“Fuh…”
“““So, that’s what it is, isn’t it?”””
What is it though?
What should I say to convince these guys?
“Tell us, Curse, who is our true enemy.”
“… Fuh.”
This is bad, really bad.
Can’t we just stick with the gods as the only enemy? This is getting too complicated.
What do I do? I’m out of ideas.
No, wait, this is exactly when This Communication comes in handy!
“What do you think?”
Behold my superior communication skills.
In moments like these, you just make the other person do the talking!
“… My lord. May I share my thoughts?”
“Go ahead.”
“Scarlet is beginning an intelligence roll, with a bonus to the roll due to her historical knowledge.”
“… I suspect that throughout history, great wars have been waged in the name of the gods. And in every one of those wars, reincarnated beings have been involved. Reincarnated beings are summoned by the chief god, Maris, whenever humanity is threatened. What if the prophecy of the seven ends, the crisis facing humanity itself, was all orchestrated by the gods…?”
“… I see! That makes sense, Scarlet. It all fits together now.”
“Fuh… Scarlet is so smart. Amazing.”
“Fuh… Seems no further explanation is necessary.”
What are they talking about? What exactly makes sense?
But, thanks to my communication skills, the conversation is moving along smoothly.
“The player… you don’t mean… that’s impossible, but…”
I hear the voice of the navigator.
Come to think of it, that guy is suspicious too. We still don’t know who he really is.
Wait, maybe I can use this setup?
Scary, the extent of my genius…!
I remember our guild’s top Chuunibyou, Apocalypse Lord †nana†.
How nostalgic.
She used to send me her self-written novels via private chat.
I never really understood them, but now, it’s time to make use of that experience!
“So, in other words, the ones we need to eliminate, the pawns of the gods, our true enemies are—”
Scarlet’s words were met with nods from White and Kuro.
“““The reincarnated heroes…”””
They’ve come to a ridiculous conclusion.
“““Curse, our enemy is the reincarnated—”””
“Close, but not quite. If you stop there, you’ll still be nothing more than toys rolling around in the palms of the gods.”
“… What?”
“The gods have already foreseen that. Look back at history. Weren’t there incidents where reincarnated heroes were slaughtered?”
Please, please let there be such an incident.
In this chaotic, dangerous world, surely there was something like that!
“—The Night of Jerame’s Blood…!! Ten years ago, the Holy Maris Church slaughtered the reincarnated heroes…!”
“Exactly. The reincarnated heroes are nothing more than pitiful puppets dancing to the gods’ tune. Our real enemies lie elsewhere.”
It worked!
“The Maris Church, who received the gods’ greatest blessings, turned against the reincarnated heroes… which means the reincarnated heroes must have become something inconvenient for the church!”
“Yes… My terrifying lord, combining the wisdom of serpents with the power of curses…”
“Amazing… Scarlet, who hails from the Wise Clan of the Elves, a lineage that governs knowledge…”
“Fuh, Master’s wisdom surpasses even that…”
“Even the gods’ schemes cannot deceive my lord’s demon eyes, is that right?”
Wait, are they complimenting my intelligence?
These guys aren’t so bad after all…
Alright, let’s announce it.
The nonexistent enemy that I’ve created with my brilliance.
Well, in a way, it exists.
But they’ll never find it.
Because—
“The Apostles of the Gods—Players. That’s what I call them.”
“Apostles of the Gods… Players…”
“Eh?”
The player is me.
After all, the navigator calls me that.
I’m laying the groundwork for a future betrayal plot here.
The dark enemy they’ll be chasing, lurking in the shadows… will be the very man who guided them.
Too perfect.
Thank you, †nana†. This is what they call a cliffhanger, right?
“Reincarnated heroes, no, not just them. In this world, there are people who hear strange voices. Voices that claim to aid in their adventures, but are actually traps set by the gods.”
“Eh?”
“No way…”
“How could we have missed it? Could prophecies, oracles… all of them be…?”
“Fuh. Those who hear the voice of the gods, carrying out the gods’ schemes. They’ve secretly hidden in the darkness, in history, controlling this world from the shadows, in accordance with the gods’ will.”
“The prophecy of the seven ends… our power, capable of destroying the world… is it all just…?”
“Perhaps it’s just a new game for the gods, or rather…”
I slowly walk towards the sunrise.
Making sure I’m backlit from their perspective.
“A pastime for the bored gods.”
“““——”””
Nailed it.
Wait, did I mess up the angle? It’s so bright, I can’t see their faces.
“… Curse, back then, did you already know everything…?”
“… Curse, even though we rejected you back then, you still…”
“We tried to kill Curse back then… but Curse was protecting us from the gods’ schemes…”
They’re mumbling again.
Yes, yes, good. This is going well.
Everything is going as planned—
CRACK!
A crack forms on the wall of my hut.
It’s White.
Her magical power is surging out of her.
“Curse, what… what can I even say to you… you gave me a name, clothes… a reason to live… and yet, back then… what did we try to do to you!?”
“Whoa!”
Th-the ground is rumbling.
White, Scarlet, or Kuro—one of them, or maybe all of them, sniffles.
“I… I should have died back then, shouldn’t I…? My thoughts, my desires, my resolve—all of it was just the gods’—”
“White…”
“Whi-chan…”
“I… I should never have been born in the first place—”
“Magnificent, White… North Saint.”
“Curse…?”
White, her hair disheveled, freezes in place.
“You, or rather, all of you, might be the only sacrifices who have ever defied the tyranny of the gods.”
“My lord… you…”
“Let me correct something I said back then. I said I didn’t care whether you lived or died, right? But now, I’ve changed my mind.”
“Master…”
“Take pride. You defied the gods’ tyranny with your death.”
These guys are seriously intense.
They chose to destroy themselves rather than harm others.
—Ridiculous, the strong considering the weak.
I could never make such a decision.
“I’m glad you all survived.”
“““…”””
They stare at me blankly for a moment.
Wait? No way, did I mess up—
Plop.
Large, pearl-like tears roll down their cheeks.
Sniffling.
One of them, maybe all of them, sniffle.
“A… aah… uh, waah… aaah…”
“Fuh… aaah, snifff, aah…”
“Wa-wa-wah! Waaahhh!”
They started crying…!!
