Chapter 40 : The Fire Spirit God, Cthugha

In the vast multiverse, there exist eternal beings known as Outer Gods. Among them, some, like Nyarlathotep, take a keen interest in living beings. Others, like Ubbo-Sathla, savor the life energy of the universe as a delicacy. However, most of the countless Outer Gods living in the infinite void have little interest in the universe. Having lived for eons, they had already experienced everything they wished to enjoy.

Beings like Nyarlathotep and Ubbo-Sathla, who indulge in their hobbies for eternity, are the exceptions. The rest either exist without any particular thought or, having lost their sanity over the endless ages, follow only their instincts, wandering through the universes and leaving destruction in their wake.

Among these beings, there are those whose sole purpose is not gourmet delights or research but pure destruction. In a universe governed by the laws of nature, where natural phenomena possess will and live as beings, there exists a god of flame-enshrouded spirits, known as the "Fire Spirit King from Beyond."

This being is also an Outer God, with power rivaling that of Nyarlathotep and Ubbo-Sathla. His name is Cthugha. He had a history of destroying and burning down Nyarlathotep's laboratory in the void, making them fierce enemies. Although their powers were evenly matched, their battles never reached a conclusion. Each time they clashed, they would snarl and fight, but the outcome would always be the same: the surrounding universes would be left in ruins, while their own conflict remained unresolved.

Cthugha.

The flames emanating from his body defied physical laws, burning even in the void, and were an eternal fire that could never be extinguished. The temperature and energy of these flames surpassed the combined energy of thousands of supernova explosions. Merely appearing in a universe, his heat and energy could destroy it entirely. He was a terrifying god of destruction, burning everything in his path.

[The universe. Most beautiful when it blazes and vanishes.]

And so, today, he wandered from universe to universe, burning them for his own amusement. His flames were so powerful that just approaching them caused anomalies in the universe. As soon as he entered a universe, the explosive energy caused its matter to ignite rapidly, leading to the complete annihilation of everything in a short time.

His terrifying power seemed overwhelming compared to other Outer Gods. Of course, other top-tier Outer Gods could also erase universes in an instant if they wished. They simply chose not to unleash their full power. Thus, it wasn't just his nemesis Nyarlathotep who disliked Cthugha. Other supreme Outer Gods also disapproved of him, despite being beings of the highest order themselves. They found Cthugha's blatant display of power and his habit of destroying universes with brute force to be lacking in dignity.

Regardless, Cthugha continued to burn universes, finding joy in watching everything ignite. At that moment,

[Behold. A new universe. Beautifully ablaze.]

Cthugha had found a new target.

In a universe inhabited by various cosmic races, the presence of other Outer Gods was also felt. However, Cthugha, who had once burned down Nyarlathotep's laboratory, was not one to care about the presence of one or two other Outer Gods. As he approached to burn another universe,

[…? Strange. No change.]

Something was off. Normally, just the proximity of Cthugha would cause the entire universe to experience anomalies due to the intense heat of his flames. Space might twist, or phenomena contrary to physical laws might occur. But nothing happened.

Cthugha seemed slightly puzzled by this unusual situation.

[Shield. Entire universe.]

The reason was not hard to discern. An Outer God within had sensed his approach and enveloped the entire universe in a protective shield, as if to guard it.

[Amusing.]

Cthugha scoffed at the effort, piercing through the shield and entering the universe. However, the moment he entered,

[Hey, didn't you see the shield? Why would you break through it?]

The voice of another Outer God echoed in his mind, and Cthugha found himself not in the targeted universe but in a completely different space.

[...]

He was even more bewildered than before.

Without even realizing it, Cthugha had been transported to another space. Before him stood a massive, tentacled giant with a single red eye—an Outer God. Moreover, this space seemed inescapable, as if a higher being had trapped him in an independent dimension.

[Annihilation.]

Fwoosh!

Yet, the thought that he couldn't escape this space never crossed his mind. He was a supreme Outer God. Even Nyarlathotep couldn't stop or defeat him. The idea that some unknown red-eyed entity could imprison him was laughable.

However,

[Hmm… I see. You're strong. The Fire Spirit God, huh? But escaping from here won't be easy.]

The red-eyed Outer God spoke mockingly. It was indeed this being who had created the space. But how? Universes, even Nyarlathotep's laboratory, would burn and vanish instantly upon contact with Cthugha's full power. Yet, this space remained unaffected.

Who was this Outer God?

Confusion began to swirl in Cthugha's mind.

[What. Identity. You.]

Even when fighting Nyarlathotep, he had never experienced anything like this. As a supreme Outer God, he had never felt the oppressive presence of an absolute higher being.

Cthugha was greatly bewildered. This had never happened before… no, there was one time. He had felt such overwhelming pressure from a higher being only once. It was when he connected to the "most primordial yet originless entity" to receive the knowledge of the multiverse.

Cthugha, driven by greed, had caused chaos the moment he connected, attempting to seize more knowledge and power. But nothing worked. The entity's presence was far stronger than his energy because it was the most primordial being. Simultaneously, it was originless, making it impossible to grasp or feel anything.

Yet, its immense presence had undeniably overwhelmed Cthugha. It was something that should never be touched. At that moment, even he, an eternal being, felt an unknown fear. Yes, fear. He, who was meant to bring destruction, annihilation, and fear, was feeling fear himself. It was an impossible occurrence.

This was chaos and blasphemy, breaking even the laws that governed beings like the Outer Gods, who had already transcended the laws of existence.

[Denial. Denial. Denial.]

Cthugha began to recall the emotion of 'fear,' which he had felt for the first and last time in his eternal existence.

The being before him was not an Outer God. It was far beyond that. It was the essence, the evil, the taboo, and the creation itself. Recognizing its existence was blasphemous. It was a higher-dimensional entity that made even Outer Gods feel the same fear and reverence that lesser beings felt towards them.

Cthugha, having once defied and felt the power of such an entity, understood this. While others might be deceived, he was not. This was no mere Outer God.

[Ah… Ah…]

Cthugha, forgetting his usual terse speech, bowed his head. To fight? Such an option did not exist. Confronting this being was an inconceivable concept. He wondered why it appeared as a mere Outer God, but even questioning that was taboo. He had no choice but to accept it as it was. After all, even Outer Gods could not fully comprehend its will.

[Return. I, go back.]

Attempting to burn the universe where this being resided was a grave mistake. Cthugha did not wish to be annihilated. He conveyed his intention to leave without causing any harm.

[What?]

The being, seemingly unimpressed, opened a part of the space, allowing him to exit.

The exit led to a distant part of the void, far from this universe.

[...]

Without uttering a word, Cthugha extinguished his usual blazing flames and energy. He reverted to his original form—a massive, winged, tentacled monstrosity—and trudged away.

Phew… I thought we were in serious trouble with that crazy cosmic arsonist showing up, but he left more quietly than I expected. I was worried we might have to fight, considering he seemed almost as powerful as Nyarlathotep. Thankfully, he was more reasonable than I thought.

Wow, he appeared so suddenly. If something like that entered the universe, the elf planet and everything else would have been incinerated. The energy that can burn the very concept of space itself… It wasn't just the elf planet at risk; the entire SF universe could have been obliterated.

Outer Gods are truly terrifying. Just passing through can annihilate the very fabric of the universe. As someone who was once human, with a fragile heart and limited abilities, it's hard to endure such encounters. So scary.