During that time, Ather had been deep in thought.
No matter how I think about it, it's obvious that I've been given a role.
He had hurled curses at the Evil God and challenged him to a duel—and yet he was still perfectly fine.
That role might just be that of a plaything, but he had a bad feeling about it.
More than anything, Argio had shown him his heart.
That's not the kind of mercy you show to a mere toy.
So then, did the Evil God truly want him to open the tomb?
Or does he simply not care?
His long contemplation made Ather's days monotonous.
He would charge in, trying to read the Evil God's true intentions, get thoroughly beaten, survive again, study the ruins, and ponder the future.
Then one day, a small and fragile presence entered the Evil God's tomb.
It was the young-bodied Saintess who called him a "hero."
There shouldn't be any more Saints born into this world.
How could a Saint appear in a world abandoned by the Creator?
Yet Ather, who had lived carrying the mission of a hero, felt it clearly—this small being was indeed a Saintess.
Then she must be a Saintess who serves a god other than our Creator...
There was no scent of beasts about her, so she was clearly from another world altogether.
He was startled by the sudden meeting, but it wasn't something he couldn't accept.
Thanks to Argio, he had already become aware of beings from other dimensions.
Now that the world had flipped and the Evil God had usurped the Creator's place—what was left that could not be accepted?
For a while, they just looked at each other.
An awkward silence hung between them.
"...Are... are you human?"
Apparently, this small Saintess had seen the beasts from Above.
She'd said they looked human.
It was absurd to Ather, who had fought them with death in mind—but that was the reality.
Ather lowered himself to meet the Saintess's gaze.
"Would it be all right if my wretched self, a lowly servant of my father, asked your sacred name?"
"...I am Aram, the youngest daughter who serves my teacher, the Moon."
"The Moon, hmm... That one does not appear in the shallow pool of my knowledge.
Where have you come from?"
"I crossed over through a dream..."
Aram herself was confused.
"Isn't this a dungeon?"
"If you mean one of the dungeons created by the Demon King, then that would be accurate—but this doesn't seem like one."
"Demon King...? I'm sorry, um..."
She needed time to sort things out.
"...Shall we talk for a while?"
"I shall obey the words of the Saintess."
Ather was from an age where social ranks mattered.
A noble aura, coupled with being a Saintess—such a person deserved proper respect.
He introduced himself even more formally than he had to Argio.
He recounted his story briefly.
What had happened here in the past, the trials he had faced, what had happened to this world, how he had been resurrected, and what he was doing now.
After hearing everything, Aram nodded.
"A dungeon... is essentially a dimension.
It was once a planet where humans lived.
So far, there's been no confirmed case of a dungeon open on Earth that still contains surviving humans from back then...
But if what you're saying is true, then you'd be the first interdimensional human."
"If you don't mind, may I now hear your story?"
"Ah, I'm sorry. I got too caught up in your story."
Aram bowed politely with a ritual greeting from the Moon Sect.
"Again, I am a Saintess of the Moon Sect, a humble human who calls herself the daughter of her teacher.
I came here because my teacher began to show signs of abnormality."
As she explained how she ended up in this dimension, Ather's brow furrowed.
"...So, you willingly put yourself to sleep for the sake of your dimension's future?
To study and investigate this unusual dimension that can only be reached through dreams?"
"...You can't really share dreams with someone else, can you...?"
"...I don't mean to sound presumptuous, but you really ought to think more about your own safety.
From my limited knowledge, even in another dimension, a Saintess of a religion should not be easily hurt or allowed to fall."
"There's nothing for you to apologize to me about."
She wasn't like the self-righteous, arrogant Saints he remembered.
He was grateful for that.
Ather swallowed a sigh of relief and continued.
"You mentioned being assigned a guide in the dream.
Where is that person now?"
"I didn't abandon them!
I-I just asked to be allowed to explore alone..."
"...Even as you say it, doesn't that sound a little off?"
"...The very fact that request was accepted probably means it was the dream's owner's intention..."
"And the owner of that dream is the Evil God who resurrected me?"
"That... seems to be the case..."
Ather's face twisted.
"Learn how to be cautious."
"I am being cautious!"
"Then why haven't you run away from me, # Nоvеlight # someone resurrected by the Evil God?"
"Because you're a hero...!"
Saints could instinctively sense the vessel of a person.
"You said yourself that you're the hero of this place.
I couldn't detect any lies in that, so I believed you.
I could also tell that your concern for me was sincere."
"Even if you sensed all that, there are still things you must avoid.
Don't make the mistake of thinking all knowledge belongs to you.
Human wisdom can never surpass that of a god, and human fate flows according to the god's will."
"I understand that too.
But even knowing that—if I don't act, how could I ever achieve the things I set out to do?
I came here accepting the possibility of failure and disaster.
Because I want to do what I must."
"That's exactly what makes it dangerous.
If you can think that far ahead, you should be even more careful.
Do you really not understand what part of you frustrates me?"
Ather let out a sigh.
"You don't realize how precious you are."
"I do know that! I know how important I am...!"
"That's not the same.
You may be important, but that doesn't mean you're precious.
Do you not understand how essential peace and love are to humans?
Don't carelessly trample on that value.
It easily becomes arrogance."
After hesitating, Aram said,
"...You sound a lot like my teacher."
"You mean your Moon god?"
"No, my human teacher."
"...It's a blessing to have someone who can tell you that much."
His tone was as formal as before, but the sarcasm was unmistakable.
Aram understood it clearly.
But she couldn't bring herself to get angry about it—not when it meant insulting her family or sect.
It wasn't that she wasn't upset.
It was just that in recent days, she'd come to feel the problems of the Moon Sect deep in her bones.
This park above had shown her primal joy.
It had made her feel desires she didn't even know she had.
It had helped her sense, learn, and apply what she truly wanted.
The Moon Sect's family members were all ruining themselves.
They were frogs in a well.
I won't fall for that temptation now, but still...
Humans did need that kind of primal joy.
Even if it had no use, no necessity—people needed to chase romance, to waste resources, to feel more emotions.
How could one discover truth without even understanding themselves?
Whatever the dream's owner had intended in creating this amusement park, the fact remained—Aram had learned from it.
"...You know the master of this amusement park well, don't you, Ather?"
"I told you earlier—that being is the one who resurrected me."
"What kind of being is he?"
Ather let out a long sigh.
That name meant pure rage.
"Did you look through the ruins on your way here?"
"Yes. The language was different, but there were chances to learn to read while in the park above...
The ruins described the atrocities he once committed."
"If you go deeper into the ruins, you'll learn why such an Evil God was born.
The being who resurrected me is different from that past Evil God.
But as long as his heart still exists, eventually, he'll revert to what he once was."
"You're afraid of that, aren't you?"
"The Evil God killed my family and friends.
He burned my village."
That horrific form and shrieking voice full of rage still burned in his mind.
"So before that disaster strikes again, I want to kill him somehow.
But of course, I couldn't.
I threw myself at him time and again, ready to die—
And yet, he kept letting me live and left me here in these ruins..."
"W-wait, are you saying he's imprisoning you?"
"No. I'm the one imprisoning myself.
The Evil God... has changed.
He created a whole new world.
I didn't have the courage to look at that world.
So, with his mercy, I chose to stay here."
"You think of yourself as a relic of the old world."
"I'm a ghost who should've died back then.
I can't help but want to remain in the past rather than face the future.
All that I am is bound to these ruins."
"...Then what do you want to do?"
"...What about you, Saintess?"
"I don't really know."
Clutching a white pillow, the Saintess murmured,
"What do I want to do... What can I do?"
"I'm in the same position, so I don't have any advice to give you."
"That's kind of sad..."
"What did you see and feel in the amusement park?"
"...Well, first, I learned how the place is structured."
A kingdom made up of three beast tribes.
There was even a Holy City open to any "guest."
The fox tribe's servants welcomed visitors and helped them do whatever they wanted.
"It's a place designed to ruin people."
That whole park above.
"My world has a word—utopia."
"I know that word. It means an ideal place."
"I'm glad you do. That's exactly what it felt like.
Even though such a thing could never truly exist."
"Do you want people suffering from reality to live happily forever?"
"I don't think that's right.
People can't be happy forever, not really.
Even if they spend their whole life dreaming a perfect dream—someone will eventually shatter it."
"...I mentioned I was trapped in a thorny prison for thousands of years."
"I told you it was because I couldn't endure the pain that I summoned the Evil God.
It was me who destroyed this world and brought calamity to your dimension.
But even if I went back... I would summon him again."
The reason was simple.
"Because I wanted to live."
"...Even if that meant summoning the Evil God? No matter what disaster it brought?"
"I struggled through endless pain, and there was no other way."
That was what had driven Ather mad.
"My Creator got tired of our stupidity and abandoned me.
No one came to the forsaken ruins.
And I could never open the prison on my own."
"But calling the Evil God through the hero's mouth... that must've been incredibly painful."
"That's why I tried to take responsibility.
Even if it meant offering myself to kill the Evil God."
Of course, that had been impossible.
"But even now, I continue researching ways.
Why did the Evil God let me live?
What role do I have in fate, and where does it end?
What can I do within it?
How much of it can I take responsibility for?
I'm still agonizing over it."
"You too, aren't you?"
There was no such thing as eternal happiness or a perfect dream.
"In the end, people must stand up on their own."
Some might choose to run from reality their whole lives.
Some could be content with dying while always running.
But not everyone could do that.
It wasn't that they shouldn't—they simply couldn't.
The longer they stayed unaware, the greater the damage would be.
Aram didn't want that future.
"That's why I want to know my role in fate, and what I can accomplish.
That's why I came all this way.
I wandered through the vast amusement park, studied its history and language, and finally made it... here."
"To endure the poison of the Black Forest and the ominous aura of the ruins...
You truly are worthy of being called a Saintess. Remarkable."
"It wasn't easy, but it was possible.
I was lucky, whoever planned it out.
I came here to understand everything about this dungeon.
So I can save my siblings and make the world better."
"If resealing the dream's master is what it takes to return the world to normal—then I'll do it."
"Then... will you allow me to help you bear a better responsibility?"
"This feels like some... kind of play, like we're just following a scripted fate."
"It's damn unpleasant, but it can't be helped."
They both knew this was the fate the Evil God had wanted.
But humans were beings who raged against fate.
No one knew what fate such defiance might summon.
Even if they couldn't overcome it—if they could just achieve what they wanted, that would be enough.
If they could protect what they wanted to protect, that would be enough.
They needed the master of all this fate.
"So you've called me again."
"It looks like all the actors you wanted for your stage are here now."
With a smile as if he'd been there from the beginning, Argio looked at Saintess Aram.
"Is this our first time meeting?"
"Or... not the first?"
Aram gave a hollow laugh.
"...I guess I was feeling too lucky."
She could no longer tell when the divine fate had begun.
-x-X-x-
The teacher who had saved her from pain and treated her as an equal—Aram had learned that he was, in truth, something far beyond a mere saint.
And yet, she wasn't deeply shocked.
"I think... I had a feeling it might be something ."
"Miracles don't just happen easily, do they?"
This had always been one of the possibilities she'd considered.
"Even fabricated miracles are like that. So for someone like me, who's wrapped up in all kinds of mysteries and fate... to be granted a pure miracle? That's almost impossible."
"And you adapt to reality so easily. Always imagining the worst."
"Still, the fact that a constructed miracle came to me is something to be grateful for.
It's a valuable miracle.
Now the only thing left is... what it is you want from me, teacher."
"...I'm sorry to say this..."
The Evil God grinned.
"I'm not your teacher."
"...How different are you, exactly?"
"About 0.01% of all the mysteries in the world."
"Isn't that... a pretty huge percentage?"
"Well, that depends on how you look at it."
"...As always, it's complicated. Fate can't be calculated with simple knowledge..."
"But you can accomplish similar things."
That's what it meant to be a hero or a saint.
"Then I assume you're all finally ready to listen to me in full."
Ather, who had been watching with a face that said he was losing his mind, spoke up.
"...It's because I realized there's no other way."
"That's the right mindset."
"You could also call it resignation."
"It was a judgment, yes, but still..."
The Evil God had appeared suddenly and begun manipulating the world in earnest.
It was clear he had a plan.
And in the process, Ather had been resurrected.
And now even a Saintess from another dimension had arrived.
"There's no other way to see it—we've been given roles to play."
It was too blatant to ignore.
"More than anything, you've worked very hard to keep us from harboring any ill will toward you.
Not just pretending to be nice—you really don't come off as a being of evil."
It wasn't just an act of gentleness.
According to the Saintess, not even one person had died from dream addiction in the real world.
There was practically no tangible harm.
The Evil God smiled and pressed on.
"...At the very least, I don't think what the Saintess and I are meant to do is beyond our capabilities.
It might all be a trick—but if so, it was a trick well-crafted enough to fool us in our current state."
"Do you know the tale of the dragon?"
"...It's a distant legend. I don't know what point you're trying to make."
"I'm sure our Saintess, who's been wandering the amusement park these last few days, knows it."
After hesitating, Aram nodded.
"...A dragon is a divine proxy born of nature.
It cannot return to the earth unless divinity allows it.
Because its lifespan is so long and weary, it spreads knowledge of how to kill itself across the world."
Similar stories existed in other dimensions too.
Beings of eternal life always ended up seeking a path to death.
"So... what are you trying to say?"
"I think you already know."
Hugging her pillow, Aram nodded slowly.
"...Then, is it my role to kill you, teacher?"
"I told you—I'm not your teacher."
"You're at least like him."
"That, I won't deny."
Gio didn't reject that much.
"Thank you for understanding."
To make it easier for them to join this play—or something like it—Argio had hidden nothing.
He had whispered to Ather to pull him into the performance.
He had encouraged Aram to throw herself in fully.
"You don't have to kill me.
But we have stayed here far too long.
It's time to scrub away the stains and build a new home."
"And to unearth that 'we' of yours, we have to open the Evil God's tomb.
Only then will the true stain be revealed.
But there's no guarantee this isn't just another of your malicious tricks."
"Of course it might be.
It could be that I'm whispering all this just to fully break free of the seal.
Aram, my little friend.
Do you need some time to think?"
"Then take as long as you want."
After a moment's hesitation, Aram took the Evil God's—Argio's—hand.
The wicked divinity bowed his great body with a smile.
The merciful saint does not show himself in this place.
"...Give him back..."
"Give back my teacher, you wretched Demon King—!!!"
"Ahahahahahahahahaha!!!"
Argio burst into raucous laughter.
The Evil God said he would give them time to think, and left.
Only Ather and Aram remained.
Of the two who sat in dazed silence, it was Ather who spoke first.
"...You're quite brave."
"...Judging from how things are going, I didn't think he'd get mad about something like that..."
"Still, you were brave."
"Was I... too brave?"
But even I would've grabbed him by the collar."
"A saint who grabs the Evil God by the collar...
That has a nice ring to it.
Even the priests of the Church of the Sun who hate the Moon Sect would applaud."
"I think it's an accomplishment any saint would applaud."
"Well, he let me grab him, though..."
"I now have one more reason to join this Demon King subjugation."
"Is it because he tricked you?"
When a god deceives a human, it's not really a trick, is it?
It's not like we call it trickery when fate brings something we didn't foresee."
"I suppose someone of your station wouldn't get angry over fate's little pranks. Then what is it?"
"My teacher is inside the Evil God.
I don't know if he's trapped, asleep, or just being shared... but he's in there."
Still slouched in defeat, Ather asked,
"...I've heard something about that.
That there are three 'Gio' inside him.
They're separate beings sharing the same body."
"...Was one of them named Sergio?"
I assumed all those 'Gio' were gods of the same kind as the Evil God.
But judging by your reaction, I guess not."
"He's definitely not that kind of person."
Aram's voice trembled.
She felt herself grow emotional.
"Why does my teacher have to be stuck with someone like that...!"
"No offense, but I don't think he's exactly your property..."
"Do you have a disease that makes you say things exactly as they are?"
"Something like that."
"Shall I purify you in the name of the Saintess?"
That purification would probably be torture.
"...What kind of person was this Sergio?"
"He always smiled at me."
"I'm sorry, but the Evil God Argio smiles a lot too."
"There are different kinds of smiles, Ather.
Not the kind you're thinking of."
"Like he was full of sunlight."
"...So that's where all the warmth I received came from."
Ather accepted it without resistance.
"In this broken ruin where even electricity doesn't run, he brought warmth.
He made it so that sunlight reached this sealed space.
I always wondered how that was possible..."
"My teacher is bound to solar divinity and considered part of a divine family."
"Then... he's a saint too?"
"He never directly admitted it, but yes, he was understood to be one.
If sunlight truly reached this cursed dungeon, it must've been his power."
That wasn't an insult—it was just the truth.
This ruin was cursed.
There was a reason Aram had specifically entered this place in the vast Black Forest.
She had expected something special.
"The reason your experience with Argio was so kind and so human is probably also thanks to him.
If they're sharing one body, it would be easier to copy each other and learn from one another."
Aram's expression twisted again.
"I still don't understand how it's possible.
Even if my teacher has a great vessel, I thought he was clearly human.
He's a saint, yes, but... still, a human..."
"You can't understand how a saint who made a contract with the Sun God could share a body with the Evil God. I get it.
But I've heard of similar cases now and then."
"You've heard of such cases?"
"Not firsthand—just rumors and old records."
Ather continued, uncertainly.
"You know better than anyone how immense a saint's capacity can be.
In my world's history, there were many such figures.
And with such capacity... they could contain many things."
After a long pause, Aram nodded.
"...That does make sense."
"I'm glad you think so."
"There have been cases of saints putting wicked things into themselves and slowly purifying them.
In my country, such human-based purification systems have long been banned..."
Even in the final records of my world, saints were often used that way—as seal vessels for demons."
Even if the names confused her, Aram instinctively knew—'Giovanni' and 'Argio' were not the same.
Her teacher would never affirm evil.
Which meant only one answer was possible.
"He must have willingly sacrificed himself to seal the evil."
"I can't say it's impossible.
There have been precedents."
"My teacher was already well-known for self-sacrifice."
"Giving your life for what's right."
"He must've noticed the Evil God and decided to share a body for the sake of purification."
And that wasn't even wrong.
Argio was currently merging with 'the portrait of Gio.'
The Evil God himself had said—if he united with the 'Happy Pig' and the 'Saint of Mercy,' his evil would naturally be diluted.
That process was already underway.
Ather looked deeply exhausted.
"...So this is what happened because I called on Argio's name?"
"I... I can't say it's impossible..."
"Then I must bear the consequences."
"...This involves my teacher. I'll take responsibility too."
She couldn't bear to lose that kind benefactor.
"Thankfully, things aligned.
Because my teacher is with him, the current Evil God has learned mercy.
He understands the value of kindness."
"And the last saint who settled as his dominant persona did not enjoy senseless rage or innocent bloodshed.
He was known for cruelty toward enemies and love of battle and war—but still."
"That's why the Evil God is planning his end.
He wants one last, proper battle to release his anger.
That's the conclusion he's chosen.
Whether it will truly be the end, I don't know—but still."
That part was easy to predict.
"...But can we really trust this?
What if he's deceiving us into opening the seal?"
"If so, it would dishonor your comrades' sacrifices."
"Even if he's sincere, there's still a problem.
If he becomes a fully restored Evil God, he may lose all reason.
Even if he doesn't... things won't end well.
I know exactly what kind of being that wicked Demon King is."
If it was a lie, it was a problem.
If it was the truth, it was still a problem.
"So what matters now is whether the Evil God knows 'forgiveness.'"
If he did, then whether it was a lie or not wouldn't matter.
"The Evil God is creating a battlefield.
He used you, Saintess, to provoke the religious world.
If what you say is true, then your fellow clergy and nearby priests are likely very... sensitive about your so-called kidnapping."
"I understand well how blindly religious people can act.
That's why I wanted to let them know it wasn't a kidnapping, but...
Strangely, no one else from my world has appeared in the dungeon.
And honestly, by this point... calling it a kidnapping wouldn't be wrong either."
"The situation isn't as terrible as it could be, but that won't calm down frenzied priests.
And it's not just about religion."
"Yes, it's already become a national-scale disaster.
This dungeon, 'Dream Amusement Park,' is a threat by itself.
It's not just the Moon Sect—other hunters will come too.
We can't deny anymore that this has become a battlefield."
"If war breaks out here... and if that was the Evil God's plan..."
Aram gave a dry laugh.
"Maybe it's not a bad idea for us to be the ones to open the hive."
Elite troops would swarm in to destroy it.
Letting the dungeon get half-destroyed messily, or ripping the Evil God out entirely—if they had to choose, the latter was better.
"That wicked Demon King... he's probably calculated all this."
"I don't think we ever had a real choice."
"But that doesn't mean we have to follow his script exactly."
"That's the spirit of a true saint.
I don't know what you're thinking, but I'll follow your lead."
"Thanks for the support."
A being like the Evil God couldn't possibly not know what she was thinking.
But even so, his plan was clear.
And if they could derail it, even just a little—maybe they could crack that ironclad façade.
Fine, I'll admit it. The current Argio... isn't so evil anymore.
Aram couldn't say she'd suffered much from him.
But maybe because of that, her petty grudges had piled up.
Restricting her teacher's freedom.
Kidnapping her into the dungeon.
Putting her family and the world to sleep.
Revealing her teacher's hidden identity without permission.
Letting that smug Evil God have his way—that pissed her off.
I'll repay my family's and my teacher's grudges myself.
Aram clenched the pillow in her arms and ground her teeth.
"...It's not really like that."
Gio blinked as he washed a strawberry the size of a fist with his father.
"My new student seems to have misunderstood something."
"No, I don't think it's a bad thing for me, but... it's a little embarrassing."
"It is entertaining."
And entertainment was enough.
Well, I suppose that's true.
Gio nodded and quietly placed the cleaned strawberry before the Moon.
He had already accepted it—
That even the Moon could become a pig.
-x-X-x-
There had been many disasters on Earth.
"In recent years, humanoid monsters such as mermaids have reappeared."
The bishop of the Moon Sect explained in her characteristically calm tone.
"With the appearance of the mermaids, Sankallut, who should have remained sealed within the Association's research facility, also revealed his power. Traces of him were mostly discovered in the Church of the Sun."
"Do you believe the mermaids truly allied with Sankallut?"
"It now seems even the Evil God of Dreams has joined the equation. No—rather, one could say he orchestrated it all. Neither the mermaids nor Sankallut have shown their full power or cruelty..."
"So the Evil God of Dreams imposed restrictions on them."
"It's uncertain whether they acted under his command, but it's certainly possible. At the very least, they must have allied. And the leadership would have belonged to the Evil God of Dreams."
"Only then can the behavior of past disasters be explained."
The Moon Sect priests nodded.
"It seems the Evil God of Dreams truly seeks to colonize Earth."
Even the word "colonize" was a softened expression.
"I'd say it's more like turning Earth into a feeding pen."
"Looking at the situation, his intent must be to reduce Earth's inhabitants to livestock."
"To the Evil God, using the empty bodies of those addicted to dreams and detached from reality would be a trivial task..."
"Hopefully the government and the Association can come up with a decent countermeasure, though I can't say for sure."
"Indeed, this is an issue that must be handled on a national level."
But this wasn't something the Moon Sect needed to deliberate on.
"Everyone, please focus."
The bishop once again called for attention.
"Our task is not to save the citizens. As I've said, that's the job of the government and the Association. Our role is the destruction or sealing of the 'Dream Amusement Park.' And..."
-x-X-x-
For reference, Argio...
was being left out.
"Wait, is this the moment where I'm supposed to feel hurt?"
"You're a god of evil. Don't be upset over stuff ."
"To be ignored by the people staying in my house—how heartbreaking."
"Tenants usually don't like being chummy with the landlord."
"How wise the Saintess is."
This was the first time Argio had experienced something .
"What are you all so focused on without me?"
"I'm good at that too."
"I can be really helpful, though..."
"Frankly, it's hard to imagine a god of evil being a good teacher."
"That's a deep, deep prejudice against evil gods."
Despite appearances, he had some talent as a teacher.
"You seem to be studying me quite hard, but didn't know that? This Argio had so many talents while alive that I taught students who were nineteen years old at the age of six."
"That's... definitely the first I've heard of it."
"Was there ever anyone to tell you about me, the last monster of the Black Forest?"
"No, but I could read about it."
"That's true. There are a lot of scribbles in my home."
As the only beast in the Black Forest who could use language, he had a hard time holding his tongue. Argio often scribbled texts and drawings while living in the ruins. They were murals, a kind of record.
Lately, the Saintess and the Hero had been poring over them like researchers.
"They're just boring diaries, yet they're so enthusiastic."
"You're being too modest. And give yourself some credit—your diaries are plenty entertaining."
"If I get any more confident, can you handle me, little friend?"
"Then don't get more confident."
"Alright, then. If my friend wishes it, so shall it be."
The Saintess looked up at Argio with an odd gaze and asked,
"...What do you consider the criteria for calling someone a friend?"
"What meaning does 'friend' need, really?"
"On Earth, 'friend' usually means someone you've been close to for a long time."
"That's too much of a textbook definition, isn't it?"
"Of course, the time you've known someone doesn't always define how close you are. Still, your criteria for friendship seem awfully loose."
"I know very well who my friends are."
"You mean fate and... the future, don't you?"
As she smoothed out a paper filled with scribbles, Aram asked,
"Will I become your friend in the future?"
"You're already walking that path."
"Even though I find you this annoying, is that really where we end up?"
"And yet, you're still walking this path knowing that, aren't you?"
"You already know what I'll do, don't you?"
In truth, Gio didn't know all that well.
"I don't know everything."
"How can a divine being like you not know the will of such a small vessel?"
"You've guessed it already, haven't you, my clever friend? I am a rather foolish being who prefers not to know too much."
"...That's a great relief to us."
"Thank you for your arrogance."
"Better to thank my carefree, vagabond-like disposition."
Gio's disinterest stemmed from a greater joy, a fascination with the unknown.
"...Or maybe it is arrogance?"
When it came to Argio, that might actually make sense.
"After all, the fact that I'm letting you fumble around , despite knowing you'll never defeat me, only proves my shortcomings. You're right. I am an arrogant being."
But who lays out a battlefield while expecting to lose?
"Please see us kindly."
"Still, you're not even going to check what we're trying to do?"
"What's the fun in that now? Look, I was a battle maniac who flipped the world while alive, and a god of evil who spread fear like a plague in death."
"You're right. We'll never beat you. We can't even kill you."
"You're already hopelessly disadvantaged. But I want to be righteously angry. What's the point of lashing out at the weak and leaving only a bad aftertaste? Not just for you—for me, too, you must struggle. Grow as strong as you can. Use every means available."
"Yes, we are weak. Compared to you."
Aram said, gathering every last bit of recorded knowledge.
"I'll help you find something to be angry about."
"You're not some mere Evil God of Dreams."
"You're the god of wrath."
A mystery far beyond petty tantrums or rage.
"I'll disrupt your battlefield."
This would be Argio's final battlefield.
"Only when both sides are sincere can true wrath be born..."
Argio respected everyone's desperate resistance.
While Argio was away, Aram and Ather shouted with joy.
"If not for Argio's records, we never would've found it!"
"And they were so damaged, decoding them was extremely difficult."
"To make it worse, it was written in archaic language no longer in use. We practically had to reinvent an entire script."
"Thankfully, it was a dead language—no longer used—so there weren't too many complicated grammar rules. That made the letters simpler, in a way."
"We still don't know how to pronounce it, but at least we've deciphered the content. This should be recorded in a royal library!"
"Calm down—we don't need to build a library right now. But your help as a former royal librarian was invaluable."
"I didn't expect the old texts I read for fun to be this useful. If I had remembered more letters, we could've deciphered it even faster. That's a regret."
"But look what we achieved in the end! With our brains combined, lost languages don't stand a chance! That's the power of knowledge!"
After their excited chatter, the two calmed themselves.
"S-So anyway... where exactly was the being? Was it really the one we were looking for? Are you telling me my theory about its existence was right?"
"Yes. I searched the Black Forest bit by bit and eventually found it. Like me, it's a ghost of the old world—it couldn't escape to the surface amusement park."
"If it had escaped, we truly never would've found it. But thank goodness...! So, where is it now? Could you talk to it?"
"I judged it too risky to bring into the ruins, so I had it hide near the entrance. It can speak—and was surprisingly cooperative."
"I want to meet it. Let's go right now!"
In truth, their excitement hadn't settled at all. The two of them moved toward the ruins' entrance, happier than they'd ever been since meeting. Aram scanned her surroundings with hawk-like eyes.
A deer with beautiful horns.
"According to the records, you aren't just an ordinary deer, right? You can use language. I have so many things I want to ask. Please, respond in my language."
"...Creator of the Evil God,"
Aram asked the silent deer,
"Why did you kill your friend?"
The ancient ghost answered.
"...I wanted a great, terrible wrath."
He was the first beast to be granted language.
It could not speak, lacked intelligence, and was driven more by instinct than reason.
Its owner had red hair. On the owner's fifth birthday, the deer was given as a gift.
"What should I name you?"
The child, praised and worshipped by many humans, postponed the decision.
"Hmm, yes. A name is deeply tied to one's soul—something valuable and sacred."
"I'll teach you language. If a genius like me spends a lifetime teaching you, even you can learn. Then, you can choose a name you like. I'll help you."
"Someday, you'll understand everything I've ever said."
The boy's ridiculous vow lasted a long time. Even after he was cast into the Black Forest, the lessons continued. He protected the deer from dangerous beasts.
"Who would dare harm you, my brother?"
The deer still couldn't understand his words. But it felt the affection. A family member—stronger and kinder than anyone. Under such tender care, the young deer grew healthy.
"You must be growing slowly because you've only eaten the best food. Deer don't usually live this long. Fascinating. I promise to teach you language until one of us dies."
"Though I already love your cries. So delicate and lovely—they tickle my heart, my friend. My little brother. I'm a human, you're a beast—but I'll make you more."
It was an arrogant vow—but he followed through. When the boy was called Argio, the monster of the Black Forest, he achieved a miracle.
He taught a beast to speak.
He was overjoyed. Hugging the deer's neck, he expressed his happiness.
"Now we are equals. I haven't lowered myself—you've risen up. Be proud. This is your achievement. Don't forget that."
"You can do so much now. Choose your own meals. Sing. Learn new languages—or even invent them..."
"I'm proud of you. You make me so happy. Do what you want. Create a name of your own. Since you've learned mine, you owe me one in return."
But before the deer could name itself, tragedy struck.
Argio became the root of all evil in the world.
The deer, once only protected, was captured by humans. Taken as a hostage.
"So that wicked beast cherishes this deer?"
"Supposedly a great treasure—but it's just a deer."
"What kind of bond could a beast like that have formed?"
The deer pretended to be normal. The more it revealed, the tighter the surveillance would be. But no chance to escape ever came.
And the Black Forest burned.
"Gods, burn away this vile curse!!"
The monster called cruel never left the forest.
"Reduce that savage beast to ash!!"
"Burn the plague-infested forest—cleanse it all!!"
"God will protect us!!"
"He's dead! The cruel beast died in the fire!!"
"The plague is gone! A new human era begins!!"
The deer, trapped in a human storage shed, could never understand.
Was he too wounded to move?
Did he spend all his time saving other humans and beasts?
Or... was it because of me?
Taking advantage of a moment's lapse in the humans' guard, the deer returned to the burning forest.
The red-haired boy who taught it language was dying.
The air was filled with the horrific stench of scorched flesh.
"It really hurts... It burns inside."
"...Wrath is consuming me..."
The boy laughed and cried.
"I don't want to leave it ."
He knew the magic woven into the forest and his own body. If he died consumed by rage, what kind of curse would be born? Argio didn't want to be swallowed by wrath for eternity.
"Ugh, no. If I live like that, it would be horrific. It wouldn't be fun. Not satisfying. Just a beginning with no end..."
"Gather our family. My friends. If they stay by my side, I won't be consumed. I'll consume the wrath instead. I can swallow it all."
"...Please, can you do that for me?"
So the deer gathered all the beasts Argio had once cherished. The humans he had nurtured were all killed or had fled—but the beasts remained and waited for his death.
Argio was deeply happy.
"You give meaning to my cruel life."
He was truly sealing away his wrath.
It was a miracle. By remembering the love he gave and received as family, he forgave the world. He understood. He endured. He forgot.
"I'm satisfied. I can die ."
Unlike its brother, it could not forgive the world or accept the demons.
It was still a young deer, just now learning to reason—and its weak judgment was swept away.
It was furious. The humans were disgusting. The world was detestable. It raged against the gods who ruined its beloved kin.
"Please, grant me this request. Help me end this curse..."
"It was the perfect ending. My chosen end. The cruel beast should've died with the Black Forest. What cleaner, more dignified end could there be?"
"Please, let it end with my wrath. I don't want to become any uglier."
Ignoring its brother's plea, the deer bit into his throat.
A herbivore's teeth could not kill quickly. But that was what the deer wanted.
Let this pain and betrayal make you even angrier.
The deer cried, staring at its brother who died without even closing his eyes.
"...When you rise again as a calamity, give me a name."
By killing the son of a god, the deer stole the power of language.
And so the Demon King of Wrath was born—
—but never received a name.
The one fragment never returned.
Its memory was sealed in a heart.
Resonance Rate: 99.9¿%
It was a fragment of wrath.
-x-X-x-
Ather let out a low groan after hearing the whole story.
"...So the Evil God might not have been born at all..."
A world turned to hell by an herbivore blinded by rage. A misguided decision from an immature mind.
The deer, having finished its story, pressed its mouth shut like an ordinary beast. Aram glanced between the silent deer and the pained Ather. After a moment of thought, she asked him:
"Is it too much for you?"
"...No, I'd already anticipated some of it from the records."
"I'm not going to lose my mind now."
Having spent centuries trapped in a prison of thorns, Ather had once gone mad more than a few times. But not this time. For ghosts of the past to fight over sin and guilt now—that would be idiotic.
"I refuse to be any more foolish than I already was."
And that would be worse than any calamity.
"But this story made it clear."
"Argio is without a doubt the Evil God of Wrath."
It was time to open the coffin.
"I think we've done all we can."
"Let's hope our flimsy little plan works."
"It might. The Evil God is underestimating us."
"Even if we're just flailing within the bounds he allows... it doesn't feel so bad."
The deer no longer tried to hide itself.
"Will you open the coffin with us?"
Even though it could speak, the deer chose not to. Neither Aram nor Ather knew why. They simply followed the deer—who wished to face the sins of the past—down into the underground tomb.
The steps remained dark, but there was no dust. Ather led the way, holding a torch. Though built in a rainforest, the underground ruin was dry, not humid. The smell of old blood hung heavy in the air.
"...Have you ever come here alone?"
The deer shook its head.
Because it said it wasn't worthy.
"...Ah, was that you speaking just now?"
"You're quite skilled."
Aram quietly marveled while mourning the tragedy. To the deer, speech itself was a sin, each word laced with guilt. So it had learned to communicate through air and presence instead.
"...You left records here, too. I'm deeply grateful for that. Without your writings, we wouldn't have had any direction at all..."
"I've read that in the past, every beast formed a tribe of its own. There was once a Deer Tribe, too—but records say they went extinct early on. Were you involved in that?"
The deer answered no.
"So it was a natural extinction?"
Among beast races, deer most resembled humans—in intelligence, but also in greed. Once they lost the wisdom of the beasts, they chose extinction on their own.
It was not the deer's doing.
"...That wasn't a pleasant topic. I'm sorry."
After a short story and long silence, the tomb's entrance came into view. Ather stared at the massive crypt, then looked back at Aram and the deer. He warned them firmly:
"Once we go inside, you'll see several coffins. If any of them speak—do not reply. We're heading for the last coffin."
As Ather stepped inside, a voice echoed through the tomb.
"Back again, are you."
A voice they didn't know.
"The final family's little toys have returned to the grave."
"What do you seek in coming here?"
"Ah, the end draws near. Speak your end."
"Have you finally decided to open the coffin?"
"It's stifling. Enough already..."
Ather grabbed Aram's hesitant hand and pulled her forward. The deer walked at its usual unhurried pace, gazing at the coffins. There was nothing to be gained from reacting to the vengeful, wrathful spirits.
And once they reached the final coffin—all voices fell silent.
Ather let go of Aram's hand and addressed the coffin.
"...It was last time, too."
"When I stood before you, all the others went quiet. Like scolded children."
"They were children."
The lid of the coffin opened with a dull groan.
"How old did they sound to you?"
"...Judging by voice alone, quite young."
"Exactly. I am the eldest among them—the one who first carved the name Argio into the world. Those little ones can no longer defeat me."
"Just because you're older?"
"At the moment, yes. They've calmed down. They've realized I'm the more experienced and stronger one, so they probably figured there's no harm in following me."
"In life, Argio was a warlord who wielded wrath at will."
She had read his past through the records.
"To you, wrath was both sword and shield. You were angry because you chose to be—unlike others, who were consumed by it."
"Do you know how strong a furious person becomes? Do you understand the limits of that emotion? Yes—wrath is a fine weapon, a strong fortress. I was only angry when I wanted to be."
"But that wasn't true after you died. When all the ghosts gathered and became the Demon King, you were forced to carry wrath you didn't choose. The 'Argio' Evil God wasn't made by you alone."
From the crack in the coffin, a large finger wearing a thick ring appeared.
"That small, youthful voice... is rather sweet."
The ring tapped against the coffin.
"Hey there, little friend. Servant of a strange god. Where did you come from?"
"...From the embrace of my teacher—the Moon."
"The Moon, huh... Not a name I recognize."
"I am when I choose to be."
"Then now—please answer my question."
"How brazen and bold... Cute."
The finger stopped moving.
And then, a hand reached out from the coffin.
"...Ah, my friend..."
"My noble, innocent one and only family."
The hand stopped in front of the deer.
The large hand opened like a blooming flower.
"Why did you do that?"
Golden eyes wept blood, stained into the palm.
"If you only wanted to kill me, would I have raged this much? If you merely wanted to steal divine power and spread language among beasts, I wouldn't have been angry. But you tried to trim my wrath, twisted its direction, and trapped me in eternal agony."
The hand reached farther, stroking the deer's cheek.
"My friend, my family, my beloved little brother..."
He smeared golden blood all over the deer's face, then withdrew into the coffin.
"Your teeth were terribly blunt—unlike now."
"Is your wrath finished?"
"It ended when all the humans who sinned that day died—along with all those who sinned again."
"That's unfair. I'm still angry—why didn't you wait for my sentence? You should have raged with me. Don't you think?"
"All that remains of me is this feeble body, this lowly existence. I have no strength left to face you, no will, no wrath."
The whisper turned toward Ather.
"Why did you bring that child to me?"
"There was something I wanted to see in you."
"...I saw what I was looking for."
"Why you thought that—I don't know. But fine."
Then the voice addressed Aram.
"Did you expect me to forgive all this?"
"Yes. I thought you might—and I saw a glimpse of it now."
"You say I showed a mercy I've never even seen in myself."
"Saints are arrogant creatures. They're born from pride."
"I understand your intent. But I won't answer."
The coffin shut again. The spirit spoke.
"You've received your gift. It's time to open the gate."
Ather pulled Aram behind him and drew his sword. Aram bit her lip—not surprised, only grim.
The deer's blood gushed like a painting, flooding the floor of the tomb.
Ather scowled at the absurd amount.
'This much blood... there's no way it came from just a deer.'
The crimson liquid pooled around their feet like rainwater after a storm.
From the ordinary comes the unnatural. The air became thick with poisonous stench, like a curse giving birth to more curses.
'I never wanted to feel this again.'
A sight where all the rules of the world collapsed. Horror born from incomprehensible abnormality. Ather was all too familiar with it.
"...Yes, of course..."
Another hand, long and pale like a dead tree branch, emerged from the dark beside the one holding the deer's heart. It caressed the dying body gently.
Another hand reached out.
"Did I... have a family?"
Then another, and another, and another, again and again.
"Maybe there was a misunderstanding."
"If I had family, why did all that happen?"
"No—it happened because I had family."
"Ah, it hurts. I can't breathe. It's suffocating. This place is too small."
"There is no sky, no sky, no sky. The hand that once cradled small things abandoned me. I was left alone. So lonely, so terribly sad. You abandoned me. I was left behind. Please... take me with you."
"Why did I have to go through all that? You created me—yet never gave me a voice, never touched me. Your pathetic little children tore out my heart, cut off my arms, displayed my neck—and you ran, howling."
"It hurts, it hurts, O God—tend to my pain. Or else bring me Hell. The calamity you made is waiting here for you. Open the door, Creator. Show me your face. I have waited."
"It was so dark here. I couldn't see. Even with a torch, I couldn't light the world. Whisper to me, Creator—why? You made me from your greed. I'm still here. Where did you flee?"
"Come back, Father. Call my name. Look at me. If you created this dreadful beast, then give me a name. Where are you? Where have you gone? Ah, yes—I know what kind of being you are. Arrogant, ignorant. I understand."
"Where does this wrath end? How long must I keep raging? No one can take this from me. This heat that burns my insides, melts my mind—only that keeps me alive. So sing to me of sin. Curse me with a name. Let the world point and mock."
Countless mouths whispered in the dark and void. The words were too long to decipher.
Countless hands crawled from the coffin. Behind them, innumerable figures oozed forth.
Like black, rotten lake water, or the sludge of the Black Forest, they seeped out and slowly stood upright.
"Show me mercy—don't I look pitiable?"
"I will laugh while you scream."
"Stab me, judge me, call me the worst."
"All the wrath of the world is gathered here—curse me, beg me for mercy. I'll never give you a scrap. Scream your worthless cries and waste your precious life."
"O God—my Father—look upon me! Or give me your neck! Why did I have to die in this dark forest? I cried in agony until my eyes melted with venom!"
"You said to guard the world—I obeyed. But if no one shares that will, what's the point? Take me. Take me. Take me. You should've let my breath rot. Know your sin!"
"Why? Why? Why, why, why did you forget me? You forgot. Don't forget. I will stab you. I will adorn my dagger with poison and plant it in your heart. Show me your neck. I've waited so long—give it to me. Father—ah! My father...!!"
Then emerged a crimson body.
Longer than a serpent's. Covered in feathers, like torn wings from countless birds stitched together.
Massive feet and claws pressed down on the tomb floor between the coils of its body.
"I once had wings—but I can't fly now."
"Humans clipped them, burdened me with pain I can't measure."
"Wretches, traitors, worshippers of nature—you humiliated me, trapped me in this bloody stone tomb."
"If I hadn't been greedy, maybe I could've flown. But with these filthy wings, I can't. Why, with wings, can't I fly? The sky was there, and yet I had nowhere to go."
"See what remains of me? Screaming flesh, blood-stinking feathers, the feet to crush your bodies. These patched hands can't count you. These sewn eyes can't see. These warped arms can't embrace you."
"You made me this way. You recreated me . Are you satisfied? You should be. You must be. I became this for you. Didn't you break and stitch me this way?"
"Then what can you call me now?"
"Me. I... what do you..."
"...What do you call me...?"
The figure whispered like a madman, screamed, then wilted. Aram pressed further behind Ather's back.
She began to gather holy power, ready to flee at any moment—yet muttered unconsciously:
Twisted by humanity, ghosts, and rage—yet still a dragon at its core.
"...Far more grotesque than I remembered."
"You said the magicians who locked Ather in a cage borrowed the power of this Evil God to kill the world's Creator, right?"
Ather struggled to hold back a sigh.
"It's even more broken now."
"...To think a divine herald became that."
"Human greed was too much."
They had ruined the dragon.
"Now it's time to take responsibility."
Ather led Aram out of the tomb.
The writhing 'Argio,' formed from countless personalities and endless rage, did not yet notice. Only after a long time did he finally glance down at the deer's fallen body.
Only those golden eyes saw it.
A long, stiff hand reached down, gently cradling it like a baby.
"...Still such fine fur."
'Argio' smiled like a child.
"I'll protect you..."
It raised the deer's heart.
Its lips, soaked in blood, split into a wide, enormous grin.
The man's head split in half, leaving only a mouth.
The shattered pieces turned to dust in the air.
He fumbled with his twisted hands to find his head's shape. Like a broken porcelain jar, golden blood spilled from within.
And then, the lips curled into a vicious crescent.
-x-X-x-
The chieftain of the Fox Tribe, Laami, called upon her longtime friend.
The chieftain of the Wolf Tribe nodded.
"It's about time for us to step back."
"If we take on our beast forms, he won't harm us."
"Still, wouldn't it be better to stay away from the battlefield if we can?"
"You're right. The children are already in the forest."
"His blessing should grant us the strength to withstand the miasma of the Black Forest..."
"...Still, it doesn't exactly feel pleasant."
Laami's figure soon transformed into that of a fox.
The red-furred fox gave a light shake of her body and looked up at Gargar.
He, too, returned to his wolf form and gazed down at his old friend.
He lay his massive body along the corridor of the castle.
"Everything is... just as he said."
"Exactly. And that's what's so bitter about it."
"Once this commotion ends, will peace come here too?"
"Would a god go back on a promise once made?"
"Then we'll be free."
"Or we might be discarded."
"Perhaps. You might be right."
The Evil God had made them a promise.
That he would mend the ruined land born of human greed.
That place would become the final battlefield of the Evil God, and they were to borrow it for a time, and once he met his end, they were to make it their home.
Even so, the beasts cultivating his battlefield had not been part of the agreement.
"It's a foolish way to treat a god, sure, but still, we've only just begun to truly believe and follow him..."
"The one who will consume this battlefield won't be the one we know. Let it go, Laami."
"Humans couldn't possibly kill a god, could they? Even the previous creator only managed to abandon this place and leave, that was the best he could do."
"That depends on what the god chooses to do, doesn't it?"
The one who had been both their friend and their master once said that a god was a will-bound fate.
So if that will turned toward its own end, even a god could not escape death.
"It's not as if I welcome that thought..."
Gargar swept his gaze across the empty interior of the castle.
"...Yes, you're right. It is bitter."
"It used to be such a noisy place."
A theme park, was it?
This massive castle, the dazzling rides, and the luxurious village surrounding it had all become a special zone for them.
It had always been loud, full of joy and happiness.
Now, there was no one left.
To prevent being swept into the war, he had told them to hide themselves when the time came.
Each chieftain had hidden all of their kin within the forest, in accordance with his will.
Perhaps that was why it was so quiet.
"...Was the end of humanity, the one they saw in their visions, too?"
"If anything, it was probably worse, not better."
"However it may be, the end of an era is this silent."
"If he hadn't taken us in, we would've walked the same path."
"Honestly, I think this life wasn't so bad."
"It never felt real, but still."
The days of long suffering were still vivid.
They couldn't even feed their newborns milk—poison had seeped into it.
They had buried countless offspring in the tainted earth.
This era had been a kind of recompense for that pain.
At that moment, a crow flew in through the window.
"Why are you still here, not moving?"
At the crow chieftain Valf's question, the fox gave a sheepish smile.
"It just feels like a shame to retreat ."
"Hmm... I imagine your thoughts will change once you witness the war firsthand."
"Our children are already hidden in the forest. Surely he wouldn't harm his beastly friends, so I'm not worried."
"Don't judge the wrath of a god by the instincts of a beast.
The god who has taken back all rage knows no distinction between friend and foe.
You mustn't be too at ease."
"Unless we bare our wrath before him, his gaze won't land on us, will it?
Well, of course, even a single blind movement of his hands or feet could crush us, but..."
"Which is why you need to stay by your children's side all the more."
Laami's ears drooped low.
Her gently wagging tail came to a halt.
"...Is this really the end?"
"...You've grown attached."
"I know this is foolish."
"He stayed in human form for a long time.
I understand your feelings.
He humbled himself so much that it was inevitable."
"If these feelings of mine are part of his will, must I really retreat and hide in the forest?
Can't a lowly fox be of help to him?"
"If all this is his will, then perhaps that isn't entirely impossible."
The crow spread his great wings and nodded toward the window.
Gargar, who had been silent all along, looked below the window.
"Oh, it really is a human?"
"One of them seems to be the Saintess of another dimension, the one Valf was overseeing."
"She mentioned she serves a god called the Moon."
Gargar turned to Valf.
"Are they also part of his arrangement?"
"More like toys than plans, I'd say. But that too must be within his will."
"Then is speaking with them also part of that will?"
"That, I don't know."
The crow took to the air.
"But it's worth speaking to them, whatever path that may lead to."
"You're right, Valf."
The fox scratched at the wolf's massive leg.
"You're perfectly capable of doing this yourself..."
"I'm small and fragile, I get hurt easily!"
"Damn it... such a bother."
Gargar grabbed the fox by the scruff of her neck.
"Kehing, you were going to help anyway!"
With the fox in his mouth, the wolf stepped onto the windowsill and leapt.
The fox dangled in the air, flailing and yelping.
As the wolf landed, the fox let out a cry.
"Could you treat me a little more gently?!"
"I was gentle enough! What more do you want?!"
"Ugh, wolves are so barbaric, I just can't with you...!!"
The crow landed as the two continued their squabble.
"...Just ignore them."
The human male watching the beasts with a strange look—Ather—nodded.
"...My name is Ather.
Before humanity fell, I was honored with the title of hero.
At one time, I even took part in sealing the Demon King.
Through the mysteries of the ruins and the mercy of the Evil God, I survived."
"Pleased to meet you, sir.
I'm Aram, a lowly daughter who serves my teacher, the Moon.
I joined hands with Mr. Ather here in hopes of finding a way to fend off the Evil God's invasion."
As if they had been waiting, both introduced themselves in turn.
The crow flapped his wings.
"I am Valf, chieftain of the crows.
It's surprising that any descendant of humanity survived what we thought was extinction.
And it's also surprising that a guest who once visited this theme park has yet to return home."
The crow tilted his head.
"What proposal do you bring us?"
"Before that, a question."
The guest of the theme park, Aram, asked,
"Are you subordinates of the Evil God, his friends, or his family?"
"Which role do you value most?"
"I would say family."
As the crow turned, the fox—who had stopped arguing at some point—blinked.
"Who else would I mean?"
"...I think I'm a subordinate. A loyal servant to him."
"You could've just said what you usually say."
"I'm also the beast he favors most!"
The fox boasted openly of her luxurious fur and thick tail.
The wolf, watching her strike a pose like a statue, replied in exasperation.
"...I think we're friends."
"Hmph, you never change."
"Don't start this again, Laami..."
"I was being honest."
Then Aram asked again,
"Do you love your master?"
"What a cringeworthy question."
"We, too, saw and felt what Argio was like in human form.
We received his mercy, and we didn't believe such a being could be called evil."
"...We feel the same, guest of my master."
"I have so much I want to say, and I want to treat you with more care...
But unfortunately, time isn't on our side.
So let me be direct."
The one called the Saintess, the god's family, asked,
"If you had a way to ruin this war... what would you do?"
"Sounds interesting."
And so, the beasts joined the cause of the Saintess and the Hero.
The first to enter the theme park wasn't the Moon Sect—it was Justitia.
"Told you it wouldn't be that hard."
"Looking at the Moon Sect's situation, it feels like we had an easier time getting in."
"Anyway, the important part is that entry was possible."
Seo Seo-Hee, the Guild Master leading Justitia's raid team, looked around.
"...Quieter than I expected."
He asked a guild member who had visited before,
"Was it always this much like a closed-down amusement park?"
"Mm, no, not at all. I think I submitted a report on this..."
"I was just asking in case I remembered wrong."
"I was just saying it offhand too.
But no, it wasn't before.
It was way noisier and packed with people.
There were even crow guides assigned to each visitor."
"Doesn't seem like we'll find any of those guides now."
The guild member assessed the situation with a calm expression.
"Seems like we weren't the only ones preparing."
No kind guides, no sweet food aromas, no twinkling lights.
The entire park was silent, dustless, and eerily pristine.
"Like you said, Guild Master—it really is like a closed amusement park."
"I've never even been to one, but I feel weirdly sentimental."
Seo Seo-Hee chuckled.
He looked down into the basement.
"Let's go meet the master of the house."
"There's a tremor, Guild Master."
"Something's coming up from below."
"Yeah, he's on his way."
The first thing they saw was a long, massive arm.
Then the red, sinuous tail of a beast.
Then monstrous wings spreading over its enormous body...
"It looks like it's in pain."
Sewn into its flesh were human figures.
『―Ah, aaah... aaaargh...! Aaaaaaaargh!!』
『Give me eternal rage! Give me your eternal disgrace!!』
『Hey there, friend. Did you come looking for me? Did you come? Did you come to see me?』
『Let's dance and sing and bleed together.』
The voice wasn't loud.
But it was perfectly clear to the members of Justitia.
Not because of their heightened senses—
—but because the "human" voice echoed directly inside their minds.
One of the guild members scratched his ear hard.
"Haven't felt this in a while."
"It's been a long time since we clashed with divinity."
"An Evil God... is still an Evil God, huh."
Just hearing that voice was enough to drive them mad with itching and pain.
Like an actor's song echoing through a theater, it resonated in their brains.
That presence alone decayed life and inflicted suffering.
Covered in golden treasures and crimson feathers, that radiant being...
Seo Seo-Hee muttered,
An Evil God who had once been a dragon.
Seo Seo-Hee recognized its true nature.