Epilogue

AN: Advertisement time. I have started a collab project involving characters from my story Lords of Ooal Gown. It is an Isekai Quartet type of story with overall lighter tone. If you are interested, search for Isekai Nexus written by Totallysanewriters, or just follow the link https://www.webnovel.com/book/isekai-nexus_26948903906099305

He clutched his forehead with his left hand in a vain attempt to stop the feeling of the subtle dread. The feeling of being watched had not left Yuuki for quite some time. To his vexation, his abilities were not cutting it when it came to resisting the growing whispers in his head.

Yuuki continued to sign the guild master reports, knowing that ignorance was only a temporary solution. He looked up at the ceiling of his room and thought about the cryptic meaning behind the whispers.

For all intents and purposes, this dark being continued to emphasize its role as a God. Yuuki scoffed at its self-gloating, 'You are as self-important as a true dragon.'

While it was understandable for this world and its societies to build itself around the belief of a higher being, he was not among those people. However, he was also not the kind to just cast away boons given to him on a silver plate. Capitalizing on any opportunities was the surefire way to pursue his own ambitions, and no self-proclaimed God would get in his way.

But right now, Yuuki started to fear that everything he had built up for his grand pursuit would start to crumble around him.

He had to admit that this foreign entity had more power than he anticipated when he established "first contact" with it. By now he knew something was slowly gnawing away at his mind, and his chances to stop the relentless assault were becoming slimmer every day.

Yuuki did not know what else to try at this point as he had tried every single method to stop the intruder to no avail. On top of that, he could not remember anything that had happened out of the ordinary which would have led to this current series of events.

At one point, he considered asking Kagali and her clown troupe for assistance.

But as soon as he came up with that thought, he immediately rescinded it.

'Their minds are weaker. Even Kagali couldn't overpower me no matter how hard she tried. That begs the question, why me? If what this being wanted was an obedient tool, I would be the last person to temper with.'

It was clear it was only gunning for him and nobody else. He actually wondered as to why this being was so interested in breaking his mind.

'Heh, maybe I'm just that important for his goals? Gnk-! Okay, nevermind. I take that back. This girl is really getting on my nerves.' Yuuki's frustration rose as he was wracked with yet another pulsating headache.

'Give in…serve and be rewarded…resist and be punished.'

The being now spoke with a smooth feminine voice as if reacting to Yuuki sensing the nature of the Goddess that was closing in on his free will. It reminded Yuuki of Kagali's own voice, though the malicious intent within this stranger's voice was as clear as day to him.

'I suppose it would be useless to continue resisting any further. Might as well just plunge into the depths and find out where it leads.'

Yuuki put down the pen and stood up. He took a brief gander around the room, and before he knew it, the voice spoke again but in a much greater volume.

'Come, I am waiting.'

'Fine! You win. You have my undivided attention.' He let out a laugh and gave a mocking clap to the being.

'Annoying pest, know your place. I won't be denied. Choose now!.'

Yuuki's breathing suddenly stopped. He gasped for air, but it felt like he had forgotten how to breathe.

'Point taken!' He screamed in his own mind dropping to his knees.

'Good… now come.'

His breathing resumed as if nothing had happened.

Figuring that he should not anger the being even more, he sat down on the carpet and closed his eyes. With a few long breaths, he got into a trance state and started to observe the immaterial world around him.

The moment he was in the right state, the scene violently shifted and he was sitting on blood-stained grass with dead bodies everywhere. Black-winged creatures resembling human women were feasting on the corpses, tearing them apart with inhumanly wide jaws.

Yuuki stood up and looked around. Whatever the vision was about, it was far too real to be random.

As if guided toward some unknown destination, he walked among the corpses completely ignored by the monsters. The presence which had been keeping a close eye on him was unmistakably becoming stronger by the second.

The scene shifted once again and a woman sitting on a throne made of bones appeared in front of him. Her crimson-red eyes seemingly looked through him. She shifted in the throne, caressing the handle with blood-stained hands that had sharp human nails.

The woman had an almost unnatural beauty about her. Long, pitch-black hair partly covered her pale face. Sharp fangs could be seen as she slightly opened her blood-red lips. Her long red dress greatly complimented her curvaceous figure.

"Who are you?" Yuuki asked.

"You may refer to me as Ker, boy. I am the true Goddess of Blood and Violence. Come, kneel before me." She said in a low, smooth voice.

Yuuki looked at her inquiringly and then said, "Nice try, but I'm not cowering before you. What are you and what do you want with me?"

"Such defiance~ You'll be the expression of my will in your forsaken world," Ker smirked.

Yuuki's body moved on its own, taking a few steps closer and then kneeling before the Goddess. "You… how?" he managed to get out through gritted teeth as even his mouth refused his commands.

Ker leaned forward and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. She then dragged her bloodied thumb over his lips. "Drink my gift, boy. Witness your Goddess."

Yuuki licked his lips involuntarily and all his senses were overwhelmed instantaneously.

"You… such power… Goddess… my will… is my own." He did his best to resist.

"Your mind would be your own. I am a generous Goddess to those who carry out my will. Will you be my instrument of vengeance, Yuuki Kagurazaka?"

"I… let go of me… let me stand before you. I… am not a pawn… I won't be your… agh…"

"You would defy me? You insolent mortal gnat!"

Ker immediately dropped all pretenses of calm, raising her voice to a ghastly shriek. Yuuki felt that his eardrums were going to be blasted by the Goddess's raging storm of power that was purely emanating from her voice alone.

"N-no… Let me stand before you… I can work for you… but not as a pawn…"

The furious glint in Ker gradually lessened, slowly being replaced with a furrowed expression.

She let go of his face, with Yuuki sighing in relief as he now felt in control of his body once again. He exhaled sharply and stood up with a stagger.

"Thank you, Goddess… Now, may I be permitted to speak?"

"…Speak, boy." Ker said, a hint of annoyance still present in her tone. Yuuki stifled the urge to swallow the saliva in his throat, but he could not stop the sweat beading down his face.

"As I said, I can work for you, but I won't be just a tool for you to use and discard," Yuuki said slowly and then kneeled of his own volition. He continued speaking with growing confidence in his voice.

"Goddess, you saw my heart. You know what I want in the end. I have seen how truly powerful you are, so I beseech that you grant me only a mere droplet of your strength to aid me in my conquest."

Ker leaned forward once again, this time with growing interest.

Usually, she would deliver a round of mocking laughter when hearing such absurd requests. This boy had the audacity to ask her to grant him per even before he had proved himself.

But it was true; she had seen the ignited determination within Yuuki's heart, and not even her prowess was able to extinguish it. She could not deny the benefits of letting someone as ambitious as this boy carry out her will through his own means.

"…Such ambition. Very well, start serving me with all your heart and that world can be yours. All I want is for the one who stole from me to pay dearly."

"Who has wronged you, my Goddess?" Yuuki asked, somewhat relieved by Kel's answer. He concealed his gratitude for having his words even remotely considered by the unpredictable Goddess.

The blood he consumed had shown the true perspective and where he stood in comparison to Ker. She was beyond anything he had ever witnessed. A true Goddess in the fullest meaning of the word. Should he anger her too much, his existence could end instantly, but he wasn't the target of her wrath right now.

For a moment, he had also witnessed her loving side. The Goddess loved her worshipers and gleefully reveled in their dark deeds.

Should he become her willing instrument, he would be rewarded for it.

"A mortal who tried to do the deeds of a God. A thief. One that is known as Momonga. He took my prize. He must pay." Ker's voice sounded more like a hiss, but it still emanated throughout the endless fields of her abode like a shockwave. The feasting creatures let out frightful screams upon feeling their Goddess's wrath.

"Momonga…? It is true he and his nation of monsters have been making large waves quite recently, but for him to anger someone as great as you,…I can hardly believe it myself," Yuuki said, flashing a smile at the stony-faced Goddess.

He knew this was, in his own words, a ballsy move. Ker however did not miss the meaning behind Yuuki's message as some of her rage dissipated, her face now forming a slight smirk.

"I can see how that mask of yours has fooled everyone around you, even your closest allies. Do not for a moment think that I am looking at your mask."

"I aim to please, Goddess. Then, what must I do to rectify this issue?" Yuuki asked, maintaining eye contact with the one sitting on the throne. "It is already clear to me that Momonga is a major thorn in your side. He too poses a problem to me, so taking care of him as soon as possible would be the best way to approach things, no?"

"Patience. Retribution cannot be rushed. I would certainly like to take care of this as soon as possible but things must go their natural course," Ker said, standing up from her bony throne.

Yuuki stood up when gestured to do so by the Goddess, and he watched as her new master walked around, eventually stopping herself once she was completely behind him.

She touched his exposed neck pushing one nail in, drawing his blood. She licked the blood off her nail with a smile and said. "I will give you a weapon of the Gods. You will find an unwitting tool that can use it. This tool will slay everyone who this upstart holds dear."

"I w…" Yuuki gasped and looked down as intense pain set in. Ker's hand was sticking out of his chest covered in his blood. "Wh…" Yuuki gasped.

"You are my instrument, my will, my window in that forsaken world. Enjoy all the gifts I give. A weapon forged of blood and pain has no equal." She whispered in his ear and clenched her hand into a fist, digging her nails into her own palm.

She then opened her hand as blood poured out, and together with Yuuki's blood, formed a sword.

"Take it." She said while Yuuki shook in intense pain.

It took a lot of willpower but he managed to hold onto the sword. Ker pulled back her arm and the intense pain suddenly stopped.

Forgetting everything else, Yuuki admired the sword, feeling the immense power within. The shining metal blade was just over a meter long and gave the impression of impossible sharpness while its handle was made from an unknown, blood-red wood with strange carvings.

She walked around Yuuki and stopped in front of him. "This weapon can kill a lesser God. Find a tool that will wield it. You are my window to that forsaken world, your life is too precious to be risked now."

"Yes, my Goddess. I know a person we can use as a tool to wield your gifted sword."

"Good." She grabbed Yuuki's chin and pulled him into a kiss.

A euphoric pleasure engulfed his entire body, and the mere moment their lips touched, he was swimming in eternal orgasmic bliss.

Yuuki opened his eyes with a slow exhale, feeling the weight of the blade in his arms. The metallic smell of the blood brought him to the present moment. The rug he was sitting on was covered in blood.

He absentmindedly touched his chest, finding not only that there was no hole but even his suit was still intact. In the end, it didn't matter if he sustained any injury or not. He had a task from his Goddess and her will needed to be carried out.

His Goddess, Ker, was just as loving as she was wrathful, and no good servant would want to make his Goddess mad.

'Hinata will be a perfect tool.' He broke into a smirk and slowly stood up, admiring the sword that would kill the Gods of this world.

Edited by Zirmeister

Proofreading Visur Nyxan, Sad_Smiles, Ethal07, I AM THE STRING CUTTER, Miracle of Gods, and Alassandro.

AN: Thank you for reading the story, and if you have caught up to the latest chapter, you can check out my other work or join my discord server (Link is in my profile) where additional chapters are available or if you are interested in becoming a beta reader.