The Sealed God in the Fan (2)
"All is well for now,"
Asin spoke, easing Noel's tension.
The fan had begun to quiet down once more.
"It's a relief Kkamang-i isn't here," Noel remarked.
If the little spirit had been around, it would have been running amok in excitement, making things far more chaotic.
"Indeed. Had it been here, it might have already meddled with it," Asin agreed.
Asin rose from her seat.
"Noel. Do you truly intend to break the seal completely?"
"Of course. The purification is complete. I can't do anything about their naturally rotten personality, but at the very least, they should be in a state where we can talk. Besides, a fan like that isn't easy to come by."
It was capable of containing a god-class spirit.
While a seal did not kill a spirit, it served as an excellent means of tormenting them.
I'll have to examine it more closely to be sure, but it doesn't look like a single-use item.
The craftsmanship was so exquisite that it was impossible to guess its original owner.
"It is true that the fan is a rare treasure. It is ancient, and its aura is far from ordinary," Asin agreed.
She had deliberately avoided touching it until now.
There were times when deities fell from grace, becoming evil gods out of greed for another's power.
Yet, they were still deities in their own right.
"However, we do not know what dwells within."
"That's why we have to look. Why should I worry when I have you, Asin?"
Noel grinned broadly.
He had already witnessed Asin's power when she subdued Hwaran.
Even as a mere guardian deity, she possessed immense strength.
"And we should probably make sure whatever spirit is inside can't escape, right?"
Black smoke began to seep from Noel's body.
With a wave of his hand, the dark mist instantly blanketed the entire room.
"Asin, let me know if it feels too suffocating."
"I shall."
Asin replied, her eyes fixed on Noel's power.
Even seeing it again, it felt incredibly foreign.
Yet when she reached out to touch the black smoke, a soft, warm sensation washed over her.
It was a surprisingly gentle power.
"Does it distinguish based on hostility?"
"Oh, exactly."
Noel beamed, impressed as always by her keen perception.
Because his power shared similarities with the guides of death, it simply manifested in the form of black smoke.
In truth, that dark mist was composed of countless soul fragments.
Some said these fragments were the tears shed by ghosts, while others claimed they were pieces of memories left behind by spirits who refused to depart for the afterlife.
Whatever they truly were, they allowed him to seize other souls, sharpening into a deadly edge to inflict agonizing pain.
It feels like it's been a while since I've done this.
Following the movement of Noel's fingers, the black smoke filling the room transformed into mysterious runes, etching themselves across the walls, ceiling, and floor.
"What is the meaning of those characters?"
Asin could not read them.
It was a script she had never seen in her entire existence.
I thought Asin might be able to read it, but I guess not.
He could read the writing of this world, but the reverse did not seem to hold true.
It was useful information. At least he wouldn't have to worry about anyone deciphering his spells.
"Simply put, it means 'No Exit.'"
As Noel walked over to the fan, the runes faded away, sinking into the walls and ceiling as if absorbed.
Now then. Shall we break the seal?
Without hesitation, he grasped the fan.
Strangely, it felt familiar in his grip, as if it had always belonged to him.
It really does feel a bit familiar.
It was heavier than it looked, and a sharp, tingling sensation shot up his palm.
Most of all, it was fluttering frantically, which was rather creepy.
It seemed whatever was inside had been listening to their entire conversation.
"Hey. Get out here."
Noel snapped the fan open.
Snap!
Though the fan itself was black, a golden moon and an unidentified flowering tree were painted across it in breathtaking detail.
His gaze lingered on it for a long moment.
Noel waved the fan slowly a few times, then gave it a sharp flick and tossed it onto the floor.
Surprisingly, it remained perfectly unfurled.
The fan began to tremble, the vibrations growing more violent until it suddenly leaped into the air.
Whoosh.
Accompanied by a chilling draft, something black began to emerge from the fan.
It was hair.
Wow... that is incredibly black.
It wasn't just ordinary black hair. It was a pitch-black so deep it looked as though the night sky itself had been poured over it.
A face appeared, followed by a body, until a figure stood before them.
It was a bizarre sight.
The hair, the traditional overcoat—everything was entirely black.
The moment Asin identified the entity, she stepped in front of Noel and lowered her sword to a ready stance.
"That... is a Calamity Deity."
"Huh...?"
"A deity that spreads all manner of pestilence. I had thought they were entirely wiped out."
Indeed, white, spore-like particles were drifting from the figure into the air.
Is that the pestilence? Noel wondered.
He watched with genuine curiosity.
Whether it spread disease or not, it wouldn't affect him anyway.
"...So that is why it was sealed. As expected, no seal is placed without reason."
Asin glared at the Calamity Deity.
How many of the living had perished solely due to the existence of such a being?
"...Sigh."
The Calamity Deity let out a long, heavy sigh.
More of the white spores seemed to drift from him.
"Cover your mouth. It is dangerous," Asin warned.
Faced with Asin's blatant hostility, the Calamity Deity stared at her before slowly closing and opening his eyes with an air of profound exhaustion.
"Of course you would react that way... I am too tired for this. Just kill me."
The Calamity Deity closed his eyes completely.
Noel had expected some sort of resistance, but the deity was surprisingly submissive.
It was rare for a spirit to act like this.
"Wait a moment, Asin," Noel intervened.
He held her back.
"It is fine. I can see the countless sins weighing upon him. He is a being that deserves to be cut down."
Calling such a creature a god might seem absurd, but even evil gods were still deities.
"No, that's not it. It's just strange that he isn't fighting back."
"Did you not purify him?"
"Even so, usually they'd be screaming about how unfair it is, or shouting that they're innocent."
"Perhaps it is because he cannot deny the countless lives he has taken."
"True. But a Calamity Deity having a conscience is a bit ironic, don't you think?"
How absurd was it to speak of a conscience for a being whose very purpose was to slaughter people with disease?
If anything, they should be entirely devoid of one.
"That... is true," Asin murmured, hesitating.
She paused to consider it.
Now that she thought about it, it was indeed strange.
Setting the purification aside, he showed no aggression whatsoever.
He surely harbored immense resentment.
"Why were you sealed?" Noel asked.
But those words seemed to trigger something. The deity's eyes snapped open, and he lunged forward in a sudden frenzy.
Asin gripped her sword and swung with perfect timing.
Clang!
With a sharp, metallic ring, the Calamity Deity's head whipped back so violently his neck nearly snapped.
Oof... that's gotta hurt.
Though he staggered, the Calamity Deity did not fall.
His eyes, burning with sudden rage, were fixed not on Asin, but on Noel.
"How dare you speak of that matter so lightly!"
White spores erupted throughout the room as black veins crept up from his neck, spreading across his face.
It wasn't corruption.
If anything, it seemed to be causing the deity immense pain.
Is it a curse...?
But it felt slightly different from a standard curse.
It was almost like another layer of a seal.
"Asin."
"Do not speak! His power is surging toward you!"
"It's fine. That won't do anything to me."
Asin stared in shock, while the Calamity Deity raised his voice in sheer disbelief.
"What... did you say?"
Grim Reapers were immune to curses.
And that power shared the same nature as a curse.
Since necromancy was a power akin to that of a guide of death, curses had no effect on him either.
They simply slid right off.
"...It's just my constitution," Noel glossed over the details.
That wasn't the important part right now anyway.
"Asin, can deities be cursed too?"
That was what Noel wanted to know.
In his original world, there was only one being referred to as a god.
But here, countless deities existed and were actively worshipped.
The god-class spirits in my old world could be corrupted by curses, he recalled.
To be precise, they were contaminated by the corruption inherent in curses. Was it the same here?
"Deities can indeed be defiled," Asin replied, looking at the Calamity Deity with a much calmer demeanor than before. "However, it is a complex matter. Not easily explained."
"So even if it's not a direct curse, they can be affected by something similar?"
"Yes. But there are far too many prerequisites for such a thing to occur."
"Got it."
Noel reached out.
The black smoke coalesced, wrapping around the Calamity Deity's throat and slamming him against the wall.
Crash!
At the loud impact, Noel flinched slightly.
...Ah. Noise complaints!
Noel cast a quick glance toward the floor. It had only been a brief sound, so surely it would be fine.
He looked back at the Calamity Deity with a tense expression.
The deity was still glaring, but his hostility had noticeably dampened compared to moments ago.
As expected, a good beating was the best way to cool a hot head.
"What... are you?" the Calamity Deity rasped, staring as if he couldn't comprehend the situation. "How can you bind a god like me?"
He had looked like a mere novice, yet his powers were completely useless against him.
The deity's gaze shifted toward Asin.
Was that guardian deity truly that powerful?
"I asked why you were sealed," Noel repeated.
"What do you intend to do with that knowledge? Mock me?"
"I broke your seal. I can't even ask that much?"
"Do you dare mock a god...! Divine retribution will strike you down!"
"A god? Asin might call you a Calamity Deity, but who on earth would worship a god like you?"
Even if he were a shaman, Noel felt he would rather bite his own tongue than serve such a dreadful deity. Who would possibly want to?
"Ha...! Even in this state, I still possess the power to curse you!"
Trembling with rage, the deity began to emit corruption once more.
Right. This is how a cornered beast is supposed to act, Noel thought.
But the direction of his anger was absurd. Why take it out on an innocent bystander?
"You still haven't said thank you, have you?"
"What...?"
"I told you, I'm the one who freed you from that seal. It's only natural to wonder why you were sealed in the first place. But instead of answering, you're taking your anger out on me? Does a self-proclaimed god not know how to show gratitude?"
Noel had no intention of letting such insolence slide. Would his tongue fall off if he just said thank you? Noel was thoroughly annoyed.
The Calamity Deity looked utterly struck by those words.
"You had best watch your tongue," Asin warned, preparing to swing her sword once more, regardless of the deity's reaction. "Next time, I shall take your head."
This time, she was aiming for his neck.
Even if his head were severed, a deity would not perish. But his power would be severely weakened.
"...How wretched," the deity muttered.
"Me?" Noel asked.
Just as he spoke, a fierce gust of wind swept through the room.
"Myself," the deity whispered.
Asin's blade halted mere inches from his neck.
Noel watched in surprise, while the Calamity Deity stared at the blade, a faint look of disappointment in his eyes.
"...I find myself so wretched that I can barely endure it."
A deep, heavy self-loathing bled from his voice.
Neither Noel nor Asin knew the reason behind it.
"Then first, offer your gratitude to this child. It may ease some of that wretchedness," Asin said, teaching the fallen deity the most basic courtesy Noel had mentioned.
To offer thanks.
The Calamity Deity looked at Asin with weary eyes.
"Will you mock me?"
"Do you fear mockery so much?"
"Do you not?"
"It would be a lie to say I do not. But I stand tall and proud now, so what does it matter? I know better than anyone that I am not a being to be mocked."
Faced with Asin's unwavering self-assurance, the Calamity Deity lowered his gaze.
"Would you believe me... if I told you I was once one of the Seven Star Gods?"
"What's that?" Noel asked, having no idea what the Seven Star Gods were.
"...Do not jest," Asin narrowed her eyes.
"You do not believe me either. I suppose I wouldn't either. A noble deity turned into a Calamity Deity... It is indeed the perfect subject for mockery, is it not?"
The deity let out a self-deprecating laugh.
"Wait, what exactly is that?" Noel asked again.
"I am Tam-rang. The first star of the Big Dipper, shining loftily in the heavens."
"No, I mean, what kind of god is that?" Noel pressed.
He didn't care about the Big Dipper or stars; he wanted to know his function.
"A deity who governs the lifespan, misfortunes, blessings, and wealth of the living. Simply put, he holds sway over the destinies of those yet to be born. He was indeed a noble god who stood beside the Heavenly Emperor," Asin explained.
If he could control destiny before birth, he was a true god. That meant Tam-rang had once been a genuine deity, dragged down to earth for some reason.
Noel's gaze darkened.
Damned destiny. In his previous world, they had always spouted nonsense about everything being 'god's will,' and it was the same here. The only difference was that in his old world, no one dared to question it, whereas here, he could.
"Then do you just hand out people's destinies at random? Or do you actually think about it? There are so many people, how do you even assign all those fates?"
The Calamity Deity was momentarily at a loss for words. He had expected Noel to mock his fall, but the boy was asking about something else entirely.
"I've been really curious," Noel continued. "How does that damn destiny of yours actually work? If someone lives a hellish life from birth to death, why is that? Is it because you have some personal grudge against them? Or is there some grand reason they have to suffer like that? Tell me."
"Why... are you not mocking me?"
"What is there to mock? The fact that you fell from the heavens? Or that you were sealed?"
"Yes."
"...Sigh. Seriously, stop wallowing in your self-pity. Any sympathy I had is flying out the window because of how annoying you're being. Look, everyone has their own misfortunes. But they don't all live like you. You said you were a noble god, right? I guess when you were looking down from above, laughing and judging people, saying things like, 'They lived a miserable life, but they tried hard, how admirable,' you didn't know what it felt like to be on the receiving end?"
Noel sneered.
"Self-pity...?"
"Yeah. You enjoyed all the privileges, and now you're acting like you're the only victim in the world. It's incredibly obnoxious. Stop acting so pathetic, answer my question, and then die. I'll gladly obliterate you just like you wanted."
The black smoke gathering in Noel's hand coalesced into a longsword.
He pointed it directly at Tam-rang's throat.