Xingyue, is Xiaokai also considered Kai?

Shejina had long been accustomed to all of this, accustomed to defining her own existence within these polarized and grand concepts.

However, it's cute...

This word, brimming with the warmth of human life and carrying a touch of intimacy and gentleness, is being used to describe something for the first time in my life.

Out of place, utterly absurd.

Incomprehensible.

Shejina racked her brains trying to think of what it meant to be "cute," but she couldn't reconcile her utterly defeated and ugly appearance, which she almost completely rejected herself, with the word "cute."

The conclusion is no.

Absolutely not.

Incorrect evaluation.

So, Shejina could only raise her head blankly and stare at the silver-haired youth in front of her.

That being said, the word "cute" made Shekina's heart clench uncontrollably.

Novia's smile widened.

He seemed to have seen through all her reactions at that moment, and had anticipated them all.

“Of course,” he said matter-of-factly.

"A god who thought himself omnipotent and always right, after trying all the things he thought were 'right,' eventually found that he was completely wrong from beginning to end."

Noah extended a finger and gently traced an invisible path in the air.

"The huge gap that arises when you fall from a perfect self-perception to the abyss of an imperfect reality; and the bewildered, aggrieved, and helpless expression on your face right now, as if asking 'Why did it turn out like this?'... Isn't that adorable?"

If these words were spoken by someone else, they would undoubtedly be a relentless pursuit filled with extreme arrogance and malicious mockery.

however,

The seemingly condescending judgment that came from Novia's mouth did not make Shekina feel the slightest bit humiliated by being looked down upon.

"But……"

Shejina hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

Countless words, countless excuses, countless self-denials, were stuck in that broken throat.

But... I lost.

A crushing defeat.

I lost everything, I lost my dignity, I lost the entire meaning of my existence.

How could someone like me be worthy of...?

What right do I have to be... described by you with such words...?

Novia did not give her the chance to continue wallowing in self-doubt.

He waved his hand slightly, interrupting all of Shejina's unspoken words.

"All right."

"Let's leave those irrelevant self-evaluations behind."

Novia's expression softened slightly.

"Let's get down to business, Shekina."

"According to the Gnostic tradition, I will here declare the final victor in the contest between 'Demiu' and 'Sophia'."

His tone remained as relaxed as ever.

"In this struggle, you have been utterly defeated."

Icy.

objective.

It is devoid of any emotional coloring, which makes it seem all the more real and all the more cruel.

"Your world has been usurped by your 'son'."

"Your will is being manipulated by your 'child'."

"Your power is used by your 'son'."

With each word Novia spoke, Shekina's body trembled involuntarily.

“In the end,” Novia’s voice was very calm, “you were ruthlessly abandoned, losing everything you had, including your dignity as a ‘god’.”

Yes.

Yes, that's it.

I lost.

Everything I had was taken away.

I ruined everything with my own hands.

but--

After reviewing all of Shekina's failures one by one, as if presenting evidence in court, Novia smiled again.

"...And that, Shekina—is precisely the reason for your victory."

“……………………Eh?”

Shejina made an incomprehensible sound.

Is utter defeat the same as victory?

How absurd, how contradictory, how... illogical!

"The essence of Demosis is order, perfection, and self-righteousness."

Novia began to explain.

"Its victory was destined from the moment it was born. Because it would never admit to any mistakes. In a system that only allows 'correctness' to exist and that it has written itself, it will naturally always be the winner. A perfect straight line from the beginning to the end will not deviate in any way, and therefore no scenery can be seen along the way. It is a perfect crystal, flawless and pure, and therefore, it can no longer refract any new brilliance."

“But, Shcherana, your essence is wisdom.”

True wisdom is not about being always right, always powerful, or always invincible.

"It lies in... whether one can recognize one's own 'mistakes'."

Novia held up one finger.

"You have fallen. You have failed. You have been betrayed by your own creation, and in the end, you have fallen into despair, completely denying your own existence."

"You, with your utter defeat, have vividly demonstrated your 'imperfection'."

"And this imperfection, this possibility of recognizing one's own mistakes, this bewilderment of still being able to 'think' about why one failed even in despair..."

Novia's lips curled up slightly.

"That is the most fundamental difference between you and that 'false god' who is only stuck in his ways and always thinks he is right."

"You lost miserably in the arena of 'God'."

"But in the realm of 'wisdom,' you have won."

"wrong……"

The voice was desolate, with a slight hoarseness.

As the source of wisdom, Shekina was able to discern the contradictions and improprieties in Novia's words.

These words are less a judgment based on facts and more an excuse forcibly imposed upon oneself to comfort oneself.

She didn't know whether his words stemmed from pity for her current miserable state, or from some kind of deliberate act that she could never understand.

All she knew was that she couldn't just accept this "victory" so easily.

So, Shejina let the most primal, and only remaining emotion in her heart transform into words of rebuttal.

"I just... want to see you again."

There was no longer any authority or madness in Shejina's voice.

"At that time, where and when I saw you... it was just... so incredibly impressive..."

“I…I am not ashamed of the fact that I wanted to make something like Demogue, nor do I regret everything I did.”

Shejina reached out her hand, her hand trembling slightly with hesitation.

It was as if they had used up all the courage they had possessed until now.

—I just want to touch you one more time.

His fingertips gently touched Novia's cheek.

"You..."

“My end, my sins, are nothing but trivial matters. They should not, and absolutely must not, tarnish your brilliance in the slightest.”

"You are not wrong, and you never will be wrong."

"If...if something really has been defiled..."

"That must be, and can only be, because of my mistake."

He took all the sins upon himself without reservation.

This is her proudest way of expressing "love" as "Shekina".

Novia looked at Shekina's appearance and, as if suddenly remembering something, casually added.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

"Actually... you could have come back then."

“…What?” Shejina was taken aback, unable to immediately grasp the meaning of the sentence.

Upon hearing this, Novia seemed somewhat helpless and let out a soft sigh.

“It doesn’t feel good to keep doing this… I mean, when Lilith did that to me, you could have come along too.”

"——!!!"

These words instantly unleashed the most painful memories—suppressed, forgotten, and buried deep within the very roots of existence—that swept over my entire being.

Come on? Let's all come together...?

"Come……?"

His voice trembled violently due to the extreme emotional turmoil.

"How dare I go! How could I be worthy to go!"

"I saw your expression! Your eyes! I saw it all clearly!"

"It was filled with resistance! Filled with indifference! Filled with an absolute rejection of 'Don't come near!'"

"I saw it! I really saw it!"

"So! That's why I had no choice but to run away! That's why I, who made a mistake, had no choice but to fall! That's why... that's why I'm like this!"

"Isn't all of this... my fault?!"

Despite Shekina's heart-wrenching self-blame and accusations, Novia's expression remained unchanged.

Let her vent all her emotions without reservation.

After a long silence that seemed to freeze time itself, he tilted his head slightly.

It was as if he was recalling something, something trivial.

then,

He answered in an extremely flat tone, as if saying, "Ah, the weather is indeed nice today."

"Ah, that."

"I did it on purpose."

“……………………Eh?”

Shejina stood there blankly, mouth agape, uttering a cute monosyllabic sound.