If the power of resurrection were abused and news of it spread, people in this world would probably go mad—especially those in power.
Souta wasn't particularly worried about troublemakers coming after him. He just didn't want the hassle.
With that in mind, he gave a reminder to the still the thinker, Sakonji Urokodaki:
"By the way, Sakonji-san, regarding my information—while I allow you to share it, it should only be with the head of the Demon Slayer Corps and a few top-ranking members. As for the others, it must remain confidential. You understand the chaos that could erupt if word got out about resurrecting the dead, right?"
"Rest assured," Sakonji said solemnly. "Even for Tanjiro's sake, I won't speak of it carelessly."
"So, have you made your decision?" Souta asked.
"The conditions you've offered... are extremely tempting."
Sakonji carefully considered the feasibility of the deal. For the Corps' master, building a religion probably wouldn't be too difficult.
The Demon Slayer Corps received no support from any nation, yet the Ubuyashiki family had kept the organization running for centuries. Just how powerful and wealthy must they be? It was hard to imagine.
If Kagaya Ubuyashiki used the family's resources to build and promote a religious movement, it was just a matter of time and effort.
With that thought, Sakonji finally nodded.
"I'll personally report this to the master. But... something this big will likely call for a full Pillar Assembly. I doubt a decision will be made anytime soon."
"That's fine," Souta waved it off casually. "Once you've all reached a decision, pass the word to Nezuko. She'll know how to contact me."
In his mind, Souta thought—anyone with half a brain wouldn't turn down a deal falling from the sky.
And if they did? No big deal.
His main focus for gathering faith was still in the Akame ga Kill world.
The Demon Slayer world had only caught his interest on a whim. He wasn't too invested.
"Alright," Sakonji replied solemnly. "Once Tanjiro's family is revived, I'll go to the master."
"Well... you might want to stay a little longer."
Souta's smile turned mysterious.
Seeing that he had piqued Sakonji's curiosity, he added:
"Because it won't just be Tanjiro's family. I'm also going to try reviving those disciples of yours who died during the final selection for the Demon Slayer Corps—just to test out a theory."
Souta wasn't sure whether a soul could be fully revived using a body he created through material manipulation.
If not, he might have to burn more divine power to help synchronize the soul and its new vessel.
And he wasn't in the charity business. If the cost was too high, he'd probably abandon the idea of reviving unrelated people.
Hearing that, Sakonji lowered his head deeply, his voice low and sincere:
"Whether it succeeds or not, I'll never forget your kindness."
Just then, the air inside the room trembled slightly.
It was a subtle shift, but Souta's senses caught it instantly.
He turned his head to the right—Athena's form shimmered into view.
"You really are something else," Souta remarked with a sigh. "Don't tell me your divinity includes spatial manipulation too?"
Not all Heretic Gods had spatial abilities.
A prime example—Rama, King of the End, couldn't even fly without a tool. Imagine that—a god who couldn't fly.
In the novel, when Athena yanked him down from the floating island, he had to beg the spirits of the earth just to slow his descent.
Powerful, yes. All-powerful? Definitely not.
"I rule the underworld, the earth, and possess the wisdom of the heavens. A trinity. Space falls within my domain," Athena said casually, then got down to business.
"I've already summoned the necessary souls. Including the ones that were lingering in this mountain forest—you mentioned them earlier."
Her expression shifted to one of slight confusion.
"This world is... peculiar. So many wandering souls still remain."
Since she brought it up, Souta asked, "By the way, Athena, in this world, how long do souls remain after death? Do they linger indefinitely, or... are they reborn?"
Athena pondered for a moment before replying.
"All the souls I gathered carried traces of lingering attachments. But that energy fades over time. I suspect that human souls don't stay in this world for too long."
She tilted her head, looking at Souta curiously.
"Oh, no particular reason. Just curious."
Souta sighed inwardly.
If souls truly lost their attachments with time... then his plan to revive generations of Pillars was dead in the water.
Those souls were long gone.
At most, maybe he could still revive Shinobu's sister.
Still, the rest of his offer was more than enough. There was no way the Demon Slayer Corps would refuse.
They'd all come to enjoy the joy of spreading his faith soon enough.
"I'll hand the souls over to you now," Athena said suddenly.
She raised her hand and sliced through the air. The temperature in the room instantly dropped.
A cold wind from the underworld swept through.
For normal humans, even brushing against that wind meant certain death—saturated with the chill of the afterlife.
Souta, of course, was unaffected. He looked around and saw a cluster of ghostly figures materialize beside him.
Among them, only two appeared to be adults. The rest were clearly children.
Those two adult spirits must've been Nezuko's parents.
Souta raised a hand, releasing divine power to form a sanctuary—a barrier suited to house souls—enveloping the entire wooden cabin.
Bathed in its warmth, the spirits turned their gazes toward him.
Souta stepped forward to the adult spirits, softened the natural divine pressure in his aura, and offered a gentle smile.
"You two needn't worry. I'm the one who summoned you here. I'm a friend of your daughter, Nezuko. She paid a price to request my help. I can bring you both back."
As a god, conveying intent through language was second nature.
Athena watched the scene with interest.
Meanwhile, Sakonji—unable to see any of the spirits—stood there completely bewildered, unaware of what was happening.
When Souta finished speaking, all the spirits visibly reacted with shock.
But none of them could respond.
Without physical bodies, they couldn't speak.
Other than slightly influencing a person's mind under certain conditions, they were essentially nonexistent in the world of the living.
"I'm curious," Athena drifted closer, "how do you plan to resurrect outsiders unrelated to your mission? They don't have bodies, right?"
She remembered clearly—Souta had only asked Altair and the others to bring back Nezuko's family's remains. The rest hadn't been mentioned.
"Correct. Apart from Nezuko's family, the others were devoured by demons—nothing was left behind. But..."
Golden light danced at Souta's fingertips, and he smiled, eager to experiment.
"I can try creating bodies for them."