Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Finally, Sassoon bit his lower lip, and bright red blood dripped gently. "I'm just not as strong as you. I just need to increase my strength. My way of life can't be changed."

God sat motionless on the throne, his hand supporting his chin as he listened. He could see into the future and surely knew this day.

"In that case, come find me when you wake up. If you've made a mistake, I'll continue what we didn't finish today."

So Sassoon fell from the sky, choosing to become one with the cliffs of Voron. She said this:

If there is no true justice in the world, only despairing hypocrisy, then I will not live in this world. When hypocrisy is destroyed and justice is re-established, when wheat is like walnuts in the forest, when the fruit of wild roses becomes food, then her day will truly come, and she can go out.

Time flies, and many years have passed in the blink of an eye.

When Sasson, summoned by Dee through the Heroic Spirit System, met Novia in the Underworld Tokyo, the flame of hatred and anger in her heart had not been extinguished even after so many years.

"Let me state this first: I am neither Yahweh nor Jehovah. I'll make that clear from the beginning."

Why deny it? The furious Sassoon couldn't understand.

To whom are you denying this? The bewildered Sassoon was unsure.

Her eyes felt a dull ache, but her silver eyes, oblivious to her consciousness, were fixed on the man who seemed to have undergone some kind of fundamental change.

But she still fought as she wished and as he had said, though perhaps this caused a slight change in her mood, making her act like a disgruntled child—

The moment he opened his eyes, Little Mugel was somewhat dazed.

Based on the information gathered, this is a typical urban room. Although it is quite spacious, the disorganization is so severe that it wastes the space. The various items also lack uniformity, ranging from a large number of books and a desk that seems to be an old item to moldy bread crumbs.

The blue-haired girl, who was leaning against the hospital bed with a bitter expression, stroking her abdomen and letting out a weary sigh, called out in confusion, "...Great-grandmother?"

"You're awake!"

Upon hearing this, Luce crossed her fingers on her lap, then looked up at the side as if she had remembered something: "Mother Tiamat, someone is calling you."

"Hey, you woke me up as soon as you woke up? What a good child."

"Of course, these Luce I picked up are absolutely good kids."

“Yes, yes, Luce, you’re a good boy too.”

"……Oh."

Little Mugel had no idea what the two people in front of him were talking about, so he could only casually agree.

She then learned that the blue-haired girl was Luce, a believer in God, while the green-haired girl was the creator goddess from Mesopotamia, a place she had never heard of. However, in her eyes, she was no different from an evil god. To be honest, Little Mugel felt disgusted.

Although she thought God was hypocritical, there was only one God in the world, and all the others were... beings who deserved to die.

At the same time, Luce also made the sign of the cross to Little Mugel, murmuring that Raphael was in front of her and Gabriel was behind her, and so on, while drawing a pentagram in mid-air.

These two? I think we've fought before.

But looking at the devout blue-haired girl, Little Mugel couldn't help but look out the window.

Soft sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains. For some reason, she felt that gaps suited her well, perhaps because she had been confined in the Wolong Cliff for so long, where light only occasionally shone.

...Is my strength still insufficient?

Little Mugel thought blankly.

So many years have passed, and although no tests have been conducted, she felt that her power had indeed increased. Moreover, while the god seemed unchanged, there was some fundamental change. The indifference and aloofness of that time had vanished, replaced by something somewhat...

The person who stood in front of Tiamat was not doing so because of the so-called 'offending the gods,' but simply because he wanted to.

Incomprehensible.

But that doesn't matter. No matter what changes occur, at least He knows His own hypocrisy, and His only thought is—

"...I'm still too weak."

The girl, her white hair dull as dust, murmured as if in curse.

"...Oh, I'm finally awake."

Just then, little Mugel saw the man sitting leisurely cross-legged, waving at her—Peumendges.

In her view, this Lord's Mind had a pair of cold eyes, pale blue eyes filled with danger, and at first glance, it didn't look like a good thing.

“Erise Utsumi, that’s my name.”

When Eri opened her mouth, she seemed so tired that even speaking was too much of a hassle for her.

This is normal. After the Tokyo incident, Chitose chose to rebuild Tokyo, which had resurfaced. As for Ouroboros, which opposed her, it really disappeared with the death of its Master, Dee. Before it disappeared, it was pierced by Chitose's Holy Nail. As for Tiamat, who was taken away, she was targeted by another Servant summoned by Dee.

That is 'Elijah of Thunder', not the prophet Elijah in the Bible, but Peron, the thunder god in Slavic mythology. During the Christianization period, he was transformed into the saint "Elijah of Thunder". Moreover, as a thunder god, he is also special against snakes or dragons, which is probably why Dee did it this way.

However, just like Ouroboros, with Dee's death, Peron was also unable to suppress the juvenile Tiamat and was ultimately destroyed.

At the same time, Eri felt guilty because Lushena was missing. In her opinion, he would never have done this if it weren't to help her. Although she had said goodbye to Izanami and Shu properly, she still felt guilty.

So whenever she saw Novia's seemingly indifferent expression, Eri couldn't help but feel furious.

No matter what, even if he was an imposter, that guy called me "teacher" for so long! He disappeared without a care in the world, which is really terrible and despicable.

Now that things have come to this, Eri also has a definition for the dream she had when she went to Tokyo. It was just her own imagination. Although Taira no Masakado and the giant moon did appear, nothing else seemed to be shown. In other words, her own Servant, whose class was Novia, was just a dream...

Misidentification and misunderstanding.

Disagreements and fantasies.

With such a ridiculous thing happening again and again, Eri decided she should stop overthinking and start living in reality.

"Again..."

Just as Little Mugel was about to speak, he noticed that the strong aura of Permanderges on Eri had diminished considerably.

Could it be that I did something to displease that guy?

"That guy was definitely the worst."

Little Mugel spat out those words with utter disgust and irritation.

Since Eri took this assessment of Novia for granted, she had no intention of refuting it. Moreover, she could hear the intense hostility hidden in the voice of the withered white-haired girl, a hostility so strong it could silence anyone, and an even stronger magical power circulated within her arm. Like some kind of flowing pattern, the magical power surged and roared, as if it might bare its fangs at any moment.

Come to think of it, it's understandable that I'm upset that they would do that kind of thing in a place where it's not easily visible.

"Really, it's the worst."

Little Mügel emphasized this again.

She is absolutely right.

Eri fully agreed with this opinion, and even wanted to raise both hands in support.

After all, when Luce told her that she saw Novia lying on top of a gray-haired girl who had no clothes when she arrived at the scene, Erise couldn't help but think that Novia was a complete pervert. He wasn't satisfied with Tiamat, and he even made a move on a girl with that kind of figure, and she was even an acquaintance, and she was even wearing an anklet. What kind of weird fetish was that...? Erise had expected that Novia was a scoundrel, but she never expected that he was a scoundrel to be to such an extent.

And not only did she do that kind of thing, but she didn't even let him clean up. Although his body was tattered, Eri could still see that Little Mugel's beautiful face was as if it had been sculpted by the soul of the heavens. It was just that he hadn't washed up properly in a long time.

However, that angry profile actually revealed a kind of ferocious beauty.

Perhaps the scoundrel Novia likes this kind of look?

This idea sent a chill down Erise's spine.

What a terrible man.

Upon seeing that Eri was trying to echo his actions, Little Mugel's brow twitched and his eyes narrowed slightly.

This Eri is of the same blood as me, and her eyes, as blue as the sea, reflect my image.

And her image should have been reflected in his eyes, an image so different from his current self.

Originally, Little Mugel thought that everyone in the world except herself felt the same way about God, especially her, who had the mind of the Lord. No matter how much she hated God, she should feel that her hatred was different from her own. But it seems that God really does feel the same way about her.

Whether people walk on the earth or lie buried beneath it, their attitudes toward God are not significantly different.

If there is any discrepancy, it is only among those 'heretics' who, like myself, have seen through His hypocrisy yet still live on earth. And this Lord's Mind, Phoemenderges, is the same. I just can't understand it; it's truly unbelievable...

Little Mugel was thinking about what to say next. After all, she hadn't spoken to anyone for so many years, and it seemed that she couldn't even speak properly to others when she wasn't in front of that person.

However, the next second, Eri shrugged her shoulders slightly and asked in return.

"Then why did you silently give in to him?"

"……what?"

Chapter 539 Lucius: I have a bad feeling.

"From this day forward, I hope that all the people of Armenia, including myself, will convert to Christianity in the Roman Empire, and I ask the Church of the Holy See to establish a branch there."

Let's go back to 62 AD, the sixth year of Nero's reign.

In the central square of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, a protectorate of Rome, as the sun sets behind the Alagaz snow-capped peaks, Tiridates I, the newly crowned King of Armenia, addressed the people surrounding the square after being recognized by Nero in Rome.

Among them were nobles, soldiers, and commoners, but the new king was the only Christian.

It's utterly absurd; what a ridiculous thing this is!

Because Tiridates I was from one of the royal bloodlines of the Parthian Empire, and Vaticanism was the most prevalent religion in Parthia.

But the new king's eyes, which were seen by everyone, shone brightly as if expressing his will.

The conversion from traditional Vaticanism to Christianity was no easy task. Tiridates I would undoubtedly have to contend with the local traditional forces regarding Vaticanism, which was deeply rooted in the hearts of the Armenian people. This gave the Parthian-controlled Eastern Armenia an opportunity, since the struggle between Rome and Parthia in the Armenian region had already begun in 1 AD, and for Rome, it was a crucial eastern defense line.

Moreover, geographically, Armenia overlooks the entire Near East and overlooks Asia Minor; it can be said that whoever controls Armenia holds the key to the other's world and is very likely to bring the entire Near East under their control. Therefore, for a long time, Rome and the Parthian Empire spared no effort to seize Armenia.

Therefore, Nero could not allow Parthia to invade again. She claimed that Western Armenia, who had submitted to the same faith, was a good partner of Rome, and that the Armenians were incredibly brave. Furthermore, taking advantage of the rise of national power, she set up a military district system in Armenia that was ahead of its time. In other words, she waged a war with Parthia to seize the whole of Armenia.

Then, the general she dispatched was—

Lucius Longinus.

Soon after, the long shadows of the spears of the Roman Praetorian Guard stationed outside Yerevan were cast long across the city walls. A gentle breeze swirled sand across the arrow towers, producing a humming sound like bone flutes. Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in the wilderness, as flocks of crows swept across the sky with their black wings, inhuman wailing echoed from the armies of the Sipartisans and Parthians. After all, for a long time, what prevailed in the Middle East was a kind of magic that 'once hoped' to become the third major system of Western magic, besides thought magic—a magic capable of changing one's own form.

"A few years ago, there was a huge anomaly; it suddenly appeared high in the sky above us."

"That anomaly ignored all elements and appeared above everyone. Even though all that could be observed was nothingness, everything on the ground could be directly sensed."

Lucius delivered a speech in the central square of Yerevan.

For a soldier to perform such an act, he must have practiced it many times in private. After all, this is a memorable feat, as it marks the first time a country other than Rome has converted to the same faith.

"That was a harbinger, followed by a tremor that felt like the world was collapsing."

"You, including us, have all been plunged into unease and despair by this sudden change!"

The man, who appeared mature but spoke with a slightly awkward tone, gradually attracted people's attention with his smiling face and earnest voice as he spoke to the crowd.

"That was a test given to us by God! Even so, we still live on in this world! Because we are one, we are all the same! So even if we have different languages, skin colors, opinions, beliefs and races now, what do these matter! We all have one heart! All our souls are equal before God, without any distinction of high or low!"

“I’m not belittling your current beliefs, I’m just saying that they are different from what we value.”

"However, if you remain confused, my words will not reach you, therefore I promise you—"

"Even though things haven't changed yet, God and we have recognized your strength and courage, and therefore bestow blessings upon all of you. You were just born in different worlds, but you are undoubtedly outstanding men."

Lucius placed his fingertips on his chest and spoke as if to someone who was nowhere to be seen.

“I will take full responsibility. God entrusted Armenia to you in the hope that you can save your own souls. True goodness and justice are invisible.”

Lucius's speech was met with applause.

However, he knew very well that his thoughts and feelings were quite calm.

This is not enough to convince all Armenians to sincerely convert to their faith.

Simple honor cannot protect what is cherished. True missionary work is not as simple as it seems. For whatever reason, the people of West Asia have a long-standing faith in Vaticanism. If they are blinded by mere adoration and do not resort to a certain amount of 'violence', they will not be able to establish authority. Destroying statues and temples is necessary.

Even Tiridates I knew this, and he originally thought there was no need to give a speech at all; he could simply use force to compel people to accept it.

After his speech, Lucius, who had been addressed in this way by Tiridates I, stood on the city wall gazing at the snow-capped peak of Mount Ararat in the distance, the sacred mountain where Noah's Ark was said to have landed.

Lucius the Lance answered thus:

"Because a guy once said something to me—"

That was a memory from many years ago.

It's a conversation hidden behind history, more than a decade ago, with that person on a country road on the way to Rome—

"People are not destined to follow us. It is perfectly normal for them to believe in other gods, because they live in a world that can only be this way, and this is the only world they can access. Therefore, it is perfectly normal for them not to believe in any god, but in other gods. If we regard them as hopeless and believe that only they are right, worthy of happiness, and worthy of respect, then we are no different from Greek polytheism and Judaism. As missionaries, we must not only shout slogans, but also change their living environment in order to change them. We do not rely on nobles and emperors to continue, but on the many people who suffer. They are our brothers, they are our foundation. If we abandon them, we have no reason to exist. No one is more noble or more lowly than anyone else. We must have this kind of thinking and awareness."

Lucius did not answer at the time, but simply thought quietly and listened to the other person continue.

At the same time, I thought to myself, "This person is really eloquent."

"Everyone should have doubts about their own conscience. If one blindly believes in one's own justice, no matter how cruel the thing, people are capable of doing it; one should also constantly worry, think, and be confused. The moment we think we are right, we have already lost our rightness. Sometimes, that kind of justice is uglier than anything else."