Ch.108Imprisoning the Monster (Constellation)

-GRAAAAH!!!

“For the Father God!!”

A massive calamity opened in the sky, a gate to the Otherworld.

The followers of the Father God charged forward, sacrificing themselves to protect the world against it.

Soon, monstrous creatures that should never exist in this world began pouring out through the torn gate.

“Gently.”

“Yes…!”

At the absolute one’s earnest request, the visitor confidently replied while sending telepathic messages.

“You’ll be in trouble if there’s blood!”

-Kyuuung…

The visitor, who was the incarnation of the Otherworld and its hostess, spoke firmly.

Their mental collective responded, issuing absolute commands to each individual entity.

The orders were clear: create a fierce-looking holy war, but never kill or harm the Father God’s apostles.

If possible, receive their attacks and die gloriously.

Since these Otherworld beings never feared death to begin with, they faithfully followed orders and charged toward the Father God’s priests.

“Casting ‘Superior Blessing’!”

-Fwoosh!

The Father God showered one side of the battlefield with a massive buff.

The paladins who received this power roared like beasts as they raised their weapons.

One step.

They drew close enough to hear each other’s breathing.

And on the second step.

-CRASH!

Ravenous teeth collided with the shield of the paladin at the front.

-BANG! CRASH!

“Gack! Kieeek!”

“…Don’t retreat! Our loved ones are behind us!”

Their private war was just about to begin.

“…Wow.”

And this spectacle was being directly observed by Ron, their god and absolute ruler.

He wanted to pour out divine power and erase everything from the world, but the big fish he was waiting for hadn’t appeared yet.

“Come out quickly~”

More specifically, he was talking to the monsters that hadn’t yet arrived on the battlefield, opposite the Otherworld creatures.

“Are you watching?”

He spoke to the Source of the World, who would be watching from the mental realm.

From the inside, it was a well-orchestrated puppet show.

From the outside, it was nothing short of a hellscape.

‘Is this what you wanted?’

Though it wouldn’t be heard, an indescribable emotion was growing deep within his heart.

This might be the world he chose, but could there be a more terrible world elsewhere?

A playground for constellations, and those trying to play games outside of it.

He wanted to make a promise.

Once this matter was properly concluded, he would grant them eternal rest and peace.

So much had happened.

From the assassination risk to Lisia, to the threat of constellation-level absolute beings from previous eras.

He couldn’t believe how packed his daily life had become.

“Absolute one!”

At the visitor’s call, his gaze automatically followed the Seven Great Beasts.

Beyond the horizon.

He could see the Source of the World’s beasts revealing themselves through the torn rift.

‘Finally.’

At first he worried about not finding them, but it seemed they had found their way well.

Or perhaps a constellation secretly communicating with him had guided them.

It didn’t matter either way.

“So you’ve come.”

Before their forms fully manifested in the world, he turned his head at a familiar presence.

The Source of the World.

The culprit and victim complainant of this whole affair had, unusually, revealed herself in the physical world.

“You came?”

“…Yes. Since this is my doing, I should at least come out and supervise it myself.”

Suppressing the urge to sneer, he surveyed the situation with a rational gaze.

The Otherworld monsters were effectively dying at the hands of the paladins.

Occasionally some of their people suffered serious injuries by mistake, but they were quickly covered and sent for separate treatment.

‘They’re doing well.’

As expected of the world’s greatest order, they showed very skilled combat efficiency.

He decided to destroy one of the beasts first.

‘Dream.’

The one related to dreams would be last.

He planned to use its disruption until the very end.

“…Which one are you going for first?”

His gaze turned toward one of them.

Almost all had crossed over now, with six entities advancing toward them.

He needed to act before they directly engaged with their people.

“The one at the very front.”

So there—

He decided to approach the ancient beast that looked like an octopus first.

“Shall I send you right away?”

“Yeah.”

When he agreed, the Source of the World immediately connected his mind with that ancient beast.

“Do you accept the invitation?”

He accepted the system’s prompt.

-Saaah….

As he surrendered to his gradually darkening vision, his consciousness was instantly sucked somewhere.

“…Hahahahaha!! Foolish creatures! I’ll chew you alive… Huh?”

“Hi.”

The Past Remnant, who had been excitedly charging forward just moments ago, now wore an expression of someone who had lost their country.

Though “expression” was just the writhing of tentacles, he knew everything.

As someone who loved constellations more than anyone and paid great attention to them, he could tell.

“…Huh?”

“What? First time seeing me? I’m hurt, really.”

“Th-this—”

“Friend. Logically, a beast of that caliber wouldn’t have conveniently fallen before you guys.”

Or perhaps it didn’t want to believe it.

The last chance.

For them, that ancient beast was truly their last resort.

The beast before him, or rather one of the Past Remnants, seemed unable to accept the reality it faced—

It could only stammer in confusion.

“W-why are you here?”

“Why do you think I’m here?”

He wanted to leave the interpretation entirely up to them.

That way they would agonize over it again and again.

“Why, why are you doing this to us?!”

“Excuse me?”

Then, as if deciding to go all in, it suddenly began to lash out at him.

“You lived as a constellation too, so you should know! The emptiness of losing an order in an instant, the voices of those children screaming in hell…!”

“Our children are in heaven, what are you talking about?”

After how well he’d been treating them.

They’re living much better than those bastards who tried to overturn everything multiple times because they weren’t satisfied.

‘Suddenly feeling indignant.’

Who did it think it was comparing itself to?

He hadn’t expected conscience, but this showed a complete lack of even minimal calculation.

“Let’s end this now.”

“N-no, this can’t be! I can’t end here…!”

“Everyone says that at first.”

It wasn’t like he was doing anything special.

He was just temporarily confining it in this world created by the Source of the World.

Though that “temporary” might be eternal for them.

“You can live well alone, right?”

“…What does that mean?”

“It means that unless someone helps you, you’ll never escape from here for the rest of your life.”

It had poured everything into the beast’s body.

Most of its divine power.

Even part of what could be called its existence power.

That was its—or their—great failure and final move.

“You’ll behave?”

“W-wait…!”

It wouldn’t be lonely.

If it created one or two selves, it could maintain conversations between itself and the beast.

Leaving the howling Past Remnant behind, he began working on the other beasts.

#

“You came?”

“Yeah.”

The Source of the World greeted him familiarly.

The battle situation remained deadlocked.

Beyond the Otherworld gate.

Terrible lower entities were pouring down like water, and the order’s knights were barely holding them back.

At their forefront.

He could see red hair violently fluttering.

“Lisia’s doing well.”

Like the good daughter she was, she was controlling the battle situation as she pleased.

Behind her were Kalisa of the dragon clan and the vampire Belladis.

“I should work hard too.”

He needed to collect the beasts diligently.

“How many are left?”

“Three.”

One of them was our spy.

So that leaves two at the end.

“Be careful.”

“Why?”

Just before starting to act again, the Source of the World spoke to his back.

“Those two are former absolute beings.”

“I’m not scared.”

If they truly had such abilities, wouldn’t something have happened already?

So it was fine.

He could be confident because he was a constellation just like them.

“I’ll be back.”

“…Yeah.”

Ah, before going.

“Visitor.”

“Yes!”

He called to the visitor who was busy giving orders to the Otherworld monsters.

Despite being busy, she responded to his call, and he stroked her white crown.

“Just bear with it a little longer.”

“….!”

At that, the visitor’s eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously.

After looking at her with satisfaction, he moved quickly to deal with the remaining stragglers.

-…..?

The remaining Seven Great Beasts. No, the Three Great Beasts.

Those with the will of constellations embedded in them were looking for their companions with confused eyes.

But it was too late to notice something strange now.

He approached one that was looking around in bewilderment and forcibly imposed his authority.

Consciousness fading in an instant.

He could see the beast looking at him with a confused expression.

One down.

“W-what’s going on?”

“I’m busy, let’s talk later.”

He wanted to taunt it now, but since they were beginning to grow suspicious—

He needed to trap them in the mental world created by the Source of the World as quickly as possible.

‘Until the end.’

He hurriedly moved toward the remaining beast.