Chapter 45: Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment
Season 3 Chapter 45
Korean title	죄와 벌
Episodes	3-74 to 3-89 (16 total)
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Previous chapter	Chapter 44: The Meaning of Revenge
Next chapter	Chapter 46: Soul

The Konchez expedition travels to another planet, encountering many obstacles in the process, meeting an influential being, and eventually undergoing a trip in time.

Episode 3-74

Season 3 Episode 74: Crime and Punishment (1)

As the team makes its way through the Konchez water channel, part of Maruna's coat touches the red liquid. Ran grabs his arm and tells him to be careful because this is not ordinary water, and if he falls in he could be fried like a chicken. Maruna glares at him, and Yuta informs him that it is not an issue for a fire-attribute rakshasa. Ran then asks why he has a murderous expression, and Yuta points out his choice of words. Leez interrupts, telling Ran that the path ends here. Ran notes that the path must be submerged since this area has lower ground than the others, and since the pathway descends all the way to the exit, there is no way to walk the rest of the way. He asks if everyone has the means of crossing over the water on their own, and notes that he does not have enough vigor to use Varuna magic the whole way. Leez happily tells Ran that she will hold him instead, but Yuta protests, insisting that he can carry Ran himself. Leez ignores him, picks Ran up, and casts bhavati kubera. They both disappear in a gold whoosh while Yuta and Leez the cat(?) look on.

Now outside the water channel, with some of their supplies laid out on an outcropping, Leez looks in wonder at the planet and the red sky, and wonders if it was covered with grass and trees before its destruction. She notes that they need to reset their daily usage of magic, so they should sleep until the Time of Wind. Leez then remarks to Ran that this is their second time traveling through the water channels, and asks if he thinks they work in perfect harmony. He scoffs at that, then complains that her steering while flying was bad, and she could have let him cast hoti kubera first, because crashing into the mountainside was too much. Leez remarks that she crashed the same as him, and asks him if he got hurt because he is still a weakling like in the past. Ran insists that he is fine. Leez apologizes, explaining that she is not used to flying while carrying someone else. She offers to use some of the first aid items stored in the cloak, but Ran tells her it does not hurt. Leez asks him if he is sure, as she grabs one of his legs, causing Ran to yelp and complain that a regular person would become injured if she pinched them like that. She tells him to stop being stubborn and just treat his injuries, while she goes out to check for any danger nearby. Ran asks her if she could just tell Yuta to do it, but Leez ignores him, casts bhavati kubera, and flies away.

Ran watches Yuta watching Maruna staring off into space, and complains about the tension in the air. He asks Yuta why that rakshasa refuses to believe that he is there, especially after the gods told him themselves. Yuta explains that he is unable to admit that he is "him". Ran suggests that he could tell him a secret that only they know, like "there is a giant mole on his butt". Yuta replies that he would rather not, and that there is no need to try so hard to prove his existence since he will accept it in time. Ran complains again about the tense atmosphere, how that guy still refuses to acknowledge him when he tries to talk to him, and how Leez ignores both Yuta and that guy; he is uncomfortable being in the middle of it all. Yuta states that his name is "Maruna", not "that guy". When Ran acknowledges that his name is "Maruna", Maruna glares at him, leaving Ran to conclude that it would be better for him to just call him "that guy".

During the night, as Leez and Ran sleep soundly, Maruna calls out to "Jatayu", asking him to listen if he is really there. He begins to talk about Samphati, but stops, decides that it is crazy, and flies away.

Early the next day, as both Leez and Leez the cat(?) eat breakfast, Ran asks where the rakshasa went. Yuta explains that he was having a hard time being around them, and adds that they will leave first, since he will just follow since he knows where the temple is.

At the Temple of Chaos, Ran recalls that they need Chaos, Earth, Fire, and Water to enter, and asks Yuta why the three non-Chaos attributes are needed. Yuta replies that they are attributes of the highest gods with whom his mother was friendly, that is, Kubera, Agni, and Varuna. Ran is shocked to learn that those gods were friends with Kali. Yuta tells him that he will explain it to him and Leez once they are inside, as he uses a transcendental to open the door.

Episode 3-75

Season 3 Episode 75: Crime and Punishment (2)

As the team approaches the Temple of Chaos, Yuta explains that during Gandharva's genocides, Kubera was the first god to decide to kill him. Ran asks if Agni and Varuna followed Kubera. Yuta replies that was a while before Varuna followed him, but Agni, who also wanted to kill Gandharva, did not agree with Kubera on the method. So Kubera acted alone, only informing Agni once there was no turning back. Ran asks what that method was, and Yuta replies that is was granting Gandharva the ability to obliterate the souls of the dead. Ran observes that it is hardly a solution, and that it made the situation worse. Yuta agrees, and adds that this was the reason Agni opposed it, so Kubera approached his mother alone.

In a flashback, Kali sits naked on a pile of skulls, and tells Kubera to think again about getting rid of Gandharva, since he is close friends with Vishnu. Kubera acknowledges that he did not approach Vishnu for that reason, and he knew Brahma and Shiva would have no interest unless it involved the existence of the universe, so that leaves only her among the primeval gods. Kali admits that she has no reason to assist him since it is fun watching Gandharva's massacres from the sidelines. Kubera points out that her ultimate goal is to get rid of all beings stronger than her, and that in the previous universe, he clearly saw her victory. Kali counters that it is different for someone who came over intact. Kubera admits that winning here the same way would be difficult because of beings like Ananta who has an outlandish sura form, and Gandharva, who has unlimited regeneration. When Kubera asks if she can kill them all, she responds that they will die anyway once the universe is destroyed. Kubera notes that she has yet to succeed in destroying it, and she has been sealed many times already. Kali claims that everything will lead to her eventual success, and the infinite opportunities given to her make things rather boring. Kubera reveals that there is one way to alleviate her boredom, and asks her if she wants to see it. Kali expresses her interest.

Yuta continues to explain that it is hardly a problem to the gods when humans die, and their souls go to the afterlife where the gods are in charge. However, it became problematic when Gandharva began to obliterate their souls.

In another flashback, Varuna proposes that they avoid more damage by changing the rules of processing souls; they can deny Gandharva time to obliterate the souls by sending them directly to the afterlife upon death. Yama argues against it, stating that the souls must wait some time before they go to the afterlife, because otherwise there will be a big problem. Indra and Surya agree with Yama, while Brahma appears indifferent.

Yuta states that changing the rules for processing souls after death was the best way to prevent their obliteration, but there were many gods in disagreement. While the gods spent a long time debating the issue, Gandharva continued to annihilate countless more souls. Ran interrupts, noting that Yuta left out one important point: How did Gandharva get that ability in the first place? Yuta divulges that his mother possessed many dangerous names that were prohibited from being used, and one of the names had the ability to obliterate souls. Ran remembers hearing about Kali having dangerous names the last time they traveled through the water channels, and suddenly recalls that it was Asha who told him. He realizes that he keeps forgetting about her, and Leez states that it will keep happening, and he will forget her again as soon as he thinks of something else. When Ran asks her to keep reminding him, she replies that he has no reason to try since thinking of her makes you feel dirty. Ran wonders how she could change so much from the kid who had so much faith in Asha in spite of the fact that she was a serial killer, and wonders if Asha killed her family or something. Ran feels tension in the air again, and tells them to just ignore him and continue with their previous talk. He notes that the change with the souls sounds like the horror story surrounding hoti vishnu. Leez asks if he knows about that, and he replies that of course he does, since his aunt was the Priest of Resurrection before the Cataclysm. He reveals that humans are divided on the issue of the association between the body and the soul, whether or not it is a bad side effect. Yuta says that the gods were similarly divided as well, and as a result, it took more time than Kubera expected. Ran interjects, saying that Yuta seems to be a lot older than he seems because he knows so many specifics of the distant past. Yuta claims that he heard all of it from his mother, and that it all happened long before he was born. Ran says that in the end, the problem is that she gave Gandharva a terrible ability that created an astronomically huge problem, and then asks why she even told her son about all about it. He surmises that Kali does not think of such a thing as bad. Yuta disagrees, saying that she likely knows that it is, but does not think that doing something bad is not right. Ran asks if they are not the same thing, but Yuta continues on to say that Agni became more passionate than before in his search for a way to kill Gandharva, and it was around this time that Varuna changed her opinion and desired the death of Gandharva more than the other gods who were initially indifferent. Yuta then reveals that his mother later denied giving Gandharva that ability, claiming instead that he stole the ability the same way he stole the name "Gandharva" at the beginning of the universe. Ran asks if the gods actually believed her, and Yuta says that the fact that Gandharva stole his name was true, and his mother was successfully persuasive. As a result, the gods who most wanted Gandharva dead gathered right here...

The ground begins to rumble, and a fissure appears and opens up, revealing a red liquid below. Something bursts forth from the fissure, and a shocked Ran asks if it is some sort of guardian, and then asks Yuta if he was a way to get through it. An enormous red creature towers over the trio.

Episode 3-76

Season 3 Episode 76: Crime and Punishment (3)

As the monster looms over them, Ran yells towards Yuta that he does not think this thing is friendly. A rock hovering near the monster is hit by a transcendental, and Ran turns to Leez, asking her why the attack went wild. Leez drops the Sword of Return, causing Ran to ask why she put it aside. Leez replies that it is useless against this foe, and adds that the Tarakas prioritize attacking her, so he should grab Yuta and run ahead, and she will catch up. Ran suggests that they fight together, but Leez insists that it will put Yuta in danger. She casts hoti kubera. Ran tries to persuade Yuta to do something, but he tells him to listen to Leez and avoid fighting. Ran questions how Leez can fend off enemies like this on her own, and Yuta replies that it is too strong for them to avoid, so their only option is for Leez to draw its attention away from them. With both hoti kubera and her bracelet active, Leez runs up several hovering boulders while facing the monster.

In a flashback from three years ago, Vayu and Leez face a Taraka monster. Vayu notes that thankfully it lacks eyes, but it has a strange ability that distorts the path of transcendental attacks, allowing it to dodge them. Leez drops her sword and proposes that they attack in a manner that cannot be distorted. She runs up a tentacle, powers up her fist, and punches the monster in the face, creating a beam of energy that pierces its head. In exposition, Leez explains that even though she had a powerful sword, she also trained to fight using other techniques; since chaos can cause unexpected setbacks, she had no choice but to think of two or three additional ways to fight in any situation.

Leez causes the monster's head to be crushed between several large boulders. As Yuta holds Leez the cat(?), he yells at Ran to get his head together. Ran wonders what really happened during those seven years, because he would believe it even if someone said it was the God of Earth (? wait for Webtoons translation to clarify this). Ran again argues that since it looks like Leez is beating it, would it not be better to fight together? Ran turns around when he hears a crashing sound, and sees Leez's arm—with the bracelet turned off— protruding from rocks being held by the monster. Ran nervously says that they need to save her, but Yuta yells at him to go like Leez asked, because if things go wrong, her efforts will be for nothing. He insists that she will survive regardless, but Ran yells that he is like all the others who think that it is okay for Leez to be bait and just die because she will come back to life. Yuta thinks for a moment before relenting, telling Ran to return and help Leez. As Ran runs back, Yuta begins to shake, realizing that his mother has just now become involved.

Ran thinks to himself that he is not simply being reckless, because he now has something that he can use...

In a flashback before the team's departure, Laila tells Leez and Ran that Brilith is giving them her weapon, a red dagger. She explains that even though the Temple of Destruction, near Atera, is now in ruins, the dagger had once been passed down among the priests of Destruction. Any living being, no matter what it is, that is pierced by it will be stopped for a while. Laila adds that it has two flaws, however: First, it cannot be thrown, but must be held when stabbing the target for it to work; second, it can only be used once every three days. Leez suggests that it be treated as a one-time use item, in that case, and Laila adds that it should only be used when absolutely necessary.

Ran decides that now is the time they need to use the dagger. He thinks to himself that the large monster will not notice if he stabs it in one of the smaller tentacles, and prepares to strike. However, Ran's right arm is quickly severed and the monster faces him with a vortex of pointed teeth. A tentacle grabs him and wraps itself around him, and the mouth opens wide. Out of nowhere, Maruna, in sura form, descends on the monster and attacks.

Episode 3-77

Season 3 Episode 77: Crime and Punishment (4)

Maruna, in Sura form, grows irritated with a Taraka Sura whose head regenerates endlessly. He prepares a transcendental to destroy the creature, but Ran tells him that his attack would also blow up Leez, who was somewhere among the rubble. Maruna asks where she is, so he can save her, but an earthquake shakes the area. Ran teleports out of Maruna's hand to search for Leez and discovers a gaping hole in place of Leez and the Sura.

The scene cuts to a confused Leez in a large, well-lit rock tunnel. She wonders how she got there, as there is no hole in the ceiling, and the Taraka she was fighting didn't look like it was capable of a transcendental that could transport her. When she sees Ran's knife beside her, she fears he may be in danger and is determined to get out and help him.

Maruna, now in human form, approaches the scene and figures Leez was abducted, and is probably alive. He has to tell Ran to regenerate his missing hand, and wonders why the 3rd ranking magician has such poor reaction time. Ran tells him that they should speak to Yuta before exploring the hole. He continues to say Maruna must've decided that Yuta was with them, as he came to fight alongside Leez and him. Maruna concedes and states that he thought Yuta was with them. Ran explains that Yuta ran to the other side of the hill with cat Leez to avoid danger. However, when they search for him, they only find the cat.

Leez is walking in the tunnel, there are piles of gold bars to both sides. She notes that the further she goes, the odder the path gets, and thinks she may have gone the wrong way, but she doesn't want to turn around and find out she was correct the first time. She runs down the corridor in order to get back to Ran and Yuta, and as she sets down her foot, she feels a change in the air. Leez hears a voice asking when its mother is coming. She turns to see a young, pigtailed girl telling Kaz to stop telling lies, and that her mother would find her. She starts shaking as she repeats that she'll make her mother come, at which point Leez hugs the girl and tells her not to lie to herself. The child asks Leez why she's crying, and that if she's sad, she would help her. She holds up a book titled 'Idha Etu' and tells the woman the book could be used to summon a friendly God who would grant her a wish.

Episode 3-78

Season 3 Episode 78: Crime and Punishment (5)

The child Leez starts reading 'Idha Etu' and says she should summon Kubera since she's a triple Kubera. Adult Leez chimes in that her name is Kubera as well, and the child is surprised that she knows that secret. Leez says that someone told her father that if his child bore the name 'Kubera' for 15 years, they would find happiness. Young Leez is delighted to learn that Leez knew her father, but Leez tells her that it was all a lie. The God she would summon would not be able to bring back her mother, but it would cut away her lifespan, exploit her potential, and destroy her future. The child turns to her, offers her the book, and tells Leez that if she regrets the summoning, she should rip the book apart. Then any memory that resulted from the summoning would disappear and she would find peace.

Ran holds cat Leez in his arms as Maruna carries them down the hole and into a cave. Ran comments on how long the trip down was, and Maruna figures they must have either been transported to another planet or they must have fallen under the influence of a psychological transcendental, as Konchez didn't have vegetation growing that deep underground. He tells Ran not to think poorly of him if he were to attack him without notice. Ran is outraged by this declaration and starts to panic, when all of a sudden a partially formed Gandharva begins to materialize in front of the Rakshasa. Slightly annoyed, Maruna tells the figure that he no longer fears Gandharva. The creature says that it makes sense why its form wasn't shaping up and proceeds to transform into Samphati.

Ran yanks Maruna's feathered ear and asks him why he stopped moving. He decides to look for Leez and Yuta on his own and tells Leez the cat to wait there with the unresponsive Rakshasa. He starts walking when someone suddenly asks him where he is going. He turns around to see his mother, Hana, wielding a knife.

Yuta wakes up and finds himself tied to a galaxy-like tree. He is relieved to recognize his mother was unable to use her body and needed to get a Taraka to restrain him. He breaks out using a transcendental, noting that the escape took several times more vigor than it would in his real body. He sets out to search for the rest of his party so that they can capture Kali's body, but a young Kubera jumps in front of him. Yuta is surprised to see the God blocking his way and tells him that Leez might get hurt if he gets stalled. The small man holds up his fists and tells him that he would have to fight him to get through.

Episode 3-79

Season 3 Episode 79: Crime and Punishment (6)

Yama is relieved to have finished a pile of work and claims the Fourth-Zen Gods could handle the rest. Brahma wonders why they were done when they have been overrun by work for quite some time. Yama tells her that the Taraka clan cannot win against the alliance of the Gods and Suras. However, Brahma fears the drop in deaths might be for a different reason and mutters something about not being able to manage the sealing on her own.

Now fully materialized, the fake Samphati's claw latches onto Maruna's face and scratches it. She tells him that he must remember the beatings she gave him so that he would develop and that he could never win against her. A flashback of the real Samphati comes to Maruna and tells him that she does not need a worthless piece of trash who would submit to a psychological transcendental. He grabs the fake by her neck and blows up her head, which releases him from the spell. He is grateful that Samphati trained him for psychological transcendentals, although it was annoying. He suspects whoever triggered the transcendental was not a master in it, and that Ran may have overcome it as well.

Just then, he notices Ran on the ground. Ran tells Maruna not to come any closer. As new marks show on his face, he speaks up in Sura speech, saying that if his mom comes any closer, she will die.

Elsewhere, young Leez asks her grown-up self why she is hesitating to destroy the book and erase her memories. When big Leez responds she would like to keep them, the child demands to know why, when her life is nothing but suffering. Leez argues that her life is not all suffering, nor is it meaningless. She proclaims that she does not want to deny the path she took and that she made the choice to continue when the being she summoned that day told her that her future was to be filled with loss, sorrow, and pain. Small Leez pleas for her to stop, and starts to fade away, as she cries that she wishes to go back to that day and die. Leez reaches out to the girl, but she disappears along with the illusion. Behind Leez, a god Kubera in his child form says that this must have been her weakest point, and expresses surprise that she was able to beat it just like that.

Episode 3-80

Season 3 Episode 80: Crime and Punishment (7)

Kubera offers advice to a disgusted Leez, warning her about the power of persuasion. A trap that any creature with emotion could fall victim to, it slowly forces inner desires to the surface; but any sort of punishment or sin would not fall on the deceiver, but upon the victim. He tells her that she would soon face this power, and to prepare herself for it.

Meanwhile, a confused Maruna is attacked by an aggravated transcendental-using Ran. Maruna attempts to wake Ran from the psychological transcendental, to no avail. When Maruna attempts to subdue Ran by force, Ran partially surafies and viciously attacks Maruna, injuring him. As Maruna attempts to figure out what to do, Ran begins to weep, apologizing to his "mother" and begging her to "wake up from this dream" with him. Maruna is surprised that Ran considers the psychological transcendental a dream.

The scene switches back to Leez, who is walking through a place she cannot recognize. She sees Yuta, and asks him where Ran is, only for "Yuta" to angrily attack Leez, enraged that Leez had the audacity to change Yuta's name.

Episode 3-81

Season 3 Episode 81: Crime and Punishment (8)

As "Yuta" attacks Leez with a transcendental, Leez deduces that "Yuta" calling Yuta "my son" must mean that this is his mother. "Yuta" cuts off Leez's hand with the bracelet, claiming that a worm like her has no use for such thing.

In the mental transcendental, Ran is sobbing over the dead body of his mother. Rana suddenly approaches him with a flashlight in her hand and asks if he is alright. Ran cries, asking if he really killed his mother, and saying that he is scared of himself. Rana tells him that she is not scared of him because this is only a dream, and advises him to fall asleep, that way he will be able to return to reality where he did nothing wrong.

Outside the dream, once Maruna notices that Ran has broken out of the dream, he throws pebbles at Ran to wake him up. They briefly bicker over which of them was the one that was sleeping and then head out to search for Leez the Cat, who had gone missing.

Ran and Maruna follow Leez's tracks to a huge room full of gold where they find an elevator. Ran tries to figure out how to operate it, noting that it has not been used for 23 years.

Meanwhile, Maruna asks Ran about Rana and about the dream, hoping to learn something useful that he could use to gain Ran's trust and develop. Ran reveals that during the Cataclysm, he was attacked by his mother, lost consciousness, and was rescued by his brother who killed the mother. Yet in his dreams, he always sees the version where he himself killed their mother, which was why he went to a counselor who worked on convincing him otherwise.

As the two of them step into the now functioning elevator, Ran points out that the Rana in his dream addressed him differently than she did at that phase of his life. The elevator brings them to the center of the Temple of Chaos, where Leez the Cat awaits.

Episode 3-82

Season 3 Episode 82: Crime and Punishment (9)

Leez is cut apart to the extent that only her torso remains. Kali, in Yuta's body, voices admiration that Leez did not let out a single scream. She comments that Leez should be able to regenerate thanks to the bracelet and kills Leez so that the bracelet's transcendental activates. She mentions that "he" really made something useless.

Once Leez wakes up, Kali comments that the bracelet is useless in battle since it takes such a long time to regenerate. Kali activates her Taraka eyes and taunts Leez to try running away. If she gets caught, Kali will grind her up along with that bracelet.

Leez attempts to flee. Kali grasps the sword of Re and follows, asking her son to observe how the human he trusted runs, leaving him in her clutches. A rock gives way under Leez's feet and she ends up on the ground. Kali slashes her with the sword and bites into her neck, claiming that this is Leez's fate, pain she cannot escape, and offering to kill her painlessly should she so desire.

Suddenly, Leez stabs Kali in the neck with the red dagger, leaving Kali paralyzed as Leez stumbles away. Kali reprimands herself for making such a mistake and imagines how Visnu would laugh if he could see her. As she watches Leez stagger, she comments that Leez has no chance of getting away with those wounds and should stop trying.

In her thoughts, Leez thinks to herself that she must get away in any way possible because she does not want Yuta to fault himself should she die here. She does not want to become a painful memory for him. As she passes out, her last thought is the wish that Yuta does not blame himself. Kali reads these thoughts with insight.

Leez hears Yuta's voice asking her to wake up, but she does not want to and asks him to let her sleep. Suddenly, his voice changes to that of Kali who threatens her not to use that name for him. Leez gets up, holding up the sword of Re, ready to face Kali. Kali is holding the red dagger in her hand, casually leaning against a rock, and voicing surprise that Leez still has the strength to glare. By now Leez should know that Kali is not someone Leez can point that sword at.

Episode 3-83

Season 3 Episode 83: Crime and Punishment (10)

Leez hesitantly lowers her sword. Kali is impressed that Leez would not give up for her own sake, but rather out of worry for Yuta. She voices irritation that Leez is hiding her thoughts to some extent, even if not properly, and notes that any ordinary god would be fooled. She seems intrigued when Leez claims she was not hiding her thoughts on purpose.

Leez asks why Kali would even need to read her thoughts. Would it not be enough to trust her answers? To test Leez's honesty, Kali inquires what Leez's impression of her is. Leez answers that Kali is childish, petty, arrogant, and cruel. Kali is surprised and notes she will have to be truly patient if she is not to murder Leez during their conversation.

Leez attempts to ask if Kali could stop possessing Yuta's body, arguing that Yuta would surely want to speak to Kali as well. Kali refuses, bringing up that Yuta would certainly not want to see her since he remembers all the abuse she put him through.

Kali suggests Leez is in no position to worry about Yuta and asks her to stop using that name of no power. She explains that Yuta acknowledged the name to the extent that it has started to eat away at his true name. Though this was a choice he made only because he was unable to use his own in order for Taraka not to find him. She suggests that Yuta not having revealed his true name to Leez yet must mean he does not trust her. His reason for existence is to destroy anything Kali considers evil and he can never break away from that purpose.

When Leez asks what Kali defines as evil, Kali names Visnu, the world, the creatures of that world, their values, ideals, justice, honor, pride, relationships, and love. Upon Leez's surprised expression, Kali mocks her for believing love would be possible for her when Yuta tries to eat her at every chance. She continues that life without love is a blessing, a lesson she has learned herself. Yuta can never love Leez or anyone else, not in this world and not in any other. He will be forever alone. Kali claims that Leez has moved her and so she will give her a prize before killing her.

Maruna watches as Ran chases Leez the cat. He wonders how Ran could have become so strong and considers that in order to access power that exceeds their capabilities, a human must consume lifespan. He wonders whether to tell Ran.

Ran yells at Maruna to help him, but before he can even finish, Maruna is already handing Leez the cat over to him. Ran is impressed with Maruna's speed. He then wonders how come the cat is acting so stupid now when it could follow commands just shortly ago. It even forgot its toilet training. Ran ponders if it got possessed by a god for the last few days. When Maruna does not understand the phrase, Ran explains that that is what humans say when someone does something exceeding their normal abilities.

Maruna asks why the comparison to a god is used and not to suras when those are superior to humans as well. Ran claims this is because humans worship gods, not suras, because gods are benevolent, suras are hostile. Maruna is confused about why someone benevolent would be worthy of worship when power is the only criterion that matters. Ran gives up.

Maruna notes that they have reached the door to the Temple but Leez is nowhere to be seen. Ran becomes curious and peeks through a slit in the door... only to jump back in surprise because he saw a naked female body. He worries that he will go to hell for disrespecting the gods.

Maruna is confused for all he can see is a torn up torso made up of red fragments.

Episode 3-84

Season 3 Episode 84: Crime and Punishment (11)

Kali explains that the prize Leez will receive is the opportunity to achieve her goal from 8 years ago. Leez claims that this goal is now meaningless because the people in her village did not die by Maruna's hand.

Kali suggests that a sin does not depend solely on the result of one's actions and emotional resentment is justification enough. She brings up that if she were to kill Leez and offer to give Maruna a chance to develop, he would not hesitate to accept. She is offering the deal to Leez first and that is why it is a prize. She will be killing off her pawn to grant Leez's wish.

To convince Leez, Kali tells two stories about what Asha did to Rao, without suggesting which, if either, is true.

In one story, Asha planned to kill Rao but found herself hesitating. She attempted to remove the traps she set and save him, but despite her efforts Rao died.

In the other story Asha tried to kill Rao without any hesitation but Rao survived, given strength by his desire to see his daughter again.

In which of the stories did Asha commit a greater sin? Which deserves a harsher punishment?

Without hesitation, Leez answers that the second one. Although the second Asha did not kill Rao, her intentions and actions were worse. The fact that the attacker failed does not exonerate him.

Kali then extends this logic to Maruna. He too fully intended to kill the villagers and it is of no credit to him that the village was empty. If Leez would forgive him for this alone, it means she does not wish to punish his malicious intent but only cares about the harm she herself suffered. Maruna killed people in many other villages and those are no longer able to take revenge. But Leez is in a position to do it for them. Would she refuse only because she herself took no damage?

Kali claims that there is no need to fear failure because she would create a situation in which Leez can defeat Maruna with her own hands even if he were to take sura form. She quells Leez's worries that Yuta could resent her for killing his brother by suggesting she kills him at a time when she was not yet aware.

Kali embraces Leez and asks if she knows why a universe without Visnu is doomed to fall. She answers her own question. It is because no one is around to stop this power of hers.

Leez opens her eyes and finds herself in her younger body in the midst of the situation from seven years ago when magicians and fighters were hiding in a hoti chandra spell and discussing whether to attack Maruna or retreat to the city. Asha is standing among them.

Kali tells Leez that this is her most precious power with limited uses. However, Leez can kill only one person here. Depending on who she chooses, the resulting consequences will differ greatly.

Episode 3-85

Season 3 Episode 85: Crime and Punishment (12)

Seven years ago after the attack in Kalibloom, a group of magicians and fighters are staying hidden in a hoti chandra spell. They wish to attack Maruna who is nearby in his human form. Asha fails to convince them to give up on this task and asks Leez to get out of there with her.

In Leez's head, Kali's voice whispers that Leez must know why Asha is trying to get Leez to leave and that it is not out of caring.

Out loud, Leez asks why leave if she now has the chance to take revenge. The enemy is right before them. To Asha's surprise, Leez summons the sword of Re to her hand.

Leez suddenly switches to third person and asks why Asha would stop this girl. She suggests that this is because should Leez succeed, Asha would no longer have an excuse to use her. To Asha's question who she is, Leez answers that she is someone who wishes for this child's happiness and respects the path she has chosen, no matter if victory is impossible. It is better to die than live only to get used. Leez uses a transcendental of the sword to attack the place where Maruna is at.

In Leez's mind, Kali expresses surprise at Leez's lack of hesitation. She hopes Leez did not make her choice out of despair since that would make Leez boring.

Asha proclaims that this person is not Leez. Kali creates an isolated space for Leez and Asha to talk so that the other humans do not get involved. Asha further insists that Leez must be someone else if she is capable of such a feat. She first assumes Leez must be god Kubera and chastises him for contacting Leez again, just like when he gave the bracelet to Leez.

Kali says it is a shame Asha's personality gets in the way of her intelligence but suggests that Leez can use this opportunity. She should go along and pretend she is the person Asha suspects.

Leez asks if she should not be meeting this child. Asha affirms this, stating that he must be on her side, that is why she is walking this path. His cooperation is necessary for the last step. Then she suddenly pauses and asks if the person before her is actually Visnu possessing a human body.

On Kali's advice, Leez nods her head. Asha starts getting angry, asking if Leez still has a higher chance of winning than her and that is why Visnu has changed his mind. Or if she was perhaps his chosen candidate since the beginning. She further expands this theory, claiming that this was why things went wrong for her ever since meeting Leez. Visnu should have told her all of the important things. He must have been lying to her, using her only as a guide for Leez, making use of the guilt she felt for Rao.

Leez asks if someone made Asha kill Rao. If she had a choice. Kali whispers that Leez should not have said that and concludes that it is unnecessary for her to further watch, she will return ahead of Leez. She tells Leez to watch the end she wanted and leaves, dissolving the separate space around the two girls.

Asha and Leez find themselves back among the magicians who are discussing the transcendental skill Leez used earlier. Asha glares at Leez and states that she is not Visnu since he would never say what she did. Who is she and why is she interfering?

Leez repeats that she is someone who wishes for the happiness of the child more than anyone in the world and respects the path she has chosen. She leaves to attack Maruna. Asha bites her lip and asks "why you? why only you?"

Kali is surprised by the decision to respect one's past self who knew nothing. She contemplates that she clearly still has much to learn about human beings and considers whether to give Leez the chance to choose again. This choice costs Kali too much. She looks in the direction of Gandharva who is crying over Teo's dead body.

Episode 3-86

Season 3 Episode 86: Crime and Punishment (13)

Seven years ago after the attack on Kalibloom, Gandharva is crying over Teo's dead body. He realizes that her soul has already left and reviving a human is impossible in a world without Visnu, yet still he weeps. Why?

He thinks back to when Agni asked him whether he feels guilt for any of the countless humans he killed, and in his mind he answers - he feels guilty for a single one. Teo was the only one who came to mind at Agni's words. He always knew his acts were considered sins, but he did not understand. He stopped doing those things because his loved ones asked it of him, not out of regret. So why is this different? Why does it hurt?

Hura's voice abruptly interrupts him from his thoughts. Hura voices concern that Gandharva staying on the spot may be dangerous considering how weak he is, but Gandharva replies he is not in the mood to talk and sends them to go bother someone else.

Then Hura suggests that there is a way to revive Teo, but it will not come for free. "If you gain something, you have to lose something. And if you have sinned, you have to be punished. Is that not the way of the world?"

Back in the present, Leez is leaning against a rock, waiting for Kali to return. She asks Kali what kept her as she had said she would be returning ahead of Leez.

Kali ignores the question and instead asks how it feels to return without killing Maruna. Leez accuses Kali of knowing what the outcome would be and suggests that this series of events was what led to Yuta's development to third stage, which Kali desired.

Kali reveals that Yuta would have developed no matter what Leez would have chosen. When Yuta appeared before Maruna, Leez's conscience made her lose her intent to kill. Losing the justification of the given chance led to her getting separated from her past. The sequence of events that followed was the real past that led to the current universe.

But if Leez had attacked Asha, nothing would have blunted her intent to kill. Yuta would have interfered and attempted to convince Leez to stop, but upon her refusal, he would assume that Leez must be an enemy planted by his mother to hinder Visnu and everything he has seen of Leez was merely an act. He would develop to protect Asha and end up killing Leez.

Kali suggests that this misguided belief of Yuta was caused by the education of Shuri, who spent centuries teaching him that Visnu is right. She mentions that this outcome would have been preferable since Yuta would have developed and the obstacle that Leez presents would be gone. She further explains that the fact that Asha is Visnu's candidate matters not because upon Leez's death the Ananta clan could immediately go forward with the resurrection of Ananta.

And her ultimate goal is for Ananta to get resurrected and for Yuta to die at the same time. Then Yuta would return to life, forget everything he had been taught, and consume everything in his way until he swallows the universe itself. This was the fastest route to the destruction of the universe but it is now just an unfulfilled possibility.

When Leez questions if this can even be called a prize if this was what Kali intended, Kali claims that an early death that spares her of suffering is nothing but a prize. Of course, since the events that truly took place led to Leez's current being, that can also be considered a prize.

To Leez's question of what would come to pass had the prize not been given, Kali answers that Yuta would not have developed, Samphati would have used Leez to make Yuta suffer, and eventually kill him. This path too would lead to the resurrection of Ananta and Yuta coming back to life to devour the universe. The current universe is actually the most bothersome for Kali.

Leez inquires why not kill her then. Kali retorts why even create the universe. It owes its existence to sloppiness, not precision. To chaos, not to order. A machine that gives predictable answers has not value and nothing was created out of necessity.

Leez asks if this means Kali is leaving her alive because she is unpredictable. Kali states that she is half right. She continues that it is sometimes better to be used by choice and that she intends to give Leez an extremely powerful name.

Episode 3-87

Season 3 Episode 87: Crime and Punishment (14)

Leez asks Kali if she can really give her a name. Kali replies that she has the right as a primeval god to manage the many names in her possession, consisting of those of nastikas, astikas, and ancient humans. She adds that Leez can stand at the top and have her revenge before the universe is destroyed soon. Surprisingly to Kali, Leez declines the offer, saying that it does not appeal to her.

Leez points out to Kali that if Yuta's true name was lessened since he acknowledged Leez's name for him, then Kali's name for her be pointless if she refused to acknowledge it. Kali questions if she is in a position to turn down her offer, since she was defenseless against even an avatar of her son, and will have an equally pathetic death as in her other possibilities. Leez suggests that someone as long-lived as Kali could offer an alternative that has nothing to do with a name, since the goddess's offers are never without strings. She then asks her why she does not use such a powerful name herself. Kali responds that the names of primeval gods are superior, free from the responsibilities of their actions. Leez then deduces that since gods and suras cannot have offspring between them, then Kali must have used the name of a nastika in order to have her son, and questions if she still has the power of a primeval god. She notes that the goddess now remains hidden and limits her actions, even with Visnu out of the picture, and asks if the reason she left her son behind and vanished was because she is losing her name. Kali simply replies that her words sound very confident. Leez wonders if there is any other reason for the goddess to keep her there, wanting to give her a name. Kali states that she no longer wants to give her a name, and it is a waste of time since she has no desire for power, so she makes her a different offer—an item connected to her true name.

Back in the cave with the piles of gold, Kali offers her what she considers the least cumbersome and most needed, a pair of boots which increases her regeneration and defense, as long as they stay in contact with the earth. She claims that God Kubera used them in a previous universe, so there would be no negative effects to her true name, and the gods on Willarv can verify that. Leez questions why she would help her since there is no benefit to the goddess herself. Kali adds that keeping her alive is of no benefit, either, then asks her whose pawn she thinks she is. Leez replies that if Asha is Visnu's pawn, then... Kali interrupts, asking if she thinks she is her pawn. Leez points out that the Sword of Return and the Hide of Bondage are her items, and that the gods and nastikas she met all told her that Kali was using her to pass her sins onto.

Kali recalls a long-past conversation with a light being who tells her to try her best, because even though she thinks that standing against them is her idea of justice, the inhabitants of this dying universe will only consider her to be evil.

Kali tells Leez to give her best fight, and hopes that she never regrets taking the item over the powerful name. Leez asks her if she is the one who will regret giving her the item instead of killing her. Ran suddenly appears at the cave entrance along with Maruna, and calls out Leez's and Yuta's names. He asks them why they never came up to look for them, and excitedly tells her that they found Kali's body, only that he and Maruna saw completely different things; he then explains that Maruna saw tattered rags while he saw a completely naked Kali.

Kali grimaces.

Episode 3-88

Season 3 Episode 88: Crime and Punishment (15)

As Leez tries to explain to Kali that Ran means no harm, Ran asks why she is speaking so politely to Yuta. Leez stammers as she tries to explain, but "Yuta" interrupts, telling her that he thought she resolved her feelings about Maruna, but she is once again putting distance between them. As Leez looks gobsmacked, Ran tells Leez to go easy on him. "Yuta" then explains that he was here to find a useful item for Leez so that she would not get hurt so easily. Ran tells her to accept him and expresses sympathy for him, which makes Leez laugh awkwardly. She then tells Ran that he is right, and she slipped into polite speech because Yuta seems different than usual.

Ran suggests that they go back up for Kali's body, but "Yuta" tells him that there is no longer a reason for that since his "mother" is not able to be entirely revived, and that her state has since deteriorated, indicating that she gave up on regenerating and used her strength on something else. Ran expresses disbelief, so "Yuta" tells him to go check again.

Back at the doorway, Ran and Maruna both peek inside again and agree that it has become much worse than they saw earlier. Ran excitedly tells Leez to look as well, and Leez only sees lumps of flesh on the ground. "Yuta" states that it is possible that she is in such bad shape because she was cornered and used up so much power that she is now stuck like that for another few hundred years. He adds that she will achieve her goal of destroying the universe in some other way that does not require her body. He then changes the subject and asks Ran if he was hindered by some kind of force on his way there. Ran replies that that guy said he was trapped in a mental transcendental. A side note states that from Maruna's point of view, Ran is talking to himself. "Yuta" then suggests that it was a ploy to drag out the time while problems happened elsewhere. When Ran asks about that, "Yuta" reveals that several months have already passed since they arrived here. Leez is shocked as Ran insists that they only spent one night here since exiting the water channel. Leez states that is is possible that more time has passed than they've observed, and asks if the rakshasa was also affected by the mental transcendental. Ran tells her he was. "Yuta" then tells him that they were all caught in it, while on Willarv... Ran suddenly panics at the thought of his wife Rana, and Maruna asks him what is going on since he is only hearing part of the conversation. Ran tells him that he will explain on the way back to the water channel, and tells Leez and Yuta to hurry. Kali tells Leez to hurry after him, but Leez asks if she plans on completely taking over Yuta's body and pretend to be him even in front of the gods on Willarv. Kali points out that it is just an avatar. Leez asks if Yuta returned to the sura realm, but Kali replies that he never left it, and that this avatar was being controlled from there. She only took control after momentarily severing his connection, which he could regain at any time due to her lack of strength. Leez is confused as to why Kali gave up regenerating in order to put Leez ahead, if her goal is to end the universe. Kali replies that Leez wavers too much and that she will remain confused if she does give her an answer, and so refuses to give her one. She adds that Willarv is indeed in danger and she must not waste any more time.

Episode 3-89

Season 3 Episode 89: Crime and Punishment (16)

Ran panics at the thought that something bad has happened to Willarv and to Rana. Maruna points out that it would take several days if they go back the way they came, but he heard that since Konchez had the greatest Temple of Chaos in the universe, the temple housed a passage that connected to all water channels on all planets.

As they ascend the temple ruins, Ran notes that they could have arrived to this planet faster if they came through such a passage. "Yuta" explains that the passage is only one-way, leading out to the other water channels, with no way back. He goes on to explain that the water channels were created by the primeval god Brahma, who has the power of Order and Creation which allows her to distort space but not time. But here they will find his mother's creation, which is on a higher level. At the top of the walkway, he asks the other three to step on the platform, and what appears to be an image of the universe forms around them. "Yuta" then states that this is the universe itself, and he will track the planet Willarv in the present time. He warns them not to fall because their location could never be found. Ran questions how he knows all this, and "Yuta" replies that his mother wanted him to know everything so that he could one day follow her will. When "Yuta" announces that he has found it, all everyone sees is debris floating in space. "Yuta" says that it has been destroyed, and it appears as though the gods sacrificed the planet to prevent an even greater danger. Ran begins to panic when he thinks of his family and grabs "Yuta" by the front of his cloak, but Leez calms him down. "Yuta" then reveals that this item can distort time and they could return to Willarv before it was destroyed, but a few days after they left so that they do not run into themselves. A portal appears, and he tells them that they need someone to go first, since the item can only manage one person at a time. He adds that there is also the possibility that the first person could change history and make it so they are unable to meet again, so many calculations need to be done. Ran volunteers to be the first to go, but Leez states that it will be her since she knows details that are still unknown to him, and she will wait for the rest to arrive. Leez steps into the portal.

Kali grins.

Notes

• The title can also be translated as "Sin and Punishment" since the word that is used can mean either sin or crime in Korean. It is the same word that Kali uses when speaking of sins.
• The title Crime and Punishment could refer to:
  • The root and consequences of several problems, such as:
    • Kubera's deal with Kali, which led to the death of Ananta and his name issues
    • Leez summoning a god, which cut her lifespan and exploited her potential
    • Ran killing his mother, which led to his phobia
    • Kali taking on a nastika name to give birth to Yuta, which damaged her own name
    • Leez's decision to respect the wishes of her younger self and attack Maruna, which led to the current present
    • Asha killing Rao, which plagued her with guilt and affected her actions
    • Teo's death, which led to her resurrection with another soul
  • Leez taking on the burden of Kali's crimes/sins
  • Kali's take on what she considers evil
  • God Kubera's statement that sin and punishment fall upon the one who is persuaded, and not the persuader.
  • Hura's statement: "If you gain something, you have to lose something. And if you have sinned, you have to be punished. Isn't that the way of the world?"