CHAPTER 43

A Useless Goddess’s Big Moment

“Tch…!”

After realizing it was a trap, Celemonic tries turning on her heel, but the room itself is instantly swallowed by a blinding light.

It’s an explosion so powerful that it makes all the other traps’ explosions seem like child’s play. The monitor shows static, leading us to think that the earth serpent capturing the footage was destroyed in the blast as well. By the time another emerges from the ground in the proxy room and begins filming…

“Kff…! Hff…!”

Celemonic is lying facedown on the ground and twitching. In addition to the left hand she lost on the ninth basement floor, she just lost her right leg as well. She’s barely breathing. Suddenly, fire spews from all four walls, scorching everything in sight. The ceiling then emits a creaking noise before collapsing to crush Celemonic.

“D-did he really have to go that far?!”

Jonde gasps at the inhumane trap.

The proxy room is the last line of defense. Therefore, Celemonic must be stopped here at all costs.

Celemonic is assailed mercilessly, just like he alluded to in his instructions.

After the descended ceiling returns to its original position, Celemonic doesn’t budge.

“I-is she dead?”

“I’ll check!”

While I couldn’t earlier, I may be able to use this now that she has been thoroughly incapacitated.

Figuring I have nothing to lose, I use Scan.

VENGEFUL EMPRESS CELEMONIC
LV: 99 (MAX)
HP: 1/666,666	MP: 1/66,666
ATK: 666,666	DEF: 666,666	SPD: 666,666	MAG: 6,666	GRW: 999 (MAX)
Resistance: Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning, Ice, Earth, Dark, Poison, Paralysis, Sleep, Curse, Instant Death, Status Ailments
Special Abilities: Dark God’s Blessing (LV: MAX), Cursed Blast (LV: MAX), FoV Teleport (LV: MAX), Dark Resilience (LV: MAX)
Skills: Grudge Hand, Stealth Step, Dimension Step, Bloody Systeria
Personality: Tenacious

“I—I can see her status! She only has one HP left!”

“Hmm… The monster is still alive even after all that… What resilience…!”

“She has a special ability called Dark Resilience! We probably need to use holy magic to finish her off!”

I turn to Kiriko.

“Hey, Kiri, is there any way to get to where Celemonic is from here?”

“Um… Oh…! Yep! There’s a page here called ‘Using the Underground Elevator to Get to the Proxy Room’!”

After letting out a deep breath, I firmly declare:

“I’ll go deliver the final blow!”

But Kiriko holds out a scroll to me.

“B-but, Rista…! Look at what it says here! ‘Do not even get near the proxy room unless it is an emergency.’”

“But she only has one HP and one MP left! She’s pretty much dead already! All she needs is one good hit, and it’s over! Besides, Celemonic doesn’t seem to have a weapon with Chain Destruction, so she can’t kill me!”

“I-it would be better to kill her, considering she could still recover and start transcending dimensions again…”

I pull an earth serpent from my dress and hand it to Kiriko as she squirms worriedly.

“It’s an earth-serpent phone. We can use this to communicate in case something goes wrong, so we’ve got nothing to worry about, okay?”

“But…I’m still worried something might happen…”

“It’ll be fine! I trained under the Goddess of Wealth for times like this!”

Jonde places a hand on Kiriko’s shoulder.

“The goddess has made up her mind, Kiriko. We have to believe in her.”

“Y-you’re right!”

“I’ll be back in no time!”

I read the page titled “Using the Underground Elevator to Get to the Proxy Room,” then head to the corner of the room. After an earth serpent appears, I show it the page and firmly nod. I should be able to go where Celemonic is now.

After I wave to Jonde and Kiriko, my body gets sucked into the ground.

Similarly to gradually rising back to the surface with Cave Along, I am transported through the ground until I reach the proxy room. I find Celemonic lying on the ground a short distance away.

“Goddess, can you hear me?”

I suddenly hear Jonde’s voice coming out of the earth serpent near my chest.

“Yes, I can. I just arrived at the proxy room.”

“Please be careful, Rista.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll make it quick.”

After taking in a deep breath…I hold a hand over Celemonic and strain my voice:

“Hey, heeey! Hey, hey, heeey!”

I suddenly hear a commotion from the other side of the phone.

“What does this goddess think she’s doing?! All she’s doing is yelling, ‘Hey’!”

“R-Rista?!”

Even then, I continue in high spirits…but nothing seems to be happening to Celemonic.

“Goddess!! Stop messing around! This isn’t a festival, you know!”

I—I know that! Ugh! Give me a break! The holy spell won’t work if I don’t chant!

“Hey, hey, hey! Hey, hey, heeey! Hey, heeeey!”

Amid the complaints, I continue loudly chanting until Jonde’s anger turns into disappointment and sighs.

“I—I should have never put my faith in the Goddess of Festivals!”

Hey!! Take that back!! And what’s going on with this spell?! It doesn’t seem to be working no matter how long I chant! Baldr…! That phony excuse for a goddess! I’m gonna beat the crap out of her next time I see her!

As I approach Celemonic to make the spell more effective, Celemonic suddenly grabs my wrist with her battered arm!

“Ahhhhhh!!”

“Ough…! Oooough…!”

A groan teeming with resentment escapes her toothless mouth cavity.

“G-Goddess! Kiriko, to the proxy room!”

“O-okay!”

I almost want to cry as Celemonic latches on to my arm.

Ahhhhhh! So this is how it’s going to end?! I’m just going to make things worse again?!

While regretting my decision, I suddenly notice something.

“G-guh… Ah…! Gwaaah!!”

Celemonic is groaning in pain!

“H-huh…?”

A pale light shoots out of my hand and wraps around her!

I-it’s working?! Y-yes!! It’s time to get even more serious! Arise, goddess powers! Go beyond! Plus ultraaaaaaaaa!

“Hey, hey, heeeey! Hey, hey, hey, heeey! H-hey, heeey! Hey, hey, heeeey! Hey, h-h-heeey! H-hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey…”

I have never said “hey” this many times in my entire life, even if you add up every time I’ve ever greeted someone with it.

“Goddess of Festivals! Are you all right?!”

“Rista!”

Jonde and Kiriko emerge from the ground and gasp at the sight. The holy light dried out Celemonic’s body like a mummy, and before long, her hand lifelessly slips off my wrist and falls to the ground.

“D-did you kill her…?”

“I think so… Let me check just to make sure.”

Putting emphasis on her health, I use Scan until her status is displayed in my eyes.

VENGEFUL EMPRESS CELEMONIC

LV: 99 (MAX)

HP: 0/666,666

“Her HP is at zero! She’s dead!”

I shout out to them, but they simply stare back in silence.

Ack! They must be fed up with me. I don’t blame them, though… I mean, that was dangerous. Sigh… Why did it have to turn out like this? I’m such a los—

“Bravo, Goddess! I apologize for ever even doubting you!”

“…Huh?”

“Rista! You beat Celemonic even without Seiya! That was amazing!”

“Wh-what? It was nothing special…”

I return a modest reply, but…

Yahooooooooo!!

I scream in my heart, overjoyed by all the praise.

I’m able to open a gate now that Celemonic has been defeated. Jonde slips through it while carrying Seiya, and we return to a world with two glowing moons hanging over us. It’s night in the spirit world. Since Jonde can’t enter the sanctuary due to the powerful divine energy, we get Cerceus to carry Seiya back to my room and put him in my bed.

I am rubbing Seiya’s cheeks, overcome with worry, when Cerceus jokes:

“I never expected this Hero to fall. Finally got what was coming to him. Ha-ha-ha!”

“I wonder how Seiya would react if he knew you said that, Cerceus?”

“I’m sorry. Please don’t tell him, okay? Promise me. Just…please don’t tell him. I’m serious. I beg you. Please.”

Just then, Aria walks into the room.

“Rista, Great Goddess Ishtar would like to see you. I’ll watch over Seiya while you’re gone, okay?”

While dragging myself to Ishtar’s room alone, I think to myself:

What in the world does she want to see me for? …Ah?! Is it because I dealt the final blow against Celemonic?! Was that against the rules?!

Nervous that I was going to receive even greater punishment in the innermost plane of the spirit world, I open the door and let myself in, but my fears turn out to be groundless.

“You will not be punished, Ristarte. Although unconscious, it was Seiya Ryuuguuin’s earth magic that led to Celemonic’s demise, correct? You simply followed his instructions and defeated her. You did not break any rules.”

Thank goodness! …Wait. Then why does she want to talk to me?

Out of nowhere, Ishtar suddenly lowers her head to me.

“Huh?! Great Goddess Ishtar?!”

“It has become difficult to see the future because of the demon in Ixphoria.”

She gives me a deeply troubled look.

“I am so sorry. It is my fault that Seiya Ryuuguuin was mentally pushed over the edge. While he may be strong, he is still human… I should have never told him about that.”

“Uh… What exactly is ‘that’?”

After a few moments of silence, she replies:

“I will tell you when the time comes.”

“O-okay…”

Ishtar then smiles and attempts to change the subject.

“Ristarte, you did a wonderful job supporting the Hero while he was unable to fight. There is no need to worry about Seiya Ryuuguuin. I am sure he will be regaining consciousness shortly.”

After talking to Ishtar, I grab a damp towel and head back to my room, where Seiya is sleeping, but when I open the door, Aria and Cerceus are no longer there.

Wait! Does that mean…?!

“S-Seiya…! You’re awake!”

Seiya is already sitting up in the bed and gazing out the window.

“You must be exhausted, though. Don’t push yourself and get some rest.”

But he doesn’t say a word. This is Seiya, after all. He must be really annoyed at himself for passing out in the middle of battle.

“Don’t worry! We defeated Celemonic! Oh, uh… You don’t believe me? But we’re back in the spirit world, which is proof we won! Kiri and Jonde are okay, too, so there’s nothing to worry about!”

But even then, Seiya continues staring out the window with a solemn look on his face.

“Hey, Seiya? What did Ishtar say to you? She won’t tell me…”

No answer. I raise my voice.

“S-Seiya! You don’t need to keep things bottled up all to yourself! I want you to rely more on us—on me! H-helping you is my job!”

My feelings pour out, unable to be contained any longer. I approach Seiya and wrap my arms around him from behind. He isn’t receptive, but I bury my face in his large back and tell him how I really feel.

“I know it hurts. I know you blame yourself for all those deaths. It’s something you’re never prepared for. But, Seiya…you’re not alone. I will always be by your side…!”

I want to melt the ice around his heart. So I squeeze Seiya even tighter, and then…

Fwssshhh!

Seiya’s body turns into sand and falls, scattering across the floor! I scream.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeek! I just wanted to melt the ice around his heart, not his entire body!!”

W-w-wait! Use your brain, Rista… It’s a clay doll! Hold on! But that was a really touching scene! I was opening up to a doll that whole time?!

I turn around to find Seiya glaring at me with the coldest eyes I have ever seen.

I somehow manage to string a few words together:

“Wh-wh-why is there a clay doll in my room?”

“Because I didn’t want you to make a move on me while I was in a weakened state.”

“Why would I do that?! M-more importantly…did you, uh…did you see all that?”

“Yep, I saw everything.”

Nooooooooo! I’m so embarrassed!!

I’m so embarrassed that I want to die. I cover my face with both hands and collapse onto the bed. Seiya mutters:

“Watching you makes everything seem so ridiculous.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

I yell at him, but Seiya starts heading for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Summoning Chamber.”

“Are you gonna be okay by yourself?”

“I’m already better, but I’ll be staying the night here before heading back to Ixphoria, just in case.”

“Okay…”

But Seiya stops for a moment before the door, then quietly says:

“Rista, I owe you one.”

“Huh…?”

The door shuts behind him.

After Seiya leaves, I frantically roll around the bed. “Rista, I owe you one.” “Rista, I owe you one.”… I repeat what Seiya said in my head while giggling and smiling in glee. But all of a sudden, I remember what Queen Carmilla said after Grandleon was defeated.

“All you need to do is stand by him. Just be by his side in this cruel world. Make a fool of yourself, make mistakes—because that’s what’s saving him whether you know it or not.”

While it’s not ideal…I feel like I can be me!

I feel like my value as a goddess was finally acknowledged, and I cannot even express how happy that makes me.

That night, I have a dream about Seiya. It’s probably because I can still feel his warmth in the bed. In the dream, I’m Princess Tiana, Seiya is by my side, and I’m holding an adorable baby in my arms. Despite his usual cold personality, Seiya smiles sweetly as he looks at the baby and me.

I guess this is what they call “lucid dreaming.” I am aware this is a dream even though I’m asleep.

Even after defeating the Demon Lord of Ixphoria, Seiya didn’t return to his world and stayed with me instead. After that, our baby was born, and we lived out the rest of our days in Termine together…

If the wheel of fate had spun in a different direction, then perhaps this could have been our future. Just thinking about it twists my heart. In order to forget the pain, I raise my hand to rub the baby’s head…but when I see its face, I freeze.

Long hair! A smashed-in nose! Before I even realized it, the baby’s face has turned into that of a mangled woman!

I try to escape, but the baby tightly latches on to my chest and won’t let go! It opens its toothless mouth cavity and groans:

“I am Shanak, the younger sister of Celemonic…”

The bloody face suddenly appears only a hairbreadth away from mine!

“I will curse you until your soul is sent back to the heavens. A curse that can even kill a god—the Vengeful Empress Celemonic’s final curse—Bloody Systeria.”