Ch.184Spiritual Possession

‘This is…’

Christine was focusing on the warmth rising from deep within her heart, even as monsters rushed to kill and devour her, even as she noticed her life was nearly at its end.

It was incredibly warm, and she felt an unknown power drawing her attention. As if entranced, Christine reached out toward that warmth.

The charging monsters and the threatening roars nearby didn’t matter. Right now, she only wanted to focus on the pulsation of her soul deep within.

The pulsating soul began to slowly sink deeper into her heart. The outside world was no longer Christine’s concern.

Christine realized that now, at this moment, as her soul was soaked in warmth, even if she died, her God would personally lead her to heaven.

Therefore, without a hint of doubt, she cast her consciousness to the depths of her mind. Even as her vision gradually blurred, she felt no sense of danger. Rather, she felt incomparably at ease.

Before Christine, who was endlessly sinking into the depths of her consciousness, a brightly shining human figure descended. More than appearing, it felt as though it had been there all along.

She instinctively realized that this inexplicable warmth was emanating from that figure made of light.

‘God… have you come to take me?’

It shone brightly, so very brightly. Even though she wasn’t directly facing it, it was so brilliantly radiant that she had to close her eyes.

But it was of no use. Christine was still blinded by the light. She raised her palm to cover her eyes. Still no use. She raised both hands to cover her eyes.

The light remained bright.

The brilliant figure of light reached out to Christine. Christine also extended her hand in response. Christine’s hand and the hand made of light touched.

—Are you my God?

Christine asked.

She didn’t speak it aloud. Her physical body was already on the verge of being torn apart by monsters outside. It was more like her thoughts were directly expressed.

To begin with, given Christine’s personality, she wouldn’t have dared to ask a question before God.

—I am.

The light figure answered.

Then, there was only one action Christine should take. She straightened her body and knelt before the light figure. So that nothing would seem irreverent.

She bowed her head. With all her might, more sincerely, joyfully, and carefully than any prayer or worship she had ever offered, she approached God and bowed her head.

—This humble lamb dares to behold my God.

No answer came from God. Christine didn’t mind. Even if God didn’t answer, she knew He would never abandon her.

She had no certainty, yet she was certain. Christine’s very existence was the evidence and certainty of that.

—Raise your head. I have not come here to receive your faith.

—I understand, my God.

Christine followed God’s command. The light figure still blazed as if to burn her vision, and the brightness remained blinding.

But Christine no longer turned away. She didn’t close her eyes or lower her gaze. She simply tried to engrave as much of God’s image as possible in her eyes.

—My little lamb.

—…Yes, my God. Please speak.

The answer came slightly delayed. It wasn’t a disaster caused by daring to think of something else in front of God.

It was because she was so moved by God calling her “my little lamb,” such a glorious title, that she had to hold back tears that threatened to burst forth.

—What are you doing here?

—I am… *hiccup*… fighting to rescue God.

—Have you achieved your purpose?

—No… *sniff*. No, I have not yet achieved it. Please do not forgive this sinner’s unworthiness.

Tears began to drop from Christine’s eyes. One drop became two, two became three, and soon they flowed uncontrollably like a great waterfall.

Even this was relatively restrained, as she couldn’t sob loudly in front of God. Otherwise, Christine would have wailed loudly.

—My little lamb.

—*Sob*… *sniff*… Yes, my… *sob*… God…

The light figure descended closer. As it did, the brightness became even more intense.

By the time the white figure of light seemed to be at eye level with Christine, her vision was completely filled with white light, without a speck of anything else.

—Do you believe in me?

—…Pardon?

The question was so shocking that Christine, who had been crying profusely, stopped her tears without realizing it. Do you believe in me? Christine blinked her tear-soaked eyes.

—Do you believe in me?

—Of course. I believe. I believe with all my devotion. If I do not believe in God, whom else would I follow? Do not doubt my faith. Do not deny my belief.

—I do not doubt your faith. Nor do I deny it.

The hand made of light caressed Christine’s eyes. Strangely, her tears immediately stopped, without even a sniffle.

—I ask again, my little lamb. Do you believe in ‘me’?

And only after the question was conveyed once more did Christine clearly recognize who the light figure before her was. It was Christine’s God, yet not Christine’s God.

It was the Goddess of the Church of Compassion, who had lost her divinity long ago and been reduced to a mere spirit.

—…

Christine couldn’t answer.

—You do not answer.

Though it wasn’t a reproachful voice, flinching at those words was almost instinctual and couldn’t be helped.

—That’s understandable. That’s to be expected. For you do not believe in ‘me.’ However, I must make one thing clear.

The figure made of light removed its hand from Christine’s eyes. Its tone changed from the majestic revelation of a god to the gentle speech of a compassionate goddess.

—Your belief and faith are, strictly speaking, based on a misunderstanding. You worship your god as God because the soul of my poor child, merged with your soul, recognized the fragment of me dwelling in that body. So, the relationship between you and the god you believe in is close to a misunderstanding of the relationship between Christina and me. If it weren’t for Christina, your god would have been nothing more than a benefactor to you, and that boy would not have become a god, nor would you have become a saint.

Christine stared blankly, waiting for the next words.

—So, child, I ask again. Even after realizing the truth that the boy is not a god, even after realizing that your relationship stems from a misunderstanding of another soul dwelling in your soul, not your own, do you still believe in your god? Even after witnessing that the foundation of your faith began with a falsehood, do you still worship your god? Can you do that?

The light figure, as if having said all it needed to say, rose and looked down at Christine.

Christine understood everything.

The reason she had served the boy as God was because Christina’s soul, which had merged with hers at the point of soul binding, had responded to the fragment of the goddess dwelling in the boy.

So, if it weren’t for Christina’s soul and the Goddess of the Church of Compassion, the relationship between Christine and the boy could have been very different. One thing was certain: it wouldn’t have been a relationship between a god and a devotee.

That was the crux of it. Could her faith remain unshaken even knowing that the beginning of the relationship was flawed, that her faith originated from a misunderstanding? Could she still treat her god as God?

The answer was already determined.

The light figure seemed to smile gently. It felt as if it already knew what Christine would say, even before she spoke.

—Of course, I do.

Christine met the eyes of the light figure.

—I faced the truth? It wasn’t my will? It was because of another soul? It could have been different? What does that have to do with my faith?

Determination filled her gaze.

—My faith might have been based on a misunderstanding. All of it might have been false. Perhaps the relationship could have been different. That may be so.

She planted her feet firmly on the ground.

—But one thing is certain.

She rose and faced the light figure.

—My faith, the faith of Christine Hildegard, will never change for all eternity.

Yes. That was enough.

The truth originated from a misunderstanding? The beginning was wrong? The relationship could have been different? So what? What did that have to do with Christine’s belief?

Christine would serve her god, and who that god was had already been determined.

This one truth was enough.

—Yes. I knew you would answer like that.

The light figure gently gestured toward Christine’s heart. At that moment, Christine felt her body becoming slightly lighter.

It wasn’t just a feeling. Something was actually emerging from Christine’s chest and being embraced by the light figure.

—What is that…?

—It’s the soul of that poor child that was connected to your soul.

Christina Hildegard.

Having experienced time from that woman’s perspective thirty times, Christine looked at the woman’s soul being embraced by the light figure with eyes filled with complex emotions.

—She endured such difficult trials, and even in death, she couldn’t rest peacefully but followed my words… I should take her in now. Even if I no longer exist, I can at least give the gift of peace to one soul that served me wholeheartedly.

The human figure made of light began to fade gradually. Christine sensed the end approaching. Now, there were no more alien presences left in Christine.

There was no Christina’s soul, no attraction toward the Goddess of the Church of Compassion. All that remained was Christine and her faith toward her god.

—Child, now is your time. You already know how to let a god dwell in your body. You know how to let your faith and your god, not another’s faith and another’s god, dwell in your body. You know how to receive the power of a true god, not just half a power.

The human figure scattered into brilliant white light.

—Go, child.

The Goddess of the Church of Compassion had, at some point, stopped calling Christine “my little lamb.”

—Go and receive your god, who is no one else’s.

For that was a title only one being was allowed to use.

The monsters stopped moving.

The woman whose body had been on the verge of being torn apart by them suddenly rose with vacant eyes.

Her torn-off left arm was still missing, but her shoulder, which had been infected with black mana and bleeding profusely just moments ago, no longer had an open wound.

The monsters had instincts.

No, they had only instincts.

Their very purpose for existence was to catch this woman, tear her apart, drink her blood, devour her flesh, and violate every orifice.

Their creator had instructed them to do so, so they should rightfully do it. Black blood monsters didn’t need intellect. They didn’t need reason.

Just one thing was enough: the instinct to crave the blood and flesh of the woman before them.

But now, the monsters no longer followed their instincts. They ignored even the commands of their creator forcibly injected into their minds. They had no choice but to ignore them.

The power flowing from the woman before them, that white flame, was such an existence.

The woman’s body slowly rose into the sky. The monsters, as if entranced, stared blankly at the body rising into the sky.

Suddenly, her body began to heal.

Her severed left arm regrew, and the black mana consuming her body burned away powerlessly and disappeared. Not only the minor wounds all over her body but even her tattered nun’s habit was restored to its original state.

The woman fully opened her eyes. In contrast, the monsters raised their hands or arms to cover their faces. The light and white flames bursting from the woman grew increasingly intense.

Her body rose higher and higher into the sky. The monsters, despite covering their faces in evident pain from the dazzling light, craned their necks to the limit to watch her.

“Sun…”

One of them, unidentified, uttered such words.

It was impossible. Their creator had never given such mere monsters vocal organs. Speech was a luxury for monsters; they only needed to be able to roar threateningly.

Yet, one of them unconsciously spoke the word “sun.” It might have been a divine miracle.

The white flame intensified its radiance. It was an existence worthy of being called the sun, an existence without deficiency, an existence without lack.

The light of dawn shone upon the world. It was a kind of declaration, a revelation. Though light couldn’t possibly have weight, to the monsters, it felt heavier than anything else in the world.

Their skin was pressed down. An immense light, burning hotter than any existing magic, illuminated the entire world, flaunting its existence.

The monsters burst into flames upon contact with the intense light, like matches falling into a fire pit. Only when their bodies were about to turn to ashes did they lower their faces, which had been staring as if entranced.

Instead, they screamed.

—Kyaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!

—Kiiiiiiiiiik!!!!!!

—Keurk?! Keeeeeek?! Krrrrrrrk!!!!!!

Various screams erupted from the monsters’ maws. Just being able to scream was quite a feat of endurance. The vast majority of monsters melted away without even being able to scream.

Christine gazed at the monsters oxidizing upon contact with the light with emotionless eyes, then quietly closed her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her chest.

Divine Descent.

That was the name of the miracle dwelling in her body.