Chapter 472: Saying The Unspoken
A truly heart-stopping sight. Michael’s Perfect Senses were incapable of grasping even a portion of the structure.
The building was so imposing that the entirety of his spiritual energy would run out before he could reach the top with flight.
’At long last.’ Nicole thought, her eyes peeking past Michael’s back.
With her and Francesca united with the squad, the motorcycle had to be enlarged once more to accumulate them all.
After a debate, Nicole managed to settle on Persephone’s spot, right behind Michael.
"The Almighty is here." Ember exclaimed, a low tremor leaving the exhaust pipe.
"Nobody knows what awaits us once we enter... It is believed that at the top, the ruler of the Kingdom waits to either be challenged or increase the number of the Guardians."
Exchanging glances, the Lords remained silent. There was no point in discussing matters when they lacked information.
Intriguingly, getting so close to the Titan’s place of residence, there was a noticeable dip in the number of illusions.
It was unperceivable at first, yet at some point it became clear that, although being its subjects, the majority of the illusions didn’t dare tread too near their ruler.
A positive for the Lords, it meant they didn’t encounter as many foes along the way.
The massive tower twisted their sense of distance, making it appear closer than it actually was.
Nevertheless, after a lengthy drive, the bottom of the construction came into view. Just as Ember had described, gates hundreds of meters tall stood tightly shut, rejecting entry within.
The core of the slain Guardian was going to act as a key, allowing access...
However, before that, the squad’s attention was directed to the four figures standing at the entrance.
The Supreme Lords Noctis, Gloria, Solomon, and Emanuel.
"Open up, goddamn it!" Emanuel cursed loudly. His fist collided with the immobile barrier.
The impact generated a shockwave, cracking the ground beneath his feet, yet the entrance hadn’t budged one bit.
Fury slowly began to build up within the man. He had gathered with part of his allies, yet mere gates were stopping their advance forward.
"Forcing our way in doesn’t seem feasible..." Solomon scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Oh no, please keep going!" Noctis taunted in open provocation. "I am sure that screaming at it for the ninth time would do the job! It’s not like we can get ambushed at any moment!"
Emanuel’s eyebrow twitched, the words successfully getting under his skin.
"Unfortunately... It’s too late for that. An illusion is approaching." Gloria’s words snapped the men to their senses.
She paused briefly.
"And it’s strong."
Without another word, the Lords dropped into battle formation.
Gloria’s eyes widened a second later. Besides the illusion, she began to pick up human intentions accompanying it!
Vrooom!
Michael emerged from a narrow alley.
Ember shifted her wheels sideways, screeching against the ground. She left a fiery trail, coming to a complete halt.
The Lords blocked by the entrance blinked slowly.
"Who do we have here?" Noctis was the first to acknowledge them. "Have we finally reunited at last?... Or are these just mimics?"
"Stop playing around." Persephone said, getting off the motorcycle. Since both were part of the Immortal Legion faction, they instinctively knew they weren’t imposters.
"Everyone!" Similarly, Elina felt relief when she saw the members of the Golden Vanguard. Without hesitation, she rushed to meet them, Eliza silently following behind.
"What is this?" Emanuel pointed at the motorcycle. He didn’t allow the bliss of their reunion to cloud his sense of judgment.
In response, the fox morphed into her true form.
"You may refer to me as Ember." She announced, her nine tails swaying gracefully behind her. "I believe we have met once already."
With the squad whole, the Lords described what had transpired during their separation. Each one had found a way to triumph over their mimic in the inner ring before being teleported to the core region of the kingdom.
Noticing the ray that acted like a beacon, they ventured deeper, eventually reaching their current location.
"What about Rosalie?" Gloria questioned, realizing that they were one person short.
Persephone shook her head.
Gloria’s eyes darkened, grasping the deeper implication.
"So this Guardian core is supposedly going to allow us to proceed?" Noctis tactfully changed the subject.
Ember nodded. "Indeed... Though you need to exercise utmost caution. Although I don’t know what awaits us, without a doubt it’s going to be grueling."
"Then let’s go!" Persephone urged for another fight.
"Hold on." Francesca stepped to the front, expressing her disagreement.
"Our orders were clear: halt the Titan, nothing more. From here on forth, we can safely observe the creature and prevent it from changing its location... Initiating contact when it’s stationary would be irrational."
Francesca had openly agreed with the Lords’ plan of challenging the Titan. Yet she had done so only to get them to participate in the mission. In actuality, she had never been truly on board with fighting the creature.
From her point of view, it was madness, plain and simple. If the Kings and Queens were largely incapable of beating them, what chances did the Lords have?
Teaming up increased their overall prowess, but would that prove sufficient when defying an existence that could alter the laws of the universe?
Leaving its extermination to the Emperor wasn’t just a matter of loyalty... It was simply the most logical assessment.
Naturally, her abrupt contradiction wasn’t appreciated by the Lords. An agreement had been pledged. Nobody was naïve enough to think that such a chance would ever fall into their laps again.
A hierarchy of power had long since been established in the human domain. If the Supreme Lords failed to ascend to the realm beyond, would they ever get another chance?
Becoming stronger was encouraged... until it challenged the existing order. With a Titan tier opened portal on the Sun, the rare opportunity to reach new heights became feasible.
Nicole’s eyes sharpened, oozing with disdain. Blocking her path to power went against everything she lived for.
Michael was the one who broke the silence.
"Sure, we’ll wait and let the most capable handle the dangerous work. It’s only logical, isn’t it?"
He spoke with subtle sarcasm.
"Tough, I wonder..." He stared at Francesca nonchalantly. "What happens when the Emperor falls?"
Taken aback by the sheer audacity of the suggestion, Francesca’s eyes narrowed. The very notion that humanity’s ruler could die had never even crossed her mind.
"The Emperor could never fall." She declared, her chin raised high. "It’s impossible."
"Oh?" Michael smiled, his head tilted to the side.
"Is he not but a mere man? A human and a mortal, one that bleeds like the rest of us?"
He gestured to the surroundings.
"Open your eyes. If the Emperor was truly omnipotent, beyond reach like most believe... Why do we exist? Couldn’t he just keep every alien at bay by himself, instead of relying on other cultivators? For now he may remain unrivaled... but what about tomorrow? A year or a decade? Eventually he would meet his match and fall."
Michael paused briefly, letting the silence settle. Then he spoke in a voice that sent shivers down the Lords’ spines.
"Without a suitable replacement, the Emperor wouldn’t be the only one to perish... he would take humankind with him to the grave, all because... everybody always chose the most reasonable path in the moment, not realizing that it led them down the road of self-destruction."
"..."
Francesca begged to disagree, yet when her lips parted, no argument came to mind.
Ignoring her, Michael walked past her and approached the gates, presenting the core of the Guardian.
The entrance shuddered loudly before creaking open.
Michael cracked his neck and glanced backwards.
"Let’s go."
