Chapter 163 What's going on in Chapter 163?

Gods.

This should be a concept that needs no explanation. Different people have different definitions of the existence of "gods." For the general public, when "gods" are mentioned, the first reaction is likely to be a certain religion, or a character in a myth that has been passed down to this day and is familiar to everyone.

For those with supernatural abilities who primarily reside in Yokohama, Japan, "gods" take on another meaning closely related to their abilities. Similarly, for those who are aware of a society plagued by calamities, the concept of "gods" is quite different.

The "god" that Tsukino and Chiya mentioned earlier refers to the deity as commonly defined in a society plagued by disasters.

Aurora knew this too.

Unlike the gods generally believed in by society, and even in the eyes of some people with special abilities... the gods of the calamity society are quite different.

In a society plagued by disaster, faith comes first, and then deities. Deities are born from the believers. When a group of believers collectively accept a new "common sense" for them, then this "common sense" becomes reality among the believers... In short, "as long as you believe, it can become reality."

In other words, in a society plagued by disasters, becoming a god is probably, perhaps, possibly, seemingly... indeed not a difficult thing.

While such "gods" seem to have too many restrictions... well, they are still gods after all. To become a god, to become more powerful... that is indeed a great temptation.

At least Aurora was definitely tempted.

It has always pursued power, but it wants more than just power; otherwise, it wouldn't be so obsessed with dragging all sorts of humans into its game. And the idea of ​​turning a monster into a god does indeed sound... very interesting!

Of course it wants to be a god!

Perhaps at first, it wasn't much different from before after becoming a god, but it could gradually expand humanity's faith in it, gain more power, and then... it could better carry out its games in the name of the gods.

But is becoming a god really all good?

Not entirely... But aren't Tsukino and Chiya there?

He will help you. So there's no need to worry too much.

That's what Aurora thinks.

It wasn't without its suspicions about Tsukino and Chiya's intentions. But... wasn't Ouma Kokichi's life still in its own hands? Such an obvious weakness was far too easy to exploit, wasn't it? Moreover, faced with some absolutely overwhelming power, did Tsukino and Chiya really have the leeway to engage in underhanded tactics?

Besides that...

Although Aurora didn't fully acquire Tsukino and Chiya's memories, it still knew some things. Because of what it knew, Aurora felt that Tsukino and Chiya hadn't deceived it.

“In that case, you must strive to become my ‘Divine Mirror’.” Aurora agreed to Tsukino and Chiya’s earlier suggestion. “I will let you go. Unlike the other sisters who can’t control their desires, I can restrain myself from killing you. As long as you help me well, I will let you go.”

Let them go? Does not killing them equate to letting them go? Then the definition of "letting them go" is rather...

Tsukino and Chiya thought to themselves, but on the surface they quickly nodded: "You know about the 'Divine Mirror'?"

"I know a little bit. In short, you're God's spokesperson, right? You'll be the one who witnesses me becoming God, and you deserve such an honor."

So that's how it is... Although they had already confirmed this, Tsukino and Chiya couldn't help but sigh inwardly after hearing it. This doll's understanding of the Calamity Society was indeed not particularly deep. Even though it knew some of the past, future, and even the development of another world, and even directly reproduced some past scenes, its knowledge was still limited.

Tsukino and Chiya thought that if Ohma was looking at his past, he probably wouldn't have seen the complete scene.

That's true. If someone truly achieved omniscience and omnipotence through such power, wouldn't that monster also be able to become a god entirely through its own power?

According to the definition of the Calamity Society, a "divine mirror" is someone whose "wavelength matches" that of a god—basically, a priest or high priest, a messenger of the god…but none of that matters. What matters is that a divine mirror can communicate with the gods and even share memories. Tsukino and Chiya know that Yomei once became a divine mirror in Chie Minoru's hometown.

Shared memories...

“I understand. However, you seem to have misunderstood something,” Tsukino and Chiya said. “I am indeed willing to help you become a god. But you should also know that I am not a Calamity Messenger, nor do I have any intention of getting involved in my mother’s work. In other words, my understanding of calamities is limited… To ensure success, you’d better have Higashigo Miya help me.”

"If that's the case, why don't I just kill you and then have her assist me?"

"Do you really think that way? She's not like me... Do you want to try to perish together with her and attract the attention of others who are watching the Black Goat? Although the anomaly may not be able to be completely killed, there may be other ways to seal you in the Calamity Society. To be honest, there are quite a few strong people in the Calamity Society, and quite a few may be interested after learning about the existence of the anomaly... It will be very troublesome before you are really strong enough."

“That makes a lot of sense.” Aurora agreed. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. You’ll see her later.”

Tsukino and Chiya: "What about Ohma?"

"Don't worry. Since he's the person I'm dealing with, there's nothing to worry about," Aurora said considerately. "I'll give you a day."

"After dark tomorrow, I will wait for you at the old school building at Hope's Peak... or for all of you."

As she finished speaking, Aurora's figure began to gradually fade away. Along with her, the surrounding environment also became unstable.

However, before the scene around them, which had been frozen in that instant, completely collapsed, Tsukino and Chiya noticed a figure that suddenly appeared.

It's Ouma Kokichi.

Perhaps because he had always been in a state of being invisible, Ouma Kokichi's face did not retain any expression, and he just quietly looked at the place where Tsukino and Chiya were.

Upon noticing that gaze, Tsukino and Chiyo were slightly taken aback.

Was he there the whole time? Or did he watch for a long time...?

The moment that thought crossed my mind, the surrounding environment changed completely.

I'm back.

This is the old school building.

The three people present had spent several days in different illusions, and now that they had suddenly returned here, they felt as if they had been in another world.

"Hmm? You came back so suddenly... You all seem to be safe and sound." Higashigo Mimi seemed to be in normal condition as well. "What happened to you? I've finally seen the whole story of the red-haired doll. It's pretty much as you guessed, but seeing it with my own eyes gave me a better understanding of the details... I'll wait and see."

The purple-haired woman's gaze shifted back and forth between the two boys: "What's going on? How long are you two going to stare at each other like that?"

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Author's Note: I wouldn't dare say I've completely mastered the worldviews of Werewolf Village and DMLC... plus, the worldviews of both haven't been fully developed yet, so there will be a lot of my own interpretations in my writing...orz