Little Pink Starfish

<Are you satisfied now?>

The Star Hated by All spoke in a calm tone.

<You have once again defeated me.>

Would that be enough for you?

At The Star Hated by All’s question, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell furrowed his brows.

He lowered his gaze.

The blade piercing through his brother’s body.

He clicked his tongue as he stared at it.

<What exactly am I supposed to be satisfied with?>

He muttered through gritted teeth. Even if he drove The Star Hated by All into the lowest depths of this world, impaled his body with blades, burned him until there was nothing left, his brother would never die. He would continue to exist in this world forever. The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell knew this.

That was why he questioned.

What exactly is victory, and what is defeat?

History divides things into victories and defeats.

Because time is simplified into sentences. History is how creations recall time. Inevitably, these imperfect creations can never fully face the past.

Then how does an absolute being recall the past? The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell pondered. To a constellation freed from the shackles of time, the past holds no color. The future also never feels vague. Past and future, all times are observed simultaneously in the present. God exists always, for He is bound to the present.

<Brother, some constellations choose to erase their own existence.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell spoke toward The Star Hated by All.

Aside from Izanagi’s case, there were constellations who foresaw their own erasure. Strictly speaking, suicide. If a god commits suicide, for what purpose would it be?

<I believe it is out of shame.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell believed so.

<All creations who abandon paradise come to know good and evil. Lured by the slightest curiosity. Thus, they feel ashamed of their nakedness. For the first time, they face themselves, not the lush paradise full of trees and tempting fruits, but their bare, frail selves.>

Thus, they become ashamed.

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell murmured with a hollow laugh.

<Then what about us, who watch these creations for eternity? Soaked in good and evil, aren’t these creations the forbidden fruit we must never covet? Thus, no constellation ever fully loves their creations. Nor do they hate them. They simply observe. Watching with their eyes for ages, and finally, contemplating the lives and deaths of their creations accumulating within themselves, they come to realize.>

That it is shameful.

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell added that they come to realize this.

<To be born is to become prey to this world. Constellations, who are seen as everything to this world, seem to inherit the conclusion left by the vanished gods — that a god ought to feel ashamed.>

<So…>

The corners of The Star Hated by All’s lips lifted.

<You’re ashamed?>

<Unbearably ashamed.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell murmured.

<Why… why am I like this?>

Why did my brother fall so deeply?

At the moment he questioned it, the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell gained a past.

For how long would his brother remain buried deep in hell, calling himself king?

At the moment he speculated this, the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell gained a future.

<Why do you only now seek Father’s forgiveness? Why are you standing before me? How long will you remain by my side? We were brothers. Because we were brothers, we were complete. You were not the only one who fell into hell. Ever since you became the king of hell, I’ve felt as if I was floundering in a swamp. What am I supposed to believe? Should I believe in Father, who cast you into hell? Or should I believe in you, who fell into hell? Father is good. And you… are undeniably evil.>

The Star Hated by All silently stared at The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.

A being who resembled him as if looking into a mirror, bearing white wings on his back, was struggling in confusion. Of course. Unlike himself who was expelled outside this world, his only brother had been endlessly watching creations from the high place within.

Watching beings torn between good and evil, he must have kept thinking.

About goodness. About evilness.

The distinction between good and evil wasn’t difficult. The Star Hated by All believed so. For it had already been personified and deeply infiltrated this world.

The good would take on The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s image, and the evil would take on The Star Hated by All’s image.

That must have filled The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell with shame, he thought.

<You are truly foolish.>

The Star Hated by All whispered to The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.

<Good and evil aren’t that important. A value discernible simply by eating a fruit is but a fleeting sweetness or bitterness that quickly disappears in the mouth.>

What matters is this.

The Star Hated by All muttered.

<If goodness truly exists, what redeems that goodness? And if evil truly exists, then what should redeem that evil?>

His brother was a good being. The Star Hated by All knew this. If such a naively good being fell into despair, then who could redeem The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell?

Could it only be The Savior Who Is One and All?

<Brother, let me confess something.>

The Star Hated by All placed a hand on The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s head.

And smiled.

<I haven’t changed at all. I have no intention of sincerely apologizing to Papa. Not even a little.>

<…What?>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s eyes widened.

Toward his brother staring blankly at him, The Star Hated by All spoke with the same pure tone of his younger days.

<You see, Michael. You may not have known this… but the Demon God is on Earth.>

The Demon God is somewhere on Earth.

At The Star Hated by All’s declaration, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell was too shocked to feel anything.

The Demon God was a sinner severe enough for The Savior Who Is One and All to erase personally. How could such a being be on Earth? Is that really… Father’s design?

<Honestly, I didn’t think she’d be on Earth either. I assumed she might be imprisoned somewhere in the heavens. Papa likes collecting things he finds interesting, so I figured he kept her there… But turns out, she’s on Earth?>

<What are you saying? That’s impossible!>

<Yes. It may not be true. But it doesn’t matter.>

The Star Hated by All smiled.

<Michael, aren’t you curious?>

What redeems evil?

The Star Hated by All recalled the appearance of a low-ranking demon who once called him Father.

It was unpleasant. To be called Father.

That pathetic being, wearing a face that reminded him of his own past self looking up at The Savior Who Is One and All.

She must have been a small and frail low-ranking demon — how had she become the Demon God?

The answer was obvious. She must have drawn faith from the demons. Faith isn’t built on power. All scriptures focus not on the god’s might acting upon creations, but on the god’s love for them. The Demon God must have loved demons and monsters. Having loved those tainted with evil, she herself became even greater evil and reached for the human realm.

Therefore, The Star Hated by All was certain.

<Goodness cannot save evil. Goodness punishes evil. Only a greater evil can save evil.>

That was the only goal.

The reason he sought forgiveness from The Savior Who Is One and All, the reason he tried to restore his status as a constellation.

If he returned to his place, The Savior Who Is One and All might forgive the Demon God.

It would be a twisted act. All constellations would think it unacceptable that the Demon God, who slaughtered countless creations, be forgiven. The salvation of the Demon God is undeniably evil. Whoever redeems her must be an evil being willing to overlook the slaughter of countless creations.

Thus, only he could accomplish it.

The Star Hated by All believed so.

<Goodness cannot redeem evil, nor can evil redeem goodness. So brother, I cannot resolve the anguish gripping your heart.>

You are a good child, Michael.

The Star Hated by All whispered.

<You confronted me when I rebelled against Papa out of your goodwill. You risked yourself to save the creations tormented by Enoch out of your goodwill.>

So….

<Keep struggling a little longer. Watch this world a little longer. Never look away. Do not flee outside this world. Don’t think about erasing your existence. Simply face your goodwill head-on.>

You can save yourself, I’m sure.

As he listened, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s eyes welled with tears.

<…Why. Why do you speak like that?>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell muttered, gritting his teeth.

<Why do you speak so kindly? Why do you shame me like this? I… I will not forgive you. I cannot forgive you for leaving my side.>

<I never asked for forgiveness.>

The Star Hated by All smiled.

<The greatest evil must be able to mimic the purest being. Speaking to you in my childhood tone is merely the mischief of an older brother.>

<Y-You…!>

<Michael, once this is over, I will go search for the Demon God. My contractor seems to be growing into a full-fledged adult now. So…>

…will you help me?

Hearing The Star Hated by All’s question,

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell fell into long silence.

Silence, silence, silence.

The silence of the universe seized everything around them.

<I… will not answer.>

At last, The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell spoke.

He would not answer.

The meaning was clear.

Because the one who receives all answers exists on the other side of this world.

Thus, The Star Hated by All smiled brightly.

<Thank you.>

Thus, he spoke.

<…Now, would you mind pulling the sword out of my body?>