The Giant King's Court

Truman withdrew his gaze without a change in expression. He paid Badheil no further attention and said to Omebella, "I don't see any chance of success."

"Then who else can you choose?" Omebella stared straight at Truman with her single eye. "The Phoenix or the Devil? Or Misfortune, who hasn't yet ascended to godhood?"

The Adjacent Pathways were out of the question, as was the Devil. Phoenix Gregrace was lying low in the Underworld, and her strength was far inferior to that of the Giant Race.

But... I really am the Pope of the weakest one!

Of course, over the past few centuries, the Church of Evernight had secretly spread its faith, but it was still far behind the other Ancient God factions.

Truman fell silent, but Omebella took that as a sign he was considering it.

"You're still willing to talk about cooperation? Lilith has been dead for centuries." Truman's sudden remark left both Omebella and Badheil silent.

The fall of three Ancient Gods had brought suspicion among the Ancient Gods to a fever pitch.

"So this isn't an alliance, just a matter of each side getting what it needs," Omebella said at last. "Afterward, we each go our own way."

"Everything is up to my Lord." Truman pretended to pray to God, but Sasrir and the Ancient Sun God had already told him to handle everything here as he saw fit.

Pure, radiant sunlight fell from the Creator's statue onto Truman.

"My Lord sent me here to set the Giants and Elves against each other." In a chantlike tone, Truman proclaimed the oracle from "his Lord."

"War with the Elves!" Omebella and Badheil were both stunned, but after a moment of silence, they agreed on the Giant King's behalf. Perhaps they had already anticipated this.

To cooperate under these circumstances, they first had to pay a price and show their sincerity.

"You'll see," Omebella said, even inviting Truman to the Giant King's Court.

"Good!" To her surprise, Truman agreed at once. He took Hermes with him and set off for the Giant King's Court with the two Giants, Omebella and Badheil.

He had never been to the Giant King's Court. This was a good chance to see what the Giant Race was like now.

Omebella and Badheil weren't surprised. After several centuries of development, the Giant King's Court had become a Divine Kingdom of Miracles comparable to the Dragon's City of Miracles, with considerable strength.

The Angel of Dreams couldn't possibly cause much of a stir there.

The three Angels and one Saint traveled at tremendous speed, and soon arrived at the Giant King's Court.

Amid a brilliant yet somber twilight, Truman saw the Giant King's Court as it was now.

In that land where twilight stood frozen, countless enormous palaces, towers, and majestic buildings stretched out, grand and magnificent, silent in the dusk and filled with an epic splendor.

As Truman followed the Giant Queen and the Eldest Son of the Giant King into the court, they received a grand welcome. Dawn and Light of Twilight shone together, while the roars of the Giant Race's guards made the whole world seem to tremble.

This was the Giant Race of the Era of Twins.

The Giant population had grown tremendously. With the help of Potion Formulas, the Giants' general intelligence and rationality had improved greatly, and their strength had become terrifying.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Queen! Greetings, Prince!" Two Silver Knights, each like an iron tower, dropped to one knee and saluted Omebella and Badheil.

Two Sequence Three "Silver Knights" guarding the gates—that was the pinnacle of the Giant Race.

"Come in." Led by Omebella, Truman formally entered the Giant King's Court, the Giant King's Divine Kingdom.

Truman's senses stirred. He detected a gaze, filled with indifference and madness, and the rotting stench of twilight drawing near.

It was the Giant King's gaze.

The Ancient God's injuries from that battle among the Ancient Gods had naturally healed, but his state of mind remained as cold and bloodthirsty as ever.

"This is our army!" Badheil said proudly, pointing to a vast plaza in the court.

The plaza was beyond anything Truman had imagined. It was large enough to hold ten thousand Giants, and its ranks were filled with an exceptionally orderly Giant army.

Truman looked across the plaza. There were thousands of Giants, and a brief sense of them revealed that they were at least mid- to high-Sequence Beyonder Creatures. There were even nearly ten Silver Knights!

In this age that later generations would call mythical, Beyonders appeared in the form of armies. Even Demi-gods and Saints served among them.

"Ten Sequence Threes? And this is only the strength they're willing to show me..." The Giant Race was indeed powerful.

"The Elves betrayed our King. As our King's subjects, we must fight for his Honor!"

"March against the Elves!" Bradel, God of Honor, merely glanced at Truman without acknowledging him, then immediately ordered the army to set out against the Elves.

"Betrayers..." Truman's mouth twitched. The title was a delicate matter: both the Giant King and Elf King claimed the other had betrayed Lilith and broken their pact, leading to the terrifying fall of Ancient Gods centuries ago.

Both Ancient Gods firmly believed their own judgment. The other Ancient Gods and Angels thought the two were accusing each other only to avoid taking the blame, so no one suspected there might be another possibility.

The events within the Historical Void had been extremely chaotic. The Demon Wolf had gone mad, the King of Exotic Species had failed to take advantage of the situation, and Lilith had decisively blown herself up. Everything had happened so quickly that even the Ancient Gods could not pierce the Historical Void to see the truth.

"In a few days, you'll hear that we're at full-scale war with the Elves, to punish the traitors!" Badheil declared. The army here was only an advance force.

"Good! I'll be waiting." Truman looked at the army once more, then slowly nodded and followed a Giant attendant to a palace.

But Truman had rested in the Giant palace for less than half a day when a violent storm of wind and thunder crashed into the Giant King's Court.

"Aurmir! You traitor!" A furious roar swept over them like a tidal wave. Even Hermes couldn't withstand it. Phantom dragon scales spread across his body, and he showed signs of losing control.

"Calm down." Truman spoke softly, suppressing the madness surging inside Hermes as he looked outside.

"As expected of the Elf King, famed for his violence. He's come straight here to attack." Truman watched the mass of blazing white lightning, his eyes grave.

The Giant Race had marched into Elven territory under the pretext of punishing the traitors. That had sent the Elf King into a fury, and without a thought for anything else, he had turned into a bolt of lightning and charged into the Giant King's Court.

"I'll teach you a lesson today!" The Elf King's furious voice rang throughout the Giant King's Court. The thunder in the sky reached its peak, furiously striking the grandest temple.

"Soniathrym!" Twilight surged in an instant. Plants withered, and the void fell into ruin.

Giant King Aurmir strode out of the temple, clad in the decaying Armor of Twilight and holding an enormous, blood-red Greatsword of Twilight. The tip of the sword pointed downward, and its gleaming blade shimmered with a dangerous light.