"Tsk. Compared to the members of my Familia you just slaughtered, Hera Familia has always produced formidable individuals. Hera and Zeus's luck in finding talent is always enviable."
Clicking his tongue, Whiro's expression was more one of envious disappointment than anger.
Even after his entire Familia was wiped out, envy towards a fellow god was still more important than anger over the destruction that had occurred.
"Even after Hera Familia was cast out of Orario, Hera could still find a talent like you... a talent capable of single-handedly wiping out the entire Whiro Familia. It's truly unfair."
Then, his expression changed to one of persuasion. A thin, eerie smile reappeared on his lips.
"Hey, Charlie Avalon. Just leave that exiled Hera Familia. Join my Familia."
"Huh?"
Charlie frowned slightly. His flat expression for a moment cracked with genuine confusion. The offer made absolutely no sense to him.
(I just wiped out every single member of his Familia, leaving no one behind. Instead of hating me or at least harboring animosity, he wants me to switch to his Familia? Is there something wrong with his brain circuits?) Charlie thought in amazement.
(Ah, that's right. The mindset of the gods is different from humans. They are too bored and seek entertainment in strange ways.)
Unaware that the other party was mocking him, Whiro took Charlie's silence as a sign that the young man was considering his offer. With enthusiasm, he began to preach.
"Charlie, listen to me. Do you think you belong among them, those self-righteous people? Look at yourself. You killed two hundred people without batting an eye, without the slightest hesitation. Blood soaks you, and you don't even flinch. Do you think people like the adventurers in Orario can understand your true essence?"
"Your personality, your talent, the way you act... everything is more suited to Evilus! As an Evil God, I understand that true strength lies in self-acceptance, not in denial."
"You are a wolf, Charlie. A true wolf born to hunt. So why do you force yourself to mingle with a weak, rule-bound flock of sheep? They will only try to domesticate you, to shackle your natural instincts with their false morality. Here, with me, you will be free. Your power will not be limited by the labels of 'good' or 'bad'."
Whiro spread his arms, as if to embrace the entire scene of death around them.
"Look! This is art! Chaos is the canvas, and power is the brush! With me, you don't have to pretend. You can be your true self—a force of nature that destroys and recreates as you wish."
"The path of evil is the path of true freedom, Charlie. Why serve boring gods who only want to maintain the status quo, when you can be yourself by our side?"
"..."
While Whiro spoke with passion, Charlie was just silent. He stood tall, his face expressionless again, listening to every word without giving any sign of agreement or disagreement.
To him, Whiro's words were just wind, a monologue from a being that had been isolated in its own fantasies for too long.
"What's your answer?"
After his passionate sermon, Whiro stood with a confident demeanor, waiting for an answer. He was almost certain that his tempting logic would succeed.
Charlie observed him for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.
"Ambitions and ideals must support each other to last. When ambitions meet ambitions, it will only lead to conflict and destruction."
"Our ambitions are different. So, I have to refuse."
Seeing his attempt at negotiation fail completely, Whiro's expression changed. His handsome face, which had been full of persuasion, darkened, filled with disappointment. He let out a long sigh.
"What a pity. It turns out you're no different from those hypocrites. What a disappointment, Charlie. And here I had high expectations for you after seeing your cruelty."
With an indifferent attitude, Whiro turned around, as if all of this was just a boring episode. He intended to leave the dead city to return elsewhere, and start from scratch again—refilling his Familia with new deviant-minded people.
"Wait a minute!"
Charlie's voice stopped him in his tracks. Whiro turned back, an eyebrow raised, and a small smile reappeared.
"Oh? Did you change your mind?"
*KSHHHH!*
A loud freezing ice sound broke the silence.
Before Whiro could react, the sandy ground under his shoes suddenly turned into a slippery and hard layer of ice. And from that layer of ice, thick and sharp ice chains quickly shot out, tightly wrapping around his ankles, hands, and body, tying him in place.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Even in this helpless state, there was no panic at all on Whiro's face or in his voice. All that was there was surprise and a hint of curiosity. His belief that he, as a god, was an untouchable entity was so strong.
His belief came from an unspoken universal consensus: harming a god was a taboo. Even in the bloodiest Familia conflicts, the gods—both good and evil—were essentially immune. They were untouchable spectators.
For example, Ryuu Lion, in her darkest rage when she wiped out the Rudra Familia, did not kill Rudra herself, but let another god do the killing.
"God. If I let you go, will you recruit other psychopaths into your Familia?" Charlie asked, walking closer.
Whiro chuckled, as if he had been asked something so obvious.
"Of course. This world is never short of evil people."
"No, that's not quite right. Good people do everything for justice, and evil people do everything for evil—this is a very naive idea. There is never a clear line between black and white, and the world is dominated by shades of gray. Even I, who do these things to create chaos in the world, am also achieving my personal desires. I am changing the world according to my own ideas."
"..."
Charlie stopped walking, standing a few meters in front of Whiro who was still bound by ice chains. His gaze was complicated, as if he was weighing something very heavy in his mind.
(If Whiro is allowed to leave, it's only a matter of time before a new Whiro Familia is formed again. He will continue to recruit sick-minded people, and more tragedies filled with suffering and death will occur.)
(No wonder Gilgamesh hated the gods, even though he himself was a Demi-God. Setting aside Gilgamesh in his chuunibyou phase, Gilgamesh in his Wise King phase did not want the gods to interfere in human affairs. That's why he decided to end the Age of Gods, no longer allowing the gods to intervene at will in the mortal world.)
With so many gods walking freely in this world—even though their power was limited by the pact—Charlie felt like he was living in an era similar to the Age of Gods that Gilgamesh experienced in the Type-Moon WORLD.
The gods treated the lower world as their playground, with consequences that all creatures had to bear.
(There is no other option.)
An extreme decision, one that would shake the foundations of the world if known, finally matured in his mind. Charlie knew the consequences, but letting Whiro go was a worse choice.
With a firm resolve, Charlie raised his hand. A subtle and invisible magical essence spread from his fingertips, not an offensive energy, but something much softer.
This was another application of his Spirit Arts, manipulating the air element to create a strong and colorless sleeping gas.
The gas spread quickly, enveloping the entire area of the small town, especially towards the cages where the prisoners were held. One by one, the frightened and cold slaves began to feel an irresistible drowsiness.
Their eyes drooped, their bodies went limp, and soon after, they all fell into a deep sleep.
After all, Charlie's next action was too shocking for anyone to witness. If the news spread, it could trigger endless problems, making him the number one wanted criminal in the entire world.
"What are you trying to do?"
His voice for the first time lost its confident and playful tone. Whiro had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.