Ch.157157. Helena Valerinus (4)

The Red-Robed King appeared in a completely different form than before.

If previously he had been a werewolf in luxurious yet worn robes and a crown, now he resembled a scholar, neatly dressed in red robes that concealed his body.

He appeared completely covered, his body hidden beneath immaculately clean attire adorned with golden embroidery.

《Choose.》

He abruptly spoke these words before Helena Valerinus, who was half-lost in a daze.

《Choose.》

When she didn’t respond, he repeated his cryptic command, giving the impression that this would continue endlessly without an answer.

《…What?》

When Helena Valerinus weakly questioned the Red-Robed King, he extended his two hands—invisible beneath shadows—and said:

《The red pill will reveal three truths to you. The blue pill changes nothing. Choose. Red pill or blue pill?》

Two differently colored pills rested in each of his hands, creating a solemn atmosphere unlike before.

But Helena, too drained to care about such things, reached out with only the impulse to escape reality.

《If that is your choice… very well.》

With the Red-Robed King’s voice echoing in her ears, Helena lost consciousness as the image of the red pill wavered before her eyes.

※ ※ ※

Helena was staring blankly ahead.

Unable to move her body or act freely, she could only manage to turn her head slightly.

As a result, as her field of vision shifted, a certain scene appeared before Helena, who had completely lost all motivation.

“……”

What she saw was the completely devastated and scorched residential district of the Empire, with three human figures visible there.

One was the goddess, Bestia the Goddess of the Hearth, looking terrified as she stared at someone.

She displayed not even a hint of divine dignity, her face revealing an infinite attachment and desire for life.

Except for the unique sacred aura emanating from her divinity, she appeared so human that Helena would have doubted she was a god.

Another was a black warrior with a terrifying expression, glaring at the goddess with murderous intent, his broken helmet revealing eyes burning with infinite hatred.

The vengeful spirit, hatred, and killing intent he exuded were so strong that even Helena, who had lost all motivation, instinctively tensed her muscles.

And the last one… was a being that momentarily made Helena doubt her eyes.

The face of the being whose head was in the process of being separated from its body by the black warrior’s great sword was—unbelievably—the deity Helena served… Juno-Shala.

The sight of Juno-Shala’s beautiful head being severed by a mortal’s blade seeped into her mind and soul as if being imprinted.

“…?!!”

Even for Helena, who had lost all motivation and fallen into despair, this sight was shocking enough to affect her.

The deity she had faithfully believed in and served was being beheaded by a mere mortal.

This was a shock so profound that modern people accustomed to atheistic thinking couldn’t comprehend even a fragment of it.

Of course, when confronted with such a shocking scene directly before one’s eyes, it’s natural for a human being to want to deny it.

However… because she was an apostle of the goddess, because she had encountered Juno-Shala many times, Helena could feel to her core that this scene was the truth.

And at that very moment.

“…Ugh!”

Just like before, Helena’s consciousness suddenly blurred and her mind went blank—

When she regained her senses, the scene before her had changed.

※ ※ ※

“Where… am I…??”

The landscape visible in her eyes felt clear and refreshing, unlike before.

A blue, beautiful, and sometimes clear sky stretched high above, and beneath her feet, fluffy clouds spread out like a floor.

The scene unfolding above the very white cloud floor featured an enormous and magnificent white arch gate erected on one side.

Right in front of that arch gate, countless—hundreds of thousands—of humans, or more precisely souls, seemed to be waiting for something on the clouds.

Among the souls, there was a higher proportion of elderly and children, with relatively fewer adult men and women.

According to Helena’s knowledge as she observed these sights, this place must be what the scriptures described—the place where souls wait to enter the celestial realm.

And as if confirming Helena’s assumption:

KUGUUUGUUUGUUUGUUU…!!

With a thunderous sound, the massive and heavy gate slowly opened, revealing a great green-haired goddess seated on a throne beyond it.

At least 200 meters tall, the goddess was so enormous that the angels flying around her looked like mere flies.

The goddess appeared leading hundreds of angels—Celestial Champions—and tens of thousands of common servant angels of the pantheon.

The at least hundreds of thousands of souls looked at Juno-Shala and cheered, some weeping with joy or nearly fainting.

‘…My goddess.’

Meanwhile, Helena Valerinus could only feel an inexplicable deep sadness as she watched the majestic appearance of Juno-Shala.

Knowing that the goddess Juno-Shala was already dead, seeing her majestic form somehow made Helena feel melancholic.

So while Helena was sinking into sadness watching Juno-Shala:

《Well then, let us begin.》

Juno-Shala said with a benevolent smile to the angels attending her—

“—Huh?”

Immediately after, something unbelievable began to unfold before Helena’s eyes.

[[[[[[[[Let’s begin!! Begin!! Begin!!]]]]]]]

Swoosh!

Slash!!

Splatter!!!

Suddenly, the angels began chattering cheerfully among themselves before attacking the souls with weapons.

“Ugh, AAAAAAHHH!!”

“…What’s happening?”

“KYAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”

The reactions of the souls suddenly being attacked by angels varied.

Some moaned in pain as their soul-bodies were butchered by angels. Some had already collapsed to the ground, not even understanding the situation.

Among them, some souls tried to flee from the angels, while others attempted to fight back only to be slaughtered one-sidedly…

“…Why?”

Watching this scene, Helena’s mind was reeling from the incomprehensible situation.

Meanwhile, regardless of her reaction,

the angels were carrying out their “work” completely unconcerned with Helena’s gaze.

[Kyahahahaha!!]

[This is—fun—!!]

Most were simply neutralizing souls while laughing innocently like children, but… some angels were behaving in ways that reflected the worst aspects of children.

[Hold tight there!]

[Got it~!]

[[One, two!!]]

CRACK—!!

Grabbing someone’s arms and legs and pulling them apart, or plucking off limbs and heads was commonplace.

“Sa-save, save me—”

CRUNCH!

Some played with souls like cats with prey, and there were even scenes of angels violating souls that appeared attractive.

Helena could not comprehend these scenes with any common sense or rational thought, so she just stared blankly at the horrific slaughter.

Then, suddenly:

“That’s right! Juno-Shala! Juno-Shala is here!”

As she desperately tried to deny reality, the thought of Juno-Shala belatedly occurred to her.

Suffering from cognitive dissonance due to the shocking reality before her, Helena made the absurd assumption that Juno-Shala would save them.

“She, she—”

She turned her head to look back at Juno-Shala,

but of course, at this point, this was merely confirming what she already knew.

“Ah…?”

Juno-Shala, predictably, showed no intention of stopping it.

Rather, as if she herself were the mastermind behind this chaos, she was contentedly watching the souls being mercilessly slaughtered.

Helena Valerinus… felt dizzy.

She could understand this situation… but didn’t want to.

The thought that the person she had trusted and followed like a parent, her savior, was intentionally orchestrating such a horrific scene.

She wished all of this was fabricated by the Red-Robed King, but precisely because she was Juno-Shala’s apostle, she knew.

The Juno-Shala before her eyes was undoubtedly real, and this was a scene from the past.

If there had been even the slightest possibility this was fake, she would have clung to it, but as evidenced by Helena’s inability to do so:

The cold reality unfolding before Helena’s eyes was undeniably real, so ultimately, she resigned herself and watched them with blurred eyes…

Unfortunately for her, this scene was merely the beginning.