196. Time To Pay The Piper (4)
“Why have you summoned us like this······.”
-I did not summon you. Did you not come here seeking me?-
“······.”
He was right.
I had torn open the dimensional rift.
And when I jumped through, I found myself before the Underworld God.
However, the moment I jumped through, I felt a force that instantly grabbed and pulled our bodies······.
-It seems that our connection has brought about this meeting-
“······.”
I immediately realized it upon hearing his brazen voice.
That it was indeed the Underworld God who had drawn us here.
But why? Why now?
Why had the Underworld God, who had told me to solve my own problems when I had desperately called out to him, suddenly summoned me like this?
I felt my entire body trembling, and cold sweat breaking out.
It wasn’t simply because of nervousness.
The pressure that the Underworld God was releasing without restraint was crushing down on my body as if it would shatter me.
“Is there······. something you need me for······.”
-There is nothing in particular. I merely wished to have a conversation-
“A conversation, you say······.”
-I was pondering what to do with the seat of the Grand Judge of the Underworld that you have disposed of, and you have conveniently appeared before me. Shall we discuss that?-
“······.”
I had a feeling something was up······.
As I suspected, he was angry with me.
The seat of the Grand Judge of the Underworld had been transferred to me.
But I had refused to take responsibility for it and had blown it up with my ‘Inner World’.
I had thought that the seat of the Grand Judge would return to the Underworld God if I did that······.
But it seemed that a destroyed seat could not be regenerated.
As the Underworld God looked down at me, I could see a hint of contemplation in his eyes as if he were wondering how to tame this brat.
“I unintentionally destroyed the seat. I am truly sorry······.”
-Such things are but superficialities. If you were to remain by my side and assist me, what would it matter if you were not the Grand Judge? In any case, since you have returned to my side, it is time for you to begin your duties. Are you prepared?-
“Ah······.”
Damn it.
It seemed that the reason the Underworld God was angry was not because I had destroyed the seat of the Grand Judge, but because I had tried to run away.
No matter how I thought about it, it was absurd and infuriating.
Why did Satan and the Underworld God keep trying to use me?
“Well, that is······. The truth is······.”
-hahahaha! I jest. You need not worry. I have no intention of forcing you against your will. Since we shall meet again when you die and are dragged to the Underworld, I shall not be so harsh-
“······.”
Was that last part a joke too······?
For a moment, I could see my future as a spirit, eternally repeating my duties by the Underworld God’s side.
I will live a good life.
I will never commit a sin that will drag me to the Underworld when I die.
I made a firm resolution in my heart.
-You seem quite shaken. While I am in an apologetic mood, if there is anything you are curious about, ask. I shall answer anything-
“There is one thing I would like to ask. Is it possible to regenerate the ‘Inner World’ that was destroyed?”
-It is impossible-
A definitive answer came without hesitation.
Once the ‘Inner World’ is destroyed, that is the end of it.
I had sensed it from the beginning, but hearing it confirmed by the Underworld God made me realize that I had crossed a river that I could not turn back from.
“Then······. Is it possible to recover the ‘existences’ that were erased when I erased that Inner World?”
-······-
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For the first time, there was a delay in his response to that question.
It was only for a brief moment.
But it was a rare silence in my conversations with the Underworld God.
-There is a way-
“What is it?!”
A glimmer of hope appeared.I was in a hurry to escape the demon world, so I took extreme measures.
But if I can’t recover my ‘existence’ forever, there’s no point in returning to the present world.
If I can’t keep my promise to the heroines, it’s the same as not being able to return.
-Build the world within you-
“But didn’t you say that regeneration is impossible?”
-Regeneration is impossible. However, it is possible to rebuild from the beginning-
“······!”
If I destroy the world within me, that’s the end of it.
It’s impossible to regenerate it, but it seems possible to create it anew from the beginning.
Of course, it’s never a simple story.
Creating is much more complex and difficult than destroying.
But just having hope is enough.
Even if I just know that there is a path ahead, I think I can take a step forward without hesitation.
“Thank you. That was helpful enough.”
-Are you not asking how to build a new world within you?-
“I think I should find out for myself. It’s a matter of a realm where there is no such thing as a trick, anyway.”
Trick?
That’s useless.
I’ve always known it, but I realized it properly when I came to the demon world.
The secret of swordsmanship.
And the way to put your will into magic.
It’s easy to teach the tricks themselves, but it only makes them more confusing.
Suppose I had been told the trick of condensing and destroying the ‘world within me’ in the past.
Then I would have been obsessed with that trick and would never have succeeded in grasping the feeling forever.
What’s important is not such a side branch, but the core.
If you only look for shortcuts, you may gain some benefits once or twice, but one day you will not be able to get out of a big swamp.
In the end, only those who walk the right path will reach the final destination.
That’s why Transylvania taught me only to ‘put my will into my sword’.
And that’s why Astaroth kept telling me to ‘put my will into magic’.
Perhaps when it’s my turn to teach someone, my lines won’t be much different.
-That’s······. It doesn’t seem like an enlightenment that a mere mortal can get. You sound like a spirit that is tens of thousands of years old. Did you really live only one life?-
“······!”
-hahahahaha. It was a joke again. Where is there a shameless bastard who repeats his life several times and breaks all the principles of the world? It is my duty to catch those who have escaped the principles and return them to the principles, but why can’t I see such a human being in my eyes now? Their existence has been erased or wiped out······. As an incompetent underworld god, I have no idea who or where he is-
“······.”
The gaze that looks at me seems to contain a spoonful more of anger.
My body trembles.
I’ve been caught.
Or even if I hadn’t been caught, it’s clear that I’m not an ordinary mortal.
But the underworld god just stares at me.
As he said, my identity has been erased, and I don’t exist in this world.
It means that I am in front of me, but outside the underworld god’s sphere of influence.
“I’ll let you know when I find that shameless bastard.”
-Please do. If possible, I would like to meet him as a spirit after death. As a spirit, I think I can figure out how he escaped the principles, how his existence was erased and yet he is still alive and well-
“Yes······.”
He makes a creepy sound.
‘Take it apart’?······.
The spirit is not a machine.
‘Let’s live a good life.’
I must never die and come to the underworld.
No matter what happens!
Definitely!
I looked at the underworld god, who seemed to regret it a little and turned his gaze away, and engraved it in my bones.”Then let’s make an appointment for next time. I don’t think your body can handle any more than this.”
“Yes. I have one last question. It seems that the Underworld God does not interfere with mortals unless they are beyond the law······. Why did you retrieve Belphegor, who was wandering in the dimensional gap, and why did you draw me here?”
“Why do you think I drew you here?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you think you drew me here? What is attraction? It is a force that pulls each other. It doesn’t work if only one side pulls.”
“······!”
Only then did I realize.
The reason why the Underworld God knew that I would come back and meet him again someday.
It was because he had noticed the attraction that I was drawing to the Underworld God.
The source of that attraction must be the ‘being familiar with death’ that Satan had mentioned.
Although my identity has already been completely erased.
It seems that ‘being familiar with death’ cannot be completely removed as long as I do not disappear.
‘The attraction has always been drawing me······.’
I think I know now.
It is not only the attraction that is strong enough to be felt by the body that is the attraction.
Other attractions were always drawing me, even though they were too weak to be felt.
One of them is the attraction to the Underworld God.
Because of that attraction, I came before the Underworld God as soon as I crossed the dimension from the Demon Realm.
Then, is there a place other than the Underworld God that always draws me?
‘The connection in the present world is drawing me!’
I can feel it.
Until now, I had no idea what attraction was.
But now, I can feel the big and small forces pulling me from here and there.
Perhaps, the force that draws me from the Demon Realm.
The force that the Underworld God draws me.
The force that draws me in the present world.
And then······ I can feel a strong force pulling me from somewhere.
[Belphegor’s system window]
[Belphegor’s system window]
[Belphegor’s system window]
The system window that appeared before my eyes at that moment.
Perhaps because my existence was erased, the system window became completely useless.
‘Somehow, I think I can handle the attraction.’
Until recently, I only knew that attraction existed.
Now, I have the confidence that I can handle it as much as I want.
If there is no place where attraction does not exist, I will not be able to attract it at all.
But if there is a place where it exists, even if it is weak, I can attract it and head there.
“Thanks to you, I have been enlightened. I have found a clue to go to the present world.”
“You keep coming and going, finding enlightenment and leaving. I really look forward to the day when you return to the Underworld. It is the first time that the less than 100 years of a mortal’s life has felt so long.”
“Ha ha ha ha······.”
I’m sorry, but I will never return to the Underworld.
I forced a smile of that meaning to the Underworld God and put magic on my fingertips.
It was because I was gradually being overwhelmed by a sense of crisis that my whole body would boil and die if I stayed any longer.
“May you live long and prosper.”
I greeted him and cut the void with my will.
Then, the distant view of the void was revealed.
I grabbed the hands of the guys who were covering their eyes and ears on both sides and jumped inside.
‘The present world is drawing me, and I’m concentrating on the force that draws me to the present world.’
Just as I left the Demon Realm and unconsciously drew the Underworld God and stood before him.
If I draw the present world strongly, I will be drawn to the present world.
Of course, if the Underworld God plays a ‘mean trick’ and keeps drawing me strongly, I will be drawn to him no matter how hard I try, but that trick is enough for once.
It’s not the style to make a joke twice.’What happens if I go in the direction I’m being pulled from an unknown place?’
Suddenly, I felt a chill as I discovered something unidentified among the forces pulling me towards them.
And there was not just one, but several.
Where on earth is this pulling force coming from?
‘Surely not······?’
Could it be that this is a force pulling me back to the real world?
As soon as I had that thought, I suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
I want to go there.
I don’t know where it is or if it’s safe, but the hope of being able to return to reality paralyzed my brain in an instant.
‘No. My promise comes first.’
But I quickly pulled myself together.
There was a reason I had erased my existence and escaped from the demon world.
To return to the heroines.
I didn’t want to see them cry.
‘Has it been about ten days? I got out faster than I thought. Please be safe······.’
I can feel the force pulling me towards the present world gradually increasing.
The power of my connections to pull me is getting stronger.
The power of me pulling my connections is getting stronger.
And then, the very next moment.
My vision, which had been completely dark, was suddenly filled with a bright light.