Ch.348115. How Could Wishing Be a Sin? (2)

Günter opened his eyes.

He clutched his forehead and asked.

“What just happened…?”

“…It’s what will soon unfold.”

The man of pitch-black darkness added quietly.

“……”

Günter, astonished, saw the future events clearly painted in his mind.

“Will everyone die there?”

“……”

Though the man remained silent, Günter immediately understood his intention.

“Is there something you want from me?”

“……”

He merely gazed at Günter in silence.

Günter’s green-tinted eyes, those blue-moistened pupils, collided with the man’s sunken gaze.

“Many have existed, but few have willingly sought to reach hell as you have.”

Moreover.

“…And none before have ever approached with intention and planning, rather than mere delusion or fantasy, determined to pioneer this place.”

For at least several centuries, there had been no such person.

“Even if there were, it was merely hope, bordering on delusion.”

However.

“…You are different.”

And aren’t your fates intertwined as well?

“You, who have gathered the remains, are now an immortal being whom no one can harm.”

Yet that flickering reason will soon scatter and fade.

“……”

“But you’ve even accounted for that, haven’t you?”

Though Günter said nothing,

Somehow this person seemed to know Günter’s inner thoughts and circumstances completely.

“But that alone is not enough.”

The man of darkness said.

“To overturn a bound fate.”

“Is what I’m pursuing so significant that it could change fate?”

“Indeed it is.”

For a living being to intend to influence the world of the dead is blasphemous from the start.

Let alone trying to overturn it rather than merely influencing it.

“It’s an astonishing thing.”

That’s a realm that even I never dared to venture into.

More precisely, I never had a reason to.

“…I knew how to endure pain, but I never thought to plow the land of suffering and drape it with abundance.”

I never had such luxury either.

“……”

What was he talking about?

Günter found his words rather abstract and somewhat frustrating, yet at the same time… he felt a sense of pity.

“I’m not pursuing anything so grand.”

“I know. But it is grand indeed. The determination to execute it, to face it seriously, and to regard dedication and sacrifice as nothing… that mindset is unprecedented.”

Is this also her blessing?

“As you wished, she will be proud of you.”

“……”

Günter subtly realized that the “she” he referred to meant his mother, Aseratt.

Moreover, he spoke as if he knew her very well.

At this point, Günter understood intuitively.

“So you are…”

“……”

The one who had been waiting for her all along, who had longed for her…

But who had already departed, never to return, that very…

“Let me ask you one last thing. How far are you willing to sacrifice?”

He asked.

“……”

To this.

“To achieve my purpose, I will not be choosy about the means.”

Even if it means using his own life as a stake, treating it as a mere tool.

As long as the purpose is just and righteous.

I will gladly endure everything for the ideal.

“…I am already prepared to dwell in hell for eternity. Do you see anything more unfortunate and miserable than that?”

“……”

I see.

“Asess… Aseratt will never reach this land, even in death.”

However, because she has sins to atone for, she will be reborn as an animal several times, walking the path of cleansing those sins.

“Still, she will be reborn and walk a path that doesn’t go astray this time.”

“……”

So, she won’t fall into hell, is that what he means?

“Haa.”

At this moment, Günter felt relief rather than regret.

Strangely enough.

Truly, strangely enough.

“……”

And he suddenly realized.

This was the final test given to him.

Not obsession or misplaced affection for her…

I purely loved her, adored her, and respected her.

Therefore, even if I must endure pain and hardship, if she can live even a slightly better life.

‘It doesn’t matter, does it?’

There was a time when I briefly dreamed of having her to myself once she reached hell.

But that would be my happiness, not hers.

Moreover, to fall into possessiveness in this hell would be…

Not only repaying my mother’s grace with enmity… but killing her twice, thrice, perhaps eternally.

I don’t want to see her disappointed.

To see tears of blood flow from her eyes, to make her regret saving, cherishing, and raising me…

That must never, ever happen.

For that, yes. For that, I…

Would gladly do anything.

“Take it.”

As he extended his hand, something strange and golden on his palm caught the eye.

Hexagonal, square, triangular, or multifaceted.

It’s hard to describe.

Yet its presence is distinct, but extremely vague and ambiguous to perceive.

“Make this realm your temple, and fulfill your will.”

“Here, you mean?”

“Yes.”

Also.

“Do you understand what it means to accept this?”

“……”

I don’t know well.

I only understand implicitly.

“All the transgressions of this world that I’ve been holding back are bound to this sea.”

Sin, guilt.

Including him and everything else.

And.

“…Even the malice originating from the outside world.”

“So hell, the demon realm, is a world meant to separate those things. Is that how I should understand it?”

“Yes.”

Günter didn’t bother asking why he was entrusting or passing this to him.

In this world, there are no responsibilities given without reason.

Even those with power and talent.

Hence, those who hone knowledge and embrace wisdom.

When the time comes, as always, appropriate duties and tasks are assigned.

It’s all the same.

The responsibilities he mentioned are…

…A kind of benefit for everything that will be given to Günter afterward.

“The one who oppressed you is the Demon King. The last Demon King of this demon realm, where the position has been eliminated by law, who defied the principles.”

But from today, he won’t even be a Demon King anymore.

“You, who cannot perish, will become the last Demon King of this world.”

“……”

Demon King, is it?

“And you won’t be a Demon King who is a minion or slave of hell.”

You will be the leader of those who stand against them and drive them out.

“Also.”

What you desire and yearn for will also be fulfilled.

“This is a realm only humans can achieve.”

“……”

“Yes. A realm that no one but you, as you are now, could grasp.”

The Günter that the man of darkness sees, unlike Kariel and their connections, is in the purest sense, human.

Not a giant, not a god.

Clearly distinguished from spirits or other causes, tendrils, links, and chains of relationships, a human.

Once, giants and gods opposed the divine and eventually lost.

Though there’s not much difference between them and gods.

But humans are different.

Born as creatures.

Born as creatures, clearly insignificant.

…But do they not dream and aspire?

Also.

Have we ever not envied them?

‘The incomplete ones.’

That’s what humans mean.

Lacking, endlessly insufficient.

That habit of filling and filling again.

But that’s how they can reach the realm beyond completion.

On the other hand… what about us?

No, what about us from ancient times?

There’s no development.

Even if there’s growth.

Even that had clear limits.

‘Because we lack humanity.’

The unyielding heart.

The perseverance to rise again after falling.

The courage to strive again despite humiliation.

The foolishness of not understanding that arrogance was wrong because we were inherently great, and greatness was expected, rotting eternally…

That’s why we can never escape our predetermined fate.

Rise and fall.

We were the greatest slaves to the predetermined shackles.

Divine wisdom and divine will were of no use there.

The ones who struggled most to escape from it were none other than us.

“Well? Will you accept it?”

And this place is their sanctuary.

Their nest, and the holy place they temporarily entrusted to me…

“……”

Günter carefully observes what I’ve offered.

And then.

“Yes. I gratefully accept it.”

He grasped it.

The golden afterimage.

This, which the golden she once passed on to me.

But the original owner of this was…

None other than.

You humans.

More precisely, it was the grace she bestowed upon you.

****

‘Die! Just die already!’

Eileen, her neck caught, struggled desperately to protect her neck that seemed about to break, but all was in vain.

‘Is this… is this how I die?’

If I had known this would happen, I should have worked harder like mother said…

‘Ah…’

Consciousness gradually fades.

Vision narrows.

Everything in the world endlessly…

Hwaaaaak!

Suddenly her airway cleared, and her previously blocked throat screamed with intense pain.

Cough! Cough!

Eileen coughed violently, almost on the verge of bursting into tears.

‘What, what’s happening?’

She was completely disoriented.

By the time she noticed her body was being dragged somewhere.

[You insolent bastard!]

She was being pulled away from that brutal figure.

She was being dragged along the ground, but this was no time to complain about that.

“Cough! What, cough! What’s going on?!”

Not just Eileen, but Kael was also being dragged alongside her.

When she forcibly turned her head.

“Urgh!”

Iriel was using all his strength to drag them both backward.

“Hey! Hey! My head! My head hurts!”

Moreover, since Eileen’s clothes had all disappeared due to the activation of Hebatein, the only thing to grab was her flowing hair.

He was pulling it with all his might to drag her along, so how could Eileen say anything pleasant?

“Oh come on!”

By the time she managed to shake free, chaos had already erupted over there.

‘What’s going on?!’

While glancing at Kael, who lay unconscious beside her, something covered her shoulders.

“Wear this for now as a temporary measure.”

It was the banner Iriel had been wearing.

With Iriel’s armor now more clearly exposed, Eileen followed his green-tinged gaze to look in that direction.

And there.

Fighting against the massive war god who was spewing crimson thorns.

Even he was being pushed back ridiculously easily, breaking apart.

Even his main body was being hit, with his arm flying off and his neck snapping as a common occurrence.

…Yet he stood up properly and faced it.

“Hey. That’s…”

“……”

Iriel, who had been about to rush at the war god, was shocked when Günter, who had just opened his eyes, charged at it instead.

But that wasn’t all.

With a pitch-black sword from who knows where, he sliced off the opponent’s steel-like arm.

Of course, it regenerated quickly, but thanks to that successful surprise attack, they were able to extract Eileen and Kael.

At first, the war god seemed flustered and was one-sidedly pushed back, but he quickly adapted and eventually changed his stance.

The war god moved like a beast, systematically killing his opponent, as if he had transcended mastery and become war itself.

In contrast, Günter’s awkward attempts to match him looked truly pitiful.

Yet still.

…He doesn’t sit down or collapse.

Beyond the crimson thorns, spewing crimson flames.

He skillfully wields the pitch-black sword.

Come to think of it, Günter’s swordsmanship itself was relatively decent.

But that alone was insufficient to face that thing.

In reality, Günter’s offenses and defenses were all meaningless, completely ineffective.

Nevertheless.

[How persistent!]

He doesn’t die.

He doesn’t break.

He doesn’t shatter.

He doesn’t… collapse.

Suddenly, Iriel saw the phantom of a smiling woman standing behind Günter.

A woman with multiple wings, who seemed to be looking at Iriel…

‘Eileen?’

No, different.

Eileen wasn’t that mature, nor was her impression so fierce.

Above all, look at that mocking smile.

…And that mysterious rainbow-like eye is even more nonsensical.

Yet, why?

-Learn by getting hit! Don’t stop! You’re not dying, are you? Pain and suffering are all just illusions! You don’t have lungs to gasp for breath or a heart that tires from beating! Your muscles won’t stretch from heat! Those are all illusions from your mortal days! If you’ve become the king of the demon realm, you need to adapt! Magic is more abundant here than in the living world, so use it! Put more effort into it!

…Though she was spewing harsh words, why did they sound like encouragement and support?

And it wasn’t just Iriel’s imagination.

[You damn hybrid bitch! How dare you interfere with my venting! Know your place!]

-It’s embarrassing that an idiot like you bullies those weaker than you. If I weren’t only half-divine, you’d have died first, you bastard!

[I would have usurped your divine position instead, you damn hybrid bitch!]

-Ah, this is getting a bit annoying.

At that moment.

The sound of a horse’s neigh came from somewhere.

Did it sound like a beast’s cry? Was that just my imagination?

-Caligula. Bite that.

A quiet voice.

But a house-sized horse appeared from the void, spewing black smoke.

It charged like a buffalo, headbutting the war god’s side.

Not just that.

As the war god was pushed back, the warhorse rotated its body and kicked the war god’s torso squarely with its hind legs.

Crack!

‘Ugh.’

A terrible sound echoed.

It must have actually hurt, as the war god staggered after being pushed back.

Günter, who had been just taking hits, finally caught his breath.

-This won’t do. I’ll lend you this… so stop just getting hit.

As soon as the woman finished speaking, black debris clung to Günter’s body.

Eventually, it gathered to form a pitch-black armor.

Its form and quality were remarkably similar to the warhorse, as if they were one.

“Ugh, urgh!”

“Hey, are you conscious?”

Kael twitched and opened his eyes.

“…What, happened?”

“I’m not really sure either?”

Kael frowned at Eileen’s vague response.

-Children. Are you just going to lie there? That won’t last long.

Then, a woman who seemed to fly over positioned herself above them.

“…Eil?”

Kael looked back and forth between the woman and Eileen, as if something was strange.

-You’ve grown a lot.

She curled her lips as if she knew both Kael and Eileen.

“…Lutesia.”

“Huh?”

Kael mentioned that name as if calling someone he knew.

It was a name Eileen had never heard before… ah, maybe she had heard it somewhere? When was it?

-It seems you have memories from that time.

“……”

-Then this will be quicker.

By this point, only Iriel was confused.

“Do you know her?”

“I’m not sure?”

Iriel sighed at Eileen’s response.

He should ask someone who would know.

-If you’re not going to drop dead right away, you should start preparing too. If you can’t escape from that thing, what will you do? You have to fight and defeat it.

“…Do you know who that is? Why is he talking about my father’s name?”

-He’s been through a lot, so he’s like that. He’s narrow-minded.

Though she said it like that, the circumstances must be complicated.

But no one bothered to ask further.

…Not even curious.

-Kael, do your best. It’s time for you to act as the eldest brother and big brother.

“That’s not right. I’m Kael’s older sister!”

-…?

The phantom woman, Lutesia, tilted her head slightly, then nodded with an “Ah!”

-I see.

“…?”

What’s that? Acting like she knows something.

Eileen felt inexplicably annoyed.

Just, for some reason, she felt a bit uncomfortable with her.

-A being who can foresee and draw the future couldn’t have failed to peek this far. I see, I see.

Lutesia said playfully, almost mockingly.

“……”

Moreover, Kael seemed to know something too, as he hardened his expression and gathered himself.

“Why are you two having a conversation only you understand?”

Annoyance welled up, but when Günter flew and crashed nearby, there was no more room for leisure.

[Insolent ones. I’ll deal with all of you at once!]

Plus, the other side seemed quite angry too.

From around him, dozens, no, hundreds of black chains emerged and began to engulf us.

Of course, Eileen was terrified.

“Oh, come on!”

What are we supposed to do about something like that?!