The octopus tentacles writhed as they pierced through the bishop's body, shaking it back and forth. The bishop screamed and resisted, but it was useless. As if showing the difference in their levels, the octopus tentacles stretched taut and applied force, tearing the bishop's body to shreds and scattering it while spraying blood.
It was a horrific sight just to look at, but bishops of the Eternal Church don't die from mere wounds like that.
Just as Osian was wondering whether he should step forward to handle the situation, the octopus tentacles that had torn the bishop apart rushed toward each scattered piece of the bishop's body.
Then, with sucker cups lined with teeth, they coiled around the bishop's remains and squeezed them tight.
A chilling crunching sound rang out. Amazingly, despite being crushed and squeezed like that, not a single drop of blood spilled.
'Could it be devouring him?'
That was also why the bishop had screamed. He tried to resist somehow, but having been injured by Osian and then caught in a surprise attack, he was helpless.
In the end, the bishop was devoured by those octopus tentacles without leaving behind even a handful of blood.
While Osian felt satisfaction watching the troublesome fleeing bishop die, he couldn't hide his puzzlement.
"What brings you here?"Whether it heard those words or not, the octopus tentacles writhed greatly before being sucked back underground where they had emerged from. It looked like water being rapidly drained down a drain. Immediately after, two women appeared from within the gaping hole.
"Long time no see."
"L-long time no see."
It was the slithering sisters, Krua and Attila.
‘So those two had come here as well.’
Just as Osian was thinking that, unlike usual, there was something wedged between the two of them.
"A starfish?"
It was a starfish about the size of a basketball. It was floating in mid-air, and embedded in the center of its body was a considerably large eyeball.
The starfish looked at Osian and frowned deeply.
[What? Why the hell are you here?]
Hearing the voice transmitted vocally, Osian wondered if he had met this creature somewhere before. He belatedly realized who it was.
"Don't tell me you're that guy?"
He referred to the starfish as "that guy" because it didn't have any particular set name. Still, he definitely knew its identity. It was none other than the one who had given power to the sisters Krua and Attila.
It was one of the outer gods that had once been thoroughly beaten by Osian.
[That guy? How insolent. When you address me, call me Cthulatlap. Even this is a name I've made easier for you people to speak, so address me with reverence.]
"That's quite a difficult name to pronounce."
Even as Osian said this, he couldn't hide his surprise. Even though that was just its avatar, it was rare for an outer god to communicate so directly like this.
"What exactly is going on?"
"W-well, you see..."
Attila seemed to be wondering how to explain this. It was Cthulatlap's avatar that stepped forward to stop Attila.
[I'll explain.]
Who would have thought the party involved would step forward to explain directly. Osian nodded his chin as if to say go ahead and explain.
[I came to lead my children like this to punish those who dare to act up in this city as they please.]
"Punish?"
[That's right. That arrogant creature you call the Red Eternity dared to commit such acts without knowing its place. That's why I came here personally.]
For a moment, Osian felt as if he had become someone with poor comprehension.
Seeing him, who was always cold and composed, show a slightly bewildered expression, Krua smiled bitterly. As if she agreed with the sentiment.
"It's funny, isn't it? I was the same way at first."
"Honestly, I don't understand. Cthul... what was it again?"
[It's Cthulatlap. Human.]
"Right. Cthul-whatever. Aren't you a god from outside, the same as the Red Eternity? So why are you trying to fight it?"
[That statement displeases me, as if you think I'm the same kind as that creature.]
"Weren't you?"
The starfish floating in mid-air trembled as if angry. Though it was speaking in what it considered an intimidating voice, with such a ridiculous appearance, far from being scary when angry, it only looked cute.
[Do you think the world you call 'outside' is so simply unified as one? We clearly have our own territories. And we're not on good terms either.]
It seemed Cthulatlap was on bad terms with Red Eternity. Moreover, from what it was saying, it clearly looked down on Red Eternity as beneath itself. Whether this was simply due to pride or if there really was a hierarchy between the two in the outer world was still uncertain.
[Even I am living with just these two children. How dare it cause incidents as it pleases in a city like this? There's a limit to arrogance. I have no intention of letting that slide.]
"Wait a minute."
Osian couldn't bear it without pointing this out.
[What, human.]
"You talk about causing incidents and whatnot, but that's not something you should be saying, is it?"
As far as he remembered, Cthulatlap had turned a small coastal village into its domain and transformed the people into grotesque forms mixing fish and humans.
Osian knew this because he had personally stepped in to deal with it at the time.
"Weren't you also trying to invade this world in the first place?"
[No.]
"No?"
[What do you take me for!]
Cthulatlap raged, saying that statement was an insult to it.
[I never intended to destroy this world or anything like that. Destroying a world that appeals to me? What kind of idiot would do such a thing?]
"Then why did you turn that village into that state back then?"
[Because they wanted it that way. I merely granted the humans' wish.]
Cthulatlap briefly explained what happened at the time. It said that while it had entered this world, it had no intention whatsoever of eroding it according to its will or destroying the world.
It simply lived leisurely in the ocean environment that seemed comfortable to inhabit, while observing the nearby land.
However, by chance, a boat that had gone out to fish in the distant sea was caught in a storm, and Cthulatlap extended a helping hand.
'No. Should I say helping tentacle?'
Naturally, the villagers revered it like a god, and Cthulatlap, finding their behavior quite endearing, provided them with abundant seafood.
Looking at that alone, it was exactly the ideal form of faith.
However, why did the village change into such a horrific form?
[A plague spread.]
Cthulatlap spoke of the situation at the time matter-of-factly.
[Humans are fragile. They fell one by one to even such a disease.]
A plague. It wouldn't be strange for such a thing to spread in that era. It was a time full of even worse natural phenomena and mythical monsters.
[And there were those targeting the village from outside as well. What you call monsters, I believe? They dared to try to kill those who would serve me.]
"So you stepped in directly?"
[Because they wanted to live. And because they begged me.]
So the village becoming that way was the result of Cthulatlap directly granting their plea because they wanted to live.
Of course, it didn't have the ability to cure the plague. So it made the choice it could make, using its authority to transform the villagers into its followers.
Rather than curing the plague for those suffering from it, it changed their bodies to make them immune to the plague. In result, it was no different from curing the plague, but who could have expected it would go that far?
'This is quite surprising. I never would have thought there was such a behind-the-scenes story.'
In the game, I just thought of it as an event boss, but to think there was such a reason behind it was quite interesting. And what was surprising was that, despite its hideous appearance, Cthulatlap was taking a very moderate attitude toward this world.
Didn't it say so directly itself? That it didn't want to destroy this world.
[However, the village folk couldn't fully withstand my power. Eventually, their minds became disturbed and they began exhibiting strange behavior. This part was clearly my oversight. I had overlooked how fragile the humans of this world were.]
"I see."
Though it claimed to have acted with good intentions, ordinary fishing village people couldn't possibly withstand the power of an outer god. Above all, while they regained their health, their bodies became horrifically twisted in appearance. There was no way they could maintain their sanity.
"..."
Who would have thought I'd hear such a story directly from an outer god. Of course, that was just Cthulatlap's avatar. Considering its true power, it was just an extremely small part.
Even so, being an avatar, it also represented the main body's will.
"Interesting. I thought most beings from outside wanted to invade and destroy this world."
[Each is different. Some want to dominate, others just want to observe. This world is attractive to us, after all.]
"Attractive."
[It would be more correct to say beautiful. It's full of things that don't exist in our world.]
That was the reason outer gods crossed boundaries to come to this side. This world was attractive to them. Unlike the outside world full only of chaos where no rules exist, this place had its own order.
A world of order. To metaphysical and twisted beings, that would be like a lamp to look up to in the darkness.
To some, an object of domination. To some, an object of worship. To some, an object of destruction. That was precisely why beings from outside tried to squeeze their way into this world somehow.
[To avoid repeating that day's mistake, I only granted power to these two children who have high sensitivity to my abilities. Of course, that process was still difficult to handle, so we had to struggle in the beginning.]
It seemed the hallucinations and terrible power that the sisters Krua and Attila experienced were merely Cthulatlap's pure goodwill.
Even the goodwill shown by an infinitely transcendent being was difficult for the small vessel that is humanity to bear. Still, looking at them now, it seemed they were getting along well without problems.
"But how did you get inside here? This place is essentially a world isolated from the outside."
[Hmph. That's just trivial sorcery spread by its underlings, not even the Red Eternity itself. Sneaking in is entirely possible.]
To evaluate this place, where space itself had been eroded into its own form, as trivial sorcery. Osian couldn't help but realize that its level was higher than he thought.
"We couldn't just stand by and watch these monsters run wild in the city either."
"I-I think so too."
Krua added an explanation. This wasn't just Cthulatlap's thinking alone, but the two of them shared this will as well.
'Rather than telling them it's dangerous and to get out, just seeing how they instantly killed the bishop earlier proved their abilities.'
No, rather, being the same outer god, it couldn't help but be effective against Red Eternity's followers. It even devoured that power and made it its own. Whatever the case, for Osian, it meant he had gained a fairly decent ally.
"If you're willing to fight together, I won't stop you."
To join hands with someone possessing an outer god's power in order to fight an outer god's minions. It was truly ironic, but Osian didn't particularly mind.
Compared to Red Eternity, Cthulatlap, with whom he could communicate, was much more reasonable. Of course, perhaps because it had once been thoroughly beaten by Osian, it was still looking at him with displeasure, as if it didn't like him.
[Hmph. Fight together? That's what I should be saying. If you really beg me, I might not be unable to grant your request.]
Osian frowned inside his helmet. Is this bastard picking a fight here and now?
At that moment, Attila, the younger sister who was usually even clumsy at speaking, grabbed the starfish with both hands and said:
"You shouldn't say things like that. We're companions who'll work together, so what if you fight?"
"..."
Even though it was an avatar, that thing's essence was an outer god. Moreover, it was the very one who had granted her power, yet she spoke to it like soothing a child.
Just as he was staring in disbelief at how absurd it was, an even more surprising situation unfolded next.
[...I understand. I was hasty.]
It acknowledged its mistake. An outer god admitting fault? Even when scolded by a follower to whom it had granted power, it accepted it? Unbelievable situations unfolded one after another, even when seen with one's own eyes.
Krua nodded repeatedly, understanding that feeling.
"Well, since it's come to this, please treat us well."
"...I suppose so."
"By the way, this guy we devoured seems to have been at a higher level than expected. I'm overflowing with power."
"It was a bishop-level after all. It was a guy who handled quite troublesome power, but thanks to that, we could deal with it easily."
"Ah. Its life force was particularly strong, so we just followed tracking that, but that's what it was. Besides, I never expected to encounter you again here."
Osian briefly explained to the sisters Krua and Attila where he was currently headed.
"So you're saying this cardinal is deep inside this space? Down there?"
"That's right. And it has part of my power. It seems to be scheming something with it."
When he mentioned the knight's power, Cthulatlap visibly flinched and reacted.
"What? Are you still hung up about that day's fight?"
[What? Insolent fool. I didn't react for that reason. Don't you know?]
"Know what?"
[How threatening that power you wield is to us.]