'...Since you already seem aware of the secrets of the beastmen, there's no point in hiding it any longer.'

With such a confident question, he confessed his identity after a brief hesitation.

'Yes, as you said... I was once the leader of the Order's paladins. As a result of seeking power to protect the Order, I have fallen into this state.'

'That's impossible. Are you saying the Order led the experiments to apply the witches' research to humans?!'

It was an absurd notion.

No matter how much catastrophe had befallen this world and humanity was in peril, the idea that the Order, of all groups, conducted experiments on its own priests was unthinkable.

Furthermore, the fact that the beastmen were branded as enemies of humanity implied that the Order tried to erase the traces of their 'failed experiments' by labeling them as such.

'It is a thing of the past. Now, there are no traces left of the connection between our tribe and the Order.'

'There can't be no connection. How could they do such things in the name of serving God...? Moreover, trying to expel and cover it up without revealing it to the outside is a clear betrayal, isn't it?'

For her, this truth was inevitably a great shock.

A priest must always maintain purity and nobility, and to uphold such beliefs with absolute conviction, she had chosen to genuinely serve even an illusory being.

To that end, she had allowed her deeds for humanity to be written as myths.

Even if she served as nothing more than a vessel, she had accepted the position of god if it meant people could find solace in her.

'You, as humanity's guardian, may find it hard to overlook, but this is a settled matter.'

But faith depended on mystery and the unknown to survive.

Even knowing that the being before him was a guardian, the paladin, who did not realize she was the original form of God, coldly ignored her cries.

'The Order, in its quest to obtain power to protect humanity, tampered with the witches' research that they had preserved...'

His words, separate from the main topic, were extremely calm.

'It began merely as an effort to prevent such things from happening in future generations, but as the situation grew increasingly dire, it led us to experiment with many things.'

Despite having reason to harbor anger and hatred toward humanity for abandoning them, he simply showed an intention to accept everything and adapt to the present.

That would be the same for the other first-generation beasts as well.

'If the path we have taken through such experiments leads to abandoning our humanity, then accepting it is also something that those who serve God must bear.'

Thus, they would never claim they were once human.

Even if they had lost their human appearance and were reviled by humanity as corrupted beings in order to protect that secret until the grave, maintaining that silence was necessary to avoid succumbing to the madness inherent in their nature—proof of their remaining humanity.

'...Then why have you come to oppose humanity now?'

Why did they not live in hiding and, instead, increase their numbers and become another enemy of humanity?

Phobia responded to that question with a calm demeanor.

'Even for us who have fallen into beasts, the emotion of love exists.'

Love.

They, who had become beasts, understood better than anyone that it wasn't an emotion exclusive to humans.

'We have relied on each other and formed bonds to survive in this harsh world. The emotions formed from that are even stronger than when we fought catastrophes while serving God.'

Even though they were born with the strength of beasts, the hardships they faced, not being perfected beings like heroes, were beyond words.

The bonds formed to survive such hardships and the importance of their fruits could only be more cherished, having abandoned everything.

'And our children, born from that... They grew up feeding on the hatred we unknowingly harbored.'

Yes, even if they kept the truth a secret, the fact that humanity had abandoned them could not be denied.

No matter how much they endured, if it wasn't perfect, dissatisfaction would inevitably be expressed externally, and children who learned that dissatisfaction would eventually awaken hatred towards humanity.

That was the beginning of the 'Anti-Human Alliance,' a catastrophe created by humanity itself.

'...If our descendants chose to fight humanity, shouldn't we who decided to live for them also support them?'

A deviation intended to resist this harsh world, a secret born of faith, and the love that blossomed from it...

The first generation, who had resolved to become monsters for humanity's sake, ultimately had no choice but to become their enemies to retain their humanity.

To protect what they had in the present, they would even trample and burn their homeland with their own hands.

'Isn't there any way... to stop this?'

The guardian, sensing that such conflicts would soon lead to catastrophe, asked the beast with a human heart desperately.

'Even now, if we reveal everything...'

'Guardian of humanity, from your perspective, we too are beings that must be protected.'

But if a few words could change the situation, things wouldn't have gotten this divided in the first place.

The paladin, who retained his faith despite becoming a beast, showed an unwillingness to prioritize anything over his faith.

'But we have come too far to understand each other. No matter how much we resolve to carry the Order's secrets to the grave, if it leads to this kind of price, then those who defiled themselves must bear that burden.'

Thus, he declared, their first target would be none other than their own homeland.

The beastman, having turned his back on her, vowed to continue down the path he had always walked.

'...If you truly care for humanity and see us as humans too, I hope you will not interfere in our fight.'

If she would truly see them as human and regard them as worthy of salvation, he urged her to act as a "bystander" and simply watch their struggle.

Yes, that was the full conversation she had with him six months ago.

In the six months since then, Francheska had been mindful of the time when they would inevitably clash with humanity.

If the beastmen were truly a disaster born of humanity's most noble, then as humanity's guardian, it was her duty to witness the outcome of their misdeeds.

Even if their actions brought harm to humanity, if that was humanity's chosen fate, then accepting that future was also something she, as their guardian, had to bear.

"But... this is not right."

But what did she encounter upon entering this land?

It was the sight of priests, who sought to maintain nobility through serving God, falling into grotesque beings for some reason.

"This was not what I hoped for when I sent you away."

Why had the corruption of the priests, which should have been limited to a few and kept a strict secret, spread throughout the sanctuary?

Beyond that, why were the remnants of witches' forbidden research intertwined with parasitic beings infiltrating human society?

Unfortunately, Francheska, who had just set foot on this land, had no way of knowing.

There was only one thing she could guess.

None of this was natural—it was all the result of some malignant force, and it seemed likely that transcendent beings currently swaying humanity were involved.

"Vampires..."

In her time, these beings had never posed much of a threat.

If they had, for some reason, unleashed a widespread pandemic upon the people of this land, and if the beastmen waiting to strike had been caught up in it...

"Are you the ones behind this?"

Whatever the case, now that things had come to this, she could no longer act as a mere bystander.

If it were a fight between humanity and humanity, it would be something they must handle themselves, but if transcendent beings were involved, then everyone on this land deserved to be called victims.

If the only salvation allowed to such victims was peace, then she would have to provide that peace herself...

-Kiyaoaa! Aaaaagh!

One of those victims screamed and charged at her as she entered the residence of the Pope, slaughtering grotesque creatures along the way.

This one was different from the monsters she had encountered on the streets.

A grotesque fusion of multiple beasts, hardened into massive form, charged at her.

Two heads, with jaws made up of countless smaller mouths, screamed with a chilling resonance that echoed like a crowd.

-Shwik!

Francheska wrapped the creature's extended hand in threads, dodging to the side and binding its leg.

The redirected force pulled the threads tightly, turning them into sharp, slicing blades.

The threads encircling the severed limbs erupted in a series of blue lightning explosions.

-Popopopong!

Leaving the grotesque being to burn without even a scream, she gathered her strength while staring at the shadows cast over the residence of the Pope.

What appeared before her were even more menacing and enormous grotesque beings blocking her path compared to those she had encountered before.

"...If you have found solace in me, then it is also my duty to take responsibility for the outcome that has come of it."

The doll saw fragments of their former humanity in them, but she ultimately turned away, gathering her strength.

If their current state was the result of their sins, then bearing that outcome together was also part of her duty.

"Francheska, the Hunting Doll."

Yes, the only salvation allowed to them was peace.

With that realization, the guardian of humanity declared at this moment.

"From this moment on, I will begin the extermination of the transcendent beings."

As a god who existed for their sake.

She would directly deliver salvation to the lost lambs seeking redemption.

And as they neared the sanctuary's exit.

-Kiyaaa!!! Kyaoaaa!

The relentless screams still emanating from the residence of the Pope made the entire expedition team tense up repeatedly.

Of course, the sound was only coming from behind them.

All the grotesque beings up to the exit had been thoroughly chopped up and burned, so it was believed that there would be no problem leaving this place.

But...

"You all return to the Empire first."

At this moment, before the exit, I decided to stay behind instead of leaving with the expedition team and prepared to turn my back on them.

I turned towards the direction where the endless screams were coming from.

"What? Hero, what are you...?"

"Don't worry. I'm not staying here for no reason."

After answering them, I quietly unfolded the note in my hand and took a moment to read its contents again.

[Read this when you've entered the sanctuary and are about to leave it.]

"...I have something to do here."

At the moment we reached the sanctuary's exit, as Airi had suggested, I felt it was finally time to act according to its instructions.

[Chapter 176] 

Choosing to stay behind when the opportunity to escape safely presented itself was a decision anyone would deem foolish.

Even though they might have tried to dissuade me, the expedition members respected my choice and prepared to leave.

Their sense of camaraderie alone wasn't enough reason to stay in such a dangerous place, and, after all, they too had homes and families they needed to protect, so they wanted to avoid unnecessary risk.

"...Sorry, everyone. I can't go back with you."

"No, Hero, I'm sure you have your reasons."

Sanson, representing the expedition, showed respect and a hint of bitterness.

As he stood at the exit and looked up at the residence of the Pope, there was a vague sense of concern in his gaze.

"But before we part, may I ask you one thing?"

That worry was no doubt directed at the girl who had entered there ahead of us.

The question made me pause, my steps halting as I turned my head toward him.

"About Flang's power... Did you already know about her true identity, Hero?"

Come to think of it, he had likely seen the extent of her power when I lost consciousness.

Seeing all the grotesque creatures slaughtered by that small body, he probably couldn't even imagine following her into such danger.

"I'll explain when I get back."

And I too realized, seeing where she had gone, that I couldn't stand by her side.

The reason I stayed here was purely because Airi's guidance led me into this city.

Although I couldn't be sure if it would lead me to that girl, the vague certainty that I had to follow the note's guidance was all that moved me now.

"...Yes, then we'll see you at the capital."

With that, the expedition members wished me luck as they set off in their carriage, leaving me behind.

After turning my back on them, I entered the city and unfolded the note Airi had left me.

[The future I predicted was that the entire expedition would safely escape the fallen sanctuary and return to the Empire.]

The first line implied that I, too, would have left this city with the others.

This suggested that I had now deviated from that prophecy, but below it, the note contained a much longer message.

[However, due to the events that took place there, the transcendent being who was with you may have had a whim. I'm sure you, Hyo-sung, are more aware of this as you read this note.]

Indeed, Flang could be called a transcendent, and I hadn't expected her actions to unfold this way.

Airi's predictions were always vulnerable to whims brought about by a transcendent's intervention.

The note was written considering the possibility that the future I was supposed to follow might change due to Flang's whims.

[If the intended prophecy has really changed... Personally, I would advise you to immediately destroy this note and leave that place quickly. The future with a transcendent's intervention is an 'unknown territory' that no one can predict.]

[However, I hope you will continue your mission as a savior. My duty, as someone who is supposed to assist you, is not to impose absolute safety or danger, but to provide you with choices.]

Whether to choose safety or to pursue the path of a savior despite the risk.

Realizing I had two choices now that the future had changed, I swallowed dryly and turned to the next page.

[Considering the twisted future, I will give you two choices.]

[If you don't want to take the risk, please return to the capital with the expedition. Although you won't all return together, this alone will ensure the safety of both the expedition and you.]

The first choice was a strong temptation for me.

I couldn't handle the problems that had arisen here on my own, and although I was worried about Flang, who had entered this place for some reason, her power was beyond what I could match.

Moreover, Airi, who left this note, was about to give birth.

We were scheduled to get married, and entering a death trap while leaving that future behind would inevitably test many things.

But...

[However, if you still choose to pursue your mission despite not knowing what awaits ahead...]

If she offered an alternative choice, I had to at least see what it entailed.

[Enter the location specified in this note, and at the destination, meet a certain person. Hearing their story will greatly influence your next course of action.]

"...A survivor?"

A survivor. That was the first thought that came to mind after reading that phrase.

If I were to meet someone and hear their story, it could imply that there were still people alive in this city, now overrun by grotesque creatures.

Whether such a survivor could truly exist in this city was uncertain, but if Airi's prophecy mentioned it, there had to be some basis for it.

[After hearing their story, I leave it up to you to decide what to do next. Please, return safely...]

I had various other questions, but the note did not contain any further advice.

Ultimately, I realized that the final decision was mine to make, and I quietly moved my gaze forward.

Following the map, I arrived at an entrance leading to the sewers running through the city.

The place where rainwater and wastewater flowed was the darkest part of this sacred land.

-Kiyaoaa! Kyaoaahh!

At that moment, a fierce scream echoed from the residence of the Pope.

As the shadows of hidden grotesque creatures once again filled the streets, a growing sense of urgency began to arise in my heart.

I thought it would indeed be difficult to survive in this city alone, and I wondered if the girl who entered the residence of the Pope alone was safe.

"...Whatever the case, I have to go."

But this, too, was a risk I had to endure to become the savior she spoke of.

Suppressing such conflicts, I stepped into the entrance of the sewer.

With a vague hope that the girl who had left me would be safe, and that everything would work out in the end.

-Squelch, squelch.

As expected, the lower parts of the sewer were filled with a dark, damp atmosphere.

The stagnant water in the channels emitted the sticky, foul sensation of filth, and the scent of blood in the air suggested it came from living beings.

Suppressing my discomfort, I summoned a weapon inscribed with runes, illuminating my way with its light as I proceeded further down the sewer.

After a while...

-Kaaahhh!

I flinched, and my body stiffened at the scream coming from the other side.

As I raised my light-emitting weapon, I saw something crash its head into the wall as it emerged from the corner.

-Thud, thud!

The grotesque creature repeatedly slammed its large body into the wall.

Like the creatures I had encountered before, it had the form of a beast, but its body was covered in something more like feathers than fur.

More like a bird than a beast... A crow?

-Kyaaoh! Aaaah!

As I raised my guard and aimed my weapon, the creature's gaze gradually shifted toward me, sensing the light.

From the center of its feather-covered head, blood-red tears flowed, and its beak was sharper than the sword in my hand.

The saliva dripping from the deformed teeth inside its beak indicated that what it felt towards me was hunger.

-Kaa, kaaah...

The creature, having noticed me, took an unsteady step forward with its twisted feet.

Damn, hoping the sewers would be safe was a mistake.

I wanted to avoid a fight if possible, but there was no choice. As I imbued my weapon with mana and prepared for battle, a voice emerged from the creature's beak.

"Fa... miliar."

The voice that escaped from the creature's twisted beak wasn't a mere beast's cry.

It was intelligible speech.

"Familiar... scent..."

What? Could it be a creature retaining consciousness?

No, even if it retained consciousness, that didn't necessarily mean it wasn't hostile.

So I had to keep my guard up and observe as the crow-like creature, crouching on the ground, began to exert force on its body.

"Agh, ahhh...!"

With a painful groan, its body began to change gradually.

The body, which was twice my size, shrank rapidly with a crunching sound until it was the size of an adult man.

The feathers that covered it disappeared as if they were sinking into its skin, leaving behind pale, colorless flesh.

"Heugh, heugh."

Finally, the grotesque creature that had reverted to human form looked up at me, breathing heavily.

Confirming that a creature had reverted to a person—a situation I hadn't anticipated—was disorienting.

"Hey, can you hear me? Hey!"

Still wary of potential danger, I demanded an answer while standing in place, and the man began to slowly lift his fallen body towards me.

"A familiar voice... I wondered who it was, and it turns out it was you?"

"Wait, you are...?"

"Haha. I didn't mean to, but I've shown you an unsightly appearance."

The man lifted his head with a burst of laughter.

Though soaked in sweat and blood, his face was familiar to me.

Although I hadn't met him many times, every encounter had left a striking impression... because he was a vampire.

"It's been a while, young man. Have you been well?"

Virgil Huntress.

A notorious fugitive and vampire in the Empire.

"Mr. Virgil, why on earth...?"

Why was he here, and why had he taken the form of a grotesque creature, thrashing about in the sewers?

In response to my bewilderment, he chuckled nonchalantly and replied.

"It's nothing much. I was investigating some personal matters... and ended up getting severely beaten."

"Beaten... here?"

"Living a long life isn't always a good thing. My thoughts have become rigid... and I was slow to react to an unexpected counterattack."

Virgil spat blood from his mouth and glanced down at his hand.

Noticing the feathers sprouting from it, he gave a wry smile and directed his weary gaze towards me.

"Isn't it funny? A noble of the night, claiming to be noble and beautiful, reduced to rolling in filth, abandoned in the depths of the underground."

Even while facing me, his body convulsed.

The crunching sounds from various parts of his body indicated that he was consciously suppressing the transformation back to his grotesque form.

Though he recognized me and temporarily regained some sanity, he was on the brink of reverting at any moment.

"Anyway... why are you here?"

Despite his deteriorating state, he looked at me directly.

Even though he knew he might fall back into that grotesque form and never return to normal...

"You've likely seen what has happened in this city... So, why don't you forget about this place and go in search of your love?"

Struggling to maintain control over himself, he waited for my answer, his expression filled with anguish.

Before him, I quietly took out the note and compared its contents with the person before me, speaking softly.

"...There is something I want to hear from you."

"From me, you say?"

"Yes, anything."

The note clearly referred to him.

Though it was a stretch to call him a survivor, as I initially thought, he was the only being in this land with whom I could communicate.

"Haha, I see... Following the words of that fortune teller girl, you've come to hear this old man's last words."

And he, too, seemed to grasp the situation, seeing the note in my hand.

Then, turning his back to me, he began to walk down the dark corridor with trembling steps.

"This isn't a good place for a conversation... Follow me; I'll answer your questions."

Despite his trembling as if he could collapse at any moment, his steps were unwavering in direction.

Before following him, I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I was holding and asked him the most pressing question.

"...Who?"

Why had the people in the sanctuary all turned into grotesque creatures, and what connection did the vampires and beastmen have with this place?

And why had he ventured into this place, only to end up in such a wretched state?

"Do you know who is behind all of this?"

I asked, hoping to confirm the mastermind behind it all.

Chapter [177]

"Who is the mastermind...?"

A faint cough followed the question.

"Who is the one behind all this, and who is the root of all evil...?"

Virgil, pushing through the strain, responded to my question with a weary voice.

"...I wonder if it even matters to ask such things now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"It means we're far too insignificant to justify searching for a reason. If you really want to find a cause, you'll see that ultimately, everyone is both a victim and a perpetrator."

As he said those words, his body strained.

He leaned against the wall, breathing deeply, trying to bear the pain.

"Mr. Virgil, are you okay?"

"Haha, are you worried about this body?"

Virgil, sweating coldly, looked back at me.

Even though he seemed on the verge of transforming back into a grotesque creature, his gaze towards me showed kindness.

"I am a being who deserves to be called evil from a human's perspective like yours... Yet your concern for me feels so precarious..."

As if he was worried I might get hurt by approaching him.

Yes, there was a risk of being caught in his rampage even now, but still, I chose to approach him and support his body.

"Surely, it's hard to see you as a good person..."

I wasn't just throwing myself recklessly.

After all, he reverted from being a grotesque creature as soon as he recognized me and even now was trying to suppress his rampage.

"Still, I have to hear your story. That's why I came here."

Supporting his body at this moment was an action I could take because I was sure he wasn't an enemy.

As long as he still had his sanity, I believed he wouldn't harm me of his own will.

"...That's the right attitude."

At my words, he gave a faint, bitter smile and, with my support, slowly began to move his feet.

"Instead of judging others, focusing on your own survival first... Isn't that the ideal way to live in this harsh world?"

Seemingly comforted by my presence, Virgil calmed his convulsions and, with a more at-ease expression, allowed me to continue supporting him through the dark, damp sewer.

-Screeeech!!

We left behind the hideous screams echoing from every direction.

Seeking a place where I could learn the root of everything.

After wandering in the darkness for a long time, we arrived at a large underground room of a building.

Thankfully, we didn't encounter any monstrous threats along the way, but even upon arrival, this place didn't feel welcoming.

Everywhere, bloodstained remnants and vast pools of blood at the entrance hinted at some grim incident that had taken place.

"Here..."

"This is the sanctum where the church provides holy water."

Virgil stepped forward, as if to guide me to the location, shaking off my support.

The patterns carved on the walls and floor, starting from the drained sewer, indicated that this place was once considered highly sacred within the sanctuary.

In the center of the room was a fountain that stood out the most.

"The followers living in this sanctuary gather periodically in the basement of the cathedral to receive holy water and be baptized... In reality, it's just purified water processed through religious rituals..."

However, contrary to the name 'holy water,' the fountain exuded nothing but revulsion instead of sanctity.

Instead of sacredness, it was filled to the brim with blood... and crushed flesh, as though someone had ground people into it.

"I wouldn't touch it if I were you. Just one sip, and you'd end up like me."

At that warning, I froze, my body tensing reflexively.

When I looked to the side, I saw him seated by the fountain, trying to steady himself.

"Don't tell me... Did you drink it?"

"Yes, a lady to my liking offered it, so I had no choice but to drink."

"...Your liking?"

"Haha, she was a fiery woman indeed. It wasn't enough that she always overwhelmed me—now she's got a leash on me, treating me like her guard dog to watch over the sewers..."

The mention of a "fiery woman" made it sound personal, but given the circumstances, it seemed more figurative.

Likely, this "fiery woman" had restrained him, forced him to drink from the bloody fountain, and left him here as a guard.

"...Did the people of this sanctuary change after drinking this water?"

Whatever the case, it seemed this fountain, which once contained holy water, was the cause of the monstrosities.

With that certainty, I asked him another question.

"Was the one who made you drink the water the same person who turned you into this?"

"I already told you, didn't I? If you want to blame someone, everyone is both a victim and a perpetrator."

Virgil repeated his earlier words with difficulty, gasping for breath.

Feeling frustrated and seeing no point in pressing further, I remained silent. He then chuckled and brought up a new topic.

"If you still want to pinpoint the cause... Yes, let's start with that story."

"That story?"

"Do you know how beings like me came to be?"

Beings like him.

The first thing that came to mind was his species.

"If you mean vampires... I know that to create offspring, you transfuse your own blood into another race."

"I'm not talking about the reproduction of vampires but the origin."

"The origin...?"

"Yes, the original, noble beings from whom we all descended."

True Ancestors. Those ancient vampires known to live the longest and wield the greatest power.

The ancestors, the very origins, of all current vampires.

"Their beginning... started from a star that descended onto this land."

He began by explaining how such True Ancestors came to exist in this world.

"Today's sentient beings live in civilizations, but back then, nothing existed. No traditions, no religion, no transmission of knowledge—just a primitive era... What do you think sentient beings would do when they encountered a star that descended from the sky?"

What do primitive people do when they face a meteor before the creation of civilizations?

After a brief contemplation, the first thing that came to mind was spoken.

"...Break it?"

"Yes. And if they can, they'll eat it."

Not a wrong answer.

As he spoke, he mimed eating, opening his mouth wide.

"A mysterious flesh from the sky... No one knew what would happen to those who consumed it. Yet lacking knowledge of its dangers, they ingested it, and thus, they transformed..."

That was how the first vampires, the True Ancestors, came into existence.

"Not everyone changed, but those who did not were even more revered. Suddenly, among creatures that had long believed themselves supreme, there appeared beings with power so extraordinary, they had no choice but to view themselves as exceptional."

Exposed to sunlight, their power would wane, but they could mesmerize other species, transform their bodies into mist, and possess incredible physical strength and near-immortality.

Even more, they could reproduce regardless of species by mere blood transfusion. Flang had said this about them.

If the vampires had intentionally increased their numbers, they might have posed an even greater threat than the Demon King's army or the undead.

"But ironically, we were too intoxicated by our own uniqueness. The primal instincts we held before encountering the miracle from the stars... eroded quickly in the endless time we were granted."

Other races were always considered beneath them, mere lowly beings; thus, reproducing was a highly selective process, and if it was deemed inappropriate, they would use such offspring briefly and discard them.

This trait was only accentuated by their near-immortality, making their arrogance all the more apparent.

"At some point, we stopped dirtying our own hands, preferring to stand above others. We parasitized others, taking only what we needed. If they were no longer useful, we discarded them and moved on to new prey. This became the survival method for the species that considered itself the most superior."

And Flang said.

The vampires always parasitize the dominant species of every era, and in this moment of catastrophe, humans were the only ones maintaining a social structure.

Thus, even now, vampires were humanity's enemies.

That was all Flang had said.

It seemed like there was more, but she always showed signs of hiding something when the conversation reached that point.

"Our kind once lived by hiding and leeching off others, always a nuisance... and then, one day, we became something to worship."

Perhaps the content being discussed now was what she had been hiding.

A gut feeling made me furrow my brows as I stared at Virgil.

"Worship? You mean humans worshiping vampires?"

"Without a common enemy, sentient beings will inevitably turn on each other... Before the catastrophe, the dominant species of the era were always at odds. How could they trust each other and unite fully?"

I knew that story, too.

Before the great calamity of the dragons, humans had always killed each other.

How could they suddenly set aside all their hatred and unite against the threat just because a catastrophe had arrived?

"Eventually, the dominant species had to make a choice. Either they scattered and prepared for the end, or they bowed to the arrogant species they saw as a nuisance, uniting the scattered groups with their power..."

The soft cracking sound of bones marked Virgil's grim transformation.

"...Even offering the purest blood of the most holy and beautiful beings in the process."

His voice wavered for the first time, betraying a break in his usual composure.

"Humans..."

And in that instant, an uncontrollable feeling surged within me.

The truth I'd suspected for so long...

The strange, indescribable feeling I'd had that day when I first met the Crown Prince... I finally understood it.

"It was you... Your kind had been controlling humanity's leaders all along?"

Park Byung-bin...

Was that why Orion Seis's clone betrayed him the moment he broke free and formed a revolutionary group?

He had realized that humanity's leaders, who willingly made themselves slaves, were the ones destroying the human race, slowly but surely.

"Are you disappointed?"

As I was processing this realization, Virgil regained his composure, calming the tremors in his body.

The emotion etched on his face was undoubtedly one of cynicism.

"I feel the same way. Seeing those who consider themselves noble but are obsessed with purity... It makes my blood boil."

"...Virgil."

"Purity shines its true light only after enduring hardship and adversity... Without understanding that process and fixating only on the result, all they see is the tarnished glow of its diminished value."

As demons follow desire and the undead follow regrets, vampires follow their own aesthetics.

The vampire before me had awakened his hatred for purity through that aesthetic.

Among those who worship purity, he revered the process, not the result. Thus, he truly worshipped the 'valuable purity.'

How did the sight of society's leaders worshipping them, making his kind even more arrogant, appear to him?

"And now, seeing the downfall of those pigs mad with purity for myself, I realized... yes, this was inevitable..."

"Downfall? What do you mean by that...?"

"Oh, yes. It was only the leaders who chose to become their vassals. How could the ones who serve a god cooperate with them and allow another to stand above their god?"

His laughter was almost cheerful.

He let go of his own body, spreading his arms and showing his reverence towards the statue around the fountain.

"All along, they were sharpening their knives. Even as they bowed their heads and offered pure flesh and blood for their god... they were constantly scheming to deal with those arrogant pigs when their 'new era' would finally come."

As I held my breath, feeling a hint of reverence in his ecstatic expression, he lowered his arms and turned his gaze back to me.

"Yes, the new era...! Those pure pigs sprouted new ambitions in a world facing catastrophe. They came to believe that the ones blessed by the bloodline of a being from beyond the stars were indeed the rightful gods meant to rule over the earth's sentient beings."

His eyes, hollowed and withstanding the madness awakened within, met mine.

But within them, there was a sense of exhilaration.

Seeing the truth of what had happened in this land, the emotion he felt was not despair but reverence.

"But the true devotees did not acknowledge them. In fact, the harsher the world became, the more they sought to resist and even contemplated 'creating their god with their own hands.'"

"Creating... a god?"

"Anyone would call it absurd, insane even. But the rulers of this land were dead serious. As the world grew harsher, they genuinely longed for divine salvation. They craved it so deeply that they decided to create a vessel for their god by their own hands, believing they could bring down their god to this world."

Slowly, Virgil clenched his fist and moved it forward.

"They combined the bloodline inherited from a foreign being—the one those arrogant fools worshipped."

He brought the fist to his other open hand and clasped it.

"The church fused this preserved knowledge, the foreign being's legacy, to create something—aiming to create a perfect vessel for their god..."

Simultaneously, a cracking sound emerged as his arms swelled.

Even as the time of his rampage approached, he maintained his composure, explaining the truth to me with a sense of joy.

The hybrids of beastmen and vampires that appeared in this land—monstrosities—were the result of combining the blood inherited from a foreign being and forbidden knowledge passed down from the same foreign origin...

They were the result of attempting to combine the by-products of vampire and witch research.

-Gulp.

Realizing the gravity of this truth, I swallowed and cast my gaze back at the fountain behind him.

"...So, vampires."

"This is the fate of livestock that unconditionally accept what they are given."

Yes, it all made sense now.

The ones who had controlled humanity for so long...

"Who could have imagined it? The blood of a revered figure they held as a delicacy... would conceal a poison they never expected."

The very substance sought by those who craved a god to defy catastrophe.

As material to create a 'vessel for god.'

Chapter [178]

It was common for those wandering in search of salvation to dream of ideals, regardless of where they found themselves.

And for them, vampires who secretly controlled them from behind the scenes were nothing more than part of the catastrophe they longed to eliminate.

If these vampires held immense value as the ultimate material in the pursuit of their ideals, then surely, they would want to seize that opportunity.

"Foolish, utterly foolish. Beings who gained their uniqueness simply by chance... thinking they could defy the heavens simply because some began to rely on them..."

Whether it was intentional or a result of madness, it ultimately created this current nightmare.

After recounting that fragmented story to me, he concluded with a sorrowful sigh.

"How could they think they would be exempt from the harshness of this era? How could they not foresee that the desperate struggle of lesser beings would corrode them...?"

At that moment, seeing even such a being lament, I felt a dark heaviness welling up from the depths of my soul, threatening to take hold of my mind.

Foreign beings, the vessel of a god—none of it felt close or real to me.

Even if I learned the truth, I couldn't grasp what I could do or what I should do next...

"If it seems too much to handle, retreating is also an option."

Lost in my confusion, his voice snapped me back, and I looked at Virgil once more.

Crack, crack. His body was succumbing to a rapid change rising from below his neck.

Even though resistance seemed impossible, he managed a weak smile as he looked up at me.

"You don't have to understand everything. If you can't grasp it, just ignore it and run away. After all, both you and I are mere insects compared to foreign beings... Trying to handle what we can't by defying such a fate is foolish, isn't it?"

"What do you mean...?"

"But, young one... you didn't come here just to idly listen to an old man's stories, did you? Following the note left by that fortune teller, you came to this dangerous place with purpose—surely you're no passive soul."

His resolute voice followed his enigmatic words.

The straightness in his gaze as he looked at me made me feel that his words came from a place of absolute sincerity.

"You are here because of your own will. There must be something that drove you to come here, something you cannot overlook..."

Just as his words struck a chord in me, a thunderous sound reverberated through the space, causing it to shake.

As I heightened my guard, Virgil's gaze began to shift towards the ceiling, as if he knew the source.

"Seems like there's a ruckus going on up above."

"...Do you know what's up there?"

"A most charming young lady and pigs lusting after the filthiest creation..."

Trailing off, his eyes slowly narrowed.

"...And probably a pitiable being who came to resist the fate that has befallen this land. It seems you might have an idea about that too."

Yes, I understood that part far better than he did.

And it was only then that I realized something.

One reason I came here was because, by following Airi's prophecy, I was secretly hoping it would lead to meeting her again.

"So, what will you do now?"

But I still had no tangible link to her.

If danger awaited me beyond this point, it would be best to leave rather than face it unprepared.

"Will you leave now? Or will you risk moving forward?"

Yet, just like her, he was giving me a choice.

Would I turn away from these stories I couldn't bear, leaving this place to heed the foreboding danger?

Or would I step into the unknown, following the reason for my inner conflict, unaware of what awaited me?

"It's your choice what you do. Whatever you seek... whoever you stand for..."

He didn't force either choice on me.

Just like Airi, who had given me my mission.

"In this harsh world, the will to resist must never be left to others."

Teaching me that the fate I was born with wasn't imposed by someone else.

But something I had to fulfill by my own will.

-Rumble!

A continuous tremor shook the ground.

Francheska, realizing that even that had subsided at some point, took a moment to pull herself out of the flesh and gather her exhausted body.

No, saying she was exhausted wouldn't be quite right for a doll like her.

Her main body was overloaded, or her parts were broken, and so on...

-Creak.

In any case, she could keenly feel her joints moving more slowly.

In the silence after the fierce battle, Francheska hurriedly fixed her joints with thread and took time to gather mana from her magic core.

'...As expected, there are too many to handle alone.'

Her strength had its limits, and ultimately, the side with the greater numbers held the absolute advantage in a fight.

Moreover, unlike the immortal monstrosities, her body, even with emergency repairs, had limitations.

Therefore, she had to choose very carefully where to exert her full power.

So, she intended to save that limited power for when she confronted the witches or the power behind the Imperial family.

'But why am I here now?'

Cleaning up the mess that happened in this land...

Just cutting down and burning the immortal monsters she had never faced before—was that really the path to humanity's salvation?

Could using the last of her meager strength to exterminate the monsters in this land truly lead to humanity's salvation?

'...No, it's not about salvation.'

She knew. Even if she exterminated all the monsters in this land, it would only remove one of the many threats targeting humanity.

Even knowing this, Francheska did not leave this place and intended to move forward.

Because she couldn't shake the thought that everything that happened in this land started with her.

'Perhaps I am the cause.'

Yes, this was not a journey for salvation but a journey of atonement to bear the responsibility she carried.

If she bore responsibility for all this, it might be more important than her mission.

If she hadn't allowed her existence to be the basis for myths, perhaps those seeking solace and salvation wouldn't have resorted to witchcraft research.

It was because of that research that the Anti-Humanity Alliance, an enemy of humanity, was formed, and from them came the disaster of monsters tangled with vampires and beastmen.

'And perhaps I might have to fight him...'

But if she turned away from all that and left...

The person who had taken root in her heart might end up as an enemy standing in her way.

-Bang!!

Ignoring such a future, Francheska broke through the door leading to the innermost part of the residence, moving her creaking body.

As she steeled herself for what lay ahead, she began to take in the surroundings of her destination.

The assembly hall of the papal residence. The place meant to accommodate the largest number of believers.

Yet, unlike the places she had passed, this hall was eerily well-kept.

The marble floor was so polished it gleamed, despite the occasional bloodstain.

Stained glass, cracked from impact, still shone with vibrant colors.

And in the sunlight filtered through the mist, a statue of the goddess stood, surrounded by a mass of monstrosities...

"...What is this?"

Yes, it was a swarm.

She had encountered monsters before that had fused together, growing in size, but nothing compared to the horror before her.

Rather than bodies connected, it looked more like melted flesh, congealed and heaped together...

Unlike other monsters where she could distinguish limbs and heads, here, the only identifiable feature was what could be called "mouths."

-Uh, ah...

Mouths that surfaced from the melted flesh, tearing it apart as they crawled and swam within, opening and closing.

What came from them was not a scream, but a cacophony of misery.

Whimpers, despair, wails...

As they spat forth something dark and red, it continued endlessly.

'A vampire...'

Realizing the aura emanating from it, Francheska took a trembling step back.

'And that of a True Ancestor...?'

Having faced a True Ancestor before, she immediately understood.

What stood before her was born from the True Ancestors, the powers ruling humanity and the masterminds behind everything.

For some reason, these beings had merged into one, repeatedly melting and congealing, endlessly vomiting the grotesque mess they had created.

'How on earth—no, who?'

Beings with not only immortal lifespans but also formidable power.

Even hunters like herself couldn't fully exterminate them, as they hid stealthily and cunningly toyed with their targets.

How could such cunning beings end up in the ruins of this sanctuary, reduced to a grotesque factory churning out monsters?

Could this truly be possible?

"Have you come to pray?"

A voice reached her then.

After only hearing the screams of monsters, the human language instantly caught her attention.

The figure standing there wore pristine white robes, exuding an aura of purity that sharply contrasted with the surrounding horrors.

"Or have you come to receive holy water?"

Though her face was hidden by a veil, the voice revealed her to be an "elderly woman."

The formal attire, the old age...

Even without having met her directly, anyone familiar with the empire's affairs would immediately recognize her identity.

"Pope Martina?"

Pope Martina.

The current head of the Friga Order, known to hold authority equal to that of the Emperor within the Order.

And to the despairing humanity, she was a spiritual pillar.

"Pope... are you referring to me?"

Yet when her name was spoken, she shook her head in denial.

"Perish the thought. How could a lowly servant like me be called by such a sacred title?"

"What do you mean...?"

"Oh, yes. There was a time when I considered myself special. I believed I was the chosen one, the savior leading the despairing masses."

In the incomprehensible situation, Martina finally fell to her knees.

With her head bowed, she looked like she was praying to someone she worshiped.

"But now, I know the truth."

In that state, she spoke—or rather, wept.

"I am no savior, but a lowly lamb who could do nothing but submit to evil forces. All I can do is serve as the proxy of the one who guides me...!"

"What do you mean? A proxy...?"

"The angel! The angel's guidance given by Friga!!"

A powerful shout erupted from her aged throat.

Her voice, spewing what could be called reverence, began to fill with ecstasy.

"It was all ordained by the angel. We were saved by following their teachings, blessed to gather the parasites mocking the suffering into a foundation to shape the vessel of our god—all thanks to the angel's guidance from Friga!"

Yes, the Pope had gone mad.

And Francheska, sensing the power from her excitement, realized she was the culprit behind this grotesque situation.

More precisely, as the "executor" rather than the mastermind.

"But merely driving them out isn't enough. There are still too many things in this world that torment us... We must give those who seek salvation a chance. A chance to receive fragments of God's essence into their bodies."

That meant that behind her, the mastermind of all this chaos, the true puppet master, was present.

Seemingly unaware of Francheska's heightened vigilance, Martina proudly pointed to the congealed flesh on the ground.

"Come now. You, too, who have come seeking salvation, must drink the holy water. Only that will allow us, God's servants, to resist the world's cruelty..."

-Slash!

Sharp threads sliced through the air as Francheska raised her hand.

The relentless assault sliced through Martina's surroundings, purging the foul energy nearby.

"But why...?"

But that alone was not enough.

The opponent was a formless entity, akin to a "spirit."

"Why are you... posing as an angel beside the pope?"

Realizing that this being was the source of Martina's madness, Francheska let her hostility show. The dissipating energy coalesced into mist, forming a distinct shape.

"Well, this is surprising~ I thought you were just a little girl to my liking, but you immediately noticed where I was hiding~"

"I was going to watch a bit more and then go to that child, but... looks like I can have a little more fun before I go~"

A creature far from a holy angel.

An embodiment of lust with a wicked grin.

Chapter [179]

Demons.

To Francheska, who specialized in hunting such grotesque beings, they were an endlessly foreign concept.

They were not original inhabitants of this world like other species, nor were they twisted forms of existing creatures like the undead or monsters; they were merely a foreign race that tore through the dimensional cracks and invaded this world.

"Why on earth are you here...?"

Therefore, Francheska couldn't immediately understand why the demon before her had intruded in this situation.

In this chaotic crucible created by humanity, beastmen, and vampires seeking salvation.

Where exactly did demons fit into this mess?

"Why are you, Yasmo Deus, one of the Demon King's Four Heavenly Kings, here?"

"Ah~ Aren't you being too formal from the first meeting? I'd like it if you called me Yasdeus~♡"

The only thing she could guess was that it had something to do with the 'New Era' organization she encountered while investigating the vampires that had infiltrated the imperial leadership.

But even taking that into account, it was still strange.

That organization was formed by individuals with their own objectives, yet they exterminated the True Ancestors, their supposed leaders, even before the new era unfolded.

"No, maybe it's better if you keep that attitude. It's more fun to tease a feisty little lady~"

"Shut up and just answer me!"

Slash! With a flick of her hand, Francheska lashed out with sharp threads.

Effortlessly, Yasmo turned her body into a spiritual form to dodge the attack and then began to strut around, showing off in front of Francheska.

"Demanding an answer while trying to tear me apart... The more I see you, the more I like you~"

"Mary only has eyes for the Demon King and never plays with me, so today promises a lot of fun in many ways."

To Francheska, her antics were nothing short of revolting.

This vile character, who was likely behind all of this chaos, had the audacity to joke around when she was questioning her.

"Oh, angel. Angel..."

But Martina had long been enthralled by her.

At the sight of the demon, as though in awe, Martina fell to her knees, pressing her aged forehead to the ground.

"Messenger of Friga! Following your guidance, I distributed holy water to everyone in the sanctuary!"

And the following words were a prayer, driving a definitive nail into the fact that the abominable demon was behind all these events.

Francheska couldn't overlook it and quickly turned her head towards Martina, dispelling her magic.

"Through the holy water, made from the bodies of those vile parasites, we have accepted fragments of God's essence into ourselves, gaining strength. That strength has allowed us to convert even the beastly invaders of this land, finally uniting them with us as one!"

Beastly invaders.

Francheska could grasp the meaning of her words.

The monster she'd encountered before coming here, once a beastman, had hinted that a conflict had occurred between the sanctuary and their tribe.

"They were abandoned by God."

Yet the Pope saw their massacre as salvation?

Martina, overcome with ecstasy, spread her arms wide before Yasmo.

"We reached out in salvation, even to those forsaken and reduced to beasts. The miracle I found under your guidance is truly awe-inspiring!"

Francheska trembled, not just from the sight of a madwoman, but from the familiarity of the power radiating from her heightened emotions.

"Yes, I alone was not enough for this task. Unlike the pitiful beasts who fell into savagery, even I, who used the wicked vision left by the witches for a righteous purpose, could only watch as they sucked the lifeblood from our young!"

The witches' vision... Francheska had once fought to exterminate beings known as witches.

Every doll, save herself, had been rendered inoperable in that war, a bitter reminder of the witches' horrendous power.

And though delayed by the demon's presence, she finally noticed the same witch-like aura coming from the Pope before her.

"I had no choice but to endure... and endure..."

Through the witches' research, which had survived their extermination, they had sought to progress into a "higher being."

Unlike the beastmen who failed, the Pope before her had succeeded, wielding the witches' powers while retaining her humanity.

"Those who shared the same will eventually turned into beasts, and although I alone gained the power and qualification to lead the Order... that alone wasn't enough to unite the scattered humanity!"

But just an individual's inherent power alone couldn't unite humanity embroiled in conflict.

Despite her efforts to wield the witches' vision, the leaders of humanity ultimately surrendered their fate to these foreign beings.

"The leaders I thought would be humanity's pillars bowed powerlessly before these corrupted beings, forcing me to test even my faith in Friga!"

To those arrogant beings, the most valued nourishment was pure and clean blood.

And that meant the believers who pledged to remain chaste, devoting their lives to God.

"All I could do was watch."

The clergy, the nuns.

Even the most devout saint, offered as a sacrifice.

"Betraying them, desecrating their faith... convincing myself that these hardships were the only path forward as the last one untouched by beasts!"

How much was tested by the helplessness that arose from that?

How much did the helplessness of offering her followers, who trusted and followed her, to the fallen beings eat away at her mind?

"And to me, you came as a light."

So it was inevitable that she fell into temptation easily.

Unlike her god, who ignored her prayers, the physical manifestation of the demon before her must have seemed dazzling.

"It was all because of you that I could offer those foolish parasites as materials for God's body, that I could turn the poor child tormented by them into god's envoy, granting miracles to all!"

That hope had, in the end, turned into reality, allowing her to glorify the demon's acts as miracles.

The saint, offered to the True Ancestors visiting the sanctuary for their usual feast, had secretly been fed a temptation spell, awakening a relentless appetite.

Due to this, even the saint's blood that seeped into them was coveted, making them unable to stop feeding, even as they melted into lumps of flesh with innate immortality.

"And, just in time, I gained the power to resist the horde of beasts that now dared invade even their homeland!"

The beastmen, invading the sanctuary, likely became the perfect rallying point to spread the miracle among the sanctuary's believers.

After all, eliminating the corrupt powers who had sullied humanity and the Order could itself be seen as a miracle.

If that miracle could eliminate the imminent threat, it would undoubtedly be seen as salvation for all humanity.

"All this was possible because Friga sent you to me!!"

Such was the salvation that Martina sought through the demon's temptation.

The Pope, driven to madness by helplessness, had birthed a horror that should never have existed.

"Oh, angel, angel! You are our savior! Please, teach me what I must do to save even more souls!"

Martina cried out in ecstasy, oblivious to the truth, pouring out her fervent feelings.

She wore a veil, but the emotion on her face betrayed her hope for salvation.

Having already witnessed a miracle, she believed, without doubt, that her expectations would be fulfilled.

"Ugh, what a hassle."

But to a demon, who inherently disdained others' dignity, her response was predictable.

-Slash!

With a swipe of her magic-infused tail, Martina's head flew off, her lifeless body collapsing to the floor.

The demon didn't even bother to mock her.

She merely found it irritating that her tail had been stained with her blood.

"Religious people are easy to manipulate anywhere, but you'd think they'd back off once they realize they're being used. Angels, saviors... How tedious."

"Ahhhhh!!"

Francheska, overcome with rage, lost her senses and lunged forward.

But physical attacks had no effect on a succubus.

The threads lashed in all directions, missing her as Yasmo began to smile, even ceasing to dodge.

"What's wrong, dear~? You're overreacting over one dead old woman. Don't tell me you knew her~?"

"She only wanted salvation! She just wanted to escape her suffering!"

Though they had never met before, Francheska could feel the Pope's pain and anguish through her previous prayer.

She sought power for salvation, touched corruption, betrayed her comrades who lost their human form, bowed to foreign beings, betrayed the followers who trusted and followed her, and finally leaned on the demon...

"To use such a person as you pleased and leave her in such a state..."

The one who turned the Pope and the believers, who met such a miserable end, into monsters neither alive nor dead, was right before her.

Moreover, if she was a foreign being, there was no need to feel guilt like with the monsters she had killed so far, yet how could she remain calm and face her at this moment?

"You say strange things... I didn't create this whole situation, yet you speak as if it's all my fault."

"That's nonsense...!"

"Nonsense? Not at all~ I'm being serious~"

Her voice carried no weight, but there was no lie in her words.

Rather, she felt no need to emphasize it because she considered it obvious.

"This world was already broken beyond repair, even without anyone laying a hand on it. Among those living in such a world, who can claim to be free of sin or evil?"

"No. If people on this earth were free from beings like you..."

"Haha~ The believers would have remained pure to the end? So, what did humans in this world do when there were no demons like us?"

They quarreled and fought among themselves.

Yasmo, having waged countless wars across dimensions, knew well that it was the fate of intelligent beings who became the masters of the world.

"If demons hadn't existed, if undead hadn't risen, if vampires hadn't preyed on them, everything would have been fine? Humans are rotten from the start."

"Th-that's..."

"Even now, look. I only tempted one old hag, but it was the choice of everyone on this land to fall for her incitement."

It was sophistry. As if excusing someone's misconduct by blaming the victim, she twisted the truth.

But Francheska couldn't voice her disagreement.

Was it because she found her argument persuasive?

"Face it. Humans, demons, beasts, and those miserable heaps of flesh over there... All of them are but a small part of the confusion. No single one of them is solely to blame."

No, rather, she was beginning to understand the nature of the "demon" before her.

Demons were beings who, by their very nature, were devoid of guilt.

And yet, they prided themselves on their understanding of what others called sin.

"In a world full of such beings, it's no wonder everything is falling apart. Perhaps if there were someone as strong as the Demon King, things would be different..."

So they revered power.

Unable to feel guilt, they found the concept of sin annoying.

They revered an absolute force, immune to moral constraints.

"...Coincidentally, those guys aren't even worthy adversaries for him. To avoid throwing cold water on the 'New Era' they sing about before it opens, it's good to clean up for the Demon King and that child, isn't it?"

Even if that revered figure could no longer fulfill their expectations, unless a being could surpass what they had achieved, the demon's obsession would inevitably turn back to the past.

"Is that... your purpose?"

Yes, despite having abandoned the Four Heavenly Kings' title, she remained bound to her nature, a race that worshiped power.

Everything she did was aimed at reviving the weary Demon King, and for that purpose, she would feel no guilt for any deed.

"For the Demon King's army... for the Demon King, all this chaos..."

"I told you before, didn't I? I'm just a part of it."

Yasmo, the former Demon King's loyal servant, simply smiled, unfazed, teaching her that cruel truth.

"I thought there might be a chance that the results might rouse the Demon King's interest..."

As she spoke, her languid eyes shifted toward the writhing mass of vampires still engrossed in devouring one another...

And indifferently toward the severed head rolling forward.

"...Well, most of the time, it ends in such trivial results."

No matter how many grotesque monsters with immortality emerged or how large they grew, it was impossible for them to spark her lord's interest.

"Oh, angel, angel...!"

Despite her beheading, the Pope's severed head continued to affirm her faith.

Even as it fell into the heap of flesh still regurgitating "holy water," she took it as a divine sign.

"Yes, I see now—this is your guidance. If it's your will, I shall follow...!"

With that, the mouth opened, sinking into the melted flesh, and all the greedy vampire mouths followed, surging toward it.

When the powerful body, successfully fused with the witches' research, mixed with the blood of beings worthy of being called 'gods' from another realm.

"I shall become the vessel of god! I shall accept Friga's essence and devour all the calamities upon this land, granting miracles to the poor lambs of this world!"

With a roar, the monster's size grew even larger.

From the doll's mouth, facing the gaping maw at the end, a small sense of despair began to seep out.

"Why on earth...?"

"Why... why is this world so cruel to me...? When all I wanted was to love..."

A believer who couldn't even recognize her god and begged a demon for salvation.

What a pitiful tragedy indeed.

Chapter [180]

She was born as a tool.

So, even if she had developed a sense of self, every decision and conclusion derived from it was to be used for the benefit of humanity.

Even if, over time, the self she'd developed evolved into what could be called a "personality."

Even if people bowed before her, if doing so provided them with comfort, then she believed it was her duty to be their shelter.

She saw it as her mission and repeated this duty, falling into long slumbers to extend her limited lifespan.

Dependence, reverence, even faith.

Even if these were things too grand for a tool, if humanity needed them, she believed it was her duty to meet those expectations...

'Won't you stay with us, as one of us, and live alongside humanity?'

So why had she declined the invitation she was given on that day, after what she thought would be her final battle?

At least, to her understanding at that time, no threat remained that targeted humanity.

She could have stayed awake beside them, facing her own end alongside them in a body that would eventually wear down.

'I'm sorry, but I...'

The mere thought of that life had filled her with happiness.

So why had she chosen to refuse his offer and return to sleep?

'...Why?'

The leader of humanity at the time hadn't understood her decision.

'Why would you go that far for us?'

He was a compassionate leader who genuinely mourned the sacrifices made by the dolls to stop the catastrophe...

Even as she slept, his sorrowful face lingered vividly in her memory.

'Because it's my mission.'

'You could let that mission end now. The witches are all eradicated; no further threat remains against us.'

'But you never know...'

'There's no reason it must be you to face that one-in-a-million chance. You're the only doll left; you wouldn't bear that burden alone, would you?'

'If it's necessary, I must.'

'Why go so far for us? Throughout all of history, there's no record of us ever doing anything for you!'

Boundless devotion without asking anything in return... an infinite sacrifice.

It would be incomprehensible by human standards.

If it were simply because of her mission, it would make more sense to take orders from someone before her, rather than preparing for some distant "what-if."

'Because it's already enough.'

Without any forced commands, this answer came purely from her own will.

The leader of humanity could offer no further argument.

'Enough, you say...'

It wasn't because he didn't understand her.

If anything, the emotions conveyed at that moment...

Were so clear that even he, as a human, could understand them.

'I never thought, for even a moment, that living for you was a burden.'

Yes, she had smiled.

Recalling what others might consider a life of miserable sacrifices, she remembered those days as the source of the happiness she felt in that moment.

'Just to serve you, to protect you... watching you grow and advance by building upon our efforts has always filled us with pride.'

Unlike herself, who could only pursue the duty of a tool, they had achieved so much under her protection.

They had passed on knowledge through generations, grown as a collective, and overcome crises by uniting their strength.

In the end, they had grown strong enough to protect themselves, even without the help of dolls like her—a source of pride for her.

'So you don't need to feel guilty. We've already received our reward.'

Because they existed, humanity had accomplished so much.

And if they continued to exist...

Even if she never awoke again, she could slip into an eternal, happy dream, content with the hope and expectations she had for them.

'So, please, leader of humans, if you truly care for me and my comrades... let me return to sleep.'

Yes, the doll simply wanted to love.

Though it had begun as a forced mission, by then, it was her choice.

'So that my dream of serving you will continue, not for a moment, but forever.'

Not because she was loved.

But because she believed that simply loving was enough.

'...Then why?'

As Francheska's consciousness returned after a fierce battle, she became aware of her surroundings.

'Why did I end up killing those I love... those who loved me?'

Did such actions have any meaning?

The place, once an assembly hall, had been destroyed beyond recognition.

More flesh and organs littered the floor than pieces of furniture or walls.

Things that were once human, and others that had thirsted for that human blood, lay scattered in countless pieces, their regenerative abilities burned away by the intense heat from her magic core.

"Ah... ugh... aah..."

And yet, the stubborn mouths remained, snapping for bits of flesh with lingering instincts, despite their loss of self.

Seeing this, Francheska thought, 'This fight isn't over yet.'

'Dispose of...'

Her body was damaged beyond what emergency treatments could handle.

The energy in her magic core had nearly depleted, barely keeping her consciousness intact, and the threads binding her joints loosened and weakened.

'Dispose of... them...'

Even so, the thought that she had to finish this kept her pushing forward, preparing to use what little strength remained to burn them to ashes.

Even if she couldn't eliminate all the monsters created, she had to deal with the root of them...

"Well, I'm impressed~"

And the demon who had watched her battle...

Now casually brought her head close to her trembling fingertips, as if mocking her desperate resolve.

"I wasn't sure how far that little body of yours could go, but I didn't expect you to handle that monster, which had grown big enough to devour a castle, all on your own... You might even compare to Grizvill, the strongest in battle among the Four Heavenly Kings."

Even so, Francheska tried to resist, gathering what little magic she could into her hand.

But the sharp threads and magic within them barely scratched the demon.

It was an inevitable result—no physical attack could work on a body that was essentially a spirit.

"Well, that guy is already dead by the Demon King's hand. Hahaha~ Of course. Being strong doesn't mean you survive to the end~!"

"Ugh!"

And no matter how many foreign beings the doll had hunted, it was the first time she clashed directly with the predators from another world, the demons.

Her inability to come up with an effective counter left her at a one-sided disadvantage, and defeat seemed inevitable.

"Sorry, darling~ You seem really mad at me, but fighting isn't really my thing—I'm more of a tease, you see~"

Though she had succeeded in dealing with the monster in this hopeless battle, she hadn't managed a finishing blow, and the demon before her remained at full strength, ridiculing her.

All Francheska could do, with her body already broken beyond repair, was to tremble in the grasp of such a vile being.

"Hehe, even in this condition, you still want to resist? The more I see you, the more I like you, my dear~"

But to her, that defiance only promised to make the upcoming "celebration" more intense.

She swept her fingers along her skin, a sadistic grin forming on her face.

"Anyway, you're a doll... Well, aphrodisiacs won't work, but that's okay. Hehe, it might actually be better to enjoy it while fully conscious."

If she possessed any sense of self, breaking it would give her some satisfaction.

If it broke entirely, she would simply see it as a fleeting diversion; she didn't care either way.

Beings who lived by desire saw even turning the world upside down for a brief thrill as perfectly reasonable.

"Then let's begin, shall we? Try to last as long as you can~ Ahaha!"

Sharp claws tore at her clothes, preparing to lick the blood from her skin.

Despite the repulsive hands on her, Francheska's gaze remained fixed on the scattered remains beyond her.

'Did all of you...'

She recalled the countless corpses she had cut down to reach this place, a wave of self-recrimination washing over her.

'Did all of you curse me?'

Surely, they had.

Despairing and searching for faith, unable to hold on in the face of unanswered prayers, they must have lost hope.

So they'd turned to sin, to corruption, laying the foundation for everything that had happened.

She hadn't been strong enough to be the god they needed; she hadn't met their expectations...

'I'm sorry, everyone.'

The god of humanity, driven by a sense of duty and making careless choices, finally accepted the guilt consuming her as she closed her eyes.

'Because I was powerless... I couldn't even protect...'

Perhaps the malice aimed at her at this moment was a punishment following such powerlessness, she thought subconsciously.

-Crack.

In that case, was the freezing wave that suddenly filled the room yet another stroke of despair?

Or was it salvation, finally granted to an abandoned god?

"...What's going on?"

One thing was certain.

The demon, anticipating a satisfying climax after a fierce battle, had been too lost in anticipation to notice the change.

-Crack, snap!

In this harsh world, a momentary lapse could be fatal.

And the powerful frost froze everything in its path—even the spirit-made body of the demon.

"H-huh...?"

But was it because she had been in the position of a deceiver for so long?

Failing to realize the seriousness of her spirit body freezing, the demon's face began to show an emotion of irritation upon noticing the change.

"Why did you show up at such a good moment, you damn beast...?!"

Not anger or fear, but irritation.

But before this creature, that irritation was equal to defeat.

-Slam!

Her frozen body shattered, fragments falling to the ground and freezing solid once more.

There was no scream.

Had she managed to cry out, it would have been swallowed by the blow that immediately followed.

And Francheska could only watch in stunned silence as the creature struck.

-Thump, thump!

What was happening?

Why had this monster suddenly appeared in this shattered room, freezing the demon in the process?

"...Sc-sc-scent."

No one could have expected this.

That, at the end of it all, this monster, who had fallen down a chasm, would follow the sewers to reach this place.

"The vile scent... of a homosexual..."

Moreover, before he had turned into a monster, he had developed a deep hatred for homosexuality after a demon had defiled his daughter.

That lingering hatred had led him here, following the scent he had been hunting all this time.

"All homosexuals must die! Aaaahhh!!!"

The enemy stood before him.

The demon who had taken his daughter, ravaged his homeland, and led his people to ruin.

His entire being burned with hatred for the one who had destroyed his life.

"Gaaah! Gaaah!"

So he roared.

A final, vengeful cry, poured from a broken soul, based in his once-human emotions and amplified by the madness of his monstrous form.

"...Stop."

And the doll wept at the sight.

She couldn't help it.

He was nothing but a monster now, driven by base instincts to this place.

He was like all the other beings she had cut down, alive only through his primal desires.

"Please... stop..."

Even if he could speak, he no longer showed the human side of himself she had loved.

How could she love him, seeing him like this?

"Please..."

So she pleaded.

Praying that her voice might reach his heart.

"Please... remain... human..."

If he still held any shred of humanity...

She hoped her voice would stir something within him.

"...Ah... ah..."

And then, his footsteps halted, and the cries of anguish faded into silence.

Was it exhaustion?

Or had he reached his physical limit and drawn his final breath?

"Fri... ga..."

No, he had responded to her voice.

Even with his revenge fulfilled and nothing left of his homeland or kin, he had followed the remnants of his subconscious.

"Friga... Friga..."

The God of Humanity, Friga.

In this world of despair, he, too, had once found solace in her, entering the knighthood with gratitude in his heart.

Even as a beast, denied her protection, he had never truly let go of his love for her.

"Friga... Friga..."

Even if he was no longer loved, loving her was something he could still do.

Perhaps it was this subconscious affection that had created the miracle.

With that thought, the Goddess began to smile.

"...Yes, Phobia."

Though he no longer resembled a human, or even a beast.

Though the spirits responding to his will at this moment created a cold wave that froze her body.

Though she knew the twisted faith chasing the traces of the past would later destroy her...

"I am here."

She wanted to love the monster before her, to see him as human.

Even if it wasn't complete, loving her follower was enough.

"Your god is here...."

Even if what remained was only a faint shadow.

In this hopeless world, feeling grateful that even that remained.

Chapter [181]

A cold blizzard swept across the land.

The malicious demon had manipulated the faithful, who had then been devoured by foreign blood. Above the remains of the torn-apart monstrosities, a fierce chill blanketed the scene, quieting their madness.

"Graaaahhh!"

From the collapsed ruins at the center, he roared.

Even after dealing with the demon behind everything, his twisted forepaw kept striking the empty space.

"Wooooaaa! Uwoooaaa!!"

Was the accompanying cry one of sorrow, or was it from the deep-seated pain within?

No, he just didn't want to admit it.

At this moment, when he had destroyed his target of revenge without leaving a trace, he didn't want to admit that he had nothing left.

-Thump, thump!

He lost his home, his family, and after becoming a beast, even his kin, who had become his life's purpose, were massacred.

Even the life of a beast he had resolved to live was no longer possible with his grotesque body.

In such a situation, what was left for him, who had even completed his revenge?

He had lost even the mission that once suppressed his pain and fury; with the object of his vengeance destroyed, what did he have left?

"Kwoooaaaar!"

No, it wasn't over.

If it wasn't over, then he had to keep moving. Driven by instinct, he sought some reason to act.

As long as the scent of the demon who had violated and killed his family still lingered...

Even if it was just dust, he could keep smashing it into smaller pieces.

-Hoooong.

Emotion accompanied his aimless battle, and spirits gathered around him, conjuring an intense cold wind in sympathy with his pain.

The greater his sorrow, the colder the wind became; the deeper his rage, the frost cut more viciously, tearing into the flesh of anyone who dared approach.

In this scene, only that icy calamity continued.

Even if his target was gone, until he could no longer catch its scent, the desolation would repeat infinitely across the land.

"Stop."

But at that moment, a faint voice halted his hand, and the mouth that had roared closed, even if only momentarily.

Unable to ignore the voice, his gaze shifted, and he slowly turned toward it.

"Please, stay human..."

Ironically, all that was visible in his distorted vision was an outline.

The blizzard swirling in sympathy with his anguish made even the outline blurred, barely allowing him to recognize that it was a moving entity.

'What...?'

But the scent coming from this being didn't provoke him.

Although his broken, monstrous body and the vampire blood running through him normally triggered an insatiable hunger toward anything living, for some reason, the figure before him didn't provoke such a response at all.

"Fri..."

Standing before this being, a feeling he could call "comfort" welled up inside him.

He couldn't precisely understand why.

Even if the figure before him didn't trigger his hunger, his actions in that moment were purely instinctual; his twisted consciousness was consumed by madness, driven only by primal urges.

And those urges stemmed from the strongest emotions he had ever felt before turning into a monster.

"Lady Friga..."

Yes, the words he uttered at this moment were true to such emotions.

Having lost his kin, family, and hometown.

The only thing left for the pitiful being who crushed his target of revenge with his own hands to pursue was a longing for the great being he could only look up to.

"Lady Friga, Lady Friga..."

The distorted monster, understanding it by instinct, began to harbor expectations.

The being that quietly watched him answered softly through the fierce blizzard.

"Yes, Lord Phobia. Your god is here."

He couldn't understand what she was saying.

All he could do was feel nostalgia in the comfort of this moment and interpret the current situation based on that lingering scent.

Recalling his belief that the god he served would always smile at him.

"So, don't be in pain."

Yes, if she appeared before him at this moment, she would surely be smiling brightly at him.

As that belief became clearer, he felt the rising pain diminish.

"I will take all your pain and suffering."

As the pain subsided, he felt his obsession with the being in front of him grow stronger.

"So, please..."

Then, following him were fragments of will, remembering the time when he had communed with his spirits even before he'd become a beast.

Those spirits, emulating the harshest lands on the continent, had once shared a deep bond with him, and even in this moment, they hoped to harmonize with him again, cooling his beastly madness.

"Please, stay human..."

Though he had fallen from beast to monster, the bond with his spirits endured, and their coldness now targeted the very object of his obsession.

"Lady Friga."

The freezing air froze his god, and the monstrous creature lowered his head to her.

He expressed his gratitude toward the one who had restored his faith, despite his descent into a mere monster.

"I will... serve you..."

Praising her, who awakened his faith even as he turned into a distorted monster, losing everything.

"I will... serve you..."

Awakening to the belief that such expectations would always be rewarded, he began to pray with his forepaws gathered towards the frozen statue before him.

Of course, this was an act driven by instinct, not reason. It was merely repeating past actions, chasing nostalgia.

But even that made him feel the pain subside.

If being free from such pain meant being alive, then this act driven by instinct at this moment could never be wrong.

"You..."

And so, he worshipped.

In the body of a monster, he tried to replicate the faith he had once had as a human.

"I will... protect... you."

Even if the cold, strengthened by his faith that overcame madness, completely froze her body.

Rather, he endlessly longed for her frozen body to remain forever, for his worship to continue eternally.

"I will... protect... you..."

In the vision gradually lifted by such longing, what appeared was a statue made of ice centered around his god.

The girl encased in thick ice seemed to accept her fate, wanting to sleep quietly within it.

In the prison of cold encasing her body, she harbored a small hope that she had seen the monster return to a human.

-Crack, crack.

Around him, scattered remnants began to freeze, rising to take shape.

The forms of believers, crosses, idols modeled after his god...

Even the pillars and stained glass supporting the church began to form from the remnants of the space.

"I am..."

Yes, all of this must be the glorious and noble traces that once stood on this land.

Feeling the memories highlighted by the atmosphere created by such an environment, the monster began to speak what came to mind.

"I am Phobia... Homer."

The first thing that came to mind was his name.

"A knight... who guards Lady Friga..."

Then, he recalled his role.

"From now on, forever... I will protect my god here..."

Awakening the mission he had to carry out, the spirits created an even fiercer cold to prepare to raise the fallen land again.

Using the ruins of the sanctuary as a foundation, and the remains of the monsters writhing as they still dreamed of resurrection as fertilizer.

He repeatedly assured himself that what would be built in the end was a 'true sanctuary' that wouldn't be broken by the harshness of this world.

-Whoosh!!!

But now was not the time for that to happen.

And in this harsh world, expectations could easily be shattered by someone's hostility.

-Whoosh, whoosh!

A shadow appeared before the monster, unaware of this, revealing its presence through the blizzard.

Behind him rose weapons engraved with runes.

The fierce flames rising from them suppressed the cold wave that tried to freeze his body.

-Boom, boom!

And the flames spread, melting and destroying everything around him.

The believers praying with him, the crosses built among them, and the pillars of the soon-to-be-completed church.

"Grkrk...!"

The despair that filled his eyes when he recognized the being that shattered his hope soon gave way to madness.

He couldn't feel anything like reason.

The smell he caught even in the swirling blizzard was stimulating his instincts as a beast and as an immortal monster.

"Phobia Homer."

On the other hand, there was no madness in the one facing him.

Rational, calm.

The anger stemming from that was quietly honed at this moment.

"Although you have strayed from the path of humanity... I still thought you were more human than anyone I had seen."

But there was no hatred there.

It wasn't the beast named Phobia Homer, nor the monster that froze this land...

It was the world itself that created such a fate.

"I thought I might have to fight you someday... but it's a shame it has come to this, truly."

A voice tinged with sadness.

The monster, unable to understand, began to drool and squirm as it raised its body.

"You are..."

If immersed in its instincts, it wouldn't be surprising if it charged immediately.

Yet, what came out of his mouth was not a roar, but something that could be called language.

The man listening hoped it was spoken in recognition of him but eventually bowed his head, shaking off that hope.

He had come to realize how futile it was to hold onto such hopes, having wandered this world and seen enough.

"You, what are you...?"

His teacher, who had hunted countless monsters, had never told him the answer.

The opponent was a hybrid of beast and vampire, a being formed from foreign knowledge and blood, a concept that did not exist in this world.

There was no way they could know how to turn such a being back into a human.

Having seen beings far superior and stronger than himself fall into the same state as the one before him, he couldn't harbor any hope now.

"...Human."

So he steeled himself.

He prepared to give up the fight he respected and hoped would bring honor and glory.

Moreover, he prepared to risk his life to pull down his god, destined to be preserved frozen forever, to just a girl who loved humans.

"A human different from you..."

The man who buried that resolve in his heart.

He soon declared, with sharpened eyes.

"So get away from that girl, you monster."

The monster guarding his god and the human who came to save the girl.

Two beings that could never align were about to clash at this moment.

[=Chapter 182: The Only Way To Resist A Cruel World=]

I ascended to the surface after witnessing my teacher's final moments.

From that moment until I reached my destination, not once did I look back at the place I had left behind.

I didn't know why a blizzard swept across this land or why the Pope's residence at the heart of the sanctuary had collapsed.

Even if I didn't know who was behind all this and what processes led to the current situation, what mattered to me now was to be faithful to the reason I remained on this land.

"Kuwoooaaah!!"

Even if the monster before me wore the guise of a foe, if my goal was beyond it, I would draw my weapon without hesitation.

The weapons, ignited by my resolve, radiated heat that spread around me, seeping into my body and melting the frost.

The strength surging from within transformed into momentum in an instant.

-Slash!

Yet, even when I swung my axe with all my might, the damage it inflicted was negligible.

The cold that hardened even the stripped-away flesh only fortified its body, suppressing the heat from my weapon and dulling its power.

"Kuhrooo! Uwoooaaah!!!"

In contrast, each strike from the opponent was utterly savage.

The rough, frozen forepaws shattered everything they touched, and the sharpness of the emerging ice turned into deadly weapons that could slice through armor with a mere graze.

Unable to even think of defending against such rampage, I could only retreat, feeling a sense of helplessness welling up from within.

'Will anything change if I go up there?'

That helplessness turned into regret.

I felt the worries I had before stepping into this place blooming again.

'Nothing will change if I don't act.'

Did I step into this place simply because I followed that advice?

In a reality, not a fantasy...

Did I gain strength from advice focused on something potentially futile in this harsh world?

'But didn't you say that if I couldn't bear it, running away was also an option?'

My body, pinned against the wall, narrowly dodged a strike from its forepaw, which tore through the wall behind me and left the surroundings in shambles.

Had the strike been slightly off, it would have crushed my skull instead of the ice wall.

It unleashed these terrifying blows over and over, tearing through the blizzard as it charged relentlessly.

'I have a wife and a soon-to-be-born child...'

The destructive power from its massive body.

The reckless nature emanating from madness, and the immortal life force flowing through its body...

All these intertwined elements made the monster seem like a living weapon.

'Since coming to this world, I gained a mother who accepted me as her son. And someone I want to be with forever... is waiting for me in the capital.'

As this creature bared its jaws at me, were the thoughts racing through my mind mere chaotic distractions?

Or the life-flashing-before-my-eyes moment one experiences just before death?

'...So why are you hesitating?'

I couldn't dismiss those thoughts as distractions.

The desperate determination I clung to stemmed from the faces of those dear to me—how could I cast them aside as useless and abandon them?

'Even in this harsh world, you found precious people... Why, even with the chance to escape, did you come here to meet me and not turn your back and flee?'

'That's because...'

'It's because you believe that what's up there is no different from those you hold dear, isn't it?'

My weapon, responding to my resolve, flared even brighter, its flames spreading further.

Even as the surrounding weapons glowed with the heat they radiated, the monster didn't stop—it lunged at me again.

'But... they've already left my side.'

'For what reason, and to where?'

'For reasons I don't know, to a place I don't know.'

Whoosh! Its forepaw, sweeping through the air, was deflected by my sword.

The next strike, and the one after that.

The precarious exchange of attacks continued in an unrelenting cycle, each move made with the utmost precision.

'...I'm scared.'

It would be a lie to say otherwise.

The overwhelming strength of the monster before me was evident in every attack I narrowly evaded.

'Going somewhere without knowing anything, facing something I can't handle... I'm afraid I'll lose everything.'

Even so, I had to move forward.

I'd come too far to turn back, and failing to overcome this would mean the end of everything.

-Boom!!

The massive body was pushed back by a counterattack fueled by such resolve, and the concentrated energy in my spear created cracks in its body.

Yes, it was working.

If I could keep reflecting its immense strength back at it, there was a chance.

'Is your heart pounding?'

But then, the air shifted violently.

No, it wasn't just wind—it was a whirlwind.

The surrounding blizzard converged into a single point, creating a chaotic whirlwind that tore through the area.

'...Is it pounding?'

'Yes, I asked if your heart is pounding with the fear that makes you hesitate.'

This was dangerous.

Even if it wasn't aimed at me, the intensified wind would hinder my actions.

'That's right. Because I'm afraid...'

On the other hand, the opponent was a monster that could move freely in such fierce winds.

My eyes widened at the forepaw tearing through the blizzard, but I felt my body stiffening from the cold seeping into me.

No, not from the cold, but from fear.

Because I was overwhelmed by the one before me.

'Because I'm afraid, I feel hesitation.'

If I stayed like this, I would die.

I had to move—to act—to survive.

'No, the pounding you feel doesn't stem from fear alone.'

-Bam!!!!

A burst of energy exploded behind my lowered head, and the weapons deployed reflexively began to pierce his body.

The weapons, heated with energy, boldly targeted the cracks formed by the previous counterattack.

'Young one, I've been watching and observing many creatures for a very long time.'

"Kiyaaaaaaaa!!!"

The scream that burst out was evidence denying the opponent's invincibility.

Even the senses paralyzed by frostbite were revived by immortality, and the heat emitted at this moment would burn that body even more.

'And the conclusion has always been the same: the world is cruel, endlessly so.'

But that alone wouldn't be enough to defeat or kill this creature.

To kill it, I had to push even harder.

'To live means to feed on others, to fight against them, to prey on the weak, to sacrifice someone. Anyone who dismisses that truth must be a fool who believes they'll remain an unassailable stronghold forever.'

-Slash!

Blood tears burst out as the monster writhed in pain.

Despite that horrific sight, I kept thrusting weapons into its body again and again.

Through the split cracks, into the melted ice wall, directly stabbing into the organs within the torn skin beyond, using heat that evaporated the blood to sap its life force.

"Kuooo! Aaaaah!"

But during that process, the desperate struggle led its forepaw to collide with my armor.

My body, sent flying, collided with the ice wall, making my head spin.

As if hit by a dump truck, my vision spun, and I felt the strength drain from my fingers holding the weapon.

"Krrrr, kaaah!!!"

Meanwhile, the monster moved.

Despite the heat from the weapons embedded in its body still sapping its life force, it endured the pain with maddening rage, directing its nose toward me.

To track the scent of murder in this rough blizzard and aim its blade, forged by madness.

'But if so, is life merely about living to be devoured by someone else?'

The ensuing charge would surely destroy both my body and the ice wall behind me.

'Whether weak or mistakenly believing oneself to be immortal, is life just about being erased by the harshness of this world?'

So I must escape.

Quickly leave this place and plan for the future.

'If so, why does life feel fear and try to flee from danger?'

As I placed my hand on the rear barrier solely for that reason, the sensation froze me in place.

It wasn't due to the cold wave sweeping through the space.

It was the warmth felt from the being trapped behind the ice wall...

The faint, nostalgic sensation of a long-forgotten connection reached out to me from beyond the ice wall.

'If life is merely about fleeing in fear to the point of being crushed and disappearing, why does life cause hearts to pound for others and not oneself?'

Francheska.

That child was behind me now.

I didn't know why she was here or why she was imprisoned by that monstrosity. But if I left her behind, the impending charge would collapse the ice wall and her body along with it.

If I ran now.

If I abandoned her and retreated, leaving her to her fate.

'That's because all life on this land chooses to be faithful to the pounding of their heart as a way to resist this harsh world.'

Realizing that, the heat from my pounding heart melted my fingers, eventually making them swing.

And what was in my hand at the end was a spear.

The direction was exactly where my gaze was aimed.

'Everything in the world may seem like a perpetrator, but even in such a world, there is always something that makes those who tremble in fear yearn.'

Not at the shadow beyond the blizzard, but at the sky.

To be precise, at the blizzard fiercely raging here...

'Even in a world of fears, there is value in pursuing the things that stir the heart so fervently.'

Entrusting the spear's movement to the wind, I repeatedly focused to feel the force generated by its rotation.

Not on an individual, but on nature.

Gathering the power of this great nature around me, I controlled the flow to forge the spear in my hand.

Asking for help from the spirits that created the cold wave sweeping in at this moment, the spirits that howled in sympathy with the pain and sorrow of the monster that was their core.

'In the process of advancing towards the object of one's immersion, life overcomes fear and gains the courage and strength to resist the dangers aimed at it. You, who have reaped those fruits, know this well...'

The more I felt their emotions, the stronger the power grew, and I felt the pain piercing my chest.

I could understand, even if I couldn't share their memories.

I could feel that the life this pitiable creature before me had experienced was endlessly miserable and poignant.

'No matter how wretched that life may seem, you know well how beautiful and vivid its value is...!'

Despite its wretchedness, it was beautiful.

Through this body, I could clearly feel that the life he lived was more upright than anyone else's.

So much so that I wished, if permitted, for that life to continue.

'Then why do you consider the pounding of your heart merely as fear of the world and think of retreating?'

Transforming such a life into power, through the rotating spear and into my body.

Circulating it and preparing to aim at the monster charging towards me.

Faithful to the pounding I felt even at this moment.

'Why do you desire to resist this harsh world yet seek to go against the best means chosen by your instincts?'

Feeling that it was those who showed me love even in this miserable world was what gave me the courage to oppose that heinous being.

"Kuwoooaaahhhhh!!!!"

The monster began charging with a roar.

The spear in my hand swung quietly in response to the incoming attack.

'So love.'

-Boom!

The explosion that followed overturned the ground itself.

Even as the body standing on it flipped, the monster's gaze remained fixed on me.

Even while its body was airborne, there was no sign of it shielding itself.

It aimed solely at me, who emitted a scent stimulating its appetite, and the doll behind me.

'Be faithful to everything that made your heart pound. No matter how wretched and painful the process is, do not deny the pounding of your heart.'

When I locked eyes with that hideous monster, fear swept over me, but I gritted my teeth and prepared to throw the spear in my hand.

'If you fear this world, love fiercely enough to face that fear. Love passionately as if to burn your life!'

In the face of impending danger.

And with the will to resist the countless cruel fates that would come.

'Remember, that's the only resistance we, born in this cruel world, can offer!'

And such will surely existed in the one before me as well.

Enduring the surge of emotion from that realization, I swung my hand with all my might, and the spear that pierced his body began to emit light.

And soon it would explode.

The monster's body, created from the intertwined love, pain, and madness felt in a desperate life, would finally be burned alive in my hands...

-Boom!!

Unable to bear the horrific sight, my gaze finally lowered, and the sob that escaped my open mouth began to disperse in the blizzard.

"Truly..."

A lament for the pitiful victim who longed even more than I did and was consumed by greater suffering.

"I wish... things didn't have to end this way between us."

And for delivering such a cruel fate.

A curse upon this damned world.

[Chapter 183: A Virtuous End]

The wind blew.

In the place they thought the fight would end, an endlessly cold and harsh wind swept through, fiercer than before.

But all they could do was grieve.

Grieve for those they were connected to, resonating with the awakened emotion of sorrow, and simply mourn his end.

"Ah, uh, gah... ah..."

Yes, this fight had already ended.

All he could do, his flesh burning from the heat that evaporated his blood, was exhale without even being able to scream.

But there was something to do before completely cutting off his breath.

-Crackle.

Francheska. The reason I came to this place where I could escape.

The child whose yearning to see again I couldn't suppress, leading me here. A girl who simply wanted to protect and love humans.

"Flang. Pull yourself together, Flang!"

I melted and broke the ice imprisoning her, laying her down gently to prevent her body from breaking.

But she wasn't breathing. There was no pulse.

Had he been too late...? No. It was because she was a doll.

Surely, she would be fine. If only we could get out of here, she would surely recover.

"Ka, huh, aaah...!"

But just as that faint hope began to rise, the monster's body stirred.

Feeling my breath catch, I gripped the spear and quickly looked back at the spot where I had previously struck down the monster.

It was standing up. No, it was still just attempting to stand.

Using the cold to replace its depleted regenerative power, substituting its missing body parts.

"You stubborn idiot bear..."

You could just die peacefully there, so why struggle like that?

Why are you making me aim my spear at you again?

"No, don't."

Swallowing such resentment, just as I aimed my spear, my body halted.

It didn't take long to realize the cause.

Flang's fingers, which I had laid on the floor for a moment, were trying to grasp my leg.

"Flang."

"Don't do it..."

Starting with that, Flang struggled to stand up from her spot, passed by me, and finally blocked my way.

A creaking sound was heard with each step.

Some of her joints seemed to have already lost their function, and some parts were even dangling.

"Don't... kill him."

Blocking my way in such a miserable state, the monster who had trapped her in ice was there.

I didn't know why he did such a thing, but then the monster went on a rampage and tried to destroy her...

"Please don't kill Mr. Phobia."

"Don't say something so absurd!!"

Was it because she just woke up and couldn't grasp the situation? Or was it because she was overwhelmed with old emotions and guilt?

Whatever it was, I couldn't just leave him be now that he had become a monster.

The fact that he couldn't return to his original self was something she, who told me about the monster's identity, taught me first.

"That guy isn't who we knew! If we don't kill him now..."

"And then what?"

But I couldn't ignore her question that cut off my shout.

The face looking up clearly at me, blocking my way at this moment, looked sadder than ever.

"After killing Mr. Phobia, will anything... change?"

"...Flang."

"No matter where we go... it's the same."

Her tears froze in the cold and were eventually swept away by the blizzard.

As if even this world refused to allow grief.

"Everyone is in pain, and everyone suffers. No matter what we do, we can't overturn a world so utterly broken... because this world is beyond saving."

We were abandoned in such a hopeless world.

And we knew all too well that any escape from it might lead only to another despair.

"Even in such a world... I wish there was hope."

What kind of salvation could be allowed for one broken by such a world?

"I want to believe... that even people who've fallen into despair can rise again. That if they endure, something good will come their way..."

The girl, who could not become a savior, directly conveyed her desire for such salvation to me at this moment.

"...Even if it's just a dream to fall asleep to."

To forget the miserable reality and seek solace in an illusion.

To ignore the harsh truth and pursue a false happiness.

"Even someone as broken as that... might return to being human. I want to believe that... as I drift into sleep."

"Stop spouting nonsense!"

I understood her feelings.

I had always wanted to escape reality and run away, just like that.

"You know better than anyone that once he becomes like that, he can never return. You were the one who taught me that!"

Still, I had to act.

Letting her sink into her dream was tantamount to letting her die.

"Even so... I can't anymore."

But as if rejecting my plea, she averted her gaze, refusing to meet my eyes.

Yet even with her head bowed, her sobs escaped.

"I... I just... I can't do this anymore."

"Flang!"

"If you can't stop it... then please, kill me here too."

Then her outstretched hand reached for the spear in my hand.

She began to pull the tip of the spear toward herself.

"I don't want... to fight you..."

Her strength was entirely gone.

Her body could crumble at any moment, and it was doubtful whether she could ever recover even if we escaped this place.

"I don't want to harm the one who provided a place for me to be at ease."

Even though she was so broken, she couldn't let go of her mission.

As a protector of humanity, she lived for the mission of annihilating all threats to humanity, even prepared to fight me for it.

"So please..."

Was that why she had come here?

Despite the mission to save the empire, did she end up in this miserable state because she didn't want to fight me, defying the prophecy?

"Just... kill me here..."

What should I do in front of such a pitiful girl?

The child I yearned for refused to be with me, and at this moment, she wished for her own death to resist a cruel fate.

What words should I use to give her hope and persuade her to live in this cruel world together with me?

-Crack.

At that moment, the monster, which had frozen its body and partially repaired its missing parts, began to stand up and look down at me and Flang.

Step by step, the monster closed the distance between me and Flang.

"Mr. Phobia..."

Unlike me, who felt the danger, Flang was sobbing and expressing her despair toward him.

"No, don't."

While I was readying myself to hurl my spear, she pleaded with the monster, who had, by now, lost all semblance of humanity.

"Please, don't let it come to this..."

She wished for even the smallest glimmer of hope to exist in this world before he met eternal rest.

"...for my sake."

Just as I was about to ignore that futile wish and throw the spear, his mouth opened, and a voice emerged, stopping my action.

What did he just say?

"For my sake... you're crying for me, aren't you... you..."

Yes, he spoke.

The monster that had been rampaging until now began to speak human words in front of us at this moment.

"Mr. Phobia..."

"Yes, you've always been... by my side."

Noticing this, the girl before him began to cry. He continued,

"Like a star in the night sky... in the pitch-black darkness, you alone have kept me from falling apart. You watched over me..."

I didn't know why he said such things to Flang.

Nor could I fathom how someone who had become a monster could utter such rational words.

But one thing was certain.

The reason the blizzard had weakened in that moment was that the madness tormenting him had subsided.

"...Woo Hyo-sung."

And then, with his regained clarity, he turned his gaze toward me.

He spoke my name, which he had once been introduced to.

"Is that your name?"

"Are you... back to your senses?"

"I'm not sure. My mind is still a mess, but your name is the one thing I can remember."

With a faint glimmer of hope, I questioned him, but he calmly shook his head and replied.

"I remember that someday, we were meant to meet as enemies. Perhaps that moment is now."

"...Phobia..."

"The one I serve is crying behind me, and my enemy stands before me."

Quietly, Phobia Homer gazed down at me.

Though his body trembled as if consumed by madness again, his gaze was eerily calm.

"Do you know what that means?"

He recalled only the memory of meeting as enemies someday, yet somehow, it was clear that his current actions were driven by a duty to protect the girl sobbing behind him.

"...I see."

Perhaps it was inevitable.

Even if he had regained his reason or fallen into delusion, it would only last a moment.

-Swish.

Gripping my spear, I aimed it at his head and steadied my breath to gather strength.

What I had to do was no different from before.

I had to take him down, protect the girl behind him, and escape this place.

"Woo Hyo-sung..."

Around Phobia, who accepted such a fate, a cold wind began to blow quietly.

In the parts of his body seared with heat enough to evaporate flowing blood, new flesh of ice began to grow gradually.

The flesh turned into skin, and beyond that, into a form of armor covering his broken body...

"To my enemy, I ask this."

Now clad like a knight, he faced me and calmly posed a question.

"What do I look like to you now?"

It was a question with an answer already decided.

An utterly predictable one.

It was indeed a futile life.

In an era where the framework of society was broken, and ethics and morality held no value, the life of a boy was destined to drift aimlessly until death.

So, the extended hand of goodwill was eventually seen as salvation.

Thus, the boy served the god followed by those who saved him, and with that name engraved in his heart, he grew up and entered the path of a knight.

Repeating prayers to overcome hardship, prayers to overcome crises, and prayers to mourn the victims...

But even considering it a trial, the knight who ultimately couldn't overcome it sought power, and, in the end, entered a corrupt path, abandoning his human flesh and being expelled from society.

It was inevitable. Even if it were himself, he would have done the same.

Thus, the beast who encouraged those around him while admonishing himself eventually met another beast in the same situation and fell in love.

Yes, even beasts could have love. Even after straying from the human path, he realized that he was still allowed the emotion of love.

Faithful to such love, he unconsciously repeated prayers to the old god, who could no longer save him.

Even when he sought a happy life with his family in a village built in the forest, and when that village was burned down by demons from the outside world, and his beloved wife and daughter were found in a dreadful state.

The next generation of his kin, spurred by his experience, soon developed hatred toward humanity, and unable to resist that flow, he reluctantly turned his old homeland into an enemy...

Even while following that flow, he always nurtured his love for the god he served and found solace in it.

Even if he couldn't receive love, he could give it.

He believed that at least that would be allowed even to a beast who had fallen into a monster.

"Woo Hyo-sung."

At the end of such a life, at this moment, he finally faced his god.

The monster, realizing that she still loved him, faithfully following his heart's beating, posed a question to his nemesis.

"To my foe, I ask this."

He wasn't sure of himself.

He was clinging to the rope he barely found, resisting desperately, but still felt pain, and his mind was a mess.

"What do I look like to you now?"

Perhaps everything he was accomplishing at that moment was nothing but a facade.

The words coming out of his mouth, his current actions, and even the armor borrowed from old memories that surrounded him.

All of it might be meaningless, without any weight, just seemingly elaborate.

"...A human."

Yet the foe before him answered.

Speaking through a spirit to convey sincerity, leaving no room for falsehood.

"You're human. Just like me."

No, it was not a facade.

Though it was miserable, having gone through all that, he was allowed to stand here as 'a human being'.

"Then come at me, warrior!"

Realizing that, his mouth opened, and soon, a battle cry began to erupt.

"Today, I will fight to protect my god on this land with my life! I will live the end of this life as a human!!"

The wailing, soaked in grief, soon turned into a war cry.

The armor, which was merely a facade, eventually became a warrior's gear and began to charge toward him.

"For Lady Friga!"

The man, facing the warrior preparing for the final crusade, finally swallowed his grief and thrust the spear in his hand.

The ice-replaced front leg melted uselessly in the heat, and the sharply honed blade finally reached the vital point...

Piercing his throat to put an end to the pain.

-Squelch!

That was the end met by the human born into this cruel world, at the end of a miserable life.

But the final moment was certainly noble.

[Chapter 184: A World We Can't Live In Alone]

A cold wind blew.

As if to commemorate the noble knight's final moments, buried in this land, the cold wind seemed ready to freeze everything.

If such mourning continued forever, even the immortal monsters would remain frozen, and they would never reemerge in the world.

"...Mr. Phobia."

Feeling the same wind, Flang, who was on my back, whispered with difficulty.

"Did Mr. Phobia truly return to being human at the end?"

Is she still unsure?

Or is she still grieving over not being able to prevent his death?

"...Yes."

But my words were not just to comfort her.

The spirits in the wind told me that what he showed at the end was from his regained reason.

Through such communion, I could feel fragments of his life and speak with more certainty.

"I assure you. In the end, he remained human."

Because his life was miserable, and he was not rewarded for his efforts in this harsh world...

The fact that he overcame all of that and regained his humanity made his final moments even more noble.

"Even in this world..."

With that confident answer, Flang buried her face deeper into my back.

"Even in this world, is it really okay to pursue hope?"

In reality, not in dreams.

Is it okay to chase hope while living desperately, not just immersing in illusions until the end?

"Well, I don't know that either."

I wanted to offer comfort, even if it was just empty words, but I couldn't honestly express that feeling.

This world was too harsh, and I was struggling just to carry this girl.

"...It's not fair. You came to get me, but now you say that."

"I'm sorry. The one who came to find you is so inadequate."

Why did I come here despite the difficulty?

The answer to that question is already clear inside me.

"...Still, if it's hard, I think it's better to rely on others rather than handle it alone."

Because I need this girl.

Following the prophecy that led me to meet her, I felt the same destiny with this girl as with the people I'd met.

"This world is tough to live alone, but together... we might achieve what we couldn't alone."

Yes, it's a harsh world, isn't it?

Even so, if we want to live, we should reach out to those we can be with, and sometimes it's necessary to take risks for them.

I hope this girl is included in such a place...

-Clip-clop, clip-clop.

With those thoughts, as we moved forward, I started hearing the sound of someone approaching from the opposite side of the street.

In this cold, without preserving body heat like I do, one would quickly lose warmth. Could there really be a moving monster now?

-Neigh!

No, it wasn't a monster; it was a horse.

Moreover, unlike the hideous creatures we've encountered, it had a healthy body and was fully equipped with protective gear, proving it belonged to someone.

"Why is there a horse here...?"

-Snort!

As I wondered, the horse approached and knelt down.

As if inviting us to sit, there was a note tucked into the saddle.

A letter from the presumed owner of this horse, intended for the person who would ride it.

[Hero, this is Sanson. I don't know what's happening, but just in case, I've sent a smart horse. If you find it, please ride it and join us at the designated location with Miss Flang.]

...Damn stubborn guys.

They don't even call me by my name properly, and now they're ignoring orders to return to the capital.

-Snort, snort!

But now that the situation was settled, their consideration was somewhat welcome.

As I turned back, I noticed the horse reaching its head towards Flang, who was on my back.

It was certainly showing affection towards Flang.

The horses of the expedition were mostly taken care of by her.

"It seems worried about you."

"Me? This horse?"

"Yes, if you honestly ask for help, it will surely help."

It must be grateful for her constant care, so surely it could do at least that much.

But my words seemed strange to her, as she just buried her face deeper into my back without petting the horse.

"...It's an unreasonable request. For someone like me, made to help humans, to ask for help from others."

"Sometimes you have to rely on others, even to give help."

If your legs are broken and you need to move forward, you can ask someone to lend you their shoulder.

It might be awkward, but having already been saved by my hands, there were no other options.

Thinking it could gradually be improved, I mounted the saddle, secured the uncomfortable Flang with a strap, and gently asked her.

"Or do you dislike me?"

"...I don't dislike you."

Finally giving in, she buried her head in my back and wrapped her broken hand around my waist.

The trembling in her hand indicated that she still couldn't shake off her fear.

"That's why I'm afraid. After we leave this place, I might end up pointing my sword at you."

...Yes, come to think of it, that still remained.

No matter how much we grew to care for each other, she had a mission, and I had the resolve to protect those who care for me.

If we don't give up on that and continue, we will eventually clash.

Even so, the reason such a future doesn't seem so scary is that I felt a sense of possibility just from her not pushing me away.

"Then, we should find a way before that time comes."

Just like me, this girl, too.

I gained the conviction that she would help the people I love...

-Rumble!

But such feelings of expectation lasted only a moment.

A tremor in the ground followed, causing me to stiffen, and my gaze reflexively turned to the direction we had come from.

What should have been there was the ruins of the cathedral, destroyed by Flang's battle.

But right after we left, something was writhing, rising above the city.

That wasn't there when we came out a moment ago... Could it be alive?

"Ah. Aaaaaaaaah!!"

A fierce scream erupted, frightening me.

As it echoed throughout the city, the blizzard from behind suddenly became distorted.

It wasn't just a loud sound; it was imbued with magic.

It was an incomplete but dizzying sensation just from hearing it... Yes, I definitely felt this when I was attacked by the demon before.

"Yasmo... Deus?"

And it wasn't a mistake, as Flang, who was watching with me, confirmed.

Turning to see that she couldn't ignore the name, I saw that Flang's face had turned pale.

"Yasmo Deus is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's Army, right? Why is she appearing here?"

"Because she was the mastermind behind what happened in this city. But I thought she died frozen by Mr. Phobia..."

So she was killed by Phobia, but somehow survived and ended up like that.

But now, as if replacing the cathedral, her form had nothing left of the demon she once was.

"Never... Never forgive!!! A beast dared to challenge me and made me look like this...!!"

With an incomprehensible scream, shadows extended in all directions like giant tentacles, smashing parts of the city, causing my body to tremble violently from the shockwaves.

And at that moment, my eyes met with the closest tentacle...

No, it wasn't a tentacle; it was a person.

Countless people melded together and melted down... It looked like a slime born from a melted crowd.

"Ah, yes... You all, you made me like this...!!"

The long, stretched flesh seemed to reach towards us but then froze in place, stopping its advance.

The blizzard, which had been intensifying since the chaos began, started to freeze the body.

Are the spirits helping us? So we can escape this monster quickly?

-Neigh!

Whatever it is, now that we've recovered Flang, there's no reason to stay here any longer.

Fed up with facing such monsters, I flicked the reins, and the horse carrying Flang and I started down the road quickly.

"Oh... you... destroyed...!"

At that moment, the monster forcibly moved its frozen body, sending splintered flesh-like tentacles toward us.

As we raced down the road, dodging the brutal attack, Flang's tense voice emerged as she looked back.

"She probably gathered the monsters around her in a final desperate attempt to construct her body while she was dying. Since her original body could turn into a spirit, she managed to piece herself together with the surrounding monsters, even though it wasn't perfect."

"And that went wrong, causing her to go berserk?"

"From the start, the fusion of beastmen and vampires was imperfect. Adding demons to the mix is an unprecedented experiment..."

-Crack, crack!!

Frozen chunks of flesh crashed into buildings, sending debris flying in all directions.

Boom, crash! Rocks and ice chunks fell along our path.

We managed to dodge them with the horse's speed and agility, but even that was precarious.

-Rumble, rumble!

As we advanced cautiously, frozen chunks of flesh twisted and surged like waves behind us.

If we hesitated and slowed down, we'd be quickly caught and swallowed.

"Damn it, it's too fast!"

"Leave me behind. It might slow them down a little..."

"Don't talk nonsense! What do you think I came all this way for?!"

Abandoning one broken doll wouldn't make us much faster, and living only had meaning if we did it together.

The only relief was that we just needed to go straight to the drawbridge exit... Damn, what should we do?

"Unforgivableeeeeee!!"

Even now, the flesh behind us was expanding and chasing faster than us, and the ensuing chaos was destroying the city, blocking our path.

Of course, without the cold, this monster could easily consume the city. There's no way I could fight it head-on like with Phobia.

At the very least, if we could stall until it completely freezes in this cold...

"Master! Ahead!"

At that moment, a huge shadow loomed ahead.

Startled and holding my breath, the shadow was already right in front of us, opening its mouth.

It was a monster with a thick beak and black feathers... Damn, if we crash, it's over!

-Screech!

But the monster that caused the alarm flew past us, soaring above.

The monster that struck down the flesh flying at us landed on the street, showing its presence.

A monster covered in feathers, with a head like a crow, and a black cloak.

"Kaaoaa! Kaaoaaa!!"

The monster screamed from the side of the direction we were heading, causing the wave of flesh pursuing us to veer off course.

"Ah, ah. Yes, it's you! You dare to obstruct me!!"

It seemed unable to overlook the one who hindered it.

The crow-shaped monster, seemingly fleeing, began to run across the city buildings through the blizzard, forgetting to pursue us as Yasmo Deus advanced.

Despite freezing from the cold, it moved in the exact opposite direction of our exit.

"You..."

Feeling a familiarity from its back, despair soon escaped my mouth.

"Why... are you here?"

Virgil Huntress.

Why had he, now completely fallen into a monster, appeared here to draw the attention of that monster?

Chapter 185: A World We Can't Live In Alone (2)

"Now, young man."

I thought that would be the end.

"The time has come. Would you adorn this old man's end with your hands?"

Retaining sanity was only a momentary effort.

The distortion that consumed his body gnawed at him even then, urging him to revert to his previous state.

"...Virgil."

"It's a simple task of stabbing my heart and burning it. If you watch until it turns to ashes, the hideous monster before you will disappear from this world forever."

If it breaks again, it won't return as it once was.

Knowing this better than anyone, he urged me to end his life.

"Are you okay with that? To end so meaninglessly..."

"Everything has its end."

How could he remain so composed facing his own end?

No matter how long he had lived, the end was approaching.

And yet, it wasn't even a proper death, but a painful one buried in the darkness of this wretched world.

"Aren't I rather fortunate? In a world overflowing with those who can't even choose their end... If a young man like you decorates my final moments, that's enough."

Virgil, trembling as if holding onto sanity was his limit.

Seeing that alone conveyed indirect pain, but still, I couldn't bring myself to stab him with my spear.

"...Why?"

Even though I understood that I had to.

There were still too many unanswered questions about him.

"Why do you help me so much?"

If I killed him here, I would never have another chance to resolve my questions about him.

"Do you need a reason to help someone?"

"If you were a good person equally to everyone, sure."

But the person before me was definitely not someone to call a good man.

From the first meeting, he had mercilessly killed people like me, so how could I consider it normal to make an exception for me?

"I don't understand... You who cares for me even in such a moment..."

"...You just stand out."

To my question, he answered in a strained voice.

"I stand out?"

"Yes, even though I've lived a long time, you stand out..."

The ability to be remembered by no one applied to him, too.

That's why he cared for me.

"Do you know how much chaos this world has been in before people like you arrived?"

As he said that, he wanted to tell me the deeper reason.

With a more desperate struggle in his last moments, he tried to give me the answers, pushing his limits to the extreme.

"People from different origins, living in different environments, live different lives... The conflicts arising from these differences never cease, so this world has always been filled with chaos, regardless of the era." ṟᴀŊОᛒƐᶊ

Fights between humans before the calamity, and even before that, wars between races...

He had secretly watched over all those eras.

He was trying to convey the insights he gained to me in this moment.

"Some deny such chaos and believe that unifying the world under one path is the only way to benefit it. Denying differences, they seek purity and believe that those closest to that purity are noble and deserve respect..."

Worshipping what others consider dirty is one way to live in this chaotic world.

"But if we can't resist chaos... perhaps accepting it is also a way?"

Regardless of birth, environment, or life lived...

Simply accepting and being with someone who shared the same mind—that was his way to survive in this harsh world.

"And to accept that, we need what we call a focal point."

"A focal point...?"

"Whether it's a nation, religion, ideology, or race... or even an individual like a hero. If there is power to lead someone, anything can become a focal point."

His finger slowly extended to conclude his argument.

A deep smile appeared on his face as he aimed his finger at me, concluding his words.

"Do you know how dazzling someone like you appeared to someone like me, who sought such a focal point?"

Simply being remembered by someone...

Claiming that this ability, labeled useless as soon as I arrived in this world, had irreplaceable value.

"You have the talent... to bring together those who inevitably must part in this chaotic world..."

"...Do you really think so?"

In this harsh and difficult world, the talent to lead more people...

Maybe the things my loved ones spoke of, the 'mission of a savior', were present in me now.

"You may have lost confidence. But you've overcome such things many times. That's why you're here now, isn't it?"

To those uneasy words, he answered.

"You're doing well."

Encouragement that felt all the more sincere, as he faced his end.

And his belief.

"If you continue on that path, you'll surely be able to lead all those you love and all those who love you."

"..."

"...Is it okay to end this old man's will here?"

As his body, which continued his belief, swelled again, his original form soon disappeared.

Even so, the monster, as if retaining consciousness, directed a steady gaze at me...

"...Young man."

No, not yet.

The voice from its mouth indicated that he still had some sanity left, despite becoming a monster.

"You too..."

Even as I pointed the spear at him, he didn't attack and just stood there.

How could I see him as just a twisted monster when he was showing consideration and ignoring his instincts?

"You too... Can you be included in that?"

"...You."

"You came back, right? As soon as you saw me, you came back."

I know. A fallen monster can't come back.

It's foolish to hope that the miracle of him coming back when he recognized me in the underground could happen again.

'If we don't end it here, he might come back again someday.'

But isn't it too early for that?

If he completely turns into a monster, I'll reluctantly handle it, but for now...

With someone who showed me kindness still here, I couldn't possibly execute him with my own hands.

"That's an unreasonable request."

To me, dressing up my weakness as futile hope and aiming the spear, he answered in a quiet voice.

Perhaps knowing he couldn't suppress the change, he even loosened his grip on his neck.

"But if that kind of heart is a necessary quality, it should be respected."

For some reason, his voice felt more relaxed than before.

With that, he turned his back to me and prepared to step into the darkness.

"Let's go. If we delay too long, we might miss the moment."

With the last thread of sanity, he buried himself in the underground darkness, seeing me off as I headed above.

Abandoning even the last chance to die as the individual 'Virgil Huntress'.

Yes, that was the last sight I remembered.

Even if he maintained his old appearance until the end, it wouldn't be long.

So, I had to be prepared to handle him with my own hands when we meet again, once he completely turns into a monster.

With such resolve, I came to the surface, and even after handling Phobia, I solidified that determination...

"Kyaaa! Kaaaooo!!"

So why did he, who should have lost his sanity and become a monster, appear before me again, as if to keep his excuse?

Did he really regain his sanity?

Or is it just an illusion, and he's simply following an instinct prioritized over hunger, like Phobia?

"Ugh, aah...! Damn, beast...!!!"

But whatever it was, the monster was drawn to him, and soon lost all interest in us as we left the sanctuary.

As we crossed the drawbridge and left the scene, what we saw was a blizzard growing fiercer from the moment we left.

The monster, unable to resist the cold, quickly froze, and its movement was soon halted.

Even with that much flesh freezing, I could immediately sense what happened to the immortal monsters inside without seeing it directly.

"We somehow survived... but what was that grotesque thing we saw at the end?"

Yes, as long as that cold doesn't melt, those monsters won't come out.

As I turned away from the scene, the question asked with such certainty came to me, and I quietly muttered what came to mind.

"...Hope."

"What?"

"It's nothing."

Burying that faint hope in my heart, I just firmly gripped the reins of the horse there.

There was no hesitation.

Even though it's impossible to hope that the cold filling that land lasts forever, even if there's a possibility the frozen monsters would return to the world someday...

There was the expectation that among those awakening with them, there might be a being who hadn't lost their heart.

"Let's love."

Recalling the last words of the one who gave me that hope, I quietly gripped the reins and spurred the horse to run.

"Remember, the only way to survive in this harsh world is to be true to that heartbeat in your chest."

I engraved his final lesson in my heart, reminding myself that the heartbeat I felt in this moment would become the path I should follow from now on.

"Hero! This way!"

After finally escaping the sanctuary and traveling a good distance, I arrived at a temporary camp set up on a hill far from the sanctuary.

Waiting there in front were Sanson and the expedition members.

As soon as I saw them, I lifted up Flang's damaged body and carried her directly to the healer among them.

"Can you treat Flang first?"

"I'm sorry, but Miss Flang's body is so different from ours that divine miracles may not work on her."

The healer didn't seem surprised by her doll-like body, likely because they had already assessed it when she had acted unexpectedly.

However, as if they had already accepted this fact, worry was clearly etched on the faces of the expedition members surrounding Flang.

"Please, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine even if I'm left like this... my life isn't in danger..."

"That won't do! Miss Flang is our comrade too!"

"Now that you mention it, isn't there a woodworker's son here? Take a look at her condition!"

Despite her non-human nature, they exchanged ideas, trying to find a way to treat her.

Feeling that Flang had fully blended into the expedition, I let out a sigh of relief and turned my gaze toward the tent set up beside the expedition.

"I'm glad you're safe, but what on earth happened in the sanctuary?"

"I'll explain it gradually later, but there's something I'd like you to answer first..."

Around the campfire in front of the tent sat a hunched man and woman in shabby clothes, along with a child.

They clearly weren't part of the expedition, nor did they look like people who did rough work like adventurers.

To put it figuratively... yes, they looked as if they had just been rescued from a disaster site.

"Who are they?"

"They're refugees who fled from the capital to the sanctuary. We encountered them on the way and provided temporary protection."

My guess was correct, but I couldn't view that answer positively.

The capital was the empire's center, the last remaining haven of humanity in this world, and the safest place of all.

"What could have possibly happened in the empire for them to flee all the way here?"

Sanson seemed just as concerned, and in a serious voice, he summarized the current situation.

"With the upcoming imperial succession ceremony, riots have broken out across the empire."

What we experienced in the sanctuary might only have been the tip of the iceberg.

A crisis might be unfolding that could bring down the last remaining "haven of humanity" in this world.