Chapter 367: The King Who Kills Others, The God Who Kills Himself (21) |
Every time the Regressor shouted, the Golden Palace shook.
Homunculi soared through the air, launching various attacks in an attempt to breach the Golden Ark, but as soon as they came close, the darkness rose up and swallowed them whole.
Meanwhile, the Golden Ark continued to scrape through the ground and drive against the Golden Palace, as though trying to topple it.
Perhaps mythical battles arise more unexpectedly than one might think—like now, where a peace delegation had turned into a fight.
Though I had no desire to get involved, I was certainly interested in the encounter between the Golden Lord and the Witherarch.
“Hilde. Let’s go.”
“Go? There? Uh, um, Father. Is that really necessary?”
“Yes. Absolutely.”
At my firm response, Hilde let out a soft sigh and pedaled harder.
Indeed, human-powered vehicles are the most convenient.
With mechanical assistance, the speed can be quite impressive. The voice recognition and automatic driving capabilities are also particularly useful.
“Faster! Push it harder!”
“Ikkkkk! I’m already doing it!”
As I prodded Hilde with words, I focused on using Mind Reading.
As we drew closer to the Golden Palace, the thoughts of those moving inside began to reach me.
The Golden Palace was essentially the body of the Golden Lord.
Everything within it was subject to his will, capable of transforming and moving at his command.
The Regressor and Tyr, who entered the palace in pursuit of the Golden Ark, faced relentless attacks from all sides.
The floor rose, the ceiling collapsed, and countless traps flew towards them.
They were besieged by every conceivable weapon humanity could imagine, making their progress exceedingly difficult.
Amidst this chaos, however, Peru pressed on deeper into the Golden Palace.
The floor and ceiling closed in, trying to crush Peru in between.
But as soon as she sensed it, her Unique Magic pulverized both the floor and ceiling.
They crumbled away, leaving Peru to fall rather than be crushed.
When a spring-loaded spike shot out, aiming to tear her apart, it suddenly withered under its own weight and shattered.
When a spiked iron ball swung towards her, its weakened chains snapped, sending it rolling off in an unknown direction.
Even the mirrors designed to repel vampires lost their luster in an instant, and weapons bristled with sharp edges fractured like glass.
If the Golden Palace was the pinnacle of alchemy, then Peru represented its end.
Though her power wasn’t overwhelming, it steadily nullifies all of the Golden Lord’s intentions as she ventures further inward.
｢…I expected this. Even the Golden Ark was created by the Golden Lord. The closer it gets, the more likely it’ll be absorbed as material…｣
Damaging the Golden Palace itself was meaningless.
No matter how much destruction was inflicted, the Golden Lord could simply recreate it.
Even so, Peru chose to ram the palace for two reasons.
First, to reach the Golden Lord quickly.
Second, to drive the Furnace of Wither deep inside the Golden Palace.
｢…The Furnace of Wither. The only tool that can contain my power, which brings about destruction.｣
The Golden Lord granted gifts to the “disciples” who came to him.
To fully harness their Unique Magic, he provided equipment that allowed them to utilize their powers to their fullest extent.
Such gifts were the Juggernauts, mystical tools bestowed upon the Primarchs who succeeded him.
Yet, even the Golden Lord hesitated when it came to Peru.
Her Unique Magic, which induces the end of matter, defied integration into any tool. No matter what the Golden Lord created, her power rendered it useless.
｢…Back then, there was even talk of killing me.｣
Some Primarchs argued that Peru’s power, which negated alchemy, was dangerous and should be eradicated.
But the Golden Lord dismissed such notions, tirelessly creating and experimenting until he succeeded.
Days and nights passed.
The result of his laborious efforts was the Furnace of Wither—a black box more akin to glass than metal, its material and structure impossible to comprehend.
It could not be analyzed, for once broken, it could not be repaired.
Peru couldn’t understand its inner workings, but one thing was certain. As long as it contained material to disassemble, it would never shatter.
The Golden Lord’s might was great enough to transcend even paradoxes.
For the Golden Lord, the trial-and-error process itself may have been a source of inspiration and enjoyment—his only stimulus in a world where he required nothing.
But for someone else, that simple contemplation became a precious gift.
｢…Golden Lord.｣
The structure of the palace shifted again.
Having found it difficult to handle Peru with direct attacks, it now adopted a new strategy.
The floor disappeared beneath her feet and Peru wavered as she fell.
Sharp spikes jutted out where she was about to land.
Peru couldn’t stop this attack on her own, but she wasn’t unprepared.
She pulled out a small, white orb and crushed it in her hands.
It was the Wind Orb the Regressor had given her.
A sudden gust propelled her away, slamming her into a wall instead of the spikes below.
Bruised but unscathed, Peru stood and scattered the power of Wither, pressing further into the palace.
[This is difficult.]
A voice echoed through the corridor. Peru turned toward the source and spoke.
“…Golden Lord.”
[To confront a single intruder like you requires functionality. Yet your presence renders all functions useless. Should I collapse the entire palace to deal with you?]
The Golden Lord seemed prepared to turn the palace into Peru’s tomb if necessary.
Peru had anticipated as much.
While her power was invincible against alchemy, she herself remained a fragile human.
If the Golden Lord truly wished to kill her, she wouldn’t be able to withstand it.
Even so, Peru continued forward—not just for her country, but for another reason.
Clutching the Furnace of Wither tightly, she walked down the seemingly endless corridor and made a desperate plea to the Golden Lord.
“…Can’t we… make this work together?”
The Primarchs can communicate with the Golden Lord.
Their Spiritual World is rooted in the Golden Lord, making them the only ones capable of truly conversing with what remains of his essence.
Peru’s words reached the Golden Lord’s Spiritual World, eliciting a reaction.
[What do you mean?]
“…We revere you. Even if not as part of the Golden Empire, your power and majesty within the Fallen Dominion are self-evident, but… was the Fallen Dominion so lacking that it wasn’t worthy of your presence?”
Despite the sorrow in Peru’s voice, the Golden Lord’s response was dry and detached.
[I never commanded you to revere me. It was you who entered my Golden Empire uninvited and sold off my creations without my permission.] “…It was to survive.”
[And now I seek to end you for it.]
Logic transcending life and death—logic that only a god could wield.
Peru swallowed hard before speaking again.
“…Even if we scavenged what you discarded, we were always grateful to you for it.”
[I never desired your gratitude.]
“…No one dared to claim the title of King in your name.”
[As it should be.]
“…We were your people.”
[I never considered you so. My nation is the Golden Empire alone.]
The closer Peru drew, the clearer the Golden Lord’s voice became.
Her power, which dissolved matter, acted as a probe leading her to the Golden Lord.
This principle applied to the Golden Ark as well.
Since the Golden Lord’s power radiated outward from his artifacts, Peru could instinctively follow that trace to find him.
Whether intentional or not, Peru drew closer to the Golden Bell as she spoke.
“…We have nothing to offer you. You, who are perfect as an alchemist, who have reached a level far above all others. All we can do is revere you and follow your lead.”
But Peru’s words were not a prelude to an attack.
Her desire to question the Golden Lord outweighed her intent to fight.
“…To us, you were our ruler, our teacher, and our god. We thought of you as such… yet, were we truly so unworthy of being your people?”
Despite her earnest plea, the Golden Lord’s reply was cold.
[That is nothing more than your baseless belief. I am a man of the Golden Empire, and I only have one King. I am not a King, but a Lord—a steward left behind to care for the land abandoned by my King.]
A king needs subjects—to farm, to work, and to die in his place.
Thus, a king cherishes his people because he needs them.
The Golden Lord, already dead and became a Divine, needed nothing.
Having killed even himself, he could discard everything else without hesitation—even a nation.
Perhaps, that is why gods are so cruel.
Realizing this, Peru, overwhelmed with despair, swallowed her tears and asked her god once again.
“…Are we not a part of that land?”
After a brief pause, the Golden Lord answered.
[Yes.]
Peru’s steps faltered.
She bowed her head, her despair sinking deeper.
Finally, she placed the Furnace of Wither she had been carrying on the ground.
Withering material accelerates the decay of others.
The furnace, which had been filled with Alchemic Steel for years to power the Golden Ark, contained Peru’s condensed power.
｢…Years of accumulated Wither… will this be enough?｣
Once destroyed, it could never be undone.
Thus, she had neither disassembled nor emptied the black box until now.
Peru took a red orb from her pocket and placed it atop the furnace.
It was the Tear of Lava, a gem excavated from a volcano and refined through a special process to encapsulate its heat.
Even in the inflation-prone Fallen Dominion, it was a highly valuable treasure.
Peru, who had kept it for emergencies, now infused it with mana.
The orb shattered and fiery molten liquid flowed over the furnace, spreading widely while consuming its shell.
The furnace glowed red, unable to withstand the heat, and melted.
Finally, a single drop of molten liquid bore a hole into the furnace, breaking its seal.
The ominous power, confined for years, surged out, tearing through the weakened restraints.
｢…If this fails… There’s nothing else I can do.｣
What emerged was no longer solid, nor even fragmented—it was a liquid-like mass of corrupted material which dissolved the ground the instant it touched it.
Like a waterfall, it cascaded downward.
As it spread, the corrupted liquid grew in volume, transforming everything it touched into more of itself.
The power of Wither rapidly expanded, painting the Golden Palace with destruction.
“…Huff, huff…”
Even as the corrupted power flowed downward, merely being close to it turned Peru’s hands and feet black.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Even without direct contact, the power’s influence ravaged her body, tearing her insides apart.
[Impressive. You fought till the very end.]
Gasping for breath, Peru replied.
“…For the Fallen Dominion…”
[Yet, you’ve overlooked something.]
Even as the poison engulfed the Golden Palace, the Golden Lord remained unperturbed.
[That furnace was also my creation.]
The liquid power of Wither, which had been carving through the palace, abruptly stopped as if it had hit a wall, unable to advance further.
As Peru coughed in agony, she belatedly realized the truth.
The place she now stood upon was made of the same material as her furnace.
[I had already done this once when crafting the Golden Ark. If it can be done once, it can be done twice and the first time is always the hardest.]
“…Ah.”
This place—no, the entire Golden Palace—was a seal designed to contain Peru and her power.
She thought she had been invading, but in reality, she was guided here by the Golden Lord.
To the despairing Peru, the Golden Lord explained as if instructing a disciple.
[Your power has a countermeasure. The problem was the mercenaries you brought with you. Weapons meant to kill the mercenaries became useless against your power and methods to counter you were destroyed by them. To solve this, it was necessary to separate you.]
“…So you used this fortress…”
[Your mercenaries were dangerous. I had to take precautions.]
Perhaps it was despair or simply her limits, but Peru could no longer stand.
She collapsed, gasping for air, as the cold voice of the Golden Lord reached her ears.
[Impressive, but this is the end. If the Fallen Dominion is so precious to you, then perish alongside it.]
Peru had no options left.
Even the strength to use her Unique Magic was spent.
Lying there, she gazed at the ceiling, which was closing in on her.
The ceiling, moving according to the Golden Lord’s will, would soon crush her against the floor, leaving no remains behind—just flesh and blood scattered into oblivion.
Perhaps her fate had been sealed the moment her god abandoned her.
Death loomed ever closer—
***
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