Chapter 154: The Hero, the Demon King, the Demon God, and God – 3

Chapter 154: The Hero, the Demon King, the Demon God, and God – 3

A human received the god’s declaration of annihilation.

Because he borrowed the body of a creature, it wasn’t absolute, and the technique and form were the same as what the creature originally used, but even so, it was magic that absolutely couldn’t be blocked.

There was no Holy Sword, no magic.

She merely…… changed the divine power she wore on her body to that initial, alien-feeling divine power and received the god’s declaration of annihilation.

The human’s divine power was in many ways different from the power that could be called the original source of the divine power the god on the other side fired.

Many aspects, from its role to the degree of its power, were different… but there was a crucial difference.

Struggle was imbued in that human’s divinity.

The god’s divinity was merely a command. Because he was a god who could achieve anything, it was merely power created by melting down that omnipotence as it was.

But the human’s was to confront, oppose, and struggle against such unjust omnipotence.

A power that struggled against a god who could achieve anything, and who sacrificed and used everything in the world for himself.

Therefore, it was a divinity that only humans could possess, and therefore, a divinity that no matter what means were used, a god could not manipulate.

Now, at this moment.

The god, borrowing the body of a creature, stepped into his world and, for the first time, declared annihilation to a human who opposed the god’s tyranny.

Therefore, that human was struggling.

Refusing that unjust declaration of annihilation, and declaring that even if they were creatures, as long as they had their will, the god’s omnipotence could not ignore their will,

Declaring that the god who ignored their will, thought of creatures as mere objects for himself, and sacrificed them for himself, was wrong.

Because of this, the god was displeased, enraged at that human, and also hated her.

If that human had not been protected by a being from another world, she would have been annihilated from this world long ago.

However, no, precisely because of that.

That human chose to struggle.

She decided to oppose the god who lied about caring for creatures, and who tried to sacrifice countless creatures, who were individual lives, for himself.

She decided to oppose the god who thought that since he created them, he could control them as he pleased, no matter how much life, free will, and individual existence they had.

For that, she replaced the ignorant Hero chosen by the god, clutched the Holy Sword that had been deceived by the god, and received the god’s declaration of annihilation with her entire body.

She was human, and her loved ones were also human. Therefore, she could not bear to see them deceived and used by the god, completely unaware.

For humans, the first Hero was a being sent by God to struggle and fight against monsters that threatened their survival.

However… as time passed, the Hero became solidified as ‘the savior of humanity.’

It became the title of a savior who rescued humanity when it was in crisis and seemed about to crumble.

And, at this moment, anyone who knew the full truth and saw this scene would say without hesitation,

That the god who, at this moment, sought to plunge humanity, and furthermore, the world, into chaos solely for his own benefit, was a clear threat,

And that the girl who struggled and fought against such a god to protect humans was,

Regardless of what God chose, a Hero.

And so, the god’s declaration of annihilation, pouring down even more intensely, an annihilation that consumed everything around it as it poured down,

Could not overcome the Hero and crumbled.

Although the Hero’s body was also battered, nevertheless.

Nevertheless…… the god’s tyranny, which sought to arbitrarily control the world, crumbled before the Hero’s will.

***

“…Impossible. IMPOSSIBLE!!!”

“……But it happened.”

Seeing the Hero, who from beginning to end did not move according to his will in any way, the god inhabiting the Demon King’s body gnashed his teeth.

And, raising his axe, which was now much more vicious and massive than before, he glared at the Hero.

“Then… I will personally. I will personally shatter you. So you can never rise again.”

And so, due to the god’s power, the Demon King’s greatly strengthened body flew through the air.

With that movement, closer to flight than a leap, the Demon King’s axe split the Hero in half.

It was a simple and barbaric action, but imbued perfectly with the god’s will and power, it was an absolute act in this world.

……However, that axe blow did not reach the Hero.

Divine power bloomed from the floor.

But, at the divine power that was clearly different from the god’s, the Demon King, the god, couldn’t help but falter for a moment.

In the sky, which had been filled only with darkness, a halo of light bloomed.

A sanctuary, by humans, for humans, not for a god, began to bloom.

Within that sanctuary, the god was an uninvited guest.

A sanctuary that did not worship a god, but cared for humans, and cared for creatures.

From the god’s perspective, it was clearly a sanctuary for creatures that, if he willed it, he could annihilate one by one, even if it took effort.

And, precisely because of that…… all creatures, all humans standing upon it, could be beings who did not have to be affected by the god, even if the god wished it, even if it was the god’s will.

The next moment, the Holy Sword was aimed at the Demon King.

The Holy Sword, originally meant to slay the Demon King and monsters, was aimed.

But… for some reason, the Holy Sword was aimed not at the Demon King, but at the being beyond her.

“You…! I gifted you eternal life! I gave you the privilege of greeting the next Hero within the sword! And yet, you dare point that blade at me?!”

*’……A gift, you say. A gift is only a gift when the recipient desires it. What you gave me was merely the responsibility to save the world again with the next Hero.’*

“Ha! Did the prophet say that? Are you falling for the words of that wicked one who deceived you?! Or are you enchanted by that girl from another world beside you! Whichever it is…'”

*’The one who commanded the prophet to deceive us, now says such things… No, wait? I tried to show respect, considering the past, but truly, you are not even worth existing anymore.’*

“W-what! Blasphemous……”

However, the god’s words would not continue.

For the Hero, having finished her preparations again, swung the Holy Sword within the blooming sanctuary.

Once again to slay the enemies of humanity, once again to protect humans, her loved ones.

It was still merely a Holy Sword, a creature of the god, but within the sanctuary, in the Hero’s hands and divine power, it could truly become a Holy Sword that cut down the enemies of humanity.

The god hastily swung his axe.

Once again, the Holy Sword and axe clashed.

However, there was no roar like before.

“Kuh-heok?!”

The god’s axe was pushed back by the Hero’s Holy Sword, and the god tumbled disgracefully to the floor.

He regained his stance, and the result was the same.

It was as if the body inhabited by the god also rejected the god; his body wouldn’t move properly.

“Such humiliation…… Tsk! You there! Help me at once! The two undead were shattered long ago, what are you dawdling for?!”

“……”

“Cut off the breath of that detestable Hero!! Hurry!”

Therefore, the god shouted at the Archlich, who had been the Demon King’s loyal subordinate until now.

If it had been before, no, if it hadn’t been for the sanctuary blooming beneath his feet, the Archlich would have obeyed, as it was a god’s command, no matter what.

However…… looking at the sanctuary blooming beneath his feet. It should clearly be divine power, but seeing this sanctuary that even strengthened him, a monster.

Seeing the sanctuary for creatures only, not for a god, and the god who hated and raged at the Hero who bloomed that sanctuary.

Furthermore, if he listened to the Demon King’s voice, which, perhaps made possible by her assimilation with the Demon God, was gradually sharing the god’s truth with him in his mind.

The Archlich, who had lived for a long time and seen too much, could no longer believe the lie that the Demon God, the god, cared for monsters.

“……I’ve tied him up. Do your job. ……Our Hero.”

Therefore, he swung the magic he had been preparing, not at the Hero, but at the god.

Even if that body was the Demon King he had followed… the god occupying that body, from the perspective of a creature, was a being that had to disappear.

The god he, the monsters, and… the Demon King herself had believed in, had not existed from the beginning.

At the same time, the god that humans had so believed in and cried out to, also did not exist.

Because a god was… only such a being.

When he first saw the Hero, and when he saw the Hero fighting in the Demon King’s castle.

The Archlich thought the Hero was not like a Hero.

The expression varied from person to person, but a Hero was a being who received a mission and designation from God, protected humanity from monsters, and became a symbol of hope alongside humanity.

But the girl was excessively cruel, slaying monsters rather than protecting humanity, and she was alone.

And now, as the girl blocked the god’s declaration of annihilation and bloomed a sanctuary, he reflected that his initial thought was both right and wrong.

Because the girl was not God’s Hero, but simply a Hero.

Watching the god, who was shouting in confusion at the Archlich’s magic, and looking at the Demon King’s body, the Hero quietly re-gripped her Holy Sword.

However… in the next moment, contrary to expectations, she put the Holy Sword away.

Instead, in her hand was a peculiar glass bottle of a color he had never seen before.

The Hero, after a moment of contemplation, eventually drank all the potion in the glass bottle and……

Watching the god, who had completely shattered the magic and was rushing towards the Hero again, she said softly,

“I declare, awakening.”

The next moment, the divinity felt from the Demon King’s body vanished.

What remained was…… not a god, but a Demon King who had finally awakened from the god.