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**Rebirth Sword God Vol 82, Chapter 4**

Screwed up.

That was the fleeting thought that crossed my mind.

Nyarlathotep!! That guy was so powerful he could wipe out the Ancient God Quetzalcoatl with just a flick of his hand, and I knew I was utterly unprepared to face such a divine being. Not to mention, I had been lured into an advantage for my opponent, away from my companions. What on earth was I supposed to do?

But even so, I maintained my composure until the end. I had experienced life-and-death crises more than once, and upon closer inspection, I noticed something strange.

‘What’s up with that Nyarlathotep guy…? He has the body of a Divine Thief, yet why…?’

Is he wearing a different **mask**?

Indeed, his body perfectly resembled that of the Divine Thief I had seen in the outer universe, but he was wearing a bizarre mask that I had never seen before, adorned with an unsettling pattern. Feeling immense wariness, the opponent spoke.

“Oh, you look like you have a lot of questions. This is amusing.”

“What’s so amusing about it?”

A smile flickered on Nyarlathotep’s lips.

“You seem aware of the difference in power between us, yet your curiosity outweighs your fear. It’s hard to resist the urge to ask me something right now, isn’t it?”

“…”

“Come on, make yourself comfortable.”

With a wave of his hand, he manifested himself on a regal medieval-style sofa, and a sofa appeared behind me as well. I couldn’t believe it and spoke up, still holding my sword.

“Make myself comfortable? What nonsense….”

“I’m going to make myself comfortable~”

Nyarlathotep had already kicked off his socks, lying back on the long sofa with utter ease. He even summoned popcorn on the table in front of him.

Crunch crunch.

While munching on the popcorn, Nyarlathotep spoke in a lazy voice.

“Hmm…. I’m just suggesting we chat without fighting; are you perhaps frightened?”

Seeing Nyarlathotep looking so uninterested in combat, I was completely at a loss about the situation. His posture exuded zero fighting spirit or hostility.

I had expected him to want to suppress or eliminate me through sheer force— what is he playing at?

Is it normal for the world’s greatest Evil God to show such a casual attitude?

Unable to decipher his intentions, I hesitated for a moment before responding.

“What do you want to talk about? First off, why did you drag me here?”

“Hoho, the discussion begins.”

Nyarlathotep chuckled with amusement, clearly enjoying himself.

“It’s nothing much. The **Book** suddenly triggered its final trial, so I thought I’d come and see what’s going on. In the meanwhile, I noticed an intriguing event happening—I saw someone making an escape from the Palace of Martial Gods to the Realm of the Sun, and I wanted to have a chat with the person involved.”

“…”

“Hm, but your choice is quite boring. Why did you not go all the way through the Palace of Martial Gods to meet the Martial God?”

I glared at him, still refusing to sit on the sofa.

“I have no reason to answer that question.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, to you, I’m going to be the **Evil** and the final boss, so it makes sense you wouldn’t want to tell me.”

“Isn’t that right? You’re the root of all evil and the cause of this damn situation!!”

Stop.

When I snapped at him fiercely, Nyarlathotep paused, clearly surprised, and stopped munching on his popcorn. He looked at me with a bewildered expression before letting out a chuckle.

“Hohoho… Am I really the root of all evil? Hohoho! Oh, well, maybe that’s true! You’re right!”

“…”

“Bwahahaha… Really… this has turned out to be so entertaining.”

As I watched him laugh heartily, a strange mix of discomfort and confusion washed over me.

This was not merely about him looking down on me; I felt there was something profoundly complicated at play.

What could possibly be so funny?

After what felt like an eternity of laughter, Nyarlathotep leaned his arm over the sofa, munching on popcorn as he spoke.

“But tell me, friend; if you happen to grow stronger and can easily defeat me, does that mean this story would have a totally happy ending?”

“…At the very least, your meddling and chaotic whims that disrupt the world would disappear. I’m not sure it would be a happy ending, but the world would surely become more peaceful.”

Nyarlathotep seemed to tilt his head in thought at my response.

“That’s strange.”

“What do you mean strange?”

Nyarlathotep pointed at me with his index finger.

“You have gone through 30 reincarnations, causing chaos in this world; haven’t you created far more havoc than I have? During those 30 lifetimes?”

“What…?”

“Even now, you’re doing it again. You completely flipped the **Great Cycle** upside down, rushing off to the **Takrok Era**, and are responsible for countless events that never should have happened! You don’t think of me as the mastermind behind all of this, do you?”

“…”

“I wouldn’t have known any of this was happening if it weren’t for the trials of the **Book**. Thanks to the countless restrictions placed by ‘that guy’.”

Hold on a second… that sounds like…

I momentarily lost my words when Nyarlathotep chuckled.

“Friend. You might look at me however you like; I actually don’t dislike you much. Do you want to know why?”

“Shut it.”

He smiled sweetly and drove an unpleasant nail into my heart.

“You make the world a more interesting place. I’ve never met a friend as good as you.”

“Damn it, I told you to shut up!!”

Dark Night Slash!!

Swish!!

Unable to hold myself back any longer, I unleashed my full power with the Dark Night Slash, cutting through the sofa he was lounging on. A visceral sensation of flesh and bone being sliced in half coursed through my blade as Nyarlathotep’s body was abruptly severed, blood gushing like a fountain.

Fwhoosh…

Nyarlathotep watched his body being ripped apart, laughing uncontrollably. After all, he was a divine being—absolutely immortal regardless of the state of his physical body.

“Bwahahaha… I didn’t really insult you that badly, did I? Are you that sensitive?”

“You bastard…!!”

I couldn’t restrain myself and shouted.

“No matter what I did, if I hadn’t tried to fix the horrible things you set in motion during my reincarnations, countless people would have been doomed! You used that **Mask** to spread your evil across the world; are you really going to drown it all by stating that we’re both equally guilty?!”

“Oh… you’ve got some bite to you. I guess I can’t not say something then.”

Swish.

In an instant, Nyarlathotep restored his severed body, now saturated with blood, and reclined back on the soiled sofa.

“What’s the issue with my intervening in history with the **Mask**? Isn’t that okay?”

“…What? It’s not okay?”

What a shameless bastard!

I was left stunned, and Nyarlathotep crunched on the popcorn.

“Friend. Regardless, once the **Revelation** hits, the world is bound for destruction. Since it’s going down anyway, what difference does it make how I indulge myself? Even if the process isn’t smooth, I didn’t declare the destruction, nor did I just sit around while the world came to an end, did I?”

“…”

“The one responsible for destruction is not me, but the **Evil God**. I merely played around until that **Evil God** made their appearance. Isn’t that right?”

I was dumbfounded by Nyarlathotep’s words. How could someone be so brazen?

Frustration bubbled inside me as I responded.

“Because of you, the Three Sovereigns were sealed away due to the Emperor’s scheme, chaos swept through the world, and the weak were trampled even harder by the strong! And then you kept meddling in everything, making it harder for the world to resolve itself! Don’t you dare act like all that suffering amounts to nothing!!”

“Hm, suffering, you say…”

Nyarlathotep seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking.

“Then let me ask you something. If I were to vanish, do you sincerely believe the world would be free from suffering and become a happy one?”

“…At least it would be better than now.”

“No, that’s not an answer. While it’s true I spread malice across the world, saying that all evil derives from me is pushing it, don’t you think?”

“…”

Nyarlathotep chuckled softly.

“By that logic, it’s saying all the Evil Gods in this world were originally good, but I corrupted them. Oh, Reborn One, do you truly believe that?”

I was momentarily speechless at Nyarlathotep’s words.

As I pondered, I struggled to respond.

“…That probably isn’t the case…”

While I knew Nyarlathotep was an Ancient God from a bygone era, recognizing him as the source of all evil in this world felt like a stretch. Maybe in the early days of my reincarnation, but after witnessing so much, such a raw opinion did not feel valid anymore.

Nyarlathotep munched on some popcorn then summoned an Americano, sipping through a straw.

“I can assure you of one thing. It’s true that I’m quite a badly-behaved fellow, but the world was always meant to be this way. If I were to disappear, the world might seem alright for a little while, appearing as a blissful happy world, but soon, someone else would emerge in that vacancy to become the new source of evil.”

“…”

“I can’t predict if it’ll be the Emperor or the **Evil God**, or maybe someone else…”

Nyarlathotep’s lips curled up into a smile.

“Friend. If you’re going to preach about justice so passionately, show me your proof that I am the absolute evil! Because at the very least, I can claim that I’m not evil.”

I was flabbergasted and incredulous.

Could Nyarlathotep actually argue that he isn’t the bad guy here?! We both knew he was, yet I was at a loss for how to counter his twisted logic. I struggled to shout back.

“Damn it… don’t spout such nonsense.”

“If it is nonsense, argue against it then. I need someone to toss a few words back at me.”

“…”

‘Think carefully.’

I realized arguing with Nyarlathotep at this moment would yield no benefits. Yet, if I could not deny what he said, then my entire journey of reincarnation would have been in vain. Perhaps this verbal sparring was much more significant than being attacked by him.

I had to find a refutation.

After deep contemplation, one solid question suddenly crossed my mind, and I asserted it confidently.

“Why are you doing bad things?”

Surprisingly, Nyarlathotep seemed taken aback by the question. He had been leaning on the sofa, and for the first time, he slightly sat up.

“Why? Because it’s entertaining, that’s why.”

“Why don’t you find doing good deeds entertaining?”

“Hoho, you’re asking that, are you?”

Nyarlathotep chuckled and replied.

“It’s simple. Good actions don’t yield much **Law of Cause and Effect**. So they’re not fun.”

What?

I felt a peculiar sensation wash over me at that unexpected answer. I thought he was about to spew some cliché villain logic, advocating for the pleasures of sin, but instead, he brought up the **Law of Cause and Effect**. I couldn’t help but feel intrigued as I responded.

“What do you mean? So you’re committing misdeeds to reap this **Law of Cause and Effect**?”

“Exactly, you’ve got it.”

“Why do good deeds yield lesser **Law of Cause and Effect**?”

At my question, Nyarlathotep leaned back again, his arm still draped over the sofa.

“Absolute morality doesn’t exist, but from the perspective of **Dharma**, there are definitely some metrics for distinguishing between good and evil. Rather than good and evil, it might be closer to order versus chaos, right? Anyway, in terms of the depth of **Karma** accumulated, clearly, evil actions score higher than good ones. Evil actions derive negation while leading to destruction, hence generating more **Law of Cause and Effect**.”

“…!!”

“The more evil actions proliferate, the easier it is to lead the world into chaos… As the disorder heightens, I can accrue my **Karma** even more. Conversely, good deeds guide the world toward order, yielding lesser **Law of Cause and Effect**.”

As Nyarlathotep explained with a theoretical twist, he chuckled.

“Well, that’s a bit of a side note… Good deeds ultimately reduce events. In order for the amusing events I enjoy to manifest, filling the world with good deeds isn’t really what I prefer. To make the world entertaining, some evil is essential, don’t you think?”

“…”

“I’m trying my best to ensure there are always plenty of interesting events in the world.”

As I listened to his calm explanation, I understood but simultaneously felt the chills creeping up my spine.

‘This guy truly… thinks differently.’

He views the entire world as his playground, merely satisfying his own desires. He perceives the cosmic balance and cleverly exploits it, existing beyond the simplest binaries of good and evil—finding enjoyment in chaos.

I felt frustrated and queasy, yet I steeled myself to keep the conversation going.

“In the end, you’re doing bad stuff just to have your cake and eat it too. But what do you plan to do with all that **Law of Cause and Effect** you accumulate? You can’t escape your pursuit of gains either!”

“…”

Nyarlathotep paused, seemingly taken aback by my rebuttal. Then he turned to me with a vacant stare.

“About that… I forgot.”

“What? Forgotten what?”

“The reason I gather **Law of Cause and Effect**… I forgot.”

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

Clink.

As he took off the mask, there was yet another mask underneath. He stayed still for a moment before taking off yet another mask, then again another.

Clink clink clink clink.

With each mask he flung off, piles of masks built up on the ground, and within moments, dozens of masks had been shed. Nyarlathotep was actively peeling them off when he suddenly seemed to lose strength, ceasing the action to speak.

“Do you understand? Although I’m an absolute being at this moment, I don’t even know how I became this way, nor the reason I sought to gather **Law of Cause and Effect**. Do you grasp the life of someone who’s lost that understanding?”

“…”

“The more I sense emptiness, the more I am driven to pursue pleasure and wickedness. Every act is merely a distraction to soothe the void of meanings lost within me.”

Clink…

Nyarlathotep slowly took off yet another mask. Beneath it was a crimson mask, seemingly radiating deeper emotions like rage, and he spoke in a dark voice.

“And I’m always carrying this rage. I don’t even know what it’s directed towards.”

“W-what are you trying to say?”

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

Not funny.

I couldn’t tell whether he was actually being truthful, and even if he was, I had no clue how to interpret this revelation.

Why on earth is Nyarlathotep telling me this?

“Reborn One. I feel something different about you compared to the previous reincarnators. I’ve never revealed this much to anyone before. Thus, I wish to make a request of you.”

In a low tone, Nyarlathotep said something unbelievable.

“Discover what I truly am. If you do, I will reveal all the truths about the **Book** I know.”