I Made a Game Featuring Constellations

Chapter 16

Divine Realm

The Domain of the Demon God

A woman, cloaked in black miasma, rose from an obsidian-colored bathtub.

“...Hmm?”

Her demon eyes glowed, turning a sharp, luminous yellow.

‘Hey, you idiot! You said this was the right way!’

‘Ah, my apologies. I got too excited at the thought of meeting the Captain again....’

Through her clairvoyant sight, she spotted five or six gods clad in veils of black magic, loitering near the edge of her domain.

They seemed lost, glancing around in search of something.

‘...Is that divine energy from sacrifice?’

The woman could sense the sacred energy emanating from the gods—a divinity forged from the concept of sacrifice.

In the Divine Realm, only one god held dominion over the concept of sacrifice: [Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence].

Known for their overwhelming sloth, they were infamous for not even bothering to create subordinate gods.

‘This way, I’m sure of it this time. Just follow me quietly.’

‘Alright, alright...!’

“Well, isn’t this interesting.”

The woman, bare of any clothing, rose fully from the bathtub.

As the dark miasma condensed, it swirled around her body, weaving itself into garments.

“Gods that should not exist.”

She folded space around herself, her body blurring as she moved.

Completely concealing her presence, she began to shadow the intruders.

For a goddess as arrogant as her, even ten lesser gods posed no threat.

There wasn’t a single thing in their presence that could cause her concern.

***

"It’s been a while, General."

Dave, the holy knight, greeted Ren with a crisp and formal bow.

"What’s this? Why are your cheeks so chubby? Have you been slacking off, thinking you’re untouchable now that you’ve become a god?"

Darin, the spirit summoner, brazenly clung to Ren, poking and pinching her cheeks.

"This is such a strange feeling. I used to serve a god, and now I’m here as one myself, alongside you, General!"

Gregory, the priest, wandered around the Domain of Sacrifice, observing every detail.

And among them were others: the seasoned mercenary Hans, the master swordsman Colin, the mage Christine, the knight Florence, the spearwoman Ingrid, the dark sorcerer Jeffrey, and the magitech engineer Collins.

They were exactly as Ren remembered them.

Her most dependable and cherished comrades.

All ten of them, resurrected as lower gods.

"Everyone..."

Ren struggled to contain her emotions.

After centuries of being confined by sloth, her emotions were slowly returning, and the wave of joy threatened to overwhelm her.

"Well, well. I didn’t expect our Captain to be this happy about seeing us again."

"Even after all these years, she’s still like a child. Honestly, she’d be lost without us."

But her joy quickly turned into guilt.

Guilt over the sins she would carry for the rest of her existence.

"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry..."

[Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence contorts her face in anguish.]

[Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence seeks forgiveness.]

"What are you apologizing for now?"

The warriors understood why Ren was so burdened with guilt.

For centuries, she had been a god—a high-ranking one at that—yet she hadn’t even erected a single monument in their memory.

When they first learned this, they had felt betrayed.

But during the resurrection process, they had glimpsed her thoughts and understood it wasn’t her doing.

The sin of [Indolence], a concept planted within her, had shackled her, suppressing her will.

"General, do you know? The reason we could be resurrected was because of you."

"What... do you mean?"

"It happened during your conquest of the concept of [Indolence]... but the explanation would be too long right now. What matters is this: none of us blame you for anything."@@@@

"Hahaha! That’s right, Captain! We followed you to the death because we loved you. How could we possibly resent you?"

"You’re still as stubborn as ever, though."

Poke.

[The Spirit Summoner of Sacrifice pokes Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence on the cheek.]

"...All of you."

They deserved to be happy.

After finally being freed from centuries of torment, asking them to hide again felt cruel.

"Explain everything to us."

"Savior, huh?"

After hearing Ren’s explanation, the heroes fell silent in thought.

"It’s tough, finally being resurrected and still having to hide in the shadows, avoiding others."

"But we’re your soldiers and your swords!"

"We were resurrected because of you, Captain. Whether you ask or command, we’ll follow."

Despite their corrupt kingdom, the ten special forces soldiers had willingly given their lives to save humanity.

What bound them together was their shared admiration for Knight Ren, who had inspired them all to volunteer.

"Besides, we can’t put our savior in danger, can we?"

"You all..."

Ren’s face was awash with emotion.

"Still, I guess I should be grateful you’re all so quick-witted."

"Who’s there?"

Ren swiftly drew her sword and unleashed a divine slash.

Woooong—

Clang!

The blade, streaking toward the intruder, was stopped by a magical barrier conjured by the outstretched hand of a man.

"...Such a merciless greeting. If I were an ordinary god, I might have been killed."

"You..."

What was he doing here?

He was infamous for never leaving his domain.

[Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence braces herself, summoning her divine aura.]

"It’s good to meet you, [Indolence]. Or should I call you [Sacrifice] now that you’ve overcome it? Don’t be so wary—I’m like you."

"...What?"

Click. Click. Click.

From behind the man, a woman in priestly robes stepped out.

"...Impossible. Saintess Kate?"

Ren, familiar with [Akashic Archive], immediately recognized her.

And she understood what he meant by "like you."

"Yes. My goal is the same as yours."

[The Magitech Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath smiles.]

"I’ve come here to protect my savior."

***

Vrrr... Vrrr... Vrrr...

Rustle.

"...Ugh, what the hell is this, at this hour?"

I was rudely awakened from a pleasant dream by the incessant vibrations of my terminal.

Rubbing my bleary eyes, I reached for it.

"Who could possibly be calling at this time...?"

But as I picked it up, I realized something was off.

It wasn’t the terminal I usually used as Rian, the Academy student.

This was the special device connected to the celestial realm, powered by the Constellation’s abilities.

And it was buzzing like crazy.

Could it be other gods sending proposals after seeing the success of the Orpheus episode?

It seemed plausible enough, so I picked up the device and opened it.

"...?"

But instead of the usual influx of divine offers, only two Constellations appeared on the screen.

[Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence] and [The Magitech Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath].

Vrrr...

Vrrr...

Messages from both Constellations kept pouring in relentlessly.

[The Magitech Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath declares that, having fulfilled all his wishes, he will now dedicate himself to protecting his savior.]

-> The Magitech Engineer Who Cast Off Wrath feels infinite gratitude toward you.

[Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence asks if there’s a way.]

-> Sacrifice Overcoming Indolence feels an immense, overwhelming gratitude toward you.

However, this time, something was different from our usual communications.

They didn’t seem to realize I was observing their messages in real time.

On top of that, for some reason, even their inner thoughts were being displayed in message form.

What in the world was going on?