Even though the majority of Claudia's citizens were watching us, the two paid no attention. With only each other reflected in their eyes, they drew closer. In a confrontation that seemed like it could shatter at any moment, the regressor spoke first.
"Stop it! Personal vengeance can be put aside for a moment! Seriously, everyone living on this land is in danger!"
Tir scoffed and replied.
"How childish. Just as cold and heat cannot coexist, and light and darkness must push each other out to claim their place. Tir and the Holy Emperor's Court cannot enter that position without excluding each other."
"That's just stubbornness...! If it's to survive, you can do anything! Bending your stubbornness a little is nothing!"
"Indeed, is that entirely due to my own obstinacy? If you're curious about why I act this way, why don't you ask that esteemed Holy Emperor's Court."
"The Holy Emperor's Court isn't here! I am! Right now! Asking you!!"
The regressor poured out their emotions and kicked off the ground. Jisan as the scabbard, Cheonaeng as the blade. Holding the two opposites overlapped, pointing at Tir, they drew the sword with all their might.
Heaven and Earth Sword Formation, Horizon Split.
Sword qi split the earth. Compressed space stepped on the ground and scattered sharp killing intent. The blade of distant space that cuts through everything bisected the Progenitor Tirkanjaka along with the earth.
No matter how hard something is, it's meaningless. Tir's body was split, that massive power sharply shot out and shredded the vampire's flesh... for a moment, that's how it appeared to everyone's eyes.
However, the Progenitor Tirkanjaka is not a being that 'cannot be cut.' She is a being that does not die no matter how many times she is cut. Because of this, she was called the Knight Killer in the past, but having reclaimed her heart, she has grown even stronger.
Like the sea, her body swirling with massive authority filled the gaps and returned to its original state. As if what was just cut was an illusion.
'It's not that her regeneration disappeared because she reclaimed her heart. Rather, her regeneration has grown stronger! Tch, she's become even more troublesome to deal with...!'
While the regressor clicked their tongue, Tir turned pale and unknowingly groped her chest.
It wasn't because she was worried about the cut. The number of times the Progenitor Tirkanjaka has been cut by blades is beyond counting with two hands.
But unlike before, Tir now had a complete heart. Unlike before when she could use her body recklessly, Tir now had to protect the heart she had好不容易 reclaimed.
'Thank goodness...! The card Hwi-ga gave me isn't damaged. I'll have to fight more carefully from now on. If that were to break...'
Having deeply sighed in relief, Tir once again expressed a faint rage.
Claudia's water mist flowing from the Cloud Waterfall blocked the sunlight. From Claudia's shadow, thousands of black knights rose up and rushed toward the regressor all at once. The black knights were clearly just fodder in terms of power, but in darkness, there was nothing more troublesome. Because they had to be dealt with anyway.
'What chases darkness is light. I don't want to use the power I just obtained before I've fully gathered it...'
Instead of dealing with the black knights one by one, the regressor chose a more convenient method.
Gripping Cheonaeng tightly. Compressing the compressed space even further, drawing out the flash hidden within the distant space once more. Space distorted and lightning leaked through the gaps of the hand.
'...But, if the opponent is Tirkanjaka, it should be fine to use it. Untamed lightning is fiercer, after all.'
A technique learned from the Thunder Lord in a previous cycle. The regressor hadn't fully mastered it but digested it in their own way. The lightning sealed within Cheonaeng is unleashed.
In the blink of an eye, a unit of black knights directly hit by the lightning perished, the shadows thinned and the black knights curled up. Piercing light tore through the darkness and spilled out.
A battle of pinnacle powers. A fight where authorities that ordinary humans could hardly even fathom clashed.
Humans who thought of themselves as bystanders slowly felt a sense of crisis and screamed as they fled. The Thunder Guardians used the power of lightning to build barricades so the aftermath of the battle wouldn't leak out. The only fortunate thing was that thanks to the two being far from the crowd, no greater confusion occurred.
Peru muttered after seeing the two fighting.
"...Why are those two fighting...?"
"Peru. Please understand. Even if it's not a man, the moment to fight always comes. If it's a woman dressed as a man, even more so."
"...?"
Don't try to understand. Feel it. It's hard to explain anyway.
"...Aren't you going to stop them?"
"Me? With what method? Why?"
We could intervene, but stopping them before they've poured out all their emotions would accomplish nothing, right? If it's going to happen anyway, let it happen properly.
At that time, Peru's senses caught something strange. Beyond the Cloud Waterfall, something with a heavy sense of mass was slowly falling. Like a feather settling on the wind.
It couldn't be seen because it was beyond the waterfall, but Peru's power that corrodes steel accurately captured its prey. Peru's gaze turned.
'...A pile of steel, falling from the sky? Slowly riding the wind...? No, this isn't the time to worry about that.'
No, actually it seems like something to worry about?
Just as Peru was finding it strange but about to withdraw interest, I grabbed Peru and spoke.
"What fell? Let's go check!"
"...Now isn't the time to worry about that."
"Right! Or what, are you going to intervene in those two fighting? If you get between them, you wouldn't even become minced meat! It's better to find something else to do!"
It wasn't exactly a logical argument, but Peru, who had weak self-assertion, reluctantly nodded. Even so, she harbored a question.
'...How do they know something is falling beyond the Cloud Waterfall...?'
This is how they knew. Though I won't tell them. Relying on Peru's senses, I headed to where that thing was falling.
The Cloud Waterfall was flowing quietly. It's called a waterfall but that's just a metaphor; its essence is water mist reaching hundreds of meters in thickness. After walking for a while, I found myself in the middle of the dense clouds.
Clouds that blocked even an inch ahead obscured my vision. Clouds that touched the ground became water and flowed, and the muddy earth holding water droplets pulled at my feet.
"...Be careful. There are pits for storing water."
"You be careful. You can't even walk properly and you're worrying about someone else."
Peru seemed offended but since it was true, she closed her mouth and walked silently. After walking for a while, she suddenly looked up and surveyed the surroundings.
"Where is it? I felt it around here."
"...Up there."
It was after Peru pointed upward.
A shadow fell over the dense clouds. A steel structure was falling. It was a slow descent closer to gliding than falling. It was swaying this way and that as it came down, as if it were a fallen leaf. Despite being steel.
Waiting for it to fall to the ground, I realized it was bigger than I thought and urgently shouted.
"Get back!"
"...Ah."
After pulling Peru and stepping back a few paces, something fell at a speed slower than expected but still dangerous if hit. A pile of steel crashed into the mud. Parts broke and scattered from the impact of the fall.
"These days, even scrap iron falls from the sky. What is that?"
"...Don't know, never seen it before."
Fortunately, the ground was wet so nothing bounced up. I carefully approached the fallen debris. A steel framework that looked like... ribs. If this were stood up, it would look like a giant's upper body. Near the head area, an unidentified mechanical device was placed, and between the frameworks, things like torn paper were fluttering.
It was a structure too elaborately made to be a simple decoration. Risking danger, I rummaged through the debris looking for any remaining clues.
During that time, lettering was visible on the topmost framework. I cleared the buried mud and read the inscription.
-Claudia Weather Alarm Version 11.6, Sleepless Old Man.
I was at a loss for words for a moment.
What? Weather alarm? This massive structure is just an alarm clock? What pointless—
"...What is this?"
"It says it's a weather alarm? Did Claudia have alarm clocks?"
"...Claudia uses thunder instead of bells. There aren't no clocks, but... I've never seen one this big."
"In the first place, why did something this big fall from the sky? Did someone put it up in the sky or something?"
Tch. I thought it was a clue but it's a completely useless thing.
I was sure it would be here. It wasn't in the Thunder Lord's secret base, and this mysteriously fallen object has nothing to do with that either. Having hit dead ends in succession, I needlessly kicked the debris and grumbled.
Seriously, where are the clues about the Lightning Demon God?
While I was deep in thought, Peru, who had been tilting her head, lifted up a golden bell and spoke.
"...I'll fix it."
"You said you don't know what this is? Can you fix something you don't know?"
"...No. But, I can clearly see the damaged parts. If I restore that, the original purpose might be revealed."
Restore the missing or broken parts with the power of the Golden Mirror and figure it out? Not a bad idea. Well, fixing a broken clock a little doesn't seem like it would make it more accurate. If anything, wouldn't it lose the chance to be right even twice a day.
Ding-a-ling. Peru shook the bell.
The Golden Mirror wished to return everything to its original state. However, because I happened to be its target, it became a monster that destroys everything that doesn't belong to the Golden Kingdom.
But now, having discarded all lingering attachments and focused on its original desire, that relic only possessed the power to repair objects to their original state. What and how to fix was left to Peru.
The Demon God's power was fully demonstrated. Alchemy restored, refined, and added to the broken and worn steel. As the framework was reassembled, the structure gradually took shape.
The restored form using the Golden Mirror's power was... very similar to something I had once seen before. Peru said with a trembling voice.
"...Thunder, God?"
A massive upper body holding an iron spear in one hand. A facial section that looked like an old man. Though it wasn't holding lightning, having regained its form, it was hard to mistake it for anything else.
Anyone could see this was the Thunder God that once reigned above the Cloud Waterfall. The Thunder God that looked down on everyone in Claudia and shot out spears of lightning.
This is an alarm? Claudia's great enemy was actually an alarm?
As I was reeling in shock, lettering on one corner of the Thunder God's framework caught my eye. I approached and read it.
-Creator: Frang, the Lightning Thief.
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