episode_0080

The devotees cheer in unison, shouting slogans with fervor.

Even Serena, the Goddess of Light, who had seen many things, was baffled by this spectacle.

‘??????’

Though her followers were always passionate—borderline fanatical—today was on another level.

So she immediately used telepathy.

[Cain?]

[?]

[What in the world is going on?]

[You’ve never seen this before either?]

[Nope.]

[What were they usually like?]

[They’d kneel, pray, cry, and shout when they heard my voice… But now… how do I put it…]

[It feels like we’re at a concert…]

[A concert?]

[Yeah.]

[What’s that?]

[It’s… a cultural thing from my world. Wait… you said you’ve never seen this before, right?]

[Yeah.]

[This is completely new.]

[Can you check what the other Possessed are up to?]

[Other Possessed?]

[I think the culprit might be among them.]

[Hold on.]

Using the eyes of her followers, she scanned for other Possessed.

[Ah…]

[See anything?]

[I think I know who the culprit is.]

[Who?]

[One of the Possessed is dancing and singing in front of a crowd… and it looks just like this.]

[That’s our culprit.]

Cain explained briefly.

In his world, there was something called “idol culture,” and one of the Possessed had spread it here.

But something didn’t add up.

If they had only started moving after being contacted by Geum Taeyang, even if they had begun idol activities immediately, it would’ve only been a few days.

Yet it had already spread this far?

…Just as she was thinking that—

“We! Love! You! Se! Re! Na! Nim!”

“WAAAAAH!!!”

[Cain.]

[What?]

[The real culprit who spread this here is someone else.]

[Who then?]

[The gods and angels in the Celestial Realm.]

[?]

[The gods and angels up there are gathered, cheering just like the devotees down here!]

[Uh… seriously?…]

[I’m telling you, it’s true!]

“Everyone together!”

“Se! Re! Na! Nim!!!”

“““Se! Re! Na! Nim!!!”””

“We! Love! You!”

“““We! Love! You!”””

The same scene was unfolding in the Celestial Realm.

Countless gods and angels waving glowing light sticks, cheering wildly.

‘So they’re the ones who spread this…’

Though the Celestial Realm was cut off,

it wasn’t completely impossible to communicate with the mortal world.

Like how Gaia, the Goddess of Abundance, had used plants to convey messages before,

there were other methods too.

So.

Spreading this bizarre cheering style worldwide?

Easy.

…The moment she thought that, a headache surged.

‘Why are they doing this to me?!’

Even normally, it was overwhelming,

but this strange cheering was on another level—maddening, even.

But.

She couldn’t exactly tell them to stop.

‘Every time they cheer, my divine power grows stronger…’

More than when they prayed.

More than when they praised.

More than when they worshipped.

They were radiating far more divine energy.

And that was crucial.

The more divine power humanity emitted, the stronger the blessings she could bestow.

It could weaken monsters and demons,

strengthen humans,

expand humanity’s territory,

and ultimately, drive out all monsters and demons to restore world peace.

…Considering that,

she couldn’t stop them.

If anything, she should be begging them to cheer harder.

…She understood that logically.

But.

‘Ugh… I really hate this…’

Their reactions were so intense it was unbearable.

‘I miss Cain…’

Cain never made her feel this burdened.

‘It’s like… he’s a real friend.’

The kind you joke around with, play with.

Yeah.

That’s what a true, comfortable relationship feels like.

In a world full of stalkers and obsessive fans, he was her only refuge.

No need to put on a dignified act,

no need to force a benevolent smile.

She could just lie around lazily,

laugh like an idiot while eating snacks.

That’s why she liked him.

‘Maybe it’s because he’s possessing a dog plushie that it feels so natural…’

As a goddess, she always tried to maintain a perfect image.

Not that she could be flawless every day,

but she did her best to be the beautiful, revered, and worshipped goddess everyone admired.

‘That life was exhausting…’

But as a dog, that pressure vanished.

Maybe because she’s a dog?

No matter how much she tried to act cute, she was still just a dog.

…And the moment she thought that,

it hit her—Cain had chosen a dog plushie for her sake.

So she could shed the burdens of being a goddess and just be free.

‘He really is a good friend.’

…With that in mind, she composed herself and spoke.

[I am Serena, the Goddess of Light.]

She waved lightly at the devotees—who were shaking tree branches like glow sticks—and greeted them.

“Ah… Serena-nim looked at us…”

“I could die happy…”

“KYAAAAAH! SERENA-NIM!!!”

As she greeted them, she pondered.

‘What should I do?’

If she took inspiration from the Possessed’s “idol performance” and sang or danced, her followers’ divine power might surge even more.

With more divine power, humanity’s territory could expand faster,

and the demonic scourge could be eradicated sooner.

But after a brief hesitation—

‘No… I don’t want to go that far…’

No matter how she thought about it, that was a line she wouldn’t cross.

The current reactions were already embarrassing enough to make her want to shut off the beam projector and flee.

And now they expected her to dance and sing?

No way.

She wasn’t about to humiliate herself like that.

‘Let’s just stick to the original plan.’

Neatly wrap things up and escape.

…With that resolve, she spoke.

[Sophia.]

“Yes!!! Serena-nim!!!”

[Step forward and show yourself to the people.]

“Yes!!!”

Sophia folded her angel wings and stood before the crowd.

[Let me introduce her.]

[She is the Saintess I raised, and also one nurtured alongside Eros, the Goddess of Love.]

“Together?…”

She elaborated.

About twenty years ago, she had chosen Sophia as her Saintess,

but due to urgent matters, she had temporarily entrusted her to Eros.

That was why Sophia’s hair turned pink

and why she carried the divine power of love.

She had informed the Pope of this,

and the Pope had passed it on to his successor upon retirement.

But.

The current Pope had labeled Sophia a “fake Saintess” and exiled her.

A Saintess with weak divine power was a fake.

Pink hair was proof of a fake Saintess.

That was his reasoning.

She had made it clear.

The previous Pope had briefed his successor about Sophia.

Yet he ignored it all and exiled her.

Because she was in the way.

A demon, fearing exposure, had manipulated the Pope into exiling her.

…This truth, she declared publicly.

“N-no! That’s not—!”

[What part of it isn’t?]

“I-it’s just…”

[You are a criminal who exiled the Saintess I personally chose.]

“Ah… aah…”

[A heinous criminal who sought to sell the nation to demons.]

“Se-Serena-nim… please, have mercy…”

[For such crimes, I sentence you to death.]

“Ah… aah…”

The soldiers immediately restrained the Pope.

“Great Goddess Serena! When shall we carry out the execution?”

[He conspired with demons.]

[Interrogate him first—extract all information about the demons, then proceed.]

“Understood!”

“N-no!!!”

“How dare you!”

Thud!

The Pope, flailing to escape, was struck once before being dragged away effortlessly.

[Next, I will introduce the Hero Party chosen to defeat the Demon King.]

“WOOOOOAH!!!”

[Saintess Sophia.]

“I am Sophia of the Hero Party.”

“I shall carry out the mission to slay the Demon King in accordance with the will of the Goddess of Light, Serena-nim.”

[Swordmaster Alice.]

“Alice!”

“I shall carry out the mission to slay the Demon King in accordance with the will of the Goddess of Light, Serena-nim.”

[And finally, my beloved daughter, the chosen Hero—our Ria!]

“I’m Ria.”

“Mom! Just trust me!”

[That makes three for now, with two more joining later.]

And with that, the Hero Party introductions ended.

Sophia, Alice, and Ria each gave brief greetings to the crowd, but—

“?”

“The Goddess’s daughter?…”

“She’s really her daughter?…”

“!!!!!!”

“““WAAAAAAAAH!!!”””

A deafening cheer erupted.

“Hwaah…”

At the overwhelming reaction, Ria took a step back, glancing around nervously.

‘She reacts just like me…’

Perhaps because she was her daughter, she wasn’t used to this either.

She had introduced her like this so she’d grow accustomed to the spotlight as a future hero.

But—

Fwoosh!

The moment the cheers hit, Ria emitted a flash of light and vanished.

‘She ran away.’

She had stepped forward with confidence,

but in the end, she fled.

Just like her mother.

Exactly like her when she was a rookie goddess.

‘I used to run away like that too…’

Looking back, it was nostalgic.

The peaceful days when monsters and demons didn’t exist.

When humanity had just developed language

and began worshipping gods.

A rookie goddess, brimming with confidence, had appeared before them—

only to flee in embarrassment the moment they cheered.

But.

She hadn’t hated it.

It was embarrassing, yes,

but it was also the moment she truly felt they were her children.

So.

Her daughter must have felt the same.

…With that thought, she was about to introduce the most crucial figure in the Hero Party—though not officially part of it.

[Cain? Where are you?]

[I’m still in demon cosplay…]

[?]

Cain had transformed into a supersonic jet and was pretending to be crushed under divine power, lying pathetically on the ground.

[Quick… tell Sophia… to “purify” me… I’ll act dead and exit…]

[Ah… aah!…]

Things had gone off-script.

Originally, Sophia was supposed to “purify” the demon the moment she appeared, then pray and praise her.

But the moment she showed up, she started waving her “cheer stick” (beam sword), throwing everything into chaos.