Chapter 161: Final Chapter – 1

Chapter 161: Final Chapter – 1

As always, the Cathedral of the Holy Order exuded divinity.

Strangely, with the Pope and Cardinals collectively absent, the central chapel of the Cathedral was packed with people.

However… the problem, if there was one, was that not a single person among them remained who worshipped the god.

*’The Pope and Cardinals plan to make the god descend tomorrow, to match our Holy War.’*

“…Are you sure you can stop it?”

*’A few individuals, including myself, who can exceptionally wield that child’s divine arts, would be able to contend with the descended god.’*

The conversation between the Holy Sword and the Saintess echoed.

The words that the god would descend personally to deal with the creatures who rose up for themselves.

And that the Pope and Cardinals were often vacating the Cathedral to do something for this purpose.

Nevertheless… the words that some people would even be able to oppose the descended god.

Such words echoed, and everyone gathered in the chapel simply listened in silence.

No, to be precise…… they were merely swallowing their tears at the god’s ugliness, who would even descend personally to “deal with” them.

“Then, Holy Sword… what should we do?”

“That’s right! Even if the god descends directly, we believe there’s something we can do!”

It hadn’t been this atmosphere from the start.

From the beginning, the radical idea that the god intended to harm humans, or more precisely, only thought of them as tools for itself, wouldn’t have been easily accepted.

But when the Hero, chosen by the god, and the former Hero, the Holy Sword, along with the highly respected Saintess, spoke of this, using ancient records as evidence, people began to believe, one by one.

First, the Archbishops who had rejected the current Holy Order’s policies and were pushed aside, then the slightly more enlightened Bishops, then the regular Bishops and believers……

There was resistance and backlash, but the evidence presented before their eyes, the status of those who spoke it, and finally, the gradually increasing supporters and public opinion added credibility to the truth.

The argument, spearheaded by the Hero and the Holy Sword, ‘How much must the god have intended to harm humans for even those chosen by the god to rebel against it?’ also had a huge impact.

Another major reason was… that even amidst all this, the Pope and Cardinals, instead of denying it, continued to vacate the Cathedral, claiming to be preparing rituals for the god.

Due to actions that clearly showed an intention to cover up the already spread suspicion with a bigger event, the number of people joining the Holy War steadily increased.

And, as a result of the Holy Sword and Saintess cross-checking the nature of that ritual, it was revealed to be a ritual to make the god descend, and the Pope even admitted it.

Saying that the god had conveyed its will to descend personally to punish the accumulated sins of humanity.

Even those who would normally say that the god would never abandon them, joined the Holy War as a result.

If they hadn’t known the truth, they would have trembled in fear, but knowing that the god viewed humans as tools for faith, anger preceded fear of the god.

“When the god descends directly, please evacuate the unarmed civilians nearby and show the truth to everyone else.”

*’Until the god’s descent, we will inform them of the truth and demand the resignation of the Pope and Cardinals, but after they make the god descend, it will become chaos, so please focus on evacuation.’*

Some showed indignant reactions, but most of the people gathered here were Archbishops and Bishops.

In other words… no matter how corrupt the Holy Order was, these were all people with considerable learning.

Thanks to this, the majority of people acknowledged their limitations and began to divide roles for evacuation.

After observing this, the Holy Sword and Saintess began to plan for those who would directly confront the god and their combat power.

*’Direct combat will be handled by me, that unreliable fellow, and you, and one Knight Commander from the Empire, the Prophet of God who promised cooperation, and, um… the Demon King and the true Hero, I suppose.’*

“Looking at it this way, it’s quite a small number…”

*’What can be done? However… my dilemma is whether to be with that incompetent, unreliable fellow, or with that girl, the true Hero.’*

“…Grandpa, we’ve spent some time together, aren’t you being a bit too much? I’m, you know, a Hero too?”

*’Tsk, alright, alright. I’ll be with you, so stop whining. You fake.’*

The Hero was about to ask when the Hero chosen by the god became a fake Hero, but the opponent was too strong for that.

What kind of human, even if they wielded the Holy Sword, would single-handedly destroy the Demon King’s Army and think of directly confronting the god?

However, because the Holy Sword kept calling her ‘the Hero chosen by the world,’ the Hero was secretly quite annoyed.

And, as always, the Hero’s tantrums were very lightly ignored.

It was a scene that always repeated itself ever since the Holy Sword and Saintess gained the ability to half-ignore anything the Hero said.

“…It’ll work out, right?”

*’It will. That girl, and… aren’t we and all these people hoping for it? If there is truly power in faith and belief, then our and their belief will surely be mighty.’*

Holy War D-1 / 12 hours

In the Cathedral’s chapel.

***

“Hoo… everyone, step back and prepare the ritual.”

“D-did the god truly promise an even greater divine power? It’s very particular about divine power…”

“Step back, I said to prepare the ritual. Do I need to show you the god’s power again?”

“”Yes!””

At those words, the Cardinals quickly disappeared.

Each showing eyes gleaming with desire, coveting greater power, authority, or wealth.

Among those eyes gleaming with desire, only the Pope’s eyes had lost their light and sunk into silence.

The ignorant Cardinals didn’t know they would become the god’s sacrifices and disappear tomorrow, but the Pope did.

“……Have I walked the wrong path for too long, or was it simply the wrong era?”

There was no answer to the questions he shot out.

He questioned the god, but only silence returned.

The Pope let out a deep sigh and rose from his seat.

He also had desires. He also had hopes.

But… what good was all of that in this situation?

Therefore…… he simply chose to believe and have faith in the god’s omniscience and omnipotence.

Holy War D-1 / 10 hours

In the Cathedral’s secret meeting room.

***

“…I’m still alive, right?”

*’Fortunately? It seems you can sleep soundly from now on and then move to the Holy Kingdom.’*

“……I went to all that trouble to make it, I should at least see the effect once before passing out.”

I succeeded in fusing the potions.

Looking at the clock, only 6 hours remained until the start of the Holy War, but success was still success.

I wanted to collapse right away… but I had put so much effort into making it, so I watched the unified branch point potions.

Oh, by the way, the system messed up and didn’t give me the Melini branch point potion, then had to urgently add it in the middle.

It completed the branch point, but didn’t give the potion related to Melini or something.

Anyway, that’s how… the special protagonist branch point potion, a mix of Wish, Miracle, Challenge, Indomitable, Reign, and Prophecy Potions, was completed.

…I gave it a rather cheesy name, but it was indeed an amazing potion.

The downside was…… that I didn’t know its effects?

*……Its official name is ‘Divine Potion.’*

“So, what are the effects……”

Before I could finish that sentence, the freshly made potion activated.

Countless strings of text swirled before my eyes.

My body felt as if it had left this world.

……No, it wasn’t. This was……

“Have I… entered the world?”

A strange, incomprehensible, mysterious space.

But… instinctively, I felt that if there was a place where a transcendent being like a god resided, it would be a place like this.

Perhaps it was the effect of the potion, but I was sucked into this unknown space where reality felt elusive, yet for some reason, my heart felt at peace.

Perhaps as a sign that I would only stay for a short while, the space subtly blurred. It felt as if I had been invited by the world to the space where the god resided.

Before my eyes, there were still countless strings of text created from the potion, and they were slowly taking the form of sentences.

Watching those sentences form, I… slowly answered without even realizing it.

***

They, humans and the world and creatures, made a wish.

…They cried out. That they would be independent from the god, that they would live as beings, not tools.

A miracle was needed to fulfill their wish.

…At that time, a girl from another world became that miracle.

They had to challenge the absolute and transcendent being of the world.

…Therefore, they united and prepared a Holy War under the name of creatures.

The god poured infinite wrath upon them, demanding submission.

…Nevertheless, they did not yield and prepared for battle.

The god, seeking to regain control over them, reigned.

…At that sight, they too prepared for the final chapter.

…Towards them, the god prophesied defeat, the end.

“Then, I will prophesy victory, existence, for them.”

Holy War D-Day

Within the world, in the divine space.

Divinity dwelled within a human.