Translator: Alpha0210
The moment the Half King appeared, Residue somehow knew at once which of them were experiencing the most violent shift in emotion.
It was the Rulers, needless to say. As for the Half-Rulers, Beniang and the Red Knight, their attitude was comparatively calm. They had, after all, faced the Half King before.
The Lightning God and the Black Thorn Demon King, by contrast, were meeting her for the first time.
They had no doubt glimpsed the Half King through other means, the Observer's Eye, for instance, but this was the first time they had met her in the flesh.
What feelings gripped them now?
This too Residue could sense, as though he were attuned to their inner selves.
About half of it was probably confusion, and the other half, excitement.
Perhaps they themselves had not foreseen it, but Residue knew, naturally, what would happen the next instant.
The two Rulers lunged at the Half King at the same time.
Each clad in Thunder and Thorn, the charging Rulers made for a terrible sight, as if destruction and death had been given form.
It was a sudden ambush, without so much as a warning, yet the Half King neither flinched nor faltered. Nor did she retreat. With the Rulers bearing down on her from both sides, she gave neither of them a glance, staring straight ahead, and then spread her arms out to either side.
What followed defied belief, even to eyes that watched it happen.
Thunder and Thorn– the two External Forces that symbolized the Rulers passed straight through the Half King and collided with each other.
Deflection.
"......!"
For the first time, the Lightning God and the Black Thorn Demon King wore the same expression. It was more than a rare sight; it was likely a moment that had occurred only a handful of times in all of history. Both of them looked utterly stunned.
The instant the Rulers' External Forces collided, space itself groaned as though about to tear apart. It looked as if two extremely dangerous energies, the kind that demanded careful handling, were trying to fuse, and it appeared so unstable that even the ignorant could feel the danger.
There was no telling just how much power the two had poured into that instant, but it seemed they had attacked with every intention of killing the Half King. The vibrations that arose from the mass of energy spilled beyond the space itself and shook the entire King's Castle.
"Th-that, isn't that dangerous?"
"It's going to blow......!"
The instant someone cried out as much,
the Half King cupped that perilous-looking mass of energy in her small, delicate hands. The motion was as nonchalant as if she were hiding a piece of candy.
"......"
And then she pressed down and compressed it, like kneading clay.
Pssshhh-.
With the sound of escaping air, by the time she opened her palms again, the mass of energy had vanished without a trace.
"I-it's gone?"
"Phew......"
Residue observed those who flinched like startled minnows with interest. It struck him, suddenly, as a rather amusing thing. Most of the fellows playing the part of mere bystanders here were the supreme powers of their respective universes, possessed of an unshakable composure that scarcely blinked at ordinary matters.
And here such beings were, hanging on the Half King's every move, behaving like green novices.
This was why strength was a relative thing.
And the one who was not easily swept up even before the strong was, in turn, the one who held the qualification to become truly strong.
In any case, unlike those who exhaled in relief, the faces of the few who had grasped the Half King's artistry had gone stiff. They had realized just how monstrous a feat she had accomplished using nothing but her palms.
Residue burst into a hearty laugh at the sight of the speechless Rulers.
"You lot have to ram your skulls into something to learn whether it's a rock or an egg too, eh? Are your heads still in one piece, my dear fellow elders?"
"...Quiet."
"Shut your mouth."
The two Rulers shot back sharply, but their voices carried a strange heat.
It was proof that they had, in their own way, put real effort into that attack. Having their blow blocked so absurdly easily had soured their mood, no doubt.
They snapped at Residue for only a moment before quickly turning their attention back to the Half King.
Brow furrowed, the Lightning God drew up Thunder on a scale beyond all comparison to before.
It was then that the Half King spoke.
"What would you have me do?"
Her golden eyes were fixed directly on Residue.
To think she'd ask this body for its opinion here, of all places. Far better than a troublemaker like Agolet, isn't she.
Residue grinned and said,
"I'd prefer it if you could subdue them quietly, if at all possible. Might that be within your power, Your Majesty the Half King?"
"Not difficult. And......"
The Half King muttered in a curiously curt voice,
"You are to drop the formalities when addressing this one."
*
The fight that unfolded could hardly be called long, yet even for Residue it gave him a great deal to reflect on.
The two Rulers fought the Half King with nearly every means at their disposal. Residue, who knew all of the Lightning God's techniques, could be certain of as much, and the Black Thorn Demon King likewise unveiled countless attacks Residue had never once seen, so the situation was surely the same for him.
Most of their attacks could not land an effective blow on the Half King. It was not that they failed entirely, but none of them could clearly be said to have 'landed'.
Residue wondered whether the Half King had undergone yet another bout of growth in the interim, but on closer inspection, it was simply that a change in her mindset had broadened her field of vision. There were those who revealed their true mettle only once a certain measure of composure was in place during battle, and the Half King's disposition was one such case.
'So when she was under mental pressure from the Twelve Void Lords, or fighting Destruction one against many, she couldn't muster even half her true strength?'
The same had been true when she fought Residue.
In any case, on reflection, if a change in mindset had raised her combat ability, then that too counted as growth. The Half King looked to have gained a great deal even from a short journey.
Residue felt a curious swell of pride, then, deciding it was hardly an emotion that suited him, quickly straightened his face.
And he cast a quick glance around.
Most of the people were watching the clash of the three Absolutes with half-enchanted faces. Those capable of understanding even a fraction of that battle were surely gleaning experience more precious than a fortune in gold with every passing moment. And even the ones who couldn't follow it would at least find it of help in opening their eyes......
BOOM!
The Lightning God was sent flying.
The Ruler tumbled across the floor five or six times, ending up covered in dirt and slammed into the wall, but the Lightning God brushed the dust off roughly with his hand and came striding back out.
Residue snickered at the sight, and then their eyes met.
"...Heh heh heh."
The Lightning God let out a laugh of his own.
Still wearing a grin, Residue asked,
"Hey, Lightning God. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"Yeah. This is fun."
The Lightning God answered with a savage grin, then burst into a booming, wild laugh and charged at the Half King once more.
As if he had caught the same feeling, Residue found himself in a similar mood and went on watching the fight.
He hadn't calculated every last detail, but what Residue had hoped for was actually coming to pass.
He had wanted the Half King to be not a wall to the Rulers, but a challenge. He had wanted them to look at her and not despair, not lose their will to fight.
Yes. This body of mine has already wallowed once in the mud, but those fellows, I'd like them to keep their chins raised arrogantly all the way through. Was this lingering attachment, twisted yearning, or regret?
For all the high talk earlier, perhaps Residue, too, had not entirely freed himself from the Lightning God.
The Lightning God and the Black Thorn Demon King charged in, were flung back, charged in, were flung back, dozens of times over. Their bodies bore countless wounds, yet their faces filled more and more with life.
How many times did this repeat?
At some point the Lightning God stopped charging and plopped down where he stood. He kept his silence, his face deep in thought. He was likely replaying the fight he had just waged, move by move. The shock he had dealt Yang In-hyun after sending him flying with a single blow, he was now turning upon himself.
The Black Thorn Demon King, too, hesitated and stepped back a few paces, then fell silent with a gaze that seemed to stare off at some distant mountain.
Residue watched the scene and smiled faintly.
And when the Lightning God surfaced from his musings, Residue said with a jeer,
"Well, Lightning God? Growth isn't only possible in a fight where your life's on the line, is it?"
The Lightning God shot him a sullen look, then nodded.
"I'll grant you that."
Then he rose to his feet and strode over to the Half King. There was no hostility in his movements, so the Half King made no response, only lifting her head to look up at him.
"Half King. What is it you want from us?"
It was a tone so mild that one could scarcely believe it had come from the mouth of a Ruler, the Thunderous Lightning God. Residue could see that even Retip, who had followed the Lightning God the longest, wore a dumbfounded face.
Residue let out a small laugh at the sight, then looked back to the Half King. Her golden eyes were no longer sunk in darkness. They shone clear and distinct, as if they held starlight.
"There is no reason for us to fight to the death. That said, I will not speak of cooperation. It hardly seems suited to your temperaments. Even if such a day might one day come, for now it will take time."
Every last one of those present was fixed on the voice that resonated softly through the hall.
The Half King no longer shrank from those gazes or found them burdensome, and she went on,
"Each of us does our utmost in our own position, and we exchange information regarding Destruction as the highest priority. And should the moment come when we trespass upon one another's domains, we at least make an attempt to settle it through dialogue first. That is the whole of this one's view. How say you, Lightning God?"
"I agree."
The Lightning God shot to his feet and, looking at those gathered within the Summit Hall, said abruptly,
"Let's go."
Then he started moving as though he meant to leave outright, striding off in long steps. No. He really is leaving.
Suddenly reluctant to let him go so easily, Residue opened his mouth half on impulse.
"Lightning God."
"What?"
"Every now and then, some fellow weaker than us blurts out something that happens to be right."
The Lightning God hardly seemed the type to take advice meekly, but it felt better than saying nothing at all, so Residue continued,
"When that moment comes, give it one more thought. A great deal could change."
"...Hmph."
As expected, the Lightning God let out a scoff.
It seemed he had taken Residue's advice as an insult. It had come from good intentions, and this was a bit much. Residue scratched the back of his head.
In any case, once the Lightning God and the Absolutes who followed him swept out all together, the suffocating atmosphere of the Summit Hall felt much improved.
The Black Thorn Demon King, too, rose from his seat.
Strangely, this fellow was preparing to depart at once without a single word to the Half King, but Residue stopped him, for a more concrete reason than the one he'd had with the Lightning God.
"Black Thorn Demon King, my good man, hand over a Thorn."
"What?"
"The 'Thorn', I mean. Your External Force."
The Black Thorn Demon King frowned, but Residue was serious.
This man's Thorn was one of the powers Residue absolutely had to acquire.
"I heard about the Origin of Rulers from the Previous Beginning Wizard. Did you know? The Rulers were once a single entity. A weapon wielded by the gods, so I'm told."
"And?"
"I mean to combine all the assorted External Forces you lot possess. This is something only this body can do. I was once a Ruler, I currently hold 'Thunder' and 'Prominence', and I have enough room inside me to take in the rest of the powers as well."
"......"
The Black Thorn Demon King regarded Residue with deep-set eyes, then spoke again.
"You'll die."
"That doesn't seem to be your concern."
"Fair enough."
The Black Thorn Demon King spread his palm. Grrrk. Something like jet-black dust spun above his fingers, then clung together to form the shape of a thorn. It was dark enough that not a single point of light could rest upon it, and smooth, and though it was nothing more than a thorn, it somehow felt like a work of art.
"When you're ready, drive that into your body."
"It's too big. How am I supposed to carry it around?"
At a wave of the Black Thorn Demon King's hand, his face annoyed, the Thorn shrank to about the size of a dagger. It was small enough now to tuck away inside his coat, and only then did Residue pocket the Thorn with a satisfied smile.
"Good. And......"
He was about to say something more, but the Black Thorn Demon King was already leaving the Summit Hall without so much as a backward glance.
Residue had only been about to offer some pointless farewell anyway, so he closed his half-open mouth again.
With the Lightning God and the Black Thorn Demon King and all their followers gone from the Summit Hall, the place now felt distinctly empty.
Residue felt that the Greatest Summit, which he had convened half on impulse, was drawing more or less to a close.
"Residue."
It was then that the Half King approached.
"A moment ago, your retainer told me something rather interesting."
"My retainer?"
Agolet?
Residue looked at Agolet, then back at the Half King.
The Half King said,
"Is it true that you did not include this one among the five who are to go out to 'The Outside'?"
"It's true."
"Why."
"What?"
"Why."
The Half King asked again with a bright smile,
"Why did you leave this one out? Residue."
"......"
It was a smiling face, yet a sudden chill ran through him.
Somehow, he felt he had better answer well.
*****
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