“Sacred G.o.ddess Sophia-sama is a great personage who created humankind.”

I was standing at the back of the chapel behind the seats, as part of ma.s.s.

Beyond the seats next to the statue of Sacred G.o.ddess-sama was Reverend-sama, who was in the middle of preaching to the people. Right now he was preaching about the reason why we should be thankful to Sacred G.o.ddess-sama, you see.

When Reverend-sama preaches, his voice resounds through the quiet chapel, and it feels like your soul is being cleansed. That’s why I loved ma.s.s.

“Sacred G.o.ddess Sophia-sama is always watching over us.”

Sacred G.o.ddess Sophia-sama is the esteemed G.o.d that created our world, and is a kind and merciful personage who protects we humans from the Evil G.o.d that tries to destroy the world.

The Church of Sacred Light sings praise of Her exploits, and exist to convey this to the people. Of course, we do not only teach others, but in accordance to Her will, we are a wonderful organisation that also extends our hands to the needy through food, establishes orphanages, mediates for warring nations, and tries our very best for the sake of peace for humankind.

My family was poor, and so we struggled to feed ourselves each day, but the Church of Sacred Light saved us. Because I wanted to save somebody else, the same way that I was saved, I joined the Church as a nun.

“Sacred G.o.ddess Sophia-sama loves we humans, and protects us from evil.”

Although the church in Riemel is not very large, as a town close to the Demon Territory, we’re seen as the last stronghold against the demons. Because of that, apparently an archbishop even came all the way here when this church was being built, and along with a number of people, they laid down a complicated barrier for us. Even a normal church wards off evil through the power of Her blessing, but this church is protected with a particularly strong power. Even if by some chance our town was in danger due to an invasion from the Demon Territory, this church wouldn’t be so easily invaded. When Reverend-sama told me this, I felt incredibly rea.s.sured.

“Please thank Sacred G.o.ddess Sophia-sama for her compa.s.sion, and send her your prayers.”

With Reverend-sama’s words, the people all brought their hands together in prayer. Still standing there, I was about to close my eyes and pray with them────

────When at that moment, a -bang- resounded within the chapel as it shook.

No, it wasn’t the building or the floor that shook. With a sound, it was the s.p.a.ce itself that shook. A clamour spread through the people due to the sudden shock.

“Everybody, please calm down!”

Reverend-sama tried to stop everybody, but he couldn’t get them to calm down. I didn’t understand what happened, but I decided to follow his example and decided to try and calm everybody down.

However, at that moment, I noticed something behind me and so I turned around. And when I did, an abnormal scene unfolded before me.

The church is always open so that anybody can enter at any time, and the door is left open even during ma.s.s. Because of that, because I was standing at the back of the chapel, when I turned around I could see what was happening beyond the door. It was the scenery outside that was abnormal; of all things, the scenery was cracked. Beyond the crack was your everyday Riemel, but because that townscape was the same as ever, it made the crack ever more strange.

I was dumbfounded by the scene’s sudden change to another realm, but before long, it became clear to me that there was a crack in something transparent that covered the church. Perhaps because they noticed my behaviour, Reverend-sama included, everybody in the church turned their eyes outside.

Something covering the church?

It couldn’t be the protective barrier that Reverend-sama spoke of, could it? …No, but in that case, why was it cracked!?

My eyes were held captive by the crack in s.p.a.ce, but eventually I noticed that beyond it was somebody standing there in a black robe. The crack coincidentally covered their face, but they seemed to be a girl in her teens. The girl was standing right in front of the crack. I was about to call out in warning, “It’s dangerous there, please stay away!”, but before I had the chance to, the girl raised her right hand and softly touched the crack before my eyes.

It was the next instant. That crack spread out all at once, until I could see nothing but, and with a -pan- sound, ‘something’ immediately shattered and vanished.

Eh-?

I-, It can’t be… The protective barrier that the archbishop set was-!?

Although I was dumb from disbelief, I could certainly feel it disappearing; the aura of sacredness that had been always present.

And because the crack was now gone, the face under the robe was now visible to me.

The moment our eyes met, it felt like I was being strangled by some feeling of oppression, and I found myself unable to breathe.

It wasn’t only me. Reverend-sama and everybody else behind me stood frozen, unable to even speak.

The thing that looked like a girl glared at everybody in the church in silence────

────Before curving its lips into a sneer, and turning to leave after muttering something.

Because the thing that looked like a girl had walked away, we could finally breathe again. The emotional strain on everybody was huge, and everybody sank to the ground in exhaustion.

Because there was no way to continue the ma.s.s like this, we stopped it and instead immediately made warm soup for everyone. Honestly speaking, I felt like I was going to collapse myself, but I needed to prepare the soup.

Although its face was beautiful, there’s no doubt that it was a retainer of the Evil G.o.d.

…No, since it so easily destroyed the archbishop’s barrier, I’m sure that it was the Evil G.o.d itself.

That it left after doing nothing but destroying the barrier was surely a malicious announcement that it could attack at any time. The Evil G.o.d’s ghastly smile had told me so.

I couldn’t hear what the Evil G.o.d muttered at the end, but it was surely some horrifying curse.

Just what will happen to this world, and what will happen to us?

Aahh, Sacred G.o.ddess Sophia-sama.

Please deliver us from evil.

TL: I actually had a lot of trouble with this. I really hated writing ‘Reverend-sama’, but calling him ‘the reverend’ doesn’t give the sense that she knows him well (as a member of the same church). At the same time, no name was given, so I couldn’t replace ‘s.h.i.+mpu-sama’ with ‘Father ____’ either. In the end I resorted to the awkward sounding ‘Reverend-sama’, but I still feel it was the best choice, so please forgive me.