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“GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!”

The Bear God’s growl reverberated through the corridor, its scorching breath filling the air like a suffocating fog. Atop its massive back sat a ghostly child, a serene smile on his face—but neither the doctor, the priest, nor the Emperor noticed him. They were rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the sheer, primal terror the creature emanated.

The deity’s colossal form loomed ahead, its bulk nearly filling the entire corridor. They had carelessly stumbled right into its path.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Each deliberate step shook the ground, the vibrations carrying a silent fury.

The three stood frozen, their legs refusing to move. Running wasn’t an option—they instinctively knew they couldn’t escape. They had gotten far too close, its presence an overwhelming force that crushed all hope of survival. Their thoughts were blank, drowned by sheer terror.

The silver bear’s scarlet eyes bore into the Emperor, who stood in the middle, their gaze penetrating deep into his soul, weighing every sin he had ever committed. The Emperor’s knees buckled, and he collapsed to the floor, trembling.

“GROOOOAAAWRRHH!”

The Bear God’s roar shook the walls, its maw wide enough to reach the Emperor’s chest from his head. A warmth spread across his legs, and though he realized what had happened, his mind was far too fractured to care.

This was it—his third death. With no protections left, he couldn’t even fathom an escape, especially with the priest and the doctor paralyzed by terror.

Could this truly be the end of his life?

His heart pounded like a drum as he shut his eyes tightly, bracing for the divine punishment he could no longer avoid. Any moment now, the god’s sanction would fall upon him.

And yet… as the seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, death did not come.

Cautiously, the Emperor cracked his eyes open. Through the haze of his fear, he saw the Bear God lift its head, sniffing the air as though searching for something unseen. Its once-fiery crimson eyes had softened, their glow replaced by a jade green, calm yet inscrutable.

“AUNGH!”

With a low groan, the Bear God suddenly stormed toward the corridor on the right, its massive form disappearing into the darkness.

The Emperor watched in stunned silence, utterly dumbfounded. He glanced at Haumann, who seemed equally perplexed, then at Yayoi—and found the priest gazing after the deity with an almost enlightened expression.

“Where… where is it going?” the Emperor asked, his usual arrogance stripped away.

“I don’t know,” Haumann replied, his tone measured. “That path leads only to the Furnace.”

“The Furnace?”

The doctor nodded. “It’s where we cremate the dead to prevent them from becoming undead. The chamber is hermetically sealed to keep ghosts from escaping or infesting the area.”

“Bears are believed to be the protective mothers in the realm of nature spirits. Kumagami-sama, as a deity, is often depicted as a guardian of children,” the priest explained, his voice reverent. “If the Furnace is sealed, it’s possible that there are trapped souls of children crying out for help in there. Kumagami-sama must have answered their call. We were lucky.”

The priest, the doctor, and the Emperor stared at the dark corridor, their breaths shallow, still grappling with the realization that they had escaped death once again.

—How ironic, to be saved by the very souls they had wronged.

“Well,” the Emperor finally said, propping himself up with a shaky laugh. “At least now I can get out of this godforsaken place. To hell with Adalhard and this country—I’m taking a vacation.”

He brushed himself off, his mind wandering briefly. Maybe I’ll visit Reuben and his family, he thought. These close encounters with death had stirred a longing for companionship. Placing his hands on his hips, he turned to Priest Yayoi and Doctor Haumann. Both looked as battered and exhausted as he felt—bruised, scratched, and utterly drained.

Just a little bit more, he assured himself, and we’re finally outside.

“Phew. Let’s get—”

His words froze mid-sentence, never finished.

Before anyone could react, the homunculus lunged from the shadows, snatching the Emperor’s head clean off his shoulders.

♢♦♢♦♢

I heard them—their pain, their sadness, their anger, their hatred, their anguish—boiling them into madness.

“Hnggaugh!” —Please, I’m begging you, make it in time!

The bear thundered down the corridor, each step shaking the very foundation like an earthquake. Ahead, two guards stationed at the furnace room entrance clutched their rifles, their hands trembling as they peered into the encroaching darkness.

The tremors grew louder, closer. Panic set in. Without waiting for a clear view, they fired. The sharp cracks of gunfire echoed through the narrow hall.

Then it emerged—the colossal bear, an unstoppable force of nature. The bullets seemed to vanish against its dense fur, as if the beast didn’t even register the attack. With terrifying momentum, it plowed forward, trampling the guards like dry leaves underfoot, leaving only silence in its wake.

“Aungh!” —What is that?!

The furnace room opened ahead—a hellish space designed to devour the dead. The “Furnace” was less a conventional incinerator and more an enormous, blazing pit, its flames licking high into the air beneath a vast fume hood. A gigantic fan spun overhead, drawing thick, acrid smoke toward a chimney leading outside.

But even the fan couldn’t keep up with the oppressive heat and stench that filled the room—a nauseating blend of burning trash and charred flesh. The sweltering air clung to everything, smothering and relentless.

They treated the Furnace as nothing more than a garbage disposal, desecrating the dead even in death.

However, even that disgust was eclipsed when the Bear God saw them—countless tormented souls, writhing and crammed together within the searing pit. Their inaudible screams formed a deafening silence, their bloodied hands clawing desperately at the invisible barriers that caged them—and at each other. Rivers of crimson wept from their hollow, unseeing eyes, cascading into the molten abyss below. Flames lashed out like demonic whips, searing their spectral forms, rending them apart piece by piece, yet leaving them whole enough to endure the unending agony.

This was Hell crafted by human hands.

“GROOOOAAAWRRHH!”

Fury boiled within the bear, and with unrelenting resolve, it lunged forward, intent on tearing down the invisible walls confining the tormented souls—even if it was the last thing it did.

And yet—

ZAP!

“HAUNGGHH!”

A bolt of electricity shot down from above, searing its silvery fur black. Pain coursed through its body, but its sharp eyes locked onto the familiar crystals embedded in the ceiling—crystals that pulsed with malevolent energy.

“GRROOAWRRH!”

With a nimble leap, the bear launched itself at the nearest wall, scaling it with astonishing agility. It lunged for one of the crystals and, with a single, savage bite, shattered it into fragments.

But retribution was swift.

Bolts of electricity surged from the remaining crystals, striking the bear relentlessly. Its massive body hit the floor with a resounding thud, the impact shaking the room. Smoke rose from its charred fur, and its limbs faltered.

Even so, the bear rose again, its determination unshaken. Its once-glimmering coat was scorched and its movements slowed, but the fire in its eyes burned brighter than ever. Despite the slower regeneration, it stood tall, its mind sharp and calculating.

“Rrrrfh…” — I need to be faster.

The bear’s hulking frame began to shrink, streamlining itself into a smaller, sleeker form. With renewed vigor, it paced the room, studying the patterns of the crystals’ attacks.

Then, in a sudden burst of movement, it sprang forward—bounding off the walls, zigzagging through the storm of electric bolts. It leaped at a crystal, not to destroy it outright, but to use it as a platform. The crystal cracked and shattered under the bear’s weight as it launched itself back toward the circular wall, narrowly avoiding a barrage of bolts that struck where it had just been.

The bear blitzed around the room, running along the perfectly vertical walls with the ease of a predator unbound by gravity. Each motion was precise, its claws finding purchase on the smooth surface as it dodged the relentless electrical attacks.

Whenever an opening presented itself, the bear leaped at a crystal, shattering it with a powerful swipe before darting away again. This process repeated, methodical and unrelenting, until only one crystal remained.

Landing atop the final crystal, the bear paid no mind to its malevolent glow intensifying beneath its paws. With a mighty stomp, it crushed the crystal, using the momentum to propel itself toward the fiery pit below, aiming for the barrier that trapped the tortured souls within.

The barrier cracked under its weight, a web of fractures spreading like shattered glass.

“GRRRAOOWWRR!!”

With a defiant roar, the bear struck again, and the barrier finally gave way. As the souls burst free, the bear plummeted into the fiery pit, watching helplessly as they slipped through its grasp, storming into the night sky above.

“Aungh!” —No!

It hit the bottom with a resounding crash, its silver fur blackened with soot and shards of manonite crystals. Every breath was labored, its body trembling from exhaustion. Yet, despite its broken state, the bear forced itself upright, its legs quaking beneath it.

I have to get them back.

Its gaze followed the escaping souls. Once innocent, their anguish and hatred had stained them beyond recognition. They would not rest; their torment would twist them into vengeful wraiths, consumed by malice, until they were destroyed or exorcised—erased entirely for the convenience of others.

I have to save them… before they become the very monster who wronged them… before it’s too late.

The bear limped toward the pit’s walls, resolute in its mission to retrieve the scattered souls. The scorching flames licked at its fur, but it pressed on, unyielding. With each step, its regenerative abilities began to mend its battered frame, its strides growing steadier.

But then—

A sharp pain seared through its leg. It looked down to see fiery vipers coiling around its limbs, their bodies writhing with malicious intent. One lunged, sinking venomous fangs deep into its thick hide.

The bear growled in pain, shaking its massive frame to dislodge the serpents, but more emerged, their numbers multiplying with every second.

The battle was far from over.

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