Another Side
My body aches.
My body aches, relentlessly.
I have no memory of folding my body and curling up on the spot.
“Damn you.”
The very posture brought forth a surge of humiliation, and curses spilled from my mouth purely out of emotion.
Spurred by that resentment, anger arose, and I intended to lash out at everything around me.
“Nngh!”
But as if to remind me that my body was made of glass, the slightest exaggerated movement sent a pain that felt like my body shattering, screaming out.
“………!?”
“Annoying, annoying, annoying.”
However, pain alone could be endured with a wince.
The problem was the corrosive, hateful voices that had been echoing in my mind all this time.
“Die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die, die!”
“Perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish, perish.”
“Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate!”
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!?!?!”
This cacophony, a condensed form of unpleasant sound, echoed from within my body, rendering all attempts to block it futile. The screams that held no words, the voices of old and young, men and women alike, all screaming with negative emotions, were corroding my very being.
Even if each individual voice was insignificant, the accumulated resentment of thousands, tens of thousands, spanning years of cursing a god, was enough to make a god’s body scream.
This was not something that could be resolved in a single night.
However, it was gradually, slowly, getting better.
Like a headache subsiding.
Due to the god’s own resilience, no matter how potent the curse, it was slowly, truly, waning.
But even so, progress was agonizingly slow.
The suffering was easing, but it was still far from a bearable level.
What’s more.
“You dare enter my domain with muddy shoes!?”
The growing sense of intrusion from the intruder only amplified my divine displeasure.
An impurity that had entered my own territory.
And one that was rampaging with open hostility, further infuriating me.
Angered by the displeasure coming from both within and without, I gritted my teeth, endured the pain, and slowly rose to my feet. From the temple atop the mountain soaring in my divine realm, I gazed far down at the world below.
“…”
But then, my actions were utterly futile.
There was no one around the Sun God.
Except for Aiwa, all the Seraphim who had been bestowed with my power had fallen into the Demon Lord’s hands.
All subordinates capable of offering counsel to a god had been purged.
The nations that had worshipped the Sun God had been destroyed by their own judgment.
All stored weapons had been unleashed.
There was no one left who wanted to hear the god’s voice.
Alone, I could only stare at the threat closing in on my own throat.
I issued orders to the mindless angels to intercept.
I dispatched the half-finished monsters.
I commanded the Divine Beasts residing in this world.
I possessed no other means.
I believed that this immense power was more than sufficient.
That complacency, that contentment with the status quo, was the result that was now corroding the Sun God’s body.
The god did not reflect.
He did not look back to see what had gone wrong.
All he thought about was dispelling the irritation caused by the interfering party.
Originally, the only being capable of defying the Sun God was the Moon God, an equal.
Even as an equal, the Sun God was stronger.
Therefore, the Sun God had never had cause for such worry.
He had tamed thousands of beasts, each capable of obliterating a nation with a single appearance, commanded an Angelic Army capable of trampling the world, and possessed weapons that could destroy the world multiple times over.
That strong fortress was crumbling, little by little, like a sandcastle.
I understood this.
But the god refused to comprehend.
No, he did comprehend.
He was merely refusing to accept it.
The conviction that it was shameful to cry out to someone or rely on others prevented him from even opening his mouth.
His dominion, which had always somehow been managed because someone always sensed his needs and acted, began to break down piece by piece as the number of willing hands dwindled.
“Am I cornered?” The thought of weakness flickered through the god’s mind for a moment.
“I will not admit it! I will never admit it!”
“They too are merely attacking out of desperation.”
“If I repel this, they will have nowhere left to go.”
“…Hmph.”
But how should I repel them?
While I couldn’t afford to hesitate, it would be a blow to my divine dignity to unleash my full power against mere mortals.
“Well, so be it. I shall make my foolish younger brother pay this price.”
However, no alternative plan came to mind. And the fact was, with my current lack of forces, there was no other way but to deal with them myself.
Even if the curse made my body heavy, it should be no problem against humans.
I could sense it by their presence; the enemy was dispersing their forces, attempting to break through.
There were those fighting on the lower levels.
There were those fighting in the air.
There were those beginning to fight in the middle levels.
There were those preventing a surprise attack.
They advanced step by step, sluggishly. Is this what they call humans?
I have no intention of praising such beings.
I am a god, and I will rule. That is all.
“…Once this battle is over, I shall begin by exterminating these insects.”
All who dare to interfere with my rule will be eliminated.
It is not too late yet.
I can simply create more believers.
Even if nations perish, a world will be born again as long as a god exists.
There are always more humans.
My foolish brother’s kin, who dare to obstruct my rule, must be annihilated and eradicated first and foremost.
“This time, this time, I will create it. A world for myself, by myself, as I wish.”
How many years have passed since I became a god?
At least an immeasurable amount of time has gone by.
That immeasurable time is worth the investment.
Yes, on that day, at that time, at that moment.
“I was chosen. I am the chosen one.”
The moment I was recognized as a god, the moment I was entrusted with the management of this world, I recognized that the Sun God must be at the pinnacle of this world.
My mutterings were not directed at anyone.
I was simply admonishing myself, reaffirming my own conviction.
I was merely reconfirming my position on the resplendent throne of the temple I had built for myself.
“They shall never take it from me. This world is mine, mine alone.”
However, the god did not realize.
The very need to reaffirm meant he was mentally cornered. Was it the effect of the curse cast by the Demon Lord, or was it because he was suffering unprecedented damage?
Consequently, there was no one to point out his instability.
Only a select few, the chosen ones, could reach this place.
Moreover, the number of beings possessing the mental fortitude to point out such things could be counted on one hand.
Even those who could point it out were all dispatched.
Therefore, he was left with no choice but to proceed on the path he believed was right.
But that path was fraught with too many obstacles.
“The lowly creatures have finally set foot, with muddy shoes, into my temple.”
A single set of footsteps echoed in the temple where only a god should be.
Light clicks, as if one were going for a stroll.
To the god, an unwelcome guest.
To the intruder, merely an advance into the enemy’s headquarters.
I rose from my throne and took the Divine Sword placed beside me.
Within this temple, I am practically invincible.
Therefore, what is about to unfold is not a battle, but divine punishment.
“?”
Just as I was about to destroy the intruder, the Sun God felt a sudden sense of unease.
“Raindrops.”
Clouds were drifting in from the direction of the footsteps.
The weather in this world is entirely controlled by the Sun God.
Therefore, it was strange for rain to fall in this space.
“No way!?”
I realized its true nature.
I had realized it.
Meanwhile, within the temple, rain clouds continued to spread across the entire ceiling.
And my power was gradually diminishing.
“Are they invading my domain!?”
An enemy who possessed the means to carry out the erosion of a world. I felt a clear threat in that sensation.
At that point, the option of waiting vanished.
I kicked off from my throne and leaped, intending to escape the throne room. However, the intruder appeared before I could.
“You!!!!!”
That intruder was the very source of the current invasion of this world.
The temple floor was wet from the rain, creating a water surface on the uniformly leveled ground. And walking upon it was a single human.
Humiliated by a diminutive human in my own castle, my own world, my own dignity, the Sun God was enraged.
I will kill that human.
The god judged instantly and leaped, his movements a divine-speed charge to kill the human.
The conflict should have been decided with a single blow.
But I could not kill him.
My Divine Sword was blocked.
The human smiled at the god.
“Yo, God.”
The human greeted me gently, as if speaking to a friend.
I hesitated for a moment, bewildered by the fact that a human, small enough to be called a dwarf, had blocked an attack from a god, who could be considered a giant.
“I’ve come for that head.”
In that instant, fresh blood splattered across my body.
I understood what had happened; I had been cut.
The moment a human reached a god.
Instead of denying the impossible, I moved to negate his very existence.
I spread my stance and swung the Divine Sword towards the space where the human stood.
This time, it was not a single blow, but a barrage of consecutive strikes.
Crushing blows delivered as if to shatter him into pieces.
No room for counterattack, no chance to strategize.
If I were to see my own expression in a mirror at that moment, I would have been aghast.
For I was feeling fear.
A contorted expression, a visage desperately trying to deny reality.
Despite being on the offensive, there was no sense of relief.
After all, the sensation of my blade meeting something proved the human was alive, so it was no wonder I wore such an expression.
Finally, my attack connected, and the opponent was blown away.
Like a ball hit by a bat, the human crashed into the temple wall.
“Unpleasant.”
That reality made the god’s heart even more displeased.
I intended to cut him down, but I failed to kill him.
Faced with this fact, the god unknowingly began to sweat on his cheeks.
Was it cold sweat, or simple perspiration from fatigue?
No one knew.
All that could be said was that the human was alive even after hitting the wall, and the god recognized him as a threat.
Another Side End
Today’s Word
There are times when one is far from being in perfect condition.
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