[508] The Backlash of Evil (2)
"The Law of Evil, Satan."
Gando echoed Woorin's words exactly.
Right now Woorin was pointing to Satan as the prime suspect, and the name Satan was familiar even in human history.
Of course no one had seen his true form, but through countless records and paintings people could form a subjective image of him.
"Right. If there's anything Anke Ra can't touch, it would be evil. And if you need a concept to stand for that evil, Satan's the perfect fit."
Heaven and the earthly realms had maintained limited contact since ancient times.
Through that contact humanity accumulated histories of gods and angels, demons and monsters, and those stories became myths lodged in people's hearts.
"The clash of good and evil isn't the same as the opposition between nothingness and being. It isn't clear-cut. But it's certainly a real concept. So when did it start?"
When Gando didn't answer, Woorin raised a forefinger and pointed at the ceiling.
"From the very beginning. More precisely, from the moment we first became capable of thinking 'we are the ones.'"
Anke Ra had branded this universe a garbage dump abandoned by the gods and decided to make himself a god.
From that moment the universe became 'a universe' in name—but in truth it was no different from the fact that the universe had already existed before he came along.
"That's what good and evil are. The whole, and something opposed to the whole. Maybe an endless chaos, an instability. And from the instant we perceived the universe, it began acting on us under the names good and evil."
"Therefore… Anke Ra cannot eradicate the Law of Evil."
Woorin crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand.
"Hmm. Right now that's the most plausible theory. Once Tormia's Cage B Team returns we'll get more details."
Gando finally felt the threads starting to come together.
There were things Anke Ra couldn't do that humans could.
"In the end, what Ra wanted from us was for followers of good to defeat Satan."
Woorin put on an obviously affected smile.
Because Gando knew it was a bit of a joke, the expression came off as almost endearing.
"That's one way to look at it. But Gando, humans aren't beings who simply choose good or evil."
Gando blinked.
He'd always thought humans could choose between good and evil.
After all, couldn't he decide right now which he would be?
"If not that, then what are humans?"
"Beings that define good and evil."
"...."
"There's no absolute boundary dividing good from evil. That's the very reason Anke Ra can't remove evil. But humans are different. We're selfish and individual—able to flow toward good or toward evil—and because of that we're unstable."
Woorin lifted his crystal glass and leaned back in his chair.
"Instability always reveals weakness. That's why humans are called weak. But that very instability can also become strength."
"What… is that?"
Snapped out of thought, Gando lifted his head and asked. Woorin brought the glass to his lips and pointed at him with a finger.
"Faith."
KWA-AANG!
Etella, who had been slammed into the wall, landed hard on her butt and curled up on the floor.
"Ugh!"
Putting the exhaustion of battle aside, it was maddening.
Right now Etella probably had the strongest will of goodness in Heaven.
And because of that, she was the one who could stand against Satan.
But no matter how she drew up every ounce of power to press him, Satan would promptly recover and counter with a body that seemed stronger than before.
Even without looking she could tell the Law of this world was tilting toward Satan.
"Heh, stubborn woman."
The thirty-meter-tall Satan cracked his neck and stalked toward Etella.
The building around them had already collapsed; only low boundary walls hinted that this had once been the angels' living quarters.
"Why bother fighting?"
Satan asked, watching Etella's fierce gaze.
"Why risk your life on a foolish idea? Evil always rules. It's the most efficient means to satisfy desire."
Satan grabbed the roof of the Je-bul that towered before him and ripped it off.
When he clenched his fist, solid bricks crumbled like dust.
"The easiest way to get something is to just take it. If there's food over there, go and snatch it. Humans understand that simple rule too well. So why do such foolish things?"
Etella planted both hands on the ground and slowly rose.
"If humans were truly evil…."
She assumed her fighting stance again and looked up at Satan's towering face.
"Why would this world still hold together now?"
Satan fell silent this time.
"Right, perhaps humans don't strictly need goodness. Left to their desires they'd make their own justices and live. But mark my words—people maintain their humanity even in a life full of evil because a small number of wills of goodness have ceaselessly protected it."
"So that's why you fight? Even if it means sacrificing your own desires?"
Etella gave a short, bitter laugh.
"This is my desire. With all my selfishness I want this world filled with love."
Huuuu—
As she exhaled, vitality flowed back through Etella's body.
"There is good alive in places evil doesn't even glance at. And I am alive too."
Etella gritted her teeth and surged forward.
"The mere fact that humanity still exists is, for me, clearer proof of good than anything else!"
Satan scowled as Etella pushed off the ground and leapt at him.
Faith.
Humans believe what they think is right.
That makes them dangerous.
Even knowing evil's methods are sweet and easy, those who pursue good have always existed.
"Pathetic."
Satan aimed at the climbing Etella and raised his fist.
"Come at me, human!"
"Tahaaaaa!"
Etella's arm brushed past his as she spun and landed a kick to Satan's jaw.
The colossal, rock-like face twisted, and the falling Etella crossed her arms as she drew breath.
As her arms opened and her eyes began to glow, the secret art of the Yin-Yang Wave Fist revealed itself.
Thousand-Hand Kannon Thunderclap Assault.
DUDUDUDUDUDUDUDUDU!
A blindingly fast flurry hammered the solid chest, sending ripples outward from deep within.
Countless waves interfered, refracted, and reflected, propagating through Satan's whole body.
'I believe! In humanity!'
Etella increased the speed of the barrage until she could hardly breathe.
'In the will of good in the human heart!'
DUDUDUDUDUDU!
A monsoon poured into Satan's flesh.
"Arrrgh!"
A downpour hammered through Satan's body.
* * *
"Hey! Yuriel!"
A very long time ago.
Kariel went searching for Yuriel, who'd smashed yet another of his creations.
The hulking figure staring blankly at the firmament was infuriating.
'So thoughtless.'
Kariel flew in a furious arc.
"Hey! Why do you keep breaking my things!"
Yuriel turned her head and answered simply.
"Then make them unbreakable."
"What, what?"
"I'm the archangel of destruction. I can break anything. If you're the archangel of creation, shouldn't you make things that can't be broken?"
Kariel opened his mouth to retort but bit down.
"Damn!"
He had no clever reply.
"You can make them! But what you made before wasn't that kind of thing! I'll tell Ikael."
"How pathetic. Ikael may be the only one born before us, but she's an archangel like the rest of us. Mind your own business."
"Ha! You say that, but you won't be able to move. Wait, I'll—"
As Kariel turned, Ikael flew in from the distance.
Kariel's face brightened and he lit his halo, calling to her.
"Ikael! Ikael!"
When Ikael arrived, Kariel poured out Yuriel's misdeeds in full.
"She always smashes what I make. Punish her."
Yuriel, who'd been confident a moment ago, looked sheepish and turned away.
"Hmm."
Ikael stooped to examine Kariel's badly ruined creation.
"Yes, it's badly smashed. Yuriel went too far."
"I'll make something that can never break from now on. Something so strong Yuriel won't be able to touch it."
Ikael smiled with gentle eyes.
"Of course that's admirable. But Kariel, if nothing could ever be broken, one day there'd be no space left to create anything new."
"Ha, but—"
"You know creation doesn't exist without destruction, don't you?"
"But it feels wrong. Like Yuriel's getting the upper hand."
"Hoho, no. You're the angel of birth. Even amid the most horrific ruins you can bring forth the most beautiful thing."
Ikael gently stroked Kariel's head.
"Create the most beautiful thing in the world. Something so beautiful that Yuriel won't even think of destroying it."
"...."
Kariel stared as if he'd suddenly understood.
Ikael pressed her forehead to his and said, "You can do it, can't you, Kariel?"
"Cough! Cough!"
Kariel, on the brink of extinction, hacked rough coughs.
His pupils were fully dilated; there was no life left in them.
He looked dreadful.
'Everything I made were just ruins. What could I make from here? Ikael, you were wrong. I failed in the end.'
From above, the faint sound of the sky tearing reached them.
'Something's coming.'
"Kariel."
Ikael stepped closer.
She thought divine punishment would strike Heaven soon, but she wanted to stay with Kariel for his last moments.
"Huh, you're only looking at me now? How honored. I'm about to vanish."
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. I'll disappear soon. I'll be gone in a moment, so just leave."
Ikael knelt before Kariel and laid a hand on his warped chest.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault—for making you like this."
Kariel closed his mouth.
Despite the sharp words, Ikael's gentle manner wasn't unpleasant.
'Ah…'
Kariel realized belatedly.
Ikael had always been kind to him.
"You… you resent me, don't you?"
Ikael shook her head slowly.
"No. Why would I resent you?"
Those tender words cut Kariel even deeper.
"It's the end anyway. I'm going to vanish. So be honest. You resent me, don't you? I insulted you, mocked you, hurt you."
"Kariel, you're a good angel."
"Don't lie!"
Where did that strength come from?
Kariel shouted as if he didn't care if he vanished immediately.
"You loved humans! You sided with them to the end! So why do you lie to me!"
Ikael looked down at Kariel with a sorrowful, pitying expression.
"Yes, I love humans."
Her gentle hand stroked Kariel's head.
It was the touch he had remembered long ago.
"And Kariel, you are the angel I know who most resembles humans."
"Sob! Sniff!"
Tears streamed down Kariel's cheeks as he squeezed his eyes shut.
Now he finally understood why he had come to hate humans.
"I was wrong! Sob! I'm sorry!"
Ikael kept stroking Kariel's head with a sad, pitying smile.
Kariel's glazing eyelids slowly began to close.
"Sorry. I'm sorry..."
Mother.
A name that could never belong to an angel was the last thought etched in Kariel's halo.
His horribly mangled body flared into brilliant light and completed the end of his extinction.
'Anke Ra, watch over poor Kariel.'
Ikael stayed after Kariel disappeared, and Plu, who had been standing behind her, lifted his head to the sky.
The divine punishment had not yet appeared.
'Well, of course.'
Its speed would be terrible.
Once it came into visible range, anything on the surface would be struck down so swiftly there'd be no time even to react.
Time remaining until Heaven's destruction: 4 minutes 32 seconds.