Elari? She realized I am the King of Humans?
Was it a sudden intuition she felt before dying? Or as my older sister's power grows, does my presence also reveal itself?
Hmm. I want to find out, but she's already dead so I can't. Standing up after leaving the corpse with its eyes closed, I headed toward my comrades. I saved about twenty, but having been buried for so long, most of them were severely weakened.
"How is it?"
"Everyone's condition is poor. They might not have heard the story... But what about you? You were talking with that person for a long time."
"I didn't hear the whole story, but I roughly understand. My sister passed by this place and cleared away those who blocked her path."
"Has she already become the King of Sins?"
I shook my head.
"No. It didn't seem like she intended to kill them."
"After leaving them in this state?"
"If my sister had killing intent, no one would be alive right now. Twenty people? That's a lot survived."
Death was not the result but closer to collateral damage. It was not my sister's intention. If my sister intentionally killed humans, then no one would survive.
That would probably be the King of Sins.
"My sister merely removed obstacles that were in the way. It's similar to humans building bridges over rivers and carving through mountains. It's just that the opponents happened to be humans and structures."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I am also the King of Humans."
Shea asked back what I meant by that.
"You're different. You wouldn't do something like this."
"I don't do it because I don't have the power to."
"If you had the power, you'd do the same?"
"There's no need to exclude the simplest method. Because they're human."
When I have no other choice or when there's no other method, I take it. Struggling to survive is a living being's right, and humans are beasts that use everything in the world as tools. No matter how unprecedented and unconventional the method, if it achieves the purpose, they will do it.
However, I am weak and all I have is my cunning mind, so I chose to survive by reading others' hearts.
"That can't be true. The you I know isn't that kind of person."
"Mr. Shea. Both I and my sister are the same kind of humans. You shouldn't think of the King of Humans as separate from humans."
The one who brought down that barrier and drove the people inside to death is my sister.
...Can I really say that?
"My sister's actions fall within the category of human behavior. She brought down the Wall of Harmony with her own hands, but that's something humans have already done countless times. Historically, the Wall of Harmony has suffered numerous attacks and been breached. The Azalia Vassal State also considered the Wall of Harmony a thorn in their side."
The Wall of Harmony has a history of being breached multiple times. Each time, the gatekeepers met their deaths after fierce battles.
This incident? It's rare, but it's already a repeated history.
"Are you saying if the Azalia Vassal State had the power, they would have committed a similar act?"
"That too."
Only those with high loyalty were always stationed at the Wall of Harmony, and they sacrificed their lives to guard the gate. It wasn't only the enemy who drove them to death.
By the will of those inside, the gatekeepers became existences who had to sacrifice their lives. Then, who did the gatekeepers die for?
If death is a duty and something natural, how would 'sister' accept that?
"Let's go. I need to find out quickly what choice the Empire will make against 'sister.'"
After giving only emergency treatment to the few survivors, we loaded them onto the cargo hold and departed. The Floating Castle Mini cruised at low altitude, scanning for my sister's traces. My sister was like a walking storm, so finding her traces wasn't difficult.
Without any merit in hurrying, my sister soon revealed herself.
The Hegemon of the Continent. The Empire is extremely competent.
After learning that the 'King of Humans' had been sighted, the Empire prepared for my sister from that moment. The incident of 'Arrogance' falling from above occurred, but they didn't even have the leisure to punish the Demonic Path Federation. The Demonic Path Federation somehow cleaned up the meteor they dropped themselves, the Sword Saint made an appearance, dealt a blow, and didn't seem to have any clear intention of hostility toward the Empire.
Virgo and Scorpio among the Zodiac Twelve Palaces went only for warning and negotiation purposes. After pressuring the Demonic Path Federation with a slight show of force, they gathered troops to face the 'King of Humans.'
And faster than expected, the Empire's vanguard encountered the 'King of Humans.'
Normally, war is a fight between armies, and humans forming clusters show slow and heavy movements. This is the same no matter how excellent the army.
The confusion and disorder each individual possesses cancel each other out, leaving only lumpish movements. Such a lump can no longer be called human. Humans disappear and only the cluster remains, faithfully following someone's command.
In the Empire's best-trained army, there was no longer anything that could be called individual movement. They moved in perfect order according to the corps commander's command. The Imperial army was like a single living organism.
If the opponent were the same kind of army, the Imperial army would truly be worth a hundred. They would break the enemy army into small pieces, create a localized numerical advantage, and then crush them one by one.
But the opponent was one person.
Behind her, she had tens of thousands of followers. Helpless elderly and children, wanderers, the abandoned who waited for the king's return, and so on. There were tens of thousands walking along, but they were not an army, let alone enemies. They were just moths chasing the light called the king.
Even if you added all those tens of thousands of moths, they couldn't compare to that one person. The King of Humans, with a beauty visible even from afar, exuded an enormous presence.
"...Haaa. Indeed."
The Southern Army Commander swallowed a groan. He was a commander whose bones were made of military and whose flesh and blood all belonged to the Empire, but he couldn't deny that he recognized the existence visible in the distance as his king. He wouldn't say it out loud, but if the opponent were her, he felt he could swear loyalty.
"Beautiful and innocent, so she cannot become our king."
However, the commander forced himself to give up.
The Empire is the pinnacle of civilization built on rule of law and norms. It is the most perfect and stable system achieved by the lord of all creation who escaped beasthood.
He couldn't serve the King of Humans even if it meant destroying this system and bringing down all order and laws. That is not right. Because it would mean denying the accumulated years and history.
"I will try dialogue, but our values likely won't align. I don't know what law or morality could bind her."
The commander could accept the King of Humans.
If the King of Humans accepted the Empire.
And according to the commander's guess, that possibility seemed very low. Battle would surely occur.
"When that time comes, I ask of you, General."
The commander spoke with a polite attitude to his most reliable fighting force. Even the Southern Army's supreme commander had to show courtesy before him.
"Hm! Leave it to me!"
With the Sword Saint gone, the giant before him was undoubtedly the Empire's strongest sword.
Empire's 1st Corps Commander.
Sword of Hegemony. The Strongest Strong Sword.
Rank 1 among the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, the Palace Master of Leo symbolizing the strongest.
Regulus of Leo.
A giant frame seemingly two heads taller than the sturdy commander and twice the volume. The condensed energy from his entire body rose like a heat shimmer. An irregular who overcame the Demonic Art Primordial Chaos Sphere, a martial art so strong it destroys even one's own flesh, purely with physical talent.
"She is strong, definitely!"
Born with monstrous strength, he could gauge power just by looking. Regulus, called the reincarnation of the Conqueror, accurately pinpointed the power the King of Humans possessed in the distance through sheer instinct.
"However, merely at the level of a Beast King!"
Regulus spoke with conviction.
"By no means is she absolute. She can't compare to Sangoon or Ganesha! In terms of brute strength, she doesn't even match the Cow King in the Beast King Zoo!"
The King of Humans also falls into the Beast King category. And Beast Kings strongly inherit the characteristics of their species.
Even if humans are the dominant species on land, that's a result achieved through technology and civilization. In terms of brute strength, there are countless beasts stronger than humans.
"But I don't know how outstanding her martial arts might be! If the King of Humans can use all of humanity's power, she might be proficient in all kinds of arts! There's also the magic from the rumors!"
"Magic won't be a problem. Three of the Empire's Mobile Magic Towers have come."
The commander pointed beyond the army. From a distance where fog obscured the view, a massive stone structure was slowly approaching.
The Empire's Magic Towers constantly kept the Demonic Path Federation in mind. Against Magic Towers floating in the sky along with Floating Castles, staying stationary would only make them targets.
To secure minimum competitiveness, the Empire poured all its resources into building Magic Towers. The alchemy resources poured in exceeded hundreds of millions, and the manpower invested reached tens of thousands. Inside, outstanding magicians gathered from all over the continent had finished preparing to unleash boundless magical power.
That is the Empire's Mobile Magic Tower. A magic research institution that also possesses mobility, a mobile fortress capable of strategic response.
The Magic Tower changes the tide of battle by its mere existence. It is the Empire's strategic weapon that can single-handedly reverse geographic advantages and disadvantages.
Regulus also knew that power well and nodded.
"If that thing is a beast that fights on instinct without any martial arts or magic, I alone would be enough!"
"I don't take the General's power lightly, but please be cautious."
"Of course, knowing that, the other Zodiac Palace Masters came too!"
Regulus glanced sideways behind him. On the moving Mobile Magic Tower, a gaunt man standing with both feet planted at its summit caught his eye.
Spear of Expansion and Contraction. Head Hunter. Palace Master of Sagittarius.
Kaus of Sagittarius.
Maximum hit record of 143km. He pierces enemies with the spear that extends and contracts. As long as he stands on the battlefield, enemies cannot poke their heads out. The hunter's spear will pierce their heads.
Even if they use allies as shields, hide in blind spots, and barely reach him. Their bodies will be torn to shreds by the freely extending and contracting spear.
Ultra-long-range interception, one-vs-many combat, one-on-one close combat. A supreme strategic weapon in all fields. If necessary, Kaus would intercept the King of Humans from long range. Even if the King of Humans approaches closely, it doesn't matter. His close combat ability also doesn't fall behind the other Zodiac Twelve Palaces.
If an enemy, he'd be the most troublesome, but as an ally, he's the most reliable. Regulus felt camaraderie for the first time in a while and looked in another direction.
"Leave long-range to Sagittarius. Leave support to Aquarius."
At the end of his gaze, there was a fairy-like woman wearing flowing clothes, tightly hugging a sword. Her gentle impression and voluptuous body were so soft that it seemed she would melt with one bite. When their eyes met, the fairy smiled a pure smile and nodded.
Flowing Sword. Fairy Hands. Palace Master of Aquarius.
Sadal of Aquarius.
Her sword, which came down from a mountain covered in flowers, is soft as if melting. She herself is a master of Soft Sword, and her sword absorbs and redirects power. The flowing sword doesn't break the opponent's defense. Instead, it seeps in. Humans who rely on hardness have no way to block it.
However, if one takes the offensive to target Sadal herself, they would see her body melt away.
Achieving sword-body unity, her body and sword flowing simultaneously, she is invincible. No matter how much Regulus and the King of Humans rampage, she will fill the gaps.
"We even prepared the Executioner just in case."
Regulus saw a girl with a porcelain doll-like appearance. Holding two single-edged swords in both hands, she gazed at the King of Humans with beautiful yet empty, hollow eyes.
Scissor Sword. Executioner. Executioner of All Things. Palace Master of Cancer.
Al Tarf of Cancer.
Her weapon is scissors. A conceptual severing that cuts anything caught between the two blades.
Despite her outstanding skill and powerful ri, her exploits are rarely known. However, no one can tell her to be more active.
Because Cancer being active means that something in the world has been severed, never to be joined again.
"Having executed a rampaging Beast King, even the King of Humans would die."
Four of the Zodiac Twelve Palaces, whose power is so strong they're more suited for anti-mystery combat than one-on-one fights against humans, gathered. Moreover, at the center stood Leo.
The commander decided to mention him out of courtesy.
"Ultimately, the General must be present for those three to shine as well."
This was flattery but also sincere.
Regulus of Leo. His ri is the Priority Sword.
The sword he wields takes priority over any rule in this world.
It doesn't melt even at 100 million degrees. It remains intact even if lightning strikes consecutively. Even if struck with the sharpest and hardest metal, it doesn't get a single scratch.
The Priority Sword is not affected by anything. Whether there's something in front, or over 100,000 tons of metal, it always walks the same path of hegemony.
If we were to find the most similar authority, would it be the Earth Mother Goddess's sword, Jizan? However, unlike the merely heavy Jizan, the Priority Sword takes priority even over that.
His ri, which holds unconditional superiority against any method, would also take priority against the King of Humans.
A forced action among forced actions that transcends universal laws. This person, who would have been called the Sword Saint if the Sword Saint didn't exist. Regulus of the Hegemonic Sword, the truly strongest sword.
The commander felt reassured. The Empire's strongest combat power had all gathered. Thinking that if even this couldn't handle the opponent, they should just humbly accept defeat, actually put his mind at ease.
However, one thing felt lacking. The commander muttered with regret.
"If only the Sword Saint were here too..."
"Don't rely on that guy! Fundamentally, he's no different from that Beast King! The only difference is that he's controlled!"
Regulus was the strongest until the Sword Saint appeared. But after the Sword Saint emerged, he could never be the absolute strongest. It was inevitable that Regulus would feel inferiority.
But more than that, Regulus didn't like it.
The Sword Saint follows Imperial law of his own will. Not out of fear of punishment or retaliation. He chose to maintain order with pure goodwill and self-restraint.
Regulus also follows Imperial law, but he can't be called a completely free person. If the Zodiac Twelve Palaces and the Imperial army and the Magic Towers pursued him, even Regulus wouldn't have time to endure. Rather than breaking the law and suffering, he chose to follow it and receive compensation.
But the Sword Saint is different. Because he is a transcendent beyond the Empire's laws and morality. Without fear of breaking Imperial law, he follows the rules purely out of a sense of duty.
Regulus didn't like the Sword Saint's arrogance. He liked even less that no matter how Regulus felt, it meant nothing to the Sword Saint.
So he tried even harder, but it's still far off. Regulus muttered in a slightly deflated voice.
"However, I agree with that statement. Monsters fighting each other is fitting..."