Side Story: The First Pope – 1
There was something I was curious about ever since Floretta and Luna came to me, claiming to be the fallen Pope and tattooed with uterine markings.
I wondered what Eclipse, the creature abandoned by God, thought about the first Pope.
It was clear that there wouldn’t be any positive feelings. After all, they survived by squeezing their meager resources to strengthen themselves to fight the creature that devours the world, only for that same power to try to violate them.
The title of the fallen Pope suited that woman much better, and I pondered if Floretta and Luna’s actions would overlap with the first Pope’s.
“It’s all in the past now. I don’t think about it.”
But it seemed that was just my anxiety. Eclipse smiled calmly, saying it was okay.
“I was naturally angry when she betrayed me. But now, I don’t care. You dealt with that woman and the lizard.”
If we had lost, I might have died resentful, drained of power. But Eclipse added with a chilling smile.
“That’s a relief. I was going to suggest something if you were still feeling uncomfortable.”
“A suggestion? What kind of suggestion?”
I was cautious, not wanting to accidentally mention the goddess’s name, and revealed what I had planned. As Eclipse listened, her eyes gradually widened.
“That’s a great idea! Let’s do it!”
After hearing the entire plan, she jumped about, throwing dignity and all that away.
Though her stiff demeanor from before had almost vanished as our relationship developed, I couldn’t help but feel she had become a tad too innocent.
There was not a trace of her dignity as a goddess.
‘If I were to ask if it used to be different, the answer would be no.’
In the midst of it all, the rags covering her nipples and genitals remained intact. Even while her master joyfully jumped around, they swayed back and forth without forgetting their duty.
Floretta and Luna would end up naked after just a little walking, yet no matter how she appeared, she was still a goddess.
“Then let’s start by creating a world. Please wait a moment.”
A small sphere appeared in Eclipse’s palm. It contained geometrical shapes floating within.
I couldn’t quite grasp what it was. It felt like my mind was refusing to recognize it altogether.
“This is the process of creating a new timeline and space. It’s only natural that you wouldn’t understand at this time, given that the concept of creation isn’t engraved within you.”
Perhaps reading the confusion on my face, Eclipse explained with a benevolent smile.
“I could engrave you with the understanding of the inner space-time if you need it. It won’t take long.”
“I’m fine. There wouldn’t be a place to use such information anyway.”
I wasn’t going to create a world or anything.
Eclipse looked a bit disappointed by my refusal, and the globe grew larger. Immediately, the surrounding world twisted, compressed onto her palm, and the world itself changed.
In a sky where day and night coexisted, only the sun remained. Concepts and spaces intertwined, and various natural elements appeared. With just a few gestures, Eclipse created a world.
“Well, it seems there won’t be any major problems. There are some rough spots, but that’s alright. After all, it’s a world I’ll dispose of after getting back at that woman.”
In that aspect, she indeed resembled a creator god. I stared at the downtrodden goddess in front of me, devoid of any dignity.
Eclipse caught onto my gaze and subtly averted her eyes.
“I’ll start now, you.”
With a slightly calmer tone, a strange energy erupted from her body. The Abyss began to converge at a distance.
A black, mud-like entity slithered and spread. It was something I had seen in the Holy Kingdom’s Abyss Dungeon and the Boss Room of the creature abandoned by God.
Watching that scene, a sudden question crossed my mind.
“Your Holiness. You mentioned that the concept of a single god was tainted by the first Pope, right? Now that you can purify it, why leave it unattended?”
Back then, it was impossible due to being drained of power by the lizard, but with Eclipse now, it should surely be possible.
“There was no reason to. Even if I restored the concept of a single god, what would I use it for? In the Raphael Holy Kingdom, the faith in the Sun and Moon is already firmly established, and I have no plans to create a new world anytime soon.”
Her golden and silver odd eyes scanned over me briefly.
“Unless someone else were to claim the position of the single god, of course.”
“I don’t need any of that, so don’t set your sights on me.”
In the meantime, the area of the Abyss had grown much larger than when it first revealed itself. The nearby space was covered in sticky darkness. That must have once been all divine power.
“At last, it has emerged.”
A pillar rose from the center of the Abyss. It started to go floppy but gradually transformed into the shape of a human female. Unlike the monster that was the creature abandoned by God, this form had an incredibly refined feminine figure.
Looking at her entire shape, she was similar to Floretta or Luna, but even more voluptuous. Compared to that gloomy alchemist I met last time during the golden key incident, her bosom seemed to be as big as two heads.
“Ugh… uuuu…”
The woman seemed to be in agony, clutching her face and bending over. The fact that she had hands and a face meant she was getting closer to a human form.
Once fully a woman, her Abyss form transformed into a perfect human. Her black-covered skin gradually turned to a peach color, and human bodily organs appeared.
Her straight hair flowed down to the ground. I turned my head upon confirming her womanly form.
“Isn’t that the goddess?”
“She followed my example, claiming to want to get closer to me. I didn’t create her like that from the start.”
The first Pope bore a strong resemblance to Eclipse.
Aside from the outside of her hair being golden and the inside silver, and her bosom being much bigger than Eclipse’s, the overall vibes matched. In fact, they both had golden and silver odd eyes.
However, the outfit she wore was not rags but rather something akin to a nun’s habit. It seemed like she just needed to transform the color of Stella’s outfit into gold and silver and increase the exposure ‘much more’.
‘Far better than the original.’
Of course, it had less exposure than what Eclipse was wearing.
“Ugh… ah?”
At the sound of her painful moan slightly rising, the now-human figure of the Abyss pillar slowly raised her head.
With a confused expression, her golden and silver odd eyes scanned the surroundings, eventually locking onto something.
“…Goddess?”
Though her eyes held disbelief, it quickly shifted to intense joy.
“Did you bring me back to life, Goddess? Is that what happened? After all, the goddess has accepted my love—”
The first Pope, with a bright face, began to speak rapidly but then froze upon seeing me beside Eclipse. Her eyes turned rigid, filled with lustful intent directed at me.
“What are you? Why is such a man next to the goddess?”
“Such a man, how rude.”
“Get away! Get away! Don’t stick that filthy body next to the goddess! I’ll kill you!”
The first Pope flared with rage, frothing at the mouth.
“So, you gave the Pope position to such a human?”
“…I was quite fine until I saw it in person.”
At the moment, she looked anything but fine.
Well, she clearly wouldn’t have tried to do unspeakable acts against their goddess if she were sane. If she were, she’d have thoroughly obeyed the goddess’s words like the Darkest Warrior.
It was time to carry out the plan. I signaled to the side, Eclipse nodded, cleared her throat, and I prepared to accept.
“Master…”
But what Eclipse did was a bit different from the plan I proposed.
“…Huh?”
“…?”
Kneeling on the ground, Eclipse bent over and placed her hands on the floor. Her crimson tongue peeked out from between her ruby lips. Both the first Pope and I froze at her sight.
“Eclipse, please pet me, Master…”
Eclipse was panting like a puppy. Kneeling with both hands on the ground, she lifted her upper body, looking up at me, tongue out, as if to bark.
Her cheeks, flushed crimson, overflowed with lust. Drool dripped from the tip of her half-extended tongue.
“My body is heating up… I feel I can’t be without Master’s hands… right? Please… I’ll listen well from now on…”
“Uh, no…”
I surely suggested a plan about pretending to be friendly; I never instructed her to act or say anything like that!
Before I could process the shock, Eclipse crawled closer on all fours, grabbed my hand, and rubbed it against her cheek. An extraordinarily happy smile graced her face.
“Here, here, I also ask you to do this… a bit more vigorously, please…”
Eclipse lay down while gazing up at the sky. Her legs slightly parted and bent, the knees pressed against her sides, her toes wiggling enticingly.
Her arms were raised, wrists crossing above her head. Her spotless white armpits exposed. Her abdomen, a soft blend of flesh and muscle, trembled irresistibly.
“My armpits, my breasts, my belly, my thighs, all belong to Master… so please… to your heart’s content…”
After a brief moment of mental freeze, I finally managed to look over at the first Pope.
“How… how can you do this…”
The Pope was shedding tears of blood.
“Why… why is such a crude act done not to me, but to a worthless male… why, not before me, but to a male like that…”
It was not just a metaphor; she was truly crying blood.
Transparent liquid was replaced by a red liquid streaming from her eyes. Since she was a person from the past, her tears couldn’t be red, so they had to be real blood.
The first Pope, who was shedding blood instead of tears, turned her gaze towards me. It was filled with a much stronger murderous intent than before. I calmly reached for the Wingless Nightmare.
Too much effectiveness was a problem.
—I’ll take care of it, you. I’ll step in to handle this; you just punish me for going against the plan.
Eclipse’s voice echoed in my mind. The intent was clear. I looked at the pitiful goddess lying on the floor with disdain. Eclipse trembled under my gaze.
Perhaps she intentionally spoke in such a way, wanting me to give her a look of contempt.
“Enough. Goddess, just watch.”
I lifted the Wingless Nightmare.
“Don’t cause any trouble and sit still, Eclipse.”
“…Heh.”
Shuddering, Eclipse trembled once more. A transparent liquid poured from her as it trickled down her bottom. The color of the fabric covering her genitals deepened.
There’s no way they couldn’t have witnessed this scene. And Eclipse surely knew what she had just done.
“I’ll kill you! Human male!”
With a roar, an immense amount of the Abyss surged forth like a wave. Leading the charge was the first Pope, rushing at me with blood oozing from her eyes.
The gigantic scythe raised in her right arm came crashing down. I confirmed the trajectory and speed, then extended my left arm to seize it at just the right moment.
“…!”
“Now, calm down for a moment.”
As the scythe was caught effortlessly, the first Pope widened her eyes in disbelief.
“Fight diversely. Diversely. Got it?”
That way, I could include it as a pattern for the boss in Brightest Darkness 5, right? I smiled broadly as I released the scythe.
