Shirone closed his eyes and received the memories Peope transmitted to him. It felt warm.
Shirone: "Thank you, Peope."
If it weren’t for Peope, he wouldn’t have made it this far. If he managed to rescue Amy and the others safely, Shirone was more than willing to give all the credit to Peope.
Peope: "Hmph! What do you mean? I just followed you guys because I found your antics fascinating. Don’t think I’ll care about you anymore from now on."
Peope refused to admit it until the end, but Shirone knew. Peope’s heart was tender and pure. That’s why, despite living a long life, Peope couldn’t ignore the pain of humans.
Shirone: "Peope, you’ll definitely become a great fairy."
Peope: "Enough. Just go in already. I’m tired and don’t want to stay here any longer."
Peope stepped aside in the direction the door would open. Though curious about the interior, Peope didn’t dare look around the angel’s chamber.
As Shirone entered the room, the iron door closed with a loud thud.
Even though only a single door separated them, Peope felt as if Shirone had disappeared from the world.
The realization that no one was left around brought a wave of loneliness. Was the pinnacle of the world this lonely?
Peope: "Tch. I’m going back, whatever."
Peope, having composed his troubled heart, took the light elevator and arrived on the first floor.
Once he reached Shamain, he would report to Igrin. He would protect her until the end of the Usurper’s Trial. And then, after sleeping, the next day would bring the same routine as always.
The ground shook from the direction of the entrance Peope was heading toward. It was the sound of someone entering.
Just from the sound, Peope’s face turned pale.
Though only a shadow was visible, it was clearly a giant. If the ground were shaking this much, how big could this person be?
A single giant revealed himself at the entrance.
Contrary to expectations, his stature wasn’t particularly large.
He was just over two meters tall, which, by the standards of giants, was even smaller than a dwarf.
However, judging by his attire, it seemed his level in the Art of One Flower was quite high.
His broad shoulders and developed jawline stood out. His forearms were as solid as boulders, and his eyes burned with intensity.
Peope, realizing the giant’s identity through primordial knowledge, forgot even to flap his wings. Just before falling, he barely managed to regain his balance and flew up.
’Oh my... Who am I looking at right now?’
It was Ymir, the King of Giants.
Despite not being particularly large, the ground shook because the muscles that made up his body were that heavy.
The strongest giant in history, said to have over 10,000 humans within his Art of One Flower, was approaching.
Ymir’s pace quickened as he noticed Peope.
The status of giants was lower than that of angels or Mara, but Ymir was different.
According to primordial knowledge, it was said that he had destroyed several worlds with nothing but physical strength.
In terms of sheer brute force, he possessed power comparable to that of a mid-tier angel or higher.
Peope swallowed hard and waited for Ymir to approach.
When Ymir stomped his foot and stopped, Peope found himself greeting him without thinking.
Peope immediately regretted his impulsive decision.
Giants belonged to the 5th Heaven, Matei, while fairies belonged to the 4th Heaven, Makonom. In reality, their relationship was one of balance between spirits and gods.
Thus, fairies had no need to bow to giants, and they often exchanged barbs whenever they met.
Peope: "Ah, I’m Peope, the spirit of the spiral."
Peope swallowed nervously. He had no idea how the giant, who was supposed to be his natural enemy, would react.
But contrary to expectations, Ymir greeted him warmly.
Ymir: "Ah, I’ve heard of you. They said an eccentric was born in the fairy realm. So, it’s you."
This was the first time Peope had heard of this. It must have been a conversation among the higher laws.
And what did he mean by eccentric? What had he done to earn such a reputation among the higher-ups?
Ymir: "You’re quite cute. So, what brings you to Arabot?"
Peope: "Ah, I’m here on a proxy mission for Fairy Captain Igrin."
Peope lied. Though it was true, he felt guilty for selling out Igrin.
But now was the time to use whatever connections he had to smooth things over.
Ymir: "I see. I heard that Icasa came to Shamain. They said he captured some heretics."
Peope: "Yes, that’s what I heard too. By the way, do you know what happened to the women who were captured?"
Peope wanted to slap his own lips for moving on their own.
What was the point of asking that now?
He had already done what he could, and he could just go home.
But contrary to his thoughts, his ears perked up to catch Ymir’s words.
Ymir: "They’re probably in Kariel’s lab. I heard they found the Metagate. That’s why the Great World War is in chaos."
It was blatant disrespect not to use honorifics when referring to the Archangel Kariel, but Ymir didn’t care. This alone showed how great a warrior he was.
Peope: "Ah, I see. But what do you mean by chaos?"
Ymir: "They say the lost coordinates are recorded in the Metagate. I’m not interested in the complicated details, but a war will break out soon. That’s why I’ve come to plead with Ra. To ask for my body back."
The story of Ymir losing his body was famous in heaven.
If Ikael had his power stripped for committing a great sin, Ymir had his original body taken away simply for being too strong.
Ymir was strong. Too strong. That’s why Ra had no choice but to impose limits on his body.
This was also a violation of the laws, one of the rare exceptions in the history of heaven.
When Ymir suddenly raised his hand, Peope flinched and closed his eyes. It felt like a massive wall was approaching.
But what he felt was a gentle touch. The giant’s finger stroked Peope’s head.
Ymir: "War is inevitable anyway. When it starts, fight by my side. No enemy will dare touch you if you’re with me."
Peope: "Ah, okay. I will."
Ymir smiled with his eyes and walked past Peope. The ground began to shake again with his steps.
Only after Ymir disappeared into the light fragments at the elevator did Peope finally let out a sigh of relief.
Peope: "Phew, I managed to get through that."
Though it was embarrassing to be scared of a giant, he could say he handled himself well against Ymir.
Even as he rationalized it... honestly, it was a memory he wanted to erase.
Peope shook his head and left Arabot. The route to Shamain quickly formed in his mind.
But he was looking elsewhere. His heart was in turmoil again.
The Great World War. The Metagate. War.
Words he hadn’t thought of since the Art of One Flower was broken kept echoing in his ears.
Peope paced around, conflicted. The desire to run away clashed with the feeling that he shouldn’t.
Shirone’s voice echoed in his mind.
"You’ll definitely become a great fairy."
Peope grabbed his head and shook it. But the words embedded in his thoughts weren’t so easily shaken off.
Peope: "Ah, seriously! I’m going crazy!"
Peope flew off at high speed. A single fairy headed toward Zebul, the sanctuary of the angels.
Anke Ra resided in the spire of Arabot.
A being of omnipotence, capable of freely controlling the lifespan of his subjects and even governing their memories.
Ymir, the King of Giants, had climbed the tower to request an audience with this great being.
Ymir, the strongest giant in the history of heaven.
The Art of One Flower was divided into ten final stages, representing the path to the perfection of life. And Ymir was the only giant in history to reach the unprecedented 10th stage.
Even Ymir couldn’t help but feel nervous before the divine throne where Anke Ra resided.
The top floor, which seemed to pierce the sky, was less than 1/100th the size of the first floor.
After arriving via the light elevator, all he saw was a crude iron door.
Ymir: "Anke Ra, your servant requests an audience."
Ymir waited for a while.
The iron door began to tremble, and the central crack widened, opening inward.
Ymir stepped inside without hesitation.
A rhythmic sound of expansion echoed, like a loose drum being struck.
The room was no larger than one hundred square meters.
Thin nerve bundles, like strands of hair, filled the cracks in the floor and spread in all directions. The walls were lined with hose-like intestines hanging limply.
The nerves on the floor rose and groped at Ymir’s ankles before losing interest and falling away.
Ymir knelt on one knee before Ra.
Ymir: "The giant Ymir pays his respects to Anke Ra."
A massive lump of flesh, pulsating like a heart, greeted him from behind Ymir’s shoulder.
Weighing twenty-six tons, it was covered in mucus and had a reddish-brown hue. Its form was featureless and collapsed.
The central part bulged, while the ends drooped like deflated balloons.
Intestinal bundles extended from the ends, covering the walls, and from there, nerves spread across the floor, undulating like waves.
Ra’s body seemed like a fusion of all the organs that make up a living being.
It was both a heart and a brain, a digestive organ, and a sensory organ.
The nerves around Ymir began to thrash wildly. Then, the central part of the flesh lump bulged and split horizontally with a shhh sound. The epidermis opened wide, revealing a massive eyeball.
Anke Ra (The Eternal and Immortal Ra, age unknown).
The pupil, the size of a human face, narrowed and dilated as it focused.
Then, a high-pitched frequency, sharp enough to pierce eardrums, leaked out.
Ra: "Squeak! Giant... squeak! Ymir, why have you... squeak! come to me."
Despite the noise, like nails scraping on steel, Ymir’s expression didn’t change.
Ymir: "Heretics have entered the sacred heaven. Those who deny the Art of One Flower have been handed over to Kariel and are being prepared to receive the Art of Life."
Ra: "I know... already."
Ra’s voice gradually stabilized. Though still high-pitched, the noise was gone.
Ra knew everything. Thus, Ymir judged that he hadn’t yet received an answer. But no matter how long he waited, no words came from Ra.
Ymir: "What are your intentions?"
Ra: "Nothing. Should I... care?"
Ymir: "This is an unprecedented event. They say the coordinates of a world that has never been breached are recorded in the Metagate. This is a perfect opportunity to convey your will."
Ra’s tone dropped sharply over three syllables, followed by a majestic voice.
Ra: "I am the beginning and the end of the world. Everything is connected to me, so there is no need to care about anything."
Ymir clenched his lips tightly.
Ra was omnipotent. Thus, every event was within his domain. But Ymir couldn’t leave without reclaiming his body.
Ymir: "I wish to reclaim my body. Please melt the eternal wall of ice."
Ra: "Ymir, were you not my servant?"
Ymir: "Do not twist my words. Giants are those who uphold the laws. This is also to uphold the laws of heaven."
Ymir raised his head with burning eyes. But when he met Ra’s massive single eye, all his emotions scattered.
Ra: "The footsteps of a single giant could be louder than the blasphemous actions of a billion heretics. Especially if those footsteps belong to Ymir, the King of Giants."
Ymir: "Do you doubt my loyalty? Do you think I would raise a hand against you, the great one?"
Ra: "Ymir, do not twist my words. Your power disrupts the balance of the world. Do not forget that the laws exist to maintain the whole."
With those words, Ra closed his eye. The gaps in the mucus sealed tightly, and the pulsations grew stronger.