Chapter : 214

Waiting for someone to calmly come cut her throat was never Iris’s style.

If anything, she preferred the opposite.

“Not that you would.”

If the one holding the sword meant to sever her neck was “God,” then Ouroboros was the sort of being that would be satisfied by even death itself.

And yet the so-called benevolent God—since that day—had never once faced Ouroboros again. Instead, He merely forged a Holy Sword and placed it into the hero’s hands.

“So even death is welcome, if it’s a gift from the beloved God.”

How ridiculous.

At Iris’s sneer, the snake hissed with displeasure.

Those beings, more hateful than anything in the world.

In the serpent’s rainbow eyes burned a violent hatred—rage hot enough to swallow the entire world.

“Yes. I understand your heart.”

How hateful the “hero” must be.

How disgusting it must be—the one holding, in place of God, the sword that should have belonged in God’s hand.

But fighting the hero was Iris’s role.

Unfortunately… it had been decided that way.

A fixed fate that marched forward without a tremor—cruel, isn’t it?

Iris licked her lips and smiled.

“Isn’t God too cruel?”

She whispered to Ouroboros.

“Is there any being that looks only at Him as you do?!”

At Iris’s exaggerated cry, tears began to drip from the serpent’s rainbow eyes.

It cried like a child, resentful and wronged.

Iris swallowed a laugh.

What a foolish existence.

To cling to something as small as love.

For a moment, nausea rose in her and she almost stopped—then she felt the snake’s unblinking gaze.

Now was the time to coax the snake properly.

Don’t get dragged around by personal feelings.

Iris wasn’t some stupid, dull human who ruined everything by being ruled by emotion.

One such idiot was more than enough.

“What does it matter if they’re only humans? Why should God have to sacrifice Himself for them?”

The serpent hissed in agreement.

As if praising it, Iris gently stroked the snake’s scales.

“Your anger is justified.”

Whipping up anger was easy.

Anger was simply love that hadn’t been rewarded—transformed into something else.

Its neck had been severed by God, and its fierce devotion had been twisted into a curse that left it behind as a monster of hatred and longing.

Just nudge it a little, and it would forget its place, thrash wildly, and try to swallow the world.

“You’ll prove it to God.”

The rainbow-eyed snake tilted its head.

Prove what?

Iris whispered into the serpent’s confusion.

“That humans don’t deserve your love.”

The snake’s gaze wavered.

“Expose their vile, filthy nature to the very bottom.”

And then?

The snake seemed to ask.

“Make God disappointed in humans.”

I don’t want to test God with blasphemy.

The monster, bound by love and hatred, was so pure it was almost unbelievable.

The deeper its hatred, the more it proved how much it loved God.

Iris swallowed her smile and continued dripping poison.

“Then He might even take back the love He gives humans.”

The snake blinked—once.

For the first time.

“This time, what you must swallow isn’t the world.”

Iris leaned closer, her voice sweet.

“It’s humans.”

But… you stole all my power.

Because of that, Ouroboros could no longer even dream of the vast body it once had.

In this weak, pitiful form—how could it possibly prove humanity’s ugliness to God?

“That’s where I help you.”

Iris smiled beautifully.

Inside that gentle smile, Ouroboros felt a faint, inexplicable disgust.

She was smiling… but it didn’t look like a smile at all.

It waited in that mild discomfort for her next words.

“I’ll give you my power.”

To fully take Ouroboros’s power, Iris didn’t need her own strength.

If anything, it was an annoyance.

So the solution was simple.

Hand that power over—

to the beast of love and hate, the one who would be used as a tool to “prove” humanity’s ugliness.

“How about it?”

You won’t be lacking strength.

That should be more than enough to prove humans’ horror.

Ouroboros didn’t answer.

But that was enough.

A serpent’s silence was affirmation.

“Only… I have one request.”

What?

The snake stared at Iris.

“It’s simple.”

Just kill one person.

That alone would satisfy her.

—

“Can you guess what a greedy snake, one that swallowed all of ‘Iris Viden’s’ power, would aim for?”

Iris asked with a soft smile.

It felt like my breathing stopped.

I never expected Iris to do nothing… but this was worse than imagined.

No—“worse” didn’t even cover it.

It was obsession, far beyond the reach of that word.

My heart pounded.

If I go outside, will Father already be dead?

If he really is…

My throat tightened.

As if enjoying my shaken state, Iris smiled slowly.

But I had to endure.

Iris wasn’t moving either. I had to buy even a little more time for everyone else to recover.

Keep the conversation going.

Longer. Longer.

“So what? You think the people outside will just sit there and do nothing?”

Yes.

I’ll trust Professor Beatrice and Doctrine Sword Freya.

If it’s those two, they’ll protect Father.

“HAHAHAHA!!!”

Iris burst into laughter like she’d just watched a ridiculous clown show.

Even through the ear-splitting mockery, I forced myself to keep my posture straight.

But I couldn’t stop my face from stiffening.

“You really believe humans?”

“……”

“They might not do it out of loyalty—”

Iris’s mouth twisted cruelly.

“—but if handing over Evan Lisitoel to Ouroboros would save their own lives?”

She tilted her head.

“Your father who kept staggering forward again and again, just to buy you one week.”

“Shut up!”

There isn’t a single person there who would sacrifice Father that cheaply.

…Isn’t there?

Anxiety spread through my entire body like infection.

And then Iris whispered.

It wasn’t a sound from her mouth.

It was closer to a voice ringing inside my skull.

《Or is it that you don’t care if your father dies… because you’re a fake son?》

The instant those words ended—

the reason in my head snapped clean off.

—

It was a contract sealed with life.

Ouroboros didn’t truly have “life,” but if it failed to fulfill the contract, it would lose the one body it had gained.

And then it would have no choice but to wait again—helplessly—for someone to reenact that forgotten curse.

“……”

Normally it would never accept a contract from the human who swallowed its power.

But now that it had real flesh, Ouroboros needed strength.

To monopolize God’s love.

To become so powerful that the God of this world would belong to it alone.

Ouroboros flicked its tongue.

Humans with swords poured attacks into it.

Sting. Sting.

It felt weak pain—but its body wouldn’t stop moving.

It only used those transparent eyes to confirm where its target was.

Ah… there.

A human collapsed unconscious.

Another human—one who trapped the human who swallowed its power.

It wouldn’t take much strength to kill that one.

Just gulp.

Swallow.

That would be all.

Ouroboros giggled, delighted.

Freya felt something chilling in that laugh and shouted.

“How long are you going to stand there like idiots!!”

At her cry, the Inquisitors—hesitating in panic—snapped back into motion.

“Retrieve the wounded to the rear, now!”

They moved to pull back the Inquisitors bleeding and groaning… and the unconscious Evan Lisitoel.

You can’t take him!

Ouroboros moved—

but Beatrice’s offensive magic was a fraction faster.

Puh-buh-buh-BOOM!!!

A bombardment of flame poured down, and the attack that had been headed for the Inquisitors carrying Evan narrowly missed.

“Count Belphiar!!”

Freya, who’d already heard the plan and spell details, called out in alarm.

Beatrice spat up blood—*ptui*—then forced her breathing steady.

“You can’t just kill a kid.”

The reason Theo’s expression never wavered even as he jumped into danger—

was because he trusted Beatrice.

Because he believed that no matter what happened, if Beatrice was there, his father would be safe.

But imagine succeeding… and coming back to find Father dead.

What betrayal would that be for a child?

What loss, what collapse, after losing the father he loved and trusted?

Beatrice’s red eyes burned with obsession.

“Damn it.”

Freya clenched her teeth.

Right.

It was never realistic to expect Iris Viden to obediently let herself be sealed.

This was a variable they could handle.

They had to.

The problem was the snake’s openly relentless fixation on Evan.

In the face of death’s terror, could the Inquisitors truly hold?

It wasn’t distrust of the Inquisitors.

It was distrust of human nature—how people stop being rational when death is in front of them.

…No.

If you can’t trust them, this fight can’t even exist.

Damn you, Iris Viden.

Nothing ever goes easily with you.

“The monster in front of us is the reason we exist!!”

The only reason the Inquisitors remained standing through countless sins and failures—

was this.

At Freya’s shout, the Inquisitors’ faces changed.

Watching them all, Freya stroked her wrist.

A magic circle that once had been engraved on Fel’s wrist.

Now, that clearly shining magic circle was engraved on Iris’s wrist instead.

A magic circle granted only to a Doctrine Sword.

From it, a pure white blade appeared.

Freya raised it and aimed at Ouroboros.

“The only one permitted to swing the Blade of Doctrine—Freya Elior—has witnessed with her own eyes that the being before us is one that abandoned God.”

It was prayer and declaration.

Freya’s eyes sharpened.

Hair fluttered.

Her clear gaze collided with the snake’s rainbow eyes.

“Absolution belongs to the Light God alone. The blade that punishes in doctrine declares that this monster’s sin is undeniable—and, by ancient law, I will execute it on the spot.”

The Inquisitors’ momentum shifted.

A fierce killing intent lit in their eyes.

“You are permitted only human punishment.”

A prayer that should have begged even for divine mercy—

Freya omitted that part.

Because there was no world where a monster like that would receive God’s mercy.

“Fight with your lives.”

Freya declared, voice hard as iron.

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