Chapter 4 – What is a God?

Chapter 4: What is a God?

A hundred years since falling into this strange world with the body of a bird. Anne was the first human I had ever directly encountered.

I was happy. So happy that I got overly excited. I was touched by her heart that cared for her younger sibling, so I gave her a gift. That was a mistake. An undeniably clear mistake with no room for excuses.

Wherever you go, there are humans who covet someone else’s fortune. I should have known that the luck I gave could become misfortune.

I must not forget. This place is not the world I once knew. When things go wrong, people harm people and take what they want. Just yesterday, I was so shocked to see the bandits who stormed into the village.

They were cruel. They were vile. They were human, yet not human. If they had only threatened and taken things that would have been different. If they had been hurt but not killed, I would have only scolded them a little.

Though I am now a bird. A large, red bird. I too was once a person like them. A human. Taking the life of the same species brings revulsion.

But the bandits crossed the line. I could not let them be.

When they captured some villagers and harmed them for fun. When they laughed while burning down houses filled with sweat and effort. When they killed Anne, who was the first to speak with me.

I decided. I would no longer stand by and watch, but step forward.

Though I may not be an existence of this world. Though I do not know what consequences this action might bring. I could not watch more lives being extinguished below.

The bandits all disappeared, consumed by my flames. I left not even ashes. I burned everything cleanly away.

I hoped that filthy thing would remain nowhere. As if understanding my heart, the flames blazed fiercely.

‘…I didn’t feel very good about it.’

I thought it would be satisfying, but it wasn’t. It felt very unsettling. Though they were evil ones, the weight of life was ultimately the same. Thinking that I had taken that with my hands. No, with my wingbeats, made me feel nauseous.

At times like this, I’m truly grateful to be a bird. If I were human, I would have vomited immediately.

SSSSSS!

I slowly raised my head at the strange presence. I felt a sign from the direction of the nest entrance where there had been nothing.

It wasn’t human. People didn’t give off this kind of presence. It wasn’t a beast or monster either. It was an existence of a different class.

I rose from my spot. I spread my wings halfway. I hoped they came with good purpose, but they might not have.

[It is you.]

A voice was heard from beyond the wall. It sounded sometimes like a child, sometimes like a woman.

[The one who should not be here.]

What was certain was that they roughly knew of my existence. The statement that I should not be here was proof of that.

[Foreign God.]

[Finally, the first visitor to my nest revealed themselves.]

One who had the form of a human but was definitely not human. Aside from blue hair and blue eyes, they were barely visible. If clouds could be worn, they would probably look like this.

[I am called Blue Sky.]

Blue Sky. I thought it was indeed a fitting name. The hair color and eyes suited it, and being wrapped in clouds fitted as well.

[I oversee the skies of this world and can see anything and hear anything.] [And recently, I discovered that you interfered with the affairs of the lower world.]

Interference. What came to mind from that word was what happened recently. Meeting Anne. Learning of that child’s situation and giving her a feather. Then reviving the dying flames at the bandits’ evil acts.

Much more than a hundred years had passed since I fell into this world. In that long flow of time, no visitor like this one had ever come. So the reason for this visit was definitely related to Anne.

Life and death are rightfully predetermined. No one can violate this.

So it was indeed a problem that I revived Anne. I acknowledged it was foolish. But I had no regrets. That child should not have died. She had to continue living.

I looked at Blue Sky without saying anything. As she said, I was one who should not be here. Foreign God. An unwelcome guest from outside. A fitting existence for that.

Yet with such identity, I broke the world’s rules and interfered. Not for some great reason, but following my heart’s desire. Therefore, I would accept whatever responsibility Blue Sky demanded.

[This is a warning. Foreign God. Do not interfere with the lower world anymore.]

I obediently nodded my head. Because I was indeed in the wrong. Because it was an undeniable fact.

[It’s fortunate that you acknowledge it quickly.]

Blue Sky turned her body as if the conversation was completely over.

[Ah. And the human you arbitrarily saved will go the path they were originally meant to go.]

[Go the path they were originally meant to go?]

[Purple Death will come to take that child.]

[Blue Sky. The predetermined order has been twisted.] [What do you mean?] [A soul that should have come to this Death’s side has arbitrarily returned.]

At first, I thought this was some nonsense. But Purple Death was definitely not an existence that would lie. Blue Sky, who sensed the strangeness, found the reason.

[Foreign God.]

An intruder entered without even the gods of this world knowing. Since when had they come? If they came, why did they stay quiet? Various curiosities arose, but Blue Sky decided to handle her own business first.

[I discovered that you interfered with the affairs of the lower world.]

I could not prevent going to Purple Death’s side. Moreover, I should not prevent it. That was the world’s natural order.

Fortunately, the Foreign God obediently admitted their wrongdoing. I was worried about what to do if they were displeased and showed hostility. In Blue Sky’s view, that red existence was definitely not to be underestimated.

[It’s fortunate that you acknowledge it quickly.] [The human you arbitrarily saved will go the path they were originally meant to go.] [Purple Death will come to take that child.]

I hoped they would continue to stay quiet in the future. Fighting with a divine existence was difficult for anyone. Blue Sky left those words and was about to return above.

That cannot happen.

WHOOOSH!

Sparks dripped down from the Foreign God’s wings. These were not simple flames rising from the lower world. Heat that made even Blue Sky. Even the god of the world step back.

[Anne must live.]

At the Foreign God’s words, Blue Sky frowned.

To acknowledge wrongdoing just moments ago and now change their words. How great a wrong it was to hold onto a soul that should go to Death’s side. Even she, being the same god, had never done such a thing!

[That’s enough. Foreign God. You are not an existence of this world. I will not tolerate any more interference.]

Lightning suddenly struck from the clear sky. The nest located deep within the rocky mountain collapsed.

With this much, the Foreign God should also realize they must step back. This was done as a warning, so they should think they must not fight.

[But.]

[That child will not die.]

The Foreign God was not hurt even a speck. Rather, even greater flames were rising.

[To persist until the very end… KUGH?!]

The sky that had boasted blue colors was dyed bright red. Flames burned the clouds. Irresistible heat followed.

Tremendous power. Blue Sky gritted her teeth. This was the first time feeling such authority. More impressive than Purple Death.

[I thought they were remnants that had fled. Or thought they were fragments. That Foreign God. That red existence was much stronger than my expectations.]

[UUUGH…!]

[Hot. Painful. Agonizing. That fact drove Blue Sky mad. For a god to feel such sensation. Heat and pain that even gods cannot overcome. First bewilderment. Soon faint fear spread in her heart.]

[At this rate, she might really burn up without leaving even a form. Her pride as a god held her back, but she couldn’t go on any longer.]

[St-stop! Stop it!]

At Blue Sky’s cry, the flames disappeared as if it were a lie. Beyond the sky still being dyed red, the Foreign God spoke.

[Do not touch the child my feather has reached.]

At those words, Blue Sky felt something surge up and shouted.

[Foreign God! Though you came from another world, are you not also a god?”

“How can a god interfere with the affairs of the lower world?]

[This should not happen. How could a god do such a thing?]

[Why must we not interfere?]

[But the Foreign God. That red existence instead asked Blue Sky.]

[Do you call that a question? Gods must be fair!]

[No. Gods were not beings that must be fair.]

[What? Blue Sky looked at the Foreign God as if bewildered. Gods should not be fair? What kind of nonsense was this?]

[Gods must not be fair. If they were, then they were not gods.]

[Nonsense….]

[If gods were fair. Why did they seek gods? Why did they offer prayers? Weren’t gods there to protect those who cried out the god’s name? If gods who neither protected nor saved them were gods, then why did gods exist?]

[It was sophistry. It was sophistry, but Blue Sky could not answer immediately. Of course. Because I thought we shouldn’t interfere. Even if they sought gods, I turned my head away.]

[To me, gods were not beings who became neutrals and just watched. They judged evil and protected good. They purified the dirty and favored the clean. That was exactly what a god was.]

[So if you touched Anne who came alive by my will. I, whom you called Foreign God, would not remain still.]

——WHOOOOSH!!

[KUGH!]

The flames that had quieted down danced gracefully once again. I could not endure it. Too hot and too intense. Above all, too bright to dare look at directly.

[I-I understand! I understand, so stop now!]

At Blue Sky’s urgent cry, the Foreign God withdrew. It seemed they truly had no intention of harming this side. At that fact, Blue Sky secretly let out a sigh of relief.

The existence that proudly commanded flames from afar. Though having a heteromorphic form, it was more beautiful because of it.

Not someone I could do anything about. Why had such a being flown all the way here?

[Fine. Foreign God. I won’t interfere. But remember this.]

[The beings of the lower world cannot perceive great existences.]

[And existences they cannot perceive, they tend to turn into objects of fear.]

The Foreign God would not know. Why the gods distanced themselves from the lower world. It wasn’t because there was no affection. The affection was simply ruined by them.

[I hope you will not be hurt.]

[Not sarcastically, but sincerely. I hoped so. The day that great existence’s heart was hurt and became twisted. The lower world would surely be filled with nothing but ashes.]