Chapter 411 - The Sacred Relic Of The Sun God

# Relic of the Sun God

I've traveled to countless ruins with Celeste until now.

The reason was partly to get closer to Celeste, but...

In truth, there was another genuine reason.

To collect the Relics of the Sun God.

'...'

The Relics of the Sun God.

Special entities imbued with power that the Sun God placed throughout this world.

The Knight of the Sun God that I destroyed together with Stardust.

The one who grants wishes in exchange for memories.

Besides these, I've collected various other relics together with Celeste.

The first one we found together, the sword Luxuria.

The next one we found, the Golem of Wrath.

The ring of jealousy, Invidia, which we found beneath a massive statue of the Sun God.

The time has finally come to destroy these relics.

...And so, for that reason.

I'm currently at the Kathedal cathedral.

"Mmmmm..."

A vast space with white walls and soft light filtering through stained glass windows.

This is the main cathedral of Kathedal that's still in use.

In that slightly chilly place, I was stretching my arms out wide.

Ah. I feel alive.

"Ahhh... This feels good."

I muttered with a grin while waving my arms.

I'd been confined to a hospital room for weeks.

Finally, I succeeded in convincing Celeste to use her power to help me escape.

By now, there should be a doppelganger that Celeste specially created in my hospital room. I told them I needed to work and couldn't talk long in my room... so I probably won't be discovered until I return.

Anyway, while I was stretching like that.

"Ahem, you should be grateful to me. But why on earth did you come so heavily dressed?"

Celeste asked from behind me.

Black hat, mask, and even a cape. To Celeste who was questioning my heavily dressed appearance for a cathedral visit.

I turned around, grinned, and asked.

"Celeste. Do you still have the Relics of the Sun God that I've given you?"

"...What? Oh, of course I have them..."

She responded with a slight start to my question.

I continued smiling at her as she muttered while slightly twirling her silver hair.

"Then could you please bring them?"

Why else would I come dressed in such serious attire?

It's time to destroy those relics.

***

The Relics of the Sun God.

The Knight of the Sun God, Infless, the holy sword Luxuria, the Golem of Wrath, and the ring of jealousy Invidia.

The first two I've already destroyed, and the remaining three relics with Celeste.

What I've been diligently collecting and destroying.

Their true identity is:

"These relics are devices created by the Sun God to judge the seven deadly sins."

In Celeste's office.

Looking at the sword and ring placed on the table, and the golem that would be placed in the hall outside, I explained this to Celeste.

The seven deadly sins. Sloth, greed, lust, wrath, envy, gluttony, pride.

These relics were devices created by the Sun God to punish these human sins commonly known as the seven deadly sins.

In the original story, Stardust destroyed all of them.

"Ah..."

Like this.

When Celeste realized that even the Relics of the Sun God weren't gifts for humans but rather tools to punish them, she muttered with a hollow expression.

I quietly explained these things to Celeste.

"The relationship between sins and relics that I've discovered is as follows."

The punisher of sloth, the Knight of the Sun God.

A being impossible to defeat unless you know its attack patterns.

The punisher of greed, the one who grants wishes.

If you make a wish beyond your means, it takes a corresponding price and twists the wish's fulfillment.

The punisher of lust, the holy sword Luxuria.

Once held, it automatically tracks and eliminates those who feel sexual desire toward the wielder.

The punisher of wrath, the Golem.

It blocks all attacks directed at it, then reflects them back at the attacker.

The punisher of envy, the ring Invidia.

It tempts the wearer by offering to kill the object of their jealousy, but if they agree to the contract, it kills the wearer instead and moves on to the target.

This is the true identity of the Relics of the Sun God.

They were genuine weapons, filled with pure malice.

And naturally, they needed to be destroyed before the Sun God's descent.

After the Sun God's descent, it was impossible to predict what these relics might do under his strong influence. The Sun God might absorb the power of these relics to become even stronger.

In the original story, these five entities were eliminated before the descent.

However...

'The original definitely had seven deadly sins.'

There were only five relics, with no sign of relics related to the other two sins.

Well. I suppose the setting of this world is that Catholicism's seven deadly sins were originally derived from the Sun God religion. Maybe there were only five deadly sins at first.

Anyway, I needed to focus on destroying these three now.

With such thoughts, I calmly said to Celeste.

"Celeste, you understand. We need to dispose of these."

"...Yes."

She answered in an uncomfortable voice to my statement.

...Well. Destroying these relics would be the greatest act confirming Celeste's betrayal of the Sun God.

Simply disobeying orders and directly destroying his relics were completely different matters.

So.

...I approached her, took both her hands in mine, and said.

"Celeste, I know this is difficult, but please. Destroy these relics. I'll be right here with you, so please. Just this once. Okay?"

"...Alright."

She answered with a small sigh at my persuasion.

...She could have resented me or accused me of being too cruel for asking her, once the Saintess of the Sun God, to destroy the Sun God's relics herself. But thankfully, Celeste didn't.

I squeezed her hands once more and said.

"Then, let's go."

"To destroy the Relics of the Sun God."

***

After resolving to destroy the relics.

Outside the office, in the empty hall of the Kathedal cathedral.

We stood looking at the three relics placed in the center.

"...This feels familiar somehow... So, how do we destroy these?"

Celeste muttered while looking at the relics.

The three sacred relics placed on the floor. The sword of lust, the ring of envy, and the golem of wrath.

To Celeste who asked me how to deal with them, I calmly answered.

"Just inject a lot of solar power into them. They'll naturally overload and collapse on their own."

"...Is that so."

My simple explanation to just blast them with power and destroy them.

In the original story, Stardust handled most of these with the power of stars. That would be the most orthodox approach.

However...

'Among these, the Golem of Wrath exploded on its own in the original story when Celeste injected too much power and caused it to overload.'

Therefore, I knew. That Celeste alone could eliminate these relics.

...Of course, if it didn't work, I'd have to ask Stardust or handle it myself. But the chances were high it would work.

And I thought it might be better for Celeste's mental state if she dealt with the relics herself rather than having Stardust destroy them.

Anyway, Celeste was standing at a distance from where the relics were placed. I was closer to the relics.

If something happened, I would subdue them with my dark star power. It would be better not to use it if possible, but...

With all preparations complete.

"Celeste, let's start with this golem."

"Understood."

Whooooosh

With my words, Celeste shot a beam of light at the golem.

As a result.

Mechanical whirring

BOOM

The golem's eyes lit up, emitting a bizarre mechanical sound.

Then the light that had been pouring out suddenly exploded with a BOOM.

It disappeared without a trace in the light.

"..."

After destroying one relic, Celeste's expression didn't look good, but she didn't seem particularly strained.

Good. Let's continue.

"Celeste, one more."

"...Alright."

Whoooooooosh

And so, we destroyed the ring without any particular difficulty.

Of course, there was a minor issue with the ring when some ghost-like entity emerged.

[KYAAAAAAAAAAH!]

...But it disappeared without a trace as soon as it faced Celeste's serious light beam.

And so.

"...Phew. One left."

"..."

After destroying the ring, Celeste's face became even more dejected, and I quietly muttered.

...I should probably be extra nice to Celeste after we destroy everything. Was the ring precious to her? ...I feel quite sorry.

Anyway, I was thinking that.

...And since there had been no particular problems so far.

I didn't worry about the process of destroying the last relic, the sword of lust, Luxuria.

And perhaps that's why.

CRACK

When the sword was shattered by Celeste's beam.

Hisssssssss

I couldn't respond to the pink smoke that suddenly emerged.

"...Oh!"

And before I realized something was wrong.

I had already inhaled the pink smoke.

And so.

"Egostic! Are you okay? Egostic!!"

"Ah..."

I staggered in place.

***

"Egostic!"

Inside the hall of the Kathedal cathedral.

There, watching Egostic stagger after inhaling the strange pink smoke that emerged from the destroyed relic, Celeste rushed forward hurriedly.

"Egostic, are you okay...?"

Clearing away the strange pink smoke, she ran to him with a worried heart and sudden fear.

And... contrary to Celeste's concern.

"Hmm..."

Egostic staggered for a moment, then regained his composure and stood upright.

"Egostic...?"

"...Celeste. Ah, ahem. I'm fine."

He said, as if there was no problem.

But Celeste had already moved in front of Egostic out of concern.

And so, she could see his face clearly.

"..."

Apart from his face having a slightly pink tinge, he looked fine.

While Celeste was wondering if Egostic was really okay.

"Eek...!"

Celeste involuntarily let out a high-pitched sound.

Egostic had placed his hand on her cheek and was gently caressing it.

"I'm really fine, Celeste. Rather..."

"Uh, um..."

Celeste couldn't gather her thoughts at Egostic's sudden action.

This was the first time Egostic had initiated such bold(?) physical contact.

While she was flustered with reddened cheeks.

Egostic whispered to her in a pleasantly low voice.

"Celeste. ...You look even more beautiful today."

"Eh... um... WHAT? No, I mean, thank you, but suddenly...?"

While Celeste was confused by Egostic's unexpected affectionate advance.

Egostic gradually pushed her against the wall.

Egostic gazing at her intensely while pinning her against the wall.

...Up close, he looked even more handsome than from afar... Wait a minute. That's not the point.

'What is this??? What on earth is happening???'

In that situation, with her face completely flushed and extremely confused, Celeste.

...Suddenly, she couldn't help but recall something.

'Wait...'

A space made of bricks.

There, a silver-haired woman in saintess robes was pinned against the wall by a man wearing a black hat.

With her back against the wall, looking up at the man right in front of her with golden eyes, the silver-haired woman spoke in a trembling voice.

"Wait... Egostic, calm down. We shouldn't do this here. Okay?"

"I don't want to. I can't hold back."

"No, please calm down. I like it too, but, okay? Just not here... mmph."

'Wait...!!!'

This is that scene from the prophecy...!!!!

She was shocked.