The War God's Judgment
One of the concerns weighing on the War God and the Goddess Department was that no paradise could ever satisfy every sentient being. “Some god once created a paradise of endless banquets and carnal delights, only to watch it collapse. The records say his followers eventually grew bored and turned away, calling him the Archdemon of Pleasure before the realm was shut down. A once-mighty Upper God reduced to a Lower God after a single spectacular failure.”
Muttering to himself as he recalled the fallen heavens he had read about in the Divine Realm’s library, he asked, “So a paradise of the past becomes a hell of boredom in the present?” A faint smirk crossed his lips. He began to chant.
“The Tower of Babylonia Does Not Fall and Stands in the Sky.”
The War God’s face appeared across the sky above the former magic tower. Every fighter and demon on the battlefield froze. He smiled thinly.
“If you refuse paradise, then I shall grant you hell.”
Returning home after a month away only to find the place in chaos did nothing to improve his mood. “I came back to rest before preparing for war, and these fools have turned everything upside down. I might as well seal them all in an eternal nightmare while I have the chance.”
The hostages’ faces hardened with sudden terror as thousands of enormous magic circles materialized in the air, radiating a sinister aura. “I am a generous god who listens to the wishes of my followers.”
Within the circles, the wails of low-grade vengeful spirits filled the sky. To a spiritual being, such spirits were nothing more than stinking refuse; the demons fled in panic toward the Golden Magic Tower. The city below had already descended into pandemonium.
“As long as I don’t erase them completely…” He had been reluctant to waste food on useless parasites anyway. “I shall bestow hell upon you all.”
In his eyes, forcing them to suffer eternally at the hands of vengeful spirits in a place where death was impossible was already more luxury than they deserved. “I will not tolerate the same kind of disorder the foolish male gods cause in the Divine Realm within my own domain.”
The War God’s expressionless smile made the War God’s Saintess—who had nearly witnessed her nation’s destruction—cry out in near-panic. She knew from painful experience that he never lied.
“O God! What we desire is not hell, but purpose!”
“Purpose? Do you not crave a stimulating hell because you grew tired of a dull paradise? In a moment you will find yourselves quite comfortable within an eternal nightmare of torment.”
“That is not it! We were merely establishing a hierarchy in your absence.”
“A hierarchy? What use is that at your level? You are not even Seven-Circle. You contribute nothing, yet you dare cause chaos in my home!”
At the War God’s words, the hostages’ mouths fell open, their faces freezing. By his standards, only those who had reached the level of a Demigod—roughly Seven-Circle—were worth anything. Anything less was useless in the Great Forest beyond the tower. Yet among nearly one hundred thousand people, not a single one met that threshold.
“Maintaining you is a waste of resources. I should throw you all to the vengeful spirits and be done with it. Since none of you even reach Seven-Circle, I will grant you the hell you deserve for disturbing my home.”
A low hum resonated from the magic circles as vengeful spirits began to emerge. Those with weaker wills screamed and fainted, plunging the area into further chaos. The War God found it absurd that they could not even withstand the spirits’ cries.
Then, from somewhere below, a voice filled with unwavering conviction rang out.
“We are useful.”
The War God paused the summoning. The complete lack of emotional fluctuation in that voice, even under these circumstances, piqued his interest. He looked down and saw a slender woman with long golden hair reaching her ankles—a beauty by any measure—staring up at him with an expressionless face. She wore a golden dress. Armored knights whose armor had been reduced to scrap surrounded her protectively, yet not a single drop of blood stained her. Clearly she commanded genuine loyalty.
“You are weaker than demons and cannot nurture forests like High Elves. What possible use could you have?”
“We do. We are useful. That much is certain.”
Her eyes did not waver. Even with thousands of vengeful spirits shrieking, she seemed untouched by their assault on the mind. “Not an innate ability—complete control over her own emotions and body. Self-discipline cultivated through training, not some inborn power. A woman who has tempered her spirit differently from the High Elf Queen.”
“You are useless in combat and inferior to a succubus as a woman. Where exactly does your value lie?”
The War God lifted her into the air and set her before him. Most would have panicked at being suddenly suspended, yet her face remained blank.
“Here, it is possible.”
“Hm?”
She meant the Survival Magic Tower.
“In a place where no one dies, ages, or becomes crippled, everyone can reach the limits of humanity. One day we will become Seven-Circle and prove ourselves useful to you.”
“…”
He had viewed them only as hostages to keep the human empire in check. This was an idea he had never considered.
“Training here yields dozens of times the effect it does outside. All we need is time.”
“You want me to overlook this because you can grow stronger through training? You intend to prove your usefulness once you become powerful?”
“Yes. We will become the War God’s personal guard. This place, which grants immortality, is more valuable than the empire itself. If we disobey, you need only expel us.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“Women despise aging more than death—especially those of us who crave power. If you guarantee immortality and authority, we will do anything for you. No god or demon king can offer such a gift, so betrayal is impossible.”
“Immortality alone is enough to prevent betrayal?”
“Yes. Simply provide time and space, and fifty thousand superhumans will eventually emerge—enough to conquer every nation in the Middle World, or at least defend this place. I am not certain about the saintesses, however.”
“Saintesses go to heaven when they die, so immortality means nothing to them. I will exclude them for now.”
A sharp snap echoed. Vengeful spirits poured toward the saintesses. The women screamed and tried to resist the approaching spirits, but it was futile. “Inside the Survival Magic Tower, severed from the gods, their own divine power cannot contend with specially summoned spirits.”
Paying the useless women no further attention, he continued. “It is true that I need forces to defend the tower in my absence. Are there any other uses? Any guarantee they will not betray me?”
“Anything is possible. Humans who have tasted peace and youth here cannot endure the outside world. Even if they refuse now and leave, within ten years they will become middle-aged women and come to their senses. If return is possible, they will do anything.”
“Is that control sufficient?”
“If they follow orders well, you can occasionally allow them to return home in glory and flaunt their status. Reward those most loyal and accomplished by making them emperors or kings of their nations. A single word from you, the ruler of the Middle World, is enough. Of course, they will return rather than age and die in ugliness.”
“That much is acceptable. Fifty thousand loyal superhuman soldiers? Merely by providing time and space?”
“O Great War God! Hear our plea as well!”
Suddenly the desperate cry of the War God’s Saintess reached his ears from below. Even now, her voice carried clearly as the saintess of the War God. The saintesses, surrounded by spirits, resisted with their pitiful divine power.
“O God, we too are useful.”
“You go to heaven when you die. Aging means nothing to you. I cannot trust you. Therefore, you will sleep forever within nightmares.”
“We are women as well. Even in heaven, the thought of death or aging terrifies us. If you grant us the same, we will never apostatize and will serve you faithfully.”
“And when your patron gods speak, you will betray me?”
“We will never betray you inside this place. The connection is severed anyway. We can still be of use to you here.”
“Use inside here?”
Another snap. The spirits vanished. The saintesses, pushed to the brink of exhaustion, collapsed everywhere. The War God lifted his own saintess into the air and set her before him. Looking at the golden-haired beauty gasping for breath, he asked, “Precisely what kind of help?”
“We will realize everything written in books. We can expand the menu, create a variety of clothing…”
“Hmm?”
The War God had to admit he was growing tired of eating the same meals on rotation. It was an attractive proposal.
“Is that all?”
“We will do anything you desire to the best of our ability.”
Having tasted the spirits once, they were desperate.
“Would it be better to seal them all in eternal nightmares before they turn my domain into the same mess as the Divine Realm? Or to raise an army of one hundred thousand superhumans who will never betray me? Even one hundred thousand superhumans cannot defeat a single Upper God. If they cause trouble again, it will be annoying. I can enjoy the contents of books outside whenever I wish.”
The War God raised his hand. Magic circles began forming beneath their feet once more.
“You are troublesome to manage. I dislike the chaos, and an army of one hundred thousand superhumans means nothing to me. Still, you have entertained me, so I will seal you without pain.”
A snap. A simple petrification curse spread upward from their legs, turning flesh to stone. Everyone screamed as the transformation began. The War God looked at the two women he had suspended in the air. Their feet were also turning to stone. Yet the golden-haired princess wore a triumphant smile.
“As if everything is unfolding exactly as she planned.”
Unable to ignore the fact that she seemed utterly unconcerned about her lower body turning to stone, he asked, “Do you still have something to say?”
“I will handle all troublesome matters. You need only give orders.”
“Oh?”
The War God briefly halted the petrification curse. “An army of fifty thousand superhumans that moves according to orders without requiring special management? Not a bad idea.”
Sensing his thoughts, the War God’s Saintess hurriedly added, “I will do everything as well. Simply command me.”
The War God stopped the curse entirely. Those with weaker resistance were already crying out as stone reached their necks. Another snap dissolved the petrification. He looked at the princess’s confident face and issued his first order.
“You said you could do anything, correct? Strip everyone naked.”
The War God felt his mood improve as he watched the princess’s confident expression stiffen. “Let’s see how far she is willing to go. Can she really undress one hundred thousand people—especially the noble princesses and saintesses who have been revered all their lives?”
Amused by the princess’s troubled face, he lightly prepared another petrification spell. Her reaction was unexpected.
“Hmph.”
With a light laugh, the princess turned to the War God’s Saintess. “War God’s Saintess, would you step aside for a moment?”
“Ah—! Yes.”
The War God’s Saintess answered hurriedly and retreated. The War God sighed at her maid-like behavior. “The pope and saintesses are kind but utterly useless. Yet disposing of them feels wrong because of their loyalty. This is a headache.”
When the massive screen in the sky showed the princess removing her clothes, the interior of the Survival Magic Tower fell deathly silent. Now naked, she looked down at the eyes fixed solely on her and spoke in a low, emotionless voice that carried throughout the space.
“You too. Undress.”
A wave of power rippled outward—not mind control, but a force that resonated with the human spirit and bent it to her will. “Charisma.”
Charisma was a power granted to the true ruling class of the Middle World. “A powerful will that inspires loyalty and obedience strong enough to make humans defy even death.”
The princess’s knights had already removed their armor and undergarments, gazing at her with rapturous eyes. The surrounding princesses and knights, infected by the power, were frantically stripping as well. “An astonishing force of will. The princess can focus the attention and will of many upon herself and compel instant obedience. Noblesse oblige—the rare authority obtained through personal example and sacrifice. For a young human to have developed it this far is remarkable.”
In ancient times, when a charismatic leader charged into battle, his followers would fight to the last man. “In primitive eras, they would enter a berserker state of their own volition and stake their lives for him. Most human empires today trace their lineage to ancestors who possessed this power. It is no surprise that she wields it.”
The princess’s charisma was nearly on the level of a Lower God. Tens of thousands of humans stripped naked, staring at her in feverish excitement. Even some saintesses who had consecrated themselves to the gods—body and soul—were removing their clothes.
“Well? Am I useful now?”
Seeing the princess’s seductive, confident face as she looked up at him, the War God suddenly felt irritated. “This woman is clearly cut from the same cloth as Granzoa. It would be better to turn these troublesome creatures into statues and seal them away rather than raise them.”
A woman capable of issuing such commands to the proud princesses and even some saintesses through a little manipulation was far too dangerous. Especially after witnessing the mess the Goddess Department had made of the Divine Realm, his revulsion was strong.
“You are somewhat useful, but I see there are still princesses who have not undressed.”
Indeed, even amid the naked crowd staring at the princess in adoration, several gazes burned with humiliation and resentment. “The imperial princesses. They have inherited some of this power and are resisting.”
The other princesses, having lost control of their knights and retainers in an instant, ground their teeth in fury, their pride shattered.
“Abilities with exceptions are unstable. The result is failure.”
The War God raised his hand again. As new magic circles formed beneath them, the princess’s smile remained unchanged.
“As the one who issued the order, you can provide more detailed instructions, can you not? Most generous War God.”
“What now?”
The princess had not yet given up, even against an opponent immune to her power.
“You may establish the hierarchy according to the order in which they undress.”
“What?”
The moment the words left her mouth, the other princesses began tearing off their clothes in desperation. Weeping and grinding their teeth in humiliation, they flung their garments away. Once every princess, knight, and retainer stood naked, the golden-haired woman smiled once more.
“The result is a pass, is it not, O Generous God?”
“…”