I am a mindless machine.

"[Question] Successor... what concept of existence does the divine essence you chose represent?"

The Blood-Red Sunset (Part 2)

The so-called "divine species" refers to the concept of having obtained divine essence (power).

For example, the concept of the forest god Kainas is based on forests, nature, and harmony among all things; the forging and reshaping of the blacksmith god Okan; and the concealment and darkness of the deceased vampire god Nodisia...

Regardless of the magnitude of power, any deity that has attained the essence of the divine will inevitably possess a representative concept.

The reason why the setting sun could become a god was that it first absorbed the energy in Yun You's blood that was concentrated to the extreme and comparable to divine essence, and then added its own illusion magic to fabricate and deceive... To put it bluntly, it directly used violence to create a divine essence.

In other words, she can choose the concept that the sunset represents, unlike others who draw cards.

Originally, all the Mechs believed that the concept of essence chosen by Sunset was something like deception, dreams, or illusion. After all, if the goal was to deceive the world to obtain the Star Grail, those would be the best choices. Moreover, if those concepts were combined with the illusion magic that the girl was skilled in, then her strength could even reach the level of the Forest God in an instant.

—The gift that Yunyou gave to the sunset was such an incredible one.

However, even if that were the case, it would be impossible to reach such an exaggerated scene as it is today.

This involved subduing all the elite forces in the great battle, plus two gods. And even now, more than three minutes have passed, and there's no sign of the situation recovering.

It's as if these people have already fallen into eternal sleep.

Almost instinctively, the instant he sensed the threat emanating from the girl, Einstein began analyzing her, attempting to understand the nature of her power. Simultaneously, the more than six thousand observation and analysis devices connected to him also began to activate...

However, the result they all reached was... there was nothing there.

Let alone the nature of the concept of a divine species, they couldn't even grasp the existence of the girl herself. That was probably the most extreme illusion, capable of deceiving even the world itself.

"I'm sorry, although I really want to tell you, it's a secret."

The girl said this with a smile, blinking her eyes. Her purplish-red eyes seemed like a dark abyss capable of swallowing all light. Her originally pure black short hair now appeared to have a blue streak—a result of the vampire overusing illusion magic, causing the brain to become overloaded, and the streak sticking onto her skin. It was similar in nature to human gray hair.

"But you can all rest assured now, right? I'll be fine—I can definitely fulfill my promise to Yu and kill the God of War. After all... I'm a genius, you know."

"........."

Looking at the petite girl whose smile was as pure as a flower and who exuded an aura completely different from before, Einshitz changed his perception of her and came to the same conclusion as Riku before.

What was standing there at this moment was no longer the setting sun—but something incredibly terrifying that had the same appearance.

She does possess some unknown, but terrifying, power that can certainly rival Althu.

"[Understood] In that case, I'll take my leave. We'll ensure that the remaining forces on the ground won't hinder the God of Games' surroundings. We can reliably use the True Scripture: Star Killer."

"Yes, that would be best. Remember to take care of yourselves—because Yu doesn't want you to die."

As she spoke softly, the girl focused her gaze on the center of Abant Heim.

Then, it disappeared silently from the spot once again.

...

...

"Oh?"

In a space filled with sacred and orderly light, the enormous man sat on the jade throne as if it were his right, arrogantly showing an interested expression as he looked at the black-haired girl who had suddenly appeared, his hand supporting his cheek.

"Aren't you going to stop hiding your existence? You little bug overflowing with hatred?"

Even when the opponent revealed a power that brought everything on the battlefield to a standstill for just a moment, the man known as the strongest remained unmoved.

"...Nice to meet you. God of War, Artesius." After a long silence, the girl politely lifted the hem of her night-black dress and bowed respectfully. However, unlike before, she now exuded a terrifying evil aura. A dark aura uncontrollably emanated from her body.

It was something that defied description with words like "killing intent," a darkness that could devour everything... like filthy silt, a pure and extreme evil.

Just as Artes said—this was the concept she had chosen, the only one capable of killing the strongest.

That was a continuation of that great war, dating back over a million years. It could only have existed in this world as a concept, and could never have been endowed with divine essence. Because it was a concept that permeated everyone's heart, impossible to completely discard; it would indiscriminately devour everything, including the divine essence bestowed upon them.

In other words, the moment that concept is established as alive, it will instantly perish due to the very nature of its power. This is because it is something rejected by the myriad phenomena of the world; its very existence is an error.

That was something that was only allowed to bloom briefly.

—That is the evil of this world, encompassing all negative wills, that continues in this endless war.

Now, that indescribable power has transformed into pure darkness, enveloping the girl's body.

The girl originally came disguised as Azriel, intending to gain the upper hand through a sneak attack, but the moment she saw Altshu, she realized that such an action was pointless.

The man's languid gaze conveyed the message, "If you're going to kill me, don't try to sneak around; show me your true strength."

In that instant, the girl understood that the only way to kill the strongest was to fight him fair and square.

Therefore, she now revealed her true form, along with the divine essence she possessed.

"I've come to kill you."

Then, as if reciting a routine, he said it softly.

Looking at the girl who, even though she was his enemy and was directly confronting his power, still showed no fear, the man couldn't help but let out a laugh that shook the world.

"Hahaha, I never expected that this game would start with the weakest person, who was supposed to be my strongest opponent, manipulating and setting everything up, only to be brought to its climax by an alien in the end!"

As if he had understood something, the man's laughter became even more hearty. He lowered the arm that had been supporting his face and stood up.

"Come—my essence, proclaim the true meaning of war to the world—you weaklings who dare to challenge the heavens!"

This simple action has a tremendous impact on the quality of things. The force that seems to encompass the heavens, the earth, and the world is rapidly transforming from the intangible into the tangible.

Ah, I knew it was true.

Seeing this strange change, the girl's expression remained unchanged. After all, this was a conclusion she had deduced based on the nature of the divine essence after obtaining it, and what was happening now was simply confirming the fact.

The so-called weakened state after unleashing a divine strike never existed in the first place. The strongest is strongest simply because they are the strongest; therefore, any increase or decrease in power is meaningless. Theoretically speaking—the essence of the strongest is someone who has already won before the game even begins—is itself the concept of victory.

"Hoo..." After letting out a soft sigh, Xiyang relaxed his mind. The divine essence that had been barely restrained by the illusion magic of the god-level was released.

Faced with such an opponent who is theoretically unbeatable, the first step is to shatter the theory and create a new one.

Playing the game according to your opponent's rules is a sure way to lose. Because your opponent is the strongest player under those rules.

—Boundless darkness, centered on the girl, instantly enveloped the entire world.

The entire world was reduced to this vast yet cramped Jade Throne Hall; everything else was nothingness.

Altshu noticed that his ever-increasing mass had been forcibly stopped. He looked around and said, "Interesting. Is this... no, is it directly creating a world? So, what's next?"

He looked at the girl, who seemed so small compared to him when he stood up, his voice filled with anticipation. He had waited for this day for far too long. She was the first person in all this time to possess such a clear intent to kill him.

Possessing unparalleled power, capable of effortlessly destroying the world, existing solely for victory and never experiencing defeat—such a life could indeed be called the strongest. But that life is utterly meaningless.

There was no hesitation, no doubt, no fear in the girl's eyes—only an unquestionable certainty.

It was like the most devout fanatic.

Under the anticipation of the strongest god, the girl finally made her next move. Her pink lips parted slightly, and she murmured, "The first one."

As he finished speaking, the God of War felt a sharp pain in his throat, and blood splattered. It was a pain he hadn't felt in a long time.

In his view, the same thing happened to the girl's slender neck.

Both men died at the same time, their necks slashed open by sharp claws.

In the next instant, time rewound, and the two returned to their positions from the previous second. It was as if nothing had happened; only the throbbing pain in his neck told Altshu that what had just occurred was not his imagination. Possessing unparalleled power, he had indeed truly died once.

He couldn't understand at all what the girl had done.

Before he could even ask a question, a soft, sweet voice appeared in the space once again.

"—The second one."

...

...

Where there is life, there is killing.

In this war that seemed to last forever, the killings between them were so frequent they were nauseating.

For the sake of victory (the Cup), the gods used their divine power to create life forms with independent intelligence and commanded them to fight each other.

Hatred, incomprehension, confusion, bewilderment, despair, grief, helplessness—souls imbued with such negative emotions appear in this world at all times.

And the spearhead of their intense emotions was directed entirely at the war itself, a war they were caught in their own hands, and at this distorted world.

"Is this the power you wield? Do you intend to erase my consciousness through this endless cycle of death?"

Following the death of the 1052nd person—whose oxygen was taken away by water—Altsch asked the girl in a deep voice.

He had tried to break through this space by force during this time, but he couldn't. Whether he aimed the energy containing the immense power of the spirit at the girl or at the void of darkness, it would simply pass right through. The girl herself was like an untouchable phantom.

She has completely transformed into this area—the very essence of evil.

Artesius understood then that this space was a cage, a cage of death constructed from the resentment of the endless war dead, a cage specifically targeting his concept of war.

Being the strongest is meaningless in this world, because this is a battlefield that belongs only to him.

He couldn't break free of this space with sheer force, because even his power originated from the Elven Corridor—the planet itself. But this darkness also originated from the planet itself; it was pure evil. Both were on the same level.

Those deaths were real, the deaths of souls who perished in war. And now, he is being made to experience them only through the concept of hatred.

"Do you really think you can kill me with such methods?"

But even in the face of such unimaginable difficulties, the God of War still laughed. Fear of death? He had never possessed such a thing from the beginning. So what if he faced death? He was born to represent war (death).

His spirit will surely be the strongest.

"Yes, that's it."

The girl, who had been merely repeating tales of death, finally spoke. Her eyes, fixed on the God of War, were devoid of light, as if gazing upon something far more distant: "Because this is not a battle—it is simply revenge."

She was experiencing the same deaths that happened to Artes.

Countless wronged souls roared within her, their agonizing whispers filling her mind. Having endured all the evil, simply living was torture. The whole world rejected her, denied her existence.

Regardless of the outcome of this revenge, she is destined to die.

But it doesn't matter, she's already dead anyway.

Did she come to kill the God of War for the sake of world peace? — No, that's just an excuse to deceive herself.

She felt endless grief, anger, and despair over Yun You's death. Her hatred for the entire world made her want to go on a killing spree anywhere. Especially after seeing those races that continued to slaughter without remorse despite Yun You's sacrifice, the hatred in her heart swelled even more.