Chapter 88
The sky was black.
The earth—torn apart.
And from the rift spilled an endless tide of demons.
Twisted, malformed abominations—consumed by hatred for all things good and living.
Between the shredded earth and ink-drenched heavens, a crimson moon rose.
Its sickly red light fell upon three figures.
A grotesquely thin woman, radiating obsessive, paranoid jealousy.
A man of brass and iron, all muscle and mechanical menace.
And finally…
A girl with half-lidded, sleepy eyes—so small and delicate, she looked like she’d shatter at a touch.
All three stared down at a fourth—a lone woman, crumpled on the ground beneath them.
Skin clinging to bone.
A hump rising grotesquely from her back.
They lifted her with three hands.
As their grip tightened, her body began to stretch.
But even in that final moment, the hunchbacked woman didn’t scream.
She looked at me.
“Save me.”
Her voice was disturbingly calm.
A whisper, almost. A plea.
Then—
Her body tore in three.
From the torn flesh emerged another woman’s face, contorted in anguish.
The radiant golden light that flickered for just a moment in her eyes faded under the mocking red moon.
And with it…
Light vanished from the world.
[HOLY SHIT—]
Kon practically screamed, snapping upright.
That nightmare had thrown him into full panic mode.
Another vision.
A third.
Erfa.
Iomene.
Almeine.
And now this.
[That dream was like watching the virgin mare I marked get mounted by a blonde stallion right in front of me. You good?]
I chuckled bitterly, despite being soaked in sweat.
“Yeah… It was a terrible dream.”
I wiped my forehead.
“But also… a good one.”
[That’s like saying ‘pure non-virgin’. Makes zero sense. What was it?]
“A dream about the end of the world.”
[Damn. No wonder you look like death. But seriously—why do you sound happy about that?]
“Because I found a way to die.”
[…What the fuck.]
I looked down at myself.
I still don’t know exactly what happened back in Scrap Yard.
But one thing is clear—Mammon didn’t beat Asmodeus.
If he had, I wouldn’t be here right now.
But those three figures beneath the crimson moon?
They weren’t random monsters.
They were Demon Lords.
Three of them.
If they go up against Asmodeus three-on-one…
There’s a real chance they might win.
And if Asmodeus loses—
My soul gets annihilated.
That’s the key.
“Kon, new plan.”
[Care to loop me in before I have an aneurysm? What exactly is going on here?]
“I have to die. For the world’s sake. But not just any death—my soul has to be completely destroyed. And the method? I just saw it in that dream.”
[You realize you sound completely insane right now?]
I do.
Because I am insane.
A lunatic with a suicide mission to save the world.
“Kon. I need your help. Not just for the world—for you too. I have to die. Got it?”
[I have zero clue what’s happening, but sure.
What do you need me to do?]
“There’s a woman. A hunchback with stick-thin limbs. We have to find her.”
If I can take her place…
Let the three Demon Lords rip me apart instead…
Everything falls into place.
I die.
Asmodeus dies with me.
The Heavens get peace.
Hell loses one of its thrones.
And Earth gets a break from this stupid cosmic power struggle.
It’s perfect.
But there’s one small catch—
I need to find the girl from the vision.
Only once I meet her can I figure out how to replace her.
But how the hell do you find a sickly hunchback in a continent this size?
“Shit. Where do I even start…”
Just as I was about to pull my hair out—
[How old was she?]
“Huh? Uh… early twenties. Maybe mid-twenties.”
[Sickly limbs. Hunched back. Early twenties. Got it. Gimme a sec—I’ll scan the area with my psychic sensors.]
He said it so casually I almost choked.
“Wait, you can do that?!”
[You underestimate me. If it’s a female, I can find her.
My range is so good I can detect whether a mare is a virgin from 20 kilometers away.]
...This horned pervert might actually be useful after all.
“Kon. Please. I need this.”
[Let’s see… Hmm. Nope, not in immediate range. We’ll need to move toward a populated area. Head that way.]
“That way?”
[Yeah.]
I instantly reactivated Time Freeze, boosted my strength through body enhancement, and launched myself forward like a bullet.
[Ugh. Still nothing… OH! Ten kilometers northeast—A BARN FULL OF PURE VIRGIN MARES—]
“Shut up, Kon!! Focus!! Find the hunchback girl!”
[Fine, fine! Keep moving—I’m expanding the search radius!]
Between the distractions and his endless side comments, Kon was absolutely a pain in the ass.
But he was making this job a hell of a lot easier.
The two of us—blazing across a frozen world—searching.
For a girl.
For salvation.
For destruction.
And maybe… finally…
For an end.
***
Her limbs were little more than sticks—scarred and trembling.
The hunched hump on her back twisted her posture into something inhuman.
And the spine, misshapen and warped, pressed cruelly against her lungs—making even breathing a struggle.
She walked.
And walked.
And walked.
But finally, her broken body hit its limit.
“I… I can’t walk anymore, Goddess.”
Kanya collapsed, crumpling onto the earth.
“I’m starving… I’m so thirsty… My legs… I can’t move them…”
The goddess inside her did not urge her forward.
[You’ve done well. Rest. Just for a moment. Let me see if I can find food or water nearby.]
For six straight hours, Kanya had walked without pause.
With that body.
It was nothing short of a miracle—pure willpower in action.
She gasped for breath.
They’d been avoiding every populated route possible, trying to evade the Demon King of Sloth’s forces. But her body could no longer carry her.
Even if she had to compromise on everything else, food and water were non-negotiable.
“There… there’s a town down there.”
From her place on the hill, she could see a bustling settlement. Cars, people—clearly not a small village.
She exhaled shakily and forced herself back onto her feet.
Her legs trembled, but she pressed on.
And when she entered the town—
“Ugh! What’s that smell?!”
“Who the hell is she?”
“Oh my god—what is that stench?!”
Everyone recoiled.
The odor from her unwashed body was overwhelming.
And her appearance—skeletal limbs and that grotesque hump—was anything but comforting.
[Let them keep their distance. It’s safer that way. Just get food and water, and we’ll leave.]
Kanya nodded.
Then, a scent hit her.
Food.
She spotted a diner.
It wasn’t much, but there would be something to eat… something to drink.
She stepped inside.
The hum of conversation died instantly.
Every head turned.
Silence fell like a blanket over the room.
Kanya flinched under the weight of their stares—some horrified, others disgusted.
“P-please… food and water… I beg you…”
Patrons glanced at the man behind the counter.
The owner looked rough—scars, furrowed brow, heavyset jaw. A man you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.
He walked toward her slowly.
[If he lays a hand on her, I swear—]
The goddess within her stirred. Power gathered.
Kanya raised her guard.
But the blow never came.
“Are you alright, miss?”
The rough-looking man… smiled gently.
“I’m a follower of Lilia,” he said. “She teaches us to help those in need.
Come. I’ll get you cleaned up and bring you something to eat and drink.”
Kanya blinked, stunned.
“T-thank you… Please, if you could—just something right away…”
“Of course. I’ll bring it out right away. While you eat, I’ll contact the local temple.
They’ll send a priest—get you healed up in no time.”
Her heart froze.
A priest?
A bearer of divine power?
If one of them came near—
Her body would be torn apart instantly.
“N-No—no, please!!”
She screamed, stumbling out of the diner in a panic.
“Miss! Wait—where are you going?!”
The man called out in confusion.
But Kanya didn’t answer.
She ran.
Ran until she reached the edge of town.
A lonely hill. An overgrown wood.
And finally—she collapsed near the foot of a forgotten slope.
[The Church of Lilia… it must’ve grown while I was sealed away.
How strange. She was injured worse than any other god during the Celestial War.]
“Who knew kindness could turn into poison…” Kanya muttered.
[Indeed. This complicates things.]
Her stomach growled. Loudly.
How many days had it been since she last ate?
But she couldn’t risk grabbing just any roadside weed.
Not with a body this fragile. One wrong bite could be her end.
[Forgive me, child. I am a goddess of destruction. I can only smite evil.
I have no power to feed you. I am… ashamed.]
“Don’t say that… please.”
But even she sounded hollow.
She needed food.
But entering any town meant risking contact with holy power—and death.
A dead end.
Trapped.
“What do I even do…”
Her head drooped.
And then—
“You look hungry.”
A voice. Cold and slick as oil.
Kanya jumped, spinning to face the speaker.
A black magic circle erupted beneath her.
The sky darkened, instantly choked of light.
[NO!]
Holy power surged from the goddess, wrapping Kanya in protection.
She gripped her stick like a spear.
But her attacker only laughed.
A mask.
Dark robes.
A familiar sigil gleaming on their chest—
The sigil of Sloth.
A demon general.
“Why did you run?” the figure asked, stepping forward.
“If you’d just stayed under our Lord’s care, you wouldn’t be starving.”
Kanya began to back away—only to slam into the edge of the summoning circle.
An invisible force pinned her inside.
“You can’t escape. Not unless you kill me.”
[We have to fight, Kanya.]
Holy light surged at the tip of her staff, forming a glowing spear.
Kanya raised it with trembling arms.
“Then I’ll fight.”
“You’re going to resist? How cute.
No matter. I was told I can bring you back with a limb or two missing.”
[Incoming! Get ready!!]
The assassin’s dagger turned black.
He charged.
Light and shadow met in a violent clash—
Holy spear against cursed steel, clashing again and again in the darkening wood.
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