I Became a Raid Boss

Worlds and dimensions.

They’re not completely the same, but we won’t get into the nitty-gritty to differentiate them, so let’s skip that—

Deities that govern a world, like Edel, are aware of other-dimensional entities.

“But just because they know doesn’t mean they interact with them. The risk of crossing dimensional walls for trivial chats is way too high.”

If they had dared to interact with another dimension, would the situation be different now?

It could have led to an even greater disaster, or perhaps thanks to their knowledge of these dimensional beings, they managed to avoid any calamities. Either way, things would have turned out differently.

“I don’t know how those dimensional beings came to be, but I know what they want.”

They invade other dimensions and absorb their energy.

The dimension drained of energy becomes increasingly sick and eventually meets its end.

Just like the situation Silia is in right now.

“If we had blocked them from entering from the start, it would’ve been different. But by the time we realized, it was already too late.”

Catching a mouse that entered a warehouse is bothersome but doable.

However, if that mouse turned into dozens or even hundreds, to the point where counting becomes impossible…

And if even after you catch some, more keep coming in and you can’t seal the holes…

It would be much better to burn the whole warehouse down and rebuild it from scratch.

Or to build a new warehouse and move everything inside there.

The dimensional beings were the same.

Unlike a warehouse, you can’t just destroy and recreate a world, and you can’t move its contents either.

After a long fight and ultimately losing against the dimensional beings, Edel made a choice.

To submit to another world for the sake of existence.

Gods are proud.

And their pride in the world they created is equally strong.

For such a deity to decide to submit their world to another means telling us just how much Edel loves the world she created.

…or so it is said.

I listened quietly to Edel’s words and suddenly cut in.

“I get that dimensional beings are dangerous.”

I’ve known they were dangerous for a while, but I wondered if Edel was really in that much of a bind.

Considering the overwhelming pressure she exuded, it was far beyond anyone I’ve seen before.

It didn’t make sense that she got beaten by beings I could handle alone.

“Of course! The strong ones are all too busy fighting me off, you know. I wasn’t completely losing either!”

“But in the end, you lost.”

“…Should I just go back?”

“Sorry.”

“…Anyway! Because of that, and since the hole in the dimensional wall isn’t that big yet, truly dangerous ones haven’t come through. But as time passes, stronger ones will start coming over. When that happens, this world will become desolate even faster.”

Tick-tock.

Edel imitated the sound of a clock with her mouth.

“If I were to compare, it’s like a time bomb, maybe?”

“Weren’t we supposed to solve this by being subjugated by Earth?”

“Sadly, no. That was just a means to delay the time bomb’s timer. Unless we solve the root issue, it’s bound to go boom one day!”

“…Why are you telling me this?”

Not only did she descend herself, but now she was explaining these things too.

Isn’t that a bit too much kindness for just one human?

Edel, who had been fiddling with a statue, approached me softly.

One step, then another.

As the distance between us shrank, the emotions swirling in her eyes became clearer.

“Didn’t I already say? You’re my sword.”

“…”

“If it’s to kill those who destroyed my world, I can be more than generous with this kindness.”

With her playful gaze, I found myself too stunned to speak after catching a glimpse of the emotion buried beneath it.

I never expected a being so distant from humanity would exhibit such human-like emotions.

But my moment of understanding was brief.

Quickly, Edel gathered her emotions and returned to her earlier playful demeanor, wearing a mischievous smile again.

“Okay, okay. Any more questions? Feel free to ask anything. For my little bird, I could tell you anything.”

“Just pick one—whether I’m a little bird or a sword.”

There’s a reason she’s being kind to me.

I don’t know how she expects me to defeat an opponent even she couldn’t overcome, but she’s been so straightforward; I guess I shouldn’t refuse.

I had plenty of questions ready, so this worked out well.

Huuuu…

“So, Apostle… what do you want to achieve through the players? Is it your doing that others don’t notice anything odd? If so, does that mean my weird feelings are part of your plans? And—”

“—Wait, wait, wait!”

Edel waved her hands hurriedly, cutting off my endless questions.

She was sweating buckets as she spoke.

“…Can you ask one at a time? I can’t answer if you keep it up like this.”

“Aren’t you a god and can’t do this?”

“Ugh, you really are a troublesome brat.”

…I almost wanted to smack her.

Edel muttered under her breath in a voice so small, she barely understood.

But for a moment, her face took on a kind glow.

Her smile felt almost benevolent, suddenly changing the atmosphere.

“Are those really the questions you want to ask?”

“…”

Once again, her counterattack left me breathless.

“…No.”

…Those hardly mattered to me.

What I truly wanted to ask—

“…Why did Garid have to die?”

If she had the power to grant such abilities to numerous players, it wouldn’t have been difficult to save one person.

Even in the scope of a game, saving a mere NPC is a trivial task, right?

Were the lives of the people of Silia merely expendable for the entertainment of the Earthlings?

“First, try to calm down.”

“I am calm enough.”

“With that fierce look on your face saying that, how can I possibly trust you?”

Face?

I raised my hand to touch my face and felt the soft skin beneath my fingertips.

It didn’t feel particularly different from usual.

“It’s true that I have the power of resurrection.”

“Then—”

“But I’ve never revived anyone for selfish reasons. I wouldn’t break the cycle of birth and death I created myself. Breaking established rules is such a hassle and exhausting thing to do.”

“…That was mentioned in the historical records too.”

“That’s only if they weren’t really dead from the start or if they paid an enormous price to bend the established rules. If you read the historical records, you might have an idea of what price they paid.”

I snapped back at her words.

“I can—”

“Not a chance.”

Edel cut me off decisively.

“Maybe later, but right now, you’re not strong enough to break rules.”

“…Then what about the Apostles and the players? They barely manage to take down a single monster…”

“Calm down.”

“Calm… do I look like I can calm down right now?”

“See? You’re definitely not calm at all; you should be able to calm down just fine.”

I’d rather not get stabbed by my own sword, so I better say something quickly, Edel started off.

“It pains my pride to say this, but it wasn’t solely done by my strength. It was achieved by cooperating with the manager of Earth.”

Even though she claimed to be subjugated to Earth, she still held the authority over Silia.

And only the manager of Earth could intervene with its humans.

So the two collaborated.

“They breathe like humans, speak like humans, and move like humans, but the bodies of the Apostles aren’t their true flesh. If there’s no concept of death, how can there be a concept of resurrection?”

“…”

Meaning, they were never given the power of resurrection from the beginning.

…What exactly did I come this far for?

Originally, I only wanted to argue with Edel when I first heard the story of the Apostles from the Blacksmith.

But as time passed and I began to suspect that this world might be a game…

I started thinking that their deaths and resurrections could just be an illusion.

Just like Edel had said.

“…Ha.”

A laugh escaped me without me even realizing it.

…Despite thinking that, why did I feel disappointed now?

Maybe deep down, I wanted Edel to acknowledge the unfairness and revive Garid.

Or perhaps I simply needed someone to vent this boiling resentment on.

But after hearing Edel’s words—

“At this rate, I can’t even resent her…”

I couldn’t voice any resentment toward Edel.

That’s because I instinctively recognized she had done her best in her own way.

“…”

I felt everything that had kept me standing up until now crumbling away.

Having left Garid’s side, I was holding onto nothing but this.

Now what was I supposed to do?

…The light that had been shining dimmed, and utter darkness enveloped my heart.

“Isn’t this what you really wanted?”

“…What do you mean?”

At that moment, Edel spoke with a teasing tone.

That I didn’t want this, huh.

Her direct contradiction to my heart made me respond reflexively.

“If that’s the case, then what exactly did I want?”

“You should know that yourself. How would I know what you desire?”

“…What?”

While she could read thoughts, she was asking me such a thing.

The absurdity of that perspective shook off the emptiness that seized me for a moment.

Though I looked up at her, unable to hide my incredulity, she remained smiling.

“What do you think was the reason you came with Joanie?”

“…I thought it was to help communicate, and also to check if my suspicions were correct…”

“If it were really just that, there are far simpler methods, right? For example—”

Zzap!

A spark flickered from Edel’s body.

At that moment, her figure faded, becoming so transparent it reflected the scenery on the opposite side.

“Looks like this is it for today. Sigh, soothing humans really is hard. I’m suddenly filled with respect for them.”

“What? Wait a minute…!”

“Even if you say that, I can’t do anything.”

“…You said to ask whatever I wanted.”

“No, I didn’t realize I’d only have this little time.”

Sorry!

Edel giggled while her form continued to grow fainter, now almost unrecognizable.

“…Three days. I think I’ll be able to recover somewhat in three days, so come back then. By that time, think deeply about what I said, and if you gain the will, we can—”

In the end, Edel didn’t finish her sentence before she vanished.

The holy power that had filled the prayer room disappeared, leaving only the remnants of the holy power Edel had spilled to drift around the room.

In the suddenly calm prayer room.

Left alone in a kneeling position, I blinked quietly.

“…So what is it I really wanted?”

I had a strange feeling that Edel was smiling.

—

Joanie was in an exceptionally good mood today.

“Ugh…!”

After sleeping like a log, which could only be described as pure bliss, she woke up feeling refreshed.

“Ah! Double yolk!”

While trying to fry an egg, she cracked it open to find a double yolk.

“Eh? Really? Did it really happen?!”

She even received news that a lucky draw she entered for fun had been successful.

Joanie noted the other small strokes of luck accompanying her that day.

“Today is definitely going to be a perfect day…!”

A rare, perfect day was indeed today.

But there was something she overlooked.

“…Kana?”

Just because the start is good doesn’t mean the finish will be great.

Having a bad day right from the start or bringing home food and not being able to eat it…

There are countless sayings and examples that prove this.

While chatting with her viewers in her room, Joanie heard the door open and was about to greet Kana with excitement but froze in a ridiculous pose at Kana’s expression.

“…You.”

After seeing her, Kana appeared ready to say something but then threw herself back onto the bed without uttering a word.

Thud!

Then, she pulled the blanket up over her head.

Joanie looked at the bulging blanket and muttered.

“…What in the world is going on?”

– Going through a phase?

– Hmph, Kana is sulking.

– Acting just like my little brother, geez;

“Going through a phase…?”

…Was Kana of that age?

Even if she were going through such a phase, would a kid who was perfectly fine until this morning suddenly act like that?

– Isn’t that exactly what going through a phase is?

– Teens tend to act moody even without a reason, lol.

“No, what I mean is, can a phase really start so suddenly? Sure, Kana has been cranky but she wasn’t the type to act emotionally, was she?”

– That’d be…

– We’ve informed you.

– Not sure, lol.

“…Ugh, fine. I’m a fool for talking to you guys, total fool.”

Joanie sighed deeply and turned her eyes away from the chat window.

She wondered if this behavior meant she was heartbroken over something she didn’t obtain.

But it didn’t seem like that was quite the case.

Joanie, analyzing how Kana behaved, ultimately threw in the towel.

One thing was clear: the difference between the Kana she saw this morning and the Kana now was so stark it was as if they were two different people.

“I wanted to watch the descent ceremony together…”

Although Joanie usually clung to Kana, whining and begging, she couldn’t muster the courage to do that now.

Every person has a boundary they must not cross.

Even the gentlest individuals can turn vicious the moment someone crosses that line.

Joanie sensed that the boundary within Kana’s heart was set exceedingly high.

While it did lower at certain points, in general, it was challenging to cross unless done intentionally.

But today, Kana’s boundary appeared to be so low that it was buried underground.

If I touch it now, it’s definitely not going to end well.

– Joanie’s intuition told her to swallow hard.

A sense of urgency rang loud and clear, distinctly different from the Phoenix Fried Rice incident.

“…I can skip a day if I need to! Yeah!”

She had been through a lot over the past few days.

Today can simply be a day off!

It’s not likely she’ll be in the same state tomorrow, right?

Joanie forced a smile, trying to ignore the unsettling sense of peace that crept over her.

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