CH 114

“――――In any case, I will have to believe that you have become a god”

“…”

Creasyl’s body materialized from her neck as she revolved in the air.

Rather than regenerated, Creasyl stood on the ground uninjured enough that one would end up believing her if she said she had not been cut from the beginning.

“Do you know the way to settle a fight between fellow gods?”

“ … Gods are superior existences that are close to concepts. That is why――――”

“They won’t die with external wounds. Only way to settle it is to seal one of the two.

Creasyl looked at Setsu in the eye and spoke.

“You, who have become a god, could not be killed by external wounds either”

Setsu’s pulverized arm had returned to normal.

As if to demonstrate that, all external wounds to a god ‘would come to be nonexistent.’

“Who will be the first to engrave a <seal>… Come, we will start the fight of fellow gods”

“Yeah”

Creasyl once again created a sword, and Setsu readied his sickle.

The two gods collided, and the world shook.

First and second swing of the sword and sickle.

The island, unable to withstand the shaking, produced fissures.

The third and fourth swing.

The weather affected, the clouds covered the sky in an instant, and then cleared up.

The fifth and sixth swing.

The shocks released from the solitary island affected the sea, giving birth to tidal waves.

Like a natural disaster.

Everyone perceived the end of the world and looked up at the sky.

◆◆◆

――――Hear me, Setsu.

While swinging my sickle, I recalled Destroia’s words.

“You are unable to kill a god”

“Huh?”

I was dumbfounded, unable to understand what I was told suddenly.

“You cannot kill gods”

“… Then how do you say I can take her down…”

“Sealing them you see! Sealing them! Confine your opponent with your own strength! Just like what I have done to Creasyl!”

It’s good and all to be told that, but I don’t know the workings nor the way to seal gods.

“You will have to seal Creasyl, my boy. Except――――”

“Except?”

“You cannot use seals, my boy”

It felt like time stopped.

“How do you say I can take down Creasyl then!?”

“Argh! Even if you have come to be able to use <Banish>, you still would not be able to use <Seal> yet, do you not agree!?”

Sure, I haven’t learned <Seal> yet.

Or rather, I wasn’t taught in the first place.

How is this girl going to make me able to win, despite not having even a month left?

“I shall put it bluntly. A beginner to being a god will take around a hundred years until they will be able to use <Seal>”

“――――A hundred years!?

I unconsciously shouted.

I thought I misheard her.

“At the time you become a god, you will reach the point to be able to use <Banish>, which is the basics of divine art. However, you would not be able to learn beyond that point if you do not do not spend months and years after becoming a god”

“So it’s impossible… no matter what?”

“Yes. At the least hundred years. At times some take even two hundred years”

The weather had become quite ominous.

I completely confirmed that there are no effective hits on Creasyl with this.

It’s not about feeling at ease if I could send her flying.

“――――Be relieved. If it is you, then there is a solution”

“Eh?”

“You have been granted <Gate> as powers of the god of death. An example of this is the transfer gate connecting to another place”

“ …You’re well-informed”

When I said that, Destroia slipped out a chuckle.

“I have an acquaintance among the gods of death. An old friend”

“Really…”

“In any case, your powers of <Gate> is powerful enough to rival Seal. If it is merely to reach the point to be able to open a gate, then you should not need even a week”

If you have that power, then you may be able to kill a god――――

Destroia muttered, with a barely audible voice.

◆◆◆

“…My bad, I can’t use <Seal>”

“What?”

The pair who were locking swords, shoved each other and took distance.

Creasyl looked surprised towards the words Setsu had said.

“You came here merely with ordinary Banish?”

“That’s not true you know? I wouldn’t have challenged you if I had no chance of success”

Creasyl pointed her puzzled look towards Setsu.

Setsu calmly fixed his gaze on Creasyl and slowly pushed out his hand.

“The power of <Gate> granted by a god of death. <Otherworld Gate> connecting world to world. <Transfer Gate> connecting place to place”

And――――

“――――<Hell Gate>, connecting to Hell”

“Gh!”

Creasyl experienced something called the chills for the first time since she was born.

Her body instinctively tried to go down, and she forcibly stopped that.

“I will open the gate starting now”

“You, you think I will let you!”

“Gah”

Creasyl was aware of the existence that was called <Hell Gate>.

For that reason she lost her composure and clutched at Setsu.

His neck grasped, Setsu was pushed down.

“It’s already too late”

“Hk!”

Setsu pointed at behind Creasyl.

Creasyl looked back.

There, a black gate of bones tied in chains was erected.

Yuuhi and Touma, who were human, could likely only judge the ill omen of this gate by its appearance.

Creasyl, who was a god, could understand the true nature of this gate.

That this was something that should not be in this world.

“<Hell Gate>――――Open”

A deep chimes that was yet different from the time with the transfer gate resounded nearby.

Groan-like sounds were mixed in, and black miasma began to drift nearby.

“Why can you use this gate!?”

“Reluctantly, but I am like a god of death. It’s an ability of a god of death, don’t you think? This thing”

The chimes gradually grew and going hand in hand, the chains of the gate were removed.

And then, while sending heavy pressure, the gate began to open.

“On the other side of this gate is the hell where the dead thrive. Those who are able to exist in hell are only ‘dead beings’. In other words, living things that pass through the gates of hell――――”

――――will be forcibly turned into a dead being.

“OOOOOOoooooh!”

Creasyl raised a warcry and pressed down Setsu’s head.

It seems she was trying to activate <Seal>.

However, Setsu was unperturbed.

Because he knew it was too late.

“The dead hates all things. They especially hate living things as necessary, and if the gate opens, they would try to take in nearby living things. Even a god would not be able to win against a direct death would they?”

“Close the gate!”

She shouted at Setsu with a strong tone, but he did not show any signs of closing the gate.

Of course, it is because Setsu is not interested in closing it.

“Get along well with the dead, you hear me”

“Stop iiiit!”

The voices of the dead resounded deep inside.

The gates opened completely, and several gigantic arms spread from within.

“Do not come near me!”

They began to move towards Creasyl.

Creasyl released her hands from Setsu, turned around and produced a wall.

However, the countless arms slipped through that.

“Don’t come here!” “It’s unfortunate, but resistance is futile”

Finally, Creasyl’s body was seized by the arms.

Creasyl twisted her body to try to escape, but even more arms twined around, not letting her escape.

“Release… me…”

Creasyl’s body was pulled into the gate.

When she was completely pulled to the gate, the gate slowly began to close.

The laughter of the dead resounded inside the gate.

“Goodbye, Creasyl”

And then, the gate closed.