"Oh." Coming back to his senses, Kuta shook his head and smiled at Kuina. "It's nothing."
Then he looked up at Robin, who stood before a stone wall and had turned toward them.
"Let's go over."
"Mm!" Kuina looked away, wrapped both hands around Kuta's left arm, and walked over with him.
Did he notice?
Fárbauti had not followed them into the Temple. He stood beside its entrance.
Watching Kuta's back, he felt a strange glimmer pass through his eyes.
Loki had been inside the Temple for some time. Judging by how long Fárbauti's own Awakening had taken, Loki should have come out by now.
That was why the other royals were growing impatient.
There were only two outcomes to entering the Temple: emerge after Awakening and inherit his throne, or never come out at all.
Of course he cared about Loki. The boy was his only descendant. If he died in the Temple and those warmongers took the throne, the future of the Giants—no, whether they would even have a future—was uncertain.
Could I use Mr. Kuta's spatial ability to get inside?
Even as king of the Giants, he could not open the sealed door to the place of inheritance. The Ancient Giants had left it behind. But for the future he envisioned, and for his only son, he wanted to borrow an outsider's power.
While Fárbauti wrestled with his hesitation...
Elsewhere in the Royal City.
"Are you certain?"
A massive figure sat in shadow upon the throne of an empty hall.
He was bare-chested, his muscles bulging. His hard face looked carved from ancient stone. Someone had injured the corner of his right eye, leaving a permanent scar, and another scar ran vertically down his abdomen.
He sat silently, leaning forward, radiating the crushing presence of an ancient