Orario.
- "How long are we going to do nothing?" I asked the local version of the Biblical God, lying on the floor as if it were a sofa for what felt like about ten minutes.
- "Until it's all over."
I raised an eyebrow.
So he wanted to do the same thing that happened in the Bible, huh? But as far as I remember, in the Proper Human History, there was no destruction at Babylon, but rather a division into language groups.
- "Oh?" I smiled. "But you do realize that when it's over, there will be almost no one left, if anyone at all, huh?"
- "Of course, that's my plan," he said. "The history of this world did not go as it should have. The gods interfered in the affairs of mortals, and mortals interfered in the affairs of the gods. The spirits have already fallen victim to this mistake, and it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens to the rest."
- "And so you decided to simply restart the world, exterminating all life?" I asked. "These are extremely unusual actions for someone who believed that interfering in the affairs of mortals was not the best idea. And yes, I am also referring to the Babel that you built."
- "You must understand the expediency of my plan, for I know that another version of me did exactly the same thing. Zelretch told me about it," he replied, causing my eyebrow to twitch at the mention of that name. "Here, humans and gods are independent of each other, because we are different on absolutely every level. Or rather, that was the case before, and it should have remained so. We are strangers, just like you, and that is why it was necessary to start all over again."
- "Hmm..." I muttered thoughtfully. "That sounds... logical."
- "Exactly," he said, and if he had a face, there would definitely be a smile there. "Sooner or later, the world would have been divided and destroyed. The war between mortals and the war between mortals and gods, which will inevitably happen in the future, are very different from each other. And so I decided to take this sin upon myself. For the sake of the world and life in it."
At these words, he paused, and a mist rose around us, on the surface of which an image appeared.
- "Initially, this event was supposed to happen much later. The Babel would have absorbed even more divine power, and then I would have descended into the Lower World to use it to carry out my plan," he continued, describing what he was showing on the veil of mist. "But your presence changed that, because you weren't chosen by me for no reason, were you?"
At that, he fell silent, apparently waiting for my next words. And, of course, I could have peacefully obeyed him and done nothing, but that was before.
Now the responsibility for what was happening outside lay with me, and I was certainly not a good person, but not that bad. Besides, Tia would be very upset if she found out about this. And not only her.
Also, I definitely didn't like his tone and his confidence that this was the only way out. And so...
- "One question," I began.
- "Of course."
- "If I had disagreed and tried to stop you, what would you have done?"
- "I would have been disappointed," he replied rather quickly. "But not in you, but in choosing another version of me. And I would have offered you my sincere apologies and granted you peace. Quick and painless, because you are not to blame for what he got you into."
- "Interesting," I smiled and straightened up.
- "So you chose this path?" he asked, as if with regret. "Why?"
- "I've always adhered to one principle," I began, changing my appearance to Solomon. "The principle that one's own choice has the highest priority, and the consequences are just consequences, even if they are not the most pleasant.
- "And I made mine. For myself and for them, because no one can predict what awaits them."
- "And here's another point," I continued, warming up a little, and the rings on my fingers glowed with a golden light. "I don't like you."
In the next moment, tens of thousands of golden chains burst from under my feet and shot rapidly into the sky. As soon as they reached the seemingly endless sky, their golden tips pierced it and, after a momentary resistance, shattered it as if it were ordinary glass.
Millions of fragments began to fall slowly, and space itself began to split rapidly, revealing a blue-black void with white lights behind it, as if it were the night sky.
The space of the local Yahweh tried to resist, tried to repair itself, but it was all in vain. The fragments continued to break off, but Yahweh in front of me still did nothing, just hung in the air and did not move.
- "What is this power? What are these chains? Why can you use this power here if it essentially belongs to me?"
- "Although you are similar to Him, the essence is different," I shrugged and snapped my fingers, causing Yahweh in the form of a sphere to be immediately enveloped in chains. "Unlike Him, you are not connected to humanity by faith or existence. You have no aspect that allows you to influence either my power or the chains, because all of this is part of humanity and its history. And did you really think I wouldn't notice your attempts to suppress me all this time?"
I paused and reached out my hand as I approached the sphere.
- "In any case, it doesn't really matter," I said. "You don't mind if I take something, do you? The Babel can be put to other uses, and I already know what they are."
- "No!" Yahweh suddenly raised his voice. "If this doesn't work for you, then everything will have to be decided by force."
When I almost touched the sphere, it suddenly expanded and shone with a dazzling white light so strong that I had to cover my eyes. It was like the birth of a new star in a science program on TV, but in addition to the visual effects, there was also a tremendous amount of divine power.
My eyes were closed, but I could definitely feel my chains breaking under the pressure of not only Yahweh's divinity, but also a whole spectrum of other divine powers that were already outside. And when the glow faded, I opened my eyes and looked around.
Now I was standing on rough ground with no sign of life, and thousands of star-like lights were now stretching in thin threads to my back... Tia?
At first, I didn't understand why Tia was standing in front of me, until, a couple of moments later, it dawned on me.
Was it a provocation or an attempt to suppress me? Anyway, I didn't care.
With each passing second, my expression became colder and harder, and the rings glowed even more brightly, responding to my emotions.
- "Surrender, Ro..."
- "At first, I didn't want to kill you," I began, interrupting Yahweh in a tone as flat as frozen water. "But now I've changed my mind."
Yahweh, using Tia's body, visibly flinched, either from my tone or my gaze, but it didn't matter anymore. He had chosen his fate.
The seal that had restrained my divinity was lifted. And in the next moment, the entire surrounding space was flooded with a mixture of my divinity, magical power, and True Magic, which began to resonate with each other. And then, out of nowhere, a massive black hole appeared in the sky.
It was so close that it evoked a primal fear of being swallowed alive. And like an eternally hungry beast, it sucked in the lights in a second, devouring every bit of divinity that Yahweh had accumulated over thousands of years. Now, all space was subject to my will, which was the physical embodiment of the black hole.
Tia's image, as her divinity was also absorbed, instantly disappeared with Yahweh, and all that remained was him. Him, who had the appearance of a frail old man. His divine power was still with him, but only because the feeling of powerlessness and inevitability made Yahweh even stronger.
I gave him a monotonous look, which made him flinch again.
- "We can still resolve everything peacefully, Ro..."
He didn't have time to finish, because he was interrupted by a terrifying and deafening roar from the black hole right above our heads. Its oppressive presence, coupled with my absolutely, unconditionally, and irrevocably destroyed mood, which was echoed by the black hole's behavior, made it very clear to the local Yahweh what awaited him, whatever further actions he might take.
- "It's payback time, Yahweh. And rest assured, you'll be left with nothing..."
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