The Monster Coliseum was always crowded.
A match where humans fight monsters – just hearing about it was enough to stir excitement.
However, the coliseum matches were not endless.
“All the matches scheduled for today have concluded! How was it, everyone!”
With the announcer’s words, all the day’s scheduled matches came to an end.
The spectators, feeling a sense of disappointment, promised to return for the next event.
Those who won money hoped to earn even more next time, while those who lost earnestly wished to recoup their losses.
Among them all, Edwin’s disappointment was the greatest.
It wasn’t because he lost money.
On the contrary, he had made an enormous amount.
“……”
Edwin was lost in a state of ecstasy he had never experienced before.
In his hand, he held a pouch brimming with gold coins; he had made a fortune with just a few bets.
As a novice priest, this was unimaginable.
But the day’s matches were now over.
It was time for him to get up and leave.
Matthew, who was beside him, lightly tapped Edwin’s shoulder.
“Hey, you’re incredibly lucky! Let’s go get a celebratory drink!”
At Matthew’s words, Edwin looked up.
Matthew was the one who had introduced him to the coliseum.
Edwin hadn’t come to this underworld solely to watch the coliseum.
As a novice priest, he was here to build up his achievements before officially becoming a priest.
Though he had been wary when Matthew first approached him, those feelings had all disappeared.
Matthew was someone to be grateful for.
Without him, he wouldn’t have even considered setting foot in the coliseum.
Even if he had, would he have dared to bet money?
‘No.’
Edwin shook his head.
He might have just watched and left.
In fact, it was sacrilegious for a priest who served a Goddess to indulge in such entertainment.
However, the pouch of gold coins in his hand allowed him to rationalize it.
‘I can help those in need with this money.’
Edwin consoled himself with that thought and then bowed his head to Matthew.
The reason he had won so much money was all thanks to Matthew.
“It’s all thanks to you, Lord Matthew. Thank you so much.”
Edwin’s way of addressing Matthew had changed.
His thanks were sincere.
Matthew humbly shook his head upon receiving Edwin’s gratitude, but Edwin was a man who remembered kindness.
As someone destined to become an honorable priest, he knew he had to repay the favor.
“The drinks are on me today.”
Matthew feigned reluctant agreement to Edwin’s proposal.
Thus, the two left the coliseum amicably.
He hadn’t enjoyed the matches much, but outside, it had already grown dark.
This must mean how engaging the matches were.
As Edwin looked around for a bar, a particular building caught his eye.
A simple structure opposite the coliseum building.
Some of the people leaving the coliseum were entering the building across the way.
The sight was strangely familiar.
‘…Ah!’
Watching them, Edwin remembered something that had happened that afternoon.
‘Her name was Sharia, wasn’t it?’
He had been flustered by how different the atmosphere was from what he expected when he first came to the underworld.
The being who appeared before his flustered self was a young girl.
The girl had pointed to that building and told him to visit sometime.
‘Sharia said she’d give out bread and meat, right?’
Edwin had been impressed by the fact that there were people doing volunteer work even in a place like this.
That’s why he remembered the building.
Those entering now must be going to get a meal.
As Edwin stared at the building in silence, Matthew beside him spoke.
“Are you interested in the Twilight Church?”
The Twilight Church?
At Matthew’s words, Edwin snapped back to attention.
The very name, Twilight Church, sounded like a religious organization.
Even so, Edwin was a novice priest belonging to the White Church.
On the El Dorado Continent, no religious organizations other than the White Church were recognized.
“…What kind of place is that?”
Anger was evident in Edwin’s voice.
Matthew also sensed the shift in atmosphere.
“Haha, I haven’t been there myself. I just heard they give out bread and meat.”
This was something Edwin already knew.
Perhaps they had just named it the Twilight Church?
Matthew continued.
“And when you visit that place, they have a lottery where they give out one benefit.”
“A benefit?”
“Yes, they say they treat you as a VIP of the coliseum here, adding 20% to any money you win.”
Matthew’s words piqued Edwin’s interest.
They not only did volunteer work but also offered a chance to be treated as a coliseum VIP through a lottery?
This meant the Twilight Church was connected to the Monster Coliseum.
“Hmm…”
It wasn’t that he was interested because of the benefit.
‘Is Sharia perhaps running the coliseum too?’
He was simply interested in the person named Sharia who volunteered here.
Edwin was soon to become a priest of the White Church.
If the Twilight Church was indeed a religious organization as its name suggested, he couldn’t just pass by.
‘Yes, this is practically an investigation.’
As Edwin pondered.
“What’s wrong? Do you want to go in there too?”
At Matthew’s words, Edwin snapped back to attention.
While he was interested, he had already promised to have drinks with Matthew.
Thanks to that promise, he had acquired a lot of gold coins, and what would happen if he broke that promise and went there?
He’d probably be called disloyal.
But contrary to Edwin’s worries, Matthew replied with a smile.
“Didn’t I tell you earlier? I said I’d show you around here. We can drink later, so if you want to go, it’s fine to stop by.”
Anyone would see this as a kind offer made with him in mind.
“Then, Lord Matthew, if you’ll excuse me, let’s visit there briefly and then go for drinks.”
Moved by Matthew’s character, Edwin started walking.
However, Edwin couldn’t see Matthew’s expression.
The twisted smile that graced his lips.
Within that smile lay a wickedness akin to a demon luring a newborn soul.
* * *
Edwin cautiously stepped into the Twilight Church building.
Contrary to its simple exterior, the interior unfolded a scene that surpassed his imagination.
‘…A sanctuary?’
The scene was more than enough to be called a sanctuary.
The soft blue lighting, as if infused with moonlight, enveloped the space, and luxurious tiles covered the floor, giving the feeling of entering an entirely different realm.
“Wow… it’s an amazing space, isn’t it?”
Edwin nodded at Matthew’s words.
It was indeed an immense space.
However, Edwin surveyed his surroundings with an indifferent expression.
‘Too extravagant.’
In a way, it fit the name Twilight Church, but Edwin instinctively felt wary.
He had initially thought it was just a simple volunteer group, but the scene inside suggested otherwise.
Most importantly, the atmosphere here felt similar to that of a religious organization.
‘I need to investigate further.’
As Edwin looked around, someone approached him.
“Ah, are you new arrivals?”
The person who spoke was a man in a black robe.
It was the same robe the girl he saw earlier had worn.
“Here, please take this.”
The man handed Edwin and Matthew each a piece of paper and continued speaking.
The paper Edwin received had the number ‘36’ written on it.
“After the Head Priest finishes speaking, we will draw numbers randomly. Those who hold the paper with the drawn number will be treated as VIPs of the coliseum. Please be careful not to lose your paper.”
At the man’s words, Edwin’s eyes changed.
The word ‘Head Priest’ was clearly included in the content.
‘Head Priest….’
If the Twilight Church were a legitimate volunteer organization, such a title should not exist.
In other words, this place was no different from a religious organization.
‘It was indeedheresey…’
Edwin looked at the paper with ‘36’ written on it.
The fact that holding this paper could make him a coliseum VIP suggested that this place, the heretics, and the coliseum were one entity.
“……”
Edwin pondered for a moment.
If it was indeed heresy, he couldn’t just ignore it.
Moreover, the money he won at the coliseum was the money of heretics, and as a member of the Church, he shouldn’t accept it.
Originally, he should have left this place immediately and gone to the Church’s branch.
And returning the gold coins would have been the right thing to do for someone who believed in the Goddess.
However, Edwin pressed his lips together and shook his head slightly.
‘It’s not certain yet.’
It seemed more appropriate to investigate further to confirm if this place was truly heretical.
Perhaps the title ‘Head Priest’ was just a title?
More importantly, the mention of being treated as a coliseum VIP was too tempting.
‘…It was more fun than I thought.’
The thrilling emotion he felt during the coliseum matches lingered in his mind.
His hands trembled at the thought of betting again while watching those matches.
Not just ordinary matches, but fights between humans and monsters.
To not only watch such exciting matches but also to gain immense wealth from them – it was an overwhelmingly stimulating form of entertainment for him, who had lived an ordinary life in the White Church. He was enveloped by a strong temptation to become addicted to that stimulation.
‘It’s better to watch a bit longer.’
Nothing was certain yet.
What if he stirred things up unnecessarily and this place wasn’t heretical?
He could inadvertently harm innocent people, so Edwin was cautious.
Then, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Even if the Twilight Church was indeed heretical, couldn’t he just keep winning money?
Wouldn’t it be acceptable to extort money from heretics and use it for the Church?
Whether it was heretical or not, Edwin could just enjoy the Monster Coliseum.
If he received VIP treatment as a bonus, he could earn even more money.
“Yes, that’s it!”
Edwin uttered it unconsciously, having come up with a brilliant plan.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, no. I just had a thought. Haha.”
He vaguely replied to Matthew’s question and followed the man in the black robe.
As they walked down the silent corridor, two doors appeared.
One was labeled ‘Auditorium,’ and the other was labeled ‘Truth.’
“Please enter through the door labeled ‘Truth.’”
As soon as the man finished speaking, Matthew opened his mouth again.
“I’m going to the restroom. You go ahead.”
“Ah, the restroom is this way.”
Matthew and the man left.
Edwin looked around once more and approached the door labeled ‘Truth.’
“……”
Just in case, he lightly unleashed his holy power, but he detected nothing.
At least it meant this was not a place related to dark magic.
Edwin felt a slight sense of disappointment.
If it weren’t for the title ‘Head Priest’ or the word ‘Twilight Church,’ it would have been a perfectly ordinary place, so it was a shame it could be misunderstood.
‘Should I watch a bit longer?’
Edwin opened the door.
Beyond the door was a small room, and an old man was sitting in a corner.
“Huh?”
He was surprised to find himself in a small room after opening the door.
Didn’t they say the Head Priest would appear?
And quite a few people had entered the building.
Here, there was only him and the old man.
“I must have come to the wrong place.”
Perhaps the man had given him the wrong directions.
Did he need to enter the door labeled ‘Auditorium’ instead of ‘Truth’?
As he was about to step back outside.
“You have come to the right place. Lord Edwin.”
The old man spoke.
Turning to look at the old man, Edwin was once again astonished.
The old man was clearly old, but the person in front of him was a young man.
Moreover, the fact that he knew his name was a mystery.
“Please excuse my late introduction. My name is Kaleido. I am a scholar who researches illusion magic.”
As he spoke, Edwin’s eyes closed.
* * *
At the same time.
Other events were unfolding beyond the door labeled ‘Auditorium.’
The auditorium was spacious.
The ceiling and walls were adorned with unknown patterns, creating a mystical atmosphere.
A long central aisle divided the space, with dozens of chairs arranged neatly on either side.
People were already seated in the chairs.
On their faces, reverence and expectation were mixed.
Regardless of age or gender, people from various social strata were gathered, as evident from their attire.
And on the platform at the very front, a cloth embroidered with ornate gold thread was draped.
The being standing above it was Sharia, the Head Priest of the Twilight Church.
“My beloved followers. Today, Brother Matthew has brought ‘a wandering young soul.’”
“Woooah-!”
The crowd cheered at Head Priest Sharia’s words.
‘A wandering young soul’ referred to people not affiliated with the Twilight Church.
And for bringing such people to the Twilight Church, various benefits were given.
Bread and meat were basic, accompanied by material rewards.
This led people who encountered the Twilight Church to bring their family and acquaintances.
Those family members and acquaintances would then bring other people to attend the Twilight Church.
Not only did they get to eat, but they also received money for bringing more acquaintances, making it quite a profitable endeavor.
The Twilight Church, which had only recently been established, grew its numbers by distributing money in this manner.
“Remember, everyone. Those who dedicate themselves to our Twilight Church will receive rewards commensurate with their devotion. Among them, the most loyal followers will receive the glory of becoming truly one with Him! Therefore, let us all serve with all our hearts and souls until that great day when He descends! Twilight!”
“Twilight!”
Everyone shouted in unison at Sharia’s words.
Sharia was reading from the script below, hyping up the atmosphere.
Although it felt awkward at first, she had now become adept at acting as Head Priest.
– The followers of the Twilight Church will one day become one with Him.
This was the ultimate benefit and the glorious position that the Twilight Church proclaimed.
– Upon becoming one with Him, you shall be liberated from suffering.
Some thought they would be freed from poverty by receiving tremendous rewards.
Others dreamed of their status rising, freeing them from a life of servitude.
However, in the Twilight Church, becoming one with Him meant exactly that.
It meant becoming a ‘sacrifice.’
The act of willingly ascending to the altar and offering oneself as a sacrifice to Him.
By offering themselves as a sacrifice, they would break free from worldly suffering and turmoil.
Furthermore, they would find eternal rest in His embrace – what glorious honor could be greater than this?
This was the meaning of becoming one with Him.
However, the followers did not know this fact.
Even the members of Eclipse, who had worked with her before the Twilight Church, did not know the meaning.
Only Head Priest Sharia and Deputy Head Priest Lucas knew this fact.
While the act of sacrificing fellow humans might seem horrific to some, Sharia felt nothing.
As the Head Priest of the Twilight Church and a warlock, she truly dreamed of the resurrection of the Evil God.
Since the followers would willingly offer themselves as sacrifices, all she had to do was watch.
Head Priest Sharia called them.
“…Fanatics.”
