My face naturally turned to one of bewilderment.
Just a moment ago, I was clearly plummeting to the ground, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself in the center of a bizarre, endless white room.

Honestly, there’s a limit to how sudden something can be.

‘Did that guy pull some shenanigans or something?’

The first thought that crossed my mind was that the Emperor had cast some barrier to trap me. But no matter how I considered it, that theory didn’t hold water.

If he had that kind of power, wouldn’t it be easier just to kill me outright instead of pulling a complicated stunt like this?

With me still alive, it pretty much ruled out any nefarious plans by the Emperor. But then who on earth was responsible for this?

Yuri’s reawakening after the shackles were lifted?
The Holy Church goons launching their holy rituals?

Various speculations swirled in my head.
But then that thinking was quickly swept away.

[I’ve been waiting for today.]

The entity that summoned me here boldly revealed itself right before my eyes.

Even though it took on a human form, it was anything but ordinary. It radiated a brilliant light and wore a serene, almost saintly smile.

[Finally, we can meet in person.]

There was no need for introductions.
Who wouldn’t instantly recognize that figure? I had only one question.

“Have you been watching me all this time?”

Upon hearing this, the goddess nodded with a face tinged with guilt. It seemed that being bound and not being able to intervene weighed heavily on her conscience.

Well, I wasn’t one to criticize someone for not acting when they wanted to.
I was just glad she decided to help now.

I was about to shift the topic when—

[No, my errors were not limited to that.]

Her expression deepened with even more guilt as she continued.

[I couldn’t prevent you from getting involved in a world that was already doomed to destruction; it was beyond my control.]

She’s sorry for not stopping me from getting tangled up, not for dragging me into it in the first place.
Well, if she was directly calling me here, she surely wouldn’t have chosen someone who only read the spoiler posts. Maybe it was to be expected.

Then who was it that led me here? I listened intently to her words.

[Since I could no longer offer any blessings, I tried to implant whatever remnants of my predecessor I could. But, alas, that was of no help.]

…That dingy status window of mine.
Was it second-hand trash that caused that mess?

I suppose it made sense, given I forcefully patched together the decayed state of the last one. If it worked properly, it would’ve been more bizarre.

“Seems like the status window still had some self-awareness. It kept saying something like, ‘To survive, you must sacrifice someone.’ Typical hero stuff.”

A line the hero might use upon discovering they’d been betrayed. All those burdened with banishment vibes packed into that advice.
With so much attached to that clunky status window, I couldn’t help but express my grievances…

[No. That wasn’t a message left by your predecessor.]

Before I even had a chance to speak, she immediately shot me down.

If that wasn’t something left by the last guy, then who sent such a message through the status window?

Seeing my confusion, she spoke once again in a guilt-ridden voice.

[All those messages were left by me. That was my gravest mistake.
I should have prevented innocent souls from getting caught up in all this. I ended up giving harsh advice based on that thought.]

As she recounted her previous messages, my head became increasingly muddled.
Sure, I had received some pretty blunt advice from her.

But that was only once—
When I had nearly disregarded the blinking warnings trying to save Lady Rubia.

I had never heard messages warning me not to twist fate any further, or asking me not to go against my destiny.
Most of what the status window sent was simply unreadable. I wanted to tell her that, but—

[But you were different.]

Before I could utter a word, she looked at me once more and spoke, her expression completely transformed from before.

[I thought I couldn’t save everyone.
Choosing the ending that involves dealing with the Emperor, I believed it was best for you to just survive, even if it meant sacrificing others.]

Her eyes reflected emotions that humans should naturally reserve for the divine—
Admiration, respect, and reverence.
Those feelings were laid bare without a hint of concealment.

[Yet you didn’t… You never chose to run away.
You could have accepted my advice to abandon everyone and just survive, but you chose the harder path to save everyone instead!]

Her enthusiasm was palpable.
The composed, gracious goddess from earlier had vanished, leaving behind a giddy girl who seemed like she’d just attended an idol handshake event.

That alone was enough to raise my eyebrows…

[You possess an irredeemable evil that you couldn’t reform.
You made beings destined to claim thousands of lives save others with their own hands.
…You proved it!
That victory can also be achieved with a warm hand, not just a blade. That a happy ending exists when you walk that path.]

Such words tumbled out of her mouth.
Why on earth was this happening? Could she be so excited that she was just spouting nonsense? Or was she inflating how I influenced the Holy Church people?

Despite being aware of that fact, her words echoed incessantly in my mind. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake them off.

[So, I no longer believe that saving everyone is an impossible ending. I believe in you.
So, please… allow me to lend you my strength.]

The goddess bowed her head to me. It wasn’t me asking for her help; she wanted to lend her strength to me instead.
Even in such an abnormal situation, the questions still lingered.

Her earlier words echoed loudly in my ears.
—Sometimes it’s better not to know. Keep your eyes shut until the day fate has you realize everything.

For some reason, that prophecy came flooding back to me.
The key fact I’d overlooked. Something I was meant to be oblivious of until the fateful day. It was undoubtedly linked to this.

An inexplicable instinct kept pressing down on me.
It couldn’t be dismissed.

Eventually, after a long moment of contemplation, I finally spoke.
“Before I answer your question… can I see it? The fate that unfolded when I didn’t intervene.”

At my words, she smiled brightly and handed me a crystal ball.
As I took it, it revealed images of familiar faces—my companions in situations so unfamiliar.

The girl with black hair whispered that she didn’t want to see anything anymore. She wished the whole hateful world would just swallow her whole.
Simultaneously, I could hear a wolf’s laughter.
The capital of the Empire was soon shrouded in a black shadow.

The girl with white hair smiled. She even killed her beloved family. Laughing without knowing why she was laughing.
She would never understand why she laughed, nor why she cried.

The girl with blue hair reflected on her own mistakes. She faced the sins she had committed. She had no desire to live. She couldn’t find any reason to exist.
Quietly, she plunged a blade into her own neck.

The blonde girl observed the people who were leading her to the stake. Voices echoed in her ears.
A voice that had always annoyed her.
The one she couldn’t quite make out on regular days was unusually clear today. And irresistibly alluring…

Deciding to follow that voice, the girl submitted to becoming the demon everyone branded her to be. She drenched herself in blood and entrails.
A smile crept up on her lips.

The red-haired woman stared blankly at the products of her ambitions.
The people who perished by her hand. And how she now felt nothing at all.

Ascending brought her no joy. Climbing while trampling others’ lives made her want to vomit. Thus, she chose to plummet.
From the rooftop of a tall building down to the ground.
When did I become this kind of person? She muttered her final lamentation.

Having witnessed all those scenes, I finally realized.
What I had been overlooking this entire time. A critical fact I had unknowingly brushed aside.

The game spoilers were fake.
The allies I thought were heroes were actually all villains.

The secret organization, Black Fangs, secretly shaking the Empire from the shadows was also my creation. In other words…

I accidentally created a dark organization.