Chapter 99: Apocalypse? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 99: Apocalypse? (2)
Ophelia froze, still in her praying posture. Something unimaginable had just happened. As she grasped the situation, the color drained from her face.
“G-Goddess… This is, well…”
Ophelia’s emerald eyes darted around as she searched for an excuse.
But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with anything that resembled one.
After all, the words she had just muttered to herself were nothing short of blasphemy.
And the one who had heard them was none other than the Goddess herself.
There was no way out.
“Th-That wasn’t what I truly meant…”
—Ophelia. My daughter. You have always lacked faith.
“Y-Yes?”
—It is just as I said. Unlike the other saint candidates, you never blindly believed in me. On the contrary, you often doubted me.
“N-No. Goddess, I have always…”
—Is doubting me not enough? Must you now lie as well?
“…I am sorry. Please, forgive this foolish daughter.”
Realizing excuses were useless, Ophelia begged for forgiveness. The Goddess did not respond. Just as she was beginning to feel a growing sense of urgency, the Goddess’s voice was heard again.
—Ophelia. As you know, there are many believers in the Church of the Prona Kingdom whose faith is deeper than yours. And yet, I chose you as a saint candidate. Why do you think that is?
“…As your humble servant, I cannot fathom the Goddess’s intentions.”
—So you doubted my will, but you never contemplated it to understand. Ophelia. I am disappointed.
The Goddess’s voice grew cold.
As a mere mortal, Ophelia felt a considerable terror from that alone.
It was the fear of a child being abandoned by its parents, thrown into the world with no one to lean on.
Having incurred the wrath of Iries, the master of the world and the Mother of All Things, it was only natural to feel such terror.
Frozen in fear, Ophelia couldn’t even part her lips, but the Goddess’s reprimand had only just begun.
—The reason I chose you, who lacked faith, as a saint candidate was because I wanted to see you change. I wanted to see you overcome your new environment and the crushing weight of duty to become my proud daughter. But you have betrayed my expectations.
“G-Goddess… I…”
—You were not satisfied with your improved life. Though you no longer starved, slept in a warm bed, and received everyone's respect, you felt more dissatisfaction with the increased control than gratitude. You could not abandon your greed.
“Th-That’s…”
—You could not control your carnal desires, not even your base lust. You abandoned your duties, lost in the pleasure of intercourse.
The Goddess’s endless tirade made Ophelia’s head spin.
—And on top of all that, you doubt me and even slander me. I am truly disappointed, Ophelia. All the expectations I had for you are gone.
My expectations are gone.
The moment those words were spoken, the divine power dormant within Ophelia began to scatter.
“G-Goddess?!”
Panicked, Ophelia tried to control her divine power, but it was impossible.
It was no longer a power permitted to her.
As the divine power within her dissipated, the light maintaining the barrier grew faint.
“Goddess. Forgive me, please forgive me. Please forgive this foolish and stupid daughter.”
—I have already forgiven you many times.
“I will never doubt you again. I will pursue only a life of temperance and devotion. So please, forgive me…”
—As I just said, I have already forgiven you several times. Yet you remained the same. I doubt one more time will change anything.
Shink!
A thin tentacle pierced through one side of the barrier. The tentacle wrapped around a praying cleric and dragged him outside.
“Ugh, uwaaaaaah!”
The cleric, dragged outside the barrier, had his life force sucked out, instantly turning into a shriveled mummy. Crack. The tentacle folded the cleric in half, tossed him aside, and thrust itself back inside the barrier.
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Move! Get out of the way!”
People ran around, fleeing from the tentacle.
But there was a limit to how far they could run within the confined space of the barrier, and eventually, a sturdy man was caught.
“H-Help me!”
The man grabbed someone else.
“L-Let go of me! Uwaaah!?”
The person who was grabbed then grabbed another. Like a string of sausages, a total of five people were linked together and dragged out.
Shink!
Amidst the chaos, a new hole was torn in the barrier. A new tentacle entered and snatched away a woman who had been feeling safe.
“Kyaaaaaaaah!”
A bloodcurdling scream.
Ophelia’s eyes trembled.
“Ah… Aah… G-Goddess, forgive… please forgive me. I may be a sinner, but they are not. They are all someone’s child, father, or mother. Please, show them mercy…”
—Ophelia. My pathetic daughter. Do not ask me for mercy. You could have saved them. The failure to do so is entirely your fault for being inadequate.
“My… fault…? This…?”
How was this hellscape her fault?
She had done her best to stop the Four Heavenly Kings.
But the others hadn’t cooperated, acting on their own and creating danger.
—Why do you think they didn't listen to you, a saint candidate? Why else? It's because you were not trustworthy enough for them to entrust their lives to you.
Not trustworthy? I… I did my best…
—Your best? Don't be ridiculous. You lacked faith in me. A saint candidate who doubts her god? No matter how splendid your appearance, you are nothing but an empty shell. They must have sensed that unconsciously.
An empty shell…
—You were curious why my other sons and daughters didn't come to help, weren't you? Then let me ask you this in return. What is it about you that would make my children risk their lives to help?
“Th-That’s… Love and devotion are the teachings of the church, so to devote oneself to the people…”
—My children are already devoting themselves.
“…What?”
—They are already devoting themselves. They are saving people in various parts of the city.
“Th-Then…”
—That's right. They saw the light you created and chose not to join you. Because you are not trustworthy. Seeing how you've acted until now… it's understandable they would make such a judgment.
Shatter!
As Ophelia’s divine power completely dissipated, the barrier broke.
—Therefore, everything that happens from now on is your fault.
When the barrier vanished, tentacles swarmed in as if they had been waiting for this very moment.
“Run!!”
“There’s nowhere to run! It’s all blocked!!”
Unlike before, the tentacles now blocked every alley. They moved swiftly toward the panicking people.
A thin tentacle pierced a middle-aged man’s heart.
“K-heuk…?!”
The middle-aged man’s corpse, drained of life and shriveled, was thrown high into the air.
“Honey!!”
The dead man’s wife screamed and ran toward her husband’s flying body. Swish! She was struck by a tentacle that whipped through the air and slammed into a building. The woman’s form, smashed against the building, was no longer recognizable as human. Just a crumpled mess of flesh.
“Ah…”
Ophelia stared at the lump of flesh with trembling eyes. That was the woman who had wept with gratitude when Ophelia had saved her.
“Kyaaaaaaaah!!”
Hearing the scream, Ophelia’s head snapped around.
A young woman, her arms and legs caught, was screaming. Her stomach was slowly torn open. Riiip! Splat. The woman’s blood splattered onto Ophelia’s face.
Ophelia didn’t even think to wipe it away.
She clasped her hands and prayed desperately.
“Aah… Goddess. Goddess Iries. Please forgive me. Forgive this dull, stupid, and foolish me. I will accept my punishment. These people are innocent. Please, show them mercy…”
“Ugh, uwaaaah!! Run!”
“Please…”
“Dad! Daaaaaad!!!!”
“Please…”
Despite her desperate prayers, the Goddess did not answer.
As Ophelia’s heart burned with anxiety, something passed by her side.
It was a young man, caught by a tentacle and being dragged along the ground.
His eyes met Ophelia’s, and he shouted with a terrified face.
“Saintess! Help me!”
Ophelia got to her feet. She staggered forward and lifted the mace from her waist.
Thwack.
The mace weakly struck the tentacle holding the young man.
She lifted the mace and struck again.
Thwack. Thwack-thwack-thwack. Thwack. Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!!!!!
The force behind the mace gradually grew stronger.
She brought the mace down as if mincing meat, shouting.
“Let him go! Let go!!”
Ophelia’s desperate bludgeoning.
Sadly, it had almost no effect. The spot struck by the mace dented for a moment before swelling back to its original shape.
“Saintess?! What are you doing? Your divine power! Use your divine power!”
“…”
I can’t use my divine power.
Unable to bring herself to say it, she just struck harder with the mace.
The young man wore a look of disbelief.
“Saintess? Can’t you hear me? Saintess!? Saintess… you fucking bitch! The divine power! Use your divine power—”
The young man was flung away.
He flew swiftly through the air and vanished from Ophelia’s sight in an instant. All that remained was a long streak of blood left by the young man’s palms.
As she stared blankly at it, someone shouted.
“Saintess! Save me!!”
Ophelia snapped out of it and turned her head toward the sound. The moment her eyes met the woman who had cried for help, a thick tentacle blew away the woman’s upper body.
“Ah…”
“Saintess! Sainteeess!!”
She turned her head.
Crunch.
An old man who had cried for help was crushed by a tentacle.
“Saintess, please!”
A hole was punched through a man’s stomach.
“Saintess… help…”
A fallen woman.
A building collapsed, burying her.
Clang!
The mace fell to the ground.
Ophelia’s lips trembled.
“I’m… sorry…”
People were dying.
“I’m so sorry…”
These were the people who had been smiling just moments ago, relieved to be alive.
“I’m sorry…”
The people who had bowed their heads to her, thanking her for saving them.
Now they were asking for her help again.
Crying, shouting, and screaming for her to save them.
But Ophelia couldn’t help.
Because she was no longer a saint candidate.
She was just a woman with a slightly high level.
All she could do was watch as people died horribly before her eyes.
Ophelia fell to her knees.
She closed her eyes and covered her ears with her hands.
“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. It’s all because of me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
I should have endured. I should have persevered. I shouldn’t have complained. I shouldn’t have doubted.
If I had… If I had, none of this would have happened.
It’s all my fault. I’m truly sorry. I’m sorry… Please… forgive me. Just one more time…
—You must not run away.
A pain like her eyeballs were being seared with fire washed over Ophelia.
“Kyaaaaaaaah!!”
Unable to bear the horrific pain, Ophelia slammed her head against the ground.
—Open your eyes. Do not run from the consequences you have created.
“N-No! I don’t want to!”
Ophelia tried to endure the pain by scratching the ground with her fingers. But the pain only intensified. It was a dizzying agony that should have made her lose consciousness, but she was not allowed to faint.
In the end, Ophelia’s resistance failed.
She opened her eyes and was able to escape the searing pain.
In its place, she had to once again witness the sight of people dying and hear their screams. But the nature of the screams was different from before.
They no longer asked Ophelia for help.
They spat words of resentment and curses at her, and some didn’t stop there.
“You fucking bitch! Why did you get rid of the barrier!!”
A man with a face full of rage kicked Ophelia. He began to stomp on her as she lay on the ground.
He didn’t know when a tentacle might kill him, but he didn’t care and continued to assault her.
Then, something strange happened.
The tentacles weren’t touching the man who was assaulting Ophelia.
The people who noticed this gathered around Ophelia. Like the first man, they began to beat her.
They kicked her face and stomach, stomped on her hips and sides.
The tentacles didn’t touch them, and once they confirmed their hypothesis was correct, they began to pour their resentment into their violence.
“Why! Why didn’t you save my son!”
“You call yourself a saintess! A saintess can’t even maintain a single barrier?!”
“I knew it from the way you walked around showing off your cleavage. You’re not a saintess, you’re a whore, aren’t you!?”
Through it all, Ophelia said:
“I’m sorry…”
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s my fault…”
“I was wrong…”
A mixture of blood from burst capillaries and tears streamed down her cheeks.
Little by little.
Little by little.
Ophelia’s spirit was breaking, and just as it was about to shatter completely,
“What is this, a new brand of crazy bastards? Hey! You guys are doing this even in a situation like… Huh? Ophelia?”
A voice she should not have been able to hear rang out.
At the same time, the beating stopped.
Ophelia slowly lowered the arm that had been covering her face. She saw a handsome, red-haired man staring at her with a look of disbelief.
“He…ro…?”