Chapter 66
Episode 13: The Cost of Hope
The hologram before me was the goddess who created this world. I decided to ask her what would happen now that I’d fully awakened the power in both of my eyes.
「Does Lady Martina appear when both forbidden eyes have fully awakened?」
「No, I appear to guide anyone who achieves full awakening in either eye.」
「You mean to guide them to become either an angel or a demon?」
「Yes. By giving up their humanity, they can embody either the 【Angel of Righteousness】 or the 【Demon of Sin】, presiding over good or evil in this world.」
「Then… what would that mean for me?」
「You’re unique. You have a choice: you can select one of those roles, or you can take a different path.」
The idea of choosing between becoming an angel or a demon was what I expected, but this mention of a third option piqued my curiosity, so I asked her about it.
「What exactly is this other option?」
「It is the path to becoming a deity equal to me. Now, becoming a god doesn’t mean possessing infinite power. I used most of my own power to create this world. In principle, I would use my remaining power to keep any disruptions to world order in check, but even that power is no longer within my grasp.」
「So, would this mean becoming a god to take on that role?」
「That choice is yours. If you wish, you can wield your power to create a new world.」
「And the cost would be giving up my humanity… Do I have to decide now?」
「No, once your decision is made, channeling magic into your eyes as you did this time will summon me again.」
I still had things I wanted to accomplish, so this time, I chose to leave things as they were.
「I’ll just ask questions for now. Thank you.」
「Then, I shall take my leave.」
After Lady Martina vanished, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, lost in thought.
For now, I’ll focus on bringing down the Kingdom of Leone. But after that… I want to create a world where humans and demons can live together.
Perhaps, to make that kind of world a reality, becoming a god and using that power might indeed be the best choice…
–
Episode 14: The Three-Way Meeting
The next morning, I decided to tell Mom and Selen what had happened the night before. We assigned the support activities to Slaine and the others, though they were quite reluctant to miss the meeting. Well, Selen ended up vetoing that idea anyway. After teleporting the three of them to their duties and returning, we began our three-way meeting.
「So, after I returned to my room, I poured magic power into both my eyes. And then, the goddess Martina, who created this world, appeared.」
Mom was visibly shocked by this revelation.
「You met the Creator? Isn’t she the one who guided the first Holy Emperor?」
「Yes… I didn’t discuss those details, so I’m not certain, but it seems like she’s the Creator you’re thinking of. When I asked Lady Martina about my eyes, she offered me choices: to become the 【Angel of Righteousness】, the 【Demon of Sin】, or a God on the same level as herself.」
Hearing 【Becoming God after an Angel or Demon】, both Mom and Selen looked at each other in astonishment. Selen then turned to me, questioning.
「A god… does that mean you’d be a god of a world other than this one?」
「Well, it seems to be up to me. By creating this world, Lady Martina used up nearly all of her power. I could either choose to preserve the order of this world or create a new one altogether.」
Mom seemed curious about one detail and asked her own question.
「Are those the only three options? Is it possible to remain human?」
「I think it’s possible, though it might mean staying in this eye state indefinitely. However, using the power of these eyes would put me beyond the realm of humanity, so eventually, I might reach a point where I’ll need to choose one of the paths.」
Realizing this, I felt the danger that depending on the situation, I could turn towards good or evil. If anything happened to Mom or Selen, my anger could drive me to become a demon and destroy everything. That’s why I want to make a choice that would be beneficial to both myself and the world.
「I haven’t decided anything just yet, but the one thing I want to avoid is choosing in the heat of emotion. For now, I’m focused on defeating the Kingdom of Leone, but afterward, I want to make the best choice for the world, not just for myself. So please support me no matter which path I choose.」
After I shared my thoughts with them, they looked a bit wistful at first but eventually seemed to understand, nodding in agreement.
–
Episode 15: The Four Demon Generals of the Demon Realm
In a room within the palace of the capital city of the Kingdom of Leone, King Estigma was shaking with rage.
『Victor was defeated… Even after I sent a Holy Knight with him, this “Saint” Celestia… Just who is she…? I’d better get in touch with Demise for now.』
Estigma, considered to be a subordinate to Demise among the Four Demon Generals of the Demon Realm, decided to reach out to him.
「Oh? Estigma, is that you? It’s been ages. Things going smoothly on the surface?」
「Actually… there’s been a bit of a problem. Demise, I’m going to need you to lend me a hand.」
When Demise heard the word “help,” his short-tempered attitude shifted abruptly.
「Are you kidding me? I’ve got my hands full keeping things in order with the Demon Lord absent. I don’t have time for this!」
「Calm down. You know Victor, right? He was killed by the Saint, and it’s thrown all our plans out of order.」
Demise, who knew Victor’s strength—even if he wasn’t at the level of the Demon Generals—became intrigued by the Saint and started to cheer up.
「A Saint, huh? Sounds interesting. Tell me more about her.」
「The Saint has the 《《Sacred Eye》》. She’s a natural enemy to us demons. Sounds like a fun opponent, doesn’t it? Wouldn’t you like to be the one to take her out?」
「Oh, you’re giving me the honors? Nice!」
「Of course. When you reach the surface, come by my castle. I’ll share all the information I have about the Saint with you.」
「Alright, got it. I’ll head over right away!」
As soon as Estigma ended the call with Demise, he immediately summoned the 【Darkness】 and ordered it to search for the Saint’s whereabouts.
Meanwhile, on his way to the surface, Demise went to inform Fatima and Calamity that he’d be leaving the Demon Realm for a while.
「I’ve got some business on the surface, so I’ll need the two of you to hold things down for a bit.」
「‘Business’? That doesn’t make any sense. Why do you need to go to the surface?」
「I’d like to go for a change of pace too.」
As Demise prattled on, Fatima shot him an exasperated look, and Calamity eagerly voiced his desire to join in.
Not willing to let him just leave without reason, the two demanded an explanation.
「I got a call from Estigma, who said that Victor lost to the Saint, and now things are a mess. He’s asking me for help. And guess what? This Saint apparently possesses the Sacred Eye!」
「The Sacred Eye! Now, that’s intriguing. I’ll go to the surface, so you two stay here.」
Hearing about the Sacred Eye had piqued Fatima’s interest, and she immediately volunteered herself. Calamity, bored with tasks in the Demon Realm, didn’t hold back either.
「No, I want to go! Why don’t you two just stay here?」
「So, we all want to go on a rampage? In that case, why don’t the three of us head up there together and make it a race?」
「「Agreed!」」
And thus, after an informal discussion, the three Demon Generals set aside their work in the Demon Realm and made their way to the surface.
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