Chapter 86: S2. Resentment To The Stars - 8

Chapter 86: S2. Resentment To The Stars - 8

※

The fight against the Outer God turned virus was leaning towards my victory. To describe the grand bloodshed that unfolded...

Overwhelmed by an influx of new settings, it soon conceded that it couldn’t defend forever. The rate at which I could input settings was faster than it could delete them. Eventually, it would gradually change from a certain point onwards.

After that realization, it launched a systematic assault. It tried to break or twist the world’s laws of physics before it fully died, but honestly, it was pretty easy to defend against that.

It was pretty close when the Outer God assigned a physical vector to launch NPCs standing on roof tiles 32 km vertically into the sky. Thank god I found out about it.

When I was yapping as Joseph, if I made even a single mistake, Bennett would’ve seen the Goddess being flung up 32 km into the sky. And that would’ve utterly fucked up the whole experience.

However, one of the things I worked the hardest on was automating my defense.

By precisely entering defensive commands in the Narration, I was able to roughly block the Outer God's attacks and seized the opportunity to strike back with an attack that could turn even a macho man into a gentle maiden of a respectable family within three seconds.

And now.

The Outer God was backed into a corner, waiting for just a single opportunity to strike back. I said it in a fancy way, but I basically just meant that it was getting beat down while trying to keep its guard up. It was pretty obvious what that thing was going for though.

At the climax of the story, the players themselves had to defeat it.

At the moment they faced each other, it would try to inflict as much pain and tragedy as possible. From there, it would be a true all-out war between the players and the Outer God.

Firstly, for safety reasons, it might’ve been better to break down the Outer God myself and provide a different boss mob to the players. However, if that was me playing, I’d want to personally beat up that son of a bitch who caused me all that pain.

Secondly, eliminating variables. Like a cornered rat fighting back at a cat, if I beat it mercilessly without it having anywhere to run, it’d be hard to predict what the Outer God might try to do⋯⋯.

Lastly, I doubt that the Hero Party I made would lose to that weakened and shrunken bastard.

Raise the curtains. It was time to see the ending.

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“Now⋯⋯ is everyone ready?”

Bennett looked back at his comrades with a refreshing laugh. He had laughed sometimes before, but this was the first time he had laughed as carefree as he did now. However, Tara and Niolle exchanged glances. What the?

[⋯⋯Yes, I’m ready.]

-Eung, I’ve rested well⋯⋯ but... Niolle, wait a minute.

[Sure. Bennett, I’ll come back after talking with Tara for a minute!]

Niolle rounded the corner with a shard of glass in hand. When she got far enough away from Bennett, she pressed her back against the wall and slid down. Thump Thump. Her heart was pounding.

Tara seemed like she had a heart attack, as she was taking deep breaths with her hands on her relatively weak chest. This boyish side of Bennett, who was always somewhat gloomy, was highly destructive on women.

What happened? Tara and Niolle started suspecting each other first.

[Was it Tara?]

-I thought it was Niolle⋯⋯.

[Then who was it?]

-Then who was it?

Who made Bennett smile like that?Tara and Niolle turned their heads at the same time. A modest and mysterious woman carrying Holy Hand Grenades on a cart. Could it be Joseph?

[⋯⋯⋯⋯.]

-⋯⋯⋯⋯.

Then, Joseph couldn’t be left alone with Bennett.

The end of the scenario, just as the curtain’s call that would conclude the story was about to rise──.

The two rushed out to play love-defense.

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"⋯⋯⋯⋯."

When the girls regrouped, red-faced and completely unaware that the Goddess(not) had stopped by...

Bennett snapped his fingers once to calm the slightly chaotic atmosphere.

“There’s one part that’s suspicious.”

He then raised his index finger and said that according to their theory, the Evil God would descend in the basement of the Order of Silver Twilight’s Church building,because there must’ve been a medium to have brought it here.

However, Joseph said that 'the Evil God was sealed in a meteorite pit,' and even after altering reality several times, her testimony didn’t change. Then⋯.

“There are two cases I can think of. The first one is if our guess that the female goat is in the basement is wrong. There is no problem with this. We aren’t short on time, so we can just keep searching for it."

[Then the second case would be the problematic one. After the Evil God descended, and something unexpected happened⋯⋯ and the Evil God would’ve had no choice but to go to the meteorite pit, right?]

“Correct. So⋯⋯ I plan to start the battle with the bombing.”

Bennett tapped the wheel of the wagon. Inside the connected cart, there was a mountain of Holy Hand Grenades that Abraham's lineage had been manufacturing for 100 years.

“We start by using all of this to bomb the Evil God’s seal.”

No matter what the Evil God was planning, he planned to disorient it with a strong preemptive strike. More firepower was sometimes the best answer.d

Bennett headed to the seal with the priests to give the Evil God a pleasant surprise, while Niolle and Tara stayed inside the building to fight and assist through the mirror..

↔

Tara began descending the long, dark stairs to the basement. Every time she went down step by step, an echo filled the narrow space. But she wasn't afraid.

[Be careful with your steps.]

“Eung.”

Although the period of time they were in was not the same, at least they were still together in some facet.

Communication problems caused by Niolle's characteristics were solved through magic. By getting Abraham's lineage to study telepathic magic, Niolle as of right now, was able to communicate without writing.

The path down was stained red with dried blood, and as they descended, they began to see more patches of thick, black slime that seemed to absorb all the surrounding light.

Splash. Tara frowned at the feeling coming from the soles of her shoes. The slimy substance sometimes pulsated as if it were alive.

“How’s that side? It’s really dirty and dark over here.”

[This side looks really well maintained, even down to the basement. I think it’s being used as a brewery.]

“It’s the same place, but how is the atmosphere so different⋯⋯."

[It is thanks to Tara.]

At the end of the stairs, there was a door covered with all kinds of talismans. It was filled with brutal warnings, as if to say one should never go past this area.

Tara placed her hand lightly on the door. It seemed like the talismans were not just decorations, because when Tara came in contact with them, they tried to brainwash Tara and subtly push her away. At that moment, thorny vines spread out.

Crunch, crunchhhh.

Tara's Metamorphosis began to devour the Defense Magic on the door, little by little.

“It might take a while. Hey Niolle, you know...”

[I’m listening.]

“I never thought I would ever be a Saintess in my life. And I never thought I would ever be praised as a Saintess either. But to think I would become like this in another world...”

[We really have been through a lot. All of us.]

“⋯⋯And there will still be more to come.”

Defeating the Evil God was also something she had to finish right now. Tara had a job to do. In addition to avenging her parents, she planned to overthrow the Church of the Goddess.

Tara hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Could you perhaps continue to⋯⋯ help me? Even in the future?”

[Have you asked Bennett?]

“Not yet.”

[Then, when everything’s over, let’s go ask him together.]

Niolle smiled with her eyes. Even though Tara felt grateful to see her indirectly agreeing, she thought that... somehow, her seductiveness had increased.

Crunchh. Thud. Clang.

The talismans on the door were completely burnt black, while the doorknob broke and rolled onto the floor. Tara gripped her Demonic Sword firmly once again. Right in front of them...

Just beyond this door was the culprit who had killed Abraham and destroyed the world.

Crash!

"⋯⋯Show yourself, Evil God!”

Tara kicked open the door and stepped into the basement.

It was a pitch-black place, with everything covered in black slime. At first glance, it looked like an infinite void or empty space, and in the center of it all, the Evil God’s eyes opened.

Blink.

The eyes of a goat with distinctive pupils. Not just a single pair of eyes...

"⋯⋯Wh-what was that? Something jumped out?”

[It’s trying to run! Stop it!]

"⋯⋯⋯⋯!!"

The Evil God raced past Tara. It hurriedly climbed up the stairs, ran out of the Order of the Silver Twilight building, and towards the meteorite pit. The place where it and the Goddess previously clashed, where remnants of its power still lingered.

If it could devour those remains, it would be able to recover some of its lost power.

The Evil God's last stand, the final chase, has begun.

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※

The last scene should be finished with everyone together!

Isn’t it a spectacular finale? I’ve slightly overlapped both worlds so that Niolle and Tara were now able to see each other semi-transparently. Of course, it was the same for Bennett who would join in soon.

Then, I copied the image of the Evil God running away and pasted it into the future too. Niolle threw away the piece of glass in her hand as she noticed the strange phenomenon. Tara's eyes widened as she saw the semi-transparent Niolle running next to her.

“What happened?!”

[As the Evil God struggled, it seems like spacetime further distorted⋯⋯!]

Yes, it's convenient that you can understand. Tara and Niolle had smiles on their faces despite the urgent situation they were tracking. Even though they were in different pasts and futures, they felt that they were together.

Didn’t we practice with a gimmick battle already? Let's have some fun!

“Chase it!”

[I’ll take the lead!]

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A Priest's Mana was special. Since it was directly given by the God they served, there were specific fields that had properties unique to only them. In the case of the Church of the Goddess, it specialized in regeneration, recovery, purification, healing, and all kinds of things that benefited life.

Therefore there were many spells that could’ve been helpful in the chase.

“⋯⋯Ugh, of course it’s never there when I need it!”

It was a disappointing situation for Tara, who had lost her Divine Power. Especially when she nearly ran out of mana after spending it all on Metamorphosis

As Niolle took a clever shortcut, matching Tara's speed, she insinuatingly asked Tara by sounding out the words during the chase.

[⋯⋯Doesn’t it remind you of that time?]

“What time?”

[When we were chasing Mr. Wizard.]

“⋯⋯Then, aren’t we missing someone?!”

Tara and Niolle started laughing. It was because they saw the silhouette of a familiar man at the end of the path where the Evil God was headed.

Bennett, seeing the girl ahead being chased by Tara and Niolle, hardened his expression. What is this situation?

"⋯⋯Is it Illusion Magic?”

“Hey, Bennett! That’s the Evil God!”

At Tara's shout, Bennett drew his radiant sword, 『Guardian’s Oath』, without any hesitation, swinging it with a powerful flash of light.

Slash-!

The Evil God's body was bisected at the waist, but it moved as if it was a slime before splitting into two clones and scattering in different directions.

“Can you figure out which one is real?!”

[I don’t know. Wouldn’t both of them be real?]

“I guess we’ll have to work it out⋯⋯ Tara, break that!”

“⋯⋯It’s hard because I don’t have any Mana right now!”

Even though Tara complained, she poured as much Mana as she could into the Demonic Sword before throwing it. Her sword from the past caused a stall to collapse, stranding a piece of the Evil God. Then from Bennett's fierce grasp, his sword flashed.

“If such clean cuts are the issue, I shall just mince you until you are nothing but dust.”

Chijijijijijik──!!

The Evil God’s body was cut apart and scattered into dust. Tara was tracking down the other Evil God, and they gradually got farther from Bennett.

[Bennett, this way’s a shortcut!]

““I’ll follow you!””

Niolle jumped over various obstacles, guiding Bennett. They closed the distance in an instant.

===============================================================

The three ran down the road, not thinking about anything else. All they had to do was to catch up and put an end to it!

The Evil God resorted to bizarre tricks whenever they got close. It casted weird spells, like building a wall made of corpses or having dozens of strange, square illusions appear in front of your eyes.

“Run towards the sound, Bennett!”

Tara directed them.

[It’s trying to escape this way, Bennett!]

When Niolle gave orders.

They were able to break through the illusions very easily. When he was chasing the Crazy Wizard alone, he just kept on getting farther. Maybe back then⋯⋯ if he had worked together with them, they might’ve easily caught him.

“STAY B, ACK──!!"

The Evil God squeezed out the last of its remaining strength, summoning a wave of tentacles so high it completely filled their vision

“Should we dodge?!”

[If you want to dodge, dodge into this alley⋯⋯!]

Bennett grinned, kicked off the ground, and ran in front of Tara and Niolle. Then, he shouted as he radiated light.

“No, there is no need to dodge. After all, I will protect you!”

The speed at which Bennett swung his sword was so fast that it almost looked invisible. In fact, it was possible he brandished it hundreds of times. With the light radiating from his sword enchanted with 『Guardian’s Oath (護願)』, a solid wall was formed.

A net of slashes. An advanced technique, also named Sword Membrane, that could only be performed by those who have reached the highest level of Magic Manipulation. However, its thickness was incomparable to before.

The wave of tentacles shattered, scattering into particles.

Their pace barely slowed down. The Evil God turned around and emitted a pitch-black light. Its death was inevitable, so in that case, its intention was to curse them even if it meant burning its own existence

“You’ll all think that this is the end, but no! THIS IS NOT MY FINAL FORM, AND ONE DAY, YOU WILL ALL BE PLAYED, BY ME——!!”

Suddenly, their surroundings turned pitch black. They were in complete darkness, unable to see anything or even distinguish between right and left, top and bottom. However, Bennett remained undeterred.

Because the star in his heart was shining, showing him the path he needed to take.

Paaaat──!!

Bennett's sword slashed through all its illusions, malice, and darkness. With a brilliant light, the Evil God's second heart was split in half.

The darkness scattered.

And just then, fittingly, dawn was breaking.

Bennett left the dead Evil God behind before looking back at Tara and Niolle. The ladies were drenched in sweat and looked at Bennett while trying to catch their breath.

"⋯⋯Did we get rid of it?!”

[Is it over?]

“It’s over.”

He muttered, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

“Now, no matter what you or someone else says⋯⋯ I will never stray from my path again.”

Now he clearly knew the path he needed to take. Even if he got once again lost himself after harsh trials

"⋯⋯It’s over, it’s finally overrr.”

[When we get back, I want to sleep for like a week straight⋯⋯.]

He was sure that Tara and Niolle would guide him once again.

“Let’s go back.”

⋯⋯⋯⋯.

Bennett, Tara, and Niolle. The three Heroes who saved the world from being destroyed by the Evil God,returned to their original world.

But that didn’t mean it was the end of their story.

It marked the birth of heroes and they, still young, will have their heroic tales⋯⋯ continue on for a very long /genesisforsaken