Chapter 306 In A World Watched Over By Gods - Iv
Cliff and the others, captured by a group of perverts, were brought to a rented warehouse in the outskirts of Necronia.
Tied up and sitting on the floor, Cliff spoke to the perverts around him.
"Hey, why are you guys doing this? What's your goal?"
"Huh?"
It was a question that didn't really need an answer, but maybe the men were bored or had some reason, they replied with smirks on their faces.
"I doubt a kid like you would understand if I told you... but fine. I'll tell you."
""Thank you!""
Cliff and Lisha said their thanks honestly.
"Tch! What's with these kids, they're throwing me off... Hmph! Listen up! We have a grudge against your mom and dad."
"Against Papa and Mama? Why?"
"...We were hired as agents by the war-supporting politicians of the Republic of Ilias until 4 years ago. They paid well and were good employers. But it wasn't just the money that got us hired. We were people who shared the same beliefs for our homeland. We were willing to do any dirty job for the development of our country..."
"Beliefs. I know about that. Papa said he likes women with big chests, waists, butts, and thighs."
"That's not an idea. It's a kink. ──No, that doesn't matter! What's important is that 4 years ago, your parents came into the Republic and crushed every pro-war politician, and my comrades who were spies too. Because of your parents, our employer ended up in prison, and many were executed. And our comrades were not just thrown in jail; they were killed on the spot... Do you understand? Your parents are terrible people. They're murderers!!"
The man, getting emotional and heated, declared this to the young Cliff and the others.
"So!! We will take you as hostages to make the ''Extreme Sword'' and ''Goddess of Wrath'' listen to us! This is rightful revenge! And their crimes are not just that! In this era where the [God Realm] has been opened, only some humans are benefiting from the Age of Gods' technology!! The benefits that should be given to all humanity are being unfairly monopolized by them!! So we will take back the Age of Gods' benefits like the Brain Support Device and Space magic from them! With that power, we will lead the world correctly!! Hahaha! After that, we will execute those who opposed us! Of course, your parents will be the first!! Hahaha!!"
'Seriously, what a selfish thing to say.'
Lucia's voice, sounding displeased, reached Cliff and Lishia.
'Cliff, Lishia. It's true that Aaron and the others crushed their comrades, but that's because of their own actions.'
'Is that so?'
'Yeah. Four years ago, the Republic's war faction agents got their hands on the Brain Support Device and tried to kidnap people like the former members of the [Four Great Families of the Seals] and those with the device like Cliff and others in order to gain access to the [God Realm].'
'!? They were kidnapped?'
'We noticed before they were taken, and Fiona fought back. But, quite a few people were kidnapped.'
'Oh no!'
'Yeah. It became a big deal. After we captured the agents and made them talk, Fiona and Aaron, who were furious because they were targeted, stormed into the Republic. When they took down the masterminds, Fiona caused such a ruckus that she earned the title of "Goddess of Wrath"...'
'Mama...'
'Also, I decided that the release of the devices and the technology from the [Age of Gods] would be done gradually to avoid chaos. Aaron and Eva are my collaborators, so I just released the devices to them first. As for Fiona, she had some that were left over from the [Evil God], and I'm releasing them for times like this. Plus, some leaders in various countries have already had the devices released. There are restrictions on the information they can access, though.'
'?'
'In other words, the claim that Aaron and the others are monopolizing the technology from the [Age of Gods] is completely false. The real mastermind behind this... the war faction politicians didn't get the devices released, so they ended up holding a grudge and going out of control, which led to the events from 4 years ago.'
'So, Papa and Mama aren't at fault?'
'Of course not. The ones at fault are those guys, and it's just a simple grudge.'
"Hey! Hey! Uncle!"
Licia, who was listening to Lucia's explanation, casually told the men what Lucia said. She was straightforward.
"Lady Lucia says it's the uncles' fault! She said it's unfair! Right?"
The reaction was intense.
However, for Licia, it was unexpected.
"What!? Lady Lucia? Are you talking about 'Supreme God Lucia'!? You guys can talk to the God Lucia!!?"
"Y-Yeah. Licia can talk to Lady Lucia, okay?"
The moment Licia confirmed it, the men in the warehouse rushed around Cliff and Licia.
One of the men, speaking for the others, excitedly demanded.
"Then! Tell God Lucia! To give us the Brain Support Device right now!!"
'Lady Lucia?'
'Say no.'
"Hey, Lady Lucia said no!"
"W-Why not!? The blessings of the Age of Gods should be given fairly!! The gods shouldn't choose who gets power based on their whims!!"
'Lady Lucia?'
'Say because I'm a god, I can choose freely.'
"Hey, she said because she's a god, she can choose freely!?"
"────!?"
The men trembled with intense anger.
In the next moment, the man pulled out a knife and pointed the blade at Licia, shouting.
"Don't mess with me!! I know!! You guys are artificial gods created by the people of the Age of Gods!! If you're creations of humans, then obey the humans!! If you don't want these kids to get killed, hurry up and give us the device────."
BOOM──!!!
"──?"
Suddenly, a corner of the warehouse wall blew apart, creating a big hole.
Looking through the dust-filled hole, there was a man in a front kick position.
""Papa!""
Cliff and Lisha called out to the man.
The one who came through the hole was a man with black hair and golden eyes──Aaron Gale.
"Hey, you bastards, don't get any closer to my son and daughter!"
"""──Extreme Sword!!"""
Four years ago, the men braced themselves for the appearance of a man who once gave them nightmares. But immediately afterwards
Slash──!!!
"""!!?"""
From the opposite wall where Aaron had entered, a sound like something being cut echoed, and in the next moment, a corner of the wall was sliced into countless cubes and collapsed.
From the resulting hole, a woman with vibrant red hair and golden eyes entered, holding a beautifully decorated rapier in both hands.
""Mama!""
The one who came in was Fiona Gale.
She was giving the men surrounding Cliff and the others an icy glare.
"It seems... I was too easy on you 4 years ago. I didn't expect there were still people willing to do this..."
"""──Goddess of Wrath!!"""
"──Don't call me by that name!!"
The return of nightmares.
For the men, it was unexpected that these two monsters had come this far, but their original goal was to use the children as hostages to control them.
In fact, the men thought it was easier since they didn't have to go through the trouble of sending a threatening letter. They held Cliff and Licia tightly, pressing a knife against their necks to keep Aaron and the others in check.
"Don't come any closer!!"
"Stop right there!!"
"I'm going to give you one last chance! If you care about these kids' lives, you better listen to us!!"
"If you do anything weird... let's see, I'll start by killing the boy! Got it? If you understand, then answer me!!"
Aaron just laughed mockingly,
"Hah! You only say that when you have hostages. Saying stuff like that when you don't have any is just stupid, you know?"
"What? What the hell are you saying? Can't you see your kids are the hostages!? If you keep messing around, those kids are going to be in serious trouble!!?"
Suddenly, the men holding Cliff and the others felt the weight disappear from their arms──realizing that Cliff and the others were no longer there, they shouted in confusion.
""Big Sis (Sister) Ai!!""
When they hurriedly turned to where they heard Cliff's voice, they saw a beautiful girl with silver hair and golden eyes standing a few meters away, holding Cliff and Lisha in her arms.
"Is that... Space magic!?"
They quickly realized what had happened.
On the other hand, Ickle, who had used teleportation magic to save her siblings, gave the two a stern look.
"Cliff? Lisha? You promised me you wouldn't take any detours and go straight to the workshop, right?"
""Sorry!!""
Cliff and Lisha apologized honestly.
Seeing their carefree smiles as they hugged her, Ickle couldn't stay mad anymore. With a wry smile, she set them down on the floor.
"Honestly..."
She didn't say she was glad they were safe.
She knew they were safe. From the moment she asked Lucia to take care of them, Cliff and the others' safety was guaranteed. If something unavoidable happened, she could use teleportation to evacuate them, and if they were in danger, Lucia would create a barrier to protect them.
Among the gods, Lucia was the only one with complete free will. She wasn't a fair god for everyone. She favored those close to her and protected her favorites──she was, in a good way, a god full of humanity.
Ickle, who once shared the same body, knew this well.
"Now... what should I do with these idiots?"
"What should we do with them, I wonder?"
Aaron and Fiona spoke as if the men, who had lost their hostages, could hear them.
The men understood that their plan had completely fallen apart. Four years ago, they managed to escape a tragedy, but they knew the strength of the two monsters they had witnessed all too well.
Besides, they couldn't imagine getting their hostages back from someone who could use space magic.
Therefore, the only choice they had was clear──
"Run!!"
The men all started running toward the warehouse entrance.
But...
Before they could reach it, the warehouse door opened on its own with a loud creak.
"Wha, huh!?"
On the other side of the opened door, several armed individuals in matching combat uniforms were waiting for them.
The man at the front of the group stepped in with a soft thud, entering the warehouse.
He was a strong middle-aged man with a magnificent beard, holding a drawn long sword in his right hand. The upper half of his face was hidden by a mask, but he gave off a lion-like presence.
Half a step behind him was another middle-aged man, also wearing the same mask. He was slim but well-built, with white hair and an oddly faint presence. It seemed his original hair color was black, as he wasn't completely gray.
"Are you the remnants of the 'Thousand Snakes' rebel organization from the Republic of Ilias?"
The lion-like man declared, blocking the escape route of the men.
"We are from the Necronia Council, the special operations group 'Sword of Order.' If you surrender quietly, that would be good. But if you resist── we will annihilate you. What do you say?"
"~~~~~!!?"
The men, completely surrounded and realizing they had no way to escape or resist── the remnants of the 'Thousand Snakes,'
"...I-I understand. I will surrender. So, please don't kill me."
They decided to surrender quietly.
* * *
In front of the rented warehouse where the remnants of the 'Thousand Snakes' had taken refuge.
While watching the men being restrained and taken away, Aaron was talking to the two masked men who called themselves the 'Sword of Order.'
"Aaron, I'm sorry, but we will take the remnants of the 'Thousand Snakes' into custody for the Council. They say they will use it for political matters with the Republic."
"Well, I don't mind that. I don't understand political stuff anyway, so do as you please."
"Ah, that helps."
"But it seems tough to be called out for such a sudden incident, Logan."
"I think it's good that I wasn't executed. Because of my job, it's also nice that I don't have to deal with inconvenient opponents. It's a shame we didn't fight today, but I'm not unhappy with my current life. And it's not Logan, it's Alpha One."
"...Isn't it tough to deal with this guy, Ail?"
"Heh, I'm used to it. And I'm not Ail, I'm Alpha Two."
"...I see."
Nodding with a somewhat exasperated look,
"Well then, we're heading back. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, it seems Lady Lucia has already reported the situation up the chain. There's no need for questioning."
Aaron and the others, who had become involved in the incident, were not held for questioning and were able to leave the scene quickly.
* * *
[City of the God's Remains], now known as [Necronia, the City of the Gods].
This is the place where the Gods, who had long disappeared, have reappeared, and it is the central city in a new era where Gods and humans interact.
It is said to be the place where the new Gods and the old Gods are closest to each other.
In fact, if you go deep into the [Divine Tree Labyrinth], you can even talk to the Gods.
And now that the Gods have reappeared, the distance between Gods and humans will surely shrink, starting from this city.
However, in this world watched over by the Gods, people's lives haven't changed much.
The wave of new transformation is gradually and surely starting to spread, but it will still take time for many people to notice and feel it.
But compared to the period of the Gods' absence, it will surely feel like just a moment.
The sky was completely dyed in a deep red during the sunset, and a family of 5 was happily walking down the city street.
"Hey, hey, Mama, are you done with work today?"
"Yes, we are. We picked you up, so that was the last thing. Now we just go home."
"Thank you for your hard work!"
"Thanks for always doing your best!"
"Cliff, Licia... you two aren't reflecting on your actions, are you? Ignoring what your big sister said and doing whatever you want..."
"Mama, keep telling them!"
"Right. Should we ask Lucia to explain what these two children did today?"
'Cliff and the others today──'
""Don't tell them, Lady Lucia!!""
"Then, should we have Papa give you a punishment instead? What do you think, Papa?"
"Yeah, Mama is right. This is a punishment case."
""Ehh!?""
"Not 'ehh!' When we get home, it's the 'Bucchuchu' punishment!!"
""I don't want the 'Bucchuchu' punishment!!""
Amidst the lively crowd, the family of 5 continued their cheerful conversation and eventually disappeared into the throng.
Extreme Sword's Slash──finale!
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