The Hero's Forsaken Trust
The war in the Otherworld was a pathetic sight. Just watching the battlefield made my forehead twitch and my blood pressure spike. We had barely scraped past half the target number.
“Hraaaagh—!”
Whether it was a sigh or a battle cry, the Hero God roared as he rose again, only for the Main God’s attack to crash down on him. There was no mercy left in the strike—pure authority fused with peak physical force. Yet the Hero God had endured this assault so many times that he had mastered the timing of defense and counterattack. His divine sword flashed, deflecting the blow off-course.
Crack-crack-crack-crack—!
The Indomitable authority activated, briefly stalling the Main God’s power. It was a makeshift tactic born from the impossibility of frontal defense, but most Transcendents were surviving on it. Of course, their divine power would eventually run dry after a few blocks, yet the number of successful parries was steadily rising.
The Indomitable Hero God’s authority, the embodiment of an unyielding spirit that refused to bend no matter the hardship, allowed him to endure even an Upper God’s power to a degree. But he could not shield the other Transcendents from the onslaught. So he kept shouting the words necessary to earn the trust required to activate his wide-area authority.
“Trust me! Please, just trust me for once!”
He had repeated this plea countless times to his former companions over the past week, but those damned old comrades refused to listen. If they rejected him, the other Transcendents naturally followed suit. They were struck down before his authority could even take effect.
At this rate, he might not even escape punishment, let alone achieve the results he had boasted about. Desperation drove him, yet their responses remained unchanged.
“Agh! You’re so damn loud!”
“If you’ve got time to talk, block it yourself.”
“Hmm. Divine power and magic power clash, so this is difficult. Should I become a Mage God instead?”
They rejected his help, blocked a few attacks, then died—still refusing to cooperate until the very end. He could not understand why. Even in the middle of battle, he had once asked them directly. Simply being rendered impotent for a few weeks could not possibly warrant this level of hostility. After relentless questioning, he finally heard their true feelings.
“I’m the Sword God now, not the Hero’s companion. I’m sick of being someone’s sidekick. I want to be properly evaluated on my own merits.”
“I don’t want to travel with you anymore. It’s too exhausting.”
“Being your companion brings no benefit whatsoever.”
From the top: Sword God, Fist God, Magic God. The friend once called the Sword King, his most reliable and powerful comrade, now declared he refused to be a sidekick. The former comrade who had been the incarnation of pure fighting spirit, charging at the Demon King with nothing but his trained body as the Fist King, said traveling together was too difficult. The Magic God had always grumbled since their youth, so that was expected, but he had never imagined the other two would react this way.
Having become Lower Gods as Transcendents, they had collectively decided to pretend they did not know him. He had never realized that the glory of being the Hero had been concentrated solely on himself, and that being labeled merely as “companions” had left such deep resentment in them. They offered various excuses, but in the end, they were simply refusing to remain side characters beside someone else now that they had become gods themselves, even if only Lower Gods.
‘To think I trusted these bastards as friends! And at a time like this? Do they think the selection is just about the Demon King’s descent? If we fail, every intelligent being could be wiped out.’
Yet no matter what he said, they would not listen. He continued trying to persuade them, but it was useless. The Transcendents were being slaughtered helplessly. Though they had endured a week of this and were holding out better than the others, the Indomitable Hero God still could not unleash his true power.
‘This won’t work. Without others’ trust, the wide-area authority won’t activate at all. There’s nothing I can do.’
He had boldly declared to the Main God of the Divine Realm that he would produce better results than the original selection method. If the schedule for the Main God’s War that the Main God had been pushing was disrupted because of this, he had no idea what punishment awaited him. Judging by the sudden addition of those metal monsters, countermeasures were already underway.
So he kept trying to persuade them, but it only made everything more miserable.
‘The Hero God begging for trust! Is there any greater humiliation? And on my very first assignment after becoming a god, no less? This will be an eternal stain I can never escape. These bastards—!’
The Main Gods who had roughly grasped the situation looked at him with pitying eyes and occasionally offered words of encouragement that made his head spin.
“Tsk. How pitiful. You’re in charge of this operation, aren’t you?”
“With your authority in this state, what can you do? To reset the wide-area activation conditions, you’d need to be at least Main God level. At this rate, when will that ever happen?”
“Forget earning merits. You’ll be lucky if you escape punishment.”
“For now, just do your best. They wouldn’t erase you just for failing, would they? They’d probably just kill your body and imprison your divine spirit in the Divine Spirit Purgatory.”
“Th-thank you.”
‘Humans call that hell. It’s far more terrifying than erasure. If you’re not going to help, then stop talking. Are you mocking me?’
The Indomitable Hero God swallowed the natural, venomous retorts rising in his throat and answered politely, while his heart burned black as he listened to the Main Gods’ conversation.
“The Main God of the Divine Realm seems extremely angry. What are those metal lumps he suddenly added? They’re not pure Machine Gods, but fused with Transcendents?”
The metal monsters that were somehow blocking the Main Gods’ attacks and occasionally counterattacking had also become a subject of intense interest. However, burdened by his own failures, he had not dared to ask directly.
“They’re called Machine Mage Gods and Planetary Suppression Weapons.”
“Heh. So some inferior machine civilization? Their resource consumption is extreme and they cause severe pollution, weakening the vitality of living beings and stars. Looks like he picked up some discarded junk. He must be in quite a hurry.”
“But they’re tough, aren’t they? Or should I say their self-repair is incredibly fast? Moreover, they’re apostles of some Main God. On top of their natural durability, they’re being reinforced with divine power, so attacks don’t work well.”
Rumble—! Crash-crash-crack—!
Every time the Main Gods’ attacks landed, the metallic bodies cracked and shattered helplessly, only to be restored as if time had reversed. The scattered parts glowed and were instantly teleported back to the main body for reassembly. As some form of authority continued to enhance their durability and sturdiness, the Main Gods finally realized the truth.
“They’re protected by an authority nearly at the level of an Upper Main God. And their structure is being reinforced over time?”
“A single strike won’t break them anymore.”
“And now we have to be careful even against the Transcendents. They’ve grown accustomed to fighting Main Gods.”
Upon observing the Transcendents with impartial eyes, they saw that although the Transcendents were still only Lower Gods, they were now capable of blocking attacks to a certain extent. Their handling of divine power had become skilled enough that wide-area attacks with dispersed destructive power could no longer finish them off. With their numbers exceeding a million, eliminating them one by one was becoming both difficult and tedious.
“With so many of them, they’re managing to hold out. Some are even activating racial authorities, which makes them troublesome. And there are those already quite familiar with fighting Main Gods. What kind of race were they originally, to fight higher beings so effectively?”
The beings the Main Gods were focusing on were the High Elf Queens, female swordmasters. Having already merged with the Spirit Kings, they had been holding out without dying from the start. They gathered the Transcendents of their race, formed an army, and were even launching counterattacks. Moreover, though it was unclear which High God they served as subordinate gods, they were pouring out maximum strikes without regard for their divine power limits. Even Main Gods risked injury if they let their guard down.
Because they were electing leaders by race and organizing armies to resist, the Main Gods could no longer trample them as easily as before. A hundred Lower Gods could be ignored, but a million was problematic. Of course, it was by no means an unwinnable fight. It would simply require more time and effort.
“Hmm. I really don’t understand what meaning this has. Their overall strength has increased, but it’s almost meaningless against Main Gods.”
“Still, if you go in alone now, it’s become slightly dangerous, hasn’t it? At this point, wouldn’t it be better to train the Main God-level gods under our direct command instead?”
They knew the Dimensional Mage God possessed many Main God-level direct subordinates, all from powerful Main God Stars that had now become Demon God Stars. The Spirit Main Gods could not be used yet because they lacked physical bodies, but if invested in similarly, they might secure several additional Main Gods.
Hearing this exchange, the Dimensional Mage God clicked his tongue bitterly.
‘Tsk tsk. A few Main Gods won’t solve anything. And defeating Main Gods with Main Gods won’t accomplish anything either. We need an overwhelming victory that instills perfect terror. Fortunately, about half of it is already prepared. As expected, Transcendents grow faster than gods. No, this should be seen as adaptation. It won’t end immediately.’
Yet the Main Gods had not noticed that the defensive wall had grown so solid that even they, who had freely rampaged across the Transcendents’ battlefield in the early stages, now had to gather and exchange opinions like this. Since no one could face them alone, the Transcendents naturally grouped by race to defend, and this was manifested through racial authorities that could even block Main Gods’ powers. Although they were only Lower Gods, the defensive power formed by converging dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of authorities was enough to withstand even the great divine status of Main Gods. Thus, individual Main Gods could no longer sweep through unopposed.
The number of collapsing Transcendents and shattered Machine Mage Gods and Planetary Suppression Weapons was rapidly decreasing, and the casualty rate was dramatically dropping. Finally, a stalemate with no casualties on either side had been established. As long as the Indomitable Hero God’s authority remained in this state, this was the limit.
“The preliminary round ends now. Rest is ordered.”
The command from the Main God of the Divine Realm arrived at that moment.
Thud—! Thud—!
At those words, Transcendents who had reached their limits collapsed everywhere. No matter how many times they were revived and their vitality replenished, countless deaths and injuries had pushed their minds to the extreme. Yet the magic installed on the moon that had become this battlefield did not even permit madness, forcing them to endure the pain with increasingly clear minds. No matter how much they had transcended the limits of living beings, repeatedly experiencing death was an act that exceeded the limits of the mind.
Over ninety percent of the Transcendents lost consciousness as tension released with the rest order. Only those who had endured the trials and become representatives of their respective races could barely remain standing. Of course, the Indomitable Hero God was restless at the sudden suspension of the preliminary round. He had heard some of the plan. If things continued like this, the strengthening of the Divine Realm through selection would actually be more effective.
“All participants in the preliminary round are permitted to rest at the Main God Temple. And you, Indomitable Hero God.”
“Yes—!”
The suddenly called Hero God, soaked in irritation and fatigue from the uncontrollable situation, hurriedly answered.
“You will give an interim report before all gods and Transcendents.”
“Yes?”
Tense from not knowing what kind of interrogation he would face, he hesitated for a moment, unable to understand the words, when something familiar fell toward his head. It was the familiar wooden sword strike.
‘Not that wooden sword again! I have to… dodge—! Gah—!’
Thwack—! Crash—!
Though it was strange for a Mage God to wield such a sword, this wooden sword strike for discipline was so perfect that he could not even think of dodging it. His head was struck squarely, driving his face into the ground.
“Say ‘Understood.’ Since the results aren’t out yet, I won’t dispose of you immediately. I am the generous God of Light, after all. Mercy is always my basic policy. So for now, I’ll at least listen.”
Press—! Press—!
However, the wooden sword seemed to carry considerable emotion as it tried to drive the Hero God’s head into the ground. Burdened by the guilt of having boasted loudly without results, the Hero God could not even think of lifting his head and endured the pain.
“Prepare for the face-to-face report immediately.”
With those words, the wooden sword was withdrawn. The Hero God, who had remained in that position for a moment, slowly rose. There had never been such a disgrace. If he had suffered because of his own lack of ability, it would not have been so unfair, but his trusted authority had not even been used, leading to this state. Moreover, the reason he could not use it was because he had failed to earn the trust of companions he had believed in throughout his human life. It was absurd. Above all, he had never been openly scolded like this by a superior. Any unreasonable requests from nobles or kings had been handled beyond expectations, earning him praise as the hero among heroes. Yet upon becoming a god who lived eternally without forgetting, this was the result. And because he was a god, he could not even forget it.
The Hero God, who had been lost in shock for a long while, finally exploded.
“Agh! You bastards! You should suffer the same fate. What did I do so wrong that I have to go through this right after becoming a god? All those years I spent believing you were friends were wasted.”
Unable to contain his overflowing emotions, the Hero God tried to sharply criticize them, but his former companions, standing at a distance, only waved their hands and moved farther away.
“Wheeeew—! Get lost, Hero! I don’t want to get marked too. And again, now that I’m the Sword God, I’m going my own way. I won’t be the Hero’s companion, a background character in your life, anymore. Go handle things on your own. I’ll live my own life.”
“I’m the Fist God now. A god! I won’t travel with you anymore.”
“What do you mean? Do you think living as a god is that easy? Without the vitality to maintain glory and immortality as a god, and without a Divine Realm to protect you, it’s all an illusion. You could end up as a False God or Demon God without a body! More importantly, if the Transcendents don’t unite like this, this selection will be the end for all of us. This mission was obtained through desperate pleading. Are you trying to receive some kind of punishment from the Main God of the Divine Realm before the Main God’s War? And do you think he’ll die alone? Have you already forgotten he was a black mage?”
The Hero God pounded his chest and made dangerous statements in an attempt to persuade his companions, who were running wild without understanding the distinction between heaven and earth now that they had become gods. But the Magic God’s next words left him stunned.
“You received the mission alone from the Main God of the Divine Realm again? And you became an Intermediate God first again? I knew it. Traveling with the Hero brings no reward, only pointless hardship. How many times have we risked our lives fighting Demon Kings who descended after being deceived by that plausible talk of divine protection? Even if we didn’t do it, someone else would have. Later, we were forced into it by public opinion even when we didn’t want to. And the reward for fighting until we grew old was, instead of compensation, a voluntary forced retirement because we didn’t want to die from the ruling class’s checks? Moreover, we had to keep being monitored and raise disciples while pretending to have transcended and given up on life! I’ve never had a comfortable moment or gained anything in over a hundred years since meeting that guy. And that bastard, at the end of his life when he had given up everything, persuaded us to take down the highest-level god who had become a black mage, only to become the Pope himself while we became temporary cardinals? Plus, he alone regained his youth and went around dating everywhere? Then he shows up as an Intermediate God first when we’re all still Lower Gods and tells us to follow him? He’s not a friend, he’s an enemy.”
The Hero God was left speechless by the scathing criticism. With his memory now perfect as a god, he reflected on the past one by one and realized that his companions had never received any special privileges for being the Hero’s companions. Superior equipment or insights had been incidental gains from exploring dungeons or dealing with powerful enemies, not divine support like his holy sword. Though they had the honor of being the Hero who would save humanity as God’s proxy, they could not obtain much wealth, and rewards were minimal. If they had not come to their senses around middle age and desperately accumulated assets, they would have faced truly miserable old age. This was partly his responsibility, as he had only thought of himself and the mission.
As the Magic God tried to add more words while looking at the dazed Hero God who had momentarily fallen into the past, a blurry wooden sword appeared in his vision.
Thwack-thwack-thwack—! Crash—! Crash—! Crash—!
Startled by the familiar impact sound that rang exactly three times, the Hero God looked and saw his former comrades and friends trembling with large bumps on their heads. Seeing that, he snapped back to his senses. He had momentarily forgotten as well. The Main God of the Divine Realm, to whom he had sworn loyalty as a god, was a Mage God who did not hesitate to use any means necessary to achieve his goals. Moreover, the authority range of the Main God of the Divine Realm, whose dimensional authority was his main power, extended beyond this star system as far as he knew. Since any action by a subordinate god within that range would be detected, caution was necessary. Yet they had said such things that could interfere with the plan, so they would not be safe. Given the Mage God’s disposition, he would never forgive anything that interfered. No matter how understandable the circumstances.
Indeed, a chilling killing intent and fighting spirit that made even listening uncomfortable was transmitted.
“So these bastards were the problem, not you. Drag them all to the Main God Temple. As you wish, I’ll make them Intermediate Gods like you and activate their authorities. So take them to the Beast God and throw them in. There’s no need to show mercy just because they called a friend an enemy after becoming gods. You will also attend as an instructor. This will replace the interim report.”
“Yes! Thank you.”
The Hero God’s face lit up at the words that the humiliating interim report of admitting failure before all gods and Transcendents had been changed to the role of instructor. With this, the worst crisis of his divine life had been overcome. Of course, he could guess what fate awaited his former comrades and friends, but for now, it had become someone else’s problem. Moreover, being an instructor meant he had not been completely forgiven yet. He would have to thoroughly educate those trainees and make them useful before he could move past this.
“Where is the Beast God? If you fail again this time, I won’t let it slide. I’ll kill you and throw you into the Divine Spirit Purgatory. But if I’m satisfied, I’ll give you a temple in the position you desire.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll make them properly useful.”
This was the Main God of the Divine Realm who would tear apart even a precious Main God if it interfered with his work. Moreover, having experienced the crisis of being helplessly killed by dimensional authority, he had realized that this was an opponent he could never defeat. Though other Main Gods might not know, having directly experienced the dimensional authority, it far exceeded what a Main God could handle. Since rebellion was unthinkable and he did not know what would happen if he was branded as incompetent by the Main God of the Divine Realm, he became desperate about the mission he had been given once again.
To the Hero God and Beast God, who were burning with determination for their respective reasons, the next words were burned into them like a branding iron.
“If they can’t endure the training and give up, you may kill them all. Anything that interferes with completing my request will be eliminated, just like before. All of them—!”
The resolute will contained in the Dimensional Mage God’s sincere words sent a chilling shiver even through the bodies of gods.