"You still decided to kill him without hesitation," Alaric said bluntly, looking at Lilith. "Your emotions may be real, but so is your intent to kill."
Lilith didn't deny it. She gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. "That's who we are... Sequence 0s. The God of Combat was right. We're such laughable existences, entwined with madness, coexisting with it. In pursuit of power, or survival, we often lose ourselves along the way."
"Don't lump all Sequence 0s together," Roselle interjected, cutting her off. "I'd never have the heart to harm a child I've raised for thousands of years."
Lilith glanced at him, her smile noncommittal. "Perhaps."
Roselle's brow furrowed, ready to argue. Children were, in a sense, his sore spot. He might cut corners elsewhere, but when it came to his kids, Roselle could at least claim to be a decent father.
"Alright, enough," Alaric said, unwilling to let the two bicker. He patted Roselle's shoulder. "Lilith's not in the mood. Let it go."
Turning to Lilith, he asked, "Do you want to oversee his funeral?"
Lilith was silent for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No. It'd be too hypocritical for me to hold his funeral."
Alaric didn't press her, nodding. "Fine, I'll leave it to someone else."
…
Alaric decided to entrust the God of Combat's funeral to Colin Iliad.
City of Silver had once been part of the Giant King's domain, so having Colin Iliad, the Chief of City of Silver, organize the funeral felt like a fitting closure.
However, considering the Dark Angel Evil Spirit in the Giant King's Court, Alaric didn't immediately assign the task to Colin. Instead, he sought out Sasrir first.
At the time, Sasrir was buried in work. The Republic's numerous affairs were already overwhelming, and with recent wars reigniting to liberate other nations, Sasrir's workload had only grown.
"Uh, Sasrir, have you considered taking a break?" Alaric asked, eyeing Sasrir's haggard expression, which seemed to teeter on the brink of collapse. Even Alaric felt a pang of guilt, urging him to rest.
"Don't worry. I know my limits. If I'm truly on the verge of breaking, I'll rest," Sasrir replied, clearly aware of Alaric's concern. He offered a reassuring smile before adding, "The God of Combat matter is settled?"
His lack of surprise wasn't unexpected. A true god's fall created ripples too large to go unnoticed, even for someone as busy as Sasrir.
"Yes. Next, I plan to hold a funeral for him, to honor the God of Combat Church's protection of Feysac's people over the years," Alaric said, nodding. While he had killed the God of Combat, he didn't deny the god's contributions.
Regardless of how he'd governed, the God of Combat Church, like other true god churches, had protected ordinary people from dangerous Beyonders and monsters.
This was why Alaric was willing to give the God of Combat a dignified end. He might not have been a good person, but his achievements were undeniable.
"He does deserve a funeral," Sasrir said, his expression complex. To him, the God of Combat wasn't an enemy... at least not in the Third Epoch.
But Sasrir understood the changing times and the God of Combat's unique nature, so he hadn't opposed Alaric and the others killing him.
…
"Where do you plan to bury him?" Sasrir asked.
"The Giant King's Court, as he wished," Alaric replied without hesitation. "So, I intend to deal with the small problem there first."
Sasrir, well aware of the Giant King's Court's current state, said, "The Giant King's Court is important… or rather, the Blasphemy Slate lost there is. Right now, we rely on the Blasphemy Slate to safely harness the Chaos Sea."
Alaric glanced at him and asked, "What's your take on the Dark Angel Evil Spirit?"
"…It's not me," Sasrir said after a few seconds of silence, shaking his head. "It's just a remnant will. The real me merged with The Ancient Sun God's humanity long ago, becoming the True Creator. That thing is merely a shadow, corrupted by the Chaos Sea and twisted by the Primordial One."
"If even you say that, then it's probably hopeless. Tsk," Alaric clicked his tongue, a bit disappointed. He'd hoped the Dark Angel Evil Spirit might be another Sasrir. The Republic was desperately short on manpower, and another Sasrir would've been double the joy.
Sasrir, clearly reading Alaric's thoughts, gave a wry smile. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Though it's not me, if you're thinking of using it as a tool, it might not be impossible."
"Oh? Tell me more," Alaric said, his eyes lighting up with interest.
"Though it's just a remnant, it's persisted for so long. Despite being corrupted by the Chaos Sea, that's also given it stability," Sasrir explained, not beating around the bush. "If Adam were to act, he might be able to complete it, turning it into a fully realized entity."
"But…" Sasrir's expression grew serious. "Such an entity would be deeply tied to the Chaos Sea. If it can't be controlled, it could become a major problem."
"Whoa!" Alaric raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds of thought, he grinned. "But on the flip side, if it's on our side, it'd be a great asset."
Sasrir didn't deny it. In fact, that potential was exactly why he'd suggested the idea.
An entity so closely linked to the Chaos Sea was both a risk and an opportunity.
"…In that case, let's head out!" Alaric suddenly laughed, clapping Sasrir on the shoulder. "Danger or opportunity, we won't know until we try, right?"
He was never one to shy away from a challenge.
True to his do-or-die approach, Alaric soon found Adam and shared the plan.
"So, what's your opinion?" Alaric asked, smiling at Adam.
Adam looked at him, his golden eyes flickering with thought. After a moment, he nodded. "It's worth trying, but we need to ensure safety."
By safety, Adam meant ensuring that even if the entity went mad, it could be subdued.
Even with his newfound humanity, Adam still preferred to play things safe.
***
The story has officially concluded with Chapter 491 on Patron, so if you want to read the ending early, feel free to check it out on Patron.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)