Shirone trembled as he stood up. Although the load per unit area had dropped below 70%, it was impossible without an indomitable spirit.
The believers stared in shock. While someone like Rian, a giant, might manage it, seeing the frail Shirone stand was truly shocking.
"You... you give even your lives to the gods. You do whatever they say. And yet, just one second? If one second is so trivial to you, then this god you believe in can’t even grant a single second of mercy to those who believe in him!"
Igrin gritted her teeth.
The ratio of faith and doubt was exactly equal. One more count, and her authority would vanish.
Rian’s movements became lighter. Having endured a load close to 100%, he could easily handle around 50% and swing his great sword.
Rian abandoned the statue and began striking the glass orb filled with black liquid. With each strike, cracks formed, and liquid began to seep out.
The more he struck, the more anxious he became. The amount leaking from the cracks wasn’t enough to prevent the subjects from drowning.
The believers, watching this precarious balance between life and death, swallowed hard.
This would undoubtedly have a negative impact on Igrin. Humans naturally side with the underdog.
Igrin resorted to her final measure.
"Do not be deceived! The scales of my heart are judging you! If anyone here harbors doubt, I will personally reduce your lifespans by 50 years!"
Fear, the most effective means of maintaining power, immediately restored the believers’ faith.
Her authority began to recover rapidly.
As the load increased, Shirone’s knees bent again. He clenched his teeth, trying to endure, but it was futile.
What pained him most was feeling the believers’ attitudes shift against him.
Kanya approached Shirone, her voice trembling.
Her face was pale. How could she be in her right mind after seeing her mother submerged in the black liquid?
"Can she... really live? My mom... can she leave with a smile in front of me, Rena, and Dad?"
The believers alternated their gazes between Kanya and the glass orb.
To leave with a smile in front of her family—that required just one second.
Shirone reassured her,
"Of course. It’s not her time to die yet. We can meet again and smile."
Tears streamed down Kanya’s cheeks. She no longer cared about anything else.
She just wanted to see her mom. She wanted to meet her mom one more time, just like she had that morning.
"Then save my mom, Shirone. Please save my mom. I don’t want her to become a giant."
Twenty-seven vs. 291.
Igrin’s eyes widened as a shock struck her brain. Her authority had plummeted to the abyss.
Before she could even let out a groan, the price of her falsehood activated.
She fell vertically to the ground, her knees hitting the floor. She couldn’t move a finger.
"Now! Everyone, stop it!"
As the load vanished, Shirone and his companions rushed forward, their feet scraping the ground.
Time was tight. No, it had already run out.
Rian smashed the glass orb with a full swing.
Amy turned off the liquid tank’s switch.
Tess stabbed a dagger into the device’s crevice, causing an internal explosion.
The families ran to the broken orb and pulled out the subjects. However, covered in sticky liquid, their conditions were unclear.
The believers approached with tense expressions. If they were dead, decomposition would have begun.
They couldn’t bear to witness the gruesome scene.
The families began peeling off the liquid. Gradually, skin tones became visible, and eyes, noses, and lips appeared.
Fortunately, decomposition hadn’t started. Kanya’s face was drenched in tears as she found her mom.
Though not dissolved in the liquid, she wasn’t breathing. Kanya’s father rushed over and began CPR.
As he opened her airway and pressed her stomach, thick liquid refluxed, and her mom coughed it out.
The believers cheered.
At this moment, the law was absent from their minds. The joy of a life returning to her family was all that mattered.
The bell signaling the end of the Day of Rebirth ritual rang.
A solemn silence fell over the central plaza.
The revived subjects, supported by their families, looked at the bell. According to the law, today was supposed to be their last day, but no one had died yet.