Chapter 10: Bringing Saulah to Repentance(4)

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken, stricken by Chaos, and afflicted by it. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; by his sacrifice we have peace, and by his life we are healed.
Isaiah 22:15-18

The moment I was born. The moment I met Laim. Laim sacrificed himself for me. The moment I awakened to the power of ‘Chaos.’ And… the moment I killed the deity.
Did I?
No, I have not killed the deity yet. It is impossible with my current power.
But in the image playing in my head, I was toying with the deity, overwhelming it.
Is this… the future? Will I?
I like this. I guess what I’ve been doing up until now hasn’t been wrong after all.
And the scene changed… The evil gods of ‘Chaos’ appeared.
-Saula did it.
-Yes. She killed a god with a mortal body.
Yes. This body killed a god! Wash your neck and wait. I’ll tear you apart myself too!
-Just like the plan.
…Huh?
-Heuk. You stupid bitch. You think that killing a god is ultimately revenge on us?
-That was your plan, wasn’t it, Lilith?
-That’s right. To plant small hints in their heads to make them act according to our intentions.
-Baal is dead. If we continue like this, we’ll easily take over the continent.
-Good. Let’s see how far our darling Saula will go.
What did I…?
Everything I…
And the scene shifted to show the continent. The weak being trampled by the forces of Chaos. The burning cities. Mortals killing each other in confusion.
What happens when you kill a god?
Yes. Killing a deity…
But why did I always think of it as a way to get revenge on Chaos?
My mind feels clear. It feels like I’ve woken up from a long slumber.
I see. A hint. Those disgusting Chaos guys have hinted at me. To act as their pawn, thinking I was in control.
You stupid… You’ve been doing stupid things until now.
The scene changed again. A man alone stands against the forces of Chaos. Hydra. Minotaur. Bone Dragon. Cerberus. Sphinx. Balrog. Countless monsters and legions were lined up and advancing.
Above the army of destruction, the three evil gods of Chaos descended in their divine forms.
Even though their aura of Chaos was so familiar to me, the sheer pressure made my legs tremble, urging me to collapse.
This is… Chaos.
The army of death I thought I would lead…
But standing against them was a single man.
He stepped forward without a trace of fear toward the nightmarish army.
-Son of Deus.
The figure clad in pitch-black armor at the forefront of the army addressed the man.
-Bow before me. If you kneel, I will grant you all this army, power, and glory.
The man did not respond.
The leader of the army continued.
-I know you wish to avoid this. Yesterday, you prayed before your disciples for this cup to pass from you, didn’t you? Born as a divine being, the only son of Deus, yet sacrificing your precious life for lowly creatures. What a terrible fate.
The man answered.
-!@#@#$^#$%^#$!@#@!$
His words were incomprehensible to me.
-You would truly choose sacrifice for such insignificant beings?
A blinding, continent-filling light poured from the man’s form.
As the light faded, the entire army of Chaos was gone.
All that army… defeated by one man alone.
What just happened?
As the army vanished, the man’s body began to turn to dust, scattering into the wind.
‘It is finished.’
Words formed in my mind.
It is finished?
What?
Defeating the army of Chaos?
Sacrificing himself to protect this continent?
This is the future…
You… no, you knew this would happen and still chose to face Chaos?
What a… noble sacrifice.
A supreme being descending to this earth in a mortal body, sacrificing himself to save all creation.
This was beyond anything I could comprehend from my experiences.
Weren’t divinities supposed to view mortals as insignificant insects?
…A being like this.
If I had met such a being first, maybe Laim wouldn’t have died like that.
Maybe I could have lived a normal life.

-If that’s truly what happened…
I pressed my forehead against Saula’s.
-I’ll offer you my neck.
-What?
-But if it’s not true, then I hope you’ll live not as a pawn of evil gods, but as an ordinary dragon, Saula.
Feeling the warmth of Saula’s forehead, I activated an artifact I retrieved from my subspace pocket.
Saula stared blankly into the void, muttering incoherently.
The artifact, Memorial Orgel.
An artifact that materializes cherished past memories as illusions, allowing one to relive them.
Mass-produced in the long-lost Celestial Empire, most of these artifacts have been lost, with only a few remaining in ruins like dungeons. As a veteran of Deus Ex Machina, I secured this rare artifact recently.
I had planned to use it on someone at the Academy…
Normally, this artifact is meant for those longing for the past, but it can also show one’s memories to another in the form of illusions.
Through this artifact, I showed Saula my memories from Deus Ex Machina about Saula Dracania.
The memories I saw of her in the game.
The tragic process of Saula losing her ordinary life to the evil gods of Chaos, becoming their corrupted agent.
And the truth that the three evil gods had been deceiving and manipulating her.
Saula believed she had free will, but she was merely a puppet.
Even if she realizes this truth and breaks free from Chaos’s control, there’s no guarantee she won’t see me as an enemy.
This is a gamble.
A gamble by a gamer who loved Saula, hoping she’ll choose the path of an ordinary girl over the path of evil.
-…No way. Really? You… no, you did this for the world…? Then all this time, I…
The overwhelming aura radiating from her began to subside.
The illusion took only about ten seconds.
I could only hope she’d come to her senses in that brief time.
Flash!
Saula opened her eyes.
Kung!
And she knelt before me.
…Huh?
-Lord, I had eyes but did not see, ears but did not hear. Even as the evil gods corrupted me, I failed to realize it and sought to persecute your followers. Even to harm you, my Lord.
Lord?
-You descended to this world in a mortal body to save it. Unlike other divinities, you love all creation, yet I failed to recognize it.
Me, saving the world?
Did I show her the right memories? What did she see?
As she spoke, her body was enveloped in a dazzling light.
Her two horns shattered, and the aura of Chaos surrounding her faded.
Her red hair gradually turned white.
Her provocative attire transformed into something resembling a maid’s outfit, as if serving someone.
It was as if she was casting off the taint of corruption and being reborn in divinity.
Had the evil gods of Chaos not corrupted her, this must have been her true, beautiful form.
This was the Saula I didn’t know… the Saula she was meant to be.
-Thank you, my Lord. With the power of the Holy Spirit, you saved me from Chaos. Even though I dared to harm you, you granted me salvation. How gracious you are.
Holy Spirit? What? I don’t know, that’s scary!
Why is she awakening on her own?
-My Lord, I am but your servant. Give me your commands, and I will obey all.

-Hoohoo. You’re terrible at wrapping things up, aren’t you? What would you have done without your mom?
Knock knock
-Mama, His Majesty summons you.
-…Understood. Tell him I’ll come immediately.

Back on the Bijatine Plain, the battlefield was calm after Mahomet’s surrender and Brahmin’s defeat.
Saula, now radiant with divine light, stood by my side.
-Lord Luke, I will follow you. Guide me to atone for my past.
-Saula, you’re free now. Live the life you want, not as a pawn of Chaos, but as yourself.
She smiled softly, her white hair glowing in the sunlight.
-If that is your command, my Lord, I will live for you and this world.
Dias approached, her expression a mix of pride and mischief.
-Papa, you’ve got another follower, huh? Better watch out, or Mom and I will get jealous.
-Dias, behave, I teased, ruffling her hair.
Deus joined us, her cosmic aura softened by a warm smile.
-Luke, you’ve changed this world again. Saula, Mahomet… you’ve given them a new path.
-It’s not just me. You, Dias, the apostles, the cardinals—everyone played a part.
Lydia and Simon approached, bowing respectfully.
-Lord Luke, the Christus Papal State and Cathoricus Holy Nation pledge to rebuild together. Mahomet has agreed to join us in restoring peace.
-Good. Let’s ensure this peace lasts.
As the sun set over the Bijatine Plain, I looked at my family and followers.
The universe was vast, and more threats might come.
But with Dias, Deus, Saula, and the others by my side, I felt ready for anything.
‘Luke, you’ve rewritten fate,’ the regressed me whispered in my mind.
‘But don’t get complacent. The universe never stops testing you.’
I nodded silently.
-Let’s keep moving forward. Together.