As the sun set, Luke sat with the twelve Disciples, and while they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” They were deeply distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely, you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely, you don’t mean me, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said so.”
Gospel of Aurelia Chapter 17: 20-25
Determined to deal with the part Deus is aiming for and to confront Dominic…
Only for other questions to pop up instead.
– Sulking.
Ignis drooped her head.
Seeing Ignis looking all gloomy made it clear that this was all she knew.
Deus probably didn’t share more information with her.
Maybe what Ignis just told me was indeed Deus’s intention.
No, it must be.
Still, I was able to confirm that Deus does exist.
And that she intends to make me her Son as well.
God wants to adopt me as His Son, huh?
I’ve been calling myself the Son of Deus all this time, thinking I was doing my own thing, and it turns out that was what Deus wanted all along.
And honestly, that works out great.
I can be the name of Deus without her hating me.
But, can I think that Deus is on my side?
The ancient god who became Dia’s ally in [Deus Ex Machina] resurrected because of the book I wrote, and now he’s on my side.
Does Deus even know what I’m planning to do against Dominic and ‘Chaos’?
The evil gods of ‘Chaos’ who flaunted their unmatched power in [Deus Ex Machina].
And Dominic, who gave up being human by becoming a minion of such evil gods.
A regular level of power wouldn’t even stand a chance.
Of course, with Paulah joining as the closest transcendent among mortals as the ‘agent of Chaos,’ things did change slightly, but no matter how powerful Paulah is, mortals cannot stand up to deities.
While Saul killed Atzoatl in [Deus Ex Machina], that was only possible because various conditions coincidentally overlapped, and at that moment, Saul had transcended the level of being a mortal.
Even if I could unleash the full potential of all the forces I’ve gathered so far, taking down even one deity is impossible.
That’s why my original plan was to find a way to confront a deity by means that aren’t normal.
So I took the time to go all the way to the far desert of Celes and search for Celestia’s legacy.
If I can use ‘that’ under specific conditions, I’ll gain the power to confront even a deity.
Of course, the best scenario would be if the evil gods, like before, came into the imaginary world…
But after losing once to me in such a setting and learning about my power there, I can’t wish for such luck again.
“Lord. A feast has been prepared for you and your Apostles.”
Hearing the girl’s words, Barnabas knelt beside Paula.
A feast…
First, I should feed my Disciples ‘that’ to prepare for the upcoming battle.
Considering Dominic’s personality, it could happen as soon as tomorrow.
Today’s feast might be the last meal before the showdown.
“I shall serve it.”
Under Paula’s guidance, we moved to the basement of the building.
Behind me followed our twelve Disciples.
Except for Jaime, these were the characters we had all met in [Deus Ex Machina].
Simon, with his acceleration ability, was beloved as the map exploration character when I became playable.
Iako, a twin with special telekinetic skills.
Jaime, who rose to the saintess candidacy in the Baal cult but wasn’t featured in [Deus Ex Machina].
Johanna, who was controlled by the Baal cult but boasted a presence like the god of thunder as a boss character.
Mata, a supporting character who wasn’t overshadowed by power inflation and continued to be favored.
Migdal, an outstanding knight affiliated with the Nova Empire who accomplished great feats in the Nova Empire episode.
Judah, the popular character at Calandra Academy who flipped the script every time she appeared.
And Aurelia, the imperial princess of the Nova Empire, maintaining her popularity status from her incredible stealth to her firm character and excellent internal affairs skills, never stepping down from the ranks until the update notice was released.
Finally, the Celestian spirits who became solid allies while passing through Celes’s trials.
With just this crew, you could take on most nations.
All the elixirs and artifacts gathered so far.
And through the legacies gained from Celes, I was able to pull out even more potential than I obtained in [Deus Ex Machina].
At this point, they could take on the entire Nova Empire minus Dominic.
But we still have to face Dominic and ‘Chaos’, so I need ‘that.’
In the basement, we sat at a huge table prepared for us by Paula.
I was right in the middle, with the other Disciples surrounding me.
“Today, give us our daily bread…”
I started the usual pre-meal prayer, leading the way.
Everyone closed their eyes, earnestly praying.
Their faith gave rise to Deus, they say.
An existing God.
And that, too, created by me.
“…For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever Mother. Amen.”
On the table, there was bread and wine for us to consume.
I took a piece of bread while pouring spell power from one of the artifacts among Celestia’s legacies into it.
This was a necessary task for the showdown.
They had to weave this energy infused with my magic into their bodies.
“Eat this. For it is my body.”
…That sounded a bit odd, didn’t it?
Not entirely inaccurate, though.
I did the same with the wine bottle, lifting it and infusing it with my magic.
“Drink from this cup.”
And poured the wine into each of their cups.
“This is my blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins, the blood of the covenant.”
…Well, it’s not technically wrong, I guess.
Because for that battle, I’d have to die once myself.
“Listen carefully. From now on, I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Mother’s kingdom.”
The final supper before the showdown.
Until the war with Dominic, there would be no more drinking for enjoyment.
Suddenly,
Judah, who had been sipping wine, sprang to her feet.
Everyone turned to look at her.
…What’s happening?
“Te-Teacher! Th-this is!”
Was something wrong with the wine infused with my power?
That can’t be!
Why?
“I’m sorry, Teacher!”
She flustered, sprinting up the stairs.
…What’s going on?
*
A solemn feast.
It felt like the day of the confrontation with the tyrant was drawing near, and the kingdom of Deus was just around the corner.
Unlike usual, my Teacher’s face was stiff and serious.
Probably because that day was upon us.
In such a grave mood, my Teacher distributed the bread and wine to everyone.
Teacher’s body and blood.
Hearing those words made me want to savor them slowly.
How great it would be to lick Teacher’s real body.
Feeling warmth between my legs while gulping down the wine.
A certain vision surged in my mind.
The tyrant Dominic.
Two evil gods standing behind him.
An evil army created by those gods.
And before them stood only my Teacher.
“I am the lamb who will atone for all mankind’s sins.”
Teacher’s glowing body.
Teacher’s body turned to flour and scattered… the evil army was vanquished.
By Teacher’s sacrifice.
Suddenly,
I leaped to my feet without realizing it.
What’s happening here?
Wasn’t Teacher supposed to defeat Dominic and become the ruler of the Nova Empire, the king of Deus’s kingdom?
Through Teacher’s sacrifice, save the world?
What does that even mean?
While everyone was looking at me, Teacher and I made eye contact.
Teacher’s expression didn’t show an ounce of panic.
…Is this the truth?
Does Teacher not feel fear at all?
Becoming a burnt offering for all mankind?
Vowing to atone for humanity’s sins?
“I’m sorry, Teacher!”
Out of sheer panic, I found myself rushing out of the basement.
What on earth am I doing in front of Teacher?
…But, if what I just saw is the future…
I can’t allow it.
I will stop it.
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