Chapter 102

The goddess stared at Evelyn in disbelief, her voice trembling. "He barely survived. What more do you want from him?"

Evelyn's lips curled into a chilling smile. "I am the embodiment of countless vengeful souls. Justice demands retribution." Her gaze hardened. "Do you truly believe your sins require no atonement? Where, then, does justice lie in this world?"

Tears streamed down the goddess’s face as she pleaded, "This is all my fault. I am a goddess. I should never have let my emotions cloud my judgment—"

Evelyn cut her off sharply. "Exactly. You shouldn’t have. You’ve hidden behind passivity for too long, avoiding guilt and blame. How convenient."

The goddess froze, stunned into silence.

Though weakened, the celestial lord immediately stepped forward in defense. "We saved the world. Isn’t that enough?"

The goddess regained her composure, nodding fervently. "He sacrificed himself for the greater good. Doesn’t that absolve him?"

Evelyn scoffed. "Saving the world was your duty. That doesn’t erase the chaos you caused."

The celestial lord bristled. "Why must she be the one to suffer? Has anyone considered her feelings? I took her place—isn’t that sacrifice enough?"

Evelyn’s eyes flashed with contempt as she pointed at him. "You, the celestial lord, were nurtured by the heavens, entrusted with maintaining cosmic order." She then turned to the goddess. "And you—created to protect mortals, to shelter all life."

Before they could protest, Evelyn continued, her voice dripping with scorn. "You were granted power, worship, and devotion from the very beginning. That was the price of your duties. To speak of sacrifice is laughable! You abandoned your responsibilities, indulged in selfish desires, and let thousands perish. And now, you dare use your basic obligations as atonement?" She stepped closer, her voice a blade. "You are unworthy of your titles, undeserving of worship. You don’t deserve to rule—or to love."

The celestial lord’s face twisted in fury. "Is love forbidden to deities?"

Evelyn smirked. "Love all you want—after you renounce your divinity. Become mortals, stripped of your privileges. Then you can wallow in romance without consequence."

Both deities paled.

"Ah, never considered that, did you?" Evelyn sneered. "If you truly cared, you’d step down. But no—you cling to your power while demanding the freedom to love. Hypocrites." Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "Look at the corpses beneath your feet. Since when did slaughtering innocents for love become noble?"

The audience erupted in agreement.

"Hell yes!" someone shouted, echoing the collective sentiment. Online, the tide had turned completely.

Netizen: So they want divine privileges without divine responsibilities? Pathetic.

Netizen: We pray for protection, not for a celestial soap opera!

Netizen: If they can’t do their jobs, they should resign. Plenty of others would do better.

Netizen: Why worship deities who don’t care about us? I’d rather switch religions.

Netizen: Love is fine—just not at the cost of innocent lives.

Seraphina Delacroix, secluded from the waiting area, clenched her phone, her lips pressed into a thin line. This wasn’t part of the plan. They were supposed to evoke sympathy, not outrage.

Meanwhile, Genevieve and Lillian scrolled through Twitter, grinning as the backlash grew.

"Do you think Sebastian will abandon her now?" Marcus mused.

Isabelle Laurent smirked. "Doesn’t matter. I’ve already given up on him."

The online storm raged on, the final act unfolding.

As Evelyn raised her sword, the goddess begged, "He’s changed! Let us retreat in penance—"

Evelyn’s blade pierced her chest before she could finish.

"Penance?" Evelyn spat. "You mean hiding in paradise to continue your love story?" She yanked the sword free, her voice icy. "You, drenched in innocent blood, don’t deserve rebirth or happiness. If you want redemption, suffer through the Cycle of Rebirth—experience every agony you caused." Her eyes burned with defiance. "The universe runs on karma. If the gods won’t deliver justice, I will."

The studio erupted in cheers.

Justice, at last.