Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 198

Chapter 198: Confession and Forgiveness
At first, their expressions were filled with anger—especially Flareth, Zarion, Terra, and Zephyra. Their eyes burned with rage, hands trembling, fists clenched. The air around them grew tense, heavy with judgment.

But Miranda and Solis quickly stepped forward, raising their hands gently to stop the others. Solis’s voice, though calm, carried the weight of divine authority.

“Wait,” she said. “Let him speak. Let her speak.”

All eyes turned to me. I looked at Runa, who stood silently beside me. Her head was bowed, her small frame trembling. The once-mighty creature, feared as a Godslayer, now looked no more than a scared child.

I gave her a soft smile and gently placed a hand on her head.

“You should be the one to say it,” I whispered. “You’ve already made your decision, haven’t you?”

Runa looked up at me with wide, uncertain eyes—but then she nodded, slowly but firmly. She stepped forward, and with a deep breath, she began to speak.

“My name is Runa Nox… Before I met Master Naoki during the Trial of Blessing, I was known by another name. Canis—the One Who Conquers the Shadow. A Unique Monster. A Godslayer.”

Gasps rippled through the divine assembly. Shock, disbelief, rejection—all could be seen in the deities’ faces. Some instinctively stepped back, while others tightened their grip on their weapons.

But Runa didn’t falter.

“I committed countless sins in the past… I was easily corrupted by the influence of the Outer God. My mind—my soul—was twisted, until my sanity was shattered. In that madness, I became a monster. I attacked Cosmoria. I slaughtered your kin. I destroyed without mercy.”

Her voice quivered with regret, but she pressed on.

“But you must know the truth… The God of Darkness did not betray you. He fought for you. He stood against the Outer God with the Forgotten Goddess. But both of them… were overwhelmed and lose..”

The deities began to shift uncomfortably, glancing at each other. Confusion and sorrow now mingled with their rage.

Runa continued, her voice trembling with pain and memory.

“When I lost control… it was he—Nox the God of Darkness—who sealed me away. He locked me in the void, only allowing me to emerge once every fifty years, hoping I might recover… hoping that some part of me could be saved.”

“Then… I met Naoki. In the Trial of Blessing. There, what remained of Nox’s will gave me to him—not as a weapon, but as a companion. A familiar. He believed Naoki could save me… that through him, I could redeem myself. That I could protect those I once tried to destroy.”

She placed a hand over her heart.

“I am no longer Canis the Godslayer. I am Runa Nox, daughter of Nox, the God of Darkness. And now… I serve Naoki von Blackmore. I will fight alongside him against the Unique Monsters, the Demon King, and against the Outer God itself. But…”

Runa turned toward the gods, her voice breaking.

“If it is your will… I will give my life to you. I’ve taken too many of yours. If my atonement must end in death, then I will not run from it.”

I was stunned. She wasn’t just trying to redeem herself—she was ready to sacrifice everything. Her words hung heavy in the air.

The gods stood still, silent.

Then—Solis stepped forward.

She began to release her magic, and instantly, the atmosphere shifted.

An enormous pressure bore down on everyone present. Even I couldn’t move. The divine energy she summoned was overwhelming, wrapping the entire room in its grasp.

Runa collapsed in fear, covering her head, trembling. Her instincts, shaped by years of torment, had returned.

“Solis! Don’t!” I shouted in panic.

But Solis didn’t attack.

She stopped right in front of Runa… and the magic vanished in an instant, like mist under sunlight.

“Raise your head,” she said, voice trembling with emotion. “Not as Canis… but as Runa Nox.”

Runa lifted her tear-stained face.

And Solis embraced her.

A soft, gentle, human embrace.

Runa gasped. Her body froze. She didn’t understand at first.

Solis whispered into her ear, holding her close.

“So that’s what really happened… My brother, Nox… He really was a fool. A beautiful, brave fool. He gave up everything to protect us… even if we never knew.”

“And he left behind a daughter, broken and lost… twisted by the Outer God’s curse. You carried that pain alone for so long. You cried, didn’t you? Inside, for centuries… terrified and hurting.”

Solis’s voice cracked, “You don’t have to carry it alone anymore.”

“This… was never your fault, Runa.”

One by one, the gods and goddesses stepped forward.

Miranda, Aqualia, Terra, Zephyra, and Gaia.

Finally, Flareth and Zarion looked at each other, then nodded. Their eyes softened.

“This wasn’t your doing,” said Flareth. “The Outer God is the true enemy. We will destroy it, together.”

Runa stared at them—her breath caught in her throat.

And then, she broke.

She threw her arms around Solis and sobbed. Uncontrolled, raw, like a child lost for lifetimes.

She cried so loud, so deep, it shook even the divine.

The goddesses came to her side and wrapped their arms around her.

“It’s alright to cry, Runa,” Miranda whispered, tears in her own eyes.

“Cry all you want, little one. You’re safe now… in your auntie’s arms.” Solis said that softly while stroking Runa’s head.

…

Runa’s sobs grew louder—shattering and raw—but this time, they weren’t cries of sorrow.

They were tears of joy.

The kind that come after centuries of pain, of guilt, of loneliness finally being lifted from one’s shoulders. For the first time, Runa cried not as a monster seeking redemption, but as a child who had finally been forgiven.

And amidst her cries, the gods—and I—panicked.

Not because we feared her power, but because we didn’t know how to comfort her properly. It was as if a dozen immortal beings suddenly found themselves unsure how to console a weeping child. We fumbled around her awkwardly, trying to soothe her—like overwhelmed uncles and a flustered father, unsure whether to pat her back or hand her something sweet.

But none of that mattered.

Because in her heart, Runa was healing.

And I… I was grateful. So deeply grateful.

Grateful that the gods and goddesses had seen the truth in her soul. That they offered her forgiveness instead of punishment. That they saw not the sins of Canis the Godslayer, but the hope within Runa Nox.

…

But we couldn’t linger in this peace.

I stepped forward and bowed deeply to them.

“It’s time,” I said. “We must return to Aetheria.”

They looked at me with concern, understanding what that meant.

I explained that the demons had begun their invasion of the human territories. The signs were clear. The chaos was spreading. The final battle was drawing near.

The gods exchanged solemn glances.

“So,” one of them said quietly, “they’ve finally moved.”

Solis nodded grimly. “The seal placed by Hiro von Blackmore… it couldn’t last forever.”

I clenched my fists. “Then I’ll fight them. With the blessings you’ve all entrusted to me—and the power granted by the God of Darkness himself—I swear, I will stand against the demons.”

Solis stepped forward, her gaze serious yet kind. “You can win, Naoki. I believe that now. But don’t rush. Your body… it still hasn’t fully synchronized with the divine blessings.”

She was right. The divine essence still felt foreign within me, like a storm waiting to settle.

“I understand,” I said with a nod.

Then, she asked something unexpected—softly, hesitantly.

“What were his final moments like? Nox… my brother.”

I looked her in the eye.

“He smiled,” I said simply. “He smiled… as if a great weight had been lifted. As if he was finally at peace.”

Solis closed her eyes and exhaled, a small, trembling smile spreading on her face.

“Then I’m glad,” she whispered. “I’m truly glad. For so long, I hated him. But now… I know the truth. And now we can focus on what matters—helping the Forgotten Goddess defeat the Outer God once and for all.”

I nodded. “And I’ll stand with you. When that day comes—I’ll fight beside you again.”

The gods and goddesses nodded in unison. We were no longer just champions and patrons. We were comrades.

Then Solis looked at me again… this time, with something more vulnerable in her expression.

She stepped closer, eyes lowering a bit.

“Naoki… with how deeply Nox’s power has merged with your soul… it’s almost like…”

She hesitated, then blushed slightly.

“Would it be… alright… if I called you brother?”

The words caught me off guard.

Solis, the divine warrior of celestial light… was asking me to be her brother?

I couldn’t bear to refuse. I saw in her eyes the longing, the grief, and the hope. She missed her brother. And in me, she saw the shadow of the one she had lost.

I gave her a gentle smile and nodded.

“Yes. You can.”

The moment I said that, Solis smiled brightly and pulled me into a deep, warm hug. Her embrace was strong but full of emotion—a farewell and a welcome all at once.

Miranda stepped forward, clearly wanting to give me her own goodbye hug—but Solis, teasingly protective, held me tighter and blocked her with a grin. Miranda pouted, but laughed.

Instantly all the gods and goddesses bid their farewells. Then suddenly Gaia came to me.

“Naoki..Aetheria is being attacked by demons, you need this..this item will definitely help you a lot.” He handed me some item in his pocket.

I checked it:

—

[You get Divine Healing Bean X 10]

Status: Legendary item

Type: Consumable Item

Effect: Gives auto healing status for 1 hour with an effectiveness rate of 80%. If added with high heal will increase the healing rate to 90%.

—

“Gaia…this will definitely help me a lot. THANK YOU!” I said that enthusiastically while shaking his hand.

“Ho ho ho, you’re welcome Naoki. I hope you can save as many of your comrades as possible.” He smiled wisely as he let me go.

Then… it was time.

I opened the quest window. The final prompt appeared.

[Complete Quest and Return to Aetheria?]

I took one last look at them all.

“Goodbye…until we meet again.” I said with smiles.

I pressed the [Yes] button

[Opening a portal to Aehteria]

And then I stepped through the portal.

Runa walked at my side, her steps lighter, her eyes brighter. I could hear the excitement in her voice as she whispered beside me.

“See you later, aunties and uncles!” Runa waved her hand to them happily, her ears and tail moving here and there.

“See you later..I promise I will save everyone..”

The gods and goddesses here accompanied us with their warm smiles. Especially Solis who looked like he wanted to cry, but tried to keep smiling.

The light of the portal consumed us—and we were gone.

Now, the real battle begins.

…

…