The Demon King's Expedition (Continued)
"The world doesn't need you to save it, Otherworlder."
"That's why I need wisdom. I need to find evidence that proves the world needs to be saved. Until then, all my actions will revolve around the element of preparing to save the world."
"Including killing other fools?"
"He asked for it himself, I gave him a chance." Miss Surtr tapped her fingertips lightly on the armrest. "I always give a chance to those who are about to die. Of course, I don't always give it to them."
"What if it turns out that the world doesn't need you to save it?"
"Then I'll leave, escape this world, and return to my hometown. I'm not the kind of stubborn, opinionated settler; a little leisure now and then is nice."
Miss Surtr replied that some older memories silently surfaced in her mind.
Long ago, she was a savior who stood entirely on the side of humanity. In any world, whenever she saw humanity being oppressed, she did everything in her power to reverse the situation. As for the life and death of other races besides humans, she never cared about them.
She generally achieves success after multiple reincarnations. She either returns to Terra with flowers and honor, or perishes alongside a formidable enemy in the final battle, but in doing so, lays the foundation for humanity's rise to power. While there are occasional, not unexpected, developments such as being betrayed by her own allies before achieving her goals, she generally manages to accomplish the objectives she sets for herself.
Until one, or rather, certain experiences in the dream world, changed her mind.
What kind of world was that? The Bloodstained Pearl? Or the Starry Empire? Ah... perhaps all of them. After all, it was the haystack that broke the camel's back, not a single straw. And in reality, regardless of which of those worlds she was in, her ultimate decision was to incinerate all living beings with fire, and then, upon the desolate ruins, create a new world.
She learned a lesson in those worlds. She realized that sometimes, even pure-blooded humans, as a whole, could evoke her most direct hatred and disgust. And from that moment on, she would never again unhesitatingly side with humanity on the day of her arrival.
After all, her true form on Terra is still Sarkaz, a Sarkaz like a demon. In many worlds, they would be targets for extermination, those deemed "not of our kind, for their hearts are surely different." While she doesn't particularly care about being betrayed,... a life where even moral fastidious self-satisfaction is impossible is far too boring.
Therefore, humanity is no longer the only standpoint. Saving the world does not necessarily mean saving humanity. This excludes certain worlds where there are clear memories and knowledge of the hidden secrets. Before taking any action that could alter the course of history, she would conduct thorough and meticulous consideration.
Does this world need saving?
When saving the world, whose interests should I prioritize protecting? From which side should I take my side?
The girl began to think, and she kept thinking.
She knew very well that even a professional tool would struggle to handle multiple conflict requests from different factions simultaneously on the battlefield. One or two would be manageable, but ten or eight at once would give her a headache. Win-win situations were easier said than done. In practice, it was definitely more suitable and convenient to stand on one side and fight from start to finish.
So...
"Athena, are you changing your mind now that you're talking so much?" The beads on the girl's wrist gleamed slightly, and the suspended palace departed from the skies above Athens, heading east—its destination was Japan, and she planned to have the palace take a slight detour, flying over Mongolia. After all, Miss Surtr was a polite person and wouldn't let her toes pass over the head of another God Slayer.
This is a matter of respect. Of course, if some guy known as the Wuxia King has some unique perspective, then she wouldn't mind having another stone tablet placed in the garden.
The Goddess in the birdcage merely glared at her.
"Your witch will soon obtain my [Snake]. And when that time comes, even if I am unwilling, you, having obtained the [Snake], will surely have a way to force me to sign the bet. In any case, even if I obtain the [Snake], I may not be able to get the better of you. So rather than suffering greater losses in the future, it is better to establish a slightly more friendly relationship with you now."
"That's wonderful that you think that way." The girl nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face. "Then, let's consider it a test. Guess which way I'm headed now?"
"Do I even need to guess? It must be Japan. I just overheard you and your witch mentioning the word 'Kusanagi', and you sent that witch to Sardinia instead of directly seeking the origin of Kusanagi—although I don't know what that word means to you, Lord of Rakshasa who was only born a day ago. But I guess you intend to handle this matter personally."
"So you do seem to be of some use, Athena. Then why do you think I should care about the Kusanagi surname and the fate of its holder?"
"It's nothing more than the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan: the sword, the jewel, and the mirror... No, you no longer need sacred treasures of that caliber. Do you intend to use them as a medium to summon my kin and then slaughter them? That doesn't seem like it..."
The Goddess in the cage suddenly fell silent. A thought popped into her mind.
"You... know that the final resting place of the Last King is in Japan?"
"To be precise, that place should be called Tokyo Bay now." Miss Surtr nodded slightly. "When a certain number of God Slayer appear in the world at the same time, the Last King will be awakened from his slumber. He will kill all the God Slayer and fall back into slumber until the next cycle begins... Do you know what this thing looks like to me?"
It's like a fully automated farm and a condition-triggered harvester.
"..." Athena did not answer.
But a counter-question.
"But you just killed a God Slayer. If you are seeking the Last King, then you shouldn't have spared that fool's life a few minutes ago."
"Oh, that was just normal weakening of the enemy plus his own suicide." Miss Surtr shrugged. "I'm only after achieving my goal, not some exhilarating battle. As far as I know, the Last King's combat power is linked to the total number of God Slayer existing in the world at the same time. Taking one out early might not be such a bad thing."
"... You want to awaken and kill the Last King?"
"If it turns out that the world needs to be saved, and it just happens to be in its way, I wouldn't mind adding one or two more battles."
The Goddess in the cage lowered her head slightly.
"You are attempting something dangerous. Lord of Rakshasa from another world. But I will tentatively trust your arrogance and the power you hold back. At least until you fail, I will offer you some assistance—has the test been passed?"
"I suppose so," Miss Surtr nodded slightly, seemingly casually.
Then, the Lord of Fiends's palace accelerated further. As the clouds parted, the palace, which had transformed into a blazing meteor in the near sky, gradually streaked across the Middle East.
Forward, keep moving forward.
Miss Surtr will not deliberately conceal the death of the King of Swords, but for the time being, no fearless priestess will dare to spy on her palace.
Therefore, it may still be quite some time before the world is detonated by the news of Wang Yun.
Of course, this won't last long. After all, what Miss Surtr is about to do will inevitably strike a nerve with the local Japanese powers.
The girl on the throne was pondering something. When she passed through Mongolia, her gaze had momentarily turned south, where it collided violently with another gaze from Mount Lu at the Qinling Mountains dividing line.
A gaze contains a will.
The next moment, the rain clouds accumulated north of the Qinling Mountains crossed this natural barrier and rushed south of the Huai River, pouring out a huge amount of rain that was out of season!
In a battle of wits, the former had a slight edge. Being polite doesn't mean slinking away with your tail between your legs.
At Luo Hao's secluded retreat on Mount Lu, a blood vessel at the corner of his eye trembled slightly, as if it were about to burst, but it recovered completely thanks to the powerful physique of the God Slayer.
"How dare you!" A low shout echoed through the mountains. The entire Mount Lu trembled at the king's setback.
But she never truly left Mount Lu. After all, just as Miss Surtr was fond of politeness, this King of Martial Arts also liked to display the demeanor of God Slayer.
A loss is a loss. In a head-on confrontation, you were slightly outmatched, so continuing the fight would be undignified. Even if you want to avenge yourself, you should at least prepare the necessary courtesies before engaging in battle.
So the imperial palace continued eastward.
Beyond the sea, the land lay close before them. But as the palace approached Tokyo Bay, the young woman stepped down from her throne.
"Where do you intend to begin?" the Goddess in the birdcage asked. "Awakening the sleeping the Last King requires specific ritual implements and a vast amount of Curse Power. Neither of these can be obtained casually."
However, Miss Surtr simply waved her hand.
"Breaking the seal requires following a step-by-step procedure, that's the local custom. I, an outsider, naturally have other ways to chant the sutra—this is the first task I'm giving you: before I return, locate the seal of the Last King. And try to deduce how the ritual will work—you're not Persephone, so I don't expect you to break the seal or even seize ownership before I get back. Just make sure you can find the exact location."
The birdcage was opened, and the Goddess was freed. But both sides knew that this Goddess of Wisdom, whose weakness had been exploited and whose interest had been piqued, would not easily escape even after being freed.
"So, what do you intend to do?" the Goddess who had gained her freedom asked her.