I Became The Villain The Hero Is Obsessed With

386 – The Sun’s Idol

After barely pacifying a sulky Celeste for bringing up Stardus.

We continued to ascend the hill I led us to.

And a moment later.

Whoosh

“…Why is it like this here?”

…For some reason now, a strong wind began to blow on the hill.

The place I had brought her to, a unique meadow spread over the blue hills.

For some reason, almost no people were visible here, as we ventured deeper into the hill, a sudden fog began to accompany the strong winds.

“Well, because the secret I mentioned is here.”

“…Can’t we just fly there?”

Celeste was baffled. The blue hill had been bathed in bright sunlight just moments ago, but suddenly, a few steps further, it was shrouded in fog and battered by strong winds.

Her elegant silver hair was wildly whipped by the wind, and I forced a difficult smile at her irritated figure.

“Probably not. This place is created by special abilities, if we don’t go as intended, the path won’t open.”

“…I see. Considering my powers aren’t working. The fog isn’t clearing.”

In response to my words, Celeste muttered, raising her hand.

…It seems she had already tried to stop this fog and wind. It didn’t seem to work well, though.

“hahahaha. There’s nothing we can do. Let’s go together. I will lead you.”

“Humph…”

As I say that with a smile, extending my hand, Celeste, with a sullen expression, takes my hand.

As her somewhat slender and cold hand touched my palm, I concealed my surprise.

…Hmm. I had expected a ‘What are you doing? I don’t need it, get rid of it!’ reaction when I extended my hand, but she took my hand so casually, without hesitation, that I was rather taken aback.

“What are you staring at? Let’s go.”

“…Yes.”

Anyway, holding hands, we walked up the hill against the gusty wind, while Celeste continued to grumble, shielding her face with her other hand.

“Really, talking about a date… What kind of date is this? There better be something remarkable at the end.”

To her words, uttered in an annoyed tone, I casually replied with a smile.

“hahahaha. You don’t have to worry about that.”

The reason I brought her to this hill somewhere in America under the pretext of a date.

It’s not because I found a dating spot on the internet. There’s something here.

Perhaps, something that could potentially allure Celeste.

For this reason, we continued to climb the foggy hill where we couldn’t see a step ahead.

Of course, the journey was not always smooth.

In the middle.

“…! Be careful!”

“…?!”

Suddenly, something flew at us from the shadow in the strong wind, causing me to reflexively embrace Celeste.

…Looking back, Celeste is stronger than me, so it seemed a bit silly, but I hurriedly let go and apologized.

“Hmm. Well, it happens.”

Celeste seemed completely unfazed.

…Rather, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she nodded, murmuring “hmm.”

However, she started to distance herself a little from me. Before I knew it, we were no longer holding hands…

Was she embarrassed?

By the way, the object that flew at us was already disintegrated into dust by Celeste before it could even touch us.

In this way, we braced against the wind and walked for a few more minutes.

“…So, what exactly is supposed to appear?”

By this time, Celeste started to get irritated.

“We’re almost there.”

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I said that.

Because, finally, we were at the summit.

Whoooooosh…

Suddenly, even the wind had ceased.

After a long climb uphill, we finally emerged onto an open plain.

…It was still so foggy that we couldn’t see an inch ahead, but as the ground had flattened, it was reasonable to think that we’d reached the summit.

And in that fog-filled place.

Confident that we had reached the top, I was finally able to smile.

We had finally arrived.

A place from the original work, a place I could never have reached alone.

“…Surely, this isn’t the end, Egoistic?”

From within the foggy height, Celeste asked me.

“Do you think so? It’s just the beginning. Now, Celeste, don’t you feel something strange?”

“What are you talking about… Wait a minute. Hmm…”

At that moment, she seemed to sense something strange, murmuring with her hand on her chin.

To her, I subtly gave a hint.

“Try using the power of the sun you possess. Think of drawing out your abilities to their maximum extent.”

“…Okay. Heave ho…!”

At my words, Celeste closed her eyes and stretched out her hand with a grunt.

Fiiing-

In an instant, a clear sound rang out, and a warm golden light burst from her hand.

At that moment.

Swoooooosh

Just like the parting of the sea, the thick fog on the hilltop began to be pushed away and dissipate.

And when our vision finally cleared, what appeared before our eyes was…

“Wow…”

Vrooooooooooom

The sun shining from behind, casting a halo-like glow.

A massive white statue, towering as if to pierce the sky.

The identity of this statue, engraved with the figure of a person, exuding an overwhelming presence that seemed almost holy due to its sheer size, nearly as large as a building.

“…No way.”

“Yes. That’s right.”

Without realizing, she seemed to sense something, trembling slightly in front of Celeste.

With a grin, I spread my arms wide, the statue as a backdrop, and declared,

“Welcome. You have arrived at the statue of the Sun God.”

The statue of the Sun God.

The only remaining statue in this world that depicted the Sun God.

______________________________________________________________________

Celeste.

The way she was described in the original work, she was a complete devotee of the Sun God.

Perhaps even more so, having been saved from a hopeless life by the god.

Of course, even she had suffered when the Sun God ordered the destruction of the world in the original work, a testament to just how outrageous the Sun God was…

Anyway, the conclusion was that she, still unaware of the true nature of the Sun God, was a fervent fan.

What she didn’t know was what the Sun God would look like when manifested in human form.

How would she feel seeing it for the first time, not as a 1:1 scale figure but as a 100:1 scale statue?

She’d probably be over the moon.

“This… this is the true form of the Sun God…”

Atop the hill in the sky, where the giant statue of the Sun God towered.

Looking at her, continuing to gaze up at that holy figure, her hands joined as if in prayer, deeply moved, I couldn’t help but smirk.

Could she be any happier?

‘…To someone like her.’

Pushing her to betray the Sun God with her own hands, I really am cruel.

Even if that god hadn’t sought to destroy the world… Alas.

With such complex thoughts, I too looked up at the figure of the sun god.

The image of a sharp man with ordinary hair and an indifferent expression.

…To be precise, it was a genderless, androgynous appearance but anyway.

That figure was the beginning of all tragedies.

The man who led the star god to death, ruined the moon god, and was sealed himself at the end of a long fight.

…And the man who caused Stardus and me so much trouble.

The god of the sun, Hellios.

‘…I will, without fail, bring you down.’

Looking up at his brazen figure, I muttered and soon turned my head, lifted my foot, and smiled.

And the best way to bring him down might be to make his only holy maiden betray him.

Thinking this, I quietly headed to the back while Celeste was distracted by the statue.

A small stone door visible behind the pedestal where the sun god’s foot rests.

‘…Pure solar power is needed to reveal this sun god’s statue.’

Once it had shown itself, there were no more security measures.

Thinking this, I opened the stone door. Inside was…

“…”

A small ring.

As I took out the silver ring with a golden stone embedded, I examined it closely.

This was the fifth relic of the sun god and the biggest reason I came here.

The ring of the Sun God, Invidia.

Also known as the ring of envy.

Taking it out, I quietly headed towards Celeste.

“…Ah! Egoistic.”

As I approached, she finally noticed me and turned around.

“Are you satisfied?”

“…Yes. I was really, really satisfied. Thank you, Egoistic.”

In front of her, who seemed more devout and holy, perhaps because she was near the sun god’s statue,

I smiled and spoke to her, hiding the ring behind my back.

“It’s not over yet. There’s one more gift for you.”

“…A gift? What is it?”

To her, who was puzzled by my words,

I smiled and asked her.

“Celeste, could you hold out your hand for a moment?”

“My hand?”

At my words, she still didn’t understand but held out her left hand.

After holding her hand…

Underneath where the stone statue of the sun god was looking at us,

…I quietly slipped the ring, which I had been hiding, onto her ring finger.

“….Huh?”

At my sudden gesture, she was startled, blushing and awkwardly looking at me.

I smiled slightly and said with a smile.

“It’s another relic of the sun god, the ring of the sun. I thought you would like it.”

“Ah…”

“Thank you for always being with me. And it suits you well, Celeste.”

At my words, she quickly pulled her hand back and said in a somewhat angry tone with a red face,

“…Then you should have said so earlier. You made me misunderstand…!”

“hahahahaha.”

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“Hmph… Anyway, thank you, Egoistic.”

As she looked down at the ring, I watched Celeste murmur in a slightly relaxed voice, and I chuckled.

She seemed to be more conscious of the fact that I had given her the ring rather than it being a relic of the Sun God.

…Somehow, it felt strange to put a ring on Celeste right under the statue of the Sun God, as if I were stealing his holy maiden right in front of his eyes.

Well, what’s good is good.

Anyway…

I quietly observed Celeste, who was rotating the ring back and forth on her finger with a concealed smile.

…I thought, ‘That’s enough.’