전생검신 Volume 82, Episode 4

I’m doomed.

That was the thought that flashed through my mind in an instant.

Nyarlathotep!! That guy was strong enough to wipe out the ancient god Quetzalcoatl with just a flick of his wrist, and I knew all too well that I was absurdly underpowered to oppose such an envoy of divine wrath. To make matters worse, I’d been dragged into a place that favored my opponent, completely separated from my companions—what on Earth was I supposed to do?

But still, I maintained my composure. This wasn’t my first time facing life-and-death crises, and besides, I noticed something strange.

‘That Nyarlathotep… he looks like… a Divine Thief, but why is he…?’

Is he hiding behind a different mask?

Indeed, his body resembled that of the Divine Thief I’d seen in the outer universe, but he wore a bizarre mask on his face. The patterns carved into it were unfamiliar, exuding a sinister vibe. As I was on high alert, the opponent spoke.

“Wow, you have a face full of questions! How amusing.”

“What do you find amusing about it?”

A smile curled at the corners of Nyarlathotep’s mouth.

“Isn’t it funny that, despite knowing the difference in power, your curiosity outweighs your fear? I can almost feel your eagerness to ask me something right now.”

“……”

“Come on, take a seat.”

With a flick of his hand, Nyarlathotep conjured a fancy medieval-style sofa, and one appeared behind me too. Stunned, I replied while still holding my sword.

“Sit comfortably? Are you out of your mind…?”

“I’m making myself comfortable~”

Before I knew it, Nyarlathotep had kicked off his socks, revealing bare feet as he lounged on the long sofa as if it were completely normal. He even summoned popcorn on the table in front of him.

Crunch, crunch.

As he munched on the popcorn, Nyarlathotep spoke in a somewhat grumpy tone.

“Hey… are you afraid because I suggested we talk instead of fighting?”

I was baffled by how casual Nyarlathotep seemed, devoid of any fighting spirit. It was weird; he wasn’t even trying to impose his strength on me.

Didn’t I expect him to crush or obliterate me by force?

Is this the behavior of the world’s most infamous evil god?

Confused and unable to read his intent, I managed to stammer out.

“What are you even trying to say? You haven’t even told me why you’ve kidnapped me!”

“Ah, the fun is just beginning.”

With a chuckle, Nyarlathotep laughed and said.

“It’s nothing big. I just came to see what was happening because the Scripture suddenly triggered the final-stage trial. And when I noticed the amusing event of escaping from the Palace of Martial Gods to the Realm of the Sun, I thought it would be fun to have a chat with the person involved.”

“……”

“Hmm, but your choice of actions is quite boring. Why didn’t you stick around until you met the Martial God after passing through the Palace of Martial Gods entirely?”

Still glaring at him, I retorted without sitting on the sofa.

“I have no obligation to answer that question.”

“Ah, is that so? Anyway, for you, I’m the evil and final boss, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t want to spill.”

“Isn’t that right? You’re the root of all evil, the mastermind behind this ridiculous situation!!”

He paused for a moment.

When I shot my accusation at him fiercely, Nyarlathotep surprisingly halted his popcorn munching, staring at me in disbelief before bursting into laughter.

“Ha ha ha… me, the mastermind? Ha ha ha! Oh, sure, that could be possible! You might just have a point!”

“……”

“Ha ha ha… this is truly… turning out to be so much fun.”

Watching Nyarlathotep roll with laughter, I felt an odd mix of unpleasantness and embarrassment wash over me.

It wasn’t just that he was belittling me; something profoundly bizarre was unfolding.

What on earth could he find so amusing?

After a good, hearty chuckle, Nyarlathotep leaned back against the couch and munched on popcorn while saying.

“But tell me, my friend, if you were to grow stronger and easily defeat me, would you be sure that the ending of this story would be a complete happy ending?”

“……At the very least, it would mean you wouldn’t wreak havoc in this world as you please. As for a happy ending? I can’t say for sure, but things would definitely be more peaceful.”

Upon hearing my words, Nyarlathotep tilted his head, seeming puzzled.

“That’s strange.”

“What do you mean it’s strange?”

Pointing at me with his index finger, Nyarlathotep said.

“You’ve gone through 30 reincarnations, causing chaos in this world at will. Fact is, during those 30 lives, you’ve created far more havoc than I ever have, haven’t you?”

“What did you just say…?”

“Even now, you’ve flipped the Great Cycle on its head and made countless events happen that were never supposed to exist, all on your own. You won’t argue that everything happening right now is just a part of my grand scheme, would you?”

“……”

“I wouldn’t have known any of this was happening if it weren’t for the trials of the Scripture. I was just under a multitude of restrictions placed by ‘that guy.'”

Wait a minute… what does he mean by that…?

As I struggled to form a response, Nyarlathotep burst into giggles again.

“My friend, you may think of me however you want, but I actually don’t dislike you. Do you know why?”

“Shut up.”

With a sly grin, he planted a truly unpleasant wedge into my thoughts.

“You make the world amusing. I’ve never encountered anyone as enjoyable as you.”

“Damn it, I told you to shut up!!”

Dark Night Slash!

Swish!!

Unable to hold back any longer, I unleashed my full force with the Dark Night Slash, cutting the sofa he lounged on in half. I distinctly felt the clean snip of flesh and bone as Nyarlathotep’s body was split apart, blood spraying like a fountain.

Fshhh…

With his torso in two, Nyarlathotep stared at his own spilling entrails and chuckled. Truly, he was an immortal divine being, invulnerable on the outside regardless of what state he found himself in.

“Ha ha ha ha… I haven’t deeply insulted you, have I? Are you just a bit ticked off?”

“You bastard…!!”

I shouted in frustration.

“No matter what I did, if I hadn’t tried to correct the vile things you’ve set in motion through your reincarnations, countless people would have suffered!! Your ‘mask’ has corrupted everywhere, tainting everything; do you plan to muddle the situation by claiming we’re both equally at fault?!”

“Oh… you have a way with words. If that’s the case, I can’t help but respond.”

Swish, swish.

In an instant, Nyarlathotep restored his bisected form, reclined back onto the blood-stained couch, and said.

“What’s wrong with me meddling with history by spreading masks? There’s nothing problematic about that.”

“……What? It’s not a problem?”

What kind of brazen jerk is this!

I was astounded as he continued munching on popcorn.

“My friend, the moment the revelation occurs, the world will immediately face destruction. If the world’s going to end anyway, does it matter how I choose to enjoy the process? Even if the journey is bumpy, didn’t I just sit back and watch until the world meets its demise?”

“……”

“The one responsible for the world’s destruction isn’t me; it’s the Evil Gods. I’m only doing my best to dance around until the heralds take their final bow. Isn’t that right?”

I was appalled by the sheer audacity of Nyarlathotep’s reasoning. Could someone be so shameless in this world?

With a hint of anger, I replied.

“Because of you, the Three Sovereigns were sealed away due to the Emperor’s schemes, and chaos has taken root in the world where the weak are further trampled by the strong! You keep intervening, making things tougher whenever the world begins to settle down! Don’t downplay the suffering of countless people as if it were nothing!!”

“Hmm, suffering, huh……”

Nyarlathotep seemed to ponder for a moment before he spoke.

“Then let me ask you something. If I were to disappear, do you think this world would truly become a happy place devoid of suffering?”

“……It would at least be better than now.”

“No, that’s not an acceptable answer. It’s true that I’ve sown evil intents in the world, but to say that all the world’s malice has me as its source is a stretch, don’t you think?”

“……”

Nyarlathotep chuckled softly.

“If you think that way, all the Evil Gods in this world must have originally been good, but I twisted them into being bad. Reborn, do you really believe that?”

I found myself momentarily lost for words.

After some contemplation, I reluctantly replied.

“……That, probably isn’t the case.”

I knew Nyarlathotep was an Evil God from ancient times and one of those beyond Heaven, but to claim he’s the origin of all evil in this world seemed a gross exaggeration. Perhaps in my early reincarnations, but with all I had seen and heard up till now, it just didn’t fit neatly.

Nyarlathotep munched on some popcorn, seemingly choking, then summoned an Americano and sucked on it through a straw.

“I can assure you, while I may be particularly naughty, this world has always been like this. If I were to vanish, the world might temporarily appear stable and happy, but soon, someone would emerge to fill my absence, becoming a new source of evil.”

“……”

“Whether it’s the Emperor, an Evil God, or that guy… who knows.”

The corners of Nyarlathotep’s mouth curled up.

“My friend, if you’re going to preach about righteousness, then present me with grounds that prove I’m the ultimate evil. At the very least, I can argue that I’m not evil.”

I was flabbergasted and indignant.

No way would Nyarlathotep claim he isn’t a bad guy here?! Of course, he knew he was bad, and I knew it, yet somehow I couldn’t find a way to contest his twisted logic. I cried out with great difficulty.

“Come on… stop with the nonsense!”

“Nonsense or not, you tell me to refute it. I’m just feeling bored talking to myself.”

“…….”

‘Let’s think carefully.’

I realized that arguing with Nyarlathotep here wouldn’t gain me anything. However, if I couldn’t refute his points, then the journey of my past lives might end up feeling completely meaningless. Perhaps this chat could be more significant than him attacking me with force.

I needed to find a counterargument.

As I pondered deeply, an epiphany struck, and I confidently asked.

“Why do you do bad things?”

Nyarlathotep seemed taken aback by the unexpected question. As he leaned on the sofa, he slightly raised his upper body for the first time.

“Why? Because it’s fun.”

“Why don’t you find good deeds enjoyable?”

“Oh, that’s a question.”

Nyarlathotep laughed slightly, then replied.

“It’s simple. Good deeds don’t yield enough cause and effect, you see. So they’re boring.”

What?

I felt strange about this unexpected response. I thought he’d say something about how being bad was inherently better, yet out came the concept of cause and effect. My curiosity was sparked, and I asked.

“Are you saying you engage in bad actions to gather cause and effect?”

“Exactly, you’ve got it.”

“Why is it that good deeds yield less cause and effect?”

In response to my inquiry, Nyarlathotep rested his arms again on the sofa, stating.

“In this world, there’s no absolute good or evil, but if you were to examine it from the perspective of Dharma, there are still scales that distinguish between the two. It’s more about order and disorder. Anyway, if you compare the depth of karma accumulated, it’s only natural that evil deeds score higher than good deeds. Evil actions derive negation and lead to destruction, thus generating more cause and effect.”

“……!!”

“When evil deeds proliferate, the world tends to veer towards disorder… I can gain more cause and effect the more chaos escalates. Conversely, good deeds guide the world towards order, so they accumulate less cause and effect.”

Engaged in some theoretical explanation, Nyarlathotep grinned.

“But that’s a secondary matter… Good deeds ultimately reduce events. If I want fun events, the world filled with good deeds isn’t very appealing. After all, for the world to be exciting, isn’t evil essential?”

“……”

“I’m trying to make the world brimming with fun occurrences.”

While I understood his calm explanation, I felt chills run down my spine.

‘This guy…’

He viewed the entirety of the world as his playground while solely satisfying his desires. Despite his deep comprehension of cosmic balance, he cleverly exploited that knowledge. More so, he experienced amusement beyond the simplistic ties of good and evil.

Shocked by his inhuman side, I resolutely continued my argument.

“In the end, you do bad things to benefit yourself, right? But you cannot escape the rule that even if you gather cause and effect, you ultimately seek profit!”

“……”

Nyarlathotep seemed paused by my unexpected counter. Then he stared at me blankly and said.

“Well, you know… I forgot.”

“What? Forgot what?”

“Why I’m collecting cause and effect.”

Saying this, Nyarlathotep slowly rose from the sofa. He then removed the mask he’d been wearing.

Clack.

As he peeled it off, another mask lay beneath. Nyarlathotep stood still for a moment before removing yet another mask, then another.

Clack, clack, clack, clack.

Every time he discarded a mask, a pile began to form on the ground, and before long, dozens of masks had changed in mere seconds. After continually shedding masks, Nyarlathotep suddenly seemed drained, halting his actions as he spoke.

“Can you understand? The moment I became an Absolute Being, I lost track of why I even became this way. I don’t even remember why I wanted to amass cause and effect.”

“……”

“I can only seek pleasure and malice because I feel a void within myself. Every act is just a pastime meant to soothe the emptiness of lost causality within me.”

Clack…

Nyarlathotep slowly removed yet another mask. Among them was one expressing red-hot rage, and he spoke in a somber voice as he revealed himself.

“And I always hold on to this anger. I don’t even know what I’m angry at.”

“What does that mean?”

“Isn’t it funny? The one you thought was the final boss turns out to be someone suffering from amnesia.”

That’s not funny.

I doubted whether what he said was true, and even if it were, I had no idea how to process it.

Why was Nyarlathotep revealing this to me?

“Reborn. I feel that you’re different from the past reincarnators. I’ve never opened up to anyone like this before. That’s why I want to make a request of you.”

In that moment, Nyarlathotep said something unbelievable.

“Find out what I am. If you do, I will share all the truths of the Scripture that I know.”