Becoming a Monster

Chapter 704: Chapter 703: The Outcome Was Never the Point

There was something almost ironic about the situation.

Not long ago, it had been Noah who brought the fighting between humans and monsters to a halt. His descent had been enough to make both sides temporarily forget their enemies, forcing them to confront the danger his presence represented.

And now, Heaven had accomplished something remarkably similar.

Only this time, the two sides weren’t reacting in quite the same way.

For the humans, the radiance descending from above had brought something many of them had begun to lose.

Hope.

After everything they had witnessed, from the overwhelming strength of Noah’s creatures to the celestial beings struggling against them, many had begun to believe that their defeat was inevitable.

But now, with such an extraordinary amount of holy energy descending from Heaven, perhaps there was still a chance for them to survive.

Unfortunately, Noah’s creatures were experiencing the exact opposite.

Even the Fallen who had received Noah’s power were beginning to question whether they could possibly contend with whatever was descending.

After all, if the holy energy alone was enough to make them instinctively retreat, what would happen when they were forced to confront the being responsible for it?

Fortunately for them, those concerns didn’t last quite as long as they might have expected.

Unfortunately for the humans, that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

By the time the transformation reached its completion, the overwhelming purity that had filled the battlefield began to subside.

The radiance gradually diminished, and with it went much of the instinctive fear that had seized Noah’s creatures.

It wasn’t that the holy energy had disappeared entirely. The being that had emerged was still radiating an extraordinary amount of power, but it was nowhere near as overwhelming as the energy that had accompanied its descent.

That didn’t mean it was weak. Judging by its aura alone, it was considerably stronger than the Seraphim that had previously managed to contend with Noah.

Like the one Noah had been fighting, it possessed a humanoid body, with three pairs of enormous wings extending from its back. Its entire figure was covered in overlapping white feathers, giving it an appearance that was unmistakably celestial.

Yet there were several differences that immediately set it apart.

For one, its wings were covered in countless eyes. They were scattered across the feathers in such numbers that it was difficult to find a section without one, their blue irises moving independently as they surveyed their surroundings.

But what made this Seraphim particularly unusual was its face.

Rather than possessing recognizable human features, its head was surrounded by an elaborate arrangement of long, white feathers that extended outward in several directions, almost resembling a crown. Smaller feathers overlapped across the front of its face, concealing much of what should have been its facial features.

And nestled among those feathers were several more eyes, positioned at different heights and angles, making it difficult to determine where the creature was actually looking.

Despite the humanoid shape of its body, there was nothing remotely human about its face.

And of all the people witnessing its arrival, there was perhaps no one more relieved than Malachi.

The smile on his face had yet to disappear.

He had succeeded.

The ritual had been completed, and with the angel finally preparing to descend, there was no longer any reason for him to sacrifice himself.

More importantly, her arrival meant that everything could still be remedied.

Noah and his Fallen might have been considerably stronger than anyone had anticipated, but Malachi refused to believe they could possibly contend with an angel who had descended directly from Heaven.

And once she had dealt with them, the Church could begin recovering from the losses it had suffered.

Malachi was already considering what would need to be done afterward when he suddenly sensed a familiar presence returning to his consciousness.

The angel.

He had been expecting her to contact him now that the ritual was complete, and considering everything he had accomplished, he was rather curious about what she intended to say.

More importantly, he hoped that his success would be enough to make up for his earlier refusal to sacrifice himself.

‘You have fulfilled your purpose, Malachi.’

Hearing those words, Malachi couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

Of course he had.

And receiving that acknowledgment only reinforced his belief that he had made the right decision earlier. After all, hadn’t his refusal to sacrifice himself allowed him to accomplish the same objective without depriving Heaven of one of its most capable servants?

Unfortunately, the angel’s next words were nothing like what he had expected.

‘However, your actions have also demonstrated that you are no longer worthy of the position Heaven bestowed upon you.’

Malachi’s smile faltered.

‘What do you mean?’

‘When you were called upon to offer your life in service of God’s will, you refused. Rather than placing your duty above your own existence, you chose to preserve yourself, even when doing so threatened the mission you had been entrusted to fulfill.’

Malachi could hardly believe what he was hearing.

Was she seriously bringing that up now?

Hadn’t he managed to find another way for her to descend? The sacrifice required to complete the ritual had already been made, and the angel was finally capable of entering the world without requiring his death.

Yet before he could voice those thoughts, she continued.

‘You were chosen to serve God’s will, not your own. And having demonstrated that you would place your life above the purpose entrusted to you, you shall no longer be recognized as one of God’s chosen.’

Malachi’s expression darkened.

‘You’re telling me that everything I’ve accomplished means nothing because I refused to sacrifice myself?’

He wasn’t even attempting to conceal his anger anymore.

‘I’ve devoted my entire life to serving Heaven. I’ve carried out your instructions, strengthened the Church, and accomplished things that countless others could never have achieved. And even when everything appeared hopeless, I didn’t abandon our cause. I still managed to bring you here!’

The more Malachi considered her judgment, the more unreasonable it seemed.

He could understand why the angel might have been displeased with his earlier hesitation. But surely the outcome should have mattered as well. If he had sacrificed himself, Heaven would have lost one of its most capable servants, whereas his decision had allowed them to achieve their objective without suffering that loss.

‘Was I supposed to throw away my life when there was another way? Would my death have somehow made this victory more meaningful? You know how much I’ve contributed to our cause. How many others could have accomplished what I have?’

But the angel showed no indication of reconsidering her decision.

‘Your accomplishments do not excuse your failure, Malachi. You were entrusted with a purpose, and when fulfilling it demanded your life, you hesitated. That alone has made you unworthy of the privilege you were granted.’

‘And your refusal has come at a cost that you have yet to comprehend.’

Malachi frowned.

‘What cost? The ritual was successful. The Seraphim has already been summoned.’

‘That was never the purpose of your sacrifice, Malachi. As one of God’s chosen, your life was meant to serve as the offering that would allow me to descend directly into this world, bringing with me enough power to destroy the Devil.’

Malachi’s expression changed slightly.

‘But because you refused, I was forced to seek another means of entering this world. The sacrifice you provided was sufficient to summon a Seraphim, and through the connection we share, I can transfer my consciousness into its body. However, such a vessel cannot contain the full extent of my power.’

The implications of her words were beginning to become clear.

‘Even after taking possession of the Seraphim, I will possess only a fraction of the strength I would have commanded had you fulfilled your duty. And considering that the devil had managed to bring out his full power, I may no longer be capable of defeating him without assistance.’

Malachi struggled to comprehend what she was telling him.

He had assumed that the ritual’s success meant the problem had been resolved. The Seraphim had appeared, and judging by the extraordinary amount of holy energy accompanying its arrival, he had every reason to believe Heaven had finally gained the advantage.

Yet now she was telling him that his decision had compromised their chances of defeating Noah?

‘Then why didn’t you tell me that the two methods would produce such different results?’

‘You were given an instruction, Malachi. You were not asked to determine whether another method would be sufficient.’

That answer did little to satisfy him.

If the difference was so significant, shouldn’t she have explained it beforehand? He might have been willing to consider other possibilities if he had understood the consequences, but how could she expect him to make such a decision without knowing what was truly at stake?

And even then, was it really reasonable to condemn him for finding another way when the alternative had been his own death?

But if defeating Noah was truly so important, why did they have to accomplish it here?

The Church had already suffered tremendous losses, and even the angel had admitted that she might no longer possess enough power to defeat the Devil alone. Continuing the battle under those circumstances seemed unnecessarily reckless, especially when they had yet to exhaust all their available resources.

Surely there was a better alternative.

‘Then why don’t we retreat?’