When I opened my eyes, I found myself sitting on a pink carpet in front of a charming woman with pink hair, sporting a massive red bow.
"Good morning, Kuroji. My name is Lushia. You probably have concerns about how you ended up in this place. Well... though I believe you're aware of your situation... the first thing to understand is that you're dead."
I looked around in bewilderment.
I felt strange. I had no memories of what I had last done, nor how I had ended up in this place.
What is happening?
"Heh, heh, heh. Do you not recognize the appearance of who's with you? Did you think you'd end up in some sort of underworld? Well, I'm sorry to tell you that your story doesn't end here. I've been watching you for a long time."
With a slight smile, Lushia sat across from me and rested her arms on the small coffee table. Then, a floating television appeared between us.
"First and foremost, I want you to watch this."
When I focused my gaze on the floating screen, my confusion deepened. Strangely enough, my life was being presented as a television program.
Lushia coughed a bit.
"Think of this as a gift from an admirer. Stripped from your world to become a hero, you were betrayed by those you protected. This is nothing but an act of mercy. Yes, that's right... I saved your life to help you with what you desire most."
Although her words sounded unreal, her voice had a sweet tone, like an angelic chant.
Lushia had a slender figure and eyes as blue as the purest ocean in the world. A small golden cross rested around her neck, perfectly matching her elegant red dress with golden trim.
"Well... What do you think of the room of the girl who saved you?"
She stood up and pointed at me with her index finger. Part of her expression compelled me to survey the scene, but something deep within me didn't want to.
After all, it was strange.
The walls, the bed, the coffee table, the little lamp, even the carpeted floor, the furniture, the plush toys, and everything inside her spacious bedroom... were all pink!
Is this normal?
No, of course, it wasn't. There were posters, figurines, and pictures of me plastered all over the room. She even had a life-sized dakimakura of me on her bed.
Could she be a stalker?
Although I scrutinized her from head to toe, something seemed out of place. Her attire bore no resemblance to what the villagers of the Kingdom of Shylk wore. She didn't seem to come from high nobility either, so...
"Hey... Could you stop undressing me with your eyes?"
In the midst of my investigation, a hint of annoyance appeared on Lushia's face. Despite blushing, she covered her heart-shaped neckline while staring at me intently.
"Uh... Just so you know, I plan to bring you back to life. You know, for being used by the gods..."
When she mentioned this, confusion filled in every blank memory of mine. All the hidden emotions from the day of my death rushed back to me.
I felt a small shiver.
The memories ended up returning the true meaning of my existence to me. Though my words fell short, deep within my heart, the resentment I felt against the foolish gods who had betrayed me remained etched.
[この世の理不尽な神々を者殺しーゴッドスレイア]
Even as I maintained my complete subordination, there was never such a thing as divine benevolence. No matter the promises they made to me or how kind they pretended to be, every aspect of the gods' kindness was just part of their deception.
I discovered this when I was summoned to this world.
When I became a hero, I imagined embarking on an adventure like those written in my world, but I was naive. Ignorance condemned me to live as a puppet until the end.
On my journey to save the world, I undertook various missions entrusted by the Holy Church. They, along with King Pirox Du Scorail, directed my participation in countless battles against the enemies of the divine will.
Many of these missions I completed with the companions the Holy Church assigned me. Our group even defeated the top commanders of the Demonic Territory, leaving only one final mission to fulfill.
The assassination of the Demon King.
That was the gods' final assignment, the last mission I would undertake before retiring from my duties as a hero. After this, the gods would grant my wish, and I could return to my true world, alongside my wife and daughter, the new family I had acquired in this grand adventure.
But on the long-awaited day, I discovered the harsh truth.
In the midst of a desolate desert, where darkness shrouded everything in miasma, lay the border between the Human Territory and the Demonic Territory.
Behind that boundary awaited our final battle.
The showdown against the world's greatest enemy.
The Demon King: Ashart D. Leviathan.
His appearance was formidable, like a ten-story building. He had large, expressive golden eyes with vertical pupils that resembled those of a beast.
Leviathan wore crimson armor adorned with gemstones. His long reddish hair covered the lower part of his dark horns, and he possessed demonic wings with a torn appearance.
On the other side of the border, there were us—the team that had defeated the four Demon Generals, armed with sacred weapons and the blessings of the gods.
Harith Endvolt, the squire. A semi-human from the Torashe, adopted by the Holy Church. He had golden eyes and tiger ears hidden behind his gray hair. Wearing minimal, lightweight armor and leather gloves, he wielded the legendary perpetually icy hammer, Yreliesh, capable of transforming into a magical shield when imbued with mana.
Iliess Edevane, the supreme sorceress. A beautiful dark elf also adopted by the Holy Church. She had glossy blonde hair and lovely violet eyes. She wore a black dress covered by a loose purple tunic. Her weapon was the powerful magical staff, Nightchron.
Redux Schwartz, the guardian. The Holy Church's top knight and King Pirox's right-hand man. He wore a golden helm and full-body golden armor. His weapon was the sacred sword, Caliburn, the weapon the Gods designated to kill the Demon King.
And lastly, me. Kuroji Allenleaf, the hero. An otherworldly summon with the sole mission of saving humanity.
My appearance was unremarkable. Relatively average, with short, wavy black hair and reddish eyes. I wore a purple robe that concealed my presence in combat. My weapon was the mythical Scythe Of Darkness, a skeletal scythe with a dragon-shaped hilt that I received along with the Reaper Domination ability.
At that time, the confrontation had reached its critical point. All signs pointed in our favor, a result of my strategic collaboration with Iliess.
As we had agreed weeks ago, Harith and Redux kept our target occupied with their attacks while directing him to our hidden location.
"Kuroji! Do it now!"
Hearing Iliess's voice behind me, I focused my gaze on Redux and Harith approaching our meeting point. In that moment, I focused my gaze on our target, unleashing one of the abilities of my dark scythe.
"Chains of Death!"
Then, a massive magic circle materialized beneath the skies, accompanied by a multitude of magic-infused chains that completely ensnared the Demon King.
"Now it's my turn."
With those words, Iliess raised her magical staff and cast her ultimate master-level spell.
"Oh, great gods who founded this world, grant me the favor of Zeus! I invoke you, celestial storm!"
Upon hearing her, Redux and Harith immediately retreated.
Iliess's spell was our secret weapon.
At that moment, a deluge of thunder descended from the skies and struck the Demon King completely. As a result, her true form was exposed as she plummeted rapidly to the ground.
Then, we discovered the truth. The Demon King was not a monster but a girl.
Leviathan embodied unparalleled beauty, with a voluptuous figure and skin as white as snow itself. Her captivating reddish eyes, along with her flowing crimson hair, added to her natural charm.
She had small horns adorning the bangs that descended over her forehead. Her two wings, once torn-looking, now resembled those of a fallen angel. While she still retained fragments of her crimson armor, most of her attire was a black kimono with a crimson sash.
When Leviathan fell, a slight surge of dark magic spread over us.
This magic undid the spell the Holy Church had imposed on us.
Since my arrival in this world, the Holy Church had taught me that demons were soulless monsters, to be exterminated for their attacks on humanity.
And as I fought on the frontlines, I never wondered if demons had common sense or consciousness. I simply obeyed the orders of the Holy Church without ever questioning them.
Until this moment.
"You... Loathsome puppets of heaven... Do you desire war so much that you even come to steal our last place of rest? Why did you break our peace treaty? Do you also wish to murder our kin to entertain your gods?"
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When I heard Leviathan's words, I had a small existential debate in my mind.
"What have I been doing?"
I asked, dropping to my knees.
"Impossible, this must be a lie. The Holy Church couldn't have deceived us. I... I killed so many that..."
Without finishing her words, Iliess fell silent. Harith simply vanished as his eyes lost their shine.
"Harith, Iliess, Kuroji... Why the hell are you just standing there? We have to finish this! Our duty is to kill the Demon King! What are you waiting for?"
Redux roared, drawing his sword and charging towards Leviathan. His shout was so thunderous that it echoed all around the border.
However, before he could even get close, Leviathan burst into laughter.
"Ha, ha, ha. It seems I'm not the only one fooled by those stupid gods. You, the idiot coming toward me. You're behind all this, aren't you? Well, listen carefully. Tell those inept ones that I won't be a mere spectator anymore. This will be the last time they use innocents in their fantasies... In my next life... In my next life, I'll end each one of you!"
After her words, an explosion occurred.
Leviathan used a self-destruction spell to eliminate us along with her. The explosion was so immense that it destroyed the border, leaving nothing but toxicity in its wake.
My companions and I were sent flying by the impact.
The divine blessing activated at that precise moment. We barely escaped mortal harm, but our diminished vitality was further reduced by the poison.
We only needed some healing magic.
Maybe some medical attention, or even retreating from the field would suffice.
But I couldn't even get to my feet.
With all my efforts, I lifted my head to look for Harith and Iliess, but everything was dark. All I could make out was a shadow moving through the mist.
"Hero, I see you're still alive."
Upon hearing this, the shadow took on a human form.
Standing before me was Redux.
The helm granted to him by the gods was equipped to resist the poison, so it had protected him.
I raised my voice to ask for his help.
"Redux, heal me, we need to find the others..."
But there was a brief silence.
The holy knight clicked his tongue as he dragged golden chains in one of his hands.
"It's true that the summoned ones are as foolish as they say."
When he mentioned this, the mist dispersed. Despite the presence of poison on the battlefield, everything made sense when I saw what he was dragging with his shackles.
Blood kept flowing.
"Why...?"
In an instant, Redux swept the golden chains with both arms, placing the ends in front of me. The anguished screams of Iliess and Harith echoed as the blades of the chains pierced their bodies. Both of them died in an instant.
"Why are you asking 'why'? As a holy knight of the Holy Church, I must uphold the gods' precepts. They entrusted me with exterminating the scum of this world. A rebellious Demon King... An impure semi-human... A wavering dark elf... A commoner from another world..."
I finally understood what was happening.
"Damn..."
"Don't be so greedy, false hero. It's gratifying to see how perfectly you followed the script, but your aspirations are useless when I'm the true protagonist of this story."
Saying this, Redux approached me and kicked me in the stomach, robbing me of the little breath I had left.
My senses faded, and I fell unconscious.
◇
◇◆◇
When I regained consciousness, I found myself submerged in a vast abyss. Everything was so dark that there wasn't even a faint glimmer of light—no, actually, there was one thing: a shining object in front of me.
A shining thing... Yes, there was something that gleamed with utter brilliance. This nameless object was what I wanted to recover the most.
What I desired before coming to this world. Yes, the dream I yearned for deep within my heart... the most unattainable and impossible wish for me.
When I jumped into the abyss that night, I realized that all my efforts had been in vain. At that moment, when I was still falling from the top of that building, the cursed gods appeared before me and summoned me to this world.
At that time, the gods promised that if I saved the world, they would grant my wish.
So, why did this happen?
Slowly, the gigantic abyss shattered like a fragmented mirror, and the shining object vanished. It was at that moment that I heard multiple voices uttering my name.
Until I woke up.
"Heretic, you will die with your family. You will suffer death just as you murdered your comrades."
"Tch. He isn't even a hero, just a commoner from another world who tried to destroy the Kingdom."
"Kill him and reduce him to ashes."
"You defied the divine will, but the knight Redux, our true hero, managed to defeat you."
Upon hearing the insults of the people, I opened my eyes once more. Although I felt somewhat weak and my vision was blurry, I managed to lift my head.
In front of me, I saw my wife and my daughter. Both of them were in torn robes under a pair of guillotines. Unconscious and bruised on their bodies, indicating that they had been abused until dawn.
When I saw this, I experienced despair.
But even though I tried to scream, I couldn't.
My tongue had been cut, so I couldn't cast spells. I also couldn't feel my legs; my lower limbs had been amputated while I was unconscious.
Although I tried to free myself from my shackles to save them, nearby footsteps made me turn to the side. Then, I glimpsed the shadow of our executioner.
"So, you've awakened. How do you like the stage I've set? This is the ultimate punishment, death by beheading."
The voice belonged to Redux.
Observing the surroundings, we were on the gallows in the public execution yard of the Kingdom of Shylk.
From what I could hear, I had been accused of treason against the Holy Church, forming an alliance with the demons, conspiracy against the kingdom, and the murder of Harith and Iliess.
This entire farce had been concocted by Redux and King Pirox Du Scorail. They, in collusion with the Holy Church, had planted various accusations of my supposed rebellion against the divine will.
Then, the trial began.
Nobles who had once praised my deeds were gathered against me, observing every moment leading up to my death.
"First, kill the woman and the child. It won't be fun if the damn traitor dies first."
"Yes, kill him at the end. Let him suffer as much as possible."
After hearing them, King Pirox granted the request, and Redux approached where my family was located.
"Let it be as the people say!"
Then, Redux released the guillotine, and I experienced despair for the second time.
The heads of my wife and daughter rolled toward me.
Although I was on the verge of going insane, everyone seemed joyful about the murder of my family. This happened so quickly that the shock caused me to shed tears that resembled blood.
As this was happening, the nobles repeated their calls for my execution.
"So, Redux approached me.
“How does it feel to lose everything?”
With those words, I remembered how miserable my life had been. From the beginning to the end, not even the slightest glimmer of hope adorned my existence.
Yes, I remember all of that.
My troubles, my complaints, the resentment against fate for the bad luck that befell me. Those days when I had lost all trace of salvation, when surrendering made all the sense in the world.
Before being summoned, I wished to die.
Yes, before coming to this world, I had nothing left. It was during my suicide attempt that the gods summoned me with the lie that they would grant my wish if I worked for them.
And, even though I was initially alone, I ended up falling in love with my wife and marrying her. With the birth of my daughter, I found another reason to live. Finally, I had found a new family after losing everything in my real world.
They were the new home I needed to return to.
But now all of that had vanished. My new purpose, my new reason for living... My wife... My daughter... The family I had worked so hard to obtain. They were no longer with me.
At that moment, my thoughts focused on betrayal and the death of my loved ones. The pressure was so great that I couldn't help but curse those who had deceived me."
I will kill them; I will kill them all! I will kill the nobles... I will kill the King... I will kill Redux... I will kill all the members of the Holy Church, even the damned Gods... I will slaughter them in the cruelest way, in the most sadistic way... I will slaughter their existence! I will slaughter their dreams! They will all pay for having taken my family from me.
I longed for revenge from the depths of my soul, like a chalice of blood overflowing. Revenge was what I craved most within my heart.
Then, the moment of my execution arrived.
I simply closed my eyes at that moment. Afterward, my existence became as small as a thread. I ceased to feel emotions within me, as if everything had vanished with me.
Until I woke up in this place.
“That means I was beheaded, doesn't it?” I asked.
Lushia nodded.
“That's why you're in my room, but don't worry. I can help you with whatever you need. Even if you want to get revenge on the gods, you'll be able to do it with the proposal I have for you.”
The idea of being alive was strange, but I no longer had reasons to fight.
I let out a brief yawn as I looked at Lushia.
'What would that proposal be?'
“Before I tell you, you must promise not to harm me. I want to make sure you trust me”.
'I wouldn't harm someone who saved me,' I replied.
'Even if it's a goddess?'
I fell silent for a few seconds.
Although I hated the gods, Lushia didn't seem to be involved with those responsible for the death of my family. Besides, she was the one who saved me, so I couldn't see her as an enemy.
Without saying anything more, I nodded.
'Well... Would you like the idea of making a contract with me? It would give you the opportunity to live again. You would also have the abilities that the gods granted you, but without the limitations that hinder their true power. I could say that you would even match the strength of a demigod.'
I pondered her proposal. Although I was interested in her offer, her way of speaking was a bit odd. She avoided all eye contact, and her hands were trembling.
Is she afraid? She seems nervous, but... why would she be?...
Despite her good pronunciation, her voice faltered in some parts. Rather than a goddess helping me, it seemed like she had other reasons for offering me the contract.
Sensing my suspicions, Lushia took a deep breath and sat back a few meters away from me.
'I... This... I can't lie to you, Kuroji. Although I said I'm helping you, it's actually to help myself. I don't want to deceive you; this is an all-or-nothing situation for me... My hope... My life... My very existence depends on whether you accept my proposal or not. You see, I have no place in the land of the gods. They are all planning to end me. They have always discriminated against me for having no devotees, and my influence here is so minimal that they even contemplate banishing me.'
Listening to her speech, I understood the situation.
Regardless, even if Lushia was sweet-talking me with her words, I still wanted to know more about her offer.
So, I fixed my gaze on her.
'Is that all? Are you not hiding anything else from me? Will the contract truly give me what you said?'
'Although there is one condition, the rest is true. The contract will be to support each other. Your life and mine will become one. You will gain my blessing and my knowledge. I will give you the power you need for your revenge. You will be entirely mine. You will become my sword, my protector, and I will be yours forever.'"
This time, Lushia firmly grasped her dress and placed her hands over her heart. Although her expression showed distress, she never stopped looking into my eyes.
She was really serious about this.
"And what is that condition?"
"More than a condition, it's to prevent future problems. The gods believe you're dead, so we'll make them continue to believe that."
"What do you mean?"
"So that the gods don't discover that you're still alive, I will seal all the memories you created when you arrived in this world. You won't remember anything about this world, not even the other gods, nor your power or revenge, and you won't have memories of the family you made in this world..."
While Lushia said this with confidence, there was no way I could go on without my memories. Simply forgetting everything was something my heart wouldn't easily accept.
However, all those thoughts of doubt were interrupted when I heard her.
"Don't worry. When this happens, you will wake up remembering the last thing you did before being summoned. And no, you won't be alone. I will appear at that moment and introduce myself to you for the second time. When this happens, you will forget everything for a short period. Yes, until you turn twelve in your new life."
Upon hearing her, I recalled the situation I was in before coming to this world, but that didn't matter to me now. I had something much more important in mind.
"Is there any way to resurrect the dead? If I were to consider resurrecting someone at some point, could you bring them back to life as you did with me?"
Lushia observed me for a few seconds.
As a goddess who has been observing my entire life, she surely knew the situation I was in.
"I'm sorry, Kuroji. Although I have the power to resurrect people, I cannot do it right now. My access to the Hall of Souls is limited because of the other gods. In addition to that, Zeus is the one who guards the Hall of Souls... It's impossible for now. Your case was an exception; I collected your soul just before it fell inside."
When she mentioned this, my doubts disappeared. If I wanted to retrieve my family, I would need to obtain the strength to defeat the one who ruled over the gods.
Zeus, the most powerful god.
If Lushia's words were true, the eternal rest mentioned by the Holy Church was also a lie. With that, there was only one last thing to confirm.
"If I were to make a contract with you... Would you give me the ability necessary to defeat the gods? Could I overcome them and be reunited with my family?"
Listening to the words of my heart, Lushia understood what I truly wanted. My soul didn't crave war; it longed to recover what had been lost.
"When we make the contract, I will remove the seal that the gods implanted on your ability. The true potential of Reaper Domination rivals that of the highest-level gods; that will be enough for your goal. As for your wish, first, you will have to defeat the twelve gods of the council. If you manage to become the supreme god, you will be able to do whatever you want. Death, time, even life itself... Nothing will stand in your way. Your wife, your daughter, even the person you lost in your other life, all of them will return with you."
Given the possibilities, I was willing to do anything, even sell my soul to the Devil himself to recover my family, so this contract was a small price.
"I'll do it. I accept making the contract with you."