Fizzle
The concentrated power that had taken form began to disperse. Hela, still reeling from the aftereffects, looked down at her hand. The hand that had just grasped and wielded the entire world, the 'Demon Realm'.
'This is… truly amazing.'
Having wielded the power herself, she understood. This power, made possible by the network of causality connecting her, the representative of the Demon Realm, her subordinates, and countless other beings, covering the entire Demon Realm like a net.
This was practically a divine authority, granted only to gods.
'…It's probably possible because demons are magical lifeforms similar to spirits.'
Perhaps the reason the overall level of beings in the Demon Realm was higher than ordinary creatures on the continent was because of this system. If she could freely wield this power, reigning like a god of the Demon Realm wouldn't be difficult.
'Of course, that's absurd.'
She chuckled softly. No matter how much of a Demon King she was, she couldn't use this power freely. It was a power entrusted to her by the Demon God to manage the Demon Realm in his stead.
'There's no way I can wield it without restrictions.'
Simply put, it was an authority that, although burdened with various limitations, granted absolute power within the Demon Realm once activated. Crushire, and the being he tried to summon, were eliminated because they violated that principle.
"Ugh, my whole body aches. The burden on my body is no joke."
Hela grumbled softly and rolled her shoulders, pouting. Considering the rank of her body, one could imagine how great the strain was. Of course, seeing the scene before her made it seem like a minor complaint. The desolate wasteland was now dotted with large craters, as if it had been bombed. …It was actually because it had been bombarded with light, but that wasn't the point.
"Hmm, did I overdo it?"
Hela awkwardly stroked her chin as she saw a thin line stretching from a point on the ground to beyond the horizon. And the scar continuing upwards, across the sky.
'But it was my first time, so I couldn't control my power…'
And she wasn't sure if she could have controlled her power even if she had the time, considering it was the final moment of the descent. She might have missed the opportunity and made things more troublesome.
"…Well, it looks prettier now, so it doesn't matter."
Hela shrugged, admiring the cross-shaped scar on the purple sky. She wasn't just saying that. The newly added scar made the Milky Way shining within the larger scar more visible, enhancing the scenery. Even she, who often looked up at the sky, was momentarily captivated by its beauty.
'Now I have to clean up.'
She looked around and clicked her tongue. There was nothing to clean up. This place was an empty wasteland, and Crushire, her target, had completely evaporated after being hit by her final attack.
'Even if there were any remains, there would be nothing to salvage since he sacrificed everything.'
Her gaze shifted to those who had helped her. A black mage in a dark robe, a vampire in an opera mask, a three-headed dog scratching the back of its neck with its hind leg, a blond child coughing and blowing his nose,
And a man in a metal suit, still hovering in the sky and looking down.
"But still…"
Hela slowly licked her lips as she watched them disappear one by one after finishing their task. Focusing on the perspective of the remaining one, who had come to the Demon Realm but didn't participate in the fight.
"If your dog causes damage to someone else, it's common sense for the owner to compensate, isn't it?"
He should pay for the damages before leaving. How could he just leave without a word?
She looked up again at a particularly bright star shining amidst the Milky Way, smirked, and turned around. Her other friend would take care of collecting the rest of the payment. Her priority now was to return to her place as quickly as possible. She would be very busy from now on.
As the sole ruler of this Demon Realm,
The 16th Demon King.
"…Found you."
Heinrich muttered softly, flapping his wings of radiance.
Whoosh
Like a beacon in the darkness—his holy aura, emanating from his entire body, prevented the demonic energy of the Demon Realm from approaching, drawing attention, but he didn't care. He was in a place not easily accessible, a place difficult to even observe with ordinary abilities.
"You hid it here."
This place was far higher than where Hesperon had conducted his aerial bombardment. It was the edge of this world, where the Milky Way was visible right before him.
'If it weren't for 「Grand Blessing: Wings of Radiance」, it would have been difficult to get here through the magic storm.'
The Demon Realm was a branch dimension derived from Auterica. A world where space and the Milky Way couldn't exist.
'…It's even more impressive up close. All of that is…'
The Demon Realm's domain extended only this far. The Milky Way beyond the impassable barrier was the remnants of the Main God, scattered during creation. They twinkled in the void, obscured by the torrent of magic power covering the sky, appearing as stars when viewed from the ground.
"I have to admit, you're resourceful. If it weren't for me, you could have searched the surface all you wanted and never found it."
And 'it' was at the boundary of this world. The gate that had suddenly disappeared from the underground ritual site of Dark Nest. The gate leading to the sealed god's temple.
'You've already set foot in this Demon Realm. You wouldn't give up so easily.'
Immediately after joining the search for Crushire,
Heinrich focused on finding something else, not participating in the hunt. He felt a reaction, unique to him, different from the results of the other avatars' search. Besides, there was already more than enough firepower without him.
'I thought it might have disappeared with Crushire.'
The Demon Realm was under the jurisdiction of another god. Installing a gate connected to his own temple in such a place couldn't be easy! He must have paid a price, and it must have been significant enough to not give up even after his plans in the Demon Realm failed. So he must have hidden it here, where no one could find it.
'Now then.'
Heinrich approached the closed door and gripped the handle tightly.
Crackle
The door resisted fiercely…
But it couldn't stop him now.
Bang!
He ripped the door open and flew inside. Perhaps because the temple's location had changed, and the internal space had been rearranged, the coordinates he had recorded in the basement were all reset. If he moved to another location, the newly set coordinates would also become useless.
But now that he was inside, it wouldn't be able to escape again.
——!
He felt the temple's rage through the fluctuating internal flow. As if asking how dare he enter with those filthy feet.
"Yes, yes, I'll be quick, so be quiet."
Heinrich ignored it, of course. He flew further inside.
'Its reaction is intense. My whole body is tingling.'
Temples were special places even for gods. Even in his weakened state, it was easy for him to sense those who entered. That's why he was hesitant to summon his other avatars inside, not wanting to expose information about Hans, his strongest form.
"…Found it. The heart of this temple."
But what about a follower of the Main God, a clearly superior god? Heinrich, the champion of the Main God, the creator and sustainer of this world, the judge who punished the god now sealed in the abyss, and the father of all gods?
'And the foundation of my power is based on the blessings bestowed by the Main God.'
Moreover, it had just been banished from the Demon Realm after being with Crushire. Even if this was his domain, it wouldn't be easy for him to act immediately after being expelled. In other words, unlike before, this temple was currently unoccupied.
Crackle! Crackle!
Creak
The door, which wouldn't open no matter how hard he tried last time, was forced open. And beyond the giant hall, fit for a giant rather than a human,
He saw the altar of the chapel, where a damaged holy symbol was enshrined.
"That's it, the core that maintains this temple."
——!
As if confirming his words, the internal flow surged violently. With enough force to unleash a torrent of curses if it could speak. But curses from an enemy were like praise. He flapped his wings with a lighter heart and landed in front of the massive holy symbol, befitting the temple's scale.
'Is this his symbol?'
A large structure, too damaged to discern its original shape. Scorched, melted, and twisted, it looked like a screaming human face.
'…As expected, there's a divine fragment embedded here. Well, such an investment is only natural for a scheme planned for thousands of years. It seems this also acts as a relay to the Demon Realm.'
He should have examined it more closely when he first encountered the temple. He had missed it once because he had taken his time with the investigation. This time, he intended to settle it for sure. Well, the reason he stopped the investigation back then was because he couldn't find a way to open this chapel door.
'I can't directly absorb the divine fragment like the other avatars… but I'm a clergyman. There's a better way.'
Wasn't there a set way for clergymen to increase their power?
Heinrich, after staring at the holy symbol for a moment, placed his hands on the structure, several times his height. And ignoring the ominous energy emanating from it, he closed his eyes.
Hum
He channeled his holy power and began to pray to the Main God. Offering this structure, the symbol of the one who defied the Main God's will, as a tribute.
Whoosh!
Immediately after.
Holy power, blazing like a fierce flame, engulfed Heinrich and the holy symbol.
——!
The temple began to scream. It was on a completely different level from the instability he saw when he destroyed the Demon Dragon Duke's barrier. The massive temple distorted and twisted as if the world was ending, gradually disappearing.
Hiss!
"Ugh!"
At the same time, smoke, as if burning, rose from Heinrich's hands, marked with stigmata, which were touching the holy symbol. The holy light emanating from his spread wings far exceeded his usual output. The channel connected to the Main God expanded, and an immense amount of holy power surged in.
Then, suddenly,
All sounds around him ceased. No, it wasn't just the sound.
A space of nothingness where nothing existed—he couldn't even tell if it was reality or an illusion. His mind began to soar. And,
There, he encountered it.
The great and holy being—which he had only glimpsed before.
'This, might be, a little, troublesome…!'
The immense will that constituted and sustained this world. He hadn't even faced it properly, only vaguely perceived it, yet its presence was so overwhelming that the load on 「Mind Hub」 and 「Soul Firewall」 instantly reached its limit.
And the moment that being, the Main God, turned its attention to Heinrich…
"Gasp!"
His eyes snapped open with a feeling of falling endlessly.
Whoosh
…It wasn't just a feeling. The fierce wind whistling past his ears, the cold air cooling the sweat on his body, the strong wind pressure pushing against his face.
He was really falling. From the highest heavens, which reached the edge of the world, to the distant ground. The Milky Way, shining beyond the cross-shaped scar on the purple sky, grew further away.
"Ugh, this is a bit much…"
It hadn't been this bad the few times he met the Main God before. Although his body was in freefall, he didn't have the strength to even move a finger.
'As expected of the creator god… he's on a completely different level from the other gods I've encountered.'
Heinrich sighed deeply. To think he would be skydiving in the Demon Realm like this. Paralyzed and without a parachute!
"It can't be helped…"
But he understood to some extent. After all…
"Individual's race has been changed to 'Angel'. Acquires special skill 「Messenger of God」."
"Gained enlightenment from encountering a supreme being. Acquires special skill 「Great Spirit」."
It would be stranger if he was fine after his race changed. He hadn't expected to become a real angel, though.
And not long after,
The newly appointed angel, falling from the Demon Realm's sky, disappeared without a trace. As if he had never existed in this world.