The Machine God's Love

Compared to the earth-shattering spectacle over Britain, all humans and nonhumans had their attention fixed more on the battle on the continent, between the Machine God and the Lion King of Britain.

Everyone knew that although the battle over Britain was loud and dramatic, it was ultimately nothing more than a minor skirmish. It could decide the victor in a limited area, but it was hardly pivotal to the strategic outcome of the greater conflict—or, one could say, it barely mattered at all.

What would determine the future of the Europa Continent was this unprecedented battle between a god and the Lion King.

This was the very heart of the storm.

One combatant was the avatar of the great god Zeus, painstakingly pieced together by the continent's mages. Though it was merely a remnant of a Machine God, it was still an aspect of the chief deity of the Greek pantheon, its status nearly equal to that of a chief god. It wielded divine authority and possessed power approaching that of a great god.

Especially in this age of fading Mystery, a great god's Mystery would surely stand at the highest level on the surface. Nothing could resist it. It was truly invincible in the mortal world.

The other was the ruler of Britain, who had risen swiftly over the past two years. He wielded the Holy Spear and Holy Sword, kept a top-tier dragon, subdued Fairies and Incubi, and defeated the hegemon of Europe.

He had single-handedly suppressed the island's Mystery, hastened the end of the echoes of the Age of Gods, and brought about the complete extinction of the last True Ether in the world. He had slaughtered the island's mages and possessed the courage to take on ten thousand men. In a short time, he had accomplished deeds beyond the imagination of ordinary people—he was the pinnacle of humanity.

Now, the outcome of the great battle between a god from a bygone era and the greatest primate of the future would determine the course of humanity's development.

Like fate itself: past and future.

Gods and humans.

Old and new.

Every being who understood the true significance of this battle wondered who would emerge victorious.

If the god won, the Lion King would die, and the changes on the island of Britain would remain confined to that one place. They would not affect the overall course of humanity's development, and humanity's fate would presumably return to normal, no longer beset by such violent upheaval.

Afterward, in this age of fading Mystery, the god would also slowly sink into oblivion.

If the Lion King won, he would seize the entirety of Europe and force humanity onto the path he had carefully laid out, completing the transformation of humanity he envisioned.

The Lion King's actions on the island of Britain, and what lay behind them, could not escape the notice of those who cared to look. To them, the Lion King had not even bothered to hide his intentions. His position was already clear for all to see.

"Who do you think will win?"

"It'll absolutely be the great god Zeus! He's a great god, the pinnacle of his pantheon. Even if this is only an aspect of him, he's no opponent humanity can face!"

"Exactly. It's not just the power of the great god himself; it's the combined efforts of every mage on the continent. The last time the mages united was under the leadership of the Marshal of Magic, if I remember correctly..."

"What Zeus? That's Rome's great god Jupiter! With the might of the great god Jupiter, combined with the secret weapon our teacher borrowed from those alchemists, no one could withstand such power!"

"But I still think the Lion King will win... Don't forget, he has the Holy Spear and Holy Sword. On top of that, he's naturally extraordinary and exceptionally brave, with a destiny as if favored by the gods..."

"You're not wrong. The Holy Spear and Holy Sword are of great significance; they wouldn't have been handed to the Lion King for no reason. He must have some exceptional quality... Besides, the Jeweled One thinks highly of him, too."

Humans, Dead Apostles, mages, and clergymen—every being able to observe the battle secretly watched it by whatever means they had. Though they could not see the god and the Lion King themselves, or the fierce battle between them, they could still indirectly gauge how it was going by observing the changes in their surroundings.

Some went even further. One Dead Apostle, for instance, was all too happy to stir things up. Using his power, he connected various beings and instantly set up a simple chat group where humans and nonhumans alike could discuss their views on the battle.

"What do you think, Jeweled One?"

Inside a room that dazzled the eye like a kaleidoscope.

The white-bearded old man sat casually in a chair, his upright frame radiating an imposing presence. His aged face was stern. He stroked his beard, his brows slightly furrowed, while his blood-red eyes revealed deep thought.

"Even against the great god Zeus, I still think the Lion of Britain will win—and quite easily, at that."

On the other side of the chair, a trumpet-shaped object stood on a simple table. Its wide opening wavered as a voice came from within. "You really think so highly of the Lion King?"

"I wouldn't say that. It's simply the conclusion I've reached from my own firsthand experiences and impressions. Just an old man's opinion." The expression on the old man's face was inscrutable, as if he were reminiscing about the past or considering things deeply. "The ages of new and old are not opposed. The future is, by nature, an extension of the past."

"That's quite a philosophical thought."

"There's no philosophy to it. It's something even children know." The old man remained expressionless. The other's praise stirred no emotion in him.

"In your view, what about that False God? What is its position?"

"A False God?" The old man raised his brows, his words tinged with amusement. "Though it's an artificial Machine God, its divine core and thought circuits truly came from the great god Zeus. It holds the authority of a great god, so it wouldn't be wrong to call it a god of the present world."

"Though I've become a Dead Apostle, I'm still a believer. To me, it's undoubtedly a False God." The owner behind the trumpet continued, "I'd also like to use it as a point of comparison. I'm curious to know what it thinks of humanity and the world. Does it feel love or malice?"

"What other position could a god have?"

The old man raised his brows at the question, clearly interested in the subject. In a calm voice, he explained his view.

"Though it is based on the body of the great god Zeus, it is not Zeus himself. It is an Artificial God, created from a thought circuit based on the loving aspect of the great god. It embodies the great god's love for humanity. That is precisely why I can say that the Lion of Britain will win."

Having gotten the opinion he wanted from the Jeweled One, the trumpet's owner did not press him further and immediately changed the subject. "Your opinion can influence a great many people. The mages and Dead Apostles outside were more confident that the great god would win, but after hearing your view, they've started hoping the Lion King will prevail."

"What do they know? They're all just parroting what others say."

The old man thought little of the mages and Dead Apostles outside. His words were full of disdain, yet he spoke with such seriousness that it sounded as if he were stating a fact.

His gaze shifted toward the crude table. Curiosity and confusion glimmered in his blood-red eyes.

"What's this thing you're using, anyway? Why didn't you come see me in person?"

"This is a new Magecraft I came up with recently. Even ordinary people can use it to call each other across thousands of miles, bringing people closer together. Pretty interesting, isn't it?" The trumpet seemed to give a humanlike wobble, and its owner sounded rather pleased with himself.

The old man gave a slight nod. "It's somewhat interesting, but also pretty useless."

"You really are a harsh judge, great senior."

The other man seemed about to chat a little longer, but suddenly his tone changed, as if he had seen something exceedingly rare. His voice could not conceal his shock.

"No way! They've chopped the top off the White Mountains!"

"Hmm?"

On the battlefield, invisible to the eyes of humans and nonhumans alike,

the Machine God's immense body blocked out the sunlight, leaving behind nothing but shadow.

Leon held a sword in one hand and a spear in the other, the enormous weapons stretched out at his sides. He stared at the towering Machine God blocking his path, his brow lifted and his eyes blazing with the desire to fight.

"As expected of an avatar of a god."

Leon could feel it: this was the greatest enemy he had ever faced!

In the little more than ten years since he had come into the world, he had never encountered such a formidable opponent. Lucius or Scathach—neither had made him feel as much danger as the Machine God before him.

Its cold, emotionless thought processes, its merciless battle logic, its authority over thunder, its size and strength—every one of these surpassed Leon.

And yet, the stronger it was, the more excited Leon became.

Perhaps it was the thrill of finding a worthy opponent, or perhaps it was his natural instinct for battle. The life-and-death danger of the fight filled him with joy. A blazing battle spirit rose in his heart, as if it would burn him to ashes.

As he looked at the mighty enemy standing before him, a scene seemed to unfold in Leon's mind: a human knight clad in armor, riding out to challenge a god descending from the heavens.

His surging battle spirit finally burst into a battle cry.

"Die!"

Leon shouted and charged at the enormous god.

The god stood suspended in the air, looking down at the tiny enemy who dared to approach with spear and sword in hand.

Even though this intruder was not one of the humans it loved, but an unexpected Descender, the Machine God did not begrudge him its praise for daring to face the majesty of a great god and challenge it. Nor would it hold back in the slightest.

"Descender, you will not fear, nor will you tremble. You will fall helplessly to the ground like straw!"

Enter Annihilation Mode. Continue until the target is completely silenced.

Anti-Space Defense Barrier, activate.

Anti-Time Defense Barrier, activate.

The Machine God gripped its thunderbolt. The thought circuits of the great god Zeus ran at full speed, as magic energy from the core flowed through its mechanisms to the various devices.

[Dimensional attack: Gigantomachia!]

[Galaxy attack: Titanomachy!]

Activate Anti-Lifeform Annihilation Mechanism.

Rumble!

From the black clouds, nearly endless thunder roared through the sky and crashed down toward the running Leon.

At first, he could just barely dodge by predicting where the lightning would strike. But the bolts grew denser with every passing moment, nearly sealing off his entire path and leaving him nowhere to hide.

Lightning flashed incessantly in a dense web before him, bathing Leon's eyes in white and blotting out his entire field of vision. A deafening roar followed, making him tremble. The noise was so loud it seemed to tear his eardrums apart; his ears rang and he could hear nothing else, while the thunder left his mind reeling.

"If I can't dodge, then I won't!"

Leon steeled himself to take the attack head-on. He trusted Avalon and the Holy Sword to defend and counterattack, and he trusted his own body's toughness. He refused to believe it would lose to the Machine God's thunder.

As he forced his way through the lightning, its current and heat did not harm him in the slightest. Before the bolts could touch his body, they bounced away and struck the ground in the distance. Avalon's protection had formed a spherical barrier around him, perfectly deflecting every attack.

Leon emerged unscathed from the lightning's encirclement, and the Machine God's enormous body loomed right before him.

Watching from above, the Machine God saw Leon appear and immediately brought its thunderbolt-bearing scepter crashing down. In haste, Leon thrust his Holy Spear upward.

Bang!

The moment their weapons collided, Leon felt immense force bearing down on him. The veins on his forehead bulged as he immediately used that overwhelming force to deflect the Machine God's scepter to the side.

Seizing the chance, he leaped up and swung his sword at the Machine God's head. The Machine God reacted at once. Without moving its legs, it twisted its upper body and reached for Leon with its other pitch-black hand.

Leon saw clearly that there was a hollow in the center of its black palm. Merlin had told him that the black spear was housed there. If that hand caught him and then fired at point-blank range, he would be crippled at best.

He immediately twisted his body and swung the Holy Sword at the webbing of the Machine God's hand. Just as the blade was about to strike its palm, a thick barrier enveloped the Machine God's body, blocking the blow.

Seeing that he could not break through for the moment, Leon shifted his force and used the immense power behind the Machine God's palm to send himself falling toward the ground.

Boom!

The ground caved into a deep crater. Leon pulled his feet free from the soil and watched the enormous figure steadily approaching. His blood surged with excitement, but he also felt completely stymied.

He had been right: the Machine God's raw strength exceeded his.

Every enemy he had encountered before, no matter how large, had been far weaker than him in pure strength.

But the Machine God was not only enormous; it was stronger than him as well. Add its mechanical body, which let it attack from angles far more agile than a human's, and his profound martial skills were nearly useless.

Then there was its divine authority, its barriers, its skills—no weaknesses at all. It was practically a perfect warrior!

What a troublesome opponent!

Leon could dodge the Machine God's attacks and rely on the Holy Sword and its scabbard to counterattack... but even if they fought for an entire day, there would be no sign of either side gaining the upper hand.

He had to find a way to land a direct hit.

Leon believed the Holy Sword in his hand could break the Machine God's defenses. But his opponent was no fool. The time it took to charge the Holy Sword's release was too long; he had to find the right moment.

Their brief exchange of probes was over. The Machine God's next attack came crashing down, giving Leon no chance to catch his breath. He could only grit his teeth and keep fighting.

The Machine God attacked without pause. Its range was vast, and its destructive power immense. Leon relied on his small stature and speed to dodge as much as possible. When the attacks became too relentless to evade, he had no choice but to rely on Avalon and his own body to endure them.

Leon had also considered sneaking in a surprise attack, but the Machine God's ability to detect him was formidable. It either transformed its body to evade or struck to interrupt Leon's movements, displaying the mechanical construct's versatility to the fullest.

Both sides fought with everything they had, each move aimed at killing the other. Even the shock waves could shear off mountaintops and disrupt the earth's ley lines. Ordinary people could not approach, and even from far away, the oppressive force of the battle left them terrified and shaken.

The fight was fierce, but as time passed, both sides began to feel a measure of helplessness.

There was no other explanation. Just as Leon had predicted, the battle had ground to a complete stalemate.

After their initial probing, both sides had formed their own predictions about how the fight would unfold.

Once the battle truly began, it was even fiercer than they had expected, but the situation still went just as they had foreseen, settling into a standstill between evenly matched opponents.

For a time, neither could do anything to the other.

Seeing that the situation had stalled, the Machine God decisively withdrew from the fight and hovered in midair, gazing down at the enemy before it.

"Descender, why do you reject the death ordained for you?"

Its voice boomed over the unceasing roar of thunder, deafening and as awe-inspiring as the majesty of heaven.

But in its question, Leon could hear the Machine God's wariness of him—and the helplessness hidden behind its words.

He scoffed. Where had this god gotten such confidence? "You came down from beyond the heavens, too. What right do you have to call me an outsider?"

"Because I love humanity!" the Machine God roared, its voice echoing in every direction.