Ch.215Role (2)

Thud-.

As the pitch-black silhouette disappeared, a body collapsed to the floor.

The boy who had been perfectly fine moments ago was now covered in blood, rolling on the ground.

The companions standing beside Judas were shocked.

“Y-Young master…!?”

“Judas!”

It was a surreal sight.

Sliced flesh scattered through the air, and dark red blood soaked the floor below.

Plop, plop, and splash. Sounds that shouldn’t be heard reached their ears.

The fox, who had been positioned closest to him, was the one who caught the fallen boy.

Irene tried to calmly assess his condition.

“You… wake up!”

Judas’s wounds were severe.

Whatever had cut him, his body was deeply mangled.

His tattered shoulder was on the verge of falling off.

Through his split abdomen, things that shouldn’t be exposed seemed to be leaking out.

For a moment she almost lost her composure, but the fox desperately maintained her focus.

Panicking in this situation would only make things worse.

‘He’s still breathing.’

Despite his terrible condition, his life hadn’t been extinguished.

However, it seemed his consciousness had long since faded.

Irene quickly made a decision.

‘It’s not too late yet.’

Simultaneously, she called out to someone.

To a woman who had been standing nearby all this time.

“Rena!”

Rena.

An executive of Astro and one of Judas’s closest confidants.

She was also a spatial artist who possessed the ability [Portal].

It was thanks to her ability that they had been able to rush from Judas’s family home to this cathedral in an instant.

Once again, Rena’s ability was needed. The fox, holding the snake’s body in her arms, stared in the woman’s direction.

As if she had been waiting, Rena immediately twisted the surrounding dimensions to form a ring.

Blue mana enveloped the entire cathedral.

“I’m ready, Lady Irene!”

Rumble-!

Just then, the cathedral showed signs of collapse.

Was it the aftermath of the demon god’s slash?

As vast as the structure was, the sounds of rupture from all around were equally intense.

Rena wrapped the entire space with mana, enveloping everyone inside.

Not just Judas and his companions, but also the church people who hadn’t yet evacuated.

Even in this urgent situation, the precisely executed technique was incredibly elegant.

And so, just before the ceiling collapsed.

“Let’s move! Coordinates: Snakus family.”

Crack-.

With the fox’s final words, the children disappeared.

All that remained in the cathedral were ashes, blood, and collapsing debris.

Nothing else remained there anymore.

***

There had always been a puzzling aspect.

Something I couldn’t figure out even after possessing this world.

[Category: Free Board]

[Title: Judas <- So what the hell was his reason for betrayal?]

There weren’t any hints dropped,

No revealed backstory or narrative,

Just when you think it’s the ending, he suddenly changes and ruins everything,

What was his purpose? Why did he betray everyone in the first place?

He got along well with the player characters, didn’t he?

Was it all just an act, and he was actually a bastard doing villainous things behind the scenes?

Then what about all the help he provided?

Going through hardships together and all that?

He was especially popular despite being a male character.

He was a comic relief who lightened the mood,

And when it mattered, he always came through.

I just can’t understand it,

Why did he betray everyone???

[Season 4722740th question]

-> Always the same wwe

[Just accept it desuwa~ If someone’s a jerk, they can betray others desuwa~]

-> No;; Honestly everyone’s curious. They didn’t even release DLC after this

-> Games aren’t for thinking desuwa~ Just feel it desuwa~

-> Can you stop with that weird desuwa speech?

-> F*** you desuwa~

[The heart of the person who had to betray probably hurt more than those who were betrayed]

-> Oh please…

[Honestly I’m curious too]

-> Right? I’m not the only one curious?

-> Kyaaaaa f*** yeah desuwa~

-> Damn, this crap again.

None other than Judas’s betrayal.

As the story approached its conclusion, he suddenly turned his back.

He rejected those who had been with him. As if he had become a different person.

That’s why there were many users who questioned it.

‘It was strange.’

Because of this, various conspiracy theories existed.

That Judas actually had a split personality, or that he was being controlled by someone…

Of course, these were just conspiracy theories. Nothing had been officially revealed.

Still, having scraped together all sorts of information and uploaded videos before,

I was well-versed in the conspiracy theories related to this question.

‘Certainly…’

Thanks to that, I remembered.

When faced with a similar situation, about the context before and after.

The pitch-black shadow that manifested in the cathedral after the conductor’s ritual.

Looking at me, he said:

-You, you’ve received the blessing of the stars.

-If I could have possessed that body, I would have slaughtered the women beside you immediately.

Possession.

How could I not understand what that meant?

Through him, I could grasp the whole story.

Originally, this body wasn’t meant to be occupied by me.

‘The Demon God.’

It was him.

This body was created based on a fragment of the Demon God.

There would be no better vessel for him.

The flow of the original work would not have been much different.

‘In the original work, Judas…’

The cult’s disruption, trying to awaken the Demon God.

When he manifested, Judas happened to be nearby.

The shadow immediately enveloped the snake and took over his body.

In other words, the original Judas was devoured by the Demon God.

I recall the words of the Chancellor I once heard.

-You never betrayed anyone.

-I don’t know how it appeared in the eyes of the other children, but at least the you that I observed was like that.

-The same was true even in the world you didn’t know about.

That’s right.

The original Judas never betrayed anyone.

He simply had his body stolen by the Demon God.

‘I see.’

In the original flow, Judas should have lost his body at the moment he encountered the Demon God.

But this world was different. Inside the shell was not Judas, but me.

The point at which I possessed him was even before the “Judas” personality had formed in the doll.

Having taken root here, it seemed the Demon God had failed to infiltrate.

Moreover.

-Still, congratulations. You’ve bought some time.

-I never expected ■■ to take such measures.

According to what the Demon God inadvertently revealed, there seemed to be something more.

The blessing of the stars. The word ■■ that was strangely distorted with noise.

Was there intervention from some entity?

I had no way of knowing.

-Ten days from now, when an eclipse is promised to the world.

-On the night when the powers of the sun, moon, and stars are at their weakest, I will descend as a complete being.

-This world will lose its original meaning. And be reborn as a perfect world.

Before disappearing, the Demon God boasted.

That he would soon return.

In other words, the time left until the beginning of destruction was not long.

Ten days later. On the night of the eclipse, he would descend.

I reflect on the overwhelming power and terror.

‘But…’

I couldn’t back down now.

It wasn’t an impossible fight.

-I won’t speak long. Return to me.

-Let’s gather the broken pieces and reunite, that’s what I mean.

The Demon God didn’t attack me outright.

Instead, he tried to persuade me at first.

‘His power isn’t complete yet.’

It meant that if he clashed head-on with me, he would also be harmed.

As I saw then, his manifestation was unstable. His power wasn’t complete either.

As such, he wouldn’t welcome a collision with a “fragment” that was essentially his own extension.

It was a path that required taking quite a heavy risk.

‘That’s fortunate.’

The difference in power wasn’t as great as I thought.

If I was at 30%, the Demon God’s main body felt like it was around 70%.

If I were to fight desperately, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

From the beginning, my goal wasn’t victory, but rather weakening or sealing the opponent.

If I dedicated my entire lifespan… I could at least reduce his power.

Mutual destruction would be the best option, but considering the power difference, it wouldn’t be easy.

Sealing or weakening would be the realistic goal to hope for.

‘Then…’

Indeed, only I could stop him.

It was impossible for anyone else in this world.

I realize that the time has come.

-What role… do they want me to play?

The world I suddenly fell into. The role I had been searching for all along.

It was time to fulfill that calling I had always contemplated.

“……”

I open my heavy eyelids.

My vision gradually returns.

As I blink, a sense of exhaustion soon surrounds me.

A dull pain remains throughout my body.

I gather my consciousness through a shallow cough.

Bubble bubble-.

Behind the breath I exhale, small air bubbles rise.

It was a familiar scene.

A test tube filled with bluish liquid.

Somehow resembling the scene from the first day of my possession.

‘The family home…’

I then realize that this is the Snakus family residence.

It seems they returned here to treat my battered body.

Quite an appropriate response.

‘Thankfully, I didn’t die.’

I briefly check my condition.

As I lightly move my arms and legs, there’s a commotion outside the test tube.

Through the transparently visible glass, I can sense the presence of several people.

None other than my companions. The gathered girls are observing me.

In their variously colored eyes, relief is uniformly mixed.

-Y-Young master has awakened…!

Lezia’s tearful voice.

She had her forehead pressed against the test tube.

-Thank goodness… thank goodness.

-You foolish person.

Ameila muttering beside her.

The vain girl’s eyes were also red like a puppeteer’s.

-I’ll call for Count Zepetto.

-We need to check his condition.

-I’ll go with you.

-We should also inform Astro headquarters.

Irene, uncharacteristically urgent.

And Neria, moving alongside her.

-Judas… woke up.

-So it’s okay. Everything will be okay now.

-Elise. It’s okay to cry, don’t hold back.

-Shut up, sister…

-I really… ugh… thought something terrible was happening…

Sharlotte comforting her sister while crying herself.

And Elise, finally bursting with the worry she had been holding in.

-Everyone… you all did well despite being scared.

Finally, Selena patting them all from beside them.

The scene reflected outside the test tube was so touching.

Just looking at it made a corner of my heart race.

Because of this, I could only come to one conclusion.

‘Now…’

Now, it was time for me to leave their side.