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Sheenu, the God of Fire.
The god that every mage, along with Solderet, desires the most.
And Kelliark Zipfel, among all the past contractors of Fire, was the mage who received the greatest love from Sheenu. In the present age, Kelliark was the only person who had directly felt his presence and had conversations with him.
Now, that god stood before Jin and his companions.
Hooo...
As Sheenu took a deep breath, Jin's companions unknowingly swallowed dry saliva. The heat and thirst that one could only feel in the middle of a desert at high noon pressed down on the group. Just gazing into Sheenu's eyes gave them a sensation as if their whole bodies would be incinerated.
Unlike his companions, Jin was not avoiding Sheenu's gaze. He did not feel completely immune to the overwhelming pressure, but for some reason, he wasn't afraid of it at all.
[Jin Runcandel...]
"That's right. I am Jin Runcandel, Sheenu."
[I've heard about your achievements. You truly are an impressive and arrogant child.]
"Is that the extent of your evaluation? Quite disappointing. Tell me what brings you here."
Right from the start, Jin displayed bold behavior, completely ignoring Sheenu's mood. His companions looked surprised, staring at Jin.
No matter how formidable the opponent, if the leader remains confident, the rest will regain their confidence as well.
Jin's provocative attitude was actually helping to alleviate the despondency in his companions' hearts. One by one, his companions also began to face Sheenu squarely.
For a while, Sheenu remained silent.
In the meantime, Jin examined Sheenu more closely and realized that he emanated a scent similar to Pyre.
"It seems you had quite the tussle before coming here. You smelled just like the young dragon Pyre. The scent of blood and ashes, the smell of war. I'm concerned if your domain, the Land of Fire, has come under attack."
[Haha, impressive observation.]
"No matter how hard you try to conceal it with your divine majesty, it's futile. In my eyes, you look like a patient who has suffered significant injuries."
[I see it clearly now. Just a moment ago, I eliminated intruders who trespassed into my domain.]
"Who invaded your domain?"
[If you agree to help me, I will let you know.]
"Very well. I'm curious about what kind of assistance you desire that makes you so desperate and urgent. Why did you send Pyre anyway, when you knew you had to reveal your true self right away?"
[It was a gesture of goodwill. If you had accepted Pyre's negotiation, I do not have to take the risk of manifestation.]
"Tsk, a god who commands such actions from a young dragon while hoping for goodwill. Now I understand why Zipfel turned out that way."
Sheenu did not show any signs of displeasure despite Jin's constant provocation. Instead, he continuously smiled, seemingly intrigued by Jin.
[Let me be direct. I want you to prevent the Shrine Maiden of Sun from carrying out her plans and, furthermore, kill her.]
"Oh, quite refreshing. But that's something I should do even without you asking. I didn't think you came here to give me a task that I have done on my own. Are you trying to give me information about Sanna? It wouldn't be efficient for me to face Sanna without knowing anything."
[Indeed, we are on the same wavelength now.]
"It remains to be seen whether we can continue to communicate effectively. While it is my task to confront Sanna, if eliminating her would be of greater help to you than me, then I have to reconsider."
[There won't be any disadvantageous conditions for you. I promise it in the name of fire.]
Whoosh!
Unexpectedly, a huge seal of fire formed in the air. It was on a completely different level from what Kelliark or Veradin had shown before, a seal formed by the true God of Fire.
There was nothing special written on the seal, yet Jin and his companions felt absolute trust in it. Trust that Sheenu's words contained no falsehoods. It was like when Rosa first read and believed in the sentence of the prophecy.
Jin nodded his head.
"For humans to trust someone else, especially an enemy, they must put in an effort beyond words. It seems much easier for a god."
[It's not an authority that just any god possesses.]
"But I have one question. I heard from Pyre that Sanna approached Zipfel, saying she would fix Kelliark. Did you really fall for those words and get backstabbed?"
[It was not Zipfel or I who accepted Sanna, but Veradin. If I had been able to intervene at that time, the Shrine Maiden of Sun would not be in her current position.]
So Sanna took advantage of Sheenu's absence and swiftly infiltrated Zipfel's inner circle.
"It means Veradin is being manipulated by Sanna."
[You're worried about your friend, aren't you? But he no longer considers you a friend.]
"It's because you all ruined him. It's best not to say something wrong about Veradin, Sheenu. Otherwise, I might just tear you apart as you are."
For the first time, Sheenu showed signs of restraint at those words.
[You cannot harm me. On the other hand, I can turn this place into ashes in an instant.]
"Hahaha, do you think I'm afraid of such words? It's true that you have the power, considering the seal, but the situation may not allow you to make that choice. So stop your disgusting bluffs. It makes me curious about something that I had asked my father in my childhood. It was about whether humans can win against gods in a fight, that sort of topic."
Surprisingly, Sheenu immediately took a step back, shrugging his shoulders.
[I spoke unnecessarily. I apologize.]
The more they conversed, the more Jin felt that Sheenu's situation was worse than he had anticipated.
"We won't have pleasant encounters like this twice. I hope you approach the conversation with a clear stance."
"Warning to god! Young master Jin is so cool...! Uhh, uhh!"
Cuicantelle covered Enya's mouth, and Sheenu briefly turned his head toward Enya before locking eyes with Jin.
[Veradin and Sanna are in a relationship where they use each other. Perhaps Veradin hoped that you would find the Tower of stories and gather information about Sanna.]
"If Veradin is using Sanna, then his primary objective is likely to keep you in check. And also he may want to make progress regarding the Magic swordsmen living golems and the Holy Land. And what can Sanna gain through Veradin and his Zipfel?"
In response, Sheenu provided a somewhat unexpected answer.
[Jin Runcandel, do you know where the Demon world is?]
"The Demon world?"
[Yes, the land inhabited by those known as demons. It is known to humans as a land existing in a different dimension. It's not entirely inaccurate.]
"What does Sanna have to do with the Demon world?"
[There is a deep connection. The Sun God's altar remains in the deepest part of that Demon world. It is the most powerful means to resurrect the Sun God.]
Jin's eyes widened.
"Continue."
[Sanna is currently searching for the Demon world. To reach the Sun God's altar, she must find the entrance to the Demon world. That's why she needs Zipfel's power.]
"Where is the entrance to the Demon world?"
[I don't know that. But one thing is certain.]
Sheenu pointed downward with his index finger.
[The underground. Somewhere beneath this world, there is a gateway that leads to the Demon world. However, even if it exists within the same plane, it is a domain that cannot be reached by conventional means, so it is almost like a different dimension.]
"Orgal probably knows the location."
[Yes, but knowing the location doesn't mean just anyone can open that gate. Only a special being blessed by the demon god can open it and bring the demons outside. Zipfel suspects that the person fulfilling that role in Kinzelo is Bishkel Ivelianos."
-Bishkel Ivelianos! I've been curious about why the leader of Kinzelo has a special fondness for you. Can I witness your abilities today? I hope that observing your power will be worth this disgrace.
-Demon... Could it be that you opened the gate? So this is your ability, Bishkel Ivelianos!
Octavia's words when she saw Bishkel together with Ainas during the Sota Desert incident.
At that time, Jin hadn't heard those words, but since that day, Zipfel had been suspecting Bishkel as the individual capable of opening the gate to the Demon world.
However, unfortunately, Bishkel did not possess such abilities, and neither Sheenu nor Zipfel were aware of that fact.
"Bishkel Ivelianos. Somehow, it seems more likely that his younger sister, Margiella, has the higher chance."
[Regardless, it is certain that Orgal possesses the entity with the ability to open the gate to the Demon world.]
"Wait, then isn't Orgal currently the one closest to the Sun God's altar?"
Then Sheenu smirked.
[He is currently unaware of the fact that the Sun God's altar exists beneath the Demon world.]
That was because Sheenu, with the "Fire of Extinction," had erased Orgal's memories of the time when he knew about the altar. Sheenu hadn't informed Jin of that fact.
[So, from now on, you should be careful about what you say when you meet Orgal. If he becomes aware of the existence of the altar, the resurrection of the Sun God will accelerate... and that's something neither you nor I desire.]
"There are many puzzling aspects to this. Currently, for the Sun Worshipers to find the altar as quickly as possible, it would be best if Sanna and Orgal join forces."
[The process and objectives of resurrecting the Sun God are different for each side, so how can they join forces? The factions within the Sun Worshipers are more cautious about each other's faith being realized than anything else. They would join forces with non-believers rather than with other religious sects. If the Sun God is resurrected, the form of this world will change depending on which sect succeeds. Of course, neither outcome would be favorable for you and me.]
"They're a bunch of lunatics, fighting among themselves. Anyway, Sanna is searching for the entrance to the Demon world through Zipfel... Is she planning to use Zipfel to negotiate with Orgal?"
[There's a higher possibility that Sanna will simply try to find it using Zipfel's power. Jin Runcandel, let's say there's a forest. And within that forest, there is something you need to find and destroy. What do you think would be the fastest and easiest way?]
"To raze the entire forest."
[That's the correct answer.]
With firm eyes, Sheenu added a remark.
[Sanna will do whatever it takes, even if it means destroying this world entirely, to find the gate to the Demon world.]
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