Gan Vol's POV:

Somewhere in the Zakref, far away from the Earth…

In the world of Ciasnora...

It is a world where your worth is determined by the prowess you possess. Be it magic power or physical abilities, even the Kings will bow down to you as long as you can stand on the top.

The people have no need to struggle since the system takes care of all their needs. They only live to better serve society's greater good; that is what the leaders preach, at the least. 

However, some other beings exist; they do not believe this way of thinking should be upheld. They seek ways to defy the status quo and carve out a life of their own choosing through whatever means necessary.

For them, there are no boundaries by which one must abide—no limits set for those who wish to rise above others. And if such individuals find themselves cornered by these rules, then so be it: break free from them by force.

Monsters, bandits, demons, angels, and heroes. They are the ones on the top of the food chain. Each has its own reason why they strive for supremacy over everyone else.

Some fight against each other while some work together to achieve their goals, but everyone has something that drives them forward. It could be money, power, knowledge, revenge... The list lasts forever, depending on how far someone wishes to go.

The power of ordinary people, such as adventurers, is not enough to equally stand foot with those beings. This makes them nothing but prey to those abominations.

Nevertheless, suppose an adventurer has exceptional talent in battle or possesses great magical might. In that case, they could quickly become a threat to any being, regardless of their nature as a human. 

There are also other living beings in the corners of the world that do not care about the struggle between those two opposing forces. They simply want to watch or exist without interference, while others take advantage of both sides' struggles. In short, they thrive off chaos and strife. 

But whether they fight or work together against outsiders like humans, they still keep their own standing. They are called Gods and Sages. 

They are the beings who reached the realm of supremacy concerning individual prowess. They contain so much power that cannot be compared and far surpasses those of lower-class beings. 

They rule over entire worlds and hold great authority among mortals. Their might makes them feared by many but respected nonetheless.

Gods are immortal entities whose existence surpasses time itself. Their strength is beyond comprehension; most mortals would never dream of ever challenging a God unless they possessed incredible powers. 

But when someone does manage to defeat an opponent strong enough to challenge a god, he gains great respect among his peers. He may earn the title of Sage, who has mastered many skills and gained vast knowledge over years of experience. 

However, sages rarely go head-to-head with gods because doing so would risk losing everything, including their lives.

Such titles carry much weight within the realm of the gods and sages. They are treated as deities because of how powerful they were able to become despite being mortal.

What does it mean to become a God or Sage? 

It depends on how powerful each individual becomes. If one wishes to prove himself worthy, he might have to kill another being more substantial than him to gain more power. 

Suppose the person obtains divine bloodlines—like being born from heavenly royalty, becoming an empyrean priest, having the proper upbringing, etc. In that case, he might grow into something similar to the God of Death.

He could become a god himself if his bloodline is strong enough. However, it's not easy for people with such origins to get access to them in this world, and even harder for them to maintain those power sources over time.

In my case, I am not classified among the ranks. I am an executioner. One who kills what other people do not dare to kill. A man of few words but full of hatred and spitefulness, yet I know how to hide my true nature so well that no one can ever see through me.

I am not a human, a god, or a being of this world. I am a mere pawn by the great Masuko-sama. I've been observing this world in the guise of a human who became a sage.

I was sent to this world on a mission to kill every one of those powerhouses, to shape this world to Masuko-sama's liking. 

Masuko-sama had created a plan to destroy the balance of this world and bring her own kingdom to prominence. She wished for the masses to kneel before her and worship her. Her ultimate goal is to create a new heaven here in Ciasnora, and she intends to start by destroying the old power rulers.

The Queen gave me enough power to be a match for fighting the strength of the gods in this world.

That is why she created me to be her ultimate weapon. She wants to control everything in this world, even though we do not belong here. We came from somewhere else, after all.

She plans to kill every creature in our way and then rule this world under herself. That is why I am here. To fulfill my duty as an executioner.

To slay those whose in the way of the Queen.

 

✩✩✩✩✩

 

Izeno's POV:

Oh, man... it feels wonderful being alive. I gotta admit it feels heavenly inside my heart; I feel complete. My soul is at peace, and everything seems clear now, as if a curse had been lifted from me.

It's like the world has become so much more beautiful than before, with all its colors and lights shining brightly on this new day.

My once poker face is now showing its full emotions. Well, I think I can only show it to Lily, though. After all, she's the one who made me this way. 

Iyaa~ ^_^

I feel entirely different right now as I am in my human form. I could feel everything back, my youth and happy, dreamy life. My eyes were closed, but there was no darkness for me here; the world around me shone brightly with a sense of wonderment that made me want to stay forever like this.

"Hahaha... Ahh..." 

My voice is still a bit of an echo, but it's okay for me to speak normally.

"My dear husband-sama, is something wrong?"

The voice of the goddess called out to me from behind. She smiled at me happily with a gentle smile on her face. It was so adorable that it made me blush like an idiot.

"Oh, it's nothing."

My body's gotten young; I'm about 19 years old physically. I won't say I'm happy to be that age again, but I'm not unhappy. The physical part of me is happier than the mind.

Anyway, compared to when I was in my black hole form, I got to feel more empathy, sympathy, and appreciation toward things... 

And when I'm in my black hole form, I become so merciless and dense. But yup. It's just perfect whenever I want to execute my role.

After putting my preparations in place, I've been blasting off black holes over the vast space to kill my boredom. I was planning to produce black holes around every inch of the boundless space for some time. Still, it didn't last because I had a day more to kill time with Lily before setting out to another world.

I have created countless black holes from all corners of the vast space, each producing a different amount of energy depending on its mass. They are like marbles spawning down randomly and then fulminating like a holocaust of colorful sparks. 

The black holes are making scenes similar to fireworks but in space. The colors vary with their distance from me; red is closest while blue comes last as if they were being pulled away by gravity's force field. It makes for some interesting optical effects that I find quite beautiful when not too many black holes appear together.

It has been fun making these little explosions, though I am getting tired of doing nothing while waiting for something else to happen... 

Today, we've been spending our time lazing off inside the castle. It's like married life in Japan if I say so myself...

"Lily..."

Lily and I are lying on the blue sofa in a royalty-like room. I'm looking at her as she reads a particular book on my lap while sitting on top of me. Her body feels soft and warm against mine, making for a fantastic sensation that makes one want to stay there forever.

Lily wore a casual yet seductive outfit that left nothing for the imagination; it showed everything from cleavage to thighs and even butt cheeks, showing off alluring curves and cleavage. The skirt barely covered anything, and there was no underwear underneath.

She looks up and smiles sweetly at me. The way she plays makes you feel warm all around your heart just by watching her do what she does best; being adorable.

She looks up from what she is doing and gives me a smile before speaking up.

"My dear husband, this book, 'Farewell, My Lovely,' is super fascinating! There are things that I don't understand, but it makes me curious about the world you lived in before and the former life you had that you told me about."

It feels embarrassing to be called a husband all the time. Even though I told her to call me by my name... She's so cute when she does it, but that doesn't make it any less awkward for me. I guess I have to be used to this since she's my woman.

"I have more books to recommend if you want to read more. Also, I don't mind showing you around my former world sometime soon... But I'm saying it now, it's not that as you expect it to be... My life in my original world is not that great either..."

She suddenly looked at me with a worried face and stared at me directly as if I was looking into an abyss of love. Her eyes were full of affectionate feelings; they seemed like they could pierce through anything in their path. The warmth radiating from those beautiful green orbs made my heart flutter. It felt good just being close enough to touch them on my skin.

"Are you worried that it's because of what happened to you that we were able to meet? And that you were once an ordinary powerless human? But you know, even if you have that kind of past, it feels like you were never even ordinary in the first place. No, I'm sure of it. It's not luck that gave you this current standing. I have the intuition of you that you have already locked your fate... That's why... I don't want you to think that everything happened by chance... It all happened, no, everything happened because you are you, my dear husband-sama... I love you..."

The most beautiful smile appeared on her lips with just those three simple words: "I love you."

The words came from Lily as she spoke, her face buried into me and her arms wrapped around me tightly. I felt a warmth coming off her body; I could feel the heat through her clothes...

Her eyes glowed faintly as though they were burning with some inner fire. Her voice was soft and sweet, yet there seemed something more than just beauty about them—something that made one feel at ease when hearing them spoken.

I felt a strange warmth inside my heart when she said those words, and I looked into her teary eyes.

Well... she perfectly saw through me.

The way she said it, it feels true that it's as if everything has been already determined. Though I know how and what truly happened to me... there is still the chance that manipulation and intervention are involved by an unknown arbiter in the case of what happened to me because my luck suddenly skyrocketed to infinity.

It's already pretty odd and suspicious at first thought... I could only think of my current situation right now... My life is being rewritten to perfection by my own, or the same kind of black hole is out there looking out for me... 

When you think these things have been happening so smoothly when they're likely to be orchestrated events... It's as if this is a simulation that results in this outcome, my current situation.

That doesn't make much sense logically, but deep down inside, I feel like I am just a pawn being used on someone else's game board...

And judging from my abilities, everything fits perfectly. Only I or the same kind can remove our own existence without being able to be recognized. It makes sense that they are nowhere in my information server...

I will have to investigate this later on... 

Ugh... I thought it would all end with a stroke of mere luck and to believe that there are more conspiracies behind... but nope.

It may be a matter of time before this turns out to be nothing more than another false alarm. Even then, I won't stop looking into things until I have answers for myself one way or another.

"My beloved... please embrace me."

Lily suddenly made a gesture of something like an inviting woman. She put out one hand to pull me towards herself, and I did not resist. Still, I came forward into Lily's embrace without hesitation. 

She was so soft and warm as she said these words, her lips slightly parted with each breath coming out from between them; I couldn't help but lean closer for a kiss on those full reddish-pink lips.

"Mhn~♪"

Her hand moved up to the back of my head as if trying to pull me in even more deeply than before, and then... she pressed against me one more time.

My hand moved up gently along the side of her face, stroking across that smooth cheek until my fingers ran through her silverish hair. 

The smell of her hair filled my nostrils like a sweet perfume. It makes me want to bury myself inside this beautiful woman's body where no one else would ever find us again... 

"My beloved husband... please... I want you..."

"Yeah, I'll make sure you won't get any moment of rest today."

Her hands were gently caressing my back now, pulling at the fabric of my shirt to expose more skin where it could be seen by the moonlight that filtered through the window blinds in our room.

Just a while ago, before she was involved with me, I only kept thinking about fulfilling my dreams alone. I never considered someone accompanying me in my personal space.. until now, that is. But now that there is someone like her by my side, it feels different somehow. 

It feels nice to have her around so much more than I ever imagined possible—but why...? 

It's not just because of how she looks at me or how cutely innocent and sweet-natured she seems when we're together; no, those are certainly part of what makes this feeling special...

She makes me start to fall for her for real... It makes me want to keep her forever... 

No one can replace her in any way whatsoever... That's right, I'm sure of it.

Is this what she felt for me the whole time? I feel like my heart is beating fast for her. This was the first time I felt like melting, a feeling I had never once experienced before, even from Mireille-san... No one could have imagined that such an experience would come to pass.

This is it... I couldn't confidently say it before, but now I can... 

I love her. I love Lily. I genuinely love her as my wife. It's not just some temporary infatuation or lust that will fade with time; the feelings are genuine and strong.

She is important to me. I want her to be with me forever... No, we will be together until I cease to exist. She has become indispensable to me as part of who I am...

She's more of the reason for me to live now and my purpose of existence, alongside my dream of becoming a mysterious boss.

I'll do everything for her... I will make her the happiest woman alive...

...I will not hesitate to destroy everything for her... I will not hesitate to reset everything if that means I'll be with her... If it's for her, there will be no mercy even for this world...

 

✩✩✩✩✩

 

Gan Vol's POV:

It was the first time I had seen something such ominous.

A massive, majestic structure, the size of twice the King's Castle, was in front of my eyes. A shining, transparent, black, glass church-like structure is lying in this dark green forest. 

The structure was a large tower that seemed to have been built with great care and attention for its construction. It stood at least thirty-five stories tall, but it had no windows or doors—it looked as if all openings were sealed shut on purpose; there wasn't even any sign of cracks around them.

It seems to be made of a single piece of stone, and it looks like an enormous cathedral with tall spires reaching heaven. The building stands out against the backdrop as if placed there for that reason alone.

This unknown structure is located in the center of an abandoned ruin, one continent away from the kingdom, surrounded by an unusual greenery scene.

It was about three months' worth of traveling by foot away from the Kingdom of Ozoln, where I'm currently staying. 

Indeed, it was a long route for an ordinary commoner. Still, for me, who had spent my whole life traveling daily as an executioner just to seek the gods hiding in this world, it was just a one-step walk by teleporting.

After covering myself with a death aegis, a round circle barrier that protects me from the abnormal level of magic in the atmosphere, I stepped foot into the deepest part of the ruin. As if I were seeking answers to my thirst for curiosity. 

But before I can proceed, a woman's voice that seems to be coming out of thin air is calling out to me.

"Ara~, this place is too beautiful, don't you think…? Even I can't take my eyes off it for a second."

I turned my head to look around and saw a figure of a strange woman wearing an unusual black dress. She is emitting a weird atmosphere around her; it's as if the feeling of death itself is in front of me.

She is wearing a mysterious black bracelet that takes all of my attention. It's a wicked-looking piece with some kind of dark gem set in the center.

"Who are you?"

I suddenly went on guard, readying myself to kill her any second. I silently tried to cast instant death magic on her, but it didn't work for some reason. It was like a veil of darkness that prevented my attacks from working correctly.

Why...? Why isn't my death magic working on her...? My instant death spell can completely kill anything without exception, even inanimate things, as long as I want it dead. But why isn't it working!?

My hands were shaking so much that I wasn't sure if my spell had worked or not.

Her eyes were glazed over and vacant; she seemed oblivious to her surroundings. 

I have to keep a hold of myself. She might be a God or a Sage hiding in this place. I will kill her no matter what.

"…I am one of the Twelve Pillars of the Abyss... My name is not for someone like you to hear. Also, you're quite a rude fellow, aren't you?"

Twelve Pillars of the Abyss...? Is this an organization? I haven't heard of it, but I guess I will have to remove all of them from the way of Masuko-sama.

"Die! --「Death's Origin」."

I cast a spell where it will alternate her fate, preventing her from existing. This should be able to work since it doesn't require any conditions when casting, unlike instant death.

''...Ara~?"

"「World Domination」!"

"..."

"「Heart Cry」!! "

"..."

"Why...!?!? What is the meaning of this!? Why does everything isn't working!?!?"

My ultimate spells that killed countless gods in the past, why aren't they working against her!? My power given to me by Masuko-sama herself, a force that can rule every world, is being nullified like it doesn't exist!!

"My... you're sure desperate to get rid of me, hmm? Let me tell you something. Your strength is not even a bit of my bottomless power. If you want to destroy me, you must become the abyss itself."

"What are you!?"

"Me~? I don't know as well~. All I know is that I exist for danna-sama~."

"W-What...? Danna-sama...?"

The next moment, I found myself in an empty white space. I feel my blood flowing out of my mouth from the sudden absence of magic and air in the atmosphere. In front of me, there stood the strange woman.

No way… is this… dimension magic!? This power isn't something an ordinary god could possess! It is even released instantaneously. Just how is it possible!? 

"Fufu~, let me clear the misunderstanding. First, I am not a human, god, or anything. I am a mere doll, an existence created by danna-sama himself. Second, the powers I have is not magic, as magic is just a flawed system of power. My power came directly from Danna-sama. And the so-called magic that you felt earlier just happened to gather around me naturally."

Did she just read my mind? This can't be… I don't believe it. It's also unnatural for this dense magic to gather all together 'naturally.' Magic levels increase only when they are near space with no magical capacity limit; they stack in that place until they form a higher level of magic in the atmosphere. 

Does that mean this being in front of me just created a space where magic can gather around indefinitely…? What kind of monstrosity is this!?

A supreme being that created a god-like doll itself!? Why is someone like this showing up just now!?

In this white space alone, she said that this kind of power comes directly from someone even more powerful than her!?

This power far surpasses the great Masuko-sama's...! I have to get back to her!

After the next second, I found my left arm missing. I didn't know what had just happened. My arm seems to have been cut off cleanly as if it was chopped at by an expert swordsman.

The pain is so sharp that a high-pitch scream can be heard from my mouth. The blood gushes out of my torso's severed arm and left side. 

The stomping sensation reaches into my brain like an invisible hammer hitting me over the corners and inches of my body.

“AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! MY ARMMMMMMM!! AAGH!"

My head was spinning; it felt like my brain would explode any moment now.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

My stomach was blasted open. The pain also came from the inside. It felt like my whole body was on fire while frozen in ice. My vision went white for a second, and then my head snapped back with such force that I saw stars again. Every inch of my body hurt so badly that I couldn't tell what part of me was hurting worse than the others.

"You better not look at me with those disgusting eyes of yours if you don't want to have your eyes see what hells look like. Only one man can lust over my body."

"Fufu~, only danna-sama can touch me and look at me like that, you hear?"

I couldn't process what had just happened. The pain gradually starts to gather around my entire body. It was a dull ache, but it was almost unbearable. I could feel the blood flowing away from me toward the open hole in my gut. My stomach felt like it was going to burst inside out.

Usually, I shouldn't be able to feel pain because the pain nullification magic is permanently active. Still, it doesn't nullify the pain I'm currently feeling in my whole body. The pain is getting too much for me to handle; I can't utter a single word because of it. 

I tried casting recovery magic that can even revive the dead, but it doesn't seem to work.

I've been trying to figure out why not for a while now and have found nothing. It's pretty frustrating. The spell should be working, yet it isn't; I guess something in the way of mana or energy is blocking it from working correctly.

 

I also tried the restoration magic that can restore up to a day worth back to a time, but it doesn't work as well. Restoration magic shouldn't be affected by anything like this, but both spells are ineffective in either case.  

I felt like I was losing hope, and the look of despair started showing on my face. 

My fingers twitched as if they were about to snap off. The pain within me grew stronger with each passing moment. My eyes looked hazy, as if they were ready to give up. I felt myself falling into the depths of depression.

"!!!"

Huh…? 

Instantly, I found myself standing straight with my whole body intact. I suffered from intense pain just a second ago, but everything happened as if it were just an illusion. It's as if I'm being played by a child. 

What just happened!? 

"Ara~, it's just a warm-up. Look at me one more time with your dirty eyes; you will suffer from something even worse, eternally. Now let's continue playing, shall we?"

The woman is making an ecstatic face; it's as if she's enjoying this scene of tormenting me.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!! Why...!?

Why does someone like her exist...!? No... she is something that shouldn't exist!!!

Just what is someone like her doing in this world...!? Just who is she...!?

...The pressure in my chest grew worse by the moment as I realized this would be it for me—the last second of my life.