Chapter 36

From way up high, I fell.

Just moments ago, the light right before my eyes is now distant enough to barely see.

And when there wasn’t a single light below me left, I finally arrived at where I was supposed to be.

It’s been ages since I’ve been beneath the surface.

Though, in the first place, I *was* the water filling the bottom.

Splash!

Huh?

Rather than actual water splashing, it felt more like water biting into water. It’s weird to say, but it’s closer to how oil reacts when you pour water onto it.

That caught my attention.

There’s something else here in this vast and deep ocean besides me.

And it’s doing its best to devour me.

Ah…

So that’s how it is.

Guess while I was away, something else took my spot.

Even if I get eaten, I don’t feel anything. Do as you please. Since I can still see the other side, let’s focus on that.

You.

Right now.

You ate my warmth?

Whatever you do doesn’t matter to me. Even if you eat me, it won’t itch or hurt. I’d let you do as you want down here.

But you seek warmth?

The warmth falling to this depth?

No.

No.

Absolutely not.

I couldn’t move my body before. Or rather, I thought I didn’t have one.

But no. It was just because I filled this vessel completely. Since I am everything, moving or not made no difference.

But now, something’s different.

So I grabbed hold. To ensure you can never steal my warmth again, to ensure you can never do anything ever again.

Just like how it consumed me, I devoured it whole.

I disassembled it completely so it could never touch the light again.

Then, nothing remained.

In my memories, a pale version of myself whispers: “Are you a cuckoo?”

Am I a heretic?

Still, it’s none of your business. Whatever I am, the warmth is mine.

I refocused on the world I had been in. Though I’m apart from it, the connection remains unchanged. No, maybe it wasn’t even separation but something else entirely.

Hmm.

I don’t know.

I’ll think about it later.

For now, let me see the world through Joanna’s eyes. A pile of sand taking up half her vision, the sound of wind and a woman’s voice by her ear.

Through Joanna’s eyes, despite holes in her arms and chest, she’s not dead yet.

But it’s a fatal wound.

Judging by her breathing and pain, her lung has been punctured. Every breath causes vibrations, and her nose is filled with the acrid smell of blood.

Yet an unfamiliar woman’s voice echoes. Simultaneously, Tisah gazes at the same direction.

Through his eyes, a girl stands there—small in stature but with large breasts. Her hair isn’t purple but golden, though it’s unmistakably a face he recognizes from Joanna’s perspective.

Rebecca Rolfe.

It’s her.

No, it’s the real Rebecca Rolfe—not me.

I thought she disappeared after her heart was taken, yet there she stands intact. But something’s off.

She has no light. Not a trace of warmth either.

Even through Yashle’s eyes, there’s nothing. Isn’t light the soul?

Or is this what Donald Davidson’s Swampman theory refers to? A resurrected body without a soul? Interesting. At least I’m not inside her.

Meaning, I can’t see through her eyes.

Yet Rebecca seems to have seen everything I did while controlling her body. More than actions—she knows my thoughts. Using memories only I should know, she accuses Yashle.

Honestly, her imitation of my tone made me laugh quite a bit.

Really?

You hated Future Hope Church that much, huh? So even Joanna’s fall means nothing to you.

Personally, I have no reason to dislike Joanna, right?

Then silence fell.

There are two people crying here.

One is Yashle.

The other is Joanna.

Both silently shed tears.

Then a familiar voice shouted, ordering Yashle to clean up his own mess.

It’s Andrew.

He blames Yashle for summoning some kind of monster, leading to this world falling under the grasp of an Evil God.

This caused hatred to rise in those around him. That emotion led them to raise their swords, all aimed at the quietly crying Yashle.

As tears streamed down Yashle’s face, the moment weapons were pointed at him, he stood up and raised a strange weapon.

Tisah’s expression is filled with hatred too. He wants to check on Rebecca or Joanna, but aside from Tisah, Yashle, and Joanna, there’s no one here who’s received my blessing.

If I shift my gaze slightly, I see people being massacred in the underground temple.

Yeah. The defenses finally broke.

Part of the reason was Witga leaving with many troops just two days ago.

Additionally, Witga headed east—not toward the Ansellus Kingdom to the south, but following Andrew’s forces.

Meanwhile, the capital of the Ansellus Kingdom has fallen. It looks like it endured carpet bombing; there are hardly any buildings left standing.

Because the blessed ones fought each other, causing destruction.

And Wide, along with his followers, have settled in the royal castle, feasting on stolen food and drink while resting comfortably. In a corner far from their revelry lie shredded corpses.

All important figures of the Ansellus Kingdom.

In other words, Yashle’s wish came true.

Without realizing he commanded it, Wide talks about his next move instead of waiting for further orders.

Yes, he already knows Future Hope Church has collapsed. Young, ambitious, and brimming with confidence, he’s no fool.

He’s been gathering information bit by bit, and Andrew’s subordinates have approached him.

Thus, he anticipated this. He often converses with his men, discussing his plan to establish his own nation.

Back to the Scard Desert.

The underground temple and surrounding village have vanished. Completely wiped out. The Rasve Kingdom and Cogni Kingdom spared no one.

Of course, not everyone escaped unscathed.

But unless you’re prepared to die, claiming allegiance to Future Hope Church is no longer possible. There’s no future or hope left for them.

Yashle’s final battle with the people of Ansellus begins. Taking advantage of the chaos, Andrew escapes. I wonder which path he’ll take. Without a blessed person nearby, we likely won’t hear from Andrew anytime soon. All the blessed ones died fighting Yashle.

Tisah and the people of Ansellus fought hard.

Tisah, despite having his arm torn off by Yashle’s powerful magic, regenerates and serves as a shield for others. He’s the tank, allowing others to deal damage and debuffs. Having a regenerator as a tank—it’s not a bad setup.

At the start, they condemned Yashle, but now no one speaks.

Probably because fighting itself is exhausting.

Yashle is incredibly strong.

Meanwhile, someone approaches the prone Joanna. As she struggles to lift her head amidst labored breathing, Rebecca Rolfe’s face appears before her.

But her hair isn’t purple—it’s gold—and her eyes shine blue instead of violet.

“You’re not the Rebecca I know, are you? Right?”

Her response, though nearly indistinguishable from a wheezing sound, earns a nod from Rebecca. She kneels near Joanna and gazes at her.

“You’re going to die like this.”

“Yes, I know.”

Rebecca, seemingly dissatisfied with Joanna’s answer, kneels fully in front of her. Instead of offering support to the dying woman, she sits cross-legged before Joanna, whose face is pressed into the sand.

Rebecca clearly hates anyone associated with Future Hope Church for killing her family.

“Why did you foolishly try to stop it? Once that terrifying god obtained knowledge it must never possess, this place’s role was already over. Perhaps you, more than anyone, knew what lurked within this body, didn’t you?”

Then she dismissively adds:

“Such foolishness.”

Joanna bursts into laughter but quickly coughs violently, spitting out blood before collapsing in exhaustion. Instead of answering Rebecca’s question, she softly asks:

“Did you watch it all unfold?”

“I’ve seen much. Truly, countless things. Perhaps he watches through countless perspectives across countless worlds. Maybe even now…”

Hmm.

That’s correct. I’ve been watching. I always observe those blessed by me without fail. Though the degree of focus varies, I’ll keep watching until our contract ends. After all, I need to claim my payment, don’t I?

“If so, then introductions are in order. Yes, perhaps this will be our last meeting. Still, I imagine I’ll see you in the final moments, but if this is truly the end…”

With a hoarse voice, Joanna speaks as if returning to the tone of their first meeting.

“Thank you.”

Then, snap—her vision darkens, and a small warmth flows into me. But the warmth barely warms me before disappearing.

Once again, the freezing cold wraps around my spine, shattering the warmth into pieces and vanishing without a trace.

As usual.

That’s how it went.

Yes.

The first person I blessed has died.

Since she was a member of Future Hope Church, I don’t care.

Some gray guy is throwing candy.

I get it. I understand.

But I feel nothing.

Instead, I become the night sea under the night sky, gazing upward.

Until the moment Tisah stabs Yashle in the heart.

One of the countless shattered lives twisted by Yashle finally breaks free, circling endlessly until it ultimately pierces Yashle.

Cause and effect, after all.

Not so much punishment for sins as proof that among countless seeds sown in barren soil, at least one will sprout.

Wait?

Here, with life fading and all senses gone, the warmth didn’t come immediately. So I reached out.

A thin barrier enveloped the light.

What a fool.

After doing so much?

I tried to take it all, but the barrier disappeared upon contact, leaving me with just the light.

Then I fell.

When I fall beneath the surface, the light gives me warmth before vanishing. Whether it’s originally white or turned black by me makes no difference. As always, the warmth melts me slightly before disappearing as if it never existed.

Meanwhile, Tisah raises his sword, shouting in victory, joined by his comrades. In a corner of his vision, Rebecca gently lays Joanna’s body down.

Now.

The cult known as Future Hope Church has ended.

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