The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time C305– The God of Sinful Chains and Bellwood, bound by chains

A bizarre scene greeted Heinz and his companions.

In the center of an enormous prison, there were two beings bound by a countless number of chains.

One of them was a young man with well-ordered features who was glowing faintly. The other was something that appeared human-shaped but was in a gruesome state.

Heinz was overwhelmed by this scene that had awaited him on the deepest floor of the Dungeon of Trials.

“What in the world is this…?” said Heinz, barely managing to speak in a strained voice. “The glowing man is likely the heroic god, the champion Bellwood… so that means the other one is the Evil God of Sinful Chains!”

The abominable evil god that was spoken of in legends – the powerful god that Bellwood was said to have defeated, but at the cost of his own fall.

But the thing that Heinz and his companions were staring at did not look like such a being.

Its overall shape looked similar to that of a human. Where hair should have been on its two heads, there were chains instead; and each of its four arms had numerous chains from the elbow down rather than a forearm. It had only two legs, but they ended in goat-like hooves.

But that was all Heinz and his companions knew.

“Are these… the seal? There are a countless number of stakes piercing its body,” Heinz murmured.

The being that seemed to be the Evil God of Sinful Chains had been impaled by so many stakes that its skin couldn't be seen. Stakes had been driven through its limbs, its torso, and every orifice in both of its faces, pinning it to the gray wall behind it. What appeared to be blood dripped from its hooved feet.

“I can't imagine that these are wounds that were inflicted during battle. It's like a corpse that died after being tortured. Did Bellwood do this?” said Jennifer, who had been groaning quietly in disgust.

“That cannot be,” Diana refuted immediately. “According to legends, Bellwood and the Evil God of Sinful Chains struck each other down simultaneously. I cannot imagine that he would have had the time and composure to do this!”

Her argument wasn't based on anything substantial. After all, there was no guarantee that everything spoken of in myths and legends was true.

It was possible that Bellwood had actually been defeated and sealed away by the Evil God of Sinful Chains, but the other gods who had rushed to his aid had sealed the enemy away, putting him in this gruesome state.

That was just how horrendous the wounds of the Evil God of Sinful Chains were – they did not resemble any wounds that could have possibly been inflicted during battle.

“… Diana might be right,” said Edgar, who was wearing a subdued expression for some reason, as he pointed at the stakes that had been driven through the Evil God of Sinful Chains. “Bellwood's weapon should be a sword. Stakes are wielded by Alda as a method of punishment against gods; they're a symbol of his authority as the god of law. They're not weapons of Bellwood.”

Heinz and his companions, who were enveloped in the solemn atmosphere of the scene on this Dungeon floor, let out small gasps of surprise as they realized that he was right.

If Bellwood was sealed away by the Evil God of Sinful Chains, and Alda had punished him, then it made sense. They could understand why Alda had applied the punishment in such a gruesome way – after all, his own champion had been sealed away.

“It's amazing that you noticed that, Edgar,” said Delizah, sounding impressed. “I hadn't realized that those stakes are the power that Alda wields as a god.”

“I-I guess,” said Edgar, avoiding her eyes. “It's just that you never hear of Bellwood using weapons other than a sword, and the story of Alda impaling Zuruwarn and Ricklent with stakes to punish them is well-known.”

But the fact that these stakes were a punishment meted out by Alda was not something that Edgar had noticed himself.

The stakes were stained by the blood of the Evil God of Sinful Chains, with absolutely nothing about them that suggested that they were divine in nature, but they were Alda's divine authority – and yet, Edgar had no idea how he knew that.

He thought about how he could have possibly realized this, but nothing came to mind. He had received the divine protection of Niltark, the God of Judgment, but he was not the kind of worshipper who memorized every word of the holy scriptures.

The thought had simply occurred to him, as naturally as if he had already previously witnessed Alda drive these stakes into evil gods.

“Edgar, what's wrong? You're acting a little strange. Is there something else you've noticed?” asked Heinz.

He didn't have any doubts or questions regarding Edgar's explanation, but he had noticed that his voice sounded restless. He believed that when something seemed off with his companions, it was best not to leave it unaddressed.

“No, it's nothing,” said Edgar. “More importantly, we should be thinking about what to do next, right? It doesn't seem like we'll be fighting against more fakes.”

He had already returned to his usual self, and it didn't seem like he would be talking about his own strange feelings with Heinz.

But Heinz didn't drop the matter and continued his questioning. “You're right, but you're our scout, Edgar, and if you've sensed something and keep it to yourself, the whole party could –”

“How noisy…” said a hoarse, unfamiliar voice, interrupting Heinz.

Immediately realizing who the voice belonged to, Heinz and his companions raised their weapons and began reciting incantations to cast spells.

“These voices do not seem to belong to gods or their underlings… Are they humans?” the voice murmured.

The voice belonged to the Evil God of Sinful Chains, the being who was pinned against a wall by a countless number of stakes.

Another, similar voice, which presumably belonged to his other head, chuckled. “Humans. The first humans I have seen in fifty thousand years. It seems that they have not gone extinct yet.”

“The Evil God of Sinful Chains wasn't sealed away?!” Delizah shouted.

Even the scout Edgar had been paying no caution towards the Evil God of Sinful Chains. He had assumed that the evil god was sealed away and in a state of unconsciousness, as he had been completely motionless and radiated no presence whatsoever.

Even now, there was no bloodthirst or sense of presence – if someone were to say that the thing on the wall was some gruesome display made in bad taste using a monster's corpse, it would be believable.

“Yes, I am Jarodipus. And I am indeed sealed,” said the Evil God of Sinful Chains.

“Or do you think I look like I am free to move?” said his other voice.

Despite the stakes that had impaled not only his throats, but his mouths and tongues as well, he sounded amused by the fact that Delizah and the others had readied themselves for battle.

“… If you are sealed, then why are you able to speak? Isn't this a trap to make us let down our guard?” Heinz asked, keeping his sword raised and showing no openings.

He directed his killing intent, which had been made sharper by the training he had gone through in this Dungeon, towards the evil god before him.

But the evil god simply gave a hoarse laughter and showed no signs of movement.

“That is because I am not completely sealed. As you can see, I am unable to lift a single finger or even move my eyes, and I am unable to gather my Mana. As I am now, I am more powerless than a worm,” he said.

“But my consciousness has not been sealed away. Alda chose not to do so,” said his other voice.

“What do you mean by that? So it really was Alda, not Bellwood, who sealed you away?” said Heinz.

The Evil God of Sinful chains chuckled again. “It seems that the story you have been told differs from the truth that I know.”

“Very well. Let me tell you,” said his other voice. “After all, whoever you are, I am unable to do anything other than speak.”

And so, the evil god began to speak of the truth that he knew.

Jarodipus had been fortunate enough to survive the war between the Demon King's army and the army of the champions that had taken place a hundred thousand years ago. But he was merely able to survive, and like many of the other evil gods, he believed that there was no hope for a bright future for himself.

He had no intention of planning the resurrection of the Demon King, who had been sealed away. Risking his own safety out of a sense of duty for the one who had lost the war seemed like a foolish thing to do.

But he was also hesitant to ally himself with the gods of this world. His values were entirely different from those held by the inhabitants of this world, and he could not imagine that co-existing with them would go well.

Still, he was not capable of traveling to another world with nothing but his own power, so he kept himself hidden as he observed events unfold. During that time, Vida and Alda parted ways, and a war between them started just a hundred years later, and Alda emerged victorious to become the leader of this world's gods.

As history progressed, the world changed in many ways, but… Jarodipus himself changed significantly.

Jarodipus's authority was over sin and chains, but in the world where he originated, this referred to 'traps.'

The species he belonged to did not possess vast quantities of Mana or incredible physical characteristics. However, they had evolved to be able to hunt prey by using parts of their bodies as lures to draw them in.

In the world of the Demon King, it was a 'sin' to be fooled. The punishment for that sin was to be devoured.

Jarodipus's nature as a god was very simple with no deep meaning behind it, so he was not a particularly powerful god.

However, in Lambda, the meaning of 'sin' was different. 'Sin' carried a different meaning depending on what kind of sin it was, the motive behind it, and the method used to carry it out.

In Lambda, Alda dictated what was a sin and what was not – through the laws and knowledge he had bestowed upon the humans before he was forced to stop residing on the world's surface a hundred thousand years ago, after the war against Vida.

To begin with, the inhabitants of this world were the ideal beings for Jarodipus. In his world, even though the strong killed, toyed with, and devoured the weak, they had no sense or awareness that they were committing sins. After all, doing these things was only natural for them.

However, merely killing others of their own kind caused the intelligent creatures of this world to tremble under the weight of their sins. They would be tormented by nightmares, throw up their food, and sometimes even end their own lives.

Jarodipus had been forced to change and adapt to this heavy concept of 'sin.'

Of course, if he kept himself hidden without acquiring new worshippers, he would have been able to preserve himself as he was. But he would gain no power, and eventually fade from existence.

That was why he had acquired new worshippers and become Jarodipus, the Evil God of Sinful Chains, ruling over 'sin' as it existed in this world.

“After that, I became a different god from the one I was before. What I demanded from those who prayed to me was not absolute loyalty, nor the devotion to give up their lives to me, nor live sacrifices. I merely wanted them to obey my teachings,” Jarodipus said.

“My worshippers became leaders who spread my teachings rather than livestock or pawns. That was particularly true back then, as many of my worshippers were human,” said his other voice.

About fifty thousand years after that, Jarodipus attempted to make contact with the gods of Vida's faction, while his worshippers acted mostly as avengers and bounty hunters.

It was difficult to say that his worshippers formed a religious organization, as they were individuals that were only faintly connected and they had no location that served as a large-scale base. They possessed no grand objectives like mass-murder, the overthrowing of nations, or the destruction of churches; nor did they conduct any large-scale rituals. Thus, they escaped the notice of even Alda and his allies.

But Jarodipus found himself unable to make contact with the gods of Vida's faction.

Eventually, he was discovered by Bellwood, who invaded his Divine Realm.

“I thought he would have become a little more docile after becoming a god, but he flew from divine realm to divine realm, hunting down evil gods and sealing them away, one after another – though it was at the pace of one evil god every few thousand years.”

“That may sound like a long time for a mortal, but to us gods, it is but a short period of time. Or at least, it seems that way when it is used as a measure of how quickly gods who were once my allies are sealed away.”

Jarodipus fought Bellwood. He had been left with no choice other than to do so. But the difference in their power was overwhelming.

Although he had gained strength, Jarodipus only received worship from a small number of mortals; he could not be compared to Bellwood, who was worshiped as a champion of the gods by the entirety of humanity.

Jarodipus believed that he would be the next surviving evil god from the Demon King's army to be sealed away by Bellwood.

Even so, he refused to submit and willingly be sealed away; having transformed into this world's God of Sinful Chains, he drew forth all of his divine power and struck Bellwood with it.

“Ordinarily, this would have been easily deflected. But surprisingly, my divine power forced Bellwood into a state where he was unable to act.”

“His face turned as white as a sheet of paper as he began to tremble, and he began screaming and crying while tearing his own hair out.”

“He said a lot of things. Words like 'That's wrong,' 'That's not it,' 'It's a misunderstanding.' But after that, he fell silent and ceased to move.”

“He was trapped by my chains.”

Jarodipus seemed to be enjoying himself as he told this story.

“After that… What happened to Bellwood after that?!” Heinz shouted, taking a step forward.

If Delizah hadn't stopped him, he might have tried to grab Jarodipus by the neck.

But Jarodipus continued to speak in his amused tone, taking no notice of Heinz's menacing behavior.

“What happened, you ask? The answer is right here, before your very eyes.”

“Even now, he remains bound by my chains – though there is no seal on him.”

“W-what?!” Heinz uttered in disbelief.

In complete shock, he and his companions looked at the champion Bellwood, the young man who was radiating a gentle glow. Bellwood had remained completely motionless, his eyes and mouth closed, since the moment Heinz's party stepped onto this Dungeon floor.

Heinz and his companions had thought that it was because he had been sealed away by the Evil God of Sinful Chains, just as the legends said.

But Jarodipus claimed that there was no seal on Bellwood.

Heinz and Diana's immediate conclusion was to believe that he was lying. To them, the fact that he was an evil god alone was enough of a reason to distrust him. And if there really was no seal on Bellwood, then there was no reason why Bellwood would remain motionless.

“If Bellwood hasn't been sealed away, then why is he not moving? If you're saying that the reason is your divine authority, what exactly have you done to him?” asked Edgar, before Heinz and Diana could begin demanding answers.

“… My divine authority is 'sinful chains,' just as my title suggests. It is a form of attack on the mind, one that shows the victim the chains of their own sins,” said Jarodipus in a new tone of voice, as if he were particularly pleased with this part of the story.

But this explanation was even more difficult for Heinz and his companions to believe.

“If that's true… Bellwood's mind, the mind of the leader of the three champions who defeated the Demon King… is asleep because of the guilt of the sins he committed,” Edgar murmured with a nod as he took a step back to let the others speak.

Heinz and the others' faces showed shock, bewilderment, anger, and doubt, but what they felt in their hearts was a hollow sensation.

How strange. We haven't gotten to the bottom of this yet, and I have no idea if people will believe us, but this is supposed to be the discovery of the century. And yet I don't feel any excitement or suspicion towards what this evil god is saying. Was I always such a calm person? Edgar wondered silently.

The moment he saw Bellwood, he had felt something like irritation. Upon learning that he wouldn't move, that irritation had changed into disappointment, but even that emotion was now gone without a trace.

As Edgar fell silent, bewildered by his own thoughts, his companions were continuing to speak.

“That's impossible!” Diana said passionately. “What sins are you saying that Bellwood committed –”

“They may be the same sins as mine,” Heinz interrupted.

The other party members except Edgar gasped.

Jarodipus chuckled quietly. “That is none of my business. All I did was show him his own sins. I have no idea who you are or where you came from.”

“But if your sins are those committed against Vida's races and those who worship Vida… I am sure you are right. Bellwood fought continuously – in the physical world as a mortal, and in the heavens after he became a god.”

“All I know is the events leading up to Bellwood ceasing to move. After that, Alda rushed to the scene and drove a mountain of stakes into my body. To think that he would use even more stakes on me than he did on Vida. I've come a long way, haven't I?”

“But if he were to seal me away while I remain connected to Bellwood, Bellwood would be sealed away as well. That is why he simply left me here, and Bellwood and I remain bound together.”

“Of course, that gave me the most spectacular view of Alda calling out desperately to the slumbering Bellwood. Considering that, perhaps this punishment was not such a high price to pay!”

Having spoken of everything he knew, including the events that led to him being left here in this state, Jarodipus let out a loud, satisfied laughter.

Indeed, with Alda's Stakes of Law impaling every spare inch of his body, he couldn't do anything other than speak using his thoughts, and Heinz and his companions couldn't stop him from doing so.

“… We've come this far,” Heinz said after a long silence. “Even Alda himself failed to bring him back, so I don't know if me speaking to him will have any effect. But it's still worth a try.”

He stepped over the chains and began approaching Bellwood.

“The fact that this chamber was waiting for us on the deepest floor of this Dungeon means that Alda expects us to awaken Bellwood,” he said.

He stepped forward, and his foot came down on one of the countless chains trailing across the floor.

At that moment, Heinz's mind was filled with images from the past. Images from more than ten years ago, in his home country, the shield-nation of Mirg. Images from when he and his four companions – including the now-deceased Martina and Riley, before Jennifer and Diana joined the party – captured Darcia, the Dark Elf who had given birth to a Dhampir.

“I forgot to mention this, but my chains are a physical manifestation of the concept of inescapable sin. It seems that you have the makings of a future god, but you are still a mortal for now, and you will know your own sins when you touch them,” said Jarodipus.

“I struck Bellwood with these chains, so you will only feel a residual fraction of their power. But doing so as a mortal will be a bitter experience,” said his other voice with a low laughter. “'The same sins as mine,' you said? Given that you are already aware of your own sins, I wouldn't advise you to go any further.”

But despite Jarodipus's words of mockery, Heinz took another step forward.

The next series of images flooding his mind were those from when he carried out a commission to hunt down a group of Ghouls who had attacked an adventurer. He saw himself working with his companions and other adventurers to exterminate the Ghouls as they desperately struggled and resisted.

“Hey! That should be my job as scout, shouldn't it?!” shouted Edgar, hastily trying to stop Heinz, despite feeling no interest towards Bellwood for some reason.

But he found himself unable to move, as if his feet had been pinned to the floor. As if he was immobilized by a powerful fear of touching the chains.

Heinz took no notice of Edgar's words and took yet another step forward. This time, he saw the final moments of the father of Selen, the Dhampir girl he and his companions were sheltering. If they had been just a little faster, they could have saved him, but they were too late.

“Hey, there's no reason to actually walk all the way there like a fool, is there?! You could use a spell to fly or cover the chains with something before walking over them!” shouted Delizah.

“She's right, Heinz! You've only taken two steps and you're already pale as a sheet!” said Jennifer.

But Heinz continued forward. This time, it was images from when he fought against a cult that secretly kept a fragment of the Demon King, led by a Majin known as the 'Saint of Darkness.' And images from years ago, when his party fled from the Trial of Zakkart, unable to save their companion Martina or even bring her body back with them.

The latter was something that Heinz regretted to this day, but he didn't regard the former as a sin at all. Why was that memory running through his mind now, attacking his conscience as a sin that he had committed?

“Have you been attacked by a memory that you do not believe to be a sin, and is not a sin even when scrutinized by the laws of humans?” said Jarodipus, as if reading his mind. “That is because my chains are a manifestation of 'sin,' not of your guilt. If a deed has caused you to be hated because there are those who regard it as a sin, if there are those who would denounce you for the deed, then it is a sin!”

Heinz was unable to speak, but Edgar voiced how harsh this was.

“W-what?! If that's the case, then even heroes and saints would be sinners!” he shouted.

Indeed, no person living in society would be able to escape from the grudges of others.

The successful and the unsuccessful. The rich and the poor. The winners of martial arts tournaments and the losers. Those who exchanged marital vows with their lovers and those who were rejected by their loves. Those who saw their sons return from war after being conscripted, and those who never saw their sons again.

Even heroes and saints who accomplished great deeds in such societies would not be able to avoid being resented by others. That was true not only of Heinz, but the now-deceased 'Vampire Hunter' Bormack Gordan, Randolf 'the True,' the 'Thunderclap' Schneider, and even Vandalieu.

If deeds were not defined by laws, and all deeds were sins, then the world was full of nothing but sinners.

Jarodipus cackled gleefully. “What's so strange about that? I'm the Evil God of Sinful Chains! Not a god of law or a god of forgiveness! Do you really think there's a reason for me to follow the rules of the law and order that you believe in?!”

“Are you going to go to Alda and cry about how unreasonable I am? Go ahead and try. Let him try and see if he can fit any more stakes in me!”

Jarodipus, the God of Sinful Chains, paid no heed to Edgar's complaints. Instead, a countless number of chains that hadn't been there before appeared in the space between him and Bellwood.

Whether Heinz chose to fly or circle around them, there was no way for him to proceed without touching the chains.

“What?! You made more chains?! How cowardly!” Edgar shouted.

“No, those chains have always been there, we just haven't been able to see them until now. I'm sure Heinz knew that and knew that cheap tricks would be of no use,” said Diana. “Heinz, give me a moment! I will cast a spell for you!”

Diana cast a life-attribute enchantment that improved the target's mental fortitude. But even though the chains only possessed residual fragments of the power that had been used against Bellwood, they were still a divine authority. Against them, Diana's spell only provided a small peace of mind.

Only those with the 'Mental Nullification' Skill or a mental structure that differed from that of humans would be able to withstand the chains.

But through the small comfort provided by Diana's spell, and his own sheer willpower, Heinz gave a spirited yell as he made one final push, taking step after step until he finally reached Bellwood.

“I'm well aware that I'm a sinner, even without you showing me!” he declared as he touched Bellwood's shoulder.

In the next moment, he was engulfed in darkness.

“What is this?! What is this place? Where is everyone? Where is Bellwood?”

His surroundings were painted in a single shade of black, as if it was a completely lightless night. There was no sign of his companions or the Evil God of Sinful Chains.

But Heinz heard a voice.

“Why do you try to awaken me?” it asked quietly, and Bellwood appeared before Heinz.

“I see. I'm inside your mind,” Heinz realized.

“That's right. If I recall, your name is Heinz, and you are the hero that has been chosen by Aldsama… So, now that you've learned the truth, why is it that you are trying to awaken a sinner like me?” Bellwood asked.

By touching Bellwood, Heinz had been thrown into his mind, the mind of a heroic god.

But the thing that bewildered Heinz more than anything was how feeble Bellwood was – so feeble that it was difficult to believe that he was a god.”

“It's because… we need you,” said Heinz. “There's someone that we need to speak to. And, if the time comes, even if we know that it's wrong to do so, we need to stop him.”

Bellwood fell silent for a long while… and then tears began flowing from his closed eyes.

Heinz gasped.

“I've taken a look at some of your memories,” Bellwood said. “I am sorry… Everything is my fault, after all. You see, I'm a being that causes nothing but harm to this world.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Heinz. “You're the leader of the champions who saved this world. The god of heroes.”

Every person in the world admired the seven champions from childhood.

The leader of those champions, Bellwood, was greatly shaken by Heinz's words.

And then, Bellwood's direct thoughts and memories began flooding into Heinz.

When I was chosen as champion and came to this world, I was so overjoyed that I felt I might go mad.

I was just a mere student, and a leader among a few dozen people at most. And yet, I was bestowed powers that granted me superhuman physical capabilities and the ability to freely cast spells that are like pure sorcery.

I convinced myself that I had become a great person. I had been surrounded by adults who forced me to give up on my ideals and make compromises, and other people of my age averted their eyes and made no efforts to do the right thing. I believed that in this world, I could make my ideals a reality without being dragged down by such people and having to give them up. I believed that I could do the right thing without making compromises.

Fighting in the war against the Demon King with my life on the line only made that feeling grow stronger. The praise that they showered me with after each battle and the words of comfort and appreciation spoken to me after every defeat gave birth to a sense that I was someone special who had been chosen with a purpose. As I felt myself becoming more powerful day by day, my sense of being a chosen individual grew stronger. The fact that those on the other side were grotesque monsters convinced me that I was right, building up my confidence in the belief that they were my enemy.

When my abilities as a Guider awakened, these beliefs became certain truths in my mind. The Job I gained was 'Guider.' Zakkart became a 'United Guider,' and Nineroad became a 'Perpetual Guider.' Usually, the name of the path of guidance comes before 'Guider' in the Job title, but mine was simply 'Guider' with no path. I convinced myself that mine was the origin of all Guider-type Jobs, and that I had become the simplest, base form of what a 'Guider' is.

That was why I clashed numerous times with Zakkart, Vida's champion. His attitude was the exact one that I hated – the same one held by the adults in the world I came from, the ones who forced me to make compromises and give up on my ideals. After learning that Zakkart was originally a middle-aged man whose aging had been reversed when he was made a champion, I thought, “That explains it,” and I began regarding Zakkart with contempt.

When Zakkart convinced dozens of evil gods from the Demon King's army to change sides, invented firearms that could be used in this world, and even attempted to develop nuclear weapons, Alda and I vehemently opposed him.

I had more than a half-hearted suspicion that Zakkart was an even more dangerous being than the Demon King.

I thought that it was only natural for me and my allies to fight on a distant battlefield while Zakkart made his attempts to build nuclear weapons.

As a result, Zakkart and three other champions were attacked and had their souls broken by the Demon King, and I was truly sorrowful about that. I cried and swore that I would do what was right so that such a thing would 'never happen again.'

And then I defeated the Demon King. Everyone was united and working together, and I fought alongside them. Many were killed, and only around three thousand people survived, but we succeeded in protecting the world.

I offered my prayers to those who were lost, and I swore with my companions and my wives that such events would 'never be repeated again,' and that we would protect everyone 'next time.'

I swore to Alda and the rest of the gods that we would return this world back to its ordinary and pure state – back to how it was before the Demon King Guduranis arrived – to ensure that the sacrifices of those who were lost would not be in vain.

But I was greatly dejected when Vidsama and the evil gods left, taking a portion of humanity with them, including Zorcodrio-san and Erpel-kun, despite being in an age where the world needed everyone to combine their efforts.

A hundred years later, I learned that she gave birth to monsters that carried the blood of evil gods, and even acknowledged monsters such as Noble Orcs – creatures that ought to be exterminated – as her own worshippers, if they were intelligent enough. That was when I thought that she had betrayed us.

We needed to return the world back to its original state, but she opposed us.

That was why I told my allies that we needed to exterminate the abominations spawned by Vidsama and seal away all the evil gods. That if we did that, Vidsama would surely come to her senses.

Aldsama agreed with me (Bellwood wasn't aware at the time, but it was because Alda wanted to destroy the circle of transmigration system created by Vida), and a second holy war began.

When we learned Vidsama's true intention – to create powerful races of people who are capable of surviving in the current world because returning the world to its original state would be impossible to accomplish immediately – I even felt anger. The choice Vidsama made was what I hated most – giving up on my ideals and compromising.

When we found Zantark-sama, I felt despair. Despite having gone as far as to fuse with evil gods to survive, he stood in our way, having lost his sanity and forgotten what justice is. I felt true and sincere sympathy for Farmaun, for his misfortune of having been chosen by such a god.

When we discovered the Undead Zakkart, I felt resentment. As a true champion myself, seeing a former champion being turned into an Undead felt as if I had been defiled as well.

When I learned that Zorcodrio-san and the others had been turned into Pure-breed Vampires, I felt sorrow from the depths of my heart. I told myself that the people I had known were gone, and the only thing I could do for the humans they once were was to destroy the monsters that they had become.

But our holy war did not go well. Remnants of the Demon King's army, such as Hihiryushukaka, the Evil God of Joyful Life, and Luvesfol, the Raging Evil Dragon God, interfered.

Vidsama, Zantark-sama, and the surviving abominations… the races created by Vida, escaped.

Even so, I did not give up and continued working with my companions for the sake of this world. We moved to the Bahn Gaia continent and founded nations there so that we could keep an eye on Vidsama, who had escaped between the mountains and created a barrier.

We defeated monsters that were as numerous as the stars, hunted down surviving members of Vida's races that were in hiding, and sealed away evil gods.

And after becoming a god, I became unable to fight on Lambda's surface. But I supported the people who were fighting against threats on the world's surface by sending Divine Messages and granting them my divine protection, and devoted myself to fighting against evil gods.

On occasion, people would go too far and victims were created, but… I believed that it was the duty of a god to forgive their foolishness and continue guiding them.

But when I discovered the Evil God of Sinful Chains and attempted to seal him away, I became aware of my sins for the first time.

I have never been someone who can be considered 'great.' I was merely a foolish clown who was pretending to be the kind of champion that I held as my ideal, drunk on the power I was given. I convinced myself that dreaming of unrealistic ideals is the act of a pure heart; the right thing to do. I never paid attention to those around me.

Zakkart and the others were far more worthy of being champions than I am.

If I had kept my eyes more on reality, and prioritized my companions and protecting the world over my ideals, then many more would have survived the war against the Demon King than the mere three thousand that did.

And it was my fault that Vidsama left us. It was I who instigated Farmaun to defeat Zantark-sama. It was I who massacred Vida's races and the monsters who belong to her faction, and it was I who taught my companions and my worshippers that this was the right thing to do.

From the very beginning, 'returning the world to the pure state it was in before the Demon King's arrival' was an ideal that I had no right to ever speak of. By the time I arrived in this world, the Demon King was already here, after all.

“That's… This is…”

Heinz was shocked into speechlessness by the thoughts of Bellwood that were flooding directly into his own mind.

Even from his perspective, Bellwood's thoughts had been extremely biased.

“I have never once committed evil willingly. Even though I found Zakkart and the others to be disagreeable and unpleasant, I never wished for them to die,” said Bellwood. “But now that I reflect upon it, I never should have left them while they were busy creating weapons with which to defeat the Demon King, just because our ways of thinking did not match.”

“But you grieved for them from the bottom of your heart –” Heinz began.

“I was merely conceited, proud of myself for grieving the loss of companions with whom I did not get along.”

Heinz found himself speechless once more, and Bellwood continued delivering his thoughts to him directly.

The reason I treated Vidsama as a traitor for her choices, as well as Zorcodrio-san and the others who supported her, was because I held them in low regard from the very beginning. Because I did not understand that they have emotions… that they have a heart.

Because I convinced myself that I was the main character, and everyone else was a supporting or background character.

The same is true regarding the races created by Vida. At the time, despite the qualities that they have in common with humans, I viewed them as something else.

Dogs and fish with human faces… I suppose you would never understand. I perceived them as nothing more than misshapen creatures that merely happened to have human-like features. I considered them to be fundamentally different beings from humans.

The same is true regarding what I taught my worshippers. I looked down on the people's desires to better their own lives. And when there were victims as a result of my teachings, I placed the blame on my worshippers' foolishness, and I gloated to myself for having a heart that was generous enough to forgive them for it.

“That is why I should continue to sleep here. You have realized these things and you are not even thirty years of age. I am a fool who did not realize anything for more than fifty thousand years,” Bellwood said.

“Then… The reason you preached that Vida's races should be rejected is…!” Heinz whispered.

“Yes. It is because they contradicted my ideals. Because they looked creepy and unsightly in my eyes. Aldsama has another reason for preaching this, but… it is not a reason that you could agree with and continue to hunt members of Vida's races for.”

Heinz was deeply shocked by this. If he had a physical body right now rather than being in a state that only consisted of his mind, perhaps he would have lost consciousness and fallen to his knees, or perhaps he would have begun to vomit from the sheer despair that he was feeling.

But Bellwood's next words prevented him from doing so.

“That is why I should continue to sleep here,” Bellwood repeated.

“… Wait a second. Why does it have to be that way? It's not too late to tell the people, and to tell Alda! Tell them that you were wrong!” said Heinz.

“… And how would I do that?”

Heinz replied by telling Bellwood that he should send Divine Messages to his worshippers, and speak to Alda and other gods directly.

But Bellwood slowly shook his head. “Not everyone is capable of receiving Divine Messages. Only the most devout worshippers can. And what do you think such devout worshippers would think if they were to receive a Divine Message that is in direct opposition to my teachings?”

Heinz gasped and his expression stiffened as he imagined it.

If worshippers were to receive a Divine Message telling them that everything that they had been taught thus far was mistaken, would they then begin telling the people? Would they declare, “Bellwood's teachings were a mistake”?

That would not happen. If they were to suddenly hear the voice of a god that utterly rejected the teachings of the church, they would begin to think that the voice was the whispering of a demon, or that their own wicked hearts were causing auditory hallucinations.

Perhaps some would begin to inform the people… and they would appear to have gone mad to ordinary people, and they would appear to be heretics to Bellwood's most zealous worshippers.

It was also perhaps doubtful as to whether Alda would take Bellwood seriously or not. Bellwood's realization that he had been mistaken was due to the divine authority of the Evil God of Sinful Chains, whom Alda had impaled with a countless number of stakes.

It wouldn't be unexpected for Alda to believe that Bellwood had somehow been tricked by the evil god.

“But surely you feel true regret and remorse for your mistakes, from the bottom of your heart. You should search for a path to atone for them!” said Heinz.

“… 'Next time' and 'never again' were things that I told myself back then. But that was to take my attention away from the present and focus it onto an uncertain future, to avert my eyes from my responsibility. It cannot be said that I felt regret.”

With those words, Bellwood sighed deeply before he continued.

“My sins are without end. It was I who convinced Aldsama, the other gods, Nineroad, and Farmaun to do the things that we did. The fact that there are members of Vida's races that harm humans, the fact that some Pure-breed Vampires became pawns of the remnants of the Demon King's army, the fact that the Majin detest Alda's worshippers, the fact that Ghouls live like monsters and attack humans – all of it, everything – is because I attacked them and drove them into a corner. It's all my fault. And it is my fault that you committed sins as well.”

“That's… I don't intend to blame you for that,” said Heinz.

If Bellwood had not decided to exterminate Vida's races, there would have been no Vampires who worshiped evil gods, nor would Darcia have been treated as a witch for giving birth to a Dhampir. But Heinz had no intention of blaming Bellwood for his own sins.

“No. That is not what I mean,” said Bellwood. “I have looked at your memories, and I understand. The soul of the Dhampir boy you wish to speak to contains the fragments of the souls of Zakkart and the others, which were broken by Guduranis.”

“That's…”

The Goddess of Slumber Mill had told Heinz the truth, and it seemed that Bellwood had been able to discern this merely from seeing Vandalieu's appearance through Heinz's memories – though it was unclear as to whether this was because of his intuition as a god, or because he had personally known the champions.

“I do not know why or how. But given your reaction, it seems to be true. In other words, I am the reason that he exists, because I made no attempt to protect Zakkart and the others,” Bellwood said. “Do you still mean to say that you need me?”

Bellwood knew that simply by existing, all he did was create more sin. Even trying to destroy himself would likely cause some kind of disaster for the world. With that being the case, it would be best for him to continue sleeping here.

These thoughts were the reason why he had continued to lie here with his eyes closed for fifty thousand years.

But Heinz disagreed. “You can't do this! I'm well aware that there are sins that one can't atone for no matter what! But by continuing to slumber here so that you won't commit any more sins, you are committing the sin of making no attempt to correct your mistakes! Among the sins that you claim are your fault, surely there are some that occurred after you began your slumber here!” he shouted.

Bellwood's eyes opened wide in surprise.

He had been told the exact same thing over and over in the past – by Alda and Nineroad. At the time, he had thought nothing of it.

But after learning of the appearance of Vandalieu in this world, and because these words were being spoken by Heinz – someone upon whom Vandalieu sought to take revenge – they sounded very convincing to him.

“… The reason my guidance is without a name is because I do nothing more than guide. I guide for the sake of guiding, but it doesn't lead anywhere. Those who follow me must simply keep walking on and on, towards an ideal that cannot be reached even if they walk for all of eternity; towards a reality that they cannot see – until their legs are worn down to dust. That is the kind of guidance it is. Therefore, it may have undesirable effects on you,” Bellwood said. “Do you seek my aid despite this?”

Bellwood's guidance was specialized in inciting conflict. It was so specialized that it had fooled even himself, the one who was doing the inciting.

After becoming a god and leaving the influence of the Status System, this effect had been nullified, but… the charisma he possessed as a heroic god who was worshiped by the masses was already at the point of being a curse.

He was capable of turning weak-willed humans who were not under the influence of any other guidance into fanatical worshippers simply by speaking to them.

“… We need your aid,” said Heinz. “Your mistakes will be corrected by us – the peaceful faction of Alda. Please lend us your strength!”

Hearing the claim that his mistakes could be corrected by Alda's peaceful faction, Bellwood blinked and stared at Heinz.

“Very well. I shall at least provide you with 'strength.' I will answer nothing, show you nothing, and provide no guidance,” he said at last.

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness.

By the time Heinz's consciousness returned to his body, the chains wrapped around Bellwood had burst apart and flown off him.

“I have awakened not as a god, but as a form of strength for you. Thus, I shall reside within you. Use my strength when you need it,” Bellwood's voice said.

With that, Bellwood turned into particles of light that disappeared into Heinz's body.

“But I do need to speak with Aldsama, Nineroad, and Farmaun, so I can't stay here forever,” he added, speaking inside Heinz's head.

It didn't seem like Bellwood was going back into a slumber.

“Has Bellwood been… resurrected?!” Delizah gasped.

“It looked kind of strange, but… you've done it, Heinz!” Jennifer exclaimed cheerfully.

The others had been watching with bated breath, but they finally let out cheers of joy.

“… I will not let you!” Jarodipus interrupted.

“Slumber with my body for all eternity!” shouted his other voice.

The sound of chains flying filled the air.

“I thought he was impaled by the stakes and couldn't move!” Edgar shouted in surprise.

Ignoring him, Jarodipus struck Heinz and Bellwood with his chains, attempting to seal them away along with himself.

For fifty thousand years, he had been prayed to by the people, and he had come to love this world.

His worshippers were twisted people who couldn't be described as ordinary – the kind of people whose hearts burned with a desire for vengeance, those who felt no hesitation to kill others out of hatred, and those who received payment from such individuals to carry out such acts of vengeance on their behalf.

But Jarodipus had come to learn of the love and hatred that such twisted humans felt, and in his own way, he loved them and the world in which they lived.

That was why he had endured this torture for fifty thousand years. The satisfaction of knowing that causing Bellwood to slumber was saving the lives of many gave him a sense of satisfaction that made him forget the pain caused to him by the stakes.

That was precisely why he had conserved a tiny amount of his strength – for the unlikely scenario in which Bellwood awakened.

“BELLWOOOOD!” both of Jarodipus's voices bellowed.

Even if performing this one attack would force him into a slumber that lasted all of eternity, he would drag Bellwood down with him. There was so much spirit and vigor in this attack that even Edgar couldn't catch up with it.

But Heinz didn't need to catch up with him.

“'Evil-destroying Radiant True Strike.'”

A single swing of his sword was all that was needed.

The deadly chains were severed, and Jarodipus's body was sliced in two.

“A being who is incapable of being aware of his own sins has awakened…”

“O world, please overcome this calamity. But I suppose… it's still better than Guduranis being resurrected.”

These were Jarodipus's final words. The stakes impaling his body trembled, then drove themselves deeper, crucifying him and pinning him harder against the Dungeon wall. When it was over, he and the stakes were completely flat, as if they were a painting.

And so, the Evil God of Sinful Chains was sealed away.

“Everyone, I have a lot to tell you, but… first, let's return outside!” said Heinz.

The rest of the Five-colored Blades cheered.

To the fragments of the Demon King's soul slumbering within Edgar, Bellwood's resurrection was a desirable outcome.

At first, the Demon King's soul fragments had felt hatred for Bellwood, but… in his current state, he was not even worth resenting. This was fine, as long as it ended in the being he hated most, Heinz, and Bellwood to all be destroyed while fighting against each other.

The being he hated most was… Vandalieu.

Guduranis had not yet given up on being resurrected, and his body was a part of him that he needed to regain possession of no matter what. Vandalieu was stealing and absorbing that from him.

To Guduranis, Vandalieu was a terrifying threat, even more so than Bellwood and Alda, who so far had only managed to seal the fragments of his body away.

He could not forgive Vandalieu. For the sake of his resurrection, Vandalieu was a being that needed to be destroyed.

Chapter end