• 01: Filial Piety

I, Kuromiya Haine, am the God of Darkness. More accurately speaking, a reincarnation of the God of Darkness. The almighty Gods are able to change their own souls to a certain extent and reincarnate in the surface world with a body. Released from the seal that lasted 1,600 years, I used these soul technique to become a human and fully enjoy the change of the world…I mean, observe it. I will be repeating myself here but, it has been 1,600 years long since I have seen the surface world. Just how much has it changed? Since my descent, I have been excited. To begin with, if I had to explain why I was sealed for such a long time…it would be a story that goes all the way back to the creation of this world. At that time, there was the cooperation of six Gods -including me- who created this world. The sky was created, the sea was created, the land was created, and at the end, the people that lived in that land, the humans were created. At that moment, one of the Gods said this. “Let’s make humans the slaves of Gods.” The one that went against it straight away was me. We can’t do something like that. As living beings, humans are free. Even if we are their creators, there’s no way it is okay for humans to be ruled on the whim of Gods. The opinions of the Gods were divided in two, and finally, it turned into a battle. And so, I lost the fight and ended up sealed. By the way, the Gods that were at the side of ‘humans are the slaves of Gods’ were all the 5 remaining aside from me. Since they won, the living of the humans while I was sealed should have been a rough one where they were bounded by the subordination of the Gods. Even so, I believed. Humans will push through difficulties and evolve in a way that only they can achieve. Humans are strong. And they are deeply prudent…and kind. And so, I have been reborn as a human and am living alongside them. In order to fully enjoy this world that I haven’t seen for 1,600 years. The place I was reborn as a human in was a mountain village that can be considered a remote region. There, I received a new body as the sole son of a normal married couple. My father is a hunter. Well, even if I say so, at a small village, hunting doesn’t bring much income, so he also gathers firewood, picks edible wild plants, and acts more like a jack-of-all-trades in terms of the forest. Even so, his skills are good. At times, he also hunts the harmful beasts that devastate the fields, monsters, and he has gained the goodwill of the villagers. And I, as his son, am seen as the one who will be following my father’s steps to become a hunter. I myself think that’s fine. Even if I don’t leave this small village for the rest of my life, this is also a way of living for humans. The God of Darkness enjoys the life of a normal human, and dies. That’s what I thought. Until this day came… * * * With only the sound of cutting wind, the arrow flew. The arrow hits the wild boar without err, and so, the boar that has been destroying the fields these last few days made a cry of agony and falls. “I did it!” Confirming the hit, I run towards the fallen game. The wild boar had already died, so there was no need to deal the finishing blow. Father also comes after he puts away his readied bow. “You brought it down splendidly, Haine. There was no need for Dad to shoot a second shot.” “In no way. It was because I knew that father would bring it down even if I were to miss that I was able to shoot with peace of mind.” (Haine) Even so, the happiness of bringing down a game was big. “Father, let’s quickly take it apart. The meat is filled with nutrients, so we have to let mother eat it!” (Haine) “Haine, there’s something you have to do before that, right?” When father pointed it out, I noticed, and I hurriedly put my bow aside and kneel down. And then, I place my hands together at the boar that had now become a corpse, and pray towards the life that was lost. This is a forest rule that hunters share. “…Okay then, let’s begin the dismantling. From here, the closest water source would be…” “Over here father!” (Haine) Pointing the direction where the river is at based on my memories, I take the initiative of carrying the game on my back and began walking. The dismantling will have a lot of blood flowing, so it is indispensable to have a lot of water in order to wash it away. In that way, we can divide the eatable meat from the hide and bones that can be useful, the fat that can also be used as fuel, and it also makes it easier to carry. “Haine has…already become a splendid man.” “That’s not the case. There’s still a lot of things I want father to teach me.” (Haine) “No, there’s practically nothing for me to teach you anymore. You are…too good of a son for a countryside couple like us. And so, I thought this but—” “Wait a moment.” (Haine) Father was in the middle of speaking, but I who had found something, entrusted the game to father and crouched on the ground. The ground that had grass growing heftily in this forest. “This medicinal plant…if I remember correctly, it works with heart diseases. I was taught that by the pharmacist, Ribe-san.” (Haine) “You, you even learned that…” “When we return to the village, let’s have Ribe-san compound it. It might ease the illness of mother.” (Haine) After I place the plucked medicinal plant in between oiled paper and put it away, I once again carry the game and head to the water source. Arriving at the place, I cooperate with father and swiftly finish the dismantling, and so, the job is done. Settling the request from the village chief to subjugate the harmful beast, we are finally able to return to our house after 2 days. “Father, how much boar meat will we be selling? Leave enough portion for us to eat at home, okay? We will have mother eat it after all.” (Haine) “Yeah, I know.” “But money is necessary too. We have to buy the medicine for mother. Even if we can save some with the medicinal plant we plucked just now, it would still be…” (Haine) While thinking that, something happened as we advanced through the forest. Father and I noticed it. This turbulent atmosphere as we got closer to the village.

• 02: Youth Hunt

“What is this?!” When we returned, the village was filled with abnormality. A deserted village that doesn’t even reach the fifties with all members together. And yet, at that place, there were over a hundred people crowded there. It was clear that a group had come to this village from the outside. As proof of it, the people that came from the outside wore white shining armor and had a different look from the villagers. The problem is that the bunch that wore white shining armor were clearly acting in a pressuring manner towards the villagers. “Gather all the villagers! Especially the young ones that are between 10 to 20 years old! Don’t let a single one escape!!” The man that seems to be leading the armored people was giving orders as saliva flew out of his mouth. The armored people -most likely knights- had already taken out their swords and spears, and urging forward the villagers by pointing at them with it. They are totally threatening them. It seems like these guys are gathering the villagers somewhere. The people inside the houses were being dragged out, forcefully whether they agreed or not. Father and I noticed this abnormal event from the outside of the village, and we are currently hiding at the forest, observing the situation. Because we were out hunting, we didn’t have to face this abnormality head on. “Just who are these guys?!” (Haine) “They probably came from the city. Such tidy bunch, there’s no way they would be from around here.” Father must be saying that after seeing the shininess of that armor. I also think the same way. On top of that, I bring out memories, that came from another place that were not from Kuromiya Haine, and had an idea of their identities. The knights that were covered in full armor. Those knights not only have swords and spears, there’s also flags raised up as if displaying who they were. The coat of arms that was engraved in the flags, there’s no doubt, it is the symbol of the Light Goddess, Inflation. (Why is the crest of the Light Goddess engraved in the flag of these humans?) From the memories of my time as a Dark God, I had an idea of what that coat of arms was. It has been 18 years since I reincarnated as a human. In that time, I haven’t left the village once. Not having interest in the ways of the world has come to bite me. “…Haine, at any rate, let’s go to the place of the village chief, and then, we will ask what’s happening—” “Wait, father!” (Haine) I hurriedly grab the arm of father who had come out from the bushes and was about to enter the village. “Father, we are outside the village and they haven’t noticed us. If we go now, they will find us and we will end up the same way as the others.” (Haine) “Y-Yeah…” “As long as we haven’t made clear what the objective of those knights is, it is better not to move recklessly. Depending on how the events develop, it might become a plus that we are hiding here.” (Haine) “I see… that’s true.” It seems father has listened to my opinion, he bends his body again, and went back to the shadow of the trees. “It is just as you say. Seriously, even though you are the son here, you say things that make me think you are the older one.” “That’s not true. I am father’s son.” (Haine) But… “Father, this may sound weird after I told you not to move but…how about we move?” (Haine) “I know. I have been worried about that too.” Father and I went around the outside of the village, taking care not to be noticed by the knights, and change locations. It is fortunate that this is a remote village at the mountain recesses, the surroundings of the village are mostly forest. And so, the place we moved to was our house within the village. Right now, mother should be alone in the house. Mother has had a weak body since long ago, and that’s why, this unusual event makes it even more worrying. While we are hiding in the forest, we can’t check inside the house because of the distance. In the time I was thinking about how to deal with this, a clamorous noise was heard from inside the house. “Come out immediately! The Light Goddess calls!” Mother was dragged out from the house by an armored knight. The complexion of her face was clearly bad. Her condition was probably not good today either and was laying down on the bed. The body of mother was weak since the beginning, and she had given birth to me when she was already over the age. She had a constitution that made it hard to have a baby, and in truth, this body of mine should have been a stillbirth. The body is the vessel of the soul. Since I had to take the vessel of a soul, in my time as a Dark God, I decided on a stillbirth when I descended. Even if it was a stillbirth, if it is a God, it is possible to heal the parts that had become bad and be reborn. However, I who was born in that way, had made my father and mother one step happier than normal, and had been raised with care. A child that they would hardly be blessed with because of illness. Moreover, they were told that it would be a stillbirth beforehand, and yet, a child was still birthed, so that must have made it even bigger for them. By the time I became 1 year old, there was a time when I spend almost a whole day walking at the outside of the village. My body had grown enough to walk on my two legs, so I wanted to check out the surface world. Even if it was the body of a baby, for me who’s a God on the inside, there was no problem. With the intent of a light stroll, I checked out here and there, and when I was satisfied and returned, mother hugged me while crying loudly. The face of a worn out woman that was anxious about her 1 year old child disappearing was reflected in my eyes. This one day that I used to walk around and fill my curiosity, was a despairing day for that person. At that moment, I finally noticed. The current me is Kuromiya Haine before it is the Dark God Entropy. That I am the son of these people. Before thinking, my body had already moved. “?!! Hey wait, Haine!” The stop of father didn’t make it in time, and, running out from the shade of the tree, I rushed straight towards my objective. “Eh? Guwaaaaa?!!!” The knight gets punched and rolls over. “Mother!” (Haine) “Haine… Don’t! Run away!” However, I stood in front of mother, faced the confused knights, and said, “If you are coming at me, come prepared! If you are going to hurt this person, I will be knocking the lights out of every single one of you!!” (Haine)