C386. Gestation/Birth (1)
[-Because I am the original ‘Divine Blood’ she comes from.]
“!”
At the voice coming from the statue, Alon reacted by instinctively preparing a spell.
Although it was a rather unexpected situation, it was fine.
He had reinforced his magic precisely for moments like this.
[H-Hey, wait a moment! Don’t you think you’re trying to attack me too suddenly? I am not in a hostile relationship with you!]
“…Are you not a Divine Blood?”
[Y-Yes, I am.]
“Then how can I believe you?”
At Alon’s mistrust, the statue let out a sigh.
[It is true that I am a Divine Blood, but I have no intention of fighting you.]
“Why?”
[Because I am an Outcast.]
“……Outcast?”
[That’s right.]
“But you said yourself that you were a Divine Blood.”
[For that very reason, couldn’t you drop the idea a little that all Divine Bloods are crazy people who come here to become gods?]
“…Are they not?”
[No.]
The firm answer caused Alon to show an even more confused expression.
“But I had heard—”
[That’s enough. Even if you have doubts, how about you listen to what I have to say before thinking further? In fact, I came to see you to explain, even if just briefly.]
At that, Alon relaxed the magic he was about to deploy.
Just as she said, he decided to listen to her first.
Besides, although his body reacted instinctively upon hearing “Divine Blood.”
In the end, the one who told him to come see her was Blue Eyes.
“I will listen to you.”
The statue’s voice continued, as if relieved.
[Then, allow me to introduce myself again. They call me ‘The Wanderer’. As you know, you all call me Divine Blood.]
“The Wanderer?”
[You can simply call me Wanderer if it’s easier for you. Is there anything you want to ask first? Aside from distrusting my intentions.]
Alon thought for a moment and said:
“…You said you were Divine Blood.”
[Yes.]
“Have the Divine Bloods awakened yet?”
[Ah.]
Wanderer easily understood the intent and replied.
[Hmm… many low-level Divine Bloods have probably already awakened.]
“……But there haven’t been any large movements, from what I heard.”
[O– well, that is obvious. Unless they are like me, who left ‘fragments’, most start from zero, from nothing. So they will be trying to build power and territory.]
“Is that why they don’t move?”
[Exactly. Ah, although I think on that side there will be a lot of movement. What you call… the Empire, right? Yes, those.]
Because quite a few troublemakers fell there —she murmured.
[Good, then I will begin the real explanation.]
And the story began.
[The first thing I want to tell you is that not all Divine Bloods want to become gods.]
“Why?”
[There are several reasons. To start, do you know where we come from?]
“……From another dimension?”
[Correct. Divine Bloods are not really a ‘race’; we are beings from another dimension who carry the potential to become gods. We arrived here with that desire.]
“Then you are the same.”
[No, I am different. Among the Divine Bloods who arrived in this world, there are those who were brought without their own will.]
“Why?”
[They met the requirements.]
Wanderer shrugged.
[That is to say, in this world there are Divine Bloods who came voluntarily to become gods, and others who have no interest in that.]
“……Are you from the second group?”
[Exactly.]
“Are there many like you?”
[Hmm, not many, but they exist. Although their motives are different.]
“Different motives?”
Wanderer answered without difficulty.
[Did you see the Divine Bloods fall?]
“I saw it.”
[It isn't a visual effect. That absurd amount actually fell.]
“……And then?”
[Of that colossal number, only one becomes a god. The rest cease to have meaning. Nor do they start from the same position.]
Alon nodded, understanding.
“So some don’t even fight because they know they will lose.”
[Exactly.]
“But if they don’t fight, they die, right?”
[In theory, yes. Because if there are other Divine Bloods, you cannot gather faith. But if they make alliances, it is possible.]
“……Alliances?”
[Exactly. Divine Bloods forming pacts. Or rather, joining factions.]
“And why? Isn’t that accepting death?”
[Normally yes, because everyone should die except the one who becomes a god.]
“Then, why?”
[Because if one becomes a god, they can revive the rest.]
Alon let out a slight sound.
“So they push one to ascend, and then they revive. I understand now.”
[Correct. That is why the weak Divine Bloods divide among various factions, but the majority are found in one of the four great factions.]
“Four?”
[Yes. The four factions with the highest probability of ascending currently.]
The One Who Gazes into the Abyss
The Whispering Void
The Eternal Decayed One
The One Who Tore the Heavens
Alon thought for a moment and asked:
“Do you belong to one of them?”
[No. I do not belong to any. I am more of a neutral observer.]
“…Why?”
[What?]
“If you don’t enter a faction, the only thing awaiting you is death.”
Wanderer replied:
[It is true, but I have no intention of bowing to anyone. Besides, I am aiming for something else.]
“…Blue Eyes too?”
At the question, Wanderer hesitated.
[What comes after this is not something I should tell you. I will only speak of the Four Factions.]
And she closed the subject.
“…How convenient.”
[Don’t look at it like that. I also have my circumstances. Anyway—]
The luminous voice of the statue continued.
[Soon, the Divine Bloods will start to move. The current calm will seem like a lie when they begin to break loose. If you want to stop them, get stronger. And gather allies.]
“…Allies?”
[Yes. You don’t believe you can stop all the Divine Bloods by yourself, right? If you believe that… I’m letting you know it is impossible.]
A doubt arose in Alon’s mind.
“A question.”
[Which one?]
“The goal of the Divine Blood is to become a god, right?”
[That is so.]
“Then they need humans to worship them.”
Wanderer nodded.
[As you say, life is important to the Divine Bloods. In the previous war, they tried not to kill lives unnecessarily.]
“Then—”
[But now it won’t be like that.]
“……Why?”
[Because the current Divine Bloods—]
She paused for a moment.
[They have already learned that the ‘life’ that offers faith does not need to be ‘normal’.]
She replied.
“…That means…”
[Think of it simply: as long as life continues to exist, it is enough.]
She said lightly.
Alon felt a deep unease.
He had that feeling since the conversation started.
But upon hearing that phrase, he finally understood.
“……You are… light.”
[In what sense?]
“In how you speak.”
Wanderer thought for an instant.
[Ah.]
And she understood.
[I suppose you can feel it that way. But I cannot help it. For us, humans are—]
The sentence continued:
[-Just tools. Nothing more, nothing less.]
Alon understood again.
The one before him was also a Divine Blood.
Alon did not bother to reply.
"Did you have a good chat?"
Evan asked. Alon nodded, thoughtful.
He still had too many unresolved doubts.
‘I wanted to keep talking.’
But he couldn’t.
Wanderer had left saying that her time had run out.
‘I must go back now.’
‘Hadn’t you already descended here?’
‘No. I arrived forced, through a replica created with my abilities. We will see each other again when you discover something about the Creation of the Heavenly Law.’
Alon sighed remembering the last conversation.
‘I want to ask you one last question.’
‘Which one?’
‘…What happened to Goddess Sironia?’
‘That question is phrased poorly. I am the true Goddess Sironia. But if you refer to the one acting in my place… do not worry. She will remain here until I return.’
The statue added that it would be difficult to speak for a few months.
And her light began to fade.
‘Ah, right. Be careful with the faction of ‘The One Who Eats Lava’. They are probably climbing up from the Empire to kill you.’
And with a murmur so small that not even Alon could hear, Wanderer disappeared completely.
“Huu—”
Alon mentally organized the information obtained.
Most low-level Divine Bloods have already awakened or will awaken soon.
The Divine Bloods are in factions.
The faction of The One Who Eats Lava is coming to kill him.
Nothing was useless. But it was confusing.
After thinking, he decided:
‘First I will do what I must do.’
He looked ahead.
“Evan.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Is there information about the Empire?”
“The Empire… not for now, but I will look for it.”
“Please.”
Between the Allied United Kingdoms and the Empire.
In the barren land with nothing, the Divine Blood of The One Who Eats Lava were moving.
The first was a gigantic shadow with twisted tentacles and a scaled body, moving like abyssal currents.
The second, a skeletal figure with bare wings and empty sockets, raising dust that sounded like whispers of pain.
The third, an amorphous mass that changed shape ceaselessly, full of eyes observing the void of the cosmos.
The fourth, a huge crustacean that made the earth tremble, with ancient symbols carved on its shell.
They were creatures that just by looking at them shattered one’s sanity.
Their destination:
The Allied United Kingdoms—
No, more accurately, where Alon was.
[Too far.]
[I think so too.]
[But there is no choice.]
[I do not understand why The Eternal Decayed One are so interested in that insect.]
[What does it matter? Our job is to kill him and join their faction.]
Without stopping, they advanced.
They advanced.
Until they met with—
[Ah—?]
With a voice that scratched the Abyss, one of the creatures stopped.
It looked with the few eyes it had left.
What it saw was devastating.
Dark green blood.
Torn tentacles.
Crushed shells.
Pulverized bones.
And finally—
“…Ah.”
A woman.
Red hair.
Marked dark circles.
Eyes drawing a strange pentagram.
The one responsible for massacring all its companions in an instant.
[Why…]
The being trembled with fear.
It did not understand how SHE was here, now.
Nor why she had attacked them.
[W… why…?]
It asked with its trembling voice.
She did not answer.
Instead, she murmured:
“Hey.”
Suddenly.
“If I kill them— will the Star Eater…”
With an exhausted voice.
“—Will Alon forgive me?”
She said, calmly.
