Secret World: I Became a God Through Lies

Chapter 532 The Collapse of the Divine Kingdom - The Backlash of Fate
When the Kingdom of God burns to ashes
The writer of fate
This will also serve as a footnote.

—The End Chronicle, Volume 20, The Gray Star Chapter

In the final ten seconds of the countdown, the whole world seemed to hold its breath.

Deep within the missile silo, the sirens blared and pierced, seemingly drilling into the very marrow of everyone's bones, each pound striking the taut nerves of every person. The red warning lights flashed rapidly, like a restless heart pounding violently in the darkness.

Xiao Jinyan, Xiao Lianyin, Calvino, and Lilia stood quietly beside the silver missile, their faces expressionless, yet each of their eyes were like iron, fixed firmly on the front.

No one spoke; only the system's cold, mechanical female voice echoed in the air, the echoes hollow and repetitive, like a doomsday proclamation.

【ten. 】

Si Ming's eyes were tightly closed, his face as pale as paper, and blood was still gushing from the wound on his chest, spreading a deep red stain on his battle uniform, a shocking sight.

【Nine. 】

Xin Nai stood frozen beside him, a knife gripping her hand, its blade deeply embedded in Si Ming's body, yet it felt as if it had pierced her own soul. Her eyes were vacant, as if she had fallen into an inescapable silent purgatory.

【eight. 】

On the deck of the Crimson Dragon, the wind howled and whistled. Xu Long gripped his heavy sword, his palms already bleeding from the hilt, yet he remained motionless, letting the blood droplets fall onto the deck, turning into red raindrops.

【seven.】

The sky fell silent. The gunfire ceased, the smoke lingered, yet even the air seemed frozen. The city resembled a colossal corpse, devoid of heartbeat and warmth.

【six.】

On the deck, some people sobbed softly, while others raised their glasses, smiling through their tears. It was as if they were having a final, poignant moment, laughing at the past and crying about the future.

【five. 】

The wind began to shift, and the world seemed to turn a page. The smell of the ocean tide became pungent, a mixture of burnt rust and engine oil, a harbinger of death.

【Four. 】

Si Ming's eyelashes trembled, and he struggled to open his eyes, looking up at the sky. The night sky was filled with twinkling stars, but they were not natural; they were man-made stars, cold, precise, and deadly.

【three. 】

He heard a hoarse voice tear through the silence, harsh yet resolute: "—Ignite it!"

【two. 】

Flames suddenly erupted from the missile silo, like a dragon emerging from the earth, roaring and tearing through the darkness, scorching through all the gloom between heaven and earth.

【one. 】

--emission.

boom----!
The missile, carrying the brilliance of destruction and rebirth, soared into the night sky, like a sharp sword defying the heavens, piercing the dark, cloud-covered canopy.

In just a few seconds, the entire city of Tokyo turned incandescent white.

That was the light of nuclear fire.

It is silent, yet powerful enough to evaporate every breath; it roars without a sound, yet extinguishes the heartbeat of an entire city. The light devours everything, turning the earth into ashes and a vacuum.

The mushroom cloud slowly rose into the sky, heavy and solemn, like a crown that had been forged in the dark long ago.

Golden light burst forth in the clouds, with lightning leaping and flashing through it, as if the gods were holding a coronation ceremony for their return.

People looked up at that "Crown of God"—

Some laughed, some cried, and some knelt in prayer, as if welcoming the arrival of a new era.

The pirates of the Deep Sea Nightmare raised their flags high amidst the ruins, roaring the horns of victory. Their voices pierced through the smoke and wreckage, echoing like a war song.

The echoes of gunfire transformed into hymns of praise, playing the most brutal anthem for this victory.

The system notification suddenly sounded, as if announcing a judgment following divine punishment:
[Instance Objective: Destroy Tokyo → Completed]

[Deep Sea Nightmare Faction: Victory]

[Faction rewards are being distributed...]

[Points Allocation: All members +10000]

The sky shattered like glass, with golden light spilling out from the cracks.

Countless points of light rained down from the sky, like a torrent of gold coins, like a dreamlike golden rain that blanketed the battlefield.

The soldiers of the Deep Sea Nightmare cheered and roared in the golden light, like a group of mad believers.

Some people spread their arms, letting the light penetrate their bodies, as if receiving a baptism from God;

Some people threw their heads back and laughed wildly, their tears long since evaporated in the high temperature of the radiation, leaving only their laughter echoing like thunder.

Some players couldn't help but shout:

"We won! Hahaha—we really won!!"

On the deck of the Red Dragon, everyone was immersed in the joy of victory, except for Xu Long, who remained motionless.

His clothes fluttered in the wind, his blood-stained battle uniform waving like a flag.

He lowered his head, his gaze piercing through the crowd and the noise, quietly watching the still-burning ruins.

At the center of that missile silo—Siming lay fallen on the scorched earth.

The long sword called "Chimei Wangliang" was still stuck in his chest, as if nailed to this apocalyptic altar.

The afterglow of the nuclear radiation illuminated his face; his eyes remained open.

It was a gaze fixed on the sky, as if trying to see fate, but it could no longer see anything.

Xu Long opened his mouth, but no sound came out; only the wind whispered for him:
Tokyo, burning into gold;

For the first time, humanity...thought they had become gods.

He slowly raised his head and gazed at the top of the mushroom cloud that was still floating in the sky.

It is a symbol of victory—but also a tomb for the dead.

The lieutenant came running up, panting, his face a mixture of excitement and exhaustion. He stopped and saluted: "Captain! It's over! We won!"

Xu Long did not turn around, but simply stared silently at the figure that would no longer rise.
He murmured to himself, his voice as low as the wind blowing through ashes:
"I won... but I also lost."

The wind swept across the deck, carrying the smell of blood and wine.
That aura lingered in the embers of victory, like some unspeakable eulogy.

In the distance, the mushroom cloud slowly collapsed, as if the throne of a god had fallen from the heavens to the mortal realm.

Tokyo after the atomic bombing became a city scorched black by time.

The setting sun was like blood, its afterglow lingering on the horizon.

The fog of radiation permeated the air, like a persistent veil of death.

The air was thick with the smells of rust, coke, and chemical reactions, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Streets collapsed, and steel structures melted into a torrent of metal that cascaded down from above.

Rivers of blood, scorched and solidified, meander like snakes through the city.

Deep within those hellish ruins, a blurry figure suddenly emerged from the sea of ​​fire.

That's a man.

He was dressed in white, the hem of his robe studded with ash and nuclear dust.

Yet with each step, the dust around his feet would automatically move aside, as if a miracle had occurred.

That wasn't walking; that was descending.

The scorching wind roared around him, but suddenly stopped an inch away from him, as if torn apart by an invisible force.

"He walks on fire and is not burned; the wind swirls around him but dares not touch his clothes."

It was as if a new law was now governing the world around him.

Behind him followed an elderly man with a full head of white hair—Mijinin Yukitaka.

The old man had his head down, his steps were heavy, and his expression was empty, as if he had long since lost his soul.

The raised tumor on his forehead gleamed with an eerie red light.

That wasn't a wound, but the mark of the master—a symbol of loyalty, a brand of control.

Haruhisa Abe stopped in front of a charred corpse.

The corpse knelt on the ground, still in a posture of devout prayer, with its hands clasped together, as if its faith had not wavered even in its last moments before death.

He chuckled softly, his voice low and gentle, his tone so tender it was almost unsettling—as if a merciful deity were bestowing forgiveness.

"The cherry blossoms have faded... but faith remains eternal."

The voice was like a whisper in the wind, yet it sent a chill down one's spine.

A deafening shout suddenly rang out from the ruins behind him!

That was the swan song of countless remnant souls of Onmyoji:

"Long live the divine kingdom!"

"Your Highness, may you live forever—!"

"Shattered jade! For Your Highness's kingdom—!"

Their bodies were engulfed in eerie blue fox flames, like self-immolating lamps.

They turned to ashes in the radiation and storms.

This was not a simple act of destruction, but a ritual.

That scene resembled some kind of out-of-control religious ceremony, both sacred and frenzied.

The air was filled with the smell of death, but there was not a trace of sorrow.

That was the ecstasy of being completely poisoned by faith, the cheers before the soul drowns.

On the deck of the Red Dragon, Xu Long stood at the gunwale, his eyes fixed on the white figure slowly walking out of the sea of ​​fire.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his heart skipped a beat:
"……Who is that?"

Calvino stood beside him, his brow furrowed, and said in a low voice, "He...walked in the nuclear flames."

Lilia's face turned deathly pale, and almost instinctively she took a step back, muttering, "That's not human..."

Abe Haruhisa slowly raised his head, still with that familiar gentle smile, as if a god had returned to the mortal world after completing a ritual.

His steps were extremely slow, yet each step stirred up waves of dust.

He stepped over the collapsed gun emplacements, traversed the scorched earth, and walked step by step toward the heart of death.

At his feet, ashes separated automatically, and corpses made way, as if even the dead dared not obstruct his progress.

The ashes of those Onmyoji did not fade into oblivion even after their deaths—

Their silent lips moved, repeatedly uttering the only word:
"God...Kingdom."

Finally, he reached the deepest part of the nuclear base ruins.

There, the missile silo covers were still emitting white smoke, and the ground was scorched and cracked.

Si Ming lay there quietly, his body shattered, showing almost no signs of life.

Abe Haruhisa bowed slightly and elegantly patted the dust off his sleeves.

For example, preparing etiquette before attending a banquet.

He spoke in a low voice, his tone so gentle it was almost a gesture of respect:
"Excuse me, everyone."

"Mikadoin Abe no Haruhisa, the one who gazes upon the primordial eye, the true master of destiny."
—Here, I extend my greetings to the former holders of destiny.

The words fell to the ground with a metallic thud.

The tone was so calm it was almost polite, yet every word was like a knife.

Each syllable carries an irresistible authority and control, like a verdict announcing inheritance rights.

Xiao Jinyan took a step forward, and the gravel beneath his feet shattered with the tremors.

He gripped the sword hilt, his eyes bloodshot, and his roar was hoarse and thunderous.

“You bastard—!”

The sword light suddenly burst forth, the white light slicing through the smoke and dust, striking Abe Haruhisa's chest like lightning.

However, the sword suddenly stopped less than half a meter away from him.

The space seemed to be "paused" by some invisible force, and the air solidified into thick glass.

The sword energy was compressed to its limit, emitting a dazzling white arc, but it could not advance even an inch further.

Xiao Jinyan's pupils contracted sharply, and his voice was low: "...What is this thing?"

Abe Haruhisa slightly raised his hand and flicked his fingertips.

In that instant, a ripple spread through the air, and a transparent light curtain slowly unfolded.

It was as if the whole world was covered by a thin "divine membrane," isolating him from the mortal world.

Several lines of cold system text appeared on the screen:
[Spectator Status: Immune to damage]

[Current Permissions: World - Primal Gaze]

Abe Haruhisa's lips curled slightly upward, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable calm:
"I am not a player in this instance."

"I was just a spectator in this war."

He slowly raised his head, his gaze fixed on the mushroom cloud that had not yet dissipated high in the sky.

Golden light shone through the radioactive dust and mist onto his face, making his features appear almost holy in the interplay of light and shadow.

He chuckled softly, as if talking to himself, or perhaps challenging the gods:

"but……

God, too, should occasionally step into the play—

Give the losers a final curtain call.

Xu Long's gaze was like a knife, and the Crimson Sky Sword trembled in his hand, flames igniting and illuminating his cold and stern face.

But he didn't make a move.

What he saw was not a person, but a will that encompassed the world.

Amidst the firelight, Abe no Haruhisa walked step by step toward the God of Destiny.

Ashes churned beneath his feet, nuclear dust swirled around him.
It transformed into a blood-red cherry blossom, slowly blooming in the air. Its petals were composed of radioactive dust particles, both eerie and beautiful.

"Fate has never belonged to mortals."

His voice was deep and carried an undeniable authority.
"It belongs only to those who can bear the weight of 'truth'."

As he spoke, he extended his hand.

A wisp of foxfire suddenly ignited in his palm.

The firelight wasn't a warm orange, but an eerie silver-red.
The creature twisted and licked the air like a living thing, reflecting the almost morbid fanaticism in his eyes.

Those eyes were not the eyes of a believer—

That was a madman who thought he was a god.

He is looking down at the world he has manipulated, deconstructed, and reshaped.

The wind is burning.

Smoke was still billowing from the nuclear silo, and red lights were flashing incessantly on the missile casing.

Like the heart of hell, still beating.

The God of Fate sat on the scorched earth, leaning against the crumbling wall.

His breathing was so shallow it was almost inaudible, and drops of blood dripped from his fingertips onto the ground.

Each drop evaporates into a faint white mist on the scorching earth, like a soul leaving the body.

Haruhisa Abe stood quietly in front of him.

His white robes were spotless, the hem fluttering slightly, as if this scorched earth of the apocalypse could not taint him in the slightest.

His face appeared almost holy in the firelight, and his voice, when he spoke, was as gentle as if he were chanting for the dead. "Lord of fate—" he whispered, his tone both prayerful and judgmental.

"You should understand that destiny is not something to be written, but rather something to be repaid."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the long sword still trembling slightly on Si Ming's chest.

Those are the demons and monsters of Nobuna.

The blade was dull, the bloodstains had dried, yet it still carried a chilling, unsettling aura.

"This knife shouldn't have been able to kill you."

Abe sighed softly, a hint of pity in his expression.

"Unfortunately, it was poisoned by 'Gray Star Annihilation'—a 'divine poison' personally concocted for me by a 'plague incarnate' star calamity."

With that, he raised his finger, and a spinning gray crystal appeared in the air.

It slowly rotates, its interior shimmering with faint starlight, like the heart of a dead star.

"The essence of Gray Star is an 'undying burning star'."

"It makes the Cataclysm never extinguished, but it also never ends. Your power will continue to burn until even your soul is consumed by the light."

A slight smile played at the corners of his lips, a gentleness bordering on cruelty.
“You will die in ‘eternity,’ Fate Master.”

Si Ming raised his head; the blood on his chest had congealed into black.

His breathing was intermittent, but a cold smile flashed in his eyes.

At that moment, he looked at Abe's reflection as if he were reviewing a play that had already been written.

"...Not bad poison."

His voice was hoarse like shattered stone, "You could kill me twice."

Abe Haruhisa leaned down, his gaze gentle to the point of compassion, his tone as soft as the wind:
"No, this time it's not death."

"You will become the ashes of a burning star, sealed within the primordial theater. Your Destiny Card—"

He reached out, and a golden, shimmering card of destiny appeared in the void.

The words engraved on the card flickered, and they belonged to the Lord of Fate, who once ruled over destiny.

"It will be rewritten by me, Haruhisa Abe."

Before he could finish speaking, a faint sob pierced the air.

Nobuna knelt on the ground, the tip of the knife slipping from her hand with a crisp sound.

Her face was ashen, and her vacant eyes finally regained their expression—tears rolled down her cheeks and slid into the scorched earth.

She reached out her trembling hand, her fingertips touching the wound on Si Ming's body; the blood was warm and real.

"I...what did I do..."

The voice sounded like a confession, or perhaps a plea for forgiveness from a non-existent god.

With difficulty, Si Ming raised his hand, his fingertips brushing against her hair.

At that moment, his voice was so soft that it could be heard only by the wind:
"Don't cry. Fate's script never blames the actors."

Abe Haruhisa's laughter suddenly exploded.

The laughter carried a twisted piety, like a believer worshipping their god in a frenzy.

"Ha ha ha ha--!"

"The Lord of Destiny? It's nothing more than a manuscript by Abe Haruhisa!"

"All of this—even your sorrow—is my ink!"

The fox-like growth behind him ignited with a blood-red light.
The parasitic Onmyoji all knelt down, hands clasped together.

Their eyes were vacant, and the same name echoed in their mouths—

"Your Highness... Your Highness..."

Nobuna looked up, her vision blurred by tears.

She saw that crimson light and finally understood completely—

The so-called "divine kingdom" is nothing but a dream woven by a madman.

She murmured softly, crying as she tightly embraced Si Ming.

Blood and tears mingled together, flowing across the scorched earth.

"The blood on her hands is his, and it is hers."

Fate did not betray her—it merely made her see the knife she had used.

The flickering firelight painted their shadows crimson.
At that moment, the world seemed to be both burning and silent.

Si Ming's breathing grew weaker and weaker, almost imperceptible.

Nobuna knelt beside him, sobbing uncontrollably, her sobs broken and intermittent, like a shattered harp string.

Abe Haruhisa looked up at the sky, slowly reaching out his hand, trying to touch the mushroom cloud that had not yet dissipated.

His eyes reflected a golden-red light, and his face showed an almost divine revelation of piety, as if he were taking off his own crown.

"The Kingdom of God has been established."

"Destiny—returning to its rightful place."

The last rays of the nuclear fire shone on his profile, soft and holy.

But that smile was so gentle, it seemed like a gift from the gods.

Yet, it sent a chill down the spines of everyone present who witnessed it.

The world after the nuclear explosion fell into an unnatural stillness.
Time seemed to freeze the instant his words fell.

Abe Haruhisa bowed his head and knelt before the God of Destiny.

He stretched out his hand, his eyes, burning with the golden light of foxfire, reflecting the scorched earth and firelight.

The Destiny Card floating in the air slowly rotated.
He smiled gently, his voice almost a whisper:
"It's time to end this, Lord of Fate."

At this moment, his shadow stretched extremely long across the scorched earth.

It spread out in a twisted manner, like a divine claw from hell, trying to devour the entire ruins.

however--

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the Destiny Card,
A voice slowly rose from behind him.

The voice was deep and calm, yet as heavy as a hammer, carrying an irresistible pressure:
"Since when, Abe Haruhisa—"

"You think you can write my destiny?"

Qingjiu's whole body was shaken.

The foxfire suddenly lost its color, and the flame in his palm fluctuated violently.

The "spectator light screen" covering the entire arena began to flicker irregularly, as if the system was crashing.

He slowly turned around.

Mishinin Yukitaka—the perpetually silent, hunched-over old Onmyoji.

They stood quietly in the firelight.

But his face is peeling away and blurring little by little.
For example, a wax figure melts in high temperatures.

The blood vessels beneath the skin burst open, and beams of brilliant light shone through the cracks.

That was not blood, but the light of "illusion"—the light of fate!

The next second, the old man's figure shattered like a phantom.

From within that physical form, the true God of Fate slowly straightened up.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and a familiar smile, as always, appeared on his face:
"The lie... came true."

Abe Haruhisa stood there, stunned, for a full two seconds.
He suddenly turned around and looked at the "corpse" lying in Shino's arms.

That face—was no longer that of Si Ming.

But Gojinin Yukitaka.

He was smiling, his face covered in blood.

His hand was still gently resting on Nobuna's shoulder, as if offering final comfort and forgiveness.

"No...impossible..."

Qingjiu growled, and foxfire exploded in his palm like a thunderclap.

"He's under my surveillance!"

"My fox-like growth can even see into his dreams! There's no way I could have missed it!"

Xiao Jinyan, leaning against the crumbling wall, curled his lips into a sly smile.

He snapped his fingers, the sound crisp and clear, as if applauding a failed magician:
"Sorry, you old fox."

“Your ‘surveillance’ has been tampered with by my ‘reflection’ from the very beginning.”

click -

The sound of the mirror shattering exploded in the sky.

Abe no Haruhisa suddenly looked up and saw a curtain of foxfire enveloping the entire "Divine Kingdom Sky Curtain."

It is cracking and peeling away inch by inch, revealing the true sky below.

As the golden light faded, faith crumbled.

That once sacred and solemn radiance is now nothing more than shattered, illusory pieces of scenery.
Behind the mask of pretense lies an embarrassing reality and exposed failure.

"No...this is impossible—"

His voice changed, carrying an unusual air of panic.
Just like the look in Nobuna's eyes when she saw the truth.

This time, it's "God's" turn to face the collapse of the theater.

The God of Fate slowly rose from the scorched earth.

The blood mist on his body transformed into a thin film of light in the firelight.

Like a king returning from a mountain of corpses, his steps were steady, his aura as calm as the tolling of a destiny bell.

His voice was deep and powerful, with a penetrating quality like an echo of destiny:

"I met this old man before entering the instance."

He nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the body lying in Nobuna's arms.

"He said he was willing to give his life to preserve the last vestige of dignity for the Mijinin family."

"So, I gave him a 'seed of lies'."

Siming raised his right hand, and a silver-patterned mark appeared in his palm.

The silver light was subtle, yet as cold and clear as truth itself.

"When you ordered him to activate the fox tumor and control Xin Nai to assassinate me..."

"At the same time, he activated the seed."

"He and I swapped our 'life' and 'body'."

Abe Haruhisa's body trembled, his expression twisted, and he involuntarily took a step back.

“No… that stab…” he growled in disbelief, his voice trembling.

The God of Fate's gaze was sharp as a blade, his tone calm yet as firm as iron:
"Yes."

"That knife pierced... himself."

Tears streamed down Nobuna's face as she tightly embraced the cold body in her arms.

Her fingertips trembled incessantly as she murmured something, but couldn't make anything out.

Yukitaka Mijinin's eyelids trembled slightly, as if a trace of consciousness was still struggling within his body.

He raised his arm with all his might, his fingers trembling in the air, and gently stroked the top of Nobuna's head.

"Don't cry... Nai."

"Grandpa... just... needs to take a nap."

He smiled, his eyes filled with tenderness.

It was as if I wasn't facing death, but rather seeing a flower in full bloom.

Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his chin onto the scorched earth.

A tiny cherry-red flower quietly blooms, like the last fallen petals of spring.

He closed his eyes.

The wind blew, stirring up strands of hair and ashes.
It also took away the last bit of warmth he had left.

Abe Haruhisa's expression finally changed completely.

He took two steps back, and the foxfire exploded around him, its light and flames surging out of control.

Meanwhile, in the sky, the already cracked "divine kingdom canopy" showed even more cracks.
Cracks spread outwards, like a shattered mirror, as if the entire world built on faith was collapsing.

The God of Fate sighed slowly.

"Only... such a self-inflicted injury tactic could be used,"

His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable cruelty.

"Only then could you, this 'god,' be tricked into the human world."

He looked up, his gaze passing over the sea of ​​fire and ruins, and went straight to Abe Haruhisa.

That gaze was calm and clear, yet it sent a chill down Haruhisa's spine.

That was not revenge, but judgment.

At this moment, six people slowly approached.

Xu Long stood with his sword drawn, and the Crimson Sky blazed with intense flames, like a raging dragon awakening from hell.

Xiao Lianyin's eyes were icy cold, and the nine-tailed fox flames swirled behind her, condensing into a burning halo of light;
Xiao Jinyan's Mirror Lake unfolded in the air, with fragments swirling around him like a rain of stars falling;

The Calvino siblings mentioned the "Dream Night Light," in which mysterious star trails and prayers were reflected.

The six of them stepped forward side by side.

Their shadows were cast on the ground in the afterglow of the nuclear explosion.
Like the last glimmer of a god's image before it is extinguished, or like the declaration that mortals are about to take the throne of the gods.

Abe Haruhisa's pupils contracted sharply, his face contorted, and his voice became hoarse.

“You… mortals…”

His tone was tinged with disgust, anger, and a hint of fear.

Si Ming lowered his eyes, and the crack on half of his mask gleamed in the light.

A faint smile appeared on its face, like a response to destiny.

He said softly:

"Now--"

"Please leave the stage, audience."

There is a kind of poison that doesn't kill.
Only let the soul continue to burn.

They called it 'Grey Star'

—The fate of dying in eternity.

—The Primal Experiment Log: Starpoison Chapter

(End of this chapter)