Sin and Punishment

After we finished having sex, Min Jiyou and I talked about all sorts of things. In another room, of course.

"Whether Lashu was there or not, I kept imagining myself being forced. Because of that, I was wet down there all the time…."

"Heh. I respect that, Manager Mommy."

I said it like that, but I was pretty embarrassed. Of all the things I could get used to, this one still refused to stick.

Someone moaning my name while she touched herself. Someone thinking of me without my knowing while she got herself off. Man. Seriously.

I pulled Min Jiyou into my arms without thinking. She melted into me like she'd been waiting for it and let out a short sigh. I cupped her breasts and kneaded them.

"Being with you felt good, Jiyou Mommy. It was hot."

"Really? Uhn… that's embarrassing."

"You can drop the formal speech, you know."

"Mm… with Lashu, I want to submit. I want to be a devoted wife…."

That caught me off guard. The same woman who was so driven and modern when she ran the café turned into this the moment we were alone. Was this… gap moe?!

Min Jiyou looked back at me instead, wearing a strange little smile mixed half of filth and half of innocence.

"I like you, my own perverted hero♥"

"I like you too. My capable, beautiful Manager Mommy…."

We traded affection back and forth.

"Being called that feels pretty fresh. Hehe♥"

"By the way, will the café be all right?"

"Tomorrow's a holiday, so it's closed anyway. I can only hope nothing happens to it."

I shook my head. From what I'd seen earlier, "nothing happens" was going to be a tall order.

There were plenty of fanatics still out there, and the longer it took the palace to put James down, the worse the collateral damage around them would get.

Worry sat plain on Min Jiyou's face once she'd finished answering. It was her only workplace, the one place she could really stretch her wings, so of course she was anxious.

Time to give her some courage.

"Hey. If anything happens to the café, tell me. I'll help."

"Hehe. You'll fix it for me? Or will you put on a dress and wait tables?"

"Ghk—don't bring that up!"

Great. One solid black mark on my permanent record. Just watch me cross-dress again. Like hell.

"Hehe. Then what? Café model?"

"Hmm. I'll just buy you a whole new building. I can manage that much."

Min Jiyou's eyes went wide with surprise. Even then, that elegant nose of hers made her look like she was posing for a photoshoot, which I liked.

Of course, saying it was one thing. Actually doing it would be brutal. Hero's weekly pay was one thing, but I'd still have to grind dungeons hard or land a fat hero commission before I could casually buy real estate.

And opening a café on the Sky Island wouldn't mean much anyway.

She stared, then let out a soft laugh.

"So reliable, my perverted hero♥"

"Ahem. Get some rest."

I opened the door to leave. Min Jiyou's voice caught me from behind, sticky and clinging, like she was trying to hold onto whatever of me was left.

"Next time… would it be all right?"

"Whenever you want!"

I answered loud and clear and walked out. I found a nearby room, washed up, and changed into fresh clothes.

Today's sex had been good too!

Apostle. Something feels wrong.

Outside, you mean? Should I go take a look?

Yes. That one was yours to begin with, was he not?

I only deal in women… ah, well. He was my prey, yeah.

If the Goddess was this uneasy, something really was off. The ring, after all?

I should reclaim it before the Empire boys finish him off.

Be careful this time. If that thing is a holy relic, it may prove difficult even for you.

I've got invincible power too. I'll be fine! Invincible Golden Hero! Ta-da!

Always so cocky. Do you remember how your enemies fell because they let their guard down?

That stung a little. Like I'd ever let my guard down.

I never let my guard down! All I have is faith in you, Goddess! I'll fight for you!

Hmph. Always so good with words! For a hung beast of a perverted hero!

A hung beast, huh. I couldn't help laughing. I loosened up a little, then returned to reality through the ring.

Vmmm. Tssst!

I was under the clock tower. Night ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had already tipped over into the small hours of dawn, and the capital still hadn't been brought under control.

"Huh?"

What the hell was this. Still like this? Shouldn't someone have locked this down by now?

It was way too wrong.

Wondering if I'd missed something, I walked back through the original history in my head.

In the game, the foreign tribes get suppressed around this timing, but it's only talk. The real campaign doesn't start for another three or four months. So what is this? Is there something else I don't know?

I looked around as I moved. Houses smashed or half-collapsed stretched on without end, and unidentified corpses lay everywhere.

It was wretched. I felt like I'd stepped into some apocalypse setting.

"Ghh…."

Then I found a soldier dying of critical wounds. Everything below his waist was simply gone.

"Hey. Are you all right? Hey!"

"Khhrk… who… are you?"

"A hero."

The soldier startled at my answer. Then he smiled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bitterly.

"Kh… even you… that… that man… ugh."

"That man? James?"

"He isn't human… anymore… khhk. Ghh… we can't stop him… at all… ugh."

"What the hell happened?"

"Even the Captain of the Guard fell… and we… khhak… ah… is this how the country ends?"

"Hey. What about the others? The Knight Commander?"

"They've already gone… to suppress the foreign tribes…."

The soldier never finished the sentence. He died. With wounds that bad, it was only natural.

The miracle was that he'd still been breathing until now.

I stood and tilted my head.

"They're already suppressing the foreign tribes?"

I pulled up the original novel's timeline too. Then I flinched hard.

Wait. In the original novel the timeline matches the game. There's just one variable. Haa….

I lined up the events the way they were supposed to happen.

Northern tribes provocations. Nationwide chaos from the cult. Full council after the heresy war was put down. Then the campaign against the foreign tribes.

Right. In the original, the heresy war itself didn't even break out until three or four months later. Until then, Those Who Recite Sins just spawned Black Troops here and there and caused every kind of side effect.

I felt hollow. So the heresy war kicking off too early was the whole problem?

History changed, and this is what we got!

This wasn't some alternate-history novel. The butterfly effect from rewriting the past was this huge?

I was stunned. Which meant I didn't have time to stand around.

Thud. Thud-thud-thud-thud!

I ran for the imperial palace.

Then there's only one thing James is after! Same as the cult leader Lao—he wants to swallow a whole country. No. The whole world!

I had to stop him. The world could not fall into a madman's hands.

Things were already chaotic and upside down enough. And in the middle of that, a cultist murdering the imperial family and seizing the palace?

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Catastrophe. A catastrophe without equal.

I ran until my breath scraped the back of my throat, and then I ran some more.

Everywhere I went, the scenery looked the same. A capital that had been peaceful and packed with people had turned into pure hell overnight.

"Khaaaah!"

Clang! Claaang!

Not far off, screams tore through the air in a messy tangle. Metal rang on metal—fighting.

I went to look.

They're really having fun over there.

Members of Those Who Recite Sins had split into factions and were killing each other. Honestly, the fact any of them were still left standing was weird enough.

What the hell was the palace doing? How much force had they poured into the foreign-tribe campaign?

Roughly speaking, it looks like most of the Master-rank powerhouses went out—Knight Commander, Archmage, the lot.

To be fair, the palace never saw this coming. Even their second-string forces were stronger than most other countries.

Still. This was excessive!

Should I break it up?

For a second I wondered if I should stop the cultists. Then I shook my head and ran again.

If they were the type to listen to people, they wouldn't have become cultists. Screw 'em!

I ran for the palace. By the time I finally reached the area near it—

I saw James looking up at a statue. Alone, the ring glowing on his hand, he stared up at the stone figure.

And as if to crown the meeting, a quest arrived.

Brutal. Just brutal.

I called out to James.

"James, you cultist bastard!"

James turned toward me slowly. His eyes, too, were stained a pale rose-red.

"Ahh. Another moth come to stop me?"

Mocking me the second he saw me. This asshole.

"Why go this far? Look around you, you son of a bitch. Drunk on power? Are you?"

"Sin and punishment."

"…What?"

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"Do you know who this statue is?"

I'd asked for an answer, and James threw a question back at me instead.

I stared him down, speechless. Peak cultist mania. Perfect.

"I'm sure you'll tell me."

"A hero named Yur Phoenixia. A hero who rose even after death, who tried to protect the world with his own body."

Was that right? I felt like I'd heard it in an Asgard Chronicles DLC.

"And what did the nation actually do for him? Just one thing. One statue."

He tossed the line out like it meant nothing. And he was still smiling.

Apostle. That one. Something is wrong with him.

His eyes alone are already a lost cause. If a cultist bastard weren't weird, that would be the weird part.

No! He does not seem to be the original James. I can see souls tangled together!

Souls…? Then who the hell is that?

I froze. Then who was standing there?

I do not know… what is certain is that he is no god. But he looks strong enough that he could claim a divine seat!

I carved the Goddess's warning into my chest and locked eyes with him. James kept spouting nonsense.

"This man committed a sin."

"A hero committed a sin?"

"The sin of protecting humanity. And the punishment—I will deliver myself. Why? Because I am the Messiah made flesh in this world!"

James twisted the corner of his mouth and looked at me. At the same time, he pointed at the statue with his right hand.

He only opened his mouth.

"Be cut."

Pssht! Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble!

The statue split cleanly on a diagonal. It toppled without strength and collapsed.

Yeah. That power did not look ordinary.

"Hey, James."

"What is it, hero of demons?"

"You know what, though?"

"What?"

Hero of demons, huh. Me—the living embodiment of a lust demon, the strongest perverted hero in history!

You little shit. Summary execution!

I smirked and went on.

"You've got plenty of sins yourself. Real ones! So those sins—I'll re-educate you on them as a hero. I bet a lot of people would want that."

I drew my sword. The instant it cleared the sheath, a deep golden light different from aura began to haze around my whole body like smoke.

James clicked his tongue.

"Is that so? You have something interesting there. For a hero of demons."

"No more talk. Full power!"

Show and prove!

I ignited aura and lightning aura and shot forward like a bolt of thunder.

Then James opened his mouth.

"Die."

Kiiing!