Just before that, the girl moved first. Dozens of lightning rods extending from the Lightning Rod Tower. The child who placed her hand on its center used alchemy. The lightning rods that had spread out like an umbrella folded their branches and concentrated into a single point. The sharpened Lightning Rod Tower looked like a spear aimed at the Thunder God.
Flash. The lightning struck the very center of the lightning rod.
Fortunately, Cloud Village's anti-Thunder God weapon, which had fought against lightning for a lifetime, demonstrated sufficient capability. Instead of the tremendous torrent of power burning a human to ashes, it flowed down the Lightning Rod Tower and seeped into the ground. The Lightning Rod Tower, having withstood the Thunder God's power, vibrated violently.
"Kyaaaah!"
However, lightning is terrifying even with just its aftermath. The child, who had received that power at close range while controlling the Lightning Rod Tower, was flung back with a twang. Aji dashed swiftly and caught the child's body as it rolled like a ball.
"Woof!"
Though her clothes and skin were scorched, the child was remarkably unharmed. It seems the title of Thunder Practitioner isn't an empty one. The child grabbed onto Aji and stood, muttering.
"Ah, no! The Lightning Rod Tower...!"
Rumble, rumble. The Thunder Mill, having received the lightning's power, spins even more fiercely. Whether because the child had withdrawn, or because the lightning had struck it once, the Lightning Rod Tower's needle was slightly twisted. If attacked once more, the Lightning Rod Tower might stop functioning.
[***---!!!]
Whether it knew that, or simply intended to continue its attack. The Thunder God roared once more and thrust its arm into the clouds. As if trying to pull out lightning.
"How do you hunt something so high up? Sigh. Is there a way to ride the clouds and go up?"
"No! Clouds aren't something you ride in the first place! A master of ki techniques could step on water droplets and jump, but that would only be a few steps at best!"
"But didn't Shea say he would kill the Thunder God?"
"That person is just weird!"
The Thunder Guild Master can beat it and chase it away, and the Returner can kill it? How on earth do they do it? Is everyone around me nothing but monsters!
"Help me! If we don't straighten the lightning rod...!"
At that moment, the girl reached her hand toward the lightning rod and shouted. Tch, since she was just sent flying by the lightning, the only person close by is me. Can't be helped, I suppose.
"Let's go, Aji!"
"Woof!"
Whether by his own will or not, Aji, with his fur all puffed up, left the girl behind and bolted away. Having run to the top of the Lightning Rod Tower, Aji grabbed the twisted lightning rod with his teeth and pulled. The giant needle creaked and stood straight again. Having caught up belatedly, I used alchemy. True to the Flame Nation, this too was alchemical steel. A metal specialized for alchemy with high reactivity, it changed shape in an instant just from my touch.
...No, it doesn't seem like it's simply because of that reason. Could it be because I saw the Demon God? Right now, alchemy is far easier than at any other time.
Anyway. Having straightened the lightning rod, I immediately let go. Unlike the Thunder Practitioners, my body is perfectly ordinary. If I got struck by lightning at close range, it wouldn't end with just being sent flying. I need to run away quickly.
[---!!!]
Huh? Was I too late? Can't be helped. I took out a card. The Ten of Spades. The idol of the Earth Mother Goddess who supports all things. It can't compare to Jizan, but I could expect it to at least conduct electrical current, couldn't I? Just before the lightning struck, I gripped the card in my hand and offered a prayer.
"Good work. I received help unintentionally."
However, my effort was in vain. With a thud, the Thunder Guild Master dropped onto the Lightning Rod Tower. Wrapped in thunder and striding forward, she gazed at the Thunder God with indifferent eyes.
"You invaded at a cunning timing... No, perhaps you were aiming for this timing. Either way, leave it to me."
"Thunder Guild Master!"
"It's the Thunder Guild Master!"
At the children's cheering voices, the Thunder Guild Master gave a small nod as if to reassure them.
After that, the Thunder Guild Master's hair stood on end. Lightning dwelled in each and every strand of hair, and her entire body flashed with light, completing her preparation to counter the Thunder God. The gaze of the colossal god looking down at the edge of the earth and the gaze of the giant looking up at it met. As thunder and storm filled the space between heaven and earth, the Thunder God, having drawn lightning from the clouds, delivered divine punishment once again. Lightning strikes again.
"Thunder Catcher."
At that moment, the Thunder Guild Master grabbed the lightning rod. Lightning has the nature of extending outward. It never pools but always flows, constantly seeking a place to lean its body. The same applies to the human body; lightning even uses that damp and complex structure as a pathway to flow through. Just as a torrent overturns a riverbank, a human body that lightning flows through ends up devastatingly ruined. But the Thunder Guild Master from the Flame Nation is different.
Lightning tears the world apart, and by the way, swirls around the Thunder Guild Master's body as well. The Thunder Guild Master's body, with feet not touching the ground. Instead of passing through it, the lightning swirls and continuously generates flow. Her insides should have been utterly ravaged... but instead, she made that into power.
"Thunder God. I don't know until when I must return it for you to be satisfied."
The Thunder Guild Master's current appearance could indeed be called a Thunder God descended upon the earth without any inadequacy.
An intense power is felt from her entire body filled with lightning. Every time she takes a step, the sound of thunder rumbles. Her flashing, scattering golden-yellow hair looks like lightning bolts given form. Her glinting gaze now holds even lightning within it.
"If you wish, once again."
The Thunder Guild Master grabbed the spinning Thunder Mill with both hands and, drawing out the power that filled her entire body, shouted.
"I shall return it to you!"
The spinning Thunder Mill slowly came to a halt. Due to the power wielded by a single human.
The Thunder Mill uses the lightning flowing down to the ground along the cloud waterfall as its power source. Instead of water, the flow of lightning turns the Thunder Mill. In other words, if that Thunder Mill is spun in reverse. The power of lightning scattered across all of Claudia can be gathered and sent back upward.
"Returning the lightning" carries that meaning.
Grrrrumble. The Thunder Guild Master drew out all her strength and resonated with the Thunder Mill. By reverse-utilizing her own power and the power of lightning, she spins the giant iron wheel, over 100 meters in diameter, in reverse. A feat possible only for the Thunder Guild Master, who can harbor lightning within her body. And the reason the Thunder Guild Master is the strongest, limited to Claudia.
From the reversely spinning Thunder Mill, thunderclouds and lightning surge forth. From the earth, to the sky. Counter to the natural order, humanity's penance surges against the cloud waterfall back toward the Thunder God. Whether it's an attack or a gift, I don't know. Lightning returns to the sky.
What the first Thunder Guild Master did in the distant past is reenacted on a larger scale....
"Ah, wait a moment."
At that moment, riding Cheonaeng, the Returner planted his feet in the middle of the cloud waterfall. Cheonaeng and Jizan are heaven and earth. Lightning is the will of the celestial gods that travels between them....
In other words, if one possesses the two swords, even the Returner can imbue the power of lightning.
A portion of the surging lightning headed toward Cheonaeng instead of the sky. The Returner stole a portion of the lightning that was meant to be returned to the Thunder God and stored it between the two heirlooms.
While the world fell silent at such brazen thievery. I pointed at the Returner and shouted.
"A lightning thief! No, a robber!"
How would the Thunder God feel about having its lightning stolen right before its eyes? I'm not sure, but it would be more, not less, than what the Thunder Guild Master felt. The emotion the Thunder Guild Master felt upon seeing the lightning robber was neither anger nor betrayal. It was bewilderment. Even thievery, when done so boldly, leaves one speechless. I learned a thing, Returner.
The lightning that flowed backward along the cloud waterfall poured into the Thunder God. The Thunder God's divine form, slashed apart by the branches of lightning, briefly grew faint. As if withdrawing just like that. The Thunder Guild Master watched the Thunder God and said.
"Normally, the Thunder God would have received the returned lightning and withdrawn. However."
The current Thunder God only briefly grew faint in form and didn't dissipate. The Thunder God, whose color had become considerably lighter, looked this way for a moment before vanishing as if extinguished beneath the cloud waterfall.
"Thanks to your interference, it will return soon. What on earth did you do. You have an excuse, right?"
"Not quite an excuse."
The Returner lightly jumped down from the Thunder Wheel and said.
"To kill the Thunder God, you have to summon it here first, right? If we send it all back, it won't come for a while, so I wanted to reduce wasted time."
"You're overflowing with confidence."
"Because I can do it."
'I've done it in a previous loop too.'
The Returner's sociability is remarkably outstanding; he can have a life-and-death duel with someone he met for the first time today. Let alone, if one committed robbery right before someone's eyes, it wouldn't be strange to become sworn enemies.
'You're full of conviction. It seems you, too, are a chosen human like us.'
However, surprisingly, the Thunder Guild Master quite liked the brazen Returner. Even though half of the power the city had gathered was snatched away, she just smiled like a fool. To think there's someone in the world who's compatible with the Returner, there are still surprising things left.
The Thunder Guild Master spoke kindly to the children who had protected the Lightning Rod Tower.
"Jerry. Tivi. Alka. Good work. We need to restore the Lightning Rod Tower, so please contact the repair shop."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The children bowed to the Thunder Guild Master as if overwhelmed with gratitude, and ran quickly toward the elevator. The Thunder Guild Master quietly watched until the children completely disappeared, then said.
"Because it was consumed once, there's little lightning left in the Thunder Mill. If you don't kill the Thunder God, Claudia will suffer massive damage. From the moment you stole the lightning, whether we like it or not, we have no choice but to cooperate with you."
"But if I kill the Thunder God, Claudia will be at peace forever, right? Isn't that a gamble worth taking?"
At the Returner's shameless answer, the Thunder Guild Master let out a slight smile.
"Does that mean even someone like me must venture a gamble to kill a god? Heh, my blood boils for the first time in a while."
The muttering Thunder Guild Master stamped hard on the Lightning Rod Tower. The power of thunder that had extended to the tips of her hair flowed down through her feet to the lower part of the Lightning Rod Tower. The Thunder Guild Master, shaking her long hair and returning to her usual appearance, coldly settled her eyes and pointed at the Returner.
"If it's a gamble, I'll accept it. Because there's no chance I'll lose. However, you must also bear an equal risk."
"What risk?"
"Until you kill the Thunder God, let's put all discussions on hold. Whether it's a ceasefire or anything else, everything included."
Huh? Wait a minute. Of course, it's fortunate that she didn't immediately rush to kill the lightning robber, but no matter how much experience one has, killing the Thunder God can't be that easy. But if all discussions are put on hold, that could be a bit problematic.... As if my worries were for nothing, the Returner answered readily.
"Look forward to it."
"You shouldn't look forward to it!"
Hilde, who had heard the whole story, stomped her feet and shouted.
"What is this, really! Shea, do you even have any intention of stopping the war?"
The Returner answered nonchalantly.
"Of course. If I just deal with the Thunder God, the Thunder Guild Master will actively support us with anything. Negotiations will go more smoothly too."
"How is that negotiation! Expecting that she'll help out of goodwill isn't negotiation! It's flattery! Why are you trying to wrap up gifts she didn't even ask for? Are you dating the Thunder Guild Master?"
"What? That's impossible!"
"Of course it's impossible! When you like men!"
At the sudden remark, the Returner answered with puzzlement.
"That's not really relevant. I just thought that if I fulfill the Thunder Guild Master's greatest wish, it'll be easier to receive help in the future."
"Shea, you don't know the first thing about politics, do you? The Thunder Guild Master is also the person responsible for a city! What guarantee is there that she'll unconditionally help you just because she owes you a little debt, that you'd give help first?"
"Then what should I have done?"
"You should have set conditions in advance, received a pledge to give more, and then eliminated the Thunder God as if granting a favor! If you rely only on goodwill, you might not get what you want!"
From the Military Nation's perspective, Hilde is right. Strictly from the Military Nation's perspective. However, the Returner snorted and answered.
"I'm the one killing the Thunder God, not the Military Nation. You have no right to demand compensation for it. If I want to give, I give."
Until now, I've been with them for the ceasefire agreement with the Flame Nation. However, the Returner is fundamentally not on any nation's side, and in the case of the Military Nation, even less so than other nations. If the Military Nation fought with any other country, he would readily take the other side.
...And Hilde's face softly stiffened, having realized that. Hiding her true feelings that she had revealed even a little until now back behind her mask, 'Hilde' performed herself and said.
"Hmm~. It seems the Military Nation has become too much of a black sheep to be Shea's friend~."
"Obviously. We were enemies from the start. The Military Nation even imprisoned me."
"I know~. I thought maybe, since we've built up some rapport. It seems 'my' misunderstanding though~."
Hilde shrugged as if she'd lost interest and headed off somewhere.
"Hilde? Where are you going?"
"Since it seems there's nothing to lean on from Shea, I'm going to do some gloomy information gathering, true to the Military Nation~."
Seeing Hilde walk away waving her hand without any lingering attachment, the Returner was puzzled. The Returner pointed at Hilde and said.
"What's with her? Is she sulking?"
"Yes. Probably."
"Tch, so narrow-minded."
"You're the one with short thinking."
"What?"
"That's not what's important right now. Shea. What was that just now? Was that really the Thunder God?"
The Returner, who had been looking at me with suspicion, shrugged and answered.