Luke asked, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Aurelia, thinking he was the gardener, replied, “They took away the body, and I must find it!” Then Luke called to her, “Aurelia!” She turned and called out, “Teacher!”
—
In the twisting space,
She was pushed out of her realm by the overwhelming power of Deus.
This place, far from her territory, was somewhere between dimensions.
Deus also followed me through the cracks in the dimensions.
– “Mom doesn’t quite understand. Why does our son push his mother away so much? Wasn’t writing the scripture meant to unite us?”
She looked at me with a sad expression.
Does she really think that I wrote the book because I wanted to become one with her?
– “…All-powerful Deus. Don’t you know why I wrote the scripture?”
My voice was colder than I expected.
The fact that she used my partner to stab me didn’t help.
And despite knowing everything I was doing, she manipulated events to unfold exactly as prophesied, which made it hard for me to speak courteously.
Seeing Ignis tied up might have been the breaking point.
More than anything, the idea of becoming one with her is troubling.
Even if I love my son, Luke, does it mean she wants to devour me?
I’m not just going to let that happen.
– “This isn’t good. I didn’t want to scold Luke, my loving son who made his mother exist.”
Should I use the loving rod?
A bit of regret surfaced.
It’s a fight with the one true god.
Was I too hasty?
I might have made a wrong choice intoxicated by the overflowing divinity within me.
Since she can’t read my thoughts anymore, I could have waited to assess the situation a bit longer.
Kuung.
The surrounding space was pressed down by tremendous force.
I tried to resist using my divinity, but the pressure only increased, pushing me down.
– “Ugh!”
I tried to negate it using all the omnipotent divinity in my body, but it was no match.
Is this what being the one true god feels like?
There’s an overwhelming gap in power that makes it seem impossible to win.
None of the previous opponents ever made me feel this way.
– “Ah. My Luke. Seeing you in pain makes my heart ache greatly.”
Deus waved her hand in the air.
The powerful pressure that was crushing me disappeared.
– “Luke… would you come back to this mother now? I don’t want to scold our Luke.”
She looked at me with a pitiful gaze.
…Should I go back to her now?
That overwhelming gap in power I just experienced.
This divine power is incomparable to anything from my previous battles with Atzoatl or Saros.
The difference between an ordinary human and the God of Evil ‘Chaos’ feels less significant than the difference between the God of Evil ‘Chaos’ and Deus.
…No matter how much divinity I possess, without being able to use this power, there’s no way I can win.
But… if I submit to her… I will be devoured.
Becoming one with her means my annihilation, doesn’t it?
Currently, my main body’s consciousness is severed.
Right now, this body might be my true form.
If I allow her to absorb me, it’s over.
– “…My Luke.”
Deus appeared behind me without me noticing.
– “Looks like this mother misunderstood. I thought all the content in the scripture was what Luke desired.”
She wrapped her arms around me.
Then she raised her head onto my shoulder.
– “I’ll cancel it. I won’t become one with Luke.”
Cancel it?
– “If our Luke doesn’t want it, I won’t do it. Everything I’ve done so far was for Luke.”
Deus came back in front of me, lacing her fingers behind her back.
– “I made a mistake, okay? So, can’t we reconcile?”
She tilted her head to the side.
– “Reconcile?”
– “Yes.”
– “Weren’t you trying to eat me? You even tied up Ignis. I thought you saw me as an enemy?”
– “…Enemy? Oh. You thought that way?”
She gasped, covering her mouth with one hand in surprise.
– “No way. I wouldn’t eat my beloved son.”
Really?
– “I was trying to make you an omnipotent god, like me. It’s… hard to explain, but it’s not eating you. I must’ve made you misunderstand.”
– “What do you mean…?”
– “If Luke doesn’t want it, I won’t do it. I thought everything you wrote in the scripture was what you wanted, but if you don’t want it, I won’t.”
If I don’t want it, she won’t do it?
But wasn’t it dictated by the divinity created from the scripture?
– “Is that okay?”
– “Of course. …My divinity might wane, but if my son doesn’t want it, I won’t proceed.”
Is she serious?
Does Deus truly see me as her son?
– “Oh, by the way.”
Snap.
As Deus snapped her fingers, the scenery around us transformed back to her realm.
And the flaming ropes binding Ignis were released.
– “I’m sorry, Ignis. I wanted us to become one after becoming one with Luke. It seems that won’t happen.”
– “No… Ignis is fine…”
– “Aren’t you expecting to become one with Luke? You targeted him before me, even defying my words.”
– “Oh, no, I thought Luke would like it…”
Ignis lowered her head, looking embarrassed.
Ignis wanted to become one with me too?
– “Oh no, Luke! I didn’t plan to force you into anything! I thought you’d want it!”
The shock of realizing Ignis had the same thought hits me.
…This is quite a revelation.
It’s not about being devoured, rather it’s a shared divinity, but I’m not sure what that means specifically.
But the very idea of becoming one feels uncomfortable.
I feel like I might lose myself.
Are we avoiding conflict with Deus resolved?
Ignis is free now.
There’s no risk of getting devoured by Deus.
…Now, I just need to return to the original world and inform Judah that it was because she was controlled that she stabbed me, and then catch Saros.
Has it been quite some time since I’ve been here?
Are things fine with Orion?
Saros didn’t destroy everything, did he?
By the way, Judah did gain divinity, right?
…But even if Judah became a god, she probably isn’t strong enough to take down Saros.
I was surprised because she caught me off guard, but will she be okay?
– “Deus.”
– “What is it, my son?”
– “I need to return to Orion. Quickly.”
– “You’re leaving already? What about your mom?”
I was stuck in disbelief at her reply.
– “Haha, just kidding. You don’t have to look so serious. Luke, right now, you are a god like me. You can go anywhere you want. If you wish to return to Orion, you can.”
I can return to Orion just like that?
– “Close your eyes and concentrate. Imagine you are there while gathering divinity.”
Following her instructions, I closed my eyes and focused.
Imagining the scenery of Orion.
Then,
Chirp chirp.
I saw myself in the middle of Orion.
– “Luke, I hope you’ll come back to find me once you sort your thoughts. Without you, I’m nothing.”
Deus’s voice echoed in my mind.
Did she send me something like telepathy?
– “Yeah. I’ll return later. But right now, I need time to think.”
I need some time to make sense of everything.
First, I’ll handle all the matters in Orion, and then I will think it through.
—
A massive search operation involving all the knights and soldiers in Orion commenced.
After searching the ruins of the imperial palace thoroughly,
They found the Lord’s body two days later.
—
The body of the Teacher, lifeless with a hole in his side…
…without even a hint of warmth.
—
Did the Lord sacrifice himself to save us while I was denying him?
…I am.
I received the Lord’s washing of feet; how could I…!
—
The hastily made tomb for the former emperor, Dominic.
It should have been grand for a former emperor, but the Lord’s tomb took precedence.
I laid the Lord to rest in the tomb prepared for the former emperor.
—
Since my father had vanished without leaving a fragment of his body behind, it was suitable to lay the Lord to rest.
Sealed so no one could approach, at dawn the next day.
—
I went to the tomb to see the Lord.
Though I lacked the qualification, I couldn’t bear to see His body sullied, so I entered the tomb alone to clean it.
But….
Gone?
No one was supposed to be allowed in.
—
…No.
Did someone steal it?
The Lord’s body?
—
In a hurry, I dashed out of the tomb, tripping over my legs.
—
My sore legs.
…But it’s nothing compared to the pain the Lord, who sacrificed Himself for all, must feel after having even His body stolen.
The pain I feel…!
—
Plop.
Tears fell to the ground.
—
The Lord… is He suffering even after returning?
It can’t happen.
It absolutely can’t happen.
I must find whoever did this, tear them apart, and annihilate them.
—
As I resolved that and tried to rise,
“Why are you crying?”
—
“Gravekeeper? Someone has stolen the body! Find it at once! It must be your priority!”
—
“Aurelia.”
—
…No.
That can’t be.
Ha, but I confirmed He was gone?
He… couldn’t possibly come back….
—
“…T-Teacher?”
—
I looked up to see a longed-for face.
My Lord stood before me.
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