The Messenger of the Gods

"I'm sorry! Please, kill me! I have committed a great offense against your group!"

"An offense? What offense? You didn't resort to violence, did you?"

At the fanatical devotion in their behavior, Shirone's guard immediately went up, and he shot back at them. If they had laid a hand on his friends, he had no intention of forgiving them.

"Oh, it's nothing serious. Just a little squabble. You know, the kind we usually have," Amy said.

Her words were close to slang—a way of saying that, while there had been a conflict, the circumstances were complicated, so it would be better to just move past it.

Mahatu looked up at Amy with gratitude. He was relieved to know that he had not caused a crisis for his people, and he stepped aside to make way for the elder.

Introducing himself as Hasid, an elder of the Kergo tribe, the old man turned to Shirone and asked him a meaningful question.

"Have you come in response to the message of Miro?"

Shirone recalled the vision he had seen in the Chamber of Achievement and Sacrifice. The images had passed by too quickly, leaving behind fragmented pieces of information, but each one was vivid.

When Shirone nodded, the elder turned, leaning on his staff.

The natives gathered in the plaza waited for his response.

"At last, the messenger of the gods has arrived in Kergo!"

Shirone and his companions covered their ears. As soon as Hasid's words fell, the natives let out a battle cry.

The cave roared with their voices, as if the ceiling would shatter under the force of their shouts.

Amid the cries of jubilation, the occasional sobbing could be heard. From within the crowd, those clad in rags approached and knelt before Shirone.

"O messenger of the gods, my child is sick. Please, heal them."

Since Arin's telepathic channel was still connected to Mahatu, Shirone could understand the woman's plea. But he did not have the power to heal the sick.

An old man crawled forward beside the woman, clasping his hands together and extending them in supplication.

"Please, give us food! Our families are starving!"

And with that, more and more people arrived.

"Grant me eternal life!"

"Please, spare my daughter, Atore! She has a fiancé!"

"Make me a woman!"

Arin not only covered her ears but shut her eyes tight. Through her clairvoyance, everything appeared drenched in red, as if she were staring into a sea of molten lava. If she continued absorbing the people's emotions, she feared her mind would collapse.

"Canis! Their voices are too loud!"

"Close the channel. You might get hurt."

Shirone was trapped in the crowd, unable to move even a single step. Though Arin had canceled her telepathy, making translation impossible, the waves of raw emotion continued to crash against him, squeezing his heart. It was as if he had been caught in a mass hypnosis. If there was a single word to describe this situation, it was madness.

Seeking help, Shirone turned to Hasid and Mahatu. But they only looked at their people with sorrowful eyes.

"Silence, all of you!"

At the sound of a man's booming voice, the crowd fell silent in an instant.

A young man, flanked by imposing warriors on either side, emerged from the northern tunnel. Though he was not particularly large, his ballooned muscles made even his guards look small in comparison. His long hair was pulled back, and golden tattoos adorned his face.

Only then did Arin open her eyes.

Through her clairvoyance, she could sense the emotions of the natives. Reverence.

But that wasn't all.

They were afraid.

It was the kind of fear that was common when standing before a ruler of absolute authority. There was no doubt—this man was the chieftain of the Kergo tribe.

The man approached Shirone and introduced himself.

"I am Kadum, chieftain of the Kergo. From this point on, I will be your guide."

Shirone turned to his friends to gauge their thoughts.

No one objected. If they wanted to achieve anything within the autonomous zone, they would have to meet him sooner or later.

And this was where Jis's role ended.

With a hint of regret, Shirone said, "We'll take it from here. It might be dangerous."

Jis didn't show any sign of offense and simply nodded. It was precisely this lack of unnecessary pride that made Shirone and his group trust him.

As they shook hands, Jis said with concern, "Be careful. The autonomous zone seems very different from the Kergo I know."

"Yeah, we should be fine. And thanks for translating."

"I'm just glad I could help. Once you're done, stop by my place. Yuna and I will have plenty of good food waiting for you."

Shirone asked Kadum to escort Jis to the ruins. Immediately, several people volunteered to act as guides, eager to follow Shirone's orders. Arin chose someone trustworthy.

Jis left the Kergo autonomous zone, following a towering warrior.

Meanwhile, Kadum led Shirone and his party into the caves.

Even after walking for twenty minutes, their destination remained unseen. If this path led to a dead end, any traveler would surely collapse in despair.

A labyrinth was not defined solely by its complexity. The sheer scale of the autonomous zone's maze was overwhelming.

The deeper they ventured into the caves, the more the rock formations changed. Unlike the crude, uneven tunnels at the entrance, the walls here had been shaped with clear intention, as if sculpted by human hands.

A short while later, the group arrived at an enormous cavern.

It was different from the plaza where they had met the Kergo tribe. While that space had been carved out naturally, this one bore the hallmarks of ancient construction—colossal pillars lined the perimeter, rising high into the darkness above. The entire ceiling was hidden in shadow, making it impossible to gauge its true height.

Carvings of divine beings and mythical creatures filled the stone walls, and murals stretched across the entire chamber, illustrating a story beyond time.

At the center of it all sat a massive stone throne.

The moment Shirone laid eyes on it, his breath caught in his throat.

Kadum took his seat on the throne and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he studied the newcomers.

"This is the heart of the Kergo autonomous zone—our sacred chamber," he declared.

The warriors who had accompanied them stood at the edges of the cavern, watching silently. The air was thick with a solemn tension, as if the weight of history itself bore down upon the room.

Shirone turned to Kadum.

"Why did you call me the messenger of the gods?"

Kadum met his gaze with an unwavering expression.

"Because that is what you are."

At his words, Arin and the others tensed. There was no hesitation, no doubt in Kadum's voice—he was utterly convinced.

Shirone narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Kadum gestured toward the murals surrounding them.

"Look closely," he said. "You will understand."

Shirone and his companions turned their attention to the massive paintings.

At first, they were overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it all. But as they examined the details, a familiar scene emerged—one that made their hearts pound.

There, depicted in ancient paint, was a radiant figure descending from the sky, surrounded by beams of light.

And standing beneath them, kneeling in reverence, were the people of the Kergo tribe.

Amy took a step back, her voice trembling.

"This… This is…"

A prophecy.

A prophecy that foretold the arrival of a messenger of the gods.

Shirone clenched his fists.

Was this merely coincidence? Or was there something more at play here?

Kadum spoke, his voice deep and steady.

"For generations, we have awaited your coming."

Shirone's mind raced.

This wasn't just a misunderstanding. This was something much, much bigger.

And he needed to find out the truth.

Shirone's heart pounded as Kadum's words echoed through the cavern.

"For generations, we have awaited your coming."

The murals around them depicted more than just a prophecy—they showed a history of belief that had been passed down for countless years. And now, the Kergo tribe had placed their faith in him.

Shirone swallowed hard, his mind racing.

"This prophecy… What exactly does it say?"

Kadum's gaze remained steady.

"The gods once walked this land, guiding our ancestors. But one day, they departed, leaving behind a promise—that one day, a messenger would descend from the sky, wielding the power of the divine."

A shiver ran down Shirone's spine.

"Are you saying… that messenger is me?"

Kadum nodded without hesitation.

"You appeared from above, descending upon our lands, surrounded by light."

Shirone's thoughts flashed back to when he had fallen into this underground realm. He had been engulfed in light, his magic bursting forth uncontrollably as he plunged downward. To the Kergo people, it must have seemed as if he had truly descended from the heavens.

"But that was just an accident," Shirone protested.

Kadum shook his head.

"There are no accidents. Only fate."

A heavy silence settled over the chamber. Shirone could feel the weight of the expectations pressing down on him. The Kergo people weren't just hoping he was the messenger—they had already decided he was.

Amy, who had been listening anxiously, finally spoke up.

"But Shirone is just a person. He's not a god, and he's not some divine messenger."

Kadum turned his piercing gaze to her.

"Do you claim to know the will of the gods?"

Amy faltered. It wasn't that she believed Shirone was a messenger, but she couldn't deny the sheer conviction in Kadum's voice.

Neid crossed his arms.

"So what exactly do you want from Shirone?"

Kadum's expression didn't waver.

"We seek your guidance, Messenger. The Kergo people have been trapped in these depths for too long. If you have truly come as the prophecy foretold, then you must lead us to salvation."

Shirone clenched his fists.

"This isn't right…"

He wasn't some divine being. He was just himself—a student, a seeker of knowledge, someone still learning the true depths of magic. How could he possibly lead an entire tribe?

But the people of Kergo believed.

And belief was more powerful than any single truth.

"Shirone," Iruki whispered beside him. "What do we do?"

Shirone took a deep breath. He had to choose his words carefully.

"I…"

But before he could speak, the ground shook violently.

A deep, resounding boom echoed through the cavern. Dust fell from the ceiling, and the pillars groaned under the pressure.

The warriors of Kergo instantly grabbed their weapons, their expressions grim.

Kadum's face darkened.

"They've come."

Shirone turned sharply.

"Who?"

Kadum rose from his throne, his cloak billowing.

"The ones who would see us destroyed."

At that moment, a piercing roar split the air, reverberating through the underground halls. It was an inhuman sound—one filled with raw, monstrous fury.

Amy instinctively stepped closer to Shirone.

"That sound… It's not human."

Kadum turned to the warriors.

"Defensive formations!"

The Kergo warriors moved instantly, spreading out across the chamber. Their movements were precise, practiced—this was not the first time they had faced such a threat.

Another deafening boom shook the cavern, and suddenly, a section of the far wall collapsed, sending debris flying in all directions. From the gaping hole, something emerged—a massive, shadowy figure, its form barely visible through the dust.

And then, glowing eyes opened in the darkness.

A beast. A monster of the deep.

Shirone's breath caught in his throat.

This wasn't just a misunderstanding of prophecy.

This was war.

And he was right in the middle of it.