The Strongest Villain, Who Had Secluded Himself Deep in the Mountains To Avoid the Destruction Flag, Is Forced Onto the Main Stage by the Heroine He Helped

To tell the truth, Sheria’s consciousness had returned before she arrived here.

‘Hmm… confirming the current situation.’

Surprisingly, the delicate and gentle girl remained composed.

Whether it was due to the experiences of being attacked multiple times in the past or because the most trusted person within her heart provided a sense of security, she couldn’t quite tell.

The sensation of being carried somewhere had ended, and she suddenly found herself sprawled haphazardly.

A robe was wrapped around her hands in a considerate manner, and although she hadn’t tried vigorously, she sensed that she couldn’t move.

The only thing left was her surroundings. She opened her eyes slightly and discreetly scanned her surroundings to avoid suspicion.

It was a familiar eerie ruin that could be anywhere. Hooded figures were stationed here and there, and from nearby, she could see the figures of Mina and an enigmatic woman.

‘Isn’t this a promise we’re talking about? Well, it would be helpful if you kept watch outside. There might be people who followed you just in case.’

‘…..’

After that exchange, footsteps receded into the distance.

Based on the conversation so far, it seemed Mina had gone outside to keep watch.

Perhaps Mina might cooperate here… She thought so, but if Mina was gone, it would be a bit challenging.

If that’s the case, the thing to consider here is—

‘Mina’s little sister is over there.’

Her gaze shifted faintly towards a spot.

There, a girl who seemed to have lost consciousness or strength was chained up.

From the situation, it would probably be safe to assume she was Mina’s sister.

‘And now, the question is how to get that girl out of this situation…’

She herself was just a girl without any particular abilities. To call her frail wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Most of her abilities were focused on healing, and she wasn’t really equipped to handle this many people.

So, she had no choice but to rescue Mina’s sister without being noticed.

At worst, even if she were to get injured thanks to her healing abilities, she could heal herself. But—

“How about waking up now, Saintess?”

“Huh…?!”

At the woman’s words in front of her, Sheria’s shoulders twitched.

Has her faint attempt to open her eyes been noticed? Either way, pretending to still be unconscious was not a wise move. It would be smarter to engage in conversation than to be forcibly awakened.

Thus, Sheria sat up and slowly opened her eyes.

“…You noticed me, I presume.”

“Naturally. Even that little heretic noticed you were awake. Only the other individuals here besides me wouldn’t notice such a mimicry.”

A chuckle erupted from the surroundings.

An exchange devoid of tension. Were they being carefree or enjoying this moment?

Either way, they didn’t seem like sane individuals.

“What’s your purpose? Why did you abduct me by using Mina?”

“Hmm… There’s no reason to answer honestly, but there’s no reason not to answer either. As a parting gift, I suppose I’ll tell you. We are the ‘Gathering of Rebels’. We are a group of individuals who resent the gods, bear hatred towards them, and stand against them.”

“Resent the gods…”

“Well, it’s probably beyond your understanding as a messenger of the gods. Oh, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier—I am Yoru, the one who leads this group. It’s fine if you don’t want to be friendly, but I should at least introduce myself, right?”

Yoru, the woman, displayed the same smile as those around her.

How out of place. No, maybe her smile wasn’t out of place precisely because she was in control of this situation.

Either way, this nonchalant attitude pricked at Sheria’s patience.

“How dare you, using Mina…!”

“Don’t be so angry. You’ve only heard part of the story, haven’t you?”

Yoru’s grin widened even further.

“We have no lofty goals. No grand purpose either.”

“…Nothing?”

“No, not exactly nothing. We do have something, although it’s not grandiose. Our purpose is to strike back at the entity known as ‘God’ who watches over this world. We want to give it a taste of its own medicine.”

As Yoru’s voice gradually grew louder, Sheria’s shoulders involuntarily jumped.

Still, Yoru continued speaking without concern.

“Hunger, disaster, disease, poverty, war! Despite supposedly watching over this world, God doesn’t lift a finger for any of it! How many people have died up till now? How many have lost their lives before they could even enjoy their full lifespan? Huh? Tell me, Saintess!”

“…..”

“In a world overflowing with such individuals, God does nothing more than observe. Even though you all devoutly worship it, face the reality. Rather than reaching out, it’s probably enjoying a carefree daily life, watching with a glass of wine in hand. If the God you believe in were like that, the world would be far more peaceful.”

Step by step, Yoru approached Sheria.

“So, we destroy. To make God uncomfortable, to be able to challenge it even a little, to deliver a single blow to God. That’s our reason for action. And we abducted you, the Saintess, because we thought that if we killed the one closest to God, God would surely be furious.”

And now, Yoru’s face was right in front of Sheria’s — while she was still smiling.

She’s claiming to hate, yet she looks so delighted. A face that even seemed to exude madness.

More unsettling than this ruin, Sheria held her ground and faced forward.

“…You are.”

“Hmm?”

“Have you experienced a misfortune that compelled you to change yourself?”

The reason for rebelling against the gods to the extent of killing Mina’s parents, kidnapping her sister, and even attempting to take your own life. Was there some profound misfortune that drove her to this? Something powerful enough to make her hate the gods.

Sheria felt as though she needed to ask Yoru as the God’s messenger.

However—

“Nothing.”

Yoru responded casually, her face looking vacant.

“Huh…?”

“It’s not like anything happened. My parents died because they were killed by knights while attempting a robbery. The people here haven’t really faced significant misfortunes either, have they?”

Yoru’s gaze swept around as if questioning, but the people around only laughed without negating. As the woman said, they likely hadn’t experienced tragedies that would evoke sympathy from others.

And yet, she hated the gods and killed people in the process. Did she truly detest the gods? Did she create others’ misfortunes for the sake of her own self-proclaimed purpose?

Unbelievable, foolish—Sheria’s frustration was escalating, reaching a boiling point.

“Don’t joke around! Wrong is wrong no matter the reason. Hating gods without any valid reason is merely an attempt to justify your own desires!”

“Isn’t that the same for you believers? You have faith even though you haven’t received anything directly from the gods. You’re the ones who claim everything is a gift from the gods. The difference between us, who hate without reason, and you, who worship without reason, is what exactly?”

Just a difference in direction.

The believers like Sheria regarded each blessing as a gift from the gods, while Yoru and her group were consumed by hatred. The difference was merely in their perspective of the same entity, the god.

Such a simple difference could cause such vast shifts in values, actions, and ethics.

It was absurd, overwhelming, and Sheria’s anger was growing beyond her control.

“Damn you, you villain!”

“Hey, hey, watch your language. Weren’t you the one who asked me about it?”

Yoru shrugged and slowly pulled away.

“Well then. Let’s wrap up this conversation. We’ve gathered enough souvenirs for the afterlife, I suppose. It’s about time for a meal and some rest.”

As soon as she said that, cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd.

The cheers grew louder, as if they were about to watch a sports event. Whistling even began, all for the sake of extinguishing a single life.

What else could you call this but madness? If not for madness, then what?

Sheria’s eyes locked onto the dagger pointed at her and involuntarily held her breath.

“Now, Messenger of God—”

And then,