Everything that happened after that flowed by without a sense of reality, like a dream.
Shei tried to say not to discriminate against beastmen, but those words faded into the shouts of the crowd. Instead, Shei's trivial remarks were amplified and spread.
The world was filthy and dirty. Having watched so much filth, even Shei didn't want to lay a hand on it.
Shei, who didn't know much more than that to begin with, immersed herself in training instead of getting involved in the world. Her qi cultivation wasn't satisfactory, but she became quite accustomed to drawing out the power of Tian'ying.
However, during that time, the era flowed uncontrollably.
"Listen here. We are merely those who serve the Earth Mother God! Why are you restraining us?"
"It's nothing compared to the deeds you've committed."
"Deeds? What are you talking about? Surely you don't believe the absurd rumor that the corpse golems that emerged from the Bottomless Pit were actually created by the Earth Mother Cult?"
"We have evidence. The clothing and burial customs of the past Earth Mother believers were actually found inside the corpse golems."
"Everyone knows that! The story of the 200,000 people the Hegemon buried alive in the old days! They were victims who gathered to honor the sacrificed and were buried together!"
"If the Earth Mother believers hadn't rained down curses, would the Bottomless Pit have formed and the corpse golems appeared? It's all your fault. There was even a prophecy from the Salvation Saintess."
"A prophecy...?!"
"At the bottom of the Bottomless Pit lies the Earth Mother God's treasure, and the Earth Immortal will obtain it and... attempt to defy the heavens."
"What?!"
That was not a fabrication or a lie. That was why it was even more of a problem.
The Earth Mother believers, who knew nothing, were further persecuted and solidly gathered beneath the surface. The Earth Immortal and other Earth Mother believers, who were actually plotting to defy the heavens, grew even more powerful.
Among the Earth Mother believers, there were believers who believed in the Earth Mother God, but also ascetics who had left the secular world, such as those from Daoism and folk beliefs. They expressed dissatisfaction with the Holy Imperial Court and the vassal states' excessive measures and supported the Earth Mother God.
The Earth Immortal even gained a just cause and supporting forces.
The world looked at Shei's prophecy and murmured that it was self-fulfilling.
Even more so.
"The Military Nation is the culprit."
The calamities gathered in the Bottomless Pit. The war waged without a declaration afterward. And Shei's personal grudge. All of that combined made Shei speak a bit hastily, which soon caused an enormous reverberation.
"The Bottomless Pit was originally there, but the Kingdom managed it."
"The Kingdom protected its honor and guarded that cursed hole, but..."
"When the Military Nation rebelled, strange things happened."
"Things that happened because they killed the righteous monarch!"
Since the Bottomless Pit disappeared and vitality returned to the Bottomless Plains, some vassal states were in a position to compete with the Military Nation over the interests of that land. They needed to keep the Military Nation in check so it wouldn't grow stronger.
Shei's prophecy suited their tastes. The vassal states used Shei's prophecy as a weapon to continue their pressure against the Military Nation.
And the Military Nation, too, used this.
"The Earth Mother believers, vampires, and beastmen... formed an alliance with the Military Nation?!"
After conquering the Ten Nations, which were virtually no different from a stateless society, and establishing puppet states, they formed an alliance with the Mist Principality. Then, they took in the beastmen wandering the Enger Plains into the Ten Nations. Every process occurred simultaneously.
Systematic movements that seemed to overlook this grand board at a glance. Before they could even respond, the Military Nation's power grew even larger. To the point where even the Empire couldn't ignore it.
"What... is this... I..."
At the news of the alliance with the Mist Principality, even the vassal states shrank back. The vassal states sent letters to the Holy Imperial Court day after day to inform them of this fact, dropping hints as if expecting something. Shei didn't know what that meant at all, but one of the Holy Sword Order members next to her told her.
"It means they want the Holy Imperial Court to organize a crusade and declare a holy war."
"...What happens if we do that?"
"A holy war will be waged in the name of God. A war where victory is promised by the Saintess's prophecy."
Victory is promised? Shei doesn't know the outcome of this war. In her past, a war of this scale never broke out.
Then how on earth can they promise victory?
"I need to consult..."
Shei went to look for the other saintesses, but suddenly realized it had been quite a while since she had seen any of them. Shei looked for the other saintesses, including Tichiel. But no one was visible in Shei's eyes.
As if all the other saintesses had disappeared.
No. If she looked for them, they were definitely there. But they didn't get involved with Shei. They didn't stop her actions, help her, or offer their opinions. They crossed paths. They didn't associate with her.
Why? For what reason?
A sudden feeling of floating. Reality was different from any of Shei's past worlds. Above all, Shei had changed. Right now, Shei wasn't even a saintess but had the appearance of one, so it felt like this very moment wasn't reality.
If she could truly promise victory, that would be one thing. But Shei didn't have that capability.
A crushing burden. Confusion of not knowing what to do. Mounting pressure. Anxiety and urgency. A sense of responsibility.
In an extreme situation that could easily break a person.
"Ugh. Whatever. If things go wrong, I'll just regress."
Shei stopped pondering.
"Declare a holy war!"
The crusade was organized.
8th cycle. The Military Nation was destroyed.
At first, the Military Nation seemed to have the upper hand. The vassal states couldn't overcome the foundation of the allied Military Nation. Beastmen, vampires, the wild dogs of the Ten Nations, and other outcasts. They were swept up and down by the unconventional tactics of those far removed from order.
However, when the Empire stepped in, the situation was reversed.
While the vassal states were struggling against the Military Nation's offensive, the Imperial Army quickly defeated the Military Nation's main force. The Empire's power vastly surpassed the Military Nation's, and it instantly saw through their systematic strategy. The Imperial Tri-Palace descended upon the heart of the Military Nation, and its command center collapsed.
Meanwhile, the Earth Immortal and the vampire troops ambushed the Holy Imperial Court, but the Court was safe thanks to the holy sacrifice of the Rose Vassal State and the Marigold Vassal State. Just as the Imperial army, arriving late, was about to strike them from behind, they missed the chance due to the sabotage of some Magic Dao Federation members who were trying to keep the Empire in check.
The vassal states occupied the Military Nation and plundered its citizens. However, there couldn't be anything left to loot from the Military Nation's citizens. The Military Nation had already taken everything.
Vampires, beastmen, and other outcasts.
The enraged soldiers decided to take away the few remaining things the people had. The citizens of the Military Nation, who had been plundered by the Military Nation their entire lives, died at the hands of other invaders.
They thought everything was over like that, but.
The remnants of the Military Nation finally came into contact with the Demon God of the Myriad Nations.
The pervasive death and war in the world bloomed the King of Sin.
The world ends. Only resentment and lamentation fill the world. The Empire, the vassal states, and everyone else died resenting Shei, who caused this situation.
But no one cares about their resentment.
Just as they didn't care about the resentment they created in the Military Nation.
"Bring that witch!"
"If we offer the witch as a sacrifice, we can survive!"
Now Shei had become a witch. But Shei didn't really care. She felt a certain moral responsibility, but that was limited to her immediate surroundings.
Why should she feel sorry for those bastards in the distance who distorted her words and died as they pleased, people she didn't even know well? The only people Shei felt sorry for were the few acquaintances who helped her at the Holy Imperial Court. As for the rest, she was sorry, but it was none of her business.
However, them coming armed to kill her was her business.
Shei, who fled alone with Tian'ying, took a deep breath. The Holy Sword Order threw themselves in, believing until the very end that the Saintess would lead them to victory and to heaven. Thanks to that, Shei was able to escape safely even in that situation.
"This cycle is ruined too."
However, Shei could already feel it with her intuition as a regressor. The world had already ended, and she had to go back.
"Should I commit suicide? No. I've come this far, so that's a bit of a waste. Let's try using Tian'ying and slam it somewhere. But charging in blindly is no different from suicide..."
While Shei was seriously pondering this, someone appeared without a sound. Even Shei, whose intuition was sharp, was late to notice.
'She' floated before Shei's eyes as a faint illusion. Her presence was as thin as air. It was hard to tell if she was here or not. Yet, even in that moment, her beauty and transience were profoundly felt.
[Sheiel.]
"Kyaa!"
'She' spoke to Shei in a transient, clear voice. Startled, Shei immediately thrust Tian'ying forward, but hastily withdrew it just before it touched the illusion. Shei asked with a trembling voice.
"The Heavenly Saintess...?"
The Heavenly Saintess.
The one who attained that position.
She, who is known to have the highest rank in the Holy Imperial Court and among the Saintesses. A true prophetess who peeks into countless futures while asleep and returns.
For some reason, she didn't open her eyes this time, but they say that when she opens her eyes, everything will return to its natural order.
Why did she only appear now? The world has already ended. It doesn't seem like the world will change even if Meiel opens her eyes now. The only option left is regression. It would be different if she had appeared earlier...
[That's right. I should have appeared earlier. But, I didn't. On purpose.]
Meiel smiled transiently and affirmed.
[Forgive me, Shei. In your recent prophecy, I did not open my eyes. Not only me, but all the other saintesses erased their own fates and closed their eyes.]
"Huh...? Why?"
[That is, I'm sorry, but it was to test you. It was to know whether the saintess of your prophecy was the chosen one capable of preventing the impending end. Because you came from outside our prophecies.]
Actually, she didn't quite understand what she meant. Unless one was a saintess, no one would have understood. She roughly understood that they had tested her, and that was probably the correct answer.
Perhaps it was a necessary thing. The saintesses needed to know Shei's ability in order to decide whether to help her or not.
But more than that, Shei first felt a bit of discomfort.
[Since I saw that in this world, I won't leave it solely to you next time, Sheiel. Promise me.]
"...So what do we do now? Suicide?"
[Shei. What do you want to do?]
"I need to see as much as possible before I die. That's all that's left in the end."
Thinking like that, Shei felt relieved.
The status of a saintess? Wealth and power? The reverence of all? None of it matters. That belongs to someone else.
Shei's power is regression. In the end, what supported Shei up to this point, from beginning to end, was the power of regression.
If she's going to regress anyway, let's use this regression as a weapon.
[I will guide you. Nothing will block your way, so go your path, Sheiel.]
"Shei."
[Yes?]
"Call me Shei. And I'll call you Meiel."
Is she drawing a line? Or does it mean she wants to be on equal footing with the other?
Perhaps the two aren't so different. Anyway, Shei requested it of Meiel.
Shei, who received the blessing, had nothing to fear.
The earth and the wind guided Shei's path, and the enemies who should have blocked her way were caught up in various incidents and accidents. They fought amongst themselves, missed the timing, or took the wrong path, thus missing Shei.
Even amidst the countless enemies and malice targeting Shei, only her surroundings were peaceful. Having received the saintess's blessing, Shei walked forward without hesitation.
Meanwhile, at some point, the presence of humans disappeared.
Meiel's guidance was also cut off around that time. Rather than disappearing or running away, it felt like it was blocked by something. At the same time, the heavy hostility and the loud noises all disappeared.
Not even the insects cry. The wind is dead, its waist broken. The living breath of an entire region has completely stopped.
Only silence filled the world.
If there is nothing, no sin arises. If one is not alive to begin with, there is no original sin. If one is not born, there is no pain.
If punishing sin is justice.
Then a fair death would be peace.
"Probably..."
The King of Sin, wielding a scythe to harvest human sins. Shei stood before her once again.
And she realized.
"I must stop this."
A sense of responsibility? Duty? The greater good? Justice?
None of that matters.
Just so Shei can live.
The dreamlike 8th cycle ended.