Truman subtly withdrew his gaze from Badheil, turning to Omabella. "I don't see a path to success."
"Then who else could you choose?" Omabella's single eye fixed on Truman. "The Phoenix? The Devil? Or that yet-to-ascend Misfortune?"
Adjacent pathways were out of the question, the Devil was impossible, and the Phoenix, Gregrace, lurked in the Underworld, far weaker than the giants.
But… I'm literally the pontiff of the weakest one!
Over centuries, the Evernight Church had spread in secret, but it paled compared to other ancient god factions.
Truman fell silent, which Omabella took as a sign of wavering.
"You still dare talk cooperation? Lilith's been dead for centuries," Truman said suddenly, silencing Omabella and Badheil.
The fall of three ancient gods had pushed mistrust among them to its peak.
"So it's not an alliance, just mutual gain," Omabella said finally. "Afterward, we go our separate ways."
"Everything is decided by my Lord," Truman said, feigning prayer to the deity, though Sasrir and the Ancient Sun God had already given him free rein to adapt as needed.
Pure, radiant sunlight from the Creator's statue bathed Truman.
"The Lord sent me here to make giants and elves clash," Truman declared in a chanting tone, proclaiming the "Lord's" oracle.
"War with the elves!" Omabella and Badheil were stunned, but after a pause, they agreed on behalf of the Giant King, perhaps having anticipated this.
Cooperation in such circumstances demanded a price, a show of sincerity.
"You'll see," Omabella said, even inviting Truman to the Giant King's Court.
"Great!" Truman agreed instantly, taking Hermes to follow Omabella and Badheil to the Giant King's Court.
He'd never been there and could observe the giants' current state.
Omabella and Badheil found this unsurprising. After centuries of growth, the Giant King's Court rivaled the dragons' City of Miracles as a divine miracle, its strength formidable.
The Angel of Dreams couldn't stir trouble there.
The three angels and one saint moved swiftly, soon arriving at the Giant King's Court.
In a resplendent yet somber twilight, Truman beheld the current Giant King's Court.
In that frozen twilight realm, countless towering palaces, spires, and majestic structures stood, grand and ornate, silent in the dusk, steeped in epic grandeur.
Following the Giant Queen and the Giant King's eldest son into the court, Truman was greeted with great fanfare. Dawn and twilight lights shone together, and the roars of giant guards shook the world.
This was the giant race in the Twin Era.
Their population had surged, and with potion formulas, their intelligence and rationality had vastly improved, making their strength terrifying.
"Greetings, Queen! Greetings, Prince!" Two iron-tower-like Silver Knights knelt on one knee, saluting Omabella and Badheil.
Two Sequence 3 "Silver Knights" guarding the gate—this was the giant race at its peak.
"Come in," Omabella led Truman into the Giant King's Court, entering the Giant King's divine kingdom.
Truman's senses tingled, detecting a gaze filled with cold madness and the rotting scent of impending dusk.
The Giant King's gaze.
The ancient god's wounds from the ancient god war had healed, but his mental state remained the cold, bloodthirsty nature of an ancient god.
"This is our army!" Badheil said proudly, gesturing to a vast plaza in the court.
The plaza exceeded Truman's imagination, capable of holding ten thousand giants, filled with impeccably ordered giant troops.
Truman looked out, seeing thousands of giants, sensing at least mid-to-high-sequence Beyonders, including nearly ten Silver Knights!
In this mythical era, Beyonders formed armies, with demigods and saints among them.
"Ten Sequence 3s? And that's just the visible strength…" The giants were indeed formidable.
"The elves betrayed our King. As his subjects, we fight for his honor!"
"March on the elves!" Bradel, the God of Honor, glanced at Truman, ignoring him, and prepared to lead the campaign against the elves.
"Betrayer…" Truman's mouth twitched. The "betrayer" label was delicate. The Giant King and Elf King both accused each other of betraying Lilith and the alliance, leading to the catastrophic ancient god fall centuries ago.
Both ancient gods clung to their convictions, and other gods and angels, believing neither wanted the blame, never suspected another possibility.
The historical fog of that time was chaotic—the Demonic Wolf went mad, the Mutant King failed to capitalize, and Lilith decisively self-detonated. It happened too fast, even ancient gods couldn't pierce the fog to see the truth.
"In a few days, you'll hear of our full-scale war with the elves, to punish the betrayers!" Badheil declared, noting this army was merely the vanguard.
"Good! I'll wait!" Truman glanced at the army, nodded slowly, and followed a giant attendant to a palace.
But within half a day of resting in the giant palace, a ferocious storm of wind and thunder crashed toward the Giant King's Court.
"Aurmir! You betrayer!" A furious roar swept in like a tidal wave, overwhelming even Hermes, whose illusory dragon scales surfaced, showing signs of losing control.
"Quiet," Truman said softly, suppressing the madness in Hermes, looking outside.
"As expected of the Elf King, famed for his ferocity, coming straight here," Truman said, eyeing the blazing white thunder, his gaze heavy.
The giants' march on elven lands, under the banner of punishing betrayers, had enraged the Elf King, who, in a fury, transformed into lightning and struck the Giant King's Court.
"Today, I'll teach you a lesson!" The Elf King's furious voice echoed through the court, the sky's thunder peaking, wildly striking the grandest temple.
"Soniathrym!" Twilight surged, grass withered, and the void decayed.
Giant King Aurmir emerged from the temple, clad in twilight armor exuding ruin, wielding an exaggerated blood-red twilight greatsword, its tip lowered, the gleaming blade flashing with dangerous light.
(End of Chapter)