God of creation system : The apocalypse

Chapter 20 : victim of war

Agane glared at me in anger, threatening to harm me.

However, before she could take a step closer, Sei raised her hand to stop him.

"Please, Agane. Just let him speak," Sei said calmly.

At the command, Agane halted, though she made it clear she strongly disagreed with letting me get away with such disrespect toward their queen, especially after hurling insults, particularly at the Eskapa.

Sei’s expression remained unreadable as she stood up, showing no sign of anger at my harsh behavior.

She simply walked toward me, assuring me that I was free to express my thoughts.

"We all have our own beliefs and perspectives on things," she began. "And I am sure you are well aware that everyone here is a victim of the war that took place in the past."

Sei’s voice was remarkably calm as she spoke with me, explaining why they were forced into actions that might seem unjust to the Genions.

She mentioned that she had once helped the soul eaters—a mistake she deeply regretted, as it cost the lives of her comrades and beloved people.

She had given them the help they needed and tried to make things right, but it did not last due to the soul eaters' inherent need to consume flesh and souls to survive.

Turning her gaze to Suwi, she looked at me and said, "If she is like the others who cannot control their own hunger for souls, then I am sorry to say that she must die."

Hearing this gave me a sliver of hope that Suwi could still be saved. I quickly brought up the fact that Suwi did not consume other beings' souls, thanks to her spirit pet companion, Serphia.

"She has a spirit pet that provides her with the energy she needs to survive without eating anyone's soul," I explained.

Sei fell silent for a moment, weighing my words, before glancing at Aoi. She clearly doubted what I was saying, perhaps because this was the first time she had ever heard of such a thing.

"She probably still doubts me. After the sacred soul tree was destroyed, many spirit pets living there perished, making those who possess them extremely rare and passed down only through generations."

She turned back to me and sighed, admitting her skepticism since I lacked sufficient evidence or proof.

"Even so, I have to wonder... why are you protecting this soul eater?"

A smirk formed on my lips at her question. Once again, I was forced to lie and invent a fake story because I couldn't reveal the real reason.

How could I possibly tell them that I need to save Endoryo, and that Suwi is destined to bring about its destruction in the future—yet I still want to help her turn over a new leaf? They wouldn't believe me. I’d look like a fool, and they’d probably end up hating me even more, I thought to myself.

"Let's just say she's a friend of mine, so I have to help her," I replied aloud.

"A soul eater with a human friend?" Sei muttered in disbelief.

She was baffled by my statement. According to their beliefs, humans were viewed as nothing more than food for soul eaters—our friendship as unimaginable as a lion keeping a deer as a pet.

I wanted to continue explaining, but Suwi suddenly screamed, furiously denying everything I had just said.

"Liar!" she shouted. "I would never be friends with a lowly creature!" She glared at me with utter contempt.

A moment later, she put on a proud, haughty front, demanding that I stop pleading with Sei on her behalf.

"I don't ever need help from the likes of you—a miserable, low-level creature!" she snapped angrily.

I didn't even know how to feel. It felt entirely unfair that she was looking down on me when I was risking my life, lowering my pride, and begging Sei just to save her.

Does she even hear herself? I thought.

Didn't she realize her life was in mortal danger? Why was she still acting so arrogant when she had no power left to save herself?

She didn't stop there; she even exposed the fact that she didn't even know me. "I've only been with him for a short while because he was secretly following me. It just so happened he was there when your men attacked."

I didn't know what to think. She was actively tearing down my entire plan to save her, but I forced myself to be patient. More than anyone else, I knew her temperament; her moodiness was just part of who she was.

"Don't mind her, she just has a terrible temper, but she's actually a kind soul," I told Sei, hoping to salvage the situation.

I was still hoping to continue defending her, especially since Sei had actually been listening to me. But this irritable woman was making everything so much more complicated.

"Tsk! If I ever get out of here, you'll be the first person I finish off, and then I'll wipe out everyone in this place!" Suwi threatened furiously.

Her stubbornness was making a dire situation impossible to handle. Losing my temper, I finally snapped and shouted right back at her.

"You are so hard to defend! What on earth do you even want, woman?!" I yelled at her.

At that, Suwi suddenly lowered her head, telling me to stop defending her. "Just stop. Stop meddling in my business."

"You'd better save yourself while you still can," she added.

Her expression turned serious, a mix of frustration and quiet anger, likely born from the utter helplessness of her situation.

She explained that as royalty, she could never accept being pitied or rescued by someone of a lower class.

"I am a soul eater. Everyone has already branded me as a plague that needs to be eradicated. No matter what you say, nothing will ever change that," she said sorrowfully.

Hearing those words weighed heavily on my chest. Her situation was so miserable, and she was in desperate need of help.

" She shouldn't have to go through any of this if I hadn't followed her and led the Escapa soldiers straight to her, " I whispered to myself.

Pity? Is pity really the only reason I want to help her now?

What I was doing could easily get me killed, so she was right—I should be saving myself first. But why did I feel this way?

It felt like it was my absolute responsibility to protect her.

If I really thought about it, I had no idea what would happen if she died, or how it would impact my mission here in Endoryo to finally go home.

" If I think about it logically, her death would prevent the destruction of the world. Isn't that my mission in the first place?"

I didn't know. Maybe it was because I knew the suffering and sorrow awaiting her in the future that I genuinely wanted to help change her path, even just a little bit.

" Can I even save her? Is there anything an ordinary human like me, ignored and disrespected in this world, can actually do?"

I looked back at Sei, waiting for her to speak, still hoping she would show mercy to both of us because I was running out of ways to save Suwi.

I had said everything I possibly could, but it amounted to nothing because nobody believes a human.

To my surprise, Sei did not seem convinced by my pleas. She simply let out a heavy sigh.

"That is enough. You have done enough for her," Sei said gently. "You are very brave and noble, but neither your pity nor your perspective is enough to change reality."

"It would be wiser to save yourself before trying to save others," Sei added as she stood up.

With that, she turned and began walking away to leave the room.

"Please, Sei, don't kill her!" I pleaded.

I tried to follow, but her guards immediately stepped forward, glaring daggers at me. I knew they wouldn't hesitate to strike me down if I got any closer to their queen.

"Very well. Release this human," Sei instructed Aoi, gesturing for them to let me go and escort me out. At the same time, she ordered another general to throw Suwi into the black cage.

"She will remain down below until I reach a final decision."

Before leaving, she mentioned to the guards that she would await the Eskapa leadership's verdict. Hearing that lifted a massive weight of anxiety off my chest.

" Alright, they aren't going to kill her just yet. There's still hope for me to find a way to save her."

I looked back at Suwi, who was now kneeling on the floor with her head bowed down. I knew I bore a heavy burden of guilt toward her; I was the one who had written such a tragic fate for her in the first place—and there was no one else who could save her except me, because I am the creator of this world.