Ch 261
Hero Party.
They called themselves Wanderers.
All for the sake of driving out the Darkness that settled in every corner of the Continent.
That Darkness was sometimes a wanted Criminal.
Sometimes, it was a Monster that claimed to be a god, attempting to make entire Villages its slaves.
Sometimes, it was a Demon who received both the public’s Awe and Contempt.
The Darkness the Hero Party pursued took various forms.
However, there was only one thing.
One characteristic that encompassed them all.
Unfathomable Power.
Most of them possessed power that was incomprehensible from a normal Viewpoint.
Therefore, no one dared to confront them, their infamy grew, and it reached the Hero Party.
The Hero Party called themselves the adversaries of the Unfathomable Darkness.
“To defeat that, monstrous fellow…!!! Truly, you are Heroes!!! Even High-Rank Adventurers trembled at that monster’s power, saying it was like an Evil God…!”
“Hee hee. Do not fear. An Evil God does not exist. Only the Benevolent God, the immense Will you can feel.”
“I, is that so…!? Then, that limitless Life Force is…?”
“Magical Power contaminated by Unholy Power is altered, taking on unusual Nature. However, its essence does not change. It may seem like an infinite Life Force, but it is not ultimately infinite.”
“Khahahaha!!! I’ve taken the Saint’s words to heart, and look at this! If that fellow’s Life Force were infinite, would his head be on my Axe!?”
“Indeed…!”
From the Hero Party’s Viewpoint, it was not something Unfathomable, but simply Darkness.
“Mon, monstrous fellows…!”
“Look here!!! Who are you calling a monster while your head is cut off, khahahaha!!!”
Rather, they themselves could be called existences beyond the realm of Understanding.
A collection of power that even the Unfathomable Darkness found Unfathomable.
Otherwise lauded as the Miracle Heroes.
The Hero Party was such an existence.
“Hey, Noble! Are there any more scoundrels like this guy, boasting about being an Evil God and causing trouble!? If there are, tell me! I was just about to get fired up, but he died so pathetically, it’s unsatisfying!”
However.
Even for such a Hero Party, the Unfathomable certainly existed.
“Then, Hero! How about going west!?”
“What’s there?”
“Rumor has it that the City’s Master was devoured by some Demon! Wouldn’t even those Demons be powerless before the Heroes!?”
“…”
“…Everyone?”
Demons.
They did not know where they came from, nor where they were going.
Thus, they were immortal, and thus, Unfathomable.
For many, Demons were one of many Unfathomable things.
However, for the Hero Party, they were truly the only Unfathomable thing.
“West. Understood.”
“Hero!?”
“Ah, Lindal! Damn it, I hate Demons—”
The Miracle Heroes dreamed of a true miracle.
The end of the Unfathomable.
The end of immortality.
✦✦✦
Miracle.
It was a word that had become tiresome for the Hero Party.
Whenever they drove out new Darkness and achieved new Achievements, the term “miracle” inevitably followed.
“Miracle, a miracle…!”
When someone shouted like that, they would look at each other, shrug, or chuckle.
That could be called the Hero Party’s usual Attitude towards “miracles”.
“Ho, don’t make a fuss, Shuyen. Only the Benevolent God can perform miracles—”
“Ah, really! Is this the time for such old-fashioned talk!?”
“Shuyen is right, Tara. I guarantee it, even that Benevolent God can’t do this.”
“Kudalak! This insane Barbarian!!! What are you—”
“Now, now. Let’s all calm down. Should we be blushing at each other at this monumental moment? Tara, you secretly agree, don’t you? That what we’ve accomplished is like a miracle.”
“…”
However, this time was different.
Saint Tara Dorin was confused.
At the same time, she felt an indescribable wonder and overwhelming Emotion.
It was clearly the reaction of someone who had witnessed a miracle.
The Saint carefully extended her hand.
At the end of that hand was a Demon.
A high-ranking Demon that the Hero Party had managed to subdue by combining their strength.
However, it was a Demon that they could not destroy no matter what they did, so they had to be content with sealing it away.
When they first sealed the Demon, the Magic Stone that became the core of the Seal contained murky Darkness like a night mist.
“Do you see? The unholy energy of that Demon—it has become so pure. Tara, it’s what you did.”
And now.
That Magic Stone was emitting a Divine light like the Saint’s energy.
“I did it?”
“Yes.”
“What did I, do…?”
While no one dared to answer rashly, the large Barbarian shouted heartily.
“What do you mean! Star of Purification! You purified the Demon with your power!!! The immortal evil spirit has vanished! If this isn’t a miracle, what is a miracle, khahahaha!!!”
“…”
The Saint, still looking unconvinced, brought her hand to the Magic Stone.
“Ah…”
There was no mistake. The energy emanating from the Demon sealed within the Magic Stone.
It clearly possessed Divine Power.
“Coiling Shadow…”
The Saint called out the Demon’s name.
-…
The only response was Silence.
The Demon, after a long pause, finally answered.
-Saint… to answer your call… I can no longer feel the Shadow… I feel my existence becoming whole with light…
“…!”
The Demon’s calm Voice.
No.
Its calm Voice.
The Saint pondered over it for a while.
Eventually, with a noticeably changed Expression, she said.
“Purified Darkness…”
Demon.
It was the moment when that seemingly eternal Darkness was illuminated.
At this moment.
The Saint could clearly feel the existence of the Benevolent God.
“Miracle…”
She murmured softly.
✦✦✦
『Title: Wow, but aren’t the Priests in this Game really doing an Extremely Difficult Job?』
Content: Seeing Black Mages and Demons getting along so well from the side, I think you’d get a huge reality check?
-: Seriously ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-: Demons < reply to messages immediately, and sometimes send Gift Icons
Benevolent God < no matter how long you wait, the '1' on the message doesn't disappear, Gift Icons are out of the question, and it's hard to expect a reply
-: But Demons are Yanderes, damn it
A truckload of people whose lives went downhill after exchanging messages
-: But they enjoyed themselves until it went downhill, right?;
-: Seriously ㅋㅋ If you’ve seen the peak of your life, that’s enough
But this Benevolent God <?
It makes no difference whether you believe or not, right
-: Divine Power gets stronger, though ㅠㅠ
-: Divine Power is just magic that uses ‘Will’ Stats instead of ‘Mana’
-: Is it really true that Divine Power increases as long as you believe in something??????
-: Isn’t there actually an event like that?
To send Proselytizing Order Priests, if you choose the option ‘I’m sorry, I already believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster’,
Divine Power actually increases
-『Author』: The Flying Spaghetti Monster is acceptable
-: Seriously, looking at it this way, Priests are really doing an Extremely Difficult Job in this world
People don’t even show their faces for the Benevolent God that people desperately believe in,
but the guys who could be called Evil Gods are working their asses off ㅋㅋㅋ
✦✦✦
The lights turned on in Tara’s House as she was about to have a peaceful night.
As soon as Tara retrieved the Vessel from Lisir’s room, she called Shuyen and explained the situation.
“It can’t be…”
The Fairy Shuyen still remembers that moment vividly.
Her proud Comrade, Tara Dorin.
The moment when that Saint truly performed a miracle.
The purification of the Demon.
It could be considered one of the greatest Feats among the countless Achievements the Saint had accomplished.
It proved that there was no eternal Darkness in this world.
-Even Demons are equal before the Benevolent God’s Holy Flame.
Tara believed that she had proven the existence of the Benevolent God through the purification of the Demon.
From a place beyond the reach of any Darkness, the great Will and Providence that watches over all things in the world!
It was also the foundation of the faith that gave the Order its Influence today.
But—
“The purified Shadow was behind this Event?”
The Demon hadn’t been purified.
It had merely been deceiving them.
“Since when, since when have you been deceiving us!?”
-From the beginning…
“…!”
The Fairy’s small face was drenched in shock.
Tara was the same.
They knew very well that Demons were evil beings that should not be easily trusted.
Nevertheless, they hadn’t considered the Demon’s Deception at all.
“How… how could this be? Surely, the unholy energy must have been purified…!”
An existence that had lost its Denial and was newly filled with Divine Power.
Because in their eyes, it was no longer a Demon.
-Nevertheless… I was still a Demon…
“Don’t be ridiculous!!! A Divine Demon!!! Is that even possible!?”
Kkkkkkkkkk.
It let out a sinister laugh as it watched Shuyen scream.
It saw the image of a beast screaming in fear superimposed on Shuyen.
“Isn’t the foundation of a Demon its unholy energy…? If that energy is destroyed, wouldn’t that existence also be destroyed!!!”
The Unfathomable Darkness, which they had believed to have been ended, was once again engulfing them.
-Mortal beings…
The Demon clearly felt it.
The crack in the Heroes’ unwavering courage.
The sprout of temptation growing in that crack.
-You will now realize… that your lives are not a blessing, but a curse of mortality… that no matter what you do, you cannot resist us, who are born with the blessing of immortality…
“…”
Like leaves fluttering in the wind and rain, the Fairy’s Eyes trembled weakly.
-Fairy Shuyen… great Mortal… you did well enough… I value your Will and your strength… you are certainly among the better Mortals… I will make you an offer… serve me… then, I promise to embrace with mercy those you believe in and love… I will share the immortal glory…
Is it true?
Are we ultimately just insignificant creatures trapped in the curse of mortality?
Is confronting those immortal beings, the Demons, ultimately just a meaningless Last Ditch Effort?
The Unfathomable Darkness instantly colored the Fairy’s thoughts.
Her world began to fill with pessimism.
If this continued, it was only a matter of time before the Fairy succumbed to that Despair.
“Shuyen. Snap out of it. Don’t listen to that thing.”
It was the Saint’s Voice that awakened the Fairy.
The Fairy, startled, looked at her and widened her eyes.
“Tara!? How!? How can you maintain your Composure in this situation!?”
The Unfathomable Darkness, which they thought they had revealed, was still alive.
The Saint was just as confused.
However, considering the situation as the Fairy said, her state seemed calm.
-Don’t listen to that foolish thing!!!
“…Huh?”
Shuyen belatedly realized something was wrong.
“Tara, you can’t hear this thing’s voice right now? I mean—this thing is only whispering to me?”
“Yes.”
-Shuyen!!!
Shuyen tilted her head.
Those supposedly great immortals, what are they so bothered about that they are scheming so petty?
“By the way, Tara, what happened to Lisir? Is he okay?”
“He’s not just okay.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Do you know what this thing said when it first called me out?”
-Ignore it!!! It’s jealous of you!!! Because I’m showing interest only in you!!!
“It begged me to save it.”
“…What?”
“It said it would do anything to be separated from Lisir.”
“…”
“So, I tried separating it from Lisir to see what it would do—and what it did was seduce you without my knowledge.”
Haa.
Tara sighed deeply.
“There’s no room for Doubt…”
“What Doubt…?”
“The energy is still Divine, but its Nature hasn’t changed at all. It’s still a Demon.”
Shuyen was once again surprised by Tara’s nonchalant demeanor.
The Unfathomable Darkness, which they thought they had driven away, had returned in its true form—
how could she be so calm?
“Everyone? What are you doing gathered here?”
It was a third person who arrived late on the scene and answered that question.
Lisir.
He looked at them with a dazed expression and said.
Purified Darkness.
The Demon’s desperate Last Ditch Effort was quite effective.
Lisir still hadn’t noticed the Demon’s presence.
For him, the Standard for identifying Demons was ‘openly unholy energy’.
As such, his Atmosphere, having just woken up, was extremely peaceful.
-Shuyen! This is your last chance!!! Accept me right now!!!
It made the Demon’s reaction even more noticeable.
“Ah.”
Shuyen nodded.
She had momentarily forgotten because she was so confused.
In fact, besides being confused, she hadn’t been able to accept it yet.
Looking at Lisir, she cautiously opened her small mouth.
“Lisir. Is what you said back then true?”
“Yes?”
“The Spirits you showed me back then. Were they really Demons originally?”
Lisir blinked and scratched the back of his head.
Now that you mention it?
It was a gesture that seemed to convey that voice.
“Ah…”
Shuyen finally understood completely.
Tara’s calm Atmosphere.
-Shuyen!!!!
The Demon’s somewhat unnatural behavior.
“Tara, how. Did you keep it a secret from Lisir all this time?”
“No. It seems that leaving it to Lisir is better than reassuring him and then interrogating him.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well—”
Miracle Heroes.
They ratted someone out.
✦✦✦
“This is amazing… a Divine Demon…”
Lisir looked at the ‘Vessel’ and showed his surprise.
“But, are you sure, everyone? That there’s a Demon here?”
He tilted his head.
No matter how much he called, the Demon didn’t answer.
“Strange…”
“Yes? Ms. Shuyen? What—”
“It was making a terrible racket, but the moment you came, it suddenly became as quiet as a mouse?”
“Ah, I see.”
He observed the Vessel once more and said.
“What’s this thing’s name?”
Shuyen looked at Tara for a cue.
Then, she cautiously opened her mouth.
“…Become Darkness—”
“Yes?”
“…No, I misspoke. Coiling Shadow. That’s its name.”
-Coiling Shadow…!
Whoosh!
A grayish-white fireball that appeared exclaimed in a surprised tone.
“Oh, what. Dangaleon. You know it?”
-Verbande…tsk! Not as much as you, but it’s a high-ranking fellow!!!
-Dangaleon!!! Know your place!!! To call yourself a lackey of a Mortal, how did you fall to such a Beast!?
-Shut up! You wicked thing!!! Do you think I’m a lowly Demon like you!!!
-…
The Demon fell silent.
Then.
It’s a Demon.
So what?
That kind of voice seemed to be heard.
“Lisir.”
At that moment.
Tara finally spoke after much deliberation.
“If you’re okay with it, can you take care of this Demon?”
She thought.
Lisir—
No.
Lisir was the one who could control this Darkness.
“…”
Tara, tense, began to watch Lisir.
Shuyen was the same.
Controlling a Demon.
It was a Responsibility too heavy for even a large group like the Order.
To entrust such a Responsibility to a mere individual.
Even this man, it would be difficult to accept—
“First, shall we purify it?”
Lisir said in a light tone.
After placing his hand on the ‘Vessel’, he began to pour his energy into it with all his might.
-Kaaaaaaaak!!! Please!!! No!!!
It began to scream along with the Divine energy.
“…!!!”
Suddenly.
Tara and Shuyen jumped up in Horror.
Whoosh!!!
A huge snake, as thick as a large tree trunk, burst out from the Jewel of the Necklace.
Coiling Shadow.
That huge snake, only its exterior painted white.
Tara and Shuyen thought it was rushing towards Lisir.
It wasn’t.
It was trying its best to escape to the opposite side of Lisir.
Thump.
Lisir casually grabbed the end of its Tail.
Even the tail was so thick that it could barely be held with both hands.
-Let go!!!
The snake writhed.
It was as if a huge tree that stretched to the end of the sky was writhing with will.
Due to the impact, Tara’s small Hut instantly became a Chaos.
Bang!
Bang!
Just by brushing against it, the Hut’s walls crumbled and the pillars collapsed.
Coiling Shadow instantly regained its original form.
Its Majestic appearance reminded the two Heroes of their past fierce battle.
That huge castle entwined with the threads of Darkness!
Creak—
The Saint’s Hut collapsed helplessly.
The huge snake was wrapping around the Hut as if to swallow it whole.
The Saint and Shuyen were overwhelmed and took a step back.
“Lisir!!!”
And immediately tried to help Lisir—
“Oh dear, what a mess. Just stay still.”
Its thickness and size.
Considering how it was held, the snake’s tail was not so much held in Lisir’s hand as it was overflowing from his hand.
Normally, the moment the snake writhed, that insignificant grip should have been shattered like a small fish hit by a whale’s tail.
However.
Lisir’s appearance, holding the huge snake’s tail, was extremely peaceful.
Only the part that touched his hand was moving slightly as if it had lost its strength.
No.
It was getting smaller.
“…Huh?”
The Saint and the Fairy blinked, wondering if they had seen wrong.
They hadn’t.
“Oops.”
Lisir straightened his posture.
Because it had become too small, he began to pull the snake’s tail, which had slipped from his grip, again.
-Let, let go!!! Let go, you monster!!!!!!!
The more violently the snake struggled, the faster the change became.
How long had it been since he placed the tip of the tail on his palm and pulled the snake’s body with his other palm?
The huge snake, which could have swallowed the Saint’s Hut whole, had disappeared like a mirage.
A thin white snake was coiling on the man’s palm like a ball of yarn.
-Hiss!!!
It bravely（?） shouted towards the man.
“Oh, what. Even snakes look cute like this?”
As Lisir reached out his hand, the snake began to rub its head against his thumb relentlessly.
-Hissaaaaaat!!!
A cute sound for a snake came out along with its darting tongue.
“Everyone, it seems to have gone well.”
Then. Lisir nodded and said.
“This Demon. I’ll raise it well.”
The two of them shuddered at Lisir’s emotionless words.
Like he was talking about a stray cat?
“Everyone…?”
The Fairy and the Saint were gradually moving away from Lisir.
The Demons who had become Lisir’s Spirits.
They thought it was the result of some great Ritual.
That great Ritual that Lisir had to work hard on with his comrades for a long time to complete!
It wasn’t.
Lisir picked up the huge snake like a pillar of the sky and got a cute pet.
That was the process of the Ritual they had witnessed firsthand.
Now they didn’t care about Demons.
The Unfathomable Darkness within them had been dispelled in a different sense.
“So… that’s how it is…?”
A new Unfathomable thing had taken root within them.
✦✦✦
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