1345  Celestial Anarchist

His questions remained unanswered for a very long time. Gaia understood, but she had a duty. The questions lingered between them, like words cutting into Arthur"s heart. He felt betrayed, weak, and guilt-ridden. "You have been chosen—" began Gaia. "Who chose me?" interrupted Arthur with a laugh. "Have I chosen myself, Gaia? Have I chosen to suffer this fate?"

"Someone must rise against Devaheim," she answered without meeting his eyes. "It"s a testament to my own inability to protect this world, and I chose you to carry that burden. Because you can."

"Of course, I can," Arthur said, though his expression crumbled. It quickly returned to its stoic, apathetic state. "And I"ve never shied away from this responsibility. But when faced with the choice between someone I love and the world, I will always choose her." "What about the legacy the Scholar Guardian created?" asked Gaia, raising her eyes to stare at the world. "You"ve created this gateway to strengthen our world, and it has saved millions. It needs the mana of creation as fuel."

"I can expand that mana without losing my sight," Arthur answered. "If you want a d.a.m.n soldier capable of fighting the G.o.ds, then don"t cripple them."

Gaia was silent once more. She hesitated, unsure whether to grant Arthur"s request. It went against her sense of justice. She could not favor Arthur over her world, but what would punishing him accomplish?

"What if I refuse?" asked Gaia, her expression hardening. A cold aura leaked from her body, a clear threat. But even facing the G.o.ddess of creation, Arthur didn"t falter.

"Then we would become enemies."

Arthur had accepted the price he needed to pay to save Diana, but he realized it wasn"t enough to ensure her safety. He couldn"t forsake his sight while facing countless enemies.

"Do you think you can challenge the G.o.ddess of creation herself?" asked Gaia, her aura exploding. A pulse of creation washed over the empty s.p.a.ce, causing Arthur to stagger backward. As he stared at the G.o.ddess in her true form, he realized the might of the being he was facing.

Her eerie golden eyes gazed at him with the indifference of a G.o.d. Arthur felt as if he were facing a celestial being that could dictate his life and death with a mere flick of its finger.

"And do you think you can handle the King of Wrath himself?" Arthur did not back down as he unleashed his wrath. It came with the cries of a thousand souls rising from his kingdom. The clash of wrath and creation almost tore the s.p.a.ce apart. Before it reached an irreparable stage, creation ceased, and wrath subsided. The two of them stared at each other, acknowledging each other"s power.

"I taught you every rune you know. Because of me, you learned to speak the language of creation and mastered it. And now you dare stand against me?"

"I will never forget that debt, but I cannot stand idle and let you decide my fate," Arthur replied with resolve. "As the King of Wrath and the leader of a rebellion against the G.o.ds, I need some backbone."

Gaia smiled for the first time upon hearing his words. Then, she walked back to the pond and motioned for him to follow. Arthur, confused, walked to stand beside her and stared into the water.

"What is that?" he asked as he gazed into the pond. It appeared to be a tear in the golden fabric of existence, though it seemed to be closing.

"This is a wound that opened our world to the kingdom of the G.o.ds," explained Gaia as she waved her hand. "A few days ago, you unleashed a tremendous amount of spiritual energy. More than even the G.o.ds could wield, if I"m being honest."

The spiritual energy spread throughout our world and healed part of Devaheim"s gateway. This is why not many G.o.ds can descend to our world at the moment."

"Unleashed spiritual energy?" Arthur muttered in confusion. Gaia waved her hand again, showing him the Starry Forest where he had proposed to Diana. "That time…"

"Your love was the reason the tear healed. Without it, Devaheim would have swarmed through the gateway," explained Gaia with a smile. "I might have been wrong all along, Arthur. I wanted to avoid merging the two worlds because Devaheim would have been able to descend. I thought you weren"t ready."

"And now you think I am?"

"I don"t think anything has changed. You have always been ready, because you are not alone. There is another gateway I had never considered," she turned toward him. "It"s you."

"…I"m a human, not a gate."

"There exists a gate inside your soul that brings forth endless amounts of spiritual energy. If you learn to master that energy, not even the G.o.ds can defeat you. If you learn to master it, you can end this struggle that has lasted eons."

"…I just got engaged, by the way. I wanted to stop fighting for a little while," Arthur said, changing the subject. "And now here you are with more revelations about me that I don"t know and more responsibilities of ending a struggle."

"But that"s not really your style, is it? Taking things slow and easy," Gaia said with a smile. "I know that you enjoy the fight. You enjoy the struggle you pretend to hate."

Arthur didn"t answer. He remained silent, staring at the pond and watching the tear in the barrier that protected their world slowly heal. Then, he gave an unhinged, almost b.e.s.t.i.a.l grin.

"I enjoy dethroning G.o.ds and bringing them to the ground. Do you know what that makes me?"

"What?" she asked, intrigued.

"A d.a.m.n celestial anarchist."

Gaia laughed for the first time since he had met her. Arthur couldn"t understand the reason behind her laughter, but he grinned nonetheless. For the first time, he admitted one thing he loved:

Destroying the status quo.

Arthur had lived as a bottom feeder growing up, jumping through the hoops of a society ruled by strength, abilities, and awakeners. Even though he had grown powerful, one thing remained unchanged about him: his hatred for the system.