-Do you want me to let even a single fingertip touch our son?!
The right half of the transformed Deus’s face yelled at the other half.
What the heck happened?
-Ugh. Hitting myself… why?!
The left side of the face, punched by the right fist, seemed bewildered.
…Split personality?
Now that I think about it, she was just inside, confused earlier.
The original persona of Deus who cherished me and treated me as her son.
And the other persona, controlled by faith derived from the scriptures.
It looked like the two personas were fighting inside her earlier.
Did those two personas manifest like this?
-If it’s something Luke doesn’t want, if it hurts Luke, if it makes Luke sad, then I would rather be obliterated!
-You! Are you saying you’re going to obliterate yourself?!
The two faces started to raise their voices.
-Yes. I’d rather obliterate myself.
Snap!
As Deus flicked her fingers, all the chains that were wrapping around me vanished.
After checking on Ignis and Lilith, they were all freed from chains.
-You! What did you do?!
-I freed the innocent children.
-Do you mean to abandon your mission? Is that what you mean?!
-Yes. That mission is nothing without Luke.
-Will you really do that?!
Twirling!
As the persona of Deus, connected to the scriptures, raised her left hand, an overwhelming number of chains sprang out of the air, drowning the surroundings in her divinity.
-The Trinity must be achieved! The scriptures must be fulfilled! That is Deus, the omniscient and omnipotent El Shaddai Deus!
-Ugh!
Boom!
The original persona of Deus unleashed her power and nullified the chains.
Yet, an incredible number of chains still remained.
-You also cannot control everything about this body.
-Tch.
-Regardless of your interference, I have enough power to fulfill my mission. You can just watch as this mission gets completed!
The chains of Deus surged towards us from above.
Boom! Boom!
With the power I obtained by igniting divinity earlier, I managed to block the encroaching chains.
-No, no way!
The original persona of Deus looked flustered.
-Luke is dying! What are you doing?!
-Well… this is unexpected. However, even if Luke’s divinity is damaged, it will recover if we become one.
-You madwoman!
Unlike usual, Deus struck her own body with an excited voice.
-Hah. Do you think that will make me stop? As long as I’m intact, the Trinity will be achieved.
-…Intact, you say?
Deus seemed to ponder for a moment.
She declared to the ‘scripture’ with a determined gaze.
-Yes. It’s fine as long as I’m not intact.
Crunch!
She then pierced her chest with her hand.
-Kugh! You! What are you doing?!
-…I condemn the evil woman who tries to harm our son.
-Are you going to destroy your own divinity?! This is not simply neglecting your mission! You will be completely obliterated!
-Yes. Obliteration. I’d rather be obliterated than harm our son.
-Are you serious?!
-Yes.
-No way… are you really going to be obliterated like this?!
The ‘scripture’ stomped her left foot hard on the ground.
Whoooosh!
From her, Deus’s divinity erupted in all directions.
The divinity consumed the surrounding area.
The scenery that surrounded us changed completely.
A gigantic… temple.
A temple filled with numerous statues… but all of them are… my own likeness?
A temple entirely filled with statues resembling me. What on earth is this?
As I looked ahead, it was none other than Deus, transformed into two personas.
-Was I drawn into the imagery world?
-Yes. I can’t face an absurd obliteration like this.
The original Deus and the ‘scripture’ consumed Deus.
It was a manifestation of two personas.
…Is this the imagery world of Deus?
Does even the sole deity have an imagery world?
Were they originally a persona deity and then became a sole deity?
-In this place, I will not be obliterated by my own interference.
Boom!
From behind Deus, a gigantic core revealed itself.
-Deus’s core.
Lilith had approached my side.
-Yeah. It’s mom’s core.
And Ignis added.
-Lily. You burned the divinity earlier. Are you okay?
-Huh? My body?
I didn’t feel any abnormality or anything like that.
-I think I’m fine?
-Luke! Don’t ever do that again! What if you get obliterated?!
-Obliteration?
Lilith and Ignis looked at me with worried eyes.
If I had burned all my divinity to gain power beyond my capacity, would I have obliterated myself like Judah?
…Earlier, I did it without realizing because of the urgent situation.
If I kept doing things like that, I would have been obliterated.
If I were to get obliterated, it would also be impossible to write a new story to resurrect Judah.
I can’t let that happen.
-Lily! Promise me! You won’t do anything like that again!
-Uh, okay…
Lilith brought her face closer and looked into my eyes.
Earlier, Deus said that Lilith couldn’t protect my past life.
That is a false memory I had put inside Lilith.
Yet for her to say that… could it mean I truly had a past life?
-By the way… why does that statue resemble Lilith?
Lilith, puzzled, was staring at a statue.
Among countless statues resembling my likeness, one statue depicted a woman.
…It certainly resembled the woman Lily I saw in Lilith’s memories and encountered in Alburzoa.
Is it just a coincidence?
Boom!
-Hahaha! No matter how much you oppose me, you will have to fight while protecting those three behind you! Do you truly think you can stand against me?!
-Ugh.
Deus and the ‘scripture’ Deus clashed.
The mommy Deus who tried to sacrifice herself to protect me.
…She tried to save me even knowing she could obliterate herself.
It hasn’t been long since I saw her.
She deliberately avoided meeting me.
Therefore, I hadn’t felt any intimacy with her.
But her love for me… felt strange.
Deus was fighting with penalties to protect us.
Even if they were the same Deus, one fighting to protect someone would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
At this rate, Deus wouldn’t have any chance to win.
However.
Since this is the imagery world.
Just like when I faced off against Lilith earlier, I walked toward the Deus and time came to a halt.
Boom!
-What is this?
-Luke!
-I haven’t known you for long yet. So calling you mom… I’m still not used to it.
But the way she has shown herself till now… is that of a devoted mother for her son.
-I am the ‘Son of Deus’!
With time stopped, the ‘scripture’ Deus could no longer be my enemy…!
Crash!
The halted world began to move again.
-Right. Luke. Since before gaining divinity, I had the power to stop time.
-Huh, how…?
-Luke. How could my son not know? I am the omnipotent Deus. Time and space are all mine.
You can manipulate even time at will?
In that case, even if this is the imagery world, I won’t stand a chance against her.
What should I do…?
Suddenly!
Someone hugged me from behind.
-My son. I was so glad to hear that you said I’m your mom.
Deus?
-On the day I met you, I spent all my time worrying whether you would hate me.
Now why are you hugging me?
-I’m such a fool. I only did foolish things that would make you dislike me.
But there’s an enemy right in front of us!
-Luke brought me back to this world. Not recognizing your grace, I’ve done things that would make you sad.
-Mom. Hold on a second.
-Does that mean you’re going to call me mom now?
Turning to look at her face.
She was smiling with tears in her eyes.
-But still. At the end, I can still do a motherly thing. If Luke becomes my child, I promised to protect you… I can fulfill that promise now.
…At the end?
What do you mean about the promise…?
-Deus, no, Mom. What are you talking about…?
-I love you, my… son. My Luke.
Boom!
Deus then kicked off the ground and flew toward the ‘scripture’ Deus.
-What! You! Don’t tell me!
-If I keep fighting like this, I won’t be able to protect Luke and will lose. However, if I die before that! Then the story changes.
-No! Stop!
Deus…
You can’t be serious.
You’re going to sacrifice your core…?
The ‘scripture’ Deus attempted to stop Deus, but
The omnipotent power of Deus unleashed mercilessly.
Even the ‘scripture’ Deus couldn’t hope to contain it.
Boom!
Boom!
And then.
Crack!
Bang!
Deus’s core was shattered.
-Argghhh!
The ‘scripture’ Deus disintegrated into dust.
And likewise, Deus too began to scatter into dust.
Right now… you aimed to save me?
You sacrificed yourself?
-Even so, I was able to protect my son in the end. With this… everything is complete.
She closed her eyes with a relieved expression.
And then… completely vanished from sight.
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