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“What do you want to ask?”

The newly ordained bishop tasked with persuading Isolet stole a hesitant glance at the Pope before posing the question.

“Are we… really going down to the Church’s underground now?”

“Yes, we are.”

“I-I see.”

Having held his bishopric for less than a month, he grappled with intense unease.

Although his standing in the Church hierarchy didn’t mirror that of a high-ranking executive bishop, rumors of clandestine Church activities were common knowledge among most insiders.

For him, visiting the very place that had only existed as whispers and rumors necessitated a considerable amount of mental fortitude, despite having gone through many hardships to reach this position.

“Oh, you’re a new bishop? You’ve never been to the underground before, have you?”

“N-no, sir. I haven’t.”

The Pope’s query almost prompted him to request a moment to collect his thoughts. Consequently, he hastily replied, anxiously watching for the Pope’s reaction.

“Um, by the way…”

“Don’t worry too much! There’s no need to be so tense.”

Perhaps noticing his anxiety, the Pope patted his back with a hearty voice.

“Every bishop experienced it at least once.”

With a faint, ominous smile, the Pope ended his words and once more commenced moving toward the underground.

“…”

Overwhelmed by the atmosphere, the bishop followed behind the Pope, his legs trembling slightly.

“Here we are.”

“Ah…”

When the Pope stopped in front of an old door, the bishop recoiled in astonishment.

“This, this is…”

His divine power and intuition alerted him that this door was not meant to be opened.

“What makes you hesitate so much?”

“J-just a moment!”

– Creak…

Yet, before he could utter a word, the Pope had already pushed the door ajar.

“…Huh?”

He briefly shut his eyes and then cautiously reopened them, only to find himself baffled.

“W-what is it?”

Within the underground chamber, an inexplicable aura permeated the air, filled with shining relics from the Church of the Sun God.

“What were you expecting? Did you think monsters would be lurking here?”

“Oh, n-no.”

“Well then, let’s go in. I’m in a bit of a hurry.”

Scratching his head, the bishop was soon ushered into the chamber by the Pope.

“Um, but… Why is the ‘Youngest Paladin’ here…”

– Creak…

“…..?”

Having closed the door to the underground chamber, the Pope retrieved a scroll and began to cast a spell upon it.

“What are you doing right now?”

“Can’t you see yourself? I’m locking the door.”

“Why do you…”

The bishop eyed the Pope in bewilderment before posing another question. This left the Pope sighing in response.

“It’ll be troublesome if you run out of here.”

“Pardon me?”

He gestured behind the bishop.

“What does that mean just now…”

The bishop idly glanced over his shoulder, mumbling at the Pope’s incomprehensible actions.

“…..Heik!”

Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he froze in place.

“W-W-W-What’s this?”

His dilated pupils locked onto a pair of bloodshot irises that had materialized in the previously inky void.

“Ah, ah euuuu… aaeuuu…”

Despite the circumstances that would normally invoke panic, the bishop found himself rooted to the spot.

Something about that pair of irises had inexplicably rendered him immobile.

“What… what… is this…?”

Struggling against his growing dread, the bishop, drenched in a cold sweat, finally managed to muster the strength to question the Pope, who stood by his side.

“Are you asking because you really don’t know what this is?”

The Pope’s expression grew frostier in response.

“A true sun, don’t you think so?”

He added with a cold smile.

– Slide…!

And in that fateful moment, the meaning of the Pope’s words became clear.

“Ugh, ack!!”

The grotesque tentacles sprouted from the eerie floating eyeballs stretched out toward him.

“S-Save me! Please…”

The abhorrent, unidentifiable creature, its pupils transformed into writhing tendrils, bore a macabre resemblance to an inky sun.

“It seems like the sun has bestowed sunlight upon you.”

“……Ack.”

The Pope closed his eyes and clasped his hands in reverence as the tentacles made contact with the bishop’s neck and face.

“This too shall be a blessing.”

“Ugh…”

He whispered with a smirk curling at the corners of his lips.

“…Congratulations on becoming truly a part of us.”

With those words, the Pope strode towards the chamber’s wall.

– Graeus.

“…..!”

Abruptly, a spine-tingling voice from behind froze the Pope in his tracks, compelling him to whirl around and kneel.

“I humbly greet the true sun.”

“Keugh, Wheeze…”

Unperturbed by the sight of the bishop before him, the Pope spoke with a composed expression.

“But what brings…”

– It has been a many moons since those two kids trespassed here a few months ago.

“……”

As the grotesque unknown creature began to speak, he found himself sweating involuntarily.

– The time has come for the “created child” to step forward.

“I-is that so? But… right now, we need to stabilize…”

Following the entity’s words, blood began streaming from the bewildered Pope’s ears and eyes.

“…Ehhiiikk!”

In desperation, he slammed his head on the ground and begged.

“I have committed the audacity to interrupt the words of the truly divine one! Please, have mercy…”

– No more chances next time.

“…Th-thank you. Thank you.”

Relieved that his eyes and ears no longer bled, the Pope met the gaze of the grotesque creature.

– We need to keep the Saintess in check.

“…Pardon me?”

In an instant, the grotesque creature began speaking in a cold voice.

– It seems that the Creator God of this dimension, the Star God, has finally intervened.

“What? How could…”

– A variable of unknown identity has appeared in the world. Perhaps the Star God has prepared a secret weapon through the Saintess.

The Pope, shocked by the revelation, stood there with his mouth agape while the grotesque creature turned its gaze to the bishop who had been shivering at its side.

– If we continue like this, our plans will be disrupted. So, at this point, we must send out a variable of our own.

“Grrr…”

Eventually, the creature severed the connection it had maintained with the bishop through its tentacle, issuing a command.

– Release the “created child” into the world. Let it face that annoying hero.

“……”

– It’s only fitting to send a match for that kind of opponent.

“…Understood.”

The Pope nodded as he responded.

– Do not let your guard down. I’ll say it again: there won’t be a second chance.

The grotesque creature closed its eyes tightly and concluded its words.

“………..”

In the wake of its disappearance, silence settled over the underground chamber.

“Phew…”

Only then did the Pope release a long, tense breath before rising from his seat and muttering as he faced the wall.

“I have been thinking of this before, but…”

– Thump, thump, thump…!

With three knocks at regular intervals on the wall, the sturdy surface split open on both sides, revealing a hidden entrance.

“…It always feels as if my lifespan has been shortened.”

Muttering the words, the Pope slowly began to descend the seemingly endless staircase.

“…Gu.”

Wholly unaware of an intruder.

.

.

.

.

.

– Ziiing…

When the tightly closed iron door opened, a vast space was revealed.

– Step, step.

Stepping out of the long staircase, the Pope quietly advanced toward the heart of the space.

“…….”

Once he reached the center of the room, he halted, letting the silence wash over him.

“Arise.”

After a while, the Pope addressed a girl sitting in the center of the room.

“The time has come for you to go back to the outside world.”

He spoke with a solemn voice.

“Outside the world… you mean…”

In response to the Pope’s exclamation, the girl, her aura suffused with mystery and her visage radiant, raised her head and inquired, her long gray cascading over her shoulder.

“Yes, we’ve moved up the schedule. From today onwards, you will be the Youngest Paladin of the Sun God’s Church that we have been promoting.”

The Pope quietly observed as the previously impassive girl rose to her feet.

“Just follow the education you’ve received so far. The moment you step out of here, you will be a cheerful and pure paladin, not a created Saintess.”

“…I understand.”

“If you deviate even a bit, you should know the consequences. We will know everything.”

“…I understand.”

He was satisfied with the girl’s response, but halfway, he furrowed his brow.

“Oh, I almost forgot. Before you leave, there’s something you must do.”

“What is it?”

“Close your eyes tightly and offer a prayer to the Sun, just as you’ve learned.”

“Are we finally entering the actual fight today?”

“Yes, I personally approve.”

Upon hearing those words, the girl knelt on the floor, closed her eyes, and clasped her hands together.

“I offer my prayers to the Holy Sun today as well… I, your humble lamb, dare to request earnestly…”

She began to pray, and divine power radiated from her entire being.

“…Please show me the way.”

However, from that moment, the girl began to slowly stiffen.

“Huh? Uwah?”

Gradually, her expression shifted from mystical serenity to one of perplexity.

“Huff, huff… What is this…?”

Much time had passed as she finally ceased her prayers. The exhausted girl gasped for breath and found herself lost in soul-searching. Meanwhile, the Pope fixed his unwavering gaze on her.

“What did you see?”

He countered with a question.

“I saw various scenes, but most were shrouded in darkness, so I couldn’t see them clearly.”

“Oh no, the ‘Demon God’ must have caused some ‘interference.\'”

The Pope sighed and shook his head.

“H-however… I did see some scenes vividly.”

“Is that so?”

The girl hastened to explain.

“For example, scenes in which flesh collided with flesh were often depicted.”

Her words were met with silence.

“The first scene involving flesh, among all the scenes I witnessed, featured one person— ‘Frey,’ the world’s greatest villain, who continued to appear in such scenes.”

“Hmm.”

“And the other person was…”

“Did you see any scenes that you were in?”

The Pope interrupted her account, causing the girl to shut her mouth for a moment.

“There… seemed to be some scenes.”

Even the thought of it twisted her face in disgust, but eventually, she reluctantly muttered the words, her lips barely parting.

“It was horrifying. Thankfully, it wasn’t something that actually happen—”

“But it will happen.”

“Excuse me!?”

The girl’s eyes widened at his words.

“The ability you possess is a ‘prophecy’ ability. The scenes you saw are events that will actually occur in the future.”

“B-but… why?”

“…Why is that?”

Disbelief was written all over her face. The Pope threw a cold look at her and asked back.

“You don’t believe me?”

“…”

“Do you doubt my words, the Apostle of the Sun?”

“…No, I don’t.”

The girl replied as her face turned pale.

“Then… a-am I going to whisper words of love to that man, just as I saw?”

A tremor accompanied her voice.

“I don’t want to. It’s terrifying. I’m scared. To make such an expression to that disgusting person, I…”

“If you don’t like it, you can change the future.”

The Pope spoke to the girl with a warm voice.

“You are the only one in this world who knows the future. So, your future will change depending on what you do.”

“I-is that so?”

“Yes, so…”

He declared solemnly.

“Kill Frey without hesitation, using any means necessary.”

Hearing this declaration, the girl tensed up.

“That may be the only way to protect yourself, the Empire, and even the world.”

The Pope eloquently finished his statement before turning away and heading for the stairs.

“…Come out when you’re ready.”

He added briefly and began to climb the stairs.

“………..”

The silence lingered.

“…Frey.”

At that moment, her shock was replaced by disgust.

“Before I become like that, I’ll definitely kill you and change the future.”

She muttered and took a step forward.

“Gugu.”

“…..?”

And at that moment, a dove flew towards her.

– Shaaa…

Without giving her a chance to prepare, the dove plunged into her arms.

“Ah…”

The girl with a mystical appearance, who had been filled with contempt and disgust, lost consciousness for a moment.

“………”

And after a while, the dazed girl spoke in a faint voice.

“The pervasive darkness… has been lifted slightly.”

Alone In the darkness, she radiated a brilliant light, a single tear flowing from her eyes.

“Why did I embrace him…”

“…while making such an expression and weeping like that?”

Meanwhile…

A familiar-looking dove with a foolish expression escaped from her body, flying away while singing a cheerful tune.

“Gugu~♪”

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