373 Death Mage V12 Chapter 305

Chapter 305
Evil God of Sinful Chains, and Bellwood Imprisoned in Chains


And there, an eerie scene unfolded.

In the center of the giant prison, two beings were bound by countless chains.

One was a young man with a well-groomed face who was emanating a feeble light. The other was a humanoid figure in a wretched state.

"What is this...?"

Heinz, overwhelmed by the sight that stretched before him in the lowest level of the trial's dungeon, managed to squeeze out his voice.

"Um, if that glowing young man is the Heroic God, Champion Bellwood... then that must be the Evil God of Sinful Chains!"

It was an abominable Evil God sung of in legends. It was the name of the evil god who is said to have engaged in a fierce battle with the Heroic God.

However, the existence before Heinz and the others did not seem to match that description.

The general form appeared somewhat human-like. Instead of hair, chains sprouted from its two heads, and four of its arms from the elbows down had transformed into countless chains. It had only two legs, but they resembled goat hooves.

But that was all Heinz and the others could discern.

"Is it... sealed? It has countless stakes driven all over its body."

An existence that seemed to be the Evil God of Sinful Chains was covered in so many stakes that its skin was hardly visible. Its hands, legs, torso, and even the two holes of its face were pierced with stakes and sewn onto the gray walls. At its feet, something akin to blood was still dripping.

"It doesn't look like battle scars. It's like the body of a corpse after being tortured. Did Bellwood do this?"

When Jennifer, who had let out a small groan, commented, Diana immediately refuted her, startled.

"It shouldn’t be... According to the legends, Bellwood was supposed to have fallen in battle together with the Evil God of Sinful Chains. I don't think he could afford to do something like this!"

Diana's rebuttal was not particularly well-founded. This is because not everything handed down as a legend or myth meant that it was true.

In reality, Bellwood had been sealed by the Evil God of Sinful Chains, but it could be possible that other gods who rushed to him later had sealed the Evil God of Sinful Chains and reduced him to such a state.

The condition of the Evil God of Sinful Chains was so pitiful that it hardly resembled wounds inflicted during battle.

"...Diana might be right."

Edgar, who had a slightly pale face, pointed at the stakes driven into the Evil God of Sinful Chains.

"Bellwood's weapon should be a sword. Those stakes should be a symbol of Alda's authority as the God of Law, which is used to punish gods, not Bellwood."

Upon hearing that remark, Heinz and the others, who had been overwhelmed by the bizarre atmosphere of this level, suddenly realized and agreed with him.

It made sense to think that Alda punished and sealed the Evil God of Sinful Chains that had sealed Bellwood. If this cruel treatment was a consequence of the Champion he chose being sealed, it was understandable.

"Well observed, Edgar. I completely overlooked the fact that those stakes were the result of Alda's divine power," Delizah praised Edgar with admiration, and he responded while averting his gaze, "Well, yeah."

"I’ve never heard of Bellwood using any weapon other than a sword, and it's well-known that Alda had driven stakes into Zuruwarn and Ricklent as punishment."

Although he gave that answer, Edgar himself didn’t realize that the stakes were the work of Alda.

He himself didn't know why, but somehow he just knew that those stakes were part of Alda's divine authority. Those ominous looking stakes, tainted with the blood of the Evil God of Sinful Chains, had no divine atmosphere, completely devoid of any godliness.

He tried to recall why he had come to that realization, but he had no clue. While he possessed the divine protection of the God of Judgment Niltark, he wasn't the type of believer who memorized every word and phrase of the scriptures.

It was as if he had naturally thought that Alda was the one who drove stakes into the evil gods, as if he had witnessed it with his own eyes.

"Edgar, what's wrong? Something seems off, did you notice something else?"

Heinz didn't question Edgar's answer, but he noticed a slight change in his voice and decided to inquire further. He felt that it wouldn't be wise to ignore any sense of discomfort he felt from his peers.

"No, it's nothing. More importantly, what should we do from here? It seems we can't just continue fighting the fakes like we used to."

However, when Heinz asked the question, Edgar returned to his usual self. It seemed he had no intention of telling Heinz about the sense of discomfort he was feeling.

However, Heinz was not satisfied with that and attempted to go further.

"Indeed, that may be the case, but Edgar, as a scout, keeping quiet about what the “something” you feel", for the whole party――”

"Noisy..."

However, in the middle of Heinz's words, a dry, unfamiliar voice echoed, and he and the others immediately drew their weapons and prepared to cast magic.

"That voice doesn't belong to a god or one of their followers... A human?"

"Kukuku, a human. The first human in fifty thousand years. It seems that they haven't gone extinct yet."

The owner of the voice was the Evil God of Sinful Chains, pierced by countless stakes and sewn onto the wall.

"The Evil God of Sinful Chains was not sealed!?"

Delizah, who exclaimed so, and even Edgar the scout, hadn't paid any attention to the Evil God of Sinful Chains. They thought it had been sealed and was in an unconscious state, given that the evil god hadn't made a single move or shown any signs.

And even now, it emanated neither bloodthirst nor a sense of presence. One could easily believe it to be a tasteless object made from the corpses of monsters.

"Yes, I am Jyarodeeps, the Evil God of Sinful Chains, and I am still sealed. Or perhaps, does it seem to you that I’m able to move freely?"

The Evil God of Sinful Chains replied with a cheerful tone in response to Delizah and the others being prepared for battle, despite being pierced by stakes not only in its throat but also in its mouth and tongue.

"...If you're sealed, then why can you speak? Is this some kind of trap to catch us off guard?"

While asking that question, Heinz kept holding his sword without letting his guard down, directing the sharpened bloodthirst that was trained in this dungeon at the evil god.

However, the evil god merely laughed with a hoarse voice and still made no move.

"Because I am not completely sealed. As you can see, I can't even move a finger or twitch my eyeballs, and I cannot cast magic. Right now, I am even more powerless than a worm. But my consciousness is not sealed. Because Alda didn't.”

"What do you mean? So, it was Alda who sealed you and not Bellwood?"

"Kukuku, it seems the story that has been passed down to you is different from the truth that I know. Very well, I’ll tell you regardless of who you are, since all I can do now is talk."

Saying so, the evil god began to tell the truth as he knew it.

A hundred thousand years ago, Jyarodeeps was lucky enough to survive the battle between the Demon King army and the Champion's army. However, like many other evil gods, just because he was able to survive didn't imply a bright future.

Jyarodeeps had no intention of reviving the sealed Demon King. It would be foolish of him to endanger himself just because they lost.

However, from then on, he hesitated to submit to the gods of this world. He didn't feel like he could get along well with the inhabitants of this world, whose values and perspectives were completely different.

Even so, there was no way he was able to travel to another world on his own. That’s why he had been hiding and observing in the meantime. During that time, Vida had defected from Alda, and only a hundred years later, Vida and Alda had fought, with Alda emerging victorious and becoming the leader of the gods in this world.

As a result, the course of history in this world had changed significantly... but Jyarodeeps himself had also changed greatly.

In the world where Jyarodeeps originally existed, his authority over sin and chains was a 'trap’. The race he had originated from had low mana and physical abilities. However, they specialized in hunting by using parts of their body as pseudo-bait to attract prey.

Indeed, in the Demon King's world, "sin" meant being deceived. And punishment meant being devoured.

Because it was very simple, it lacked deep meaning, so Jyarodeeps' position as a god wasn't particularly high.

However, in this "Lambda" world, the meaning of sin was different. It varied based on the type of crime committed by the sinner, his motivation, and the means used.

Particularly in this 'Lambda' world, Alda has determined what constitutes a sin. After the battle with Vida a hundred thousand years ago, when Alda had to leave the surface, he imparted his knowledge of the law to the humans.

In the first place, the inhabitants of this world were ideal for Jyarodeeps. In the world where he originally existed, those who killed, tormented, or even ate the weak, would never feel any sense of guilt. The reason was that it was natural to do so.

However, the intelligent lifeforms of this world trembled with guilt just by killing their own kind. They were plagued by nightmares, vomited their meals, and sometimes even took their own lives.

Faced with such a heavy concept of "sin," Jyarodeeps had no choice but to change.

Certainly, he could have preserved himself even if he hadn’t had any new believers and continued to hide. However, that would’ve left him powerless and he would eventually disappear out of existence.

That's why he sought and acquired new believers and became Jyarodeeps, the Evil God of Sinful Chains, aligning himself with the meaning of sin of this world.

"Since then, I have become like a different god from before. What I seek from those who pray to me is absolute loyalty, dedication to give up their own lives, without offering sacrifices. But, as long as they adhere to the doctrines I have advocated, that will suffice. Believers were not mere livestock or minions, but were figures who guide and teach. At that time, my believers were mostly humans, so it was particularly relevant."

For the next approximately fifty thousand years, while attempting to establish contact with the gods of Vida's faction, Jyarodeeps primarily operated with avengers and bounty hunters as his main believers.

It couldn’t be called an organization as they didn't have large-scale bases and were made up of individuals that had little connections. Moreover, Jyarodeeps and his followers had no major goals like mass murder, overthrowing nations, destroying temples, or performing large scale rituals. Thus, even Alda and his subordinates could not find them at that time.

However, Jyarodeeps himself was also unable to establish contact with the gods of Vida's faction.

And eventually, he was discovered by Bellwood and his divine realm was infiltrated.

"I thought that him becoming a god would make him a bit more docile, but at that time, he flew from one divine realm to another, finding and sealing evil gods after evil gods that were hiding. That said, it only happened at a rate of one every few thousand years. It may seem like a long time for humans, but for gods, it's a short period. At least, in terms of the pace at which gods from my former homeland were sealed."

Jyarodeeps fought against Bellwood. There was no other choice. However, the difference in power between them was overwhelming.

No matter how much he increased his power, Jyarodeeps, who received faith only from a part of humanity, couldn't compare to Bellwood, who was revered as a Champion by the entire human race.

Jyarodeeps also thought he would be sealed like the other evil gods of the Demon King army who had been defeated by Bellwood.

However, he couldn't simply allow himself to be quietly sealed, so he used his divine authority as the Evil God of Sinful Chains that had changed in this world, and poured all of his power from his body and his soul into striking Bellwood.

"Normally, he would have easily repelled it and that would have been the end of it. However, my divine authority surprisingly incapacitated Bellwood."

"At that time, he looked quite pitiful. His face turned pale like paper and he began to tremble, crying while scratching his head. ‘'That's not it.' 'It's not true.' 'It's a misunderstanding.' He said various things, but eventually fell silent and became motionless. Remaining bound by my chains."

"After that… What happened to Bellwood after that!?"

Heinz stepped forward while shouting at Jyarodeeps who　happily spoke. If not for Delizah holding him back, he might have lunged at Jyarodeeps.

However, seemingly unfazed by Heinz's aggressive posture, Jyarodeeps continued the conversation in a cheerful manner.

"What happened? It's as you can see with your own eyes. Even now, he remains bound by my chains. And besides, he's not even sealed."

"What!?"

With surprised expressions, Heinz and the others directed their gaze toward Champion Bellwood, a young man who was glowing weakly. Since they set foot on this level, he had remained motionless with his eyes and mouth closed.

Heinz and the others had believed that Bellwood was sealed by the Evil God of Sinful Chains, just as the legends said. However, Jyarodeeps said that Bellwood has not been sealed.

Heinz and Diana thought that Jyarodeeps was lying. For them, the mere mention of evil god was enough reason to doubt. Besides, if Bellwood was not sealed, he should be able to move.

"If Bellwood is not sealed, then why isn't he moving? If it’s because of your divine authority, what did you do to him?"

But before Heinz and Diana could question further, Edgar calmly asked in a composed tone.

"...My new divine authority is literally the 'Chain of Sins’. I show them the chains of their own sins; it’s a kind of mental attack."

Perhaps it was good to do so, Jyarodeeps also changed his tone and revealed his own divine authority. However, for Heinz and the others, it became even more difficult to believe.

"If that's the truth... then is Bellwood, the leader of the three Champions who defeated the Demon King, merely sleeping due to a sense of guilt for committing some kind of sin?"

Edgar nodded as he spoke, and took a step back as if saying, "I'll leave the rest to you."

Heinz and the others displayed expressions of surprise, confusion, frustration, and distrust, but inside their hearts were emptiness.

(Something's not right. The punchline isn't lame, and it should be a greatest discovery of the century, even if I’m unsure if they will believe it. Yet, I don't feel any excitement or distrust towards the evil god. Have I always been this composed?)

At the moment he saw Bellwood, he felt something akin to frustration. But once he realized that Bellwood wasn't moving, that frustration turned into disappointment, and now even that had disappeared.

"That's ridiculous! Exactly what kind of sin has Bellwood committed—"

"Perhaps it’s a sin similar to mine."

While Edgar was perplexed himself, the others continued the conversation. And in response to Heinz's words that interrupted Diana's outcry, everyone except Edgar were taken aback.

"Kukuku, I don't know about that. I only showed him his sins. I don’t even don't know who or where he was before. But if your sins are directed towards Vida's new races and believers... When Bellwood was a human, he fought on the surface, and after becoming a god, he continued to fight in the heavens. All I know is until Bellwood stopped moving. After that, I received a mountain of stakes from Alda when he rushed over. To think that I would receive more stakes than Vida. I must have become quite a big shot. But if I were to be sealed while connected to Bellwood, he would be sealed as well, so I was left to remain connected like this. Nevertheless, I can enjoy hearing Alda call out to the slumbering Bellwood from this special seat. It's not a bad trade-off if you think of it as compensation. Kuhahaha!"

Having finished sharing all the information he knew, including his own predicament, Jyarodeeps let out a satisfied laugh.

Indeed, being struck by Alda's 'Pile of Law' left him only capable of communicating through thoughts. He couldn't even get in the way of Heinz and the others.

"...We've come this far. Since even Alda couldn’t bring him back, I don't think I'll succeed if I talk to him either, but let's give it a try."

After a moment of silence, Heinz took a step forward, crossing over the chains on the floor as he moved towards Bellwood.

"Since this room exists in the lowest level of the dungeon, then Alda must be expecting us to awaken Bellwood."

Then, he stepped on a part of the countless chains crawling on the floor.

"Ugh!?"

In that instant, a series of past images flooded Heinz's mind. It was a memory from over ten years ago, when Jennifer and Diana had yet to join them. It was a footage of when five people, including the late Martina and Riley, captured Darcia, the dark elf female who gave birth to a dhampir, in their hometown of the Mirg Shield Nation

"I forgot to mention, my chains are the embodiment of the concept of inescapable sins. Though you seem to have the qualifications to become a god, as long as you're still human, touching them will make you aware of your own sins. Because I unleashed it on Bellwood, you’ll only feel the aftereffects. However, it's still tough to bear as a human. Kukuku, 'the same sins as us’ huh. If you remember any of it, it's better to stop."

Mockingly, Jyarodeeps said, but Heinz took another step forward.

This time, the next footage that played was from the time they accepted a subjugation request to defeat a horde of ghouls that attacked adventurers. He worked together with his companions and other adventurers to exterminate the Ghouls who resisted desperately.

"Hey! Isn't that supposed to be the role of a scout like me?"

For some reason, Edgar, who had no interest in Bellwood, tried to intervene, but his feet didn't move as if they were stuck to the ground. It was as if he was terrified of touching the chains.

Despite Edgar's words, Heinz continued to move forward. This time, it showed the final moments of Selen's father, the Dhampir girl he’s protecting. They would have been able to save him if they had arrived just a little bit faster, but they didn't make it in time.

"Hey, you can't just walk straight forward, right!? You can use magic to fly or put something on the chains and walk on it. There are various options, you know!"

"That’s right, Heinz! Your face is already pale after taking two steps!"

Delizah and Jennifer shouted, but Heinz continued to advance. This time, it showed the footage of their battle against the cult led by the Majin race’s 'Saintess of Darkness’, who had concealed the Demon King fragment. And the footage from many years ago when he couldn't save Martina, his comrade, in the 'Trial of Zakkart,' and had no choice but to retreat without bringing back her corpse.

While he still regrets the latter, he had never felt guilty about the former. Why did it flow through his mind as a sin he had committed, blaming him?

"You don't think it's a sin, and yet you are blamed for events that aren't considered sins according to human laws?"

As if reading Heinz's mind, Jyarodeeps asked the question.

"Well, you see, my chains are not about your sense of guilt but the embodiment of sin itself. If there were people in the past who hated and condemned what you did as sins, then they would become your sins!"

"T-That can't be! Then even heroes and saints would become sinners!"

Instead of Heinz, who couldn't find the time to speak, Edgar exclaimed in response. As Edgar argued, as long as humans exist within society, they can't escape from being resented.

Those who succeeded, those who didn't. Those who earned money, those who couldn't. Those who won in martial arts tournaments, those who lost. Those who ended up with their lovers, those who were rejected. Those whose sons were taken away by conscription and returned, those who didn't return.

In such a society, even accomplished heroes and saints cannot avoid being resented. Not just Heinz, but even the late 'Vampire Hunter' Bormack Gordan. Randolph the ‘True’, ‘Thunderclap’ Schneider, and even Vandalieu.

If everything is considered a sin without distinguishing it by law, then the world will only be filled with nothing but sinners.

"Kakakaka! What's wrong with that that? I am the Evil God of Sinful Chains! I am not the God of Law or the God of Forgiveness! Do you think I need to conform to the laws and order you all follow!? Do you want to appeal to Alda? You think it's unreasonable? Go ahead and try. Let's see if Alda can still strike me with any more stakes. Let's try it!"

However, as the Evil God of Sinful Chains, Jyarodeeps did not respond to Edgar's outcry. On the contrary, countless chains that had previously been invisible appeared in the space between him and Bellwood.

Whether he flew in midair or took a wide detour, he couldn't proceed without touching the chains.

"What!? How cowardly to add more chains!"

"No, those chains were there all along. We just couldn't see them. Heinz realized that and thought any trickery would be useless. But Heinz, wait! I'm going to use magic now!"

Diana casted a life attribute enhancement magic that increases psychological resistance. However, even though it was just an aftereffect, it was still a divine authority. Her magic would only provide temporary relief.

Only those with the skill 'Mental Nullification' or beings whose mental structure are different from humans would be able to withstand the chains.

"Kuh, ooooooooh!"

Nevertheless, relying on that temporary relief and his mental strength, Heinz swiftly made his way to Bellwood.

"I already know that I'm a sinner, even without you showing it to me!"

And with a shout, Heinz touched Bellwood's shoulder.

In that instant, Heinz was enveloped in darkness.

"What!? Where is this? Where is everyone and Bellwood?"

The surroundings were pitch black like a dark night, with no sign of his comrades or the Evil God of Sinful Chains.

"Why are you trying to wake me up?"

However, with a quiet voice, Bellwood appeared before Heinz.

"I see, so this is inside your heart."

"Yes, that's right. The current hero chosen by Alda, named Heinz. ...So, even after learning the truth, why are you trying to wake up a sinner like me? Why?"

Heinz's contact with Bellwood had sent his mind into the Heroic God's mind.

However, what was even more perplexing was the feeble appearance of Bellwood that made it hard to believe that he was a god.

"That's because I need you. There is someone I absolutely need to talk to. If something happens, even if I know it's wrong, I must stop him if I have to."

When Heinz conveyed that to Bellwood, he remained silent for a while... and then closed his eyes while shedding tears.

"Huh!?"

"I've read a bit of your memory. I'm sorry... it's all because of me. I'm an existence that can only do harm to this world."

"What do you mean? You are the leader of the Champions who saved the world. It should be that you are the god of the Heroes."

Seven Champions that everyone admired when they were children. Heinz was one of them. He was thus deeply shaken by Bellwood's words, who was the leader of the Champions.

Bellwood's will and memories flowed directly into Heinz.

When he was chosen as a Champion and arrived in this world, he was filled with so much joy that he felt like he might burst.

As nothing more than a student and at most a leader of a group of a few dozen people, he was bestowed with power that granted him superhuman physical abilities and the ability to freely wield magic as if it were magic.

He convinced himself that he had become a great person. He believed that in this world, he could surpass the adults who abandoned their ideals and were forced to compromise, as well as the young people of his generation who turned a blind eye to doing what is right, and would not be defeated by them. He believed that he could take action in pursuing the realization of his ideals, and stand firm in doing what’s right without compromising.

The deadly battles against the Demon King Army only reinforced that belief. Becoming stronger every day made him strongly feel that he was a chosen one. The fact that he was fighting a grotesque monster made him confident that he was right and that his enemy was evil.

The praise he received after battles, and the words of consolation and gratitude he received whenever he lost, made him realize that he was the chosen one.

Upon awakening as a Guider, that confidence and self-awareness of his turned into conviction.

What he had awakened as was [Guider]. Unlike his comrades, who had prefixes in their Guider-type Job like Zakkart's [Friendship Guider] or Nineroad's [Ordinary Guider], his had nothing. But his was the originator of the Guider-type Job. He believed that he had become the simplest and the most fundamental out of all Guiders.

He clashed with Zakkart, Vida's Champion, many times, because Zakkart's attitude embodied everything he despised about "adults who were forced to compromise." When he learned that Zakkart was originally middle-aged and became younger when he became a Champion thanks to Vida, he scoffed, thinking, "That explains why."

When Zakkart persuaded dozens of evil gods from the Demon King Army to join their side and even tried to develop firearms and nuclear weapons in this world, he opposed him alongside Alda.

He feared more than half the time that Zakkart was a dangerous existence than the Demon King himself.

He thought it was only natural to fight on a distant battlefield with his comrades while Zakkart was busy making nuclear weapons.

As a result, when Zakkart and the others were attacked by the Demon King and had their souls shattered, he was genuinely devastated. He shed tears and vowed that “next time” he would do the right thing so that the same wouldn’t happen.

And then, they defeated the Demon King. They fought together, united as one, with many sacrifices made. The remaining survivors numbered around three thousand, but they succeeded in protecting the world.

He prayed for the souls of victims, vowing with his comrades and wives that such a tragedy would “never happen again”, and that “next time” he would protect everyone.

To ensure that the sacrifices of all those who had fallen were not in vain, he pledged to restore the world to its normal and pure state before the appearance of Demon King Guduranis.

He made this vow before Alda and the other gods.

However, he was disappointed when Vida and the evil gods took some people, including Zorcodrio and Elper, and left. Even though it was a time when everyone had to work together.

A hundred years later, when he learned that she had created monsters with the blood of the evil gods, and even recognized monsters that should be destroyed as believers if they were intelligent like Noble Orcs, he felt "betrayed”.

Even though everyone had worked together to reclaim the world, she opposed it.

So, he appealed to my comrades. To exterminate the monsters created by Vida and seal all the evil gods. He believed that by doing so, Vida would eventually come to her senses.

Alda also agreed (though Bellwood didn't know at the time that it was because Alda wanted to destroy Vida's Circle of Reincarnation system), and the second war began.

When he learned the true intentions of Vida, that she wanted to create strong humans who could survive in the current world because it was impossible to restore the world immediately, he felt anger. Because it was what he despised the most, "giving up ideals and compromising."

When he found Zantark, he was disappointed. Even though he survived by fusing with an evil god, he had lost his sanity and went mad, forgetting what justice was and standing in their way. He felt sorry for Farmoun, who had been chosen by such a god.

When he found Zakkart, who had transformed into an undead, he was outraged. Zakkart, who was once a Champion, had become an undead, and he felt like even his own status as the true Champion had been tainted.

When he learned that Zorcodrio and others had become Pure-breed Vampires, he was deeply saddened. To him, he thought that they were already dead. He believed that the only thing he could do for them, who had become monsters, was to defeat them for the sake of when they were humans.

However, the holy war did not go well. This was because the remnants of the Demon King Army, such as the Evil God of Joyful Life Hihiryushukaka and the Raging Evil Dragon God Luvezfol, had invaded.

Vida and Zantark, as well as the surviving monsters... Vida's new races, managed to escape.

Still, he didn't give up and worked with his comrades for the sake of the world. He took refuge near the Boundary Mountain Range by moving to the Bahn Gaia continent and establishing a country there to monitor Vida, who had set up barriers and taken refuge beyond the mountain range.

He defeated countless monsters and hunted down the remaining survivors of Vida's new races, as well as sealing the evil gods.

And after becoming a god, he could no longer fight on the surface. However, he supported the people who fought against the threats on the surface by providing them with oracles and blessings, while he focused on the battle against the evil gods.

Sometimes, there were people who went too far and caused harm to others... but he believed that forgiving the foolishness of such individuals and continuing to guide them was also the duty of a god.

However, when he discovered the Evil God of Sinful Chains and tried to seal him, he realized my own sins for the first time.

He was nothing great. He was just a foolish clown who got drunk with the power given to him and pretended to be the ideal Champion. Believing that dreaming of an ideal detached from reality was pure and righteous, he neglected those around him.

Zakkart and the others were more suited to be Champions than him.

If he had been more realistic, if he had prioritized protecting his comrades and the world over his ideals, there would have been not just three thousand survivors in the battle against the Demon King but many times more.

And it was his fault that Vida left. It was he who instigated Farmoun to defeat Zantark. It was he who slaughtered Vida's new races, the monster of Vida's faction. And it was he who taught his comrades and his believers that it was the right thing to do.

In the first place, the ideal of "restoring a pure world before the appearance of the Demon King" was something he should never have advocated. Because he came to this world after the Demon King had appeared.

"No, this is..."

Heinz, who had directly received Bellwood's thoughts, was so shocked that he was at a loss for words.

Even from his perspective, Bellwood's thoughts were clearly biased.

"I have never wanted to do anything wrong. Even though I hated Zakkart and the others, I never thought that they should die. But now that I think about it, I shouldn't have distanced myself from the four of them, who were creating weapons to defeat the Demon King, just because I didn’t agree with their way of thinking." Bellwood conveyed his thoughts.

"But you truly mourned their deaths—"

"Even for comrades with whom I didn't get along, I mourned their deaths. I was merely intoxicated by the thought."

“...”


To the speechless Heinz, Bellwood conveyed his thoughts once again.

Treating Vida's choices and those who supported them like Zorcodrio and the others as "traitors" was because he had taken them lightly from the beginning. He failed to grasp that they, too, had emotions… and hearts.

He believed himself to be the protagonist, the main character, and everyone else being supporting characters or extras.

The same applied to Vida's New Races and monsters. In the eyes of his past self, they appeared to be something different from humans, even if they shared some common traits.

Human-faced dogs, human-faced fish... Perhaps one wouldn't understand. An abnormality possessing only superficial parts similar to humans. He firmly believed that their existences were absolutely different from humans.

The same held true for the teachings he preached to his followers. He disregarded their desire to improve people's lives, and arrogantly assigned the responsibility for any resulting sacrifices to the foolishness of his followers, while taking pleasure in forgiving them, that he had forgiven them with an open heart.

"That’s why I should remain asleep. What you realized in less than thirty years, I didn’t realize and remained oblivious for over fifty thousand years. Because I’m an idiot."

"Then... why did you advocate the exclusion of Vida's new races?"

"Yes, it was because they contradicted my ideals. Because they appeared creepy and ugly in my eyes. Although there are other reasons for Alda... they all are not reasons that would convince you to continue hunting down Vida's new races."

Upon hearing this, Heinz was deeply shocked. If it were not only a mental condition but also his physical body, he might have fainted and collapsed to his knees or vomited out of despair.

However, Bellwood's next words prevented that from happening.

"That’s why I should remain asleep."

"......Please wait. Why should you do that? From now on, you can still tell the people, and Alda. That you were wrong!"

"...How would you do that?" Bellwood questioned.

Heinz suggested that he could communicate with his believers through oracles and convey his own words to Alda and the other gods. However, Bellwood slowly shook his head.

"Oracles are not something that anyone can receive. Only devout believers can receive it. And what do you think those devout believers would feel if they received an oracle that is the exact opposite of my teachings?"

Taken aback by the question, Heinz tightened his face.

His teachings were wrong. Would the believers who received the oracle proclaim, "Bellwood's teachings were a mistake," and spread the word to the people?



That won’t happen. They would probably dismiss it as a sudden voice of an evil god, or consider it to be whispers of the devil, or that they were hallucinating because of their own evil thoughts.

Some may appeal about it to the people... but in the eyes of ordinary people, they would appear eccentric, and in the eyes of fervent believers, they would be seen as fake believers.

Even for Alda, it was doubtful if he would take it seriously. Bellwood had come to know that he was wrong through the divine authority of the Evil God of Sinful Chains. It wouldn't be strange for him to be seen as having been deceived by an evil god.

"But you truly regretted your mistakes and reflected on them. Therefore, you should find a way to atone for your sins!"

"...When I said “next time” or “never again”, what I thought back then was to change the future, which I didn't even know if it would happen or not, and to distract myself from my own responsibilities. I can't say that I truly regretted it."


Upon hearing this, Bellwood let out a deep sigh.

"My sins have no limits. I am the one who involved Alda, the other gods, Nineroad, and Farmoun, and incited them. The fact that Vida's new races cause harm to people, the fact that some Pure-breed Vampires become henchmen of the Demon King army’s remnants, the fact that the Majin race despises Alda's believers, the fact that Ghouls live like monsters and prey on humans... All of it is because of me, who attacked and cornered by them one hundred thousand years ago. And it is also my fault that you committed sins."

"That’s… I’m not going to blame you for that."

If Bellwood had not advocated the exclusion of Vida's new races, there would be no vampires who worshiped an evil god, and Darcia would not have been considered a witch for giving birth to a Dhampir. Heinz had no intention of blaming Bellwood for that.

"No, that’s not what I meant. I understood after seeing your memories. The soul of the Dhampir boy who you wish to talk to contains fragments of the souls of Zakkart and the others that were crushed by Guduranis."

"That's..."

Bellwood seemed to have arrived at the truth that was taught to Heinz by the Goddess of Sleep, Mill, just by seeing Vandalieu's appearance through his memories. Whether it was due to his divine sense or that he had seen the vestiges of the Champions, it was unclear.

"I don't know why. But it seems to be true based on your reaction. In other words, he exists because I failed to protect Zakkart and the others. Even so, would you still say you need me?"

His very existence is to only create sins. Even attempting to disappear would bring some calamity to this world as a result of his actions. In that case, at least it would be better for him to continue sleeping like this.

That's what Bellwood thought as he remained sleeping for over fifty thousand years.

"...That's not right!"

However, Heinz disagreed with him.

"I myself know that there are sins that can never be atoned for! But by sleeping without trying to right your wrongs in order to 'avoid committing further sins’, you are continuing to commit sins in itself! For the sins you said that were your fault, there would be sins committed while you were asleep!"

Bellwood eyes widened upon hearing Heinz's outcry.

So far, he had been told the same things many times before by Alda and Nineroad, but he thought nothing of it at that time.

However, when he learned of Vandalieu's existence and was told these words by Heinz, who was targeted by him as an enemy, he felt a great sense of persuasiveness.

"...I lack a name in my Guidance because I am only guiding. I can only guide, but it leads to nowhere. I walk endlessly towards an ideal that cannot be reached until my feet are worn out by the invisible reality. That's the kind of Guidance it is. Even so, would you still say you need my power?"

Bellwood's Guidance was too focused on incitement. It was so specialized that it could even deceive Bellwood himself. Although it had become nullified by becoming a god and deviating from the status system... the charisma of being worshiped by many people as a Heroic God had reached the level of a curse.

If one had weak willpower and had not received any other Guidance, they would easily become fanatics at the mere mention of him.

"...I need your power. We, and everyone of the Alda’s peaceful faction, will correct your mistakes together. So, please lend me your strength!" Heinz pleaded.

If it was Alda's peaceful faction, they could correct Bellwood's mistakes. That was what Heinz conveyed, and Bellwood stared at him with his eyes wide open.

"Understood. I will only become your 'power’. I won't answer, show, or guide anyone else," Bellwood declared.

And then, the darkness disappeared.

By the time Heinz regained consciousness in his body, all the chains that had bound Bellwood were completely shattered.

"I have awakened not as a god but as your power. So, I will reside within you. When you need it, you can use my power."

Bellwood said before transforming into particles of light and disappearing into Heinz. However, Heinz could still hear a voice in his mind saying, "But I won't always be here because I need to talk to Alda, Nineroad, and Farmoun."

"Bellwood has… revived?!"

"Something seemed off, but... you did it, Heinz!"

Delizah and the others who had been watching with bated breath cheered.

"...Sorry!"

"Sleep, along with me!"

However, Jyarodeeps' cries and the sound of chains interrupted them.

"Isn’t it impossible for you move because you were immobilized!?"

Ignoring the astonished Edgar, Jyarodeeps struck Heinz and Bellwood with the chains, attempting to entangle them and seal himself along with them.

Over the course of fifty thousand years, he had been revered by the people of this world and had come to love this world.

Those who were consumed by vengeance, those who killed people for grudges without hesitation, and those who take revenge on their behalf. His believers were all twisted humans who couldn’t be considered as ordinary.

However, having experienced the love and hate of these twisted humans, Jyarodeeps, in his own way, came to love the people and the world in which they lived.

That's why he endured fifty thousand years of torture. The satisfaction of knowing that many people had been saved by putting Bellwood to sleep made him forget the pain of the stakes.

That's why he had kept a small amount of power, just in case Bellwood were to wake up.

"Bellwooooood!"

As a result of this single strike, even if it meant an eternity of sleep, Jyarodeeps would take them with him. Edgar couldn't catch up with Jyarodeeps' overwhelming spirit.

"Evil-destroying Radiant True Strike."

But Heinz didn't need to catch up. All he had to do was to swing his sword.

The deadly chains were severed, along with Jyarodeeps who wielded them.

"A person who does not realize their own sins has awakened… Oh world, overcome this disaster. Well... compared to Guduranis' revival, it's still better."

With those parting words, the two halves of Jyarodeeps trembled as the stakes that pierced him vibrated, crucifying him on the wall of the dungeon. Then, he became flattened like a mural.

It was here where the Evil God of Sinful Chains was sealed.

"Everyone, we have a lot to talk about, but... let's return to the surface first!"

Heinz's words were met with cheers from the "Five-colored blades."





For the soul fragment of the Demon King that sleeps in Edgar, Bellwood's revival was a desirable outcome.

Initially, he had considered Bellwood as a target of hatred, but with the way he looked, he was not even worth hating. As long as he fought and crushed the most hated existence along with Heinz, it was enough.

The most hated existence... was Vandalieu.

For Guduranis, who had not given up on revival, the body was a part of himself that should eventually be reclaimed. But it was being taken and stolen without permission.

For Guduranis, he was a far more terrifying threat than Bellwood or Alda, who could only seal him.

It was unforgivable. In order to revive, Vandalieu must be destroyed.