“D-Did you just die?!”
The Grand Witch chuckled, nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders.
“Well, I had to come, didn’t I?”
“No, but this is just too sudden!”
I knew the Grand Witch had lived for an inconceivable amount of time compared to other witches, but I never expected her to arrive in such an empty way after dying.
“If you knew my age, you’d be shocked. I was clinging to a life I should have let go of, so this place is weird for me in any case.”
With a bored wave of her hand, the Grand Witch weaved magic. Each time her hand moved, numerous dolls turned to light and disappeared.
“I feel light being dead. No back pain, clear vision. If I had known, I would have died a bit sooner.”
“Wow, way to lighten the mood.”
Anyway, thanks to the Grand Witch’s intervention, the tides of battle were rapidly changing. What was once a simple, brute-force fight was now turning into an assault from our side.
“With this level, I could probably take on Ancient Beasts, right?”
Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I didn’t realize the Grand Witch’s abilities were this exceptional. Though she might not have been on the level of top-tier predators like Sharcarl or Kurika, she could definitely handle lower-tier Ancient Beasts.
“There used to be many witches on the level of Ancient Beasts. But after being holed up in the forest for generations, their magical skills inevitably declined.”
“Huh.”
“And I—”
Thud!
The continuous barrage of violet magic orbs was not just a simple attack. They stuck to the path of light and blocked the enemies’ advance.
“I couldn’t use magic properly due to my age. It’s been ages since I shot magic orbs without shoulder strain.”
Giggling, the Grand Witch kept firing off various spells. As someone with barely a speck of mana, I was a little envious.
At that moment, the Goddess of Death, who had been hiding a bit behind, came striding over and shouted.
“You! How do you have consciousness? The dead lose all awareness!”
Now that I think about it, she had a point.
As known on the continent, the Spirit Realm isn’t a hell where sins are paid for, nor is it a place for reunions.
It’s an incredibly bleak and lonely place. A resting spot where one sleeps without consciousness, waiting for the day to be reborn into the continent.
So it was strange that the Grand Witch could be so lucid and casting spells.
“My reason for living a life that transcends humans as the Grand Witch is simple. I don’t want to die. The afterlife was an unknown place.”
It wasn’t for the remaining witches. The Grand Witch was, as always, self-serving.
“But I’ve died three times.
The continent’s nightmare. Twice to The Earliest Apocalypse and once to The Following Apocalypse.
Since the Grand Witch had already experienced death three times, she smirked in a way that said, “Don’t underestimate me.”
“I’ve learned what comes after death. Simply endless nothingness. A life asleep with nothing at all. To twist that, I have worked hard over the past three years. It was difficult, but not so different from just trying to prolong life.”
“Ah…”
“Thanks to that, I have realized the truth of the world. I’ve directly experienced the cycle of life and death.”
The Goddess of Death suddenly glared at me. I didn’t know why she was directing that at me, but she looked like she wanted to nag.
“I’ll keep pushing forward, so help me out.”
I ignored her and directed the Grand Witch. She began pouring out mana, saying it was simple.
“It’s nice to use magic without resistance again! I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed it!”
Indeed, nothing beats magic when fighting against an army. The dolls densely standing on the path of light were being pushed back, clearing the way for me.
“How long do you plan to stay back there?”
I made eye contact with the God of Life at the end of the path. I started running straight toward him.
“Are you going to lose?”
With the sudden appearance of the Grand Witch, the battle was tipping in our favor. Knowing that, the God of Life looked at the Grand Witch disdainfully, shouting.
“You guys are always invading my territory!”
“Hehe, I see you still remember this old hag.”
For a moment, I was confused, but the Goddess of Death was clapping her hands and jumping.
“Ah! It was the God of Life who kicked us out because of my prophetic abilities!”
“Ah, I see?”
So, this is why the Grand Witch was so eager to help? That’s why it felt a bit off.
“The Goddess of Time sent us a message. She told us that we witches suffered so much because of you. So I decided to come here to give you a taste of your own medicine.”
Witches always had an obstinate side.
To survive in the Forest of the Demon Realm, they must’ve struggled and fought with all they had.
While they may have committed countless inhumane acts, they probably had their reasons, too.
“Finally, I can return in dignity to the departed ancestors of the witches.”
The old hag’s lips curved upwards. It was a look that showed her lifelong grudge had been released.
At that moment, the Goddess of Death stepped closer, wiggling her fingers.
“Um…”
“Hm?”
The Goddess of Death, who was hesitating, glanced away and whispered. Since I had spent quite a bit of time with her, I knew that this was usually the time when she’d say something unnecessary.
“All the witches have been reincarnated.”
“…”
“You probably can’t greet them.”
Clears throat.
The Grand Witch pretended she didn’t hear and continued casting spells. As expected, her experience showed; she was far from the oblivious girl who had holed herself in the Spirit Realm playing chess solo.
“What’s with these gods? Are they all off their rockers?”
The Goddess of Time was one.
The Goddess of Death was one too.
“And you, too.”
I locked eyes with the God of Life.
He frowned, slowly lifting his spear.
“I heard from the Goddess of Death. You all say you’re like siblings. You’re all close, huh?”
“…What nonsense are you saying?”
“Why did you suddenly lose your mind? You never thought of being an absolute god at all, right?”
“They are no longer gods.”
Flames ignited from the tip of his spear and shot straight at me. It was a straightforward attack. I dodged using the dolls as a shield and moved forward.
“Being weak doesn’t matter. Foolishness or defeat, it was all done under our fair rules.”
“…?”
“In that process, neither death, time, nor I, but you— a third party, the human, won, yet I didn’t hold a grudge.”
So even in the situation where he alone became a god, he didn’t destroy the continent.
“However, we should never forget that we bear the name of gods.”
Intense emotions swirled.
I instantly understood that the recent words explained the God of Life’s actions.
“Even if we lose our authority, even if we are broken and fall! We must live as gods! How can you not understand this? Why do you resemble humans?”
Boom!
Finally.
My sword touched the God of Life.
The soldiers densely packed before began melting away in the flames he unleashed.
“We cannot allow that. Time and death. Before you deteriorate further and become human.”
I swung my sword, but it was blocked by the spear swung by the God of Life, sending me floating backward. I almost fell off the path of light and got chills down my spine.
“As long as you can wear the name of a god, I’ll give you the chance to die as a god.”
“…Honestly, I have nothing to say.”
It was undeniable that the Goddess of Death had changed during the time we spent together. She had become closer to being human rather than a god.
But there was something I wanted to correct.
“What if that’s not such a bad thing?”
“What?”
“What’s so wrong with those who didn’t change starting to gradually change from this incident?”
On a personal level, I thought that too.
“And this isn’t just change.”
It’s growth.
At my words, the God of Life’s face contorted. He started advancing toward me. Flames erupted from his vicinity with each step he took.
‘He’s more intense than during The Following Apocalypse, isn’t he?’
Back then, I was borrowing Ares’ body; now, this is the original. It seems I had strongly poked at the God of Life’s sore spot.
“You were excellent for a human. Yeah, honestly I was afraid of fighting you.”
The scattered flames began gathering into one place, forming a gigantic circle. The sun rose over the dark sky of the Spirit Realm.
“You cannot even engage in equal battle with that body.”
“Have you finally realized?”
The God of Life had been too intimidated to fight me up to now; if he had gone all out from the start, the Spirit Realm would have been finished long ago.
“There will be no reincarnation for you. I will ensure that.”
“Sorry, but I’m not reincarnating. And I’ll be the one winning.”
The space twisted. In the Spirit Realm, which began to bend under the immense mana, a small hole appeared.
From there, a small gem fell.
It began to naturally fly toward me like a magnet. Through the God of Life’s sun, piercing through the darkness of the Spirit Realm.
It reached me.
I felt like something invisible was pulling me.
My limbs stretched, growing rapidly.
Before I knew it, I was no longer 10-year-old Daniel McLean.
I had become 18-year-old Daniel McLean, who attended the Academy.
A smile formed on my face as I felt the rising power. I was amazed at how my body felt like this originally, yet I adapted easily.
“Now then…..!”
“Are you ready with your excuses?”
I was about to tell the God of Life that we should fight with all our strength, but at the spine-chilling tone of Rin, I instinctively hunched down and checked my surroundings.
“I’ll see you when you get back.”
With a warning that crumbled away like the wind.
“…I think I’d rather lose.”
That’s what I was thinking at that moment.
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