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EP.209

Indra.

One of the gods holding a fragment of Baal, the chief of the Lokapala among the factions of gods.

Standing still in the square of the Divine Hall, Indra glanced around.

The countless forms of gods. He used to be among those gods back in the day.

He thought of the gods as masters of the world, bursting with ambition to seize it all.

But he was wrong.

Gods cannot be the masters of the world. Gods cannot rule.

A god who cannot exist wholly on its own, a god that relies on other lives, is not a true god.

Indra could only realize this after obtaining one of the fragments left by the sky god.

Only after knowing the existence of a true god could he come to understand.

Most of the present gods were just fakes borrowing names.

“What in the world is happening? Indra?”

A familiar voice came from behind him.

Zeus. The ruler of Olympus. The god closest to the sky god.

And once a rival who had tirelessly competed with Indra, now just a foolish one struggling for the unattainable.

“I thought I hadn’t seen you in ages since you stepped out of Lokapala’s territory, and now you show up in the square of the Divine Hall. What are you thinking?”

“Thinking, huh…”

Indra stared blankly at the temple before him.

The temple built by the Goddess of Life. A temple for all life.

A god that could seize everything in this world, yet chooses not to.

A god with the power to close off this world at any time.

Although he came to know that after acquiring a fragment of Baal.

“I’m just doing what I ought to do.”

Everything is destined to repeat. Even gods cannot escape that.

Even if it loses its form and changes, the essence will not change.

The cycle of being born, living, declining, and dying will never be broken.

Knowing that well, Indra could decide to reclaim Baal’s emotions… the fragments of memory.

“You’re not like yourself. The old you was full of vigor.”

“It was just stubbornness from a time of naivety.”

In the past, merely created as Baal’s embodiment, simply managing other gods.

During a time when he subdued and controlled the gods with bloated egos through force, stabilizing them as one faction called Lokapala.

“Looking back now, I realize that shouldn’t have been the case.”

Yet, he too was one of the gods, setting himself above all in the celestial realm, aiming to rise above many gods.

Then it was only natural that after Baal shattered, the remaining fragments would lead to war as the embodiments fought to seize them.

Now reflecting, he sees how foolish it all was.

“So, you’ve come here looking to regret the past?”

“Regret… perhaps.”

If he could turn back time, he would like to do so.

He, merely a part of Baal, possessed Baal’s emotions and fragments of memory… he became consumed by them.

He even ended up loving a god he had never met.

“Emotions are truly mysterious. Even knowing the choice is irrational, it still ensnares you.”

“What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?”

“It’s only something you don’t need to know.”

Words that one cannot make sense of, to someone who only craves power and authority.

So it can only be shown through action.

“O gathering gods! Gods of the Divine Hall! My name is Indra! Chief of Lokapala, standing tall above in the hands of the gods of lightning!”

Indra began to shout.

“I believe you are all aware of the rumors circulating in the Divine Hall! The rumors that the king of gods, Baal, has disappeared, marking the end of the age of gods!”

At this shout, many gods started to stir.

It was a rumor they must have heard at least once if they were gods of the Divine Hall.

“Many gods will lose their divinity, and gods responsible for Baal’s death will not be permitted to exist! The rumor spread through the wise one of the deep forest has reached many gods!”

“Indra. You…”

“That rumor is true. A devastating demise awaits the current gods, for we all share the responsibility of Baal abandoning his throne.”

At Indra’s words, some gods burst into anger.

“Why is it our responsibility!! Isn’t it because the deities shared Baal’s fragments!”

“Exactly!! We bear no responsibility!”

“Does being the head of a huge faction mean everything!!!”

The gods shouted loudly. Observing them, Indra spoke softly.

“Stop. Do not deny your own mistakes. It is evident that all gods share blame for Baal abandoning his throne.”

These words made many gods flare up in anger.

“Do you not understand that denying your mistakes is why doom is approaching?”

At Indra’s cold words, many gods fell silent.

“Face reality. What lies ahead is unavoidable ruin.”

“Then, are we meant to just accept our demise?!”

A shout from someone. Indra shook his head at those words.

“No, it is an unavoidable doom. But there is still a way to halt it.”

“Indra. What do you mean…?”

“If the disappearance of the king of gods brings doom, then we must reinstate the king of gods! We must elevate Baal back to the divine throne!”

At that declaration, whispers began to spread among the other gods.

“How can we restore a Baal who has already vanished?!”

“There is a way.”

Indra began to explain to the gods.

The fact that Baal’s soul would be reincarnated as a human. By deifying that soul, if they could make him the king of gods once more, they could delay the destruction of the gods.

In that process, what was needed was time, and to buy that time, they needed to return Baal’s fragments to the Goddess of Life.

Indra was recounting the same tale that Hermes had heard from the wise one of the deep forest.

“The Goddess of Life is that powerful? She hasn’t shown herself in 300 years!”

“No, being the god governing life itself… she can’t be weak. All life is under her dominion… aren’t all humans the same?”

“To think the Goddess of Life was that fearsome… She used to be the kind goddess who named us…”

“We won’t be able to do anything to such a Goddess of Life… So, are you suggesting that we need to return Baal’s fragments to her?”

“However, would the major deities be willing to do so? I doubt they would be willing to relinquish the fragments fused with themselves.”

“If that’s the case…”

The murmurs among the gods showed no signs of stopping.

“However, there’s a crucial issue. The problem is that it takes time for a newly born human to grow into a hero. To resolve this, we need to return Baal’s fragments.”

After saying that, Indra placed a hand over his left chest.

“Fortunately, I have one here.”

“Indra?! What are you doing…!”

Zeus attempted to voice something, but Indra continued as if he hadn’t heard.

“Of course, this is nothing more than a time-buying measure. It will only give us about 10 years of time. But by returning the fragment of Baal I possess to her, I wish to make a request.”

Indra’s fingertips began to tear into his skin, burrowing inward.

“As the chief of Lokapala and a god who has inherited Baal’s emotions, I address the Goddess of Life.”

With the forceful fingers tearing skin, pushing bones aside, and disturbing muscle, he felt the pulsing heart beneath.

“I will return the fragment of Baal that I possess. So please, delay the destruction of the gods just a little.”

Divine blood began to flow from the wound his fingers had opened. No, the faith that constituted the divine body flowed like liquid.

“Let the human who possesses Baal’s soul return to his rightful place as a god. Please grant us a bit of time.”

His fingers opened the wound to reveal the pulsating heart.

Not his own heart. The heart infused with Baal’s emotions. A heart made of dazzling light.

“Indra. Do you even know what you’re doing?”

“Yes. I know very well. If I extract this fragment, I will no longer exist as the god Indra.”

“You’re doing this knowing that?!”

Indra frowned at the noisy Zeus.

Why is he meddling in every little thing if he isn’t going to give up his own fragment?

With such selfish gods aplenty, is it any wonder she dislikes their kind?

“And if you’re not going to hand over your fragment, then shut it.”

At that, Zeus fell silent. He lacked the guts to relinquish what he possessed.

Numerous selfish gods would make anyone shake in their boots.

Thus…

“And make it so that the gods can no longer directly interfere with the beings of the land.”

“Indra?!”

“Raise the existing wall that separates the land from the gods even higher, so the gods cannot rampage uncontrollably. Ensure countless lives are not tormented by us gods.”

‘May she not be disillusioned further by the gods’ tyranny. May she not give up on everything in disappointment and bring about the world’s ruin.’

He repeats the request made the last time they met in his heart.

Preserving the last of the concerns he held until the moment Baal shattered.

If she who speaks from the heart can fulfill a request made at the core of her being, the kindly one spoken of in Baal’s memory will not abandon such a request, even if it means sacrificing her own existence.

“I, Indra, implore you with all I have. Please, do not give up on this world.”

Indra’s hand grasped the glowing heart within his chest and turned to Zeus.

“Zeus.”

“Y-You madman…!”

“Now, it’s your turn.”

In one swift motion, Indra pulled out the heart he had grasped.

 

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