She is not an investigator.

He turned his head sharply, but a shadow entered his eyes.

The pale face that seemed so out of place in the darkness beneath his feet, and the missing left arm, instantly reminded him of the other person's name.

"Constantine?"

“You seem surprised to see me here, but that’s alright. After all… we’re comrades, aren’t we?”

"..."

"So now, old man, you can die in the line of duty whenever you want, but at least... take care of that guy with us first!"

"...Ha, that goes without saying! (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the previous sentences.)"

Anfer raised his gun again and pulled the trigger sharply. A grenade flew out instantly, landed at its feet, and exploded violently once more.

Taking advantage of the smoke from the explosion, Constantine charged directly into the battlefield, the shadows and darkness beneath his feet rapidly spreading to everything around him.

"—!"

It suddenly waved its hand, dispersing the smoke around it, and Constantine's figure appeared in front of it at that moment.

"Hear the divine oracle—!"

boom--!

His shotgun opened fire instantly, sending countless bullets flying toward its face. The shadow beneath its feet seized the opportunity to entangle its body, tearing at its already mangled flesh.

"—!"

Its silent roar drew the angels rapidly toward it, but the grenades in Anfer's hand repeatedly and accurately hit the approaching angels, reducing their numbers.

The shadow's constraint made its movements difficult. It roared again, its heavy single wing suddenly rising, forcefully lifting itself off the ground and taking flight.

Freed from the constraints of invisibility, its single wing transformed into something as sharp as a blade, and with its rapid flight, it crashed directly into Constantine, who was standing right next to it.

At that distance and at that speed, he couldn't dodge it; he simply couldn't!

But he is not alone here. Behind him are his faith, his companions, and his comrades-in-arms.

Therefore, he was not afraid. Instead, he raised his shotgun again and pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck its rapidly approaching body, but just before Constantine was hit by the slash, his legs suddenly gave way.

Suddenly, a huge vine pushed it upwards into the sky, allowing it to escape the slash.

"Stop hurting anyone."

"Constantine! Are you alright?!"

Constantine, hanging from the edge of the vines, waved to Felina below, indicating that everything was alright.

Its attack missed, and it turned its anger towards the one who had started it all.

Millie, the only test subject, the ultimate weapon in their eyes.

In its eyes, she appeared so weak, so… pathetic!

"Be careful--!"

The angel's attack struck again, his blade piercing Millie's back, who was completely unaware. She didn't notice; she couldn't notice.

But before that, Felina suddenly stood behind her, using her own body to block the attack.

"Felina!"

The towering vines spread out of the ground almost instantly, entangling and crushing the angel.

But Millie was completely oblivious to all of that at that moment; she was supporting Felina, her face contorted with panic.

"Cough cough... No, don't worry, I'm fine."

Felina raised her hand, and the black bracelet in her hand shattered with a crack, leaving her with only a bruise from the impact.

"Ah...it's broken, I'm going to be locked up again..."

The Gods' Folly - Beyond the World: Chapter Forty-Two, But Tomorrow, the Sun Will Rise as Usual.

"..."

Felina was fine, and barely even injured.

But for Millie, this is truly unforgivable.

She couldn't bear to see her friend get hurt in front of her, especially... when she was hurt protecting her.

"—!"

"Shut up…!"

The silent howl was drowned out by her roar. Countless vines surged from the ground in an instant, like a green ocean, almost instantly enveloping the figure within, tightening and crushing it relentlessly.

But soon, its single wing flapped open again, its blade-like wings instantly severing all the vines, and it flew towards Millie once more.

"Don't think about it!"

Constantine seized the opportunity, leaping directly from the vines in mid-air. The ever-present darkness dragged him up and crashed him into the flying figure from above.

Its movements stopped abruptly, preparing to deal with Constantine first, but before it could do anything, a roar resounded beneath its feet, and its body instantly lost its balance, falling towards the ground.

"Pay them with your lives, you monster!"

Before anyone knew it, Anfer had appeared not far behind it, firing grenades like they were free, blasting it to the ground.

At the same time, the vines on the ground stretched out again, forcibly binding it in this lying position.

Constantine's shadows finally played their greatest role at this moment. They quickly climbed onto his body, gnawing at his flesh and one wing. The surrounding angels rushed over, trying to rescue their master, but one by one they were swallowed up by the darkness and turned into nourishment for the shadows.

"It worked...?"

It ceased all its movements, whether in resistance or in silent howling.

It was trapped in a coffin woven from shadows and vines, seemingly facing its end.

But is that really the case?

Are the gods in this godless world really that simple?

Day and night alternate, light and darkness shift, and time flows by.

It seems it truly died, silently amidst the world's upheavals.

Until the first prayer was uttered.

"...!"

Until the music started playing again.

"Everyone, step back!"

Until its name was called.

"■■■■■■".

An indescribable, eerie sound echoed throughout the world; its life did not end there, nor did it vanish.

Because it does not have life.

It is dead, it does not exist, it is the mistake of that world.

Therefore, it cannot be killed; it will keep reappearing, carrying one word after another, one concept after another.

Pure white, sacred, and present.

death.

The vines began to wither, and the shadows began to fade.

Its body began to change color, from white to black.

Its wings were broken, turning into a dark phantom; its angels were slaughtered, turning into invisible vengeful spirits.

It stands once more on this land, like a god of death, raising its scythe high.

Fear began to permeate everyone's hearts.

That is life's fear of death, the instinct for survival of all living things.

Run, run, run.

No one will blame you, no one will blame this fear of death.

It will eventually catch up with everyone and wield the scythe of death.

No need to resist, unable to resist.

It is death, that inescapable concept.

"—"

It raised its scythe high, pointing it at Constantine, who was closest to it.

The death knell has tolled; no one can escape death itself.

"—!"

Boom—!

Another explosion was heard.

It shattered everyone's fear and halted the fall of the scythe.

He stood before everyone and took off his mask.

"Before joining the army, I was always terrified of death, because after death I would lose everything, the people I love, and the people who love me."

He raised his gun, stood in front of Constantine, and gave a contemptuous smile.

"But you're right, death will catch up with us all sooner or later, whether it's us or you."

"—"

"Run, run... for your sun has already set."

"—!"

The scythe fell again, seemingly severing space and cutting off his mockery.

But before that.