The Final Trial (7)
These days, Demonic found happiness in every single day.
"Kyaaaah—!"
"Look over here, peekaboo!"
His beloved wife had safely given birth to their child, and the baby was healthy. The child's hair was red, just like Ria's, and her eyes sparkled with a honey-like color.
Whenever those clear, intelligent eyes lit up toward him, he felt as if he had obtained every jewel in the world. No, no rich man could ever have seen a jewel as beautiful as this.
"Our little cutie, look at Daddy. Peekaboo?"
"Kyaaah-heuuu—!"
"Nick, stop making the baby laugh so much. She won't be able to sleep tonight."
Demonic had been so absorbed in playing with the child that he only stopped when Ria scolded him. Thanks to Great Priest Antonio's consideration, Ria had rested thoroughly and recovered her strength; she now approached slowly and took the baby into her arms.
"There we go. Time for our little one to eat, hmm? That's right."
Ria carefully supported the baby's neck and offered her breast. The rich, sweet scent of milk filled the room. The child must have been hungry, for she suckled with single-minded intensity.
Demonic deliberately averted his gaze, pretending not to notice.
He even crossed his legs for good measure.
Ria, still nursing, let out a soft snort of laughter.
"I'll save some for you, so don't worry. And do you really need to hide it like that? We've already seen everything there is to see between us."
"W-w-w-what are you saying! There are things you shouldn't say in front of the child!"
"Oh my. Is that so? I thought you liked it. Then I suppose you don't need this?"
"..."
A sidelong glance.
Demonic's eyes flicked toward her. His crossed legs began to tremble. This was temptation. If he gave in, he would be teased for quite some time. He knew that perfectly well, and yet—
There were times when a man had to give in even knowing full well. Demonic squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.
"...Leave my share."
"Pfft. Too late. Call me by the old name and I might consider it."
"The old name? Wait, Ria! We agreed never to talk about that!"
"What? I'm 'Little Rose,' so I have no idea who this Ria person is."
"Ugh..."
Demonic's face crumpled from the clean hit. Ria found the expression so amusing that she burst into loud laughter.
"Ahahaha! Do you know how funny your face looks right now? Pfft! If only I could save this expression forever!"
"...Don't laugh. You've hurt my feelings."
Demonic whipped his head away. Was it just her imagination, or had he grown more petulant with age and fatherhood? Ria watched him and laughed with pure delight. When Mother laughed, the baby in her arms laughed too, and before long Demonic himself was smiling wryly.
Their soft laughter drifted out beyond the door—small, and warm.
"..."
Kenis stood outside the window, watching the scene, and simply held her breath. She was looking at the things that, perhaps, she herself should have been allowed to enjoy.
She merely watched.
Rustle.
After gazing for a long while, Kenis quietly turned and walked away.
That look in the eyes of the man who reached for Mother last time... there was something extremely dangerous about it.
The gaze of the priest named Rofinus that she had seen from inside the wardrobe.
That gaze had been thoroughly dangerous. It was filled with the blind faith peculiar to those who never doubted they were doing the right thing. She did not know his direction or his intent, but she felt certain he was capable of something extreme.
I need to find that man and keep an eye on him first.
In this unfamiliar past where she had nowhere to rest her feet and no one she could casually speak to, Kenis relied solely on her instincts and the faintest of clues as she groped her way toward the truth.
She was organizing what she needed to do next in her mind when—
Swoosh!
"Hyaaaaaaah!"
—she fell into a pit once again.
Time is fair, and it flies like an arrow.
While the babbling newborn grew old enough to stand on two feet, Rofinus quietly slipped through every corner of the Pantheon, gathering comrades who shared his will.
Sometimes with eloquence, sometimes with reason.
He explained the necessity of a god who would put an end to this twisted, chaotic world. Some called him mad; others were moved and joined him.
And when he judged that he had gathered a sufficient number of allies, Rofinus finally revealed himself in earnest and began to move.
Bang—!
"We have a mission! We have a duty to save this wretched world!"
"Nonsense! How dare a mere human utter such a heinous crime!"
"Where are the Inquisitors! Inquisitors! Drag that madman out at once!"
The Grand Council Hall burned hotter than it ever had before. Yet that flame was no gently flickering campfire; it was a greedy fire whose tongues licked out to devour one another.
Those who gathered around Rofinus called themselves the "Reformists."
The five gods had fallen silent, neglecting the earth and allowing evil to seethe unchecked; these were the ones who had come together under the cause of creating a new god. Young priests and paladins, radical and full of hot blood, had been inspired by Rofinus's conviction and formed his faction.
Antonio and the other elders stood in fierce opposition to Rofinus's group. According to doctrine, serving the five gods and caring for the weak was their vocation and their mission.
To dare create a god was an unimaginable blasphemy. To make a human into a god was no different from claiming equality with the divine.
"Where are the Inquisitors! Inquisitors!!"
"...It is useless."
"Y-you—why are you standing on that side!"
"The silence of the five gods must end. Look upon this world filled with chaos and screams. We can end it with our own hands."
"Madness... this is madness! Do you mean to commit an irreversible crime!"
Great Priest Pielro, who led the Inquisitors, revealed himself behind Rofinus. The man who commanded the Pantheon's military force together with the paladins had taken Rofinus's side.
Disaster. Great Priest Pielro was the one who led every Inquisitor of the Pantheon. Given the strong loyalty the Inquisitor organization held toward its superiors, this was as good as every Inquisitor standing with Rofinus.
Antonio looked around with a dazed expression. Only a handful of elderly figures stood with him, confronting Rofinus's throng. How had so many people been gathered without anyone noticing? He could not tell.
Around Rofinus stood people whose eyes blazed; in those eyes burned a madness that called itself conviction.
Someone shouted in desperation.
"How is your claim that you will make a human into a god any different from daring to stand equal with the gods! Is that the attitude of those who believe and follow? Why do you not simply believe and wait—"
"Believing and waiting—!"
Bang—!
Rofinus slammed the table and roared like thunder. For an instant the Grand Council Hall was filled with silence.
"Believing and waiting has been enough."
Rofinus muttered, then spoke.
"Because of the five gods' silence the earth is in turmoil, and the innocent are dying. Demons grow ever more powerful and run rampant, while those who call themselves lords wage meaningless wars only to fill their own bellies. Not one of them cares for the people. For so long a time! How long have we waited!"
"..."
"We have endured every hardship and adversity and continued to wait—and look at this. Look at this world!"
"..."
"Is this the reward for faith? Is this the world we longed for! A world where children are sold for a single loaf of bread, where sons dragged off to war return with their limbs severed, where fathers' corpses are eaten out of hunger—is this truly—!"
Rofinus, eyes bloodshot as he shouted, looked like a man possessed by evil. He seemed both a man venting long-held rage and a man simply furious.
Antonio remained silent.
For throughout the long history, the earth had gradually been swallowed by chaos.
The silence of the gods had forced upon them a painful waiting.
The ever-increasing assaults of demons, the continent that groaned in agony.
The silent gods.
Hoo—
After a long breath, Rofinus swept back his hair and looked at Antonio.
"Great Priest Antonio, the reason I speak today is not to persuade you or those who oppose me."
"...What?"
"Y-you—what are you saying right now?"
Paladins and Inquisitors began to gather around Antonio and those who opposed Rofinus. Their presence was ominous.
They fingered the swords at their waists and slowly closed the distance.
Shiiing!
Sensing the dangerous atmosphere, Demonic, who stood beside Antonio, drew his sword.
"Great Priest! To my side!"
"D-do you understand what you are doing! This is a challenge against the gods! Humans challenging the divine!"
They hesitated.
The words "challenge against the gods" seemed to have some effect.
"It is not a challenge against the gods."
"...What?"
"We seek only to save this world in place of the silent gods. We do not dare challenge them."
"...Nonsense! That is nothing but a filthy excuse! Then why do you try to create a god!"
"Great Priest, have you ever heard of Star-light?"
"What...?"
"A passage I happened to discover in an ancient text. 'Star-light is the purest primordial power. Because it is nothing, it is pure; because it is pure, it can become anything.'... This Star-light is the key. If we have a sufficient quantity of Star-light, and if we have a vessel! We can create a god! The most perfect god who will judge evil and save this world! A god who possesses humanity!"
"Mad... completely mad..."
Rofinus's eyes were filled with unshakable resolve. Looking into those eyes, Antonio felt it instinctively. Those were the eyes of a man who had already finished every preparation.
From the moment he had summoned the Great Priests to the Grand Council Hall, everything must already have been complete.
Antonio spoke weakly.
"...Then that Star-light of yours. Without it, this is nothing more than a delusion, is it not?"
"The gods may have fallen silent, but fate seems to have aided me. By chance I found one who can handle Star-light. I was fortunate."
"What?"
Rofinus's gaze turned toward Demonic. Rofinus's eyes were utterly still, without the slightest tremor. Beyond those eyes, a dark shadow seemed to writhe for an instant.
Demonic's pupils shook violently. Did that bastard know about Ria's Star-light?
H-how? No—when?
Grit.
He had told no one. How, then?
"The Star-light is prepared, and the vessel has been secured. Everything is perfect; all that remains is to act. Those of you who oppose us will kindly remain here quietly."
"You madman!! How dare you go after someone else's wife!!"
Thud-thud!
As Rofinus made to leave the Grand Council Hall, Demonic's eyes rolled back and he charged, swinging his sword.
A strike like a flash of light.
Clang!
But the guard around Rofinus was too tight for it to reach.
"Khh!"
"Hah!"
Clang!
Demonic's blow was blocked by a massive paladin. In that fleeting moment, holy power and steel clashed in a fierce exchange.
Rofinus glanced at the scene and headed out of the Grand Council Hall.
"Demonic, your daughter. She's quite adorable. She'll make an excellent vessel."
"What?"
Thud!
"Guhh!"
In the instant his attention was diverted, the paladin's strike slammed into Demonic's abdomen.
Perhaps the man had not wanted to kill him; he had struck with a fist. Yet because it was a surprise blow, Demonic's consciousness gradually blurred.
Beyond his fading vision he saw Rofinus's retreating back. Demonic stretched out a trembling hand.
He had to stop that madman. He had to save his wife and daughter.
No... no... Ri...a...
Consciousness sank. Strength left his body and his thoughts slowed.
The arm he had weakly extended dropped with a soft thud.
And so Demonic spent the time that would remain the greatest regret of his life.